Fitness Training Requires Individual Experimentation

I was reminded by a fellow forum member that everyone responds differently to training--more so as your gains become increasing harder to achieve.  Some strategies my work for me and my goals, but the same strategies would be horrible for someone else.  This means that whatever someone suggests should be viewed within the vision you have for yourself.  Right now, I focus on weight consistency and increasing my lean muscle mass but others may need to focus on balance and range of motion.  Any or all are great but no one else can prescribe what you may need.  I have found going to much heavier weights and lower repetitions more successful for my desires while my training partner goes the opposite for hers.  Keep in mind that when I share my exercise programs or ideas, it isn't doesn't mean I think everyone should be doing it -- I just want to let folks know how it has worked for me.  I tend to vacillate between multiple workout techniques and programs that many of you might think I don't have anything better to do!  Alas, it may be true.  Check in tomorrow for my newest workout and continued commentary.

What Is It You Want To Accomplish?

Every day I watch people working out -- to what end?  If it's weight management, then some of the workouts seem ridiculous--too much machinery and gimmickry (BOSU, kettlebell, Swiss Ball, bands, etc.).  Simple body weight exercises (otherwise known as calisthenics) and some kind of moderate cardio (walking, biking, jogging, etc.) plus decreasing calories is sufficient to start.  If my personal trainer started to give me exercises that would ultimately require me to stay enrolled at a gym rather than transition to my home, I would be suspect.  The average person isn't training for a competition, they are training for life and what better way to train than with normal, daily activity?  If your interests run to sedentary pursuits (reading, watching TV, knitting, etc.) then you want to do the bare minimum so you can, at least, do activities of daily living (cooking, cleaning, dressing, bathing, etc.) and possibly respond to an emergency (climbing out of a window, running for help, etc.) without difficulty and have healthy "numbers" (blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, etc.).  If you have more active pursuits such as gardening, weekend sports, or hiking you may need to be more specific in your workouts but not by much--all these activities are done primarily with your own body weight, so you don't really need more than that to train.  Additionally, you can use different techniques to make body weight exercises more difficult.  The bottom line is -- you have everything you need right at home and within your ability if you want to get in better shape!

Working On Continuing Previous Workout and Doing My First Podcast for 2011

I will be working on my workout routine for the next 2 weeks and also preparing my monthly podcast.  Both will be available on my site tomorrow.

Pre-Operative Knee Exercises

My friend and I both have had knee surgeries (back in the 70s) and she was contemplating getting a knee replacement--but before doing so she decided to do the pre-operative exercises and see if it helped.  If so, she could delay the knee replacement or possibly go for a partial.  I told her I would work with her in accomplishing this task.  We need to build up to 100 repetitions of the following exercises:

• Ankle Pumps
• Quad Sets-Knee Tighteners
• Gluteal Sets-Buttocks Tighteners
• Isometric Adduction/Abduction

This may seem simple but done correctly (hold 5 seconds for each repetition) it is no easy task.  We are starting with 1 set of 10 and adding 10 more every couple of weeks--I will let you know when we reach 100!

Weight Loss Tip #6 Stop Seeing Weight Loss as the Silver Bullet

Most people think when they loss their extra weight that it will be the answer to all their problems—think again!  Attaching additional results to your weight loss—a new career, a boyfriend, jet-setting travel—may not be as easy as we anticipated.  Just because your thinner doesn’t mean everything else in your life is going to come together and in fact, reaching your goal may be anti-climatic.  Although you may not be immediately richer or smarter, you will have more strategies available to you to make it happen; you developed these when you lost weight.  The same techniques can be applied to other areas in your life.  But, just like losing weight, you needed to implement these in order to success.  Now that you have succeeded in one area, see what can be generalized to produce success in other areas. 

Life Tip #4 Set a Goal

As most things in life, if you don’t set a goal nothing gets done.  Even if you are consistent with a workout or health routine, periodically juicing your motivation by establishing a “visible” goal, such as a 10K, charitable event, or community competition can force you to continue improving when you lack motivation.  Unless there is something compelling you to strive for improvement, you are bound to get complacent; not only with your workouts but with your life.

