Bolts of Lightning

Be A Difference Maker

I had a topic all planned out for this week, to go over some of the physiology and research behind real weight loss.  We were going to dispel some of the myths out there about how people should truly go about their quest to reduce their body fat, tone up, and get that body that they dream of.  But earlier this week, I read a disturbing statistic.   I felt I had to address it, to put it out there with the hope of communicating it to make a difference.  The "look better" topic can wait a week.  This is much more important.

The statistic stated that right now, in 2008, 30% of America's youth are either overweight or clinically obese.  The percentage is growing at a rate that in the year 2010, that number will increase to over 50%.
 
The statistics speak for themselves.  There is no need to further explain them, or go into any amount of detail.. this is HUGE problem.  Our children are now more inactive, and more overfed, than ever before.  The reasons for this are many, and range from the types of food kids choose to eat to the enormous popularity of "sit around and push buttons" video games.  We do not need to analyze why so much.  We, absolutely, need to react.

My plea to you here, as we head into 2009, is to do your small part to combat this.  No fancy workouts in this Bolt, no crazy exercises for you to try.  Just one simple request: find a kid, and do something active with him or her.  And then do it again.  And then continue to support it, so the child realizes that this should be a normal part of his / her day.

We all know many children.. they could be your own, maybe friends, maybe family, maybe just the kid down the street.  Grab him by the arm, take him outside, and do something with him that will get him moving.  No video games, no cards, no TV, painting, no listening to music.  Those are all good things and they certainly have a place in a kid's life.  But the strongest message to our kids today should be to get out and move, every day. 

It is our collective chance to make a difference.

Yours in Strength,

Jesse

PS.  A great way to get a kid going is to exercise with them.  For a ton of workouts you can do with kids, take a minute to check out  www.worldwidesportsperformance.com!

PPS.  Still not too late to purchase some WWSP as a Holiday gift.  Get yours today!

Afternoon Quickie!

Wednesday was a crazy busy day for me, with a bunch of different things going on.  I literally had about 20 minutes to get a workout in, so I grabbed one of my quick Intensity Interval Workouts, to make sure I still got a good one in. I have gotten a great response from my readers when I put workouts in the Bolts, so here is another!

Perform each exercises for the reps or time listed, and leave about 20-30 seconds of rest time in between each.  Go through the circuit a minimum of 3 times, but you could go up to 6 times.  For that day, I performed 4 trips around, and had a great sweat going by the end.
 
1 MINUTE - Speed Jump Rope - 1 minute of jumping rope, with as many jumps as possible in 60 seconds.  The key is to get a good, fast rhythm, get your blood pumping, and get a great sweat going!
 
10 REPS EACH LEG -1-Leg Physioball Pushup - 2 hands on the ball, 1 leg on the ground, 1 leg kicked out to the side.  This ones perfect for turning a pushup into a full body exercise... upper body, core, lower body stability, and balance all wrapped into one grueling pushup!
 
10 REPS -

N-Grip

,

NE

Pullup - "N-Grip" stands for "Neutral Grip" holding onto to parallel handles so palms can face each other.  "NE" stands for "Negative Emphasis", where the negative of the rep (coming down) takes 3-5 seconds, and the positive (pulling up) is fast.  If you can't do 10 pullups, try the same NE exercise with Lat Pulldowns
 
12 REPS EACH WAY - Leg Swing Series - I always build Flexibility Training into my workouts, and this is a great way to dynamically stretch your hips.  3 different swings here, and it involves:

• Forward Swings - Straight leg, stretches the hamstrings

• Side Swings - Straight leg, stretches the Hip Adductors (or the muscles of your groin)
• Backward Swings - Straight leg, stretches the Hip Flexors (or the top of your thigh area)

Dynamic stretching is tricky, and you can't start out too intense or you'll risk potential injury.  Just take the advice to ease into each rep.  Don't swing your leg too far at first, and you'll find that your range of motion increases almost with every rep.  You'll see that your leg will be able to go farther and farther each time.  This is a phenomenal series to improve overall hip flexibility! 
 
