Off Days

Have you ever had an off day, a day where you couldn't get it done?  I just did and it sucked.  I barely got through half my cardio and a quarter of my workout; just plain pooped out.

I could blame it on several factors; lack of good sleep from a new position in my work life, a busy morning with my son's baseball activities, or a new supplement routine using Force Factor's latest stuff: Factor2.  Blame is not the issue I need to focus on right now; continuing on is important.  I can't let this one bad day or a bad week affect my future.  I have to continue on.

I spoke in an earlier blog of the need to have a goal that is outside of yourself for motivation.  This is the time when that external motivation is so important.  Off days can discourage you from continuing on, but the external reasons will help you get past the down time. 

I find it helpful to not let up on my routine, but to get right back into it.  So for now, Sunday is a new day and I will get back into it with the same workout I started today and finish it.  Why?  Because my wife needs a healthy husband to grow old with and my four boys need a active father to guide them through life.

DOMS. Do you have it?

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS.

DOMS is generally defined as the 2nd to 4th day muscle soreness caused by an extreme workout. My experience with DOMS has been more intense than the normal 1st day soreness. With any exercise routine, there is usually a bit of soreness the day-of or day-after as the muscles recover from the tearing caused by the physical strain. However, DOMS is different; at least that is what I have experienced over the last year due to the dramatic change in my routine since my shoulder injury.

Before I begin, I would like to go over a debate I have had with extreme lifters. Some guys tell me that the 2nd to 4th day soreness is actually "atrophy" or muscle wasting away. I never fully agreed with these guys, but had nothing to base my "gut feelings". Hence, I began my search for the reason of my 2nd to 4th day muscle soreness usually followed by an intense workout. Atrophy is not the answer, DOMS is the reason.

In the beginning, it was only with my legs that I would experience this intense short term soreness for several days after a workout. Many times after my "leg day" workout, I would have difficulty walking, sometimes preferring to crawl. This is the reason why I only do legs on Friday or Saturday. I started to ask around if others experienced the same thing and all agreed that legs are killer recovery cycle. The conclusion is that leg and butt muscles are so much larger than other groups, the soreness is much more intense. However, I noticed that I worked my legs differently than other muscle groups.

Prior to my shoulder injury in late 2010, I was content with working with heavy weights and low reps. The only difference I noticed is that I was more intense in my workout with my legs. Intensity for me is how much I squint my eyes and grit my teeth during the lift; for my legs, this was normal, but not the other groups. My routine worked well for me and physical changes were evident, yet I plateaued and decided to change my workout.

I dropped the weight by 10% to 20% on all my routines, but increased the reps to a max of 25 per set and no less than 15. If I could not do 15 reps, I decreased the weight more; if I could achieve more than 25 reps, I increased the weight. However, I leave the weight at a high enough level to where I was really straining to get the last reps out. We are talking about "eyes squeezed shut, teeth grinding, throat grunting, muscle aching" reps. No more "pansy" reps except for the free-weight bench-press for safety reasons (Google "USC football player injured benching") since I don't have a spotter. Being a responsible Trojan, I know better than to do something that could really hurt me. My high school age sons at times will spot me when they are available, but that's only on the weekends.

So the end result of my new routine is PAIN! We are talking about pain that Motrin or Aleve won't remove. The first week of my new routine was miserable, I had a terrible time trying to sleep at night. I visited my Chiropractor and he was able to take care of a horrendous torment in my left trap (trapezius) using electro-stimulation, but it took several weeks. I found that the pain would only go away for several hours after a workout.  Since I work each muscle group once a week, I would experience this pain for days on end. 

DOMS is the end result for those who really want to see dramatic results of their exercise. For me, I have to deal with it. No Pain, No Gain!  Since I have to work at a "real job" like most of us, we have to come up with ways to make our routine work for us. I can't spend all my time in the gym or at the Chiropractor.  What do you do?

Eating for the Holiday

Oh Man!  I ate way too much over Thanksgiving.  I gain ten (10) pounds!  That's crazy, until I read the charts.

