Drop it like it's hot

I lost a workout buddy this week due to an injury. This stinks! Workout buddies are the best; they give you that little extra motivation to get to the gym or work harder. She tore a ligament in her knee and was told to rest. I really feel bad for her, I have other workout buddies, but an injury like this can set you back and cause a relapse in weight gain and a backward slope that is difficult to reverse. I felt that today's post should focus on best practices on how to avoid injuring yourself during your workouts.

Bad advice: "No Pain, No Gain" or "Pain is just weakness leaving your body"
Good advice: "If it hurts, drop it like it's hot."

Following this advice first requires you to know the difference between regular muscle strain and pain. I find that a good muscle to try this out on is your hamstrings. It's usually a pretty tight muscle so when you stretch it, it can feel a little painful, that is usually a good test of what a stretch is supposed to feel like. Anything that feels like it's affecting your joints is a bad sign, and you either need to check your form or bag out of the exercise all together.

Next: Stretch. Stretch your muscles before and after your workout, and if you have the opportunity to do so, stretch during your workout. When you muscles are tight, they will not function properly and they will not be kind in return. Loose muscles on the other hand make your less prone to injury, you'll get a more efficient workout, and it will help with the amount of muscle soreness you feel the day after a workout.

Second, buy good sneakers and keep them for the gym, unless you're exercising outside, but that's another story. Also, if you're using them regularly, replace them every 6 months. When I replace my gym shoes, the old, seemingly perfect sneakers become my casual sneaks. That way I'm getting a year out of the $70-$100 pair of shoes that I invested in.

Lastly, don't try to compete with anyone else but yourself. No one knows your body better than yourself. Some workout days are going to feel harder than others, and you have to adjust your exertion accordingly.

Always challenge yourself but know your limits, because there is nothing like an injury to put the kibosh on your weight loss goals.

Don't drink your calories

Sucrose, Glucose, Dextrose, Corn Syrup, Fructose. These are all fancy words for Sugar. We all know that cookies, cake, ice cream all have added sugar, and that we should avoid those kinds of foods if we are trying to lose weight. During the weight management program we were showed this video from the New York City Health Department:


What the heck?! 16 packets of sugar in a 20oz bottle of soda? Yikes! It's almost a conspiracy among beverage companies. When you are out and you purchase an individual bottle of soda, juice, tea, whatever, the serving size is almost always 2, so when you drink the whole bottle in one sitting and who doesn't (except this one girl I work with, who actually caps it and puts it in the fridge for later) you need to double the nutritional information on the bottle – so 32 grams of sugar becomes 64! It's just plain sneaky and mean. Hidden sugar in soft drinks can bulk up your daily calorie intake by 600 calories, and that's just 1 bottle with each meal.

Take a look at this website and see where your favorite soft drink stacks up in sugar cubes: http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.html

When you're drinking your calories, it's easy to lose track of how many calories you are taking in because it's not a meal, and you don't often think about soft drinks as food. People are often dumbfounded when they learn how much sugar and calories are in their drink consumption and the first thought is, "What am I going to drink now? My only choices are water, un-sweetened tea, diet drinks and milk!" And they would be correct. America as a country has a really bad soft drink habit, and if you think about the advertising of these drinks, they aren't selling you a product; they are selling you a culture. The Cola wars, Mountain Dew extreme, Snapple hippies they all want you to buy in to the culture of the product, and we do. Water is boring; we don't want to be boring caring around a bottle of water (which often is more expensive than other soft drinks) and be THAT guy, you know the guy who is wearing pretentious work-out cloths and carrying a yoga mat.

Let's put our judgmental differences aside for health’s sake. The truth of the matter is, if you're not getting enough water, you're going to be dehydrated. The human body is over 61% water, we need it to survive. We don't need to be ingesting liquid that can eat the enamel off of our teeth or be used to clean a car battery!

Let's kick our soft drink habit, put a stop to this evil hidden sugar guy in the video below, and get a head start on weight loss! http://adland.tv/commercials/nickelodeon-hidden-sugar-2005-60-usa

Step it Up!

Everybody has one exercise that the love, for me it's Step Aerobics.  Step Aerobics became popular in the late 80's, early 90's when everyone at the gym looked like Olivia Newton John in the "Get Physical" video. Here is that video for your view pleasure, sorry about the ad.  Does anyone else remember when the Internet was free? But that's another soapbox for another day



Step Aerobics is great because you can set your own level starting with no step at all and you can burn anywhere from 300-600 calories depending on your step level and impact approach, low impact (meaning no bouncing around) to high impact (jumping around the step like a rabbit on hot coals.)

