Welcome to my bubble: Favorite Workouts

Another semi-personal article today. And boy is this one going to be lengthy.

If I were stuck in an island and had to pick specific exercises to perform and could only perform one or two exercises per bodypart, well, aside from kicking whatever genie threw me on that godforsaken islands in the balls, I’d pick me some compound ones (exercises that incorporate many muscle groups simultaneously) and a handful isolation ones (one muscle group only).

A foregone conclusion in this piece is that you have been shown how to do all of these exercises in perfect form. I’ve attached a few videos along the article to help guide you but they are never a replacement of being shown how to do them by a seasoned veteran in real life to ensure you are doing them in perfect form.

Note: Compound exercises are also notable for boosting overall metabolism and triggering increased hormonal secretion for Growth and Testosterone hormones which are crucial for promoting muscle gain and boosting fat burning.

This one will tackle my number one exercises for the major muscle groups. Once again, this is not a list of directives nor does it portray bias towards any exercise over another. This is just the list I’d pick of what works best for me and what largely contributes to improving my physique.

This post isn’t meant to tell you how to do them I’ve posted videos for that, but always have an experienced lifter show you how to execute them safely and properly. This is merely a list of my favorite workouts.

Chest

Bench Press: Ah, a classic. Just saying it brings historically brilliant chests to mind such as Arnold or Serge Nubret. This workout is arguably one of the best in the world for contributing to upper body and pectoral development. The workout can be performed by barbells or dumbbells and some machines are actually decent enough to give you your money’s worth for this workout but I personally prefer the iron pump.

As a compound exercise, it activates muscle fibers in your front deltoids (shoulders), triceps and pectorals.

Flys: Another instant classic in the world of pumped chests. This move works by increasing the density of muscle fibers laterally across your pectorals - making them wider and more flat and less muscular tits. So that’s good. We want that.

You can perform those either using dumbbells or on specialized flys machines. Between bench press and flys, there really isn’t much else your chest need to develop. Obviously changing the degree of incline from flat, incline to decline depending on which part of your pectorals you want to hit.

Back

Lat pulldowns: Easily the machine equivalent of the classic pull-ups - albeit in reverse. This move works nearly every major muscle in your back and can be made quite different and fresh by using different grips and widths which can help focus on specific areas of your back and help you achieve more overall volume.

Deadlifts: Ain’t nothing like a compound classic to work your back and legs and get that growth hormone booming all throughout your body. This move is entirely dependent on perfect execution due to the load placed on your lower back and hips which aren’t exactly structurally powerful areas of your body. It’s important to nail down the form on this workout in order to really reap its benefits and better yet have an experienced lifter show you how to do it right. Don’t go overboard with weights on this one, a little can go a long way!

Shrugs: Although most people would rather hit their trapezius muscles on shoulder day, I find that traps are more closely related and activated more commonly during back day. There is a wide variety of ways, forms and grips to perform shrugs so be sure to check out some varieties on YouTube for reference.

Shoulders

Barbell/Dumbbell/Machine Shoulder Press: Arguably the best way to get some serious mass and development on your frontal deltoids (the biggest and most prominent part of your shoulders) You can dish out this workout using a barbell, dumbbells or a machine, whatever works for you really. Machines are recommended for beginners since they help you nail down the right form with dumbbells being a favorite for helping to strengthen the stabilizer muscles used for balance.

Lateral Raises: My personal favorite on shoulder day! Nothing gives your shoulder that nice round globe shape quite like lateral raises and when it comes to me personally, I find that  drop sets work out best where I dish out 4 sets of 12 reps, dropping the weight by 20% every 4 reps.

Rear deltoid raises: It’s not really a “round” shoulder without putting some focus on the rear side of it now is it? These are best performed using specialized rear deltoid machines or dumbbells. Make sure to really squeeze at the top of your reps to gain maximum impact.

Arms

Bicep Curls: An oldie but a goldie. No brain work needed there. Some muscles need the basics and not much else. It’s what works best for me personally.

Triceps Rope push downs: Possibly my absolute favorite to isolate my triceps as it works all aspects of the muscles quite nicely and gets that lactic acid pumping faster than anything else.

