Parkour Conditioning for the week of February 9 - 15, 2013

Saturday, 9 Feb. 2013 -

• 8-9am Conditioning - P90X Core Synergistics.
• 6-630pm PK Conditioning - Short walk, stretching, completed 2 rounds with 4 reps each of Press up drill series, 15 meters QM Cat balance, 16 low stair squat hops.

Sunday, 10 Feb. 2013 -

• 8-9am Lifting - P90X Chest & Shoulders.

Monday, 11 Feb. 2013 -

• 7-730am Cardio - P90X Cardio.
• 6-630pm PK Conditioning - 5 rounds of: 4 reps each Press up drills, 25 meters QM Cat balance on the ground, 5 each high and low plank runs, 10 squat hops.

Tuesday, 12 Feb. 2013 -

• 630-7am Yoga - Yoga Today hamstrings and hips.
• 6-630pm Stretching - 10 meters Lungs forward and backward, 10 meters QM Inch worm forward, backward, and side to side.

Wednesday, 13 Feb. 2013 -

• 7-730am Cardio - P90X Cardio.
• 645-7pm Conditioning - Forearm exercises with weights.

Thursday, 14 Feb. 2013 -

• 7-725am Yoga - Yoga Today twists and digestion.
• 6-620pm Swimming.

Friday, 15 Feb. 2013 -

• 7-730am Cardio - Insanity Core Cardio
• 6-630pm PK Conditioning - 4 rounds with 10 reps each exercise (alternating sides every 5th rep): Walking assisted wall handstand push-ups, Single leg box jumps on stairs, Wall QM crab walks, Plank holds high and low plank.

Parkour Conditioning for the week of February 2-8, 2013

Saturday, 2 Feb. 2013 -

• 8-9am Lifting - P90X Chest and Shoulders.
• 5-530pm PK Conditioning - Cat Hang exercises including; leaps, mountain climbers, and pull ups.

Sunday, 3 Feb. 2013 -

• 8-9am Lifting - P90X Shoulders and Arms.
• 6-630pm PK Conditioning - 5 rounds of - Shoulder rolls alternating sides for a total of 20 meters, Basic QM forward and backward for total of 20 meters, 10 monkey plant plyos.

Monday, 4 Feb. 2013 -

• Due to issues with my left knee, being that it is swollen, I have elected to focus this week on low impact exercises and stretching.
• 6-620pm Swimming.

Tuesday, 5 Feb. 2013 -

• 730-8am Yoga - Yoga today Hamstrings Openers.
• 6-635pm Stretching - 5 minutes of basic stretches, Moving down and back for a total of 10 meters - Lunges forward and backward, Side Lunges, Circles whole body, Inch Worm both forward and backward, Inch Worm sideways left to right and back, End with runners stretch and butterfly stretch.

Wednesday, 6 Feb. 2013 -

• 730-8am Yoga - Yoga today Hip Openers.

Thursday, 7 Feb. 2013 -

• 715-750am Yoga - Yoga today Back bends.
• 545-605pm PK Conditioning - 5 rounds with 10 reps each exercise: Decline Push ups, Step ups alternating every 5, Roll up sit ups, Crunch frog sit ups, Bicycle sit ups.

Friday, 8 Feb. 2013 -

• 7-745am Cardio - P90X Cardio.
• 545-6pm Stretching - Movement stretching still spending a lot of time focused on rehabbing my knee.

Parkour Conditioning for the week of January 26 - February 1, 2013

Saturday, 26 Jan. 2013 -

• 840-930am Lifting - P90X Chest and Shoulders.
• 545-645pm PK Conditioning - Cat hang exercises consisted of 5 standing cat leaps with 5 second holds, 40 cat hang wall climbers, 40 cat hang pull ups, 5 standing cat leaps.

Explanation of exercises -

• Cat hang exercises are designed to develop grip, core, and arm strength as well as problem solve wall impacts. Each exercise should be performed with the intention of learning how to improve technique, lessen impact, and develop coordination. 
• For info on Cat Leaps here are a few videos, Parkour Generations, Gbody weight training, and 3run tube. 
• For info on Cat wall climbers see this Ryan Ford video.
• For info on Cat pull ups see this Ryan Ford video.

Sunday, 27 Jan. 2013 -

• 830-9am Lifting - P90X Back and Biceps.
• 730-8pm Swimming.

