Guest Post: Getting into Shape Without a Gym (II) by Anthony Myers

Here is the second part of Anthony Myer's post on getting into shape without a gym. It contains more great tips, and may help you to save a lot of time and money. Enjoy!

Jump Rope

When I first started working out I was mostly concerned with losing fat. I couldn’t afford a gym membership, and I hated jogging. I’m asthmatic and my chest would be burning and I’d be ready to throw in the towel after only running a block or two. Plus, jogging was just plane boring. I decided to ditch the jogging for a while and get a jump rope.

A jump rope is about the cheapest, but most effective pieces of cardio equipment you can get. I’d opt for a jump rope over a treadmill any day. I started jump roping every morning at 6:30. Not only was jump roping a lot more fun than jogging, but it also seemed a hell of a lot easier. My chest didn’t burn, I didn’t feel like giving up after only a few minutes. The best part? It seemed to be much more effective than jogging. I lost nearly 40lbs and jumping rope was my only source of cardio.


Dips

Here’s another killer bodyweight exercise. Dips will put more mass on your triceps than pretty much any weighted or machine exercise. It’s unfortunate that they are so underrated. There are two ways to do a dip.

Method #1:

Method #2:

If you have access to the right equipment, opt for method #2. It will not only help you build killer triceps, but with a little tweaking you can turn it into one of the best chest exercises ever. Simply lean forward a tad and dip lower than you would when targeting triceps. If you don’t have the access to the right equipment, no worries. The first method pictured is still really effective for building triceps. Plus, you do it almost anywhere. I used to do these with my hands on my bed and my feet on my computer chair!


Hanging Leg Raises

There’s no shortage of expensive and useless exercise equipment. Especially equipment designed to target your abs. Most of the equipment is designed to make the exercise easier, which to me, is absolutely ridiculous. An exercise shouldn’t be made easier. If anything, it should be made tougher by adding more resistance. I’m not going to lie, hanging leg raises are tough. However, they are the ideal exercise for achieving six pack abs. It’s no secret that the bottom two abdominal muscles are the hardest to target. If you’re having a hard time getting them to pop out, start doing hanging leg raises.


Planks

You’ve probably noticed by now that since I started talking about abs I haven’t mentioned sit ups or crunches. Those are OK, but exercises like planks will do much more for you. If you can only hold an abdominal plank for 30 seconds, don’t worry. Keep practicing. Eventually you’ll be able to hit a minute or even more. Also, you can throw side planks into the mix to target your obliques.


Bicycling

I have great calves. I get compliments on my calves more often than any other muscle group. It’s almost weird. Either way, I know for a fact that biking 5+ miles a day is the primary reason for my bad-ass calves. It’s also a great form of cardio. If you’re trying to get abs, you need to lose the fat on your stomach, and riding bikes is a great way to do that.

There you have it, a list of the most effective exercise that require little to no workout equipment. The fact is, most people use an unnecessary amount of machines and equipment. There are plenty of people who use machines and equipment on a regular basis, but if you asked them to do a few sets of pull ups or other exercises in the list above they would be huffing and puffing as if they’d never worked out in their life. Master these exercises and you’ll be well ahead of the “average” guy.

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Guest Post: Getting into Shape Without a Gym (I) by Anthony Myers

This is the second post by Anthony Myers from MuscleClass.com. He discusses how to get into shape without equipment or access to a gym. Part II of this post will follow in a few days.

In a comment to my introductory post, Don Draper asked:

“Could you also share some good exercises for people who are always traveling, so you can perform the exercises without any instruments (like dumbbells)?”

And that’s exactly what today’s post is about, getting into shape even if you have no access to a gym, or equipment.

Personally, I prefer working out at a gym and I suggest you work out at a gym if possible. After all, you will have access to tons of equipment, professional knowledge from the staff, motivation from other gym members, and even the opportunity to meet women, sexy women who take care of their bodies and care about their appearance. However, if there’s some reason you can’t get into a gym, I have compiled a group of exercises below that require little to no equipment.


Pull-Ups

While I didn’t place these exercises in any specific order, I can tell you that pull ups being listed first is not a mistake. They are the not only the best bodyweight exercise, but I’d put them in the top 5 of all exercises, ever. The pull up will be your #1 tool in creating that sexy ‘V shaped’ tapered body. Pull ups help develop this physique by widening your back, specifically your lats. Also, pull ups are going to do more for your biceps than any fancy dumbbell or barbell curls ever could. If you want to focus more on your widening your back and creating that V shape, perform a traditional pull-up, gripping the bar overhand style with your arms slightly wider than shoulder width apart. If you want to focus more on your biceps, perform a underhanded chin-up with your arms about shoulder width apart.

