Sunday and Monday Training...

I have been training everyday, just not blogging it...kinda busy with some stuff;) Here's my training for Sunday and Monday:

Sunday:
30 x Handstand Pushups
40 x Ring L-Pullups
50 x 24kg Swings
60 x Situps
70 x Pushups
70 x Squats
All done for time...but I forgot to look at the stopwatch when I finished. I think it still might be running...

Monday:
AM - Row 3k, Run 1 Mile
PM - Bouldering at NJ Rock Gym. Samantha completed her project from two weeks ago. She's small, and the problem was really reachy, so she had to figure out ways to make it work for her. She completed it at the end of the night, when she was extremely fatigued. Great job:)
I found a new project to work on...a V5 crimpy, power, pumpy, beautiful problem. I think my fatigue played a huge roll in me not completing it, but next time its getting ticked off the list for sure.

GYM ANIMUS IS OFFICIAL

Gym Animus is now up and running! We are still fine tuning and adding some more content, but the site is up and very functional. Please visit www.gymanimus.com. The blog will soon be only on www.gymanimus.com as well as the daily workouts. Some articles are on their way. As of now, my contact will be email using andy@gymanimus.com. Thanks for checking it out. Drop me email and let me know what you think.

Still Training...

Sunday:
Crossfit's "Fran"- 95lb Thruster and Pullups - 21-15-9 reps of each for time. 12:21

Monday:
Morning: 5k Row: 21:43
Evening:
Row 1000m warm-up
Snatch Grip Deadlift
135/5
225/5
245/5
265/5
275/4
315/4

Pullups
5 x (1,2,3)

Renegade Row
50lbs/3 x 5/5

Back to the BLOG

Haven't posted in awhile, but I've been keeping up with my training. Here's what I did this past week:

MONDAY - Bouldering at NJ Rock Gym. A super-strong bouldering gym that really tests your technical and physical climbing skills.

TUESDAY - Crossfit's "Nate", a new "hero" workout that they posted last week. I was excited to try it because I went out and made rings for myself, and the workout uses rings.
4 ring pullups (I did them L-sit style)
4 ring dips
4 handstand pushups
8 32kg KB Swings
as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
I got 8 rounds, swinging my 7th rep as the timer went off. The workout originally calls for 2 muscle ups instead of the pullups and dips, but because of the height of my basement ceiling where I have my pullup bar, the rings were hung pretty low, to allow room for the dips. This caused me to start the pullups from a dead hang L-sit position, not allowing the "kip" that I needed for the muscle up, hence the pullups and dips.

WEDNESDAY - Morning- 6500m row, split into two sessions, 2500m before and then 4000m after a PT session.
Afternoon- 3 rounds, 21-15-9 reps of: 225lb deadlift and ring pushups
I did the 45 reps of each in 13:21. Great workout, will definitely do it again.

A Pulling Day

I trained a client in the morning at the YMCA, and I had her on the rowing machine, so...

I rowed 3000m in 14:56.

It wasn't a furious pace by any means and I definitely could have done it faster. I had never really rowed before, and part of my workout was me trying to figure out the correct technique. I think I got it on some strokes and definitely not on others. Great training session though.

At night I went climbing at the gym. It's the first time I've been there in over a year. All the gymnastics-type exercises and the pullups that I do really helped me on the wall. The kettlebells helped me to "relax under tension" and be more movement efficient, like in a long snatch session. I really only got pumped a few times, and I definitely surprised myself with my bouldering skills. I flashed a bunch of V4's, which isn't bad at all for not climbing for a year...

Kettlebell Triathlon and Snatching

On Tuesday I did a nice workout with the 24kg. I couldn't decide which exercise to focus on, so I did them all, triathlon style. All with the 24kg:

Long Cycle C+J/ 6 minutes, hand switch every 5 reps, @ 8 RPM

Rest 2:00

Snatch/ 6 minutes, Hand switch every 10 reps, @ 10 RPM

Rest 2:00

One Arm Jerk/ 6 minutes, hand switch every 5 reps, @ 10 RPM

P-Bar Pushups/ 3 x 10


Cool workout and really fun. The snatches were the hardest part I think. The pace was the "fastest" and the rest was always in the top position, never in the rack, where it's easy to relax. I will probably do this workout again sometime soon.

