Workout Week 3

Ok this is a fun week! Balance and Cardiorespratory aerobic fitness. We are going to start jazzing up the movements and offer more of a challenge with the core. Last week I gave you a bunch of workouts that should help you get a feel for your core and start to strengthen it. This week we are going more into balance, which stems from your core. I will briefly go into some yoga poses without getting to into the asanas. Then we are going to target the most important muscle in your body
  your heart.
Ok team, are you ready? Start your engines!

Monday
Get your jogging shoes on for some interval training
Warm up on a treadmill, track, or path with a 5 minute walk
If on a treadmill increase your incline up one point
In on land then pick up your feet for 3 minutes
Now wherever you are, increase you speed by %10 So you can get into a Zone 1

(The numbers are referring to your heart rate. If you have a HR monitor you should use it. If you don't have one then go off of this perception chart HR INFO HERE)
Once you are in a comfortable sustainable zone one, I want you to increase you incline and pick up the speed to put yourself in a high zone two. This is a zone where you are going to start feeling tired and start to sweat. Hold this zone for 3 minutes.
At the end of the three minutes decrease your speed by 10% I don't want you to come all the way down into a recovery, but a low zone two is good. Hold this for three minutes.
Bump it back up by 10% to put yourself back in the high two, catch your stride then push it up another 10% Getting you up into your Aerobic Endurance stage. This should be getting pretty hard. I want you huffing and puffing to get through this next 3 minutes. If you get through this then GOOD FOR YOU. After the three hard minute is up then take it down 5% every minute till your are walking again.


Tuesday
Warm up, 5 minutes of movement
Lets go grab the BOSU from last week

Side planks, each side for 1 minute (three times)

Picture is a beginner version. What I really want you to do is lay your body across the BOSU extend your arms out like you are diving and get your legs off the ground. You will feel like a floppy fish the whole time, but this means you are doing it right!

BOSU Squats hold squat for 1 minute three sets

For easier, flip the BOSU over so flat side is down. harder, go deeper in your squat and lift up your heels.

now lets add movement
Speed skaters 1 minute 3 sets

You are going to jump side to side on the BOSU in a motion like you are speed skating or lunging. Make sure you get you ankle centered on the BOSU and you do not move so fast that you can injure yourself.
~REPEAT AS NECESSARY~


Wednesday
Anybody up for cycling?
Either get your bicycle out or get on a stationary bicycle. Get ready to pedal
Warm up, 5 minutes easy gear moderate speed.
Lets kick it up right away, increase your speed, high zone two. Keep it there for 10 minutes.
Ok you get to take it down a notch, low zone two three minutes. This is your recovery interval. Take advantage and drink water. Kick it back up to a high zone two. Huffing and puffing? Find your Candace then I want you to pedal as fast as you can in the hardest gear. Uphill 1 minute! Push through this! Take it down. For the next 10 minutes you are going to push up to AT (Anaerobic Threshold) and back down to a slow easy recovery every minute. This workout should KICK YOU MAXIMUS. At the end of the 10 minutes you can take it into a moderate zone two for three minutes. Take it down to a low two for three minutes. Then take it down two a zone one till you feel totally good and recovered.


Thursday
Yoga time! These clips are the best way I can show you the flow of the most basic sets in yoga. The Sun Salutation This first clip is a beginner friendly version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuvfHTaftLQ
then we have a version with a little more spice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWUHEucUwmM&feature=related.
Good luck and remember to have fun!


Friday
Today I want you to forget about doing this all on your own. I want you to get involved with GROUP FITNESS. Yes you are reading me correct, a personal trainer referring people to group fitness classes. I started out with group fitness, and It is a fantastic place to get moving, have fun, and not know your getting a workout. Some suggestions include, Cycle, Step, Zumba, Kickboxing, Dance Jam, Hydro Fit, Traditional Aerobics, Circuit, and more. You can also get involved with pick up games like basketball or volleyball for a team effort.


Saturday
Back to Yoga
Since Yoga is so complex and their is so much technical involved with it. I am going to refer you to a workout elsewhere again, http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/yoga/poses/beginner-yoga-poses/ will walk you though several yoga poses. Yoga is fantastic for increasing balance and posture.
Warm up with 5 minutes of sun salutations then go though these poses and focus on your breathing for about 15-20 minutes.

Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

  

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2011 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. I encourage all Americans to take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our Nation's children.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

So its ok if you haven't been doing you part this whole month, but the month isn't over and we still have time to make a difference.

Childhood Obesity is NOT OK!



First off, lets get a little educated on whats going on.

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.

The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.

In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.

Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.

Kids: 'They're not going to outlive their parents'



You get the picture, now what can we do to help these poor kids!


For starters, if you are a parent BE A PARENT. To quote a rapper I like "If your a parent, then be a parent, get off the couch and go raise your son." - Chamillionare
With every war, we need a general. A leader who will deliver us from our enemy. Parents, you are you children's greatest hope! The best way to lead is by example. So quit making excuses, your kiddos hear you complain and they will become that. Get outside and Do Life.
Next tip, just turning off social media more often. TV, Computer, radio, mp3 players, cell phones, all that. If you just start off spending more time interacting you will create building blocks for a better life. A healthier, happier, LONGER life with your kids. Play games, do a craft, fix something together. You don't need to start off with working out to fix the problem.
Back to turning off the TV, advertising, when kids are watching TV the evil (oh yes I am calling them evil) corporate fast food companies spend money and do research to specifically target your children.

