Three hidden keys to getting better at pull-ups

Dear reader,

Just got done with a superb outdoor (advanced) workout – – and I feel GREAT. Absolutely great – – on TOP of the world, and in that spirit, lets  jump straight into it.

Pull-ups are the toughest of exercises for most adults to master, and yet it doesn’t have to be that way, my friend. In fact, even a rank beginner at pull-ups can get from 0 (or half a) pull-ups to 100 – – or MORE pull-ups per set VERY quickly indeed provided you follow my tips on getting better.

These tips have been detailed in both my courses on pull-ups, and let’s cover three of them here : –

First off, your BREATH is the key to improvement at pull-ups (or one of them, at any rate – – but one of the most important ones).

This holds true for any exercises or activity you partake of, but even more so for pull-ups due to the “challenging” nature of the exercises, and yet – when you master the art of breathing correctly while doing dem pull-ups – – well – – watch out – – and WATCH your pull-up levels SKYROCKET before your very eyes.

Yes, I know this jars with what most people think. Pull-ups require “effort”, right? Lots of grunting and moaning your way through super tough sets – – not to mention clenching the muscles and giving it your all?

Well  – – it does involve some of that – – but you’ll be surprised to find that it’s your EXHALE that actually works best at getting you better at pull-ups than your actual muscles do – – and those that have read the books on pull-ups and implemented the advice therein know what I’m talking about.

“Your breath is your power”.

Truer words were never uttered, and they were uttered by Martin Famer Burns, old time strongman and wrestler (he of the 20 inch neck who could survive being put in a hangman’s drop) way “back in the day”.

And yes, they hold as true today as they did back then.

Second, another powerful key to getting better at pull-ups lies not in the body – – but in the mind.

Visualize yourself getting better at pull-ups correctly – – and do so while doing the actual exercise, and you’ll be STUNNED at the speed at which you improve.

Yes, this may jar big time with a lot of folks as well – – I already hear the babel of voices chanting “but it’s a tough physical exercise – – what on earth does visualization of all things have to do with it”.

But it does.

It does, my friend, and as you’ll read in my own story in the initial book on pull-ups – – visualization was, more than anything else, what ultimately got me to 100 pull-ups and more in a set.

Do NOT miss the part on visualization in the new and updatedPull-ups – from Dud to STUD within a matter of WEEKS” – – available right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-from-dud-to-stud-within-a-matter-of-weeks/

Third, how you position your legs DOES have an impact on the exercise – – and how easy – – or how difficult — you make it. I cover this in detail in one of the courses – – and even if I didn’t, it would be crystal clear if you followed the workouts I’ve laid out in the book.

Fourth, and this is important and bears repeating ad infinitum (and I’ve done so as well, hehe) – – there’s NO kipping involved in getting better at pull-ups.

If you want to get better at sloppy reps, by all means kip away.

If you want to ignore your grip and the weakest areas of your body to artificially inflate your numbers, well, kip till you drop, my friend. I could care less.

And thus forth. But if you truly want to get better – – to “stud” – – and then “super stud” level at pull-ups – – well, then, you know EXACTLY what to avoid.

The above terms might sound strange to you when you’re stuck at zero or a minimal number of pull-ups – – but believe me, if you incorporate the tips I’ve laid out in the books, you’ll get there very quickly.

Last, but not least, always remember that “nodding the head alone doesn’t rock the boat”. This Twainism is indeed something to remember in ALL aspects of your life, including exercises.

Simply “reading” the book will NOT get the job done.

You read – you read again – then you DIGEST – and think about what has been written in the book and then – – the most important part – – you DO.

Since this seems to be a day for famous quotes, I’ll quote another famous saying – – an Emerson saying – – “Do the thing and you shall have the power”.

So true, my friend. So true indeed.

Three tips? Well, that’s five at last count, hehe – – and on that note – – it’s adios for today, my friend. I’ll be back again later!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Already getting better at pull-ups? Able to crank out reps of 10 effortlessly? Think you’re a master at pull-ups – – or close to it? Well, great – – I applaud you, my friend – – but there’s still mountains to be moved here. Crack open the SECOND – – and ADVANCED course on pull-ups “Pull-ups – – from STUD to SUPER STUD within WEEKS” and get cracking on the workouts therein.

P.S. #2 – – Here is that link yet again: –

http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-stud-to-super-stud-within-weeks/

Steps – one or TWO at a time?

Dear reader,

I still remember huffing up the hill – the almost “iconic” (in my life, anyway) hill that I first climbed several lives ago (and indeed, so much has happened in the years succeeding that it does indeed feel like another life).

