High As A Mutha F***a: 55.5 Inch Platform Box Jump

I set a new personal best this morning in the platform tuck jump with 55.5 inches. My previous best was 50 inches set 5 months ago. We get high as a mutha f***a!

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Crossfit on TMZ

Kim Kardashian -- Is CrossFit a CULT? - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

The Cult of Fitness has a arrived! CrossFit just hit the super mainstream....a feature on Hollywood gossip site and TV show TMZ. Will crossfit become the new Scientology among the Hollywood elite? Actors and entertainers have a tendency to latch onto whatever is trending at the moment so it wouldn't surprise me to hear about the cast of Big Bang training at crossfit silicone valley or Justin Bieber talking about his WOD. 

We all thought crossfit aligning themselves with Reebok was their ticket to the mainstream but if Hollywood sinks it's teeth into this it could actually......slow it down? 

Is Kim Kardashian doing crossfit? 

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Super Shoulders- Handstand PushUps

If you truly want to build big shoulders then you will have to add handstand push-ups to your arsenal. There is a reason why Olympic gymnasts have killer delts. 

Handstand push ups are an advanced level exercise but can be modified to accommodate novice or intermediate lifters. 

The easiest way to do handstand push ups is to prop yourself up against the wall [as a spot] eventually you'll want to increase your range of motion by placing your hands on boxes and lower your head between them. This is the ultimate pressing exercise and should be included for some massive shoulder development and full body strength and athleticism.

Patience is a must.

Brash Fitness HOT LINKS

TODAY'S HOT LINKS

The Best Running Shoes for Men Men's Health Magazine

The Twice a Week Training Program T-Nation

Report: Melky Cabrera Lies....Again MLB Big League Stew

7 At Work Power Foods Livestrong

Top 40 Workout Songs for Summer Shape.com

Fat for Fitness Oxygen Magazine

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Walk That Walk: Get a Body Like Rihanna

Not a fan of the eliptical unless Rihanna's on it!

Want a body like RiRi? Her workout regime is actually quite simple. When's she's on the road she'll workout at least 3 times a week for 25 minutes. But when she's settled in one place she kicks it up to 5 workouts a week and 30 minutes of cardio which is up from the usual 10 minutes when she's on the road. 

Rihanna's cardio includes biking or cycling, jumping rope without a rope, stationary jogging and jumping jacks, exercises she can do in a hotel room or backstage before a show.

As for her most noticeable assets, her glutes try these 4 moves: Aim for 3 sets of 20-25

1. Curtsey Lunge (a.k.a. Skater Lunge): Stand with your feet together, then take a large lunge backward with your left leg, moving your leg diagonally behind you as you lunge. Repeat with your right leg, and continue to rapidly alternate between legs until you finish your set. If you'd like to modify this exercise, try a stationary reverse lunge, continuing to alternate your legs.
2. Step-Ups: Using a chair or a bench, step up with your left leg, simply bringing your right leg along with you, and then lead with your left leg on the way back down. Do all your reps on the left side, then switch to the right and start again.
3. Step-Across: Stand to the side of your bench or chair. Step on using your right foot from the right side. Bring your left leg up, and then step down with your right foot on the left side of the bench. Continue alternating sides for 20 to 25 repetitions.
4. Stiff Leg Deadlift: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a weight on the floor in front of you: either dumbbells, a barbell...Lean over, pick up the weight and slowly come up to standing, sliding your hips back and keeping your hamstrings tight. Return the weight to the ground slowly, then repeat.

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Run: Even In Slow Motion

Flo Rida featuring RedFoo – Run

Brand new track from Flo Rida featuring RedFoo of LMFAO. The track titled Run will appear on his forthcoming album Wild Ones available July 3. 

Even in slow motion running on the beach is a great workout, try it ;) 

Four benefits to running on the beach [after the jump]:

425lbs Prowler Sled Training

That's 425lbs on the prowler.

Workout: Rows for 20 yards. Drag 20 yards x 2 sets. Push 30 yards. 

Incredible leg pump...PRICELESS. 

