Sunday, November 3, 2013
I KEEP TELLING YOU ABOUT PUSHUPS
Push-Up Power
Push-ups are hands down a great exercise (pun intended!).
In fact, they are one of the first exercises I did regularly as a very young kid. And I’m talking 6 or 7 years old. And regardless of how much muscle I gained or how high-tech my workouts became, I always kept push-ups in the mix.
Unfortunately, a lot of people tend to give up on push-ups as they get more involved with weight training.
For some reason they feel that push-ups are an inferior exercise compared to the bench press or other exercises you can do for chest.
But push-ups remain a great exercise regardless of how much you can bench press or how big your chest gets.
Standard push-ups are a great market for upper body muscle endurance. Plus, they not only work the pecs, delts and triceps, but they are actually a great exercise for the core. And you can do push-ups anywhere with no equipment needed. This makes them a great exercise for when you are traveling or stuck without any equipment.
One problem with push-ups is the fact that you can only quantify how many reps you can do, but you can’t really quantify the true resistance or “weight” you are using.
Sure you know how much you weigh, but when you do a push-up you are not using 100% of your body weight. And what type of resistance are you using if you put your feet up on a bench to do a decline push-up? Or you put your hands up on a bench to do an incline push-up? Sure these change the amount of your body weight that you are using, but by how much?
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside set out to calculate exactly how much weight you are lifting when you do the push-up in different variations.
They had subjects perform six different versions of the push-up on a force plate to measure how much of their body weight they were supporting during the push-up. They had them do standard push-ups, two different levels of decline push-ups, two different levels of incline push-ups and knee push-ups to cover all the bases.
They reported in a 2011 issue of the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research that when they did the standard push-up they used 65% of their body weight.
So in other words a 200-pound man would be using a weight of about 130 pounds.
When the subjects placed their feet up on a one-foot high box to do a decline push-up, it increased the percent of their body weight being used to 70%.
That means that the 200-pound man would be using a weight of about 140 pounds.
When they placed their feet up on a two-foot box it increased the percent of their body weight to 75%.
So that equals about 150 pounds for the 200 pounder.
When they placed their hands up on the one-foot high box to do an incline push-up, it decreased the percent of their body weight being used to 55%.
So the 200-pounder would be using only about 110 pounds.
When they placed their hands up on the two-foot high box, it decreased their percent body weight being used to just 40%.
That’s about 80 pounds for the 200-pound guy.
And when they did push-ups on their knees, they used 50% of their body weight.
That of course, is about 100 pounds for the 200 pounder.
Jim’s take-home message:
The push-up is a great exercise for developing the pecs, as well as for building upper body muscle strength and endurance. Now that you can calculate how much weight you are lifting when you do push-ups, hopefully it will help you gain more respect for the push-up and use it more frequently. It can also help you calculate how much weight to add to your body weight to get closer to your bench press weight. For example, a 200 pound guy who can bench press 185 pounds for 10 reps would need to add 80 pounds of weight, such as from a weight vest, to get close to his bench press weight, to do 10 push-ups.
One great way to use push-ups is to do them at the very end of a chest workout when the pecs are fried. I like to do extended sets by starting with one set of decline push-ups, immediately followed by regular push-ups, immediately followed by incline push-ups. Repeat that three times and you will definitely appreciate push-ups more.
And for a great way to use push-ups on their own when you have no equipment, but want to train chest you can use this same technique. To see it in action watch my old video M&F Raw! #12 – Equipment-Free Chest Workout by clicking on the link below:
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/videos/mf-raw?page=7
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Friday, August 17, 2012
THE 55
The "55" workout
Start by doing one body-weight squat and 10 pushups. Rest for 30 seconds, and then do 2 squats and 9 pushups. Gradually work your way up to 10 squats and down to 1 pushup. You'll complete 55 reps of each exercise by the time you're done—and reap both the cardiovascular benefit of aerobic training and the muscular pump of a strength session
JUMPING JACKS
Jumping-jack pyramid
Do as many jumping jacks as you can in 10 seconds. Rest for an equal amount of time. Next, do as many jumping jacks as you can in 20 seconds, and rest 20 seconds. Then do 30 seconds of jumping jacks followed by 30 seconds of rest. Now work your way back down the pyramid (30, 20, 10). Repeat three times. This will change the way you think about jumping jacks forever.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
SWIMMING 101
Let’s say you decide to take a swim. In the early morning light, armed with fresh new goggles and a cap, you hit the pool. Images of Michael Phelps and Dara Torres run through your head. But before you finish the first lap, you can hardly breathe.
