Reaction and agility work

Here's a thought...

Rather than training your body for aesthetics - working on your abs, your arms, your shoulders and so on, to carve out your ideal body shape, find yourself a physical challenge instead. 

Hurdle 5 half meter posts, climb that tree, leap 6 feet, balance along the top of a park bench, complete one of our strength sets, stand on one leg blindfolded for 30 seconds...it doesn't matter what the challenge but make it just out of your grasp and go for it. Your body will work and adapt to achieve it and then it's time for you to set the next small challenge. Before you know it everyday obstacles that caused you diffulculty before will be easy and, guess what, your body will become lean, toned and fitter naturally.

Do you think that the Olympic athletes body shapes were honed on the treadmill or on the track - practicing and practicing for their own challenges? The powerful shoulders of the pole vaulters and the gymnasts have formed as a result of hours of lifting their own bodyweight over and over again in order to achieve more height or better technique. 

My personal challenge at the moment is to be able to perform a full planche press-up - I'm getting there but still a long way off - but every day that I try and do it I notice subtle differences in my strength, balance and tone. Hmmm...maybe I chould do it in my pants??

body weight upper body blast

Try this sub 30 minute routine for a total upper body workout.

Rotational push up pads work the rotator cuff in all directions

You will need:



A chin up bar
A set of rotational push up pads 
A set of stairs








Superset each exercise back to back without rest:

15 w>n press ups
8 ohw chins
10 n>w press ups
8 ohn chins
12 w>n incline press ups
10 uhw chins
12 w>n decline press ups
10 uhn chins
12 n>w incline press ups
8 monkey grip chins
10 n>w decline press ups
6 alt grip chins

Total workout time 22 mins per set - repeat 1-3 sets depending on fitness level (reps may slip by upto 20% per set)

Key - w>n wide to narrow internal rotation
          n>w narrow to wide external rotation (abduct)
          uh - underhand
          oh - overhand
          w - wide
          n - narrow

Mud

It's easy to get demotivated to go outdoors when it has been so wet. Clients always dread the wet sessions but then tell me that they are the most fun.
I've said it before, embrace the weather-dont let mud and puddles put you off. Instead, try attacking them- on a bike, in old trainers or just a pair if wellies, get out there and play like a child. The slippery surface and the cold works the body harder therefore burning more calories.

When you're done a nice hot bath gets soon makes you feel civilised again-until next time!

RODs WOD 23/2/12

Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.
~ William Barclay

Shall we test ours today. Whatever your best run is, I want you to go out and smash it...go for an extra 20% on your distance.

If running isn't your thang then fast walk and if you can't get out then this is for you:

5 mins spot jog
50 burpees
50 press ups
200 crunches
200 squats
5 mins spot jog

Crash through each set as fast as you can, 1 min rest and into the next. Write your time down on completion.

Rod
Www.cfire.co.uk

Whats the best time of day for a workout in order to burn fat?

The morning will be best, particularly if you can get some resistance training in as well. Not only are your glycogen levels at their lowest - meaning that you will have to dive into your fat reserves to perform your workout - but also, the workout elevates your metabolic rate for several hours after the actual session so you will feel the benefits throughout the day. 

Even better, if you can get an early morning in and then a quick turbo charge at lunchtime - a 20 minute strength circuit should fit nicely in before you have lunch and will make sure that your calorie burn continues throughout the afternoon too!

Lets Get Sussex Fit kicks off with its first FREE outdoor session

As part of our initiative to drive up the fitness levels of people living in Sussex and to entice them into sport generally, Crossfire launched 'Lets Get Sussex Fit'(LGSF) in January with a series of free initiatives. 

As well as a Facebook group 'Lets Get Sussex Fit' offering advice, daily workouts, competitions and a chance for others to share their success stories, Crossfire, has pledged 24 free outdoor group exercise sessions during 2012, starting in Worthing, West Sussex.  If popular, the Crossfire team will be pledging more free, bi-weekly, sessions in other towns around the county. 

Yesterday saw the first outdoor session on the beach to which people travelled from up to 30 miles away to attend, bringing their children along to join in the afternoons activities.







