5.06.2008
A Couple More Good Jump Rope Questions
| I was doing some driving yesterday and at several points along the Ohio turnpike some great songs came on the radio. I mean, songs that were some of my favorites in years past but, for whatever reason, had slipped my mind. And when they came on -- unexpectedly, I might add -- they were as good as ever. In one sense, great exercises and great songs are just alike. No matter how good they might be, sometimes they just get pushed to the back of your mind and you forget about them - for a little while anyway - but something comes along to jog your memory to remind you just how good they are. And jumping ropes is one of those "classics." It's interesting hearing from a lot of folks who have recently started jumping rope again after not having done so for, in some cases, decades. I know - I was the same way - and Im glad that so many people are "pickin up what I'm putting down" if you know what I mean. Anyhow, heres a few questions that people have sent in regards to jumping rope and rope jump training: ----------------------------------- Hi John,Stephen -- Mahalo! , my Hawaiian friend. The answer to your question depends on the height of the grass in question. I have had no problem jumping rope in my back yard although if you are doing the exercise in knee-high brush, you may find it somewhat difficult. Of course, you can also jump rope in such a way that the rope doesnt even touch the ground which is an interesting variation that I use from time to time. (and if you let it touch - do a pushup - Yow!) Also, in case anyone is wondering, one of the features of all the Lifeline ropes that we feature is that they are indestructible. Ya cant bust em, and theres no bearings to wear out so basically these ropes will be your ropes for life. ----------------------------------- John, do you recommend any specific workouts when you jump rope?Hi Pete, Ive sent out several different workouts and kinds of workouts in past emails. Check em out in the blog or the articles section. The thing to remember with any cardio work is that it doesnt matter exactly what you do to get your heart rate up, so long as it gets up and all that means is vigorous, physical activity for 15-20 minutes. One of the things about jumping rope is that you can make these little challenge "games" for yourself that make the time go by very quickly. For example, "the no-touch" challenge listed above, or a certain number of jumps in a specific time frame, or even something like the "Essie Logan" workout which is will discuss at a later date. This is also one of the great things about jumping rope - if you want the benefits, theres no complex formula - "just do it." ----------------------------------- John,Thats exactly what Im talkin' about Doug - You can diggit. ----------------------------------- It's Tuesday which means later on today youll find me jumping up a storm, either down at the track or in between hill sprints (havent decided which yet) Eithert way, its going to be a great workout, and you can do it too: Lifeline Heavy Jumping Ropes And if you already have taken action and been jumping, good on ya, lets hear from you! (keep it up) Train hard, John Wood P.S. "Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness, to riches and poverty, to freedom and to slavery. It is we who control these, and not another." - Richard Bach |  Jumpin' Rope |
Labels: Jump Rope, Jump Rope Fitness, Jump rope Workouts, Jumping Rope, Lifeline Heavy Jump Rope
4.21.2008
TRX Suspension System Used by the Military Overseas
We found this picture while doing some web crawling. Pretty neat to see our products in use by our men and women in uniform. Find out more about the TRX right here.
Labels: Bodyweight Training, Bodyweight Training Equipment, Military Training, Trx Suspension System
4.10.2008
Jumpin' Rope
As is usually customary when I start talking about a new product, questions start to flood the 'ol in box, but today Im going to do a little something different...
You see, I'm going to tell you exactly how I train when I jump rope, Im talking down to the last detail, but before I do that, let me tell you some of the benefits
and advantages of jumping rope, and why I feel it is something you should have as a part of you training.
First of all, if you want to be strong, you gotta be in shape.
Yes, you may not like it, you may not want to hear it, but you simply cant deny the benefits of cardiovascular fitness.
After all, to be "functional" you must actually do "things" and that requires oxygen to your muscles, and what gets the oxygen to your muscles?
Your heart – and how do you strengthen your heart?
That's right – conditioning work. If you do high-rep leg training you understand that its not necessarily your legs that give out first; it's your lungs – and being in better shape means a couple more reps – and that means getting just a little stronger than you would have been otherwise.
And, as they say, your waistline is your lifeline, so while you may not necessarily "like" conditioning work, it's going to be a pretty good idea in the grand scheme of things to get that going.
Now, as far as jumping rope. – tis a good choice for a lot of reasons, the least of which is that its simply a great alternative to jogging or running.
Not necessarily "better" in some respects, just different.
You may not necessarily "feel" like running but you can always manage a couple minutes of rope jumping.
Another thing about jumping rope is that it causes you to engage your whole body – upperbody, mid-section, legs – you must pay attention to each and every jump thus developing coordination and kinesthetic awareness.
