Hopefully all you other participants had a great run this weekend. If not I hope you did something else fitness related and fun! Enjoy!
Week of April 22 - Peak schedule week. I will do my longest runs this week. Except that I don't because I pick up a head cold + allergies. Damn You Germs and pollen!
Friday April 26 - My mom offers to take my son for an overnight! We pack his bag along with his soccer gear and schedule to meet up at his soccer game the next day which is the last time we think about it. Date night with my lovely wife, had a great meal!
Saturday April 27 - Final long run day. Did some chores around the house first, but it's getting late in the day so it's now or never. Decide that the best thing to do is run around the streets for a while and end up at the soccer fields. Ends up being a great run. Do a couple of laps around the fields to finish and on the second pass notice that no one from his team is here. Having spent the past 24 hours not thinking about my son's soccer game, my lovely wife and I realize that we never double-checked the schedule to see which field we were supposed to go to. Parenting Fail! Went to FroYo as consolation.
Thursday May 2 - Went to Value Village to purchase my pre-race sweatshirt. Made a mental note to go back and buy baggies of golf balls for $2.00! I don't want to be cold and the start line so I buy a cheap sweatshirt to wear down there and then toss to the side as the start time approaches. Its not littering, it's tradition. Comb through iTunes and create my new playlist for the big race. Picked out 4 or 5 new songs to add, so that was fun.
Friday May 3 - Picked up registration packet, seamless. Wandered around the convention center looking for a tee shirt but didn't want to spend $40. Apparently my ambling style of wandering/rubbernecking around the booths cause one proprietor to ask, "Hey buddy! Is that knee pain bothering you?"
Me: "Huh?"
Salesguy: "The way you're walking...are you in pain?"
Me: "Uhhh...no just fine thanks. I don't have bad knees."
Salesguy: (makes face) "Oh, ok then."
Noticed as I walk on that he was, of course, selling some type of super fantastic healing agent that I'm sure is all natural, herbal, non-GMO, hypoallergenic, odorless, greaseless, naturopathic, homeopathic, chemical free, additive free, and probably science free as well.
I did leave walking more upright and well balanced, maybe he did cure me!
Eventually find a great shirt to buy donating proceeds to a Boston Marathon charity organization.
Saturday May 4 - Told my lovely wife, "May the Fourth be with you!" she didn't get it. She did inform me, however, that white socks will look ridiculous with my new black shoes. So she very nicely went and bought me some. Worked on, in great detail, matching my playlist to my approximate race pace so that I would have the 'right' songs at the hardest hills. It didn't work out so I don't know why I bother. Besides, if they made the list they're all good right? Went to the right soccer field today. Parenting Win!
Sunday May 5 - Race day! Had laid out all of my gear the night before and was up early enough to have a light breakfast. Shoes and socks? Check. Shirt and shorts? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Keys/wallet/phone? Check. I'm off! Get down to the studio here to stretch out and my regular parking spot was open. Yes! Except for the fact that I have forgotten my race number. I drive home, and drive back in about 4 minutes.
Security concerns were tight so I didn't expect to see any backpacks or such. Apparently, however, a homeless person's shopping cart piled high with various objects does not constitute an, 'abandoned package', as it was parked right in front of my studio door. I didn't hear any ticking so I moved it and went in. Pinned on my number, peed. Ate half a banana, peed. Stretched out for 15 minutes or so, peed one more time. Walked down to my start area and wondered if I had to pee again.
It was a hot day already so I took off my sweatshirt and tied it up in a tight ball. Many people attempt to toss theirs onto the trees lining the street. I chose not to do that and aimed for it to cross over the fence. I wind up and let my shirt ball fly which comes untied almost immediately and hits a woman square in the face. I appologize profusely and recieve a courtesy smirk before slinking away.
Happily meet up with one of my clients in the start area and we take pictures of eachother.
The race goes fantastically and I beat my best time by almost 4 minutes. 1:12:49, good enough for 6590th place!
Me and my Iphone
WTF podcast with Marc interviewing John Hodgeman of "The Daily Show" and the "I'm a mac, I'm a PC" commercials. Interesting guy, funny.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Dr. Suess??
I'm about a week late for the good Doctor's birthday but I recently read one of my favorites, "Fox in Socks". After I finished I couldn't get this thought out of my head.
Enjoy!
Let's have a little talk about body builders
What do you know about body builders?
When body builders build
It's called building a builder body
And when they body build with dumbbells
It's called a body building bell build
And when a body builder builds with dumbbells and a barbell
It's called a body building bell build bar builder build
AND..if the body builder bell building is balancing a bell while he barbuilds
It's called a body builder one bell builder balance building barbell builder bell building set
AND...
Now wait a minute, Mr. Socks Fox!
When a fox is holding dumbbells where the body builders barbuild with their body building barbells and dumbell building builder, this is what they call...
A body building build builder dumbbar bell balancing builder build filled gild pillded doddled waddled fox in socks SIR!
Your welcome!
Me and My Iphone
Marc Maron returns to the phone. Listened to Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters/Nirvana fame. Funny guy, interesting show about music history appreciation.
Enjoy!
Let's have a little talk about body builders
What do you know about body builders?
When body builders build
It's called building a builder body
And when they body build with dumbbells
It's called a body building bell build
And when a body builder builds with dumbbells and a barbell
It's called a body building bell build bar builder build
AND..if the body builder bell building is balancing a bell while he barbuilds
It's called a body builder one bell builder balance building barbell builder bell building set
AND...
