Background before workout begins!
A little history!
Okay, you have decided to exercise. Why are you doing it? To lose weight, to look good, get healthy or even intimidate your annoying neighbor? It is nice to set some goal, but the whole losing weight angle does not jazz me up to go to the gym. If you are significantly overweight, then I highly recommend you concentrate on that first before you consider a workout regiment like I am recommending. There is a level of fitness and strength that is needed as a foundation before this program should be started. This is especially true if you are significantly overweight.
Consult your physician first. It is imperative that you get a clean bill of health before you start this program. If you can come close to touching your toes that is a good first test. Can you jump? Besides the normal creeks and pops, is your body telling you that you need a pre-workout season (2-3 months) before you embark on a program that will kick the heck out of you? If you think you pass the initial smell test, then you are ready to begin.
But first, a little on my exercise and sports history; back in the day, I played high school and college football. I played a bit of baseball too. I was not coordinated enough to play basketball or hockey. After college, I stayed active by playing rough-touch football and also softball. This weekend warrior participation led to back and shoulder strains, tears, elbow pain and other minor annoyances that you deal with in your indestructible twenties. Along the way, I lifted weights regularly but never ran or sweat more than I had to. By my early thirties, I had gotten married and became the father of a few daughters. My workouts became condensed and rushed as the demands of fatherhood and worker bee took priority in life. Somewhere along the way I remember having a dream that I had run the New York City Marathon. That dream actually led me to begin running and I set my first post-college football goal; to run the New York City Marathon.
Previously never even looking at the gym treadmills, I began to run. Importantly, I did not overdo it. I started with six miles a week (three sessions of two mile jogs) and methodically worked my way gradually up. Nine months later, while I did not gain entry into the New York City Marathon, I had made great strides and had even logged a fifteen mile jog and was logging twenty miles per week to augment my basic weightlifting routine. In 1996, prior to my daughter, Samantha being born, I also made a decision to change my philosophy to lifting weights. Up to this point, I had been a max weight/heavy lifting guy. In 1996, I changed gears and went with lighter weights and higher repetition totals. Psychologically, it just felt better. I modified it a bit over the next few years but continued with high reps and no max weight as I watched my kids grow.
Over the next few years I was very consumed with work and father/husband duties. However, I still had the bug in my mind to run a marathon. I continued running and lifting semi-regularly as my second daughter, Julianna was born in 1999. By 2002, I finally turned the switch and made the decision to enter a marathon. Coincidentally, my third daughter, Amelia was due on New York Marathon Sunday 2002, so I scouted around and saw that there was the inaugural Baltimore Marathon scheduled for late October. I read the best marathon running books and put pen to paper and mapped out a running schedule. Rule 1 is to find your end game or goal. Rule 2 is to put your plan of attack on paper and clearly show what will be needed from you and your body (and mind) to accomplish this goal. What became apparent was that much more than 20 miles a week of running was necessary to get into the shape I needed to be in to run a marathon. By October 2002, I was regularly running 40-48 miles a week and had logged long runs of 18 & 20 miles. I was ready for Baltimore, and set a goal of four hours to finish. A week before Amelia was born I crossed the finish line outside Camden Yards at 4:04:53, just over my goal. It did not matter, I was done, marathon training was grueling and consumed my life. Done, forever; well at least until the train ride home when it began to gnaw at me that if I only finished five minutes sooner!
Two months later, I had begun training for my ultimate marathon goal of the New York City Marathon. Along the way I continued to lift weights and my physique had a good lean look to it. I felt comfortable at 185 pounds for two decades, but with all the marathon training, I had lost weight and reached a low point of 168 pounds right before Marathon Sunday in November. By that point, I was a running machine and had logged a few half marathons with a best time of one hour and forty-three minutes, and countless shorter races where my average mile pace was sub-eight minute. Ironically, with all the time consumed with running, I had countless energy. This stretch of time was my most productive at work and even though one year old Amelia decided not to sleep – ever, I was never tired. The New York City Marathon was anti-climactic; it was not what I had envisioned. Getting up at dawn, boarding a bus at Bryant Park and then waiting for three hours till the race started sapped my energy and strength. I finished in 4:23:38, which was worse than Baltimore, but considering the logistics and conditions, I was happy with it and the picture perfect moment of crossing the finish line will always be displayed on my wall. Regardless, the marathon running phase of my life was over. This time, for good!
