Fitness Training with TRX!

It was one of those demanding days where I had more work to do than time available to complete it. A few hours later, I was finally finished with my task list and ready to dash from the office. I glanced at my watch and realized that I had no time to drive to the gym. Fortunately, near my desk stood several fitness items that Stephanie and I were testing for potential Fitness Field Kit (FITKIT) additions for future Operation Fit to Fight missions. It was the perfect opportunity to try something new and to share the information with GX readers all over the world! For this issue, I grabbed the TRX , a body weight suspension training system.

A FITKIT is a small bag that includes a few pieces of exercise equipment with quick and easy-to-use instructions, all on weatherproof workout cards. A FITKIT is designed to be used anywhere, such as outside, at the gym, or at home. If the exercise equipment cannot fit in a small bag, it won’t be considered for our FITKIT.

In this fitness blog, and also on www.NATIONALGUARD.com/fitness, we will be highlighting a 40-minute workout using the TRX Suspension Trainer™. Created by a former Navy SEAL, Randy Hetrick, the TRX Suspension Trainer™ is a great way to engage multiple muscles in every exercise!

Hope you like the workout as much as Stephanie and I did! HOOAH!

SSG Ken Weichert

Aerobics: Example: Running in place; Side-Straddle-Hops “Jumping Jacks”; High Steps/Knees (5 Minutes)

Stretching (5 Minutes)

Muscle Target Phase One: Upper Body and Core Half Sit-ups (Crunches

START: Lay down on your back with both legs together and bent 90 degrees at your knees. Place your heels on the ground and point your toes upward. Interlock your fingers and place your hands behind your head.

ACTIONS: Tighten your abdominal muscles and raise your upper body until your shoulder blades come off of the ground and return to the start position. Continue until your goal is reached.

WARNING: Do not pull on your neck with your hands. Keep your elbows wide and your chin pointing toward the sky during the entire exercise.

Basic: 1-30 repetitions

Intermediate: 31-60 repetitions

Advanced: 61-90 repetitions

START: Lengthen the TRX until the foot cradles are 8-12 inches off the ground. Place your feet into the foot cradles, toes down, and feet under the anchor point. Assume a normal-grip push-up position by balancing your body on your hands with your back forming a straight line, hands directly under your shoulders. Look forward and keep your feet together.

ACTIONS: While keeping your abdominal muscles tight, drop your body straight down by bending both elbows. Return to the start position and perform a pike by lifting your hips upward, keeping your knees and elbows straight. Return to start position and continue until your goal is reached.

Fit Tip: The TRX Suspended Push-up is the Atomic Push-up without the Pike movements. This exercise is suggested as a substitution for those that cannot perform pike movements, or this exercise can be used to Superset the program by performing it immediately after the Atomic Push-up.

Male standards:

Basic: 1-5 repetitions

Intermediate: 6-12 repetitions

Advanced: 13-24 repetitions

Female standards:

Basic: 1-2 repetitions

Intermediate: 3-6 repetitions

Advanced: 7-12 repetitions

START: Stand facing away from the anchor with your feet together, or up to 12 inches apart, hold the handles with arms fully extended overhead, palms forward. Position your feet behind your hands.
Note: The steeper you set the angle, the more difficult the movement will be to perform.

ACTIONS: While keeping your abdominal muscles tight, tilt your body forward by bending both elbows until your hands are behind your head, maintaining alignment with your shoulders, hips, and legs. Return to start position and continue until your goal is reached.
Fit Tip: You can step forward with one leg into an offset foot position for easier stability.

Male standards:

Basic: 1-5 repetitions

Intermediate: 6-12 repetitions

Advanced: 13-20 repetitions

Female standards:

Basic: 1-3 repetitions

Intermediate: 4-8 repetitions

Advanced: 9-15 repetitions

START: Stand facing away from the anchor with your feet together, or up to 12 inches apart, holding the handles shoulder level, palms down. Position your feet behind your hands.

ACTIONS: While keeping your abdominal muscles tight, tilt your body forward by bending both elbows until your chest is level with your hands, maintaining alignment with your shoulders, hips, and legs. Return to start position and continue until your goal is reached.

WARNING: Keep your hands slightly above shoulder level to prevent the TRX from rubbing your arms or shoulders.

