13 year old, female weightlifting champ

I love this story for a bunch of reasons (please forgive any opening ads).

1. It kills the common female excuse against weightlifting, “but, I do not want to get big, disgusting muscles.” This teenager looks very fit to me.
2. She is on a Paleo diet.
3. She keeps trying to best her personal records.
4. She is intense, calm, disciplined (MWF at 0530???) and uses a great coach.
5. Eight weightlifting world records. EIGHT.

Her key element to success according to her coach: “she hasn’t been told for decades that she is limited.” What perceptions, attitudes and assumptions are limiting you?

Your goal for your next workout? Add 5-10 more pounds to every exercise you do. Run 10% longer and 10% faster. Swim 2 extra laps. Just increase something.

You will thank me. I guarantee it.

Secrets at the gym

I ran across an extremely insightful and humorous article about managing your expectations at the gym. The general theme was don’t worry so much about the details. Just do something.

I can usually predict how long people are going to stay at their “new” gym and stick with their fitness resolutions by the statements they make before signing up. Give yourself 5 points for each phrase you have used:

1. I really need a pool. It would be SO nice to swim laps at 6 a.m. every morning as a way to start my day!
2. I really need a 24 hour access gym. That way I can go at 10 p.m. when all the kids are in bed.
3. Oh! This new place has the cool Zumba Roomba Spin class that is the BEST class for burning calories!
4. This place has a lot of elliptical machines, which is great because I hate bikes and treadmills.
5. I like this place because it is so low key. People here are just trying to be active and not get so “crazy”.

If you scored 5 points or above, you are on my list for a potential flight risk. People that overanalyze the details and make high demands on specific exercises/classes/perks are trying to avoid the basic necessity: I need to move my body more on a consistent basis.

For example, committing to moving your legs fast and working your core for 20 minutes is great. Wanting to ONLY do it in a semi-circular motion set to Latin music under the direction of a gal named Marinda is missing the point.

Referring to the above 5, this is what will eventually happen:

1. You won’t. And, a pool is what makes one gym twice as expensive as one that doesn’t have one. Pay per session to use a pool unless your last name is Phelps.
2. If you work third shift, sure. Otherwise, who are you kidding, ?
3. This class will be have the same status as 1984 Jane Fonda videos in 6 months. Trust me.
4. Why? Because it is easier? Remind me why you are here? Also, keep in mind that every cardio machine does the same thing in a different ways. Your inflexibility shows a potential for future excuse manufacturing.
5. Go to a library if you want low key. People working out hard next to you should be inspirational. People grunting incessantly while wearing cut off Slayer T-shirts are the exception.

I have belonged to dozens of gyms in my life. They are all the same, and I could accomplish everything I do there in my garage. The most important qualities in a gym are convenient location, cleanliness and safety, hours that fit your schedule and enough variety to change your program every 6-8 weeks.

Just do something. Please.

Kid training

Have you ever watched an 18 month old kid pick up a piece of food they just dropped on the floor and put it into their mouth? They might not understand the point that things covered with dirt and dog hair do not belong in their mouth, but they do seem to understand good biomechanics.

Flat back. Knees bent. Bending at the hips. Stand straight back up.

If you really watch a toddler walk, they look like drunk college kids after a beer pong tournament. They need to be zealots when it comes to maintaining their center of gravity, or they will fall over. By the way, I am referring to the toddlers.

Why do adults seem to lose their ability to execute proper form when they get older? I believe that they are compensating for neuromuscular deficiencies or they are lazy. Lazy is something I cannot fix, but anyone can correct their weak spots.

Read this article FIRST. It talks about the basic exercises and movements all young athletes should be able to master BEFORE specialized skill development. I think all adults should do the same. If you can do the basics like jumping rope, push ups and a couple of pull ups, you can build a solid program on top of it. If you can’t, there are some corrective exercises you need to work on before adding another Zumba class or exercise machine to your program. More to come on this topic…

Learn more at www.rainmakerfitness.com

Gym hares

Back in January, you made a commitment that THIS was the year you were going to be in the best shape of your life. How is it going so far? Did I just make you grown and roll your eyes at me (I saw that, young lady/man!)

I have been saving this article by a writer who talked about the concept of gym hares: people who furiously adopt a workout program only to burn out quickly. Notice that it was written back in January…

Here is an idea: get out a piece of paper and map out the next 90 days of workouts. Yes, right now.

