Workouts Archives - Prism Fitness Group

Has your workout become too easy?

October 19, 2018 by Linda

Here are two small tweaks you can make to get the most out of your fitness time.

You’ve been working out for a while, maybe even a regular at the gym, local trails, or a fixture at your local boutique fitness class (goat yoga, anyone?). Is it starting to feel too comfortable? It might be time to take a closer look at your routine.

Everyone wants to find that perfect balance of bringing the element of fun into a challenging workout, but it’s easy to get content with doing the same thing on repeat. Adaptation is when your body becomes accustomed to your workout, and the result can be that your fitness hits a plateau. Of course, any exercise is always beneficial, but to receive all the great health benefits of a good workout, it may be time to push yourself harder.

Step up the challenge if you see that your heart rate isn’t that high, you’re rarely out of breath, or you are easily finishing your rep count on your lifts.

Of course, you can always introduce a new routine, class, or change up your exercise altogether, but first, start by focusing on these two things.

Focus on Form

Actively focusing on the muscles, you seek to engage can be the difference between a killer rep, and a “just ok” rep. When you focus on form, you are less likely to rely on the wrong muscles to get you through an exercise. Poor form means you may not be getting the benefit out of the exercise you intended, and may even lead to pain and/or injury.

As simple as it sounds, there are significant benefits in mentally connecting to your movement. In fact, one study found that by just thinking about engaging the target muscles during an exercise is an excellent strategy to better your form and increase results. The theory is that by visualizing an exercise and the specific muscle movement during exercise, you train the brain to send stronger signals. This translates into more muscle engagement by recruiting additional muscle fibers or by getting muscle fibers to work quicker and more efficiently.

Up your weights

Strength training is all about building and maintaining a certain level of strength. If the current weight you are lifting isn’t a challenge, or you feel like you could go on forever, it might be time to consider adding weight to your lifts.

First, start by tracking your workouts and recording your results. Then, mix in some additional reps to targeted exercises. You may see a difference simply by adding rep counts. Of course, whole point is to “overload” your muscles so they get stronger, so the next step may be adding weight. If your progress is stalled out, it could be that your muscles have grown stronger to meet the demands of the lifts. To make gains, you need a progression plan in your strength training program. Develop a plan where you increase your weights in key areas, and map out a progression plan to strategically add more weight as you get stronger over time.

Keep Motivated! 3 tips for getting the most out of your workout.

September 21, 2018 by Linda

Stay focused. Stay motivated.

If you’ve ever been to the gym for a workout sesh and come away feeling like you’re not sure you did anything productive, we’ve got three tips to help you stay focused on the work, and keep you motivated until the end.

Focus on FORM

At the beginning of the workout, when you are fresh, is the perfect time to focus on your form. Are your knees over your ankles in your lunges? Abs braced? Shoulders away from your ears? Spine aligned? Every move has its own set of form do’s and don’ts, so study up beforehand, and practice during the first part of any workout. It will give you something concrete to work towards and give you focus for the first part of your workout.

Focus on FEEL

After you’ve put a spotlight on your form, spend the next part of your workout focusing on the feel of the moves. If you have good form, such as driving through your heels in squat position, then you should be able to feel the muscles in your glutes firing. When we spend the time to isolate and recruit the proper muscles, we improve the mind-muscle connection and stimulate endorphins, which can help you to get through the work.

Focus on FINISH

When you’re nearing the end of the workout, you may be a tired, sweaty mess. To make a strong finish, take a quick moment to appreciate your hard work and dedication you’ve made to focus on form and feel. Then, build on the endorphins created during those phases, and power through with the thought that you are near the finish line.

“If the word QUIT is part of your vocabulary, then the word FINISH is likely not.” ― B.G. Jett

6 Station Outdoor Bootcamp

July 20, 2018 by Linda

Summer is the perfect time to take fitness outside, and an OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP is still one of the best ways to get a great sweat in under the sun.