Participants performed a group warm up followed by a 2 mile power walk, a HIIT session, a body weight strength circuit, an intense ab workout and a stretching session.

  Children were encouraged to join in with the routines and helped out by coaching their mums and dads!

LGSF is actively encouraging involvement from fitness enthusiasts that want to lend their support and knowledge to help others.

The next Worthing session is scheduled for Sunday the 26th February at 2pm and can be joined by visiting the events page here and clicking the 'going'  button or, for more details, contact info@cfire.co.uk

ROD's WOD 9/2/2012

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." -Ernest Hemingway


Only just over a week until we do our 2nd fitness test - it's nearly been a month already and, if you have been doing at least 3 of these WOD's a week, then you should be starting to see quite a difference in your strength, weight, shape, and cardio fitness.


Todays workout is a workout for the abs - again, it needs no equipment and just a small amount of floor space and should take you about 6 minutes in total and should leave your abs burning.


Do each exercise for 30 seconds, take 5 seconds to change to the next exercise and then do 30 secs and so on.  When you do all 8 exercises start immediately again for 2 more complete sets.


Crunches
Reverse crunches
Point and shoot
Scissors
Russian twists
Prone plank
Side plank - left
Side plank - right


As always let me know if you  aren't sure of any of these and I'll pop a video up for you.


Have fun!


Rod
www.cfire.co.uk

RODs WOD 6/2/2012

Fall seven times, stand up eight. - Japanese proverb


Now doesn't that sum up determination - so, lets follow that old Japanese rule with another 'snowball' burpee day.  


Fall down, do a press up, get back up again!


Remember start with 1 and then do an extra 1 every half an hour so that by the time you hit 8 hours you will be doing how many in a set?  


Quite a lot! 


Be determined.  


Get fit!


Rod
www.cfire.co.uk

RODs WOD 3/2/12

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. - Frank A. Clark

With this in mind, lets put that to the test shall we.  


If you can, get outside and head out to my playground in the woods.  Get off of the path (look for a deer track) and get a jog in.  If you meet an obstacle then jump it, climb it, crawl under it.  I want you to try and get a good 45 minutes of exploring in.  Be as quiet as you can as you do it - when you go into 'stalk mode' your core tightens, your breathing is more controlled and the effort to become lighter on your feet intensifies the workout on your legs.


If you cant make it to the great outdoors then create your own path - at the office, in the gym, at home.  Create as many obstacles during the day that you have to climb over, jump off, crawl under - add some sit-ups, press ups and squats just to keep it real - 


Probably best that you print this page off though...


...just in case the boss questions what the heck you're up to - just tell them 'Rod made me' and get him to join in! 


Rod
www.cfire.co.uk

Love Handles - the movie

Those tricky little wobbly bits get a right seeing to with this exercise!  If you're in a gym and there are no trees (poor you), substitute with a cable machine.

ROD's WOD 2/2/12

"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." - Michael Jordan

1/2 mile jog warm up
30 body weight squats
20 press ups
1/2 mile jog
20 lunges
4x25 meter sprints (rest 1 minute in between)
1/2 mile jog

RODs WOD 1/2/2012

“We would accomplish manymore things if we did not think of them as impossible.” C. Malesherbes


Today I want you to think about your posture.  Sometimes  that tummy can be exaggerated by slouching so, conversely, sitting upright can help to flatten the bulge.


Throughout the day consciously sit up or stand tall (shoulders back chest out as they used to say).  If you are sitting down at a desk, every time someone calls you, tense your stomach, sit tall and lift your feet off of the ground by an inch for the duration of the call - don't hold your breath though, its bad form and ruins the conversation!


Rod
www.cfire.co.uk

RODs WOD 30/1/12

"Endurance is patience concentrated. "
Thomas Carlyle

21,s again folks-same basics as usual (45 on 15 off, 3 sets, 1 min rest)

Squats
Press ups
Lunges
Crunches
Dips
Burpees
Reverse crunches

23 minutes of concentrated exercise.

If its too easy then add weights (dumbells, cat, small child, big chicken) and repeat.

