This year I will turn 40. Some have been saying that 40 is the new 20. Well, if that’s true then there are a lot of seriously out of shape 20 year olds running around! The more I listen to people my own age, and sadly some even younger, the more I hear the 3 words I hope to God to never utter myself. [Read more...]
Top 5 Fat Loss Strategies
March 29, 2012 By 2 Comments
Today, let’s take a look at my top 5 favorite, no-brainer strategies for losing fat like a champ. If you are not seeing the results you want with your current fat loss plan, implement some, or preferably all of the following strategies and watch the fat literally fall off you! [Read more...]
Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #5
April 22, 2010 By 2 Comments
8 is Enough!
This week’s Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week:
- 8 Pull-ups
- 8 Burpees
- 8 Mt. Climbers (left + right = 1 rep)
- 8 Jumonji Squat Jumps
- 8 Dumbbell Swings (4 each arm)
Complete 8 rounds as fast as possible. Rest as needed.
Jumonji Squat
Jump!
Modifying Your Workout
Conditioning workouts are supposed to suck. No doubt about it! They push your body to its limits and increase mental toughness. However, they should be approached incrementally, especially if you are not used to them. In this particular workout, I’d recommend that beginners cut the volume of repetitions in half. If you still find you are struggling, increase the rest period between rounds; try not to rest in between exercises, if you can help it. Additionally, you may perform 4 rounds to start and work your way up to 8. As you gain confidence and begin getting stronger, you can increase the number of repetitions and rounds, and decrease the rest periods. Change one variable at a time so you are not forcing your body to adjust too rapidly. Remember, injury is not the goal!
Notes: Make sure you warm-up with brief joint mobility session prior to the workout. Remember that when you sign up for our mailing list you receive a free sample chapter on Joint Mobility from my Warrior Fitness book!
For further information on the Workouts of the Week, please see our User Guide here.
Top 5 Mistakes When Starting an Exercise Program
March 22, 2010 By 2 Comments
In my experience there are several things that can contribute to failure in an exercise program, or any other goal for that matter. In the past when I would fail to achieve a specific fitness goal or suffer a setback, minor or major, I’d chalk it up to fate and just try harder the next time. As I grew older, and smarter, I began to see a pattern emerge. These things didn’t just happen, there were particular sets of circumstances, most often at the outset of an exercise program, that combined to allow them to happen. The list below comprises what I consider to be the top 5 mistakes. You may have discovered others, and I would encourage you to share them in the Comments section below, but in my mind these are the most critical errors. As Saint Thomas Aquinas rightly taught many times, “An error in the beginning is an error indeed.”
An Error in the Beginning
1. Too much too soon. Everyone wants results NOW! The problem here is that when talking about results, incremental progression reigns supreme. Let’s face it, if you are trying to lose weight, for example, it took a long time, maybe years, to get to be over-weight. Losing fat is not going to happen overnight, no matter what the TV ads tell you. It took time to condition yourself to be out of shape, it will take time to re-condition your body to be in shape. Be patient. Focus on the process – you’ll get there!
2. Lack of a training plan. In my mind, it is essential to have some knowledge of how to program an exercise selection to correlate with the goals to be achieved. Without this it’s pretty much hit or miss as to whether you achieve your goals, or even remain consistent.
3. Lack of effective warm-up and cool-down strategies. This goes hand-in-hand with lack of a training plan above. DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, is a significant contributor to people actively deciding to not pursue their fitness program. When joint mobility as a warm-up, and yoga postures, as a cool-down, are effectively combined with the exercise selection needed to be successful, they tend to reduce or eliminate DOMS.
4. Nutrition that does not support the exercise program. While the diet OR exercise approach has some merrits, it’s simply not enough. Get your eating in line with your workouts, and in line with your goals. Diet AND exercise is a powerhouse combination.
5. Quitting. Yes, this will really ruin an exercise program. But seriously, how many people begin a regimen with the best intentions yet due to other life pressures, lack of motivation, lack of results, or lack of interest, fail to be consistent?
How about you? What things contribute to derailing you from the fitness track? And, more importantly, how do you remain focused? I’d love to hear from you!
User Guide to the Workouts of the Week
February 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I received several emails this morning after yesterday’s post on Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #1 from people who wanted more information on how to implement and program the workouts of the week. So here it is!
The Workout of the Week section is designed to give you insight into the Warrior Fitness training method. We will cover topics such as joint mobility, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and the Tabata Protocol for conditioning, strength endurance, explosive strength, core work, yoga, and martial arts.
1. How often should I do the Workout of the Week (WOW)?
This depends on the intensity level of the prescribed workout. For example, if the WOW is an illustration of a yoga compensatory routine, you can do it daily, but if it’s a high intensity conditioning workout, you may only be able to perform it 2-3 times a week, depending on your recovery levels. These workouts are short; usually, under 30 minutes. You should have plenty of time to squeeze them into a busy schedule!
2. Should I change my workout every week to correspond to the WOW?
Not necessarily, no. The workouts change weekly in order to showcase various aspects of our training methodology, but that doesn’t mean you need to change it up on a weekly basis. Workout programs should be designed with specific goals in mind and crafted to meet individual needs. Your body needs time to adapt to your exercise selection for it to elicit the planned response, usually about 4 to 6 weeks. If you find a something that you like, stick with it. If you have a more detailed question about how to program a specific workout, or even a series of workouts, let me know. I can help you. That’s why I’m here.
3. What if I already have a workout program? How can incorporate the WOWs?
If you currently have a training regimen that you are happy with, but want to give one of our workouts a try, you can definitely do that. Simply replace one of your conditioning days with one of our conditioning workouts. Or, add in our joint mobility exercises as a warm-up. Remember, you receive a sample chapter on joint mobility from the book, Warrior Fitness, when you sign up for our mailing list.
4. I am just starting to exercise, can I still use the WOWs?
Absolutely! Start slowly. Begin by doing our joint mobility exercises on a daily basis to prime your body and help you regain lost range of motion. Each of our workouts contains instructions on modifying the workout to scale it for any level of conditioning. Also, if you have further questions about modifying workouts, or programming workouts, contact me. I’ll be glad to help you.
5. Will I lose weight with these workouts?
Yes! Our conditioning workouts are designed to turn on your body’s metabolic furnace and torch unwanted fat, while building lean muscle.
6. How can I find out more?
My ebook, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts, is available for direct download. It contains the background, philosophy, and methodology behind Warrior Fitness, as well as an ample exercise selection and a chapter on program design.
Want to know more? Just ask!
I hope this has been a helpful introduction to the Warrior Fitness Workouts of the Week. What other questions do you have?