Monday, 28 Jan. 2013 -

• 805-845am Cardio - Insanity Cardio Circuit.
• 715-735pm PK Conditioning - Press Up Drill series completed 2 rounds.

Explanation of exercises -

• Press up drills can be see in this Hawaii Parkour Drill Series video.

Tuesday, 29 Jan. 2013 -

• 8-830am Yoga - Yoga Today Standing Poses.
• 3-4pm PK Conditioning - Cat Hang exercises consisting of: 10 cat leaps, 50 cat hang leg pushes, 50 cat hang wall climbers, 50 cat hang pull ups. Cool down consisting of: 10 cat leaps, and half cat support holds.

Explanation of exercises -

• For info on Cat hang leg pushes see this Ryan Ford video. 
• For explanation of all other Cat Hang exercises see, Saturday, 26 January 2013 entry.

Wednesday, 30 Jan. 2013 -

• 8-830am Yoga - Yoga Today Core & Heart.
• 6-615pm PK Conditioning - 5 rounds with 5 reps each for time: Burpees, Tuck Jumps, Sit Ups, Squats. 2 rounds with 10 second holds and  5 reps each of Handstand push ups assisted. Cool down with 5 slow Inch worms.

Explanation of exercises -

• For info on Handstand push ups assisted see this Ryan Ford video. The variation I placed into it involves using a wall with no ledge so your feet are sticking to it by tightening your core muscles. Next, I add the 10 second hold and then the 5 push ups. ***Note: On my second round I was focusing more on proper positioning on my body and hand placement so I had to break up the push ups into two separate sets.*** Beginners it would be best to start with something you can place your feet on to develop proper form and then spend time on developing deeper push ups. Intermediates should either be focusing on deeper push ups or working on sticking their feet to the wall and practicing holds first. 

Thursday, 31 Jan. 2013 -

• 8-840am Cardio - P90X Cardio.
• 6-630pm PK Conditioning - 5 sets of 10 reps: Walking assisted hand stand push ups, Single leg box jumps alternating legs after 5 reps, Wall crab walks. 5 sets of 10 reps of Plank holds alternating every 5 seconds high to low holds.

Explanation of exercises -

• PK Conditioning Note: Originally, I set out to do as many sets within 15 minutes but realizing I was completing one set every five minutes I decided to keep going and do five sets. My total time was 25 minutes. 
• For info on walking handstand push ups or wall crab walks see, Thursday, Jan 17, 2013 post.

Friday, 1 Feb. 2013 -

• 8-830am Cardio - Insanity Cardio Recovery.
• 6-630pm PK Conditioning - Max rounds for 15 minutes with 10 reps per exercise: Broad jump burpees, Tuck jumps, Monkey plant plyos, sit ups.

A little pep talk to inspire

Here is something I think can help get us through the day! A Pep talk by Kid President.

Parkour Conditioning for the week of January 19 - 25, 2015

Saturday, 19 Jan. 2013 -

• 815-915am Lifting - P90X Shoulders and Arms.

Sunday, 20 Jan. 2013 -

• 830-930am Lifting - P90X Legs and Back.

Monday, 21 Jan. 2013 -

• 130-230pm Walking around Vientiane, Laos.

Tuesday, 22 Jan. 2013 -

• 8-815am Stretching.

Wednesday, 23 Jan. 2013 -

• 845-930am Cardio - Insanity Plyometric Cardio.
• 6-630pm PK Conditioning - Max sets within 15 minutes: 10 High hips monkey plant plyos, 4 Press up drills with 4 reps each, 6 Candle sticks.

Explanation of exercises -

• High hips monkey plant plyos are just like regular monkey plant plyos but with hips higher in the air to emphasize the movement. Find a wall lower to the ground if need be to practice this movement. Watch this Demon Drills video for an example.
• Press up drills can be see in this Hawaii Parkour Drill Series video. My routine included only 4 of the drills including - alternating elbows to ground, both elbows to ground, rolling forward with elbows on ground to palms only, and moving forward and backward movements.
• Candlesticks demonstration video can be seen here on this fitnesstaylor video. Beginner start slowly and work on pushing off the ground with hands. Intermediates work on just getting up with feet only and adding in movements at the end like knee tuck jump, X jump, 360 spin, etc.

