Sample Tabata Round #3

If you missed my last sample Tabata workout, check it out here: Sample Tabata Round #2

Here is a sample round you may want to try.  It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, your heart will be pumping if you push yourself.  Each number represents a 20 second round (with 10 seconds of rest after each round).  The only equipment needed is a Kettlebell (you will probably need different weights for different exercises).

1.  Squat & Press (Squat then Shoulder press Kettlebell with both arms)
2.  Kettlebell Swing
3.  Alternating Jump Lunges
4.  Back Row (Right Side)
5.  Back Row (Left Side)
6.  Squat & Press
7.  Kettlebell Swing
8.  Alternating Jump Lunges

Those Jumping Lunges are killer!  I recommend adding them into any of your circuits.

Sample Tabata Round #2

If you missed my last sample Tabata workout, check it out here: Sample Tabata Round #1

Here is a sample round you may want to try.  It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, your heart will be pumping if you push yourself.  Each number represents a 20 second round (with 10 seconds of rest after each round).  The only equipment needed was a Kettlebell and a Heavybag laying flat on the floor.

1.  Two Arm Kettlebell Clean & Press
2.  Swings
3.  Side Control Ground & Pound (Right Hand – Hammerfists, Straight Punches, etc)
4.  Side Control Ground & Pound (Left Hand)
5.  Two Arm Kettlebell Clean & Press
6.  Swings
7.  Ground & Pound from The Mount Position (Elbows, Straight Punches, Hooks)
8.  Ground & Pound from The Mount Position

Sample Tabata Round #1

If you are not familiar with the Tabata Method, you may read about it here: Tabata Method

Here is a sample round you may want to try (I did this one on Saturday).  Each number represents a 20 second round.  I used a Kettlebell for each exercise.  Click the exercise for a demonstration of what it is if you don’t already know.

1.  Kettlebell Swing
2. Kettlebell Clean & Press
3. One Arm Row (Right Side)
4.  One Arm Row (Left Side)
5.  Kettlebell Swing
6.  Kettlebell Clean & Press
7.  Halo (Right Side)
8.  Halo (Left Side)

Running Rounds!

For those of you who love running and are looking for something to mix things up, try running rounds!

What you will do is get on a treadmill and set it for a speed you can handle for 5 minutes.  When the first round is over you have a 1 minute break.  During this 1 minute break you will drop the speed to a walking pace and raise the incline to one that is challenging for you.  Walk this for 5 minutes (Round 2).  During your next 1 minute break, drop the treadmill back down to a 0 incline and repeat Round 1 again.  Do up to 5 rounds (alternating each round).

The good thing about the treadmill is you can keep track of your progress very easily.  Record your speeds and incline settings and try to increase these each time you do the program.  You can alternate this into your regular workouts or you can do it 3-5 times a week depending on your fitness level and goals.  Since you are mixing things up it goes by quickly and will get your heart pounding!

Example:
Round 1:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes
Round 2:
Incline of 7.5, walk at 3.5 mph
Round 3:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes

Mercola.com’s Death by Medicine

Everyone should watch this. Just because a Doctor tells you something doesn’t mean it’s true, they have a terrible track record. Even Doctors (like Dr. Mercola) are starting to speak out about how bad it is. Many just want to put people on pills (which have tons of side effects) instead of trying to fix the actual problem. Not all Doctors are bad, but many of them are.

Caveman Training

I recently started a new workout program and in that program I have mentioned that my cardio largely consists of something called Caveman training. I briefly described how it works but I wanted to post some videos just to give you guys a better understanding of it.

Video #1:

Caveman training can basically consist of anything you want, but it is generally sport specific and includes explosive moments. Generally you will do 5 minute rounds. I started with 3 rounds but will eventually work my way up to 5. You can mix up the exercises you do in each round or complete the same ones over again, it's all up to you and what you want to do. This built in variety helps keep things from becoming boring.


Video #2:

Why Workout?

Exercising is about much more than trying to lose 5lbs or fit into some old clothes you used to wear.  Setting short term goals is fine, but the benefits of exercise goes way beyond that.  Exercise will make you look better, feel better, have more energy through the day and much, much more.  It's never to late to get started, so start today! 

Slow Weight Lifting for Fast Results

Have you stopped growing and making improvements during your workouts?  I have been doing something different over the last month and I have already seen results.  In fact, my chest is sore today from my workout yesterday! 

What is this big secret that helps overcome plateaus?  Lift weights slowly!  Instead of burning through all of your sessions as quickly as possible, perhaps even using bad form, slow the movement down.  You will not be able to lift as heavy of a weight, but so what if it is helping you grow.

