Excellent Sportband Conditioning Drill!! (video)

Hey Everyone:

Here’s a great sportband conditioning drill for you to try - resisted runs.These are very challenging, but you can vary the intensity simply by using a heavier or lighter resistance band.

You can use this drill as a warm-up or as a core element to your leg and cardiovascular training. It works perfectly as a circuit training element or stand alone exercise. Once you try it, you’ll see just how effective it can be. Trust me and go try it!

SPORTBAND CONDITIONING RUNS

Give it a shot and tell us what you think. We’ll be posting another one very shortly, so make sure you check back for the next installment.

Keep training hard!

Jason
www.hybridfitness.tv

P.S.: It’s very important that you use top quality bands for this drill and others like it. The Free E-Book posted earlier talks about the importance of good bands. I can’t emphasise this enough. If you want good bands and don’t have them, we recommend you get them here.

Almost Raw Fish (recipe)

I love to eat sushi. I could probably eat it every day and never get sick of it. But it wasn’t always that way. Years ago a friend and mentor tried to turn me on to sushi. Well. I’ll tell you I was not having it. Raw fish!? No F~!@# way!

A year or so later I got a job at a Creole restaurant. The head Chef decided I should be an oyster shucker. He taught me the technique and I started opening clams and oysters as my full time job. At peak time I probably opened at least 300 raw shell fish a night. Well, after a few months of this…I got curious and decided to try some of these slimy, gooey looking things. What can I say; it was love at first bite. Once I tried raw oysters, sushi didn’t seem like a bad idea so I dove right in. I have never looked back.

For a lot of you I am probably preaching to the choir, but I know there are still some who feel the idea of raw fish is just too hard to swallow (pun intended). I am going to share with you one of my favorite foods of all time. I call it Almost Raw Fish. However, most of the world calls it Ceviche.

Many of you may find (as I have) that Almost Raw Fish actually tastes better than the cooked version. Check out my simple recipe below.

1. Lemons or Limes: 5-6 (I prefer limes or a mix of both)
2. Garlic: 3-5 Large cloves (More is better with me and garlic so I use 8 cloves)
3. Onion: 1-2 Large (I prefer Red)
4. Pinch Sea Salt (optional)
5. Avocado: 1-2 Large (not too ripe)
6. Tomato: 1 large
7. White Fish Fillets: 4-6 large Fillets
8. Optional: Sweet and or hot peppers (I like it hot!)

Crush up the Garlic, chop the Onion and set aside.

Cut the fish up into small strips or cubes (about 1 inch each). Throw them into a mixing bowl. Squeeze the lemons, limes or both into the bowl. You may need more or less depending on how much fish you use. Basically you want enough so the fish is fully covered.

Mix in the garlic, chopped onion and sea salt.

Add peppers if you got em.

Now place the mixture into your fridge overnight or for at least 4 hrs. When you come back to it the fish will have turned white. This is because the enzymes in the citrus juice have ‘cooked’ it for you.

Now, chop the tomato and avocado into very small pieces and mix with the fish.

Serve chilled and enjoy.

There are literally hundreds of different Ceviche recipes around, and after you experiment with this one, I encourage you to get creative and make up some of your own. Almost Raw Fish not only tastes great but it provides a simple and delicious way to pack your Personal Eating Plan with high quality protein.

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to make yourself some Almost Raw Fish this week. Follow my recipe for starters (it can also be done with shrimp by the way).
Another option is to check around and see if there are any South American restaurants in your area that feature Almost Raw Fish (Ceviche). Either way, once you have tried this stuff, I think you may find that you quickly become a convert.

PAU for NOW

TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv

P.S. After you go home and make yourself some Almost Raw Fish, post a comment and be sure to let me know what you think.

Shake It Up

Let’s face it we all need stamina in one form or another. If we are competitive athletes we need to know that we have the capacity to perform at our best for what ever the duration of the event in question. If we are just health and fitness enthusiasts, we still want to know that we can run, jump and play, any time we want for as long as we want.

Many people feel that they must perform 45-60 minutes of sustained activity in order to build an effective and useful base of stamina. They will choose an activity such as running or cycling and then attempt to build up their capacity to sustain this activity for longer and longer periods. I don’t know about you but for me this seems like torture. Unless you are a marathon runner or some other type of long distance endurance athlete this type of training is simply not needed.

