Jarryd, my partner at Joewarrior.com has had trouble for the last year or so with shin splints from running and jump roping for his boxing training. If you have ever had shin splints, then you know how painful they can be. Even walking can be brutal.

He has tried a lot of remedies such as stretching, warming up longer, ibuprofen and diet change. He just can’t seem to permanently get rid of the problem. It goes away with abstinence, but returns when he gets back to serious training.

Today, he was doing some more research on line and found a tip that suggested increasing the incline on the treadmill. This relates to outdoors running. Running downhill, as you probably know, is quite hard on your legs and especially tough on your shins.

The way treadmills are positioned, so the story goes, can sometimes result in a slightly downhill angle of the platform. Maybe it is from all the pounding of many workouts over time, as most of us run towards the front of the treadmill.

Even running on a perfectly flat treadmill can still be jarring if your form is not perfectly smooth and fluid.

By increasing the incline, it forces you to step up slightly and not slam your feet down with as much force. So, hopefully your shins won’t take quite the beating.

So, how did Jarryd’s research increase the productivity of my workout? Well, I decided to increase the incline when I ran today and see how it felt. I am usually too lazy to do so and prefer to sail along, listening to my mp3 player. It is still a great workout and warms me up for lifting weights.

Well, once I warmed up a little I increased the incline a bit, then a little more up to a setting of 4. Nothing too steep, but a noticeable change.

Yes, it actually did feel a bit more comfortable to stride slightly upward. But, even more amazing was how much harder I had to work.

I know, I know….duh, who would have thunk it. Well, I guess I forgot or something. Anyway, it was a great workout and I actually had fun pushing myself, knowing the benefits it was providing.

I was happily exhausted when done and was then motivated to push extra hard during my weightlifting workout. It is amazing how one little change can put the excitement back in to your daily routine.

Give it a try and improve your treadmill workout.

See you at the gym.

• Joewarrior.com – Weight Lifting Exercises – Muscle Building – Fitness

Medicine ball push-ups. A great tool in your toolbox to have. Not only will these increase your bench but will also help reduce the risk of injury, while increasing your balance and incorporating your stabilizer muscles.

I recommend a few sets of these before or after the bench. In doing so, you force your stabilizers to work extra hard, creating a better sense of balance in your other presses.

A lot of energy is wasted in presses just keeping a fluid steady motion. Targeting your week points will only make your normal lifts that much easier.

In addition, if you choose to, you could even replace your tricep workouts with a few sets of these since it places so much emphasis on them.

Here’s how I suggest you go about doing them:

As you become more comfortable you can experiment with using closer stances, and even balancing using one foot. This will put even more stress on your stabilizers and triceps.

Lift smart.

• Joewarrior.com – Weight Lifting Exercises – Muscle Building – Fitness

At least in weightlifting, it is true, cheaters lose.

I see you in the gym. You’re the guy who bounces the bar off his chest on the bench press. You don’t let your arms extend all the way down on bicep curls.

I get it. It looks cool with those big weights loaded up. Or, maybe you’re just tricking yourself into thinking you’re stronger than you really are. You are giving yourself a false sense of security and any veteran lifter in your midst is going to pick up on it.

He’ll probably even have a grin on his face as he sees you doing it in his peripherals. He’s also the guy more fit than you, maybe even lifting the same amount of weight, only smoother and with better form. That’s exactly why he looks that way and you look the way you do.

You might be thinking, “I’m lifting more so it has to be making me stronger”. You would be wrong. While it’s true that you can cheat a little on the last rep or two for a little extra umph, only by doing the lift properly and as smooth as possible will you get the biggest gains. Plus, you will avoid muscle soreness and potential injury.

Finally, a small thing to think about. You have probably noticed, there are no weightlifting books instructing you to spastically curl the weight or bounce the bar off your chest. There is good reason, I promise.

• Joewarrior.com – Weight Lifting Exercises – Muscle Building – Fitness

You do have a plan, don’t you? Please tell me you don’t just wander in and stroll among the and machines, hoping something will catch your eye. Do you wait to decide how you “feel” ? Do you not have a clue? Aaarghhhh!!
I knew it!

OK, I know it’s probably not that bad, but I truly believe that most of us do not have a very good idea of what we are going to do do on a day to day basis.

Here is my confession:

Jarryd, of Joewarrior.com, asks me at lunch, “Are you working out today?”

Me: “Uh, well, ……I think so…….I’m planning on it….yeah, I am, for sure.”
Jarryd; “What are you working on?”
Me: “I’m not sure, legs I think. I can’t remember what I did last time.”