Abdominals

Plank: I’ve already spoken extensively about planking in previous posts and I will repeat myself here. There is no workout I attribute my core development to over the past years more than planks. It is a static exercise which really engages your entire core region and increases overall core strength which in turn helps you out in a wide variety of other workouts which call upon a strong and reliable core.

Hanging Raises: Keep in mind this workout is usually reserved for individuals operating at more advanced levels. Many, even experienced folk, make the mistake of utilizing momentum to drive the movement in this exercise but that’s something you should strive to avoid. This workout engages your entire core area by virtue of your abs raising your legs and lowering them (in a controlled motion) rather than a spring action in which the legs are driving the movement.

Legs

Squats: No squats? No booty! No other workout hits your entire lower body and aids in the development of your quads, glutes and hamstrings altogether at once. It’s another compound classic which pushes your body to release testosterone and growth hormone and aids in overall development of muscles and fat loss.

Leg extensions: Arguably my favorite in terms of quads isolation over any other exercise. It really helps with quad developments and more advanced individuals can even do this exercise one-legged (with a significant drop in weights!)

Leg curls: Deadlifts may hit your hamstrings hard but if some isolation is what you’re looking for, look no further than the legs curls machine to really get those hammies burning up. Once again you can do this exercise one-legged but be careful to maintain perfect form and not to place any stress on your lower back or hips.

Walking lunges: A classic from the golden age of bodybuilding back when your weights were rocks and tree logs. This workout can work your quads, hamstrings, glutes as well as your hip flexors and stabilizer muscles but be prepared for a crazy burn.

Calf Raises: Calves are type II muscles which means that you need to go hard and you need to go heavy if you want to overcome the fact that you’re not genetically predispositioned to have big diamond shaped calves.

Body weight (General)

Push ups: If you want to add some core strength and shake your workout routine up a bit when it comes to your chest, look no further than push ups. There’s a ton of variation you can input into your push ups all the way from beginner on your knees style to one handed-one legged ones. Push ups hit your chest, triceps and shoulders all at once in addition to engaging your core for stability.

Pull ups: You want a V-shaped taper type deal on your upper torso? Then you best make pull ups your new best friend. Near infinite variation in terms of forms and grips which can help target specific areas of your back.

Dips: Hands down the best thing that ever happened to both my chest and triceps. Arguably the best contribution it offers is to your lower pectorals as it helps make them more shapely. A definite must have in your chest/triceps day.

So there you have it folks. These are my favorites. Obviously there are other ones I add to the mix but these should give you a pretty general idea about the most important ones to include in your weightlifting routine to get an overall tone going.

Ladies, Please Cut That Shit Out

This one’s for the ladies in the house. Or the ones in the office. Or the street. Or the track. Or the gym. All the ladies really.

This is a topic I’m particularly passionate about and today’s blog post is about making a plea to all women.

Ladies…

STOP

FUCKING

SAYING

WEIGHTS

WILL

MAKE

YOU

BULKY

Let’s get one thing real straight because I’m about to science the shit out of your brains right now. Both men and women produce testosterone (most people think it’s a male only hormone but is indeed produced by both genders). The main difference is, men produce nearly ten folds the amount women do; for obvious reasons. Testosterone is one of the main hormones responsible for muscle synthesis and promoting fat burn.

When you ask a woman why she doesn’t lift, her response is usually along the lines of “OMG EW you want me to look like those oiled up freaks?! They look like men they probably have balls!”

This what you think will happen to you if you lift. You silly, silly woman

Now that you’ve expressed your narrow minded and stereotype/ill-founded belief regarding the effects of weight lifting on women, allow me to do you the honors of correcting your misbeliefs.

Let’s clarify something, as the above picture indicates, weight lifting CAN indeed lead to that type of physique developing. But you ought to know that she put in more work, effort, dedication (and possibly some hormonal experimentation) than you could ever muster if you work, go to school or have kids. This is her entire life. She gets paid to look like that. Plain and simple.

