Dealing with Setbacks

It has been a while since I’ve updated this blog. I had a setback. It was several weeks of insomnia. As I grow my business, I will admit that I sometimes work too late. I’ve also been stressing about my military commitment. I’m waiting on the selection results for Chief Petty Officer. It would be a wonderful thing to get promoted, but it will consume my already short summer.

I’m happy to say that I’m once again I am sleeping without difficulties. As a result, I’m running again. Prior to this setback I was holding my runs to 1 hour while I lost weight. I wanted to get under 160 before I allowed myself to move to 2 hours. Well, I had to start back at 20 minutes. My plan is to increase my runs by 5 minutes each run until I get back to an hour. At that point I’ll let the weight come off and the start building to 2 hours.

The Century Workout

In every fitness routine, you will hit a plateau. A plateau is a stop in progress. You may be eating right and exercising right, but you measurement of progress has stopped. This measurement may be your weight, how fast you can run or how much you can lift. You need to get past the plateau. To do this, you need to try something different. Try this workout out.

The century workout should tell you that you are about to do something 100 times. Reduce your normal lift for each muscle group to 1/3 of what you have been doing. Now, try 1 set of 100 reps. It may seem like a waste of time for about 50 reps. It will become a muscle burner after that.

Doing this shocks your muscles because you are doing something completely different. This is how you can help push your way over the plateau.

How Much are You Burning?

Right off the bat, I am not big on counting calories. I do look at the food labels when I'm at the grocery store. I'm interested in the servings, calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and protein. But I do not keep a log of my caloric intake. I do like to see how many I burn off though. Here is a tool from Runners World to help you estimate how much you have burned off.
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/caloriecalculator/0,7153,s6-242-306-313-0-0-0-0-0,00.html
Remember, 3,500 calories = 1 lb of fat. This tool does not take into account intensity, elevation or topology. But it still serves a purpose. Are you burning enough on your cardio days?

The Perils of Staying at an Extended Stay

Now that I own my own business, I’ve been keeping a close eye on my expenses. While working for a client in Fort Wayne, IN, I’ve been staying at an Extended Stay America. For only $27 a night,it has a kitchenette to prepare my meals in. It has been a great money saver while on the road. After last night, I think it is time to change hotels. Even though I am in a “non-smoking” room, I was awaken around 5 this morning as a smoker nearby decided to get a very big fix off of their cancer stick. I know this because I’m suffering the effects of second hand smoke right now. After an hour of this, I am still unable to get the smell out of my room with the windows open.

According to the Surgeon General, second hand smoke is toxic. (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/). This morning I will have to go to my client with the smell of the toxicity emanating from my clothing. This is especially bad since I go to my clients wearing a tie. This is just another example of the effect smokers have on the rest of us. I can tell my readers this much, stay away from smokers. I am feeling absolutely horrible this morning due to the exposure. If someone in your family is addicted to this drug, do what you can to help them see the light and stop the addiction.

Make a Goal

Well, its been a while since I've wrote in this blog. I've recently left a job that required me to work 60+ hours a week. That does not include travel time. As a result, my health suffered. Well, things have changed. I left my ex-employer in February and started my own company, MCTExpert, Inc. I'm now in a position where I can focus on my health, and most importantly my family. I have lost 6 pounds since that day and I'm enjoying it. On my weeks when I am not with a client, I exercise with a new look on fitness. I actually can go to the gym and realize, I have the time to do it right. On the weeks that I am at a clients site, I look for opportunities to exercise.

In 1992, I lost my youthful mid section. I took a job at McDonalds to help pay my way through college. Well, By the end of the summer, I was significantly heavier and my abs were gone. I could have brought my lunch, but they gave us something like $7.00 of free food each day. Hello Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Well, It is 17 years later and I still have the layer of McDonalds fat on my abdomen. It is time to make some serious changes. I'm now going to use this blog not only to pass on the fitness trips that I have learned along the way, but also to provide updates on my personal goals. I once read in a book (forgive me, but I cannot remember which one) that 8 out of 10 Americans have no plan for the future. Only 1 out of 10 actually write there goals down. It is no wonder that so few of us are millionaires. I plan on writing my goals down here.

Goals for 2009:
1 - Lose the belly fat.
2 - Run a trail race.
3 - Run a marathon.
4 - Get below 155 lbs.

Goals for 2010:
1 - Complete the Mt. Mitchel Challenge.
(More to come)

Know When to Say When

If you are like most people, you do not know when to quit. It is just a little pain. Well, pain is our bodies way of saying something is not right. About 4 years ago I had a really good set of arms. Arm workouts were my favorite. While at my drill weekend, I was particularly determined to do my workout even though my left forearm did not feel right. To make a long story short it is now four years later. I am still not able to do a bicep curl and my well shaped arms have disappeared.

Lesson learned….LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! This is actually the second time I’ve had to learn this lesson. I have a similar injury to my left pectoral muscle. I can bench press (after 12 years), but I will never be able to find out how much I can bench without tearing it.

There is no shame in stopping your workout if you feel pain. Had I know that four years ago, I would enjoy my gym workouts much more.

Hydrate

This week we are going to take a look at the importance of staying hydrated. Our bodies do an amazing job at recycling water. From reabsorbing excess water in our large intestine to doing the same in our sinuses. Our body tries to conserve the precious substance known as water. However, our bodies are not closed system. Through our breath, bodily functions, and sweet, we are constantly losing water.

During physical exertion, we lose even more. Most in the form of sweet to cool our bodies, but also from rapid respiration. Think of oxygen as fish and our blood as the stream. When the stream is at the right level, many fish can freely swim around. When that stream is low, fish cannot move as quickly. The same goes for your bloodstream. You need water in your system to allow the blood to flow. If you are dehydrated, blood is not going to move as well. As a result, oxygen is not going to make it to your muscles as quickly and lactic acid will not be removed as efficiently. The end result, you get tired.

Drink fluids regularly before, during, and after physical exertion. If you wait until you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. While lifting, take a drink while moving from one apparatus to the next. During cardio exercises, such as cycling or running, take a swig every mile. Drink more often on those hot days. While hiking, I like to use a hydration pack in my back pack. The drinking hose is always right there. No fumbling with water bottles.
During the winter months, water is your key to staying warm. Even if your water is getting cold you need to stay hydrated. Proper blood circulation is extremely important in keeping the fingers and toes warm. If the stream is moving slowly, less warm water will make it to where it is needed.