This led to the dark ages of working out for me. From 2003 to 2010, I cancelled my membership at a sports club, bought weights, treadmills and other exercise equipment for my basement gym. I set goals of running half marathons and five mile races but for the most part, I went through the motions, lifted and ran as it fit my schedule and got comfortable in a semi-active/sedentary life. I even happily purchased three pair of “fat pants” in 2005 that had a 36 waist (I never was above a 34 before that).
This brings me up to speed on where I was in the fall of 2011. I had a horrific two-three year period of family issues and even work strain and was seriously looking for direction in life. No, I was not obese or even out of shape, but I was not diesel! Mentally, I was also shot. My mother had just died and the economy had imploded, Obama was president … I can go on and on! Sitting at my desk at work, a few of my co-workers began to talk about the recently completed Wall Street Decathlon. “Hey, wait a minute. There is an event where Wall Street guys can compete in ten events, including a football throw, bench press and dips? Back in the 1980s they were my specialty. I played quarterback in high school and for the Iona College football pre-season workout I bench pressed 225 nineteen times and pumped out 49 dips. The decathlon was actually a combination decathlon and NFL combine and was segmented into age groups. Nobody over forty was going to out-bench press or dip me! I’ll do it! The next day, I reached over my head to scratch my other shoulder and in the process strained my shoulder/back muscle. Thankfully, it did not hurt my phase one conditioning for the 2012 event. While it would take six months to fully recover (the first time I needed physical therapy sessions and saw the benefit of regular sessions) it never affected my bench press, dips or pull-ups. The only event it hindered me on was the football throw and it took a while to be able to throw deep.
The training for the Wall Street Decathlon was a major turning point in the metamorphosis of my exercise routine. I rejoined the sports club because I needed proper weights and equipment to do bench press, dips and pull-ups. I also stepped on a football/track field for the first time in thirty years to throw the football, run forty yard dashes and 400 meters. By the time of the July event date, my forty-seven year old body had transformed. I could now call myself a quasi-athlete competing against a hundred twenty/thirty something year old Wall Streeters who were former college athletes. I held my own and met my pre-event goal of beating all over-forty year olds in bench press and dips. I even came in third place overall in the bench press. My thirty-four reps of 175 pounds was six reps off the first place total. Heck, I hadn’t benched since 1996 and with only a few months of training I came in third place – not bad for an old man.
For fun, because I was in shape and my testosterone level was through the roof, I also looked for other events to compete in. Prior to the decathlon, I competed in my first Spartan Race. If you are not familiar with these events, it is one of many obstacle course races. They take place on mountains and involve running, hiking, jumping, and other type of military training obstacles. They were grueling but fun as heck to compete in. From 2012-2014 I competed in seven different events of various distances.
Unlike my marathon training which I considered grueling and not fun at all, the training for the Wall Street Decathlon and the Spartan events was fun and invigorated me. I immediately looked forward to the next year of events and obsessed over it. I modified and enhanced my workout even more and dedicated myself to not only improving my bench press reps for the 2013 event but to win it outright and break the event record of 41 reps of 175 pounds. I also knew that my dips total of 36 was good for a forty something year old but I knew I could improve. My pull-ups total of 15 was also good for my age group but had room for improvement.
The method to my madness was just laid out in the prior paragraph. In order to improve my bench press, dips and pull-up totals, I needed to do more of each movement. It was not rocket science, so I mixed and matched and came up with a workout formula that I believed would work. The result of the focused training at the 2013 Wall Street Decathlon led to a record breaking performance in the bench press (175 pounds for 42 reps), 44 dips and 18 pull-ups. The 2014 event was just as strong. Working through the after effects of the stomach flu, I again won the Bench Press event (175 pounds for a disappointing 41 reps), 54 dips and 25 pull-ups. I love crunching numbers and if you look through the data you will see the dramatic improvement. 2012 total reps of 85 (bench-34, dips 36, pull-ups 15) was dramatically improved in 2013 with 104 total reps (bench 42, dips 44, pull-ups 18) and then dwarfed in 2014 with 120 total reps (bench 41, dips 54, pull-ups 25). Think about that for a second, as I aged from 47 to 49 I got noticeably stronger.
That’s what this workout will do for you! I have transformed from a good physique to one with ripped muscles and veiny arms that look like the Amazon River flowing. Another motivating factor to get back into muscle growth was a radio commercial that played at the time that had a line “arms like steel cables” and that image resonated in me. Yes, it was just a stupid commercial, but the visual drove me to have “jacked up” arms like steel cables. Now, if only I can apply this exercise to stop the graying and falling out of my hair.
In the next post, I will layout a realistic workout schedule, time/hours needed per week and various tidbits of information to get yourself prepared and committed to a new phase in your life.