Egg Nog 200 (empty) calories for 4 oz - I consumed at least a gallon on my own.
Pumpkin pie - so bad that they don't put information on it; expecting you know what you are getting yourself into.

It's like the motto of Max's Resturant.  "This is a good place for a diet, and a bad place for a diet."  If you are on a diet, don't complain about how tasty the food is; just eat and exercise more later, expecting you are on the road to "Fat-attude).

Big Changes : Sugar Burn Verses Fat Burn

OK, I've been quiet for over four months.  I have been experimenting with a major change in my workout.  I wanted to see if it would work before I said anything. At first, the change completely wiped me out, but now I'm feeling better about it. What's the change?  The process of my workout.

Over the last year, I have been reading that cardio should be done after your weight lifting.  It appears that the initial burn during your first 30 minutes of exercise is all sugar based.  The remainder of the workout is fat based.  The sugar burn is great for lifting as it gives you an added boost to help push through.  Cardio is mindless and can be performed without the sugar burn.

Well, last summer I tried it and I couldn't do it.  Going straight to weights was too much for me and I barely made it through my cardio after, OK, I didn't finish it.  Since last summer, I have been experimenting with this strategy and I think I finally found a good combination.  Cardio for ten minutes, weights for 30-40 minutes and then cardio for 45 minutes.

It appears that I need to get my body going first before I attempt any form of strength training.  So, I start by walking for a half mile, then jump into my weights and finish with the remainder of my cardio.  I have had good success (not great) with this strategy.  I'm still working out some kinks, but overall I'm pleased with my progress.

When I first started this, I was wiped out.  I would do my weights and my muscles fought with me the entire time I went into cardio.  It was brutal.  It still is brutal.  Yet, I have found that if I push though the first mile of cardio after my weights, my step and strength return to finish well.  I'm not sure, but I think that it's after the first mile that I start burning the fat. So what are the results?  I have improved strength, longer endurance and increased definition. 

One thing I should mention is that I recently changed my strength training program as well.  Last month, I have gone to a "max-out" routine.  Max out means that I keep lifting until I can't anymore for one complete circuit.  I don't mean they wimpy "Uh, that was hard" routine.  I'm talking about gritting your teeth, squinting your eyes, and forcing the sweat out of your pores type of lifting.  I allow myself 25 reps per routine.  If I reach 25 reps, I increase the weight.  I no longer go two complete circuits, but the results are looking good.

I will let you know what happens over the next month.  Right now, I am struggling with getting through my leg days.  After working on my legs with weights, I have difficulty walking and doing cardio after a leg workout has been a challenge.

If you try this routine in your own workout, expect to get some form of dizziness, the urge to barf, blurred vision and a deep desire to sleep.  That's what I experienced at first, but things have improved.  After three months, it's only on my legs days that I get these feelings.  I hope this will improved over time.

BMI of Body Builders

In looking for more information about the BMI of bodybuilders, I found a great site: http://www.true-natural-bodybuilding.com/bmi-bodybuilders.html created by Jos TN of True-Natural-Bodybuilding.com.  Jos has done a great deal of work tracking the history of body builders since the 1950's.  I highly recommend that you visit his website for more information.

I would like to point out that Jos charted the BMI of body builders over time and there is an interesting trend.  Take a look and make your own conclusion.

 
Notice the trend?  The BMI of body builders has increased substantially.  Jay Cultler, four time winner of IPBB Mr. Olympia, has a BMI of 40.5 at a weight of 273.  http://www.jaycutler.com/bio.php   Of course, Jay has enormous muscles which account for the weight.  But I thought the trend of all body builders over time was very interesting.  Jos has tracked many of the past competitors to create the chart.

What do you think?



 

BMI & Muscle Verses Fat

Since I started exercising and lifting weights three years ago, I have gained weight.  Yes, gained weight.  After the first six months of exercising, my weight dropped about twenty pounds and hovered for a year.  Then my weight started to climb and has seemed to plateau at an unhappy 300 pounds.  This has concerned me greatly.