 30 SECONDS -

Long

Body

Bridge

- Think of the top end of the pushup, where your body is in one straight line and your arms are locked out.  Now, just walk your hands out above your head, to a distance that is challenging on your midsection and arms, but that you can still hold for the 30 seconds.  The more distance between your hands and feet, the harder the exercise is.. so find the perfect position that strengthens without falling!
 
Everyone's first reaction to these workouts is always to say, "Only 20 minutes?  How do you get a good workout out of that?".  Interval training works great when you employ a few key tactics:

1. Set up so all of your stations are close to each other

2. Set up your area with all equipment that you'll need ahead of time, for efficiency when you start working out
3. Have a watch or clock close by to stick exactly to work and rest times
4. Maintain good form on each exercise for the length of the work bout.  Take short breaks if necessary, but try as hard as possible to work the entire time
5. Listen to your body.  Push yourself to achieve, but if you experience any strange discomfort, stop exercising.

And Did You Know?
 
These Intensity Interval Workouts, and similar types, are actually researched to be 2-3x more effective in fat burning and toning than traditional cardiovascular training.  Look for all of the science and research behind these findings in next week's Bolt.

 Yours in Strength,

Jesse

PS.  For more of these "quickies", take a minute to check out  www.worldwidesportsperformance.com!

PPS.  Training makes a great Christmas gift!   Purchase a package today for your special someone, and give them the ultimate holiday!

Training for the Recession

So it is official.  This week, the government formally announced that the country is, in fact, in a recession.  As if we needed this huge formal announcement to realize this (haha!).  From gas prices, to stock market losses and government bailouts, to record numbers of corporate layoffs, each day we are bombarded by news that confirms the reality of a poor economic situation for our country right now.  Many families and individuals are making difficult financial decisions now, cutting down spending in areas that they feel may not be necessities.

 

But I am here to tell you that you and your training program do not have to participate!  You stare that recession right in the eye and say, "My workout regimen is an important part of my life, and I am not willing to sacrifice it!"  The reality is, you may have to adjust slightly.. and I have the solution for you:

 

ENTER THE WORLD OF ONLINE SPORTS TRAINING!

 

Allow me to throw some industry numbers at you:

•  Depending on where you live in the country, the average personal trainer will cost you around $60-$75 per session. (This is a conservative number, I know some trainers that charge over $150 per workout!). 
• The country is exploding right now with independent speed and strength training centers for athletes.  Many of these centers charge around $30-$50 per session for small group training.  For a 3-month program, this will run you around $1000.
• Even if you are a member of a commercial gym, your monthly fees are probably somewhere around $19-$49 per month, again depending on where you are in the country.  This number only gets you in the door and access to the equipment.  They are certainly not giving you a training program for this price, most places just want to swipe your card when you walk in and send you on your own way!

Now some online training numbers:

• With WWSP's sports training program, you can get an entire month of workouts for as little $19.99 per month!  This includes speed, strength, power, footspeed and agility, plyometrics, and a host of other high level training techniques.. for 67 cents per day!
• Not a competitive athlete and don't need all of that programming?  You can get access to our Ultimate Fitness programs for as little as $14.99 per month.. the very best in fat loss and muscle growth for 49 cents per day!  

Let's face it, with the reality of our country's economics right now, we are all scrutinizing our spending and making small adjustments.  The adjustments will be temporary, and things are sure to turn around in the near future.  In the meantime, it makes sense to me to think a bit differently and consider some new ideas and concepts that may help save a little in the wallet.  Online training is definitely one of these new concepts.. and one that could prove very valuable during this challenging time.

Wait.. I don't like leaving these Bolts on a negative vibe.  Here's a great quote from our "Get Motivated" page to leave on:

 

"The Power Within..."
Within our reach lies every path we ever dream of taking.
Within our power lies every step we ever dream of making.
Within our range lies every joy we ever dream of seeing.
Within ourselves lies everything we ever dream of being.
- Hallmark

 Yours in Strength,

Jesse

PS.  For a whole bunch of "recession-proof programming", take a minute to check out www.worldwidesportsperformance.com!