The benefits of Barefoot Running

An Interesting article on the benefits of Barefoot running - Courtesy of Health Habits - CA

About 5 years ago, I was introduced to barefoot / minimalist shoes while shopping for a pair of running shoes.

The salesperson showed me a pair of Nike Frees and explained to me the concept behind this new/old technology.

Since then, I have been a big fan of minimalist shoes. And I’m not the only one. In the past few years, these weird anti-shoe shoes have nudged their way into the mainstream athletic shoe market.

And while the bulk of the market is dominated by Nike Frees and Vibram Five-Fingers, there are a ton of other manufacturers making a wide variety of different minimalist shoes. But since they don’t have big advertising budgets, you have probably never heard of any of them.

That stops now.

A few months back I contacted some of the most interesting manufacturers to see if they would be interested in having their minimalist shoes reviewed by yours truly. And most of them said yes.

For today’s post, I thought I should outline the criteria I will be using to review the shoes as well as a brief intro to the theories behind barefoot / minimalist shoes & running.

Why should you wear barefoot / minimalist shoes?

Our ancestors covered their feet to protect them from physical damage (puncture) and unpleasant temperatures (Canadian winter). Since that time, shoe manufacturers have “improved” upon our footwear to the point they have more technology in them than your iPad.

As a result of this shoe tech, humans have modified theirjogging/running/sprinting gaits to look more like a natural walking – heel-toe – gait. Instead of using the natural shock-absorbers built into our feet, we rely on our shoes to absorb the shock of a longer heel-toe stride. And this has resulted in a whole bunch of aches, pains & injuries.

The makers of minimalist shoes are creating shoes that:

1. Protect your feet from puncture & cold temperatures
2. While still allowing your feet to function as originally intended
3. And hopefully helping you correct all of the postural and impact related damage you have inflicted upon yourself by running in your cool Nike Shox.

Review Criteria

• Protection – If you’re not going to develop thick natural calluses by actually running barefoot, you need to wear a shoe that will protect you from the occasional sharp stone or chunk of glass.
• Proprioception – A bare foot provides immediate feedback to the surface it rests upon. A thick spongy sole…not so much. This can be crucial when it comes to avoiding ankle sprains and wiping out while trail running.
• Natural Foot Movement – Does the shoe allow or  prevent your foot from flexing & spreading in order to distribute the load uniformly over the entire foot. This analysis will address shoe width (especially the toe box), arch support, shock absorption, etc…
• Weight of the Shoe – Who wants a heavy, clunky shoe?
• The Drop – Most running shoes raise the heel 22-24mm off the ground while lifting the front of the shoe only 10-15mm off the ground. This difference creates a forward leaning slope which changes your posture and leads to a heel-toe gait which leads a bunch of problems. Long story short, a flat shoe is more natural.
• Shape of the Sole – As your foot spreads, does the protective sole continue to protect your foot from physical damage
• Comfort – Do they feel good on your feet?
• Ease of Use – Are they easy to put on?
• Appearance – Do you look like a freak wearing them? Do you care?
• Ventilation – Vibrams are notoriously stinky shoes…what about the others?
• Durability – I only tested the shoes for a few weeks, so this test is pretty inconclusive.
• Price - Due to my Scottish background, cost is always a factor.
• Application – Is the shoe applicable for everyday use, running, sports, yoga, weight lifting, water sports, beach sports, etc?

Last Night . .

Right, the title to this blog Sounds like somethin from p diddys album, I know, but last night really was quite special. Special cos the workouts were cranked up, intensive and were done till fatigue (basically until we were all f*ct !)

Big ups to dixy and big bro for keepin at it right to the end. We did some serious moves last night that will have MJ turnin in his grave and JT shuffling in his carrot top pants . .

The key word for tonight's session was plyometrics. Something I was introduced to by Joe Habib and then taken further by his bro, Nav. Could it be the habibs are all super fit and bounce about their homes going from press ups to squat thrusts then finishing off on a star jump as they go for the remote control ?? Nah don think so ..

Plyometrics should be googled to see what it really is. The key word for me when doin this type of exercise is "explosive" A good plyometric exercise differentiates from an average one, in terms of the explosiveness u hit it at.

