Did you see Blake Griffin‘s dunk over Timofey Mozgov in November 2010? Most people agree that it’s one of the best NBA dunks of the last years. And Blake Griffin doesn’t get tired dunking – in fact he leads the league in dunks (100 until January 26, 2011).

Being 6 ft. 10 inches (2.08 m) tall and having a 37.5-inch vertical, dunking is easy for Blake, however it’s interesting that his standing reach and wingspan are far below average for his position (power forward). The reason for his almost unique combination of power and explosion (LeBron James and Dwight Howard are two other examples) is a special training – workouts on sand with a 60-pound (27 kg) weight vest obviously pay off.

But, you don’t need to complete such an extreme training in order to improve your vertical jump. There are great exercises that will help you to increase your vertical in a short period of time. So, without further chit-chat, here are the top 3 exercises to jump higher:

1) Box Jumps. For this exercise you need a solid box. The idea is simple: jump onto the box, step down and repeat the motion. Start with a box height of 16 inches (40 cm) and increase the height if you have no problem jumping onto it. Do 6 reps per set.

2) Depth Jumps. The goal here is to step off the box and jump back in the air with maximum power as soon as you hit the ground. Do 8 reps per set (max. 4) – only two days a week! Your muscles need to regenerate after such intensive athletic ability.

3) Split Squat Jumps. This exercise will improve your leg strength and explosiveness. Starting position is the lunge position (check in on Google images or youtube). Now jump up and switch legs. Repeat the exercise 8 times on each leg (5 sets). By the way, split squat jumps are part of Brandon Roy’s (40-inch vertical) daily routine.

Don’t forget to warm up and stretch before AND after your workouts! Also, keep in mind that if you want to improve your vertical jump you need to work on your jumping explosion and NOT jumping endurance.

That’s why jumping as much as you can will do more harm than good. It’s all about the right execution of the exercises, the right amount of repetitions and the right amount of rest (especially doing plyometrics) – as your muscles need a lot of time to regenerate after intense athletic activity (at least 24 hours, 48 is even better).

I recommend to stick to a vertical jump program ( The Jump Manual ) as it gives you concrete training plans, exercise videos, numbers of sets and repetitions.

P.S. You probably know Blake Griffin will be in the 2011 NBA slam dunk Contest. But did you know that Blake won the Slam Dunk Contest at the McDonald’s All-American game in 2007 (a one-point win against Austin Freeman)?

How rewarding it is for your dog to sit and stay calmly before you allow him to get some food, or treat or a toy. And for your dog, it is a wonderful experience to wait until you to give the command. Because that’s how your dog wants to interact with you. You are in charge of his space and he will obey and reward you when you make training fun.

The Sit & Stay Game makes training your dog to sit and stay a fun and rewarding experience for both of you.

Rules of the Game

• Choose a high-reward food and make sure that your dog is hungry and ready to eat.
• Decide on the “Command” word. Keep it consistent, something like “Sit (or Stay or Wait)” works well.
• Decide on the “No Reward” marker word, something like “Nope (or Too Bad or Opps)” works well.
• Watch your dog’s language. The way a dog says “please” is to get into the “sit” position.
• Be patient. You dog will sit to say “please” (eventually).

Sit & Stay Food Bowl Game

When a dog wants food, a toy, to play, or just going out the door, he looks for a command from the pack leader. So here’s a brilliant way to train your dog that is fun and rewarding. At the same time, you are giving your dog the impression that you are the pack leader:

1. Ask your dog to “Sit” while you hold the food bowl out of reach from your dog, about 2 feet away. Stand sideways with one shoulder facing him. Hold the bowl on the opposite side.
2. Begin to lower the bowl straight down to the floor. As you lower the bowl, if your dog moves or gets up, simply say very matter-of-factly “Nope” (your command word) AND at the same time move the bowl away and out of reach. Then ask your dog to sit again. (You may need to step out of position so you can face your dog sideways or put him back into position if he has scooted forward). The key is to start fresh from the same position again.
3. When your dog maintains the SIT POSITION, start lowering the bowl to the floor–while he is still in position. If your dog starts to get up to come to the bowl, pull the bowl back up again. The key is that you are bending down with the bowl and pulling back with the bowl until you can place it on the floor while your dog is HOLDING THE SIT POSITION.
4. Make eye contact with your dog while he is in the sit position. You want your dog to stay in the sit position AND make eye contact, before you move the bowl to your dog and give it to him.
5. When you have placed the bowl on the floor, say “Stay” (or your command word), wait a few seconds, then move the bowl towards your dog and allow him to eat. Don’t expect too much from your dog, yet. Just a few seconds of HOLDING THE STAY POSITION “wait” time is good at first.
6. When your dog has maintained the SIT & STAY for a few seconds, then move the bowl toward your dog and allow him to eat his food. Play the game one or two times a day, at feeding time, adding a few seconds to the “Stay” time until your dog holds the SIT & STAY position and you give him the bowl. You are developing your dog’s behavior to sit and wait for your command in order to get the reward.

