Now that the summer is winding down, most parts of the country only have a few weeks of warm weather left. We strongly urge you to get outdoors and enjoy it while it lasts- you never know, it could be a record setting cold year this winter! Before you get hung up in doors for the upcoming months, why not take your workout outside for some warm sun and fresh air while you still can! We also know the value of keeping your workout fresh in order to keep motivation high, one way you can do that is getting creative with your fitness. One suggestion we have come up with to help you end the summer with a bang- learn to surf! Surfacing is a full body workout and reduces stress, in addition to that it’s just really fun! So if you are lucky enough to live near some waves or you will be visiting the beach soon, read on to learn about the benefits of skipping the gym to ride a surfboard.

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Surfing: Full-body workout and stress reliever

Surfing may be a clichéd pastime in Southern California, but make no mistake, it is physically and mentally challenging. The pros just make it look easy.

Catching a wave may be harder than it seems, but after a class or two even the most challenged surfer can maneuver on a board. “The most important thing is somebody’s will — if they want to do it,” says Patrick Murphy, owner of Venice-based Learn to Surf LA. “The oldest person we’ve had here was 72, and he stood up on his board.”

In addition to providing a good cardio workout (try paddling over waves and see how hard your heart pounds), surfing is a whole-body workout. Murphy says that paddling mostly works the upper back muscles and the deltoids (shoulder muscles). Then comes the push-up from a lying position to a squat before standing, which employs the pectorals (chest muscles) and the triceps (muscles on the back of the upper arm). Staying upright on the board challenges core muscles that stabilize the body as the board glides over the water.

Beginning surf classes cover not only the basics of paddling and how to go from a lying to a standing position but also safety and even surfing etiquette. (One tip: Don’t muscle in on someone else’s wave.)

“I work out all the time, and nothing fatigues me more than paddling a surfboard,” says Majid Ali, who surfs every summer with his 10- and 12-year-old sons. Surfing provides a great workout for them as well. “It’s great for their balance and is a good adjunct for the other sports they do, like martial arts, baseball, basketball and skateboarding.”

Surfing, he adds, reminds him of how he was active as a child: “As kids we were always climbing things and moving on a multi-axial plane. But as we get older the things we do are more linear, like running or lifting weights. This forces you to work on balance.”

It’s a great mental challenge too, since surfers have to think about timing and how to suss out the good waves. But the biggest reward might come when the sun sets. “You’re euphoric yet mellow by the end of the day,” Ali says.

Murphy seconds that sentiment. After a day at the beach, he says, “I find I have maybe an unreasonable tolerance for the other stresses of life.”

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Riding a wave is both physically and mentally challenging. It stimulates your muscles as well as your mind. It may seem intimidating at first, but grabbing a wave isn’t as difficult as it may look- and contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to live in southern California to enjoy this sport. This type of novelty workout has undeniable benefits as a cardio workout but it also works your muscles as well. Surfacing works your deltoids, upper back muscles, triceps, and pectorals. You also get to work on balance and stamina and focus that will help you in other areas of fitness.

Beginners should begin with a class, and if that’s not your scene, there’s plenty of instructional videos online to show you basic techniques- check this one out for example…

Are you ready to hit the waves and sculpt your body?

Obviously, our military personnel have to be in top form- the level of their fitness directly related to combat. They have to be at the top level of physical fitness to prepare themselves for combat, and many people are interested in how these people get fit. If you are preparing for a military boot camp, or if you are just completely bored to tears with your current workout program- training like a solider will definitely get you out of your exercise rut. Whatever the reason be for your desire to revamp your workout, training like you are in the army will certainly get you into shape, and fast. People in the military have a nearly perfect form after going through boot camp and serving their time. While the weather is still warm, you can take advantage of a military style workout that puts you outdoors, or follow through the same routine into cold weather to really test your stamina and mental will power. If you are looking for a fresh way to step up your workout, train like a solider by finding out exactly what it takes by exploring the article below.

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Train for the Battlefield

In July, I was a guest at physical training, or PT, with a company of Army Pathfinders from the 10th Mountain Division’s Task Force Knighthawks stationed at Fort Drum, New York. To prepare for my morning with the troops, I maintained a loose workout schedule for three weeks. Five miles here, two there. Pushups and situps once in a while. Drink more water than beer. (Is your drink making you fat? Lose up to 32 pounds this year just by switching your beer, coffee, and juice.  Discover the secret in Drink This, Not That!) 

