Rcube's Fitness Blog

Kettlebell workouts going well!

2011-04-27T22:17:00.000+01:00

I've been really making some progress with my Kettlebell work. I now can do a Turkish Get-up with a 32kg x1 left and right......and I haven't practiced with anything heavier than a 16kg. I'm also up to 60sets on my VO2max day, I could actually do more but my hands have had enough by the time I reach 60 sets..... So, I ordered some new gloves and I'll be giving a review on them as soon as they arrive.

I'll be blogging more about my workouts and posting some more pictures soon. Hopefully, I'll be posting some workout videos of some of my routines too.

Until then "Let's get it done!"

The results of my Year of Kettlebell work

2011-02-08T20:54:00.001Z

After a year of hard work and much learning....I have almost achieved my body fat percentage goal of single digit body fat! I've only used Kettlebells, Ropes, TRX, BOSU, and various body weight exercises to achieve this. Of course watching what I'm eating is very important......I currently eat around 2200 to 2500 calories and try to burn around 2700 to 3200 calories a day.

I'm now at 10.2% at 186lbs. I still plan on getting down to 175lbs of body weight.....so I still have a little more work to do.

My new KB routine!

2010-09-23T06:05:00.000Z

I back in the gym !! This will be my new routine:

Don't try this at home or anywhere without knowing how to do these exercises. If possible work with a Certified Kettlebell instructor.....RKC, HKC or if possible Steve Maxwell. I'm planning to get certified by Steve as soon as he gives a class that I'll be able to attend.

Monday: Light
Tuesday: Bodyweight/ TRX exercises
Wednesday: Medium
Thursday: Bodyweight/ TRX exercises
Friday: Heavy
Joint/Mobility Movements:
Neck, shoulders, wrists, waist, hips, knees, ankles

16kg KB Warmup: (30sec in a clockwise direction, then counter-clockwise)
1. Around the Body Pass
2. Halos
3. Figure 8s
4. Good Morning Stretch (10 reps)
5. Turkish Get Up (3 reps L/R)

Light: (3 Rounds) 120sec rest between rounds
1 Round
16kg Single Arm Swings Left (10 reps)
16kg Single Arm Swings Right (10 reps)
16kg Alternating Swings (10 reps)
16kg Snatches Left (5 reps)
16kg Snatches Right (5 reps)

Medium: (3 Rounds) 120sec rest between rounds
1 Round
16kg Alternating Swings (10 reps)
16kg Squats (10 reps)
16kg Hot Potato
16kg Alternating Swings (10 reps)
16kg Hot Potato
16kg Swing Squats (10 reps)

Heavy: (3 rounds) 120sec rest between rounds
1 Round
24kg 2Hand Arm Swings (10 reps)
24kg Deadlifts (10 reps)
24kg 1Hand Arm Swings Left (5 reps)
24kg 1Hand Arm Swings Right (5 reps)
16kg Squat Thrusts (10 reps)
16/24kg Uneven Farmers Walk
16/24kg Uneven Renegade Rows

Cool Down:
Legs over-the-head rolls to standing position
Yoga pushup to arched back stretch
Hip Flexor stretch
Bodyweight Exercises: (10 Reps, 3 rounds)
Burpee to Legs over-the-head rolls to standing position
Handstand prep Pushups
TRX Exercieses:
TRX Pendulums
TRX Lunging Knee raises L/R
TRX Chest Press
TRX Atomic pushups
TRX Standup Leaning Pull-ups

My Gym!

2010-07-25T15:22:00.001+01:00


My Kettlebell Gym

This is what my current gym looks like minus the TRX and BOSU. I have 4 competition style Kettlebells, and some Dragon Door kettlebells as well. I started using competition kettlebells when I first started training, but now prefer the Dragon Door since they are more compact and geared HardStyle Kettlebell training as taught by the HKC and RKC certifications. I do like using the competition KB's for two handed swings and when introducing people to the kettlebell for the first few times (smoother handle and bright colors seam to keep them interested and coming back).

I currently like using two kettlebells (16kg Dragon Door) for most of my work. As I get stronger I'll start doing more work with the 24kg. Before my hamstring injury, I was up to about 67 snatches with the 24kg in 5 minutes, but my form still needed some work. It has been (at least) 3 weeks, since I've trained, and my strength and conditioning has gone down a lot. I hope to be back training regularly this week.....Hamstring permitting. Meanwhile, keep focused and keep training!

Awesome advanced Kettlebell routine!

2010-07-14T17:03:00.002+01:00

An awesome Kettlebell routine that taxes your whole body in a specific order

You can cut each minute to 30 secs (of work) and 30 secs (of rest). Work your way up to the full 22 minutes. This is an semi-advanced routine......you should be familiar with every exercise before trying this routine.

22 Minute Single Kettlebell Warrior Workout
By Steve Maxwell, MS, RKC

Steve Maxwell has spent over 35 years in the fields of wrestling, grappling, and physical training and remains at the forefront of fitness innovation. Steve is the first person certified to teach Gracie Jiu Jitsu in the USA and is the first American to earn a black belt from Relson Gracie. ^[1]

Steve Maxwell was the first man to teach kettlebell classes in the United States. He has a long history of competitive grappling. He wrestled competitively through high school and college, and then in the US Army. Steve holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from West Chester State University, in Pennsylvania.^[3]

My future KB and TRX workout plan

2010-07-14T16:50:00.000+01:00

Currently I'm recovering from a pulled hamstring/glute..... Because of this I'll be adding more core and stretching to my future workouts!

My future workout will be something like this:

20-30min Kettlebell routine 3 times a week (M-W-F) Medium, Light and Heavy

This will strengthen my weak Functional muscle groups and give me explosive power for any activity.....(Core and Grip strength)...also provide my cardio conditioning.

20-30min of TRX and bodyweight exercises 3 times a week (Tue-Thur-Sat) also some yoga in there somewhere.

This will improve my core strength, flexibility, and joint mobility and allow me to lift heavier kettlebells.

New start with Kettlebells!

2010-07-13T19:43:00.005+01:00

After a layoff of 3 years, I'm finally back to getting in shape! With the help of Kettlebells, I'll be getting in the best shape of my life.

So far, I have already lost 2 inches in my waist while completely changing my body composition in only 3 months of using kettlebells! I started at 90kg and ending up at 90kg (197lbs), while going from just over 16.5% body fat to 12.4%!

I was so motivated that I attended and became a Certified HKC (Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge) trainer, and will be working on obtaining the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) certification within a year.

This blog will cover my training and progress (to that goal) while hopefully giving you the inspiration to create and meet you own fitness goals!

Happy training!

Had a great workout!

2007-05-25T19:48:00.000Z

Today was the last workout of the week and I really gave it all I had! Since Marion had exercised a little earlier in the day, I worked out on my own today.

So, instead of resting in between each set I went from one exercise to another and used lite weight 10lb dumbbells during the lunges and Y-Squats (with weights it's like doing a dumbbell press and squat at the same time), by the time I finished with the Chop Squats I was so winded I had to take a 2-3 minute break before finishing off with my Alligator Push ups.

The biggest change I noticed was with the Alligator Push ups; at the beginning of the week I thought they were impossible, but today they were easy. Next week I'll be doing two sets of everything and I'm looking forward to it. I can't say the same for Marion; but I know she'll get it done!

My workout exercise examples....

2007-05-23T19:59:00.001Z

Please don't try any of these exercises without knowledge of how they are done. This post is an example of what I am doing and should not to be used as a guide on how to exercise...... hopefully you are entertained (at the very least), and if it motivates you to continue toward your fitness goal.....fantastic!

As promised here are pics of me doing some crazy sounding exercises....... if you liked this post and would like to see more examples of me doing crazy sounding exercises just let me know by Digging this post (clicking on the Digg button at bottom of post) or posting a comment stating so.....thanks!

What I like to call the Alligator Push up.... 1/2 half of the exercise...I alternate left, right..thus using a 4 count.

Starting position.....

........... 1/2 completed

I like using a 4 count with this exercise.... 1-2-3--1, 1-2-3--2 and so on for 5 (total) 4-count reps.

An ab exercise for those who love abs..... or just want to see me on my back (I'll leave that one alone).
What I call the Beetle Crunch (sounds better than the Bug Crunch or the Dying Cockroach)
I described this one in the previous post, probably didn't make sense then...hope it does now.

Finally, we have the Squat Chop....... 1 set consists of 15reps left and 15 reps right side....pics from 1 right side rep.

From starting (up) position to bottom of squat position with a chopping motion across the body... This works the delts, quads, glutes, abs, and after 15 reps per side you really feel like you got it done!

Workout two in the bag..

2007-05-23T17:55:00.000Z

Our 2nd workout went well, still not too intense.....mainly since we're only doing one set per exercise this week. Next week we'll be doing 2 sets per exercise, with 3 sets the following week. The 4th week we'll add weights and maybe additional exercises after that.

Marion's quads and glutes were a little sore from Monday's workout, not sure if from the lunges or the Squat Chops, but either way perfect start for our program. She was able work the muscles she wanted to with no weight and just one set! She'll soon adapt, but slowly, which will allow her to stay with the program the initial soreness, as well as strengthen the muscles (slightly), and increase her muscular endurance. As the week progress, her strength and endurance will go up and she be fully ready to add weights by the 4th week.

Today, we changed out the medicine ball for weights on the Squat Chops. I used 25lbs and Marion used 10lb (same as the medicine ball). We also changed our ab routine slightly, neither of us felt as we had work our abs after Monday's routine, so I've changed our ab flex exercise to what I like to call the beetle crunch (on your back with legs and arms in the air, with your chin forward, and head level, reach and try to touch your toes, holding the crunch for 1 second). The alligator push ups were a bit easier to do (less awkward), although still physically taxing. Not looking forward to doing 2 or 3 sets of those, but I'm sure they'll get easier every workout.

In my next post, I'll show examples of the Beatle Crunch, Alligator push ups and Squat Chops. Until our next work out, Just keep getting it done!

Grill to better health!

2007-05-22T19:20:00.000Z

After doing our 30 minutes of cardio on our crosstrainer, we finished off our day with some grilled asparagus and chicken breast seasoned with olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Just picked up my first gas grill (have been doing the charcoal thing up until now), and we will be cooking on it more than our stove from now on. Most of the stoves here use electricity to heat a ceramic top, hence we have really missed cooking with flame.

From now on we will be mostly grilling our dinner, which will be a vegetable and a good source of protein. I don't plan on having beef more than 2x a week, so most of the time it will be chicken or fish.

I'm sure our neighbors will think it strange when they see me grilling this winter in the snow!

New Start...... plus one more!

2007-05-21T19:56:00.000Z

As you can see, I changed up the look of my blog, which goes well with my new start. This time my wife will be getting in shape with me!

Monday: 21 May 07
Today, I started my new workout routine, slightly modified, because Marion (my wife) is working out with me. She is really looking forward to seeing her abs again, so I'm sure she will keep us both on track!

Although, she won't be posting her stats or pics during her fitness journey, I think I can convince her to post a before and after shot once she's in shape again....... we'll see. I on the other hand will be posting a weekly pic, my weight and body fat % average based on my body fat scale readings and a monthly before and after pic comparison.

Before I forget my current stats..... Bodyweight: 195lbs Body Fat: 14.6% Hydration: Low

Some big differences in my previous programs, I'll be doing most of my workouts at home and with very little weight (to start out), in fact the first few weeks will be done with no weights and 10lb medicine ball for 1 or 2 of the exercises.

I'll go over each exercise and include a pic or two later this week. For now, here is a quick breakdown of what I'll be doing.

Resistance training followed by walk. Mon, Wed, Fri
30min Cardio followed by walk Tue, Thur, Sat
Long walk: Sunday

Resistance training for the first few weeks will consist of these exercises:
Ab Flexes
Lunge
Y-squat
Ab ball crunches
Tricep Push ups
Diagonal Squats w/ medicine ball
Alligator Push ups

The walks after our routine will be with Zoie-in Stroller, Zoie-in carrying harness, or had weights while the other person either pushes Zoie or carries Zoie.

Sunday will be an active rest day, going for a long walk (over an hour or more) with Zoie and no weights.

Done with volleyball.....

2007-05-16T18:10:00.000Z

It's been awhile since I've posted here......... Played my final volleyball game for the season Monday. My knees are very happy about that. Will have to work on strengthening them as well as loosing some body weight if I want to play again next year. The body weight I played at during my prime was 175lb, right now I'm about 190+. I haven't checked this week, and will put it off until the end of this week, when I post my new stats. I can tell you now they are going to very un-motivating!

I have been slacking on my eating plan. If you were to suggest that I haven't been following a eating plan, since little Zoie's birth, you would be very close to the truth. The cardio, by itself hasn't been enough. I definitely have to get back on track with my resistance training in addition to following my eating plan and continuing regular cardio training. My new pics will not be fun to take but they will be a good motivator and starting point, before getting back on track.

I'll will be starting a new 6 month progress resistance training program (details to follow in another post) that will hit my core muscles as well as progressively strengthening my tendons and support for my joints while adding muscle.

Soon our little Zoie will be running around, and I plan to be a good role model and example (of a healthy lifestyle) when she gets older. So, if you have been slacking lately, no worries, it's a great time to get back on track. If you haven't and are making great progress....good job....keep it up, and prepare to watch me get it done!

Nothing but volleyball....

2007-04-25T18:11:00.000Z

Weighed in for the last time in our "Fat boy contest". Came in at 189lbs and 13.6% bodyfat. Not too bad for slacking off this past month! I have lost some muscle, and but didn't gain any bodyfat either. Had to pay back some of the money I had won, last week but, got back on track this week.

With hours of volleyball everyday this week and a few times last week, plus the great walks we're taking Zoie on.

For now I'll keep playing volleyball and enjoying the California-like weather (of the past few days), and slowing start hitting the weights as volleyball season starts to wind down.

Sad sad day......