Remember both you and your dog needs to understand the rules: In order to get food your dog must hold the Sit & Stay position and look at you (not the food) to win the game!

You can try this with a treat, a ball or toy too. Keep it fun, laugh at your dog when he tries to cheat, and give your dog praise when he gets it right.

The Sit & Stay Game is not just about training your dog to sit and stay for food. It’s about the praise you give–and the joy you get when your dog politely sits and stays for you. What it’s really about is winning a fun and rewarding relationship for both you and your dog!

Often, people compare having a dog to having a child-and in some instances, they would be correct. Taking care of a canine is a huge responsibility, especially if staring out with a puppy. For owners everywhere, here’s a look at five benefits of training.

1. Keeps the Dog Out of Danger

A part of training a pup is working on voice commands, such as sit, speak, and stay. Mistakenly, people think this is teaching tricks; however, this allows the owner to have voice control. This can prevent the dog from jumping fences or running away.

2. Bonding

Just like a child to their mother or father, proper training will allow a canine and their owner to bond. This allows trust to form with its owner and also help the owner discover what makes their puppy happy or agitated. In the same regard, the dog will begin to recognize tonal voice commands and can pick up when their owners are happy or disappointed with them.

3. Trust is Built

Training builds trust, and just like a teenager, an owner will begin to give the dog some independence, such as staying home alone without being cared for. The animal also begins to trust the owner and will start to show remorse when they do something wrong.

4. Easier on Traveling Plans

Dogs that are well-trained are less stressed when they travel, which allows them to adapt quickly to their environment. For long distance travel, owners will be able to better control their companion which helps the pup stay alert and happy while allowing them to govern their behavior.

5. Allows for Social Adaptation

Training is important-especially for rescues and puppies who have anxiety around people or other animals. The trainer will give you and the canine coping mechanisms to help with social stressors that can lead to irrational behavior. Owners will be able to pick up on social cues that they are anxious and respond quickly. This type of intervention will prevent the dog from displaying erratic behavior and biting another person or animal because they didn’t have the necessary tools to respond to their stress.

When contacting a professional trainer, they will want to consult with you about your pet. It’s important to record their worst behaviors and note any trigger points. The trainer will then assess your situation and give you tools to use at home while they train.

The reason most people get pets is because they want the companionship. However, how much good does that do if the animal isn’t well-trained? A training program will make life much more pleasurable for the dog and the owner.

It may look like they’re not doing much on the field, but catchers have an important role in softball. Along with the pitcher, the catcher is one of the main operators of the defensive aspect of the game.

So if you want to be a softball catcher, congratulations, first of all, for wanting to take on this very challenging position. That said, let me share with you some of the essential qualities that you need to imbibe in order to become a good softball catcher.

Here they are:

Have Good Leadership Skills. Being behind the home plate gives you a complete view of the field. With this view, you can see whether someone will attempt to steal the base, where the ball is going, and what you’re probably doing wrong in your defense if your team’s experiencing a slump.

Because of this, you need to be able to gather your team together in coming up with an overall strategy in playing the game. That includes directing the pitcher in what type of pitch to throw at a particular situation, alert the pitcher that a baserunner looks like she’s going to steal the base, among other things.

Have Good Legs

When you look at the stance of a catcher, you can only begin to imagine how difficult it is to be in that kind of position.

Most of the time, catchers are squatting while waiting for the pitch. And when they catch the ball, they usually need to quickly rise from their position to throw the ball to other defensive players on the field.

That is why you also need to strengthen your legs if you want to be a good catcher. Squatting for most of the 7 innings is no fun at all if you can’t support your body and are unable to get up from your position quickly.

There are specific drills that will help you do this. Ask your training coach for these drills to help you play this position.

