Beautify Me !

Six weeks ago I received an email from a customer, telling me how much he and his son have benefitted from my teachings - and how they'd "like to take me to lunch" when they came to Florida in late March.

At that point a red flag went up.

I put the red flag down a few seconds later, and I'll tell you why shortly, but before I do, you may wonder WHY the "red flag."

Well, the long and the short of it is that success or "fame" brings with it a lot of other things, and if you don't have your priorities in order, you can really get thrown you out of whack.

Sometime ago I realized that in order for me to function, I needed to withdraw from and not do many of the things that others would like me to do. Like take me to lunch; or speak to me by phone - or exchange emails ad infinitum. There's just no way I could keep up with the demand, so my solution was to stop doing all of it.

And so, it's no secret to many that I am a private person. Truth is I have to be to preserve my own health and well-being. I have to be in order to give my family the love and attention they deserve. In my life, after my health and my family, everything else comes in, at best, third.

This is why a "red flag" goes up when I hear the magic words, "take you to lunch."

Some situations, however, are DIFFERENT. And this one most certainly was.

The man writing me, Tobin Clark, was the father of an 18 year old boy, Corey, who was born with cerebral palsy.

About 15 months ago, after struggling in pain for years, Corey underwent bilateral hip replacement surgery (that's both at the same time - OUCH).

Being I knew something about this surgery, imagine my surprise when the father followed by saying, "And Corey has been following your Combat Conditioning program with great success."

What????????

THIS, I had to see.

So I contacted Tobin and told him that although he and Corey wanted to meet me - I was really more interested in metting THEM.

I said, "We may have time for lunch, but first I want to see what your son can do. Tell him to bring workout gear."

Tobin wrote back and said they would be glad to.

Last week I met them for a workout. When I walked through the double-doors to greet them, young Corey stood next to his father, looking at me, holding himself up with crutches.

I walked toward him, held my hand out and looked him in the eye. Corey took one hand off his crutches and shook my hand.

The three of us went into a workout area. I'm still wondering 'How can this guy do Combat Conditioning?'

When we stood next to the mat, Tobin told me that Corey was able to do handstand pushups and Hindu pushups and the bridge fairly well. Naturally though, he had trouble with the squats.

"Handstand pushups???" I thought. "Well, let me see how you do them."

Corey put down his crutches, slowly walked toward the wall and got down on the floor. His father stood between his legs, grabbed hold of his legs and in an instant, Corey was in the handstand position.

He started cranking out the reps while my wife took pictures. Both of us are looking at each other and saying, "Wow."

After Corey did about 12 reps without much effort, I told him "that's good enough."

I then worked with him on some exercises he could do in place of Hindu squats - giving him three variations of the wall chair as well as teaching him how to breathe deeply when he held each position.

Corey was amazed at the difference. I was even more amazed at his determination.

Then we went onto the mat and Corey showed me his gymnastic bridge. Unreal.

"When he started," said Tobin, "he couldn't get his head off the mat."

I gave Corey some pointers on improving the bridge, then we moved onto various styles of pushups and situps.

While he was doing the exercises I prescribed, Tobin said that Corey began my program last November. He said that Corey was lifting weights to get stronger, and as a result of getting his bench press up to 180 (Corey weighs 130), he hurt his lower back and his shoulder.

But once he started following Combat Conditioning, the pain went away and Corey got stronger. In fact, after six weeks Corey decided to test himself on the bench, to see how it felt. To his surprise, he benched 200; twenty pounds better than his previous best.

When he told the strength coaches, one said, "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

The other said, "There's just no way you went up 20 pounds on the bench just from doing pushups." No matter how much Corey insisted, the coach refused to believe it. Too bad for him.

Near the end of the session Tobin told me that occasionally someone at school gets the "wise" idea to pick on Corey.

"You're kidding me?" I said.

"No," said Corey. "Last month a kid pushed me from behind in the hallway and his friend, who was in front, tried to trip me."

"What happened?" I asked. "Did you get knocked to the floor?"

"No, I caught myself before that could happen," said Corey. "And I just starting whaling on the guys until my friend pulled me away."

"Wait a second? Your friend pulled you away? What exactly were you doing to whale on them?"

"I took my crutches and started whacking them in the shins. And when one leg reacts in pain I whack the other one. I just keep going until they're on the ground in agony."

I laughed uncontrollably. "Serves those s.o.b.'s right," I said.

After the workout I agreed to continue our conversation over lunch. I spent over an hour teaching Corey how all that has happened to him can be used to help others around the country who have had the same problem.

Last week I received an email from Corey. It reads as follows:

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"Mr. Furey, Thanks for letting me meet with you and talking with you. What you have done for me I find hard to put in words. It has been a life change for me. I feel blessed by God to know that people like you are out there and are willing to help. Thanks for everything."

