Beat that Banana!

The 7th “Beat the Banana!” Charity Run will take place on Sunday, 4 March 2012 along the Tsimshatsui East Promenade. WCRF HK is very pleased to have the support of Wellcome as the event sponsor, joining us in spreading the message of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for better health and cancer prevention.

Ed and LP at last years event!

Details to note!

- Date: Sunday, 4 March 2012

- Venue: Tsimshatsui East Promenade

- Category: 3km Fun Run (from 9am)/ 6km Elite Race (from 8am)

- Participating Class: Individual / Family / Friends / Corporation / School

- Route:

• 3km Fun Run: HK Cultural Centre > Avenue of Stars > Tsimshatsui East Promenade > International Mail Centre > Back to HK Cultural Centre
• 6km Elite Race: A cycle route twice of the above 3km route

- Places: 1,000 runners (Places are limited and on a first-come, first served basis)

- Registration Deadline: Monday, 20 February 2012

At COASTAL FITNESS, we are encouraging ALL of our clients to sign up for the 3km ‘fun run’!

We are part of a ‘team’ – “Coastal Fitness”.

Sign up, then let us know once you have done so – we would love as many people running as possible!!!

Click the link below for registration and more details!

http://www.wcrf-hk.org/how_can_i_help/beat_the_banana/index.php

Andy 5:25
Babs 6:55

Bruno the cat rocking some Reebok CrossFit gear!

Ste Farrell smashing out his 100 press ups

‘Angie’
100 Pullups/jumping Pullups
100 Press ups (chest to floor)
100 sit ups (elbows to knees)
100 air squats (break parallel)

As fast as possible

Ste Farrell – 16mins 31secs

Ed Haynes – 14mins 35secs

Ant Haynes – 14mins 34secs

3 rounds for time

Chris Peart busting out double unders

Tom will provide the Coastal Fitness Team with some fresh, new ideas on exercise and training – with a background in elite sports performance, physiotherapy and movement enhancement, we’re delighted to have him on board!

Check out Tom’s bio:

http://www.coastalfitnesshk.com/meet-the-team/tom-mcqueen/

Tom McQueen in action for HK at the 7s

20 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

5 Powercleans (30kgs/70kgs)

7 HSPU (Hand Stand Press Ups)

12 Butterfly Sit Ups

Powercleans & HSPU's (left)! Butterfly situps and the aftermath on the right!

Ant – 13 rounds, 3 HSPU

note – if you can’t do an exercise, just scale it down! We recommend lower the weight for the powercleans (or changing to deadlift/hangcleans) and substituting the HSPU’s for regular Press Ups!

GOOD LUCK!

We’re moving forward on to exciting thing in the coming year, so stay tuned!!

We can’t stop laughing at some of your moves in the video!

Check it out!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU7UlKJtJqE

While both of these actions may be considered intense in each respective discipline – these are only correlates of intensity. Screaming when lifting a weight may sound intense – but it doesn’t indicate the amount of ‘work’ you are doing. The same goes for a high heart rate during activity. High heart rate is a correlate of intensity – but again it doesn’t show how much work has been done. You could go and watch a scary movie and your heart might be pounding for 90 mins…but that doesn’t mean you are getting fitter!

So how do we measure intensity and how do we elicit it?

Intensity is defined as being “exactly equal to power”. And Power  = Force X Distance / Time. Basically this formula translates to:

‘How much weight did you move, how far and how quickly?’

The greater the average power, the greater the intensity. This makes it a measurable fact….not a debatable opinion.

Ok – so enough with the scientific babble. How do I elicit intensity? EASY!!!!!!!!! FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS! Functional Movements are unique in their ability to elicit intensity. A functional movement is a movement that has real world relativity and a movement in which large loads can be moved long distances, quickly. Therefore the bicep curl being performed by our steroid fiend in the corner is not viewed as a functional movement as it has the inability to carry out such functions. You may have exceptionally strong biceps….but you are always going to be able to move more mass and more quickly doing a similar but functional exercise like the pull up.

One of the most popular gym movements - the bicep curl

So why do I need intensity?

Intensity is the independent variable most commonly associated with favourable adaptations to the body. This is true with the following:

• Increased bone density
• Reduction in body fat
• Improved VO2 max
• Increased anaerobic threshold
• Muscle Gain
• Eliciting neuroendocrine response

These are just a few of the physical and cosmetic adaptations that can be achieved through intensity. This should be reason enough for everyone to be performing high intensity exercise!

A great example of an intense exercise - The Prowler push

So how intense should my workouts be?

We actively encourage everyone to workout at a high intensity. How high? Well that is relative depending on your psychological and physical tolerances. We don’t want you finishing a workout without breaking a sweat…but equally we don’t want you performing a workout that is too hard and your form so poor that you are risking injury.

Mild form degradation during a workout is usually a good sign that you are pushing your limits. Perfect form on all reps during a high intensity workout means you aren’t pushing yourself enough. Total form degradation means you need to scale back.

Let’s take the idea of shooting an arrow at a target and liken it to a set workout:

1)     If you are hitting the bullseye every time – you need to take a few steps back and make things a little harder for yourself. I.E. – if you form is perfect on every single rep – you aren’t pushing your limits

2)      If you are completely missing the target and shooting people in the face then you need to walk forward!!!! I.E. Your form and technique is poor so you need to scale the workout for your psychological and physical tolerances

3)     If you are hitting the target but not the bullseye – then this is an adequate range for you. I.E. Your form is good – but not totally perfect so you are pushing your limits.

Let me just state that you should not be attempting any workout if you can’t perform the movements selected without the correct form. Form degradation is going to happen during intense workouts – but everyone must be able to perform the movements correctly before the intensity is ramped up.

Have fun, be intense, reap the rewards!

“ViPR™ was created from a need to evolve training tools, foster purposeful motion and blend strength training with functional training and movement. Movement is fundamental. And what makes up effective movement is a blend of lifting, shifting and twisting.”

- Michol Dalcourt, creator of ViPR

ViPR is an acronym for Vitality, Performance and Reconditioning- three key concepts in any training program and is touted as the ‘evolution of free weights,’ due to the freedom of weighted movement it allows.

Next time you’re in your gym, take a look around and it probably looks very different to what it did a few years ago. The industry is moving away from the heavy, fixed machines which limit the body to predetermined movement to tools which allow the body to move freely and functionally in all directions, heights and speeds, such as the BOSU, TRX and now ViPR. With the shift in training to whole body integration, ViPR’s effectiveness is just that, every exercise performed with this tool uses the entire body to accelerate, decelerate and stabilise movement, as a whole.

ViPR is made of rubber and comes in 7 different weights; virtually indestructible it can be lifted, shifted, flipped, tilted, dragged, thrown- its limit is your imagination! It can be used indoors or outdoors, as part of a training program incorporating other tools or as a standalone workout and is suitable for all abilities; beginners to elite athletes.

Benefits of ViPR Training:

• Provides an effective, whole-body workout
• Builds muscle and burns calories through strength and movement training
• Be lifted, dragged, thrown, stepped on – and pretty much any movement you can think of
• Safe, as it’s made from rubber

• Suitable for all ages and abilities, with weights ranging from 4kg to 20kg
• FUN!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c95Cze3ePvU