That being said, gymjunkies.com will still be one of the best sources on the internet for no b.s. fitness information.

All of the posts I’ve written over the past 2 years will still be available for you to access.

In the not too distant future, there might be a new fitness professional that will be stepping up to provide top quality articles and videos to help you reach your fitness goals.

During this transition time, you still may see my face on the header of the website and you might still get some email that has my name on it.  Your patience is appreciated as it will take a little time for the necessary changes to be made.

And there very well may be DVD’s from the “vault” popping up – video that I’ve previously filmed that have yet to be released. If you are interested in DVD’s with me that are follow along workouts, and also a barbell instructional DVD that I filmed with powerlifter AJ Roberts, then let me know in the comments.  If there’s enough interest, I will get these made…

So you might see my smiling face a few more times in the future as a result of previously recorded material, but from now on I am no longer associated with gymjunkies.com.

Thanks to everyone who has followed the site for the past 2 years – and to everyone who helped spread the word about Gym Junkies… I truly appreciate it.

Good bye and good luck,

Vic

P.S. – If you havent picked up my 31 Day Fat Loss Cure program, I’m putting it on sale for 50% off for a VERY limited time.  If you want this program, don’t hesitate.  The sale could be over before you know it.  Check it out here…

After posting for damned near two years I can’t help but feel like I’ve said everything that needs to be said.  The truth is that getting in top physical shape is simple.  Maybe it isn’t easy, but it damned sure doesn’t come down to any advanced mental gymnastics.

It really comes down to only three things. . .

1. Eat real food.
2. Train outside of your comfort zone.
3. Recover.

What else can I say?

Damn right I’m manly.  How else would I get interviewed by The Art Of Manliness?  Check it out: My Interview With ArtOfManliness.com.

What the hell is Forest Bathing?  To check out what Mark Sisson has to say about it, click here.

You know you are on the right path when you can tell stories like this. . .  Be sure to read True passion from Zach Even-Esh.

Getting your mind right might be the most important factor in your fat loss quest.  Check out Fat Loss Head Games from Rusty over at fitnessblackbook.com.

That’s all for this week.  Enjoy your weekend!

To listen to my interview with Scott, click here.

In the interview Scott reveals:

• How the TacFit program has a specific scaling and scoring method so anyone can use the program.
• The unique benefits of rotational movements that are integral to the program.
• How to be sure your exercise program creates “go muscle” and not simply “show muscle”.
• The importance of training the body through several planes of movement.
• And much more. . .

To listen to my extensive interview with Scott, click here now.

1.  Foundational for other training methods. In my opinion, becoming proficient with bodyweight exercises is mandatory before adding external resistance.  If you can’t perform a full range of motion squat with just your bodyweight while maintaining good postural alignment, stepping into the power rack and throwing a barbell across your shoulders is premature.  If you can’t do push ups with near perfect technique, perhaps you should hold off on the bench press.

2. Anywhere is your gym. I once knew a guy who would do push ups in a Starbuck’s bathroom.  Maybe that’s a little weird but it goes to show that nearly anyplace can be used for bodyweight training.  Your living room or the neighborhood park are fine choices, but don’t be afraid to go outside of the norm and do a few squats in your cubicle at work.

3. No equipment needed. Bodyweight training is the cheapest, most convenient training there is as there is no equipment necessary. . .  sort of.  I’ll stand by what I’ve said in previous posts in that a pull up bar is mission critical.  But that pull up bar can be a sturdy tree branch or the top of the swing set at the park.

4.  Can be scaled down for beginners. If you are brand new to fitness, bodyweight exercises are where you should start.  Can’t do a push up – not even from your knees?  Place your hands on the wall or the back of your couch.  Can’t squat so that your hip crease is below your knees at the bottom of the movement?  Fine – gradually increase your range of motion, striving for some improvement each session.