This is a simple change to make.  Using Bench Press as an example you will want to take 2 seconds to press the barbell up, then lower it over 4 seconds (this can be done with any exercise).  Not only does this allow you to use perfect form (and prevent injuries), but this puts your muscles under tension for a longer period of time, forcing you to fight gravity the whole way.   

Do not cheat!  We are not talking about counting to 4 as quickly as you can, but a real 4 seconds period.  Another advantage of this type of training is it doesn't allow you to cheat using momentum.  A lot of people will use a heavy weight and just swing it with the help of their entire body (this happens a lot with bicep curls).  It is called a bicep curl for a reason, you are supposed to be using your biceps (only) for the movement. 

Try this method for the next 3 months and see the dramatic results!

Zone Perfect Chocolate Mint Bars

 Today we are going to be looking at Zone Perfect's Chocolate Mint bars.

Taste:

If you like mint, you will probably like these bars.  I think these bars taste great and actually so does the company who makes them.  There is even a refund policy on the bottom of the box if you don't like the bars. Taste = 9.5 out of 10.

Protein & Nutrition:

These bars have 14 grams of protein but each bar is 50 grams.  While this isn't a great ratio, used as a meal replacement it's not a huge issue.  Some of the extra grams come from fat, fiber and a little bit comes from sugar (13 grams).  These bars are loaded with vitamins, containing 20% - 50% of 19 different Vitamins & minerals.  Protein & Nutrition = 8.5 out of 10

Servings:

These come 5 per box.  The price can vary but you are probably looking at a little over $1 per bar.  This is a pretty good price but I like to keep my meal replacements below $1 per meal since I eat a lot.  Servings = 8

Artificial ingredients:

This product is supposed to be all natural so I do not have any complaints here.  This is one of the better protein products for the category.   Artificial ingredients = 10 out of 10

Overall, this is a good tasting protein bar that can be used as a meal replacement or a snack.  Zone Perfect Chocolate Mint Bars receive a score of 9 out of 10. 

Excuses

How many times have you said one of these to yourself?  Just because we feel like giving up doesn't mean we should.  Get out of bed, train hard, put in the work regardless of if you feel like it or not.  Change yourself for the better, starting today!

Naturally Boost "Youth Hormone"

After 30 years of age our bodies produce less and less growth hormone.  Growth hormone is basically   what makes us young, giving us toned muscles and lower body fat.  But if you are over 30, all is not lost, there are natural ways to boost your bodies growth hormone production.

Long slow cardio is what most people do but it doesn't help with growth hormone production.  Try peak 8 instead and see the results yourself.  This type of exercise can naturally boost your growth hormone levels by over 700% for up to 2 hours!  It's the intensity that makes the difference.  In nature you don't see animals jogging for miles and miles, it's not our we are designed to function.  They go all out and then stop and walk or rest completely.  Just like with animals, this type of training will give you better cardio as well. 

Peak 8 can be done on a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical machine, etc.  After a short warm up (3-4 minutes) you want to sprint for 30 seconds (this should be hard, making you tired, if you can talk while you are doing this you aren't going hard enough).  Follow that sprint with 1 minutes and 30 seconds of recoup time, during which you will be walking or riding slowly.  Repeat that 7 more times and you are finished!

That is all there is to it.  It takes around 20 minutes and it's better for you than running for miles. 

Another similar program is The Tabata Method, which you can read about here: http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/arc-bobs-against-god.html

 

Review: Bob Harper Kettlebells

I'll just start out by saying that I am a big fan of these kettlebells.  When looking for a kettlebell there are a few things you want to find out about before purchasing, such as the weight, the grip and the comfort.

The weight you will have to decide on for yourself but with the grip you want to make sure you can fit both of your hands into it with a comfortable about of space.  Many kettlebell exercises can be done with one hand but many others needs both.  A major problem I have found with many kettlebells is that the handle is narrow or oddly shaped and both hands will not fit inside of it, making it useless or dangerous to perform any two handed moves.  These kettlebells are wide enough and perfectly shaped to be comfortable.

As an added bonus, these kettlebells have a nice coated on them to protect your floors and make it comfortable to hold.  They also, unlike every other kettlebell I have seen, are not in the shape of a ball but rather has a curved midsection on both sides.  This curved midsection allows the kettlebell to conform to your forearm when it lands which is a nice added feature.  Each kettlebell also comes with a DVD showing some of the techniques you can perform with a kettlebell.

