Weekend Workouts for July 23rd and July 24th

Well I could not have picked a better week for recovery as the heat wave crippled the entire Northeast corridor with triple digit temps. Saturday was still pretty dang hot but I usually welcome the challenge that mother nature presents but I respect the elements. Plenty of water and G2 and workouts within reason. Recently I have made my mark in the Salem, Ma area and become somewhat of a neighborhood celebrity. As soon as I stepped off thet rain on Friday evening at the Salem depot I began walking thru town. As I am walking home, I see people pointing and overhear them saying 'look there's that extreme workout dude from the Commons'. One guy walks up to me and asks me 'where your tire?' referring to my infamous tire throwing workouts. During Sunday's workout, a lady walks up to me and tells me how she and her 2 sons love coming to the commons to watch me workout. It's really kind of overwhelming at times and very flattering when people ask if I'm a professional athlete. Even had a kid ask me if I was a super hero, talk about motivation wow. Now I'm expected to put on this show every weekend. So I wowed them with an explosive jump rope routine and some bar work (mind you my bar work is nothing spectacular). Anyway here are my workouts for the weekend.

SATURDAY, July 23rd

Location: Salem Commons

Warm-up:

5 x 100 Jump Rope

Dynamic Stretching w/Universal Strength Apparatus (USA)

Workout Upper Body/Cardio Circuit 3x:

1 x 100 Weighted Jump Rope

1 x 100 Speed Rope

USA Suspended Push-up/Fly Combo 3:1 5x

USA Arm Blasters 10 reps each side

1 x 100 Weighted Jump Rope

1 x 100 Speed Rope

USA Single Arm Curls 10 reps each side

USA Single Arm Tricep Ext 10 reps each side

1 x 100 Weighted Jump Rope

1 x 100 Speed Rope

USA Single Leg Suspended Atomic Push-up 10 reps each side

USA Suspended Dip to failure

Sprint/ Lower Body Workout 3x:

TRX Lateral Lunge 20 reps

TRX Sprinter Stance 10 reps each side

TRX Jump Squats 20 reps

TRX Lower Body Stretch

5 x 75m Sprints

Jump Rope:

1 x 100 Speed Rope

1 x 100 Heavy Rope

1 x 100 Speed Rope

1 x 100 Heavy Rope

1 x 100 Speed Rope

Cool Down:

TRX Assisted Static Stretching (AND LOTS OF IT).

====================================================================

Sunday July 24th

Location: Salem Commons

Warm-up:

5 x 100 light jump rope

TRX assisted stretching

Circuit 4x:

1 x 20 Pull-ups

1 x 10 TRX Handstand Push-ups

1 x 10 TRX Single Arm Row (10 each side)

1 x 100 Jump Rope

1 x 100 TRX Y-Rows

1 x 10 TRX Superman Planks

1 x 100 TRX T-Rows

1 x 100 Jump Rope

TRX Stretch

Jump Rope/Bar Work 3x:

3 x 100 Jump Rope (Ali Shuffle, criss-cross, double unders, wide side steps, single leg criss-cross, body twists, just a variety of everything)

1 x 10 inverted split leg tuck

1 x10 inverted suspended crunch/tuck

1 x10 suspended kick-out/crunch

At the end of the circuit I just kept jump roping didn't even keep count and eventually did my cool down stretch. I felt so alive, happy, and energized. AMAZING what happens when you allow your body to recover completely. You just come back harder and stronger. I could have gone on much longer but I had to stop and get myself ready to head down to DC. Rest day set for the following Monday.

My Wed & Thursday Workout Log

After taking 2 days to recover from this past weekends grueling, workouts it was time to get back to business. During my recovery days, I do light drills with my clients and lots of stretching and flexibility, core work, and good old fashion walking. Wed & Thursday are usually 2 a day workouts. Short intense workouts usually 30 to 60 minutes. In the mornings I am either at the Capitol View fitness studio in SW DC or Bally's near 20th & L Street in NW DC. In the late afternoon I usually will either hit the track at Howard HS or the local playground for some bar work & TRX. If I miss one of these workouts I usually make it up on a Friday (usually another rest day) at either Bally's NYC at 19th & 6th ave or Bally's Downtown Crossing in Boston. This week I kinda made up my own 'Metabolic Finisher' inspired by a fitness buddy of mine Mike Whitfield a certified Turbulence Trainer. 'Metabolic Finishers', another form of interval training, are exercises performed at the END of your workout session design to ignite your metabolism, torching fat. Also, I came up with a stability circuit inspired by another fitness buddy Kris Buxenbaum whose got this sickest stability exercises in his arsenal.

