Lord knows I wanted to be out there rather than on the sidelines playing the part of cheerleader. Watching our team battle for field position in a defensive back-and-forth knowing I couldn't do anything but yell, "Get in there!" and, "Good job!" It just wasn't satisfying to me. Our best player, we'll call him 'Billy', can usually out run the other team on his way towards goal after goal. Today, however, it wasn't meant to be. #3 for the other side was just a fast if not faster. Fortunately for us, his footwork and ball control weren't as polished and that kept the game close.
I looked around at the other guys on our squad, desperate for someone who could pick up the offensive load and push us on towards victory. I shouted at them half-heartedly knowing that they probably couldn't hear me from this far away. At one point, our man was left wide open on a corner kick in a fortuitous breakdown in the other team's communication. The pressure was intense as the ball passed by the scrambling defenders and he took measure for an easy chip in. Wide right off of the post! Agony swept over the crowd and I let out a groan followed closely with, "Good try Horace!(not his real name either)"
Cletus (another fake name) was putting in a real workman's day on defense. Each effort by the opposition to penetrate our defenses or pass around the edges was met with Cletus' cleats. Sure, there were some tussles, a bit of pushing, maybe that was a trip that time but you've gotta give the guy an 'A' for effort. Still, we needed a hero to come riding onto the field and gather up our men delivering fire from his right foot and some fricking lasers from his left foot. That's when the coach called for substitutions, these men had given all they had and it was time for some fresh blood.
Galloping out to midfield he surveyed the grassy battlefield in silence. Play resumed and he ran circles around the other players toying with them, as though it were just a game. When in control of the ball, he would perform feats which seemed to confuse our opponents lulling them into a false sense of superiority. It was a match so compelling that I'm not even sure what the final score was.
Alright, enough of that. It was a U-6 soccer game 3-on-3 with no goalie. If you couldn't guess, my son is the galloper. Literally, he galloped like a horse out to the line and examined the grass by pulling out a hunk of it and chucking towards his friend. He also did run in circles around the other players and also did actually confuse them by kicking the ball the wrong direction, one boy so much that he tried to defend it.
I'm also not sure who actually won because, like my son, I don't care. There is a real part of me that wants to treat competition like a death match, but that's ME, not my son. Don't get me wrong, I believe competition is healthy and an important part of life on your way to becoming a successful grownup. He never asks if I saw all his goals, what the final score was, or who won. So why should I? As I pack up my chair he reminds me, "Dad, we can't go yet. I didn't get my snack." He doesn't ask me to kick the ball around before the game but does ask me to punch the straw into his Capri-Sun juice pouch.
He gets enough grouchy dad talk about things like finishing his dinner, cleaning up his toys, and actually using the toothbrush for his teeth instead of playing in the water and cleaning the sink with it for 10 damn minutes! As my lovely wife is fond of saying, "He's 5." So, for now, I'll let him be 5 on the soccer field just enjoying sport for the sake of sport.
Fit topic of the day -
Find your own active enjoyment and relish in the participation and not so much the outcome. Which form of cardio is best? Does that really matter? Do the one you like the most. If you're interested, try galloping, it is kinda fun.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the day - Carson Palmer!
It's cheesy and self serving but who cares! The Raiders completed the trade for the USC alum and the even money is that he'll start after our bye week against Denver. Mr. Palmer has been sitting out hoping to force a trade from the Bengals and appears to have succeeded. I say 'sitting' but apparently he has been staying very fit and working with former QB Ken O'Brien and former teammate TJ Hoooshman....Hushmanz.....Whoosh...forget it. This Guy
Me and My iPod -
Workout - Lunges with weight bar, Body weight squats, Dumbbell chest press on ball, pushups and then I was tired.
iPod - WTF episode with Jon Hamm from Mad Men.
Been sticking with some Podrunner mixes lately during cardio.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Mouth Breathers
Been experiencing a bit of gender bias lately. It's ok though I don't take it personally. Still, it's been tough hearing my wife talk about all her new people who specifically asked for a female trainer. I get it I guess. It just seems like I can't win sometimes. Women tell Hillary that they don't want a guy to bulk them up or make them feel uncomfortable (I do neither of those things btw). Guys tell her that they don't want me to injure them with heavy weights and or judge them by how little weight they can lift (I don't do those things either).
Don't feel bad though I've had some interest. Just this past weekend a gentleman expressed some serious interest about getting ready for a bodybuilding competition and wanted my help.
Now, it's not my area of expertise but I was willing to take on the challenge. He seemed to have some hurdles to overcome but I don't think his inability to successfully navigate through the two doors to our facility should stop him. It has been suggested that the speech impediment that I feel could be tapped into as an emotional source of strength was actually caused by massive quantities of alcohol but I'm not so sure. The fact that he was a very thin man in his late 50's just means that we'll qualify for the Master's division. Judges like to see you having fun on stage with a big, bright smile and we can definitely supply a big bright tooth. Ok, just a big tooth.
He seemed very excited when I gave him my card. I'm still waiting for his call. Other inquiries consisted of walk-ins who were actually looking for the hair salon next to us. I tried telling them I could cut hair while they did squats but there were no takers.
Fit Topic of the Day - Huffing and Puffing
Then we both laugh. Then I apologize for making you laugh while kneeling on an exercise ball with dumbbells in your hands.
Proper breathing patterns are an important part of any weight training program. I may write more extensively and more seriously about this in a future newsletter to which you should be a subscriber. They are generally a bit more intelligently written and have fewer instances of grammar bad.
