Workout

Exercise Will Improve Your LIFE!

on August 18th, 2010 by Rob

I told Beth never again. And in all fairness, we didn’t really move… we just moved stuff around. But I swear I felt like I had moved by the time I got to the end of the weekend.

Which brings me to my point. I can guarantee that I would be a lot more sore and a lot more worn out after having moved all of this furniture BEFORE I started working out.

It just goes to show you…. this is not ALL about going to the gym and running and swimming and pushing weights around. It is so that we can live a better life.

At the gym this morning, I was having a conversation with a former Mississippi State Trooper. We were discussing the recent shooting and death of a Jackson MS police officer. He was saying that he felt there were instances when people were shot and perhaps they could have been saved had they been in better physical condition (not necessarily this case). I don’t think that there is any question that this is true- (once again, I am not familiar with the physical condition of Glen Agee).

Working out—- wether it is cardiovascular exercise or resistance training can prepare you for a better life!!!!

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5 Things Exercise Can Do For You

on June 24th, 2010 by Rob

Well, by now you all know what a big proponent of exercise I am. Once again, if I have to hear one more person talk about how long they have been going to Weight Watchers “but I am not loosing weight”— I’m gonna hurl.

O.K.- that being said…. if you don’t want to exercise in order to loose weight…. then do it for something else. These are good things that exercise can do for you BESIDES fight fat.

1. Have fun- I know, I can’t believe that I said this… but since I began to exercise a couple of years ago, this is a very big one for me. I have said many times that the key to my success in the weight loss area has been that I found people to work-out WITH… not doing it alone. I have made some very good friends and now it is fun to meet with them and do stupid things…. like run stairs and bike and…. well… run. And besides, when we are done doing all these stupid things… we sit and have coffee.

2. Strong bones- this is especially important for older folks. Makes me feel good to see my Mom walking on her treadmill. Bones become stronger with exercise… particularly weight bearing exercise, i.e. tennis, weight lifting and running.

3. Maximum mobility- exercise increases balance, muscle strength and coordination.

4. Good night’s sleep- I have never, I REPEAT—– NEVER, slept as well as I sleep now. In addition to the weight loss curing my sleep apnea…. I am just tired. I get up every morning at 5am and by the time 10pm rolls around, I am done. However, I must warn you—- don’t work out too close to bedtime…. it will keep you awake.

5. Mood- aside from weight loss and the general cardiovascular improvements that I have made, I think that this has been the most important benefit that I have personally observed. I tell you—- it only takes about three days of NOT working out and I can tell that my mood has taken a nose dive. I really don’t know much about the science of this but I have heard that it is like endorphins that our brains produce—- this is triggered by exercise. It really is remarkable.

I think that these things are at least as important as weight loss.

Are there any other benefits that you can think of?

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All it takes is 10 minutes

on June 12th, 2010 by Rob

Great article by the Associated Press this past week:

Associated Press:  Study- 10-minute exercise has hour-long effect

Bottom line here- work out and the effects to your cardiovascular system last long after you quit. However, I would say, based on my last video- that the effects might last much longer than an hour. If you will remember— and if you don’t, you can watch it here—- working out prevents vasoconstriction for, according to the study I read, up to 17 hours!!!! 17 HOURS!!!!!

Anyway- got to get moving!!!!

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Strechy stretchy!! Do you stretch??

on April 30th, 2010 by Rob

Great article in the C-L a couple of days ago… well, it was an AP article- don’t want to give them TOO much credit. The article was about the virtues of stretching before working out.

Apparently there is some discussion among the experts… which by the way I am not one of… about stretching. It seems that some experts say that it might promote injury if done just prior to working out or running- if you run like I do, then that is working out—-.

A bunch of really smart guys at the University of London compaired stretching just prior to working out to stretching out a rubber band to its maximum. These guys say that your body might “think” that it is at risk of being overstretched and ultimately contract.

The rub of the whole matter is this: they say that not only may all this stretching before working out be more likely to injure you, but it does not really help you preform any better. Many studies show that stretching before playing a sport make athletes slower and weaker. They also say that warming up with a light jog or sport specific exercise works better. It will get the blood flowing and get the body temperature to rise. According to the article, the experts advise stretching, but NOT before working out.

Paul Lacoste started me with stretching every morning before our workout. I am not sure that I could do it without stretching. I know that it would be hard to run without stretching beforehand. How do you feel about this? Can you start your workouts cold?

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Weight Loss Motivation

on February 24th, 2010 by Rob

I have copied and pasted a post from Heather @fitinto.ca  —–because I think that it is so spot on.  Read and enjoy- visit her blog too at:  http://fitinto.ca/

To reach your fitness or weight loss goals, you need two types of motivation.