Male standards:

Basic: 1-12 repetitions

Intermediate: 13-25 repetitions

Advanced: 26-50 repetitions

Female standards:

Basic: 1-6 repetitions

Intermediate: 7-15 repetitions

Advanced: 16-25 repetitions

START: Stand facing the anchor with your feet together, or up to 12 inches apart, holding the handles shoulder level, palms inward. Position your feet in front of your hands. Lean back and fully extend arms, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.

ACTIONS: While keeping your abdominal muscles tight, squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your arms out to the sides at shoulder level. Keep tension on the TRX and maintain alignment with your shoulders, hips, and legs. Return to start position and continue until your goal is reached.

Male standards:

Basic: 1-5 repetitions

Intermediate: 6-12 repetitions

Advanced: 13-20 repetitions

Female standards:

Basic: 1-2 repetitions

Intermediate: 3-6 repetitions

Advanced: 7-12 repetitions

START: Stand facing the anchor with your feet together, or up to 12 inches apart, holding the handles shoulder level, palms upward. Position your feet in front of your hands. Lean back and fully extend arms, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.

ACTIONS: While keeping your abdominal muscles tight and your elbows at shoulder level, bring your hands to your head by bending both elbows. Do not let your hips bend or shoulders elevate towards your ears. Maintain alignment with your shoulders, hips, and legs. Return to start position and continue until your goal is reached.
Note: Keep your elbows pointing forward and do not let them drop towards the ground during the exercise.

Male standards:

Basic: 1-8 repetitions

Intermediate: 9-19 repetitions

Advanced: 20-30 repetitions

Female standards:

Basic: 1-4 repetitions

Intermediate: 5-9 repetitions

Advanced: 10-20 repetitions

START: Stand facing the anchor with your feet together, or up to 12 inches apart, holding the handles shoulder level, palms inward. Position your feet in front of your hands. Lean back and fully extend arms, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.

ACTIONS: While keeping your abdominal muscles tight, pull your body toward the anchor by bending both elbows. Keep tension on the TRX and maintain alignment with your shoulders, hips, and legs. Return to start position and continue until your goal is reached.

Fit Tip: You can add a rotational component to the exercise by turning your palms upwards as you perform the row.

Male standards:

Basic: 1-10 repetitions

Intermediate: 11-25 repetitions

Advanced: 26-50 repetitions

Female standards:

Basic: 1-6 repetitions

Intermediate: 7-15 repetitions

Advanced: 16-25 repetitions

START: Lengthen the TRX until the foot cradles are 8-12 inches off the ground. Facing away from the anchor point, hold both handles in your right hand and place your left foot into both foot cradles behind you. Position yourself about three feet in front of the anchor point, balancing on your right foot, with hands on hips.

ACTIONS: Keeping the weight in your heel, bend your right knee and push your left leg back while lowering into a lunge position. Do not allow your knee to collapse inward. Return to start position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch legs and continue.
Note: Keep your shoulders stacked over your hips.

Basic: 1-4 repetitions (each leg)

Intermediate: 5-9 repetitions (each leg)

Advanced: 10-15 repetitions (each leg)

Flutter Kicks

START: Lie on your back with your palms on the ground and your hands against your sides. While keeping your legs straight, raise them to at least 6 inches off the ground.

ACTIONS: Flutter kicks are a four-count exercise where you will raise the left leg to a 45-degree angle for position one while keeping the right leg stationary. Next, raise the right leg off the ground to a 45-degree angle while, at the same time, moving the left leg to the start position. Counts three and four are repetitions of the same movements.

Fit Tip: The lower your legs are positioned, the more back muscles you engage for this exercise. Keep your back flat against the floor with your arms supporting the sides of your body. If you experience discomfort in your lower back, raise your legs higher. Keep your feet flexed at all times.

Basic: 1-10 repetitions

Intermediate: 11-20 repetitions

Advanced: 21-30 repetitions

Squats

START: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with toes pointing forward.

ACTIONS: Lower your body into a squat by bending both knees until you reach a ninety-degree angle, or until you lose the natural arch in your back. Return to the start position and continue until your goal is reached.

WARNING: Your knees should not exceed your toe line while down, and your knees should not be locked while up.

Basic: 1-15 repetitions

Intermediate: 16-30 repetitions

Advanced: 31-60 repetitions

Stretching (5 Minutes)

Equipment Needed:

TRX Suspension Trainer™ by Fitness Anywhere

Author’s notes:

Special Remarks: For more health and fitness information, go to www.NATIONALGUARD.com/fitness.

