It was a real close contest. So close that it came down to the piece of cardio data I received to determine the winner. And the winner is, and still champion . . .
John and Lori
That's right, it was a tie. Both John and Lori won their respective categories in the winter of 2010, and they both had exactly the same score this time around. Great job by them and great work by everyone.
-Jason
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Fitness Pentathlon / Cardio Time and the Winner(almost)
Congratulations to everyone who attempted any/all of the events. It is fun and interesting to watch people challenge themselves and others during this informal competition. I am in the process of scoring all of the events, but am being held up by some people not getting their cardio times to me. Imagine that, people not liking their cardiovascular. As soon as I get everything together I will let everyone know.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Fitness Pentathlon / Scoring the Sit and Reach Test
Sit and Reach Test
Testing:
Greg 27.0 cm
Rick 29.5 cm
John 32.5 cm
Lori 35.5 cm
Beth 36.5 cm
Jim 40.0 cm
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Fitness Pentathlon / Scoring the Tree Pose
Wii Tree Pose
Testing:
Rick 60
Greg 64
Vanett 69
Beth 73
Lori 76
John 88
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Fitness Pentathlon / Scoring the Machine Row
Machine Row
Testing:
Vanett 35
Greg 40
Beth 60
Rick 80
Lori 125
John 131
Monday, May 23, 2011
Fitness Pentathlon / Scoring the Lunge
Lunge
If you missed the earlier post on the Fitness Pentathlon it is here. Feel free to join in. Choose 1 particular discipline or try all of the events. If you need help with picking an alternative exercise, I would be happy to help you with that too. I plan on posting the ongoing scores of each of the disciplines during each weekday according to this schedule:
Monday- Lunge
Tuesday- Machine Row
Wednesday- Wii Yoga Tree Pose
Thursday- Modified Sit and Reach Test
Sunday- Cardiovascular Time & Winner
Lunge
Testing:
Greg 50
Beth 160
John 161
Rick 174
Vanett 174
Lori 180
Greg 50
Beth 160
John 161
Rick 174
Vanett 174
Lori 180
Check back often, and please forward me any scores you would like posted. I will update each discipline daily. Good luck!
-Jason
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Active Day
Just wanted to let everyone know that it was a very active day out there today. I got in 2 hours on the mountain bike with a friend. The dirt roads were dialed- hard packed and no dust! And the temperature was great- mid 70's and sunny. Here are some other accomplishments:
☆ Kathy is doing a half marathon tomorrow- I'm giving her credit for that, for today, because she also did a resistance training workout and a short walk today.
☆ Tommy, aka Blackjack, put in 106 miles on his bike today.
☆ Michelle put in a 6 mile early morning walk.
☆ Greg did 53 miles on his cyclo-cross bike on the rail trails.
I know there were a lot more people putting in time today. What did you do? Let me know about it.
-Jason
Monday, May 16, 2011
Exercise of the week 5/16/11
Standing Leg Curl
How to perform:
➱ Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
➱ Place your hands on a stable object
➱ Place one foot firmly on the ground and shift your body weight to that side
➱ While keeping the unweighted leg straight, move it back so that its toes are slightly behind the weighted leg's heel
➱ While keeping your foot relaxed and your knees in line-
➱ Bend at your knee and lift the unweighted leg as high as you can
➱ Hold/squeeze the muscles at the end of the movement
➱ Relax your leg and let it return to the starting position
➱ Repeat for the prescribed number of reps
-Jason
This exercise works the hamstring muscle group which is located on the back of the upper leg. This muscle group is a common area for injury in athletes - think pulled hamstring - so it is important for them to train it. It is also important for the non-athletes out there to keep this musculature strong and flexible. This is a very tough body part to train without a specific machine and this, the standing leg curl, is the easiest exercise to learn and perform without a machine.
How to perform:
➱ Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
➱ Place your hands on a stable object
➱ Place one foot firmly on the ground and shift your body weight to that side
➱ While keeping the unweighted leg straight, move it back so that its toes are slightly behind the weighted leg's heel
➱ While keeping your foot relaxed and your knees in line-
➱ Bend at your knee and lift the unweighted leg as high as you can
➱ Hold/squeeze the muscles at the end of the movement
➱ Relax your leg and let it return to the starting position
➱ Repeat for the prescribed number of reps
Make sure you keep your hips locked in place while you perform this movement. That is, do not rock or move your lower back while performing this exercise. Good luck! Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this, or any other exercise, and I am always open to suggestions on which exercise to cover next.
