Workout Reps Quotes

Writing is a muscle. Smaller than a hamstring and slightly bigger than a bicep, and it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Think of your words as reps, your paragraphs as sets, your pages as daily workouts. Think of your laptop as a machine like the one at the gym where you open and close your inner thighs in front of everyone, exposing both your insecurities and your genitals. Because that is what writing is all about.

Those who seek, certainly get, the inspiration that they want, for their dreams.

Get your whats and whys straight; leave hows to the coach.

The process is about finishing. Finishing games. Finishing workouts. Finishing film sessions. Finishing drives. Finishing reps. Finishing plays. Finishing blocks. Finishing

Upgrade yourself to a newer you, for life renders people and things outdated.

write my entire workout on the chalkboard, down to the number of sets and number of reps, and I wouldn’t let myself leave until I’d marked them all off.

MSP workouts involve full-body functional movements like deadlifts, squats, leg presses, and vertical jumps. MSP workouts feature heavy weights, few reps, and more rest. By doing a succession of mini-sets, you “go max or go home.

The process is about finishing. Finishing games. Finishing workouts. Finishing film sessions. Finishing drives. Finishing reps. Finishing plays. Finishing blocks. Finishing the smallest task you have right in front of you and finishing it well.

efficiently means providing slots in our schedules where we can maintain an attentional set for an extended period. This allows us to get more done and finish up with more energy. Related to the manager/worker distinction is that the prefrontal cortex contains circuits responsible for telling us whether we’re controlling something or someone else is. When we set up a system, this part of the brain marks it as self-generated. When we step into someone else’s system, the brain marks it that way. This may help explain why it’s easier to stick with an exercise program or diet that someone else sets up: We typically trust them as “experts” more than we trust ourselves. “My trainer told me to do three sets of ten reps at forty pounds—he’s a trainer, he must know what he’s talking about. I can’t design my own workout—what do I know?” It takes Herculean amounts of discipline to overcome the brain’s bias against self-generated motivational systems. Why? Because as with the fundamental attribution error we saw in Chapter 4, we don’t have access to others’ minds, only our own. We are painfully aware of all the fretting and indecision, all the nuances of our internal decision-making process that led us to reach a particular conclusion. (I really need to get serious about exercise.) We don’t have access to that (largely internal) process in others, so we tend to take their certainty as more compelling, in many cases, than our own. (Here’s your program. Do it every day.)

Here’s a great home workout that allows you to train and work on the usual issues I find ailing most people: • Right-leg Bulgarian Split Squats with the dumbbell in the suitcase position, 10 reps • Left-leg Bulgarian Split Squats with the dumbbell in the suitcase position, 10 reps • Goblet Squats with the dumbbell cradled on the chest, 10 reps • Deep Push-ups, chest touching the floor, with the push-up handles, 10 reps • Doorway Chin-ups or Pull-ups, 10 reps • Ab Wheel, 10 reps Try to do these six exercises one after another straight through without resting much between movements. Repeat this sequence, after a minute or two of rest, three to five times.

Saban’s process is exclusively this—existing in the present, taking it one step at a time, not getting distracted by anything else. Not the other team, not the scoreboard or the crowd. The process is about finishing. Finishing games. Finishing workouts. Finishing film sessions. Finishing drives. Finishing reps. Finishing plays. Finishing blocks. Finishing the smallest task you have right in front of you and finishing it well. Whether

Henry had never felt so happy. Freshperson year had been one thing, an adventure, an exhilaration, all in all a success, but it had also been exhausting, a constant struggle and adjustment and tumult. Now he was locked in. Every day that summer had the same framework, the alarm at the same time, meals and workouts and shifts and SuperBoost at the same times, over and over, and it was that sameness, that repetition, that gave life meaning. He savored the tiny variations, the incremental improvements--tuna fish on his salad instead of turkey; tow extra reps on the bench press. Every move he made had purpose.

