Photo And Tips: December 2013

Fitness Training Balances

Whether you're a novice taking the first steps toward fitness or an exercise fanatic hoping to optimize your results, a well-rounded fitness training program is essential. Include these five elements to create a balanced routine

Aerobic fitness

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio or endurance activity, is the cornerstone of most fitness training programs. Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply, which maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. The better your aerobic fitness, the more efficiently your heart, lungs and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body — and the easier it is to complete routine physical tasks and rise to unexpected challenges, such as running to your car in the pouring rain

Aerobic exercise includes any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and increases your heart rate. Try walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, water aerobics — even leaf raking, snow shoveling and vacuuming. Aim for at least two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity — preferably spread throughout the week

Strength training

Muscular fitness is another key component of a fitness training program. Strength training at least twice a week can help you increase bone strength and muscular fitness. It can also help you maintain muscle mass during a weight-loss program

Most fitness centers offer various resistance machines, free weights and other tools for strength training. But you don't need to invest in a gym membership or expensive equipment to reap the benefits of strength training. Hand-held weights or homemade weights — such as plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand — may work just as well. Resistance bands are another inexpensive option. Your own body weight counts, too. Try push-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats

Core exercises

The muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvis — known as your core muscles — help protect your back and connect upper and lower body movements. Core strength is a key element of a well-rounded fitness training program

Core exercises help train your muscles to brace the spine and enable you to use your upper and lower body muscles more effectively. So what counts as a core exercise? Any exercise that uses the trunk of your body without support, including abdominal crunches. You can also try various core exercises with a fitness ball

Balance training

Older adults in particular should include in their routine exercises to maintain or improve balance. This is important because balance tends to deteriorate with age, which can lead to falls and fractures. Try standing on one leg for increasing periods of time to improve your overall stability. Activities such as tai chi can promote balance, too.

Flexibility and stretching

Flexibility is an important part of physical fitness. Some types of physical activity, such as dancing, require more flexibility than others. Stretching exercises are effective in increasing flexibility, and thereby can allow people to more easily do activities that require greater flexibility. Stretching also improves the range of motion of your joints and promotes better posture. Regular stretching can even help relieve stress. For this reason, stretching and flexibility activities are an appropriate part of a physical activity program

Before you stretch, warm up by walking or doing a favorite exercise at low intensity for five to 10 minutes. Better yet, stretch after you exercise — when your muscles are warm and receptive to stretching. Ideally, you'll stretch whenever you exercise. If you don't exercise regularly, you might want to stretch at least three times a week after warming up to maintain flexibility. Activities such as yoga promote flexibility, too

Physical Activity

Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing to exercise? Check out these seven ways exercise can improve your life

Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or revving up your household chores

Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls

Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem

Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores

Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep

Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there's more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise

Exercise can be fun

Exercise and physical activity can be a fun way to spend some time. It gives you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. If you get bored, try something new

The bottom line on exercise

Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any health concerns

Tips for staying motivated

Put it on paper

Are you hoping to lose weight? Boost your energy? Sleep better? Manage a chronic condition? Write it down. Seeing the benefits of regular exercise on paper may help you stay motivated

You may also find it helps to keep an exercise diary. Record what you did during each exercise session, how long you exercised and how you felt afterward. Recording your efforts can help you work toward your goals — and remind you that you're making progress

Join forces with friends, neighbors or others

You're not in this alone. Invite friends or co-workers to join you when you exercise. Work out with your partner or other loved ones. Play soccer with your kids. Organize a group of neighbors to take fitness classes at a local health club

Reward yourself

After each exercise session, take a few minutes to savor the good feelings that exercise gives you. This type of internal reward can help you make a long-term commitment to regular exercise. External rewards can help, too. When you reach a longer range goal, treat yourself to a new pair of walking shoes or new tunes to enjoy while you exercise

Be flexible

If you're too busy to work out or simply don't feel up to it, take a day or two off. Be gentle with yourself if you need a break. The important thing is to get back on track as soon as you can

Now that you've regained your enthusiasm, get moving! Set your goals, make it fun and pat yourself on the back from time to time. Remember, physical activity is for life. Review these tips whenever you feel your motivation slipping

Heat and Exercise

How heat affects your body

Exercising in hot weather puts extra stress on your body. If you don't take care when exercising in the heat, you risk serious illness. Both the exercise itself and the air temperature increase your core body temperature. To help cool itself, your body sends more blood to circulate through your skin. This leaves less blood for your muscles, which in turn increases your heart rate. If the humidity also is high, your body faces added stress because sweat doesn't readily evaporate from your skin. That pushes your body temperature even higher

Heat-related illness

Under normal conditions, your skin, blood vessels and perspiration level adjust to the heat. But these natural cooling systems may fail if you're exposed to high temperatures and humidity for too long, you sweat heavily and you don't drink enough fluids. The result may be a heat-related illness. Heat-related illnesses occur along a spectrum, starting out mild but worsening if left untreated. Heat illnesses include

Heat cramps. Heat cramps are painful muscle contractions, mainly affecting the calves, quadriceps and abdominals. Affected muscles may feel firm to the touch. Your body temperature may be normal

Heat exhaustion. With heat exhaustion, your body temperature rises as high as 104 F (40 C) and you may experience nausea, vomiting, headache, fainting, weakness and cold, clammy skin. If left untreated, this can lead to heatstroke.

