Motivational Monday: No Gym? No Problem.

by Robert Fure on April 16, 2012

I’m not sure if, as humans, we’re hardwired to be lazy or if it’s just something we’ve adopted over the last few hundred years. Maybe it’s a holdover from ancient times – when we needed to conserve energy because food was scarce. You don’t see lions running around the savanna for fun. They’re not building houses or swimming laps. No, they’re sleeping or lying around when they’re not eating.

For lions, that works, since food is hard to come by. Lions rarely get obese. Humans, however, have the entire world at our fingertips. Without ever standing up, I can summon pizza, burgers, french fries, alcohol, even ice cream, candy, and cigarettes, right to my door. Hell, I could do it with one hand.

So we have to consciously make the decision to not be lazy. It’s so easy for us to sit around and grow rotund. We know this. We know we need to eat smarter and healthier and exercise and move more. That doesn’t mean we often want to, so we look for excuses. Cold weather. A busy schedule. An upcoming birthday. Pretty much anything that can semi-justify (at the time), sitting around and doing nothing.

The economy is great right now and gyms are expensive. Sometimes they’re far away. Sometimes it’s cold outside. There are easily a dozen or two readily available excuses people make to not work out, and many of them revolve around the difficulties of getting to or affording the gym.

Tough shit, you lazy asshole. No gym? No problem.

Not having access to a gym is not a valid excuse to skip a workout. It might be a valid excuse to not bench press or squat or something along those lines, but it is most definitely not an excuse to sit around eating clearance Easter candy.

I’ve talked about working out at home before. It’s quick, easy, and effective. If you have some money, you can buy some nifty equipment to help out. If you have no money, you can use chairs, tables, and water jugs. There is always a way. This is not a trick. Fitness is not like learning Latin. The tools are always right in front of you.

Want to do cardio? Luckily there is an entire world out there for you to run, jump, walk, and hike through. Want to get stronger? Fortunately thanks to physics and gravity, you can build strength just by using your own body weight and doing squats, jumps, pull-ups, push-ups, and a dozen other exercises.

If someone who is 6′+ and 220+lbs like Arnold up in that picture can do dips on some dining room chairs, you sure as hell can too. So quit making excuses and start making progress.

No gym? No problem.

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Motivational Monday: Size Matters Not

by Robert Fure on April 9, 2012

Now that is is how a champion lifts. Mild determination on the face. Hefting more than three times your bodyweight. With a big ass dog nearby. What happened to gyms? Why can’t I deadlift massive amounts of weights with my dog coaching me on?

Franco Columbu was not a tall man. Officially, he’s 5’5″. A lot of people say he’s 5’3″. One reporter puts him at 5’1″. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and placed him at 5’4″. By any measure, he is not very tall. By any measure, he is hella strong.

It doesn’t matter what you look like when you start lifting. It matters how much effort you’ll put in. How much heart. How much blood you’ll give. If you want to gain mass, you can. If you want to lose fat, you can. All you have to do is work hard. There’s no trickery here. It’s simple.

To gain mass, you eat a lot of protein and lift heavy eights. To lose fat, you watch your diet and workout. The wheel remains unchanged.

There are tons of excuses you can make. Whether you think it’s too hard or you don’t have the time, whether you’re too tall or too short, or this or that. My body is not perfectly built for the deadlift. It is not my greatest lift. But so what? There’s nothing stopping me from doing it. I may never be the best deadlifter in the entire world, but I can be the best deadlifter I can be. I may never pull 800, but I can pull 405 today.

We make too many excuses, in all aspects. Cut the bullshit. Whatever it is, it’s not a big deal. Work hard. Get results.

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Motivational Monday: You Can Be There

by Robert Fure on April 2, 2012

Arnold Schwarzenegger was a great proponent of visualization. When he exercised each muscle, he focused on every movement, every muscle fiber stretching and growing, larger and larger. It should be no surprise that when it came to other aspects of his life, he approached them the same way.