The Workout Do one set of 8 to 12 repetitions, and then immediately do one set of 8 to 12 reps of the next exercise, continue until all moves have been completed. If you can do an exercise more than 12 times, the weight is too light. If you can’t reach 12 repetitions, the weight is too heavy. Dumbbell Press Lie on a mat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. You may place one or more pillows under your back and head for support. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bring your elbows in line with your shoulders, making a right angle between your upper arm and your side. Exhale as you extend your arms and press the

FUNDAMENTAL FIVE  MONDAY - The first exercise you will do is the push-up. Try and perform 3 sets and as many reps as you can in each set. It is fine here if you use a raised platform for the hands as we are just trying to get stronger here. The second exercise you will perform is the dip exercise. Here you can do either a ledge dip if your strength is not strong enough, or some triceps dips if your strength is at a decent level. Keep trying to work towards the goal of doing 10 perfect triceps dips. Thirdly you will perform 3 sets of squats. Concentrate on good form here and try and descend as low as you are able to. Your target is to be able to perform 25 perfect reps before moving on. You can also do conditioning exercises here as well if that is part of your goal. Note that this is not required, as our main focus is to build strength. TUESDAY - On this day you will aim to perform a pulling exercise, ideally the chin-up. If you are not strong enough to perform any chin-ups, work with the row until your strength increases. Again, you should be aiming for 3 sets of as many reps as you can do, until you can do 10 perfect reps. The second exercise should be your core exercise. This can be any of the easier variations, such as the plank, crunch, dish, or hanging leg raise. Remember, that the sole aim here is to work up to performing 10 perfect hanging knee raises. WEDNESDAY - This is a rest day, and you should ensure that you get plenty of good food and sleep on this day. THURSDAY - This should be the same as Mondays workout. FRIDAY - This should be the same as Tuesdays workout. SATURDAY / SUNDAY - These are both rest days, as in the beginning it is important for your body to have enough rest and to be able to recover properly from the workouts. This also leaves you totally fresh for the week ahead. As was said before, only once you can perform the five fundamental movements and their required number of repetitions, you should move on to the next program.

In the chaos of sport, as in life, process provides us a way. It says: Okay, you’ve got to do something very difficult. Don’t focus on that. Instead break it down into pieces. Simply do what you need to do right now. And do it well. And then move on to the next thing. Follow the process and not the prize. The road to back-to-back championships is just that, a road. And you travel along a road in steps. Excellence is a matter of steps. Excelling at this one, then that one, and then the one after that. Saban’s process is exclusively this—existing in the present, taking it one step at a time, not getting distracted by anything else. Not the other team, not the scoreboard or the crowd. The process is about finishing. Finishing games. Finishing workouts. Finishing film sessions. Finishing drives. Finishing reps. Finishing plays. Finishing blocks. Finishing the smallest task you have right in front of you and finishing it well. Whether it’s pursuing the pinnacle of success in your field or simply surviving some awful or trying ordeal, the same approach works. Don’t think about the end—think about surviving. Making it from meal to meal, break to break, checkpoint to checkpoint, paycheck to paycheck, one day at a time. And when you really get it right, even the hardest things become manageable. Because the process is relaxing. Under its influence, we needn’t panic. Even mammoth tasks become just a series of component parts.

THE CODE OF A GOOD TRAINING PARTNER I will show up on time for every workout, and if I can’t avoid missing one, I’ll let my partner know as soon as I know. I will come to the gym to train—not to chat. When we’re in the gym, we focus on our workouts, we’re always ready to spot each other, and we get our work done efficiently. I will train hard to set a good example for my partner. I will push my partner to do more than she thinks she can. It’s my job to motivate her to do more weight and more reps than she believes possible. I will be supportive of my partner and will compliment her on her gains. I won’t let my partner get out of a workout easily. I will reject any excuses that are short of an actual emergency or commitment that can’t be rescheduled, and I will insist that she comes and trains. In the case where there’s a valid excuse, I’ll offer to train at a different time so we can get our workout in (if at all possible).

Instead, you’re going to do what most popular mainstream weightlifting programs never prescribe: you’re going to focus on heavy, compound weightlifting, and you’re going to do just enough sets and reps in your workouts to maximize muscle overload and stimulation without going so far as overtraining.

