Top Notch JKD Academy News

What are 3 things to look for in a Instructor when looking to begin Martial Arts training

Hi you all,In this post I Want to show you what 3 things to look for in a instructor when you are beginning on your Martial Arts journey. When you are searching for that Martial Arts school there are a number of things you look for but One of the most important things is the Instructor, here are the 3 things:

1) Knowledge - Now I know this seems to be a Given but ill go deeper whatever the style(s) that you look to train in the instructor should have more than just a Base knowledge of that subject meaning the instructor should have a minimum of 6-8 years in that Style that they are teaching the students. So don’t be afraid to ask that “Prospective” instructor what they’re Background is in that area of study.

2) Respectable Reputation -
This doesn’t mean they have to be “Unbeatable” what I mean is along with having a good knowledge in what they teach,They also have a respectable relationship with they’re instructor(s) or Coaches if you were too talk to they’re instructor(s) would they have good things to say about them ? would they give they’re seal of “approval” about them ? good things to note!

3) Personality -
I want to touch on this because it sometimes gets neglected.Is the Instructor “Approachable” ? could you go to them and ask for help and they wouldn’t bite your head off? are they always with a frown on the face,don’t tell any jokes you know what I mean.Martial Arts should be fun of course there is a “Necessary” level of focus needed but not so where you can’t enjoy it.

Conclusion-
I hope in your Martial Arts journey to begin you ask yourself these questions as you make your decision on where you will train,Remember have fun with it and train Hard until next time !

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@7 months ago
#topnotchjkd #martialarts #napervillejkd #women's selfdefense #mmanaperville #jeetkunedo #Health #fitness #Kickboxingnaperville #jujitsunaperville

Ten simple tips to avoid holiday weight gain

Ok everyone the holidays are here and to
Prevent Thanksgiving and holiday weight gain with these simple tips to preserve your body composition. I always ask my Biosignature students, Have you ever eaten anything by accident?

If you have to stop and think about the answer, then these tips are for you. Food doesn’t just end up in your mouth by accident. Eating and drinking is a choice, and in order to have better health and a lean physique, you must take control of that choice and do what’s best for you. A lean physique is all about insulin management, and the good news is that you can completely control your insulin response by choosing the right foods.

Rather than giving into gaining fat, strive to either maintain your current body composition and fitness, or better yet, set goals and take this time to make gains—gains in strength, muscle, and a leaner physique that is. These ten simple tips will help you beat holiday weight gain and lower stress levels, meaning you’ll enjoy your holidays that much more.

1) Set A Goal
Set a body composition and workout goal. Holiday months are an excellent time to set new goals and ramp up your program. Why wait until the New Year? Set goals now and start today!

You may already have short- and long-term goals in place, but if not, this is the perfect time to set some. Start by identifying where you’d like to be in terms of body composition one week from now and behave accordingly. If your goal is to lose fat, you’ll need a fat burning workout protocol and it will be necessary to “just say no” to Thanksgiving food that doesn’t fit your diet.

Perhaps Thanksgiving is the ideal time to try a cleanse to detoxify your body of contaminants. If you have some time off from work, this is an excellent option because detoxifying will lead to serious fat loss. Focusing on cleansing the body rather than inundating it with high-carb, high-fat foods and alcohol may be just what you need, and it takes the stress out of holiday food choices.

But maybe you’ve been training really hard and could use a break over the holiday—rest and recovery are also critical and maybe that’s a good goal for you. Or possibly you want to maintain your weight, but feel bored with your workouts—it’s probably time to try something different. Consider the German Body Comp program or try a martial art (judo has been shown to lower cortisol levels, which is plus for fat loss), or boxing.

2) Choose the Least Worst Option
The good news about Thanksgiving meals is that they don’t lack protein. Turkey and other meats will provide an excellent source of muscle building protein—remember to opt for organic and free-range whenever you have the choice. If you don’t have control over the type of meat, minimize intake of non-organic meats.

