The Fit Blog

The run. Making the commitment to get outside and go for another 5km personal best. Once the shoes go on, there’s no turning back. I turn to my wife as I step outside and let her know that she should see me in half an hour and if not, to come looking.

Focused, starting to breathe deeply without having yet even taken my first stride, I do the final checks. Shoes – yes. Matching shorts and t-shirt – check. Ipod on and volume is reasonable – yep. I take a glance at my reflection in the window. Hair seems to be in place – good stuff. Then I’m off.

At first it feels great. I’ve got a bounce that makes me feel like I’m barely touching the ground. Practically running on my toes, I fly down my street, feeling the neighbors’ stares of what I suspect is admiration of my effortless gliding. I’ll impress them even more – I’ll push harder until I’m out of site.

Around the first corner – the first bead of sweat begins forming on my forehead. The setting sun beats down and I notice the shadows of passing cars and assume that the drivers are also watching me as I blaze down the hill at top speed and they must also want to join me because I make it look so easy.

I’ve been running 15 minutes now. Starting to really feel it in my shins and ankles. Man… I shouldn’t have been bouncing and running on my toes so much at first. Should have kept it a little slower – paced myself a bit.

The sweat’s really dripping now. Have to wipe my brow with my t-shirt. I’m slowing down and the only thing left ahead of me is to go all the way back and all the way up the hill from where I came.

20 minutes pass. Really feeling it. Everything in my perifery is blurred. At this point, I’m strictly focusing on getting to the next point in front of me – that next tree, that next stop sign, that next intersection.

In the distance, I see what looks to be someone coming my way – coming towards me – looks like they’re also running. Yes, yes… they are running. As he approaches, I realize that he’s quite a bit older than me. Man he’s sweaty. I wonder if he’s just started or he’s nearing the end of his route like me. Regardless, we get closer.

We can see each other’s faces clearly. I look into his eyes. He looks into mine. We know what each other is going through right now. We know that our pain and our goals are both the same. We both pull our chests up a bit as we each edge to the side of the sidewalk to let the other easily get by. As we pass, we take that last stare and then almost as if an instinctive right of passage, we do the nod.

In a swift motion – two synchronous head bobs to acknowledge the other’s willingness to put them through the same torture. We nod as a salute – knowing that each of us is putting up the good fight and will be victorious in due time. Yes, we perform the runner’s nod. And we pass and keep running.

2 Comments | In: exercise, running | | #

I was practicing overhead squats today. It seems that I’m always practicing them and never really trying max weight.

My wife watches sometimes and never fails to find faults in my technique. “You’re too far over on your toes!”, she’ll tell me. Sometimes we argue about it. She usually wins though, as usual. Regardless, she’s right. Perhaps I am too far on my toes, but no matter how hard I try, it never feels right. I’m just going to face it – the overhead squat is hard. It’s damn hard.

There are some great articles and videos available on the net discussing the overhead squat, but today, during my search for another article to maybe help me get my technique right, I found this article. It’s by Dan John, the Strength Coach and Head Track and Field Coach at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper, Utah. Not the most auspicious title ever, but nothing to be ashamed of either.

John can lift a tonne and according to his articles, he seems to have had much success coaching others to lift heavy as well. In his article on overhead squats, John talks about how damn hard they are, but also discusses how overhead squats create, in his words, Dad strength.

I guess I’m not the only one who struggles with this.

1 Comment | In: exercise | | #

For some, the phrase, “take your cod liver oil”, may bring back disturbing memories of a mother feeding them a spoonful of some of the most vile tasting liquid known to man. I never had to deal with it, but I can only imagine how evil it must have felt as a child – almost punishing. However, what may have once seemed absolutely disgusting beyond words has only recently had a light shone on it, showing why taking your cod liver oil may, in fact, be something that we all should continue to do on a daily basis.

Once upon a couple generations ago, fish oil was a daily given. It was thought that because of the rich vitamin A and D found in it, fish oil helped keep people healthy and prevent the contraction of some diseases. More recently, it has been discovered that it’s not necessarily the vitamins that help, it’s long chain the omega-3 fatty acids that are the wonder component. You may have noticed how grocery stores are getting stocked with milk, juices, eggs, all fortified with omega-3, but why? What is it about omega-3 that is so important?