Back to hormones. As mentioned, both genders produce testosterone, but since men produce it on a much larger scale, its effect on the male body are more notable because it makes muscle synthesis and fat loss a much easier process for men than it is for women. Women also ought to know that they’re constantly fighting an uphill battle against their biology when they’re striving for fat loss. Aside from the body viewing fat as a survival currency for energy, being a woman also puts your body on extra guard mode because fat is essential for maintaining your menstrual cycle and supporting you through pregnancy; which is why the female body is even less forgiving about releasing fat from storage.

It is exactly for that specific reason that women must take weightlifting more seriously. Cardiovascular training is good and dandy but it’s very easy for your body to hit a plateau doing nothing but cardio every day. Weightlifting can prompt your body - via triggering the appropriate hormonal response - to burn more fat and put on muscle mass (albeit in much smaller growth percentages than men training at the same level). Weightlifting is also quite recommended for women due to the fact that a regular weight lifting routine prompts your body to increase bone density - something many women suffer from and lack due to pregnancies which suck out calcium from your bones to support the growing miracle (Read: monster) brewing inside of you.

In fact, if you are pregnant, your doctor will likely recommend that you do take up a weightlifting routine - albeit with serious reservations on what you can and cannot do - because of the aforementioned reasons! You can also check out this amazing article by a great friend of mine who found her inner gym beast in her pregnancy (not that she wasn’t a fitness freak before)

Now it’s important to note that I’m not asking you to bench press 100 kgs or squat 300 lbs here, but I am saying that your 2 lbs dumbbell bullshit isn’t exactly the trigger for your body to change a damn thing about itself. The trick is choosing moderate weights that are challenging but not impossible and to progressively increase/decrease/fluctuate weights per body part/muscle group as you progress and as your fitness goals change.

I personally know no less than 200 women who have complained to me personally about their disgruntled attitude with having arm wings (flabby triceps). You can do all the cardio in the world to make your arm (and body) thinner, but it won’t do jack shit to pull back loose skin and help your arms get a toned and firm look; that’s all weights baby girl!

“Right so that’s all nice talk and no walk so far, I’ve never seen a girl who lifts weights AND looks good. They all look dudes to me!”

Oh yee of little faith.

The above picture shows Bella Falconi, my absolute favorite reference in the realm of female fitness. 95% will think she’s “too much” and that she’s “push it too far” and I’d be tempted to agree with you for one reason. This is what she does for a living. It’s her job to look the way she does, but what’s more important is that she looks feminine whether you’d like to admit it or not. She’s muscular, she’s toned and she’s strong; but she sure as shit doesn’t look like any dude I know; even the most fabulous ones.

The point being, while you definitely won’t get to where she is at unless that is specifically your goal and you have an insane amount of dedication and patience (it took her YEARS to look like that), what you can achieve via incorporating weightlifting as a regular part of your fitness lifestyle has no limits!

Most of the women I know complain the most about how they’re putting in 6 days at the gym, sometimes for upwards of two hours doing all kinds of cardio on the treadmill, stair master, EFX machine and stationary bike but reporting little to no changes despite their massive efforts and dedication; ironically leading to their frustration, quitting and resort to comfort food. It doesn’t have to be like that! Your progress plateaus because you’re not changing what you’re doing, the human body is the pinnacle of evolution, not because we’re the strongest, fastest or smartests, but because we’re the most adaptive. Your body can quickly adapt to fitness routines which stop being challenging once your body builds a tolerance to their effects; rendering them just above useless.

Weightlifting changes all of that. There are a billion varieties in terms of the weights you’re lifting, the number of repetitions per set, the numbers of sets per exercise, the rest time between sets, the width of your grip, the type of weight you’re using (dumbbell, barbell, pulley, machine, etc.)

Needless to say, consult an expert trainer as well as a nutritionist in order to come up with a safe to execute plan that tackles both exercise and nutrition in a wholesome manner. You need to eat to give your body the nutrients it needs both to pack on muscle AND to burn fat. Yes, you need to eat to lose. Hard to believe but it’s true.

