Keep strength in your arms

In relation to the article written by Lyn, here are a few arms exercises you can easily implement for toning or getting strength.
Both women and men may benefit of these simple exercises.
We want the exercises to be effective so you need to put some resistance: get some bands and see the results quickly.

Tricep Pressdown

1) Secure door strap overhead at top of door.
2) Stand approximately 2-3 feet away from attachment point with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent . You may use a staggered stance for increased stability.
3) Start position: Grasp handles with shoulder width or medium overhand grip (palms down). Lower handles to chest level so that elbows are bent at 90°.
4) Keeping shoulders stabilized and elbows close to sides, extend arm and lower bar to hip level.
5) Return to start position.
6) Remember to keep back and head erect and in a neutral position. Stabilize shoulders by squeezing shoulder blades together slightly.

Tricep Bench Dip

1. Start by placing your hands on the bench and your feet are on the ground with your legs semi straight.
2. Proceed to bend your arms until they are bent to about 90 degrees.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions.

Seated Alt Band Curl on Bench


1. Start by sitting on a bench or chair with your band secured under your feet.
2. Curl one hand up with your palm up until it reaches shoulder height.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
4. Alternate this movement back and forth until the repetitions have been completed.

Bicep Curl

1) Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and at a staggered stance.
2) Step onto middle of tubing with back foot or both feet.
3) Start position: Grasp handles with underhand grip (palms facing forward) with arms hanging down at sides. Elbows should be close to sides.
4) Flex at the elbows and curl handles up to approximately shoulder level. Keep elbows close to sides throughout movement.
5) Return to start position.
6) Remember to keep back and head straight in a neutral position throughout movement. Shoulders should be stabilized by squeezing shoulder blades together slightly - only the elbow joint should be moving.

Choose one triceps and one biceps exercise; do 2 to 4 sets of 8-12 reps, 3 to 4 times a week.

The fastest way to burn fat

We are overloaded with many ways to lose weight and burn fat: just look at a few women or health magazines and you’ll get the latest “revolution”!

Too much information lead to confusion, and confusion lead to inaction!

Why people don’t keep everything simple?

When something is simple, it’s easier to stick with it, and consistency is a key if you want lose weight and burn fat.

The fastest way to burn fat is…to be fast! Sprints! Running sprints!

Here a sample of workout you can do:

First, warm up thoroughly: 5 to 10 minutes of paced walking, light jogging; stretch a little, especially the hamstrings.
Your sprint set: sprint 10 seconds at about 80%, then come back walking or light jogging to recover (50 seconds): total 1 minute. Repeat the process between 10 to 20 times, according to your fitness level. You can increase progressively the intensity of the sprints, but be smart: listen your body. Finish with a few minutes cool down and stretching.

Your workout can be done in 15 to 30 minutes and you’ll burn a lot of calories.

If sprinting is too hard for you, here a few alternatives I like: stationary bike, jumping rope, shadow boxing (fast), heavy bag boxing (you have to learn how to punch!), slide board.

If you are completely out of shape, caution! Sprinting is very challenging but this is the far most effective method to burn fat and get lean: look at the body of a sprinter!

A good strategy is to start with total body conditioning routines to get your body ready for this new challenge.

Get ripped like a boxer

Saturday night is the big night in Las Vegas: this is the fight everyone is waiting between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather.
At the weigh-in both fighters looked in a terrific shape and very ripped: their body fat is well under 5%!

Achieving this number is very natural for elite boxers: this is the direct result of intense training for 8 weeks with a very balanced nutrition.

But this not a body show, it’s just the weigh-in: these guys are perfect fighting machines: they developed strength and power, speed and explosiveness, cardiovascular power.
Intense training is the key for performance, and if you train yourself with the right intensity, you can get amazing results. Of course, I cannot promise a body like this, but a majority of people could drop the body fat at 10% for men and 15% for women. Just decide what you really want…
With my friend and partner Simon Bakinde, we are preparing specific boxing and conditioning bootcamps in New York. You’ll learn how to train like boxers and how to get in the best shape of your life. If you are in New York, get in touch with us, you’ll be amazed…

Ressources:
Precise nutrition system: free e-course

Burn fat with shorter workouts

If your goal is to burn fat, like the majority of people, forget the long and slow paced cardio workout. It’s not effective for burning fat and you weaken all your body, including heart and lungs! You need to strengthen your muscular and cardiovascular systems with shorter and more intense workouts, you need to speed up your metabolism.

The most effective cardio workout is interval training: the king of the exercises is sprints!

When you incorporate sprints in a cardio workout, you can be done in 10 minutes.
In this intense 10 minutes workout, your metabolism burns carbs, but at rest your body uses fat stores to replenish your energy system: you teach your body to burn fat while resting, and for many hours after your workout is done! Your body will burn more fat overtime!

If you don’t have an athletic background and are not already in a decent shape, don’t start with real sprints because you’re going to break your body!
Do sprints at 80% of maximal intensity for 10, 20 and 30 seconds. Between the sprints, allow the same time to recover, then do it again.

Remember, keep the workout short, because you need to keep the intensity.
Running is best but it can be too hard for many people, so you can use any cardio machines. A great alternative I like is jump rope and shadow boxing: no equipment needed, except a rope, and do it anywhere: a must!

Energy enhancers you should know

Fatigue and lack of energy are a major problem for many people.
Yes, life is sometimes stressful, but we forget often some basic things we should know and apply on a daily basis.

But instead, most people take unnatural shortcuts! Why? Because it’s easier, that’s it! It’s easier to grab a cup of coffee instead to move the body for a few minutes!

People lose their vital energy because they don’t exercise, they don’t eat well, they don’t drink enough water (most of people are dehydrated!), they don’t breath correctly…
Well, these are some basics you should know (and I know you know already) but you really need to apply this stuff right away.

I just read a very good post about Energy enhancers on this blog, read it to get some very interesting and additional information, and let me know…

Workouts for busy people: you can start with 3 minutes!

How to fight a flabby belly

Both men and women are concerned with a flabby belly.

Being straight forward, doing crunches is useless. Read the previous post about the flabby thighs and you’ll get the strategy you need to adopt.

