Big Push/Big Pull

This is the final phase of my workout and it will combine component of both strength and endurance. I will alternate between repetition ranges: Monday: Endurance 2 sets 12 repetitions, Wednesday: Strength 4 sets 6 repetitions, Friday: Combo 3 sets 8 repetitions. All workouts have a quad dominant lower body exercise; a hip dominant lower body exercise; a horizontal press and horizontal pull; a vertical press and vertical pull. Over the next four weeks I will rotate exercises each week and use the three different workouts (endurance, strength, combo).

This week's exercises:

Squat
Step-Up
Chest Press/Bent Row
Shoulder Press/Lat Pulls

I will finish each session with a Yoga routine composed of a set of warm-up/breathing and then 5-6 poses, ending with a breathing/meditation. These are based on my Yoga Deck.

Monday--warm-up/Om followed by Chair(I allow Life's energy to stream through me), Fish(I inhale Life's positive energy and exhale negativity), Spider(I acknowledge my ability to regenerate), Sitting Forward Bend(I let go . . into the Eternal Now), Bent Knee Sitting Forward (I surrender into the flow of Life), Bound Angle (I receive goodness. I radiate happiness)--Sounding Breath (I am at peace. All is well in my world)/Resting Meditation (I am that I am)

Weekly Review November 29

Final phase!

Weekly Review November 29.mp3

Interesting Yoga Routine

I found an interesting Yoga routine in the December 2009 issue of Fitness. It is a Yoga circuit (2x) and the first move of each pair is done at a fast tempo to rev calories burn, the second is an allover sculptor. There is a pause in the starting pose of each sculptor. I plan to do this in the "in-between" sessions along with my Pilates inspired core workout. I will give my evaluation of both in two weeks. See you then!

Simple Adjustment #9 Increase Cardio Intensity

Most people now know that low-intensity exercise isn't the answer to torching body fat and burning calories; it only burns time. Whether you look at total calories or fat calories, the higher the intensity the more you burn. To combat this, cardio intervals should be used a few times per week and your weight training session could be built around a circuit to increase intensity. Obviously if you have a condition that only allows low-intensity, don't change your routine.

Transitioning To Windows Live Spaces

Over the next month, I will be designing a new blog in Windows Live Spaces. Although my website connects to this blog--the search engines only see the frame, not the content. So, the advantage of having a blog (changing content) is lost when I embed this blog into my Windows website. I am working on replicating the same feel as I have on Blogger but we will see if that works. I will leave this blog up with a re-direct to the new blog. Hopefully, this won't inconvenience the small (I can count them probably on one hand) audience I have.

Thinking About Next Year

The majority of my goals have been met this year -- but already looking forward to 2010.

Weekly Review November 22.mp3

Idea for 2010

I have been thinking about how I want to manage my 2010 workouts and have decided to pick new and improved workouts from the most popular fitness magazines and see how they work. Since I am a big fan of Rodale (Mens Health, Womens Health, Runners World, Prevention) I will use some of their touted programs (Belly Off, Abs Diet, etc.) as well as other magazines efforts (Fitness, Oxygen, Shape). All of these will have updated programs as part of their New Years kickoff effort and I will work each one--I may have to rotate through more quickly to test drive a number of them but if I get through 12 programs, it means I have done a new workout every 4 weeks. I will keep a few in the wings in case I really dislike a program or feel it is not working. Additionally, if I find a certain strategy works better for me (i.e. circuits) I may adapt a workout to fit that strategy. After each workout, I will rate the routine on a number of criteria. At the end of the year, I will pick the top 2 most effective workouts and the bottom 2 least effective workouts. Let me know what you think.

Simple Adjustment #8 Do More Than Yoga

Yoga has become phenomenally popular for its ability to help improve basic strength and flexibility for most individuals. Unfortunately, obesity is still the number one health issue in America and most yoga practices don't burn the calories necessary to help support weight lose. If you are doing yoga as your main workout you may want to consider adding a couple of days of aerobic activity to help augment your weight loss efforts.

Small Change in Workout

I am keeping the same workout this week but using a different format to help in the transition to the next phase. Rather than doing super sets of the exercises, I am doing them in a circuit. My reading and research continues to suggest that circuit training is the best way to burn fat and build muscle. Although these concepts are diametrically opposed in principle, there is a way to manage both but as you would suspect the results will be less dramatic in each of the areas (weight loss and muscle mass). The trick is to hit the right balance where you don't rest between exercises, but the resistance is heavy enough to build muscle; circuit training accomplishes this. So, here are the changes for Wednesday:

Supersets: Dumbbell Split Squat 3x8/Single Arm Press 3x12
Dumbbell Romanian Dead Lift 2 x 10/Dumbbell Swing 2x20

Transition the same exercises to a circuit (I do three circuits with increasing repetitions - 8/10/12)

If I can get through the 12 repetition circuit, I move the weight up next time by about 5%. I will apply this technique to all my resistance workouts for this week and next in anticipation of moving on to the combo phase.

Feeling a bit under the weather

Can't figure out what is bugging me, will have to do some experimenting to isolate variables.

