Train with the RIGHT Intensity... Here's How!

Hey Gang, Showing up at the gym and going through the motions will NEVER produce the RESULTS you are looking for.

Often times, people think they are getting a lot done because they are breaking a light sweat or puffing so hard that they are near the brink of passing out.

These two methods are NOT what you want in a solid Fat Burning, Strength and Conditioning Program (there are exceptions to this rule but I'm not going to get into that now).

Here is a QUICK way to know if you are training with the RIGHT intensity or just wasting your time in the gym...

Check it out here!

Stay Motivated, Dedicated and Focused Gang and Get Work Done!

UNLEASH the MAYHEM,

Sean "Mayhem" Murphy

405 Dead Lift

So yesterday I posted a short video on Facebook of me hitting the Dead-Lift for 405 pounds.

If you missed it, here it is again.

Not the most perfect form but I am very happy to have my Dead-Lift back up to over 400 after last Summer's Back Injury.

Although this isn't the heaviest weight I have managed to lift in my years of training, this was certainly a huge mile-stone for me as its the first time I have been able to break 400 since my set back last Summer when I re-injured my lower back, this time causing major sciatica pain.

For those of you who don't know, I have degenerate disc disease and that has caused me several back issues over the years.  It's something I have dealt with since my last year of service in the military and an issue I must be continuously aware of.

Last year I re-committed to my goal of becoming Stronger in the gym.  Over the past few years, my focus has been on more of a body-building approach with my fitness routine and not so much about how much weight I could Bench, Squat or Dead-Lift.

Now, those of you who know me know that I am very aggressive and usually have to learn lessons through experiences.  I hardly ever use a methodical approach or think things through.  I typically go by my gut, instincts and excitement and most of the time it works for me but there are those times life has to tell me to stop and re-evaluate my choices.

Last Summer my body made that decision for me as I was making a couple of mistakes in my training program.  It stopped me by causing severe back pain and my entire left side went numb.  My left leg was useless and I had no control of my foot flopping to the floor as I walked.  I had times when I would stumble and fall just walking.  I had never experienced this kind of pain before and I if I told you I wasn't scared, I'd be lying to you.

I immediately scheduled an appointment with my Chiropractor who re-assured me that I was out of place and that he could take care of this issue without me needing to worry.  It took several months for me to be able to get back in the gym again and start from scratch.

To this day I still have the slightest numbness in my left big toe.

I contribute this re-injury to these Big 3 Mistakes I was making.

Mistake #1 - Not focusing enough on Mobility and Balance in my routine.

My entire training was so focused on Strength that I neglected the simple things, such as stretching and recovery.  I pushed hard every workout and I was feeling great every day with my training.  However, what I didn't realize was that I was causing my body to work with major imbalances, eventually to the point where it couldn't take anymore.

Mistake #2 - Trying to Advance in Strength Every Single Training Session.

My obsession with lifting more and more weight each and every week had me adding weight to the Barbell every single session.  If I could do more than 5 reps, I HAD to take the weight up.  Now, I WAS Squatting, Benching and Dead-Lifting this weight with correct form, technique and range of motion but just because you CAN, doesn't always mean you should!

Mistake #3 -  My Grip Truly was WRONG!

When it came to the Dead-Lift I have since figured out that my grip was causing the biggest imbalance in my back.  As I was lifting heavy, I would always use an overhand / underhand grip.  This of course is one of the strongest grips you can take on the bar but here was the problem - my left hand was ALWAYS underhand while my right was ALWAYS overhand.

This past January I re-evaluated what was important to me and even though my focus is still on Strength and Performance, I decided these goals weren't as important as staying injury and pain free.  I decided I wanted to add a level of athleticism to my goals as well as learning more about Mobility and Recovery and implying them.  I brought this practice into Mayhem Fitness as well!

Since I have learned from my mistakes here is what I have done to fix them!

#1 - Every workout includes Mobility. 

This can be as simple as foam rolling, trigger point therapy with a lacrosse ball, Yoga, and band work such as pull-aparts and over-unders.  I spend just as much time focusing on Mobility as I do Lifting and it has helped tremendously.

#2 - I Train Smarter

 Every training session and every week doesn't mean I need to try and out lift my previous workout.  I now implement percentages into my training that allows my body to recover but still get in an effective workout.  I typically train heavy for 3-4 weeks and use a de-load week but even more often than that strategy I listen to my body and train hard on the days I am really feeling it and take it a little easier on the days I need to.  I'll be honest in saying that this approach seems to produce slower strength gains but I'm staying injury free and that's most important to me today.

#3 - I no longer use the Overhand / Underhand Grip

I decided that since this grip caused my weakness and injury when I was Dead-Lifting that I would no longer use it on a regular basis.  I still sometimes (very very rarely) use it but have stuck to an overhand grip during my training and refuse to use lifting straps.  This has helped my grip strength and makes me work within the limits of my bodies capacities without putting it in awkward positions the way the Overhand / Underhand grip would do.  If I do use the overhand / underhand I make sure I switch hands on every single rep that I perform.  I recently discovered the hook grip where you grab your thumbs along with the bar.  I was using that grip yesterday when I hit 405.