There are many different ways to improve stamina:

* Distance Running
* Sprinting
* Stair / Hill Running
* Rope Skipping
* Sparring (boxing, kick-boxing, etc)
* Circuit Weight Training
* Cross Country Running
* Bag / Pad training (Heavy-bag, Thai Pads, Focus Mitts)
* Swimming

Any one of the above mentioned activities could be used to attain improved stamina or endurance. Instead of just picking one from the list and attempting to build up to an hour of work, why not combine them into a series or circuit of brief, focused efforts? By doing this you can avoid much of the boredom (as well as potential repetitive stress) associated with plodding along in the same activity for 45-60 minutes. Think of it as Hybrid Cross Training.

Example Circuit 1:

1. Sprint repeats. 1 minute x 4 (rest 2.5 minutes)
2. Jump Rope. 2 minutes x 3 (rest 1 minute)
3. Bag / Pad work. 2 minutes x 3 (rest 1 minute)
4. Split squat jumps. 4 x 30 seconds (rest 1.5 minutes)

Example Circuit 2:

1. 1 mile run *A.F.A.P. (rest 50% of run time)
2. 50 yard sprints. x 4 (rest 3x run time)
3. Bag / Pad work. 2 minutes x 3 (rest 1 minute)
4. Max Hill Sprints. 15 seconds x 5 ( rest 60 seconds)

Circuit 1. above will take less then 40 minutes (including the rest intervals). Circuit 2. will vary according to your current speed and fitness level, but should still come in under the 40 minute mark. As your fitness improves and recovery time decreases, circuit 2. will become shorter and shorter.

Give this type of Hybrid Cross Training a try. I am confident you will find this style of training not only more fun but that you are able to work harder during each effort bout due to the brief rests periods that are allowed.

So remember if you want to experience your fitness rapidly improving in minimal time be sure to Shake It Up!

Pau for Now

TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv

*A.F.A.P. = As Fast As Possible

Sandbag Cleans

I recently posted a different “Exercise of the Week” just a few days ago….but hopefully none of you will mind another one.

Sandbag training has really gained in popularity over the last couple of years.  I hesistate to call it a trend, because I think sandbag training has the potential for much more longevity.  I think this for a few different reasons.  Among other things, sandbags are durable, portable, extremely versatile and there is a bag to literally accommodate any strength range.  Yes, I said ANY strength range.  You can literally push, pull, toss and drag them in limitless movement variations.  Use them for developing strength, conditioning, power, endurance, agility and coordination.  What can I say….we’re big fans of sandbag training at Hybrid Fitness.

One of the exercises I like to impose on my unsuspecting clientele is the Sandbag Clean.  It requires the perfect balance of strength, power, coordination and focus.  It works multiple joints and muscles simultaneously and really gets the heart pumping.  Are you convinced yet?  If not, you’ll have to try it for yourself and see what I mean.

• Stand in front of a sandbag with your weight evenly distributed on both feet and knees slightly bent.

• Keeping your back flat, bend at the hips and knees and reach down to grab the sandbag.

• Keeping head up and back flat, explosively stand erect by pushing the ground away with your legs as you simultaneously pull / clean the sandbag up in front of your body and catch it at shoulder height.

• Your knees should be bent to approximately a 1/4 squat position during the catch phase.

• Lower the sandbag to the starting position.

Here’s the breakdown of what the sandbag clean looks like:

Sandbag Clean "start"

Sandbag Clean "middle"

Sandbag Clean "finish"

Sometimes, pictures just aren’t enough..so here’s a video showing the clean in real time.  It also comes with a pulldown exercise description, too. (click the link or the graphic to view the video)

We don’t sell our own sandbags so if you’re looking to pick some up, we suggest you go here.

Got questions?  Post them to the comments section and we’ll answer them ASAP.

Keep training hard!

Jason
www.hybridfitness.tv

P.S: You can view and create videos like the one above by utilizing the video exercise library and workout builder from Hybrid Fitness.  Join the community and see what the buzz is about.

New e-book download

Exercise of the Week: Sportband Overhead Squat

As most any educated member of the fitness industry will tell you, a squat is much more than just a leg exercise.  In fact, it could be considered a “total body” exercise.  Many muscles in both the upper and lower body are fully active during a squat.

