Benefits of Weightlifting

I was doing some research this past week on the benefits of exercise and weight lifting and I was surprised at some the health and psychological pros of weight lifting!

According to Mayo Clinic's website, regular exercise can improve your mood. I can vouch for this one. Days that I don't get into the gym I end up feeling lazy, lousy, and undisciplined. On the flipside, there's the days when I get in one of those solid lifts where my muscles feel shredded( in a good way) and I know that I gave it my all...that's a great feeling!

Regular exercise can also help prevent high blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, Mayo Clinic says regular exercising can help lower that high blood pressure. Your cholesterol benefits from exercise too. Exercise boosts HDL, that good cholesterol and reduces the bad cholesterol that leaves plaque in your arteries, thus slowing blood flow. Having good blood supply to your muscles as they work is essential for getting in a good lift.

Last but not least, weight lifting and consistent exercise helps maintain your weight. The more intense the exercise the faster you burn calories. Not only do you burn calories while your lifting but you continue to burn calories after you're done lifting. Your muscles are broken down and in need of repair. Your body has to burn calories to repair itself.

I'm not a medical professional by any means, but I think most of this makes common sense. I you're not training for something specific like football, you still can get these health benefits from weight lifting.

Lift hard.

Sources: wwww.MayoClinic.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676
Photo from: wwww.powercentering.com
http://powercentering.com/blog/my-favorite-lunatic-core-workout

A Talk With Kent: Realize Where Your Abilities Come From

I talked to my best friend Kent about how weight lifting can become a negative thing in ones' life. Kent has played nine years of football including one year of college football.

The reason he didn't continue to play all four years if his college career was because of football injuries and some injuries he sustained from weight training. Weight lifting was Kent's identity throughout high school and into college. But then something changed.

TGH: When did you first start weight training?

Kent: I messed around with it in junior high, so, 8th grade. I didn't consistently start lifting weights until 9th grade of my freshman year of high school.

TGH: When did you really start seeing huge improvements in lifting?

Kent: Second half of my freshman year of high school.

TGH: Can you see a specific point in your high school years where you had become obsessed with weight lifting?

Kent: Second half of my sophomore year of high school.

TGH: Is there something specific that you can point out that shows that you were getting on the wrong track?

Kent: I had a inner pride that really started building.

TGH: Do you think that pride was affecting the way you treated others and/or the way you acted?

Kent: Well, maybe not so much the way I treated others, but I kinda got this macho viewing of myself and carrying of myself.

TGH: Did you realize that weight lifting had become an overly important part of your life in high school or did you come to that epiphany in college?

Kent: In college.

TGH: How did you come to that realization?

Kent: I tore some muscles from some over exertion in weight training. And it made me lose something that was very important to me for awhile. Plus I got a carpal tunnel in both of my wrists. And I really just had to step back. I realized that I can only do what I've been given the ability to do.

TGH: Where do you think that ability comes from?

Kent: Theres no question that it comes from God and not myself.

TGH: I take it you weren't really considering that fact during high school?

Kent: No, I didn't really, I mean I wasn't cocky, and because of that I think that I thought I was okay.

TGH: What advice would you give to people who want to get started in weight lifting?

Kent: If you want to be a successful weight lifter you have to realize that nothing replaces hard work. If you wanna get big or you wanna get in shape you have to work hard. It doesn't matter what supplements you take. Stick with the fundamental lifts; there's a reason they're still around.
Never put to high of a value on it and never get arrogant about your ability. God is the one who gave you that ability and He can take it away just as fast as he gave it to you.

Thanks to Kent for taking time to talk and being honest about how even weight lifting can become something that drags you down. A good reminder to all of us that our abilities come from God and that he can take away those abilities if we allow them to become to important to us.

Lift hard.

The Dead Lift, Back Strength, and Being Smart

Dead-lifts are great!

They're a great way to work and stretch out those hammies, (actually you should already be stretched out before you dead-lift), but...it's also a good way to strengthen your back. Some people may not realize it, but yes, dead-lifts are supposed to strengthen your back as well as your legs and core.

Now as with any hardcore power lift there's going to be risk of jacking your back. Proper form is a necessity as always.

