Hanging Tough – Focus on the Goals

by Dwayne Kilbourne on May 14, 2012

In the past week or two, I have felt a bit sluggish. I really could not pinpoint the main reasons why I was feeling as tired as I was, but I am sure that it was a combination of diet and rest. I still do not drink carbonated beverages and have not since Christmas of 1999, so water is my main beverage of choice yet I am sure that I have not been drinking enough throughout the day. Also, there are nights when my schedule just did not allow me to sleep long enough, so I am sure that it caught up with me. I guess you could consider this to be a challenging time of sorts for me, but I would not let it bring me down. Instead, I remembered what my main short- and long-term goals were, and made a plan according to them.

feeling sluggish??

While unusual for me, I ended up taking a few days off here and there from the gym to ensure that my body was fully rested. I decided to take 10 days off of pre-workout supplements. I even shifted my workout routines towards high repetition, low-weight exercises, and I shortened the time I stayed in the gym. Thus far, I am feeling a little bit better, but I know that I need to also step up my cardio. So, I plan to add more cardio back into the mix in the next few days, and I will transition back to Cellucor M5 Extreme 2-in-1 from [Cellucor] C4 Extreme for my preworkout once I get back to my next chest day (in two more days).

I wanted to share my odd [ongoing] experience with you to say this. We all must hang tough. Challenges will come our way, so we have to continue to focus on the goals that we have made for ourselves and ensure that we are doing the right things to reach them. Are you staying on track with your workout plan and/or diet? Are you sleeping enough at night? Are you drinking enough water? Are you staying positive no matter what life throws at us, good or bad?

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Persistence and Positivity Pay Off!

by Dwayne Kilbourne on February 20, 2012

So, we are already well into the second month of the year, and most of us have hit a few challenges along the way towards our fitness goals. For some, it might be the lack of energy or drive to continue the workout routine that we set forth in our New Year’s resolutions; for others, it might just be a lack of time available in the schedule over recent weeks. No matter the situation, keep on track and moving towards your goals can be a challenge in and of itself. I’m here to encourage you to remain persistent with your hard work ethic and discipline. Additionally, I recommend that you remain positive throughout. By doing both, you will be able to climb closer to your goals. Certainly, the journey can be extra frustrating at times, but, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Keep on track and keep your head held high! Before you know it, your goals will come into sight. Here are a few quick tips to keep you in the game.

  1. Be sure to have reachable, quantifiable goals! You want to make sure that your goals are realistic, timely, and quantifiable. For me, I want to lift more weight on the bench press, but I need to be sure that I pick a specific number of reps for a specific weight if I am going to be able to better achieve my goal. Of course, while I’d love to bench press 500lbs, that is not a reasonable goal for me right now, so I selected 315lbs for 4 reps and 225lbs for 10 reps instead!
  2. Keep track of your progress! It is always great to see how well you are doing along the journey. If you are trying to lose 10lbs in 6 weeks, maybe you want to weigh yourself every week. If you are trying to walk 5 miles each day, maybe you should get something like the FitBit to help you monitor your daily progress. Tracking your progress can be a great motivational tool as you strive to reach each goal.
  3. Reward Yourself! As you reach various milestones and your overall goals, be sure to take a minute to reward yourself. If you attach an award for reaching a specific goal or milestone from the outset, it can really help boost your overall motivation levels!

goal barriers

Let me know how your resolution journey is going thus far. Keep working at your goals, stay on track, and remain positive! In the end, you will thank yourself!

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Fitness Goals For 2012

by Dwayne Kilbourne on January 2, 2012

Another year has come and gone, and now it is time to ramp up for 2012. While I found great gains and progress in my fitness routine in 2011, I still have a lot more that I want to accomplish. So, here are some of the goals I have set forth for myself!

Weight Training

Standing Alternating Bicep Dumbbell curls – lately, I have been getting 40 or 45lbs (per arm) for 6 or so reps, but I would like to at least get 55lbs for 8 solid reps.

Standing Alternating Hammer Dumbbell curls – ironically, my inside hammer curls are stronger than my regular dumbbell bicep curls; I am able to easily get 50 or even 55lbs for 6 reps, so I am looking to move that mark up to at least 65lbs for the same number of reps.

Bench Press – in 2011, my bench press started to show some added progress, and I expect that trend to continue. I maxed out at 315lbs for one solid rep, so I want to take that 1-2 rep maximum up a notch to 350lbs. This will be a tough task, but I am always up for the challenge. Also, I want to be able to rep out 225lbs for 10 super strong and slow reps and 275lbs for at least 6 solid reps.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Press – I saw some significant improvements and gains on this exercise in 2011. I am now up to 110lbs to 115lbs for 6 to 8 reps; hence, my goal for 2012 is to move that number up to 125lbs for at least 6 reps and make my warmup set of 10 reps grow to 100lbs (currently, I normally use the 85lbs or 90lbs dumbbells).

