Jumping on the trampoline is one of my favourite types of exercises. It's fun, it's simple, and it has tremendous health benefits. One major benefit is it helps you feel youthful. Look at kids running, jumping, and playing. They're so light on their feet and moving easily. Unfortunately it doesn't take long before you start to stiffen up and most adults have completely lost that supple feeling. It doesn't have to be that way however. Trampoline jumping is one of the best ways to get that feeling back. Another benefit is that it promotes lymphatic fluid flow. Jumping up and…

Forms practice is a very large part of the traditional martial arts. They serve many purposes. One is that in the old days it served as a glossary of the techniques of a martial art. The majority of the population was illiterate at that time and forms were a way to physically pass down the techniques and spirit of a martial art. Another is that it helps to ingrain the techniques into your subconscious improving muscle memory. And a third is that they are good exercise and in fact great for cardio as well as coordinating the body.   However for our…

Often when people stretch, they do it at the beginning of a training session. It's just very common to do it this way, but unfortunately it's incorrect. Static stretching is done to relax muscles and essentially put them to sleep. Therefore it should be done at the end of a training session, not at the beginning. To start a workout, it's best to use dynamic movement such as running in place, jumping jacks, perhaps some gentle rotational exercises, etc. The idea is to get the body moving and raise your core temperature. If you're doing sport specific training, then you…

In our society, many people have been trained to feel helpless. As if they have no control over things. If something is wrong with your health, take a drug. If you suffer from Depression take a drug. If your back hurts there's nothing you can do about. You're old and that's just the way it is. Or you could take a drug for it. If you're diagnosed with Diabetes take a drug. If you have High Blood Pressure, take a drug. Do any of these remedies involve taking control of your life in a a healthy way. These are all legitimate…

Never before have we had so much information about diet and exercise and never before have we had so much bullshit at the same time! Seriously when I think back over the past 30 plus years that I've been doing this stuff, I've seen the entire fitness industry change from being thought of as a weird activity for health nuts to the point where everybody, even kids, are discussing things like the Keto diet, Paleo diet, etc. You know the old expression "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"? Well it's certainly true when it comes to nutrition.    Honestly it was…

These energies were taught to me as The Eight Energies Of Wing Chun. However, I've come to realize that they are universal to all martial arts. Understanding these energies will vastly improve your knowledge of the martial arts and how to use the various attacks and defenses. Here they are.   1. LISTENING ENERGY - This is also known as sensitivity and is an integral part of all martial arts. Once there is contact between you and your opponent, a bridge has been created. You can feel your opponent and your opponent can feel you. Listening energy is what will allow you…

Having some "Go To" strikes that you can use when needed might save your neck one day. In a self defense situation, high fancy kicks and other similar strikes are completely worthless and might even land you on the ground which is the last thing you want. There is no place for being fancy in a self defense situation. The martial art of Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) is perfect for that and can be used even if dealing with a larger and stronger adversary. In fact, it's the only martial art I know of that was developed by a woman.…

This was the first workout of my 50th year after my recent 49th birthday. It's a full body dumbbell workout that can be done either at home or at the gym. Here are the exercises along with the number of sets.   SUPERSETS (4 sets) Bench Press Bentover Row   TRISET (3 sets) Side Swings (invented by Vince Gironda) Bicep Curls Tiger Pushups   Goblet Squats (8 sets) Inchworm to Mountain Climbers (3 sets)   This was a great workout and an awesome way to start my 50th year! For more information, click here  

Don't make the mistake of neglecting the muscles on the back of your body. It may sound a bit ridiculous, but a lot of people only train what they see in the mirror. Muscles such as the chest, biceps, abdominals, and front of your legs (quads) always get all the attention. But what about the equally important muscles of the upper and lower back, hamstrings, or triceps? It's imperative to do this. Neglecting this part of your training can lead to muscular imbalances which can in turn cause pain and injury.    Inb today's video, I cover three exercises for this purpose.…

Here's a bodyweight circuit that can be done at home with minimal or zero equipment. For these exercises I used a doorway chinup bar, a pair of Lebert Equalizers, and a stability ball. However these can be modified to be done with things you have at home already. This is done for either 2 or 3 circuits and the reps are counted for this one. Timing your sets can work well sometimes, but it can encourage poor form sometimes. Therefore I generally favour counting reps over timing. Anyway here are the exercises along with the video. For more information on…

