Shove it! Top Pushing Moves

By Doug Balzarini

Over the years I’ve made clear my preference to posterior chain/pulling movements over pushing exercises. I feel that, for the majority of the population, the benefits of backside exercises far outweigh their anterior chain counterpart. Now, this doesn’t mean that I don’t like pushing exercises. In fact, pressing and pushing are staple movements in all my programs. They are essential for a well balanced routine.

Whether you are a professional MMA athlete or an “everyday population” client, make sure you include effective, functional pushing exercises into your workouts. The list could go on for pages with all the variations and various tools that one could use…I’m going to share four of my favorites.

1. Chest Press

The chest press is the “go to” exercise for developing the pecs, anterior deltoids, and triceps muscles. If you want a well-rounded routine, you should include some form of a chest pressing movement into your weekly program. In the video below, you will see the ‘Dumbbell Floor Press’. Compared to the traditional bench press, you will lose some leg drive with this variation; however, I feel it’s a bit safer for the shoulder joint and still extremely effective for developing strength and power in those upper body pushing muscles. Exercise in video below: Dumbbell Floor Press

2. Pushup

I love bodyweight exercises and pushups have been a staple bodyweight exercise for years and years. Search on YouTube and you can find hundreds of pushup variations out there…some I question the reasoning behind and some I love. When done properly, pushups force you to really engage the entire body, testing you from feet to fingertips. This variation below will add an additional challenge to the shoulder joint, your obliques, and your hip mobility. Keep the entire body “stiff” and engaged throughout the movement to protect your lower back and shoulders. Exercise in video below: Pushup with Toe Taps

3. Get-Up Variations

Kettlebells and sandbags are my tools of choice when talking about the get-up. This exercise is a great full body exercise in terms of both strength and mobility, especially for the glutes and hips. I included it in with these “pushing” exercises simply due to the fact that we are pushing our bodies away from the ground and working the anterior chain a great deal. It is essentially a static press exercise for the shoulder.

My two get-ups of choice:

Sandbag ½ Get-Up  

This is the closest “crunch exercise” you will see in my consistent routines. As long as you lead with movement with your chest and roll onto your elbow and post up onto your hand, you will limit the spinal flexion that occurs during the movement. Check it out in the video below.

Full Kettlebell Get-Up

I love this version for shoulder-health reasons. When performed correctly, you must keep your shoulder “packed”, which will ensure the scapula is stable on the thoracic spine and the surrounding muscles are fully engaged. It helps keep the shoulder strong and safe. Be sure to include Get-Ups to ensure you are getting a true core workout.

Exercise in video below: Sandbag ½ Get-Ups

4. The Prowler

The prowler is the best tool for developing both pushing power/acceleration and metabolic conditioning at the same time. The Prowler, and all its variations, is a lock to always make my list for best equipment on the market today. The exercise below is the most standard movement you can do with the Prowler. Simply load up the weights, grab the handles, get in a proper forward lean position, and get pushing. I like to incorporate the Prowler into a circuit, as a stand along exercise, or as a finisher at the end of a workout (see “finisher” article here). Be careful not to get the “Prowler Flu”!

Exercise in video below: Prowler Pushes

To see these exercises in more detail, as well as 100’s of other movements, click here.

“Everyday Population”

Proper pulling/posterior chain movements are a must if you fall into the “9-to-5 client” category. As long as your program is sensible, then there’s no reason you shouldn’t include a couple pushing exercises into your weekly routine. Incorporate with proper flexibility exercises for the chest, hips, and ankles (another article in itself) and you are on your way to reaching your goals.

“MMA Athlete”

We want to build both the strength and endurance in your front side. “Long strong” is a favorite term of mine in the industry. It refers to your ability to stay strong in the later rounds of a fight; to have the will and endurance to fight on…a lot of that is mental preparation and a lot of that is proper strength training. Incorporate these movements into your routine and you are more likely to stay “long strong” and have your arm raised in victory after the bell rings.

Make sure you incorporate pushing exercises into your weekly routine to ensure you are maintaining balance in your program.