Working out with a bad partner sucks. It drains your energy and motivation and can even cause you to lose enthusiasm for working out altogether. On the other hand, working out with a good partner can go far in keeping you on track and making progress. He helps keep you accountable and wanting to show up every day, and having a spot on certain exercises helps push you for another rep and encourages you to move up in weight as you should. These things can make a big difference as time goes on. Those workouts, additional reps, and progressions in weight that wouldn’t have happened if you were solo add up to real gains. So, I recommend that you find someone to work out with before you start, and the two of you should agree to the following code. 1. I will show up on time for every workout, and if I can’t avoid missing one, I’ll let my partner know as soon as I know. 2. I won’t let my partner get out of a workout easily. I will reject any excuses that are short of an actual emergency or commitment that can’t be rescheduled, and I will insist that he comes and trains. In the case where there’s a valid excuse, if at all possible, I’ll offer to train at a different time so we can get our workout in. 3. I will come to the gym to train—not to chat. When we’re in the gym, we focus on our workouts, we’re always ready to spot each other, and we get our work done efficiently. 4. I will train hard to set a good example for my partner. 5. I will push my partner to do more than he thinks he can. It’s my job to motivate him to do more weight and more reps than he believes possible. 6. I will be supportive of my partner and will compliment him on his gains.

Kettlebell Swings For Strength Grab your heaviest kettlebell and swing it 4, 6, or 8 times and then rest for as long as is required to bring the heart rate down to normal. Repeat this sequence for 45 to 60 minutes. The number of reps you do will depend on how heavy a kettlebell you have, for my level it would be 4 at 48kg / 105lbs, 6 at 40kg, or 8 at 36kg. The amount of rest would be anywhere from 2 minutes and up. I would use my rest time for mobility and stretching. In the session, I would complete anywhere from 16 to 20 sets or more. This is a workout you can do approximately 2 or more times a week.

Maximum Metabolism Workout Weekly Plan WEEK DAY 2 DAY 4 DAY 6 1 10 reps (rest 30 seconds between exercises) 15 reps (rest 60 seconds between exercises) 12 reps (rest 45 seconds between exercises) 2 15 reps (rest 45 seconds between exercises) 12 reps (rest 30 seconds between exercises) 10 reps (rest 15 seconds between exercises) 3 2 sets, 12 reps (rest 30 seconds between exercises) 2 sets, 10 reps (rest 15 seconds between exercises) 2 sets, 15 reps (rest 45 seconds between exercises) 4 2 sets, 10 reps (no rest between exercises) 2 sets, 15 reps (rest 30 seconds between exercises) 2 sets, 12 reps (rest 15 seconds between

What do you want to set? Excuses or examples?

Know the basics of anything that you want to master.

Unplanned trips are good for fun, not for the professional goals.

Warm-up, beat the beat, be it gym, be it life.

In the gym and in life, consistency is the bridge between goals and achievements.

Break it to build it; be it muscle, be it road to dreams.

What cardio is to bodybuilding, positive thoughts are to a healthy mind.

Embrace the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.

Let the failure not be the destination but a milestone of the journey to success.

A coach and a torch, have the same purpose.

Whatever you do, ensure you create, invent, or innovate, something new.

Fitness is not just about weight or mass but strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Transformation begins when you step outside of your comfort zone.

Like fueling muscles, from breakdown to synthesis to recovery, nourish mind.

Shortcuts are good, but only for computers, not life.

The body is like a bus and the driver is mind.

Competition is about being better than someone else; fitness, being better-self.

The pain felt today becomes strength of tomorrow.

Diet and mutual funds are the same; give the best long-term returns, when balanced or diversified; except for market risks.

Rather than work-life balance, it should be life-work; for priorities’ sake.

Sprinkle the salt of ethics and pepper of morals for delicious experiences in the unfair world.

Rest to refuel for better focus.

Focus on solutions, not obstacles; focus on actions, not results.

On the track keep a track of the track so as not to be off the track.

Take a break, resume refreshed.

The journey is transformation, the destination, a halt.

A person without patience, sooner or later, becomes a patient.

Creativity is to monotonous life what choke is to engine.

Chuck the luck. Work smarter than harder, for success doesn’t happen just by chance.

Life is uncertain, commemorate.

Reprioritise tasks; prioritise opportunity, hence prioritunity.

