that I'm glad I haven't decided to be 100% Crossfit yet. The workout of the day?
Three rounds for time of:
225lb Deadlift, 15 reps
15 Handstand push-ups
15 Pull-ups
95lb pound Thruster, 15 reps
They forgot to add cry like a baby to the end of it....
Yes, you can scale the workouts, so I could use lower weights or alternate exercises, but I really don't like doing that. I'll worry about that when the time comes. For now....
I'm going to (hopefully) run a 5k instead, if the calve allows me to.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Assorted flotsam from my brain
1. Scaling Crossfit
I got onto the treadmill this morning for my cardio, and was really confident that I was going to have a good run today. It was still hot in the gym, but I could feel that I had my wind and was going to do well. At about the seven minute mark, my calve suddenly turned into a knot on me. I tried to run through it, walk through it, and stretch it out, but I realized that I shouldn't continue to push on it unless I wanted to get hurt. I jumped onto the Concept 2 rowing machine to finish off my HIIT, alternating one minute of all out rowing with a slower recovery minute. When I've done Crossfit workouts, I haven't scaled them at all. I've found that my muscles and joints have been much stiffer for a few days after a Crossfit workout than when I do a BFL workout. Even though I can complete the workouts, perhaps I should consider scaling them and gradually moving up. There is a LOT of leg work on Crossfit, and my body needs to learn to accommodate that load.
2. Supplements
It's the time of the year when a lot of people make promises to themselves to get into shape and live healthier lives. Although I've removed myself from the BFL Tracker site, I do still pop in the once in a while to check things out. It's also the time of the year that I get frustrated reading posts that deal with supplements. People that haven't eaten right or exercised for years suddenly decide they want overnight results. While the results you can get in a twelve week program are substantial, it really is about changing your habits for good. Inevitably, people reach for a shelf full of supplements to make it all happen faster. Isn't this exactly what the BFL program is supposed to prevent? Loading up on all sorts of crap sounds like a fad diet, not a lifelong plan for health and fitness. Other people write about how great the supps are. More people end up taking them because they don't want to fall behind in the challenge, or want faster results, or whatever. People write about how safe they are. Let us not forget that a few years ago, EAS was one of a number of companies that were selling a certain supplement (I can't remember the name) that was found to be very harmful. These things are not FDA approved. Our bodies weren't designed to load up on supplements. They were designed to eat real food. As great as the BFL program is for getting people to make positive changes in their lives, it does force the use of supplements if you want to enter the BFL Challenge. I understand that this is a business. Go ahead and mix some protein into your oatmeal. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Health and fitness will never come from the inside of a bottle. It will only come from inside you.
3. The BFL challenge winners are up. Once again, the transformations were amazing. That being said, when I look at the winner in my age category, I'm kicking myself for not completing a formal challenge in 2007. I coulda been a contender! I'm telling you...damn.
I got onto the treadmill this morning for my cardio, and was really confident that I was going to have a good run today. It was still hot in the gym, but I could feel that I had my wind and was going to do well. At about the seven minute mark, my calve suddenly turned into a knot on me. I tried to run through it, walk through it, and stretch it out, but I realized that I shouldn't continue to push on it unless I wanted to get hurt. I jumped onto the Concept 2 rowing machine to finish off my HIIT, alternating one minute of all out rowing with a slower recovery minute. When I've done Crossfit workouts, I haven't scaled them at all. I've found that my muscles and joints have been much stiffer for a few days after a Crossfit workout than when I do a BFL workout. Even though I can complete the workouts, perhaps I should consider scaling them and gradually moving up. There is a LOT of leg work on Crossfit, and my body needs to learn to accommodate that load.
2. Supplements
It's the time of the year when a lot of people make promises to themselves to get into shape and live healthier lives. Although I've removed myself from the BFL Tracker site, I do still pop in the once in a while to check things out. It's also the time of the year that I get frustrated reading posts that deal with supplements. People that haven't eaten right or exercised for years suddenly decide they want overnight results. While the results you can get in a twelve week program are substantial, it really is about changing your habits for good. Inevitably, people reach for a shelf full of supplements to make it all happen faster. Isn't this exactly what the BFL program is supposed to prevent? Loading up on all sorts of crap sounds like a fad diet, not a lifelong plan for health and fitness. Other people write about how great the supps are. More people end up taking them because they don't want to fall behind in the challenge, or want faster results, or whatever. People write about how safe they are. Let us not forget that a few years ago, EAS was one of a number of companies that were selling a certain supplement (I can't remember the name) that was found to be very harmful. These things are not FDA approved. Our bodies weren't designed to load up on supplements. They were designed to eat real food. As great as the BFL program is for getting people to make positive changes in their lives, it does force the use of supplements if you want to enter the BFL Challenge. I understand that this is a business. Go ahead and mix some protein into your oatmeal. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Health and fitness will never come from the inside of a bottle. It will only come from inside you.