The take home lesson I encourage you today is to truly pay attention to everything you are doing in your fitness and lifting routine.  No how to become in tune with your body and what its capable of instead of always pushing it to the max every time you're in the gym.

Now, its true, you must push yourself to your limits if you expect to break plateaus and find out what you are truly made of just be smart and take care of your body in the process.

And just because I had a set-back, didn't mean it was time to give up on my goals, even if it meant starting all over!

Keep Training Hard and Do Work Maniacs!

Get Angry - Get Results

Recently I got to thinking about the several hundreds of client transformations that I have personally helped over the years.

Feel free to visit http://www.mayhemfitness.com/they-said-what to see many of their before and after photos and testimonials.

For more than a decade, I have worked with so many men and women who possess different personalities, body types, emotions, habits, challenges, health issues, physical complications, work schedules and family dynamics that it would seem it would take a different strategy and approach to help each individual for their own personal success... and to some degree that is very true.

I have definitely learned a lot over the years that the text books just don't teach you about addressing difficult challenges and meeting the personal needs of each individual client.

And with each person that I have worked with I can tell you a unique story about how they accomplished their health and fitness goals.

I can also tell you that every single one of my clients has benefited from the motivation and accountability that I provide and that nearly 100% of these men and women needed the help and education of proper training and nutrition.

But even with my coaching and understanding of how the body works and responds to exercise and a healthy diet there were still some who would get results faster than others that I have worked with and continue to coach and mentor.

There is ONE THING that separates those who get amazing results from those who don't and seem to give up altogether.

Even in pursuit of my own personal goals, whether it be passing or improving my score in the APFT (Military fitness test), fat loss, rehabbing my lower back or improving strength & athleticism (which are my goals today), I had one thing that kept me driven and determined to reach my goals that were and are important to me...

And that one thing, that one common bond that I share with my cliental that has had tremendous success and the one thing that should drive you is Frustration!

You actually need to GET ANGRY to Make Results Happen!

I know, this isn't the same speech you're use to hearing from me with Positive Mindset and such but hear me out on this.

It's only when you are Truly Frustrated with where you are currently at...

It's only when you are Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired...

It's only when you are at your weakest point and SNAP OUT OF IT to become Strong again...

It's only when you are finally feed up with being FAT, OUT OF SHAPE, TIRED, SICK, WEAK, BROKE, LONELY, UNATTRACTIVE, INSERT YOUR FEELINGS HERE_______________...

Whatever that Feeling is that has you down and out and miserable, its only when you Finally Get Angry and Say Enough is Enough is when you will actually do something about it and be serious enough to make the changes necessary to Get Results!

When you allow yourself to GET ANGRY and attack your goals with a vengeance you will find yourself UNSTOPPABLE!

Nothing will step in your path of RAGE as you stare down the limitations you placed on yourself and discover they no longer have a hold on you, that YOU are in control of your fitness and health and that YOU DO have the Will-Power and Drive to Get Work Done and accomplish your goals.

Just like when Bruce Banner has had enough and he transforms into the HULK - He has to GET ANGRY and then he SMASHES everything in his path.

Imagine you have that same energy, that same drive, that same passion, that same level of intensity as the Hulk when you GET ANGRY!

That anger will be your fuel to use after years and years of frustration and you will break barriers and become the absolute BEST version of yourself.

You see, it has been in my personal experience that those who finally say enough are the ones who truly find that inner warrior to Get Work Done and change what they don't like about themselves.  
It's this trigger that sets them off and they break out of the mold that once held them back.  In fact, once they start making the transition into the new confident, vibrant, healthy and stronger person they want to be, they NEVER want to experience that old self again!

I've seen it time and time again and heard the same story over and over again from those who went from Overweight and Unattractive to Firm and Sexy, Weak and Insecure to Strong and Confident, Health Issues and Life Threatening Illness to Healthy and Medication Free - They all have said the same thing to me... 

"I hated where I was and it was TIME for me to change."

Yes, these words come out from their mouths - HATE, UNATTRACTIVE, DISGUSTED, MAD, DEPRESSED, WEAK, INSECURE, FAT, UGLY - these are not words that express any type of good feeling about one self that's for sure...

So if you look in the mirror and have any of these adjectives depicting how you feel or how you look at yourself my advice to you TODAY - RIGHT NOW is to GET ANGRY and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

No sugar coating, coddling, pat on the back, its gonna be ok softness here - GET ANGRY and GET TO WORK!

If you desire to be more, to do more, to become what you're not - then you need to know that the TIME IS NOW!  HULK OUT - GET MAD and DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW!

• Throw out the junk food that clutters up the kitchen!
• Call up the local gym and schedule your first session with a personal trainer and KEEP THAT APPOINTMENT!
• Get Outside and go for an hour walk!
• Write down what you don't like and how you're going to fix it - this is called setting goals!

And for those of you who are looking for the perfect timing - let me be very clear...

THERE WILL NEVER BE A PERFECT TIMING!

You think you're busy now?  I guarantee your life will continue to be busy and become busier as time marches on!  You must MAKE the commitment and the time to yourself!

I get it - You have a full time job, maybe two or three jobs...

A demanding family at home...

Kids homework...

Appointments...

Volunteer Work...

Sports...

Etc... Etc...

