Albert K. Park

                      Training for me lately, has been really difficult. I'm not going to lie and say I love every minute of it. The program our experimental group has been following is designed around attacking the lower body. I'm just like the rest of you, I favor the visible muscles. The chest, the biceps, the shoulders, the upper body. In the midst of a program that emphasizes lower body development it's hard to dig deep and harness the same intensity you use for the "beach" muscles. What I'm going to reveal to you in this article is how I have been able to get past this cancer like mentality of discouragement.

                     On a day where trap bar deadlifts, elevated split squats, and high box decelearation jumps plagued the agenda, I came across a video that inspired me to get creative in my pursuit of taking my training to the next level. Like any other day when I get bored, I surfed the myriad of videos on youtube just shootin the sh*t. The video I discovered was of a guy dubbed Hannibal King. With a name like that who wouldn't watch the video right? He was a New York City projects hero displaying superhuman strength in neighborhood  playgrounds. This guy was incredible! He was doing pull up variations I have never seen and pushups that would even make Bruce Lee drop his jaw. It was a mystifying fusion of creativity and body strength that left me speechless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfsTKfUT-RQ

                   The Eureka moment came the next day as I walked into the gym on one of our rest days. I had no plan, no agenda, no program to follow. Without a plan, I let my creativity run wild. Body weight movements dominated the workout. From hand stand pushups to pull up variations, I experimented and trained with the same intensity any tough workout would demand. After ending with advanced Kettlebell complexes I realized that I was smoked. My hair was soaked with sweat and my muscles spasmed in fatigue. The workout was exhausting but most importantly revitalizing. The "fun" aspect of working out was back and here to stay.

                  It's easy for working out to go from something you enjoy to a tedious task. This is something I was really struggling with. As a strength coach and personal trainer, you would never think that this would ever be a problem. Reality is that we can just as easily get burnt out like the next person. How do you relight the fire under your ass when your out of fuel?

                  By going into the gym that day and making the workout fun and spontaneous, I found exactly what I needed. It was so simple but so necessary. The next time you feel yourself drifting away from staying motivated and focused, try ditching your program for one day. Go in without an agenda and do the exercises you love. Train your heart out getting your chest stronger, your butt firmer, or your arms bigger. You will be amazed at how you feel and I guarantee you will regain the vigor for training you once had. Nobody said it would be easy. I don't want to sound cliche but passion can take you so much further than self determination.

If you can't get your creative juices flowing try this workout. It may spark something you never knew you had!

Spontaneous workout

3 sets of 40 seconds of work for your favorite body part (example, bicep curls) 
20-30 sec break in between each set. 
2 sets of 30 seconds of work for your second favorite body part (example, Lunges for the Booty) 
15-20 second break in between each set. 
4 sets of 40 seconds of work for your third favorite body part (example, bench press) 
20-30 second break in between each set. 


Ab circuit (who doesn't love a flat stomach and 6 pack)
Toe touches x 20 
V sits x 15 
Crunches x 20 
Romanian twists x 20 each side 
Plank 30 second hold 



Good luck to you all in your pursuit of fitness and health.

- Albert