Today's workout may look complicated, but it really isn't. Run sprints of 10, 15, 20, 30, 20, 15, and 10 seconds with 1 minutes recovery in between (90 seconds on each side of the 30 second sprint).
Perform pull-up ladders supersetted with sets of push-ups for twenty minutes.
To do ladders: perform 1 pull-up, then a set of 2 pull-ups, then a set of 3 pull-ups, and so on until you miss a set (i.e. you should have done 6 pull-ups but only managed to do 5). After you miss a set, start building again at 1.Insert a set of push-ups between each set of pull-ups. The push-ups don't have to be done in ladder format. Simply crank out a reasonable number that will provide a nice counterbalance to the pulling exercise without burning yourself out. Continue performing sets of each exercise for twenty minutes.
Advanced:
Ladders of Pull-ups/Chin-ups
Sets of Regular Push-ups
Intermediate and Basic:
Ladders of Partial or Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows
Today's workout uses high tension techniques and slow reps to increase the difficulty of two of our favorite bodyweight exercises: the push-up and the pull-up. High tension involves a conscious, greater than necessary contraction of the muscles involved in each exercise. Imagine that you are pressing or pulling a tremendous weight as you perform each exercise. Slow motion will also be utilized on each rep to enhance the difficulty. Slow motion reps help increase the strength building value of the exercise while protecting the joints from injury.
Do not hold your breath during these exercises.If you find the reps too difficult to complete: Reduce the amount of tension you are generating, and/or Move to an easier version of the exercise.
The sets and reps listed below are suggestions. The idea is to perform five sets of each exercise with each set lasting approximately 0.5-1 minute and with 1-1.5 minutes of rest between sets. You may find it necessary to decrease the number of reps, increase the speed of the reps, or decrease the amount of tension being generated. Feel free to adjust the sets/reps as necessary.
Perform one set of HT-SM Pushups at the top of every second minute for ten minutes. (On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th minutes)
Perform one set of HT-SM Pull-ups at the top of every second minute for ten minutes. (On the 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th minutes)
Advanced:
5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Pushups (5-6 seconds down, 5-6 seconds up) (Rest at least one minute between sets)
5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Pull-ups (5-6 seconds down, 5-6 seconds up) (Rest at least one minute between sets)
Intermediate:
5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Knee Pushups (3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up) (Rest at least one minute between sets)
5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Lying Body Rows(3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up) (Rest at least one minute between sets)
Basic:
5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Countertop Pushups (3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up) (Rest at least one minute between sets)
5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Standing Body Rows (3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up) (Rest at least one minute between sets)
If you found this article, you might be browsing for the Best treadmill for home use 2013. Just like checking on the hottest gadgets, examining on the latest Best home treadmills has been a form of practice by many people who live an active lifestyle - especially those of you who like working out in the convenience of their homes.
If this is your first time to buy a home treadmill, you should definitely consider the type of treadmill that you are not only comfortable with. Rather, choose something that can uniquely enhance your exercise. The way you choose to exercise is unique to you, from the way you do your routines and way you utilize your treadmill. Some home exercise equipment cannot accommodate this difference which is the exact reason why you really have to be meticulous in choosing the right equipment, especially if it is your first time to purchase your home treadmill.
Let's Look at What Is A Folding Treadmill And Its Benefits
With recent advances in technology, the quality of folding treadmills has enhanced too. A folding treadmill is a very practical solution for smaller living areas or multi-purpose rooms. When you're looking for folding treadmills, you should make sure that the treadmill is stable, easy-to-fold and has good warranty. In this article, we will discuss three options for best folding treadmill.
LifeSpan TR 1200i Folding Treadmill
The LifeSpan TR 1200i folding treadmill is sturdy, reliable, and fraught with valuable features that allow you to walk, jog or run, without any trouble, in your own home. Its design incorporates convenient handlebar control panel that lets you adjust your speed and inclination angles, without having to remove your hands from the handlebars. This makes sure that you can run or jog and simultaneously control your speed, without losing your concentration.
LifeSpan TR 1200i Folding Treadmill has other highly attractive features like the multicolored LCD console that keeps track of your time on the treadmill, your pace and distance covered among other things. It supports up to 300 pounds of weight and also offers you a variety of programs ranging from simple weight loss to sports training. It has a large 20 x 56 inches running surface. It has a very easy to handle EZ drop folding system whose frame comes with a lifetime warranty. This makes our first option reliable and easy to use. These are two very important attributes of a folding treadmill.
