Drink More Water, Get Focused

Nutrition

I drink too much Diet Coke. My philosophy has been that if drinking diet soda is really that bad for a person, I would be dead by now. A case of Diet Coke a day is not uncommon for me; less than six 12 oz cans gives me a headache and lethargy (big time). Many sources suggest that diet soda causes sweet cravings by skewing a person’s sense of what is and what is not sweet.

A few weeks ago I radically cut my diet soda intake for two days. When I returned to drinking diet soda, I realized that I was always craving chocolate and other sugary snacks. There may be something to this argument about diet soda and the sweet tooth. In the past, I recognized the plausibility of such arguments, but dismissed them as mildly annoying. Today I start drinking more water and less soda.

For my next trick, I will stop eating all the free snacks that magically show up at work. I tore up some rice crispy, chocolate, marshmallow things someone brought in.

Fitness

I began this week determined to work on joint mobility and flexibility, because patrolling in a squad car for hours and going home to sit at a computer for hours does bad things to your back, knees, feet, and basically everything that bends or holds weight.

The first four days went well. After that I stared at a computer screen, reading, editing, running the Serenity Editor, and reading again. This week should be different, I have a plan and fresh determination to find balance.

INSANITY

ST       3-16-13            Cardio Recovery                     33 min (Bare feet/ mat)

SN       3-17-13            Pure Cardio                            38 min (Bare feet/ mat)

M        3-18-13            Plyometric Cardio Circuit         42 min (Bare feet/ mat)

T         3-19-13            Rest                                         Rest

NOTE: I really feel like I have accomplished something at the end of each workout. #Increased #confidence

Insanity Week One - Completed

I was not able to post my workout results yesterday, however, I managed to complete the first six Insanity DVDs. It wasn't always pretty and I took a few breaks here and there (collapsing on my face for a few seconds) but I did it.

The hardest part of sticking with any program is finding the time. This week I worked out whenever I could fit it in, doing each workout as early as possible to be sure it got done. Early as possible was sometimes after a ten hour shift or between a part time job and a ten hour shift.

The key element is commitment. Support from family, and anyone else who relies on you, is a huge help as well.

Insanity Workout Schedule (Month One)
 Week 1
    SN 1-20-13 Fit Test 25 min (Bare feet/ mat)
    M 1-21-13 Plyometric Cardio Circuit 42 min (Bare feet/ mat)
    T 1-22-13 Cardio Power & Resistance 39 min (Bare feet/ mat)
    W 1-23-13 Cardio Recovery 33 min (Bare feet/ mat)
    TH 1-24-13 Pure Cardio 39 min (Bare feet/ mat)
    F 1-25-13 Plyometric Cardio Circuit 42 min (Bare feet/ mat)
    ST 1-26-13 Rest

In the future, I will be posting workout results once a week, unless I start to slip and need the extra accountability.

Insanity Day 4 - Cardio Recovery

Despite working until 10 p.m., I completed day four of the Insanity program, Cardio Recovery. This DVD has several static poses that are yoga based and not easy. I definitely need more flexibility. Hopefully, I will improve each week. If you are following and exercise program, good luck. Hang in there.

Insanity Day 3 - Cardio Power & Resistance

Today was a real victory. Finding time to work out was a challenge, but here I am, done with the third day of Insanity. I have put aside all the excuses and worries and committed to doing the full program, rather than picking and choosing the workouts I like. My feet are a little beat up, but I have been trying to land softly (as instructed in the video). The Cardio Power and Resistance DVD is thirty-nine minutes, including stretching. 

  

Now all I need to do is avoid these:

Indanity Day 2 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I am glad I did a pre-conditioning program, but twenty-seven minutes of the DVD is not the same as the entire forty-two minute session. I was worried about doing the entire thing today. Now that I am finished, I am glad I pushed myself. There were some five second rest breaks toward the end and I looked like a fish out of water doing the Level 1 drills. No pictures today, I must go to work. Please leave a reply if you have thoughts on the Insanity or other home DVD workouts.

Insanity (DVD Workout)

Today I decided to start the Insanity DVD workout program and follow the schedule. During the last two weeks I have done the Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit, starting with just the warm-up (about ten minutes) and eventually completing twenty-seven minutes of the video each day. I have done this about four times a week for two weeks.

