Rock Climbing

Today we went rock climbing at Vertical Ventures in Tampa, FL. Even though we went for the fun of it, it quickly became apparent the physical conditioning benefits of the sport. It was interesting to watch and talk to the different people that were participating. After speaking with the owner, Hal, we realized that there were varying stories for the different people that attended. Ranging from the HS wrestler that greatly improved his grip strength and stamina to become one of the best in his class to the climbing enthusiast who used the rock climbing wall daily as their workout. 

The cross training and conditioning benefits become immediately apparent during the first climb. Even for the well conditioned athlete that doesn't climb on a regular basis, you will find that you work muscles that haven't been worked in a long time. Endurance and stamina? Just try to climb to the top of one of the overhangs while you are leaning backwards trying your hardest to hang on while continuously moving upward. If you do bouldering you can actually move around the wall and stay climbing for as long as you can hang on. All in all we found rock climbing to be an excellent and difficult workout yet incredibly fun and addictive. It was easy to see why all the regulars keep coming back.

Special thanks to Hal and Vertical Ventures. www.verticalventures.com.

Goal Setting

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they start to workout is that they do not have a plan. They have a goal which may be to lose weight or get in shape, but they do not really know how to get there. Spending five minutes planning out your path could make the difference between accomplishing that goal or resetting it again next year. The best thing to do is to set a goal each week and then each day of what you want to accomplish. Week one may be to workout three days a week for 30 minutes. Day one of week one may be 15 minutes on the treadmill at a HR of 145, one set of leg press for 10 reps, one set of Pulldowns for 10 reps, one set of chest press for 10 reps, one set of shoulder press for 10 reps, resting 30 seconds between each set. Planning each day of the week for your workout helps keep you on your track. This allows you to accomplish small feats along the way to obtaining your ultimate goal. 

Home Workout Equipment

I read an article in Money Magazine about buying home exercise equipment. The context of the article was best purchase for the money. I still do not believe that people who purchase home exercise equipment actually use the equipment. There is still something to be said about going to a facility and working out. However, if you are looking to buy exercise equipment, make sure you know in advance where in your house you are going to workout. Not only the space but also keep in mind if the equipment, like a bike or rowing ergo meter, is air or belt resistance. The reason is if it is air resistance, when you start using it, any paper or light object in the room will blow around. I had a client who bought a Schwinn Airdyne and placed it in his office, after 30 seconds of riding he spent the next 30 minutes cleaning up the office. Needless to say he had an ad in the newspaper the next day that read, "For sale Airdyne bike only used for 30 seconds. Best offer."

Arnold Expo Day 3

Today was the final day of the Arnold Expo and it has been a great experience for us being here.

We were able to get around the expo a little more and see some of the sites and people from Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler and even another visit from Arnold himself. He has been able to spend some quality time around the event. Every day we heard of different sightings as he made his way around the venue.

This is truly a freak show! There are some unbelievable feats of strength and while not always functional they are amazing. From 900 lb squats to an attempt at a weight class bench press record of 660 lbs. It has been fun being here, please keep coming back and see more here and at our website http://www.opipro.com/.

Arnold Expo Day 2

Today was the second day of the Arnold Expo. Not only did we have a great day sharing our website http://www.opipro.com/ with thousands of fitness enthusiasts but also another great day of speakers educating individuals at the Arnold Strength Summit. Without a doubt the highlight of the day was the performance by Craig Pumphrey, a guy world famous for breaking stuff! In our performance we wowed everyone first by breaking a baseball bat using his grip strength. He put the head of the bat under his foot and basically used both hands to bend the bat until it broke. Then he broke 10 bricks with a devastating elbow strike. After that he rolled up a frying pan!! He actually holds the Guiness World Record for rolling a frying pan quicker and tighter than anyone else. He rolled the frying pan in front of us in under 20 seconds!

The day's events were definitely highlighted by a walk through by the event namesake himself Arnold Schwarzenneger.
Looking forward to the highlights of the final day, see you tomorrow!