Jump Rope!

Anyone who has worked with me or participated in any of my classes knows how much I love to incorporate jumping rope as a cardio element. It requires no equipment (except, of course, the rope), no instructions/learning curve, and very little space. However, if done with effort, it can be a great way to warm-up, finish a workout, or keep the heart rate up during resistance training.

Some cool "did you knows" about jumping rope ...

• Jumping rope can burn up to 1000 calories per hour, making it one of the most efficient workouts possible
• It tones muscles in the entire body, developing long, lean muscles in all major muscle groups, both upper and lower; primary benefactors are calves, glutes, arms, shoulders and abs
• Jumping rope is great not only for the cardio elements, but also the agility and coordination pieces. Anyone who hasn't tried it in a while will know what I mean when they grab a rope and get going for the first time
• It can make you feel like Rocky or Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter. Is this important in terms of the exercise benefits? Of course not. Is it important in terms of the coolness factor? 100 %.

Now I will admit that jumping rope can be a bit repetitive, but that is easily remedied with some creative design. Try these ideas:

• The first time you "fail," (the rope hits your feet), you do a pushup. 2nd time, 2 pushups. 3rd time, 3 pushups, etc., trust me .. if you jump rope for 5-10 minutes, you'll end up doing quite a few pushups.
• Or, if you have more experience, do 5 pushups everytime you fail
• Do intervals. One of my favorite interval schedules is this one - 120 seconds on/30 seconds off; 90 on/30 off; 60 on/30 off; 30 on/30 off - then work back up the other way. By the end you should be gassed.
• Do double-unders - Crossfitters will be very familiar with these. Watch the video and then try ... they are NOT as easy as they look
• Use jumping rope as active rest between sets of resistance training. I love to grab a jump rope at the gym in the morning and carry it around with me. After a set of any exercise, I'll jump for a minute instead of just standing/sitting around allowing my muscles to rest (works better on upper body lifting days than lower).

Sometimes the simplest things are the best things. You can get a jump rope just about anywhere, and even the best ones shouldn't be any more than 10-15 bucks. Grab one and get going - it's a fantastic, easy way to burn calories and stay active.

Did You Know?

I'm taking the ACE Certification Test a week from today, and I figured a good way to help me study (and provide some interesting information for everyone) would be for me to share some of the things I've been studying that I found interesting about exercise, the human body, etc. I can honestly say that the last 18 months of my life have been the most educational period I have ever had, both personally and professionally. I can only hope to continue to learn and grow in the same way as I progress in my career.

I hope you learn something fun! Did you know ....

ACSM (the American College of Sports Medicine) recommends that a person get 150 minutes of moderate-level exercise each week, combined with at least 2+ days of full-body resistance training? And that the number is even HIGHER for children aged 6-17, in an effort to fight childhood obesity?

That almost everyone who does a squat lifts the majority of the load with the quadriceps instead of the hamstrings, placing (very dangerous and harmful) shearing forces on the knee? Studies have shown this is one of the most common ways people injure their knees in a gym setting. Check this out for a great tip on how to maintain proper squat technique. REMEMBER - weight in heels, hips back first, knees never past the toe, you should be able to wiggle your toes at any point in the movement.

That proximal stability = distal mobility? Think of that as "my core must be strong before my appendages can be strong/mobile." One of the most fundamental principles your trainer should instill in you is that you MUST have strong balance, core musculature, posture and understanding of movement patterns before beginning a resistance training program. A very common error made by trainers is not breaking their clients of bad lifting habits, which exacerbates current injuries and puts their clients at risk for others.

That most people will actually start feeling better (not just performing better) after only 2-4 weeks of regular exercise? This happens primarily because of an increase in neurotransmitters and hormone levels - serotonin, endorphins, etc.

I could go on and on but I won't ... just a few things I found interesting. Test is Saturday, and then I promise I won't mention it here again (except to hopefully celebrate passing it).

Step-Ups

As I have mentioned before, I'm always trying to incorporate new things into boot camp - especially exercises that translate well to just about any setting or skill level. That's why I love step-ups. They're an incredibly simple exercise to instruct and complete, yet they have the ability (through adding weight, increasing speed, incorporating plyometric components) to really focus on the lower body--quads, glutes, hamstrings--while promoting core activation and working on balance.

I love them for my boot camp, because all you need is a step. I use park benches, railroad ties, plyo boxes - anything that is about 24 inches off the ground. The movement itself is super simple - step up with one foot, bring the other leg with you and place that foot flat, clear the hips (meaning, bring your torso completely straight on top of your body), then step back down with the same foot you stepped up with. When both feet hit the ground again, change the lead foot.

That is the most basic movement - and here's a video to show you what it looks like. However, that is just where the fun begins. Some other things you can do to make it more challenging include:

• Adding dumbbells--this is the easiest thing to do, it adds resistance for a better leg and core workout
• Add a "pull step" once your non lead leg comes up--step up left, then step up right and "pull" that right knee towards your chest. This activates the hip flexors and adds a tougher cardio element
• Add a calf raise once both feet are flat on the step
• Move faster--this increases the pace to make it a stronger cardio challenge
• Jump into the movement--this is more difficult and should only be done after mastering the basic movement, but check this out to see what I mean - adding a plyometric element here really amps up the resistance/cardio benefits) 

You can do them anywhere - give them a try and let me know what you think! Or, if you're coming to boot camp, get ready.

Slam Your Balls

Keeping my boot camps fresh, challenging and interesting is something that keeps me up at night. Well, not really, but I try my best to always make them somewhat "new." So, while on the treadmill this morning (where I think best), I had an epiphany - "I am going to make them slam balls this weekend!"

It's not quite what you think. Those of you who have experience with the ball slam exercise know how awesome it is, and the number of "that's what she said" jokes that it allows for. Those that don't should really try it. It's a great core (back/ab) workout and an underrated stress reliever. Here's how to give it a shot:

The basics are pretty simple. You need a slam-resistant medicine ball (careful it's not too bouncy if you're slamming it on a hard surface), a surface on which to slam it, and yourself.

The process goes like this:
1 Pick the ball up (squat down to get it, don't cheat and bend at the waist)
2) Stand with feet at hips width, feet facing forward
3) Put a slight bend in your knees (think 10-15 %)
4) Lift the ball completely above your head, arms fully extended
5) Slam that motherfather down as hard as you possibly can. Bend at the waist, keep arms extended. Catch it and repeat as quickly as you can
6) Be careful of the rebound! I've seen people take one directly in the face. Didn't look fun.
7) Inhale when you lift, exhale when you slam

If you need an image to follow, check out this video.

The key to this is that you have to be EXPLOSIVE. Think of trying to throw it through the floor. Literally. Scream, yell, do what you have to do to get every ounce of effort out of you. Go as hard as you can as fast as you can for as long as you can. If you're breezing through this exercise, you're doing it wrong.

Try sets of 10 at first, moving upward in either reps or resistance if you have different size balls (insert joke here). Work on your speed - count reps in one minute and then try and beat that number. Basically, keep working harder, in some way, shape or form.

Anyone have experience playing with balls? Thoughts?