Category Archives: Purely Physical
A Multi-Set Approach
If you need a change of pace, try this on for size.
Take a resistance you can get for one set of 20 reps in the leg press to muscular failure. Now, using the same resistance, perform 3 sets of 10 reps but only take 20-30 seconds rest between sets. If you get all 3 sets of 10 then next workout add a rep to the first set (11-10-10). If you get all the required reps then the subsequent workout you should be striving for 11-11-10. Continue progression until you get 11-11-11 and retest yourself to see how many reps you can do for one set. No doubt you should exceed your best 20 rep set.
This application can be applied to most exercises and repetition ranges so if you use the method, add 50% more reps to the total and divide by 3 (sets). If necessary, round-up or take less rest between sets to make the exercise more challenging.
I guarantee you will feel a tremendous muscular pump along with an increased heart rate.
What A Difference A Year Makes
On July 8th, 2011 my family took a punch to the gut when we were told that my extremely healthy, fit wife Lori had breast cancer at the age of 49. No family history, no warning signs, no illness, no medications, no reason why, but we had breast cancer. Fortunately for us she was diagnosed early (stage zero) and following standard operating procedures, surgery was to be performed to remove the cancer cells. Unfortunately, there were several surgeries in a very short period of time (four in total in less than a five weeks) to remove the elusive cells and the surgeries really took their toll on her. After the surgeries and prior to our next step, she and I went for a casual bike ride one day down at the beach and unknowingly, I pushed our enthusiasm a bit too hard and it really knocked her out – and that was just after a couple of easy miles. She’s not an easy one to say “quit” and so I hadn’t realized how much the surgeries had worn her down. Of course, I felt terribly guilty (still do) and after that we just focused on getting her healthy and ready to deal with the impending radiation treatments (all 30 of them over a 6 1/2 week period).
So what’s the point to all this? Lori was a very active, healthy woman and still got cancer, however, she fought hard, kept doing what she could to keep fit without interfering with her recovery and we built her back up to where she’s now riding with me on our road bikes. In a short amount of time we’ve been pumping out 25 miles at a clip with our average speeds right around the 16-17mph mark. In fact, she took me by surprise this past Sunday as I was in front on our ride and turned it up a bit to 19+mph and I looked over my shoulder to see how far back she was and to my surprise, she was right on my wheel.
So, am I bragging a bit about my wife? Hell yes! Do I usually share personal things with others (especially people I don’t know)? Hell No, but I do want to acknowledge was she’s accomplished but also let others know that you’re not down and out unless you decide to be. It may take time and it may be hard, but it is doable and you can make a come back when you approach it slowly, positively and progressively and as you can see, a lot can happen in a year.
Another Training Update
Here’s a quick update on what’s been going on with my training….
I convinced my wife to get a road bike so we could do some serious riding together and on July 2nd we went to EMS of Shrewsbury where my man Manny took care of us. Armed and ready to ride, we got on our bikes
July 3rd: Tuesday early AM and proceeded to knock out 25 miles.
Wednesday was a day off from exercise
July 5th: Thursday had us doing another 16 miles on the bikes at a faster pace.
July 6th: Friday 2 mile run
July 7th: Another 20 miles on the bike solo and a quick upper body workout
July 8th: Sunday we did another 20 miles on the bikes.
July 9th: Monday I needed some rest
July 10th: Tuesday – first full-body workout in a while:
Standing Barbell Curls: 1×30 (1 set of 30 reps)
Hammer Strength Dips: 1×25
Hammer Strength Leg Press (a new addition to the facility as of yesterday): 1×35
Paramount Machine Pullover: 1×20
Wrist Extension: 1×25
CoC: 1×25
Indian Club work
I’m still knocking back two shakes a day to help with recovery and it’s helping to get in enough nutrients and deal with the 100+ degree weather I’ve been riding in.
Another update in a couple weeks….stay healthy
The Study of Exercise
Benjamin Franklin – a great inventor, scientist, politician, humanitarian and all around out-of-the-box thinker contended that one way to prevent colds was regular exercise. He also felt the best way to measure exercise was not by the length of time, but what he referred to by “the degree of warmth exercise produces in the body”.
Ben explained that walking a mile up and down stairs produced five times more body warmth than walking a mile on a level surface. When lifting weights (Ben apparently was a fan of dumbbell type implements) he calculated that he raised his pulse from 60 to 100 beats per minute. I guess Mr. Franklin felt that effort was a productive means of improving health – but maybe that’s just me.
It doesn’t take a lot of time to get in better health ( a couple of sessions lasting 20-30 minutes can do the trick when done right), it does however require a sense of dedication and proper coaching so you can achieve the most out of your efforts and you don’t get injured in the process.
