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!
The weather is perfect in Tucson right now for a good run, and being that it’s January, I’m sure some people have running on their list of resolutions. Maybe you’ve been running and want to run more, or perhaps you’re looking to trim down a bit and want run off some of those excess pounds. There are also some great races coming up in the next few months, and if you’ve never tried a 5 k race before, then now is the time to get in on the fun!
In just a few weeks, the Marana Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual “Can Do 5k” to benefit the Marana Food Bank and promote health and wellness in the community. Dangerously Fit will be there as a sponsor, so come visit us at our table! To get you ready for this race, or just to get you out and enjoying the benefits of running, here are a few tips for you.
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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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Today I want to ask you one simple question. Why do you train? I want you to give this serious consideration, and there’s no wrong answer. Knowing why you train, and being passionate about that reason is important. That passion will keep you training when you’re having an “off” day. On days when your boss was breathing down your neck and you just want to go home and chill, that passion will get you into the weight room. On days when that old injury is acting up, your passion will help you find a creative way to train around it. Without having something to drive you to train, obstacles end up in your path, and they block you from achieving your goals. With drive, you overcome those obstacles. So, you need to know why you’re training in the first place.
Some people train to excel in a sport. The love of the sport, the drive to be a winner, and the camaraderie of the team is enough to ignite that passion. Every training session is approached like it’s game time. If that’s you, right on! Keep on fighting!
For some people, they train because their doctor told them too. This doesn’t always carry the same excitement as the aforementioned athlete. This often takes the form of doing exercises one isn’t accustomed to, doesn’t enjoy, or doesn’t fully understand. It’s difficult to get passionate about this. In this instance, I recommend looking deeper than the medical goal, which may be to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, or any number of other things. Here I’d recommend viewing your training as training to LIVE! Imagining that you are improving the quality of your life, and all of the things you can do with a stronger, healthier body is a lot more motivating than changing the numbers on a doctor’s chart, in my opinion. This brings me to one of the biggest reasons why I train.
I feel I train to live. I train to be able to adapt to the demands of life, and to experience and interact with people and the world in an enjoyable manner. I train with the consideration that life doesn’t happen on on a treadmill. Life doesn’t happen strapped into the ab machine. And while I enjoy the mental benefits of a good long run, life usually doesn’t happen on those terms either.
Why Do You Train?
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That’s a pretty lofty title for an article, isn’t it? With so many things to consider purchasing to achieve your fitness goals, from kettlebells to running shoes to jump ropes, how can I say there is one piece of equipment that you must own regardless of your goals? Further, what if I told you you can purchase this equipment for less than a buck?
You need a way to track and record your workouts.
Whether your goal is to lose 20 pounds of body fat, 3 inches off of your waistline, bench press 315, or add an inch to your biceps, you need to track your progress. “Getting in shape” is a crappy goal. “Toning up” is a crappy goal. A meaningful goal is specific, and one you can get passionate about. Write down the specifics about your goal in your notebook, and review it before every workout. Write down where you are now. Build your workouts around your goal, and not your whim 5 minutes after you walk into the gym. Track, measure, adjust as needed, and achieve.
Your notebook is what keeps you focused. It keeps you honest and accountable, and it keeps you inspired. On days when you “feel fat”, but your notebook reveals that you’ve progressed half way towards your fat loss goal, you can be objective and fight the urge to have a Hagen Daas relapse out of frustration. Likewise, if progress isn’t being made, you can review what you’ve done and see where improvements can be made.
What are some of the things you can and should record in your journal? Specific information about exercises, sets, reps, rest periods are obvious. But also record things like if a new exercise aggravated an old injury. That could mean you need to re-assess exercise selection, or work with a trainer to ensure your form is proper and safe. Perhaps you got lousy sleep before a workout and it impeded your performance. Reviewing your journal and seeing a note about that could encourage you to get better sleep before doing that workout again, and then make sure you hit it hard. If you’re looking to lose fat, or gain muscle mass, what you eat is important. Record that and make sure your intake is correct for your goals. Seeing that you’re only eating 1200 calories would explain why you’re not packing on the muscle like you want. If you are working out with a partner, make note of who it was and how hard they pushed you. After a while you’ll see who is helping you to get to where you want, and who’s talking too much between sets. In short, record anything that may have an impact on your workout, nutrition, or goal in general.
Does it have to be a paper notebook? Nope. There are plenty of software programs for your computer, or smartphone that have excellent tracking abilities. Using a service like Beyond The Whiteboard or Map My Run may make recording specific types of workouts easier, and give you metrics that a notebook can not. However you plan on tracking your progress, and however you plan on stating your goal, it’s important that you do so. I just happen to like the composition notebook. I’m kind of old fashioned like that, I suppose.
Now, go define your goals, plan, attack, and record your progress! With the new year approaching, resolutions and goal setting will be on people’s minds. Make sure to subscribe to our RSS feed for updates as we continue to discuss these things and help you to become Dangerously Fit in the new year.