2007-04-21T13:31:00.000Z

I haven't been going to the gym (although I have been playing a game or two of volleyball) and our Sharpei has been really sick lately, so haven't felt like posting lately.

Today Iku, our Shar-pei, died (she has been really sick for a while now).

It's going to be so strange without her around; doing all the unique things that Shar-pei's do.

So, I won't be posting for a few days.

Terrible workout...energy low

2007-04-13T18:57:00.000Z

I felt terrible during my volleyball game, I was so dehydrated! Even felt dizzy a couple of times. Made it through but not without a lot of focused effort. Yeah, I have been slacking on my workouts lately, and my knees are still slightly swollen from all the jumping. This might be my last year of indoor volleyball for me, at least at this body weight (191 lbs). When I was in my volleyball prime I was 175 lbs, now a few years later...lol, my poor knees think I weigh too much.

Been feeling a real lack of energy lately, been taking only half of my thyroid medicine since I'm almost out and won't be able to get some more until next week. That combined with my lazy nutritional choices and low water intake, are all starting to take their toll.

At least my sleeping pattern is better. I'm getting more sleep because of Zoie, I go to sleep earlier than I did before, so I get an hour or two more sleep!

Although, I'm feeling tired lately, I'm not sleeping in the tub yet.....lol!

Back in the gym!

2007-04-10T19:33:00.000Z

Today, I made it back in the gym for the 2nd time this week. Since volleyball season has started I'll be in the gym at least 4 days a week for volleyball. I don't plan on hitting the weights as hard as before, until volleyball season is over.

My eating plan is still chaotic, I'm eating okay (watch what I eat), not excessive or anything but I'm not eating 6 meals a day like I had been before.......mainly because of laziness. Also, not paying attention to how much protein I'm eating (I'm eating less protein and more carbs I'm supposed to be). Also, still short on water. Did drink about 1.5 liters today but had two cups of coffee as well. I'll have to put down another liter before I go to bed.

All in all, I felt pretty good on the volleyball court, but tomorrow will be the real test. We'll be doing a tough practice with a lot of non-stop drills and then play a couple scrimmage games to finish up.......getting ready for our weekend tournament. If I'm not eating right (getting enough of the right foods) or staying properly hydrated, tomorrow's practice will let me know!

Hope every reading this is back in the gym (if you took a break), and if you didn't take a break then....... Way to keep getting it done!

Weight down, but what about bodyfat?

2007-04-05T20:47:00.000Z

Today, I started to assess my little break from my exercise routine and found that I went from 195 to 189lbs, which is by no way an improvement, since I didn't exercise (cardio or resistance training) or eat right for over a week, I know I didn't loose body fat, but I don't think I lost 5-6 lbs of muscle either.

I am quite a bit more dehydrated; I haven't been drinking my usual 3 liters of water and have been drinking more than a cup or 2 of coffee a day. So, for now, I'll contribute my drastic weight change to dehydration.

This is why you mustn't use just a body weight scale (like so many people tend to do) to assess your fitness progress if it's body fat loss your seeking.

Remember, if you aren't checking your body weight and body fat % you can't truly assess your progress toward your (body fat loss) fitness goal!

Unfortunately, my body fat scale says I need to rehydrate myself and continue with my workout program!

Didn't make it to the gym....

2007-04-03T19:14:00.000Z

Okay, didn't make it to the gym, but did do a work out at home. Not quite the same, since I couldn't do my dead lifts but I did get a decent upper body workout. When I do make it back to the gym I'll be doing a new variation of my workout routine. I'll still be doing my heavy lifts, Deadlifts/ Bench press/ Squats but will be cutting out some of the isolation exercises like bicep curls, forearms, tricep extensions, and calves and will be replacing those exercises with 2o minutes of cardio to finish off my routine. So my total workout will take one hour or less total and include 20mins of cardio. This change will hopefully give my the best results in the least amount of time. We see how this strategy works. For now hope your workouts are keeping you fit.

Zoie's own blog....

2007-04-02T13:01:00.000Z

Today, Zoie's post can be found on her own blog! So, just click on the title and enjoy.

From now on, I'm back to posting about fitness on this blog.....so if you missed a workout or two, no worries (I did too).

I'm ready to continue making progress toward my fitness goal and I hope you are too!

Later, I'll be posting my current fitness status as well as my new modified routine, which will be quicker and include a finishing cardio session.

So, let's ......"Get it done!"

Zoie's first home bath!

2007-03-31T09:59:00.001Z

31 Mar 07: Zoie's Day 8

Today, during the midwife's visit, Zoie took her first bath at home. She was of course bathed by me and supervised by the midwife with tips and tricks to make Zoie's experience as pleasant as possible. A little tricky getting all the folds of her skin, between her toes and under her arms while keeping her comfortable but all in all she didn't feel a need to protest.

Just prior to her bath she was weighed and once again had gained weight...yeah Zoie. So far she is still in perfect health!

Zoie's sleeping habits are seem pretty regular, at night she tends to sleep 3 hours at a time before needing to be fed or changed, very similar to Iku's night schedule. While during the day she likes to stay awake for an hour or two before being fed by Mom, or will stay awake an hour or more after being fed by Dad (nursing vs bottle....mom is much more comfy and which I guess causes her to sleep straight away after and sometime during her meal).

Day 6.... The Hebamme's 2nd Visit

2007-03-29T19:29:00.000Z

Zoie is.....
.........a quiet but active cutie, who seems to be interested in everything around her (although I'm sure she can't see very much), although she falls a sleep very quickly (while nursing), she tries to stay awake the rest of the time, and appears to enjoy her surroundings.

Today Zoie had her second visit from the hebamme (name for Germany's Midwife equivalent). The hebamme (pronounced like hay-baum) gave Zoie a vote of good health for the 2nd day in a row and mentioned that Zoie's skin and eyes were less yellow (even since yesterday) and that
she has also gained weight since leaving the hospital on Tuesday (90grams). Yeah, go Zoie! She also said that my wife is doing a great job feeding little Zoie and that Zoie is seems to be a very curious baby (she is awake looking around a lot). She also complimented me on my diaper changing ability! (I'm not saying I can change Zoie with one hand or anything, but at least I can get her cleaned up and into some dry diapers with no problem after just a few days practice).

I know that after a while this may be all second hand and not very exciting, but for now, I'm enjoying being a new Dad, and will continue to find joy in even the most mundane things.

Zoie's Day 6.....a little help from our Shar pei

2007-03-29T08:46:00.000Z

I didn't post yesterday, because I spent most of the day enjoying being a new Dad! I did get plenty of rest last night and the night before. All the training our Sharpei, Iku, put me through (waking me up several, random times, throughout the night, to goto the bathroom, needing her ears cleaned, or wanting fresh water), is paying off right now.

If you don't know anything about Chinese Sharpei, then you may be wondering... "how did his dog help him prepare for the "less sleep at night experience" that many new parents have difficulty with?".... Well, a quick overview of what it takes to care for a Sharpei may help you understand.

Chinese Sharpei have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train plus you need to socialize them early on with people and other animals. They may require extra care; wiping them after they eat (so they don't shake water and food everywhere), they need their ears cleaned weekly, and tend to have many health and allergy problems (food and environmental). If you know anything of Sharpei; just know Iku is one of the friendliest, well mannered and socialized Sharpei (or dog for that mater), that you could ever hope to meet!

Although, they may take a lot of ritual care on a regular basis, they are very quiet, independent and self entertaining (similar in some ways to a cat). We knew all of this before we purchased our Sharpei, and still think that this breed is perfect for us.

Unfortunately, our Sharpei was diagnosed with kidney problems and an ear infection. She started wetting her bed (so several times a night she may need to be let out), and she wakes up and shakes her head when her ear or ears are bothering her (after I clean or medicate them she is fine and goes to sleep). Prior to July of last year she had always slept through the night....and of course so did we. But now because of the extra nightly care that I have been giving her (our Sharpei) I have gotten used to waking up periodically throughout the night, and am now used to it.

Although, it's not the same as caring for a child in the middle of the night, caring for my Sharpei has gotten me used to getting up several times in the middle of the night...... which has definitely eased my transition into becoming a new parent (and I am very thankful for that).

Later today, I'll post a little more about Zoie's progress and what our German Midwife had to say... so stay tuned.

Zoie's first day home!

2007-03-27T21:21:00.000Z

27 Mar 07: Zoie's Day 4

I picked up my Wife and Zoie from the hospital today! I was really glad to see both home. It was a little strange driving home with Zoie in the back seat, the whole time I was wondering if she was okay....also felt I had to drive a little more cautious, since their are a lot of small roads with curves here in germany.

Once home, I fixed lunch and my wife fed Zoie. Other than my wife having to feed Zoie every few hours, and having to change her occasionally through out the day, the day progressed fairly smoothly. My wife and Zoie took a few naps together after feeding.... and of course I got the pics......lol.

Tonight, I'll find out what (about 5) people at work have been telling me....mainly that I'll get less sleep......I still find it hard to believe that I'll be getting that much less sleep (most of the time I get less then 6 hours of sleep, often only an hour or 2 at a time) ........but time will tell.

I do plan on changing my sleep habits.....now I really have to make it to bed at 9pm (before a work day) if I plan on hitting the gym 3 times a week.

Okay, now here come the pics........

The many faces of Zoie!

2007-03-26T20:45:00.000Z

As you may have figured out already, I'm only posting about Zoie this week. Next week I'll be back to my workout and posting about my progress and changes made to routine because of my family's new addition....Zoie.

26 March 07: Zoie's Day 3

Today was a photo shoot spectacular.
Although, my wife is still in the hospital with Zoie (in germany, new mothers have the option to stay in the hospital up to 5 days). Zoie, still found some time in her busy schedule of....feeding, .....sleeping, ......singing, .........and pooping, to do a quick photo shoot.

Today's photo shoot theme was:
"The many faces of Zoie"

Her famous "caught off guard" look.

You want a piece of me?!

Her "Whoa, that was disgusting" look.

Her famous... "I got milk" smirk.

Her "Sherlock Homes" look.

Her "I'll get you for this" look.

If you enjoyed the photo shoot as much as Zoie did, make sure you post a comment!

Tune in tomorrow for "Zoie's first day home."

Zoie is here!

2007-03-24T21:03:00.000Z

Just a pic or two of our cute little bundle of joy, Zoie!

Just got promoted to Dad!

2007-03-24T08:06:00.000Z

New Start on Life: 24 Mar 07

Didn't do my Leg/Ab workout Friday. Instead, I was supporting my wife during the delivery of our new addition to our family, our new baby girl, Zoie!

Zoie was born, without complications, on 23 March 07.

Looks like I got healthy and fit just in time! ;o)

We are soooo happy and relieved that we have a healthy baby girl!

Pictures soon to follow!

Little things to help you make your own changes..

2007-03-23T09:13:00.000Z

A lot of people believe that they will never be able to get into the shape they want. I think that is a mistake, and you should not limit yourself with negative or limiting thoughts. Create an affirmation or goal and believe you can accomplish it. Also, people will try to change too much too fast (eating, exercise, cutting out bad habits) which can set them up for failure.

With gradual continuous effort and a focused goal I believe anybody can transform themselves (their bodies and their lives) into what they envision.

One key to physical change is increased activity progressively over time. Increase your activity levels by doing things you like more often. If it is a chore you won’t do it long term.

Setting small goals is also important. Combined with small goal setting.... doing those activities you enjoy a little longer while more focused can really make a difference.

Some exercise examples might include:

Walking an extra block
Playing a sport you love or learning one that you have been interested in
Learning a new dance step or a new type of dance....like Salsa
Trying to make increases in the weight you can lift, or amount of reps you can perform
Running a little further or faster every time you run

Walking, playing a sport, dancing, weight training, running are all good things to increase your activity level. By doing the things you enjoy, more often and while putting more effort into them progressively over time, you can increase your activity levels and make positive changes to your physique.

Now making changes to your eating habits are a little more complicated, learning about proper nutrition can take time but are well worth the effort. You’ll have more energy, and feel better through out the day.

Either way the above principles can and should be applied when changing your eating habits. Some examples may include:

Eating one piece of fruit instead a candy bar
Replacing that coke or soft drink with a glass of water
Splitting that big meal into 2 smaller meals (half now and half 3 hours later)

Remember continuous small changes progressively over time can make all the difference.

Day 66.....80's Gym Hogs!

2007-03-21T18:47:00.000Z

Had a good workout today. Did my chest/ delt/tricep routine, with the new changes. Everything went well but I felt my chest workout was lacking. I still gave it all I had and got it done, but I didn't feel like the way the weights felt....heavy and awkward. Part of the problem is I didn't warm up with the dumbbells. Next week I'm going to go down 10 lbs on the flat bench, but stay at the same weight for incline.

The rest of my routine was great. I'm definitely now seeing a change to my physique, other than just body fat loss!

21 Mar 07: Day 66
Today I want to rant a little about ....80's Gym HOGS!....

What the heck are "80's Gym Hogs", might you ask?! Well, it's my term for the older guys still using outdated workout routines, and wearing workout clothes from the 80's (you know the ones, bright colored baggy pants with an over sized matching sweatshirt) they also like wearing a weight belt by every exercise they do.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with older people working out (my workout partner, who out lifts me in almost every exercise, is in his mid 40's, not that I think that is old), in fact I think people of every age should workout as long as they feel good doing it.

What bothers me is the older guys (I haven't seen any women doing this) that are using the worst form ever, trying to lift a weight they might have lifted in their prime (with good form...I won't even mention proper form) wearing a weight belt with their name in bold letters or something even sillier like "Crusher", strutting around like they own the gym, and Hogging all the equipment (for half an hour or more) while they do out dated routines.....15 sets of 999 lbs for their biceps.....(one of their smallest muscle groups).

Of course I wouldn't be ranting if someone hadn't given me something to rant about......

Case in point......the older Guy that was Hogging the Squat rack (for almost the whole duration of my entire leg routine!) while he did Barbell curls 135lbs (not a whole lot mind you, but more than I can do with proper form) using his whole body (because it was to Heavy for him!) and wearing his weight belt, probably because he hadn't ever done core strengthening exercises......Argh!!