It is not a contract. You can make changes when life gets a little crazy. However, it is a commitment, which is what you started with back in January.

Is cardio the path to a better day at the beach?

“Ugh. It is Summer in just a few weeks, and I have got to lose 15 pounds. Time to hit the elliptical.”

For those of you scoring at home, that is 52,500 calories (3500 calories times 15 pounds). That will take you about 70 hours on that lovely machine: two hours a day for over a month. Good luck with that.

Cardio is great if you are training for an event that requires cardiovascular endurance. It is also great as a supplemental exercise when you are trying to shed pounds. However, it is NOT a great tool for getting rid of weight. Why? I am glad you asked.

1. Anything you can do for an hour straight is, by definition, low intensity
2. Once you stop, calorie burning is over. All of that stuff you have read about the continuing burn after your workout has been debunked
3. An hour straight of repetitive motion of anything leads to overuse injuries
4. You do not build lean muscle tissue or “tone up” your legs from cardiovascular exercise. It is not high intensity enough to build muscle, which DOES burn more calories after you stop exercising

Read this article about some tips for using cardio properly as part of your program, not AS the program.

The ability to take it easy is something you earn

If you sat around and did absolutely no physical activity, how quickly would it affect your fitness level? Most people would correctly say, “A whole bunch, Darryl.” Thank you for playing. Now, tell me specifically how quickly and how severely your fitness level would suffer?

You can stop saying “um”. I have some answers.

First, if you are a gold medal winning, Olympic athlete who trains for 20 years, you would think you have bought yourself some anti-fatty insurance. Sorry. Studies of this group show that if they stop all physical activity in their later years, they are at the same risk as other mortals. Enjoy your medal—and your bypass surgery.

Second, it happens quickly. People who perform high intensity activity start to lose their gains in strength and endurance in a matter of weeks (about 10-12% in the first month). This includes 20-somethings who have been training hard their entire life. This is your body’s reaction to you telling it that you don’t “need this stuff” anymore.

Third, loss in proficiency, strength and endurance can be maintained relatively well with a tapered, maintenance program. You will not stay at the top of the summit, but you will remain close to the top of the mountain. Since you enjoyed this view before, I suggest you try staying there.

Exercising at a moderate level as little as once per week has been shown to maintain most of the strength and endurance gains you have worked hard to achieve. However, that is the catch: you have to get into great shape FIRST. You have to earn the right to keep your gains with less work.

No shortcut. Sorry.

Keep one more thing in mind: this does not mean you get to eat the same. Michael Phelps famously brags about his caloric intake that exceeds 12,000 calories a day when he is training. That is not a typo. That is what his body needs to fuel that level of performance. When he lowers his level of effort one day, I hope he divides that number by six and devotes himself to maintenance programs. Otherwise, he is going to start looking less like a swimmer and more like something you see while you are swimming.

Well, that was dumb

I am a big fan of antagonistic supersets. In English, this means doing two exercises, back-to-back, that use opposing muscle groups with no rest in between. An example of this would be to do a set of 8-10 repetitions of bench press followed immediately by a set of lat pulldowns (chest-back). This allows you to complete a workout in a shorter period of time, and the antagonistic muscles MUST rest when the opposing muscle group is being used. Basic biomechanics.

Sometimes, they overlap. That is how I got injured.

I tried a combination of 45 degree leg presses followed by traditional barbell deadlifts. The leg press is primarily for the glutes and quads (butt and front of thighs). Deadlift is a hamstring exercise—except that it is also a glute exercise. Oops.

So, after killing myself on my second set of the leg press, I went over and picked up the bar. That is when the erector spinae in my back gave out.

You see, when you wipe out certain muscles through fatigue, they lose the ability to stabilize you. So, I compensated using the thing that wasn’t tired: my lower back. I have been in pain for a few days now, and it is going to take a while to get better.

Your lower back is most at risk when you tire out your abs, glutes and hamstrings. That is why people tell you to use them when you squat down to pick up a heavy box.

Know what the impact of your exercise choices will be. Obviously, even the professionals need to be reminded of this sometimes.

Two months of Insanity

About 60 days ago, I started the Insanity workout DVD series produced by Beachbody. They make multiple home workout programs that you probably have seen on television on infomercials after 11 p.m.

I just finished the whole series, and I wanted to give an update on my results and my commentary about it.