Dreams be as important as oxygen; be that dedicated.

Not perfection, but progress and persistence, is what life all about.

Humility is the jewel in the crown of achievements.

Warm-up is not over till you are short of breath. *Conditions apply.

Success, is built rep by rep, set by set, both in bodybuilding and life.

3 P’s of bodybuilding: Persistence, Perseverance and Practice.

3 R’s of successful life: Recurrence, Resilience and Rehearsal.

Bodybuilding and life are like a painting, make yours a masterpiece.

Not just for yourself, dedicate your dreams to loved ones.

The best support system is people, books, and experience.

The one, who can help you fight the inner battles, is YOU.

To be the master of your passion or profession, study the theory of it.

View the richness of life by changing the dimensions of the angle and lens.

Battles within, akin to bodybuilding, are to be done by oneself.

Bodybuilding is a skill, building body is an art.

That adds up to one thousand to three thousand little tiny “reps” per minute—much more work for your muscles than holding a position (static or isometric exercise) or typical repetition workouts. ♦

And here’s how you’ll continue to make gains: 1. Increasing the reps of each exercise. 2. Increasing the quality of your movements. Controlling every body part and keeping it in its precise, proper place drives progress. Again, perfect performance = perfect physique.

MSP workouts involve full-body functional movements like deadlifts, squats, leg presses, and vertical jumps. MSP workouts feature heavy weights, few reps, and more rest. By doing a succession of mini-sets, you “go max or

To conduct an MSP workout, you’ll lift your new five-rep max weight 180 pounds three or four times, then rest for ten to twenty seconds. Then you’ll do three more reps at 180, rest a bit, do two more at 180, rest a bit, do two more at 180, rest a bit, do two more at 180, rest a bit, then perhaps only muster up one rep on your final “mini-set.” That, friends, is a beautiful Maximum Sustained Power workout! In contrast, consider the typical approach of trying to execute your five-rep max deadlift weight consecutively, with no rest break. You might hit five reps the first set, another five reps on the second set, and then be crapped out like a Vegas high roller.

Workout B 1. One-leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL)4 (10–12 reps each side) 2. Chin-up (four-second negative lowering portion only) × 10 or until you cannot control descent5 3. One-leg hamstring curls on a Swiss ball—6–12 reps each leg 4. Plank for abs (and gluteus medius on sides) → Progression: start with 30 seconds front, 30 seconds each side, working up to 90 seconds maximum 5. Reverse hyper × 15–25 Repeat sequence 2–4 times. See

Bobby had once gotten to slip into the Boston Athletic Club and watch Big Kevin's Sunday morning workout, when he put 225 pounds on the bar and cranked out twenty nine reps on the bench press as his admiring buddies counted them out. Bobby was quietly made aware that this was beyond the capability of most any of the New England Patriots, which was akin to saying someone was holier than the pope himself.

Variable rewards or not, no habit will stay interesting forever. At some point, everyone faces the same challenge on the journey of self-improvement: you have to fall in love with boredom. We all have goals that we would like to achieve and dreams that we would like to fulfill, but it doesn’t matter what you are trying to become better at, if you only do the work when it’s convenient or exciting, then you’ll never be consistent enough to achieve remarkable results. I can guarantee that if you manage to start a habit and keep sticking to it, there will be days when you feel like quitting. When you start a business, there will be days when you don’t feel like showing up. When you’re at the gym, there will be sets that you don’t feel like finishing. When it’s time to write, there will be days that you don’t feel like typing. But stepping up when it’s annoying or painful or draining to do so, that’s what makes the difference between a professional and an amateur. Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way. Professionals know what is important to them and work toward it with purpose; amateurs get pulled off course by the urgencies of life. David Cain, an author and meditation teacher, encourages his students to avoid being “fair-weather meditators.” Similarly, you don’t want to be a fair-weather athlete or a fair-weather writer or a fair-weather anything. When a habit is truly important to you, you have to be willing to stick to it in any mood. Professionals take action even when the mood isn’t right. They might not enjoy it, but they find a way to put the reps in. There have been a lot of sets that I haven’t felt like finishing, but I’ve never regretted doing the workout. There have been a lot of articles I haven’t felt like writing, but I’ve never regretted publishing on schedule. There have been a lot of days I’ve

