Archive for January, 2005
Weight Training for Runners
I have a big crush on a fitness program.
Crossfit seems to be about some serious strength and power training, by people who appear to want more functional strength than flash and chrome. Fran uses this program for her efforts, and I am constantly in awe of the efforts she puts in. I usually write in my notebook what her drills were, and see if I can reproduce even a fraction of what she gets done. So far, no.
Today, on the CrossFit Discussion Pages, I found a neat response to a question about weight training for a distance athlete. Here’s the entire thread, but the part I liked was the part by Eugene R. Allen. It’s really interesting reading, and I think it’d be really good for ultra-distance runners.
Anyhow, my next evolution will be CrossFit. I’m certain of it now. Those guys really know how to kick your sphincter.
Breaking 10
10 Pounds gone since 12.27. Yep. I hit 10 gone over the weekend. That’s 20 more to go by the end of March. I might come close. (But if you aim high and hit in the middle, it’s nicer than aiming too low, right?)
So what did I do different over the last month?
*No running. Just fast walking and basketball (not *real* basketball).
*10,000 steps a day minimum. (go cheap Walmart pedometers).
*Cut out the monster (snacks after 10PM).
*More calcium (in case that “cuts fat storage” thing is true).
*More calories earlier and fewer later (timing intake).
*High intensity weightlifting (big muscles burn more calories).
*More fiber (super colon blow!)
*Refocused mentally.
Shotgun approach, I’m afraid. I just threw as many ideas that seemed good at my situation as I possibly could muster. I’m not sure which is to credit. Maybe all of them. Maybe not. There are some studies out there (I think I read mine in Experience Life) showing that the food stuff doesn’t matter nearly as much as the exercise stuff. I don’t know. The government is swinging back to “calories in versus calories burned” again, instead of beating on the fat door and the low carb door.
In other news, 2 chinups now. I can do 2 back to back. I did this twice, with sets of negatives in between. I’m thinking I’m doing well. I feel chipper about that.
I’m already tired of using machines to lift. I think I’m going to take my new program back to freeweights and see how it translates. Mostly legs. The new program has me threading myself into those leg curl and leg extension devices, and it just doesn’t feel as natural as squatting and lunging, etc.
Shifting and changing, but maintaining the goal focus. That’s the trick of it.
Workout Theory
(Thanks to Rebecca for letting me post my email to her as a blog post). We were talking about what workout solution might be good for her to try, and I gave her some things to think about. What follows is my response.
There’s this recent shift in thinking on working out, but like everything, it’s a shift backwards to an oldschool approach that, as it turns out, still works just fine. Instead of doing a bunch of little exercises for each little body part, “compound” workouts involve as many body parts getting in on the deal as possible.
Another factor of these workouts is that you can get a lot done with bodyweight or dumbells instead of standard use of machines. This means a focus on training in functional strength instead of focusing on aesthetics. However, because you’re working your muscles more, the aesthetics come through.
So what do you do?
*Pushups– which work chest and front deltoids and triceps and core.
*Chinups (or something called reverse rows) — works back and biceps and all kinds of parts.
*Squats — working your quadriceps, your glutes, your calves.
*Lunges– working your hamstrings, your glutes, your calves.
*Core work– working your various abdominal areas (but not your standard crunches).
*Dips– which is a slightly more focused exercise that works your triceps and chest a bit more, but has some other components.
*Dumbell Rows– another back exercise, working several muscles.
*Dumbell Bench Press– more chest workout, but if done incline-style, can be cross-planar, meaning it works your horizontal as well as vertical push muscles.
*Deadlifts– a great lower back exercise, but must be done with good form.
And plenty more.
See how it’s all machine-independent? You need a little bit of equipment to do it, but not nearly a complete Nautilus circuit at the gym (or Cybex or whoever’s hot at your local gym). Except for chinups, the only gear you really need would be dumbells, and even that is negotiable. There are lots of alternative things to lift. For instance, gallon jugs of water weigh eight pounds. Neat, eh?
Newer thinking on exercising suggests doing full body circuits three or four times a week maximum. Rest a day or two in between. Another workout myth that’s been shattered lately is this notion of doing light weights and high reps for building tone but not bulk, and the opposite for building bulk. It doesn’t really work that way.
To build strong, lean muscle tissue, your muscles need to be stressed beyond their current “static” ability. It appears that the best way to accomplish this is a mix of heavier weights with low reps, and moderate weights with a few more reps. The only benefit of doing very high reps appears to be endurance related.
