I injured my __________. There are many reasons to skip a work out. One common is an injury. I recently jammed my finger and I talked myself out of a few weight training workout. I even talked myself out of a jog. A jog?!? I jammed my finger, and I let that ruin a jog? The jostling did aggravate it, but still, tape it to another finger, or heck, just deal with it.
The point is that if you hurt your wrist, hop on the exercise bike; if you hurt your foot, try some yoga. You have four limbs - move your good ones.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
It still does a body good
Drink milk. You're bones still needs protection. I promise.
Some people are concerned about calories. Some people try to eat a healthier breakfast and, in doing so, try to avoid cereal. Some people hate the taste. Valid points, I say. But do it anyway. Drinking milk is one of those things that you don't realize how much you should have done it until it is too late. That is to say, it is a preventative measure. Taking in the good calcium in milk assists in avoiding injury. When engaging in vigorous exercise, you are putting a lot of stress on your joints and need to help fortify them. This is ESPECIALLY true you are doing any weight training. More strain on joint - higher need for fortification.
Drink milk!
Some people are concerned about calories. Some people try to eat a healthier breakfast and, in doing so, try to avoid cereal. Some people hate the taste. Valid points, I say. But do it anyway. Drinking milk is one of those things that you don't realize how much you should have done it until it is too late. That is to say, it is a preventative measure. Taking in the good calcium in milk assists in avoiding injury. When engaging in vigorous exercise, you are putting a lot of stress on your joints and need to help fortify them. This is ESPECIALLY true you are doing any weight training. More strain on joint - higher need for fortification.
Drink milk!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Drinking extra calories
This won't appeal to someone who is just wanting to just maintain their current fitness level, but if you are wanting to lose some weight, a GREAT idea is to only drink water. Look at a can of soda or a serving of juice (which is always a ton smaller than what you actually pour for yourself). You could drink 200-500 calories a day on beverages alone. It's ridiculous. Just drink water. It is an easy win and something that is easy to stay conscious of.
Calories
100-150 One serving of juice in the morning (Breakfast)
150-250 Soda (Lunch)
150-250 Soda (Snack)
100-300 Beer/Wine (Dinner)
500-950 Potential caloric intake from ONLY beverages
Taking a Mt Dew can out of my hand is nothing I was eager to dive into, but it makes a serious difference. Give it a whirl. If you are interested in calorie reduction, START with beverages. (another benefit to your best friend and mine, water)
Calories
100-150 One serving of juice in the morning (Breakfast)
150-250 Soda (Lunch)
150-250 Soda (Snack)
100-300 Beer/Wine (Dinner)
500-950 Potential caloric intake from ONLY beverages
Taking a Mt Dew can out of my hand is nothing I was eager to dive into, but it makes a serious difference. Give it a whirl. If you are interested in calorie reduction, START with beverages. (another benefit to your best friend and mine, water)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Captain Obvious strikes again
Stretch. When was the last time you just stretched? Middle School gym?
Stretch. Lower back, hamstrings, hips, quads, hamstrings, calves, groin, shoulders, chest, upper back. There are tons of reasons to do it. I don't want to list reasons...yes, I do.
Stretching...
- Increases muscle flexibilitiy, which helps guard against injury during workouts, particularly sports. For example, if you are playing basketball and arm gets tangled with an opponent and pulled back, if your body is more equipped to stretch back more, you are less inclined to strain a muscle.
- Increases blood flow in the body.
- helps speed the recovery process up for sore muscles.
- Energizes.
- Warms up muscles for better muscle performance during exercise/workouts.
Stretch more! Do it!
Stretch. Lower back, hamstrings, hips, quads, hamstrings, calves, groin, shoulders, chest, upper back. There are tons of reasons to do it. I don't want to list reasons...yes, I do.
Stretching...
- Increases muscle flexibilitiy, which helps guard against injury during workouts, particularly sports. For example, if you are playing basketball and arm gets tangled with an opponent and pulled back, if your body is more equipped to stretch back more, you are less inclined to strain a muscle.
- Increases blood flow in the body.
- helps speed the recovery process up for sore muscles.
- Energizes.
- Warms up muscles for better muscle performance during exercise/workouts.
Stretch more! Do it!
Poop! Very literally.
My apologies for the title for the vulgarity and pun usage. But doodying helps. Hear me out. When you are constipated, you are stomach area obviously swells more because of it. You also feel more bloated. However much excess weight that is, you are carrying it around all day and, more importantly, affects your workout in that not only do you feel more weighed down but you are actually dragging around an additional 2-5 lbs (possibly more). Imagine how annoying that is if you are going for a 2 mile run or a 5 mile bike ride.
