When it comes to strength training, I absolutely love a good circuit-training session! When performed properly, circuit training will help you tone and build lean muscle while improving both cardiovascular and muscular endurance.
For an intense (and unpredictable) circuit training workout, I recommend Crazy Jakes!
Items Needed:
- 1 Exercise Mat
- 1 Set of Dumbbells
- 1 Barbell with Free Weights
- 1 Pullup Bar or Assisted Pullup Machine
- 1 Standard Deck of Cards
Directions:
1) Separate the following cards from the standard deck (These are your playing cards and will represent the exercises and reps for your workout):
- Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of Hearts
- Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of Spades
- Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of Diamonds
- Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of Clubs
- 6 of Hearts, Spades, Diamonds, Clubs
- 2 Jokers
Exercises:
Hearts = Pushups
Spades = Pullups/Assisted Pullups
Diamonds = Walking Dumbbell Lunges
Clubs = Squat, Clean, and Press
6 (of any suite) = 60 Second Plank
Joker = 60 Second Running Mountain Climber
Reps:
Ace = 15 reps
King, Queen, Jack = 12 reps
10 = 10 reps
6 = 60 Second Plank
Joker = 60 Second Running Mountain Climber
2) Shuffle the Deck
3) Get After It! Flip the top card over and perform the associated exercise and repetitions. Work your way through the entire deck minimizing the amount of time between exercises. This entire strength training workout is 26 exercises and can be completed in 50 minutes or less. I'd recommend taking 5 minutes beforehand to warm-up and 5 minutes afterward to stretch. GOOD LUCK!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Getting Back to the Basics - Understanding the Fundamental Elements of a Health & Fitness Plan
Regardless of a person's experience, ability, or end goal, I firmly believe that every health and fitness plan should incorporate each of the following elements; aerobic training (cardio), anaerobic training (strength training), nutrition, and lifestyle.
- Aerobic Training (cardio): Aerobic training is the type of exercise that overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest. It is further defined as any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature. Examples include running, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, etc. This type of exercise has many health benefits which include:
- improved cardiovascular function
- lowered blood pressure
- decreased LDL (bad cholesterol) and increased HDL (good cholesterol)
- reduced body fat and improved weight control
- improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance
- Anaerobic Training (strength training): In contrast to aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise involves short bursts of exertion followed by periods of rest. Examples of this type of activity include pushups, pull-ups, planks, leg-lifts, squats, lunges, etc. This type of activity also has many health benefits which include:
- improved muscular strength
- increased metabolism (bigger muscles burn more calories)
- injury prevention
- Nutrition: Nutrition is defined as the sum of the processes by which people take in and use food substances. In order to properly utilize nutrition, a person should develop a solid understanding of their metabolism, the major macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat), and how the digestion and absorption of nutrients works. A proper nutrition strategy has the ability to:
- improve health
- favorably alter body composition
- reduce the risk of disease and illness
- increase energy levels
- improve athletic performance
- Lifestyle: Living a healthy lifestyle means doing what you can to keep your body and mind in optimal shape. This involves making wise choices in your daily diet (nutrition), performing the right amount of physical activity (aerobic and anaerobic training), coping well with stress, and controlling your weight. The end results will leave you feeling your best, looking your best, and living your best!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
During Training, Does Your Heart Rate Effort Match Your Goals?
Heart-rate training indicates if your aerobic activity is too easy, just right or too exhaustive an effort to keep pace with your training goals. Heart-rate training benefits everyone, from the beginning exerciser trying to lose weight or improve their cardiovascular fitness, to the highly conditioned athlete preparing for their next competition. The key to making progress is to increase (or occasionally decrease) your heart rate into the correct training zone, so your effort matches your goals.
Here are seven easy-to-follow steps that will help you calculate your ideal heart-rate training zone.
1. Calculate your maximum heart rate :
The easiest way to do this is a simple paper-and-pencil calculation. Subtract your age from 220. The result is an age-predicted maximum beats per minute.