I keep a rope in the back of my truck at all times and on plenty of occasions, I can use it to do a little something different to my workouts.
A couple examples that I have used in the past include a minute of jumping between stair running, sprints, hindu squats, pushups.
You name an exercise, and a little rope jumping can make it that much more intense. – and provide much-needed variety to keep your workouts fresh.
Plus, with the upper body involvement, especially the wrist rotation, I find that a coupel minutes of jumping rope the day after a hard workouts increases blood flow to get rid of soreness and promote recovery.
As far as some of the ways I train, I mentioned a few examples above, no real "secret" other than to add it in and do it.
I tell you what, this email is getting a bit on the long side for me,
Let me write up my workout and send it out later today. I'll also include the one simple thing that you should have for every conditioning workout – something you can get pretty easily.
That will be revealed just a bit later on today.
In the meantime, you'll want to sprint on over and get yourself a set of the same ropes that I use. Youll find em here:
Train hard,
John Wood
Labels: Conditioning Workout, Jimmy Clabby, Jump Rope, Jumprope, Jumprope Workout, Lifeline Heavy Jump Rope, Lifeline Jumprope
4.08.2008
Yes, It Will Hold...
Tim wrote in yesterday with this question:
Does TRX support FULL bodyweight exercisesTim, the short answer is Yes, the TRX will hold fast and secure for every exercise you can think of.
- dips,pullups, muscleups, iron cross etc ?
Thanks,
Tim
How do I know? Its because the TRX is made of industrial strength soft nylon webbing which has been max tested at over 1500 pounds.
You couldn't bust it if you tried.
The real question, I suppose, is whether the attachment point of your choosing is strong enough -- which should not be a problem with a little common sense.
.
Things like the swing set at the park, or an overhead beam in your basement or a steel attachment clip arent going anywhere. Full instructions for secure attachment are included.
Also keep in mind that all those exercises listed are a different animal when done on the TRX so if youre looking for a new challenge, that's one to keep in mind.
I would bet that if you can do 20-30 dips and 15 chins on conventional equipment, you would be lucky to get half that many on the TRX.
I'm talking full reps here, though, your form can always be modified to suit. The good thing about the TRX is that with a simple shift in leverage, it can be just as
much of a challenge for someone just starting out as it is for a Navy Seal.
As I have mentioned several times before, I like the TRX for one specific exercise – everything else is icing on the cake.
It's called the reverse crunch and it's the only ab exercise youll ever need... After doing this exercise fighting champ Bas Rutten said that his abs were so tender that it hurt to laugh...
I know exactly what hes talking about because it happened to me too.
Train hard,
John Wood
P.S. To find out more about the TRX and what it can do for your training, youll want to sprint on over to this page: The TRX Bodyweight Suspension System
Labels: Ab Exercise, Ab Training, Bas Rutten, Bodyweight Ab Exercise, Bodyweight Training Question, Trx Suspension System
4.07.2008
Rope Climbing with Maxwell by Steve Maxwell
I had my first rope climbing experience in junior high school gym class--this was back in the 60's when kids were still encouraged to participate in strenuous activities. From the very first moment, I fell in love with rope climbing.
I liked the way it worked my grip and upper arms. It was surprisingly cardio. Rope climbing has been a staple conditioning tool of wrestlers for over 2000 years.
In a poll of North American wrestling champions, though they varied in choices of workout equipment, all agreed on rope climbing as invaluable conditioning training.
Throughout my high school and college wrestling career, I had access to ropes in the gym. In the military, there were ropes on base. As a junior high school Phys Ed teacher, I had the kids climb and I'd get my reps in as well. Once I got into the personal training field in commercial gyms, finding a decent rope to climb became more difficult.
I missed climbing.
Towel chins and pull-ups just weren't the same. The added excitement (and fear) of climbing high off the ground makes rope climbing unique. (N.B. Always make sure to climb with the proper padding and safety precautions)
I bought a rope from a tug boat supply company on the Delaware river in Philadelphia. I'd hang it off the sides of bridges and climb.
When I had my own gym, Maxercise, I'd hang ropes off the second floor fire escape in the back alley. One of my jiu-jitsu students lost his grip one day and slid down the rope, taking the skin off the palms of both hands. My wife (at the time) then put the kibosh on all back-alley rope climbs for fear of losing our home in litigation.
That's when I decided to build a rope-climbing tower in our back yard...