Thursday July 14, 2011

Morning Workout 6:30am

Capitol View Fitness Studio

Warm-up:

Dynamic Stretching

AFS Stability Ball Circuit (Inspired by Kris Buxenbaum of Strivers Fitness, Harlem, NY):

Circuit performed 3x

1 x 40 single leg push-ups (20 each leg)

1 x 20 kneeling single arm DB press (light load 10 each arm)

1 x 60 secs standing ball balance (working my way up to the squat see Kris's video below)

VIDEO Courtesy of Strivers Fitness, LLC New York, NY visit them at:

http://striversfitness.com

1 x 10 DB torso twist

20 x 10 single leg supine bridge (10 each leg)

Metabolic Finisher (Inspired by Mike Whitfield of Crank Training):

40 lb DB squat thrust push-up

8 reps 40 sec rest

7 reps 40 sec rest

6 reps 40 sec rest

5 resp 40 sec rest

8 reps 40 sec rest

8 reps 40 sec rest

6 reps 40 sec rest

7 reps 40 sec rest

I WAS COMPLETLY WHIPPED AFTER THIS

Cool Down:

Static Stretching

Deep Breathing

Evening Workout 5pm

Howard HS Track Columbia, Md

Warm-up

Jumping Jacks

Squats

Lunges

Agility Ladder Drills (34ft up & back 68ft total) 4x:

In-Outs

Icky shuffle

Lateral Shuffle

High Knees

Fast Sprint

Mummy Kicks

6 100m sprints (focused on form and stride)

2 Football field suicides bare foot. (This is an ULTIMATE ASS KICKER)

Sprint 25 yds from goal line and back

Sprint 50 yds from goal line and back

Sprint 75 yds from goal line and back

Sprint 100 yds from goal line and back

***These are tricky because you need to pace yourself. A moderate sprint pace. If you try to gunnit you WILL pass out unless you are an elite 400m sprinter. Just faster than a fast jog will do the trick. And doing it barefoot is better.

Cool downed with one last agility ladder drill and static stretching.

================================================================

Wednesday July 13, 2011

Location: Capitol View Fitness Studio, SW DC

Morning Workout 6:30am

Warm-up:

5 x 100 jump rope followed by light body weight cardio and calisthenics.

TRX dynamic stretching

AFS Shoulder, Bicep, Tricep Circuit (repeat 3x):

1 x 10 TRX handstand push-ups

1 x 10 TRX single armed row

1 x 10 Front cable raise (each arm)

2 x 100 jump rope

DB bicep curls to failure

DB hammer curls to failure

TRX single armed curls to failure

2 x 100 jump rope

Tricep extension drop set to failure 3 resistances

TRX single armed tricep extension to failure

1 x 100 jump rope (forget that 2 x100 my arms are done...LOL)

Cool Down

3 x 100 jump rope

Static stretching

================================================================

Evening Workout

Location: Staybridge Suites Fitness Studio, Columbia, Md (Track workout got rained out)

Warm-up:

Lateral lunges

Light dynamic stretching

Cable Machine Workout:

3 x 20 abdominal crunch

3 x 20 calf raises

2 x 12 hip abduction

2 x 100 physio ball crunch

Cool down

Deep breathing exercises

Static stretching

PLEASE VISIT THESE SITES

Mike Whitfield at http://cranktraining.com/

Kris Buxenbaum at http://striversfitness.com

TRX Pro Pack

TRX Essentials: Strength
Build total body strength and muscular endurance-the essential component of any good workout plan and the foundation for building a safe fitness routine. Essentials is easy to follow and easy to adapt. Start with the most basic versions of the exercises, then when you're ready, adapt them to more advanced levels. The real-time workouts and clear instructions will help you achieve the goals you want. Includes a real-time workout, photos of each exercise, a cool-down routine, a full exercise library and expert tips throughout.




TRX Essentials: Strength 

David Haye Trains on the TRX

The Latest From TRX TV

Two good videos came out today on TRX TV. Check them out.






You can read more about the videos here:
http://www.trxtraining.com/connect/blog/category/ask-the-trxperts/ask-the-trainer-ask-the-trxperts/

Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
For more information on fat loss tips Click Here!

Men's Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss
secrets. Since most times the magazines just don't have enough space
to run my full tips, I thought I'd give you a more detailed
explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I
didn't send to the magazine).

Secret #1 - Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure
my workouts.

Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training
and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main
source of energy. So it's obvious the workout is designed to burn
carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your "target heart
rate zone" for fat burning (aka - the fat burning zone). The whole
idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the
body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated trainers
in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you
a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your "fat burning heart
rate zone").

