For the most part, the weather here in Tucson, AZ is absolutely wonderful right now. This is that time of year that really makes it worthwhile to live here. The temperatures are perfect. There’s very little chance of rain, and the trees and flowers are absolutely exploding with vitality.
How about you? Are you exploding with vitality? Have your workouts gotten boring and you need to switch it up? Sick of seeing the same faces at the gym and waiting for someone to finish supersetting bicep curls in the squat rack? It’s time to take it outside!
If you have an robust arsenal of bodyweight exercises at your fingertips, you can have some really great workouts at your local park. If you use the correct exercises, you can achieve any goal. You can build lean muscle, enhance your cardiovascular health, burn fat, and most importantly have fun! I love using bodyweight exercises in a fat loss program, and use almost entirely bodyweight exercises for the free boot camp I run Saturday mornings. (Contact me if you’re in Tucson and are interested in taking part in that.)
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot of cool bodyweight exercises, but when I first started out on my own fitness journey, it would have been really handy to have a nice, big list of bodyweight exercises, and some well thought out programs to show me how to best use them. If you’re starting out on your fitness journey, you can have that information at your fingertips! Craig Ballantyne has put together a great package of information for you, and has put it on sale this week.
Click here to check out the awesome deal he’s got going on.
Here’s what Craig says about these programs:
For the first time ever, you can get access to these addictive bodyweight exercises – featuring the progressively challenging 6-Month “Turbulence Training Bodyweight Manual” and the “The Bodyweight Cardio No-Equipment Workouts” – for over 75% off the regular price when you order this week ONLY!
He’s selling all three programs for only $19.95! I’ve used some of Craig’s programs before, and they’re top notch. All of his programs are well written, authoritative, fun, and effective.
These same workouts have helped tons of people get in shape or bust out of ruts in the gym. If you’re ready to see some real changes in your body, and don’t want to invest in costly workout equipment, then get these programs, get outside, and get to work!
Hi everyone! I want to take a moment to write about a topic that seems sadly neglected by many of the fitness blogs and websites out there (except for the really awesome ones). In the quest for flat abs and a perfectly shaped butt, there’s a part of our bodies that just doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I want to call your attention to it.
Chances are good that whatever your occupation, whatever your hobby, whatever type of exercise you enjoy, your hands are of utmost importance. Our hands are one of the most magnificent things we have going for us. From the crushing blow of a skilled martial artist breaking a concrete block to the deft touch of a life saving surgeon, the things we can do with our hands is simply astounding. So, why are you neglecting your hands in your workouts?
We’ve all seen the clerks in the supermarket (not 15 minutes ago I saw this yet again) who wear that tell tale wrist brace. The brace that says “I’m demanding way too much from this hand and wrist, without taking care of it.” Like so many other nagging pains that our day to day jobs can create, it can be avoided with exercises chosen to strengthen. Here are a few things you can add to your daily routine to help strengthen those hands.
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In my post the other day about how to set fat loss goals, I mentioned some of the gimmicky fitness equipment that is being highlighted for sale. Since fat loss and improving fitness are common New Year’s resolutions, that’s no surprise. With so much out there begging for your attention, and your hard earned cash, it may be challenging to decide what will help you best achieve your goals. The Ab Circle? The Ab Rocket? Maybe a Tae-Bo video? I’m going to make it simple for you and share 5 items with you that can help you get to where you want to go regardless of if your goal is to gain muscle, lose fat, increase athletic performance, or develop a strong base of functional fitness. Each of the following items can be used for all of that, and more.
- Barbells – For improving raw strength, developing strong bones and tendons, and developing overall fitness, you can’t beat the good old barbell. Barbells are ideal for performing the most basic of functional strength movements, and can also be used for developing a strong core with heavy overhead work. Olympic lifts, such as the clean and jerk and the snatch are unparalleled for their ability to increase the speed and power of any athlete, and are just plain fun to do.