Lately, I've had to readjust my form in dead-lifting because my spotters told me I was lifting too much with my back and not my legs. Consequently I've had to drop weight. Currently I'm taking about 30% less weight and I've worked on maintaining my form all the way to the ground. NOT dropping the weight but getting that extra bit of work in.

Once I get the weight to the ground I stand up, shake my hands and then do the lift again.

Moral of the story: if your doing something wrong, don't keep on doing it and risk hurting yourself. Instead step back, examine what you're doing wrong and go and fix it. There should be no shame in
it.

Bustin' out a 350 lb. dead-lift and then having a hurt back isn't something to be proud of either.

Lift hard, but lift smart.

John Wood & Oldtime Strongman

A few months ago I came across the site oldtimestrongman.com

It's run by a guy named John Wood who's all about lifting weights like the strongman of old: the natural way.

His site is full of good content and shows how the old fashioned strongman performed great feats of strenght without the aid of steroids or supplements.

Here's a brief look at his website: C:\Users\bturcotte\Desktop\2011-04-10_0352.swf

Be sure to check it out yourself. Let me know what you think.

www.oldtimestrongman.com

It's Not Always About Losing Weight

I find it sad, that people think they should or have to lift just because they're overweight, out of shape or an athlete in training.

Lifting weights and general exercise can be and should be more than that. Granted, you should have goals established on where you want to be down the road fitness-wise. Yet, there can be so much more enjoyment in lifting if it isn't just about losing those extra pounds or having big pecks or arms.

For me, lifting weights usually is one of the highlights of my day. As a college student it can be easy to get bogged down and depressed about the school load. That's why so many college students feel the need to party and have fun on the weekend. They need that release, that time to take their mind off of school and all the stress that comes with it.

But why wait for the weekend to give your mind a rest?

Taking time out of my day (2 hours usually) to get in the weight room and sweat, grunt and work hard is the best way to get my mind of the stress of school and such. It's just lifting hard and laughing with my buddies; encouraging each other to go that extra pound/rep.

Personally, there's an extra motivation in lifting hard every day. I play college football for a Christian college in Wisconsin. Many of my teammates are like brothers to me. Going through a season, with all the sweat, mud, dehydration, and aching muscles,victories and losses, draws a group of young men together. I lift for my buddies. The stronger and faster I am, the more effective player I am on the field. If I can do my job right, faster and harder than the opposing player, then I'm helping my teammates out. That's important to me.

I realize most people aren't in my circumstances, so it'll be different for everybody. Still, finding joy in lifting makes it a lot less of a drag. Being able to look forward to a solid lift each day can really ease some stress out of your life.

You should try it. Find reasons to enjoy lifting, as with all things in life.

How to Clean Powerfully

One of my favorite lifts is the power clean. It helps in explosiveness and body control. It doesn't just work your legs but your core as well. There is just one problem.

It's a lift that's tough to get right. There can be a lot of ways to do it wrong and a lot of ways to hurt yourself if it's done wrong.

To be honest, when it comes to this lift (and many others) I'm still working on my form; critiquing every detail to ensure that I'm not going to hurt myself doing this, and to attain as much work as I can from this lift.

That said, here's an easy and practical look at how to perform the power clean. I hope this is helpful in your endeavorer to get stronger and be safe in the process.

Let me know if you have any additional tips.

Top photo from www.crossfitdaytona.com
http://www.crossfitdaytona.com/my_weblog/2009/03/index.html

The Thomas Jones Arm Workout: A Test of Patience

This past week my friend Kent got me to start the Thomas Jones arm workout with him.

For those who've never heard of Thomas Jones:currently he is a star runningback for the Kansas City Chiefs, and being the guy carrying the ball he has to have strong arms to keep it safe from the defensive lineman and linebackers. He has developed some of the most impressive arms I've ever seen, and seeing that his arm workout is available, I thought, "Yeah, why not?"

I started the first phase of the six phase program with Kent the other day, and the it was the toughest arm workout that I have ever done!

My arms were toast when we were done and it only took us 20-25 minutes.

The first phase of this workout is to isolate and develop the brachialis, the muscle underneath the bicep. Many body builder/ weight lifters forget about this muscle and I'm thinking I fall into that category.

Although my arms were thrashed, I couldn't really see the pump like I normally do after an arm workout. My "unseen" muscles were the muscles that took the beating. I could barely pick up a 30 lb. dumbbell that day!

