Fitness Routine on Fox4 KC news

Check out our Fitness segment on Fox4 KC:

http://fox4kc.com/2013/01/27/kempo-fitness-jan-27/

Go ahead, jump on in!  (Then pass this on to your friends and family)

Whole Body - Downward Elbow with Squat (with New Year's resolution tip)

It’s week four of 2013 and you are well on your way to making your New Year’s resolution a new habit.  But, to fully develop a new habit takes time and perseverance.  An article from the European Journal of Social Psychology showed that the more complex the habit you are trying to form (work out for 30 minutes every day versus just getting yourself to eat breakfast in the morning), the longer it will take to do the activity more automatically.  For more information on this, check out http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/how-long-to-form-a-habit.php. 

To me however, the four week mark marks the point where you should start to notice the rewards of your new “habit”.  If you are working out, you should start to notice it being easier to walk up stairs, do more push-ups, a little bit of toning (or thinning), etc.  If you are eating breakfast now, maybe you are noticing more energy or decreased cravings throughout the day.  Whatever your New Year’s goal and game plan, look for how it has already helped you and your life.

The point here is to celebrate your successes; this will give you the self-encouragement to keep you moving forward in the right direction.

Let’s get started on our exercise of the week. 

Downward Elbow with Squat

Begin with feet past shoulder width apart and your hands pulled up by your armpits.  Pull your belly in toward your spine, open your chest and relax your shoulders.  Keeping your arm bent, circle your arm behind you, then up and around until your elbow is pointing forward.  If you do a full, big rotation you will work your chest, back, shoulder, and all of your arm muscles.  Now comes the leg part.  At the same time as you drop your elbow down, drop into a low squat position, pressing your knees out to engage your inner thigh muscles.  Make sure your knees stay over your ankles (not past or buckling in).  Press out of your squat (keeping your belly in and chest up) and repeat on the other arm.

Going for strength building?  Add hand weights and hold your squat for 5-10 seconds before exploding up to repeat on the other side.  Do 3 rounds of 30.

Going for cardio?  Do as many of these as you can in 3 1-2 minute rounds.

Whole Body - Leg Lift Plank

We are now in the third week of 2013 and this is when the excitement and ‘gung-go’ attitude may start to wane.  This is when encouragement and support from family, friends, and ideally, your trainer or instructor is the most important.  For more tips on achieving your New Year’s resolutions, check out my article in Living Wellness KC at www.livingwellnesskc.com.

This week we are going to work your whole body and challenge your balance with the Leg Lift Plank.  To challenge your stabilizing muscles even more, balance your hands on a weighted ball.  We did this is our class last night and everyone was amazed at how much balancing on that little ball really adds to the difficulty (and fun) factor.

Leg Lift Plank

Get into a push-up/plank position.  Make sure your hands are under your shoulders and your bootie is either in line with your body or slightly lifted (do not let your bootie sag down as this will hurt your lower back!). 

Here is the ‘walk-through’ I say during class: "Hands are star-fished, pulling up out of the ground…elbows are belt slightly, chest is open, head is up.  Belly is pulling in toward your spine, glutes are tucked under, thighs are strong, extending through the heels….now breathe…"

Hold for one round of walking through the body (takes us about 30 seconds for 1 ‘walk-through’ of the above).  Then, while keeping your shoulders and hips flat, lift up one leg behind you.  Pull your belly in and flex the foot so that you are using you core, glutes and hamstrings to support the position.  Do one more round of the ‘walk-through’ above, then rest for about 30 seconds (or go to another exercise).  Repeat on the other leg.  Want to be an over-achiever?  Do both sides at least 1 more time.

P.S.  I am sorry my last two blogs have been without pictures..apparently my hosting site is having some technical difficulties; hopefully, I will be able to get pictures up soon.

