Back To The Beginnings

Using a lighter club to feel the movement

 Forging ahead in any modality of exercise is a great accomplishment. Adding weight to a squat or sprinting in a faster time for a new personal record is exciting. This fosters the initiative to keep on training. Then there are the times when the program fails and the scheduled weight, or time, or number of reps falls drastically short of what was to be expected. Now what?

 If the reason for the failure isn't injury or exhaustion, the cause for failure may be the athlete's technique. Many times, when the focus is on a determined goal, little nuances that were learned to get to that particular point fell by the wayside. Too much emphasis may be placed on the goal of heavier, faster, or more, and the attention to detail is forgotten thus creating a vacuum in the athlete's programming.

 For those who aren't familiar with my training, I use clubs exclusively (which I will detail why in another post) in my personal training program. Some of the exercises are complex movements which require not only strength but a certain degree of skill to execute properly. One of these exercises - the inside mill or just the 'mill' is the club trainer's bench press. Club fanatics always compare mill weight or reps. Since I have been experimenting with the heavier clubs I sometimes fall short of an expected P/R or training goal. My answer to that is go back to the beginning. Lighten that load up for the workout and get in some volume training with a manageable weight. For example, if I completed Monday's mill workout of 10X10 with a 35lb club and Friday's mill workout calls for 5X6 with a 40lb club but my form fails on the first set or maybe the first rep, I'll revert back to a 25lb club for a 10X10 light conditioning set but feel each part of the movement relearning small subtleties that make heavier weights possible. The next mill workout will open with that same 25lb club as a warm up for one set to coordinate the feeling throughout my body before attempting the 40lb club again. Then go on the the 40lb 5X6 workout progressing to ultimately the 10X10 workout with that weight.

 I had learned this type of 'assistance' training way back in the 70's from an old school guy who was built like a bodybuilder but moved weight like a powerlifter. This method was used by the older set of strength trainers, the guys that were before me. Here, on this page I can share some of what they left that may have been forgotten or discarded due to style or ego. Apply it to any of your training, being sure to feel the movement, perform some volume then back to your regular programming. It'll work.

Club Training Side Cast

Club Training Side Swing

Power Clubwork Article from MegaMad Fitness

HOW TO BUILD POWER THROUGH CLUB TRAINING

WRITTEN BY DON GIAFARDINO ON MAY 27, 2015. POSTED IN FITNESS ARTICLES

Club Training has been used for thousands of years by warriors to develop power for the battlefield. Could this simple tool do the same to help you enhance your body?

WHAT IS CLUB TRAINING?

Let’s begin with the basic of basics. Club Training has been around for thousands of years simply because it works. Most of us are familiar with the lighter weight Indian Clubs that are swung in complex patterns which develop coordination, mobility, and speed not unlike an Olympic Fencer.

Then there are the bigger clubs; the large wooden ones or the more popular metal clubs of 15 to 45 pounds, originally designed to train warriors to deliver punishing power with heavy hand armaments. Heavy Club Training will be the subject of this article.

WHAT IS POWER DEVELOPMENT?

To me, power is the strength that you have to perform a specified exercise in a specific amount of time. So, if you are doing an AMRAP of Thrusters for a 30 second time periods, you’d be able to determine if your power output has increased if you see an increase in the number of reps performed or if you used a heavier weight for the same number of reps.

For example, if you did max effort Thrusters with 95 pounds and got 12 in 30 seconds, that’s 1,140 pounds moved. If you practiced Thrusters for a few weeks and your retest your AMRAP and you get 14 in 30 seconds -congratulations! You’ve increased your power because you just moved 1,330 pounds, OR if you kept the same 12 reps BUT instead of 95 pounds you used 115 pounds, you have increased your power.

Now that you have the idea of power we’ll apply it to Club Training.

POWER CLUB TRAINING WORKOUT PLAN

WARNING! – There is no doubt about the fact that if you follow this power program you will be buying more clubs, if you don’t have access to a complete set or an adjustable one already. 
 The exercises listed below can be found on YouTube demonstrated by many different instructors plus searching for them will entice you to watch more clubwork exercises. Watch. Learn. Grow.

I usually increase only 5 pounds between the Pre-Fatigue Sets and the Work Sets. 5 pounds is a big jump in clubwork. Better to chip away smoothly than to get injured rushing progress.

