How long should I go for?

Dear Reader,

One of the most commonly asked questions, by newbies and “seasoned pros” alike is this – how long do I need to go for to get a very good workout.

I always smile when I’m asked this question – because I know the hidden “insinuation” behind said question most of the time.

“I’ll have to work out for a long, long time” the person is likely thinking, and this then tends to (for a lot of people) translate into excuses as to why they can’t workout, why it isn’t “going to work” for them, and so forth.

And my answer is usually always the same.

“It depends … and usually NOT for very long to see results”.

What do I mean?

Well, in terms of the “depends” part – it does really depend upon your goal. If you’re training to run a marathon, for instance (NOT the ideal way to train, but your choice if you so choose) – then you’ll obviously have to go the distance and train a while.

It goes without saying that the more time you put into ANY skill the better you get at it. That is just an inescapable fact of life – and fitness as well.

But here’s the kicker – you do NOT need to go for very long to see results.

I espouse 15-20 minute workouts in the 0 Excuses Fitness System, and with good reason. You can see me wheezing and panting for breath towards the end of the 250 + pushup workout – – but here’s the REAL kicker – – you don’t even have to go for that long.

Jaws will likely drop when I say this, but you can get ball busting, FAT BLASTING workouts in as less as 10 – or even THREE minutes – or even a MINUTE to be honest.

Yes, that’s right.

This evening I was planning on hitting the heavy bag for about an hour. I’ve been sprinting and doing other things the rest of the week, so figured the bag would make for a solid workout as well as a nice “end of the week” interesting workout/break from the usual routines.

There are plenty of things you can do on the heavy bag, and today’s agenda was simple – form – and POWER.

And let me tell you one damn thing – after my initial “warm up” jab round, I dived straight into the heavy duty stuff – and boy oh boy, the sweat started to pour off before I knew it.

I was hitting HARD (and with proper form) without a break (and with my hands up) for the majority of the three minute “rounds”, and let me tell you  – 20 seconds or so is ALL I could handle of this heavy duty, relentless “pounding” (again, in proper form).

And more than the striking power this builds, talk about CARDIO! My heart was hammering nineteen to the dozen ALL throughout the workout pretty much, and I ended up collapsing after 45 minutes – this WITH breaks – and trust me – you DO need ’em if you’re hitting the bag heavy and hard for any duration of time.

Truth be told though, I could have probably ended that workout after 8 minutes or so – and STILL have gotten a lot of the benefits I did from it.

As I lopped off to the shower afterwards, I was STILL sweating. I must have stood in the shower for a good 10 minutes or so – – and right now, as I sit here typing to you? Well, I’m still sweating ever so slightly – talk about an “afterburn” – and fat burning WAY after your actual workout!

And why just the heavy bag?

When I first started doing Hindu squats, a cornerstone exercise in the System, I could barely get 30- 40 in a row in proper form. Took me a while to get up to 50 in about a minute or so, and trust me, it wasn’t easy.

You’ll see me starting to breathe heavily after 50 squats in the video – this from a guy who routinely pounds out 100’s of them on a regular basis.

And when I finally did get to 100 – when I started – 3 minutes or so was how long it took – and my legs and entire upper body was SPANKED. Believe me and trust me later, Hindu squats are an excellent and much overlooked form of cardio – – you can literally get in great workouts with these in FIVE minutes or less.

So that’s a long answer to a short question.

Not for very long at all, if you’re doing things the right way!

OK – that’s today’s tip. I’ll be back again later. In the meantime, don’t forget to have a great – and quick workout in today – and some GREAT, great weekend workouts as well!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Yet more “quick’n’dirty” workouts that leave you in a heap in 30 seconds or more are listed right HERE. You’ll want to get your paws on this QUICK, my friend – at least if you’re serious about your health, fitness and burning lard off your frame quicker than you ever imagined possible. Again, here is that link – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

“Can you do ’em like that Uncle is?”

Dear Reader,

I was going through my routine this evening at the park when I heard a small voice (not unlike that of my daughter) pipe up behind me.

“Can you do that, Papa?”

“Um, I don’t know, dear. Maybe I can … ” responded the guy it was addressed to – likely her Dad, but I’m not sure.

“Just like that Uncle. Can you do them like that Uncle is?” she said, and though my back was towards her, I knew who she was referring to, of course.

Now lest you get confused, Indian kids in general seem to have this habit of calling adult males / females “Uncle / Auntie”. Why this is done I’ve got NO  idea – probably yet another cultural relic of the British “Raj”, but whatever it is, can be kinda cute at times – especially when 40 year old refer to 70 year old as “Auntie” as well!

Anyway, the whole scene reminded me of my daughter – she was likely 4 as well, but that is where the resemblance stopped in terms of the situation.

The little girl attempted to climb the monkey bars, but the Mom reprimanded her.

“Wait, darling. Let him (me) finish first. You’ll get hurt”.

Once I was done, the father clambered on to the bars. Now this guy had a massive broad chest – which is good, of course, but “rounded” shoulders, and a huge ponderous belly to boot as well (as well as a backside starting to hang down to his ankles if you get my drift).

