As I write these articles week after week, I am reminded that endurance is at least as much a part of my strongman training as how much I lift.  It’s not only how many pounds I clean and press that matters, but how many times I can do it and how far I can move or carry the weight.  I don’t just have to flip a 450lb tire; I have to do it over and over again, as many times as I can in 75 seconds.  After the first few flips, it’s all endurance.

 

That’s why my training includes farmer’s carries, a lot of snatches, and Ropes Gone Wild, a workout developed by AOS.  Just a few minutes of Ropes Gone Wild is as good as running on the treadmill at high speed for a half-hour, and it’s a lot more fun! 

 

Just like you can do at home, I loop a rope through a couple of heavy kettlebells to anchor it down, and then I go right to undulating it.  That gets my heart rate up immediately.  It’s a full-body workout.  The movement comes from my core and radiates out into the ropes.  I use a 2-inch rope, which is not only a killer for my lungs, but also for my grip.  Grip training, too, is crucial to strongman workouts.

 

At Punch, we generally end our workouts with Ropes Gone Wild, Tabata style – 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, 8 times.  That’s about 4 minutes building up serious endurance.   This intense interval-training also burns a lot of calories, not only while we’re training, but for hours afterwards.  Sometimes we throw in 30 seconds to a minute of ropes between rounds of Pinnacle or Providence.  It’s a good “active rest.” 

 

Regardless of age, fitness, or skill level, anyone, strongman or not, can benefit from Ropes Gone Wild.  It beats the monotony of treadmills or ellipticals, and it burns far more fat and calories while increasing endurance.  That’s why ropes were named the best cardio tool of 2009, by Men’s Health magazine.  Ropes are convenient, economical, and simple.  They can be used inside or outside, looped around a tree, a pole, or through kettlebell handles.  That’s all there is to it.  Ropes are another example of how you do not need fancy and expensive equipment to develop genuine strength and endurance. Simple equipment, huge effort, and lots of attitude are all that’s required.

 

Strongman training will have you screamin,’ like my nail polish this week, Screamin’ Fuchsia. It’s rough – the training, that is – and hard.  It bruises and hurts and, yes, sometimes has me screaming. It would be impossible without endurance. So, scream away, but stick with it and stay on those ropes.  

 

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I wish I had a dime for every time a new client (female) came to me and asked, “now is this going to make me bulky?”…because it is immediately followed up with, “cuz every time I lift weights, I get bulky; I know I’m prone to building muscle.”  This is about the time I have to practice as much discretion as I possibly can! 

 

Now, I can address this question/statement from so many different angles, so I will start at the first part.  “Will this make me bulky?”  Ladies, the truth is the AOS workout is completely different than anything you’ve ever done!  Anthony has done a great job explaining and building a metabolic workout.  What does that mean to you?  Your muscles don’t have the “time” to get bulky!  This “bulk” that you talk of comes from isolation training; you’re spending so much time on an individual muscle group that it is forced to grow or tone.  And again, this starts a whole new topic of discussion that we can address at a later date.  As many of you know, and for those that don’t…there is NO ISOLATION training going on here.  You are working so many different muscle groups and all at the same time.  And let’s not forget to mention how elevated your heart rate gets during this workout.  That should be enough to tell you.  Ask a bodybuilder if their heart rate has ever seen anything above 120-130?  No, because elevating the heart much more than that would “BURN” precious muscle mass.  Again, this is why many bodybuilders won’t RUN to do their “cardio”.  

 

For the second part of this, “I get bulky every time I lift weights.”  Ladies, there is a very good reason for this. Muscle adapts much more quickly than fat burns.  Fat stores build up due to a prolonged state of inactivity, poor nutrition habits, and many other reasons.  Muscles adapt to their environment.  Once you start adding “resistance” your body has to be able to keep up.  Think about it?  Have you ever seen a newborn colt (that’s a baby horse for some of you)?  It takes them a while to be able to stand up.  Their muscles have not been used to support themselves yet…but in just a few moments, the connections kick in, and they can stand!  Yet it still may take some time before they are ready to run.  Do you have to teach a baby HOW to walk?  No, the muscles and brain finally put things together and now you’re putting up kiddie barriers and cabinet locks on everything.  Ok, so let me get back on track…when you begin a new fitness program, the muscles make adaptations and start to “grow”…but UNDER the fat!  The fat has not had time to “burn off” yet.  I always ask my ladies this, when it comes to losing weight.  “How long did it take to put on this weight?”  So how do you expect to lose it in a fraction of the time?  The good news is, it MAY NOT take as long to lose the weight as it did to put it on…but let’s be reasonable here.  You gained 30 lbs in 2 years, and you expect me to help take it off in 6 weeks???   This is why 9 times out of 10, when starting a new fitness program, you will see a weight GAIN during the first few weeks.  Just give it time, stick with it, and you will see the fat come off the top of the muscles.  I promise you that once you get the muscle showing through, take your measurements, and you’re NO WHERE NEAR as “bulky” as you once thought!  Lean muscle mass is an optical illusion.  Most people guess my weight at around 200lbs…I weigh between 175-180! 