Corey Clark

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I have written this story as inspiration for all of us, myself included.

I have also written it because it is the perfect situation to examine when you catch yourself making excuses about why you can't do it.

Can't do it????

I think Corey Clark would have something to say about that.

He truly is kicking butt and taking names.

One of the criticisms leveled at me in regard to Combat Conditioning and my other products is that I use "hype" to promote them. Strange notion, indeed.

Those who send me their testimonials don't feel like what they are sending me is "hype.: They know it is the truth - and they're living proof. I'll give you some more "proof" in a moment, but first ...

If you want to "stay motivated" and be inspired to better all your previous bests, then make me your online personal trainer. Along with my team of professionals, we will give you all the advice you need to get into the best shape of your life. For more information on this program go to mattfurey


Okay, onto a couple important emails:

Just yesterday I received an email from another satisfied customer, who had this to say:

Matt,
I just read the e-mail you sent out yesterday. 71-year old Don C.'s e-mail to you just delighted me.

I am 61. I ordered your Combat Conditioning book about a year ago. I had been going to the gym for several months with my son. While I was building up somewhat, I simply wasn't interested in "bulking up," or getting "ripped."

What attracted my attention to your ad among all the other "stuff" out there was your reference to "functional" strength. That clicked with me because that's what I wanted. My main interest is my health; I want to be healthy. I look around me and see so many people my age who are weak and sickly. It seems that their primary topic of conversation is which ache or pain is uppermost in their mind this week! Yech!

Long story short, I decided to simultaneously stop going to the gym and start Combat Conditioning in the comfort, convenience and privacy of my living room. I started with the Royal Court. Well, I started at it. I could only do about 8 hindu pushups. I couldn't make it to 20 squats. The bridge only lasted a few seconds with the top of my head on the mat.

This was AFTER several months of going to the gym at least three times a week!

I slowly increased the reps until I suddenly realized that I was spending nearly an hour a day at it. Now, I understand that an hour a day is nothing for you but my primary interest is my health as I enter my "golden" years, not competition. So, I modified my schedule.

Here's my schedule now:

Yesterday, I did 250 hindu squats touching my fingertips to the mat every five. Then, after a short rest, a bridge for 12 long, deep breaths taking two minutes or more. Then, I kick back with my feet nearly touching the floor above my head. Then, another bridge for 10 breaths and another kickover. It's during this second bridge that I can either touch my nose to the mat or get very close.

This morning, I did 50 hindu pushups. After a short rest, I stood near the wall, bent backwards to touch the wall at about waist level and touched my nose to the wall below that. Pushing off from the wall to straighten up, I then bent over forwards to touch the floor with my fingertips. The second set, I touched my second knuckles to the floor. The third time, I touched my fists to the floor. Then, back on the mat, I did six reverse pushups.

I alternate those two routines for six days and then take a day off. While it doesn't meet the standards needed for competition, it works for me. I look good and feel good. I'm wearing size 34 jeans again after having worn (and filled) 36's for a few years.

I am so grateful I found your program. I plan to continue it until the day comes that I simply cannot anymore. I am convinced that staying strong and healthy will enable me to fight off all kinds of debilitating illnesses for a far longer time.

Thank you for helping me be healthy!

Ed Hill, 61
Phoenix, AZ

M.F.: Ed, all I can say is I am proud as hell of you. You are a role model for all to follow. And I don't consider one word of what you wrote to be "hype." Fitness truth is better than fiction.

Now, before I close this message, another email from a reader who felt that I didn't answer a question he asked of me earlier in the week.

Here is his email to me:



Matt,

About the e-mail I copied and pasted below. You didn't answer his question about why you look so ripped. I've seen this as one complaint (of many) that you are all hype because "you couldn't possibly get so ripped doing only bodyweight exercises". I think it would serve you well to answer the question more specifically (and I would appreciate an answer too).

By the way, really enjoyed the e-mail from Don, the 70 year old who has bad knees and did 225 squats in a row. Makes me feel bad that I can barely do 50, and I'm 27 years old. To me, this is proof that your system works.

Nathan Ham



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Matt,
I just purchased "Combat Conditioning" book and videos and I'm pretty impressed. I've finished the book and just finished watching the videos so I'm ready to start. I've been lifting weights for several years and am looking at your program as a viable alternative. I do have one question so far, though. In the book you mention that combat conditioning will not cause a person's physique to look "ripped" like a bodybuilder, but in your picture on the website you look about as ripped as most of the drug-free bodybuilders I've seen. Can you explain this to me?

Thanks!
David Dann

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M.F.: David, I got the "ripped" look I had in the picture from following a dietary regime that I call the Furey Fat Loss Diet. I also got it from hill sprints and bodyweight calisthenics. Although I used to lift weights, I never got "ripped" from the practice. I always have gotten better results with bodyweight calisthenics.

