Unknown Facts About The Flu # Three, Four and Five, New Tony Horton 10 Minute Workouts & Cool Links

Number Three - Having this flu is like going seven rounds with a sneaky Ninja fighter. Just when you think you've got the upper hand and he's going down for the count he sucker punches you and your flat on your back.

Number Four - Being forced to go on a nearly all liquid diet sucks. I found myself lying in bed the other day wondering "How many days of fasting before you begin to lose muscle mass?"

Number Five - Your endurance goes on a vacation. My normal before breakfast routine between 6:30 am and 8 am is get up is make the bed, let the puppy out, feed the fish, turn on the televisions - yes two, start coffee, do my bathroom ablutions and get dressed, lay out Bruno's clothes, wake up Bruno, make his breakfast then have a cup of coffee, start a load of laundry, call Jerry (that's the easy one), shoo Bruno off to the bus, do dishes, feed the horse, feed the dogs and cats, then make my breakfast. Finally, I sit down and eat while watching news on one television and Food TV with the sound off on the other.

Since I got the flu I have to interject rest breaks between every one or two chores.
Like make the bed, let the puppy out, lay down on the couch a few minutes. And then lay down in bed after a breakfast of toast if I'm lucky and water with lime if I feel I can't eat anything. My endurance is lagging so far below normal it's scary. I'm on damned day eight of this flu and I'm so ready to be done with it. Although I'm managing to keep up with the chores that are of bare bones necessity the house is slowly sinking into disarray including dirt tracked in from the muddy yard by people and pets.

Oh well, Spring Cleaning will commence as soon as I'm able.

And on the "Great News" front, Tony Horton just released a new line of fitness videos called 'Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer: Give Me 10 Minutes and I'll Give You Results!' Yes, I'm ordering mine today. I have his Power Half Hour line of workouts and they are killer. I'm sure 10 minutes with Tony is worth an hour with any other trainer. Why not try one of them yourself? If you can't find 30 minutes or 10 minutes a day to exercise I want to hear that excuse...

Here's a few cool links I want to share:

From Tom Venuto's Burn The Fat Blog:

Fat Burners - The Unadulterated Truth

The short and sweet answer is NO, you do not ever “need” fat burners.

While I won’t dismiss the possibility that there are some ingredients in some “fat burner” products that might help a little bit, I take great displeasure in seeing those kinds of misleading headlines as well as the misleading use of models who are often paid to endorse the product even though they may never have even used it (they’re just models!)

Many “fat burner” companies have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, false claims and falsifying before and after photos.
The best you get is a slight thermogenic effect and possibly some slight appetite suppression. A few products might work through other mechanisms like improving thyroid, but if you forgive me the generalization, I consider the effects of all these products to be minutia. In a previous newsletter, I wrote that in my opinion, 97% of your results come from nutrition and training and maybe you get an extra 3% advantage from supplements. Read more.

Urban Dictionary - a slang dictionary with your definitions. Define your world.


Food Cravings - The Why and What To Eat To Stop Them.

Insanely Funny Cat Video

Unknown Facts About The Flu # Two

You're going to screw up big time if you try to function.

I'm normally fairly organized and efficient. Particularly with bill paying.

Yesterday I totally misplaced a bill with no grace period while trying to be my usual responsible self and...I really misplaced the bill. Jerry and I searched places in the house we forgot existed. No bill.

The problem is I tried to function. I moved my checkbook, bill paying basket, and planner into the bedroom a few days ago thinking while I'm sick I could do better if they were closer to my, ah, center of command? No. Closer to my bed. No. Ah, my center of collapse.

Whoops.

We found the bill. I put it where I usually do. But then I worried that while I collapsed in bed the puppy might chew it up or...

I stuck it between two books on our second laptop.

Then zoned out and moved the books.

It's a miracle I ever found the bill. I looked up at that stack of books and saw the envelope sticking out. If this flu doesn't do Jerry in, the damned billed is in the mail.

Don't get the flu.

Unknown Facts About The Flu # One

You can write a blog post, reread it, and realize you repeated yourself in three different ways in three different paragraphs. Hit delete.

You can blow your nose, reblow it, and realize you repeatedly blew your nose three different times in the same damned Kleenex. Throw it away.

You accidentally TIVO'd "Pregnancy For Dummies" because your finger triple clicked the wrong button on your remote. Delete. No really, Delete, No, not TIVO every damned episode forever! Delete!

DELETE! DELETE! DELETE!

One Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest

My, I have the common symptoms of the flu.

* Fever. Check.
* Headache Check.
* Muscle aches Check. (This may be partly DOMS from my last workout).
* Chills Not exactly. (Who can tell when feeding the horse in 29
degree weather? Yeah, I'm shivering).
* Extreme tiredness Check.
* Dry cough Check.
* Runny nose Check.
* Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, may also occur but are more common in children than adults

No. Yes? Maybe. Wait.... Argh, okay.

The good news is Bruno went to school claiming "I feel like a new kid!"

Thank God. I'm exhausted and feel like crap. I need the peace and quiet so I can die in peace and quiet.

In other news, last night I was letting the cats out and Dee Dee ran out the back door. This isn't such a bad thing in broad daylight but it was pitch black out. To make matters worse the back porch light is out. Not that it would help much past the back deck. Our property is fenced but the back is mostly livestock fencing and a dog could find a way out eventually. Our front courtyard slash dog run is 6 foot high chain link and fairly doggy proof. But the perimeter fence is intended to keep in horses (and has failed at that a time or two).