1. The workout program is one of the hardest in which I have ever participated. It involves six days per week of total body conditioning using no equipment other than your own bodyweight. It could be best described as high intensity and impact interval training with a heavy plyometric component. Think about it as a mix of traditional calisthenics, football practices and military training.
2. I have been a traditional “gym rat” that participated in free weight resistance training along with cardiovascular machines (elliptical, stationary bike, etc.). This workout changed my body shape and did result in significant improvements in my overall fitness.
3. Surprisingly, even though I only performed weight training once per week during the series, my weights on all free weight exercises increased 15-20%. I attribute this to the high emphasis of the program on core strength, neuromuscular improvement and synergistic muscle development.
4. I noticed a definite improvement to my posture, flexibility and muscular endurance.
5. My knees and legs need a rest from all the jumping over the past 60 days.
6. My body shape changed. I am leaner and don’t feel as muscle-bound.
7. I would recommend this workout to anyone that is able, but there are a great number of people who are probably not ready for this workout if they do not have an established level of fitness.

The skinny: try this workout if you need a change of pace. I am looking forward to getting back to my traditional workouts for the next few weeks. However, I will continue to supplement my routine with these workouts from time to time because the results were fantastic.

Taking a week off isn’t so bad

I am currently on the plane returning from vacation in Ireland. It is the first full week off work I have taken in quite some time. It is also the first time I have not worked out for six days since I probably was about 14 years old.

I had the best of intentions. I brought five days worth of workout clothes, running shoes and exercise DVDs. I set my alarm. I even took it easy some nights (not many) and came home from the pubs at a reasonable hour.

However, after a couple of days, my body actually felt a little better than it did last week when I was sometimes exercising twice a day. I’m not exactly at my best, but I think with a few days of getting back into my routine, I will be better than before.

The mind needs a rest from routine sometimes. The body needs a break from the abuse. And, its nice to know you can turn the discipline/intensity off and then back on again.

That’s the true sign of dedication as opposed to obsession. So, give yourself a break every now and then. Just don’t do it TOO often.

Volume turned up to 11

Remember the famous scene from the mockumentary, Spinal Tap, where the guitarist  talks about how his amp’s volume controls go up to 11?

You should be thinking about your workouts in the same way. Many people have set levels in their mind as to what their maximum effort might be. You need to periodically reset these levels “to 11” every now and then if you are going to continue to make gains. Watch the video and think about what Christopher Guest’s character says.

What do YOU need to do to push your workout a little bit over the top? You can do the same workout with the following changes:

• Reduce your rest time from 60 seconds to 45 seconds between sets.
• Perform a bodyweight exercise in between sets (alternate 30 pushups and 30 crunches)
• Add three sets of plyometrics at the end of the workout to finish it off.
• Do antagonistic exercises (e.g., bench press and lat pulldown) back to back with no rest, then rest 30 seconds, repeat
• Add 5% more weight than last time
• Add one more rep per set

There are a limitless array of variations to what you can do to your workout to turn up your workout amp to 11. Try to keep the training time the same, but compress more effort into the workout.

Are you fit enough---to be a ref?

It is almost World Cup time, and that means I will have no idea which team will win or why this sport over any other mesmerizes the entire world---except the United States. From what I have seen, it certainly is filled with some of the most fit athletes on the planet.

However, according to research, it is the referees that actually run more than anyone else on the pitch (upwards of 12 miles per game). To make sure these officials can keep up with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, FIFA instituted a strict policy, which I have quoted from an article:

In 2007, FIFA ramped up its referee training by launching its Refereeing Assistance Program to prepare the candidates for 2010.

Because referees have to keep up with the speed of the game, they are subjected to two fitness tests to mimic the action on the soccer field. They are given the tests multiple times.

The first fitness test requires speed. A referee runs 40 meters six times. Each of the six sprints needs to be completed in 6.2 seconds for a male referee. He is allowed 1 minute and 30 seconds between each sprint.

The second test examines the referee's stamina in repeated high-intensity runs. He must run 150 meters in 30 seconds, and then must walk 50 meters in 35 seconds. This is repeated 20 times, which equals 10 laps around a track field. Assistant referees have less strict standards.

I think I will be trying this out in the next week to see how I do. I think I better bring a bucket.