About Doug
Doug currently works at Fitness Quest 10 as a personal trainer, strength coach, and Operations Director for Todd Durkin Enterprises (TDE). He is also the strength coach for the Alliance Fight Team in Chula Vista, CA. A Massachusetts native, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Management from Westfield State University. Since moving to San Diego he has completed some graduate work in Biomechanics at SDSU, obtained an ACE Personal Trainer certification, the NSCA-CSCS certification, a Spinning certification, TRX instructor training, EFI Gravity instructor training, FMS training, and received his CPR/AED instructor status. He has also appeared in 8 fitness videos, written numerous fitness articles, completed a MMA Conditioning Coach certification program and has competed in multiple grappling tournaments.

Prior to working at Fitness Quest 10, Doug worked for the American Council on Exercise as the Continuing Education Coordinator where he was responsible for managing over 400 continuing education providers.

For more information please visit www.todddurkin.com, www.fq10.com, and www.dbstrength.

Coaching The Future Leaders

Hey everyone! I hope you guys are having a good week. Big shout out to all the fathers out there! One of our coaches, Coach Jeff, just celebrated his first father’s day as a father! I wish you and your family the best. I also just want to take a second to thank my dad. I wouldn’t be here in this position without my dad, so I just want to say I love you, Dad and you are the world’s best dad!

Ok, now that I’ve got out all the shout outs it is time to talk about the camps. I’ll be writing a weekly blog about the summer camps happening here at Fitness Quest 10. This week I’ll be writing about the Quest 10 kids summer camp. The Quest 10 kids camp was the first of our summer camps to get started, starting on June 15 and going for four weeks. Camps start at 8:30 a.m. and last an hour. The Quest 10 camp uses both the upstairs and down stairs facilities, as well as the park on Fridays.  The constant change of scenery for the kids is great because they don’t get comfortable with just one place. I know kids get bored a little faster than adults, so this process keeps them excited. This is the only camp that goes by this protocol…all other camps use the downstairs facility. Personally, I think the park is a great tool because it shows the kids that they can get a great workout with just a field. We bring some equipment down to the park, such as ropes, ladders and hurdles, but with or without the equipment the kids can still get effective work done.

We have eight stations at every facility. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we use the workout and plyometric equipment. We partner the kids up and they go through an eight-exercise circuit. Each intern is responsible for one station. Interns are instructed to teach the kids the proper technique in the beginning, but after that we just want the kids moving, whether it’s slamming dynamax balls or performing TRX rows. Fridays are the only days we have some type of game for the kids. Last week we played “Simon says.” Everyone had a lot of fun with that came, and I actually was the first person out!

We have some great athletes in this camp and I can’t wait to see all the progress that they make. One of the kids did over a 100 jump ropes in 60 seconds and two kids did over 50 “real push-ups” in 30 seconds. These kids are amazing! They always come with a smile on their face and it gets all of us as coaches really excited. For those days that some of the kids aren’t as excited, it’s our jobs as coaches to get them excited and focused for the one hour they are with us at the camp. We give them small challenges to keep them interested and the competition aspect really excites them. I’m constantly timing them or keeping a tally on their reps and telling them to try to beat their own score. They love to see their own progress just as much as I like to see it. Anyway, I could talk all day about this great group of kids so I’ll end it here.

Have a great weekend everybody! I look forward to all that these camps have in store for me and for the kids!

Best, Adrian

Free Fitness And Athletic Camp

Wanna Jump Higher? 3 Ways to Improve Vertical Jump

By Brett Klika, C.S.C.S. Director of Athletics, Fitness Quest 10

One of the most common questions I get as an athletic performance coach is “How can I/my child, improve my/their vertical jump?”  The most effective intervention would be to travel back in time and select a man and a woman with superior vertical jump abilities to parent either you or your child. In short, genetics is by far the greatest determining factor in an individual’s vertical jump ability.  Since time travel is not currently available (to the general public) we have to work with what we’ve got.  Here are the 3 most effective tried and true ways to improve vertical jump.

1.  Improve strength-to-weight ratio.  The vertical jump involves culminating muscle force quickly to propel body weight off the ground against gravity.  If the muscle force ability is low and the body weight is high, gravity will win.  Proper nutrition, frequent activity, and developmentally appropriate resistance training will aid improving strength and decreasing excess weight.  Get stronger, get leaner.

2.  Work on jumping technique.  There are biomechanically advantageous positions in which to jump as well as land.  Proper arm action alone can account for 20% of vertical jump ability.  Quite often, there are strength and mobility limitations that can limit the body’s ability to go into biomechanically advantageous position to jump.  For example a proper bodyweight squat is a pre-requisite to vertical jump technique.  If you don’t have the strength or mobility to do the first one right, you won’t be able to do the second one right.  Work on jumping and landing in proper squat position, then progress from there. Click here for a video on vertical jump technique. Do it right to do it better.

