The Muscle Up!

It's been a little while since I've written about a certain exercise. But every now and then I feel compelled to share with you my thoughts on an exercise that holds a special place in my heart! So without further introduction let's dive into learning about the muscle up!

Muscle ups are one of my absolute favourite exercises, they combine both upper body pulling and pushing while training explosive strength! The muscle up consists of a full pull up bringing your body up high enough to slightly lean over the bar and transition into a dip. It's great for building functional strength, enhancing athletic ability, and really smokes the upper body in a very unique way. Yes, this movement is rather advanced but that's why there are so many great ways to work up towards being able to perform this technique!

First thing is first, you need to be able to push and pull your own body weight. Start off by mastering body weight rows, and dips with your feet on the floor. Once you have accomplished this, begin to work on your pull ups and dips without your feet resting on anything at all. Pull ups and regular dips can be challenging to master, but that's why we have progressions!

Try pull ups while standing on a chair, squat down and hold the bar at arms length, the majority of your weight should be put on your arms and upper body. Think hanging from the bar with very light pressure on your heels. Then pull up while giving just enough push from your legs to get your chin/chest up to the bar but still making it challenging. For dips try elevating yourself by resting your feet on a stability ball or bench. This will force you to push a greater amount of body weight than you would by simple keeping your feet on the floor.

Once both of these progressions become too easy, move on to working towards full pull ups and dips. Again, this may take time and other progressions may be needed to achieve a full pull up or dip (there will be plenty in the upcoming ebook "The Body Weight Solution"). Once you have both the pull up and dip down, practice them over and over again! Try all sorts of variations, add weight to both, try them explosively by trying clapping pull ups or plyo dips (a dip where you actually push so hard your hands come off the bars). You'll need all the practice you can get before moving onto the muscle up. A great product for dip and row training is the Lebert Equalizer if you don't have one yet I would highly recommend getting one!

Now that have the pull up and dip it's time to try some muscle ups. Chances are, you wont be banging out muscle ups right away, but that's ok again it takes time and practice! Try jumping up into your muscle up, find a low bar grab a hold of it and squat down until your arms are fully extended, this should look similar to your chair pull ups. Now, explosively jump upwards and at the same time pull yourself up as you would for a pull up. The jump should allow you to pull yourself high enough to lean over the bar and position yourself for the pressing/dip phase. Once this becomes too easy, find a bar that is high enough that you can only grab it with your arms full extended over head. Now, jump up and grab that bar and using the momentum from the jump pull yourself up and into the muscle up.

Sooner or later all of these will become far too easy, and that's then it will be time to just work on getting your first full muscle up. It's normal to kip/kick/swing into your first muscle up, over time your kick and swing will decrease as you become stronger. It's also normal for one elbow/arm to flip up into the dip position first, this is simple because your dominant side is doing a little more work. Again, over time you'll become stronger and both arms will transition into the dip phase at the same time. Just keep practicing, workout hard, and don't get discouraged. Big movements take time and practice, just working on them can be a workout in itself. Remember, fitness is a journey and not a destination.

For more great body weight progressions and workouts for any goal, be sure to grab your copy of the soon to be released "The Jungle Fit Body Weight Solution" ebook. It will be available at www.Jungle-Fit.com and will change the way you look at body weight training. The book shows in full colour detail how to progress from the most basic body weight exercises to some of the most advanced, including the muscle up, hand stand push up, pistol squat, and much more! For more information e-mail me at tim@jungle-fit.com or visit the website at www.Jungle-Fit.com.

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

The Body Weight Solution!

As some of you know I've been working on my latest project called "The Body Weight Solution" for a little while now. If you have no idea what it is that I'm talking about I'll fill you in! "The Body Weight Solution" is an e-book that will take you through the most basic body weight exercises and show you how to progress towards performing intermediate and advanced body weight training exercises. The book will has a "No Fluff" approach, meaning it's packed with information, full colour pictures, easy to understand instructions, sample workout programs, an FAQ section created by my blog/twitter/facebook followers, and much much more! This book will teach you how to master your body through all planes of motion and allow you to build a solid base using only your own body weight to achieve any fitness goal.

The book should be ready to purchase from the Jungle Fit website (www.Jungle-Fit.com) very soon, but please be patient. I want to deliver the best quality product for all of you, and every time I think it's ready to be sold, I find 5 more things I want to add, change, or switch around! But, I promise it will be well worth the wait! To keep updated on how things are coming along with the book follow me on Twitter under "JungleFit", I'm sure you can access me by simply clicking the Twitter feed on the side of this page. Or subscribe to my updates and news letters by simple e-mailing me at tim@jungle-fit.com . Also, there are plenty of videos on the Jungle Fit youtube channel to tide you over until you are able to purchase your own copy of the book, just head to www.youtube.com/JungleFit .