The Basics. As a general rule you can keep a rhythmic breathing pattern going by remembering to exhale with resistance. In a pushup for example, you would exhale as you push....up. A cable row would then be the opposite, you would exhale as you pulled the handles towards you. When we exhale the abdomen contracts drawing the belly button towards the spine. By concentrating on that motion of 'drawing in' the belly you effectively squeeze all your guts in and around your spine. This compression creates a platform of stability within the lower back protecting it as you exert yourself.
There are exceptions to any rule but those generally apply to much heavier weights and more focused forms of breathing. Also, as you breathe in and out try to focus on breathing into your belly and not puffing out your chest. This helps to recruit those deeper abdominal muscles by making them stretch and contract.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Kristin Aiken
I don't know what kind of shape she's really in but she put up a really interesting piece on using a TreadDesk for the first time. I don't know if it will catch on but it was a good look at finding new ways to incorporate exercise into our daily lives. Plus, she belongs to the coolest Facebook group I've ever heard of.
Me and My iPod -
35 min eliptical intervals - 5x 5min/1min plus warm-up and cool down.
30 min upper body workout - Bench press on ball, deltoid raises, triceps press and biceps curls, TRX body pulls.
iPod - Arcade Fire, Rage Against the Machine, Propellerheads, Devo, a Janet Jackson/Luther Vandross duet from "Mo' Money" and Celine Dion.
Don't laugh at those last two they're great songs to run to and Celine Dion's 'I Drove all Night' is all about a woman who's so hot and into you that she drives...well...all night, breaks into your house and does special hugging!
Don't feel bad though I've had some interest. Just this past weekend a gentleman expressed some serious interest about getting ready for a bodybuilding competition and wanted my help.
Now, it's not my area of expertise but I was willing to take on the challenge. He seemed to have some hurdles to overcome but I don't think his inability to successfully navigate through the two doors to our facility should stop him. It has been suggested that the speech impediment that I feel could be tapped into as an emotional source of strength was actually caused by massive quantities of alcohol but I'm not so sure. The fact that he was a very thin man in his late 50's just means that we'll qualify for the Master's division. Judges like to see you having fun on stage with a big, bright smile and we can definitely supply a big bright tooth. Ok, just a big tooth.
He seemed very excited when I gave him my card. I'm still waiting for his call. Other inquiries consisted of walk-ins who were actually looking for the hair salon next to us. I tried telling them I could cut hair while they did squats but there were no takers.
Fit Topic of the Day - Huffing and Puffing
Probably once a month I get asked, "When should I be breathing?"
"All the time," I say. "If you aren't breathing we really shouldn't be kneeling on the ball with dumbbells in our hands."
Proper breathing patterns are an important part of any weight training program. I may write more extensively and more seriously about this in a future newsletter to which you should be a subscriber. They are generally a bit more intelligently written and have fewer instances of grammar bad.
The Basics. As a general rule you can keep a rhythmic breathing pattern going by remembering to exhale with resistance. In a pushup for example, you would exhale as you push....up. A cable row would then be the opposite, you would exhale as you pulled the handles towards you. When we exhale the abdomen contracts drawing the belly button towards the spine. By concentrating on that motion of 'drawing in' the belly you effectively squeeze all your guts in and around your spine. This compression creates a platform of stability within the lower back protecting it as you exert yourself.
There are exceptions to any rule but those generally apply to much heavier weights and more focused forms of breathing. Also, as you breathe in and out try to focus on breathing into your belly and not puffing out your chest. This helps to recruit those deeper abdominal muscles by making them stretch and contract.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Kristin Aiken
I don't know what kind of shape she's really in but she put up a really interesting piece on using a TreadDesk for the first time. I don't know if it will catch on but it was a good look at finding new ways to incorporate exercise into our daily lives. Plus, she belongs to the coolest Facebook group I've ever heard of.
Me and My iPod -
35 min eliptical intervals - 5x 5min/1min plus warm-up and cool down.
30 min upper body workout - Bench press on ball, deltoid raises, triceps press and biceps curls, TRX body pulls.
iPod - Arcade Fire, Rage Against the Machine, Propellerheads, Devo, a Janet Jackson/Luther Vandross duet from "Mo' Money" and Celine Dion.
Don't laugh at those last two they're great songs to run to and Celine Dion's 'I Drove all Night' is all about a woman who's so hot and into you that she drives...well...all night, breaks into your house and does special hugging!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
This may not be 100% accurate
Man is it good to be back being busy again! Not too busy though, in case you are a potential customer there are plenty of openings available(call me). Still, driving down to the studio for 1 or 2 people was just not a very satisfying day of work. Now that school is back on, lake places are closed up, and vacations are done it's nice to have everyone back in and sweating hard.
Not too much else from me today so we'll get on to business.
Fit Topic of the Day - Heart Rate Training 101
Probably no single point of emphasis brings my clients better results than convincing them to workout in their target heart rate zones. Lunging is a fantastic exercise as is stability ball work, but neither of them will produce a consistent rate of fat loss and weight reduction. As with most training programs you can really go deep with zone training and the physiological relationship between the heart muscle and various sources of energy within your cells.
Here, though, we'll just cover the basics and the 'why for'. To begin with, start with 220 and subtract your age. The answer is the heart's maximum beating capacity per minute. Mine is 184 (quick....How old am I?). Eons ago, ancient Mesopotamian scientists, during rest breaks after inventing checkers, determined that the physiological peak capability of the heart muscle was 220 bpm and in order to evaluate human performance on an more human level established the 'minus 1 for each year of age' rule.
