Left home at 4am to drive up to Tampa, with enough time to get ready for the race, including setting up my GoPro camera. Temperature was around 42º by the time my race was about to start, which is not a big deal, but when you’re about to run and most probably jump in cold water, it becomes one of those “oh crap, this is going to be fun…. not” moments.

Overall, I thought the race was tougher than my Super race from last year, but I think two main factors that got me to this realization has to do with to very specific issues. The first one, right at the beginning of the race, during the second obstacle, while helping a lady jump over the wooden obstacle, the force she applied in order to reach the top wasn’t downwards but find of forward, literally throwing me to the floor and hitting my knee and wrist against the concrete floor. Although my knee hurt just at that moment, my wrist was the one with more damage, which became worse as I had to keep using my hand throughout the race. The pain became excruciating and there was nothing I could do about it… because I wasn’t going to quit and I wasn’t going to do 30 burpees just to skip each obstacle. The second issue was the amount of stairs we had to climb during 75 to 80 percent of the race. I’ve never in my life climbed so many stairs before in a single day.

I’ll be honest, while I enjoy helping others to overcome obstacles, that initial injury that cost me having to deal with so much pain and ending up not being able to use my hand for a week after the race, taught me that not always I can sacrifice myself for those around me, especially during a race. The worse that can happen during a Spartan race is, that if you can’t complete an obstacle, you’ll have to do 30 burpees, and even then you’re getting something physically positive out of it.

My goal now is to prepare and focus for next year’s Beast race, which most probably will be in Atlanta, and for once I will try to focus on timing other than recording videos with my GoPro. This along with a Tough Mudder race and smaller obstacle races will keep me busy for a while when it comes about outdoors physical activities.

I bet somewhere along those lines would be the first thing to pop up in people’s minds when reading 3000 burpees. I mean, who would even consider doing such a ridiculous amount of burpees and claim they’re sane anyway?

Well, here’s the thing, people constantly talk about how they want to get stronger, how they want better conditioning, how they don’t have time to go to the gym and still want to get in shape, but when it comes about hard work and do exercises that will have a big impact in your body, most people change their minds and decide they are not ready. The truth is, we have been ready since we decided to change our lives and get in shape, whether because you don’t like how we look, we don’t have energy, we want to improve our health, or whatever reason you have. You need to realize the biggest obstacle to get things done is our own mind and how it will try to talk us into quitting our plans to feel better about ourselves by constantly asking us which would be prefer, to lay down on a couch watching your favorite show while eating your favorite comfort food or be doing a crazy ass exercise called burpees which suck tremendously?

The reality is, our minds need as much training as our bodies do. We need to train our minds to be and stay focus on our goals, and to change the mindset of comparing what got us sick, overweight or in the current state we are today to that mindset of how worth it and happy we will be when we reach our goals.

Hard Work Pays Off! This is a true statement. While any form of exercises, including walking, is beneficial to our health and bodies, the harder you work, the more results you will see, the faster they will happen, and the stronger you will get.

So 100 burpees daily for 30 days will probably suck depending on how many you do at once, but even if you can’t do more than 5 before running out of breath, that is perfectly fine. Do sets of 5 throughout the day until you complete the 100. Each time just try to do one extra rep on random sets. Look for ways to push your body little by little, always keeping in mind everything you do today will have a bigger effect tomorrow.

The time to start is today, not next week, not next month, but today! Make the decision, stick to it, and in 30 days look back and see how much you’ve accomplished and how much you’ve improved just because you decided to join this craziness and committed to the challenge.

Last year, after I had spent sometime being inactive and putting on some extra body fat, I came across an article from CutAndJacked.com where they had interviewed Lazar Angelov (if you don’t know who this guy is, click on the his name and you’ll see his amazing body) and he had provided a workout routine he does. While I’m very skeptical about the veracity of these workouts, since most people in the fitness industry usually keep their routines “secret” as part of their business strategy, since they charge for workout plans and routines to their clients, I decided to give it a try and see what would happen.

