First Cut Fitness

Are you always on the go, and can't find a gym, or are the ones that you do find not quite up to snuff? If you normally work out at home, and have limited access to heavy equipment, what can you use to add to your répertoire?

Look no further than furniture sliders! One of my favorite pieces of budget equipment, I keep a pair around the house, in the car, and always make sure to carry them on trips.

You may notice at your local sporting goods store a version made specifically for exercise, but don't waste your money, and just get a pack of these. They are pretty much the same thing if not better, since the surface area is larger. The going rate is roughly $12-15 for a set of four.

And by Globo Gym, I most likely am referring to 24 Hour Fitness, City Sports Club, or any other big box gym you can think of. Why the sudden outrage? Well, a few months ago, I already wrote about the sad state of calisthenics parks in our area, and likely around the country.

I was quite disappointed that my favorite calisthenics park finally succumbed to neglect by the city, but I was soon happy to find on Google Maps that there was an alternative not too far away.

Unfortunately, I'd never really had the time to check it out, but today was the fateful day I was finally able to go, only to see...

Darn Globo Gym! You can't tell from the photo, but there are still fresh holes in the ground from where the pillars used to stand.

Why direct my frustration at big box gyms, you ask? Well, the answer is simple. It is no coincidence that the time when gym chains started to proliferate exactly coincides with when these "parcourse" parks no longer became a priority. It's up to individuals like us to keep them alive before they are all gone forever!

The worst thing is that unlike the previous one, which was made out of wood, this one was entirely metal, so there was absolutely no way that it was crumbling. Oh well, fortunately, the kids area was relatively empty, and so I was able to make the most of it. Muscle ups on the swing anyone?

The muscle up is one of the most effective, yet simple exercises for complete upper body development. However, it can be somewhat challenging and daunting until you get into the swing of things (no pun intended), but no worries! Once you get your first one down, everything after that will be a cinch!

This is one of the moves I get asked about most frequently, but it doesn't have to be so difficult! Here is a super easy tip to use if you are stuck in a rut, and once you get better, you can progress to more advanced variations. Remember, you should be able to do at least 10 pull ups and 10 dips before attempting! Have fun!

The normal handstand to planche push up is a very impressive move indeed, but of course, the level of difficulty is quite high. This is a simple move to help you get a feel for the movement, improve your general hand balancing skills, as well gain some great upper body development.

Before attempting make sure your wall handstands and pseudo planche push ups are sound!

One of the most effective calisthenics movements for upper body development is the muscle up. There are many ways to test your prowess in the muscle up, including doing as many as you can nonstop. Another is to see how quickly you can perform 10 in a row.

Check out this video of E trying it. Give it a shot when you have the chance! It also helps when everyone around you is having a blast!

The climb up is one of the most useful moves in parkour, yet also one of the most difficult to master because it requires a good deal of lower and upper body strength along with stellar coordination. Ryan Ford of APEX Movement uses a "measuring stick" to test your prowess, which is 5 climb ups in a row.

Anything 15 seconds and under is pretty impressive. If you can get it down to 11-12 or even less, you are truly an amazing athlete. Even if you don't do parkour, this is a great skill to practice, as it is essentially a complete upper body workout, with a bit of legs thrown in the mix. This is also a precursor to the muscle up, so if you are able to do a good amount of these, you should be able to perform a muscle up without too much difficulty and vice versa.

Also, keep in mind that the time starts from the moment you make your first descent, and ends when your feet touch the top of the wall on the fifth climb up, not when you ascend back down. Have fun and be safe!

From March 15-17, we had the opportunity to train with the preeminent parkour coaches in the country, Ryan and Amos from APEX Movement. The newest branch of their ever-expanding empire has recently opened its doors right in our backyard, so we knew we couldn't let the opportunity pass us by.

The idea of this course is not just to learn more about parkour, but to become certified coaches of our own. We figured this would be a great way to complement the calisthenics and bodyweight stuff that we already do. We've always implemented parkour conditioning into our teachings anyhow, so by obtaining this certification from APEX, it will only help to solidify our teachings. Look for more parkour-related content from us in the near future!

 

Oh, and the facilities are pretty nice too! If you are in the area, come check it out, and also see E's Yelp review here!

 

APEX Movement NorCal

930 Detroit Ave. Suite A

Concord, CA  94518