Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel Workout Review

The following is the program:
Chest & Back
Legs & Abs
Arms & Shoulders

I’m on week two of the Man of Steel workout and I have to say, it’s very hard!  I have already gained some size and definition and am getting stronger as each week passes.  I’m getting more and more hungry as well lol.  With so many exercises hitting your muscles in different ways it’s hard not to start feeling like Superman.  I can’t wait to see how I end up looking after two or three months of this program.  I highly recommend it and will keep everyone posted on my progress!  Thanks for reading!

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout 3: Arms & Shoulders

If you have not read the first two parts of this workout, you may do so here:
Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout: Chest & Back
Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout 2: Legs & Abs

Superset 1:  Bicep Curls/Tricep Extension
Superset 2:  Bent Over Delt Raise/Shoulder Shrugs
Superset 3:  Hammer Curls/Triceps Kickback
Superset 4:  Concentration Curls/Laying Triceps Press (One Arm)
Superset 5:  Reverse Curls/Triceps Pushdown
Superset 6:  Shoulder Press/Lateral Raise

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout 2: Legs & Abs

If you have not read the first article on Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel workout, do so here before reading this one: Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout: Chest & Back

I explained how the sets, reps and weight works in the last article, so be sure to read that one first, before going over this one.

Superset 1:  Squats/Leg Raise
Superset 2:  Lunges/Crunch
Superset 3:  Dead Lift/Side Bends
Superset 4:  Toe Raise/Ab Roll out
Back Extension

After you have finished the weight lifting portion of this workout, end with 20 minutes of moderate cardio of your choice.

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout: Chest & Back

Looking to get into Henry Cavill (the new Superman) shape?  Try this Man of Steel workout!  Henry Cavill’s Superman workout heavily consisted of supersets (doing 2 exercises back to back) and working opposing muscle groups together (chest/back, biceps/triceps, etc.).  You move fast during this workout, only taking a 1 – 2 minute break between each superset.  You also do not move on to the next series of exercises until you finished every set of the one you are on.  There are 3 basic workouts in this program and you will want to workout 4 days a week (simply starting the program over once finished with the third workout).

There is room to play around with your exercises in this workout.  For instance, if you don’t have the ability to do the bench press, you can substitute in push ups instead.  If you do substitute in an exercise, just make sure it works the same muscle group as the exercise you are exchanging out.  You are looking to lift heavy here so find a weight you can only do 6 – 10 reps with.  If you can do more than 10, lift heavier.  Henry Cavill also went on a high calorie diet (5,000 calories a day) made up of healthy foods and consisting of a high protein intake.  The following is a basic Chest & Back workout (but again, you can put in any exercises you like, just push yourself):

Superset 1:  Bench Press/Barbell Row
Superset 2:  Incline Bench Press/Pull Ups
Superset 3:  Dumbbell Chest Press/One Arm Back Row
Superset 4:  Dumbbell Fly/Rear Delt Raise

How To Get Six Pack Abs (Part 2)

If you have not read the first part to this article, do so here:  How To Get Six Pack Abs

Okay, after having everything in place that I mentioned from the last article, it’s time to build up your abs so you can see that shield of muscle you have built up.  There are lots of different abs exercises one can do, but you mainly just need to make sure you are working every section of your abs.  When you break it down, you basically have the top (the part people think of with a sixpack), the sides (obliques) and the lower abdominal area.  You want to work all three of these sections.

To work your upper abs, there is nothing better than the classic crunch.  You just need to be careful and not pull your own neck when performing these.  Your abs themselves should be handling moving your body.  You can see how to perform a proper crunch here:  How to do a perfect crunch  When you are a little more advanced, you can perform a crunch on a swiss ball or use weighted resistance as well (by holding a weight plate behind your head).

To work your obliques, you can do what is called a Side Bend.  For your lower abs, perform a Leg Raise  When you are more advanced with these you can switch to a hanging leg raise (same movement, you are simply hanging vertical from a pull up bar).

Follow what I gave you in the last article, along with these exercises and you will be on your way to a six pack in no time!

How To Get Six Pack Abs

Virtually everyone wants a six pack.  Six pack abs are probably the most common thing people will think of when they think of what it means to be in shape.  Before I get into any specific exercises one needs to do in order to get a six pack, I need to clear up some misunderstandings most people have.