Along with the routine, I also changed my diet, and for the first time in a while I decided to stop counting calories and macros. I once again allowed myself to eat 5 to 6 meals a day, small portions, keeping a balance of proteins and carbs with each meal. Enough to satisfy my appetite for 2 to 3 hours before my next meal. And while I admit during these 90 days I most probably lost some muscle mass; I did achieve a great look, ending with a body weight of 175 lbs.

Now, before I share the plan, I want to mention that I personally don’t like doing the same routines for more than 4 weeks straight, so based on Lazar’s routine, I created two new routines for the following 60 days of training which I will include with this post as well. Again, this is what worked for me, and I will never tell anyone that this might work for others as well.

Workout Routines

Note: Double set consist of doing two exercises one after the other. You do one set of the first exercises and without taking a break you do a set of the second exercise, then you take a break. And then repeat for the amounts of sets remaining.

Lazar Angelov’s Routine

Monday: Chest & Abs
Flat Bench: 4 Sets × 8 Reps
Incline Bench: 4 Sets × 8
Decline Bench: 4 Sets × 8
Pullovers: 4 Sets × 12
Hammer Press: 3 Sets × 12
Dips: 3 Sets × 12
Weighted Sit Ups: 4 Sets x failure
Hanging Leg Raises: – 4 Sets x failure
Side Bends: 4 Sets x failure
Side Crunches: 4 Sets x failure

Tuesday: Back, Traps & Forearms
Bent Over Row: 4 Sets × 8 Reps
Deadlift: 4 Sets × 8
Pulldowns: 4 Sets × 12
Pull Ups: 4 Sets × 12
Cable Row: 4 Sets × 12
Shrugs: 6 Sets × 10
Standing wrist curl behind back: 4 Sets x failure
Reverse barbell wrist curl over bench: 4 Sets x failure

Wednesday: Delts & Abs
Military Press Behind The Neck: 3 Sets × 8 Reps
Machine Press: 4 Sets × 8
Lateral Raises: 4 Sets x 10
Weight Plate Front Raises: 4 Sets ×10
Front Raise: 4 Sets × 10
Reverse Pec Deck: 4 Sets × 10
Reverse Fly’s (on incline bench): 4 Sets × 12
Weighted Sit Ups: 4 Sets x failure
Hanging Leg Raise: 4 Sets x failure
Side Bends: 4 Sets x failure
Side Crunches: 4 Sets x failure

Thursday: Triceps, Biceps & Forearms
Close Grip Bench Press: 4 Sets × 8 Reps
Tricep Pushdowns: 4 Sets × 8
EZ Bar Skullcrusher: 4 Sets × 10
Cable Kickback: 4 Sets × 12
EZ Bar Curl: 4 Sets × 8
Wide Grip Curl: 4 Sets × 8
Hammer Curl: 4 Sets × 8 Reps (each hand)
Concentration Curl: 4 Sets × 12
Standing wrist curl behind back: 4 Sets x failure
Reverse barbell wrist curl over bench: 4 Sets x failure

Friday: Legs, Calves & Abs
Squats: 4 Sets × 12 Reps
Squat (to bench): 4 Sets × 12
Bulgarian Squat: 4 Sets × 12
Quad Extensions: 4 Sets × 16
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4 Sets × 12
Leg Curls: 4 Sets × 16
Glute Kickbacks: 4 Sets × 20
Calf Machine Raises: 4 Sets × 20
Seated Calf Raises: 4 Sets × 20
Leg Press Calf Raises: 4 Sets × 20
Weighted Sit ups: 4 Sets x failure
Air bike: 4 Sets x failure
Side Bends: 4 Sets x failure
Barbell Twists: 4 Sets x failure

Saturday and Sunday: Rest Days

My routine for the following 30 days

Monday: Legs & Calves
Squats: 4 Sets x 8
Legs Press: 3 Sets x 12
Legs Extensions: 3 Sets x 8
Hips Abductions: 4 Sets x 10
Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 3 Sets x 10
Legs Curls: 2 Sets x 12
Calf Machine Raises: 3 Sets x 20
Seated Calf Raises: 3 Sets x 25

Tuesday: Chest
Double Set-
Incline Bench Press: 3 Sets x 8
Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 Sets x 8
Regular Sets
Flat Bench Press: 3 Sets x 9
Decline Bench Press: 3 Sets x 9
Dips: 2 Sets till failure
Pec Deck: 3 Sets x 10
Standing wrist curl behind back: 3 Sets x failure
Reverse Dumbbell wrist curl over bench: 3 Sets x failure

