#premium – Tiger Athletic

Pre-emptive Assessment & Training

25 Sep 201828 Sep 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Healthy Habits, own your body, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning

Pre – emptive training (alternately preventive medicine, preventative healthcare/medicine, or prophylaxis) consists of measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Just as health comprises a variety of physical and mental states, so do disease and disability, which are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices. Health, disease, and disability are dynamic processes which begin before individuals realize they are affected.
Annually, millions of people die of preventable deaths. About half of all deaths are due to preventable behaviours and exposures. Leading causes included cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and certain infectious diseases. Millions die each year due to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
According to estimates made by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 55 million people died worldwide in 2011, two thirds of this group from non-communicable diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and chronic cardiovascular and lung diseases. This is an increase from the year 2000, during which 60% of deaths were attributed to these diseases.
Pre – emptive fitness assessment and training are especially important given the worldwide rise in prevalence of chronic diseases and deaths from these diseases, thus screening and risk assessment is the spine that supports all Tiger Athletic personal training programs.
There are many methods for prevention of disease. It is recommended that adults and children aim to visit their doctor for regular check-ups, even if they feel healthy, to perform disease screening, identify risk factors for disease, discuss tips for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, stay up to date with immunizations and boosters, and maintain a good relationship with a healthcare provider.
Some common disease screenings include checking for hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar, a risk factor for diabetes mellitus), hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol), screening for colon cancer, depression, HIV and other common types of sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhoea, mammography (to screen for breast cancer), colorectal cancer screening, a Pap test (to check for cervical cancer), and screening for osteoporosis. Genetic testing can also be performed to screen for mutations that cause genetic disorders or predisposition to certain diseases such as breast or ovarian cancer.

The Tiger Athletic scope of practice involves the responsibility of interviewing potential clients to gather pertinent information regarding their personal health, lifestyle and exercise readiness. This is a vital mechanism instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet the participants individual objectives.
We are a health and fitness company whose modern approach is based on an individualised approach to assessments, motivation, education and coaching of clients for maximum health and aesthetic benefit. We use the client consultation and health appraisal process to design safe and effective exercise programs and provide you with the guidance to help you achieve your personal goals. Recognizing our area of expertise as strength and conditioning professionals we refer you to other health care professionals when appropriate.
The primary principle underlying the client consultation and health appraisal process is to screen participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation. Assessing a client’s health status and stratifying risk is our basis for exercise program design and referral to healthcare professionals.
Obesity and being overweight is a major risk factor for a wide variety of conditions including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. To prevent obesity, it is recommended that individuals adhere to a consistent exercise regimen as well as a nutritious and balanced diet.
A healthy individual should aim for acquiring 10% of their energy from proteins, 15-20% from fat, and over 50% from complex carbohydrates, while avoiding alcohol as well as foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Sedentary adults should aim for at least half an hour of moderate-level daily physical activity and eventually increase to include at least 20 minutes of intense exercise, three times a week.
Preventive assessments and fitness training offer the safest most effective avenue to mitigate or side step potentially catastrophic medical events. The medical system in South Africa is geared largely toward curing acute symptoms of disease after the fact that they ‘arrive’ in the emergency room rather than screening for symptoms and initiating preventative measures. An ongoing epidemic within South African culture is the prevalence of obesity. Eating healthier and routinely exercising plays a huge role in reducing an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, appointment only, strength & conditioning gym in Sandton, offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions. Our workouts are based on your health screening and goals. This initial process is instrumental in screening participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety and benefit during exercise testing and participation.
Three and a half million South Africans (about 6% of the population) suffer from diabetes and there are many more who are undiagnosed. It is estimated that another five million South Africans have pre-diabetes, a condition where insulin resistance causes blood glucose levels to be higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be type 2 diabetes.
The highest prevalence of diabetes is among the Indian population in South Africa (11-13%) as this group has a strong genetic predisposition for diabetes. This is followed by 8-10% in the coloured community, 5-8% among blacks and 4% among whites. 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is among the leading cause of kidney failure, limb amputation, and new-onset blindness in adults.
Tiger Athletic Personal Training offers benefits and results that dieting, and supplements alone just can’t give you. The exercise component of our programs boosts your metabolism and turns your body into a fat blasting furnace, while the benefits of our ‘smart nutrition’ go beyond weight management.
Good nutrition can help reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis. Our programs build muscle in the places you want and improves body shape to give you a firm, toned body, which when coupled with smart nutrition safely speeds up the weight loss and strength gain.

Our programs consist of strength & conditioning, healthy eating and portion control – eating the right food in the right quantities at the right times with a weekly weight loss target of half to one and a half kilograms. We keep track of your progress with monthly body fat percentage and girth measurements to show progress and motivate performance.
Tiger Athletic workout plans are based on your consultation and health appraisal, with a lot of variety and progressively harder sessions. Why? Not just to make you stronger and more fit, but to make sure you keep burning fat and toning muscle. When you do a workout repeatedly, it eventually gets easier, which means your body doesn’t have to work as hard and therefore burns fewer calories.

Our motto is “We train the hardest”, therefore each week the workouts evolve to a higher intensity, keeping your body interested and guessing by never doing the same workout twice.
Together changes everything. Let’s workout.

Tiger Athletic. An Introduction.

29 Jun 201816 Aug 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Healthy Habits, own your body, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Weight Loss

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning offers Personal Training Programs endowed with benefits and results that dieting and supplementation alone just can’t deliver, boosting metabolism, toning and sculpting your muscles, turning your body into a fat blasting furnace through hard work and dedication hand in hand with ‘smart nutrition’. We do not sell weight loss, we offer a pragmatic health first approach that screens, identifies and mitigates for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation.

We define our scope of practice in the personal training profession by characterizing our personal trainers as health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients regarding their health and fitness needs. We design safe and effective exercise programs and provide the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals. In addition, they respond appropriately in emergency situations. Recognizing their area of expertise, our personal trainers refer clients to other health care professionals when appropriate.

“We train the hardest”, we adhere to the highest standard of preparticipation health appraisal screening. The value of our initial client interview is the first step in the client consultation, to obtain and share essential information with the program delivery process. The ‘initial interview’, is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information intended outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatibility, discussing goals and discussing a client – trainer agreement.

The purpose of the preparticipation health appraisal process is to identify known diseases and positive risk factors associated with coronary artery disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.

The client consultation and health appraisal process is our competitive advantage and is directly in line with the scope of practice of the certified personal trainer, to assess, motivate, educate and refer when necessary. For us to develop custom programs of exercise that will safely and effectively meet your individual objectives, the personal trainer needs to gather pertinent information and documentation that will be used to assess health status, evaluate potential for risk, and refer for medical clearance when necessary.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is as appointment only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions in a modern, private facility in the heart of Sandton. Your preparticipation health screening and goals are the foundation and corner stone of the efficient, effective 50-minute workouts your personal trainer custom designs for you.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!’

Types Of Stretching

19 Jun 201819 Jun 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Dance Music, Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton offering tailor made, goal-oriented fitness programs. This is the third of three resources, a modest attempt to address some of the frequently asked questions about stretching and flexibility. Here we look at different types of stretching.

Just as there are different types of flexibility, there are also different types of stretching. Stretches are either dynamic (meaning they involve motion) or static (meaning they involve no motion). Dynamic stretches affect dynamic flexibility and static stretches affect static flexibility (and dynamic flexibility to some degree).

The different types of stretching are:

Ballistic stretching – Uses, the momentum of a moving body or a limb to force it beyond its normal range of motion. This is stretching, or “warming up”, by bouncing into (or out of) a stretched position, using the stretched muscles as a spring which pulls you out of the stretched position. (E.g. bouncing down repeatedly to touch your toes.) This type of stretching is not considered useful and can lead to injury. It does not allow your muscles to adjust to, and relax in, the stretched position. It may instead cause them to tighten up by repeatedly activating the stretch reflex.
Dynamic stretching – Moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you to the limits of your range of motion in a controlled fashion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or “jerky” movements. An example of dynamic stretching would be slow, controlled leg swings, arm swings, or torso twists.

Dynamic stretching improves dynamic flexibility and is quite useful as part of your warm-up for an active or aerobic workout (such as Karate, MMA, Football or Rugby).

Dynamic stretching exercises should be performed in sets of 8-12 repetitions:

Tired muscles are less elastic, which causes a decrease in the amplitude of your movements. Do only the number of repetitions that you can do without decreasing your range of motion. More repetitions will only set the nervous regulation of the muscles’ length at the level of these less than best repetitions and may cause you to lose some of your flexibility. What you repeat more times or with a greater effort will leave a deeper trace in your kinaesthetic memory. After reaching the maximal range of motion in a joint in any direction of movement, you should not do many more repetitions of this movement in a given workout. Even if you can maintain a maximal range of motion over many repetitions, you will set an unnecessarily solid memory of the range of these movements. You will then have to overcome these memories in order to make further progress.

Active stretching – Also referred to as, static-active stretching. An active stretch is one where you assume a position and then hold it there with no assistance other than using the strength of your agonist muscles for example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there without anything other than your leg muscles themselves to keep the leg in that extended position. The tension of the agonists in an active stretch helps to relax the muscles being stretched (the antagonists) by reciprocal inhibition.

Active stretching increases active flexibility and strengthens the agonistic muscles. Active stretches are usually quite difficult to hold and maintain for more than 10 seconds and rarely need to be held any longer than 15 seconds.

Many of the movements (or stretches) found in various forms of yoga are active stretches.