Okay, you have decided to exercise. Why are you doing it? To lose weight, to look good, get healthy or even intimidate your annoying neighbor? It is nice to set some goal, but the whole losing weight angle does not jazz me up to go to the gym. If you are significantly overweight, then I highly recommend you concentrate on that first before you consider a workout regiment like I am recommending. There is a level of fitness and strength that is needed as a foundation before this program should be started. This is especially true if you are significantly overweight.
Consult your physician first. It is imperative that you get a clean bill of health before you start this program. If you can come close to touching your toes that is a good first test. Can you jump? Besides the normal creeks and pops, is your body telling you that you need a pre-workout season (2-3 months) before you embark on a program that will kick the heck out of you? If you think you pass the initial smell test, then you are ready to begin.
But first, a little on my exercise and sports history; back in the day, I played high school and college football. I played a bit of baseball too. I was not coordinated enough to play basketball or hockey. After college, I stayed active by playing rough-touch football and also softball. This weekend warrior participation led to back and shoulder strains, tears, elbow pain and other minor annoyances that you deal with in your indestructible twenties. Along the way, I lifted weights regularly but never ran or sweat more than I had to. By my early thirties, I had gotten married and became the father of a few daughters. My workouts became condensed and rushed as the demands of fatherhood and worker bee took priority in life. Somewhere along the way I remember having a dream that I had run the New York City Marathon. That dream actually led me to begin running and I set my first post-college football goal; to run the New York City Marathon.
Previously never even looking at the gym treadmills, I began to run. Importantly, I did not overdo it. I started with six miles a week (three sessions of two mile jogs) and methodically worked my way gradually up. Nine months later, while I did not gain entry into the New York City Marathon, I had made great strides and had even logged a fifteen mile jog and was logging twenty miles per week to augment my basic weightlifting routine. In 1996, prior to my daughter, Samantha being born, I also made a decision to change my philosophy to lifting weights. Up to this point, I had been a max weight/heavy lifting guy. In 1996, I changed gears and went with lighter weights and higher repetition totals. Psychologically, it just felt better. I modified it a bit over the next few years but continued with high reps and no max weight as I watched my kids grow.
Over the next few years I was very consumed with work and father/husband duties. However, I still had the bug in my mind to run a marathon. I continued running and lifting semi-regularly as my second daughter, Julianna was born in 1999. By 2002, I finally turned the switch and made the decision to enter a marathon. Coincidentally, my third daughter, Amelia was due on New York Marathon Sunday 2002, so I scouted around and saw that there was the inaugural Baltimore Marathon scheduled for late October. I read the best marathon running books and put pen to paper and mapped out a running schedule. Rule 1 is to find your end game or goal. Rule 2 is to put your plan of attack on paper and clearly show what will be needed from you and your body (and mind) to accomplish this goal. What became apparent was that much more than 20 miles a week of running was necessary to get into the shape I needed to be in to run a marathon. By October 2002, I was regularly running 40-48 miles a week and had logged long runs of 18 & 20 miles. I was ready for Baltimore, and set a goal of four hours to finish. A week before Amelia was born I crossed the finish line outside Camden Yards at 4:04:53, just over my goal. It did not matter, I was done, marathon training was grueling and consumed my life. Done, forever; well at least until the train ride home when it began to gnaw at me that if I only finished five minutes sooner!
Two months later, I had begun training for my ultimate marathon goal of the New York City Marathon. Along the way I continued to lift weights and my physique had a good lean look to it. I felt comfortable at 185 pounds for two decades, but with all the marathon training, I had lost weight and reached a low point of 168 pounds right before Marathon Sunday in November. By that point, I was a running machine and had logged a few half marathons with a best time of one hour and forty-three minutes, and countless shorter races where my average mile pace was sub-eight minute. Ironically, with all the time consumed with running, I had countless energy. This stretch of time was my most productive at work and even though one year old Amelia decided not to sleep – ever, I was never tired. The New York City Marathon was anti-climactic; it was not what I had envisioned. Getting up at dawn, boarding a bus at Bryant Park and then waiting for three hours till the race started sapped my energy and strength. I finished in 4:23:38, which was worse than Baltimore, but considering the logistics and conditions, I was happy with it and the picture perfect moment of crossing the finish line will always be displayed on my wall. Regardless, the marathon running phase of my life was over. This time, for good!
This led to the dark ages of working out for me. From 2003 to 2010, I cancelled my membership at a sports club, bought weights, treadmills and other exercise equipment for my basement gym. I set goals of running half marathons and five mile races but for the most part, I went through the motions, lifted and ran as it fit my schedule and got comfortable in a semi-active/sedentary life. I even happily purchased three pair of “fat pants” in 2005 that had a 36 waist (I never was above a 34 before that).
