Getting in position for the 1 arm pushup

I was teaching my MamaTone class yesterday and at the end of class when they were dead tired I had all the moms max out on the number of pushups they could do.  Most of these moms have been super consistent for anywhere from 6 months to 3 years with me, and the average number of pushups was over 30 and Laura was able to get 75 good pushups.  These pushups were of course on their toes, since I don’t really consider pushups on knees to even be pushups.

So for many of you (especially those of you who are paying clients through my Fit Fun Bootcamps, MamaTone, and DVDs) pushups are pretty easy and boring.

Bottom position of the 1 arm pushup

More recently I have been getting requests to help you learn how to do one arm pushups, the ones you see in the movie Rocky.  I have worked a little bit recently with my clients to do 1 arm pushups and many of them can do a couple of them with perfect form.  So I wanted to make a video talking about how to train to be able to do a 1 arm pushup and the technique that is involved.

Give the 1 arm pushup a try and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

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1.  Walrus:  This is great for core, back, and triceps.  It is also great to have your kids do if you want your floors to be cleaned.  :)

2. Killer leg hops:  This shows that I neglect my legs a little too much.  But you don’t have to have rings to do this one, just jump in and out or for your kids draw circles in chalk on your driveway.

3.  Alligator Crawls:  These are pretty hard and advanced, but to make it easier don’t bend your arms as much.  Whenever I go to schools to teach bootcamps to kids I always have them do this exercise and they have a blast doing it.

4.  Hamstring Falls:  This is one of my favorite exercises I have my personal training clients do.  I haven’t found another exercise that gets the hamstrings as well as this one does!  Fit Fun Bootcampers, don’t be surprised to be seeing this one soon!

5.  Burpees with weighted med ball throw:  This one gets the heart rate up like very few other exercises.  I realize this isn’t very practical if you are trying to do this at home.  A ball like the one I was using probably costs $60 and most don’t have a wall that is tough enough to throw against.  But you could do this with a partner and do a chest pass to them, or use a basketball.

If you have enjoyed these exercises that you can do at home with little or no equipment, I encourage you to check out my partner workout DVDs called Ultimate Buddy Bootcamp, or my Buns Guns Back and Shoulders DVDs.

Click the image to learn more about the Buns Guns Back and Shoulder DVDs

Click the image to learn more about The Ultimate Buddy Bootcamp DVDs

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It seemed like an uncomfortably warm night last night. My wife and I watched the movie Tales of the Crypt (1972), not to be confused with the HBO series, before heading to bed. I love old ’70′s B-movies from my youth. They used to show them at the local drive-in but I suppose now they are direct to video. However, I digress. The warm air or humidity didn’t make for great sleeping weather so we were up for a bit. When I finally fell asleep I knew it would only be a short time until 4:30 am came along.

When the alarm went off I turned over and grudgingly got out of bed. Immediately I felt a soreness and stiffness in my legs. I taught a body sculpt class the previous day and the ladies in that class love to work the legs. I was feeling the results of that now though. Maybe I should skip  bootcamp today, I thought. But I knew that was a really poor excuse so I got dressed and off I went.

Unfortunately, upon arriving at Elver Park, Dustin made the announcement that today was a testing day. Oh no, I groaned to myself. If you haven’t had the opportunity to go to Dustin’s bootcamp, testing day is when we get tested on our progress in four different areas. We have a timed wall sit, 90 seconds to do as many burpees as we can, unlimited time to do as many push-ups as we can, and a timed run all the way to the top of Elver Hill and back. Sore, tired legs and arms are not really conducive to a successful testing day but I figured I’d give it my best shot.

We did the run first. There are many of us in bootcamp this summer so Dustin told the faster people to line up in front and the slower to line up behind. I lined up in the back. My goal today was to just make it all the way up and down without walking. I knew this was going to be tough today and I didn’t want to be in anybody’s way. Well Dustin said go and away we went. I didn’t do too badly. I was able to maneuver myself around some people and Ashton, another of Dustin’s trainers, was midway up the hill cheering us on. I got all the way to the top without stopping and turned around and ran back down. I lost a little time here because I tend to slow down for fear of falling. For some reason I also move way over to the side which means I have more ground to make up on the way back. Still, when I got back to flat ground I was surprised to find I still had some juice left. I didn’t finish with the kind of time I would have liked but it wasn’t bad.

