Ta-what-a?

Need some extra hours in the day?

Do you find yourself skipping your workout because you 'don't have time'?  I understand being limited on time as much as the next person, but here is the bottom line:  It's preventative medicine.  Being pro-active about your health and fitness is far less time consuming than dealing with the woes of poor health/illness.  Before I get too preachy on you, just hear me out.  If you don't have an hour a day to dedicate to your workout, I've got options for you.  Would you believe me if I told you there was a workout style that helps increase your aerobic capacity (cardio) while helping you build muscle in as little as 4-yes F-O-U-R minutes?  It's called Tabata Training and it can be incorporated into any training program.

Here's what you do:  Pick an exercise, any exercise.  I'm going to use something basic for this example;     Push-ups.  You will do as many push-ups as you possibly can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, repeat this cycle for 4 minutes (eight rounds if math ain't your thang ;).  If you REALLY only have 4 minutes...then bravo, you're done with your workout.  But, ideally, you have a little more time than that.  So, let's say you have 20 minutes.  Pick 5 exercises, your through your 4 minute Tabata cycle with each one, and Voila! You did an awesome workout that includes an 'afterburn affect'.  What, pray-tell, is this afterburn affect I speak of?  This type of workout burns carb stores, so you will keep on burning fat for hours after your workout is complete.  That's a heap of good news, right?

If you are feeling less than creative, I'll give you list of 5 exercises you can do to complete a 20 minute Tabata workout right now!

1.) JUMP SQUATS:

Remember to keep your pace up.  You want the 20 second working portion to be intense!

2.) BALL PIKES

You need a physioball for this one.  The 10 second rest goes by quickly, so stay close to your starting position.

3.) BOXING

If you have access to boxing gloves and a bag, have at it.  If not, you can certainly punch 1-2 in the air. Just remember, you have to hit hard if you want it to be effective.  Really squeeze those muscles and twist that torso.

4.) PLYO LUNGES

I forgot to shoot a pic of this one, so I'll update it later.  Just start in a nice deep lunge and you switch leg positions by exploding in the air and reversing the stance of your lunge.

5.) BALL SLAMS

For this one, you need a weighted ball or a sandbag.  You just pick it up & slam it down.  Exhale hard as you slam it down and feel those abs engage like crazy!!

Managing What You Can Measure

Back it up!

I've been reading a book called "The Happiness Project".  Not because I'm unhappy (I am quite happy, actually), but because I've heard great things about this book, and really, can you ever have too much happy?

I really like the way she pulls quotes from other philosophers and breaks them down.  One of my favorites it "You can only manage what you can measure".   

(Someone is taking this more literally than even I)

That quote got me thinking.  I'm big on goal setting.  When it comes to accomplishing something big, it's nice to have a roadmap to keep you from getting lost.  When tackling a major goal, I like to write the goal down then 'back out of it' by writing the steps that I need to take in reverse order.  This might seem a little neurotic to some (I also read magazines backward...so maybe this is a weird tick), but this seems to be the best way for me to plan for success.  Whatever method you choose, just set the goals in measurable increments.  For example, if your goal is to lose 20 lbs, write that down with a date next to it (your 'I've reached my goal today date'.  Knowing you can't necessarily control the results, you can MOST DEFINITELY control your efforts.  So think about some actions you can do that will support your main goal.  Once you are near the completion of your goal, you might be working out 4-5 times per week.  Perhaps the week before that, you cut processed foods from your diet.  The week before that you increased your water consumption to 64 oz per day.  You just continue with those plans until you get to the present day.   That's the big one.  Decide what you are going to to today to help you reach your goal.  Then you just start layering those habits in order.  Once you finish your timeline, you can certainly rearrange it.  This is just a good way to brainstorm and organize your thoughts.  It doesn't just work for weight loss.  Consider this method for many aspects of your life.  I used this method when I decided to become a trainer.  It's also nice to apply to planning a vacation or selling/buying a house.  You name it, it works!  And why?  Because it's a plan.  And according to Benjamin Franklin- "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail".  

Drop and give me zen :)

I've been having a great time leading a yoga class at Infinity Fitness.  We meet Mondays at 7pm and Saturdays at 11am:

I love seeing this great group of people week after week and I plan on continuing the class next month. Let me know if you'd like more information about it!

Up and at 'em

Up and at 'em

I woke up this morning wanting an quick, intense conditioning type workout in before I headed out for a yoga class.  I polished off breakfast:

Then I felt properly fueled for this workout:

I used a 20 lb kettlebell for all of the exercises that require a weight.  This is a conditioning type of workout that puts an emphasis on the shoulders and core.  You could certainly use a much lighter kettlebell or a single dumbbell for a very effective workout.  

How Loose is Your Caboose?

I've got another article in this months issue of 11Athletics magazine.  You can click here to subscribe to 11athletics.  You can also grab a copy at numerous locations around Columbus.  I have a few copies at the gym, if you can't track one down, let me know!

Here is a little glimpse of my article (p. 46-47):

There is also some great info about Yoga and a phenomenal feature about staying 'Fit over 40'.