Sorry for not commenting in a while, busy at work and then vacation.

First and foremost, sorry to hear about your grandmother, my condolensces for your loss.

I think this post really hit the nail on the head about working out as being the means to a end not just the end. Make it a part of your active lifestyle but don't stress out about missing a workout once in a while if something more important comes up.

Still need to put aside time to visit that list of beaches you put up a while back.

Al

Yeah…I have had times where I let entire days slip by without doing much. Once you lose a day it's gone. I need to remind myself of that frequently.

baz,

You will eventually learn to enjoy working out. Keep at it and your body will change. Once you see fantastic results, you will be hooked…promise.

Yavor,

Thanks for the advice and for the comment about my grandma. You the man!

Luke,

Yeah…you have to live and also allow some flexibility in your approach. I skipped my workout today to spend a bit more time on my site today. I'm trying to play a bit of catchup on comments…I really enjoy interacting with everyone on this site.

fitness-siren,

So true about grandmas…I have tried to make a simple pastrami sandwich over 100 times and can't replicate the way my grandma does it. Grandparents are a wonderful part of life.

Cheers,

Rusty

Thanks for sharing!

I just want to say I agree wholly with all that you have said. I regret the times thatI chose a workout over other activities. It is true for me that on my way out of the gym I am in a better, less-stressed mood but I have found that any guilt for missing a workout can be overcome by having a sensible diet. No muscle will be lost for missing one workout.

I'm so glad that guys like yourself, Brad Pilon, Craig Ballantyne, Mark Sisson have all helped me realise that being healthy does not need to take up all of your time. Its a lifestyle choice, not a count on how many hours you spend down the gym. Whether its healthy eating, eat stop eat, a 5 minute TT style workout or going to the gym, I feel I now have a healthy solution for every situation. No need to pass up that social event just to get to the gym.

Thanks again Rusty.

Get to 40-50 dips and get back to me if you don't have bigger tri's and chest

Good luck!

Yavor

p.s. Rusty – my condolences for the loss of your grandma.

That is a really good phrase Rusty!
I definitely agree with what you said. I hope to be smart today to ensure longevity later.

I can barely remember 99.9% of my workouts, but I can recall hundreds of fun times I've had with family and friends. Just like you said, life is too short to skip the important stuff.

Joey,

Great to hear from you! I know your courses must be selling well, because you put good products out there. Anyway…young people who are just getting into working out seem to be the most vulnerable to workout addiction. I think it is because they want to get results that it takes years to achieve, but do it in 3 months.

Wilson,

It sounds like you just focus really hard for a short few months each year. That is cool. I also think it is fine to workout extra hard for a vacation or wedding. The problem is when people stay this unbalanced year round. You can do explosive reps for part of the year, but understand that the injury potential is greater. Just use caution.

Tim,

True…it is all about mindset. Really the right mindset is the key to success in any facet of life. Good call.

noone,

True…guys and girls in their 20's that are in shape are a dime-a-dozen. It doesn't take much to at least appear fit at that age. I am more impressed when I see people in their 30's, 40's, and 65+ and beyond in outstanding shape. There is a huge difference between people who "get in shape" and people who stay in great shape. I am hoping that all the younger people pace themselves a bit and have the mindset to do this for life. I turn 40 this December, but physically still feel as good as I did when I was 21. I'm hoping people don't use age as an excuse to let themselves go…and there is nothing wrong with those who have a lot of weight to lose. I want to help them lose that large amount of weight and never look back. Thanks for the kind words, by the way!

myra,

Luckily we had a feeling that my grandma might not make it and all of the family was able to tell her how much we loved her and say our goodbye's. She was mentally sharp the last time I spoke with her and I was able to hold her hand and talk about all the fun I had with her growing up. She was one of my favorite people in the world. As far as working out goes…totally cool to be dedicated. I am too…I just get more done in less time than I used to.

Greg,

It is funny how life gets really busy at some point. I know exactly what you are saying. I love having a busy life, but it was tough at first, because I used to dedicate so much time in the gym. Now, I just do my best "to make it count" and then rest. Sounds like you do too!

Semper Phi (James),

I'm guessing you were a marine. Some of the fittest guys I have ever met had a military background. If you want bigger arms…definitely throw in some tricep work as well. For size it is fine to up the reps a tiny bit as well. Consider doing 5-6 sets of 5-6 reps. My biceps always look best when I include basic chinups in my routine as well. To find older posts, click on each category…one-by-one. Each post is categorized in one of those categories. I should have an archives section, but I do my best to keep my site as basic and uncluttered as possible.