The typical day went something like this. I’d wake up at 4:30 a.m., munch a banana, and hit the ASVAB books. Around 5 a.m., I’d take that book to my stationary bike where I’d sweat and study for two hours. Remember, my body was a mess. I couldn’t run multiple miles yet, so I had to burn as many calories as I could on the bike. After that I’d drive over to Carmel High School and jump into the pool for a two-hour swim. From there I hit the gym for a circuit workout that included the bench press, the incline press, and lots of leg exercises. Bulk was the enemy. I needed reps, and I did five or six sets of 100–200 reps each. Then it was back to the stationary bike for two more hours. I was constantly hungry. Dinner was my one true meal each day, but there wasn’t much to it. I ate a grilled or sautéed chicken breast and some sautéed vegetables along with a thimble of rice. After dinner I’d do another two hours on the bike, hit the sack, wake up and do it all over again, knowing the odds were stacked sky high against me. What I was trying to achieve is like a D-student applying to Harvard, or walking into a casino and putting every single dollar you own on a number in roulette and acting as if winning is a foregone conclusion. I was betting everything I had on myself with no guarantees.

It’s true that low rep workouts, consisting of powerful and explosive movements, will build more size (but not less definition) than high rep workouts, because the “fast twitch” muscle fibers required in explosive movements are much larger than “slow twitch” fibers required for more enduring tasks. But really, for mass, wouldn’t you want to recruit all possible muscle fibers and not just the fast twitch? Likewise, for “definition”–that is, losing body fat so the striations in your muscles show more–wouldn’t you want to recruit all possible muscle fibers, especially since the number one factor affecting our resting metabolic rate, and thus fat loss, is muscle mass? The only thing you should alter depending on your goal–whether it’s to tone or bulk up–is nutrition.

Kettlebells stake out the gray zone between the two disciplines. Users handle significant poundage virtually non-stop for the session duration. Workouts are brutal affairs as the athlete tugs, throws, lifts, flings, powers or finesses the bell, singularly, or two at a time, in a wide range of patterned exercises for multiple sets and reps. In a typical progressive resistance exercise the motor-pathway is narrow. When using a progressive resistance machine the groove is narrower yet. A kettlebell uses a broad motor pathway that forces whole series of muscles to work in a coordinated fashion to complete the proscribed exercise. The ‘gaps’ are attacked and the space between conventional weight training movements are filled in.

Snatches, cleans and jerks can be performed for any number of repetitions, from one to hundreds. Leave all the sets of more than ten reps for the very end of the workout to avoid their negative effect on your presses. The exception is when your presses have become too easy and you have not saved up for a heavier kettlebell yet. Understand that performing strength drills on the background of pronounced fatigue is only marginally effective.

Twice a week, a hard 12 minutes of the U.S. Department of Energy “Man Maker.” The Man Maker is a painfully simple workout that was devised and implemented at a federal agency’s academy by Green Beret vet Bill Cullen, RKC. Its template is simple: alternate sets of high-rep kettlebell drills—swings in our case—with a few hundred yards of jogging. Do your swings “to a comfortable stop” most of the time and all-out occasionally. Don’t run hard; jogging is a form of active recovery. Senior RKC Mike Mahler prefers the jump rope to jogging, another great option.

Ensure that each step is progressive, though well-planned or not.

Invent as if it’s your first; innovate as if it’s your last.

Warm up at least 12 minutes, or be naturally warmed up. Work up to training with weight at 80 percent of your maximum, about six reps, with rest between sets of at least three minutes. Cool down at least 12 minutes, or be naturally active following your workout. Recovery includes seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

Instead of dwindling into an atrophic puddle of sick fat, we can make our ending like a failed last rep at the end of a final workout. Strong, vigorous and useful, to the last.