Traveling forward to medieval times and the corresponding invention of the treadmill we find that science says that at 60% of your maximum heart rate your body is utilizing mostly fat for fuel. Math time!
184(me) x 60percent = 11040...wait that's not right. Try 184 x .60 = 110.4 there we go.
SO, in order to perform exercise which will primarily burn from my fat stores I want to train at an intensity of between 110 and 120 bpm. This would be a fairly brisk walking pace. 30 minutes of work at 3 session per week would, over time, result in some significant weight loss. Now, what happens at higher levels of intensity?
184 x .75 = 138bpm
By increasing your heart's output 20 to 25% you will be burning almost twice as many calories per workout. It's much harder, but the results will come quicker too. Heart rate monitors come in all colors and flavors or you can just use the old two fingers on the wrist method too. If you can't find a pulse, you really shouldn't be reading my blog right now.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Jodie Gleason
Jodie is a triathlete and regular person with a day job. I read an interview with her here and find that she has some great insight on staying motivated and on target with her goals. It's a good piece about a person who is taking a healthy lifestyle to the next level.
Me and My iPod
30 min jog - an old mix I like from past Bloomsday training. Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Kid Rock and others
Not too much else from me today so we'll get on to business.
Fit Topic of the Day - Heart Rate Training 101
Probably no single point of emphasis brings my clients better results than convincing them to workout in their target heart rate zones. Lunging is a fantastic exercise as is stability ball work, but neither of them will produce a consistent rate of fat loss and weight reduction. As with most training programs you can really go deep with zone training and the physiological relationship between the heart muscle and various sources of energy within your cells.
Here, though, we'll just cover the basics and the 'why for'. To begin with, start with 220 and subtract your age. The answer is the heart's maximum beating capacity per minute. Mine is 184 (quick....How old am I?). Eons ago, ancient Mesopotamian scientists, during rest breaks after inventing checkers, determined that the physiological peak capability of the heart muscle was 220 bpm and in order to evaluate human performance on an more human level established the 'minus 1 for each year of age' rule.
Traveling forward to medieval times and the corresponding invention of the treadmill we find that science says that at 60% of your maximum heart rate your body is utilizing mostly fat for fuel. Math time!
184(me) x 60percent = 11040...wait that's not right. Try 184 x .60 = 110.4 there we go.
SO, in order to perform exercise which will primarily burn from my fat stores I want to train at an intensity of between 110 and 120 bpm. This would be a fairly brisk walking pace. 30 minutes of work at 3 session per week would, over time, result in some significant weight loss. Now, what happens at higher levels of intensity?
184 x .75 = 138bpm
By increasing your heart's output 20 to 25% you will be burning almost twice as many calories per workout. It's much harder, but the results will come quicker too. Heart rate monitors come in all colors and flavors or you can just use the old two fingers on the wrist method too. If you can't find a pulse, you really shouldn't be reading my blog right now.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Jodie Gleason
Jodie is a triathlete and regular person with a day job. I read an interview with her here and find that she has some great insight on staying motivated and on target with her goals. It's a good piece about a person who is taking a healthy lifestyle to the next level.
Me and My iPod
30 min jog - an old mix I like from past Bloomsday training. Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Kid Rock and others
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Forward Progress
If you have been following along here you remember that I've mentioned golfing a few times and how *ahem* well I play. 10 years ago when I first started I would find myself becoming enraged while playing. Hitting the ball too fat or too thin, launching giant divots or putting myself off the green made me turn red. After 4 or 5 holes I would contemplate walking off the course which I think I actually did once.
About 5 years later I was playing 9 holes with my wife. It goes without saying that she was unwilling to put up with my, shall we say, poor attitude. My behavior was childish and unreasonable given the number of times I play per year. Quitting because it was hard or berating myself because I wasn't performing the way I thought I should never got me anything but a crappy afternoon walk.
Upon receiving the attitude adjustment that only a loving spouse can give I adopted a more accepting, ok mature, mindset. Forward Progress! To date, I have only been witness to one example of a backward golf shot, sans tree of course. My playing partner popped his ball up off of the tee with so much spin that it curled back behind us and bounced off the roof of the bathroom. It was amazing actually and we were all laughing so hard he didn't even care that it counted, though I think we were all so impressed that we gave him a pass.
My point is that I continue to tell myself that I can hit any shot well but naturally it doesn't happen. I still hit the ball too fat or too thin, launch giant divots further than my ball, and putt the ball exactly three feet when I should have putted one foot or five. However, they never go backwards and so I choose to focus on the fact that no matter how badly I just shot, I'm still closer to my goal than when I started. Next time you're out in the weeds, see if you can find a meta(Fore!) in there.
Fit Topic of the Day - WATER
Water is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and drinking enough of it can facilitate success relative to your fitness goals. However, many people seem to forget it's availability as a refreshing beverage. I have found that my clients refer to water by more common names like, coffee, or diet coke. While these drinks fall into the 'liquid' category and do contain actual H2O they will not fulfill the same function. In general, caffeine creates a gentle stimulating effect which perks us all up. Overdoing it though can lead to trouble sleeping, 'going' more frequently, and exacerbate conditions like anxiety and hypertension.