Though these kettlebells are a little more pricey than some of the other ones out there I feel they are better designed and nicer looking (and feeling).  I highly recommend this kettlebell for anyone interested in adding new life to their workouts.

Bob Harper Kettlebell:  3.5 out of 4 stars 

Which Body Do You Want?

When doing your cardio routine, think about what that type of training ultimately leads to.  You can spend hours and hours running or you can do high intensity workouts in just a matter of minutes.  You decide, do you want to be a marathon runner or a sprinter?

The Tabata Method is the type of workout you want to achieve a sprinters body type, strong, fast, powerful.  Check out my past blogs on the Tabata Method:

1.  Intro:  http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/arc-bobs-against-god.html

2.  Tabata Training for Kickboxing/Boxing:  http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/tabata-training-for-mma.html

3.  Tabata Training for MMA: http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/tabata-training-for-mma_26.html

Focus Mitts

If you are looking for an excellent cardiovascular workout that also builds some power and skill (and you have a partner), look into getting a pair of focus mitts.  These mitts are designed like gloves but with a striking pad on the front of them.

How to use focus mitts

If you don't have any martial arts training you can still use focus mitts to workout (just learn how to punch correctly first).  Just start simply.  Throw single punches like a jab, cross, hook or uppercut.  Once you master these you can start putting them together in combos.  Mitts are an excellent tool for getting into shape and will get you very tired, very quickly.  You don't have to try to kill the mitts when your strike, just be accurate and give them a little pop.

To punch correctly and not hurt your wrists, hold your arm straight out in front of you.  Turn your fist slightly to the outside so that your first 2 knuckles will be what make contact with the pad.  You want there to be a straight line running up your arm from your first 2 knuckle through your forearm.  This allows the impact to travel straight through your body.  If your wrist isn't straight the impact will cause your wrist to bend one way or the other. 

Break Out of Your Shell

Do you want to be healthy?  What kind of body do you want have?  We can determine what we feel like, what we look like, all by what we put into our bodies and by the work we put into our bodies through exercise.  Decide what you want out of life and work for it starting today.  It's never to late to change.  Success is just taking one step forward everyday towards your goals.

Exercise benefits

Guys, losing weight and getting into shape is a great benefit of exercise but that is merely the tip of the iceberg.  The health benefits of exercise are numerous! 

Motivation

It's never to late to get started.  Even if you are so out of shape so can't do any hard exercise, just start by taking a walk everyday.  You can make that harder as you progress by mixing in some walks up hill and/or holding hand weights.  Even the greatest had to start at the beginning.  The important thing is that you start. 

Pure Protein's Peanut Marshmallow Eclipse Bar Review

Welcome to my review of Pure Protein's Peanut Marshmallow Eclipse Bar.

Taste:
This protein bar tastes great.  I would almost eat this for a snack even if it wasn't a supplement.  Taste is important, because if you can't eat it (because it tastes so bad) you won't stick with it.  This product gets a 9.5 out of 10 on taste.

Protein: (and vitamins & minerals):
This bar is 50 grams, 19 of those grams are protein.  This bar is a good snack or meal replacement, depending on your goals, and it isn't a huge protein bar so it's nice to get so much protein from it.  The rest of the grams come from fat and carbs (which isn't necessarily bad).  Sugar is what people really need to be looking out for and this product has next to none.  It also contains 25% of many of your daily vitamins and minerals.  This product gets an 8.5 out of 10 on protein.

Servings:
This varies on if you buy a box of them or buy it as a single protein bar.   The price per bar also varies depending on if you buy it in a box or single.  Protein bars cost a little more per serving than protein shakes typically but they are nice to break up the same old thing all the time, and you can carry it with you.  This product gets a 7.5 out of 10 on servings.

Artificial ingredients:
As always I try to avoid these whenever possible.  Overall this protein bar isn't bad.  It's biggest offender is Sucralose (Splenda) and it's the last product on the list (meaning it contains this in a smaller amount than anything else in it).  This product gets a 9 out of 10 on Artificial ingredients.

Overall this is a great product and an easy way to get 19 grams of protein.  It's handy and you can take it with you anywhere you go.

I give this product an 8.6 out of 10.

Sugar is the enemy

One of the best things you can do to lose weight and improve your health in many other ways is to severely limit your sugar intake.

All weight is not created equal

This is why it's important to find out your body fat percentage.  Sometimes people lose weight and think they are doing good, but they have lost muscle.  Sometimes people gain weight and think they are doing good but it's fat.