I visit my doctor for checkups every three months and a continuing theme of concern is my weight.  He has always told me not to worry about my weight, but to keep doing what I was doing.  His point was that my health was improving even though my weight was increasing.  I pointed out that the BMI (Body Mass Index) puts me in the Obese category.  As shown below, the Average BMI squarely places me into a nasty place showing I should be under 200 pounds.  Not good!

My doctor informed me that the BMI does not take into a number of factors about a person and it is just a swag of the Caucasian section of the US population.  He pointed out that I have a long torso, short legs, and a larger than normal frame.  In addition, it did not take into account all of the measurement.  So I left satisfied with this information.


However, my medical insurance carrier recently started to judge me based upon BMI and gave me a low score.  I'm not sure if it affects my rates, but they must be doing something with it for why would they make me take this test.  As such, I dug further and found a different BMI chart for body builders which is below.

Compared to this new BMI, I am dead-on in all measurements, showing I'm about six pounds over-weight.  My Body Dimensions as of this morning are as follows: Neck 19.5”, Chest 55”, Bicep 21.5”, Forearm 15”, Wrist 8.5” Waist/Belly 48”, Hips 52”, Thigh 31.5”, Knees 17.5”, Calves 18.75”, Ankles 11".  The only areas where I need work is my waist and hips which I have been focusing upon.

In addition, we have to consider that muscle density is 1.06 g/ml and fat density is (about) 0.9 g/ml. Thus, one liter of muscle would weight 1.06 kg and one liter of fat would weight 0.9 kg.  In other words, fat takes up a lot more room than muscle and the BMI does not account for this fact.

So with that all discovered, if you are struggling because your BMI is showing you to be obese, don't worry, keep going and don't stop.   I'm going to contact my medical insurance carrier and set things straight.  And I'm going to continue my exercise and lose that remaining fat.

How did we do in 2010?

It's the last day of 2010.  How did we do this year? 

As I look over my spreadsheet that records my exercises for the year, I must say I did pretty good.  Despite starting the year with surgery on my head for skin cancer, I lifted weights for 86 days of the year and worked out my cardio system for 148 days of the year with a total of 338.4 miles.

When considering the year in review, I endured a few injuries with my shoulder fracture being the worst and my ankle & knee sprains being the least disturbances.  There were lots of days for vacation and rest, yet overall I am very pleased with my progress.  I feel stronger and healthier today than I have in many years.

The main items for this year are the faithfulness of my God, commitment to my goals, and working around or adjusting my exercise to disruptions.  When I work out, I spend time listening to Bible studies which builds my spirit as I'm working on my body.  My spirit will live forever, my body maybe another 40 years (if I live as long as my Dad did).  While I'm extending my physical life, I must not neglect my spiritual life. 

Likewise, my goals for exercise must be more than just looking good or being healthy; they have to be more than personal.  My goal is to be here on earth for my wife and kids, to love them as God requires me to do.  When it's raining or freezing cold outside, this goal gets me off the couch and out there. 

Lastly, blessed are the flexible, for they will not be broken when they are bent.  The year has had it's challenges with physical injury, travel, and other disruptions.  I have had to modify and adapt my workout to fit the changing climate of my life.  All working to complete my goals.

How did you do this year?  What are you planning for 2011?  I'm still focused upon my goals; weight is not one of them.  I tell you why next time.

Illness and Exercise

I have just recovered from a week of illness.  Maybe being older has given me wisdom, but I have learned that when illness comes, rest is needed.  There is no need to exercise when it may prolong an illness and rest is always good.

The bummer part is that I supposedly started my vacation last Friday.  However, due to commitments to other peers, I worked the weekend and a few days this week.  Thank God that my boss was kind enough to convert some of the vacation days to sick time to compensate so I could have the PTO next year.  Needless to say, the work was completed, my illness has subsided, and I'm ready to get back into my exercise routine.

I know this sounds like a silly concept, but many I know continue their exercise routine right though an illness.  This can be done for the younger crowd (30 something and younger), but for those of us who are older, we have to have a longer view in mind.  We need to let the illness take its course and allow our bodies to build up the immunities needed to fight the illness; that takes rest. 

