Those of you that know how I train, both myself and my clients, understand that I try to keep things simple, efficient and effective.
This is not to be confused with EASY and SHORT. The workouts definitely aren't a walk in the park, and though I try to keep them brief and to the point, that doesn't mean that you can always be in-and-out the door in five minutes.
The truth is, I am just as time-starved and rushed as most of you, so though I love fitness and martial arts training, I need a few quick solution workouts from time to time too.
So today's post is all about one of the difficult yet effective conditioning workouts I use. It incorporates most of the major movements (push, pull, compound leg and core stabilization, with the exception of rotation...which could easily be added through a twisting motion or woodchop exercise), and it certainly gets your heart pumping as it stimulates some high EPOC ("Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption, aka "afterburn"). In at little as 5-10 minutes, you can complete the equivalent work/caloric expenditure effect of many people's typical hour-long workout sessions.
What Is It
Burpee to Pull Up Combo
What You'll Need
-To complete the whole workout as it's designed you'd need a pull up bar that you can reach by jumping. Other than that everything else is about your own bodyweight.
How to Do It
-If you've never heard of a burpee before, it's basically where you go from standing to push up position on the ground, complete a single push up, then back up to standing before completing a bodyweight squat jump (just a straight jump up). I have a video of how to perform a burpee here: Burpee Video
-The jump of the burpee is immediately followed by a pull up as you jump up to the bar and pull yourself up and look over the bar, before dropping back down to repeat the entire process again (for time or number of reps). You can see a video of the squat jump to pull up here: Squat Jump to Pull Up Video
How Much to Do (or for how long)
-If you are just a beginner or recently returning from a long hiatus from strenuous training, it would probably be best to take plenty of time for each rep and be more focused on the length of time you keep at it. That would mean setting a timer for 5 minutes and completing as many reps as you can during the time. Your goal would be to get more reps completed in the five minute time frame each time you do this workout.
-If you are already relatively fit and have been training pretty hard for a while, then go for 3 sets of 10-20 reps with one minute rest between each set. Your goal would be to increase gradually up to 20 reps in each set and to decrease the amount of time it takes you to complete this three-set workout.
This is a serious total body exercise that can serve as your all-encompassing workout for the day when you're limited on time but want to keep at it and get maximal results in that brief session.
Be on the lookout for more workouts like this in the weeks to come, and watch for a big announcement in mid-November!
Take care and whatever you do, keep training!!!
Sincerely in Fitness,
Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Martial Arts Instructor (Taekwondo 3rd Degree)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Essence of the "True Way"
So another weekend draws to an end and I have put up my (attempted) "handy-man" hat to return, like you, to another work week.
After two days of pulling up carpet and prepping to lay beautiful bamboo flooring in three bedrooms and the hallway in my home, I'm certainly ready to get back to my profession...training and martial arts!
In today's crazy-busy lifestyle, we all seem to wear dozens of "hats," and it can get to be a bit overwhelming and confusing. As soon as one "project" ends, another one comes up and fills its place in a never-ending pattern.
Though it's good to be active and productive, we certainly have a tendency to bite off more than we can chew so-to-speak. We likely take on more "hats" than we really should...but we keep barreling forward from one to the next.
Despite the way it sounds, this post isn't so much about telling you to eliminate some of your projects and responsibilities as it is about follow through...or as I refer to it in the second step of my mental training manual: EXECUTION.
Whether you are talking about physical training (your workouts and exercise program), your nutrition or just plain everyday life, planning and prioritizing is fundamental to your success.
However, nothing will matter without execution. If you don't follow through on those plans and stick to your priorities, it will all be for naught in the first place.
A follower of the True Way recognizes the value and necessity of execution for achieving his or her fitness goal. Above all else, he or she is devoted to staying the course and seeing the necessary activities through to completion.
So as we each go into this new work week, let's put our best foot forward. Let's plan things out according to our personal, work and fitness goals (these are our priorities), and then proceed to follow through on them diligently and with great, positive energy.
Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. If they do or try to, simply adjust and overcome. You have greatness within you and you deserve to have (and achieve) your best results in fitness and all of life.
Execution and following through on the plan is the essence of the True Way,
No matter how complicated and busy everything seems to be, if you remember the line above then you are two-steps ahead of the average person. More importantly yet, you are two-steps closer to achieving your personal greatness through the body, mind and spirit you have hidden deep within you.
Go have at it this week...and Whatever you do, follow through!
Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Martial Arts Instructor (Taekwondo 3rd Degree)
PS-- If you have a particularly difficult challenge to follow through on this week, or if you have success executing on something, please feel free to drop it in the comments below. We'd all love to hear how everyone is doing on their personal journeys through fitness and life! Thanks!
After two days of pulling up carpet and prepping to lay beautiful bamboo flooring in three bedrooms and the hallway in my home, I'm certainly ready to get back to my profession...training and martial arts!
In today's crazy-busy lifestyle, we all seem to wear dozens of "hats," and it can get to be a bit overwhelming and confusing. As soon as one "project" ends, another one comes up and fills its place in a never-ending pattern.
Though it's good to be active and productive, we certainly have a tendency to bite off more than we can chew so-to-speak. We likely take on more "hats" than we really should...but we keep barreling forward from one to the next.
Despite the way it sounds, this post isn't so much about telling you to eliminate some of your projects and responsibilities as it is about follow through...or as I refer to it in the second step of my mental training manual: EXECUTION.
Whether you are talking about physical training (your workouts and exercise program), your nutrition or just plain everyday life, planning and prioritizing is fundamental to your success.
However, nothing will matter without execution. If you don't follow through on those plans and stick to your priorities, it will all be for naught in the first place.
A follower of the True Way recognizes the value and necessity of execution for achieving his or her fitness goal. Above all else, he or she is devoted to staying the course and seeing the necessary activities through to completion.
So as we each go into this new work week, let's put our best foot forward. Let's plan things out according to our personal, work and fitness goals (these are our priorities), and then proceed to follow through on them diligently and with great, positive energy.
Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. If they do or try to, simply adjust and overcome. You have greatness within you and you deserve to have (and achieve) your best results in fitness and all of life.
Execution and following through on the plan is the essence of the True Way,
No matter how complicated and busy everything seems to be, if you remember the line above then you are two-steps ahead of the average person. More importantly yet, you are two-steps closer to achieving your personal greatness through the body, mind and spirit you have hidden deep within you.
Go have at it this week...and Whatever you do, follow through!
Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Martial Arts Instructor (Taekwondo 3rd Degree)
PS-- If you have a particularly difficult challenge to follow through on this week, or if you have success executing on something, please feel free to drop it in the comments below. We'd all love to hear how everyone is doing on their personal journeys through fitness and life! Thanks!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Quick Commercial Break Workouts
Well, it's Saturday...and for many of us that means a little college football watching or at least a little "recliner time" as one of my clients would say.
I am just as excited about taking a little time to enjoy the athletic showdowns as the next person (my Michigan State Spartans are going into the "Big House" at U of M...Michigan...today with both teams undefeated and my Spartans looking for a third straight win against the Wolverines for the first time in decades), but I am even more excited about improving my fitness level and athleticism along the way.
Sure none of us are likely high-level athletes like the ones on the field, but we can still keep improving from where we are day after day.
So while you enjoy the games and a little tv time throughout the day (or the weekend), take a few minutes at a time to improve your fitness on the commercial breaks. In just a few minutes throughout the course of a game, you can burn off a bit of the snacks you're consuming to counteract the effect, and better yet you can maintain that lean tissue that keeps you burning calories throughout the day simply by existing.
Check out the circuits below for a few quick and effective mini-workouts you can sneak in during the commercial breaks. If you're TIVO-ing or DVR-ing the games, simply choose NOT to scan through the commercials and make yourself do the exercises then:)
Enjoy!
1. 10-10-10 by 3: Here you do a compound leg exercise (like squats), a pushing exercise (like push ups) and a core exercise (like crunches) for 10 reps each back-to-back-to-back, rest 15-30 seconds and then repeat the circuit two more times for a total mini-workout of 30 squats, 30 push ups and 30 crunches, all in under 4.5 minutes. Do this bad-boy a few times during the course of the game and you'll get more of a workout than many people who hit the gym this morning!
2. Modified Burpees: Many people don't like to do (or are unable to do) the jump portion of a full burpee, so you can just remove that part for a modified version. In this exercise you go from standing to place your hands on the floor, then shoot both legs out behind you into the push up position, then you can choose to do a pushup (or skip this if you're doing the other workout above) before drawing your feet back in under you and standing back up. Repeat this sequence for 8-12 reps, rest 30-60 seconds then repeat. This should take you through the length of the commercial break (finish it even if not).