Dew clung to my Chevy Cobalt as I passed through the post’s gates and into the public affairs parking lot at 6:30 that morning. I pulled a camouflage uniform over my head and looked in the bathroom mirror. My grandfather still tells me stories about World War II and his time at Fort Drum. Growing up, I pretended so many times that I had this uniform, and now I did—I looked like a soldier. But as I walked to the training field, officers standing in the cool morning air looked twice and grinned at me as if to say, “You have no idea what you’re getting into, you dope.”

As I crossed over a dry ditch to the PT field, Lt. Col. Matthew Braman, who commands hundreds of soldiers at Fort Drum, nodded at my green notebook. Smirking, he asked, “Are you running or writing?”

In the last days of my master’s program at Syracuse University, an Army lieutenant told my professors that any journalist interested in military reporting could come to Fort Drum three weeks later to experience training firsthand. My eyes popped and I told everyone I knew that I was going. After reporting military stories all year, I would finally stand with soldiers, immersing myself in a taste of their daily lives.

The M4 sprint was the last of several PT obstacles that day. At the start, about 160 pounds of plastic dummy lay at my feet on a Skedco, a plastic stretcher used to remove battlefield casualties. I slung the nylon strap around my shoulder and exploded out, straining with what felt like four fat kids on a sled. Already breathing hard, I still had 80 pounds of water to carry, a tractor tire flip, fake rifle drill, army crawl, lunges, and finally the M4 run before resting.

Sgt. 1st Class Josh Bures, who joined the Army at age 17 and told me in a Texan drawl to knock off calling him “sir,” shouted to keep moving, keep fighting. Staff Sgt. Blane Risinger, who planned that day’s bit of hell and did it himself with a broken hand, ran with me, telling me when to drop. At the end, I fell to a knee, heaving. (Get your fitness up to snuff with the must-have muscle advice in our FREE Personal Trainer newsletter!)

Are You Army Fit?

To stay in the Army, soldiers must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test twice a year. The test goes like this: Do as many pushups as possible in two minutes, rest for 10 minutes. Do as many situps as possible in two minutes, rest for 10 more minutes. Then, run two miles as fast as you can. Guys between the ages of 22 and 26 need 40 pushups, 50 situps, and a 16:36 run to score the bare minimum of 180. Pathfinders make it a point to regularly score 300.

When my sore ass hobbled across the finish line, I chalked up a measly 101. 

The Pathfinders’ peak physical condition prepares them for battle in Afghanistan. But as I walked away from the field, I didn’t want to take off the uniform. As a journalist, my most dangerous enemies are passive verbs. How do these high intensity, battle-like workouts apply to me or anyone else not in the military?

For soldiers, PT is about staying alive. In October 2011, the Army physical training manual adopted the philosophy I experienced firsthand, called battle-focused PT. It’s based on building stamina, endurance, and strength and hones short-twitch muscle fibers for the explosiveness needed in a firefight. Achieving fitness before entering the combat zone is imperative. Lt. Col. Braman says those who don’t prep get in trouble fast, especially given Afghanistan’s terrain and elevation. (See if you have what it takes to handle The Army Workout.)

“It would be like growing up on the seashore, going to Colorado and saying, ‘let’s go to the top of Pike’s Peak tomorrow,’ doing no training for it, and all of a sudden saying for the next 9 months we’re going to walk up and down this mountain,” Braman says. “You’ll become a casualty.”

Explosive physical drills train soldiers to reach objectives regardless of exhaustion and bitter environments. Troops don’t have to run for miles in Afghanistan, but rather sprint for cover in triple-digit heat while wearing 100 pounds of equipment and body armor.

Braman’s companies, including the Pathfinders, came home almost a year ago. Soon, they will be eligible for deployment again. Once overseas, Risinger, Bures, and the others lock in for 9 months, launching tactical combat missions against enemy forces and rescuing downed aircraft. They tangle with the enemy constantly and rely on strong minds and bodies to get back inside the wire. “The enemy has a vote,” Braman says. “He gets to shoot his weapon and if he aims right, he can hit you. The enemy doesn’t care if you’re at your twelfth hour of [a mission] and you’re scheduled to go home and rest.”