3 days per week for 8 weeks: Set a timer for 20 minutes and alternate pushups and one or two handed kettlebell swings on the minute.  Use the elbows in rule for pushups and keep your hips fully extended and your abs firing.  If you can’t do full pushups, do kneeling pushups or pushups against a wall. Your goal is to double your work capacity in 20 minutes with excellent form.  Start with an unchallenging number of reps for both pushups and swings and build from there.  You want your first few workouts to be easy and gradually get harder, then back off, then get harder.  Continue adding one rep per minute in both pushups and strict swings every workout until the fourth week then back off (do the unchallenging number of reps you did at the beginning). On the sixth week, start with the numbers you used starting on the second week and continue adding reps until completing the eighth week.

Warm-Up The following is an example of a warm-up for an intense workout. Warm-Up 2 to 5 min brisk walk warm-up Dynamic stretch ➢ Walk on toes—2 sets of 15 yards ➢ Walk on heels—2 sets of 15 yards ➢ Arm swings—2 sets of 10 clockwise and counterclockwise ➢ Arm hugs—2 sets of 10 reps Straight leg kicks—3 sets of 15 yards Leg swings—2 sets of 15 reps High knees—3 sets of 15 yards Walking lunges—3 sets of 15 yards Lateral lunges—2 sets of 10 reps (back and forth, do not hold end position) Wrist sways—3 sets, 15 each way Hula hip swings—2 sets of 10 clockwise and counterclockwise

Kettlebell Rows • Hold a kettlebell in one hand stretching the other to the side for balance. • Bend at the waist and bend the knees to protect the lower back. • Using the back muscles, pull the elbow up to torso level then slowly straighten out the arm • Complete 8 to 10 reps and then switch sides.

One Arm Pull • Hold a kettlebell in one hand with the other out to the side for balance, feet spread hip-width apart. • Squat while you maintain braced abs and a neutral back and then thrust your hips to stand. • As you stand, the kettlebell should be drawn up to shoulder level with the elbow bent, holding the bell in front of the shoulder. • Return to the starting position and repeat for a total of 8 to 10 reps.

Two Arm Pull • Grip a kettlebell with both hands, standing with feet spread hip-width. • Squat with your arms touching your inner thighs. Remember to push back with your butt and maintain a neutral back. • As you use your hips and legs to stand, raise the kettlebell up, lifting your elbows up and above the shoulders keeping the bell close to your body. • Return to the starting position then complete a total of 8 to 10 reps.

Kettlebell Snatch • With feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent, hold a kettlebell in one hand between your knees. • Squat slightly then push off the ground with a jumping motion. Extend your knees and use your hips for power to bring the kettlebell up over your shoulder. • Hold the kettlebell with the arm fully extended for one second and lower to the starting position. Repeat for a total of 8 to 10 reps and switch sides.

One great way to get strong faster is to pick a weight (heavier!) or a speed (slower!) that stops you at 6 reps—but instead of lifting 6 times, lift 5. Avoiding the sixth rep reduces the micro muscle tears that you need to recover from when building muscle. If you’re hell-bent on getting strong fast, you can repeat the exercise several times a week, with no need for recovery, and if you add this kind of workout to your regular ones, you’ll be clearly, obviously, visibly stronger in a month.

Let’s say that you are doing the dumbbell curl with a weight that allows you to do 8 repetitions with good form. Each succeeding workout push yourself to perform an extra repetition without losing your good technique. When, after a period of weeks, you are able to do 12 reps with the weight that you started out doing 8 reps with, increase the weight slightly and drop back to 8 reps. You can continue progressing in this manner without limit.

Single-arm clean × 1 rep Single-arm swing × 1 rep Single-arm clean × 2 reps Single-arm swing × 1 rep Single-arm clean × 3 reps Single-arm swing × 1 rep Switch sides and repeat. Continue alternating for 15 minutes.

Military press × 2 reps/side Kettlebell swing × 15 reps Military press × 3 reps/side Kettlebell swing × 15 reps Military press × 5 reps/side Kettlebell swing × 15 reps Military press × 8 reps/side Kettlebell swing × 15 reps Two times through.

Single-arm swing × 1 rep Single-arm clean × 1 rep Single-arm snatch × 1 rep Switch sides and repeat. Then . . . Single-arm swing × 1 rep Single-arm clean × 1 rep Single-arm snatch × 2 reps Switch sides and repeat. Then . . . Single-arm swing × 1 rep Single-arm clean × 1 rep Single-arm snatch × 3 reps