Personal Journey February 2015 Update
OH MY GOSH! It’s been way to freaking long since I’ve done any posts about personal legends. I have good excuses, but that’s all they are excuses. Nobody has time for excuses.
Here is my update regarding my own person legend. I was let go from my full time job. The company decided that it didn’t want to be a company anymore and everyone got the boot. Shitty. I powered through though! I ended getting a new job, this one is for a better cause. I went from a collections agency to a Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Provider Network. I feel like what I’m doing now isn’t just getting a paycheck, but helping (behind the scenes stuff) to help others get better.
On the 16th, it will be 9 months smoke free. That one is big for me. Nothing helps you move forward like leaving your bad habits behind. While I left smoking (the bad) behind, I also left some good behind as well. I pretty much had to. I had to let a part of me die that day. As a result there were some other casualties as well. I severely injured a lifelong friendship. I wish it didn’t happen that way, but all of my memories with this person had our mutual friend cigarettes in them as well. Whenever we would talk on the phone we would both be smoking. It was our way of staying connected over long distances. That has been hard for me, but it also has been good for me. He has a family now and doesn’t need to be spending time wasting it on hours long phone calls with me. I’m happy for him. He’s doing great for himself and we do still keep in touch. Just not nearly on the scale it once was.
So, I quit smoking, lost my job, didn’t go back to smoking to deal with the stress of that, found a new job, and Barefoot Buffalo came back into my life.
I admit, I had pretty much left Barefoot Buffalo to die. I wasn’t feeling it. How could someone who was dealing with so much shit, write articles about being happy? My dad had just passed away and I couldn’t handle trying to make others happy when I could barely make myself happy. I tried to bring back Barefoot Buffalo, but it never stayed. After all of that though…it seems that instead of me coming back to barefootbuffalo.com, barefootbuffalo.com has come back to me. The ideas about the cosmic energy in all of us and our personal legends all of that shit has come slamming back into me. I now understand that being in hard times is a good place to be when writing articles about being happy, finding happiness and making the most out of your life. I was living the depressed life for over 2 years. I have gained a lot of experience being down and bringing myself back up. I wish I was writing during that dark period. I would have had a lot of unique takes on being happy and how to get there. I was trying some strange ways to be happy. Of course I tried the usual coping mechanisms like stress eating…Yup. Let’s call it stress eating…. Whoops.
That’s where GYM419 came from. I had made the decision to stop being depressed and fat and just be fat. Now I’m getting all happy and shit and it’s time to not be fat too! I realized that this site isn’t really the place for posting workouts. I will be posting on twitter and possibly facebook what workouts I’m doing. I may even make a sister site. Who knows where life will take me!?
I sure as hell don’t know.
I’m just here for the ride.
Long days and pleasant nights,
Shoeless Joe
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GYM419 WOD #7: LEG DAY!
The dreaded leg day. The format is the same as the Upper Body workout: For this style of training, you want to use a 1-10 scale for effort. A 1 would be sound asleep a 9 is when you can’t go any harder/further (but you really could if you dig deeper) a 10 is when you truly hit failure. That being said, a 5 would be like walking up a flight of stairs. A 6 would be like taking the stairs with a full laundry basket. You get the idea…I hope.
You will be doing 2 exercises per body part. One main exercise and a second exercise during your “super set”. You will be doing a set of 12 reps (Level 5 intensity, basically a warm-up), then a set of 10 (Level 6 Intensity), then a set of 8 (Level 7 Intensity), a set of 6 (Level 8 Intensity) then comes your super set, where you do another set of 12 (Level 9 Intensity) followed immediately by the second exercise for 12 reps (Level 10 intensity).
If you are just starting to workout for the first time, I suggest doing the Machop sets. If you haven’t worked out in a while, but know what you’re doing I suggest the Machoke sets. Just until you know how the training is going to treat your muscles. I don’t want you wimping out after the first week. The Machamp sets are where you should be as soon as possible.
Machop: 8-6 Superset 8-8
Machoke: 10-8-6 Superset 10-10
Machamp: 12-10-8-6 Superset 12-12
Quads: Split Squats super set with Full Squats
Hamstrings: Lying Leg Curls super set with Good Mornings
Calves: Standing Calf Raises super set with Barbell Reverse Calf Raises
Abs: Incline Sit-Ups super set with a 90 Second Plank
And there it is. Your complete Lower Body workout. Subscribe for daily updates. Follow us on twitter @barefootbuffalo These should be getting on a better schedule soon.
Gym419 has the philosophy that there is no quick and easy way to lose weight. We believe that you do not work out to lose weight, losing weight is a side-effect of working out! You should be working out to be better suited as a human being.
Remember: It’s all on you if something goes wrong. I am not a certified trainer. I’m just a guy who is working out and sharing his workouts with the world!
GYM419 WOD #6: Intro to Cardio
Cardio. We all hate it. So why torture yourself? Instead of spending hour upon hour on a treadmill we are going to hit it hard and fast. How does 20 mins sound? Doable? We’ll see…
For cardio, we are going to do High Intensity Interval Training. Each minute you will adjust your intensity. This may be speed, but could also be inclining the treadmill. Whatever it takes to be at the intensity level for that minute.
Machop/Machoke/Machamp: All do the below today.