Thanks to everyone of you for all of your support!

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

Jungle Fit Magazine Aug 2010 Issue!

It's that time again, that's right! Time for a new issue of the FREE online "Jungle Fit Magazine". As always the "Jungle Fit Magazine" strives to bring you the best in evolutionary fitness and health, and this months issue is no different! In the August 2010 Issue you will find loads of great stuff such as ...

- An article written by myself (Jungle Fit founder Timothy Bell) on mastering the one arm push up! It's elusive, it's tough, and its a sure test of upper body strength. Read up and learn how you too can master this technique

- A great piece written by Cornwall CrossFit's own Kyle Pichie about West Side Barbell power lifting techniques. Kyle's insights on both power lifting and Olympic lifting are deep and rewarding to read. You can feel his passion for hoisting some iron spill right out of your computer screen!

- My friend Al Kavadlo, and author of "A Zen Approach To Every Day Fitness", puts in his two cents with a very refreshing piece on bare foot running. Al's unique way of writing for the every day person is a welcome addition to the Jungle Fit Magazine!

- Taking your workouts to the next level using such great products as "Mike Mahler's Kettlebell DVD's", the fantastic "Lebert Equalizer System", or Jungle Fit's cutting edge "Online Personal Training" with Timothy Bell!

... It's going to be a great issue with tons of useful information to enrich your training and life! Remember to subscribe by simply e-mail me at tim@jungle-fit.com!

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

Exploring Your City

Lately I've been posting a lot on having fun with your workouts and getting creative to avoid getting bored or have stale workouts. That being said, this post will be no different! A lot of people still view working out as just another chore on their list of things to get done during the day, but it doesn't have to be this way. We can always make out workouts fun and interesting by changing up exercises, working out with a partner, changing workout locations, going outdoors, or even exploring your own city.

Let me explain.

Every city has a ton of great places to workout that have yet to be touched or used as your own personal gym. I've spoken before about the great workouts you get get done at a local jungle gym (view jungle gym workout here) but what about all the other great places in town? For example, what about your local track? You could run sprints or perform lunges/push ups on the bleachers. What about your local park? You could easily perform a great body weight workout using nothing but a picnic table, try over head pressing on end of the table, step ups on the bench, one legged squats by allowing your butt to touch the bench before standing. If you felt like getting really crazy, how about using bike racks for parallette and gymnastics training? Practice your L-sits, plaches, and much more. I've even worked on muscle ups and chin ups on construction scaffolding, maybe not the safest thing in the world and can get some construction workers a little upset with you , but I'm sure your seeing my point!

So how the heck can you put all this together into a workout? Easy!! You could, for example, walk to your local track, run 8 sets of 50-100meter sprints then rest for 5 mins and finish up with 3 sets of lunges and push ups to failure. Or how about heading to your local jungle gym and start by practicing your gymnastics work before pumping out a circuit of chin ups, push ups, step ups, squats, and rows. You could always go for a walk down town and every time you reach a bench perform 15 dips, 15 push ups, 8 one legged squats per side and continue your way down the street for a total for 20-30 mins. You might get some strange looks, but hey you're taking care of your body and looking after your health, and if that's weird then so be it! Just try to have fun with your training, it doesn't have to be a chore.

There is a world of fitness around you waiting to be explored, just open your eyes!

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

Listening To Your Body

Working out while we're tired, stressed, or sick .... we all do it from time to time. The reasons are various but usually pretty simple. It could be that you're afraid if you miss a workout that it'll slow your results, some of us use workouts as a stress management and feel incomplete when we don't workout, others just think a workout might make them feel better ... which can be true, but when should we take time off from our workout?

We all know that working out can be a stress reliever, however it can place more stress on your life. If you're stressed about your work, family life, and relationship and on top of that you're worried about not getting a workout in and you find yourself training without a clear head, then it might be time to take a step back. I would suggest sitting back and looking at your life and trying to address your stress at the root of the problem. You might also want to train with a partner or trainer to help you focus and vent your issues to get some feed back and advice. After all your trainer should be there for you as a professional but also as your friend. Your workout should add to your life in a positive way, never negative, it should be a time to leave your problems behind and focus one yourself and improving yourself to become the best you that you can be!

We all get tired and what ever the reason may be a lack of energy is a big problem when it comes to your workouts. It could mean you're not sleeping enough, you're not eating enough or enough of the right foods, or perhaps your stressed out (as mentioned above). First things first, take a good look at your diet, your body needs quality food to run at optimal levels. Make sure you have your caveman/primal/paleo diet on lock down. If you fill your body with crap ... it will run like crap, end of story! Second, take a look at your sleep and sleeping patterns. Make sure to cut out things that stimulate the mind before bed such as the computer, television, too much music etc. It takes quite a while for your mind to calm down after so much stimulation all day long so the earlier your cut it out, the better you will sleep. Also, make sure you are getting enough sleep, around 8 hours a night should be pretty decent for most people. When the time is right, a little nap never hurt anyone either! It's like recharging your batteries, you'll feel much more alert and fresh for the rest of the day after a good nap. If you have all this on track, and you're still not feeling the best, you might want to cut back on your workouts or the intensity of your workouts for a week and see how you feel. It can be very easy to burn yourself out when you're trying to reach your fitness goals, but remember that fitness is a journey not a destination, and you'll never reach your destination if you're burnt out!