 

Now, where am I going with all of this? It is time to quit being so afraid of getting into the gym and picking up some heavier weights.  I’m going to pick on my “moms” out there for a minute.  If you have small children, say up to the age of 3-4.  Your kids are growing faster than you can keep up with.  Yet somehow, I would be willing to bet that you don’t hesitate one second in picking them up to play with them, or if they are hurt and need to be held???  And you’ll do this on a DAILY basis!  They are growing, which means getting…I dunno…heavier, and you’re still “lifting” them.  But yet, you will go to the gym, look at that 16kg bell, and turn the other way because you don’t want to “bulk up.”  

 

How about this one?  Any female UPS drivers out there?  Do you know one?  Do you think they get their load, see that they have more LARGE boxes on a particular day and say… ” geez, I’m gonna get bulky today”  NO, they do the job laid out before them!  So someone please tell me why, we can play with our kids (even as they grow and get heavier), and we can get through our daily tasks without even thinking about it?  But as soon as we step through those “magical doors” of the gym…we can’t lift too much because we don’t want to get too strong or too bulky? 

 

Ladies, real life is different every single day.  For the most part, you may not know exactly what challenges you may face.  So why should it be any different in the gym?  Why put yourself through a standard “routine?”  Change it up!  I use this rule for myself, and try to instill this in all my members.  Listen to your body!  If you feel great, energized, strong…go in and work out HARD and HEAVY…challenge yourself.  If you feel tired, run down, weak…grab a lighter weight…focus on your form and technique…but still push yourself to have a great workout. 

 

I will leave you with this thought.  Strength is defined as: the quality or state of being strong, a capacity for exertion or endurance, power to resist force, power of resisting attack… 

 

Strength is not how much you can lift, or what size bell you can snatch.  Are you STRONG enough to get through your day to day life with exertion, with endurance?  Do you have the POWER to resist force or attacks (and I’m not talking about a physical attack, although I guess it could apply).  Ladies, this IS the Art of STRENGTH!  We are here to help you get through your day, BETTER than you did before!   

 

 

Hi everyone. I hope you’ve all had a chance to check out the Isagenix website this week! Last week I wrote about Cleanse for Life, this week I’d like to tell you about IsaLean shakes, the other main component of the nutritional cleansing program. As part of the nutritional cleansing program, 2 meals per day are replaced with IsaLean shakes. These shakes provide maximum nutrition in a delicious, low calorie shake. The shakes are a balance of high quality undenatured whey protein form New Zealand, with active enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients and building lean muscle. Additionally, the shakes contain heart-healthy fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates, vitamins and Isagenix’s proprietary blend of minerals. They’re designed to help satisfy your appetite while safely reducing caloric intake. IsaLean shakes are available in French Vanilla and Rich Chocolate flavors. 

 

In addition to the IsaLean shake, I often include IsaPro Whey Protein Powder as part of my shake. After a hard workout, or a particularly active day I’ll make a shake using a scoop of IsaPro and 1 ½ scoops of IsaLean shake. The added protein really aids in recovery, keeps my hunger at bay and helps to build lean muscle mass. 

 

The shakes are really delicious and the whole family can enjoy them. My children have all become big fans and enjoy adding various combinations of fruits to their shakes. Here are a couple of family favorites: 

 

 

 

Whether you’re interested in doing the full nutritional cleanse, or just need a healthy, satisfying, convenient and delicious meal replacement, the IsaLean shakes are worth trying. Check out the shakes and all the other great Isagenix products at the website!

  

This information, plus much more, can be found on the Isagenix website. So check it out, order some Isadelight and enjoy a delicious, guilt free indulgence! 

 

 

A remarkable new gym safety product. Safe Side Towel TM can be incredibly effective at controlling gym germs.

 

Athlete Outfitters, Inc TM has continually found health club clients frustrated with previous machine user perspiration and germs. The patent pending Safe Side Towel TM was designed to do three things. First, the towel indicates which side goes towards your face and which side goes towards the gym, creating a smart safety barrier. Second, the naturally antibacterial bamboo helps suppress bacterial growth. Third, bamboo material is super soft and super absorbent.

 

Safe Side Towel TM offers piece of mind safety for health club patrons knowing that they are minimizing gym germ cross contamination. Athlete Outfitters, Inc. TM specializes in workout equipment and backs all of their products with a hassle free no product cost guarantee. 

 

 

Did you know the acid in balsamic vinegar  brings out flavors in foods in the same way salt or find wine does?

 

So just a drizzle will lower your sodium intake, helping your blood pressure, and is great on everything from grilled veggies, cheeses and of course, salad.