If you would like a free copy of this workout, click here to download the PDF. (364KB)

Byline remark: Chris Frankel M.S. is the Director of Programming for Fitness Anywhere and is completing his Doctorate in Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences.

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.

Triple Threat: Biceps

I like to work out in threes. Three sets of 15 reps, alternating 3 moves in each set, and combining upper, lower and core muscle (3) groups. Whether or not you can be this ambitious depends on if you are deconditioned and just starting a workout routine, or have a workout addiction and are always looking for a new fix to get you over a plateau. I did these moves and shot the accompanying photos when I was 8 months pregnant, so don't be afraid to get toning!

Rookies and experts alike should benefit from my series of "Triple Threat" moves I have developed in my fitness DVDs and NYC fitness classes at Crunch. Today's blog shows 3 different biceps moves. You can do them alone, version one on Monday for several sets, version two repeated in your Wednesday workout and the third on Friday; do versions 1, 2 and 3 in all your muscle workouts this week. You can also combine them with different leg and core moves for true multitaskers. For each move you can also chose to do 20 reps with light weights, 15 reps with mediums, or 8 reps with heavy weights for 3 sets of biceps burning. Keep abs tight, hips tucked under, feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent (unless adding multitasking leg and core moves like lunges, calf lifts, plie squats, etc.)

Here's your biceps triple threat fix:

Version 1 - lift arms at the same time or one at a time, out to the sides, by holding weights and turning your palms to the ceiling. Anchor elbows into your ribcage and widen hands our towards the side, as opposed to directly in front of you. Lower to your pockets (almost completely straightening elbows but not nyperextending) and lift toward your shoulders for one rep.

Version 2 - hold weights in your hands directly in front of you, palms up, as if you were carrying a tray. Close fingers around weights and lower to your legs and lift towards shoulders.

Version 3 - hold weights and turn your wrists so that your palms face the center line of your body. Lower weights towards your legs by extending the elbow joint and lift towards shoulders by flexing the elbow. Your hand with the weight should look like a hammer.

Again, use these moves alone or with multitaskers and chose one a day repeated in 3 sets, or alternate all 3 in one workout. Don't forget to work the opposing muscle, the triceps, which will get a triple threat treatment in next week's blog, followed by the shoulders. Gotta love 3s!

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 on Facebook

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.

Fighting Fitness Training: Burn 700 Calories in 60 minutes!

Journal entry, Samarra, Iraq:

My gums went completely numb after slugging back my third sugary shot of hot black tea. I was at an outdoor tea stand in Samarra, Iraq, similar to an outdoor American coffee shop, conversing with a local. The shopping center was particularly crowded this blistering 125° mid-afternoon. This was the kind of heat that gave a new meaning to the phrase, “boiling point.” My eyes stung from salty sweat-streams pooling down in rivers from my helmet. Between the intense caffeine and sugar overdose, I had this false sense of Superman strength raging through my veins.

“Stay focused,” I thought to myself. This large Iraqi man in front of me was not my friend. Hassan was a 6-foot, 5-inch, 280-pound former Iraqi Republican Guard officer. Earlier that week, several unrelated townspeople indicated that he was acting as my friend in order to collect information about me to sell it to the enemy. My intention in this meeting was to verify that this information was true.

After the usual flowery Arabic greeting, I began. “Hassan, we have been friends for several months now.”

Speaking in Arabic, he casually responded, “yes.”

My stare narrowed and intensified as I continued, “There is a problem.”

The tone of our meeting changed. He looked bewildered. He was caught. For a brief moment, he seemed frozen in his seat. He managed to utter the words, in Arabic, “I don’t understand.” His voice was scratchy. I prayed silently that the Military Police squad leader in the alley would not miss the designated signal to come and rescue my translator and me from a potentially dangerous situation.

“The problem is that you are selling information about me to the enemy,” I declared. My finger was on the walkie-talkie resting on my lap, ready to give the cue.

“The problem is that you are selling information about me to the enemy,” I declared. My finger was on the walkie-talkie resting on my lap, ready to give the cue.

As I glanced down I noticed that Hassan’s knuckles were turning white from the force of clenching his fists. It was going to get physical, and with my martial arts training, he was going down. Under the table I tapped the walkie-talkie call button three times, cueing my cavalry to come charging out of the alley to my rescue. However, they struggled to reach us in the midst of the large crowd.

CRASH! In one move all suspicion disappeared. The plastic tea-stand chairs went tumbling backward as Hassan lunged toward me. He wrapped his large, hairy hands around my neck and started to squeeze.

