Bar Room Fighting

After a good hour long shower to scrub off the gunk and camo from our two week stay in the field at Ft. Drum, my buddy Mike and I had set out to the local watering hole to relax with a cold one.

Now Mike was one of those all-around "good old boys" from Texas and had a strong sense of right and wrong and standing up for people was in his blood.

Admirable, yes...but was seriously put to the test that night and some hard lessons were learned.

Sitting at the bar, I could sense Mike getting a little agitated. When I asked what was bothering him, he said that he had been listening to the guy behind him giving the waitress a hard time and making sexual comments that she had been trying nicely to avoid.

I told him to let it go but Mike was always ready to put on his "white hat" when the need was there. He turned around and finally asked the guy to "cut the waitress some slack and just enjoy his drink." Well, anyone as drunk and obnoxious as this guy would be hard pressed NOT to puff out his chest and, while telling Mike to "mind his own f*&%ing business!", started advancing.

Mike saw it coming and it wasn't hard to meet the stumbling idiot halfway and land one on his chin to send him reeling backwards over a chair.

It looked like the guy was out of the fight and Mike had decided he had taught him a good lesson, one that he'd never forget.

That was until a glass of beer missed Mike's head by about 2.7 inches as he was turning away! The fight was on and the guy's adrenaline had kicked in...HARD!

He tackled Mike at the legs and the two of them were soon tangled up on the floor as people were scrambling to get out of the way.

The fight didn't last long because the bouncers were already on the move and were able to pull them apart. In the end, we were all escorted out of the club, slightly bruised, one damsel out of distress, and some valuable lessons learned by Mike.

Here's my view (and I'd like to hear YOURS! Leave a comment on the blog!)

1. Be sure your decision to START a fight is based upon "need". That is, to stop an actual attack on an innocent person or to defend yourself in a serious "beat-or-get beaten" or "kill-or-be killed" scenerio.

2.) Don't start something you're not fully prepared to follow through on. If you're not completely committed to leaving someone in a crippled mess at your feet, then you're not yet prepared to fight. You may start out trying to do "minimal damage" but the other person (as well as 2 or 3 of his friends) may be MUCH more committed to teaching YOU a lesson in return!

3.) Once you make the fateful decision to strike, DON'T STOP!

Using the techniques many of you have learned from whatever style of fighting system you're training in, it only takes 5-7 seconds to strike 5 devastating targets on an attacker's body. Assume you need to USE THEM ALL, but don't be surprised if he's completely out of the game after 1-3.

Just BE SURE he's out of the game! Be aware enough to tell when he won't get back up and when one more strike would be "excessive".

You don't want to kill someone unless it's a life-or-death situation.

4.) Remember these rules: STRIKE FIRST - STRIKE HARD - STRIKE REPEATEDLY!

5.) Don't stand around to admire your work!

You never know when the attacker's friends will reach out and give him a hand by hitting you over the back of the head.

Immediately scan the entire area for other attacks heading in your direction. If there are...take them out! If not, know where the exits are and get the hell out of Dodge!

More from Jeff at:
- www.CloseQuartersCombat.com
- www.AdvancedMassBuilding.com
- www.OptimumAnabolics.com
- www.CombatTheFat.com

Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.

Tone Your Bum and Then Some - Part 4

I want you to have a beach bum this summer – not be one! – so here's another solution to tone your bum, and then some.

By multitasking your toning moves you can work the arms, back, abs and your butt with every move. By adding cardio intervals that also work the backside, you'll melt away fat and boost your metabolism. Pressed for time? It only takes half an hour, three times a week.

Leading up to summer, each weekly blog includes a backside-focused multitasking toning move and one cardio interval. This is #4.

If you can't wait for all the moves in the columns, my new 30 minute multitasking toning and cardio interval BOOTY CAMP DVD is available now for $19.99 at www.nikkifitness.com and on Amazon.

Toning: Balance Beam (tones glutes, hamstrings, triceps and upper back)

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and light weights in each hand (5 -8lbs). Bend at the waist while pushing the hips backward and keeping your back flat. When the weights reach your knees, stop there. Keep the knees slightly bent and transfer your weight to the right leg. Simultaneously lift the elbows to the sky, palms facing in, and lift your straight left leg behind you so that your foot, hip and head are in a straight line, parallel to the floor. Hold your leg here as you push the weights backward and close to the body for a triceps kickback. Bring hands back toward ribcage, then lower the elbows and straighten the arms so the weights hang back toward your knee. Keep your back straight as you stand (dead lift) and lower the left leg to the floor. Repeat for 15 reps and then switch legs.

Trainer's tip: To modify, keep both feet on the ground and do the row and kickback, then stand for dead lift.

Cardio: Jumping Lunges (works glutes, quads, calves, and abs as assistors)

Start in a standing position, hands on hips. Jump in the air and land in a right lunge with right knee directly over the ankle and left leg behind. Jump again and scissor or switch legs so you land into a left lunge with the left knee directly over the ankle. Do 15 alternating jumping lunges, then repeat the Balance Beam or my Booty Camp moves from the first 3 columns.

