Speedsac Cross Training
While participating in high school sports, I was introduced to Speedsac Cross Training with coach and trainer Monte Nash. Nash is the CEO of this program and product. If you would like to read more about him and his product you can check out his website at http://speedsacxt.com/nash/. While participating in his conditioning programs I was challenged and pushed to achieve my goals as an athlete. Many of the athletes he has coached have been recognized for outstanding athletic ability. His workouts are fun, unique, and are adjusted to your physical abilities. They involve using your own body weight, weighted sandbags, sleds, weighted jump ropes, medicine balls, and a variety of other equipment. Now that I have graduated and moved away from home I don't get to go to his workouts as often, but when I know I will be home on a Saturday morning I always call up Nash and ask if I can come out for a workout that is going to kick my butt. He is super inviting, and I have such a great time going. Last Saturday's workout included squats, scissor jumps, weighted jump roping, push-ups, weighted sprints and so much more. If you live in the Orcutt or Santa Maria area I would highly recommend trying out a Speedsac cross training session.
If you don't live in the area for Speedsac Cross training, try keeping an eye open for groups that meet and exercise at parks or outdoor community centers. Group exercising is a great way to meet new people that live in your community who are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Meeting with a group that supports and motivates your fitness goals will help keep you on track and get you excited about exercising.
Challenge: This week try finding a group that meets outside and exercises on a regular basis. Get to know some new people in your community that are as excited about health as you are!
Challenge: This week try finding a group that meets outside and exercises on a regular basis. Get to know some new people in your community that are as excited about health as you are!
"Speedsac Cross Training is In Motion Functional Athletic Strength Training. Moving your body through space with resistance. Bone density is strengthened through bodyweight-bearing activity! Sprinting with resistance raises your anaerobic threshold so you are able to go harder, for longer periods of time. This also enhances your respiratory and circulatory systems. The art of sprinting challenges your body to take advantage of your body's full range of motion. As you maximise exertion to move forward, all your body's muscles are involved." -Monte Nash, CEO of Speedsac. |
All pictures are courtesy of Speedsac Facebook page and Monte Nash. Thank you!
Hiking
When it comes to staying active, I don't think there is an easier or more enjoyable way to get out there than hiking. I absolutely love hiking because it allows you to take in the outdoors, get some fresh air, explore new terrain, and it can be a great workout. The possibilities of what hiking has to offer are endless. If you are in the mood to just have a leisurely walk you can take a walk on a trail that is a little flatter or shorter. Or if you are in the mood to really challenge yourself try running up a mountain. You can adjust the level of intensity based off of what you feel is best. The great thing about hiking is that it usually offers an uneven ground, and the ability to go up/downhill. This is good because it allows you to utilize your stabilizer muscles and your core more than you would normally, if you were to just go on a walk. It is also a great way to relieve stress and get your daily dose of vitamin D.
"Hiking is also good for muscle strength. The activity targets your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower leg muscles. It works your shoulders, strengthens your core, and improves balance. And hiking can help you control your weight." -Kara Mayer Robinson (WebMD)
Plus, when you go hiking you never know what fun things you are going to find. The last hike I went on I wasn't entirely sure where the trailhead started so I just parked and started walking along a trail that I thought looked right. Along the trail I came across a lot of horses and baby horses that were really cool to see up close. I stuck with the trail that looked to be the main one and eventually I made it to the top of the mountain where I could see almost all of San Luis Obispo and out to the ocean. The mountain I hiked up was called Cerro San Luis Obispo and was apart of the nine sisters chain of mountains. I had a great time hiking it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun afternoon hike. It wasn't too intense but there are definitely some areas where it gets pretty steep.
