AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE

ISSUE 109 - 9/20/2006

1. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."
- William James

One of many things I have learned after doing 109 newsletters is you never know where the quote of the week will come from. This week's quote is from the back of a rice ice cream box. Regardless it is a great intro to this week's theme.

Often in life we avoid trying new things because we are waiting for someone else to carve a path for us. Preferably someone we know. I wonder how much in life we miss out on due to waiting for someone else to take the initiative. You see it everywhere from the trivial to the profound. Have you ever been at a stop light waiting for the walking signal? All of a sudden someone decides to jay walk and a few people simply follow him without thinking. This happens all of the time. In a previous sales job I used to put flyers on bulletin boards with pull tabs. My manager would always tell me to pull a few tabs off before putting the flyers up. His reasoning was that no one wants to be the first one and if every pull tab is on the flyer no one will pull a tab off. At the time I found that hard to believe and decided to do an experiment. I pulled some tabs off of a few flyers and left all of the tabs on some other flyers. What happened? The flyers with a few tabs pulled off did much better. In fact none of the tabs were pulled off from the other flyers. Of course flyers and jay waking are trivial examples. I once read about a woman that was brutally murdered in plain sight. The neighbors simply watched the entire event unfold and did nothing. Why? Each witness was waiting for someone else to make the first move.

We really are a leader follower society in which a few people lead and the rest follow. This is relinquishing way too much responsibility to others. How do you know someone is worth following? How many opportunities have you missed from waiting for someone to provide an example for you? Probably far more than you realize.

One of the reasons why we often desire to follow others is due to the "delegation theory." Early on in our lives we delegate our life paths to others. First our parents tell us what to do. Then our teachers tell us what to do. Finally our bosses, friends, and significant others tell us what to do. We eventually believe that we cannot do anything on our own and have to hire a "professional" for everything. Need to do your taxes? Do not even think about doing it on your own. What if you do something wrong. The IRS will be all over you. Want to learn how to invest? Do not even think about doing your own research. Hire an expert and hope for the best. Fear is one of the best manipulation tools. The more fearful someone has the more he or she wants to be rescued. The more fear you have the greater a target you are to the manipulators of the world.

Now of course you cannot do everything on your own and need to delegate a lot of things to others. We all need teachers and learning from others is one of the greatest joys in life. However, there is a big difference from having a teacher and having a Guru. A great teacher wants to help you grow and become a greater individual and set you free, while a Guru wants to strip you of your individuality and enslave you.

When you take control of your life you move towards emancipation. Moving towards emancipation ironically often causes more fear. Fear of the unknown, fear that you cannot handle the burden, and fear of change. Fear is not something you can eradicate. Nor is fear something you should try to eradicate as we need fear. However, fear like the ego needs to be tamed and channeled to allow for a fulfilling life.

What are you missing out on from waiting for someone else to carve a path for you? Be brutally honest with yourself and be the leader of your life.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

Mike Mahler

2. HELP THE KATRINA VICTIMS

My friend and top body worker Dianna Linden recently sent me a list of non-profit organizations for helping out the Katrina Victims. Here is the list:

I encourage you to take a look at the above organizations and make a donation to the one that sits well with you. Also if you want to help out animals, make a donation to http://www.bestfriends.org.

3. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH POWER TALK

This issue's Aggressive Strength Power Talks is with top powerlifting coach Marty Gallager. Marty is one of my favorite fitness writers and is the author of an outstanding book on powerlifting great Ed Coan entitled, "Coan: The Man, The Myth, The Method." Marty's articles have appeared in: Muscle & Fitness, Muscle Media, and Milo. Marty is a no nonsense fitness expert and has a super informative website. Make sure you check it out at MartyGallagher.com.

MM: How did you get into strength training?

MG: Football. ... 1962 captured my 1st national title as a teen Olympic lifter in 1968 ? most recent was AAU world master champion in 2005.

MM: What are the biggest mistakes that trainees make?

MG: Too many to mention - depends on the individual - to pick one: under-training, not training with enough intensity to trigger hypertrophy - hypertrophy is a switch, a nuclear explosion not a gradual process ... without hard training nothing of any physical significance will occur ... the reasons beginners progress rapidly then stagnate is initially everything is significantly intense?once the adaptive response occurs, no more progress ... of course by then the immature trainee has assigned mythological powers to the beginner routine.

