Friday, March 11, 2011
Train Hard, Sleep Hard
Rest, relaxation and sleep are very important when it comes to your body. Lack of sleep can cause stress which will hinder muscle development. The average sleep needs for adults over the age of 18 is 7.5 to 9 hours per night. Chronic lack of sleep can cause fatigue, lethargy, and lack of motivation. These are definitely three things you do not want to bring to the gym with you. So make sure to get the sleep that your body needs. Your workouts will improve and the results will follow.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Turning 30!
Hi All,
I just turned 30 years old and what did I do to celebrate it? I went zip lining out in Western Mass. I have never done it before and had a great time. I did 6 different lines ranging from 800 feet to 2600 feet. I was looking for some sort of addrenaline rush to help me forget about the age that i'm turning and the zip lining definitely provided it. I also enjoyed the hiking through the woods as we traveled from line to line. It was actually a pretty good workout. I'm starting to think that I might be an addrenaline junky, since i've always been a big fan of going fast. The zip lining just might be the start. Could there be some bungy jumping or jumping out of airplane in my future? It's possible. The point is there are many activities out there that don't require the boredom of running on a treadmill. There are lots of ways to get in a great workout and have fun at the same time. So pick an activity that you've never done before and give it a shot. Now it doesn't have to be an extreme sport, it can be something simple such as tennis, golf, hiking, or jumping rope. It can actually be fun to try and find diffent things to do each weekend. So enjoy the nice weather while it lasts! And find some fun ways to stay active!
In Good Health,
Russ
I just turned 30 years old and what did I do to celebrate it? I went zip lining out in Western Mass. I have never done it before and had a great time. I did 6 different lines ranging from 800 feet to 2600 feet. I was looking for some sort of addrenaline rush to help me forget about the age that i'm turning and the zip lining definitely provided it. I also enjoyed the hiking through the woods as we traveled from line to line. It was actually a pretty good workout. I'm starting to think that I might be an addrenaline junky, since i've always been a big fan of going fast. The zip lining just might be the start. Could there be some bungy jumping or jumping out of airplane in my future? It's possible. The point is there are many activities out there that don't require the boredom of running on a treadmill. There are lots of ways to get in a great workout and have fun at the same time. So pick an activity that you've never done before and give it a shot. Now it doesn't have to be an extreme sport, it can be something simple such as tennis, golf, hiking, or jumping rope. It can actually be fun to try and find diffent things to do each weekend. So enjoy the nice weather while it lasts! And find some fun ways to stay active!
In Good Health,
Russ
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Vacation Season
We're in the middle of vacation season and it can be easy to loose site of you're goals and put back on the weight you've lost all in one week away from home. Most vacations include food that is available 24/7. I recently returned from a cruise to Bermuda and was able to make it through the week without packing on an unwanted lbs. And believe me it was a challenge. For those of you who have been on a cruise before you know what i'm talking about. They had 5 or 6 restaurants on the ship to go along with a buffet style cafeteria. And if that wasn't enought you could get room service anytime you wanted. Now the easiest way to combat this would be to just exhibit some will power, but where is the fun in that when you're on vacation. Below are 3 tips to maintaining what you've worked for while on vacation and enjoying yourself in the process.
1) Establish an post meal exercise routine-The worst thing you can do after indulging is to lay out on the beach or deck. This will just cause the calories you consumed to turn to fat. Use the calories as energy and go for a walk or job, or hit the gym for some weight training. Almost all cruise ships or resorts have them.
2) Try not to overeat during each meal. Have the food that you want, but try and eat it in smaller portions. If you do eat to much, do it in the morning or early afternoon. That way you have the rest of the day to burn off the extra calories.
3) Be as active as possible. Try and pack in as many activities as possible. This way you'll be burning calories and enjoying yourself at the same time. Site seeing, Snorkeling, swimming, dancing, etc. are a few activities to keep in mind.
So now you can enjoy your vacation without losing all the progress you've made.
1) Establish an post meal exercise routine-The worst thing you can do after indulging is to lay out on the beach or deck. This will just cause the calories you consumed to turn to fat. Use the calories as energy and go for a walk or job, or hit the gym for some weight training. Almost all cruise ships or resorts have them.
2) Try not to overeat during each meal. Have the food that you want, but try and eat it in smaller portions. If you do eat to much, do it in the morning or early afternoon. That way you have the rest of the day to burn off the extra calories.