If you are confused about what exercises you have to choose, the response will be compound exercises: it should be the priority.

But you can make a difference if you use one specific exercise: this exercise have been used by old time wrestlers and boxers to get punch proof abs.

This exercise is combined with deep breathing and is considered as “internal exercise”, because it works not only the abdominal muscles, they gives also a internal massage of the organs.

It is described by Martin “Farmer” Burns, a legendary wrestler, in his famous course about wrestling in 1912:

“Stand erect and inhale the breath until the lungs are fully expanded, and the abdomen drawn in.
With the lungs still full of air, close the mouth and throat tightly, and try to force the breath out, but resist so that none escapes. Force hard, and the muscles of the abdomen will be contracted until they are tight and rigid. Force the air downward with all the power you possess…
The process consists of trying to exhale the breath, but you voluntary hold it in, and by this resistance most thoroughly exercise the muscles of the abdomen, stomach, and other internal organs.
Hold the breath in this way for two to five seconds, and then gently allow the breath to escape. Exhale as much as possible so that you will take in a new full quantity of fresh air.”

This exercise is not so easy to control; but once you master it, the results can be amazing: just do a few reps everyday, and focus on each rep; if you do not concentrate you are going to miss it. The benefits will be a strong abdomen, healthy organs, and over a certain time you can get rid of this flab everybody want to fight.
But there is no shortcut! It’s a daily exercise, sorry for the truth!

The 3 minutes workouts solution.

How to fight flabby thighs

Flabby thighs are a common problem with many women. I got an email 2 days ago from a woman asking me for a solution to eliminate flabby thighs: what specific exercise and what cardio machine to use?

Here we go: people believe and search for the “magic” specific exercise, the “secret” exercise able to suppress this flab in a few reps!

In your dream, sorry!

The biggest problem is people are lazy, they don’t like to exercise, they have no control over their body, they eat anything…and it’s not their fault, there have always excuses.

Flabby thighs are the results of inactivity and bad nutrition: the metabolism slow down, the lean muscle mass is low, the flab accumulates in a specific area (often it’s in the thighs for women and belly for men) and the blood circulation is bad in these areas.

All specific exercises you can see in fitness class or weight room are not effective. You need to choose compound exercises like squats, lunges, step ups.

You need to boost your cardio activity, running is best, but you can use any cardio machines if you have the right program: interval training is a must, you need to elevate your heart rate to your anaerobic threshold.

And finally, you need to make exercising a habit: this is the key.
You have to commit to your goal and program, you have to integrate this new habit in your life and the results will come naturally. According to Dr Maxwell Maltz in Psycho-cybernetics, a new habit can be built in 21 days, so make the commitment to enter in an exercise program for at least 21 days and see what happens.

These 3 minutes workouts for busy people are the perfect solution to create this new habit.

How to cut your workout time?

Time, time, time: this is the biggest challenge for many of us and when the time is “too short”, the first thing we cancel is the workout.

Why? I see 2 main reasons for that:

- In our subconscious, exercise is not a real priority; exercising is perceived as a punishment and it’s in our nature to respond to instant gratification. It means the fact we are too busy is a very good excuse to avoid exercising! Think about it…

- We believe a workout has to last at least 45 minutes to be effective. Wrong!

First, you can cut the warm up: why spend 10-15 minutes walking on the treadmill? You get a gentle cardiovascular warm up, but what about muscles and joints?
Instead choose a few total body weight exercises and keep moving for 1, 2 or 3 minutes: your warm up will be more complete in less time.
Another way to get a good warm up is shadow boxing: do a 1 or 2 minutes round and you’ll be warmer comparing to a 10 minutes walk on the treadmill.

Second, know exactly what to do, organize your workout with timing. Put 2 or 3 exercises together and work in a superset or circuit. You’ll be able to do a workout in a matter of minutes (see the 3 minutes workouts).

Third, it’s necessary to learn how to push the intensity: pushing progressively the intensity will translate in a more effective workout, even if it last 10 minutes. Increasing intensity has to be progressive and can be done in different ways:

- increase the difficulty of a body weight exercise: for example, do your push up with the feet elevated.
- Decrease the rest between each set
- Increase the tempo of each rep (slow motion)
- Cardio interval training
- Monitor your heart rate to reach the anaerobic threshold
- Increase the load…

For short workouts, intensity will be a key for results, just be smart and listen your body.
But short workouts may also focus on energy generation, stress reduction, mental visualization… In these cases, concentration, deep breathing and body awareness are keys.

Cardiovascular exercise: go above your anaerobic threshold

If you do often long cardio workouts, you might change your program.
Even if you plan to run a marathon! Here why:

Long cardio workout at a low and steady pace gives you a good endurance but weakens your body in several ways:
- you slow down your metabolism
- you burn muscle tissue
- you decrease the strength and power of the heart and lungs
- you weaken your immune system

To avoid these negative effects you have to plan some interval training: you have to increase the intensity to go above your “comfort zone” where you have to breath very deeply. Your heart rate is higher.
When you start, use short intervals like 45 seconds or 1 minute. Stop when you start to feel you are out of breath and recover, breathing deeply, until you feel comfortable: keep a slow pace until your heart rate drops.
Then do it again.

Reaching the anaerobic threshold means you reach the “red zone”: your metabolism is in oxygen debt and start to produce lactic acid in the muscles: it’s why you feel a kind of burning.

Nothing wrong! Just be smart and do not push too hard and too long. Keep the intervals short and focus on how you recover.

This training has many benefits:
- you strengthen your heart and lungs
- you improve your aerobic capacity and power
- you maintain your lean muscles
- you speed up your metabolism
- you increase your overall energy

Always do a good warm up (a few minutes) and a cool down: you do not have to feel exhausted by the end of the workout; some athletes push a lot and get over trained: you don’t want to do that!
Monitoring the heart rate during recovery is the best way to be smart: use a heart rate monitor.
And do not forget to listen your body…

Full body interval workouts: The 3 minutes Fitness Conditioning Program

Home gym: what do you really need?

I’m going to be straight: most of gym equipments people buy are useless!
People believe it’s going to be easier to exercise with “this” machine, they’re going to get more results. Most of the time the equipment end in a closet forever!

