Slider Jackknifes

Here is another abdominal exercise you can do using the Valslides, the Slider Jackknife. It is very similar to the Slider Pike with only one main difference.

Start in the top part of a push-up position with each foot on a slide. From here pull your knees to your chest, while keeping your feet together. Once you have brought your knees up as far as you can, push your legs back out. Repeat for 10-25 reps.

You can also make this exercise more challenging by place your hands on a stability ball, medicine ball, balance disc, or wobble board. Try them out and see which challenges you the most.

Have a great day!

Josh

Tabatta Method of Training

The Tabatta Method is an exercise format I like to incorporate in many of my bodyweight and group training workouts. It is short only four minutes, but very effective. In fact recent research has shown that 4 minutes of an anaerobic workout like Tabatta produces 40% better improvements in aerobic capacity than 60 minutes of aerobic work at 70% VO@2max. And produces 9x greater loss in subcutaneous fat in 15 weeks than 20 weeks of steady-state endurance training (when corrected for energy cost).

Ok, you maybe thinking that this sounds too short and too easy. But try it, you will very quickly notice that it is not too short and definitely not too easy.

Here is how to do it. If you are a beginner start with 10 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest. For intermediate individuals do 15 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. And for advanced training do 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest. For the work period pick any exercise or exercises you would like to do and perform them for the appropriate amount of time. Some exercises will be more taxing than others and you will figure out which work the best.

You can also repeat the 4 minute workout a few times for a longer and even more challenging workout.

Here is a example of a 4 minute round I did at the end of my workout yesterday:
20 sec. = push ups
10 sec. = rest
20 sec. = jump squats
10 sec. = rest
Repeated for a total of 4 times or 4 total minutes.

Train more effectively,

Josh

The Group Training Effect

Every Saturday for the past couple of weeks I have gotten together with 3-4 other people and done a group workout. I love it! It is very refreshing to do this once or twice week to break up the monotony of regular workouts. And how about this we don't even use weights and only workout for a 1/2 hour. How is this possible? We use bodyweight, bands, stability balls, medicine balls, and Valslides. That's it and all I need to put together a brutal workout. Now, I'm not saying you should abandon free weights and only do this, but rather do one or two of these types of workouts each week in place of a regular weight training workout.

I also have been training a couple small groups throughout the week and have noticed some positive things:

1. It is much more enjoyable and fun.
2. Unbelievably effective.
3. Increases motivation.
4. Provides a much different stimulus to the body.
5. Easy to set up.
6. Time efficient.

There are many more. The biggest positive effect I've found is that you will push yourself so much harder than if you were doing it by yourself. This is for many reasons, but that extra push or drive is what is needed to get results.

I will be talking more about this in future posts and will discuss some of the exercises I use and how I use them so check back for that info.

Have a great day!

Josh

Slider Pikes

Yesterday I told you about how you can use the Valslide for lunges. Well, today I have another exercise you can do with the slides.

Slider Pikes work your abdominal muscles. If you have ever tried doing pikes on the stability ball you know how hard they are. Using the sliders is no different, in fact they be even harder.

So to do the Slider Pikes: First, place each foot on a slider and get into a push-up position keeping your feet together. From here raise your butt straight up towards the ceiling bringing your hands and feet together. Make sure to keep your arms and legs straight in order to get the full benefit of the exercise. Once you are up slide back down to the starting position and repeat for 10-25 reps.

Try it out.

Josh

Slider Lunges

Recently I have began to incorporate the Valslide into my workouts. All this simple piece of equipment is is a flat piece of plastic that will slide on the carpet with a foam top surface. (Basically a furniture mover.) There are numerous exercises you can use this with, but for today I going to tell you about the Slider Lateral Lunge.

To do the Slider Lateral Lunge you place one slider under your foot and keep your other foot in contact with the ground. Take the foot with the slider under it and slowly slide that leg out to the side while bending the knee of the leg that does not have a slider under it. Keep your weight over the leg without the slider and come down to a parallel squat position. Then push back up with the leg without the slider and slide the leg with the slider back in. Repeat for 10-20 reps on each leg.

This exercise is great for working on balance, muscle cooridination, and also helps you to develop the necessary strength to do a 1 legged squat.

Try it out and let me know what you think.

Have a Great Day!

Josh

How Heavy Are Your Weights?

When you do your workouts how much weight are you lifting? Is it as much as you can possibly lift and still maintain form? Or could you have easily done 2 or more reps?

Hopefully you are already lifting as much weight as you can. But, if you aren't you need to start. This does not mean to go to failure. But, it does mean that the weight you are lifting is taxing on your body. While going to failure will over work your muscles and burn out your CNS (central nervous system), leaving one in the tank will insure that you are getting the most out of your workouts. This simply means that after you complete your last rep of each set you should only be able to do one more rep before your form breaks.

Lifting heavy weights is the only way to achieve maximum muscle growth, fat loss, and muscle definition (women this is the muscle "tone" you are looking for). The weight you will use is relative to everyone. What is heavy for one personn is not necessarily heavy for another person and vice versa.

Also, all those nice little articles you read in magazines about how you can "tone" up your arms lifting soup cans are total B.S. The weight of that 12 oz. can will not do anything to help "tone" up your arms. (F.Y.I - I hate the term "tone") The weight is simply not heavy enough to stimulate the required muscle response necessary for any noticeable differences in your muscles. Those articles just make for nice headlines and articles in order to sell magazines. Plus it is what everyone wants to hear. That exercise is easy and not physically demanding. Sorry, the only way to get results is to perform physically demanding exercise.

Now, go add another plate to the bar and start lifting heavy!

Have a Great Day!

Josh

Why Do You Workout?

Why do you workout? What is your reason for coming to the gym 3-4 days per weeks? Are you there to work? Or are you there to hang out?

When you enter the gym you need to be there to work. Not talk to your buddies about the new hot girl at work, to get the latest community gossip, to be entertained by your trainer, or to pick up girls/guys.

When you come into the gym you are there to work toward achieving a better and stronger body. If you want to talk to your gym buddies or trainer in between sets that is fine, but when your timed rest period is over it is time to promptly get back to work. Do not be one of the those people who hogs a bench/machine/set of DB's for 15 minutes. Do your sets and move on. Keeping your focus.

By keeping your focus you will have better workouts and see greater results. You will also spend less time in the gym and be able to spend more time outside of the gym do the things you enjoy.

Train With a Purpose!

Josh