Man Up and Take On the 300!

Try this on for a super total body workout.   All you need is a pull up bar, some dumb bells and the determination to get through the workout.   If you are lacking any of these requirements feel free to join me and LS2 Pilgrim Thursday mornings at the NOSC.   The 300 goes like this:
After a brief warm-up:
10 Pull ups x2
10 wide-grip push ups x2
10 super mans x2
10 crunches x2
60 seconds of jumping jacks x2

Now you are ready to begin:   HYDRATE

This is a timed even so you can go at your own pace.   Take as much time as you need to reach 30 repetitions:
30 pull ups.
1/4 mi. run
30 wide grip push ups
1/4 mi. run
30 narrow grip push ups
1/4 mi. run
30 dips

1/4 mi. run
30 crunches
1/4 mi. run
30 knee raises on pull up bar (knees to shoulders)
1/4 mi. run
30 squats (30lb dumb bells)
1/4 mi. run
30 lunges (30lb dumb bells)
1/4 mi. run
30 shoulder presses (your choice dumb bells)
1/4 mi. run
30 bicep curls (your choice of dumb bells)
1/4 mi. run


HYDRATE:  STRETCH:   Take a cold shower and eat something good.   You deserve it.   If you made it to the finish line, you just did 300 repetitions of quality strength training and ran 2.5miles!

Fuel Your Body

Your body is a machine, fuel it right.   Google Paleo diet for an eye opening bit of info on the affects of the foods we choose to consume.   Some good grocery shopping tips are as follows:   The next time you are doing your shopping, stay away from the middle of the store.   Just shop the walls.   Most grocery store chains keep the healthiest foods lined up against the borders of their stores because they are perishable (think fruits, veggies and meats).   If it has a long shelf life, it generally is loaded with sodium and preservatives.   I should enter a 12 step program for my addiction to the wonders of chocolate and it takes every ounce of determination I have to substitue a bowl of ice cream with a bananna but hey, nothing worth achieving is easy!   If you aren't quite ready to give up the doritos and cheese dip then make a compromise, cut out the sodas and substitue with a little ice cold water.   Your kidneys will thank you for it later.   Get up, get out and GET FIT!

Interval Training: Improving Your Run Times

While adding miles to your jogging routine will do wonders for your endurance and calories spent, it will not improve your 1.5mi times without a little tweaking.   If you want to run faster, it is pretty simple; you just need to speed up your pace.   Obviously this is easier said than done but short bursts of speed runs mixed in with low intensity jogging will train your body to operate at faster speeds.   I prefer to use visual ques like "I'm going to alternate between sprinting and jogging between mailboxes, driveways, trees, signs or whatever nature provides".   In addition to incorporating sprints into your workout, hills are also an awesome challenge.   Walter Payton was famous for running up a mountain.   Thats right folks, a mountain!   Step outside of your comfort zone and up your intensity for breaking through that next plateau.