Heatstroke. Heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency condition that occurs when your body temperature is greater than 104 F (40 C). Your skin may be hot, but your body may stop sweating to help cool itself. You may develop confusion and irritability. You need immediate medical attention to prevent brain damage, organ failure or even death

Pay attention to warning signs

During hot-weather exercise, watch for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. If you ignore these symptoms, your condition can worsen, resulting in a medical emergency. Signs and symptoms include

Muscle cramps

Nausea or vomiting

Weakness

Headache

Dizziness

Confusion

If you develop any of these symptoms, you must lower your body temperature and get hydrated. Stop exercising immediately and get out of the heat. If possible, have someone stay with you who can help monitor your condition. Remove extra clothing or sports equipment. Drink fluids — water or a sports drink. If possible, fan your body or wet down your body with cool water. If you don't feel better within 30 minutes, contact your doctor. If you have signs of heatstroke, seek immediate medical help

Once you've had heatstroke, you're at a higher risk of getting a heat illness again. Get cleared by your doctor before you return to exercise if you've had heatstroke

How to avoid heat-related illnesses

When you exercise in hot weather, keep these precautions in mind

Watch the temperature. Pay attention to weather forecasts and heat alerts. Know what the temperature is expected to be for the duration of your planned outdoor activity

Get acclimated. If you're used to exercising indoors or in cooler weather, take it easy at first when you exercise in the heat. As your body adapts to the heat over the course of one to two weeks, gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts

Know your fitness level. If you're unfit or new to exercise, be extra cautious when working out in the heat. Your body may have a lower tolerance to the heat. Reduce your exercise intensity and take frequent breaks.

Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration is a key factor in heat illness. Help your body sweat and cool down by staying well hydrated with water. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. If you plan to exercise intensely or for longer than one hour, consider a sports drink instead of water. Sports drinks can replace the sodium, chloride and potassium you lose through sweating. Avoid alcoholic drinks because they can actually promote fluid loss

Dress appropriately. Lightweight, loosefitting clothing helps sweat evaporate and keeps you cooler. Avoid dark colors, which can absorb heat. If possible, wear a light-colored, wide-brimmed hat

Avoid midday sun. Exercise in the morning or evening, when it's likely to be cooler outdoors. If possible, exercise in shady areas — or do a water workout in a pool

Wear sunscreen. A sunburn decreases your body's ability to cool itself

Have a backup plan. If you're concerned about the heat or humidity, stay indoors. Work out at the gym, walk laps inside the mall or climb stairs inside an air-conditioned building

Understand your medical risks. Certain medical conditions or medications can increase your risk of a heat-related illness. If you plan to exercise in the heat, talk to your doctor about precautions

Heat-related illnesses are largely preventable. By taking some basic precautions, your exercise routine doesn't have to be sidelined when the heat is on

Motivated Fitness

Put it on paper

Are you hoping to lose weight? Boost your energy? Sleep better? Manage a chronic condition? Write it down. Seeing the benefits of regular exercise on paper may help you stay motivated

Join forces with friends, neighbors or others

Reward yourself

Staying Motivated

Have you ever started a fitness program and then quit? If you answered yes, you're not alone. Many people start fitness programs but stop when they get bored or results come too slowly. Here are seven tips to help you stay motivated

Set goals

Start with simple goals and then progress to longer range goals. Remember to make your goals realistic and achievable. It's easy to get frustrated and give up if your goals are too ambitious

For example, if you haven't exercised in a while, a short-term goal might be to walk 10 minutes a day three days a week. An intermediate goal might be to walk 30 minutes five days a week. A long-term goal might be to complete a 5K walk

Make it fun

Find sports or activities that you enjoy, then vary the routine to keep you on your toes. If you're not enjoying your workouts, try something different. Join a volleyball or softball league. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a health club or martial arts center. Discover your hidden athletic talent. Remember, exercise doesn't have to be drudgery — and you're more likely to stick with a fitness program if you're having fun

Make physical activity part of your daily routine

If it's hard to find time for exercise, don't fall back on excuses. Schedule workouts as you would any other important activity. You can also slip in physical activity throughout the day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk up and down sidelines while watching the kids play sports. Pedal a stationary bike or do strength training exercises while you watch TV at night

Boxing Moves

Jab And Grab

the name suggests, the “Jab and Grab” is self explanatory. Like many other boxing moves, this can be considered to be a mixture of offense and defense as you lead in with a jab and quickly proceed to grab your opponent so as to neutralize any further attacks coming at you. The rapid closure of distance is essential as you don’t give the opponent any room to free their arms. And the right power and conviction of the jab is a necessity as well, as you would definitely want to score a hit before clinching on to your opponents, or the whole move becomes redundant. The Klitschko brothers use this maneuver a lot and Andre Ward is another recent exponent of such move