Now wait a minute, Mr. Socks Fox!
When a fox is holding dumbbells where the body builders barbuild with their body building barbells and dumbell building builder, this is what they call...
A body building build builder dumbbar bell balancing builder build filled gild pillded doddled waddled fox in socks SIR!
Your welcome!
Me and My Iphone
Marc Maron returns to the phone. Listened to Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters/Nirvana fame. Funny guy, interesting show about music history appreciation.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Foreign Language Instruction For Your Body
OK, I’ve looked but I just can’t find it. I don’t know why they’re called kettlebells. When talking about them most people think I’m saying KettleBall because they look like balls with a handle. In fact online descriptions say, “basically a cannonball with a handle.”
So, I don’t know why it isn’t called cannonball training since that’s what they look like. In Russian they are called ‘gyria’ but in old strongman photos they look nothing like a kettle. In fact the russian spelling for gyria is Google translated as simply, ‘weight’. One client sent me a link which posited that old timey scotsmen filled kettles with rocks and sand as a variable weight possibly simulating the gyria. That is probably more wordsmithing than you want to know but I get asked about it a lot so there you go.
Most people agree though that the object itself originates from Russia a few hundred years ago as counterweights used to measure grain and other bulk farm goods using the ‘Pood’ measurement system. If you didn’t know, 1 pood is equal to 40 funt. Under the Soviet sys.......I’m sorry, what was that? What are funt? Well, naturally, it’s another unit of mass abolished under the Soviet government. Personally, I think that we should use silly words for all of our measurement systems. I hereby decree that length shall now be measured in plorg!
Why should you care about kettlebells? Two reasons. First, the kettlebell training methods effectively utilize dynamic movement and, secondly, combine them with essential stabilization techniques. Explosive or dynamic type exercises are an effective way to increase the amount of work done and also can reduce the time needed. Let’s say that you’re normal routine is 50-60 minutes of a steady pace on a treadmill. By reducing the total time to 35 minutes and injecting 6 one minute high intensity intervals you can burn the same number of calories, and reap a longer post exercise burn rate afterwards.
Similarly, a traditionally paced weight lifting routine of deadlifts, squats, a chest exercise, shoulder work, and abdominal training can also eat up close to an hour. Yet, a simple routine of alternating 15 swings with 1 minute of cardio, 3 sets of the Goblet squat, and 5 minutes of turkish getups can work all of those same muscles in an integrated fashion, improve athletic and CV function in about 1/2 the time.
Working dynamically in any fashion places stress on the support structures of the body. As such, training is required to teach the body to effectively create the most stable platform possible producing exercise gains safely. By grounding the legs, activating the abdominals and the musculature surrounding the shoulder you can swing a great heavy weight one time or a smaller one twenty times. Quality movement at the extremities is dependent upon quality stabilization through the core. In essence, movements are generated from the inside out. Kettlebell training begins with this principle in mind. Those who have worked with me will remember me talking about start and finishing positions, activated glutes and abdominals and what that means exactly.
That of course is testament to the certification body, in this case Dragon Door. It’s completely self serving since they sell Kettlebells, books, dvds, and of course training programs, but I was impressed by their commitment to safe performance and not just information regurgitation. One can’t very well have a successful business selling a training method if said method results in a lot of injuries.
The philosophy boils down to a few simple rules.
- Make certain you have enough space. Safety First!
- Only perform movements you can do with proper form learned from a certified instructor.
- Never compete with the kettlebell, if you get off track guide it safely to the floor and start again, or use a lighter bell. Safety Third!
- Use the heaviest kettlebell dependent upon rule #2.
Finally, you’ll look awesome doing it. Just kidding, you’ll feel awesome though. I did while at Dragon Door’s Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification this summer. I swung some heavy bells and sweated a lot and grunted and groaned and wished they would say, “Last one” more than once. However, there is something playful about swinging the weight, pressing it over head and contorting my body through the Turkish Getup. It was fun. It’s not for everyone, and that’s ok. There are plenty of other ways to get your sweat on.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Bloomsday 2012 Post-race
Well, I had what was simultaneously the most enjoyable and most frustrating Bloomsday run ever. For the first time I was in a foward starting group (yellow for fellow bloomies) and was very excited about the prospect of actually running for the first 2 miles. What usually happens when I've started further back is I run a little bit, then have to brake because of slower people, then I dodge around 4 people walking side by side, then zig-zag around some kids, and get bumped into by some guy who thinks he's actually going to win only to pass him up 2 minutes later on the hill.
This year the start was sooo nice, I got into a nice rhythm right away and didn't have to duck or dodge much at all. By the end of mile 3 I was feeling great and on pace for a personal best. Unfortunately, my calf was disinclined to fully participate and threw a hissy fit shortly thereafter around mile marker 4. I knew I was ahead of my previous times so I didn't mind taking a potty break and actually drinking a cup of water from the station as opposed to getting a few slurps and dribbling the rest all over yourself while running. When I tried to get going again, I managed a few yards and it was still too cramped up.
Sadly, for my time, I had to suck it up and take a few minutes to really stretch it back out and dig into it with my thumbs (ouch). I walked the next 1/2 to 3/4 mile to the bottom of Doomsday hill and was able to finally start running again. Going up hill was slow but it actually felt good on my calf, keeping it stretched out. By the top of the hill, it was sore but I was able to run pretty well so long as I kept my strides short and quick.
