Rant and Tip for May 31, 2011

Well, my friends I apologize for being missing in action. I had a great memorial day weekend and got a lot of Sun, between softball and soccer for my kids I was running all over the place. It is a good thing my days of rest are on the weekend. Although my kids did ask me to run with them as they rode their bikes. Funny how 2 years ago I would not have been able to do that. Amazing what a little time will and can make in your life. Keep in mind at my current body weight I get most of my cardio from lifting. When I have a meet coming up I do add running back into my regimen. On last Friday I had x-rays on my ribs and my blood pressure was 126/68. Pretty good numbers especially since I had not been running. My weight this morning was 165.4. I am at the perfect point for my meet on June 4th. If I can lose 1 or 2 more pounds by Friday that is right where I want to be. I feel like my rant has been al over the place today. Let me see if I can reel it in. Oh, cardio and weight loss. Once you are down to a body fat you are comfortable with you can reduce the amount of cardio you are doing. However, in my humble opinion until you get there 20 to 30 minutes of sweat inducing, hard to talk, cardio is what will help you see results quickly. This week is a week off from lifting for me. I will do some mild cardio to keep my metabolism cranked but mostly rest for this body to get ready for new records.

Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:

Once you have your body fat to the percent that you are comfortable with and you are strength training intensely enough you can cut back on the amount of cardio you do. 2 to 3 days a week at that point will be just right for you. However, everyone’s body is different and some people may need to maintain that level of cardio. Experiment with your metabolism once you hit your goal. Also you notice I mention body fat and not weight or BMI. This is because with strength training the scale can lie to you. You might not lose much weight but you are losing fat. As far as BMI I find it is not accurate for people whom strength train. It still says I am overweight!!!!

Rant and Tip for May 27, 2011

Let’s talk a bit about cardio and aerobic activity. Now keep in mind this in my humble opinion. Not being a huge fan of running I do know it is necessary. If not running some other intense cardio workout. Skipping rope, riding a bike, and even high reps resistance training with little breaks can be an aerobic workout. This type of exercise will really help your heart. Having the right exercise program can be a healthy way to keep in shape, as well as reduce hypertension. A regular exercise routine can get blood flowing. It will take anywhere from a month to a few months to see the actual results on the monitor. Healthy heart exercises can get the heart pumping, as well as reducing the chances of suffering from hypertension. A good exercise program can also keep weight manageable. Aerobic exercise fits into the heart healthy exercise category. It is an energetic exercise that can raise the heart rate. Aerobics can include many types of exercise. It will only help if you are consistent and do not give up. If you find it hard to stick to a routine, which many of us do try mixing it up. When you mix it up you keep it interesting. I find that the best time to do this type of exercise is before breakfast. Since you were fasting since the evening before you will get your metabolism cooking and burn more fat as that is the fuel source you have at that point. Be sure to stay hydrated. Drink a lot of water. Man there is that “W” word again. Didn’t I just rant about that. Remember our bodies were built for motion.


Have a great workout!

Tip of the day

If you find it hard to stick to a routine, try parking in the furthest space and walk into work or the mall. You can also take the stairs instead of the elevators. Remember that as long as you are getting some type of exercise, you can improve your heart’s condition. Although scheduling it is better after all you schedule everything else in your life.

Rant and Tip for May 26, 2011

Good Day everyone,

    Before I get to my tip of the day let me ask this question, I am curious how many people follow my blog? You don’t have to sign up with Google to follow of course so leave me a comment today anonymously so I can get a head count. OK now for the rant. The myth that a low carbohydrate diets will lead to a decrease in energy. When it comes to building a lean physique there are diet changes you can do to tip the scales in your favor. You can build lean muscle mass and burn body fat with out feeling fatigued on a low carbohydrate diet. I know I know the thought of eating a low carbohydrate diet scares a lot of people. They fear that they'll lose all their hard-earned muscle, have low energy, and just feel like a piece of crap. Well you might feel like crap the first couple weeks but then you body will get use to the burning fat for fuel. Now I am talking net carbs here everyone. Take the nutritional label and subtract out the sugar alcohol and the dietary fiber carbs and you have you net carbs. In recent study done in Australia they took 60 overweight people and split them into 2 groups. Half were following the typical high carb / low-fat eating plan. The other half followed a low carb / high-fat eating plan. The interesting thing was that the test subjects ability to exercise, energy levels, perceptions of fatigue and exertion – were consistent for both groups. However, the big difference was that the low carb group lost more weight and burned a higher percentage of body fat during exercise than the high carb group. Atkins has laid this all out in their newest book The New Atkins for a New You.. If interested you can pick up here on my blog. Just click the link. So workout and workout hard and if you in fat loss mode do not be afraid of the low carb diet.

