Severna Park Fitness & Health

Mixed Martial Arts Tragedy

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:55:00-0400

Sad news in the mixed martial arts world: Justin Levens and Sarah McLean-Levens, his wife, have been found shot to death. Authorities are investigating a possible murder-suicide but no conclusions have been reached. Levens, 28, competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has a 7-2 mixed martial arts record.

Just an awful tragedy. If these suspicions hold true, it is an unfortunate stain for mixed martial arts. The sport is inheriently violent which leads many to the conclusion that the participants are violent people. This is far from the truth but perceptions are tough to defeat.

MMA Quickness and Balance

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:18:00-0400

Anyone who has ever tried MMA knows that it is a very challenging sport, and any advantage is welcome. A lot of fighters have good upper body quickness because of their boxing or martial arts backgrounds; however their lower body quickness and balance are sub-par. This could be the difference between a win and a loss in a fight. Jamie Hale writes that it is very important to work on a fighter’s lower body quickness, and it is not that hard to drastically improve lower body quickness and agility. Hale reports that the factors that limit agility are lack of balance, quickness, hip mobility, coordination, and reactive strength. Don’t worry, these factors are fairly easy to correct with the right training. Doing cone drills along with the agility ladder will help improve quickness and agility faster than any other technique. Some other exercises that will help are tumbling drills, non-equipped wide range drills (back petal, side shuffle, carioca,) different jump rope drills, and bag or barrier drills (jumping over or around bags or barriers,). The agility ladder and cone drills will be the most important because they focus on the fast twitch muscles along with the brain. Eventually your brain will be trained along with your muscles and require less time to calculate what to do; this will also help with body balance. Basically your reaction time and balance will improve dramatically. You may also want to take a yoga or pilates class to improve on your balance and strengthen your core. So, if you are training to be a MMA fighter take lower body quickness and balance very seriously.

Get Ready to Run

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:05:00-0400

Springs is here and if you are looking for a great spring activity, try running! Going for a run is a great way to be outside and receive a great work out. On those rainy days, you can bring your running inside and hit a treadmill. To some people this might not sound too appealing; however there are many benefits to running.

The number one reason to run is for over all health. Running is a great way to strengthen the heart and ensures more oxygen to pass through the body. Running is a great way to decrease the risk of heart disease, and also a great way to lose weight. Running burns a lot of calories and if you burn more than you take in, then you will lose weight. Running is also a great way to meet new people.   Some runners enjoy the quiet and solitude of running on their own, but other runners see running time as social opportunities. Finding a running buddy or running with a group is a great way to develop a sense of community.

Running is a great way to expand your horizons and break away from the daily grind. The sport gives people the opportunity to explore areas of their own community or new locations, experience new physical sensations and run places they may not normally see. If you’re feeling fatigued often, give running a try.   When you're feeling sluggish or tired, running is a great way to boost your energy. Runners who run in the morning report that they have improved energy levels throughout the day.

Most of all, running will help you feel better about yourself. You are finding a way to challenge yourself every time that you go for a run. It is important to set goals, no matter how small they seem. Once you have master running around the block, or running a mile at the track or on a treadmill, sign up for a 5K (3.1 miles) and make a race your goal! There are endless opportunities to continue to challenge yourself when it comes to running…a longer race, a faster time, a lower heart rate at the completion of the run, etc.   It is important to know that you have to start somewhere. Go ahead and give running a try, your body will thank you later.

The Benefits of the Acai Berry

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:29:00-0400

You may have heard about the wonders of the Acai Berry on Oprah from Dr. Oz, or the numerous commercials touting it to be the prime ingredient of the latest and greatest weight loss pill. But do you really know anything about the Acai Berry? Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of the acai berry...

The acai berry is a grape-sized berry that grows in the Amazon Rainforest in South America and has been part of the diet of Brazilians for hundreds of years. The much desired acai fruit is only 10% of the actual berry. The other 90% is made up of the seed or pit. The acai berry is harvested by the thousands and put through a process that separates the pulp from the seed to produce a thick, edible puree. Acai is usually not eaten as a fresh fruit because of its extremely bitter taste.

