Every week I’m in the gym at least 3 times a week to keep my 6’0 “, 165-pound body in shape. I usually don’t spend more than an hour and 15 minutes doing my core exercises and 20 minutes of interval cardio. Just before I left for Trinidad about three weeks ago, I was lifting weights like any normal gym day, when I realized that this guy who appeared to be a one-man army. He was lifting weights with his other friend who looked like he came out of the movie “300.” It wasn’t that kind of heavy lifting muscle that you see a lot, but a symmetrical, chiseled look of lean muscle that’s almost intimidating. The kind of body women on the beach like to stare at through his sunglasses while whispering to his girlfriend.
I walked up to this guy and said, “Man, you really look like a comic book character, what’s your name?” The guy laughed and told me his name (we’ll call him Cesar). Cesar and I talked about the importance of nutrition and he told me about three key exercises that were the foundation of his Spartan body. So here are the three exercises that you should incorporate into your routine with 2-3 minutes of rest between sets.
The first exercise is the wide grip pull up, which I affectionately call the “Rocky” pull up. Place your hands at shoulder height and then lift your body with your lats until the back of your neck hits the bar. Get started and see what your strength level is. I generally keep my reps at 7-12 per set. If you are just starting out, find someone who is willing to support your feet to help you initially position yourself to develop your strength.
The second exercise is the infamous dip. If you can find a “v” shaped dip bar, that would be the best to give you the most pectoral (chest) extension. You should keep your legs together and bend your knees with your head upright. In the repetition you should go as low as you can and then extend and rise above the bar. Do 5-7 reps and then rest for 2 minutes. What I do is incorporate the other weightlifting exercises of the day (back / shoulders, triceps / biceps, chest) with all of these. You will see that completing these three exercises during the 45 minutes at the time of your lift will make you look like the Incredible Hulk. I noticed considerable gains and chisels within the first week of integrating them into my training.
Lastly, you’ll want to set up 2 weight stacks. Begin by placing three 35-pound weights, one on top of the other, at the body length of a bench press. Once you’re done with the first, build your second stack of three 35-pound weights a little more than shoulder-width apart from the first stack. Now this is the ultimate setting for a calisthenic pushup that uses your own body weight. Put your feet in the middle of the bench first (you’ll want to position these 2 stacks 90 degrees from the center of the bench to the side) and then place the palms of your hands on the side of the top with the heaviest weight on each. stack. Keep your back straight and lower yourself to do your first push-up. The proper form should have your chest touching the ground and passing between the two stacks of 35. You should adjust the stacks to your proper height and shoulder width. I usually do 7-10 reps and then rest. The key here is the quality of the shape, your chest should feel like it has been stretched like never before. You want to contract your pectoral muscles at the top of the pushup for maximum results.
When you focus on 1 or 2 muscle groups and then incorporate these 3 calisthenics into your 1 hour routine, you will see results within the first 2-3 guaranteed lifts. I just gave you all a gold nugget of wisdom that I found. This, along with the nutrition tips that form the basis of my eating habits and specific exercises, create the body you see below.
