Depending on which “neck of the woods” you’re currently in, you are probably still feeling the effects of lockdown – if not IN LOCKDOWN as we speak.

And a lengthy ass lockdown at that, one that has done way more damage than people thought it would be.

When this lockdown first started in Wuhan in China, I was very vocal about saying that it was a case of “closing the door after the horse done bolted” way, way back last year.

No-one believed me, of course, but now as the facts come out (and to be fair, there were certain other people that said the same thing – Donald Trump being one, but all was roundly ignored in favor of the liberal “China tom tomming” that seems to be the rage in certain parts of the world – thankfully NOT in the ole US of A though), people are having second thoughts.

Hmm!

How hard is to THINK?

A virus that was very deliberately ignored (for reasons which are certainly outside the scope of this piece) and allowed to spread – and then you shut down cities and countries AFTER it’s spread – ALL over the world – and a virus that can be spread and carried by those with no symptoms?

Further, a virus where the VAST MAJORITY of people that have got it have – newsflash – RECOVERED.

And a virus where the number of deaths, though substantial pales in comparison to what happens EVERY YEAR – with – gasp – the common flu!

Do we shut down countries for the common flu?

Anyway, enough of the nonsense on all sides there.

As this madness continues, and countries supposedly start to come out of lockdown (but nigh on nothing is working normally anywhere, including mainland China for a long, long, long time) – lets talk about EXERCISE.

And getting the heebies from being confined at home for a long, long time – in the case of a country like India, over THREE months at the time of writing this.

In the case of China, a lengthy lockdown that never really ended . . .

And of course, physical fitness – and WEIGHT gain – and not being able to sleep – and all the rest of it.

Last night, I walked down to a convenience store WITHOUT a mask, braving the “stares” I got, hehe. I’m used to it as a foreign devil in China.

And I saw people outdoors exercising as usual – but with a mask.

How the heck one can breathe through a mask while exercising, I wondered.

And I picked up my own jump rope, and started to workout, but then something “took over”.

The atmosphere was one of FEAR.

Overwhelmingly NEGATIVE and not towards yours truly either, who is often spoken of being “as yellow as the Chinese” (don’t ask me, hehe).

And I went home – and did my post dinner workout at home.

What did I do?

First, a workout straight out of Kiddie Fitness.

Bear Crawls. Duck waddles. And the grand daddy of them all, something I’ll write about later, something that torches the average adult’s shoulders and upper chest within a second of so of getting into said post (if they can even GET INTO IT!) – the alligator crawl.

Believe me, though I’m in shape, that gave me a workout and a half, especially since I’d been writing all day long prior to that. (More on using time productively later, hehe).

And then it was time for some patented stretches – some straight out of 0 Excuses Fitness – and some straight out of Corrugated Core.

I was buzzing for a long, long time afterwards, and I worked until 4 AM or so, and woke up in the afternoon – on my time.

And that’s how it should be, my friend.

Cast the fear and irrational thoughts aside, and GO ABOUT YOUR OWN BUSINESS as usual!

Keep moving around, and working out, and staying HEALTHY. Chances are if you’re got a strong immune system this silly virus wouldn’t affect you EVEN if you came in contact with it (which is a FACT most people have either forgotten or conveniently choose to IGNORE).

And so forth, my friend.

While the world chooses to wallow in negativity, you do what you can to create – and attract – positivity to YOU.

And it will come, my friend – both in terms of workouts – and LIFE itself. Believe me now and trust me later, it WILL Come – if you just do the thing.

Anyway that’s all for this post. I’ll be writing about boxer pushups as promised on the other site soon – stay tuned!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Grab the best home based fitness system there is right here (much needed during the madness going on everywhere) –https://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

P.S #2 – And start to get in SHAPE my friend if you haven’t already. If you think whats happening now is bad, wait until later on in the year. While I’m not going to tell you what will happen as you wouldn’t believe me anyway, I might just say “I told you so” later, hehe. Nah  . . . . but that ain’t the point of me writing this. The point is, get in shape – and quick – you’ll need it, my friend.

On that note, pick up a copy of Advanced Hill Training while you’re at it. YES, these workouts can be ported over to HOME based routines as well, which is exactly what I did last night! Grab the course now and get cracking, my friend.

Over lunch, something interesting happened.

My wife and daughter were chatting from what it seems . . . about yours truly who was truly “lost” in himself, and thinking about something else.