I had visions of going over to him and explaining to him how the biceps are such a small muscle group and easily fatigued with proper barbell curling technique.....so that he could use less weight....therefore not need to HOG the Squat rack.... so other people in the gym (yes, I would probably have to explain about "other people" working out in "his" gym) could use the Squat rack (okay, in this case, "other people"= me) for what is for.......doing Squats!! Of course also included in that same vision, was Older Gym Hog trying to man-handle me, then me issuing out free Muai Thai lessons to him.

The images in my mind got ugly pretty quick (could have been something I had for lunch that day)...anyway......I just went about my workout (knowing I was getting something out of it) ....even with out the use of the Squat rack.....or a weight belt with my name on it. Hope your workouts are less entertaining....but you Get it Done... anyway.

Day 64.....Week 9 Summary!

2007-03-19T19:19:00.000Z

Okay, now before I post my results, I just want to mention that I did not do cardio 4 times this week, and the eating plan got lost for a day, which is probably why I had 4 beers and some onion dip (with raw vegetables) one evening.....LOL! Now, I didn't miss any of my resistance training days and I did hit cardio week in a row, go up in 2x this week. My results are not quite as nice as I would have liked but considering that I fell off my plan (a little)......still not too bad.

I once again, for the 2nd week, go up in body weight. Not that I care, as long as my body fat doesn't increase, (which means I'm adding more muscle) I'm okay with that.

Although, I did go up slightly in body fat (could be due to water intake since that was down from last week) as you can see below:

Date Weight BF % Water %
      
13-Mar 195.5 13.4 60.6
14-Mar 193.9 13.2 60.8
15-Mar 194.1 13.3 60.8
16-Mar 193.2 12.6 61.4
17-Mar 193.4 13.9 60.2
18-Mar 193.7 12.5 61.6
19-Mar 194.4 13.5 60.3
    
Week 9 194 13.2% 60.9

*Couldn't find my reading from the 12th, so I included today's reading.

19 Mar 07: Day 64

Today I had another great workout. I went up in weight and reps during every exercise! In fact I did 4 reps with a weight that was my 1 rep max (just 2 weeks ago) for dead lifts! That kind of improvement will really add muscle!

Things that I plan on changing this week.
Increase the intensity of my cardio sessions.

Other things I can work on:
Drink more water
Stick to eating plan (important that I don't miss meals and get enough protein).
Hit all 4 cardio sessions this week.

Since, it had warmed up a little last week (about 65 F), I was planning on doing some out door cardio, but......the weather has changed for the worst! So much so, that it actually snowed today! Will have to continue with the indoor cardio for now.

Fat Boy Contest Progress!

2007-03-16T18:49:00.000Z

16 Mar 07; Day 61
Made some small changes to my routine based on suggestions from my workout partner. On back/ bi day I'm now doing bent over BB Rows after my Dead lifts, then doing wide grip pull downs. On Chest/Tri day I'm starting with Flat DB press (instead of Flat bench BB), and I also changed the angle of my incline bench (now it is less of an incline) which will allow me to isolate my chest more and my delts less.

So, all in all the same routine with some slight changes. Although, they may seem small, I think they will show some good results in the next few weeks.

As far as cardio goes, I plan on increasing the intensity a little this week.

Now on to the fun stuff, I was asked how my "Fat Boy Contest" colleagues progress was coming along. I have to first mention that I am now in the lead! Not only have I made a come back and got back all of the money I had paid out, but I am now $300. positive!! Whoo-hooo!

Here is a quick view of the contestants and their progress:

Tri-Athlete Training only Man:
Start: 21.2 % 81.5Kg Current: 16.1 % 75.4Kg

Cardio/Diet/and weight training Man:
Start: 20.5 % 81.4Kg Current: 15.4 % 77.5Kg

Just eating less Man:
Start: 23.6 % 97.7Kg Current: 18.9 % 92.8Kg

Rcube:
Start: 19.0 % 90.0Kg Current: 13.6% 88.9Kg

I have named the other contestants based on their chosen routines for fat loss. These readings are based measurements taken at local wellness center on a calibrated impedance scale that we all agreed upon.
As you can see we have all made progress towards our goals and chose different ways to go about it. Now this contest started in September and we ate plenty through the holidays...LOL! In fact most of our progress has been made since Jan 07. We all continue to tweak our routines and eating plans, and some are more strict than others but we all try to support each other and give advice/tips to the other contestants. In the end if everyone meets their goal they should get their money back and have a new "improved" healthy physique and outlook on life. Now even this contest ends in the last week of April, I will still be working to get to a lower %. And once that has been met, I will set a new goal. For now we are just, taking it one day at a time.

Hope you can do the same..Until next time....stay committed to your goals......and Just Get it Done!

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH

2007-03-16T08:44:00.000Z

This can be used with any of my Pizza Recipe's:

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH

Recipe By : Rcube
Serving Size : 2
Preparation Time :0:00min

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------------------------------
1 package yeast
1/4 cup warm water, plus1 cup cool water
1 tablespoon honey
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch salt

To make the Whole Wheat pizza dough:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the honey and let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy. Put the flour in a food processor and mix. Mix the 1 cup cool water with the olive oil and salt. With the motor running, pour the olive oil mixture and the yeast slowly in through the feed tube. Process until the dough forms a ball on the blade. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down the dough and knead it on a lightly floured surface for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll them into tight balls. Place on a tray, cover with a damp towel and let rest for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Roll or stretch each bowl of dough into a 7 to 8-inch circle. Place the circles, 1 at a time, on a wooden peel or on a baking sheet and build the pizza as desired.

Grilled Chicken & Garlic-Shallot Whole Wheat Pizza

2007-03-16T08:36:00.000Z

Haven't posted in a few days, no I haven't slacked off on my training or missed a workout. Still making progress and tweaked my routine for some soon to be great gains in lean mass.

I'll go over what I've done this week and give an update of my "fat boy contest" colleagues progress after I come back from my leg workout later tonight.

For now I would like to post a new recipe:

Grilled Chicken & Garlic-Shallot Whole Wheat Pizza

Recipe By :Rcube
Serving Size :4-6
Preparation Time :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------------------------------
Garlic-Shallot Butter with Lemon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon
dried)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch -- ground white pepper
1/3 cup full-bodied chardonnay
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon chicken base or bouillon cube (no MSG)

Grilled Garlic Chicken
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 five-ounce boneless/skinless chicken breasts

For the Pizza
1 recipe Whole wheat honey Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

To make Garlic-Shallot Butter with Lemon:
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium- high
heat. Add shallot, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring until mixture is
light brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Add salt, pepper, wine, lemon juice and chicken base. Cook until
the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup (toward the end of the
reduction, reduce the heat to low and stir frequently to prevent
scorching).
3. Remove the pan from the heat; quickly and thoroughly whisk in the
remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.

To make Grilled Garlic Chicken:
1. Prepare a hot grill.
2. Combine garlic, salt and olive oil. Marinate the
chicken breasts in the garlic oil for about 15 minutes.
3. Grill the chicken breasts for 5 to 7 minutes on each side
(discard any uncooked marinade). Remove the cooked chicken from the
grill and chill thoroughly. Cut into 1/2 x 3/4-inch cubes or pull apart in to strips and set aside in the refrigerator.

To make the pizza:
1. Place the pizza stone (or pizza plate) in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. for one hour before cooking the pizza.
2. Use a large spoon to spread 2 tablespoons of Garlic-Shallot
Butter over the surface of the prepared pizza dough, within the rim.
Cover the butter with half the mozzarella. Distribute half the grilled
garlic chicken evenly over the cheese.
3. Sprinkle half the rosemary and oregano over the chicken.
4. Transfer the pizza to the oven; bake until the crust is crisp and
golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. When
cooked, carefully remove the pizza from the oven. Slice and serve
5. Repeat with remaining ingredients for a second pizza. (The 2
pizzas may be prepared simultaneously if you are careful in placing the
pizzas at opposite corners of your pizza stone

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : Makes 2 9-inch pizzas

Day 57....Week 8 Summary!

2007-03-12T18:29:00.000Z

Had another great back workout today, changed some things up a little, changed the order of 2 of my exercises, and replaced one exercise with another. The change was good and I really felt the difference after my workout! I also had a workout partner, a colleague from work, which motivated me to really push myself (using good form of course). I also went up 30 lbs on my 1 rep dead lift max, from last weeks effort!

12 Mar 07: Day 57

The good news is:
I lost body fat and went up in strength. I also continued to go up in weight, reps or both during almost every resistance training day. This time my body weight also went up, which hopefully means more muscle which will burn more calories during everything I do.

Below you can see my stats. Every day after I woke up and took my body fat measurement. As you can see the better I was hydrated, the lower my body fat percentage is (per the scale), so as you can see, accuracy, can be effected by hydration on an impedance measuring scale. So, I took the average of the week and summed it up, which put me at 12.6% on the athletic measurement.

Date Weight BF % Water %
05 Mär 195,1 11,4 62,7
06 Mär 195,6 12,8 61,2
07 Mär 194,3 12,3 61,8
08 Mär 195,6 12,9 61,1
09 Mär 191,6 13,2 60,9
10 Mär 193,6 12,3 61,7
11 Mär 191,4 13,2 60,9

Week 8 193,9 12,6 61,5

As you can see from the info below, I have lost body fat every week, but this week, my body weight went up. So, it appears I put on some new muscle.

Now, I'm not concerned with losing body weight (and you shouldn't be either, if you think so, re-read the Fat loss vs Weight loss article from Day 37), since I don't play a sport or do anything that requires me to be a lesser weight. My goal is to lose body fat and boost my metabolism and adding muscle will help do both.

I am not trying to become heavy either, because I think my ideal weight would be around 185lbs. I'm just focusing on losing as much body fat while keeping as much lean body mass, until I reach my goal. So, ideally, I would want to lose body fat and replace half of it with lean body mass.

Bw BF % Water %
Week 5 192,5 14 60,2
Week 6 192,4 13,5 60,6
Week 7 192,3 13,4 60,8
Week 8 193,9 12,6 61,5

Also, note that my Water % has gone up every week as well which can make it appear that I'm losing more body fat then actual. Since my water % can't go up forever ( eventually it will peak out) , I should get a truer indication of my Body fat %. Of course it might be that I am adding muscle which holds more water then fat and that is why my hydration levels are going up. Only time will tell.....next week results could be interesting.

Hope your progress continues.....until next time....Just get it done!

25 Peeps and semi naked pics!

2007-03-10T18:03:00.000Z

Just got my fitness blog posted on 25peeps ! A great new idea to get traffic to your site! To keep me active on it you need to click on my picture which I guess refers me, not sure how it works but it is a pretty cool thing.

Also, check out the hall of fame and you'll notice that it seems to be a little lopsided as far as more pics of women than men....I let you draw your own conclusions....but you should also know that the top pic #1 online for 232 days, 20633 clicks, 7925 referals....is not a picture from a woman!! Yeah, I know WTH?! It was sent in from a guy with a very creative camera angle (wonder how he convinced someone to take that pic.....not a good image in my mind)! Anyway, check it out for yourself by clicking on the top pic #1 in the hall of fame.

Remember to click on my pic then have fun clicking on other pics before signing up your own blogsite.

Below you can see what is posted at the site minus the 25 semi-naked pics.

see the 25 peeps above? click on someone you like and we'll send you to his or her weblog. peeps are sorted by popularity, which is based on clicks and referals. when a new peep enters the roster, the least popular peep gets pushed off the site. with a bit of luck, though, it may end up in the big 25peeps.com hall of fame. go ahead and try it yourself !

what's in it for you?

mad traffic to your weblog! your peep is a big juicy link to your blog. use a picture that makes people want to find out more about you. the more popular your peep becomes, the longer it'll stay up.

want more? Go there now.

Healthy Citrus & Herb marinated Chicken Tacos

2007-03-09T20:51:00.000Z

9 Mar 07: Day 54
Today I made some great tasting healthy chicken tacos and decided to type it up and post it for everyone else to enjoy!

Ingredients For Tacos:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 ounce each)
1 fresh jalapeno (stemmed and seeded)
7 cloves of garlic
1Tbs. ground black peppercorns (or ground pepper)
1Tbs. kosher salt
1 cup fresh cilantro (leaves and stems included)
8 Large Wheat tortillas or Vegetable Wraps
1 1/2 cups shredded Red Cabbage
1/2 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese (optional)

Ingredients for Pico de Gallo:
2-3 fresh jalapenos (stemmed and seeded)
7 cloves of garlic
1Tbs. ground black peppercorns (or ground pepper)
1Tbs. kosher salt
1 cup fresh cilantro (leaves and stems included)

Ingredients for Cilantro-Lime Guacamole:
2 medium sized ripe avocados
2-3 Tbs. lime juice
1Tbs. ground coriander seeds
Pinch ground cumin
¾ tsp. kosher salt (for taste)

Instruction for Tacos
Serves 4-6
Step 1: Puree (in a food processor or blender) 1/3 cup of the orange juice, the jalapenos, garlic, pepper and salt then add the remaining 1/3 cup orange juice and cilantro and Puree until smooth.
Step 2: In a glass or ceramic dish pour marinade on chicken then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Step 3: After heating oven to 350 F, bake the chicken (with marinade in the dish) for 45 to 60 minutes (until cooked and the chicken separates easily).
Step 4: Make the Cilantro-Lime Guacamole and the Pico De Gallo and refrigerate.
Step 5: Remove Chicken from marinade and let cool; when chicken has cooled, separate into bite-sized pieces. Use a strainer to filter the juices from the marinade.
Step 6: Heat skillet over medium heat; add chicken, strained marinade juice, and sauté until heated thru.
Step 7: Serve with heated Wheat tortillas (or vegetable wraps), Pico de Gallo, Guacamole and Red cabbage. Fat Free cheddar cheese can be added if you like.