The next test was the wall sit. I knew this would be the hardest for me and it was. Hit my quads pretty quickly and I didn’t get too far. Angie, another participant, sat for over 4 minutes! We moved on to the next test and she was still sitting. Way to go Angie! This test was followed by the push-up test and then the burpee test. I did what I could. I stopped my push-ups probably earlier than I should have. At one point I went to the up position and kind of dropped. I didn’t know if I could keep going or if I was supposed to stop, so I stopped. I was breathing pretty heavy by the time we got to the burpees. This one is tough all over. Tough on the legs, tough as cardio, tough on the arms, just tough all over. I did what I could in the allotted time and then the testing was over. I gave a deep sigh of relief.

Ashton took us through the strength part of the workout. We did some lunges, tricep dips, rows while our legs were resting on the bench, walking planks, and finally a kind of V-sit. I could see cars arriving now and thought camp was done. But it wasn’t. Dustin had one more cardio activity for us. We picked partners and then went to the tennis courts. One partner did a stationary squat while the other sprinted across the tennis court and back. Dustin said he didn’t want to see us jog, he wanted to see us sprint since we only had to do it once. Okay, I thought, if it’s only once I can do this. So I sprinted as hard as I could. I didn’t realize we had different definitions of the word once. We had to do it again. And again. For 4 minutes. I did try to keep sprinting though. I promise you I left nothing on that tennis court.

After class, I looked for my original testing form. Except for the wall sit, I improved in all areas. I was very impressed because I knew Dustin, Ryan, Ashton, and Becky must really be pushing me to challenge myself if I was able to show improvement while my body was as tired as I was. And that’s why I’m here after all.

On a side not, my poor wife Sharon is out for at least another 6 weeks. Doctor told her that stress fractures usually take at least 3 months to heal. She is very unhappy as she looked forward to moving outdoors for bootcamp for months. I’ll just have to take up the slack and work for both of us.

Have a good one.

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I woke up pretty rested today. The television said it was 44 degrees out so I figured that’s not too bad. A hoodie and sweatpants should do the job. Ok workout, I thought, here I come!

We arrived at boot camp at about 5:25.  Hooray!  No extra push-ups today for being late.  I was amazed at the number of people there. I don’t even have an estimate but there were plenty!  It’s impressive and inspiring to see so many new people joining and committing themselves to Dustin’s program. It is especially exciting to see so many more men joining and realizing this is one tough program! Now that we are outdoors again, I remember to bring my 20 lb weights, but that means  I hobble more than walk over to the shelter.

On my way over, I decided that this would actually be the beginning of my summer training. On Monday we took our first fit test. This established our baseline. From here on out, I’m trying to see how much I can improve by the time we move back indoors. I did do better on my tests than I did last year at this time in all areas except one. So I took that as a positive.

When we were ready Dustin told us to bring our mats, weights, and water over to the hill. Today we would do much of our work there and we would become one with the hill. Fat chance of that, I thought. By the way that hill chews me up and spits me out ,  I don’t think it has any intention of becoming one with me! Also, I knew with all that equipment there was no way I was running over to the hill. Like I said earlier, it was more of a hobble, albeit a quick one. By the time I got to where everyone was warming up they had passed me by. Luckily I just joined in at the end and when we switched directions, I was at the head of the line.

When we began our workout, we were going to be divided into groups by how fast we got up the hill. We only had to run to where the hill kind of flattens out. Now, I thought, I have done this before. I wind up in the fast group and then I have to work extra hard so this time, I told myself, I would slow down some so that I would be in the slow group. They work hard too but sometimes they seem to get a (very) little break. Well, of course this is where I learned my first lesson. No matter the age (or circumstance) my darn competitiveness is going to kick in. Once Dustin said go,  I started. I didn’t go full tilt at first but then I found myself wanting to see  how far up I could go and how many people I could pass. I knew I waited too late to catch the really fast people but I could make a good showing for myself. It was only when Dustin said to stop that I realized I was probably in trouble. He told us that he was dividing us into 3 groups, not 2. Group A was the group closest to the top, B the middle section, and C the lower section. I was in Group A. What was I thinking? Now we got to play a little game of chase. Group C went back down the hill a little ways, group B went down a little further, and group A? All the way back down. When Dustin said go, we had to run again to the top of the hill trying to catch the people in the groups above us. No comment on how I did there.

Once we got back to the top of the hill we partnered up for exercises.  My partner was a woman I had never met before. She usually attended the afternoon classes but had a schedule change today. She was very nice and encouraging. We both tried to push each other as hard as we could. We started with partner push-ups ( which I was still too winded to do effectively), then we did wheelbarrows (or bear crawls), and finished with back to back wall sits. I am terrible at these. I’m not sure why. I can’t get the form right or something but more than anything I think it is lack of confidence or trust. Lesson 2. Trust your partner. They are there to help and encourage you but will also accept your limitations.