Instead of pulling his hands off of my neck, I reached my left hand up and grabbed his right hand tightly in its place, and lunged backwards into a wide stance. “He is off-balance!” I thought. I immediately twisted my body counterclockwise at the hips, lifted my right arm in the air, struck downward and secured both of his arms in my right underarm. Loosening my grip on him for an instant, I stretched my right arm to my left and struck his face with my elbow. I stepped forward with my left leg, reached my right arm around the back of his neck under his chin, and secured a chokehold on him by grabbing my right wrist with my left hand. Just like that, Hassan was in a chokehold at my side.

When the cavalry can’t make it in time, thank God for modern Combatives!

- SSG Ken Weichert

Aerobics:

Example: Running in place; Side-Straddle-Hops “Jumping Jacks”; High Steps/Knees (5 Minutes)

Stretching (5 Minutes)

Push-ups

Basic: 30 seconds

Intermediate: 60 seconds

Advanced: 90 seconds

1/2 Sit-ups (Crunches)

Basic: 30 seconds

Intermediate: 60 seconds

Advanced: 90 seconds

PUNCH 01: Front Punch, Jab

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

ACTION: Throw your lead fist straight at your target until the arm is fully extended. Your fist will rotate inward until the palm faces the ground. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch arm and body positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you punch.
Note: This is a speed punch. Remember to keep your wrist straight and to punch with your first two knuckles. Keep your back fist guarding your face.
WARNING: Do not lock your elbow.

Basic: 20 punches (each arm)

Intermediate 50 punches (each arm)

Advanced 100 punches (each arm)

PUNCH 02: Straight (Back) Punch

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Throw the back fist straight at your target until the arm is fully extended, crossing the body, rotating your back hip toward the front. Your back foot will twist outward, balancing on the ball of your foot. Your fist will rotate inward until the palm faces the ground. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch arm and body positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you punch.
Note: This is a power punch. Remember to keep your wrist straight and to punch with your first two knuckles. Keep your front fist guarding your face.

Basic: 10 punches (each arm)

Intermediate: 30 punches (each arm)

Advanced: 60 punches (each arm)

COMBO 01:

1. JAB
2. STRAIGHT PUNCH

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Perform a jab and straight punch combination with explosive energy, pausing for a second in between sets. Continue the jab and straight punch combination for 30 seconds, than accelerate your jab and punch combination as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Switch arm and body positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you punch.

PUNCH 03: Hook Punch with back fist, to the body

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Shift your body weight to the rear, pivot your rear foot and torso, drop your rear fist in line with your target, and swing your rear fist horizontally toward your target. Your rear arm will arc horizontally 90 degrees at your target, palm facing the body. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch arm and body positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you punch. Note: Hook punches can be thrown by either the lead or rear fist. A hook is usually aimed at the jaw, but it can also be used for body shots. This is a power punch. Remember to keep your wrist straight and to punch with your first two knuckles. Keep your front fist guarding your face.

Basic: 10 punches (each arm)

Intermediate: 30 punches (each arm)

Advanced: 60 punches (each arm)

PUNCH 04: Uppercut Punch with back fist, to the jaw

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Shift your body weight to the rear, pivot your rear foot and torso, drop your rear arm slightly, tighten the abdominals and throw your rear fist upward toward your target, fist facing the body. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch arm and body positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you punch.
Note: Uppercuts cause more damage when thrown at close range. An uppercut is usually aimed at the jaw, but it can also be used for body shots. This is a power punch. Remember to keep your wrist straight and to punch with your first two knuckles. Keep your front fist guarding your face.

Basic: 10 punches (each arm)

Intermediate: 30 punches (each arm)

Advanced: 60 punches (each arm)

COMBO 02:

1. JAB, JAB
2. STRAIGHT PUNCH
3. LEAD FIST HOOK PUNCH
4. REAR FIST UPPERCUT PUNCH
5. LEAD FIST HOOK PUNCH
6. STRAIGHT PUNCH

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Perform the punch combination with explosive energy, pausing for a second in between sets. Continue COMBO 02 for 60 seconds, then sprint with jabs and straight punches for 30 seconds. Switch arm and body positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you punch.

KICK 01: Knee Kick with back leg, to the body

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Grab your opponent’s rear neck or shoulders. Tighten your abdominals and thrust your back knee upward toward your target. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch leg positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you kick.
Note: This is a power kick.