Benefits of the Acai Berry:

Amino Acids: Helps build muscle in the body
Antioxidants: It has been said that it contains more polyphenols and other antioxidants than blueberries and pomegranates which makes it more useful for fighting cancer
Antiseptic: It has been used by rainforest tribes to clean wounds and now is popular with athletes to eat regularly in order to recover faster from injuries
Blood Sugar: Said to help regulate blood sugar which is particularly useful for those suffering from diabetes
Fight Aging: It has been said that the acai berry helps in holding off the aging process.
Energy: Provides energy from carbohydrates
Immune system: Supports a healthy immune system
Omega Oils: Contains more omega oils than any other known fruit, which helps lower blood pressure and regulate heart rate
Weight Loss: The omega oils kick start the metabolism to aide in weight loss. The berry also contains a lot of fiber which aides in digestion as well as suppressing appetite

Is it really the wonder food it’s said to be?

Although the acai berry has been proven to aide in the weight loss process as well as the other above mentioned benefits, make sure you carefully read the label of any supplement you are considering taking as it may contain other ingredients that are not as beneficial. Try to find a 100% natural acai berry puree or powder with no other ingredients to add to your own food such as smoothes.

Throwing a Faster Jab

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:04:00-0400

There are a lot of different ways to improve your explosion and quickness, but the best way to do so would have to be the use of plyo-metrics. Plyo-metrics vigorously train your fast twitch muscles, which in return leads to improved quickness and explosiveness. These exercises can help you run faster, jump higher, throw a faster jab and just become more powerful. There are upper-body and lower-body plyo-metrics, so you can train total body, or be specific with which part you want to train. You have to make sure you stretch well when doing plyos because there’s a risk of straining muscles. You have to do plyos at a fast speed to improve the fast twitch muscles. Here are some examples of plyo-metrics broken down by upper and lower body...

Examples of Upper-body Plyos:

Clap pushups- do a regular pushup but at the peak explode your hands off the ground and clap, then catch yourself and keep going for a set.
Line Pushups- Find a line or pretend there is a line splitting your hands in push up position. Then throw your body from side to side having the opposite hand touch the line each time.
Medicine Ball Clap Pushups- Start in push up position with a medicine ball between your hands. Explode into a clap push up, but land on the medicine ball. Once you land on the medicine ball, do a close-grip push up on the medicine ball, then drop hands back on the floor to regular push up position and repeat on the opposite side of your body for your number of repetitions.

Examples of Lower-body Plyos:

Bench Jumps- Simply stand next to a bench and jump onto it as fast as you can. You can change it up by facing the front, back, or the side of the bench to work different twitch muscles. Also, if you become advanced you can rotate your body in the air, or go side to side to work on agility and balance, as well as improving fast twitch muscles.
Speed Skater- First, start with legs shoulder width apart, jump and explode out to the right as far as you can and land on your right foot. Try to quickly make the weight transition and explode as far as you can to the left to complete the exercise. Do this for your desired number of repetitions.
Knee Tucks- Start out standing with feet shoulder width apart. Hold your arms straight out with your palms facing the floor. Jump as high as you can and at the summit of your jump snap your knees to your palms as quickly as you can. Do this for your desired number of repetitions.

New Hampshire Health Club Claims to Be the Cleanest

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:02:00-0400

I like the sales pitch from the owner of Center Street Fitness in New Hampshire: "If I can say anything about this gym, it's going to be hands down the cleanest gym you'll ever walk into," Gerard Boniello, owner of Center Street Fitness in Townsend, said.

I don't know if it is true but I like the way Mr. Boniello thinks. Clean health clubs bring people in and sell memberships through the one marketing method that is time proven: member referrals.

