Hammies

One of the most important muscle groups in performance and fitness training is also the one that goes ignored most often.

 Hamstrings is the name for the group of muscles that run down the back of your legs

They are the biceps of your lower body.

 Sports involving running, jumping, quick starts, stops and changes of direction like soccer, football, basketball, track and tennis, require and good strong set of hamstrings. Not only to perform well, but to avoid injury. They also provide support for every day activities.

There are several different ways to develop strong hamstrings. My favorite movement is the "Straight Legged Dead Lift"

*Its important to always do a 10-15 minute warm-up before performing any power lifting movements.

Also, this moment puts a lot of stress on the lower back. It is meant for individual with no preexisting lower back or hamstring contraindication.

Choose a weight that will allow you to perform the movement for 1 minute without loosing form.

Start standing upright, hands shoulder width apart.

Keeping your back completely flat and legs straight, lower your upper body as low as you can go without rounding your back

Bring upper body back up to starting position

Repeat for 1 minute or until you reach muscle failure (when you can no longer perform the movement with proper form). 

Perform 3 sets. Give yourself 60-90 seconds recovery between sets.

This movement strengthens the hammies, glutes, core, and lower back.

 It also make everything look real nice in your yoga pants ladies...

Delts, Quads, and Tofu Chorizo scramble

I skipped cardio today and hit Delts and Quads hard and heavy. 

Delts:

Seated barbell military press: 5 sets, every set to failure. Started out around 15 reps then increased the weight each set until I could only do 6 reps.

Upright row: 5 sets, same technique 

Lateral dumbbell fly: this is a finishing/ shaping movement so I kept the weight low and the reps high. 5 sets 12-15rep always to failure

Quads:

Leg press: 6 sets same technique as above

Leg extension: this is another shaping/ finishing movement. Its also very tough on your knees so keep the weight low and the reps high 6 sets, 12-15 reps always to failure.

This workout took just about an hour. Push you muscles to failure on every set. Be sure to keep proper form. Give yourself 60-90 seconds between each set.

When I got home I was starving. I wanted something heavy and protein dense. 

Tofu Chorizo scramble:

Here's all you need

This is another great tofu brand. Super firm and seasoned with organic parsley and oregano. 4 servings, 17g of protein per serving. I used 2 servings.  34g

This is my favorite brand of soy chorizo. You can find it just about anywhere. Its got the best chunky texture. i used about 1/4 of the package. It's already well seasoned so you don't need to add anything else.

Put some olive oil in a skillet, toss in some fresh chopped garlic, then crumble up the tofu and toss it in

Add the Chorizo and cook until lightly browned

I topped it with an avocado, daiya cheese, and served it with some black beans I made a couple nights ago. Also used fresh corn tortilla and salsa I got from Panch Ville's Farmer's Market

 http://www.yelp.com/biz/pancho-villas-farmers-market-san-diego

Took about 10 minutes to make.

My serving sizes are about double the average humans so adjust accordingly.

Bon Appetit!

The Mile

Diane  48 /  8:11

Jennifer 55 / 9:53

 Suzanne 39 / 7:49 

 Denise 26 / 9:36

Elizabeth 38 / 7:50 (Finnigan 2 / 7:49)

Veronica 24 / 8:53

Jazz 38 / 8:24

Ellie 57 / 9:28

Peg 57 / 8:51

Becky 37 / 8:05

Griff 52 / 9:29

Lisa 30 / 14:04

kevin 21 / 820

Patty 51 / 12:30

Drill of the day "Plank Row"

Today we focused on another of my favorite drills. 

The "Plank row" hits the chest, shoulders, triceps, traps, lats, biceps, and posterior deltoids. All while forcing your core to work as a stabilizer. 

Start in push-up position with dumbbells in hand, hands shoulder width apart, sprawl feet out so legs are at open about 40 degrees

 

Lower yourself down until you upper and lower arms are at 90 degrees 

 Push up, raise left arm until it passes your should, repeat with right

Set the field up into 4 quarters. Total length should be about 50 yards. Separated into 12 1/2 yards sections.

Start at 1st marker. 

Perform the plank row for 30 seconds with dumbbells ranging in weight from 8 - 25 lbs. (Choose weight according to your ability) Once completed, stand with dumbbells and lunge to next marker. Repeat at every quarter. Once the last marker is reached, stand with dumbbells and run back to start. Rest 1 minute repeat 3x sets.

CHECK THE VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AFpldfWvTA&list=UUMoOW4VAi2mr6d6agqx5WRQ&index=1&feature=plcp

The Gut Check Mile

Simple. Once a month we run 1 mile as fast as we can. I'll record  times and post them here. PA-YOW!!!

Ellie age 57 time 8:45

Melisa age 33 time 6:45

Jen age 29 time 13:03

 Lisa age 29 time 14:04

Chris age 37 time 8:11

Diane age 47 time 8:13

Meredith age 29 time 7:49

 Jennifer age 54 time 9:43

 Amy age 33 time 7:58

Spot light "Ellie"

Ellie started taking my boot camp classes 18  months ago. When she started she had never run and couldn't do many of the most basic drills: Push ups, sit ups, bear crawl, dead lift etc...

Where most people would have seen the class's level of intensity and been intimidated, Ellie saw a challenge.

She became a regular at my 530 am classes, taking everything I could dish out. Olympic lifting, plyometrics, Muay Thai drills, full sprints, long flat runs, short hill runs, and a large black man screaming inches away from her face. All with a smile (most of the time)

Ellie is 57 years old. She can do three one minutes sets of military press with a 45 lb Olympic bar, three 20 rep sets of push-ups,  has dropped 35 lbs (and counting) and just finished her 2nd half marathon. 

She says "I'm running away from getting old, and so far its working."

She quotes US Olympian Pattiesue Plumer "Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us find out what we're made of."

Trust me Ellie, You're made of pretty stern stuff!!!

Ellie found fitness later in life and has been born again HARD!

Whenever I'm training 40 and 50 somethings and I hear "Man, this is just too hard. I'm too old." I give them the "Are you effin kidding me face" and say

 "Have you met Ellie?"

Glutes, Quads, and Delts

Today we focused on shoulders, thighs, and the booty. We did some low intensity lifting drills and some high intensity intervals. 

Its important to note that before we do any lifting or high intensity training, we do a 10 to 15 minute warm up. 

Our 1st drill was a barbell squat and military press/ lunge super set: 

1) Participants stand holding an Olympic bar at shoulder level resting the bar on the shoulders.
2) Start the movement by doing a 1/3 to 1/2 squat. This will help build momentum for the press.
3) Finish the moment by standing up completely and pressing the bar above your head. repeat for 20 secs.
4) lower bar behind head and lunge 12-13 yards. Repeat  4x. Distance covered should be 50 yards.

Check the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J82DEDC4oA&list=UUMoOW4VAi2mr6d6agqx5WRQ&index=2&feature=plcp

Our second drill was the Frog jump and resistance sprint:

1) Participants partner up. Partner 1 holds a fitness tube (band) around the others waist.
2) Partner 2 will hold arm straight above head and perform the "frog jump" for 30 seconds.
3) After 30 seconds partner 2 will sprint 50 yards while partner 1 holds the band and applies resistance.
4) Partners switch places and repeat 3x

Check the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNuiFbjKfak&list=UUMoOW4VAi2mr6d6agqx5WRQ&index=1&feature=plcp