No matter what goal you have, you can achieve it. When you see someone that you can idolize, don’t just gawk and admire, or feel that tinge of jealousy. Realize that they were once in your shoes. They are but a mortal man as well. With hard work and dedication, you can become like your heroes, become heroes to others.

Get after it. The only thing stopping you is you.

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Programming Note from the Editor

by Robert Fure on April 2, 2012

For those regular readers out there you may have noticed some programming hiccups over the last two weeks. Unfortunately writing and maintaining this website sometimes has to take a backseat to the rest of life, which includes the part where I actually have to try to earn a living.

Over the last two weeks various things have demanded my attention which lead to a shortage of regular posts on the site. Apologies!

Thanks for your continued readership and I promise to get things back on track and deliver some varied and exciting content in the days and weeks ahead.

Hard work,

R.

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Motivational Monday: Whether You Think That You Can, Or That You Can’t, You Are Usually Right

by Robert Fure on March 26, 2012

I didn’t make this, but after reading it the first time, it always stuck with me. Every now and then an elephant realizes that it’s a gigantic beast that can do whatever it wants. Generally that ends in tragedy. But, since you’re not a rampaging killer beast, or a kind elephant, when you realize you can accomplish great things no one dies. You just get stronger.

The quote in the title, Whether you think you that you can, or that you can’t, you are usually right is attributed to Henry Ford, famous for his revolutionary business practices in the automotive field. That’s a fantastic quote that speaks to the same thing: mindset.

You have to get your head in the game. You have to set a realistic goal that you can achieve. You have to believe that you can achieve it.

If I told you right now that you could bench 305 pounds and we walked to a bench and you tried, you would fail. You might think that you’ll never be able to do that. That’s a poor mindset and a bad goal. Set an attainable goal first. Aim for 250lbs. Then 275. Eventually, you will hit 305. If you just aim for 305 at the start, it’ll always seem so far away.

Do you need to lose thirty pounds? One hundred? Set a reasonable goal. This month, lose twelve pounds. Or eight. Whatever the goal you decide, get in the mindset that you can achieve it and make sure it’s a goal that can realistically be achieved.

Too often people set really lofty goals, goals that are going to take months if not years to achieve. When, after a lot of hard work, they haven’t achieved those goals, they quit, about thirty percent of the way there. The problem was an unrealistic goal. Don’t sabotage yourself.

You can attain great things. You can create a better body. Set an attainable goal. Get your head wrapped around it. Think you can. Think you can do it. Then do it.

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Motivational Monday: Slow and Steady is Better than Stopped and Steady

by Robert Fure on March 19, 2012

Patience is a virtue not many people have. It’s easy to look at the results and think they’re not happening as fast you want them to be. It takes months and years to get out of shape and overweight. It won’t be an overnight ordeal to reverse the process. You need to persevere.

When running this long road, if you should slow or stumble, take the time you need to get back on the right road. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get to the top of the stairs as long as you get there. Set realistic goals, manage your expectations, and put the work in day after day.

The tighter your program and plan and the better you stick to it, the faster you’ll make your goals, but speed isn’t everything. Results are what counts. You’ve made the choice and the decision to create a better you and a better life. Stick with it, even when the going gets tough.

Don’t ever let anyone who doesn’t put the same effort and intensity into their life talk down to you. You’re running marathons while they’re standing still.

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Fit Film Friday: Thor

by Robert Fure on March 16, 2012

Of course the Norse god of thunder has a special place in my heart. After all, I have celebrated vikings on the site in the past. Thor presents one of the more difficult Marvel characters to bring to both the page and the big screen – after all, he is a legitimate god, who can challenge him? Norse mythology is rich with things we would consider silly, like chariots pulled by goats, fat heroes, and rainbow bridges.

It was an uphill battle for Marvel to get this character right on the screen – I mean, he even talked weird in the comics. His font was all frilly even! It was going to take some outside the box thinking, and they came through. The head honchos at Marvel went to Kenneth Branagh, an actor and director well known for his Shakespearean roots. If you think of it as “Kenneth Branagh directing a comic book movie!” it sounds like a terrible idea, but when you realize it is “Kenneth Branagh directing a movie about a Norse god come to Earth” it makes a whole lot more sense.