Other fluids consumed can contain excess sugar, processed chemical additives, and in general add calories in when you are trying to get them out. Doing your best to stick to regular old water will promote more fluidity within joints, maintain organ function, improve brain health and nutrient/waste transfer within the body. Hydrated muscles and healthy skin will make us look better too. Now...close your eyes and imagine a trickling, gurgling, dripping, flowing stream of water.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day -
Ryan Gosling - I was pretty hesitant to put this one up but it's true. While watching, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" with Steve Carell about a month ago, my lovely wife turned to me during one of Mr. Gosling's shirtless scenes and just laughed. I knew then that I would be putting him up here as one ridiculously fit dude. Not that I'm jealous or anything.
Me and My iPod -
Running - 35 min on the street(very exciting for me)
iPod - Podrunner 162 BPM mix - a shade fast but still a good mix. Will be checking out the Interval Podrunner too.
Upper Body work - Cable Reverse fly, deltoid raise, dumbell flys on ball, Pullups on Total Gym
iPod - WTF with Marc Maron
About 5 years later I was playing 9 holes with my wife. It goes without saying that she was unwilling to put up with my, shall we say, poor attitude. My behavior was childish and unreasonable given the number of times I play per year. Quitting because it was hard or berating myself because I wasn't performing the way I thought I should never got me anything but a crappy afternoon walk.
Upon receiving the attitude adjustment that only a loving spouse can give I adopted a more accepting, ok mature, mindset. Forward Progress! To date, I have only been witness to one example of a backward golf shot, sans tree of course. My playing partner popped his ball up off of the tee with so much spin that it curled back behind us and bounced off the roof of the bathroom. It was amazing actually and we were all laughing so hard he didn't even care that it counted, though I think we were all so impressed that we gave him a pass.
My point is that I continue to tell myself that I can hit any shot well but naturally it doesn't happen. I still hit the ball too fat or too thin, launch giant divots further than my ball, and putt the ball exactly three feet when I should have putted one foot or five. However, they never go backwards and so I choose to focus on the fact that no matter how badly I just shot, I'm still closer to my goal than when I started. Next time you're out in the weeds, see if you can find a meta(Fore!) in there.
Fit Topic of the Day - WATER
Water is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and drinking enough of it can facilitate success relative to your fitness goals. However, many people seem to forget it's availability as a refreshing beverage. I have found that my clients refer to water by more common names like, coffee, or diet coke. While these drinks fall into the 'liquid' category and do contain actual H2O they will not fulfill the same function. In general, caffeine creates a gentle stimulating effect which perks us all up. Overdoing it though can lead to trouble sleeping, 'going' more frequently, and exacerbate conditions like anxiety and hypertension.
Other fluids consumed can contain excess sugar, processed chemical additives, and in general add calories in when you are trying to get them out. Doing your best to stick to regular old water will promote more fluidity within joints, maintain organ function, improve brain health and nutrient/waste transfer within the body. Hydrated muscles and healthy skin will make us look better too. Now...close your eyes and imagine a trickling, gurgling, dripping, flowing stream of water.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day -
Ryan Gosling - I was pretty hesitant to put this one up but it's true. While watching, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" with Steve Carell about a month ago, my lovely wife turned to me during one of Mr. Gosling's shirtless scenes and just laughed. I knew then that I would be putting him up here as one ridiculously fit dude. Not that I'm jealous or anything.
Me and My iPod -
Running - 35 min on the street(very exciting for me)
iPod - Podrunner 162 BPM mix - a shade fast but still a good mix. Will be checking out the Interval Podrunner too.
Upper Body work - Cable Reverse fly, deltoid raise, dumbell flys on ball, Pullups on Total Gym
iPod - WTF with Marc Maron
Friday, August 26, 2011
Yes, there are exercises I don't like
About a year and a half ago I started having some real problems with my ankle. Without going into the painful details it wasn't caused by running but did exacerbate it after I was done. Still, for the past year I haven't run on it at all. Instead substituting eliptical trainers and biking. It works and I even convinced myself that I was going to start biking regularly.
I'll be damned though if I just cannot get past bike-butt. Shin splints were never a problem, I just ran them out, but I just cannot seem to force myself to 'toughen up' back there. Then, about two weeks ago I just couldn't stand to get on the stationary one day and decided to try a Jog/walk. I posted it as my workout here a couple of times. Thankfully, I have not had a problem with my foot and so I think I'll try to get back into running now that my ankle seems to have healed.
Anyhow, I'm glad I didn't spend a lot of money on an expensive new bike to 'motivate' me. The truth is, I like running and need to get back into it. Going back to the old standard will probably require some new insoles or other weight bearing based technology, but that's ok. Knowing what type of workout you like and finding ways to make it work for you are an important part of maintaining an exercise program. As we age and change, modifications and adjustments will undoubtedly be required and that's a good thing.
Fit Topic of the Day -
Peripheral heart action. PHA workouts have their origins amongst the bodybuilding set from as far back as the early 60s. Essentially it is a form of circuit training which attempts to draw blood away from the heart muscle and to the extremities. In practice, by moving the blood up and down the body you prevent pooling and promote the uptake and removal of waste products and acid buildups allowing you to perform more work in less time. (Yay!)
Without getting super specific, one begins by grouping even numbers of exercises together(2, 4, 6, 8) depending on how many sets and how much total time you have. A basic program will take an upper and lower body exercise and perform them in succession to the desired number of repetitions and sets.
Ex: Squats, pushups, lunges, shoulder press, hamstring curls, lat pulldown. I like to group them in twos and perform each one twice before resting for 30-60 seconds. Have fun!
