Perhaps you have seen the latest Nike commercials, for their Nike Pro clothing. These are a good example of how to survive the cold, and how to train in the cold. The most important skill in training for the cold is planning and preparation. One of the major concerns for training in the cold happens to be clothing, which will make or break your workout. As the Nike commercial (somewhat accurately) depicts, if the weather is approaching freezing, you need to be properly dressed to succeed. Working out in cotton clothing is a big mistake. Even if it’s sweat pants. The cotton will not breathe well as your sweat rate increases. The wet clothing will then become colder, especially with wind-chill. This will drop your body temp, freeze the bursa fluid in your knees, and cause pain and discomfort. Enough pain, and you will end up injured. So, how do we fix this?
Modern clothing has produced what is now known as a “baselayer.” This used to be long underwear, but now it is intricate polyesters that act like a wetsuit for our skin. Many companies have started to produce these clothing items, and the links below will lead you to the best stuff in the business. Post your favorite clothing below, and let us know what you like about them. Athlon Elite wants you to stay warm, stay safe, and still train hard!
The core walk is a fantastic exercise that stems from traditional Yoga. The movement places considerable stress on the entire core, and will force you to use many small and large muscle groups. The exercise begins in a “toe touch” position for some, but for the vast majority of you it will start in a “downward facing dog” position. The ideal position will allow your palms and heels to be flat on the ground. At this point you should be getting an amazing stretch in your hamstrings and calves. From here, you literally walk your hands out and far as you can in front of you. At this point you will be relying heavily on your core strength and shoulder stability. From here, you then walk your feet back into the original position. Do this 10 times for an amazing exercise. Cal Poly Field Hockey ladies did core walks across their entire field! It took them almost 10 minutes. Now that’s elite baby! Join the club today at Athlon Elite!
If you have ever worked with a nutritionist, then you are familiar with journaling your food intake. Regardless of your dietary goals, journaling is an excellent approach to helping you reach those goals. The simple fact that you are writing down every morsel that enters your mouth is quite shocking. For most people, this can be 90% of the battle. We all know what we need to do, but until we start holding ourselves to that goal, then we will never succeed. This is where the journal comes into play. It’s simply a mind game, but an effective one. Keeping a journal, keeps you honest. Period.
There are a variety of online journaling systems. They can be free and simple, or expensive and complex. You essentially get what you pay for. A very cool new toy is on the market. Its called the BodyBugg from Apex. You can learn more about it be clicking the link below. We have linked a few other sites as well. Enjoy!
This girl has been unreal! Warning: if you keep reading this, you will most likely feel lazy. Marusha has been coming to Athlon Elite for 2 weeks straight at 6 am, and shows no sign of stopping. She has the honor to work out practically solo, which always results in “extra credit.” Marusha had an especially deviant training session last week at 6 am when it was dark and raining. Truly, nothing will stop this girl. She personally challenges any of you out there to come train with her. We salute Marusha this week as our Spartan. She is truly deserving of the honor. Are you?
The Filthy is known as the hardest workout we put our members through. This workout pushes any human being to the breaking point, and demands mental toughness to complete. The only toys that you will need to complete this workout are an elevated jumping platform or box (around 24 inches tall), a jump rope, and a medicine ball (around 18lbs.) You will also need a pullup bar, and either a GHD machine or a Roman Chair. The workout is quite simple, do 50 of the exercises below for a best time. It is not unheard of for this workout to be in excess of 1 hour for your first attempt! So, be careful. Unless you are in very good shape, you should probably not do this workout unsupervised…. yes, it’s that demanding. Post your times below. Get Filthy Baby!
50 Box Jumps
50 Jump Pullups
50 DB Swings (15-20 lbs)
50 walking lunges
50 Knees to Elbows
50 Push Press (15-20 lbs)
50 GHD Extrnsions
50 Wall Ball Shots (15-20 lbs)
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
The video below is an entire Filthy-50 captured on film. Very cool.
As you sit there reading this blog post, please remember that thousands of people are without their homes this very second. We must do what we can to support these people, and remind them that they will survive! For most of us, even those of us living just a few hours north of San Diego, we are not grasping the severity of the situation down there. The evacuation will likely reach 1 million people in the coming days. Yes, this is reaching the Katrina levels. At Athlon Elite we are serious about helping people, and we want you to be serious as well. Please keep these people in your hearts and in your minds. In the coming months, as the fires become only a painful memory, the best possible way for you to support San Diego is to go there. Go support their economy, take the kids to Seaworld, and get them back on their feet. A little will go a long way.
If you want to Volunteer to help now.. the Red Cross is looking for people. Click the link below to see how you can help.
This is a difficult, and advanced exercise. It starts with your feet on the ball in a pushup position. You then bring your feet towards your body while keeping your legs straight. You finish in a “toe touch” or pike position at the top, then slowly lower yourself back to the ground. This is a “full body” workout which relies heavily on your balance, upper body strength, and core. This is a great exercise to do everyday as a warmup for almost any training session. The known record is 54 pikes in a minute… Can you beat that? Come try at Athlon Elite. Records were meant to be broken with us!
This has become a cliche’ in the nutrition world. Have you bragged to a friend or co-worker that you are a perimeter shopper? Do you even know what that really means? Basically, it means that you can only buy foods at the grocery store located on the perimeter, and nothing down the aisles. This a very healthy way to do your shopping, but there is still a problem. You don’t have a plan. The only way to truly shop for affordable, convenient, and nutritious foods is to make a plan. So what does it take to plan?
1) Look at you weekly schedule, and decide on your time availability. This will give you a good idea of what you are capable of cooking and preparing for meals.
2) Look at you budget. This will allow you to look at whether or not buying New York Steaks is a good idea this week.
3) Look at your cooking skills. Do you have any? Maybe you should learn some more….
4) Make a shopping list, and stick to it.
5) Look for sales on meats and veggies. This will save valuable cash. With a little frugality, you can easily save $20-40 a week.
So, what does this have to do with perimeter shopping you ask? Actually nothing, if you want to perimeter shop that’s fine. The point here, is that no matter what type of shopping you do, it takes a plan to succeed. Shopping aimlessly will result in wasted money, and wasted time. Eating healthy means living healthy. In today’s world, living healthy relies on careful planning and time management.
Athlon Elite has a plethora of tips and tricks for you to plan your day. Let us help you today!
Disclaimer: We are not chefs, and cannot teach you the art of a true red wine reduction, or the ability to bake. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