The bad news about Thanksgiving and all holiday foods is that there is an overabundance of high-carb foods that will cause major problems for insulin health and body composition. High-carb foods cause a quick spike in insulin, which signals the body to move glucose out of the blood stream, leading to a drop in blood sugar and more carbohydrate cravings to re-elevate the blood sugar. High-carb foods provide empty calories, but they also set you on the road to a cycle of carb cravings.

To deal with this, choose the least worst option. Fill up on protein-rich foods, and eliminate or minimize high-carb choices as much as possible. For example, to employ the least worst option method, opt for gluten-free carbs whenever possible. If you have Thanksgiving or holiday events where you provide the food, choose gluten-free treats and organic meats. If you are an invitee, let your hosts know that you are gluten-free and bring a gluten-free treat to share.

3) Eat Breakfast: Meat and Nuts
Eat breakfast on Thanksgiving for the best body composition results. “Saving” calories for the Thanksgiving meal or a big holiday party is not your best bet. If you skip breakfast, you’ll likely be famished by the big meal, resulting in overeating. Better calorie and macronutrient management is achieved by eating a small amount of protein with a low-glycemic food such as strawberries or almonds to fill you up, give you nourishment, and set up your neurotransmitters for optimal production throughout the day.

Research actually supports this strategy—it’s not just an annoying preachy tip. Evidence shows that eating protein for breakfast reduces the brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior. A protein-rich breakfast will minimize cravings for high-carb foods during the holiday event, and you won’t feel starved and need to eat everything in sight. Nor will you feel motivated to eat more than is necessary as a “reward” for having skipped breakfast.

For anyone who is not aware of it, read all about the meat and nut breakfast here.

4) Drink Green Tea To Minimize The Negative Effects of Alcohol
Supplement and drink green to minimize the negative effects of alcohol on the body. Green tea is filled with antioxidants and it is well known to combat oxidative stress all over the body. Research shows that the antioxidants in green tea will protect the liver from damage by alcohol. One study found that green tea eliminated liver damage from alcohol intake, and it may help you minimize feelings of a hangover because of better liver function.

Drink green tea before having a holiday meal or going to a party and you will not only protect yourself from oxidative stress from alcohol, but you’ll also improve insulin sensitivity. Green tea elevates glucose uptake and support fat burning—although only minimally—making it a must have before any holiday party. Along with drinking green tea beforehand, supplement with green tea capsules after imbibing and indulging for best results. Consider picking up my Green Tea Excellence 2.0 for an extra antioxidant punch:

5) Eat A Low-Glycemic Food With Your Carbs For A Better Insulin Response
Pair low-glycemic foods with your carbs to get a better insulin response and minimize radical blood sugar fluctuations. Low-glycemic foods have been shown to slow digestion and mitigate the effect of high-glycemic carb foods that normally spike insulin. For example, adding fenugreek to wheat bread or bilberries to oatmeal (the bread and oatmeal are both high-carb, high-glycemic foods), has been shown to result in a lower insulin response than would be expected.

Managing insulin is absolutely critical for a lean body composition, and it’s an excellent tool to use to minimize fat gain over the holidays. Typically, in terms of a Biosignature profile, over the holidays you will see a dramatic increase in the suprailiac and subscapular skinfolds from insulin mismanagement due to the high-carb intake. Also, the umbilical skinfold will increase from elevated cortisol, which is partly triggered by the greater amount of insulin in the system from over indulging in sweets.

To prevent these effects, always pair low-glycemic foods with carbs. Proven low-glycemic options include bilberries, fenugreek, and strawberries. An easier choice may be to simply take a supplement that manages insulin such as Fenuplex, or Glucose Disposal. I suggest three tablets of either one after every holiday meal and two after regular meals.

6) Get Enough Sleep
Get enough sleep and clean up your sleep hygiene. There’s an abundance of research showing that sleep-deprived individuals are fatter than well-rested people, but we also know that being tired leads people to eat more, particularly foods with more saturated fat.

Sleep deprivation leads to a number of hormonal problems including elevated cortisol, and lower growth hormone, serotonin, and melatonin. Even short-term sleep deprivation appears to result in individuals eating significantly more calories overall than they would if they were rested, and it leads to a major increase in saturated fat and overall fat intake. Also, in one study, participants who were sleep-deprived burned 300 fewer calories a day because they were less active than if they got their regular amount of sleep. An increase in calories and saturated fat paired with less physical activity will result in serious body composition problems and ill health.