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather
than fat?

In order to burn more calories after the workout, that's why. When
you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body
uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you
did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

I call this 'Turbulence'. By any name it gives you the same results
- maximum improvements in your body composition (helping you lose
fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 - Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I
have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout.

The Turbulence Training workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set
in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth
as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 - Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the
Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don't use low-intensity, fast pedaling 'spinning'
intervals as I'm convinced that the hard, resistance based
intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only cycle
against a strong resistance in their intervals.

And while I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to
do intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau,
try the bike.

Secret #4 - Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn't really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss.

But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer
calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering
post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and
fiber intake, and you'll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you'll love the new
Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by
Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details...

Secret #5 - My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most
effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The
synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective - getting you in and out of the gym in
under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase.
Use these advanced secrets for 2 weeks then return to your normal
training schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in
the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do
your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits
first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or
later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight
rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified
pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written
by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you'll learn from Dr. Mohr...

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet
(p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods - find out which
food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8] The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr's 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

Try Turbulence Training today:
Click Here!

Plyometric Training

This is an excellent article I found that explains the foundations of Plyometric training. I thought it would be great to share with my readers. Those who are familiar with my training methods know that I almost always integrate some Plyo in my sessions. This form of training can provide cardio and resistance training benefits while you develop explosive power and quickness which explains why it is utilized in sports performance programs.

Plyometric Training What it is and what it's not. By Juan Carlos Santana, MEd, CSCS

As a performance enhancement consultant, it has been my experience that “plyometric” training is one of the most requested forms of training by athletes.  All have heard the stories of great power development accredited to this method of training.  To add to the mystery, plyometrics originated as a training method in the secretive eastern block countries where it was referred to as “jump training”.  As the eastern block countries rose to become powerhouses in sports, plyometric training was credited for much of their success.  In the 1920s, the sport of track and field was the first to employ a systematic method of using plyometric-training methods.  By the 1970s this methods of power development was being used by other sports that required explosive power for successful competition.  

This article is the first of a three part series.  It answers some basic questions about plyometrics and its efficacy in enhancing human performance.  The second part of this series deals with lower body plyometric programming.  The third and last part of this series discusses upper body plyometric training.

Plyometrics comes from the Greek word “pleythyein” (i.e. to augment or increase).  However, the actual word plyometrics was first coined in 1975 by American track coach, Fred Wilt.   Based from the Latin root words “plio” (i.e. more) and “metric” (i.e. to measure). 

Plyometrics can best be described as “explosive-reactive” power training.  This type of training involves powerful muscular contractions in response to a rapid stretching of the involved musculature.  These powerful contractions are not a pure muscular event; they have an extremely high degree of central nervous system involvement.  The event is a neuromuscular event!  It is a combination of an involuntary reflex (i.e. a neural event), which is then followed by a fast muscular contraction (i.e. voluntary muscular event).  Sound complicated?  Well, it’s really not.  We all have seen it, experienced it and continue to use this type of “reactive” movement pattern to develop power.  We all do it everyday. 

For example, every person that has been to a physician has experienced a plyometric event.  When the doctor tapped under your kneecap, causing your leg to jerk, what do you think he/she was checking?  The tapped caused a sudden stretch of the tendon that connects to all of the quadriceps (i.e. the muscle involved in extending the knee).  Small receptors within the quadriceps create a stretch reflex, which makes the quadriceps responded by contracting explosively.  The stretch reflex that caused the leg to extend is called the “myotatic reflex” and is the basis of plyometric physiology.  The most common human movement, running, is completely a plyometric event.  Other common plyometric events include throwing, swinging a golf club/bat, jumping and skipping!

This stretching of the muscles, prior to the explosive contraction that follows, is often called “loading”.  The faster and greater the load, the more powerful the reflex and subsequent contraction. A good example of this is watching any basketball player jump.  They jump higher when they can take a few steps before the jump.  The reason for this is that the few steps create momentum.  This momentum is used to create a bigger and faster “load” on the leg plant prior to jumping.  The response to this greater load is a greater contraction by the legs and a higher jump height.  The same phenomenon exists with all explosive actions. 

Many times people confuse some forms of power training for plyometrics.  Plyometric training is only one form of power training.   A true plyometric exercise must contain a very fast loading phase.  That is, for the stretch reflex (i.e. myotatic reflex) to invoke a powerful contraction, it must occur extremely fast.  If the doctor pushed on the tendon below the kneecap, instead of quickly tapping it, would the knee involuntarily jerk up?  Of course not, no matter how fast the doctor pushed on that tendon.   Therefore, a jump (i.e. from an athletic position) onto a 24-inch box is a power exercise, but not a plyometric exercise.  To make it a plyometric exercise one can jump off a 6-12-inch box, hit the ground and immediately jump onto the 24-inch box.  The landing from smaller box loads the legs quick enough to create the stretch reflex needed in plyometric training.   This is very demanding – don’t try it without consulting a professional!