I am not admitting to Jarryd that I skipped “last time” and I’m not really sure what day that even was.

Jarryd: “Today’s my chest day, want to do bench together?”
Me: “OK, sounds good. I think it’s been a while since I worked my chest.”
Jarryd: “All right, see you there. Don’t skip out this time.”

Does this sound familiar to you?

Hey, it was great to do the bench together. Having a workout buddy is a good thing. I really love removing the big weights off every time it’s my turn.

Now, here is my point.

Some kind of plan is an absolute. You need a goal and at least some idea of how you are going to achieve it. Of course, there are many ways to go about it.

As I said, I have seen it all in the gym.

Some individuals are just wandering in and casually deciding, on the spot, what to do. Whatever station is open is good enough. Hey, it can be crowded and you don’t always have access to what you want. That is not all bad. They are still getting exercise, which is much better than snacking while watching Drew on The Price is Right.

The negative is that the muscles worked today might have been worked just yesterday or maybe not at all for the past month. I think you see where I am going.

Another group people I see at the gym, although dedicated, still don’t quite have a disciplined or well planned approach. To their credit, they have been coming forever. Now and then they do try some new things they have read in a magazine. Somehow, it just doesn’t tie in together and produce results. To me, they look the same as when they did back when.

This is better, but once again, I think you see where I am going.

Confession number two: I seem to slide in and out of this group. I know better. My results always show which direction I’m sliding. Later I’ll have Jarryd read this article to me.

Next are what I call the professional amateurs. I admire these ultra-planners who have done all the research. Or, at least their personal trainer has. Complete organization is their M.O.. They have their cards or notebooks with them at all times, recording every rep of every exercise. Each muscle is trained on schedule with a calculated amount of resistance. Amazing!

When professional amateurs stay on task for an extended (and calculated) time, noticeable improvements are inevitable.

The question is, where do you fall in the above categories? Most likely somewhere in between. Today, I won’t get into what type of training regiment is best. The possibilities are almost endless.

There are low rep routines, high rep routines and combinations of both. Common questions are: What days for what body part? Which exercises are best for what muscles? How often and how much is another query. There is circuit training to consider. Finding the right balance between aerobic and anaerobic exercise is important. It goes on and on.

There is always room for personal improvement and a wide variety of training methods to explore. That is the beauty of our quest.

Now, back to your plan. For today, check to see if you have a few guidelines in place. This will help whether you work out casually or are on a particular mission.

1. Figure out what your goals are. Do you want overall fitness, more endurance, toned legs, tight abs or big guns? Are you recovering from illness or would you like to reclaim your youthful figure? Get at least a general idea of what you desire. Of course, the more defined your goal is, the easier it will be to achieve.

2. Decide which muscles you will focus on. If you are starting out, stick with the major groups. The smaller muscles will still get some action if your workout is varied. If you have been at it for a while, decide where your weaknesses are and add them to your list.

3. Decide how many muscle groups you will work out each day. For beginners, a light exercise for each body section all within the same day can work. Or, consider a two day split, with for example, upper body one day and lower the next. If your workouts are heavier, you will want to do only one or two muscle groups per day.

4. Research the various exercises for different body sections, muscle groups or individual muscles, depending on your goals. Start with the basics and try the variations as you steadily strengthen yourself.

Now, here is the kicker for your workout program:

5. Any conditioning or muscle building program requires repetition. Each area you are trying to improve upon must get a steady flow of work and rest for a period long enough for it to take effect. Eight weeks is a good standard to go by, although you can get results in more or less time for certain activities, depending upon your current level of fitness and intensity of workouts.

However, if you do something completely different and unconnected every day, never settling on one repetitive program, your desired results suffer.

You will find all kinds of exercises, workouts and strength training or weightlifting programs out there. It is fine to try out various exercises in order to stay motivated and to cover all areas of your body.

Your body will sometimes get used to certain routines and adapt to them, so some workouts are designed to stimulate or shock your muscles into growth. That is acceptable as long as the new exercise continues or adds on to what the previous one has accomplished.

And remember, you should have established a good foundation with your basic routine before beginning to experiment with variations.

I can’t stress enough the importance of having a workout plan. You can change it, alter it, but keep it a plan. Make sure the changes and alterations are connected. Keep your goal in sight. Don’t just wander in.

See you at the gym.

• Joewarrior.com – Weight Lifting Exercises – Muscle Building – Fitness