Instruction for Guacamole
Step 1: Halve the avocados, pit them and scoop the flesh with a large spoon into a small mixing bowl.
Step 2: Sprinkle the lime juice over the avocados, add the salt, the coriander, and cumin, and use a wooden spoon to break up the avocados, stirring until they’re coarsely mashed, then stir in the cilantro.
Step 3: Taste and add more lime juice, cilantro, and salt as needed.

Instruction for Pico de Gallo
Step 1: Finely chop or pulse in a food processor the onion, cilantro, and chilies
Step 2: Finely chop 1½ ripe medium tomatoes
Step 3: Transfer to a bowl and stir in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper

Day 54....My first recipe post!

2007-03-09T20:14:00.000Z

For what ever reason didn't feel like hitting the gym today (day off from work and didn't feel like going anywhere), was at home and just didn't feel like driving to gym, so I did another 55min low intensity cardio session at home on the cross-trainer. Will hit legs/abs tomorrow.

While I was at home I worked on my new blog layout (layout is almost done) but not sure how to easily transfer all previous posts to it.

Since, I have been asked a few times; "How am I able to stick to my eating plan? and the "Don't you have cravings for junk food?"....I have decided to start posting some of the recipes (been planing to put together a group of recipes together for a while now) so you can see what kind of food I'm eating and to show that healthy eating doesn't have to taste like cardboard......LOL!

As I have mentioned in a previous posting, I tend to do most of the cooking at home....because I enjoy cooking, and it's easier to regulate what goes into the meals of my eating plan.

I do have to warn you though, the recipes I will be posting will take longer than 30 minutes to prepare, and are as healthy as I can make them, so very little fatty, salty or fried things and only the best wholesome ingredients I can find.

Hope they motivate you to eat the right things!

Day 52...Progress continues!

2007-03-07T21:01:00.000Z

Have been working on creating a new blog page view and almost got it completed! Will try to post it (while keeping all my current content) this weekend. When I'm successful my blog will have a whole new look!

7 Mar 07; Day 52
Didn't miss any resistance training routines but did skip my cardio workout for Tuesday.
No worries, I'm still making progress toward my goal; this week I have seen my lowest body fat% readings since I started using my scale!

Here's a recap of the last few days;

Monday (4th): Back/ Biceps... lifted all my goal weights and "pulled" 40 lbs more (1 rep) than any previous lift for the Dead lift.

The dead lift is such a great exercise and because you use almost every muscle in you body trying to "pull" (Dead Lift) or assist dead weight to work against gravity. More muscles used, means you expend more energy (burn more calories), in fact their are few weight lifting exercises that will cause you to use more muscles then the dead lift. So, going up in dead lifts or pulling more weight is often a good thing and means you'll add more muscle....more muscle means.....more energy expended throughout the day (while doing cardio, or even while your adding content to your favorite blog)!

Tuesday (6th): Didn't do anything, took a day off! Yeah, yeah, I know, I could have done something.

Wednesday (today): Chest/Delts/ Triceps
Had a really good workout. Made progress on some but not all of my lifts; overhead DB press and incline DB press went up, but barbell bench press stayed the same. Also, changed an exercise from lying triceps extensions (AKA skull crushers) to standing triceps extensions.

Tomorrow, I'll be back to cardio (no volleyball practice) and on Friday I'll be hitting legs/abs and will be switching out one exercise (leg press) for another (hack squats). I'll explain more about that later. Until then.....Keep getting it done!

Day 49....Summary Week 7

2007-03-04T21:23:00.000Z

Here is the workout summary and body fat stats for Week7

Once again, I lost body fat (although not as much) and went up in strength. I also continued to go up in weight, reps or both during almost every resistance training day.

Below you can see my stats. Every day after I woke up and took my body fat measurement and sometimes throughout the day (which I averaged). As you can see the better I was hydrated, the lower my body fat percentage is (per the scale), so as you can see, accuracy, can be effected by hydration on an impedance measuring scale. So, I took the average of the week and summed it up, which put me at 13.4% on (the athletic measurement) my impedance measuring scale.

Date Weight BF % Water %
26-Feb 193.5 13.2 60.8
27-Feb 193.8 14.6 59.6
28-Feb 192.9 13.1 61.1
1-Mar 192.8 13.7 60.4
2-Mar 189.4 14.1 60.1
3-Mar 192.4 11.6 62.7
4-Mar 191.4 13.2 60.9

Week 7 192.3lbs Body Fat 13.4% Water 60.8%

For week 8, I plan on paying closer attention to my eating plan

Somethings I need to improve:
1. I need to keep my food supply stocked.
I ran out of egg whites and spinach which caused me to change up my eating plan somewhat.

2. Need to regulate my sleeping and eating better on days off.
Also, ate more carbs and missed a meal or 2 on my off days (non work days) due to staying up and sleeping in late (went to bed at after 4am woke up at 11am).

Although, I didn't see a negative change in my exercise performance, I did seem to make less fat loss progress. Although, the scale said I improved, I think the lower body fat reading can be attributed to better hydration this time around.

Hope all is well with your fitness progress, until next time... Just get it done!

Day 48.....Legs/ Abs

2007-03-03T18:42:00.000Z

3 Mar 07: Day 48
Did legs and abs today instead of my cardio. The workout went very well. Waiting an extra day for my legs to recover from my volleyball practice was the right idea! I continued to go up in all lifts, which is great progress, because I have made consistent gains for over 4 weeks now! I haven't gone up more than 10 lbs per week but that adds up to 40lbs since I changed to this new routine. My ab routine took a change for the better, because I introduced medicine ball crunches. They were a little tougher than I thought they would be and I'm sure that they will be in my routine for a long while.

I'm sure some people out there are thinking that my resistance training routine is geared to adding more muscle and while volleyball would be more of a muscular endurance sport, why would I choose to do both at the same time? One would surely effect the performance of the other....right?

Well, what it comes down to is:
I enjoy playing volleyball as my cardio of choice, one day a week, which is helping me reach my fitness goal of a lower body fat level. I also enjoy the heavy lifting routine which has improved my overall fitness and strength, and allowed me to play better and jump higher then last year.

So, basically I like doing both; and they are currently helping me to get in better shape. If your workouts don't let you enjoy your favorite sports or activities then you might want to re-think your workout plan. Fitness should be fun and exciting and lead to over-all better health.

Day 47....Cardio day

2007-03-02T22:16:00.000Z

2 Mar o7: Day 47
Didn't do my leg workout today. I did 45min of low impact cardio instead. Had another great cardio workout on Thursday, playing volleyball. Legs were really stiff today, so decided to rest them up another day before hitting the weights hard on Saturday.

Volleyball practice was great, did about 45 minutes of drills, and then played a few scrimmages which equaled another hour of cardio! Great workout all around. My playing is definitely improved since last year, because of the my new fitness level.

Repair A Damaged Metabolism

2007-03-02T19:30:00.000Z

I thought I would leave you with this great article by Tom Venuto, on How to repair a Damaged Metabolism. This is just a tidbit of what he covers in his ebook.

How To Repair A Damaged Metabolism
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com

If you've caused metabolic damage as a result of following starvation diets or losing weight too rapidly in the past, it can be extremely difficult to achieve any further fat loss at all. The good news is, metabolic damage can be repaired. All it takes is the right combination of metabolism stimulating exercise and metabolism stimulating nutrition (NOT just a diet), all done consistently over time.

The big irony is that most of the diet programs that claim to help you get rid of excess weight, only end up making it harder for you in the long run because they use harsh metabolism-decreasing diets and not enough exercise (almost never any weight training).

It may take a little longer if you have really messed things up with severe starvation dieting in the past, especially if you've lost a lot of lean body mass, but it is never hopeless. Anyone can increase their metabolism.

Most people get an almost immediate boost in metabolic rate when they start the Burn The Fat program. However, the results are not going to be "overnight." Give it a little time...

Within 3 weeks your metabolism will already be more efficient. Within 6-8 weeks, it's burning hot. Give me 12 weeks of consistent diligent effort, sticking with all the metabolism boosting strategies I teach, and your metabolism really will become like a turbo charged engine, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that.

What’s most important for upping your metabolism is CONSISTENCY in applying the Burn The Fat nutrition and training principles every single day.

That includes:

Meal frequency: eat 5-6 small meals per day
Meal timing: eat approximately every 3 hours, with a substantial breakfast and a substantial post workout meal.
Sufficient Caloric Intake: maintain a small calorie deficit and avoid starvation-level diets (suggested safe levels for fat loss: 2100-2500 calories per day for men, 1400-1800 calories per day for women; adjust as needed)
Food choices: Select natural, unprocessed foods with high thermic effect (lean proteins like chicken, turkey, egg whites and fish are highly thermic, as are all green vegetables, salad vegetables and other fibrous carbs)
Cardio training: Push up the intensity a bit if you really want to get a metabolic boost. Walking and low intensity cardio is fine, but higher intensity is more metabolism-stimulating
Weight training: The basic exercises that include the largest muscle groups or even call into play the entire body as a unit (squats, front squats, split squats, deadlifts, stiff legged deadlifts, overhead presses, all kinds of rows and core-activation exercises) will have a much greater metabolism stimulating effect than isolation exercises (concentration curls, calf raises, etc)

The weight training is extremely important in cases of "metabolic damage" because this is the stimulus to keep the muscle you have and begin rebuilding new muscle tissue, which is the engine that drives your metabolism.

The men don't usually have a problem with the weight training, but I still hear women say they don't want to lift weights as part of their fat loss programs. Well, people who wont lift weights can expect a very, very long metabolism "repair process" if they achieve it at all.

Consistency is the key.

Nothing will undermine the "re-building" of your metabolism like inconsistency. If you stop and start, or skip meals and workouts often, you will not even get off the ground.

After your metabolism is back up where it should be, it takes continued "stoking" of the metabolic furnace to keep it there. Once you get your metabolic engine running, you've got to keep feeding it fuel or the fire will die down.

Picture an old fashioned wood burning stove...

Imagine you're in a cabin up in the mountains in the winter. It's cold in there and you want to keep the cabin warm. Can you achieve this by feeding the fire once or twice per day? Nope. Not enough fuel to burn, so not much heat is generated.

What if you just toss an entire pile of wood in the stove all at once? Will that work? Nope. Lots of fuel, but can't all be used at once... it just smothers the fire and the excess just sits there.

How about if you throw some tissue paper or crumpled newspaper in the stove, will that work? Nope - too quickly burning.

You have to keep putting small amounts of wood (the right type of fuel) on the fire at regular intervals or the fire burns out.

It's also difficult to get the fire lit again. In the case of metabolism, it's like going through that initial few weeks of overcoming inertia all over again.

Your goal is to get your metabolism burning hot and keep it burning and this cannot be achieved by missing meals, missing workouts or with sporadic, infrequent training.

I have only seen a handful of cases where all these things were done properly and there was still a longer "repair" process.

For example, one case was former ballet dancer. At 5' 5", she was previously 110 lbs and had increased to about 145 or so. She didn’t want to reach her previous 110, but find a happy medium of about 125 lbs.

I figured with 20 lbs to cut, this would be a simple and predictable process, but she had a challenging time (and I didn't know why at first).

I later found out that she had been anorexic and bulimic for many years. This had caused a lot of damage, and although she did reach her goal, it took about twice as long as we had anticipated.

The good news is, even in this extreme case, the same nutrition and training principles worked! It just took a little longer. And by the way her program included some serious training with free weights and she ate a lot more (clean) food than she had ever eaten before. No "starvation!"

That’s the power of burning the fat and feeding the muscles... Trying to starve the fat with crash diets is what causes the metabolic damage in the first place!

If you’re interested in the healthy, sensible way to take off the fat, while keeping all your muscle and actually increasing your metabolism in the process, then my Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle program can teach you how. No gimmicks or false promises. Just the truth - you have to work at it and you have to be patient. www.burnthefat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com.

Day 46....Feb end of month Picture

2007-03-01T16:52:00.000Z

1 March 07: Day 46

About to head out and play some volleyball. Before I go, I wanted to post a end of Feb pic comparison to the start of the program pic.

Above you can see a back to back comparison of my 7 week transformation! As you can see I have made a lot of progress in the 7 weeks on this program! As much progress as I have made I still have plenty more progress to make, so I can't slack off now. If you are working out along with me, and have made similar progress (or better) now is the time to get fired up! If you aren't making similar progress, I would check out your personal log (food, and workout journal) and look over how well your are sticking to your program. If you are sticking to it you might want to change it up or seek out a certified personal trainer for more assistance.

Have a good workout and stay committed to your fitness goal!

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?!

2007-02-27T20:36:00.000Z

Didn't get a lot of sleep Sunday night (big surprise).
So, I was pleasantly surprised, when I had a great workout Monday! The weight I had trouble with last week, on dead lifts, was no problem this time around (I did 7 reps) and the second set I even went up 10 lbs and did 5 reps (I would have done 6 if my grip hadn't gave out).

I forgot both my wrist wraps and workout shoes at home. So even with my work shoes, which were (thankfully) casual sketchers (I would have been working out in my socks or dress shoes), I was able to have a great workout and go up in weight!

Today, I did another 50 minute session of low intensity cardio (5min more than usual). Another great start......for Week #7!

27 Feb 07: Day 44
Today, after work, I was picking up some ingredients for my home made sirloin burgers (someday I'll post some recipes!), and while reading the label from a jar of sliced pickles I noticed an ingredient I hadn't expected to see .....HFCS...High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Now if there is one thing I hate to see in my food it is HFCS! For a quick overview of HFCS go to Wikipedia and it's possible relation to obesity check out this article The Double Danger of
High Fructose Corn Syrup and for a list of some foods that contain HFCS see this article: Foods and Products Containing HFCS

So to sum it up I'll leave you with this quote from the last article:

"The magnitude of the deleterious effects of fructose varies depending on such factors as age, sex, baseline glucose, insulin, triglyceride concentrations, the presence of insulin resistance, and the amount of dietary fructose consumed.24 Some people are more sensitive to fructose. They include hypertensive, hyperinsulinemic, hypertriglyceridemic, non-insulin dependent diabetic people, people with functional bowel disease and postmenopausal women.

