Top Selling Jillian Michaels Workout DVDs

• Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism – 40-minute circuit workout focussing on abs and strength. Some say that it is better than the 30 Day Shred
• Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred – 3-2-1 method: 3 mins strength, 2 mins cardio, 1 min abs. Excellent home circuit workouts that are simple to follow
• Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones – Lose saddlebags, muffin tops and wobbly arms with this workout which focusses on stubborn fat.
• The Biggest Loser Workout: Power Sculpt – The exercises from the TV series are developed here. Another excellent fat busting workout DVD.
• The Biggest Loser Workout: Cardio Max – Jillian’s 10 minute, high intensity level 2 cardio workout is enough to make Usain Bolt sweat!

Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones

Jillian Michaels Mini Bio

Jillian Michaels became interested in exercise and fitness after enrolling in a martial arts class as teenager. She had weight problems as a child and her mother encouraged her to start martial arts as a means to get fit. This led to her developing a career in fitness, becoming a personal fitness instructor, and then a TV fitness instructor on the weight loss show The Biggest Loser. She still uses elements from her martial arts training in her fitness routines, plus bodyweight strength training, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training.

One of the best dance fitness DVD’s on the market at the moment is Vanessa Isaac’s Brazilian Dance Workout. This dance workout is a mixture of the most popular dances in Brazil at the moment, namely the Samba, Samba Reggae, African, Axé and Frevo.

• Shape Magazine described it as “An exhilarating total body workout.“
• Fit Magazine said “What a joyous, fun workout Vanessa Isaac has put together-you can feel her passion for dance…“
• Weight Watchers Magazine gave it the thumbs up too: “ideal for those who like to shake it while burning major calories.“

Other Top Brazilian Samba, Reggae and Dance Workouts include:

Samba Party Workout 1: Brazilian Rhythm Celebration
Buy new from: $13.49 / Used from: $3.50
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The Samba Reggae Workout
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Dance Today! Samba – Active Lifestyle Makeover
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These four stretches provide enough stimulation for the average person. Hold each stretch for about 20 seconds, and do not bounce about while stretching.

The Hamstring Stretch

To do a hamstring stretch place the heel of your foot on a bench or chair, and then slowly move your bum away from the chair to stretch the hamstring. The old school hurdle stretch is no longer recommended due to the lower back problems that it can cause.

Quadricep Stretch

Simply stand upright, support yourself with one hand against a wall, and bend one knee to lift you heel up behind you. Then with the other hand grab your foot (same side). And pull gently towards your buttocks.

Calf Stretch

Stand facing a wall and place your palms on the wall in front. Place the toes of one foot against the wall, and then take a long step backwards. Then bend your front leg so that the knee moves towards the wall while stretching the rear leg. Switch legs and repeat.

Rotation Stretch

This stretch is done lying down. The purpose is to prepare the spine for the impact of running. Lie on your back and pull your left knee to your chect, and then pull it over towards the floor with your right hand. If you can keep your left arm on the floor you will benefit more as it will keep your shoulders down. Repeat on opposite side.

Warming up and cooling down after exercise helps to aid muscle recovery and soreness, meaning that you should be able to train daily once you are in good condition and stretching well. And remember that it is not just your legs that take a pounding when running, but also your spine.

Interval Training For Tennis

Tennis involves relatively short periods of intensity followed by rest. So jogging 5 miles a day will not create a good player. Interval training is the key. If you can use a tennis court for training, after a warm up perform sprints along on length, followed by recover jog along the base line, then another sprint. Also run backwards and sideways along the widths. The keys is to learn to endure short intensive periods, and then take ‘active rest’ i.e. jogging, to recover, but vitally not to stop. On court often the fitter player will win.

Circuit Training for Tennis

Press ups, crunches, star jumps, squat thrusts, squats and lunges are all excellent ways to prepare the body for tennis.

Strength Training for Tennis

Tennis, as with all sports, is as much a game of strength as skill. Last year there was a lot of meduia attention on both Nadal and Murray regarding who was the strongest and fittest player. Murray even flexed his biceps on court to deomonstrate that he was taking strength training seriously.

The core strength exercises are squats, lunges, calf raises, flyes, leg extensions and curls. All strength training should be done in moderation during competition season to ensure recovery is made before a match. Squats and lunges provide strong legs, but aim for muscular endurance rather than attempting to hit your one rep max on every training session.