Don’t sweat it. “Swimming takes longer to adapt to than any other sport,” says Gerry Rodrigues, a Los Angeles-based swim instructor who’s been coaching for 30 years. Even if you’re a marathon runner or have logged hours on the stair-climber, you have to acclimate to the new breathing pattern swimming requires, as well as the weightlessness the activity causes.
“We’re used to moving our bodies on land,” says Rodrigues, “But we have very little practice moving in the water. So the learning curve increases.”
The good news? Swimming is worth the effort. This full-body workout improves both your cardiovascular fitness and your muscular strength – all while causing no impact shock to your body. (Where do injured runners go? The pool!) And if you swim regularly, you’ll see progress within a month. “Commit to a doing a block of 10 swims over the course of three weeks and you’ll be amazed at the body’s uncanny ability to adapt,” says Rodrigues.
Here are the essential steps for starting a swimming program.
Swimming takes longer to adapt to than any other sport. We’re used to moving our bodies on land, but we have very little practice moving in the water.
Gerry Rodrigues, a Los Angeles-based swim instructor with 30 years of coaching experience.
First Strokes
Sure, you could just jump in the pool and go for it. But swimming is a specialized skill, one where having good form can make a world of difference. Your best bet is to work with an instructor if your stroke feels rusty, (and lessons are essential if you’ve never learned to swim). Your local pool will likely offer adult group or private options. Find a program near you through U.S. Masters Swimming (www.usms.org), a national group that provides organized workouts and clinics for anyone age 18 or older.
If you do decide to go solo, start with the freestyle stroke (the one that looks like a front crawl). Swim for as long as you can, then rest for as much time as you need. Repeat for a minimum of 20 minutes. Everyone is different, says Rodrigues, so don’t get discouraged if the guy in the next lane over is cranking out laps two-at-a-time, and you’re winded after 30 seconds. Rest. Repeat. Stamina will come.
Pool tools can help you build endurance and improve your form. Kickboards let your upper body rest while you work your legs. Pull-buoys (a figure-8 shaped foam device that you place between your legs, above your knees) support your lower body so you can concentrate on your stroke.
Rodrigues’s favorite teaching tool is the swimming snorkel – which is like a regular snorkel except the tube sits in front of your face, instead of being mounted to the side. The device allows you to breathe continuously while keeping your body in the best possible swimming position. “Once you turn your head to breathe, it’s harder to stay aligned,” says Rodrigues. “Snorkels allow you experience what it feels like to have proper mechanics without having to worry about your breathing. It makes it easier for you to replicate on your own later.”
Form Matters
While swimming, you want your head, hips and feet to form one long line. If your middle sags or your feet ride low, you increase drag, which slows you down and wastes energy. Try pushing your head down a bit if your feet are dragging, or do core work when on land if your midsection is slumping.
“Relaxed” is the go-to word of nearly every coach in every sport for good reason—it keeps unnecessary tension from zapping energy you can use for exercise. But for swimming, Rodrigues modifies the phrase to “athletically relaxed.” “There must be a tautness to your body to keep it aligned,” he says.
As you swim, elongate the body with every stroke. Keep the arm in line with or slightly inside the shoulder on each stroke. When the hand and arm enter and move through the water, they should not cross the mid-line of your body. Even elite-level swimmers work on technique frequently, so give it time.
Making Progress
Consistency is the key to learning anything, so get in 10 sessions of easy, steady swimming over a three week period and you'll feel your body adapting to the activity. After these 10 sessions, you’ll be ready to tackle a workout.
Swim workouts typically consist of a warm up, then blocks of distance at varying paces with rest in between. Doing faster laps boosts your cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
Pools are usually 25 or 50 yards (or meters) long. A lap is out and back, a length is one direction. So, a 100 means you swim two laps in a 25-meter pool or one in a 50-meter pool.