Last but not least, working out when you're sick ... just don't do it! Working out is a stress on your body, and being sick is a BIG stress on your body! When you're sick just take the time off and make sure you're resting a lot and eating very, very clean. The good news is that if you're following a caveman diet along with a great workout program you should naturally have a very strong immune system! But, if you do find yourself sick please stay home, don't go to the gym and don't go to your trainer. Not only will you be doing yourself harm, but you're putting others at risk as well. If you get other people sick, they can't workout , and if you get your trainer sick, then all his/her clients wont workout and they lose a week or more of work! So take a step back, eat well, rest like crazy, drink a ton of water, and a little sun light never hurt anyone. If you just cant sit still and need to do something I would suggest some joint mobility training or light stretching/yoga on your own.

Just remember that some times you need to take a small step back to take a couple big steps forward.

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

The Jungle Fit Magazine

Health and fitness is a gift that myself and other health and fitness experts give to our clients on a daily basis. It's an amazing gift that in a funny way gives right back! Nothing in this world beats watching my clients progress and get stronger with every workout. Nothing can compare to watching them moving in ways they never though possible, lifting weights they never could have imagined, and freeing them selves from their battle with excess body fat! I love my client's, they're my co-workers, students, and most importantly my friends.

But why stop with my physical clients? What if I could share the gift of health and fitness with the whole world? What if I could share the insights of not just me, but also those of my fellow colleagues/fitness professionals? This would be huge, it would be a gift to the whole world, sharing with them our combined knowledge on a regular basis on a wide variety of topics in all of our areas of expertise.

Well, this is no longer a "what if", it's now a reality my friends. Jungle Fit will be releasing the first ever issue of "The Jungle Fit Magazine" with in the coming days. Just like any good gift, the gift of the Jungle Fit Magazine will be completely FREE! Free to share with your friends, family, co workers, facebook friends, YouTube viewers, and anyone else you feel like sharing this gift of health and fitness with.

This months issue will feature great articles on topics such as ..

- Blending your kettlebell and body weight training

- The basics of the Olympic lifts

- Macebell training tips from India

- Should you be using a weight belt or not?

... By expert health and fitness educators from Canada and around the world. This months contributors include myself as well as my colleagues and friends Kyle Pichie, Kirk Tyo, and Girish Sarma. Here's a little more info on each of them!

- Kyle Pichie, one of the most entertaining and well educated trainers I have had the pleasure of meeting. Kyle works as coach for CrossFit Cornwall, based out of Cornwall, ON (www.cornwallcrossfit.com) and has a passion for heavy lifts! His expertise in all things CrossFit (especially Olympic lifts/Power Lifting) makes Kyle a very dynamic trainer and someone I'm very excited to share with all of you!

- Kirk Tyo, not enough praise can be given to this man when it comes to the field of health and fitness as a whole. Kirk (a certified Chek Holistic Lifestyle Coach) trains out of Physical Limits based out of Cornwall, ON (www.physicallimits.com) and changes his clients lives by approaching fitness, nutrition, and stress management as a whole. His knowledge on regaining your functional strength or and improving your physique through the most scientific and up to date means possible is second to none. I am very proud to bring Kirks wealth of knowledge to all of you!

- Girish Sarma, an armature boxer and Certified Macebell Trainer based out of India. Girish has a passion for health and fitness that burns so strong it can be felt across an ocean! When it comes to traditional Indian training or macebell training, Girish is the man to seek out. His constant innovation, dedication, and nose to the grind stone work with his macebell training can't be touched. View his videos here (www.youtube.com/girishsarma180), you'll love some of his variations on traditional exercise. I could not be more pleased to bring to all of you Girish Sarma!

- Of course there will also be an article by myself, Timothy Bell Jungle Fit founder and body weight training expert. To learn more about Jungle Fit visit the website at www.Jungle-Fit.com or head to the YouTube page at www.youtube.com/JungleFit for some great videos as well as free workouts!

... So be sure to stay tuned to the Jungle Fit Facebook page or send me out an e-mail at tim@jungle-fit.com to be added to the e-mail list for your free copy of "The Jungle Fit Magazine"! It's a gift that will keep on giving, and just might change your entire life!

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

6 Easy Steps To Stay Motivated