What Are You Training For?

A Different Kind of Race

2010-06-13T22:43:00.005-04:00

08/28/10

Amesbury Sports Park

12 South Hunt Rd

Amesbury, MA

http://www.spartanrace.com/boston.php

You can sign up as a team of 4!

Says Who

2010-05-19T17:05:00.009-04:00

Over the last few months you have all seen me preparing for my competition in Albany this weekend. “Why are you doing this?” is the question I get from most people when they see me walking around with ice packs, limping out of the massage rooms, or stumbling for the hot tub. I usually deflect the question with some sort of joke. I didn’t have the right words to explain myself. That has changed.

The article I have attached here was sent to me by one of my clients. It is from the CrossFit Journal and is entitled "Beyond the Body". She paid me the greatest compliment when she said that it reminder her of everything I have been teaching her. I read the article and it suddenly occurred to me what my answer is to the question “Why are you doing this”.

I am doing this because no one ever told me I couldn’t – or if they did I ignored them.

The next time you say “I can’t"...I will say “Says Who?”

http://journal.crossfit.com/2010/04/beyond-the-body.tpl

Runs from BSC

2010-05-02T12:52:00.006-04:00

The sun is out and so are the running shoes. Here are a few runs you can do from BSC Newton on Wells Ave. Click on the route name to see the full map on MapMyRun.com

One Mile (Well .82 really)

Wells Ave Loop
Find more Runs in Newtonville, Massachusetts

5k Run

Wells Ave 5k
Find more Runs in Newtonville, Massachusetts

10k Run

Wells Ave 10k
Find more Runs in Newtonville, Massachusetts

Running Clock

2010-03-31T21:10:00.004-04:00

It is time to break out the Gym Boss again. Here is a workout that some of you have already had the pleasure of experiencing. For those of you that haven't, have fun.

In one minute intervals complete the first number of reps and rest the remainder of the minute. For the 2nd minute, complete the 2nd number of reps and rest the remainder of the minute. This continues for 5 minutes per exercise. For each minute you will have less and less rest.

Jump Rope 30, 45, 60, 75, 90
Rest 2 minutes

Squat 15, 20, 25, 30, 35

Rest 2 minutes

Push Ups 5, 8, 11, 14, 17

Rest 2 minutes

Box Jumps 15, 20, 25, 30, 35

Rest 2 minutes

Sit Ups 10, 15, 20, 25, 30

For every rep you do not complete, perform one burpee before you begin the rest period. Enjoy

Video from this weekend...... just a few of the things we had to do...

2010-03-23T21:40:00.004-04:00

I found our next event!

2010-03-14T17:03:00.006-04:00

How do you make a 10k fun? Add some mud and military obstacles!

Hoppin Mad Mud Run

Amesbury MA

Sunday May 16th at 11:00

The Hoppin Mad Mud Run is a challenging 10K on road and off road run with hills, tire obstacles, 5-foot walls, hay bails, and the final mud pit. You can race individually or as a member of a 5-person team. www.active.com/running/amesbury-ma/hoppin-mad-mud-run-2010

Who's in?

Warm-Up

2010-02-21T20:02:00.009-05:00

On September 10th last year we talking about a warm up routine and what should be included. Personally, I take about 10 minutes to foam roll followed by a dynamic stretching routine. Dynamic stretching increases core and muscle temperature, lengthens the muscles, lubricates joints, and helps decrease the chance of injury. Dynamic stretches use controlled movements throughout the entire range of motion. This is different from static stretches which involves holding the farthest point in the range of motion. It is also different from ballistic stretching which uses momentum to force the body beyond its normal range of motion.

Here is a video of my routine. It covers the lower body and the often neglected upper body. Make sure you perform each movement at least 10 times. Make the movements crisp, controlled and quick, but not ballistic.

The Fight For Air Climb:

2010-02-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

The Fight For Air Climb: Race Up Boston Place was held yesterday at 9 a.m. A team of my clients and I climbed the 41 floors (789 steps) of Mellon Financial Center to raise money to support the American Lung Association. The event raised funds for research, education and advocacy and helped to bring hope to the 35 million Americans who are living with lung disease. We were able to raise $2,530.00, more than double our goal.

Our fastest five times averaged 9 minutes and 35 seconds. Your Monday workout is to climb the 789 steps and try to beat our time! Make sure you rpost your results here.

The Cooper 12 Minute Run

2010-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

The 12 Minute Run fitness test was developed by Dr. Ken Cooper in 1968 as an easy way to measure aerobic fitness and provide and estimate of VO2 max (the efficiency with which someone can use oxygen while exercising). The test will allow you to track your fitness over time and will also allow you to compare your cardiovascular endurance with others of your age and gender.

You can perform the test on a treadmill, but be sure to raise the incline to one degree to simulate outdoor running. Before you start the timer, perform a short 10 to 15 minute warm up. When you are ready, run or walk as far as you can in 12 minutes. Record the total number of miles or kilometers you traveled in 12 minutes.

You can enter your data at http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/MinuteRun.html to see your results or just use the table above…

Miami Monday

2010-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am back from my vacation and well rested. The gym at the hotel where I was staying was the worst I have ever seen. It truly was insulting. It’s a good thing we all know how to workout without a typical gym to rely on.
I went for a run, which I only do when the circumstances force me. Along the beach I came across pull-up bars and parallel bars. Here is your Monday workout straight from Miami Beach:

Run 1.6 miles
Perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of pull-ups, dips, squats, and burpies
Run 1.6 miles

Time your 5k and compare it to your previous times. POST IT IN YOUR WORKOUT JOURNAL that you are all doing such a good job keeping…..

Vacation

2010-01-19T21:50:00.001-05:00

I hate to do this to you all but I am going on a quick vacation for the rest of the week. You are on your own! I know there is enough information here to hold you over for the week. I will be back in time to post another workout for Monday!

Metabolic Mondays

2010-01-18T00:00:00.004-05:00

Metabolic training (metcon) refers to conditioning exercises intended to increase the storage and delivery of energy for any activity. By varying the type and arrangement of exercise we can maximize our ability to store and use energy from different pathways. Metabolic conditioning often involves high intensity interval training like the programs I post every Monday.

Here is your metcon for this Monday:

50 Double Unders (Jump Ropes)
40 Box Jumps
30 Push Ups
20 Burpies
10 Pull-Ups

40 Double Unders
30 Box Jumps
20 Push Ups
10 Burpies

30 Double Unders
20 Box Jumps
10 Push Ups

20 Double Unders
10 Box Jumps

10 Double Unders

2010-01-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

It's Monday..... you know what that means. A little body weight series to get the blood flowing.

Complete two rounds of:
100 jumping jacks
75 air squats
50 push ups
25 burpies

Eat This

2010-01-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. I am still struggling to bring you your 3 weekly posts but what I can do is share with you other blogs that I absolutely love.

I spend every Sunday night in the kitchen packing my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the week. It is time consuming but it is the best way to ensure that what you eat everyday is thoughtful and not impulsive. Here is a blog that I love to use for new recipes ideas. It is hosted by CrossFit Santa Cruz Central. http://cfscceat.blogspot.com/

Look around and try something new!

2010-01-01T21:09:00.006-05:00

A Happy New Year!

Grant that I May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.

-Edgar Guest

Consumption of Alcohol

2009-12-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

Alright all you party people out there. Going by what most of you have been confessing to this week, you all have been consuming a few extra drinks this holiday season. We talk about controlling your food intake with all the extra treats but we never talk about alcohol. Here are some facts about how the consumption of alcohol can impact your athletic performance.

~ DEHYDRATION: Alcohol can cause severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. While dehydrated, an athlete is at greater risk for cramps, muscle pulls, and muscle strains. Dehydration also leads to a loss of muscle mass which in turn results in a decrease in strength and performance.
~ PERFORMANCE: Alcohol will impair reaction time and mental acuity for up to several days after consumption. Alcohol also interferes with lactic acid breakdown and can result in increased soreness after exercise.
~ FAT STORAGE: Alcohol is stored much like fat in the body. Consumption increases fat storage and adversely effects body composition (increase % body fat).
~ SLEEP: Alcohol has a detrimental effect on both the quality of sleep and on daytime attention. Alcohol may accelerate falling asleep but the quality and duration of sleep may be compromised.

Aren’t our workouts hard enough already?????????