There are endless workout variations, but Rodrigues recommends the following routine for beginners:
• Warm up: Swim easy for 10 minutes. Then swim one or two lengths harder, rest for 10 to 15 seconds (most pools have big clocks at both ends). Repeat for 10 minutes.
• Intervals: 100 x 15 with 20 sec rest at 8 effort out of 10. Translation: Swim 100 meters/yard (that’s two laps) continuously at a speed that feels hard but manageable. Rest for 20 seconds. Repeat 15 times.
Aim to maintain three swims a week, but don’t drop below two if you want to advance.
Common Mistake
The upper body is the power mover in swimming, but don’t ignore the nuances of lower-body technique. “The biggest mistake new swimmers make is they kick too much,” Rodrigues says. The kick provides little propulsion but sucks up huge amounts of energy and sends your heart rate skyrocketing because you’re moving big muscle groups like the quads. You want to kick just enough to keep the legs ups. A light, gentle tapping should do the trick.
Essential Gear
A swimmer’s prize possession is their goggles. You’ll want a set of clear lenses for indoor swimming, and tinted ones for outdoors. An adjustable nosepiece will provide a better fit. The best options for most swimmers cost between $10 to $20. “Usually, the more expensive ones aren’t that much better,” Rodrigues says. “But if you spend less than 10 bucks, you’re likely risking quality.”
If you need a cap to keep your locks under control, go with a silicon version. It’ll run you between $8 and $20, and last much longer than latex.
Sticking With It
Rodrigues encourages his swimmers to set goals every 10 weeks. Signing up for an open water swim or sprint distance triathlon can give you a long-term target to strive after. And joining a swim club can turn workouts into social events, while also supplying motivation by surrounding you with people who’ll help keep you accountable.
After all, if you know a friend will be waiting for you at a race, you’re more likely to put in the work to get to the starting line.
Don’t sweat it. “Swimming takes longer to adapt to than any other sport,” says Gerry Rodrigues, a Los Angeles-based swim instructor who’s been coaching for 30 years. Even if you’re a marathon runner or have logged hours on the stair-climber, you have to acclimate to the new breathing pattern swimming requires, as well as the weightlessness the activity causes.
“We’re used to moving our bodies on land,” says Rodrigues, “But we have very little practice moving in the water. So the learning curve increases.”
The good news? Swimming is worth the effort. This full-body workout improves both your cardiovascular fitness and your muscular strength – all while causing no impact shock to your body. (Where do injured runners go? The pool!) And if you swim regularly, you’ll see progress within a month. “Commit to a doing a block of 10 swims over the course of three weeks and you’ll be amazed at the body’s uncanny ability to adapt,” says Rodrigues.
Here are the essential steps for starting a swimming program.
Swimming takes longer to adapt to than any other sport. We’re used to moving our bodies on land, but we have very little practice moving in the water.
Gerry Rodrigues, a Los Angeles-based swim instructor with 30 years of coaching experience.
First Strokes
Sure, you could just jump in the pool and go for it. But swimming is a specialized skill, one where having good form can make a world of difference. Your best bet is to work with an instructor if your stroke feels rusty, (and lessons are essential if you’ve never learned to swim). Your local pool will likely offer adult group or private options. Find a program near you through U.S. Masters Swimming (www.usms.org), a national group that provides organized workouts and clinics for anyone age 18 or older.
If you do decide to go solo, start with the freestyle stroke (the one that looks like a front crawl). Swim for as long as you can, then rest for as much time as you need. Repeat for a minimum of 20 minutes. Everyone is different, says Rodrigues, so don’t get discouraged if the guy in the next lane over is cranking out laps two-at-a-time, and you’re winded after 30 seconds. Rest. Repeat. Stamina will come.
Pool tools can help you build endurance and improve your form. Kickboards let your upper body rest while you work your legs. Pull-buoys (a figure-8 shaped foam device that you place between your legs, above your knees) support your lower body so you can concentrate on your stroke.