(Here’s where you’ll likely tune me out)
This involves slow-twitch versus fast-twitch muscle fibers. These are muscle fibers we all have, and that most of us have in roughly equal proportion. Slow twitch fibers are your pluggers. They’re the endurance-based muscles. They do most of your day-to-day stuff, and/or your long term stuff. Running a few miles? Slow twitch..
Fast twitch fibers are your hired guns. They jump in when you do something that requires more than you normally can handle. For instance, you don’t normally walk around with a 45 pound barbell plate in your hands, so when it comes time to move one over your head and back down, your fast twitch muscles help out.
Workouts need to engage a little of both, but your bigger gains come from stressing and enhancing your fast twitch fibers. Your slow twitch are physically smaller and don’t build as readily. That’s why runners don’t have monster legs that look like trash cans with sneakers on the bottom.
But why build your muscle tissue? Fat burning. Strength. Power on demand. More muscle available during endurance.
I can talk more about building a program next time, if that’s useful.
Stomping Through
Gym Update: The two gyms I like to visit in the morning are part of a 4-gym mini group. If I want to buy a membership to one of them, I get both gyms I like for that price. Now, the quandry. These gyms are definitely more expensive than the one up the street I was considering as a replacement. However, they offer TONS more. But… do I use it all? Not these days. But, it’s nice to have. Right? (See Mia? I mull things over occasionally.)
Today was heavy legs schtuff. I haven’t specifically worked legs for over a year. Not counting squats and stuff. I just haven’t really spent time one them, because hey, I’m running trails and hills, so I get lots of it, right?
I felt powerful, but was also amazed at how much my leg strength had slipped since the last time I’d used those machines. For example, I could only leg press 360 lbs. plus whatever the sled weighs, and I used to be able to do 630, when I was lifting heavy all the time. But I think it’s a trade-off. I couldn’t run a block back then.
For cardio, I did fastwalking laps around the track between sets, and then 20 minutes of basketball (which is a riot to watch, because I’m just that bad). I’m enjoying the little break from running, and super happy about how my weight is being impacted. I lost another pound so far (though that’s not official until Tuesday morning).
It’s difficult wanting to stick to this program for four or seven weeks, because I have all these other competing programs I’m interested in trying out. However, how can I evaluate anything without giving it a chance to work or not? It reminds me of a conversation I had in email with a friend, who was confiding that s/he was scared of changing anything in their efforts, for fear of losing what they’d accomplished. I feel a tinge of that. I’m worried that by not running for up to seven weeks, I’ll start out again at ground zero. In some ways, I guess I will. In other ways, I’m sure I’ll be even stronger when I return.
How often do you change up what you’re doing? How do you measure its effectiveness? What kind of planning do you put into your physical fitness efforts?
Well Then
I just learned that the two gyms I use for my morning workouts are going to stop offering access to people from my alliance program. Meaning: no gym for me. Gone. Just like that. Poof.
I have a little series of phrases I’m using to represent my principles right now. They have a heirarchy, and they go like this.
*What’s the game?
*What have you got?
*Dig in and push (remember that?)
*Find a way and get it done.
*Go above and beyond.
*Finish Strong.
*Rest and replenish.
The first two principles are planning/organizing related. The second two are about executing. The third and fourth regard quality. The last is about renewal in all its forms.
With regards to the sudden lack of gym news, my first reaction was to feel really depressed. My immediate second was to wonder what I’m going to do about it. So, I’ll cancel my little fitness dealy. I’ll go visit the two other local gyms and see what they can offer. And I’ll find a way to keep fitness moving forward.
It’s important to build self-esteem, because without it, every setback feels insurmountable. It’s vital to build a track record, as it’s fuel for self-esteem. Taking action when adversity strikes is how one accomplishes his or her long term success. Most anyone can achieve in the short term. I’m banking on my efforts being a long term cycle.
We’ll see what happens.
Weight Loss Attack Coordinates
Things to Fight When Fighting Your Scale
I decided to write down some thoughts on what I’m doing to lose weight. After a one year plateau, I’ve moved the scale six pounds in four weeks. Here’s some of what I did.
Win In Your Mind First
It’s really hard to rally yourself to the flag of “lose weight.” To me, it’s much easier to move TOWARD a good goal. And beyond that, it’s good to remind yourself with visual queues as to why you’re doing what you’re doing. My tricks: I’ve got poster collages made from all kinds of fitness, running, and adventure sports magazines. There are healthy people and little phrases all over them that remind me why I’d like to drop 30 pounds. I also take monthly pictures of myself to see progress. What a wake-up call *that* is. With these motivators, I find it’s easier to pass up the leftover pizza someone shares in the caf, or the little dish of Snickers not far from my cubicle.