Something as simple as having good sleep hygiene (complete darkness, minimize electrical fields, fill in grateful log, eliminate alcohol) will help you beat holiday weight gain. Use this evidence to motivate you to always get enough sleep before holiday meals and parties. Don’t go in sleep-deprived and submit to your exhaustion by chowing down on high-fat foods. Being well rested will help you make better food choices and will ensure you get in an awesome workout. If you suffer from insomnia, consider taking magnesium and read this article on How to Get Better Sleep.

7) Get Your Omega-3s With Meals
Take omega-3 fish oils with all meals for a better insulin response and lower inflammation. You’ll also burn more fat if your omega-3s are up to par. I’d imagine you’ve already made this tip a habit, but if for some reason unfathomable reason you have not, start taking omega-3s NOW!

There’s a ton of research showing that fish oil is essential for health, but it is particularly important when trying to minimize the effects of holiday eating and drinking. Omega-3s will increase your levels of serotonin (the hormone that makes you feel good), and decrease depression and anxiety. Plus, they turn on the lipolytic genes (which burn fat), turn off the lipogenic genes (which store fat), and reduce carb cravings.

Research shows that because omega-3s trigger fat burning they also help minimize the amount of insulin secreted from the pancreas. Less insulin is always a good thing, and there’s also evidence that omega-3s improve glucose metabolism and help the cells be more sensitive to insulin. I suggest a tablespoon of liquid omega-3s at all meals—check out Poliquin’s Omega-3 Liquid.

8) Avoid Processed Foods At All Costs: Opt for Whole Organic Foods
Avoid processed and conventional foods at all costs. Choose organic whole foods to get more diet-induced calorie burning from food. Research shows that processed foods will have a significantly lower diet-induced thermic effect than eating whole foods.

The thermic effect of food is the amount of calories required to break down food, synthesize enzymes, and perform metabolic processes. It is typically about 10 percent of daily energy expenditure. Protein burns the most calories, followed by carbohydrates and then fats.

In a recent study, researchers compared the effect of eating a whole food meal with a processed food meal, both with equal calorie and macronutrient content. The thermic effect for the participants who ate the whole food meal was almost 50 percent higher than the thermic effect for the individuals who ate the processed food meal. Plus, the participants who ate the processed food meal had their metabolism drop below their average basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the average energy needed to keep the body functioning at rest—during the sixth hour after eating, while the whole food meal group never fell below the BMR.

The reason for the dramatic difference in calorie burn for the two meal types is due to variation in the quality of the ingredients and fiber content between the two meals. The processed food meal contained refined grains without bran or germ and about one-third of the fiber of the whole food meal. The refined quality of the processed food ingredients means it is more easily broken down by the body, requires less enzyme production, ultimately burning fewer calories in the process.

Apply this to Thanksgiving meal management and focus on eating more organic high-protein foods. Stay away from processed foods such as white bread, stuffing, and anything that is store bought. Choose homemade foods, opt for vegetables even if they may be cooked in fat, and if you must eat carbs, opt for gluten-free or whole grain-based ones. Pie is a bad option as are all baked sweets. Berries, or ice cream and berries are a much better option.

9) Train High Volume Right Before Eating—Don’t Do Aerobic Training!
Train hard with a high volume of repetitions right before eating the holiday meal. This will burn a lot of energy, set your muscle up for serious protein synthesis, elevate fat burning and metabolic rate, and improve insulin sensitivity. You’ll be able to indulge a bit because the best time to load up on carbs is right after your workout—really, the first ten minutes following training, but that may not be possible, assuming you need to shower.

Avoid continuous aerobic training at all costs because this raises cortisol, oxidative stress , and has no effect on fat burning. Instead, perform a sprint workout in addition to a high-volume of lifts with high repetitions. Use a slow eccentric tempo, or a descending set protocol. Large muscle group exercises are essential—be sure to train legs on holiday meal days—and focus on deadlifts and squats.