So Bruno and I got on shoes and coats and grabbed flashlights and went out the back after her. Jerry went out the front but she's less responsive to him as far as letting him catch her. Though she has no problem crawling in his lap on the couch! She managed to run around the "back forty" and then the horse corral before we rounded her up. Workout after dark anyone?

At first I couldn't see my horse, Fury, anywhere and thought, "Oh S#!t, Fury got out!" But she was sleeping in a far dark corner of the corral and came to me when I called. I'm sure she thought we were nuts running around in the middle of the night in the cold.

The whole adventure couldn't have helped the flu thing. Bruno started hacking again then promptly fell asleep.

But Dee Dee's sleeping by me on the couch now so all is well.

Well, except me. I'm definitely unwell at the moment. Excuse me, I have to go crawl in my bed...

An Update Plus Sick Day, Cat and Puppy Photos

Photos Bruno and I Took Today















































































































































Bruno’s almost over his flu and his temperature is down to 99 degrees (he previously hit 103.3). He should be able to go to school tomorrow. Now I’m over 99.5 degrees and my “normal” is usually 97.6. I don’t feel bad just a little tired. And that could be attributed to three days of broken sleep and 5 intense workouts in 7 days. Or I’m getting his flu but it’s sneaking up on me slowly.

Yesterday I managed Power 90X Plus Upper Body Plus. And I raised the weights by several pounds. My biceps and triceps are barking and I can feel all my back, chest, and ab muscles. Incorporating the Bosu and GoFit Disc are ramping up the intensity – especially on push ups, squats, calf raises, and lunges. I really wanted to push it and get one more hard workout under my belt in case I did get the flu.

For that matter the dogs are barking too. Dee Dee and Junior are playing in the front courtyard like two puppies. We’ll have had Dee Dee a month this Saturday and she’s been the easiest puppy we’ve ever had. She acts a lot like the Rottweiler I had in the 1990’s. Bond was purebred and a very well mannered and loving dog. Dee Dee has a lot of the markings and body conformation of a Rottweiler, and sweet natured like Bond was, with a good dose of Border Collie markings mixed in. She gets along really well with five of our cats but the other four don’t bother to come in the house anyway. I have only one totally indoor cat, Lexi, and they get along almost too well.

Dee Dee managed to get past me and into the horse corral again this morning. Fury wasn’t thrilled until I gave her grain. Grain - the great horsey panecea. Then I went out and caught Dee Dee with one of Fury's horse leads. At least she doesn’t run from me though occasionally she won’t come – particularly when she’s found a goodie like horse manure!

I’m working on several blog posts including a good sample of my daily menus and the next “You Don’t Need To Go To The Gym To Get Fit” article. But if I slide down the slippery slope of sick it may take awhile to post them. I’ll probably manage a few short entries in any case.

My latest shipment from Amazon is on its way and include The Cheat to Lose Diet: Cheat BIG with the Foods You Love, Lose Fat Faster Than Ever Before, and Enjoy Keeping It Off! (Hardcover) by Body For Life Grand Champion Joel Marion and Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition (Paperback)
by John Ivy.

After I read them I’ll post book reviews.

Here’s some interesting links:

From Burn The Fat blog - THE GREAT ABS MISTAKE "He Was Doing One Thousand Crunches And Sit Ups A Day... But Still NO Abs!!! By Tom Venuto, NCSA-CPT, CSCS

It takes training to increase strength, build endurance and DEVELOP the abdominals, but to SEE the definition in your abdominals - or any other muscle group for that matter - is almost entirely the result of low body fat levels.
This may sound counter-intuitive, but if you can't see your abs, it's not an issue of “muscle development” at all. You simply have too much body fat covering up the ab muscles. The lower abdominal area also happens to be the one place that most people - especially men - store the body fat first.

There's a Scientific Reason Why Your Lower Ab Flab Is The Last Place To Go

Belly Fat - A Big Problem

Most people don't have their fat distributed evenly throughout their bodies. Each of us inherits a genetically determined and hormonally-influenced pattern of fat storage just as we inherit our eye or hair color. In other words, the fat seems to "stick" to certain areas more than others. Read More.

Obesity: Behavioral Changes Needed To Keep The Pounds Off

ScienceDaily (Feb. 20, 2008) — According to Rena Wing, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and director of the Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital, people who are most successful in preventing weight gain, and dieters who lose weight and keep the pounds off, have made major changes in their in diet and exercise routines. Read more.


Carbs...and Carb Cycling for Fat Loss by Jonathon Fass

When dieting for a bodybuilding contest, I use an arsenal of weapons to lose unsightly excess body fat. One of the dietary procedures I institute is to cycle my carbs. Carbohydrates are used as energy by the body; they fuel our workouts, as well as providing ample fuel to be used throughout the course of the day.

Ingesting carbs also replenishes our glucose and glycogen stores to prevent fatigue. Carb cycling allows you to still eat carbs from clean sources, without adding body fat, and cycling enables you to better utilize fat for burning as fuel, as opposed to burning carbs and muscle tissue for fuel.

Are Carbs the Evil Enemy?

