My days are busy and I work full time, nearly everyday. In order to fit in my training schedule, which is normally 2 to 3 hours 5 days a week, I train in the basement of the thrift shop where I work. This is a recent training session focusing on 1 minute endurance sets.

Shaun McDaniel is on his way to becoming an international champion. Last week, the twenty four year old New Yorker famous for training in a thrift-store basement (link to original article) unofficially broke the world record that his longtime hero, Paddy Doyle, established in 2008. With a forty-pound weight strapped to his back, Shaun managed to pump out 719 back-handed pushups in an hour, topping Doyle’s previous record of 663. “I didn’t know I could do it,” said Shaun, “I thought it would just be a practice session.”

Some of you may have read the previous article on Shaun McDaniel, the youth from Southside, Queens who’s been training to break the world record in push-ups. Shaun has been taking four Life Health Secrets supplements (Protein Extreme Energy, GSH-Ignite, Maxodin, and Adrenal Re-Boot) for just over a month now, and he’s submitted this testimonial. Thanks Shaun, we’re all rooting for your success!

I am gearing up for the finals of the Women’s Colgate Games to be held at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2010. Currently, I am in second place in the 55 meter hurdles after 3 weeks of competition. My workouts have become shorter, more powerful track work, including block starts and quick hurdle and sprint drills.
I am continuing to train under the guidance of Coach Johnson. My weight room workouts have become shorter and quicker as well as the peak of my season approaches.

Shaun McDaniel doesn’t eat on his half-hour lunch break. Instead, he spends his time in the basement of the New York thrift store where he works, doing as many push-ups as he can before break-time is over. Unable to afford a gym, it’s also in this dingy, unfinished concrete basement that he trains after work. Shaun slides his feet under clothing racks to do sit-ups. The exposed pipes and staircase become pull-up bars. The fifty-pound boxes of secondhand clothing serve as weights. It’s all part of the training regime Shaun has created for himself with one goal in mind – to get into the Guinness Book of World’s Records.

Lots of anticipation followed me to Week 1 of the Colgate Women’s Indoor Games. I have had this recurring nightmare for years that I either forget my sprint spikes, or that I am late for my race. Well, this week, the meet was running ahead of schedule, so when I arrived, my heart jumped as I saw the hurdles set up and ready to go.

People ask me all the time how they can get the glow.  Well, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, a vital energy called qi (pronounced chi) circulates throughout our entire body. Qi is the …

Phase I: Strength & Power

The goal for this phase is to build a foundation in strength & power before starting speed training. My weight training during this phase is 3-4 sets of shorter reps and heavier weights. This phase focuses on developing strength and power, which will be important when working on block work to the first hurdle. I am also focusing on developing ankle flexibility, which is important for a hurdler. The start requires explosive and controlled drive and power. Right now, my training phase on the track includes Sprint Day 1 of mobility training over 5-7 hurdles close together. No rest period. This is a continuous workout performed on the balls of my feet.

FYI, even tho I’m not doing any speed training at all, I ran a 5k “fun run” on Sunday; won my age group with a 21:32 (that’s fast by my standards!!!) and felt great. My marathon was only 5 weeks ago and I am totally recovered and racing…that’s huge!

I’ve been involved in sports since I was 4 years old. I started track in 7th grade and competed in the High School New York State Championships as a senior, in the 100 meter hurdles. I even missed walking in my high school graduation for that one! I continued to compete in college, at Division I Fordham University, where I broke school records in the 55 meter hurdles and 100 meter hurdles. After college, when I decided to attend law school, I knew I needed a hobby that would keep me focused on my goals of staying fit and healthy, and allow me to compete.