Jumping Closer to A Healthier and Stronger You
It seems as though more and more health enthusiasts are abandoning the more traditional fitness combination of iron and treadmill for a more fast-paced and energetic style that is often referred to as “muscle confusion.” Muscle confusion is a trendy form of fitness that involves combining weightlifting and plyometrics to create a workout that maximizes fat-loss by challenging both the cardiovascular and muscular systems. I have been utilizing this style of training for well over 10 years as a means of keeping my body guessing and my mind interested in what I am doing. How? Every time I feel like I am falling in a rut or am feeling bored with a current regimen, I kick it up a notch by “turning down the volume” with weights and “turning up the volume” with cardiovascular endurance. For example, instead of a traditional 4-on-1-off split weightlifting split, I utilize an inclinable bench that allows me to do a variety of dumbbell exercises while I use the bench for plyometric jumps and exercises. Plyometrics is an explosive style of jumping that focuses on generating and expending explosive energy. Plyometrics is tough enough by itself, but it can be utilized to dip into fat stores for needed energy during a “muscle confusion” routine.
A very popular style of training that utilizes muscle confusion is P90X. I have done a variation of this style and was able to drop 12 pounds of bodyfat in about 3 weeks. I don’t carry a lot of bodyfat, so this was a tad more than what I was anticipating. However, the beauty in muscle confusion is that you can create your own routine and/or combinations to suit your own personal goals. It took me a while to figure out a suitable plan, but I was eventually able to tailor make a muscle confusion training regimen that allowed me to maintain 180 pounds of solid muscle while keeping my cardiovascular endurance in check. Today, I utilize this style to create more eating freedom … I love to eat so when I feel the need to splurge, i turn to muscle confusion to minimize the damage or even neutralize it.
Below is an sample of one of my muscular confusion routines:
Round 1: High-knees for 30 seconds, Incline Dumbbell Presses for 15 reps, Standing Dumbbell Curls for 15 reps, Bench Jumps for 15, Rest for 30 seconds, Repeat 4 X’s.
Round 2: Broad Jumps for 15 reps (minimum 6 feet), Dumbbell Bentover Rows for 15 reps, Dumbbell Kickbacks for 15 reps, 15 Vertical Leaps (as high as possible), Rest for 30 seconds, Repeat 4 X’s.
Round 3: Dumbbell Tri-Delts (front, upright, side) for 10 reps, Alternating Dumbbell Curls, Straddling Bench Jumps for 20-30 reps (24″ height), Bench Dips for 30 reps, Rest for 30 seconds, Repeat 4 X’s.
Again, there is no set way to perform this method. Just make sure that you are combining movements that allow one muscle group to recover while you train another group. Another cool thing about this type of training is that your pace is completely up to you … which adds another variable that you can utilize to increase the intensity and the challenge. I might expand on this topic if I get enough interest from you all. I am a different kind of health enthusiast. I don’t just do things for the sake of going through the motions. I am dynamic and am always seeking new ways to keep my mind and body challenged and engaged in the real game called life. You can either take life by the horns, or else run the risk of being impaled by one of life’s rude awakenings. Stop wasting time and use each and every as an opportunity to recreate yourself … into something STRONGER, FASTER, STRONGER, HEALTHIER, and HAPPIER!