Designing an outdoor boot camp doesn’t have to be hard. All you need is adequate space, a good class design, and enough equipment for your group. A good boot camp workout mixes cardio, strength, and agility exercises – working opposing major muscle groups and alternating between upper body and lower body work. Whether you are a fitness pro looking for a class design that is ready to roll out, or you just want to hit the park for a solo session, we give you this simple, but effective circuit-style routine.

This design works best with 12 people but is scalable up or down. At 12, you can have two people at each station, increasing the peer-to-peer motivation. Adjust equipment according to your group size. Set your stations up in a large circle, or in a straight line depending on your space. Leave enough room to perform the work, while keeping the stations close enough to maximize group interaction.

Equipment Needed (Based on 12 people)

STATIONS:

Agility Ladder Shuffle-Sprint Return (Equip: 1 Agility Ladder)

Going as fast as possible, put one foot in each ladder rung from start to finish. At the end, sprint back to the start, and repeat. Two people should be able to work in line with a time gap of 3 seconds. If your group becomes larger, keep the momentum up by having participants do scissor jumps in between ladder runs.

Jump Rope (1 Jump Rope for each participant)

Each participant grabs a rope. Go all-out for full time.

If it’s been a while since you’ve jumped rope, here are a few tips.

Jump 1 to 2 inches off the floor, with just enough space for the rope to slide under feet —balls of feet should touch the floor.

Keep your elbows close to your sides as you turn the rope. The movement comes from the wrists and forearms, not the shoulders.

Medicine Ball Pushup (1 Medicine Ball for each participant)

Start in the push-up position on the floor, and square your hips and keep your back aligned. Place one hand on a medicine ball, while your other hand stays on the floor. Keep your feet spread wide to help with stability. This will be your starting position.

Keep your body straight, bend your elbows and descend towards the ground, allowing your chest to approach the floor, stopping chest at the elbow. Push back up to full arm extension.

Repeat on the other side.

Side Raise/Front Raise (1 Fitness Cable for each participant)

Each participant can grab a cable that provides a challenging level of resistance. Alternate between lifting your arms out to the side and raising them both to the front. Keep the range no higher than shoulder height.

Russian Twists (1 Medicine Ball for each participant)

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor (easier) or raised up off the floor (more difficult) at about a 45 degrees angle. Hold the medicine ball with both hands, directly in front of you. Twist slowly from your torso to one side and touch the medicine ball to the floor. Pause and then smoothly contract your abs and twist your torso back to the center position, and then proceed on to touch the medicine ball to the floor on the other side of you. Repeat.

Low Pulse Medicine Ball Goblet Squat (1 Medicine Ball for each participant)

Stand with your feet just outside your hips, toes slightly turned out. Hold the medicine ball in both hands at hip level. Keeping your weight in your heels bend at the knees and squat down to a 90-degree angle, moving the medicine ball toward the floor, in between your legs. Once in position, pulse at the bottom for the full time.

The Details:

TIMING: 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off

ROUNDS: 6

If you are a leader or coach of a group, run through the basics and form for each exercise. Next, run through a simple dynamic warmup that prepares the body in all planes of movement. (20 jumping jacks, 20 high knees, 20 skaters, 20 clockwork lunges). Then, have participants claim a starting station, spreading out so that all circuits are being utilized. Ideally, there should be two at each station.

Next, start the timer and perform the indicated station exercise for 45 seconds. During the 15 second rest, have participants move to the next station in line. Once participants have completed all six stations, take a 60-second break. After the break, have participants go back to their starting station and start the next round. Completing six rounds of the six stations will give you a 45-minute workout session. End with a cooldown.

COOLDOWN:

Run through a series of sun salutations. Try this four times through.

Mountain Pose.

Hands Fan up.

Dive into forward fold.

Half lift.

Hands to floor, step back to high plank (knees or toes).

Lower to low plank.

Pull through to up dog.

Hips push back to down dog.

If you want to improve your fitness level, try this: Group Fitness.