Passive (or relaxed) stretching – Referred to as relaxed stretching or static-passive stretching. A passive stretch is one where you assume a position and hold it with some other part of your body, or with the assistance of a partner or some other apparatus. For example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there with your hand. The splits are an example of a passive stretch in this case the floor is the “apparatus”.

Slow, relaxed stretching is useful in relieving spasms in muscles that are healing after an injury. Obviously, you should check with your doctor first to see if it is okay to attempt to stretch the injured muscles.

Relaxed stretching is also very good for “cooling down” after a workout and helps reduce post-workout muscle fatigue, and soreness.

Static stretching – Many people use the term “passive stretching” and “static stretching” interchangeably. However, there are several people who make a distinction between the two.

Static stretching involves holding a position. That is, you stretch to the farthest point and hold the stretch.

Passive stretching is a technique in which you are relaxed and make no contribution to the range of motion. Instead, an external force is created by an outside agent, either manually or mechanically.

Notice that the definition of passive stretching given in the previous section encompasses both above definitions. Throughout this document, when the term static stretching, or passive stretching is used, its intended meaning is the definition of passive stretching as described in the previous section. You should be aware of these alternative meanings, however, when looking at other references on stretching.

Isometric stretching – A type of static stretching which involves the resistance of muscle groups through isometric contractions (tensing) of the stretched muscles). The use of isometric stretching is one of the fastest ways to develop increased static-passive flexibility and is much more effective than either passive stretching or active stretching alone. Isometric stretches also help to develop strength in the “tensed” muscles (which helps to develop static-active flexibility) and seems to decrease the amount of pain usually associated with stretching.

The most common ways to provide the needed resistance for an isometric stretch are to apply resistance manually to one’s own limbs, to have a partner apply the resistance, or to use an apparatus such as a wall or the floor to provide resistance.

Isometric stretching is not recommended for children and adolescents whose bones are still growing. These people are usually already flexible enough that the strong stretches produced by the isometric contraction have a much higher risk of damaging tendons and connective tissue. Precede any isometric stretch of a muscle with dynamic strength training for the muscle to be stretched. A full session of isometric stretching makes a lot of demands on the muscles being stretched and should not be performed more than once per day for a given group of muscles, ideally, no more than once every 36 hours.

The proper way to perform an isometric stretch is as follows:

Assume the position of a passive stretch for the desired muscle.
Tense the stretched muscle for 7-15 seconds (resisting against some force that will not move, like the floor or a partner).
Finally, relax the muscle for at least 20 seconds.

Some people seem to recommend holding the isometric contraction for longer than 15 seconds; research has shown that this is not necessary. So, you might as well make your stretching routine less time consuming.

How Isometric Stretching Works

Recall, there is no such thing as a partially contracted muscle fibre: when a muscle is contracted, some of the fibres contract and some remain at rest (more fibres are recruited as the load on the muscle increases). Similarly, when a muscle is stretched, some of the fibres are elongated and some remain at rest. During an isometric contraction, some of the resting fibres are being pulled upon from both ends by the muscles that are contracting. The result is that some of those resting fibres stretch.

Normally, the fibres that stretch during an isometric contraction are not very significant. The true effectiveness of the isometric contraction occurs when a muscle that is already in a stretched position is subjected to an isometric contraction. In this case, some of the muscle fibres are already stretched before the contraction and if held long enough the initial passive stretch overcomes the stretch reflex and triggers the lengthening reaction inhibiting the stretched fibres from contracting.

At this point: When isometrically contracted, some of the resting fibres would contract, many of the resting fibres would stretch, and many of the already stretched fibres, which are being prevented from contracting by the inverse myotatic reflex [the lengthening reaction], would stretch even more. When the isometric contraction was relaxed, and the contracting fibres returned to their resting length, the stretched fibres would retain their ability to stretch beyond their normal limit. I.e. The whole muscle would be able to stretch beyond its initial maximum, and you would have increased flexibility.

The reason that the stretched fibres develop and retain the ability to stretch beyond their normal limit during an isometric stretch has to do with the muscle spindles: The signal which tells the muscle to contract voluntarily, also tells the muscle spindle’s (intrafusal) muscle fibres to shorten, increasing sensitivity of the stretch reflex. This mechanism normally maintains the sensitivity of the muscle spindle as the muscle shortens during contraction. This allows the muscle spindles to habituate to an even further-lengthened position.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) – PNF stretching is currently the fastest and most effective way known to increase static-passive flexibility. It is not really a type of stretching but is a technique of combining passive stretching and isometric stretching to achieve maximum static flexibility. The term PNF stretching is itself a misnomer. PNF was initially developed as a method of rehabilitating stroke victims. PNF refers to any of several post-isometric relaxation stretching techniques in which a muscle group is passively stretched, then contracts isometrically against resistance while in the stretched position, and then is passively stretched again through the resulting increased range of motion. PNF stretching usually employs the use of a partner to provide resistance against the isometric contraction and then later to passively take the joint through its increased range of motion. It may be performed, however, without a partner, although it is usually more effective with a partner’s assistance.

Most PNF stretching techniques employ isometric agonist contraction/relaxation where the stretched muscles are contracted isometrically and then relaxed. Some PNF techniques also employ isometric antagonist contraction where the antagonists of the stretched muscles are contracted. In all cases, it is important to note that the stretched muscle should be rested (and relaxed) for at least 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique. The most common PNF stretching techniques are:

The hold-relax – This technique is also called the contract-relax. After assuming an initial passive stretch, the muscle being stretched is isometrically contracted for 7-15 seconds, after which the muscle is briefly relaxed for 2-3 seconds, and then immediately subjected to a passive stretch which stretches the muscle even further than the initial passive stretch. This final passive stretch is held for 10-15 seconds. The muscle is then relaxed for 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique.
The hold-relax-contract – This technique is also called the contract-relax-contract, and the contract-relax-antagonist-contract (or CRAC). It involves performing two isometric contractions: first of the agonists, then, of the antagonists. The first part is like the hold-relax where, after assuming an initial passive stretch, the stretched muscle is isometrically contracted for 7-15 seconds. Then the muscle is relaxed while its antagonist immediately performs an isometric contraction that is held for 7-15 seconds. The muscles are then relaxed for 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique.
The hold-relax-swing – This technique (and a similar technique called the hold-relax-bounce) involves the use of dynamic or ballistic stretches in conjunction with static and isometric stretches. It is very risky and is successfully used only by the most advanced of athletes that have managed to achieve a high level of control over their muscle stretch reflex). It is like the hold-relax technique except that a dynamic or ballistic stretch is employed in place of the final passive stretch.

Notice that in the hold-relax-contract, there is no final passive stretch. It is replaced by the antagonist-contraction which, via reciprocal inhibition serves to relax and further stretch the muscle that was subjected to the initial passive stretch. Because there is no final passive stretch, this PNF technique is considered one of the safest PNF techniques to perform as it is less likely to result in torn muscle tissue. Some people like to make the technique even more intense by adding the final passive stretch after the second isometric contraction. Although this can result in greater flexibility gains, it also increases the likelihood of injury.

Even more risky are dynamic and ballistic PNF stretching techniques like the hold-relax-swing, and the hold-relax-bounce. If you are not a professional athlete, you probably have no business attempting either of these techniques as the probability of injury is great). Even professionals should not attempt these techniques without the guidance of a professional coach or training advisor. These two techniques have the greatest potential for rapid flexibility gains, but only when performed by people who have a sufficiently high level of control of the stretch reflex in the muscles that are being stretched.

Like isometric stretching PNF stretching is also not recommended for children and people whose bones are still growing (for the same reasons. Also, like isometric stretching, PNF stretching helps strengthen the muscles that are contracted and therefore is good for increasing active flexibility as well as passive flexibility. Furthermore, as with isometric stretching, PNF stretching is very strenuous and should be performed for a given muscle group no more than once per day (ideally, no more than once per 36-hour period).

The initial recommended procedure for PNF stretching is to perform the desired PNF technique 3-5 times for a given muscle group, resting 20 seconds between each repetition. However, a 1987 study whose results suggest that performing 3-5 repetitions of a PNF technique for a given muscle group is not necessarily any more effective than performing the technique only once. As a result, to decrease the amount of time taken up by your stretching routine, without decreasing its effectiveness), perform only one PNF technique per muscle group stretched in a given stretching session.

How PNF Stretching Works

During an isometric stretch, when the muscle performing the isometric contraction is relaxed, it retains its ability to stretch beyond its initial maximum length. PNF takes immediate advantage of this increased range of motion by immediately subjecting the contracted muscle to a passive stretch.

The isometric contraction of the stretched muscle accomplishes several things:

It helps to train the stretch receptors of the muscle spindle to immediately accommodate a greater muscle length.
The intense muscle contraction, and the fact that it is maintained for a period, serves to fatigue many of the fast-twitch fibres of the contracting muscles. This makes it harder for the fatigued muscle fibres to contract in resistance to a subsequent stretch.
The tension generated by the contraction activates the Golgi tendon which inhibits contraction of the muscle via the lengthening reaction. Voluntary contraction during a stretch increases tension on the muscle, activating the Golgi tendon organs more than the stretch alone. So, when the voluntary contraction is stopped, the muscle is even more inhibited from contracting against a subsequent stretch.

PNF stretching techniques take advantage of the sudden “vulnerability” of the muscle and its increased range of motion by using the period immediately following the isometric contraction to train the stretch receptors to get used to this new, increased, range of muscle length. This is what the final passive (or in some cases, dynamic) stretch accomplishes.

