For a lot of people in NYC, time is a valued and limited commodity.  A lot of times, there just isn't enough time in the day to get in a solid hour-long workout.  Instead of just working out for a few spare minutes, many people totally forgo the workout, missing out on the opportunity to get stronger, leaner, and meaner.

But what if all you needed was 10-15 minutes to get in great shape?  That's all the time you need to burn fat, strengthen your heart, and build muscle with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training.)  HIIT is a training method in which the workout intensity is so high that your body takes all day to recover.  An all out, non-stop for 10 minute workout can kick the butt off your traditional hour-long bubble gum workout.  (Bubble gum workout example: do a set of biceps curls, chat with your friend, grab some water, chat some more, look at yourself lovingly in the mirror, stretch your arm, then do another set 10 minutes later.)

Check out this article to learn more about HIIT, and check out a Barefoot Benny Boot Camp to get a little taste of what it means to WORKOUT!

Sorry folks, it's only Tuesday.  This is the last week of the Jumpstart! Fitness Challenge, so let's dominate this Quick Workout Of the Day and keep our heart rates up.  Let's go!

QWOD for Tuesday August, 24th

• 50 biceps curls with 5-10lb weight, on 1 leg (use gallons of water, soup cans, etc.  Switch legs halfway)
• 50 jumping jacks
  
• 12 1-legged squat jumps per leg
• 2 bridges for 45 seconds each
• 30 dips on the edge of a bed, chair, etc.
• 1 minute "T" arms (holding a soup can/light weight, keep arms straight out to side for 1 minute)
• 1 minute Frankenstein arms (holding a soup can/light weight, keep arms straight out in front of you)
• 15 SLOW straight leg lifts (on your back, arms by your side, lift straight legs 45 degrees off ground and back down)
  
• 30 in place backwards lunges total (15 per leg, switching off)
• 20 pushups on your fist
  

Here's a picture of me a few years ago, back when I wore thick, cushy sneakers.  I ate constantly, my confidence was low, and for some reason I look a bit like Peter Griffin.

Then one day I discovered the world of barefooting.  I started working out religiously and eating much healthier foods.  Today, I am Barefoot Benny.

Saturday's Quick Workout Of the Day is here and if you're part of the Jumpstart! Fitness Challenge, this is a great workout to test your endurance and prepare you to dominate the challenge next Friday.

Each exercise will take 20 seconds, and don't rest until you've completed the whole round.  Each round should take 2 minutes, no more, no less.  Push yourself and YOU WILL SEE RESULTS!

QWOD for Saturday, August 21st
*Do each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest in between

• Burpees
  
• Mountain climbers (keep your bum low)
• Air squats (sink your bum low, and squeeze your glutes on the way back up
• Fast calf raises
• Jump rope hops
• Left and right jabs, switching feet after 10 seconds
• ***2 minutes rest***
• Cross body mountain climbers
• Jump squats (with good form)
• Staggered hand pushups, switching hands every rep
• Bridge with leg raises (switch legs after 10 seconds)
• Horse stance punches as fast as you can (keep your core tight!)
  
• Burpees

Boo yea!

Vivo Barefoot, the great "barefoot" shoe company, recently came out with an instructional barefoot running video.  The teacher in the video, Lee Saxby, is a Level 4 Pose running instructor based out of England.  I have heard a lot about him through the Pose running message boards, and he is an incredible teacher.

In the video he shows how form improves by merely removing cushy running sneakers, but that poor form can still exist even when barefoot.  After a few drills to correct postural alignment, the runner in the video notices how much more easy and fun running is.  It almost becomes effortless when you really get in the zone.  Effortless running?  Sign me up.

The slow motion examples in the video are great, and be sure to look how the hips land above the ball of the foot.  If you're looking to learn barefoot running or Pose running in the NYC area, I offer both group clinics as well as one-on-one lessons.  I l

On Sunday, August 15th, I ran the fourth half marathon in the New York Road Runner's 5-Borough Half Marathon Series, this time up in the Boogie Down Bronx. I have never really walked around in The Bronx, so I was looking forward to touring a bit of the borough. Wake-up call was at 5:20am, about 40 minutes later than most other of the past outer-borough races since it was just a short hop north on the 4/5/6 line. I munched on my bagel on the crowded train uptown, and felt ready for the 13.1 miles ahead of me.

I spotted a few fellow Vibram Five Fingers wearers as I walked to my corral, but didn't talk to anybody for the 20 minutes before the 7am start. However, there was a woman named Elizabeth who said a quick hello to the one and only Barefoot Benny right after we crossed the starting line, so that was pretty cool. Within the first mile, I was passed by a speedy barefoot runner who looked like he was moving slowly but was actually cruising at a 7 minute mile pace. My plan was to catch up with him and say hi, but he got way too far ahead too quickly.

The course started weaving through a bunch of side streets with parked cars on both sides, and then opened up in a 3-lane road for a bit. There was a turn around only a few miles in, so I got a glimpse of the leaders flying down the course. Those guys friggin' run so fast it's unreal! I don't even think I could sprint and keep up with them!

I felt great for the first few miles, but was worried about hitting a wall at mile 6, much like I did at last month's Queens Half Marathon. The weather today was only 70 degrees and cool, opposed to 90 degrees and humid for the Queens, so that was working to my advantage. Surprisingly, I felt great after mile 6, and before I knew it, I was nearly at mile 9! I like when 3 miles go by without even realizing it!