Over a plate of boiled egg and rice, and for that don’t know, twas delicious, hehe.

On that note, HEALTHY CAN BE delicious, my friend and usually always IS if you do it right.

And though I love Chinese food as well, my course on Dish Delicious contains NO Chinese dishes.

Mostly all Western and Indian dishes – super healthy dishes at that and then some – and delicious ones you CAN eat day in and day out without dreading, hehe.

Youll never even feel like you’re sticking to a diet if you eat these, and as I ate today, I sure didn’t feel like it.

“This is what they call a foodie”, I remarked laughingly to my wife.

Or, a Chi Huo as Cindy once called me, hehe.

Anyway, back to drums of fat.

My wife was telling my six year old, soon to be seven daughter about the ROLLS of fat that I had when she was born.

Yes, back during my lard ass days, hehe.

“Papa literally was three times the size he is now”, she said.

“Really?” exclaimed my daughter. “But I want him to be more!”

I want him to be soft and cuddly, she went.

Hehe.

That she does, as every little girl does!

And after that, my wife said the following.

“You could literally fill DRUMS of fat from him before” she said, giggling no less than NINETEEN to the DOZEN, hehe.

And its true my friend.

Its true, and since we think in pictures, I thought of a big blue nasty vat (the sort that the Chinese use in “slaughterhouse style” lunch rooms – ugh, that’s a memory from back in the day that ain’t nice at all! ?) . . . and a vat filled with FAT at that.

Human fat, and if you think that’s gross, well, that’s precisely what people pay big bucks for in terms of liposuctions and other (to me gross) cosmetic alterations.

And believe it or not, certain cases involve the patient “wanting to look at their fat” after it’s taken out.

Gross perhaps, but par for the course for folks these days!

Funny part?

It’s not so much the gross nature of this that I’m against as the unnatural nature of it, and the fact that these results NEVER EVER LAST!

Liposuction may make you look good temporarily (albeit with stretch marks due to the fat being “suddenly” taken out and previous tight skin becoming saggy).

Weight loss “belts”, all the latest rage won’t even do that. All they’ll do is a burn a hole in your POCKET – NOT your waistline and the fat deposits around it.

I once saw a machine that claimed to “jiggle your fat for you” and if there ever was an excuse to be lazy, that machine was IT. It promised the moon and probably delivered the exact opposite, and probably made sales aplenty as it is, as it said exactly what people WANT To hear, that being lose weight – the EASY way.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it don’t work that way my friend.

The good things in life are neither free nor easy.

I mean, they’re easy if you set your mind to it, but you can’t just show up and expect to get results. You have to do THE thing.

Other hand, if you want lasting results, then THOSE routines and exercises are the WAY TO GO, my friend.

For real.

And if you don’t believe me, look at the scores of people who show up for liposuction – AGAIN – after the first or second treatment.

That fat comes right back on, and so it should, as you have NOT increased either the T levels in your body – or the levels of HGH – or the levels of muscle – by doing precisely nothing other than lie under a surgeon’s scalpel.

And so, your body’s “chemical” balance was NOT altered the way it is, for instance, when you workout NATURALLY – and build a ton of strength and muscle (while releasing that all important HGH for HOURS after your workout) while at it!

Moral of the story is this – if you want lasting results – then do what LASTS.

Don’t look for the easy way out, my friend. It don’t exist.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Here are the routines that will burn off the blubber off your body so quickly you’ll wonder how you ever put it on in the first place – https://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

P.S #2 – And to ramp it up, combine all this with what I teach you in Advanced Hill Training – right here - https://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

Well, it's been a while since the last email - - the summer is raging on here, hot, humid and - - well - - H..O..T!! So hot that the hill walk seems like I'm doing it in a sauna, albeit a "natural" one.  .  .PHEW!

Anyway, seems the heat is getting to some people's brains, and today's email is about one of the most STUPID, bar none, statements I've heard in the recent past (and going by the jokerishness going on during the past month or so, that is saying something - - but more on that later).

This morning, I was talking to a lady who I met a few days ago. We were talking "business" (read into that what you choose to, hehe) - - but after we were done, the conversation shifted on to other topics, and we soon started chatting about fitness.

Now, this lady isn't hard on the eyes to be honest, and that's putting it lightly. Great figure, no extra flab, etc etc - - as you might expect from a competitive swimmers, which this lady used to be in her younger days.

