Back in August, I was asked to participate in a children's Japanese TV show on the NHK network.  I was pitted in competition against a female soccer player in the 30 Steps game.  You can read all about my experience here.

It took a few months, but the video was finally produced and....I'm in it for like two seconds!  What a bust!  While I don't recommend watching the whole thing, you can see me kick some butt at about the three minute mark here.

Being a barefoot personal trainer is a very rewarding profession, and the people I meet and opportunities that arise never cease to amaze me.  I met a barefoot runner in Barcelona, Spain who gave my wife and I a free guided tour of the city last year.  I trained a semi-famous rock star who went on to perform on a late-night talks show later that same day.  And yesterday I got a chance to be on a Japanese TV show.  Huh?

Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to do a video shoot for the Japanese TV station NHK.  Their education department produces a children's show, and they wanted various people to do participate in a game called "30 steps".  Basically you step as fast as you can in place, alternating your feet, and then jump with both feet when you get to the 10th step.  You do this three times while counting out loud, and the person who finishes first is declared the winner.  It takes about 10-15 seconds to complete and that's it.

The show's producer wanted me to compete against a woman's soccer player, since women's soccer is huge in Japan after the country took home the World Cup about two months ago.  My "thing" was that I was to do the game barefoot, which anybody in the world, whether in Japan or the US or Cambodia would find weird.  The shoot took place up in the Columbia University sports complex in the upper west tip of Manhattan.  It's very peaceful up there, but dang is it far!

After the film crew did some profile shots of us (the soccer player kicked balls into a net, and I did some barefoot running and some pushups), we got down to business.  They filmed us playing the 30 steps game four different times (I won the first, and we tied the next three times), but a tie didn't seem what the producer wanted, though she was too shy to say anything.  So I decided to rig the game, and hold a Rock Paper Scissors contest to decide who would win.  Advantage: me.

I never met this collegiate soccer player before in my life, but I knew I could beat her.  Why?  Because nuthin' beats rock.  After destroying her weak scissors throw, we redid the 30 steps game, and she purposefully jumped a bit too high on the third and final set of steps, allowing me to beat her by half a second.  I basked in barefoot glory for the camera and that was a wrap!

The segment won't air until November or December, but I'll be sure to send out a link to the clip.

If you're into the whole barefoot running "thing", you've probably come across Dr. Daniel Lieberman, the Harvard evolutionary biology professor who lends scientific credibility to us barefoot/minimalist runners.  (See past articles here and here).

Dr. Lieberman recently did an interview with a New York Times reporter and spoke about the evolution of the human body, which of course led into him speaking about barefoot running.  The article is fairly short, and it's definitely worth a read.

Yea, the weekend is here!  If you live in NYC, check out Summer Streets on Saturday - it's amazing!  If my left ankle holds up, I plan on running from the Upper East Side all the way across the Brooklyn Bridge and then back to the UES.  Running is an amazing way to explore any city, especially NYC.

If you don't plan on running 12 miles or so, give this Quick Workout Of the Day a try.  It'll kick your tush, but it'll be so worth it!

QWOD for Saturday, August 20th, 2011

• 1 minute of jumping jacks
• 8 burpees with pushups
• 10 burpees without pushups
• 1 minute of bridge (on your back, raise your hips)
• 10 burpees with pushups
• 15 burpees without pushups
• 30 second bridge with right leg in air
• 30 second bridge with left leg in air
• 12 burpees with pushups
• 20 burpees without pushups
• BRING IT!!!
  

Fartlek, pronounced fart-lick, is a hilarious word.  It makes me giggle like a little school girl.  (Note: I'd make a very ugly school girl, at 6'1", 190 lbs.)  But a fartlek has more going for it than just humor.  Fartleks are a great way to increase your overall speed and stamina.  Fartlek is a Swedish term meaning "speed play" and is a form of interval or speed training where you basically change the tempo of your run, instead of just going at the same old boring pace.

This weekend Quick Workout Of the Day will require you to put on your minimalist shoes (or just go barefoot), go outside and run!  Keep it intense, and give it 100%.

