Weight Training IS Good For Fighters!!

There is a false rumor that has floated around Boxing Gyms and Martial Arts Schools for years, and that is “lifting weights slows you down as a fighter”, I’m here to tell you that it is simply NOT true!! Since 1988 I’ve training people in martial arts, kickboxing, etc. And over the past 17 or so years, I’ve learned, practiced and taught others about weight training and how it can fit into building a better fighter and martial artist. That myth you’ve heard about has come from watching men who strictly lift weights for years make the attempt to Box or Kickbox! Then YES! They are slow as hell!! But even then, with enough time and effort into their training, they’ll loosen up and float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!

Here’s a common shoulder routine I use when lifting weights. I try to use as much free weights as I can because that will normally work my entire body rather than just isolate a body part. (Though I will of course isolate a muscle towards the end of a weight training workout once my body is worn out- like with biceps for example.)

I’ll start with Seated Dumbbell Press superseded with Standing Side Lateral Raises. I warm up with 40 pound dumbbells for presses and 15 pound dumbbells for lateral raises. I work up to doing 3 working sets with 90 pound dumbbells for presses and 40 pound dumbbells for side laterals.

Then I’ll move to Standing Military Presses starting with 135 pounds for 12 reps or so. I’ll move up to 155, then 3 working sets at 185 for 8-6 reps depending.

Next is usually Standing Upright Rows superseded with Front Lateral Raises for 3 working sets. I’ll use 100 pounds or so for the upright rows and about 30 pound dumbbells for the front raises.
To finish it off, Mary and I will hit the seated side lateral machine for 3 working sets of about 12-15 reps to really burn it out.

Here’s an outline of what a typical Shoulder Routine looks like: (This site will not allow me to insert a “table” for some reason! Sorry it looks so odd, but you get the idea.)

Seated Dumbbell Press/
Superset with side lateral raises
Set Weight (press/lateral) Reps
· Set 1 40/15 35/20
· Set 2 65/15 20/18
· Set 3 80/30 15/15
· Set 4 90/35 9/12
· Set 5 90/35 9/12
· Set 6 90/35 7/12
· Set 7 70/30 15/15
Standing Military Press
· Set 1 135 14
· Set 2 155 10
· Set 3 185 8
· Set 4 185 8
· Set 5 185 6
· Set 6 135 10

Here’s the key: immediately after the weights, I will train on the heavy bag for 8 or so rounds. The first round can sometimes be a slow curve as far as getting my speed going because the muscles are pumped with so much blood, but by the end of the round I’m moving just fine. I’ve found for myself, and many other people I’ve trained over the years, that as long as you stay consistent with your cross training, you’ll not slow down at all. I’m 5’11” (on a good day) and weigh 225, but I’ve managed to still move as fast as when I was 20 years old and 185 pounds. (Or so I like to think!)Each round I’ll work on something different. For example, one round I’ll work on just speed, next could be power, next could be just Boxing, next just Kicking, counter striking, etc.- you get the idea.

Suggestion 1: Even if you’re never planning on getting on stage as a body builder, you should still lift weights! The benefits are nearly endless!! If you’re an athlete, then find the right exercises and training schedule/methodology that will help you achieve your goals quicker.

Suggestion 2: Get a partner to train with.

I train with my girlfriend Mary who is an amateur body builder and will begin training for another show every soon. Even though I workouts differ in a few ways, we still hit the same body parts on the same nights and we also are there to help spot and most importantly to encourage and motivate one another!

Suggestion 3: If have any questions on what else I do, or what may help you, please send me an e-mail, or check back from time to time. I’ll be posting more about how I train.

#3.5 of the 3.5 Changes for next year!

3.5 “Get” Reminded: What I mean by “get” reminded is that perhaps you shouldn’t try to go at it alone this year in staying on task and accomplishing your goals, perhaps it may be wise to “get” some help. Here’s what I found (accidentally) that works great for me: my girlfriend Mary knows what all of my goals are and will from time to time simply ask me how they’re coming along. At first I took offense to it because I felt that she didn’t trust me to actually get them done, (and if you’ve been reading this article you understand why!) but she was genuinely interested in helping me. Once I understood what she was doing and how beneficial it really is, I asked her to continue to do that every so often -and it’s been great for me all year. I have someone who knows what’s most important to me and is willing to help. So who do you have that will help remind you of what you’re striving for? Got help?

Here’s how it works: Be sure that you “get” someone you trust and interact with often- a coworker, a good friend, your spouse, etc. and “get” them to remind you of your goals! And conversely, if you are that someone who reminds a good friend of their goals, you’ll be much more likely to stay focused on achieving your own!

#3 of the 3.5 Changes (NOT Goals) for Next Year

After finding out how badly I had let myself down last this year on acheiving my goals, I found 3.5 ways to make some serious improvements. Here is #3, and below that are the first 2. Enjoy!