Save Money by Losing Weight
Some staggering statistics I extracted from this article on OBESITY
- The percentage of Americans who are obese (with a BMI of 30 or higher) has tripled since 1960, to 34 percent, while the incidence of extreme or “morbid” obesity (BMI above 40) has risen sixfold, to 6 percent. The percentage of overweight Americans (BMI of 25 to 29.9) has held steady: It was 34 percent in 2008 and 32 percent in 1961.
- Obesity-related absenteeism costs employers as much as $6.4 billion a year, health economists led by Eric Finkelstein of Duke University calculated.
- The additional medical spending due to obesity is double previous estimates and exceeds even those of smoking, a new study shows.
- The startling economic costs of obesity, often borne by the non-obese, could become the epidemic’s second-hand smoke.
- The U.S. health care reform law of 2010 allows employers to charge obese workers 30 percent to 50 percent more for health insurance if they decline to participate in a qualified wellness program.
- Nationally, that comes to $190 billion a year in additional medical spending as a result of obesity, calculated Cawley, or 20.6 percent of U.S. health care expenditures.
You have to read the full article to grasp the magnitude of the impact on what obesity can cause to an individual, their employer and the over all economic impact it has……just mind blowing!
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/americas-waistline-expands-costs-soar-100758490–sector.html
Goals+Commitment = Results
One of my clients, Marty R. decided in February 2011 that it was time to take control of his health (and life). He established a goal of hitting of quitting smoking, exercising and obtaining a certain bodyweight. Marty contacted me in late August/early September 2011 to start training again with me. See, about 5 or 6 years ago Marty started to train with me but experienced horrible headaches when he exercised. At first I attributed it to EIH (exercise induced headaches) but after a half a dozen workouts, Marty had to stop. He realized, at some point, that the cigarettes were causing his problem.
Marty has been extremely focused for several month’s – weighing himself (but not obsessively), checking his body fat levels, monitoring not just his calories but his quality of food, walking, recreating and working his ass off when he trains at the gym as I can attest to. Keep in mind that weight is not always indicative of progress as Marty, without strength training, may have reached his weight goal sooner, however, he would not have put on any appreciative muscle tissue therefore leaving his total progress “scale related”. When you strength train – properly, consistently, intensely, you build strength, muscle tissue and cardiovascular fitness and therefore adding muscle shows on the scale. Below is a chart of Marty’s weight loss progress. I’m hoping he revels his body fat progress chart as well since it is quite impressive for a 58-year-old male:
Allergy Season
Whether you suffer the traditional allergy symptoms or not, allergens in the air can wreak havok on your body. Trouble breathing, dizziness, lethargy, trouble focusing and the like can all take their toll on us. A good way to combat some of these symptoms naturally is to try some or all of the following:
* Nasal Saline Soution several times a day
* Local honey (start with 1/2 tsp and move up to a full tbls over two week period – the local honey is from local bees eating the local pollen) and if not local, get raw…local honey can be gotten at Asbury Park Roastery
* Vitamin C 2-5 grams a day
* Drink plenty of water
* Pro-biotics
* Chiropractor/Acupuncture
* A good multi vitamin/mineral (I carry these at Premiere)
* Exercise regularly but if you are a “sufferer”, retreat to indoors for the time being
All of these are to stimulate and support the immune system
Good Form – Hard Work – Intelligent Training
A simple process…GOOD FORM - HARD WORK - INTELLIGENT TRAINING
My man “Mar-teen” does a set of curls with chains - he exemplifies solid form, very hard work and knowing when he got his last, good rep.
Ice vs Heat
Most of us have heard of the RICE method but for those of you who haven’t, R.I.C.E. stands for: Rest Ice Compression and Elevation and this is what I usually recommend. Rest the injured area, apply ice to the area for 15-20 minutes, allow the area to reach “room temperature” and apply a few times during the day. Compression just means to apply a little pressure to the ice pack so it’s on teh injury and elevation is, well, having the area elevated so to reduce the amount of blood pumping to it to help cut back on the inflammation while you are icing it.
I don’t generally recommend any OTC NSAIDS (over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen because I don’t take them myself but I don’t tell people not to – I just warn them of side effects and what to look for.
Now to the hot stuff. Heat is applied when an injury is chronic. You know, that nagging stiffness you have in a muscle or joint or the “here today, gone tomorrow” type pain that we get as we age. Generally, I recommend heat in these situations to loosene the area up – but only prior to an activity, then I suggest icing post-exercise/activity to reduce any inflammation.
For further reading on Ice vs Heat