Adam,

It sounds like almost all of the online fitness guys and girls used to be fitness addicts. I wonder if that is because so many of us trained in the 80's and 90's when the "more is better" approach was still kind of popular. I know that Mark Sisson used to train too much, sounds like Brad Pilon, me, you, and a bunch of other people online…live and learn. I'm hoping a few college readers, read this post and understand that road trips are much more important than their workouts. Good point…people should still be consistent most of the time.

Helder,

One of the HUGE reasons that I don't like the typical bodybuilding workout is that it makes sore muscles. I have only been sore a few times in the past 10 years and I'm in the best shape of my life. I do remember when I use to do that high-volume bodybuilding training and having legs so sore that I couldn't enjoy my weekends. Glad I finally see the light. No reason that your workout should make life less enjoyable.

Elle,

Love the corny pun…very good!

ahm,

Being too obsessed with your own looks is a huge turnoff to girls. One of the reason that big bodybuilder look is bad, it because it shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are "trying too hard". Well balanced healthy people are more attractive to everyone.

TheAlchemist,

I know that people feel empathy for my grandma passing away. The great thing is that she lived a full life of 90+ years. I hope I live that long. Gym monkeys is a great term. There are about 10-20 of the same people I see in the gym every time I go…and I go at different times during the day. I hope they don't feel regret when they look back on their lives to see how much precious time they spent in the gym.

thomas,

Addiction can trump pain. People do painful things to themselves when they are addicted. It is terrible for you and breaks down the body.

mickieb,

It is true that age brings on insight. Many of the readers of this site are in their 20's…hopefully they will make the best of such an exciting time in their lives. Actually, to be honest I like the age I'm at now just as much.

Arya,

You are going to do it twice per week, since you are just specializing on that one muscle group. You would overtrain if you did this with your entire body, but the way you are doing it is perfect. Those bodyweight circuits are outstanding. I substitute these for entire workouts when I'm short on time. I never go a week without 3 sets of theses bodyweight circuits.

Chris,

Grandma's are one of life's best things. Nobody can spoil you like a grandma. Grandpa's are amazing as well. Mine is in his 90's and still plays ping-pong with me…and he is still pretty good!

Anthony,

You guys are great! I miss my grandma, but don't feel extremely sad. She had a full life and we just celebrate it by remembering her. I want to live into my 90's. The most important thing is to take some risks, try to make a difference, and don't settle for less than you deserve. I love working on this site, because I really enjoy people. Things are nice, money is nice, but relationships with people is where it is at. You guys are all very supportive and it goes to show how many great people there are in this world!

Yavor,

I'm excited by spring and concerts. I love music. Going to see Ladytron next Saturday. Seeing Coldplay in an outdoor amphitheater that has a big beer garden in summer, etc. Can't wait to live life outside and stay up late, etc. Great time of year!

Cseng,

I'm glad to have you as a reader of the site. If you want to be fit while living a well-balanced life, my advice is to hang around people who are doing just that. This blog has a ton of people who contribute and live life to the fullest…for that reason alone, it has become a great little site. Thanks for following for so long. You have a lot of great times ahead of you. Support your local beer festival (my public service announcement).

Mostafa,

Sounds like you are fit and have a great life. Wonderful to hear.

Ciaran,

Working out is a good stress reliever. I'm not someone who stressed out much, but I'm a little high-strung at times. I find working out gives me patience…especially on the road when people are driving poorly.

Thanks for the comments!

Rusty

Great post. Sorry to read about your Grandmothers passing. My grandmother passed away quite suddenly just over a week ago so I feel your pain!

I find a good workout though helps me to forget about the stresses in life, even if it is only for 45 minutes or an hour.

Thanks Rusty for bringing this point up

Once more I'm reminded how lucky I am to have discovered this webpage before embarking on a serious journey to fitness. (22 this year… avid fan/follower since 08 )

Had to say that when i first encountered this site, I was simply flabbergasted by what I always believed as the 'truth' as what you shared with us made so much more sense.. not to mention brings 'life' back into the whole equation.

Keep it up rusty and live life people! Cheers!

Build an active and fun life and let exercise be a tool that helps you achieve this.

Being fit has it's benefits – you look and feel good and have more energy for work as well as play!

Btw it's spring time guys (for us in the northern hemisphere) go out and play in the sun, enjoy evenings out with your buds, visit
concerts, and stay up out late

Yavor

P.S. Thanks to you I love body weight circuits and frequently substitute them for HIIT. If you ever give the one I posted a try tell me how it works out.