3. Jump!  Make sure to incorporate plyometrics into your program.  Think of your plyometric training in two phases:  Plyo prep and max effort plyometrics.  Plyo prep is activities like jumping rope, hurdle hops, and repeated sub-maximal jumps, hops, skips, etc.  These function to prepare the involved tendons, ligaments, and muscles for the force demands of jumping and landing.  These activities help you get off the ground quicker, not necessarily higher.  Max-effort plyometrics are those that require a near-maximal effort to achieve.  High hurdle hops, high box jumps, high backboard touches and other jumping activities in which you have to achieve a certain height criteria are examples.  You may even add resistance through bands, cords, or external weight.  This functions as “practice” for propelling your body against gravity with a true maximum effort. Maintain technique.  Practice makes perfect!  Youth should perform plyo prep activities for quite some time with proper technique prior to max effort work.

There is no “magic” machine, device, program, or funny-looking shoe that supersedes any of the above.  Get in shape, jump correctly, and practice it with intensity and frequency.  Unless, of course, you have access to a time machine.

Brett Klika C.S.C.S., Director of Athletics at Fitness Quest 10, is a human performance specialist, motivator and educator. A graduate from Oregon State University, Brett has directed sport camps all over the nation. While in college, amidst playing club soccer and lacrosse, Brett worked with the strength and conditioning department for 3 years. A year long resident sports performance internship at the Olympic Training Center brought Brett to San Diego. Brett’s work with the Olympic athletes, as well as local high school athletes nurtured a passion for creating excellence in individuals.

The 10 Commandments Of Nutrition

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to nutrition.  What you should be eating, what you should avoid, how many meals you should be eating, whatever.  But when it comes to the 10 Commandments, there is no room for discussion.  You can follow whomever’s advice when it comes to what you should be eating and when, but you need to follow these commandments if you want to get serious about your nutrition.

# 1: Get your motor started. Eat breakfast.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  When you wake up your body is in a fasting state for approximately 7 to 9 hours.  You wouldn’t eat from 9:00am until 5:00pm would you?

#2 : Slow down! We are always in a hurry.  When you apply that to food, too many people are shoveling in too much food way too fast.  It takes the brain 20 minutes to process how much you have eaten, and when you make your food vanish, your brain doesn’t have time to cut you off and you consume far more food then you need.

#3: Fuel up before training.  A high quality workout doesn’t begin with your dynamic warm-up.  The process starts with your pre-workout meal.  This is the first step to getting your body right so it can perform at optimal levels.

#4: Refuel after training.  Your body isn’t built in the gym.  You actually break muscles down during a workout.  Afterward, muscles become sponge like and want to soak up nutrients so they can rebuild themselves strong and leaner while you rest.

#5: Go wild!  Our ancestors had the right idea: fresh food is better.  I’ve never seen an obese person who got fat because they ate too much fruit, salad, and fish.  Eat fresh and wild and you will be eating better!

#6: Remember that supplements are just that – supplements!  A lot of people are looking for a magic pill to change their bodies.  Sorry, folks, the world doesn’t work like that.

#7: Water your body.  Out bodies are about 70% water, meaning we need to hydrate as often as possible. In other words, drink more water.  About half your body weight in fluid ounces daily is the easy rule to follow.

#8: Keep a nutrition journal.  Research shows that we lie to ourselves. A nutrition journal can be crucial to improve your life. You will find out that you will be in more control of what you eat and start to become accountable to you.

#9: Follow the 90-10 Rule.  If you eat the right foods 90% of the time, you are going to be world class and achieve your goals.  The other 10% allow yourself to sample foods you love, just don’t get out of control.

#10: Experiment with the IMPACT menu.  The IMPACT nutrition menu is a no stress approach what allows you to experiment and enjoy a variety of foods from carbs, proteins, and fasts.  I promise you you’ll never eat better.

Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is an internationally recognized performance coach, personal trainer and massage therapist who motivates, educates and inspires people worldwide.  He is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, where his wonderful team of 35 focuses on personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, yoga, sports performance training and nutrition to help transform the bodies, minds and spirits of a broad clientele.  Todd trains dozens of NFL and MLB athletes, including 2010 Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP Drew Brees.  He is the head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council, serves on the Gatorade G-Fit Team, and is a featured presenter on the Perform Better educational circuit.  He is a two-time Trainer of the Year (IDEA & ACE).  Additionally, Todd provides motivational talks and programs to companies and conferences worldwide.

