July’s DVD & Class Challenge: Taking It Up A Notch

 This months training tip is simple to execute yet, it will add a significant punch to your Scorcher.  If you are doing your Kettlebell Kickboxing Workouts successfully here is one simple way to make them even more challenging.  The Challenge:  Take the one-minute rest you get between your four minute KB sets and instead of standing up to catch your breath- GET IN A PLANK and take your breaks from plank position.

 How to do it correctly:

 1. When the DVD’s timer sets to the heart beating in your left hand corner, take a quick sip of water and then position yourself in a low plank position (just like the picture above).

2. When in your plank, aim to pull the belly-button into your abdomen (picture your belly touching your spine)

3. Pull your heals towards the the wall behind you and make sure you are not hanging through your spine

4. Aim for a low Sphinx plank (like the one you see when dong the Shpinx-Push-Ups in the Diversity DVD)

5. Breath in through your nose & out through your mouth only! If you focus on your breath you’ll be ready for the next round with lots of  energy

6. If its too difficult to do every break-  start with every other water break in plank position first

7. If you do this correctly- add another 100 calories burned- PLUS core strength and Ab definition like you have never seen before!

TAKING IT UP A NOTCH in Kettlebell Kickboxing ™  live classes:

Dasha says it all the time…   “If you have trained with us for a while and feel comfortable in all of your workouts and motions… its time to Count Your Reps!”

1. In classes, we all get a minute for each motion (unless there are other intervals involved)

2. When swinging, lifting, kicking of lunging (as well as anything else that we do) aim to start keeping a mental (or written) record of the weight you used and the amount of repetitions you accomplished

3. The more you do, the stronger and more fit you are!  Remember you are  actively burning more calories and building more lean muscle mass

4. NO you are NOT getting bulky!  (if you can go over a repetition of 8-10 you are no longer building bigger muscle, instead you are just leaning out your muscle and burning all the surrounding fat)  and yes- ALL of you accomplish over 10 reps in a single interval.

5. Do not speed.  FIRST- as you do this the focus should be in the following order:

Form, Muscle Recruitment, Stability , Strength, Speed 

6. Do not forget your breathing!!!  ONLY in through the nose and ONLY out through the mouth.