Get Skipping!!!!!

Skip with a Smile

Skipping, when you think about it, is a part of our culture. It’s a natural part of being a human. As children, we skip in play; we skip in dance; we skip just for the heck of it. Why did we quit skipping? Maybe for the same reasons adults quit giggling to themselves, splashing in puddles, or staying in awe of life’s simple pleasures. We have much to learn from children, and a good way to start is by skipping–you’ll be amazed at the kid-like thoughts and feelings that can arise as you skip along your merry way. (www.iskip.com/blog/benefits/)

Not only does skipping have all the benefits of a good workout – it makes you happy too! What better exercise than one that actually, physically, physiologically makes you happy. Think about it…you see joggers with grimaces on their faces; even walkers seem to be unpleasantly completing a task. But if you ever watch someone while they’re skipping, they’ll be smiling.

Remember, skipping is a strenuous exercise SO START SLOWLY!!!!

Find the Right Skipping rope for your Height

To ensure that the rope is the right size for you, stand on the middle of the rope and pull the handles upwards until the rope is taut. The handles should be in the middle of the chest, just beneath the shoulders. You can shorten most skipping ropes by tying the string shorter.

You will need a springy surface to perform this workout, so avoid concrete and tiles. Choose carpeted or wooden floors or, better still, head outdoors to a grassy garden or park.

If you haven't skipped for a long time, start by practising your timing – hold both handles of the rope in one hand and rotate it in a circular movement to your side; when the rope hits the floor, jump.

Keep your jumps small to keep impact on your knees and ankles to a minimum – you only need to raise your feet about an inch off the ground. Progress to jumping over the rope once you are confident your timing is correct.

Keep aware of your posture, keeping abs pulled in and your pelvis neutral, to make sure the workout is safe.

Before you start, look straight ahead; waist and back kept straight; then lower your elbows, keeping both at an angle of about 90 degrees. Swing the rope using wrists, not arm action. Keep your feet close together and your knees slightly bent, to absorb the shock of landing.

Warm up and cool down by marching on the spot for 3-5 min, and stretching your calves. Try skipping for 20-30 seconds, marching on the spot for 30 seconds, repeat.

As your fitness improves you can increase the time you skip for. Once you have perfected the basic move, you can make your workout more interesting by trying some of the following jumps Aim for about 70 skips a minute (each time you change foot counts as one skip). Pick up speed to 80 as the workout progresses. For fast skips, aim for 90.

·         Skip Jump - hop on one foot and kick the other foot to the front (or behind) the body, alternate legs.

 

·         Jog Jump - alternate your feet in a jogging movement as you jump the rope.

·         Hop Jump – hop on one leg for several jumps, alternate legs (start with 2 per leg and increase as you improve)
 
·         Jack Jump – do "jumping jacks" as you jump – one jump land with your legs apart, next jump land with them together 

·        Skipping on the spot -Keeping your back and head straight, gently jump from one foot to the other, allowing the rope to pass under your feet, and shifting your weight from one foot to the other as you skip.

·         The twister - As you jump, twist to the sides, alternating left and right. This will help with your torso toning.

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·      Knee lift - As you skip, alternatively lift one knee high; but beware that this will hurt if you do it too fast!

·         Cross over - Try crossing your arms/wrists in front of you, so you make a loop in the rope and jump through it. Alternate with normal swings - much harder than it looks!

·         Skipping backwards - Rotate arms in a backwards motion. Step backwards instead of forwards

I WANT KILLER CALVES!!!!!!

Calf muscles can be difficult to develop for a couple of reasons. One reason is because of the individual’s genetics. Some people are built with very lean muscles that take a great deal of work to get them to grow. The other reason is because calf muscles are basically programmed into a certain state due to our using them to walk our entire lives. It can take a great deal of intense training to get them to respond.

The two main muscles groups which are developed through calf exercises are the soleus which is a flat, wide muscle that lays against the bone and the gastrocnemius, which consists of two larger bulging muscles which are located on top of the soleus. Both groups of muscles are used to bend the feet and toes. However, the soleus requires a bend of at least 30 degrees before it can be completely contracted.

Since calve muscles are strong and dense, they respond best to first performing high reps and then low reps. Therefore, begin by completing at least 15 reps for  one set and then 5-10 reps for  another set of the following calf exercises. You will do 2 sets of each for a total of 4 sets.

Leg Calf Raises

This calf exercise will strengthen the gastrocnemius muscles.

While holding onto something to maintain balance, step onto a calf block, or some object which allows you to extend down for a full range when on the balls of your feet, and allow your heels to hang off the edge. Keeping your legs straight, slowly lower yourself down as far as possible. Hold this position for a moment and then slowly raise back up as high as you can while on the balls of your feet and toes. Hold for a moment and repeat.

You can also perform this exercise on one leg to further develop your calf muscles individually as you will be placing your total body weight on one calf at a time. 

Donkey Calf Raises

This exercise primarily works the gastrocnemius muscles and secondarily the soleus muscles.

Stand on a raised block with the balls of your feet and your legs spread shoulder width apart. Bend over to form a 90° angle, resting your hands on a weight bench or chair. A training partner will then sit on your hips like they’re riding a donkey. Lower yourself down as far as you can and hold for a moment. Slowly lift yourself back up and as high as you can on the balls of your feet and toes. Hold a moment and repeat.

