Weight Lifting Dutchess County

Weight Lifting Dutchess County

Weight Lifting is a global phenomenon that has altered many people idea of fitness is.  Most sports incorporate some amount of weight lifting into their training.  It may seem like weight lifting is an activity for meat heads or people who have body dysmorphia and that is largely the truth, but you should not discount what it can do for a completely normal person like you.  You can get the benefits of weight lifting without becoming Jose Canseco.  The three basic and most beneficial weight lifting exercises are the bench press, the deadlift and the squat.  They all work out large areas of your body, hitting several muscles at once.

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

The bench press is a great workout if you plan on going to a beach any time soon.  It helps in developing chest muscles and is handy in a fight if you want to push someone scary away from you.  One of the best parts of the bench press is how many different kinds there are.  If you have a bench that can be adjusted for incline or decline you can do numerous different presses that work out different parts of your musculature.  Also where and how you grip the bar can be changed as well.  The variety makes the bench press one of the best options for developing the shoulders, arm and chest muscles.  You can even do them without a barbell and use dumbbells instead.

The deadlift is seen by many as the quintessential meat head move.  While lifting heavy stuff off the ground may be mocked by certain national fitness chains that serve pizza to their members, that does nothing to change the fact that it is a great workout.  The deadlift works out a huge portion of your body.  Your legs, back, abs, hips and arms all get used in the motion.  This massive link has the biggest impact in coordination and strength.  The two get tied together in a way that will make you feel different.  Deadlifts are one of the workouts that changed me from someone who was leery about weight lifting into a believer.  When you deadlift regularly the ability to move cohesively seems to be heightened to a great extent.  I never feel as good about my athletic abilities as when I am deadlifting often.

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

The squat is a perfect workout for the lower body.  While many people “skip leg day” and start to look like overfed thanksgiving turkeys, you can be off making yourself into a freak beast with massive quads.  Or you could just get nice toned butt and legs.  Either way the squat is great.  It has many of the benefits of the deadlift in that it makes you a stronger and more coordinated version of yourself.  Basically it makes you a better person.

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

It is important to use proper form and in instances in which you are attempting higher weights or more challenging exercises to have a spotter and to be thoroughly familiar with how to properly do each movement.  If you are interested in weight lifting or just overall fitness come into Poughkeepsie CrossFit today.

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

807 Main St

Arlington, NY 12603

(845) 452-9348

Weight Loss Poughkeepsie

Weight Loss Poughkeepsie

The holiday season is in full swing.  You have or are going to start gaining massive amounts of weight.  At least you are statistically very likely to gain weight.  This is a time of year filled with good food, alcohol, flu like symptoms, seasonal affective disorder and rampant inactivity.  Here are some helpful insights into what to do if you don’t want to become a larger person than you already are.

1. Realize that dieting and moderation might be a long shot.  Dieting during the holidays is like trying to exist as a snowball in hell, except instead of melting away to nothing you get the opposite effect.  You may be invited to a few parties and stay at relatives houses.  You also might have a few too many meals in mall food courts.  Understandably you will not be able to resist every temptation.  Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad night out and don’t let one indiscretion become a deluge of fatty foods, unless your grandmother made them for you.  Diet is only one part of the problem.

Lagrange NY Gym-Everything in Moderation!

2.  Lack of exercise is the real enemy.   The winter months, especially around Poughkeepsie, can be hard for weight loss.  The snow, sleet and general feelings of pain that come with walking outside can be a real great reason to sit on the couch for a few months like a hibernating bear who has discovered Netflix.  If the only exercise you get is starting your snow blower you are asking for extra layer of blubber for Christmas.  Join a gym that has walls and heating to avoid both frostbite and diabetes(They both could lead to you getting your foot amputated).  Seriously, join a gym before all the new years resolution people hog all the nice treadmills.