** This method does not take into account your fitness level or inherited genes, which can make your true maximum heart rate 10 to 20 beats per minute higher or lower than the age-predicted number.
2. Determine your resting heart rate:
Take your pulse before you get out of bed in the morning.
Grab a watch and find your pulse. You can locate your pulse either in your radial artery on your wrist or at your carotid artery in your neck. Choose the spot that works best for you. The only trick to measuring your heart rate is that you must use the correct fingers to do the measuring. Your thumb has a light pulse and can create some confusion when you are counting your beats. It's best to use your index finger and middle finger together. After you find the beat, you need to count how many beats occur within 60 seconds. The shortcut to this method is to count the number of beats in 30 seconds, and then to multiply that number by 2. This method gives you a 60-second count. Example: You count 23 beats in 30 seconds: 23 x 2 = 46 beats per minute. Do this for several days in a row to ensure you get consistent readings.
** In general, the lower your resting heart rate, the more physically fit you are. Some athletes have resting heart rates in the 40s. One way to see if your new workout is succeeding is to check your resting heart rate over a few months. See if it has increased, decreased, or remained the same.
3. Calculate your heart-rate reserve:
Subtract your heart's resting rate from your maximum rate.
For example, if you are 36 years old, subtract that number from 220; your maximum rate is 184. Next, subtract your resting heart rate, 46 (in this example.) Your heart-rate reserve is 138 beats per minute. This heart-rate reserve represents the cushion heartbeats available for exercise, or the difference between your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate.
4. Calculate your aerobic training heart-rate range for fat burning :
This fat-burning range will lie between 50% and 75% of your heart-rate reserve.
Using the example above, 50% of 138 beats per minute is 69. And 75% of 138 is 104. Next, add your resting heart rate to both numbers: 69 + 46 = 115 and 104 + 46 = 150. Your heart rate during aerobic training that will most efficiently burn fat is 115 to 150 beats per minute.
5. Calculate your aerobic training heart rate for fitness :
The range required to improve aerobic endurance is higher than that needed for fat burning, between 75% and 85% of your heart-rate reserve.
Again using the previous example, 75% of the heart-rate reserve of 138 is 104, and 85% is 117.
Re-add your resting heart rate to both numbers: 104 + 46 = 150 and 117 + 46 = 163. To improve your aerobic endurance, you need to aim for between 150 and 163 heartbeats per minute.
6. Calculate your aerobic-anaerobic threshold heart-rate range:
This range represents the upper limits of aerobic exercise, the point just before you push yourself into exhaustive anaerobic work. Exercising at this intensity is usually done to improve athletic performance.
The range to accomplish this task lies between 85% and 90% of your heart-rate reserve. Again, using the example of a person with a heart-rate reserve of 138 and following the same math process as in previous steps: your aerobic-anaerobic threshold would be 163 to 170 beats per minute.
** Be advised that operating at this intensity level will not burn body fat.
7. Calculate your anaerobic training heart-rate range :
This is all-out effort and represents 90% to 100% of the cushion of your heart-rate reserve. The goal here is to go as fast as you can for as long as you can.
Using the same example, anything from 170 beats per minute to your maximum of 184 beats per minute becomes pure anaerobic training.
Via: NASM and Active.com
Here are seven easy-to-follow steps that will help you calculate your ideal heart-rate training zone.
1. Calculate your maximum heart rate :
The easiest way to do this is a simple paper-and-pencil calculation. Subtract your age from 220. The result is an age-predicted maximum beats per minute.
** This method does not take into account your fitness level or inherited genes, which can make your true maximum heart rate 10 to 20 beats per minute higher or lower than the age-predicted number.
2. Determine your resting heart rate:
Take your pulse before you get out of bed in the morning.
