Swiss Ball Balancing Act

So this post will be short and sweet.  I added some videos to my youtube page with my daily swiss ball routines.  I usually try and finish my workouts over in the stretching area, using the swiss balls.

First the Swiss Ball & Medicine Ball Push Up and Tuck:






Next the Stirring the Pot Ab Workout - Tribute that idea to GSP:



Finally, Swiss Ball Slams:



I worked up to that last video.  It took a couple of weeks of just kneeling on the ball then I was ready to try standing and take it even further to working out on the ball.

Enjoy!

New Team Member!

Well first allow me to say that actually the title is misleading.  This is not a team event but we are certainly training together and headed up to Pittsfield, VT in June together.  So the recent addition to the team is Brian Kane from Barrington, NJ.  He is the head Trainer at Royal Fitness Gym in Barrington.  I have been a long time member of this gym and Brian along with fellow trainer Dave have developed a weekend class that involves functional fitness training.

In the hour long class we would do everything from flip and toss tires to swing fire hose.  The class was the precursors to Brian and Dave opening their own training center within the gym focusing on TRX and other Functional Fitness.  We welcome Brian and look forward to his expertise in training for the. . . Death Race!

George St. Pierre's Workouts!!!

Trying the Beginner workout today.  Timmy said he did intermediate and almost threw up!  Also if you didn't see his fight the other night against Josh Koscheck, then you missed out!

Check out the video and go to the this link for the workouts

Ruck Sack Selection

I am definately going to need a good pack. Any suggestions???

I found this one, Red Oxx Airborne Carry On Ruck Sack (C Sack), and it seems pretty solid.  And the price isn't too bad.

Weekly Workout

Sorry for the long delay between posts here.  I know this is not the way to start a blog.  It has just been a busy couple of days.  So quick run down of some of my workouts the past couple days:

So since my fibula break I have been trying to just make back some ground I lost.  So each day at the gym I have been hitting multiple areas of the body, specifically targetting my core strength (not just abs) and legs.  That's the big misconception about the word core.  Everyone thinks abs and only abs when you say CORE.  When actually core represents your abs along with many other small muscle areas that connect all the major and minor muscle groups.  So when I say core think about the connective muscles and tissues in and around your should area, your hip area, and of course your ab region, including your obliques.

So to hit these areas I have been doing a ton of swiss ball work, various push ups and pull ups, medicine ball exercises and of course jumping rope.

So the other day a friend of mine who does a lot of cardio asked me what I thought about jumping rope.  Ever since I did Daddis Fight Camp I have taken a huge love to the jumping of rope.  My first visit and every class there after we had to jump rope for about 10 minutes.  The first couple of times I got my ass handed to me by everybody when it came to jumping 10 minutes straight.  Now I am pretty good at it.

The trick with jumping rope is constantly changing the tempo and ways you jump (i.e. alternating skip, high knees, variation on B Step, side to side skier, switch, double hop and normal).

Day 1 or Day 197 ?

You tell me!  Well this is day 1 of this blog and not really the first day of my training so far.  I have been training for several years now; not just for this race but for many races (i.e. the Philly Stair Climb, the Metro Dash, Various 5ks, etc.).  But there is a 197 days till the Death Race.  So here is the skinny on what this is and what I am planning on doing.

So I have recently recovered from a broken ankle which I acquired at my last fitness competition in August 2010 called the Metro Dash.  Mind you I was on pace to finish as a Champion that day but 400 meters from the finish those hopes were all but dashed when I came down wrong on my right ankle and snapped the bottom of my fibula.  Yes we all heard it the sound that day.  Many of you even remember my oh so happy go . . . feel good state I was in upon returning that day.

As my girlfriend Laura puts it, "Ever since that damn Metro Dash and your ankle breaking you have developed some kind of ridiculous complex where you need to prove something to yourself by doing these insanely stupid races!"  I paraphrased as there were many more curses tucked away in that lovely address she gave me the morning I told her I was doing this.

Laura my response to you is and I quote the guy from our recent Wyoming trip when I ran down the canyon side too a landing 600' below and then back up:

Random Guy:  "Wow do you know that guy?"
Laura:  (monotone voice afraid to admit it)  "yessss, he's my boyfriend"
Random Guy:  "Well he may not live long but he will definitely be fun to be around!"

So the challenge is both physical and mental.  It is meant to break us in every way.  To learn more about the challenge check out the link, Vermont Death Race, or read this POST of a guy who finished once before.

I will be headed up to Vermont with my coworkers Brett Delucca, Timothy Moore and friend Reed Costello.  Check back frequently for posts on my day to day training and some other good shit.