My advice: do not spend any money in equipment when you start; it’s better to invest in a personal trainer for designing the right program you need.

In fact you just need your own body; learn a few exercises (you probably know a few of them) and decide to take action, get disciplined.

The exercise equipment you can get:
- a chin up bar for pulling exercises: it’s important for the back muscles.
- Bands of different resistances, again for pulling exercises.
- A stability ball: you can learn many exercises for the core; most are full body exercises.

If you are very serious, get a set of dumbbells, even kettlebells.

You do not need much and you’ll get total body workouts. The results are up to you: decide what you want and do the job, the latest gym equipment will not add anything; you just have to get disciplined and always focus on what you want to achieve. The results will come to you.

Home workouts strategy: “The 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program”.

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What is your fitness level?

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them”
Bruce Lee

Along with exceptional abilities, Bruce Lee was a fanatic about training and was an amazing conditioned athlete. But we have to be aware about his mental strength for achieving these results: the mind has an amazing power and the scientists agree to tell us we use probably only 10-20% of this potential power! Bruce Lee used probably a little more than the average.

Do you want to be “average”? I don’t know about you, but I don’t!
If one of your goals is to get rib of flab before summer, you have to decide in your mind, then take action.

Watch your diet, eliminate today sugars and bad fats, drink more water.

Start to exercise: don’t delay to tomorrow, no, do it today! Start easy, I mean a short workout. A few minutes will the first step. Choose a few bodyweight exercises and follow a plan: check out “The 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program”. You’ll be able to design your workout from 3 minutes to 20+ minutes.
If you are very busy, this is your joker: if you follow this program it’s impossible to fail! Move on now!

Abdominal workout

Training the abs can be boring and ineffective if you use always the same exercises. You need also a plan, so you know exactly what to do.
This abdominal workout has been designed to be done in 10 minutes. You do not need any equipment.
It’s simple: do these 4 exercises, focus on the form and on your breathing, visualize your abdominal muscles while doing each set.
Do this workout 4 or 5 times a week

Not only you’ll get a great abdominal conditioning, you‘ll get also a massage of your internal organs. Everybody tends to focus on the “good looking”: yes, it is important. But the health benefits are evident: better digestion, better elimination.

Check this workout here: Abdominal workout
And give it a try for one week, then come back and leave a message, I will appreciate your feedback.
Click here: Abdominal workout

You need to check your resting heart rate!

A few weeks ago a young professional boxer, from Belgium, called me to get some help in his training program.

He felt something was wrong but did not know how to fix it; he was feeling sometimes tired but, as many athletes think, it’s normal when you train hard everyday!

Here the problem: even a professional athlete cannot train hard everyday. It’s easy to accumulate fatigue and feel a decrease in performance during training: not a good sign!

After he told me about his training regimen, I ask him to check every morning, in the same condition, his resting heart rate for one week. You can do it manually, but the best way is to use a heart rate monitor.
His heart rate average was too high for an athlete of his level (international level, 21 and undefeated in 12 pro fights).

So I designed a new program, more specific, with a weekly balance between hard sessions and easier ones. The heart rate was recorded..

In about 3 weeks, his resting heart rate dropped from 80 to 45 and, you bet, he was feeling great and ready to fight.

Pro athletes are often like overworked businessmen: they want to do more and more. If you work a lot for your business and feel sometimes very tired, I urge you to check your resting heart rate. A few years ago I trained a guy in Los Angeles for a while: the first time I met him, I checked his heart rate at rest: 120!!! Damn! Too high, and you bet he could be in serious trouble very quickly.
Anyway if your resting heart rate is over 80, you need to check with your doctor, then you need to exercise and probably watch your diet.

For average people in good health, the value should be between 60 and 70. Sometimes in well trained people, it’s under 60, which is excellent.

If you want to know if you are in a decent shape, the resting heart rate value is a very reliable sign. Don’t sacrifice your health for the business, just find a solution, make a plan like an athlete does, you’ll be stronger and will have more energy for everything, including for your business.

Check out “The 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program”, this is the solution for busy people, and drop your resting heart rate.

Bodyweight workout: a master piece of equipment

Are you willing to train more effectively?

If you train at home, it’s definitely the equipment you need!
No need to spend a lot of money to get the latest home equipment that promise you amazing results with big smiles and a perfect body in the tee vee infomercial!

Just get a chin up bar! It’s basic and cheap, yes it’s hardcore but so effective!

You have to use your own bodyweight and I know it could be a problem for some people who are slightly overweight: for that, I will give you a tip to overcome this problem.

First, let’s look at the exercises:
- Chin up: you’re going to improve the strength in the arms big time, it’s far more effective than doing a few biceps curls with 10 lbs dumbbells!
- Pull up: more difficult, this is the king exercise for developing strong lats.
- Hanging leg raise: work the abs, specifically the lower abs.

Of course you can modified these exercises to increase or decrease difficulty. It can be tough and too difficult for lot of people and women, so here a solution:

Get some bands of different strength (2 or 3): attach on the bar and put your feet on it; you’re going to lower your weight and will be able to do some reps. Use the bands until you improve your strength.

Alternate pull up and hanging leg raise: you'll have a full body workout with your own bodyweight. It’s basic, simple but so effective!

In addition, check out these body weight routines, perfect for home workouts and busy people.

How to recover quickly after your workout

You heard already you should do some stretches, drink water; here a powerful nutritional tip you should put into practice.

Get a recovery drink just after your workout: this recovery drink has to be composed with proteins and carbohydrates to accelerate the recovery process.

The timing is important: there is a metabolic window full open to receive the essential nutrients your body needs, take your recovery drink in the next 15 minutes after you finished your workout, never later than 30 minutes.

If you train early in the morning and go right after your workout to your business, you need to optimize the quality of recovery to get ready for your day.

Here a suggestion I use with boxers and personally:

Mix some whey protein with a banana: use water, skim milk or fruit juice according to your calorie needs. Personally, I use more often water. Whey proteins are very digestible and ease the absorption of carbs in the muscles for a better recovery (muscle repairs and glycogen synthesis).