(Side note: Swimming is one of the very best exercises there is, despite the fact it doesn't do much for the legs - - goes against a lot of what I've said about leg training being the #1 priority, but swimming is one of the very few, if not the ONLY exercise which actually delivers a lot of the same fitness benefits that you get via other tough exercises - - but again, more on this later).

And so it wasn't a surprise that we got talking about fitness, starting with swimming, at which this woman appears to be FAR better than me - - and good on her for that.

"I knew it", I said. "You look like you love sports - - but I didn't know you liked swimming as well".

The usual giggle, giggle, and thank you, and we continued.

"I guess you go to the gym nowadays, since you don't swim competitively any longer", I said, more as an afterthought than anything else.

"Yeah, I do"

And so, we started talking about the various exercises she did at the gym, most of them being ones I wouldn't personally do,  but hey, to each his - - or her - - own. And it wasn't all bad stuff to be honest, stationery biking, treadmill, etc - - not the best by a long shot, but if it works for her, hey...

"What about the Stairmaster", I broke in, as we were discussing the benefits of the treadmill. "I'm sure you use that, and..."

"Oh no", she said, looking a tad bit concerned. "Climbing stairs is bad for your knees, you know".

I shook my head. I was sure I had not heard her correctly.

"Huh?"

She repeated what she said, and I shook my head again, this time in pure disbelief.

"Bad for you? Stairs are BAD for your knees???"

"Yes. My personal trainer, and the one before that said so".

"Ah", I responded, still trying to deal with this once-competitive swimmer imparting this bit of sage (not) wisdom.

But as the shock abated, I realized it wasn't her fault - - it was more her personal trainer's fault for spouting rubbish that has no basis whatsoever - - and whats sad is that 99.99% of trainers you'll see in the gym today are just as, if not MORE, clueless about what WORKS  - - and what doesn't.

(Or should we say as opposed to hard work and "sweating it out" as a couch potato is to a brisk walk?)

And I looked at her legs, and it made more sense. She has "swimmer's legs" for sure - - slender, lissom- - legs that wouldn't look out of place in a fashion contest - - but at the same time, legs that don't scream STRENGTH - - and RUGGED POWER.

I then tried to convince the lady that she was being fed a crock, but though she listened politely, I got the feeling I might as well be banging my head against a brick wall.

Anyway, shortly after we exchanged pleasantries and departed, and that particular story ends there - - but that is where THIS email starts, to be honest.

I chose this topic to write about because there are LOADS of folks out there who believe that stairs are the worst thing you can do to your knees, when the truth is the exact opposite.

Look, fellas (and gals), training your legs is the NUMBER ONE, I repeat, NUMBER ONE priority in any sort of fitness endavour.  I don't care if your training to be in the army, or sports, or martial arts - - or if your the blob that has just got off the couch for the first time in his life - - leg training is by far the most important thing to focus on, followed closely by hip, core and back work.

And there is nothing that quite hits the legs, back and core like a long, steep step of stairs climbed rapidly and repeatedly.

Why?

Well, because this exercise taxes the thighs - - which are by far the largest muscles in your body, and the muscles which really cause GROWTH - - and fat loss - - and release of HGH (human growth hormone) in liberal amounts all over your body.

Squats and rope jumping do it as well, but nothing really gets the heart rate up as efficiently as climbing stairs. And anyone that has experienced the heart pounding, "blood roaring in ears" feeling after a tough climb up a bunch of stairs knows what I mean.

As for it being bad on the knees, well, I haven't experienced any problems from my daily climbs up the hill. And neither do the thousands of people ascending the steep stairs leading up the mountain near where I live on a daily basis (both old and young) seem to complain about bad knees - - if anything, they seem to be enjoying far better overall health and strength than their counterparts on the machines in the gyms.

You'll hear some folks complain about "flexion" of the knees - - well, all I can say is that Nature gave us knees for a PURPOSE - - and your using your knees for exactly the same purpose that they were intended for when you climb stairs.

Your knees were NOT intended to stay "straight" on a machine while you "isolate" your muscles - - NO WAY, Jose!

And at this point,  you might hear some say "Pooh! Swimming gets one fit as a fiddle, but swimmers don't have the sort of legs you mention - - what gives?"

Fair enough - - but google any competitive swimmers's routine, and you'll see that exercise on land is a priority for them - - especially LEG work.

Swimming is a sport where the legs don't get that much work - - the upper body does the bulk of the hard work - - but does this mean strong legs don't help a swimmer?