Well, Garth, what are you proposing I do to poop more frequently? I am not encouraging procedures or meds or anything extreme. As usual, I am suggesting some very easy and within your power. Drink a ton of water and eat plenty of fiber. I have read all over the place that water is great for the digestive system. It makes a lot of sense. Think high school chemistry class; water dilutes what you eat. It makes things easier for your digestive track to digest. And fiber is very well documented to assist your digestive system. Make sure it is apart of your regular diet. Easy way? Eat an apple. Raisin bran has a good amount of fiber, too. They also have fiber bars that are a good snack. And green vegetables, specifically green beans, are a very good source as well.
Drink water - more than you currently do now
Eat more apples
Eat green veges
Doody.
Well, Garth, what are you proposing I do to poop more frequently? I am not encouraging procedures or meds or anything extreme. As usual, I am suggesting some very easy and within your power. Drink a ton of water and eat plenty of fiber. I have read all over the place that water is great for the digestive system. It makes a lot of sense. Think high school chemistry class; water dilutes what you eat. It makes things easier for your digestive track to digest. And fiber is very well documented to assist your digestive system. Make sure it is apart of your regular diet. Easy way? Eat an apple. Raisin bran has a good amount of fiber, too. They also have fiber bars that are a good snack. And green vegetables, specifically green beans, are a very good source as well.
Drink water - more than you currently do now
Eat more apples
Eat green veges
Doody.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Protect your feet
Two summers ago, I went to a running shop that watched you run and looked at the shape of your feet and then provided options for you to try on and run a little in. GREAT service. I had NO idea what to shop for before I went to a place like this. Putting a lot of pounding on your feet for a few mile run can be very hard on your knees, hips, back as well as your feet. Getting a good pair of shoes for walking/running is a really good idea. I strongly recommend finding a place like this and picking up a pair if you do anywhere close to moderate running. It will definitely pay dividends in the form of fewer/no blisters, less soreness in legs/hips, protecting your feet and knees for your future.
Your feet are worth it.
Your feet are worth it.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Why own a scale?
I do not own a scale. From time to time, I may be drug to Bed, Bath, and Beyond with the girlfriend and think to myself, "You know, maybe I should get a scale..." I eventually get back to a simple question. Why? Can someone tell me why anyone should own a scale? What is the difference between 185 and 188 lbs? It could be a ton of things.
Use a mirror. It is much more telling of results. It can show immediate results; it can show toning. It is a better picture.
If you are using a scale, you are very likely using it WAY to frequently, which I think is damaging. So if you have just eaten or need to have a BM, the scale will not indicate that when you have actually been good lately.
If you have a scale, hop on once every two weeks or month or something. Do not base your diet or exercise routine off of it.
Use a mirror. It is much more telling of results. It can show immediate results; it can show toning. It is a better picture.
If you are using a scale, you are very likely using it WAY to frequently, which I think is damaging. So if you have just eaten or need to have a BM, the scale will not indicate that when you have actually been good lately.
If you have a scale, hop on once every two weeks or month or something. Do not base your diet or exercise routine off of it.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
It's a bird, it's a plane. No, it's Captain Obvious
Drink more water. What ever amount you are drinking now, drink more. When you are exercising, your body needs more. You need to replenish the fluids from actual sweat. You need water to help flush your bloodstream of toxins that are released by your muscles from working out. You also need water to help with recovery.
There are dozens of other benefits to drinking a lot of water that I do not need to list off, but this one is my favorite. Water helps to dilute what you eat, therefore it is super helpful for digestion. Digestive problems is a big reason for feeling bloated and also your gut sticking out.
Captain Obvious says drink more water.
There are dozens of other benefits to drinking a lot of water that I do not need to list off, but this one is my favorite. Water helps to dilute what you eat, therefore it is super helpful for digestion. Digestive problems is a big reason for feeling bloated and also your gut sticking out.
Captain Obvious says drink more water.
Quit saving the best for last...
It is the muscle group we probably care most about but probably always save to the end of the workout - abs, baby!
Quit doing that!!!
I have read several articles that agree with me here. When you execute your ab exercises at the end of the workout, you are ultimately saying it is an afterthought. If you are like me, you may even bargain with yourself to cut it short. I don't do that anymore. Of course, I always start out my workout with a large muscle group (chest, back, buns, or quads) and I get after the gut next. I am MUCH more likely to complete all sets and even come up with additional workouts for my abs. By moving your abs to the middle of your workout, you are very outwardly making them a bigger importance in your workout - not to mention, you end up having more energy to focus on these sets.
Abs in the middle,baby (excuse the pun)
Quit doing that!!!