MM: With regards to successful fat loss, what % is training and what % is diet? What about strength and size training?

MG: Fat loss? Its ultra-simple: unless the energy balance equation is tipped into the negative no fat loss is possible - period! Muscle mass and strength? There is an undeniable correlation between getting stronger and increasing muscle size - by becoming SIGNIFICANTLY stronger the target muscles become SIGNIFICANTLY larger.

MM: Why do most people fail to achieve their training goals?

MG: Stupid methodology compounded with insufficient intensity.

MM: What are the five most important things for a weight lifter to do to ensure success?

MG: Sound methodology (1) compounded with incredible intensity (2) utilizing a smooth rotation of modes (3) that continually tweaks the content of the workout (4) and is supported by performance-aiding nutrition (5) that provides enough (but too many) calories thereby allowing the athlete to stay anabolic and avoid catabolism (6)

MM: Many trainees make the mistake of knowing more about nutrition supplements than effective training. What are the benefits if any of nutrition supplements and are there any you recommend?

MG: Supplements are designed to SUPPLEMENT not replace regular foods ? supplements used properly and judiciously can add 10% to the athlete?s overall progress. All serious athletes need supplemental protein? post-workout smart bomb supplementation actually enhances workout results ? a post-workout smart-bomb of high BV protein and malt dextrin carb powder works wonders and can be consumed DURING the workout to curtail end-of-session energy nosedives while simultaneously fueling muscle tissue battered and traumatized by an effective, high intensity workout the only kind of workout worth a damn.

MM: Can you provide an example of an effective program for strength training? Fat loss?

MG: Have your readers check out my website MartyGallagher.com for the lowdown on both.

MM: Where do you stand on steroid use?

MG: Adamantly opposed - check out my recent article on steroid cheats run last week at the website. Maid Marion Jones of Balco fame was busted day before yesterday for EPO - great news for all of us who knew she was and had been getting away with figurative murder for years.

MM: In addition to tons of athletes using steroids, testosterone and GH are far more available legally to the masses. Do for see an increase in "regular people" test-driving these substances?

MG: Not really - access to these substances are tough for regular people - unlike buying a bag of weed you don't drive to an urban corner to cop GH or winstrol V - hard to find and GH is exorbitantly expensive?

MM: What are the benefits of strength training that one can transfer to other areas of life?

MG: You can beat the hell out of a nagging boss far easier with a 400-pound bench press.

MM: Last I heard, you were working on a reality TV show. How is that going and can you tell the readers more about it?

MG: Limbo - shot it, got results for everyone involved, were told that there was a "glut" of fitness reality shows and perhaps after the market cools down a bit.'

MM: Any new projects in the works?

MG: Yes I have a seminar coming up with Kirk Karwoski. Here's an abbreviated version of what I have on my site.

Kirk Karwoski and Marty Gallagher are going to throw a resistance seminar on Sunday October 8th in downtown Washington DC. This will be a wide-ranging three hour comprehensive talk fest that will include demonstrations, explanations and audience participation.

Generally speaking we are going to take an hour apiece to go over leg training, torso training and back training. Since both Kirk and I preach the Purposeful Primitive approach to resistance training the entire seminar will be done using a lone barbell. As the two of us brainstormed the format, one underlying philosophic idea came repeatedly to the surface: the infinite variety of possibilities available with a bar and some weights. We are proud minimalists in a world of dazzling distraction.

Resistance training has become muddled and fuzzy and most of the inexactitude and ineffectualness of modern progressive resistance training can be traced back to a larger societal malady: too much variety. Back when I was coming up all we had were barbells and dumbbells and that was a blessing in disguise. We were forced to use free-weights since machines had not been invented. As it turns out, free-weight movements are superior to machine movements insofar as effectiveness and return on exercise investment. Machines eliminate side-to-side control, the ?third dimension of tension,? and that significantly reduces muscular stimulation. Old timers were forced to be inventive using our barbells and dumbbells. Because our exercise menu was so limited we were forced to develop technique modifications that elicited different results from the same basic movements.