Have a Great Workout

Tip of the day:

If you are going to eat low carb you will need to track you carbs carefully. I suggest using Fitday or Fatsecret. They are both free online web applications and I find them very useful.

Rant and Tip for May 25, 2011

 Good morning all, I am kind of stuck at 167 and want to get below 165 by next Friday. One of the things I know I am lacking in, is my water intake. Water is essential to weight loss and I mean true weight loss not just water weight. Yeah I could just not eat and drink for the next day or to and I would lose some “weight”. However most of it will be water weight and muscle. Now since I do not want to lose any muscle and next week I will be giving my muscles a well-deserved rest I can start cutting back on my protein levels. Probably down to about 150 grams and I have to start making sure I am getting at 128 ounces of water a day. Water will flush out the system and actually flushes out the toxins that are stored in the body. You body fat will store these toxins and when you loose fat these toxins are released back into the body. The other thing about water is that sometimes when you are hungry you are actually just dehydrated and need fluids. Sorry everyone coffee and soda do not count here. Pure water is what the body needs. Since I am taking creatine monohydrate, which hydrates the muscle, I will definitely need the water. Next step in the process will be to reduce my carbohydrates a little more and watch my fats. This will create a diuretic effect and since I do need to lose water weight at this point the call of the next week will be to make sure I get my water in. Of course you know what that means, YES late night trips to the bathroom. I will plan my lifts tonight at Albany Strength and start mentally preparing for the meet on June 4th.


Have a great Workout!

Tip of the day:

Since we are talking about water lets talk about how to get that much water in. If you work in an office, water bottles make it easy and you can just refill them through out the day. Keep it in front of you and you will find it is pretty easy to drink that much water. If you put a gallon jug of water in front of you it can look like a daunting task and we don’t want that.

Rant and Tip for May 24, 2011

Well I forgot to congratulate all the lifters at the USAPL power-lifting meet last Saturday the 21st. I was at the camping trip for my son and missed this event. It also means I have missed my opportunity to compete in the USAPL Raw Nationals in Scranton Pa. Oh well there is always next year. My friend Brian bench pressed a new PR for himself and pulled 487 in the deadlift. Brian you are a beast my friend. I am still working my deadlift and will see how I do in a meet soon. I still do not know about doing that lift on the 4th we will see. I have not heard how my friends OX and Ray did or even Baxter. I hope they are at the gym on Wednesday to give me updates. Lifting is an interesting sport while you are competing against each other ultimately we all want each other to do well. When you lift at home or in the gym to get more fit you can have the competitive spirit in yourself. Push yourself to do better and get stronger. As we get older it is important at any age to maintain muscle strength. A stronger core will assist you in catching your balance in the event you slip, also as we become seniors strength training will keep our bones strong and less brittle. Of bodies are complex efficient machines that need to be taken care of. The more we keep them in use the healthier we will be. WE WERE BUILT FOR MOVEMENT. Treat your body as a temple and you will reap the rewards.

Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:

Strength training doesn’t have to be with weights, it can be with resistance bands or just your own body weight.
You can get a good chest burn with push-ups, which will hit your core as well. Just because I like to hit the weights hard doesn’t mean you have to, to get fit. Crunches, push-up, and squats without weights are great for the body. Add in some cardio at 30 minutes like burpees, jumping jacks, biking or a run and you have a great day to start getting the body fit. HMMMM I think I will set up a routine for you with out weights that you can start next week.

Rant and Tip for May 23, 2011

Good Morning bloggers it was a great weekend. My son who is a Boy Scout not had his last Cub Scout camping weekend. That is why I was not around. Sorry if you came here for some slight humor and exercise tips and I was not around. Family does need to come first. With that said it is very important to make time for your self as well. I did go for a 2 mile run with my daughter Saturday morning. She is a junior black belt and had to maintenance test. There is a lot of conditioning involved with both of these activities. When we go camping there is a lot of hiking going on and with Tai Kwon Do my daughter goes none stop for the hour she is in class. Both however require a little of exercise outside of just doing the activity. You need to work on your endurance prior to the big run or a day of hiking. You do not want to be caught by surprise when you go hiking up the mountain and find you are spent half way up the hill. Nor to you want to get partially through the run and start looking around for some one to carry you to the finish. We all need to get out there and get our bodies in motion. They were built to move. If you don’t the next thing you know you look the way I did in my before pictures. It is time my friends to get out there and do your 20 minutes of cardio and hit some strength training. If you need help ask, I am here and you know there will be someone at the local gym to help you as well.

Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:

Assistance, we all need help at some point in our workouts. Whether it is a spotter while workout to muscle failure to needing pointers on our form. One area many people need assistance on is the Pull Up. This is a great upper body workout but can be a bit discouraging when you cannot do them. Don’t worry there are many people who cannot do them. I have put a video of an assisted pull up

you can do with bands. It recorded sideways but I think you will get the point. Take a look and give it a try if you need to bands or three, go for it.

Rant and Tip for May 20, 2011

We are upon another day and I am behind schedule already. An hour to be exact. It is very hard to make up that hour when you lose it. The day will compound and you will have a harder time making up that time as the day progresses. As I sit here it make me think about life. When we lose some time in our life it is hard to make it up and as we get older it gets even harder. Our time here on this earth is finite. While we want to eat drink and be happy, it seems that when we eat and drink to excess or of the wrong foods it becomes form difficult to keep happy. Our bodies will start to break down and wear down. Think about it, if you are still that hour behind right before bed you never made up the time and got to accomplish everything you wanted to. Don’t keep putting off things you want to do, like eating properly and adding an exercise regimen to you daily lifestyle. Take the bull by the horns and go enjoy life. Your mind will be sharper, your spirit will be happier and your body will be healthier. You will be able to do so many more things in your lifetime if you keep that body moving now.

Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:
    Age is just a number; the whole thing is mind over matter. If you don’t mind your age doesn’t matter. I am 48 years old and will be 49 in August. That means I will have to compete in the 50-year old masters division. This was kind of a wake up call to me. I was like am I really going to turn 50 next year. The answer is YOU BET YOUR ASS and the fact there is even division out there that is for that age group tells me I am not alone. It does not matter how old you are, you can get fit and healthy and you can have a fun active live as an AARP member. LOL

Rant and Tip for May 19, 2011

Good Morning,

Well I am guilty, yes guilty I tell you of not resting my muscles enough. I am getting excited for my June 4th meet and want to come in real strong. I know I will beat my meet record, and I have pressed 305 in a meet and want to hit 310 or 315 in this meet. I just know I can do it. I don’t think my deadlift will be ready by the 4th though so I may just compete in the bench press. That could change the day of the meet. I will let you all know. I am striving to bench twice my weight. What I find interesting is how easy it is to put on fat and hard it is to put on muscle and gain strength. Eating properly is huge to both. Although we all know that eating huge on the wrong foods is what will make us fat, but did you know you need to eat huge of the right foods to get bigger? Yes it is true. We need to adapt the philosophy good calories in and plenty of them. That is if you are working towards getting bigger and stronger. I know it can be a juggling act to lose the fat and gain the muscle you want. Been there and am trying to do that. In the beginning when you have a lot of body fat to lose I like to tell people don’t worry about muscle gains they will come because you will be fueling your body properly. If you a man trying to lose fat, get your self down to about 12% to 18% and then maintain it there. This is a good muscle building range. Anything less than 10% and it is extremely difficult. Not that it can’t be done but it will be much harder and slower. Ladies depending on your figure 20% to 25% is the range for you. When you hit this point we will have to talk again about where you diet should be. Until then work those muscles hard but don’t forget to give them time to rest.


Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:

Resting the muscle is important for it to heal and get stronger. If you have any Delayed onset muscle soreness do not work that muscle that day. You need to let it heal completely. I try to make sure is do this every week and on most weeks I am successful in this quest. When I feel like hitting the weights beyond what my schedule is I will do the body part that is not sore. However we all including me must listen to our bodies.

Yes JIM THIS MEANS YOU TO!

Rant and Tip for May 18, 2011

Good Morning all,


It is another rainy day here in the northeast of North America. I was just telling a friend I had to go write my blog and that I was not sure what to write about today and they suggested something about how to stay motivated when you have a string of days where the weather is gloomy. Motivation is a funny thing in that on a beautiful day the last thing you want is to be inside throwing weights around. Or when it is gloomy outside you just want to sit inside and curl up with a book or someone special and watch the fire. For me it is kind of summed up in everything I write. From switching things up like some of the outdoor bootcamps I see people doing to setting big goals and setting the path to reach that goal with smaller stepping stone goals. Also having that special someone in your life that shares in your quest to be fit can be motivational as well. If you don’t have that someone close to you, you are welcome to come here and comment, ask questions or just read the rantings of a mad man who is obsessed with his physical conditioning and hopes he can get you motivated to do so to. Thank you Linda for putting this bug in my ear now all I will think about all day is how to motivate my workout partner who has been slacking all week. NO fault of his own but I don’t want him to fall back in to all routines.

Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:

We all have things that come up in life that will keep us from getting to the gym. Sometimes we are doing great and then the gym get closed for a week, or kids need to be taken to college, or even a business trip that is just not conducive to getting your workout in. There is nothing wrong with taking a week off from your workouts. I do it the week before meet. What you need to do though is make sure you schedule the drop-dead date you will start back in. Stick to this like glue. It is too easy to let ourselves be lazy and procrastinate and just not get back to our healthy fit lifestyle. So Schedule it and stick to it.

Rant and Tip for May 17, 2011

Oh man was I in a cranky mood yesterday. I hadn't slept well the night before and I am sure that was my issue. After that every little thing just seemed to bother me. I did get my workout n and after that I was in a better mood. I was able to get the endorphins flowing and just felt better afterwards. Mind you not 100% but definitely better. The lifts went well and I decided going for a new PR was not the best idea yet. While I need to have a general idea what I need to pull for the meet on the 4th, right now I have to make sure my form is getting better. The next couple of weeks are going to be really crazy and hectic. The main gym I work out in will be closed which means I will have to find a different place to go. I do have another place but it is a matter of scheduling the time to get there. Also I need to make sure I lose the next three to four pounds so I can fuel up on the 3rd. I would like to talk about the stabilizing muscles. These muscles are the secondary muscles that are used in a lift. For instance many people when they work out will concentrate on a specific muscle and isolate it by using a machine. When we do this we neglect the stabilizing muscles and we rob ourselves of truly getting stronger. Don’t get me wrong, machines definitely have their place and yes I do use them. However, there really is so substitute for cold hard steal, or in the case of many gyms today rubber coated steal. When we lift a dumbbell or a free bar for squats, benching or deadlifts we hit those stabilizing muscles as well. If we stand or sit on a ball while doing our biceps curls we can hit our abdominal muscles as well. I guess what I am saying here is don’t be afraid to break away from your comfort zone.


Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:

Comfort zones are just that a place where we feel comfortable. Well your muscles know that and they need to be pulled out of that zone to grow, just like you. Several of you came here having never worked out with weights before. You left your comfort zone and tried something different. Do that to your muscles to. Try heavier weights one day an maybe do a couple less reps. Then go lighter and do more reps. Don’t be afraid to leave that comfort zone. You have done it once already you can do it again.

Rant and Tip For May 16, 2011

AHHH Monday morning, I love Mondays. I know I know you are thinking this guy must be crazy. Well I have a great job and I know what the routine for the day is going to be. Don't get me wrong I like my weekends to but it is so much easier to stay on my workout schedule during the week. I don't mind giving up my lunchtime to go work out. I just eat at my desk, several times that is. LOL This past weekend was a hectic weekend. My children had sporting events and I had to help get the house ready for a confirmation party. Which meant a lot of foods would be available that although may be delicious just are not going to help me reach my goals with my diet and fitness level. So I stayed away from them. Had a great meal all the same and I even indulged on a glass of my favorite bourbon, Makers Mark. Just one though. OK back to the grind of working out hard. I am going to work on my dead lifts again today and hopefully pull a new personnel best. Wish me luck!!

Have a great Workout

Tip of the day:

Your will power will make you or break you! As my weekend progressed and I say the macaroni salad, the cake, chips and other assorted snacks I stared in amazement. As I was serving the drinks to our guest each beer look pretty good in their mugs. The whiskey sours looked delicious. However I knew that for now those foods and drinks would not touch these lips. I wanted more for myself. I know what my goal is and those foods and drinks will not let me get there. I applied the will power of a Tractor pulling a load and did not give in. You can do it to. APPLY YOUR OWN WILL POWER

Rant and Tip for May 13, 2011

Well I see blogger is back up and running. I guess that proves that Friday the 13 does have its merit. With that said I have already gotten my leg workout in today. Did leg presses worked up to 700 and did a set of 5. I did 3 sets of 10 working up to 400 at 90 pound intervals and then worked up at sets of 5 at 50 pound intervals to 700. I felt good and strong today. Not sure what else to say her today since it is so late in the day. I ate well today and hope you did as well. It is amazing how eating correctly will help with your workouts and even after you workout. As I sit here I cannot help but think and wonder if I have done 700 before which will bring me to the tip of the day which I should and will start doing.