Rediculously Fit person of the day -
Dara Torres - US Olympic swimmer. Just read a short piece on her the other day. At 44 she's been to 5 Olympics and is still swimming competitively. That is some serious commitment. Almost makes me want to get back on the bike......almost.
Me and my iPod -
workout - Reverse Lunge with bar, TRX body pull, Deadlift, Standing shoulder press.
iPod - Affirmation Nation(hilarious) - Pandora - College Indie station.
I'll be damned though if I just cannot get past bike-butt. Shin splints were never a problem, I just ran them out, but I just cannot seem to force myself to 'toughen up' back there. Then, about two weeks ago I just couldn't stand to get on the stationary one day and decided to try a Jog/walk. I posted it as my workout here a couple of times. Thankfully, I have not had a problem with my foot and so I think I'll try to get back into running now that my ankle seems to have healed.
Anyhow, I'm glad I didn't spend a lot of money on an expensive new bike to 'motivate' me. The truth is, I like running and need to get back into it. Going back to the old standard will probably require some new insoles or other weight bearing based technology, but that's ok. Knowing what type of workout you like and finding ways to make it work for you are an important part of maintaining an exercise program. As we age and change, modifications and adjustments will undoubtedly be required and that's a good thing.
Fit Topic of the Day -
Peripheral heart action. PHA workouts have their origins amongst the bodybuilding set from as far back as the early 60s. Essentially it is a form of circuit training which attempts to draw blood away from the heart muscle and to the extremities. In practice, by moving the blood up and down the body you prevent pooling and promote the uptake and removal of waste products and acid buildups allowing you to perform more work in less time. (Yay!)
Without getting super specific, one begins by grouping even numbers of exercises together(2, 4, 6, 8) depending on how many sets and how much total time you have. A basic program will take an upper and lower body exercise and perform them in succession to the desired number of repetitions and sets.
Ex: Squats, pushups, lunges, shoulder press, hamstring curls, lat pulldown. I like to group them in twos and perform each one twice before resting for 30-60 seconds. Have fun!
Rediculously Fit person of the day -
Dara Torres - US Olympic swimmer. Just read a short piece on her the other day. At 44 she's been to 5 Olympics and is still swimming competitively. That is some serious commitment. Almost makes me want to get back on the bike......almost.
Me and my iPod -
workout - Reverse Lunge with bar, TRX body pull, Deadlift, Standing shoulder press.
iPod - Affirmation Nation(hilarious) - Pandora - College Indie station.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Batteries Recharged
Back after a little much needed vacation. Was really nice to have no agenda at all. Walked the bejesus out of that town though. That felt really good. Probably averaged btw 3 and 6 miles a day. Wore my brand new shoes and they were still a little too new for my feetsies. Should have thrown my worn out Superfeet insoles into them. They never hurt too bad but I was glad to trade in for my cushy sandals a few times.
We ate out a lot and that was fun since we really don't get to do it that often. I never worried about what I was eating with all the walking around we were doing. Killer sushi there, ate that a few times and it was sooo good. Eating brings me to my next point.
Fit Topic of the Day -
Cheating - No not that kind of cheating. diet cheating. I read a recent facebook post from someone who's apparently someone's friend of mine I guess. In summary this person was lamenting that they had a fall off the wagon type of day and what should they do?
There are 3 things I would point out here for this person and for you as well. First, this is exactly why I don't subscribe to diets. Without fail you will, at some point, quit or cheat or eat the 'wrong' thing. This negative association with food is unhealthy and doesn't support lasting change. Altering one's eating habits and creating a new nutritional platform should be the goal.
Second, let's assume instead that this is a short term goal, an upcoming wedding for instance. OK, so you had a bad day with your food, is all hope lost? No, while it is true that you may have compromised a bit of your weekly weight loss it's ultimately important to stick to the plan. When planning an outdoor project at your house do you abandon everything due to 1 day of rain? Well, I would but that's because I hate home projects, but you get my point. You made a plan, you were sticking to the plan, get back on the plan.
Third, when having difficulty making healthy food choices, it's important to examine why that is. In my experience issues around food choices fall in to 2 major categories. Lack of convenience and attaching eating to emotional issues. Its important to recognize if your struggles are the result of scheduling and meal planning problems or if you are satisfying some emotional need that sabotages your progress. Take time to figure out your issues and create a work-around or consult with a fitness professional for advice.
Fit Person of the Day -
Diana Nyad - at 61 she is currently attempting to swim from Cuba to Florida. Apparently, she'd failed some 30 years ago and decided it was still on her bucket list. Nyad has some other long distance records as well. Go get some laps in at the 'Y' people and be grateful that you don't have to eat, change suits, and do 'business' in the open ocean.
Me and My Ipod -
30 min jog/walk - Armin van Buuren, Crystal Method, Benny Benassi techno genius mix
We ate out a lot and that was fun since we really don't get to do it that often. I never worried about what I was eating with all the walking around we were doing. Killer sushi there, ate that a few times and it was sooo good. Eating brings me to my next point.
Fit Topic of the Day -
Cheating - No not that kind of cheating. diet cheating. I read a recent facebook post from someone who's apparently someone's friend of mine I guess. In summary this person was lamenting that they had a fall off the wagon type of day and what should they do?
There are 3 things I would point out here for this person and for you as well. First, this is exactly why I don't subscribe to diets. Without fail you will, at some point, quit or cheat or eat the 'wrong' thing. This negative association with food is unhealthy and doesn't support lasting change. Altering one's eating habits and creating a new nutritional platform should be the goal.