Fire up your questions my way by commenting on this post or by tweeting at me on @Foxicakes

Pancakes: The All-Time Naughty Breakfast Favorite (Or does it have to be?)

Pancakes. Who doesn’t love the ever living shit out of a goddamn pancake? If you’ve raised your hand to indicate being such a person, please exit my blog and never visit it again. Then proceed to hang yourself from the gonads, because we don’t need your filthy genes in the gene pool.

Now that we’ve got that settled, back to our main topic. Pancakes. We all love them. Sadly for any who wants to be fit, they’re not exactly known for their muscle building/fat burning qualities. They’re sugary, heavy and we often go the extra mile of covering them with syrup and butter, because why the fuck not? If I’m clogging my goddamn arteries, I might as well be a bona fide artist at it, right?

Lucky for you youngling, I’m about to introduce you to one pancake recipe you can actually enjoy tomorrow morning that won’t only NOT add onto your expanding waistline, it may as well help you lose fat and pack on some muscle while you’re at it too!

Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• 1 banana
• 50 ml skimmed milk or almond milk (or zero sugar soy milk if you like that foul-tasting crap - which you can find in Gourmet or major chain supermarkets) Note: Ideally, this recipe would utilize sugar free almond milk, but since we live in a country where your only option to drink almond milk is to make your own, we’ll switch out to local ingredients for convenience’s sake. But lo and behold I've taught you how to make you own if you think it's worth it to really get the recipe just perfect!
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons flaked oats - my recommended brand is  Emco’s Flacons D’Avoine and you can find it in damn near any supermarket around the cereal section in Cairo. If you have access to Quinoa from abroad it'd be fantastic as well since it's gluten-free.
• 1 tablespoon of honey (I prefer Royal jelly honey - most brands are the same, Isis, Vitrac it doesn't really matter)

Process:

• Separate the yolk from the white of your eggs (you can discard the yolk or choose to use it for something else if you are baking for instance!)
• Mix all the above ingredients in a blender or food processor until the desired pancake mix consistency has been achieved.
• Add on a sauce pan on your stove on low heat (just like you would an omelette or normal pancake mix) until it cooks
• Keep dishing out those bad boys and stack’em up on your plate

Bonus Tip: You can dice up strawberries, bananas or kiwis to add atop your pancakes to add more vitamins, anti-oxidants and fibers. You can also add almonds, pistachios or cashews to taste. Seasoned kitchen veterans can also add a tablespoon of nut butter into the blender to ensure that nutty taste becomes part of every bite.

Additionally, you can make some high protein sauce for your pancakes using whey protein. All you need is to mix one scoop of whey protein (preferably Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard chocolate flavor - or any flavor you prefer, it’s your dish goddamit) with 50 ml of skimmed milk/almond milk (or the zero sugar soy milk) and heat in the microwave under high power for 20-30 seconds and voila! You now have some high protein (roughly 24-30 grams of protein) sauce syrup to garnish your high protein pancakes.

Personally, I think it’d be a crime if you don’t work your ass off in the gym or the track right after enjoying this beauty. Your body’s now loaded with complex carbs and a ton of protein; creating the optimal condition for you to dish out some exercises and sweat it up.

Let me know how it tastes and comment below with your own healthy twist or additions you can think of to make it even tastier (and healthier)

Supplementation 101: The "Must Have" Supplements

Editor’s note: I do not endorse any specific brands above others. Any brands/imagery shared on this post is based on my personal preferences and previous uses of such products and are not a direct endorsement or bias towards one brand or product over another.

First of all, there are no “must have” supplements. You know this because I wrote no back there in bold, italic and underlined, so you can tell I’m dead serious. The very notion behind the word supplement is in the meaning of the word. It “supplements” you but it is not a replacement for real meals and real food.

That being said, supplements DO help. The trick here is identifying which ones you need depending on your goals, how often to consume, and how much in order to service both your body and your wallet whilst staying away from the harmful stuff.