By now you should have a better understanding of what constitutes a plyometric exercise. Hopefully, they are not as mysterious as you once thought they were.  You should realize that everything we do fast has some plyometric component in it.  That’s how come we can do it fast!  

So, who can participate in plyometric training?  The answer is everyone!  With proper supervision and progression, everyone can partake in plyometric training, from children to the senior population.   If you want to see the real kings of plyometric training, go to any playground and watch children play.   Some of the athletes I train have performed many exercise “stolen” from six-year olds.  As for my senior clients, many participate in watered down versions of hopscotch and skipping games.   Seniors not only get great strength, power and balance benefits from plyometric activities, they relive great times – they love it!   The only problem is getting them to stop laughing.  Athletes obviously stand to gain significant power development from the prudent use of plyometrics.  As with the non-athletic population, proper progression is again a key concern.  

Since I’ve harped on proper progression, let’s define it as it pertains to plyometrics.  First and most important, the proper strength base must be developed to support the increased force production that results from the stretch reflex.   Remember that the reflex involved in plyometric training allows you to contract your muscles with greater force then you could through a voluntary contraction.  Therefore, we must make sure that the musculature can support this increased force production.  Secondly, a higher degree of balance and stability are also needed for the quick loading phase.   Although a specific body part may seem exclusively involved, the percussive shocks that bring about the myotatic reflex are felt throughout the entire body – all structures must have good integrity to support this training.   Third and last, simpler skills must be mastered before progressing to more difficult exercises. 

Plyometric training has received some bad press.   Inappropriate use of plyometric training has been associated with various forms of “over-use” injuries, especially in the lower extremities (e.g. patellar and Achilles tendinitis and plantar faciitis).   This type of training, especially when done at a very high intensity, is a high-risk endeavor (i.e. high returns but at high risk).  Like any other high-risk maneuver, high intensity plyometrics should not designed or performed without the supervision of a professional overseeing the training, and response, to the exercise protocol. 

In closing, everyone should understand that like any other type of training, plyometric training is a continuum.   We are all involved in plyometric events everyday.   Some of us are exposed to very low levels, while others participate in higher intensities.  Regardless of the level of participation, the key to safe participation in plyometrics is proper progression.  I can’t emphasize this enough! 

Part II of this series deals with the basic categories of lower body plyometric exercises and some general recommendations to safe programming and participation.

Article Source: http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_58_A_PageName_E_ArticlePlyometrics1

The Asylum By Shaun T

Oh yeah, one of my favorite trainers, Shaun T has another awesome workout for the hardcore fitness enthusiasts entitled Insanity The Asylum geared towards sport performance. Once again using my favorite type of exercises both bodyweight and jump roping. It does not get much better than this to take your fitness to the next level. Check out the video preview below:



Article Source: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/afsfitness?bctid=895599538001

TRX Suspension Training

Suspension training is one of the most popular trends in the health and fitness industry right now. TRX is probably one of the names your are hearing lately when it comes to suspension trainers. I personally LOVE suspension training and has become an integral part of my training regime. I use both the TRX by fitness anywhere and the Universal Strength Apparatus (USA) by Bodyweight Culture. I will do a side by side comparison of both of these devices in a later blog entry. I highly recommend both. The TRX is very portable while the USA allows for pull-ups, dips, and climbs. The TRX is very popular with pro athletes and strength and conditioning specialists. Check out the video below.




Click here to find out more info about the TRX

Great High Intense Cardio Workout by Kathy Hozen Prohoroff

This is a great and highly intense cardio workout posted by one of my on-line friends Kathy Prohoroff. Kathy has other great workouts that can be viewed on her website and Youtube channels.

http://www.spazzykay.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/spazzykay2u

Check out her intense workout here:

New ABs DVD from The Calisthenics Kingz

 Here is another one of my personal favorites in the fitness industry. Hit Richards and the Calisthenics Kingz takes body weight training to another level (a superior level). They have come out with an new abs DVD just in time to get those abs looking good for the summer. Check out the DVD trailer.




