“I don’t have heavy enough weights at home, to have a good workout and everything is sold out” MYTH.

Let me break that myth, once and for all, for all of you, ladies and gentlemen. ⁣⁣
You can make ANY exercise with and without weights challenging enough using super simple strategies:⁣
* Slow down your tempo, but first, what is tempo? Speed of any exercise performed. ⁣
* There are 2 most basic parts of each exercise performance, that you have to know and understand. Concentric contraction = lifting the weight/resistance up (muscle shortens). Eccentric contraction = lowering the weight/resistance down (muscle elongates). ⁣
* Now, let’s go back to our “slow down tempo” part. To give you an example, let’s say you got a set of 15 lbs dumbbells at home, and generally you would use 30s at the gym for Bicep Curls, so now it’s “too easy”. How to make it just as if not even more challenging with 15s ? Slow down your TEMPO, especially, eccentric part of the exercise. Lower down that weight for 5-10 seconds OR even longer if needed. Control every single rep and literally PERFECT your form; no swinging, no momentum, no cheating. Make every part of exercise count, keep your rest times short and strict, hit a true failure on each set, and then, trust me, you will have a good workout. ⁣
* Don’t have weights ? Then do bodyweight exercises, use your furniture/stuffed bags/be creative, invest in resistance bands (they literally 10-12 $ if not less), and remember to control your TEMPO. ⁣
* Also, super sets and drop sets can take things to a whole another level as well.

Body weight training and why you should take a full advantage of it.

1. It will only benefit your overall health. How ? With bodyweight training, you still will be able to engage and train every single muscle group, without putting any excessive pressure on your joints, tendons, and ligaments (IF done properly). ⁣
2. You will learn MORE about your body by introducing new type of training/exercises/techniques/split/frequency/volume/intensity.⁣
3. You will improve your athleticism and functionality. Pull ups, push ups, bodyweight squats, BW HIIT training, are all amazing tools that can be easily applied in your daily “normal” life regimen. PLUS, it’s fun. ⁣
4. It’s A LOT easier to stay consistent with bodyweight training, because your “gym” is everywhere. ⁣
5. It requires 0 financial investment (unless you plan on investing into a specific equipment such as home based pull-up or dip bar, etc....and even that, we got calisthenic parks everywhere now days as well). ⁣
6. Balance and flexibility: Body weight training requires a lot more flexibility and balance in comparison to more stationary based weight lifting. ⁣
7. YOU won’t lose ANY muscle! I hear this very frequently. Bodyweight training has exactly the same principle of progressive overload, as any other type of training. If it gets easier, add more intensity! SIMPLE! Example: regular push ups getting too easy? Can do over 50 reps? Do weighted push ups. Do diamond push ups. Do clapping push ups. Do handstand push ups. Do handstand clapping push ups...and the list can go on. ⁣

How much muscle mass can you build in 1, 2, 3 years and so on ? ⁣
⁣

⁣So, first, let me share with you my own background of progression, I entered the first REAL weight room at the age of 15 and today I am 25. Therefore, strictly, I’ve been weight lifting for ~10 years. You guys know, I had my ups and downs: major/minor injuries, life obstacles, some personal struggles, but to sum it up, I’ve been training for about a decade now 100% naturally (never taken any PEDS and never will. Disclaimer: I don’t judge if you do, I’m just clarifying that I am a lifetime natural and talking about strictly building muscle mass naturally. It needs to be very specific, to avoid misleading information and unrealistic expectations, since it is a completely different measurement and pace of progression, comparing to an enhanced progress). ⁣
⁣Can’t say, I’m a good example of what 10 years of training can do, since I did break 10 bones in my right leg, had multiple shoulder problems, and went through some mental struggles due to bad initial experiences with aggressive eating strategies (cutting and bulking with 0 knowledge), and of course “normal” LIFE set backs, within that 10 years time frame. However, considering all the obstacles, I am personally happy with my physical and mental health TODAY. Could I be better ? Yes. Would I change anything ? No, because I wouldn’t learn everything I know today about nutrition and training, if I wouldn’t make any of these mistakes. ⁣
⁣Anyways, here is a timeline of building PURE muscle mass naturally, not including fat/water gain, IF everything is done PROPERLY:⁣
⁣1. First year: 8-12 lbs. ⁣
2. Second year: 5-8 lbs. ⁣
3. Third year and so on: 3-5 lbs until you will hit your MAXIUM genetic potential, which is going to be different for everybody. ⁣
⁣*UNICORN*: 1 in 1000s will be able to gain MORE due to superior genetics.⁣
⁣*Females will build less muscle (how much difference, depends on a person), due to having less natural testosterone levels in their bodies*⁣
⁣*Teenagers, not included, due to “teen growth spurt”, which includes not just muscle but also bone growth*