Needless to say, unless you have a medical condition, any supplements which are anabolic steroids based are a major No No. These - usually in the form of injections - act as a substitute to other male hormones such as Testosterone which trigger muscle growth - among other effects on the body. Obviously replacing your body’s own production cycle with an external one can and does indeed wreak absolute havoc inside. The adverse effects can be in some cases as bad as having permanently disable natural hormone production due to testicular atrophy in men as the body renders the organ useless in the presence of a synthetic alternative.

Fat Loss & Energy Boosters

Add to the list of baddies the majority of pills that advertise themselves as “fat burners”. Most of these products act by preventing the emulsification of fat, a process by which your body breaks down fat before it goes through your small intestine. Once again, even those amongst you who slept through biology class may realize that hindering a naturally occurring process does not mean good news. Not only do you need to eat fats, but some fats are absolutely crucial for everyday functions including the synthesis and production of the very hormones that trigger fat loss and muscle growth. That being said, there are “fat burners” that do work. Just not the way you think. Fat burners that operate on the mode of increasing your body temperature have a positive effect on fat loss via increased thermogenic effect.

Some sample products in the realm of fat loss include Pro Lab’s “Caffieine” - which you can get from Seif Pharmacies. Caffeine has a notable effect on boosting your body’s thermogenic effect and with 200 mg of the good stuff per pill, you’re guaranteed quite the sweat (plus some intense focus during your workout) without the negative effects such as jitters or crashing. I personally consume only one (and you should never take more than one) of these bad boys 20-30 minutes prior to my workout. Works like a charm every time. Other products with similar effects include green tea extracts (which are also loaded with caffeine).

Pre-workout Proteins

BCAAs, or Branched-Chain Amino Acids for chemists and biology fanatics, are basic building blocks of essential amino acids. The name refers to the unique chemical structure of these amino acids which include isoleucine, leucine and valine. BCAAs are notable for their use in the treatment in various health conditions. They are also most known and used by athletes for their ability to reduce muscle breakdown during intense workout and increasing overall performance during exercise.

These are usually aggregated in pill form (or powders) and are best consumed prior to your workout. They act by providing a steady stream of these essential amino acids throughout your body, instantly lending support to any muscles which require more proteins as your workout starts to take its toll. My personal favorite brand is by Optimum Nutrition (picture below) with 400 capsules in the bottle (4 pills per serving) that can easily last two months at a rather low cost. You can probably find that or equivalent brands in Seif Pharmacies or supplement specialty shops.

Whey Protein was previously discussed in prior articles and has an honorable mention in this piece as both a pre and post workout supplement choice. Whey is derived from milk and is a special brand of protein that is readily and instantaneously digested by the body when consumed, providing a quick surge in proteins and other nutrients to your muscles. Consuming whey protein prior to your workout is most commonly done as a pre-workout meal of its own with additions to the powder scoop in the blender (you can add milk, yogurt, banana, dates, honey, etc.) My favorite brand is once again Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard whey as it does not clump, mixes very well with almost any liquid with minimal stirring and shaking and a wide variety of flavors to satisfy all different tastes (CHOCOLATE RULES!)

Post-workout Proteins/Carbs

Whey Protein was mention above as a pre workout supplementation intake but it is more commonly used as a post workout choice due to the instant delivery nature of whey protein, providing your muscles with proteins and other nutrients right when it is needed the most. One scoop of Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard whey protein provides 24 grams of protein, 4 grams of BCAAs, 3 grams of fat and 1 gram of carbs standing at 120 calories. Other brands can pack on more proteins and a more rapid rate of digestion at varying price ranges, various package sizes with different flavors. Some of them can make you bloated so experimentation is key here.

Casein Protein is the antagonist to whey - not that it cancels it out - in that unlike whey (which is instantly digested) it can take up to eight hours to be processed by the body. This is arguably the supplement of choice for hardcore weight lifters and fitness enthusiasts who want to give their body something to keep working on before bedtime. Casein protein act by means of supplying a controlled stream of proteins throughout the digestion process, preventing your body from going into a state of catabolism during your sleep. Editors Note: I only used to take this in the past back when I was an iron buff, it made me a bit bloated but I know others whom it did not affect as such so definitely not a generalized effect, but the Optimum Nutrition variety tasted amazing (Chocolate fudge is indeed an available flavor).

