Video - How Many Times a Week Should I Workout?

How much training a week is optimum? PictureFit explain. Comments welcome.

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4 Mental Toughness Hacks I Learned in U.S. Special Operations

I’ve always loved the movie Black Hawk Down, and after four years of watching it on repeat, I joined the army and eventually Special Operations. 

Like the guys in Black Hawk Down, I wanted to be a badass. 

One of my favorite quotes from the movie is when Hoot (Eric Bana’s character) is asked for his opinion on why they were sent to Mogadishu. He responds:

“Y’know what I think? Don’t really matter what I think. Once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that shit just goes right out the window.”

He understood a critical truth of battle: 

Under stress, the only thing that matters is doing what you’ve trained to do in order to survive. 

Even if you aren’t in the military, this still applies. When you’re under stress, the reason why you’re in a world of shit doesn’t matter as much as how well you handle it. When things get tough, you fall back on your training.

Whether it’s prepping for a competition or weekend at the vacation, we train for a purpose.

At some point in our lives, injuries, illness, and stressful situations are in store for all of us. How well we’re prepared for them will determine exactly how well you handle them. And if you’re caught unprepared or unfocused, you might find yourself trapped.  

If I ever slip up on training and complacency begins to creep its sneaky tricks into my head, I remember the lessons that I learned in Special Operations to help me keep my mind together, and you can do the same.

These are all habits that you can apply to your current training regimen.

1. Train As You Fight

If you want to look, feel, and perform like a warrior, you have to train like one. Bodyweight movements like push-ups and pull-ups are critical to master on your fitness journey, as are heavy lifts and carries. I don’t just suggest this. I firmly insist upon it. 

So, don’t miss a session. Prioritize your fitness, or else find yourself in deep shit when things go awry.

Train with intensity. What do you think you’re going to get the most out of? A stroll on the treadmill or sled pushes?

Train rigorously or don’t do it at all.

2. Use What’s in Your Kit

Getting in shape means being resourceful with what you have. Nice gyms aren’t always convenient or available.

Whether it’s a sandbag, ammo can, a small animal, or just your body weight, you can achieve fitness with just about anything available (I’ve included a workout below that can be done anywhere, so you have no excuses).

3. Know What’s at Stake

If you’re the only one accountable for your progress, it’s likely a matter of time before you fall off the wagon.

The truth is that humans are motivated more by the avoidance of pain than the pleasure of a reward. Who are you letting down? Who depends on you? 

By way of contrast,  knowing what you truly want to achieve is going to be a safety net for when we want to quit. The difference between someone who succeeds in Special Operations and someone who quits is the ability to find your “why” when things get tough.

Why do you want to be fit? Asking yourself why can help get you closer to your true motivation. You’ll need to smash through the ore to find the gem, but that is what separates the winners from the drop-outs.

4. Take R&R (Rest and Recuperation)

Proper recovery helps you to make quicker strides and ensures you’ll have energy for when you need it most. Consider deloading every 4-8 weeks depending on your level of fatigue.

Don’t push through injury unless your life depends on it. Otherwise, you’re out of the fight and leaving others to pick up the slack.

I stand behind these principles because they’ve saved my ass in combat, and I’ve seen them do wonders for my coaching clients.

Are you ready to put them to work?

Try this quick Training Grinder to get your energy out of the trenches and closer to fighting shape. It can be done anywhere.

Turn up your favorite gym song (I recommend Eminem’s Till I Collapse) and go as hard as you can, as if a drill sergeant is watching. 

Alternate between each exercise for three rounds each, then take 1-2 minutes rest between circuits 1 and 2.

GRINDER CIRCUIT 1:

Inverted push-up (feet on a bench or the wall) – 12 reps

Goblet squat w/ sandbag, kettlebell, or whatever weight’s available –  20 reps

Mountain climber – 20 per leg

Repeat 3 times, rest 1-2 minutes, and then proceed to Circuit 2. 

GRINDER CIRCUIT 2:

Sandbag bentover row – 15 reps

Alligator push up – 10 per side

Jump lunges – 8 – 12 per side

Bonus: wear a weighted vest while completing this.

Even if you’ve never considered yourself a warrior, it’s not too late. You can still take apply principles to help you look, train, and feel like a fucking badass.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian is a Special Operations veteran turned fitness coach. His actions in Afghanistan earned him a Bronze Star in combat, inspiring him to teach others how to find their inner warrior through fitness training. He believes that anybody can look, feel, and perform like an elite warrior, even if they aren’t a full-time knuckle dragger in the military. Check out his battle-tested regimen here.

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Source: http://romanfitnesssystems.com/articles/mental-toughness-hacks-us-special-operations/

What makes muscles grow? - Jeffrey Siegel

If you want to build your muscles watch this entertaining video now and learn. Over 4 million views and counting.