June 29, 2018 by Linda

When you workout by yourself, does it provide you with enough of a challenge? It’s easy to slack off on the rep count, or intensity when no one is looking. But, there’s a bond that is formed when a group sweats, grinds and struggles their way through a crazy-tough workout. If you are looking for that next-level challenge, gather up your best group and jump into some small group training, group bike rides/runs, or even a group exercise class.

Just like having an accountability partner, group workouts can make you push harder, get competitive, and increase motivation.

Push Harder

Studies show that exercising with a group can take your workout up a notch because you tend to push yourself harder than you would on your own. This is called The Köhler Effect, and the, and the basis is that no one wants to be the weakest link in any given group setting. In the fitness world, this translates to pushing harder when you are working out with people who are fitter than you.

In fact, in one study, participants performed a series of planks and showed that working with a group produced a motivation gain that allowed the participants to hold their planks for a longer period of time. Those who exercised with a more-capable partner increased their plank time by 24 percent.

Get Competitive

Group settings can lead to positive competitiveness. Seeing what others are capable of doing can inspire you to try harder. In fact, when the group mirrors the effort and level of its fittest members, the result can be an elevation in the fitness level of the entire group. Working on this competitive edge can also help you past mental barriers that can develop when you are on your own.

Increase Motivation

Group workouts can improve consistency, duration, inspiration and can create a higher level of motivation among one another. Increases in motivation often happen because group workouts tend to be filled with encouragement in the form of verbal cheers and positive vibes from others to keep the energy and motivation high. These accolades are infectious and create a positive attitude and environment for the whole class.

Trail Running Tips!

June 8, 2018 by Linda

Improve your agility, speed, coordination, and balance for your next run.

Paved running surfaces, such as roads and sidewalks are flat, steady, and for the most part, predictable. Trails, by nature, are usually not.

With trail running, every step is different. You may have to jump over tree roots, run over a rock or slippery moss, and your body must stabilize itself on each type of terrain.

Trail running itself is like a miniature plyometric training session: you leap over a stream, change your footfalls to avoid obstacles, and learn to land on rocks by adding mini jumps into your run. While this provides an exciting twist to a typical run, it also presents a considerable challenge to your body. Even running downhill can be tough because it forces your body to absorb an immense amount of pounding.

That’s why adding cross training to your workout routine, specifically plyometric training, can be beneficial to trail runners.

It’s a great way to strengthen your muscles, ligaments, and tendons that help to keep you upright and handle the impact from all directions. It’s a perfect complement to the demands of trail running.

Try these cross-training exercises in the gym to improve your agility, speed, coordination, and balance. By integrating the right moves, you may overcome muscular imbalances that could lead to injury and still improve your overall coordination and control.

On the Plyo Box

Basic Box Jumps: Add explosive power to your trail runs. Focus on jumping onto the box in one quick, explosive movement. According to ACE Fitness, this is the correct way to execute a box jump.

Begin in a deep squat position with a step or sturdy platform or box in front and arms bent next to the sides of the body.
Swing the arms and jump as high as possible, landing quietly and with control in a squat position on the step. Both feet should land at the same time, and weight should stay in the heels.

Box Jump with 180 Rotational Jumps: Once you’ve mastered the basic box jump, you can practice advanced agility. Jump on the box, jump off the other side, do a 180 rotational jump and return.

Box Jump Burpees: This is the same as the 180 Rotational Jumps, with an added burpee.

Box Depth Jumps: This plyometric variation prepares the body to absorb force while you’re running downhill on your favorite trail. First, step on to the box or bench. Squat to transfer power into your legs, then power off the bench with the balls of your feet, landing even on the floor. Jog back around the bench, and repeat.

On the Floor

Broad Jump Shuffle: Add some coordination and agility to your footwork. Jump forward, landing with both feet at the same time in a slight squat. Stand upright, then shuffle backward to the start point and repeat. To work on your “rock to rock leaps,” add a side to side skater at the end of the sequence.

