Today I Found Hope

Today I Found Hope

I found hope

Today I found hope. I am a Truck Driver that does long haul. There are pros and cons to driving a truck. The pros are seeing our beautiful country and getting paid to do it. Meeting new people and knowing that what I delivered is needed by them. I have hauled many different commodities, from cattle to military vehicles, bridge forms, JetA fuel to fill helicopters that fight wild fires burning in the mid-west. The cons are being gone from home for weeks sometimes months, missing my family, friends and my horses. Another downside is the lack of keeping in shape. I have gained weight and my journey starts today in loosing the unwanted pounds with that I have gained from holding a steering wheel over the last 4 years. My goal is to loose 20lbs over the next 10 weeks. I realize that I will have challenges but without the challenges given to us how will we become stronger.

Today I will start making changes with the help of my friend Fadi and his associates.

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Work Out The Full Body

Work Out The Full Body

This is a workout that uses multiple muscles with every exercise! It’s important to mix up your workouts from time to time with a full body workout instead of focusing on the same muscle groups every other day. It made our team really sore which means it works! We’d love to know what you think about it! Check it out below and let us know your thoughts.

Warm Up: 5 minutes of cardio
Time: 45 minutes
Two repetitions per set

Set 1

Standing Side Crunches
Reps: 25 per side
Tips & Tricks: Stand with your feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent and the core engaged. Lift the right leg, bending the knee at a 90-degree angle turning the thigh out to the side. Place hands lightly behind head, elbows out. Crunch your right elbow to the right knee.

Incline Sit Ups
Equipment: Find an incline bench. This exercise will work best if you have a support bar under which to hook your feet as well.
Reps: 20 per set
Tips & Tricks: Lie down so that your upper body is facing downhill. Place your hands behind your neck or on the side of your neck. Make sure your abs stay tightened. You should rise up until your entire back is off the bench and lower back down until your shoulders touch the bench.

Set 2

Reverse Pull-Up / Reverse Chin-Up
Equipment: Pull up bar
Reps: 15 per set
Tips & Tricks: Inhale and pull the chest to the bar, keeping the body upright and puffing out the chest. The elbows should be pointing more-or-less forward (can use a stool or chair to make easier)

Bench Bridge/Hip Lifts
Equipment: Bench
Reps: 25 per set
Tips & Tricks: Lie on your back with your heels on the bench. Lift your hips to be parallel with the rest of your body and lower them to the ground, focusing on your glute muscles throughout.

Set 3

Opposite Arm Opposite Leg Extensions
Equipment: Bench
Reps: 25 per side
Tips & Tricks: Position yourself on your hands and knees on the bench. Slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg and lower. Repeat with the other arm and opposite leg.

Push Ups on Bench
Equipment: Bench
Reps: 15 per set
Tips & Tricks: Position hands parallel with elbows on bench, keep body in a straight line while lifting and lowering.

We’d love to know what you think about this and all of our other blogs!

Building Muscle with Static Contractions

Building Muscle with Static Contractions

Performing weight training exercises that involve static contractions is a great way to create the most muscle mass and strength through the smallest amount of movement and time. Static training involves taking a weight and holding it in a fixed position for several seconds. Today’s workout will focus on incorporating this technique.

Warm Up: 5 minutes of cardio

Focus: Chest, Arms, Legs, Core

Time: 45 minutes

Set

4 repetitions 

Incline Chest Press

  • Equipment Bench; free weights
  • Reps: 30 seconds of reps; 30 seconds holding (for a total of two minutes)
  • Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
  • Tips & Tricks: Hold the static contraction in the open position, where elbows are in line with the shoulders

Squats

  • Equipment:  Dumbbell
  • Time: 30 seconds of reps; 30 seconds holding (for a total of two minutes)
  • Weight: 15 lbs
  • Tips & Tricks: Hold the dumbbell to your chest as you squat down to a seated position and rise up; hold the static contraction in the seated position, with knees over ankles

Lateral Pulldown  

  • Equipment Seated Pulley Machine
  • Reps: 30 seconds of reps; 30 seconds holding (for a total of two minutes)
  • Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
  • Tips & Tricks: Hold the static contraction and focus on isolating your lateral back muscles as you pull down

One Arm Row with Double Hold

  • Equipment:  Dumbbells
  • Time: 30 seconds of reps; 30 seconds holding (for a total of two minutes)
  • Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
  • Tips & Tricks: Position yourself in a split squat with one leg bent and row with the opposite arm; on the static contraction, place feet together and hold the contraction with both arms at the same time

Cable Flies

  • Equipment: Pulley Machine
  • Reps: 30 seconds of reps; 30 seconds holding (for a total of two minutes)
  • Weight: Start at 30 lbs. or more; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
  • Tips & Tricks: Focus on the chest muscles and keeping the arms straight as you slowly pull them apart and together; hold the static contraction with your hands about two feet apart

 

 

 

 

 

Pyramid Workout: Legs

Pyramid Workout: Legs

Pyramid Workout: Legs

We started with a pyramid workout for chest and back, and now we are graduating to the legs.

Just like with the chest and back exercises, with each exercise below, you will start with 10 reps and then decrease to nine reps, followed by eight, seven, six, all the way to one. Once you get to one rep, you’ll increase all the way back to ten, stacking the reps on top of one another.

As you decrease your reps, you’ll increase your weight. You should be at the heaviest weight, truly challenging yourself on reps 1-4.

  • Focus: Hamstrings, Quads, and Glutes
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Warm Up: Five minutes of cardio

Here are the three exercises to focus on for the legs:

Dead Lifts

  • Equipment: Dumbbells
  • Reps: Pyramid (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
  • Weight: Females: up to 35 lbs.; Males: up to 50 lbs.
  • Tips & Tricks: Keep a slight bend in the knees as you lower the weights just below the shins.

Hamstring Curls

  • Equipment: Leg Machine
  • Reps: Pyramid (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
  • Weight: Females: up to 35 lbs.; Males: up to 50 lbs.
  • Tips & Tricks: Keep your back straight and focus on one leg at a time

Step Ups

  • Equipment: Bench (or stair)
  • Reps: (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
  • Weight: Females: up to 35 lbs.; Males: up to 50 lbs.
  • Tips & Tricks: Focus on the glute muscle; do not lock the knees as you step up one leg at a time

 

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