Playtime
My Turn with Kevin Kearns

Now that the summer is here, it is a perfect time to get outside and play for exercise.  That's right I said it, PLAY!  Who wants to be indoors, running on the treadmill or lifting weights in the gym when it's 75 degrees and sunny outside? 
Before exercise equipment came out, for thousands of years, people were using bodyweight exercises to stay in shape. Some of the best bodyweight exercises were born out of yoga and martial arts. 
As someone who just got hooked on yoga about one year ago, it has made a world of difference to me.  I regularly go twice per week and yoga is a perfect addition to my other workouts. The best part about yoga is that you can use your own bodyweight and perform the poses almost anywhere and anytime.
In the summer when I run my outdoor boot camps and work with my clients, I scout out parks in the area. This environment allows me to get very creative.  With swings, jungle gyms, and stairs around, there are loads of challenging and fun options. 
In the summer anything can be turned into a workout, from walking the dog to laying mulch down.  Just give it some playful thought.
email Kevin at Kevin@BurnwithKearns.com

Good Old Fashioned Pull-Ups

Exercise of the Month

In keeping with the theme of outside workouts, pull-ups can be done just about anywhere - especially at a playground. They are great for preventing shoulder injuries and are very functional. Thus, it's no wonder why the military and many top MMA athletes include pull-ups on a regular basis in their training.  The really fun part is that they can be performed in a bunch of challenging and different ways.

1. If you can not handle your own bodyweight, place a chair behind you to put your feet on. This will reduce the weight load.

2. To avoid shoulder injury, never have your hands wider than shoulder width.

3. Vary your grips often to increase different muscles activated

Below is Daniel Gracie working pull-ups. We always push 3 times as much back work as front work of the body.

Children and Fruit

Recipe of the Month

I have a sneaky way of adding more fruit to my children's diets without beating them over the head with a fruit basket.  When they want something sweet after they finish their dinner, I usually say, "okay, how about a Dada Banana split?"  Of course they say "yes," so I cut up a banana, add a little hot fudge with toasted wheat germ on it. Other times, I will use frozen blueberries or raspberries with a little whip cream.

Burn with Kearns Core Conditioning Certification Weekend

Our first Burn with Kearns MMA Core Conditioning Certification was a huge success. People from all over the country attended and the feedback was extremely positive.

Friday evening, we kicked the weekend course off with a lecture followed by a group dinner. 
Saturday morning focused on the client evaluation process, strength training exercises for MMA, and core conditioning protocols. After lunch we took advantage of the beautiful and refreshing Cape Cod weather, and covered my "Explosive Power Series."  It still amazes me how much productive work can done with a bunch of Bosus, medicine balls, and agility ladders.  We ended the day with a group dinner and roundtable discussion.

Sunday featured the group working the "Gas in the Tank" protocols, which lead us into MMA partner drills.  This opened a lot of people's eyes to what athletes need and how everyone can benefit from these exercises. We went through rebounding exercises led by my good friend Joanne, from Beyond Fitness. We also had an interactive session where I demonstrated Burn with Kearns' training techniques on a professional MMA fighter.

Our next Burn with Kearns Core Conditioning Certification weekend will be held on November 13 - 15, 2009. Registration has started. Space will be limited to 25 people.

Special thanks to Steve Whittier and Tom Lynch of Nexus Marital Arts for hosting the Core Conditioning Certification weekend.

Motivational Thought

"When life gets tough, just breath, you always have your breath" Rolf Gates

Your breath is one of the most important areas in exercise  and is often neglected. You always have it no matter how you feel. Just breathe.