And when you combine good diet with these exercises, it works even faster.

Now, for a moment, consider the gymnasts. Take a look at their bodies and how ripped they are.

Consider professional dancers. Consider those who compete in "diving." Consider those who box.

Almost without exception, these athletes do NOT lift weights. So why are THEY ripped?

It is diet and exercise. Simple as that.

But again, the point of Combat Conditioning is NOT getting "ripped." It is the acquiring of "functional strength, endurance and flexiblity."

Most importantly it is for the acquiring of robust health and vitality. To me, that's what it's all about. The "look" means nothing without health.

I started my athletic career as both swimmer and wrestler. Sort of an odd combination, don't you think?

At any rate, one of the things I began doing as a young boy, that I was never formally taught, was a very simple but powerful task that I, sorry to say, had to "relearn" later in life.

Here tis: Just before I went to sleep at night, I made a list of the exercises I was going to do the next day and how many I would do of each.

The next day, upon arising, I would glance at my list, then get to work. Oftentimes I began the day with a 2-3 mile run, followed by pushups, situps, pullups, dips, rope skipping - and so on.

After college I dropped the practice of making a list - opting instead to simply "remember" what to do.

Now, I'm not saying I "forgot" what to do when I didn't have a list. What I am saying is that "the list" represented specific goals I wanted to accomplish in my workout.

And when I referred to it - then made a little "check" mark next to each task I finished, I found that the practice built confidence, power and a feeling of momentum.

A couple years ago, during one of my frequent visits to my second home on China's Hainan Island, I went bowling with my brother-in-law. It was the first time I had picked up a bowling ball since 1997.

Anyway, the first day we just bowled - and as I'm not an avid bowler, and not very technical, I was happy to hit a 147 for my high of the day.

Then I got to thinking. The best score I had ever gotten in bowling was 154, and that was back in high school, when we went once a week for a six or eight-week period.

So I looked for and found a slip of paper on the desk, asked myself what score I would like to hit before leaving to come back to the states. My answer was 180. Considering I rarely bowl and have "caveman" technique, this was quite a stretch.

Nevertheless, I folded the paper and put it in my jacket.

Over the course of the next four days, my brother-in-law and I went bowling every day. And my scores were, pretty much, what they had been for 20+ years.

But then, on the last day of my trip, in the third game, I was on fire. Nearly every frame was a strike or a spare. The numbers were adding quickly and I sensed I would meet my goal.

After the final score was tallied by computer, I nearly fell over when I saw I hit 182. What a thrill. I pulled the slip of paper out and showed my brother-in-law. He looked at me, smiled and said, "You're lucky."

Although I smiled back and said, "Yes, I'm very lucky," I disagreed. It wasn't luck. It was mental preparation and the science of achieving predetermined goals.

I took the folded paper out of my jacket and put a check mark on it. Done.

In the interim, start making a list before your workout and watch how much you instantly improve.

When I was a kid and first heard talk around the neighborhood about "getting muscles" - one of the older boys said, "If you want to build muscle you do isometrics. If you want to tone muscle, you lift weights."

At the time I had no idea whether there was a shred of truth to this or not.

All I knew was that the big, huge, freak-show bodybuilders lifted weights and their muscles were big.

Meanwhile, you had guys like Charles Atlas, who championed isometric training, running around with titles like, "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" - and he didn't look at all like the freaks, nor were his muscles huge.

So whatever he was building, it wasn't as big as the monsters who were supposedly just "toning."

Then again, if you were to analyze the "sub-subculture" of body builders, you'd find the following:

1. Despite their big muscles, most bodybuilders are not very strong, have little endurance, and, especially during contest time, are very unhealthy. Charles Atlas, on the other hand, may not have been big, but he was well built, he was natural - and he was freaky strong. Atlas, incidentally, also did a lot of calisthenics as well as hand balancing, just like you do with Combat Conditioning.
2. Bodybuilders, for the most part, rely on drugs and supplements to gain their size (some are so vain they will even have implants put into their calves and pecs, making them look the part). Then they use "baby" weights at high repetitions to blow up the size of their pecs, arms, legs and lats - giving them what Karl Gotch called "counterfeit" muscles.

3. Bodybuilders, despite their talk about health, have bodies that are a collection of aches and pains. Moreover, their body quickly falls apart under any sort of REAL athletic activity. They are the first to get injured in a combat type of sport and yet - ironically, are the first to tell you that weights "help prevent injury."

So much for getting big muscles with weights. Or as my neighbor erroneously stated, "toning" muscles.

Now let's look at Isometrics. Yes, isometrics will build muscle. My neighbor was right about that. But the muscle you build with isometrics is not "freak" muscle. It is natural muscle. It is functional muscle - it is muscle that's good for "sumthun" other than, er ... posing.