Diet Tip of the Day

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:31:00-0400

Antioxidant Awareness: Antioxidants fight the harmful free radicals in our body. Free radicals in high amounts have been known to cause disease and premature aging. Unfortunately, free radicals are unavoidable; they exist in the pollution in the air, our foods, and what we drink. By consuming foods rich in antioxidants are bodies are able to combat the dangerous free radicals and the symptoms they cause. The foods highest in antioxidants include dark chocolate, green tea, berries, and green leafy vegetables. However, most all fruits and vegetables contain some amount of antioxidants in them. A good rule of thumb is to avoid processed foods especially those which contain saturated fat (which can cause free radicals) and eat foods that come from a plant not a package.

Places to Look for Motivation and Fun Today

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:39:00-0400

Some help from around the web to get you pumped up on this Monday...

*Enter in Your Workout for the Day Enter to Win a Free Camera at Page Sherman's Website

*Take the Absolo Two Week Challenge if you are looking for a new source of motivation

*Fiona Fit gives some good tips on how to stop emotional eating

Most of these tips I got on Twitter. To follow me on Twitter, click here. Great source of fitness information!

Boxing Class Update

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:44:00-0400

Today, Janauray 19, 2009, we will start our winter schedule for our boxing and group exercise classes! Back by popular demand...Pilates! Pilates is now featured on Thursday evening at 6 o'clock. We also made some changes to the format of our boxing classes.

Boxing for Fitness is a fantastic class for beginners who want to train like a boxer without any contact. This class will focus more on the weight loss and toning benefits of boxing using the heavy bags, speed bags, medicine balls and more!

Boxing 101 will follow Boxing for Fitness and this is also a great class for beginners. In Boxing 101, the focus will be more on proper technique and is ideal for those thinking of getting in the ring competitively. In this class, both offensive and defensive moves will be taught and sparring may take place.

Keep your New Year's resolutions in mind, and come check out one of our new classes!

Spices Add a Pinch of Health Benefits

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:40:00-0400

Do you love spicy foods? If so, you may be getting more than just flavor from your favorite spices! It turns out that a pinch of this and a dash of that not only adds flavor in foods, but also adds tons of health benefits. We all now know that dark colored fruits like blueberries and pomegranates are high in antioxidants (cancer fighting agents), but some spices rank really high on the list as well. Let’s take a look at some posular spices and their health benefits:

One teaspoon of cinnamon has the disease-fighting antioxidant power of a full cup of pomegranate juice or a half-cup of blueberries. The specific kind of antioxidant compounds found in cinnamon called polyphenols have been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels and fight inflammation that can increase risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Other studies suggest that some seasonings such as cayenne pepper, chili powder and paprika may help curb hunger pangs and boost the metabolism, making it a bit easier to stick to a weight-control diet.

Ginger has long been used as a natural remedy to sooth stomach upset. Now research focusing on one of its active ingredients called gingerol suggests it may work like anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

Oregano has the highest antioxidant levels of the dried herbs because of its rosmarinic acid content. Used heavily in Mediterranean cuisines, oregano has antimicrobial powers that can help fight bacterial growth and may help inhibit the bacteria associated with ulcers.

Yellow curry powder is a blend of turmeric and other spices. Curcumin, the bright yellow pigment in turmeric, helps fight heart disease and may boost brain health.

Keep this healthy, helpful hints in mind the next time you are in the kitchen...no need to be conservative with the spices...go ahead and hand a pinch of the chili powder and dash of ginger to any dish!

Let's Get 2009!

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:25:00-0400

Dear Member,

Make 2009 your year to SHINE!!! If you are interested in improving your health and overall wellness this year, we’ve got the programs for you! We’ve made some exciting changes and additions to our class schedule and now offer a better group exercise and boxing program for you! Our new classes are a great way to have fun as you work towards meeting your health and fitness goals!

After listening to you and receiving your feedback, we’ve made some changes to our boxing class formats. Check out the new class descriptions and times below:

- Boxing for Kids will be held Monday thru Thursday at 5:30pm to 6:15pm. It’s a super fun classes designed to teach discipline and boxing fundamentals, as well as building confidence and self-esteem. The class is open to boys and girls ages 8 to 14 and takes place in the boxing area. We extended the time from 30 minutes to 45 minutes and have added new drills to this fast-paced class for kids!