All types of bicep curls should be performed, standard, hammer curls, preacher curls and also wrist curls.

Flyes can be done on a bench with dumbbells or as cable flyes. These help to improve your hitting power.

Lateral raises, done with dumbbells, can help improve back hand power too.

Strentching all mucles well after training is essential, so always allow time for at leaat 10 minutes of stretching after your workout.

Tennis requires a perfect balance between core strength, agility, flexibilty and endurance.

So why are they important? Also known as the stabilizer muscles, the core group runs the length of the torso keeping your body balanced while supporting the spine. Not only does a strong core help in sports performance and for doing daily tasks, maintaining these muscles will give you better posture and will help control and even eliminate chronic lower back pain.

If you believe that abdominal and back exercises are serving the purpose for core workouts, think again. Core training exercises are more specific than just trying to do ab isolating exercises. There are hundreds of core exercises that will effectively train the stabilizers from all directions, and as a direct result, they will tighten up the abs and love handles as well.

What are the Core Muscles?

Generally the core muscles are those that are located in the mid torso the front belly and the mid and lower back.

The 29 major muscles that make up the core group include: the rectus abdominis (a.k.a. the six-pack), the internal and external obliques on the sides of the waist, and the deep transverse abdominis (TVA) which is located under the obliques. Next are those in the back: the erector spinae and multifidus running along the spine. Minor core muscles (but still important) include the pelvic floor made up of the glutes and hip flexors.

Stabilize your Core with Abdominal Bracing

During core workouts, you want to tense your stomach muscles as if you are about to be punched there, and hold that during the duration of each exercise. You should not do what is called the abdominal hollowing technique; that is, sucking in your belly button towards your spine which will result in you being off balance during the reps.
Studies show that bracing is more effective for stabilizing the lumbar spine than the hollowing technique.

Bracing causes the contraction of the abdominal group, but especially the TVA which is the primary core muscle. The idea is not to hold your breath during the exercise but simply breathe out and in while bracing as you would for any lift. This technique is important to core workouts since it will effectively allow the primary and secondary muscle groups to do their jobs. By tensing the ab muscles, the obliques and the TVA get the optimum workout. Hollowing, or sucking in your belly, calls for less
engagement of the obliques and the transverses in the exercise.

Try These Core Strength Exercises

To do the best core workouts all you need is just yourself and a mat. (You can use equipment such as a fitness ball to perform variations.) Bodyweight exercises are ideal for the core as long as you do them effectively using the abdominal bracing technique described above. The basic exercises for the core include:

• Plank – the fundamental isolation exercise for the core
• Side Plank
• Supine Bridge
• Bicycle exercise
• Hanging Leg Raises
• Hip Twists
• Captain’s Chair
• Ab crunch
• Superman
• Toe Touches
• V-sits

The plank is more often seen in Yoga and Pilates but it should be done by anyone pursuing core workouts as well as bodyweight training techniques. It is the mack daddy of all exercises for your internal core ab group.

How to do the plank: lie face down with your elbows on floor next to your chest. Keeping your body and legs in a straight line, brace your abs and push up off the floor using your elbows as support. Only your elbow, forearms, and toes, will be in contact with the mat. Hold the pose for 30 seconds and do as many reps as you can.

Work the Core to Hit the Back and Abs

If you’ve even suffered back pain you are probably already looking for exercises to strengthen your back muscles and avoid future strains. Although brief, the list above is just a sample of the easy exercises that require no equipment and are recommended by trainers everywhere for effectively targeting the vital stabilizer muscles. By
taking some time to incorporate core workouts into your weekly training regime, you will be targeting the muscles that will help to protect the back and flatten the stomach, as well as improve your balance and coordination during other weight bearing workouts and daily activity.

About the Author: Kevin Urban is the editor of HomeGymAdviser.com, a website dedicated to helping you find the best home gyms for your workouts.

For a home based circuit training workout, you can make good progress with just five exercises. Rather than measure reps, perform each of the following exercises for one minute, with a 30 second rest in-between. Rest for one minute at the end of the circuit before repeating.

1. Skipping

Start the workout with the classic old school cardio workout. Buy a speed rope, as these are much easier to use. Then just skip for one minute. Skipping is very intensive and can burn a lot of calories. Boxers skip, and they are among the fittest sports persons around.

