A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.

Rant and tip for March 22, 2012

Quote: A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
Steven Wright

I am not afraid of heights as a matter of fact I wish I was taller. LOL Widths on the other had can depend on what we are talking about. If it is a wide back I am all for that.

I was not going to write today so forgive me for being short. OK those who know me stop laughing. Especially you Grizz. Anyway it is 2 days until the meet and I woke up to a pound under the weight class weight. Now I just have to stay there or shed one more for good measure. When you are dedicated to your weight loss you can achieve your goals. Back on February 2^nd I weighed myself and I was 174. That is high for me although that is where I will be someday as continue to put on muscle at this age. Someday I may actually compete in the 181 pound class but I have a lot of muscle to put on before I get there.

I want to talk a little about whey protein today. Whey protein is high in selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant mineral that appears to preserve the elasticity of tissues. It delays the oxidation of fatty acids in proteins. Selenium also works closely with Vitamin E to protect the body from free radicals. It may even be a safeguard against cancer but the jury is still out on that one. Selenium deficiencies have even been associated with premature aging.

Some whey proteins even have more calcium than cow’s milk. Calcium is essential for maintaining bone health and hit helps your muscles work. It even help’s with blood clotting and moves elements into and out of cells. I enjoy whey protein the trick here is to find one that you enjoy and do not have to choke down. I like Isopure Whey Protein Isolate and you all already know how much I enjoy the Parrillo line of products.

Have a great workout!

Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life

Rant and Tip for March 21, 2012

Quote: “Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life.” Kitty O'Neill Collins

I find this quote funny, really you have no other choice. We have to age. However we do not have to grow old. As I near my 50^th birthday this August, I often think how fantastic life is. With that said I also look around at the seniors around and wonder about health care cost. In researching plans for seniors I have come to believe that it is vital for us as we get older to get some type of Medicare health insurance to aid in future health care cost.  I have readers all over the United States and even the world. Many are people who are approaching their senior years or are already there. Some of my friends in Virginia including my brother have a little more time .On the site http://www.va.gov/ I noticed that they have several links regarding different types of insurance, including a for the Veterans of this country. God Bless them.

This week has actually been a week off from lifting as I have a full power meet on Saturday. This does not keep me from the gym though. As I was sitting in the sauna enjoying the heat soothing my muscles I got to talking to a couple young men who were looking forward to playing some college football. They were interested in getting bigger and stronger and I gave them this blog site so they could take a look around. I told them at their age form is vitally important as they do not want to get hurt and suspend any play time. This is even truer as we get older. Improper form will really set you back in you training and weight loss goals. If you do not use proper form you will eventually get hurt and in many cased a person who injures themselves has a very tough time getting themselves back to the gym. So take the time to learn proper form and let’s get fit.

WOW I woke up this morning to 164 pounds. This is a pound underweight for Saturday and a pound over for the world meet in May. It really is amazing what you can do when you get strict with your diet and exercise. Even though I have a meet on Saturday I have been doing my cardio. Not a lot just 20 to 30 minutes a day to get the heart pumping without going into a catabolic state. For many who follow my exercise routines I believe you have chest today.

Chest
Incline dumbbell press - 4 sets 10
Flat dumbbell press - 4 sets 10
Decline barbell press - 4 sets 10
Dumbbell flies - 4 sets 10

Have at it my friends and watch your form.

Have a great workout!

Tip: Dumbbell Fly

1. This exercise should be done slowly, focusing on the stretch and contraction of the pectoral muscles.
2. Don't pause or let the dumbbells touch at the top of the exercise.
3. Use a full range of motion by lowering the dumbbells as far as comfortably possible.
4. Always use a wide semi circle motion when doing this exercise, and don't allow the dumbbells to come too close to the body. 