Rodrigues’s favorite teaching tool is the swimming snorkel – which is like a regular snorkel except the tube sits in front of your face, instead of being mounted to the side. The device allows you to breathe continuously while keeping your body in the best possible swimming position. “Once you turn your head to breathe, it’s harder to stay aligned,” says Rodrigues. “Snorkels allow you experience what it feels like to have proper mechanics without having to worry about your breathing. It makes it easier for you to replicate on your own later.”
Form Matters
While swimming, you want your head, hips and feet to form one long line. If your middle sags or your feet ride low, you increase drag, which slows you down and wastes energy. Try pushing your head down a bit if your feet are dragging, or do core work when on land if your midsection is slumping.
“Relaxed” is the go-to word of nearly every coach in every sport for good reason—it keeps unnecessary tension from zapping energy you can use for exercise. But for swimming, Rodrigues modifies the phrase to “athletically relaxed.” “There must be a tautness to your body to keep it aligned,” he says.
As you swim, elongate the body with every stroke. Keep the arm in line with or slightly inside the shoulder on each stroke. When the hand and arm enter and move through the water, they should not cross the mid-line of your body. Even elite-level swimmers work on technique frequently, so give it time.
Making Progress
Consistency is the key to learning anything, so get in 10 sessions of easy, steady swimming over a three week period and you'll feel your body adapting to the activity. After these 10 sessions, you’ll be ready to tackle a workout.
Swim workouts typically consist of a warm up, then blocks of distance at varying paces with rest in between. Doing faster laps boosts your cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
Pools are usually 25 or 50 yards (or meters) long. A lap is out and back, a length is one direction. So, a 100 means you swim two laps in a 25-meter pool or one in a 50-meter pool.
There are endless workout variations, but Rodrigues recommends the following routine for beginners:
• Warm up: Swim easy for 10 minutes. Then swim one or two lengths harder, rest for 10 to 15 seconds (most pools have big clocks at both ends). Repeat for 10 minutes.
• Intervals: 100 x 15 with 20 sec rest at 8 effort out of 10. Translation: Swim 100 meters/yard (that’s two laps) continuously at a speed that feels hard but manageable. Rest for 20 seconds. Repeat 15 times.
Aim to maintain three swims a week, but don’t drop below two if you want to advance.
Common Mistake
The upper body is the power mover in swimming, but don’t ignore the nuances of lower-body technique. “The biggest mistake new swimmers make is they kick too much,” Rodrigues says. The kick provides little propulsion but sucks up huge amounts of energy and sends your heart rate skyrocketing because you’re moving big muscle groups like the quads. You want to kick just enough to keep the legs ups. A light, gentle tapping should do the trick.
Essential Gear
A swimmer’s prize possession is their goggles. You’ll want a set of clear lenses for indoor swimming, and tinted ones for outdoors. An adjustable nosepiece will provide a better fit. The best options for most swimmers cost between $10 to $20. “Usually, the more expensive ones aren’t that much better,” Rodrigues says. “But if you spend less than 10 bucks, you’re likely risking quality.”
If you need a cap to keep your locks under control, go with a silicon version. It’ll run you between $8 and $20, and last much longer than latex.
Sticking With It
Rodrigues encourages his swimmers to set goals every 10 weeks. Signing up for an open water swim or sprint distance triathlon can give you a long-term target to strive after. And joining a swim club can turn workouts into social events, while also supplying motivation by surrounding you with people who’ll help keep you accountable.
After all, if you know a friend will be waiting for you at a race, you’re more likely to put in the work to get to the starting line.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
ROPE A DOPE
Make Heavy Rope Training Part of Your Workout Routine
Rope in a great new way to supplement your strength and conditioning training.
By Ralph Oliver
There comes a point in every guy’s life that calls for change. Your fitness regimen is no exception. How many times can you bench those same plates? Aside from the boredom factor, there’s also the drawback of the plateau effect. Adding an unconventional training technique to your fitness routine will not only put some life back into your workouts, but also shock some different muscles into getting in on the action
Originally developed for specific combat sports such as football and Mixed Martial Arts, heavy rope training (aka rope battling) is now finding its way into the mainstream. If you’re looking for a highly effective, back-to-basics type of conditioning that brings a new twist to your fitness routine, this is it. Along with increasing your strength, power, and endurance, the constant motion of rope battling will floor you with a muscle toning, metabolic workout unlike any other. You’ll be shocked at how fast a few quick whips can get you to your maximum heart rate.