Format:
Min 1 = Intensity 5
Min 2 = Intensity 5
Min 3 = Intensity 6
Min 4 = Intensity 7
Min 5 = Intensity 8
Min 6 = Intensity 9
Min 7 = Intensity 6
Min 8 = Intensity 7
Min 9 = Intensity 8
Min 10 = Intensity 9
Min 11 = Intensity 6
Min 12 = Intensity 7
Min 13 = Intensity 8
Min 14 = Intensity 9
Min 15 = Intensity 6
Min 16 = Intensity 7
Min 17 = Intensity 8
Min 18 = Intensity 9
Min 19 = Intensity 10
Min 20 = Intensity 5
GYM419 WOD #5: Complete Upper Body Workout
And so begins the Half Body Split routine. For this style of training, you want to use a 1-10 scale for effort. A 1 would be sound asleep a 9 is when you can’t go any harder/further (but you really could if you dig deeper) a 10 is when you truly hit failure. That being said, a 5 would be like walking up a flight of stairs. A 6 would be like taking the stairs with a full laundry basket. You get the idea…I hope.
Anyways, here is today’s workout. You will be doing 2 exercises per body part. One main exercise and a second exercise during your “super set”. You will be doing a set of 12 reps (Level 5 intensity, basically a warm-up), then a set of 10 (Level 6 Intensity), then a set of 8 (Level 7 Intensity), a set of 6 (Level 8 Intensity) then comes your super set, where you do another set of 12 (Level 9 Intensity) followed immediately by the second exercise for 12 reps (Level 10 intensity).
If you are just starting to workout for the first time, I suggest doing the Machop sets. If you haven’t worked out in a while, but know what you’re doing I suggest the Machoke sets. Just until you know how the training is going to treat your muscles. I don’t want you wimping out after the first week. The Machamp sets are where you should be as soon as possible.
Machop: 8-6 Superset 8-8
Machoke: 10-8-6 Superset 10-10
Machamp: 12-10-8-6 Superset 12-12
CHEST: Bench Press (Barbell or Dumbbell) super set with Dumbell Flyes.
Shoulders: Seated Military Press super set with Side Raises
Back: Lat Pull Downs super set with Rows
Triceps: Rope Push-downs super set with Dips
Biceps: Preacher Curls super set with 21s instead of the standard 12 reps.
Gym419 has the philosophy that there is no quick and easy way to lose weight. We believe that you do not work out to lose weight, losing weight is a side-effect of working out! You should be working out to be better suited as a human being.
Remember: It’s all on you if something goes wrong. I am not a certified trainer. I’m just a guy who is working out and sharing his workouts with the world!
GYM419 WOD #4: Rest Day
Sunday is the day of rest.
Beginning tomorrow we will be moving into a new format for lifts. We will be doing half body splits. For example:
Monday = Upper Body
Tuesday = Cardio
Wednesday = Lower Body
Thursday = Cardio
Friday = Upper Body
Saturday = Cardio
Sunday = Active Rest Day
Then the cycle continues with Lower Body on Monday, Upper on Wednesday, etc. the cycle keeps going U-C-L-C-U-C-L-C with the active rests thrown in.
The workout formats will all be the same. They will follow a reverse pyramid format with a superset for each exercise.
Machop: 8-6 Superset 8-8
Machoke: 10-8-6 Superset 10-10
Machamp: 12-10-8-6 Superset 12-12
You will be using weights that you are comfortable with. You want to be challenged with every set, but you only want failure during your superset. That being said, everyone should be doing the Machamp level. Don’t cheat yourself. Use smart weights and you can handle it.
This will all make sense tomorrow.
Trust me.
The rotation takes two weeks to complete. After two rotations there will be a week of standard style workout splits. Then we get right back into this format.
Get ready to get destroyed!
In the meantime…for today’s active rest:
Machop: 30 mins stretching
Machoke: 1 hour shadow boxing/martial arts training
Machamp: Spar/Hit the heavy bag
Get active!
GYM419 WOD #2: Kettlebell Ladder
For today’s workout we will be doing a Kettlebell Ladder. If you do not know what a ladder is, listen up! A 1-5 ladder means you do one rep of each exercise, then two reps of each exercise, then 3 of each, 4 of each and finally 5 of each.
In this workout we will be doing squats. If you are utilizing only 1 Kettlebell, wait until you have done each side before doing the squats (goblet style).
Machop: 1-5 Ladder
Machoke: 1-7 Ladder
Machamp: 1-10 Ladder
Swings➡️Cleans➡️Presses➡️Squats
Gym419 WOD #1: New Year’s Day Pump Workout
Happy New Year!
If your New Year’s Resolution is to hit the gym…great job being original! (insert sarcasm). JK. Keeping your body in shape is always a great goal to have.
Here is Gym419’s New Year’s Day Pump Workout. This is what you want, a great pump workout to keep you on track with your resolution to workout more.
Remember, the workouts have 3 levels. You pick the one that you feel will be in your fitness level.
This workout consists of three sections: Chest, Shoulders, Biceps. Do all rounds of each section before moving on to the next.
Machomp: 2 Rounds of 7-10 Reps
Machoke: 3 Rounds of 7-10 Reps
Machamp: 3 Rounds of 12-15 Reps
CHEST
- Incline Barbell Bench Press
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Flat Bench Flyes
(Bonus Round: Low Cable Pectoral Minor Pushes)
SHOULDERS
- Overhead Press
- Side Raises
- Upright Rows
BICEPS
- Barbell Preacher Curls
- Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls
Finish off with a set of 21’s curls
Good Luck!
Gym419 has the philosophy that there is no quick and easy way to lose weight. We believe that you do not work out to lose weight, losing weight is a side-effect of working out! You should be working out to be better suited as a human being.
Remember: It’s all on you if something goes wrong. I am not a certified trainer. I’m just a guy who is working out and sharing his workouts with the world!
Barefoot Buffalo 