Basic: 10 kicks (each leg)

Intermediate: 30 kicks (each leg)

Advanced: 60 kicks (each leg)

KICK 02: Snap Kick with front leg, to the jaw

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Tighten your abdominals and bring your forward knee up into the “chamber”; the ankle should be flexed downwards. Snap your forward leg toward your target, kicking with your instep. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch leg positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you kick.
Note: This is a speed kick.

Basic: 10 kicks (each leg)

Intermediate: 30 kicks (each leg)

Advanced: 60 kicks (each leg)

KICK 03: Roundhouse Kick with back leg, to the body or jaw

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Tighten your abdominals and bring your rear knee up into the “chamber”; the ankle should be flexed downwards. Pivot your forward foot by balancing on the ball of the foot and swing your rear leg in a semicircular motion, striking with the instep and shin. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch leg positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you kick.
Note: This is a power kick.

Basic: 10 kicks (each leg)

Intermediate: 30 kicks (each leg)

Advanced: 60 kicks (each leg)

KICK 04: Front Kick with back leg, to the body

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Tighten your abdominals and bring your rear knee up into the “chamber”; the ankle should be flexed downwards. Pivot your forward foot by balancing on the ball of the foot and thrust your rear leg forward at your target, striking with the ball of the foot. Return to the guard position and continue until your goal is reached. Switch leg positions and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you kick. Note: This is a power kick.
Warning: Remember to curl your toes back with your kicking foot so that you will not hurt your toes.

Basic: 10 kicks (each leg)

Intermediate: 30 kicks (each leg)

Advanced: 60 kicks (each leg)

COMBO 03:

1. JAB
2. STRAIGHT PUNCH
3. ROUNDHOUSE KICK, BACK LEG

Start: Assume a guard position or boxing stance.

Action: Perform the punch combination with explosive energy, pausing for a second in between sets. Continue COMBO 03 for 60 seconds, then sprint with jabs and punches for 30 seconds. Switch arm and body positions, and continue until your goal is reached. Exhale when you punch.
Note: The objective of this combination is to temporarily block the opponent’s vision with the straight punch while delivering the roundhouse kick.

Stretching (5 Minutes)

1 full set = approximately 60 minutes

Equipment Needed:

• Boxing Gloves
• Focus Mitts
• Kicking Shield

Choosing the right boxing gloves

The best advice for choosing boxing gloves is to try them on while wearing hand wraps.

Putting on hand wraps

Due to space restrictions, we could not fit hand wrap instructions in Operation at Close Range. There are many Web sites, like www.ringside.com, that explain step-by-step techniques for putting on hand wraps. We suggest that you use hand wraps for wrist and knuckle protection.

Safety concerns

Be certain to hold kicking shields while in a wide stance, with the shield against your body. Warning: Do not place either of your hands in front of your face.

Boxing glove care

• I like to take four clean socks that I do not use anymore, pour some baby powder in two of them, roll them up, stick them into the third and fourth socks and tie the outer socks off at the ends. I wind up with two powder-filled sock snakes.
• After my kickboxing workouts, I stuff the sock snakes into each glove to keep them dry while stored in my gym bag.
• When I get home, I pull the sock snakes out and air the gloves out completely.

Editor’s notes:

Warning: Always seek the advice and guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have prior to commencing a fitness program. This article should not be relied on or substituted for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. The exercises presented are for suggestion only. Participate at your own risk. Stop if you feel faint or shortness of breath.

Would you like a free copy of this workout? Click here for a PDF (384KB). 

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.

3 Strange Chest Exercises...For "Trouble Spots"!

One of the most troublesome areas for guys looking to develop a lean, muscular body is their CHEST! Some struggle with adding ANY mass to their pecs while OTHERS find certain AREAS of their chest are "underdeveloped" more than others.

In some cases, this is a matter of GENETICS... In OTHER cases, it could be that you're simply not training with the correct EXERCISES to "micro-target" these lagging sections of your chest. So here are 3 "strange but POWERFUL" exercises for the most common CHEST CHALLENGES:

Target: Upper Chest

Forget boring old inclines! Do this instead...

...Smith Machine Presses To The NECK!

Lie flat on a bench with the Smith Machine bar right at your NECK instead of your chest. Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and press as normal (2 seconds up; slow 4-count on the way down). Keep your elbows flared OUT and really concentrate on feeling a good stretch in your upper pecs at the bottom of the movement! Go for a good "pump" at 8-12 reps!