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The Complete Chin Up

The Astone Fitness Complete Chin Up Bar is the ultimate upper body home training system. With this versatile home gym, you can perform chin ups, push ups, wide grip, pull ups, dips, leg raises, and sit ups. Multiple hand grips allow for variations of each exercise. Strengthen, tone and build muscular endurance by developing your chest, back, shoulders, triceps, biceps and abdominals with this quick and easy to install chin up bar.

Portable Home Gym Chin Up Bar Features:

• Multiple comfortable grips allow you to perform a variety of chinup positions
• All-rubber handles for maximum durability. Won't break down like spongy sweat-absorbing handles
• Unique stylish design
• Fits standard doors with no need for drilling, screwing, hammering or messing around
• Strong enough to hold just about anybody up to 300 pounds
• Full color companion booklet with sample exercises you can perform at home

Check out the Complete Chin Up in action below and 10 Tips to Improve your pull up...........

The Human Trainer

Functional Training, Adapted.

GET A FULL BODY WORKOUT THAT FITS YOU - AND GET RESULTS FAST!

THE HUMAN TRAINER is portable, sets up in seconds and gives you a full-body, resistance and cardiovascular workout. Using your own body weight. THE HUMAN TRAINER lets you achieve exactly the resistance you want simply by shifting the angle. Whether you are a beginner or an elite athlete, the HUMAN TRAINER adjusts to YOU.

WHAT IS THE HUMAN TRAINER?

The Human Trainer is a portable, fun to use, versatile and highly-effective training system. The Human Trainer harnesses your own bodyweight to provide resistance and gives you virtually unlimited fitness options that train your entire body. By simply adjusting your angle or changing your grip, you can target any muscle group without having to stop your workout. As a fully portable exercise unit, The Human Trainer also gives you the ability to set up and workout anywhere within minutes. The Human Trainer engages your core on every exercise, increases your flexibility and gives you an unbeatable muscular and cardiovascular workout!

Brash Fitness Takes the Gold!

On Saturday March 24th and Sunday March 25th Blast Athletic Toronto held their annual Combine, testing maximal strength and power, muscular endurance, speed, agility, quickness and cardiovascular endurance. 


Brash Fitness had two representatives in the event Ela [women's Elite division] and Josh [men's Elite division]. As a Hybrid Instructor for Blast Athletic [The Hybrid program is Blast's signature program. Visit the Blast Athletic facebook page for more details] I know how fit all the participants in this years Combine are. As determined and fierce Ela is during training going into the event she was feeling nervous, could be because she also knew how tough each and every women in the Blast Athletic program is. After only 5 months of training with Brash Fitness and setting and breaking almost every record possible it was time to see just how effective our training system  and methods were.


Knowing Ela was nervous I decided to put even more pressure on her by boldly predicting she would place in the top 5 -I wanted to say top 3 but I played it a little conservative!   


<<<continue reading for a full list of events>>>

Body Work

It's Monday time for some Body Work!

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You Can't Out Exercise Bad Nutrition

In 10 Healthy Eating and Nutrition Tips I outlined a very simple approach to making good food choices.  Ten simple rules that if followed would significantly improve your chances of dropping unwanted body fat.  Couple that with Strength Training  and Training Principles  and you're well on your way to achieving the body you've always wanted.

What happens when you don't follow these rules? What happens when you continue to eat and make the same nutritional choices you were before you started training?  Remember those same choices that got you to sign up for the gym in the first place.

Nothing.

You stay the same.  Things get worse.  Or your progress is slow...snail pace.  And that is not what you want.  You've made the decision that you don't look and feel your best.  You're constantly tired, you lack energy, you're weak and easily get out of breath.  Now you're training 1,2,3 maybe 4 times per week- great, but nothings happening, you see no significant changes to your body.  

If something isn't working you change it.  But most of the time we lie to ourselves.  If I smash my head against a brick wall it hurts! Lesson: don't smash your head against a brick wall it will hurt. It doesn't matter how many times I tell myself it feels good it's hurting me. So I never do it again.  If I eat a whole bag of potato chips, tub of ice cream, pasta, pizza, deep fried chicken and drink soda on a regular bases I will be fat! Lesson: don't eat a whole bag of potato chips, tub of ice cream, pasta, pizza, deep fried chicken or drink soda you will be fat. It doesn't matter how many times I tell myself it tastes soooo good, it's hurting me. So never do it again.