 

Technorati Tags: Complacency,goal-setting

Managing Weight While Increasing Protein

Well, it has finally occurred—dreaded weight gain from what I am assuming is an increase in calories due to protein intake.  Lou Schuler suggested not reducing calories immediately and wait to see the results.  Now, my job is to start cutting out “useless” calories.  The first to go will be alcohol.  I have mentioned in my audio posts that I have a cocktail before dinner and that probably adds 150 calories I don’t need.  I have also gotten into the habit of having dried fruit after lunch (rather than other treats such as a cookie) but the sugar in the fruit is high and adds another 100 calories.  So, in a very few actions, I have reduced my caloric intake by 250 calories.  I am also wondering if my recent “hyper” thyroid episode allowed me to increase intake without gaining weight and now that I am more balanced, the weight is going to come back.  I am still within my desired range, but it has been slowly creeping into dangerous territory.  I will incorporate these changes immediately for the next 3 days (the amount of time I feel I can realistically do this) and then re-evaluate the next time frame and extend that a day or two until I am not doing any of the behaviors within the next 2-3 weeks.  I have never been good at cold turkey, so I think this can work. 

Technorati Tags: Protein Intake,Weight Management

Keeping a Training Journal

Training logs are an invaluable tool for monitoring progress.  I tend to keep a fairly elaborate log so that I can make the adjustments necessary to continue to make progress.  Consider the following when developing your own training journal:

• Goals for the specific workout
• Physical and psychological results of the workout
• Quality and quantity of both nutrition and sleep
• Future areas you want to change (i.e. recovery time, workout intensities)
• Specific accomplishments reached and how to use this to motivate your future workouts

You can put any information you find helpful in your journal as long as you stay consistent and it proves to improve the quality of your workout or provides additional incentive.

Technorati Tags: Training Journal,Using Incentives,Maintaining Training Motivation

Moving to 3x10 progression

For the next 4 workouts, I will be pushing more weight while lower repetitions and increasing sets.  This means I will be doing more volume from the previous week and weight.  Because I will be starting with a higher weight, I will add some “warm-up” sets for the first exercises of each workout (squats for Workout A and deadlifts for Workout B).  These will consist of a set of 8 repetitions at 50% of starting weight, followed by 6 repetitions of 75% of my starting weight.  This will help me work into the heavier lifting.  I have moved my cardio up to 7 rounds of intervals (from 6 rounds last week).  Additionally, I am adding 5 seconds on to every other interval so it will be 3 minutes of warm-up followed by 30/90, 35/85, 35/85, 40/80, 40/80, 45/75, 45/75 and then a 3-5 cooldown.  When I finish the four workouts and move to the final phase of this stage, I will have moved to 8 rounds and move to the next level of HIIT (30/60).  I alternate my HIIT workouts between the Stairmaster and treadmill.  I have 5 yoga routines from library DVDs and will rotate through those as well.

Technorati Tags: Weight Training Progressions,HIIT Intermediate Level,Yoga

Final Weeks of 2009

As I end 2009, I see I have reached most of my goals--I can run 1 mile in 8:30, my numbers are all within range, my weight is steady at 113, and my overall fitness is fairly high. So, I go into the next few weeks just to maintain and to start adjusting to a long-term program (6 months) that claims it can help me lose fat and add lean muscle. After that phase is over, I will attempt to adapt other programs to maintain my gains. My reference is The New Rules of Lifting for Women. I read the one for men and that may be my next program for experimenting (the next level). Then, I will move on to other more condensed programs (4-6 weeks max) for the remainder of the year. This will be the first time I have actually made a commitment to follow a program by the letter. So, wish me luck! This week I am keeping the variable workouts but moving toward incorporating some of the tenets of my new 2010 program. This includes less endurance cardio, at least 2 tough cardio intervals, more rest, and heavier lifting. The diet emphasizes extra, extra protein and so I will need to make changes for that as well. I will probably make more entries during this time -- just a reminder I will be changing over to my Live Spaces come January 1.

Training More Like a Guy

I have always trained more like a guy than a gal--exercises typical of men's training routines versus women's (squats, deadlifts, push-up, pull-ups, etc.) but until today I never seriously considered training just like a guy. Meaning, the same type of weights and weight progressions. Monday, I decided to try this with my varying set/reps/weight program starting with my 2 sets of 12. It was hard for me to move toward the heavier weights--even though I could do them! My strategy is to use increasing overall volume -- meaning my squats on Wednesday (4x6 heavy) have to be significantly heavier than my squats on Monday (2x12) and Friday (3x8) is somewhere in between. I did 35lb plates without an issue, so I am assuming I could do anywhere from 55-65 on Wednesday (with adequate warm-up). I am only doing 6 exercises so I think it is safe to assume I can recover in time for the next work-out. If not, I will rework my schedule next week.

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.

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.