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My Workout Today: Cure SMA AWARENESS WOD 2009 (http://curesmawod.blogspot.com/) 200 reps of a 45lb Thruster.
My Confession Today: Seriously, I can’t even bring myself to confess to what I did (food wise) today. It will take me a while to burin off the calories I consumed today.

2009-12-28T00:00:00.003-05:00

Many of you have commented on the fact that my posts have become less frequent. This is true for many reasons. I am fortunate to be very busy right now and I would never complain about that. I enjoy brining you valuable information every week and I wouldn’t dream of giving it up. What I have decided to do is post on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. That will ensure the longevity of the blog and my sanity.

Here is your Monday workout: Run 1 mile performing 10 air squats and 5 burpies, every 2 minutes.

Have fun with that one!

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My Workout Today: I think I will give this one a try today. Practice what you preach.
My Confession Today: So Christmas dinner didn’t go as planned…… damn.

If at first you don’t succeed.....

2009-12-22T17:54:00.012-05:00

A few month ago I saw a women at the gym I workout at do what is called a ‘muscle up”. The muscle-up is a skill that is essentially a pull-up followed by a dip. It is used to take you from below a set of rings, in a hanging position, to above a set of rings, with arms locked out.

I immediately wanted to learn how to do it. I decided to break it down into smaller parts and start to tackle them one by one. I practiced ring pull-ups every day. By everyday, I truly mean EVERYDAY. When I could comfortably perform those, I decided to work on ring dips…. you guessed it, everyday. Once those felt good I started with a simpler version of the muscle up. Each time it felt easy I would move on to the next progression. Finally, a few weeks ago I performed my first successful muscle up. It felt so wonderful to see the results of my hard work. I was thrilled.

What is the moral of the story? We are approaching the new year and resolution time. If you are going to pick a large goal, do yourself a favor and break it down into smaller more manageable parts. Don’t pick the Boston marathon as a goal if you’re not a runner! Pick a 5k, 10k, and then a half marathon. Don’t set yourself up for failure. If you do fail, dust yourself off and try again.
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My Workout Today: Front Squats, Snatch, Clean, and skill practice.
My Confession Today: Trying to overlay Zone diet on my paleo diet but having some issues. Mainly, I am not use to what we have all come to believe is a single portion. It’s more like 3…

More for the road.

2009-12-21T00:00:00.003-05:00

When is the last time you tried doing a handstand? What if I told you that doing handstands will help you develop core strength and improve things like coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance? The fact is, handstands will help train midline stabilization, core and shoulder strength, and hip control.

Here is an excerpt from the January 2004 Crossfit Journal called “Handstands” authored by Greg Glassman. (Full article at http://journal.crossfit.com/2004/01/)

Sport favor individuals who keep bodily and spatial awareness regardless of their orientation in three-space. Standing on one’s hands dramatically alters the normal kinetic chain required for standing on one’s feet. In the handstand, a much weaker base supports the body while simultaneously raising the body’s center of gravity a foot or more in a world turned upside down. Things don’t get more foreign. When standing, the hip is the focus of control and leverage. When in the handstand, the focus shifts to the shoulder. This shift not only helps develop “shoulders strong as hips” but also presents a set of unique demands on the body’s core.
Many of the common motor recruitment patterns found in extending the trunk and hip while standing upright are reversed in pressing to a handstand. The enormous difficulty the beginning hand balancer encounters in bringing the hip over the shoulders and hands is due to the utter confusion of activating the extensors of the back from shoulder to hip. While upright the task of midline stabilization involves maneuvering the torso relative to the base of support—the hips and feet. While upside down the task of midline stabilization requires bringing the hips over the base of support—the shoulders and hands. The difference is profound and for most of you will be the primary obstacle to pressing to a handstand, not insufficient strength!
Similarly, a potent and largely unfamiliar recruitment of the abdominals is required of pressing to a handstand.

Find a wall to kick up against and give it a try! Once you have perfected the handstand, try this workout:

8 rounds of: 30 second handstand hold (wall supported) and 10 squats

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My Workout Today: Two day certification this weekend. All we did was workout. That has earned me a rest day Monday.
My Confession Today: Nothing so far, I love that!

Kettlebells

2009-12-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

The kettlebell is a cast iron weight with a handle. They are measured in pood (weight of the Imperial Russian weight measurement system). One pood is equal to 16 kg (35 lb).

The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool used to increase strength, endurance and agility. Kettlebell workouts challenge both the muscular and cardiovascular system with demanding, dynamic, total-body movements. You SHOULD NOT incorporate kettlebells into your routine without supervision from a trained fitness professional. There are many benefits to kettlebell use but they can also be dangerous if used incorrectly.

A “Two Arm Swing” is one of the exercises I like to use with my clients. While the arms look as if they are doing a great deal of the work, the power in the swing actually comes from the hips (in a hip-thrust motion or snapping of the hips). Begin with some smaller warm up swings to get a feel for the weight. After practicing a few swings, continue swinging the weight up higher until you get to shoulder level. At the top of the movement, the kettlebell should feel weightless. Use your hips and legs to move the weight, rather than your arms.

Here is a video that will show you what the exercise should look like. Be sure to ask a coach to help you when you are ready to give it a try.

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My Workout Today: Double Sessions Today. You name it, I did it.
My Confession Today: Paleo What?

Holiday Weight Gain

2009-12-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) people actually accumulate a large proportion of their yearly weight gain over the winter holiday season. I am sure we can come up with many reasons/excuses (all of which I have used myself). The most common complaint I hear is that there just isn’t enough time during the busy season to get to the gym. I agree, but you don’t have to go to the gym to workout. You don’t even need equipment. Here are a few of my favorite no gym, no equipment workouts to help you fight the winter weight gain. Pick one and get going.

~ Run 1 mile stopping to lunge 30 steps every 60 seconds.
~ Perform 20 rounds of 5 Push Ups, 5 Squats, and 5 Sit-Ups
~ 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Burpies and Plank Lifts
~ Perform 10 rounds of: 30 seconds of mountain climbers and a 30 second hold at the bottom of a squat.
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My Workout Today: Press, Push Press, Push Jerk
My Confession Today: Decorated cookies with my niece and nephew. Wish I could say I didn’t sample.

What are you willing to work for?

2009-12-08T21:03:00.008-05:00

When you see someone who has something you want, do you make assumptions about how they got it?

You see a fit person and assume it is genetics.
You see a successful person and assume they were lucky.
You see a happy person and assume they have an easy life?

How hard are you willing to work for something? How willing are you to make excuses? Here is a video that one of the coaches from CFB shared recently. Forget this video is about basketball and listen to the message.

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My Workout Today: Back Squats and Power Cleans
My Confession Today: Too many in the past week to list. I have no excuses.

What the heck are they wearing???

2009-12-02T15:57:00.002-05:00

The typical human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. The “Five Finger” shoes are based on the belief that shoes that provide too much structure prevent stimulation of many of these receptors, tendons, muscles, ECT. Some experts believe that athletic shoes actually weaken our foot and leg muscles, leaving them underdeveloped and more prone to injury.

Proponents of this type of footwear claim that it is important to “stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis . . . . Stimulating muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception.”

I know many people who were these shoes. Most swear that they have eliminated shin splints, relieved various foot pains, and even made them better runners. Others claim that they developed bone spurs, plantar fasciitis, and other limb pain.

Make up your own mind, do your own research, and if you do decide to try them, make sure you introduce your feet to them slowly!
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My Workout Today Workout: Snatch (1st time snatching since hurting my shoulder on this exercise a few weeks ago) Even got a personal best! Don’t be scared.
My Confession Today: Coffee is getting out of hand!

The only equipment you need is a pair of legs:

2009-11-30T00:00:00.002-05:00

Here is a relatively quick but very uncomfortable (pleasantly so) workout to start your week. I did it Sunday and my legs still feel like 200 pounds each. It should only take you about 15 minutes. Make sure you warm up first. I would definitely do this outside!

Run 400m
Perform 50 Body Weight Air Squats
Run 400m
Perform 50 Body Weight Air Squats
Run 400m
Perform 50 Body Weight Air Squats
Run 400m
Perform 50 Body Weight Air Squats

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My Workout Today Workout: Haven’t done it yet. I’ll let you know later.
My Confession Today: This was not a good food weekend. Not paleo and not gluten free

Agility Ladder

2009-11-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

Ladder agility drills are an excellent way to warm up before weight training. The drills are designed to improve speed, agility, coordination and quickness. I like to use the ladder with athletes who play sports requiring quick changes of direction (often with the knees in demanding, atypical angles). This would include tennis, soccer, field hockey, and football players to name just a few.