I was desperate to try and get back to my goal time of 1:15 or better but I had reached the 1 hour mark and the iPod lady said I was at 5.3 miles. That gave me a little over 2 miles to go. Now, 7:30 miles are far beyond my capabilities but I managed to push myself to the finish line at a respectable 8:40ish pace for 1:21:06 (iPod lady says I ran 7.9 miles total).
It was definitely not my best day. I knew I hadn't trained enough for it and promised myself this would be the last time I would participate in something like this without doing so. Still, it was wayyy better than last year when I couldn't run at all.
I would end by saying, "Eh, I'll do better next year." However, I'm afraid I'm going to lose my starting group and will get stuck back in with the masses. That means I'm going to have to find some races to participate in this year in order to prove that I belong there. So, "Eh, I'll do better all year."
This year the start was sooo nice, I got into a nice rhythm right away and didn't have to duck or dodge much at all. By the end of mile 3 I was feeling great and on pace for a personal best. Unfortunately, my calf was disinclined to fully participate and threw a hissy fit shortly thereafter around mile marker 4. I knew I was ahead of my previous times so I didn't mind taking a potty break and actually drinking a cup of water from the station as opposed to getting a few slurps and dribbling the rest all over yourself while running. When I tried to get going again, I managed a few yards and it was still too cramped up.
Sadly, for my time, I had to suck it up and take a few minutes to really stretch it back out and dig into it with my thumbs (ouch). I walked the next 1/2 to 3/4 mile to the bottom of Doomsday hill and was able to finally start running again. Going up hill was slow but it actually felt good on my calf, keeping it stretched out. By the top of the hill, it was sore but I was able to run pretty well so long as I kept my strides short and quick.
I was desperate to try and get back to my goal time of 1:15 or better but I had reached the 1 hour mark and the iPod lady said I was at 5.3 miles. That gave me a little over 2 miles to go. Now, 7:30 miles are far beyond my capabilities but I managed to push myself to the finish line at a respectable 8:40ish pace for 1:21:06 (iPod lady says I ran 7.9 miles total).
It was definitely not my best day. I knew I hadn't trained enough for it and promised myself this would be the last time I would participate in something like this without doing so. Still, it was wayyy better than last year when I couldn't run at all.
I would end by saying, "Eh, I'll do better next year." However, I'm afraid I'm going to lose my starting group and will get stuck back in with the masses. That means I'm going to have to find some races to participate in this year in order to prove that I belong there. So, "Eh, I'll do better all year."
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Looking Like Hell to Look Healthy
Hey! Now available for achieving your weight loss dreams! A proven system that says, "People think I'm sick, I'm dying." It's so easy, you won't even have to change your lifestyle, except picking up your kids from school because, "the children, they would be scared." Yes, for the totally reasonable cost of $1500 for 10 days you can experience the feeling that others fear you have been stricken with cancer and will frighten small children.
The above quotes come from a recent NYT piece on what apparently is a new fad diet amongst brides-to-be. It involves intubation through the nose with a bag of nutrient liquid that you carry around. It delivers about 800 calories and promises between 15 and 20 lbs of weight lost over the 10 day period. The selling point is, of course, that you will fit into your wedding gown and look great for your pictures.
Look, I enjoyed my wedding, I participated in some of it's planning and in a general sense cared that it went off well. I wanted the photos to look nice but most of that centered around the fact that I am relatively incapable of manufacturing a photogenic smile. It's pretty horrendous in fact. However, even though I helped plan our wedding, it's safe to say that I, like most men, was not as consumed by it as most women seem to be.
I liked our wedding photos a lot, my lovely wife looks amazing (and still does btw), and I look like f-ing James Bond. Ok, maybe if James Bond had a youthful side kick intended to make him look cooler I'd look like that guy. Anyways, my point is that I fail to see the benefit of shoving a tube up your nose in order to lose weight so you look skinny for 6 hours. I mean, I've looked at lots of people's wedding photos and everybody looks great! I can't remember looking at a wedding photo and saying, "Yikes! that's no muffin top, it's a whole cake." There have been some dresses that I thought were....interesting, but the bride looked fine. Big smiles, teary eyes, proud parents and friends. Great photos all.
So, I guess I just don't get it. The tube diet thing just seems extreme to me. It's fraught with risks according to the piece and requires that a person be 'confident enough to wear the tube in public', just not around small children apparently. The woman featured in the piece has young daughters, what message is she sending to them about next year's picture day?
I understand that people want to look nice for their wedding photos, to have someone open your album and say, "Oh! you look gorgeous!" On the other hand, do you want them thinking to themselves at the same time, "Wow! she looked so great at the wedding. What happened?"
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Sue Fleming
Sue is also mentioned in the NYT piece as writer of "Buff Brides". She works in New York as a personal trainer and has carved out a nice gig on TV and in print as an exercise and lifestyle coach for potential newlyweds.
At approximately 1% the cost you can buy her book and achieve the results you want lasting far beyond the honeymoon.
Me and My iPod -
In training mode for Bloomsday. I'm behind on my schedule but I'll get there. Only got in 5 miles total last week. Have done two 3 milers this week and I'm leaving after I finish this post for another one. Next week I'll bump up to 4's and 5's. Have to work on my pacing a little bit. The problem with getting behind on my schedule isn't that I won't make it, just that I'll be slower than I want to.