I have read several articles that agree with me here. When you execute your ab exercises at the end of the workout, you are ultimately saying it is an afterthought. If you are like me, you may even bargain with yourself to cut it short. I don't do that anymore. Of course, I always start out my workout with a large muscle group (chest, back, buns, or quads) and I get after the gut next. I am MUCH more likely to complete all sets and even come up with additional workouts for my abs. By moving your abs to the middle of your workout, you are very outwardly making them a bigger importance in your workout - not to mention, you end up having more energy to focus on these sets.
Abs in the middle,baby (excuse the pun)
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Get rich quick schemes
15 min on the _________ machine just 3 times a week and you will lose a 1000 lbs in a month. It's all crap. There are 50,000 machines and diets that say you will lose weight and keep it off quickly.
The source of the problem with all of that junk is that it convinces you that you just need to make one small, subtle change, and the lbs will fall off. BOOOO! You're body will adapt quickly to a small change and nothing will happen. That is what your body does. When something happens to your body, it goes, "Woa, if this is going to be happening, I need to do XYZ so I can be ready for it in the future." So if the change is minor, it is typically very easy to adapt to, and therefore, will see minimal results. I broke my patella (knee cap) in high school - cracked it right down the middle. If you X-rayed the same knee cap today, you could see exactly where the crack USED to be because in the image the bone would appear thicker/darker. My body thought that if I am going to go around and slam my knee cap in that particular spot, it certainly better thicken up that area in order to be ready for next time. The point of this is not to say that our bodies are dumb, but to say that our body just tries to prepare themselves for an easier future based on previous experiences.
Sooo...if you want to lose a significant amount of weight, get into considerably better aerobic shape, put on sizable muscle mass, you need to shock your system to a certain degree.
Change your diet
Increase exercise
Increase metabolism
Not supersizing at McDonald's for the next month may help you lose 2-3 lbs, but nothing major will occur.
Don't confuse over shocking the system with only eating fruit and chicken and running 5 miles a day immediately.
What I AM saying is when you decide to make a change, have a piece of fruit and some protein in the morning, go for a 20-30 min walk in the morning, just have a turkey sandwich on wheat bread for lunch, and grab some grilled chicken and corn for dinner. This will shock the systems for a lot of people. The next day try to repeat the steps. Work up to more rigorour exercise - maybe jump on an exercise bike. I have read several articles that say if you exercise for under 15-20 min then you are burning no more calories than what you have just eaten.
Bottomline - you WILL need to make significant diet changes and add significant exercise starting relatively small but building.
The source of the problem with all of that junk is that it convinces you that you just need to make one small, subtle change, and the lbs will fall off. BOOOO! You're body will adapt quickly to a small change and nothing will happen. That is what your body does. When something happens to your body, it goes, "Woa, if this is going to be happening, I need to do XYZ so I can be ready for it in the future." So if the change is minor, it is typically very easy to adapt to, and therefore, will see minimal results. I broke my patella (knee cap) in high school - cracked it right down the middle. If you X-rayed the same knee cap today, you could see exactly where the crack USED to be because in the image the bone would appear thicker/darker. My body thought that if I am going to go around and slam my knee cap in that particular spot, it certainly better thicken up that area in order to be ready for next time. The point of this is not to say that our bodies are dumb, but to say that our body just tries to prepare themselves for an easier future based on previous experiences.
Sooo...if you want to lose a significant amount of weight, get into considerably better aerobic shape, put on sizable muscle mass, you need to shock your system to a certain degree.
Change your diet
Increase exercise
Increase metabolism
Not supersizing at McDonald's for the next month may help you lose 2-3 lbs, but nothing major will occur.
Don't confuse over shocking the system with only eating fruit and chicken and running 5 miles a day immediately.
What I AM saying is when you decide to make a change, have a piece of fruit and some protein in the morning, go for a 20-30 min walk in the morning, just have a turkey sandwich on wheat bread for lunch, and grab some grilled chicken and corn for dinner. This will shock the systems for a lot of people. The next day try to repeat the steps. Work up to more rigorour exercise - maybe jump on an exercise bike. I have read several articles that say if you exercise for under 15-20 min then you are burning no more calories than what you have just eaten.
Bottomline - you WILL need to make significant diet changes and add significant exercise starting relatively small but building.
Vitamins
No cute titles this time.
I hated taking vitamins every morning as a kid. Dumb. Take a multi-vitamin. Doing this ensures that your body gets everything it needs to function right - fighting off infection, metabolism, digestion, etc. I am up to 4 different pills to enhance various functions. I take 1 men's multi-vitamin per day, 1-3 fish oil tabs per day, 1-2 Vitamin C tabs per day, and 1-2 B12 tabs per day. I am still looking for a good supplement for memory. Do your own research for any additional supplements but take a one-a-day vitamin. Easy win - take a vitamin.
