I personally get a lot of questions asking what I personally do for my own workouts, or at least what I should be doing for my own workouts.

To be honest, somedays it’s just as hard for me to go to the gym as anybody else.  I get tired and cranky too, probably not as much as the norm, but there are still those days I just want to hang out and watch a movie.

But then I slap myself out of it and tell myself if I’m not getting better, I’m getting worse.  This usually inspires me to get off my lazy butt and into the gym for a awesome workout.

This is what’s going to separate yourself from everybody else who can’t lose weight, going the extra mile when you don’t want to.

Burning fat and building muscle would be a piece of cake if it was easy all the time and loved every minute of it.  But that’s not reality.

Reality is forcing yourself to get up off your fat butt and do something with your life, because it’s not going to happen on its own.

Same thing applies to other areas in your life as well.  If you want to create a successful business you can’t hang out on Facebook all day and play video games.  Or if you’re single and want to find the love of your life, it’s not going to happen with you watching Jersey Shore on a Saturday night.

Getting comfortable being uncomfortable is one of the best traits you can absolutely have.  Working out and eating right most of the time isn’t comfortable, but the results are worth it.  It’ll get easier as time goes on but it’ll never be a piece of cake (unless you aren’t pushing yourself).

If I had a good amount of time and energy to complete a perfect workout it would have many different components.  These steps in my perfect workout would all combine to make an awesome training program that would take you to the next level every time.

It’s kind of like a Transformer, you got to have all the pieces to make something badass.

There are a few problems though: not enough energy, not enough time, not enough motivation.

But if you can get yourself pumped up, eat right, get enough sleep and clear your schedule for 90 minutes then you can do what I call the Perfect Workout.

You don’t need any fancy equipment (unless you consider a foam roller fancy…) and all of this stuff can really be done right at home.

1.  Foam Rolling

Self-Myofascial release is going to help to get rid of those aching pains and stiff muscles.  Foam rolling prior to working out has really changed my life and I’m not stiff as a board the whole week from my workouts.  For my top 5 foam rolling exercises click here.

2.  Mobility & Corrective Exercise

This is another area that’s has become totally neglected by 95% of those you see in the gym.  The body like a car gets imbalances over time.  It’s just the way of life and if you don’t have these imbalances corrected then you’re going to get hurt sooner or later.  Taking the extra 5-10 minutes before your workout to help with your imbalances can save you lots of the aches and pains that will come later.  Click here for my top 5 mobility exercises.

3.  Dynamic Warm-Up

And we’re not quite ready to get into the hard-core training just yet.  Instead of hoping on the treadmill and slowly jogging at 5mph for a warm-up we’re going to instead be doing a dynamic warm-up that will athletically prepare the body for exercise.  This will get more muscles activated and will be a heck-of-a-lot more functional then just riding a bike while watching TV.

4.  Explosive Power

This is when the hardcore stuff starts.  I wouldn’t recommend very many power exercises if you’re really overweight, but if you’re in decent shape and have some athleticism to you then this stuff will be great.  Explosive power movements are stuff like jump squats, power cleans, medicine ball throwdowns, etc.  All of these will get take a lot of your energy so it’ll be wise to do them first but you can also pepper them in throughout your workout.

5.  Metabolic Resistance Training

This is going to be the meat and potatoes of the workout.  This is where you’ll be doing the resistance training but taken up a notch.  Performing alternating exercises of push/pull with opposing muscles groups.  This also includes core conditioning and how I usually do it is do an upper body exercise, followed by a lower body exercise, and finishing with a core exercise.  This should be the bulk of your training and should be the most intense.  Click here for my article on metabolic resistance training.

6.  Interval Training

I know you don’t need to hear me say that interval training is 900% more effective than steady-state cardio anymore but it’s true.  Now is the time you want to go on the treadmill or go run outside and do your high intensity interval training.  Your body has just dumped a good amount of triglycerides into the bloodstream that are just dying to be burned.  So now would be the time to suck it up and take things to the next level.  Click here for my HIIT treadmill video.

7.  Cool Down

I’m constantly surprised by how many people say “screw-it” when it comes time for the cool down.  Now is the time to begin the recovery process for the hardcore workout you just finished.  Static stretching is going to go a long ways after your workout as well as some foam rolling if you have the time.  Also taking in 20-40g of protein along with some starchy carbs will help your dried out sponge of a body recover after your crazy workout.