1.  There is no such thing as spot reduction.  You can’t get rid of fat in a certain area by doing exercises for that area.  Most people still believe if you want to get rid of fat on your stomach, you have to do exercises for your stomach.  This is completely untrue.  Any exercise you do will remove fat from your entire body, but your body has certain areas where it stores the fat the most.  Simply doing crunches won’t target fat from that area.

2.  In order to lose weight to become lean enough to see your abdominal muscles you need to take in less calories.  You can do all the exercises in the world, but if you are taking in more calories than you need, you still won’t see your six pack because it will be covered in a layer of fat.  You have to reduce the amount of calories you are taking in everyday so you become more lean.  I don’t recommend drinking any at all, but just by cutting out 1 Pepsi a day, you can lose about 15lbs in a year.

3.  Working big muscle groups builds the most muscle, which in turn burns the most calories.  If you had to choose between doing squats or crunches to become lean, squats would win without question.  Doing compound exercises (squats, deadlift, bench press, pull ups, etc) will work multiple muscle groups at the same time and build the most muscle.  Muscle is a fat burning material, the more you have, the more fat you burn all day, even when you aren’t even exercising.

4.  Change your cardio.  Instead of doing low intensity exercise like walking on a treadmill for hours, switch to The Tabata Method.  This type of exercise will not only get you into better shape in much less time, but it’s not as boring and has other benefits like increasing your growth hormone production.

Next time I will get into specific exercises one can use to build up the muscles in the abdominal area.

Natural Cures for Dry Skin

If you suffer from dry skin, don’t worry, there are things you can do.  First of all you need to make sure it’s not your soap or other products you are using that is causing your dry skin.  If you suspect it could be, simply stop using it for a little while and see if there is any improvement.  You can also do a search on that product online to see if other people complain about it causing dry skin.

Most of the natural cures for dry skin are things you need to be doing anyway for your general health, so if you are interested in turning your life around and getting healthy, you can kill two birds with one stone.  Start taking an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement (or even better, eat foods rich in Omega 3).  Fruits and veggies (which you need to eat anyway) rich in vitamin A & B should be eaten daily.  Fruits and veggies are full of antioxidants which will help you in many other ways as well.

Avoid alcohol!  Alcohol is a poison to the body, especially in the high amounts people drink it in these days.  In the past wine was watered down so much it wouldn’t have even been considered an alcoholic drink today because the content was so low.  Regular exercise helps promote blood flow which provides nourishment to the skin.  Again, this also provides many other benefits, so do it!  Aloe Vera gel is a great remedy as well.  Aloe has been used for thousands of years for all sorts of problems.

Implement these changes into your daily routine and you will not only help your dry skin, but your general health as well.  Who doesn’t want to look younger, have more energy and feel better?  Try it out.  If all of this seems like a huge lifestyle change for you, simply pick one of the above suggestions and start adding (or subtracting) one of these a week until you have changed it all.

Soy Myths Exposed: The Dangers of Soy

Should You Sign Gym Contracts?

Contracts

At some point in time most people have thought about taking control of their lives, eating healthy and getting into shape…problem is most people never do it, at least not for more than a few months.  Part of the business model for a gym is that they want you to sign contracts and get locked into fees for a year or more.  They know the vast majority of people who sign up will not come to the gym after a short period of time, in fact, they are counting on you not showing up.  If everyone who has a gym membership regularly went to the gym, it would be so crowded you couldn’t even get in.

Another problem with contracts are people get injuries, change jobs requiring them to move or have other unforeseen situations pop up.  If you become injured, requiring several months of rehabilitation, you still have to pay your gym fees even if you aren’t using it.  In cases like these it would be like taking $30 and flushing it down the toilet each month.  I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t do that.  I’m all for paying for a product I use, but not for one I am not able to use.  If someone loses their job (which happens all the time in our economy), you don’t want to be stuck having to be responsible for these membership fees either, as you will need all the money you can get.

Price

Most gym membership fees aren’t that high per month, so people don’t think anything about throwing away $30-50.  This is part of the problem.  People don’t think anything of it so they just keep paying the fees when they aren’t even going to the gym.  Not to mention, if you think long term, even at $30 a month, that’s $360 per year (not including the gas money spent driving there and back and the time wasted).  Even if you are consistently using the gym, multiply that $360 by multiple years and it become very clear that it’s much cheaper (and saves a lot of time) to simply purchase equipment for your home (after researching what equipment is best – which I do for you).

