Friday, March 29, 2013

Parkour Conditioning for the week of March 23-29, 2013

Saturday, 23 March 2013 -
  • 815-915am Stretching & Lifiting - P90X Shoulders and Arms.
Sunday, 24 March 2013 -
  • 830-910am Stretching & Lifting - P90X Legs and Back.
Monday, 25 March 2013 -
  • 8-830am P90X Cardio.
  • 7-720 Stretching.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013 -
  • 8-830am Yoga and Stretching.
Wednesday, 27 March 2013 -
  • 8-830am P90X Cardio.
  • 6-650pm Stretching followed by: 5 rounds of 10 reps each - Plank Push-ups/Jacks, Plank Runs (50 total), Plyo Push-ups, Plank walks side-to-side, Step-ups.
Explanation of exercises -
  • Plank Push-ups or Plank Jacks: For example see this Workout Guide video. Beginners work on coordination and maintaining a consistent pace. Intermediates work on getting full range of motion in push-up while increasing speed.
Thursday, 28 March 2013 -
  • 8-830am Yoga.
Friday, 29 March 2013 -
  • 8-850am P90X Cardio.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Parkour Conditioning for the week of March 16-22, 2013

Saturday, 16 March 2013 -
  • 750-9am Stretching, Followed by Lifting - P90X Back and Biceps.
  • 7-715pm Stretching.
Sunday, 17 March 2013 -
  • 850-950am Stretching, Followed by Lifting - P90X Chest and Shoulders.
  • 8-815pm Stretching.
Monday, 18 March 2013 -
  • 7-715am Stretching.
  • 6-650pm Stretching, followed by PK Conditioning - Ladders 3, 5, 7 and 7, 5,3 reps (total 30), Plyo Push-ups, Squats, Flutter Kicks (variation), Lunges (forward). After completion of the Ladders workout I attempted 10 Wall handstands but due to my knee injury was only able to go into half handstands. Completed 6 QM Inchworms and ended with a stretch. 
Explanation of exercises -
  • Ladders is just another term used to describe an increase in reps workout and then gradual decrease within the same workout. My example today consisted in 3 reps, 5 reps, 7 reps, 7reps again, 5 reps, 3 reps and done.
  • Flutter Kicks (variation) started with me sitting on the edge of a wall, then leaning back and with no major portion of my butt or any of my back resting on the wall, I supported my my legs in the air directly in front of me. Exercise consisted of me moving my legs in a flutter kick movement but two distinctions were, my legs raised much high then average and I moved my legs slower as to increase difficulty in workout.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013 -
  • 650-715am Stretching & Yoga - Yoga Today Backbends.
  • 6-650pm Stretching, followed by Exercise Experiments. 
Explanation of exercises -
  • Today is a rest day so I decided in my Exercise Experiments to try a few basic exercises but add variations in movement. The idea is to be creative and approach them in a different manner by adding or subtracting something from the exercise. The goal is not to do high reps or perfect the movement rather it is to see what happens when something new is tried. Here is what I attempted:
  • Single leg calf raises with opposite leg bent at hip height: Focused on balance mainly and being able to go up on ball of foot. This movement will need more tweaking.
  • Single leg stability ball pike extensions: First tried using only one leg on stability ball but found it to be extremely difficult and my lack of flexibility hindered any attempts. Second tried two feet on ball and once in pike extension raised one leg up off the ball. This is good as a progression into the single leg movement.
  • QM Cat balance Single arm and Single leg: Using only the opposite hand and leg to move in cat balance proved difficult in the beginning but with practice it will be easier to do. 
Wednesday, 20 March 2013 -
  • 650-730am Cardio - P90X Cardio.
  • 510-545pm Stretching followed by: Ladders 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 reps of - Plyo push-ups, Burpees (no push-up), Wall dips, Single leg step-ups. Cooled down with a stretch.
Thursday, 21 March 2013 -
  • 8-820am Stretching and Yoga.
  • 530-6pm Yoga.
Friday, 22 March 2013 -
  • 8-845am Stretching and P90X Cardio.
  • 530-6pm Stretching followed by: 2 rounds of 18 meters each - QM Crab Walk, Plank Walks, and Toe touches into Lunges.
Explanation of exercises - 
  • Toe touches into Lunges - for examples see this Backward Lunge + Leg Swing video. Note: the move I describe differs from this video in that, you will swing your leg up and then down into a lunge position. Beginners separate the movement into two pieces with toe touch/leg swing first, then with both feet on ground step into forward lunge. Intermediates focus on form and balance slowly working it into one movement.