Keep it Heavy

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome today. Today, we're going to open the doors to
the gym and we're going to talk about the holy
grail of fitness. We're talking about building a strong, muscular,
and toned body through resistance training. Whether you're a gym

(00:24):
newbie or a gym rat, this episode is all about
a few things here we need to discuss because this
is something that I'm passionate about and I know what
I'm talking about on this one. So listen hard, take
some notes. This would be a great place to start.

(00:45):
So if you're having if you're going to the gym
all the time and you're not getting results, listen to
some things I say here. And I think that if
you make some changes, you'll start seeing some results. And
why don't we go to the gym to look the
same six months after we started working out there, maybe
you've noticed some gains, you know the first you know,

(01:07):
four to six weeks, and then just stop and you
just stay the same. We go to the gym to
look better and better, get stronger and stronger, healthier and healthier.
So just kind of listen to what we're talking about here.
What I'm talking about here, why resistance training is the
fundamental the foundation of body changing results. So this is

(01:27):
what we're gonna touch on these things here. The importance
of lifting heavy with proper technique. I want to say
that again. The importance of lifting heavy with proper technique.
How to balance free weights, machines and dumbbells, Strategies to
optimize your training for maximum gains. So let's uh, you know,

(01:53):
grab your gym back and we're gonna get We're gonna
get pumped up a little bit. We're gonna increase your knowledge,
and you're going to see the results. So first things first,
why does resistance training lead to dramatic body changes. It's
all about challenging your muscles. When you lift weights, your

(02:13):
muscle fibers break down. And let me change that little bit.
When you lift heavier weights, not baby weights. Okay, when
you lift weights, your muscle fibers break down and repair
themselves stronger than before, a process called hypertrophy. This doesn't
just make you stronger, it also changes the way your

(02:34):
body looks. Right, So your muscle fibers build back bigger
than they were before. Therefore you have a bigger, a
more leaner muscle boosted metabolism. The more lean muscle you have,

(02:54):
the more calories you burn even when you're just sitting
on your butt watching TV. So if you don't understand,
what about this, you're torching fat while you binge watch Netflix. Right,
that's pretty easy to understand. It's going to improve definition.

(03:19):
Resistance training sculpts your body. You want toned arms and
define quads. Lifting is your answer, and it's unless you've
got great genetics, it's your only answer. Functional strength is
not just about aesthetics. It's resistance training improves your posture,
reduces injury risk, and makes everyday tasks easier. Okay, so

(03:43):
don't tell me that I can't live heavy because I'm
going to get hurt, or that it's we're going to
get into that, But that's Bolodian cheese, no excuses. Think
of it this way. Cardio burns calories in the moment.
But lifting heavy is like investing in a muscle trust fund.

(04:05):
It keeps paying off long after you leave the gym,
and that is kind of silly, but that is the truth.
It really is the truth. You're not gonna build any
muscle and you're not gonna change the way your body
truly looks just by doing cardio I don't care what
you think or what you do with the cardio that
it's never gonna happen. You're never gonna get exactly where

(04:26):
you want to be, all right, So let's address the
elephant in the gym. And you know that's not me,
but let's address it lifting heavy. Many people shy away
from heavier weights because they're intimidated or fear injury. But
lifting heavy, when done correctly, is the key to real results.

(04:48):
Now I wrote this down, I'm gonna read it again.
But lifting heavy, when done correctly, is the key to
real results. Progressive overload. You know what that means. It
means your muscles adapt to stress, so you need to
consistently challenge them with heavier weights over time. This doesn't

(05:08):
mean maxing out, you know, every time you go to
the gym, but gradually increase the load. So if today
I did twenty pound dumbbell curls, next week, I'm going
to try twenty two and a half or twenty five
pound dumbells. Maybe I don't get as many reps, but

(05:29):
I'm getting more benefit. Strength and hypotrophy, hypertrophy. I don't
know why I'm having trouble with that, to build both
size and strength. Aim for a mix of rep ranges
for most For most people that's going to be six
and six to twelve reps per set with a challenging weight. Now,