Isometrics also program your muscles from the inside-out. You actually get in touch with your body in such a way that you can "command" your muscles, at a deep level, to do what you want - and they'll listen.

Isometrics also crank up your metabolism, helping you burn fat much faster than weights.

When isometrics are done in conjunction with Combat Conditioning, you can expect some major breakthroughs to take place, like Bob Lucarelli, who dropped 138 pounds and got into the best shape of his life.

“Common workout mistakes” has always been a very popular topic in fitness publications. But no matter how many times this subject is re-hashed, you almost always hear about the same half a dozen or so mistakes, including poor form, overtraining, going too heavy, not stretching, not warming up, yadda, yadda yadda. Ironically, you seldom hear about the biggest mistakes of all. I call these humongous bloopers “bonehead mistakes” because once you start to analyze and think about them, they’re really just common sense and they all seem so obvious… except of course to the person doing it… who is often quite oblivious until someone else points it out to them... then the light goes on and it's like... "Doh!"

Before I begin the countdown, (in no particular order), there’s one more gripe I have about the treatment this subject has been given in the past: Most of the attention has been put on the mistakes, but very little on the solutions. It’s all too easy to point fingers and say, “Don’t do that” and “Shame on you, dummy” but only 1% of your time should be spent on problems. 99% should be spent on solutions. So in that spirit, after I bring each mistake to your attention, I’ll give you a solution-oriented training tip to help you avoid boneheadedness and join the elite group who “kick butt” in the gym at every workout…

Bonehead workout mistake #1: "Winging it"

“Winging it” means having no written goals or plans, no training journal and no way of “keeping score.” It’s when you just show up at the gym day after day and do whatever strikes your fancy, whatever machine happens to be available, or whatever you’ve become habitually accustomed to doing. Winging it is when you don’t know where you are, where you’re going or how you’re going to get there - but you start your journey anyway – no compass, no roadmap. It’s been said that “Action without planning is the biggest cause of failure,” and I believe that statement is 100% accurate.

Kick butt workout tip #1: Develop a strategic plan

Successful people never “wing it,” they always have a plan. Strategic planning is a never ending process and includes: Assessment (where am I now?), goal setting (where do I want to go?), creating a plan or strategy (How will I get where I want to go?), executing the plan (what action steps must I take daily to reach my goal?), and measuring results (how will I know if I’m moving towards my goal and how will I know when I’ve reached it?). Boneheads “wing it.” Butt–kickers have a master plan and goals for every workout.
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Bonehead workout mistake #2: Repeating the same workouts… without progressive overload

In one respect, repeating the same workouts is important – it’s called “continuity.” Continuity means that to experience an adaptive response (more muscle, more strength, less fat and all that other good stuff), you must a repeat a certain modality or exercise consistently over a long enough period of time to allow the adaptive response to occur and to reap the full benefits (rather than changing exercises at every workout). That type of repetition is good. The bonehead mistake is when you do the same exercises, same reps, same weight, same everything, week after week, without ever challenging yourself to do more than you’ve done before. If your muscles could talk they would say, “Yawn…. Did that, done that, been there… we’re just going to stay exactly the way we are… no need to get bigger or stronger today.”

Kick butt workout tip #2: Strive to beat your previous workouts

Muscle growth and strength increases occur when you place demands on your body above and beyond what it has experienced in the past. Your body responds to this progressive overload by getting stronger in order to handle this type of demand in the future. Your objective at almost every workout is to set goals to beat what you did during the previous one. If you can’t add more weight, it could be as simple as one more rep with the same weight or the same sets/reps/weight in less time. It could also mean one more minute of cardio, one level higher on a stairclimber, or half a percent steeper incline on the treadmill. Continuous and never-ending improvement is the name of the game.
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Bonehead workout mistake #3: Starving yourself

A calorie deficit is the only way to lose body fat. However, the caloric deficit must be kept small. When calories are cut too much, or held too low for too long, your body thinks you are starving and sets into motion a series of metabolic and hormonal events, which ultimately result in muscle loss, slow metabolism and plateaus. Your body is like a power plant or furnace and when you don’t feed the fire, your metabolic flame dwindles to a flicker, producing less heat and less energy. That’s why not eating enough is one of the biggest mistakes of all.

Kick butt workout tip #3: Eat more, burn more

Did it ever occur to you that if you exercise more you can eat more and that this is a more effective fat loss strategy than eating less and exercising less? To lose body fat, you must create a calorie deficit. A deficit can be created by exercising more, eating less, or ideally, with a combination of both. The best combination of all is a small decrease in calories accompanied by a large increase in activity. Think about it: Decreasing calories slows your metabolism. Increasing calories increases your metabolism. Exercise increases your metabolism.