Choose a quality whey protein powder with all essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Look at the glutamine, which is crucial for a good recovery.

Prepare your drink and bring it in a sport bottle with you.

One more tip: your workout doesn’t have to be long: it’s often a big mistake people do. Your recovery will be more effective with short workouts; I doesn’t mean easy workout, it can be very intense if you are already in a good shape.

Using short workouts + recovery drink and your energy level will be at the peak.
Try it.

Do you really want ripped abs?

Many people working out in health clubs are looking for ripped abs; so they do many crunches, leg raises and others specific abs routines; they do also some cardio to burn fat: therefore they will get soon the ripped abs they want...maybe or maybe not...

This “look nice” approach of training is it really effective?

Many people struggle for getting the results they want. Look at some athletes: boxers, sprinters, soccer player, basket ball player… they are lean and sometimes have very ripped abs; they don’t do hundreds of crunches, they train in a functional way to improve their performance in their field.

These athletes have very functional and conditioned muscles. Many people in gyms have counterfeit muscles: it’s not functional, it’s for the look, it’s artificial. Nothing wrong with that if it is your choice, but if you train like athletes do, your results will skyrocket.

Take a look at the exercises and routines in “The 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program”; as a former elite athlete (kayaking) and now a trainer, I have used for years these exercises for total body conditioning. It works!

And you’ll get maybe ripped abs…but for the fastest results you’ll need also a nutritional strategy. Take a look here: Precision Nutrition.

Free report: a 30 seconds energy solution!

In our busy life, lack of energy is often a recurrent problem. By experience it’s not so easy to find healthy solutions, but it’s critical for the long term!

How energized do you feel when you wake up in the morning? If you need several cups of coffee before you start, you need to read this report: you’ll learn a natural way to boost your energy level in only 30 seconds!

I tried it, it works! Nothing magic but you’ll be able to feel the difference!

You can download the free report here: 30 seconds energy solution.

You can use this powerful tip to boost further your energy level: do right away some exercises, even for a few minutes; you’ll wake up your mind and body for a very positive start of your day. And I bet you your productivity level will be increased along with your focus.

If you need some quick workout routines, pick up “the 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program”, it’s for all level, it’s simple, it’s effective. You’ll find the perfect workouts for the early morning and you’ll not feel exhausted doing it, only more energy…

Rotate your trunk for low back mobility

This is a simple and basic movement everyone should do. Trunk rotation is a warm up exercise every athlete has in his routine: you move the core of the body where all forces are transmitted from the lower body or the upper body. Therefore a particular attention has to be made on this body part to avoid injuries and improve performance.

This is a very effective exercise for improving mobility and flexibility in the low back. We know that back problems increase with a lack of mobility, and we have to be aware it becomes worst over the years if we do nothing!

This is a very simple and easy exercise; and remember, this is often the most basic and simple things witch are the most effective!

Bend the trunk on the side and rotate to the front and opposite side. Keep your back straight. This exercise works all the waist muscles: abdominal, oblique, low back. Inhale in the starting position and exhale when you rotate. Be comfortable in the range of motion, increase it progressively.
Do a set of 10-15 repetitions, then switch direction and do the same.
Resources: "The 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program"

For a tight waistline

If you have to lose some inches on your waistline you should know that doing abs like crunches and side crunches are not effective. You have to integrate in your program some full body exercises (burn more calories), some cardio and a proper nutrition.

Anyway there is a terrific exercise to tight your waistline in record time; forget all these gadgets seen on tee vee, get a stability ball and do lateral crunches: this is a complete exercise, working your abs, obliques and all stabilizer muscles to keep the balance.

Start with a full lateral stretch and crunch without rotate your torso. Use a complete range of motion. Your legs have to stabilize your body; if you have some difficulty, block your feet against a wall, bur personally I prefer to play the balance with the feet on the floor.

Try this exercise, you’re going to love it. It provides also a nice lateral stretch of the spine.

Abs: a few seconds strategy

Abdominals are very functional muscles and, when well trained, they give you more energy, protect your back and give you a flat stomach.

By the way, did you take time today to train your abs?

Not yet? And you don’t have time! It’s not in your schedule…well, it’s your choice! But I have a solution for you:

Here an exercise you can do in just a few seconds: you can do it in a standing position or sitting on a chair.
Take a full inhalation and let expand your abdomen as much as possible.
Then, exhale deeply and bend slightly forwards, contract the abs and try to push upwards your intestines and stomach. Hold 2-3 seconds, relax and inhale again, letting go your abdomen.
Repeat 3 to 5 times and you’re done in 30 seconds!

This abdominal breathing exercise is very effective if you do it regularly; no need to go to the gym and you can do it anywhere: in your car when stuck in the traffic, at your office…
Just do not forget to do it: maybe you can put a magazine picture showing good abs in a strategic place, so you’ll not forget!

This exercise is combined with deep breathing; it’s very healthy, improving digestion and elimination with a “massage” of the organs. Also it helps to focus more because your oxygen intake is higher, you get additional energy.

Not bad for a few seconds exercise! Try it, do it everyday and feel and see what happens after a while.

Let me know!

PS: here an excellent resource about breathing exercise: Tai Chi Breathing

6 rules to get fit if you are too busy

In our busy life, this is often the workout which is “sacrificed” because something “more important” has to be done right away. Follow these simple rules and never cancel your workout anymore:

- Schedule everyday your workout: consider it is a part of your business, this is a professional meeting with yourself, this is one priority among others so schedule it and be professional.

- Systematize your workout in short routines, do few exercises and focus on them. Go from 3 to 20 minutes.

- No cell phone call rule, no talking rule during the workout!

- Have a stopwatch for optimizing the exercise sets and recovery time.

- Have your workout simple, get a routine and stick with it for a while, make it a habit; change one exercise every 2 weeks and rotate with a few others.

- Always start and finish with a few deep breathing exercises and a glass of fresh water.

No more excuses, everything is up to you…

Master your own bodyweight!

It's definitly something we forget today.

Most people getting a membership in a gym want the latest equipment, the full line of machines to work every muscles, plenty of cardio machines with the tee vee in front!

In these gyms you learn how to master the equipment, not your body!