Have a great Workout

Tip of the day

Keep a log of your workouts so you know what to workout with. When you change things up you sometimes forget what you did on the previous workout and need to really guess at what you really want to start out with and finish with. Get a log book and keep track of your set and your weights. If you are using machines make sure to right down the settings on the particular piece of equipment.

Rant and tip for May 12, 2011

Good Morning all,



I worked chest and benching last night. I used a bar called a wobbly bar. It is an odd shaped bar that is more like two h lying on their sides and welded together or something like that. The h's would be end to end. You grasp the bar at the top bar and the weights are on the bottom. This makes it wobble when you lift off. It hits your stabilizing muscles even more than dumbbells do. I was kind of fun to work with it. I also had the guys inspect my squat form and they said it was good. So it is just a matter of adding the weight and getting stronger. I will be scheduling in my cardio this week and sticking to it to make sure I am comfortably under 165. I know I have put on more muscle because the last time I was at 168 I did not have the striations in my legs and shoulders I see now. It can be difficult for you to watch the scale if you are trying to lose fat and put on muscle, So don’t watch the numbers.



Have a great workout



Tip of the day:



You knew this was coming. You may need to get rid of the scale as your fat loss progresses. Get a measuring tape and mark you numbers down and track those instead. Always measure in the same spots and you can even use an online fat percent calculator. They are not the most accurate but it will give you a number to track. I watch the scale only because I want to set a full meet record at 165 lbs. Eventually I will put on enough muscle that I wont be able to compete in that class. When that happens I will have to compete with my friend Brian who is a monster at the deadlift. I have a lot of work ahead of me and thank goodness he competes much younger than I do.

Rant and Tip for May 11, 2011

UGH, OK I now know how my day will be or what I need to change it from. I have my rant and tip all typed in here and then my system rebooted to install some updates. The funny part the blog was about preparation and if I had been prepared this would not have happened.. I had even typed it up on Microsoft Word and copied and pasted it in the blog spot. Then bang it happened a reboot. The work doc asked me if I wanted to save it and with out thinking I said no. Then the browser closed before I published. I should have known better. Isn't that life though, we should have known better. Lets take our eating habits. For years doctors have told us diet and exercise will get us fit and healthy. The two go hand in hand, yet we eat in a fashion that puts extra fat on our bodies and then life happens, marriage, house, kids, work, and we forget to or feel we just don't have time exercise. So lets address this. I am about 5 lbs from the weight I want to be the night before my event on June 4th. I want to weigh in at 163and eat like a horse the night before so I can have the strength and fuel to press some heavy weight. I will be tracking my foods in fitday.com You can use Fit day or Fat Secret. Both are free online food trackers. Also I will be weighing my foods to make sure that my amounts are accurate. You can get a good digital scale here. This is very important so I can make sure my protein levels are where I want them to be while reducing my carbohydrate intake to about 30. I will not worry about fat at this point but if the last week gets tight I will reduce them and increase my cardio. The key here is to prepare my foods ahead of time or be stuck eating tuna all week long. Don't get me wrong I love tuna, however I do need a change once in a while. I will prepare some chicken the night before and have that for my lunches and some vitamin rich vegetables.  I love my green vegetables. I remember even as a kid I enjoyed my spinach.

Have a great workout


Tip of the day:

Preparation. Be sure to prepare for you day the night before if you want to be successful in you lifestyle change. Here is the challenge. I remember as a child that I truly enjoyed eating meat and vegetables. OK OK maybe not all vegetables but I do remember loving spinach. As we get older and busier if just becomes to grab some convenience food and eat that. Typically these foods are rich in simple carbohydrates and unhealthy fats as apposed to healthy fats. So prepare the night before and make those foods your convenience  foods

Rant and Tip for May 10, 2011

I set up a facebook page last night for this blog. So click on the like button and let’s see who is out there. I worked some squats in late last night and made sure I went all the way down. I am finding it takes my legs a much longer time to get warmed up compared to my chest. This does make sense though since they are larger muscle groups that are getting engaged. Note to self when I do my first full power lifting meet be sure to warm up enough for the squats and stretch out those hips. There is nothing like pushing yourself to the limit and then a little more. It helps to have a workout partner to help push you but when you do not have one like me yesterday you just need to maintain your focus and push yourself. Make it fun, yell at yourself, Stare in a mirror and build up some adrenalin at the image in the mirror. Because lets think about this, the only person who can beat you in the GYM is you. Don't let that reflection win. You are better than that. You have that person’s number and you are going to show them.