Having a fun Step class depends on three things: A good instructor, fun music and a good handle on knowing your right from your left.  I am, how would you say, "directionally challenged."  My first Step class was embarrassing. I was all over the place, partially because I didn't know the moves, but mostly because I have a mental disability to be able to know my left from my "other left."  When the class was over, everyone in the class gave me encouraging words, shared the stories from their first time, and urged me to keep coming back, which I did. 

After a few weeks I could follow the routines, and after about 3 months I was able to complete the routines without stopping!  Most of the Step Aerobics classes that were available at my gym have been replaced with Spinning or Zumba or some other "en vogue" workout, but Step is a great way to burn calories and build endurance.  There are plenty of DVDs out there but it's really hard to follow a Step instructor on DVD because they are facing you, and if you're like me the whole "right/left" thing is blown totally out of the water making it impossible to follow.

If you are able to find a Step class here's how to prepare:

1. Drill yourself on how to walk up and down a single step.
2. Develop a taste for dance/party music, the kind where dude is hanging his head out the window because it's too loud in his car.
3. Get good sneakers. Be it low or high impact, it's still Impact so wearing good sneakers will protect your knees and feet from getting injured, Plantar Fasciitis anyone?
4. Know that it will take a few classes to get acclimated and learn the moves.
5. Bring a water bottle and a towel, because there will be a lot of sweat involved with this workout.

That is pretty much it! Hopefully you get a chance to try a Step Aerobics class before it goes away with the leg warmers it came in with.

Next post: "Don't drink your meals."

What's your motto?

Dieting and exercise clichés are a dime a dozen.  Let’s see if I can give you your 10 cents worth.

1. 1. “Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.”
2. 2. “You are what you eat.”
3. 3. “A moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips.”
4. 4. “No Pain, No gain.”
5. 5. “Eat to live, don’t live to eat.”
6. 6. “Everything in moderation.”
7. 7. “Eat wise, drop a size.”
8. 8. “Slow and steady wins the race.”
9. 9. “Quitting is not an option.”
10. 10. “Pain is just weakness leaving your body.”
11. 11. “If hunger is not the problem, food is not the solution.”
12. 12. “Commit to be fit.”

These are all clever; some of them are inspirational, yet others make me want to barf!  It’s often helpful to have words of inspiration to help you with any goal, especially diet and exercise goals.

Your motto should be as unique to you as your goals.  This will take some soul searching.  Write down on paper what your weaknesses are in regards to your goals, and think about where it is that you need inspiration.  You may find that you need to eat better or exercise longer.

I found that my motivation was lacking.  Trying to lose weight for summer, or for a wedding, or to fit in my old cloths wasn’t working so I searched deeper for a reason that was more long term, and also incorporated my exercise goals.

My motto has changed as needed.   For example when I first started exercising I need a goal that would help me finish my work out.  Hence the motto, “I can do anything for 5 minutes” was born.  This motto would go through my head during the hardest point on my work out, and it helped me get over the hump straight through to completion.

Today the motto still stands during more difficult workouts, but a new one has begun to emerge that is more geared towards my eating habits.  The new motto I have is “Do I really want it, and it is worth it?”  If the answer is yes to both than I have it, in moderation.

Everyone is different, so don’t try to cater your individuality into my or anyone else’s program, you’ll need to find what inspires you and go for it!

I’d like to hear your mottos, so comment and let me know!

Good Luck!

Next post: “Step it up!”

To Lift or Not to Lift...

Pumping iron? Pressing pounds? Lifting Big Wheels? Working the Boulders? Showing off the Guns?  Working out with weights or dumbbells can sometimes make you feel like a meathead, but resistance training and weight lifting is essential to increase muscle mass, keep healthy bones and fire up your metabolism which aids in weight loss.  The US Department of Health & Human Services recommends that adults incorporate 60 minutes of strength training exercises on 2 or more days per week.

Honing in on your inner Arnold can be tricky if you’ve never touched a dumb bell before.  You need to practice correct form in order for the moves to be effective as well as protect your joints from injury.

