By Anonymous
Wilmington, DE December 5 2003--Karate Hall of Fame inductee and 6th degree black belt, Michael Graves, has developed a weighted aerobic workout to firm and tone your body and at the same time teach you self-defense! This program is called KoBu Power™. Mr. Graves will be instructing KoBu Power™ Master Classes throughout the Delaware Valley including several Bally Total Fitness locations.
Taking the authentic ancient forms of Okinawa Kobudo Martial Arts skills and adding a 4’ weighted bar increases the intensity of your workout based on the weight you chose. The bars range in weight increasing in small increments from 4 lbs., 6 lbs., 9 lbs., 12 lbs. or 15 lbs.
KoBu Power™ takes the centuries of Martial Art training and makes the aerobic workout a simple, step by step, motivated motion learning experience. This is where the phrase “Ancient Art/Modern Motion” comes from. You can now practice the same movements of the Kobudo Masters in a fun, effective training system that will empower retention of the techniques and give you real results in your personal weight loss and body sculpting goals.
KoBu Power™ also allows you to defend yourself because of the hidden benefit that no other workout routine encompasses which is the bunkai or the self-defense techniques. The combination of the workout along with the bunkai has never been done before. The self-defense portion of this program is what makes KoBu Power™ so unique. This truly is a “workout with a purpose”. The retention of the movement skills is based on muscle memory, which is developed by doing this workout on a repetitious basis. Therefore, allowing your body the ability to use defensive responses when attacked by aggressive behaviors which will result in immediate solutions! The muscle memory that is created is what you need in a real ‘fight or flight’ situation. This is why KoBu Power™ is: “The Workout That Can Save Your Life”.
You can be assured that every KoBu Power™ class, workshop and/or certification is taught by a certified KoBu Power™ instructor. They will make these classes fun and safe that way even ‘KoBu Kids’™ can do it. No one likes to do a chore and that’s exactly how most exercises make us feel. But, if you knew that a fun workout would also show the bunkai secret techniques of self-defense and by doing it over and over again will also firm and tone your body and teach muscle memory for those fight or flight responses, you would enroll in KoBu Power™ today.
Kobu Power DVD videos and weighted bars are now available online or call 302-475-8707. .
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By Lynn Bode
Dodging the dreaded workout plateau is actually very easy. Variety is the key ingredient to continual fitness success. To avoid hitting a workout plateau, follow these recommendations. New exercisers often see quick fitness results such as weight loss and increased muscle strength while engaging in the same workout day after day. However, after several weeks following their fitness routines they often become frustrated as the gains begin to dwindle. Eventually dieters scales become frozen on the same number or weight lifters are stuck at the same weight size. They hit a plateau.
A plateau typically is the direct consequence of a fitness rut – when an exerciser performs the same workout over and over. The human body is very efficient and quickly adapts to work. Once the body practices the same activity repeatedly, it grows more proficient at performing those moves. So that means it requires less energy and therefore also burns less calories.
Instead of celebrating their body’s improved fitness capabilities, exercisers often abandon their workouts. And who can blame them? After all, they no longer are seeing the results they desire and become increasingly bored with their workouts. Plus, hitting a plateau not only can halt fitness gains, but it can even reverse previous successes. But, with just a few simple steps exercisers can easily break-through that brick wall and continue to reap all the rewards of regular physical activity.
Dodging the dreaded plateau is actually very easy. Variety is the key ingredient to continual fitness success. To avoid hitting a workout plateau, follow these recommendations.
To begin with, every workout routine should be changed about every 4-6 weeks. The modification doesn’t have to be dramatic. A totally new exercise is a possible option, but alteration of a current exercise can be just as effective.
A simple way to determine how to transform your current workout is using the F.I.T.T principle. F.I.T.T. stands for frequency, intensity, time and type. This strategy can be adopted for both cardio and resistance training.
Frequency – increase or decrease how often you workout
Intensity – increase or decrease the difficulty or level at which you workout.
Time – increase or decrease how long your workout sessions last.
Type – change the type of exercises you perform.