Huffing, puffing and PANTING up the hill – – and quite literally gasping for breath as I tried to get up the stairs as quickly as I could to “end” the torture.

Funnily enough, the more I did so, the more out of breath I got and the more the torture “persisted”.

Regular readers of this blog/email newsletter will know the feeling I got after climbing that hill the first time – and for those that don’t know – well – it felt like a Mack truck ran over me.

I was sore everywhere – especially my upper back and abs, which felt like they’d been through a pounding. My forearms felt worked to the bone, and my thighs felt like a pulpy mess.

And more – but today’s note is not about that.

Today’s note makes reference of the fact that all these years later, I can mosey on effortlessly up that hill – – scarcely breaking a sweat – – as the people all AROUND me huff, puff (and in some cases wheeze, hehe) their way up that same hill.

And of course, look at me with that mixture of appreciation and “recognition” which pretty much says “here is a guy that is in shape” – in stark contrast to the giggles I got when laboring up the hill all those years ago.

My, how the tables have turned eh.

And while the exercises in the 0 Excuses Fitness System are of course to be given the primary credit for my transformation, they are not the entire story.

(Note – – if you want to partake of the exercises I used to literally “see fat melting before my very eyes while exercising” – – well — here is the course that details it all – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/).

When I first started climbing that hill in earnest, I’d take the stairs – – all the way up and all the way down.

I was under the impression that this gave me a better workout than the sloping path-cum-stairs route, mostly because of all the extra huffing and puffing involved – – and whats more, I’d take the stairs two at a time.

Although all of this helped me lose fat – and quickly, the REAL key to losing fat and getting in better cardio shape (w.r.t. that hill) was not taking the steps two at a time.

In fact, it was, if this makes sense, ignoring the steps altogether.

These days what I do (when I do climb that hill) is make it a point to take the route with a slope – no matter what. Sure, that route has stairs at the “fag” end of it, but do I bound up the stairs two at a time?

No – – I just effortlessly and calmly “glide” up the stairs – – one at a time and watch my BREATHING – – and funnily enough, and I’ve tested this – – this gets me to the top QUICKER than those around me trying to “bound” up the hill.

And it also gets my legs in better shape.

Don’t get me wrong – bounding up or taking the steps two at a time is a great, great cardio workout anyway – – akin to hill sprints (but not quite) – – and the main reason behind this is the emphasis on the quads as you “take the steps two at a time” (as opposed to sprints when the whole BODY works as a whole).

And the quads being the largest muscle group in the body, this naturally causes more huffing and puffing, and this is good – – but working the ENTIRE leg in unison is even better, my friend.

Slopes and “calmly” ascending the stairs do more for your calves and shins than taking them two at a time ever will. I’m seeing veins in my calves these days that were NEVER EVER there, and let me tell you, it’s a rare sight indeed to see veins on your calves unless you’re either a pro athlete or in otherwise excellent shape.

Not only that – – my thighs haven’t lost any mass – – if anything they’ve even bigger than before.

Heart health, you ask?

Well, let’s just say I’m getting up that hill quicker than ever before – – and quicker than those who try and go “two stairs at a time”, and NOT breaking much of a sweat while doing so.

Enough said, eh?

Last,  but not least, does any of this mean stairs – – or taking them two at a time is BAD?

Not at all. As I said in an earlier post “Stairs vs slope”, stairs can give you an excellent workout – – and they SHOULD be incorporated into your routine – – but take them one at a time.

Go methodically – – one at a time – – and at a steady pace – – and you’ll be amazed at the record speed in which you a) get in better condition and b) the fat literally FLIES off your body (especially your lower body and glutes).

Give it a try – let me know how it goes!

Best,

Rahul

P.S. – If you’re looking for DRAMATIC and RAPID fat loss – – and want some hidden secrets as to how to jack up the fat burning effect of already potent hill workouts – – well then – – THIS is the course for you – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

Sore pecs!

Dear reader,

My workout today was far, far more pec intensive than I ever intended it to be – – and the funny part was, it didn’t involve more than a few ground pushups.

Here I sit a few hours after writing this – and I’m barely able to raise my arms above my shoulders without FEELING it – – not so much in my triceps but my upper pecs. Oh MY!

And needless to say my pecs feel bigger – – as do my triceps, and my entire upper back region has that “worked to the bone” feeling as well.

In short – –  it was the workout most trainees would kill for in terms of an upper body blast, and the great part was this – it contained (for the most part) only three major exercises.

Which were these?

Well, the wide grip pull-up, the dip, and of course the handstand pushup. I got through about 140 of all this before deciding that 150 (although I hit that number regularly) was beyond my capacities today!