3. The BFL challenge winners are up. Once again, the transformations were amazing. That being said, when I look at the winner in my age category, I'm kicking myself for not completing a formal challenge in 2007. I coulda been a contender! I'm telling you...damn.
Monday, January 28, 2008
My first time...and a plan comes together
Got your attention, didn't I?
Over the weekend, I became aware that a local Crossfit affiliate was having a free, open workout to attract new clients. I juggled my schedule and got myself over to the place, which was only minutes away from my house. It turned out that only myself and one other individual showed up. We went through technique for a variety of lifts, such as deadlifts, overhead squats, the jerk, clean, and snatch. After some practice and warmup, we did a Crossfit workout consisting of 21-15-9 reps of one arm dumbbell snatches (21-15-9 each arm), and knees to elbows, followed by a 65 yard sprint each round. Great workout! It was the first time I worked a Crossfit workout with a certified Crossfit trainer at a Crossfit facility. It was great! Unfortunately, they're having some scheduling conflicts with the facility, so i don't know whether I'll be able to go there much at all. Time will tell.
I've given some additional thought to my post last week about my goals and plans for this year. I'm going to take the next one to two months and maintain my current BFL style workouts, adding an occasional Crossfit workout into the mix. However, I will spend 30-60 minutes every week working on some of the Olympic lifts until I have proper form committed to memory. Once I feel that I've mastered these techniques, I'm moving over to Crossfit entirely for the most part. I will add some sort of chest routine to the Crossfit workouts, because I'm not ready to give them up entirely. I want to hit the 300 lb mark on the bench by the end of 2008. I can always revert back or increase food intake if I feel like I'm growing too lean on Crossfit. I still have a goal of moving entirely off of BP meds, and if anything can get me there, Crossfit can!
Now that I have a framework for what I'd like to do, I'm going to lay it down on paper so I make sure I have a detailed plan on how to get where I want to be.
Over the weekend, I became aware that a local Crossfit affiliate was having a free, open workout to attract new clients. I juggled my schedule and got myself over to the place, which was only minutes away from my house. It turned out that only myself and one other individual showed up. We went through technique for a variety of lifts, such as deadlifts, overhead squats, the jerk, clean, and snatch. After some practice and warmup, we did a Crossfit workout consisting of 21-15-9 reps of one arm dumbbell snatches (21-15-9 each arm), and knees to elbows, followed by a 65 yard sprint each round. Great workout! It was the first time I worked a Crossfit workout with a certified Crossfit trainer at a Crossfit facility. It was great! Unfortunately, they're having some scheduling conflicts with the facility, so i don't know whether I'll be able to go there much at all. Time will tell.
I've given some additional thought to my post last week about my goals and plans for this year. I'm going to take the next one to two months and maintain my current BFL style workouts, adding an occasional Crossfit workout into the mix. However, I will spend 30-60 minutes every week working on some of the Olympic lifts until I have proper form committed to memory. Once I feel that I've mastered these techniques, I'm moving over to Crossfit entirely for the most part. I will add some sort of chest routine to the Crossfit workouts, because I'm not ready to give them up entirely. I want to hit the 300 lb mark on the bench by the end of 2008. I can always revert back or increase food intake if I feel like I'm growing too lean on Crossfit. I still have a goal of moving entirely off of BP meds, and if anything can get me there, Crossfit can!
Now that I have a framework for what I'd like to do, I'm going to lay it down on paper so I make sure I have a detailed plan on how to get where I want to be.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Goals
I'm having some difficulty setting goals for myself. More specifically, I'm having difficulty deciding what I want to achieve. When I first started working out again, I was mostly concerned with improving my health. I did that-dramatically. Now what?
I came across this article today:
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Even a moderate amount of exercise can dramatically prolong a man's life, new research on middle-aged and elderly American veterans reveals.
