Get off the couch and start working out – Part 4
By Torbjorn Karlsen
The NBA Playoff Workout
Introduction
See the first article
in this mini-series for intentions and goals for these articles.
The NBA Playoff Strength and Stretching Workout
This is from the lighter side of training and a real “don’t sit
or lay on the couch workout while watching TV” for all you basketball
fans out there – do strength training or stretching instead! It’s
no joke – I’m dead serious about this workout during the NBA playoff season.
OK, you can smile but don’t laugh!
As a die hard Utah Jazz fan I have used it extensively for years to build strength
and flexibility (and to relieve frustration) – it really works. If you are not
a fan you won’t get the point. As Charles Barkley would have said –
“it’s a ghetto thing”.
How
Do your weight, strength or stretching workouts in front of the TV every time
your favorite team or teams play! As a novice use every time-out and interruption
for one quarter for your exercises. When you get some experience work
out for two quarters and when you get to “pro-level” go for the
whole game – half time included!
I reached pro-level several years ago when the Jazz reached the finals against
the Bulls and got to do this until June! I was doing Martial art those days
and could do more push-ups on my knuckles and sit-ups than anyone at my studio
when we did belt promotions – I could also finally do a full split – all
courtesy of the Jazz and the playoff workouts.
(This year it seems like the Kings will put an early end to my in front of the
TV workouts, but I’ll remain an optimist – it’s not over before
it’s over! Early in the season I bet “half the neighbor-hood”
that the Jazz would make the play-offs after they started the season with 2
(wins) and 9 (losses), and I won – you just got to believe!)
This workout style can of course be adapted to football and soccer as well.
Time-outs for football and “injured player on the ground” in soccer.
Getting started
Buy a sit-up mat at Wal-Mart and invest in a light weight Olympic bar and some
weights. A rubber cords, kitchen chair/bench and bar-bells will help add variety.
Exercises
There are dozes of exercises that can be done with these few training tools:
Press behind your neck, press in front of you chest, squats, triceps press,
curl, numerous types of sit-ups and push-ups – the list goes on.
Reps and loads
I prefer easy sit-up series with light, short contractions where I do 100 and
more per set. Alternate reps and loads from game to game. Choose for example
many reps and light weights in game one and heavier weights and few reps and
many series in game two. You can also use the first half for strength and the
second half for stretching.
Warning
Every visitor will think you are absolutely nuts, but you’ll look great
at the beach this summer!
Check www.torbjornsport.com
if you are looking for a personal coach to help you with training planning and
workouts.
John and myself have decades of racing, training and coaching experience. We
even studied sport and XC skiing in College (who else in the US can brag about
a College degree in XC Coaching)!
We’ll help you get fit, create and reach goals, ski faster and have more
fun. A great selection of rollerskis can be found on the same site.