Yesterday I did some Olympic Lifting with Dustin again. We both did some snatching, trying to work on our technique. I think by the end of yesterday, we have a pretty good base to start from, although I'm sure both of us have a TON of work to do.

Barbell Snatch
20kg/8
30kg/5 x 2
40kg/4 x 2
50kg/1 x 2

Bench Press
225lbs/1
245lbs/1
260lbs/1
270lbs/1

Dynamic Pushup
/8 x 2
Feet On Box/5 x 3

The snatches were awesome. It's a great movement overall, with a nice overhead squat built right in. The hardest part is locking yourself into the overhead squat once you get under the bar. I lost the bar on a few attempts, and dumping it was an awesome feeling...
The bench press was a 1RM attempt for me. Dustin was curious, because he hadn't maxed in awhile. When he was done I got curious because I never bench press...ever.
I don't think a 270 pound max is too bad...
The dynamic pushups were done with two bumper plates stacked on the outside of my hands, in a fairly narrow position. You do a pushup, explode up onto the plates, and then do another pushup. Walk your hands back down into the starting position and do another rep. The "feet up" version was done with our feet raised onto a 12 inch ply-box.

The ADK's

This is the hockey rink where the "Miracle" game took place. The USA versus the USSR, in the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. The USA hockey team beat the Russians and secured what could have been the biggest victory in the history of hockey.

Here's Samantha, approaching the top of her first ascent for the day. She did great. I was amazed at her charging attitude and ruthless determination. She took some good falls and kept on climbing where most people would have quit.

Here's me stemming between two falls. In the middle, where I am climbing, there was a trickle of water flowing down, splashing off the ice. I came down from the climb soaking wet. Awesome:)

This is our guide, Bill Dodd. I highly recommend him if you ever need a climbing guide in the Adirondaks (www.rockandriver.com). He was extremely knowledgeable and professional, and he's definitely got my vote;)

High Falls Gorge. A mini-Grand Canyon type gorge formed over hundreds of thousands of years. Absolutely beautiful.

This is from the bottom of the 120 meter Olympic Ski Jump. Those guys are CRAZY...flying off a 260 foot tower, going 60mph, flying through the air 100 feet off the deck...

The Caribbean Cowboy. Awesome restaurant, awesome food, recommended to us by Bill, our guide. I think it works because its extremely out of place in the Adirondaks.


A couple other pics from climbing. Overall, an awesome trip. I would do the whole thing over and not change a thing. The Adirondaks are gorgeous, and all the towns cater to the mountain life. I might end up there someday...

Back to Town

Yesterday, I did my first workout since the Adirondaks. I can't say I was extremely impressed, but maybe the long days of climbing and hiking had something to do with my fatigue.

Circuit Style:

P-Bar Pushups x 4
Pullups x 8
Pistols x 5/5
24kg Snatch x 15/15
Rest x 1 minute

Repeat x 5


Later in the day, I went to the S+C facility at ESU to practice our O-Lifting skills. We were both attempting to learn the snatch, so we focused on the assistance lifts for it along with the progressions:

Overhead Squat
20kg bar/8
40kg/5
60kg/4
70kg/3
80kg/2 x 2

Jump Shrug
20kg bar/5 x 2
40kg/5 x 2

High Pull
20kg bar/5 x 2
40kg/4 x 2

The overhead Squats felt great. I really like them. They are a solid, full body exercise. They build "Dad Strength", as Dan John puts it. The kind of strength that your dad has when he pulls an entire engine out from under the hood of a car and carries it over to the front lawn, where it would have taken you and four of your buddies to do the same thing.

To the ICE

I'm off the grid for a while. I'll be heading up to Lake Placid, New York to do some ice climbing with Samantha. No worries, a full photo-journal will be up soon after I get back. Train hard, and don't forget to get outside;)

Snatch Grip Deadlifts Anyone?

Weighted Pullups
24kg/ 3 x 10

P-Bar Pushups
/3 x 10

Snatch Grip Deadlifts off a 4" Platform
225lbs/ 3 x 10

Running
- Fartlek style run, for 18 minutes. One of my fastest...