I generally suggest the following carb intake based on training volume for a given workout:
12-72 reps per workout: 0.6 g/kg/lean body mass (lbm) 
73-200 reps per workout: 0.8 g/kg/lbm 
200-360 reps per workout: 1.0 g/kg/lbm 
360-450 reps per workout: 1.2 g/kg/lbm
This is not a lot of carbs, but if you go into Thanksgiving dinner with a carb goal and an idea of carb quantity in the foods you’ll be choosing from, you’ll be more likely to minimize weight gain.

10) Minimize “Cheating” By Removing Craved Foods From Diet And Increasing Protein
Eliminate holiday food cravings that lead to weight gain by removing problem foods from your diet. In the long term, eliminating enticing foods that lead to fat gain will allow you to no longer crave those foods and be leaner. Research shows that if your body is carb intolerant, if you seriously minimize carb intake and eat a high-protein, high-fat diet, you will decrease cravings for carbs and feel less hunger. The same goes for if you are carb tolerant and need to cut out excessive fat, or fatty sweets. Eat a high-protein diet, eliminate high-fat sweets, and you’ll lose your yearning for those foods along with any extra fat.

Don’t be scared off by the idea of avoiding cravings during the holidays. One study found that a long-term low-carb diet (20 g/day of carbs in the form of low glycemic vegetables) in which the participants ate as much protein and fat as they wanted resulted in less preference for carbs and fewer cravings for high-carb foods, particularly those high in sugar and sweets. Participants maintained their weight—the purpose of the study was not to induce weight loss but to test the elimination of food cravings. Additionally, there was a low-calorie, low-fat diet group that decreased cravings for high-fat foods and they had less preference for high-protein foods—the two macronutrients that were highly restricted from their diets.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start eliminating enticing foods that mess with your nutrition. Doing so will allow you to make it through the first holiday of the season on track and it will set you up for a better physique in the New Year. By eliminating normally craved foods now, you should be free of diet weak spots by Christmas. Remember, the food you eat is choice. We don’t accidentally eat foods that aren’t good for us—we choose to eat those foods. Make the best choice, or at least make the least worst choice
Yours in fitness,

@1 year ago
#holiday eating undueweightgain better eating

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@1 year ago
#Top Notch JKD Naperville #martial arts #mixedmartialarts

Aiming higher towards your Goals

Hi Sifu Scott here, My students ask me a lot about what it takes to reach there goals when sometimes it feels as if they’re following the steps needed but still fall short. So I’m going to give out the action plan of 3 steps to achieving them.

1. Start with the end in mind
So know believe it of not meeting your goals is actually easier then you think when you know what you want, but what’s hard is starting in the wrong place- interesting huh ?
See sometimes we start from the bottom an a attempt to “Take things as they come” then shooting for the high goal you have to Remember what ever your doing now to achieves your goals has a long term affect on your end goals so start with the end in mind and work backwards until your in route to where u want to be.

2. Make your goals known by writing them down
Yes this is a real hard one for some of us right, knowing or ” having an idea” where we want to be but it not being clearly defined because it’s not where we can see on a daily basis. Write your goals down and put them somewhere u know you’ll look at it daily for “Accountability”

3. Have a Support group
This one is often overlooked because we figure that we can to things all on our own.You need to have a group of people that will help hold you accountable towards reaching your goals(ex. Best friend, Mentor,Paster at church.etc) it really helps if one of the people in your group is also working towards the same goal because you help challenge each other.

In conclusion
Reaching for that next level is easier when utilize these 3 action steps let this Simmer with you as you Make new Goals, revamp old ones and remember- Train Smart, Train Hard and Just Bring it

Sifu Scott

@1 year ago

Improving your Grip strength for training

Sometimes do you ever feel like your grip isn’t where it should be? what can be missing is a specialized grip training program.So typically, bodybuilders, and indeed athletes from other codes, are not asked how much they can grip - the popular line of questioning seems to be around how much one can bench, or how large ones biceps are. However, grip training can positively impact most athletes, in terms of both the quality of their training programs and the type of results they attain.

Grip training can heavily influence the amount of weight lifted, for all upper-body movements, and develop the forearms to such a degree that one is prompted to take a double take, upon first seeing the forearm-bulging results of grip training first hand.

