Belgrade Training: In Praise of Weights

"You need to eat more protein," said Jelena as she squished my arm in her grip. 

At the legendary Muscle Planet gym in Belgrade I got a refresher course on pumping iron from a Serbian who's stacked up titles over a bodybuilding career. We met in Cyprus while filming a Road Less Traveled episode in January. I lamented about falling off the gym routine. She invited me to Belgrade  for a restart.

Would you also like to lead an adventurous life for as long as possible (in the spirit of Jack Lalain , Georges Hérbert, and Laird Hamilton)?  The carbon machinery moving our consciousnesses through the world must endure without a breakdown. Good diet, rest, flexibility, cardio, and weight lifting are all critical components in this endeavor. 

The weight part, which I've sadly neglected recently, has undoubtably saved me from injury more than once. I've fallen off Japanese castle walls, Dutch titanium poles,  and rugged Welsh cliffs. Indian wrestlers piled me into the dirt, MMA professionals threw me to the mat, and Thai kickboxers tossed me out of the ring. Core and back strength from compound weight exercises are key in maintaining a body that can take some dings and keep chugging.

In Belgrade one of Serbia's fitness icons got me back under the iron.

Article in Serbian covered by Telegraf's Jasmina Stakić
Photos and video by Maja Dobrić
Follow Jelena Jaksic on Instagram

Here are my favorite compound exercises: (Proper form is critical when putting your body under weight. Never compromise form to lift heavier). 

• Bench press
• Inclined dumbell press
• Pull ups
• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Clean and press
• Rows