Weekly Review November 15.mp3

Turning Down the Intensity

I have been feeling poorly lately and am contributing it to over-training. The more I read, the more I begin to see I may be overdoing it. I am not training for any specific event or competition but to remain healthy. With that goal in mind, I may need to re-evaluate (once again!) what I am trying to accomplish and what is the most efficient, effective, and safe way to do so. I am going to stay with my current resistance workout as it is 3x/week and only 4 exercises at each session. My interval training is going to be taken a notch down and will be divided between my running and the stair master; all the rest of my cardio sessions will be at or below 80% MHR. Once I get through with this and then the final phase of my current workout cycle, I will be coming to the end of the year and of course, a new set of goals. I believe I will see a need to focus on diet more closely and balancing the workout sessions to reflect more of a "fitness" goal rather than a "training" goal. I continue to gather information and data and incorporate my new knowledge to adjust my training technique/structure.

Simple Adjustment #7 Change Up Your Routine

You need to continually challenger your muscles if you want to continue to see progress. If you are still doing the same weight training routine that you were doing 6 weeks ago, your muscles have already adapted to the program. There are many ways to change up a program. If you use machines, try free weights or resistance bands. Try a different number of repetitions, sets, weight, rest time, or the overall number of exercises you do. Change one or two exercises -- squat instead of leg press, preacher curls instead of hammer curls -- change the order in which you do the exercises. Identify how you want to try and change your workout every few weeks to keep your muscles confused and getting stronger.

Taking It Down A Notch

Yesterday I started a new, slightly lower-intensity program. I used my heart rate monitor and found out that I could reach 80% MHR on a level 10 program -- I had been using a level 13. So, I have decided to use a lower intensity on my cardio on weight training days. I did 4 exercise, 2 sets of super sets using Bench Press (3 x 8) and Bent Row (3 x 12) and Incline Bench Press (2 x 5) with Dumbbell Squats (2 x15). They were difficult but not to failure - followed by a core exercise routine based on Pilates (12-minute routine provided by SparksPeople). Today, I did my running and followed a plan from Men's Health that incorporated low-med-high intensity in one workout and that worked really well and I think I can do that twice a week and add on to this every other week. This workout is relatively short as I do body weight calisthenics - pull ups, push ups, Swiss Ball Leg Curl, Swiss Ball Reverse Crunch, and Sissy Squats. Hopefully, this type of workout will be adequate for my Strength Phase for the next 6 weeks.

Start It Up Again

After taking a breather, I am ready to start training smarter not necessary harder.

Weekly Review Nov 8.mp3

Low Number of Americans with Healthy Lifestyles

Despite all the education, marketing, and push for healthier living, Americans continue to eat fewer fruits and vegetables, do little exercise, or maintain their weight. Research indicates that people rely too much on drugs to address chronic disease rather than adopt lifestyle changes. Four factors were identified that can have an immediate impact:

• Eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables daily
• Walk or another activity for at least 2.5 hours weekly
• Keep BMI (body mass index) out of the obese range
• Don't smoke

Start now and you can possibly divert chronic diseases and increase your lifespan. The benefits can begin as soon as 4 years after starting your new healthy lifestyle.

Simple Adjustment #6 Always Do Your Warm-Up

Most individuals are pressed to fit exercise into their day and mistakenly think that skipping a warm-up will save time but it will also prevent your body from using its energy and oxygen efficiently. The best way to incorporate your warm-up is to make it a slower version of the cardio workout you are planning to do (running, elliptical, bike, etc.). Keep at the slower rate until you start to perspire and then move into your full-on session. If you are planning to hit the weights, you can either do dynamic stretches that take you through a similar range of motion that you are planning to do or you can do a the planned exercise at a much lighter (or no) weight. Regardless of which warm-up activity you do, it will help your prepare your body for the greater intensity.

Taking It Easy This Week

As I mentioned in my audio post, I think I may be over-training. My motivation has been progressively waning, my sleep hasn't been consistent, I am continuously looking for my next meal, I am experiencing some fatigue, etc. So this week, rather than move right into my next phase of training, I am going to take it down a notch or two this week. I will do my stair-master workout 2x this week at a much lower level, keeping under 30 minutes. My running will go up to 3x this week but they will be easy runs or walk/runs. My workout will be a medicine ball circuit (1 set of 10 at a fairly light weight) on M-W-F and the other days just some core work and stretching. The medicine ball workout is a variation on strength exercises that appear in Chris Carmichael's book 5 Essentials for a Winning Life and is as follows:

• Lateral Arm Raises
• Chest Press
• Pick-Up
• Sit-Up
• Solo Twist
• Squat
• Wall Touch
• Overhead Pass
• Overhead Reverse Lunge and Press
• Overhead Squat
• Squat and Press
• Curl and Press
• Walking Overhead Lunge

All of the above were done with a 4 lb medicine ball -- for descriptions of the exercise you will need to check out Carmichael's book (or check online by searching for "medicine ball exercises"). I am doing just enough to keep my metabolism up and my muscles ready for the next week. I will re-evaluate at the end of the week, but I think I will be ready for Phase Two of my 9-week workout.

Symptoms of Overtraining

Lack of motivation, fatigue, reached a training plateau? Maybe over-training is the issue.

Weekly Review Nov 4.mp3