5.  Can be scaled up for advanced practitioners. If the standard push up is too easy, try putting your feet on a chair or working on one-armed push ups.  If the burpee is getting boring try doing it with a tuck jump thrown in the mix.

6.  Near infinite variety. Maybe a little creativity is necessary, but there are near endless combinations and varieties of bodyweight exercises. Scott Sonnon’s TacFit Program is a prime example of bodyweight movement ingenuity.

7.  Train across different modes. Looking for upper body strength training?  Try the hand stand push up.  Balance and flexibility?  Give pistols a go.  Blow torch some body fat?  Knock out 100 burpees.  Bodyweight exercises can run the gamut of objectives from strength to endurance to body composition to coordination.

8.  Fun. Try doing a few rounds of bear crawls and crab walks and tell me you aren’t smiling.  Basic tumbling skills like rolls and cartwheels are always a blast.  And then there are those crazy parkour folks if you like your fun a little more “extreme”.

9.  Conducive to group training – no matter how large. Whether you are gathering the family for a backyard workout or organizing physical training for a few hundred soldiers, bodyweight exercises will get your group in shape.

10.  Ultimate excuse eliminator. Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere with no equipment, scaled up or down to meet any fitness level, and they’re fun.  And what was your excuse again?

For a bodyweight program that is cutting edge enough to be used by elite military units the world over, be sure to check out Scott Sonnon’s TacFit Program.  It launches today, and you can get it for 51% off for a limited time… For all of the details on TacFit, click here now.

(Note: If you buy Scott’s program today through my link, I get a small commission.  If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know I only recommend programs that I personally use and believe in.  Scott’s program is pretty hardcore and I highly recommend giving it a try… Check it out here)

What are your favorite bodyweight exercises?  How do you implement them into your training?  Let me know in the comments below.

Jason Ferruggia is back once again.  Jason is a muscle building expert – and look at all of the damned compound movements on this list!  Love it: Do These Exercises To Get Jacked.

Hey, I’ve played my share of video games so I’m loving this Mario Bros. themed post from Nerd Fitness.  To check it out, click here.

The push up is a timeless, and in my mind, mandatory exercise. . . Take a look at how Yavor breaks down the push up in exquisite detail: Push Up Fitness.

Want to check out a SICK core exercise?  Then take a look at this movement from the Diesel Crew:  Sit Up And Press.

On July 16th, the 2010 CrossFit Games begin.  There will be live webcasts, so be sure to check this out to see some incredible fitness freaks – I dare you, watch it and try not to get inspired: 2010 CrossFit Games.

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend!

Notice I didn’t say these were the “best”, I said they were my favorite.  Different strokes for different folks as they say. . . and that being said, let me also say that these are in no particular order.

1. Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. You haven’t read this book and you’ve picked up a barbell in the last month?  Stop.  Do not pass Go, do not collect two-hundred dollars.  Go directly to your local book retailer and get Rippetoe’s Starting Strength now!
2. The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain. We can debate diet all damned day.  The Paleo method just makes sense to me and even better, has never failed to give myself or my clients desired results when followed.  Don’t knock it ’til you try it.
3. The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. Yes, Mark leans pretty strongly toward the Paleo nutrition-wise.  But his exercise philosophy is also worth examining.  And yes, I know he owns a supplement company.  I don’t care, I still love his book.
4. The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Look at me – I am in no way a bodybuilder.  But this is one of the first (if not the first) fitness books I ever read and it will forever be dear to me.  There are lessons to be learned in these pages.
5. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This is probably the book I return to more than any other when my life feels out of whack.  I think the only book I’ve read more times than this one is Fight Club.
6. Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik. I’ll admit, I saw the movie before I read the book.  But I’ve returned to the book and movie time and time again for motivation and the slap in the face that reminds you what life is about.  Read it or watch it – but KNOW it.
7. The Way Of The Superior Man by David Deida. Reading this book made me comfortable with my ambition.  And ladies, I definitely recommend this as a source of insight as to what the hell us guys are thinking most of the time.
8. It’s Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life by Lance Armstrong. Is this guy superhuman or what?  I dare you to try to read this and not get inspired.
9. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. When you go to basic training in the United States Army, the only book you are aloud to take with you is one religious text.  The Tao Te Ching is the book I took to basic training.  I also carried a pocket sized version in the lower left shirt-pocket of my BDU’s the whole time I was in the service.  Full of timeless philosophy, the Tao Te Ching is worth a read regardless of your religious inclinations.
10. Living The Martial Way by Forrest Morgan. If you have a martial arts background, this book will speak to your soul.  But even if you’ve never considered the martial arts, you’ll appreciate the discussions on timeless values like honor and discipline.