Sure – I did some other odds and ends and core training (from hell) amidst all this. I also got in a few long walks while I was at it – – but in terms of upper body, THAT was what really did it today – – and did it well at that.

I’ve no doubt I’ll be sore all throughout my chest and triceps tomorrow, and though my upper back is used to it, it’ll be interesting to see how I go in that regard as well.

The real key though in terms of the intensity of the workout was a) how I approached it and b) PROPER form.

I didn’t race through the entire workout – – but neither did I dwadle. And I did something most folks don’t even THINK about – – which is to focus upon my breathing THROUGHOUT the entire workout.

Wait a minute, I hear you say. Dips – and pull-ups – and BREATHING?

Well, yes – – I know – – but believe me, breathing the right way is paramount to your success in any endavor – – physical included. Your breath is indeed your POWER, and when you start breathing the right way as I teach in my courses, you’ll see what I mean as you effortlessly pump out rep after rep with seemingly minimal effort.

I include an entire CHAPTER on breathing – and doing so the right way in the 0 Excuses Fitness system – – and you’ll definitely want to read what I have to say – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

b), of course is something that most people ignore as well  – especially those who say bodyweight exercises are “easy”, or that they “don’t build any real strength”.

Yeah. Right. If they were that easy, and didn’t require/build strength, I’d think those that diss ’em would be able to crank out rep after rep in proper form …

Proper form is something I harp on about in ALL my courses, and rightfully so. Do the exercise in anything less than proper form and in the vast majority of cases you might as well not DO the exercise at all in my opinion as you’re not getting anywhere near close to the benefits you otherwise would.

Of course, this doesn’t mean those that are at a beginner’s level should feel discouraged. In the beginning, when you start many of the exercises in the 0 Excuses Fitness System, it will take you a while to get going in good form – – or anywhere close to it.

And GREAT form? That’ll take a while to come, but keep working on it, my friend. Key thing is to consciously focus on form while doing the exercises as opposed to a “oh, let me just race through this thing” sort of mentality.

And that’s how it should be, my friend.

Regular, hard  and FOCUSED workouts – that keep you in top shape and make you feel like a billion bucks – -all by using your own body.

Can’t ask for more than that, me thinks!

OK – that’s all for today. I’ll be back again later with more!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

A forgotten chest exercise

Dear reader,

Despite the multitude of trainees literally “running amok” to build a massive chest – – there is ONE exercise which does an awesome job at it, and is yet often ignored for the most part.

And while the good ole pushup and ALL it’s variations (and believe me there are plenty – so many that you could do pushups your entire life and never really get bored of ’em if you do ’em right – AND keep making gains), I’m not referring to that here.

Pushups aren’t oft-forgotten so much as they are “dissed” as being easy. Funnily enough most folks who diss ’em as being too easy would be hard pressed to pop off a set of 25 strict, slow military style pushups.

Funny how that works, eh?

But anyway – I’m not referring to the pushup.

I’m referring to the DIP, my friend. The parallel bar dip.

This exercise is performed extensively by gymnasts all over the world – and this exercise in conjunction with a lot of other pulling movements (as well as pushing movements requiring balance) is KEY and instrumental in building those deep chests, broad shoulders and lats as wide as barn doors (not to mention humungous triceps that are every bit as strong as they look).

Along with the pull-up, the dip is often referring to as the upper body equivalent of the squat, and with damn good reason as well.

Sad part is though, that though most trainees ignore this excellent exercise, those that DO it are usually doing it in incorrect form.

Bouncing at the bottom. Going too far down. And so forth. These are the mistakes I see people (even advanced trainees) making ALL the time.

When you do dips, you do NOT go “all the way down” unless you want to risk shoulder injury. Simply go down as far as you can go without putting too much strain on the shoulders. For most people, this would probably be short of your upper arms being perpendicular to the dipping bars.

You most definitely should NOT go “all the way down” as you do in a regular pushup unless you have extremely flexible shoulders – – or unless you’re willing to court injury.

And you should push – – ALL THE WAY – – UP.

This last bit is often ignored as well. A lot of trainees stop short of a full push – – not good if you’re looking to develop the chest to it’s fullest, my friends (along with your shoulders).

Of course, the dip is by far NOT the only ignored exercise. Handstand pushups – – which are THE exercise of choice to build strong durable (and massive) shoulders like BOULDERS – – are also often ignored.

Bad choice again if you’re looking to build the chest and back to their entirety, my friend.

Learn proper form – incorporate these two solid strength and mass builders into your routine – and I guarantee you’ll NEVER be disappointed in terms of lasting upper body gains.