Thor follows the titular character as he is cast out of Asgard when his brash and war mongering actions prove to Odin he is not yet a worthy heir. He is stripped of all his godly powers and his mighty hammer, Mjolnir.

On Earth, he must prove himself worthy again to wield the mighty weapon, regain his godly powers, and return to Asgard to save the kingdom from frost giant intrusion and an intruder among their own.

Much of the film’s success was laid upon the soldiers of relative newcomer Chris Hemsworth, who had a tough job laid out in front of him: embody a god. Not only that, but an arrogant god with a heavy accent. Hemsworth built an admirable frame, which won him many female fans, and nailed the brashness of the character without ever coming across as goofy or insincere, a difficult task within the material.

There is plenty to enjoy within Thor, much of it stemming from Hemsworth’s performance and, surprisingly, the humor within the film. Humorous highlights include Thor’s love of coffee and his drinking competition with intellectual Erik Selvig.

The battle sequences in the movie are mostly good – when Thor faces off with the ice giants, it’s exciting, though his battle with The Destroyer is over a bit quickly, but done well and the gigantic guardian itself looks fantastic. Like all Marvel films, Thor suffers from the anti-climactic ending. There is a final battle, but among mismatched opponents physically, so it is never going to be an epic brawl. It seems to start and end quickly and end mostly unsatisfyingly. It’s a good film and enjoyable, but it definitely needed a stronger ending.

In terms of fitness and motivation, first and foremost is Chris Hemsworth’s Asgardian physique. He definitely brings the right amount of real world muscle to this otherworldly character. Men want to be him and women want to be with him. His chest in particular got a lot of female attention, and I’m sure male too. No homo. And probably some homo as well. I don’t judge.

Beyond the eye candy, the basic journey of Thor is a good one to take note of. He has it all at the start. He is the favored son. He is tall, charismatic, bold, excellent in every endeavor, and the envy of all Asgardians. Yet, he is foolish, easily tricked, lacking forethought, and because of this he loses everything. He is stripped of what previously defined him: his power, his strength, his honor.

Cast to the lowliest of lows, he is rejected by Mjolnir because he is unworthy of it. He must redefine himself, find his truest essence to get back into the good graces of Asgard.

Often those of us who chase after a finely tuned physique are looked at as being consumed with ourselves. Overconfident and putting too much emphasis on appearance and physical capabilities. It doesn’t matter how big your biceps are or how strong your squat is if you’re a rotten person, a jerk, or an asshole. You have to find a positive inner being and let that be amplified by the body you create. Deep, eh?

Ladies....

All in all, Thor isn’t quite a perfect film, but it does feature Hemsworth looking great and creating a really excellent portrayal of the Norse god. There are exciting moments and laughs, beautiful women and battles, but it does falter at the end by lacking a big battle or great climax. I definitely enjoy the film though and if you haven’t seen it, you should give it a shot.

The Fit: Chris Hemsworth shirtless, no doubt.

The And: Stay tuned after the credits for a little teaser that will undoubtedly feature heavily in the upcoming The Avengers film.

The Furious: Thor and his Mighty Warriors kicking all sorts of Frost Giant ass near the beginning of the film.

Own it on Amazon

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Give Us This Day Our Daily Workout – A Day Without Iron

by Robert Fure on March 14, 2012

The daily work-out is not published daily, which is truly ironic. It’s just a work-out I did recently to give you an idea of what I’m doing, fitness wise. I’m not recommending you do these work-outs specifically, but it probably wouldn’t hurt you if you did. Unless you try to use my numbers on heavy lifting days, then maybe you’ll die. So don’t do that, but otherwise, what are you waiting for? Get at it.

I was feeling a bit sore all day so figured it was probably best to let my muscles relax and repair but as the day wore on I started feeling really energetic, like I needed to work-out, so I compromised. I’d work out, but without weights. So I stayed home and worked with the punching bag and a medicine ball for a quick, intense session. Like usual, I set up a circuit and ran through it three times.