On the iPod this week - This American Life and WTF - Fred Willard was great, full of funny stories.
OK GO is good, Classic metal seems to be my thing lately. If you want to talk pacing, try running on beat to, "Rock and Roll" by Led Zepplin. You'll need a towel.
The above quotes come from a recent NYT piece on what apparently is a new fad diet amongst brides-to-be. It involves intubation through the nose with a bag of nutrient liquid that you carry around. It delivers about 800 calories and promises between 15 and 20 lbs of weight lost over the 10 day period. The selling point is, of course, that you will fit into your wedding gown and look great for your pictures.
Look, I enjoyed my wedding, I participated in some of it's planning and in a general sense cared that it went off well. I wanted the photos to look nice but most of that centered around the fact that I am relatively incapable of manufacturing a photogenic smile. It's pretty horrendous in fact. However, even though I helped plan our wedding, it's safe to say that I, like most men, was not as consumed by it as most women seem to be.
I liked our wedding photos a lot, my lovely wife looks amazing (and still does btw), and I look like f-ing James Bond. Ok, maybe if James Bond had a youthful side kick intended to make him look cooler I'd look like that guy. Anyways, my point is that I fail to see the benefit of shoving a tube up your nose in order to lose weight so you look skinny for 6 hours. I mean, I've looked at lots of people's wedding photos and everybody looks great! I can't remember looking at a wedding photo and saying, "Yikes! that's no muffin top, it's a whole cake." There have been some dresses that I thought were....interesting, but the bride looked fine. Big smiles, teary eyes, proud parents and friends. Great photos all.
So, I guess I just don't get it. The tube diet thing just seems extreme to me. It's fraught with risks according to the piece and requires that a person be 'confident enough to wear the tube in public', just not around small children apparently. The woman featured in the piece has young daughters, what message is she sending to them about next year's picture day?
I understand that people want to look nice for their wedding photos, to have someone open your album and say, "Oh! you look gorgeous!" On the other hand, do you want them thinking to themselves at the same time, "Wow! she looked so great at the wedding. What happened?"
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Sue Fleming
Sue is also mentioned in the NYT piece as writer of "Buff Brides". She works in New York as a personal trainer and has carved out a nice gig on TV and in print as an exercise and lifestyle coach for potential newlyweds.
At approximately 1% the cost you can buy her book and achieve the results you want lasting far beyond the honeymoon.
Me and My iPod -
In training mode for Bloomsday. I'm behind on my schedule but I'll get there. Only got in 5 miles total last week. Have done two 3 milers this week and I'm leaving after I finish this post for another one. Next week I'll bump up to 4's and 5's. Have to work on my pacing a little bit. The problem with getting behind on my schedule isn't that I won't make it, just that I'll be slower than I want to.
On the iPod this week - This American Life and WTF - Fred Willard was great, full of funny stories.
OK GO is good, Classic metal seems to be my thing lately. If you want to talk pacing, try running on beat to, "Rock and Roll" by Led Zepplin. You'll need a towel.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Hey....Corporate bohemoth! Little guy trying to make it here
So, should I be upset? I mean, I'm a little upset right now. I was just about to go off to bed and feed the ego a bit by seeing if my pageviews have increased. It's stupid I know but I won't deny that its cool when the numbers go up. I flip open the laptop, type 'ridiculously fit' into the google search bar and, as usual, my blog pops up. This time I notice, however, that some facebook page is titled the same thing so I curiously click on said link.
It's some gal hawking meal replacement shakes and filling up her page with 'inspriational' pictures that have catchy get tough and get moving type statements. Then, Horror of Horrors I see her tagline. "Are you Ridiculously Fit? So, why don't we learn a few things and then DO a few things and see what happens!" Until just a week ago, I had the EXACT same thing....I thought of it......I wrote it.......I put it up on MY blog back in July when I started this thing. Along the way Blogger came out with this nifty new template with flipping cards for your posts and customizable views for readers. It was ok, but the main header left off half of my tagline. SO, I decided to delete it and then ultimately, I just went back to the regular page layout you see here. I wish I hadn't done that now!
This was the old one I had, "Are you Ridiculously Fit? Yeah, me neither. SO, why don't we learn a few things, then DO a few things and see what happens?" I thought it was cool in a, "We're all in this together," type of way. Apparently so did she. Now, to be fair, I haven't written anything regularly for a few months and she just joined Facebook in February. So, I suppose it might be possible to argue that she determined that my blog was dead and that my tag was fair game. But it still feels, I'll say it, shitty.
Then, I was thinking, "What the hell is shakeology?" If you like, you may do your own 10 minute internet search but I'll give you the cliff's notes. It is a massive cross product marketing campaign which seems to be run by the P90x people. A certified Shakeologist comes from the college of Beachbody Coaching and can help you achieve all of your fitness dreams. It's a great supplement to your homebased workout programs like, the aforementioned P90x, Insanity workout, Turbo Fire, and let's not forget the Brazil Butt Lift.
The reason I know that it's a great supplement to those programs is because when you type in 'Shakeology the first three autofill words are "review", "cleanse", and "scam". Let's take each of these in order shall we.