I suggest a pre-conditioning program before starting the Insanity DVD program, because they are brutal. The farthest I have gone is about forty days of the sixty day program. I made mistakes, the most serious being a poor decision to push through various feet injuries.

Some were unrelated to Insanity. For instance I fell down the stairs while carrying my son (9 months old at the time) and sacrificed my body to protect him. A life time of martial arts training and other experience with falling down saved both of us from serious harm. My son was unscathed, though startled. I twisted an ankle, bruised this and that, and jammed my big toe (of all things). When I say I jammed my toe, I mean that I jammed it all the way to my hip. Summary; I frequently injure my feet, I rarely quit exercising on my feet when pain and injury warrant it, and I am often on my feet for long hours. Many people warned me that this program was hard on your body, and I wanted to clarify that safety and common sense are important.

Before trying the Insanity program, see a doctor and work with a qualified trainer if possible.

If you suffer or begin to suffer from plantar fasciitis and arch problems, listen to your body and get healthy.

I tried all kinds of shoes with varying results. Shape-ups helped some problems but aggravated others. I tried the workout version as well. One of my coworkers is a proponent of barefoot running and running in toe shoes. I bought a pair of Vibram toe shoes and they're great. They have their limitations, but I will save further feet and shoe discussions for another blog.

After about two years of mediocre workouts and injury delays, I believe I have finally found a solution that works for me. I purchased Zebra grappling mats and started doing the Insanity workout barefoot. Do I recommend this? No, I am just saying it is working for me so far.

Super 43 Beginning Strength Workout

There are several ways to build a better body through strength training. I originally wrote a long, detailed blog, and presented several arguments for and against some of the primary paradigms, but I decided more research was needed. I firmly believe there are many good ways to lift weights. In future blogs I will share the titles I am reading as research and my general conclusions. For now, this is the workout I have designed for myself.

Super Fit 43 Stage 1

Purpose: build a foundation.

Considerations: time is a factor, I need a workout that fits my schedule.

Description: Full body strength workout, two or three times a week.

Exercises:

Deadlift
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Bent Dumbbell Row
Front Squat

Dumbbell Shoulder Pull / Press
Triceps Pressdown

Method:

I perform the exercises in modified super sets. Example: 1 set of deadlifts, 60 second rest, 1 set of Incline Dumbbell Press, 60 second rest. I repeat for 2 to 5 super sets. Then I do the same with Front Squats and Bent Dumbbell Rows, then Dumbbell Shoulder Pull / Press (which is an upright row straight into a shoulder press, a bit light a clean and press) and Triceps Pressdowns.

The reason I lift this way is that I can use heavy weights and rest between 2 and 3 minutes between sets for that exercise, while keeping my workout short. I like to rest my upper body while working my legs and vice versa. This keeps my entire body warmed up but does not burn out the muscles and change it from a strength workout to a strength endurance workout. Of course, with higher reps, it is an excellent endurance workout with some cardio benefit.

The most basic principle of building strength, and therefore muscle, is overload. In simple language, your muscles must be challenged to grow stronger. This is not the perfect workout for gaining size or preparing for competitive lifting, but it is a good workout with many benefits.
My current routine works each major muscle group. When performed safely, with correct form, it should produce good results. I consider it a foundation workout, after which I plan to try more specific programs.

The specific exercises are not required. I selected them because the work:

Hamstrings (and back)
Chest (as well as triceps and shoulders)

Quadriceps
Back (as well as biceps)

Shoulders
Triceps

The exercises can be categorized as:

Pulling
Pushing

Pulling
Pushing

Pulling and Pushing
Pushing

Future workouts will also incorporate what I call opening and closing moves (terms I borrowed from Kenpo Karate--Ed Parker and Tom Kelly style). Examples of opening and closing moves are Bent Deltoid Lateral Raises and Dumbbell Flys.

I have omitted training calves and abdominals, because I train them in other ways and only have so much time.

I also recommend reading Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (The Build Healthy Muscle Series) by Michael Matthews. His book is much more comprehensive and I have plans to follow his workout in the future. The main reason I am not following it now, is that I need to hit every muscle group in one workout, in case my schedule causes me to miss several days.

Please remember that if you are going to lift weights, you must do so safely. Use a training partner and learn the correct technique from a qualified trainer.