It doesn’t matter if you can only do 1 pull-up. Do 1, rest and do another. Rinse and repeat until you’ve achieved your desired amount of reps; eventually you’ll be able to do 2 in a row, and then 3 in a row, etc. I consider pull-ups the core of any good back routine, so I start off every back workout with 4 sets of 10-15 pull-ups.


Push-Ups

The push up is to your chest as the pull up is to your back. It’s extremely simple and extremely effective. Also, there’s a ton of variations that target different areas and keep things from getting boring. If I were new, I would start off by doing 3 or 4 sets of as many standard pushups as I could perform on a regular basis. You can even replicate incline bench presses and decline bench presses by elevating your feet during pushups or elevating your upper body by leaning on table to put more emphasis on the top or bottom of your chest. Lastly, you could put more emphasis on your triceps by doing close-grip pushups. Simply put your hands closer together while doing pushups and you will be targeting your triceps.

Note: Most people who want big arms spend a lot of time on their biceps. Since this is “Minimal Bodybuilding” and we’re concentrating on greatest reward with minimal time invested I’m going to share a little secret with you. Somewhere along the line things got mixed up. People started spending a ton of time on their biceps and not showing much love to their triceps. Well, your triceps account for nearly 75% of your total arm mass. So spend a little more time on your triceps by doing things like close grip pushups and your arms will start to appear bigger in a shorter amount of time.


Jump Squats

I have a love hate relationship with Jump Squats. I hate to do them, but I know how good they are for me. There are plenty of guys in the gym who can squat 225lbs for 10 reps. I challenge you to show me a guy who can do 4 sets of Jump Squats without feeling like he just got his ass kicked. These are a great workout for toning up your legs, and also aids in fat loss.

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Guest Post: Introduction of Anthony Myers

As I have recently announced, Anthony Myers from MuscleClass.com will contribute to this blog. In this post, he tells you about his background and gives an overview of his knowledge. In subsequent posts, he'll give you practical advice on improving your health and fitness.

My name is Anthony Myers. I'm a formerly fat, asthmatic, socially awkward, wannabe professional gamer (Yes, seriously.) My former self would rather be alone than risk embarrassing myself by approaching a girl. Aaron has allowed me to be a guest posted on his website so I can share with you my story, and also teach you how I changed myself for the better.

My Story
I spent most of high school sitting in the corner of the classroom, quiet, with my head down. When the teacher called on me to answer a question in class, you could literally hear my voice tremble. I thought everybody in the classroom was looking at me and picking me a part. Looking back on it, they most-likely weren’t. They probably were more like me than I thought, they wanted class to end and to go home just a badly as I did.

In the movies high school is portrayed as the best years of your life. High school is a time when you’re supposed to be partying, going to football games, drinking, hanging out with your friends, and getting laid. That wasn’t true for me. I didn’t get invited to parties, the football team jumped my friend and I when we were walking to 7-11 to get slurpees, so I sure as hell wasn’t going to their games to cheer them on. Oh, and I definitely wasn’t getting laid.

The only “parties” I experienced in high school were LAN parties. If you know what those are, you’ve probably been in my shoes. If you don’t know what a LAN party is, prepare to laugh. A LAN (Local Area Network) party is where several guys gather up, usually in a basement, all connected to the internet so they can play PC games together. If you’ve ever seen the “World Of Warcraft” episode of Southpark it’s exactly like that. Just to save me from any embarrassment, no, we didn’t play “World Of Warcraft”, what do I look like, some kind of nerd? We played “Counter-Strike 1.6”.

I did have friends though, a group of guys from my old school that I could actually be myself around. When I was with them, the real ‘Anthony’ came out. I could make all of them laugh, they thought I was cool. In this puzzle of brothership I was a major piece. When I was with those 5 or 6 guys I was in my comfort zone. The problem is, those 5 or 6 guys weren’t always around, and if I wanted to be successful in making new friends, getting invited to parties in the future, heck, even getting a good job, excelling in my career, and especially meeting women… I would have to figure out how to let “The real Anthony out” more often.