"Shakeology review" results bring you not impartial third parties doing consumer watchdogging. Rather, each 'reviewer' appears to be one of these Beachbody Coaches reviewing their own product. My favorite is one that isn't even a person it just says, "Unbiased review" and then at the top of the page is a Shakeology ad. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Leonardo DiCaprio can't write a review of Inception, but I for sure know that Eddie Murphy wishes he could.
"Shakeology Cleanse" brings more of the same with detailed instructions on how their fantastic program works. Again we see some of the same websites but that seems to be expected.
"Shakeology Scam" was showing promise! Not only has my intellectual property been usurped by some powder peddler but it's also a scam to boot! My righteous indignation shall be justified! Gleefully I clicked on the top result, "Shakeology Scam - DO not buy Shakeology!" This has to be my favorite part. THIS GUY IS A BEACHBODY COACH TOO! It's a bait and switch headline. He gently tells you that it's ok to be skeptical but that it worked for him and it can work for you too. The next 10 or so results for 'scam' are also ALL in the affiliate program.
When earning your Shakeologist badge at the Beachbody Coaching camp I imagine that the camp's Director stands at the podium and divides everyone into groups.
"Alright boys and girls, listen closely, Listeeeeennnn!, the Left side of the room is our reviewers. The right side...yes, Johnny, I know that's my left hand...your right, the right side of the room. You folks get to take the scam angle, and the center....(claps hands together in gesture)...The center of the room you may pick either and also put up the 'how to' posts. Also, the weekend social is on hold until I get some volunteers to wash the egg off my car." (crowd groans in disappointment while a small section chuckles)
It's not like I had copyrighted that tagline, and if she was just some other trainer/shake seller in Ohio I might even be able to go so far as to feel flattered I guess. But for her to be part of this huge corporate conglomerate multi-level marking scheme made it seem rude. At this point all I can hope for is that I've mentioned Shakeology enough times to warrant a spot on the search results and toss a little monkey wrench in their well oiled machine.
Who knows? They may read my posts about juicing and decide that I'm a perfect scholarship candidate for a Shakeology degree. I can't wait for the weekend social!
It's some gal hawking meal replacement shakes and filling up her page with 'inspriational' pictures that have catchy get tough and get moving type statements. Then, Horror of Horrors I see her tagline. "Are you Ridiculously Fit? So, why don't we learn a few things and then DO a few things and see what happens!" Until just a week ago, I had the EXACT same thing....I thought of it......I wrote it.......I put it up on MY blog back in July when I started this thing. Along the way Blogger came out with this nifty new template with flipping cards for your posts and customizable views for readers. It was ok, but the main header left off half of my tagline. SO, I decided to delete it and then ultimately, I just went back to the regular page layout you see here. I wish I hadn't done that now!
This was the old one I had, "Are you Ridiculously Fit? Yeah, me neither. SO, why don't we learn a few things, then DO a few things and see what happens?" I thought it was cool in a, "We're all in this together," type of way. Apparently so did she. Now, to be fair, I haven't written anything regularly for a few months and she just joined Facebook in February. So, I suppose it might be possible to argue that she determined that my blog was dead and that my tag was fair game. But it still feels, I'll say it, shitty.
Then, I was thinking, "What the hell is shakeology?" If you like, you may do your own 10 minute internet search but I'll give you the cliff's notes. It is a massive cross product marketing campaign which seems to be run by the P90x people. A certified Shakeologist comes from the college of Beachbody Coaching and can help you achieve all of your fitness dreams. It's a great supplement to your homebased workout programs like, the aforementioned P90x, Insanity workout, Turbo Fire, and let's not forget the Brazil Butt Lift.
The reason I know that it's a great supplement to those programs is because when you type in 'Shakeology the first three autofill words are "review", "cleanse", and "scam". Let's take each of these in order shall we.
"Shakeology review" results bring you not impartial third parties doing consumer watchdogging. Rather, each 'reviewer' appears to be one of these Beachbody Coaches reviewing their own product. My favorite is one that isn't even a person it just says, "Unbiased review" and then at the top of the page is a Shakeology ad. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Leonardo DiCaprio can't write a review of Inception, but I for sure know that Eddie Murphy wishes he could.
"Shakeology Cleanse" brings more of the same with detailed instructions on how their fantastic program works. Again we see some of the same websites but that seems to be expected.
"Shakeology Scam" was showing promise! Not only has my intellectual property been usurped by some powder peddler but it's also a scam to boot! My righteous indignation shall be justified! Gleefully I clicked on the top result, "Shakeology Scam - DO not buy Shakeology!" This has to be my favorite part. THIS GUY IS A BEACHBODY COACH TOO! It's a bait and switch headline. He gently tells you that it's ok to be skeptical but that it worked for him and it can work for you too. The next 10 or so results for 'scam' are also ALL in the affiliate program.
When earning your Shakeologist badge at the Beachbody Coaching camp I imagine that the camp's Director stands at the podium and divides everyone into groups.
"Alright boys and girls, listen closely, Listeeeeennnn!, the Left side of the room is our reviewers. The right side...yes, Johnny, I know that's my left hand...your right, the right side of the room. You folks get to take the scam angle, and the center....(claps hands together in gesture)...The center of the room you may pick either and also put up the 'how to' posts. Also, the weekend social is on hold until I get some volunteers to wash the egg off my car." (crowd groans in disappointment while a small section chuckles)
It's not like I had copyrighted that tagline, and if she was just some other trainer/shake seller in Ohio I might even be able to go so far as to feel flattered I guess. But for her to be part of this huge corporate conglomerate multi-level marking scheme made it seem rude. At this point all I can hope for is that I've mentioned Shakeology enough times to warrant a spot on the search results and toss a little monkey wrench in their well oiled machine.
