Sunday, November 28, 2010
Burpees For Everyone!
If you train with me then I'm sure you already know that I LOVE BURPEES! Ok, so maybe I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love how they're such an amazing total body conditioning tool, I love watching clients push through their limits with endless numbers of them, and I love how easily scalable they are for anyone. However, I hate them with a passion when I'm actually pushing through a long set of them! Isn't that the beautiful thing about burpees? Not only do they push you to your limits physically, but also challenge your mental toughness. If you can push yourself mentally and physically to your absolute limits during your workouts, and you don't quit, then you'll be able to take that intensity and focus into your everyday life! So here for your viewing pleasure, is a video detailing various burpees for all fitness levels! Throw them into your conditioning/fat loss routine today and start pushing your self further than you've ever gone before!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
All About Push Ups
It's not every day I get to write about an exercise that doesn't even need a description! We've all seen them before, we've all had to do them at one point or another, and most people HATE them with a passion. Today, we're talking about push ups! Ahhhh yes the simple push up, one of my absolute favourite exercises to perform, teach, and even watch and when performed with correct form the push up works almost every single muscle in the upper body! If you had no equipment what so ever, and needed to get an amazing workout, and for some strange reason you could only choose one exercise to accomplish this, than it just might be a push up variation you would choose. So let's dive in a little deeper and find out why!
1. No Equipment Needed: To perform just about any variation of the push up all you need is you and a space large enough to lay face down. That's about it, and it really doesn't get any more basic than that!
2. Easily Adjusted To Any Fitness Level: No matter your age, sex, location, fitness level, or goal there's a push up variation to suit your needs! Most people starting a new fitness program lack the upper body strength and abdominal stability to perform full push ups. Luck for them, the push up can be easily adjusted though a number of ways such as performing push ups from their knees, or with their shins on a BOSU ball. The same goes for those who no longer find regular push ups challenging, there are countless variations (Hindu push ups, plyo push ups etc.) to challenge you for the rest of your life, a few of which I've outlined in my ebook "The Body Weight Solution".
3. Can Hit Every Muscle In The Body: I know what you're thinking, how can a push up hit your legs? Well it's simple! There's a few push up variations that I teach regularly that integrate your legs, giving you a total body workout. For example, the 6 point burpee could be counted as a push up variation and we all know that burpees really work your legs! Or how about the push up detailed in the video attached to this blog! As for the upper body, the basic push up works the chest, shoulders, and triceps as well as challenging your abdominal muscles, core, and lats! That's just the basic push up, other variations hit more muscles or put a greater emphasis on certain muscle groups.
4. Can Be Used To Achieve Any Goal: If your goal is fat loss, there's a push up for that. If your goal is to gain strength, there's a push up for that! Hmmm, I feel like I'm talking about the push up as if it's an app for your iPhone. That aside, it's very true that there will always be a push up that will challenge you enough to place into a strength routine, and there's always a push up you can perform for much higher reps to place into a fat loss/conditioning routine.
... As simple as the push up may look, it's still very important to learn how to perform it with proper technique. Find a trainer with an extensive knowledge in body weight training, so they can teach you how to align your joints, use the correct muscles, and correct your form on every push up variation. Learn how to perform the push up, practice it often, use it often, and progress as you become stronger, it will be a technique that serves you for life!
Sample Workout:
Repeat 7-10 times
15 - 20 Bear Squat/Dive Bomb Push Ups
100-200 Skips
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Circuit Training! Why I LOVE IT!!
Circuit training is without a doubt one of the most effective/efficient forms of training! Circuit training involves taking a group of exercises and performing them one after the other with little to no rest.
Circuit training greatly increases conditioning, cardiovascular health, muscular endurance, strength, and it's amazing for fat loss! Due to the high amount of stress that circuit training places on the body it's best to use lighter weights, body weight movements, and less complex movements in order to reduce the risk of injury and maximize results.
If you're looking to dramatically increase you energy, drop body fat, improve your conditioning, and produce a lean/functional physique than circuit training is your answer! It's also great for producing amazing results in half the time most people spend in the gym. You can get an amazing workout in as little as 25-45 mins depending on your fitness level.
If you're a trainer who offers small group training, then circuit training should be something you're implementing in order to maximize not only income, but results and safety as well! By setting up a circuit that your clients cycle through, you'll be able to watch each of them and correct form with ease. Due to the nature of circuit training, you really don't need a large array of fitness equipment to get a great workout, saving you money on purchasing new equipment. I've even outlined great examples of body weight only circuits for fat loss and conditioning in my ebook "The Body Weight Solution".
So no matter who you are, what your fitness level might be, or what equipment you have access to, if you want to be in the best shape possible then you need to add circuit training to your fitness routine!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Asking For Directions
It's a problem some of us have, let me explain. Have you ever been driving in a new city, and you have the whole route planned out thanks to "Map Quest", the sun is shining and the sailing is smooth. So far so good, the whole trip is going to plan ... that is until something very small sets you off course (most likely a map quest error!) and now your lost all the way on the other side of town! And rather than ask for directions (because after all you know what you're doing), you just drive around for hours lost and going in circles. Finally after hours of frustration, pounding on the wheel of the car, and cursing "Map Quest" in to the ground, you stop and ask for some directions. Turns out if you would have stopped and taken a left turn at the lights just up the road, it would have taken you just 6 mins to get where you needed to go. DAMN!! And you waisted all that time driving in circles by passing that left turn each time.