Remember when you perform ladder agility drills to keep your head still, arms and hands relaxed, elbows flexed to 90 degrees, and stay on the balls of your feet. The drills are hard to explain with text. Ask me to show you a few the next time I see you. You can also use You Tube to find some great demonstrations.

Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhPN7B9bisU. This kids form is not the best but it is a good demonstration. Every time he steps on the ladder it is called a "fault". I charge 2 burpees per fault. This will keep you honest and make sure your don't sacrifice form for speed.
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My Workout Today: Push Jerks, Sumo Squat High Pulls, Double Unders
My Confession Today: Saving my "cheets" for tomorrow....

Agave Fruit and Nut Bars

2009-11-24T00:00:00.006-05:00

It’s Tuesday, you know what that means! It’s time for me to introduce another one of my crazy treats. Try replacing your store bought snack bars with one of my favorite “paleo friendly” bars.

1 cup blanched almond slivers

1 cup dried apricots

¾ cup dried cherries of cranberries

½ cup pitted dated

½ cup unsweetened coconut

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon agave

Put all ingredients (except agave) into a food processor and chop until very fine.
While the machine is on, add agave and process. Remove mixture to a bowl. Scoop out by the tablespoon and shape into small bars on wax paper.

Refrigerate to store.
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My Workout Today: Deadlifts and Push-Ups
My Confession Today: I was good today. Feeling guilty about the peanut butter cup yesterday!

3K Combo

2009-11-23T00:00:00.005-05:00

Bring a stopwatch and a set of medium to heavy dumbbells with you and find a rower. Complete 1 round of the following:

Row: 500m
60 seconds: Air Squats
Row: 500m
60 seconds: Push Ups
Row: 500m
60 seconds: Plank
Row: 500m
60 seconds: Lunges
Row: 500m
60 seconds: Overhead Press/Push Press
Row: 500m
60 seconds: Weighted Crunch

Record your time co you can compare it to a repeat performance in a month or two.
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My Workout Today: Leaving the shoulder alone, front squats and 5k run.
My Confession Today: Serioulsy, do Reeses Peanut Butter Cups have crack in them? What is wrong with me?!

2009-11-17T00:00:00.002-05:00

Usually when people see me eating lunch, the most common remark is, “Now what bizarre food is she eating". Some of the most “bizarre” food I eat is the healthiest food I eat. Here is my food suggestion for the week. Try hemp seed nuts. Ounce per Ounce, hemp seed nuts provide more high-quality protein (6 grams per tablespoon) than beef or fish.

They are about the size of a sunflower seed but hey have a fantastic hazelnut flavor. I put them on everything. Save yourself some time and energy and buy the shelled hempseeds at Whole Foods.
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My Workout Today: Push Press, 500m row x 3 (2min rest between efforts)
My Confession Today: Coffee with milk and sugar

Tabata Time

2009-11-16T00:00:00.004-05:00

If you workout with me you know what this is and chances are you even groaned when you read the word. A Tabata workout is an interval training cycle of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest. This cycle is repeated (without rest) 8 times for a total of four minutes.

You can keep score by counting how many resps you do in each of the 20 second rounds. The round with the smallest number of reps is your score. If you perform 20 push ups the first 20 seconds but only 5 during the final round, your score would be 5. There is a small element of game play here. You have to learn to push yourself without reaching absolute failure.

Try using push-ups, pull-ups, squats, jump rope, sit ups, KB swings, Cleans, Snatch ...... Anything!

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My Workout Today: Fran

My Confession Today: I did not do my push-ups from last week. No wonder they are not getting better.

How about those logs..........

2009-11-11T00:00:00.004-05:00

In August we talked about training logs. If you have been keeping careful notes you should have some data to compare. Have you been getting faster, stronger, more consistent? Think about where you have been stuck and make it a goal to work on that skill for an entire week. If your maximum repetitions of push ups is still the same, take 2 minutes each day to practice them. We tend to avoid the things we hate the most but they are what we should be doing the most!

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Today's Workout: 5 Pull Ups, 10 Push Ups, 15 Squats - nonstop for 20minutes
Today's Confession: I HATE PUSH UPS! I did this same workout in August and my score is still the same (hence, this post topic)

Don’t be so quick to throw out the yolk.

2009-11-10T00:00:00.004-05:00

It is true that a large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of cholesterol but they also contain the majority of the nutrients found in an egg (about 90%). All of the egg's vitamin A, D and E is in the egg yolk. The yolk contains the majority of the essential amino acids as well. One large egg contains 6.25g of protein while one egg white contains only 3.51g.

The research on potential health risks of an egg yolk is contradictory. Some studies show that moderate consumption of eggs does not appear to increase heart disease risk in healthy individual while other research supports the idea that a high egg intake increases cardiovascular risk.

As with everything, moderation is best. Anywhere from 6 per week to 2 eggs per day is considered “moderate”. If you have a 3 egg omelet, try taking out just one yolk rather than all or none of them.
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Today's Workout: 100 Overhead Squats 55#
Today's Confession: I was as good as good can be, for once!

Quick Workout

2009-11-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for an intense total body workout to squeeze into a busy day this week? (Wow, that sounds like the beginning of an infomercial.) Here is my suggestion this week…. Grab a jump rope and a yoga mat.

~Perform 50 jumps with the rope followed by 50 body weight squats and 50 sit ups
~Perform 40 jumps with the rope followed by 40 body weight squats and 40 sit ups
~Perform 30 jumps with the rope followed by 30 body weight squats and 30 sit ups
~Perform 20 jumps with the rope followed by 20 body weight squats and 20 sit ups
~Perform 10 jumps with the rope followed by 10 body weight squats and 10 sit ups

Do not rest between sets. Record your time so you can compare it to a repeat performance next month.
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Today's Workout: Visited a friend’s gym and was immediately humbled by the athletes. Deadlifts, Cleans, Squats, Jerks…. Oh yeah, and running. They were crazy.
Today's Confession: My weekend was not very paleo friendly.

For What It’s Worth: Sports Massage

2009-11-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

Is a massage a luxury or a necessity? I find that I only get body work done when I pull a muscle or can’t get rid of a stubborn knot. I started thinking how nice it would be to have preventative treatments. Therapeutic sports massage focuses on treating soft tissue aches, pain and injuries that are associated with training. Here is an informative article on the topic. “Sports massage can help athletes stay healthy, perform better and recover faster”. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/sports-massage-help-athletes-stay-healthy-perform-better-recover-faster.html

Many of us are convinced of the physical benefit of massage but research to support the claims that it improves performance is limited.

Will it make you feel better, likely. Will it make you a stronger and faster athlete, probably not...
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Today's Workout: 1k row, 100 Pull Ups, 150 Push Ups, 200 Sit Ups, 250 Squats (no, I am not kidding)
Today's Confession: That workout took forever!

Equipment: Training Plan

2009-11-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

After Mondays post, I have been getting a lot of questions about the 5k training plan. Ask and you shall receive.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/22087610 (download it in Excel)

This is not a program I designed myself but I can't remember where I found it so I can' give credit where credit is do. As I said yesterday, this program assumes three things: 1) You can jog 5 minutes now, 2) You can train 3 times per week, and 3) You have at least 9 weeks to train. You can extend the program by doing each week for 2 weeks.

Remember, learning to run is hard. You will feel wonderful, you will feel frustrated and maybe even defeated, you will feel sore, and you will feel exhilarated. It can be overwhelming.

Give it a shot and remember to STRETCH before and after! Look back to the 9/10 post on stretching.
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Today’s Workout: Overhead Squat (new personal record!)
Today’s Confession: Still eating WAY TOO MUCH

Sports Drinks

2009-11-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

On August 25, 2009 we talked about the importance of hydration. With all the water and sports drink options out there it is hard to know what to reach for. Here are a few quick facts to help you decide.

~ For moderate workouts under an hour, water is the preferred choice. Compared to sports drinks, a healthy post-workout meal is a better choice to replenish lost nutrients (see September 15th:post workout meals).
~ Sports drinks can be useful during demanding activity lasting more than an hour because they are a good source of carbohydrates.
~ There are other drinks that are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Don’t be fooled. Those vitamins and minerals are not lost during exercise and should come from a healthy diet.
~ If the carbohydrate content of your sports drink is higher than 8 percent it can inhibit the hydration process.