Everyone should avoid over-exposure to fructose, but especially those listed above. One or two pieces of fruit per day is fine, but commercial fruit juices and any products containing high fructose corn syrup are more dangerous than sugar and should be removed from the diet."

If you didn't already know about HFCS, and it's possible dangers to your health, I hope this blog raised your awareness. Once you start looking at labels you may be shocked at how many products contain HFCS. Hopefully, you'll be able to cut most of those products out of your eating plan, and get your sugars from natural fruits!

Please feel free to comment about this post if you like, your dislike of HFCS, experience or any thing you like.

Hopefully, you made further progress toward your fitness goals. Remember, all it takes is commitment and work at it one day at a time.

Day 42...Week 6 Summary

2007-02-25T22:08:00.000Z

Worked my legs harder then ever on Sat. Went up only 10 lbs on my Squats but did 4 more reps the first set (compared to last week) and 3 more than the 7 rep range (required by my program) on the 2nd set! Cardio today consisted of 54 minutes (instead of the usual 45)! I was surfing the Internet while doing my cardio and the next thing I knew....I was done!

25 Feb 07: Day 42
The good news is another week done and I have continued to make progress!
I lost body fat and went up in strength. I also continued to go up in weight, reps or both during almost every resistance training day.

Every day after I woke up and took my body fat measurement and sometimes throughout the day (which I averaged). As you can see the better I was hydrated, the lower my body fat percentage is (per the scale), so as you can see, accuracy, can be effected by hydration on an impedance measuring scale. So, I took the average of the week and summed it up, which put me at 13.6% on the athletic measurement.

Date Weight BF % Water %
18.Feb 192,4 14,1 60
19.Feb 192,86 14,033 60
20.Feb 194,2 13,1 61,05
21.Feb 191,8 12,9 61,2
22.Feb 192,6 13,4 60,56
23.Feb 192,6 13,76 60,06
24.Feb 191,2 13,4 60,9
25.Feb 191,8 13,15 61,1
192,43 13,48 60,61

Week 6 192.4lbs Body Fat 13.5% Water 60.6%

Workout Summary
Date Duration Distance Cal Burned
18-Feb 45 Minutes 6.92km 409
19-Feb Back/ Bi Went up in weight!
20-Feb Played 1.5 hrs of Volleyball
21-Feb Took the day off!
22-Feb Chest/Delt/Tri Went up in weight!
23-Feb 45 Minutes 6.16km 571
24-Feb Leg/ Abs Went up in weight!
25-Feb 54 Minutes 8.76km 484

Day 40......body weight and cardio moves...

2007-02-23T21:16:00.000Z

I weigh myself several times throughout the day (to get a good average of my weight, and body fat/water %), and during the last 3 days, I have noticed that my weight appears to have stabilized at 191.8lbs (5 out of 8 times). Don't know if this means anything yet, but I'll keep watching it since it is kinda interesting to me in a geeky kind of way. :o)

23 Feb 07: Day 40
On a couple of occasions, I have had to really focus on finishing my 45 minute sessions, not because they are physically demanding, but because they are sooooo long and boring! Today, my 45 minute cardio session seemed easy and quick! I had some really interesting material to read, and once again, it made all the difference!

Besides reading, I like to change up the speed and add variety to my movements while striding on my cross-trainer.

Some, examples what I do on my cross-trainer include.....

Boxing: which include upper cuts, hooks, jabs, one-twos, 3 punch combos, and speed bag (I rotate my fists around each other, simulating hitting a speed bag)
Leans: I lean forward, backward and side to side
Bobs: I bob up and down
Raves: I move my hands and sometimes my body in sync to trance or techno music (hard to describe unless you have been to a rave or techno dance club).

Now, all these extra movements can be awkward to do, but that can mean extra calories burned, as well as fun and variety to your workouts! Remember, always try to make your workouts fun and interesting but never at the cost of your safety or health!

Tomorrow, I'll do my final resistance training routine (LEG/ABS) for the week and then finish off with a cardio session and review of the week on Sunday!

Hopefully, you haven't missed any of your workouts this week, and if you have, don't give up for the week. Just look at it as an extra recovery day, and finish up the week strong!

Until, next time.....Keep getting it done!

Day 39....great workouts!

2007-02-22T21:16:00.000Z

Really had a great time with volleyball on Tuesday night. Played about an hour and a half. Non-stop running and jumping! I am definitely in better shape then last year. I'm jumping higher, hitting the ball harder, and not getting as tired. I even scored a few points with my jump serves, something I didn't even try last year because my lack of conditioning! As much fun as it was, I really "tore up" my body, the next day I was pretty sore! So much so, that I took a day off from my chest and tri/delt day and made it a rest/ recovery day instead. So today, I did my Chest/Tri/Delts routine instead of cardio.

22 Feb 07: Day 39
Had a great workout today, didn't feel tired, sleepy, or sore. Hit the gym and put up all the new weights that I wrote down, with one exception, Overhead Dumbbell Press.

Yup, I have hit my first sticking point! Today, I felt pretty good, and thought, for sure I would get more reps on my second set this time around. Although, I made it half way up, I just couldn't lock out that last rep. Next week, I'll break through my sticking point (on this exercise), by allowing myself a little more rest after my first set.

Since, I did my resistance day today, it means I'll be hitting cardio tomorrow and my Leg/AB day on Saturday. No problem, I'll still be getting 3 days of cardio this week and I'm still making gains on weight days (so, I know I'm not over training)! Overall, I'd say my workout program is going well. I'm am starting to see some new muscular improvements as well as body fat loss. For the end of week summary, I'll have to break out the ol' calipers and take some new measurements!

Hope your workouts for this week have been as productive....until next time...Keep getting it Done!

Fat loss vs Weight loss

2007-02-20T17:20:00.002Z

20 Feb 07: Day 37
Just about to take off.... to play a couple hours of indoor volleyball (instead of the usual 45min low intensity).

Before I go, I wanted to post an article about Fat loss vs Weight loss to help more people understand the difference and why they should always work towards Fat loss.

Keep reaching for your goals but learn all you can about getting there...until then....keep getting it Done!

Don't Be A Big Loser - Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com

Patience. It’s the one thing you never seem to have when you’ve got a body fat problem. You want the fat gone and you want it gone now! And why not? It seems so do-able. Everywhere you look, you read and hear promises of quick weight loss and you even see people losing weight quickly. We have reality TV shows that actually encourage people to attempt “extreme” body makeovers or see who can lose weight the fastest, and the winners (or shall we say, the losers), are rewarded generously with fortune, fame and congratulations.

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to get the fat off as quickly as possible - and having that desire is not wrong – it’s simply human nature. However, you must become aware of some serious problems that can occur if you try to force it and lose weight too quickly. The faster you lose weight, the more muscle you will lose with the fat, and that can really mess up your metabolism. An even bigger problem with fast weight loss is that the loss just won’t last. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. Think about it: We don’t have a weight loss problem today, we have a “keeping the weight off” problem.

Weight loss will be the healthiest, safest and most likely to be permanent if you set your goal for about two pounds per week (and even if you lose only a single pound each week, that is healthy progress). This is the recommendation of almost every legitimate and respected dietician, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and personal trainer, as well as exercise organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association.

Are there any exceptions to this rule? Is it ever okay to lose more than two pounds per week? The answer is yes. It may be ok to lose slightly more than two pounds per week if you have a lot of weight to lose because the rate of weight loss tends to be relative to your total starting body weight. Generally the rule is that it’s safe to lose up to 1% of your total body weight per week, so if you weigh 300 lbs to start, then 3 lbs a week is a reasonable goal.

But there IS a catch.

What really matters is not how much weight you lose, but how much FAT you lose. Where did your weight loss come from? Did you lose body fat or lean body mass?

"Weight" is not the same as "fat." Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water. What you really want is fat loss, not weight loss. If you only wanted weight loss, I could show you an easy way to lose 20 or 25 pounds in about 5 minutes. Just come over to my house. I have a really sharp hacksaw in my garage, and we’ll just slice off one of your legs, after all it’s just extra “weight” right?

Let’s look at an example with some numbers so you can really grasp this concept of weight versus fat and then you can see, clearly illustrated, what will happen when you lose weight too quickly (because I know you probably don’t believe me and you STILL want to lose weight as fast as possible… read on and it will all become clear to you).

As an example, let’s take a 260 pound man who has a lot of body fat to lose - let’s call it 32%. With 32% fat, a 260 pounder has 83.2 pounds of body fat and 176.8 pounds of lean mass. Using this example, let’s look at a few possible scenarios with losses ranging from two to four pounds per week.

Weight Loss Scenario 1:

Suppose our 260 pound subject loses four full pounds instead of the recommended two pounds per week. Is this bad? Well, let’s see:

If he loses a half a percent of body fat, here are his body composition results:

256 lbs
31.5% body fat
80.6 lbs fat
175.4 lbs lean body mass

Out of the four pounds lost, 2.8 pounds were fat and 1.2 were lean mass. Not a disaster, but not good either. Thirty percent of the weight lost was lean tissue.

Weight Loss Scenario 2:

If he loses a half a percent of body fat and only three pounds, here are his results:

257 lbs
31.5% body fat
80.9 lbs fat
176.1 lbs lean body mass

These results are better. Although he lost less body weight than scenario one, in this instance, 2.3 pounds of fat and only 0.7 lbs of lean mass were lost.

Weight Loss Scenario 3:

What if he only lost two pounds? Here are the results:

258 lbs
31.5% body fat
81.2 lbs fat
176.8 lbs lean body mass

These results are perfect. Even though our subject has only lost two pounds, which seems slow, 100% of the two pound weight loss came from fat.

Weight Loss Scenario 4:

Now let’s suppose he loses three pounds but he loses more body fat: .8%

257 lbs
31.2% body fat
80.2 lbs fat
176.8 lbs lean body mass

These are the best results of all. When the weekly fat loss is .8%, 100% of the three pounds lost is fat.

So the answer to the question is yes - it’s safe to lose more than two pounds per week… but only if the weight is all fat or at least mostly fat with minimal lean mass losses.

If you take example one – with thirty percent lean tissue loss and compound that over a few months, you’re talking about a massive muscle tissue loss which can dramatically slow down your metabolism and turn you into nothing more than a “skinny fat person” (a person with low body weight because they lost so much muscle, but still holding stubborn body fat because they shut down their metabolism).

One thing you should know is that water weight losses sometimes distort the numbers, especially when you first begin a new nutrition and training program. It’s very common to lose 3 - 5 pounds in the first week on nearly any diet and exercise program and often even more on low carb diets. Just remember, its NOT all fat - WATER LOSS IS NOT FAT LOSS!

The best advice I can give you is to focus on losing fat, not losing weight. If you lose three to five pounds per week, and you know it’s all fat, and not lean tissue, then more power to you!

Of course the only way to know this is with body composition testing. For home body fat self-testing, I recommend the Accu-Measure skinfold caliper as first choice. Even better, get a multi site skinfold caliper test from an experienced tester at a health club, or even a water (hydrostatic) or air (bod pod) displacement test.

From literally hundreds of client case studies, I can confirm that it’s rare to lose more than 1.5 - 2.0 lbs of weight per week without losing some muscle along with it. If you exceed 2.0 to 3.0 pounds per week, the probability of losing muscle is extremely high. If you lose muscle, you are damaging your metabolism and this will lead to a plateau and ultimately to relapse.

Lack of patience is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to losing body fat. If you want to lose FAT, not muscle and you want to keep the fat off for good, then you have to take off the pounds slowly.

This is one of the toughest lessons that overweight men and women have to learn - and they can be very hard learners. They fight kicking and screaming, insisting that they CAN and they MUST lose it faster.

Then you have these TV shows that encourage the masses that rapid, crash weight loss is okay. To the producers of these shows, I say SHAME ON YOU! To the personal trainers, registered dieticians and medical doctors who are associated with these programs, I say DOUBLE SHAME ON YOU, because you of all people should know better.

The rapid weight loss being promoted today by the media for the sake of ratings and by the weight loss companies for the sake of profits makes it even harder for those of us who are legitimate fitness and nutrition professionals because our clients say, “But look at so and so on TV - he lost 26 pounds in a week!”

Sure, but 26 pounds of WHAT - and do you have any idea what the long term consequences are?

Short term thinking, folks… foolish. There are hundreds of ways to lose weight quickly, but only one way to lose fat and keep it off in the long term.

Do it the right way. Take off the pounds slowly, steadily and sensibly with an intelligent nutrition and exercise program, measure your body fat, not just your body weight, and make this a new lifestyle, not a race, and you will never have to take the pounds off again because they will be gone forever the first time. No more yo-yoing.

If you’re interested in the healthy, sensible way to take off the fat, while keeping all your muscle and actually increasing your metabolism in the process, then my Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle program can teach you how. No gimmicks or false promises. Just the truth - you have to work at it and you have to be patient. For more information, www.burnthefat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written hundreds of articles and been featured in IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as on dozens of websites worldwide. For information on Tom's Fat Loss program, visit: www.burnthefat.com

Day 36.....Good start for Week 6

2007-02-19T19:45:00.000Z

Great start for Week 6!
I'll have to focus on getting enough sleep and protein this week, so that I can make the most gains from my workouts.

19 Feb 07: Day 36
Watched a few instructional videos online to improve my dead lifting form. It really helped. I watched my form during my warm up and continued with it during my main lift which made a difference. I did go up in weight, and although I didn't complete as many reps as last week, I did feel more in control and I know I'll continue to improve as time goes on. During the rest of the workout, I was able to lift greater weight in every lift, I have no doubt I'll do more reps during next weeks workout.

Everyone should have a sport or activity they enjoy. Something they can do on their cardio days to add variety and fun to your exercise routine. Tomorrow, instead of my usual 45 minutes of low intensity cardio, I'll be playing some indoor volleyball.