The government-sponsored analysis -- the largest such study ever -- found that a regimen of brisk walking 30 minutes a day at least four to six days a week was enough to halve the risk of premature death from all causes.
"As you increase your ability to exercise -- increase your fitness -- you are decreasing in a step-wise fashion the risk of death," said study author Peter Kokkinos, director of the exercise testing and research lab in the cardiology department of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
That conclusion applies more or less equally to white and black men, regardless of their prior history of cardiovascular disease. According to Kokkinos, that may be because the veterans in the study all received the same level of care, regardless of income.
This evened the playing field, he said, giving him "great confidence" in the results, which will be published in the Feb. 5 issue of Circulation and were released online Jan. 22.
In the study, Kokkinos and his team reviewed information gathered by the VA from 15,660 black and white male patients treated either in Palo Alto, Calif., or in Washington, D.C.
The men ranged in age from 47 to 71 and had been referred to a VA medical facility for a clinically prescribed treadmill exercise test sometime between 1983 and 2006. All participants were asked to run until fatigued, at which point the researchers recorded the total amount of energy expended and oxygen consumed.
The numbers were then crunched into "metabolic equivalents," or METS. In turn, the researchers graded the fitness of each man according to his MET score, ranging from "low-fit" (below 5 METS) to "very-high fit" (above 10 METS).
By tracking fatalities through June 2007, Kokkinos and his colleagues found that for both black and white men it was their fitness level, rather than their age, blood pressure or body-mass index, that was most strongly linked to their future risk for death.
Every extra point in MET conferred a 14 percent reduction in the risk for death among black men, and a 12 percent reduction among whites. Among all participants, those categorized as "moderately fit" (5 to 7 METS) had about a 20 percent lower risk for death than "low-fit" men. "High-fit" men (7 to 10 METS) had a 50 percent lower risk, while the "very high fit" (10 METS or higher) cut their odds of an early death by 70 percent.
"The point is, it takes relatively little exercise to achieve the benefit we found," noted Kokkinos. "Approximately two to three hours per week of brisk walking per week. That's just 120 to 200 minutes per week. And this can be split up throughout the week, and throughout the day. So it's doable in the real world."
Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Lab at Tufts University's USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Boston, agreed.
"What this finding demonstrates is that levels of physical activity that should be achievable by anyone can have a real benefit with respect to risk reduction," she said.
"What's really important to understand is that you don't need special clothes, special memberships, special equipment," added Lichtenstein, former chairwoman of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee. "It's something everyone can engage in. And although we don't know from this research that this applies to women as well, there's no reason to suspect that it wouldn't."
According to the article, you can get tremendous benefit from a moderate amount of exercise. That's great news for a lot of people. But is that enough? The folks that qualify as very high fit reduce their chance of death by 70%, vs. 20% for those that are moderately fit. That's 70%. Holy crap. Very high fit requires intensity. You're not going to get to that level running for hours without taxing your cardiovascular system. Crossfit style metabolic conditioning will provide the intensity required to achieve that very high fit status.
So...what's my problem? I want to be healthy. I want to be fit. But I'm a little worried that if I move entirely over to Crossfit, I'll end up losing muscle mass and weigh 175lbs. I tend to run lean, and have to work hard at adding muscle. I'd be a liar if I didn't say that my appearance does factor in here. I want to maintain/add additional muscle mass, as well as increase my level of fitness. I'm trying to develop a plan that will allow me to do both, but it's a very difficult balance to pull off. I need to put my thinking cap on, and finish this plan.
I came across this article today:
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Even a moderate amount of exercise can dramatically prolong a man's life, new research on middle-aged and elderly American veterans reveals.
The government-sponsored analysis -- the largest such study ever -- found that a regimen of brisk walking 30 minutes a day at least four to six days a week was enough to halve the risk of premature death from all causes.
"As you increase your ability to exercise -- increase your fitness -- you are decreasing in a step-wise fashion the risk of death," said study author Peter Kokkinos, director of the exercise testing and research lab in the cardiology department of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
That conclusion applies more or less equally to white and black men, regardless of their prior history of cardiovascular disease. According to Kokkinos, that may be because the veterans in the study all received the same level of care, regardless of income.
This evened the playing field, he said, giving him "great confidence" in the results, which will be published in the Feb. 5 issue of Circulation and were released online Jan. 22.
In the study, Kokkinos and his team reviewed information gathered by the VA from 15,660 black and white male patients treated either in Palo Alto, Calif., or in Washington, D.C.