Men’s Health recently named his gym, Fitness Quest 10, one of the Top 10 Gyms in the US.  Todd has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Business Week, Prevention, ESPN the Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Journal, Stack Magazine, Self, Shape, Fitness, the NY Times and Washington Post.  Todd has authored 35 DVDs on strength and conditioning, functional fitness, massage/bodywork and business/personal growth.

His new book, The IMPACT! Body Plan debuted in September 2010 and is a 10 Week program designed to create world-class fitness and life performance.  You can sign up for Todd’s FREE award-winning Ezine newsletter, the TD TIMES, at www.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.

The 11 Foods and Drinks To Stop Consuming

The goal is clear.  This is the list of foods and drinks to avoid; period!  If you need to, you can begin by identifying a coal and start to cut back.  If you are someone who drinks three diet sodas a day, cut down to two.  Then next week reduce to one.  Challenge yourself to get 1% better every day.  Here is the list of 11 foods to avoid:

#1: Sugar (corn syrup, fructose, molasses, sucrose) #fitness

#2: Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame (NutraSweet/ Equal), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet ’N’ Low). #fit

#3: High-fructose corn syrup #fitness

#4: Fruit juices. #fitness

#5: Alcohol. #fitness

#5: Soda. #fitness

#6: Added salt. #fitness

#7: White flour products. #fitness

#8: White pasta. #fitness

#9: White rice. #fitness

#10: Fast food/fried food. #fitness

#11: Soy-based products. #fitness

Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is an internationally recognized performance coach, personal trainer and massage therapist who motivates, educates and inspires people worldwide.  He is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, where his wonderful team of 35 focuses on personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, yoga, sports performance training and nutrition to help transform the bodies, minds and spirits of a broad clientele.  Todd trains dozens of NFL and MLB athletes, including 2010 Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP Drew Brees.  He is the head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council, serves on the Gatorade G-Fit Team, and is a featured presenter on the Perform Better educational circuit.  He is a two-time Trainer of the Year (IDEA & ACE).  Additionally, Todd provides motivational talks and programs to companies and conferences worldwide.

Men’s Health recently named his gym, Fitness Quest 10, one of the Top 10 Gyms in the US.  Todd has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Business Week, Prevention, ESPN the Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Journal, Stack Magazine, Self, Shape, Fitness, the NY Times and Washington Post.  Todd has authored 35 DVDs on strength and conditioning, functional fitness, massage/bodywork and business/personal growth.

His new book, The IMPACT! Body Plan debuted in September 2010 and is a 10 Week program designed to create world-class fitness and life performance.  You can sign up for Todd’s FREE award-winning Ezine newsletter, the TD TIMES, at www.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.

The Top 16 Foods You Should Be Eating

1. What You Should Start Enjoying, #1: Vegetables. #fitness
2. What You Should Start Enjoying, #2: Fruits. #fitness
3. What You Should Start Enjoying, #3: Brown rice. #fitness
4. What You Should Start Enjoying, #4: Beans. #fitness
5. What You Should Start Enjoying, #5:  Hummus. #fitness
6. What You Should Start Enjoying, #6: Whole grains. (oatmeal, couscous, quinoa, mullet, sprouted grains) #fitness
7. What You Should Start Enjoying, #7: Raw nuts. (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts) #fitness
8. What You Should Start Enjoying, #8: Natural butters. (almond, cashew, macadamia) #fitness
9. What You Should Start Enjoying, #9: Oils. (coconut, cold-pressed canola, extra-virgin olive, sesame seed). #fitness
10. What You Should Start Enjoying, #10: Avocado. #fitness
11. What You Should Start Enjoying, #11: Whole wheat pasta. #fitness
12. What You Should Start Enjoying, #12: Wild coldwater fish (avoid farm-raised). #fitness
13.  What You Should Start Enjoying, #13: Eggs. #fitness
14. What You Should Start Enjoying, #14: Whole grain breads and cereals. #fitness
15. What You Should Start Enjoying, #15: Smart dairy choices (almond milk, feta cheese, Greek yogurt) #fitness
16. What You Should Start Enjoying, #16: Hormone-free, free-range turkey/chicken & 100% grass-fed beef. #fitness

Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is an internationally recognized performance coach, personal trainer and massage therapist who motivates, educates and inspires people worldwide.  He is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, where his wonderful team of 35 focuses on personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, yoga, sports performance training and nutrition to help transform the bodies, minds and spirits of a broad clientele.  Todd trains dozens of NFL and MLB athletes, including 2010 Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP Drew Brees.  He is the head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council, serves on the Gatorade G-Fit Team, and is a featured presenter on the Perform Better educational circuit.  He is a two-time Trainer of the Year (IDEA & ACE).  Additionally, Todd provides motivational talks and programs to companies and conferences worldwide.