This brings me up to speed on where I was in the fall of 2011. I had a horrific two-three year period of family issues and even work strain and was seriously looking for direction in life. No, I was not obese or even out of shape, but I was not diesel! Mentally, I was also shot. My mother had just died and the economy had imploded, Obama was president … I can go on and on! Sitting at my desk at work, a few of my co-workers began to talk about the recently completed Wall Street Decathlon. “Hey, wait a minute. There is an event where Wall Street guys can compete in ten events, including a football throw, bench press and dips? Back in the 1980s they were my specialty. I played quarterback in high school and for the Iona College football pre-season workout I bench pressed 225 nineteen times and pumped out 49 dips. The decathlon was actually a combination decathlon and NFL combine and was segmented into age groups. Nobody over forty was going to out-bench press or dip me! I’ll do it! The next day, I reached over my head to scratch my other shoulder and in the process strained my shoulder/back muscle. Thankfully, it did not hurt my phase one conditioning for the 2012 event. While it would take six months to fully recover (the first time I needed physical therapy sessions and saw the benefit of regular sessions) it never affected my bench press, dips or pull-ups. The only event it hindered me on was the football throw and it took a while to be able to throw deep.
The training for the Wall Street Decathlon was a major turning point in the metamorphosis of my exercise routine. I rejoined the sports club because I needed proper weights and equipment to do bench press, dips and pull-ups. I also stepped on a football/track field for the first time in thirty years to throw the football, run forty yard dashes and 400 meters. By the time of the July event date, my forty-seven year old body had transformed. I could now call myself a quasi-athlete competing against a hundred twenty/thirty something year old Wall Streeters who were former college athletes. I held my own and met my pre-event goal of beating all over-forty year olds in bench press and dips. I even came in third place overall in the bench press. My thirty-four reps of 175 pounds was six reps off the first place total. Heck, I hadn’t benched since 1996 and with only a few months of training I came in third place – not bad for an old man.
For fun, because I was in shape and my testosterone level was through the roof, I also looked for other events to compete in. Prior to the decathlon, I competed in my first Spartan Race. If you are not familiar with these events, it is one of many obstacle course races. They take place on mountains and involve running, hiking, jumping, and other type of military training obstacles. They were grueling but fun as heck to compete in. From 2012-2014 I competed in seven different events of various distances.
Unlike my marathon training which I considered grueling and not fun at all, the training for the Wall Street Decathlon and the Spartan events was fun and invigorated me. I immediately looked forward to the next year of events and obsessed over it. I modified and enhanced my workout even more and dedicated myself to not only improving my bench press reps for the 2013 event but to win it outright and break the event record of 41 reps of 175 pounds. I also knew that my dips total of 36 was good for a forty something year old but I knew I could improve. My pull-ups total of 15 was also good for my age group but had room for improvement.
The method to my madness was just laid out in the prior paragraph. In order to improve my bench press, dips and pull-up totals, I needed to do more of each movement. It was not rocket science, so I mixed and matched and came up with a workout formula that I believed would work. The result of the focused training at the 2013 Wall Street Decathlon led to a record breaking performance in the bench press (175 pounds for 42 reps), 44 dips and 18 pull-ups. The 2014 event was just as strong. Working through the after effects of the stomach flu, I again won the Bench Press event (175 pounds for a disappointing 41 reps), 54 dips and 25 pull-ups. I love crunching numbers and if you look through the data you will see the dramatic improvement. 2012 total reps of 85 (bench-34, dips 36, pull-ups 15) was dramatically improved in 2013 with 104 total reps (bench 42, dips 44, pull-ups 18) and then dwarfed in 2014 with 120 total reps (bench 41, dips 54, pull-ups 25). Think about that for a second, as I aged from 47 to 49 I got noticeably stronger.
That’s what this workout will do for you! I have transformed from a good physique to one with ripped muscles and veiny arms that look like the Amazon River flowing. Another motivating factor to get back into muscle growth was a radio commercial that played at the time that had a line “arms like steel cables” and that image resonated in me. Yes, it was just a stupid commercial, but the visual drove me to have “jacked up” arms like steel cables. Now, if only I can apply this exercise to stop the graying and falling out of my hair.
In the next post, I will layout a realistic workout schedule, time/hours needed per week and various tidbits of information to get yourself prepared and committed to a new phase in your life.
No comments have been added yet.