(05:51):
let me put this way. I think twelve reps other
than a warm up is a little it is a
little too many. But if you're going to hit that
ten to twelve rep range, that's all you can do.
So don't do twelve reps and put the weight down
or step away from the machine when you know you
could do six or eight more reps, because then this
whole thing is a waste. You might as well get

(06:11):
it on the treadmill and just stay looking the same.
I mean, got it. I mean that's the way I
feel about that. Form first, then weight. Really it's form
and weight together, so don't compromise your form. A lot
of this comes from training your nerve pathways, from doing

(06:33):
the exercise correctly over and over and then adding the
weight and the weight. Once you get the form right,
your weight will go up and up and up. Don't
be afraid to try the weight right. Don't be afraid.
I mean I see people in there and I know
they can do so much more. Weight than they're doing.
But they're just they're going through the motions, or they're

(06:54):
a little bit scared that maybe they'll get to a
rep and they can't do it. You know what. That's
what it's all about. Get to that point. Okay, lifting
heavy feels intimidating. Just remember that dumbbell doesn't care how
much you're lifting, but your muscles will thank you for

(07:16):
the effort. That's silly but true. Next, let's talk about
tools of the trade. Each has its benefits and knowing
when to use what can lower can level up your workouts. Machines.
I love machines. I'm six one, two and forty pounds.
I'm in I'm in really good shape. I'm proud of that.

(07:39):
I'm not gonna lie to you. I really am. I
got big arms, I look like stonecalls Steve Austin back
in the day. So, and I use machines. I probably
use more machines than I do free weights. So don't
think that you can't get really good results by using
a big percentage of machines as your workout, because you

(08:01):
certainly can. Machines are look, they're great for beginners. They
guide you through the movement, so it can help reduce injury,
and it's also very ideal to really isolate specific muscles.
Now you are going to lose a limited, you know,
some of the range of motion because the range of

(08:21):
motion you're using is the machines are not yours, and
you're gonna have a little bit less engagement of your
stabilizer muscles, which those muscles are important. We talk about
that later. Freeways and barbells, you know, pros king of
compound lifts like squats, dead lifts and bench press. There

(08:44):
you go engage multiple muscle groups and build functional strength.
That's what it's all about. Now, as we get older,
sometimes bench press we just can't do it anymore. It
can be hard on the shoulders and things like that.
So don't If you can't do bench press with a barbell,
you can try a Smith machine, or you can try

(09:07):
some kind of press chest press machine. You can use
dumb bells. I love using dumbbells and I love using machine.
I can't do bench press anymore. You gotta be careful.
You got to use good form and don't be intimidated
if you need a spot or get a spotter. People
in the gym love to be included so you know

(09:29):
they're going to know whether you're a beginner or you're advanced,
and it doesn't matter. If you're not sure about a weight,
ask for help, ask for a spotter, and then you
won't be afraid to try a little bit heavyweight and
guess what, you may make a new friend. Dumb bells.
Dumbbells are my overall favorite. They're versatile and they allow
for a greater range of motion, perfect for unilateral exercises

(09:52):
to correct muscle imbalances. Also, you can hit smaller muscle
groups like shoulders with lateral raises. You can also do
big exercise. You can go big with like one arm,
one armed dumbbell lifts. There's just so many things that
you can do with with dumb bells. Don't be afraid

(10:15):
to go heavy. Make sure that if you're doing some
kind of chest press with heavier weights that you have
a spotterer, because that's going to be important. You don't
want the dumbell to fall back on your face or
your head or something like that. Start a little light
with the dumbbells and you'll be able to work up quickly.
Once you build those stabilizing muscles, and you'll just you'll

(10:37):
get great results. How to structure you work out for
maximum results. Okay, now that you've got your tools and weights,
let's talk strategy. Here's how to structure a workout program
that guarantees results. Focus on compound lifts. These are the

(10:59):
exercises squats, deadlifts, and bench presses that work multiple muscle
groups at once. They should be the cornerstone of your workout. Okay.
Then you add in your isolation exercises like bicep curls,
tricep push downs, leg extensions. Those type of exercise really
fine tune your physeeke and really help muscle separation and

(11:21):
help help you build them individual muscles. Train each muscle
group twice a week. Now that this is basic, okay,
but there's a lot of studies that show that hitting
each muscle group twice a week leads to optimal growth.
Split routines upper body, lower body one day, upper, next day, lower,

(11:45):
off day, then back to upper and then lower and
then take two days off of the weekend. So two on,
one off, two on, then two off. It's all about recovery.
You do not build muscle in the gym, You build
muscle out of the gym. When you're recovering, so remember
that too. You got it, don't don't skip your rest days.