ProForm Power 995 Treadmill
ProForm Power 995 Treadmill promises revolutionary technology along with a powerful design which combined together, deliver effective results. Not only does it provide compatibility with iFit Live, this particular treadmill also offers workout programs powered by Google Maps. It even features workouts that are personalized and can be downloaded wirelessly to the control panel, every day.
Additionally, the ProForm Power 995 Treadmill comes with Nike and iPod compatibility, allowing you to track your performance and have your music with you while you run. It also includes ProShox Elite 2 cushioning for your comfort along with QuickSpeed and Quick Incline for your convenience. It has the ability to support up to 350 pounds, suggesting that this is a high-quality treadmill. It has a spacious 20 x 60 inches belt and the heart rate monitor is a bonus.
Horizon Fitness T101-3 Treadmill
The Horizon Fitness T101-3 Treadmill comes with a quiet, yet powerful motor along with a reliably sturdy platform. It also includes console speakers that allow you to play your music through your iPhone or MP3. Its frame remains stable even during high intensity workouts, while the PerfectFLEX deck cushioning provides the best support and shock absorption.
Its unique COOLfit fan keeps you cool while working out. It's quite easy to fold this treadmill because of its FeatherLIGHT lift that incorporates two hydraulic shocks to help with the raising and lowering of the deck. It also offers nine programming choices that include a distance, time and calories target, so you can adjust your workout according to the amount of challenge you want to take on.
Today I’m going to talk about the lessons I have learned from reading about “logotherapy”. What is logotherapy? Well it’s a stream of psychology developed by Viktor Frankl that is based on the premise of Existential Analysis and the will to meaning as a motive for human behaviour.
Basically, logotherapist will define the search for meaning in one’s life as the singular, most powerful, motivating force that we can possess. Some other traditional psychologists will argue that other “wills” are more influential, such as the will to power (i.e., Alder) or the will to pleasure (i.e., Freud).
Why the hell am I talking about all this stuff? Well, I’m half way through Frankl’s book “Man’s Search for Meaning” (which I highly recommend) and I think his philosophy on life and psychology fits VERY well when it comes to health behavior change psychology (i.e., what this blog is based on).
For the purpose of this post, and my general(evolving) view point in life, the will to meaningleads to the best “mental hygiene” (according to Frankl), and thus the impetus needed for meaningful changes to one’s life (i.e., health behaviour).
So what are some lessons I have learned so far from logotherapy and how it pertains to maintaining a healthy lifestyle? Well I am going to cover two today, so read on if I haven’t totally lost you already!
1. Life has meaning in all circumstances, even the most miserable ones:
Frankl will often refer to his experiences during the Holocaust when talking about this premise. Although adopting a healthy lifestyle can NEVER be compared to the suffering endured by Holocast survivors, I think this point offers some insight into changing you behaviour in this regard.
This may make sense, or may just be an example of how my biases will take anything and make it into something, but from my experience, the primary reason(s) I hear that people can’t/won’t be physically active that want to be are a) I don’t have enough time or b) I don’t have enough money.
If we take the premise “life has meaning in all circumstances” as truth, these two minor barriers would not prevent you from being physically active. Alternatively, at the moment being physically active just does not mean enough to you to overcome these perceived barriers.
I know this may seem blunt and hard to digest, but regardless of your circumstances, if you derive meaning in your life from being active and healthy you will do anything to achieve that goal.
Now, if despite your best intentions you are currently struggling to start and maintain positive health changes in your life, I’d like you to ask yourself, “do I derive meaning and a feeling of accomplishment from doing these behaviours?” If not, you’re probably not going to start or continue doing said behaviours. The problem is (obviously still in my opinion), health is the single most important thing we have in this world. By being healthy we can love and help others and lead a fulfilling life full of happiness, sorrows, and experiences.
So how do you make these beahviours a priority to you? Well no one can tell you the answer, you just have to “do it”. I know that sounds simplistic, but a mere change in perspective and your own psychology can be a very impactful tool to change behaviour. However, from experience, this is very hard to do and takes a lot of patients and acceptance of failure.
If you believe this may be a route of why you haven’t been able to start and maintain a regularly active schedule and eat healthy food I would recommend devoting one-two day(s) of the week to health. You have to think of these days as a necessity for you to have meaning in your life (i.e., these days are of importance to your well being as a person). If you achieve successfully completing your health day(s) on a regular basis (i.e., 2-3 weeks), re-assess then “up-the-ante” if you deem it necessary.