In short, the typical gym goer that focuses on pumping and toning the pecs – and the utterly useless exercise known as the bench press to the exclusion of just about everything else.

He grabbed a rung , and spoke.

“Papa’s fingers are slipping, baby. It’s too hard!”

Hehe. No surprises there, and as I resumed my workout, my thoughts shifted to pull-ups, and the folks that can’t do ’em regardless of what they do in the gym.

Is it any wonder that they can’t do pull-ups – when they fail- and fail miserably at that at one of the BASIC building blocks, those being the monkey bars?

Worse, they consciously choose to ignore this exercise as “kiddie stuff” – and I’ve seen this when personally training people as well.

Big big mistake, and yet – no skin off my back at the same time. I can but lead that horse to water – I can’t make it drink!

Look, monkey bars, and workouts done on them are one of the MAIN KEYS to even starting to do pull-ups the right way – let alone pound out rep after rep effortlessly.

Believe me now and trust me later, this ONE key alone will have even advanced trainees getting their pull-up numbers to shoot through the roof if they do it right.

This, and other such tips are mentioned in my bestselling “beginner” course on pull-ups (which BTW has enough to keep you occupied for a long, long time) – and you can grab it right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-from-dud-to-stud-within-a-matter-of-weeks/.

Anyway, I got a great one in. Sprinted back to the park to pick up my daughter from basketball class, and lo and behold, saw the wife coming in from the opposite end of said park to to the same.

“Let’s lace up my shoes”, was her response. “Lets go for a run!”

And we did that, and as we did that the heavens opened up – and it poured like it’s never poured here before.

We could have run on indoors, but chose to stay outside getting drenched. My daughter had a ball jumping in the puddles, and she’s snacking on cornflakes right about now.

This sort of thing is what I mean by living life in the flow, my friend. Just let life unfold. Do what strikes you as good on the spur of the moment – and do so like a young kid – fully immersed and with nary a reservation either.

Incorporate this sort of attitude into your workouts as well – along with a modicum of planning and common sense – and you’ll be NIGH amazed at the results you achieve!

Ok – that’s it for now. I’m out – and if you work out today – make a it a super, super one!

Best,

Rahul

P.S. – I speak on the site about how I went from 120 – 60 kgs on my program, and that’s NOT an exaggeration, my friend. Its not – and what is more, those results are possible for YOU too – if you choose to “get on the stick” and do what is required without ANY delay. Note that I only want DOERS investing in my program. No lookie lous and excuse makers please. It’s a select bunch of individuals indeed, and you can join us right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

P.S #2 – Still not convinced? Still think the average gym gorilla can bang out reps of what I do on a regular basis? Well, take any one of said gorillas and get him working on a good monkey bar session. I’ll be a monkey’s uncle and a pig’s ass rolled into ONE if he can even get past rep #1 of some of what I do, let alone an entire workout …

 

Living in the flow

Dear Reader,

When I woke up this morning, I KNEW something was different.

I couldn’t quite place my finger upon it – but something felt different in a GOOD (and different way) – and I’m not quite sure until now how to describe that feeling.

I generally get these sort of “awakenings” after intense / lucid dreams – and I’ve written a lot about those in the past as well, but funnily enough, I had ZERO dreams last night.

None. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Shunya. Mei you. And so forth …

And yet, EVERYTHING from the moment I woke up unfolded in a good way – right down to the smallest details.

I went to get some groceries from a store which normally has a queue about as long as the Eiffel Tower and about as “winding”. No problemo for me, I don’t mind waiting, but ’twas NO line today – and yet – immediately after I left – a LOOOOONG queue formed.

So quickly, and right AFTER I left – as I’ve said before, there ain’t no such beast as coincidence, my friend. Things happen for a reason.

Things just flowed from there on in. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re BACK up online (this happened late last night to be sure) and the access speed issues seem to have been finally resolved. Hooray!

And last, but not least, in a long, long line of “good things that are happening” – a wonky laptop I’ve been using for the past few days (it’s got a lot of stuff on it that I’m condensing into a new manual of sorts) suddenly stopped acting up, and is back to “almost perfect” status.

I feel GREAT – this without doing a single pushup – pull–up – dip – or squat (though I did plenty last night).

And I’ve no doubt this sense of inner calm and contentment will persist throughout the entire day.

Those of you that know me know that I generally “live in the flow”, and am a huge proponent of doing so.

Not for me the plans chalked out to the last T. Sure, I make plans often, very meticulous ones – but NOT when it comes to the “business of living”, as I like to call it, hehe.

I let life unfold. Often times things don’t occur as I wanted them to be – so be it. Key to achieving great things is to a) live in the flow and b) figure out how to “detach” yourself from what you’re running after – – and what you DON’T want – – and then watch the seas of your life unfold before your very eyes.

The seas don’t call the rivers to it, do they? Neither should you.

The sea just FLOWS – and so should you.