We all have the SAME 24 hours in the day and life is NOT going to slow down - I guarantee it.  If you're ANGRY enough you're going to do something about it TODAY.  

If you're ok and not frustrated with the way you are, you will make excuses and remain the same.

DONE!

Which Road Are You On?

In this journey called life I can recall many regrets and life lessons that I have endured, some of which I am not very proud of at all and am still having to work through the consequences.

I’m sure you have your battles like these as well but that is what makes us all human.  We make mistakes thats caused by our own selfishness or negligence... trust me, its hardly ever left up to chance.  

With the exception of being a victim of a crime or illness, your circumstances don’t just happen.

I’m a firm believer that you bring onto you what you create!

Karma, it may not happen to you right away but in my experience, you act the fool long enough, it will catch up with you and there will be penalties to pay.

The good news is that there is a flip side to this coin... The balance of the universe.  And I can attest to the FACT that every effort to maintain integrity, accept responsibility, engage life positively and honestly reaps its rewards.

It seems this day in age we see more negativity, bad news, and lack of integrity and much more selfishness, hatred and blaming.  

Its a sad trend that is coming right from our very own government, homes, work place and even people we call friends.  The worse part is, our kids are modeling this behavior.

Hearts have turned wicked in the game of life to get more for one self but I have to tell you, this is a big mistake and one that leaves lives in shambles and self destruction.

What ever happened to doing for your fellow man and giving instead of taking?

When did the rules change that you had to be greedy and untrustworthy to get ahead?

  

When did it become ok to blame others and not accept responsibility for your own actions?

Thats what it seems like today doesn’t it?

If you watch the News or scroll through your Facebook feed, I guarantee you will see more negativity and trouble then positivity and good deeds.

Here’s a couple things to think about before I go on...

I can’t recall the exact study but it was concluded that the News attracts more viewers from tragedies and bad news than it does with positives news and good Samaritan stories.

This can truly be backed up on Facebook.  When you see someone post something negative or life crisis on Facebook, how many Likes and comments are soon following that post?

Misery seems to love company and it is an addiction!  It can suck the life right from you and before you know it, you have become someone you never intended to be.

My life years ago was this exact story!

I was a VICTIM (self proclaimed) and I deserved better than the hand I was being dealt.  This was my thought process and because of this damaging outlook I was destroying myself and everyone around me.  

I was caught up hanging out with others who shared my vision of selfishness and greed.  I lost who I was and didn’t even realize it.

All the morals and things I stood by (the very things I would of died for) I betrayed in my own pursuit to better my own selfish circumstances.  

In the beginning I felt empowered, confident, even fair to say I was living life on an ultimate high but it didn’t last very long.

In fact, once everything turned for the worse I suffered much longer and am still paying today for some of those mistakes.

During my worse times I hurt others, relationships suffered including those with my very own family and friends.  

The business I was trying to create was falling apart on me.  My stress was more than I could handle.

I was drinking heavily and continued to pass the blame on others and my circumstance and soon became very quick to anger.

On the outside to others I showed a much different person.  I showed someone who was living the life and happy but this was far from the truth.

I soon hit a wall and in an instant I knew I needed to change.  I hated who I had become.

I needed to focus on myself in a positive manner, not one that was self destructing.  

It wasn’t an easy road at first but today that road is much easier to travel and now, whenever I hit life struggles or obstacles, I can always move forward knowing I make decisions with Integrity and Honesty.  

No need to lie or cheat my way through life.

I am very glad that today I am able to recognize how wrong my behavior was back then.  

And I have to tell you, Today I AM VERY Happy.  

I have a thriving business where the members of Mayhem Fitness LOVE to come learn and train.  

I have a very loving and wonderful girlfriend whom I am very proud of and love very much.  

I have an amazing son who I am a much better and positive role model to.  I couldn’t say that a few years back.  

I have my health and a passion to lead others and help them transform from weak, broken and struggling into Strong, Courageous and Empowered individuals who will in turn help others!

Success means something much different to me today than it did just a few short years ago.

I’m not sure what inspired me to write this today but I will tell you there are two roads in which we all must choose to travel on. 

One road seems like the clear the choice with open paths and less obstacles.  One that would have you believe that you can have whatever you desire and any means to get there.  I would caution that pathway and steer clear of it.

The one I will continue to travel is the one less traveled.  A steep uphill battle with treacherous obstacles and uncertainties.  

One where others will try and ridicule you and mock you.

Others will try and persuade you that it isn’t worth the risk or challenge.  

It will be a road that you will face defeat again and again and again and again.  

But once you reach the top, it will all be well worth it and you can say you made it with Integrity, Dignity, Passion and Honesty and NO ONE can ever take that feeling away from you!

Take a deep look at your life today as you look at these two lists.  

One is the road less traveled, the other seems to be the pathway of the many.  

I’ll admit, at one time in my life I had many of the Characteristics listed on the Easy Road.  Even though I still have my weak moments, I now know how to recognize them and make sure to stay on the course of the road less traveled.  Which path are you on?

Rise to the Top but don’t Lose Yourself in The Process!  Be True To Yourself and Honest With Others.  Which Road are you on?

Work Like A Champion, Live Like a Champion, WIN Like a Champion!

DONE.

Banded KB Swing

Ready to take your KB Swing up to the next level?  Adding resistance bands to this dynamic movement will surely step up your game.