The men ranged in age from 47 to 71 and had been referred to a VA medical facility for a clinically prescribed treadmill exercise test sometime between 1983 and 2006. All participants were asked to run until fatigued, at which point the researchers recorded the total amount of energy expended and oxygen consumed.
The numbers were then crunched into "metabolic equivalents," or METS. In turn, the researchers graded the fitness of each man according to his MET score, ranging from "low-fit" (below 5 METS) to "very-high fit" (above 10 METS).
By tracking fatalities through June 2007, Kokkinos and his colleagues found that for both black and white men it was their fitness level, rather than their age, blood pressure or body-mass index, that was most strongly linked to their future risk for death.
Every extra point in MET conferred a 14 percent reduction in the risk for death among black men, and a 12 percent reduction among whites. Among all participants, those categorized as "moderately fit" (5 to 7 METS) had about a 20 percent lower risk for death than "low-fit" men. "High-fit" men (7 to 10 METS) had a 50 percent lower risk, while the "very high fit" (10 METS or higher) cut their odds of an early death by 70 percent.
"The point is, it takes relatively little exercise to achieve the benefit we found," noted Kokkinos. "Approximately two to three hours per week of brisk walking per week. That's just 120 to 200 minutes per week. And this can be split up throughout the week, and throughout the day. So it's doable in the real world."
Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Lab at Tufts University's USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Boston, agreed.
"What this finding demonstrates is that levels of physical activity that should be achievable by anyone can have a real benefit with respect to risk reduction," she said.
"What's really important to understand is that you don't need special clothes, special memberships, special equipment," added Lichtenstein, former chairwoman of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee. "It's something everyone can engage in. And although we don't know from this research that this applies to women as well, there's no reason to suspect that it wouldn't."
According to the article, you can get tremendous benefit from a moderate amount of exercise. That's great news for a lot of people. But is that enough? The folks that qualify as very high fit reduce their chance of death by 70%, vs. 20% for those that are moderately fit. That's 70%. Holy crap. Very high fit requires intensity. You're not going to get to that level running for hours without taxing your cardiovascular system. Crossfit style metabolic conditioning will provide the intensity required to achieve that very high fit status.
So...what's my problem? I want to be healthy. I want to be fit. But I'm a little worried that if I move entirely over to Crossfit, I'll end up losing muscle mass and weigh 175lbs. I tend to run lean, and have to work hard at adding muscle. I'd be a liar if I didn't say that my appearance does factor in here. I want to maintain/add additional muscle mass, as well as increase my level of fitness. I'm trying to develop a plan that will allow me to do both, but it's a very difficult balance to pull off. I need to put my thinking cap on, and finish this plan.
Conspiracy Theory
I've been dreading my runs at the gym lately. It is a struggle every time, and I'm getting sick of it. The problem? It's just too damned hot at the gym. They have the thermostat set at 72.5 degrees F, and heat the place with forced air heating. That is just too hot and dry to run in, especially when you run first thing in the morning. I really think they do it so that people feel they're getting a better workout because they are sweating so much so fast. It's ridiculous, costly, and wasteful. And it's making me HATE going there to run.
BTW-the five stooges are now down to three.
BTW-the five stooges are now down to three.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Stiff and sore
It's funny. I'm working out and eating right so that I can maintain my health, live longer, and will be able to stay active for many years to come. I do find it amusing that I spend the majority of my existence stiff and sore from one grueling workout or another. It seems counter-intuitive, right? The truth? I like feeling that stiff/sore/worked my ass off feeling! Good thing, huh?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Five Stooges
There are two times of the year that the gym gets inundated with people that have resolved to get in shape again. The gyms I go to haven't been that bad so far this year. Until today. I'm in the middle of my workout, and this group of five early 30-ish guys descends upon the squat rack next to me. One of them starts barking out orders to the rest of them. Stretch now. Do this, do that. He keeps on stepping into the space I'm lifting in. Then they load up the bar with too much weight and start doing squats. The first guy gets under the bar and does a set of squats with horrific form, going down maybe an eighth of the way, his back taking on the shape of an inverted C. I moved somewhere else, but kept on running into them around the gym. The best part is that they were all listening to this one guy that had no idea what the hell he was doing. They're all either going to quit in a short period of time, or someone is going to get hurt. It was painfully comical to watch this group in action.