Carbs are not the evil villain the media makes them out to be. Improper carb timing can however, cause these carbs to be stored as fat. Carbs are not essential to the body, but they make dieting, and eating in general, a lot easier and more pleasurable... as long as the carbs are from the proper sources.

Carbs get a bad rap in the news, due to people jumping on the proverbial bandwagon to make a buck off the latest trend in dieting.... low carbs! There are tons of low carb foods hitting the grocery stores daily, everything from bread, to potato chips, can now be found with a low carb label. A few years back it was all about bashing fats....remember? Read more.

____________________________________________________________________________
I'd take this next one with a grain of salt if you're doing an intense training program like Power 90X. If you don't workout hard - which is exactly what they studied in a workout of 4 sets of 12 reps which is nothing like Power 90X workouts - does mean you'll require less carbohydrates.

An intense workout program will require a different fueling dynamic including UNREFINED carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Unlike the low set and reps workout described below, in P90X Plus Upper Body my push ups typically run 8 sets of 40-50 reps including 8 variations like Pike Push Ups, Plyometric Push Ups, Military Press, etc, and a set with one hand on the Bosu and one on the GoFit disc. Although many standard exercises like bicep curls in P90X are 10-12 reps (to failure or near failure - that weight you're lifting better be heavy enough to make that last 12th rep damned near impossible to complete) you're still doing up to 8 sets PER body part. That means 8 different sets of bicep exercises (hammer, concentration curls, swimmers, etc.) 8 sets of various push ups, 8 sets of different angled pull ups, 8 sets of different shoulder exercises, 8 sets of back exercises, 8 sets of tricep exercises, and some of these exercises are also designed to recruit more muscles by demanding use of balance at the same time as lifting weights, as in the weight warrior - all in one workout.

And P90X keeps you moving at a rate that keeps your heart rate up. Your rest periods aren't spent standing still. These workouts are designed to burn 600 calories a session. I dare you to do 90 days of P90X with a low carb diet under 75-150 grams a day! I guarantee your performance and energy levels will suffer. Unless you run on Crytonite.

Of course if you're married to very low carb all the time (20 to 60 grams a day) and aren't a serious exerciser, or do a less energy-demanding routine of light to heavy lifting of low reps and sets, hey, no problem. Your energy demands from carbohydrates are not as great as those of exercisers who do long and intense workouts combining weight training and aerobics.

And also don't expect optimal results doing 20 to 60 grams of carbs a day, little or no weight training, and light aerobics of 30 to 45 minutes of elliptical or other gentle aerobics three days a week. You can lose weight that way, sure. Great. Just don't expect a lot in strength or endurance gains.

_______________________________________________________________
The Importance of Pre and Post Exercise Amino Acids/Carbs by Robbie Durand, M.A., C.S.C.S.

A few days ago I was getting myself into my pre-workout ‘jacked’ phase having consumed a protein/carbohydrate supplement with some added leucine about an hour earlier when I started noticed a couple of the younger gym rats drinking Power-Aid. It hit me then, I felt like Jessie Ventura in "Predator" when Arnold goes and picks up the truck and Jessie says, "What the fuck?" I was kind of shocked that the word still has not got out that carbohydrate drinks by themselves without some added amino acids is really settling for less in our quest for muscle growth.

Why the hell are lifters drinking Power-Aid?

Carb Drinks Do Not Increase Resistance Exercise PerformanceSurely, the word hasten out that consuming a carbohydrate beverage alone is not going to do anything for increasing protein synthesis and creating an anabolic drive for muscle hypertrophy. Sure, all those Gatorade and Power-Aid commercials look cool with the neo colors coming out of their pores, but its not going to do a hell of a lot for you in the gym. Won't drinking a carbohydrate drink increase your maximal strength and reduce fatigue in the gym?

Researchers studied whether drinking a carbohydrate drink may reduce perceptional effort in the gym. Thirty strength-trained subjects were randomized to a carbohydrate group (C) or a placebo group (P), and lifted weights for 2 hours (4 sets; 10 repetitions maximum; 10 exercises; 2-3-minute rest intervals). Subjects ingested 10 ml/ kg/hour of 6% carbohydrate or placebo beverages during the resistance-training bout. The 15-category Borg Perceived Exertion Scale was used to assess overall body exertion after completion of the last repetition in each set for each exercise. Carbohydrate supplementation exerted no attenuating effect on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during resistance training (19). Basically, it means the group drinking carbohydrate beverages didn't find the workouts any easier than the group drinking water.

But drinking some extra carbs should help improve performance with regards to high intensity repetitive sessions in the gym right? According to a new 2006 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, it does not matter whether you consume a high or low carb diet; it's not going to do a lot for performance in the gym. In that study, multiple sets of jump squats were performed by men consuming either a high-CHO (6.5 g CHO kg body mass) diet compared to a moderate-CHO (4.4 g CHO kg body mass) diet. The resistance exercise test consisted of 4 sets of 12 repetitions of maximal-effort jump squats using a Plyometric Power System unit and a load of 30% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). A 2-minute rest period was used between sets. The results indicated that the power output during multiple sets of maximal jump squats was not enhanced following a higher-CHO diet compared to a moderate- or lower-CHO diet. These data show that elevated carbohydrate intake is not needed to optimize a repetitive power-performance (17). Read More.

Sick Day, Er, Week?

