Friday, August 23, 2013

A little more Carbs helps

I eat low carb, no wheat no grains. I eat moderate fats and protein as well as a lot of greens.
I sometimes find my energy for late afternoon workouts is waning. Because of my job I workout at 3:30 or 4 pm.

I recently added some beans to my diet in the mid-day. Just a cup or so of homemade black beans usually.
This seems to have solved my problem with lack of energy and my workouts have gotten better and stronger.

Legumes are used by the body differently than many carb rich food. The fiber has a  lot to do with that too.
Basically the enrgy boost is a storng one and the glucose rise is low or minimal. This should be your main concern.
You don't want your blood sugar rising much over the low 100's. So beans seem like a good answer for me. Hope they help you too.

Recipe for Black Beans:
I cook black beans in olive oil with garlic, onion and peppers. Saute a cut up onion, some fresh garlic and sweet or hot peppers in about two tbsp of oil, then add the black beans with the liquid (if canned).  A 1/2 cup of white wine is good to add too. Turn the heat down and let it simmer awhile. Then enjoy.


Saturday, June 1, 2013

Get Outside

If you are not getting outside much, you may be working out but missing a lot of the benefits of fresh air and sunshine.
Vitamin D is super important to your health, and the best way to get sufficinet amounts is from sunshine.
Get out and walk, jog if you like, or simply do some stretching and movement while in the out of doors. Try this with bare feet to ground yourself to the earth.

Tai Chi is a wonderful way to loosen up and stay younger, best of all it can be done outside.
Maybe you can find a group to join.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

I cant understand him ..but he is over 80!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykJA26CnCi8


80 year old. Training  and eating...he even eats white rice. Which is a surprise to me. Looks great though!

Friday, May 10, 2013

CHANGING IT UP for Success

I sometimes get frustrated at the slow progress I make. I find that at 64, the ability to put on muscle is a tough one to get a handle on. I ame able to maintain my body and keep it strong, but not as strong or muscular as I would like.
I think this is partly due to stagnation with my workouts.
So I am once again changing it up.
I am still goin to do the 30 minute 5 day a week program, split routine.
But I am adding reps and sets.

I did chest , shoulders, triceps routine yesterday with 2 sets of each exercise for as close to 15 reps as I could get. Used 80% of my max one rep weight, and more machines than free weights.
I did vertical chest press/ incline and decline chest press/ dumbell flyes/ free weight bench press.
Seated overhead press/ tricep press down, dips/ shoulder raise on machine.

Will do back and biceps today, same structure.

I do some ab work at every workout, and do the HiiT traiing warm up on elliptical.

Hopefully this will spark some more progress or at least add a bit more muscle to my still small frame.

 tricep press down attachment



Tuesday, April 16, 2013

New HiiT information

The evidence for short burst training and the benefits it can give is rolling in. Results of a 20 second high intensity burst followed by rest period and then 3 more fast/ slow sequences are really good. Blood tests reveal the lowering of blood sugars after pst- workout meals even days later.

My new warm up is a sequence of 5 by 30 seconds elliptical sets, with a 30 second slow down between. I use a 1 minute warm up at the slow speed, of 3.5 miles per hour. Then a 30 second burst at 10 MPH which is hard to maintain for long. I pump the machine with legs and arms.

My heart rate is in the 130-140 range.

I follow this up with my ab routine;

1 set of leg raises on a parallel bar set. Then a few "L" position holds.
Crunch machine with 50 pounds, followed by 70 lbs, then 80 lbs.
Flex ball set of 25 sit ups.
Side bends with 50 lb dumbells.

This is followed by whatever split I am doing that day, legs, back& biceps, or chest/shoulders/triceps.

This workouot is non stop and takes roughly 30 minutes to get through.

If I am having back pain or low level of energy I may use lighter weights or machines for each exercise. IN any event I do the routine and get it done. Slow reps, good breathing and I listen to motivational pod-casts like Fat Burning Man or Underground Wellness.

It works for me. It could work for you if you eat right ( low carb- no grains and high protein, good fats especially from coconut and some dairy) .

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Get going now

Been relaxing too much? As weget older taking a rest seems to be more important in our lives. That is all fine if you will get out and get going soon afterwards. 

For example after work, you might relax and catch up on the news or whatever interests you, but after 30 to 60 minutes of being slowed down, you need to get up, get out and get moving. If you are stuck indoors, hit the floor for some push-ups, ab work, whatever will get the heart rate up.
I work out right after the workday ends, and then do some outdoor activity as well, weather permitting.  It is only afterwards that I will pick up a novel to read, grab the laptop or relax with some music. 

If you can; get outside, 
grab the mower ( not the riding kind). 
Pickup a basketball and shoot some hoops.