Lagrange NY Gym-Gotta Keep Moving

 

3. Don’t get sick.  Getting sick is bad for your health.  Lots of people get sick in the winter time.  Why do people get sick in the winter time?  Science has no way of answering that question.  It may have something to do with the Sun god being angry, we may never know.  But we do know that getting sick is only going to turn you into an inactive snot puppet.  Avoid sick people, perhaps by building them a colony to live in like lepers.  Wash your hands to ward away the evil spirits.  Drink lots of water to hydrate yourself.  Do what you can to avoid becoming another statistic in the seasonal flu epidemic.

We are now about half way between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Tech Tuesday, Wu-Tang Wednesday and Small Business Saturday are behind us.  And if you are not careful there might be something else behind you, the specter of another holiday season coming and going and a moderate to severe weight gain staying.  Combat this great yearly evil as best you can or join a gym.  Come into Poughkeepsie CrossFit today.

 

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

807 Main St

Arlington, NY 12603

(845) 452-9348

Pleasant Valley Fitness

Pleasant Valley Fitness

The Olympic lifts are an important exercise for a few key reasons.  There are many fad workouts people try, but some routines seem to stick around forever. The Olympic lifts are one of those that has been around and is not going anywhere.  Olympic lifts will obviously make you have bigger and stronger muscles.  But there are others benefits they offer.  One key area they improve you is in coordination and body control.  Very few other workout can give you this in such a short time span.  The more scientific catch all term for this is proprioception.  Olympic lifts will help you be better at any athletic endeavor.  Another great part of Olympic lifts is the quickness with which you see positive gains.  It is by no means a short cut, but a few sessions and you will start to feel different.

The first Olympic lift is the Snatch.  The movements for a Snatch start at the floor.  The weight is on the ground and you have the balls of your feet underneath the bar and are shoulders width apart.  Your hands will typically be at a wide grip along the bar.  As with most lifts your back is straight and you have to pay careful attention to your posture in order to ensure proper form.  You then lift the bar almost as if you are doing a very explosive Deadlift.  Keep the bar close to your legs.  Once the you reach the mid thigh, where a Deadlift ends, you push the bar up over your head while simultaneously getting underneath it.  Finish by rising out of the squatting position you are in with the bar held over your head.  There are some finer points I may be missing, so if you are going to be doing Snatches make sure to have someone there who knows the movements and what common mistakes newcomers make.

fitness pleasant valley

A Clean and  Jerk is the other Olympic lift.  You as start in a similar squatting position, but this time the grip is not nearly as wide.  You progress the bar all the way up to shoulder height and lift it up over your head while pushing up out of the squatting position.  Again you have to pay careful attention to your posture.  Make sure your back is straight and you are in control of your body.  If you can’t you need to move to a lower weight.  Olympic lifts are very safe if you do not push yourself to far and try weights you are unprepared for.  Keep in mind that in both lifts you are going to end up with that weight over your head.    Start with the right position and make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing around to guide and critique you.  A real helpful hint I used when I was struggling with proper form when I first started lifting was to have my friend use a camera on his phone to film me from the side, an angle similar to the two GIFS.  I could then spot the problem areas and see that my back was rounding or I was doing something wrong with my arms.  Any bit of feedback helps, but having a visual of how you could improve is very useful.

 

Pleasant Valley Fitness

If you want to try Olympic lifts come in to Poughkeepsie CrossFit today.  Poughkeepsie CrossFit is the perfect place to get in shape

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

807 Main St

Arlington, NY 12603

(845) 452-9348

 

BJJ Morris County

Metamoris 5 is about a month away and I am already very excited.   Form the start Metamoris has had the best promotion and ease of access of any major grappling promotion.  It is really exciting to see grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu matches promoted properly.  The market for grappling is very small, but Metamoris’ success hints at the possibility of a broader appeal.   Outside of the grappling world they have gotten many MMA fans on board.

The card starts with what I view as a misstep.  The “secret match” seems like a really dumb idea and sets itself up for disappointment.  Metamoris misses out on the promotional value of having two more names on the card and gets almost nothing in it’s place.  The secret match could be anything, but it will never be as cool as whatever possible dream match up you could speculate about.  It is going to almost always be underwhelming and at best it could be a pleasant surprise  coming out of something that comes of as rather gimmicky. We are all adults, just tell us who is grappling and release a cool countdown video about them.