If you don’t like to drink water plain, try adding a little lemon juice. Here is a recipe if you want to try a homemade sports drink to save on cost and eliminate unnecessary additives.

1/2 cup orange juice or lemon juice

9 tbs. Sugar

3/8 tsp Salt

2 liters water.
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Today's Workout: Snatch, Ring Dips, Handstand Push Ups
Today's Confession: Couldn't stop eating all day! Started at 6 and kept going...

Meet Jamie, Number 3153

2009-11-02T00:00:00.006-05:00

This woman is the reason you are not allowed to tell me you “can’t” do something. Meet Jamie (runner 3153, left). She once told me she couldn’t run. Then she tried something crazy. She ran a lap at the BSC Newton indoor track. That’s about 1/17th of a mile. That was all it took, she caught the running bug. She asked me if I thought she could run a 5k. If I remember correctly, I said yes before she even finished the question. She registered for the Massachusetts Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and I armed her with a 9 week training plan and updated her cross training (resistance training) program.

The plan was designed for people who can only run 5 minutes without rest. It combines bouts of walking with jogging, slowly increasing the ratio of work (jogging) to rest (walking). By the 9th week she was jogging 30 minutes straight.

On September 26th she ran her first 5k in less than 32 minutes! Let me put that into perspective for you. The top female runner in her age group ran it in just under 23 minutes! A women who 9 weeks earlier was not a runner, was only off the winning pace by 9 minutes. Imagine what she would have done with more time to train!!!

Try telling me you can’t do something and Jamie and I will tell you that you can, and tell you how you can.

Happy running.
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Today's Workout: Took the weekend off - injured knee! Does two rounds of golf count?
Today's Confession: Too depressed from lack of exercise to misbehave

For What It's Worth: Goals

2009-10-29T00:00:00.003-04:00

I had a discussion today with two clients about goals. I had a second separate conversation with another client later in the day about incentives. Here are my thoughts on the topic….. for what it’s worth.

First, you MUST have goals. Think about what you want to achieve in the next 2 months and write it down. Before you do that, make sure it meets the following criteria.

1) Make sure it is specific and measurable. Don’t just say you want to work out more. How many days a week do you want to work out? How long do you want to work out on those days?
2) Make sure it is realistic. If you tell me you want to drop 50lbs in 2 months I will tell you to that you are setting yourself up for failure (and injury) and ban you from watching Biggest Loser.
3) Make sure you have a plan. If you tell me you want to run a 5k in 3 months, I will ask you to break it down into smaller steps (for example: find a race, register, get a training outline ……) What are the puzzle pieces?
4) Set up an incentive. Accomplishing your goal may be enough of an incentive for you. For most of us, we need an incentive/bribe/reward. Whatever you call it, you need compensation. I have had several clients that have been trying to supplement our workouts together with their own workouts several times per week. When they were successful, I gave them a free session. I value my time but I value their successes more! Be creative. I will help where I can.

I hope this helps. In the next week I will be asking you what your goals are. Feel free to post them here where I can comment.

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Today's Workout: Crossfit "Helen"
Today's Confession: I had to do my own goals today. When you achieve your goals, sometimes you forget to set new ones.

iPod

2009-10-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

The most important piece of equipment I pack everyday is my i-pod. I NEED music to workout. Maybe it’s the extra motivation, the distraction from the pain, or the music’s ability to keep my mind form wondering to the million of other things I have to do. It’s hard to explain. Here is one of my favorite playlists….

Ghosts (4:33) Ladytron
Meet Me On the Equinox (3:44) Death Cab for Cutie
Meet Me Halfway (4:44) Black Eyed Peas
I'm Shipping Up to Boston (2:34) Dropkick Murphys
Obsessed (4:02) Mariah Carey
Tear Me Up (3:07) Stefy Rae
Break It Down (3:21) Alana D
I Get Around (3:29) Dragonette
Get Up (1:46) A.D.
Say What You Want (3:51) The Deekompressors
I'm Good, I'm Gone (3:23) Lykke Li
Emergency (2:59) Aimee Allen
Doin' My Thing (2:28) King Juju
Love Is Gone (3:21) David Guetta & Chris Willis
World Hold On (3:36) Bob Sinclar
Somebody's Watching Me (3:58) RockwellFame (3:26) Naturi

The tempo is all over the place so I don’t run with it but it is good for about 60 min of weight training. I have to warn you, these are not songs that I would play in class. Some of them use colorful language and cover interesting topics. It’s just for fun…
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Today's Workout: 5k run
Today's Confession: Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins

Calcium: Quick Facts

2009-10-27T00:00:00.002-04:00

Studies show that women who consume more calcium in their diets tend to be thinner than women with low calcium intake. Calcium may reduce the amount of saturated fat your body can absorb by binding with fat molecules and preventing them from being absorbed by the intestines.

So how much calcium do you need anyway? That depends on your age. As you can imagine, calcium requirements are especially high in older people due to the increased risk of osteoporosis.

Recommended calcium intake in mg per day

0 to 6 months: 210

7 to 12 months: 270

1 to 3 years: 500

4 to 8 years: 800

9 to 13 years: 1300

14 to 18 years: 1000

19 to 50 years: 1000

51+ years: 1200

Now let’s put that in perspective. An 8-ounce glass of dairy contains about 300 milligrams of calcium as does 2¾ cups of cooked broccoli and 8 cups of cooked spinach. Shrimp is another great source!

How about shrimp, spinach and a big glass of milk for dinner. …

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Today's Workout: Power Clean, Thrusters, Box Jumps

Today's Confession: I was good today. No confessions. (NO HALLOWEEN CANDY!)

Why I make you do bike sprints

2009-10-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

I know you all hate bike sprints. I hoping that if I take a minute to explain why I make you do them, you will be less likely to hate me for making you. Bike intervals, or “bike sprints” as I call them, are great way to incorporate anaerobic exercise into your routine.

Anaerobic means "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise is short-lasting, high-intensity activity, where your body’s demand for oxygen exceeds the oxygen supply available. Anaerobic exercise relies on energy sources that are stored in the muscles and, unlike aerobic exercise, is not dependent on oxygen from (breathing) the air (Reference Guide to Anaerobic Exercise.

Anaerobic training will help you develop stronger muscles, improve your cardio-respiratory fitness and increase your ability to fight fatigue. This kind of training will push you just beyond your comfort level, but not to the point of complete exhaustion or injury. Start out with a 1:2 work to rest ratio. Warm up for 5 minutes at a comfortable pace, sprint for 10 seconds and rest for 20 seconds. Do that 10 times and you have the most efficient workout you could have possibly squeezed into 15 minutes.
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Today's Workout: Snatch, Chest to Bar Pull-Ups, Burpies
Today's Confession: I HATE BURPIES

Important Equipment: YOUR LUNGS

2009-10-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

Breathing is such an automatic part of our bodily function that we rarely pay attention to it at all. If we are fortunate enough to squeeze a workout in during our crazy day, maybe we notice our breathing then. Imagine your struggle to breathe during a particularly difficult workout. Now imagine what your life would be like if it were that difficult to breath all the time, regardless of what you were doing.

On February 6, I will donate my lungs and tackle 82 flights of stairs to raise money for the American Lung Association. The Fight for Air Climb: Race Up Boston Place will raise funds for research, education and advocacy and help bring hope to the 35 million Americans who are living with lung disease.

Please join me in my efforts to make a difference by sponsoring my team. The following link will bring you to my personal fundraising page. http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?rid=1078110&id=2826&acct=9000517195

If you want to experience the fight first hand, you can also join the team and climb with us. Go to http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2826 and join the group “Melissa Made Us Do It”.

Thank you in advance for your help. Wish us luck….

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Today's Workout: Split Jerks, Snatch, Deadlift
Today's Confession: That damn Halloween candy .... again

Complex carbohydrates: Cont...

2009-10-20T15:00:00.001-04:00

Last Friday’s post said “The majority of these [carbohydrates] should come from complex carbohydrates. So what does that mean?

Complex carbohydrates are chains of three or more single sugar molecules linked together. Food that is high in complex carbohydrates are often lower in calories and are more satiating (increasing your complex carbohydrate foods always means an associated rise in fiber intake). Here is a list of healthy foods that are good sources of complex carbohydrates.