3D Science




















Bruno's home with the flu and napping in our bed right now. Our parental bedroom is usually off limits but he's sick, so... I'm semi-sleep deprived and caught his dry cough. Am I getting the flu too? Oh well, I could use a vacation.

We don't get flu shots as we're not in any of the groups who are required to - except Jerry's over fifty and I'm closing in on fifty fast. But we're all three very healthy and figure our immune systems can use the practice. And it's damned hard to avoid colds and flu with a second grader who doesn't wash his hands as often as he should. Kids are quite adept of spreading around germs.

On the up side, it's been snowing all morning and our weather report is calling for storms off and on over the next four or five days. I love snow! And Bruno seems to be on the downside of it and getting steadily better. His temperature was 103.3 at the peak and he's under 102 now. I'm up to 99 degrees but feel pretty good so far. I never mind a fever as I usually feel as though I'm floating.

I got four combined workouts of intense weight training and cardio over the last week. I've been experimenting with combinations of Power 90X and Bosu workouts, and throwing in sessions on the Rock N Roll stepper, Twist N Step stepper, Leg Magic, and iSurf. The cross training keeps it interesting and challenging. I'm contemplating a workout today because I could use the endorphin high and always sleep well that night.

So if I get sick at least I got some good workouts under my belt...


Influenza Symptoms

Cold Versus Flu Quiz

Cold Versus Flu: How To Tell The Difference

What To Do When You Get The Flu

High-risk groups have priority and should always get a flu shot:

* People over 65
* Babies 6 months to 23 months
* Children on long-term aspirin therapy
* People with chronic health problems (such as diabetes, chronic lung disease, asthma, or heart failure)
* People receiving certain medical treatments
* People who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
* Women who will be pregnant during flu season (winter)
* Caregivers and household contacts of babies younger than 6 months
* Healthcare workers
* People over 50 (if enough is available)
* People who have contact with high-risk groups (if enough is available)

Why Don't The French Get As Fat As Americans? Americans Eat Until The TV Show Is Over

I thought this was interesting. It certainly backs up all the talk about mindful eating going around. This also reinforces portion control and how much you eat is of much greater importance than WHAT you eat.

Why Don't The French Get As Fat As Americans? Americans Eat Until The TV Show Is Over

ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2008) — It's the French paradox redux: Why don't the French get as fat as Americans, considering all the baguettes, wine, cheese, pate and pastries they eat?

Because they use internal cues -- such as no longer feeling hungry -- to stop eating, reports a new Cornell study. Americans, on the other hand, tend to use external cues -- such as whether their plate is clean, they have run out of their beverage or the TV show they're watching is over.

"Furthermore, we have found that the heavier a person is -- French or American -- the more they rely on external cues to tell them to stop eating and the less they rely on whether they felt full," said senior author Brian Wansink, the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing and director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab in the Department of Applied Economics and Management, now on leave to serve as executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion until January 2009.

The new study, an analysis of questionnaires from 133 Parisians and 145 Chicagoans about how they decide when to stop eating, is being published in the journal Obesity and is being presented this later month at an the Winter Marketing Educators conference.

"Over-relying on external cues to stop eating a meal may prove useful in offering a partial explanation of why body mass index [a calculation based on the relationship of weight to height] varies across people and potentially across cultures," said co-author Collin Payne, a Cornell postdoctoral researcher. He stressed that further studies should following up with smoking behavior and socio-economic differences as well. "Relying on internal cues for meal cessation, rather than on external cues, may improve eating patterns in the long term.

Wansink, author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," also conducted the study with Pierre Chandon, a marketing professor at INSEAD, an international business school in France.

Adapted from materials provided by Cornell Food & Brand Lab, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Artificial Sweeteners Are Bad News

I've held to the belief artificial sweeteners are BAD. I know some dieters and low carb "experts" swear by them. But putting any chemicals and engineered foods in your body is a gamble.

On a similar front, high fructose corn syrup - considered 'natural' because it's engineered from corn is also a very bad actor. Personally it triggers colitis flares and I avoid it totally which is damned difficult because they put it in everything including some brands of dill pickles.

Below are just a few articles and links on these "sweet poisons".

Aspartame Dangers Revealed!

THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Aspartame sugar substitutes cause worrying symptoms from memory loss to brain tumours. But despite US FDA approval as a 'safe' food additive, aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances ever to be foisted upon an unsuspecting public.


The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup By Bill Sanda, BS, MBA

Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup by Kevin Millard, Jul 4, 2007

High fructose corn syrup is the new silent killer. Sadly, it is found in almost everything we eat. find out how to avoid it.

No-calorie sweeteners may confuse body

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (UPI) -- A U.S. study in rats suggested no-calorie sweeteners may make it harder to control calories but the reduced calorie food industry questions the findings.

The study, published in Behavioral Neuroscience, found rats given yogurt sweetened with zero-calorie saccharin later consumed more calories, gained more weight, put on more body fat and didn't make up for it by cutting back later.

Study authors Susan Swithers and Terry Davidson of Purdue University wrote that sweet food provide ingestive and digestive reflexes that gear up for food intake but when false sweetness isn't followed by lots of calories, the system gets confused and people may eat more or expend less energy than they otherwise would.

However, the Calorie Control Council, an international non-profit association representing manufacturers of low- and reduced-calorie foods and beverages said in a statement that the Purdue study oversimplifies the causes of obesity. The group criticized the study for its small sample size -- 27 rats -- and that animal findings aren't necessarily applicable to humans.