Trainer's tip: To modify, do alternating front lunges.

Check out the first 3 parts to this series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Fitness - Fit it in!

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

Stress Eater's Diet

Is the economy putting your health on the back burner? Cutting costs by buying boxed mac and cheese? Working out but gaining weight because stress at work causes you to head to the cookies and donuts at 3pm?

Today's job, house and stock market pressure, and the pressure of not having a job, is stressful. Not only is stress a bad thing for your health, but it also causes bad eating and exercise habits and a downward spiral toward medical bills.

Invest in yourself and your health. Just think how much more stress you'd have if your health went south!

Start with the fitness advice on this blog to get your body moving, and then add this resource I found to get that bad food off the back burner and healthy food into your mouth! Great advice to curb cravings, tell you what food gives you a good mood, and even what kind of teas boost your metabolism!

Stress Eater Diet

Fitness - Fit it in!

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

Put Some Fun in Your Run (Part 3)

For fitness buffs and runners who live in New York, even the vast trails of Central Park get boring. If your mind and body are craving a change of pace, but your eyes still want the trees and grass of the park, all you have to do is add a little play to your run day.

The first two articles focused on the first 2/3rds of the four-mile route that will eventually take about an hour to complete. Here we conquer the reservoir. After your triceps dips, stretch the arms and start running to the steps on your left. Run up the stairs. You can do this once or several times depending on how much time and energy and time you have. (There is another water fountain at the top of the steps.)

After stair sprints, jog the entire reservoir, starting slow to recover from the stairs. You can run looking at the water, or take the wider path outside the reservoir.

When ready, start interval sprints here, jogging and then sprinting off and on until you come to the southwest side of the circle.

Your last full-out sprint will take you to exit ¾ around the reservoir at West 86th street. You'll see a large entrance to the track and another water fountain, usually with a dog bowl or two nearby.

Memory cue: you are are "almost back," so time for "upper back." If you don't find a place to lay down between here and CPW at 86th street to the right, then save this move for when you get home and skip to stretching. If you are like me, and don't mind laying down in the grass after a sweaty workout, then go chest down and place your arms extended to the sides, forming the letter "T." Lift the shoulders, hands, elbows, knees and feet off the ground, focusing on squeezing the shoulder blades together. Keep looking at the ground to keep the neck in line with the spine. Do 20 of these to work the opposing muscles and even out the push ups.

If you like to stretch outside, do it here. If at home, you can check out the free four minute stretch video from my soothing stretch column. When it's over, you not only had a nice long run, but with toning moves along the way, you boosted your fat burn and your metabolism. The whole routine helps me focus on what circuit is next, and not on which mile I am on.

Remember, it's bad to get lost in the park, but great to get lost in your workout!

For more info: DVDs, photos and advice at www.nikkifitness.com

Check out the first 3 parts to Put Some Fun in Your Run:
Put Some Fun in Your Run (Part 2)
Put Some Fun in Your Run (Part 1)

Fitness - Fit it in!

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

Nikki Fitness Booty Camp DVD Giveaway

Attention Military.com members! Here is your chance to win a copy of my NikkiFitness Booty Camp DVD! Hurry up and enter before the contest ends.

Ten lucky winners will receive a copy of the NikkiFitness Booty Camp DVD. In NikkiFitness Booty Camp, NikkiFitness, New York City–based Crunch fitness instructor, has created a way to fit in an hour-long cardio and muscle-sculpting workout in just 30 minutes. Since interval training-interspersing cardiovascular aerobics moves between muscle sets-is known to boost metabolism, Nikki threw in intervals as well.

For more information and to enter, visit Nikki Fitness Booty Camp Fitness DVD Giveaway.

www.nikkifitness.com

Fitness - Fit it in!

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

Skates Like a HUMMER: Converting to Quadlines

Q.

 Hello, SSG Ken and Stephanie Weichert!

Thanks for what you two do! I get GX magazine delivered to my house and I try your workouts every week. They are awesome! I have lost 20 pounds in 10 weeks and I increased my APFT score by 24 points. Keep the tips coming!

With the weather getting better, what are some creative exercise programs to do outside?

HOOAH!

SGT Tina L., Indiana Army National Guard

A.

 Hello, SGT!

Thanks for the compliments! Keep up the great work. Your results are outstanding!

Stephanie recently tried an outside exercise program that she has not attempted in several years and loved it! A week later, she got me on it. It was great! I worked muscles that I have not worked in a long time. I suggest that you do the same! Let me know what you think.

Best Regards,
SSG Ken Weichert

From Stephanie’s Journal:

Much to the delight of all little girls during the mid-eighties, Baby Skates made her entrance into the world. When turned on, this plastic doll clumsily teetered to and fro on her little skates, magically inching forward and occasionally tottering over. Now, with that vision in mind, you might be able to imagine a 5’10” fully grown woman who at one time played with that doll, somewhat mirroring that image while skating.