  • Punching Bag Session 2-3 minutes
  • Medicine Ball (15lb) Shoulder Toss
  • Medicine Ball Standing Twist
  • Medicine Ball Crunch
  • Medicine Ball Pike (V-Up) x8
  • Medicine Ball Russian Twist
  • Air Kicks, Knees

For most of the medicine ball work (other than the pike), I didn’t keep count of my reps, but rather just went for time or until I felt like I’d had enough of that particular exercise, generally in the 30-45 second range. So all of that listed above was one circuit, which was repeated three times. A pretty sweaty, intense session that didn’t add more soreness to my muscles. Success.

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Motivational Monday: Choose What You Want Most Over What You Want at the Moment

by Robert Fure on March 12, 2012

The fit lifestyle is not for everyone. It requires sacrifice at many levels at various stages. If you want to reach your goals as quickly as possible, it takes foregoing a lot of the pleasures of life. When time is of the essence in transforming your body, you’ll most likely have to go without alcohol, sugary drinks, candies, chips, and all sorts of other delicious treats. In their place you will have iron, drenched in your sweat and warmed from your grip.

I don’t think most people want to, or should, take an all or nothing approach, but each time you choose what you want in the moment over what you want most, you push your goal back. Losing a day or two is nothing, but when a day or two becomes a week or two, it’s a short, slippery slide to a few months, or years, or eternity.

When I first launched the site, I wrote about how I wish I had gotten on a dedicated horse far earlier in life. How I wish I had chosen what I wanted most over what I wanted in the moment. Dorito’s, pizza, bourbon, beer, chocolate. All temporary. Immediately temporary. Gone within mere moments. A body finely crafted will not only last you years, but it will extend your years.

In choosing an image to go with this saying, I had flirted with the scales of justice weighing a fit body against ice cream or cookies. I ended up here and this image definitely says something different. Without the text, Arnold is enjoying the good life. He’s got his finely crafted physique, a glass of aged Scotch, and a buxom beauty by his side.

Throw the text on there and suddenly it becomes Schwarzenegger shunning alcohol and even sex in pursuit of his goals. Do I recommend this? Yes. And no.

Some of the worst weight gain periods in my life have come about as a result of being in, or pursuing, a relationship. With dating comes drinking, eating, and sedentary activities. You lack time in the gym and slowly, surely, your gains disappear and your fat accumulates. What do you want most?

I’m not saying to shun relationships, but rather pursue healthy relationships that fit your life. If crafting a better body is truly important to you, it must be important to your partner. They must understand your lifestyle and your devotion. I’m more than happy to engage in drinking or eating out once a week. Date nights are cheat nights.

I’m no longer willing to sacrifice what I want for someone else though. It may sound superficially selfish, but isn’t it more selfish of the other person to be upset at what I really want out of life? Part of my being is now the pursuit of a healthier, better body. I want to be strong and lean. That road doesn’t include a plethora of desserts, several nights of drinking, or late night trips to fast food. There is room for pizza on the side, but the mainstay is healthy foods and plenty of physical activity.

It’s a very personal choice, one that I don’t hold over anyone. Everyone has the right to choose their own life. You choose what is important to you and when. Just know that many wants are incompatible. I want, in the moment, to eat candy and cheeseburgers and chips. I want more to be in shape, strong, lean, and healthy. It’s my choice to eat broccoli instead of peanut butter cups, just as its yours.

Which will you regret not having more, abs or a doughnut? Which will satisfy you most, french fries or the physique of your dreams?

Losing fat and gaining muscle is a hard road. If it were easy, we would all be walking around shirtless. There are no real secrets here, just hard choices. Choices that are really about short-term verses long-term satisfaction. The choice is yours. Fleeting happiness now or lasting happiness later.

And after all, once you’ve achieved the physique of your dreams, it’s a lot easier to maintain it. There will be time to give into your temporary desires later, but for now, focus on the bigger picture. Take many steps forward and very few backwards. Find yourself at the finish line much sooner rather than much later.

The choice is yours.