And of course – – as an added bonus – – you’ll also get ’em Shoulders like BOULDERS, my friend.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Shoulders like Boulders mentions dips as well – – be sure and grab your copy right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/

 

Eat more – – weigh LESS

Dear reader,

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Eating more and weighing less … the stuff of dreams for most of us, but barely believable as well – – or is it so?

Believe it or not – – it IS possible — and I’m living proof of this, my friend.

And no, I’m not talking fancy shmancy diets, calorie counting, “watching my carbs”, the “caliper test”, BMI indices or anything of that  nature at all.

What I’m saying is this – – it IS possible to eat regular food without overly obessing about what you’re eating – – and it IS possible to have a few cheat days – – and – – holy SMOKES – – a few “cold ones” as it were, and STILL burn off fat quicker than ever before.

And though this is something that has been swirling around in my mind for a long, long time it only really came to the forefront of my mind when I went to a restaurant for dinner the other night.

I had been to this restaurant before as well – – fairly nice place, and had ordered dinner there the night before.

Weighed myself, and I weighed in at the “soaking wet” weight of 65.4 kgs. Carved core and all – – handstand pushups and pull-ups – – and of course the 0 Excuses Fitness System – – and there it was – – 65.4 kgs.

Now, this was a bit surprising. My normal “fighting weight” is around 67-68 and I usually never ever go below 67.

In fact, I had weighed myself for “shits and grins” the week before as well at another place, and my weight was as expected – – 67 kgs.

So how did I end up losing a bit more?

AHA! Voila! The lightbulb finally went off FULL BLAST in my head, and it all came together.

I’ve been doing some serious hill training in addition to my regular workouts (which by the way provide MORE than enough cardio/muscle building effect for a LIFETIME for the average Joe looking to get fit quickly) – – stuff that most people don’t have a clue about, and “scoff at” when they see it being done dismissing it as kiddie stuff or “too easy”.

Of course, these same people would collapse in a heap if you asked them to do the same things!

And THIS was the reason I dropped a couple of kgs or so over the last week – – or should I say “couple of days”.

But I still wasn’t fully convinced. Maybe it’s just “one of those things”, a small voice piped up in my mind, amidst the babel of voices literally yelling “yes, that was the reason, Rahul!”.

OK, whatever. Let’s get to the bottom of this, I thought.

And so I figured I’d do an extra brutal hill workout (again, in addition to my 0 Excuses stuff) and see how it went after that.

If it was truly the hill, then I should probably lose a bit more.

Went home, and one thing turned into another and I had a couple of brews and fell asleep. Got my workout in the next afternoon – – a brutal one indeed, and that night I headed down to the restaurant again to weigh myself.

And guess what I saw.

Brews the night before  notwithstanding – – what I saw literally SHOCKED me – – AMAZED me, to say the least!

The scales read “65” kgs, which means I lost a full 0.4 kgs in – – get this – – a few HOURS!

Whittle that down to the hill workout time, which was about 20 minutes in all.

INCLUDING rest periods, so the actual hill portion of the workout was 10 minutes of brutal stuff, if even that.

0.4 kgs in 9-10 minutes. This with no special attention being paid to diet, and certainly no limitations in terms of alcohol etc.

Now, THAT is some serious fat burning there, wouldn’t you say?

And it was THEN that I decided to create a course based upon my new found knowledge on this – a course on ADVANCED hill training, my friend, which will give YOU the RAPID fat burning you so desperately crave.

No more “dieting”. No more “binging”. No more calorie counting.

In fact, no more eating “six small meals a day” and “eating at the right times”, or any of that garbage.

The course explains it all including the why’s and the wherefore’s – – and this fat burning power, my friend – – is YOURS as well – – for  a mere $75 pittance, which is, quite literally ,less than HALF A BUCK a day over a year.

That’s right.

Magical, almost mythical fat burning tricks and keys – – and routines for a mere $0.50/day!

I don’t know about you, but that sure does sound tantalizing to me!

Without further ado then, drop everything you’re doing right now, and get “yo” buns over to the Advanced Hill Training Page right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

I look forward to welcoming you on board!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – There is a special treat – – a bonus “freemium” as it were that I am currently offering along with this product. See the sales page for more on it, but HURRY – – I’m not sure how much longer I can offer this valuable freebie for!

 

Stairs vs slope

Dear reader,

It’s an oft discussed topic, and rightfully so. Which one is better for working the legs – – and the entire body as a whole – – a long, unending flight of stairs – – or a long, undulating slope?

In other words, do stairs give you a better overall body workout (or lower body, for that matter) or do slopes do?