At our Purposefully Primitive seminar Kirk and I will share the infinite variety of exercise possibilities available to any individual with imagination and determination. We have decided to share some of this pent up information in an expanded seminar format.

If you live in the DC or Baltimore area and would like to attend, the date is Sunday, October 8th between 11 and 2pm. If you can't make it to the seminar, it will be videotaped and the DVD will be sold at my site MartyGallagher.com

Contact me at somg@supernet.com for further information or to reserve your copy of the DVD. Please include ?seminar? in the message portion so I won?t flush it as spam. Hope to see you there.

MM: Looks like an incredible seminar Marty! Thanks again for doing the interview.

MG: You got it.

Folks, make sure you check out Marty's super informative website at MartyGallagher.com Marty is also available for phone consultations at a great price. Shoot him an email for more info: somg@supernet.com.

4. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH TRAINING ARTICLE

The End Of Painfully Boring Cardio Workouts

By Mike Mahler

When was the last time that you got excited about doing some cardio? Doing traditional forms of cardio such as riding an exercise bike or running on a treadmill are about as exciting as watching a movie on the family channel. Lets face it one of the main reasons why people give up on cardio is similar to why smart people do not watch daytime television as both are beyond boring. Moreover, with regular cardio it takes too long to see results to persevere through the boredom. Do not believe me? Take a trip down to your local gym and look at the people in an aerobics class. Now go back in a month and see if you notice any physique composition differences. See what I mean? Fortunately there are several alternatives that offer more variety, are more challenging, and produce faster results. I am going to cover three highly effective fat loss programs in this article: PHA, HOC, and the “Descending Sets” Program.

Lets start off the boring cardio revolt with PHA. PHA stands for Peripheral Heart Action. P.H.A is basically an intense form of circuit training in which you group several exercises together that work the entire body. Instead of pumping a lot of blood into one muscle, the goal according to John McCallum, author of "The Complete Keys To Progress", "is to increase your circulation enormously without congesting your muscles. You pump blood through your muscles rather than just into them." The keys with P.H.A training are to one focus on compound exercises and to move from one exercise to the next as quickly as possible. Feel free to take one-minute breaks in the beginning between each exercise and reduce the breaks gradually over time until you are not resting at all in between each set. P.H.A workouts usually start with two groups of circuits per workout. Do five rounds in group one and then five rounds in group two. I have met very few trainees that can handle this much volume initially. Thus, I would start with one group and build up to multiple groups from there. Here are some sample PHA workouts:

BEGINNER

Group 1:

Here is how the program works. Do each exercise in Group One in circuit fashion. In other words, do one exercise after the other with short or no breaks. At the end of the sequence, take a one-minute break and then repeat four more times for a total of five rounds. If necessary, take one-minute breaks between each exercise and when you can do all five rounds with one-minute breaks, decrease the breaks to forty-five seconds. Work on getting down to no breaks in between each workout. At that point increase the weight on each exercise.

ADVANCED

Group 1:

Group 2:

Do five rounds of Group 1 with one-minute breaks in between each set. Take a one-minute break after all five rounds have been completed and then move on to Group 2. Do five rounds of Group 2 with one-minute breaks. Decrease the breaks in between each exercise and work on getting down to no breaks between the exercises in each group. Continue to take a one to two minute break in between each group.

In addition to being an outstanding program for fat loss and muscular endurance, PHA is also effective for strength training. You cannot beat that. If fat loss and endurance are your main goals then try doing three PHA workouts per week. Take a day off in between each workout. For example, do the workouts on M-W-F. Avoid doing additional cardio on the days off. If your goal is strength and size then try doing two full body 5x5 workouts per week and two moderate PHA workouts per week. Moderate meaning no more than one group. Do the 5x5 workouts on Monday and Thursday and the PHA workouts on Tuesday and Friday.

