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‘Boot Camp’ style workouts gaining popularity in fitness world

Written by thegang on October 27, 2009 under body weight exercise

By Randy Young, Chapel Hill News Columnist

“Shock and awe ” is a military term for rapid domination of an adversary, a strategy employed in the confrontation in Iraq based on a doctrine espoused by the National Defense University.While its efficacy over the past decade has been debated, the use of such aggressive tactics where our physical complacency is concerned — our vegetative states, the monotonous hum of our repetitive workouts, and the soothing ease of “sameness” — is gathering fervor.

No fitness professionals pretend to offer the demanding routine of the armed forces’ actual physical training, but many are emulating a few of the military’s tactics in America’s war on obesity.

The product of this amalgamation of gleaned wisdom has been gaining more and more popularity under the banner of boot camp-style training.

“Everything we do is slightly different,” said Rod Clayton, owner and personal trainer for Basic Training Fitness, which offers classes through the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough. “It’s almost always body-weight exercise, where one’s own body weight is the resistance. Much of it is really play: we’re moving the body, we’re running, we’re climbing, and we’re jumping. We also do some plyometrics, which uses explosive body weight exercises.”

“It’s simply exercises that are based on those used by Navy Seals,” said Kelly Sikes, Triangle SportsPlex’s executive director of sales and fitness development. “It’s a great idea, and I guess it’s a little like the P90X workouts … on steroids.”

Confound The Enemy

Like the P90X system, military physical training tends to confuse different muscle groups through widely varied exercises, introducing new moves and routines so as to keep the muscles guessing, thus shocking the body off of its comfortable plateaus.

What’s new to fitness center menus is old news on military training sites, however.

“I ran across an old book about Navy PT Training and started doing it, and I had a great time,” Clayton said. “I got a couple more friends doing it, and it was recommended that I start a class … about 10 years ago. The first class, we maxed out.”

The workouts are based on exercises from BUDS — Basic Underwater Demolition Seal –the Navy version of boot camp for specialists, Clayton said. He also incorporates from other Special Forces operators, like parachute jumpers, who’ve given us ideas on water exercises we can do.

“We’re always looking for new ways to challenge people. I’ve been in fitness for more than 20 years, and this is probably the most effective workout I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Clayton strongly emphasized the difference between military-style workouts and actual military training, renown for its rigorous methods of focusing the mind and reshaping the body.

“This is nothing at all like that. This is purely about fitness,” Clayton asserted. “We try to concentrate on the positives without any harassment or negative things.

“We do get some people who come in and expect a military-style program, and it’s not that. We even get some folks who tell us, ‘Hey, you need to yell more.’ I suspect many of our people would leave if we did.”

Clayton re-emphasized that the image of the derisive drill instructor does not translate into fitness center settings.

“No, because, after all, they are paying us,” he said, chuckling. “This is a workout, not a true boot camp.”

Too Early

Jordan Albertson, of UNC’s Ram’s Head Recreation Center, said the notion of a pre-dawn run with 40-pound packs isn’t on the agenda through UNC Recreation’s boot camp fitness workouts, either.

“With our program, it’s not the time of day,” Albertson said. “We did offer a boot camp style workout at 6 or 7 a.m., and it was really poorly attended.”

“It’s more about the style of the workout,” he added. “I’m sure that someone who had been in the armed forces would say that this training is not much like their training. … It’s just a lot of back-to-back exercises without much rest.”

“Hey, we’re not here to kill you or make you sick,” Sikes said. “We’re here to make you better and to push you to where you don’t think you can go.”

With the derisive element excised from exercise, “boot camp” style fitness has become wildly popular over the past decade.

“It actually still seems to be gaining popularity,” Albertson said. “The program filled quickly the first time I taught it, and this semester it filled up super quick.”

One of the major reasons for the popularity of the basic training-style workouts is their efficiency.

“In four weeks, people will drop 5 to 6 percent body fat, lose up to 10 pounds, and reduce their mile time sometimes by two minutes, according to www.WebMD.com.

Human Nature

Another reason for the popularity with fitness centers and instructors is the low overhead involved. Whereas some fitness regimens use weights, equipment or large amounts of space, boot camp workouts use participants’ own body weight as resistance and competition with fellow participants as motivation.

“It’s human nature to challenge yourself against other humans,” Florida fitness coach Tom Rayhill told WebMD. “Not everybody is athletically inclined, but by hanging out with those more driven people, you’re naturally going to want to do better.”

