February 5, 2018

Every successful product starts with a plan.

The plan – the blueprint, if you will – for DDP Yoga is the Diamond Dozen.

The DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen is made up of 13 movements. In other words, it’s a baker’s dozen.

The series will teach you how to create dynamic resistance, which, combined with your breathing, will give you an amazing workout that:

1. Helps increase your heart rate to help you burn calories
2. Increase your potential to burn fat and build strength
3. Features no running, no jumping, and no lifting

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The DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen

Take a look at these 13 movements to get a great start with your DDP Yoga program.

1. Ignition Into Touchdown

2. Diamond Cutter

3. Bar Back (Bent Leg and Straight Leg)

4. Catcher Into Thunderbolt

5. Cobra Into Down Dog

6. Slow-Burn Push-Ups

7. Table Into Cat Stretch Into Broken Table

8. Supported Lunge Into Space Shuttle

9. Road Warriors 1 and 2

10. Dynamic Resistance Cables Into Dynamic Resistance Curls

11. Dynamic Resistance Rows

12. Dynamic Resistance Punches

13. Safety Zone

Find A Certified DDP Yoga Instructor

Learn how to put all of these moves together into an easy or challenging workout with a certified DDP Yoga instructor. You can find a list here.

Of course, I teach DDP Yoga with the Metamora Park District. I also offer 1:1 personal training, small group training, and the 60-Day Challenge at Titan Fitness.

February 3, 2018

The final posture in the DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen is actually the 13th movement (Dallas was never very good at math).

It’s called Safety Zone.

Safety Zone is more traditionally known as Child’s Pose.

Unlike the other movements in the DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen, Safety Zone is meant to slow down your heart rate. It’s where you go when you need a rest because your heart rate is too high or you just need a break.

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Safety Zone is a resting position.

How To Do Safety Zone

From Table, flatten your feet so that your insteps are touching the ground. Lower your hips and butt back so that you’re sitting on your heels. Meanwhile, your hands haven’t moved, so when you rock back, your arms and shoulders get a chance to stretch out. Tuck your chin and relax.

Your spine should be long, and you shouldn’t feel any pressure in your spine or your neck.

To come out of Safety Zone, lift your hips back up off your feet so that you’re back in Table.

Benefits of Safety Zone

In addition to the fact that it can slow your heart rate down from a hard workout, Safety Zone is also a great stretch of muscles in the front of and behind your body.

I use Safety Zone to help mobilize my shoulders before and after weightlifting sessions.

Now that you know how to do Safety Zone, why don’t you give it a shot with me? You have opportunities every Thursday night at the Metamora Park District office, and as your schedule allows during my 60-Day Challenge at Titan Fitness in Peoria and Washington.

February 2, 2018

There’s very few ways I can think of to relieve stress than to punch something.

Or, at least, envision punching something.

That’s why I love the DDP Yoga Dynamic Resistance Punches so much. I feel like I’m obliterating anything in front of me while I do it.

Invariably, I’m asked the question about how to form a punch. My review of the DDP Yoga materials leads me to the conclusion that how to form the punch isn’t that big of a deal. That makes sense. DDP Yoga isn’t punching quite the same as punching to knock someone out. 

via GIPHY

It’s a workout. There’s a bit of a difference.

However, I make an attempt to form a structurally sound punch every time, and that’s how I like to teach it.

How To Form A Punch

There are a few ways to shape your hand into a fist.

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Hold your fingers out straight like you’re going to high-five someone. Keeping your thumb out, curl your four fingers down so that they’re clenched into your hand. Then, take your thumb and wrap it on top of your index and middle fingers. It may touch your ring finger. Basically, that’s how you form a punch.

For the purposes of DDP Yoga, here are a few pointers:

• Don’t fully straighten your elbow. Always keep a bend in it. This will help keep your elbow safe, and won’t subject you to ailments like “tennis elbow.”
• The point of your elbow should face down and not off to the side.
• Extend your punch so that your index and middle fingers are the furthest knuckles out. This keeps your wrist in alignment, forming a stronger punch. If you ever needed to use a real punch, this is a good way to practice it so don’t hurt yourself.
• Always draw your opposite punch back to your waist.

If you want bonus points:

• You typically see a punch “corkscrew” out. What I mean by that is your punch starts on your waist facing palm-up, and it ends facing palm-down (more or less). Keep your wrist facing palm-up until right when you get to full extension, and then quickly rotate it down. In practical self-defense, that will provide you with a bit more power for your technique.
• If you’ve practiced martial arts, your style and school may prefer a particular hand technique. Careful observers may notice that my fists always take the form of the Okinawan fist, since I studied Okinawan martial arts for 12 years and hold a second-degree black belt in Okinawan karate.

And that’s how you form the punch.

How To Do DDP Yoga Dynamic Resistance Punches

Of course, by now, you’ve already learned how to create your own dynamic resistance. You’ll apply the DR concept to the punches, as well.

From a Supported Lunge stance (or Road Warrior stance, if you’re feeling frisky), reach out and grab an imaginary ball in front of you. Let’s assume your left leg is forward.

Pull your left fist back so that your right fist is out. In other words, you’re doing a reverse punch.

Now, using a typical count of 3, 2, 1, pull your right fist back as your left fist comes out. Then, punch your right fist out as your left fist comes back for 3, 2, 1. That is one rep. You will usually do three, but you also may do five.

How To Do DDP Yoga Fast-Twitch Punches

DDP Yoga offers another way to do punches. This time, you’re punching out quickly.