Benefits of Stretching

Stretching can do more than just increase flexibility. Benefits of stretching include:

Enhanced physical fitness.
Enhanced ability to learn and perform skilled movements.
Increased mental and physical relaxation.
Enhanced development of body awareness.
Reduced risk of injury to joints, muscles, and tendons.
Reduced muscular soreness.
Reduced muscular tension.
Increased suppleness due to stimulation of the production of chemicals which lubricate connective tissues.
Reduced severity of painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea) in females.

Unfortunately, even those who stretch do not always stretch properly and hence do not reap some or all these benefits. Some of the most common mistakes made when stretching:

improper warm-up
inadequate rest between workouts
overstretching
performing the wrong exercises
performing exercises in the wrong (or sub-optimal) sequence

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning uses personal training to assess, motivate, educate and train you in a private, modern appointment only strength and conditioning in the heart of Sandton. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your goals. Start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

Acknowledgement.

Sport Stretch, by Michael J. Alter.
Stretching Scientifically, by Tom
SynerStretch for Total Body Flexibility, from Health for Life.
The Health for Life Training Advisor, also from Health for Life.
Mobility Training for the Martial Arts, by Tony Gummerson.
Bradford D. Appleton.

Calisthenics. Core Exercises.

15 Jun 201818 Sep 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning

Calisthenics is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. This is the fourth resource in our series on calisthenics, designed so you can work out in the privacy of your home or on location when travelling and can’t attend your sessions with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer without the aid of equipment, a trainer or supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.

The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kálos (κάλλος), which means “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος), meaning “strength”. It is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of inertia to develop one’s physique. A longstanding urban legend has claimed that the exercise was named after one of its earliest promotors, the Greek historian Callisthenes.

Core exercises primarily involve dynamic and static contraction of the back and abdominal muscles, also aiding with improved balance and overall stability.

Crunch

Start in a supine position on the ground. The shoulders are curled towards the pelvis while the lower back remains flat against the floor. The focus is placed on contracting the abdominal muscles.

Variation

The Crunch It Up places the feet under a stationary object such as a low bed or couch. The arms are crossed over the stomach and the knees bent. Using the abdominal muscles, the torso is brought up just until the arms touch the thighs. The torso is then lowered to the starting position.
The V-Ups starts in a supine position with arms straight out on the ground and parallel to the body. The body is bent at the hips, the torso is raised off the ground and the legs brought to the chest with knees bent. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.
The Side-V starts on the ground, lying on one side of the body, with the arm closest to the ground stretched out perpendicular to the body. The other arm is bent, and the hand placed behind the head. The torso is raised and the legs, kept straight, are raised until the legs form a 90-degree angle with the torso. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.
The Jack-Knife starts on the ground, legs stretched out straight and the arms on the ground extended straight up over the head. The chest and legs are simultaneously brought up until the hands touch the feet. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.
The Bicycle starts on the ground, the hands behind the head. The knee is pulled in toward the chest while the upper body curls up to touch the opposite elbow to the knee. The leg is then straightened, and the exercise performed on the other side. The legs should be suspended off the ground during the exercise.

Muscle Groups

Abdominals

Hyperextension

Start in a prone position on the ground with the arms straight out in front of the body. The arms, legs and upper chest are lifted off the ground, and then slowly lowered back to the ground. This exercise is also known as “Superman’s”.

Variation

The Thumbs-Up starts in the same position, forms two fists with the thumbs pointed straight up, then lifts the head, shoulders and chest off the ground as high as possible.
The Swimmers raises and lowers the opposite leg and arm and alternates sides.
The Pillow Humpers places a towel under the hips and the feet under a stationary object like a low bed or couch. The hands are placed behind the head and the torso is raised off the ground as far as possible.

Muscle Groups

Lower back
Erector spinae

Planche

Start on the ground in a prone position, with the hands at the side of the body by the hips, palm down. The body is held straight while the arms push the body off the floor until the arms are straight. The entire weight of the individual is balanced on the arms. The body is then lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

Full Body

Plank

Place the toes and the forearms on the ground, with the elbows underneath the shoulders and the arm bent at a 90-degree angle. This position is maintained for as long as possible.

Variation

Front Plank
Side Plank
Reverse Plank
Static Push Up – simply holds the starting position of a Classic Push Up to failure.
S&M Push Ups – builds on the Static Push Up variant, but opposite legs and arms are lifted from the ground. The position is held to failure before switching sides.

Muscle Groups

Core
Abdominals
Back
Shoulders

Russian Twist

Start by sitting upright on the ground, with arms crossed and knees bent. The feet are lifted off the ground while the torso is twisted so the left elbow can touch the right knee, then twisted in the opposite direction so the right elbow can touch the left knee. The movement is repeated if possible.

Muscle Groups

Abdominals
Intercostal
Obliques

Standing Knee Raises

Start by standing upright, with arms raised out in front of the body. The left knee is brought up as high as possible, held up for a few moments, then lowered to the ground. The right knee is then raised as high as possible, held, then lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

Abdominals

Leg Raises

Start in a supine position on the floor, palms on the floor under the lower back or buttocks. The legs are slowly raised to a 45-degree angle with the ground, then slowly lowered to the ground.

The exercise can be increased in difficulty by raising the legs to a 90-degree angle, and not allowing the legs to return fully to the floor between repetitions.

Variation

Flutter Kicks – raise both legs off the ground by several inches, then alternates lifting each leg to the 45-degree position and returning it to its starting position.
Hello Darlings – raise both legs off the ground by several inches, then opens and closes the legs with a horizontal movement.
The Hanging Leg Lift – tart by hanging from a horizontal bar by their hands. The knees are brought slowly up to the chest and then returned to the starting position. The difficulty can be increased by keeping the legs straight as they are raised as high as possible.

Muscle Groups

Abdominals
Hip flexors

Beach Scissors

Begins by lying on the side, one hand propping up the head, both legs kept straight. The upper leg is raised as high as possible, held in the air for a moment, then lowered to the starting position. The difficulty may be increased by propping up the body on one elbow.

Muscle Groups

Hip flexors
Obliques

Hip Ups

Begins by lying on the ground, propped up on one elbow, hip and feet touching the ground. The hips are then raised until the body is in a straight line. The hips are then lowered to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Obliques
Intercostal

Supine Windshield Wipers

Begin by lying on the ground in a supine position, legs raised in the air at 90 degrees, arms stretched out the sides. The legs are then lowered to the right side by rotating the hips, then brought back to the starting position. The legs are then lowered to the left side, then returned to the starting position.

Variation

Half Windshield Wipers
Full Windshield Wipers

Muscle Groups

Abdominals
Obliques
Intercostal

Yes, No, Maybes

Begin in a supine position on a raised surface, with the head and neck extending off the edge. The head is then moved up and down in a “yes” fashion. The head is then turned from side to side in a “no” fashion. Finally, the head is moved from side to side, bringing each ear to the nearest shoulder in a “maybe” fashion. The exercise may also be performed in a prone position, with the hands placed on the back of the head to provide extra resistance.

Muscle Groups

Neck

Together changes everything. Let’s work out!

Calisthenics. Pull Exercises.

15 Jun 201815 Jun 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Healthy Habits, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning

Calisthenics is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. This is the third resource in our series on calisthenics, designed so you can workout in privacy of your home or on location when travelling and can’t attend your sessions with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer without the aid of equipment, a trainer or supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.

Pull body weight exercises use a resistive or static pulling motion to work various muscle groups.

Human Flag

Start by grabbing a vertical object such as a pole or tree trunk, with both hands palms pronated. The body is then lifted into a horizontal position using the abdominal muscles, with the arms remaining as straight as possible.

Muscle Groups

Abdominals (mainly obliques)
Shoulders
Triceps (this is for the pushing down by the lower arm)
Biceps (this is done by the pulling of the upper arm)

Muscle up

Starts with an aggressive standard Pull Up with an overhand grip to chest level, at which point the wrists are rotated forward to permit the elbows and arms to swing above the bar. The arms then push the body up until the arms are straight and the waist is at the level of the bar. The motion is then reversed so the body can be lowered back to the starting position. The transition between the high pull up and the low dip is the most difficult part and emphasizes the trapezius.

Muscle Groups

Deltoids
Trapezius
Erector spinae
Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Brachialis

Pull Up

The body weight Pull Up is another common indicator of an individual’s general fitness level.

Start by hanging from a bar with the arms extended and the palms facing away from the exerciser. The body is then pulled up using the arms until the elbows are bent and the head is higher than the hands. If the hands are moved closer, more emphasis is placed on the biceps and elbow flexors.

Muscle Groups

Deltoids
Trapezius
Erector spinae
Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Brachialis
Abdominals

Let Me Ins

Start by facing the outer edge of an open door that has a standard doorknob set. The feet are placed on either side of the door and the door pressed between the feet, the heels directly below the doorknob. The individual then leans back until the arms are straight and bends the knees, so a 90-degree angle is formed between the thighs and back. The body is then pulled toward the door until the chest touches the edge of the door. The thighs and back should remain locked into a 90-degree angle throughout the exercise. The body is then lowered to the starting point.

The exercise can be performed with either a side grip or over-handed grip, which places emphasis on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, or an under-handed grip, which shifts the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearms.

The difficulty can be modified by moving the feet; moving them forward increases the difficulty while moving the feet back decreases the difficulty. The exercise can also be performed with unilateral movements (one-handed) to increase the difficulty.

