Hope everyone is having a fab weekend and enjoyed their Valentine’s Day. It’s time for Sunday Sweat Talk!
First, thank you guys for the grip strength recommendations. I tried an alternating grip yesterday during my deadlifts, and it really helped! I feel much more confident now. Thank you!!
Let’s talk about…
The MMA Fighter Fit Certification
Last weekend I spent both Saturday and Sunday getting my MMA Fitness Certification through the Burn With Kearns training program. I was first introduced to this “real fighters’ workout for group fitness” concept at the Boston Mania fitness convention I attended in November. It was one of my favorite classes I took all weekend. I absolutely loved Coach Kearns’ energy levels, especially the way he made us yell and get into each move. Everyone left that session smiling and laughing, and it definitely had an impact on me as an instructor.
During one of our breaks at Mania, I stopped by Coach Kearns’ table at the Expo to chat, and I entered a raffle for a free certification. I actually won, so off I went to Beverly this past weekend to see what this MMA “fit without the hit” stuff was all about. Coach Kearns brought the same energy to the cert as he did to Mania back in November, so I definitely enjoyed it and found the two days worthwhile. The whole MMA Fighter Fit concept came about when Coach Kearns took his training programs that were originally developed for UFC fighters and adapted them for group fitness classes and personal training clients.
Here are some of the topics the training covered:
- How to conduct a personalized evaluation
- Warm-up techniques that really matter
- Flexibility in a multidimensional world
- Strength training protocols
- New approaches to achieve explosive power
- Putting and maintaining gas in the tank
- Partner drills that motivate, challenge, and burn
- Cooling down for injury prevention
- Developing training programs that optimize results
- Nutrition and weight loss management
- Adapting the principles of the Burn with Kearns MMA Training System to various populations
- Establishing the foundation of strength for improved performance
- Pushing your clients with stability & balance challenges, cardio circuits, core & strength training, and plyometric workouts utilizing rebounding
- Innovative ways to incorporate the bosu balance trainer
There were 12 of us present for the certification. I enjoyed the smaller group because we were all able try the different moves and equipment and get more personalized attention than we would have been able to with a larger group. I loved that we didn’t touch dumbbells, stability balls, or barbells the entire time. Instead, I learned so many new exercises using resistance bands, the bosu, medicine balls, and agility ladders.
We also got to play with some new to me equipment, including the Air Fit (wayyy better than the TRX!), JumpSport fitness trampolines, and the Surge.
Talk about humbling… you use the Surge training equipment by filling it with 25-30 pounds of water and doing overhead presses, abdominal work, etc. It’s WAY harder than it looks!
I definitely learned a lot during the weekend and appreciated how hands on and interactive the entire certification was. Now that I’ve completed levels 1 & 2, I’m debating whether to pursue level 3. Level 3 comes with a monthly cost, but that monthly cost gets you recognized as an affiliate trainer on the Burns With Kearns website, conference calls with the other master trainers, weekly workouts, and the opportunity to go out/travel and conduct these certification sessions yourself (paid). I’m still debating all of this. I can’t decide. What do you guys think?
Oh yeah, one other thing. I came home with some new fitness toys too: a bosu and a JumpSport. Oops. 🙂
All in all, it was a weekend totally up my alley, and I had a lot of fun.
Let’s talk about…
My weekly workout log
Last week’s workouts
Sunday
MMA Fighter Fit certification, day 2
Monday
30 minutes of spin, medicine ball ab circuit, 1000 meter row finisher
Tuesday
Took Liz’s Kickboxing class (no jumping), then taught my Valentine’s workout in my class (didn’t do much of it)
Wednesday
1000 meter row warm-up, followed by strength for chest, back, and abs
Thursday
Even though I taught my morning class, it was a rest day for me.
Friday
25 minutes of core work at home on the trampoline and bosu
Saturday
20 minutes on the spin bike, leg day, abs
This week’s workout plan
- Sunday: Elliptical + upper body strength
- Monday: Spin class + subbing for Cardio Ball at 10am (Oak Square)
- Tuesday: Rest! Aloisia is subbing my 7:30pm Interval class
- Wednesday: Subbing 6:30pm Lower Body Express and 7:15pm Interval Training (Oak Square)
- Thursday: Teaching my 6am class
- Friday: TBD or rest
- Saturday: Likely a leg day
Time to talk! Have you ever heard of Burn With Kearns or MMA Fighter Fit? Think I should pursue the Level 3 master trainer program? Have you ever used equipment like the AirFit, Surge, or Jump Sport? Any good moves you can share for the trampoline? How were your workouts last week? What’s on tap for fitness this week?
Hope your weekends wind down nicely. Enjoy the day off if you have it tomorrow!
Fitness & Feta 