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FitYaf's 2014 Fitness Goals

1/6/2014

Happy New Year everyone! I took a break from blogging over the holidays, but I'm back and ready for a great year! I wasn't really planning on setting any goals for the year (I tend to think more in the shorter term when it comes to goals), but last week I attended a New Year's run at Philadelphia Runner (which wound up being a 5k in the snow), and as part of the after party, we declared our 2014 running goals. I had some running goals that I've been thinking about for a while now, so I decided to declare them loud and proud (and throw in some extras for good measure). After all - sharing goals with the world is one of the best ways hold yourself accountable, right? I bring to you both my running AND fitness goals for 2014!

1. Run a 5k in under 25 minutes

I'll be doing a modified version of this workout 2-3 times/week: How far can you run in 30 minutes? (doing the workout three times before going to the next level). I'll also throw in some speed workouts for good measure. This goal is a little bit of a "cheat" goal, since I'm already pretty close!

2. Run a half marathon in under 1 hour and 50 minutes

I'm hoping that my weekday training (goal #1), will help me meet this goal. I haven't had many long runs since the Philly Half Marathon, but starting this week, I'm going to change that. I'm signed up for the Philly LOVE Run on March 30, so this will be my first chance to tackle this goal. It'll be 3:25 off my last half marathon, so it's a little bit of a stretch for me, but dream big, right?

3. Run 1000 miles in a year

I came up with this goal, on the fly - after saying it out loud, it sounded crazy, but after doing the math, I realized it's really not THAT daunting of a goal (on average less than 3 miles/day). With my commute to work, I do walk quite a bit, so I am also going to keep track of my walking, in case I need to steal any of these miles to hit my total!

4. Do 5 pullups in a row

Last year, I was able to complete my first unassisted pullup EVER! It felt amazing, but I haven't really focused on my pull ups since. Every once in a while, I'll check in with the pullup bar to make sure I still can do a pullup (I can), but I want to work more on this so that I can do 5 in a row!

5. Consistently use 10kg total for the biceps track in Bodypump

Every time I run a challenge group, I make it a goal to do a bodypump bicep track with 5kg weights on each side. Each time I meet this goal, my arms feel like they might fall off, and I drop my weight when the challenge is over. I'd really like to strengthen my biceps to the point where this weight selection in the "norm" for me. It's going to involve some strength training outside of Bodypump, so I'll start with my favorite P90x workout - shoulders, biceps and triceps.

What are your health and fitness goals for 2014?

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Everything you need to know about P90x 3

12/10/2013

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All good things come in threes, but be warned: P90X3 is far from a trilogy. No, P90X3 is NOT the kid sister workout. It’s the workout that took notes from it’s siblings, then condensed, and accelerated to become the most dynamic and fastest workout yet.

The ultimate excuse buster
Time is the biggest excuse. P90X3 solves that. Every workout is 30 minutes and the clock starts the minute you push play. Before you can say “drop and give me 10,” it’s over and you are one workout closer to the six-pack of your dreams.

Everything you need to know about P90x 3

Muscle acceleration explained
Many P90X fans were hooked on the science of muscle confusion – which introduced variety to the workouts and prevented plateauing. P90X3 takes a hint from that success and from studies showing the most dramatic body transformations happen within the first 30 minutes of exercise. Enter muscle acceleration, a Tony Horton-approved highly-structured schedule with an incredibly high level of intensity and an unprecedented variety of moves. The gurus behind P90X3 combined exercises and added some twists to maximize your time and keep every muscle challenged for a full 30 minutes.

Say goodbye to boredom
Along with the constant entertainment, P90X3 has the most workouts of any Beachbody program. With 16 workouts in the base kit, they switch it up before you have a chance to consider boredom. From cardio to strength to pilates to MMX, there is something for everyone.

The ideal P90X3-er
It may seem lofty to proclaim, but P90X3 is indeed a workout for everyone. Everyone searching for tighter abs and leaner muscles, that is. But fitness novices and experts need not be afraid by P90X3’s come-one-come-all invitation. You don’t have to have any previous P90X experience in order to get killer results. For the beginner, the variety of workouts in P90X3 is the perfect place to discover their fitness style. If the move can be modified there is a cast member showing you how. But don’t expect to be an expert on day one. (Yes, fitness veterans will still be challenged.)

It doesn’t stop there
And of course there are some bells and whistles too good to ignore. First off, the FitYaf exclusive: If P90X3 is purchased any time from December 10th – 31st (including Challenge Packs), you will receive an exclusive P90X3 baseball cap.

And last but not least, we have the app: Yes, now for the first time the P90X app is available on Android and iOS. The app includes P90X guided workouts, tools to track your reps, weights and progress. Launching soon, is the P90X3 addition – which brings you workout specific tracking modules, scheduling options and the motivation you need to power through the 90 days. P90X3 scheduling and tracking will be available on the app for Android on 12/10 and is coming soon for iPhone. Check out the app and get ready to bring it!

