FREE Nike Training Club session exclusively for Women!
If you’re looking for a great FREE workout tomorrow, and you’re a girl, then head on over to BGC High Street tomorrow night (Monday) for a FREE Nike Training Club (NTC) session. If you’ve been following me, you know that I’ve been the one conducting these workouts as a companion for the Nike Run Clubs. But this time, the girls will be taking over as Nike has brought in NTC Master Trainer Marie Purvis to lead an all girls workout right in the middle of BGC. The Nike Training club is a series of workouts developed for Nike and follows a circuit training format which mixes up cardio and strength exercises. Here are the details of the event:
So remember:
Come in Purple. Funky Purple.
Go to the parking lot in front of Planet Sports BGC.
Be there by 6pm.
Be ready to train hard!
The 1st 360 Olympics
The 1st ever 360 Olympics was held 2 weeks ago, on April 13, with team Makati enjoying home court advantage. We last had a similar event back in our first year of existence (2011) where we held an outdoor circuit race in Ultra. This time, we wanted to give our members a chance to showcase their strength, power, speed, endurance, and yes, even balance and coordination. We wanted to have a holistic contest where everyone will be able to participate and call themselves 360 athletes.
Full house in the 1st 360 Olympics
We couldn’t have been happier with the turn-out. All 3 branches were represented well in all the 8 events. In fact, the winning branch was decided only with the last event. At the end of the day, team Ortigas reigned supreme. I’m proud of all the branches and how everyone competed. More so, I’m proud of our coaches who didn’t care what branches they represented, they were there to support ALL 360 athletes.
Team Ortigas. Your first ever 360 Olympics Champions
The 8 events were:
1. Burpee Challenge (endurance)
Burpees!
2. Body Balance Challenge (Balance, Flexibility and Stability)
Ouch. But impressive
3. Dead lift Challenge (Strength and Power)
Partner Deadlifts
4. Kettle bell Pentathlon (arguably the toughest one, take a pick between endurance, strength, power, speed, work capacity. These guys and girls were wild)
The Kettle bell Pentathlon. Not for the faint of heart.
5. Jungle gym Challenge (strength and endurance)
The Jungle Gym Challenge. Looks easy, it’s not.
6. Battle Ropes Challenge (endurance and speed)
Battle Ropes Challenge. Bad ass.
7. Body Jam Challenge (Flexibility and Coordination)
Body Jam Challenge. Dance!
8. Circuit Challenge (again, take your pick)
Circuit. The mother of all challenges.
I hope everyone had as much fun as we coaches did. Watch out for the second 360 Olympics which will have more events, more prizes and maybe even more branches 
Your 360 family loves you!
Review: Pear Stride Sports Earphones
I love music. And it’s no secret how music has been shown to improve your workout performance whether it be on a run,in the weight room or even on the bike. Music has a psychosomatic effect that gets your movements in sync and also increases workout capacity albeit momentarily. But beyond the science, it’s just a lot better to workout to a tune.
My problem though has always been finding the right pair of earphones. For some reasons, the ipod’s and iphone’s stock earphones are always to small for my ears. In-ear phones however leave my ears feeling sticky and headphones should just be a no-no in sports. I’ve found some good ones along the way and this may be one of them.
Pear earphones are new in the market and this one boasts of having the same material used by the special forces. So my hopes were high when i tried it for my run and my bike ride.
Suffice is to say that it did not disappoint. I was able to run my 5k without ever having to adjust the earbuds and was even able to bike for 30 mins around the village without it falling off. The Earlock retention system makes sure that you don’t have to worry about your earphones anymore, which what should be the most important feature of any sports equipment anyway.
It also comes with in-line controls that will help you adjust the volume, play, pause, stop and even answer calls easily. This is crucial when you are out on your run and using your iphone for tunes. Sound quality almost always relies on the hardware of your player of choice but so far, it gives me clear voices and ample bass which helps in building a rhythm through your workouts.
The only downside I see is that the earpieces rotate easily and although it hasn’t happened to me yet, there is a possibility for the earphones and the earlock system to disengage from each other.
Pear also has a training app that you can download but it needs a seperate attachement that will measure your heart rate among other things. It’s very promising but we’ll have to wait until it’s available in the Philippines for me to try it.
All in all, I was very happy with this piece of gear, and retailing at 2,250php, it’s really a steal for those looking for a good and reliable pair of earphones.
Thanks to Make Believe and Beyond the Box for my pair Get yours from Beyond the Box and Digital Hub, Digital Walker, and Astrovision stores around the metro!
Avoiding the Holy Week Hangover
The Holy Week is upon us and for those of us who are on route to the province or to the beach, it’s a perfect time to recharge, regenerate and get ready for the summer. However, long breaks like these are times when we slack off and just let loose. There are parties, buffets and just general slacking off and come Monday, we find it so hard to start the workweek.
