Here’s me doing 105 of them (video sped up):

Burpees In The Living Room from Russ Hutto on Vimeo.

Most people will get you started doing Descending Reps starting with 10 Reps. Do 10 Burpees, recover, do 9, recover, do 8, recover, and so 0n. Recovery should be about 60 seconds.

A VERY tough variation of this is to do 20 Burpees in descending sets.

• Start with a set of 20 Burpees
• Rest/recover for a short bit (like a minute or two)
• Do 19 Burpees
• Rest/recover
• Do 18 Burpees

…and so on. You will be destroyed by this workout (in a good way!).

Functional fitness is an approach to fitness that utilizes REAL LIFE ranges of motion instead of repetitive, robotic machine motions (like body building). There is less focus on isolating individual muscles and more focus on working out the entire body. The end result is a lean, muscly body that performs at it’s peak across a wide range of activities (not just lifting). The result of traditional body building and “cardio” exercising is peak performance (if you can even call it that) in one or two activities (lifting, flexing, or running on a treadmill).

They had just 3 months to get Downey into Tony Stark form after he had dropped 20 lbs to play Sherlock Holmes.

His workouts included exercises and techniques  such as Indian Clubs, Meels, Wheelbarrows, Fire Hoses, Sled, Giant Tires, Sledgehammers, and more unorthodox workout routines.

Downey was tired of the regular routine of hitting the gym and just lifting weights and said, “If I have to get underneath a bench press or [do] a squat, I’m going to shoot myself. I just don’t have the motivation.” So, Bose put him on this functional fitness regimen that really “shock and awed” his body.

If you want proof that there’s something to working out out in a non-traditional, non-body building way just take a look at Robert Downey, Jr. in Iron Man 2. He built that physique in 3 months using functional fitness workouts.

For more information and the details of each workout element see the full article at WebMD.

In January of 2009 I started working at a Chiropractor’s office as a therapist. As part of the job, I would go through the treatment process to see how the doctors work with the patients to cure their ailments. I told the doctor about my pain and he did some x-rays. He found some bone spurs on my spine that were probably the results of years of sports and untreated injuries. The Chiropractor put me on a program of adjustments a few times a week and I hoped I would get better. Instead, the problem stayed the same, if it didn’t get worse.

I was always skeptical of chiropractors, and after working in a chiropractor’s office for almost a year, I am still skeptical. I think they can help some people who have injuries that cause the bones to press against nerves, but they can do little for people who have muscular imbalances. That’s what kyphosis is. Basically, my anterior delts (front shoulders) and my pecs (chest) were overly tight, while the muscles in back were overly weak and stretched, and my back became sore as a result. I now think the bone spurs had little to do with the pain.

Finally, after leaving the job at the chiropractor’s office, I started my own therapy. My back hurt constantly. After standing for about an hour or so I would get a stabbing pain between my shoulder blades that would last until I went to sleep that night. It got really bad when I started a job for which I had to stand for 5-10 hours a day. Out of sheer necessity, I started stretching the fronts of my shoulders and chest every time I got a chance. I continued my normal workout routine without really switching the focus to my back. I knew my back was getting the work it needed; I just needed to stretch the opposing muscles to relieve the pressure.

I figured it would take a couple of weeks of stretching to see any improvement, but to my amazement I started noticing a difference in only a few days. In a week, the pain was gone completely. I have noticed, however, that if I stop the stretching for a few days, the pain returns. My shoulders are much more flexible now, and my back rarely hurts at all. It has been a life-altering change. Now I am able to enjoy my job and do activities that involve standing for long periods of time without having to worry about back pain that was getting pretty severe.

If you are having back pain, think about stretching the opposing muscles or muscles around the area that might be too tight. For back pain in the thoracic region of the upper back, think about stretching the fronts of the shoulders and chest muscles. For lower back pain, think about stretching tight hip flexor and hamstring muscles that might be pulling the pelvis out of whack. Maybe even talk to a massage therapist who can work on your tight muscle groups. If you complain about back pain and the massage therapist wants to work on your chest, don’t be alarmed. You have probably found a good one. Couple this with a good back and core strengthening program and you will be feeling better in no time.

Well, for over 30 years Americans have been cutting out saturated fats and the result? More obesity, more diabetes, and more heart disease. Recent studies are showing that the “health professionals” who decided to pick saturated fats as the culprit for many of our ailments and weight problems, might have the wrong target in their sights.

A recent article in Scientific American says,

Processed carbohydrates, which many Americans eat today in place of fat, may increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease more than fat does—a finding that has serious implications for new dietary guidelines expected this year.

A study published on the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (March 2010) reported in a study that consumption of saturated fats had no association with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.

And conclusions like this from studies in recent years seems to indicate that the refined carbohydrates that most Americans eat in place of saturated fats might be the culprit linked to coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

Most low-fat refined carbs cause us to be more hungry and eat more which in turn leads to weight gain, not weight loss. Those same carbs also stimulate fat storage and inflammation, and can mess with our insulin sensitivity.

Now, I’m not advocating that you go out and gorge yourself on saturated fats, but I do think there is something to dig into in this whole “eat fat to lose fat” notion.

The workout was 4 rounds (for time) of 25 pull ups and 25 wall ball squats. I completed mine in 38 minutes. Keith was around the 19 minute mark I think.

Now, my overall time isn’t anything to write home about, especially if you compare it to seasoned CrossFitters or Primal workout-ers, but I’m most excited about the fact that I actually DID 100 Pull Ups!!

At the beginning of March, I had to do “jump pull ups” which focused more on jumping up to the bar and trying to slowly lower myself. Yesterday, April 23, 2010, I did 100 Pull Ups (kipping pull ups – are a variety of pull ups that require you to snap your hips forward to create momentum for the upward pull, but also require you to use more of your upper body to finish the whole pull up).

Watch the video to see where we work out and the result of my 100 Pull Ups (ouch).

January 1, 2010: Weight 200 lbs | So you can tell where my problem areas. RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE! Love handles, chubby tummy, no abs, etc. Notice the cool shades (RIP Raybans: I lost them in February).

April 23, 2010: Weight 192 bs Almost a full four months later, and not much weight has dropped, but look at my SHAPE. I feel like my turkey neck is getting smaller. My face  is a little thinner. My chest and arms are a bit more defined. Look! Are those  upper abs peeking through? Love handles definitely getting smaller.

For the last month I’ve been doing an outdoor fitness training (similar to CrossFit) with Keith. The Insanity Workout kickstarted the year with a bang. It is indeed an insane program! Technically I missed one day of it (which I’m still trying to make up) so when I get that one knocked out, I’ll have officially finished Insanity.

About 2 months ago I went more to a “Paleo” style (or Primal) eating philosophy. It’s basically this:

Eat meat, fruits & veggies, and nuts and berries. Cut out processed carbs, grains, sweets, etc.

I IMMEDIATELY feel like poo whenever I have a soft drink or bread or anything along those lines. Every day I feel satisfied and full of energy. I think if for the majority of human history we went without all those processed sugars, grains, and chemicals, there must be something to it!

Anyways, I’m slimming down and feeling great. Most of my pants and shorts are falling off of me.

1. Lydia: 1.99% lost
2. Russ: 1.44% lost
3. Tiffany: 1.20% lost
4. Jon: .63% gained

It’s a new week! Keep up the good work guys!

Congratulations to Keith, who certified this week for CrossFit! He’s now Level 1 certified!

That means if you join our outdoor workout group in the Brunswick/St Simons area you’ve got a bonafide Crossfit certified trainer looking out for you! We typically meet in the late afternoon/early evenings at Windsor Park to hangout and workout. Everyone is welcome! Bring the whole family! We’ll be working out regularly throughout the spring and summer.

Check here for details and schedule.

Kudos to Keith on his certification, it’s neither easy nor inexpensive. We’re proud of you!

A 2008 Study of over 350,000 people across Europe published in the New England Journal of Medicine says that having a large waistline can almost double your risk of dying prematurely even if your body mass index is within the ‘normal’ range.

The study says that having excess abdominal fat around your waist poses a significant health risk. Certain “toxic” compounds and hormones are produced in higher quantities because of the fat around the waist.

An increased risk of mortality may be particularly related to storing fat around the waistline because fatty tissue in this area secretes cytokines, hormones and metabolically active compounds that can contribute to the development of chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases and cancers, suggest the authors.

the study also suggests that even if your BMI is in “normal” ranges and you’re not considered obese or even overweight, having abdominal fat still increases these health risks.

Professor Elio Riboli, the European coordinator of the EPIC study from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College London, said: “Although smaller studies have suggested a link between mortality and waist size, we were surprised to see the waist size having such a powerful effect on people’s health and premature death. Our study shows that accumulating excess fat around your middle can put your health at risk even if your weight is normal based on body mass index scores. There aren’t many simple individual characteristics that can increase a person’s risk of premature death to this extent, independently from smoking and drinking. “

The results of the study don’t show why some people have larger bellies than others, but that having a larger waist can lead to premature death.

The evidence points to a sedentary lifestyle and a high [bad] fat/sugary diet being contributors to increase in waist size.

Tips for reducing belly fat:

1. Get moving: If you work at a job where you sit down all day, you MUST take some time each day to walk, jog, run, bike, or something. Other studies, suggest that sitting down on the job leads to MORE sitting down when you’re not at work. So if you sit down for most of the day odds are you’re contributing to those love handles. Especially, if you’re not moving much when you get off work.
2. Watch what you eat: Cut out processed carbs (bread, oats, cereals, chips, all junk food, soft drinks, etc). Sure it sounds restrictive (and it is) but you want to see those abs, right? Eat meat and lots of fruit and veggies. Avoid “low fat or fat free” foods – they’re ok for the short term, but studies show that the chemicals in them lead to other health risks and/or possible insulin resistance.
3. Get Social: Let others know what you’re doing. Tell your friends and family. Get them on board as well. Have a biggest loser challenge in your family. Make a weekly “park day” meet your friends to play/exercise outdoors. Being healthy and fit is ultimately up to you, BUT birds of a feather flock together, right? If you can find a buddy or a group of people who are doing what you’re doing, it will be easier.

CUD from Joe York on Vimeo.

Great documentary (less than 16 minutes in length) about a cattle farmer in Early County, GA.

Is your beef really good for you, the environment, and the cattle?