Therefore, eat more, exercise more = double increase in metabolism. Eat less, don’t exercise = double decrease in metabolism. This is the entire premise of my Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle System and that’s why the program is so powerful and has helped tens of thousands of people lose fat without depriving themselves. Yes, starving is for boneheads.
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Bonehead workout mistake #4: Skipping scheduled workouts

A great body doesn’t happen overnight. Successful body transformation is the cumulative result of dozens or even hundreds of successful workouts. Each workout brings you one small step closer to your goal. Each workout missed takes you one small step backwards. Most people underestimate the cumulative effect of each small step. They figure that “It just doesn’t matter… it’s only one workout.” If you don’t think that one little workout matters, then think about the humble termite; they’re such itty bitty little creatures and they take such itty bitty little bites, yet when enough little bites are taken, an entire building can come crumbling down.

Kick butt workout tip #4: Be disciplined and consistent

Not only do you slip backwards physically when you skip even one scheduled workout, perhaps more devastating is the effect on your mind and character. Every time you successfully complete a scheduled workout, you build your discipline and self esteem. When your self esteem increases, it makes you feel good and that stimulates a positive self-reinforcing cycle of even more discipline, confidence and action. Everything you do helps or hurts. Every workout counts. Treat your word as law. When you say you’re going to work out... WORK OUT!

Bonehead workout mistake #5: Focusing on strengths, favorite exercises and favorite body parts, neglecting weaknesses

Most people have a favorite body part or exercise. But playing favorites in your training can lead to big problems. An unbalanced, asymmetrical physique is one of them, but having a great upper body with toothpick legs is the least of your worries. Strengthening and stretching some muscle groups but not others is a great way to cause poor posture, muscular imbalance, dysfunction, strains, pulls, tears or ruptures.

Kick butt workout tip #5: Train for functional balance and aesthetic balance

Non-boneheads train every muscle group for symmetrical, visually pleasing development. However, “balance” is more than cosmetic. Everyone – athletes, bodybuilders, and recreational exercisers – must also train for functional balance to prevent injury and maintain optimal function and range of movement in every joint and muscle group. Every plane of movement and angle of movement must be trained. Flexors must be balanced with extensors. Front to back movements must be balanced with rotational and side to side movements. Prime movers, antagonists and stabilizers must all be strengthened. Always stretch, strengthen and build to the point of total body balance.
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Bonehead workout mistake #6: Using mostly machines and single joint/isolation exercises

So you joined the gym and you hit “the circuit”… you know, that section in the gym with all those fancy, chrome-plated, “technologically advanced” weight stack-pulley, hydraulic or computerized machines all lined up in neat rows… far, far away from the barbells and squat racks (which you never touch), and which is designed to give you an “easy, safe, injury-free, effective full-body workout.” The machines may be easy, but most machines aren’t as safe or effective as they’re made out to be.

Kick butt workout tip #6: Use mostly free weights and compound, multi joint exercises

For lower body, squat and lunge variations are tops. For upper body, barbell and dumbbell presses, chin ups and rows are king. These and similar “BIG” exercises stimulate more muscle fiber, stir up more fat burning and muscle building hormones, and have more carry-over to real world and sporting activities than machines. Although weight stack machines are safe with respect to the fact that you can’t drop a barbell on your head, they’re ultimately NOT as safe as free weights because they don’t develop the stabilizing muscles and functional strength that protect you from injury. A few machines and isolation exercises mixed into a balancedr program is fine, especially if you have bodybuilding goals, but focusing on compound and free weight exercises gives you far more bang for your buck than any machine ever created.
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Bonehead workout mistake #7: No mental preparation

This mistake goes hand in hand with mistake number one (winging it). You see, preparation is more than setting goals, writing out plans, and scheduling workouts. Preparation is also mental, yet most people haven’t the slightest idea just how powerful the mind is or how to harness its power. Psychologists and “brain scientists” have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between an experience that is real and one that is imagined. Failure to take advantage of this discovery is a mistake of enormous magnitude.

Kick butt workout tip #7: Use visualization and mental rehearsal daily

Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jack Nicklaus, Andre Agassi and countless other sports legends have written and spoken extensively about their regular use of mental imagery. Those who succeeded, but claimed not to use such techniques as “visualization” were surely using it unconsciously or in a non-formalized manner. I would suggest you consciously and deliberately use this technique in the following manner: Twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, get relaxed, close your eyes and form mental images of yourself having the body you’ve always wanted, completing perfect workouts with motivation and enthusiasm and reaching all your goals. These images will penetrate your subconscious mind and literally program your brain to activate your body for total success.
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Bonehead workout mistake #8: Not eating immediately after training

Not eating anything after your workout (or waiting 2-3 hours to eat), because (a) you don’t feel like eating, (b) you don’t have anything to eat with you, (c) you heard that you get leaner if you don’t eat after your workout… is one of the most boneheaded things you can ever do!