I know this, I’ve felt this, and I’ve found that you can do a few things that can help lessen the effect of the Holy Week Hangover. Here are some of them:
1. Drink lots of water
You know how much I love H20 and I love it more in road trips. Sure there’s the small hassle that you will be stopping more along the way for restroom breaks but that’s also good to break the monotony of driving. Like the WHO said, every hour of sitting must be followed by a 5-10 minute walking break. But back to the water. Long road trips vacations in general might put you in a situation where you will be without water. Maybe it’s a hike in Banaue, a trip to Cambodia or even just a walking tour around Manila, make sure you bring a jug of water with you and get around 3 or more liters of water per day. With this heat, you will need it.
2. Keep Moving
I know most of us will have a much-needed reunion with sleep this break, and that’s ok, it’s just what you do during your waking hours that will make a difference come Monday. Your body is used to movement. Shutting it down all of a sudden will wreck its rhythm and you will most likely feel more sluggish at the end of the break. I’m not saying that you should workout but a light jog or even a walk around the neighborhood will be a good break from all the resting. Nothing to strenuous of course (although you can still workout if you wanted to, I know I will) but just enough to keep the body mobile which is what it’s supposed to be.
3. Eat like it’s a regular day
Don’t let the excuse of holy week tempt you to eat as much as you want. Remember, your body doesn’t care what date it is, so it doesn’t mater if you’re on vacation or not, eating crap will still make you feel like crap (even if it tastes so good sometimes). Sure, you can squeeze in an extra cheat meal, or even a cheat day during this time but try not to go overboard with the feasting. I guess one good thing about lent is that most people give up food as their sacrifice but just try to not over-indulge in the food that you’re allowed to eat. In connection with this, another tips is..
pic from proboards.com
4. Skip the hotel “brunch”
A common practice that I see when I go on out of town trips (and something that I do also from time to time) is to go crazy on the free hotel breakfast buffet and treat it as a lunch. Sure, it’s a great way to save money but the tendency with having brunch is to overeat. Add that with what we usually see in breakfast buffets (fried food, lots of sweets, lots of carbs), and that’s not a very good equation. Better to still have a separate breakfast and lunch. Having that mindset will prevent you from eating too much of the bad stuff.
pic from Denver Sioson
5. Set an activity goal
An easy way to make sure that you keep mobile during the break is to set an activity goal for your vacation. It can be as simple as cleaning the house if you’re on a staycation, or as challenging as climbing Mt. Pulag. Whatever it is, it should be something that will get you moving and active.
Again, even if the next 3 to 4 days are meant to be a break, these tips will at least make sure that it’s a productive break.
Playgym Active Kids Program
This one’s for us parents (god I love saying that). My friend and basketball teammate for many years, Victor Dalisay just came up with a different summer program for kids, one that I think is missing when we look at your regular summer camps. This one doesn’t box a kid in to a specific sport (which still has its merits but can be limiting to a developing child), it gives the child the freedom to learn basic human movement control in a controlled environment.
Now that may sound like a contradicting statement but that is what we need as parents. We want our child to be able to learn how to move efficiently through space and be able to manipulate objects freely, without putting our child at risk. Playgym gives you that.
It incorporates a concept called Playwork, a procedure which originated from London where children learn through free play. This allows the child to learn in their own pace and time.
Of course I have to mention that this is also a great way for the child to participate in active play which for us adults simply means exercise. It’s never too early to start your kid on exercise.
The program follows a similar flow to a workout session. I won’t go too much into detail but you will expect your child to go through the proper progression needed to exercise. This means a proper warm up, workout proper and cool down, all done in a child friendly way.
Playgym will be coming to you this summer in the Celebrity Sports Club in Quezon city, and Colegio de San Agustin (CSA) in makati. For more info on schedules and rates, follow this link:
The 2013 Crossfit Insurrecto Open
Though I may not be the biggest fan of Crossfit, I still believe that when it’s done right, it can be great for you. And when it comes to crossfit, the Insurrectos are the ones to turn to here in Manila.
They’re having their first Crossfit Insurrecto Open which is happening already on March 9 at 5PM at their box in Quezon City. The details on pricing are on the poster so go check it out. If you’re a crossfiter or if you wanna test your fitness level, this should be a good event to do so. For more on my experience with the guys from Insurrecto, visit this post.
Got an Iphone 5? Join this Free Lifestyle Training with me at 360 Fitness Club Makati
SPONSORED POST
So you got your new Iphone5, from Globe of course, they are in fact the leaders in post paid and there’s no sense in getting a prepaid Iphone. But are you maximizing that gorgeous device that your holding right now? Chances are you aren’t, so here’s your chance to learn from me, the numerous ways you can use your iPhone to improve your health and fitness and even keep track of what you eat.