What the Pathfinders Can Teach You

Most Americans aren’t menaced by IEDs and mortar-dotted hillsides. But sitting in an office chair 10 hours a day, gobbling fast food, then planting on a sofa with an Xbox can kill you too. Some PT basics can help you in your own war, just as they help the Pathfinders in theirs.

Most importantly, your mind determines what your body can do. In my 2-mile run, Capt. Christopher Gage, Pathfinder commander, kept pace with me. My shins ached and my feet dragged. About 100 meters from the finish, Gage said to pour in everything I had left and if I puked, I puked. I started running hard, grunting at first, and then yelling with strain. (Discover the cutting-edge fitness system that will help you build endurance and sculpt every muscle in your body: Speed Shred, the new follow-along DVD series from Men’s Health.)

I convinced myself for most of that run that I couldn’t do better when I obviously could, because I felt tired and hurt. Staff Sgt. Joshua Swink, who administered my test, says this is a common mental problem, fixed only by positive brain training.

“Your mind is always gonna say ‘I can’t do this.’ So you change the keywords,” he says. “Every time you tell your brain ‘I can’t,’ you replace it with ‘I can,’ or ‘I’m going to.’”

Gage says he remembers walking through southern Afghanistan’s grape fields amid stewing heat where the only option was to keep moving. That mindset applies to all the excuses you give for not working out during the week: you’re tired, you didn’t eat enough, or you don’t have the right shoes.

Beyond the mental game, what can battle-focused PT teach you?

Change up your workouts. Sprinting short distances at progressively faster speeds instead of your normal 3-mile jog works out those short-twitch muscle fibers, giving your workout regimen a wider range of effectiveness. Venturing to the beach this weekend? Try the shuttle run: Make three parallel lines in the sand, 5 yards apart. Straddle the middle line with your knees slightly bent and your elbows bent. Then, run to your right and reach down to touch the line with your right hand. Next, turn and run to the left and touch the far left line with your left hand. Return to the middle and continue until you’ve completed 4 runs to each. (Want more fat-incinerating plans? Try one of these 3 Tough Cardio Workouts.)

Improvise. Toss some bricks in a backpack and run up stairs, or turn an everyday activity like carrying groceries into a lifting and cardio workout. After all, you don’t always need expensive workout setups—or even have one hour to hit the gym in an already packed day. The Pathfinders scrounge most of their workout equipment from around the base and implement it into creative fitness routines.

Work out in groups. Pathfinders feed off each other’s energy and drive each other to be better. Get a small group of guys together and take turns planning weekly workouts. Sgt. 1st Class Bures describes how seeing his comrades succeed during a hard workout drives him to overcome weakness and exhaustion to push through it himself. Humor in a group is also a great motivator, he says. On his first parachute jump in airborne school, Bures told the Navy Seal in front of him that the Seal’s parachute had a hole in it. “He didn’t like it, but it made me feel better, and I was able to jump out of that plane,” he says.

Whether your battlefield is the Hindu Kush or the living room couch, better stamina, endurance, and strength enhance your quality of life. I reluctantly returned the uniform two weeks ago and since then, running is more fun: I sprint until I can’t pick my feet up anymore, growling, “I can.” I carry weights in my bag and knock out 40 pushups whenever I’m bored. I feel better, and look better. I’m still not a soldier, but next time I pass Fort Drum’s gates, I want to be as strong as one.

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Here’s a video on military fitness training…

One thing we noticed was missing in this article is the issue of nutrition. Proper nutrition is key to getting in shape and staying that way. While undergoing any type of vigorous exercise program, it is essential to keep your energy levels up- eat frequently to keep going. If you are trying to put on weight and muscle, eat every 3 hours, integrate high protein and whole grains into each meal. For those trying to lose weight, avoid the carbs and stick with lean protein and fresh produce for fuel. As with all intense programs, you need to stay hydrated- drink 2-3 liters of water a day to stay healthy.

Are you ready to train like you are in the army?

If you have spent much time in the gym or any kind of sports field, you have heard the term ‘explosive exercise’. You may wonder what it is, simple- explosive exercises use large muscle movements like squats, power cleans, vertical jumps, heavy ball throws or even hill sprinting. Explosive exercise plans are commonly implemented by the top athletes who want to improve their overall strength as well as ability to generate power.