The Straight

Straight punch Not to be confused with a jab, a straight is a power shot. You deliver it by crossing over your dominant hand to deliver the blow, and hence it’s also called the “cross.” For orthodox fighters who have a left foot forward stance, the left hand is best used for jabbing, with the right hand for a straight shot. It’s vice-versa for southpaw fighters, who have a right foot forward stance. While generally orthodox fighters and southpaw fighters are right handed and left handed respectively, it is not always the case. This is the only one of the four basic boxing punches exclusively featured on this list, jab, hook and uppercut being the other three. This is due to the fact that it is extremely slick, and is almost always a part of any boxing combos imaginable, starting from the elementary one-two, to a variety of counters. Floyd Mayweather, as famed as he is for his defensive prowess, will use his fast straights repeatedly to immobilize his opponents to win his Matches

The Bolo Punch

The “Bolo Punch” is essentially a long swinging uppercut, but that’s not the trick. Because of the fact that such long drawing action will be obviously spotted by your opponent, the move capitalizes on distraction. The back hand is dropped or swirled around to give your opponent the impression that a heavy hook or straight is coming up, while you use your lead hand to land a powerful blow. You must really sell your supposed upcoming punch to distract your opponent, and this may leave you open. But boxing maestros such as Sugar Ray Leonard and Kid Gavilan were able to pull it off elegantly. In recent memory, Roy Jones Jr. was a great exponent of this audacious deception

move

The Haymaker

The “Haymaker” works exactly like a hook, with just a bigger extension of your hooking arm. It is preferred because of its enormous power potential. You cock back your hand for extra extension, and deliver the haymaker in wide semi-circular looping fashion, just like you would deliver a hook, but with more force, putting all your weight behind it. Because you are putting so much effort into one punch, it can leave you open and unbalanced, so the wild haymaker is better used as a finishing move when the opponent is already weakened and unable to counter. There are, however, question marks as to what is a good haymaker, and it seems that a wildly flung over exerted hooks are relegated to the haymaker category, which would mark poor technique.6

Check Hook

6188 The “Check Hook” is another variation of the hook. This move is more dependent on the particular situation of the fight as the only way to make it work is if your opponent lunges in or charges forward. Basically, you pivot your left foot as the opposition comes in (provided you are right handed) and turn and hook at the same time. This makes them miss you momentarily as you are turned sideways, and at the same time the pivotal force added to the hook drops them. You attract them like a matador would attract a bull, and then move out of the way, landing a shot in the process. If done correctly, your opponent should be fast on the floor. Mayweather used the check hook to knock-out the then undefeated Ricky Hatton, in what many consider the purest example of the move

The Parry

How-To-Parry-PunchesI have featured one basic offensive move, the straight, so it’s only fair that one basic defensive move be also featured amongst all these other tricks. When you think of boxing defense, dodging or blocking comes to mind first. Dodging by slipping, weaving or just retracting, and blocking using the arms, gloves or shoulders. Parrying is somewhat left out of the average boxing fan’s imagination, which is why it’s important to stress how useful and cool the move can be. It’s only standard defense procedure like I said, and what happens is that you deflect your opponent’s punches using the opposite hand or elbow to the one they are using. You can parry a punch inside or outside, just helping to direct their punch elsewhere aside than at your direction. The parry doesn’t absorb the punch’s power, thereby causing minimal damage to your hands, but also it leaves your opponent unbalanced if done correctly, giving you more space and time to counter as their hands are momentarily out of the way. It is truly a beautiful defensive move. Jack Johnson was known as a parry expert, and in more recent times Larry Holmes had a very unique elbow parry, where he would rotate his elbow upwards to deflect punches

The Body Drop Feint

Boxing4Feints cause no damage whatsoever to the opponent, rather it’s a distraction ruse. It allows your opponent to think you are about to do one thing – in motion for a certain punch – only to find you switching it up with another punch aimed at a different spot. It can also be used to predict your opponent’s reactions as to how they act to your feint, whether they choose to block, parry, or slide underneath. By understanding their defensive patterns better, it gives you the chance to stay one step ahead as the aggressor. One of the most spectacular feints is the body drop. Your move your upper body in a quick bend, dropping your left knee and moving your left hand forward. From there on, it can be doubled up with other feint combinations, such as the drawback feint where you raise your dominant arm to emulate a straight cross. Boxers with blinding hand speed are most well equipped for feint moves, because their opponents have to be eternally alert for incoming rapid punches. Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan are able to slip in a feint or two between their usual flurries of punches, just so they can go for an ever better shot than originally planned

Pull Counter

Vitali-Leanback-RightThe “Pull Counter” is a move which requires a tremendous amount of skill, and maybe also natural gifts, as it is one straight out of the books of matrix. It is also one of the simplest in terms of technique. You slightly lean in towards your opponent, setting the trap, and then draw your head back rapidly to evade the thrown punch and then counter it with a straight. It looks flattering in slow mo and is heavily reliant upon the fighter’s reflexes. It is always in the arsenal of elusive fighters, big and small. Consider Muhammad Ali and Naseem Hamed, both having their fare share of fun with this move, while using it to devastating effectiveness at the same time