Something is wrong!

To get results and feel your body full of energy, you need to master it. Of course it's better to learn when we are kids but it's still possible to improve with a step by step program: just start with basic exercises as I teach in Part 1 of the "3 minutes Gladiator Fitness ConditioningProgram. Get the free ebook by subscribing.

If you are already an accomplished athlete, look at this video and master your bodyweight, this is your test! Go ahead!

Rotator cuff: do external rotations exercises

Many people having shoulder problems have very weak rotator cuff: they are small muscles in the shoulder joint responsible for joint stability.

It is a common injury with athletes in some sports like tennis, boxing, base ball, golf; all movements with throwing action put at risk the rotator cuff.
Strength trainees doing a lot of bench presses may have major problems in the shoulders.

The reason is the main muscles which act with power (front deltoid, pectoralis) are internal rotators: the imbalance between internal and external rotators leads to problems, pain and injuries.

The solution is to strengthen the external rotators: here are 2 exercices.
1- External rotation on a inclined position; you can do it also flat. Keep the elbow in contact with the body. Use a light weigth.

2- Seated external rotation: use a band for resistance. Keep your elbow very close to the body.

Do 2 to 4 sets of 12-15 reps; switch arm each set.

Do these exercises before you feel disconfort and pain, even if you are not an athlete. If your fitness program does not include these exercises on a regular basis, I'm telling you straigth: something is wrong!

Here an excellent resource: The Ultimate Rotator Cuff Training Guide.

Strengthen your wrists

The wrist is composed of 8 small bones and many small ligaments: these ligaments may be overstretched and the joint become unstable: the bones lose their safe alignment. Movement and pressure on the wrist become painful and the grip is weakened.

It can be a problem in the practice of sports, doing some exercises as well as in the daily life activities.

It means if you have weak wrists it is critical to strengthen the tendons and muscles around the joint to improve stability.

One exercise you can do: hold your hands at shoulder height; then tense your fingers and forearms like you want to grab something. Maintain the tension 5 to 10 seconds and relax; repeat 5 to 10 times.

This exercise strengthens fingers, wrist and forearms. If you do it everyday, your wrist stability and strength will improve, and it takes only a couple of minutes!

Are pushups effective?

I’m going to be straight right away: if done properly, this is one of the best exercises you can do.
The problem is a very few people do it right: we have to understand this is a full body exercise, not only for arms and chest, even if they ate the primary muscles involved.

This is also a core exercise: you have to maintain your alignment by tensing your all body, from the fingers to the toes; the abs and butts have to be under tension all the time to avoid a drop and bad alignment of the spine.

There are many ways to do pushups and it has not to be boring. If you are a beginner, pushups are for you, if you are an athlete, pushups are also for you!
There are pushups for all level of fitness, men or women, kids and seniors: my dad, who is 82, does perfect pushups in his workout routine!

When I see a guy at 30, who is not able to do a correct pushup, I’m sad for him: how a body can be out of control when you are young! Perfect body posture (you need it for pushups) and strength mean more energy in all aspect of your life: relationships, self esteem, business…you name it.
Commit to do some pushups several times a week, tense your entire body, improve your energy, I do it every day, so do you?

Pushups are in action in the "3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program".

3 big mistakes people do when starting an exercise program:

1- You have to do strength exercises: strength is a major key for boosting your energy and feel comfortable in the movements. Start with very basic strength exercises like body weight squats and pushups: you do not need anything and you can do it anywhere.

2- Many people in gyms start with too long workouts: it burns you out and you need time to recover. At the end of a strength workout you need to feel more energy and never exhausted. Always bet on short workouts!

3- For getting quick results, you have to use partial range of motion then progress, step by step, session after session, to greater range of motion. You’ll put less stress on the muscle fibers and they will adapt progressively to the load.

And do not forget, squats and pushups are full body exercises, therefore they are very effective. There are many ways to do these exercises and do not believe they are only for beginners, I often put elite athletes to pain with some variants!
You’ll find some simple but highly effective routines of strength exercises in my
“3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program”: go ahead…

Chinese female boxer: workout video

I want to share with you this nice video: it's about a young chinese boxer. She is the only professional female boxer in China and her last fight (she won) has been watched by 140 millions of spectators!!!
The video shows a conditioning workout, she trains at this time in Valence, France, preparing for her next fight. She is coached by my friend Nicolas Riffard who has trained already World champions! Enjoy!


63542548.avi

Forget your boring workout: shadow box!

Why so many people give up after just a few months of training?

Boring workouts!

A workout has to be exciting, challenging.
It doesn’t have to be very long: a long workout becomes very boring if you do not have a very high motivation. From a few minutes if you have a very busy schedule to 20 minutes, it’s all it takes to get an effective workout.
Changing often your routine and the exercises keep your focus: focus is a key.

Now one more suggestion: if you want to spice up your workout, add some shadow boxing; everybody can do this, it’s simple and fun; for example, between 2 strength exercises, go for 30 seconds of shadow boxing: throw punches and breath, and if you push yourself it’s excellent for cardio conditioning.
Go for it!
It's what I teach in the "3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program", Give it a try!

Breath more to lose weight!

Many people are concerned by losing weight, sometimes for different reasons, but the bottom line is always the same: better health, better energy.

Losing weight mean losing body fat, no muscle mass because you have to maintain (or increase) it to speed up your metabolism: if you have a good lean mass, your body burns more calories at rest. This is important to be aware of this and it’s a good motivator to enter in an exercise program for strength.
So it means that a strength program will speed up your metabolism.

To lose body fat you have also to breath more. According to physicist Richard A. Muller, to lose weight, eat less, or breath more:

“…Let me address this issue by invoking another physics principle: conservation of mass. More specifically, let me talk about the conservation of carbon atoms. When you digest food, its carbon atoms enter your blood. Unless they are expelled from your body, they add to your weight. But here is the salient observation: the only effective way your body has to get rid of digested carbon is to combine it with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, and then expel it through your lungs. Unless you breathe out the carbon, you gain weight….”

The best way to lose weight is to combine both: eat less and engage in an exercise program that is enough intense to breath more.
Intensity is the key, not long duration – low intensity workouts, except maybe if you can afford many and many hours of training… but not everybody have time to train for the Tour de France!

