- Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
- by Carol
Want to know a great way to tighten up the core? The Plank! The plank is one of the most useful bodyweight exercises - such a small movement or really lack thereof but your core strength can increase by leaps and bounds if you do them often enough. We repeat plank holds in the gym often and kids get stronger and better at them in each class. Try not to let the butt sag or raise up in the air...think of a nice straight board and that is exactly what you should look like. How long can you hold it?
Getting ready for the plank hold...
- Monday, March 28th, 2011
- by Carol
That's right! When the weather is warm and sunny, we head outdoors with minimal equipment and get in a pretty solid workout. Kettlebells, boxes and jumpropes are all portable and useful. Putting a few of these items together with some bodyweight exercises works many different parts of the body in one single workout. Plus, we get that added benefit of sun exposure for Vitamin D absorption.
- Friday, March 25th, 2011
- by Carol
Get your kids eating protein! As an old trainer of mine used to say, "Protein is king". That's the truth! While there are plenty of other healthy food choices in the veggie department, protein fills you up quickly, keeps your blood sugars low and helps build and maintain muscle. And, you stay full longer! Kids eat too many processed foods leaving them hungry more quickly. Try filling them up with eggs (hard-boiled work great!), deli meats, bacon, etc. first. I make our kids eat their protein first then they can move on to the more carb-heavy foods on their plates.
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Look for farm-fresh eggs if possible!
- Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
- by Carol
Want to know what we are up to for the day? Just check the board...All workouts are posted before you arrive so that you can check and see what you are up against. I include the warmups, buy-ins, workouts and the cash-out. You'll know what skill we will be learning and you can post your times or numbers of rounds when you finish up.
Check it out!
- Monday, March 21st, 2011
- by Carol
Teaching this particular lift requires patience and understanding of the student's flexibility, spatial awareness and foot work. The bar essentially travels straight up from the rack position to overhead - locked out and controlled then the reset. The Middle School kids did a great job learning which way to split with their feet (it's really a matter of preference) and the timing of the bar from rack to overhead - not an easy task! By starting off with a PVC stick (unweighted), we are able to drill the move repeatedly without fatigue. Then, we can break out the barbells and start doing some serious work.
Learning the split...
- Friday, March 18th, 2011
- by Carol
Are you watching it? Can you hear the countdown from 3-2-1-go? Those three final beeps make some folks come unraveled - but, it is also the point where the rubber hits the road! When the clock begins to run, you're working against yourself with your work capacity and strength. Not looking at that clock requires constant mental toughness but it is important to know where you are in your workout and where you need to be at the end of it. For the younger kids, the clock is often in my hand in the form of a stopwatch. They obsess with time and when the workout will end. For the older kids, we keep it running and they start to see it as competition - who'll get there first? Tick - tock...
- Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
- by Carol
You never know who you might meet around the gym...Sometimes your football coach might be sitting on the couch next to you waiting for his class to begin! The community spirit in our box is undoubtedly great for all that attend. Kids classes end as adult classes begin - these groups have gradually gotten to know each other and that is darn cool. Come in and experience it...
Hey coach!
- Monday, March 14th, 2011
- by Carol
The benefits of strength-training for kids far outweigh the risks. Strength training can be taught using free weights, exercise machines, elastic bands or the body's own resistance. In our box, bodyweight exercises and free weights along with gymnastics are about all that we need to get kids moving better and getting stronger. We encourage kids to hit up the pullup bars at the start of class and practice pushups daily. Here is an excellent article that begins to dispell the myths that weightlifting is bad for kids.
- Friday, March 11th, 2011
- by Carol
We put kids upside down in the gym weekly - somersaults, inversions on rings, handstands, cartwheels and skin-the-cats. We always see some nervousness right before we drill some of these vital movements. Why is that? We, as humans, spend so much time in an upright sitting position - at our school desk, in our office, etc. Rarely do we challenge ourselves outside of the box to go upside down. Could it really be that important? You'd better believe it! When we go upside down, we stimulate the vestibular system of our ear canal - the system that provides balance and spatial orientation. If that system doesn't receive stimulation regularly then, when we DO end up upside down, we become disoriented, dizzy and nauseous.
- Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
- by Carol
Static stretching certainly has a place in the world of fitness but the dynamic stretch before a CrossFit workout is a much more useful tool...here are just a few words from CrossFit.com on the subject...
"Ever wonder why you do all those crazy movements (toes, heels, lunge, butt kick, inch worm, etc.) before you work out with us? Elite trainers have found that dynamic stretching allows the muscles to become primed for movement. By gradually increasing the range of motion, your muscles prepare for the workout you are about to complete. Dynamic flexibility increases core temperature, muscle temperature, elongates the muscles, stimulates the nervous system, and helps decrease the chance of injury."
Keep movements active and fast-paced...
Windshield wipers!