Men’s Health recently named his gym, Fitness Quest 10, one of the Top 10 Gyms in the US.  Todd has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Business Week, Prevention, ESPN the Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Journal, Stack Magazine, Self, Shape, Fitness, the NY Times and Washington Post.  Todd has authored 35 DVDs on strength and conditioning, functional fitness, massage/bodywork and business/personal growth.

His new book, The IMPACT! Body Plan debuted in September 2010 and is a 10 Week program designed to create world-class fitness and life performance.  You can sign up for Todd’s FREE award-winning Ezine newsletter, the TD TIMES, at www.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.

Inspire Millions

Americans are no longer chubby, portly, or overweight.  We are corpulent, obese, and rotund.  We don’t move like humans are supposed to move.  We don’t eat like humans are supposed to eat.  We are not just merely dying from this plight, we are suffering.   What would happen to a Cheetah if we fed it Cheetos and made it sit idle?  It would get sick, it would get depressed, it would develop pain and it would die.  Why? Because Cheetos are not what Cheetahs are supposed to eat, and sitting idle is not what cheetahs are supposed to do.  As cruel as the above treatment may seem to an animal, many Americans live, embrace, and defend their “right” to this scenario.  After all, there is a robust, nearly unchallenged industrial machine to support it. Unchallenged, until now.

This is a call to action.   A much higher calling than sculpting a six-pack, toning thighs, selling gym memberships or slinging miracle supplements.    It’s a call for our society to lift each other up off the couch and move.  It is a call to educate each other to eat food instead of chemicals.  It is a call to INSPIRE MILLIONS to stop suffering and live like humans are designed to live.

You don’t have to be a personal trainer, life coach, or physician to grab a loved-one’s hand and say “let’s go for a walk”.  How do you know if you are walking fast and far enough?  When someone no longer needs to pull you off the couch to go for a walk.  You don’t have to be a dietician, nutritionist, or chef to select food that is actually “food” and not merely a chemically-induced taste.  How do you know what “real food” is?  The ingredients list should be the food itself.  For meat, well, if you know what the animal’s name was prior to being on your plate, it’s probably safe to eat.

We don’t have to be hot, ripped, toned, shredded, sculpted, or beautiful.  We need men, women, and children to get off the couch, stop eating poison, and get out of pain.  Everyone can contribute.  Do something today, right now to change the way you live or INSPIRE someone else to do the same.  It may not happen overnight, it may take time.  Person by person, household by household, city by city, state by state.  Working together, we can stand up and INSPIRE MILLIONS to be happy, healthy and pain free.  After all, that’s how humans are supposed to live.

We at Fitness Quest 10 are going to contribute to the cause by posting a variety of “2 minute challenges” on our Facebook page.  These challenges may include short workouts, flexibility, quick meals, motivation, and a variety of other aspects of wellness.  Two minutes may be all it takes to start a chain reaction to change someone’s life.  Once these challenges receive 5,000 views on Youtube, or 100 total “likes” on Fitness Quest 10, Brettklika.com, and Underground Wellness through Facebook, we will post another 2 minute challenge.  Pass it on to someone you think you can help change their life!

Brett Klika C.S.C.S., Director of Athletics at Fitness Quest 10, is a human performance specialist, motivator and educator. A graduate from Oregon State University, Brett has directed sport camps all over the nation. While in college, amidst playing club soccer and lacrosse, Brett worked with the strength and conditioning department for 3 years. A year long resident sports performance internship at the Olympic Training Center brought Brett to San Diego. Brett’s work with the Olympic athletes, as well as local high school athletes nurtured a passion for creating excellence in individuals.