More tips and tricks for the gym

I decided that it was time for a sequel to my post on 10 Things You Could Be Doing Better at the Gym. I am not guaranteeing that the sequel is better than the original.

Here are some other workout nuggets you may find useful. They include terminology, training tips and general pontifications by me on workout philosophy.

1. Weightlifting gear is for cheaters. That may be harsh, but any equipment you wear makes the exercise easier. Belts, straps, wraps and the like all lessen the stress on the body. If you are injured, use them temporarily until you recover. However, overusing them when you are healthy can make your joints weaker and more prone to injury since they are always being “coddled”.
2. Weightlifting gloves are the exception to the above. Most people don’t want bricklayer hands (like mine).
3. More or less. Ladies, when lifting weights, use 10% more resistance than you think you can. Guys, use 10% less. That is just a general observation from 25 years of training…
4. It’s not a book club. You cannot use a resistance machine and read a book at the same time. If you can, you are not working out hard enough. I see this all the time at the gym (especially on the leg extension machine for some reason). Hardcore runners would argue the same thing about a treadmill, but I will leave that up to you.
5. Ab/Add. People mix up what their abductors and adductors do, which is important when the exercise plan tells you to use that machine. There is an easy way to remember. Abductors (muscles on the outer thigh) move your legs outwards. Think of the prefix “ab-“ denoting going away (as in a “king abdicates his throne”). Adductors (inner thighs) bring your legs together like you were “adding” them together.
6. Muscle belly. Doing too much or too heavy of abdominal work can make your abs protrude. It’s a muscle, and that’s what happens when you train your core really hard. Yes, your abs, too. Take a look at any Olympic weightlifter if you need proof. Please don’t make me get into a discussion of how it is impossible to lose fat in one area of your body by exercising that area a lot.Take a look at any typist with pudgy hands for proof of that.
7. Pause, then eat. Don’t chow down everything in sight after a workout. It is natural for you to be famished afterwards, and, thus, overeat. Wait 15-20 minutes after your workout to have a light snack. This should be rich in protein if you lifted weights or rich in carbohydrates if you did endurance/cardio work.
8. Let go. When you are using a cardio machine, you should be able to raise your arms over your head and maintain the same pace for 30 seconds. If you can’t, you are leaning or holding onto the machine to maintain your speed. That means the machine is doing the work—not you.
9. Keep those shoulders down. When doing bicep curls, push your tongue against your bottom teeth. This inhibits your ability to hunch your shoulders and hurt your neck.
10. Train what you can’t see in a mirror. People tend to work on the front of their body---chest, biceps, quads. However, if you don’t pay attention what you can’t see, you can end up with imbalances that can lead to injury. For every exercise you do in the front (e.g., bench press), make sure you do one in the back (e.g., lat pulldowns).
11. Calf work. Basic anatomy lesson: if you are doing standing calf raises, you are using your gastrocnemius (the one you can see). If you are doing seated calf raises, you are working the soleus (underneath the gastrocnemius). Where these muscles attach to different spots on the leg makes them almost impossible to work at the same time on a machine. That is why you need to do both.

10 things you could be doing better at the gym

Ask anyone REALLY successful, and they will agree that it is the little things that make the difference between good and great results. I could throw about 17 sports analogies at you (batting averages, fight for that extra yard, etc.), but I think most people will agree with the concept without me recreating the locker room scene from Hoosiers.

Over the past 25 years, I have gathered a bunch of nuggets of information from trainers and fellow exercisers that I thought I would pass along to you. Most of them just require you to visualize the exercise better or make tiny adjustments to your form. However, you will notice a huge difference almost immediately.

Before I share them, I wanted you to become comfortable with a basic concept that should be of great help to you in the future. It helps explain what exercises work for each body part, where injuries occur and what muscle groups work together. It is what you can learn from the old favorite: an anatomical chart.

Pull up any good chart and look closely. See all those striations in the muscles? Those are the fibers, and they are not drawn in a random fashion. They show the DIRECTION that the muscle pulls when it is contracted. For example, look at the chest (pectoralis major). The fibers run horizontally from your sternum to the insertion point, a third of the way down the humerus (upper arm). So, when you contract this muscle, the lines will get shorter. That means the arm will be pulled towards the center of the chest. That’s exactly what you do during a bench press, chest fly or similar exercise.

So, if you are wondering, “How do I work my chest?”, you should think to yourself, “I need an exercise that pulls my arm horizontally across my body toward my sternum.” You can apply this principle to any muscle and figure out what exercise will work for you.