Most modern day folks would lean in favor of the stairs, and this is of course evidenced by the numerous “Stairmaster” machines in most modern day gyms and training establishments.

Most folks would probably say the stairs gives you a better thigh workout – – and therefore a better overall body workout, and while they’re not entirely off the mark in some regards, the fact remains that stairs, while they can give you a superb workout are NOT the ultimate in terms of leg/overall body training.

Why?

Well, first off, think about this. Stairs were invented by man – – and why?

Well, pretty much to make climbing inclines and slopes easier, my friend – – and to make easier for us humans to do (as opposed to animals and vehicles).

And if they were designed to make it easier, well, then …

Second, and more importantly, while you may get more “thigh burn” at times while climbing stairs – – you get a far, far better leg and lower back workout while ascending slopes naturally – – the way we were MEANT to do it (not to mention your obliques and overall ab region).

This is something I’ve noticed a lot as of late.

A lot of you will recall that the hill I climb here (ah, that hill – – where it ALL started for me really) has a combination of routes going up and down the hill. Some are stairs only, and some are SLOPES only.

(This, by the way has been discussed in great detail in the 0 Excuses Fitness System which you owe it to yourself to grab right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/)

Up until last year or so I was also of the belief that it was far, far better to do the stairs than the slope (though both were good) as they gave me more thigh burn and I huffed and puffed a lot more while doing ’em (oddly enough I never tested myself on the slope before though!).

But as of late (for the past few months) I’ve been doing things differently — I’ve been using the slope primarily – – and believe me, it was a lot tougher in many ways than the stairs when I first started.

It’s easy now – – and when I do a combo of stairs/slope these days – – I can NOT believe how easy it is for me to bound up the same flights of stairs that used to give me a super solid workout before.

Third, and also importantly – – slopes lend themselves to a variety of different workouts – – all of which are FUN – – and invigorating – – not to mention interesting and challenging.

Ever tried climbing up fast up a flight of stairs – – backwards? I don’t think so – – but try doing the same thing on an incline – – or slope – – and tell me how you feel, my friend.

And that’s just ONE of the variations.

Fourth, it’s a lot safer to use slopes vs stairs when you’re utterly EXHAUSTED after a tough workout. This one is – – or should be, for those of you that train – – self explanatory.

Now, does all of this mean that stairs are BAD?

Nope.

Unlike my last tip where I told you NOT to stop short of full extension – – stairs are a great, great alternative to a natural slope if you don’t have one near you.

Stair sprints, stadium stair sprints, or good ole “climbing the stairs” rapidly — all of this can give you a great workout – – but the overall benefits are far more when you do the same things on a natural incline/slope.

So that’s today’s tip. Train on slopes when you can — and if you absolutely MUST add stairs into your training – – do a combo of both.

All for now – – back later!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – If you’re looking for those diamond shaped calves — well, what I’ve just told you above will get you there – – if and only if you follow the “Hill training” part I’ve laid out in the 0 Excuses Fitness System, my friend.

Another way to get there is Hindu squats, of course – – but again – – if and only if done the right way. And the right way is detailedin the videos/book available right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Personal training – a few spots available

Dear reader,

This is going to be a short post – but an important one regardless.

As many of you know, I’m currently coaching many of my clients online and getting them to their health/fitness goals with personalized workouts/diet plans – not to mention suggestions/tips when required as well as consultations, etc.

I currently have a few openings in my schedule so if you are interested in personal training and custom workout/diet plans (along with tips that flat out WORK) then please take a minute to fill out the form at http://0excusesfitness.com/coaching/ and I will get back to you asap upon receipt of the form.

You can also email me at info@0excusesfitness.com – – however, it might be better to fill out the form above as I’ll probably ask you many of the same questions via email anyway.

A personalized coaching program might (and typically does) include something along the lines of –

  • Initial consultation with me (this is usually AFTER you fill out the form above)
  • Personalized workout plan for your goals and body type (bearing in mind your current level of fitness).
  • Customized diet plan to support/supplement your fitness goals
  • 1-on-1 support, goal setting and re-evaluation based upon progress made
  • Weekly check-ins / Training Journal review
    And more …

My rates are negotiable depending upon YOUR requirements. It’s all about providing value to you and ensuring that your needs are met in a custom manner, so there is no way I can include my rates here or on the website as there is no “one size fits all”.

Bear in mind also, that I do not typically take on more clients that I can handle – – I’d rather take on a few clients and work with them exclusively (and get them to their health/fitness goals faster than if they were going “solo”) than “bite off more than I can chew” – – so this is basically on a “first come, first serve” basis.

Feel free to get back to me if this sounds of interest to you – I look forward to hearing back!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – As promised yesterday, be on the outlook for another solid training tip later on during the day that will get you THINKING if nothing else!