I ordered two 35' galvanized steel fence posts. They were joined by a cross beam of welded-on angle iron. I got a bunch of my jiu-jitsu guys to come over and help dig the holes and erect the apparatus. It was unwieldy and a nightmare to get up. We almost took out the telephone wires, and worse, we crashed it through a neighbor's window.
This was a Philly Row home with a small back courtyard containing a lovely garden. Umm, my wife was out of town so it was the perfect time to get it done. I figured, what could she say once it was erected? Even my son, Zak, said, "She won't be mad forever..."
We hung a nice, synthetic outdoor rope I bought from John Wood's site, www.functionalhandstrength.com and Zak and I had some awesome rope climbing workouts.
After the divorce, I found myself living in an RV and traveling the country and I really missed my rope climbing sessions! I devised an ingenious portable rope climbing system.
Once again, my friend, John Wood, provided one of his excellent manila climbing ropes.
Mine is custom-made at 30' and beautifully finished. Manila affords the best gripping surface, but isn't good for outdoor ropes because it's prone to dry rot. Since I take mine down after climbing and store it in the RV, manila was my first choice.
What I came up with was to attach a life line to a rescue ball on one end and the climbing rope on the other. The life line has a 2000 lb. breaking point and is what actually holds me up. The rescue ball is a large rubber bell through which the life line threads.
I find a suitable tree limb, do a couple under twirls, then throw the rescue line up and over.
The weight of the ball pulls the rope down to where I can grab it and I double-check the knot connecting the climbing rope to the life line. Then I simply haul the climbing rope up the tree limb and tie off the lifeline by wrapping it around another nearby tree trunk.
When I'm done, I unwrap the line and let it fall to the ground. I store my portable system in a large, zippered gym bag with zip-lock baggy containing a sock full of rosin to get the hands dry and sticky for maximal grip.
Last weekend, I found a redwood tree on a cliff overlooking San Francisco Bay. The sunlight broke through the evergreens above the rhythmic sounds of the waves hitting the rocks below. The Golden Gate Bridge stood in the distance. I set up my portable climbing system and had at it, alternating sets of 20 Hindu push-ups with a 25' rope climb.
After six sets, my arms became "dysfunctional."
Next, I did 100 flat-foot Russian squats with my Bulgarian training bag. I finished with one hundred 20 lb. sledgehammer swings on an old stump -- ten right, then ten left.
I felt great!
Here I was in paradise, climbing an ancient tree, working my body, breathing the fresh air and getting the workout of my life. I love working out in nature and find it difficult to go back to the gym after a day like this.
Note: Steve Maxwell is a trained professional, please observe all safety precautions while climbing and do not take any unnecessary risks.
I liked the way it worked my grip and upper arms. It was surprisingly cardio. Rope climbing has been a staple conditioning tool of wrestlers for over 2000 years.
In a poll of North American wrestling champions, though they varied in choices of workout equipment, all agreed on rope climbing as invaluable conditioning training.
Throughout my high school and college wrestling career, I had access to ropes in the gym. In the military, there were ropes on base. As a junior high school Phys Ed teacher, I had the kids climb and I'd get my reps in as well. Once I got into the personal training field in commercial gyms, finding a decent rope to climb became more difficult.
I missed climbing.
Towel chins and pull-ups just weren't the same. The added excitement (and fear) of climbing high off the ground makes rope climbing unique. (N.B. Always make sure to climb with the proper padding and safety precautions)
I bought a rope from a tug boat supply company on the Delaware river in Philadelphia. I'd hang it off the sides of bridges and climb.
When I had my own gym, Maxercise, I'd hang ropes off the second floor fire escape in the back alley. One of my jiu-jitsu students lost his grip one day and slid down the rope, taking the skin off the palms of both hands. My wife (at the time) then put the kibosh on all back-alley rope climbs for fear of losing our home in litigation.
That's when I decided to build a rope-climbing tower in our back yard...
I ordered two 35' galvanized steel fence posts. They were joined by a cross beam of welded-on angle iron. I got a bunch of my jiu-jitsu guys to come over and help dig the holes and erect the apparatus. It was unwieldy and a nightmare to get up. We almost took out the telephone wires, and worse, we crashed it through a neighbor's window.
This was a Philly Row home with a small back courtyard containing a lovely garden. Umm, my wife was out of town so it was the perfect time to get it done. I figured, what could she say once it was erected? Even my son, Zak, said, "She won't be mad forever..."
We hung a nice, synthetic outdoor rope I bought from John Wood's site, www.functionalhandstrength.com and Zak and I had some awesome rope climbing workouts.