And this same philosophy is embedded in my 0 Excuses Fitness System as well, which is one of the reason I unashamedly, unabashedly, and very vociferously promote it above ALL others (even above some of my other bestsellers, Gorilla Grip being one – pick it up right HERE – http://0excusesfitness.com/gorilla-grip/).

Why?

Well, these exercises do more than just get you fit.

They get you feeling good – and IN THE FLOW, my friend.

They get you living life as it was meant to be – like a child, experiencing every new moment with a sense of wonderment, fulfillment and “totality” if you get my drift.

The Hindu pushups I’ve outlined in the course follow a “wave” like motion, and indeed, it’s not uncommon for folks to go into a “semi-trance” of sorts when doing higher reps – – and quite literally “feel the waves of life” washing back and forth over you, cleansing and invigorating you with their fresh touch.

This may sound strange, but those of you that have done Hindus, reverse pushups, and especially the BEST darn exercise there is KNOW what I be yellin about, my friend.

So if you haven’t already, crack the System open, and crank out a few reps of what I’ve mentioned above. It truly WILL change your life for the better.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I had a great sprint workout in yesterday as well. Was dealing with a niggly little calf injury, but thats gone as well as of now(last night, again, to be precise). I also did some fat blasting routines from my Advanced Hill Training course – something I highly, highly recommend if you’re really looking to blast fat off your frame QUICK – and KEEP it off. Here is where you can put yer paws on it – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

A kick to the ‘nads – and setting a GREAT example!

Dear Reader,

Well, first off, before we start today’s email, in case you’re amongst the (somewhat substantial, to be sure) group of folks that have noticed our site slowing down INTERMINABLY – – and things not quite working as they should – – well – – rest assured – – you ain’t alone by a long darn shot.

If there is ONE thing I’ve been working on a lot over the past few days it’s on a lot of back and forth communication with the server guys, and getting things working as they should.

This process is apparently a slow one (though it shouldn’t be), but the “geeks in charge” claim they’ll get it fixed within a couple of more days max. Apparently we’ll also be moving to a new server, and access speeds etc should improve dramatically after that.

Your patience in the interim is much appreciated tho – – and if you’ve been encountering glitches/timeouts with downloadable products you’ve paid for, then let me know and I’ll have that looked into as well.

No speed issues as well though in terms of what I’m about to tell you tho. Hold on to yer horses, here we go …

… POW!

I woke up last night, and my bellow must have been loud enough to raise the dead. Musta woken up the neighbors at any rate, and you know why, don’t you?

Unless you’re one of those “chi” guys – -or guys that claim to be able to touch another person with one finger and literally “punch” him across the room with one finger – – or those guys that claim to be able to take multiple shots to the nether regions with nary a flinch – – and chances are you’re NOT – – you’d have much the same reaction as I did.

I think it must have been around 4 or so, and I got back to sleep – – only to be awakened an hour or so later, this time by a sharp prod to the posterior regions.

Ugggggggghh.

Now, before you start assuming, NO, I haven’t taken to cohabitating with a dominatrix – – or a ball bus “trix”. Although there is (from what I understand) a lot of demand for these fine, fine ladies, I’m as of now NOT on the list of potential clients, especially NOT the ball kicking list, hehe.

Not the “arm stretching” list either if you get my drift, but back on topic …

Nah – it was my four and a half year daughter delivering said kicks, albeit  unknowingly in her sleep.

Why?

Well, she has this curious and incredibly cute habit of sitting up in the middle of the night, stretching her legs out, and continuing to sleep in that position.

Sometimes she’s thirsty – – but sometimes she just sits up like that for a while before I take her back in my arms and gently lay her down again – – again, an incredibly cute and unique experience that cannot be duplicated except for the “real deal” if you get my drift.

Sort of like an “I”, with my wife forming the top line and me the bottom, and hence I get the kicks, and she gets the head resting on her tummy, haha,.

Anyway, you’d think that those kicks, coming from a 4.5 year old would not be that painful, right?

Well, maybe, if we’re talking the average four and a half year old.

But remember we ain’t talking average here. We’re talking little Rahul here, a little Rahul that has literally “aped” Papa (and Mommy, on the one occasion she did it) and has taken to kicking the heavy bag at our home with vim, vigor and GUSTO – – kinda like a teeny weeny pro kick boxer, hehe.

Y’all on this list know that we got a heavy bag installed in our living room (yes, where else?!) a few weeks ago upon my return to India.

Curiously enough my wife was the one that wanted it, apparently to practice her kicks (I can’t kick you when I’m pissed, so I might as well kick the bag was her logic)  – – but what ended up happening of course was she used it a grand total of ONE time since she’s got it.

Not to worry – I’ve been getting in some super workouts on it ever since I’ve gotten back – – although the 0 Excuses Fitness System doesn’t require a heavy bag, it is indeed a great way to workout – – either regularly, or once in a while for a change.

And here is where setting a good example comes in.

Before purchasing this bag we told our daughter to “practice” on this bag many times. We told her it was good for her. We told her it was good for her health. That she’s get extra treats for doing it regularly. That Mickey and Minnie do it. And so forth …

And yet, none of it really had an impact until she started see me punch that darn thing with gusto on a damn near daily basis – – and get a few well aimed kicks in as well while doing so.

