Today was an amazing day in the gym.  I'm really starting to find my stride with pushing my strength training and cardio workouts to the next level.  I began my workout with a mile warm up on the treadmill and a good full body stretch.  I evolved my back workout, starting with:

 5 sets of pull up/chin ups each set too failure.
 5 sets of close grip pull downs 20,15,10,5 reps (Increasing weight by 10 pounds each set)
 5 sets of wide grip cable rows  20,15,10,5 reps (Increasing weight by 10 pounds each set)
 Wide grip pull ups/chin ups to failure ( 4 secs up 4 secs down)
 5 sets of left sided cable wood chops 20,15,10,5 reps (Increasing weight by 5 pounds each set)
 5 sets of right sided cable wood chops 20,15,10,5 reps (Increasing weight by 5 pounds each set)
 5 sets of machine seated lower back extensions  20,15,10,5 reps ( Increasing weight by 10 pounds each set)

 1.5 miles on the stairmaster or about 20 mins ( Alternating speed with skip step lunges)
 2.5 miles Interval treadmill training. 90% running for 1/4 mile and alternating 1/4 mile at 60%

During my strength training workouts I have been only limiting my rest period to no more than 30 secs to keep up my heart rate and burn as much fat as possible.  

Listening to music on my phones MP3 player really helps push me through those not so fun periods on the treadmill, not to mention helps keep your mind off any aches and pains that might discourage your workout.  Another great fitness motivator for me was making the commitment to share my fitness journey online.  This put me out of my comfort zone and has challenged my senses ever since.  My motivation comes from knowing that others will hold me accountable and no excuse will be an honorable one.

So, the suns out and the weather is so inviting to get healthy and burn so damn fat.  I encourage everyone to help another on their fitness journey.  Start by encouraging others to get outdoors and be active.  It's so rewarding to help others while helping yourself become a better you.  

My wife Shannon had mentioned to me about a diet plan she read while waiting for her Chiropractic appointment.  It's by Dr. Oz and it's called the One-Day Diet.  Intrigued, I searched it online and the wonderful thing about this diet it's takes you back to the basics of weight loss and explains that losing weight and gaining better health is quite simple on the nutritional side of things.  I was really impressed with the one-day theory that you start each day with a goal.  Daily goals in my opinion is genius and provides a guilt free diet that keeps you motivated and less frustrated.

If your anything like me; you fall off the food wagon from time to time and indulge in the tasty treats that your mouth and taste buds just can't go without.  We don't all have the will power and ambition as body builders and the fitness elite to sacrifice certain foods or have the mental will power to overcome the guilt.  

The One-Day diet allows us to cheat from time to time and start over the next day.  No need for three hail marys to rid of the guilty pleasures.  Working towards good health and over all fitness is easier when your not dealing with negative emotions that cause us to fall into guilty eating and poor diet choices.

Give the diet a look and please note this is a short read like just a couple pages.  Please let me know if you try this diet and how it has worked for you.  One day at a time is a goal for my people lives, so why not try it with your fitness and diet.

                      The ONE-DAY DIET by Dr. Oz

So today I started writing this Fitness Journal with inspiring thoughts on ways to motivate others to dig deeper to find the strength they need to battle through too the next stage in their fitness journey.  Hep you guessed it I don't have the brain power to be so wise this evening.  So all I can do is share my story with you in hopes that it might ignite some desire that will over power the burden of procrastination that we all have to face in society today.

It's April 11th, 2011 and I believe I'm not exactly where I was hoping to be in my fitness journey.  I've had to overcome some mild injuries that caused me frustrating set backs, but this is not my excuse for not reaching the overly ambitious goals I set for myself..  Actually my excuse is lack of knowledge.  My journey started with my head filled with knowledge of fitness practices that i've read online or in a magazine.  The knowledge I'm talking about is the knowledge of trial and error.  Doing the work that either provides you with results or doesn't.

Gathering knowledge in fitness is finding out what works for you and your body.  The knowledge you gain from failing is just as important as the knowledge you gain from success.  We all must fail and we don't then were not trying hard enough.  With success comes failure and we all need to find the balance in our lives so we can embrace failure and learn from those mistakes. The workouts that work for me today, most likely will not work for me in a week from now.  My fitness goals are evolving continuously.

I realized today that I'm ready for the next step and I'm ready to be more prepared before my workouts.  Preparation is keep to my success in the gym and at home.  Finding alternative workouts to maximize each and every workout is key for me.  I'm feeling healthier and a little more lean;  I now just need to stay consistent to reap my reward.

I'm still pushing every muscle group to failure and I have stepped up my cardio another notch.  I haven't yet hit the point that I can claim myself a success yet, but I'm getting real close.  I've lost needed inches of fat and now I'm really starting to feel the difference. 

It's time for me to make smaller, shorter term goals.  Like, one day at a time kinda goals.  I need to start making my goals each morning and when I accomplish that goal, I will celebrate that success and not get burden and frustrated by failing for longer periods of time.  

I'm driven and my two hour workouts each day are proof of that.  Now I just need to make those two hours more efficient to my fat loss goals.

Tom Barbee

Today's shoulder workout was FANTASTIC!  I achieved the ultimate burn and muscle failure that I've been seeking for sometime.  I realized today that my progression has been slow and slightly frustrating.  As I check stock within myself and my workouts;  it's become clear that I'm making greater gains then I lead myself to believe.