Next, lets move on to HOC, which stands for High Octane Cardio. HOC is brutal and not for the faint of heart. I mean that literally and figuratively. If you have high blood pressure, you want to clear this program with your doctor as your heart rate is going to go through the roof with HOC training. HOC is based on a form of training that boxer's use called "Roadwork." Legendary boxers such as Muhammad Ali used to do "Roadwork" in order to get in great fighting shape. "Roadwork" is still a staple in the arsenal of today's fighting elite. Here is how it works, go out for a jog and every fifty yards or so, drop down and do some bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups. Crank out twenty-five reps and then get up immediately and start jogging again. After another fifty yards or so, drop down again and crank out some more bodyweight drills. This is a very efficient way to build up cardio and muscular endurance that will carry over to the ring. It is also an extremely effective method for fat burning. Regardless, you can increase the benefits of "Roadwork" tremendously by combining moderate aerobic training with high intensity aerobic training in the form of ballistic weight training. Ballistic weight training is a form of weight training in which weights are moved quickly and explosively. One obvious example is Olympic Weight Training. Of course, it would not be prudent to use exercises that are technically demanding such as Barbell Cleans and Barbell Snatches. However, ballistic exercises done with dumbbells or kettlebells are a fit assuming that you are familiar with exercise such as Dumbbell Cleans, Dumbbell Snatches and Dumbbell Swings. If not, get your form down with those exercises before doing them in the context of an HOC program. Here are some sample HOC Programs:

BEGINNER

Do each round back to back and then take a one-minute break before going to the next round. A round is one set of jump rope work and one ballistic exercise set. When you can do all eight rounds with one-minute breaks, decrease the breaks to forty-five seconds. Work on getting the breaks down to thirty seconds per round. If you really want to become a machine then work on getting the beaks down to zero. Just do not rush into it, crawl before you can run or you will be crawling after each workout. If you find this program too demanding, then switch to Richard Simmons’ “Sweating To The Oldies” workout. Just kidding, just increase the breaks between each round and take a break between the jump rope work and ballistic exercise work as well.

ADVANCED

Really go at it with the heavy bag work, which by the way is a blast and very tiring as well. Throw some punches, kicks, bitch slap the bag a few times. You get the idea. Take a minute to catch your breath and then crank out the ballistic work set. Rest for thirty seconds and go right into another round. Work on getting the breaks down between the heavy bag work and ballistic exercise sets and in between each round. Ease into this one gradually. If your main goal is fat loss, do three HOC workouts per week and do one full body strength workout. For example do HOC on M-W-F and do one 5x5 full body workout on Saturday. Do two full body 5x5 workouts per week and two moderate HOC workouts per week if you want to train for size and strength and as a secondary goal increase muscular endurance. Just stick with six to eight rounds of HOC at a moderate intensity.

Finally, lets move right into the “Descending Sets Program.” I picked up this killer program from my friend Marc Lobliner. Here is how the program works. Pick a ballistic exercise such as Dumbbell Cleans, Dumbbell Swings, or Dumbbell Snatches. I prefer to do these exercises with kettlebells but Dumbbells will suffice if that is all you have. You just will not impress the opposite sex as much. Knock of a set of fifteen reps in the first set and then take a short break. Do another set of fifteen reps and take another short break. Then do a set of twelve reps. See where this is going? As the program continues the reps decrease and boy will you be glad that they are as you will be huffing and puffing like a locomotive after a few sets. Here are some sample programs:

BEGINNER

Pick the One-arm Dumbbell Swing and do the following set and rep scheme:

Pick a weight that you can knock off twenty reps with. Take one-minute breaks between each set and work on getting the breaks down to thirty seconds. When you can do all ten sets with thirty-second breaks, increase the weight by five to ten pounds. This workout is a smoker but it can get a lot worse. Just try doing it with One-arm Kettlebell Snatches or better yet snatch your girlfriend, pun intended. Now that is brutal.

ADVANCED

After a few months of taking it easy with the beginner “Descending Sets Program”, it is time to take it up a notch. Start by picking a harder exercise such as Snatches or Clean and Push Presses. Now instead of doing one-arm work, do double work. In other words, have a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand. Double Snatches are brutal so try doing Double Clean and Push Presses first and make sure you train on an empty stomach or you will end the workout on a forced empty stomach.