-Jason
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
2 Rides
I started off my workday Wednesday with a bike ride on the West Bloomfield Rail Trail. The temp was about 54 degrees and the sun was starting to warm everything, and everyone, up.
An afternoon break in the schedule allowed me to get out on a second ride. With temp's in the mid 70's, I joined a teammate of mine, and we stormed around the dirt roads near Kensington Metro Park.
-Jason
An afternoon break in the schedule allowed me to get out on a second ride. With temp's in the mid 70's, I joined a teammate of mine, and we stormed around the dirt roads near Kensington Metro Park.
-Jason
Monday, May 9, 2011
Exercise of the week 5/9/11
Seated Dumbbell(DB) Curl
This exercise primarily works the biceps muscle which is on the front of the upper arm. Most people are familiar with this muscle, and many spend a significant portion of their upper body training time devoted to sculpting this muscle. I wouldn't recommend sacrificing a lot of your limited time to training this muscle group, but I do think that it is important to give it some attention. One of the biggest reasons I advocate spending time on training these muscles is because of the reciprocal benefits. For example, the forearm muscles have to contract and grip the DB's firmly when you perform this exercise. By doing this they become stronger. When they are stronger they are more able to help you out in your life's activities- such as opening a can, gripping a bag, carrying a baby or any other similar activity.
How to perform:
❑ Hold the 2 DB's at your side
❑ Let your arms relax and fully extend
❑ Relax your neck
❑ Lock your elbows in position at your side
❑ While maintaining your neck and elbow positions-
❑ Lift the DB's up to about shoulder height
❑ Hold/squeeze the muscles at the end of the movement
❑ Relax the muscles and slowly lower your arms to the starting position
❑ Repeat for the prescribed number of reps
This is a fantastic exercise to learn and add to your routine. There are a great number of varieties and complexities that you can add to this movement to change it up and make it tougher. I would recommend starting with this version and then challenging yourself with other versions as you gain strength. Good luck! Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this, or any other exercise, and I am always open to suggestions on which exercise to cover next week.
-Jason
This exercise primarily works the biceps muscle which is on the front of the upper arm. Most people are familiar with this muscle, and many spend a significant portion of their upper body training time devoted to sculpting this muscle. I wouldn't recommend sacrificing a lot of your limited time to training this muscle group, but I do think that it is important to give it some attention. One of the biggest reasons I advocate spending time on training these muscles is because of the reciprocal benefits. For example, the forearm muscles have to contract and grip the DB's firmly when you perform this exercise. By doing this they become stronger. When they are stronger they are more able to help you out in your life's activities- such as opening a can, gripping a bag, carrying a baby or any other similar activity.
How to perform:
❑ Hold the 2 DB's at your side
❑ Let your arms relax and fully extend
❑ Relax your neck
❑ Lock your elbows in position at your side
❑ While maintaining your neck and elbow positions-
❑ Lift the DB's up to about shoulder height
❑ Hold/squeeze the muscles at the end of the movement
❑ Relax the muscles and slowly lower your arms to the starting position
❑ Repeat for the prescribed number of reps
This is a fantastic exercise to learn and add to your routine. There are a great number of varieties and complexities that you can add to this movement to change it up and make it tougher. I would recommend starting with this version and then challenging yourself with other versions as you gain strength. Good luck! Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this, or any other exercise, and I am always open to suggestions on which exercise to cover next week.
-Jason
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Sunny Workout
I happen to know a number of people who do not seem to be too effected by the weather. Overcast, rain, snow, slush or whatever, the weather just doesn't seem to bother them. However, I know way more people, myself included, who need sunshine and/or warmth to put them at their best. This morning was one of the rare sunny and almost warm mornings that we have had this year. And these conditions helped someone who needed a sunny push in the right direction.
When I got to this client's house this morning I could tell right out of the gate that she was not in the best of workout moods. Actually, that's putting it kindly. One of the first things she said to me was, "It took everything I had not to call you this morning and cancel." I told her that it was great that she didn't and let's see what we could get through. We both agreed that a short walk outside, in the sun, might help kick start her mind and body. So we walked. And it was really nice out. The sun and the ever increasing temperature seemed to help pick up our pace, and with that I could tell her spirit was picking up too. When the walk was over I was ready to head in and get to work with some weights and exercise bands, but she had a different plan. She laid down right in the sun covered grass and said, "I want to train here. Can I?" I replied, "I think it is a great idea." And train on the lawn, in the bright sun, is what we did. It was great and it was just what she needed.
