striking

What’s on the Menu

Taking a little different approach to this week’s look at what’s on my menu. Instead of highlighting a healthy food item, I’m going to tell you about a healthy endeavor that Elemental Training Tampa (ETT) will be offering this week. On Saturday, November 19th, ETT will be bringing our free monthly group workouts to the Seminole Heights neighborhood. Shannon and I are residents of Seminole Heights and we thought what better way to give back to the community we love so much than helping people improve their fitness.  The workout will incorporate basic punching & kicking techniques with complimentary strength building exercises to help you start your weekend off right. No experience is required and exercise modifications will be provided for all fitness levels. As if the workout wasn’t enticing enough, each participant will receive a 15% discount at one of Seminole Heights best coffee “shops” Spaddy’s Coffee Co. We will also be collecting non-perishable food items for ETT’s annual food drive for Metropolitan Ministries. All the details about the workout can be found on our Facebook event page. If you live in and around Seminole Heights, please come out and see what ETT has to offer. You won’t be disappointed.

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From the Vault: An Interview with Author L.A. Jennings, PhD

This week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast features a great interview I did a few months ago with a fitness & health professional who happens to be a very close friend of Shannon and I. Dr. L.A. Jennings received her PhD in literary studies from the University of Denver in 2013 and has contributed numerous articles to Fightland, a section on vice.com dedicated to combat sports. She is also the author of She’s A Knockout! A History of Women in Fighting Sports which MMA journalist Jack Slack called “The most complete history of women in the fight game that you will find.” In addition to being a fantastic author, L.A. owns a MMA gym called Train. Fight. Win. in Denver, Colorado with her husband Mike. TFW is where I first meant L.A. and I’m proud to say we’ve been good friends every since.

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L.A. and I doing some mittwork

In this episode, L.A. and I discuss her book, past and present female fighters and how the image of women in the ring and in the gym has evolved. We also talk about the effect current UFC fighter Cris Cyborg (who is headlining the upcoming UFC card in Brazil) is having on the expansion of the women’s division in the UFC. After hearing this interview, you may be surprised by the role women have played in combat sports throughout history. I know I was.

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Pic created with image courtesy of LiquidSteelPhotogs

Do yourself a favor and check out all of Dr. LA’s literary pieces (links above) and if you’re in Denver, stop by Train. Fight. Win. for an awesome MMA/fitness class. Interviewing professionals like LA is one of the main reasons I started this podcast. I’m currently lining up our next interview, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, we’re still looking for a few more reviews to get rated on iTunes so do us a solid and give us a review and when you share this episode, tell your friend to do the same. Thanks in advance and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s podcast

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/from-vault-interview-author/id1121420986?i=1000375468392&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/from-the-vault-an-interview-with-author-la-jennings-phd

Superfoods & Type 2 Diabetes

This week’s episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast kicks off with a HUGE announcement regarding Shannon’s fitness. Not only is she done with her gym membership but she also took the plunge and purchased a peloton cycle. I was a little worried about the financial commitment the bike required, but once mentioned that Sofia Vergara participated in their online community, my apprehension vanished. We also reminisce about my experience training Carmin from the Mike Calta radio show because she has once again requested ETT’s help to train for an upcoming celebrity boxing event. The rest of the episode is dedicated to discussions on 2 health related news articles. The first article focuses on the legitimacy of “superfoods” and the second article discusses the recent recommended treatment for individuals with Type 2 diabetes.

Whether you listen via iPhone, Android, or on your computer, please leave us a rating & review so we know what you think of the podcast. If you REALLY love Addicted to Fitness, please share it with a friend. Stay healthy peeps!

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Picture created with images from dailymail.co.uk & techcrunch.com

ETT Workout of the Week Ep.1

Some of you may have noticed that July came and went without any mention of an ETT group training session. The recent wet weather in the Tampa Bay Area essentially eliminated any opportunities for us to hold our monthly group training. This is the first time in almost a year that we have not gotten together to train, but you can still get your ETT fix with the first edition of the ETT WORKOUT of the Week! Instead of the single ETT exercise videos you are use to, this video provides an entire workout complete with detailed instructions on striking stance and several different striking techniques. The video also demonstrates each exercise with modifications and tips to ensure you perform each exercise safely and properly. Please remember to warm-up before starting the workout and modify the exercises to match your fitness level. We would love to make these workout videos a regular thing, which means we need your feedback to help us improve the quality of future workout videos. ‘Nuff talk, now get out there and HIT IT!!

ETT Exercise of the Week Ep.6

Summer is in full swing here in Tampa, which means the heat can be stifling at times. Weather conditions can have a negative effect on a person’s activity level regardless of where they live. You have to adapt your training in order to stay dedicated to your exercise regime. If you’re like me and love exercising outdoors, but are faced with less than ideal weather conditions, modify your workout so you get more done in a shorter period(s) of time. You can perform a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout (20 mins or less) or perform 2 short workouts (10 mins or less) throughout the day. A good way to maximize your workout is to perform total body exercises like this week’s ETT exercise of the week. The hook-uppercut punch combination followed by 2 cross knee strikes provides a great strength, cardio, and core workout all at the same time. Remember, modify the exercise to match your fitness level & let us know how you stick to your workout regime when the weather conditions are less than ideal.

Weekend Workout

Become a true weekend warrior and join Elemental Training Tampa for some outdoor group training. The workout will be held near Downtown Tampa and incorporates basic striking techniques with complimentary strength building exercises to help you burn off some of those incessant weekend calories. No experience is required (modifications provided for all fitness levels) and this training session is entirely FREE! Take some time out of your weekend schedule and join ETT because your health is worth it. Check out the event page on Facebook to find out all the details. SEE YOU THERE!

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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.