Image from Playboy

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Fit Film Friday: Immortals

by Robert Fure on March 9, 2012

I’m definitely a sucker for sword and sandal type movies. A bunch of imposing dudes doing brutal battle against each other? Count me in. While I love modern action films, chock full of explosions and guns, there is something about classical combat that will always hold appeal.

When two warriors face off without the aid of projectile weapons, it really is a competition to see who is the most fit. Who is fastest? Strongest? Who has the more tireless will?

Immortals rightly draws comparisons to 300. The visual style is similar, with carved abs, swords, spears, and hyper stylized action. It even advertised itself as from the producers of the Snyder film. This retake on Greek mythology comes to us from director Tarsem Singh, a man known for his stunning visuals and love of the color red. If Immortals does do one thing right, it is creating stunning visuals. If it does a second, it’s showcase brutal violence.

This is his "Let's fuck shit up" face

The film features Henry Cavill as Theseus, which is notable since he is your future Man of Steel, aka Superman, in Zack Snyder’s 2013 film. In classical mythology, Theseus was famous for defeating the Minotaur, killing big animals, marching into Hades, and founding Athens. None of that is in Immortals. It’s a reimagining.

After the evil king Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) slays his mother and slaughters his village, Theseus embarks on a journey of revenge, hoping to recruit the standing Army of Greece to rally against Hyperion. On his journey he encounters the Virgin Oracle (Freida Pinto) who foresees Theseus as either the savior or harbinger of destruction, dependent on the choices he makes. Overseeing all of this but reluctant to interfere in the lives of men are the gods of Olympus: Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and Ares.

Hyperion manages to retrieve an ancient Weapon of Mass Destruction, a bow that he uses to unleash the titans who then clash with the gods of Olympus as Theseus and the Greeks clash with Hyperion’s army outside the temple. Lots of people get stabbed and wear stupid hats.

Immortals is far from a perfect film. It doesn’t always feel sensical, though classical mythology never was, either. The changes to the structure I found somewhat disagreeable, namely in that gods are not nearly immortal and the titans look more like zombies rather than Titans.

It’s an interesting concept briefly touched upon in the prologue. What I took from it was that the titans and gods were basically the same group of people, of immortals. Once they figured out they could kill each other, they promptly went to war. The winners declared themselves god and sat above men and imprisoned the titans for thousands of years. Cool idea, but not fleshed out.

What is fleshed out, however, is the violence. While I could have used with a few more fights, the film does have a lot of action in it and it gets intense quick. Ares decides to interfere with human affairs via a hammer which turns heads into empty space. Well, the space isn’t entirely empty, there is a red mist left behind. When the gods face off with the titans they are clearly superior, faster, stronger, and brutal – titans are cleaved in half, heads are dispatched, and all sorts of havoc is reigned down upon them. It is awesome to behold.

The film is also beautiful to look at. Despite a ton of CGI work to create the environments, it’s often stunning to look at and Tarsem’s signature visuals are on display. If I had a gripe, it would be in some of the costuming, which was borderline ridiculous, especially in the headwear of the gods and Oracles.

We're gods, fuck gravity

From a fitness perspective, we get some bare chested gods kicking ass, Henry Cavill proving he has what it takes to be the Man of Steel, and an incredibly shredded Stephen Dorff kicking ass here and there. While no mere mortal would ever have a chance of battling the super speed, strength, and agility of the gods, there is some human ass kicking to be had. When it comes down to it, Immortals again poses a common question I come to when looking for fit films – when your life is on the line, are you fit enough to win?

For being visually stunning and brutally violent in turns, Immortals is a flawed story executed beautifully with a strong theme.

The Fit: Stephen Dorff out of nowhere for the fucking win. He makes future Superman look soft by comparison.

The And: Tarsem Singh’s previous two features are The Cell and The Fall, while his next is Mirror, Mirror. Also, Isabel Lucas is hot as hell.

The Furious: When Ares takes a hammer to a group of Hyperion’s men, I turned to a friend and said “Now that’s worth the price of admission.” Don’t worry,  I was watching at home and not in a theater.

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