Duck Tape Agility Ladder

In the warmer Wisconsin months I lead a group of men and women of all ages through a free weekly bootcamp-style workout. I'm introducing agility ladders this season so earlier this year I made two ladders. See this post with directions for the rope versions.

Today I made another ladder out of Duck Tape and craft dowels ($0.97/16 .1875in x 12 inch-pieces.)

Pros: affordable, with fun colors available. I bought:

- silver Duck Tape (general purpose version) $3.97/55 yards

- Blaze Orange Duck Tape $3.37/16.5 yards

Cons: Duck tape is sticky!! If you want each piece/square/angle perfect, then use small pieces and patience. Mine is not perfect -- but I think it'll work fine.

I made the squares about 18 in x 18 in. The dowels were easy to snap in half, so each rung was 1.5 dowels wide. I'm hoping the dowels help weight down the rungs.

Agility Exercises:

http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/assets/Exercisesheets/PDF/Agilityladder.pdf

http://www.coreperformance.com/agility/

Duck vs. Duct? Learn more here.
Duck Tape Pirate Hat - make your own here.

Check out the Duck Tape Club (tm) for more ideas.

Question for You:

- What have you made out of Duck Tape?

- Do you say Duct or Duck?

- What other exercises/ideas should I consider for this year's bootcamp season?

- Do you think the orange rungs will encourage people to move their feet?

photos by me: I bought a ton of craft dowels! Extra tape too.

Village Bootcamp #2: Welcome Back!

I lead a free one-hour bootcamp-style workout Tuesday nights at Highland Oaks Park in McFarland, Wis. If you're in the neighborhood, please join us. Bring water, a blanket or mat & small weights or bands if you have them.

Welcome new Village Bootcampers! Thanks for joining us!

Resources for You:
Here's more info on why & how intervals work for you:
- The Myth of the Fat-burning Zone
**why long, slow steady-state aerobics is NOT effective for fat burning
- Land of the Lost training
**as a triathlete I trained in the nowhere zone
- Cardio Queen Sees Light of Day
**Abby attends Dustin Maher's Fit Fun Bootcamps. Read more about her transformation!

Music: What Works Best
Music with a beat between 120-140 beats-per-minute is most effective for your workout, according to Dr. Costas Karagerghis' study "Music in Rehab Project."
- Fitness Magazine's Top 100 Workout songs
- Race Motivation Songs from trifuel.com

Question for You: What song gets you moving?

Village Bootcamp #1: Why intervals work, pre- and post-workout nutrition tips & bootcamp-style exercises from active.com.

Next Time:
Tuesday July 14th 6:30-7:30 at Highland Oaks Park in McFarland
*rain date Thursday July 16th at 6:30
*bring water, mat/blanket, small weights/bands & wear good shoes.
*other dates/times may open soon, as my co-op leaders get organized

Village Bootcamp: why intervals work, ideas for you

I lead a free bootcamp-style workout Tuesday nights at Highland Oaks Park in McFarland, Wis. If you're in the neighborhood, please join us. Bring water, a blanket or mat & small weights or bands if you have them.

Resources for You:

Make your own bootcamp-style interval workout- check out great ideas on active.com's youtube channel. Thanks Active Toby!

**Village Bootcampers, expect to see the Walkout (love that one) & some new ones, with more ab/core work too.

Check out these active.com articles & discover:
- how intervals turn your muscles into 24-hr fat-burning machines
- that interval training improves aerobic capacity
- how interval training helps runners hold race pace easier & sprint faster

Thanks Melissa for asking the first question at bootcamp. She wants to know, what to eat post-workout? Madison, Wis.-based trainer Dustin Maher shares his pre- and post-nutrition ideas here. You'll learn why protein & simple sugars are important post-workout. And consider his many bootcamp offerings, one at McDaniels park in McFarland.

Question for you:
- What's your favorite bootcamp move/exercise?

Next time:
Tuesday July 7th 6:30-7:30 at Highland Oaks Park in McFarland.
*bring water, mat/blanket, small weights/bands & wear good shoes.
*rain date: Thurs July 9th 6:30-7:30

photo credit: my old new shoes