Workouts

A new study covered in the New York Times concludes that athletes will sustain less injuries by improving their balance. The article sites a study initiated by the Harkness Center that studied dancers and compared their workouts to athletes in sports. The researchers concluded that dancers sustain fewer ACL injuries because they practice movement and balance more precisely during their workouts resulting in better biomechanics and less risk of injury.

Ultimate Body Press wants to help everyone lower their risk of injury by including Speed and Agility exercises in all our workouts. These exercises focus specifically on good biomechanics, posture and balance. Not only are they great for boosting the fat burning potential of all your workouts, Speed and Agility exercises also reduce your risk of injury and improve your overall well being and athletic performance. Give one of our workouts a try for just a few weeks and you will notice the difference. You will look different, move differently and feel great.

If you’re like most people, it can be easy to fall into a training rut, especially if you’ve kept up with it for so long. If you feel like you’ve hit a plateau and want to break free, there are things that you can do to get out. All it takes is just a little time, a little effort, and some help. To get started, first off, identify the type of problem you’ve run into during your strength training. Most plateaus tend to fall under three categories:

Infrequent Training: If you haven’t put yourself on a schedule or aren’t trying to strength train regularly, chances are that you’re not seeing results.

Inconsistent Training: If you’ve been all over the place in your routine, tried just about every system, and haven’t focused in on what exercises you need to do, how many reps you need to perform, and how many sets you need to complete, then you’re probably hitting a plateau for progress.

Static Training: If you’ve been doing the same thing for every single workout , you’re bound to hit a plateau for performance.

To fix these plateau problems, hone in on what really needs to be done. If you’re being irregular, put yourself on a strict schedule and stick to it. Be sure you’re making time to workout properly and to see results. If you’re being inconsistent, work with a trainer to develop a routine that can work for you. You don’t have to try every system to find the one that’s right for you. If you’re in a static routine, try to vary it up by upping your reps, changing what muscle groups you work out on a specific day, or by using varied weights or techniques. Try shaking things up!

At Ultimate Body Press our motto is that the ultimate body is “More Than Fit”. That means not only do we want to help you build a great looking body, we want you to have a body that works great too so you can run farther, play harder and have more fun. We want you to have strength and speed.

A perfect way to combine these two ideals into a simple workout is to take your favorite cardio activity like running and combine it with a quick strength training workout. This is a Quick Pump routine to get the blood flowing before your run. Simply breeze through a couple sets of dips, pull ups, ring pushups and one arm rows on your way out the door for a nice long run. The Quick Pump routine is also a great way to burn off the maximum number of calories from one workout. The strength training spikes your metabolism and a long run at a comfortable pace puts your body into fat burning autopilot.

Which would you rather do? Listen to the same song over and over again or take several songs and mix them up. In the fitness world, taking several exercises and mixing them up, one after the other is called circuit training. It is a very effective way to exercise and it’s more fun because you are constantly changing exercises and movements. While one muscle group works the others rest until they get their turn again. This style workout maximizes rest time between sets which increases your body’s output on each set for a more effective workout.

A very easy and fun way to make you own circuit routine is to think, “Push, Pull, Plyo”. This means one push exercise like push-ups or dips, followed by a pull exercise like pull ups or body-weight rows and finally a plyometric exercise like jumping jacks, squat thrusts or jumping rope. Do as many repetitions as you can until you think you will give out in the next couple repetitions. You don’t even have to keep track of how many you do, just move on to the next exercise and let those muscles take a nice break until the next circuit.

For a basic circuit workout you should go through each phase 2-4 times. That’s “Push, Pull, Plyo“, then repeat 2-4 times and you never have to do the same exercise twice! Even if you repeat one, you always have the option of changing your grip or the angle of resistance to work keep your body guessing. You can do push-ups on the ground or you can raise your feet on a chair to focus on your upper chest and shoulders. Pull-ups can be done with a wide grip or narrow.

If you are a modest fitness enthusiast you probably already have all the equipment you need to build your own custom circuit routine, so dust off all your old gear and get to work. Do you have a pull up bar, a wall, the floor, resistance bands? Get creative. If you don’t have this stuff, don’t worry you don’t need much. Just a few of the basics will go a long way like a pull up bar or some push up stands. If you don’t already have them, it’s a small hurdle because you can get these items for very little cash.

Even if you have no intention of ever running a 100 meter dash, you stand to gain a great deal by trying some of the exercises of world class sprinters. You might think track exercises would be strenuous, but they’re not. Many of the exercises require no running at all. Instead, they focus on refining the way the athlete moves. They are repetitive exercises that emphasize posture, body control and core strength. It’s like finishing school for athletes.

First off let’s be clear that contrary to what you might think, keeping your shoulders back is not the most important part of good posture for sports or any other application. The most important thing you need to understand is that perfect posture actually begins at the base of your spine. There between your hips is the largest of all the bones in your spine. It is actually 4 bones fused together and contrary to what you might think, this bone actually curves forward. It is called the sacrum and by using the muscles surrounding your hips you can adjust its angle to set the pitch and balance of your entire body.

To correctly position this primary posture bone all you need to remember is “Suck and Tuck”. Suck in your stomach and tuck your rear end in underneath your hips. Next are your shoulders. Keep your shoulders back, but also in a low and relaxed position. You don’t want your shoulders up around your ears. You want them to be back and relaxed. Always remember “Back and Relaxed”. It’s kind of like getting ready to have your picture in your bathing suit. You want to look good so you “Suck and Tuck” through your lower abdomen, then shoulders are “Back and Relaxed and there you go, Bob’s your uncle Fanny’s your aunt, you look 10 pounds lighter and 5 years younger. Always remember before and most importantly during track exercises, “Suck and Tuck” and “Back and Relaxed”.

