Blog Archives
The Training Matrix
With the cooler weather kicking in, my exercise program will probably be changing a bit. I won’t be going on such long bike rides but hope to stay frequent enough in doing them. I loathe stationary conditioning work and would rather freeze outdoors than be on a non-moving object for any length of time. To give you an example, I recently bought an elliptical for my wife and it’s in the garage. I debated on whether to use it or get “weather ready” and go for a ride outside. Literally 12 seconds after being on the elliptical I went and got dressed and jumped on my bike and did 22 miles in about 70 minutes. Good choice on my part by far.
So now that you a glimmer of an idea into my likes/dislikes, I am planning on doing the following for the next several months:
Strength Training: 2-4 times per week
Outdoor Biking: 1-3 times per week
Walking: 50,000-70,000 steps per week
Shoulder Mobility Work: 2-4 times per week
Lower Body Mobility Work: 2-4 times per week
All of these aspects of fitness will be addressed as I see fit (no pun intended). Time, weather, mood, needs, etc will dictate what gets done when and how with the ultimate goal of achieving the level of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
A Great Time of Year for a Fitbit
What a great time of year to be walking, hiking, running, biking – you name it, it’s just really nice being outdoors with the cooler weather here on the east coast of the U.S.A. Being outdoors recreating (re-creating, if you will) offers so much on all levels of health and fitness. I for one got into walking more frequently last winter and it had such a positive effect on my well-being. It certainly improved my gait and improved the mobility in my lower back – helping to relieve some stiffness in the old joints I often contend with. I started walking more last year for one very reason: The Fitbit!
If you are not familiar with Fitbit, now is the time. The Fitbit is a pumped up pedometer that can keep track of your steps, stairs climbed, calories burned and much more. What makes it a great tool is the supporting software that accompanies it. There is no doubt that wearing the Fitbit keeps you motivated to get in extra walking (activity) and soon those 10,000 steps a day are an achievable goal. Most interesting is that the focus on walking (which is sometimes poo-poo’d by some as “why bother”) can really help you lose weight, improve mobility and reduce stress.
I don’t generally endorse many products but this is one situation that I can 100% state is is well worth the investment folks!
The Fitbit Returns
Last year I was (and still am) an advocate for walking and using the Fitbit to help keep you on track and motivated. I must come clean and say that I abandoned my Fitbit in the spring/summer month’s – not due to inactivity of course, but just a lack of walking other than from point A to point B. It’s fall now and the Fitbit is back on the belt loop and I’m ready to start making walking a priority again. I realized last year that walking was an underrated activity for me in the past but the frequency and mileage I walked last winter made a huge difference in my gait and helped my lower back and hips tremendously – making other functional activities more enjoyable and painless. The Fitbit – for 100 bucks you can keep tabs on your progress and stay motivated….a no-brainer!
fitbit video
A Typical Day
A typical day for me is, well, typical in the sense that it isn’t anything extra-ordinary but over time, seems to work well for me. I usually start my day by getting up at 5AM (if I sleep past 6 I think it’s late) and have 1-2 cups of organic coffee with organic heavy whipping cream. I make a shake consisting of organic coconut milk, organic berries and organic shredded coconut. This will usually be breakfast for me during the morning in between training clients. I sometimes will bring hard-boiled organic, omega-3 extra-large brown eggs to have for additional protein and fat.
Lunch is usually a few ounces of grass-fed cheese and a substantial amount of some type of protein source such as chicken, turkey or grass-fed meat and a couple of slices of bacon. I then will have some fruit, some almonds and/or walnuts and a small square of 90% chocolate. Depending on my schedule, I will have a small snack later of some more nuts or fruit and then it’s on to dinner.
Dinner for me is “feeding time at the zoo”. I eat like it’s my last meal and I’m a blur at the table. One of my favorite meals is sitting down to 2 or 3, 6 ounce grass-fed steakburgers from La Cense Beef. Yes, I can eat over a pound of this delicious, nutritious meat and it is extremely satisfying and worth every penny. I also will eat a few cups of veggies such as Brussel sprouts roasted with red onion and bacon, a mixed salad with extra virgin olive oil or maybe some broccoli or cauliflower and wash it down with a Redbridge or Bard’s brew. Dessert has been organic berries mixed with organic whipping cream and coconut mil to make an ice cream/sorbet mix in my new Ninja blender.
On days that I strength train, I usually follow my session up with a drink of Endura and every day I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps, part of which includes my pal, Angel.