So how do you get started when lifting a gallon of milk is a chore?  Basic moves like bicep curls or shoulder/chest presses can be practiced without weights at first using your own body weight.  Start with 10 bicep curls (or whatever exercise you choose), 1 repetition of an exercise is called a “rep,” and 10 “reps” is referred to as a “set.”  It may not feel like you’re working anything at first, but you’ll feel it the next day.  I know a girl whose biceps were killing her the next day after playing Wii boxing!

Work your way up to 3 sets without weights then add 1 or 2 pound dumbbells to your reps, 1 set at a time until you feel like you can handle use them on all 3.  Then continue to increase your weight so that it’s challenging for you.

You can even do it at home, while watching American Idol!   5 Below is a great resource for on hand gym supplies.  They sell dumbbells, resistance bands, yoga balls and blocks, workout videos, jump ropes.  You can almost buy a private gym for like $20.

Most gyms offer group exercise classes that incorporate strength training in their schedules.  I highly recommend the Les Mils Body Pump class. (Do I sound like a total meat head?)  Check out the video, it’s a lot of fun for folks of all fitness levels!

After a BodyPump class I always feel that maybe I am a little closer to getting those “Michelle Obama” arms.

Next post: “The motto post you’ve all been waiting for”

Sorry seems to be the hardest word.

Today I need to veer off schedule to talk about my week.  Car troubles, work, school, kids, and money have all assisted in derailing my diet this week. 

So here it goes:
“Oh my diet, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because of your just punishments…”  Sound familiar? 

The act of contrition is what we tell a priest when we have committed a sin, it helps us get things off our chest and start anew.  Sometimes you feel like you committed a sin when you slip up with your diet.  Days or weeks go by, the weight creeps back on and you can feel like a failure, which is utterly discouraging.

This week has been like that for me; stress has a tendency of put eating right on the back burner. One night of ordering out turns into three, which is a huge roadblock to weight management goals, which in turn adds more stress and creates a vicious circle.

During the weight management program, we talked about how to not let a lapse turn into a relapse.  Essentially what we’re doing when we try to lose weight is to make a lifestyle change.  This is not too different from someone who is trying to quit smoking.  Lifestyle changes won’t happen over night, and lapsing is to be expected, it’s how we deal with the lapse that doesn’t allow it to become a relapse.

Here are some ways to deal with a lapse:

1. Don’t beat your self up about it.
2. Try to identify what triggered the lapse.  Figuring out what triggered the lapse will help you come up with a game plan on how you can avoid it in the future.
3. Realize that you can’t take it back, and that what’s done is done.
4. Say your act of contrition and clean the slate.  Don’t let weeks of hard work go down the drain because of a few days worth of bad meal choices.

So, I’m going to hop back on the horse by perusing some healthy recipes and getting a good night sleep. First thing in the morning, I’m going to the gym and rewarding myself with an afternoon of relaxation.

Next post: “To lift, or not to lift.”

Spinning out of Control!

“We’re coming up on a team from UPENN, check out their matching uniforms. Get ready Team Animal, we’re going to blow past them on the left, in 3-2-1 Go –Go! PUSH, PUSH, PUSH! Faster than that! Faster than that! Yes you can! You can do it! AND… Recover. Bye-bye UPENN”

Nope I’m not on a cycling team. In fact, I’m not actually on the road at all, although I AM going about 100 MPH. This is my Tuesday afternoon Spinning Class at the Drexel University Recreation Center, led by Deb. Deb is a little powerhouse who likes to play 80’s hair metal and tries to make us throw up before the end of class, and I keep going back!

I never took a Spin class before this term, and here is my list of excuses why:

1. “I would feel like I was exerting all of this energy and not getting anywhere.”
2. “I prefer to do my work outs standing up.”
3. “I don’t want to buy special shoes”
4. “My legs would get huge.”
5. “Sitting for an hour, I think my butt would hurt too much.”
6. “It’s not a good time.”

Bullshit, all of it. The truth is I was a little scared. Spin class was an unfamiliar situation, I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t know how to set up my bike, I was afraid my butt was going to look ridiculous on that little seat, all of these things prevented me from stepping into that room of bikes.

What I learned during my fitness assessment is that I needed to add more cardiovascular activity into my workout schedule, so I took the leap. I went and talked to the instructor and she helped me set up my bike and I went at my own pace. At the end of the class, I had fun, I was covered in sweat, my legs were like Jello, and I’m totally hooked.

Moral of the story, be honest with yourself and don’t be afraid to try new things.

Next post: “What’s a motto? Nothing, what’s the motto with you?!”