Comfort

Having to drive to a gym and workout on equipment many other people are using isn’t really that appealing to me.  Some people don’t clean the equipment off after they are finished, or simply wipe it down with a sweat filled towel (think about all of the random people you see everyday, do you really want to roll around in their sweat?).  Most people don’t even clean their homes very well, I highly doubt they care about random equipment at the gym.  In the privacy of your own home, you never have to wait to use your equipment and you know exactly who has used it and if it’s clean.

Motivation

This is the one I commonly hear from people.  They say things like “I need to go to the gym to be motivated”.  If that is your thought process, you are never going to make it anyway.  These people want to show off in front of others, or spend their time socializing.  Your motivation for working out should be to become healthy and improve your quality of life.  It’s okay to have other short term goals (like losing 30lbs) but those goals simply lead to your larger one.

If your motivation is to get healthy, you will never quit working out because it’s a goal you always have to work towards.  People who only set goals of losing 30lbs (or whatever it may be) will quit working out once they reach their goal.  I can’t count the number of people I have seen who are constantly jumping between being out of shape and getting back into shape.  They will repeat this process for years because they have the wrong mindset.  They meet the short-term goals they set for themselves, then quit and get fat again.

Final Thoughts

Gym contracts are a scam most people don’t even know they are falling for.  They don’t think about the future and are simply under what’s called a buyer’s high.  They have a short moment where they feel motivated and nothing can stop them, so they purchase something then never use it again or regret having purchased it.  There is a lot of home gym equipment out there, and for the reasons above, I would recommend buying some of it and getting started.  You don’t even need any equipment starting out, just do some push ups, squats and crunches and see if you are going to stick with it, if so, simply get yourself some dumbbells and add to your home gym as you go.

About the only good thing about a gym is that they will likely have some personal trainers on hand.  If you don’t know anything about how to exercise properly it is a good idea to hire one and learn the basics.  A couple of things to keep in mind are that some organizations hand out personal training licenses without any training, all they have to do is pass a test.  You should find out what license your local personal trainer has and research what is required to earn that license.  You also don’t need a personal trainer for a long period of time.  After 3-6 months you should know enough to be able to do things on your own.  You can always rehire him/her down the line if you need new programs or ideas.

Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Cannell: Benefits of Vitamin D

Sample Tabata Round #3

If you missed my last sample Tabata workout, check it out here: Sample Tabata Round #2

Here is a sample round you may want to try.  It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, your heart will be pumping if you push yourself.  Each number represents a 20 second round (with 10 seconds of rest after each round).  The only equipment needed is a Kettlebell (you will probably need different weights for different exercises).

1.  Squat & Press (Squat then Shoulder press Kettlebell with both arms)
2.  Kettlebell Swing
3.  Alternating Jump Lunges
4.  Back Row (Right Side)
5.  Back Row (Left Side)
6.  Squat & Press
7.  Kettlebell Swing
8.  Alternating Jump Lunges

Those Jumping Lunges are killer!  I recommend adding them into any of your circuits.

Sample Tabata Round #2

If you missed my last sample Tabata workout, check it out here: Sample Tabata Round #1

Here is a sample round you may want to try.  It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, your heart will be pumping if you push yourself.  Each number represents a 20 second round (with 10 seconds of rest after each round).  The only equipment needed was a Kettlebell and a Heavybag laying flat on the floor.

1.  Two Arm Kettlebell Clean & Press
2.  Swings
3.  Side Control Ground & Pound (Right Hand – Hammerfists, Straight Punches, etc)
4.  Side Control Ground & Pound (Left Hand)
5.  Two Arm Kettlebell Clean & Press
6.  Swings
7.  Ground & Pound from The Mount Position (Elbows, Straight Punches, Hooks)
8.  Ground & Pound from The Mount Position

Sample Tabata Round #1

If you are not familiar with the Tabata Method, you may read about it here: Tabata Method

Here is a sample round you may want to try (I did this one on Saturday).  Each number represents a 20 second round.  I used a Kettlebell for each exercise.  Click the exercise for a demonstration of what it is if you don’t already know.

1.  Kettlebell Swing
2. Kettlebell Clean & Press
3. One Arm Row (Right Side)
4.  One Arm Row (Left Side)
5.  Kettlebell Swing
6.  Kettlebell Clean & Press
7.  Halo (Right Side)
8.  Halo (Left Side)

Kettlebell Swing

If you are starting a strength training program, Caveman Training or a Tabata Workout, the Kettlebell Swing is one of the best overall exercises to add into your program. This exercise hits just about every body-part. The more muscles you recruit during an exercise, the more calories you will burn.

Running Rounds!