Warning:  Do not progress to this movement until you have mastered the KB Swing!

Here is a quick re-cap of the KB or optional DB Swing.

As you know, the KB Swing is a fantastic movement to develop Power through the Hips and Glutes and is great conditioning exercise that can replace high impact exercises such as jumping and running.

It also teaches you the proper Hip Hinge movement that is so vital to exercises such as Romanian Dead-Lifts and various Bent Over exercises.

By adding a resistance band to the KB swing you challenge yourself more with both phases of the movement, concentric and eccentric because you must engage your muscles, particularly Glutes and Core, harder to control the weight.  Any sloppiness can result in a strained lower back so again, do not attempt this movement until you have mastered the Swing alone!

Here's How To Perform the Banded KB Swing

1. Start by wrapping a band around the KB handle and then step onto the band with your feet at your typical stance.
2. The KB should be on the ground about 1 to 2 feet away from you.
3. Hinge at the hips with slightly bent knees and grasp the KB.  Your posture should look as if you are about to Hike a Football with your body tight and back flat.
4. Throw the KB back towards your groin as if you are snapping a football and then drive the weight up by engaging your Glutes and Hips forward in a thrusting manner sending the KB up towards the ceiling straight out in front of you.  Do not try to lift the weight with your shoulders or upper body.  The entire movement should be generated through the power of your lower body.  At the top position you should have your Glutes and Hamstrings tightly contracted and standing tall with the KB either directly in front of you or at eye level.
5. The band will provide more resistance at this point and send the weight back down.  Control the weight by keeping your core engaged and everything tight sending the KB back between your legs near your groin.
6. Repeat for desired reps or time.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Make sure you don't allow your Back to Round at the Bottom.
2. Do not allow yourself to Hyperextend the Lower Back (bend far backwards) at the top position.
3. Do not use weight that you cannot control and is too aggressive for your fitness level.
4. Do not round the shoulders or allow the arms to become slack.  Your upper body should remain tight throughout the movement.
5. Do not use worn out bands that could snap and cause serious injury!

Have Fun with this KB Swing variation and Get Work Done!

MXT Training - September 26, 2014

Hey Fellow Mayhem Maniacs,

It's been quite a while since I've posted on this Blog and for that I apologize.  I have been busy working on a few projects and things have been slamming busy at Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training which hasn't left me a whole lot of time to dedicate here.

But, I'm pleased to say that I'm back and have an incredible story to share with you.

This past Friday at MXT I issued a challenge to my members knowing this would be one for the books.  Here is what it looked like...

We divided up into teams of 2 or 3 and the goal was to complete each exercise for the total amount of reps or laps shown on the board.  Teams of two followed the left column while teams of 3 followed the right.


Each exercise could be performed in any rep count and any order, the Challenge was to complete each exercise to full completion of reps or laps.

You'll notice that some of these exercises have a circled 1 next to them.  For these exercises only 1 teammate could work at a time.  This made for team building, support and encouragement as the other teammate(s) would help drive their fellow Maniac through the Challenge.

All the other exercises teammates could work together at the same time.  You also couldn't work any other exercise until each teammate completed their working set.

After a good warm up, our members had 45 minutes to complete this Challenge.  This one went down as The Toughest Challenge we have ever offered at MXT and while almost everyone near completed the challenge, only 1 team was able to complete the whole thing.

This workout wasn't only a challenge of physical toughness and being able to push past your comfort zone but also staying mentally tough and even using some strategy with your teammate(s) to be able to see it through to the end.

After taking my morning members through this Challenge I decided I needed to step up to the plate and take this one on myself.  I teamed up with Roger and together we grunted, pushed, pulled, and sweated our way through each and every drill.

At the buzzer we fell short of one remaining lap left on the sled push.

I have to tell you, this one about killed me when it came to my cardiovascular endurance.  I have been working so hard on strength that my conditioning has fell to the way side which brings me to my lesson for you today...

Don't allow yourself to become complacent in your training routine.  When you find yourself staying away from certain exercises or training drills, recognize it and then step up to it.

Don't allow yourself to become weak in any area.  Remember, a balanced training regimen is one that consists of Advancement in Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Cardiovascular Health / Performance / Endurance, Flexibility and Balance.

Train Hard and Train Smart but Most Importantly, Train Your Weak Areas!  That's where you will break through barriers and See Results!

Unleash The Mayhem!

Here is the Video from Friday's workout...

MXT Training Clips 27JUN14

HEY NOW!

As promised yesterday here is the last training clip compilation of our Maniacs for the month of June.  

I'm pretty sure you can see how Transformation happens in each of these Champions lives as they hold nothing back during their training.

If you missed yesterday's post and aren't sure what I mean by Transformation, be sure to catch up on that read right now by clicking here!

After you have read that post, check out the Transformation in progress here...



Keep rocking it Maniacs!

Get Work Done!

What TRUE Transformation Looks Like

Hey there Mayhem Maniacs and Happy July 1st!

Before I left for vacation I was able to get in one last training day at MXT this past Friday and capture so much of the action of our members working hard and having fun.

Working on the video compilation this morning has really fired me up and I am so ready to go train hard today.

But I have to tell ya, this is only day 2 of being away from MXT and I am missing it a lot.