Those that are familiar with my previous posts know that I tend to favor body weight training and using your body as your primary fitness weapon. Well I must say the Calisthenics Kingz approach to fitness is most definitely in line with mine. For more information log on to http://www.calisthenicskingz.net



  

A Beast Of A Workout From Syn Martinez of CrossFit Harlem, CrossFitHarlem.com

Afro Brutality. You may not know what this term means. Well, message to the fitness elite take look at this video and I'm sure you will have a better understanding of 'Afro Brutality'. I saw this video today and was like, DAMN!!! If your mind, heart, & soul ain't into this then your ass will suffer. Because this workout from Syn Martinez  and the crew at CrossFit Harlem of NYC is guaranteed to WHUP UR BUTT no doubt. I have always had the utmost respect for the 'crossfitters'. Their level of fitness, concepts and approach to fitness is far superior to most.  This workout incorporates everything (Cardio, Resistance, & Plyo). But I swear you had better be fueled properly for this workout but because it requires exceptional muscle stamina and endurance.

The entire workout is based on 4 barbell exercises. "Well what's so brutal about that?" you may ask. Try doing it non-stop while performing 25 wall balls, 25 burpees (squat thrusts for us old-schoolers), and 25 box jumps before each exercise. When I watched this video I wanted to puke after seeing him start the second round of burpees and box jumps and I have a pretty damn good level of fitness myself.  As a matter of fact is what they say at CrossFit Harlem "Go-Til-U-Puke"...I love it. And its all done in less than 15 minutes.

Here is an overview of the workout entitled "Jackie Robinson 'The Baseball Wod' ”:

1. 25 Wall Balls 8ft/10ft, 25 Burpees, 25 Box Jumps
20 Deadlifts

2. 25 Wall Balls 8ft/10ft, 25 Burpees, 25 Box Jumps
20 Hang Cleans

3. 25 Wall Balls 8ft/10ft, 25 Burpees, 25 Box Jumps
20 Jerks

4. 25 Wall Balls 8ft/10ft, 25 Burpees, 25 Box Jumps
20 Clean and Jerks




I visit quite a few CrossFit pages but CrossFit Harlem is definitely my favorite. Even the choice of music in the background it's all inspiring. Watching these cats perform their routines just makes you want to get out there in perform and work harder. If you want more information visit the CrossFit Harlem website at http://www.crossfitharlem.com

Using the Winter Weather To Burn Calories

So the winter has dumped snow in your area and you cannot go for that bike ride or that morning jog. Or if your like me can't really go to the track or run stadium steps. In some extreme cases you may not be able to get to your local gym because of the street conditions. With some of us the first thing we are inclined to do at the signs of a snow storm is we bum rush the local super markets to load up on 'comfort food' (a sweet angelic way of saying CRAP in my opinion) and sit in front of the TV. Okay one day you deserve at least that face it we are all human. But lets not use the weather as an excuse to get off of our fitness game. The die hards know what I am talking about. For those who live in areas where they are accustomed to getting lots and lots of snow are well aware of the calorie blasting activities  available to you especially if you live near places that provide a wide range of winter related sports.

But for those of us in the urban and suburban areas may not have access to the physical or monetary resources required by the winter sports. You still need to get out and get active and here are some ideas

1. Hiking. This is by far my most favorite activity during a winter storm especially in a relatively hilly suburban area. You can burn an unbelievable amount of calories just walking in the snow at a moderate pace. I did more than a 3 mile walk today and I managed to keep my heart rate in the optimal zone for my age. It was an amazing workout. I walked around town just running errands and to the coffee shop.
All you need is a good pair of boots, and dress warm. And to make it more challenging for myself I strapped on my backpack with my laptop, some fruit, and 2 liters of water.

2. Sleighing. If you have children this workout is fun and efficient. You can pick up any inexpensive sleigh from your local toy store or sporting goods store. Pulling and pushing the kids is great upper and lower body workout. Sleighing can provide you both  a decent cardio and resistance workout.

3. Shoveling snow. This can be very hardcore and intense so be careful and pace yourself. Shoveling snow burns massive calories and sends your heart rate soaring. When I shovel snow and I need to get in a good workout I not only shovel my areas but I may shovel several of my neighbors areas and even the local public bus stops. That's right get that workout in and be a good Samaritan at the same time. Shoveling snow can be a total body workout (upper, lower, & core)

4. Lastly, if you are gonna just sit at home then take a few minutes and use a core stability ball. Sit on it, do some crunches, or any balancing exercises. These balls can be purchased for less $20. Do a few circuits and throw some pushups, lunges, squats, and jumping jacks in the mix for 20 to 30 minutes.

Well there is enough to get you started so there are no excuses, at least no weather related excuses, to let your conditioning decline during a winter storm. At least try to offset some of that 'comfort food' that you know we all will consume during this time.