Just because you're spending 2hrs in the gym doesn't mean you can treat your body like dumpster.  There are 168hrs in one week, spending 2 of those in the gym will not make up for the other 166 spent sitting in your car, on the couch, in bed or at the kitchen table.  You cannot out exercise bad nutrition. That bears repeating YOU CANNOT OUT EXERCISE BAD NUTRITION.

We Fly High!

A little 50" box jump to end an already grueling metabolic circuit this morning... Check out more videos by Brash Fitness on our Youtube Channel

Show Off. vs SHOW OFF

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but they also say Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver...Flattery is a kind of bad money, to which our vanity gives us currency...Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it but don't swallow it...If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us. 

I first used my 2012 Show Off. campaign in December of last year, we even have our Show Off Challenge going right now but while riding the streetcar last week I noticed La Senza had some new ads for their Show Off Bra plastered everywhere.  

La Senza SHOW OFF Ads

Call On Me

I totally forgot about this video...very motivating!  The video stars dancer and choreographer Deanne Berry. 

More pictures of Deanne inside....

Flipping Tires and Taking Names

A little sled pulling- no big deal!

I train a group of teachers 2 times per week right after school in their school gym.  I am able to bring in many of my favourite tools; dumbbells, medicine balls, battling ropes, the Lebert Buddy System to name a few but unfortunately 350lbs tires ain't happening.

So, because March Break was approaching I proposed we move our class to the indoor facility I run my other group training classes out of, Blast Athletic.  Only half the class took me up on my offer, the others got a well deserved week off.  

At the end of today's workout I paired the ladies off and they took turns flipping the 350lbs tire for 60 seconds [with a little assistance from Moi].

Check out the video evidence...

10 Brash Commandments

Today marks the 15th Anniversary of the Death of Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious BIG.  Today I present to you the 10 Brash Commandments in honour of Biggies hit The 10 Crack Commandments...


Rule Number Uno: Don't ever stop dreaming.  Set your goals high, and work like hell to reach them.


Rule Number Two: Always be prepared. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.


Rule Number Three: Stay engaged. Never stop learning, evolving and improving your mind.


Rule Number Four: You know you've heard this before, never get high on your own supply. In this context don't feed your own ego!


Rule Number Five: Practice what you preach. Eat clean. Train hard. Respect your body.

All Hail the Yoga Pant [Butt]

Yoga is a lifestyle.  And it seems for a girl/ women to truly embrace that lifestyle she must wear yoga pants EVERYWHERE!  

You wear them to the mall, you wear them to school [some schools in Canada and The US have actually placed bans on them for being 'too distracting']

 

Fair.

Vancouver was named 3rd Worst Dressed City in the World by MSN Travel, their reasoning? One very simple reason, Yoga pants.

I'm Crossfit and I Know It

Here we go  again...


I've made my position on crossfit known [Do You Crossfit?] and I've shown mad love to LMFAO by posting their infectious hit I'm Sexy and I Know It and I have also shown love to this fat kid dancing up a storm to I'm Sexy and I Know It.


But I just came across a parody video by CrossFit Instinct (www.crossfitinstinct.com) set to of course LMFAO's I'm Sexy and I Know It...it's good...


They've got some classic lyrics- "I walk to the beat, burpees in the street in my crossfit tee", "this is how I WOD, all the ladies like Oh my god, we headed to the box baby don't be nervous, no shoes no shirt and I still get service."


Crossfit fans, spoof fans, LMFAO fans check it out after the jump...

Your Source For Fitness Equipment

When friends, clients or readers of my website ask me where to get some fitness equipment for use at home I only tell them about one place, The Treadmill Factory.  They do sell treadmills and other types of cardio equipment but when it comes to MMA, Boxing, Strength equipment, Sports conditioning gear and yoga accessories.

You can get kettlebells for 89 cents/ lbs, dumbbells for 99 cents/ lbs and Olympic weight plates for 99 cents/ lbs.

If you're into crossfit and need equipment for your garage gym The Treadmill Factory is your source.  Plyometric boxes, prowler sleds, medicine balls, chin up bars, weighted vests, sandbags etc, etc.