The next thing to understand is that practicing entry level track exercise can even be done inside your house and they give you a dynamic way to develop great posture and core strength. Whether you are an elite athlete or just someone interested in good health, practicing these type of simple speed and agility exercises consistently over time will lead to better results.

Please check back for new posts descibing the beginner track exercises, but for now, give the “Suck and Tuck”, “Back and Relaxed” posture a try next time your go for a run or pose for a picture and let me know how it goes.

While strength training can be a great exercise method for anyone, most people don’t recognize that different types of strength training can affect and benefit the body in different ways. Depending on your unique build and body composition, strength training may have different affects on various muscle groups. The changes will be both in appearance and performance, but just be prepared for varied results.

One of the most dominant forms of strength training is that of body building. Using specific workouts and dieting, this fitness regimen can yield big gains in physique, yet can leave the body without the agility, balance, and coordination shared by those who use an all over approach to strength training, another popular style of exercise. While muscles may not get as large with this method, using total-body, multi-joint exercises can help you build your entire system and gain the other fitness skills you need to be a formidable athlete.

Dips, squats, the snatch, the clean and jerk, and deadlifts are popular strength training exercises that will work your entire body, including your hormonal, nervous, and skeletal systems. Coupled with a healthy lifestyle and a good diet, you can see great improvements in your ability to not only have power behind your exercise, but also skill. Train your body correctly and get the healthy, lean muscle you want. Remember, it’s not about muscle size. It’s about performance.

Walk

Whether you wander around the halls in the air conditioning or get a breath of fresh air, walking is a smart way to get your body moving. The best time for many is during their lunch break; take 30 minutes for food and 30 minutes to walk (or 15/15, however your lunch is split).

Exercise in Place

While at your desk, waiting in line, or even in the car, you can do some exercise. All you have to do is tighten and release your abs and glutes in 3 to 5 second intervals. That’s it. No stretching, no equipment. Just tense your muscles for as long as you can, release, and repeat.

Use TV Time

While watching your favorite show, you have the opportunity to squeeze in a work out. Do simple exercises like leg lifts, crunches,  dips or stretches. Sounds like too much? Work out during every commercial break instead. You’ll be surprised at the difference.

According to a recent report from the Mayo Clinic, researchers are finding that strength training is more important than ever for a stronger, leaner, and healthier body.

“If you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose, you’ll increase the percentage of fat in your body,” says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center. “But strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass — at any age.”

Besides being a great way to regenerate muscle, strength training also encourages strong bones, weight control, reduced risk of injury, stamina, well-being, and even a better night’s sleep. Strength Training is just the push your body needs to become healthier, no matter what your age or gender. Both men and women of all ages can benefit from adding strength training workouts to their fitness plans.

You don’t need to spend hours a day working out to benefit from strength training either. Two to three strength training sessions each week lasting just 20 to 30 minutes are sufficient for most people. For example, using the Dip Machine at home for just 20 minutes each week to start can deliver the results you need to increase your stamina and consequently, improve the quality of your workouts. After a few weeks, bump up your training on the Ultimate Body Press to 30 minutes twice or three times per week and you’ve got a fitness plan that’s sure to be effective.

Improvements in strength and stamina can become noticeable in just a few weeks, while major benefits may take a few months. Either way, with regular strength training, you’ll notice that you’ll be feeling better, looking leaner, and living healthier than ever.

For both recreational and competitive athletes, an Ultimate Body Press workout can provide all the upper body and core strength you need, but at some point you will need an exercise like running to develop cardiovascular endurance and leg strength for sports.  Running can do ALL that for you.  Unfortunately, when many people start running longer distances they experience a loss of sprinting speed.  This is a problem because most sports require a combination of speed and endurance.  Luckily, there is a way to get a great endurance workout without sacrificing speed. 

The reason distance running often comes at the sacrifice of top speed is because the athlete has falsely chosen an entirely different running pattern for longer distances. They have moved from a sprinting pattern into a heel-toe jogging pattern that more closely resembles walking.  This is a common misconception and has much to do with current shoe technology.  If you want proof, just look at the shoes worn by top distance runners.  They are nothing like the running shoes you will find in most stores. 

The shoes are known as “racing flats” and they are remarkably similar to the shoes worn by sprinters.  Just like with track shoes, marathoners’ shoes have no bulky heel pad because good distance runners do not actually land on their heels.  This is a more biomechanically efficient way to run.  Learning this proper running technique that eliminates the heel strike will increase your foot strength and means you will always be reinforcing good sprinting technique no matter what distance you run.

**Racing flats are extremely useful for learning how to run properly because they are more flexible and give you really good feedback.  However, they do not offer much support.  Use them for training then once you’ve learned the new technique you can go back to a shoes with more support.

The Ultimate Body Press dipping bar allows many different exercises, but perhaps the most pivotal ones are chest dips and knee raises. Since these exercises are so integral to your dipping experience, we at UltimateBodyPress.com are here to offer step-by-step instructions to make sure that you know how to do them. So, grab your bar and read on.

First, stand between the bar so that its peaks are at your sides. Next, place one hand on each peak and lift your legs so that they’re parallel to the floor. At this point, you should be hanging in mid-air. Now, lower yourself by bending at the elbows, and once you’ve gone low enough, simply bring yourself back up by pushing down on the bar. Finally, with your knees still bent, swing your legs ninety degrees forward, then draw them back. Repeat this whole process for a truly invigorating workout.

That’s all there is to it. If you need a clearer explanation, you can always watch our video demonstrations for more information and tips on how to make the most of your dips.