And not a day passes by without my little girl stopping to aim more than a few kicks at a heavy bag that outweighs her by about a thousand kilos (not really but you get my drift). In fact we were eating lunch a while back and she ended up pausing to kick the bag in the middle of her lunch.

Dedication, eh?

Compare that to the modern slothful four or five year old who does nothing but stuff his or her gullet full of chocolate, chips, soda, and other unhealthy stuff galore – – and does hardly ANY exercise whatsoever.

Difference is this – my little girl watches her Dad workout on a daily basis, and do so with no excuses.

She does handstands  not because she was told to, but because Daddy does ‘em on a daily basis, and so she wants to as well. Ditto for pull-ups in the park, which she does on the swing set, but I’ve got no doubt she’ll be graduating to the monkey bars shortly as well.

(BTW Handstands, and handstands pushups are one of the very best things YOU as an adult can do for yourself – – and my bestselling course here will get you pounding ’em out in no time – – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/)

And an unfettered kick to the nads from a kid like that? Well, let me just say you’ll FEEL it, my friend, hehe, and that’s being kind!

So that’s today’s tip. If you’re a sloth bear that prefers to laze around in the front of the Tee Vee with your idea of a balanced diet being a cold one in each hand, well, don’t be surprised if your kids end up turning into miniature sloth bears as well.

If you’re the kind that loves to make excuses, well, don’t be surprised if …

And so forth.

Set a good example – – not just for your kids – – but for everyone you come into contact with, my friend.

It’s what I aim to do through this daily newsletter, and it’s sure as heck the right thing to do.

Inspire and motivate rather than be a drain. Be the person that picks others up when they’re down. Make sure you “lead by example” in every activity you partake of. And so forth.

It will stand you in good stead – – that I DO promise!

Alright, my friend, that’s it for now. I’m out for now to observe an “experiment” my daughter is engaging in as part of her summer holiday HW, and I better pay close attention or else, hehe.

See you tomorrow – – and if you work out today – – make it the best ever!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – With regard to the heavy bag, remember that those intense workouts I partake of that I’ve written about before are NOT for beginners. You first need to get good at the basic stuff – – which includes pushups, squats, and other exercises that have taken bazillions from “lard lump” to “super fit” status – – right there in their living rooms. Find out more about this wondrous exercise program right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

A BLAST – from the PAST!

Dear Reader,

Was rifling through some old pictures on my dumbphone, and saw a bunch of old pics that I haven’t come across in ages.

I was actually looking for a few client pics to share on our Instagram account – – pics that I took way, way back in the day when I was starting my fitness biz (well, a few years into it to be accurate) – – and funnily enough these ladies (the clients I’m referring to) did NOT want to lose weight.

Their requirement was actually to gain weight in a healthy manner and keep it on without losing their flexibility. Strange how that works sometimes, eh?!

Anyway, while I was going through these pics I found a bunch of other pictures that for whatever reason caught my attention, and I paused to take a deep breath, and look through this gigantic archive that I’ve seemingly got “locked up” in my dumb phone.

‘Tis a nice, relaxed Monday morning here – and that, my friend, as I’ve said so often in the past is one of the GREAT things about doing your own thang. I’m sitting here “working in my skivvies” as I type this to ya and it don’t get no better than that!

Anyway, so as I looked through the photos, I found a bunch of photos of me “in another life”.

Photos of me in Oman (back when I did a consulting gig for a company).

Photos of me climbing the almighty HILL I refer to so often – – except these photos weren’t from 2004 – – they were from 2010. Pity we didn’t got dem dumb phones back then, hehe (hey, I found at least ONE use for a dumb phone!).

And of course, photos of me teaching – but not fitness – English as a second language in China – which as I’ve written about extensively in the past is something I did before, but never quite liked – and try and avoid for the most part.

But there were certain fun times to be had though, and this particular bunch of ladies I was teaching were a blast to work with! You can see the pictures on our Instagram account – – I haven’t yet gotten around to Twitter etc but look for updates there shortly as well.

Now, why do I bring this up, you might ask?

Well, first off, to point out that though I didn’t really like teaching English back then either, those were “good times” much like now.

And it’s always good to keep good memories in mind – – whether or not those memories are current or not.

As I rifled through the pics I thought about many things.

I thought about the difficulties I had to occasionally overcome, and the obstacles that most people face on a daily basis – – and how I overcame them – – somehow overcame them.

I thought about things I didn’t want to do – – and how I always wanted to do my own thang – – and now here I am, DOING it – – and in that regard I consider myself lucky as well.

Most of all though, the good feelings and vibes that spread through me were so potent that I even considered out reaching out to Cindy and sharing these feelings – – she’s not in this particular picture, but that’s how I initially met her. More on that later though!

Point being this – – we ALL have times in our lives when we’re feeling down. Feeling tired and depressed, frustrated even.