The workout plan will be a 4 day split into 2 upper body days and 2 lower body days. For the upper body days the exercises will be 1-Hand Inside Mills, 1-Hand Front Swipes, and 2-Handed Gamma Casts. A set is reps done on each arm (i.e. 1 set of 10 means 10 reps right arm and 10 reps left arm). The sample below is from my current program:

Pre-Fatigue Sets: 1 minute rest between sets.

Exercise	Weight	Reps	Sets
1-Hand Inside Mills	30	10	4
Front Swipes	30	10	4
Gamma Casts	30	10	4

Work Sets: 1 minute rest between sets.

Exercise	Weight	Reps	Sets
1-Hand Inside Mills	35	30sec AMRAP	4
Front Swipes	35	30sec AMRAP	4
Gamma Casts	35	30sec AMRAP	4

This is now your Base Power Program. Good form is important to reduce the chance of injury. I practice quite often on my ‘off’ days doing up to 150 reps with a lighter weight to get the feel of an exercise. This ensures proper form when the heavier weights are used.

Once you are able to perform the above workout getting 7-8 reps for ALL 4 Work Sets, take away one Pre-Fatigue Set and add one more Work Set for the next workout. Do this until you can get a full 8 AMRAP reps for all 5 Work Sets in 30 seconds. Now reduce to 2 Pre-Fatigue Sets and go to 6 Work Sets until 8 reps is reached again, then pat yourself on the back and begin over with the Base Program. This round the Pre-Fatigue Sets will be the weight you used in the previous Work Sets but for 4 sets of 10 and the Work Sets will add 5 pounds. Look how far you’ve come!

MegaMad Fitness

Gamma Cast Demo

Clubwork Inside Mill To Outside Mill Transfer

A simple move to develop coordination. Easy to do, just perform an inside mill as normal and at the bottom of the swing pass the club to the opposite hand to begin performing an outside mill. Try it a few times to get the feel. You can see in the video that my first few swings are 'clunky' but by the 3rd one the smoothness comes out.

I'm Not Trying To Live Forever

We all have that friend, the one who says, "I'd rather enjoy life than watch what I eat, how much I drink or waste time exercising, because you've got to die from something." 

 Yeah, we'll all die from something that goes without debate, case closed. The response to the above statement is an important question - how will you live the last 20 years of your life? Granted that there are no guarantees especially on your health, we all know that, but what if you could lessen the possibilities of being dependent on the medical industry to keep you alive and moving? What if you could lessen the possibilities of being a burden to your loved ones?

 There is no need to reference the benefits of a sound diet and movement. We were born to move, from our very first hours out of the womb we began to develop motor coordination and it shouldn't stop as we grow older. Our bodies, like our minds need to be stimulated and challenged throughout the course of our lifetimes. 

 I am not going to cite references here, no medical stats, no feely good sugar coated anything. This is full on, hard core stuff that everyone needs to address in their lifetimes. The information is out there. The people to help you are out there. You just need to get off of your ass and begin to do something because the more you sit, the closer you are to being a burden. You'll spend your life's savings, your family's money on medicines and doctors instead of enjoying your retirement. 

 So begin doing something - anything today and let it progress. After all, you have to die from something but try to live a full life until the very end.

I Like To Call It Clubwork

by Don Giafardino

 Unconventional fitness is on the rise and is becoming a big business in the fitness industry. All sorts of equipment and implements are being used to train ourselves for the real world. Instructors using sandbags, wheelbarrows, and sleds are showing up at gyms everywhere and for good reason, after all, who does a bench press movement when not training? This makes perfect sense and one of the oldest, if not the oldest fitness tool ever developed is making a huge come back and it’s the club. You read that right, the club as in that big bat portrayed in comics of cavemen.

 Club training was used by ancient warriors to develop the strength and speed necessary to do battle with sword, spear, and shield. Many of the training movements in clubwork emulate sword strikes, spear throws, and shield swings.  The development of bi-lateral coordination is also a huge benefit. Have you ever tried to throw a ball with your non-dominant hand? Over time clubwork will develop your nervous system and musculature to give you the proper mechanics to use the non-dominant side of your body with a higher degree of proficiency. Think of the warrior who injures his dominant arm and is now able to continue in battle using his other. Also, with this development comes the lessening of injuries which most commonly plague the weaker side of the body such as hip, low back, and shoulder problems.