All You Need
Unlike those flimsy infomercial contraptions or expensive home workout machines, heavy rope training requires just one sturdy, low-cost piece of equipment – rope. Don’t have one? No problem. Just head to your local hardware store and get yourself about 50 feet of manila rope (1.5 to 2 inches in thickness). Manila is best; because it’s sturdy, durable, and will stand up to the weekly pounding you put it through. Or you can order it online from Knot & Rope Supply 419-873-8300, they will even stitch up the ends so they don't ravel. (good ropes, I have two)
You’re also going to need something to anchor the rope. If it’s a pole, post or tree, loop the rope around it to give you two even lengths - holding one end in each hand. If it’s a person, have them grab the rope at the middle, and make sure they’re strong enough to handle the fury coming their way. Heavy rope training can get intense, so whatever anchor you use, be sure it’s secure.
Make Some Waves
There are tons of pulse pounding, heavy rope exercises to ramp up your cardio and build your core strength. Common movements include waves, slams, throws, spirals, and whips. All involve swinging your arms up and down (or side to side) in some manner for timed intervals. To maximize your efforts, focus on maintaining the intensity of the motion from start to finish, no matter how much it burns – and trust us, it’s going to burn.(Ropes gone Wild) has good training DVD's.
Start out doing 3 sets of 30-second intervals with 45 seconds of rest in between. As you get stronger and your conditioning improves, you can increase the duration of the move and decrease the rest times. With each of these exercises, you want to create a solid base by planting your feet in a shoulder width stance and stabilizing your core. You’ll quickly discover that these exercises engage not just your arms and shoulders, but your whole body.
Rope in a great new way to supplement your strength and conditioning training.
By Ralph Oliver
There comes a point in every guy’s life that calls for change. Your fitness regimen is no exception. How many times can you bench those same plates? Aside from the boredom factor, there’s also the drawback of the plateau effect. Adding an unconventional training technique to your fitness routine will not only put some life back into your workouts, but also shock some different muscles into getting in on the action
Originally developed for specific combat sports such as football and Mixed Martial Arts, heavy rope training (aka rope battling) is now finding its way into the mainstream. If you’re looking for a highly effective, back-to-basics type of conditioning that brings a new twist to your fitness routine, this is it. Along with increasing your strength, power, and endurance, the constant motion of rope battling will floor you with a muscle toning, metabolic workout unlike any other. You’ll be shocked at how fast a few quick whips can get you to your maximum heart rate.
All You Need
Unlike those flimsy infomercial contraptions or expensive home workout machines, heavy rope training requires just one sturdy, low-cost piece of equipment – rope. Don’t have one? No problem. Just head to your local hardware store and get yourself about 50 feet of manila rope (1.5 to 2 inches in thickness). Manila is best; because it’s sturdy, durable, and will stand up to the weekly pounding you put it through. Or you can order it online from Knot & Rope Supply 419-873-8300, they will even stitch up the ends so they don't ravel. (good ropes, I have two)
You’re also going to need something to anchor the rope. If it’s a pole, post or tree, loop the rope around it to give you two even lengths - holding one end in each hand. If it’s a person, have them grab the rope at the middle, and make sure they’re strong enough to handle the fury coming their way. Heavy rope training can get intense, so whatever anchor you use, be sure it’s secure.
Make Some Waves
There are tons of pulse pounding, heavy rope exercises to ramp up your cardio and build your core strength. Common movements include waves, slams, throws, spirals, and whips. All involve swinging your arms up and down (or side to side) in some manner for timed intervals. To maximize your efforts, focus on maintaining the intensity of the motion from start to finish, no matter how much it burns – and trust us, it’s going to burn.(Ropes gone Wild) has good training DVD's.
Start out doing 3 sets of 30-second intervals with 45 seconds of rest in between. As you get stronger and your conditioning improves, you can increase the duration of the move and decrease the rest times. With each of these exercises, you want to create a solid base by planting your feet in a shoulder width stance and stabilizing your core. You’ll quickly discover that these exercises engage not just your arms and shoulders, but your whole body.
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