Variation

Towel Grip Let Me In
One-Handed Let Me In

Muscle Groups

Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Forearms
Deltoids

Let Me Ups

Start by lying on the ground in the supine position, and grasps a bar mounted at arm’s length above the chest. The arms are bent to pull the body up to the bar, while the body remains as straight as possible from the ankles to the shoulders. The body is then lowered until the arms are straight.

The exercise may be made less difficult by moving the feet closer to the bar and bending the knees. The exercise may be increased in difficulty by raising the feet onto a raised surface. Performing the exercise with an overhand grip focuses on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, while an underhand grip changes the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearm.

Muscle Groups

Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Forearms
Deltoids

Towel Curls

Start in a standing position with the back against a wall. The ends of a bath-sized towel are grasped in each hand, and the towel is looped under the foot of one leg. The towel is pulled upwards with the arms, the elbows locked against the side of the body, while pushing down with the foot to provide resistance. The arms are then lowered slowly as the foot continues to provide resistance until the arms are at the starting position.

The difficulty of the exercise may be modified by providing varying resistance with the foot; the exercise may be made even more difficult by performing it with one hand.

Variation

The Ledge Curl uses a fixed ledge between waist and chest height to provide resistance. The hands are balled into fists and placed under the ledge. Then bend over slowly while pressing up against the bottom of the ledge, then returns slowly to the starting position, maintaining the same level of resistance along the way.

The Isometric Curl uses one hand placed on the wrist of the other hand to provide resistance to the curling motion; the curling arm does not move in this case but instead benefits from the isometric tension of the exercise.

Muscle Groups

Biceps
Forearms

The Claw

Begin by placing the arms in front of the body, open and close the hands and fingers as tightly and as quickly as possible. This exercise is usually performed for many repetitions.

Muscle Groups

Hands
Forearms

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

Calisthenics. Push Exercises.

15 Jun 201815 Jun 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning

Calisthenics is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. This is the second resource in our series on calisthenics, designed so you can workout in privacy of your home or on location when travelling and can’t attend your sessions with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer without the aid of equipment, a trainer or supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.

Push body weight exercises use a resistive or static pushing motion to work various muscle groups. Most push exercises focus on the pectoral, shoulder, and triceps muscles, but other muscle groups such as the abdominal and back muscles are leveraged to maintain good form during the push exercise.

Bridge

Begin in a sit-up position with the hands positioned by the ears, palms down, fingers facing the legs. Push up with the arms and the back muscles until the body resembles a lowercase ‘n’. The spine must be convex and the limbs straight.

Variation

Inverse Push Ups. Difficulty can be increased by entering the bridge from a standing position and bending backwards in a controlled manner into the bridge.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Trapezius
Deltoids
Glutes
Lower back

4-Count Bodybuilder

From a standing position, drop to a squat with hands on floor (count 1), thrusts the legs back to a push up position (count 2), returns the legs to the squat position (count 3) and then returns to standing position (count 4).

Variation

The Burpee replaces count 4 with a plyometric squat. Jump before returning to the standing starting position.
The military 8-Count Bodybuilder adds a full push up after count 2 (count 3 and 4) and opens and closes the legs while in push-up position (count 5 and 6).

Muscle Groups

Legs
Abdominals
Shoulders

Dips

Begin with the hands placed on two solid surfaces at or around waist height. The knees are then bent to raise the feet from the ground, and the body is lowered as far as possible using the arms, then raised again.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Pectorals

Seated Dip

Begin with their feet on the floor, legs out straight, and hands placed on a supporting level surface between knee and waist height. Start with straight arms with the shoulders above the hands, the body is lowered until the arms are bent at a 90-degree angle. The body is then raised to the starting position. Difficulty may be decreased by moving the feet closer to the body. Difficulty may be increased by raising the feet onto a stable surface.

Variation

The Hanging Dip or Parallel Dip requires an apparatus such as a dip bar or two parallel bars (or substitutes such as tree branches or two tables) and the legs are fully raised off the ground, with the individual’s body weight supported by the arms alone.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Chest

L-sit

Sit with the body in an L-position, the upper body perpendicular to the ground and the legs out straight and parallel to the ground. The hands are placed beside the glutes. The hands and arms then push the entire body, including the legs, upwards off the ground with the legs remaining parallel to the ground. This exercise taxes the muscles through isometric tension.

Variation

The V-Sit variation increases the difficulty by holding the legs higher, angled away from the ground, so the individual’s body forms a ‘V’ shape.

Muscle Groups

Obliques
Rectus Abdominis
Triceps
Quadriceps
Pectorals

Lunge

Stand on flat surface, step forward with one leg and bend down until the front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. The back-knee bends to almost touch the ground. The front knee should not extend past the front toes to maintain good form. Return to the starting position by pushing back with the front leg and stepping back so both feet are together.

Variation

Back Lunge is performed from the same position, however, step back with the leg until the front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and the back knee is almost touching the ground.
Iron Mikes, start out in the bottom position of the lunge, perform a plyometric jump and switch leg positions so the landing position is opposite to the starting position.
Walking Lunges do not return the front leg to the starting position, step forward with the back leg to place the feet together.

Muscle Groups

Thigh
Buttocks
Hamstrings

Side Lunges

Start with the feet positioned slightly apart and take a wide step to the side with the left foot, toes pointing slightly outward. As the left foot contacts, the ground, shift your weight to the left so most of your body weight is supported by the left leg. Lower the hips and slide the hips back until the left thigh is parallel with the ground. The back and the head are kept straight throughout the movement. Hold the position for a moment, then raise the body by pushing up with the left leg and move the feet together again. The exercise is then repeated on the right side.

Variation

Difficulty may be increased by performing the Wide Side Lunge variant; start with the feet in a wide stance instead of together, keep the feet in the wide stance throughout the exercise and omit the intermediate step of moving the feet together between repetitions.

Muscle Groups

Quadriceps
Glutes
Hip flexors
Hamstrings

Bear Walk

Place the hands and the feet on the ground, with the head facing the ground, proceed to crawl around for a set distance/time by striding with the arms and legs.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders
Chest
Triceps
Trapezius
Core

Rocking Chairs

Begin in a fully extended plank or push-up position. The body is then pushed slowly forward about six to ten inches, while the arms are kept straight. The body is then returned to the starting position.

Variation

Rocking Chair Press – Increase difficulty by bending the arms and lowering the body until it is close to the floor. The body is then slowly pushed forward and returned to the starting position. The difficulty may be further increased by extending the arms between sets to perform a push-up.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals
Triceps
Deltoids
Core

Shove Offs

Begin by standing in front of an elevated surface with a ledge that will bear the weight your weight. The body is tilted forward with the hands and arms extended and the back and legs held straight. The body can continue to fall forward, and the individual catches their weight on the elevated surface with their hands in a palm-down position and arms bent. The arms are then forcefully extended to push the body back to the upright position. The waist is not bent at any time during the exercise.

Variation

Increase difficulty by selecting a lower surface which decreases the leverage of the arms and moves the centre of gravity forwards towards the hands.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals
Shoulders
Triceps

Mountain Climbers

Begin in a push-up position, with the body in a straight line and elbows locked. The left knee is brought to the chest and the left foot placed on the ground, with the right leg remaining outstretched. Then perform a small hop and switch the position of the feet so that the right knee is brought to the chest, the right foot placed on the ground and the left leg is extended behind the body. The exercise is then repeated, most commonly at a fast pace for a defined length of time.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders
Abdominals
Core

Pec Crawl

Begin in a push-up position on a smooth surface. The body is propelled forward using only the arms which are never bent beyond 90 degrees. The feet are dragged behind you, the body held in a straight line. This exercise is best performed on a smooth floor while wearing socks or with a folder towel placed under the feet.

Muscle Groups

Deltoids
Core
Pectorals
Triceps

Dive Bomber

The feet are placed on the ground just a few inches apart, with the legs held straight. Bend over at the waist and place your hands on the ground a few feet in front of the toes, forming an inverted ‘V’ with the body, the hips forming the vertex of the ‘V’. Swing your chest and shoulders down in an arc, between the hands, so the chest nearly touches the ground. The head and shoulders are curved up in an arc as high as possible, until the back is fully arched, the head is facing forward, and the pelvis is only a few inches off the ground. The motion is then reversed, the chest and shoulders moving through the hands, close to the ground, with the arms pushing the body back to the starting point. The arms should end up straight and in line with the back.

Variation

The Half Dive Bomber stops the movement at the point the chest is between the hands and then reverses the movement to return to the starting position.
The Hindu Dand returns directly to the starting position without bending the arms or arcing the chest and shoulders back through the hands.
Decrease difficulty by moving the feet further apart, or by elevating the hands on a stable surface. The difficulty can be increased by placing only a single leg on the ground at a time.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals
Triceps
Deltoids
Core

Pec Flies

Starts by lying face down on a smooth, hard floor. The legs are placed out straight with the toes on the floor, and the arms out to the sides. Two small towels are placed under the palms. With the arms and body kept straight, the palms are slid together in a controlled manner until the hands are under the shoulders. The hands are then slowly slid apart until the chest is barely touching the floor.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals
Core
Shoulders

Side Triceps Extension

Start by lying down on your right side, body in a straight line. The right hand is placed on the left shoulder, and the left hand is placed palm down on the ground, under the right shoulder, fingers pointing towards the head. The left arm pushes the upper body off the ground until the arm is straight, bending at the waist to keep the lower body on the ground. The body is then lowered to the starting position. The exercise is repeated on the left side to work the right triceps.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Obliques

Crab Walk

Start by sitting on the ground with the knees bent. Both feet and both palms are placed on the floor. The body is lifted off the floor and you walk like a crab, both forward and backward.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Core

Hip Raiser

Sit on the ground in an L-position with the back perpendicular to the ground and legs out straight. The palms are placed on the ground beside the hips. The soles of the feet are placed on the ground and the pelvis is lifted off the floor until the knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and the body is straight from the head to the knees, with the face pointed straight up. The position is held for a moment and then the body is returned to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Shoulders
Glutes
Hamstrings

Air Plunges

Begin by lying down on the ground flat on the back, with the arms placed palm-down on the ground. The legs are lifted until they are straight in the air, perpendicular to the ground. The arms are used to push the hips off the ground as high as possible, keeping the legs perpendicular to the ground. The hips are then lowered slowly to the starting position. Lie flat on the back, arms to the side, palms on the ground.