We truly have a special family and the training environment that simply cannot be matched anywhere else.  But it goes so much further than that.

You see, like many of our members, I have gone through such a transformation in my life since I decided to open my first training facility.  

As I look back I can recognize my own personal growth, maturity, discipline, courage and strength that has developed from the inside out that has made me the person I am today.  I take on obstacles head on and I'm very aggressive at working hard on my goals.

I wasn't always this way.  There was a time in my life when I let things happen and wasn't much of a chance taker.  I've always been a hard worker but was very shy and introverted - I know right, that doesn't seem right does it, but it's true.  

There was once a time you'd never see me speak in front of large groups or be in front of a camera (ask my Mom about all the photos she wanted to take as I was growing up but couldn't because I hated it so much).  

Today I'm very comfortable in front of a VIDEO camera and love leading from the front which often includes speaking in front of large groups.

I credit this type of self transformation from the lessons learnt being under the Barbell - training hard!

Not everyone gets this - and it takes time for our members to see it happen for themselves sometimes but I guarantee this ONE thing happens with each and every dedicated member of Mayhem Fitness - they TRANSFORM.

I'm not talking about their bodies here, no, this goes much deeper and is way more important.  I'm talking about the psychological changes that occurs; the development of each members character, the fire that burns inside them to be better, do more and take on every challenge that is presented to them.

We have members who do things today they never thought they would ever try.  We have members who are not afraid to LIFT HEAVY, run and crawl through MUD, become leaders and encourage others (these are the ones I admire the most!), take on every new challenge I present them with at the gym and more!

I believe in one thing when it comes to men and women who train with discipline and that is, Training TRANSFORMS people.

It certainly doesn't happen over night but the crossover from who you use to be to who you are becoming occurs in an instant and when it happens that feeling becomes addicting and you want it every single day.  Of course, it doesn't happen for everybody either.  There are plenty of people who spend years working out but never change.  

What is the difference between the two?  

The answer is simple - Type A is the person who accepts the challenge and everything that comes with it, no matter how hard things get or how many times they have to try they will keep persisting and pushing through pain (emotional and physical) while Type B stays in their comfort zone, never truly pushing themselves into the unknown.

Are you waiting for The Transformation to happen to you?  If so, here is my invitation to you:

• Think BIG - Your dreams should be so big that they literally scare you to achieve them.  Chase them without hesitation and be prepared to work for it.
• Break out of your comfort zone during your workouts - You will only know your limits when you push yourself to them
• Stop allowing others to hold you back - Ever have someone tell you that you don't need to do something or question why you want to chase something that seems so daunting and tasking.  Even if they mean well, their questioning and "advice" could be holding you back.  Find others that have gone out and done what you are trying to do.  Listen to their advice and positive reinforcement.  Why would you ever listen to someone who is miserable in their own life or who hasn't had the courage to dream big and strive for it with everything they got?
• You want something different, Change Something - The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  Too often I hear people say they want to lose fat, become stronger, make more money but yet they aren't willing to change their daily habits.  You tell me, what sense does that make?
• Enjoy the process - This is probably the most important because in today's society of instant gratification and having everything at a moments notice we have been brainwashed into thinking that everything can be solved in minutes.  Success in anything takes a plan, time and dedication.  If you're not willing to accept the process and TIME, you will always be one of those who are discouraged, frustrated, looking for shortcuts and miserable.
• Be Grateful for everything!  Here in America, being able to enjoy the gym and train is a luxury, not a right and its another thing we take for granted that so many people in the world don't have access to.  Before you complain about ANYTHING that has thrown a monkey wrench into your perfect little world of working out I would encourage you to be thankful that you have a place and the freedom and the healthy body to be able to workout!  
• Stop WHINING!  Here's a little secret, every single time you complain about something, even in a joking manner, you hold yourself back from receiving opportunity and reward!  It's too hot, it's too cold, I forgot my gloves, I hate pushups, squats are too hard, I have no money, Joe didn't show up - I don't care what it is - whenever you entertain these thoughts and share them with others, all you are doing is inviting yourself to focus on negativity rather than focus on the task at hand to better yourself!  IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE WHAT IS GIVEN TO YOU ON A DAILY BASIS, HOW THE HELL CAN YOU EXPECT TO HANDLE MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH SUCCESS?

Here's the deal - we live in an era today where rewards are given for mediocrity, people are ungrateful for what they have, everyone is about what's in it for me instead of what can I do for my fellow man, people are willing to hand over their future for what they can get right now and hard work is a thing of the past.

Fortunately, success in life doesn't play by these new rules!  You can't just get by in business and you can't just get by in the gym if you want better for yourself.

The Barbell doesn't care WHO you are or WHAT you are.  It will break you down and demand your very best.  Only when you give your 100% very best CONSISTENTLY do you see THE Transformation occur.

You can't be in this for the short hull - think Marathon over Sprint here.  You can't be negative or take short cuts - The Reward, the life lessons, the man or woman you will become on the other side CANNOT be cheated!

If you're waiting for the Transformation to occur - you're staying asleep dreaming, its only when you WAKE UP and take MASSIVE action and LIVE your dream that you'll come out on the others side and say, WHOA - I'm LOVING this and I want MORE of it!