Spinach, Whole Barley, Grapefruit, Turnip Greens, Buckwheat, Apples, Lettuce, Buckwheat bread, Prunes, Water Cress, Oat bran bread, Dried Apricots, Zucchini, Oatmeal, Pears, Asparagus, Oat bran cereal, Plums, Artichokes, Museli, Strawberries, Okra, Wild rice, Cabbage, Brown rice, Celery, Multi-grain bread, Carrots, Cucumbers, Pinto beans, Potatoes, Dill Pickles, Low Fat Yogurt, Soybeans, Radishes, Skim milk, Lentils, Broccoli, Navy beans, Garbanzo beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Kidney beans, Eggplant, Soy milk, Lentils, Onions, Split peas, Tomatoes

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Today's Workout: Overhead Squat, Body Weight Series, Kettle Bell Swings
Today's Confession: Fudgecicles for dessert!

Stride Length and Speed in Distance Runners:

2009-10-19T05:00:00.001-04:00

Biomechanical studies have shown that as runners get faster, their stride length shortens. This may sound counterintuitive. We all think like sprinters (who strive for the longest stride they can), even if we are distance runners. The key to running distances 5k and over is cadence; more steps per minute. If you want to try to increase your speed, don’t try to run faster. As you increase the number of steps you WILL run faster. Here is a drill that Olympian Jeff Galloway lists on his website.

~ Warm Up with a slow 10 to 15 minute jog
~ Jog for 30 seconds counting the number of steps you take with your right foot
~ Walk for 30 seconds
~ Jog for another 30 seconds trying to increase your cadence by 1 or 2
~ Repeat until you have complete 4 to 8 cadence-counting repetitions increasing by 1 or 2 each time.
~Cool down with another 10 to 15 minute jog

If you want to try it to music, find songs with the corresponding beets per minute:
14 min mile = 153 bpm
12 min mile = 156 bpm
10 min mile = 160 bpm
9 min mile = 163 bpm
8 min mile = 166 bpm
6 min mile = 171 bpm

I will put together a playlist for a future post to help!
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Today's Workout: Dumbbell Snatch, Kettle Bell Swings, and Push Ups
Today's Confession: Pretty health today! Workout and lazy day on the couch

Question of the week

2009-10-16T17:19:00.005-04:00

“What percentage of my calories should come from protein, carbohydrates, and fat?

Macronutrients are nutrients that the body uses in relatively large amounts. The three important classes of macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats and related compounds). Consuming a balanced diet that contains all three of these essential nutrients is vital. So what is the right balance? These recommendations vary slightly from source to source but here they are in a nut shell.

Carbohydrates: 30 - 60% of total calories with athletes requiring the higher end of that recommendation. The majority of these should come from complex carbohydrates.

Protein: 20 to 50% with a focus on protein with a high biological value (proteins of animal origin like eggs and meat)

Lipids: 15 to 30% with 2/3 coming from monounsaturated or polyunsaturated sources.

Hope that helps….

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Today's Workout: 5RM Bench Press, metabolic conditioning
Today's Confession: Leaving the workout clothes at home and going out so I am sure there will be some extra confession Monday!

For What It’s Worth: Fish Oil

2009-10-15T14:00:00.002-04:00

Competitive athletes, recreational athletes, weekend worries and non-athletes are all talking about Fish Oil. Is Fish Oil just the next trend or is it a valuable addition to your supplement schedule?

As much as 90% of the American population is deficient in good fats, such as those found in fish oil. While the National Institutes of Health highly recommends fish oil (and other omega-3 sources) only for hypertriglyceridemia, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure, there may be a benefit for the rest of us.
Research has shown that “fish oil decreases muscle breakdown, decreases inflammation, increases muscle growth, speeds recovery time, supports hormone secretion, and supports healthy joints and connective tissue”. Experts recommend 2 - 9 grams of fish oil to prevent deficiencies and 9 -18 grams per day to support optimal health and performance. Ask your health care professional if you would benefit from adding a fish oil supplement to your meal time.

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Today's Workout: Deadlift 5x5
Today's Confession: Truffle French Fries! How can you say no to anything covered in Truffle oil?

Interval Timers

2009-10-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

I have lectured about the benefits of interval training many times both here on this blog and during my private training sessions. This type of training requires you to monitor both your work periods and your rest periods. That can be hard to do on your own especially of you are trying to use a clock or a simple stop watch. With that said, my exercise equipment suggestion for you today is a GymBoss. It is inexpensive, lightweight and about the size of a pager. I am not much of a saleswomen so check out their website at http://www.gymboss.com/ and decide for yourself.

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Today's Workout: 500m Row x4, 40% BW Push Press x 60
Today's Confession: Still drinking coffee (with sugar!)

Bon Appétit

2009-10-13T12:30:00.004-04:00

Whether you follow a low carbohydrate diet or not, sometimes you just need a break from pasta. Next time, grab a squash instead. Spaghetti squash is a winter squash that originated in Mexico. It is generally available year-round with a peak season from early fall through winter. When it is cooked, it has a texture of noodles.

Take one look at these nutritional facts and you will see why so many conscientious eaters are already familiar with this vegetable. You can find millions of recipes on-line. To keep it simple, just add some diced tomatoes, garlic, and basil.

Bon Appétit.

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Today's Workout: Cleans
Today's Confession: I was very well behaved today! Nothing to confess, for once.

Boxing

2009-10-12T11:28:00.001-04:00

According to the American Council on Exercise, 21% of all U.S. health clubs offer a boxing class. Maybe they know something you don’t. They know that boxers are some of the most highly conditioned athletes. Boxing is a total body workout that will enhance your cardiovascular fitness and tone your body from top to bottom. Here is how a typical class might work. (This is how I run my classes anyway…)

~5 to 10 min: Warm up with jump rope and footwork drills
~5 to 10 min: Review punches and ring movement
~30 to 40 min: Break off into stations for interval work. Stations often alternate between cardio/polymeric and bag work. For example you may spend 2 minutes on a heavy bag, 2 minutes doing lunges, and 2 minutes on a speed bag, 2 minutes doing box jumps, 2 minutes one on one with the instructor…..)
~10 min: Core and abdominal work
~5 min: Stretching

You will notice a difference in your legs, shoulders back and arms quickly. Try a class once a week for 8 weeks and see how great you look in the New Years Eve cocktail dress (or whatever men wear).

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Today's Workout: Max Pull Ups, Kettle Bell Swings, Push Ups, 200m sprints
Today's Confession: Fun Size Snickers... Halloween candy I hate you!

Is it worth it?

2009-10-08T21:33:00.004-04:00

The next time you reach for a soda, a Coke for example, think about how much it will cost you.
That 15 minute jog you took that felt so good this morning: wasted.
That very challenging 14 minutes on the rower: gone.
How about that spin class with the really mean instructor that always yells at you: void.

Coke: 12 fluid oz =155 calories
14 min of rowing
15 min of jogging
20 min of spinning
24 min of aerobics
34 min of swimming

It all adds up……….. Make smart decisions.

If you have them, use them.

2009-10-06T21:51:00.005-04:00

I'm talking about stairs. You have them at home, at the office, somewhere on your commute. Usually the people you see running stairs are elite athletes (and all of my clients). There is a reason for this, it’s hard as hell.

Running stairs provides a maximum benefit in minimal time. According to the American Council on Exercise "running stairs multiplies the caloric burn and the cardiovascular benefit." Walking up stairs at a moderate intensity should burn 5 calories a minute for a 120-pound person, 7 for a 150-pound person and 9 for a 180-pound person. The impact on knees and feet is relatively low, with the pressure equivalent to two times one’s body weight walking up stairs (compared with three to four times when running). The pressure on the body going downstairs is significant so walk down, don’t run down. Check out the NY Times article on tower running.

Give it a try but go easy to start. You will reach your peak heart rate fast and the lactic acid production is intense. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Today's Workout: Last day of my rest week. Back to the workouts tomorrow.
Today's Confession: Wine to end a bad day… remind me to tell you the story.

Just for Fun!

2009-09-29T23:59:00.001-04:00

The warm weather is fading fast so here is a “fun” workout you can do outdoors. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting a little dirt on. This is not a fashion show.

Use telephone poles as distance markers. After warming up complete the following:
~ Sprint/Run two telephone poles
~ Turn around and lunge back for one telephone pole
~ Perform 10 push ups, 15 body weight air squats, 20 sit ups.