Here’s a video on explosive training…

If you have ever played a sport, especially on a competitive level, you will see the value in being able to be strong and draw explosive power from within. Many sports require big bursts of strength and effort, something explosive exercise programs focus greatly on- these plans are meant to get the athlete to maximize power output in a very sudden and short amount of time. The bottom line goal to the explosive exercise routines is to move heavier weights more quickly. However, this has to be achieved by starting with light weights and slow controlled movement to avoid injury.

Explosive exercise training doesn’t just have to be an exclusive routine to pro athletes, anyone who wants to take their training to the next level can follow the example of their favorite football and basketball players- check out the routine below for an explosive exercise plan to help you bench more weight.

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Phase 1: Weeks 1-4

Work out three times per week, alternating the upper and lower body routines each time.

Upper Body Circuit:

Bench press throw (at 50 percent of 1RM): 5 sets of 5 reps
Medicine ball chest pass: 5 sets of 5 reps
Bench press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Dumbbell shoulder press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Close-grip bench press: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Upright rows: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Medicine ball twist throw: 3 sets of 10 reps
Medicine ball sit-up throw: 3 sets of 10 reps

Lower Body Circuit 

High pulls: 5 sets of 5 reps
Jump squats (at 50 percent of 1RM): 5 sets of 5 reps
Squats: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Deadlifts: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Lat pulldowns: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Bent-over rows: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Russian twists: 3 sets of 10 reps
Situps: 3 sets of 10 reps

Phase 3: Weeks 5-8

Work out 3 times per week, alternating the upper and lower body routines each time.

Upper Body Circuit

Bench press throw (at 60 percent of 1RM): 5 sets of 3 reps
Ballistic pushups: 5 sets of 3 reps
Bench press: 4 sets of 4-6 reps
Dumbbell shoulder press: 4 sets of 4-6 reps
Medicine ball twist throw: 4 sets of 10 reps

Medicine ball sit-up throw: 4 sets of 10 reps

Lower Body Circuit

High pulls: 5 sets of 3 reps
Jump squats (at 60 percent of 1RM): 5 sets of 3 reps
Squats: 4 sets of 4-6 reps
Bent-over rows: 4 sets of 4-6 reps
Russian twists: 4 sets of 10 reps
Situps: 4 sets of 10 reps

Exercise Descriptions

Not every exercise in this program is standard issue. Here’s how to do the few you might not be familiar with.

Bench press throw: On a Smith machine, perform a bench press rep, accelerating through the full range of motion and releasing (throwing) the bar at the end of each repetition. Catch the bar, reset, and repeat.

High pull: Load the barbell with a light weight (10 pounds on each side, for instance) and roll it against your shins. Grab the bar with an overhand grip that’s just beyond shoulder-width apart, and squat down, keeping your back flat and your shoulders pulled back. Keep your arms straight, and pull the bar off the floor as fast as you can by thrusting your hips forward and explosively standing up. As the bar passes your thighs, continue moving upwards onto your toes and pull the bar as high as possible by bending your elbows and raising your upper arms. Lower the bar to the floor and repeat.

Explosive pushup: Perform a normal pushup, but push as forcefully as you can so that your hands leave the floor on each rep. Land, reset, and repeat.

Barbell jump squat: Set a bar on a squat rack and step under it so the bar rests across your upper back. Pull your shoulders back as you grab the bar with an overhand grip. The bar should sit comfortably on your upper trapezius. Lift the bar off the rack and step back. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight, eyes focused straight ahead. Squat down quickly until your thighs are at a 45-degree angle with the floor. Immediately change directions and push from calves to straighten your body so explosively that your feet come off the floor. (Hold the barbell tightly against your upper back.) Land as softly as possible on your toes, then immediately descend back to the starting position as you shift your weight to your heels and repeat.

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The plan above is an 8 week program to develop your explosive exercise training. 8 weeks is a little on the low side as many other plans we see consist of a 12 week plan to develop a good foundation. For a full 12 week plan, check out this page.

This type of conditioning is fairly simple to follow, and can be done before your weight lifting routine.

Are you already following a power plan for explosive training? Tell us about your results and favorite moves.

The Olympics has a lot of people absolutely psyched about beginning some sort of training program of their own. One of the most popular sports is undoubtedly those which involve running. People love running because it’s so basic, most people can run and it doesn’t take a tremendous amount of skill or strength to get started. There are many different types of events that center on running; basically it breaks down two kinds of running- running for speed (sprint) and running for endurance (distance). Most people are really good at either going fast or keeping a steady pace, either way, there are a few things that people need to keep in mind when running, read about the basic theory of running below.