Just Snatches

Snatch
24kg/ 2 minutes @ 12 RPM, hand switch every minute
/4 minutes @ 12 RPM, hand switch every minute
/4 minutes @ 15 RPM, hand switch every minute
/6 minutes @ 16 RPM, hand switch every 8 reps

That's it. I was running short on time, otherwise I would have liked to add some running at the end. Oh well:)

Long Cycle

One-Arm Long Cycle
24kg/ 2 minutes @ 8 RPM, hand switch every 8 reps
/ 4 minutes @ 10 RPM, hand switch every 8 reps
/ 7 minutes @ 8 RPM, hand switch every 5 reps

Pullups
/ 10, 8, 8, 10

Good Strength Workout

Pistols
BW/ 3,4,5 each leg

P-Bar Pushups
/ 3 x 10

"One Arm" Pullups
/ 3,4,3,3,3 each arm

Snatch-Grip Deadlift off a 4 inch platform
225/ 3 x 4

Swings
24kg/ 30/30 x 3

I added the swings at the end for a bit of conditioning. I really like the snatch grip deadlifts. I feel that I could have done WAY more weight with those, but 225lbs is all I have at my house. Maybe next time I'll have to get those done at the gym before I leave to go home and train. The "one arm" pullups were done with a rope. I grabbed the rope about 18 inches below the bar with one of my hands, and did pullups with the other. The rope was acting as an aid to help me get the pullups done. I tried to put as little emphasis as possible on the "roped" hand.

Fun Workout with My Pup

Long Cycle C+J's
24kg/ 6 minutes @ 8 RPM, switch hands every 5 reps
/4 minutes @ 10 RPM, switch hands every 5 reps
/4 minutes @ 8 RPM, switch hands every 5 reps

Cleans
25.75kg/3 minutes @ 8 RPM x 2

Pullups
/8,9,10

Pushups
/30 x 3

Zercher Squats with the Pup:)
/10 x 3

My dog Lexi, a lab who loves to play all the time, made her way downstairs during my workout. She was jumping on me during the pullups and trying to wrestle me during my pushups, so I decided to include her. I grabbed her and started squatting. She weighs 67 pounds, nd kind of felt like squatting with a sandbag. She loved it:)

Very Cool Conversation

I was out with two friends last night, Samantha and Alaina. We casually stumbled upon the topic of them working out. They started discussing how Samantha "kind of pulled a muscle" while working on the bicep curl machine:/ Since I am on an anti-machine movement, I asked them if they always worked out on the machines when they went to the gym...which they do, except for some yoga classes. Yoga is a great start, as it focuses on your body awareness, breathing, and body control. Good job girls:) We then continued to talk about the machines.
I told them that they could get an even better workout OFF the machines with just their bodyweight and a few household items, to which they BOTH replied: "Really? I would MUCH RATHER use my body than those machines! I just don't know how...that's why I use the machines." I offered to show them both how to do just that, right at their apartment.

It's amazing what their response was. That's the problem with machines...they are too DUMB. They certainly have their place in a rehab setting, I'm not arguing against that, but for a healthy person? There is no reason any normal, healthy person should have to use machines. By healthy I mean any person not in need of any physical therapy, surgery, etc. It's a shame that people enter a gym, get a personal trainer, expecting a good workout, and the trainer puts them on a machine based program. INCOMPETENT, I say! It's easy to put people on machines and not have to correct their technique, show them any technique, or even get their whole body moving at the same time! LAZINESS, I say! Calorie burning? What do you think will burn more calories - curls on a bicep machine (sitting down, supported), or a big compound movement, like a row or pullup variation (you are forced to control your whole body, support yourself)?

Muscle building? Pushups or the pec-deck? Which do you think stimulates more muscle fibers? Good guess. To end this rant, get off the machines, get a knowledgeable and pro-active trainer, and start improving.

Did the Double Thing

MORNING:

P-Bar Pushups
/3 x 10

Snatches
24kg/ 4 minutes @ 12 RPM, switch hands every 6 reps
/ 3 minutes @ 12 RPM, switch hands every 6 reps x 2

Swing
25.75kg/ 10/10, 15/15 x 3
- I rested for 10 breaths after the sets of 10, and 15 breaths after the sets of 15, then continued on to the next set.

Pullups
Lots and lots. I didn't count, I just did a bunch of sets to near failure.