The “Magic Pill” Has Arrived

Eureka – defined as, “an exclamation of triumph on discovering or solving something.” After many years of struggle and strife; many years of reading, writing, and being in the trenches; I have stumbled upon a solution to our issue of unhealthy lifestyles. Before my big reveal, let me add that I plan to market and package my solution to the world very soon. It will be available for a nominal fee, require no assembly, and can be accomplished anywhere and anytime. I’m calling the “magic pill”…GET UP AND MOVE!

Here’s a great quote, “The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.” -Anon

Enough is enough

I’ve had it. I’m ready to start firing the clients and athletes who come in for a session and are already complaining, already looking at the clock, already rolling their eyes at the upcoming exercise.

**Of course I’m not referring to any of my clientele personally; this is simply observational in nature.

People are too busy making excuses, looking for the path of least resistance, and waiting around for some magic pill or miracle cure. It’s been here the whole time and it’s literally right under your nose. GET UP AND MOVE!

I’m so tired of excuses. I can see why coaches and trainers get “burnt out”; they are surrounded by “Negative Nancy” and “Grumpy Gus” all day. There is far too much negativity. Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions become your habits. People need a “Harajuku moment”, which is a revelation or awakening that turns an “oh, that would be nice” event into a “that must and will happen” event. It’s the “ah-ha” moment in time where you stop thinking and start doing. It’s where you stop aiming and start firing. It’s where you stop sitting, and eating, and drinking…and start making a difference in your life. GET UP AND MOVE!

I’m too busy

I’ve trained individuals of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, and one thing is consistent; everyone is busy. I’ve never heard anyone ever say that they had too much time on their hands. We need to remove that phrase from the “excuse library”. No one has enough time in their day to get everything done. I get it. My response – too bad, get over it. It’s not a valid excuse in my book.

Can you really not carve out 30 minutes into your day a few times a week? Even 3 or 4 hours out of the 168 that are available in a week? I’m here to say that you can do it if you want to. You need to make your health a priority in your life. Try turning off the Playstation, computer, or TV and going for a walk around the block. There will be a re-run of the latest “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” on later so you won’t miss Camille Grammer’s latest spa appointment.

No money, no membership

Sorry, no sympathy here. There are so many exercise options out there today that not having enough money is another poor excuse. Try P90X, purchase a TRX (LINK HERE), buy a Zumba DVD, use your own bodyweight (article link HERE), practice tai chi in your backyard. Some methods are not for everyone and may not appeal to you, however, they are all affordable and they all beat throwing back Budweiser’s on the couch with a bag of bon bons at your side.

http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&AFFIL=dougbalz

http://www.todddurkin.com/my-favorite-piece-of-fitness-equipment/

Create a priority list

It comes down to a matter of priorities. How is it that you manage to brush your teeth everyday, put on your pants everyday, update your Twitter page everyday? I’m not saying you should get rid of these everyday tasks, I’m saying you need to prioritize what is most valuable in your life. Try making a “Priority List” with two columns, 1. “Must have” and 2. “Nice to have”. We could fill these columns with many items, however, just stick with the most time consuming aspects of your day. Writing them down will help you visualize and “see your life” on paper. It will help guide you and make you more time efficient and more focused on your goals.

Sample priority list

MUST HAVE

• Exercise -> move everyday
• Nutrition -> prepare and eat healthy meals everyday
• Education -> learning
• Family & Friends -> connecting with the people that matter most

NICE TO HAVE

• Read Boston sports section everyday -> go Sox!
• Check social media outlets everyday

• Cake Boss TV Show -> don’t judge me
• American Idol – TV Show -> I blame my girlfriend

Now, we can further break these down to determine what items take up the most time in our day (Exercise 10%, Cake Boss 25%, etc.). Just writing this sample made me realize that I need to update my priority list. Personally, I need to work on my balance within my “must have” column. I also identified mindless TV as a current “time burglar”. Now I think it’s important to have some “mellow yellow” time, however; there can be some healthier ways to spend that time.

Get your mind right

I used to tell clients there were three main factors in achieving their fitness-related goals; 1. Strength training, 2. Cardiovascular training, and 3. Healthy nutritional habits. I was omitting a 4th, which is ultimately the most important – Mind set. You must get your mind right. If you train the mind, the body will follow. We need to eliminate the excuses and the negativity.

Now, having said all this, I’ll admit that I have bad days…days where I’m just not feeling it. As soon as the excuses creep into my head I chose to overcome them immediately and get some exercise into my day as soon as possible. 100% of the time I will feel better and more energetic after the workout. I can say with confidence that movement is the best medicine for having a stressful day. The ability is inside every one of us right now at this moment. It’s your choice to “take the pill” and GET UP AND MOVE!