I hated taking vitamins every morning as a kid. Dumb. Take a multi-vitamin. Doing this ensures that your body gets everything it needs to function right - fighting off infection, metabolism, digestion, etc. I am up to 4 different pills to enhance various functions. I take 1 men's multi-vitamin per day, 1-3 fish oil tabs per day, 1-2 Vitamin C tabs per day, and 1-2 B12 tabs per day. I am still looking for a good supplement for memory. Do your own research for any additional supplements but take a one-a-day vitamin. Easy win - take a vitamin.
Guess momma was right...
Sorry for the hiatus. I want to make sure I have a good balance of diet and workout tips/advice on here, and it is a lot easier to offer work out tips. The point of this point is to remind you that your mom was right.
Vegatables. I have read dozens of articles and, heck, just look at a label. Raw vege's are where it is at. Relatively low in calories and most are packed with vitamins. I read that dark green vegetables are one of the best sources of fiber ranking up there with apples and bran. Personally, I am all over peas and green beans. A few other easy wins are corn, carrots, and celery.
Added bonus - super cheap and super easy to make. Frozen or cans of green beans, peas, corn, and mixed vege's are super affordable, and you can just slap them in a small pot and set on medium on the stove for a few minutes.
Vegatables. I have read dozens of articles and, heck, just look at a label. Raw vege's are where it is at. Relatively low in calories and most are packed with vitamins. I read that dark green vegetables are one of the best sources of fiber ranking up there with apples and bran. Personally, I am all over peas and green beans. A few other easy wins are corn, carrots, and celery.
Added bonus - super cheap and super easy to make. Frozen or cans of green beans, peas, corn, and mixed vege's are super affordable, and you can just slap them in a small pot and set on medium on the stove for a few minutes.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Maintenance men
They show up when there is a mess and fix stuff. Protein. Ok, so the segue leaves a little to be desired, but it is clear. Eating lean protein is the best thing I have found (and what I have read supports) to rebuild after workouts. Your body needs protein to repair muscles.
Good protein sources
- Chicken (grilled)
- Tuna
- Turkey
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Eggs
- Oatmeal
I have a protein shake every morning and either chicken or tuna every day for lunch or dinner. The nice thing about tuna and chicken is they are easy to prepare. Tuna? Can opener and you're ready for action. Chicken? I buy the frozen tenderloins (not frozen breasts - tenderloins are easier to cook) and slap them on the George Foreman grill. And who doesn't have one of those???
Good protein sources
- Chicken (grilled)
- Tuna
- Turkey
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Eggs
- Oatmeal
I have a protein shake every morning and either chicken or tuna every day for lunch or dinner. The nice thing about tuna and chicken is they are easy to prepare. Tuna? Can opener and you're ready for action. Chicken? I buy the frozen tenderloins (not frozen breasts - tenderloins are easier to cook) and slap them on the George Foreman grill. And who doesn't have one of those???
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Easy cardio
For those who want to burn some calories, but hate running, oh, do I have the answer for you...
Stationary bike.
I love the stationary bike for about 50 reasons but I'll highlight the top 30. First of all, it is a great cardio workout. The bike I use says I burn about 350-400 calories per half hour; I have worked up to being on it for around an hour and a half. Another positive, let's face it, riding on a bike is easier than jogging - it just is. So it is easier to put more time in on it.
Now here is the beauty. Your upper body is still and your hands are free! You can do ANYTHING you can do on the bike that you do on the couch. Seriously! When I go to hop on the bike, I am sitting in front of a TV so I put it on TBS or ESPN; I bring my Ipod that is fully stocked with music, stand up comedy, and podcasts; I bring a book; I have my phone which I make/receive calls on and can watch YouTube videos on; I have a huge water bottle; and I also have a towel for apparent reasons.
I get bored just like everyone else. I bring plenty of stimuli so I can stay entertained and ultimately stay on the bike longer. It's remarkable how fast an hour goes by when I am listening to T-Pain and reading articles on CNN.com on my phone. Basically, it is a good work out where I trick myself into doing it for a long time.
~Side note - If no one has told you about Podcasts on Itunes, I am right now. There are tons of free Podcasts you can subscribe to and have them update on Itunes on ton of topics. Currently, I have the Pardon the Interruption ESPN television show as well as Around the Horn on ESPN. During the NBA season, I have a few shows discussing the highlights of the week. I also have a few others including an LSAT helper and a comedy Podcast that a buddy, Evan O'Donnell produces "Playing in Peoria". They have tons of topics and are great for occupying your mind during cardio.
