Fitness Equipment

For most workout programs like P90X, Chalean Extreme, Power 90, or just going to a gym, you use equipment while working out. Workout equipment can add variety to your workouts and help challenge yourself. However, you do not need any workout equipment to have a great workout. Workout programs like Insanity just require your own body weight for you to see results. Insanity is able to do this because of MAX Interval Training, which involves pushing yourself as hard as you can, which will break down muscle, and when it heals you become stronger and will eventually see visible results! All the jumping, speed work, and push up variations in Insanity help sculpt your body without any fitness equipment! Also, running does not require any fitness equipment. So I don't want to hear that you can't get in shape because you can not afford any equipment, a gym, or workout programs. You can always run, do push ups, and your own ab routine, and boom! You can get into great shape! If you have any questions on developing a workout routine (such as running workouts, ab workouts, and body weight strength training) you can contact me at rushing@austin.rr.com

However, workout equipment is great to add to your fitness regimen. I use workout equipment all the time, but it is not something that you have to have. Here is a list of the equipment that I have and use in my workouts:

1) Dumbbells - I have a set from 3-55 pounds. I got these for a great deal on craigslist! Try to get equipment that is used and cheaper than if bought new, just make sure it is in good condition. I also recommend PowerBlocks or Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells, which are a great deal compared to buying a whole rack of dumbbells and safe a lot of space. They also can go up in 2.5 pound increments which is a great feature.

2) Yoga Mat - This is a thing that everyone should have! I use mine for yoga, stretching, and ab workouts. They can also be great for absorbing the impact on your knees while jumping during workouts like Insanity or P90X Plyometrics.

3) Push Up Stands - These are not necessary for doing push ups, but they can really aid in building strength. Push up stands give you a bigger range of motion and stretch on your chest, which can lead to better muscle growth and strength. They also reduce the strain on your wrists, because your wrists are kept strait and not bended like when doing push ups on your hands. I have both the Perfect Push Up and Tony Horton's PowerStands. These are both great, but also different. With the perfect push ups you can also rotate your wrists while doing a push up, which provides the chest with a different tension and it can feel more natural as well. Tony Horton's PowerStands, have a huge range of motion which a really like, and they have really comfortable grips.

4) Body Fat Tester - This is more of a progress tracking tool than equipment. With this tool you can track your weight and body fat lose. You measure you skin fold above your hip, and then look on the chart to see your body fat percentage. It is easy to use and decently accurate. However, if you want to get a very accurate body fat measurement, you should visit your local gym.

5) Heart Rate Monitor - I use this during all of my workouts! You really only need this during cardio workouts so you can monitor your heart rate. However I use it every workout because I like to see how many calories a burn. Basic heart rate monitors just tell you your heart rate, but nicer ones also keep track of your calories burned and the percentage you worked out from your maximum heart rate. You don't have to have this, but if you want to push yourself hard or keep your heart rate safe during cardios, this will do it.

6 ) Ankle Weights - I have a pair of 5 pound ankle weights. You can use this during ab routines to add more of a challenge or add variety by doing lower reps. Also you could even use these in a leg workout or wear them while doing pull ups to add more resistance.

7) Weight Vest - I have a 20 pound adjustable weight vest. I only suggest this if you consider yourself advance. This is great to add more resistance, challenge, and variety to your strength workouts. You can use this for push ups, pull ups, and leg workouts. If you can easily do 50 push ups, 15 pull ups, or are finding that Legs and Back is becoming easier, you might want to consider using a weight vest. This will challenge your muscles and keep the results coming. It also can add a different rep range in your workouts, so instead of doing 30 push ups or 15 pull ups, you will be doing 15 push ups and 8 pull ups.

8) Resistance Bands - These are a great substitute for dumbbells. These are quite cheap and still give you a great workout. They also provide a different type of resistance than dumbbells, so you can add variety and muscle confusion. Resistance bands can also be taking on trips so you can still get your strength workouts in.

9) Jump Rope - This is a great way to get your cardio workouts in. Jumping rope requires good coordination and balance. You can also get a great calf and leg workout in from jumping rope.

10) Stability Ball - I love using this in my workouts. This can really challenge your muscles and balance. You can use this for push ups and ab workouts. You will find it is much harder to do push ups on a stability ball than on the floor because you muscles also have to balance and support your body.