There are two omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil in particular, that are key – eicospentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

EPA is important to controling insulin levels. EPA is also beneficial in reducing the risk of cancer, arthritis and other chronic diseases. In March 2007, Dr. Mitsuhiro Yokoyama at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine performed a study that showed that “long-term use of EPA at therapeutic doses is effective for prevention of major coronary events in high cholesterol patients.”

DHA may be even more beneficial than EPA for the human body. DHA is a major fatty acid found in the retina, sperm and brain. DHA can reduce the levels of blood triglycerides in humans and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Low levels of DHA have also been associated with Alzheimer’s, depression and ADHD. Most importantly, however, is the effect that DHA may have on the brain. No other organ in the body has as high a concentration of DHA than the brain. The fact that human breast milk is loaded with DHA may account for why one study indicated that children fed breast milk tended to score 10 percent higher on IQ tests.

Nutrition expert, Udo Erasmus includes omega-3 fatty acids as an essential part of his “Udo’s Choice Food Pyramids”, saying that omega-3 fatty acids (and slightly omega-6) “help reduce fat production in the body” and “increase fat burning and heat production, and shift the body from burning glucose to burning fats.”(*)

Fish oil may taste nasty, but fortunately no longer needs to be taken in the putrid liquid form. The supplement section of the local grocery or health food store or pharmacy will contain a whack of fish oils in capsule form. Dr. Barry Sears, the creator of the Zone diet, suggests a daily intake of 5 grams of fish oil.

3 Comments | In: diet | | #

Years ago, I would read various short stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul and feel all inspired and such. This is truly that kind of story.

It’s about a guy who is no doubt the World’s Strongest Dad – Dick Hoyt, a 63 year old father of a disabled son, who goes the extra mile (around 26 of them usually) with his son to help both of them have the most fulfilling lives possible. Fantastic story that I just had to share.

Hit the link here: http://cjcphoto.com/can/

2 Comments | In: inspiration | | #

Yesterday I did a whole wack of lunges. Simple exercise – just stand and lunge forward with one leg, bending the back knee until it touches the ground just slightly, keeping a fairly wide stance. Back to standing position, then lunge forward with the other leg. However, its simplicity is deceiving.

Do 3 sets of 33 lunges in a row, followed with 25 air squats and see what I mean. A good video of lunges and lunge variations can be found here on youtube, courtesy of crossfit.

No Comments | In: exercise | | #

Over on thatsfit.com, there was an article about a fitness class called, BODYPUMP. Looking at their site, it seems kinda neat.

They’ve combined an aerobic exercise class with some of the best weight training lifts. The BODYPUMP fitness program seems to almost have the same high intensity weight lifting routines that one would find in a crossfit workout of the day. However, these classes are obviously geared to an audience that isn’t going to be cleaning 155lbs. Still, sqauts, clean and presses, bench presses – including these fundamental weight lifts in an aerobic class is a brilliant idea – hopefully it catches on a bit.

However, I’m sure that the added strength element to an otherwise strictly aerobic class would no doubt intimidate folks or give them the idea that they would be bulking up by adding strength training to their workouts (myth).

Interesting, none the less. They just need to get someone like Billy Blanks on the bench and the program would be solid gold ;)

Check out the BODYPUMP program here.

1 Comment | In: exercise, weights | | #

I saw 300 last night. It’s an amazing film. The story might lack a little depth, but between the acting, the cinematography and the special effects, it is still a super good movie. Right from the get go, there’s a huge intensity that doesn’t end until the movie is over. The camera work and post production was brilliantly done. Apparently much of the film was shot at high speed and a scene hardly passes without some degree of slow motion. The characters were all portrayed perfectly and the voices of both Leonidas and Xerxes were bang-on. This movie takes that Ben-Hur kind of cinematic achievement to the next level – hopefully it will inspire other films to follow it’s path.

But one of the many neat aspects of 300′s production was the training that the actors underwent before shooting began. These guys were all playing Spartan warriors and if the movie is any indication, Spartan warriors all have to have lots of muscle and extremely chiseled abs – almost ridiculously chiseled. So how does one go about gathering a cast of Schwarzeneggers? Apparently they go through punishing workouts. The training that they have is something seriously ferocious. Here’s a clip of Mark Twight, the trainer, talking about how they got smashed.