Variation

Increase difficulty by holding the hips in the top position for a few seconds before they are lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Lower abdominals

Surface Triceps Extensions

Begin by grasping a stable, waist-level surface such as a couch, railing, table or a horizontal bar. The surface is grasped with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. The feet are placed back slightly further than a standard push up position. The body is kept straight, while the arms are bent, and the body lowered until the head is below the hands. The body is then raised by pushing up with the arms until the arms are locked out straight. The elbows should be kept pointed straight down throughout the movement.

Variation

Decrease difficulty by grasping a higher surface to move the centre of gravity closer to the body.

Muscle Groups

Triceps
Core

Arm Rotations

Begin by standing and placing the arms straight out and perpendicular with the body. The hands and arms are moved in circles, first forward, then backward, for a selected number of rotations.

Variation

The targeted muscle groups of this exercise can be modified by repositioning the arm and body: making circles with the arms pointed out straight in front of the individual moves the focus to the front deltoids, while bending over and moving the arms up and down instead of in circles emphasizes the rear deltoids.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders

The Roof Is on Fire

Begin in a push up position and performs a single push up. Then the individual will kneel and raise their hands in the air four times as if they are performing an unweighted overhead press. The individual then performs two push ups, then kneels and performs eight unweighted overhead presses. The individual will continue to ladder up in this manner, with the count of unweighted overhead presses equalling four times the number of pushups. When muscle failure is reached, the individual then ladders down with a decreasing number of push ups and a corresponding number of unweighted overhead presses.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders
Triceps
Pectorals

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

Calisthenics. An Introduction.

7 Jun 20189 Jun 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Healthy Habits, own your body, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Weight Loss

Tiger Athletic is led by a primary mission to teach and develop physical literacy. Calisthenics, is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. Through this series of resources, you can get in touch with your unique physique in the privacy of your home or when travelling you can exercise in the privacy of your accommodation without the aid of equipment, a trainer or expensive supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.

Calisthenics are exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements; often rhythmical and generally without equipment or apparatus (body-weight training), intended to increase physical strength, physical fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches. When performed dynamically and with variation, calisthenics provide muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.

Sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form of synchronized physical training (often including a customized “call and response” routine) to increase group cohesion and discipline. Calisthenics are also popular as a component of physical education in junior and senior schools the world over.

Body weight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require any apparatus; the individual’s own weight provides the resistance for the movement. Movements such as the push-up, the pull-up, and the sit-up are some of the most common body weight exercises.

Advantages

Body weight exercises are the ideal for individuals interested in fitness but do not have access to or interest in using equipment. While some exercises may require some type of equipment, most of body weight exercises require none. For those exercises that do require equipment, common items found in the household are usually sufficient (such as a bath towel for towel curls), or substitutes can usually be improvised (for example, using a horizontal tree branch to perform pull ups). Body weight exercises benefit all age groups.

Most body weight exercises can be progressed or regressed, this progression/regression strategy allows people of all levels of fitness to participate. Some basic methods to increase or decrease the difficulty of a body weight exercise, without adding extra weight, are: changing the amount of leverage in an exercise (such as elevating the feet for a standard push-up, or performing the push-up with knees on the ground), performing the exercise on an unstable platform (such as performing push-ups on a basketball), modifying the range of motion in an exercise (such as squatting to a 45 degree angle rather than a 90 degree angle), incorporating unilateral movements as opposed to bilateral movements (such as performing a one-armed push-up), and adding isometric pauses during the exercise (such as holding for a few seconds at the bottom of a push-up). Gymnasts make extensive use of isometrics by doing much of their training with straight arms (such as iron crosses, levers, and planches). When compared to weight lifting, body weight exercises often require much more flexibility and balance.

Body weight exercises have a far lower risk of injury compared to using free weights and machines due to the absence of an external load that places strain on the muscles and joints. The lower risk of injury is only provided that the athlete/trainee is progressing through the correct progressions and not immediately skipping to strenuous movements that can place undue and possibly harmful stress on ligaments, tendons, and other tissues. Although falling on the head, chest, buttocks, and falling backwards can occur, these are far less harmful injuries than dropping a weight on a body part or having a joint extended beyond its natural range of motion due to a weight being used incorrectly.

Body weight exercises also give the advantage of having minimal bulking and cutting requirements that are normally utilised in free weight and machines training. This is due to bulking bringing extra fat that decreases the performance of body weight exercises, thus body weight exercises not only remove the need for a bulking or cutting phase, but it can help a person retain a low body fat percentage all year round.

Body weight exercises also work several muscle groups at once, due to the lack of isolation and the need of a large majority of muscles to perform a movement properly. For example, in a push up, the body must form a rigid straight line, and the elbow joint must move from a straight angle to the smallest angle possible, and thus the core muscles, chest muscles, triceps, and legs are all involved in ensuring proper, strict form.

Disadvantages

Body weight exercises use the individual’s own weight to provide the resistance for the movement, hence the weight being lifted is never greater than the weight of one’s own body. This can make it difficult to achieve a level of intensity that is near the individual’s one rep maximum, which is desirable for strength training.

Body weight exercises can be increased in intensity by including additional weights (such as wearing a weighted vest or holding a barbell, Kettle Bell, sand bell or plate during a sit up), but this deviates from the general premise that body weight exercises rely solely on the weight of the individual to provide resistance. However, difficulty can be added by changing the leverage, which places more emphasis on specific limbs and muscles, e.g. a one-legged squat works a leg far stronger than a two-legged squat, which not only requires strength but progressing to a one-legged squat builds strength along the way. The same can be seen with one arm pushups, pull ups, and many other exercises. Difficulty can also be added by increasing volume, adding explosiveness to the movements, or slowing down the movement to increase time under tension.

Classes of Exercises

Body weight exercises are generally grouped into four rough classes:

Push, which requires the individual to use pushing movements to direct the body against gravity;
Pull, which requires the practitioner to use pulling to direct the body;
Core, which involves contracting movements of the abdominal and back muscles; and
Legs/Glutes, which involve movements of the legs and glutes to direct the individual’s body against gravity.

Tiger Athletic personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train you. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your goals.

Start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview. This is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information with the expected outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatability, discussing goals and developing a a client – trainer agreement.

We stand by the quality of our work. We have no joining or cancellation fees. We let the quality of our assessments, fitness programs, coaching and results be the only reason you keep coming back for more.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

Start

15 May 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, own your body, Personal Trainer, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning

Start is a combination of custom, personal training and smart nutrition. 12 weeks of hard work and dedication to devlop the physical literacy and capacities to move your body from unhealthy to healthy and have you feeling stronger, healthier and leaner through gaining control over your weight, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, your risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, strengthening your bones and muscles.

The exercise component of Start comprises resistance training and boxing to boost your metabolism causing your body to burn fat while building muscle. Coupled with smart nutrition advice to reduce the risk of lifestyle illnesses, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis, you can use Start to safely and effectively lose body fat, get stronger and be leaner, firmer and more functional.

Strength & conditioning and smart nutrition – eating the right food in the right quantities at the right times results in single digit weight week on week weight loss for 12 weeks. We keep track of your p\rogress with body fat percentage and girth measurements.

Tiger Athletic personal training sessions are sport science based, using insight from your health assessment and your goals in the program design. You never do the same workout twice and get to train privately in a modern, appointment only strength and conditioning gym with our personal trainer in the heart of Sandton.

Your personal trainer is a health and fitness professional using an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and run your training sessions. Our pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your fitness and health objectives.

Book your Session #01, let’s discuss your goals and Start!

Tiger Athletic. Advanced Strength & Conditioning.

2 May 20182 May 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Weight Loss

Transforming your body from fat to fit, or unhealthy to healthy, and to start feeling great about your health and looks, you need a smart combination of nutrition and exercise. Like you need the air you breathe in order to live, your body needs physical exercise to help control your weight, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, strengthen your bones and muscles and to improve your mental health and mood so you have a better quality of life.

Tiger Athletic Personal Training offers benefits and results that dieting and supplements alone just can’t give you. The exercise component of our programs boosts your metabolism and turns your body into a fat blasting furnace, while the benefits of our ‘smart nutrition’ go beyond weight. Good nutrition can help reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis. Our programs build muscle in the places you want and improves body shape to give you a firm, toned body, which when coupled with smart nutrition safely speeds up the weight loss and strength gain.

Tiger Athletic workout plans are largely based on your health assessment and goals, with a lot of variety and progressively harder sessions. Why? Not just to make you stronger and more fit, but to make sure you keep burning fat and toning muscle. When you do a workout over and over again, it eventually gets easier, which means your body doesn’t have to work as hard and therefore burns fewer calories. Our motto is “We train the hardest”, therefore each week the workouts evolve to a higher intensity, keeping your body interested and guessing by never doing the same workout twice.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, appointment only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions. Our workouts are based on your health screening and goals. This initial process is instrumental in screening participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopedic diseases in order to optimise safety and benefit during exercise testing and participation.