Elbows LOCKED!

Dear reader

One of the most commonly taught things (to do) while exercising is also one of the WORST things you can do for yourself – and that is what today’s email deals with.

If I were you, I’d read this tip very carefully indeed. May offend some folks who think otherwise, but so be it …

What most of us are commonly taught to do (and what most people do) when exercising – lets consider pushing movements here – is to “stop short of full extension”.

Apparently when doing pushups or other pushing motions this “stopping short” leads to “more stress being placed on the triceps” and “stimulates more growth”. Not only that, it supposedly leads to more reps.

Well – if you’re amongst the many who does pushups, and stops short of a elbow LOCKOUT i.e. full extension – – I’m here to tell you you’re doing them WRONG my friend.

I tell you how to do pushups the RIGHT way in the 0 Excuses Fitness System book and videos, and one of the main things I tell you is to do FULL EXTENSION pushups.

None of that “stopping short” mamsy pamsy rubbish – – and why not?

Well, first, stopping short  of a full extension ensures that you do not extend the triceps – – or the arm fully. And while this may “feel” like more pressure is being applies on the triceps, in  reality, does it help the muscle go stronger?

Not a chance – – and if you don’t believe me, do a set of SLOW, STRICT military style pushups – – with FULL extension — elbows held close to your sides.

Do about 20 of these.

Once you’re done – – do a set of 20 while “stopping” just short of full extension and tell me which set was easier.

I’ll bet the second gave you more “pump” – – but does it make it EASIER? Not a chance, my friend. Not a chance.

Other than this, stopping short of full extension ensures that you end up taking the stress off some of the most important parts of the body – – those being the tendons, ligaments, and other supporting musculature — ALL of which need to be strengthened just as much as the actual muscle, if not MORE.

‘Tis NO use having a “pumped” up abnormally large muscle with weak tendons and ligaments surrounding it – – an invitation to injury if there ever was one, my friend.

And this doesn’t just go for pushups. If you’re lifting weights – – for example, doing the military press – – then you do the SAME darn thing. You do NOT stop short of full extension as doing so robs you of the benefits of the movement, and also promotes poor “bouncy” form (in lieu of higher rep counts) as opposed to PROPER form.

Strict, slow and ALL THE WAY up and ALL the way DOWN, my friend. That is how it’s supposed to be done.

The U.S. Marines don’t consider a pushup to be a real pushup  unless it’s full extension, my friend. And if some of the most elite soldiers – – and TOUGH guys on the planet say so- – I’d say there must be something to it, eh?

And lest you think this applies just to pushing movements, well – – think AGAIN. It applies equally to pull-ups as it does pushups – – and I mention this repeatedly in “Pull-ups – – from DUD to STUD within a few WEEKS!” as well.

You do NOT stop short of full extension. True, this may be hard for some of you with shoulder injuries and such – -but you don’t ignore weak areas – – you STRENGTHEN them!

And the most important thing I’m going to tell you today is THIS – it applies even more so to handstand pushups and anything done from a handstand position.

ANYTHING in that position done short of a full lockout is a recipe for not only disaster- – but stunting your future progress in the exercise.

Not only that – – it’s dangerous.

How do I know?

Well, first because I’ve got a wealth of experience doing ’em. I’ve been in the trenches a long, long time when it comes to all this my friend – – but even I make mistakes occasionally – – and I did the other day.

I forgot to focus on keeping the elbows locked while descending to terra firma from the handstand position – – and that, combined with a bratty kid that decided to run in front of me at the exact same minute I was “descending” made me land on the floor without my usual control – – and land SQUARE on my chin at that.

OUCH! Ouch times 10 actually but it could have been a lot worse.

I’ve got the control in my fingers and supporting musculature so though I hit my chin on the ground it wasn’t with full force. Though it hurt, and left a nasty bruise, it’s certainly nothing permanent.

But if I hadn’t built up my supporting musculature – – I’d have come tumbling down FULL FORCE – – and risked a broken chin or flattened nose – – or both, and let me tell you – – THAT combo ain’t pretty, my friend.

So that’s today’s tip — keep the arms LOCKED out fully when engaged in any serious pushing or pulling movement (during the “pushup” part of the exercise while doing push-ups and after lowering when doing pull-ups).

You may progress slower this way – – but you’ll build a solid base, and when you do progress WATCH OUT. You’ll be blazing past the rest in no time at all.

Best,

Rahul

P.S. – Stay tuned for another important tip coming your way tomorrow – – yet another one of those “fallacies” put to bed as it were.