For those of you who love running and are looking for something to mix things up, try running rounds!

What you will do is get on a treadmill and set it for a speed you can handle for 5 minutes.  When the first round is over you have a 1 minute break.  During this 1 minute break you will drop the speed to a walking pace and raise the incline to one that is challenging for you.  Walk this for 5 minutes (Round 2).  During your next 1 minute break, drop the treadmill back down to a 0 incline and repeat Round 1 again.  Do up to 5 rounds (alternating each round).

The good thing about the treadmill is you can keep track of your progress very easily.  Record your speeds and incline settings and try to increase these each time you do the program.  You can alternate this into your regular workouts or you can do it 3-5 times a week depending on your fitness level and goals.  Since you are mixing things up it goes by quickly and will get your heart pounding!

Example:
Round 1:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes
Round 2:
Incline of 7.5, walk at 3.5 mph
Round 3:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes

Caveman Training

I recently started a new workout program and in that program I have mentioned that my cardio largely consists of something called Caveman training. I briefly described how it works but I wanted to post some videos just to give you guys a better understanding of it.

Video #1:

Caveman training can basically consist of anything you want, but it is generally sport specific and includes explosive moments. Generally you will do 5 minute rounds. I started with 3 rounds but will eventually work my way up to 5. You can mix up the exercises you do in each round or complete the same ones over again, it's all up to you and what you want to do. This built in variety helps keep things from becoming boring.


Video #2:

100 Push Up Challenge Part 5: Week 5

If you have not read Part 4 yet, you can find it here:  http://ironfitnessonline.com/?p=95

If you completed 31-35 Push ups, follow Rank 1 below.

If you completed 36-40 Push ups, follow Rank 2 below.

If you completed more than 40 Push ups, follow Rank 3 below.

If you completed less than 30 Push ups, repeat week 4.

Rank 1  (31 – 35 push ups)
Day 1:  17/19/15/15/20  (last set to failure, do at least 20)
Day 2:  10/10/13/13/10/10/9/25  (last set to failure, do at least 25)
Day 3:  13/13/15/15/12/12/10/30 (last set to failure, do at least 30)

Rank 2 (36 – 40 push ups)
Day 1:  28/35/25/22/35 (last set to failure, do at least 35)
Day 2: 18/18/20/20/14/14/16/40 (last set to failure, do at least 40)
Day 3:  18/18/20/20/17/17/20/45 (last set to failure, do at least 45)

Rank 3 (Over 40 push ups)
Day 1:  36/40/30/24/40 (last set to failure, do at least 40)
Day 2:  19/19/22/22/18/18/22/45  (last set to failure, do at least 45)
Day 3:  20/20/24/24/20/20/22/50 (last set to failure, do at least 50)

Why Workout?

Exercising is about much more than trying to lose 5lbs or fit into some old clothes you used to wear.  Setting short term goals is fine, but the benefits of exercise goes way beyond that.  Exercise will make you look better, feel better, have more energy through the day and much, much more.  It's never to late to get started, so start today! 

Slow Weight Lifting for Fast Results

Have you stopped growing and making improvements during your workouts?  I have been doing something different over the last month and I have already seen results.  In fact, my chest is sore today from my workout yesterday! 

What is this big secret that helps overcome plateaus?  Lift weights slowly!  Instead of burning through all of your sessions as quickly as possible, perhaps even using bad form, slow the movement down.  You will not be able to lift as heavy of a weight, but so what if it is helping you grow.

This is a simple change to make.  Using Bench Press as an example you will want to take 2 seconds to press the barbell up, then lower it over 4 seconds (this can be done with any exercise).  Not only does this allow you to use perfect form (and prevent injuries), but this puts your muscles under tension for a longer period of time, forcing you to fight gravity the whole way.   

Do not cheat!  We are not talking about counting to 4 as quickly as you can, but a real 4 seconds period.  Another advantage of this type of training is it doesn't allow you to cheat using momentum.  A lot of people will use a heavy weight and just swing it with the help of their entire body (this happens a lot with bicep curls).  It is called a bicep curl for a reason, you are supposed to be using your biceps (only) for the movement. 

Try this method for the next 3 months and see the dramatic results!

Change

While planning to work out is all nice and well, if you don't actually work out it means nothing.  So many people decide every new year that they are going to get into shape this year....and never do.  I want to see you succeed, and in order to do that you have to start.  Hire a personal trainer or go to someone you know who knows what they are doing, make a workout plan and stick to it.  You can change and that change can start today!