Have a great workout

TIP OF THE DAY:

Mirrors, no not for vanity! They are for form and the reason above. I recently read an article on increasing your own testosterone via natural means. Such as heavy lifts on a consistent basis will trigger the hormone to be released. The other is anger in response to a potential fight. The article suggested staring into a mirror and triggering your adrenalin and release of testosterone through basically picking a fight with yourself. Be careful doing this in a gym though, they may call the men in the white suits.

Rant and Tip for May 9, 2011

Good morning faithful readers,

 Today should prove interesting. The gym I work out in is closed for the day. I didn't get up early enough this morning to work out here at home either. I will try to hit the weights late tonight like around 9:00 or maybe 10:00 if I have to. Today will be squat day I think for me. I have the equipment here and I plan to use it. Remember Fearless ! I think I sprained my middle finger on my right hand. It is a little swollen and hurts like the dickens. It also tends to stick up. So, to all the people who actually see me today, I am not flipping you off, it just is painful to bend it. I am in the process of preparing for my next meet on June 4th and my weight is at 167.5. Just the place to be for now. I will drop 2 pounds this week and then another 2 next week that will put me at a point where I can make sure I am sufficiently fuel up for the Friday before the meet and the day of. Power lifting is something new for me this year and I have to say I love it. Not just because I happen to be a decent lifter but because there is a camaraderie to it. Lifters lift against themselves and everyone helps each other. Also just to break the stereotype that we are all big and dumb. One of my friends in power lifting is a physics professor at a local college. Had to plug you here Brian. LOL
If you are a regular reader of my blog please sign up as a follower. I am interested to see how many people are truly reading my gibberish.

Have a great workout!

TIP OF THE DAY:

Do not be afraid to try something new. I never would be having the time I am lifting if I hadn't gone ahead and tried it on a the urging of a friend. Thanks Ted! If there is something you always wanted to try DO IT. Do not just sit there and think about it go for it. You may surprise yourself and it could lead to something great.

Rant and Tip May 8, 2011

Happy Mothers Day:

   Today is Mothers Day here in the United States. A day set aside to honor the woman who brought us into the world. Yeah we dads had a small part in it. I here millions of those little parts can fit on the head of a pin. LOL. Our mothers sacrificed time, energy and sometimes their own health to make sure we are safe and grow to be the people we are today. When we get older they are still their for us as our confidants and in most cases I hope do not judge us. Judging is set aside for the man upstairs. We may not always agree with what our mothers say or do but I am sure in all cases they really only have our best interest at heart. I lost my mother when I was 19. It will be 30 years this October. I still miss her and wish I had been able to spend more time with her as an adult myself. My children have never had the benefit of meeting her an my daughter, I think really looks like her. Sunday is usually a day of rest as far as lifting goes, but for some reason I feel the need to hit them hard today. I am not sure why that is and knowing myself I am sure I will go hit the weights in a few minutes. First I want to say THANK YOU MOM while I did not have you nearly long enough in my life I thank you for the time I did get to spend with you. I love you and miss you!

Tip of the day:

 Make time for your Mom today. Encourage her to start some type of exercise program herself. There are so many things we can do as we get older to stay fit. Keep in mind I will turn 49 this August and 50 next year. OMG did I say 50. I am sure some of your parents are close to my age, some are older. You may be a grandparent at my age. SO WHAT, age is just a number and it is mind over matter. If your don't mind age doesn't matter!

Rant and Tip May 7th 2011

My Rant today is very late,
I am so sorry my bloggers. I got up late this morning and had to go assist my father in-law put his dock in Saratoga lake. Let me tell you people today was not a day off from lifting. LOL. That water was cold. I put on my wet suit which does insulate me but it was not enough. To day was a day of rest in the sense that I was not lifting weights for an hour. However I was lifting for an hour. You know that is another benefit of strength training. When you need the muscles to push pull lift stretch or just assist others they are ready willing and able. No if ands or buts. The other thing is since I have lost all the extra body fat I find I get cold easy can we say SHRINKAGE Jerry SHRINKAGE!!! Even with the wet suit on I started shivering. Another guy helping out and lets say he is more like my before pic didnt start shivering until I did and he was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. UGH I guess if that is the downfall of being fit and healthy I will take it.

Have a happy workout!

Tip of the day:
As you lose the body fat on your body you may find you get cold easier. Don't worry this is normal. Fat does act as insulation. You may find that you will always keep an extra jacket with you at all times.