P.S. #2 – These, and other tips are mentioned in the 0 Excuses Fitness System. Pay special attention to the videos though as I give you plenty MORE tips in these – – stuff you do NOT want to miss if you’re serious about your workout. Grab the System right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Where there is a will – there is ALWAYS a way!

Dear reader,

Oh boy. My last email on training during the holidays (or, more specifically the folks who choose to avoid doing so) seemed to have caused quite a flutter — more so than some of my regular stuff does, hehe.

One person in particular was FURIOUS – – he replied to me with something along the lines of “How dare you classify people who choose to REST during holidays as opposed to train hard in the bracket that you did?”

And he finished a rather lengthy email off with comments written in a tone that would make a sailor blush to say the least.

Yet another person responded by telling me “not to tick off people by sending emails out like this. You’ll lose customers”.

My response?

I could care less, to be quite frank. I’ve always been known first and foremost for saying things are they are – – whether or not they “tick off” certain folks and their over-sensitive ears is not a matter of concern for me.

The ONE thing that I DO care about is giving it to you straight –  – and saying it like it is, and if that approach “wards off” negativity and negative folks who choose to ignore reality – – well — then so be it, and I consider myself better off for it.

And so forth.

Of course – not all responses were negative. Some folks wrote back saying that yes – I was right – but somehow finding the motivation – and time to train was a factor not just during the holidays but during the “regular season as well”.

And that is what prompts today’s post – – and a flashback from “days yonder” that I believe you might find useful if you’re in the “can’t find motivation” category.

Many moons ago, I was introduced to the hill I climb fairly regularly these days by a lady I was dating at the time.

Now, before this, I was doing all the typical fitness routines that you see gym goers do. Endless sets of biceps curls (one of the most useless exercises there is by the way), squats with weights (an open invitation to lower back injury) and using a variety of gadgets in my training which I thought were helping me, but they were NOT.

Externally I was in decent shape – or so I THOUGHT. Despite a belly that was starting to bulge at the seams every week, I still kept telling myself what most folks say i.e. “it’s just a little bit of extra weight”.

Well, when my girl at the time invited me to climb that hill one fine Saturday evening, I accepted.

No problem, right? Just a quick walk up some hill? Bah! How can that compare to the gym?

Well – guess what, my dear reader – I was in for the shock of my lives. Not only did that hill climb tax my entire body in ways it never ever has before – – I was sore for DAYS on end after that – – just from this one climb.

My legs felt like they had turned to PULP when climbing (at a slow pace). My entire back was sore for three days after that – – and believe it or not, even my forearms felt worked to the bone.

And my upper abs were screaming for mercy by the time I got to the top. I still recall the “giggles” being directed at the “pang ren” (fat people in Chinese) as I labored on up that hill.

THAT was what prompted me to change my training around – – and though I had no inkling of any of the exercises that I teach in the 0 Excuses Fitness System NOW – – what I did know was I had to get in better shape.

And so I started to climb that hill daily. Now remember I used to work a long hard day back in the day – – had a full time job that kept me pretty much in the office from 9-6 (sometimes 8) – – not to mention an hour’s worth of travel daily.

Not only that, I worked at a factory where they did provide meals  – – but the quality of the meals was so poor I rarely, if ever ate there – – which made for pretty much no food the entire day.

Not the most healthy of things to do, but such was life back then.

So you’d think if ANYONE would be “pardoned” for making excuses for “not finding time to workout”, it would be me, eh?

Not so, my friend.

I’d make it a point to climb that hill DAILY – – come rain, shine, hail, or sleet. I didn’t care if I was hungry and tired. I didn’t care if all I had was a few sips of tea during the day.

I could care less how late I got back from work – – all I had in my mind was a) I needed to get in better shape and b) what I needed to do to get there.

And gradually that tough climb became easier. The flab flew off — and – – fast forward to NOW where due to my 0 Excuses routines, I can literally “fly” up that hill and not just once – – multiple times at that.

(The 0 Excuses Fitness System routines are available right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/)

Was it tough? YES. Did I feel like quitting along the way? Sure.

DID I quit though – – even when the tides were AGAINST me?

NOPE.

And that my friend, is the key right there to getting fit – – and warding off useless excuses to the tune of “I don’t have time after work”, or “my family responsibilities leave me with no time”.

Bollocks – – if I could find time – – anyone can – – and at the end of the day, where there is a will, there is a way.

So that’s today’s tip – – inspiration – – or “fuel to the fire” for some folks, hehe. Take it whichever way you choose to, my friend.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I almost forgot to include the fact that I didn’t just “think” about what I wanted to accomplish in terms of an ideal body shape/fitness ideal. I IMAGINED it in my mind EVERY DAY. And THAT is yet another key which is usually ignored by 99.999% of people – – big mistake right there.

