archive
Interval Training – Efficient & Effective For Amazing Results
Friday, May 24th, 2013
BATON ROUGE — Getting frustrated with your workout?
Many gym-goers complain that despite their steady workout regimen and strict diet, they don’t see the results they’re after. LA Boxing Baton Rouge’s Professional Trainer Stacey DeJohn said interval training can give you a fat-blasting workout in less time.
What is interval training? Interval training is a series of workout activities that often vary in low to high intensity, with little (or no) rest between activities. This type of training is known to be extremely efficient in burning fat because the high-intensity boosts metabolism. It also improves your body’s ability to work at various levels of intensity.
“When you combine basic movements all into one workout, you can get a lot more done in a short amount of time,” DeJohn said.
Of course, each workout is different depending on the person and their fitness goals. If someone is in need of losing lots of body fat, they might start out with just cardio, which could be walking. For individuals more in shape, interval training could spice up their workout routine and help overcome fitness plateaus.
The boxing and kickboxing classes at LA Boxing are a type of interval training in that you are doing cardio with bag work and strength training with medicine balls or body weight.
“It’s important to combine strength training and cardio to see positive results,” DeJohn said. “Shorten your workouts, making them more intense, with heavier weights, and quick rest periods. With a hectic schedule I, personally, don’t have much time to get my own workouts. So a thirty minute, intense session is all I need.”
DeJohn said many women are afraid of using heavier weights because they think they’ll bulk up, but that’s not the case.
“You’ll actually get smaller, tighter and more toned,” DeJohn said. “When you increase the weight, you’re increasing the intensity, and you’re getting a lot more out of your workout.”
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and Professional Trainer, Andrew Sall, echoed DeJohn’s words, “Not only does interval training improve performance in a competitive environment but it’s one of the most efficient means of losing weight and toning up.”
Along with his instruction in the arts of submission wrestling, Sall can often be found teaching boxing and kickboxing conditioning classes for those seeking goals of weight loss.
“Interval training is the sort of workout I design for my bag classes at LA Boxing. The goal is to exert maximum physical output over brief periods with ‘active’ rest in between,” explained Sall. “We accelerate the heart rate, fatigue the muscles, and try to recover as quickly as possible between sets.”
Both Sall and DeJohn are firm believers that incorporating weights into your interval training can produce amazing results. Their clients are living proof.
To learn more about getting started with Stacey DeJohn or Andrew Sall at LA Boxing, contact a sales and customer service team member at 225-341-3105 (Acadian/Perkins) or 225-291-5269 (Sherwood/Coursey).
Dustin Johnson Shows Skill And Heart In Road To Glory
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
Check out LA Boxing’s Dustin Johnson at the 1:00 mark.
BATON ROUGE – LA Boxing Baton Rouge’s very own, Dustin Johnson, recently returned from Milwaukee after competing in the nation’s most elite 8-man Muay Thai tournament, Road To Glory.
After suffering a broken foot in the second round against the very experienced and dangerous Muay Thai expert, Muhsin Corbbrey, Johnson battled through the pain but came up short on a decision loss. Showing much heart and skill between the ropes, Johnson can walk (or almost walk) proud of his performance.
The eight-man tournament awarded $20,000 and a multi-year contract with the premier kickboxing organization, Glory. The tournament included Cyrus Washington of Saginaw, MI; Shidokan Karate, boxing and Muay Thai expert Muhsin Corbbrey (pictured) of Tulsa, OK; Muay Thai champion Michael Mananquil of San Bruno, CA; battle-tested striking sensation Jose Palacios of Fremont, CA; rising star Jameel Massouh of Milwaukee; kickboxing star and police officer Dustin Johnson of Baton Rouge, LA; national and North American Muay Thai champion Ben Yelle of Marquette, MI; and six-time kickboxing and Muay Thai champion Troy Sheridan of Stouffville, Ontario, Canada.
GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world’s premier Kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe featuring one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments and 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes events with traditional, single bouts.
With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world’s largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world’s most widely distributed sporting organizations.
Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the US. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.
In 2013, GLORY launched the Road To GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new Kickboxing talent in the United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.
Don’t Weigh Heavily on Your Scale
Thursday, May 16th, 2013
BATON ROUGE—Find yourself obsessing over the scale on a regular basis? Stop! When you’re focused on exercising and eating healthy to lose weight or even tone up, many gym-goers rely entirely too much on the scale readings. Instead, judge progress through other means of measurement.
LA Boxing Baton Rouge’s personal trainer, Stacey DeJohn, said the numbers on the scale can often deceive someone who is trying to track their progress.
