Kettlebells are becoming very popular in North America. They look like big weights with a handle on top to grip. Kettlebells can range from light weights all the way up to and including 150lbs. When you watch people swinging them around and breathing funny it may be slightly intimidating, but they are great for strength, speed, and cardiovascular work. They are a fun way to change up the monotony in your workout routine.
As we speak I am on a plane back to Europe, I have been home in Canada now for just over a month in which time I have done Nationals, BC Superweek, and some nice time with family, friends, and the Sushi bar. After the my early season in Europe a nice trip home to see friends and restock on my favourite RIVALUS products is very welcomed, living in Spain is a wonderful experience but once in awhile there are a couple things you tend to miss from back home, for me that’s Sushi.
My name is Justin Styffe and I play for the Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League. I am a third year professional and feel lucky to do what I do. All of the perks of professional hockey of course come with a price tag. All too often that price is injury.
On January 16th of last season I was going hard to the net when I was hauled down from behind. I went feet first into the goal and caught my left foot on the post. It bent my foot back, rupturing all the ligaments in the top of my ankle, breaking four bones in my ankle and breaking my fibula in three places. The result was an ended season and an eight hour surgery to install plates, cables, bolts, and screws.
I flew into Kingston Thursday June 25 for the trials. The weather was rainy all over the island and it continued all through Friday. I was able to visit my home town and spent the night before I ventured back to Kingston and got myself back to addressing the task at hand; another national championship.
The last encounter was a bit close, with only 1 tenth of a second separating 1st and 2nd. I finished the race in lane 4 or 5 a bit peculiar for the 800m, but apparently my counterpart kept drifting to the right down the final straight and I had to do the same to avoid collision. It may have been a case of blurred vision, the jury is still out :-)
Team RIVALUS Athlete USA Today’s Athlete of the Week
USA TODAY
Team RIVALUS Athlete and USA Track Sensation, David Oliver keeps lowering his personal-best in the 110-meter hurdles, rapidly closing in on the world record set by Cuba’s Dayron Robles two years ago. Oliver shaved .01 seconds (12.89) off his American record at a Diamond League meet in Paris on Friday. He is USA TODAY’s Olympic athlete of the week.
This time of year I constantly find myself looking for any type of mental advantage to get ahead. In the current peek training weeks for a hockey player such as myself I have found that it is not a matter of finding an advantage to get ahead but more so creating the advantage for you.
Rather than going through your daily workout in a typical gym setting, surround yourself with an atmosphere that is meaningful and serves a purpose. For example, running the stadium stairs or early morning sprints on the beach as the sun comes up. Tiger Woods has been spotted on numerous occasions running the cart path of the golf course the morning of competition he uses this activity as a mental tool to prepare himself for the upcoming contest. Using visualization to constantly reminds yourself of your goals both on and off the playing surface I have found to be a useful asset in training. This process comes in handy when training sessions push you past your physical threshold, when your body begins to impolitely raise it’s voice to you and when you find yourself in a place where your competitors haven’t been before.
Team RIVALUS Athlete, Steve MacIntyre of the Edmonton Oilers is well known throughout the NHL as one of the top fighters in the league. Take a look at this exclusive RIVALUS video where ‘Big Steve’ gives us the inside scoop on some of the tricks of his trade.
US Olympian Kenta Bell, known as “The Best Jumper Alive”, took some time to thank RIVALUS this week on his personal blog and goes into a little detail just why RIVALUS has treated him so well.
“I joined forces with [RIVALUS] a while back and I am overwhelmed daily by how well their product works,” Kenta wrote in his blog. “In my 12+ years of competing at an elite level, never have I had a product line that I felt so strongly about. From looking at the packaging details you can see that things are clean and simple. This product is just that pure, clean, quality, and simple. With this line you don’t get lots of fluff and artificial fillers.”
RIVALUS announces the newest addition to the roster, David Clarkson, right wing for the New Jersey Devils.
David is well known for his meticulous attention to detail in preparation for training and games, and also for his genuine and down-to-earth personality. “RIVALUS is committed to creating high-quality products to meet the needs of high-performance athletes. David Clarkson is one such impressive athlete. He maintains a consistent body composition and muscular strength while meeting the rigorous demands of the long on-ice competition season. We like David’s style, attitude and dedication and are happy to have him as a Team RIVALUS Athlete.” – Dr. Darren Burke, CEO and Founder, RIVALUS Inc.
Humans are creatures of habit. Five days a week we wake up, eat breakfast, drive to work the same route, go to the gym, do our regular workout and then head home in time for the news and dinner. We love getting into a routine and sticking to it. Many people feel off when their routine is changed. I know that I do. People also get into routines at the gym. It becomes second nature to go to the gym, do the same workouts, on the same machines, talk to the same people and leave. When a routine like this happens we run the risk of Plateauing.
Kettlebells are becoming very popular in North America. They look like big weights with a handle on top to grip. Kettlebells can range from light weights all the way up to and including 150lbs. When you watch people swinging them around and breathing funny it may be slightly intimidating, but they are great for strength, speed, and cardiovascular work. They are a fun way to change up the monotony in your workout routine.