It’s the FIRST commandment in the 10 commandments of physical success – – and it might as well be the last and the rest of the 9 combined as well – – so important is it to remember.

Anyway, more such inspirational stories as well as the 10 Commandments can be found right here, my friend – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/. Make sure you grab your copy TODAY!

“Hao li Hai” Holiday training

Dear reader,

I was training in full force today at the local park, and being it’s the Chinese New Year holidays here – the park was jampacked with folks, hehe.

And of course – that drew the usual chants of “Hao li hai” (good, good, excellent) as a crowd gathered to watch me train.

The adults made the comments. A few kids tried to follow along. And a friendly dog gave me a lick on the nose as well. All fun and games in China – – and a great, great training routine – – done during a holiday (or the holidays) and that brings me to my main point.

Holidays as of late for most people seem to have become a time to become even more lazy and “slothful” than they usually are.

What do I  mean?

Well,  let us take the case of the average couch potato or disgruntled office worker who claims they “don’t have time” to train and that’s why they don’t.

Well, what about during the holidays?

Funnily enough its these same people (and believe me, they are sadly but unfortunately in the vast majority here) complain that “holidays are time to relax” and so “training is for after the holidays” – and end up being even more of a blob on the face of the planet (or beached whale – whatever term floats your boat, hehe) than they are usually.

And of course, I’m not even going to get into the food etc – – it seems those that are gorge on junk food do so even more during the holidays.

Now, none of this to say that holidays aren’t down time. Sure they are – but why not use that time to do something FUN – and enjoyable – something GOOD for your body – and something that makes you feel like a billion bucks after you’re done with it?

That something being EXERCISE – done the right way – and that something being something that will BENEFIT you after the holidays as well.

No more sighs of “I’ve gained 5 kgs over the break” and so forth. If anything, if you use your holiday time sensibly – – and mix in “indulgence” with a healthy dose of self control, then you should be in far better shape AFTER the holidays than before it.

Of course, that isn’t the case for the vast majority of folks who spend their entire holidays vegetating on the couch or driving around in cars from one place to the other posting selfies on Facebook etc.

Believe me, while what you do during your holiday is certainly up to YOU – – the sheer BUZZ you get from doing something BENEFICIAL to your body can NOT be compared to the other nonsense that usually goes on during the holidays.

Selfies may look good for the moment, but the moment passes pretty quickly once you get off that seat and look into the mirror to see the “same old you” again.

Gorging yourself on junk food and claiming “I’m doing so because it’s the holiday”? Well, so be it – but it aint gonna move you along the path to superior health/fitness – or even just plain ole GOOD feelings, my friend. It sure won’t.

Bodyweight exercises done correctly will – – and what’s more they’re fun to do – – and the icing on the cake?

They can be done ANYWHERE.

Holidaying on the beach? No problem – – there’s plenty of room to pump out Hindu squats by the ocean.

Going for a “resort” in the mountains? Well, ditch the cable cars (and cars in general) and WALK up the hill instead. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen folks travel the Himalayas and never step foot out of their cars during the entire vacation unless it’s entering and exiting from hotels etc. Utterly pathetic in my opinion – – there’s a workout right there STARING you in the face, and yet …

And the sheer buzz, my friend. Oh BOY the sheer buzz you get from pounding out a set of high rep Hindu Squats.

Or a tough set of 10 pull-ups done in perfect form.

Or pushups – – and plenty of them – – specifically the reverse pushup that I so often talk about.

All of these, and others are mentioned in the path breaking 0 Excuses Fitness System – – if you haven’t already grabbed your copy – – do so NOW – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

And the king of all these, of course – – the mighty HANDSTAND PUSHUP.

NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING compares to the buzz you get when doing these correctly – – especially a tough set — and the good news is you can do them ANYWHERE!

Anyway, I ended up bumping my chin against the floor while doing these today. Had a bit of a bleed there for a while but even that did NOT dampen my spirits a wee bit, so GOOD was I feeling.

Bruised – but NOT battered – and better off for it – and so will you, my friend – if you train the way I do.

So that’s today’s tip – – use the holidays (or any spare time you get) to BETTER yourself rather than sink further into the “couch” of going nowhere life/fitness wise.

It’ll hold you in good stead, my friend. THAT is for SURE!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – It’s the year of the DOG here in China, my friend – – and in this dog eat dog world – – the only way to go is to BE the BIG dog. And if there’s one exercise that’ll get you there faster than anything else? Well – – here it is – – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/