Next, one more time back down the hill in groups. I must not have been listening as well as I thought because I didn’t hear Dustin say we would be running back up again. But when he said go, I was doing ok. I didn’t feel particularly tired in my legs and thought, “I’ve got this”. However, lesson 3, focus on what you are doing and don’t worry about others. I was doing fine, great actually, but then I looked over and saw a couple people walking. So I tell myself that it’s okay if I’m a little tired. I can walk. So I started to walk. When I thought I could run again, I started again. But once you quit like that, it is awfully hard to get started again (a lesson I already knew but refuse to let sink in). So I walked/slow jogged it the rest of the way up. Lesson 3 here. Why I prefer group exercise to working out alone. The group was very encouraging, cheering me to completion. It’s nice to have a large group of people on your side. Although I suspect there may have been a couple wanting me to finish slowly so they could have an extra minute to catch their breath.

After we came down the hill for the final time we worked on the core. We did V-sits with a deltoid press, swimmers and squirms, front and side planks (with a weight), rowers, and the exercise where we swing our weights out in front, focusing on the glutes and hamstrings. I had to go to a lighter weight for the side plank as the 20 lb weight made me fall over. I could also only use 1 20 lbs weight for the hamstring exercise as two did not allow for good form.

By this time, I could see the new arrivals which meant it was time to be done for today. I could also see the news van there, ready to film the next class for a morning report which led to Lesson 4. If you attend the 5:30 am class, you won’t have to be on TV!

Have a good one!

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 Post by Katie C., blog contributor

Before I started bootcamp, if I only had 30 minutes to work out (or even if I had more time), my default activity would be running.  Now that I’ve been doing bootcamp for almost a year, I’ve learned the importance of incorporating strength activities and am a fan of circuit workouts. Here’s a 30 minute circuit workout that I’ve adapted from iVillage.  It’s a great way to get in a good workout anywhere without any equipment.

1.  Warm up with 8 minutes of cardio (running, jumping jacks, etc)

2.  Do one minute of jungle squats 

3.  Do one minute of push ups

4.  Do one minute of reverse V lunges

5.  Do one minute of modified chair dips

6.  Do two minutes of cardio (any combination of jogging in place, butt kickers, squat jumps, snowboard jumps, etc.)

7.   Do one minute of ab exercises (any combination of front planks, bicycles, Russian twists, etc.)

8.  Take a 30 second break, then repeat steps 2 through 8 two more times.  Your 30 minute intense workout will be done before you know it!

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We had a great time with our Saturday morning outdoor bootcamp kickoff.  There were 90 positive and hard working bootcampers that came out and worked hard, burned calories, improved their cardiovascular fitness, strengthened their core, toned their muscles, and met tons of new people.

One of my highlights was the potluck that we had afterwards.  Great food and community building.  I met so many amazing people, but I wanted to give a couple specific shout outs.

1.  I will keep this anonymous, but a husband of one of my bootcampers pulled me aside and wanted to thank me for this program and how amazing it has been for his wife.  She not only has lost a couple sizes, but their relationship is better, she is more positive, happier, confident, and more adventurous.  I think he summed it up quite well, the benefits of a program based on strength training, burst training, proper nutrition, and community.

If you don’t have this type of program in your area, start your own Fit Moms For Life group up.

Also a shout out to Crystal who came back from Chicago for the workout.  She started Fit Fun Bootcamps 17 months ago, and recently moved back to Chicago.  She has lost 102 lbs.  I didn’t even know she was there until the end of the workout after someone told me.  I didn’t even recognize her!

Ok, not a good pic with the lighting, but some of our great trainers

Finally I want to thank all my amazing trainers for being there.  We had 9 out of the 14 trainers there volunteering their time and energy.  I couldn’t do what I do without you!

Enjoy the video, hopefully you will pick up on some new moves to try at home.

-High knees

-Side shuffle

-Squat jumps

-Sprinting up hill

-Dumbbell swings

-Side lunge with db

-Bicycles

-Front plank

-Side plank

-V sits

-Scorpion pushups

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If you are new to this website and are interesting in getting regular tips on exercise, nutrition, and motivation, be sure right now, to enter your name and email in the boxes to your right, and receive a free insiders report!

