Make a Blueprint

One thing I'd like to caution people against, is working out without a plan. Its like going on a road trip without a destination. It may be a fun trip, but if you don't know where you're going, then you're chances of getting there are slim to none. Make a plan, have a blueprint of the structure your trying to construct. Look at yourself in the mirror, get used to your image. Take an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses. This can be athletically, or cosmetically. Athletically figure out the muscles that power the movements that your trying to gain more proficiency at, then next step is to find exercises, that strengthen, those muscles then tax them. ascetically, its about being honest with your self and addressing that weak upper chest and that cottage cheese above your hamstrings, and the handle bars of love. Gotta be brutally honest and recognize the situation for what it is, and what it is, is a desire for change. Create that mental picture, whether it be a chest like Arnold, a butt like be yonce, or simply a body like Fergi, imagine with each rep the targeted body part is being folded into the desired shape, soon that vision will become a reality.

It's mine and I'm keeping it!

Me, I'm all about muscle. Its Austin! Looks cool, like a freaky suit of armor, or some futuristic exo skeleton. When properly cared for and stretched it helps to create a grace in motion. It also acts as amazing engine that burns fat thus keeping the machine, keeping on. The goal of everyone who begins this endeavor of athletic training, body sculpting, or body building, should be to keep as much of their hard earned muscle as possible. Recent studies have stated that a pound of muscle is only burning six calories as opposed to fats 2, but that's not really the point. You don't want to step backward. Due to the stressful lives that we live and the additional stresses we place on ourselves by working out, staying up late, yada ,yada ,yada. You all know what your doing. Stressing over things we can't change. Our bodies release a stress hormone called cortisol. Its supposed to help bring our bodies back into homeostasis, but depending on our levels of stress, it can run amok. Like angry little robots, rebelling against their human oppressors. They begin to tear down the masonry that you just constructed, burning the drapes. Its a mess. Some things that you can do to keep cortisol levels in check are through supplementation. I've recently adopted the habit of taking ZMA before I power down. ZMA is zinc/magnesium designed to replace deficiencies caused from exercise and stress. I also like to take about 40 grams of a time release protein with about a quarter tea spoon of glutamine powder before I go to bed. I slowly feeds your body throughout the course of the night. You could also add a scoop of natural peanut butter. The fat in the peanut butter is going to further slow the digestion. Now, most of us sleep for between five and ten hours. Ten is extreme, and extremely lucky. Optimal is eight, so that your body can recover. Its not just recovering, its actually fasting as well. So when you get up in the morning, more then likely that measly shake is long gone and your body has renewed its feast upon itself. To end this unauthorized party, I have a shake consisting of about 20 grams of whey protein with the quarter tea spoon of glutamine. That's pretty much it. If you wanted more of the sciency information on cortisol check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol
and for more information on ZMA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZMA_(supplement)

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.—Albert Camus

Alright people, go out there and channel your inner Austinness, yes it is a word, and go get it!

Oh by the way, feel free to forward this to anyone that you feel could benefit from it, lets see how big we can build this thing.

The bonus

Today I wanted to address the bonus. The bonus can be one of many things. It can be a bonus set, a bonus rep, a bonus finishing exercise, ala a widowmaker, where as you put your body through one last kick ass set, of say, twenty plus, Simply to show it whose the boss. Naw, I'm just kidding, there are many different reasons someone would want to perform burn out set at the end of a workout. The most important being to fill the muscle with blood causing it to swell up with nutrients an such.
Anyway before I get off track. Do a little bit more each day, soon what you used to think was enough, when previously you were on the verge of death, won't seem all that bad at all in no time. Alright everyone be Austin and have a awesome workout, or was it be...never mind. Gone.