Outdoor Training – Men’s Fitness
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Archive for Feats of Strength
Look Ma, I’m on TV!
On Thursday this clip on ‘Madison Runners Join the Barefoot Craze’ was aired on the Channel 3000 NBC
Area Runners Join Barefoot Craze
I want to again stress the importance of transitioning into barefoot training and running. Many people are getting injured by not listening to their body. There is a difference between working until pain and working through the pain. We all can be hard headed and determined, but I would much rather see someone take it slow and steady versus having to recover from going too far too fast. It is a sign of strength to honor your body.
Now with that said, I challenge you to strengthen your feet by going for a walk in the park, or spend one hour more than you normally would barefoot!
Barefoot Training – Strength from the Ground Up!
Did you know that the human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and 20 muscles? It also has an intricate composition of receptors, tendons and ligaments.
If you have yet to let those toes out since winter, it’s time for some ped-treatment! Take off the socks and the shoes that bind your feet. Like any other part of your incredible organism, your feet need stimulation and strengthening!
There are numerous benefits to being barefoot including:
- Strengthening the muscles in your foot, especially in the arch
- Improving balance, agility and proprioception
- Stabilizing the feet, calves and thighs
- Aligning the feet, ankles, knees and hips
- Providing spring-like absorption of impact forces
Barefoot Running Overview from www.unsrodrunner.com
Barefoot Running has been the recent buzz in the fitness world and now even in the press:
Running shoes have arch support, cramped toe compartments, and high heel cushioning which do not allow the foot to perform at its optimal level. Some people need arch assistance, but the only way to heal weakness in your body is to strengthen and stretch. Keeping your toes on lock down hinders them from spreading out and providing your body with balance and agility. Cushioning sets the foot in a position to strike the ground heel first. Heel striking creates large impact forces and uses more energy making your stride less efficient.
Forefoot Striking
Heel striking versus forefoot striking from the Evolutionary Biologists at Harvard – Barefoot Running
Having read that, do not leave your shoes at home tomorrow and barefoot run a 5k for your first sole-less experience. Again your foot is a part of your amazing body, and if you over train any muscle there will be uncomfortable consequences.
Transition to Barefoot Training:
- Start Slow! Strengthen your feet by walking barefoot around your home, in your yard or at a park. No more than a quarter-mile a day is recommended for your first week.
- Increase your barefoot time in low impact classes like yoga, and walking on a track or paved path.
- If you experience pain take a rest from your training. Be patient, if your feet have had support from shoes for a lifetime they will need a gradual transition.
- Stretch and massage your arches, calves and Achilles tendon often.
Before your feet have built up the strength and calluses to prosper while barefoot running outdoors, try Vibram 5 Fingers!
I wear mine while jogging, hiking, climbing, boating, jump roping, exercising at the monkey bar gym, and just to stroll around the city turning heads toward my foot gloves!
Vibram 5 Fingers -- Gloves for your feet!
Play Monkey!
Last week, I went through the Monkey Bar Gymnasium’s Certified Natural Training Intensive Course. I am now a Certified Natural Trainer! Among many amazing lessons I learned how to:
- Instruct a Monkey Bar Gymnasium Class (Boot Camp, Body Power & Eischen’s Yoga)
- Train every movement for stability, strength and power levels
- Engage my own and a student or client’s weakened areas to strengthen the whole body
- Relieve aches and pains within the body caused by misalignments – realigning and restoring with Eischens Yoga
- Utilize tools like resistance cables, power wheel, and kettlebells to gain speed, strength and stamina
At the Monkey Bar Gym
We Run….
Jessica Rucker Running with a Power Sprinter
We Jump….
Broad Jumping -- I'm the girl in the air!
Your Turn!
- Start with the feet shoulder width apart
- Bend Forward from the hips with arms straight back behind you = Ready Position
- Eye gaze at the cross between the wall in front of you and the ceiling
- Shift your weight forward onto your toes, shoot arms forward and extend your hips as you jump!
- Land quietly with heel first then toes and drop into ready position, Repeat!
We Climb …
My attempt at a Flagpole
This would be more impressive (and I will progress to more impressive) if the ‘pole’ was at 90° and if I wasn’t using a cable on my feet for assistance.
Keep Climbing Everyone!
We Crawl…
We Crawl on our Hands!
Eischen’s Yoga
Another amazing feature of the Monkey Bar Gym is restorative Eischens Yoga which can be thought of as feedback yoga. Feedback is done with a partner and when in the pose you resist where your partner pushes or pulls. This will engage every muscle and create muscle memory so that when you perform skills you use all of your stabilizing muscles in proper alignment!
Feedback with Yoga Poses
Erin and Louise are pulling on my calves, so that I resist forward and in at the shins, and pushing on my thighs, so that I resist out at the hips. You can’t see from the picture, but I am so engaged that my legs are shaking! From this relatively easy pose when you are inactive, it is possible to create intense activation by utilizing every inner stabilizing muscle!
We Are Certified!
April 2010 Monkey Bar Gymnasium Intensive Certified Natural Trainers and Jon Hinds
For more information regarding the MBG Intensive experience check out Matt Poster’s blog Get Fit and Staying Fit
If you are looking to enhance your training, learn how to shatter all your previous physical records, sign up for the MBG Intensive course in August 2010!
Hand Stand Push-Ups
Check it out!
Now it is your turn!
If you have never tried this before you might think it is incredible, its easy if you practice and progress properly!
Start with Kicking up to a Hand Stand on the Wall:
- Begin in an exagerated sprinters stance
- Fingers about 5 inches from the wall
- Palms spread out
- Weight evenly across both hands
- Keep arms straight and strong
- Start kicking up by pushing off from your bent leg
Goal: Lightly and quietly onto the wall and off of the wall … this takes control from your core!
