The Benefits Of Taking The Stairs...

These 215 steps of the 'Escadaria Selarón' were an essential part of our leg day this time two years ago.

Here are the benefits of stair walking/sprinting:

Muscle Tone & Strength - The calves, the quads, the hamstrings and the glutes, that's all the muscles of the leg get a bloody good workout.

Full Body Workout - Although the bulk of the effort is shared by the legs, the pumping of the arms and shoulders help propel you upwards and forwards.

Fat Dynamite - Need we explain? Try climbing at least 100 steps a day and see what happens.

Cardiovascular Fitness - It's a great way to strengthen the heart and lungs. You'll find that after doing a few flights of stairs your chest will be beating like a drum (don't overdo it though).

Abbreviated Workout - Some brainy scientists have established that it provides fat burning and cardiovascular benefits three times faster than walking or running on flat ground.

Safer For Knees - Compared to running or walking on a flat surface, stairs are low impact. And as long as good technique is maintained, and there are no pre-existing issues it can be a much better alternative.

Bang For Your Buck - It's cheap as chips! Works your lower and upper body. Torches fat. Provides cardiovascular benefits. Saves time. Better for the knees. That's six for the price of one, or your unhealthy life back.

Challenge Yourself: lunge, hop, take two steps at a time, walk side ways, if your brave enough walk backwards or use weights (try piggybacking someone).

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Take The Stairs...

Earlier this year we took to hot stepping Rio de Janeiro's, 'Escadaria Selarón'.

Its creator, Jorge Selarón, the Chilean-born artist, covered the set of stairs in fragments of mainly blue, green and yellow tile matching the colours of the Brazilian flag.

It's doubtful that back in 1990 when he started the project he envisaged his tribute to his adopted country would become so iconic. It's probably more likely that he envisaged the holidaying writers of a blog, called GETfizzYcaL, making it's 215 steps an essential part of their leg day.

Because you are fighting more gravity than you would from running or walking on flat, stair walking and sprinting provide the following benefits:

Muscle Tone & Strength - The calves, the quads, the hamstrings and the glutes, that's all the muscles of the leg get a bloody good workout.

Full Body Workout - Although the bulk of the effort is shared by the legs, the pumping of the arms and shoulders help propel you upwards and forwards.

Fat Dynamite - Need we explain? Try climbing at least 100 steps a day and see what happens.

Cardiovascular Fitness - It's a great way to strengthen the heart and lungs. You'll find that after doing a few flights of stairs your chest will be beating like a drum (don't overdo it though).

Abbreviated Workout - Some brainy scientists have established that it provides fat burning and cardiovascular benefits three times faster than walking or running on flat ground.

Safer For Knees - Compared to running or walking on a flat surface, stairs are low impact. And as long as good technique is maintained, and there are no pre-existing issues it can be a much better alternative.

Bang For Your Buck - It's cheap as chips! Works your lower and upper body. Torches fat. Provides cardiovascular benefits. Saves time. Better for the knees. That's six for the price of one, or your unhealthy life back.

Challenge Yourself: lunge, hop, take two steps at a time, walk side ways, if your brave walk backwards or use weights (try piggybacking someone).

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Reverse Lunges...

Reverse lunges are a great exercise for your legs. All the major muscle groups of the lower body are called into play. Primary muscles such as the buttocks, thighs and calves get a great workout as well as the hamstrings, lower back and abs which act as stabilisers.

They can be done with or without weight.

Doing them in reverse as opposed to the conventional forward version places less stress on the knees as weight stays constant on the forward leg.

Execution:

1. Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart.

2. Step one foot back so that the front leg forms a rough 90 degree angle. The knee of your trailing leg should not touch the ground.

3. As you descend lean a little forward so that your stomach rests a touch on your thigh.

4. Return back to the starting position using only a little push with your trailing leg. The forward leg should do most of the work.

Superb Marketing One-liners Or Your Money Back...

The flex mini is designed to give you the perfect rear end. The geniuses behind the product's marketing have thrown their best 'wordsmithmanship' into a life altering 5 minute 50 second infomercial. Here's just a taster:

"Medical grade bottom toning technology."

"Works the muscles the same as when you're doing squats, lunges, stiff legged dead lifts, plies, butt blasters and hamstring curls."

"It can take your training to the next level."

"In the clinical trials for this product 100% of participants said it worked in some way."

"The ultimate bottom toner."

And if that marketing chatter doesn't convince you the thermographic before and after images have to.

Captured Crickets AKA Hands Behind The Head Knee Jumps

You are a Cricket! No ordinary Cricket. In fact you're the leader of a highly skilled platoon of Crickets who have just parachuted into animals-that-eat-crickets territory.

Unfortunately your arrival was not kept so top secret and you and your team are unexpectedly ambushed. You become prisoners of war...you become Captured Crickets (cue 'Platoon' theme music)...

1. Kneel on a soft surface and sit back on your heels.

2. Place your hands behind your head and interlock fingers.

3. Explosively thrust your hips out and up.

4. As you land plant your feet with a stomp.

5. Pause briefly at the bottom of the squat and rise slowly.

6. Tense your glutes, quads and hamstrings hard when in the standing position.

7. Reverse lunge backwards and lower yourself slowly onto your right knee then your left.

8. Repeat the exercise making sure to lower yourself onto your left knee first (alternate knees for each rep).

Captured Crickets work the hips, quads, hamstrings and glutes and are great for developing explosive power. They are also good for learning proper hip thrust technique which is a vital ingredient for squatting and deadlifting.

For a simpler version and other variations of Crickets head here.

The One Arm Barbell Snatch!!!

Sprinters Block...

Checkout the video.

Overhead Squat...

If you are wanting to bulk, maintain mobility, flexibility and power the overhead squat is one of the best moves you can do.

Stand wider than shoulder-width apart and clean and jerk (pull to your shoulders then press overhead) or snatch (in one continous movement pull from the floor overhead) the barbell.

Concentrate on keeping your chest up and squat down deep. The execution in the above video gives the impression that the overhead squat is simple but it can be quite tricky so practice with an empty bar first.

Once you feel comfortable add some weight and you'll feel your legs, glutes, core and lower back develop.

Swiss Ball Leg Curl…AKA…

The Missus rarely remembers names of exercises and isn’t great at describing them either but she has come up with an ingenious name for the Swiss Ball Leg Curl which neither she nor anyone reading this will forget – “Vag**a In The Air.”



This move is great for addressing imbalances between the front and the back of the body. The ego muscles in the front of our bodies tend to get all the attention whilst our rear halfs get little.

The Swiss Ball Leg Curl works the hamstrings, glutes, calves, back and core.

1. Lie on your back with your arms out to your sides, legs extended and heels resting on the top of a Swiss ball.

2. Raise your hips off the floor (or ladies put your vag**a in the air) and roll the ball towards your buttocks whilst bending your knees. Contract your core and hold this position for a second.

3. Slowly roll back out and do the movement again.

Sprinters Block (Glute/Hamstring/Quad Exercise)

Sprinters Blocks test your balance, challenge your lower body stabilizer muscles and fry your glutes into shape.

On your marks, Get set, Go...

1. Lower yourself into imaginery Sprinters Blocks but stretch your left trail leg straight back.

2. Raise your right leg back and up in the air and squeeze your glutes whilst keeping your core tight.

3. Bring your right leg back so your thigh touches your stomach.

4. Push off your right leg at a pace that comfortably tests your balance at the same time raising your left leg. Lift your left knee as high as you can and squeeze your glutes again.

5. Reverse the move lowering yourself slowly, again testing your balance.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme.

Suitcase Deadlift...

1 - Place a barbell next to your ankle, to one side of your body. Squat down with your lower back straight, your butt sticking out and keep your head up.

2- Grab the bar with your hand in the middle, keep your core tight and stand straight up without leaning to one side.

The suitcase deadlift works your legs, glutes, lower back, hits your love handles (obliques), core and your grip.

The Exercise For A Night Called FiZZYCAL FiTNESS!!

For all those coming to A Night Called FiZZYCAL FiTNESS on the 21st June you're gonna need to prepare your FiZZYCAL structures for an evening of stamina testing skanking, bubbling, shocking, dancing or whatevers you call it!!!

So here's a simple exercise called a Static Contraction Squat or as I like to call'em Constipateds. Here's a tip for executing them that rolls with the toilet humour - imagine yourself sitting on a very large log and hold for as long as you can.

Mad Inspo - 95 Years Young Sprinter!!!!

All of a sudden age is no excuse!!!!

Zombie Climbs

These are a wicked alternative and more effective than straight forward lunges. Not only do they make your legs work like a mule's but they also give your shoulders a nice workout.

Tips -

(1) In order not to use lots of momentum lean forward until the trailing foot is on tip toes and then push through the heel of the leading foot.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme

Stair Hops

Use this mental picture to acheive flawless Stair Hops:

Mother's chasing you with a saucepan, frying pan, ruler or just her plain heavy hands and in the midst of the chase you stub your toe.....

These are great for your entire legius maximus (I'm being silly I know the correct term is legius maximales). They'll hit the quads, hamstrings, perk up the posterior and carve out them calves!!!

Tip -(1) If you are new to stair hops make sure you're close to the stair rails for safety.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme.

Stair Sprints

Is it just me or do these take you back to your childhood?

Remember Mother chasing you with.........(insert her favourite weapon of torture)?

Stair Sprints are an excellent alternative to sprinting on flat. Not only are they more intense but they are also a lot less stressful on the knees.

Tip -
(1) If you are new to stair sprints make sure you're close to the stair rails for safety.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme.

Scorpion Thrusts

(Rinse & Repeat this on the other side)

The Scorpion Thrust (a variation of the one-legged squat thrust) will work your lower back, fry your quads, hamstrings and of course your glutes.

Tip -
(1) As you kick your legs back pause briefly and squeeze the glute of the leg in the air.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme.

Prison Shower Defence

This is another killer exercise for the glutes, hamstrings and lower back.

Tips -
(1) Bend your standing leg slightly so its almost straight. This enables you to swing your leg high enough to squeeze your glute.

(2) As you swing your leg up concentrate on the glute and squeeze at the top of the movement.

(3) If your losing your balance then grab hold of the seat of a chair.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme.

Ball Donkey Kicks

Grab a football, basketball or a medicine ball for this murderous exercise that targets the glutes, hamstrings and lower back. The intensity comes from having to squeeze the ball in place.

This ain't just an exercise for girls!!! Boys it'll help you sprint faster, kick higher and thrust better (ya know what I mean)!! Admittedly doing this on the football pitch or basketball court may not go down too well so find a quiet spot.

Tips -
(1) As you raise your leg concentrate on your glute and really squeeze it as you bring it to the top.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme.

Constipateds AKA Phased Static Squats

Constipateds will really work your glutes, build sooooooooo much strength in your legs and increase flexibility in your hips.

Warning - Constipateds may bring you to tears!!!

Tips -

(1) Make sure to keep the stance very wide and turn your hips up so your back remains straight and vertical to the floor.

(2) Hold each phase for at least 5 seconds. And as you gain strength increase the time and the reps.

*NB* Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme.

This part of the constipateds are called THE STRAIN.

THE PUSH

THE RELEASE