Begin to be now what you will be hereafter.” William James

 Rant and Tip for March 20, 2012

Quote: “Begin to be now what you will be hereafter.”  William James 

                Many people will make the statement that they want to start tomorrow, or next week, or after this holiday. In all honesty though there is no time like the present to get started. Begin now to be what you will be hereafter. You can do this and you will be successful. Stop putting off what can be started today. Everyone procrastinates from time to time, however, how much longer do you want to be in the condition you are in. No more cheating my friends and no more excuses. It is time to change your diet and start your exercise program.

                My son had a scout meeting and the new tenderfoot scouts needed to set a baseline for some physical activities. They had to do pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups a broad jump and run a quarter mile. They gave me the push-up station. I had to make sure the boys had proper form and do as many as they could. In a month from now they need to show improvement in all events. Now most of the events will be easy for the boys to increase. However the pull-up is a more difficult exercise to master. As a baby before we learn to walk we are masters at the pull-up. We develop this strength early on. However as we continue to grow and become more adept at walking we stop using our upper body strength. This is when we start to lose our upper body strength. I have to give my father credit here as when I was a child he would lift me up and let me hang from the door-jam from my finger tips.  I really think this helped build my upper body strength. My father without realizing it helped me maintain a strong body throughout my childhood. We hauled wood to heat the house and we carried bales of hay to help feed the horses. This is the way it was not too many years ago. Now times have changed and kids do not have the opportunities to maintain a healthy strong bodies the way we did as kids. Now they have all these electronics and other outside stimulations that catches their attention. Life is basically easier on them physically. So now we are to a point where we need to find ways to help our children maintain a strong healthy body. There is one way that I can help you can get stronger in the pull-up. All you need is a pull-up bar and an elastic band. Here is the link to my exercise video page. You will find a video there that shows you how to use the band to assist you doing a pull-up. The key here is to use a band strong enough for you to do a few pull-ups in a row. Use the band 3 days a week and you will get stronger to the point of being able to do an unassisted pull-up.

                I assisted my workout partner through an intense chest workout. I fully expect him to have a serious case of delayed onset muscle soreness, commonly known as DOMS. Tomorrow will be squat day, and I did this deliberately because I wanted him to have to reach back for the bar. Stretching the chest muscles as he reaches back, this will increase the blood flow in the muscle and increase the speed of recovery.

Have a great workout!

Tip:

          Another way you can improve your pull up is to try "negatives". Negatives are half pull-ups. All you have to do is get your chin over the bar by standing on something or having spotter push you over the bar. Then, you slowly lower yourself all the way down - let your arms hang grasping the bar fully stretched. Keep your feet up and fight gravity for a count of 5 seconds. This will get your arms used to supporting your weight.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them

Rant and Tip for March 19, 2012

Quote: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” Unknown

OK, you are probably thinking that how the heck Jim is is going to bring this quote into his blog with a health and fitness meaning. Well for me it is really about how the wrong relationship can destroy your self confidence and lead to bad habits. You have heard it over and over again how a person runs to food for comfort instead for running on the pavement. Sometimes we as human being allow ourselves to be sucked into relationships because we think we want that relationship. Now this relationship is not always a significant other, it can be any relationship with the person is quick to judge or put you down. You may not always have to remove that person from you circle but you do need to take control and responsibility for how you deal with the negativity that is spewed from them. I chose diet and exercise and it has paid me back in many ways. Look at yourself and determine if this is the situation for you. If it is you have 2 choices, remove that person or deal with the situation a different way. You may realize with the confidence you gain through diet and exercise you may just exorcise that person from your life.

My weight today after a long hot bath was 165.8. I am at a perfect place for my meet on Saturday. The meet promises to be a fine event. There will be over 74 competitors and I am looking forward to seeing some strong lifters and possibly be one of them. I have had trouble sleeping at night because my lifts keep playing over and over in my head. I have to be honest though and tell you my work set yesterday did not go as well as I had hoped. My training for the rest of the week will be centered around getting rest and making sure my body is fully healed for the event.

For those of you following the more advanced workout you have legs today.