  Now that you have read this far, it’s time to introduce the club itself. Standard modern clubs are called leverage clubs, power clubs, Indian clubs, and Clubbells®. They are made in various weights starting at 1 pound and going over 80 pounds. Most are now made from metal and some are still produced in wood. Almost all clubs are manufactured in set weights (pounds or kilos) like dumbbells. Before you sneer at the seemingly light weight scale, consider going outdoors with a shovel and holding that shovel straight out at arms length. The average variety garden shovel weighs in at 4 pounds. A 25 pound club generates about 700 foot pounds of torque when swung. Pictured to the     left is a 25 pound Adex Adjustable Exercise Club®, it adjusts to 6 different weight settings. The shape of clubs are basically the same consisting of a muzzle or end, a barrel, handle, and knob. Most exercises are performed by holding the handle with one or both hands though some are done by holding the barrel and handle or just by the knob.                                                            

 Adex Adjustable Exercise Club

 Key rules to remember when beginning clubwork is good posture - chest up, neutral back, shoulders blades pressed downward. Your grip will be determined by the movement such as a straight, full handed grip for heavy swings and presses verses a relaxed thumb and two finger grip for lighter, complex swings involving wrist and elbow articulation. Grip placement on the handle is also a factor in that it changes the leverage weight of the club. Gripping the club near the barrel decreases the force of leverage while gripping further down the handle closer to the knob increases it, so the same weight club can be fine tuned to each user.  Remember to have a clear, open area with plenty of space and height - you are adding almost another 2 feet to your arm length. Also, watch for pets and children.

 Clubwork exercises will add a new dimension to your training whether it is for strength, rehab, or endurance. The exercise are multi-linear, meaning they work muscles throughout a complete range of motion or ROM. Most weight training exercises are single or two planed movements which don’t allow the muscle, tendons, and ligaments to travel their full range. This alone is what makes clubwork an excellent choice as a stand alone training system or as supplemental training to another modality. Clubs are also an awesome tool for pre/rehabbing injuries, especially the shoulders, back, arms, and chest due to the full ROM and traction on the connective tissues.

 When trying clubwork for the first time, don’t be fooled by the weight. A 25 pound dumbbell may seem light but a 25 pound club is serious business. Most men tend to do well with a 15 pounder while most women could use a 10 pound club. These weights prove challenging for basic two hand and some one handed movements. Big two handed moves strengthen the whole body, including the legs. There are many good instructional videos online to learn how to use the clubs but nothing is better than a certified instructor. 

An I, I, I Article

Today's training was my typical Monday workout. It's clubwork. it's always clubwork and maybe some sprinting. Today, I hearkened to some fine words while grinding out my reps. Concentrating on the feeling of moving the club, rather than just moving it. I became aware of subtleties that have plagued past workouts where I became frustrated with my lack of skill, and more often than not, blaming the poorly executed rep on too heavy a weight or being too tired. 

 I do perform 'tune up' metcons on my off days. Either doing clubwork Tabatas or 100+ rep schemes that serve 3 purposes. The first is the obvious, to build endurance and burn the fat off my belly. Second reason is to do some opposite direction work from my normal clubwork training. The third and becoming the more important reason, is topractice the movements I do for heavy training days with a lighter weight. If you are a veteran of heavy clubwork, then you know the difference between doing an inside mill with a 15 pound club vs. a 35 pound club. If you aren't, you need to try this shit out! Back to my point - I use my Adex Club set to 15 pounds for my 'off' days. This way, I get the high reps and concentrate on where the club is, how it rotates, and what each part of my arm and body is doing. This changes to me controlling the club rather than letting it hurl itself around me.

 I first took notice of being in the moment of exercise when I read Scott Shetler's Abundant Health article about QiGong and being in the moment of performing a movement in a relaxed state. Concentrate on the flow of energy when doing QiGong or Tai Chi. Chip Conrad also has numerous articles that he's written about enjoying the moment of exercise. Chip says that we shouldn't look at exercise as drudgery, but to study it while actually doing it, to gauge how our body feels and where it is in space. This may sound very 'heady' and almost spiritual, but it opens up the mind's eye to better performance for the next time we attempt that movement. This practice has taught me when I up the weight on my club, I have to process the movement to be sure it's going correctly.

 The gist of the story is to practice movement, especially complex movements. Revert back on your off days to some lighter work and take the time to 'feel' what is going on. You'll surprise yourself when you hit the gym on your regular days and feel the progress in your body. It's the beginning of the difference between being good and being great. Move and enjoy it.