Rant and Tip for May 6, 2011

Good morning all,
    Well I ended up working on squats yesterday going very deep and going lighter. Next week will be a heavy lifting week. Anyway I went ass to grass on every squat. The challenge was I was working out at the gym and the only equipment they have for squats is a smith machine. As I work on my form the smith machine becomes more of a hindrance. First off you really cannot lock your grip in because you have to rotate the bar off the hooks. Then the downward motion is in a straight line and that puts your body off a bit. I guess I have to heed my own advise again and just be flexible. Next week squats will be heavy and in the rack. I was talking to a friend the other day and he is a beast when it comes to the squat and dead lift. I told him I think I have a mental block on squatting 400. I start going down and I get afraid that I won't get back up. He said to me and I quote, "You have to be fearless".  Now here is the thing, if I do get stuck in the rack it is no big deal because the rack will catch the weight and I just walk out from under it. No big deal. OK I CAN DO THIS, I CAN DO THIS!!!!! I am a lean mean squatting machine. Ugh did I just say that. Today I am working dead lifts again to hone in on the form some more. My next meet is June 4th in Johnson City NY. Wish me luck.

Have a happy workout!!!

TIP OF THE DAY:

Be fearless! Now I am not saying that you need to push the weight I want to push or even to workout to the extreme I have taken myself. However be fearless to your commitment to make the changes in your life you want to make. Be fearless in your approach to each exercise. Tell yourself I do this because I know it will improve me physically, mentally and spiritually. Remember God said you body is a temple. So treat it like one and build that temple with solid muscle to support you in any endeavor.

Rant and Tip for May 5,2011

Happy Cinco De Mayo,
      I know what you are thinking, He doesn’t look Mexican, but hey I enjoy a good celebration. During you celebrations today you need to access what your goals are. If you are trying to lose body fat you may want to stay away from the alcohol especially beer. Beer has both alcohol and carbohydrates. Both are used as fuel in the body. If your body detects alcohol in the system it will burn that for fuel. What do you think the body does with the carbohydrates while you are burning the alcohol for fuel? That is right it is storing it as fat. He is has to store it somehow right. The good news is Tequila has no carbs so the alcohol is used and then you are back to square one, unless of course chowing down on 5 pounds of cheese covered nachos. The other thing I hear about tequila is that when some people drink tequila their clothes fall off. Now where are the tequila drinking ladies? Oh well Back to working out I need to get rid of some frustration. LOL I worked on benching last night. I used some heavy ass chains on the bar to help build explosive power. The way this works is, the chains are hanging from the bar and when you lower the weight to your chest it becomes lighter. This way you can explode into to the bar and it gets heavier as you lift it up, because the chains are coming up off the floor. Let me tell you it is one heck of a work out.



Have a happy workout!


Tip of the day:

Switch things up. You need to confuse the muscles every now and then. This can be as simple as increasing the weights or pushing out one more rep. One week you can go heavy with fewer reps and the next week go light with more reps. You can follow the same routine as far as exercises but play around with the weight you use. You muscles won’t like it but you will!!!!

Rant and Tip May 4, 2011

It is with great sadness I say good-bye to a wonderful man. Priyank Mathur. Priyank died a hero helping an elderly couple that were being robbed. He saved the couple but lost his life in the struggle.  Priyank was one of the people following my blog and one of the exercise routines I set up. He lived in India, New Delhi I believe. He had a kind heart and was very interested in getting fit and healthy. He of his own accord and gave of himself and shared his knowledge with me on what I could do with this blog. It was with his direction I revamped the blog site and associated myself with Amazon and google AdSense. He encouraged me to blog daily and help impact other peoples lives in a positive fashion with this blog. He actually wrote most of the Who is Jim Kipp section based on conversations I had with him via email and my story in the Atkins success stories. I am honored and feel blessed and touched that I was able to impact his life through exercise and fitness because he gave so much back to me. I am not sure what religion he practiced or what religion you practice but please say a prayer for him and his family.

Bless you Priyank Rest in Peace!!!

Tip of the Day:
Love, hug and kiss the ones close to you and let your friends know you love them!

