With the Commander in Chief practically minutes from my hometown last night for a $35,800 per plate fundraiser (yeah…as in 35 THOUSAND…ummm I wasn’t there!) after flying in from Washington on a helicopter and attending another fundraiser before that, I got to thinking, when does the guy get a chance to workout?!?
I mean, we’ve all seen the video clips of him showing off his basketball skills and natural athletic ability and we’ve even seen the shirtless vacation shots (look below) that prove that yes, he does get his work in…but how and when are the questions on everyone’s minds? Let’s take a look at how the man with the weight of the world on his shoulders manages to hit the weights on a regular basis despite his demanding duties…
PRESIDENT OBAMA – THE LEADER OF “TEAM ATHLEAN”?
No, this is not a political statement at all. Democrat, Republican, Independent…whatever his political affiliation could have been is really irrelevant. What IS interesting though is his workout style of choice! When you see his 3-4 day per week strength training routine mixed in with 2 “conditioning” workout days you can’t help but wonder…is the prez following ATHLEAN-X?!? Throw in the fact that in his Men’s Health magazine interview about his workouts he referred to his “conditioning” days as just that….”conditioning”, and NOT cardio and the eyebrow goes up even more!
As I’ve emphasized since the birth of the ATHLEAN-X brand, athletes do conditioning…the casual exerciser does cardio. You see, when you condition and do so at a high intensity while keeping the activities athletic (as opposed to straight steady state low intensity strolls on a treadmill) you not only get the benefits to the heart that “cardio” provides, but also the all important extra boost of functional strength and mobility that “Athlean Burst” provides. Again, knowing that the President flashes proof of both of these assets only strengthens the suspicion. OK, probably not…but it’s cool to imagine at least!
THE POLITICAL SPLIT – PUSH / PULL / LEGS
Take a closer look at the President’s reported workout schedule and you’ll find one upper body pulling workout, one upper body pushing workout, and either one or two lower body strength training workouts each week. Throw in the intermediary conditioning workouts to provide a bit of extra neurological muscle recovery and what you’ve got is practically Phase I of ATHLEAN-X!
Training this way allows the CIC to keep his workouts shorter since he’s able to focus on specific muscle groups with similar actions instead of having to get a sufficient workout for his entire body. This brief attack plan allows him to stay consistent with his workouts despite his hectic schedule and frees him up to do that other fairly important job of oh…running the country.
HIS 90/10 NUTRITION RULE
I’ve said it so many times but it’s always worth repeating since it’s THAT important to getting the physique that you want…and that is, when it comes to looking lean and muscular, you truly ARE WHAT YOU EAT! I don’t care if you train your ever loving a** off every day and do ab work until the cows come home, if you eat like crap…well…you’ll look like it. I’ve even gone so far as to say that nutrition is almost 70% of the equation!
Speaking of equations, it appears the President is fully on board with this concept too. He has what he calls his “90/10” rule. This means that as long as he can eat what he knows he is supposed to and knows is healthy 90% of the time, his body will forgive him for the other 10%…practically ignoring the occasional splurge. Totally agree.
I like to break it down another way. Guess, it comes from my professional baseball background, but you can look at it like batting averages. Your “at-bats” are the number of meals you’ll be eating each week. This should be 6 times per day, multiplied by the 7 days of the week…so 42 if my 3rd grade math skills can still be trusted! Now, if you could make sure that you “hit” say 36-38 of those perfectly…the other 4-6 will be almost entirely forgotten by your body due to the revved up metabolism you’ve created by eating so well the rest of the time.
Comparing the numbers shows us that again, like Obama’s 90/10 rule you’re getting it right at an .850 or .900 average! More than enough to win the “batting title” and plenty to get that ripped six pack showing in no time!
IF IT’S IMPORTANT…YOU’LL GET IT DONE
The bottom line is, as the even the President shows, if something is important to you…you’ll get it done! Being healthy and in the best shape he can be for his family and the country is a priority to him. Missing workouts simply isn’t an option. If that means getting up a few minutes earlier to accommodate a workout before an afternoon and evening filled trip to Connecticut then that’s what gets done. Heck, if it means knocking out some pushups and squats WHILE getting the morning briefing, then that’s what needs to be done.
The point is, regardless of how busy YOU are or how many commitments are on your schedule in a given day, you’ve got to make sure you make that commitment to YOURSELF and your fitness. Don’t wait until you FIND the time…cause you often won’t. Instead MAKE the time! The best part is if you use ATHLEAN-X to do it, you’ll only need to make 20-40 minutes 3-5 times per week! No sweat right? Then get moving. Your country…well, at least your abs…are depending on your action. CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COMPLETE ATHLEAN-X WORKOUT AND NUTRITION SYSTEM
Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS
Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.
