The gymboss timer is a small easy to use timer that I keep in my travel bag and is one of the best pieces of training equipment that I own. I use the gymboss timer whenever I do a timed workout.
You can set the gymboss timer to beep, to vibrate, or to do both when the interval is up.
There’s a dual timer function that allows you to set different work/rest periods, which I use for timed intervals, jump rope, shadowboxing and tabata intervals. It also has a single timer that can be used for general physical preparedness workouts, minute drills, fight gone bad style workouts, or anything where you need to rotate exercises at a set time.
There’s also manual mode, which counts down from a set time – perfect for AMRAP (as many reps as possible) workouts where you’re working for a predetermined time period.
All in all a versatile piece of training equipment I wouldn’t be without. AAA battery included.

Originally posted 2009-04-28 11:04:58.

The Gymboss timer is a small, easy to use, repeating interval timer. This multi-use timer has many versatile functions that make it beneficial to virtually any type of exercise program. The Gymboss can be used as a repeating interval timer, countdown timer, or a stopwatch for MMA/Boxing, Tabata, Hiit, Cardio, Kettlebell, Crossfit, Weightlifting, Running, Stretching…and more.

The Gymboss interval timer will give your workout the discipline and structure necessary to take your workout to the next level. This easy to use timer will allow you to control intensity and allow you to focus on the workout to get the best results possible! Muscle strength, size, and endurance, Fat loss, Anaerobic endurance , Cardio endurance and Increased VO2max.

The Gymboss timer will make any workout easier to plan and execute with more accuracy and consistency. Can be programmed for 1 or 2 intervals – 2 seconds to 99 minutes to repeat up to 99 times and has a beep and/or vibrate alarm with an alarm duration 1, 5, or 10 seconds. The timer also has a stopwatch function and a secure belt clip. The timer is compact at 1 ¾ x 2 ¼ x ½ inches and water and shock resistant an AAA battery is required. The timer comes in four flavours Silver, Black, Camo and Pink.

Originally posted 2010-05-01 01:00:00.

“The BEEP Test”
The multi-stage fitness test, also known as the bleep test, beep test, pacer test, or 20-m shuttle run test is a useful tool to help you to work towards and achieve your fitness goals: This Beep Test is a file in .mp3 format that you can download and play on your computer or put on MP3 player or CD to play elsewhere.
This test will absolutely ‘kick your ass’.
The beep test promises to take you to a all new level of intensity every time you press play. Don’t just take my word for it – download it and give it a whirl.

To download: right click on ‘Beep Test‘ and select “Save target as” to save the mp3 file on your computer.

Don’t forget to come back to leave a comment and post your level.

Here is a great video example of what the beep test looks like when performed. Video is courtesy of the Victoria Police Department.

Originally posted 2009-04-27 16:37:43.

The kettlebell or girya (Russian: гиря) is a traditional Russian cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. The best kettlebells are hollow but cast the same size so that different weights have the same footprint. The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool due largely to the efforts of strength and flexibility coach Pavel Tsatsouline.

Kettlebells are now manufactured in many sizes, 4,8,12,16,20,24,28,32 and 40Kg. Traditionally they were made in just 3 weights 16kg (1 Pood) 24kg (1.5 Pood) 32kg (2 Pood).

Kettlebell lifting’s official sport is Girevoy Sport, where people compete in the two-arm-clean-and-jerk and the one-arm-snatch. Most reps wins.

The best starting size for for someone regardless of how fit you or if you have lifted before, who hasn’t exercised with a kettle bell is 8kg for a woman and 16kg for a man.

Kettlebell workouts are intended to increase strength, endurance, agility and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements.

There is a lot of hype surrounding Kettlebells, ditch that. There is nothing you can’t do with a dumbbell that you can do with a Kettlebell. Pound for pound they are more cumbersome and more difficult to handle than dumbbells. Not necessarily better, just different and interesting. Kettlebells will not turn you into a Spetsnaz over night, but please do enjoy them for the variety they offer.

A word of caution, as with all ballistic lifting, be careful. Kettlebells are potential rotator cuff wreckers, they tend to rotate your arm back during cleans and presses.

YOU WILL DROP THE KETTLEBELL

Originally posted 2009-04-27 12:13:07.

I own one of these vests and use it regularly. The moment I tried the vest I knew it would become a key part of my training . A weighted vest is used in many sports for speed training. If you still have basic training to do for speed and distance, concentrate on that without adding weight. If you’re already able to complete a workout in an unbroken manner at a fast pace, then a weight vest is one of the easiest ways to increase the intensity. By training your body at a heavier weight than it is accustomed, your strength, power, and quickness will improve. This is because your central nervous system (CNS) and your muscles believe that you have gained extra weight, when in reality, you have not.

Comfortable enough in use and a full range of movement is maintained.

The weighted vest comprises a tough vest with 20 pouches and 20 sand bags. Each sand bag weighs approx. 0.5KG giving a total weight of a little over 10KG with all bags in all pouches. A good rule to remember is to never add a total of more than 10% of your body weight.

The weight can easily be varied by varying the number of bags placed in pouches and the load is evenly distributed around the vest.

There are two fastening straps on the vest that fasten using side release buckles, same as are found on rucksacks, these are well placed so it can fit to almost all chest sizes. There’s no worry about them coming loose in a workout.

Fully washable and made from tough outer material with a softer inner for comfort looks like it will stand the test of time at a fraction of the price of other vests on the market.

Sample workout:

* Hearts = jumping jacks
* Diamonds = push-ups
* Spades = stomach crunches
* Clubs = squats

* ace = 11 reps
* 2 = 2 reps
* 3 = 3 reps and so on
* Jack = 11 reps
* Queen = 12 reps
* King = 13 reps
* Joker = 25 of the previous exercise.