Kick butt workout tip #8: Eat protein AND carbs (not just carbs) immediately after your workout

Much research has been done on the topic of post workout nutrition in recent years and the scientific literature is almost unanimous in its findings: At one time carbohydrates were emphasized after a workout. Other people insisted that protein is more important. The truth is, the optimal post workout meal includes quickly digesting protein and carbohydrates and is consumed immediately after training during the period known as the “post-workout window of opportunity.” Although the ideal amount and type of protein and carbs is still debated, the studies have shown that proper post workout nutrition increases protein synthesis, suppresses cortisol, replenishes glycogen, and enhances recovery.
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Bonehead workout mistake #9: Comparing yourself to others

Always trying to one-up the next guy is bonehead behavior. Comparing yourself to others is a great way to lower your self esteem and stay perpetually frustrated, unhappy and dissatisfied!

Kick butt workout tip #9: Compare yourself to nobody but yourself

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden always advised his players, “Never try to be better than someone else; but never cease trying to be the best you can be. That is under your control. The other isn’t.” So why not focus on competing with yourself? Compare yourself to yourself. Improve yourself. Work on progress and forward movement. Become better than you used to be. Ultimately, competitive sports are most valuable to the degree you use them to better yourself, not to beat others.
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Bonehead workout mistake #10: Making excuses

Many people, when they don’t get the result they want, or when things don’t go the way they expect, insist it’s not their fault. When they don’t lose any body fat, it’s their genetics or "The diet just doesn’t work!” When they fall off the wagon, it’s their friends and family’s fault – “They just don’t support me… they even tempt me with junk food and eat in front of me.” When they miss workouts, it’s their boss’s fault – “I just don’t have time with so much work being piled on me at the office.” No matter what the situation, the boneheads never even consider that the problem is staring right back at them in the mirror – someone or something outside of them is always responsible.

Kick butt workout tip #10: Accept total, 100% responsibility for all your results – good or bad

When you win, you don’t attribute it to luck or give someone else the credit for it. You proudly say, “I created it… I did it… that was me!” However, if you want to take the credit for your wins, you must also take credit for your losses and say, “Yep, I created it… I did it… that was me!” Boneheads want to take credit for their successes but not accept responsibility for their failures. Ultimately, that turns them into nothing but big losers. Winners and successful people became successful because they learned three magic words: I AM RESPONSIBLE. Once you claim responsibility for every result in your life – the good and the bad - the feeling of empowerment and liberation that comes over you is beyond description. For the first time in your life, you realize that YOU are in control. From that moment on – and not a second sooner – you become the creator of circumstance rather than a victim of it.

“Common workout mistakes” has always been a very popular topic in fitness publications. But no matter how many times this subject is re-hashed, you almost always hear about the same half a dozen or so mistakes, including poor form, overtraining, going too heavy, not stretching, not warming up, yadda, yadda yadda. Ironically, you seldom hear about the biggest mistakes of all. I call these humongous bloopers “bonehead mistakes” because once you start to analyze and think about them, they’re really just common sense and they all seem so obvious… except of course to the person doing it… who is often quite oblivious until someone else points it out to them... then the light goes on and it's like... "Doh!"

Before I begin the countdown, (in no particular order), there’s one more gripe I have about the treatment this subject has been given in the past: Most of the attention has been put on the mistakes, but very little on the solutions. It’s all too easy to point fingers and say, “Don’t do that” and “Shame on you, dummy” but only 1% of your time should be spent on problems. 99% should be spent on solutions. So in that spirit, after I bring each mistake to your attention, I’ll give you a solution-oriented training tip to help you avoid boneheadedness and join the elite group who “kick butt” in the gym at every workout…

Bonehead workout mistake #1: "Winging it"

“Winging it” means having no written goals or plans, no training journal and no way of “keeping score.” It’s when you just show up at the gym day after day and do whatever strikes your fancy, whatever machine happens to be available, or whatever you’ve become habitually accustomed to doing. Winging it is when you don’t know where you are, where you’re going or how you’re going to get there - but you start your journey anyway – no compass, no roadmap. It’s been said that “Action without planning is the biggest cause of failure,” and I believe that statement is 100% accurate.

Kick butt workout tip #1: Develop a strategic plan

Successful people never “wing it,” they always have a plan. Strategic planning is a never ending process and includes: Assessment (where am I now?), goal setting (where do I want to go?), creating a plan or strategy (How will I get where I want to go?), executing the plan (what action steps must I take daily to reach my goal?), and measuring results (how will I know if I’m moving towards my goal and how will I know when I’ve reached it?). Boneheads “wing it.” Butt–kickers have a master plan and goals for every workout.
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Bonehead workout mistake #2: Repeating the same workouts… without progressive overload

In one respect, repeating the same workouts is important – it’s called “continuity.” Continuity means that to experience an adaptive response (more muscle, more strength, less fat and all that other good stuff), you must a repeat a certain modality or exercise consistently over a long enough period of time to allow the adaptive response to occur and to reap the full benefits (rather than changing exercises at every workout). That type of repetition is good. The bonehead mistake is when you do the same exercises, same reps, same weight, same everything, week after week, without ever challenging yourself to do more than you’ve done before. If your muscles could talk they would say, “Yawn…. Did that, done that, been there… we’re just going to stay exactly the way we are… no need to get bigger or stronger today.”