2. We have the freedom to find meaning in what we do, what we experience, or at least in the stand we take when we are faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.
Again, this postulation was advanced by Frankl as a result of his Holocaust experience, but it can be very applicable to our more “mundane” and “comfortable” existence that most of us are lucky enough to experience.
You, yes YOU, have 100% control of a) your thoughts, or at least how you interpret them, b) your choices and beliefs, and thus c) your behaviours and experiences. If physical activity ISN’T important to you, despite what everyone is saying, don’t do it. You have that choice.
Again, I am bias as I derive a LOT of meaning in my life from physically active pursuits, but we must acknowledge that with every choice there is a consequence, and the only person responsible for that is you. So, you decide you do not want to be physically active or eat healthy, then you have to accept yourself as a physically inactive person. If you get heart disease, become over-weight, or develop insulin resistance you have to acknowledge that you are the only person responsible for these ailments, and you have a choice to change it.
Frankl says (which I love), your actions on one day do NOT or should not influence your actions on the next day, as every day presents different challenges. Just because you have neglected your body and want to make a change doesn’t mean you’re a less a person for letting yourself slip into poor health (despite what North American culture will tell you), it just wasn’t a priority for you in the past, and thus, poor health was the consequence. Now we can get into the politics of the “burden on the health care system due to inactivity” but that isn’t the point of this post, the point is that YOU HAVE A CHOICE no matter what you have done in the past.
So you’ve been overweight your entire life, your parents taught you to eat like crap, you've never stepped foot in a gym, and you’re depressed. Well you have a choice as a free person to change everything despite your past circumstances…
If you’re unsure how to make that transition from past to present, I can tell you the first step is to acknowledge and own that you have a choice and complete control over every action you make and everything you say, and thus must take responsibility for the results. I know this because I have been on top of the world, and at the bottom of it, and the only difference between the two “lives” I have lived is how I handled my circumstances in terms of my choices psychologically and behaviourally.
If you’re still unsure what I am rambling about, watch the video below. It’s not directly pertinent to physically activity, but outlines the premise of freedom of choice and finding meaning in life.
So I’ll leave it there for now. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments leave them below or if you’d like you can e-mail me at byntraining@gmail.com
Same workout for everyone today. Adjust the intensity of each sprint interval according to your individual ability. You should be out of breath after each sprint interval, but you should recover quickly enough to begin the next assigned sprint.
5 minutes - Cardio Activity(E.g. Run, Run-in-place, Jumping Jacks, Skip Rope, Bear or Crab Crawl) Pick an exercise that raises your heartrate and can be sustained for five minutes. This is a general warm-up, not a sprint. If you are out of breath, you are pushing too hard.
Today we'll be applying a popular weightlifting technique to a bodyweight exercise. The concept is simple: perform a set of hard push-ups, then immediately perform a set of an easier push-up variation, then immediately perform a third set of an even easier version. This workout is tough; do not underestimate it. Keep the reps low, especially early in the session, to avoid burnout.
Complete as many drop sets as possible in twenty minutes.
Advanced:
Feet Elevated PU
Regular PU
Knee PU
Intermediate:
Regular PU
Knee PU
Countertop PU
Basic:
Knee PU
Countertop PU
Countertop PU (move feet closer to the countertop)
Complete as many circuits as possible in twenty minutes. If you are not accustomed to plyometric training or are obese, perform the Basic WOD. Advanced:
12 Short Range Squat Jumps(Half-Squat Jumps: Squat until your elbows touch your knees and thighs are parallel to ground and then jump for height or distance)
12 Full Range Squat Jumps(Deep Squat Jumps: Squat deep until your hands touch the ground and then jump for height or distance)
20 High Tension Bodyweight Squats(Squat while maintaining conscious tension of the leg mucles)
Intermediate:
6 Short Range Squat Jumps
6 Full Range Squat Jumps
10 High Tension Bodyweight Squats
Basic:
5 Half-Squat Jumps
10 Lunges (Each leg)
10 Calf Raise and Flex
Are you tempted to cheat on the jump as your legs become tired? Try Traveling B-Circuits by jumping for distance instead of height. Try to cover the same total distance on each circuit as the workout progresses to ensure that you are pushing yourself adequately.
Same workout for everyone today. Adjust the intensity of each sprint interval according to your individual ability. You should be out of breath after each sprint interval, but you should recover quickly enough to begin the next assigned sprint.