After that workout, I thought, "Boy, my arms are beat and I can't even see any pump. This is lame. I don't wanna go through this killer six week long program. This is going to take too long, just to get big arms."

Then I corrected myself. I wasn't having a patient, positive attitude about this. I had to make a change.

My previous post was about taking patience in acquiring strength and muscle and I was despairing about the time it was going to take to go through this program!

That first day of the Thomas Jones workout taught me to walk my talk and practice patience.

For more on Thomas Jones and his massive arms: http://stacktv.stack.com/video.aspx?videoID=686946529001_373

Sources for Thomas Jones photos: http://dontmesswithtexans.com/tag/duane-brown/
http://www.operationsports.com/forums/pro-football/208464-yearly-thomas-jones-pic.html

Ya Gotta Start Somewhere

Even as a beginner, you can study the correct form of lifting from people who know what they're doing. You won't be able to do as much as them at first.

That's okay. There's no shame in getting down the fundamentals before you proceed to more difficult lifts and heavier weight.

You're not doing yourself any good by trying to be ambitious and lift a bunch of weight before you've learned how to do the lighter weight the right way. That's how you mess up your back or tear a muscle. Then you've gotten no where. Train hard but train smart.

Learn to be patient. Results come with patience.

An interview with Rob: A Need to Succeed

At a first glance at Rob Kohlhaus, he might appear just as an average guy. And he is. However, Rob has taken his dedication as a weightlifter/trainer to the football field leading a D3 college football team as their motivating captain.
Rob shared a few thoughts on lifting and what drives him to be dedicated.


TGH: "When did you first start lifting?"
Rob: "After my freshman year of high school football."

TGH: "Did you ever get out of lifting and then find it difficult to get back into?"
Rob: "No, I have basically lifted at least three times a week since I started. But when I take a break I can't wait to get back into it."
TGH: "I know how that is. I'm the same way."

TGH: "Who or what do you think has been your biggest motivation when it comes to staying in shape?"
Rob: "To become a better athlete. Also I saw how small I was compared to other football players and I realized that to succeed I need to outwork everybody else."

Keep workin' hard. Get that drive to outwork everybody else and push yourself to new goals.

Not Lookin' Like Rambo Lately?

There's a lot to consider when getting into weight lifting: the physical challenge (if you've never really done it before or haven't done it in years), the time commitment, the thought of failure.

The two main things to keep in mind are the mental commitment and the physical diligence. The mental commitment must come first, yet it's useless without the physical diligence. Physical diligence is necessary to have of course, but you got to have the will to go to the gym, basement or wherever and actually exercise. These two things rely on each other for weightlifting/exercise to be affective.

 You may be wondering, "What's the difference between physical diligence and mental commitment"?
Well, to categorize and separate the two I'll give some examples of a few subjects that I intend on addressing in the near future. Note that some of these ideas will intersect with each other here and there.
Physical diligence: lifting smart-this can branch into many subjects. Knowing your limits-you can't lift everything that John Cena can...well, not yet at least.

The mental commitment: making a structured schedule-being disorganized never helped anybody get things done, going through the mental reps-thinking about how you can better your lifting technique, reminding yourself that you're better than you used to be- encouraging yourself is always good, but you've got to keep your schedule realistic.
You may believe you can get very far in an endeavor like this, but if you keep at it, you will get results. It's up to you to commit to get into lifting.

I am only here to encourage you in that commitment.

Photo from: http://betweentheseats.blogspot.com/2010/11/rambo-marathon-rambo-iii-rebuttal.html

Oh Come All Ye Flabby

Welcome -

I have created Muscles for Morons for somewhat of a personal reason. I know what it's like to be out of shape, flabby, unmotivated, and yet wishing you had something or someone to motivate you and get you into the shape you always wanted. 

This site is for those people wallowing in inactivity, wishing they could get to a point when working out and staying in shape wasn't a drag, but something that you enjoyed and looked forward to.

"What?" you ask, "Look forward to working out? Who does that?" This is where I want to help. I want to get you to the point where you not only enjoy working out, but look forward to it every day. 

Welcome to the challenge. 

Photo from:http://www.thefitnesslibrary.com/2011/01/21/funny-fitness-friday-fat-wont-move/