Fun with my new Adex Club loaded to 25lb

Building A Suit Of Armor

July 18, 2014 at 11:36am

 Science and medicine have proven beyond a doubt that regular exercise increases our longevity. Citing different excerpts and texts would border redundant. So what is your training goal for the long term? Do you know where all this blood, sweat, and tears is taking you? I re-evaluated my regiment a few years ago and here is what I am planning for the future, and I'm not talking 12 weeks to a better deadlift. Let's begin way back when I got my first weight set. All I wanted to do was be able to lift that bar with all the weights on it. Great goal for a 12 year old, but follow my trail to 38 years later.

 After a few months of training, I walked into a health food store, this was pre-GNC, and asked the hippy lady at the counter for steroids. I knew nothing of steroids and had heard that the pro wrestlers took them. She gave me an informative lecture that I shouldn't use them unless a doctor was administering them to me. Then came my first ever nutrition lecture I walked away from that store with a can of Hoffman's protein powder, a recipe for a weight gainer shake, the book Weightlifting by Bob Hoffman and a bottle of orchic. My goals as an adolescent were clear-get bigger, stronger, and more intimidating. I have to admit that the hippy lady did know her stuff, plus I had the added bonus of being in puberty. Goal accomplished.

 Now at 50, I have never been so far from my uninitiated beginnings yet just a stone's throw close at the same time. I still have goals, the goals now are a bit different. The goal now is to set up my body so that I can do the things I do now but for the next 30 years. The optimum goal for trainees over 40 should be longevity, not only in the gym, but in life. A revised weight training plan, different dietary design, movement based exercise and the top dog daddy for us "masters", restorative practices. I have to note that I need to learn to relax, but that's another story.

 Weight training, though I love it, became my nemesis. The very practice that I loved gave me injuries not severe enough for immediate surgery but well on my way to ruining a perfectly good body. Frequent low back spasms, chronic shoulder pain, poor ROM of my elbows, wrists, and shoulders, countless trips to the chiropractor and yo-yo dieting. Half the year I trained like a powerlifter, the other half like a partially insane crossfitter with no guidance. Poor form, crappy workout plans, and eat what I want attitude did not give the results for what I was after. But what was I after?

 Most people don't see the future as 30 years from now, 3 months is a more common view because it is almost tangible. I challenge you to look 30 years into your future. What do you see? A person who is actively enjoying every minute here or someone who is in a chair with the TV on or something worse? You can change that image, you can be headed toward that active super senior lifestyle. I've decided to start building my suit of armor, my own protection against degeneration and stagnation that I wish to share.

 The first factor is your body composition. Get your head out of your ass, get naked in front of a mirror and be honest with yourself-fluffy 'fake it till you make it' cliches need to take a flying leap right here! Do you need to lose that fat, rehab poorly moving joints, gain muscle? I am focusing on gaining 30 solid pounds of muscle and maintaining it before I turn 60, but that entails losing a percentage of body fat too. The added muscle going into my senior years will benefit greatly but the most important may be the cushioning effect during a fall. Three words here-avoid hip replacement-get it? Find a program that will work for you, weight training is by far the most plentiful and accessible. Bodyweight gyms are an awesome change from the norm. Clubwork and kettlebells are great for strength and movement. Choose your weapon, learn or, as in my case, re-learn proper form and practice the hell out of it! Form is now the king of your training not pounds or reps.

 Second factor is your nutrition, eat to help reach the goal. Learn to cook at home, this is a must! If you are too proud, lazy, or feel you can't buck up, it isn't rocket science-do not rely on restaurants to feed you properly. I worked in the food industry for years, restaurant suppliers can mutilate the most wholesome looking foods! Set up a good diet, avoid the bad food, because you are ultimately going for longevity here, so make sure its nutrient dense. Micro nutrition is vital for homeostasis, a healthy immune system, joint flexibility, and cognitive function (thinking) because what is the purpose of a sound body without a sound mind? Macro nutrition will be adaptable to what your final goal is. Good bye Mickey D's! If you are traveling pack your own food period. I also believe that anyone who is over 40 years old that is able to take creatine should be using it in their supplementation. If you're vegetarian or vegan please note that a bag of popcorn or chips are NOT a meal! Nor are they food. Eating right is easy, it just takes a few minutes to change your life for the better.