Kick butt workout tip #2: Strive to beat your previous workouts

Muscle growth and strength increases occur when you place demands on your body above and beyond what it has experienced in the past. Your body responds to this progressive overload by getting stronger in order to handle this type of demand in the future. Your objective at almost every workout is to set goals to beat what you did during the previous one. If you can’t add more weight, it could be as simple as one more rep with the same weight or the same sets/reps/weight in less time. It could also mean one more minute of cardio, one level higher on a stairclimber, or half a percent steeper incline on the treadmill. Continuous and never-ending improvement is the name of the game.
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Bonehead workout mistake #3: Starving yourself

A calorie deficit is the only way to lose body fat. However, the caloric deficit must be kept small. When calories are cut too much, or held too low for too long, your body thinks you are starving and sets into motion a series of metabolic and hormonal events, which ultimately result in muscle loss, slow metabolism and plateaus. Your body is like a power plant or furnace and when you don’t feed the fire, your metabolic flame dwindles to a flicker, producing less heat and less energy. That’s why not eating enough is one of the biggest mistakes of all.

Kick butt workout tip #3: Eat more, burn more

Did it ever occur to you that if you exercise more you can eat more and that this is a more effective fat loss strategy than eating less and exercising less? To lose body fat, you must create a calorie deficit. A deficit can be created by exercising more, eating less, or ideally, with a combination of both. The best combination of all is a small decrease in calories accompanied by a large increase in activity. Think about it: Decreasing calories slows your metabolism. Increasing calories increases your metabolism. Exercise increases your metabolism.

Therefore, eat more, exercise more = double increase in metabolism. Eat less, don’t exercise = double decrease in metabolism. This is the entire premise of my Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle System and that’s why the program is so powerful and has helped tens of thousands of people lose fat without depriving themselves. Yes, starving is for boneheads.
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Bonehead workout mistake #4: Skipping scheduled workouts

A great body doesn’t happen overnight. Successful body transformation is the cumulative result of dozens or even hundreds of successful workouts. Each workout brings you one small step closer to your goal. Each workout missed takes you one small step backwards. Most people underestimate the cumulative effect of each small step. They figure that “It just doesn’t matter… it’s only one workout.” If you don’t think that one little workout matters, then think about the humble termite; they’re such itty bitty little creatures and they take such itty bitty little bites, yet when enough little bites are taken, an entire building can come crumbling down.

Kick butt workout tip #4: Be disciplined and consistent

Not only do you slip backwards physically when you skip even one scheduled workout, perhaps more devastating is the effect on your mind and character. Every time you successfully complete a scheduled workout, you build your discipline and self esteem. When your self esteem increases, it makes you feel good and that stimulates a positive self-reinforcing cycle of even more discipline, confidence and action. Everything you do helps or hurts. Every workout counts. Treat your word as law. When you say you’re going to work out... WORK OUT!

Bonehead workout mistake #5: Focusing on strengths, favorite exercises and favorite body parts, neglecting weaknesses

Most people have a favorite body part or exercise. But playing favorites in your training can lead to big problems. An unbalanced, asymmetrical physique is one of them, but having a great upper body with toothpick legs is the least of your worries. Strengthening and stretching some muscle groups but not others is a great way to cause poor posture, muscular imbalance, dysfunction, strains, pulls, tears or ruptures.

Kick butt workout tip #5: Train for functional balance and aesthetic balance

Non-boneheads train every muscle group for symmetrical, visually pleasing development. However, “balance” is more than cosmetic. Everyone – athletes, bodybuilders, and recreational exercisers – must also train for functional balance to prevent injury and maintain optimal function and range of movement in every joint and muscle group. Every plane of movement and angle of movement must be trained. Flexors must be balanced with extensors. Front to back movements must be balanced with rotational and side to side movements. Prime movers, antagonists and stabilizers must all be strengthened. Always stretch, strengthen and build to the point of total body balance.
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Bonehead workout mistake #6: Using mostly machines and single joint/isolation exercises

So you joined the gym and you hit “the circuit”… you know, that section in the gym with all those fancy, chrome-plated, “technologically advanced” weight stack-pulley, hydraulic or computerized machines all lined up in neat rows… far, far away from the barbells and squat racks (which you never touch), and which is designed to give you an “easy, safe, injury-free, effective full-body workout.” The machines may be easy, but most machines aren’t as safe or effective as they’re made out to be.