Continue this “two steps forward one step back” program until you have sprinted/ran 10 telephone poles.

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Today's Workout: Rest Day
Today's Confession: Everything is Gluten free if you don't bother to read the ingredients.

Listen to your Body

2009-09-21T22:34:00.003-04:00

The topic today is injury prevention. What I am going to tell you is very important so if you are multi talking right now STOP. If you want to significantly reduce your risk of injury from exercise…. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. I know this advise is vague so let me clarify.

Exercise can be (and often is when you are training with me) uncomfortable, but it should never be painful. There is a difference. New movements can be uncomfortable, difficult movements can be uncomfortable, complex movements can be uncomfortable. You get the picture……. Discomfort is usually general and goes away as you become more proficient at doing what you asking your body to do. I hear many of you say, “this feels weird” or “this is uncomfortable”. What has my response always been? I always say, “Good, that means it’s new”.

Pain on the other hand, usually indicates a physical problem. Pain is more specific and localized. If you feel pain, stop. Observe what you were doing when the pain occurred, assess your technique and adjust your program accordingly. If you try to work through pain you are guaranteeing injury.

Listen to your body. If it is telling you to go back to bed rather than workout, you can ignore that.
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Today's Workout: 2k Row
Today's Confession: Dove Dark Chocolate Bar (swear a client brought it to me!)

Rowing

2009-09-16T21:22:00.003-04:00

Indoor rowing is a great strength-endurance workout that effectively works the entire body. Despite being low impact (safer option for people who have joint problems), it still burns significant calories. Working out for an hour on an indoor rowing machine at a moderate pace burns around 400-600 calories. Like any exercise, rowing can cause injury if done improperly. Non-rowers commonly overemphasize the muscles of the upper body making lower back discomfort the most common complaint. It is important to learn proper technique before you jump on. Here are a few fundamental points presented by gubernatrix.

Summary of technique
~At the start, straight arms, back straight, chest up, looking straight forward
~Big push with the legs to start the drive back
~Wait until knees are straight before passing the handle over them
~Pull handle into chest with straight wrists and use trunk to lever back slightly
~On the recovery, allow handle to pass knees before bending them
~Keep back straight and chest up

For the full article (with helpful images) check out http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/03/indoor-rowing-technique/

Today's Workout: Snatch, Clean, Pull-Ups, Push Press
Today's Confession: 13 hour day…. too tired to misbehave

Post Workout Meals

2009-09-15T17:40:00.001-04:00

There is a tremendous amount of information out there on this topic. Below are three of the most important questions with brief answers.

1) How long after my workout should I eat my post workout meal?
Ideally you want to have a meal within 1 hour (within 30 minutes is best)

2) How much protein and how many carbohydrates should I eat? Between 0.15-0.25 grams of protein per pound of body weight
Between 0.25-0.40 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight

3) What foods should the protein be coming from?
Foods that can be digested and used by your body quickly (IE: liquid shakes verses egg whites and chicken because protein in whole foods digests slowly)

4) What foods should the carbohydrates be coming from?
You are going to love this, regarding post workout meals, simple carbohydrates are actually preferred. Good carbohydrates (brown rice for example) contain fiber, and fiber slows down their digestion. Post workout meals need to be digested quickly and simple carbohydrates digest faster. An example of simple carbohydrates is Dextrose (also known as glucose) which is a monosaccharide or simple sugar. You want to choose a high (70+) glycemic carbohydrate source like watermelon. Check out glycemicindex.com for more help.

There is a wonderful and thorough article at http://www.intense-workout.com/post_workout.html that will give you an in-depth answer. It is worth reading.

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Today's Workout: Skill Practice: Snatch, Clean, Jerk, Back Squat
Today's Confession: Let’s just say I definitely had my post workout simple carbs…

What is Overtraining? Sign and Symptoms

2009-09-11T14:35:00.004-04:00

“The body does not get fitter through exercise; it gets fitter through recovering from exercise” --Peter Keen, coach of Chris Boardman

Don’t fall victim to the mantra “More is Better”. If the media tells you to exercise 3 to 5 times a week then 7 must be even better, right? If 60 minutes is good then 2 hours must be better, right? So wrong! Your body needs time to fully recover from the stress that accumulates over a training period. Overtraining is the result of the body’s inability to cope with physical demands.

Common Symptoms of overtraining are:
Unexplained underperformance
Prolonged recovery
Increased need for sleep
Sleep and mood disturbance
Excessive fatigue
Frequent infections
Depression
Loss motivation
Increased anxiety and irritation
Decreased concentration ability

A good strategy to prevent overtraining is to use your training log (see post from Friday, August 14, 2009). When you notice some of the symptoms mentioned above, consult your log to decide if you have been giving yourself adequate recovery time.

Treatment of overtraining involves rest, plain and simple. The longer you allowed your overtraining to go on, the more rest you will need so don’t delay. Depending on severity, you may need days or weeks. The general rule of thumb is to rest until symptoms of overtraining have resolved. AND DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN……
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Today's Workout: 250m row, 3 rounds of: 5 Clean and Jerks and 25 Wall Balls, 250m row
Today's Confession: Should have been a rest day. Do as I say not as I do.

Stretching

2009-09-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

We all know that we need to warm up before we work out but what should we include in our warm up? You see some people jump right into a light jog while others touch their toes and pull on their arms. Is one better than the other? There is a great debate in the fitness world about this issue. I can only give you my opinion.

Many strength coaches, including myself, support the use of dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching increases core and muscle temperature, lengthens the muscles, lubricates joints, and helps decrease the chance of injury. Dynamic stretches use controlled movements throughout the entire range of motion. This is different from static stretches which involves holding the farthest point in the range of motion. It is also different from ballistic stretching which uses momentum to force the body beyond its normal range of motion.

For your future workouts, plan on spending 10 minutes to complete a dynamic stretching routine. There are many stretches out there so pick 4 to 6 and design a personalized routine. I like to use butt kicks, high knees, Frankenstein kicks (shown above), over/under hurdles, walkouts, and frog steps. You can find demonstration on You Tube with a quick search.

Here is a great article by Gretchen Reynolds that is helpful.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=1
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Today's Workout: 20lb Wall Ball 150 reps
Today's Confession: Dunks (a years worth of sugar)

Foam Rollers

2009-09-02T22:24:00.007-04:00

We have all seen people using one of the funky looking foam rollers. They usually have a pained look on their face and you think, “That can’t be good”. Actually, as uncomfortable as it is, it is very productive. The technical name for this technique is Self Myofascial Release (SMR). Athletes use this technique to reduce the tension in a muscle.

The simplest way to describe this technique, without sounding like a text book, is to liken it to a self massage. The roller is used to apply pressure to sensitive areas in the muscles. The athlete uses their own body weight to roll on the foam roller to “massaging” away any knots or tightness. SMR can help alleviate joint and muscle soreness and increases joint range of motion.

Here are some general guidelines for the use of SMR provided by the National Academy of Sports Medicine
~Start by searching the tissues for tenderness. If tenderness is identified, hold foam roll on the "hot-spot" for 10-12 sec. Repeat by coming back to area 3-5 times or until tenderness has subsided.
~If tenderness is too much to handle simply add another foam roll dispersing body weight over a greater surface.
~If no tenderness is identified while SLOW rolling, continue in a smooth rhythmical manner.
~Maintain a tight stomach by pulling the belly button back towards the spine.
Do not perform under the following conditions:
~Feelings of nausea
~ Dizziness
~Pain
~Acute rheumatoid arthritis
~Painful varicose veins
You can perform SMR massage 1-2 x daily.

Foam rollers come in various sizes and densities, with the more dense rollers providing the most sensation. This can be very uncomfortable so have someone show you how you can manipulate your body to adjust the pressure being used.

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Today's Workout: Long walk (albeit leisurely) on a gorgeous day
Today's Confession: More pudding. The only food that I can rely on to go down relatively pain free.

Fueling Your Morning Workouts

2009-09-01T21:17:00.002-04:00

Most of my training sessions are done very early in the morning. Some people eat before they come and some people don’t. Personally, I have a hard time working out before 8am. By then I have had 2 small means and feel fueled and ready for the challenge. I have found that people who do not eat are more likely to feel light headed, run out of energy early, and perform below their normal strength levels. I am not citing research here, just my experience in working with all of you. So what should you eat?