Helpful Hiking Tips:
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Hiking Challenge:
If you are looking to try something new, try hiking a new mountain. Challenge yourself by keeping a moderate pace, especially on all incline portions. If you are in better shape and there are lots of flat parts, try running on the flat parts and walking on the uphill. Be sure to follow safety tips at all times! "Kid, you'll move mountains! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting…so get on your way!" -Dr. Seuss Here is a great website I found with lots of hiking trails in San Diego.
http://sandiegohikers.com/Hiking-Trails/
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Sunday Run-day
What better way to relieve the stress of the week than with a run? After a week of work, school, and other responsibilities it is nice to just run and take in the beauty nature has to offer. Now I know you're thinking running can be the most awful thing and it doesn't sound like a fun way to stay active, but just hear me out. I use to absolutely hate running. I felt like any time I ran outside I was going too slow and it felt like I was dying the entire time. However, I knew I needed to just work at it and push myself because there are so many benefits to running. Just to name a few of the benefits, it reduces the risk of cardio vascular disease, it can relieve stress and reduce depression, and it can help you lose weight. Personally, running always puts me in such a good mood and makes the rest of my day a thousand times better, and surprisingly it gives me so much more energy throughout the day. I try and run at least every other day, which is usually on a treadmill at the gym, but when I have time to go places I like to run outside. This week I was introduced to a great running loop at Lake Miramar in San Diego. I went with a friend/teammate of mine and we had a great time catching up and enjoying the new scenery. The loop is about 5 miles so we got some good mileage in as well.
If you are new to running, try running for 5 minutes and walking for 5 minutes, and as you get stronger you can increase the running time and decrease the amount of time spent walking. Or, if you have joint or knee problems and running is too hard try going on a brisk walk. Modify your exercise to what works best for you and what you enjoy. Staying active should be enjoyable so play around with different ways to be active!
Challenge: Here's a challenge for you this week, try finding a new place outside to run, jog, or walk in an area where you live. The goal here is to get that heart rate up and to enjoy some new scenery! Bonus points if you bring a friend.
Challenge: Here's a challenge for you this week, try finding a new place outside to run, jog, or walk in an area where you live. The goal here is to get that heart rate up and to enjoy some new scenery! Bonus points if you bring a friend.
Water Sports
Spring break is here and that means summer is just around the corner! With the weather getting warmer (even though there is hardly ever a cold day in San Diego) and the collegiate club water polo regional championships coming up, water sports have been on my mind quite a bit lately. So today I went to the pool and swam laps and conditioned my legs with kick sets and eggbeater. (For those of you not familiar with the sport water polo, the eggbeater kick is a kick used to help tread water and stay elevated). Water activities are tons fun and can give you a great workout. If you have never tried water skiing or wake boarding and you get the opportunity to, take it! You wouldn't think that being dragged behind a boat would require so much energy but brace yourself because it does. Water skiing utilizes your upper body strength because you have to hold on for dear life as you are being pulled behind a speeding boat. It uses lots of leg strength (I tend to stay in a squat position when I ski because I feel more balanced),core strength, and stabilizer muscles. If you don't have access to a boat, another great water activity (that's not just swimming laps) is stand up paddle boarding. Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. It is super relaxing and a neat way to explore ocean creatures. It can be a pretty good workout, as well. A fun thing to do is create an obstacle corse with landmarks or buoys, and race through the obstacles. If you really want to challenge yourself, at each landmark do squats, pushups, and burpees. By the end of the obstacle corse, if you haven't fallen in yet you might just want to jump in with the sweat you will work up. With the correct technique, paddle boarding utilizes lots of abdominal muscles. It also gives those shoulders a nice little fatigue. Along with getting a good amount of physical activity in water sports, you get to soak up the sun and get your intake of vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption. Be careful, though, and be sure to use adequate amounts of sunscreen. Below are some old pictures of myself enjoying the variety of water sports I just shared with you. |
Swim Set
Today's swim set at the pool consisted of:
If you aren't familiar with eggbeater kick here is a short little video on how to eggbeater. |
*Please take into consideration that I am not a certified personal trainer, and if you are going to try these water sports for the first time you should learn from an experienced individual. Water skiing and wake boarding can be very dangerous so it is important to follow safety measures.