Again, no way, Jose - - them "frog kicks" and "dolphin kicks" will be that much more powerful with a pair of strong and sturdy legs as the "motor" behind the movement!

And if that still hasn't convinced you, take a gander at Fast and Furious Fitness where I detail how my daily hill climb has helped me get into the VERY BEST shape of my life - - at the age of 33, at that - - and if THAT doesn't convince you, then nothing will.

Or, well, wait a minute.

A hard climb up a hill in searing hot weather might - - especially if that hill has STAIRS on the way up.

But then again, that would mean HARD work.

Something that 99.9999999% of all "personal trainers" (UGH!) are opposed to. And something that most modern day trainees seem not to think much of either, preferring to "blast" out reps of whatever exercise they are doing on the latest useless machine in the gym while "ogling the babes".

And if you're the kind that fits into the above category - - well, no problems from my end, my friend - - but I wish you best of luck with the knee problems YOU WILL have if you continue using the machines and do no other work for your legs.

And if you are in the tiny minority? The "Fast and Furious Fitnes" minority, if I might say so?

Well, there's nothing to say in that case - - except a (virtual) shake of the hand, and pat on sweaty back - - and back to the workout, as it were!

Well, that's it for today. If you hear a personal trainer spout more nonsense like this, smack him as hard as you can before running - - that'll be your "good deed for the day"!

Best Regards,

Rahul

P.S.: - I speak about Fast and Furious Fitness in this note, and you can grab your copy right HERE: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/articles/4-fast-and-furious-fitness-the-book. This is NOT for the 99.999999% I just mentioned - - but if you don't fit into that category - - well - - there's no better read for you. Again, that link is http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/articles/4-fast-and-furious-fitness-the-book . . . rush on over, and grab your copy NOW.

Hi {subtag:name},

Yet another hot and muggy day here in Southern China, so hot that the term "sweating buckets" doesn't do justice to how hot one feels when exercising in an intense manner. My shirt was sopping wet by the time I got through HALF of my hill climb, and it seemed to weight a couple of kilograms or more by the time  I was done. Whew!

Never did manage to get through the "pulling part" of my workout though - thanks mostly to an incessant drizzle that wouldn't (and still apparently hasn't) let up. Boo!

Anyway, the mailbox is overflowing with questions from readers that want to know - - let's take a look at two interesting emails from different corners of the globe.

The first email comes from Rich (presumably in the U.S.) -

"I subscribe to your newsletter and enjoy your inspirational personal workout stories.
 
In the article entitled "The old man I met a couple of months back in China", you mentioned a hamstring stretch that he did that also stretched his entire core, lower back, chest, calves, and shin.
 
When you find the time, would you write another newsletter describing that stretch.
 
I look forward to reading your future newsletters.
 
Sincerely,"

Rich, thanks a million for the positivity and kind words. Before I describe the stretch the old man did (does, actually), be advised this this stretch is a somewhat advanced stretch and you a) need to work into it and b) DEFINITELY, and I  mean DEFINITELY - - let me say that again - - MOST DEFINITELY - - need to be WARMED up and ready for the stretch.

This is NOT one of those stretches that one does straight out of bed, to put in another way - - you need to be warmed up for it, and do need to have a (or work up to) a certain level of flexibility to do this correctly. I usually do it after my hill climb and before my pushups.  

To do this, find a railing, or other "broad" surface at about chest height and lift one leg up slowly, while keeping it straight so that the heel of your foot is resting on the railing (or said surface).  Keep the other leg ramrod straight, and at right angles to the first one.

From this position bend forward (and again, LEGS STRAIGHT!) and grab the ankle (or heel of the foot is you can) of the outstretched leg with BOTH hands, and bend forward so that your chest and upper body are in line with the outstretched leg.

Stay in that position for as long as you can. When you start, you likely won't be able to do this at all, or if you can, you won't go beyond fifteen seconds or more provided you maintain proper form. But thats OK. Work up to it, and work into it - - this one simple movement will increase flexibility by leaps and bounds through your ENTIRE BODY.

Sounds simple, you say? Well, TRY IT, my friend - - and if you want to make it tougher, do what the old man does - - which is to throw one's leg up - - ramrod straight, NO bending at the knee on either leg - - onto a surface ABOVE HEAD HEIGHT, and then repeat the above movement.
 