Squats- 4 sets 10
Calf raises- 4 sets 10
Thigh extensions if doing at home try sitting on a chair with a dumbbell held with your feet
4 sets 10
Lunges - 4 sets of 10 Leg curls - 4 sets of 10

The fact of the matter is, when you do squats your whole body gets stronger. It is one of the big three lifts that impacts the body is such a fashion that it actually encourages muscle growth. As you squat heavier and heavier you body releases more testosterone. Thus allow the growth of more muscle.

Have a great workout!

Tip: I have not mentioned this in a long time, which makes it time to mention it again. It is ideal to use a training log to track both your meals and your training schedule and results. Adding your meal into your training log can help you see what foods are ideal for you and your workouts.

Whether you run a 5-minute mile or walk a 15-minute mile. It is still a mile!

Rant and Tip for March 16, 2012

Since I will not be posting tomorrow I thought I wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day today! It is funny being short one of my nicknames was Kippercaun. I just took it in stride. It seemed I had a lot of nicknames based off my last name. Kipp, Kippy, Kippo, KipKano, and of course Kipper. Kipper was the main nickname and many friends from HS still call me Kipper.

Happy St. Patrick's Day My Friends

Quote: "Whether you run a 5-minute mile or walk a 15-minute mile. It is still a mile!"  Unknown

In reading this quote what comes to mind for me is no matter where you start, the mile is there for you to finish. Be it walking or running you need to approach that mile with all the energy you have and can muster up to complete the mile to the best of your ability. Being the complex machine your body is your time will decrease as you make it regular routine. Our bodies have the ability to increase its capacity in strength and endurance. Your endurance will increase as you continue to exercise. Your strength will increase as you push it to its limits.

In regards to your strength training I want to make something clear. If your goal is just to maintain a healthy body, strength training is for you to. Just because I strength train pushing harder to achieve heavier goals does not mean you have to as well. Strength training will increase your balance, give strength to your bones and help you walk and sit with better posture. Not everyone is genetically predisposed to but on massive amounts of muscle. You may not have the Mesomorph body type. You may be an Ectomorph or Endomorph.

The following information I found on the Muscle and Strength website. I included it because it may help you in your quest for a proper diet and exercise schedule. http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html

Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism, which burns up calories very quickly. Ecto’s need a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Supplements are definitely recommended. Ectomorphs should eat before bed to prevent muscle catabolism during the night. I suggest a Casein Protein. Which digest slowly.  Generally, ectomorphs can lose fat very easily which makes cutting back to lean muscle easy for them. Lucky them in this respect.

When it comes to training endomorphs find it very easy to gain weight. Unfortunately, a large portion of this weight is fat not muscle. To keep fat gain to a minimum, endomorphs must always train cardio as well as weights. Usually supplements may not be needed as long as the person has a high protein intake in their diet.

The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. The downside to mesomorphs is they gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. This means they must watch their calorie intake. Usually a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs.

Then of course there are the combination body types. I believe I am a meso/endomorph. I know that if I do not watch my diet closely that I can put on fat easily. It seems to me that unless we are talking a lineman most athletes are mesomorphs.

Have a great workout!

Tip: Look in the mirror today and figure what type or body you have and try to incorporate the correct amount of cardio for your physique. Know your body type will help you understand what is and isn’t happening in regards to muscle gains or strength gains.

Every man dies. Not every man really lives

Rant and Tip for March 15, 2012

Quote: “Every man dies. Not every man really lives” – William Ross Wallace

It is absolute that every man dies. However we can grab a hold of life and really live it to its fullest. I have had close friends and family members say to me, “You are not enjoying life eating the way you do”. Oh contraire, I say I am living life even more than they are. I chose to eat to live, and not to live to eat. Also I truly enjoy healthy meats and vegetables cooked in great seasonings and I have a great variety of foods to choose from. I do not have to compromise when I go out to dinner. The restaurant is more than willing to accommodate my dietary needs. Getting an extra serving of steamed or grilled vegetable over having some fried potatoes or some other glaze encrusted side dish. I am living life now to it fullest. I get the honor as a grown almost 50 year old man to compete in a world event and represent the country I live in. Now if that is not living life I do not know what is.