Thursday, 24 Jan. 2013 - 

• 850-930am Yoga - Yogatoday Shoulder Openers.
• 6-7pm PK Conditioning - Workout consisted of 4 routines with 3 sets each and 10 reps per exercise.
• Routine 1: Weights, each exercise 10 kilos in each hand used - Wrist mobility exercises, Single leg squats with weight, Weighted full squat hops.
• Routine 2: Handstands - Hands to floor high hips half handstands, Wall handstand holds facing wall.
• Routine 3: Plant plyos - Monkey plant plyos.
• Routine 4: Press up drills - Elbows point out exercise, elbows and fingers point out alternating elbows touching ground.

Explanation of exercises -

• For info on how to do weighted wrist mobility exercises see this Bodybuilding Exercises video. The one variation I added was to first do exercises sitting down and then stand up and repeat them with straight arms at shoulder height.
• Single leg squats with weight is a variation of the Bulgarian squat. I did not use any support for my back leg and I only use weight in one hand which is opposite the leg that is moving behind me. Start in standing position and begin the squat down. The opposite leg will move behind you and you will lean forward to make your body parallel to the floor. Beginners start with the Bulgarian squat using only body weight eventually moving to weighted. Intermediates try exercise without weights until balance is solid and knee strength able to hold additional weight.
• For description of Weighted full squat hops see Wednesday, 5 Dec. 2012 posting.
• For description on handstand exercises see Monday, 10 Dec. 2012 posting.
• For a good example of Plant Plyos see this Ryan Ford Demon Drills video.
• For a good example of Press Ups see this  Hawaii Parkour Drill Series video. I focused only on two of the exercises, Elbows point out and elbows and fingers point out.

Friday, 25 Jan. 2013 -

• 740-815am Cardio - Insanity Cardio & Recovery.
• 815-845pm Swimming.

Parkour Conditioning for the week of 12-18 January, 2013

Saturday, 12 Jan. 2013 -

• 8-9am Lifting - P90X Chest and Shoulders.
• 545-6pm PK Conditioning - 2 rounds total: 8 Inch worms moving forward, 30 reps of plank runs twice each time, 10 plank in/outs, 30 second hold full squats, 8 Inch worms moving backward. 

Explanation of exercises -

• For explanation on Inch worm see Dec. 1, 2012 entry. Planks run start in push up position also known as plank, then starting running in plank position focusing on keeping butt below shoulders and lifting knees toward chest. Plank in/outs start in plank position and jump feet to hands or in, then jump feet back into plank or out. For explanation on full squats see Jan. 3, 2013 entry. Backward inch worms are performed same as normal inch worms but in reverse. 

Sunday, 13 Jan. 2013 -

• 9-10am Lifting - P90X Back and Biceps.

Monday, 14 Jan. 2013 -

• 8-9am Cardio - P90X CardioX
• 515-6pm PK Conditioning - 3 rounds total: 10 monkey plant plyo's, 10 meters of ground kongs down and back, 10 single leg wall pistols each side, 10 half handstands.

Explanation of exercises - 

• For an explanation on monkey plant plyo's see, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. I mention how to do monkey plants going up stairs but the information applies to both movements equally. For an explanation on ground kongs see, Dec. 16, 2012. For an explanation on single leg wall pistols see,  Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. For an explanation on half handstands see, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 posting.

Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 -

• 830-915am Stretching - Yoga today, Hip and Hamstring openers.
• 5-545pm PK Conditioning - Core: Started with stretching and full squats. 30 second Plank holds - Normal planks, alternating arms, alternating legs, opposite arms and legs holds. 5 sets of Walking planks side to side on stairs. 2 sets of Walking planks side to side on stairs alternating opposite arms and legs. 6 reps reach high and under push ups, 10 reps of Plank walks side to side ground level, 16 reps of low plank walks side to side ground level.