Do the following with Dumbbell Clean and Push Presses

Take one-minute breaks between each set and work on getting the breaks down to thirty seconds. When you can do all ten sets with thirty-second breaks, increase the weight by five to ten pounds. An option is to add a rep to keep adding reps to sets 3-10 until you are eventually doing 10x15 per workout. A worthy goal that will take some time and have a major payoff in serious fat loss and increased muscular endurance. Try adding two “Descending sets” workouts to your regimen per week if you wan to add some endurance and fat loss work to your program. If you main goal is fat loss, then try three “Descending Sets” workouts per week and one full body strength-training program per week. Again the 5x5 program is a good option.

The end of boring cardio programs is upon us. Three programs for trainees that are bored to death with standard cardio programs. Pick one of these programs and get to work. When you get tired of one program rotate it with another one. Be creative with these workouts and have a good time. If you find the programs too hard, do not worry you can always check out Richard Simmons’ ‘Sweating To The Oldies” program or pick up a tae-bo DVD at Target.

5. GET THE AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH DVD COMBO PACK TODAY

Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength

Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength

If you enjoy lifting light kettlebells and have no desire to be strong with a powerful physique, then this DVD is not for you. However, if you are ready for a new challenge with kettlebells and desire to maximize the benefits of kettlebell training, get this DVD today.

The Kettlebell Solution For Size And Strength will show how to get much stronger with kettlebells and build a muscular physique as well. This detailed DVD is for all levels and covers the basics enough for beginners and offers new challenges for experienced kettlebell lifters.

» Click Here for More Information, or:

Kettlebell Solution for Speed and Explosive Power

Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength

Super comprehensive kettlebell training DVD that goes over how to build speed and explosive power in four different categories: Full body explosive power, Upper body explosive power, Lower body explosive power, and Rotational explosive power. Translation? You will be one explosive hombre after you practice the exercises on this DVD and follow the programs in the Free Kettlebell Training DVD E-book. I did not leave anything out on this DVD. Even if you do not care about getting faster and more explosive, you will love the wide variety of exercises that this kettlebell training DVD contains.

» Click Here for More Information, or:

6. 2007 AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH KETTLEBELL WORKSHOPS

Interested in hosting or sponsoring an Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Training Workshop?
» Click Here for More Information

Attention: I will no longer be doing workshops in Northern VA/DC, Denver, and Northern CA.

February 24, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Los Angeles, CA
» Click Here for More Information (Only 2007 LA Workshop)

March 10, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV
» Click Here for More Information

March 11, 2007:

Mahler Level 2 Advanced Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV
» Click Here for More Information

May 12, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in New York City, NY
» Click Here for More Information

May 13, 2007:

Mahler Level 2 Advanced Kettlebell Workshop in New York City, NY
» Click Here for More Information

May 20, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Plus Kettlebell Training Workshop in Miami, FL
» Click Here For More Info (Only 2007 Miami Workshop)

September 15, 2007:

Mahler-Shaffer Level 1 PLus Kettlebell Workshop In Dallas, TX
» Click Here For More Information (Only 2007 Dallas Workshop)

7. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH PERSONALIZED PROGRAM DESIGN SERVICES

"Lost 10 lbs and went down from a size 12 to a size 8 in jeans – that was something I expected not to happen for another 10-15 more lbs! So thanks for your guidelines – they really have helped a lot."
- Michele Milevoi

Tired of trial and error? Want a training program that actually works? Click here for more info!

8. NEW AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

I have just added some great new products to my website including: medicine balls, the ultimate portable gym, and some pull-up straps that allow you to do a pull-ups anywhere! Click here.

9. THE AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH SOLUTION FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR

Tired of terrible hotel gyms and getting out of shape on the road? Tired of doing bodyweight only routines in your hotel room because there are no other options? You need Lifeline's resistance cable products. Not only are they light and portable but they provide enough resistance to humble the strongest athletes around. Click here for more info

10. KETTLEBELL TRAINING INFORMATION PAGE (NEW)

http://www.mikemahler.com/kettlebell_info.html

11. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

http://www.mikemahler.com/newsletter

12. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH ARTICLES

http://www.mikemahler.com/articles.html

13. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH TRAINING JOURNAL

http://www.mikemahler.com/journal.html

14. RECOMMENDED READING LIST

http://www.mikemahler.com/reading.html

Until next time.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

Feel free to email me with your comments and feedback at mahler25@yahoo.com

Mike Mahler