It goes by many different names:

-Muffin top

-The pouch

-Rolls

-The belly

-Belly bulge

Whatever you want to call it, attaining a flat stomach for a mom, is one of the most physically desirable changes.  You love your bundle of joy, you just don’t like what he/she did to your body.

So how do we attack this belly?

There are many different components that need to be in place for you to reach the goal of a flat stomach.  The main ones are; nutrition, strength training, burst training, and core training.

I don’t want this post to be too long, so I am going to just stick with talking about strengthening the core today.

I want to start with this one, because ab muscles are completely destroyed after a C-section, and even to some degree pregnancy in general.  A week core doesn’t look good, but more importantly, it makes you susceptible to lower back problems.  Lower back problems are the LAST thing that a mom can afford to have.

Instead of focusing on crunches, which will most likely make the abs even worse and lead to even more bulging of the belly, I teach my moms that it is what is on the inside that counts.  All joking aside, it is the deep core muscles that play the biggest role in a strong, safe back, and a stomach that looks good.

The video above shows my favorite ab exercises to do that target the inner most abs, the ones that really count.

Chances are if you have been part of this website for awhile, you already have my Got Core DVDs, and have seen awesome results with them.  But maybe you are new to the site, or for whatever reason, you just haven’t made the small investment in these DVDs.  I have received testimonials from people all around the world who swear by the Got Core workouts.

The secret behind the workouts are twofold.

First there are over 50 exercises that are included, and many of these exercises have subtle ways where we tweak the movements to make them even better.  So you are hitting the core, and much of your body from literally hundreds of different ways.  One of the keys to any exercise program is variety and challenging the muscles from different angles and positions.

The second secret is that there are 8, 15 minute workouts that are included.  So you start off at level one, and slowly build to level 8. Progression is necessary, if you did the same workout everyday for months and months, the benefits would diminish after about 6 weeks.

Oh and I guess there is a third secret, it is FUN!

Click add to cart to invest right now!

All you need to have at home is a stability ball which you can pick up for less than $20 at most stores.  These DVDs come together and normally retail for $59.95, but I want to make these available to you for just $29.95 (plus S&H).

How much is it worth to you, to reduce the risk of injuring your back?

How much is it worth to have a tight stomach?

How much is it worth to you to improve activities such as running?

If it is worth more than $29.95, click the add to cart right now.  We will send it to you within a couple of days.

If you have any questions about anything we talked about today, or if you have a minute to share your experience with the Got Core DVDs, please share a comment below using Facebook or the website comment box.

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Hi!  This is Kim, one of Dustin’s contributors!

Before I get started today, I thought I would share a cool link to some very interesting stats on birth and pregnancy.  Click this link to check it out. ->-> http://www.popjolly.com/a-breakdown-of-birth-in-the-usa-1694

Two Hundred and Twelve Point Five………  I will never forget reaching that weight in my doctor’s office towards the end of the pregnancy with my first child.  I will never forget the look on my doctor’s face when he scolded me for not controlling my weight gain!   I had gained a total of 74.5 pounds and set myself up for a hard delivery and recovery.

My pregnancies were all considered high risk and activity was restricted early on.  This seemed to give me the green light to become sedentary and eat what I wanted.  This also led to weakened muscle, excess weight and a terribly out of shape body that was not ready for the rigors of labor and delivery.  I ended up needing an emergency caesarean section with my first daughter.  As you probably know, once you have one c-section, chances are greater you will need another as labor and delivery can become more risky.  I ended up having two more c-sections.

According to Paul Chek, in the book “Eat, Move and Be Healthy”, when doctors cut through the abdominal wall, the muscles are wounded.  When the layers of wounded muscle are sewn back together, scarring, adhesions and dysfunction of the abdominal wall occur.  After the birth of my last child (and my 3rd c-section) my doctor told me my muscles were destroyed from being cut and reconstructed.  It’s kind of like cutting an electrical wire and putting it back together without knowing which wire goes where, the electrical current can’t get through.   With the abdominals, the muscles can’t fire properly.   Weak core muscles can result in poor posture and  back pain.

There is alot of hype right now that c-sections are the way to deliver and that the recovery is easier than natural childbirth.  While I know that there are cases where c-sections can’t be avoided, I believe that our bodies were made to deliver babies naturally and this should be the method of choice when possible.

That being said, I wish I had prepared my body for natural childbirth by keeping as active as I could and controlling how much weight I gained.  I believe being fit and strong prior to and during pregancy may have prevented my need for a c-section.  Dustin’s “Got Core?” and “Fit Moms For Life” dvd series are great tools to get strong before and after pregnancy.

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