Your personal trainer is a health and fitness professional who uses an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train you regards your health and fitness needs. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your individual fitness and health objectives.

You can start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview. This is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information with the expected outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatability, discussing goals and developing a a client – trainer agreement.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

Lift

23 Feb 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Healthy Habits, own your body, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning

Men who are after getting bigger and stronger are no longer the rulers of the free weight section in the gym. Science has shone the light on how women also benefit from lifting weights as resistance training establishes itself as the training type with the greatest long term effect on metabolic rate…number one for burning fat and toning your body!

Weight lifting increases the strength of connective tissue, muscles and tendons. This leads to improved motor performance. Research in motor control of aging humans has been centered around determining how motor performance is influenced by age, and around efforts to unravel the mechanisms that contribute to declines in motor performance. Changes are often characterized by slower and more variable movements, specifically slower initiation of movement, slower movement durations, declines in coordination of movement, reduced force production, coactivation of antagonist muscles during movement, and increased variability of movements (i.e., movements become inconsistent or varied from one use to the next). Specific examples of tasks that are linked to dimensions of motor control include goal-directed movements such as pointing, reaching and grasping, and aiming.

Lifting weights improves your ability to perform activities of daily living by boosting physical work capacity, enabling you to work harder and longer, promoting fat-free body mass while decreasing sarcopenia, that is when the lean muscle mass decreases with age. If we don’t add strength training to our routine, not only will we lose muscle mass with age but also lose strength and gain fat. Having more muscle than fat tones your body and give you the lean, firm physique you have always wanted.

Lifting weights is a low impact activity, so you are at lower risk for injuries. It is less stressful on your knees and joints than running hence is one of the best ways to control loss of bone mass. Just as your muscles adapt to the stress of weightlifting by becoming bigger and stronger, your bones also adapt. When your bones perceive or receive stress on them, their response is to deposit more bone making them stronger.

As your body increases its muscle mass, it will work harder to maintain that muscle over fat ratio, this means that you will burn more calories throughout the day, therefore the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

Our weightlifting programs strengthen the muscles of your core, resulting in better posture and balance through strengthening muscles that support your spine, and other little muscles apart from the main muscle groups. This lessens physical discomfort or back pain and reverses some of the damage caused by sitting all day. Also those muscles help keep you upright and take care of everyday tasks such as balancing on one foot when walking, picking up the kids or stopping yourself from falling.

Commiting to a weightlifting program everyday or every other day goes a long way towards improving your discipline, acquiring perseverance that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Lifting also helps regulate blood sugar lowering the risk of developing lifestyle illnesses born out of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles such as hyperlipidaemia and diabetes. As you lose body fat, lifting weights greatly reduces your chances for becoming obese. The constant loaded movement when you lift weights stimulates rapid blood flow, as heart rate goes up you maintain a healthier heart lowering risks for developing cardiovascular diseases as you get older.

Research shows that not only can weight lifting improve your body composition and give you a toned appearance, but it can also improve your overall health and make you a happier person. Giving you confidence in yourself that will put you in a better mood generally or help you fight depression.

Our strength and conditioning programs are based on your current health and goals, improving fitness, aesthetic appearance, stress levels, cognition and mental toughness. Programs that are pre-emptive because they are based on screening for risk factors associated with cardiovascular, orthopedic, metabolic and pulmonary disorders before they happen rather than waiting for a ‘wake-up call’ to force you improve your health and lifestyle.

We offer simple, efficient and effective 50 minute workouts in a private, appointment only setting, so we can safely and effectively tackle lifestyle risks associated with obesity and sedentary lifestyle, reducing rates of illness and injury, improving personal well being, productivity and quality of life.

Let’s chat about your health!

Kick-Lift-Box.

17 Jan 201817 Jan 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, Healthy Habits, own your body, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning

If you’re stuck in a workout rut or looking for a motivating fitness routine, you might consider adding a high-energy Kick-Lift-Box workout to the schedule. A Kick-Lift-Box workout is made up of karate kicks and boxing routines and punches for heart-pumping cardio with weight lifting for strength and endurance set to high energy music with a personal trainer in a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in Sandton. You get a total body workout, self-defence skills and whip yourself into shape safely and quickly.

Whether you’re a fitness newbie or long-time gym aficionado Kick-Lift-Box twice per week will get you to your fitness goals in no time. You can kick, punch and lift your way to a stress-free zone within minutes of your high-energy Kick-Lift-Box routine with movements that stimulate every muscle group in a simple, effective 50 min workout.

You release endorphins which will give your mood a boost and help you feel more confident. Endorphins will also make you feel happier and more positive for several hours after the workout.

If you’re suffering from posture problems and have poor coordination, you can strengthen your ‘core’ and improve your reflexes and coordination skills with the swift punches, kicks and resistance routines in a Kick-Lift-Box session.

Muscle and Fitness Magazine reports that fitness kickboxing can burn over 800 calories per hour, and you’ll be toning up your entire body as you rev up your metabolism. It’s a high-power cardio routine that’s great for weight loss and getting you in shape, fast. (Source: CKO Kickboxing.com), couple this with the anti-ageing and fat burning benefits of resistance training and you have one of the most complete , varied and fun workouts available today.

If you’ve been pounding on the treadmill for several weeks and need a break from your usual cardio routine, Kick-Lift-Box is the perfect cross-training workout. Just two sessions a week can help you break out of a fitness rut, fast.

Kick-Lift-Box is a high-energy strength, cardio, endurance and flexibility workout that will give your body and mind a boost and increase your energy levels. You’ll be breathing hard and sweating out toxins; this process will give your energy levels a much-needed boost.

If you’re hunched over a computer all day, Kick-Lift-Box workouts will challenge many muscle groups that don’t get enough attention throughout the day, and you’ll start to build up your core as core muscles are targeted with Kick-Lift-Box routines that use your waist and abs for balance and stability to execute each carefully coordinated and loaded movement.

Kick-Lift-Box workouts offer several benefits for your body and mind, and are a great choice for getting out of a fitness rut whether you’re a fitness fanatic or just getting started with a workout routine.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning motivates, assesses, trains and educates clients in a private, appointment only, personal trainer led facility providing an extraordinary simple, efficient and effective 50-minute workout in the heart of Sandton!

Barre

4 Dec 20174 Dec 2017 by tigerathletic, posted in Bodyweight Training, Dance Music, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, weight management

Ever wonder how dancers get their long, lean legs? Genetics plays a part, sure, but ballet is a serious workout. To bust the boredom and take you a little out of your comfort zone with loads of fun of course, your personal trainer takes you through a 30-minute ballet-inspired workout which focuses on your lower half and jiggly bits!

Want to lose the jiggle for good? Ballet-inspired workouts blast fat, focusing on your lower-half resulting in toned abs, bums, and legs. Getting you slim and trim with a 30-minute routine. Here’s the secret: Most exercises involve “micro-movements,” in which you move just an inch or two. “They take out the momentum, forcing you to stay in the contraction, which tires muscles faster, giving you faster results”.

Hundreds – Warm up first with 2 minutes of standing knee lifts. Next, lie on your back, draw knees up, lift head and shoulders, and bring chin to chest, coming into a tight ball. Keeping your upper body lifted, extend legs toward ceiling, or, for more of a challenge, at a diagonal; extend arms (as shown). Pump arms up and down 4 times, then hold arms still and curl torso a tiny bit up and down twice. Repeat series 10 times.

Push ups – Get on hands and knees, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Bring feet toward your seat and tuck tailbone under. Bend elbows out to sides, lowering chest toward floor, then push back up; repeat 15 times. Next, lower halfway down and hold; do 15 little pulses (pushing up and lowering down an inch) before coming all the way back up.

Triceps dips – Sit with knees bent and feet hip-width on floor, hands behind you on either side of hips, fingers forward. Lift hips off floor and shift weight back. Bend and straighten elbows 20 times, leaving feet flat, then come onto heels and repeat. Staying on heels, walk feet forward (keep weight shifted back) and do 20 more dips.

Extension parallel – Stand with back at fist’s distance away from barre, feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent; reach back with wide arms and grab barre. Extend left leg (knee toward ceiling) and flex foot. Do the following moves for 30 seconds each: Lift and lower leg a couple of inches; make small circles as if tracing a dime in the air with heel. Repeat circles in other direction, and point toes and do small leg lifts. Repeat series on opposite side.

Plie & releve – Stand with one hand on barre, the other on hip. Bring feet wider than hip-distance; turn toes out slightly and bend knees (keep knees behind toes), pushing hips back to sink seat to knee level. Do the following moves for 30 seconds each: Bend knees a bit more, lowering then raising an inch; lower again and hold, slightly pressing knees back then releasing (as if pulsing). Rise on toes, then lower and raise an inch; lower an inch and hold, pressing knees back, then releasing them.

Standing straight leg – Stand with right hand forward on barre, knees slightly bent, heels together, toes apart. Wrap left arm around waist and grab barre. Extend left leg diagonally back with toes pointed; tuck tailbone. Do the following moves for 30 seconds each: Lift and lower left leg a couple inches; hold left foot a few inches off floor and make dime-size circles with leg. Circle leg in opposite direction; flex foot, then lift and lower a couple inches. Make dime-size circles; reverse direction. Repeat series on opposite side.