Heads and Hooks

Uc11This move is a delight to watch as one marvels at how comfortable the fighters are in their action and how many times they must have practiced it in the gym to perfect it. Basically, the fighter uses the head to push against the body of the opponent, while able to land left and right hooks without looking up. It is not head butting, but rather using the tucked head as a shield of sorts where the opponent has to punch lower to land anything at all, something which you don’t train for normally. Only the uppercut might be a solid counter move in this case or the opponent could get low himself which is likely to result in the clash of heads and lead to a more physical roughhouse fight. So it’s definitely irksome for a fighter to face somebody who is an expert at the low head stance. Tim Bradley and Lamont Peterson are two boxers today very adapt at feeling the way through a match using their heads, literally

Dempsey Roll & Gazelle Punch

purists, these two moves are separate, but it is their combinatorial effect which renders it as a true art form. The eponymous “Dempsey Roll” is named after its inventor Jack Dempsey, who used the defensive technique called bob and weave, but with vastly more emphasis, crouching his head and lowering his shoulders before getting back up again and repeating it in a figure eight motion. Now Floyd Patterson is accredited with developing the “Gazelle Punch” where he would leap up from a down bend position to deliver a punch. You can see clearly how the two maneuvers fit, and both Dempsey and Patterson would complete each other’s part unknowingly though each deserving half of the move’s accolades. So in reality, what this shows is that Dempsey Roll and Gazelle Punch were always paired together, with the fighter inching in closer in a well orchestrated defensive tactic, and then using that same momentum to deliver a tough upwards blow. This could either be a hook, straight or an uppercut. Mike Tyson was a master at this move already familiar with his trainer Cus D’Amato’s preached bobbing and weaving. But I have even seen small fighters such as Nonito Donaire do this as well, which again goes to show how size doesn’t really matter if you have got the techniques right

Boxing Techniques

Old-school boxing methods highlighted in recent fight, new mobile magazine and upcoming book could pave the road to victory and bring the art of boxing back to life

Victory’s fist laid a powerful punch on Roberto Guerrero as the incredible Floyd Mayweather, Jr. scored yet another win on May 4. His triumph not only proved his exceptional ability as a fighter, but also the effectiveness of the old school boxing methods

Although a modern boxer, his technique is anything but new. A master of the old-school form that also made legendary fighters like Mike Tyson unforgettable champions, Mayweather successfully puts himself in a position to get hit and throws crosses at precise intervals

The boxing techniques of the past are approaching a major revival, as recent publications dedicated to their value are spawning left and right. The new Art of Boxing mobile magazine available through iTunes gives fans and fighters of all levels keen insight into proven traditional boxing methods as well as the latest news in boxing. It also presents a section that introduces readers to the advantages of classic boxing techniques through the 10-Point Strategic Boxing System

Vinny Furlani, expert in classic boxing skills and creator of the mobile magazine, is also the mastermind behind the 10-Point Strategic Boxing System training program. Co-authoring with two-time world champion Tracy Patterson, their upcoming book will further elaborate on the 10-point plan and divulge Patterson’s take on each element. Furlani will discuss the technique, as Patterson gives a real-world view of each step, offering practical applications of such techniques seen in some of the greatest fights of all time

Many believe that boxing has seen its heyday, yet as more boxers with the old-school swagger fight their way to the top and prove its worth, the sport could resurrect and garner the attention, awe, and appreciation it once had

A recent tweet from Mayweather announced his next fight against Mexican boxing star Canelo Alvarez, set for September 14. Mayweather is sure to unleash his old school techniques against the young Alvarez, with his fiery red hair and fan-friendly fighting style, constantly switching up his moves. Although Alvarez may attempt to put on a show, Mayweather’s proven techniques could catch Alvarez off-guard, as they are not practiced or preached by many of today’s fighters

The old-school boxing resurgence is coming back in the form of new magazines, upcoming books and recent victories by old-school trained boxers. Will the repetition that is characteristic of old-school methods lead to a repeat in the hype of the sport of boxing? Only time will tell

About Vinny Furlani

Vinny has been exposed to boxing for close to 30 years, being active in the sport for 15 of those years (either fighting or coaching). Starting his fighting training at 18 years old, Vinny was coached for 11 years by former Olympic Gold Medalist and 2-time Heavy Weight Champion, Floyd Patterson, a follower of the legendary Cus D’Amato model, which has been proven through the success achieved by Mike Tyson. In 1988, he joined the USA International Amateur Boxing Team and became a professional fighter later that year, fighting an undercard match during teammate Tracy Harris-Patterson’s main event. After a brief professional career, he moved on to coaching fighters participating in New York’s Golden Gloves