11) Pull Up Bar - I use the P90X Pull Up bar and I love it! It is easy to use and can fit in most doorways. It provides 7 different pull up variations to add variety and challenge to your back workouts.

12) Power Tower - I really enjoy using this piece of equipment. This is definitely an accessory though, but it is great to have! Mine has a pull up bar which has a very very wide gripe, push up stands, a dip station (works and chest and triceps) and a leg raise station for ab workouts.

13) Weight Bench - This is great to have for weight lifting workouts. I often do my own chest workouts using this, and Tony Horton uses one in several of his One on One workouts. Shaun T also uses on in the Insanity Upper Body Weight Training. Mine has a decline position, which you can use for chest exercises, or even do crunches. There is also a flat and incline position, and then a straight 90 degree position.

14) Chair - This can be a great piece of workout equipment, and everyone already has this at their house! You can use this for decline push ups, chair dips, and it is used in P90X for several back, shoulder, and tricep exercises.

15) Medicine Balls - Unfortunately I do not have any of these, but this can be great to add resistance to your workouts. You can use one in an ab routine or a cardio routine. You can even use them as a kind of push up stand to add more range.

There are still many more different kinds of workout equipment that you can use, but these are some of the basic and that I recommend. There are still all of those machines at gyms, which can be good for variety, but they are not as necessary. Just remember that all you really need is your body to get into great shape.

You can also view my fitness equipment video: Part 1 and Part 2

Foods to eat for Intense Exercise for Maximum Athletic Performance

With any intense exercise program or sports, such as P90X, Insanity, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Running, Swimming, Circuit Training, Weightlifting, or HIIT, it is important to eat the right food to fuel your body. Without the right food, you will not be able to perform at your highest level, causing you not to achieve the results you want as quickly or causing you to loose your game due to a lack of energy. If you are an athlete like myself, it is very important to eat the right foods through out the day, before your sports event/exercise, and afterwards. When I am in track and cross country season, I really have to make sure I am eating enough, especially since I would do P90X as well. During this time I require about 3500 calories a day. However, I can not just go and eat what ever I want. I have to fuel myself correctly so I can recover and come back stronger and prepared for the next workout. This aspect is the same for anyone. You may not be doing two intense workouts a day and do not need a ton of calories, but the calories you do eat need to be nutritious to fuel you body. Each food you eat has a specific purpose, whether for hydrating, muscle repair and growth, preventing muscle cramping, or to replace nutrients lost while exercising. Empty calories such as soda, alcohol, and junk food have not purpose hear, so they should be avoided. Also, you can not be on a "diet" while doing very intense exercise. This can cause your body to go into starvation mode, and you will not make any gains and can become sick. It is also important to eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. You can not be on a high protein, low carb diet during this time. You would run out of energy and you muscles would not recover quick enough. It is also very important to drink plenty of water. This keeps your body functioning properly and regulated. I suggest drinking at least 12 cups of water a day. Here are some healthy foods to maximize your athletic performance.

1) Eggs - Muscle Building, Immunity, Vision
One egg provides more than 6 grams of protein and 78 calories. They contain A and B vitamins to enhance immunity, nerve response, and vision. I personally eat 2 eggs almost every morning with my breakfast. Healthy ways to cook eggs include boiling, microwaving, and cooking in a pan with cooking spray.

2) Waffles/Pancakes - Cardio Fuel
Waffles are great breakfast choice if you are going to be running in the morning, since eggs can turn stomachs. They provide carbs for quick energy, and make a nice "plate" for fruit. You can top waffles with fruit and nuts, to sneak in important vitamins and more protein. Also make sure you use whole wheat flour and avoid syrup.

3) Fruit - Hydration
Fruit is one of the most important components of one's diet because it helps you stay hydrated in the heat, while providing a great source of carbohydrates, potassium, fiber, and no fat. Smoothies are a great way to get your fruit intake. This is how I personally have most of my fruit. A great smoothie can include a banana, frozen fruit, skim milk or natural fruit juice, and whey protein powder. This can make a great meal!

4) Milk – Strong Bones, Muscle Contraction
Milk is good for the obvious reason of building strong bones through calcium, milk also assists in muscle contraction through high magnesium and potassium content, which can control nerve function and prevent muscle cramping. That means less twitching at night when you are trying to fall asleep after a hard day of training/exercise. You can use milk in smoothies and oatmeal, which adds more texture than if you just used water.