“I tell a lot of members to draw their focus away from the scale because it can be misleading, to a degree,” DeJohn said. “People either forget or don’t realize the differences in density between muscle and fat. A pound of fat has a much larger volume than a pound of muscle”
According to William D. McArdle of “Exercise Physiology”, 1 liter of muscle weighs 2.3 lbs while 1 liter of fat weighs 1.98 lbs. Of course this may vary due to numerous factors including race, being extremely lean, or being extremely obese.
DeJohn said people often use the scale as a tool for motivation. They may see one or two pounds slide off and it gives that person some reassurance that they are getting closer to their fitness goals. However, tipping the scale into the heavier direction does not necessarily mean you’re losing the battle.
“I often see clients increase in body weight and get discouraged. Yet, tracking their workouts in terms of reps, pace, and intensity, these numbers tell a much different story. Their energy levels are higher, their cardio threshold is increased, and they have much more strength,” explained DeJohn.
Checking your weight every morning and every night often leads to a motivational bust. “In the morning your body is dehydrated and nutrition deprived. Of course you’re going to weigh less in the earlier hours than mid-day after you’ve replenished yourself with fluids and food.”
Instead of driving yourself crazy over the fluctuating numbers of the scale, find simple alternatives to determine whether or not your fitness program is leading you down the right path.
“It’s more about what you see in the mirror and how your clothes fit than what the scale says. The numbers are not always 100 percent accurate in explaining the changes your body could be going through. You may not be happy with the scale but pleasantly surprised by the change in your waistline,” DeJohn said.
It’s important to take measurements of key areas, such as the waist, thighs, shoulders, and chest. These numbers provide an actual record and history of your progress. She also suggests taking a picture of yourself before you start your workout regimen, and then again at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks, and compare the pictures to see the change in your body.
“Since you look at yourself every day and you’re around the same people all the time, it might be harder to actually see the change,” she said. “But once you put the before and after pics side by side, it’s a whole different world.”
To discover more or get started on a fitness regime of your own, contact LA Boxing Baton Rouge at 225-291-5269 (Sherwood/Coursey) or 225-341-3105 (Perkins/Acadian).
Further reading:
Dustin Johnson Hits the Road to Glory
Monday, May 6th, 2013
BATON ROUGE—LA Boxing’s Muai Thai Specialist Dustin Johnson recently signed a contract enlisting him in one of the biggest opportunities of his life. On Saturday, May 11, Johnson will join seven other fighters from North America, in the Road to Glory tournament in Milwaukee, WI.
The tournament, starting with eight fighters, determines what single fighter will walk away with a prize of $20,000 and a contract to fight in Glory. Glory is the world’s premier stand-up fight league, featuring the very best kickboxers from around the globe.
“All of the guys in the Road to Glory tournament are world class fighters,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be hard, but I don’t care. That’s always been my mentality.”
As part of Johnson’s training for the tournament, he traveled to Amsterdam to train at Mejiro Gym, home to well-known fighters including Peter Aerts and Rob Kaman.
“Rob Kaman is the whole reason I got into kickboxing,” Johnson said. “Pretty much almost every single great kickboxer has come from Mejiro.”
Johnson was anxious to train at Mejiro because of its history and prominence in the fighting world, but he also wanted to put in the best training in preparation for the Road to Glory.
“The thing about Mejiro, it’s the most unassuming gym you’ve ever seen,” he said. “I can only describe the training as extremely spartan. You walk in, and when training starts, the door to the training room shuts, and once that door shuts, it’s balls to the wall.”
Training for the Road to Glory is different than training for a standard one-man fight.
“I could be fighting any one of these guys and each one has his own unique style, so I have to be prepared for anything,” Johnson said. “My stamina training is top priority because fighting three times in one night is ruthless.”
Johnson, along with the seven other fighters in the tournament, will be put into a drawing during weigh-ins the night before the competition. After weigh-ins, each person will find out who their first opponent is. The winner of the competition will have to win all three fights, each consisting of three three-minute rounds, under standard kickboxing rules.
“I could be facing a guy who is a great boxer in one fight and then a guy who is great with his knees the next, so I have to be ready for anything,” Johnson said.
Since his return from Amsterdam, Johnson has applied the techniques he learned at Mejiro to amp up his two-a-day training sessions.
“It’s the mentality that they take to training, even while you’re shadow boxing, you’re focused to do damage,” Johnson said. “It’s the mindset, when training starts, training starts, and you’re training to knock someone’s head off.”
While it is an honor to be asked to compete in the Road to Glory, Johnson is well-aware of the challenges that face him.
“The biggest challenge is the fighters themselves,” he said. “The best fighters are there and that’s the toughest challenge, but in my opinion, if you’re not actively seeking out the best opposition you can face, then you’re not a fighter, you’re just a pretender. I’m more likely the underdog in this, I know the odds are against me but if there’s a way to win this I’m going to find it.”
For Johnson, the Road to Glory is the test of his kickboxing career.