Whole Body Workout - Cross Punches - High/Low

We have now started the second week of 2013 and hopefully you are all already on your paths to an excellent year.  I know that in our household, even though we have a game plan already set up, there seems to be a resounding feeling that it is still going to take this week to fully relax and get immersed in our new routine.  But in order to reach that point (and the rewards of sticking with the game plan), we all just have to keep taking one step after another to build up the momentum that will take us where we want to go. 

This week we are focusing on another whole body exercise; don’t worry, no jumping required.  In fact, this week’s exercise is quite easy to do and you can set the intensity level simply by adjusting the speed and height of the moves.  To get your heart rate up more, simply speed up the punches and make sure you are extending the moves fully.  To get your legs into the equation more, work the lower half of your squat.  Add this in to your cardio and strength building exercises and enjoy the full body toning this move will give you.

Cross Punches – High/Low

Start with your feet past shoulder width apart.  Pull your belly in toward your spine, open your chest, and relax your shoulders.  As always, maintain this upper-body position throughout the exercise.  Begin punching to the 45 degree angle across your body; start at head level.  Make sure you are twisting from your core, not your legs, so that you work your side oblique muscles.  Extend the arm until you are just shy of locking out the elbow, then pull your hand all the way back to touch your sides (in Kempo we call this “elbow position”).  Feel as though you are pushing your arm out, and then pulling it back in.  Punch with both the left and the right, then lower your stance and repeat at waist level. 

After you punch at waist level, you are going to lower down as low as you can go and repeat your punches one more time.  Remember to only go as low as you can go while keeping your chest up and your shoulders over your hips!  If you go low, but you do it by leaning your chest forward, you will be straining your lower back rather than working your core and legs.  In addition, be aware of your knee positioning: keep your knees over your feet (you should be able to see your toes) so that you are supporting your position with your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes (not your knee joints).

That’s it!  Continue working high-mid-low-mid-high…for 1-2 minutes.  Repeat 2-3 more times.

Happy New Year! - Jump Like a Punching Frog

Congratulations!  You have now made it through all the holiday parties, desserts, extra get-togethers with friends and family, and the added stress that typically comes with the jam-packed schedule.  Now it’s time for a whole new year.  And here’s the best part: you can create the year that you want, and now is the time to begin the steps to make it a reality.  This is important: don’t wait to figure out what you what to achieve in 2013!  You need to figure out what you want, and make a game plan, now. 

Every holiday season we drive up to visit my family in Omaha.  And, every year, my husband and I spend the hours in the car talking about the past year, what was good, what we wanted to be different.  Then we talk about the next year and all we want to accomplish in every area of our life; family, business, health, personal.  Next, we begin to set up our game plan and time line.  This way, by the time the new year hits, we have already made adjustments to our path and we are hitting the road running.  So again, if you haven’t done this yet, don’t wait!  Take some time with yourself and your significant other to figure out where you want to be one year from now; then it’s time to take action!

One of the major aspects of our lives we should always be working on is our health and fitness; this will help to make sure we have many more active and enjoyable years ahead of us.  And what better place to get started then right here!  For our fitness move of the week we are going to do one of the most challenging, and fun, exercises we do in my cardio kickboxing classes; the frog leap with double hook punches.

Jump Like a Punching Frog

First Goal: Get your feet off the ground (even if it’s just an inch to start)
Advanced Goal: Pull your knees up to your chest

Begin with your feet past shoulder-width apart.  Keep your belly pulled in toward your spine, chest up, and shoulders down; maintain this position throughout the exercise.  Now, drop into a squat position, aiming for your thighs being parallel to the ground. Do a double hook punch at belly level, focusing on using your back, core, and chest to pull your arms in with the most force.  And here comes the exciting part:  press your feet into the ground, pull your belly in, and spring into the air (like a frog).  While in the air, do another double hook punch at belly level.  Repeat for 3 rounds of 10-15 jumps.  Remember to have some fun with it…you get to jump like a punching frog!

If you want to jump start your fitness program, refer to the “Hail Mary” Get Toned - Do this EVERY day until pic for the next week from the 12/17/12 post.