I'm really looking forward to getting back on the court this year, I'm in so much better shape then I was last year, which should show up on the court this season.

Stay motivated and committed to your workouts goals....until next time... Just get it done!

Day 35...Week 5 Summary

2007-02-18T16:06:00.000Z

Here is the workout summary and body fat stats for Week5!

First, the things I need to work on:
Had problems getting the proper amount of rest, most nights consisted of less than 5 hours sleep. Towards the end of the week, I slacked a little on my nutrition plan, and ate more simple carbs before my workouts then I should have, also have been short on my protein intake for the last 3 days. Will work on posting a log (on future summaries) of my weekly meal plan; if I get enough requests for it.

The good news is:
I didn't miss a cardio workout and went up in weight, reps or both for every resistance training day.

Below you can see my stats. Every day after I woke up and took my body fat measurement. As you can see the better I was hydrated, the lower my body fat percentage is (per the scale), so as you can see, accuracy, can be effected by hydration on an impedance measuring scale. So, I took the average of the week and summed it up, which put me at 14% on the athletic measurement.

Date Weight BF % Water %
11-Feb 192.2 14.2 60
12-Feb 192.3 12.87 61.07
13-Feb 192.77 13 60.75
14-Feb 193.4 14.3 59.9
15-Feb 192.4 14.4 59.8
16-Feb 192 15.1 59.1
17-Feb 192.7 13.69 60.5
average 192.53 13.93 60.16

Week 5 192.5lbs Body Fat 14% Water 60.2%

Workout Summary
Date Duration Distance Cal Burned
11-Feb 45 Minutes 6.97km 405
12-Feb Back/ Bi Went up in weight!
13-Feb 45 Minutes 5.34km 412
14-Feb Chest/Delt/Tri Went up in weight!
15-Feb 45 Minutes 7.60km 406
16-Feb Leg/ Abs Went up in weight!
17-Feb 45 Minutes 7.24km 406

Day 34.....changes to layout....

2007-02-17T21:35:00.000Z

Had a quick but very successful gym workout Friday. Destroyed my legs! Couldn't make it to my usual gym, because of time restraints, so I used one that was close to my work. Because of that I couldn't do the exact same exercises, but was still able to go up on all exercises (that I could do) and made a nice jump in weight on Squats and the Leg press. Almost, feel like I was cheating myself (before now) on the leg press, went up 90 lbs this week! I sure that my body is still adjusting to this new routine. Plus, I got a decent amount of sleep Thursday night, which I'm sure helped.

17 Feb 07: Day 34
Finished my third 45minute cardio session for the week! Just one more to go and this week is in the bag! Did another late start! At 9pm I should be preparing for bed, not getting ready to do cardio. Oh, well; at least I GOT IT DONE!

Tomorrow, I'll sum everything up for the week including my body fat% (based on the athletic setting) from my impedance measuring body fat scale. Also, I'll list a summary of my cardio workouts, which will include; measure distance, duration, and calories burned. From now on, I plan on posting an updated picture of my progress every week during the summary. So, look for that tomorrow as well.

Oh, I almost forgot....you may have noticed some changes to the look of the blog. I have tried to clean up the look of the blog some, but since I'm still really new at this blog thing, I'm always trying new things with it. Because, I'm learning and trying to improve all the time, you may see it go thru quite a few changes over time. Hopefully, for the better.

Feel free to post your suggestions, comments or things you would like to see in this blog and I'll see what I can do.

Hope your workouts are helping you to reach your fitness goals. Until next time....Keep getting it done!

Muscle Fiber Types

2007-02-15T20:41:00.000Z

Did my 45 minutes of low intensity cardio. Was really bored for the first 15 minutes, but found a few interesting magazine articles, and the time flew by. Afterwards, tried out a new recipe of sweet potato stew with lamb (from the Naked Chef), it was really tasty and healthy too! Tonight, I plan on getting to bed early so I'll be well rested for my leg day tomorrow.

15 Feb 07: Day 32
Had an interesting discussion about muscle fiber types and workouts based on them. It seems that so few people realize the importance of designing your workout around your fiber type.

TYPES OF MUSCLE FIBERS

Humans have basically three different types of muscle fibers.

Slow- twitch (ST or Type I) fibers are identified by a slow contraction time and a high resistance to fatigue. Structurally, they have a small motor neuron and fiber diameter, a high mitochondrial and capillary density, and a high myoglobin content, Energetically, they have a low supply of creatine phosphate (a high-energy substrate used for quick, explosive movements), a low glycogen content, and a wealthy store of triglycerides (the stored form of fat). They contain few of the enzymes involved in glycolysis, but contain many of the enzymes involved in the oxidative pathways (Krebs cycle, electron transport chain). Functionally, ST fibers are used for aerobic activities requiring low-level force production, such as walking and maintaining posture. Most activities of daily living use ST fibers.

Fast-twitch (FT or Type II) fibers are identified by a quick con- traction time and a low resistance to fatigue. The differences in the speeds of contraction that gives the fibers their names can be explained, in part, by the rates of release of calcium by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (the muscle's storage site for calcium) and by the activity of the enzyme (myosin-ATPase) that breaks down ATP inside the myosin head of the contractile proteins. Both of these characteristics are faster and greater in the FT fibers (Fitts & Widrick, 1996; Harigaya & Schwartz, 1969).

Fast-twitch fibers are further divided into fast-twitch A (FT -A or Type IIA) and fast- twitch B (FT -B or Type lIB) fibers.

FT -A fibers have a moderate resistance to fatigue and represent a transition between the two extremes of the ST and FT -B fibers. Structurally, FT -A fibers have a large motor neuron and fiber diameter, a high mitochondrial density, a medium capillary density, and a medium myoglobin content. They are high in creatine phosphate and glycogen and medium in triglyceride stores. They have both a high glycolytic and oxidative enzyme activity. Functionally, they are used for prolonged anaerobic activities with a relatively high force output, such as racing 400 meters.

Fast-twitch B fibers, on the other hand, are very sensitive to fatigue and are used for short anaerobic, high force production activities, such as sprinting, hurdling, jumping, and putting the shot. These fibers are also capable of producing more power than ST fibers. Like the FT -A fibers, FT -B fibers have a large motor neuron and fiber diameter, but a low mitochondrial and capillary density and myoglobin content. They also are high in creatine phosphate and glycogen, but low in triglycerides. They contain many glycolytic enzymes but few oxidative enzymes. Table 1 summarizes some major characteristics of the three fiber types.

Now, if you are really out of shape or very new to exercise and healthy eating, then learning proper resistance training technique, cardio and healthy eating will get you the most results early on.

When you have been exercising for awhile and want to take your progress to another level, you might want to re-design your workout program around your muscle type.

For more info on training right for your body type to maximize your goals; check out Mike Mahler's article of the same name for more info.
Fast vs Slow Twitch Muscle Fiber

Day 31...posted late

2007-02-15T05:07:00.000Z

Had trouble stay awake during the first few exercises of my routine yesterday. I was sooo tired. Less then 9 hours total sleep for Mon and Tuesday caught up to me during my Wednesday routine. I was able to go up on all my lifts (as well as do more reps), so, the workout was not a total loss (but I really, had to struggle to finish it).

14 Feb 07: Day 31 (posted late)
Great workout when I could stay focused, had trouble figuring out how much weight to add! Although, I was stronger than my last workout, this one was so much more of a struggle. Really had to concentrate and stay focused, after every set I had to commit myself to the next before going on otherwise I would have packed it up and gone home!

Towards the end of the routine I felt a little better (alive/awake) and started to enjoy it. Got home, enjoyed a fantastic Valentine/Anniversary dinner with my wife, and went straight to bed about 9pm (she had prepared a special dinner! I usually cook dinner to keep my meals in-line with my eating plan).

So, I'm caught up on my sleep but will have to get mucho resto tonight to be 100% for my leg day on Friday.
Hope everyone enjoyed their Valentine day, whether at home with a loved one or at the gym. Will post more tonight after my cardio session.

Day 30.....first cardio of week 5!

2007-02-13T21:28:00.000Z

I finally got around to doing my cardio this evening. It was a lot later than I had planned. Just got too involved in some online research (this whole darn Internet thing is just so damn addicting!), in fact, I started my cardio about the time I had planned on going to bed tonight....ooops, guess I'm not going to get my 6-7 hours of sleep....again!

13 Feb 07: Day 30
I said in an earlier blog I had planned on doing 2 days of HIIT cardio @30mins and 2 days of low intensity @45min. After re-evaluating my program, I've decided to change it (yes again!). I will now be doing 4 days of low intensity @45min per week.

Wanting to burn fat without loosing muscle mass I have decided that the 2 HIIT days will be more harmful (burn muscle) then helpful towards my goal.

My earlier plan was based on doing only 3 days of cardio (2 days of HIIT & 1 day of low intensity). Now, that I am comfortable with the idea of 4 days of cardio (meaning I won't miss a workout), I believe this is the best path to reach my goal.

So, to sum it up;
I'll be going with slow fat burning cardio, while working to add muscle mass with a heavy resistance routine. Either way, I'm always working to "Get it Done" and I hope you are too!

Proper Hydration

2007-02-12T21:27:00.000Z

I started out Week 5 with a very successful workout!
Made all my new lifts, all weights were greater then last week, so I have made progress! I do need to improve my dead lifting technique (think I mentioned that last week), anyway, not that I hurt myself or anything, but I don't think I'll be able to continue going up in weight every week with my current form.

I'll have to do some research online into proper dead lifting technique. I'm sure I can find a mind blowing YouTube video of a 165lb power-lifter dead lifting 500lbs or something equally crazy and motivating.

12 Feb 07: Day 29
Today, I kept myself really hydrated, and felt really energized before my workout. Afterwards, it was a different story...LOL!

Before I go I'd like to give you info about the importance of hydration. Hopefully, this info will help you improve or get more out of your next workout....Until then; keep getting it done!

Many people underestimate the importance of water to the body. Many people think it is just a "mom's tale", like you need to drink your milk. What is even more alarming is that even among the most experienced athletes, and this includes weightlifters (strength and bodybuilders) there is a huge gap in knowledge regarding the understanding as to why proper hydration is important for health, and for competitive success as well.

Water
The Single Most Critical Nutrient

The human brain is composed of 95% water; blood is 82% water; the lungs are nearly 90% water. As one can imagine water is also the single most critical nutrient for health, growth, and development. It is not only the most important nutrient in the body, but also the most abundant. Water is critical to the balance of all the body's systems, including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and muscles.

How important is this balance? A 2% drop in body water can cause a small but critical shrinkage of the brain, which can impair neuromuscular coordination, decrease concentration, and slow thinking. Dehydration can also reduce endurance, decrease strength, cause cramping and slow muscular response.

Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. How common a problem is this in the US? Estimates are that seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. This is alarming since proper hydration is required for maintaining healthy blood flow, proper kidney function, proper sodium/potassium /electrolyte balance and proper digestive functions.

Read the whole article here: Proper Hydration

Day 28......Week 4 Summary

2007-02-11T18:34:00.000Z

Finished up week 4 in prime fashion.

3 days of resistance training, 4 days of cardio (2 30min HIIT and 2 45min low intensity "fat burning" sessions). Another 45 minutes of low intensity cardio on my cross trainer. A great piece of equipment but will have to sell it when I leave here, since it's 220v.

Now some people might say that this may be too much cardio to build muscle and normally I would agree, but since my metabolism no longer works correctly, I am doing what ever it takes to continue with my fat loss, if this doesn't' work and I start to lose muscle I'll cut back on the cardio, as long as I keep my calorie and protein intake high enough, I should be able to maintain or add muscle and continue to burn body fat. We'll see what happens.

11 Feb 07: Day 28
Not much to add today, had a real easy day, started it off with 45 minutes, low Resistance, keeping my heart rate below 115 during the cardio session. Burned 405 cal @ 6.97km distance.

Oh, I almost forgot, I picked up a body fat scale. So, now I'll be checking my body fat and weight in the morning when I get up. Because the scale fluctuates so much from day to day, I'll be averaging the readings for the week and posting them on Sundays. This mornings reading was: 192.5lbs @ 14.2% with 60% water (it's supposed to read hydration levels too, with ideal levels being between 50%-70%).

Day 27......added some new features

2007-02-10T23:56:00.000Z

Finished the week off with a 45 minute low intensity cardio workout. Burned about 400 calories while keeping my heart rate below 115 the whole time. May do one more cardio session tomorrow, but haven't decided yet. If I do some cardio it will be another low intensity session 40 minutes or longer.

10 Feb 07: Day 27
Tonight I added a new link to a product recommendation page. I'll be adding more to this page as time goes on. Most of these things I reviewed during my "gym bag" posting. Some of these items are things that I use every day, while others are things that help me stay motivated and committed to my goal. Feel free to take a look and let me know via email if there is anything you think I should add.

I also added a video viewing tool that you may find interesting. Not only can you view the videos on display, but you can also search for other videos as well. I'm always fascinated by how other people stay in shape. It's also amazing to see how fit some people are. Well, I hope you find something inspirational with the video search tool. Until next time, stay focused and ........just get it done!

Day 26.........working hard every rep!

2007-02-09T19:47:00.000Z

Had a great final resistance workout for the week. Today, I did legs and abs. Really pushed with with the legs today, but felt good in the end. Had to change out one exercise that I still don't feel comfortable with.....stiff leg dead lifts. I still feel this exercise works my lower back far more than it does my hamstrings, I'm sure it is my technique (or lack of it), either way I'm not doing them for hamstrings (might do them on back day as a lesser substitute for regular dead lifts). Instead, I did smith machine lunges.

9 Feb 07: Day 26
Today, while doing my squat warm up, I realized that squats are a real pain in the @$$!

While doing my first real set, after my warm up, I thought to myself....this is really heavy...(not really but it felt heavy to me!)...and I'm not sure I'll be able to do more that 3 or 4 reps with this weight, instead of giving into the strain, I took it one rep at a time and got through it with 7 reps! After fully recovering, I prepared for my 2nd set mentally. I knew I would have to put forth that same effort or more, for the second set, and decided right then and there that it would be more! So, I unracked the weight and proceeded to count as I pushed against gravity
1.2.3.4..5..6...7...8....9.....10......11...then racked it...JOB DONE!!