Still, without a challenge, the system falls flat, results fall short, and popularity falls off. As such, workouts must be sufficiently rigorous.

“Typically, the people coming in are already in pretty good shape, and that’s how we market it,” Albertson said. “We tell people it’s going to involve tough workouts. It’s a fairly advanced class. It works out the entire body. There are a lot of body-weight power exercises involved, and that drains the system a lot.”

“It’s a hardcore course,” Clayton said. “We bill it as being for people of medium to advanced fitness. It’s not for the faint of heart, and we see everyone from cancer survivors who are battling back to athletes who’ve been to the Olympic trials.”

An elevated challenge makes for an elevated sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.

“I think the challenge itself is the reason for the popularity,” Clayton said. “We started our class before the real boot camp craze, and what we’ve heard from the start is that participants found themselves doing things they didn’t think they could do.”

“We get a lot of triathletes doing all-season training,” Clayton added, “and it’s the perfect complement. We also get a lot of former athletes who’ve been sitting at a desk for too long and need a program to get them motivated again.”

Tours Of Duty

Trainers see participants translating that sense of accomplishment into other areas. Rayhill said the classes also offer a way to reconnect with others from within lifestyles that are increasingly separated.

“Most of what we do all day is very isolating,” Rayhill said. “We’ve got iPods, cell phones, and computers. We’re not connecting with other people. No computer can make you feel better. No, not like the connection to other people.”

For those interested, basic training style classes are offered locally through fitness facilities including UNC Recreation and the Wellness Center at Meadowmont, as well a three-month tour of duty running from November through the Holiday season into January at the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough.

“It’s in keeping with the idea of ‘maintain, don’t gain, ‘ through the holidays,” Sikes said. “People can get off schedule during that time of year, so we offer a choice of just one month (December) or for all three months.”

The SportsPlex classes will be offered twice weekly during the mornings and twice more during evenings, with an 8 a.m. Saturday session as well. The program, administered by Clayton’s Basic Training Fitness ( www.basictraining.biz) begins Nov. 2 and runs for 12 weeks. The cost for SportsPlex members is $60 per month or $160 if paid in full in advance. Non-member rates are $75 a month, or $200 if paid in full in advance.

“Our motto is, ‘don’t limit your challenges; challenge your limits, ‘” Clayton said. “That’s really what it’s all about. The challenge is not just physically, but to mentally go past where you thought your limits were.”

However shocking the tactics may be, most fitness experts are agreeing that the results have been nothing short of awesome.

Randy Young at chnsports@nando.com

Original article can be found here: http://www.chapelhillnews.com/sports/story/53007.html

Top Exercises For Building Muscle

Written by thegang on June 29, 2009 under Health

You have set your goals, you have an idea of the results you are trying to achieve, and now you want to implement a successful training regime to get the physique of a proper bodybuilder. Exercises are divided up into core exercises, which will always be included in your training plan, and various other optional exercises which you can pepper your routine with.

Altering the exercises you do will help shock the body, and increase muscle mass in your different muscle groups. There is a distinct difference between working towards mass, and generally exercising your body. To increase your mass, you need to use heavy weights, and only do three sets containing eight repetitions each. If your aim is to lose body fat, you will use lighter weights, and do more sets and repetitions. One of the fallacies amongst new gym users aiming to gain mass is that more is better. Well, they are half right! More weight is better, but more sets and reps will actually be detrimental to your efforts.

Bench presses, squats, and deadlifts will be a core part of your workout. The other exercises mentioned can be used to add variability to your plan.

Bench Press

Though this is going to be a fundamental part of your plan, do not devote so much time this exercise that you wind up with a disproportionately large chest and skinny legs!

Body Position – Lie in a firm, balanced way on the bench with the bar directly resting above your nose. Place your feet on the ground comfortably, and ensure your back is in contact with the bench all the way to your buttocks.

Movement – Take hold of the bar, and in a controlled way, bring it down to your mid-chest. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury. Inhale deeply throughout.

Completion – Using fully extended arms, lock your elbows, and press the bar upwards towards the starting position. The whole exercise should be done at a constant speed to keep your muscles under continuous strain.

Squats

This is an effective way to exercise several muscles at one time. It will build your lower body, and eliminate the possibility of chicken legs!

Body Position – Stand with your back to the bar. Try to position your feet a little wider apart than your shoulders. Place your hands comfortably on the bar. Your bar should be located around mid-trapezius height.