WHEW - - talk about a hamstring stretch from "hell"!!

And now, as a bonus, I'll throw in another similar stretch that will stretch your chest and shoulders out (in addition to the rest of your body) like nobody's business. This one is somewhat easier, but not a lot easier than the one the old guy does, though some folks may find it tougher.

Stand together with your feet shoulder width apart, and keep your legs perfectly straight - - NO BENDING whatsover at the knees again, and raise your arms straight over your head while clasping your fingers together. Now, bend FROM THE WAIST - - keeping the legs perfectly straight - - and try and touch  your clasped palms to the floor, and hold the position for time.

As you get better, bring your legs together. Your eventual goal is to do it with your legs together and palms flat beside your feet.

So, that's that for the "hammy" stretches - - great question, by the way, Rich.

And now for another great one from "Sujit" in India: -

"i have been reading your newsletter on bodyweight training and i should tell you i just love to read what you write about workout....i enjoy reading your workout experiences like the one in china....this is the first time i am writing to you as i got some queries which i think only you can clarify...hmm i read your last mail in which you stressed the importance of slow deadhang pullup and handstand for mass gains...for last 1 week i have started doing slow pullup with 4 sec to go up hold for 4 sec at top and again down and i cant do handstand pushup so i am doing assisted handstand....my query is can these two workouts build muscle mass if i work hard at these two exercises ??
and my second query is what bodyweight exercise should i do for my legs for putting on mass...squats are not helping me in gaining any mass ..please help me out..."

Sujit, thanks so much for the positive words. To answer your questions: -

1.YES, the exercises you mention WILL build muscles - - slabs of solid muscle all over your upper body, to be honest, if you keep at it and keep improving with every workout. Of course, I'm referring to REAL muscle - - not the comic book "Micky Mouse" bloated muscles the "bodybuilders" in most modern gyms have.

In other words, YES, you'll build solid, functional strength with these exercises, and lean, toned, POWERFUL upper body muscles, much like a jungle cat's with these movements.

2. Though some may not notice, Sujit has just revealed one of my "secrets" to superior strength - - which is the timed hold he refers to at the TOP of each pull-up as well as during the movement - - great stuff, Sujit, and this is guaranteed to build super strong forearms as well in addition to the muscles you are targeting. Not to mention a grip like steel - OUCH!

3. If you cannot do handstands as yet, you really need to work into them, as (and as I've said many times before), handstand pushups and pull-ups are one of the, if not THE, most powerful exercise combos out there for the upper body. You may want to check out my "Shoulders for Boulders" course which gives you simple and easy to follow instructions to build up to doing handstand pushups for REPS - - at which point you'll be buying new shirts since the old ones won't fit you any longer - - guaranteed!

Shoulders like Boulders: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/products/87-shoulders-like-boulders

Of course, a proper diet is of paramount importance as well in terms of your goals which is to build high quality functional MUSCLE. And the Simple and Effective Diet should help you with that: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/articles/84-the-simple-and-effective-diet

4. In terms of mass for your legs, yes, squats are an effective way of gaining quality muscle mass in your legs. Are you doing them with bodyweight, or are you doing the "weighted squats" with a barbell on your back? I prefer high rep bodyweight squats over weighted squats any day - - not to mention the LUNG POWER the former exercise builds as opposed to the latter, which is still beneficial if done right - - but not nearly as much.

You are probably aware from the Great Gama, a legendary wrestler from the Punjab in India. Gama is reputed to have done THOUSANDS of these bodyweight squats (as well as bodyweight squats with heavy bricks/stones tied around his neck) on a daily basis, and his leg development was second to none - - and he was one of the best wrestlers that ever lived, PERIOD.

And while squats are an excellent way to build muscle mass in your legs, hiking up steep hills at a rapid pace (my own preferred means) will do it just as well, and works better for some folks.

Rope jumping is another time tested way of building muscle mass in the calves and thighs - - look at any professional boxer, and you'll realize that this simple exercise is virtually limitless in terms of potential.

And of course, sprints if you so prefer - - there are many ways to skin the cat you are referring to.

Great questions guys - - and keep them coming in, and I'll answer as many as I can in my daily e-mails.

Tomorrow's (or the next) post will deal with a guy that I see working out beside me on a daily basis in the park - - a guy that does the SENSIBLE thing for a change. More on that later!

All for now - - if you work out today - - make it a superb one!!

Best Regards,

Rahul