When I say Rest, I don't mean going to the golf course or playing ball with your kids.  Rest is sitting around and doing nothing; sleeping as much as possible.  Personally, I find it difficult to sleep at night when I'm sick, so anytime during the day when I can sleep, I do it.  As such, my illness was a firm four days instead of a drawn out two or three weeks of dreaded battle which results in a half effort on everything.  Today, I am ready and fit to start exercising at full speed again and when I go back to work, I will be able to give 100% of my abilities.

Caught by surprise

Last night I was looking at my eyes in the mirror.  In order to do so, I had to slightly lean over the sink at a right angle (eyes aren't that strong anymore).  When I backed away, I caught an image I had not seen before.  A decent looking shape which was my torso.

It's been three years, but I'm beginning to see definite changes in my physical shape.  My son was sitting on my lap a few weeks back and commented that my belly is smaller.   Using his hand while gesturing, he said "Dad, your belly has gotten smaller, it used to be out here." holding his hand about an inch away from my stomach.  Looking in the mirror was a similar response, there were defined shapes of my arms, shoulders, chest and my belly has decreased.  All benefits of my commitment and God's grace.

Remember, my overarching goal is better health so I can be here on earth for my wife and sons, that's it.  Many years ago, God convicted me that my lack of taking care of his temple (my body) was wrong.  I prayed about it many times and tried to start a program of walking, but they ended in failure due to the pain in my hips.  Finally, in desperation and at the advice of a doctor, I started taking supplements, specifically Glucosamine/Chondroitin and MSM.  This combination works directly on the cartilage which I had destroyed in my hip (acetabular) fracture [when the socket of the hip joint is broken] back in 1990.  I know the studies are not conclusive on this supplement, but it works for me; I no longer have that intense pain that would make me hold my breath to endure it.  Therefore, let's just conclude that better health is my goal so I can be an active participant in my wife's and kids lives.  This goal is what gets me to exercise when it's raining or freezing cold, it pushes me when I don't feel like going through the second circuit, my goal keeps me from giving up when I'm exhausted from a hard day of work stress.

God has blessed me over the last three years.  While the first six months were walking only, I have progressed to a full blown exercise regime.  One key item is that I listen to Bible teachings by Chuck Smith (c2000, c3000 & T4000 series Chuck Smith Teachings) during my exercise.  Walking while listening to Chuck has been great for my faith and has built my spirit up for the benefit of my wife and kids (and everyone else).  I listen to him on my iPod while I'm lifting weights too.

While the shape of my body is pleasing, I recognize that it will die.  I have resolved that there are fewer years ahead of me than behind me; I have passed the half way point of my life span some time ago.  Exercise has its benefits, but my focus is not what I look like, but how my improved health can benefit others.  Looking good is cool too.

OK, I get it! I'm Old!!!

Geez, I tried to correct my diet to effect a reduction in my weight.  Cutting back on sugar intake and increasing my protein intake to build muscle, adjusting my exercise routine and where did it get me?  In the hospital!  
Apparently, dropping the sugar intake is good, but substituting it with protein causes an elevated level of Uric Acid which can lead to Gout.  Not good.  And in the process of changing my exercise routine, my doctor says I must have hurt my shoulder even though the pain started while away on a business trip. I never heard a pop or felt any pain until four days after my last workout while on my trip.  Go figure!
So, what's an old guy supposed to do?  Give up?  Hardly.  I will change my routine again.  No, I'm not going back to the insane sugar intake, tempting, but I noticed over the last month that sugar actually makes me weak and tired.  I experimented with this and on the days where I let myself cheat, I was tired and didn't have the endurance to finish well.
What I am going to do is cut back on the protein intake, but maintain my seven-meals-a-day routine.  On the days where I will workout, I will carbo-load the night before with a protein supplement before bedtime.  In the morning, I will have breakfast consisting of 1/2 cup oatmeal with banana and protein.  My rest days will not have the protein due to the issues with Uric Acid.
Of course, all of these changes will not take place until after my shoulder heals.  Still have an MRI scheduled to see what actually happened as the x-rays showed nothing.  The tech said my shoulder and chest were too thick to get a good picture.  LOL.