Partners Help
It’s much easier to lose weight when the other people in your household are on board for your healthy eating program. I read often where husbands fight back when their wives change up the menu for their weight loss efforts. There are a few thoughts here. One, in my universe, if you don’t like what’s being cooked, you know where the fridge is. Two, if food is made delicious and exciting, who cares if it’s healthy? I’m not blind to the fact that this is an area of contention some time, but really: if you’re losing an argument wherein your side is that you want to get healthier, there are bigger issues afoot than what’s for dinner.
If It’s Not Easy…
Pick up the ABS Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide by David Zinczenko. This is a little paperback companion to the big ABS Diet book, but it seems to have all the important parts of the big book without all the trimmings. There are lots of easy recipes (like caveman easy) for foods with decent blends of good complex carbs, helpful proteins, and other good nutrients. Nothing too tricky, but that’s the point. Want a sample recipe from page 112? (c) David Zinczenko. This is what Kat made for the Pats game, with some modifications
3 Amigos Chili
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 small onion, diced
* 1 pound ground turkey breast
* 1 can diced tomatoes w/jalapeno
* 1 can (10.5 ounces) each: garbanzos, black beans, and kidney beans (drained)
* 1 can (14 ounces) low sodium chicken broth
* 1/4 teaspoon salt and cumin
* 1/8 teaspoon cinammon
* hot sauce to taste
Heat oil on medium low. Add onion and saute until soft (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add turkey and brown (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes with juice, beans, broth and spices. Stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Easy cheesy, right? I believe that easy wins the game with diets.
Lick Salt
This little ditty causes me erratic scale readings that go three or four pounds over my actual weight. Salt leads to water retention, which adds up to “fake” weight. Lowering sodium is part of healthier eating anyhow, so I’m starting to really attack this one when it comes up. Fight back. Find alternative spices that complement the food you’re thinking of spicing up. If the food’s good for you, chances are there’s another way to pop its flavor.
Hunger versus Boredom/Stress Eating
Quite literally, you can do a gut check. Ask your stomach (well, ask yourself– stomachs don’t always answer) whether you’re really hungry, and if so, is whatever you’re considering eating really worth the calories? I find that, in the afternoon, when I’m lagging from too much boring work or annoying happenstance, I’ll end up wanting something I don’t really need or want. My way out? I start with a quick glass of water. Then, if I can, I’ll go for a quick walk around. It jumpstarts my blood flow, and gets me out of the state of mind that put me in the mood to eat.
Fiber Stuffing
Sneaking plenty of fiber into your diet helps fill your belly up real well. I’m getting a huge boost of mine from All Bran Bran Buds (thanks Jon), or Fiber One (if you don’t mind Nutrasweet), and I just found a box of — get this — just bran. This stuff is amazingly low calorie, and you can sneak it into other recipes. That book I mention above has smoothie recipes to beat the band. Slip a few tablespoons of this fiber into those recipes and you can’t even tell. Have some with fat free yogurt as a topping. Swell. (Just don’t eat it like a plain bowl of cereal– ewwww.)
Hydrate, dammit!
How much fluid should you take in? The rule I’m going by says take your bodyweight (in pounds) and divide it by 2. Drink that number in ounces. For me, that’s nearly a gallon of water/tea/whatever a day. Oh yes, you definitely have to pee lots more. But after a while, your body adjusts. But the benefits? With all that fiber and all this liquid, your body is a fat burning machine! See, the water’s not just to fill up your body. It’s part of the recipe for burning fat.
Lean Muscle Tissue Burns Fat
I’ve thrown my weightlifting effort into overdrive, because I’m intent on building up plenty more lean muscle tissue with which to attack my fat stores. I think the equation is that a pound of lean muscle burns 50 calories more than fatty tissue. (A day? An hour? I forget, but you get the point). So get those muscles moving. And if you think heavier weights make you bigger, think again. There’s a lot of effort involved (normally) in bulking up. A good mix of heavy weights/low reps and lighter weights/high reps is the trick. And that’s just it: you have to trick your body into being surprised at what you’re throwing at it. That’s how we adapt and grow muscle, friends.
Same Old Cardio
Popular thinking is finally swinging back to the notion that the way to lose weight is by eating fewer calories and burning more calories. By creating a slight deficit in how much you fuel your body versus how much you burn, weight loss occurs. But are you sick of treadmills like we are up in the northeast? Try these: hit an indoor basketball court. You don’t have to be Shaq to fiddle around with a ball and throw the occasional fudduddudd off the rim. Or take a swim at the local YMCA (or your gym, or the school, etc). Go oldschool. Do jumping jacks and mix them with a forward-back style jack as well. Put your hands on your hips and try alternating your left leg forward and right leg back; then switch. Sure you look like Chris Farley doing Riverdance, but it’s fun and sure burns calories. Don’t forget jumpropes.
