The just keep livin Foundation is proud to announce our partnership with Fitness Consultant and CEO of the World Calisthenics Organization, Brendan Cosso! Brendan has been a fitness coach and public speaker for 14 years and we’re so excited to have him on the team. Get to know Brendan below!
How did you become interested in fitness?
I consider myself an athlete and lover of sports from a very young age. I grew up doing individual sports like skateboarding and surfing, as well as team sports like football and baseball. As I got older and became more aware of fitness, my body and the training aspect that goes into becoming a great athlete. I developed a love for bodyweight exercises specially because of the physical and mental benefits I was experiencing. Not only were these bodyweight exercises more challenging than the traditional weight-lifting I was used to, but it was transforming my body into a stronger, more balanced and less injury-prone machine. Plus, I was a bit of a wild child growing up, and had my share of troubles and issues, like many kids often do. Bodyweight exercise was challenging my mind as well as my body and was exposing an inner strength, peace and confidence that I didn’t know I had. Because of this newfound love and dedication, I started to notice a gap in the fitness industry with a way to train in multiple planes at the same time and using your own bodyweight to challenge rotational stability. I started messing around with product development to fit my fitness needs and philosophies and ended up inventing a product called the CrossCore 180, which is now a globally used piece of equipment for comprehensive body weight training. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 22 years since I started my journey into the world of health, fitness and overall wellness, and I look forward to (at least) 22 more!
What made you want to get involved with just keep livin?
I was introduced to the just keep livin team through my younger sister Courteney and had the opportunity to be a guest speaker at a few of the JKL schools. I learned more about JKL, fell in love with their mission and commitment to the health and well-being of youth in communities all over the country and this was something that deeply resonated with me. I know how my life was changed by the same programs that JKL is creating and fostering and I wanted to be a part of their work and help in any way I could.
What do you hope to teach the JKL students?
To teach and help the students understand the importance of physical education, proper eating habits, leadership skills, hard work and dedication to achieve their goals and objectives as young adults. I want them to realize their true strength and potential and to know that they hold the key to it all.
If you only have 10 minutes to work out, what do you do?
Seeing as my field of expertise is bodyweight training, all you need is a solid routine that hits all muscle groups and includes some form of metabolic or cardio mixed in. A perfect example is a HIIT workout ( Hi Intensity Interval Training) Always start with at least 2 minutes of dynamic warmups to prepare for your workout i.e Inchworm, Scorpion, jumping jacks, walking knee hugs, arm circles, karaoke etc… I would perform the following 5 exercises (always making sure to have proper form) 1 minute non-stop movement per exercise with no time for rest between exercises. Do this for 2 rounds taking a 1 minute of rest between rounds. If you have more than 10 minutes, perform added rounds. If you have access to a pull-up bar, throw a pull-up in to the mix between each burpee! This can be performed anywhere. You don’t need a gym to stay active!
Exercise 1: Bodyweight squats or variation of lunges
Exercise 2: Push up with shoulder taps
Exercise 3: Leg raises, flutters or Russian twists
Exercise 4: dips using a chair.
Exercise 5: Burpees ( proper burpees, not a fish flop on the ground type of burpee????)
Just Keep Givin’
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