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.

So, you have a friend who is into fitness, or perhaps one who isn’t, but you’d like to get him/her started. Your budget is somewhat limited, so what would make for the perfect holiday gift? Obviously, any fancy equipment or memberships are out of the question, so likely something for home usage would be ideal.

I’ll just make this quick and simple. These two items I am about to list are not only affordable, but are essential pieces of equipment that everyone - beginners and professionals alike - should include as part of their arsenal.

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?

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

 

And by "TUT," we are not referring to good old King Tutankhaman, nor the dance moves that are named after him, but in this instance, it stands for "Time Under Tension." When it comes to calisthenics, in order to build muscle, it's not about how many reps you can bang out in a row, nor the amount of weight pushed or pressed, but rather, as the name suggests, how much time you put your muscles under pressure, or tension.

See how the gymnasts do long sets on the rings, parallel bars, and pommel horse? That is what is referred to as time under tension, and is the very thing that allows them to create such massive musculature. Doing a 100+ push ups every day, while an impressive feat in its own right, will not give you that long sought after shredded physique. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that your strength and endurance may have gone through the roof, your body may not look much different at all.

As demonstrated by the gymnasts, time under tension is accomplished by performing long, drawn out, continuous sets with multiple movements. For example, on the bars, you can start with muscle ups, then move onto front levers, back levers, ice cream makers, pull ups, etc. all back-to-back, nonstop. Basically, you just keep going until you get gassed. The same can be done on the floor, with varying positions of push ups, handstands, planche (or planche progressions), etc. Just remember to do each rep in a slow and controlled motion. The idea is not to do as many as you can, as fast as you can, but to be able to feel the tension on your muscles for the entire duration.

For an example of "TUT" in action, check out this video. It's one of our favorites.  ;-)

Happy training!

 

Well, as you all know, I've just returned from spending some vacation time in good old NYC, the epicentre for the calisthenics movement. The best thing about it is that despite pigging out on all the delectable foods in one of the greatest cities in the world, I came back home looking more lean than I've been in awhile, and even lost a few pounds! How did this happen? Three simple rules that can be applied whenever you are on vacation or at home: 

1. Skipping breakfast. "Breaking the Fast" of course can happen any time of the day, but in this sense, I am referring to the popular usage of eating first thing when you wake up. Seriously, if you are not hungry in the morning, there is no need to force yourself. Periods of daily fasting are known to aid in fat loss. This also limits the chance that you will overeat during the course of the day, since you will not be able to collectively stuff as much in two meals as you would in three. Ideally, you would keep the consumption window at around 8 hours or less if you can. So, if you first break the fast around 1 pm, your last intake of the day should occur no later than 9 pm. Easily attainable.

2. Calisthenics workouts indoors and at the local park right after waking up. Empty stomach workouts are another great way to stimulate that fat burning furnace. Don't worry if you aren't able to do nearly as much as you  normally would at home. When on vacation, all you can really ask for is maintenance, as opposed to actually building new muscle. All I basically did each morning was 3 to 4 total sets of 4 minute Tabata sessions or supersetting alternating upper and lower body exercises (for either 4 minutes or 10 mini-sets apiece, whichever comes first). Total elapsed time = 12 to 16 mins!

3. TONS of WALKING, here, there, and everywhere. NYC is one of the few cities where you can get away without having a car, but this can be easily emulated wherever you live as well. All you need is about 30 minutes of brisk walking per day. Anything extra... you're playing with house money!

And there you have it! This simple plan is certainly more than achievable when on vacation. In the end, you will enjoy your trip much more than you would have otherwise, with ZERO guilt! And as mentioned before, there is no reason why you can't also try this at home!

Just a tiny bit of this above, and you can have all of THIS below and even LOSE WEIGHT!

Lali's Dominicano Beef Stew with Rice and Beans

New York Pizza with the works at John's Pizzeria

Shake Shack... better than In-n-Out?

Taisho Yakitori (Japanese food that is not sushi)

So, I was up late the other night, and noticed an infomercial for the latest piece of home exercise equipment called The Rack. In all honesty, it really isn't all that special - basically a run of the mill foldable dip rack - something that's been in existence for awhile now.

For upper body development, the dip is without a doubt one of the best exercises you can perform, with a myriad of variations for adding resistance, from altering the time period of each rep, to changing the angle, to even adding some external weight.

What makes this ad interesting is the giant $14.99 plastered all over, leading people to think that this is the final price. However, if you click on the links on the site, you will soon realize that this is merely for a one month trial, and the actual sticker price is $160! Granted, this is certainly not mindblowingly exorbitant, but why even bother when the local park has this very same set up... for FREE?! Better yet, you can just set up a couple of chairs at home, and do the same exact workout!

To this day, the only piece of infomercial exercise equipment that is worth the money is the Iron Gym pull up bar, one of my favorites, and something I use on almost a daily basis. You can easily find it at many retailers for as little as $20, and is definitely a wiser investment than The Rack.

P.S. Do you seriously think these fitness models in the commercials really got this ripped solely from using said product?