Happy New Year!

 

Rock Your Whole Body - Tricep Curls with Squat

 The air is (finally) getting cooler outside and we are revving up for the holidays; but are you still taking care of your body?  Do you want to get in some last minute toning before those infamous holiday pics?  Well, then this week’s exercise is for you!  This week we are targeting our entire body (woohoo!).  This exercise will tone your legs, glutes, core, shoulders, and arms, in one fell swoop.  I, of course, would encourage you to add this in to your regular weekly workout routines; but, if you are looking for that last “hail mary” pass at toning up for those upcoming parties and pictures, then follow the bonus program below.

Tricep Curl with Squat

NOTE: You will want to use weights of some sort for this exercise

Begin with your feet past shoulder width apart and bring your weights behind your head.  Pull your belly in toward your spine and lift your chest up.  Throughout the exercise maintain this position.  In addition, make sure to keep your shoulders down and relaxed so that you don’t just use your trapezoid muscles (think upper back and into the neck region) and end up sore and tight in the wrong places. 

Now, you are going to do a simultaneous squat with your legs and a tricep curl with your arms.  Let’s break each down.  As you squat, press your knees out to activate the inner thighs.  Make sure to only go as low as you can without letting your chest fall forward (this will strain your lower back).  For your tricep curl, keep your elbows pointing forward.  And of course, belly in, chest up.

That’s it!  To work strength training, go low and slow.  To work for endurance, go fast enough to get your breathing heavy.  Do 2-4 sets of 1-3 minute rounds.

 
“Hail Mary” Get Toned - Do this EVERY day until pic for the next week
ü  3 minutes jogging (in place or while moving) – alternate regular jog with high knees and kicking you bootie
ü  1-2 minutes Jumping Jacks (add in the JJacks Cross – 11/20/12)
ü  25 squats
ü  25 push ups (10/9/12)
ü  25 mountain climbers (6/1/12)
ü  100 punches (get those arms moving fast!)
ü  1 mintue Tricep Curl with Squat (today)
ü  25 Venus Fly Trap (10/15/12)
ü  1 minute Skater Move (9/18/12)
ü  1 mintue Speed Bag (9/11/12)

 *Repeat entire set 1 more time.  Then, cool down with 1 minute jogging in place, followed by 2 minutes of walking. 

 Go get ‘em!

Ab Roller

The holidays are in full swing and our schedules are getting filled to the brim.  However, this is all the more reason to take some time out for yourself to relieve stress and do something for you (and your body).  Besides, don’t we all want to look fabulous in our holiday and New Year photos?  Keep up your exercise program and you will not only look toned but you will be radiant as well.

This week we are focusing on our core.  In my cardio kickboxing classes this exercise typically comes at the end of the workout and it is a bit infamous.  My students hate it because it’s so surprising hard and yet they love the strengthening and toning they get from it.  Read on, so that you too can conquer the ‘Ab Roller’!

Ab Roller

Note: You will need a weighted ball for this exercise.

Begin with your hands on the ball and your knees spread slightly apart.  This next step is key to get the most out of this exercise: bring your booty down to make one line between your shoulders and your knee; this will make sure that you use your core muscles throughout the exercise rather than just using your booty weight.  Keep your belly pulled in toward your spine, chest open, shoulders relaxed, and head up.

From this position, slowly roll the ball out in front of you (keeping your booty down).  Reach the ball out in front of you as far as you can while still staying off the ground.  Hold for 2 seconds.  Now, inhale, reach, then exhale, flexing your legs and core to inch the ball back in toward you.  If you are doing this correctly, it should take at least 5-10 “reps” of the flexing/inching the ball in to get the ball back to the starting point.  Remember, try to keep your booty down as much as possible!  It will be hard, but well worth it.  Try to do at least 10 repetitions, 2 -3 times.

Note: For the full benefits of exercise you need both cardiovascular and strength training; this exercise qualifies as strength training so make sure to add in some cardio to get your heart rate up.