'They can't resist, they are kids! They need your guidance as an adult to know what is right from wrong, good from bad. I suggest you meet with a professional and do research of your own so you can show them the difference.
The last thing I'm going to say is SEEK HELP like with any addiction you need to admit their is a problem and take steps to fix them! Do some research and see what local help you can receive. It takes a village, its going to take every ones involvement to bring these numbers down.

If you thin and have thin kids, congratulations. You can help too, volunteer to help educate kids and organize neighborhood activities that get the community moving!

Leave your creative ideas in the comments so we can all share ideas of how to help out our kiddos and ourselves.

Workout Week 2

So here we are. Hopefully you made it through week one with me. This week our focus wil be on Movement effencincy and core conditioning. We are going to get from point A to point B the most effective and safest way.
For example, if you are doing yard work and you need to move a cinderblock. How are you going to move it?
 
Your first thought would be bend over, grab it, hoist it closer to your body, then maybe balance it againt your hips while you do a waddle step then thurst/drop it where it needs to go.
EH! WRONG!

You will ruin your back this way! Instead you want to use a squat or kneel then use your legs to power the object upwards and in, then to set it down just reverse the move.


As far as core conditioning goes, well your core is not just your abs, your core in your entire trunk and all the muscles that attach Front and Back.

Notice how many muscles there are! If you are core training you will need to hit all of them!
So without further talk, lets get to this weeks workout shall we! *This week I will begin to introduce more equipment*

Monday
Warm up, 5 minutes of movement
*Today you will need a BOSU
Side oblique crunches 3 sets of 32 each side

To make it easier or harder work with your levers. Easier would be hands crossed over your body and knees on the ground, harder would be one leg up and hovering with both arms extended overhead.
Rotating crunches 3 sets of 16

Remember, if you are swinging and using your momentum you are cheeting.On this one get into positon then as you crunch up slowly and exhale, you will bring the opposite shoulder twards your knee. Hold for a second then release down. Make sure you get each side 16 times each set.
1 minute of rotating mountain climbers slow- three sets

Now the picture is showing a more advanced version. I want your BOSU flipped over but what I want you to do is bring the knee to the opposite elbow and rotate. Then simply switch off for a minute. You get a little break then twice more.
-REPEAT AS NECESSARY-

Tuesday
Warm up, 5 minutes of movement
3 sets of 8 pikes

Start off laying down, then engage your CORE and contract up. DO NOT swing yourself up. Hold for half a second then inhale down.
Partner Abs 3 sets of 16

You can also grab on to a sturdy object like a chair, but you wont get the affect of the throwdown momentum. Hang onto your partners legs, keep your knees straight and your butt on the ground (not like the guy in the picture) you partner will push your legs to the ground as hard as they can and you will stop them with your CORE before they hit the ground, then bring your legs back up quickly.
Millitary Crunches 3 sets of 16

You are going to get into position like this guy, then when you contract, your goal is to lift your shoulder and hipbones off the ground. Remember to exhale on the crunch and inhale on the release.
-REPEAT AS NECESSARY-

Wednesday
warm up, 5 minutes of movement
*today you will want a balance ball and light weights
Advanced Supermans, 3 sets of 16

Harder would extend the arms or even take turns with one leg raised.

Balancing Rows 3 sets of 16 each arm

This is the closest picture I could find to what I wanted. What I am going to have you do is have your shins/ tops of your feet balanced on the ball. Your arms will be in a push up positon, but you will be holding weights and doing rows.

Now if the push up is too much, then just do the rows. I want you to really work to stay on the ball tho. This is where balance comes in to play.
Bridge, 3 sets of 32


Remember to really contract your glutes on this one. Navel to spine and breathe.
-REPEAT AS NECESSARY-

Thursday
warm up, 5 minutes of movement
*today grab a BOSU and two paper plates
Moving planks 3sets one minute each

Paper Plates Mountain Climbers 3 sets of 1 minute each

Knees come into your body quickly and press back. Paper Plates go under toes to make you glide
BOSU bicycle 3 sets of 1 minute each

Dont fall off and have fun!
-REPEAT AS NECESSARY-

Friday
Warm up, 5 minutes of movement
*need light weights
Standng Oblique Crunches3 sets of 16

This is a fun one, remember to CRUNCH or you may not feel it.
Inverted bicycle 5 minutes

Keep your core and legs TIGHT
Core Bridge 3 sets of 16


SQUEEZE in your glutes to lift
-REPEAT AS NECESSARY-

Saturday
warm up, 5 minutes of movement
*may want to be i a gym this day
Pull Ups (go to fatigue)

Either use a dip assist machine to make it easier, or add a weight belt to make it harder
Back Lifts 3 sets of 20

If you need it harder just extend your arms or hold some weight
Advanced Superman floor.3 sets of 16

Raise up opposite arms and legs for a total of 16 each side per set.

And thats it for the week! Make sure you reful after your workouts or your will be very sore. I also recommend that you go for a 15 minute brisk walk each evening to prevent stifness.
E-Mail or comment if you have any questions! Have a fantastic week.