Who knows? They may read my posts about juicing and decide that I'm a perfect scholarship candidate for a Shakeology degree. I can't wait for the weekend social!
Monday, March 19, 2012
It's called a fast. So, why does it take so long?
Read the previous post for the lead up to my juice fast.
Day 1 - Leading up to my 3 day juicing fast I tapered how much food I was eating and started drinking more juice to minimize any difficulty not eating food today. For breakfast today I did have 1 small cup of coffee and polished off last nights green juice. Been tapering coffee as well and won't have any tomorrow or Saturday. I'm doing a fruitier juice for mid-morning and felt a bit hungry for food but nothing really terrible. Have been warned about 'blowouts' but not really having that, which is good. I worked up to my fast so perhaps I'm a bit more cleaned out than if I had started strictly today.
The rest of my first day was more difficult. I kept experiencing this strange feeling of fullness and hunger. I'd polish off a jar of juice and feel my full stomach and yet would feel like if a burger was in front of me i could chow down no problem. My lovely wife called to ask me to pick up some Thai food for lunch. That was tough, the car smelled great.
Day 2 - No coffee today, really wanted to but just pushed through it. My morning rescheduled for later in the day so being able to sit and wake up slowly sure helped. Chugged down some pretty standard green juice but added grapes. That was pretty yummy. Not bacon and eggs yummy, but good nonetheless.
"Lunch" pretty well sucked. I tried a recipe that called for purple cabbage. If you are thinking of doing a juice fast avoid purple cabbage. It's pretty rank in juice. My favorite part is closing the lid for a while in the fridge and then opening it later for a lovely puke smell. That made it tough to choke down, and I was at work so I couldn't just dump it out and start over.
As day 2 came to a close I was definitely craving food. Any kind of food and let me tell you, watching television does not help. I don't know who Ci-Ci's pizza is and I'm pretty sure it's terrible for you but it was looking pretty goddamn good last night. The Olive Garden got a nice middle finger from me as well.
Day 3 - So, day three is more of the same. I don't feel weak or tired, my energy levels haven't really changed at all. This morning was a lot easier to get going even though I had no coffee again. I think I'll stick with a juice in the morning to keep my coffee from getting out of control.
Definitely not feeling amazing or anything like that. It's possible that I wasn't very toxic to begin with. People talked about 'blowouts' and surges of energy but I haven't really experienced that. I did have a mild headache yesterday but I don't know if it's related, felt muscular to me.
The Recap -
One of the great things I can take away from this experience is that it really illustrates how limited your palette is. I can think I'm eating veggies and fruits all I want to but until you have to cram it into a juicer you find you really aren't eating that much at all. I didn't even know what Swiss chard was. Also, it was nice to see that I could juice my way to a good morning rather than raid the dishwasher for our largest coffee mug.
On the other hand my fast ended with a general feeling of self punishment. I don't know if I ever achieved a sense that it was something I could do on a 10 or 14 day basis. Nothing over the past few days was as enjoyable as my first actual meal.
One of the problems was definitely the hunger factor. As a novice juicer, I followed the suggested recipes from the Reboot website. Unfortunately, the yield was often not much more than a glassful and that was just not enough for me. As a result I ended up juicing a lot more often and didn't get into a good rhythm on timing and portions until well into the second day.
Experimentation is key. Be prepared to waste juice and money trying out different recipes. You absolutely have to try different things leading up to your fast, otherwise you end up stuck at work with the purple cabbage puke juice.
For those needing an extreme change in lifestyle in order to bring their lives into balance a juice fast is probably a great idea. It's clear that one can definitely become healthier and more vital following this type of program. Though I never got past 'hungry' I never felt tired or sluggish, my mind felt clear and I was able to multi-task and accomplish things while food free. Also, I still like the fact that its real foods going into your body as I think that translates well when transitioning back to a food based diet.
As for me, I finished my breakfast this morning with a nice half jar of kale, cucumber, celery, apple, pear, grape juice and feel great.
Day 1 - Leading up to my 3 day juicing fast I tapered how much food I was eating and started drinking more juice to minimize any difficulty not eating food today. For breakfast today I did have 1 small cup of coffee and polished off last nights green juice. Been tapering coffee as well and won't have any tomorrow or Saturday. I'm doing a fruitier juice for mid-morning and felt a bit hungry for food but nothing really terrible. Have been warned about 'blowouts' but not really having that, which is good. I worked up to my fast so perhaps I'm a bit more cleaned out than if I had started strictly today.
The rest of my first day was more difficult. I kept experiencing this strange feeling of fullness and hunger. I'd polish off a jar of juice and feel my full stomach and yet would feel like if a burger was in front of me i could chow down no problem. My lovely wife called to ask me to pick up some Thai food for lunch. That was tough, the car smelled great.
Day 2 - No coffee today, really wanted to but just pushed through it. My morning rescheduled for later in the day so being able to sit and wake up slowly sure helped. Chugged down some pretty standard green juice but added grapes. That was pretty yummy. Not bacon and eggs yummy, but good nonetheless.