The group also said that the preabsorptive insulin release -- the body's supposed reaction to non-caloric sweet taste -- is cited as the potential mechanism for overeating but there is no cephalic phase insulin release in humans following the ingestion of aspartame.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Why You Don’t Need To Go To The Gym To Get Fit – Part One

Bodybuilding Pro Lee Priest Uses a Home Gym


















I can hear the gasps from the peanut gallery. “I don’t need to go to the gym to get fit! That’s ridiculous!” “Of course you need a real commercial gym to get really fit!” “Home gym equipment is inferior.”

This is sheer nonsense as professionals like Cathy and Lee Priest workout in a home gym. Lee points out working out at home improves his concentration which is key to achieving results.

Comments from Cathy and Lee Priest on their GYM AT HOME:

"The home gym is great. Powertec, Pro Spot Gym Equipment. It is the best! The Pro Spot machine is great and every gym should have one. At home it's quiet and you can focus much better than at a gym. No egos walking around screaming and yelling. I like it because you can do everything you want, any exercise, and nobody is around to stare at you! We are very pleased with the PowerTec equipment because sometimes in the gym the machines are too big (Lee is 5'4") and I can't use it. I like to train with someone so I call some friends to come over and train with me. Our gym is a good size. We have 20 machines so it is enough for us. When I am by myself I train on the Pro Spot machine so I am sure I will be safe. Our gym was good for me... at my last show I was in my best shape ever and some of my muscle was better too. I really have good concentration at home.”

Lee Priest Video




And of course the assumption circling the universe that commercial gym workouts are superior to home gym workouts is partly because gyms want your money. A commercial gym is only better if you’re one of those unmotivated types who needs peer pressure of other gym goers or a Pit Bull of a personal trainer to make you perform at the necessary intensity. If you’re any kind of a trouper or self starter a commercial gym and a personal trainer are probably just a waste of time and money.

Of course if you enjoy the commercial gym experience, driving to the gym, waiting for your turn on equipment, enduring other people's sweat on the equipment, wasting time between sets and exercises, taking three times longer to finish a workout, dealing with distractions like chit chat, showering and dressing in a public locker room, possibly having your stuff stolen, driving back home, and wasting money then a commercial gym is right for you!

Unless you’re bloody rich or one of the rare individuals that haven’t been affected in some way by the recent economic downturns, higher gas, grocery, and services prices (our satellite and water bills have raised their flat rate prices), and God forbid the mortgage fiasco, be my guest and throw your excess cash at you personal trainer and gym.

Home Gyms Versus Commercial Gyms

On the other hand why not bear with me and maybe just maybe save some time and money and get fit at home. What are some of the benefits of working out at home beside saving time and money? Convenience is a big one as you can workout when it suits you or fits your schedule. Another reason is privacy – you can do it in the nude! You can try new things and not worry somebody’s watching. There's no waiting to use equipment and you can blast out intense training in less time. You can take your after workout shower at home – alone – in the comfort of your own bathroom – WITHOUT PRYING EYES. Of course, if you look like a fitness model with a big ego and appetite for gawkers that might be a drawback.

Depending on your fitness level you can start a home gym for under $500, under $100, or even under $50, and I’ll show you how. (Of course you can spend upwards of $50,000 if you’re planning to go pro. Why waste the money if you're not Lee Priest?) I’ll also point out what not to buy because, no, you can’t get six pack abs by twisting on a RED barstool alone. Some home equipment is ineffective while others are prohibitively expensive. You can build an effective and versatile home gym that will get you fit, and you can build it over time.

Add together the cost of a year of a gym membership (the average monthly cost of gym membership is $50, according to a study done by industry trade group International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub), personal training (the normal rates for personal training can be anywhere from about $35 to $60 per session) sessions, and gas or transportation costs, and any of those amounts listed above are a deal. But you may have to change the way you think about working out, what it takes to get fit, and how you get and stay motivated.

Terrell Owens Home Gym - Terrell Working Out With Bands



Next up in part two, I’ll give you three examples of a home gym and equipment that is affordable and versatile and fits the lifestyle of an average Joe or Jane. Then we’ll look at setting up a workout program based on your fitness level that includes resistance training and aerobics that lead to muscle building and fat loss. Later we’ll look at nutrition and diet, as well as avoiding plateaus, using techniques like muscle confusion, and muscle mass training and diet versus training and diet for fat loss.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We're going to celebrate with an evening in with champagne and chocolate. We'll have our Valentine's outing on Saturday. I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the love in your lives no matter who the source is because you are loved.

Here's a very funny video a friend sent me. Enjoy!

TEQUILA



Here's One of My Favorite Funny Hugh Laurie Songs



And I Will Always Love You...

Designing Your Own Training Routines Part One

I bought a new DVD Training and Program Design with the BOSU Balance Trainer and did a weight lifting workout yesterday of my own design. I incorporated a lot of Power 90X exercises and performed an approximately 1 hour workout. I started with a warm up including jogging in place and stretching. Then I did legs including squats, wall squats, one leg wall squats, three way lunges, and three way calf raises (and on the Bosu these are killer). Then I did two versions of pull ups and push ups, back rows, chest presses, chest flyes, bicep curls, isolated curls, hammer curls, pull overs, tricep curls, dips on the Bosu, shoulder presses, front shoulder rows, and front shoulder lifts. Then a cool down with stretches. Whew. Every body part got equal attention and an equal measure of intensity.