Now that you know this basic principle, here are some tips and tricks you might find useful:

1. Shoulder press: imagine trying to pull your elbows towards your ears instead of pushing your hands up.
2. Lat pulldowns/rows: squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement like you were trying to pinch a quarter between them.
3. Squats/lunges: pull your butt in back in line with your head and neck as you stand back up instead of just using your legs
4. Bench press/flyes: think about bringing your elbows together instead of your hands.
5. Tricep extension: move your arm in a semi-circular arc for 180 degrees, not go straight up and down.
6. Cycling: when you press down your foot, think about keeping your foot in a position like you are trying to scrape gum off the bottom of your shoe.
7. Lateral raises (shoulders): hold the dumbbells like they were two pitchers that you are trying to pour at the top (when your upper arms are parallel to the floor).
8. Ab exercises: don’t bend at the waist; bend a couple of inches below the xiphiod process (where you put your fingers when you do practice CPR).
9. Inner/outer thigh machine: pull/push your feet towards/away from you (respectively) instead of your knees.
10. All exercises: the more you are leaning/sitting/lying on something, the less work you are doing. The seat/bench/handrails are doing part of the work for you. Keep that in mind when selecting your exercise and how you use the machine.

This is a constant learning process (I just heard #6 for the first time last week). Let me know if you have more tips to share!

Interval training as a time machine

Twice the results in half the time? Where do I sign up?

That’s what Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, says is possible with interval training: alternating high intensity and low intensity bouts of exercise effort in one continuous session. For people with time constraints, it is the perfect solution. And, who doesn’t have time constraints?

Read the article, and then try these two ways of doing it to get started. No matter what exercise you do, all you do is alternate hard work with easy work---and move fast.

Interval cardiovascular workout

This is is basic as it gets. 30 seconds high, 30 seconds low, 10 minutes.

1. Hop on an upright bike (or outdoor variety if you have a course that allows for speed and no interruption).
2. Warm up at a moderately easy pace for 2 minutes.
3. Starting at the 2:00 mark, and at the top of every minute, crank up the resistance until you have to stand up in the pedals and the revolutions per minute (RPM) count decreases at least 25% (e.g., from 90 pedal RPM to 65-70). Go for 30 seconds with very high intensity.
4. After 30 seconds, crank the resistance all the way back down and recover.
5. Repeat until you hit 10:00.

Interval resistance workout

A little more complicated, but it follows some other principles I have talked about in the past. You will be using antagonistic exercise pairings. That is a fancy way of saying using opposite muscle groups in two exercises back to back without rest. This one will deal with chest and back.

1. Conduct your normal warm up routine.
2. Use a moderately heavy weight that you could lift 10 times with good form.
3. Perform a dumbbell bench press and do 6 reps.
4. Immediately perform 6 reps on a lat pulldown machine (pull ups are better if you can do them).
5. Rest 30-45 seconds.
6. Repeat for 6 sets.

After both of these, you will be surprised at how wiped out you feel in just 10 minutes. Hmmm, guess it must be working.

Military fitness: is it for you?

I know, I know. Darryl has gone completely off the deep end this year with all of his workout recommendations. Deadlifts, maximum strength testing and now MILITARY style workouts? Isn’t this all a bit much?

Not at all.

The military is very black and white in its approach to the world. It has to be since there are only two types of soldiers, sailors and marines: live ones and dead ones. That may be a harsh statement, but it reflects the harsh reality of serving in our Armed Forces. Thus, they have an incentive to find methods and techniques that actually work instead of being just the hot “new thing” in the industry.

Also, think about the typical person who joins the military. They typically are in their early twenties, but one of the fastest rising demographic groups is the over 35 crowd. They also are not typically Olympic athletes who just have nothing else to do. They are our sons, daughters, friends, neighbors and co-workers. In other words, they are average Americans, just like you and me.

So, the military has spent decades on creating and testing physical fitness routines that give tangible results, use minimal equipment and can be easily understood by the average Joe.

Sounds like they know what they are talking about, and they have designed it just for you. Since you are paying for it with your tax dollars, you might as well take a look.

