Challenge Workouts

Guest Post

5 Exercises to STOP Doing (#3 is controversial)

By Kate Vidulich

Want to learn to jump rope?

You’ll get tangled up in the beginning, but if you keep at it, you’ll be a pro, impress all the 10 year olds on the block and get super fit 😉

Start with the basics.

A double jump is the easiest way to start. The rope can be going slowly. Keep the arms close to your sides and use your wrists to rotate the rope over your head.

There’s no need to jump to the sky. Keep your jumps low to the ground. It’s more efficient and you’ll be pleased to know that by keeping your jumps low, it’s easier on your joints as well.

You’ll see some simple progressions in the video:

• single bounce
• double bounce each foot
• side swing
• skier
• butt kick

The key is to just keep practicing. Everyone misses the rope, but you’ll never get better if you don’t try. I have LOTS more variations for you…

You can use any of these jump rope skills (and find more advanced ones) in my Challenge Jump Rope program.

You’ll find 63+ demos of jump rope variations AND you’ll get MORE bodyweight workouts with my NEW Combat Jump Rope workouts where you’ll learn to train like a fighter whether you ever want to get in the ring or not.

Jumping rope is the BEST alternative for fun fat loss boosting workouts.

Please tell me you’re smarter than this…
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I’m not going to name any business specifically, but if you look closely, you may see the URL, do a Google search (or take a guess) at what a certain fitness celeb is pushing as ‘cutting edge’ workouts…(THESE are cutting edge workouts that work).
Now, I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I need to set the record straight…

You’ll see that the ‘cutting edge’ workouts involve lots of specialized machines that are said to be a ‘functional’ and will build and tone muscles and ‘jump start’ fat loss.

Oh by the way….you can only use these machines by buying a membership to this establishment.

Look, I’m all about free enterprise, but I’d prefer to base business around current scientific studies that show the MOST effective methods of toning muscles and losing fat…I’m not saying this type of thing won’t deliver, I’m just saying there are MORE effective methods.

Honestly, I think a workout using seated machines like this has a place in the market place.

If someone is totally ‘exercise-adverse’, then this sort of exercise is a great start to get someone moving.

If someone is doing absolutely NOTHING in the way of exercise, then ANY kind of movement and nutritional modification will get results in the beginning. I’d hope that after a month or so, a person would move on to something more intense and more ‘functional’ to get results.

One of the issues I have with traditional ‘gyms’ and ones like these is that they do little to educate their patrons. Why would they advocate effective training modalities like bodyweight training? After all, anyone can do bodyweight training anywhere and no gym membership is required…

As a business, gyms want to lure you in with shiny machines because you don’t have them at home.

But don’t be fooled.

There’s SO much you can do with just your body weight to hit even the MOST troubling spots on your body.

Don’t go buy a ‘birthing machine’ (inner/outer thigh machine) for your home when you can do bodyweight exercises.

Here are a few awesome alternatives to the ‘specialty’ machines you’ll find in a gym.

Swap THIS => For THIS

1. Ab twisty machine (pictured above) => plank

Why? When on earth would you ever replicate this movement in real life? The grinding motion on the spine is havoc on the back and the seated position isn’t functional in the least. Your core muscles aren’t even engaged unless you have terrific kinesthetic awareness (which most beginners do not have).

The plank, on the other hand, engages the entire core, you can do it any where and beginners through advanced people can benefit.

I know the plank doesn’t seem sexy, but trust me, you’ll get sexy results from this simple staple of core training.

If you really want the nitty-gritty pointers on how to plank properly, watch this video:

2. Glute machine (also pictured above) => prisoner squats

Why? Well, everyone needs to squat several times daily (if we’re going to sit down or use the toilet). We have little need to kick someone who’s behind us – I hope! (as the movement pattern of the machine would suggest as a ‘functional movement’).

On top of working the glutes, you’ll hit the hamstrings, quads and core with the prisoner squat. As an added bonus, by using the prisoner position, you’ll also hit the upper back. Posterior muscles are difficult to engage with bodyweight training, but you’ll feel them with this full body functional movement.

Get some pointers here:

3. Chest press => push ups

Why? The push up is the lowly under dog of exercises that’s brilliant for working the chest, shoulders, triceps, spinal erectors, quads AND core. The chest press machine will hit the chest, front delt and triceps at most.

Do you have much use for pushing something away from your body forcefully in a seated position?

Probably not, but the muscles engaged while doing a push up prepare you for pushing a car or for any pushing movement you need to do.

Do it right here:

4. Elliptical machine => Full Body Extension

Why? For starters, studies show that the elliptical machine overestimates your caloric burn even if you’re doing (mind-numbing) intervals, not to mention the ineffectiveness of doing steady state cardio on this machine.

The full body extension works the entire body (duh, it’s in the name), you need a small amount of space, no equipment, it’s NON impact and when you do them correctly, you can’t go for hours. This means that if you throw these babies into your workout in bursts within your strength training exercises, you cut down on the dreaded cardio time many feel they need to do in order to ‘burn fat’.

Get some tips on doing it correctly here:

Shorter workouts => better results => #winning!

If you’re looking to get fit and tone up, then obviously, you don’t need a bunch of seated machines to do it.

Do you have some nagging or lagging body parts? Are you interested in toning those up so that you’ll feel more comfortable in (less) clothes, like maybe even a bathing suit?

Here’s the solution.

Now fellas, I gotta say these bodyweight exercises will work for you too. Your secret will be safe with me if you decide to do these follow along videos with me.

Even though this next page is geared for the girls, I have several men in my fitness boot camp that have lost their bellies and found their pecs doing these workouts.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a better bum?

Here’s to bodyweight training with full follow along videos.

Sorry to that gym with the purple logo and funky machines….thank you for possibly getting some folks hooked on exercise and moving to the stuff that really works…

Like this 😉

Want a quickie?

<====NO! Not that kind!

A different kind of quickie entirely!

This blog is about training! What were you thinking??

Let’s talk quick workouts…

Your workout should enhance your life not BE your life. I love to workout, but I love to do other things too, that’s why this 20 min workout is perfect to do so that you can get in a great full body workout and still do the other things you love. Read the rest of this entry »