So there you have it – my top 10 favorite books for fitness, nutrition, health, and life.

What are your favorites?  Let me know in the comments below.

It’s been a long time since I set foot in one of these places.  With its ocean of machines that scream false promises of cover-model bodies while banking on the fact that over half of its members will not use the place and neglect to cancel their recurring billing.  I’ve often slammed the corporate gym with creative prose, while taking great pride in my windowless facility’s cinder block walls and concrete floors that was once described by a local newspaper reporter as looking like a hidden CIA interrogation room.

But like so many small business pipe dreams, my gym is gone.  And so are the 14 hour work-days I spent trying to keep the doors open.  With too much free time on my hands I needed a reason to get out of the house – so I signed on the recurring billing dotted line for a corporate gym membership.  And the truth is, I’m enjoying my new escape haven.

Sure, it’s not without its flaws.  But overall, I’m finding the good outweighs the bad – and the ugly.

The Good
Barbells:  I’m happy to say I have returned to squatting and deadlifting.  Yes, I have a pretty sweet equipment set up at home but I do not have barbells and plates.  The corporate gym I train at has plenty of barbells, four power racks, and all of the plates I could ever desire in my wildest heavy squat dreams.

Swimming Pool:  I am a terrible swimmer.  I’m not going to drown in the pool or anything, but I usually have to rest after just one 25 meter lap.  I figure my poor technique means I’m expending lots of energy and making for a good workout.   Technique be damned, I’m enjoying my time in the pool and the challenges that come with developing a new skill.

iPod:  I always train alone.  And when my gym was open, I mean ALONE – usually no one else was even in the building.  But even at the huge corporate gym with lots of people milling around, I’m having no problem enjoying some alone time.  I’m wearing an iPod.  The cute girl I’d normally be tempted to strike up a conversation with is wearing an iPod.  Damn near everyone is wearing an iPod.  Modern technology may be ruining communication between people, but I appreciate the iPod assisted “silence” while I’m training.

24 Hour Access:  If I’m having a sleepless night, I like having a place to go that gives me a healthy option instead of watching some crappy movie or eating some junk food out of boredom.  Sure I could just do some push ups in my living room or read a book.  But leaving the house, having a light workout, and then returning home seems to set me up better for sleep.

The Bad
The Locker Room:  I’m more than pleased with the cleanliness of the locker room where I train – that’s not the problem.  What I’m not pleased with are the yelling matches over where Lebron James will end up and the guy who has to spread his entire wardrobe across the bench.  A little common courtesy goes a long way when you have to share space with people you don’t know.  Unfortunately, some people lack common courtesy.

No Circuit Training:  I’m a fan of setting up circuits of multiple exercises for metabolic conditioning.  But stringing together a workout of box jumps, power cleans, pull ups, and push presses will not only be a potential safety hazard in the sea of people aimlessly wandering from machine to machine, it will also make you look like an equipment hog.  I keep my training at the corporate gym focused on strength and muscle building, and save my heart cranking circuit work for my back yard sessions.

Curls In The Rack:  I know it’s cliche, but I’ve seen it more than once already – guys doing barbell curls in the power rack.  That being said, because squats and standing presses aren’t exactly the most popular exercises at this gym, one of the four power racks is always available.  It’s that availability that is keeping the rack-curls in “the bad” and not in “the ugly”.