Work through the deck as fast as possible, have a quick drink and then do it again.

Originally posted 2009-04-27 12:22:49.

Whether you call it Skipping, Rope Skipping, Jump Roping or Rope Jumping… it is the best activity to help fight Heart Disease, Obesity, Type II Diabetes, and Osteoporosis while improving strength and fitness it’s a tried and true method for improving conditioning and coordination. If you have never jumped rope before, expect a challenge. The benefits of this simple but yet complex training technique ranks as an ideal full body workout, bone builder, and as one of the most efficient ways of improving cardiovascular fitness in as little as ten minutes.

Jump rope training will enhance:

* Agility
* Fat Loss
* Footwork
* Endurance
* Vertical Leap
* Coordination

First, you need to purchase a jump rope. I personally prefer a light weight plastic speed rope. In my opinion, these ropes are more effective than heavier leather ropes and weighted ropes. The speed rope allows you to maintain a much faster spinning pace. You can find a good quality rope at most sporting good stores or through any boxing equipment supplier.

After you find a good rope, you need to find a place to use it. I recommend jumping rope on a shock absorbent surface such as a sprung wooden floor, gym mat, outdoor track, or tennis court. If you train at a boxing gym, you’ll probably the best place to jump rope will be inside the ring. The ring is very forgiving to the ankles and feet.

Treat jumping rope like any other cardio exercise by starting to jump slowly, as well as slowly cooling down at the end of your workout. Jumping rope takes skill and coordination, don’t get frustrated. With practice, your abilities will improve quickly, along with your condition.

Jumping rope is as challenging as you make it. There are endless jumping patterns and styles.

Basic jump:
This is where both feet are slightly apart and jump at the same time over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques.

Alternate foot jump (speed step):
This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique can be used to effectively double the number of skips per minute as compared to the above technique.

Criss-cross:
This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand.

Double under:
To perform a double under, the participant needs to jump up a bit higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under his feet. It is possible to have the rope swing three times under the feet (triple under). In fact, in competitive jump rope, triples, quadruples (“quads”), and quintuples (“quins”) are not uncommon.

Jump Rope Sizes:
7ft (2.13m) suitable for someone 4’ 10″ (1.47m) and under in height
8ft (2.44m) suitable for someone between 4’ 11″ to 5’ 4″ (1.48m to 1.63m) in height
9ft (2.74m) suitable for suitable for someone between 5’ 5″ to 5’ 11″ (1.64m to 1.80m) in height
10ft (3.05m) suitable for suitable for someone 6’ 0″ (1.81m) and over in height

Check out Floyd Mayweather Junior dancing with the jump rope.

Originally posted 2009-04-29 12:56:31.

Hotel gyms have a reputation for being tiny, ill-equipped, and crowded at peak hours. Whenever I travel I always include these 3 items, my mp3 player, which has The Pit Workout converted to mp3 on it. There are 3 pit workouts, upper body, lower body and full body. I also have an eclectic selection of music for when I go for a run, a miniature deck of cards and gymboss timer. With these 3 simple tools I can workout in my hotel room, local park, beach or just about anywhere.

My suitcase also doubles as an impromptu sandbag, the hotel room chair is great for dips, hold the chair in your hands as you squat, a weight is just that, a weight. Anything that you can hold and that has weight can be used as a weight. It doesn’t have to look like a barbell and have a convenient shape in order to qualify as a weight.

If you have 6 feet worth of space, you have a place for push-ups, lunges, crunches, and the like, and the whole world is a gym if you know how to improvise.

Originally posted 2009-05-31 19:49:54.

Boxers, Grapplers, and Martial Artists can benefit from the Gymboss personal boxing training timer which allows you to time ANY round time followed by ANY rest time from 2 seconds to 60 minutes.  I appreciate any feedback and workout routines that you use and I have listed a few of the ones I use below, send me yours and I will gladly add them.

Running – Perhaps the simplest use of the Gymboss timer, set the timer for 20 minutes, when the buzzer sounds turn around and run back.

Jump Rope – Set the timer for 10, 2 minute rounds with 30 seconds rest between rounds. This is a great way to warm up before your main workout.

Tabata – 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest – 8 sets – brutal, but effective. Tabata is the name of the Japanese researcher who discovered a way to increase both anaerobic and aerobic pathways at the same time. It’s an excellent training program that seems to fit across all training disciplines for athletes looking to increase their VO₂max and lose fat quickly. Its only 4 minutes, but it is a 4 VERY DEMANDING 4 minutes. I personally use burpees with this one and aim for 8 burpees in the 20 seconds. Repeat 3 more times. This is a real ass-kicking workout that blasts your stamina and fat loss through the roof.

Bodyweight Circuit Training – Set the Gymboss interval timer for 6 rounds of 1 interval 30 seconds long. Choose 6 exercises that target different body parts; squats, pushups, rusties, mountain climbers, diamond pushups, lunges . Start the timer and switch exercises every time you hear the beep. After one circuit get a quick drink then start the timer again and repeat then repeat again untill you’ve worked through your desired number of circuits for a full body workout you can perform anywhere.

Interval Training -  The Swedes call this “Fartlek”, or speed play. Simply put this means varying the intensity within a workout.You add intensity in short bouts that you could not sustain throughout the session. If you consistently keep a moderate intensity during your cardiovascular conditioning, your body adapts over time, and you’ll find yourself on a plateau. To improve your fitness level while running either outdoors or on the treadmill, add some intense intervals. Run for five minutes, then run a faster pace or sprint for one minute, and repeat.

10 Minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout

Get the Gymboss Interval Timer here.

Originally posted 2010-01-08 15:16:43.

What size kettlebell is right for you?

Originally posted 2009-05-18 17:30:38.