This is what Champions Are Made Of and This is what TRUE Transformations Look Like!

Get Work Done Maniacs!

By they way, I'll have the training video compilation out to you tomorrow so stay tuned!

But I do have this for you today - One day I was having a big struggle with my squats, as I stared down the Barbell, I had this thought cross my mind.  After I killed that set of squats I grabbed my notebook and wrote down these exact words which I later put in this pic...

Oh, and hey, You may be thinking, "Not every successful person works out," and to that I would argue, NOT TRUE.

Leading an active and healthy lifestyle is surely a trait that the most successful live by.  Its even part of the 7th Habit - Sharpen the Saw in the book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

Heavy Bag Training

NOPE!  I'm not talking about your traditional heavy bag 

training you might be thinking, boxing, kick-boxing, martial arts, etc.

I'm talking about a full body conditioning routine that will build overall strength and cardio all in one workout.

This past Thursday my body was STILL feeling pretty beat up from heavy lifting on Monday and Tuesday.  I typically take Wednesdays off and do recovery and mobility work.  When I went to train heavy this past Thursday my body was just not having it.

Nothing hurt, it was just the simple fact that my body wasn't responding no matter how much I pushed it to get going.

Not allowing that to deter me from a great workout I decided to pick up the Heavy Bag and get some aggression out.  Half way into the workout I decided to break out the video camera and record some of the fun drills I did.

Check out my Heavy Bag Training from this past Thursday... This one truly was a lot of FUN!

Watch it here!

Remember, you don't need a fancy gym or basement full of expensive equipment to get the job done.  I had one hell of a full body workout just by utilizing this one, old, beat up heavy bag.

No excuses right!

Get Work Done Maniacs!

Gym Comedy

Happy Friday Maniacs!

Murphy here and I'm getting ready to take Lori, Hunter and Penny to the beach for two weeks.  Yep, headed back to where I call home, Shallotte NC where we'll be spending lots of time with family, friends, the white sand and of course the gym...

What?  You think I'm going to take time off from my training - heck no!  And don't worry, I'll still be keeping in touch with you as well to help keep you on track with your fitness!

But, before I head off I wanted to share with you some great laughs.  If you're anything like me, you love stand up comedy - especially the classics like Bill Cosby, Gallagher, Abbott and Costello, you know, the greats!

However, it seems that the gym offers a lot of funny content for comics today and what I have here are some of the funniest skits about working out and the gym that I love to watch over and over and over again.

Check these out and if you have other videos that you enjoy, share them here!

ENJOY!

Justin Washington - Going to the Gym



Jim Gaffigan - Bodybuilders (my personal favorite!)



James Gregory - Gym Memberships




Stuff Women Say To Personal Trainers



Kevin Hart - The Bench Press



John Caparulo - Just for Laughs (Explicit)

June Highlights

Well, June is almost over... can you believe it?

Here at MXT it wasn't just the Summer weather that brought on the heat this month, our members at Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training really rocked it out with their hard training.

In case you missed any of it, here are some clips from this months training and special events, including the Tough Mudder and Open Gym where Lori got to practice her coaching skills.

June was truly a month that the Mayhem was UNLEASHED!

Check it out all the action and Fun times here!



Oops!  I thought I had included more clips of the Tough Mudder in here - ah well, you can see all the action from that day by clicking here!

Stay Strong, Dedicated and Focused Maniacs and...

Get Work Done!

What Weight Should I Use?

This is probably the MOST often asked question I get from the new members we train at Mayhem Fitness. 

Of course, it's a very fair question... I mean after all... they are there for RESULTS right. 

To me, choosing the right weight range to work with is just as important and critical as watching your nutrition.  You can go through the motions all day long and not get anything done OR you can challenge yourself and watch your body transform. 

I don't know about you, but I'd rather see all my hard work progress into something great so what weight should you use? 

I answer this vital question in this video here - check it out!


I hope this helps you out, especially if you're a beginner or looking to advance further in your training program.

For those of you who would like a further explanation of training percentages, keep reading...

You'll typically use this formula for your big lifts - 

• Bench Press
• Barball Squat
• Dead-Lift
• Olympic Lifts

...and so on but this can truly be applied to ANY weight bearing exercise that you want to improve on.

You'll start with your 1 Rep Max (1RM).  This is the Max weight you can handle for 1 Rep.  We really don't do 1 rep maxes at MXT but here is a cool calculation you can use that will determine your 1 Rep Max by plugging in your most recent weight and reps you accomplished.

Weight x Reps x .0333 + Weight = 1RM (this is courtesy of Jim Wendler and his 5/3/1 strength program).

So, for example.  If I did 225 on the barbell squat for 5 reps my max would be 262 pounds.  225 x 5 = 1125 x .0333 = 37.4625 + 225 = 262

Now, to help me advance in the squat, get stronger and ultimately burn more calories (as I said in the video, the more intensity you continue to add, the higher you boost your metabolic rate) I would use this formula.

262 x 60%  = 157 pounds - 10-12 reps
262 x 70% = 183 pounds -  6-10 reps
262 x 80% = 210 pounds (rounded up) 3-8 reps
262 x 90% = 236 pounds (rounded up) 3-5 reps

Working the lighter weights I would stay within the higher rep ranges of 10-12 and as I advance up in weight, my rep count would drop as low as 3-5 reps.