2. Bicycles

Another old school circuit training exercise. Lie on your back with your knees to your chest. Then extend one leg while bringing your elbow to your opposite knee. Return to start position and repeat on the other side. This is a great abs exercise, and more intensive than crunches.

3. Triceps dips

Triceps dips require a little apparatus. Although a workout bench is ideal, a chair will do. Start by sitting on chair, place your hands on the edge of the chair, fingers pointing forward, then lower yourself, and lift back up. Repeat as many times as possible in one minute.

4. Bodyweight Squats

Most people associate squats with ironmen lifting Olympic barbells containing hundreds of kilos of weight. However, simple bodyweight squats provide a fantastic leg workout. If you have extra energy, do squat jumps – same as a squat, but with a plyometric power-up and jump. As your arms are rested, time for the final, intensive exercise.

5. Push ups / Press ups

Push ups are one of the best core and upper body exercises. They strengthen the arms (triceps) and shoulders, as well as the back. They will probably demand the most effort on your part, so they are done last with a longer recovery rest afterwords.

Do this circuit twice and you will get a very intensive workout, in the comfort of your own home, in less that 20 minutes.

To do a Fartlek running session, simply find a running route that allows you to easily add some 2 minute quicker runs and 45 second sprints into your usual run. To start, warm up for about 10 minutes with a steady jog, and then run at approximately 80% max intensity for 2 minutes, then slow to a recovery pace for 2 minutes. Follow this with a 45 second sprint (aim to run flat out for 45 seconds). The aim of the 45 second sprint is to mimic the intensity levels of a professional 400m sprinter, although do not worry if you do not run 400m in 45 seconds! Where is the best place to fartlek?

Fartleks work best outdoors and off pavements, i.e. in parks, public footpaths, beaches etc. where there are no obstacles, roads to cross and few other people around. You need to be able to run without worry of knocking pedestrians over while storming across the imaginary 400m finish line. If you are fortunate enough to live in a hilly area, then utilising the hills can work very well. Use the longer hills for the 2 minute quick runs, and the short hills for the 45 second sprints, then use the downhills for recovery jogs and the flats for the steady run.

Planning your fartlek run is essential, as you can easily spend too much time searching for the ideal spot for a sprint otherwise. Circular routes work well so that you can repeat the Fartek workout several times in one run, and build on your speed, and learn your limits.

Andy Blow is also head coach at the Porsche Human Performance Centre. He shared a workout that helps to keep F1 drivers fit to drive. The key area to work on is the core, from the waist up to the neck. A strong core helps to prevent injury during crashes. A strong neck is vital to withstand the G-force pressures when cornering at high speed, and accelerating and braking quickly.

There are three core exercises, in addition to low impact endurance training. The low impact endurance training is to prepare the body for 120 minutes of torturous driving. For this, drivers generally either run or cycle. The runners cover about 10 miles per day. Cycling places less stress one the joints, and cyclists may cycle over 30 miles per day. Mark Webber’s coach claims that Mark could compete professionally if he was to stop F1.

The F1 Core Strength Workout

1. Swiss Ball Press Ups

This is one of the best core strength exercises. Having your feet balanced on a Swiss ball while do press ups ensures that you engage all supporting muscles. It is the equivalent of doing free weight bench presses instead of using a Smith machine.

2. Swiss-ball balancing

Sounds simple enough. Sit on a Swiss ball, and then lift one foot up. You engage hip and lower back muscles to remain seated. Pushing your forehead against a partners palm also builds neck muscles, and teaches your body to keep muscles engaged without over tensing.

3. Over-arm pull ups.

The classic back and forearm strength builder. The main purpose of this is to build a strong grip. Two hours gripping a F1 steering wheel quickly starts to burn without proper preparation.

Source: ShortList, 28 May 2009.

“Above all, never cheat on any exercise; use the amount of weight that you can handle without undue strain.” – Bruce Lee

This quote is still valid for all forms of weight training exercise today. Firstly, good form is essential, whether you are lifting weights, stretching, performing bodyweight exercises, or practising martial arts. Bruce Lee obviously had a very good grounding in the importance of good form, as kung-fu, and other martial arts, use “forms” for training and honing fighting techniques. Good form is essential in martial arts, as it can help to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a student, condition the body to react and move in the correct way, and strengthen the muscles, ligaments and joints. Poorly executed form can lead to poorly executed martial application, which can be fatal.