Today was my first foray into ‘Skatesville’. I gripped my neighbor’s old broken down green Ford truck as I carefully stepped my way down our shared sloped driveway. The striking realization of its exact slope was not apparent until I laced up my brand new Quadline skates with their ginormous 100mm wheels and began to maneuver my way down the driveway to the street. Baby Skates at this juncture had me beat, as at least she was able to use her bodyweight to move forward.

Stephanie laces up her Quadlines.

Photo by Chris Kissling

Body weight, who needs body weight? Gravity had a vicious grip on me and was coaxing me into this new relationship with the pavement, faster than I was apparently ready to move. However, move I did, step-by-step, right down the driveway, using my neighbor’s truck as a crutch. After running out of truck to grip, I allowed myself to be fully immersed in this new relationship with the Quadlines and the pavement.

Twenty minutes later I had figured out how to somewhat utilize the rubber stopper located at the front of my glowing white skates. Like the bored coffee shop employee, they decide to work when things are going slow. Thirty minutes later, and quite popular with the 5-10 year old crowd, I was continuing through the neighborhood. I began to realize skating requires quite a bit of kinetic energy from my gluteus minimus and maximus (you know, the backside, the bum). I realized “core work” on skates has quite a different connotation to it than does static gym exercise. I was pleased that my pads did not make friends with the pavement.

Forty minutes later, I was on the last slope home. I didn’t realize that Mt. Everest was only steps outside my front door and that my condo rested in the valley of two mountains. I was cruising at speeds illegal in residential areas, arms flailing, trying to recall a skiing maneuver, the snowplow, in an effort to reduce my speed from mach two to mach one, while staying in one piece. I was in temporary horror at the speeds at which I had found myself traveling. Luckily, I was still standing when I arrived at the foot of Mt Everest, a football field later.

As I sat down to remove the skates that evening, I thanked God my Creator that I had made it in one bloodless piece. I looked forward to day two.

Hello, again, SGT!

The skates that I used are called Skorpions. I got them from Skates.com, and I highly recommend them. They are fast and efficient, and their customer service is great!

The Skorpions fastened directly around my military boots. They worked well, even with my size 12-wide boots. The difference is that I had to immediately get used to the wide wheel frames. My first time up, I found myself rubbing the inside wheels together. However, after a few minutes, I was trying old tricks. Best of all, I was spending quality time with my wife!

We made a full day of it on our next skating experience, adding some exercises in the park to strengthen our core and upper body muscles in the process. After skating until we wanted a break, we pulled over to a grassy area and performed abdominal exercises and push-ups. After we had enough of the core and upper bodywork, we carefully stood up and rolled forward for another skating run.

After a few hours of that, we plopped down on the grass and pulled a couple of sandwiches out of our small backpacks and enjoyed the warm sun and serene moment. I suggest you do the same!

Have fun!
SSG Ken Weichert

Ken Weichert (a.k.a. “SGT Ken”) is a Six-time Soldier of the Year, Master Fitness Trainer and veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm. Ken and his wife Stephanie, a Certified Personal Trainer, founded START Fitness, a group exercise and hiking business that delivers military-style workouts to Soldiers and civilians since 1998. Ken and Stephanie have led thousands of Soldiers to better health through Operation Fit to Fight, a tactical fitness instructor training program designed to prepare Soldiers for Basic Combat Training, deployments, leadership schools and post-deployment reintegration. Operation Fit to Fight creates tactical athletes who lead by example and are ready to perform necessary duties in response to natural disasters or in defense of our country! Ken and Stephanie currently produce health and fitness programs for GX magazine, and for the National Guard website.

An Old School Bodybuilding Trick For A Smaller Waist!

Whatever happened to the "old school" days when pro bodybuilders had tiny waists that gave them such an incredible "V-shape"?

Look at all the juiced-up pro's now...waists the size of redwood trees! When did THIS become sexy?!

Forget it...what you REALLY want is a hornet-like waist that will make your shoulders and chest appear even BIGGER as you strut your stuff out on the beach this summer! Here's a trick from the "old days" that works GREAT for keeping your waist cinched up tight...and doesn't require 1,000 situps!

Old School Ab Tightener Trick

Do this exercise once every single day. (I do this first thing in the morning when I wake up and I'm lying in bed - can't get any lazier than that, right?)

First thing you do is exhale while pulling in your abdominal muscles like you're trying to suck your belly button all the way to the back of you spine. Hold it and contract for a 10-second count and then release. Take a 5 second breather and then repeat this procedure another 3 more times. This'll wrap up those core ab muscles nice and tight like you're strapping on a girdle! A lot of people taking my "Combat The Fat" fat-melting program ask me what's the very first thing I do in the morning to get the day started.

Well THIS is it! Give er a try and you'll see why!

More from Jeff at:
- www.CloseQuartersCombat.com
- www.AdvancedMassBuilding.com
- www.OptimumAnabolics.com
- www.CombatTheFat.com

Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.