Semi-fold over – Face barre, feet hip-width, knees slightly bent; stack bent forearms on barre. Walk feet back until body is folded 90 degrees at waist; rest head on arms. Keeping hips level, extend right leg straight back with foot flexed (as shown). Do the following moves for 30 seconds each: Raise and lower leg a couple inches; make dime-size circles with leg. Reverse circle direction; point toes, then lift and lower a couple of inches. Make tiny circles with leg; reverse circle direction.

Tap & curl – Sit with knees bent, feet hip-width on the floor. Grab beneath thighs with elbows wide, then round back, bringing lower back toward mat; tuck tailbone. Do the following moves for 30 seconds each: Extend arms straight by hips, tap fists twice against mat, then lift fists. With arms still, lower and raise upper body an inch; with upper body still, tap fists twice against thighs, then open arms out. Lower and raise upper body an inch; extend arms up and tap fists toward each other twice, then open. Hold arms still and lower and lift body an inch.

Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer tailor made, goal oriented fitness programs based on an individualised approach to health and fitness assessment, motivation and goal setting, coaching science and client education.

Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a Coaching Science graduate and holds a 6th degree black belt in Karate with 25 years experience as a high performance athlete and coach. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals through one on one’ or small group training.

Crank Up Your Metabolism

4 Dec 20176 Dec 2017 by tigerathletic, posted in Bodyweight Training, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Corporate Wellness, Dance Music, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Weight Loss, weight management, Women's Self Defence

How fast your body burns calories is dependent on many things, among them; genetics, your sex, and your age. Resistance training is the best thing you can do to reverse the inevitable age-related slowdown. If you have signed up for a Tiger Athletic Strength & Conditioning Program, then you’re already heading in the right direction!

Whey protein increases calorie burn and fat utilization, helps the body maintain muscle, and triggers the brain to feel full, protein has a thermogenic effect, meaning it makes your body produce more heat and, in turn, burn more calories, but whey may be the most effective non-animal protein. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that fat oxidation and the thermic effect was greater with whey than with soy or casein.

Drinking two glasses of water before every meal helped dieters lose an average of 7 kilograms (2.2kilograms more than the non-water drinkers) over three months in a study presented at the American Chemical Society’s annual conference. Taking quick hydration breaks throughout the day also boosts your metabolic machinery and research shows staying properly hydrated keeps you feeling energized.

When your annoyed co-worker tells you you’re bouncing your leg, perhaps you can explain that you’re just doing some non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)—the expert term for fidgeting. Research shows that NEAT may help you burn an additional 350 calories a day. Small bursts of activity, like running upstairs, pacing while you’re on the phone, or shifting around in your seat all count. It adds up quickly, so take advantage of any chance to move more throughout your day.

Caffeine’s ability to speed up the central nervous system makes it a powerful metabolism booster; coffee beans provide antioxidants and real health value. Provided your cup is not laden with cream and syrup, coffee can be a great way to give you energy as well as some antioxidants. Coffee has been shown to improve energy levels during exercise, especially endurance activity, and help people work harder longer, which therefore burns more calories. Drinking coffee after a workout can also be beneficial. Consuming caffeine after exercise increased muscle glycogen by 66% in endurance athletes, enabling them to more quickly replenish energy stores used through exercise, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

If you drink three cups of coffee a day, consider swapping in green tea for one of them. In addition to giving you the metabolism-boosting caffeine jolt you crave, green tea is a rich source of antioxidants called catechins. And, in a study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking green tea combined with a total of three hours of moderate exercise a week reduced abdominal fat in subjects over a three-month period. Unsweetened, brewed green tea was shown to increase calorie burn by about 100 calories per day brew your own and avoid added sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Probiotics, the healthy bacteria found in yogurt, pickles, and other fermented foods like sauerkraut, may help you lose weight, if you’re a woman, shows a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Overweight men and women followed a 12-week weight loss diet; half of the volunteers also took a probiotic pill every day. Women in the probiotic group lost more weight than those in the placebo group and continued to lose weight during the 12-week maintenance period afterward (the probiotic didn’t make any difference for men). Consuming probiotics in food form has other waist-friendly benefits: Yogurt, like other full-fat dairy, also has a fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that studies show can improve fat burning. Avoid fruit-on-the-bottom varieties, which can have as much sugar as a candy bar.

Taking a quick break to look at funny cat videos on YouTube or take a Buzzfeed quiz doesn’t just feel good, you’re also burning calories in the process. A study from the International Journal of Obesity showed a 10 to 20% increase in energy expenditure (calories burned) and heart rate during genuine laughter. This translated to an increase of 10 to 40 calories burned within 10 to 15 minutes of laughter.

When you want to add flavour to your food, reach for hot sauce or chilli powder. Chilli peppers contain the chemical capsaicin. The capsaicin in the chili peppers has a thermogenic effect, causing the body to burn up to an additional 90 calories immediately following a meal. One study shows capsaicin activates brown fat, which increases calorie burning.

Eating a small mid-afternoon meal will prevent over eating at dinner time and it will also keep your metabolism stoked. Eating small meals raises your metabolism every time you eat. The key is to include a lean protein and complex carb each time, not processed or junk food. A few no-effort options: cottage cheese and fruit, peanut butter and an apple, or Greek yogurt with berries.

Having a salad for lunch or dinner fills you up with belly-flattening fibre and nutrients, and adding one more ingredient will really stoke your metabolism: salmon. You already learned the metabolism-boosting effects of protein, but with salmon you’ll also get a dose of omega-3 fatty acids. In a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, supplementing diets with fish oil for six weeks increased lean muscle and decreased fat. Other studies have shown similar effects. Scientists speculate this reaction may be due to fish oil’s ability to reduce levels of fat-storage enzymes in the body.

Do you really need to stay seated while you listen in on a conference call or wait on hold with the internet company? This super-easy tweak nearly doubles the number of calories your body will burn. A 68 kilogram person, for example, burns 72 calories an hour sitting and 129 calories an hour standing. Walking around an office slowly increases the burn to 143 calories an hour. You recruit more muscle fibres and must use your postural muscles to stabilize yourself, which burns more calories. Make it a habit to stand and walk around each time the phone rings and get up out of your chair at least once every hour.

Pick organic produce. Pesticides found on conventionally grown produce, called “obesogens,” are blamed for slowing metabolism and predisposing some people to gain weight. One of the biggest hidden causes of weight loss resistance is toxicity. Buy organic whenever possible and choose the cleanest, highest-quality cuts of meat.

Take one bite at a time. Wolfing down your food makes it more likely you’ll eat more, says a study published by the American Dietetic Association. Another study found even among women who didn’t diet, reducing stress and practicing mindfulness can prevent fat gain. It takes about 20 minutes before a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) tells your brain to stop eating. When you engulf a burger and fries, you don’t give CCK enough time to relay the message to your brain, and you eat too much, speed eating also raises fat-storing insulin levels. Just as important as eating the right diet is slowing down and becoming mindful when you eat.

Exposure to the type of blue light emitted by smartphones, computers, and tablets immediately before and after dinner increased hunger and impacted glucose metabolism in people who participated in a small North-western University study. The study authors aren’t sure of the reasons for the link, and say more research is needed—but even if the link between blue light and appetite doesn’t hold up in later studies, other research shows that limiting mealtime distractions helps control portions.

Let’s chat about your health.

Preadolescent Fitness

29 Nov 201725 Jan 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in calistenics, Cardio Boxing, Dance Music, Family Fitness, Healthy Habits, kids fitness, Personal Trainer, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Weight Loss, weight loss transformation

Preadolescent refers to a period before the development of secondary sex characteristics (e.g. pubic hair and reproductive organs) and corresponds roughly to the ages 6-11 in girls and 6-13 in boys.

Preadolescent youth should be encouraged to participate regularly in physical activities that promote cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal health. Regular physical activity can improve aerobic fitness, muscle strength, bone mineral density, motor performance skills, body skills and psychosocial well-being.

Childhood obesity and overweight figures continue to increase and the physical activity levels of most preadolescent boys and girls are down. The percentage of overweight boys and girls has more than doubled during the past two decades, and many children who are overweight have one or more cardiovascular disease risk factors. Daily participation in physical activity/education classes continues to decline with the average child/teenager spending 3-4 hours per day using electronic media) e.g. television, gaming or computer).

The negative health consequences of childhood obesity and physical inactivity include hypertension and the appearance of atherosclerosis and type 2 “adult-onset” diabetes in children and teenagers. Since positive and negative behaviours established at a young age appear to track into adulthood, it is likely that inactive children will become inactive adults. The key is to value physical activity and help children develop healthy habits and behaviour patterns that persist into childhood.

At Tiger Athletic we model and support participation in developmentally appropriate fitness activities that are fun and supported by cultural norms, which have a powerful influence on a child’s health and activity habits. We offer well organised personal training sessions that give boys and girls the opportunity to experience the mere enjoyment of physical activity which will have long lasting effects on their health and well-being.

Our programs realise that youth have different compared to adults, hence adult exercise guidelines and training philosophies are not imposed on children. We provide developmentally appropriate physical activity programs for preadolescents that demonstrate our understanding of age specific needs and concerns.

While the absolute level of activity required to achieve and maintain fitness in youth has not been determined, the Children’s Lifetime Physical Activity (C-LPAM) is a child specific model that addresses the amount of physical activity necessary to produce health benefits associated with reduced morbidity and mortality. This model highlights the minimum activity recommendations and optimal functioning standards for children and is thus the backbone of all Tiger Athletic youth fitness programs.

