This is named after one of my clients. It requires rings or a pullup bar, a box 18-20" high, a couple of different weights of sandbags (or one you can add or remove weight) and a kb

Done in a circuit:

1 ring rows or pullups -10

2 sandbag lunge to step up. 5 reps with bag on R shoulder & left shoulder. Shoulder the bag. With the leg on the sandbag side, start from a lunge position and step up onto the box. Step back down and return to lunge.

3. Turkish get up with sandbag. 5 reps on each shoulder. Start from standing with bag on shoulder, go down & back up.

4 Rotational deadlift. 10 reps. stand next to heavy bag. twist and fold at hips & knees, use both hands & pick it up, bring it to the other side & set it down. Repeat. The arms stay straight, use the legs

5 Dead snatch 10 L/R

Do this circuit 3 times. It took me about 6 mins on the 1st and last rounds and somehow I managed to do the second round in just under 5 mins. Minimal rest between rounds, none between stations.

 It didnt work well for a group class because I dont have enough rings or boxes so there was lots of standing and waiting. It did work well for one person though.

Head Coach Joe Wilson under Scott Sonnon at rmaxi.com came up with this wonderful test of core strength.

You will need a countdown timer & also a gymboss if possible.

1. standard plank - hold 1 minute

2. lift one arm hold -15 seconds

3. switch to the other arm - hold 15 seconds 

4. arm down, raise one leg - hold 15 seconds

5. switch legs - hold 15 seconds

6. keep the leg up & raise the opposite arm - hold 15 seconds

7. switch to the other arm/leg - hold 15 seconds

8. back to standard plank hold 15 seconds

9. roll to a side plank. stack your feet - hold 15 seconds

10 roll to the other side - hold 15 seconds

11. flip to a face up position, arms locked, hips pushed up as far they can go with back flat - hold 15 seconds

12. now flip to a pushup position, arms locked out - hold 15 seconds

13. back to standard plank - hold 1 minute!

 On the 1 arm and 1 arm/leg planks try to keep your body, especially the hips parallel to the floor. The arm goes straight out in front and should be in the same plane as the body. The foot is higher but dont lift the hips.

The two timers make it much easier to  keep track of time. Set the GymBoss to 15 second intervals, automatic re-cycle. Set the other timer to 1 minute.

Have fun 

This variation of the 50/50 workout I posted last week will let you use heavier weights and still get all the reps in. Instead of doing 50 reps on each arm at once we will do sets of 10 and do the whole thing 5 times through.

10/10 Snatches

10/10 Dead cleans

10/10 Front squat (bell racked on left then right)

10/10 swings

10/10 push press

10/10 jerks

 Repeat 5 times.

You should be able to move fairly fast and use a heavier kb than in the original workout. This is also good for beginner's who may not have the work capacity. As they develop that endurance they should progress in speed through the circuit and increase the weight, gradually working towards the full 50/50.

 I was going to write an article on Qi Gong since I'm teaching a sequence I learned from Steve Cotter. In researching it I found this article and rather than re-invent the wheel I asked to put their article on my site. Please visit their site , they have a lot of great info and books on many aspects of Chinese Medicine and the internal martial arts.

Reprinted with permission from Qi Journal (http://www.qi-journal.com ) 

QIGONG, THE TERM

Qigong (Chi Kung) comes from the Chinese words "Qi" meaning "Energy" plus "Gong", meaning "work" or "practice". It is a term that describes a Chinese Exercise system the focuses on cultivating and attracting "Qi" or "lifeforce" energies. Pronounced like "Chee Gung", Qigong (sometimes spelled "Chi Kung") is a unique Chinese exercise system. Through individual effort, practitioners build up their health and prevent illness by combining discipline of mind, body and the body's "Qi" (vital force).

Qigong draws on many elements. It includes "regulating the body" through posture, "regulating the mind" through quiet, relaxation and concentration of one's mental activity," regulating the breath", self-massage and movement of the limbs. It covers a wide range of exercises and styles, such as "tuna" (venting and taking in), which emphasizes the practice of breath; "still" qigong, which stresses meditation and relaxation; "standing stance" qigong, which emphasizes the exercise of the body by relaxed and motionless standing posture; "moving" and dao-yin" qigong, which emphasizes external movement combined with internal quiet and practice in control of the mind; as well as various forms of self-massage.

Chinese Qigong has been practiced with a recorded history of over 2,000 years. But it wasn't until 1953, when Liu Gui-zheng published a paper entitled "Practice On Qigong Therapy", that the term Qigong (Chi Kung) was adopted as the popular name for this type of exercise system. Prior to that date, there were many terms given to such exercise, such as Daoyin, Xingqi, Liandan, Xuangong, Jinggon, Dinggong, Xinggon, Neigong, Xiudao, Zhoshan, Neiyangong, Yangshengong, etc. 

MOVING OR STATIC, HARD OR SOFT?

There have been many qigong schools in China. Although each school adopts unique methods, they all agree on the basic importance of regulating the mind and deepening the respiration. Western practitioners have divided and categorized qigong into various segments. The term "soft qigong" usually refers to exercises which enhance spiritual, mental, and physical health with meditation and gentle exercises. "Hard qigong" refers to exercises done in martial arts to strengthen and protect the body from vicious blows.

Some divide qigong into "Medical", "Martial", or "Spiritual" categories depending on the purpose of the practice.

Within China, qigong is generally practiced in two major categories, "still" and "moving". "Still" qigong lays emphasis on quiet, motionless meditation, generally employing methods of internal concentration and regulation of breathing. It is usually practiced in outwardly motionless postures such as the lying, sitting or standing positions, and since it emphasizes exercise of the internal aspect of the body, it is often known as internal qigong.

"Moving" qigong involves movement of the limbs and body under the conscious direction of the mind, and since the movement is expressed externally, it is also known as external qigong.