Standing Calf Raises

This is one of the common calf exercises for developing the gastrocnemius muscles which utilizes a weighted machine designed specifically for calf workouts. This exercise can be done with both legs or only one leg. Also, if you don’t have access to a machine, you can do this calf exercise with a weighted barbell held across your shoulders.

Add the desired amount of weight to the calf raise machine. Step onto the foot block, place your head between the shoulder pads and secure your shoulders under the pads. With the balls of your feet on the block, straighten your legs up as far as you can and hold for a moment. Then slowly lower your legs down as far as you can and hold. Repeat.

  

Seated Calf Raises

This is another calf exercise machine designed for primarily working out the soleus muscles of the leg while providing secondary stress to the gastrocnemius muscles. If you do not have access to a machine, you can complete this exercise by sitting on a weight bench with a weighted barbell laid across your knees. You should wrap the barbell in a towel for comfort.

Add the desired amount of weight to the calf exercise machine. Sit on the machine and situate your knees so they are secure and comfortable against the knee pads. With the balls of your feet on the foot block, raise your legs as far as you can on the balls of your feet and toes. Hold for a moment and slowly lower your heels down as far as possible. Hold for a moment and repeat.

Add these calf exercises into your weight training program and you will have killer calves to balance out the ripped look of your lower body.

Train Like Rocky

In Rocky IV, Rocky isolates himself high in the snowy mountains of Russia, training with a mix of traditional bodyweight exercises and unorthodox drills, some of which are more suitable for a lumberjack than a boxer. His high altitude training pays off, eventually helping him bloody Ivan Drago and send him to the mat.

I particularly loved the scene where he’s training in an old barn, jumping rope in front of a fire place, carrying a log through snow, and dragging a horse carriage. Now thats REAL training, designed to forge a man into iron.

Martial Arts Video

Frequently Asked Questions on Weight Loss

Q: Diets really don't work for me. How can I still lose weight?

A: Perhaps you have selected the wrong diets!

While some diets are harder to stay with than others, we feel that any diet that reduces your daily caloric intake and encourages some exercise will help you lose weight.

If you just start with what you eat right now, you can probably mold and balance it into a "diet" that works by reducing or removing heavy calorie foods and replacing them with fruits and vegetables.  

 Q: I'm a yo-yo dieter. Is this harmful?

A: Yes. Yo-yo dieting will send your body into defense mode. Through centuries of feast and famine, our bodies have developed a defense mechanism to stop them from starving to death. That defense is simply to slow down the body's basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories the body burns on a daily basis just by living). If this becomes a chronic state, your body will just slow down permanently, waiting for the next time you go on a diet and starve it again. With a slower than normal basal metabolic rate it becomes nearly impossible to lose weight. The key here is to have a consistent caloric deficit without starving your body. That means that you have to consume at least 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day no matter what.

Q: What do I do if I have a bad day?

A: Bad day? In other words, you ate too much? Simple; enter your foods and go on with life. In other words, don't panic. It's over. It happened. Get rid of the fear and just look objectively at the numbers.

Many times it isn't as bad as you think! You just need to adjust. Eat fewer calories for the rest of the day or week. Or exercise a little more. Or, adjust your goal date.

The war against weight isn't a one day battle. Rome wasn't built in a day. Your excess weight didn't spontaneously appear one day. So don't panic. It's the long term trend that is the way you will win the war.   

Q: What is "Starvation Mode" and how do I avoid it?

A: If you eat too few calories per day, your body could enter into a starvation mode where it will actually slow your metabolism and slow your ability to lose weight.

It's a simple "caveman" reaction that all of our bodies have to weather the harsh conditions that nature used to place on us--winter, drought, etc. But this "caveman" reaction has no place in trying to lose weight.

To lose weight correctly and keep it off, you need to consume less than you burn each day--but not enough to trip this mechanism.

In general, woman should not go below 1,200 calories and men shouldn't go below 1,500 calories.

 Q: What is bingeing and how can I tell if I have a problem?

A: Bingeing means an unrestrained and often excessive indulgence. We assume your question refers to binge eating. This can become a problem when you're overweight or it can lead to bulimia (bingeing and purging). The best way to find out if you have a problem is to consult your physician.

Q: Can I train on an empty stomach?

A: The theory behind this is that your blood sugar levels are low when you're in a fasted state (after going all night without eating) which targets more fat burning.

The problem is that just because you're using more fat as fuel doesn't mean you're actually burning more fat off your body. Another problem is that you may not be able to workout as long or as hard if you're hungry, which means you may end up burning fewer calories than if you'd eaten something and worked harder.

Don't go hungry just because you think you're burning more fat...after all, if you cut it short or lower the intensity because of low energy, how much fat are you burning anyway?

Turbo charge your workout

The Normal workout

Ask most people why they don’t have the body of their dreams and they’ll tell you that they simply don’t have the time. The common misconception is that a truly chiseled physique takes hours of training every day.

Turbo Charged

What if you find a quality replacement workout that lets you hit all the major muscle groups quickly without having to worry that it will somehow shortchange your established training goals?

What if you learned that it’s possible to get a thorough and intense full-body workout in just 30 minutes? And that doing this workout just three times a week can yield remarkable results?

Watch out for tomorrow’s post.