Explanation of exercises -

• Plank holds: Normal planks start in push up position. Beginners focus on keeping butt low and moving arms closer to body for greater stability. Intermediates work on keeping body straight. 
• - Alternating arms and legs plank holds; Arms: Start in plank position and lift 1 arm so it is straight in front of you parallel to the ground. Work on holding this position with a straight body, then switch arms and hold other side up. Legs: Start in plank position and lift 1 leg so it is off the ground but remains parallel to it. Work on holding this position with a straight body, then switch legs and hold other side up. Opposite arms/legs: Start in plank position then lift 1 arm and 1 leg on opposite sides of the body and hold. Focus on maintaining a straight body and then alternate. 
• Walking planks on stairs: start in plank position then walk either left or right remaining in plank position along stairs, ledge, curb, wall, etc. The key to the exercise is to make your body elongated so that you are as low to the ground as possible. Beginners work on coordinating hands and feet to make plank walk smooth and stable. Intermediates work on keeping body straight and maintaining good form.
• Walking planks on stairs alternating hands and feet: start as described above and as you walk from left to right you will lift opposite hand and foot before you move. Place hand and foot back down and move left or right then lift hand and foot on alternate side.
• Reach high and under push ups start in plank position, do push up, then lock feet and turn body to side plank, lift arm in air above head then under body then back above your head, finally returning to plank position and that is one side. Repeat on other side. 
• Plank walks are similar to walking planks but on the ground. Start in plank position and walk hands and feet to left or right side of body and then walk back. Focus on maintaining body position and a low butt by keeping core tight squeezing muscles where needed.
• Low plank walks are similar to plank walks but with one variation. You will lower body to 1 inch (or so) above the ground and then move to the left or right. These are much harder and should be done when you feel strong enough to hold your body weight while moving. 

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 -

• 830-915am Cardio - Plyometrics Insanity.
• 5-530pm PK Conditioning - 3 sets of 10 reps: Squats, Decline push ups, Roll up Sit ups, Crunchy frog sit ups, and bicycles sit ups.

Explanation of exercises - 

• Roll up sit ups start laying flat on back with arms above body perpendicular to ground, rise up and touch toes, lean back raising legs up to place body in a V position, reach up and touch toes again, then place legs and back down on ground that is one rep. Note: the more your arms are perpendicular to ground or closer to waist level when you start the harder the exercise and this is what you want.
• Crunch frog sit ups start balancing on butt with knees in to chest, feet off the ground, and arms lightly hugging legs. Then legs will extend in front of you not touching the ground, arms will open and extend fully to your sides after which you will return to the start position and that is one rep.
• Bicycle sit ups start balancing on butt with hands on ground at waist level. With feet in the air begin to peddle in one direction and then reverse the direction after so many reps.

Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 - 

• 815-845am Yoga - Yoga today backbends and breathing exercises.
• 5-530pm PK Conditioning - 3 sets of 10 reps: Walking assisted hand stand push ups, Single leg box jumps alternating legs after 5 reps, Wall crab walks. 3 sets for 1 minute each: Plank holds alternating every 10 seconds high to low holds.

Explanation of exercises - 

• Walking assisted hand stand push ups are a variation of hand stand push ups assisted as seen in this Demon Drills video. The variation comes in to play where in between each push up you walk move or walk to the left or right. Take your time with this exercise as it requires some time to get used to.
• Wall crab walks start in crab position facing wall with feet placed on wall. Walk to the left or right keeping feet on wall. See this Demon Drills video for an example.

Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 -

• 745-815am Cardio - P90X Cardio.
• 520-540pm PK Conditioning - 3 rounds consisting of 10 reps each side: Assisted single arm push ups, Step ups, Chair dips.

Explanation of exercises -

• Assisted single are push ups start with finding a low wall, box, or chair and placing one hand on the object. Body will be in push up position with wide feet and with other hand at your side not on the ground. Slowly lower down into the push up and when it becomes too difficult or you feel you are going to fall catch yourself with your free hand. Once all the way down push up trying to minimize the amount of force pushing off of the hand on the ground.
• For a good example of step ups view this Demon Drills video. 

Parkour Conditioning for the week of 5 - 11 January 2013

Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 -

• 10-11am Lifting - P90X Chest and Back.
• 530-6pm PK Conditioning - 3 rounds with 10 reps each exercise: Pull-ups, Pop-up push-ups, knees to elbows, and one legged step ups. ***Note: I was unable to complete the 5 rounds I originally intended due to the tearing of calluses on both my hands. Once they heal I will go back and repeat this workout.***

Explanation of exercises -

• Pull-ups are overhand shoulder width apart. Beginners can find a lower bar if need be and work on jumping pull-ups, or just work on grip strength by hanging from the bar for as long as possible. Intermediates can work on negatives or with minimizing the amount of leg power used in jumping pull-ups.
• Pop-up push-ups are normal push-ups with a hard push when in the up position and leaving the ground placing hands on wall or ledge in front of you. Then pushing off wall or ledge and catching yourself with hands on ground going into next push-up. Beginners can work on pushing off the ground and just getting air or with no push, when in up position walk hands one at a time up to wall or ledge and ten walk back down. Intermediates try to pop-up with one hand at a time and place it on wall or ledge. 
• Knees to elbows are performed by hanging from pull-up bar and raising knees up to elbows. Beginners work on just getting knees up and minimizing swing of body. Intermediates work on getting knees higher and minimize swing of body.
• One legged step ups are done by stepping up on a box, bench, ledge, etc. and hoping up, then stepping back down. Perform equal amounts of reps on each side. 