Wednesday: Back & Traps
Barbell Rows: 2 Sets x 10
V-Bar PullDowns: 3 Sets x 12
Lat Wide Pulldowns: 3 Sets x 8
Cable Rows: 3 Sets x 8
Underhand Barbell Rows: 3 Sets x 15
Alternating PullDowns: 2 Sets x 12
Back Extensions Machine: 2 Sets x 12
Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 Sets x 12

Thursday: Shoulder & Triceps
Dumbbell Press: 3 Sets x 12
Military Press: 2 Sets x 8
Dumbbells In and Outs: 2 Sets x 8

Double Set-
Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 Sets x 10
Front Plate Raises: 3 Sets x 10

Posterior Deltoids Machine 2 Sets x 10
Cable Pushdowns: 3 Sets x 10
Seated Dips Machine: 3 Sets x 12
Lying Dumbbell Extensions: 2 Sets x 10
Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdowns: 2 Sets x 12
Overhead Extensions: 2 Sets x 10

Friday: Biceps & Abs
21s: 1 Set
Straight Bar Curls: 3 Sets x 10
Hammer Curls: 2 Sets x 10
Curl Bar Curls: 3 Sets x 10
Rope Curls: 3 Sets x 12
Overhead Cable Curls: 3 Sets x 10
Kneeling Cable Crunches: 3 Sets x 15-20
Legs Raises: 3 Sets till failure
Heels To The Heavens: 3 Sets x 10-12
Dumbbell Side Bend: 3 Sets x 12

Saturday and Sunday: Rest Days

My routine for the following 30 days

Monday: Back, Forearms & Abs
50 Pull-Ups (As many sets as needed to get to 50 reps total)
Alternating Pulldowns: 4 Sets x 10
Bent Over Pulldowns: 4 Sets x 10
Pro-Bar Pulldowns: 3 Sets x 10
Cable Rows: 3 Sets x 8
Toes to Bar: 3 Sets till failure
Standing Oblique Cable Crunch: 3 Sets x 10
Kneeling Cable Crunches: 3 Sets x 12
Reverse barbell wrist curl over bench: 3 Sets x failure

Tuesday: Shoulders & Traps
Military Press: 4 Sets x 10
Upright Rows: 4 Sets x 8
Inclined Incline Front Raises: 3 Sets x 10
Cable Lateral Raises: 3 Sets x 10
Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows: 3 Sets x 8
Barbell Shrugs: 3 Sets x 12
Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 Sets 15

Wednesday: Legs
Squats: 3 Sets x 8 with 1 drop set at the last set x 8 reps

Double Set-
Dumbbell Step Front Lunges: 3 Sets x 8
Legs Extensions: 3 Sets x 8

Legs Press: 4 Sets x 10
Hip Abductions: 3 Sets x 10
Glutes Blaster Machine: 2 Sets x 8
Dumbbell Stiff Legs Deadlifts: 3 Sets x 10
Seated Legs Curls: 3 Sets x 12
Seated Calf Raises: 3 Sets x 25
Calf Machine Raises: 3 Sets x 20

Thursday: Chest & Abs
Flat Bench Press: 4 Sets x 10
Incline Bench Press: 3 Sets x 8
Decline Bench Press: 3 Sets x 8
Cable Flyes: 3 Sets 10
Dumbbell Pullover: 3 Sets x 10
Weighted Dips: 3 Sets x 8-10
Seated Cable Crunches: 3 Sets x 20
Heels to the Heavens: 3 Sets till failure
Dumbbell Side Bends: 2 Sets x 10

Friday: Biceps & Triceps
Straight Bar Curls: 3 Sets x 10
Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 3 Sets x 8
Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 Sets x 8
Dumbbell Preacher Curls: 3 Sets x 10
Cross-Body Cable Triceps Extensions: 3 Sets x 12
Skull Crushers: 4 Sets x 12
Triceps Pushdowns: 4 Sets x 8-10
Dumbbell Kicks: 2 Sets x 12

Saturday and Sunday: Rest Days