According to Wikipedia, “Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscle. This is achieved by increasing the formation of adenosine triphosphate.” Simply stated, creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body (not hormonal) which can help improve your muscles’ ability to store more energy. It is naturally synthesized by your body and derived from amino acids - mostly in the liver and kidneys - and then transported to the muscles via the blood stream. It's also worth noting that more than 95% of your total creatine storages are found within skeletal muscle.

Creatine is stored within muscle fibers and cells so while you might assume it’s best consumed prior to your workout (and most people do so) it’s in fact the other way around. Since Creatine is stored in your muscles and produced by the body, your muscles are already loaded with it before you start working out and as such are in desperate need of replacement and refuelling AFTER your workout. Aim for buying Creatine Monohydrate brands which are pure creatine and nothing else. If you can find a flavorless one all the better, it might taste like crap but it’d have less additives and chemicals. My brand of choice and the one I currently use is CreaLean by Labrada.

Multi-vitamins

Drop the goddamn Centrum right fucking now. That shit is for pregnant women, ladies going through menopause and senile citizens. You workout. You lift. You run. You kick ass and take names. You cross the Great Wall of China via handstands only while eating glass noodles using the power of focus. You….I forget where I was going with this. Right, multivitamins, yes.

It’s pretty important to choose the right brand which offers you a good mix of all the important vitamins and minerals, not just that, but one that packs enough of a punch to make a difference. Remember that you get the majority of your vitamin intake from your nutrition, and your body is quite adept at synthesizing some of them (Vitamin D for instance is created naturally in the body via skin exposure to UV light, i.e., the sun!)

My personal favorite brand recommendation includes Optimum Nutrition’s “OptiMen” which packs enough of a punch that you only need to take one pill per day (180 pills per bottle) in the morning unless you weigh more than 90 kgs in which case you need to up the ante by one more pill at night. Overall it’s pretty good although the texture of the pill makes it hard to swallow without a ton of water and its odor is a tad foul.

Another personal favorite and the one I currently use and have been using for some time is “Anavite” by Gaspari Nutrition. The bottle tells you to take three pills a day, but you really only need two, one in the morning and one at night. Works like a charm. Odor isn’t too bad, and the pill coating makes it super easy to gulp down.

It’s easy to forget that some of these, such as whey and casein, are just supplements seeing as they can give you nutritional resources equivalent or even superior to some meals. But remember that they are no replacement, but a mere supplement. And remember that the abuse of anything - even healthy protein shakes - can have adverse effects. I know plenty of folks who ended up gaining fat by over-consuming and relying on whey shakes (which pack more than just proteins). Stick to the serving sizes on the label - or adjust according to body weight - as per your workout plan. If you’re not working out today, you can skip out on the workout shake unless you’re a powerlifter with intense metabolism that burns through muscle without enough protein. As a rule of thumb, you need an average of 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you weigh 70 kgs, you need to be ingesting about 140 grams of protein a day for maintenance only, increase at your discretion for muscle gains while avoiding too much intake to avoid fat gain and so on.

Does everyone need supplements? Not really. Our ancestors have gotten by just fine with good old fashioned nutrition and exercise. But we’re not our ancestors, my office desk lifestyle does not offer me the luxury of increased activity so I must seek out help where I can. Our ancestors didn’t have complex notions about body fat % or the overly complex fitness goals and ambitions we’ve developed today. I doubt - at least the ease of it - that one achieve a body fat % under 8% while weight lifting relying on proper - even perfect - nutrition alone. Supplements do help. Just don’t abuse them.

Obviously there’s like a billion other supplements out there you can take for all kinds of things, but these are the ones that matter to me. It’s my blog goddammit I write about what I want!

I’d say these form the cornerstones of my supplementation strategy, coupled with a powerful multi-vitamin, they can be a formidable arsenal which supplements your wholesome and balanced nutrition and aid you at reaching your fitness goals. As with anything you put into your body, consult a professional nutritionist or licensed physical trainer before going through a full-on supplementation course.