Are you still reading? That’s all I have for right now. Want to share some of YOUR ideas with me? Comment away!
Un-Huh!
First off…
Katrina made this super good chili (with jalapenos, banana peppers, tabasco sauce, three beans, turkey burger meat, etc), and chocolate raspberry chip and toasted almond cookies. I brought this and some beers over to the neighbor’s house, and five of us guys watched the game. Oh man. A decent sporting event is like religion. You break bread, you commune, you share in glory that you have nothing to do with.
I’m down another pound. That’s six in four weeks. I’m happy with that news. For the most part, I think the changes that mattered were: no more monster, smoothies for breakfast, close attention to hunger-versus-stress/boredom eating, and lots of liquid.
In fitness news, today’s the day I start my new rotation. The one that includes no running. I didn’t miss it very much, because my workout kicked my sphincter so bad that I was thankful to enjoy a fairly low-cardio 25 minutes on the basketball court. (Where I broke yet another pedometer- I think this makes 5). Oh, by the way, I got 21,000 steps on my pedometer yesterday. That’s approximately 10 miles of walking.
If you haven’t picked up a pedometer (non-runners more than you mileage stars), I strongly recommend it. There’s a lot of great motivation in one of those cheap little boxes.
Lifting was intense. I moved up to being able to shove two 80 pound dumbells into the air for presses. But man. When I tried doing incline presses, 50 pounds in each hand felt pretty heavy. Go figure. It shows me that I have to train those muscles more in two-plane activities. Other highlights included me lowering my lat pulldown weight by 40 pounds and actually working on doing the exercise with perfect form. I can see how much further I have to go now. It’s scary/embarrassing to go back as much as 40 pounds, but I see it as an opportunity to build myself back up correctly. (Here’s an insanely long article on what I did to improve my form.)
We got two feet of snow this weekend, so I got a great chance to exercise my lower back with around 6 cars to help shovel out.
How was YOUR weekend?
Read Every Label
So it’s nearly snacktime. I decided to get some crackers out of the machine to use with my Teddie peanut butter (ingredients: nuts, salt). So, I looked and my choices were: wheat thins or white cheese nips. Wheat thins, right?
The list includes partially hydrogenated soybean oil (trans fats), high fructose corn syrup (currently under suspicion for being a big reason why 50+% of Americans are fatsos), Sugar, more corn syrup, some malt syrup, and a few things I don’t know what they are.
Wicked healthy, yes?
BTW, Jon, All Bran Bran Buds contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, so either you eat Fiber 1 and die from the aspertame, or you eat ABBB and get *that* little bit of fun. I guess the buds. Yes?
Well Said!
Fran has a great post today. I love it.
Doubles?
Next week begins my new rotation of exercises, and I’m looking forward to raising the intensity. Today, I practiced by performing some of my sets until failure, meaning that I worked my muscles hard and didn’t stop until I couldn’t move the weight any longer. It’s been a while since I’ve beat myself up like that. It was a nice feeling afterwards.
I did 30 minutes of throwing around the basketball for my cardio, and it seems that I kept myself within my target heartrate for most of the time. It was interesting, because I used all kinds of different skills than running. I sprinted. I had to pivot and use lots more of my core muscles. Heck, I might even try playing with other people some time. I stink at hitting the basket, but it’s a real hoot for guys with OCD to play. I end up just wanting to be as accurate as all hell.
I’m thinking of doubling up my Monday and Friday sessions when I can, starting next week. I’ll do a second lifting session at lunch on those two days. That way, I’m not blowing out my body all week long, but I’m picking two of my three training days to really beat the stuffing out of my muscles. The trick will have to be close monitoring of my recovery, and to make sure that I give myself sufficient time to rest and rebuild. It’s just like when I did double running expenditures early in my training last year. Just a kickstart effort.
Moving on to motivation and mental stuff, I’m feeling pretty much on top of my game, fitness-wise, but I had a few slips this week with monster stuff. I’m hoping to get back on that horse tonight and carry through for a good 10 days in a row. I eat great during the day, and no cheats due to that. But in the middle of the night, I forget. So, I’m going to work harder on deflecting that. I did 10 days last time. I want another 10 day streak, and then to build off that.
People often comment about how much I read. When you don’t watch TV, there’s plenty of time to read. I get almost 2 hours a night free to read, if I’d like. It adds up very nicely.
Big weekend plans? I’ve got plans to see the Pats Sunday night at my little theater in town. And if the weather plays along, I’m going to take Kat sledding on Sunday. Hooray!