Here I go again with another oldie but a goodie. Today it's supersets! I have no idea why, but you don't see many people doing this any more. Supersets are awesome for a number of reasons. Before we get to them, what are supersets. It's a grouping of 2 exercises done back to back typically with minimal or no rest between. It's often done with antagonistic muscles such as chest and back, biceps and triceps, or quadriceps and hamstrings. But it can be done for the same muscle as well. One benefit of this is that it saves time. Another…

Some of you may have noticed by now that I like old school training a lot. This is very true. I was taught by old school trainers, so naturally that's what I gravitate towards. I do have an open mind and am always on the lookout for new innovations in fitness. Sometimes I see something I like, but more often than not it's the old school training that brings results!    The method I want to discuss today is the One And A Half Method. This is a method where you do one full rep followed by a half rep. It's extremely…

Lower back pain is one of the most common problems that most people face at some point. It's been shown that about 80% of the adult population will at some point in their life deal with some type of significant lower back pain. There are however some things you can do to minimize the risk and to rehabilitate it once it is hurt.   First of all, it's important to understand the causes of lower back pain. There are many causes, but in short they can be summed up into three main things. 1. Weak core / lower back 2. Tight and/or weak hamstrings 3.…

One of my favourite methods of fitness training is by using Fitness Challenges. I mean everyone loves a challenge, right?! There are a number of ways to do it, but to me the best way is to use either reps or distance. If you're using reps, then pick a number like 300, 400, or 500. Then pick some exercises and an appropriate number of reps so they'll add up to the total number.    For distance, take something like a football field or perhaps a large parking lot. Cover the distance with various drills. They could be anything. My martial arts teacher…

Although Doug Hepburn may not be as common a household name like Arnold Schwarzenegger, he certainly deserves to be. Born in Vancouver, BC, Canada in 1926 with a club foot, he may not have seemed at first like a future strength legend. But he did just that. At a height of 5 foot 8 and a half, he weighed in at 300 lbs of power! And he had the numbers to back it up!    For one thing, he was the first man in the world to bench press 400, 450, and 500 lbs! Here are some of his other lifts and…

I'm sure we've all been there. We've seen cookbooks with some great recipes, but when we look at the huge ingredient list we decide not to do it. This isn't only for fitness enthusiasts, but for all working professionals, parents, etc. who don't want to spend hours preparing meals for their families, yet don't want to take the easy (and unhealthier) way out and get take out!   So here are some of my favourite recipes with only four ingredients. Perfect for meatheads like me!   BREAKFASTS BIRCHER MUESLI (serves 1) 1/2 cup natural muesli 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons plain yogurt 1 apple, grated Soak the muesli in…

One thing I've seen a lot in the fitness industry is trainers giving everyone the same workout regardless of their goals and needs. For the most part, this is a bodybuilding style split routine. You know the ones I'm talking about. The programs where you train different muscles on different days. You may have an upper body day and a lower body day, or you may do your chest and back one day, legs and abs, one day, arms and shoulders one day, etc. And depending on your goals, that may be the right program for you. Or it might not…

A question I get asked sometimes is whether or not I feel the time and effort invested in fitness is worth the sacrifice. It's true that I do spend a great deal of time working out, researching, pondering, etc. As a result, I'm not able to spend as much time doing other things such as watching tv shows, gaming, and other similar activities. I'm very selective about which shows I watch as I only have limited time. I do however make time for playing music, spending time with my family, art, and some other interests. But nonetheless, there are things…

Just about everyone who's been training for a while has heard of periodization. However like many other things, there is a ton of misinformation about it. There are of course many different methods and possible training cycles that can be used. Far too many to list here, but I want to provide a basic overview of what it's all about.   So to put things simply, periodization is all about the fact that you can't train at the same level all the time. Back when I was first learning about working out, the gym rats I was working out with had no…

Body conditioning is an exercise that is traditionally done in the martial arts. There are numerous benefits of this. One is obviously conditioning your body so you won't bruise or feel as much pain. Another is that you'll be able to strike harder. However one more benefit to it and one which is important regardless of your fitness goals is increased blood circulation! In fact the effects are similar to getting a massage. Also there is a ton of myofascial release. Watch the video to learn more!