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Can Morning Exercise Make You More Productive During the Day?

It is no big secret that exercise, proper nutrition, getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of water throughout the day is a proven recipe for health. Regarding exercise, is there a particular time of day when working out or staying physically active will deliver greater rewards? The answer to that question seems to be "yes", and the time you should be exercising is in the morning.

When you are productive in any area of your life, you enjoy less stress and anxiety, more happiness and a sense of fulfillment, and more success. To boost your productivity, get active more often. Jogging, taking a walk, lifting weights, cycling, and performing yoga or Pilates will give you more energy than if you are sedentary, which will naturally lead to better productivity. When you schedule that exercise in the morning, you supercharge that productivity.

Here's how it works.

Exercise in the morning means fewer scheduling conflicts. You never miss a workout when you wake up early, and you don't have to push other responsibilities aside to make sure you get a workout in. This means after your morning workout, your entire day can be focused on productively knocking out your to do list, and daily responsibilities.

Waking up is hard to do for a lot of people. This means sluggishly getting through the morning and heading to work without much energy. Exercise fires up your endorphins and cranks up your energy levels. Enjoying even just 20 minutes of physical activity in the morning can lead to energy reserves to fuel a productive day.

Early-morning fitness means a spike in your metabolism. So when you have a mid-morning snack and lunch while you are working throughout the day, you effectively burn more calories. This means you're less likely to suffer a mid-afternoon energy crash. Moderately intense to intense physical activity also wakes up your brain. So you start the day with a clear head, improving your chances of keeping ahead of your workload and responsibilities all day long.

As far as motivation goes, getting your workout in early gives you a boost of self-esteem. You have barely begun your day, and you have already accomplished something important. Success can build upon itself. The feel-good hormones that exercise releases make you feel good about yourself for exercising in the morning, a time when it may be tough to think about physical activity. This successful early-morning achievement develops the proper mindset to attack subsequent goals and commitments with a lot of productive energy and positive feelings.

Mr. Gross has been in Online Marketing since 2005 & operates Niche Websites/Blogs & has created many products. You can get his Free Report "10 Minutes To Triple Your Sales" by visiting http://internetmarketingnews.us/2yly. You can sign up for his Internet Marketing Newsletter by visiting his blog at http://internetmarketingnews.us.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gary_L_Gross/1250399

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Energize Your Mind and Body

Energy drain is a common feature in our face paced lives. It can affect us physically in terms of body ache, fatigue, etc. It could also make us feel a lack of motivation to pursue activities that we like. However, the good news is that there are ways to counter low energy levels.

Let us understand why we feel a lack of energy. There are various causes for energy depletion. Some of them are:

1. Improper nourishment: Our hectic schedules have driven us towards fast foods. These contain unhealthy elements. This results in giving us a drained out feeling most of the time.

2. Inadequate rest: We have made our lives so busy that we are hardly left with any time for relaxation. Our bodies and minds are deprived of rest. Hence, we are tired most of the time.

3. Lack of exercise: Regular exercise helps in boosting energy levels as it helps in secretion of energy boosting hormones. Most of us lead sedentary lifestyles and therefore deprive ourselves of these vital hormones.

4. Stress: It is one of the most important causes for lack of energy. If our minds are not at peace, we cannot be relaxed. For complete relaxation of the body, it is essential to relax the mind.

All these factors can be summarized as leading an unhealthy lifestyle. You can lead a life where you do not feel drained and fatigued by just making simple changes in your lifestyle. 

Tips for boosting energy levels:

1. Include Magnesium in your diet:

Magnesium performs numerous biochemical reactions in the body including breaking glucose into energy. Therefore, it is beneficial to include magnesium-rich foods such as almonds, hazelnuts, or cashews in your diet. Fish such as Halibut also increases the Magnesium levels. 

2. Go for regular Walks:

Walking is one of the simplest exercises. It does not require any equipment and can be done by anyone. Most of us avoid it due to lack of time or lack of energy. But the irony is that a walk boosts your energy levels. 

3. Don't skip your meals:

Your body needs all the minerals and vitamins. Hence, it is essential not to skip your meals. 

4. Meditate:

Stress leaves an individual mentally and physically drained. One of the best ways to counter stress is through meditation. 

5. Reduce intake of alcohol:

Cutting down on your alcohol intake in the evening, helps you get a good night's rest. This helps you reenergize for the next day. 

6. Drink more water:

Keeping your body hydrated is one of the simplest ways of keeping off exhaustion.

Although this list is not comprehensive, these are some of the easy to follow tips to enhance energy levels.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kanika_Saxena/2335315

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How to Boost Your Metabolism and Burn More Fat - 4 Steps

Learn how to increase your metabolism so you can shed those unwanted pounds. There are lots of useful tips in this video. Over three hundred thousand views and counting!!!

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