“I’ve always wanted to fight the best guys and be on the biggest stage,” he said. “If your goal is not to be a world champion or to be the absolute best you can be, you shouldn’t be doing it. I’ve always wanted to be competing on the world stage and this is my chance. It’s do or die.”
5 Ways to Rate Your Workout
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
BATON ROUGE—At LA Boxing, we promise to deliver an intense workout. However, it’s only intense if you give it your all, so how can you tell just how much your body is working? The Huffington Post’s blog on healthy living offers “5 Ways You Can Tell You’re Having a Good Workout.”
1. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE): Use a chart of 0-10 to rate the feelings cause by your exertion. For example, sitting on the couch would get a 0, as more exertion gets you closer to 10. At the same time, be realistic. Most people might think they are exerting at an 8, when it’s really a 5.
2. Actual Heart Rate: You could use a heart rate monitor, which will report your heart rate, calories burned, and if you’re working out within your target heart rate zone. To figure out your maximum heart rate, try one of these methods.
—The age-based calculation: 220 (men) or 226 (women) minus age. This is an average statistical prediction of your maximum heart rate and is better for beginners.
—Record highest heart rate: Workout at your maximum effort and record your heart rate. It’s best to do this while participating in a sport or an exercise you do often.
—Clinical stress testing: This is the most accurate and recommended for those over the age of 40, overweight, sedentary, or have a family history of heart disease. A professional will determine your maximum heart rate.
Once you know your maximum heart rate, you can determine how hard you’re working during a workout. Are you working at 60 percent of your maximum or at 100 percent?
3. Quality over quantity: The intensity of activity should dictate the amount of time you spend working out. The goal is to workout harder in a shorter amount of time.
4. Muscle fatigue: Your muscles reach maximum effort once they can no longer contract. You want to reach maximum effort, but don’t push too hard, to the point of dizziness.
5. Increased hunger: An increase in hunger immediately after or during a workout is normal with heightened energy expenditure. Eat your required calories, especially within the first 30 minutes after your workout.
Further reading—Shape magazine: Maximum Heart Rate Calculation (photo source)
Reboot Your Diet
Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
BATON ROUGE—Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle isn’t easy, so when you find yourself hitting a rut, use these tips from The Globe and Mail to reboot your diet and get back on a healthy track.
1. Hydrate in the morning. Being dehydrated causes us to crave more sugar, reduces energy levels, and increase cholesterol and blood pressure. Start your day with a glass of water and work your way up to a liter each day before crabbing your morning cup of joe.
2. Lose a box. Identify the least healthy meal in your diet—perhaps it’s a frozen box of nothing good—and eliminate it from your routine. Substitute that meal for something better for your body.
3. Sit down and relax. Eating too quickly leads to overeating. Next time you sit down to a meal, put down your fork after each bite, chew and swallow before picking it back up again.
4. Eat tapas style. When going out to eat, or even at home, get into the habit of sharing your food to avoid overeating.
5. Taste the rainbow. Try to eat one food the represents every color of the rainbow each day, such as black or blueberries, tomatoes or watermelon, squash or carrots, kale or broccoli, and potatoes or cauliflower.
6. Drink a smoothie. Make your own well-rounded smoothie to help muscles recover, give you energy, or help you get a good night’s rest.
7. Go antique shopping. Replace modern dishes with antique ones, which are smaller than today’s large crockery sets. eating from a smaller plate will help you with portion control.
Further reading from Fitbie: Reset Your Diet
The Office Workout
Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
BATON ROUGE—The average person spends at least 8 hours of their day at the office, but health experts say even a short amount of exercise (or movement) can improve your well-being.
According to an article in The Star, “Ten Ways to Work Out at Work,” there are easy ways to get moving during the 9-5 hours.
1. Check your screen. Avoid bad posture by making sure your computer screen is at a position that won’t put strain on your head and neck.
2. Take the stairs. Skip the elevator and take the stairs at least twice a day, skip a few steps while you’re at it.
3. Change your commute. Ride your bike to work or park in the spot furthest away from the office.
4. Combat computer slouch. Strengthen your rhomboid muscles (the ones that squeeze your shoulder blades together) by stretching your arms straight out from your sides and up, squeezing the shoulder blades.
5. Move. Take a walk around your office or step outside for as long as 15 minutes for each hour of work. The short breaks are good for your body and will even keep your mind energized throughout the day.
6. Shadow box. Throw a few air punches or walk briskly around your office to get the blood flowing.
7. Core workout. Work your core while sitting in your office chair. Tighten and release the stomach muscles, tightening for 10-20 seconds, resting for 30, and repeating.
8. Leg workout. While sitting in your office chair, raise one leg as high as possible, hold for two seconds, and release. Switch legs. Repeat on each leg 15 times.
