Summertime Fit Activities

It’s summertime and the beach is calling so most people don’t want to stay in the gym all day. That’s why I came up with a lift of popular activities that you can do with your friends or on your own:

 

1. Swimming

Of course! It’s hot out so why not go for a swim? Swimming is low impact activity that you can do at the beach or at your pool. You are required to use your full range of motion, so it will help increase your flexibility and ease pain within your joints.

2. Surfing

Head down to your local aquatic center and learn how to surf. Surfing is a great way to increase your overall body strength. Your upper back and shoulders will be worked through paddling. Your legs and core will take a beating from standing up and staying up. Not only is it challenging at first, but its also fun.

3. Stand up paddle board

If you thing this is way too easy, think again. Similar to surfing stand up paddle board is a fun and great way to get out in the middle of the ocean and get a great workout. Your core will be screaming after your first session.

4. Bike riding

It’s nice to actually get out and use a real bike, instead of that stationary one in the gym. You get to feel the wind in your hair and the nice summer sun. Be sure to wear sunblock if you burn easily. If you don’t have a bike, there are plenty of shops that would be happy to rent you one for the day.

5. Beach Volleyball

Want something more competitive? Try beach volleyball. Get some friends to go out and have a beach day and have a little competition. If you don’t have friends, challenge some of the people already playing.

There you have it! Five activities that you can do this summer!

 

Increase your Vertical Jump

If you’re ever played a sport that required you jump, then you know the higher your jump the better. I remember watching basketball when I was younger and dreamed of being able to dunk like Michael Jordan. However, I was on the shorter side: 5 feet 5 inches with a standing reach of 7 feet 1 inch. This didn’t stop me from figuring out how to reach the heights that(taller) professional athletes achieved. It took a lot of work and experimentation, but I figured out a way to increase my jump from 15 inches to a massive 36 inches! I still can’t dunk, but I’m getting closer. And I’m going to show you how I doubled my vertical jump.

May Athlete of the Month: Rachel

Ever since I can remember I have been going to or playing in sports tournaments. I started out watching my sister play soccer and softball and I soon followed suit. I played softball at the local league but I was never really that good. I remember drawing during the innings in the outfield. Until my last two seasons of softball I played outfield. When my coaches (my mom and my aunt) decided to give me more responsibility on the team they played me at shortstop and catcher. I soon after had to choose between year around soccer or softball. I chose soccer because I knew my mom would never be my coach on the soccer field!

Simple Recovery

by Derrick Luque

There are many factors that are involved when it comes to proper recovery for an athlete to be able to compete at their maximum potential. If you’re a type of athlete who doesn’t always have the time to be able to fully delicate yourself to recovery every day you can get by with three methods. The essential recovery methods are broken down into three group’s food, sleep, and ice/deep tissue massage are grouped as one.

The 30-minute Athlete

For those of you that say you never have time to get in shape, well here is something for you! Thirty minutes 3 times a week is all you need to get your body into better shape. Everyone has 30 minutes to spare within his or her day, whether it’s in the morning before you start work or sometime after work before dinner. Activities can include jogging, sprinting, swimming, playing a round of basketball, weight training, almost anything can be cut down to 30 minutes or less when used effectively. In essence, a lot can be accomplished within that time frame when you use your time effectively. The idea behind the 30-Minute Athlete is that there is always a way to get healthy, build muscle and lose fat.

1 year of progress

Josh with his year of progress. He’s made a lot of gain withing the first year in his overall lifting. You’ll see the transformation of his technique, strength, and speed.

Importance of Proper Goal Setting

Training without proper goals in mind, is like trying to win a race while running in place. So to optimize your training, you’ve got to set proper and realistic goals. For some, goal setting may be hard to grasp. Here I’m going to show you an easy way to set proper goals.

Josh’s Secret Program

Easter is coming up so I thought I’d give you all an easter egg! Lot’s of people ask me what my personal training program looks like, so I’m going to give it to you!

Cleaning 125kg from blocks @ 67kg BW

Back Squat Challenge

For those of you higher level athletes, I’ve got a challenge for you.

The Bodyweight Back Squat Challenge.

Rules:

1. You load the bar to your bodyweight.
2. You have 5 minutes to rep out as many as you can.
3. Time Starts when you un-rack the bar.
4. You MUST go past parallel or it doesnt count.
5. You can rerack the bar but the time doesn’t stop.
6. Don’t puke.

5 Reasons You Aren’t Seeing Results

Day in and day out people work their butts off trying to get the results they want. At first you see the results, but then after a while the results come slower and it takes longer for you to see the same effect. Here are 5 reasons that might be the cause of your plateau.

1. Inconsistency.

To get results, you have to keep stay consistent to a training program. Yes it’s tough to do the same thing over and over again, but sometimes it’s necessary. Now I’m not saying you have to do the same workout time in and time out, you can change it up from time to time, but the important part is that you challenge yourself. Now if you have trouble getting started on a plan,