3) Be as active as possible. Try and pack in as many activities as possible. This way you'll be burning calories and enjoying yourself at the same time. Site seeing, Snorkeling, swimming, dancing, etc. are a few activities to keep in mind.
So now you can enjoy your vacation without losing all the progress you've made.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Free Run Shoes
Free Run shoes.
If you like to run and you're looking for some new sneakers try the new barefoot technology out there. Barefoot originated the idea, but other companies have come out with there own version of the shoe. If you don't like the idea of sliding your toes into a shoe that looks like a foot, there are other options out there that provide a similar feel to the barefoot shoe. I just picked up a pair of the Nike Free runs. I've run with them a couple of times and am enjoying it. They're extremely light and very flexible.
If you like to run and you're looking for some new sneakers try the new barefoot technology out there. Barefoot originated the idea, but other companies have come out with there own version of the shoe. If you don't like the idea of sliding your toes into a shoe that looks like a foot, there are other options out there that provide a similar feel to the barefoot shoe. I just picked up a pair of the Nike Free runs. I've run with them a couple of times and am enjoying it. They're extremely light and very flexible.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Cheat Meals
Anybody who knows anything about dieting knows there is usually an option in there for a cheat meal. Sometimes its one day a week and others might include only one meal a week. This is something you want to be careful with. To ensure that you don't destroy all your progress from the week of clean eating be smart about your cheat meals. I'll use pizza as an example. If you choose to hit up your favorite pizza place to dine in or takeout make sure to control the portion that you consume. A couple of slices and a large portion of salad are perfect. If you decide you’re going to make your own pizza, go with wheat dough, low calorie sauce, low fat cheese, and some turkey pepperoni. You can have another slice or two without the added calories and fat. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Winter is Coming
Hi All,
The winter is almost here and I know people tend to get a little comfortable during the winter months. The holidays come and the diets and exercise are thrown out the window. The slim fitting clothes from the summer are packed away and the heavy sweaters, sweatshirts, jeans, and sweat pants come out. I'm going to stop right there because i'm sure you've all heard or experienced this before. We'll this is the year to put a stop to it. Being healthy doesn't mean you can do it for 8 months of the year and than take the next 4 off. It really is a lifestyle change. Don't let all the hard work you put in to get where you are go to waste, just to enjoy a second helping of stuffing and mashed potatoes. If you've noticed, they don't stop selling lean meats and vegetables at the grocery store during the winter, so you shouldn't stop eating them. Stick with your routine and make sure to stay active. Don't let the cold and snow stop you. If your a runner here is a link with some great information on proper gear for running in the cold.
http://running.about.com/od/coldweatherrunning/a/wintergear.htm. If you don't want to run outside, get to a gym and watch your favorite tv program while on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike. If you finding it hard to motivate yourself, find a friend to workout with. Make appointments to meet with them each week and stick to it.
Another way to beat the winter is to accept the snow for what it is and use it to your advantage. Shoveling is a great way to burn some calories. An hour of shoveling can burn up to 400 calories. You may also want to take up a winter sport such as skiing, or snow shoeing. So don't let the winter be your excuse to pack on the unwanted pounds. Stay active and stay healthy!
Russ
The winter is almost here and I know people tend to get a little comfortable during the winter months. The holidays come and the diets and exercise are thrown out the window. The slim fitting clothes from the summer are packed away and the heavy sweaters, sweatshirts, jeans, and sweat pants come out. I'm going to stop right there because i'm sure you've all heard or experienced this before. We'll this is the year to put a stop to it. Being healthy doesn't mean you can do it for 8 months of the year and than take the next 4 off. It really is a lifestyle change. Don't let all the hard work you put in to get where you are go to waste, just to enjoy a second helping of stuffing and mashed potatoes. If you've noticed, they don't stop selling lean meats and vegetables at the grocery store during the winter, so you shouldn't stop eating them. Stick with your routine and make sure to stay active. Don't let the cold and snow stop you. If your a runner here is a link with some great information on proper gear for running in the cold.
http://running.about.com/od/coldweatherrunning/a/wintergear.htm. If you don't want to run outside, get to a gym and watch your favorite tv program while on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike. If you finding it hard to motivate yourself, find a friend to workout with. Make appointments to meet with them each week and stick to it.
Another way to beat the winter is to accept the snow for what it is and use it to your advantage. Shoveling is a great way to burn some calories. An hour of shoveling can burn up to 400 calories. You may also want to take up a winter sport such as skiing, or snow shoeing. So don't let the winter be your excuse to pack on the unwanted pounds. Stay active and stay healthy!