Go for a long brisk walk ( 30 minutes or more) with your partner or your dog or all alone. It's all good.
Jog or even better yet run some sprints.

Bike!!

Hike!!       

Kayak!!

............ whatever it takes to get going.

Those restful times stretch out and you may end up needing the more and more. Don't let that time of  rest lead to an early death!! 


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Posture and Sitting

I have a job where I must sit at a computer a lot. Sitting is terrible for your body. In order to counter this, I frequently stretch. I will do a shoulder stretch by pulling shoulders slight forward then slightly up and then back a bit. This pulls then straighter. I lift my neck up and sometimes assist with my hands to do this ..gently.

I may also get on the floor and do a curve up ( sphinx) stretch. You may not be able to use the floor but you can place your hands on your hips  ..and curve your back a bit to relieve the tension there.

Also while sitting- be sure to sit tall, don't slump.

A good workout after work will help erase the problems sitting can cause. These also help!!



Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Jack LaLanne

Jack LaLanne lived to a ripe old age by eating well, and strength training. His book Live Young Forever shows the lifestyle of someone devoted to health and fitness, while enjoying a full life.
There is nothing really new in this book, but it does reinforce the principles you need to follow to stay healthy and strong.
At 90+ he was still at it working out on his regimen daily. Too bad he didn't make 100, but that is only a another milestone for someone who had many.

If you want to be inspired read his book. His juicers are a good item to own too, I personally have juiced vegetables for over 40 years and enjoy the healthy benefits you get.


                                                       

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Paleo , Pullups and Pushups

The three Ps that can make a difference in your life.

 PALEO- eating no grains, only wholesome fresh foods, like eggs, meats, poultry , fish and non starchy vegetables. No sugar, no wheat or any grains except small quantities of oats if you must have them. This is the diet made famous by Dr Loren Cordain.

Pushups-- Probably one of the best all around exercise. No equipment needed. Anyone can do these. Start with doing them on your knees if you have to. Progress until you can do 20 or more, then go to regular pushups, you hands should be on the floor below your shoulders and your whole body should remain straight. Try to get at least 30 a day or more if you can.

Pullups- The great old-school upper body exercise. You will need a bar of some kind to pull up on.
Hang all the way with your arms extended. Pull up until you chin passes over the bar...extend all the way down again. If you can do 5, then try for 10, I shoot for 15 each time. I hope to do 20 each year on my birthday. I'll be 64 on this next birthday


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Almost 1 Month into 2013

One month into the new year. Are you on track? Have you made any progress yet this year?
You don't want to hit next December and realize you never got to your goal.

                               what is yourgoal?


Do you even have one?
If you wander around the gym and can't figure out what to do, or you are just not motivated...now is the time to set your goal 30 days out. Then 3-4 months out, then 1 year out.
Get a realistic goal to be more fit, trim the waistline if you need to and get stronger.
Strength helps. Strong muscles support the strong frame you need to live strong and long.

Eating right to support the workouts and generate better health is awesome. 

Why not feel as young as you can.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Making any Progress?

Look at yourself, are you making the progress you would like to see? Is your belly still bigger than your chest?  

It may be that you are in a rut, doing the same workout over and over and gaining little.

Try a new routine, whatever it is to spice it  up and stimulate growth. 
Doing the same exercises over and over, like sitting on the stationary cycle or doing the eliptical for hours is not going to change your physique.  You may get some cardio benefits, but if the belly is still bulging you are at risk for heart disease.

Combined with dietary changes and a change in your workout routine you can see results in 3-4 weeks. 
Try cutting the grains and carbs back, add more healthy protein and see what happens. oh yeah and - hold back on the beer.

Get off the easy workout and bust it a little....heavier weights...lower reps. 

Make the new year the chance to be a better one for your body and mind.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Those high intensity workouts

Many people are fascinated with high intensity workouts.  There are DVD sets available with 60 to 90 minute programs. Evidence shows that to much of a good thing can be bad for you in this case.
Too much high intensity exercise can inflame the tissues to the point where you damage the heart and cardio system.
Interval training works better and will be easier on the body especially of us over 50.
Many people get on a running machine, cycle or elliptical and stay at a pace for 30 minutes or longer. They may actually be damaging their system and seeing little progress in their health.

Running a marathon may not be heart healthy.

Use varied intensity for best results.

Runners- Try a warm up jog, then sprint for 30 seconds. Walk a bit, then sprint again. Repeat.
This is probably better for you overall than a long run at one constant speed.
This can be done on an elliptical too, where you may run at a modest rate and then speed up to get your heart rate up to near maximum for only 30 seconds. Try 30 slow and 30 fast. Your recovery will get better and your progress will improve.


A link I posted before also speaks to this---

CLINIC