So last nights session, which was slightly different to the one I posted on my blog yesterday was indeed a belter. I introduced a new exercise myself, something which I shall explain in a bit more detail. I have to say this exercise, I have never been taught it, nor have I seen it anywhere on the web nor have I ever seen it in the training or boxing gyms I have attended. Its all my own finding ! and it works. Basically it ripped my core to shreds

We started off with 3 x 3 minutes of skipping. As we only had two sets of ropes, Dixy, very kindly introduced us to "nightmares" Nope, he did not go on about his ex birds, this was an exercise that would literally be giving you nightmares ! A nightmare is a press up going into a burpee, into a knee jump then into a squat then into a star jump. Needless to say, me and Suhail let him get on with that as we skipped away  . . . hahaha

We then went into padwork, with the third person doing a 3 minute full on round on the speedball.

This is where we used my new found training technique. Dixy held the pads in jab cross position, just above the shoulders, shoulder width apart. Now, in Boxing, a lot of movements are focussed from the abs. When you swivel or dip, this movement is derived from the abs and to a lesser extent, your hips. So when we were punching the pads, i.e a left jab, you would dip your core, using your right ab, then left ab and as you release the pressure you exerted on your left ab, this explodes into a full on jab ! The power in this jab, compared to when you do it normally, is blatantly obvious. Its kinda hard to explain, so i will post a video at some point detailing how it works. But trust me, doing padwork this way was sore on the abs, my lower back and my arms. Sore in an awesome way !

We finished off on circuits and again utilised a lot of plyometrics. Knee Jumps, Press ups, Star jumps, tricep dips and Bicep curls before i finished up on a myotatic situp. Google it ;)

Same again tonight, cannae wait :)

Pacman - The way it should be done

Manny Pacquaio in preparation for his fight with Oscar Dela Hoya

Awesome !

Boxing Workout - Tonight 20th June 2011

Attending:          Dixy bhoy, Moi

Venue:                The Garage,

Attitude:             Up for it like you cant believe . .
Choons:               Me on the 1210’s from last year with some old school chicanery on the set !! you can here it here if you wanna feel part of it #traintothebeat  haha Az !!

Warm up
3 x 3 minutes Skipping
3 x 3 minutes padwork (1 min – jab cross, 1 min – L hook – R Hook, 1 min, L Uppercut, R Uppercut)

3 x 3 minutes of padwork (Jab-Cross-L Hook – R Hook – L Uppercut – R Uppercut)

Boxing Circuits
3 minutes on heavy bag

1^st minute            -              Jab-Jab cross

2^nd Minute          -              Head Body, alternate

3^rd Minute           -              All out HIIT

Alternating between
3 minutes on Speedball

Repeat above 3 times

Circuits 3 x 3 minutes
Press ups

Tricep dips

Bicep curls

Chest flyes

Deadlifts

Star Jumps

Abs circuits 3x3 minutes
Ab roller

Decline Ab Crunch
Russian Twists

Hip Raises

Plank – 1 minute

Total Time – 54 minutes.

Warm down with stretches and be ready to do it all again tomorrow J

10 Reasons to Work Out That Have Nothing to Do With a Sexy Bod

Thanks To Joe for sharing this. have read through it and think its important to realise the key things that you should focus on for being in good shape.

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The greatest challenge in developing a permanent exercise habit is finding motivation that lasts. It’s easy to get to the gym when you’re preparing for that big beach vacation or want to look great for your high school reunion. But what about the rest of the time?

For much of my life I followed a pretty consistent pattern:

• Get a bit fat.
• Start to hate the way I look.
• Hit the gym with a vengeance for a few weeks.
• Start to look noticeably better.
• Smugly enjoy my new found vanity.
• Lose motivation and stop working out for a few weeks.
• Repeat from beginning.

Vanity, it turns out, isn’t a great longterm motivator for most people. It wasn’t until I associated exercise with rewards beyond physical appearance that I was able to get myself to the gym 5-6 times a week without any lapses.

To help you bring consistency and enthusiasm to your exercise schedule, here are some powerful reasons to work out that have nothing to do with looking good.

1. Testosterone

This one is mostly for the gents (sorry ladies) and it applies to weight training. Testosterone is the essence of manhood. When you lift weights and gradually increase the level of resistance, your muscles produce testosterone. This gives you the energy, stamina, and aggressiveness you need to take on the world.