This is such a guy thing to do. It's as if we're supposed to be born knowing how to work out, fix cars, and fix shit around the house...and if we don't, we fake it. We can't actually admit we don't know about this stuff! That being said, would it really be too much work to buy a freaking book and at least try to develop a decent workout plan before starting? The ego really needs to be checked at the door. It's pointless to try to lift weights you can't handle, or to do exercises with terrible form.
I know some people are intimidated at the gym because they don't know what they're doing. Most gym memberships include at least one free training session. There is a TON of information in bookstores, the library and the web that can provide you with good workouts and proper form. Anyone that is inexperienced and wants to start working out should do a bit of homework first.
I'm always torn about speaking up to these people, but I rarely, if ever do. The odds are that they won't listen anyway, and I'll just catch some attitude. So I keep my mouth shut and do my workout.
This is such a guy thing to do. It's as if we're supposed to be born knowing how to work out, fix cars, and fix shit around the house...and if we don't, we fake it. We can't actually admit we don't know about this stuff! That being said, would it really be too much work to buy a freaking book and at least try to develop a decent workout plan before starting? The ego really needs to be checked at the door. It's pointless to try to lift weights you can't handle, or to do exercises with terrible form.
I know some people are intimidated at the gym because they don't know what they're doing. Most gym memberships include at least one free training session. There is a TON of information in bookstores, the library and the web that can provide you with good workouts and proper form. Anyone that is inexperienced and wants to start working out should do a bit of homework first.
I'm always torn about speaking up to these people, but I rarely, if ever do. The odds are that they won't listen anyway, and I'll just catch some attitude. So I keep my mouth shut and do my workout.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Filthy Fifty
I'm not really writing about my workouts on a daily basis anymore (at least not online). I'm making an exception today. I had a leg day scheduled at lunch time today, on top of the 5k I ran this morning. I decided to do a little Crossfit workout called the Filthy Fifties. It goes like this:
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
I substituted a 14 pound ball for the wall ball, which was the highest the gym had, and tuck jumps for the double unders. I finished in 48:50, completely wiped out. I lost a fair amount of time walking from place to place in the gym, but to be fair, that allowed me a bit of recovery time as well. The last time I tried this workout I made it through my first 10 burpees, and had to stop. I was dizzy and nearly passed out. I waited a couple of minutes, tried again, and had the same result. I ended the workout there at the 49 minute mark. So based upon what I did today, I'm pretty happy because I've made significant progress.
This is the kind of workout that makes me love Crossfit. It clearly shows how running, although valuable, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of total conditioning. The involvement of the entire body in the metabolic conditioning process makes more a much tougher, more effective workout by far. No, I won't give up running entirely. It's just a part of my aerobic conditioning, not the entire thing.
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
I substituted a 14 pound ball for the wall ball, which was the highest the gym had, and tuck jumps for the double unders. I finished in 48:50, completely wiped out. I lost a fair amount of time walking from place to place in the gym, but to be fair, that allowed me a bit of recovery time as well. The last time I tried this workout I made it through my first 10 burpees, and had to stop. I was dizzy and nearly passed out. I waited a couple of minutes, tried again, and had the same result. I ended the workout there at the 49 minute mark. So based upon what I did today, I'm pretty happy because I've made significant progress.
This is the kind of workout that makes me love Crossfit. It clearly shows how running, although valuable, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of total conditioning. The involvement of the entire body in the metabolic conditioning process makes more a much tougher, more effective workout by far. No, I won't give up running entirely. It's just a part of my aerobic conditioning, not the entire thing.
Monday, January 14, 2008
I came across this today. Interesting.
Your Fitness Future Foretold: 20 Predictions for the New Year
By Tom Venuto - BurnTheFat.com
Happy New Year! In this article, I'm going to predict your future and forecast exactly what kind of results you're going to get in the next 12 months. Sylvia Browne, step aside... I'm pretty good at this.
Several years ago, a public relations firm in New York City asked me to write an article for one of their publications about fitness trends and predictions for the coming year.
It turned out that my "crystal ball" was pretty darn accurate. I nailed most of the predictions I made about aerobics classes, yoga, core training, "holistic" approaches, online personal training technology, the baby boomer market, increasing obesity and many other subjects.
I do confess, it wasn't that difficult, because instead of just guessing, I actually did some research on industry statistics and I also had some "inside insights" because I'd been a health club manager for so many years and was privy to fitness business trends.
