There are five ways:
Change weight – self explanatory
Change number of reps – this coincides with changing the weight; more weight fewer reps; lighter weight, more reps.
Change number of sets but try to keep the volume the same.
So if you shoulder press 25 pounds for ten reps, 3 sets; (25x10x3=750)
If you decrease the reps to 6 and increase the sets to four, you should try to lift 30 pounds. This is not a set rule but rather a guideline particularly when decreasing weight.
Change speed – you can increase power by increasing speed; if you go slower, you may need to decrease the weight and/or reps
Change stability – do all of your standing exercise while standing on a BOSU or kneeling on a stability ball. Substitute a stability for the bench.
Applying these simple modifications to your personal fitness routine will give you a fresh workout every time. Mix up your exercise routine and have some fun with your fitness training.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Amino Acids
Not too long ago I read a few studies regarding protein. I know, every muscle head in the world knows they need protein for tissue repair. But what most folks are not aware of is that as we age our bodies do not process protein as efficiently as we did when we were younger. For males its late thirties-early forties, for females, early to mid thirties.
Quick physiology lesson:
Protein breaks down into amino acids
Amino acids help all of out enzymatic functions including the break down of protein
Its a very bad cycle. We don’t break down protein to make amino acids so we can't break down protein.
There is an easy solution. Take an amino acid supplement. There are lots of them on the market. Find one that has essential and branched chain aminos and you will be fine.
If you want to take it to the next step, read the book The Edge Effect by Eric Braverman. He goes into detail on how amino acids (or lack of) effect our entire well being.
Quick physiology lesson:
Protein breaks down into amino acids
Amino acids help all of out enzymatic functions including the break down of protein
Its a very bad cycle. We don’t break down protein to make amino acids so we can't break down protein.
There is an easy solution. Take an amino acid supplement. There are lots of them on the market. Find one that has essential and branched chain aminos and you will be fine.
If you want to take it to the next step, read the book The Edge Effect by Eric Braverman. He goes into detail on how amino acids (or lack of) effect our entire well being.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Nutrition (again)
It is too easy to eat a lot of junk food this time of the year. One tip is before going out to the party, or bar, or club, eat something healthy like an apple or a small dark green salad. You won’t be as hungry because your body will have taken in some nutrient rich foods.
Remember: five servings of fruit and veggies daily will go a long way at keeping hunger at bay.
Remember: five servings of fruit and veggies daily will go a long way at keeping hunger at bay.
Winter Insulation
In the winter our body wants to put on fat for insulation. Sorry, there is nothing we can do about human evolution. SO what I recommend is to make the next month or two the time to lift heavy and put on muscle. If you’re going to gain weight anyways, why not make it productive weight. Add in some plyometrics and I think when spring time rolls around you will be happy with the way you feel and the way you look.
Absence
I know I have been slacker in updating my blog, but the past six months have been pretty hectic. A good friend and student passed away suddenly in August (check out his tribute at http://completefitnessconcepts.com/tf.htm). I also had some nasal surgery followed by a sinus infection. Add that to work and school and I became overwhelmed.
But hopefully from here forward as I get revelations I will be more disciplined in posting.
But hopefully from here forward as I get revelations I will be more disciplined in posting.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Kicking Power
For those of you who have seen me kick you know I have learned to generate a lot of power in a fairly short distance and the one question I get asked all of the time is “how?”
If you have done a fair amount of kicking this should make some sense to you; if not, maybe not so much.
Power is generated at four different points during a kick. As the power moves up the kinetic chain to your foot, it builds through each step.
The first phase is generated by straightening the stability leg. This is can be completed because your legs should be slightly bent all of the time while fighting. You can utilize the power and strength of your legs if you simply straighten your stability leg when you launch the kick.
The second place to produce power is by pivoting the hips in the direction you are trying to generate power. So if you are doing a right leg round house kick, you pivot your hips to the left (you’re generating power from right to left). This is easily accomplished by turning your right heel toward your target as you execute the kick.
The third place is to tilt your hip toward your target. If I am completing a right leg roundhouse kick, I should basically be facing to the left. I tilt the right side of my hips toward by opponent as the leg is extending. (This is the hardest one to picture unless you have seen it properly executed).
The last place to build power is by using your quad muscles and completing a leg extension to extend your leg toward your opponent for the final phase of the strike.
Keep in mind each part or phase only takes about a millisecond, as the kick itself only takes a fraction of a second to execute.
I know some of this can be hard to comprehend if you are not familiar with any of the reference points…so go out and find a good instructor and ask!!
If you have done a fair amount of kicking this should make some sense to you; if not, maybe not so much.
Power is generated at four different points during a kick. As the power moves up the kinetic chain to your foot, it builds through each step.
The first phase is generated by straightening the stability leg. This is can be completed because your legs should be slightly bent all of the time while fighting. You can utilize the power and strength of your legs if you simply straighten your stability leg when you launch the kick.
The second place to produce power is by pivoting the hips in the direction you are trying to generate power. So if you are doing a right leg round house kick, you pivot your hips to the left (you’re generating power from right to left). This is easily accomplished by turning your right heel toward your target as you execute the kick.
The third place is to tilt your hip toward your target. If I am completing a right leg roundhouse kick, I should basically be facing to the left. I tilt the right side of my hips toward by opponent as the leg is extending. (This is the hardest one to picture unless you have seen it properly executed).
The last place to build power is by using your quad muscles and completing a leg extension to extend your leg toward your opponent for the final phase of the strike.
Keep in mind each part or phase only takes about a millisecond, as the kick itself only takes a fraction of a second to execute.
I know some of this can be hard to comprehend if you are not familiar with any of the reference points…so go out and find a good instructor and ask!!
The Work in Workouts
It has come to my attention lately that some folks just don’t want to put in the effort required for a great workout. They just want to go through the motions; spend some time at the gym, and say they worked out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
A workout consists of two parts; physical and mental. I am not going to delve into the physical side, but I want to write a few lines about the mental aspect.
Folks, your head has got to be in the game. It takes focus and concentration during each step of an exercise to complete it properly. If you’re thinking about work, or the fight you had with your spouse, or your kid getting a C in Algebra, than you can not possibly be putting in the mental power it takes to complete a great workout.
Exercise is a process. Each phase of each individual exercise needs to be performed correctly to avoid injury and ensure maximum results. A good trainer will help with this but during a group class or while you are doing this on your own the trainer will not be around so you need to police yourself. At each phase, stop and ask yourself if you are in the right position, is your speed good, are you stabilized, are you using the appropriate weight. The bottom line is that you MUST pay attention to what you are doing.
A workout consists of two parts; physical and mental. I am not going to delve into the physical side, but I want to write a few lines about the mental aspect.
Folks, your head has got to be in the game. It takes focus and concentration during each step of an exercise to complete it properly. If you’re thinking about work, or the fight you had with your spouse, or your kid getting a C in Algebra, than you can not possibly be putting in the mental power it takes to complete a great workout.
Exercise is a process. Each phase of each individual exercise needs to be performed correctly to avoid injury and ensure maximum results. A good trainer will help with this but during a group class or while you are doing this on your own the trainer will not be around so you need to police yourself. At each phase, stop and ask yourself if you are in the right position, is your speed good, are you stabilized, are you using the appropriate weight. The bottom line is that you MUST pay attention to what you are doing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