For your spine, do this exercise everyday!

Here is another very easy and simple exercise you can do everyday. Stretching the spine is critical, but what is the last time you did it?

The spine is the core of your body and we have to be aware that the commands of the nervous system which control posture, automatic movements of the daily life come from there.
We have to take care of it! Animals, like cats and dogs do that several time a day, it's instinctive: observe if you get the chance.

The problem is we lost this instinct, we have always more important things to do, we are always in a rush...and we forget to take care of our more important asset: our body.

Do this simple exercise and your spine will be glad:
This is a flexion and extension of the spine. Focus on moving your spine, keep the arms straight. Arch your back and inhale, then flex, push upward and tuck in your chin, exhale in the same time.

The worst and best about abs

There are many abs exercises, some good, some bad, but let’s go to the basics for now: crunch and sit up.
Sit up is a standard but everybody knows the problem it involves: a very important recruitment of the hip flexors. It means 2 things:
- You work more the hip flexors (about 70%) than the abs (about 30%).
- You may get low back problems due to the overload of the hip flexors.

So the fitness professionals popularized over the year the famous crunch: of course it’s safer, but here a little surprise: for people with low back issues, it’s doesn’t solve the problem because the hip flexors are still involved.
Also this exercise become quickly ineffective except if you commit to do hundreds of reps: personally I do not have time for that!

The great alternative is the Janda sit up: this is a variation of the sit up but you put a great tension on your abs while your hip flexors are inhibited, flexing your hamstring. It means you work your abs 100% with only a few reps per set.

This exercise is the safest and the more effective: if you have a very limited time and want to train your abs, this is the perfect choice.

Specific equipment for the Janda sit up: Own the Rolls Royce of Ab Machines

Pull up for upper strength and decompress the spine

To be able to pull up his own weight should be easy for most people, but is it the case?
Probably not. Pull ups are among the best exercises for upper strength, but I will agree with you, it's difficult and very few people use it. If you carry extra body weight, it's really challenging.

Pull up is the king of exercise for developing back and arms strength. I have my pull up bar in my basement and I use it everyday in my workout routines.
Also the suspension phase help to decompress the spine, I insist on it a few seconds at the start and end of each set: it is an excellent way to prevent back problems.

This exercise is one of my favorites: it's not easy but if you are in a decent shape, give it a try!

Are you a fitness warrior?

If you are, you are going to enjoy this video; if you are not, watch and you'll be amazed by what are able to do some guys!
Do not try these exercises if you do not possess a solid athletic background. But kettlebell exercises are not always extreme: kettebells are a great way to build in a record time an athletic body, just learn and use the basics and you'll be on your way for quick results.
Kettlebells are perfect for a total body workout, and if you are (or want to become) a fitness warrior, it's for you!

Kettlebell X - Kettlebell Workouts - Online Training Resource

For a healthier back

If you are a "cough potatoe", watching the Tee Vee several hours a week (I bet a lot of us do that!), you are at risk for poor posture and back problem.
If in addition you work in front of a computer and have no more activity (I mean physical activity) than walking a few minutes to your car, you really need a wake up call!

Your back and your spine are the core of your body, and when something is wrong, you have not this freedom of movement anymore: movement is life, so you have to prevent this kind of problem by moving; make some exercise your habit.

The best way to do that is to start with with very short routines, like 3 minutes, first thing in the morning. Stick with it for 3-4 weeks and exercising will become a new habit by this time.

You can get for free my 50 pages ebook where I describe 3 minutes workouts. Do that and feel your energy flows.

Healthy Back Workouts - Online Training Resource
Part of the WorkoutPass Network - Click Here

Strengthen your vital organs

Most people doing an exercise program focus on how they look; their aim is good appearance and they workout for cosmetic reasons!

Nothing wrong with that but there is maybe something a lot more important: the impact the exercise may have on the organs.

A good exercise program with the right intensity, duration, choice of the exercises, frequency may have a tremendous effect on the inner side of your body. This is a very serious and positive side effect of exercising regularly: you strengthen your vital organs as your lungs, your heart, your cardiovascular system, your digestive system… You speed up your metabolism, you drop your body fat, you increase your lean body mass…

Well, you improve your health, you increase your energy, your well being. Everything works together, and, if you decide to exercise (almost) everyday, even just short workouts, the outside will follow: a lean body, a flat stomach, muscular arms and shoulders, a nice posture…

Exercise your body from the inside out, the results will be terrific; your body is your main asset, you have it for life, do something for it.

Low back: do this exercise everyday (2)

If you are at work in your office, it's probably not easy to lie down on the floor to do the previous exercise. But you can stand up and do this exercise a few times along the day.

Lean back and inhale, then bend your torso forward: exhale and squeeze your abs. Use a moderate range of motion and increase it along the set.
Set of 10 to 30 repetitions.
Your low back is going to love it!

Healthy Back Workouts - Online Training Resource
Part of the WorkoutPass Network - Click Here

Cardio conditioning

Cardio training has been very popular over the years and, with the help of high tech cardio equipment, it’s still booming.
And what’s going on with all these people doing their 45 minutes of cardio, watching in the same time CNN or reading the latest news of the stock market?
After $500 of membership spent (sometimes a lot more) and about 156 hours breathing out on the machines (3 hours a week for 1 year), nothing spectacular; they still look the same and their conditioning is still poor.

What happened?
- Long cardio sessions at a steady state is ineffective: it’s ok for burning some calories but for a real cardio conditioning, forget it. After a few sessions, your body do not react anymore because he knows already, he becomes “lazy” and burns less calories for the same workout.
- Never do something else while exercising: you have to focus on your effort, on your body, on your breathing.

The solution: interval training, you have to push yourself to a state you are breathing more, you heart rate goes higher. Be progressive and do not go in a state you are completely out of breath, be smart.
Alternate with slow pace to recover.
The workout is more intense but can be shorter: you can get a good cardio workout in 15 minutes. And results, I mean real results, will come in a few weeks…More to come…

Low back: do this exercise everyday

You already know that poor posture, sitting for extended time at work and not enough exercise can be a major problem overtime: consistent low back pain drains your energy out!
Once you experience pain, even if it goes away after a while, it's going to be back again if you do nothing.