This year, instead of making predictions for the whole fitness industry, what if I could take out my crystal ball again and predict with 99% precision exactly what kind of results you will achieve with your body by the end of the year?
Well, no problem, I can do that too!
I would claim that I have some kind of "gift" for this, but to be honest, you and I don't need to be psychic to make predictions like these.
There are two things you can always count on: (1) Nature's laws of cause and effect, and (2) human nature.
On that basis, here are my 20 fitness predictions for the new year:
I PREDICT that if you can reach into your pocket on any day this year and pull out a card or piece of paper with all your body and fitness goals written on it in vivid detail, the odds are 95 to 1 in favor of you achieving every one of those goals before the year is out.
I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on your goals and how you are going to achieve them, all day long, you will reach your goals so fast this year, it will make your head spin.
I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on health woes and body fat problems and if you think about what you don't want, all day long, your problems will get worse than ever this year.
I PREDICT that if you made a new year's resolution, but you didn't turn it into a specific, written goal with a deadline and a strong reason why you must achieve it, you will freely abandon it the moment the going gets tough.
I PREDICT that if you can tell me all the reasons why achieving your health and fitness goals are important to you, you will be motivated from within to stick with it when the going gets tough.
I PREDICT that at times, the going is going to get tough.
I PREDICT that if you can tell me today what is your life purpose and what is your lifelong vision for your body and your health, you will still be as motivated and driven at the end of the year as you were at the beginning.
I PREDICT that if you don't have long term goals and a "big picture" vision for your life that you will lose your New Year's enthusiasm and motivation in a matter of months or even weeks.
I PREDICT that the way you see yourself in your mind's eye today will be an exact reflection of what you see in the mirror at the end of the year.
I PREDICT that if you have a setback that seems to get in the way of you reaching your health and fitness goals and you tell yourself "this just is temporary; this too shall pass," then it will pass and it won't set you back.
I PREDICT that if you believe the way your body looks today is out of your control and you feel helpless or powerless to change, you won't even make much of an effort this year.
I PREDICT that if you accept complete responsibility for the way your body looks today and you believe that you have the power to change, that you will take action and keep taking action, even through the tough times.
I PREDICT that if you're unhappy with your physical condition and you say, "it's not my fault" or you blame it on genetics, hormones or age, then your body will look pretty much the same at the end of this year as it did on New Year's day.
I PREDICT that the more you have patience, a long term perspective and the ability to postpone immediate gratification, the more likely you are to be a success one year from now.
I PREDICT that the more you seek "miracle pills" or "quick fixes," the more likely you are to be a failure one year from now.
I PREDICT that you will be tempted by many quick fixes this year.
I PREDICT that if you hang out with losers and negative people this year, you will become just like them.
I PREDICT that if you hang out with winners and positive people this year, you will become just like them.
I PREDICT that you will run into more negative people and losers this year than positive people and winners.
I PREDICT that if you recruit just one friend or support partner that stands behind you and the lifestyle changes you want to make this year, you will double your chances for success. If you surround yourself with numerous support partners, you will become virtually unstoppable.
So how does your future look for the year ahead?
Based on my "predictions," if it doesn't look as bright as you'd like it to be, then don't worry, because a prediction is not predestination.
You can't do anything to change the past, but by changing your thoughts, attitudes and actions in the present moment, the future is yours to create.
Your friend and coach,
Tom Venuto
To see a complete fat burning system that takes you by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, how to exercise and how to stay motivated, all year long, visit: BurnTheFat.com
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com
By Tom Venuto - BurnTheFat.com
Happy New Year! In this article, I'm going to predict your future and forecast exactly what kind of results you're going to get in the next 12 months. Sylvia Browne, step aside... I'm pretty good at this.
Several years ago, a public relations firm in New York City asked me to write an article for one of their publications about fitness trends and predictions for the coming year.
It turned out that my "crystal ball" was pretty darn accurate. I nailed most of the predictions I made about aerobics classes, yoga, core training, "holistic" approaches, online personal training technology, the baby boomer market, increasing obesity and many other subjects.
I do confess, it wasn't that difficult, because instead of just guessing, I actually did some research on industry statistics and I also had some "inside insights" because I'd been a health club manager for so many years and was privy to fitness business trends.
This year, instead of making predictions for the whole fitness industry, what if I could take out my crystal ball again and predict with 99% precision exactly what kind of results you will achieve with your body by the end of the year?
Well, no problem, I can do that too!