I really had to struggle with every rep after 6 but I kept putting forth extra effort until I was done. This kind of effort and commitment that will sure make a difference in the long run...... as time will tell.

Hope everyone that is keeping fit with me, is putting forth the effort needed to get it done!

Good and Bad Fats

2007-02-08T21:02:00.000Z

Had another great HIIT cardio workout. Went a little long this time (40 minutes). Still did 10 intervals of 30sec (@ max RPM). Burned a total of 489 calories, with a distance of 7.96km. I also posted a new pic for today. As you can see from my last pic posted, I have made some decent progress! Still have a way to go to reach my goal.

8 Feb 07: Day 25
Got an email today asking me to explain the difference between good and bad fats.

First off there are 3 different groups of fats:
Saturated Fats- Eaten in limited amounts, since they can raise your cholesterol
Found in meat and dairy products

Trans Fatty Acids- are even worse and pose a greater threat to your cholesterol and heart health. Formed when vegetable or fish oils are hydrogenated.
Found in almost all fried foods

Monounsaturated Fats- Best kind of fats to include in your eating plan, because they support nerve and hormone function, and strengthen cell membranes
Found in nuts, avocados, vegetable oils (olive for instance)

There are also 2 Unsaturated Fats that are necessary for your survival. Since your body can't create these fatty acids, they must be obtained from the foods you eat.
Essential Fatty acids Omega-6 (linoleic acid)
Found in most vegetable oils

Essential Fatty acids Omega-3 (linolenic acid)
Found in leafy green vegetables, soy, walnuts, flax, and fish and canola oils

Some benefits of eating Good fats can be:

Decrease of free radicals in the body
Lower total cholesterol levels
Lower triglycerides
Raised levels of HDL

For a more thorough info try this link:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats.html

2nd workout a success....

2007-02-07T21:13:00.000Z

Another great workout! Today, it was chest/delts/tris......Didn't lift a lot of weight, still trying to figure my 5-7 rep lifting range (this week I'm just getting used to the exercises, proper form and all that...as well as determining what weight I should be lifting) for the new workout exercises. For now, I'll just keep adding a little bit of weight every week until I get to that range, then I'll work on getting 1 extra rep (or more) per workout and upping the weight once I can do 8 reps or more. Already, I am seeing some increased muscularity on my upper body (since I started 24 days ago). I believe I will make some impressive gains in the next couple of weeks and in my next set of pics, you will see quite a change.

7 Feb 07: Day 24
If I forgot to mention it before, then I'll mention it now, I am using a program based on the "The truth about building Muscle" workout routine. You can check out my quick blurb about the book in my Fitness book review page. I plan on doing a more thorough review with some snippets from the book at a later date. Just know that, this info is a most have for anyone trying to add muscle the right way. It won't be easy, but as you will soon see from my end of month pics you will see results if you follow the program!

Today, I picked up some wrist straps to help with my grip during dead lifts, barbell rows and shrugs. Although, I was able to hold on to the barbell without assistance during Mondays workout, I'll have a harder time every workout from now on, and I don't want to lift lighter because I can't hold on to the weight! Some people might frown upon the lifting straps thing but I know the more weight I lift, and force my body to adapt to, the more I'll grow. I will continue to work on my grip strength, but will not let my workouts slack because lack of it.

Tomorrow will be another HIIT cardio day. 10 intervals at 30 secs is the name of the game, with a 10 minute warm up and a 10 minute cool down. Then on Friday, will be my first leg day of my new routine! I really love to hate leg day! But never let my self miss one because it's one of the best days for creating new muscle! New muscle means more calories burned while resting (anything to help boost the 'ol metabolism). Until next time ....Just, get it done!

Week 4....a new start

2007-02-05T21:43:00.000Z

Because I am looking to make some impressive gains in the next few weeks, I have changed my routine sooner than I had initially planned. Although, my resistance training routine will become more difficult, I'll keep my nutrition plan the same. I also plan on adding more cardio throughout the week.

5 FEB 07: Day 22
Changed my resistance routine to build more muscle. This will mean; I'll be doing more compound movements using more weight and less reps and sets.

Today's routine went very well after I got warmed up. I cut my cardio warm up, and added some weight training warm ups to my routine. This should allow me to focus on lifting more weight with less chance of injury.

Since, I will only be doing resistance type training 3 times a week (instead of 4), I can add an extra day of cardio. I actually plan on adding extra days of cardio until I see a significant change in my body composition. So, tomorrow I'll be hitting the cardio instead the weights.

Day 19...Week 3 Summary

2007-02-02T18:15:00.000Z

2 Feb 07: Day 19
Had a pretty good week so far. Played some indoor volleyball Wednesday night (2 hours of cardio!), felt pretty good, and didn't have any problems with my knees (something that was bothering me last volleyball season). Went to bed late that night as well as really stressed my legs (the day after my heavy leg day, oops), but had a good time and didn't injure myself.

Had a fantastic workout Thursday (my light upper body workout), really destroyed my medial and rear delts!

This morning, I didn't want to get out of bed! My body was really worn down. I still had to do my light leg day (today), which I did , but couldn't put as much as I wanted into it! I got my workout done (and went up in weight from last weeks workout), but also had to cut my 1o minute cardio warm up in half to save my energy.

So, to sum it up:

Great workout week, but lack of sleep and recovery caused me to feel like skipping today's workout. Instead of calling it a day, and heading home, I stuck it out, cut my cardio warm up in half, and rested longer between sets, but in the end.... I GOT IT DONE! Tonight, I'll be going to bed earlier, so my body can start repairing and rebuilding itself.

Day 17.....Tale of the tape..

2007-01-31T17:43:00.000Z

31 Jan 07: Day 17
Today I got my body fat measured and it was down a little over a percent! It said I lost 2.2 pounds (1kg) and gained 2.6 pounds of muscle! That is fantastic compared to my progress thus far; since Sept I have only lost about a percentage, now in about 2.5 weeks I lost over a percentage.

Here is my Tale of the Tape:
Body Type: Standard (I believe I should be athletic, but everyone is using the same setting)
Age: ??
Ht:5ft 9in
Wt:191.4 lb
BMI: 28.3
Fat % 22.1%
BMR 7968 kJ
impedance 428 (ohms)
Fat Mass 42.4 lb
FFM 149. lb

I think it was partly due to my Dr. doubling my thyroid medicine. I believe this because I have been eating fairly strict (no junk, home cooked, yes I can cook, made from scratch wholesome foods), and only drinking water with an occasional glass of red wine (no more than 1 every 3 weeks or so) and weight training and doing cardio since Sept. I also started taking my omega 3 tablets, but doubt they would have had an effected on my body fat so soon.

We'll just have to wait until the next tale of the tape. I don't plan on posting my pics again until the end of February, when I believe a difference, will be much more noticeable. Until then or until my next post...keep on.....Getting it done!!

Day 16......workout program details

2007-01-30T17:08:00.000Z

Great workout today. Legs went quick. Made some changes to my routine after reading the Muscle Gain Truth. Lots of information, and insight. My plans to improve my muscle mass seems like the right idea, and tomorrow I will have the "Tale of the Tape" results for 2 weeks of effort! I believe the body fat scale will show that I'm finally doing the right thing.

30 Jan 07: Day 16
Here is a more detailed overview of my workout program (after recent changes). This routine will change in about 4 weeks. At that time I will have only 3 weight training days per week and start doing some more cardio on my off days. Also, I will be working strictly in the 5-7 range, working one body part per week (to focus on adding more muscle).

It's always good to change up your routine every 4-6 weeks since your body will try to adapt (become more efficient) to it, which means you could burn less calories doing the same things you did before (for cardio) and it may cause your muscle building gains to stop (for weight training).

Monday: 7x3

Dead lifts
Bench Press
Pull Ups
Military Press
Rope crunches

Tuesday: 7x3

DB (step up) Lunges
Front Squats
Leg Press

Wednesday:

HITT Cardio: 7 Intervals @1min (10min warm-up/cool-down)

Thursday: 12x3

Hammer Strength over head pull downs
Cable Press
Hammer Strength Rows
Cable raises (medial delts)
Rear cable raises
BB Curls
Rope Push downs

Friday: 12x3

Smith Lunges
Hack Squats
Leg Ext
Leg Curls
Straight Leg Calves

Saturday: HITT Cardio:14 Intervals @30sec (10min warm up/cool-down)

Sunday: Rest

Day 15.......Week 3

2007-01-29T23:21:00.000Z

Had a quick and effective upper body workout. Felt a little strain in my left shoulder during my bench press, but nothing too serious. After I got home I felt like I had been eating too much lately (not using up all my calories), I was not hungry even though it was time to eat. So, I did 2o minutes of low intensity cardio, which gave me more of an appetite.

29 Jan 07: Day 15
To start off week 3, I thought, I would post my affirmation.

This is something I try to read daily, to keep me committed and on track towards my goal.

Since your mind controls your body, creating a positive image and reinforcing it with an affirmation is something that I think is important when creating life changes.

Affirmation:
I am a fat burning MACHINE !
I feel strong, Super-fit, and committed to maintaining 8% body fat.
I weight train on a 4 day routine, with 4 days of weights and 2 days of HITT Cardio sessions; never missing a workout and adding extra cardio if necessary!
I fuel my workouts by eating 6 well balanced meals, eating a protein and a vegetables during every meal and consuming carbs only after my workouts!
I also keep myself well hydrated and SUPER-Energized by drinking
3 liters of water a day.
To ensure that I stay focused and committed to my fitness goals I do the following:
1. Keep track of my daily food intake.
2. Log my workout progress in my Huge Training Log.
3. Get my body fat% checked once a week,
so that I can adjust my routine and food intake if necessary.

See this link for more on this subject. Affirmations

Day 14.....2 week summary

2007-01-28T23:29:00.000Z

28 Jan 07: Day 14
Although, no major change in pics, still made some great progress! Added some new exercises and removed some, Weight lifting routine is now dialed in! Have all the supplements I need. Didn't have my fish oil caps and super food supp the first week and half. Got more sleep.

Couldn't get my body fat checked at my local wellness center this past week. May have to start monitoring body fat at home with my calipers.

Things to improve or change:
Missed too much cardio; may add some to my morning routine (20 minutes)
Need to cut out some cheese from my nutrition plan unless it's fat free mozzarella
Stop snacking on extra carbs at night when letting my dog out
Become more thorough with nutrition log
Read Affirmation daily x2 (morning & night) to help stay committed to my goal

Day 13.......My Gym Bag

2007-01-27T18:32:00.000Z

Had a fantastic leg workout on Friday! Adjusted my high rep leg routine and added an exercise! Smith machine lunges. I then followed these up with hack squats (my legs were very warmed up and a little fatigued) then I finished them off with leg extensions and leg curls (had to really focus because my legs were screaming), did some straight leg calves and...job done!....workout completed. Most definitely the best leg workout I have ever done. It was quick and it completely exhausted my legs without putting any stress on my knees or back.

27 Jan 07: Day 13
Today I'm going to describe what I take to the gym and why or how it helps me stay committed to my routine

1 Medium Gym bag
Small enough to fit in a small locker, with compartments for my logbook, Shaker bottle, iPod, workout clothing and shoes.

1 pair lifting gloves w/ wrist support
I like the wrist support when doing heavy pushing movements.

1 Shaker bottle w/ 2.5g Creatine and Glutimine
Affords me the option of carrying a fruit smoothie with a scoop of whey (with my creatine and glutimine) around the gym doing my workout

1 Pair High tops (basketball court shoes)
Makes a difference for Leg day; Squats are more stable, during calve presses I can add more weight (no shoe flex)

Workout/ Nutrition Logbook and Pen
Helps me record my workouts/ nutrition and what I felt during/ after workout

iPod w/ waist carrier
iPod keeps me motivated during my workout; and the waist carrier allows me to perform any workout with having to remove or reposition my iPod

I don't carry a water bottle because I can drink water from the fountains as needed. I always try to consume about 2 liters of water (through out the day) before my exercise routine, better hydration gives me more energy, and better cooling during my workout.

Day 11......Routine reveiw

2007-01-25T21:16:00.000Z

Workout was a little lacking, I completed it but couldn't put much into it. Been feeling a little sick the last few days, not too bad just a slight cold.

25 Jan 07: Day 11
Today I'm going to give a quick overview of my workout routine.

I follow a simple routine of upper body one day and lower body the next, with heavy weights on Mon & Tues, cardio on Wednesday, followed by upper body (high reps) on Thurs, and lower body (high reps) on Friday. Saturday, I finish up with cardio.

Later on I plan on posting my workouts and maybe even my food logs, but for now, just know that I give it all I got every time I'm in the gym! Sometimes I feel great, and sometimes like today, I don't feel so good. Either way, I still get to the gym, and get it done! Sometimes that is all that matters. Consistency, getting to the gym (or where ever you decide to exercise) regularly, and without fail. That's what will make the difference in the end!

I was planning on going over my gym bag (what I bring on a daily basis to make my workouts a success), but I'll save that until tomorrow, since it's getting late and I need to get some more sleep so I can hit my lower body hard tomorrow. Until then.....

Day 10.....no sleep

2007-01-24T21:53:00.000Z

Got absolutely no sleep last night! Our dog was sick and she had to go in and out of the house all night long! Next thing I knew, it was 03:30 and I couldn't get to sleep after that.

24 Jan 07: Day 10
Unfortunately, the facility that I get my body fat measured, was closed today due to the extreme snow here in Stuttgart, Germany. I didn't work out (cardio day) due to lack of sleep and exhaustion. In fact as soon as I got home I crashed for 3 1/2 hours. Hopefully, I can get my body fat measured tomorrow so that I can see what kind of progress I am making.