My Inspiration to Change
The person that gave me my first taste of what an actual party was like is my cousin, Frank. He regularly hosts pool parties over the summer. To say beautiful girls attend Frank’s pool parties would be an understatement. The ‘worst’ looking girl that attended would blow the hottest girl at my high school out of the water. I’m not fond the PU communities rating scale, because what woman can be beautiful in so many different ways, and what you might think is a 7, another guy may think is a 10, but to paint a picture for you, these girls are the kind of girls that regularly get husbands in trouble with their wives for checking them out while shopping.

Although Frank is 7 years older than me, and constantly surrounded by beautiful women, he didn’t treat me like the loser I thought I was, because around him I was comfortable. The real Anthony came out. I was funny, smooth, and quick-witted around him and the other people that were close to me. So he let me come to his pool parties and even introduced me to his girlfriends as somebody he was proud to be related to. They were nice to me because I was his cousin, but I was nobody they would remember for long. They just knew me as the little creep who kept checking their asses out under water with Goggles.

When the pool parties ended and I lay in bed, I would always wonder how Frank could date such beautiful girls. Why, even if he had a girlfriend, other beautiful woman still wanted to be friends with him. I came to the conclusion that it was his body. Did I forget to mention, Frank is an Amateur body builder? Not only is Frank an Amateur bodybuilder, he’s also an extremely good-looking dude. I’m trying to put this in the most non-gay way possible, well… just look at him:

So, I came to the conclusion that looks do matter.There are some things you can’t easily change about your physical appearance, at least not without a lot of money and surgery. Your nose, jaw line, teeth, the way your facial hair grows in, etc. However, there is one thing that everyone can change for the better. Not only is it easier to improve than most people think, but improving it will result in a bigger increase of confidence, and more initial attraction from the opposite sex than anything else. What I’m talking about is your body.

Note: I say initial attraction because simply having a nice body isn’t going to get you laid or into a relationship. You’ve got to be able to approach a girl, hold up your end of a conversation, and have the balls to close the deal, and all of that other stuff Aaron teaches you how to do. However, if you go out enough, you’ll run into situations where you meet girls who are looking to have sex, and all you’ve got to do is NOT fuck it up.

The problem was that I was 5’9”, 195lb of pale chubbiness. I wasn’t going to be running into any of those situations, and if I did, I most likely would have fucked it up.

What I Did About It
I set out on a mission to learn everything I could about building an attractive body. I must have bought every book on bodybuilding, nutrition, and weight training ever written. I signed up to just about every fitness forum. If there’s a fitness website out there, I’ve been to it. I borrowed Frank’s old FLEX magazines. I even started researching Human Psychology and Evolution to understand why girls liked guys like him and not guys like me.

I went from 195lbs of fat, down to 155lbs of skinny, and back up to 195lbs. However, this time when I was tipping the scales at nearly 200lbs… it was muscle. The best part is, I’m no longer that easily forgotten, chubby cousin of Frank’s. I evened the playing field. He regularly introduces me to girlfriends of his, and if one of his girlfriends has a friend that needs to be entertained. I’m the first person he calls. It feels good to go from looking up to him to having his approval. There’s even times he’s looked at me picking up a girl and said “Dude, how the hell did you do that? That was awesome!”

What I Learned
Everybody is cool to somebody. It doesn’t even matter if you’re a socially awkward wannabe professional gamer like I was. Somebody out there thinks you’re cool. It could be your best friend, your neighbor, somebody in your class or even your mom. Somebody out there thinks you’re cool, and somebody out there is bragging about you. They are bragging about you because they see a side of you that you might sometimes be afraid to let out.

Bodybuilding helped me change myself for the better and it can do the same for you. As you start to see your body changing in the mirror, something happens. You start to really like what you see, and you come to the realization that other people probably like what they see too. This does a lot for your self-esteem and confidence. You finally start to feel comfortable in your own skin, and the “real you” comes out more often. The “you” that your best friend, neighbor, and Mom brag about.

What Women Think About a Nice Body
I have a mentor that owns several multi-million dollar businesses, has a beautiful wife and kids, and no matter where he goes, people (women and men) just seem to like him. Even before they know about his success in business, and that his wife is beautiful, people like him. He’s the center of attention in every room he walks into. He’s also tall and well-built. He is a Frank. I was embarrassed at first, but I thought if I was ever going to crack the code, I had to ask him what the hell he is doing differently that makes everybody like him so much.

