The following exercises are a great way to improve strength training movements and overall performance, and also have the added benefit of loading one side of the body, which places an additional emphasis on targeting rotary stability muscles.

Core Challenging Circuit Exercises:

1. Squat with one arm carry- Using a SteelBell
2. Lunge with lateral exchange – Using a SandBell
3. Upper-body one arm curl to press- Using a SandBell
4. One leg dead lift with one arm reach – Using a SandBell

All of these exercises are a great addition to building your exercise menu for stability challenging movements. Also, be sure to tailor the weight and number of repetitions to fit your individual workout requirements. Go out, give this circuit a try and let us know what you think!

Total Upper and Lower Body Combos:

1. Squat to band row
2. Slide knee tuck to push up
3. Lunge with arc
4. Rainbow slam

To view this week’s Hyper Training Lab video, click here. Use these movements to build your exercise archive and improve total body performance. This is a great metabolically challenging circuit that can be incorporated into a variety of settings, and used by anyone from fitness enthusiasts to athletes and trainers. Go out, give it a try and let us know what you think!

Lateral Lower Body Blast:

1. Lateral Speed Squat: Start in wide position, making sure to sit back in proper position, and lunge from left to right without picking up the feet.
2. Lateral Lunge with Reach: With this lunge you introduce a step, be sure to load the SandBell on the outside and pay attention to the grip-strength muscles being activated.
3. Lateral Box Shuffle: It’s important with this exercise to really push off the outside leg. The SandBell load helps emphasize the change in direction when transitioning over the box step.
4. Skaters with SandBell Reach: Make sure to push off each foot and to take the SandBell toward each shoe to load on your basis of support.

Build from 12 repetitions per exercise for 2-3 sets, once a week for beginners, and more advanced exercisers can begin at 24 repetitions per exercise for 3-4 sets, once a week.

This circuit is a great challenge to keep in your arsenal of training tools. Incorporate these exercises, and ones similar to it, to make sure you’re strengthening those lateral movement muscles. Go out, give this a try and let us know what you think!

To view this week’s Hyper Training Lab video with Diane Vives, click here!

But, imagine being a professional athlete or Olympian.

Working out and staying fit is your job, and that time from 9-5 spent gazing at a computer now becomes eight hours of work, sweat and complete dedication. That hour on the treadmill doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?

“People don’t know the process which athletes undertake in their individual sports to reach the Olympic level. You get there by sticking it out. There are a lot of people that try and give up,” says Jim Ochowicz, men’s professional road racing team Olympic athlete, in the article, “How to Train Like An Olympian” on Forbes.com.

The online article goes on to say that on average, athletes spend four to eight years preparing and training before making an Olympic team. Also, training schedules aren’t planned weekly or monthly, but yearly to ensure they reach specific performance goals.

While less than one percent of us will ever be able to call ourselves Olympic athletes, you can still employ some of their training techniques so you can look and feel like one. The online article, “Go for Gold! Learn to train like an Olympian” reveals some great fitness tips from various professional coaches.

Below are several key training tips from the article:

“Weights are great, but don’t underestimate the power of body-weight exercises. They provide you with a body awareness that you just can’t get with plates or dumbbells, and that translates into more explosive power in the ring and more agility in the real world,” says Larry Nelson, USA Boxing’s 2003 developmental coach of the year.

“Along with flexibility and body control, balance is an essential component of weight lifting. The best way to bolster it is with an overhead squat,” recommends Mike Burgener, father and coach of Casey Burgener—top-ranked US power lifter in Beijing.

“Whether you’re trying to log a faster 10K or just keep up with your bean-thin teen, the key to running more efficiently is to reduce the amount of time your feet spend on the ground. One of the best ways to do this is with hill sprints…” says Brad Hudson, champion marathoner and current coach of Olympic gold medal marathon hopeful Dathan Ritzenhein.

Bottom line, being an Olympic athlete and training like one takes time and dedication. Putting in an hour a day will make you feel better, look better and live a long and healthy life. So, next time you decide to put off the gym because you “just don’t have enough time,” think about those people logging in eight hours a day, every day, of mentally and physically strenuous training, and march yourself straight into that gym!