Maybe you’ve had a shit day at work. Maybe you’re having marital issues. Maybe the daughter just doesn’t stop coughing at night and you’ve got several early mornings ahead of you.

Whatever the case might be, happens to all of us.

And one of the best things you can do in such a situation is to take a deep breath, step BACK – and ruminate on the GOOD memories in your life.

Good things that happened to you. Goals you accomplished. Things you “done done in the past” (sorry, I love the South!); things that MEAN something to you – – and if you’ve got visual proof of it next to you, so much the better.

And as you do this, pay heed to the calm and soothing good vibes spreading through ya.

A few minutes later, you’ll be a changed person, and you’ll be ready to deal with the said frustration etc – – and do so in a manner that you wouldn’t have thought possible a few minutes ago!

Anyway, fitness wise, ‘twas interesting to note that though I wasn’t quite as big as I’ve been in the past, I wasn’t the “epitome of fitness” (as a friend recently said) that I seemingly am now.

I wasn’t really banging dem pull-ups out as I should have been and I certainly was NOT on the 0 Excuses Fitness System – – which to be honest was really what was instrumental in getting me down from 120 – 60 kgs (or at that point, a somewhat acceptable 90 kgs to 60). I’m currently at 68 or so, still a few kgs “underweight”, but that’s Ok. I’ll live, hehe.

(BTW – my course on pull-ups has been and IS going like gangbusters right here — http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-from-dud-to-stud-within-a-matter-of-weeks/).

And that brings me to tip #2.

I’ve spoken about visualization before, and how it applies to fitness – – and if you’ve got pics of an “old you” and a “new you” – – one of the very best things you can do for yourself in that regard is to print dem pics out and tape it to the mirror – or bedside table, or somewhere you’ll see ‘em often.

Take note of how far you’ve gone – – how much you’ve accomplished.

Take note of the lard hanging on to you BEFORE – – and the conspicuous absence of said lard NOW.

This process can also work in reverse, of course. If you’re currently at beached whale status but aspire to be “super fit” – – then the first thing to do after grabbing the 0 Excuse Fitness System is to draw a picture of yourself the way you WANT to be – and implement the above.

We think in pictures – – and I should know, my friend. Oh yes, I should know!

Last, but not least, as I’ve written about  before this should NOT be taken as an excuse to “rest upon past laurels”.

Bask in the glow (afterglow) all you like – – but then revert back to living in the present – – with the same vibes emanating from you.

You’ll be amazed at how your day FLOWS!

OK, my friend – – that’s it for now. I’ll be back with more later!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – And lest you think the pictures related advice doesn’t work- well – – think AGAIN. Folks have reported it does – – real folks I’ve worked with before, and I’ll share this in future emails as well.

P.S #2 – – And as for the “beached whales” out there – – or the couch potatoes – – or those that “can’t quite lose the flab despite banging out rep after rep at the gym” – – well – – that lard can disappear if you know HOW to make it disappear. And how is detailed right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/.

Grab your copy TODAY – – and watch the pounds fly off!

The “10/10″*2 workout

Dear Reader,

Today I’m gonna share an oldie but goodie with you – a workout system that reaps immense benefits if just for it’s simplicity – and is probably also oft ignored simply due to it’s very simplicity.

What is this?

Well, it’s the (10/10) * 5 System – – and I just got done with a cracker of a workout using THIS very system.

The laws of BODMAS (do you remember those? hehe) would state that the result of such a “workout” would be 5 (divide, multiply) – and funnily enough that is what the workout actually boils down to. Five giant sets, done in multiple sets of medium high to low reps (depending upon).

You can switch the numbers around on this as well. For instance, my actual workout today was (10*15) * 5- because I did more dips per set than pull-ups but as a general rule, what I stated above works great for most people – and is usually too hard for a lot of folks to handle anyway.

The only catch to this system is this – you do HARD exercises – and hard here means what’s tough for you.

So while pull-ups are easy enough for me (the regular pull-ups), they might be extremely hard – or almost impossible to do for some folks.

(Note – My book on pull-ups is a must read if you fall into the above category and it’s available right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-from-dud-to-stud-within-a-matter-of-weeks/ )

So you do the  ( 10/10 ) *5  workout – meaning 10 pull-ups, 10 dips, and then repeat until you have 5 sets of each.

Mix in warm ups, and other goodies I mention in “Pull-ups- – from Stud to Super STUD within weeks” such as monkey bar swings (a great, great workout unto itself), hamstring stretches, Hindu Squats, or perhaps just pushups as well.

Keep the tempo of the workout QUICK. Move quickly from one set to the other. Don’t dwadle – and don’t stop to smell the roses either.

You’ll find this gives you a CRACKER of a workout if done correctly – and the good part is this – the “abbreviated” nature of the routine means you can impart max effort into each set.

So if dips are hard for you, for instance, then it’s better to do 50 dips in 5 sets of rather than attempting to do all 50 at once.

The latter is Ok as well if you’re doing stuff that’s EASY for you – but we’re talking hard stuff here.