With our qualified instruction, enthusiastic leadership, and adherence to safety issues, children can safely enhance their fundamental movement abilities and be better prepared for successful and enjoyable participation in recreational activities and sport.

You can start your journey to a healthier family by booking an initial consultation below. This first step, is a vital screening mechanism, instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet your goals.

Let’s chat about your family’s health!

Trial Workout

11 May 201724 Jun 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Assessment, Bodyweight Training, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Dance Music, own your body, Personal Trainer, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Weight Loss

A trial workout is a pragmatic first step when you decide to move beyond “thinking” of taking better care of yourself and seeking the help of a qualified professional to help you achieve your goals. Tiger Athletic offers innovative health and fitness programs that begin with a tailored health appraisal to help you set realistic, time-based goals then working with a personal trainer through a custom fitness and lifestyle program in our modern, private, appointment only strength and conditioning gym.

Your health and fitness assessment allow our strength & conditioning coach to have information about your body and aspirations to design personalised, safe and effective workout programs for you and to provide you with the necessary guidance to achieve your fitness goals.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is equipped with state-of-the-art plate loaded resistance equipment, assault air bike and boxing equipment. Each session comprises a challenging strength-based circuit, an extraordinary 50-minute workout that is simple, efficient and effective.

Our personalised approach serves as an oasis in the heat the Sandton bustle, a place to recharge and reconnect with yourself. A private space you can retreat to for a hard workout, a coffee and a shower.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning (Pty) Ltd

23 Nov 20164 Jan 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Bodyweight Training, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Corporate Wellness, Dance Music, Healthy Habits, life skills, lifelong friendships, lifestyle illness management, networking, Personal Trainer, post baby weightloss, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Weight Loss, weight loss transformation, weight management, Women's Self Defence

We use state-of-the-art plate loaded equipment and free weight circuits, high intensity interval cardio training, calisthenics and boxing to provide an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes.

Our facilities include a private shower and change room, premium coffee and refreshments as well as audio and visual entertainment so you can pop in, workout and return to your everyday grind refreshed and refocused in under an hour.

Step 1 is the Lifestyle Consultation & Health Appraisal. A vital screening mechanism, instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet client objectives.

Step 2 is the Fitness Assessment Selection and Administration. Your current level of fitness and skills is assessed to provide a basis for developing goals and effective exercise programs as well as in identifying potential areas of injury and starting points regards intensity and volumes of exercise.

Step 3 is the Custom Goal & Program Development. Information from the physical assessment in conjunction with personal information gathered in the consultation and health appraisal is used to plan a time efficient, goal specific program, reasonable in length, frequency, intensity and complexity so that the client is more likely to continue adhering to the program while having fun!

Finally, Book Your Appointments. Tiger Athletic operates on an appointment only basis to ensure the highest possible quality in service delivery and personalised attention at all times.

World’s Best Personal Training Deal!

21 Oct 201619 Apr 2018 by tigerathletic, posted in Bodyweight Training, bootcamp, Cardio Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, connecting, firm & tone, healthy fun, Healthy Habits, life skills, lifestyle illness management, Personal Trainer, post baby weightloss, Rehabilitation, Self Defence, Smart Nutrition, Strength & Conditioning, Uncategorized, Weight Loss, weight loss transformation, weight management, Women's Self Defence

You can start your journey to a healthier self by booking an initial consultation below. This first step, is a vital screening mechanism, instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet your individual objectives.

Let’s chat about your health!

Best Workouts! Best Benefit! Best Price!

17 Oct 20166 Apr 2017 by tigerathletic, posted in back pain, Bodyweight Training, bootcamp, buns & thighs, calistenics, connecting, destress, diabetes, Family Fitness, firm & tone, healthy fun, hyperlipidemia, kids fitness, life skills, lifelong friendships, obesity, original, outdoor fitness, overweight, own your body, Personal Trainer, post baby weightloss, Uncategorized, weight loss transformation, weight management

Tiger Athletic Sandton personal training helps provide you with the strength, stability, power, mobility, endurance and flexibility that you need to thrive as you move through your life and sports.

Tiger Athletic Sandton is an upscale fitness facility that offers revolutionary, goal-specific strength & conditioning programs to train executives and discerning individuals.

We use state-of-the-art strength & conditioning equipment, methods and revolutionary circuits, providing an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes. All this in the heart of Sandton!

There is a private shower/ change room facility, premium coffee, refreshments and bespoke media entertainment so you can pop in and workout and return to your everyday grind refreshed and refocused in under an hour!

Life is unpredictable and unstable. So why would you develop your training using stable and predictable routines and equipment? No matter your fitness goal or ability, treat variety and practical application as critical components of your training. You don’t live in a vacuum, so why would you train in one?

Tiger Athletic Sandton’s body specific programs challenge the entire body in every plane of motion with versatile, state-of-the art equipment to perform exercises that improve movement on the field or in life.

The program uses information about you garnered from a thorough physical and mental assessment, Powercore strength equipment and Assault Air Bikes as your primary training tools along with modern training aids like resistance harnesses, training hurdles, speed cones and weighted balls while you hop, skip, jump, squat, lunge, twist and laugh your way to your ideal body!

Training packages start from as little as R 250 per session!

Tigerobics

4 May 20167 Apr 2017 by tigerathletic, posted in back pain, Bodyweight Training, bootcamp, buns & thighs, calistenics, connecting, Corporate Wellness, destress, diabetes, Family Fitness, firm & tone, healthy fun, hyperlipidemia, kids fitness, life skills, lifelong friendships, networking, obesity, original, outdoor fitness, overweight, own your body, Personal Trainer, post baby weightloss, Uncategorized, weight loss transformation, weight management

Tiger Athletic Sandton introduces Tigerobics, a fun, modern, effective, time efficient, workout to burn fat and sculpt lean muscles.

Long ago, to survive as a warrior, sharp skills in combat, top physical conditioning and clarity of mind had to be maintained. To achieve this, warriors practiced daily; it was a part of their “job”.

Today we have other jobs and many demands on our time which take their toll on both our minds and bodies. Yet these same combat skills can be of great benefit to anyone seeking a non conventional, exciting way to invest in themselves to keep both physically and mentally fit!

Tigerobics fuses martial arts and coaching science. The result? A physical fitness program that is both challenging and fun!

Tiger Athletic Sandton uses state-of-the-art strength & conditioning equipment, Coaching Science and revolutionary circuits, providing an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes. All this in the heart of Sandton!

Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a health/fitness professional that uses an individualized approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients regarding their health and fitness needs. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals. A Black Belt and graduate in Coaching Science, he employs modern, effective methods to measure and nurture your development.

So when want an hour to invest in your personal well, being it to shed a few kilos and tone your body or to relaxing your mind in fresh and innovative way.

Book a personal class and start training like a professional athlete. It’s the only sure way to get real, lasting results quickly and safely!

How Much Is Your Personal Trainer?

18 Mar 20165 Sep 2017 by tigerathletic, posted in back pain, Bodyweight Training, bootcamp, buns & thighs, calistenics, connecting, Corporate Wellness, destress, diabetes, Family Fitness, firm & tone, healthy fun, hyperlipidemia, kids fitness, life skills, lifelong friendships, lifestyle illness management, networking, obesity, original, outdoor fitness, overweight, Personal Trainer, post baby weightloss, Self Defence, Uncategorized, weight loss transformation, weight management, Women's Self Defence

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a fitness company that uses an individualised approach to motivate, assess and train clients regards their fitness & health needs via a personal trainer, using state-of-the-art strength & conditioning equipment, methods and revolutionary circuits. Providing an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes. All this in the heart of Sandton!

Your personal trainer is a coaching science graduate and karate black belt. He is a health and fitness professional who custom designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals.

Our programs are designed to help clients get into optimum physical condition to enhance peak mental performance through our ‘strong body, strong mind’ philosophy and simple four (4) step method.

Step 1: Lifestyle Consultation & Health Appraisal – Your personal trainer begins by gathering information regarding a client’s personal health, lifestyle and exercise readiness. This consultation process is used in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet individual objectives. Vital is to screen participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation.

Step 2: Fitness Assessment Selection and Administration– next your personal trainer assesses your current level of fitness and skills before developing a custom program for you. The purpose is to provide a basis for developing goals and effective exercise programs. The information collected assists the trainer in identifying potential areas of injury and reasonable starting points regards intensity and volumes of exercise based on those goals and fitness outcomes. Your individualized program that incorporates your personality and goals is what we regard as the “personal” in personal training.

Step 3: Custom Goal & Program Development – Your personal trainer uses information from the physical assessment in conjunction with personal information gathered in the consultation and health appraisal to plan a time efficient, specific program that will help the client to achieve his/her goals. Understanding a client’s personal characteristics and current lifestyle factors helps the personal trainer to plan sessions that are reasonable in length, frequency, intensity and complexity so that the client is more likely to continue adhering to the program while having fun!

Step 4 – Book Your Appointments – Tiger Athletic is a personal trainer led facility & all sessions are by appointment only to ensure you reach your goals as efficiently & safely as possible.

Personal Trainer Packages Include:

Anthropometry – Six Monthly Body Fat Analysis, Monthly Girth Measurements.
Lifestyle Analysis & Lifestyle Advice.
Nutritional Analysis & Advice.
SMART Goal Setting.
Body-Specific Strength & Conditioning Program.
Certified Personal Trainer Led Workouts.
Strength & Conditioning 10 Session Block.
Full Body Assisted Stretch After Every Session.
Packages Start At R2500 per Month (10 Sessions at R250 each).

So I’ll ask you again…how much is your personal trainer?

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