Stationary bike.
I love the stationary bike for about 50 reasons but I'll highlight the top 30. First of all, it is a great cardio workout. The bike I use says I burn about 350-400 calories per half hour; I have worked up to being on it for around an hour and a half. Another positive, let's face it, riding on a bike is easier than jogging - it just is. So it is easier to put more time in on it.
Now here is the beauty. Your upper body is still and your hands are free! You can do ANYTHING you can do on the bike that you do on the couch. Seriously! When I go to hop on the bike, I am sitting in front of a TV so I put it on TBS or ESPN; I bring my Ipod that is fully stocked with music, stand up comedy, and podcasts; I bring a book; I have my phone which I make/receive calls on and can watch YouTube videos on; I have a huge water bottle; and I also have a towel for apparent reasons.
I get bored just like everyone else. I bring plenty of stimuli so I can stay entertained and ultimately stay on the bike longer. It's remarkable how fast an hour goes by when I am listening to T-Pain and reading articles on CNN.com on my phone. Basically, it is a good work out where I trick myself into doing it for a long time.
~Side note - If no one has told you about Podcasts on Itunes, I am right now. There are tons of free Podcasts you can subscribe to and have them update on Itunes on ton of topics. Currently, I have the Pardon the Interruption ESPN television show as well as Around the Horn on ESPN. During the NBA season, I have a few shows discussing the highlights of the week. I also have a few others including an LSAT helper and a comedy Podcast that a buddy, Evan O'Donnell produces "Playing in Peoria". They have tons of topics and are great for occupying your mind during cardio.
Getting in shape/It ain't easy looking this good
So I have gone through various post-high school stints of getting back in shape: passive marathon training, bouts of "Body by Garth", and a few others as well. After being in Florida for almost 2 months, I have lost between 20-25 lbs and still truckin'. So, for me, what I am doing is working. I haven't done anything ridiculously mind-blowing (no procedures or steroids) or unhealthy (smoking or diet pills). Diet and working out is essentially what I have done.
So why am I taking a break between sets up crunches to type? As I have been on this little "get back in shape" journey, I have picked up alot of lessons on the way and thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to share them if anyone cares. I'll use this outlet to share what lessons I have learned along the way either for diet or exercise - may they come from experience, applied common sense, or a nugget of information I pulled from an article I've read.
Today's lesson - Motivation
This is a biggie (thus, first lesson). Anyone can go work out once. In fact, anyone/everyone does. Why did I want to get back in shape? Make this a meaningful reason. For me, I realized I had gained around 40-50 lbs since high school. Granted I was a skinny little weasel, I was super-active and happy with my physical shape. I got up over 210 lb while living in Wisconsin and that was enough. I wanted to get back into good shape so I felt active again. That is about as deep as I will go about me, but the real point is if you have no reason or end point, it is nothing that will last. That was the problem with the previous stints I've gone through before now. A non-meaningful reason would not have carried me through my 2 months in Florida.
Another fierce motivator is the mirror. I rarely use a scale because between weight-lifting and as much as water as I drink (especially when working out) it would fluctuate too much to be effective. The mirror tells me a good story about seeing results. Sounds simple. That's because it is. Again, the stuff I am doing isn't earth-shattering news. It is basic applied ideas.
So why am I taking a break between sets up crunches to type? As I have been on this little "get back in shape" journey, I have picked up alot of lessons on the way and thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to share them if anyone cares. I'll use this outlet to share what lessons I have learned along the way either for diet or exercise - may they come from experience, applied common sense, or a nugget of information I pulled from an article I've read.
Today's lesson - Motivation
This is a biggie (thus, first lesson). Anyone can go work out once. In fact, anyone/everyone does. Why did I want to get back in shape? Make this a meaningful reason. For me, I realized I had gained around 40-50 lbs since high school. Granted I was a skinny little weasel, I was super-active and happy with my physical shape. I got up over 210 lb while living in Wisconsin and that was enough. I wanted to get back into good shape so I felt active again. That is about as deep as I will go about me, but the real point is if you have no reason or end point, it is nothing that will last. That was the problem with the previous stints I've gone through before now. A non-meaningful reason would not have carried me through my 2 months in Florida.
Another fierce motivator is the mirror. I rarely use a scale because between weight-lifting and as much as water as I drink (especially when working out) it would fluctuate too much to be effective. The mirror tells me a good story about seeing results. Sounds simple. That's because it is. Again, the stuff I am doing isn't earth-shattering news. It is basic applied ideas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)