Movement – Hold the bar steady, and squat using your hips and the bend of your knees to help you. Your focus should be forward at all times to prevent you falling.

Remember to keep your torso straight to avoid putting strain on your back.

Completion – Rise back up to your starting position using your knees and hips.

Keep exhaling to increase the oxygen levels in your blood. Control your movement carefully throughout.

Deadlift

This will combine your upper and lower body in one solid exercise.

Body Position – Your feet should be slightly wider apart than your shoulders. The bar should rest across the top of your feet. Keep your focus forward, bend your knees, and grab the bar. Your back should be perfectly rigid.

Movement – Maintaining the rigidity of your back, raise the bar. Your arms should be fully extended. If you are tempted to bend your back, you are faced with the strong possibility that you will damage your disks. Power should be coming from the lower body.

Completion – Carefully move the bar through the same motion back to the starting position.

CHEST EXERCISES

Incline Press

Body Position – Sit in a reclined seat. Whether the seat is adjustable or fixed, your back should be firmly pressed against it. Your feet need to be in full contact with the ground.

Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury.

Completion – Lock your elbows, extend your arms, and move the weight back to its starting position. You should feel the muscles in your upper chest working hard.

Decline Press

Body Position – Lie on the bench and secure your feet on the pads provided. Your head will be at a lower angle than your body. Whether you are using a fixed bench or an adjustable one, your back should be making contact with it at all points.

Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. You should feel your lower chest muscles straining.

Completion – Move the bar back to the starting position by extending your arms and locking your elbows. The bar should always be perpendicular to the floor. A good spotter will help you perfect this technique.

ARM EXERCISES

Bicep Curls

Body position – There are many variations of this exercise you can use, but a curl bar comes highly recommended. Using the grips, clutch the bar in an underhanded manner. Your arms will naturally find the right position this way. Your arms need to be near to full extension with the bar on its rest around thigh height.

Movement – Keeping your elbows in a constant position, raise the bar toward your chest. Your muscles should be squeezed tightly. If your elbows move, this will hinder the impact of the exercise.

Completion – Without letting the bar drop vertically, return the bar to the starting position. It should travel exactly the same path as when you lifted it.

Rope Pulldown

Body Position – Your feet need to be the same distance apart as your shoulders as you face the cable machine. The rope handle should be at a height where when you hold it your arms are still pressed tightly to your sides.

Movement – With your arms tight to your sides, hold the rope handle and pull it directly downwards. Your hands will separate slightly as you complete your movement.

Keep your back and torso rigid, and do not bend over your hands. If you use your body weight to push the weight down, you arms will not get a thorough workout.

Completion – Resist and control the return of the weight to the starting position.

This control is what will increase your muscle mass.

BACK EXERCISES

Lateral Pull Down

Body Position – Sit firmly on the chair attached to the overhead cable machine.

Your knees should be comfortably sitting beneath the restraining pad. Grip the handles attached to the lateral bar.

Movement – You can either pull the bar behind or in front of the head. Behind the head is more beneficial as far as the muscles are concerned, but it also increases the likelihood of pulling your shoulder socket.

Completion – In a careful, controlled, steady way, return the bar to the starting position.

Bent over Row

Body Position – Stand sideways on to the bench. Leaving the outer leg on the floor, bend your inner leg and place the knee on the bench. Put your outer hand on the bench, so your body is situated directly over the bench. Use your free hand to pick up the dumbbell which should be on the free side of the bench.

Movement – Pick the weight up from the floor and pull it straight up. This movement should leave it around hip height and slightly in front of your body.

Completion – Control the descent of the weight until it is a few inches from floor level. Do not allow it to bang on the ground.

LEG EXERCISES

Lunges

Body Position – Take a normal stride, freeze, and then extend the stride a little more. One foot should be in front of the other. The knee of the leading foot should rest directly above its accompanying foot. Depending on your level, you can also do this exercise holding a free weight in each palm.

Movement – Keep your focus forward, and use your front knee to lower the trailing knee towards the ground. Do not lean and cause a deficiency in the exercise.

Completion – Straighten both legs to raise your body. Your abdominal muscles and lower back muscles should be utilized to maintain the rigidity of your upper body.

Leg Press

Body Position – Seat your self comfortably on the leg press machine. Your feet should be evenly spaced in the middle of the footpad, and the angle of your knees should slightly exceed 95 degrees.