Another Challenging Full Body Workout

I burned over 1000 calories with this  great workout which combined a lot of elements. I used a weighted rope in this routine and increased the jump roping to 2 sets. The second set of jump roping in between the sets consisted of high knees and mummy kicks as performed in the popular Insanity workouts.

This workout was so intense that I had to bring it down a notch to keep my heart in the appropriate zone for my age (hitting that max and bring it back down is what maximized the caloric expenditure). But this here was a great workout and garnered quite a bit of attention at the gym when I started doing the hand stand push-ups. It is very important to wear a heart rate monitor when performing this routine.

Warm up

5 x 100 reps jump rope 30 sec rest in between.

Dynamic stretching

The Circuit (3 times)

10-12 reps or to exhaustion Romanian Dead-lifts

2 x100 reps jump rope

10-12 TRX assisted handstand push-ups

2 x 100 reps jump rope

TRX one legged lunge 10 reps each leg.

2 x 100 reps jump rope

30 second TRX plank

Cool down

3 x 100 reps jump rope (moderate pace)

Upper & lower body static stretching

Post Workout Shake

1 ½ scoop s whey protein powder ( I use EAS or MetRX vanilla)

1 cup of frozen fruit (Blackberries, Peaches, & Raspberries)

1 cup of fat free skim milk

¼ cup of water

1 Tbs of all natural peanut butter

2 Tbs of ground flaxseed

1 tsp of agave

The AFS-TRX Metabolic Circuit

The TRX is is by far one of the most versatile pieces of workout equipment that I have personally ever used. I usually do any where between 3-4 different exercises with 100 jump rope reps in between each exercise set. Here is an example of a routine I would do This is what I refer to as one of my AFS-TRX Metabolic Circuits:

Warm up:
5 x 100 jump rope reps
Light stretching using the TRX to stretch upper body and torso twists.

The Workout:
(No rest in between)
15-20 Atomic Push-ups
100 jump rope jumps
Single legged squats 10-12 each leg
100 jump rope jumps
Tricep extensions, bicep curls, or inverted rows 10-15reps
100 jump rope jumps
**This completes one circuit. Take 1-3 minute rest. Recover before starting the next circuit. Complete 3-4 circuits for an ultimate workout. Keep the core contracted during all exercises including the jump roping.
For the hardcore fitness nuts you can add the incline press in the hand stand position.

Cool down:
5 x 100 reps of jump rope at moderate pace
jog or walk a mile then perform static stretching. Note...the TRX is excellent for stretching as well.
Check out this video clip of the TRX in action.

I will be doing more posts about the TRX because it has now become a main staple in my workout arsenal.  Especially great for someone who travels ALL the time like myself. Just give my jump rope and my TRX and I can workout ANYWHERE.

Celebrity Who Used P90X

Last year P90x was one of the hottest home fitness programs around. Turns out this program was quite popular amongst the fitness conscious Hollywood stars as well some pro athletes. P90x was utilized by the likes of Pink, Usher, Ashton Kutcher,Taylor Lautner and the New Moon cast as well as pro athletes such as champions Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics. I came across this article thru one of my contacts in the health and fitness industry and I thought it would be a great idea to share it with you. I used P90x myself and experience fantastic results. I continue to incorporate elements from P90x and Insanity to maintain my fitness level. While P90x is one of the more popular programs, Beachbody offers several other quality programs that I see where users are seeing significant results. Listed below is the article excerpt on celebrities who have used the P90x program.

P90X: Hottest Celebrity Workout Product of 2009

by NATE on JANUARY 1, 2010

in FITNESS NEWS, WORKOUT PRODUCTS

P90X was perhaps the most popular workoutprogram in 2009.  Celebrities love the at-home workout system developed by trainer Tony Hortonthat operates on the principle of muscle confusion.  The  program comes with 12 DVDs and a diet plan to follow for 90 days.The program consists of three different phases to prevent plateauing.   The program not only includes a variety of fat-burning and muscle-building exercises, but also includes plyometrics, kenpo, yoga, core training, and stretching. It will help burn fat, build muscle, and increase cardio fitness. P90X is the  best-selling workout product out there and it is well worth the price. With this workout, you will definitely get you the celebrity results you’ve always wanted… That is, if you can stick with it.