9. Break time. Every time you take a bathroom or a coffee break, commit to doing a set of squats or pushups.
10. Change up the desk. Invest in a standing desk or swap your office chair for a yoga ball.
Further reading:
Discovery Health: 10 Office Exercises You Can Do Secretly
Washington Post: 12 Office Exercises
Photo source: How to Work Out Secretly at the Office
Workout Like An Animal
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
BATON ROUGE—Like humans, animals need regular exercise to stay healthy. While some animals can stay fit by regular play and life in the wild, other animals need special care and even custom workout routines from their trainers.
The Oregon Zoo is home to Eddie the otter, who is considered geriatric at 16 years old, and needs a special workout for his arthritic elbows. His trainer taught him how to play basketball to keep his joints moving.
Mother Nature Network put together an article compiling other animals getting their workouts in, including a walrus doing pushups and crunches, a cheetah race, and lions playing rugby, among others.
See all of the animal workouts here.
Have an animal of your own? Incorporate your dog into a workout you both can enjoy, like jogging on a new trail, or even playing frisbee or fetch can get your heart rates up.
Check out more tips on getting your animal involved in your workouts here.
Why Eggs Are Okay
Tuesday, March 26th, 2013
BATON ROUGE—Easter is right around the corner—will the Easter bunny be leaving you a basket full of colorful eggs? Eggs have bounced around in the news lately, with questions raised about just how healthy they are. So should you eat them or not? Here’s some facts to help you decide:
—While eggs have been considered unhealthy because of cholesterol, they do not adversely affect cholesterol levels in the blood. One large egg contains 212mg of cholesterol, and raise HDL (the good) cholesterol.
—Eggs are rich in antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthine which protect against eye disease.
—Eggs are full of high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, good fats, and trace nutrients.
—One large egg is 77 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein with all 9 essential amino acids.
—An eggs is rich in iron, phosphorous, selenium, and vitamins A, B12, B2, and B5.
—Because eggs make you feel full, they have been proven to help people eat less and lose weight.
So, before you cut eggs out of your diet altogether, consider all of the good things they can offer. Of course, everything should be enjoyed in moderation.
Source: Authority Nutrition
Photo Source: The Kitchn
Thomas G Webb Set For River Center Event
Tuesday, March 19th, 2013
BATON ROUGE—LA Boxing’s very own, Thomas G. Webb, enters the cage Friday May 3, 2013 on the USA-MMA Stacked 3 card against Baton Rouge’s Calvin Miller at the Baton Rouge River Center. The first bell is set to ring at 8 PM.
“My opponent is Calvin Miller,” Webb said. “We used to train together at Gladiators. He’s a good guy; personally, I have no problem with him. We’ve talked a few times about this fight.We both know it’s going to be an exciting fight.”
While Webb (5-0-0) is better known for groundwork and Miller (6-3-0) is known for stand up, their skill level combined with the local rivalry is what makes this fight one to look forward to.
With a laundry list of local standouts in his training camp at LA Boxing, including JC Pennington, Dustin Johnson, Michael Guidry, George Frangie, Josh Mancuso, and Doug Fournet, Thomas is confident his team and his training regimen will end in success.
“We are the best,” he said. “We have the best trainers here. We have the best in all aspects and we are a team, we train together.”
Although locals are looking forward to seeing a matchup between the former training partners, Webb said he is training for this fight like it is any other.
“It’s easy for me to separate things like that,” Webb said. “I’ve never, in my life, had a problem punching one of my friends in the face. I express myself physically, so I’ve never had a problem fighting friends. I know that in MMA, this is a business, and this is what I do for my business. i don’t have to be mad at him to fight him.”
Webb, a member of the armed forces since 2001, has been involved with combat sports since the age of 5. Premiering in venues such as USAMMA and Gladiator Promotions, Thomas has risen through the local ranks and quickly catching the attention of national promotions. He’s also captured titles in Grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournaments including The Houston Open, Louisiana State Tournament, and Gladiator’s Open.
Today, Webb assumes the Head Instructor role at LA Boxing’s Sherwood/Coursey location in Baton Rouge and coordinates conditioning workouts, personal training, and the mixed martial arts program. Thomas’ outgoing personality and love of the sport forms the perfect mix for entertaining, energetic, and challenging classes. His experience as a coach and competitor lends a deep understanding of what it takes to motivate others and assist them in reaching specific goals.
“The big thing about this fight is that it’s the two biggest gyms in Baton Rouge, which are pretty close together already, with a lot of past behind us,” Webb said. “I feel I have a lot to prove. Everybody wants to see who is the best. I feel I’m going to win and I’m pretty sure he feels the same way.”
To see Thomas in action, pick up your tickets to USA-MMA’s Stacked 3 by visiting www.usa-mma.org.
