exercise

ETT Exercise of the Week Ep.4

Your core is home to your center of gravity, which is the starting point for all your movement. It is extremely important to have a strong core and it’s not because 6-pack abs look cool. A strong core can increase your ability to perform dynamic movements without injury. Have you always wanted to go surfing? Strengthen your core. Have you always wanted to go rock climbing? Strengthen your core. Have you always wanted to break dance? I think you get my point: include core exercises in any type of physical activity you perform.

ETT workouts always include core exercises. An example of an ETT core exercise is demonstrated in the video below. Add this exercise to your next workout and let me know how many you were able to complete. Better yet, post a video on the ETT Facebook page of yourself performing the most proper punches you can perform in one half sit-up. Good luck and I look forward to seeing your videos.

A Week to Remember for ETT

The past 7 days have been somewhat of a whirlwind. The craziness started last week when a buddy of mine asked me if I had any workout plans that would burn a 1000 calories. I told him that I did not, but assured him that I could construct a workout that would allow him to achieve his calorie goal. He came over Tuesday, spent about an hour and 20 minutes in the ETT dojo, burned over 1100 calories, and is now my first official personal training client.

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The next day, I had a coworker who I provide striking training tweet at a local radio personality about ETT’s training system. The radio personality, Carmin from the Mike Calta Show, is participating in a local celebrity boxing match next Saturday. My coworker suggested that Carmin use ETT to help her prepare for her match. She jumped at the idea immediately. I followed up by calling into the show Thursday and spoke on air with Carmin and the host Mike Calta about what type of striking training ETT could provide her. Before I knew it, I had scheduled a training session with Carmin and was able to talk about ETT on a popular local radio station. If that wasn’t crazy enough, I had training sessions with Carmin and the coworker that tweeted her that very day!

IMG_0563The awesomeness didn’t stop there. Today we had one of our best ETT Group Training sessions. The weather was perfect once again and we had the largest group of individuals take part in the workout since it’s inception. I am still reeling a little bit about all the good fortunate that has been heaped upon ETT this week. It has made me realize that ETT is growing into the productive community that I hoped it would. I understand that the positive events that took place this week will most likely not be the norm. I will continue to stay humble and driven to provide everyone with a fitness community that supports them in their quest to live a healthier, happier life. Thanks to all the current members of the ETT community for their continued support and stay tuned for bigger and better things coming from ETT in the near future.

ETT Exercise of the Week Ep. 3

IT’S BACK! The ETT exercise of the week is back and better than ever. We just purchased a brand new Mac desktop here at the ETT compound to assist in all our video production so expect more ETT videos coming your way on a regular basis. This video is a great ETT exercise, which for all you newcomers combines a striking technique with a body weight exercise. ETT exercises are total body exercises that allow you to perfect your striking techniques while you build strength and burn calories. I love incorporating these exercises into my HIIT workouts and they are an essential part of all ETT group training sessions. If you live or are visiting the Tampa Bay Area, you can attend a FREE ETT group training session next Sunday, April 26th. Check out the ETT group training event page on Facebook for more details.

Fitness Product Review: DDP Yoga

I really enjoy yoga. Every aspect of it. The holding of poses, the breathing, and dare I say the spirituality of it. The benefits it can provide anyone, even strength athletes, makes it the perfect complement to any workout plan. Yoga and workouts that are centered around yoga can vary in poses, tempo, and even environment (i.e. hot yoga). One variation that I’ve been practicing lately is DDP Yoga, which was created by former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. Unlike the more “traditional” yoga classes I’ve participated in, DDP yoga incorporates more movement into its workouts. It contains a few explosive exercises like punches and knee strikes, but the majority of the movements are slow and deliberate. Page instructs users to employ “dynamic resistance” which involves contracting certain muscles groups while you perform a specific movement. You are essentially working against the resistance created by your own muscles to complete the workout. I enjoy using DDP yoga on my active rest days because it allows me to improve my flexibility and is a great stress reliever. DDP Yoga exercises will most likely not be new to anyone that has participated in yoga before, but it is a great introduction to anyone who is new to the discipline. The best aspect of DDP Yoga is that Page coaches you through all the workouts. He provides modifications to all the exercises for any fitness level and is a great workout instructor. He is able to motivate you to work hard while simultaneously conveying the importance of adjusting the workout to meet your fitness level. I would definitely recommend DDP Yoga to anyone that is interested in incorporating yoga into their current workout plan or someone who has taken a hiatus from exercise and is looking for a workout routine that will help them regain their physical fitness. Check out what Men’s Journal thought about DDP Yoga and let me know what exercises you’re performing on your active rest days. IMG_0492

There’s Always Enough Time

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all are enjoying your holiday. Shannon and I are hosting her parents for Easter brunch, which means we had to do a lot of prep work yesterday in order to get ready. Shannon took on the cooking responsibilities while I tackled the cleaning. By the time we finished all the grocery shopping Saturday afternoon, it was 5pm before we could get to our respective duties. In addition to our late start, I realized I had yet to complete my daily workout. I decided to employ my multitasking abilities and incorporate my workout into cleaning the house. Here’s how I accomplished both tasks simultaneously:

The Clean Sweep Workout (2mins of cleaning followed by an exercise for specified # of reps; repeat till house is clean)

  • Sweep floors/Knee Strikes (50)
  • Vacuum carpets & rugs/Push-ups (25)
  • Swifter floors/Prisoner Squats (25)
  • Clean bathrooms/Jab+Cross (50)

Even though I stopped every 2 minutes to perform an exercise, I was able to complete my cleaning in less than an hour and a half. I also burned 416 calories in the process! That means a few extra cadbury eggs today for yours truly. Hopefully this post helps you realize that you always have opportunities to burn a few extra calories, you just have to look a little harder to find them. Speaking of looking a little harder, I’ve got some eggs to find. Enjoy your holiday!

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Sunday Funday

This week’s Throwback Thursday pic is from a past ETT group training session. Compared to individual training, evidence suggest that group training helps people stay motivated, provides a support system and is overall more enjoyable. You will receive all of those benefits and more at an ETT group training session. If you are in or around the Tampa Bay Area, come on out to Davis Islands THIS Sunday for the next ETT group training session. The workout is entirely FREE and no experience is required. I promise you won’t leave disappointed. HIT IT!

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A Change Will Do You Good

I love interval training because it allows you to complete multiple exercises from different disciplines in the same workout. You could do an upper & lower body workout, a push & pull workout, or a sport specific workout. I combined treadmill sprints with striking combinations in the workout below in order to train toward my fitness goals. Periodic variations in your workout plan will keep you engaged and dedicated to reaching your fitness goals.

ETT Exercise of the Week Ep. 2

We are back with another great ETT exercise that will get your butt in gear, literally. This week’s exercise combines sumo squats with alternating knee strikes. The wide stance and outwardly angled foot position of the sumo squat puts a ton of focus on the muscles of the inner thighs (adductors) and the butt (glutes). Combine these squats with knee strikes that would make a Thai kickboxer proud, and you have a lower body & core exercise that would be perfect for your next workout. This exercise will also build your cardio but as with all ETT exercises, we want you to focus on form over volume. Don’t forget to warm-up before you begin your workout and modify the exercise to match your fitness level. If you use this exercise (or any ETT exercise) in one of your workouts, let me know what you think about them in the comment section below. Now go burn some calories!