"Lunch" pretty well sucked. I tried a recipe that called for purple cabbage. If you are thinking of doing a juice fast avoid purple cabbage. It's pretty rank in juice. My favorite part is closing the lid for a while in the fridge and then opening it later for a lovely puke smell. That made it tough to choke down, and I was at work so I couldn't just dump it out and start over.
As day 2 came to a close I was definitely craving food. Any kind of food and let me tell you, watching television does not help. I don't know who Ci-Ci's pizza is and I'm pretty sure it's terrible for you but it was looking pretty goddamn good last night. The Olive Garden got a nice middle finger from me as well.
Day 3 - So, day three is more of the same. I don't feel weak or tired, my energy levels haven't really changed at all. This morning was a lot easier to get going even though I had no coffee again. I think I'll stick with a juice in the morning to keep my coffee from getting out of control.
Definitely not feeling amazing or anything like that. It's possible that I wasn't very toxic to begin with. People talked about 'blowouts' and surges of energy but I haven't really experienced that. I did have a mild headache yesterday but I don't know if it's related, felt muscular to me.
The Recap -
One of the great things I can take away from this experience is that it really illustrates how limited your palette is. I can think I'm eating veggies and fruits all I want to but until you have to cram it into a juicer you find you really aren't eating that much at all. I didn't even know what Swiss chard was. Also, it was nice to see that I could juice my way to a good morning rather than raid the dishwasher for our largest coffee mug.
On the other hand my fast ended with a general feeling of self punishment. I don't know if I ever achieved a sense that it was something I could do on a 10 or 14 day basis. Nothing over the past few days was as enjoyable as my first actual meal.
One of the problems was definitely the hunger factor. As a novice juicer, I followed the suggested recipes from the Reboot website. Unfortunately, the yield was often not much more than a glassful and that was just not enough for me. As a result I ended up juicing a lot more often and didn't get into a good rhythm on timing and portions until well into the second day.
Experimentation is key. Be prepared to waste juice and money trying out different recipes. You absolutely have to try different things leading up to your fast, otherwise you end up stuck at work with the purple cabbage puke juice.
For those needing an extreme change in lifestyle in order to bring their lives into balance a juice fast is probably a great idea. It's clear that one can definitely become healthier and more vital following this type of program. Though I never got past 'hungry' I never felt tired or sluggish, my mind felt clear and I was able to multi-task and accomplish things while food free. Also, I still like the fact that its real foods going into your body as I think that translates well when transitioning back to a food based diet.
As for me, I finished my breakfast this morning with a nice half jar of kale, cucumber, celery, apple, pear, grape juice and feel great.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Real men juice before a workout!
Yeah, that's right. I'm going on the juice. I'm pretty sure it will improve my workouts and cut a few extra pounds off me as well.
Oh, right. First off....Hello again. It's been a while since I posted anything here and I'm committed to not falling totally off the wagon anymore. The nice thing about writing a newsletter and a blog is that it does improve your visibility and thus, increases business. However, an increase in business isn't so good for writing a newsletter or maintaining a blog. Thanks for all the complaints I've received regarding my slacking nature so I promise to be more disciplined about scheduling my writing and will have regular things for all of my one person to read from now on.
Back to me getting on the juice. Winter season was especially busy and as a result, I stagnated a little bit in my ongoing efforts to become ridiculously fit. Running Bloomsday again this year was something I'm committed to do so I've stepped up my training for that. However, I felt like that wasn't quite enough to energize and excite me. Then, this Sunday I watched, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" over the internets. It's a great film about this businessman Joe Cross who is very overweight and suffers from a terrible skin condition for which he takes medication he doesn't like.
The movie chronicles his descision to go on a 60 day juice fast while traveling across America talking about why we eat the things we eat. By the end of the movie, he looks great and we sound pretty silly talking about why we eat fast food everyday. Along the way he gets people to try his juice and some like it enough to try their own fast. I won't spoil it but there's a pretty amazing story in there and I really enjoyed it.
Now, am I doing 60 days? Hell no. Upon visiting his website (free btw) I see what they refer to as a 'Reboot'. Essentially, a 3 day detox that I think would be a good idea. I'm gearing up for it by working in a couple of glassfuls each day. The plan is to start on Thursday and end on Saturday night. I think it is just what I was looking for in terms of a jump start to my own training.
I get asked about detox programs all the time and I've been hesitant to recommend any that have you only drinking lemon water or use costly shakes as meal replacements. I like this idea that I'm using actual foods and getting a super sized jolt of micro nutrients over the course of a weekend. Plus, I'll actually be able to talk about my experience for those interested in such things. I'll let you know how it goes.
Fit Topic of the Day - Running Mechanics
Spring time brings out the walkers and runners. It also brings out the foot/ankle/knee pain too. One fundimental aspect of gait that I see a lot is from folks toeing out. Duck walking with one or both feet is just not mechanically efficient for force production in running. It's often the result of over active external rotators in the hip. This tension rotates the femur outward, hence the duck foot.
In order to get the foot in position to strike the ground for the next stride the leg comes forward and rotates inward in time to hit the ground. Then, at the last second externally rotates again for the duck foot. This constant planting/rotating/planting pattern puts torque through the ankle and knee and is very often the cause of pain.
You can help yourself a bunch by doing some foam roller work on the outside of the thigh. A table stretch will attack those external rotators as well. Place one leg onto a waist high(or close) flat surface with the leg bent 90 degrees at the knee and the thigh pointing straight away from you. Lean forward and do your best to get the knee flat on the table. You'll feel a good stretch running outside you butt.