EVENING:

Snatches
24kg/ 4 minutes @ 10 RPM, hand switch every 10 reps
/2 minutes @ 15 RPM, hand switch every 15 reps x 2

Running for 12 minutes @ 1 minute fast run, 30 second walk

I was kind of cut short in my first session because I had to go train a client. Just bad planning on my part. So I came home later and finished up. All I really missed was the running, but I was feeling good, so I added in the extra sets of snatches. The P-Bar pushups were throughout the day, today and yesterday. All in all, I probably totaled about 18 sets. I really want to get better at those...

Some Squats

I took this down to Muscle Inc. in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania (www.muscleinc-gym.com). It's one of the gyms that I work at, and they've got some fantastic equipment there for me to play around on. It's always a nice change to get out of the basement during the winter sessions.

Front Squat
185/3 x 3

Back Squat
225/3 x 3
255/3 x 2

Weighted Pullups
25lbs/5
50lbs/5 x 5

Then, some running on the treadmill for 10 minutes...

Short One...

Long Cycle C+J's
24kg/ 7 minutes @ 8 RPM
29kg/ 3 minutes @ 8 RPM x 2

Short Cycle Jerks
29kg/ 2 minutes @ 8 RPM x 2

= 8088 pounds

That's it. I didn't eat a lot today and didn't get much sleep last night, so I backed off and took it relatively easy today. As an athlete, you've got to know when it's time to take it down a notch. If you are extremely tired or fatigued, there is no problem with reducing the volume of your workout, or even taking a day off. doing this makes for a good athlete who knows his body. Don't get that "all or nothing" mentality and run yourself into the ground. Doing so will FORCE you to take time off due to sickness, injury, or over-training.

Bent Presses and Snatches

I was reading an article on the Gym Jones website about their training and why they do what they do. A lot of those guys are climbers who have reached some high levels in the sport (no pun intended). When you climb, you need a very high strength-to-weight ratio, otherwise, you just suck. Mark Twight, who owns Gym Jones, talked about exercise pairing. He was talking about blending weight-training and bodyweight-training...always pair a heavy weightlifting exercise with a bodyweight exercise. So, when deadlifting, you could superset the deadlifts with pullups (bodyweight only). This would train you to use your bodyweight even if you do end up gaining a few pounds from deadlifting heavy. I guess I always kind of trained like that anyway without really "thinking" about it. I am also a climber, so being able to move my bodyweight around effectively is pretty important. I always try to blend gymnastics-type training with weight-training. On that note...

My workout for today:

P-bar pushups/lower into L-sit hold
/3 x 5

- After the pushups, I slowly lowered my legs under me and in front of me, then I held the L-sit until "failure"

Bent Press
32kg/2/2 x 3

Snatches
24kg/ 3 minutes at 10rpm, switch hands every 5 reps
/3 minutes at 12 rpm, switch hands every 7 reps
/3 minutes at 20rpm, switch hands every 10 reps

Pullups
/8 x 4

Followed this up with a nice cold water douse out in the snow, and a cup of chamomile tea:)

Good One Today

Long Cycle C+J
24kg/ 7 minutes, at 9 rpm, alternating hands every 5 reps = 63 reps

Pullups
/ 4,5,6,5,6,4,5,6,7

Long Cycle C+J
24kg/ 5 minutes, at 8 rpm, alternating hands every 5 reps = 40 reps

Swing
24kg/ 20/20 x 2

Snatch
16kg/ 25/25 x 2

Overall a really good workout. The 7 minutes of C+J was pushing it a little. I think I will slow it down to 8rpm when I go for 8 minutes. I can also see how the fatigue would build up in your arms when you don't switch hands every 5 reps. Down the road, I'd like to switch hands only halfway through the set...that's pretty DOWN THE ROAD though:)
Also, it's been awhile since I trained with the 16kg. It is surprisingly light, now that I have been only using the 24kg and the 32kg. I got the feeling I could snatch it all day long. That's a very good thing;)

New Link

There is a new link that I added over there -> in the links list, titled "Gym Animus Courage Corner". This is a daily workout blog that I will post for you. There will be a workout posted most days of the week for you to try. Let me know how you do and what you think. Enjoy:)

Very Happy About This One

This was one of those workouts you remember for awhile. I recalled from the first Russian Kettlebell Challenge, Steve Maxwell did a workout that involved doing snatches with the 24kg for 20-15-10-5 reps, with both the right and left arms. I believe his time was 7:36. Today I did this:

Pullups
/10, 9, 8, 8, 7

C+J's
24kg/ 6 minutes, at 9 RPM, switch hands every 5 reps = 56 reps total

Snatch
24kg/ 20-15-10-5 right/left in 7:09!!!