Rant and Tip for May 3, 2011

Let' see what to rant about today, deadlifts went well yesterday, my workout partner was not able to workout yesterday so I videoed the lifts. I am still not using my legs enough and will continue to work on that. Form is so important in this lift. If you need to video yourself for your form make sure to use different angles with the camera. It will show different things. The other piece to be careful about is to make sure you are not getting anyone else in the video who may not want to be in it. Yikes the last thing you want is some poor newbie who is just trying to get into shape to be discouraged and think that you are trying to get her or him in for that matter on video for less than honorable reasons. Here is the thing I truly have the utmost respect for anyone, regardless of fitness level who is trying to do something about there situation. In the gym I workout in most of the members are my age or older and are just trying to get healthy. The last thing they need is a blow to their ego where they think why should I even bother. Just be careful if you do need to video your form and make sure you clear it with the gym's management. If you workout at home you can still video, just let your significant other know what your are doing. Oh and remember don't forget to turn the tape off when you are done with your training. We don't want any sex tapes of you floating around now do we. Or maybe we do. LOL

Have a Happy workout!

Tip of the day:

If you do not have a workout partner who can help with the form of a knew exercise then video it. Then compare against the exercise videos I have linked here. It will help keep you safe and reduce the opportunity for injuries.

Rant and Tip for May 2, 2011

Good Morning All,

Last Friday I did squats and I was not happy with my performance. It felt like I was working hard. but I definitely didn't have the strength I needed to push through some of the heavier weight. I realized I didn't eat well enough before hand. Your body will burn 4 things for fuel. Fat, Protein, Carbohydrates and Alcohol. Now Alcohol may be a fuel source but to your body it is a toxin and is the first thing you body will burn for fuel. We don't to burn protein for fuel because once the digested protein is gone we will burn muscle protein and that is not our goal. That leaves 2 things left for your body to use for fuel and what you will want to burn will be different based on your goals. If you are overweight and your goal is to lose body fat while maintaining muscle and even put some muscle on you will want to burn fat for fuel. To do this your diet needs to be low carbohydrate and higher in fat. Grams of protein for a man trying to put on some muscle should be 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. In this scenario I like to have some healthy fats and proteins about an hour before my workout. Then with in the first half an hour after the workout have about 30 grams of protein. A whey protein Isolate is great for this. Something like the Isopure I sell on the supplements page. http://kippersdailyworkout.blogspot.com/p/nutritional-supplements-for-sale.html . If you are at a point where you are happy with your body fat% then you can increase your complex carbohydrates and reduce your fats. Notice here when you increase your carbohydrates you lower your fats. In this case I like to have a baked potato or some long grain rice, not white rice, and some protein an hour before my workout and again within the half hour after my workout I like to have a yam and 30 grams of protein again in the form of a whey protein Isolate.   Lastly try some Casein Protein, again I sell this on my supplements page. This is an ideal protein source for before bed. It is a slow digestible protein and the vanilla is only one carbohydrate per serving.

Have a Happy Workout!

Tip of the Day:

Guess what today's tip is about. That is write eating. Have you ever noticed that it seems the skinny people all eat a lot and someone who says they are on a diet no matter how little they eat cannot lose the weight. Well that is because the heavier persons body is in self preservation mode or starvation mode. The person is getting so little to eat their bodies have said to themselves HEY I am not getting enough to eat, I better hang on to this fat till later. When you start eating properly and eating enough you will start losing weight. So if you are hungry, then eat, but make it something healthy and you will lose weight.

Rant and Tip for May 1, 2011

Good Morning all on this BEAUTIFUL Sunday morning.Today is another day of rest for the muscles. The DOMS is pretty much subsided except for my glutes a little. It seems I am my own "Pain in the ass". LOL I know a poor attempt at humor there, but I had to try. As you all know by now I do not take my own advise very well about letting the muscles rest. However, I think since I have started blogging and putting these things down on "paper" for all to read I feel a responsibility to you and myself to listen to myself. So day 2 of rest for today. I have heard and read that with plenty of rest the muscles get stronger. If you really think about it isn't that why we sleep. To let our bodies rejuvenate. How did I get on this rest topic again. Ugh. In my humble opinion there are 2 things you can still do on rest days. That is cardio for a good 30 minutes and not just a leisurely walk but anything that gets you to a point of having a labored breath. Making it slightly difficult to talk while doing the activity. The other exercise is body weight crunches. It seems the Abs and lower back can handle daily exercise more efficiently than other larger muscle groups.

Tip of the Day:

Unless it is the primary focus of your training, do cardio after, not before, you lift weights. Or do it during another part of the day, or better still, on a separate day. "If you perform aerobic-type exercise first, you'll be fatigued for your weight training," says Cotton. "As a general rule, strength training has less of an impact on cardio than cardio has on strength training."