I'll be back in the gym tomorrow for my higher rep (8-12 reps) upper body routine then finish the day with a low intensity cardio session at home on my elliptical cross trainer.

Stay motivated and committed to your workouts. Tomorrow, I'll go over my weight training routine, and do a quick over view of what I take to the gym.

Day 9......My supplements

2007-01-23T20:57:00.000Z

Had another great workout! Wasn't very hydrated, had only gotten down about 1.5liters of water before my evening workout (not counting water in my shakes). Now drinking more water to make up for lack during the day, so I'll still get about 3 liters for the day. 3 liters is my minimum I shoot for in one day. No other beverages, except green tea, sometimes coffee (not often) and my protein or post-work out shakes are used by me. In fact I'll go over a list of supplements I take everyday.

23 Jan 07: Day 9
I take a few supplements every day, to help keep me at optimum health and to help boost my metabolism. Below is the list of the supplements and the brands I prefer:

2x Multi Vitamin (Opti-Men from Optimum Nutrition)
to make sure I get all my vitamins
x3 Fish oil soft gels (PBL Pure Omega 3)
to help promote fat loss, as well as to provide Omega 3's (EPA and DHA) to my diet
x2 Green Tea Extract (Now Green Tea Extract)
to help promote fat loss, antioxidant
Protein powder (Met Rx Original Meal replacement)
provide extra protein and essential amino acids to aid in muscle and tissue repair
Creatine 5grams
to help improve my muscle strength and performance
L-Glutamine 5grams
to help speed up recovery after my workouts
Greens+ 1 teaspoon with each shake
to provide more antioxidants, help improve energy as well as veggies to my protein shake

Well, that's what I take every day. I will go into more detail about each of the supplements (and their benefits) at a later date. Tomorrow the Tale of the Tape! Which will include my latest body fat %, Fat Free Mass and over all body weight.

*NOTE* Even though I have only been on this new program for nine days I have been watching my diet and exercises program (to improve my health and reduce my body fat) since Sept 2006*

I switched to my current program because I wasn't seen the results I expected with my previous program (mainly due) to my Hypothyroidism see link below:

Hypothyroidism

So......tune in tomorrow to see how my new program is working out.

Day 8.....Week 2

2007-01-22T20:45:00.000Z

Quick review of Week 1:
I did all my weight training days, workouts were right on time as well as the nutrition! Missed my second cardio day. I felt I needed some more recovery time from my workouts. Also, didn't get enough sleep each day, and paid for the loss.

This week I plan on getting more sleep and not missing any cardio.

22 Jan 07: Day 8
Back in the gym, felt good. Added an extra exercise to my program! Barbell rows on the Smith Machine. They felt pretty good. Followed my nutrition plan easy enough, it's almost a no brainer, now that I don't have to figure out what I'm going to eat during my next meal.....now that I know what I'm going to eat and have it ready make, it's too easy!

Tomorrow, I'll be going over my supplements and will include a review of each one at a later date. Also, this Wednesday, I'll do the tale of the tape (my body fat change since last week) so, stay tuned.....

Day 6....off day?!

2007-01-20T23:35:00.000Z

Looks like I had an off day!

Day 6: 20 Jan 07
Nope, didn't do my cardio, and meals were a little screwy. Had some guests over, and indulged in some home made tortellini's in a cream sauce, as well as cheese and lots of bread. Will have to hit the cardio tomorrow!

Day 5.....Starting Body Comp measurements

2007-01-19T20:57:00.000Z

My workout went fine. I was really hydrated today (little over a gallon of water), and I felt energetic to start but a little tired towards the end.
Today I'm posting my starting body comp measurements; so that my progress can be more easily tracked.

DAY 5: 19 Jan 07
Below is my current tape measurements as well as my body weight and body fat%:

Body weight: 87.5kg/ 192.90
Body fat %: 23.3%

Neck: 43cm/ 16.9in
Shoulders: 129cm/50.78
Chest: 108cm/ 42.5
Upper Arm: 34cm/ 13.3
Waist: 98cm/38.5
Hip: 102cm/ 40.157
Thigh: 62.5cm/ 24.6
Calf: 40cm/ 15.74

*Note all measurements were done while relaxed*

Yes, I'm flexing in the last 2 pics. A front symmetry stance and a double biceps back shot.

Day 4.....Food Prep

2007-01-18T20:09:00.000Z

Got myself really hydrated today, finished off a two liter bottle of water before noon! Think it made a difference in the gym. Had a great workout today; absolutely destroyed my upper body! I certainly shall be enjoying the fruits of my labor in a day or two. Tomorrow, I'll get to destroy my lower body, can't wait....that should give me a good equal amount of soreness to enjoy this weekend.....just got to get it done... the 8% me is waiting to make an appearance!

Day 4: 18 Jan 07
What if I told you I knew the secret to a healthy lifestyle, better results in the gym, how to loose fat and build muscle, and kill your cravings for non-nutritious food?

Would you be interested or do you know the secret already?

One of the biggest problems I have had in the past, was not getting enough of the right nutrition or not consuming enough calories through out the day. Mainly because I just didn't have the right nutrition available and I didn't want to eat the wrong thing. So, I always lost valuable calories or I went for more than 6 hours (you should eat every 2-3 hours) which in turn caused me to become so ravenous; that I pigged out as soon as that large Pizza with all the extras arrived at my door.

So, what is the secret to a healthy lifestyle and more energy, better results?

I believe it starts with food prep! Yep, you heard me right! I now have no problem getting the proper nutrition because it is always available to me no matter where I go! I plan and prepare my entire day's meals before I go to work. Yeah, I know that may not be practical for everyone, but it is practical for me and I didn't know it until a couple of weeks ago! So, hear me out and see if this works for you, if not, maybe it will give you an idea how you can get more of your nutrition available to you on a daily basis.

My morning food prep ritual (this takes me less than 15 minutes):
1. I get my two glad ware containers out filling the first one with the previous nights leftovers (protein of some sort...chicken, Beef Pattie, Meat loaf, Salmon), that is to go on top of my salad (I prefer raw baby spinach or rocket). The second one I put 3/4 cup of egg whites or egg beaters and 1 whole egg, handful of spinach leaves, some spices (pepper or chili power, sometimes garlic powder), 2 slices of lean turkey ham (torn up), stir it all together and stick it in the microwave for a few minutes (depends on your microwave) and presto whamo you have an instant omelet!
2. I get my two shake bottles, put 5 grams creatine in one, then stick it in my cooler (it's for my workout shake). The other gets filled with my Super shake (meal replacement shake that I make) and put into my cooler. Wow, whamo presto 4 meals done and ready to go! That should cover most of your work day. **The other 2 meals consist of my post workout meal (made at home) and my final super shake, which total of 6 for the day.

Now a lot of this depends on you having a food plan drawn out (my food plan and prep came from a good source, more on that in a later blog) and the supplies to create your needed meals as well as having the right containers and carrier. Hope this helps you get it done!

Check out my food prep pics.

Day 3 ....HITT Cardio is no joke!

2007-01-17T17:27:00.000Z

Caught up on my rest, not quite 8 hours but close enough. I felt so good that I woke up before my alarm went off! Really needed the rest, and after today I plan to be as disciplined in my sleep efforts as the rest of my nutrition/ workout plan!

Day 3 17 Jan 07
Whole body was sore today. I though it was just my upper body, but I realized how wrong I was as soon as I started my cardio session!

After my first interval, I knew I was going to have to fight thru this first cardio session! The 90sec (high intensity)/ 180 (recovery) x4 didn't look like a whole lot written in my log book (yes, I log everything and you should too), but almost immediately after my first interval I changed my mind (which didn't help, because it's all in the mind and how you think of things). Think it's hard, then it is; think it's easy, then it becomes easier. Since, I couldn't think of it as easy, I stopped thinking about it, turned up the volume on my iPOD, and got it done!

When the 4th interval came around I gave it all I had and increased the speed! I had to cool down a lot longer after that last interval (felt like I was going to puke if I slowed down too fast), so I added an extra 5 minutes more to my cardio (then I had originally planned) to cool down properly.

Excited about my next cardio session; but dreading it as well. It will include 15 30sec (sprint)/30sec (recovery) intervals!

Day 2.....so very tired...

2007-01-16T19:01:00.000Z

The alarm clock went off way too soon for my taste (Again)! Once again, another less than 4 hours of sleep (night).....my fault.....wanted to get to bed at a reasonable time but I just couldn't do it (Poor planning, since I don't have the option to sleep past 5am any more). I have to do better if I want to be the 8% me!

Day 2 16 Jan 07
Today I was so tired, it felt like I was swimming in mud. Although, I still followed my nutrition plan and hit the gym, my workout wasn't as productive as it could have been.

It's not always just about following the nutrition plan or making sure you get to the gym. Sometimes it's the simple things that throw us off from our goals. I really need my 8 hours of sleep tonight, but before I begin my blissful slumber, I will leave you with this:

Oh, to be free from the stifling pressures of life--to rest,
a peaceful slumber that will rejuvenate my soul.
-Les Hewitt

Day 1 in review....Commitment

2007-01-15T22:03:00.000Z

Once I figure out how to post links to my logs ......like my weekly progress summary, day to day account (of my diet) and workout routine, body fat loss progress...... and even a review of things I use to help, enhance or improve my workouts, I'll do it.

What I don' plan on doing is boring you with a daily run down of what I did in the gym.... 3 sets of reverse grip DB bench press @ 1000lbs.......blah.... or a bland run down of what I ate.... Breakfast: 2 snickers without peanuts, one orange and 1/2 egg yolk.... blah, blah, blah.... you get the idea.....

What I do plan on posting is:
"A daily blog of what I do to stay committed to my workout & nutrition plan!"

DAY 1: 15 Jan 07
I did not feel like getting up when the alarm finally went off at 5am! Main reason; less than 4 hours of sleep! I couldn't sleep last night; kept thinking about my workout/nutrition plan and the kind of commitment it will take to get through it. I know I need to eat 6 meals a day, and drink plenty of water and, and..... so much was racing thru my head! So, when the alarm went off, I wanted to reset it (to allow) another 30 minutes of sleep (like I have done so many times in the past), but instead; I thought, how will I get through the first day if I don't have the right nutrition?! 6 meals and proper nutrition is a lot easier if you have the meals planned and ready to eat. The planning part was done and over, now begins the DOING part! I just had to get out of bed, go down stairs and make my meals for the day.......I asked my self what would the 8% version of myself do? After 3 minutes of lying there and thinking it over, I decided that I could not possibly quit before I started, and reminded myself that I was Committed to reaching my goal of 8%.

So, I got up, went down stairs, made my 4 egg white omelet, sectioned off a portion of the meat loaf I made the night before, made my super shakes (more on that at a later date), and loaded up my small cooler with the food (fuel) I needed to get through the day. Surprisingly enough, I got through the day as well as my first workout not feeling that tired at all. Having all my meals pre-made made such a difference (Proper Nutrition)!

All it took was a little commitment!

The Beginning......

2007-01-15T20:13:00.000Z

This is my first official workout nutrition blog of my journey to reach 8% body fat. Before I proceed, I would like to take a little time to explain the purpose and what I hope to accomplish with this blog.

It all started a few months ago; when a few of us at work were sitting around talking about how fit we used to be, and how unfit we currently are. After a lot of smack talking, on who could get back in shape the fastest, we decided to put our money where our mouths were and created a 32 week contest (that will end April 2007). After having our body fat measured, four of us set the body fat goals that (we each believed) we were capable of achieving over the 32 week time frame. For me that goal is 12% with a starting body fat percentage of 25%. We all realize that our body fat scale is not that accurate, but it did provide us a starting reference and that's all we needed. The final determining factor (to whether we reached our goals) will be our final body fat measurement, done by a local nutritionist (using a more accurate body fat caliper pinch test).

To make the contest more interesting and to allow even more smack talking we came up with system that allows the person/s making the most progress to get PAID! So, every 2 weeks, we take a measurement of our body fat (progress), and whom ever making the least amount of progress (towards their goal) compared with their peers will have to pay money to the person or persons that are making the most progress. It's a little complex to explain here, lets just say I have paid out $126 (although I did get about $55 of it back). It's not that I haven't made progress it's just that I haven't made progress as great as 2 of my colleagues. My current status as of last weeks body fat check........23.8%! Arrrgggh!

To make a long, long, story, slightly shorter..... I have not experienced the results I expected...... I found out that my metabolism is a little out of whack due to a malfunctioning thyroid..... but instead of giving up or quiting I decided to do something for the sake of my health and my lost fundage! Besides getting medicated, I decided to become more educated about the thyroid and how it effects my metabolism. Also, to determine if I can still Boost my metabolism to meet my original goal.

After doing mucho researcho into what I like to call the the Triple Threat for proper fat loss:
1. Proper Nutrition
2. HITT Cardio
3. Intense Weight Training
And further research into improving my metabolism I came across a book that (During my research I read a lot of books. Many which I will list at a later date) outlined a workout & nutrition strategy that I believe will not only allow me to reach my original (and still current) 12% goal but, allow me to take it even further; to my personal, very personal goal of 8%. (Note: my original goal of 12% still stands until the end of April and as long as I reach it I will get all my money back and not have to listen to any more smack talking!) Once I reach my 12% goal, I don't plan on taking it easy, no way, I'll strive on until I reach my 8% goal.

Finally, to make a slightly, long, blog, minutely shorter........

"The purpose of this blog is to document my progress as well as the trials and tribulations during my journey to 8% body fat. At the same time I hope to motivate others to strive for and reach their own personal fitness goals."

Whew....... I finally got it out.

You may now be wondering 3 things:

1. How will I reach my goal?
2. How do I hope to motivate others along the way?
3. Will I be able to meet my goal?

Let's just say you'll have to stick around to find out.......

Pre Fitness Blog post...

2007-01-15T06:29:00.000Z

Just created my fitness blog.......this serves as a pre-post. My first fitness blog post will begin tomorrow 15 Jan 07......