Assume your same position from the previous example – your left leg is forward and your right foot is back in Supported Lunge. Grab the ball, and pull your left fist back. You will do two punches rapid fire – left and then right – for a count of 1-1. Each count gets a punch. Count up for 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc., until you reach five or 10.

via GIPHY

You might want to control your punches a little better than this guy.

What DDP Yoga Punches Work And Their Benefits

DDP Yoga punches work your shoulders, lats, arms, and chest. To create the dynamic resistance, these areas should be engaged at all times in the punching section of the workout. Your chest drives a lot of the power of the punch while your lat helps to stabilize your shoulder so you don’t injure it.

What’s not so obvious about these punches are that they are a deceptive assault on your balance. To stay in Supported Lunge, your core and your legs are working overtime, especially for the fast-twitch punches.

For these reasons, the DDP Yoga DR Punches are a great addition to your DDP Yoga plan.

If you’d like to try them out, please contact me to learn more about my 60-Day Challenge at Titan Fitness or my group fitness class at Metamora Parks & Recreation.

February 1, 2018

This DDP Yoga position might be my favorite because I think it’s often underrated for its effectiveness.

This is the Dynamic Resistance Row.

How To Do DDP Yoga DR Rows

You’ve already mastered Dynamic Resistance and Supported Lunge.

Now, it’s time to add a new challenge.

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From Supported Lunge, reach your hands out to grab the ball so it’s like your fingers are shooting out water from a fire hydrant.

via GIPHY

Inhale, drop the ball, and clench your fists together.

Exhale and pull your hands back for a count of 3, 2, 1. You should be squeezing your shoulder blades together here. Just like Bar Back, imagine you have a coin in between them that you’re trying to keep from falling to the floor.

via GIPHY

Take a moment to squeeze here while you inhale.

Open your palms, extend your fingers, exhale, and push against the side of a mountain for a count of 3, 2, 1.

Finish like you’re reaching out to grab the ball once again.

As far as I can tell, this movement is unique to DDP Yoga.

What You’re Working During the DR Row

Your lats and biceps are the main muscles you’re working during the DR Row.

Your latissimus dorsi helps to lower your arms to the side, lift your arms in front or behind you, or rotate your arm. Strengthening this helps to increase the function of these movements.

Meanwhile, your biceps help to bend your elbow. (And, they look really good when you’re doing Showstopper!)

The Benefits Of The DDP Yoga DR Row

 

The benefits of the DR Row are similar to the benefits of the DR Cables and DR Curls – you can build strength and muscle with zero weights, which means the joints are not stressed.

Additionally, since dynamic resistance is involved, you can increase your heart rate and burn calories while doing so.

Give The DDP Yoga DR Row A Shot

If you’d like to try the DR Row – or any DDP Yoga movement – contact me! I teach classes on Thursday nights at 6:30 in Metamora with a great group of men and women. I also do 1:1 and small group personal training at Titan Fitness in Washington and Peoria. 

January 31, 2018

It’s often said that DDP Yoga gets your heart pumping by just standing still, with no running, jumping, or lifting involved.

My personal favorite way to demonstrate that is with DR Curls.

How To Do Dynamic Resistance Curls

You already know how to get dynamic resistance going from Ignition.

In case you need a reminder, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and flex your quadriceps (thighs). Pick up your toes and grip them into the mat to engage your calves. Then straighten your legs and keep a slight bend in the knee. Pretend like you’re pulling your legs together as if they were on ice, but they don’t move. You should feel this in your adductors inside your legs. Finally, squeeze your glutes.

Now you’ve fully engaged your legs. Almost all of your muscles from your belt line down should be flexed here.

For the Cables part, reach out to the sides like you have imaginary dumbbells. Imagine you’re picking up 100-pound weights. Pull them up so that your forearms are parallel to the ground and you have a 90-degree bend in your elbow for a count of 3, 2, 1. Squeeze your biceps!

via GIPHY

Once you’ve reached the top, turn your palms over, open up your hands and pull your fingers apart, and push down for a count of 3, 2, 1. Inhale with your chest out and shoulders back, just like the end of a Diamond Cutter.

Your heart should really be going after a set of three of these.

How To Do Dynamic Resistance Cables

The DR Cables assume the starting position of Road Warrior 2 (what a rush!).

From Road Warrior 2, turn your palms up. “Grab the cables,” so to speak, and pull in for 3, 2, 1. This time, your forearms should be perpendicular to the ground. Flex those biceps!

This position is also known as Showstopper, which is named after one of the many monikers and signature poses of the legendary Shawn Michaels.

via GIPHY

To finish this move, turn your palms away from each other and push away like you’re moving through wet concrete for 3, 2, 1.

What Body Parts Are Worked By DR Curls and DR Cables

These DDP Yoga moves primarily work the arms:

1. Biceps
2. Triceps
3. Forearms

However, because you may be in a Lunge or a Road Warrior position, your legs may also be doing work, too.

The Benefits of DR Curls and DR Cables

Each of these moves can replicate similar movements to lifting weights. You can still build muscle and strength without dumbbells or curls. A bonus here is that you can do so without placing stress on your joints. However, if curling a heavy weight is a goal for you, you should still make that your primary focus.

Another bonus to this move that I’ve found is that it keeps the workout fun. When people first see Showstopper, especially, they feel a little silly. But, I’d like to think as people get used to the move, they like the idea of showing off their guns. Including a social aspect in a group fitness class is always a plus.

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Try DDP Yoga DR Cables and DR Curls With Me

I have two ways you can try this move with me. First is my group class in Metamora on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Second is my 60-day challenge, 1:1, or small group training I offer at both Titan Fitness locations in central Illinois.

I hope to see you intimidating Shawn Michaels in no time!