Some celebrity P90x users:

• Pink appears on the cover of Women’s Health and tells the mag: “Usually, I wake up and do an hour of cardio, then an hour of P90X or yoga, then a half-hour of warm-up [during show rehearsal]. I do that six days a week.” Did I mention she had just had a baby four weeks earlier?
• Taylor Lautner and other New Moon cast members used P90X to get ready for theirs roles in the latest flick in the Twilight series.
• Other known celebrity users include singer Sheryl Crow, 90210 star Jenny Garth, Philadelphia Eagles kicker David Akers, Atlanta Braves outfielder Matt Diaz, Without a Trace actress Poppy Montgomery, actress Demi Moore, her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, Usher, Ewan McGregor, Bryce Dallas Howard, Joey Fatone, and Jason Scheff.
• Some athletes who use P90x include Emmitt Smith (former RB for the Dallas Cowboys), Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens), Donovan McNabb (QB Washington Redskins), Brian Westbrook (RB Philadelphia Eagles), Brett Favre (QB Minnesota Vikings), Kelly Slater (surfer), Barry Zito (pitcher, San Francisco Giants), Brian Wilson (pitcher, San Francisco Giants), Jo-Jo Reyes (pitcher, Atlanta Braves), Kenny Smith (former Guard for the Houston Rockets; TNT analyst), Ray Allen (Boston Celtics), and Baron Davis (Los Angeles Clippers).
• Even Congressmen Paul Ryan (R – Wisconsin) and Health Schuler (D – North Carolina) have gotten in on the action.

If these P90X celebrities can make the time to workout with P90X, so can you!


Article Source: http://www.thecelebrityworkout.com/2010/01/p90x-celebrity-fitness-product/
 You can contact me about P90X and other Beachbody products at this link: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/afsfitness

Jake Gyllenhaal Workout Routine

If you have not seen the Prince of Persia starring Jack Gyllenhaal it is definitely a must see. Especially for those who like epic adventure type movies. Now for those of us who are fitness nuts and gurus will watch in aw because Jack is simply ripped to freaking shreds in this movie. He amazingly craved his physique out in a truncated time frame. I managed to find details on both his workout and strict diet to achieve these amazing results. Now I do not recommend the insane time frame but one can make modifications to the workout routine from the time perspective. The diet is a very attainable and well planned for most. I don't know much about Parkour training but I am sure its desired affects can be achieved thru a combo of plyometric (jump training) and some form of martial arts or you can use the P90X Kenpo and Plyometric DVDs would probably suffice.  Also, as did further reading I found out that a concept called Visual Impact Muscle Building may also be used to achieve what is often referred to as the 'Hollywood' lean muscular look (ie Brad Pitt, Jake Gyllenhaal, Matthew Mcconaughey, & Ryan Reynolds). Basically muscle without looking bulky or "puffy". For more info on Visual Impact Muscle Building click the following video image below:






Jake Gyllenhaal Workout Routine
Here is how he added muscle mass for Prince of Persia
Jake only had a few months to prepare for his Prince Dastan role and exercised twice a day to achieve good short-term results so that he could lose fat and gain muscle. This workout routine would lead to overtraining in the long-term.

A cornerstone of Jake's workout was the French martial art of Parkour. Parkour involves jumping around roof tops, benches, beams, bridges, and anything else (see the video below).



 Parkour creator David Belle worked directly with Jake and started him off with gymnastics routines before doing jumps on harder surfaces. Jake practiced landings and focused on cardio workouts prior to performing the real parkour training. Once filming and stunt work started, Jake really got into parkour. He actually had special parkour boots made so that he could do stunts. Jake was so confident by the end of his training that he performed many of his own stunts in Prince of Persia, including a 35 foot jump!

The rest of Jake's Prince of Persia workout routine focused on high intensity cardio and resistance training. Each day included 2 workout sessions.

In the morning (at 6AM), Jake did:
An hour-and-a-half cardio workout outdoors while wearing a 20lb flak jacket to simulate the weight of armour
Interval training: 10min uphill sprint followed by ab exercises at the top of the hill
He repeated this sequence five times, then did a 10min run, followed by stretching exercises.

At night, Jake worked out from 6-7PM by doing an hour of resistance training using cables to simulate sword fights, pull-ups, press-ups, ab exercises using weights and finished with stretching.

Jake Gyllenhaal Diet Plan
Here is how he ate to prepare for Prince of Persia
Jake had a strict daily diet plan and eating routine:

5.30AM: Pre-workout snack: half a banana, some nuts and an espresso

7.30AM: An egg-white omelet, a small protein shake and an isotonic drink to replenish salts lost during training

Lunch: Baked potato with tuna and salad

Dinner: Soup and a protein shake

Snacks/supplements: Two liters of water, protein bars, dark chocolate, supplements rich in omega-3, 6 and 9. No foods containing refined sugar, occasional glass of wine allowed.