After the divorce, I found myself living in an RV and traveling the country and I really missed my rope climbing sessions! I devised an ingenious portable rope climbing system.
Once again, my friend, John Wood, provided one of his excellent manila climbing ropes.
Mine is custom-made at 30' and beautifully finished. Manila affords the best gripping surface, but isn't good for outdoor ropes because it's prone to dry rot. Since I take mine down after climbing and store it in the RV, manila was my first choice.
What I came up with was to attach a life line to a rescue ball on one end and the climbing rope on the other. The life line has a 2000 lb. breaking point and is what actually holds me up. The rescue ball is a large rubber bell through which the life line threads.
I find a suitable tree limb, do a couple under twirls, then throw the rescue line up and over.
The weight of the ball pulls the rope down to where I can grab it and I double-check the knot connecting the climbing rope to the life line. Then I simply haul the climbing rope up the tree limb and tie off the lifeline by wrapping it around another nearby tree trunk.
When I'm done, I unwrap the line and let it fall to the ground. I store my portable system in a large, zippered gym bag with zip-lock baggy containing a sock full of rosin to get the hands dry and sticky for maximal grip.
 |  |  |
Last weekend, I found a redwood tree on a cliff overlooking San Francisco Bay. The sunlight broke through the evergreens above the rhythmic sounds of the waves hitting the rocks below. The Golden Gate Bridge stood in the distance. I set up my portable climbing system and had at it, alternating sets of 20 Hindu push-ups with a 25' rope climb.
After six sets, my arms became "dysfunctional."
Next, I did 100 flat-foot Russian squats with my Bulgarian training bag. I finished with one hundred 20 lb. sledgehammer swings on an old stump -- ten right, then ten left.
I felt great!
Here I was in paradise, climbing an ancient tree, working my body, breathing the fresh air and getting the workout of my life. I love working out in nature and find it difficult to go back to the gym after a day like this.
Note: Steve Maxwell is a trained professional, please observe all safety precautions while climbing and do not take any unnecessary risks.
Labels: Climbing Ropes, Jiu-Jitsu, Manila Climbing Ropes, Rope Climbing, Steve Maxwell, Wrestling
3.26.2008
The Year-One Jump Rope Workout
 | Bodyweightbasics.com celebrates its one-year birthday today. My, they grow old so quickly dont they? Next thing you know it'll be old enough to drive... In all seriousness, heres a pretty good conditioning workout to use. Youll need a jump rope (heres the one I use: Lifeline Jumprope and a wrist watch with a timer on it, I suggest an Ironman watch by Timex. The workout is simple: 30-seconds "on" with the jump rope, then 1 pushup, then 30 seconds of "rest" -- if you could call it that. Start with 10 total minutes and work up to 20 over time. When you make 20, add another pushup and progress like so. The weathers getting warmer here and I busted this one out last week. I'm a tad rusty on the rope jumping front but it'll come back with time. If you have a heart rate monitor, check your results from this workout – you will be pleasantly surprised. Let me know how it goes. On to the next 365! Train hard, John Wood P.S. Again, if you need a good jump rope, (and who doesn't?) heres the one I recommend: Lifeline USA Power Jumprope |
Labels: bodyweight workout, Conditioning Workout, Jumping Rope, Jumprope, Jumprope Workout, Lifeline Jumprope, workout
2.13.2008
Revisiting Hindu Squats
 | I mentioned Hindu squats in a recent email and to change things up a bit, decided to add them back in to my program. It was a good idea and one of the other great advantages that Hindu squats have over other forms of squatting that I neglected to mention earlier is that the involvement of the arms means more muscle is worked, and therefore will increase the potential conditioning benefits to an appreciable degree. Also, at the top of the movement you can stretch and really focus on opening up your chest as you breath which is another great advantage. As for my form, I like to maintain a more upright posture and keep my knees over my feet moreso than the traditionally taught method. My fingertips brush the ground on each rep, - I was doing them in the snow and you could see the two grooves on either side of my footprints. Also, its very important to have a guttural "breath" on the upswing which not only strengthens the lungs but the abs as well. Yes, the breathing is a very important part of this exercise. The great thing about Hindu Squats is that you can make them as challenging as you want - a set of just 50 can put be easy as pie or put you on the floor depending on how you do them. Try 'em and youll see. Train hard, John Wood P.S. If you still dont have a copy, I'd recommend grabbing your own copy of Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey where you'll find all kinds of info on Hindu Squats and 50 other great bodyweight exercises. |
Labels: bodyweight workout, Combat Conditioning, Hindu Squats, Leg Work Out