Certain types of grip training, in and of itself, can provide an ego-boosting experience, as the trainer is able to handle greater gripping poundage’s on a weekly basis, provided they consistently train in the correct manner.

Training and aesthetics aside, a strong grip will certainly assist if one becomes involved in a fight, where the power of their grip might determine the outcome. Read on to find out exactly how to develop your grip, and why it is important to do so.

Reasons For Improving Gripping Strength

Enhance Martial Arts/Wrestling Proficiency.

Developing gripping strength will assist when it come to grappling in the context of a martial arts or wrestling fight. It will also add snap, and power, to a punch, giving boxers who practice gripping exercises an additional advantage. When gripping an adversary, one with weak forearms, and gripping strength, might sustain an injury to the wrist area, or worse, end up on the ground with their opponent kicking their face in.

Often, the key to winning a fight is to maintain a vice-like hold on your opponent over a prolonged period, and the key to maintaining such a hold is to develop phenomenal gripping strength.

Develop Respectable Size For Bodybuilding Purposes.

Specific gripping exercises, of which there are many (these will be explained later), develop the forearm musculature to a significant degree. Those with the best forearm development are often people who work in a profession that requires a constant gripping of objects (concrete workers for example). If ones forearms are lagging, specialized grip training could be just the thing they need to break this plateau. Direct forearm work is good, and should be continued, but gripping work stimulates all forearm musculature, as a whole, and provides the additional volume needed to enhance new growth (the forearms, like the calves, need a lot of work to respond).

Enhance One’s Weight-Training Program.

An improvement in gripping strength generally means an overall improvement in quality, as far as lifting immense poundage’s in other movements is concerned. For example, bent rowing, a fundamental back movement, will suffer if ones grip is not up to standard. There could always be an argument made for wraps, but these are controversial at best, and are thought to compromise technique.

So, a strong grip is essential to training progress, as most movements are dependant on correct gripping technique and strength. Chinning, as well, relies on a solid grip, and heavy benches could potentially cause wrist injury in those susceptible (I.E, those with a weak grip). Day to day activities such as turning doorknobs, opening jars and conducting mechanical repairs, also benefit from a strong grip. The type of wrist action used when doing any of the above is a twisting motion, and there are specific exercises (which will be explained later) that can be done to improve this.

Types Of Grip-Strength

There are two main types of grip strength: crushing strength and pinching strength.

Crushing Strength

This type of grip strength is demonstrated when one crushes a can of drink (strongmen in particular, not your average person). A crushing grip is also used when shaking hands, or, in a fighting context, grabs their opponents wrist. Analogously, a table-vice mechanism, has almost an identical action to that of a crushing grip, in that the stationary side of the vice (the palm) has a component (the fingers) that closes towards it as it crushes.

Pinching Strength

Holding a heavy plate between the thumb and fingers, as it hangs toward the ground, is a demonstration of pinching strength. Training for pinching strength has little in the way of a real world application (other than targeting a pressure point during a confrontation perhaps), but it will add to thumb and finger strength and help to develop respectable size in both the extensor and flexors of the forearms.

Pinching Strength

Holding a heavy plate between the thumb and fingers, as it hangs toward the ground, is a demonstration of pinching strength. Training for pinching strength has little in the way of a real world application (other than targeting a pressure point during a confrontation perhaps), but it will add to thumb and finger strength and help to develop respectable size in both the extensor and flexors of the forearms.

This type of grip involves the thumb, fingers, and palm (almost a cross-between the crushing and pinching grips), and is used most often in a real world situation for controlling an object (a steering wheel of a car for example), or person in a confrontation. In a fighting situation, the holding grip is often used to transition between pinching or crushing, as ones opponent is being controlled.

Types Of Strength Associated With Grip Training.

All gripping movements will utilize different types of strength, to varying degrees. Before moving on to the most effective exercises for developing grip, the three main types of strength used in this process will be covered: Concentric Strength. When gripping an object such as a tennis ball, before releasing, one is using concentric strength. Crushing newspaper, as will be explained in detail soon, is another example of this type of strength. In short, concentric strength is vital as far as initially grasping an object is concerned. What distinguishes concentric strength from any other type, is the fact that the muscles of the forearm and wrist shorten in response to the squeezing action.