Grab a watch and find your pulse. You can locate your pulse either in your radial artery on your wrist or at your carotid artery in your neck. Choose the spot that works best for you. The only trick to measuring your heart rate is that you must use the correct fingers to do the measuring. Your thumb has a light pulse and can create some confusion when you are counting your beats. It's best to use your index finger and middle finger together. After you find the beat, you need to count how many beats occur within 60 seconds. The shortcut to this method is to count the number of beats in 30 seconds, and then to multiply that number by 2. This method gives you a 60-second count. Example: You count 23 beats in 30 seconds: 23 x 2 = 46 beats per minute. Do this for several days in a row to ensure you get consistent readings.
** In general, the lower your resting heart rate, the more physically fit you are. Some athletes have resting heart rates in the 40s. One way to see if your new workout is succeeding is to check your resting heart rate over a few months. See if it has increased, decreased, or remained the same.
3. Calculate your heart-rate reserve:
Subtract your heart's resting rate from your maximum rate.
For example, if you are 36 years old, subtract that number from 220; your maximum rate is 184. Next, subtract your resting heart rate, 46 (in this example.) Your heart-rate reserve is 138 beats per minute. This heart-rate reserve represents the cushion heartbeats available for exercise, or the difference between your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate.
4. Calculate your aerobic training heart-rate range for fat burning :
This fat-burning range will lie between 50% and 75% of your heart-rate reserve.
Using the example above, 50% of 138 beats per minute is 69. And 75% of 138 is 104. Next, add your resting heart rate to both numbers: 69 + 46 = 115 and 104 + 46 = 150. Your heart rate during aerobic training that will most efficiently burn fat is 115 to 150 beats per minute.
5. Calculate your aerobic training heart rate for fitness :
The range required to improve aerobic endurance is higher than that needed for fat burning, between 75% and 85% of your heart-rate reserve.
Again using the previous example, 75% of the heart-rate reserve of 138 is 104, and 85% is 117.
Re-add your resting heart rate to both numbers: 104 + 46 = 150 and 117 + 46 = 163. To improve your aerobic endurance, you need to aim for between 150 and 163 heartbeats per minute.
6. Calculate your aerobic-anaerobic threshold heart-rate range:
This range represents the upper limits of aerobic exercise, the point just before you push yourself into exhaustive anaerobic work. Exercising at this intensity is usually done to improve athletic performance.
The range to accomplish this task lies between 85% and 90% of your heart-rate reserve. Again, using the example of a person with a heart-rate reserve of 138 and following the same math process as in previous steps: your aerobic-anaerobic threshold would be 163 to 170 beats per minute.
** Be advised that operating at this intensity level will not burn body fat.
7. Calculate your anaerobic training heart-rate range :
This is all-out effort and represents 90% to 100% of the cushion of your heart-rate reserve. The goal here is to go as fast as you can for as long as you can.
Using the same example, anything from 170 beats per minute to your maximum of 184 beats per minute becomes pure anaerobic training.
Via: NASM and Active.com
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
All the Flavor...None of the Fat (Just in Time for the Superbowl)!
I love celebrating Superbowl Sunday and few celebrations are complete without good food. At least not this one! But just because it's tailgate time doesn't mean your commitment to eat better needs to get sacked. So how can you enjoy one of football's finest finger foods without destroying your diet? Slow cooker - buffalo chicken lettuce wraps!
Ingredients: (makes 4-6 servings)
For the chicken:
In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.
Remove the chicken from pot, keep 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the pepper sauce and set to on high for an additional 15-20 minutes (until hot).
To prepare lettuce wraps, place 1/2 cup buffalo chicken in each leaf, top with shredded carrots and crumbled blue cheese. Wrap up and start eating!
Bon Appetit!
Ingredients: (makes 4-6 servings)
For the chicken:
- 24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 celery stalk
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic
- 16 oz fat free low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce (I use Trader Joe's)
- 6 large lettuce leaves, Bibb or Iceberg
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 container crumbled blue cheese
In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.
Remove the chicken from pot, keep 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the pepper sauce and set to on high for an additional 15-20 minutes (until hot).
To prepare lettuce wraps, place 1/2 cup buffalo chicken in each leaf, top with shredded carrots and crumbled blue cheese. Wrap up and start eating!