Movement – Extend your legs slowly, to the point where they almost lock (but don’t!) using pressure from your heels. If you use your toes to push, the exercise will not work as you intend it to.

Completion – Carefully, and at a slow pace, return the weight to the starting point.

It should not slam back; you should be resisting it all the way.

This list of different exercises is certainly not exhaustive. However, these are some of the simplest and most effective exercises you can include in your routine. It will be useful to have a variety of options when you become more advanced in your planning, and want to target specific areas to work on.

By: Thomas Calkins

About the Author:

Get FREE tips on Build Muscle Naturally and Tips on How to Gain Weight, and top exercises for build muscles at MuscleBuildingEdge.com

Body Weight Fitness

Body Weight Workouts for a Strong and **** Body

Written by thegang on March 29, 2009 under Fitness

Bodyweight workouts are very misunderstood and under-estimated ways of enhancing muscle tone and strength. Many trainers and fitness seekers can’t see past traditional bodyweight workouts consisting of push-ups, pull-ups and dips.

Both men and women can follow body weight workouts and get great results that are in line with fitness goals ranging from slimming, shaping and toning to strengthening and lean muscle building.

A big hurdle for most people to get over when considering body weight workouts for fitness is the question of, “How can a body weight workout routine replace one that uses weight training and machines?”

It is easy to see how psychology can be an obstacle in trying to help people understand that properly structured bodyweight workouts can be better than traditional weight-lifting and exercise machine workouts. Traditional workouts offer many variations, almost endless actually. Where as bodyweight workouts rely on creativity mixed with a good understanding of how the body functions and what exercises stimulate healthy and safe fitness progress.

Many fitness pros believe that body-weight workouts offer just a limited amount of exercise options and are very general at best, meaning that there is no ability to target and isolate specific muscle groups during a bodyweight workout. This is a big mis-perception that prevents many fitness success stories from ever becoming a reality.

Here’s the reason why. When people get into the ‘health club mentality’ of only being able to workout with equipment, weights and machines, they set themselves up for many episodes of ‘falling off the program’ and failing. Bodyweight workouts eliminate this excuse.

Here’s an example where bodyweight workouts are a million times more effective than regular old gym workouts. You go on vacation or you go out of town on business, or maybe to visit family for several days. So many times these events become excuses for people not sticking to their fitness plan because they ‘couldn’t go to a gym’. With a well-rounded, bodyweight workout program this excuse is not valid.

The right body weight workouts can be done anywhere and anytime. They can be done at home, the office, a fiend’s house or even on a play-ground. And in terms of effectiveness – I can only say through personal experience with my own bodyweight workouts and those of the people who I have trained that when planned properly and followed consistently, bodyweight workouts can be even more effective than most weight lifting or machine based workout programs.

Body weight workouts offer ‘fitness veterans’ – a refreshing, eye-opening alternative to the those repetitive weight and machine training programs. Even more importantly, bodyweight workouts offer sedentary fitness beginners a safe, non-intimidating and effective method for starting a home based fitness program with a high probability for success.

Whether you are just beginning or you’ve been ‘pumping the weights’ for some time now, give some consideration to the benefits and advantages of properly structured body weight workouts and how they can help you move forward in your fitness and conditioning goals. Open up your mind to the possibility of a bodyweight workout being a part of your overall fitness plan and see what happens. You’ll be very pleased and maybe a bit surprised with the results you experience.

By: Joey Atlas

About the Author:

Exercise Physiologist, Joey Atlas, is the creator of the Top Body weight Workout Program for Full Body Fitness.

And also visit Leg Exercises for Leg Workout Advice.

Body Weight Routine

Three Most Basic Upper Body Workout Exercises

Written by thegang on March 05, 2009 under Fitness

Different exercises concentrate on building different muscle groups of the body. Some exercises are aimed at the arms or legs and some aims at the chest or back. The upper body workout includes those exercises, which make your body to work on your chest, back, arms and the shoulders.

Here are some of the very basic rules, which you must keep in mind, before you actually carry out the upper body exercises:

1.The beginners should perform 1 set of 13-15 repetitions.

2.The professionals must perform 3 sets of 12-14 repetitions.

3. Take a break of 48 hours in order to help your muscles relax and recover.

4.You must warm up your body before you start with your weight training session.