I would claim that I have some kind of "gift" for this, but to be honest, you and I don't need to be psychic to make predictions like these.
There are two things you can always count on: (1) Nature's laws of cause and effect, and (2) human nature.
On that basis, here are my 20 fitness predictions for the new year:
I PREDICT that if you can reach into your pocket on any day this year and pull out a card or piece of paper with all your body and fitness goals written on it in vivid detail, the odds are 95 to 1 in favor of you achieving every one of those goals before the year is out.
I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on your goals and how you are going to achieve them, all day long, you will reach your goals so fast this year, it will make your head spin.
I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on health woes and body fat problems and if you think about what you don't want, all day long, your problems will get worse than ever this year.
I PREDICT that if you made a new year's resolution, but you didn't turn it into a specific, written goal with a deadline and a strong reason why you must achieve it, you will freely abandon it the moment the going gets tough.
I PREDICT that if you can tell me all the reasons why achieving your health and fitness goals are important to you, you will be motivated from within to stick with it when the going gets tough.
I PREDICT that at times, the going is going to get tough.
I PREDICT that if you can tell me today what is your life purpose and what is your lifelong vision for your body and your health, you will still be as motivated and driven at the end of the year as you were at the beginning.
I PREDICT that if you don't have long term goals and a "big picture" vision for your life that you will lose your New Year's enthusiasm and motivation in a matter of months or even weeks.
I PREDICT that the way you see yourself in your mind's eye today will be an exact reflection of what you see in the mirror at the end of the year.
I PREDICT that if you have a setback that seems to get in the way of you reaching your health and fitness goals and you tell yourself "this just is temporary; this too shall pass," then it will pass and it won't set you back.
I PREDICT that if you believe the way your body looks today is out of your control and you feel helpless or powerless to change, you won't even make much of an effort this year.
I PREDICT that if you accept complete responsibility for the way your body looks today and you believe that you have the power to change, that you will take action and keep taking action, even through the tough times.
I PREDICT that if you're unhappy with your physical condition and you say, "it's not my fault" or you blame it on genetics, hormones or age, then your body will look pretty much the same at the end of this year as it did on New Year's day.
I PREDICT that the more you have patience, a long term perspective and the ability to postpone immediate gratification, the more likely you are to be a success one year from now.
I PREDICT that the more you seek "miracle pills" or "quick fixes," the more likely you are to be a failure one year from now.
I PREDICT that you will be tempted by many quick fixes this year.
I PREDICT that if you hang out with losers and negative people this year, you will become just like them.
I PREDICT that if you hang out with winners and positive people this year, you will become just like them.
I PREDICT that you will run into more negative people and losers this year than positive people and winners.
I PREDICT that if you recruit just one friend or support partner that stands behind you and the lifestyle changes you want to make this year, you will double your chances for success. If you surround yourself with numerous support partners, you will become virtually unstoppable.
So how does your future look for the year ahead?
Based on my "predictions," if it doesn't look as bright as you'd like it to be, then don't worry, because a prediction is not predestination.
You can't do anything to change the past, but by changing your thoughts, attitudes and actions in the present moment, the future is yours to create.
Your friend and coach,
Tom Venuto
To see a complete fat burning system that takes you by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, how to exercise and how to stay motivated, all year long, visit: BurnTheFat.com
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
News Item:
LONDON (Reuters) - People who drink moderately, exercise, quit smoking and eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day live on average 14 years longer than people who adopt none of these behaviors, researchers said on Tuesday.
Overwhelming evidence has shown that these things contribute to healthier and longer lives, but the new study actually quantified their combined impact, the British team said.
"These results may provide further support for the idea that even small differences in lifestyle may make a big difference to health in the population and encourage behavior change," the researchers wrote in the journal PLoS Medicine.
Between 1993 and 1997 the researchers questioned 20,000 healthy British men and women about their lifestyles. They also tested every participant's blood to measure vitamin C intake, an indicator of how much fruit and vegetables people ate.
Then they assigned the participants -- aged 45-79 -- a score of between 0 and 4, giving one point for each of the healthy behaviors.
After allowing for age and other factors that could affect the likelihood of dying, the researchers determined people with a score of 0 were four times as likely to have died, particularly from cardiovascular disease.
The researchers, who tracked deaths among the participants until 2006, also said a person with a health score of 0 had the same risk of dying as someone with a health score of 4 who was 14 years older.
