My Secret

I have been around weight training almost my whole life. What I have learned the most is how to save time in the weight room to get phenomenal results. I am often amazed at how many people exercise and they never look any different. It takes more than a room full of fancy equipment to get results. It takes proper physiology and kinesiology knowledge to get results. I remember when I was competing for a bodybuilding show in graduate school. I was completely ripped and in great shape. People thought I was taking steroids. This was a great compliment because that proved that my methods were working. Working so well that you couldn't tell the difference between me and the steroid users. The best part was when the guys asked me how long I trained to look so defined and muscular. I told them "I work out for only 20-30 minutes per workout 5 times a week. They were blown away! These guys would spend hours in the gym trying to get ripped (which they couldn't get). They would use all the fancy machines, cardio equipment and whatever bells and whistles the gym had to offer. All I used was the dumbell rack, a lat pulldown machine, cable crossover machine, dip stand, and smith machine. These are all the pieces that I used then and are the pieces I use now. I see changes with my physique all the time. I look better now than I did in graduate school. I have experimented with so many variations of exercises. I discard the exercises that don't work and keep the ones that do.

When I developed my business plan I only thought about the results that I could give people. I purchased only the equipment that I knew was important to getting great results. I don't need to spend 4,000 dollars on a bicep curl machine. I can develop great biceps with just dumbells. I don't need to spend 6,500 on a chest press machine. I have developed my chest by doing dips and dumbell exercises. As a gym owner my intent has always been to teach people how to get results and how to exercise correctly. My goal was not to just be a gym owner who puts a bunch of fancy machines in a room to win people over with sensationalism. People are creatures of hype. The more hype, the brighter the lights, the more fancy the bicep curl is the more they are attracted to it. The goal for these people is not to train hard and honest performing basic exercises. They are attracted to bells and whistles believing that if they use these machines that they will see a dramatic change in their body. Unfortunately, I have never seen anyone get a great looking physique from using machines only. The machines make you lazy and you lose connection with the contraction.

At my gym I am all about results. I don't care about the hype. The equipment I have at my gym is there for a specific purpose. People who are not interested in seeing results are not interested in my type of gym. They are searching for something else. Not body transformation. Here is my secret for staying ripped year round.

* I train for 20-30 minutes

* I use my specialized equipment to isolate the muscles. I have invented pieces of equipment that might not look fancy but they certainly work. I only care about the end result, not if the equipment is shiny and you can watch t.v. off it.

* I change up my routine all the time. I have developed a sequence of exercises that produce tremendous results. This type of knowledge can not be found in books. It takes years of experimenting. I see personal trainers train people and they never work out themselves. This is crazy. How can you teach an exercise when you don't know how it feels. I experiment with exercises and use the ones that work and disgard the ones that don't.

* I use the right amount of intensity. Not knowing how much intensity to use will result in failure.

* I only perform one to two exercises per muscle group.

* I change the sets and reps all the time.

* I eat differently throughout the week. Experimenting with all different types of supplements and foods to determine which combinations are best.

* I use only 2-3 pieces of equipment. The rest of the exercises are performed with free weight bars and dumbells. WHy should I spend thousands and thousands of dollars on machines that I would never use myself. It doesn't make much sense to me.

* I hypnotize myself during training to go into a higher level of consciousness.

* I use co-contractions.

* I enjoy and invite pain to enter the muscle and embrace it. I never give up when the pain comes. Too many people are afraid of the pain.

* I eat 5-6 meals a day.

* I take Supplements. If you don't take supplements you will fail at seeing the results you want to see.

* I see changes with my physique every month.

* I love training!!! It is my career and my passion.

Tags: exercise, nutrition, health, bodybuilding, muscle, fat loss, supplements, amino acids,