ALL DAY COUNTS. ⁣

The total daily energy out put and effort IS more important then an actual training. ⁣
⁣Before getting into more details, keep in mind, I am not saying that training is NOT important. If you’d like to maximize your results and improve your overall health and body composition, then you should do it all: eat healthy, rest properly, train hard and smart, and remain active throughout the whole day.⁣
⁣Sure, it’s VERY important to work hard and make every single rep and set count at the gym BUT it’s only 30-90 min out of your WHOLE DAY. ⁣
⁣Keep your workouts intense and well constructed, that are tailored to your goals, lifestyle, and commitment levels BUT ALSO keep that same strategy, mental focus and effort in your daily living as well, no matter what you do. ⁣
⁣Lifestyle improvement and permanent results, require a lot of practice IN and OUTSIDE of the gym, and it’s more then possible, you simply just gotta stick to it. As simple as it sounds, it’s a fact and I and my clients are a perfect example of it! ⁣
⁣Make an every single day count.⁣
⁣Apply the drive that you have in the gym, to your everyday life. ⁣
⁣Don’t neglect a proper rest. ⁣
⁣Listen to your body.⁣
⁣Look at the bigger picture. ⁣
⁣I’m not saying to be perfect, but focus on every single aspect of your day. Small victories everyday will add up to a success that you’ve always strived for. ⁣⁣
ALL DAY COUNTS. ⁣

WHY you should warm-up before training?

1. Most importantly to prevent injuries. ⁣
2. Increase a body temperature. ⁣
3. Increase a blood flow. ⁣
4. Improve recovery. ⁣
⁣Also, why am I talking about warm up today, is because I want YOU to not make the same mistakes I DID. ⁣
⁣Let’s be real here..INJURIES SUCK BIG TIME! They can and WILL not only slow down your progress but also lead to regression. ⁣
⁣For individuals that have been following me for past 3-4 years, know, that I had big issues with my shoulders. It took me 2 years to “fix” that problem and by “fix” I mean find the ways to work around it, because in my case, it was a combo of both: acute and overuse injuries. ⁣
⁣What lead to these issues in the first place?⁣
⁣1. Overtraining (that’s why I always say, the more is not always better). ⁣
2. Lack of warming up. ⁣
3. Lack of stretching. ⁣
4. Lack of rest. ⁣
5. Ignoring small red flags here and there. ⁣
⁣What I’ve learned from it? ⁣
⁣1. Always warm up, and take it as seriously as your actual training. ⁣
2. Quality > quantity performance. ⁣
3. Listen to your body at all times.⁣
4. If you currently going even through the most minor injury, get it checked by your health professional ASAP. Don’t wait until it gets worse.⁣
5. Rest rest rest and REST PROPERLY. ⁣
⁣This fitness and health thing is awesome, yes, but remember that quality results require a quality performance and a quality performance is not possible without quality rest and recovery. ⁣
⁣Train HARD & SMART

LIFTING LIGHT WEIGHT vs. HEAVY WEIGHT.⁣

LIFTING LIGHT WEIGHT vs. HEAVY WEIGHT.⁣
⁣What is better ? Is lifting heavy = more gainz? Is it essential ? ⁣
⁣It’s a very controversial topic that has a very simple answer actually, so here it is! ⁣
⁣Answer = GOOD FORM. ⁣
⁣Good FORM should be always your priority no matter what your goals are, what type of sports you are involved in, and how experienced you are. “Perfect” your form in every single exercise FIRST, and then challenge yourself with “heavier” weight, while maintaining a good form in whatever rep ranges you are following (rep ranges also depend on your goals, but this topic is for a whole another post). Never sacrifice proper technique over the heavy weight. ⁣
⁣Why it’s SO important ? ⁣
You will prevent injury. ⁣
⁣You will build more muscle in a long term. ⁣
⁣You will build more symmetrical physique, because you will learn how to target each and every single muscle group properly using mind-muscle connection. ⁣
⁣You will get stronger in a long term. ⁣
⁣You will improve your functionality. ⁣
⁣However, in regards to heavier weights more specifically. You want and SHOULD get stronger, because increased strength = increased muscle mass (progressive overload) BUT you gotta always maintain a proper execution of each exercise, and control every single rep on both: concentric and eccentric part of the movement. ⁣
⁣To conclude: Lift heavier weights, when you are actually getting stronger and maintaining a good form at the same time. Do not lift heavier weights, if you are NOT getting stronger, nor feeling confident enough with a proper execution of any exercise. Remain patient and take one step at a time. Keep it simple and don’t overthink this process, ladies and gentlemen, it’s a lot simpler then you think.