Now lets factor in a sportband.  Sportbands are a great method of applying resistance.  We talk about them a lot on the blog and the main site.  They work well because of their portability and durability, but also because they can provide resistances from a few pounds to several hundred pounds.  Seriously, a band that provides 200lbs of resistance can practically fit in your coat pocket.  It might look a little weird, but it’ll fit.  I’ll spare you the sportband backstory in this post, but suffice it to say, we’re big fans of sportbands for a number of reasons.

One of the great exercises you can do with them is the Overhead Squat.  The link below will take you to a video from the Hybrid Fitness video database with a full explanation of the movement.

My recommendation would be to start with a light resistance band and move up from there.  Try a few repetitions and make sure your shoulders and back are stable.  Be sure to move slowy through the motion until you get ccomfortable with body position and mechanics.

Overhead Squat Video

Give it a shot and tell us what you think.  If you need to know where to get ultra-high quality sportbands, we recommend you go here. Tell them Hybrid Fitness sent you.

If you want to create videos like this for yourself for yourself, your clients or a blog/website, go here.

Until next time, keep training hard!

Jason
www.hybridfitness.tv

HFL’s WEIGHTLESS LEG WORKOUT:

Back in the 1980’s there was a fitness company called Health for Life. The company was started by Jerry Robinson who graduated from Stanford with a degree in Biomechanics. Health for Life or HFL as it came to be known; was a company ahead of it’s time. They produced many books and videos which applied current science to strength training and conditioning. Some of their most well know programs include the titles “Legendary Abs”, “Power Forearms” and “Synerstretch”.

I was always a fan of the HFL courses and still own every book they ever produced. Below is an excellent bodyweight leg training program which comes from one of the lesser known HFL titles, “The Weightless Workout”. I have used this program extensively both personally and with my clients. Give it a try, I am sure you will find it very effective.

1. One-Legged Squats                                  @ 8-10 reps each leg
2. One-Legged Hamstring Bridges                @ 8-10 reps each leg
3. Sustained Tension Side Leg Raises           @ 8-10 reps each leg
4. Modified Russian Lunges                          @ 6-8   reps each leg
5. Running Stairs                                           @ 10-20 Floors

The Basic introductory level is: one set each of the first three movements only.

Level (1) is: 2 sets of the first three movements and 1 set of the fourth.

Level (2) is: 4 sets of movement 1, 3 sets of movement 2, 2 sets of movement 3, 3 sets of movement 4, plus the stair running.

Each series should be done with no rest between exercises.

Stay on a level as long as it is challenging. You can do all the sets of one exercise and then move on to the next or do one leg all the way through the series before returning to do the other side.

Exercise descriptions:

1. ONE-LEGGED SQUATS: Stand perpendicular to a wall, about arms length away from it. Extend your arm out to the side and place your palm against the wall at just under shoulder height. Angle the foot farthest from the wall out ward 45 degrees. Bend the other leg (non-weight-bearing) back. Keeping your body upright, lower yourself until the non-weight-bearing knee is close to (but not touching) the ground. Support yourself by leaning against the wall. Press yourself back up to starting position. Repeat for desired number of reps, and then repeat with other leg.

2. ONE-LEGGED HAMSTRING BRIDGE: These are killers if you have never tried them look out! Lie on your back with one leg extended, heel on the ground. Hold the other leg up off the floor (as if you just threw a knee). Pushing through your heel, flex your hamstrings to lift your body (imagine you are pulling your heel in to your butt but it doesn’t move so your hips lift up instead). Lower and repeat for desired number of reps. Repeat on other leg. You can control the resistance and the degree to which the Glutes contribute by changing the distance you place your heel relative to your buttocks. The greater the distance, the greater the stress on the hamstrings. The lesser the distance, the greater the Glutes contribute to the movement. For most, only the position with the legs almost fully extended will offer sufficient resistance to make the exercise effective.

3. SUSTAINED TENSION SIDE LEG RAISES: support your self by holding onto a fixed vertical pole. A fence post or lamp will do, as will the edge of an open door. Position your self, sideways to the pole. Angle the foot closest to the pole as if you were doing a classic side-kick. Raise your leg straight out to the side as high as it will go. Don’t worry if it won’t go up very high. Your foot should be parallel to the floor. You should be able to draw a straight line through your shoulder, hip, and ankle. If you bend forward at the waist, or twist over so you are facing down, rather then sideways, you decrease the stress on the target muscles. Slowly lower your leg from the raised position, but only by a foot or so. Then reverse direction and go back up. (Don’t bounce as you change direction.) Repeat up and down never touching your foot to the ground, for the desired number of reps. Repeat on other leg. Add ankle weights when it gets to easy in the standard version.