Hi Joe,

I just emailed this list out to my clients.
I thought you might like to have a copy.

I could have written 100 reasons.
But I thought I would save a few for another email.

Please feel free to use any or all of what I wrote in any way it serves to get the WORD out about SandBells.
I think every school in the nation needs to have them.
SandBells would go a long way to making P.E. Fun & Juicy, instead of boring and dry.

25 Reasons YOU Should get Sandbells

1. They are fun to play with.
2. They are so much fun you might actually find someone else to play with you. With only 1 SandBell several people could get a great series of moves going.
3. You can throw them with your parents, children, friends, strangers…..because they are easy to use.
4. SandBells are much safer to throw around than a medicine ball. I have been hit by a medicine ball many times and by the SandBells as well. There is a huge difference. SandBells  are soft and they just don’t have the same impact on a body that a hard medicine ball does (or a kettlebell or club or mace or sledgehammer).
5. They take up very little space but you can get a terrific Nature Playout with them.
6. They can be used in place of dumbells, clubs, kettlebells etc. And since they are soft, people that are learning can do so more safely with reduced likelihood of injuring themselves. I use SandBells just as a change of pace from Clubs and KBs.
7. You can have one stashed in your vehicle so that you always have at least one Primal Tool/Toy on hand. And the SandBell will not roll around in the car or scratch/dent anything.
8. They are safe to use when you are experimenting with new moves.
9. You can be very creative with the SandBells. I have already developed a huge repertoire of moves using them.
10. You can smash the SandBells to the ground.
11. You can throw the SandBells like a shot put or discus or any other way you choose.
12. The SandBells do not roll when you throw them.
13. With one or two SandBells you can quickly increase the challenge level your moves from the Daily Dozen Series.
14. You can do what we call the Hike & Toss when you are out hiking with a friend. Just take a single SandBell and be creative in all the ways you can play with it on the hike with a friend (or by yourself).
15. SandBells can be used safely by one person, or with two, or many people.
16. SandBells are exceptionally fun to use with a 6 or more people. You can come up with all manner of challenging patterns of throw, movin’ & groovin’.
17. SandBells are an excellent tools for rehab or prehab.
18. SandBells are an excellent choice to blend with bodyweight moves.
19. SandBells are outstanding for Active Recovery Days.
20. SandBells are an extremely fun way to Warm Up or Warm Down.
21. SandBells can be used by people of all ages and skill levels.
22. You can intersperse SandBell moves between Kettlebell, Club, Sledgehammer or Mace moves to spice up your workout.
23. You can do a Run & Toss with a partner. This is a great way to spice up a run and to get upper body and core activation going in what is usually and primarily a lower body activity.
24. Load a few SandBells in your backpack when you are training for a long distance trek. Then take ‘em out and throw ‘em around with your friends.
25. Take a SandBell to work with you. On your break make it a Movement Break and use your SandBell to get energized. I’ll bet you will soon have someone who wants to do it with you.

Live Large & Loud,
Rocannon MacGregor, Ph.D.
Sanctuary Healing Clinic & Primal Gymnasium

Thanks, Rocannon!  We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! 

What a special guest we have to start a new series of MMM this year! Jim Liston, founder of the Competitive Athlete Training Zone, has joined us out at the American Football Coaches Association Conference, in Orlando, Florida. Along with Jim is our own CATZ Austin Coach, Blake Gould.

This week they are showing us a little warm up series with the SandBell. This warm up is ideal before any type of exercise, whether it be weight training, plyometrics, or even running. One of Jim’s philosophies of training is to always cover 5 keys of training: exercises that cover square stance, split stance, single leg stance, a push, and a pull. Cover these and you’re in for a great workout no matter who you are!

Enjoy!!!

Never Stand Still!

Bill Meyer, SCE, USAW
Head Hyper Wear Coach
Performance Director, CATZ-Austin

MMM #38A