Bon Appetit!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
5 Foods for a Fit Heart!
February is heart month. Help protect your ticker from disease with these 5 heart-healthy superfoods!
#5) Berries are full of fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Research indicates that berries may help protect your heart from disease by decreasing inflammation in blood vessels. *Add berries to your favorite Greek yogurt or cereal or finish a healthy meal with this sweet treat.
#4) Garlic is rich in nutrients and helps lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It can also help to promote healthy blood pressure. * Try oven-roasting fresh garlic and spreading it on your favorite protein or vegetable.
#3) Nuts. Full of fiber, antioxidants and heart-healthy fats, nuts have been shown to reduce cholesterol. Pair a handful of almonds, pistachios or walnuts with a banana for a snack or top your oatmeal at breakfast.
#2) Fish. Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and trout reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering "bad" cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish per week.
#1) Whole Grains are good sources of dietary fiber which, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease. Additionally, foods that are high in fiber help provide a feeling of fullness which may help with weight management. Whole grains contain the entire grain, the bran, germ and endosperm. Examples include whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, brown rice and bulgur.
Small nutrition changes made over time can make a big impact on a person's overall health and wellness. Try incorporating 1 or more of these foods into your nutrition plan today!
#5) Berries are full of fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Research indicates that berries may help protect your heart from disease by decreasing inflammation in blood vessels. *Add berries to your favorite Greek yogurt or cereal or finish a healthy meal with this sweet treat.
#4) Garlic is rich in nutrients and helps lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It can also help to promote healthy blood pressure. * Try oven-roasting fresh garlic and spreading it on your favorite protein or vegetable.
#3) Nuts. Full of fiber, antioxidants and heart-healthy fats, nuts have been shown to reduce cholesterol. Pair a handful of almonds, pistachios or walnuts with a banana for a snack or top your oatmeal at breakfast.
#2) Fish. Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and trout reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering "bad" cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish per week.
#1) Whole Grains are good sources of dietary fiber which, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease. Additionally, foods that are high in fiber help provide a feeling of fullness which may help with weight management. Whole grains contain the entire grain, the bran, germ and endosperm. Examples include whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, brown rice and bulgur.
Small nutrition changes made over time can make a big impact on a person's overall health and wellness. Try incorporating 1 or more of these foods into your nutrition plan today!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Benchmark and Measure Your "Fitness Core Competencies"
Congratulations, if you're reading this blog you've already committed to a fitness routine or are strongly considering doing so (right?!). So now that you're getting after it, how can you measure your success to ensure that your sweat and efforts are truly paying dividends? By benchmarking and reassessing your fitness "Core Competencies"!
Regardless of your fitness end goal, a well designed fitness program should address each of the following areas. My recommendation would be for you to do an initial baseline assessment followed by quarterly reassessments.
Fitness Core Competencies
Body Composition Test - Body Fat Assessment
A person's body composition is comprised by the amount of lean mass (muscle and bone) and fat mass in their bodies. It's very important to maintain a healthy body composition as too much or too little body fat can lead to illness and/or injury. Body fat percentages are separated into five categories; essential, athletic, fitness, acceptable and obese, each of which varies based on gender.
Core Strength Test - Plank Assessment
Your core, which includes the muscles of your abdominal, lower back and hips, are involved in every single movement you do! Your core is not only responsible for stabilizing your spine and keeping your torso upright, but it allows you to bend your torso forward, backward, from side to side, as well as rotate.
Lower Body Strength Test - Squat Assessment
Our leg muscles, specifically the hamstring, quadriceps and glutes, are some of the biggest and most powerful muscles in the body. Not only are these muscles called into play in almost every standing activity we do, but they are also key in preventing knee and hip injuries from taking place.
Upper Body Strength Test - Pushup Assessment
A strong upper body is important for everyday movements such as carrying work materials and picking up groceries and luggage with ease and without risk of injury. Strength and endurance in the muscles of the upper body, specifically the chest, shoulders, triceps and core is a good indication of overall fitness.