5) Chicken Breast – Lean Muscle, Energy, MemoryIf you want to gain lean muscle mass, eat lean muscle mass. Grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, is one of the easiest elements of any meal. One serving (about 3 oz.) is only 142 calories, yet it provides close to 27 g of protein, and only 3 grams of fat. It helps athletes retain muscle mass and is a good source of B vitamins, which provide energy and aid in memory, which is important for players needing to memorize the playbook.

6) Fish - Anti-inflammation, Muscle Repair, Immune Function
Swordfish, tuna, salmon, and halibut are same of the best and well know fish. Omega-3fatty acids in fish can help your body recover faster from the wear and tear of strenuous exercise. Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids help muscles repair faster and improve immune function. Never eat fried fish, always grill, bake, or broil.

7) Vegetables – Hydration, Muscle Repair
Like fruit, vegetables are a staple food group for replacing water lost through sweat. Plant sterols also aid in muscle repair. Yo can eat them by flavoring them using low-fat marinades like balsamic vinaigrette, or olive oil with garlic and onion. Broiling, roasting, or grilling are the easiest ways to cook vegetables to retain the flavor.

8) Pasta and Rice – Energy, Speed Recovery
Whole-grain pasta and rice play a huge part in team diets because they're easy to prepare for large groups and they provide excellent sources of carbohydrates to give energy for exercise and speed recovery afterward. Stir-frys are one of the easiest and tastiest ways to eat whole-grain products, vegetables, and protein sources in one dish.

9) Sports Drinks/Water – Hydration, Prevent Muscle Cramping
Athletes often drink Gatorade on the field. Staying hydrated is a key issue for all teams, especially with heat. Athletes lose pounds of body weight through sweat, and sports drinks replace lost sodium and electrolytes, which are crucial to avoid muscle cramping. Personally, I would recommend to avoid Gatorade, unless you are on a sports team such as football or soccer, then Gatorade could be beneficial. I recommend sticking to water, and after your intense exercise session you should refuel with the P90X Results and Recovery Drink. It is also important to know your sweat rate. Before exercise, weigh yourself. Afterward, get back on the scale, and determine how much water was lost by the difference between your before and after weights. In one hour, an athlete can lose up to two liters of sweat. Hydrate by drinking 1-to-1.5 times the weight lost in fluid ounces.

10) Sodium-Rich Foods – Retain Water, Prevent Muscle Cramping
If you're working out and losing a lot of fluids, it's a good idea to include more sodium-rich foods to help you retain water and avoid muscle cramping. Pickles, salted nuts, and pretzels are all great sodium-rich foods, as well as soup. Broth-based soups hydrate you through the liquid base and added vegetables.

Keep in mind, not everyone should be consuming sodium-rich foods, sports drinks, or have a high carb diet. These recommendations are only for you if you are involved in intense daily exercise or team sports. But remember, the most important thing is that you do workout and are committed to a better you. Even it is just a beginner program like Power 90, Turbo Jam, Slim in 6, Hip Hop Abs, or just even starting to run or jog around your neighborhood. Your results come from 20% workouts and 80% diet, so make sure your diet is tuned to meet your needs and goals. By doing so you will achieve fast results and stay motivated! If you are truly ready to change your life and get into the best shape of your life, then you need to be willing to commit yourself to the diet as well as the workouts.

Have a fantastic 2010!