Have a Good Throwing Arm

As I mentioned earlier, being a catcher also involves a good amount of throwing the ball to other defensive players. Because of this, you might have to throw the ball to the 2nd base which is pretty far if your throwing arm is weak.

That’s why you also need to strengthen your throwing arm to play this position. As with being able to endure squatting while on the field, you should also ask your coach for recommendations on drills and exercises that will help you in this aspect of your game.

But What If You’re Inexperienced?

Every one of us has to start somewhere. So, if you really want to be a catcher, make every effort to become one. That will include doing the drills and exercises you need to become a good catcher.

But you also have to keep in mind not to rush things at first. For one, it will take time before your body is accustomed to the squatting position. So, try to limit your games in this position until you can already play it confidently.

To be a good softball catcher is definitely not easy as it takes a lot of time, dedication and skills to become one.  But if you are able to follow the softball tips I gave you above, you would be a good one in no time.

Set objectives on your own

Before you begin, have a clear goal in mind of exactly what you desire to achieve. Do you want to develop muscle or lose weight or perhaps both!

Take your Measurements

Take measurements before you begin your workout program then as soon as a month while you are doing it. If you are losing inches or getting inches in the locations you desire, this method you can correctly track. Compose whatever down as well as take photos, so you have a visual referral for your development.

Arrange your exercises

Similar to you set up service conferences and time with your household, it is critical to organize your activities. As you would not cancel an essential conference; very same method exercises are similarly critical. Put it on the calendar and adhere to it.

Start of Slow

Begin out sluggish and then development if you are brand-new to working out. Pressing too hard prematurely might lead to you hurting yourself and ending up on the sofa and not able to work out.

Stretch

It’s consistently high to extend in the past and after an exercise, to avoid injury. If you want to get a great stretch and increase your versatility, attempt a yoga class.

Get the correct Devices

Whatever exercise you opt to do, you are going to require some devices. It might be a brand-new set of running shoes, comfy clothing, and sets of weights or treadmill. Do not lose your cash on things you do not require and just purchase exactly what you need to the exercise.

Exercise with a Pal

All of us understand how hard it can be to stay with a routine exercise regimen, however, if you have a pal that is relying on you to be there, you will not wish to let them down and cancel.

Working out with a buddy is enjoyable, and you’ll inspire each other to keep going. You will likewise challenge yourself to keep up with them if you have a good friend that is in shape than you are.

Work with a Fitness Instructor

Do not think about this as an expense, consider this as a financial investment in your health and wellness. Employing an individual fitness instructor is an excellent method to do it if you are severe about getting in shape. He or she will encourage you and keep you responsible.

Have a good time

You are not going to desire to keep doing it; so pick activities that you delight in if you are not having enjoyable with your workout regimen. There are numerous methods to obtain an excellent exercise in without feeling dullness, and you simply need to be creative; by doing this, you will burn lots of calories and have fun doing it!

For serious triathletes and those of us who just happen to cycle and run, the Garmin Forerunner 310XT is a great choice. But once you’ve purchased the 310XT, how can you maximize its value? Here are five tips to get the most out of your investment.

1. Read the manual: this may seem like common sense, but if you are like me, you will be so excited about your new toy that you will toss the manual aside when you open up the box the first time. However, the 310XT is fairly complicated to use, and has tons of great features. The only way you will know which ones are relevant to you, and how to use them, is if you read the manual. It will be worth your time.

2. Purchase the heart rate monitor. Yes, it is too bad that you have to pay extra for it, but tracking your heart rate allows you to train much more efficiently. And the 310XT connects wirelessly to the heart rate monitor, so you can see exactly how your body is performing. Do note, however, that the heart rate monitor will not work in the water.

3. Understand the device’s limitations: You won’t be frustrated that you can’t get an accurate reading in the water if you understand that GPS signals don’t penetrate water. Also, you’ll need to purchase additional pieces if you want to attach the 310XT to your bike or to track foot cadence. Also, the 310XT’s screen is glass, so dropping it could result in the screen breaking.

4. Learn how to use Garmin Connect. Garmin Connect is a site created by Garmin that can upload, store, and analyze the data the watch collects. Knowing how to use it properly will allow you to ‘use’ the 310XT long after you’ve finished your training session. The Garmin Connect site also features a report making tool and a map searching function. You can also talk to other Garmin Connect users. You can connect your device via USB cable or wirelessly via a ANT agent.