In the Bruce Lee Workout, form is very important. Poor form not only reduces the effectiveness of an exercise, but it can also cause injury, by placing too much pressure in the wrong areas. Also, the cheat on an exercise, is to cheat your own body of obtaining the optimal workout during any given session.

Bruce Lee’s weight training routine evolved during his career. In his early days, his emphasis was on body building, especially forearm training, and he supplemented his diet with protein drinks. Later on, he started to simplify his training. He realised that rather than the isolation exercises favoured by bodybuilders, he needed to perform compound weight training exercises to increase overall strength and condition. Bruce Lee’s weight reduced after he gave up the bodybuilding routines in favour of more traditional compound and cardio training.

“Since weight training involves repetitions, a great deal of energy must be exerted. Therefore, weight training should be practce only every other day.” – Bruce Lee

This quote is interesting, as it seems to be a move away from his traditional approach of not working the body so much that you are weakened. So although he was moving away from the bodybuilding routines, he was also moving away from pure martial arts. The Bruce Lee Workout should be intensive enough to require adequate recovery days. Bruce Lee suggested that you should train at most once every other day, or three days per week, with an extra rest day at the weekend. For Bruce Lee, the most important aspect of hos new weight training routine was that he could still train his martial arts and endurance / cardio on the other days. Bruce Lee adopted a cross training methodology, in that he believed that fitness training should have three key elements: stretching for flexibility; weight training for strength; and cardiovascular for endurance.

Bruce Lee’s 20 Minute Strength and Bodybuilding Routine

Bruce Lee Clean and Press – 2 sets of 8 reps

The clean and press is a classic weight lifters exercise. Unlike bodybuilding exercises which work muscles in isolation, weight lifting / power lifting exercises work muscles together, i.e. they are compound movements. Bruce Lee performed clean and presses in a very intensive fashion, that is, without rest between reps. This made the exercise a cardio and endurance exercise as well as a weight training exercise. In the clean and press a barbell is lifted from the floor, and in one explosive movement the weight is lifted up to rest on the front of the shoulders – this is the clean. Afterwards, the weight is then pressed upwards, and held overhead. It is then lowered to the floor in one movement, and repeated. Form is essential in the clean and press, and it is also important not to attempt to lift too much weight, as injuries to the lower back are common in poorly executed clean and presses.

Bruce Lee Barbell Squat – 2 sets of 12 reps

The squat is one of the most important compound exercises in the Bruce Lee Workout, especially for martial artists. It develops a solid base and core. In the standard squat, which should always be performed in a squat rack for safety, a barbell is placed across the shoulders, and a squat is performed. Bruce Lee advised there should be no pause in the lowest position, instead as soon as your thighs reach a horizontal position, you should rise again to a standing position. The squat works the hips, glutes, hamstrings, calves and quads.

Bruce Lee Barbell Pullover – 2 sets of 8 reps

The barbell pullover is a weight training exercise that is less common these days. It is the classic rib-box expander. To perform a pullover, you should lie on a flat bench, hold a barbell with a shoulder width grip overhead, and then lower it backwards behind your head, keeping a the elbows slightly bent.The bar should be held as far back as is comfortable. Some people can touch the floor behind them with the bar, but this is not recommended without adequate training. Use a light weight to start with, as this is a deceptively difficult movement.

Bruce Lee Bench Press – 2 sets of 6 reps

No weight training session would be complete without a bench press. Many martial artists actually advise against the bench press, as it expands the rib cage, which is a weakness in fighting. Bruce Lee taught that a fighter should aim to develop a solid set of ribs, which can take strikes. Performing many bench presses, and pullovers too, can open the ribs too much, so if you plan to fight competitively, do not place too much emphasis on these exercises.

Bruce Lee Good Mornings – 2 sets of 8 reps

Bruce Lee was a fan of the good morning exercise. The exercise involves holding a barbell across the shoulders, and then bending forward, keeping the legs and back straight. This exercise can be ver dangerous if you do not warm up, and attempt to use too much weight. Really good mornings can be performed with good results with just an empty bar. Bruce Lee damaged his back doing good mornings – he did not damage it in a kung-fu challenge match, as portrayed in the film Dragon!