Progress to Hand Stand Push-Ups – Check out www.monkeybargym.com to learn more
Certifying a Natural Trainer
What is a Natural Trainer? A Trainer who teaches natural movements like running, jumping, climbing, crawling and knows how to progress each move for any ability level. A certified natural trainer also professes the MBG3 or the Monkey Bar Gym Plant Based Nutrition, Eischen’s Restorative Yoga and Functional Skills Training.
Today is day 4 of the MBG Intensive training course. Yesterday I completed 160 yards on the power wheel crawl (breaking my previous record by 120 yards). Today I took my very first steps on my hands aka hand stand walking! It felt incredible! I also figured out how to do kettlebell snatches, swings, cleans and presses without cutting up my hands – turns out proper technique is a real bonus!
I have been asked by several people lately am I sore? The way Jon Hinds trains is total body inclusive – I cannot point to any one muscle in my body and find a tender spot because every movement is synergistic. There is no isolated moving and thus no isolated muscle pain. I am human and thus I am exhausted from the past 4 days of fun functional activity, but I know with some rest tonight I will be ready for more tomorrow!
I am learning an incredible amount about my body and how to move functionally. I can also break down any movement for training and progressing to the optimal level. This is incredible information that I cannot wait to share!
Power Wheel Crawl – 100 Yard Challenge!
Power Wheel - The Ultimate Core Training Equipment
The Power Wheel was found to be the ‘best core trainer’ by a study conducted at the University of California – Berkeley. Jon Hinds created the Power Wheel in 1997 to dynamically improve core stabilization, strength, power and balance. It is by far my favorite and if you would like to get your hands on one check out Monkey Bar Gym
Currently, I am in Stabilization Mode and working up the core strength to be able to perfect the power wheel crawl. My goal is to complete 100 yards of the power wheel crawl. I challenge you to try this too!
Stabilize!
In Stabilization mode it is important to maintain alignment in the spine and engage the core muscles (transversus abdominus ~ like shrink wrap on the spine); (obliques ~ prevent rotation and keep the hips level); (rectus abdominus ~ most superficial anterior core muscle) and (erector spinae ~ large spine stabilizer).
Beginning at the top of a push-up with your feet in the power wheel straps and hold for 30-60seconds then rest for 30 seconds before repeating 3 times!
Once you can hold the push up advance to the crawl! See if you can move forward and backward with out dropping your head in the dog bowl, elevating your hips, or losing connection through the thoracic spine. Next step the 100 yard challenge!
This Guy did the 100 yard Power Wheel Crawl Challenge in 1 minute and 34 seconds … I am pretty sure I can beat that
I will try to do it in under 1:30!
Once you have your Power Wheel, check out BRAVA Magazine Online, Celebrating Women in Madison, WI and Beyond with their focus on the beautifully strong and talented, Jessica Rucker!
We are Fit for Feats of Strength!
Fitness Is FUN
no more hamster races on the treadmill
Practical fitness incorporates alignment and stabilization, strength and then explosive functional power!
Check out a few fun things we do at the Monkey Bar Gym!
Power Jumping!
Increase Your Jump Height and Distance with the Power Jumper!
The Monkey Bar Gym is known for functional fitness training. If you are not lucky enough to live in Madison, WI – follow the weekly work outs at monkeybargym.com – equip yourself with the portable power jumper! The Power Jumper has foot straps and cushioned pads to protect the back of your legs as shown in the photo above, there is a cable that wraps around the back of your neck and have no fear that is also cushioned! This equipment allows your body to adapt to the resistance from the cable by building strength and agility. No matter your sport or athleticism the power jumper can be a fun incorporation to your activities!
Today we jumped 100 yards and tried to accomplish this in as few jumps as possible! I challenge you to broad jump 100 yards in less than 60 jumps? TRY THIS!!!
Power Jumping at Monkey Bar Gym!
The key is efficiency
~Think distance versus height~
~Use arms for momentum~
~Activate your core strength~
Just one amazing core, leg, and endurance work out for you! Enjoy Jumping
What is Fit for Feats?
Tentative agenda – Fit’s goals are subject to change but here is what I envision thus far
First off – I am a fitness professional – I am fully aware of how bogus that sounds which is why I say it hoping someone will call me out – regardless, I have a wealth of knowledge (again questionable) pertaining to health and fitness specifically physiological responses to exercise, nutrition, stress, and aging. After teaching in a health club, I also am aware of common pitfalls as well as the difference between fitness ‘lifers’ and the seasonally ambitious. I’m hoping that the average person can tune in, get inspired and continue their journey in health – can I stress this is a journey not a destination and as all things in life you must put forth effort to receive benefit. My goal is to provide ways to keep moving – no use living with friction – Newton’s first law of motion – inertia – an object in motion will remain in motion!
I like to try new things – I plan on attending classes around the Madison area to see what challenges I can introduce to my body – for example I plan on trying hula hooping, juggling, tightrope walking (aka funambulism), as well as the norm body power, boot camp, yoga, Pilates. With any luck an avid ‘fit for feats’ reader will join me in these endeavors as there is substantial evidence that says body moving with friends is better than moving alone!
A year ago I could not do a perfect push-up. I made it my goal to strengthen my core, pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps brachii and trapezius in order to be successful. At the last ‘Feats of Strength’ competition I had with my friends I completed 50 push-ups which beat the runner-up by 6 push-ups. I constantly create new goals – one I am working on is to complete a hand-stand push-up. Mostly because I think this would be a sweet trick to do at a park this summer! Currently, however, I cannot stabilize a hand-stand and thus I will track my progress and how I will train for this ‘feat’ here on this blog – stay tuned!