The Begging of My Fitness

Hello fitness fanatics! I am Rush Hemphill and I want to help you get in the best shape of your life! Let me tell you how I came to be involved in fitness and being healthy. I am currently 16 years old and a sophomore in high school. I have played sports my whole life and have been pretty active. I played soccer and basketball in elementary school and baseball up to middle school, as well as football in 8th grade. I have done Villari's Shalin Kenpo Karate since 5th grade and I am currently and 2nd Degree Brown Belt. Baseball has always been my favorite team sport, but once I started track in 7th grade my eyes were opened! However let me tell you even though I played sports, I was not in the best shape, and always had that mind set that I want to be as fast as some of my friends and have a six pack. I always thought to myself I will get fit tomorrow, or I will stop eating ice cream next week, but it never happened. I loved sweets! Before I started track, in P.E. we had to run the mile, and I ran 8:30 and even had to stop running for a few seconds! I felt ashamed of myself and out of shape, especially since all my good friends who played soccer were running close to 6 minute miles. That year I decided I wanted to run track, since all my friends were as well and I was hoping to get into better shape. Let me tell you, running track that year was the hardest thing I have ever done! I remember the first week a could barley walk my legs were so sore! Over the season though I saw great changes in my endurance and speed, and my body was having some good transformations. I weighed 110 pounds that year, but my weight had stayed the same throughout track, meaning I lost a lot of body fat and put on some leg muscle-sweetness. I also now had some ab definition, which was great! By the end of that year I could run a 7 minute mile and my 400m time went from 1:14 to 1:08. After track was over I was pretty disappointed, but I started working out with Power 90, which my parents had gotten a few years back. Sadly though, I started becoming too obsessed with eating and wanting to get super learn, and started starving myself and not eating enough. During that summer from not eating enough and going on sleep away camps to riding my bike a lot in my neighborhood, I went from a good looking 110 pounds to 92 pounds, yuck. I looked frail and stick like. It took me about until December after football was over to realize that I needed to change my habits. I was growing and depriving myself of the nutrition I needed. I continued to eat healthy but started eating more. I also started doing a 30 minute push up and dip routine 6 days a week. When I started I could do 40 push ups, and after 4 months of this I could do 150 strait push ups! I also had gotten back up to 110 pounds and I am guessing I was around 5% body fat, but still looked skinny because I had grown over 2 inches since last year. I also attended a conditioning class at karate 3 days a week, and right now I was in the best shape of my life, and I would continue to grow from there. Soon track started again, and I was determined to get really fast this year. By the end of the season I could run a 6:10 mile and 1:03 400m. However I had lost chest strength and could only do 60 push ups by then since track too the place of my push up routine.

After track, I started P90 again for about a month, and then I joined my high school's strength and conditioning camp for the summer. I added some good strength that summer. High school was about to start, and then one of my friends told me about the cross country team, and I totally wanted to do that! Practice was though at 6 in the morning, but I got used to it. Unfortunately I had marching band right after cross country practice (which I hated), and that prevented me from getting a good meal after running. After the season was over a could run a 19:12 5k (down from 21:00) and a 5:52 mile! I did though loose a lot of muscle, and weighed around 114 pounds. After cross country, I wanted to start P90 again, but I was curious and went to beachbody.com. I came across P90X, and was thinking, "where has this been all my life!" I got my dad to do P90X with my, and he needed it, weighing at 227 pounds. We began on December 1, 2008. I was sore all over the first few weeks, but I could see results coming. I still was not eating enough as I should, but after 1 round I weighed 116, and but dad had gone done to 205, and he looked a lot better. My pull ups went from 6 to 12, and I could do 50 push ups. We moved on to round 2, and track season also began for me. I would do P90X at 5:30 in the morning, then have track at 4:30. I ran the mile a 800m, and I figured I should not be running the 400m since I am an endurance athlete and not so much of a sprinter. This period was hardest I have ever pushed myself. It was not as hard as my first year of track, but doing two workouts a day would wear me out. One of our workouts would be repeat 400m, and I had never done anything like this before. I believe this is one of the hardest workouts on the face of the earth. We would run 10 repeat 400m, with only a minute break in between, and I would do these around 1:15 minutes. After this workout your legs feel like jelly and your heart and lungs are spent. At district I came in 2nd place for JV mile running 5:28! I also ran a 2:22 800m. I also was could do 14 pull ups now thanks to P90X! Over this past summer I really focused on getting stronger during my 3rd round of P90X. I was eating well and getting good rest (thank goodness for no school!). I also began pre-season for cross country having practice 3 days a week in July, and then 5 days a week in August, and 4 days plus a meet each week when school started. Since cross country was in the morning, I would make time for P90X after school, and a did not do and P90X cardios during this time, doing 3 days weights, one day of hour long ab workout, and one day of yoga. By now I weighed 125 pounds! I looked thicker and felt good about myself. However, this also affected by cross country season somewhat, because I never beat my time from last year, but I definitely was in better shape then last year, it's just harder running with 10+ pounds more on your body. I did though get to run varsity this year, which was awesome. Our team finished 3rd in district and I placed 17th. I am currently on my 4th round of P90X, doing 3 days weights, 3 days cardio, and one day yoga. I am continuing to get stronger, and can do 16 pull ups! I hope I have inspired you to change your life for the better and to take care of your body and push yourself to the limits!