Food consumed prior to working out can be available for workout fuel. The science suggests eating a carbohydrate and protein mixture before working out will lead to optimal performance. However, eating very early in the morning before a tough workout sometimes does not go over well with our stomachs. If you have a hard time eating in the morning but find that you are low on energy if you don’t, consider this. Something that is mostly carbohydrates, such as a piece of fruit, will be available faster than a protein because protein & fat take longer to digest. If you can’t handle much food, go for a glass of OJ or a piece of fruit. If you can handle a little more, try some almond putter (right off the spoon) or on a piece of toast. There is no rule that you can’t have a 2nd breakfast after your workout to balance out the morning meal.

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Today's Workout: I managed a short walk today. That is about as close to exercise as I can come right now.
Today's Confession: Solid food today… still not healthy but solid.

I’ll have a plank … to go please.

2009-08-31T14:41:00.004-04:00

I am working with a wonderful client and mother of 4. She is struggling to find time to fit in workouts, at the gym and at home, while running a small country. One of her/our goals is to do a core workout at least 3 times a week. This routine MUST be quick, cannot involve props, and needs to be done solo. We tried a very basic routine but decided to simplify it even more by choosing only more exercise. So what core exercise is so efficient? Why the dreaded plank of course.

A plank is a great way to build endurance in the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles. It is considered an isometric exercise. Isometric literally means same length, meaning you hold one position without moving. Isometric contractions recruit muscle fibers that are often neglected in some dynamic exercises like a basic crunch. Isometrics are particular important to new mothers who need to retrain their core after pregnancy. Of course, it is best to have a routine that uses all 3 muscle actions (concentric, eccentric, isometric) but planks are a good way to supplement your core routine at home.

~Start with your forearms, knees and toes on the floor.
~Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending as you lift your knees off of the floor.
~Pull your belly button toward your spine to keep your core contracted.
~Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor.

Start by holding the position for 5 seconds and resting for 5 seconds. Repeat this until you have held the position for 60 seconds total. You can do this 3 times at any point in the day. As you become more efficient at the plank, decrease the number of times you have to rest before you get to 60 seconds. Eventually you will do the entire 60 seconds without rest.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner….

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Today's Workout: My last workout was a week ago today! Almost there
Today's Confession: Still have not consumed anything remotely healthy. Maybe I will overdose on pudding and ice-cream and never touch it again.

Rest and Recovery

2009-08-28T12:23:00.000-04:00

I have had penalty of time this week to think about rest and recovery. This is my 6th day without exercise and I think I am actually having withdrawal symptoms. An addiction specialist might think I am actually physically withdrawing from an unknown substance. I know my body needs the rest from a summer of overtraining (and having part of it forcibly removed on Tuesday) so why is this so hard? I have to keep telling myself what I tell all of you… it is all about balance.

Physical exercise is a stress to your body. Once you adapt to a given stress, you require additional stress to continue to make progress. Gradual increases in work over a period of time will give you the desired results. However, there is a limit to how much stress the body can tolerate before it breaks down and your risks of injury increases. Doing too much work too quickly will result in injury or muscle damage. Recovery time is important because this is the time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise. Recovery also allows the body to replenish energy and allows tissue to repair itself. Without it, the body will continue to breakdown.

I have to keep reminding myself that while I think my body is breaking down from lack of exercise, it is actually healing itself. I have 8 more days of healing!
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Today's Workout: None
Today's Confession: I have not had solid food in a week so I think everything I eat would make a nutritionist cry.

Why it is not always good to share

2009-08-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

I hate to tell you all this but it is for your own health. Today’s blog on exercise equipment is about yoga/stretching mats. You know you all use them so here is what you should know.

It is no surprise that gyms are full of unwanted viruses, fungi and bacteria attributed to shared equipment. Gyms have policies about the availability of disinfectant sprays and staff to help keep the equipment clean between uses. We have all seen this. What you may not have ever seen is anyone cleaning the yoga/stretch mats. You would never go barefoot in the shower or sit directly on a bench in the locker room (at least I hope you wouldn’t) so why are you so quick to drop down on a mat that was just put away by the really sweaty hairy man with the suspicious rash?

Use your own mat or cover the one you borrow with a clean towel. They can range in price from $9.00 to over $50.00. I found a nice one at City Sports for $20.00.

I don’t want this to scare you, just make you aware.
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Today's Workout: None, 1 day post surgery
Today's Confession: Being waited on hand and foot by wonderful family and friends. I like this part!

Drink Up ........ Water that is.

2009-08-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

When people talk about nutrition water is often left out of the conversation. Experts advise that you drink before, during and after your workout. How much fluid you need depends on several factors including your size and body composition, workout intensity, how much you sweat, medical history and even age. A basic/general hydration regimen would include a minimum of half your body weight in fluid ounces per day…. regardless of exercise. When exercising, use the following guidelines from ACSM.

Hydration before exercise: Drink about 15-20 fl oz, 2-3 hours before exercise ~ Drink 8-10 fl oz 10-15 min before exercise
Hydration during exercise: Drink 8-10 fl oz of a every 10-15 min during exercise ~If you are exercising less than 40 minutes, water is fine ~ For workouts that last more than 40 minutes, you want a sports drink to help replace carbohydrates and lost electrolytes
Hydration after exercise: Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses by drinking 20-24 fl oz water for every 1 lb lost ~ Consume a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein within the 2 hours after exercise to replenish glycogen stores ~ The routine measurement of pre- and post-exercise body weights will help you develop customized fluid replacement program

The next piece of workout equipment you should buy is a water bottle.
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Today's Workout: Surgery Day, no workout for me.
Today's Confession: Ice Cream, Ice Cream, and more Ice Cream (the only upside of recovery)

Jump Rope

2009-08-24T14:56:00.004-04:00

Jumping rope is the single most underrated workout. Jumping rope combines an aerobic (or anaerobic in some cases) workout with coordination and strength training. Appropriate for a wide variety of people; it can be used at home, in a gym, inside or outside, and is small enough to fit in your suitcase (nice try business travelers). You only need 5 to 15 minutes and a small space to squeeze in a great workout.

Check out the internet or go to a local sporting good store to find a rope. I like the Nike Speed Rope because you can custom fit the length and the handles are comfortable. They make a weighted rope if you want to maximize the workout for your arms and shoulders. You can also find an inexpensive plastic rope that will work just fine. Don’t break the bank for a gimmicky rope with unnecessary bells and whistles. To properly size your jump rope, hold the handles and stand on the middle of the rope. The handles should reach the middle of your chest.

The most important thing to remember when learning to jump rope is to keep your movements small and efficient. Your shoulders should be down and relaxed with your elbows in close to the body. The rope is being turned by your wrists not your arms. Keep the rope moving and try to prevent any slack at the top of the arc. You should be jumping on the balls of your feet and landing on the balls of your feet. If you have worked out with me before you know what I am going to say next…. you should not make a sound when you land. Be nice to your knees and keep your landing soft! You only need to clear the rope when you jump so don’t waste your energy jumping for height.

Jumping rope for 15 minutes can be boring so mix it up. If jumping rope is new to you, try jumping for 30 seconds and resting for 30 seconds. Slowly increase your work time and decrease your rest time. Here are a few to get your started.

Basic jump
Alternate foot jump
Sissors
Jumping Jack
Criss-cross
Double under

Check out You Tube for some fun (and crazy) ideas……
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Today's Workout: 15 minutes of jump rope, 1RM Military Press followed by Pull-Ups and Box Jumps.
Today's Confession: Played a ton of golf in Vermont this weekend but drank just as much wine.

"What should my heart rate be when I am working out?"

2009-08-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

I get this question ALL THE TIME! Target heart rates let you measure your fitness level and monitor your exercises intensity and your progress in a fitness program.

The first thing you will need to do is find your resting heart rate. Before you get out of bed in the morning use your radial artery (distal, anterior part of the forearm) to find your pulse. Count for 10 seconds and multiple by 6 to get your resting heart rate. For an adult, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 80 beats per minute, according to the American Heart Association. For a well-trained athlete, a normal resting heart rate may be as low as 40 to 60 (there is little difference between male and female resting heart rates). As a person becomes more fit, their heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood to the rest of the body. When resting, the number of beats per minute slows down.