Be sure to check out the next #WORKOUTWEDNESDAY for some great visuals on how to execute these moves!

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”

John Muir

Add some FITNESS FUN to your next get-together with this “Party-Time Boot Camp”.

May 25, 2018 by Linda

Party Time Boot Camp

Summer kick-off is just around the corner! Here’s a fun twist to add to your next BBQ or birthday party: “Party Time Boot Camp”! It’s a great way to sneak in a little fitness and show the kiddos (and adults) that workouts can be fun. Don’t forget to take photos! This is Insta-worthy fun.

This workout is great for groups of all ages, and doesn’t require much equipment. It’s perfect for a backyard or park. You’ll need one fearless and energetic “leader” to keep everyone moving, and a group of willing participants.

Set up:

Equipment: 2 ping pong paddles, 4 Frisbees (or sandbells), and 1 sandbag.

Set up time: 5 minutes.

Identify the space you will use. There will need to be a “start” and a “finish”. Keep the area between the start and finish big enough so the adults can run between and still get some good work in, while keeping in mind that the kids might lose interest if it’s too hard. Mark the start area corners with two Frisbees, and then mark the finish corners with two Frisbees (the benefit of the Frisbees is that you can always adjust if needed!) Have the participants line up between the “Start” Frisbees, and the leader will be closer to the finish end, facing the participants.

Ready. Set. GO!

Red Light, Green Light

Goal: First one to the “finish” section wins the round!

Leader uses two ping pong paddles, one red, one green. Hold up green Paddle and yell “GREEN LIGHT” signaling “GO”, then hold up red paddle and yell “RED LIGHT”, signaling “STOP”.

8 Rounds, each with a different move!

Sprint (traditional)
Frog Jumps (Low squat, hands toward ground, jump forward, land in low squat. Repeat.)
Power Skips (Your typical childhood skip with extra power and the highest knees you can do!)
Crab Crawls (Hands and feet on ground, belly up, moving hands and feet in forward motion.)
Agility Shuffle (Turn to the side, grapevine feet back and forth, moving from start to finish.)
Broad Jump Burpees (1 burpee, 1 broad jump moving towards finish line)
Lunge walks (Alternate legs in walking lunge to move toward finish)
Bear Crawls (Hands and feet on ground, hips in air, moving hands and feet in forward motion)

Wheel Barrow Races!

This race is a down and back event, so each partner gets a turn at being the “wheelbarrow”, and the “hauler” Grab partner, and race down and back. Make the switch where you’ve marked the finish line for the other events.

First one back from round wins!

Human Hurdles

Line up in row. Plank on forearms. Leave space in between each person. Once everyone is situated, instructor yells “GO” and the first person in line gets up and jumps “or steps” over each person until they get to the end. Once they are at the end, they drop to a plank position and become the last in line. Once the person’s turn is over, the next person goes. For those who don’t wish to jump or step high (have them step over people’s feet). Repeat until everyone has had a turn at being the jumper. Make sure you leave enough room as your line “grows”.

“Choose Your Balance” Contest

Choose a handstand, headstand, crow pose, or some type of standing balance such as “Tree Pose”. Everyone gathers in workout area. When the instructor says “GO” start your balance exercise. Longest Hold WINS!

Sandbag relay: 2 rounds- Timed!

Finish with some TEAM WORK!

Now your perimeter of the four corners is your designated relay area. (If you have a large group, you may need to increase the area.) Have everyone line up around the perimeter in generally equal distance from one another. (You could also line up around the house or along a fitness track if you have one nearby). The first person holds the sandbag or sandbell (hoisted over the shoulder) and when the instructor says “GO”, they run to the next person in line. Then, that person runs to the next, and so on, until the last person reaches the end. The instructor times the event.

Round 2: Now your team has a goal: they must do it again, but BEAT the first time! This is a great way to get everyone working together and finishing with big smiles.

Request a Quote

Has your workout become too easy?

Here are two small tweaks you can make to get the most out of your fitness time.

Focus on Form

Up your weights