Angled Linear Leg Press Machine – you all know by now that I love my leg press machine! In 2011, I pushed my body to the max, and I even tried overloading the leg press machine’s sled (totally 1,723lbs) and struggled to push out 4 reps. Towards the end of 2011, I took about one month off the leg press machine and started integrating more squats. Overall, I am pleased with this, but I also found myself slowly progressing back up to 1,400lbs+ 6 rep sets. More importantly, I found myself a little weaker on my 20 rep dropsets (at 823lbs), so 2012 has to include more growth and progress as I look to get back up in the 1700lbs+ ballpark (but with better form and depth). Since leg routines are some of my favorite workouts, I want to set personal bests whenever and wherever possible! So, keep on me about this one!

Squats – as I mentioned above, I finally started reintegrating this powerful exercise back into my routine. While I had some level of success, my comfort level with this exercise is not exactly where it should be. I look to lock down my form even more and push my max to a new level. Ideally, I will be squatting at least 315lbs for 8 or so reps! It all takes time, but I am confident that I can knock this one out of the park!

2012 Fitness Resolutions CrossroadsCardio

Running – since I found out early in 2011 that the US 10K Classic was cancelled for the year, I found myself without the added motivation to hit the treadmill like I normally would have. I was out of town when the Peachtree Race came around, so that added to the lackluster amount of running I did in 2011. But, I look to probably be in town on the Fourth of July, so I will look into running the 10k. Furthermore, I need to add a few more races into the mix and challenge myself a bit more, so 2012 will include more cardio success. Plus, I am sure that my body will be pleased to have such a challenge!

Cycling – I love spin class, but I slacked a little bit during this past summer. Ideally, I still want to complete at least one spin class per week (on average). At the end of 2011, I got back into the mix and attended some one hour long spin classes. I plan to make this routine permanent and might even invest in some spin shoes just to be sure!

Wrap Up

Well, that is the bulk of my initial 2012 fitness goals. I will continue to look to eat cleaner (better) and work to lose a few percentages of fat while concurrently growing lean muscle mass. I currently weigh between 179lbs and 181lbs, I go to the gym six to seven times per week, and I feel great. If I gain more weight, it better primarily be muscle! Here’s to a ripped 2012. I wish you all great success in your fitness goals and would love to hear your top goals!

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Succeed By Getting in a Routine

by Dwayne Kilbourne on November 15, 2011

When it comes to fitness [and anything else worthwhile for that matter], we have a lot of goals that we would like to achieve, but the journey seems exhaustive. With health and fitness being a lifelong endeavor, we tend to find ourselves struggling to take the first, life-changing step. At times, we feel lost, uncertain, or just plan lonely. This is where you have to get yourself into a routine. Creating a routine that works for you is not a technique unfamiliar to us; we do it in the morning when we want to get ready for work, and we get in a routine at work to get the job done. Hence, we need to follow those examples and build a routine for your healthy living and workout.

Believe, Achieve, Succeed

Once you are in a routine, reaching your milestones and overall goals will become much easier, and seeing your progress and results along the way will only increase your motivation to get the job done! I have a pre-workout routine that I do each day (shown below) and a routine that I follow at the gym (each day)! Step by step, we can accomplish our fitness goals!

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Cellucor NO3 Chrome Initial Review

October 30, 2011
ufferHave you tried any of Cellucor’s pre-workout supplements? Cellucor currently has four different pre-workout options available: C4 Extreme, M5 Extreme 2-in-1, N-Zero Extreme, and NO3 Chrome. The first three are stimulant-based pre-workout supplements (the first two also include creatine in the formula) with the last one being both stimulant-free and creatine-free. NO3 Chrome is a [...]
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Bodybuilding Routine: Changing Things Up!

October 24, 2011
ufferIt is that time yet again; it’s time for me to change up my routine a little bit. I still plan to hit the gym each and every day, and I still plan to alternate the number of sets (between 3 sets and 4 sets) that I will do per exercise every time I go [...]
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Posture and Form – 2 Key Ingredients

October 18, 2011
ufferWhen it comes to working out, you want to make sure that you are doing the exercises the correct way. I find myself walking into the gym and seeing a number of people trying to rush things and possibly trying to lift more weight than they really should be. Sure, I am certain that I [...]
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Terry Crews Cobra Back Workout Review

October 1, 2011
ufferHitting the gym everyday of the week, I am always looking for new techniques to get better and stronger results! One day, I was roaming around the Bodybuilding.com website when I came across a back routine by famous actor and former NFL player Terry Crews! Since I am also a fan of his and know [...]
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Mr Olympia – Changing of the Guard

September 20, 2011
ufferThis past weekend marked what many bodybuilding experts contend is the changing of the guard. In essence, the four time champion, Jay Cutler, passed the torch to good friend, Phil “The Gift” Heath. For those who might not know, every fall (typically in September) the biggest and best bodybuilders from around the world (who qualified) [...]
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Cellucor M5 Extreme 2-in-1 Initial Review

September 14, 2011
ufferCellucor M5 Extreme 2-in-1 is a pre-workout supplement that gives the user the capability of customizing the supplement to their specific workout needs. One thing about most pre-workout supplements is that they normally have an ingredient or two that boosts energy levels, and, normally, these are stimulant-based. Sure, this is a great thing in many [...]
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