The Fitbit
On the heels of my last post regarding the need for activity and my connection to walking, I would like to extend the offer for you to become part of the Premiere Fitbit Team. This is made up of ”friends of Premiere” and you can view the activities and steps/mileage that you and others are achieving for the day/week. The Fitbit has become incredibly motivating for me in that I find myself making an extra effort to walk more not only to pile up the steps and mileage but to take advantage of the health benefits I’ve experienced. The walking has been extremely beneficial for my flexibility of my hips and lower back. My gait has improved and I have tons more energy.
If you are interested in becoming part of the Premiere Team and have your Fitbit, feel free to contact me at fred@premierepersonalfitness.com
The Importance of Activity – A Must Read in the NY Times
A good article in todays NY Times
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/why-its-so-important-to-keep-moving/
that everyone should read….
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Another Reason To Start Walking…
So now we are being told that gas may hit 5 bucks by the summer. Obviously this is yet another financial inconvenience, but not one that has to be debilitating. Enter the best and cheapest means of transportation – walking! Aside from investing in a decent pair of sneakers to support you properly and maybe getting a Fitbit to track your performance, there is not much to do other than “start steppin”. Walking to your destinations instead of firing up the old engine and giving other countries all our money for oil, try to make it a point to use the best machine available with the least expensive cost to run it – your body!
Highly Underrated Movements
Often times, the simplest of things are the most underrated. Maybe this is due in part because we are a culture that finds complexity more interesting and therefore, “simple” doesn’t appeal all that much. Well, regardless of why, I’d like to share a couple things that I find to be highly effective to enhancing one’s life. Yes, life, not just physical fitness as exercise and activities are beneficial on many, many levels.
First, let’s look at one of the simplest activities a human being can do……WALK! Unless otherwise restricted, most people can go for a walk….and should. Walking has numerous benefits that make it an activity well worth investing your time in. Walking provides the opportunity for improved lung capacity, greater mobility of the joints, sunlight (D3), “me time”, fresh air, personal meditation and reflection, overall circulation, vigor and whatever you want it for. Of course, you can find your own value in walking and maybe can share the opportunity with a loved one or friend (human and animal). If you so choose to make walking progressive, consider getting a Fitbit for tracking purposes as it provides a great monitoring system for progression.
So, walking is an underrated activity and for me, the bodyweight squat is an extremely underrated exercise. I learned of the importance of the bodyweight squat from Kim Wood who shed some bright light on the value of this exercise.
First off, when I refer to bodyweight squats, I am simply referring to a deep knee bend using no resistance other than your own bodyweight. This sounds easy, but when done correctly – sitting slowly and controlled on the heels, keeping the knee perpendicular to the floor…pausing when the upper thigh is parallel to the ground then slowly squeezing your way back to the top then immediately descending again for your next rep. This exercise performed in this manner will have you doing the Mambo after 30-50 reps if done correctly and more importantly, can do wonders for strengthening the legs and hips along with creating flexibility and strength in the joints of the knee, lower back and hips. There are very little compressive forces on the soft tissue and joints and creates an environment for overall lower body strength and mobility. Not to mention the cardio respiratory benefits! Best part of all is that the bodyweight squat can be performed any time, anywhere and in any way to enhance your health and fitness program.
Take time to consider these two movements as they take little time and yield great rewards.
Health Priorities
Aside from my daily responsibilities of business and la familial, there are particular physical health priorities that I address on a daily basis. I make sure to address the following tasks as I find it to be rewarding on many levels:
Healthy Eating: My nutritional program is based on eating foods that work for me. By that I mean these foods provide ample health, energy, good digestion and the ability to function at a high level.
My physical activities are equally important and I issue the same weight with regards to “having to complete”. This is not a stressful task as some may see it, but it is a “must do” because it makes me feel good and I will do everything in my power to ge these activities in every day. The first is walking. I recently purchased a FITBIT and being able to measure my activity for the day has given me new insight. Walking a minimum of 10,000 steps a day has been remarkable in giving more energy and mobility. Speaking of mobility, lower body flexibility work and Indian Club training has been a solid addition to my daily activities as well and my shoulder health has improved dramatically. Of course, I address my strength training and conditioning three times a week in addition to my daily activities and I can discuss that a later date.
Now, some of you may think “I don’t have that kind of time”, and maybe you don’t, but it would be wise to address some of these functions for better health with whatever time you do have. And just in case you were wondering, the total time per week to accomplish everything is far less than the average person going to the gym.