I left out ab work which I was planning to do at the end but I was all used up. Thank God I didn’t – my abs are sorer than S#!& as it is. And I’m talking front and back! That Bosu makes you use them on pretty much every exercise. I even felt them doing bicep curls while on the Bosu.

As for the DVD itself, I seriously thought of returning it as the production is poor and the set – a gym somewhere in Oklahoma – is sort of boring. The two trainers who demonstrate are not much to look at – hey I’m used to the gorgeous Tony Horton and his sexy trendy gym set in the Power 90X videos. The exercises, demonstration, and instruction are sound. But there was not much new to me. I’m still considering sending it back to get my $29.95 back. On the other hand, Bruno is into exercise already and might find it useful. In the Summer we workout a lot together. So I might keep it. Nothing wishy-washy about me.

It's evident to me now that I have the knowledge, experience, and skills to design training programs (at least for myself) on my own. I plan to explore this more in the future.

I was planning an aerobics workout today but I’m not sure it’s feasible with my whole rib cage aching. I suppose a day off wouldn’t kill me…

Cool Links

5 Ways to Stay Young By Steve Edwards

It's not that we age but how we age that matters. We're all going to grow old and, from all scientific accounts, eventually die. Some of us will do it more gracefully than others. Although genetics will play a role, we have a lot of control over how the aging process affects us. Modern medical enhancements have allowed us to alter the aging process to a degree, but there is no reason to get upset if you can't afford a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, because nothing can modify the way you age like a few lifestyle changes. Here are five steps that will help you age more gracefully than Hollywood's elite.

1. Exercise harder (though not necessarily longer). Far and away, the most important thing you can do to offset the aging process is exercise. You don't need to spend a lot of time doing it, however. Short bouts of intense exercise are more effective than longer workouts. Long, easy workouts have their place in a fitness program, especially for aerobic efficiency and fat burning, but nothing comes close to high-intensity training for keeping your body young (try programs like P90X® and Turbo Jam®).

Your body loses muscle mass as you age. Resistance training creates hypertrophy (muscle building), which will offset some of that loss. Furthermore, increasing your heart rate to 90 percent of its maximum for short intervals (by doing things like jumping, sprinting, and heavy resistance training) raises capillarity, mitochondrial activity, and bone density—all important components to counteract aging.

Here's why high-intensity training can counteract aging. High-intensity training forces your body out of its comfort zone. Read More.

Order a pizza in 2010? . . .

This is funny, but the scary part about it is that it's probably not too far away from being reality. Want to know how to order a pizza in 2010? Click the link and see. turn up the volume. . listen closely. . . watch the pointer carefully! This seems so true, it's frightening! Click here.

Bosu Pro Series Equilibrium Workout Review

This workout, although easier than the Bosu Reactive Strength and Power workout,
is still impressive. Combining yoga and Pilates moves along with balance and stretching, this workout puts serious emphasis on improving balance, flexibility and stabilizing strength.

Host Jay Blahnik is anything but blah and easy on the eyes. A total of three instructors demonstrate three levels from beginner to advanced exercises. A warm up acclimates you to the Bosu and prepares you for poses and stretches.

Segment one is a variety of yoga style poses like downward dog combined with side to side lunges. This reminded me of some of Power 90X Yoga X but the Bosu makes the moves more difficult. This segment was challenging.

Segment two is a series of movements based on sun salutation that become increasingly more difficult. These are done with the Bosu platform side up and you seated and this forces you to balance on this unstable surface while performing moves like rotating your nips in circles with your hands held up. I enjoyed this segment the most and did well, probably due to my long history of horseback riding – much of it bareback. The motion of the Bosu actually reminded me of riding.

Segment three is a Pilates inspired sequence of seated, supine, and prone movement patterns. The cool down was short but not very necessary as segment three naturally slows your heart rate and respiration.

I’m not sore this morning (I did the workout yesterday afternoon) so this wasn’t very challenging in the muscle department. It’s designed more for balance training and stretching. But it was up to the task. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to improve balance, flexibility, stabilizing strength. Probably not for first timers to yoga and Pilates but if you’re already fit it might be just what you’re looking for.

Buy Bosu 3D Power Package.

Buy Bosu Classic.

Buy Bosu Equilibrium.

Cool Links of the Week

Check Out These Cool and Informative Links

'Weight Training' Reduces Fat And Improve Metabolism In Mice

ScienceDaily (Feb. 7, 2008) — Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have demonstrated that in mice, the use of barbells may be as important to losing weight and improving health as the use of running shoes. The discovery builds upon the fact that skeletal muscle consists of two types of fibers. Endurance training such as running increases the amount of type I muscle fibers, while resistance training such as weightlifting increases type II muscle fibers. Using a mouse genetic model, BUSM researchers demonstrated that an increase in type II muscle mass can reduce body fat which in turn reduces overall body mass and improves metabolic parameters such as insulin resistance. These studies indicate that weight bearing exercise, in addition to endurance training, may benefit overweight people.

Fruit and Veggie Guru – Leading You Through The World of Produce

Studies have shown that fruits and vegetables rich in lycopene could reduce the chance of developing several types of cancer.