Basic Boxing Tips

TRAINING TIPS

Stay calm and punch lighter on the bag so you can last more rounds, keep your form together, and punch sharp. This will allow you to get in more minutes of quality bagwork. You want to have energy to hit the bag with correct form and keep your punches snappy, instead of spending most of your bagwork panting and huffing to show that you have “heart”. Don’t waste energy showing off on the bag – nobody cares

Don’t workout till complete failure. Get tired, break a sweat, and just push yourself a little more each day. If you go until failure everyday of the week without a reason, you’ll probably overtrain and quit boxing very soon

Drink lots of water. One cup every hour minimum

Make friends in the gym, be humble, and ask people for boxing tips. When another boxer beats you, ask him how he did it; you may be surprised at how helpful he might be at showing you your own weaknesses

PUNCHING TIPS

Turn your whole body into the punch. If your feet are slow, (most people have slow feet at first) you will find that punching a little slower actually hits harder than punching faster. So in other words, punch as fast as your body can turn so you won’t sacrifice power. Again, use your whole body instead of just the arms to punch

Throw short hooks, short uppercuts, and short rights but long jabs

You don’t always have to throw one knockout punch after another. Combo light and hard punches and use head movement to fake out your opponent. Remember that the harder you try, they harder they will counter, and the harder you will get hurt. Calm down and throw the hard punches when you know they’ll land

Never forget to go to the body. Try a jab to the head, and right hand to the body. When you’re in real close, lean your head inside to smother him and throw 2-3 body punches

Throw 3-5 punch combos maximum. You don’t need 10-punch combos – all those do is sap your energy and leave you open to counters. Don’t even practice these for now

Breathe out when you punch and always look at your target when you punch. Don’t hold your breath and don’t look at the ground. Learn to keep your eyes open during the heat of the battle

Let your hands go! Don’t wait around forever to let your opponent hit you all day. Throw something even if it doesn’t land. Keep him thinking and keep your eyes open for more punching opportunities

DEFENSE TIPS

Stay calm and never stop breathing. If you’re starting to panic, ask the other guy to slow down so your mind and body can catch up

Hold your hands high, elbows low, and move your head

Don’t waste energy running around the ring, just take one step and pivot out of the way if your opponent is overly aggressive. Think of yourself as a matador pivoting out of the way as the bull misses. Don’t forget to hit him back

Don’t lean back and don’t take your eyes off your opponent when you’re taking punches (this is especially hard for most beginners). Establish your ground and defend it with hard counters. Pivot so that you don’t get countered

Don’t always wait for your opponent to finish punching before you start punching back. Interrupt his combos and hit him! Too many speedy fighters get caught up in trying to block all the oncoming punches that they never get to counter. Let your hands go

Boxing Fitness Training Tips

Boxing fitness training is vital to maximize performance during fights. The number of rounds a boxer will fight depends on their weight category, and it's important to ensure that you have the stamina to perform until the final round. It also helps burn calories. Warm up your muscles and tendons before training to increase their flexibility and prevent injury. Spend at least ten minutes warming up. You should train at least three times a week to see an improvement in your fitness. Make sure you keep hydrated during training

Boxing Fitness Training Tip: Mind Set

Fitness training should be performed with consistency and dedication. Set aside time for fitness training and focus on the exercises, making sure that you have no distractions. Find ways to motivate yourself, such as making arrangements to train with a friend

Boxing Fitness Training Tip: Sleep

Make sure you get enough sleep. This allows your muscles to recover from training. It also helps increase your concentration and performance during training. Eight hours of sleep a night is the recommended amount

Boxing Fitness Training Tip: Nutrition

Take care of your body and eat the right foods to ensure good health. Good nutrition gives you energy to participate in a vigorous fitness training program. Consuming the right amount of calories is important, as excessive fat will inhibit your fitness training

Boxing Fitness Training Tip: Preparation

Wear comfortable clothes and footwear that are suited to your workout. Prepare all equipment and remove distractions. This will help your mental fitness and allow you to focus on training

Boxing Fitness Training Tip: Jogging

Jog 3 to 5 miles at a steady rate. Sprinting at the end can help increase fitness and improve your technique. This will help you have a burst of energy at the end of rounds to perform at your peak. Occasionally increase your runs to 6 to 10 miles

Boxing Fitness Training Tip: Interval Training

Interval training recreates the demands of a boxing round. Begin by warming up, which can include jogging, skipping and sprinting. Run for 600m, then have a 1 minute break. Repeat 3 times. Run for 200m at an increased speed and then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat three times. Perform interval training twice a week. Other interval training can include fast sit ups, push ups and squats with short intervals between them. Another exercise is a workout on the bag or with a sparring partner at a high intensity, with one minute intervals. This helps mimic rounds and increases fitness and stamina

Boxing Fitness Training Tip: Skipping Rope

Skipping burns calories and helps increase fitness. It also strengthens calf muscles, which is essential to boxers. Skipping helps improve balance and increases coordination. Skip for 3 minutes, with 1 minute intervals. A variety of techniques can be used. You can jump using both feet firmly planted on the ground after each jump. Another technique is jumping using one foot while keeping the other foot off ground. Another option is to alternate between which foot is held off the ground. You can increase the pace by turning the rope twice for each jump