3. No Squandering Time: Like most people in this economy I have found myself working longer hours with fewer financial results. I get into the gym about 9am and I usually am leaving to meet Mary for our weight training workout at 9pm that night. Don’t be fooled though, there are days here and there, where I have a few extra hours when I am simply waiting for the phone to ring and could be multitasking on other projects. For instance, I could be writing more often to improve my ability to communicate my message. I could get in a few more workouts, make a few more networking calls, learn something new in marketing (like this whole social-media-thingy…), keep my house a little cleaner, etc. What about you? Even if you’re as busy as I am in this new and challenging economy, can you find a few more hours each week to just a little more done? I bet you can!

Here’s how it works: Make a list of 3 or 4 tasks you can do if you have down time. This way, you’ll be able to get just that little extra done towards your goals that will add up by the year’s end and you won’t have squandered any time in 2010!

#2 of the 3.5 Changes (Not Goals) For Next Year

Last year, I made several goals for myself, 32 to be exact. Out of those 32, I only accomplished 21. Some I surpassed, some I came close, some I achieved only to hold onto for a short time and still others I completely dropped the ball on! 21 out of 32 is decent I suppose compared to most other people who never even set goals, but I’m comparing myself to my own potential right now, and I know I can do far better. So I took a long hard look at what really held me back - and it was ME! It was those small and almost unseen bad habits I’ve somehow developed over time that need breaking!

And, if you’re so inclined to read on, please come and join me in making some changes in behavior for 2010. Here #2 of the 3.5 Changes (NOT Goals!) For Next Year that I’ll be making:

2. Double Checking My Goals: One time-tested theory is that the more you check on the goals you’ve set, the more likely you are to achieve them- and I agree with this. However, after years of being kicked and punched in the head repeatedly I have a challenge to actually remember to do certain things, like clean the house, make the bed, empty the garbage - or look at my goals. This past year I had posted my goals inside my closet door and it was a HUGE help for me to stay focused, until they fell off the door and I never replaced the list. Luckily I had another copy of my goals under my lap top at the office which I would look at periodically. The point is that when I looked at my goals often, say once or twice a week, I was much more focused on accomplishing them than if I only looked at them every few months. I believe I could have accomplished more of my goals had I been looking at them almost every day. So this year, don’t just commit to achieving your goals, commit to visually double-checking those goals so that they have top of mind awareness- instead of your favorite TV show. Remember this: when you don’t know what you want, anything will do.

Here’s how it works: List all of your goals by bullet points under a heading of Physical, Financial, Family or whatever areas you’re looking to improve or grow in. Once you have the list, laminate it then place it in spots where you’ll see it everyday.

#1 of the 3.5 Changes I'll be Making in 2010

Last year, I made several goals for myself, 32 to be exact. Out of those I only accomplished 21. Some I surpassed, some I came close, some I achieved only to hold onto for a short time and still others I completely dropped the ball on! But 21 out of 32 is descent I suppose if compared to most other people who never even set goals, but I’m comparing myself to my potential right now, and I know I can do far better. So I looked back at what really held me back - and it was ME! It was those small and almost unseen bad habits I’ve somehow developed over time that need breaking!

And, if you’re so inclined to read on, please come and join me in making some changes in behavior for 2010. Here are my 3.5 Changes (NOT Goals!) For Next Year that I’ll be making:

1. Food: Self Discipline is one area that I can exercise tremendous amounts of energy for almost an eternity…if I want to. (You’re the same way I’m sure.) When it comes to working out and pushing myself beyond normal thresholds, I have great self disciple. When it comes to learning something I am interested in, I can get almost obsessive until I know the subject like the back of my hand. But lately, when it comes to eating food, I can become a human garbage disposer on the weekends!! Over a decade ago, I created a healthy lifestyle which included a certain blueprint for eating food so that I would be able to eat healthy all week long and then a have a day on the weekend, Saturday, where I could eat some junk food like ice cream and pizza. This way the majority of what I eat is fuel for training, but I won’t feel as if I am restricted or starving myself. It worked extremely well for many years, but the past 2 years or so, there are times when Saturday becomes “Fatterday” and Sunday becomes “Funday.”




Well, 2010 is where I turn back the clock to when I first started this lifestyle and get back on track with my food intake. Are you with me?



Here’s how it works: Sunday through Friday, eat 4-6 clean, healthy and energy-based meals. Be sure NOT to skip breakfast and ALWAYS have your after-workout meal too. Then on Saturday, relax and enjoy yourself with some burgers and fries, or a pizza. Then Sunday morning, start fueling up again!


Soon, I'll be posting the other CHANGES FOR 2010!!

I Believe

It has been a year since I blogged and with good reason! I have been VERY busy with my Boxing Gym and making sure it stays afloat during this challenging economic time. I get in at around 9am and leave to meet Mary at another gym to lift weights since she is an amateur body builder.

That said, I believe that I have more to say, more people to reach and more positive tasks to accomplish by helping others. I believe that overcoming all I have in life and finding a way to stay focused and still become successful by using certain tools and strategies I have learned and created, puts me in a place where I can share those tactics with others. And when I do, I believe that their lives will change.

How do I know that my tools and strategies will work? Because they’ve worked for me when I lost my business, when relationships ended, industries failed, and when I’ve lost Real Estate and become financially challenged. AND- they’ve also worked for many other people over the past 15 years.