4. MODIFIED RUSSIAN LUNGES: Begin in lunge position, bent at the waist, with your weight over your toes of the front foot and your rear leg extended behind you, slightly to the outside. Your chest should nearly rest on your forward thigh. Slowly push yourself up about 6-8 inches; you should also travel slightly forward. Lift your rear foot off the ground as you push your self up. The angles at your hip and waist must not change during the exercise-in other words; your chest should remain in the same relation to your thigh throughout the movement. Lower and repeat for the desired number of reps. Repeat on the other leg. When done right these are felt in the Glutes a great deal. Tweak until you know you are hitting the right position.

5. RUNNING STAIRS: Try doing 10-20 one-story sprints, preferably two stairs at a time. Work up to that number slowly! Also be careful to keep one hand on the stair rail to catch yourself if you lose your balance. To limit the aerobic component run up and walk back down in between sprints. To increase resistance add a weighted vest or a backpack full of heavy books or sandbags.

This workout is excellent for soccer players or any athlete looking to maximize performance using no extra equipment. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

PAU for Now

TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv

The 3X3 Routine: (The hardest nine sets you will ever do)

This style of workout has probably been around in one form or another for quite some time. I first heard about it when doing some research on the work of Matt Brzycki, Coordinator of Health Fitness, Strength and Conditioning at Princeton University.  Along with his duties at Princeton, Brzycki is a prolific author whose many works are focused on safe, rational and efficient training methods.

A 3×3 Workout is basically a multiple-joint hip movement followed by a multiple-joint chest movement followed by a multiple-joint upper back movement and repeated two more times with as little rest between exercises as possible.

Sequence one: You should reach muscle failure at about 20 reps for the hip exercise, 12 for the chest exercise and 12 for the upper back exercise.

Sequence two: Repetition goals would be 15 for the hip exercise, 10 for the chest exercise and 10 for the upper back exercise.

Sequence Three: Repetition goals of 12 for the hip exercise, 8 for the chest exercise and 8 for the upper back exercise.

A typical exercise selection for a 3X3 workout might be:

1. Squat - Bench Press - Barbell Row
2. Leg Press - Dip - Chin
3. Deadlift - Standing Press - Pull-down (palms in)

When doing the 3X3 routine it’s critical that you perform every set to muscle failure. It’s also important that you move quickly between exercises with as little rest as possible. The length of the recovery between exercises will depend upon your present level of metabolic conditioning.

If done properly you should be able to finish an entire 3X3 workout in about 10-15 minutes. Doing these types of workouts gives you the total package: strength, endurance and mental toughness.

WARNING: these workouts are much harder then they may appear. Only attempt them if you have a great fitness base and are used to workouts with a high anaerobic output and minimal rest periods.

PAU for NOW

TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv

For Brzycki’s Ideas on H.I.T., go here:

http://tinyurl.com/9l2uhy

For a list of Brzycki’s books, go here:

http://tinyurl.com/9d7vvl

Interview at Maxcondition.com

Hey Everyone:

I recently did an interview with Coach Hale at www.maxcondition.com.   Please take a moment to check it out.

http://www.maxcondition.com/page.php?120

That’s all for now.   Thanks and please feel free to post any comments on the article.

Pau for now.

Taku
www.hybridfitness.tv

Exercise of the Week: 3 Great Push-up Variations

Looking for a little variety in your training? Give these push-up variations a shot. Push-ups are one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do. Mixing up how the movement is performed can have a profound impact on the intensity of the exercise.

These variations may look simple, but they get challenging very quickly.

http://www.hybridfitnessvideos.com/showPlaylist.php?1230768490

Post any thoughts / questions to the comments section.

Good luck & keep training hard!

Jason

www.hybridfitness.tv

By the way, we have dozens more push-up variations available as well as hundreds of other exercises in the video database at www.hybridfitness.tv Access to the database and the ability to export custom video playlists are available to all Hybrid Fitness members.