 The next factor is movement based exercise and restorative techniques. Yoga, a REAL daily stretching program, tai chi, qi gong, flow training, or Indian club exercises. Add something of this nature to your program. I laugh at the guys who bounce through their hamstring stretches in the gym like they think that a few motions gets them warmed up-they are warming up alright-for a cramp or worse yet a tear. Learn to stretch, take yoga etc, use Adex Clubs - they repaired my shoulder. Loss of movement and joint pain should be nearly zero if you begin and stay practicing this into your later years. And the stretching will keep muscles strong and supple even if it is the only physical activity you can do when older.

 I cannot say enough about the seriousness of exercise and nutrition and the benefits it has in the general population. A life with little or no medication is possible. A life when the time is available to go places and experience new things is waiting, a life of fulfillment and increasing chances for new adventures well into the golden years. If anyone who reads this still has the attitude that wouldn't know what to do if they retire, take a comprehension class because I just set you up to have a door open to a great journey that few follow. Growing old isn't for pussies. don't take it lying down!

    

How To Add Clubs To Your Training

 By now, almost everyone has heard of clubbells, Indian Clubs, or exercise clubs for fitness. Exercise clubs can be used as a stand alone training tool or as an addition to any fitness program. The unique club movements that utilize multi-planar force challenge your body in new ways. Not only must you control the club moving up and down, but also the side to side and foward to back movement which assault body areas in a 360° range. This full range of motion strengthens both the push-pull muscles and activates the core simultaneously plus has the added benefit of hitting the smaller, stabilizer muscles that are so frequently injured.

 One item that is often misinterpreted is that clubs are only for arms and shoulders. Don't listen to the nay-sayers Susie, clubs can train legs, and back, and chest, and well, all your body parts that need training, even the neck, making it one of the most versatile tools in your gym war chest. Club training will boost any other training method. So if you want to get stronger, or have more endurance, or break through that plateau that's holding you back keep on reading.

 So how do you add the exercise clubs into your existing program? First, identify your goals. If you are training for a Triathlon, endurance combined with some power is a goal. The clubs for this type of training should be on the heavy side of light to the middle weight poundages. Reps would be in the high to very high range from 25 to over 100 to simulate the long swimming time or the dig deep power to peddle or run up a hill. Where on the other hand a sprinter would use the heavier weight clubs to do a set of 15 or less reps to develop the explosive power not only from the legs but the rest of the body as well.

 Back in the days of the Cold War, the Soviet athletes heavily relied on kettlebell and clubbell training. Their athletes dominated all of the strength sports from weight lifting to field events in track. Heavy double club swings emulating the clean or the snatch portion of lifts develop the form and speed needed to control large weights. These movements should be done in low reps with a high set count for strength building. The added benefit of training the opposing muscles will increase overall strength and lessen the chance of injury.

ADEX Adjustable Exercise Club

 MMA fighters and boxers have also used clubs in their training for years. The clubs provide the coordination and strength required in their respective fields. By using the clubs, the fighters condition their joints and muscles to provide maximum power for the allotted round time, yet bullet proof themselves from injuries that occur from repetitive, jarring motions. Stamina is a great by product and comes fast with regular use.

 The beauty of the exercise clubs is that any athlete from any sport can take his or her training to a higher level. By combining different styles and movements, a truly custom program can be developed and achieved. Get yourself some clubs, I prefer the Adex Adjustable Exercise Clubs for their convenience but any will do. It doesn't take long to reap the benefits of clubs and isn't that the ultimate goal of training, to be better?

Light, Mid and Heavy Exercise Club Training

 Whether you call them Indian clubs, or how I prefer - Exercise clubs, they are invaluable to total body conditioning. As you extend an exercise club away from your body's centerline and feel your core engage you know that the whole body will feel the benefits of this type of training. After all, exercise clubs have been around for centuries and with good reason - they work!

Lunges with Clubs

 While some disciples preach using the lighter weight clubs (1-5 lbs) which free up joints and increase mobility, there are others who love the feel of the powerful, full body movements of a heavy club. Everyone has their favorites but it is necessary to train with both heavy and light exercise clubs. Total body conditioning is the goal and activating all of your receptors is a big step in this aspect.

Adex Adjustable Exercise Club 3.5-25lbs

 Having a few different weight clubs in your training arsenal is akin to having a turbo placed on an already high performance engine. The coordination and mobility that is developed during fast, high rep multi-joint light weight club movements become evident in daily motions. Trainees using light clubs regularly will find that they become more graceful and agile. Long before the movements are mastered, the benefits become evident which carry over into heavy club training.