This system of using percentages and rep ranges is called pyramiding and is a great way to continue to excel your fitness program without just guessing your way through or wondering, what weight should I use.  Hence, another reason why its so vital to keep a journal.

It's important to understand as well that you won't always see your strength numbers go up every workout.  In general, it can be anywhere from 3 to 10 workouts, depending on the exercise.

Your strength can be affected by a number of things including the amount of time that has lapsed from the same muscle training, how much sleep you got the night before, your nutrition, etc.

Again, increasing your weight is only 1 way to add more intensity to your training.  For more tips, check out my post here on 5 Ways To Increase Your Intensity.

Use this information in your program Maniacs and... 

GET WORK DONE!

Men, Muscle and Mayhem - Chest Day

So yesterday, Josh and I hit Chest with a little vengeance.  After doing the Tough Mudder on the 14th I suffered a bit of a shoulder impingement - luckily it wasn't anything that one trip to my Chiropractor couldn't fix but it did make me miss my chest workout last week.

This week I was ready to UNLEASH the MAYHEM on my chest.

I'm changing up my training protocol just a bit to get myself more conditioned for competitions, but I don't want to lose any strength, in fact, I need to keep building my strength up as much as possible.

So I'm doing a little Hybrid Training by mixing it up with Powerlifting, Bodybuilding and Conditioning all in one workout.

I know I'll get a lot of questions about this style of training, you can't really focus on all of that at once, can you?

Joe Defranco would even say, there is a time for Strength and then a time for Conditioning and I agree 100% so most of my focus right now is still on raw power, however, throwing in a bit of bodybuilding and conditioning with this method will continue to take me to the next level in my training.

Today we hit Chest so I started with 5 sets of 5 on the Bench Press for overall Strength.

From there I moved onto 2 Bodybuilding cycles - 1st being the Incline Bench for four sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 15 reps.  Then finished off with Decline Flyes for 3 sets of 10.

Finally, I hit 8 rounds TABATA Burpees making sure I got full range of motion with my Push-ups for my conditioning.  This workout took just under an hour to complete (including a 10 minute warmup) and it felt great to be up under the Barbell again.

Josh mixed it up a bit utilizing the War Machines for Cable Cross Overs (nope, can't do that on TRX) and hitting some Decline Bench work today.

Check out these video clips of Josh and I Getting Work Done!

5 KILLER Upper Body Exercises For a KILLER Summer Body

WOW!  Does the weekend move fast sometimes or what?  Here it is  Monday morning already and I am pumped up and excited to do work.

This past week I received an email from one of our Mayhem Maniacs who wanted some ideas on some great upper body strength training exercises that they could do from home.

With that said I wanted to give you some great tips to get your week off to a great start!

Here are my TOP 5 Killer Exercises for a Killer Summer Body!

1. Rope Climb / Pull-ups / Inverted Rows - Ok, I know Pull-ups aren’t doable yet for everyone so I have some different progressions until you can get your feet off the ground and body up to new heights.  Lets start with the lessor of these 3 exercises (although still very challenging) The Inverted Row.  You can use the Kitchen table or throw a strong rope around a low hanging branch of a tree in your yard.  Perform this exercise by getting up under your table and pulling your chest up as seen in the pic below.  From here you can move into the Assisted Rope Climb.  Essentially the same movement as the inverted row, you’ll start by lying flat on the ground and grasping the rope.  You’ll climb the rope hand over hand until you are almost in a full standing position.  Keeping your feet in contact with the ground at all times reverse the movement by walking hand over hand back down till your laying flat on the ground again.  Both of these exercises are great for beginners who can’t get their first pull-up yet or struggle to climb a rope.  
   
2. Push-ups - These are the most basic of all upper body pressing movements however many times folks get them wrong.  To execute the perfect pushup make sure you keep a tight core.  This means from the base of your neck all the way down to your heels you have one solid, straight line and from your chin all the way to the toes, same thing.  No bowing in the back, no sagging in the stomach.  Keep your elbows slightly back instead of flared out to the sides to protect your shoulders and come all the way down till your triceps (back of the arms), upper back and floor all make one parallel line.  Another tip you can do is place a tennis ball under your chest and come all the way down till your chest hits the ball, then back up to full extension.  Its ok to keep the elbows soft at the top and not lock them out.  I actually prefer this as to not put unnecessary pressure on the elbow joints.  You can hit many different variations of the push-up to keep up the challenge.  Choose from regular, close grip, wide grip, spider crawl, burpee, bear crawl, box, explosive, weighted, etc  - Check out this video of our members hitting different pushup challenges.  
3. Odd Object Throw - This one is as basic as it sounds but a heck of a lot of fun and will build tremendous strength and give you a great metabolic conditioning workout as well (cardio to burn fat!)  Execute this movement by finding any large, heavy object (Big Rocks, Bricks, Concrete Blocks, Weighted Medicine Ball, Sandbag, Even a Dumbbell) pick it up off the ground and heave it as far as you can with a variation of different throws.  Try doing this for time.  2-4 minutes will do the trick here :D
4. Sledge Hammer Chops / Split Wood - Sometimes, the ol’ fashioned household chores growing up were the best workouts I have ever done.  Splitting and sawing wood was definitely one of those winter chores that I never looked forward to because it was HARD WORK!  Dad would do most of the splitting but my brother and I would carry and stack the wood into nice piles to burn later in the wood stove.  If you don’t have firewood to cut, get out a heavy sledgehammer and “chop wood” by hitting it into an old tire.  The heavier the hammer, the better the workout :D
5. Farmer Carry - One of my all time favorite movements that’s pretty much the Ultimate in a Strength and Conditioning exercise.  Not only will you test your entire bodies strength and endurance from your grip, to forearms, biceps, shoulders, traps, upper back, core and even legs but you’ll also be huffing and puffing trying to manage the weight for more distance or time.  Of course once you get good at a certain weight, its time to take it up or increase your distance, time, etc.  Simply grab 2 heavy objects in your hands and start walking.  Keep your body as tall as you can (think tall spine) and try not to drop.  Don’t need anything expensive here, just grab a couple of 5 Gallon buckets and fill them with water or sand.  They’ll get the job done!