Irregular Exercise Pattern May Add Pounds

ScienceDaily (Feb. 9, 2008) — The consequences of quitting exercise may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that determined that the weight gained during an exercise hiatus can be tough to shed when exercise is resumed at a later date.


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Weight Lifting Diet And Weight Lifting Nutrition Program That Builds Muscle

How To Build A Nutrition System That Works!

Bruno's Science Project

Bosu 3D Power Package Reactive Strength and Power Workout Video Review

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Buy The Bosu 3D Power Package





















My workout yesterday was the Bosu Reactive Strength and Power workout and it’s smoking. This video is part of the Bosu Pro Series and it’s hosted by Gay Gasper who’s a fairly smooth and enjoyable host. With two other exercisers helping her demonstrate three levels – beginner, intermediate, advanced – they make it look easy. It’s not. This workout rivals Power 90X in intensity. The Bosu dome totally changes the impact of any move. Think dynamic, intense, and challenging.

This workout combines a variety of exercises that build muscular strength and endurance, enhance agility and challenge your balance and proprioceptive skills (a beneficial challenge and benefit for someone like me with Cerebral Palsy). I’ve noticed since first starting balance training with other equipment including the OSIM uSurf and GoFit disc my balance has improved. That’s an amazing benefit for a middle aged adult like me with Cerebral Palsy. Functional fitness is one of my main and ongoing goals.

The workout is approximately 55 minutes and separated into five segments – a warm up including stretching, lower body functional exercises, new variations of traditional upper body and core exercises that challenge balance and proprioception, a peak segment with reactive power moves much like Power 90X plyometrics, and a cool down including stretching. You’ll need a set of dumbbells and I used my Bowflex SelectTechs. Individual exercises include but aren’t limited to push ups, lunges, squats, chest flyes, chest presses, bicep curls, hammer curls, leg lifts, crunches, and aerobics including stepping, marching, and running in place.

The difference is the Bosu. It creates instability in every move and this challenges your muscles in ways they cannot be challenged on a stable surface like a floor or regular step. Greater muscle stimulation leads to greater muscle growth which leads to a faster metabolism which leads to greater fat and calorie burning. I’m fit and this was a challenging workout for me. I recommend it to anyone ready to take their workouts to the next level. I can’t wait to try Pilates on this thing!

I cannot stress enough the benefits of muscle challenge created by the Bosu. The Bosu dome makes you use your muscles in news ways and so efficiently you’ll work harder in less time. For example I’ve done chest flyes with machines and free weights for years. But when I did the alternating flye on the Bosu I almost fell off the first repetition. I had to recruit more muscles and work on balancing while I did the moves.

This piece of equipment takes your workouts to a whole different level because of the added element of balance and proprioception challenge. It’s worth every penny – ahem, dol1ar. (The going rate for a classic Bosu with instruction video is $99. The Bosu Power Package I bought with platform and handle plus 6 DVDs and 9 workouts is $333 but I got a discount deal with $99 off because I put the classic package in my cart first. They basically threw in the Bosu Dome for free of I bought the whole shabang).

Quick Personal Update and In The News

Welcome To My Sinuses



















Quick Update - allergy season hit here in Northern Nevada a bit early - we've had record rain and snow - and I woke up at 2 am this morning feeling like crap spread on a barbwire fence. Also we have a lot of wood smoke in the air this time of year and I'm very allergic to smoke. It's like somebody shoved two lit matches up my nose. Poor Bruno's coughing and Jerry's sneezing. I started on Claritin but it usually takes awhile to kick in - like a week or more. Bottom line, I'm exhausted and sick.

I did my first BOSU workout yesterday - BOSU Absolutely Abs. I am in love. I can do things on BOSU I can't otherwis. eThis isn't a full review but one big thing for me is I could never do a full Superman move in Power 90X despite having a padded floor. My ribs always hurt doing it. But on the BOSU I can do it! It's not totally comfortable but my ribs don't feel like they'll crack. More on BOSU later.

Here's some interesting news:

A Single Meal Can Lead to Good (or Bad) Health

It takes just one “bad” meal -- a cheeseburger, fries and a soda, fried chicken and biscuits, a slab of chocolate cake and ice cream -- to do damage to your body, according to new research.

The good news, however, is that eating just one good meal will start to repair the damage.

This occurs because, when you eat, your body breaks down the food into glucose (sugar), lipids (fats) and amino acids (the building blocks of protein).

As soon as you polish off the last of your high-fat, high-sugar meal, the sugar causes a large spike in your blood-sugar levels called “post-prandial hyperglycemia.” In the long term this can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, but there are short-term effects as well, such as:
• Your tissue becomes inflamed (as occurs when it is infected)
• Your blood vessels constrict
• Damaging free radicals are generated
• Your blood pressure may rise higher than normal
• A surge and drop in insulin may leave you feeling hungry soon after your meal
Eating healthy foods, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and high-fiber items, will stave off post-prandial spikes and help to keep your blood-sugar levels even.

Even a small amount of alcohol appears to help blood-sugar levels stay stable.

The desire to eat junk food is a vicious cycle, the researchers pointed out, as the more you eat it the more your body craves it. This occurs because junk food distorts your hormonal profile, stimulating your appetite and causing you to crave unhealthy foods -- while making you feel unsatisfied when you eat only healthy ones.