Boxing Tips

Here are some GUARANTEED boxing tips to increase your punching power. It doesn't matter if you're a boxer, a fighter, or someone just cross-training for health and fitness reasons. Punching harder is FUN

A harder punch earns you more respect in the ring, in the streets, anywhere. It also trains your body to move as one unit and makes you stronger at everything that you do. Enough talking, on to the punching. By the way, this guide is for a big RIGHT HAND punch…once you get that down, simply apply the same concepts to all your other punches like the left hooks and etc

Key concepts – The force starts from your toe up your legs, whips out from your shoulders and follows your fist out to the point of impact

Now, I'm gonna describe the starting position and final position of your body parts from your feet all the way up and out to your fist

FEET

- Spread a little bit wider than shoulder position. When it doubt, go a little wider

- The back foot heel is always lifted up

- Keep your feet on the ground! Anchored feet gives you more power. Lifting your feet while punching is like punching while you're hanging from a rope

- Your feet will pivot and your toes turn to point in the direction of your punch

LEGS

- Knees should always be bent!

- You should feel the force traveling up your legs and forward

- Your legs should be providing the power for your punch! – Think of your arms as simply a means of directing your punches

SHOULDERS and TORSO

- Your whole upper body will rotate FAST and HARD to spin out the punching fist from your shoulders

- Concentrate heavily on this rotation. A deep body rotation with little arm extension hits harder than light body rotation with a fully extended arm

CHEST

- You breathe out and exhale as you punch. Breathe out fast and hard. Make a noise with your mouth is recommended. That's why martial arts schools always have you yell as you do a striking manuever. It's to make sure that you are exhaling while exerting your force

HEAD

- Your head goes forward and leans over just a little so that it is out of the way and safe from a left hook counter at the same moment

- You always keep your eyes on target. Not doing this takes out A LOT of accuracy AND power from your punch

AIM

- Learn your arm's length and stepping reach

- Punching at too close or too far of a range diminishes the power

- Hardest punches only travel about 1 feet or 2 feet max before reaching the target

- Also keep in mind that crossing punches hit the hardest. In other words, the most powerful spot for a right hand punch is roughly the area in front of THE PUNCHER's left shoulder, and the most powerful spot for a left hand punch is in front of the right shoulder. Keep in mind that when I say in front, I don't mean directly in front of your shoulder, but rather the arm's length in front of the shoulders

ARM and FIST

- You start with your glove near your face. You punch straight off your face. You never cock back or anything, because you don't want to telegraph off your face

- You do not go for a big long swinging path. Punch it straight. The power comes from your legs and body rotation

-Your entire body rotates and your upper body rotates to swing your non-punch hand out of the way, and swings your punching hand out to your opponent

- Your hand is held relaxed and then as you punch, you feel the force go up your body and out through your fist as it extends towards your opponent. You tighten your fist as you punch

Final tips

When throwing combos: Your body should be spinning from side to side, spinning your hips and shoulders into the punch. Your feet should be standing on the balls and pivoting from side to side pointing in the direction of your punch. As you pivot your feet, your heels should be lifting in alternating patterns; in other words, when you throw the right hand, both feet point in the direction of the punch, and your left heel drops to the ground while the right heel lifts up to "push" into the punch, and as you spin your body in the opposite direction to throw a following a left hook, the body and feet pivot to the right with the right heel dropping and the left heel lifting to "push" into the punch

When practicing your power punches: Throw power comboes one punch at a time and POSE after every punch. So it's like BAM-*pause*-BAM-*pause*-BAM! Your body and head should spin in the direction that you punch. Over time this practice will build your power punches, and train your body to move with the punches, giving it more power

Keep in mind that throwing your fist 2 feet will never have the same effect as throwing your body even just 6 inches. Use your body when you punch and you WILL knock out your opponent

Volleyball Attacker Vision Training

ercentage by reducing the chances of swinging into the block. Vision training can help hitters of all levels perfect this skill

Follow the practice plan below in succession to improve skills hitters need to make better decisions in the air

Level 1

Start out using a simple "color card" as a training tool. Laminate three 8 x 11 1/2 pieces of different colored paper back to back, so the card is one color on one side and an opposite color on the flip side. This step requires just two players, an attacker and a blocker

A player or coach stands as a blocker in front of the attacker, on the other side of the net

When the attacker goes to hit, the blocker holds the card above their head

As the attacker swings, they call out the color of the card

Level 2

After the attacker masters the first level, move on to this more challenging step. Set up as Level 1 but without the color cards

When the attacker starts their hit, the blocker holds up a number (one through five)

As the attacker swings, they call out the number

Level 3

After the attacker masters seeing the block in front of them, the next step is to see the defense behind the block. Use the color cards again and place three players in the back court (RB, MB and LB) -- each holding cards (color doesn't matter)

As the attacker swings, two out of the three players hold up their cards.