So there you go.  5 Great Upper body (and really full body) drills you can do at home with things you already have laying around.

Try these exercises on this week and let me know how you do!

Get Work Done!

Burn More Fat with Circuit Cycling!

Circuit Cycling - Get The Pump and Burn Fat With This Creatively FUN Routine

Happy Friday Gang...

Let me tell ya, after yesterday’s HOT and humid weather I sure am LOVING today at a nice and cool 78 degrees.  The gym’s A/C never stopped running yesterday and couldn’t get the temperature below 85, UGH.

It truly is nice when you can have the garage doors open and get one heck of a killer workout in :D

Speaking of which, I’d like to introduce you to a system that I implement from time to time that delivers quite a punch in your Fat Burning efforts.

I like to throw Circuit Cycling into the mix whenever I need a little bit of a lighter lifting day but still keep the intensity up.  This is something that I started doing years ago and I always get a great pump, my heart racing and my fat crying with this routine.

What is Circuit Cycling.

Circuit Cycling is something I developed many years ago and have used with personal training clients to help get them results stripping off fat and building a lean, toned body in as little as 30 minutes each session.

Simply put, its moving from one exercise to the next with little to no rest - like circuit training...

But not exactly... You see, I have a bit of a problem with traditional circuits.

You see, most times Circuits are targeted and used as a great Fat Burning workout, the problem is that they can be treated too much like cardio instead of focusing on muscular overload.

Often times traditional circuits take too long to get back to a particular muscle group, especially if you’re doing full body.

This allows too much rest time and in doing so the muscles never get broken down so once your workout is over, the body doesn’t burn any more fat.  

And if you’ve been training more than 3 months, you’re actually lucky if you burn any fat at all during a traditional circuit training workout.

Its like Boot Camp classes - once your body adapts to the training, it no longer needs to adjust to what you’re doing.  You NEED to constantly challenge the body with higher intensity.  If you want even more ideas on how to add more intensity to your workouts, read this Blog post here.

While Circuit training burns calories and possibly fat when your exercising Circuit Cycling training allows for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) to occur.  

Simply put, this means you’ll BURN FAT long after finishing your workout due to an elevated metabolism.

NOTE: Lifting Heavy is the best way for this process to occur, however, there are those times when heavy just isn’t cutting it and your body needs a little break from it.  That’s where Circuit Cycling comes into play.

Here’s How To Implement Circuit Cycling

Decide what muscle groups and exercises you are going to use during your training.  

You’ll definitely want to pre-plan these workouts and its best if you can set everything up before getting started to keep your rest intervals short and your training intense.  

If that’s not an option because of the gym you train at, use your set up time as your rest time and keep working with a purpose!

For today’s example I’m going to use a Full Body Routine with 5 different exercises.

Each exercise will be complete with 3 working sets for a total of 15 working sets in this training session.

Exercises performed will be:

• Pull-ups
• Barbell Front Squats
• Push-ups
• Inverted Rows
• Sprinter Step Ups

Start with the first exercise for desired amount of reps, rest 15-45 Seconds and repeat again immediately followed by the next exercise on your list.  

In this case after your second set of Pull-ups you’ll hit your first set of Front Squats.  Rest again 15-45 seconds and repeat starting with your third and final set of Pull-ups, your second set of Front Squats and now your first set of Push-ups.

Every time you complete your third and final set of an exercise, the first set of the next exercise on the list is added.  Complete this pattern until you finish off with 3 full sets of the final exercise.

NOTE: Your final exercise will be completed alone with its final set.

As you can see, you can still get a great full body Circuit without allowing the muscles to rest for too long between the working sets which will promote more strength and EPOC to occur!

So what rep range should you use?

For Body weight exercises I recommend Sub-Max effort with each working set, leaving a little left in the tank at completion.  With weight bearing exercises such as the Front Squats listed here, stay within the 6-12 rep range.

Listen, if 12 is too easy or if you’re going 12 plus reps, increase your weight and get serious about RESULTS!

Is Spongebob Sandbagging here?

There is a HUGE difference between completing desired reps and going through the motions!

You can most definitely work with heavier weight and rep ranges of 3-5 reps so experiment with what works for you and have fun applying this routine in your next training session.

Get Work Done!