The risky blood sugar spikes that follow a junk food meal are most likely to occur in people who don’t exercise, or who carry weight around their abdomen.
Sources:
• Time January 15, 2008
• Journal of the American College of Cardiology January 22, 2008; 51:249-255

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/5/a-single-meal-can-lead-to-good-or-bad-health.aspx


Laziness Increases Dangerous Organ Fat

People who don’t exercise build dangerous fat among their organs more quickly than previously thought, according to a study.
Researchers looked at visceral fat, fat among the organs that is often invisible but is linked with insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), heart disease and other metabolic syndromes.
The study involved 170 volunteers who were grouped according to exercise. One group got no exercise, another got small amounts of moderate exercise (equivalent to walking 11 miles a week), a third group got low amounts of vigorous exercise (equivalent to jogging 11 miles a week), and a final group got lots of vigorous exercise (equivalent to jogging 17 miles a week).
It was found that volunteers who did not exercise had an 8.6 percent increase in visceral fat after eight months, while those who exercised the most lost 8.1 percent of their visceral fat during that time.
Women volunteers gained visceral fat twice as quickly as men, according to researchers.
Researchers noted that the rapid increase in visceral fat among sedentary overweight adults mirrors the increasingly rapid rise in obesity in the United States. Currently, two out of three adults are obese or overweight.
On a positive note, exercise was found to take the fat away quickly. Volunteers who jogged for 17 miles each week had significant decreases in visceral fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat, which lies under the skin, and total abdominal fat.
50th Annual American College Of Sports Medicine May 28, 2003
Research Reveals the Best Abs Exercises
Fitness News Flash
-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor
SparkPeople Sponsors help keep the site free!

We often get questions about the best abs exercises—after all, who doesn't want to tone their tummy in the least amount of time? There are countless exercises that target the abs, including fitness DVDs (Does "8 Minute Abs" ring a bell?) and even pricey machines that you see often see on infomercials. But do you need a video or specialized piece of equipment to get the abs of your dreams?

A study conducted at San Diego State University's Biomechanics Lab (and published by ACE, the American Council on Exercise) says no. Their research revealed that the best exercises for your abs don't require any gizmos, and are surprisingly easy to fit into your day.

Researchers looked at the effectiveness of 13 common abdominal exercises—everything from crunches to the "Ab Roller" machine. Using EMG (electromyography), researchers measured the muscle activity of the participants to determine which exercises best targeted the abs and the obliques, while also limiting the activity of the hips and thighs (because when an abdominal exercise is executed poorly, the hips and thighs engage to "help out" the abs).

Overall, researchers said that all of these exercises are "relatively effective" ways to train the abs—but some are more effective than others.

Check out their ranking of abs exercises (from best to worst) below:
1. Bicycle Crunches 2. Knee Lifts on Captain's Chair 3. Crunches on Ball


Click here for a demo.



Click here for a demo.


4. Crunches with Vertical Legs: This exercise is just like a traditional crunch (see #11 below), but with your legs extended up into the air, in line with the hips.
5. Torso Track Machine
6. Crunches with Arms Extended: This exercise is just like a traditional crunch (see #11 below), but you extend your arms overhead, squeezing your upper arms by your ears as your crunch up and lower down.
7. Reverse Crunches: Click here for a demo.
8. Crunches with Heel Push: This exercise is just like the Crunches with Vertical Legs (see #4 above), except that as you crunch up you also slightly lift your hips off the ground (feet towards the ceiling).
9. Ab Roller Machine
10. Plank: Click here for a demo.
11. Traditional Crunches: Click here for a demo.
12. Exercise Tubing Pull
13. Ab Rocker Machine

To view the entire study report from ACE, click here. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download this PDF.)

More here. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=191

Bruno's Exemplary School Performance

I am claiming my parental bragging rights. Bruno won several awards for his exemplary school performance recently. We're very proud of him. Below are his awards and I'll post a video of the awards ceremony soon.

BOSU 3D Classic With Power Package

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This puppy is in Sparks, Nevada as we speak (that's where my UPS hub is located) and should be out for delivery on Monday. Yeah! I can't wait. A review on my new BOSU 3D Classic with Power Package will be forthcoming.

As for my Rock N Roll Stepper the votes are in and we love it. There's not much I can say in the way of a review but I am planning to do a video demonstration as soon as possible. It's a straightforward little machine that rocks side to side and fun to use. I don't think I get much aerobic benefit as I'm pretty aerobically fit and it takes a lot to make me sweat and breath hard (think Kenpo Karate X) but it's a great addition to my circuit training and works your leg muscles nicely.

I did two rounds of circuit training today on the steppers, Leg Magic, and iSurf, then Power 90X Legs and Back, for a total of two hours of working out (including a load of laundry in the middle). That's what I call creating a black hole for food. Tomorrow's Super Bowl celebration will be no holds barred. I'll try for lots of protein as we made Sloppy Joes, Spicy Meatballs, cheese and crackers, and will make meat pizzas. (I'm averaging 90 to 120 grams of protein a day with 40 to 60 grams of fat - mostly omegas - and 100 to 150 grams of mostly unrefined carbs except post weight training). I'm happily looking forward to the dips, guacamole, crudites, and five kinds of chips too! Not to mention beer and wine will flow. Yummy!

Have a Happy Super Bowl Sunday!