Russ
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Motivation
Hi All,
I wanted to chime in on my activities over the past couple of weeks. I competed in a Duathalon and a 5 mile race over the last two weekends. This is a little out of the ordinary for me as the only other road race i've ever run was the Falmouth a couple of summers ago. As you can see I've never been much of a cardio person, but it's something i've always wanted to consistently add to my routine. To make this happen I decided to sign up for a couple of races and have something to train for. I was given a bike as a birthday gift a month back so I thought a duathalon would be a good place to start. I looked for a short one and found one in the Lynn Woods called the down and dirty duathalon. It consisted of a 2.5 mile run 5.9 mile bike and another 2.5 mile run. So I trained for the race by biking and running a couple of times a week leading up to it. The farthest I ran was 6.5 miles and the longest bike was 16. So in my mind I was ready for the race. We'll race day came and the conditions were less than stellar. It poored before, during, and after the race. It was a woods course so the terrain was full of large puddles and soft ground. Lets just say my finish time was not what I had hopef for. I had my girlfriend with me and she was terrified of the conditions. There were steep up hills and down hills that kept the both of us from pushing the pace. It was more about survival than trying to set a personal best. I was just happy that we finished the race, even though it was 4th to last out of a 40-50 person field with a time of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
We'll the next weekend(this past weekend) I was signed up for a 5 mile race in Quincy that I was pumped up for. I was determined to put up a good time in the race and I couldn't blame it on the conditions this time as it was a beautiful October day. I went strong for the first 3.5 miles, but than began to tire. I struggled though the last 1.5 miles and was able to finish in a little over 37 minutes, which was good enough for 16th place out of 115. This time was a little suprising to me. I would have been happy with something around 40 minutes. It goes to show you what you can do when your motivated. If your looking to jump start a cardio routine, find a local road race to sign up for. It gives you something to look forward to and than when you finish, it motivates you to sign up for the next one to improve your time. I'm also looking for some other road races/duathalons, so if anyone out there knows of anything local coming up let me know. I also plan on running with a South Boston running club on Wednesday evenings to help stay in shape. This is another great way to stay motivated. Having other people to run with always helps the cause. We'll that's my advice for the day. So try these out and let me know how it goes!
Russ
I wanted to chime in on my activities over the past couple of weeks. I competed in a Duathalon and a 5 mile race over the last two weekends. This is a little out of the ordinary for me as the only other road race i've ever run was the Falmouth a couple of summers ago. As you can see I've never been much of a cardio person, but it's something i've always wanted to consistently add to my routine. To make this happen I decided to sign up for a couple of races and have something to train for. I was given a bike as a birthday gift a month back so I thought a duathalon would be a good place to start. I looked for a short one and found one in the Lynn Woods called the down and dirty duathalon. It consisted of a 2.5 mile run 5.9 mile bike and another 2.5 mile run. So I trained for the race by biking and running a couple of times a week leading up to it. The farthest I ran was 6.5 miles and the longest bike was 16. So in my mind I was ready for the race. We'll race day came and the conditions were less than stellar. It poored before, during, and after the race. It was a woods course so the terrain was full of large puddles and soft ground. Lets just say my finish time was not what I had hopef for. I had my girlfriend with me and she was terrified of the conditions. There were steep up hills and down hills that kept the both of us from pushing the pace. It was more about survival than trying to set a personal best. I was just happy that we finished the race, even though it was 4th to last out of a 40-50 person field with a time of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
We'll the next weekend(this past weekend) I was signed up for a 5 mile race in Quincy that I was pumped up for. I was determined to put up a good time in the race and I couldn't blame it on the conditions this time as it was a beautiful October day. I went strong for the first 3.5 miles, but than began to tire. I struggled though the last 1.5 miles and was able to finish in a little over 37 minutes, which was good enough for 16th place out of 115. This time was a little suprising to me. I would have been happy with something around 40 minutes. It goes to show you what you can do when your motivated. If your looking to jump start a cardio routine, find a local road race to sign up for. It gives you something to look forward to and than when you finish, it motivates you to sign up for the next one to improve your time. I'm also looking for some other road races/duathalons, so if anyone out there knows of anything local coming up let me know. I also plan on running with a South Boston running club on Wednesday evenings to help stay in shape. This is another great way to stay motivated. Having other people to run with always helps the cause. We'll that's my advice for the day. So try these out and let me know how it goes!
Russ
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