3. Jumping Jacks and Mountain Climbers: For a heart-rate builder, simply do 50 jumping jacks, rest 15 seconds as you get in position to complete 30 mountain climbers, then rest 30 seconds and repeat both. Mountain climbers are from the straight arm push up position and you switch legs coming forward almost to the hands in a smooth and consistent pace. They're a little harder than they sound, but well worth the little extra work during the break in the action.
Combine any of these throughout the 3.5 hours that most games last and you should get a little bit of a "pump" or "sweat on."
If you are with friends, get over your pride and invite them in on the action...you might just start a new trend or tradition that will incorporate more fitness and fun in your daily life...and that's what the True Way to Fitness is all about!
Take care and enjoy...go MSU!!!
Sincerely,
Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Martial Arts Instructor (Taekwondo 3rd Degree)
I am just as excited about taking a little time to enjoy the athletic showdowns as the next person (my Michigan State Spartans are going into the "Big House" at U of M...Michigan...today with both teams undefeated and my Spartans looking for a third straight win against the Wolverines for the first time in decades), but I am even more excited about improving my fitness level and athleticism along the way.
Sure none of us are likely high-level athletes like the ones on the field, but we can still keep improving from where we are day after day.
So while you enjoy the games and a little tv time throughout the day (or the weekend), take a few minutes at a time to improve your fitness on the commercial breaks. In just a few minutes throughout the course of a game, you can burn off a bit of the snacks you're consuming to counteract the effect, and better yet you can maintain that lean tissue that keeps you burning calories throughout the day simply by existing.
Check out the circuits below for a few quick and effective mini-workouts you can sneak in during the commercial breaks. If you're TIVO-ing or DVR-ing the games, simply choose NOT to scan through the commercials and make yourself do the exercises then:)
Enjoy!
1. 10-10-10 by 3: Here you do a compound leg exercise (like squats), a pushing exercise (like push ups) and a core exercise (like crunches) for 10 reps each back-to-back-to-back, rest 15-30 seconds and then repeat the circuit two more times for a total mini-workout of 30 squats, 30 push ups and 30 crunches, all in under 4.5 minutes. Do this bad-boy a few times during the course of the game and you'll get more of a workout than many people who hit the gym this morning!
2. Modified Burpees: Many people don't like to do (or are unable to do) the jump portion of a full burpee, so you can just remove that part for a modified version. In this exercise you go from standing to place your hands on the floor, then shoot both legs out behind you into the push up position, then you can choose to do a pushup (or skip this if you're doing the other workout above) before drawing your feet back in under you and standing back up. Repeat this sequence for 8-12 reps, rest 30-60 seconds then repeat. This should take you through the length of the commercial break (finish it even if not).
3. Jumping Jacks and Mountain Climbers: For a heart-rate builder, simply do 50 jumping jacks, rest 15 seconds as you get in position to complete 30 mountain climbers, then rest 30 seconds and repeat both. Mountain climbers are from the straight arm push up position and you switch legs coming forward almost to the hands in a smooth and consistent pace. They're a little harder than they sound, but well worth the little extra work during the break in the action.
Combine any of these throughout the 3.5 hours that most games last and you should get a little bit of a "pump" or "sweat on."
If you are with friends, get over your pride and invite them in on the action...you might just start a new trend or tradition that will incorporate more fitness and fun in your daily life...and that's what the True Way to Fitness is all about!
Take care and enjoy...go MSU!!!
Sincerely,
Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Martial Arts Instructor (Taekwondo 3rd Degree)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Is there ONE "TRUE WAY?"
I am going to keep this one relatively short (always a challenge for me...guess I'm a bit long-winded and overly thorough).
The truth is, there is NOT just one "true way" to achieve your fitness goal.
Much of the confusion in the fitness world is generated by the fitness professionals themselves (including me) as they try to take a one-size-fits-all approach to sell you something. Maybe not with bad intentions, but it's biased nonetheless.
The reason it's so complicated is that there are so many variables involved in organizing an appropriate program for each individual:
-Specific goal: Is it weight loss, sports performance, muscle gain, general wellness or some combination?
-Training Experience: Are you a newbie in exercise, a veteran exerciser or a high level athlete?
-Training Stage (phase): Are you an athlete in season, post season, pre season or off season? Are you just getting back into training or have you been at it for a long while (years, decades even)?
-Dozens of other variables and factors including, but not limited to, health history, current conditions, hormonal balance, sleep patterns and overall lifestyle...
Determining the proper combination of nutrition & exercise for your goal, your experience and your current stage in training is not a simple or easy thing to do.