Kick butt workout tip #6: Use mostly free weights and compound, multi joint exercises

For lower body, squat and lunge variations are tops. For upper body, barbell and dumbbell presses, chin ups and rows are king. These and similar “BIG” exercises stimulate more muscle fiber, stir up more fat burning and muscle building hormones, and have more carry-over to real world and sporting activities than machines. Although weight stack machines are safe with respect to the fact that you can’t drop a barbell on your head, they’re ultimately NOT as safe as free weights because they don’t develop the stabilizing muscles and functional strength that protect you from injury. A few machines and isolation exercises mixed into a balancedr program is fine, especially if you have bodybuilding goals, but focusing on compound and free weight exercises gives you far more bang for your buck than any machine ever created.
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Bonehead workout mistake #7: No mental preparation

This mistake goes hand in hand with mistake number one (winging it). You see, preparation is more than setting goals, writing out plans, and scheduling workouts. Preparation is also mental, yet most people haven’t the slightest idea just how powerful the mind is or how to harness its power. Psychologists and “brain scientists” have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between an experience that is real and one that is imagined. Failure to take advantage of this discovery is a mistake of enormous magnitude.

Kick butt workout tip #7: Use visualization and mental rehearsal daily

Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jack Nicklaus, Andre Agassi and countless other sports legends have written and spoken extensively about their regular use of mental imagery. Those who succeeded, but claimed not to use such techniques as “visualization” were surely using it unconsciously or in a non-formalized manner. I would suggest you consciously and deliberately use this technique in the following manner: Twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, get relaxed, close your eyes and form mental images of yourself having the body you’ve always wanted, completing perfect workouts with motivation and enthusiasm and reaching all your goals. These images will penetrate your subconscious mind and literally program your brain to activate your body for total success.
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Bonehead workout mistake #8: Not eating immediately after training

Not eating anything after your workout (or waiting 2-3 hours to eat), because (a) you don’t feel like eating, (b) you don’t have anything to eat with you, (c) you heard that you get leaner if you don’t eat after your workout… is one of the most boneheaded things you can ever do!

Kick butt workout tip #8: Eat protein AND carbs (not just carbs) immediately after your workout

Much research has been done on the topic of post workout nutrition in recent years and the scientific literature is almost unanimous in its findings: At one time carbohydrates were emphasized after a workout. Other people insisted that protein is more important. The truth is, the optimal post workout meal includes quickly digesting protein and carbohydrates and is consumed immediately after training during the period known as the “post-workout window of opportunity.” Although the ideal amount and type of protein and carbs is still debated, the studies have shown that proper post workout nutrition increases protein synthesis, suppresses cortisol, replenishes glycogen, and enhances recovery.
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Bonehead workout mistake #9: Comparing yourself to others

Always trying to one-up the next guy is bonehead behavior. Comparing yourself to others is a great way to lower your self esteem and stay perpetually frustrated, unhappy and dissatisfied!

Kick butt workout tip #9: Compare yourself to nobody but yourself

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden always advised his players, “Never try to be better than someone else; but never cease trying to be the best you can be. That is under your control. The other isn’t.” So why not focus on competing with yourself? Compare yourself to yourself. Improve yourself. Work on progress and forward movement. Become better than you used to be. Ultimately, competitive sports are most valuable to the degree you use them to better yourself, not to beat others.
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Bonehead workout mistake #10: Making excuses

Many people, when they don’t get the result they want, or when things don’t go the way they expect, insist it’s not their fault. When they don’t lose any body fat, it’s their genetics or "The diet just doesn’t work!” When they fall off the wagon, it’s their friends and family’s fault – “They just don’t support me… they even tempt me with junk food and eat in front of me.” When they miss workouts, it’s their boss’s fault – “I just don’t have time with so much work being piled on me at the office.” No matter what the situation, the boneheads never even consider that the problem is staring right back at them in the mirror – someone or something outside of them is always responsible.

Kick butt workout tip #10: Accept total, 100% responsibility for all your results – good or bad

When you win, you don’t attribute it to luck or give someone else the credit for it. You proudly say, “I created it… I did it… that was me!” However, if you want to take the credit for your wins, you must also take credit for your losses and say, “Yep, I created it… I did it… that was me!” Boneheads want to take credit for their successes but not accept responsibility for their failures. Ultimately, that turns them into nothing but big losers. Winners and successful people became successful because they learned three magic words: I AM RESPONSIBLE. Once you claim responsibility for every result in your life – the good and the bad - the feeling of empowerment and liberation that comes over you is beyond description. For the first time in your life, you realize that YOU are in control. From that moment on – and not a second sooner – you become the creator of circumstance rather than a victim of it.