Mark Twight talks more about the 300 workout here, on the Gym Jones website.

No Comments | In: exercise, film and music, inspiration | | #

Back to the subject of HIIT – high intensity interval training. There’s a couple great articles on bodybuilding.com discussing the benefits of HIIT with sample routines and body blasting workouts.

A nice short and to the point article can be found here. A great quote from the article when speaking about the usual forms of cardio workouts – “the monotony, non-creativity, invested time, and scramble for equipment takes its toll on most everyone I know. I shudder, mop the gym floor and polish the mirrors furiously, instead. Very practical and also works.”

So reduce your cardio workout time by performing less medium intensity exercising and focus on high intensity. Spend your time wisely.

No Comments | In: exercise | | #

Why is it so difficult to maintain a healthy diet, when it’s easier to cook a healthy meal than it is to cook a high fat\carb meal?

A chicken breast and a side of cooked frozen veggies takes practically no effort. Even throwing a frozen pizza in the oven takes as much effort (take it out of the box and struggle with the cellophane wrapper). Yet, I guess on those lazy days, it just seems more appealing to eat a cheesy pizza than some bland, semi-dry chicken and veggies.

My suggestion, however, is to cook a bunch of stuff up on Sunday – several chicken breasts, some turkey bacon or maybe even a pot of turkey chili. Throw some in the fridge and some in the freezer. Make your meals microwavable and you’re gold.

Frozen veggies go a long way too – throw a couple cups of frozen green beens and a couple cups of frozen broccoli in a tupper-ware container with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add a couple slices of cut-up deli meat and bring that to work for lunch. Throw it in the micro for a minute (don’t make it too hot – it’ll stink the office up) when you’re ready to eat and give it a stir. Tastes pretty good, takes no time and is incredibly healthy. Lots of fiber, some protein and the good kind of fat and carbs. Gold.

1 Comment | In: diet, recipe | | #

I belong to a nice gym. It just went through a good renovation and acquired some more equipment (having another couple pullup bars is nice). It’s not a huge franchise like Golds but it tries to cater to a similar crowd with the machines and whatnot. Nope, it’s nothing special, but I like it and besides, it’s down the street.

Regardless of the proximity of the gym to my home, however, there are those nights where I just don’t get home from work in time to get there for a good workout before they close. Or maybe I’m just short on time one day and can only get a half an hour in. On these days, I’m very glad that besides my gym membership, I also have a great home gym.

At my home gym, I can do all sorts of exercises – squats, cleans, deadlifts, presses, jerks, snatches, curls, hit the core, the shoulders, the legs, the arms and the back all in the comfort of my own home. And how much did this home gym cost? Nothing. Wha?!?! Yep, that’s right.

You see, all my gym consists of is a 25lb barbell and about 50 lb’s in plates. All it cost me was a trip down to my parents’ basement where I knew my Dad had a few weights sitting around gathering dust since his days when he was my age. Sure I’m not going to be pressing my max or deadlifting hundreds of pounds, but even with this measly setup, I can whip off a few sets of high intensity, high rep sets of several full body exercises.

There is no need to have the latest bowflex machine for $20 per month for the next 50 years. No real need to get an elyptical or high cost treadmill. All anyone really needs is some inexpensive weights (or possibly free for the lucky ones), a bit of empty space in the house (or the garage, or outside) and maybe a good outdoor route to occasionally run.

A good spot to find cheap weights are garage sales. Typically a good hunt early on a Summer Saturday morning will reveal some weightlifting equipment that was laying around in someone’s basement. Salvation Army and other second hand stores will also occasionally carry exercise equipment.

1 Comment | In: equipment, exercise, weights | | #

Going for a 5 or 10 km run is a fantastic aerobic exercise that will burn lots of calories. However, the normal run is generally a moderate intensity exercise.

Long bouts of moderate intensity exercise may actually preferentially burn more muscle tissue than one would like [1]. The goal, after all, is usually to burn calories from carbohydrate storage and maintain muscle.