I decided to kick it up a bit after I passed mile ten, telling myself all I had to run was a 5k and I'd be done. At another turn around I passed a guy named Tait who I met at two previous half marathons, so I gave him a quick shout out as he flew by the other way. I bumped into him post-race on the way home, and he said the quick shout out gave him a boost of energy and an extra kick.

The last few miles I tried to keep pace with an older out of shape guy with a headband that said "JIM" on it, but he was just too fast for me, and all I could hope for was to keep him in my sights. I had to remind myself to run my race, and not get caught up in running faster than I wanted. The worst case would be to pace with someone 30 seconds faster per mile than me and run out of steam and end up walking.

I kicked it up a notch for the last mile, since I still felt great and nothing hurt or ached. I made sure to concentrate on my form since I felt my hips and core giving out a bit. It's very important to run with a straight back with the chest high, and I feared that I was bending forward at the waist. The barefoot runner who passed me in the first mile came into site, and I caught up with him after a couple of minutes. I asked him if he got his shoes at CitySports, and he laughed at my corny joke. He said the bottoms of his feet were fine, but that his legs were kind of sore. He then saw me wearing the Vibram Bikilas, and informed me about a barefoot runners group in NYC. I said I was aware, told him to keep it up, and proceeded to pass him for the last half mile. I straight up sprinted the last 200 meters or so, and crossed the finish line with a new personal record of 1:39:55 (7:38 minute pace)!

I was extremely happy with the whole run, and loved that I felt great and not really tired at all during the course. The weather was perfect, the course was well laid out and fun with some good hills mixed in, and I just had zero complaints (well, the train ride back too a ridiculously long time, but oh well.) The Staten Island Half Marathon is the last race in the series, and I should be rocking that in October. When I first set the goal to do all 5 half marathons this year, I didn't think my body would hold up, but with only one race left, I feel confident that I'll achieve it.

Let's tone it down a notch today and put the "quick" back into Quick Workout Of the Day.  Enjoy, and be ready for the hill tomorrow.  Da da dunnnnn...

QWOD for Tuesday, August 17th

• 12 Opposite arm/opposite leg extensions per side, with 5 second holds per rep
• 1 minute wall squat (hands on the wall, not on your thighs)
• 10 pushups with 5 second hovers at the bottom
  

I was going to make today's Quick Workout Of the Day incredibly tough in sympathy for the half marathon I'm running on Sunday, but instead I'm going to make it incredibly tough in dedication to the injured Melanie.  She's been having some calf problems and is really bummed out, so when your arms are burning and your legs feel like jello, push through it and think of your injured fellow boot campers.

QWOD for Saturday, August 14th

• 50 X-squats (With wide feet, come down into a squat, and then push back up, bring your arms into a "Y", creating a full "X" with your body)
• 1 minute prone iso-abs (forearm plank), but switch off raising a leg every 10 seconds
• Heisman balance move for 1 minute (tire tire, hold the Heisman, tire tire, hold the Heisman...)
• 20 burpees with pushups (quit yer crying and do it!)
• Jog in place for 1 minute (this is your rest break, by the way)
• Arm holds for 3 minutes (hold your arms straight out to sides, slowly keep them level and bring them in front of you, then slowly bring them back out to sides, and keep repeating for 3 minutes)
• 20 1-legged squats per leg
• 25 dips on the edge of a couch/chair/bed
• 2 full-body supermans for 30 seconds each
• 1 minute prone iso-abs (Start with feet 2 feet apart, slowly walk your feet in, then slowly walk your feet back out, repeating for the full minute.  Keep squeezing the glutes and don't let the hips sag!)
  

There's a short article on SocialWorkout.com asking whether you would let your baby go barefoot.  An obvious reason against this, particularly outside, is that they don't know the difference between a sharp piece of glass and a Barney Doll.  As long as your home is somewhat babyproof, it should be absolutely fine to let a baby walk around barefoot.  I mean, they crawl around the floor, right?  Why not let them walk the house au natural?

A great outdoor alternative would be to buy minimalist baby footwear (does that even exist?) or even let them mosey around in thick socks.  Vibram Five Fingers will be coming out with kids line, which you can check out here.  Vivo Barefoot also has a kids line that you can see here.

One advantage of letting babies and toddler go barefoot is that they receive feedback from the soles of their feet, allowing them to keep their heads up, which prevents falling down.  Who wouldn't want their baby to learn to walk earlier?  Also, most shoes are too tight on kids, thus deforming their feet.  It's not as bad as foot binding, but sneakers don't allow the toes to spread out and let the foot muscles fully develop.

What do you think?

My all-star boot camper Melanie posted this on her Twitter account, and it's definitely worth reposting.  The star of the HBO series "Hung", Thomas Jane, loves going barefoot, but when it's not appropriate, he rocks his Vibram Five Fingers (he's rocking the newish Bikila's in the interview.)

The actor loves the freedom VFF's give to his feet, letting them move naturally instead of being caged in a sneaker.  Not only is it more comfortable, but wearing VFF's is just more fun.

Check out  what he has to say, and try it out for yourself!