The attacker tries to swing away from the held up cards and aims for the open area of the court

Players holding the cards decide beforehand which one won't hold up their card

Level 4

The ultimate goal is to perform vision training in a live setting. For this final stage of the drill, bring out the whole offensive side. Blockers stand on the other side of the net on jump boxes (2 to 3 feet tall boxes, usually made of wood). If you don't have jump boxes on hand, use sturdy chairs as a substitute

The blockers on boxes make a distinct effort to block either the line or cross shots

Every kill past the block and into the court is one point for the offense

Every error is minus one point

Every attack that is touched by the block is a wash

Make a goal of getting five points to get out of the drill

No matter the age or level of the player, vision training teaches players better decision making and increases court awareness. This ultimately increases the hitting percentage and leads to a smarter and more effective offense

Volleyball

How To Play Volleyball

Volleyball, an Olympic team sport, is the second most popular sport in the world today. There are over 800 million volleyball players worldwide

Volleyball History

In 1895, William G Morgan, a physical education director at the Holyoke, Massachusettes YMCA, created a game called Mintonette, as a low contact indoor sport. After observing the first game, Alfred Halstead, renamed the game Volleyball due to the volleying nature of the game. Numerous other variations of Volleyball have developed such as Beach Volleyball, Footvolley, Hooverball, and Newcomb. Both Men's and Women's Leagues are popular, and there are many clubs and tournaments throughout the year in the US

Volleyball Rules

A Volleyball team is composed of between 6-8 players on a team, and a match is played between two teams with an equal number of players. A volleyball court is 60 feet long and 30 feet wide, divided into two 30 30 ft halves, by a 40-inch wide net, placed so that the top of the net is about eight feet above the center of the court. The first team to score 25 points (and be two points ahead) is awarded the set. Matches are best-of-five sets or best-of-three sets

The goal of the game is to score points by grounding the ball on the opponent's court, or by having the other team commit a fault. A fault occurs if a team

Hits the ball out of bounds

Hits the ball over three times during one series on their side of the court

One player hits the ball two times in a row

A player catches the ball

A player touches the net while attempting to play a ball

A player takes more than eight seconds to serve

Play begins by one player serving the ball over the net to the other team by throwing it up in the air and hitting it. The receiving team must not let the ball touch their court; they may touch the ball as many as three times, typically using the first two touches to set up for an attack. Players may hit the ball by

Hitting the ball with a closed fist

Bumping the ball with two hands clasped together

Setting the ball, making a triangle with their fingertips and hitting the ball above their heads

Spiking or blocking the ball with open hands

The team that wins the point serves for the next point. If the team that won the point served the previous point, the same player serves again. If the team that won the point did not serve the previous point, the players of the serving team rotate their position on the court in a clockwise manner bringing up a new server

Some Variations of these rules include

Number of players

Number of points and sets needed to win

Number of player substitutions

Teams are awarded a point only if they served to begin the series

Server has two tries to get the ball over the net

Beach volleyball

Indoor volleyball

Sand volleyball

Pool volleyball

Volleyball Tips

Players can hone their volleyball skills by setting, bumping, and spiking a ball with a partner or against the wall. There are variety of volleyball drills that will increase skill in the game available both online and offline.

Volleyball Equipment

To play you need one volleyball, a 40 inch wide net that stretches 30 ft across the court, and two poles to hang the net

Popular equipment makers include Asics and Tachikara

Bodybuilding Tips

Know Your Limits

Seriously, know your personal limits. I can't tell you how many times I've seen somebody give up too early or get hurt during training or racing because they simply had no idea what their real thresholds were. The whole idea behind training and/or competing is to push your thresholds to the limits to fulfill your potential. If you don't know what your limits are, how can you possibly know what your potential is

How do you figure out your limits? It's not easy, and it's the #1 reason why people hire coaches. Experiment with training variable until you establish your comfort zone, and then systematically push out of that zone to force adaptation. If you're competing in your comfort zone, then you're not trying hard enough

No Pain, No Gain

You would think that this myth has been beaten to death or at least shooed from popularity, but I hear it surprisingly often from people who honestly believe that they need to kill themselves every day during training to maximize their workouts

Don't do that

Is your resting heart rate jacked up today? Are you too sore from your last workout to walk? Did you only sleep a few hours the last night? Skipped breakfast and lunch? Congrats, you just earned yourself a rest day. In other words - go home. You aren't going to get anything but an increased risk of injury by training in any one of these conditions.