Some studies have found that brief intervals of high intensity training are more effective at maintaining muscle and building their capacity for lactic acid oxidation [2].

Lactic acid builds up as muscles undergo intense strain. You may recognize this as the burning sensation you might sometimes feel as you’re trying to lift that last rep or trying to sprint the last 100m of a good jog. During the recovery from bout of the high intensity, lactic acid is broken down. This process uses energy from carbohydrate storage or fat [3]. Translation – interval training may be better than a moderate intensity run for losing fat and getting lean.

So next time you’re heading out for your weekly (or monthly or whenever you can get yourself off the couch) run, perhaps head down to the track instead and run 5 or 6 400m sprints, each followed by 2 minutes of rest. It may take less time than a 10k jog, but it may be just as effective.

18 Comments | In: exercise, running | | #

Sure this guy is cut and looks extremely badass, but this is certainly not the way to get your protein after a workout.

For more info on this crazy dude, check out his myspace page.

2 Comments | In: diet | | #

Of course, all food has calories. Some vegetables have very little, true, but they’re still there. Wouldn’t it be nice, however, if there existed a food that by eating it, calories actually came off? But if all food contains calories, how on Earth is it possible to get a decrease in daily caloric intake simply by consumption?

There is some controversy about this, but some research indicates that there is a small list of foods that require more energy from the body to digest than the foods themselves contain, resulting in a net negative caloric effect. Celery is one example of a food that may require more energy to absorb the nutrients than the energy contained within. This may be because the energy in celery is sealed, which requires the digestive system to work harder to obtain the energy. However, other vegetables and fruits may also have the same or similar effect. Some of these “negative calorie” foods include asparagus, cabbage, cucumber, tomato, melon, rhubarb and lettuce. As you can see, regardless if these foods actually do have a negative caloric effect, this food list contains some extremely healthy items that would definitely already be part of a good diet or weight loss plan.

The moral of the story is that negative calories or not, eat lots of veggies and fruit and you are well on your way to shedding unwanted weight.
For more information on negative calories, check out healthrecipes.com.

3 Comments | In: diet | | #

So what is this Zone thing? Is it another fad diet to drop into the South Beach or Atkins bucket? For ages, people have searched far and wide for the secret diet that will shed their pounds and rid themselves of evil fat. Unfortunately, as many professionals would tell them, there is no secret. To get desired results requires work, motivation and to some extent, will power – will power to not cave into cravings. This is one thing that all of these diets share – the necessity to have the will power to not cave for the sweets and high carb foods. There is a major difference with the Zone diet though. Instead of forgoing carbs and relying on protein or fat for nutrients and calories, the Zone diet just says that for every gram of carbs eaten, make sure that protein is consumed in a specific amount to make the ratio of carbs to protein always 40-30. And instead of telling readers what to eat and what to watch out for, in his book, “A Week in the Zone”, Dr. Sears (the creator of the Zone diet) instructs the reader about how the relationship of carbohydrates, protein and fats plays an important part in the regulation of insulin and ultimately how the pounds pile up. Dr. Sears says that keeping an insulin balance is the key to not only shedding the weight, but to maintaining a healthy body. He cites many advantages to the Zone diet including weight loss, disease prevention, graceful aging, blood sugar control to name a few.

“A Week in the Zone” also gives the reader sample eating plans for a full week, for both males and females. Included with these plans are the grocery shopping essentials and tips on how to shop. Other recipes are also included so that if the reader wishes to continue the Zone beyond a week, the meals won’t get boring. Beyond the eating information, in “A Week in the Zone”, Dr. Sears also defines what he believes are the important elements of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle (and an essential part of losing and maintaining weight) includes exercise and Dr. Sears also presents basic exercising techniques to use in conjunction with his diet. Besides the exercise aspect, meditation is also a part of his plan and is also briefly discussed.

Overall, “A Week in the Zone” is a fairly good book that has actually helped me choose what and when I eat and if nothing else, has truly made a noticeable difference in my blood sugar levels. It’s a short book, but it lays out the basics for a healthy lifestyle in which a good diet is the key to success.

For more information, check out the Dr. Sears website.

No Comments | In: book, diet | | #