Mile High Mayhem!!

This week could not have come at a better time: I only had two trip planned this summer and both of them came during the 9 days we have off from the Hi-5 FitCamp! However, we will be staying active, which is what EVERYBODY should be doing during the week off from the Hi-5 Fitcamp.

I just got back from an extended weekend in Monterey for the MotoGP races which were awesome! Imagine a motorcycle that puts out over 200 horsepower being ridden 3 inches from the ground by a man weighing 140 lbs! It makes for an amazing spectacle.

Denver at Sunset

The next adventure is a trip to Denver in which we will leave on Thursday morning at 2am to get to our 6am flight out of LAX. Coffee? Please. Sugary donuts and other "breakfast" foods? No. I'll stick with my oatmeal, agave nectar and blueberries.

During our trip, we have a couple of hiking trips planned as well as lots of dancing as my sister in law is getting married! Will I eat cake? Yes. Will I eat deep fried hors dœuvre's? Probably not.

But this week is a time when I get to relax, spend time with my family and enjoy Denver and the surrounding communities. Also, on Saturday, the high temp is supposed to be 68!! Nice!

So for you lucky guys that get to stay here for the rest of the week and weekend, I would highly suggest spending some time in a swimming pool. Just get outside, enjoy the weather, play some water tag or perhaps a fun little game called "Sharks and Minnow's." Basically 1 person is a "shark" and has to try to tag the "minnow's" to get them to become sharks. It's a fun game and great exercise!!

If you're not up for that, perhaps a good old fashioned circuit might be more your type??

Try this on for size in honor of my trip to the Mile High City, it's Mile High Mayhem!!

Bear Crawls

• 20 Mountain Climbers
• 20 Squats
• 20 bear crawls forward
• 20 slalom skier jumps (side to side jumps like a skier; squat low on the landings)
• 30 Mountain climbers
• :30 high knee running
• 30 bear crawls backwards
• 30 Split Jumps
• 40 Cross body mountain climbers
• 40 snow angels (lie on your stomach and make snow angels with arms and legs off the ground)
• 50 Smurf jacks (in honor of my friend Noah the Navy SEAL, who introduced these to me and is a Colorado native)  
• 50 4-count body builders
  

How do you do a smurf jack? Squat as if in the seated position, put your hands behind your head, now do jumping jacks from this position squatting the entire time!!

Have fun with this circuit, I know I had fun creating it! I'll do it with you (but I will be a Mile High!!)

Off -Week Circuit Training for Men

Hey guys this week is the chance to show yourself what you've been learning as well as the dedication it takes to maintain your fitness. Face it. We aren't getting any younger and the world is trying to make sure you know it. So lets fight back and build some muscle!!

Below is a circuit that I want you to do twice this next week.Get up, not at 5am, but get up around 6 or 6:15 and do this 20 minute program out of Core Performance, the book you see to the left.

A little personal note, from Dec. 19th - Feb 7th I was doing the program in this book. It was 6 days a week, but only 2 days a week were actual strength workouts, 2 days were recovery and reactive/plyometrics, while the other 2 days were intervals I did on the treadmill.

Through a reduced calorie diet (2500-3000 calories) I went from 193 to 185 lbs. But the best part was how I felt and how I looked. I was getting pretty lean. But I was also getting stronger. I highly recommend this book to you. Why?

Because someday, you won't have a trainer. But you'll still need a program. If you had to choose 1 book, I'd go with this one. It contains total fitness and practical nutrition. (You can take a look at it in my office bookshelf if you'd like). On to the circuit!!

Circuit A x  2 - no rest; @ = each side

Single Leg Hip Bridge x 12 @

Plank + forward reach x 12 @

Side plank w/ top leg lift x 12 @

Rest 1:00

Circuit B - no rest x3

Pushup w/ alternating leg lift x 8

Rear foot elevated split squat x 8 @ (put your rear foot up on a chair or the couch)

Shoulder Y, T, W x 6 @ (lie on your stomach with your head down and make these letters with your arms)

Rest 1:00

Circuit C x 2 - Rest :30 between exercises

Squat jump x 5

Lateral bound x 3 @ (balance on 1 leg, jump sideways land on the other leg and balance)

Fast Side to side jump x 6

Side Tuck Jump x 8 (from pushup position, jump your feet forward to the side then back)

Be sure to stretch your hamstrings!!

PRINT THIS OUT!
I want to hear how it went!! Do this circuit twice on your off week!!