You’ll see here, more often personal experiences, thoughts and advice.

5.5 Reasons People DO NOT Set Goals

With all of the outstanding benefits that research has proven in regards to goal setting practices over the years, why is it that so many people you know (you too maybe?) still do not set goals for themselves? Since the turn of the 20th Century, stacks of data have been compiled demonstrating just how powerful the art of goal setting truly is. Yet even so, I still speak with people each week who state that they do not have written goals- much less any other kind of goals. These same people also declare that they want to be successful in life financially, or achieve peak physical fitness, or improve their focus and concentration on the job, etc. But the question still remains: why do so many people still choose to live their lives without clarifying their most important goals with so many facts and statistics indicating such great payoffs?

The answer to this is not as simple as you may think, as there are certain characteristics, even psychological blocks, that lead people to under achievement, frustration and mediocrity. If you are the type of person that wants to move forward in their life, regardless of the area you’re looking to improve in (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial) then you’ll want to read further to see what road blocks may be standing in your way or could at some point in the future. With this knowledge, your chances of reaching new heights in life become much more tangible and reachable.

Here are the 5.5 Reasons People Do Not Set Goals:

1. Fear Criticism- For most people this fear is developed during early childhood and/or adolescence. Well meaning parents or teachers may have discouraged you from setting goals by pointing out all of the reasons why it would not work. They of course felt as if they were protecting you from getting your hopes too high and then being disappointed if you didn’t succeed. Also, over the years, perhaps in High School, many people get ridiculed by their peers for wanting to achieve something great. When that happens, you learn to shut-up and keep your dreams to yourself. You learn to play it safe, to go along with the crowd and not to rock the boat. The unfortunate reality of this fear is that you take it into adulthood where you continue to conform and sell yourself short time and time again, thus leading to low self esteem, low self confidence and lack of any real motivation. If you can learn to let go of what others think of you, you’ll find that setting and achieving your most important life’s goals will come to pass much faster and easier than you can possibly believe.

2. Fear of Accepting Responsibility- As Emerson once said “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success in life but you.” It is always easier to blame your environment, your family, your genetics, the economy, the government, your neighbors, or your boss (etc., etc.), then to look at yourself in the mirror and see the real problem. Most people are lazy and find comfort in explaining away their failures or lack of effort. They reason that if it’s not their fault then they won’t look bad or have to work as hard or no one will blame them. Yet once you accept responsibility for the condition of your life (work, health), you’ll see that instantaneously, setting goals becomes a simple daily task.

3. Fear of Success- This is an odd fear, yet it is a very real one and tends to hold many people back in life. Most of these people were raised with the belief that making money and being “a success” is a bad thing, that they will somehow become like Scrooge in the old Charles Dickens’s Christmas fable. These people who fear success will strive hard to fit-in and will even apologize to others for their accomplishments. In other words they fear standing out or being different than their friends even if means sacrificing their success. It will do wonders to your achievements in life to evaluate your beliefs about money, success, appearance, etc. and change your perception about what these things mean to you in order to fear less and achieve more.

4. Fear of Failure- Everyone you know has this fear! Many of the top achievers you know have this fear in buckets! Which is usually why they have become successful in the first place. (A good use of fear.) However, many more people will allow this fear to control them to the point of preventing themselves from even setting a goal in the first place. Their mentality is “if I don’t try, I will never have to face failure and all of the pain and embarrassment that comes with it.” Instead, if you can live by the statement “nothing beats a failure but a try”, you’ll prevent this fear from ever manifesting in your life and you’ll see that fear of failure slip away as more and more of your goals are accomplished.

5. Never Learned How-I don’t know about you, but there was never a Goal Setting 101 class in High School or College, nor did my folks, coaches or instructors take me aside and teach me at any age. And I suspect the same is true for you. Setting, managing and achieving personal goals is a skill set that makes all of the difference in reaching your personal level success. Back in the 1970’s a 20 year study began at Harvard University in regards to goals. The students were asked if they had any goals after they graduated and it was discovered that only 3% of the class had clear written goals. Within 20 years, that same 3% had accumulated more wealth than the other 97% put together. Learn how to set goals.

5.5 Hanging Around the Wrong Crowd- Think that the people in your life don’t make an impact on you? Think again. I’ve dumped people out of my life because they were too negative or didn’t believe in me. I have one life and no time for nay-sayers. You’ll find that when you’re making a real effort to reach your goals in life, there will be people who will be like crabs in a pot of boiling water: when one is trying to escape, the others will pull them back in! When you begin to tell friends what your goals and dreams are, you’ll find out quickly who you can go to for support and who you’ll want to avoid. The more time you spend with people who will support you in your efforts (even it’s just emotional support by telling you to stick with it), who will push you forward in life, the more obvious it becomes that you’ve found true friends. To find the right crowd to hang around, simply ask yourself if the people you hang around are an anchor (hold you down) or a motor (push you forward) and then spend more time with the motors.

FREE OFFER: Having difficulty breaking one of these “blocks” to success? Shoot me an e-mail and we’ll see if we can’t overcome it together! John@BlackBeltLiving.com