Sorry I did not write yesterday, I had trouble getting out of bed. I even had trouble getting out of bed today. I may have to start writing this blog the night before posting. I do find it therapeutic to write. It helps me prepare for the day. I say my morning prayers, get out of bed, hit the bathroom for my morning routine and then downstairs for a cup of coffee and to write. Like I said though, I may have to start writing this at night.

Training today will consist of some arm work. Strong triceps are a key component in the bench press and I do have some lofty goals in the bench. While I am not sure if at my age I can get to a raw bench of 385 like Dr. Damian Fronzaglia, I do have the confidence that I can get to a 350 to 360 raw bench press. For my triceps I will be doing the following workout:

Skull crushers - 3 sets 8
close grip bench or Cable push downs - 3 sets 8
Overhead triceps press - 3 sets 8
Weighted Bench dips - 3 sets 8

After this I will hit the biceps, the biceps really used in the bench press, however I do want to look symmetrical.

Dumbbell curls - 4 sets 8
Preacher curls - 4 sets 8
Concentration curls - 4 sets 8

Have a great workout!

 

Tip:

 I was asked yesterday by a co-worker what protein supplements I use. Now there are many out on the market. Some are very expensive and are really no different from the cheaper ones. For me there is a big factor though and that is taste. If it tastes like crap I am not going to use it. I cannot just force it down. I will gag. So here is what I suggest. Go to GNC they have a policy that if you buy something and you do not like it you can return it and put the cost towards another brand. GNC also has a policy for matching competitors prices. Now I am not a big fan of a company that states oh we will match cost, but you cannot beat the fact you can taste something and bring it back. Please check with your local GNC on that policy. I am not sure if it is Nation Wide. Now although Albany Strength Gym is not national I have to say they have the best prices on protein in my area. They even beat the Amazon prices. So if you are local and in the Albany area please go to Albany Strength for you supplement needs. Lastly if you do go to GNC and find a brand you like, then go to my Supplements page and get it through Amazon. They are always cheaper than GNC.

You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true

Rant and Tip for March 13, 2012

Quote: “You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.” Richard David Bach- writer

We all have wishes that we want to make come true. What you did not know is that you have the power to make them come true and they can only come true if you work for it. In terms of losing your body fat and getting fit this it true as well. Put a little work into getting fit and you will get there. Track your foods and even track your exercise. Make note of the gains you make and celebrate them!

I have been getting questions on interval training asking what it is and how it helps. I recently read an article in MedicineNet.com regarding the subject. Here is how they described interval training.

Interval training is a method of training where you increase and decrease the intensity of your workout between aerobic and anaerobic training. Interval training in Sweden, where some say it originated, is known as fartlek training (Swedish for "speed play"). The protocol for interval training is to push your body past the aerobic threshold for a few moments and then return to your aerobic conditioning level with the objective of improving your performance (speed, strength, and endurance). The aerobic threshold is the intensity where your body switches from burning a greater percentage of fat to a greater percentage of carbohydrate and is generally 85% of your maximum heart rate (train below 85% and it's aerobic; train above 85% and it's anaerobic).

The next thing you will need to know is what is your maximum heart rate, to calculate that:

Take 220 and subtract your age. This is your maximum heart rate. You can get a more accurate reading from a stress test at the doctor’s office but for our purposes this is good. Now we can get our target heart rates.

The following training zones were referenced above so I thought I would include what The Walkingsite.com had to say.

Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training) --- 70 - 80% of maximum heart rate: The aerobic zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned with 50% from fat.

Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) --- 80 - 90% of maximum heart rate: Benefits of this zone include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you'll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat.

I try to work in the anaerobic zone for as long as I can and even ramp it up to the 90% to 100% percent zone.

 I get to train in my shirt tonight again and plan on hitting reps in it. Hopefully getting 380 to touch and go in the new shirt. I just have to remember to keep my shoulders tight. If I do that I should get it to touch. Getting it up is the easy part.

Have a great workout!

Tip: Before you jump into any interval training session be sure to warm up and stretch first.