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013 -

• 830-930am Core - P90X Core Synergistics.
• 10-1010am Swimming & Stretching.

Monday, Jan. 7, 2013 -

• Rest day - No workouts.

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 -

• 650-710pm - PK Conditioning - APK Workout of the day: 15 minutes for max rounds of - 10 Broad jump burpees, 10 Tuck jumps, 10 Plyo push-ups, 10 Sit-ups. Conclude with a stretch. ***Note: I completed 4 rounds in 20 minutes.***

Explanation of Exercises -

• Broad jump burpees are performed by combining 2 techniques into 1. The best example of this is seen here in this Demon Drills video. Beginners if not feeling comfortable or confident with this movement can work on smaller broad jumps or lunges and then do a normal push-up. Intermediates can work on combining the broad jump with the burpee and try to make it one smooth fluid motion. 
• Tuck jumps can be seen in this Demon Drills video. Beginners can start by just working on small tuck jumps focusing on getting their knees up to their chest not their heels to their butts. This is very important in performing this movement as it will help ensure safety, proper landings, and increase the individuals ability to jump higher. Intermediates can focus on landing softly with little noise and on getting their knees higher and/or jumping higher as well. 
• Plyo push-ups are an incredible movement exercise that can help anyone's training overall. It is important to note to take your time with these and gradually progress into them as they can be difficult in the beginning. Please see this Demon Drills video for an example. In addition, towards the end of the video there are links to beginners progressions and intermediates progressions. I would recommend reading and watching all first before starting exercise. 
• Sit-ups can be performed a number of different ways but I would recommend starting with something simple as seen in this American Parkour video. If there is a ledge or something you can hook your feet under to support yourself then please use it to make this exercise easier.

Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013 -

• Today is my birthday workout:
• 730-820am Cardio - Insanity Pure Cardio.

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 -

• 730-815am Cardio - Insanity Core.
• 655-715pm PK Conditioning - 4 rounds of - 10 squat push ups, 10 half handstands, 10 side to side floor hops, 10 second holds of handstands against wall.
• Watching youtube videos on different yoga techniques and workout ideas.

Explanation of exercises - 

• Squat push ups are best explained in this Insanity instructional video. Beginners work on lowering yourself slowly into the push up and hold body weight up if to difficult in the beginning. Intermediates work on popping up off the ground quicker and gaining speed.
• Half handstands start with straight legs in a wide stance. Lower hands to floor in front of you then hop into a half handstand supporting your weight with hands while keeping your legs straight and wide. Once up, come back down and repeat. Beginners work on supporting weight with arms and when hopping up slowly progress to a height you are comfortable with. The goal is to get the hips above your head with legs straight in a pike position. Intermediates work on hips being above head and holding position for 1-3 seconds. Also, you can focus on lowering back to the floor more slowly thus increasing your strength and ability.
• Side to side floor hops are best explained in this Body Weight Training video. Beginners focus on supporting weight as you hop side to side while working on getting hips higher. Intermediates focus on getting hips as high as possible and/or work on adding speed to the movements.
• Wall handstand is best seen in this Demon Drills video. Beginners work on getting back straight and supporting weight with arms. You can also face away from wall until confidence and strength build allowing for a more difficult wall handstand. Intermediates work on increasing time of handstand hold and keeping a straight body.

Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 -

• 815-9am Yoga - Yoga Today Backbends.
• 630-7pm PK Conditioning - 3 rounds with 10 reps each exercise: Pull-ups, Pop-up push-ups, knees to elbows, and one legged step ups. ***Note: My hands are still not at their best so I did not complete the 5 rounds for time. Instead I did 3 rounds at my own pace allowing my hands enough time in between to recover.

Explanation of exercises -

• For an explanation of PK Conditioning exercises see Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013.