-Boxing for Fitness will follow at 6:15pm, will be an hour long and will be offered Monday thru Thursday as well. This phenomenal conditioning class will cover the basic fundamentals of boxing while building endurance, coordination, stamina and speed. This high energy cardio/ resistance workout is a great introduction to the world of boxing and conditioning and will focus on the fitness side of boxing to tone your entire body.

-Boxing 101 is up next at 7:15pm Monday thru Thursday. Boxing 101will have more of an emphasis on boxing techniques; both offensive and defensive tactics will be taught. Both beginners and advanced students would benefit from this class. Boxing 101will help you to increase your speed, agility and strength. This class may contain sparring.

-KO Fitness will begin this Saturday at 10 a.m. and will be led by veteran coach, Al Daniels. KO Fitness is a 90 minute class that will not only incorporate the use of our boxing equipment, but will also use the cardio and strength equipment on the workout floor. If you are committed to reaching your goals, you don’t want to miss this all around conditioning class. This class is ideal for everyone from the beginner to the advanced and promises to be a lot of fun!

Pilates is back to our group fitness program with a new instructor, day and time! Pilates focuses on the toning of your “core” or midsection including your abdominals and lower back. Pilates also increases stamina and flexibility. The class also works the lower and upper body, giving you a very well-rounded toning workout. It will be held every Thursday night at 6pm in the group fitness studio and is taught by a new Club One instructor, Christine. If you are looking for a great toning workout that is guaranteed to flatten your tummy, Pilates is just the class for you!

Check out a new class today! If you have any questions on any of the new classes or formats, please give me a call (410) 729-3900. I hope to see you all in the club soon on your way to reaching your health and fitness goals in 2009!

Harbor Nautilus Faces Charges

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:27:00-0400

In the health club business, one bad apple can really hurt the reputation of Maryland health clubs. The Maryland attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division said it filed charges against Harbor Nautilus in Westminster for violating Maryland’s Heath Club law. The charges claim that Harbor Nautilus not only failed to renew its heath club registration with the state of Maryland and continued to sell health club memberships to Maryland consumers, it also charged its own members unauthorized fees. For anyone that has a little fear of someone taking out there money by EFT, this has to be disconcerting. The division seeks an order requiring Harbor Nautilus to stop selling heath club memberships services in Maryland unless they have complied with state's registration and bonding requirements and to return payments improperly collected.

Very depressing news for Maryland health clubs in 2009. Setting aside the worst, essentially stealing money, how do you fail to register your club? You just fill out a few forms.

This is the part where it is worth remembering these are just allegations, nothing has been proven. But right now, that does not make the news any less depressing.

Women's Mixed Martial Arts

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:01:00-0400

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White (Dana is a man for those of you who don't know) has opened his mind to women's MMA in the UFC thanks to EliteXC star Gina Carano.

"Gina Carano is a star, and I think she's talented," White told reporters recently. "I think she has all the tools, so what I'm willing to do is bring Gina into the WEC. We could do fights whenever there's a challenge for Gina. That's how I'll test the waters and see how it goes."

New doors are opening up everywhere for mixed martial arts and those doors are increasingly reading "co-ed."

Club One Member to be Voted Boxing Prospect of the Year?

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:21:00-0400

Have you checked out the latest poll on the Boxing Along the Beltway website? If so, you probably noticed a familiar name, Tony “Mo Better” Jeter. Jeter is in the running to be named Prospect of the Year in the Baltimore-Washington area, but he needs your vote to win! So, go to http://boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com/ and vote for one of our Club One Fitness members to be voted as Prospect of the Year!

Vitamin A scores an A+

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:33:00-0400

Vitamin A scores an A⁺ when it comes to your health. The benefits from this essential vitamin are endless, it aides in night vision (which we all need :-), bone and tooth development, and maintaining skin tissue. There are two ways to get this vitamin. One is in pill form the other is through foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, greens, kale, eggs and broccoli just to name a few. Vitamin A also plays a big factor in fighting off signs of aging. Many cosmetic lines are including it in their products to promote healthier skin.