On days after a big weight training work out, I’ve experience a significant increase in energy. I tend to pop out of bed (I’m usually groggy) and feel more vigorous over the course of the day.

2. Clarity and Concentration

An active body has been linked to an active mind. The more consistently you exercise, the less prone you’ll be to grogginess and lapses in concentration. As anecdotal evidence of this, my best cure for writer’s block has always been going for a long walk, run, or hitting the gym.

3. Reflection

Exercise is a time to let your mind unwind while your body does the work. Strangely, when you stop actively trying to solve a mental challenge, the solution often pops into your head. Exercise is an opportunity for your subconscious mind to put together the pieces.

4. Enjoyment

Working out needn’t be seen as a chore or obligation. There are tons of enjoyable ways to exercise. For example, if you live in a scenic area, going for a run or bike ride along a beautiful route can brighten things up. Since I moved to Los Angeles a couple months ago, running on the beach has gotten me out the door much more frequently.

Other great options include: using exercise as a chance to spend time with friends and family, playing a sport or game, striving to achieve new personal bests, week after week.

5. Cleansing

Have you ever gone a couple weeks without exercise and noticed that you begin to sweat an exorbitant amount? That’s because sweat, along with toxins, tends to build up over time. Sweating regularly through exercises removes these toxins and will help you feel more comfortable.

6. Better Sleep

Studies have shown that exercise improves sleep. I love my sleep, so this is big for me.

7. Longer Life

When you choose to exercise, you’re making an investment, not just in your present physical appearance, but in the rest of your life. People who exercise regularly live longer and stay healthier into old age. If not for yourself, consider the family members that love and depend on you.

8. Stress Relief

Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress. This is a combined result of the benefits of cleansing, reflection, and a physical outlet for frustration.

9. Superior Strength and Endurance

About 4 years ago I went through a rough stretch where I gained 15-20 pounds in only a few months. Being unfit drastically changed the way I could move my body. It threw off my balance and made everyday tasks more difficult and uncomfortable. By exercising regularly, you’ll be better able to live and act, and in the event of an emergency, seize the moment.

10. Self Confidence

The sum of all these benefits is self confidence. (And, yes, looking good will help here too.) Greater self confidence is drives success, so its value can’t be underestimated. Exercise and fitness are an enormous part of reaching your potential.

High Intensity Resistance Training - With Videos !

Part 4 – High Intensity Resistance Training

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As I said in Part 3, high intensity resistance workouts are the superstars of this entire program. When performed properly, they elevate your BMR, drastically increase your EPOC and burn a fair amount of calories per workout.

But all you need to know is that they:

• Increase metabolism for up to 36 hours post-workout
• Drastically outperform diet and aerobic exercise in fat loss studies
• Maintain muscle mass in subjects on a Very Low Calorie Diet

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H.I.R.T. Workouts

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Overview

Always remember that the goal of this program is to burn as much fat as possible, while preserving your current level of muscle mass.

To achieve this goal, your program needs to focus on:

• Total Body workouts
• Pushing yourself until your muscles burn with lactic acid
• Perform super-sets, tri-sets, giant sets, etc…
• Compound exercises – squats instead of leg extensions
• Big muscle groups – legs, back and chest instead of arms and shoulders
• Performing sets of 5 to 15 repetitions

How you put together all of these elements is up to you. Your physiology is different than mine. Your history of injuries is different than mine. Your availability to equipment is different from mine. Your tolerance for exercise intensity is different…

But even with all of these differences, two things need to be the same. We both need to ensure that we:

• Maximize the Intensity of Each EXERCISE, and
• Maximize the Intensity of Each WORKOUT

So, how do we do that?

Old School v.s. New School

High Intensity Resistance Training (HIRT) has been around for a long time. There is a ton of information available to help you design your own program. It’s the stuff you see in the bodybuilding magazines.

To be honest, I couldn’t care less about the Old School HIRT training. Not that it doesn’t work. It just bores me.

However, if you are interested, here are a few links:

Bodybuilding.com

Dave Draper

IronMan Magazine

Mens Health

Now that I have given such a glowing review about Old School HIRT training, let me introduce you to the New School.

Let me introduce you to FUSION training.

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FUSION Training

I have been playing around with this type of training for the past few years.

Here is the general concept.

We already know that for fat loss training, generating exercise and workout intensity is key.

