6 more ways to keep exercise fun and challenging!

Non opposing supersets

After years of time wasting traditional body building methods of performing a set and then waiting to repeat it 2 more times, I came across this valuable method of working out that challenges the cardio and gives great results.

If you are doing a chest press working the arms and chest then follow that with squats with no rest between. Find non opposing exercises to do together in a “superset” and the results are sheer magic.

Challenge workouts (300)

Loosely based on the movie 300 which amassed a cult following in the fitness world, these workouts consist of a number of exercises with repetitions adding up to 300 or 200 or whatever number you like. The challenge is to get though the workout in a better time than you did previously. This is not for the feint hearted!

Timed sets

This is a little different from the challenge in that you have a timer that is set for 30 seconds or one minute and you complete the exercise till the timer finishes. Great endurance training and really shows where you are weak.

Circuits for time

Once again a different spin on the timing. You have 20 minutes to see how many times you can get through this particular circuit. Complete full repetitions (no half push-ups etc.) and once finished start again. Take your own rest or water breaks.                        NOT FOR BEGINNERS

Ladders

These are great and one of my favourite ways to smash myself. Pick a unilateral exercise like the one arm kettlebell clean and perform one rep then change sides. Perform one rep then change sides. Perform two reps then change sides. Keep on in this method till you have performed 9 reps each side. You can go higher than 9 but will usually find you hit the wall by then or before 😉

Combination sets

These are surprisingly taxing but VERY time effective. Perform a dumbell squat followed by a curl to shoulder press. Perform a kettlebell clean followed by a front squat then a bent row. There are countless combinations for yet another way to keep the variety and not get into a plateau.

Tim James

Certified PT

Australian Kettlebell Instructor

Another benefit of green tea and the hidden power of breathing

ONE HEALTH BENEFIT FROM GREEN TEA

Yet another benefit to green tea has been researched in Japan. Read this article on how green tea can help fight periodontal disease.      >>Green tea<<

If you get your teeth cleaned by the dentist annually you will know by now how uncomfortable it is when they start digging around your gum line.

THE POWER OF BREATHING

One of the fastest ways to burn fat while doing workouts is with intense training. I haven’t covered this in depth before but controlled breathing is paramount to your strength and technique while doing difficult and intense routines

The first protocol to take notice of is watching a martial artist perform their kicks and punches. You will notice a sharp escape of air like a “hyah”. This technique is using the power of the core and intra abdominal pressure. The breath is released at the moment of force not before. So in order to achieve a great pullup for example, You would lay under the bar and as you are pulling up force a sharp exhalation as if you are blowing out a candle. While lowering you would breath in sharply trough your nose as if you were just surprised or frightened. Just imagine with me for a second and try that. Breathe in sharply.

Having trained literally hundreds of people over the past 7 years I have noticed that many people forget to breath while exercising and then wonder why they get a headache or feel dizzy.

My challenge for you today, (if you don’t already have the advantage of practising Yoga) is to practice controlled breathing next time you do a pushup or squat. Breathe in on the easier part and breathe out at the end of the hard part. I hope that makes sense to you. I would love to hear any comments or feed back

Till then

Tim

5 Ways to stuff up your shoulders

To those who train with me you know how seriously I take injury prevention. It is too late once you have been injured from poor programming or poor technique.

From time to time I will have guest articles from other fitness professionals out there. Today Keith Scott a friend from North America shares why your shoulders often take a hammering. Feel free to leave comments at the end. Tim

People continue to do “dumb things” in the name of getting big or strong…and continue to sacrifice their physical health. Here are 5 things that I see people do that help screw up the shoulder joints. (Don’t be one of these people…if you have questions, please comment or drop me an email. )

1. Continue the long-standing tradition of having a “Bench” day. I don’t really get why someone that is not training for a power lifting meet needs to have a day totally committed to performing nothing but the bench press. I have watched guys bench for over an hour at a time and then go home. * Benching alone is a great way to mess up your shoulders. If you are not a power lifter or have an equally good reason to “bench” press all on one day, make sure you balance out your program with other exercises.

2. Keep performing “bench dips.” I get really aggravated every time I see a ‘trainer’ prescribe bench dips to female (and sometimes male) clients. Bench dips are a great way to destroy your shoulders. I have watched it happen time and time again. I have even warned people NOT to do them and told them why…yet, they did them and paid the price. Stay away from bench dips. There are better ways to work your triceps. If you run into a trainer that blindly prescribes them to you…run.

3. Continue to bench the wrong way, to go along with number 1. I would venture to say that 99% (yes that is a big number) of the people out there benching, perform it the wrong way. Having your elbows out, not using your legs, and leaving your upper back just lying there without purpose, are all the wrong things to do when you bench press. Learn to bench the right way. There are many great sources on the internet about just how to do a proper bench press. This post is about shoulder health, so trust me when I say benching the wrong way is one of the best ways to hurt your shoulders. I am living proof of that.

4. Not enough “pulling” exercises in your program. Push, push, push. Benching, pressing, dips, flys, and hardly any pulling exercises makes Johnny’s shoulder hurt really bad. * My recommendation has always been to have at least 3 pulling exercises for every 1 pushing exercise. That ratio is because we are so out of balance to begin with. We sit at a desk, behind a wheel, or at the table…hunched over, shoulders rounded, and then we get into the gym and we make things worse by doing all pushing exercises.You have to counter balance that with pulling movements. * Add rows, chins, pull-ups, and pull-down variations into your program.

5. Continue to not work on the rotator cuff muscles. Too many people jump all over rotator cuff exercises when they are already injured. They pull on a band for a couple of weeks and that is it. Incorporate the proper mix of rotator cuff work into your normal routine. Your shoulders will thank you for it. * Internal and external rotation with dumbbells, and bands.

6. BONUS – Don’t skip the soft-tissue work either. Make sure you are doing your foam rolling, massages, and other work on the upper back and shoulder areas.

Written by Keith Scott on October 27, 2008 – 5:00 am –