Categories
Massage New York

Qi Gong Massage

After my kickboxing session with John Salgado on Thursday, I went back to Wu Lim Qi Gong Master, 179 Grand St (between Baxter St & Centre Market Pl) in Chinatown. Jack worked primarily on my lower back.  Wow!!!  I know that I’ve been touting self massage with The Stiff Stick Stick Massager and the The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief but nothing compares to getting a great Qi Gong massage.  There is absolutely no way that I would press that hard or that long on any of the knots and pressure points.  So while I grimaced the entire hour, it was so well worth it.  I’m hoping to get a couple of more massages after I return from our upcoming trip to Tanzania. 🙂

 

Categories
Fitness Massage

Quick Work Out At Crunch

I was a tad sore from yesterday’s Qi Gong massage but wow! what a difference it made.  My lower back is still stiff and my legs need more help but my knees are better and my shoulders are also happier.  I will try to get back on Friday.

I am posting the second part to yesterday’s Qi Gong massage video by   I found these simple steps very relaxing and hope you do too.

Categories
Exercise Fitness Kickboxing Massage New York sports

Kickboxing Session Then Qi Gong Massage

I had a pretty good work out session with John Salgado this afternoon.  My stamina is awful, however, and my knee has not improved very much at all.   After my work out, I went to get a massage at Wu Lim Qi Gong Master, 179 Grand St (between Baxter St & Centre Market Pl) in Chinatown.  It had great reviews on Yelp so I thought I’d give it a try.  Jack, the masseur, was amazing.  I was a bundle of knots so it was a pretty painful session but I’m so glad I went.  As Jack said: “No pain, no gain”.  So was I frightened?  Yes, a little bit….  but I’ve had some fairly lousy massages recently, so I was getting desperate.  Clearly, my back and legs still need a lot of work but I have hope that my knees will ultimately benefit from further Qi Gong massages.  Woo Hoo!

I have to say that it was gratifying when the masseur said that it was clear I work out.  Was he referring to all the knots or that I actually had some muscles?  I prefer to think it was the latter.

I am including a video on how to do some facial massages for relaxation by .  I was doing the facial massages as he spoke and thought it was pretty good.  Enjoy!

Categories
Calories Diet Exercise Fitness Injuries Kickboxing New York sports

Back Strengtheners With Resistance Bands and Kickboxing Cardio

I met with John Salgado this afternoon for my kickboxing session.  We’re going to ease into strengthening my legs so we focused primarily on arms and back.  The session  began with mobility exercises to try to get the kinks out of my legs. We then proceeded to do a series of slow front kicks. By isolating each part of the kick, John says that we work on our core strength, balance and technique.  [I found a related article on the benefit of isolation exercises called “How to Front Kick“.]

Then we moved onto Back Exercises [3 sets] using the Stability Ball:

Using the Resistance Bands and seated on a balance ball:

  • Lateral Rowskickboxing woman
  • Seated Rows
  • Bicep Curls

Also on the Balance Ball [3 sets]:

  • Push ups on the Stability Ball Reps: 12-15
  • Knee Tucks on the Stability Ball Reps: 12-15
  • Dumbbell Chest Press on Ball [15, 20, 25 lb weights]
  • Dumbbell Triceps Extensions on Ball [15, 20, 25 lb weights]
  • Sit ups [last set with light weights]

We also did a couple of rounds doing punches, slips and kicks with the punching bag. We finished with 3 minutes of elbow-to-knees sit ups.

After stretching my legs and back, we ended our session today with some QiGong outside.

We picked up a couple of Mango and Green Teas with Tapioca at CoCo Fresh Tea and Juice.  According to Livingstrong.com, tapioca bubble tea combines tea, milk, honey and cooked tapioca pearls to form a frothy beverage that should be treated as a dessert in your caloric count. The large drink probably contained more than 300 calories. I’d always thought tapioca was good for you but I think I will pass on these next time.

 

Categories
Calories Diet Exercise Fitness Injuries Kickboxing New York Reference Links sports

Kickboxing Training with John Salgado

I thought I should say that John Salgado is my trainer and has been with me for years.  John is great– he never yells at me but always pushes me past my whining.  🙂

John Salgado, CPT, Kickboxing Trainer, Inner G Training
John Salgado, professional MMA Fighter, CPT, Kickboxing Trainer, Inner G Training

John is a professional MMA Fighter and runs Inner G Training in New York.  He also trains other professional MMA fighters.  I’ve never attended any of his actual classes [let’s face it, I don’t like group activities] but they look impressive.  We tend to do strength exercises using the Tabata method and then some cardio kickboxing with pads and punching bags.  I’m guessing that my workouts most closely resemble his Cardio Combat classes but I ‘ve never asked him.  Our cool downs focus on QiGong.  [I’ve included links to some QiGong videos and exercises you can try on my Weight Loss and Nutrition Guidance/Exercises page.] All together, it makes for a high calorie workout.

John always recommends rolling my legs out with a foam roller to help alleviate my knee issues.

Qigong is an ancient Eastern practice of whole-body healing, accomplished by way of postures, movement, and breathing rituals intended to release the bodies flow of chi.  The Livestrong.com site has some QiGong exercises you can try.  Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/19110-qigong-breathing-exercises/