Banana

Banana is a superfood.  Loaded with carbs - it makes a great pre-game or pre-workout snack.  Bananas contain lots of potassium and may prevent muscle cramps during intense, sweaty, hot-weather training.  Eat plain or blend into a smoothy.

Tom

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Stability Ball



The Stability Ball

Also known as Swiss Ball or Physio Ball, this is a wonderful piece of exercise equipment.  Light and durable it is easy to use once you get used to it.  There are dozens of different exercises that you can do on the "Stab Ball".  Here are a few of my favs:

Stab Ball Side Crunch

Side Crunch

Stab Ball Side Crunch is an excellent workout for your core - especially your obliques.  Plant your feet against the wall for a bit more stability.  Curl down sideways over the ball and then use your obliques to pull yourself back up.

Russian Twist

This exercise is really cool.  Holding a medicine ball or other weight, sit on and then roll out on a stab ball until your head and shoulders are on top of the ball.  Plant your feet firmly on the floor and press your hips up and hold them in a bridge.  Arms extended straight overhead, twist to one side and then back to the other...as fast as you can without flying off the ball.  Wicked workout for your core.  Even glutes and hamstrings get a good workout from holding this position.

Stability Ball Roll-Out

Stab Ball Roll-Out

Start by kneeling with the ball against your legs.  Hands on top of the ball close to your body.  Roll the ball away from you to full extension of your arms and then back in again.  Great workout for your abs.  Don't cheat by jamming your chest up against the ball.

Stab Ball+Hard Work+Clean Eating



Tom

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Training for Dressage

Training for Dressage

Dressage is a physically demanding sport; not just for the horse but for the rider as well.  Here are some of the key muscles used by the rider during dressage and how to train them:

Iliopsoas

Iliacus and Psoas Muscles Combine to form Iliopsoas



Iliopsoas is key to controlling and maintaining good posture on the horse.  This muscle group prevents you from tilting backward.  Two good exercises for iliopsoas are side plank and single leg raises.  Single leg raises are simple:  lie on your back and raise each leg separately until straight above - then lower to the floor.  Below is a good photo of side plank:

Side Plank





Abdominals

Strong abdominals work to hold your erect posture on top of the horse.  Low plank and crunches are great exercises for developing strong abs.

Low Plank

Adductor and Abductor Muscles

These muscles move the legs together and apart respectively.  These are important for maintaining control of your position on the animal.  Below are a couple of good exercises for adductors and abductors:

Adductor/Abductor Machine

The Adductor/abductor machine is excellent if your gym has one.  Most machines like this are dual purpose - they reconfigure in a few seconds to apply resistance inward or outward depending which exercise you want to do.  Plié Squat (pictured below is great for inner thighs - the adductor muscles).

Plie Squat with Weight

These are but just a few of the major muscles used in equestrian and dressage.  A well-rounded training program and a lot of riding, are important for the overall fitness that is required for dressage.

Tom

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Bicep Blast

Who Doesn't Want Big Guns?

Ok - lot's of women say that they don't want big arms. But check out the pipes on this lady.  Very nice.

Biceps

Biceps are two-headed muscles on the inside front of your upper arms.  The are primarily responsible for arm flexion.  They respond well to a variety of arm curl exercises such as:

Preacher Curl

Preacher Curl

Preacher Curl is so-named because it is done on the bench pictured above.  This is an intense bicep exercise which really isolates the bicep and hits the lower bicep area hard.  You can use a barbell or dumbells (one at a time or two together).  Start with arms fully extended, upper body is still.  Slowly raise weight until full contraction.  Lower the weight under control until elbow is fully extended.  Warning - the eccentric contraction as you lower the weight must be under control or you risk hyper-extending the elbow.

EZ Bar Curl

EZ Bar Curl

EZ Bar Curl is named after the bar being used.  It has a series of bends in it which aid in gripping the bar.  This bar lets you do curls with a slight turn or pronation in the hands/forearms.  This is a little more comfortable than the straight bar.  Like the lady pictured above: keep your back straight, extend the arms fully and then curl the bar upwards as tightly as you can.  Slow, controlled descent back to the start position.

