This week on the TTF Fit Tip of the Week, I answered the question about how to perform more pull ups or push ups.  Below you will find a very simple, yet effective plan at improving these scores.  It takes some effort and consistency but in the end it will produce big results. 

The idea is that you take your maximum reps and divided in 2.  From this point you will now perform more sets of fewer reps with a set amount of time between sets.  Each week we will reduce the amount of time between sets until eventually you will be performing all of these smaller reps sets as one big set. 

For example, let’s say that I can perform 10 pull ups but I’d like to be able to perform 20.  I’ll divide my current max by 2.  10/2 = 5. From this point I’ll perform more sets at fewer reps.

Week 1.  5 sets of 5 pull ups with 60 seconds rest between sets

Week 2 – 5 sets of 5 pull ups with 50 seconds rest between sets.

Week 3 – 5 sets of 5 pull ups with 40 seconds rest between sets

Week 4 – 5 sets of 5 pull ups with 30 seconds rest between sets

Week 5 – 5 sets of 5 pull ups with 20 seconds rest between sets

Week 6 – 5 sets of 5 pull ups with 10 seconds between sets

RETEST at the end of the 6 weeks.

There you have it.  A simple plan to big results.  Now that is Progressive Success!

If you watched this week’s Fit Tip (click here if you haven’t seen it) you know I discussed the importance of rest and sleep.  Here are few quick facts for you to think about the next time you decide to skip out on a good night’s sleep.

Sorry for the title.  I couldn’t resist the play on words.

Here’s a quick video that accompanies this week’s fit tip.  Are you having trouble with your posture?  Watch this video and spend a couple minutes a day working on these exercises/stretches and you’ll see an improvement.  Let me know if you have any questions!

This week in the Fit Tip of the Week, we discussed our love of circuit training.  Out of all the different ways to exercise, we have found that circuit training, specifically time-based training, will get you the best results in the shortest amount of time. 

We use this style of training with our athletes, our “seasoned” citizens, our kids and our general population.  There is no better way to combine strength, cardio, core, endurance and explosiveness training all in to one 30 minute workout. 

That being said, there is a proper way to put circuits together to get the best benefit from circuit training. 

Check out the video below as I describe a great dumbbell circuit that you can do at home or at the gym.

The video you just watched is part of a new monthly program we are offering called TTF on-the-go. Now you can take our workouts with you! Read more about the program by clicking here!

Here is the video that accompanies this week’s Fit Tip of the Week.  If you haven’t seen it, you can visit TTF-TV.com to check out.

Perform each exercise in this circuit for 15 seconds.  Rest 5 seconds and move to the next exercise.  Each circuit will take 1 minute and 40 seconds.  Peform 3-6 rounds depending on your level of fitness and time constraints.

Exercise 1 – Plank variation,  Exercise 2 – Superman variation, Exercise 3 – Cross Mountain Climber, Exercise 4 – Left side plank variation, Exerise 5 – Right side plank variation.

Enjoy!

This week on TTF-TV, we were asked what would be the best thing to eat about an hour before a workout.  If you haven’t seen this week’s episode, you can watch it here.

As promised here are some of our favorite pre-workout snacks.  Remember, the key is to find something that provides you with enough energy to give you a good workout but not too much food that it will make you feel sluggish.

Keep in mind that foods high in simple sugars like candy bars and sodas are not a good idea.  These types of foods spell trouble about half-way through your workout.

One more thing, before to drink plenty of “high quality H20″ (Read in your best Adam Sandler  “Waterboy” voice).  20 oz. of water an hour before working out will help you maximize your efforts.

Our Favorites

1.  Oatmeal with Fruit – If you workout in the morning a great meal is to combine some cooked oatmeal with fruit.  I like raisins on my oatmeal, however bananas, blueberries and other types of berries will do the trick.

2.  Trail Mix – An assortment of nuts with raisins or dried fruit is a nice mix of protein, carbs and fats.  Watch your serving size but it’s a great combination.

3.  Energy bars – There are some good protein bars out there but watch the ingredients.  Many of these bars are filled with junk ingredients that aren’t good for you.  Megan enjoys the Clif bars because they try to stay more organic and natural.  You can check out the clif bars by clicking here.

4.  An apple and a handful of almonds – Any type of nut will work but almonds are our favorites.

5.  Prograde Workout - There are lots of pre/post workout drinks on the market.  Although we aren’t huge into the supplement world and prefer people eat real food and not manufactured products, sometimes it’s easier to grab a quick shake than make oatmeal.  We’ve found that Prograde offers a nice mixture of organic ingredients and  are easily made.  You can check out the Prograde line of products here.