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/

Happy 2010! Start here

I know you are desperate for a new fitness approach to the New Year. Try this routine from Chad Waterbury for your very first workout:

Deadlift for 50 reps w/load equal to your body weight
Push-ups for 100 reps
Chin-ups for 50 reps

Break it up into as many sets as you need to get it done (e.g., 10 deadlifts, 20 pushups, 5 chin-ups, repeat). But, don’t stop except for a brief 10-20 seconds between each set!

By the way, there are some people that claim the deadlift is not relevant except for Olympic powerlifters. Really? Go take a look at what it is and then I will rattle off about 37 day to day activities it mimics (picking up heavy boxes, picking up a child, moving furniture, etc.). It is actually one of the few resistance exercise that has real life applications. When was the last time you did something resembling a pec-dec chest movement outside of a gym?

Go here if you need some deadlift pointers.

Modern Man: What a Wimp

I didn't say it. Australian anthropologist Peter McAllister did. He is the author of a book entitled, Manthropology: The Science of the Inadequate Modern Male. Now, before all you ladies start nodding your heads, let me put this in context. He was doing a comparison of our ancestors of the Neanderthal variety. They were physically superior specimens when compared to modern man. Although modern man has dispensed with using their mate's hair as a transportation method, so I think it all equals out.

Why is this the case? The demands placed on our bodies are much lower. Our bones are thinner because there is far less stress placed on them. We are slower since we rarely have to chase things to eat or run from things who want to eat us. Our ancestors all could probably beat Usian Bolt in a footrace without breaking a sweat. In fact, day to day life was probably more stressful of a workout than even the most elite athlete today.

Tens of thousands of years have decayed the performance capacities of our bodies. However, if you are someone who sits in a chair all day and does not bother to make time for exercise, you can see this decay in a matter of weeks. Our bodies are meant to adapt to our environments and the stress we place upon it. If you live like a couch potato, you will eventually become one.

I challenge you to make the most of your "inadequate" status. Make sure you are doing the following:

• Do at least 30 minutes of activity every single day. Some people think that doing moderate activity 3-4 days a week is enough. I think your body is designed to more. Our ancestors did not have the luxury of taking days off.
• Constantly challenge yourself. You must continuously increase the intensity and variety of your workout routines as you become more fit.
• Be aware of the SAID principle. SAID stands for "specific adaptations to imposed demands" and is one of the seven granddaddy laws of fitness. Your body is very efficient and will conform to the lifestyle you choose to live. If the most demanding thing you do is get up from your office chair to get a donut, that is the body you will create for yourself.

If you are feeling inadequate, it may be your body, and your more thoughtful mind, telling you that you are not living up to your potential.

New study suggests you aren’t a fat burning machine

The “experts” are not going to be happy at the gym today. According to a new study from the University of Colorado, engaging in moderate exercise during the week does not give you a license to eat whatever you want. The traditional view by many trainers and weight loss gurus was that an active person continued to burn more calories all day after a moderate to intense workout. They thought that activity could permanently rev up a person’s metabolism even during rest time on the couch. The evidence from this study seems to debunk this line of thinking.

When you step back and think for a moment, it makes perfect sense. Why would the body stay in an accelerated metabolic state after a workout? OK, your body needs to recover and repair damaged tissue, and that takes some calories. However, it seems reasonable to think that it would be a good idea for your body to return to normal as fast as possible.

Think back to your prehistoric ancestor, Caveman Bob. After chasing wild game for 3 miles in order to feed his family, the last thing his body needs is to burn calories at a high rate for the next 24 hours. In fact, it should be just the opposite.

Moral to the story? Well, first, you are not Caveman Bob. Your priorities are different and you are a bit smarter (I hope). Adopt strategies to keep your metabolism high and keep the pounds off:

1. Exercise in some shape or form every day. Even if it is sitting on a stationary bike reading the paper while pedaling slowly, it is better than nothing. You are going to read the paper anyway, so just add the bike.
2. Do not assume that since you spent 45 minutes working out that you can now inhale everything in sight for the next 24-48 hours. Justifying it by saying “I need to replenish my reserves after that hard workout” does not hold water. You can eat more calories than you burned in a matter of minutes. Use a calorie counter to calculate how many calories you burned after you are done. If you eat 1 calorie more than that during the day, you will start gaining weight. Sorry, that’s just how the math works.
3. Speaking of water, chug that down after a hard workout. It will fill you up and rehydrate you.