Knowing that YOU are your worst enemy and your worst critic; it makes it hard to look at yourself in the mirror and see positive results.  The Journey to good health and fitness is much more then your vain view when you lurk upon yourself in the mirror. It's about getting a better understanding of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.  It's much easier to see the physically improvements and much harder to be aware of the mental and emotional improvements you've made.  The fact is without the mental and emotional improvements you wouldn't have the physical improvements.

I have come along way since my Fitness Journey began and I have to honor my successes and realize that I'm exactly where I wanted to be.  I have finally got to the point in my journey that I can say I'm reasonably pain free and can challenge my body 5-6 days a week without 2-3 days of rest in between.  My body is responding to the increased intense interval training, and I ache each and everyday for my next workout.  Yes I've become an addict of the gym and the emotional spike I get from pushing my body to the limit.

In the past few weeks I have changed my workouts considerably.  My workouts now include daily interval cardio training and each muscle group is pushed to failure by decreasing rest time between sets and alternating upper and lower body exercises.  This spikes my heart rate increasing my overall fat burn.

My food intake has been consistent and reasonably strict.  I'm providing my body a sufficient amounts of protein and good fats and carbs.  Yes, I do eat artisan style breads more often then I should, but I'm learning the importance of portion size and moderation.  I happily can say I haven't eaten fast food in sometime and feel confident that I won't; till I reach my goal weight.  I do reward myself with good food, but I believe I'm doing well not over indulging or splurging out of control.

I have an unhealthy size appetite and have been using high amount of fiber supplements to help control my portion sizes.  Food isn't an enemy, food is my friend and I will find a way to enjoy my diverse pallet without the need of guilt.

I'm looking forward to my upcoming progression picture on the 11th of April and confidently know that my results will show.  I'm building more muscle, my skin has loosened considerably the past few weeks; so I have to be losing more fat.  My strength in my workouts are increasing, my cardio isn't as tedious, and I need half the time to recover from a hard workout.  I'm really excited to see how many inches I've lost around my waist and to do another inventory of myself so I can move swiftly into the next phase of my fitness journey.

I want to thank Shannon for the love and support I get from her everyday, allowing me to push harder and longer at the gym. If it wasn't for Shannon I wouldn't be where I am today in my fitness journey.  Men will be men (I suppose), but one thing I want to change for myself is to show and express my appreciation for what Shannon does for our family each and everyday.  Thank You!

My warrior dash training is part of my fitness journey, but I realized I was on the wrong path and needed to make critical changes to my regime to allow my bodies joints and connective tissues to catchup before I continue to abuse myself with high endurance training.  I figured it was more important to build a foundation for my house to sit on before I put the roof on.  Put the horse before the cart kind of theory.

Tom Barbee

I have small goals and large goals, I have short-term and long-term goals that need to be defined.  My ultimate goal is too be in good physical health so I can live a long and prosperous life without the battle of nagging ailments.  The picture above shows an older man that obviously has mad the choice in life to put his health and fitness first, as for the girl; well she's just sexy as hell (enough said).

Muscles are what really defines what we are capable of doing and how we feel as we age.  Muscle building has become more and more popular, due too the valued benefits that resistant training provides.  Resistant training or weight lifting provides the body support, balance and form.  Weight lifting offers the mother of five much more than just a sculpted body; it provides her confidence, boosted self-esteem, sex appeal and sufficiently supported core and joints to allow her to run, jump and play endlessly with her kids. 

I have come to realize that working out is just as important emotionally as it is physically.  Building the needed muscle to allow us to strive forward without limited injuries is no longer optional, but a necessary element to overall health and fitness.

My goals start with the drive to be sexy in my own skin.  Does it mean to look like the people above?  Of course not!  Fitness and self-esteem go hand in hand. But, if that's the result I'll get from making good fitness choices; well then I can live with that.  I can't speak for what teenagers may think ( Cause frankly they are so damn confusing and change daily).  What I'm referring too here is how the average adult does with self-esteem and fitness.  Clearly my only research has been observation in the gym and in our community, but it's clear that on average most adults young and old don't live a healthy lifestyle, both physically and emotionally.  We live with fear, doubt and bitterness.

So unfortunately this trait spills over to how our kids choose to view themselves.  NOT GOOD!

So, my goal is to be healthy physically and emotionally sexy.  

    If you aspire to fitness modeling success, the         need to be fit is a given. Here's what it takes to stand apart from the rest and become the best.

By: Pavel Ythjall


The X Factor: Learn The Key Ingredient To Fitness Success
Call time, 7 a.m. My crew and I are in a West Hollywood studio. The sun is about to rise over the hills, but it's still chilly outside. The team is smoking cigarettes and joking around, their normal routine before the workday starts.


No one notices her when she walks in. She sits down by a table outside Studio A, waiting. After putting the team to work, I find the same girl sitting outside the studio, looking lost.

"Hey, how are you?" I say.

"I'm the makeup person," she says, smiling.

I nod and welcome her to the set.

She laughs nervously. "No one recognizes me like this, not in the morning, anyway."

My brain races and I quickly apologize, realizing it's a joke, and that she's the model. "Welcome! We'll have a great shoot!"

I walk away thinking, So that's the famous fitness model I booked? Uh oh...

But as soon as the shoot begins, Ashley Horner's (the girl in these photos) transformation is both immediate and intense. She catches me totally off guard. The shutter fires like a machine gun, click-click-click, and she switches poses in rhythm. The changes are subtle, a body shift here, a different smile there. But she nails each one in rapid-fire succession.

                                                                                                                                                  READ MORE: