Three Perfect Summer Workouts

Now that the warm weather has arrived and being outdoors is no longer a cold and wet experience, it's a perfect time to hit the park or backyard to get a quick, metabolism-boosting break from your weekly gym routine. You'll not only feel fantastic after a fun, body-weight only exercise routine, but you'll also get healthy doses of sunlight and fresh clean air. Remember, there's no perfect exercise routine for everybody, so if you feel any joint pain or experience any distressing symptoms while performing an exercise or exercise routine, it's probably not the best workout for you.

Haven't exercised much, feel like you're out of shape, or just don't want to push yourself too hard? Try this routine. Perform 15 repetitions of each exercise, and rest just long enough to catch your breath following each set. When you get to the end, return to the beginning and complete two more times.

Jumping Jacks - everybody is familiar with this old-school favorite...

Knee Push-Ups - just like a regular push-up, but from your knees...

Half Squats - squat down halfway, keeping your back straight, your knees behind your toes and your weight on your heels...

Kickouts (15 reps per leg) - get in a crawl position on your hands and knees and kick out behind your body with one leg, extending from the hip as far as possible...

Too easy? Give this a try, following the same instructions for the previous routine.

Vertical Jumps - pretty straightforward. Just jump as high as possible (swing the arms if it helps) and land as soft as possible. Remember - that's for 15 repetitions.

Push-Ups - perform a regular push-up, keeping your wrists under your shoulders, and pressing down as far as possible...

Deep Squats - squat down to at least 90 degrees (thighs parallel to the ground), keeping your back straight, your knees behind your toes and your weight on your heels...

Crawl Extensions (15 reps per side) - get in a crawl position on your hands and knees and kick as far out behind your body as possible with your right leg, while reaching as far out in front as possible with your right hand. Now return to the start position and perform the same movement for the opposite side.

If you still don't feel challenged, I guarantee the following workout will fix that problem. Again, follow the same instructions as the previous routines. You may just need a bit more rest!

Lunge Jumps - get down in a lunge position with one leg forward and one leg back. Jump by pushing through your front leg, switch legs in mid-air, land in the opposite position, and then jump again, performing the same movement. Perform 15 repetitions for each side.

Narrow Grip Push-Ups - perform just like a push-up, but keep your hands about one inch apart and the elbows tucked into the side as you push down as far as possible...

One Legged Squats (15 reps per leg) - that's right; do a standard squat, but standing on one leg only. Your knee must stay behind your toe, and you must get as close to 90 degrees as possible. This is tough!

Squat-Thrust-Jumps - squat down, place both hands on the ground, thrust your legs out behind you, thrust your legs back into a squat position, stand and jump. That's one repetition (have fun with this one)!

If you need more help with your exercise routine, just let me know. Feel free to e-mail elite@pacificfit.net and I'll give you some suggestions on how a personal trainer can help you with enhancing your fitness routine. My new book, Shape21, includes 21 days of similar workouts that can be performed anywhere, with minimal equipment, as well as an accompanying exercise DVD that shows you exactly how to perform each exercise. You can check it out at my website, www.pacificfit.net, or at a gym near you. Or you can order it now by clicking here.

Until next time, train smart!

Ben Greenfield

Lightning-Fast Bike to Run Transitions

Have you ever scanned through the race results of a recent event and noticed that some individuals have 30-40 second transitions from the bike to the run? It's time to go to speed school and learn how you can have the same splits. Here's how to do it (written for right leg dominant athletes, just switch sides if you're left leg dominant):

About 10-30 seconds before dismounting, reach down and unstrap your right shoe and slip your foot out (while stabilizing the shoe with the loop on the back of the shoe). Make sure your right leg is at the top of the pedal stroke, so your foot is within reach.

Put your shoeless foot on top of the shoe from which you just removed it (don't worry, you can still pedal with your foot on the shoe).

Now at the top of the left pedal stroke, reach down and do the same thing to your left shoe. You should now be pedaling with bare feet on top of both shoes.

Just before the dismount line, stand up out of the saddle, swing your right leg back and over the seat, and balance with your body on the left pedal (be careful!).

At the dismount line, step off with the right leg, and follow immediately with the left leg. This will automatically put you into a running motion right off the bike. Not only are you quickly dismounted, but now you can run through the transition area much faster, since you don't have your cleats on. Just don't step on anything sharp!

Did you know that Pacific Elite Fitness offers race coaching? If you're a triathlete in the Spokane or Coeur d' Alene area, you can hire a coach to come to your race and guide you through the entire process. Contact elite@pacificfit.net for more information.

Fitness Tip of the Week

"Use Food Substitutions to Keep Healthy Eating Enjoyable"

Shopping for healthy food should be a fun experience, rather than a boring routine. Use food substitutions to keep things interesting, and don't be afraid to try new items. For instance, try substituting jikama for celery, bulgur for wild rice, papayas for oranges, arugala for spinach, soy milk for regular milk, agave sweetener for honey, etc. This is actually a great way to keep yourself from getting bored with the same foods, especially if you plan on having a great quality of life by making healthy eating a lifestyle, and not just a diet!

This week's fitness tip comes to you straight from the brand new Shape21 Lean Body Fitness Manual. To order your copy today, click here.

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After working for over 7 years in the personal training industry, helping thousands of clients melt away literally tons of fat, and discovering how to transform the body into a lean and athletic fat-burning machine, I've collected all the secrets that I've learned over the years and packaged them into one complete manual - a book that will change the way you view nutrition and exercise forever...click here to read more...

This brand new fitness manual offers a revolutionary new approach, and here's why: rather than separate nutrition and exercise into two different ways to burn fat, boost the metabolism, or gain a toned and sculptured body, I've combined a workout program, grocery shopping list, exercise instruction manual and meal plan menu that shows you exactly how to exercise and what to eat every single day. That means there is no guesswork and no "holes" in your fitness program - it's all there, in one complete, easy-to-read package that you can keep in your car, gym locker, kitchen table, or grocery store shopping cart...click here to read more...

Best of all, I've designed Shape21 to be applicable for all levels. So each manual includes options for beginner, intermediate, or advanced individuals. That means that if you have never worked out before, but want to take charge of your life and begin a new exercise and nutrition routine, you'll start with the beginner level. If you're in decent shape, but need to lose a few percentage points of body fat, or need to find a diet that caters to your busy lifestyle, you'll begin Shape21 at the intermediate level. Finally, for athletes who want to see unparalleled increases in speed and power, while retaining a lean sprinter's body and consuming the best possible fuel, the advanced level exercise program in Shape21 will instantly give you a huge performance boost...click here to read more...

QUESTIONS? Contact elite@pacificfit.net.