Sit and Reach Test - Flexibility Assessment
The sit and reach test is the most common way to measure lower back and hamstring flexibility.
Because tightness in the low back and hamstrings is often related to muscle pain and stiffness, this test may help determine a person's risk for future pain and injury.
12 Minute Run/Walk Test - Endurance Assessment
Cardiovascular endurance is the ability to perform sustained physical activity such as walking briskly, jogging, or running around with your kids. During cardiovascular activity, breathing increases to get oxygen into the lungs and heart rate increases to deliver oxygen to working muscles. Regular cardiovascular exercise yields important benefits as it strengthens the heart and improves the entire cardiovascular system. The aerobically fit heart is more efficient and runs at a lower rate during exercise and at rest.
1/4 Mile Run Test - Speed Assessment
In order for competitive athletes to compete well in races and/or sporting events, speed is important. Whether a person is competing against themselves or another competitor, an effective way to measure improvements is through speed assessments.
For additional information on each each test, please don't hesitate to contact me. Best of luck to you and keep training!
Jake
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Off-Season Triathlon Training
With the first day of fall right around the corner, many triathletes will race or have raced their final event of the season. This transition gives us an opportunity to reflect on our performances from the past year and start preparing for next season. Over the course of the next couple of months, I recommend athletes do two things: take a bit of a break, and concentrate on aspects of training that are often forgotten during the racing season.
Take a physical and mental break
Once you finished your last race of the season it is time to take a break. It is important to let your body recover but perhaps more importantly, let your mind rest from all the training and racing stress. Play a team sport, go hiking or go on a skiing trip. You can still do some running, swimming or biking. Just keep it fun and unstructured. New activities will invigorate you. Not to mention that your non-triathlete friends and loved ones would be glad to see you.
Train your weaknesses
This is a great motto but make sure that training weaknesses does not turn into doing mega-mileage during the off-season. If swimming is your weak sport concentrate on technique improvements rather than swimming 5000 yards five times a week. Most swimming improvements come from technique. If you swim 25,000 yards a week and have bad technique you will be cementing bad technique into your muscle memory and make it that much harder to fix. You will become a very fit slow swimmer. On the other hand if running is your weak sport I do not recommend training for a marathon to become a better runner. Work on your running technique with running drills as mentioned above. Finally, if the bike is your weak sport it is usually because of lack of experience on the bike or a bad fit on your bike. Get the good bike fit at your local bike shop, get on your trainer, or go outside if the weather permits. Get a consistent dosage of aerobic riding during the off-season. Getting on a trainer may not be the most fun activity over the off-season, especially for runners and swimmers. Make that commitment and you will be glad you did when triathlon season comes around.
Strength training
As triathletes we like to think of ourselves as very fit individuals. We run, we bike, we swim, we do it all. Yet we find ourselves getting sore if we go play tennis or a competitive game of softball. This is even more so as we get older. Strength training will help us strengthen those muscles that we generally do not use in triathlon. I recommend strength training year round. However, I know that many athletes cannot seem to find the time to do all three disciplines and also hit the weight room. The off-season is a great time to get back on some strengthening program. It will improve your power, and help with injury prevention. Ask your Trainer to design an off-season strengthening program for you.
Plan your racing season
Start planning your racing season now. You may have to sign up soon as many top races are filling up way in advance. Some people enjoy a nice progression to a racing season. Schedule some shorter races early in the season and finish with a big effort on a longer race. Other scenarios are possible. Just be sure to give yourself enough time between races of different distances to do some proper training. This will improve your chances of performing your best.
Don't be a (January) National Champion
Training takes effort, it causes pain and it wears on you. Save that energy for when it counts later in the season. Being fit in January does not mean that you will be that much fitter by summer. The more likely scenario is low performance during the summer due to over training and getting mentally drained from all the high intensity. Work hard, but don't overdue it in the off-season.
Most importantly, enjoy the off-season! Be proud of the work you've put in over the past year and get excited for what's to come!
Via: MarkAllenOnline
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