(12:05):
Recovery is just as important as the workout itself. Overtraining
can also lead to burnout and injury, so you would
probably get more injuries from overtraining training too much than
lifting heavy and taking your time off to recover. Common

(12:25):
mistakes and how to avoid these mistakes. Before we wrap up,
let's go over some common mistakes that can derail your progress.
If we don't want that, okay, ego lifting listen, we
all have an ego so bigger than others. It doesn't matter,
all right, leave your ego at home or leave it

(12:46):
in the car in the parking lot of the gym.
Lifting weights that are too heavy just to impress others
as a fast track to injury. Stay humble and focus
on form, and also leave your ego so that you're
not looking for attention. When you're in the gym and
you're dropping your weights, you're slamming, you know, you're doing

(13:08):
the machine, and then you're like at the peak of
your of your exercise and you're just dropping the weight.
No one wants to hear that, No one wants to
see it. No one wants to hear you grunting like crazy.
That's just ridiculous. Now, when we live heavy, you know,
we might have a little grown here and there. I
get that, but some people take it too far and

(13:30):
it's just for attention. It's not helping you do anything.
And I've been going to the gym since i was
fourteen years old. Don't skip your warm up. Warm up
prepares your muscles for the workload ahead and reduces injury risk.
And this is for all ages, right. You need to
warm up, and you can warm up on a treadmill,

(13:52):
on a bike and then use light weights. So you
call your warm upset. So if you're doing bench press
and say you're you're going to work up with two
twenty five, I you know, start out with one thirty
five and do two sets of fifteen. You don't have
to push yourself to fill you in a warm upset.
You just want to get get your joints loose, you
want to get the blood flow, get warmed up. Neglecting nutrition,

(14:16):
So if you're not getting enough protein in carbs and
healthy fats to support your training, you're never going to grow.
So nutrition is incredibly important. The harder you work the
heavier you work in the gym, the more calories you're
going to need to support your muscle growth, plain and simple.
Of course, you don't want to eat too much. You

(14:38):
don't want to, you know, eat angry and then end
up getting fat, because then you're going to be angry
because you've added bad weight. We don't want that. Don't
rely only on machines. Machines are great, and like I said,
that's probably sixty five percent of my workout as machines.
Don't neglect the free weights and dumbbells, even if you

(14:59):
want to build overall street but if you want to
build overall street instability, and let's talk about this ladies. Okay,
So ladies, don't be afraid to go lift heavy. Obviously
heavy for you may not be what it is. You know,
for a guy or for me, lift heavy. You are
not going to build big, bulky muscles. You don't have

(15:21):
the testosterone to do it. You're not gonna do it.
So lift heavy and it will change your body type.
I guarantee it. You keep doing the aerobics, you keep
doing the bike, you keep doing these little spin classes
and stuff. Don't get me wrong, those are healthy. They're
good for you. They're not going to change the way
the way you look. When you put on that little dress.
You know you're going to look so much better when

(15:42):
you have some lean muscle mass with that. You're not
gonna get bulky. You're not gonna look like a female
bodybuilder or a female powerlifter. Lift heavy, ladies. Some closing thoughts,
resistance training is your ticket to a stronger, healthier, and
more confident you. By lifting heavy, balancing your tools, and

(16:04):
following a smart plan, you'll see changes that go beyond
the mirror. And that's the truth. Listen, lift heavy, lift, smart,
eat right, that's the bottom line. We're going to get
a lot more specific on this in some future episodes.
Until then, you just keep working out, train hard.