 

I usually reserve this space to generate my own content, but today I came across a simple, yet to the point article that really hammers home the benefits of calisthenics. There is a reason why the movement for bodyweight training has blown up recently, and will only continue to do so in the near future and beyond.

Top 6 Reasons Why Bodyweight Calisthenics Are Important

by Coach Eddie Lomax

When I look at many popular physical fitness training programs I am often shocked at the overwhelming absence of bodyweight calisthenics exercises.

Do you really need a costly gym membership and access to all the shiny machines or expensive equipment and magic powders to improve strength, conditioning and fitness?

Absolutely not!

Bodyweight calisthenics exercise is one of the most versatile, effective and beneficial training methods available to both the serious athlete and non-professional fitness enthusiast.

1. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Be Done Anywhere

You don't need expensive gym memberships or costly equipment to benefit from bodyweight calisthenics... you have everything you need right here and now.

Indoors or out... there are a multitude of bodyweight calisthenics exercises that you can perform to greatly improve strength, conditioning and fitness. 

2. Bodyweight Calisthenics Are The Perfect Place To Start

If you are just starting a physical fitness training program... bodyweight calisthenics are the perfect place to start.

Bodyweight calisthenics will prepare you with a physical base from which to effectively and safely add more advanced resistance training.

Learn how to control the weight of your own body first before exploring other training methods.

3. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Be Adapted For Any Fitness Level

There are many variations to bodyweight calisthenics exercises... giving you the ability to make them easier or harder.

This is why they are great for beginners as well as seasoned fitness enthusiasts.

4. Bodyweight Calisthenics Train Natural Body Movements

Often, resistance training methods do not directly improve movement patterns that are naturally used in everyday life... but this is not the case with bodyweight calisthenics.

Fitness excellence is often measured by your ability to control the movements of your own body... and not your ability to control the movement of an object.

Train the way you naturally move to see more physical improvements applicable in the real world.

5. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Improve Muscular Strength, Power And Endurance

Depending on the exercises used, the reps and sets and the intensity... you can effectively target strength, power and endurance separately or collectively.

Vary rarely are the challenges of sport, work and life one dimensional... but rather a combination of strength, power and endurance weaved together.

Bodyweight calisthenics are a great way to train all three and the seamless flow from one ability to another.

6. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Simultaneously Improve Strength And Cardiorespiratory Endurance While Burning Fat

When most of us participate in a fitness training program we want to improve strength and cardiorespiratory endurance... and simultaneously burning off unwanted fat.

Bodyweight calisthenics can do all three... in the same workout.

By varying the exercises, stresses and intensities of your workouts you can effectively and efficiently get stronger, better conditioned and leaner.

Conclusion...

Don't let the simplicity of bodyweight calisthenics fool you... they are one of the best tools you have for the improvement of strength, conditioning and fitness.

And just because they look simple does not mean they are easy or ineffective... just try a one-armed push up, one-armed pull up of one-legged squat if you don't believe me.

Bodyweight calisthenics exercise should be the foundation for any physical training program... It is the perfect place to start, and should remain an important part of your fitness workout program as you add more training methods.

I know it is almost cliché to talk about quick fix workouts for those with limited time, but I am a firm believer that in order to obtain and maintain a fit and stellar physique, there is certainly no need to be be killing yourself for hours on end at the gym. Along with the aforementioned Tabata Method,  this is definitely one of my favorite no frills, no hassle workouts, and often used in my rotation. Basically, it is based on Ross Emanait's "No Excuses" system, and all it takes is 10 minutes per day.

In a nutshell, you choose four calisthenics exercises that you can do comfortably, yet are still somewhat challenging. I typically like push ups, burpees, squats, pistols, handstands, pull ups, and muscle ups, but you can also do running in place, box jumps, planks, mountain climbers, shadow boxing, etc. You should preferably have enough variation to make for a full body workout, so try to include both the upper and lower body. These four exercises shall be performed in this manner, with no breaks:

Round 1: Each exercise 1 min = 4 mins
Round 2: Each exercise 45 secs = 3 mins
Round 3: Each exercise 30 secs = 2 mins
Round 4: Each exercise 15 secs = 1 min
Total elapsed time = 10 mins

And there you have it! 10 minutes to a lean, mean physique using nothing but bodyweight exercises. Oh, and did I mention that you do this all nonstop? Of course, this would be the ideal, but if you need to catch your breath or if you get stuck on an exercise, by all means, take a quick break, but just make sure it's not too long! And as mentioned earlier, don't pick movements that are way too easy, nor ones that will have you gasping for air in a matter of seconds!

An alternate pattern I like to use is this:

Round 1: Each exercise 1 min = 4 mins
Round 2: Each exercise 1 min = 4 mins
Round 3: Each exercise 30 secs = 2 mins
Total elapsed time = 10 mins

This one sometimes works better than the first because in Round 4, 15 seconds apiece is sometimes not enough time, considering that it usually takes a few seconds to switch from exercise to exercise.

I normally like to perform this first thing in the morning as the perfect way to kick off the day. Start off doing this 3 times per week, or if you are game, you can even go every single day as long as you switch things up. Prepare to get psyched up physically and mentally for work or school every morning!