Bruce Lee Barbell Curls – 2 sets of 8 reps

Curls are the other staple weight training exercise along with bench presses. Everyone seems to want bigger biceps. For martial arts styles that involve grappling, grabbing, pulling and throwing, a good pairs of guns come in very useful. So perform bicep curls in each training session to build up the guns. Bruce Lee Workout aims to increase your pulling power.

Change the Routine to Suit Your Needs

With any weight training routine, it is important not to get into a rigid routine. After a while of training, you will hit a plateau, and training will no longer produce the same gains, if any, that it once did when you were weaker and less fit. For this reason, it is essential to add new exercises, train with dumbbells instead of barbells at times, change the weight and number of repetitions etc. to give the body a new challenge, and a new spurt of growth.

This was by no means Bruce Lee’s only workout and weight training routine, but it formed the foundation, the core, of his strength training, later in his career. If you want to start to train like Bruce Lee, then perform the Bruce Lee Workout at least once per week.

In loving memory of Bruce Lee: the little dragon

Further Reading

• Bruce Lee Portal
• Bruce Lee’s Abs Workouts
• What Did Bruce Lee Eat?
• Bruce Lee, The Greatest Martial Arts Action Hero
• Jeet Kune Do – The Way if the Intercepting Fist.
• Bruce Lee Interview on the Pierre Berton Show
• Bruce Lee’s Kickboxing Workouts
• Bruce Lee’s Kicking Workouts
• Bruce Lee – His Fitness Workouts, Strength Training and Diets
• Find a Kung-fu School

Workouts Dos Lee De Bruce: Treinamento Da Força

Books For Sale

	Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method: The Complete Edition by Bruce Lee Usually ships in 24 hours
	The Art of Expressing the Human Body by Bruce Lee
	The Warrior Within : The Philosophies of Bruce Lee by John R. Little Usually ships in 9 to 12 days
	Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee’s Wisdom for Daily Living (Bruce Lee Library) by Bruce Lee
	Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method, Vol. 1: Self-Defense Techniques by Bruce Lee Usually ships in 24 hours
	Artist of Life (Bruce Lee Library) by Bruce Lee Usually ships in 11 to 12 days

Running is a very versatile method of getting fit. With good footwear, you can run just about anywhere, and with the right clothing it is possible to run all year round.

When running you increase your heart rate and make your cardiovascular system more effective. You also staret of use fat reserves for energy, which is why running aids weight loss so well. Running also strengthens let’s, thighs and back, and can improve agility and flexibility in the legs. Most of the negative effects of running, such as knee and other joint problems, shin splints and blisters, are all caused by doing too much too soon, as well as by wearing inappropiate footwear and clothing.

The military train armed personnel to run efficiently, to conserve energy and reduce injury. Many of the people that run for fitness and pick injuries do so due to poor technique and bad habits.

When running, you should aim to remain relaxed, with an upright posture. With a pack it is natural to lean slightly forwards, however be careful to not lean too far. Arm action is also important. Poor arm movement whe running can lead to reduced efficiency, whereas a good arm movement can actually help to propel yout body along.

How you use your feet can also reduce injury. The recommended method is the ‘heel-ball’ technique, simply meaning that as you run, you land on your heel first, then roll your foot to the ball before pushing off. This great reduces impact. Those that run by landing the whole foot at once are call flat-footed. Not only is this method less efficient, but it leads to more joint problems.

To get the most out of running you should mix up your workouts, with short intensive runs, medium middle distance runs, and longer endurance runs. Remember, professional middle distance runners (800m and 1500m) train over longer distances. You need to combine endurance and speed.

Short runs should be at a fast pace, around 6 minutes per mile for up to 30 minutes. You should not sprint, but should also not have the breath to be able to talk during the run.

A medium military run is around 45 minutes. The pace is over 7 minutes per mile, and you should be able to talk while running.

The longest run is the endurance run. You should run for a minimum of 90 minutes and during the run, you should be able to hold a conversation. If you wish to build up stamina, start to carry a pack and consider this a pre-combat quick march (run)! Remember that during the Falklands War, British soldiers ran 20 miles overnight with full packs before engaging in battle almost immediately afterwards. This is the level of fitness that every soldier should aspire to.

Train several times a week, with longer runs at the weekends and the shorter runs in the mornings / evenings. Always look to improve time or distance, and aim to carry a full military pack (40-60 pounds).