They've got battling ropes, speed and agility equipment like ladders, hurdles, cones, BOSU balls and stability balls.

Looking for MMA gloves, striking pads, boxing gloves, heavy bags?  Need rashguards, shorts, tshirts, hand wraps and mouth guards?

The Treadmill Factory also specializes in commercial sales for Trainers with their own studios, mobile gyms, or full service facilities.


The fact that they have absolutely everything you would ever need is fantastic but it's the prices, quality and availability that truly sets them apart from the other fitness equipment stores online.


If you live in Canada The Treadmill Factory has 5 locations; Markham, Barrie, Toronto, Mississauga and London.  For everyone else check out their online store.

Here is a link to the online store

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New Deadlift Record

Once again Ela set a new Personal Best and Brash Women's Record in the barbell deadlift with a 188 pound lift.  But she wasn't done there, she also regained the plank record with a time of 3:24.


Set Goals. Reach Goals. Make NEW Goals.


Congratulations Ela!


Here's the video.

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Brash Fitness 3 Month Show Off Challenge

Beginning Monday, March 5th BrashFitness.com will be holding a 3 month health/ fitness/ lifestyle challenge which will be run by Brash Fitness & Conditioning.  If you've put off getting in shape, great! Now is your chance to improve your overall health and win amazing prizes.  

How It Works


For 3 months you will have access to up to 5 Brash Fitness group classes per week.  On day 1 we will determine your starting point- body fat %, scale weight, girth measurements [inches], general fitness testing [push ups, plank, etc].  Together we will set some realistic goals to strive for during the challenge.    


The goal is to effectively motivate you and keep you motivated not only during the 3 months but beyond.  


Determining the Winner 


The winner of the BrashFitness.com 3 Month Show Off Challenge will be the individual who not only transforms their body but transforms their entire life!


We're looking for an individual who loses the most body fat, adds the most muscle, gains the most strength, improves on their athleticism, changes their nutrition, changes their attitude towards health and fitness, motivates themselves and those around them and most of all is proud of what they accomplish...a Show Off.


A lot can be done in 3 months.  It will take a lot of hard work in and out of the gym but believe me it will be worth it.  


Prizes Include

Brash Fitness 31lb Weighted 40" Hurdle Jump

Here's a video I shot during a vertical jump training session.  In the video I'm jumping a 40" hurdle, then a 40" hurdle with a 20lb vest on, and finally with the 20lb vest and holding an 11lb medicine ball.


Two of my goals this year involve vertical jumping ability, so I'll be posting more videos of the training.


Show Off.


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Cookie Cutter Fitness: One Size Fits All

All fitness centers and coaches have their own unique brand or style of training.  Call it their training philosophy.  Within that philosophy you have your own tricks and techniques, beliefs and principles that you follow and implement into your programming.  


Over the last few years the hottest fitness trends have been group training classes.  At home fitness programs like P90x and Insanity, the phenom known as crossfit and everyone's favourite the bootcamp.  


During a kettlebell workshop I attended last year the instructor reinforced this trend by stating "group fitness was the future."  I undoubtedly agreed with him.  It's more affordable than private training, it's social, it has a built-in support system, it's motivating and best of all you've got an instructor telling you exactly what to do.  Of course there are cons as well.  If it's large group training [more than 12 participants] you're not going to get a lot if any attention during the class.  What is the point of doing the exercises if you're not learning to do them properly?  Scalability is a huge issue, everyone ends up doing the exact same workout with the exact same weights- which can lead to a feeling of failure, poor results and ultimately quitting.

Go To The Gym, Make Money

I realize that it often takes the proverbial dangling of the carrot approach to entice people to get fit.  In fact, I encourage it.  

For most people the carrot represents the fit toned bodies they see in the magazines and on television.  When the new year rolls around, new year resolutions are made and gym memberships are purchased.  Typically two months into the new workout regime trips to the gym feel like trips to the dentist.  

If only that carrot was dipped in gold.

Kairos Fascial Stretch Therapy

I am a lot of things; grumpy if I do not eat first thing in the morning, extremely dedicated to helping people achieve their fitness related goals, the greatest uncle in the world, undefeated air hockey champion, the list goes on and on. But flexible I am not.  My hips, hamstrings and calves have always been tight and the mobility in my shoulders is limited from doing so many pushing exercises.  There is no one to blame, I take full responsibility for all my mobility issues, but now I'm forced to attempt to undo years of improper warm-ups and no stretching.  