So what does this all mean for you? How does this actually help you in your journey and fitness goals?
Well, it means a few things:
1. There is no single magic bullet. You cannot solve all your exercise and fitness problems in a simple, quick fix solution. It takes time, planning and hard work to achieve anything significant in fitness (life period).
2. Principles guide results in fitness, and putting the right systems (methods) in place will help you organize your program so you can achieve success. You don't have to worry about one, catch-all solution that works for everyone across the board...just learn the principles and pick up a few effective strategies to ensure you will get the results you are after. If your approach doesn't work, reevaluate and try again, or better yet...get the proper help from trusted professionals.
3. You need to find what works for YOU. It may not be perfect or optimal, but if it's a solid program that you are willing and able to follow through on, then it should create quality results for you.
There are thousands of weight loss, sports performance and health/wellness programs out there. Some of the are great, others are junk and many are somewhere in the middle. You just need to find one that will work well for you, and then be prepared to adjust it down the road as your body, your needs and your goals adapt and change over time.
How many of you are happy with the program you are currently on? Getting the results you want? Adhering to the parameters in the first place? Drop a quick comment below and let us know what you're struggling or getting great results with.
There's an intense program coming out in a few days where people are building up to burn 1,000 calories in a single workout and though it's not for everyone, the information shared in the free report is worth the review.
I do believe that metabolic workouts (high intensity circuits with very short rest periods) are some of the most effective ways to reduce body fat (my book that's coming out is based on them, too), but they can be pretty intense so they must be properly progressed for you. (Remember the point of the article above!)
You may want to check out the free report at this link: 1000 Calorie Workouts and tell me what you think.
Until then, take care...and always remember:
Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Martial Arts Instructor (Taekwondo 3rd Degree)
The truth is, there is NOT just one "true way" to achieve your fitness goal.
Much of the confusion in the fitness world is generated by the fitness professionals themselves (including me) as they try to take a one-size-fits-all approach to sell you something. Maybe not with bad intentions, but it's biased nonetheless.
The reason it's so complicated is that there are so many variables involved in organizing an appropriate program for each individual:
-Specific goal: Is it weight loss, sports performance, muscle gain, general wellness or some combination?
-Training Experience: Are you a newbie in exercise, a veteran exerciser or a high level athlete?
-Training Stage (phase): Are you an athlete in season, post season, pre season or off season? Are you just getting back into training or have you been at it for a long while (years, decades even)?
-Dozens of other variables and factors including, but not limited to, health history, current conditions, hormonal balance, sleep patterns and overall lifestyle...
Determining the proper combination of nutrition & exercise for your goal, your experience and your current stage in training is not a simple or easy thing to do.
So what does this all mean for you? How does this actually help you in your journey and fitness goals?
Well, it means a few things:
1. There is no single magic bullet. You cannot solve all your exercise and fitness problems in a simple, quick fix solution. It takes time, planning and hard work to achieve anything significant in fitness (life period).
2. Principles guide results in fitness, and putting the right systems (methods) in place will help you organize your program so you can achieve success. You don't have to worry about one, catch-all solution that works for everyone across the board...just learn the principles and pick up a few effective strategies to ensure you will get the results you are after. If your approach doesn't work, reevaluate and try again, or better yet...get the proper help from trusted professionals.
3. You need to find what works for YOU. It may not be perfect or optimal, but if it's a solid program that you are willing and able to follow through on, then it should create quality results for you.
There are thousands of weight loss, sports performance and health/wellness programs out there. Some of the are great, others are junk and many are somewhere in the middle. You just need to find one that will work well for you, and then be prepared to adjust it down the road as your body, your needs and your goals adapt and change over time.
How many of you are happy with the program you are currently on? Getting the results you want? Adhering to the parameters in the first place? Drop a quick comment below and let us know what you're struggling or getting great results with.
There's an intense program coming out in a few days where people are building up to burn 1,000 calories in a single workout and though it's not for everyone, the information shared in the free report is worth the review.
I do believe that metabolic workouts (high intensity circuits with very short rest periods) are some of the most effective ways to reduce body fat (my book that's coming out is based on them, too), but they can be pretty intense so they must be properly progressed for you. (Remember the point of the article above!)
You may want to check out the free report at this link: 1000 Calorie Workouts and tell me what you think.
Until then, take care...and always remember:
Train the mind, challenge the body and unleash the spirit.
Yours in Fitness,
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Martial Arts Instructor (Taekwondo 3rd Degree)
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