Need New Motivation

Losing some steam after regaining weight after vacation and lagging interest in workout

Weekly Review October 4.mp3

I Have Returned!

As usual, getting back from a long trip is difficult. My strategy is to slowly work back into my workout; eating hasn't been an issue. I actually lost 3 lbs. primarily because it is hard to eat ice cream when camping. The rest of eating was close to normal, except for this one small item. So, ice cream needs to have a place similar to what it had while camping -- rarely. I also made an attempt to monitor my chip intake at lunch (both reduced fat or tortilla) and limited my chips at dinner to the amount of one serving (usually 10-14 chips). This seems to be the ticket for me losing weight. The hiking wasn't as good as I anticipated so I really only got about half of the exercise I planned so getting back into resistance training and cardio intervals will take longer than I anticipated. So, for this week back to the gym I will start with 20 minute cardio sessions at a slightly lower intensity and increase 10% each week until I get back to 30+ minutes. With weights, I am going with combo moves at lower weights and reps and increasing 10% each week. Yoga sessions 5x/week and stretching daily. The run/walks of 60 minutes have become just walking. We will see how quickly I can return to my regular routine and keep my weight down.

Just keep going!

Not a great week; not a bad week

Weekly Review July 12.mp3

Cardio Tip #9 Measure Something Other Than Time

Because we are all some time focused, our cardiovascular exercise tends to be time-based. 20, 30, 45, or 60-minute time frames are all common. You may want to consider using either the mileage or calories burned measurements on your cardio machines for a change of pace. Rather than doing the bike for 30-minutes, cycle for 15 miles. Rather than doing the stairmaster for 20 minutes, climb 100 floors. Or, rather than doing the elliptical for 45 minutes, burn 500 calories (just remember the counters are notoriously inaccurate). Again, another way of making cardio sessions different. If none of those work for you--try doing your cardio for a certain number of songs on your normal play list--you've got the idea, try something other than time.

Adjustments Help

I made a few adjustments to my recovery time and it worked well - both HR for my intervals on the stairmaster and my running came down to management ranges. My plan is to keep both the intervals and the running twice a week (rather than 3 times) and do one or two longer, slower cardio sessions. I am also changing my glute workouts so that I work each phase for 2 weeks versus 1 week to allow for a gradual increase in workload. I wasn't capable of doing it without hurting myself in that amount of time. Another place for recover is sleep; I noticed since the weather is better and I am doing more physical work outside I am sleeping better. I may need to go to bed a little early to compensate for this additional output. My weight is back in its normal range after having some increase in salt and fat last week. I will work on maintenance for the next few weeks--not too many changes--to allow my body to get used to a new workout, increased sleep, and better nutrition. Then I can consider any further modifications.

Weekly Review April 12

I decided to write this week's review because of time constraints. This week was very hectic with lots of meetings and schedule shifting. Of course, I didn't get in every workout I had planned to get in -- which can happen. Despite our best efforts, we don't get done what we plan to get done and life still goes on, imagine that! So, I will review my schedule for this week and work on getting all the workouts in as prescribed. On the other hand, I did get all my water requirements this week as well as decreased the chips and ice cream quota and need to look at bringing down the animal protein for next week. More about boosting your metabolism in the next week's posts. Have a great holiday!

Body Composition/Nutrition Goals for 2009

A couple of months ago I did some baseline measurements to use for my 2009 goals. At that time, I wanted to lose 5 lbs and increase my lean muscle versus my fat. Well, without doing anything structured I have lost the 5 lbs and need to rework my goal. I am already within a healthy weight range for my height and age, my body fat is also within a normal range. I am coming up to my annual physical and this will help determine other health numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.). My diet is fairly balanced with very small amounts of processed foods, bad fats with a good amount of fresh vegetables and fruits daily. My meat consumption is a little high and I need to find other appropriate options for my protein intake. My normal meals include grilled meat and salad with very little carbohydrates so I may need to pull in some more high-grade multi-grain products and continue to stay away from the starchy carbs such as pasta and rice. I anticipate increasing both eggs, beans, fish, and nuts to off-set the animal protein I have been eating. My big vice is dairy products--half and half in my morning coffee and an occasional cup of ice cream. I may need to do a more detailed analysis to find some specific items to modify or change. I am still working on the 6-8 glasses of water per day, so this can be an immediate goal for now. A back-up goal would be to maintain my current weight for 2009. Long-term goal would be to lose 5 lbs; short-term goal would be to decrease my animal protein and increase alternative protein options.