The Hangover Workout

Yeah that's what I said, "The Hangover Workout!" Here's the situation; you went out and partied a little bit too hard on Friday night knowing full well that you needed to hit the gym the next morning. Another issue is the fact that you have to be somewhere on Saturday afternoon by noon and you woke up at 10am. How can you get in a total body fat-burning workout and sweat like a pig to burn off some of those empty calories you railed down your gullet last night?

Simple...try the workout I came up with (and did) when I found myself in this exact predicament this past weekend! The entire workout including warm-up and stretching afterwards should only take you 30 minutes and I guarantee the Miller Lite will be flowing from your pores like a midday Florida rain storm. Here we go:

Warm-up - 8 to 10 minutes on elliptical, bike, or treadmill

Series 1 - 3 exercises, no rest between rounds

round 1 - 10 40lb. two-arm dumbell swings, 10 push-ups, 100 jump rope revolutions

round 2 - 9 40lb. two-arm dumbell swings, 9 push-ups, 90 jump rope revolutions

rounds 3 to 10 - work all the way down to 1 rep and 10 revolutions without rest

2 minute rest

Series 2 - squat, curl, and press

perform the 30lb. dumbell squat, curl, and press just as you did the previous series. Start with 10 reps, rest 15-30 seconds, do 9, rest 15 - 30 seconds, do 8, etc. etc. all the way to 1 rep.

2 minute rest

Series 3 - 2 exercises, no rest

alternate between kneeling cable crunch and dumbell shrugs

perform 4 sets of 15 repetitions of each move without rest

Stretch then enjoy your Saturday knowing that you burned some solid calories and feel better for doing so! You only get 1!

My "9 Rounds to the Ground" Challenge

Are your visits to the gym becoming stale, boring, and feeling more like a chore than something you enjoy? Did you ever try stepping outside those walls and giving yourself a good old fashioned and likely deserved butt-kicking? Try this challenge workout that I dreamt up and you'll be sure to get a great total body workout and burn fat like no other!

Here is what you'll need: a watch, a set of moderate weight dumbells (fit dudes 25 - 30 lbs., fit chicks 15 - 20 lbs.), a kick-ass playlist on your iPod, and some water.

Someday I'll actually post a video of some of my workouts, but for now enjoy my somewhat awful descriptive writing. Here is the challenge: "9 Rounds to the Ground"

Warm-up

5 minutes of dynamic movements (walking, jogging, heel kicks, hi-knees, jumping jacks, lateral shuffles, etc.) to break a light sweat and elevate your heart rate.

Start your timer and see how long it takes you to complete the entire 9 rounds. Rest as needed, but keep the clock running!

Round 1

20 Steam-engines each side (think standing bicycle crunch)

16 up-down planks (alternate from hands to elbows while holding plank position - 8 each)

10 burpees

20 crunches

* perform all four exercises in order repeating the series three times

Round 2

20 push-ups
20 speed squats (no weight)

20 bent over dumbell rows

20 alternating forward lunge (10 each leg, no weight)

* perform all four exercises in order repeating the series three times

Round 3

20 single arm dumbell clean and press (10 each arm)

20 crunches

20 push-ups

16 alternating jumping lunges (8 each side)

* perform all four exercises in order repeating the series three times - stop timer!

Round 4 - fall to the ground and curse me

Don't forget to stretch thoroughly afterwards and come back here to post your time.

HAVE FUN!

A Dozen Things I'm Currently Excited About

There are a few things currently keeping me going, motivating me, or downright rocking my little world and I want to share them with you. From food and drinks to clothing to websites to music to workouts...these things are just flat out STELLAR!

1. NO-XPLODE Pre-Workout Formula by BSN - This stuff has been around for a while but I was always the guy who just drank coffee or a sugar-free Red Bull before my workouts. I now know what all the hoopla has been about. The mind-blowing pumps, mental focus, and sustained energy I get from it has increased the effectiveness and efficiency of my workouts more than straight caffeine will ever do! Get it here: http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_bs026.htm

2. These 3 songs: Usher - OMG, Eminem - I'm Not Afraid, and Big Boi - Shutterbug. I'm sure these three songs will all be over-played and ruined in a few weeks, but for now they just do it for me.

3. Clif Peanut Butter Builder's Bars - Awesome healthy snack! 270 calories, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and it's all-natural.