It’s called the Globe Lifestyle Training sessions and the best part about it is that it’s free! You just have to go to this site: http://trainings.globe-refresh.com/ Sign up for the free training sessions that you want, and then just show up!
I’m having mine on March 7 in 360 Fitness Club Makati at 2pm. You can come earlier and check out the gym if you haven’t seen it yet
Hope to see everyone there!
The Men’s Health Weekend Challenge
Men’s Health Philippines is cooking up something new. The Men’s Health Weekend Challenge is designed to challenge you and see where you stack up compared to your fitness coaches and everyone who wants to try it out.
I designed their first challenge, this one working on your core. Try it out and post your scores on their facebook wall to see where you stack up compared to everyone else
Let’s go!
Telomeres and LSD Cardio Training
If you’re still in the LSD (and before you say I’m a druggie, that means Long Slow Distance) training bandwagon and you go for weekly long runs for fitness, then here’s another reason why you should start thinking of other ways to exercise. Take note, if you’re an endurance athlete, this also affects you but since that’s your chosen discipline, it’ll just be an “occupational hazard”.
Let me make it clear, the running community has done wonders for improving the health and well-being of our nation, and we should all be very appreciative of that. Fact of the matter is, getting up to run, is still a lot better than sitting on the couch playing video games. I’m just merely going to state some facts based on the latest research.
Fact 1: Telomeres contribute to the health of your cells.
Telomeres are stretches of DNA found at the ends of our chromosomes. What they do can be compared to the ends of a shoelace which keep it from unravelling and basically getting damaged. Telemores do that to our chromosomes. That’s an important job. See the yellow spots at the ends of the blue chromosomes below? Those are your telomeres.
Fact 2: Telomeres shorten as we get older.
Getting older means that our cells have split and multiplied to facilitate growth. Telomeres help maintain cell integrity whenever they divide, however, they get shorter with each division. The shortening of telomeres has been linked with advanced aging and even some deseases like cancer.
Fact 3: Now is where some people might get mad. Studies suggest that Race Training similar to long distance running may contribute to Telomere shortening.
Studies have shown that Telomere length can be maintained and even improved with vigorous aerobic exercise.However, studies have also shown that repetitive exercise-induced fatigue, which are common in veteran athletes and long distance runners, have shorter telomere lengths. Then again, another study showed that veteran power-lifters, the kind who lift very very very heavy stuff, have shown shorter telomere lengths compared to healthy adults their age. Finally, a german study basically negates everything that I will say, and says that endurance trained athletes have longer telomeres than their untrained counterparts. Though the study didn’t take into consideration the supplemental exercises of these athletes.
So which is safer then? Long distance running? Power lifting? Is this question even going to make a difference to my health?
I believe that evidence from these studies can be confusing at times and it’s part of my job to make some sense of it all and report them to you guys. Here’s what I think:
If telomeres hold the key to anti-aging, which this guy surely believes, then we should remember one important rule when it comes to all things in life: moderation. I’ve always said that exercise shouldn’t be confined in the weight room, exercise should be part of your every day routine, meaning, there is more to life than just exercising. Again, unless you’re an athlete, then you’re doomed (kidding).
So if you’re spending hours on the road or the treadmill, a good alternative might be short but intense sprints. If you’re spending hours on the weight room trying to clean out the plate tree, maybe it’s time to try interval weight training or circuits. These alternatives will not only shed some time from your workouts, but they may actually be more effective in getting that youthful physique you’ve been dreaming of.
And who knows, maybe you’ll thank me on your 100th birthday.
Win free Speck iPhone5 cases from Beyond the Box!
*SPONSORED POST
So you got an Iphone5 but you’re like me and you’re on the move most of the time. The one thing that you can’t live without, are these slick shock-proof cases from Speck.
Not only do they look awesome, and can save you from heartbreak when you do drop your new Iphone5 (cause let’s face it, everyone drops their phone at least once right?), but now exclusively in this blog, YOU CAN GET THEM FOR FREE!
All you have to do is:
1. Follow me on twitter @chappycallanta
2. Follow @BeyondtheBoxPH also on twitter, they’re the ones to thank for these cases
3. Tweet,mentioning me and Beyond the box why you think the Speck cases are perfect for you and add the hashtag #LoveComesinPairs (that leaves you 91 characters to do it by the way. hehe)
4. I’ll pick 3 winners by 9PM tonight. Be creative guys!
Also, check out Beyond the Box’s promo running from Feb 8-17. Details are in the poster below.
