"Engagement Rings"...for fitness?

Another great TT workout in the wraps…and another great workout week overall (well it won’t be officially over until tomorrow’s workout)…Really rested out yesterday (that routine was brutal) and last night’s sleep was GREEEEEAAT. That really brought a lot of energy for today’s early am workout. So I got up at 4 am, strapped on a nice hoodie sweat jacket and some sweat pants and just rocked it out in the garage which was about 55 degrees cold in there.

2 words: Beat up even more after today’s workout…

I will never underestimate the power of BW training…I love ‘em and will always incorporate some form of BW exercise in my training…whether for sport, conditioning or what have you.

Anyway, there’s a good fitness guy and great person to have met online whom I’ve been following on the internet. He has a new program out there (Chris Lopez from www.fitandbusydad.blogspot.com) and some of his exercise routines involves the use of a nice and effective use of an interesting type of fitness equipment that I myself had decided to invest in today and bought one online at www.elitefts.com. It’s quite a fitness contraption that has been getting a lot of fitness pub lately in it’s use over recent years. As a matter of fact, I remember just the other day - seeing a trainer and his girlfriend using a pair of blast straps at the top of a power rack station and was quite impressed with it’s uses and functions while watching them do pull ups and face pulls with it (the guy was pretty cut up..but his girlfriend was rocking with those pull ups!). And it’s ironic that a very good friend of mine expressed interest in investing in one as well and we both shared some common views about it (as we both like to involve BW exercises in our routines) so it turns out we both like the fact that it does use something we have both yet to try: Blast straps. Yep, the good Olympic Style ring type (well they look more like metal handles and not ring shaped actually) fitness device that does make a good alternative to what maybe certain BW exercises that can be done on a stability ball be even more challenging. And there’s literally tons of exercises that can be done on them! From suspended dips, curls, push ups, leg curls (which looks pretty cool), tricep extensions…you name it: you can do it on these bad boys…



Here’s a tidbit of what Blast Straps are and what they are used for from a pdf from elitefts.com
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What are Blast Straps?
The Blast Straps are the newest way to perform bodyweight exercises in a challenging
way. These movements are excellent as they allow athletes to move their bodies
against external resistance in a multi-dimensional environment. They also force athletes
to move their bodies against unstable forces. If you compare a barbell bench
press to a Blast Strap push up, you will notice that the athlete can use the bench, the
floor and the barbell to help stabilize the weight. With the Blast Strap push up, the body
is being moved instead of a barbell and thus the body has to stabilize itself during the
exercise. This incorporates many more muscles because of the stabilization effect.
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Nice…more muscle confusion! That's what it's all about for me. Make it interesting!

And one thing about the blast straps… because of the ease of it’s portability, I can take this anywhere and workout anytime…any place…park, home, gym, bedroom…even the workplace…and those were big factors for me to want to get one. That ultimately was the selling point for me to go and get me a pair. Can’t say the same for other equipment out there like the perfect pull up or iron gym as those are a bit too much of a hassle to carry around.

So yep, got one online and can’t wait to give it a go with it soon here.
It’s just another great piece of exercise equipment I can definitely take advantage of to make BW exercises even more challenging and interesting here on out.

Hey whadaya know: a new set of “engagement” rings for my workouts!!!! BLAST STRAPS here I come! =)