Stretching Warm Up

This is the list of stretches that we will be using in the warm up at the start of the semester.

Stretching Warm Up before Mobility – 50s/station

1. Standing Hamstring – Foot Elevated on the bench 25s/leg (Weight Room)

2. 1 arm lat stretch on Cable Cross over – 25s/arm (Weight Room)

3. Standing Pec Stretch – arm @ 45 degrees- 25s/arm

4. Seated partner groin stretch

5. 2 Handed arm pit stretch on the wall  -hands above height

6. Kneeling Quad Stretch on the wall – 25s/leg – mats needed

7. Seated Butterfly stretch

8. Straight leg calf stretch – 25s/leg

9. Bent leg calf stretch – 25s/leg

10. Standing Hip Flexor stretch – 25s/leg

Push Up Options

Here is a list of Push Up options for you to try.  Bench press is only one way to work the chest, triceps and shoulders.  Push ups are an essential staple of any good training program.

The push ups increase in difficulty as you move down the list.

1.        Hands Elevated – Bench, Barbell, Dumbbells, Equalizers

2.        Feet Suspended – TRX, Blast Straps

3.        Hands on Bosu

4.        Hands on Swiss Ball

5.        Feet Elevated – Bench

6.        Feet Elevated – Swiss Ball

7.        Gator Crawl – with Dumbbells

8.        T Push Up  – with Dumbbells & Rotation

9.        Hands holding Hockey stick on Swiss Ball

10.      Single Leg TRX – hand stand version

11.      Feet up against the wall

• MOST OF THESE CAN BE MADE MORE DIFFICULT BY ADDING CHAINS OR A WEIGHT VEST

New Rules for Abs – Schuler & Cosgrove

New Rules of Lifting for Abs

New Rules of Lifting for Abs

Hello  Everyone!!

Crunch no more.  That is the basic theme of this book based on the latest research on the lumbar  spine.  A great deal of the studies have been carried out by Dr. Stuart McGill at the University of Waterloo.

The New RULES of Lifting for Abs

Alwyn Cosgrove and Lou Schuler have created another cutting edge book that is worth the read for the ideas that it has.  Alwyn has included some of his latest workouts from Results Fitness in California as well.  We will be posting the new and improved options in the weight room at school.

Cheers!!

Coach G

 

Lebert Fitness – The Buddy System

Hi All,

Entry Number 2 of the New Year and I wanted to share with you a great piece of fitness equipment.  It is the Lebert Buddy System.  Marc Lebert the inventor of the Equalizer, has created another great product that is very versatile, portable and affordable.

The video at the top of the page is the promotional video that Marc released late last year.

Mark came to the school where I work and did a demonstration class for our staff and I received a great deal of feedback as to what a great workout people had with such a simple device.

If you are a trainer/teacher/coach or you work out with groups this is something that you want to look into getting.  It would be great for dry land training for hockey, and so many other team sports.  This is a great alternative to expensive weight rooms and it is totally portable.

Cheers,

Coach G

TRX Gator Crawl

HNY everyone,

This is a new movement that I created for an advanced core exercise for your programs.  Doug Balzarini from Fitness Quest 10 posted a great clip on Elite FTS that had 5 very advanced exercises for the TRX that you may not have seen.  I created my exercise after I watched one of his movements and changed it from tricep explosiveness and more towards core stability.

Here is a link to Doug’s article.

I have several more health and fitness ideas that I will be passing your way in the New year!!

Cheers,

Coach G

Blog of a Badass II

BadassHello  Everyone!!

I wanted to share with you some of my results from working on Joe DeFranco’s Built Like a Badass.

It is a 12 week program that is like nothing I have ever done before.  Intense, diverse and rewarding are my 3 best descriptions for the program.  You definitely need a good base before you venture into this program.

I completed the program 4 times in the last year and here are some of the changes that I have seen.

I now weigh 182 pounds.  I have never been able to get over 180 in my life until this program.  My Percent body fat is the same so I know that I have put on some muscle 🙂

All Numbers will be before Badass and then after 4 rounds.

Chin Ups Max reps  22  up to 38 ( a number that I never imagined until this program)

Flat Bench 225 up to 240

Box Squat  275 up to 375

Body Weight inverted Row – 23 total reps in 2 sets to 46 reps

One test I did on my own was the Standing Long Jump – 2.52 m up to 2.68 m

In 4 rounds I never broke the elusive 6 minute mile…..I hit 6:01 twice. That is a number that I would like to break…I may need to do that one day on its own away from the killer leg workout.

Joe, thanks for a great program!!  I really enjoyed it!!!  Do you have a new program in the works called Beyond a Badass?????  I may have to create my own hybrid….

Cheers everyone!!

Coach G

FOOD Inc. on CBC – A must see documentary

Hello  Everyone!!

This a must see video if you would like to make more informed choices about where your food comes from.

It has 2 showings on CBC.

Sunday November 28 at 10 pm ET/PT & Saturday December 4 at 7 pm ET on CBC News Network

Here is a description of the video from the CBC web site.

Food, Inc. reveals how complicated and compromised the once simple process of growing crops and raising livestock to feed ourselves and our families has become. But, it also reminds us that despite what appears to be at times a hopeless situation, each of us still has the ability to vote on this issue every day – at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

It’s important to note that the filmmakers attempted to interview representatives from Monsanto, Tyson, Perdue and Smithfield, but they all declined.

Cheers & enjoy the journey,

Coach G

 

Physical Activity Increases Brain Activity

Hello  Everyone!!

Thanks again to Dan O’Connor for this link on the impact of physical activity and brain development.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/phys-ed-can-exercise-make-kids-smarter/

The study shows a significant difference in those students that were active compared to those students that were not active.

Parents make sure that your kids are getting quality daily physical education!!

Cheers,

Coach G

Static Stretching -Is it beneficial??

Hello  Everyone!!

I’d like to thank my new friend Dan O’Connor for this link on static stretching.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/phys-ed-does-stretching-before-running-prevent-injuries/

There was no difference between the 2 study groups with respect to rate of injury.  It was quite an extensive study.

With respect to warm ups, I have been using Joe DeFranco’s and Jim Smith’s AMPED warm ups lately and I have really enjoyed them.  They are dynamic and different and I feel a lot better heading into my workouts and they have great routines for off days that seem to speed recovery.  It is about the same cost as a personal training session.  A good investment for yourself or any of the athletes and clients that you may work with.

Cheers,

Coach G

PS – Now that we are pretty settled in our new place I hope to be back at this on a more regular basis sharing different health and wellness ideas.

Agave Nectar is no better than High Fructose Corn Syrup

Hello  Everyone!!

Happy July!!!  It has been months since my last entry.  I can across this article in Dr. Mercola’s Newsletter and I have seen lots of Agave nectar in local health food stores and coffee shops.  Bottom line stay away from it.

If you have a sweet tooth like me you may be interested in some other options.  Use stevia, xylitol or even glucose are easier on the liver to process.  Here is a link to Mercola’s article if you are interested in reading more.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/03/can-this-popular-alternative-sweetener-spike-uric-acid-into-the-danger-zone.aspx

I will bring you up to speed in what has been going on for me in the last few months….lots of learning that is for sure!!

Cheers,

Coach G