I'm sure this sounds more than a little familiar to most people! That's because most of us have one hell of a time (mostly us guys) asking for a little help on the road to where ever it is we're heading. But, just like the story above, sometimes asking for help can get us where we need to go MUCH faster and with a lot less stress, head aches, and wasted time! This is no different when it comes to our workout program and fitness goals.
How people at your local gym (you might be one of them) have been working out for years, day in and day out doing the same thing and seeing no change in their body? How many people do you see sweating their faces off on the treadmill, then the bike, then the elliptical machine for 2 hours and still look flabby and have little to no muscle tone? Or, how many gym goers do you witness hitting the weights and injuring themselves with terrible form? The saddest thing is, all of these issues could be solved or prevented by just asking for a little help!
Asking for a little help would save valuable time and money for anyone who's having issues like the ones mentioned above. All the money spent on pain killers due to improper form, supplements to help lose fat or bulk up, or paying expensive gym memberships month in and month out for years could all be avoided by asking for some help! But who?? Who are you going to ask? Who are you going to call ... NO no Ghostbusters! You need to ask for help from an educated fitness professional, a certified and reputable personal trainer.
Yes, I realize that getting a trainer does have a price tag attached. However, it's an investment into your health and wellness. Any good personal trainer will be able to teach you how to stay healthy and fit for the rest of your life. They'll be able to teach you how to get an amazing workout with little to no equipment, and how to consistently push your fitness levels for the rest of your life. Also, a trainer will immediately put you on the right track to fitness success by creating a program custom designed to meet your needs and goals. That means no more months of seeing no results, it's all steady results from here on out!
You always have the option of working one on one with most trainers if you need the motivation or are looking for a workout partner. I would highly suggest this option firs and foremost, nothing beats one on one attention from a professional. But if it's just out of your price range, or you already have a solid fitness base/back ground, then why not have a trainer create a program for you to do on your own? This would allow you the benefits of the trainers expert knowledge and your program would constantly progress! You'll have to be very self motivated and on top of your game, but it's a close second to actually working with a great trainer!
So stop driving in circles! Get a great highly qualified trainer who has a past of successful/happy clients and get training. Or get a program from them and work towards your goals with some guidance.
Heck, a lot of trainers offer custom designed programs and online personal training. You can even work with me (Timothy Bell) through www.Jungle-Fit.com and sign up for online personal training. I'll assess your fitness level, health history, fitness goals, and access to equipment to accurately create you a one of a kind fitness program! You'll have unlimited contact with me, as well as weekly updates and feedback on your progress. It's the next best thing to actually training here with me! For more info head to www.Jungle-Fit.com.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The October Issue Of Jungle Fit Magazine!
The October issue of the FREE Jungle Fit Magazine will be available shortly at www.Jungle-Fit.com. This issue includes contributions by myself (Timothy Bell Jungle Fit founder) as well as ...
- The always excellent Dr. Peter Pain, Kingston Ontario's top chiropractor and the founder of "The Live Well Centre". Dr. Pain drops by and leaves us with a great article on how to move well and stay well for life!
- Al Kavadlo, the author of "A Zen Approach To Every Day Fitness", weighs in with a great motivational article that is bound to get you excited to take on any goals you might have!
... As for myself, I've written a piece on 2 excellent exercises to regain or maintain mobility and functional strength. Yes, it also includes a free workout involving the 2 exercises described in the article! So be sure to head to www.Jungle-Fit.com and down load your copy today!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thanksgiving Is Here!
That's right everyone it's that time of year again! It's getting a little colder outside, the leaves are starting to change, fall is in the air ... and with fall comes Thanksgiving. Well, for those of you who are living in Canada anyways! Lucky for us Thanksgiving is one of the easiest holidays to eat almost on point with a paleo diet. But, lets be realistic here! I know that you'll all be eating what's considered paleo such as turkey, veggies, cranberries etc. but I also know that you'll all be eating stuffing, pie, potatoes, corn, warm fresh home made baking ... you get the point.
Now let me tell you that every now and then there's nothing wrong with treating yourself, especially when it comes once a year. I know that I will be! The problem is not treating yourself ... the problem is moderation! A lot of us dive into Thanksgiving like it's the last time we'll ever eat, and we don't make it one night, we make a whole weekend out of it! The key is moderation, leave it to one meal, not the whole weekend. Try to stick to the healthier paleo options that are on your table, and allow yourself a small amount of the not so healthy stuff. I also think is goes without saying that you should STAY AWAY FROM SECONDS OF ANYTHING NOT PALEO! Yes, that includes grandmas famous pumpkin pie and moms award winning cookies!
By allowing yourself a little bit of whats' not usually on your paleo menu you won't feel deprived. And by not over eating all those terrible things, you won't feel guilty and set yourself back weeks of hard work! So please, enjoy your Thanksgiving, enjoy the time with your family in endless amounts, but enjoy the food in moderation!
Also, for those of you who are looking to work off some of those Thanksgiving weekend calories here's special Thanksgiving workout for you all! Take care, and Happy Thanksgiving!!
- Sprint 50 meters
- 10 Hindu Push Ups
- Sprint back 50 meters
- 10 deck squats (or jump squats)
that's one round, rest 1 min between rounds, repeat 5-7 times!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
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