The match-ups we  do know about are going to be fun.  The opening bout features Garry Tonon vs Zak Maxwell.  Tonon is a potential star in the grappling world and  has a very exciting style that is dangerous in a scramble. Vinny Magalhaes vs. Kevin Casey is a match that I think favors Vinny.  He has a dangerous leglock attack and Kevin Casey was subbed in his last Metamoris outing by a leglock, in his role as a replacement for the staph infected Magalhaes.  Vinny is a top grappler who also has had success in MMA.  Casey also has a promising MMA career, although a recent suspension for steroids has put it on hold for a year.  Yuri Simoes vs. Rafeal Lovato Jr.is a rematch of sorts.  From what I can tell Simoes has won two bouts by advantage.  Metamoris has no points system and has longer bouts than most other tournaments so this will change the mindset of anyone fighting, along with it the outcome in all likelihood.

BJJ Morris County. Are you not entertained? Nope, not even a little.

It comes down to the final two matches.  Both have strong tie ins to MMA.  Rory MacDonald is a top tier Middleweight fighter and title contender.  He is also one of the most frustrating MMA fighters to watch.  Rory is one of the bigger Middleweights, has technical ability and has a decent amount of athletic talent.    It is not a general lack of stoppages that really gets me, it is the ultra boring and almost passive performances he gives when facing opponents close to his level.  He has had some really interesting match-ups turn into duds in the octagon.   Much like in his MMA fights he will probably be considerably larger than his opponent.

BJJ classes Denville– The last bout was the stuff of legend.

The final bout is the rematch of the classic fight between Renzo Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba.  The last fight happened over a decade ago and ended in dramatic fashion.  Now with both of them over forty and out of the fight game for a few years it makes for an even match-up.  Sports have a nasty habit of turning your oldest heroes into dull imitations of their former selves.  We can look back at a year that saw BJ Penn, once the terror of two divisions, get embarrassed at an even lower weight.  I wasn’t even a BJ Penn fan and I got a little depressed watching Frankie Edgar kick his ass.  I think Edgar even felt a little guilty. Sakuraba and Gracie have had similar career arches.  I would be really cool if they, along with other former MMA greats, could continue to compete in events like this after their career is over.  It would be nice to replace the images of some of your favorite fighters getting embarrassed into ones of them putting on a show and competing again.  I would love to see BJ Penn, GSP or Anderson Silva try their hand at Metamoris.  I would even watch Matt Hughes grapple, so long as he loses.  It is sad to see guys past their prime take unnecessary and dangerous amounts of abuse because they don’t want to stop just yet.  This could provide a much needed outlet for continued competition with lower risk of injury.

If you are interested in training BJJ and live in Morris County, stop by Pure MMA.  They offer a free 14 trial and private introductory lesson.  Give them as call at  973-784-3777 or go to their website at www.puremixedmartialarts.com.

 

 

CrossFit Lagrange NY-Poughkeepsie CrossFit Servicing Lagrange, NY

CrossFit Lagrange NY-Poughkeepsie CrossFit Servicing Lagrange, NY

Poughkeepsie CrossFit is the areas premier CrossFit gym.  Poughkeepsie CrossFit has students from all age ranges and backgrounds who come to them from throughout the county.  They really strive to offer the most they can to their students and picked a spot that would be beneficial to as many people in the area as possible.  The gym is located just off the Arterial minutes from Arlington Middle School.  Convenience is very important when picking the gym that is right for you and Poughkeepsie CrossFit is that gym.  One area that Poughkeepsie CrossFit gets tons of students from is Lagrangeville.  Many of their students call Lagrangville home and if you do and are looking for CrossFit classes you should really give Poughkeepsie CrossFit a try.