4. High Intensity Interval Training - If you have not already incorporated this into your workout program, forgive me for saying this, but your training routine SUCKS! Nothing will tax your cardiovascular system and get you in fat-burning mode better and more efficiently than interval training. Google it, learn how to do it properly, and get going! Thank me later when you're constantly popping your shirt off this summer to show off your shredded abs.

5. Along the same lines... Challenge Workouts - these high-intensity workouts will beat a grown man to his knees. My favorites include: The 300 workout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggiYjRelWgc , Ultimate Warrior Challenge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZQqFZ-NEGw , and The Spartacus Workout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkDrKytCpqU
Try them out and each time you perform them, try to do it better, faster, or heavier than last time. These types of workouts should only be done about once every two weeks as a supplement to your regular training.

6. Solid Colored Tees - If you are over the age of 28, not a professional MMA fighter and are still wearing bedazzled, artistic t-shirts (think Ed Hardy and Affliction) you should be filed in either the "douchebag" or the "you're not in college anymore, get over it" category.

7. Diet Green Tea Ginger Ale and Vodka with two limes - IT'S GOOOD!! Thanks Chris!

8. Along the same lines... Drinking Bud Light Lime at the beach - they just flat out go together like PB and J! Don't get me wrong, I am and will always be a Miller Lite guy, but at the beach for some reason, it's the BLL!

9. These two websites: http://www.tmuscle.com/ and http://www.thenategreenexperience.com/

10. Kashi Go Lean Crunch and Kashi Honey Toasted Oats Cereal in a freezer bowl - mix these two cereals in a freezer bowl (rinse a cereal bowl out with cold water and place it in the freezer overnight) with blueberries or bananas. You'll be hooked and you can thank me (or my buddy Jay) later for telling you about the frozen bowl trick! Your cereal and milk will stay ice cold and crispy the whole time you eat it.

11. EVOS Restaraunt - "Feel Great Fast Food" is their slogan and let me tell you, this stuff is great! I realize that the air-baked fries and chicken strips are not actually "healthy" as they advertise, but the "Tea Heaven" section featuring three different types of unsweetened iced teas, the turkey avocado wrap, and grilled steak wrap along with their low-fat vegetarian chili are spectacular! check em' out here: http://www.evos.com/

12. TRX Suspension Training - this may be a shameless plug, but I've been teaching a Group TRX Class at Harbour Island Athletic Club in Tampa for a few weeks now and I have grown to love this versatile piece of equipment. I have been using the TRX with my 1 on 1 clients for about two years now but this is my first dalliance with it in a group setting. Class is going great and the participants love it! I will be adding to my aresenal as a TRX Instructor by taking some group classes at Powerhouse Gym in Downtown Tampa and I am excited for the challenge. learn more about TRX here: http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/

What are you currently excited about? Maybe 1 of your "things" can become 1 of my "things." I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my "box."

You Only Get 1

TRX Group Class

Beginning on Monday, April 19th and continuing each Monday at 6am I will begin teaching a group TRX class at Harbour Island Athletic Club. I just had a brief TRX refresher session with a TRX guru and I forgot how versatile, amazing, and challenging this piece of equipment is!

The TRX is a revolutionary breakthrough in the fitness industry and suspension training is a great way to challenge not only your core but your entire body. Check out the details at http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/

I am excited to add this new teaching skill to my personal training arsenal and I look forward to teaching this fun and challenging class! Come join me!

Tampa Gym Home #2

Since starting as a new Personal Trainer at the Harbour Island Athletic Club on February 15th, 2010 I am finding out more and more why I love Tampa and what it has to offer. Although I am finding it more difficult to build a client base here than I did in the Washington, DC area a few years back, I think the future could be much more promising!

I have met some brilliant trainers already and have been picking their brains about the best way to get "busy" as my strong points are not in the "sales" department, but more in my ability to design PT programs and build strong relationships with my clients.

Beginning April 1st and running for 6 weeks every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30am to 7:30am I will be offering an outdoor "Flip-Flop Camp." What is Flip-Flop Camp? It is simply a toned-down version of the more intense Boot Camps that are out there. Generally the clientele will consist of the following: beginner exercisers, overweight population, over 40 population, and those looking to learn the basics of strength and circuit training in a FUN atmosphere using minimal equipment.

Come join us and have FUN getting into better shape and enjoying the company of others trying to do the same thing!