Are you weather effected? Let me know about it. I love to hear how people deal with tough environmental situations.
-Jason
When I got to this client's house this morning I could tell right out of the gate that she was not in the best of workout moods. Actually, that's putting it kindly. One of the first things she said to me was, "It took everything I had not to call you this morning and cancel." I told her that it was great that she didn't and let's see what we could get through. We both agreed that a short walk outside, in the sun, might help kick start her mind and body. So we walked. And it was really nice out. The sun and the ever increasing temperature seemed to help pick up our pace, and with that I could tell her spirit was picking up too. When the walk was over I was ready to head in and get to work with some weights and exercise bands, but she had a different plan. She laid down right in the sun covered grass and said, "I want to train here. Can I?" I replied, "I think it is a great idea." And train on the lawn, in the bright sun, is what we did. It was great and it was just what she needed.
Are you weather effected? Let me know about it. I love to hear how people deal with tough environmental situations.
-Jason
Monday, May 2, 2011
Exercise of the week 5/2/11
Standing Calf Raise
This exercise primarily works the large calf muscle, the Gastrocnemius, in your lower leg. This muscle is very important in helping your foot plant and extend stably when you walk, skip, jog, run and jump. Athletes definitely need this muscle to be in top condition so they can safely perform their sports, but non-athletes also benefit greatly from the training of this muscle. The benefits to the non-athletes comes from all of the surrounding tissue that gets strengthened when performing this exercise. Theses areas include the Achilles tendon- which is actually part of the Gastrocnemius, the ankle connective tissue, the foot musculature and the foot connective tissue. When all of these surrounding tissues are trained the ankle/foot apparatus is a much stronger and a more stable platform.
How to perform:
♢ Beginners- stand with your feet flat on the floor and shoulder width apart
♢ Advanced- stand on the lowest stair, or stable platform, with your feet shoulder width apart
♢ Without locking your knees, keep your legs in a fixed position for the entire range of motion
♢ While pivoting from ~ the balls of your feet, lift yourself up onto your toes
♢ Hold and squeeze the muscles at the end of the movement
♢ Beginners- Relax your calves and let your heals return to the floor
♢ Advanced- Relax your calves and let your heals sink to a comfortable level below the starting point
♢ Repeat for the prescribed number of reps
This is an overall fantastic exercise. There are many ways to increase the difficulty of this movement and I encourage you to seek them out. One thing I do not recommend though is to undertake this exercise ballistically. Make sure the entire range of motion is done in a slow and controlled fashion. This will ensure you get the most out of the exercise and also help prevent an injury. Good luck! Please feel free to contact with any questions about this, or any other exercise, and I am always open to suggestions on which exercise to cover next week.
-Jason
This exercise primarily works the large calf muscle, the Gastrocnemius, in your lower leg. This muscle is very important in helping your foot plant and extend stably when you walk, skip, jog, run and jump. Athletes definitely need this muscle to be in top condition so they can safely perform their sports, but non-athletes also benefit greatly from the training of this muscle. The benefits to the non-athletes comes from all of the surrounding tissue that gets strengthened when performing this exercise. Theses areas include the Achilles tendon- which is actually part of the Gastrocnemius, the ankle connective tissue, the foot musculature and the foot connective tissue. When all of these surrounding tissues are trained the ankle/foot apparatus is a much stronger and a more stable platform.
How to perform:
♢ Beginners- stand with your feet flat on the floor and shoulder width apart
♢ Advanced- stand on the lowest stair, or stable platform, with your feet shoulder width apart
♢ Without locking your knees, keep your legs in a fixed position for the entire range of motion
Beginners
Advanced
♢ While pivoting from ~ the balls of your feet, lift yourself up onto your toes
♢ Hold and squeeze the muscles at the end of the movement
♢ Beginners- Relax your calves and let your heals return to the floor
♢ Advanced- Relax your calves and let your heals sink to a comfortable level below the starting point
♢ Repeat for the prescribed number of reps
Beginners
Advanced
This is an overall fantastic exercise. There are many ways to increase the difficulty of this movement and I encourage you to seek them out. One thing I do not recommend though is to undertake this exercise ballistically. Make sure the entire range of motion is done in a slow and controlled fashion. This will ensure you get the most out of the exercise and also help prevent an injury. Good luck! Please feel free to contact with any questions about this, or any other exercise, and I am always open to suggestions on which exercise to cover next week.
-Jason
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