The P90X3 Facts:

All workouts are 30 minutes long
The warm-up is 2 minutes and then constant work for the remaining 28 minutes
There is a separate warm-up disk called Cold Start if you need a longer warm-up due to environment, time of day, etc
P90X3 is a separate program from P90X and P90X2, not a harder version
Anyone can start on P90X3, even beginners
The nutrition plan goes back to SIMPLE nutrition basics of Power 90 and healthy eating
There are 16 workouts in the P90X3 base System including a new Pilates based workout.
If you've done P90X or P90X2, you'll see similar moves and all new stuff too
P90X3 will also include an all new Isometrics workout, a new Strength/Balance/Flexibility workout with Static Holds and CVX: Cardiovascular Extreme - a Cardio workout with weights

Additional workouts include MMX, a Mixed Martial Arts Extreme that expands the Kenpo workout, Agility X- an all new agility programming, and yes, Yoga is still part of the program, but it's only 30 mins!!!
There are 4 schedules in P90X3 - classic, lean, doubles, and bulk
39 out of 40 people in the Test group lost 10% of their body fat!!!!! (Whoa! How awesome is that?!)
Equipment needed will include weights or bands (a pull-up bars is great like in P90X, but optional)
Every move in X3 has a beginner/modified, in between move, and challenging/hard
This program is based on science that suggests the first 30 minutes is the most effective part of any exercise routine, so we accelerate the workouts to create the most effective 30 minute routine
Most of the Abs moves are athletic in nature - some are standing up and many are front facing instead of being on your back

P90X3 Base Kit

Click to order Base Kit - $119.85 + S&H

FREE SHIPPING FOR A LIMITED TIME!

16 unique and brand new workouts on 8 DVDs
Plus, 5 Free Gifts
Fitness Guide
Nutrition Guide
90 Day Workout Calendar

How to Accelerate Intro DVD
24/7 Online Support
Network Exclusive P90X One on One: On One Leg DVD
Network Exclusive Premium P90X3 Hat ($24.95 value) - December Only!

P90X3 Challenge Pack

Click to order Challenge Pack - $180 (free shipping)

DISCOUNT EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY!! - Discount REACTIVATED for May 2014

Price will go up to $205 in February 2014

P90X3 Base Kit
30-Day Supply of Shakeology HD
30-Day VIP Team Beachbody Club Membership

P90X3 Deluxe Kit

Click to order Deluxe Kit - $239.70 + S&H

FREE SHIPPING FOR A LIMITED TIME!

Includes everything in the Base Kit PLUS:

3 Elite Extreme workouts on 1 DVD
Includes free Elite Block Calendar
1-Month E&E Tub
3 B-Lines Resistance Bands

P90X3 Ultimate Kit

Click to order the Ultimate Kit - $329.55 + S&H

FREE SHIPPING FOR A LIMITED TIME!

Includes everything in the Base & Deluxe Kits PLUS:

1-Month R&R Tub
Gym-Quality P90X® Chin-Up Bar
P90X® Chin-Up Max
Premium Beachbody Jump Mat

What are you looking forward to most about P90X3?

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Life Fitness Synrgy360 Training @ Pottruck - training in all planes & asymmetric loading

8/15/2013

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A few weeks ago, a shiny, new Life Fitness Synrgy360 was set up on the 4th floor of Pottruck, where I teach group fitness classes. This thing is a playground for adults! When I saw it, my first thought was - can I get one for my basement?! After looking up the price, I realized I'm going to be just fine using the one at the gym. I was beyond ecstatic when I heard that Penn Rec was offering a training on this piece of equipment, followed up by small group training sessions and group fitness classes.

Life Fitness Synrgy360 Training @ Pottruck

Well, the training was this past Monday, and the Synrgy360 is my new best friend! It was a quick training (2 hours) led by a representative from Life Fitness, so I'm definitely not ready to lead a class tomorrow, but she provided the resources we need to get started! Not only does the Synrgy have your typical cable pulls, pull up bar and medicine balls, but it also has a TRX suspension trainer, a TRX Rip trainer, a full set of kettlebells, monkey bars, rock climbing grips, battle ropes - this list just doesn't stop!

The biggest take-home message for me was to vary your exercises to work all "planes of motion" when training for functional movement, posture and muscle balance. The Life Fitness trainer pointed out that most people tend to stay in the sagittal plane while exercising (up/down movements) - squats, pushups, bicep curls, etc. The Synrgy360 is a great tool to do exercises in those other planes as well!

mikeirr.com

Two transverse movements in one exercise on the Synrgy360

Another great take-home message was the importance of asymmetrical training, which takes the emphasis off of bilateral training (working both sides of the body together). If you're doing weighted squats with a barbell on your back, both legs are working together to push the weight back up to standing. As a result, a dominant side of the body can (and will) do more than its share of the work. Moving from a barbell to a dumbbell shifts the focus so that each muscle has to work on its own, resulting in unilateral training. When you asymmetrically load the body, your weight is now off-balance, and you'll have to engage your muscles (typically your core muscles) to correct for that.

Asymmetric Training on the Synrgy360

Rip Drive Squat

Lateral Shuffle with 180 Degree Rotation

Palloff Press

Rip Overhead Axe Chop

But, that was just the beginning of the amazingness that is the Synrgy360. There is so much you can do on this piece of equipment, I'm sure we only skimmed the surface in these two hours.

Have you ever used a Synrgy360? What's your favorite exercise to do on it?