5 minutes - Cardio Activity(E.g. Run, Run-in-place, Jumping Jacks, Skip Rope, Bear or Crab Crawl) Pick an exercise that raises your heartrate and can be sustained for five minutes. This is a general warm-up, not a sprint. If you are out of breath, you are pushing too hard.
Perform a set of pull-ups or push-ups at the top of every minute for twenty minutes. Perform pull-ups on the odd numbered minutes (1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19) and push-ups on the even numbered minutes (2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20). You will perform ten sets of each exercise. The alternating pattern will allow you to do more reps and/or more challenging reps in each set than you could do in superset fashion.
Advanced:
Pull-ups or Chin-ups
Push-ups, Dips, Handstand PU, or other challenging variation
I’m writing a post due to recent requests/pestering from my readers, the fact I haven't written anything (in this blog) in Jan 3rd, and (more likely) because I’m having a major writing block trying to finish my thesis (I literally have like 2 pages to go).
This post is about why physical activity is the best thing EVER and is for pure entertainment and/or practical life information. I’ll let you decide.
1. It’s the closest way to feel like, and actually become, a real life superhero. Specifically, when working out a regular basis you are likely to start to refer to yourself in your superhero alter ego (i.e., Byn), where colourful costumes, recruit sidekicks, and talk like a superhero (“Let’s do this!”). Sure, taking LSD will give you probably a “higher” feeling of super-hero-dum, but I hear isn’t the best thing to do to your brain, and you’re more likely to –actually- try to fly, which I also hear isn’t a good idea.
2. You meet sexy ass, awesome superheros as well. Physically active people are pretty cool (and not too bad to look at either). Don’t get me wrong, we complain about how much our legs/biceps (Scott)/lats/glutes/forearms/fingers hurt all the time, and there are a fair share of physically active “douchebags”, but generally active people are fun and like to do fun things…. Maybe with you! Wink.
… Wait did I just call myself hot? Damn right!
3. It gives you an excuse to touch/fondle/molest your friends in public and in a socially acceptable manner. “Oh, your pecs are sore? Come here. Let me message that for you”. I’m actually pretty sure that’s how 99% of fitness relationships start… I’m talking to you Josh and Robin.
4. It gives you something to talk about. “That crazy spin instructor destroyed my quads last night…Guess what, I’m the instructor!” *creepy smile*, “I just benched my own body weight”, and “I like rock climb pretty much any time I can”, are great conversation starters, despite what the people on the bus say.
5. Self inflicted pain helps you deal with unexpected pain. Just bashed your knee against the toilet after you dropped your cellphone in it, fell off the lawn chair trying to reach your beer that was obviously out of reach to everyone else watching you, or somehow wedged yourself in a log and had to be pulled out by your legs? That’s nothing compared to the 70 lunges/burpies/boulder problems you did yesterday.
6. It helps you be fucking awesome(er) as you age. Everyone loves a muscular old person - they’re cute AND terrifying at the same time! Imagine your grandkids being all like “yea, well my grandma is stronger than your dad”….. “thanks grandkids.. I AM a pretty bad ass old person!” (here’s some money)…Yea that’s what I thought, you want that in your life. I also hear riding motorcycles can give you the same “bad ass” appeal, but let’s be serious- I’m a pretty terrible driver at 26.
7. You can be a screaming crazy person. It’s the only socially acceptable situation where you can scream like you (a) are having sex, (b) are really angry, or (c) just discovered that the leafs blew a 4-1 lead in the time it took you to get a sammich and go to the bathroom, (too soon?). Helps ya’ get rid of all that pent up emotion and such. It also helps you deal with the previously mentioned situations… well, except for (a) it helps you deal with a lack of that usually.
8. It gives you an excuse to wear spandex pretty much every day. We all know spandex is comfortable as fuck and makes your butt look faaaannntttassstic, yes even for you too men. I’m pretty sure Scott’s didn’t think I owned anything but spandex for the first year we were dating, not that he complained.
9. Letting everyone else know how awesome you are. Finally, it gives you feelings of self entitlement to tell everyone about how active you are, how awesome being active is, and why everyone in the entire world should work out. Not like I ever do that…..
Seriously though, if you need help being active respond to this blog post or e-mail me at byntraining@gmail.com
Yup being active is pretty much the greatest thing ever. Enough of this, I should be writing my thesis.