Here a simple exercise you should do everyday, every morning when you wake up and at night before sleep:

Lie on the floor and raise your feet, legs bent. Spread out your arms. Rotate your legs together on one side and keep the opposite shoulder in contact with the floor. Reverse the movement.
Do 20-30 repetitions.

If you experience stiffness or strain in your low back, you'll feel a relief very quickly. Your back muscles need some stretch and you'll improve the flexibility and mobility of your low back spine.

Healthy Back Workouts - Online Training Resource
Part of the WorkoutPass Network - Click Here

Move your body now

I just spent several hours in front of my computer to put online a new website…and I feel like I miss something: well, I didn’t move for a long time today and it’s not right for me. I need activity, I need to move my body, I need to expand some energy. I didn’t have a lot of time for now but I am going to engage in a short and intense workout: just bodyweight workout. A current routine for me consist often of 3 exercises I do in a circuit:
- 50 Hindu squat
- 25 Push ups
- 8-10 pull ups

Always I mix endurance and strength, lower body and upper body. I do 5 sets, keeping a good pace. It’s a complete workout, simple but total: you need only your body weight.
This workout takes me about 15 minutes and I feel really re-energized.

The body has been designed to move and it’s completely unnatural if you don’t have at least once a day this kind of activity. And if you are a very beginner, start with just 3 minutes, do it every day, even twice a day.

For many short workout routines you can use right away, check my
“3 minutes Gladiator-Fitness Conditioning Program”, do it now!

Workout for more energy

Fatigue and lack of energy is a major problem in our busy life. It means more stress, lack of selfconfidence, poor concentration, decreased productivity, muscular tensions and body aches.

Many people try to erase this lack of energy with coffee; it’s why there are so many Starbucks and coffee shops around there. Everyone knows it’s bad, but keep doing it!

Is there another solution? I bet, yes! When you “feel out of gas”, take a break: drink a glass of fresh water and do a quick workout: a 3 minutes bodyweight workout can be just what you need to erase this feeling of fatigue. A few minutes of exercise can boost your energy level for the next hour, so your productivity! And it’s a lot of better for your health!

It’s what I teach in my “3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program”: you can do a test drive, sign up and get for free the first part of the program; you’ll find short workouts for a total body activation and more energy. Give it a try and see what happens…

Spartan workout

This video shows actors working out for the movie "300": they got an amazing physical condition for this movie: strength and power, endurance, a very lean and athletic body.
The exercises are hardcore, they are tough but highly rewarding for the results.

Click here for the video

If it is too soon for you to take this kind of challenge, you can start with the first part of
"the 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program". The exercises of this program are the fundation towards the more athletic exercises of this video. Just start, follow the program, be consistent and everything is possible, it's up to you...

3 workouts a week and lose your time

“You have to do your exercise program 3 times a week”: this statement has been told for years by personal trainers and doctors.
But is it really effective? It supposes you train at least 45 minutes to one hour: this is the average time you need for a complete workout.
I see 3 major problems with this plan:

1- The impact of this plan, even with very well designed workouts, will be very low and it’s going to take weeks and weeks before you see some results.
2- These workouts are time consuming and it could be a problem with many people: are you going to stick with this plan for at least 6 months without to miss one single workout? Not sure!
3- Not seeing quick results is not good for motivation: many people stop to exercise because body transformation takes a too long time.

The solution is the strategy many athletes use for peak performance:
- The workouts have to be intense: intensity is a key; be progressive and you’ll see major results.
- The workouts have to be short: I think it’s good news for many people. Did you know you can get a total body workout in just 15 minutes!
- You have to train more often: 5 or 6 times a week. Elite athletes train 2 or 3 times a day: you can use this strategy to train twice a day for a 3 week cycle plan and you’ll see your results skyrocket.

Bottom line: 3 workouts a week will always be beneficial for long term benefits.
But it is not efficient for fast results, and people want fast results. My advice: cut right now your long and traditional workout and boost intensity and frequency.

Resources for short workouts and quick results: Gladiator-Fitness.com

Boxing and conditioning Bootcamps

This is probably one of the fastest way to get in shape: working out inside a bootcamp 3 to 6 times a week.
The programs focus on boxing and conditioning: in the same time you improve overall conditioning, you learn how to throw a punch, you get a real coaching.
The sessions are early in the morning and they are short: 20 minutes. But you get a total body workout without the problems having to spend too much time.
It can be very intense but you don't finish the workout burned out... well, you need all your energy for your day!
In fact you are going to leave with more energy: a 20 minutes bootcamp workout may result in 3 or 4 hours of increased productivity. In fact we strongly believe this is the perfect strategy to start your day, these 20 minutes will have a tremendous impact on the effectiveness of all the daily tasks.
And bottom line, you improve your well-being and your health.

Fore more information and contact: Boxing and Conditioning Bootcamp in New York.

Challenge yourself on a stability ball

The use of a stability ball may give us new challenges: this exercise is not for beginner; even if you have already a good strength, the stabilization is a challenge. Extreme focus is necessary for performing this exercise, give it a try and tell me...

Stretch and relax!

If you are stressed, if you have muscular tensions, this exercise with a swiss ball is going to help you to relax. The stretch of the spine is optimal and progressive, you decompress all vertabraes.
Stretch progressively according to your flexibility, relax, let the breathing go naturally.
Keep the position from 5 to 30 seconds, you have to feel confortable.
Do this exercise at the end of each workout. If you are stiff, be sure your spine is going to be very happy!
Have a good workout!