5. Get out there and train! Most of you won’t have too much trouble with letting the 310XT collect dust in the drawer, but for those of you who do, this is your wake-up call. The Forerunner 310XT is only useful if its user actually uses it. So make the most of this great GPS watch by training long and hard.

Teaching is considered to be one of the noblest professions in the world. Teachers are perceived to be a determined and patient lot, not because of teaching skills, but mainly because of their personality skills. As a teacher, you will have to deal with various types of pupils. The most difficult type of pupil is the one who has an inbuilt violent or disruptive attitude. This pupil hinders your pace of teaching and poses a huge challenge to your patience. It goes without saying that these kinds of pupils should be treated with extra care and a different approach. Do you have such kids at your class? Here are some tips to control them.

More interaction

A child with a disruptive or distractive attitude seeks attention always. Therefore, you need to move around the class and keep coming back to the kid to know about his ideas about the session and what could have been done better in your way of teaching. When you value his opinions, he feels quite important, and his violent behaviour gets suppressed automatically.

Non-compulsion

When a kid is irritated or violent, he may not be ready to enter your class. He may have an air or anger or negativity around him. One of the most professional tips to deal with such a kid is to allow him to be in his current frame of mind. Never force such kids to attend your class. When you compel them, they get more violent and may go to the extent of hitting other kids. You will not have any other option except to intervene and stop that behaviour physically.

Tone of speech

This is one of the most basic tips that you have to work on when you are dealing with violent kids. Speak in a firm yet soft tone, so that you come across as an approachable person. Be friendly and make your sessions more attractive so that these difficult kids feel comfortable around you. When your tone is loud and strict, you intimidate the kids, and they go into their shell. It is very tough to pull them out of it when you don’t reduce your volume.

Calm and positive approach

It is a huge challenge to deal with violent kids. At times, you get so frustrated and angry that all you want to do is just throw your stuff and walk out of the class. However, you need to understand that when you behave aggressively, you are encouraging the already-violent kid to adopt the same approach. This is where having a calm and positive approach works wonders for you at work. Irrespective of the situation at class, have a smile on your face and explain things calmly to the kid. Encourage him to do certain things and help him to be occupied by giving him personalised attention.

In a nutshell, you need to act as a friendcum philosopher when you are teaching kids with violent or disruptive behaviour. This will help them improve their personalities to a large extent and behave normally like other kids in their class.

Many students feel tensed about their exams and start worrying “how to face final exams with confidence?” Writing an examination without tension is a very easy thing if you follow the below said tips before going to the exam center.

To get the best possible exam results, you need to build confidence in yourselves. To do so,…

Ten Commandments to follow to get better results in your examinations:

The Day Before the Test

1. Review Important Points: The day before your test, you might have completed studying the material. So, just go through the key points like headings, keywords, theme.

2. Eat Well-balanced Diet: The meal you take will have more resemblance on you. You are what you eat? Make sure you feed your brain with nutrients it needs to perform at its best.

3. Feed Your Dreams: Whatever we see and do 45 minutes before going to bed will appear in our dreams. So take this as an advantage. Feed it the things you want to remember for the exam next day.

4. Think of Your Success: Just before you fall asleep, make an envision of yourself successfully finishing your exam. It will have more impact if you do it every night,

5. Get A Good Sleep whole Night: You need to have 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep to perform well.

The Day of the Test

6. Have a complete Breakfast: Eat your breakfast. Don’t Skip it. Keep your body, mind and blood sugar in correct proportion.

7. Do Light Exercises: Light exercises make your mind and body feel relaxed. It helps to pump more oxygen to your brain.

8. Have a Review: Glance through with your examination training materials one more time, and perform any last minute checks you feel that requires.

9. The examination is just a small test conducted to test your skills. It’s not the end of your life on this planet. So relax and let your worries go. There is a lot you can do in this world even if you did not get succeeded in your exam.

10. Take a Breathe: Take a deep breathe from the diaphragm which will help your muscles relaxed and will allow you to think better.

So follow these tips when you feel tensed facing the exam/test and create great exam results!

Fitness treadmills can be dangerous if they are being used improperly or safety precautions are not followed. If you are careless and do not follow standard guidelines, it will take less than a second to go from a good work out to the injury. It’s important to keep children and household pets away from the treadmill at all times. Here are some safety tricks of the treadmill to minimizing the risk of injury.

Consult your doctor: Even though it may seem to be unnecessary–it’s important to check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. This is mainly significant when using a treadmill because treadmill falls are caused by conditions like strokes or heart attacks.