Then, the next time you walk or jog, take the first few minutes to get those feet turned more parallel to eachother. It'll feel weird at first, but stick with it.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Joe Cross
I'm going to stick with my movie for this post and go with the guy who dropped a load of weight, eliminated his skin disorder and got himself off of medications all by drinking some juice. I'm pretty sure he eats food now so I'm glad he's not too freaky about it. Also, he did start up a really helpful website with plans, recipes, community pages and forums to discuss juicing. All for $0 to boot!
It ain't always about the abs people. Sometimes you've got to focus on that good feeling.
Me and My iPod
Workout -
I'm back to running regularly so last week I did 3x at 30 minutes for a nice base. This week we'll throw in an interval or two in addition to adding on about 5 or 10 minutes to a steady state run. The weather sucks so I'll stay indoors this week most likely.
What I'm listening to - Loving me some 'Flo Rida'. I love that he makes a name out of a State. 'Good Feeling' and 'Club can't handle me' are superb. Also, going old school 80's metal: Judas Priest, Dio, Scorpions are beyond awesome. Queen also never gets old.
As usual WTF podcast was good - Bill Maher was interesting. This American Life continues to be good every week.
Take care people, I'm going to get my juice on!
Oh, right. First off....Hello again. It's been a while since I posted anything here and I'm committed to not falling totally off the wagon anymore. The nice thing about writing a newsletter and a blog is that it does improve your visibility and thus, increases business. However, an increase in business isn't so good for writing a newsletter or maintaining a blog. Thanks for all the complaints I've received regarding my slacking nature so I promise to be more disciplined about scheduling my writing and will have regular things for all of my one person to read from now on.
Back to me getting on the juice. Winter season was especially busy and as a result, I stagnated a little bit in my ongoing efforts to become ridiculously fit. Running Bloomsday again this year was something I'm committed to do so I've stepped up my training for that. However, I felt like that wasn't quite enough to energize and excite me. Then, this Sunday I watched, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" over the internets. It's a great film about this businessman Joe Cross who is very overweight and suffers from a terrible skin condition for which he takes medication he doesn't like.
The movie chronicles his descision to go on a 60 day juice fast while traveling across America talking about why we eat the things we eat. By the end of the movie, he looks great and we sound pretty silly talking about why we eat fast food everyday. Along the way he gets people to try his juice and some like it enough to try their own fast. I won't spoil it but there's a pretty amazing story in there and I really enjoyed it.
Now, am I doing 60 days? Hell no. Upon visiting his website (free btw) I see what they refer to as a 'Reboot'. Essentially, a 3 day detox that I think would be a good idea. I'm gearing up for it by working in a couple of glassfuls each day. The plan is to start on Thursday and end on Saturday night. I think it is just what I was looking for in terms of a jump start to my own training.
I get asked about detox programs all the time and I've been hesitant to recommend any that have you only drinking lemon water or use costly shakes as meal replacements. I like this idea that I'm using actual foods and getting a super sized jolt of micro nutrients over the course of a weekend. Plus, I'll actually be able to talk about my experience for those interested in such things. I'll let you know how it goes.
Fit Topic of the Day - Running Mechanics
Spring time brings out the walkers and runners. It also brings out the foot/ankle/knee pain too. One fundimental aspect of gait that I see a lot is from folks toeing out. Duck walking with one or both feet is just not mechanically efficient for force production in running. It's often the result of over active external rotators in the hip. This tension rotates the femur outward, hence the duck foot.
In order to get the foot in position to strike the ground for the next stride the leg comes forward and rotates inward in time to hit the ground. Then, at the last second externally rotates again for the duck foot. This constant planting/rotating/planting pattern puts torque through the ankle and knee and is very often the cause of pain.
You can help yourself a bunch by doing some foam roller work on the outside of the thigh. A table stretch will attack those external rotators as well. Place one leg onto a waist high(or close) flat surface with the leg bent 90 degrees at the knee and the thigh pointing straight away from you. Lean forward and do your best to get the knee flat on the table. You'll feel a good stretch running outside you butt.
Then, the next time you walk or jog, take the first few minutes to get those feet turned more parallel to eachother. It'll feel weird at first, but stick with it.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Joe Cross
I'm going to stick with my movie for this post and go with the guy who dropped a load of weight, eliminated his skin disorder and got himself off of medications all by drinking some juice. I'm pretty sure he eats food now so I'm glad he's not too freaky about it. Also, he did start up a really helpful website with plans, recipes, community pages and forums to discuss juicing. All for $0 to boot!
It ain't always about the abs people. Sometimes you've got to focus on that good feeling.
Me and My iPod
Workout -
I'm back to running regularly so last week I did 3x at 30 minutes for a nice base. This week we'll throw in an interval or two in addition to adding on about 5 or 10 minutes to a steady state run. The weather sucks so I'll stay indoors this week most likely.
What I'm listening to - Loving me some 'Flo Rida'. I love that he makes a name out of a State. 'Good Feeling' and 'Club can't handle me' are superb. Also, going old school 80's metal: Judas Priest, Dio, Scorpions are beyond awesome. Queen also never gets old.
As usual WTF podcast was good - Bill Maher was interesting. This American Life continues to be good every week.
Take care people, I'm going to get my juice on!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The low risk/high reward world of soccer
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.
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.
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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