About Doug
Doug currently works at Fitness Quest 10 as a personal trainer, strength coach, and Operations Director for Todd Durkin Enterprises (TDE). A Massachusetts native, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Management from Westfield State College. Since moving to San Diego he has completed some graduate work in Biomechanics at SDSU, obtained an ACE Personal Trainer certification, the NSCA-CSCS certification, a Spinning certification, TRX instructor training, EFI Gravity instructor training, FMS training, and received his CPR/AED instructor status. He has also appeared in 8 fitness videos, written numerous fitness articles, completed a MMA Conditioning Coach certification program and has competed in multiple grappling tournaments.

Prior to working at Fitness Quest 10, Doug worked for the American Council on Exercise as the Continuing Education Coordinator where he was responsible for managing over 400 continuing education providers.

For more information please visit www.todddurkin.com, www.fq10.com, and www.dbstrength.

Want to use the article above? As long as you include the bio blurb at the bottom, you are welcome to use the article in your own publication.

5 TRX Moves with a Bench

Athletes and clients are always looking for new ways to challenge themselves. I believe the TRX is a tool that can challenge any client regardless of their experience and ability. For TRX veterans looking for advanced movements, I have a number of videos on my You-tube page: http://www.youtube.com/takeaimfitness.

The latest installment involves some traditional TRX exercises with the addition of a bench that you would find at most fitness facilities. By adding the bench to a number of exercises, your strength, balance, coordination and core stability demands are greatly increased. Use caution when executing these exercises and be sure you are proficient in them, and any other exercises, before having your clients or athletes perform them.

Here is a brief breakdown on the 5 exercises:
1. TRX Row with Elevated Feet

By elevating our lower body for a TRX row we are now closer to parallel with the ground, making the exercise extremely challenging. I prefer to keep a neutral grip (palms facing each other), elbows by your side, and your spine neutral throughout the movement.

2. Elevated TRX Roll-out

This is a favorite exercise of mine due to the full-body control that is required. All the spinal stabilizers must be firing in order to maintain proper technique and your posterior shoulder/scapula stabilizers must be engaged the entire time. Use a slow, controlled manner as you extend your arms and body out to your end range.

3. Elevated TRX Single Leg Squat (Pistol)

In addition to the increased balance component, the addition of the bench allows the “free” leg to extend out a little lower than if you were to perform this exercise on the floor. This is a good alternative if you don’t have the ankle mobility in the working leg or hip flexor strength in the free leg to perform a pistol on the floor. Be sure to keep your arms relatively straight and try to keep your weight on the heel to the mid-foot while maintaining an upright posture. Extend the hip and stand up tall to complete one repetition.

4. Elevated Suspended TRX Hip Press (Bridge)

I love using this exercise with my MMA athletes due to the demands of their sport. They require a great deal of strength and endurance in the hips and glutes and this exercise targets this area nicely. If you plan to add weight it’s best to have a trainer or partner nearby to assist you. A great exercise when performed on the floor; add the bench and you are able to get a greater range of motion through the hip joint.

5. Elevated Suspended Hip Hikes

Similar to the bridge exercise above, being elevated up on the bench allows us to drop the hip lower than when performing the movement on the floor. Make sure your shoulder and elbow are in a safe alignment and use a controlled tempo throughout.

Get with these movements and let me know what you think!

About Doug
Doug currently works at Fitness Quest 10 as a personal trainer, strength coach, and Operations Director for Todd Durkin Enterprises (TDE). A Massachusetts native, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Management from Westfield State College. Since moving to San Diego he has completed some graduate work in Biomechanics at SDSU, obtained an ACE Personal Trainer certification, the NSCA-CSCS certification, a Spinning certification, TRX instructor training, EFI Gravity instructor training, FMS training, and received his CPR/AED instructor status. He has also appeared in 8 fitness videos, written numerous fitness articles, completed a MMA Conditioning Coach certification program and has competed in multiple grappling tournaments.

Prior to working at Fitness Quest 10, Doug worked for the American Council on Exercise as the Continuing Education Coordinator where he was responsible for managing over 400 continuing education providers.

For more information please visit www.todddurkin.com, www.fq10.com, and www.dbstrength.com.
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