crossfit classes lagrangeville

Poughkeepsie CrossFit is the areas premier CrossFit Gym.  If you are interested in getting in the best shape of your life, then Poughkeepsie CrossFit is the place.  So many of their students came to them overweight and facing the health problems that come with excess body fat.  They have helped numerous people not only lose ten, twenty or thirty pounds, some of their students have lost up to one hundred pounds.  The best part is that they keep it off.  Poughkeepsie CrossFit offers the chance for true, sustainable lifelong fitness.  The CrossFit Classes are a great way to reach whatever level of fitness you are aiming for.

crossfit classes lagrangeville

If you want to try CrossFit come in today.  Poughkeepsie CrossFit is the perfect place to get in shape

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

807 Main St

Arlington, NY 12603

(845) 452-9348

 

 

 

Mixed Martial Arts Gym Rockaway NJ

Mixed Martial Arts Gym Rockaway NJ

It has been a slow few months for the big names of MMA.  Injuries, suspensions and just straight up poor planning has killed a few fights and cards even.  There have been some great fights that have flown under the radar.  A few heavyweights knocking each other out and a bunch of free cards is great, but there have been a real shortage of title fights.  We have a card that is only a few days out that looks to be stellar.  Old champions return and new signings make their debut this weekend at UFC 178 and I am looking forward to it.

Tim Kennedy is fighting Yoel Romero.  Kennedy is a well rounded and fearless fighter who has been dominant in his last few fights.  Yoel Romero has some of the heaviest hands you will see at 185.  This fight will come down to who can dictate the terms.  If Kennedy can take Romero down he will win a decision or submission.  If Romero stays upright Kennedy could be  in trouble but Kennedy has never been finished by KO or TKO, he lost via TKO once due to a cut.  The Alvarez vs Cerrone fight is going to be one of those can’t miss fights.  Cerrone never fights safe and has gotten some of his swagger back.  He is on fire right now and his stand-up has never been more dangerous.    Whereas Cerrone seemingly fights every weekend, Alvarez hasn’t fought in almost a year.  This is also his first UFC fight.  I think this fight is going to be great, but expect a stoppage from Cerrone.

pure mma

The main card also has a major contender in rising star in Conor McGregor.  The UFC is always trying to get a foothold in foreign markets.  While they have been mostly successful in Europe, the talent just hasn’t been coming out like it should.  With the likes of Mcgregor and Alexander Gustafsson European MMA is being put on the map.  Poirier is a great fighter and should easily be McGregor’s biggest test.  McGregor has star power, the dude is magnetic.  If he can win or be very competitive at this level, he will be around for some time.  Mighty Mouse is fighting and he is going to do his thing and straight up dominate.    He is MMA most dominant and seemingly unbeatable champion in the UFC right now.   Thanks for playing Chris Cariaso.

The big treat for fight fans is the return of Dominick Cruz.  Cruz was one of the best fighters at 135 for years before the UFC had those lighter weight classes.  He had a style similar to current champ TJ Dillashaw.  Constant movement and great wrestling.  He was a high level striker years before that was the norm.  He was a glimpse of what could come out of the rich talent at these weight classes.  It wasn’t a bad fight or a tough opponent who beat him.  He has had a string of related knee injuries that have kept him out of the game for years.   I really hope he comes out and performs like he always did.  He has a really tough fight with Takeya Mizugaki.  No matter what happens it is cool to see him doing his thing one more time.

pure mma

I would like to thank my sponsor Pure MMA.  If you want to at a Mixed Martial Arts Gym in the Rockaway area look them up.  www.puremixedmartialarts.com

Dutchess County Fitness

Cardiovascular Effects of Fitness Training

Cardiovascular health and fitness has to be a primary concern of anyone who lives in the modern world.  Heart disease is the scourge of modern medicine.  While Many other conditions have been put down, but heart disease has stubbornly stuck around.  Most of the big risk factors are out of your control.  Your age, gender, ethnicity and family history can’t be sweated out in a gym.  These risk factors can’t be changed, so it is important that you take careful stock of what can be changed.  Diet and exercise are two areas in which you can shape how your risk level for heart disease.  These two behaviors need to be modified to avoid paying the high price that comes from inaction.