Luckily being in the fitness industry I have met and worked with some great experts in the field of stretch therapy and joint mobility.  One of those is a good friend of mine and member of the Brash Network Katarzyna [Kash] Brygida owner of Kairos Athletics & Wellness.  Kash is a Fascial Stretch Therapy Certified Therapist with the Stretch To Win Institute.  

I've tried many ways to improve my flexibility but nothing- nothing has worked for me the way FST has.  

What is Fascial Stretch Therapy?

'Controversial' Yoga Ads

There always seems to be some group of uptight holier-than-thou assholes that have to rain on someones parade.  


This time those assholes are Yogi's that where offended by a new Equinox ad promoting their new yoga classes.  The video stars Briohny Smyth a yoga teacher and former child star from Asia.  The ad features Briohny in her underwear performing yoga in her bedroom while a man [possibly her fiance] sleeps in the bed.  The commercial has come under fire for being too sexual and even offensive to some for objectifying women.  


A couple things that need to be cleared up.  One, Briohny says she was given complete artistic freedom during the shoot.  And they agreed that doing the yoga in her skivvies would show off the moves and ultimately the lines of her body best.  Agreed.  


Secondly, during an interview with The Huntington Post she describes her unfortunate battle with a poor self image and the lengths that the people around her wanted her to go for fame.  She credits yoga for helping her through the toughest points of her life.


And lastly, yoga seems pretty damn sexual to me!  Tight little booty shorts, the slow movements, the sweat, the intimacy.  Am I right?  Hot yoga anyone? Nude yoga.  There are even countless galleries dedicated to women in tight yoga pants.  Like this one or this one and even this one. 

Rob Ford to Stop The Gravy, Meatballs, Ice Cream and Pizza Train!

"300 pounds of fun!"  That's how Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford described himself while hosting a press conference for his 'Cut the Waist Challenge'.  Ford tipped the scale at 330lbs while his brother City Councillor Doug Ford weighted in at a slim by comparison 275lbs.  

This is all part of the Mayors aim to encourage the public to embrace a healthier lifestyle.  His goal is to lose 50lbs in 5 months, while ultimately getting himself down to 225lbs.

The Mayor says his weight loss plan will be based on "common sense" - more exercise and less eating, particularly late night snacking.  It's funny how common sense kicks in when you reach 330lbs.   

Fear VS Greed

There's an old saying in stock trading that the market is driven by two emotions: fear and greed.  Although there are many more factors and indicators that are important to analyze investment potential and growth, succumbing to these emotions can have a profound and detrimental effect on your portfolio.  

This is not a financial blog and I am not the guy to come to when looking for investment advice [but I know a guy if you're looking for that] but I will connect the two...before I get to how this applies to fitness let me further explain the influence of greed and fear as it pertains to the markets.

Greed

noun

excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions.

In the late 90's we had the internet boom.  If a stock had a .com at the end of it investors leaped at the opportunity to invest.  Buying activity in internet-related stocks, many just start-ups, reached a fever pitch.  Investors got greedy, fueling further greed and leading to securities being grossly overpriced, which created a bubble- which of course burst in mid-2000.  This get-rich-quick mentality makes it hard to maintain gains and keep to a strict investment plan over the long term. 

Fear

noun

something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension.

Just as greed dominated the market during the dotcom boom, the same can be said of the prevalence of fear following its bust.  In a bid to stem their losses, investors quickly moved out of the equity (stock) markets in search of less risky buys.  When stocks suffer large losses for a sustained period, the overall market can become more fearful of sustaining further losses.  

All of this talk of fear and greed relates to the volatility inherent in the stock market.  When investors lose their comfort level due to losses or market instability, they become vulnerable to these emotions, often resulting in very costly mistakes. 

But it also relates to the volatility in someones ability to begins or maintain a fitness program.

Fear and greed whether we are aware of it or not are the emotions that prevent us from reaching  our fitness related goals or drive us to accomplish our fitness goals.