Hard exercises – exercises that make you SWEAT, HURT – and stuff that brings results – real, TANGIBLE results such as what I wrote about this morning.

Anyway, I finished this off with a sprint done at 80% capacity and some work on the heavy bag, and as always, I feel GREAT.

I’m off for the evening now (well, assuming the server doesnt barf again – it’s been acting up for a while now – so if you’re encountering issues while browsing, purchasing etc – let me know and I’ll have it looked into pronto) – – and I’ll be back again later!

Until then – thanks for reading – and if you workout today – make it a great one!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Many more such workouts are mentioned in the 0 Excuses Fitness System. If you haven’t already, grab your copy right HERE.

“Your shoulders and back look very nice”

Dear Reader,

While talking to my wife sometimes during the last couple of days, she made a comment that was telling not just due to “what” she said, but the hidden import behind it.

I was wearing one of my workout vests as usual – that being my preferred means of clothing here ALL day due to the extreme heat — and I was discussing fitness with her, I think.

I was talking about staying in shape despite NOT having access to the hill I used to on a daily basis in China – – and despite NOT having access to some of the other “tools” I used there.

And she turned around, looked at my back and shoulders and said this – – “Your back and shoulders look really nice! They’re filling out even more than they were before, and look really nice!”

At first I couldn’t believe this.

I mean, if anything I’d expect my gains to go down – a little, at least – right?

I’ve got no access to ‘dem tools, and yet I’m getting BETTER with each workout here?

Well, it sure feels like it, and from what my wife said, it sure looks like it as well!

Now, as most of you reading this aware, that “X” shape I’ve written about before is much coveted by most people, and for good reasons.

Even if you’re not interested in pure health and fitness, there is NOTHING that looks better than broad, strong muscular shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist — supported all the way by mountainous traps and ridges of muscle all along your spine and mid-lower back as well.

Muscle that is as DENSE and strong as it looks. Muscle that gives your entire back that “broad” look and when combined with the shoulders – – blends in perfectly for the “X” shape.

And while y’all might think pull-ups are the only key – think again.

Sure, I do pull-ups here – but I do far LESS of them to be honest.

Sure – I do dips – and handstand pushups – and everything I’ve written about before, but I do the same reps on these two exercises.

(BTW – handstand pushups are HIGHLY recommended if you want to build a solid, wide “barn door like” back. Learn how to do them CORRECTLY right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/). 

So whats with the “better shape”?

Well, I’ve been going back to the basics for one – – and I’ve been blending it in with the advanced stuff I do on a regular basis.

Going back to the basics is highly recommended, my friend – highly recommended – even if you’re an advanced strength athlete. And in my case this means I’m pounding out WAY more pushups – and reverse pushups – and table pushups – and so forth than I used to normally – and the results are showing.

Along with that, of course, I’m hitting the heavy bag regularly – and if you’ve ever thought about why boxers have such a superb build, well, you’ve got part of the answer right HERE.

So that, my friend – is today’s tip – worth it’s weight in GOLD as well. NEVER ignore the basics – and always emphasize the basics every so often. You’ll find it well worth your while!

The pushups I’m mentioning are all straight out of 0 Excuses Fitness, and can all be found right here — http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Get cracking!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Don’t forget to stay up-to-date on everything else going on on our social media accounts! Twitter would be a great place to start – – @0xcusesfitness.

Your breath is your POWER

Dear Reader,

I just got done with one of the most intense workouts of my life – and boy am I buzzing. Boy do I feel GOOD!

My routine tonight was a heavy bag routine – – a quick ‘n’ dirty 30 minute routine (20 if you count the first 10 as a warm up, which it was of sorts) – – a workout that got the heart pumping, the sweat FLOWING, and the entire body moving – – and of course got the fat furnace ignited at FULL BLAST.

My shoulders and upper body are torched – – in a different sort of manner than they normally would be – – but before I forget, this email isn’t about that.

I said in the title that “your breath is your power”, and ’tis indeed true.

Those familiar with my writings and teachings KNOW by now the emphasis I place on proper deep breathing and recovering from intense sessions by breathing the right way. I’ve even gone so far on occasion as to say that exercise done without the deep breathing incorporated correctly is kind of pointless – and while that isn’t meant to be taken literally, it’s something you’d do well to bear in mind while training (or simply going about life in general).

The famous old time strongman, wrestler and physical culturist Martin Farmer said it best when he said this “Deep breathing alone has made many a sick man well, and many a weak man strong”.

There is immense wisdom in this saying, as well as what I’ve told you in the paragraph above, and why am I bringing it up in this email?

Because despite being told how important deep breathing is in general, folks either flat out ignore it (fooey! That airy fairy stuff ain’t what I’m looking for!) or skip it as being “less important”.

Or, and this is common amongst serious trainees at times – they UNKNOWINGLY forget to breathe the right way during their routines.

While hitting the heavy bag today I was doing all the right things – except one.

It was an intense, intense session to be sure, and I was throwing punches galore in PROPER form (very important, by the way!) and literally treating the bag as an opponent with all the requisite head movements etc.