Second, let's assume instead that this is a short term goal, an upcoming wedding for instance. OK, so you had a bad day with your food, is all hope lost? No, while it is true that you may have compromised a bit of your weekly weight loss it's ultimately important to stick to the plan. When planning an outdoor project at your house do you abandon everything due to 1 day of rain? Well, I would but that's because I hate home projects, but you get my point. You made a plan, you were sticking to the plan, get back on the plan.
Third, when having difficulty making healthy food choices, it's important to examine why that is. In my experience issues around food choices fall in to 2 major categories. Lack of convenience and attaching eating to emotional issues. Its important to recognize if your struggles are the result of scheduling and meal planning problems or if you are satisfying some emotional need that sabotages your progress. Take time to figure out your issues and create a work-around or consult with a fitness professional for advice.
Fit Person of the Day -
Diana Nyad - at 61 she is currently attempting to swim from Cuba to Florida. Apparently, she'd failed some 30 years ago and decided it was still on her bucket list. Nyad has some other long distance records as well. Go get some laps in at the 'Y' people and be grateful that you don't have to eat, change suits, and do 'business' in the open ocean.
Me and My Ipod -
30 min jog/walk - Armin van Buuren, Crystal Method, Benny Benassi techno genius mix
Friday, July 29, 2011
Make it work
Friday is here capping off anothter light week of work. Heading into the final weekend before our trip, so very excited about that. Spent a lot of the extra time learning about writing resources online, thanks to my sister-in-law's generous help. I was surprised at how advanced our library system is with all of it's online access to materials. I guess that's some indication of how long it's been since i've been there. Still, next week I'm planning to make a physical trip there and check some things out to take with me perhaps.
Fit Topic of the Day
Getting it in - My workouts went pretty well this week, as I got in all the ones I wanted to. However, I did get derailed a bit on one day and so I shortened my plan for that day. If you've been keeping a workout log or enjoy a specific routine that you or your fitness pro wrote for you that's great. One of the more common things said to me is, "I had everything ready to workout until...."
Stuff happens, believe me I get it and can completely relate. You send Billy outside so you can workout in peace only to have Billy come back inside crying because he stepped in some nice mushy dog shit that is now tracked in through your back door. Perhaps your 1/2 hour at lunch was interrupted by someone else's incompetence which you have to now fix. Whatever the reason you got kicked off of your schedule and have maybe 1/4 of the original time you alotted.
Instead of losing the whole days workout lets find some truth in the saying, "something is better than nothing." Choose the most challenging exercises on your plan and just do those. You won't like them any better than if you'd had the whole time available and if my client's grumblings are any indication they're usually the best one's for you to be doing.
Shorten the number of sets you are supposed to do. Even if that means you only get through the workout 1x for each exercise, that's ok. Your joints, tendons, muscles, and brain all got a little lubrication and satisfaction from the activity.
Me and My Ipod:
Squats, 6 count (slow) pushups, Ball crunch with Dumbbell.
WTF with Marc Maron: Richard Lewis episode
Rediculously Fit person of the day:
Namdi Asomugah - Cornerback for theOakland Raiders Philadelphia Eagles. So long Namdi, it was nice having you on the team but, I completely understand why you left.
Apparently, according to a Yahoo piece on the trade, this guy is so crazy good(and Fit) that they have to lower their standards to calculate how often opposing quarterbacks throw to him.
Fit Topic of the Day
Getting it in - My workouts went pretty well this week, as I got in all the ones I wanted to. However, I did get derailed a bit on one day and so I shortened my plan for that day. If you've been keeping a workout log or enjoy a specific routine that you or your fitness pro wrote for you that's great. One of the more common things said to me is, "I had everything ready to workout until...."
Stuff happens, believe me I get it and can completely relate. You send Billy outside so you can workout in peace only to have Billy come back inside crying because he stepped in some nice mushy dog shit that is now tracked in through your back door. Perhaps your 1/2 hour at lunch was interrupted by someone else's incompetence which you have to now fix. Whatever the reason you got kicked off of your schedule and have maybe 1/4 of the original time you alotted.
Instead of losing the whole days workout lets find some truth in the saying, "something is better than nothing." Choose the most challenging exercises on your plan and just do those. You won't like them any better than if you'd had the whole time available and if my client's grumblings are any indication they're usually the best one's for you to be doing.
Shorten the number of sets you are supposed to do. Even if that means you only get through the workout 1x for each exercise, that's ok. Your joints, tendons, muscles, and brain all got a little lubrication and satisfaction from the activity.
Me and My Ipod:
Squats, 6 count (slow) pushups, Ball crunch with Dumbbell.
WTF with Marc Maron: Richard Lewis episode
Rediculously Fit person of the day:
Namdi Asomugah - Cornerback for the
Apparently, according to a Yahoo piece on the trade, this guy is so crazy good(and Fit) that they have to lower their standards to calculate how often opposing quarterbacks throw to him.
Monday, July 25, 2011
I knew you would read this
Once again, another light day. I'm not usually one to complain about a lack of work but it's getting rather ridiculous(HA). It's not all bad though, I believe I may have psychic abilities. I came back down to the studio early for a workout thinking the whole time that my client was going to call and cancel, which, in fact, he did.