- Dumbbells – Also a good, reliable means of building strength, a good set of dumbbells will offer even more variety in your workouts than you’ll get from a barbell. Dumbbells challenge the body to develop symmetrical strength and muscle shape and can easily be used in workouts ranging in focus from bodybuilding, to sports performance, to sculpting a supermodel’s body. Dumbbells are less stable than barbells on pressing movements, and challenge the stabilizing muscles quite a bit. If you need to work through muscle imbalances or strengthen a particular muscle, then few things will isolate what you’re working on quite like a dumbbell can.
- Kettlebells – I’d be hard pressed to find a singular piece of equipment that enhances cardio, strength, power, core development, and physique, while offering a truly fun and challenging workout, as well as the kettlebell. Used by old time strong men, and modern elite military units and professional martial artists, the kettlebell is an essential tool in building an exceptional level of fitness.
- Medicine Balls – By now you may be seeing a pattern emerge. None of these big results bringing items are new, high tech, or being exclusively promoted by one celebrity. They work, and have stood the test of time. The medicine ball is no different. Medicine balls are great for building core strength, and rotational power. However, they can also be used to improve strength, coordination, muscle definition, and stamina. There’s a reason they’ve been in the training arsenal of professional athletes of all types for a very, very long time.
- The Great Outdoors – That’s right, one of the most incredible things you have at your disposal for achieving your fitness goals is the playground that Mother Nature has provided. Right outside your door there is an infinite number of things for you to run, jump, climb, and move your body on in ways limited only by the imagination. There are parks with spaces to play sports with your friends, many of them probably have a league of some sort you can join. It doesn’t matter if you live in a rural, suburban, or urban environment, there’s a lot out there to help you get fit if you only step outside and have fun with it. The best part is, this one is completely FREE! Need some inspiration? Just search YouTube for “MovNat” or “Parkour”. You’ll find lots of inspiring videos and get lots of training ideas.
I hope this list helps you as you start shopping for items to help you in the New Year. Just remember, the gimmicky, specialized equipment will never be as useful for you as the classic tools that have shaped strong, beautiful bodies for centuries or longer. Do you have an absolute favorite training tool that you can’t live without? A sandbag? A favorite jump rope? Why not share it in the comments below?
Happy New Year everyone! I hope all of your celebrations were fun and that you are poised and ready to make 2011 your most incredible year yet! I want to help you in any way I can, so I’m going to be doing a weekly series of blog posts where I answer YOUR fitness questions.
Send Me Your Fitness Questions
“But aren’t there any exercises that can be done to reduce belly fat?” That’s the usual response I get after providing the above answer. The truth is that there are exercises that help, but they’re not what you would think they are. High Intensity Interval Training has been proven to be an excellent way to burn fat, even more so than slow, boring cardio (that’s an article for another time). Taking exercises that get the heart rate up and performing them in a circuit or in an interval format is what you need to do. Keep it short, hard, and fast and get that heart rate racing! Good exercises for this are wall ball or cleans with a medicine ball, squat jumps, burpees, and mountain climbers if using your body weight or intense dumbbell complexes. Not a sit up in that list, but everything uses most of the body, or intense plyometric leg movement.
There you go, your road map to flatter abs. If you’d like an example of the type of workout I just described, get in touch for a free workout and fitness consultation! I’d love to share these exercises and more with you. Have a strong New Year, and don’t forget to subscribe to our RSS Feed so you can keep up on future fitness Q and A articles. Have a question? Leave it in the comments below and I’ll answer it in a future article!
I was at Wal-Mart today and noticed that the fitness gizmos are being displayed in full force in preparation for people’s New Years fitness resolutions. Bear in mind that none of the seasonal displays had anything useful on them, like dumbbells, kettlebells, or foam rollers, all of which you can find at Wal-Mart. No, the things being highlighted on every end cap were things like the Shake Weight, something ridiculous called T-Core, and the latest turd that Jillian Michaels squeezed out.
Set And Achieve Your Weight Loss Goal
Setting Your Goal
Rather than setting some arbitrary number, like saying “I need to lose 10 pounds”, it’s important to look at other metrics, such as body fat percentage and circumference measurements. If the only tool you’re using for analyzing your body composition is a scale, you’re kind of flying blind. In this article, we’ll discuss body fat percentages.
According to the American Council on Exercise, the following table illustrates body fat percentages for men and women at various fitness levels.
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