Dutchess County Fitness

Diet is a really tricky thing to nail down.  We all know people, or are the people, who are constantly trying new fad diets.  Gaining and losing weight with every new supplement and diet book bought.  The boom and bust cycle really turns out to be a wash.  You made no significant health gains and accomplished nothing, in spite of the effort and money.  The answer is simple.  There are no shortcuts or back doors to a a better diet.  Having a diet that balances nutrition and caloric needs is key.  There is no other way around this particular problem.  So the problem becomes how to stick to a diet.  The answer is exercise.  You have an exercise regimen that you enjoy and the working out and the dieting cease to feel like a chore.  They become a repeatable and maybe even enjoyable behavior.

It is important to view health in the proper sense.  Your body is one system.  We have come up with arbitrary but useful boundaries within it.  You have a nervous system, digestive system and endocrine system, among others.  But they are all apart of a greater whole.  They cannot exist on their own and indeed the whole cannot exist, or would exist in a reduced state of functionality, without some of them.  Physical activity and diet are not two truly separate enterprises.  They are two sides of the same coin.  The body needs both fuel and a destination.   These two ways of approaching this problem feed into one another.  They set limits on how rewarding the other behavior can be.  Doing great on one front but terrible on another will still lead to results, but it isn’t as good as when you combine them.

The idea of synergy playing apart in your health is one that can be positive or negative.  Many of the risk factors for heart disease are inherited.  Some are a mix or inherited and acquired.  Your genetic predisposition for diabetes or hypertension can become very dangerous because they can become risk factors for heart disease.  Again we see multiple factors working towards an end.  To combat this we need to look to multiple sources.  You need diet and exercise, and you need to find a place that has both.

If you are interested in getting in a whole body transformation, come in to Poughkeepsie CrossFit today.  Drop by or go to their website at www.poughkeepsiecrossfit.com.

Dutchess County Fitness

Poughkeepsie CrossFit

807 Main St

Poughkeepsie, NY

12603

Fitness Classes Hudson Valley

What Makes Poughkeepsie CrossFit Different

You have to look at a few key factors when deciding on a fitness regimen.  One of the big keys is the spot where it all happens.  The gym you choose will be a big factor in how soon you achieve your goals.  You have to choose somewhere that has something going for it other than it just being the closest gym.   The areas in which a gym sets itself apart are what you need to look at.  What does one gym do differently?  What do they offer that others don’t?  Poughkeepsie CrossFit is one of those gyms.  It is not like any other place you have tried.

Fitness Classes Hudson Valley

One of the big benefits of CrossFit is the group settings that accommodate individual goals.  Structure is important to fitness.  Having a routine is key.  At many gyms you just walk in and are left to your own devices.  You succeed or fail based on how much knowledge and drive you bring to the table.  Although no gym can make you magically want to work out, if you show up Poughkeepsie CrossFit has the instructors to help you learn new techniques and stay motivated to train.  The classes are smaller groups who do the workouts together under the watchful eye of CrossFit certified instructors.  This type of class allows for one on one time with instructors without the need for personal training sessions.

The environment is a huge part of what makes Poughkeepsie CrossFit the gym for you.  We have a culture around the gym that is oriented towards results.  We want you to succeed in your goals towards greater personal fitness.  All the instructors and fellow students have a positive attitude and are always encouraging.

Fitness Classes Hudson Valley

If you are interested in getting in the best shape of your life come into Poughkeepsie CrossFit today.  Visit our website at www.poughkeepsiecrossfit.com.

807 Main St

Poughkeepsie, NY

12603

How Fit Do You Have to Be for Martial Arts

How Fit Do You Have to Be for Martial Arts

Many times when someone is thinking of joining a martial arts gym they wonder how “in shape” they should be for class.  Their problem is two fold.  Will they physically be able to complete a class? And will they be able to show up and not embarrass themselves?  No one wants to be the person who pukes or quits or looks out of place in a class with people around.  So how fit do you have to be for martial arts?  You don’t have to be fit at all and you don’t have to worry about people being judgmental or being an outsider, at least not a Pure MMA.