Want a workout in a rush? Try the 3 minutes Gladiator-Fitness system, get your free ebook and take action. For more info: http://www.dominique-paris.com

In a rush? 3 minutes conditioning programs

If you are in a rush and you miss or postpone often your workout, here the solution:
subscribe and get the first part of "The 3 minutes Gladiator Fitness Conditioning Program" free; as soon as you confirm your email address you'll receive the link to download the ebook.
This 55 pages ebook contains 12 different optimized workouts: body weight, dumbbells and stability ball.
These workout are simple but highly effective: you work in the same time strength, endurance and flexibility.
If you want to start an exercise program without spending hours in the gym, it's for you.
If you are completly out of shape, it's for you.
And even you are already athletic and want to save time, check out!
http://www.dominique-paris.com

A total body workout: legs conditioning

For many years we have been taught to train at least 45 minutes or 1 hour to get a total body workout. If you train on machines, sure you need time: one exercise for the chest, one for the upper back, one for the shoulders, one for the low back, one for the quads, one for the hamstrings…and maybe two more to hit the biceps and triceps…Several sets of each exercise and you spent at least one hour and maybe more if you are not completely focused on your program (means loosing time talking to a friend, too much rest…).
A lot of people cannot afford this situation, so they do not exercise!

The truth is you can get a total body workout in just a few minutes: choose the right exercises (two or three) and focus on the intensity (adjust according to your fitness level).

The hindu squat is a complete exercise for legs and even upper body; I learned this exercise many years ago from Matt Furey and this is a terrific exercise. You need only your body weight. Check out the video and give it a try!

From 3 minutes a day you can put yourself on the way to get the best shape of your life: check out now http://www.dominique-paris.com

A new conditioning program

“Do you Run out of Time and still Want the Maximum Benefits of an Exercise Fitness Program?”

Are you interested to cut by 3 or 5 or even 10 the time spent in your workout–at least- and get better results than before?

Or maybe are you looking for an effective way to Start an Exercise Program you can do and repeat anytime and anywhere?

Coming in December 2006:

THE 3 MINUTES
GLADIATOR CONDITIONING PROGRAM

Boxing and conditioning with Simon Bakinde

Last week I travelled to New York to visit my friend and partner Simon Bakinde. Simon is a professional boxer and a coach. I had the opportunity to watch him in action while coaching a few of his clients; well, the man has everything:

- he is in an exceptional body shape, athletic and lean; this guy has strength and power.
- he has skills of high level: he can show you the perfect technique if you want to.
- and not the less important he got the talent of coaching: he knows how to teach, he knows how to motivate, he knows how to communicate... If you are looking to learn or improve boxing skills and get some secret conditioning tips from a professional boxer, my advice is to go straight to Simon Bakinde.
Simon works currently with businessmen, women and kids. You can reach him at 347 249 6220.

Mind power

To get in shape quickly is a commitment: it means you have to train everyday. The key is focus.
You can now improve your focus and your mind power with an amazing tool: check it out here:

How to Unlock the True Power of Your Mind and Achieve a Level of Success That You Never Thought Possible!

Boxing training

Boxing is one of the best exercise to get in shape quickly: shadow boxing, or heavy bag if you are already in a decent shape. A boxer get a lean physique because he trains in intervals and this is very intense. A program is composed with boxing, bodyweight and weight training, high intensity cardiovascular training and sprints.
But you don't need to be a professional boxer like the one on this video; there is an effective way to "kick butt" your workouts, even if you are a complete beginner or if you are too busy to exercise! MORE COMING SOON!

AudioAcrobat: audio and video

Interval training vs heart attack

Interval training is a very successul method of cardiovascular conditioning among athletes.
But it is also a vey effective method for improving your heart health.
Dr Al Sears shows it is critical to lower the LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol):
you have to increase your HDL (good cholesterol) and here are a few natural ways:

- Use intervals when exercising: you'll increase progressively the intensity.
Nutrition:
- Eliminate trans-fats: fried food, cookies and crakers with hydrogenated oil,
- Avoid high fat meat,
- Get fish oils, nuts, avocadoes, olives: they are great source of omega-3-fatty acids,
- Put regularly fresh garlic into your meals.

To learn more, I highly recommend:

The Doctor's Heart Cure

Beyond the Modern Myths of Diet and Exercise: The Clinically-Proven Plan of Breakthrough Health Secrets That Helps You Build a Powerful, Disease-Free Heart

By Al Sears, M.D.
Paperback 320 pages or Digital Book 1.7MB PDF

To get fit, do not think of failure

Visit Mark Joyner for more of his

personal development brain puzzle cartoons.

Are you a runner?

In endurance sports like running, it is very easy to reach a "plateau" and get stuck for ever!
Why?
Because everybody trains in the same way: same routine over the years, same programs. The use of a heart rate monitor doesn't mean you're going to break your best time.

If you are a runner (or endurance athlete) and want to boost your performance, check out the revolutionnary approach of the distance running coach Rick Karboviak: Click Here!

Challenge your abs!

Do you know which are the best abdominal exercises ?
All depends of you present fitness level: there are many good exercises but some are more effective. The main stream of the fitness industry teaches to isolate the abs: it's easy for starting and you can feel the work without the risk of injury.
But exercises like crunches on the floor are very limited and people reach a plateau very quickly.

The solution: get a few tough exercises like this one, and your progress will skyrocket.
You can read more at my new article: Gladiator-Fitness
If you are interested to peak in your fitness level, stay with me and subscribe to my newsletter.

Abdominal breathing is one of the best ways to control your stress level, your focus and your energy: you can boost your well being with just a few exercises: click here to learn more:
Abdominal breathing.

Boxing Workout in New York

I just teamed up with my friend Simon Bakinde: Simon Bakinde is a PROFESSIONAL BOXER AND PERSONAL TRAINER; he is the founder of GETNSHAPE system of training.

He has been in boxing and fitness field for more then 13 years and have done 26 professional fights: so do not mess with him...(just kidding).

We have a "kick butt" project together and I will travel to New York very soon.

But you can Get in shape with BOXING exercises right away!!!!

Lose weight, Improve your total body conditioning, Get lean and athletic while working out those muscles you never knew you had!

Get into the insider secrets of a professional boxer and conditioning coach!

Call simon at 347-249-6220 to visit the gym located at 122 west 27th street (between 6 and 7 Ave.), Manatthan.

Check out our great rates:

• $300 for 9 Sessions,
• 18 Sessions for $575,
• 27 Sessions $850 (personal training ).
• For ONE FREE SESSION (30mn), call Simon today: 347-249-6220

Do not forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get the latest news and functional tips and resources.