Have a great weekend, and have a great workout!

PS  True or false: I overly used the word "fartlek" in this post?

QWOD for Saturday, August 6th, 2011

• 1 minute jumping jack (jj's)
• Jog slowly for 1 minute
• SPRINT for 20 seconds
• Jog slowly for 1 minute
• SPRINT for 20 seconds
• Jog at a normal pace for 1 minute
  
• SPRINT for 20 seconds
• Jog at a normal pace for 1 minute
• SPRINT for 20 seconds
• Jog slowly for 1 minute
  

If you're in pain from last night's boot camp, smile and give yourself a pat on the back.  You rock!  If you're not in pain, DO MORE PUSHUPS!!!

Today's Quick Workout Of the Day will focus on keeping your core strong and durable.  Good luck soldier!

QWOD for Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

• 2 minutes of jumping jacks
• 30 second superman
• 1 minute opposite arm/opposite leg (right arm, left leg) - GO SLOW
• 1 minute opposite arm/opposite leg (left arm, right leg) - GO SLOW
• 45 seconds of twisting mountain climbers (keep your butt low, back flat, and bring opposite knee to opposite elbow every rep)
• 30 second superman
• 1 minute bridge or full wheel (feel that burn, keep the hips high!)
  

It's been a solid first week of this Jumpstart! Fitness Challenge and you all should keep up the positive momentum by trying this Quick Workout Of the Day.  Bang it out on Saturday, or give it a go on Sunday, or just be badass and rock it on both days!

If you're awake, say hi to me in Central Park on Saturday morning, where I'll be running nine miles all by my lonesome.  Giddy up!

QWOD for Saturday, July 30th, 2011

• 50 biceps curls with 5-10 lb. weights/soup cans/gallon jugs of water
• 25 dips on edge of chair/couch/bed
• 50 air squats (butt should touch couch every time)
• 25 more dips
• ***REPEAT ONCE*** and then...
  
• 25 burpees with pushups
  

Five minutes is pretty short, right?  Hell yea!  That's as long as it will take to do today's Quick Workout Of the Day.  Go all out and as you're sweating and breathing hard, keep reminding yourself "Hey, Self, it's only five minutes!"

QWOD for Thursday, July 28th, 2011

• Do as many rounds in 5 minutes of:
• 10 pushups
• 15 dips
• 10 side lunges to the right
• 10 side lunges to the left
• 10 jump squats

Leave the number of rounds you did in the comments section.

Here we are, going into the last weekend of the Jumpstart! Fitness Challenge.  With two challenges looming for next Thursday, it's time to buckle down and really push yourself to get strong, get toned, get angry!

Give this Quick Workout Of the Day a try over the weekend and be confident for your final exam next Thursday...

QWOD for Saturday July 9th, 2011

• 2 minutes of warmup (jog in place, jumping jacks, burpees without pushups)
• Max rep dips on chair, edge of bed or couch
• 5 more dips
• Max rep assisted pistol squats holding onto a door frame, partner, etc.
• 2 bonus pistol squats
• 15 diamond pushups
• 2 bonus diamond pushups
• 20 single leg squats per leg
• ***REPEAT TWICE***
  

It's Wednesday.  It's hot out.  You're probably sore from yesterday's workout (I know I am.)  You probably have a zillion excuses to not do today's Quick Workout Of the Day.

But you're an animal.  You're a champion.  You have a goal: get ripped and feel great!

So you're going to get off the couch, leave you're air conditioned apartment, and keep up that positive momentum by dominating today's workout.

Go git 'em tiger!

QWOD for Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

• 2 minute warmup (jumping jack, high knees, leg swings, etc.)
  
• Run for 3 minutes
• Stop, do 20 pushups
• Run for 3 minutes
• Stop, do 15 pushups
• Run for 3 minutes
• Stop, do 10 pushups
• Run for 3 minutes
• Stop, do 10 pushups
• Stretch quads and calves for 2 minutes
• Do 10 burpess with pushups