Is it possible that I manifested this ocurrence via my negative thought energy leaking out into the cosmic consciousness and then transmuting itself into depleted battery acid in his car? Or did the cosmos know that I wouldn't have made sure to get my own workout in if I knew he wasn't going to come in?
Fit Topic of the day
Personal Motivation. Planning and getting started are the most difficult parts of beginning and maintaining and exercise routine. I'm not usually one for bulletin board quotations but I felt truly inspired by this one.
It's an f-ing brilliant quote from my favorite(only) podcast, "WTF with Marc Maron". He interviewed Comedian Nick Thune who expressed feeling uneasy about getting an hour long spot at a big festival when he was still relatively new. Worried that others felt he hadn't waited in line long enough to deserve this spot, Marc interrupted with this gem, "There is no line.....only waiting."
If you believe there is a line to wait in, you will always be waiting in that line. I can't start my exercise program until I do 'X'. As you probably have found out, in addition to 'X' there are a whole set of letters waiting to be completed. Instead, try telling yourself that there is no line, there is no need to wait to begin anything.
Stew on that young padawan.
Me and My Ipod:
Forward to Reverse Lunge Alt legs, Dumbbell Fly on Ball, Seated CHEK press, Standing Deltoid raise x3 sets
Treadmill 20 min - Genius mix: The Heavy, UNKLE, Snow Patrol, Kasabian etc.
Is it possible that I manifested this ocurrence via my negative thought energy leaking out into the cosmic consciousness and then transmuting itself into depleted battery acid in his car? Or did the cosmos know that I wouldn't have made sure to get my own workout in if I knew he wasn't going to come in?
Fit Topic of the day
Personal Motivation. Planning and getting started are the most difficult parts of beginning and maintaining and exercise routine. I'm not usually one for bulletin board quotations but I felt truly inspired by this one.
It's an f-ing brilliant quote from my favorite(only) podcast, "WTF with Marc Maron". He interviewed Comedian Nick Thune who expressed feeling uneasy about getting an hour long spot at a big festival when he was still relatively new. Worried that others felt he hadn't waited in line long enough to deserve this spot, Marc interrupted with this gem, "There is no line.....only waiting."
If you believe there is a line to wait in, you will always be waiting in that line. I can't start my exercise program until I do 'X'. As you probably have found out, in addition to 'X' there are a whole set of letters waiting to be completed. Instead, try telling yourself that there is no line, there is no need to wait to begin anything.
Stew on that young padawan.
Me and My Ipod:
Forward to Reverse Lunge Alt legs, Dumbbell Fly on Ball, Seated CHEK press, Standing Deltoid raise x3 sets
Treadmill 20 min - Genius mix: The Heavy, UNKLE, Snow Patrol, Kasabian etc.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Heal Thyself
What's going on with me today?
Thanks for asking. Today was a pretty good day all around. Worked a couple of hours in the AM with my Saturday regulars, then came home to get ready for a golf day with my dad. I haven't been able to play as much as I'd like to so it was great to get out. Hot day but not too bad with a nice breeze most of the afternoon. Shot a good score for me but we won't put that out into the ether just yet. Let's just say that I know how to build a better golfer but a lesson or ten wouldn't hurt. Below the national average for men though so take that!
Fit Topic of the Day
Been having a little trouble with some IT band syndrome recently. Not a big deal but it's a creeping reminder for me to make sure I'm stretching regularly. The IT band is a thick length of tendon-like tissue which runs down the outside of the thigh attaching at the top outside edge of the tibia in your lower leg. It's generally involved in assisting larger muscles with knee flexion.
For a lot of runners, ITS can manifest as knee pain. For me it is more connected with the outside of my left hip. The band connects with the Tensor Fascia Latae muscle and is responsible for abduction thigh and flexion of the hip. Experiencing pain at either location, however, can usually be treated using the same technique.
Grab that foam log that nobody uses at your local gym. Lie on your side with the foam roller under the outside edge of your knee. Press as much of your body weight as you can stand onto the roller bracing yourself on your elbow. Slowly begin sliding your leg up the roller keeping as much pressure as you can onto the outside of the thigh. If you feel a particularly painful spot on the way up, stay on it for 10 seconds before moving on. In total it should take you about 30 seconds to go from the knee to the hip.
In my case it was sore enough to be painful to sleep on. Rolled it out 2x day for 2 days and did a lot of stretching for my booty and was good to go for 18 holes. Slept like a foam roller last night too.
Me and My Ipod:
18 holes of golf - no ipod
Dog walking and yardwork - Metalica, Iron Maiden, the Sword etc.
Ridiculously fit person of the day
Ronde Barber - Cornerback Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 14 years in the NFL? You have to be in some ridiculous shape for that. Seems like a much better guy than his twin brother Tiki also.
Thanks for asking. Today was a pretty good day all around. Worked a couple of hours in the AM with my Saturday regulars, then came home to get ready for a golf day with my dad. I haven't been able to play as much as I'd like to so it was great to get out. Hot day but not too bad with a nice breeze most of the afternoon. Shot a good score for me but we won't put that out into the ether just yet. Let's just say that I know how to build a better golfer but a lesson or ten wouldn't hurt. Below the national average for men though so take that!
Fit Topic of the Day
Been having a little trouble with some IT band syndrome recently. Not a big deal but it's a creeping reminder for me to make sure I'm stretching regularly. The IT band is a thick length of tendon-like tissue which runs down the outside of the thigh attaching at the top outside edge of the tibia in your lower leg. It's generally involved in assisting larger muscles with knee flexion.