5.Its better to see your doctor if you have any medical conditions before starting with the workout

Here are some of the very basic, simple, easy and effective exercises that actually concentrate on your upper body:

1.Bench Press:

a.Lie on a ball with your abs contracted

b.Hold weights straight up your chest

c.Keep your elbows slightly bent

d.Keep your elbows bent and lower your arms

e.Lower them to a level where elbows are just below the shoulders

f.Slowly contract your chest and push your arms up

g.Repeat this movement for 13-15 repetitions

2.Push Ups:

a.Place your body in the push up position on the floor

b.Keep your hands wider than your shoulders

c.Rest on knees or an exercise ball

d.Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body into a pushup

e.Hold your abs tight while your elbows making an angle of 90 degrees

f.Try not to sag

g.Push yourself back to the starting position and repeat it for 15 times.

3.Back Extension:

a.Lie on the floor with your face down

b.Hold your hands behind your back

c.Slowly lift your upper body few inches above the ground

d.Keep your neck and your head in alignment

e.Now lift your feet and keep your legs straight

f.Hold your body in this position for 3-5 seconds

g.Lower and repeat for 13 reps

These three exercises are the most effective and easy workout exercises that help to concentrate on your upper body. These exercises, if done along with the above stated rules, will give you best results for your upper body muscles and shape.

By: Jesse Miller

About the Author:

Finding the perfect Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer takes time and effort. The P90X Plus workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.

Body Weight Workout

Aerobic Exercise: Make it Part of Your Strength Training Program for Optimal Athletic Performance Enhancement

Written by thegang on March 03, 2009 under Aerobics

The term aerobics means “with oxygen”. While performing aerobic exercises your heart, lungs, and blood vessels respond to your physical activity by increasing the oxygen available to your muscles. These exercises must use large muscle groups, and the activity must be sustained for a period of time.

-Strengthens heart so it can pump more oxygen-rich blood to your tissues with every beat.

-Improves fitness. As you develop your aerobic stamina you can increase your intensity and duration. And recovery time decreases.

-Reduces the risk of certain cancers.

-Increases your resistance to fatigue.

-Improves your mood and reduces depression and anxiety.

-Improves the quality of your sleep.

-Increases good (HDL) cholesterol.

-Helps control and reduce body fat.

Heart rates and target zones for aerobic exercise

For general guidelines used in determining your maximum heart rate and target heart rate ranges, refer to the chart below.

Age….Max.heart rate(beats/minute)…Target range(beats/minute)

20-24________________200______________120-150

25-29________________195______________117-146

30-34________________190______________114-142

35-39________________185______________111-139

40-44________________180______________108-135

45-49________________174______________105-131

50-54________________170______________102-127

55-59________________165______________ 99-123

60-64________________160_______________96-120

65-69________________155_______________93-116

70 and older___________150_______________90-113

Aerobics can stand on its own or be part of a strength training program which includes body exercises, flexibility exercises, and weight training. There are many exercises you can do without going to the gym and without weights. You can use your own body weight as the resistance and get a great workout in the process. Aerobics and body weight exercises can also supplement a weight training program.

Here are some tips that go for body weight exercises as well as exercises using weighted resistance. Before you move on to using weights in your strength training be sure you are aware of these tips.

1. Before any high intensity training, do a low intensity warm up for 5 minutes that makes you sweat. Before lifting weights do a warm up lift for 1-3 sets

2. Don’t throw your body around. Don’t let momentum control the movement. You should be able to pause at any spot in the motion and prove control.

3. Concentrate on what you are doing at the moment. Don’t have conversation during a set. Losing focus leads to lack of form, which can lead to injury.

4. Learn and practice proper form for a few weeks before adding resistance. Increase weight and intensity in small, gradual steps. Never more directly into intensive training on an exercise you are not familiar with.

5. Do not hold your breath. Especially during very hard workouts. If you were using weights and passed out you could be severely injured. Always breath out during the most challenging phase of the work out. Breath through your nose and mouth.

6. Never continue an exercise if you experience pain. Pain is not the same thing as muscular discomfort. The motto “no pain – no gain” has done a great deal of damage to athletes. Usually poor form is responsible for the pain. Learn, and fix the problem.

If you would like to get more information about starting an aerobics program or adding it to your strength training workout you might get some useful information from this website: http://www.strength-training-coach.com

Joe Ross

By: Joleen Ross

About the Author:

Joe Ross Is a football coach at the high school level. He has been involved in coaching for over 40 years at every level.

Bodyweight Exercise