Hanging Leg Raises
3x3

I am extremely happy about the snatches. I didn't really have a specific time goal in mind. My goal was to complete the sets fairly comfortably, and without putting the bell down. In fact, I didn't look at the clock until I put the bell down at the end. I'd say I was using about 85-90% of full effort while doing the snatches. I was amazed to see that time on the clock. Steve Maxwell is an unofficial mentor of mine. I love Steve's workout design, his life attitude, and his never ending pursuit of fitness. To beat his time is huge for me. The RKC came out about 7 or 8 years ago, and I'm sure that Steve has beaten his time since then, but when I first read that workout, I remember thinking: "Man, that is nuts! That is a fast time for that workout. That guy must be in great condition!". When I started lifting kettlebells about three years ago, I could barely snatch the 24kg. It was SO heavy. To accomplish that workout today is amazing. Just more proof of what you can do when you are consistent, dedicated, and smart. I still love the C+J's...I'll probably keep those up for awhile...

To the First Man to Reach the Top of the World

About a week ago, when I was still in Washington D.C., I was walking around the city at around 8:30 at night, and on one of those electronic news banners came this:
"Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to summit Mount Everest, died today at the age of 88"
This makes me think of the quote from Braveheart: "Every man dies, not every man really lives". On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary, along with his sherpa and guide, Tenzing Norgay, became the first team of climbers to reach the summit of the 29,029 foot tall Mount Everest. These two amazing gentlemen paved the way for thousands of climbers in the decades after their first ascent. To this day, Mount Everest remains the highest point on earth. Here's to Sir Edmund Hillary and his inspiring accomplishment.

Quick Saturday Work...

I'm on my way to a graduation party (Congrats Ashley), so I grabbed this quick training session before I left:

Long Cycle C+J's
24kg @ 8 RPM, hand switch every 5 reps
/ 5 minutes
90 second rest
/ 4 minutes

Running
/ 2 miles @ 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking

The C+J's are absolutely awesome. I encourage anyone to learn them and implement them. I have a video posted below about the correct technique for this strength endurance exercise. I guarantee that 90% of the population could benefit from using this exercise on a regular basis. Enjoy:)

STRENGTH Training

Haven't trained for strength specifically in awhile, so...

Handstand Pushup
/5x5

Hack Squat
32kg/5 x 4

Weighted Pullup
24kg/3 x 3

Snatch
32kg/5/5 x 4

Hanging Leg Raise
/3 x 3

Kettlebell Bench Press
24kg/6 x 4

Followed this with a contrast shower and eggplant rollitini, MMMM...;)

P.S. - CHRIS DALY...send me your email at joojoo2885@yahoo.com. I never got your contact info before you left for Saint Diego...I hope you are enjoying the So Cal life, staying in tip-top condition;)

Here's to the PRE..

Steve Prefontaine was a good runner, in case you didn't know;)

More RUNNING

Snatch
24kg
/15/15 x 2

Swing
32kg
/15/15 x 3

Running
4 x 400m speed intervals

The intervals were pretty cool. I didn't fully recover between the repeats, which was good. I was more and more fatigued going into the next round. I feel like that type of running really helps you push through that pain barrier, when everything burns and you pray for rest...instead you take another stride, then one more, and another, and so on, until you reach the end of wherever you are trying to go.
Eventually you realize that the pain isn't that bad, that once you relax you could probably hold this pace for much longer. When I used to run 50-60 miles a week, making improvements wasn't necessarily about making myself better physically, because I had really good physical endurance. The problem came for me mentally. As soon as the run got uncomfortably hard, I would almost go into a panic, like something would happen if I continued to feel this pain. All mental. Once I could convince myself to relax and just keep putting one foot in front of the other, the rest was easy...