Forget about fighting through the pain

Discomfort is your body telling you that you've stepped well out of your comfort zone. Pain is your body telling you to knock off whatever you're doing. If you're an endurance athlete, listen to it

The Farce Of The Low-Carb Diet For Athletes

True, monitoring carb intake is one of the best ways to play around with your weight, I don't dispute that. I do it myself, and it can be a powerful tool for people who need to lose a significant amount of weight. But the everyman athlete has no need to go bonkers cutting out all kinds of carbs just for the sake of it, because that sort of eating behavior is not sustainable for an endurance athlete

Atkins crazed low-carb lifestyle promoters need to buy a clue. Carbohydrates are absolutely essential to your diet, especially if you're an athlete

There are no such things as good carbs or bad carbs - just too much carbs! If you're an athlete on a low carb diet, you're basically sabotaging yourself. Good luck topping off your muscle glycogen stores by eating a protein and fat centric diet

Put the proverbial fork in this one - this fad diet has finally bit the dust amongst athletes who know better. Next time your spin instructor starts touting the amazing low-carb lifestyle he or she leads, throw your used sweat towel at them and switch gyms

Create Variety In Your Training

Any good training regimen needs to include variables that can be toggled to alter training for specific purposes. A weight lifter, for example, would take into consideration their specific exercise techniques, pounds lifted, sets per lift, reps per set, tempo per rep, rest between reps, rest between sets, emphasis between concentric, eccentric, and/or static contractions, number of sets, set order, supersetting, and so on, ad nauseum

That's a lot to take into consideration, and by adjusting just a few of those variables you can focus your training down to hone in on your strengths or weaknesses

Perhaps most important though, is that creating variety in your program keeps you from getting bored with what you're doing

Obviously though, no matter how many variables you might switch around during, say, your bench press, if you are just plum bored with bench pressing, you're still stuck

So don't be afraid to completely switch around your workouts to keep yourself entertained and sharp. If you're an endurance runner, toss some speed work into the mix, or vice versa. If you're a power lifter, mix in some yoga

Adding variety is the best way to keep yourself on track without getting bored, as well as a great way to keep your body sharp by forcing it to adapt to something new

Always Second Guess Yourself

That's right; always second guess your motives, your training, your goals, and your accomplishments. Keep a running tally of where you are, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get there. Don't kid yourself into thinking you can do this on autopilot - this needs to be a conscious effort

Always ask why. Why am I running stairs? Why am I doing this particular exercise? Why is my 400 meter split time still not improving? Why did my trainer/coach have me do this? (If your coach can't answer this, get a new coach.)

Why did I just eat that whole pizza

You get the picture

You Cannot Spot Check Fat

If I had a nickel for every time I heard this myth, I would be a very, very rich man.

The fact of the matter is that fat goes on to, and comes off of, your body the way it wants to, not the way you want it to. The only way around this is targeted liposuction

A brief, fairly unscientific explanation will do for this one. You cannot work the fat off any specific area of your body because, well, you cannot work fat. People mistake that good old muscle burn for something that magically removes adipose proximally from wherever it burns. Those were your oblique abdominals being worked, not the love handles next to them

There are only two ways to shed those lbs, and they work best in tandem; diet and exercise

Create a reasonable caloric deficit as often as you can while eating in a manner that's in line with your nutritional needs (a third curtain call please for the low-carbers) and get yourself into an exercise regimen that will help you maintain your lean body mass and prevent catabolism

Iker Casillas

Captain of his country and a hero to millions of Madridistas, Casillas also has a strong claim to the title of the finest goalkeeper of his generation. The Real Madrid icon has won tournaments with his country at Under-15, U-17 and U-19 level, but his crowning glory was lifting the Euro 2008 and World Cup trophies in two stellar years

Nicknamed San Iker ('Saint Iker') at Real Madrid, Casillas is a rare homegrown talent among a sea of galacticos having joined the club at the age of nine. He made his first-team debut under the current national coach, Vicente del Bosque, in the 1998-99 season and cemented his place the following year when becoming the youngest goalkeeper to appear in a Champions League final when beating Valencia just four days after his 19th birthday. A rare slump in form saw him dropped for the encounter with Bayer Leverkusen two years later but he appeared as a substitute in the second half in Glasgow and won the trophy for Real with a series of superb saves

Casillas has been an established and respected member of the first XI ever since and has played a major role in Real's extensive success over the past decade - winning almost everything there is to win in the game

He is Spain's most capped player, breaking the record held by the legendary Andoni Zubizarreta, and it will take some effort from his rivals for his position - the likes of Victor Valdes and Pepe Reina - to wrestle the national jersey off Casillas

Strengths: As the last line of defence in a team that often pays scant regard to such an art, Casillas gets plenty of practice and frequently demonstrates his impressive reflexes, superb agility and innate ability to pull off a spectacular save. His forceful personality and will to win ensure he is a born leader

Weaknesses: His aura of invincibility has been slightly dented due to a handful of mistakes and he can be slightly rash when rushing off his line

Career high: Lifting the World Cup trophy at Soccer City in 2010

Career low: A humbling experience at the Bernabeu last season when arch rivals Barcelona smashed six past Casillas in May in a game that effectively clinched the league title for the Catalans

Style: Energetic, extravagant, commanding, a leader from the back

Quotes: "Iker is the perfect captain. I'd give him ten out of ten for everything he does as a keeper, a captain and in the way he behaves. He sees everything so clearly. The whole squad deserve a ten but Casillas more than anyone. As the captain he's the one I speak to the most. He's a phenomenon." Luis Aragones, June 2008

Trivia: Casillas is very superstitious and every time Real Madrid score a goal he has to touch his own crossbar