Cynthia Aguilar 

 The term heavy is relative to the trainee, not the weight. Never let anyone tell you what heavy is - though I consider light 1-5lbs, medium 6 - 14lbs, and heavy over 15lbs as a guide. Form is crucial in exercise club training. Just as it is in weight lifting, it is easy to get injured using poor form swinging the clubs! Heavy clubs will build a controlled explosiveness for the trainee that comes from the core out and the ground up. When a trainee uses a heavy club in the circular patterns the muscles contract and relax throughout their natural, complete range of motion. Movement in this manner stimulates more fast twitch type 2b fibers and the median 2a fibers because of the greater range of motion offered by club exercises over weight training. Adding an exercise club program into an existing training regiment will boost the total performance of the trainee.

 Mid weight clubs undoubtedly build endurance and mobilize joints. A great way to accomplish this is to each set for as many reps as possible in a given time. A good beginner starting time is 3 minutes then work up to a longer duration set or multiple sets. Make sure that form for the exercise is proper to avoid possible injury. Think of it as jogging for your arms.

 These examples are to get the word out about exercise club training. The benefits mentioned above are only some examples of what the clubs can do for you. There are multitudes of exercises on YouTube with some great instructors putting the clubs through the paces. Get some clubs, watch their videos, practice the movements and get the edge over your competition. And remember, the biggest challenge is life itself-stay healthy!

About The Author

 Don Giafardino is a long time fitness enthusiast who developed the Adex Adjustable Exercise Club to treat his injured shoulder. Years of heavy weight training left Don living with chronic shoulder pain rendering him unable to perform a simple push up. Don searched for an alternative way to exercise and came across club training. He began by using a loadable dumb bell with 2.5lbs on one side to experiment with the club movements and noticed quick relief. Don was eager to heal his shoulder and looked into purchasing a real club to train with but was disappointed at their cost thinking that he’d most likely outgrow the first club  in a relatively short time. Then begins a pattern of buying another and another, and paying for the shipping on each new club ordered. Being inventive by nature and having the incredible luxury of a friend who owns a welding shop, Don set out to make his own club that was adjustable. The first designs were from T ball bats with weight plated sandwiched in them. Don refined the design a few times until he reached what is know today as the Adex Club. A solid steel club with six weight settings that change quickly and safely by hand. It is a whole set of 10 clubs in one 25lb unit that goes from 3.5, to 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5 & 25lbs that ships flat rate insured for $24! 

Your Way

 Each day someone new to the fitness world walks into a gym or tries yoga in front of the T.V. And each day, someone else sets a new PR for themselves. Still, each day, many more know that they need to start working out but never do, and I feel for these people. I feel for these people greatly for I know that they know something has to begin for them and soon. You see we as humans are all athletes but thanks to societal evolution most of us aren't required to be. Time is ticking my friends...

 I am not going to give a workout lecture here. I am going to straight forward tell you that you have to exercise, we all have to. Mother Nature, the Good Lord, or whatever cell that mutated to create us developed us to be perfect athletes. Our athleticism was made for survival and since we've "evolved" that athleticism is slowly fading away. Only a few hundred years ago, men walked miles to go hunting and carried back their prize on their back. Women with a baby on hip, foraged and gathered food. We know the story, but more often than not must be reminded that we are athletes.

 For everyone who exercises regularly, you are dismissed from the rest of the article, but those who are thinking about it follow along. The most important step that you will ever take in your health, in your spirit, and possibly in your life is to make the choice of how you want to exercise. Most head straight for the mega-gym, only to fizzle out after a few short months left with annoying calls from dues collectors which is the only tangible thing to show for their attempt at exercise. Others try to join whatever fad gym is hopping this year and hopefully that fad will continue into next year. And the story goes...

 The best advice that I ever received about exercise was "don't worry what the other guy is doing, beat yourself." This tidbit came to me years ago from a friend's father, who began exercising under the correspondence tutelage of Eugene Sandow (the man whom the Mr. Olympia trophy is modeled after) and lived to be 103! Simple exercise, diligently performed, a natural healthy diet gave him 30 years more than the average life expectancy. So, don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Look on Meetup.com, go to a different gym or class four nights a week for a month until you find that one workout that you really feel right with. Instead of doing it their way find "your way."