Love Those C+J's

I did a short warm-up with the 32kg, doing 2 sets of 5 cleans on each side. I held the rack for awhile on each rep, trying to find a comfy position. After that:

24kg C+J's (8 RPM pace, switch hands every 5 reps)
/ 4 minutes
/ 4 minutes
/ 3 minutes
/ 3 minutes

I rested about 90 seconds between each set.

Pullups
/ 8, 9, 10, 10, 8, 8

Hanging Leg Raise
/4 x 3

Good stuff:) I really like the feeling of those Clean and Jerks...

Trying To Start RUNNING

The KB's keep me in pretty good shape. I have a really good work capacity, and I feel like I am reasonably strong. So far though, I've made strength a primary goal, with endurance a close second. While there is good carryover for me when hiking or participating in some other endurance-type activity, I just can't seem to keep in "running" shape while just doing KB's/bodyweight training. I took my dog for a walk today, and at the end of our walk, you have to climb a hill to get back to my house. The hill is about a quarter mile long with about an 8% grade. We ran up the hill at a pretty good pace (about 2:00 from bottom to top), and when we finished, I was DYING. It felt like my lungs were bleeding. So, after I recovered, I went and did this:

Turkish Get-Up
32kg/8 minutes = 16 reps total, switched hands every rep

Running
3 minutes running, 1 minute walking/ 12 minutes

Last Day in D.C.

Unfortunately, today is my last day in Washington D.C.. Fortunately, the trip was extremely productive, both physically and mentally. I got in some great workouts, lots of time with Vinay, and beautiful weather. We also made some great progress with the official Gym Animus website...it will be here soon:)
To end the trip, I walked around Georgetown today for a few hours. It was a pleasant walk, with nice river views, good looking people, and a solid cup of Starbucks coffee:) In addition to my walk, my training for the day looked like this:

Handstand Pushups
/5x3
/8x3

All with the 24kg...

One Arm Long Cycle
2x 4 min sets at 8 RPM

Swing
2x 30/arm
2x 25/arm

Pushup
BW/ 35 x 3

A Little Bit of GS-Style Training

I saw this on the American Kettlebell Club Blog. It's the one arm long cycle clean and jerk. I used the 24kg. Coach Scott Sonnon has an excellent tutorial on how to do the Long Cycle C+J. Here it is:

I did a three minute set at an 8 RPM pace, switching hands every 5 reps. I actually liked doing it so much that after a brief rest, I repeated two more three minute sets. Each three minute set was about spot on, totaling between 24 and 26 reps. After that, I did this:

With the 24kg:
Clean + Press + Front Squat Combo x 1,2,3,4,5 per arm, as little rest as possible

Swing x 10,20,30 with brief rests between sets

Snatch x 5,10,15 per arm with brief rests between sets

All followed by a four minute set of long cycle clean and jerk. I totaled 42 reps in the 4 minutes. Awesome workout, those C+J's.

Summer in January

Yesterday, January 9, Washington D.C. was 72 degrees and sunny. Not one to pass up beautiful weather, I had to take the KBs outside for some fun. Vinay and I took them up to the rooftop patio of his apartment building. We spent over 3 hours out in the sun, topping up our tans and having some fun. Here are some of the pictures we got.

Nice One In D.C.

I'm down in Washington D.C. for a few days, visiting Vinay, working on Gym Animus, and being a tourist (call it what it is, right?). While Vinay was at work today, I did this at his apartment, after walking around for about 4 hours seeing the sights:)

All weighted exercises done with two 24kg kettlebells:

See- Saw Press
/5 each x 3

Pull Up
/8 x 4

Front Squat
/5 x 4

Hanging Leg Raise
/3 x 3

Pushups on kettlebell handles
/20 x 3

The "Official" Gym Animus

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about my training services and the Gym Animus website. I'd like to answer a few of those questions so that when I direct people to this blog, they have some sort of reference pertaining to their questions.