It makes us feel better when we are sitting in front of the TV eating a bag of chips to say, “well, I worked out yesterday, so my body burns these chips off more than other people.” Oh, it would be so nice if that were actually true.

Work out your entire body in just 6 minutes with a kettlebell

If you have been in a health club recently, you might have noticed the appearance of a new piece of apparatus stashed in the corner by the Swiss balls and elastic bands. They look like little iron cannonballs with handles on top of them, and they are shockingly heavy. Most likely, you are looking at kettlebells.

Kettlebells are a traditional Russian training tool that is most closely associated with power lifting. However, in the last few years, they have become popular in the United States for providing an all over body workout in a very short period of time. After just a few minutes of swinging one or two of these around, you will notice how it can help you improve your strength, balance, cardiovascular endurance and core stability.

Make no mistake: this is an intense workout.

Kettlebells come in a variety of sizes and are usually measured in kilos (but I will make recommendations in pounds). For women, you should be using a 20-24 pound kettlebell. Men should start with a 36 pound one, but you might quickly progress to the 53 pound version.

It takes practice to become comfortable with this workout, but you will find a great deal of variety of exercises that are available to you. You can also do it in the privacy of your own living room.

Check out the video below of a 6 minute workout available for free on YouTube. Just follow along with the video, including the breaks, and you will quickly learn why this is such a great alternative to traditional resistance training.

UPDATE: This is NOT me in the video, so I take no credit for form, or lack thereof, in it.

Don’t be surprised if you feel a little wobbly or sore the next day. It proves that it works. Try this workout 3 times per week with at least a day’s rest between each session. This should be done in place of other resistance training and not in addition to it. Good luck!

Fitness still a priority for recession victims

For a great number of people, being laid off (or made redundant for my European friends) is once of the scariest things that could happen to them. The uncertainty of how the bills will be paid and the loss of identity that accompanies one’s career makes this life event one of the top five stressors anyone can endure.

It can also be the best thing to ever happen to you.

Think of your friends and colleagues that became victims of an economic slowdown. What do they do with all of this time? They spend time with their kids. They help their spouse around the house. They tackle all those projects that have been sitting in their ambition’s peripheral vision for months. And, they exercise more than ever.

A recent study shows that memberships at local health clubs are one of the last things that people cut back on when they are financially stressed. People that do not belong to a gym consider joining one. Even those newly liberated individuals who would never set foot in a wellness oriented facility invest more time running, doing yoga or home based activities.

Here are some things to think about if you find yourself with some with extra time on your hands to get fit:

1. You got laid off, not named to the U.S. Olympic team. Please do not go from your 50 hours per week of sedentary office life to trying to run 10 miles every day. This also applies to people who could run 10 miles day at one point of their life. Consult a trainer, start slow, and set a goal of improving 10 percent a week.
2. If you are going to make a change, make a CHANGE. You have a wonderful opportunity to remake your schedule, establish new priorities and make permanent, healthy lifestyle changes. So, don’t go half way. Review your exercise plan, diet, sleeping habits, alcohol intake, vices and addictions and your wellness goals. Do it all now since you will eventually be back into the daily grind.
3. Network with the sweaty. Every person you meet is a potential new route to your next career. OK, maybe not the crazy guy with two tone hair and the weightlifting belt in the free weights area, but you never know. There is a direct correlation between high exercise commitment and education level. There also is a correlation between educated level and successful, working people. Introduce yourself to that person you have seen at the gym every day for the past two years. Repeat often.
4. Make working out part of your job hunting routine. I think it helps people to exercise first and then go straight to a local coffee shop to do a couple of hours of research and contact potential employers. The workout charges you up and puts you in a frame of mind that has been pre-set for accomplishment.
5. Don’t hide in your fitness routine. Just because you have extra time does not mean you should meander around the club for three hours. You should emphasize discipline and intensity. If the workout that used to take you an hour now lasts 90 minutes, you are avoiding the work you need to be doing to take that next step in your career.
6. Have a slap down with your fridge. You are going to be home more than you are used to, and those snacks in the fridge are going to try and become your best friend. You don’t need friends like that, and they should not be hanging around your house. Take the time to get rid of foods that you know are bad for you and replace them with healthier choices.

Setbacks in a career happen to everyone. However, not everyone takes advantage of what you can do to make yourself healthier during a lull in your eventual rise to the top. What you do in the weeks that you have your life all to yourself can change your health for the rest of your life.