The lifestyle change with the biggest benefit was giving up smoking, which led to an 80 percent improvement in health, the study found. This was followed by eating fruits and vegetables.
Moderate drinking and keeping active brought the same benefits, Kay-Tee Khaw and colleagues at the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council said.
"Armed with this information, public-health officials should now be in a better position to encourage behavior changes likely to improve the health of middle-aged and older people," the researchers wrote.
Overwhelming evidence has shown that these things contribute to healthier and longer lives, but the new study actually quantified their combined impact, the British team said.
"These results may provide further support for the idea that even small differences in lifestyle may make a big difference to health in the population and encourage behavior change," the researchers wrote in the journal PLoS Medicine.
Between 1993 and 1997 the researchers questioned 20,000 healthy British men and women about their lifestyles. They also tested every participant's blood to measure vitamin C intake, an indicator of how much fruit and vegetables people ate.
Then they assigned the participants -- aged 45-79 -- a score of between 0 and 4, giving one point for each of the healthy behaviors.
After allowing for age and other factors that could affect the likelihood of dying, the researchers determined people with a score of 0 were four times as likely to have died, particularly from cardiovascular disease.
The researchers, who tracked deaths among the participants until 2006, also said a person with a health score of 0 had the same risk of dying as someone with a health score of 4 who was 14 years older.
The lifestyle change with the biggest benefit was giving up smoking, which led to an 80 percent improvement in health, the study found. This was followed by eating fruits and vegetables.
Moderate drinking and keeping active brought the same benefits, Kay-Tee Khaw and colleagues at the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council said.
"Armed with this information, public-health officials should now be in a better position to encourage behavior changes likely to improve the health of middle-aged and older people," the researchers wrote.
Monday, January 7, 2008
POSE running
I've stumbled into some literature about the POSE running method. Basically, you allow gravity to do a lot of the work as you run. Proper POSE running is described as "controlled falling". The last couple of times I ran on the street, I tried to utilize the technique. I was able to hit it for about five minutes each time, and it was amazing. Controlled falling is a perfect description. I felt as if I could run faster and longer. It felt right. Now I need to practice that and hit it every time. I'm not sure it's possible to do on a treadmill, but I've been trying.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Diet is a curse word
Diet. Such a simple, innocent word. Diet. I hate the word. The most basic meaning of the word is:
the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.
Of course, that is the least used definition. The word diet is most often associated with the words “going on a”. It is a means to an end, most often associated with losing weight. Losing weight. There’s another loaded term. If I want to lose weight fast, I can chop off a leg. Is that what I really want to do? That’s a topic for a later date.
I read something recently about a study that indicated that most people who go on a diet end up gaining the weight back after they stop dieting. The study suggests it is mainly because people underestimate portion sizes. While I understand that logic, I think it’s a lot of bunk.
People gain weight back because they go off of their “diets”. If anyone really wants to maintain fat loss, they must make a permanent change in what they eat, how much they eat, how often they eat, and their level of physical activity.
The reason I hate the word diet so much is that it connotes, by it’s most common usage, a temporary change. Is it any wonder people gain weight back again? Do we really need a scientific study about that? I think not.
the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.
Of course, that is the least used definition. The word diet is most often associated with the words “going on a”. It is a means to an end, most often associated with losing weight. Losing weight. There’s another loaded term. If I want to lose weight fast, I can chop off a leg. Is that what I really want to do? That’s a topic for a later date.
I read something recently about a study that indicated that most people who go on a diet end up gaining the weight back after they stop dieting. The study suggests it is mainly because people underestimate portion sizes. While I understand that logic, I think it’s a lot of bunk.
People gain weight back because they go off of their “diets”. If anyone really wants to maintain fat loss, they must make a permanent change in what they eat, how much they eat, how often they eat, and their level of physical activity.
The reason I hate the word diet so much is that it connotes, by it’s most common usage, a temporary change. Is it any wonder people gain weight back again? Do we really need a scientific study about that? I think not.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Bulking phase is over
Yeah....I was in a bulking phase over the past eleven days, working out only twice and eating enough of the wrong foods to feed the population of a small country. Pullups and dips are much tougher when you haven't been working out and you've added weight. That was it...I wanted to do weighted pullups. Yup. My plan worked perfectly.
I'm disgusted and have had enough.
I'm back.
Happy New Year!
I'm disgusted and have had enough.
I'm back.
Happy New Year!
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