The Ugly
Personal Trainers:  Even with my iPod blasting and my training face on, I can’t avoid seeing the personal trainer taking what is obviously a weight loss client through a set of lateral raises.  I grit my teeth, avert my gaze, and move to another part of the gym.  But I know several times each week I will see such transgressions and it is an exercise of restraint to keep my mouth shut.

No Training Journals:  I’ve been training at this gym for three weeks now.  I am the ONLY person I’ve seen writing down what they are doing in their training sessions.  Don’t get me wrong, someone who has been training for years and is in maintenance mode can get away with this.  But people who are on a serious fat loss or muscle building quest, especially those who are relatively new to training, are on a path to no-results if they aren’t tracking their training.

Texting:  It’s just a pet peeve of mine and I suppose I should get over it… but why the hell can’t you leave your cell phone in your locker while you’re training?  Oh, you’re a heart surgeon on call that day – my mistake and my apologies.  Oh, you’re an average guy trying to set up a hot date for later that night – put the phone away, make her wait 30 minutes, get some damned focus, and maybe you can put some more weight on that bench press you naturally gravitate towards.

To my surprise, I am enjoying my time in the behemoth corporate gym.  Sure, there are some things that I don’t like – but few things are perfect.

What is your experience in the big corporate facilities?  Do you enjoy training there?  Or are the “bad” and the “ugly” not worth the hassle.  Let me know in the comments below.

Take this post from Jason Ferruggia as an example.  No nonsense, straight to the point, and fun to read: 53 Ways To Build Muscle, Gain Strength, and Be F*cking Awesome.

Nate Green makes an important distinction between promises and goals.  To get where you want to go, in fitness and in life, click here.

Craig Ballantyne gives ten tips to survive the weekend.  Sure, the article addresses last week’s holiday weekend but the tips apply to any weekend:  10 Tips To Survive The Weekend.

Speaking of the holiday weekend, Mike McNeil goes on a little Fourth of July rant.  And we all know how much I love a good rant.  To check out what Mike has to say, click here.

And if you still haven’t watched Scott Sonnon’s free Tacfit videos, click here now.   I’m telling you, submitting your email address to watch the free videos is something you won’t regret.  There are bodyweight exercises in the videos that I had never seen before (and I’ve been around the fitness block for awhile now).  Yes, I might get a commission if you eventually purchase Scott’s program.  But if you’ve been following GymJunkies for any length of time, you know not just anyone gets my endorsement.  So start your weekend off right and check out Tacfit today:  Free Tacfit Videos.

Enjoy the weekend!

Ah yes, bathroom cleaning duty in the barracks after a long weekend of drunk soldiers.  But the hard nasty work had already been done.

One of the young privates on my team asked, “Magary, didn’t we already clean the latrine today?  Didn’t we already clean it THREE TIMES today?”

The private was correct.  We were on our fourth trip to the bathroom that day, armed with mops and pine-sol and well aware that the actions we were about to take were unnecessary.

So why were we cleaning so much that day?  For no other reason than our sergeant had nothing better for us to do.  It was busy-work.  What a waste of time.

You can see similar fitness practices in gyms everywhere.  People grinding away at long slow boring cardio on treadmills and elliptical machines because they have nothing better to do.  It’s just busy-work.  It’s work that’s comfortable and comes with the hollow promise of forging a lean and fit body.  What a waste of time.

But you know better.  You know that the key to reaching your fitness goals is to continually push outside of your comfort zone.  You know that if you are not coming close to the red line of intensity, you are not going to get the lean and fit body you desire.

So stay away from the hours on end of the treadmill trot or watching the wheels of the elliptical go round-and-round.  It’s worse than cleaning a bathroom four times in one day.

P.S.  If you really want to push out of your comfort zone, I recommend you take a look at Scott Sonnon’s free Tacfit videos.  To watch the Tacfit videos now, click here.