Kids Martial Arts

If you are worried about looking out of place at your first few classes, don’t be.  Everyone you are working with has been through that stage.  No one, especially not your teachers, will be looking down on you because not so long ago they were you.  Even the most senior member of your potential gym had a first class.  The instructors at Pure MMA want to create an open and friendly environment, and they have succeeded in that aim.  Also, all you have to worry about is your first few classes.  After that you won’t be the first time student.  This is a really short term situation.  Head instructors Andy and Mikey Main are qualified teachers who will have you learning and executing in short order.  They really welcome the challenge that new first time students provide.

The key to starting something new is simply showing up.  Rather than think of reasons to not try something, just get out there and do it.  Waiting until you are in shape is not necessary, you can become fit and stay fit by doing martial arts.  When you do sign up you will regret any delay you had.

Kids Martial Arts

If you are interested in the martial arts, come in to Pure MMA today.  We offer a FREE 14 day trial and private introductory lesson.  Stop by, give us a call 1-973 784 3777 or go to our website at www.denvillemartialarts.com

Best Martial Arts for Self Defense

Best Martial Arts for Self Defense

These two martial arts that I am about to highlight are in my opinion the best martial arts for self defense.  They offer effective strikes or positions from which to strike, grappling opportunities that put you in advantageous positions and mindsets that offer a clear path to victory.  Many martial arts make very exaggerated claims about their effectiveness.  They employ lots of cheesy self-aggrandizing strategies to attract students.  As a nice contrast,  Muay Thai is not often labeled as a self-defense style, but it is highly effective against even a motivated and strong attacker.  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu makes many claims about being a great self defense style and it has substantiated those assertions time and again.  Whether it is in early MMA fights, before the advent of rules the modern rule-set, or in any number of street fights you can watch on YouTube, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu passes any of the criteria of a great self defense style.

BJJ Rockaway NJ

Muay Thai is a style of kickboxing that incorporates a large amount of grappling.  The Thai Plum is the most widely known variant on the clinch position used in Muay Thai.  Fighters like Anderson Silva and Wanderlai Silva famously used it to devastating effect throughout their careers.  While Muay Thai has a plethora of great striking techniques from distance or in close, they utilize elbows perhaps better than any other style, the clinch is where the real differences come out.  In a Muay Thai fight, both fighters know how to clinch and defend against a clinch, but people still get hit and knocked out from those positions.  When you utilize the clinch on someone who is uninitiated their reactions are even worse.  Most people, even before they get hit, shell up or turn away from the eventual barrage.  It only gets worse for the person in the clinch when you starting throwing knees or kicks.  On the defensive end, the clinch doesn’t allow your opponent to hit you effectively.  When someone gets put into a more advanced stage of the clinch they often have their head down or their hips too far back.  They either cannot see their target, cannot get power behind their strikes or potentially both.  The clinch is defense through offense and it creates very uneven exchanges in which you can bomb away at your opponent and they can’t throw anything significant in response.

Brazilian Jiu-Jistu is a great style for self defense because it is the only style that works for smaller people.  If you are the smaller, weaker or slower fighter chances are you are in trouble without some BJJ on your side.  A close study of attribute advantages has been a driving force behind the development and philosophy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and it shows in the way the techniques are presented and practiced.  It is drilled into the head of everyone training it that using strength is not the answer.  The use of leverage, body weight/gravity, positioning and overall economy of motion is stressed.  Another big stress is on conserving energy for a fight that could last for an unknown length of time.  A sport has a predetermined length of time, a fight on the street could go on for longer than you would like or at a pace that is difficult to sustain and you have to be sure that you are not the one that gets tired first.  The philosophy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the techniques come together to form a unique and

BJJ Rockaway NJ

The main takeaway from all this is that the use of grappling to gain position is how you win a fight.  Whether you want to define winning as stopping your attacker, making them quit or simply avoiding their attacks and fleeing these two martial arts can be highly effective in a street fight.