Frequency and Time are limited by an individual’s schedule as well as appropriate rest time to ensure maximum efficiency and safety. But Intensity and Type are really only limited by creativity and planning.
Cardio exercise intensity can easily be varied through speed, incline, distance, height, etc. And of course the types of exercises are practically endless, so exercisers should never have the excuse that they’ve exhausted their exercise options. Good cardio examples include: walking, jogging, swimming, biking, hiking, and more. In addition, combining several of these exercises into one workout session can be very effective. Try 10 minutes each of 3-4 unique exercises.
Strength training intensity can also easily be altered with changes in resistance size, number of reps, rest time, number of sets and more. Even simply switching the sequence of the exercises can prove effective. There are also numerous strength training exercise options. Unfortunately, most exercisers are unaware of the plethora of training techniques and equipment options. They often get stuck performing the same 10 exercises over and over. Yet, there are hundreds of unique options. Simply utilizing new types of training equipment every 4-6 weeks can result in big improvements because each type of equipment will work the muscle groups in a slightly different manner. Gear options include: free weights, body bars, selectorized machines, resistance bands, and fitness balls – just to name a few.
So, to reduce your chances of hitting a plateau remember the F.I.T.T. principle. And approximately every 4-6 weeks choose one element of the principle to change (or even all four components). Incorporating this strategy will enable you to progress further and attain even higher fitness levels. It’s just that easy!
About the Author
Lynn Bode, author and certified personal trainer, is passionate about helping people get fit and healthy. She offers her services online through her company, WorkoutsForYou.com. Workouts For You provides even the busiest of people affordable, personalized exercise programs for losing weight, toning-up, building muscles & increasing stamina (via the Internet). The programs can be done on their schedule and in the comfort of their own home (or gym or on-the-road). Visit www.workoutsforyou.com for a FREE sample workout.
Humans are habitual. They strive on routine and rituals. While it’s true that routine can provide a sense of ease and security, I think we’d all agree that the same old, same old can also turn to boredom. And when it comes to working out, routine can be downright toxic.
By Valerie Garner
What's a perennial garden plant that blooms in the winter? A hellebore! It is an outdoor plant that is shocking to see blooming sometimes in the snow. There are many varieties. They are Another plant you'll surely want to try is called Sweet Annie. This is actually an annual herb, in the worm wood family. The seed is very fine and you sow it in direct sunlight in the spring after all danger of frost is Another unusual one is called Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate. Yes, this really is the name of a plant! It's official name is Polygonum orientale. It's an old-fashioned annual knotweed used for bold effect. It has large heart shaped leaves and pendulous clusters of small pink flowers. In rich, moist soil and full sun it can go to six feet tall. Best to sow the seed in fall or early spring where it is to grow.
Lastly another unusual plant to try is the Balloon Flower. These are perennial, meaning they will return By Valerie Garner of Hometips and More at http://www.angelfire.com/wa/hometips
perennial which means they come back year after year. These are best planted in shady areas, but where they
will get sun in the winter, for instance under leafed trees or something of that nature. What is so unusual about hellebores is that they bloom somewhere between Dec. and March. There are very few plants that do that! One variety is called a Christmas Rose. These plants usually must be puchased at a nursery. Check out your local nursery for this wonderful family of plants.
gone. Sweet Annie can get up to 6 feet tall. It's fragrance is wonderful! My favorite use for Sweet Annie is in the fall to cut it to the ground and dry it. It can be used as
wonderful, fragrant filler for dried flower arrangements, and it can also be bound with fine wire to form a wreath base of its own. Simply tuck in
other dried flowers here and there around it and you've got a beautiful dried floral wreath with a fragrance to die for!
year after year. The latin name for these are: platycodon grandiflorus. They are very hardy, durable plants and very beautiful. Balloon flowers are about the size of a ping pong ball and look like little "balloons".
Once they fully open up they split and you can see the center portion and the bloom then resembles a star. They usually come in shades of purple, pink and white. Very cute, the plants only get about 2 feet tall. Try one!