Target: Inner Chest ("Cleavage")

This one comes from the underground iron pit of max security PRISON YARDS. (Don't ask how I got this.)

Lie flat on a bench and grab ONE SINGLE DUMBBELL that's slightly LESS than the combined weight you would normally use for 2 dumbbells. (So if you normally press 60lbs in each hand, grab a 90 or 100.) Maneuver your hands so you can wrap both around the handle (tricky, but you'll figure out how to overlap). Now, holding the weight so it's facing up and down your body (lengthwise), press the weight as normal. At the TOP of the movement, press your pec muscles together HARD and squeeze (HARDER!) for a 2 second count.

Target: Lower Chest

Dips...Dips...Dips...* BUT *...

Rather than keeping your feet BEHIND you...stick them out in FRONT of you! On the dip bar, keeping your legs straight, bring your feet out in front so your body is in a "V" shape. Keep your elbows flared OUT away from your body as you lower yourself down and focus on LEANING FORWARD. Come down far enought that you feel a good stretch in your pecs. Bringing your feet to the FRONT actually places more emphasis on your lower chest muscles instead of your triceps that tend to give our the earliest.

Also, don't "lock out" at the top of the dip movement!

Stop about 6 inches short of the top to keep the stress on your chest!

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.

Workout Social Support Group

Studies show that if you have friends to work out with or motivate you towards healthy behavior, your success rate increases. Try to find positive influencers in your life, from friends and family to people at work, church, etc.

Rather get your social workout support online? The popular Military Wife Workout, radio show interviews, Military Magazine articles and Miltiary.com blogs and columns have spurned the interest in a Military Wife Workout group on Facebook.

This just launched this week and you can join by clicking here:

Become a member!

Get NikkiFitness workout tips, moves, fitness music playlists and share tips, motivation and more with your new workout buddies! You can also follow at twitter.

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 on Facebook

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.

Exercise Your Soul! (Part 2)

The reason I love yoga class is that it improves your body as well as your mind and soul. You leave wanting to be more calm, treat people better, and be a nicer person… almost like church!

Part of this comes from something called "PATANJALI'S EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA."

The American Fitness Association of America, or AFAA (www.affa.com ), certifies personal trainers and provides continuing education about many areas of fitness, including yoga. AFFA teaches that Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras, and he became one of the best known yogis while popularizing these guideline for yoga practices.

I already blogged about the LIMB ONE: THE YAMAS (things to Restrict).

Here I am including part 2 from AFAA's teaching exercises- the NIYAMAS (things to include) so you can continue to exercise your soul along with your body!

LIMB TWO: THE NIYAMAS (Things to Observe) These five observations, or things yogis should do are companions to the yamas discussed above.

Shauca: Be pure and clean. This Niyama is a reminder that we should keep our bodies, clothing and surroundings clean and pure. If we maintain cleanliness, we are observing purity. Eating healthy and natural foods is an important part of Shauca. Many yogis are vegetarian because they feel it is important to eat food which has not resulted from violence, which connects this niyama to the yama of ahimsa (non-violence).

Santosha: Be content. This niyama is a reminder that we are exactly who and where we should be at this moment. It does not mean that we cannot improve ourselves and learn new things; it means that those improvements and skills cannot in themselves bring happiness. The practice of contentment helps us take responsibility for our current situation and see challenges as opportunities for growth.

Tapas: Be disciplined. Discipline comes in many forms and in many parts of everyday life. This includes disciplined speech (thinking before speaking, then speaking without harshness), disciplined habits (personal hygiene, healthy food choices, exercise, even when it is tempting skip it) and disciplined thinking (no negative self-talk, thinking happy thoughts for someone else's good fortune instead of jealousy).

Svadhyaya: Be studious. Svadhyaya is a reminder to turn inward and study oneself. By examining behaviors, thoughts, actions and past experiences, we can determine which ones fulfill us and make us happy and learn to avoid those things that do not. This niyama also encourages us to monitor if our words match our actionsand reminds us to practice what we preach. The svadhyaya also means the study of one's physical self, such as posture, alignment, body language and feelings of wellness and illness.

Ishvara-Pranidhana: Be devoted. Yoga recognizes and honors all religions and harmony between religions. This niyama encourages us to focus on the higher power of your choice. Yours may be God, Allah, Buddha or any other spiritual entity. Ishvara-Pranidhana reminds us to put that entity in charge of your life and take ego out of the equation.

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Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

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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.