Once you know your resting heart rate, you can use the “Karvonen” calculation below to find your maximum heart rate and heart rate reserve (the difference between your maximal heart rate and your resting heart rate is called your heart rate reserve). To determine your training zone, multiply your heart rate reserve by your training percentage and add your resting heart rate.

([220 - age - resting heart rate] x training percentage) + resting heart rate = target heart rate.

Generally you want to stay within 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This is your target heart rate. It sounds more confusing than it is, I promise. Here is an example using a 35 year old woman with a resting heart rate of 70.

220-35-70 = 115
115 x 50% = 57
57+70 = 127

220-35-70 = 115
115 x 85% = 98
98 + 70 = 168.

This athlete would want to keep her heart rate between 127 and 168.

Hope this helps everyone!
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Today's Workout: Fight Gone Bad
Today's Confession: Eating whatever I want, whenever I want in preparation for the tonsillectomy on Tuesday!!!!

Time magazine author calls exercises useless…..

2009-08-20T22:51:00.000-04:00

An article in the August 9th edition of Time magazine by John Cloud entitled “Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin” is getting a lot of attention in the fitness world. Cloud makes many provocative statements and poses ridiculous questions including:

“Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight?”
“Could pushing people to exercise more actually be contributing to our obesity problem?”
“In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless."
“Many people eat more junk food, like doughnuts — after going to the gym.”
“Fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain”

How could something this horrendous make it into Time Magazine? It is because it is so poorly researched and the facts are so distorted that it is getting so much attention. No worries, after spending several pages confusing readers the author concludes by saying, “In short, it's what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off, that matters more in losing weight”. Well no S@%T!

You mean exercising doesn’t give you the pool pass to eat anything and everything you want?
You mean you have to combine both exercise and intelligent eating?

I think the rest of us already knew that. Thanks for the breaking news Cloud.

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Today's Workout: 3RM Deadlift x 5
Today's Confession: Skipping dinner... too tired (don't I always tell you not to do that!!)

Running Watches

2009-08-19T14:53:00.006-04:00

Those of you that know me well know that I am not a distance runner. I started increasing the length of my runs last summer and needed a little technology to help increase my chance of success. I tried the less expensive Nike+ SportBand but had to return two before finding out that they were recalled by Nike (accrding to a local running shop). They have since released an updated version but I was already hooked on my new toy! I opted for the Garmin Forerunner 405.

From the Garmin Website: Forerunner 405 continuously monitors your time, distance, pace, calories and heart rate (when paired with heart rate monitor). The data screen gives you instant feedback while you train. Each run is stored in memory so you can review and analyze the data to see how you've improved. Once you have logged the miles, wireless technology automatically transfers data to your computer for you to analyze, categorize and share.

This is by far the best investment I have made all year.

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Today's Workout: Tabata Intervals of: Squats, Rowing, Pull-ups, Sit-Ups, Push-ups
Today's Confession: Large Dunkin' with milk and SUGAR! I think they put a weeks worth of sugar in every cup.

Tredmill vs. Outdoor Running

2009-08-18T22:14:00.007-04:00

The law of specificity is a concept in physiology that says you get what you train for. If you constantly train on a treadmill but decide one day to take your run outside, you may be surprised by the outcome. The biomechanics, physiology and even the psychology of running can be different in each of these scenarios. Many clients have come to me confused by the fact that they can run for miles on a treadmill but have a hard time making it through even a short run outside.

When you practice a certain activity repeatedly, the primary muscles used become more efficient at doing what you are asking of them. What you are asking of your muscle during a run inside is different than what you are asking of them during a run outside. If you are training for an outdoor race, make sure you do at least 60% of your training outdoors. If circumstances require you to train on a treadmill, use an incline of .5 to 1 and try a hill program that will make the run more realistic. Happy running
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Today's Workout: Skill Practice, Power Snatch and Power Clean
Today's Confession: I convinced myself that I didn’t really need to work out today. After all, didn’t I work out really hard yesterday? The power of justification got me as far as my car before I turned around and went back into the gym. That was a close one.

Snack Time: Almonds

2009-08-17T14:29:00.008-04:00

Organic, raw, unsalted almonds are one of my favorite snacks. You will always find a bag in my car, in my gym bag and at work. As far as snacks go, they are on the pricier side but you get what you pay for.
Here are a few facts about almonds from naturalnews.com.

Almonds, like most nuts, were thought to have too much fat to be a healthy snack, but research has debunked that belief as an old myth.
One study showed that three ounces of almonds a day actually lowered a person's cholesterol by 14 percent.
Munching on almonds helps people feel satisfied and less inclined to overeat at dinner.
Ninety percent of the fat in almonds is unsaturated fat, and frequent consumption, as a result, could help lower blood cholesterol levels.
Since almonds are a plant based food, they contain no cholesterol. Almonds are loaded with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and other antioxidants and phytochemicals.
Almonds have been shown to promote good health, especially when they are part of a healthful diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and low fat whole grain products.
They contain the right kind of fats-monounsaturated and some polyunsaturated, so they help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol, while not touching the high-density, or good cholesterol levels.
The folic acid in almonds is believed to help lower levels of homocystein, the amino acid that is thought to contribute to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries.
Studies have shown links between nut (especially almond) consumption and lower risk of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses.
In a nutshell, almonds are an excellent source of fiber, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, riboflavin, niacin and iron.
Almonds are the most nutritious of all nuts.

Make sure the almonds you buy are RAW and UNSALTED. This is a must……

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Today's Workout: 5 rounds of: 10 85# front squat and 300m row.
Today's Confession: As good as almonds and almond butter is, moderation is still important. So, the extra heaping tablespoon with lunch today was a bit excessive…

Logs: Training and Performance

2009-08-14T18:00:00.008-04:00

If you are training, an exercise log should be as important to you as your running shoes, i-pod, and chalk. A well kept log can help you chart your success and will help you plan for future growth. This process does not have to be complicated or include meticulous spreadsheets or expensive computer programs. Grab a notebook and a pencil and get to it. Here are a few things you may want to jot down.

Goals – Record what you would like to achieve in the training session. These should be based on notes from previous performances.
Actual Performance – Record the results after the session (time, weight, etc.)
Faults – Record any mistakes and thoughts on why the errors may have occurred.
Scale – Score your performance (from 1/poor to 10/good). This should be based on your overall performance relative to the predetermined goal, your feelings about the workout, mood before and after, and your focus (or distractibility).

You get the point.
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Today's Workout: 1RM Overhead Squat
Today's Confession: I put a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill before I even went to work! I knew it was going to be a tough one.

My Humble Opinion

2009-08-13T14:46:00.013-04:00

We come nearest to great when we are great in humility.
-Rabindranath Tagore

Take stock of the people you surround yourself with, in the gym or at work. Are you the smartest, fastest, strongest…….? Perhaps it is time for a change of venue.

I recently started working out at a new facility in Boston. I thought I was in good shape based on my consistent and intense workout regimen. My definition of “in good shape” was about to receive a major overhaul. I found myself surrounded by people who were bigger, faster and stronger. After each workout your scores/weights are posted in large print on the wall in the front of the gym for all to see. I am almost always last.

I am not going to lie; it does not feel good to have the slowest time on the board or the least amount of weight. It DOES feel good to be surrounded by people who consistently inspire me to be better. A humble person doesn't feel the need to be the greatest but that does not mean a humble person does not aspire to be great.

My own change of venue has allowed me to realize how much more I have to learn and how much room I have to grow.

Today's Workout: Crossfit "Fran"

Today's Confession: Stay tuned, it is still early!

“Selling Yourself Short”

2009-08-12T23:17:00.009-04:00

Part of my workout last week was to perform as many consecutive pull-ups as possible. This can take as long as you want but you cannot come off of the bar. Pull ups are my archenemy so I approached this task with great dread. I decided that 10 would be a respectable number. When I reached 10 I was tempted to stop. That was my goal right? I did 15 before my muscles failed and I dropped from the bar.

This week I had to perform as many consecutive push ups as I could. I decided 30 was well beyond my ability but I wanted to try. I did 42 before I failed.

Why was I consistently selling myself short? Time and again I set a goal that was below my abilities. If my goal had been 15 pull ups would I have done 20? If my goal were 42 push ups would I have done 50? How do we set realistic goals that still force us to strive for more?

This week I will silence my over-protective ego and dare to fail.

Today’s Workout: Max Clean
Today’s Confession: Chocolate Candy Bar (Ugh!)