Isometric Strength. Isometric strength is used when the same object grasped with concentric strength is held. The muscles in this instance, although contracting, are not changing in length. Using a holding, or crushing, grip while keeping hold of an opponent is an example of isometric strength in action.

Eccentric Strength. Gradually opening ones, hand while holding a ball, is an example of the type of eccentric strength used to unclasp the hands when striking an opponent with knife-hand. The type of contraction undertaken during an eccentric movement is one of controlled resistance - lowering a barbell during a bench press is a perfect example.

Gripping Exercises

Grip training exercises can be grouped into two types: suspension and crushing/squeezing/tearing exercises.

Suspension Exercises.

These involve, as the name suggests, suspending a weight, while gripping it with the wrist. They work primarily the pinching grip. Dangers are inherent in this type of training, as the feet could be crushed if the weight is dropped, or, if the grip gives out during a hanging movement, an injury could occur. Grip Hangs. For this exercise, simply hang from a bar with a holding grip for a period of time, which should be increased as grips strengthens.

A twist on this movement is to use the fingers (hanging from a beam as opposed to a bar) to increase pinching grip.

Towel Grip Dumbbell Curls Wrap towel around the bar of a dumbbell, and grip both ends of the towel. Perform a curl in this fashion to work isometric crushing strength, and develop spectacular forearms. A good practice to get into, is to incorporate this movement into a biceps routine (between regular dumbbell curls for example) to really target total arm development.

Three sets of 12-15 repetitions for this movement. The normal strength-training rules concerning building up slowly before increasing weight apply, as they do with all remaining exercises in this article.

Towel-Grip & Plate-Grip Farmers Walk. These movements respectively develop isometric crushing and pinching strength. For both these movements, find a suitable area where one can walk 100 meters unobstructed. For the towel walk, attach a towel to a dumbbell or any other suitable weight (a brick, or sandbag etc), grasp hold of this weight and walk the designated distance until the grip gives out - the weight therefore needs to be suitably heavy so one does not have to walk a considerable distance. This movement really works all muscles of the forearm.

Static Barbell Hold This movement increases crushing and holding strength. It is a very simple exercise that involves taking a barbell from a rack and holding it for up to 90-seconds. To specifically develop various types of holding/crushing grips, use both the bar and a rolled-up towel to add different degrees of stimulus: the towel with make the grip wider and emphasize more of the pinching type strength. Three sets of 90-seconds for this movement.

Crushing/Squeezing/Tearing Exercises

These movements help to build vice-like strength in the hands, while establishing significant size in the forearms. The following exercises utilize the thumb, fingers and palm, which make them total grip strengthening movements.

Rubber Ball Squeeze Using a rubber ball (or tennis ball), simply squeeze and hold for up to 90-seconds. Train both hands with three sets each. This movement heavily targets the forearm flexors.

A Grip Strength Program

The following program is designed to build total grip strength. Certain exercises are omitted (Towel dumbbell rows and curls can be done during back and biceps training respectively). Training days can be shifted to suit current training program, if necessary.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the workload. Given the relatively non-taxing nature (in terms of stressing the entire body) of grip work, regular training sessions (back/biceps etc) can be easily worked around. The Friday and Saturday sessions can be done in front of the TV, or in a similar, relaxed, setting.

Conclusion

With everything available out there to develop a strong vice like grip,The ones featured in this article are what I consider to be the best and most efficacious, in terms of both developing phenomenal strength, and filling out the forearms. Some of the movements featured are pretty obscure, and used primarily as an aid to martial artists. However, they work equally as well for both strength athletes, and the general population.

Developing gripping strength will enhance not only the ability to handle heavy objects, but assist with injury prevention due to increased wrist/hand strength, enhance quality of training due to an increased ability to handle weights without the grip giving out, develop massive size in the forearms, and help with day activities such as opening jars. Developing gripping strength can be a lot fun, and is certainly worth committing to.Don’t delay train your grip today!

@2 years ago