Concentration Curl

Concentration Curl

An excellent single arm exercise.  The concentration curl gets its name from the way you lean into the exercise and seem to be concentrating on something deep when you have the weight fully raised to your chin.  Here's a pic for you visual learners:

The Thinker - Thinking about Concentration Curls?

So, anyway, start with a dumbell in your hand.  Sit on the end of a bench/stability ball etc.  Lean over until your tricep is pressed against the inside of your knee.  The weight now hangs on your fully extended arm almost to the floor.  Keeping your elbow and knee stable; curl the weight until fully contracted.  Lower the weight slowly - don't let your elbow hyper-extend at the bottom.

Tie it Together

Try this Bicep Blast Routine

3 Sets of 10 Reps - EZ Bar Curl

3 Sets of 10 Reps - Preacher Curl (with straight barbell or dumbells)

3 Sets of 12 Reps - Concentration Curls

Tom

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Magic Mountain

Headed to Magic Mountain for a day of wet and wild fun with the family.

Its going to be fun.

Tom

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Playground Workouts

Un-Gym Yourself

Sick of the skank of the gym in the middle of a humid summer?  Craving some sunshine and blackflies?  Hit the parks and playgrounds.  Running trails usually pass some interesting opportunities for a quick workout.  Here are just a couple:



Pull-ups on Monkey Bars - Great for Lats and Biceps

Just look around and you'll find lots of great opportunities for a workout in the fresh air.

Bench Dips...on a bench!



Tom

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Tabata

Kettlebell Swing Tabata

Tabata refers to a very high intensity interval-type training.  Made popular by Crossfit, Tabata is the brain-child of a speed-skating coach who experimented with ideal training styles. 

Kettlebell Swing

In this article we're going to use the kettlebell swing as the chosen exercise for Tabata.  Kettlebells come in a wide variety of weight-levels.  Kettlebell swing is wicked for core, quads and shoulders. 

Classical Kettlebell Swing

The photo sequence above shows a classical kettlebell swing that goes to approximately eye-level.  Its "ok".  But if you really want to blast out a good workout, look at this:

Hardcore Kettlebell Swing



Swing the kettlebell to right above your head.  Doing-so forces your abs to engage in order to prevent you from falling over backward.

Proper Technique for Kettlebell Swing

• Keep your back straight
• Feet wide apart
• knees bent
• swing the kettlebell low
• build and maintain strong momentum with kettlebell throughout

Tabata Timings

• 20 seconds of activity followed by 10 seconds of rest
• repeat 8 times
• Total workout time is 4 minutes

Benefits of Tabata

Tabata allows you to blast out and intense effort without crashing too early.  It is brief but effective.  Great when combined within the context of a more thorough workout.  Tabata can be done with almost any exercise (push-ups, jumping-jacks etc).

Tom

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Coming Soon - Dressage Fitness Training

Equestrian

Dressage is a physically demanding sport which taxes the rider and the horse to the max.  In an upcoming article, I will show you what you can do to prepare yourself for this challenging sport.

Tom

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Independence Day

Happy Birthday USA

Tom

Blueberries

Blueberries Burst with Goodness

Ripe and Ready

Blueberries are in full season now.  Each one of these tender, delicious fruits yield a bounty of beneficial elements. 

Nutritional Analysis

Great source of Vitamins C and K.  Lots of fibre.  Good source of manganese (if you're worried about that).  Some potassium.  Excellent source of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (more on this topic in a future blog post). 

Portion Control
Don't gorge on these like a bear though; these little guys do contain sugar and have a significant carbohydrate level.  Half a cup or a double-handful should suffice for a maximum serving at one time.

Nature's Candy

Blueberries are a nice treat and make an excellent dessert all by themselves or mixed into low-fat yogurt.  For a really nice treat drop a handful of blueberries into a cup; slap in a blob of plain greek yogurt and sprinkle with steel-cut oats.  Tasty, filling and nutritious.

Tom

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Happy Canada Day

Happy Birthday Canada

Get out and enjoy some sunshine, surf and sand today.

Or...at least some sunshine, surf and slush.

Tom

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