Watch this video on running below…

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The do’s and don’ts of running

Are modern men and women born to run, or must our 21st century bodies be carefully cross-trained to stay fit and healthy?

When it comes to care and training of the modern distance runner, expert opinions are mixed.

Jay Dicharry, author of the new book “Anatomy for Runners,” believes that to be a better runner, running is not enough.

“Running is typically a one-dimensional sport,” said Dicharry, a physical therapist and the director of Biomechanics at Rebound Physical Therapy in Bend, Ore.

“You’re basically just moving forward. You’re not really developing as a true athlete.”

As a consequence, he said, studies have shown that one third of runners are hurt every single year.

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What we gather from this first part is that some experts believe that to ‘become’ a runner, it takes more than just running itself- it takes being in shape, healthy, and able. Something we know from personal experience is that many successful ‘runners’ are actually more focused on strength training than running laps around a track.

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“So many runners just run,” he said. “So many people look at a magazine and say ‘I can do that.’ Then they get hurt and wonder why,” he said. “If we prepare ourselves we’ll do a better job.”

His book focuses on identifying weaknesses, with detailed tools for gait analysis, tips for injury prevention and corrective and complementary exercises that range from yoga-like toe strengtheners to core and stability work.

“What are your problems? Do you over stride? Do you have posture issues? Poor foot control?” he said. “Find out what you biggest problem is and fix it. That will improve where you are.”

Dicharry said that, while many books focus on the runner’s cardiovascular system, or engine, he zeros in on the biomechanical body, or chassis.

“Coaches get lots of information on how to train the heart and lungs. But we don’t get enough on how to keep the body healthy,” he said. “The more stable the chassis, the more efficient you can be. The book focuses on what’s wrong and how to fix it.”

Economy of motion
In the 30 years Robert Forster has practiced sports physical therapy in Santa Monica, Calif., he has treated world record holders, injured athletes and grandmothers recovering from hip surgery.

“Our bodies have evolved to run,” said Forster by telephone from London, where he was working with the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team. “Our tree-dwelling ancestors had shorter legs, longer arms and shorter feet. The body actually changed to be effective at running. But we lost our ability to co-opt that economy of motion.”

Forster said the current physical capacity of the average Western civilian is about 10 percent of what is possible.

“Some people can run 100 miles in a day,” he said.

The most common running mistake he sees involves stride length, or the distance of the foot on the ground.

“Everyone is over striding,” he explained. “You want to land under your center of gravity, or as close to it as possible. We tend to take too few steps per minute. Less time on the ground would take care of a lot of problems.”

For the runner seeking greater efficiency, Forster prefers a series of running-related drills — among them arm swings that target the pendulum-like motion and knee-high drills, which he described as prancing “like a Clydesdale horse.”

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The point here is that our body is structured for running as an evolutionary trait- our ancestors did after all have to catch their own food before the days of grocery stores and restaurants (gives a new meaning to the term ‘fast food’!). What we do wrong is letting our condition go to the wayside and we also don’t perfect our form- some people are capable of running very long distances, other’s don’t have the capacity- but training can easily change that.

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‘Best sport there is’
Dr. Lewis Maharam, medical director of the New York City Marathon and author of “Running Doc’s Guide to Healthy Running,” said that, while many exercises can make you more efficient, the beauty of running is that you don’t need to do them.

“Running is the best sport there is. All you need is a good pair of running shoes and shorts, and out you go,” Maharam said. “Cross training isn’t really necessary. Professional athletes do it because it makes you faster, but the best people will tell you that a nice warm-up and a good flexibility program for your lower extremities is basically all you need.”

Maharam said running is probably among the safest of sports, as long as you train smart.

“Probably a walk/run program to start,” he said. “And never increase your mileage by more than 10 percent per week.”

But the most important thing is the preparation.

“People get injured when they do stupid things,” he said. “If you try to run a marathon without training you’re going to get hurt.”

In training, people might have ligament problems or little chronic issues, he added, but they are usually resolved.

“The most common injury we see at the marathon is a blister,” he added.

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Another perspective is that running is just that- putting your feet to the ground and going. Of course, you do have to build up gradually if you want to gain speed and endurance- most people can’t jump out of bed one day and win a road race.

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Are you a runner? Do you think it’s as complicated as taking on an entire regimen to prepare, or is it as simple as lacing up your shoes and going for it?