Here’s an excerpt from our e-mail conversation: Women are still attracted to the primal man. It's a biological desire coded into their genetics. Example, in the wild kingdom the female gazelle seeks out the male gazelle with the biggest and straightest horns. The lioness seeks out the bigger lion with the fuller mane, and they ignore the gazelle with the broken horn, or the uneven horns, or the limping lion with the mangy mane... not for the sake of looks but for safety, survival, breeding... all the biological and genetically hard coded stuff that makes a woman want to be with a MAN... a knight.

A strong and fit body on a human is equivalent to a fuller mane on a lion, or straight horns on a gazelle. It a sign that you will be able to produce healthy off spring, that you will be able to provide and protect. She might not be dating or fucking you purely for your body or looks, but you can damn sure bet she likes what she sees when the clothes come off. You are a lion, embrace it.

It’s Easier Than You Think
Fortunately for you (and me) women’s expectations of men aren’t what the media and Hollywood would want you to believe. You don’t have to look like Gerard Butler, David Beckham, or even my cousin Frank. They simply ask that we aren’t fat or weak looking. If you can do that, you’re well on your way to being the most “initially attractive” guy in the club, bar, classroom, wherever it is you are. Think about it, most guys are lazy. They don’t care what they eat, they don’t work out, and they don’t really care too much about their body at all until it’s deteriorating before their eyes.

If you’ve ever stepped into a gym you might get intimidated because of all the big guys walking around. Here’s the thing, though. There are a lot of big guys in the gym, because that’s where they go to get big. When you go out to a club on the weekend, fit guys are the minority. Women are surrounded by limping lions with mangy manes and gazelles with bent or broken horns. You have very little competition!

I know some of you might laugh at my idea that looks and body matter. You might think that if you master “game” you can blow these “AMOGs” out of the water with some Anti-AMOG tactic you learned from some dating guru. Sure, you might be able to blow out some ‘AMOG’ who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. However, an “AMOG” who knows real game is your worst nightmare.

I’ve been called a Jersey Shore looking douchebag by more people than I care to admit, but have you ever watched Jersey Shore? It might not be the most educational thing on T.V but those guys are in shape and they get laid. Whether you want to admit it or not, they ‘smoosh’ (Hah!) I’m not saying you should invest in steroids, Ed Hardy clothing, Rosaries, and vodka, but you should take care of your body.

I don’t like the way peacocking was interpreted in The Game. People lined up at the stores to buy leather pants, rocker boots, top hats, and all kinds of crazy looking clothes and accessories to attract attention in the club. Having a nice body and dressing well are a better version of pea cocking. They are attention grabbers, and although I’ve never tried wearing a trench coat, leather pants and goggles to a club. I have a hunch that the attention a nice body brings is a lot more positive and will go a lot further. What you do once you have a woman’s attention is up to you, but that’s why you guys have Aaron!

How You Can Get Started
Hopefully by now I’ve been able to turn you guys into believers, that having a nice body, while not 100% necessary for getting laid or getting into a relationship, will dramatically boost your results given you know what to do with it. If you liked what I had to say, Aaron is going to let me do a mini-series on “Minimal Game Of Bodybuilding.” The concept isn’t to turn you into a 200lb bodybuilder, but to get you out of the ‘Average looking guy’ category, which, if you haven’t realized by now, is a lot easier than it sounds.I’ll reveal things like muscle groups that woman find attractive (hint: it’s not just abs), the best exercises for getting those muscle groups to show in the minimal amount of time, and how to get into shape even if you don’t have a gym membership or equipment.

Anthony Myers
MuscleClass.com

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Upcoming Guest Poster: Anthony Myers from MuscleClass.com

After my Reddit Q&A, Anthony Myers from Muscle Class contacted me. He liked my position on "game," and I found his view on working out very reasonable. Since he was looking to broaden his exposure, and I got the impression that you guys will learn a lot from him as well, it seemed a good idea to bring him on board as a guest poster.

You will very soon be able to read his introduction. This will be followed by a concise series of posts on effective fitness routines. The working title for this is "The Minimal Game of Working Out." Obviously, it doesn't make much sense to devote a large bulk of one's spare time to either fitness or picking up girls, so if you like my no-nonsense approach to pulling girls, you'll surely find Anthony's guide helpful to. Afterwards, Anthony will post on health and fitness topics, regularly with a connection to "game."

Look forward to it!

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