What kind of training do I offer?
- I offer group or private training. I train people out of their homes, their gyms, or online. If I can't meet you physically, I can write a solid program for you, based on your goals, experience, and exercise/equipment availability. The idea behind Gym Animus is that your body WANTS to move a certain way, and it was BUILT to execute certain tasks. Your body is ONE PIECE, and thats the way I will train it. Everything you do on one "part" of your body affects another "part" of your body, so we do not separate your body into parts. I am not a bodybuilding trainer. Bodybuilding is its own sport in which I am not experienced. However, if you want to look better, perform better (in sport and/or in life), and feel better, than I just might be the trainer for you. Your training will be fun, exciting, and it will have definitive goals. You will not be disappointed.

What are your prices?
- The prices vary depending on what you are looking for. I write 1,2 and 3 month programs. I am available for private training and group training. I offer 1,3,6, and 10 session packages. For now, if you are interested, email me and let me know what you are looking for and I can send you the full price list.

If you don't divide my body into "parts" then how DO you train it?
- Samples of my training can be found in the videos that are posted in the "November" archives on this blog. Other samples can be found in the daily workouts that I post here. I understand that not everyone is up to performing these workouts as written. that's perfectly OK, as there are many many progressions and modifications to each of these exercises. The modifications will be made according to your level of fitness.

What are your qualifications?
- I am a graduate of East Stroudsburg University, with a backelor's degree in Exercise Science. I am a NESTA certified personal trainer. I have about four years of individual and group training experience. I have worked with the elderly, teenagers, athletes, CEO's, mothers, fathers, mentally and physically handicapped people. Every one of my clients has been a great experience for me. I take away as much from them as they do from me. I have also had the experience of training myself in multiple sports, from triathlons to rock climbing to kettlebell lifting.

How do I contact you?
- Right now, send me and email at joojoo2885@yahoo.com. That email address will most likely change once Gym Animus is up and running, but for now, the yahoo address will suffice. You can also comment on my blog posts with any questions or comments that you have.

Thanks for your interest in Gym Animus:)

Workout From Yesterday

I spent New Year's in Washington D.C., which was great, but I got behind on my workouts. Then, while wrestling with my younger and larger brother (by about 50 lbs), I had some kind of dislocation/subluxation happen to my shoulder...OUCH:) So, needless to say, my training was somewhat limited yesterday, although not by much. I trained with my brother which is always a pleasure:)

My Workout:
P-Bar Pushup (like a bodyweight dip, with your body in a parallel position, knees tucked)
/5x5

Weighted Pullup
40lbs/4x4

TGU
24kg/10 each side, alternating every 2 reps

Pistol
BW/3/3x3
12kg/3/3x2

Double Swing
2x24kg/8x4

Dan's Workout:
Military Press
16kg/3/3x3

Snatch
16kg/5+5 at the top of every minute/8 minutes

Thanks:)

While everyone awaits the unveailing of the official Gym Animus website, I would like to say thank you to my friend, Vinay, who is building the website for me in his spare time. He is working endless hours to build the site, on top of his already busy life. He certainly has a lifetime "membership" to Gym Animus and all of its benefits.


Vinay is one of those racing snakes who moves like a man possessed across the country. He is an extremely fast runner, with an average 5k time that could easily provide him with a salary.
However, Vinay wasn't always a great athlete. He joined track in his freshmen year of high school, just for something to do. Well, he turned out to be a horrible runner. The coach put him in the 2-mile race, which was where all the "bad" runners went. Vinay wasn't very good at that either. Apparently, that pissed him off a little bit. During the summer between 9th and 10th grade, Vinay ran like a beast, logging an average of 10 miles per day, six days per week. He came back in the fall and joined the cross country team. Vinay started winning races, and not only marginal wins either. He regularly recorded sub-15:00 5k's, beating his opponents by more than 2 minutes sometimes. This was all at the tender, ripe age of 16 years old. The kid is a phenom.
Unfortunately, Vinay has given up competitive running since then, putting his physical energies into weightlifting and bodybuilding. He isn't at a loss in that arena either. Just the other day, at 140 pounds, Vinay put up 250 for 4 on the bench press. He can crank out a solid 25 pullups without breathing heavy, and he's got a front lever that scares people at his gym. He only weighs 140, but looks like he's approaching 175. He's also got a chest that, as Pavel says, you could stand a glass on. Vinay lives and works in Washington D.C.. He works for Lockheed Martin, writing computer programs for the construction of nuclear submarines. WOW. Keep it up Vinay, you are an inspiration to all of us.