That is why Compound exercises (Squats, Deadlifts) are better than Isolation exercises (Leg Extension, Leg Curl).

Fusion exercises and workouts raise the intensity bar even higher.

Imagine an exercise where you combine a deadlift, a snatch and an overhead squat.

All in one move. You do not put the bar down until you have completed the set.

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That is a Fusion exercise.

Now imagine a workout where you string together set after set of these Fusion exercises.

That is a Fusion workout, and it WILL kick your tail.

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Build Your Own Fusion Workout

The Basics

• 3x per week Maximum
• At least 24 hrs. rest between workouts
• Put the most complicated Fusions at the beginning of the workout
• Put the most intense Fusions at the beginning of the workout
• Hit all of the major movements each workout
• Change repetition schemes each workout
• 60 seconds between sets
• The weakest exercise in the Fusion will determine the exercise weight
• Be prepared for nausea…seriously

Sample Workout

Here is a workout I designed for a client earlier this month.

• The client is training 3x per week – Mon/Wed/Fri
• I have designed 2 different workouts to ensure that each week will be different
• Week 1 will consist of workouts A, B and A – Week 2 will consist of workouts B, A and B and so on…
• Each workout will have 4 Fusion exercises
• Monday’s workout will consist of 5 sets of 5 reps of each Fusion exercise
• Wednesday’s workout will consist of 4 sets of 8 reps of each Fusion exercise
• Friday’s workout will consist of 3 sets of 12 reps of each Fusion exercise
• In addition to fat loss, this client needs to bring up leg and core strength – exercise selection will reflect that goal

Fusion Workout A

Exercise 1: BB / DB Hanging Clean to Thruster – 60 sec. rest between sets

Hanging Clean demo video

Thruster demo video

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Exercise 2: 1 Arm Cable / Band Chest Press to 1 Arm Cable / Band Row – 60 sec. rest between sets

Press demo video

Row demo video

.Exercise 3: Chin-Up to Windshield Wipers – 60 sec. rest between sets

Windshield Wiper demo video

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Exercise 4: 10 Minutes of Swing Snatches – 1 set – as many reps as possible

Swing Snatch demo video

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Fusion Workout B

Exercise 1: 1 Leg Squat to 1 Leg Deadlift to Bulgarian Squat – 60 sec. rest between sets

1 Leg Squat demo video

1 Leg Deadlift demo video

Bulgarian Squat demo video

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Exercise 2: Glute-Ham Raise to Standing Cable Crunch Crunch to Pulldowns – 60 sec. rest between sets

Glute-Ham Raise demo video

Standing Cable Crunch demo video

Pulldown demo video

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Exercise 3: Stability Ball Push Up to Twisting Jack-Knife – 60 sec. rest between sets

Tempo is modified to increase or decrease intensity

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Exercise 4: Plank Series – Side / Supine / Other Side / Prone – 30 sec. each position

Side and Prone Plank demo video

Supine Bridge demo video

OR

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Now It’s Your Turn

When it comes to designing your own Fusion workout, try and choose exercises that hit a variety of muscle groups and movement patterns.

Here are some of my favorites to get you started:

Posterior Chain

• Deadlift
• 1 Leg Deadlift
• Suitcase Deadlift
• Romanian Deadlift
• Pullthroughs
• Good Mornings
• Glute Ham Raises
• Any Olympic lift – snatch, clean

Anterior Chain

• Lunges..all varieties
• Squats
• Bulgarian Squats
• Overhead Squats
• Squat Jumps
• 1 Leg Squat
• Front Squat
• Zercher Squat

Horizontal Push

• Standing Cable / Band Press
• Push-Ups…all varieties
• Dive Bombers or Hindu Push-Ups

Horizontal Pull

• Body weight Row
• Bent-Over Row
• Sternum Chin-Ups
• Standing Cable / Band Row

Vertical Push

• Presses…all varieties
• Thrusters
• Handstand Push-Up

Vertical Pull

• Chin-Ups
• Pull-Ups
• Pulldowns
• High Pulls

Core

• Planks or other “postures”
• Crunches…all varieties
• Leg raises…all varieties
• Twisting movements (woodchops, etc…)
• Roll-Outs

and many, many more…

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That should get you started.

In Part 5 of this series, I will look at High Intensity Anaerobic Interval Training (HIIT).

So, until then,