For a lot of runners, ITS can manifest as knee pain. For me it is more connected with the outside of my left hip. The band connects with the Tensor Fascia Latae muscle and is responsible for abduction thigh and flexion of the hip. Experiencing pain at either location, however, can usually be treated using the same technique.
Grab that foam log that nobody uses at your local gym. Lie on your side with the foam roller under the outside edge of your knee. Press as much of your body weight as you can stand onto the roller bracing yourself on your elbow. Slowly begin sliding your leg up the roller keeping as much pressure as you can onto the outside of the thigh. If you feel a particularly painful spot on the way up, stay on it for 10 seconds before moving on. In total it should take you about 30 seconds to go from the knee to the hip.
In my case it was sore enough to be painful to sleep on. Rolled it out 2x day for 2 days and did a lot of stretching for my booty and was good to go for 18 holes. Slept like a foam roller last night too.
Me and My Ipod:
18 holes of golf - no ipod
Dog walking and yardwork - Metalica, Iron Maiden, the Sword etc.
Ridiculously fit person of the day
Ronde Barber - Cornerback Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 14 years in the NFL? You have to be in some ridiculous shape for that. Seems like a much better guy than his twin brother Tiki also.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Better late than never
Uhh....good afternoon (taps microphone sheepishly). Welcome to ridiculously fit! I'm Jason, and this is my first time doing a blog so we'll see how this all goes as a group. What is 'ridiculously fit'? Well, it's been something bubbling in my mind for a while now and it's finally evolved from a smelly soupy goo into an almost coherent idea.
What's going on with me today?
Today was a light day amongst an ongoing set of light days. I'm not too worried, clients are still speaking to me but it seems like everyone is going out of town at the same time lately. Makes for long boring days of 2 clients in the morning and 2 clients in the evening. That middle part of the day is getting to be a yawner.
However, you benefit by being witness to the birth of my multimedia empire. Here is my first blogger word salad post. I am also writing up a piece about golf fitness for potential publication (fingers crossed).
Fit topic of the day
Resistance training. I know I shouldn't, and I'll feel bad about it later, but I'm going to generalize for a moment. If you are looking for a blog about fitness training you may have already begun some type of exercise program. If so, in my experience, it consists of about 99% cardio training. After trudging down to the basement, you throw on some 'Mad Men' or 'Battlestar Galactica' DVDs and off you go for 35 or 40 minutes.
Great job! However, you are leaving out a whole host of fat burning exercises which can get you results quickly. Incorporating some basic, even body weight, exercises into your routine can greatly improve the level of post exercise burn. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is your body replenishing the energy consumed, removing waste, and lowering your body temperature to pre-exercise levels. When you are still sweating at your desk an hour after your lunchtime workout you may have been feeling some EPOC effects.
You can achieve a high level of (EPOC) from cardiovascular training alone, or by incorporating a few resistance circuits to your workout you can get a much bigger spike. Perform single sets of squats, pushups, lunges, planks with a faster paced 10 minute cardio interval 3 or 4 times in your 40 minute block and you will be pitting out your shirts all day long. An extra stick of deodorant can take up space in that candy drawer you keep telling yourself not to replenish as a bonus.
I would enjoy some audience participation so send me an email with a question, rant, or pleasant thoughts.
Me and my Ipod: Back Squats, Chest press on ball, static lunge with cable twist, side flexion on ball - x3 sets
20 minutes on treadmill - WTF with Marc Maron - Christopher Titus episode.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the day
Pro Golfer - Camilo Villegas
What's going on with me today?
Today was a light day amongst an ongoing set of light days. I'm not too worried, clients are still speaking to me but it seems like everyone is going out of town at the same time lately. Makes for long boring days of 2 clients in the morning and 2 clients in the evening. That middle part of the day is getting to be a yawner.
However, you benefit by being witness to the birth of my multimedia empire. Here is my first blogger word salad post. I am also writing up a piece about golf fitness for potential publication (fingers crossed).
Fit topic of the day
Resistance training. I know I shouldn't, and I'll feel bad about it later, but I'm going to generalize for a moment. If you are looking for a blog about fitness training you may have already begun some type of exercise program. If so, in my experience, it consists of about 99% cardio training. After trudging down to the basement, you throw on some 'Mad Men' or 'Battlestar Galactica' DVDs and off you go for 35 or 40 minutes.
Great job! However, you are leaving out a whole host of fat burning exercises which can get you results quickly. Incorporating some basic, even body weight, exercises into your routine can greatly improve the level of post exercise burn. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is your body replenishing the energy consumed, removing waste, and lowering your body temperature to pre-exercise levels. When you are still sweating at your desk an hour after your lunchtime workout you may have been feeling some EPOC effects.
You can achieve a high level of (EPOC) from cardiovascular training alone, or by incorporating a few resistance circuits to your workout you can get a much bigger spike. Perform single sets of squats, pushups, lunges, planks with a faster paced 10 minute cardio interval 3 or 4 times in your 40 minute block and you will be pitting out your shirts all day long. An extra stick of deodorant can take up space in that candy drawer you keep telling yourself not to replenish as a bonus.
I would enjoy some audience participation so send me an email with a question, rant, or pleasant thoughts.
Me and my Ipod: Back Squats, Chest press on ball, static lunge with cable twist, side flexion on ball - x3 sets
20 minutes on treadmill - WTF with Marc Maron - Christopher Titus episode.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the day
Pro Golfer - Camilo Villegas
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