Article Source: http://www.squidoo.com/jake-gyllenhaal-workout
Article Source: Visual Impact

The Beachbody Solution

This is a quick tour of Beachbody and the entire family of health and fitness products. Log on to Team Beachbody for more details on how to get fit for life both physically and financially.

P90X from the Perspective of People Like You and Me

Beachbody.com markets some of the best home fitness programs on the market today. I myself like P90x and Insanity simply because they incorporate old school exercises that we use to do in PE class in school. Some of those same exercises I still incorporate in my regular routines even prior to my knowledge of the P90x program or the other Beachbody products. I used P90X myself 2 years ago and got magnificent results. Now as I focus my career entirely on the fitness industry I wanted another challenge so now I am currently evaluating Shaun T's Insanity workout. I will provide my personal results at the end of 60 days.



I am sure some of you have seen the infomercials on TV for both P90X and Insanity. And they usually provide you with testimonials of users of the program. Well my goal in this post today is to provide you with some actual real everyday folks who posted their progression with P90X on Youtube. Listed here are some great transformations from the You Tube community check them out:

This one is my personal favorite because of the fact that she demonstrated some of the exercises and how she modified them which is OK because the main thing with all of these programs is that you may not be able to keep up with these fitness gurus in the beginning and you do not want to risk injury.



These are some other good ones to look at as far as seeing how they stuck with the program to get great results.

Know the Best Workouts for Your Body Shape

Author: Janet Martin

Knowing your body shape is important so that you will know what your assets and imperfections are. Once you have come into terms with your best features and your body problems, you can start to find ways to enhance the good in you and hide your flaws.

You can also take advantage of your body shape when it comes to finding the best workout routine and exercise program. For instance, if your boyfriend seems to be losing weight while you are still stuck to the same measurements even if you have been exercising and working out together at the same intensity, then there must be something amiss. To maximize the effects of your workout, you better try looking for moves that complement your body type.

Pear Shape

You will know that you have a pear-shaped body if your vital statistics is somewhere near 32-30-40. Women in this category usually have big hips and bottoms and a slim upper body. The parts where they usually gain inches are below the waist, such as thighs and hips. Furthermore, there is a tendency for pear-shaped women to look heavier than their actual weight. Celebrities under this body type include Jennifer Lopez and Kate Winslet.

The best exercise program for you is light to medium-resistance aerobics coupled with a lot of lower-body exercises. In order to trim down your lower half, you have to concentrate on activities that work out your thighs and pelvic muscles. You can try cycling, leg lifts, and fast walking. However, it would be best to avoid jumping ropes with weights, high-impact exercises, leg presses, squats, lunges and leg extensions because these might make your lower body look bigger and more muscular.

Apple Shape

Looking at the apple, you will know that individuals considered as having apple-shaped bodies are top heavy. If you have thick waist, full breasts, and wide torso and upper back, then you definitely have an apple-shaped body. The concentration of body fat in women who are apple-shaped is in the stomach and the upper back. Believe it or not, Katherine McPhee and Catherine Zeta Jones belong to this category.

The proper exercise program for such body type includes aerobic training, low-resistance as well as low repetition strength training. Stair climbing, leg presses, running, dead lifts and leg squats are appropriate. Yoga and Pilates moves are also effective, particularly those that concentrate on the core areas. However, you should avoid heavy weight lifting, full leg lifts, and other leg-resistance trainings.  The good news is that apple-shaped bodies lose weight easily, as the fat in the stomach is easier to burn or break down than those found in the thighs and hips.

Hourglass Shape

Halle Berry, Salma Hayek and even Barbie are just some of the women who are considered to have hourglass-shaped bodies. If you fall into this type, your measurements are close to 34-24-34, which is considered as one of the most perfect body shapes. Unfortunately, women under this category usually gain weight all over the body, particularly in the breasts and hips areas.

Cardio exercises and strength training is very important for those who have an hourglass body. Perfect activities for such women include stationary biking, bicep curls, slow jogging, swimming, jumping rope, fast walking, push-ups and squats. However, you need to make sure that you avoid leg presses, kickboxing, spinning, step classes and other high-impact exercises.

Despite your body type, you can accelerate your weight loss if you combine exercise and strength training with dieting. Actually, the fastest way to shed pounds is by dieting or eating healthier. To help curb your appetite and boost your metabolism, you can also try using natural weight supplements, such as Phenocal. Learn more about how this product can help you by visiting http://www.phenocal.com/.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/know-the-best-workouts-for-your-body-shape-585506.html

About the Author

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine. http://www.thearticleinsiders.com.

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