Is It Okay To Skip A Workout?

Is it okay to skip a workout?

Well, are you sick?

Extremely stressed?

Operating on 3 to 5 nights of minimal sleep or running on 5 hours or less?

Really sore?

Possibly injured?

Been suffering from nagging fatigue for the past 2 weeks or more?

Donated blood earlier?

Hungover as fuck?

Sunburned extra crispy?

Got a new tattoo or cosmetic treatment like a bikini wax, Botox shot, or laser skin peel?

Helped a friend move? Ran a 10K? Performed some other sort of strenuous activity?

Yes to any of those things and you, my friend, should skip your regular workout and take an unplanned rest day.

There are certain times when it’s smart to play gym hooky, such as those listed above.

But if you said no to any of the reasons why you may want to skip a workout out of the blue, then your reason for wanting to do so isn’t legitimate and you shouldn’t lie to yourself that your bullshit excuse is anything but bullshit! Continue reading Is It Okay To Skip A Workout?

Why You Should Run Outside

Do you hate cardio like a sane person?

If you perform cardio with any type of effort to elevate your heart rate and sustain it like how activity that constitutes cardio should be performed, then one of the reasons you hate cardio is because it’s hard.

However, since you’re not by definition performing actual cardio because you’re like virtually everybody else in not pushing yourself when doing it, the difficulty of your “cardio” isn’t why you hate it.

Hmmmm…so what other reason could there be for your hatred then?!⁣
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Well, performing cardio on a treadmill in a climate-controlled environment has the advantage of being comfortable but it can also get very, very boring. If you’re like most sane people, that boredom is why you loathe having to do cardio.

Know what can liven cardio up a bit?

Yup, running outside! Continue reading Why You Should Run Outside

How To: Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extensions

The triceps make up about two-thirds of the upper arms. So if you want big arms, you should focus as much on developing the triceps as you do the biceps, possibly even more. This is especially the case when it comes to the long head.

See, the triceps are composed of three heads, or points of origin where the muscles converge into a single tendon. These heads are the medial, lateral, and long. The long head is the largest head of the triceps and thus contributes the most to the shape and size of the arms. That explains why developing the long head should be a priority. As for how to target the long head, that involves performing exercises where the arms are raised overhead, as that allows for the greatest stretch of the part in question. If you haven’t guessed by now, dumbbell overhead extensions are one such exercise that places the arms in the optimal position for long head growth. Continue reading How To: Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extensions

This Or That: Why You Choose Unhealthy Food

Eat the apple you have with you or make a stop for a donut fresh out of the oven from a Lard Lad donut shop?

What are you gonna do?

It’s an easy decision.

We all know that something that’s loaded with vitamins and minerals is the far better option than something that’s a sugar and fat bomb. But given the choice, most, if not all, of us would still choose the unhealthy item.

Why?

The answer has to do with the brain encouraging the consumption of junk food because the sugar, salt, fat, and artificial flavoring and sweeteners do a better job of stimulating the release of the pleasure hormone dopamine than the content of natural food. That’s one explanation.

Scientists think they might know another. Continue reading This Or That: Why You Choose Unhealthy Food

How To: Standing Barbell Curls

Dumbbell curls are a good arm exercise because they allow you to twist your wrist at the top of the movement, thus providing for a stronger biceps contraction than can be achieved with a barbell that locks your wrists in place. A more efficient route to hypertrophy is one benefit. Another point in favor of dumbbells has to do with the lessened risk of developing a muscle imbalance in the size or strength of a particular arm because there isn’t simultaneous use of your arms to lift the weight as is the case with a barbell.

Given the advantages of dumbbell curls, you’re clearly wondering why on earth would you want to do standing barbell curls or any other arm training exercise with a barbell? Continue reading How To: Standing Barbell Curls