While the above might not sound like a lot to the average trainee, let me assure you it IS. My shoulders, traps and upper back have as of late got an immense fillip from this sort of heavy bag training – something that I did before, and something that I’m starting again NOW.

Where I erred today, and where I had to stop and “whack myself one on the side of the head” was here – I was not breathing correctly during the most intense parts of the workout.

That’s right – even I made that mistake today.

Now bear in mind breathing the right way is a matter of habit for me during my normal 0 Excuses workouts.

You could wake me up at 4 in the morning and put me through 500 pushups – – or dunk me in a lake and pull me out – – and get me started on dips and pull-ups – – and I’d likely still be breathing correctly without thinking about it.

But, the heavy bag is something I’ve not been doing for a while, and I was caught “napping” today.

I’ll say it again – bear the deep breathing part in mind while you train, my friend. I don’t care how “experienced” you are or how “familiar” you are with the movements, there are times when ALL of us need a kick up the arse to breathe right.

I’ve mentioned my friend Marc before in these emails – a guy with a variety of technical fighting skills – but unfortunately also someone that’s let himself get way out of shape – and he was constantly forgetting to breathe right when I was training him on pull-ups out in the park one fine afternoon.

So again – – it happens to all of us — key thing is to bear it in mind and make sure you avoid it as far as possible.

The more you practice, the more you’ll stop consciously focusing on your breath and just do it right anyway.

On that note, and before I forget, heavy bag routines can be of IMMENSE value to all of us. I don’t care if you’re looking to lose weight, build muscle, or do a combo  of both — the heavy bag has something for everyone.

Unfortunately, many of us buy a heavy bag, but either don’t have a clue on what to do with it, or use it incorrectly – – and this great, great tool ends up gathering dust in garages or the like.

It’s a pity — and I’m thinking about putting out a short course on this – – so if there is interest, shoot me an email, and I might well do so.

Last, but certainly NOT least, remember that boxing routines are intense and you need to be in good shape to begin with to really reap the benefits of said routines.

Remember too that boxers focus on nothing other than ONE exercise as the mainstay of their bodyweight routines – that being the good ole pushup.

You heard me.

Not pull-ups. Not weights. Not crunches. It’s the good ole pushup they focus upon MOST – and so does the army – or elite forces – or in short, anyone that’s serious about training, and this one exercise forms the mainstay of 0 Excuses Fitness as well, my friend.

So if you haven’t already, grab your copy – – and your smartphone, and start cranking out the reps along with me as I guide you along the path to lifelong health, strength and fitness – – all right there in your living room.

OK – that’s it for now. I’ll be back later!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Almost forgot to tell you – – Advanced Hill Training has a secret to recovering quickly from INTENSE cardio sessions – -a secret that I have NOT seen mentioned anywhere else or in any other courses. Even if burning lard off your frame quicker than you can imagine ain’t your thang, you DO owe it to yourself to check out that secret – – and you can do so right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

“I used to be able to … “

Dear Reader,

Something that annoys me no end is when I hear something along the lines of “I used to be able to do this … ” (when the person saying it clearly CANNOT do it now) …

Fitness wise, this generally translates into one, or a derivative of the following –

“I used to be able to do more than 25 pull-ups in one workout …”

“I used to be in great shape when I was young, but now … ”

“I used to have a hard abdomen and a six pack …”

And so forth. Funny thing is, I get these comments a lot of time from folks that ask me about my training – – because they’d clearly like to accomplish (or do) what I have – – and are clearly NOT in the physical shape to do it right now — and you’d think they’d take action to remedy this, right?

Well – – if you’re talking the majority of folks out there – – you’d be WRONG.

Most folks just sit back and make an “I used to be able to do … ” comment, and then do precisely squat all to improve their current situation. Apparently the “I used to … ” is balm enough to “cover” the injury of “not being able to do … ”

But remember that bandaid solutions rarely work, my friend.

You can cover up a problem – but you can only solve it by attacking it at it’s CORE.

When I hear something like this from people (especially if it’s fitness related), my answer is always the same.

“OK, but can you do it now?”

Or, … “OK, that’s great – but what can you do NOW?”

Look, my friend, what you “could do” is great – but thats over. Thats FINISHED – and if you’re making statements like this when it comes to fitness, chances are that you aren’t happy with what you see in the mirror daily – and that’s an understatement as well.

Chances are you’ve got an extra layer of fat around your midsection you’d love to lose, but you aren’t being able to do it.

Chances are you’d love to sprint all out, but are in nowhere near the condition to do it.

And so forth.

What separates the “has beens” from the “greats” is this – their willingness to “do NOW”.

A couple of years ago I saw a middle aged man training in China, trying to do pull-ups.

He was doing all the right things — and yet couldn’t get a single pull-up in – – but guess what, and I blogged about this on the other site, I’d rather train a person like HIM than some of the other “whippersnappers” that show up there to preen, pose, prance and generally waste their time and everyone else’s as well.

At least the guy was TRYING.