Start Slowly: If perhaps you are an experienced runner or athlete, it can be influencing to increase the treadmill’s speed and incline speedily to make the most of your workout. But start slow, wait to improve the strength of your workout until your body has adjusted to the motion and rhythm of the treadmill.

Look Forward: It’s common for exercisers to want to view their feet, mostly if they are really new to by using a home treadmill. Exercisers who look down or the side while they are on the treadmill likely to lose their balance and fall. Dizziness is a common complaint from people who have only used a treadmill a few times. While working out on a treadmill, sometimes you have the feeling that the ground is moving. Stepping off of the treadmill may cause the exerciser to feel disoriented the first few of times, so they should hold onto something before the dizziness decreases.

Don’t Depend on Handrails: It can be fine for a master to use the handrails while they are used to the machine’s motion, but using the handrails for an extended time frame can strain shoulders and elbows. Applying handrails can also mess up an exerciser’s balance and make them more vulnerable to leg injuries. Holding onto the rails decreases the number of calories burnt because the core muscles are not engaged the way they should be.

Increase Either Speed or Incline: Maintaining a fast paced managed with a steep incline is very difficult, and anyone who uses their treadmill to run with an incline should first raise the incline to a level that is comfortable to them and then increase their speed slowly. It is straightforward for runners to slip and fall if they increase their running speed and the machine’s incline setting significantly without adjusting to the steep incline first.

Don’t Go Barefoot: moving belt on a treadmill machine creates heat and friction so, you should protect your feet. If you use a treadmill on Barefoot you may get burns, scrapes, and blisters on your feet. Hence, everybody should wear properly fitted shoes when they exercise because their shoes help to absorb the shock of movement and take stress off of their joints. Feet can get caught in the place that the side of the moving belt complies with the machine and serious injury may occur.

Avoid Distractions: Even though many people like to pass the time looking at television or reading a book–these sorts of interruptions can cause an accident to happen. Keep your intensity low when you want to watch or read something in your workout session.

Use the treadmill deck. When the belt starts, it can startle both you and potentially cause you to lose balance. Prevent this from happening by starting the treadmill while you are standing on the deck with legs apart. While starting a workout, it is important for the runner to straddle the deck and not start the equipment with their feet on the belt. This kind of safety feature can crash and cause injury to an exerciser that is expecting a much lower starting speed.

Don’t Step Off a Moving Treadmill: It is tempting to leave the treadmill in motion even though the exerciser steps off for a couple of minutes to answer the door or go to the bathroom. A moving treadmill is a danger to anyone in the area and really should be stopped completely prior to the runner steps off the machine. Everyone who uses a treadmill should know where the emergency shut off feature is located so that it can be stopped quickly if they turn to be injured or a part of clothing gets trapped between the moving parts.

To avoid this kind of hurdles we recommend to use motorless treadmills that provide a better running experience than traditional motorized treadmills.

The Ab Circle Pro is a fitness machine used mainly to work the stomach muscles (it can also be used to work the thighs and buns). I won’t go into whether this machine is effective or not but I do want to give you some tips on how to best prevent back pains when using the Ab Circle.

Workout Position

The reason why using the AbCirclePro without paying close attention to your form may damage your back is the workout position you need to take in order to exercise with it: you place both knees wide apart on separate knee pads, hold two handle bars with both hands, similar to being on all fours, only with your knees apart. This means that your back is parallel to the floor.

This is the first place you need to watch out for things. It is easy to arch your back at this point and this can cause it harm. Make sure to keep your back straight by holding it in place with your ab muscles. This will actually work those abs even more.

Also, make sure to keep your neck straight. The easiest way to do this is to keep your eyes firmly on the floor. Pick a spot that’s straight in front of you on the floor and always keep it in focus.

The movement

The Ab Circle Pro workout requires you to rotate your legs from side to side so that you crunch your waist. You need to make sure you’re keeping perfect form here to stop you from harming your back. Make sure to not tilt your back when you’re working out.

In addition, you don’t have to go so fast as they do in the infomercial. The slower you go the more control you have. You need to be sure you’ve got the movement down perfect and you’ll be able to slowly increase your speed.

In conclusion

The main thing in any workout is to make sure you don’t do any wrong movement which will harm your back or other body part. If you do get the Ab Circle Pro, make sure to follow the tips I’ve outlined. Good luck.