Rod
Www.cfire.co.uk

RODs WOD 28/1/12

The bigger the girth the harder it is!


That got your attention, but it's true - especially when it comes to tree hugging.

I
ts a beautiful sunny saturday and todays WOD is just that -
Find yourself either a forest of deserving trees or a space with one that you are particularly fond of
and try and hug 30 trees for 30 seconds each!  In between, get a jog or sprint on and, if its only the one tree that you have chosen, sprint away and jog back for another cuddle.  Pick thinner trees for easier hugs and big fat ones for harder hugs.

Should have your core muscles burning away nicely and your heart overjoyed with love.

Rod
www.cfire.co.uk

RODs WOD 26/1/12

We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire...give us the tools and we will finish the job. ~ Winston Churchill


Today is an upper body routine aimed at defining shoulders, beefing up the chest and toning the arms


All of these to be done with a light weight (2kg to 12kg depending on your strength) and from the floor - ie no bench required.  Don't forget your interval timer (I use 'interval timer' an app for iphone), pad and pen.


21's again today (3 sets of each exercise - 45 seconds on, 15 second rest - 1 minute break between sets).  The benefit of 21's is a quick cardio and resistance blast in a short space of time (23 minutes in total) - these are done to your own personal, maximum potential with the measure of improvement coming from the reps log that you track during each 15 second break.


Anyone serious about getting in shape should be able to squeeze 23 minutes in each day-right?

1. Overhead press
2. Double bent over row
3. Bench press
4. Reverse flye
5. Lateral raises
6. Close grip bench press
7. Front raises

As always, pm me if you want help with any of the exercises.


Good luck


Rod
www.cfire.co.uk

RODs WOD 25/1/12

"Don’t cry to give up…Cry to keep going." - Eric Thomas


This saying sums it up for me with a busted calf muscle!  'Active' rest called for so todays WOD will reflect just that.  The leg gets a good rest which gives me the perfect opportunity to focus on other bits of the body that need special attention!


Core workout


21's again, as before (7 exercises x 3 sets - each for 45 secs on and 15 secs off - rest 60 secs between sets).


Reverse crunches - (see silly video clip)
Plank
Woodchops - (see silly video clip)
Sit ups with twist - (see silly video clip)
Press ups
Full sit ups
Bicycles


result - rested leg - sore abs!


Give it a go and remember to write down your count during your 15 sec rest!

RODs WOD 24/1/12

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." -Ernest Hemingway



I've noticed just lately that it only seems to be the girls that are out jogging in the wind, the rain and the dark!  It's windy, it's rainy and it's not dark yet...but it will be, you just see!


Get out there and get a 45 minute jog in.  If you're a beginner then break it up into 5 minute brisk walk, 5 minute jog, 5 minute brisk walk, 5 minute jog and so on.  If your advanced then make sure that you are running and not just jogging - no shufflin' allowed here!


'But it's raining Rod' 


- good, it will keep you cool and when you get home to that lovely hot bath that the other half has run for you, you can lie back and say - yay, I did it in the rain and loved it!!!!!

Prisoner of War

Prisoner of War

John Cleese would be proud of this one - I had great fun doing it and nearly wet myself laughing on the playback-what a twit!  However, this is a great exercise and has my clients screaming to make me let them stop!

RODs WOD 23/1/12

"There comes a day when one must rest. Not stop. Not quit. But plan. There is much to be done and a quiet heart and mind is where such plans are made." - Unknown

Nice day off?

Time to get back on it, get that body pumping, those legs moving and that fat disappearing!

Lets start with a 15 minute brisk walk, jog to warm up

We are going with the theme of 21's - ie 7 exercises  performed over 3 sets - each exercise performed for 45 seconds with a 15 second rest and then straight onto the next without rest.  When you reach the 7th, grab yourself 2 minutes rest, a glug of water and then crack on with the next set.

write down your number of repetitions on a piece of paper during the 15 second rest.

High knees

Press ups

Sit-ups 

Squats

Wood chops

Lunges (alternate)

Reverse crunches

As usual, if you need help with any of the above then PM me or request a video upload of the exercise.

Good luck...oh and post your scores!