He didn’t make comments along the lines of “I used to be able to … “, although going by that pair of shoulders he sported, he likely COULD do plenty of pull-ups at one stage in his life.

The same goes for the nearing-70 year old retired Brigadier I wrote about before.

You can tell by looking at him he’s been into serious physical activity all his life (well, I could, at any rate) —  and though he can’t do pull-ups all the way down and up at this point, he doesn’t “talk” about “how” he could do them in his prime.

Nope.

He does it.

He hits it hard – every morning – and keeps trying – and THAT is the sort of man – and person I’d like to both train and be associated with if you get my drift.

True – there ARE some cases in which you currently may not be able to do what you used to be able to for legit reasons – but such cases are few and far in between. Most of the times it’s just people being lazy – or making excuses – and that’s all it really boils down to.

So that’s today’s tip. When someone comes at ya out of left base with the “I used to be able to do it” B.S. , parry it with this – – “Great, but what can you do NOW?”

You might be amazed at the reactions you get – or then again, you might not be. Hehe.

In the meantime, don’t forget that the good news is this – there IS something very powerful you can do for your health and fitness – and you can do it right NOW. You can do it right in your living room – and you’ve got NO room for any excuses.

There IS a way to get AS good – if not BETTER – at pull-ups than you were in your prime.

There IS a way to build those humongous shoulders you’ve always wanted.

And the key to all this starts right here – – stop living in the past.

Cherish past memories all you like – – and DO relive past glories in your mind – – but always remind yourself that it’s the “here and now” that really counts, my friend.

Keep this axiom in mind while you train – and while you go through life – and you’ll be nigh amazed at the benefits you reap.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I  spoke about pull-ups above, and with good reason. Most people would love to  bang out dead hang pull-ups by the dozen, but are unfortunately unable to do or attempt even ONE. If that’s you, well, delay no longer, my friend. Click on over right here to rectify what you should have already – – http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-from-dud-to-stud-within-a-matter-of-weeks/

Dead hang pull-ups

Dear Reader,

A lot of you probably remember my early morning workouts when I first moved to India about a month or so ago (yeah, seems like forever now, doesn’t it??).

You likely also remember the guys coming up to me asking for advice on pull-ups and as I said, I DID help those who were genuinely trying (though sorry – that select group doesn’t include the preeners and posers).

One of the guys in fairly good shape, a badminton player, was watching me and trying to do what I was doing at that time i.e. do sets of 8  pull-ups (strict, proper form, all the way up, all the way down).

He tried several times, but failed, and I gave him a few tips.

The first one was to grip the bar – – not just with his fingers, but the thumb as well. This alone is a mind bender for most folks as we’ve been taught to do pull-ups “hanging on with our fingers” alone as opposed to gripping the bar the way you SHOULD.

Uh … yeah. RIGHT … NOT!

“This feels way, way tougher!” he remarked after doing what I was telling him to do.

“It does, doesn’t it?”, I said. “OK, now let’s have you do pull-ups the RIGHT way as opposed to what you’re doing”.

“Go all the way down, dead hang, and PAUSE – and THEN go up”.

And I proceeded to rattle off some more instructions – – stuff that’s been meticulously covered in my bestselling “Pull-ups – -from DUD to STUD within a matter of WEEKS” – – and he attempted to do what I was saying.

(Note – a lot of what I cover in this BEGINNER level course has been reported to knock serious gym goers on their arses the first time they try it, so it’s well worth a read – or several, for that matter).

Not surprisingly, he failed, but the good news is this – – he TRIED. That’s way more than I can say for the vast majority of people who come to me for help – – and then run away once I give ’em the skinny and the REAL deal on how to do pull-ups.

“They’re damn tough this way”, he remarked”. “Oh yeah, they are!”

And they sure are my friend – but THIS way is what will enable you to ultimately get better at pull-ups – – and develop that lat spread you’ve always wanted.

And lest you think pull-ups stop getting “tougher” after a certain point – – well – – think AGAIN.

I put myself through a patented “Pull-ups – – from STUD to SUPER stud” workout last evening – – and believe you me, I’m FEELING it today.

Oh YEAH – I’m feeling it – it’s that “worked to the bone” feeling you get after a great, great workout the night before. I’ve posted about that on our Twitter account as well, but it bears mentioning here as well.

While the dead hang pull-ups formed the CORE of the routine, there were several other variations I used – – one of them being what I affectionately call the “swami” pull-up – – or perhaps the “Baba” pull-up, hehe, given that I’m in India at this point.

Yet another exercise I did taxed my entire core and upper body with ONE rep – and even holding on beyond that first rep can turn out to be a struggle if done correctly!

All of these movements I did are detailed in the course – – which you can get right HERE – –  http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-stud-to-super-stud-within-weeks/

Dive in — and report back on your workouts!

Well, my friend, that’s it for now. I’m off to partake of some home cooking in a bit – -will be back later!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Our Twitter and Instagram handles are as follows – – @0xcusesfitness and @0excusesfitness. Both great great accounts to follow – – I post interesting stuff on a regular basis, so stay tuned!