“Away from” motivation and “towards” motivation…

…as Renee Stephens calls them. (And I couldn’t agree more.)

Renee does an incredible job of explaining the two types of motivation in Episode 1 of her Inside Out Weight Loss podcast series, but I will try and do her justice by summarizing for you here.

“Away from” motivation is often what gets you started. It’s what you have too much of in your life, and want to avoid in the future. For example, maybe you want to move away from requiring prescription medication daily. Or maybe you want to move away from having to purchase larger sizes each season when you go shopping. Or maybe you simply want to move away from feeling bad about yourself.

We need “away from” motivation. It helps us to realize that it’s time for change. And that’s a really good thing.

The problem with “away from” motivation is that it is relatively easy to satisfy (though, it can still be a huge deal). The point is that you can do better. If it is your goal to stop requiring prescription meds, and you make the changes in your life necessary to do that, your goal has been met. You might be healthier, but I’m almost positive that you could do more at that point to further improve your life. The same goes for the other examples. If, when you go shopping next season, you need the same size as the previous season, you’ve met your goal. But could you do more? Of course. And if your “away from” motivation is to stop feeling bad about yourself, you’re likely to stop trying to make change in your life as soon as you feel a little better. Will you be at your best? Probably not. But you’ve met your goal – and that might make you think that it’s time to settle.

That’s where “towards” motivation comes in. It takes over when “away from” motivation stops working. For example, when you stop needing to purchase larger sizes, your “towards” motivation kicks in to keep you moving forward on the path towards bigger goals. Maybe you want to have a certain look, or be a specific dress size, or have a specific-sized waist. Feel free to dream. It’s okay if it seems like a big goal – that’s what “towards” motivation is all about.

The two motivations work best when they’re used together. And they work even better when you’re clear about what they are.

So take a moment to think about it. What’s your “away from” motivation? What’s your “towards” motivation? How do they interact? How will you know when you’ve made the shift from “away from” to “towards”? Do you have any other thoughts on motivation?

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So, Where do I start????

on February 12th, 2010 by Rob

It seems like I am getting this question more and more. With the rise of obesity it seems like everyone is looking for a quick and easy way to lose weight. There is a vast array of products on the market such as supplements, berries, magic software, drinks and replacement meals (Jenny Craig, Nutri-System)  that guarantee to help you lose weight in the least amount of time. The question is, do they work?

You know… I would say NO. Really, its as easy as that.

So- I have put together a few tips to get you started. And think, you didn’t even have to trade your e-mail address for this information.

1. It is best to visit with your physician before you start any weight loss program, you should inform him of your goals and plans. Hey will also be able to give you ideas and tips on how to lose weight naturally and safely.

This step is very important as this makes sure that none of your plans or future actions will cause any problems with your health.

2. Start keeping a food journal where you write down everything you eat. This will make you more aware of things you are eating that have unnecessary calories or are high in fat. This will help you determine where to start your weight loss program.

3. Based on what you see in your journal you should try to cut out foods or snacks with elevated calorie counts. This should help you develop an easy to stick to meal plan. Once again… I have said this before, I don’t think that it makes sense to cut out EVERYTHING you like… just cut back on some of the higher calorie items.

4. In planning your meals, try to be more selective of the food you eat. Go with more greens and less with greasy food and sweets.

Dieting is hard and can be tedious, especially if you don’t like fruits and vegetables. Get a group of friends or family together and try different ways of preparing your fruits and vegetables. It will be fun and maybe you will find a new favorite meal.

5. Another way to lose weight is to exercise. Not only is it one of the quickest and most inexpensive ways to burn fat, but  by exercising helps increase your metabolism for long periods of time—– which helps burn fat faster. Then later, when you have built up muscle, your RESTING metabolism will be higher.

O.K.- 5 tips- I trust that this will get you started on the right path!!

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07-26 BODY PUMP!!

on July 27th, 2009 by Rob

This was actually a new one for me. I had never done it before. Went for a one hour class… covered all the basics- chest, legs, curls, push-ups. We did squats and lunges with the body pump bar. It was not too bad, but at one point early in the hour my head turned purple… so I must have been straining somewhat.

Before the hour of body pump, I ran two miles… did it in about 22 minutes so I wasn’t going too too fast.

Every bit of what I did can be done at your own speed. Don’t feel like you have to run that fast. And body pump can be done with lower weights to fit your fitness level.

Work hard- Finish the drill!!!

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Accomplishing Something

on March 6th, 2008 by Rob

Weight- 265.0- WTF. GAINED WEIGHT!!!!!!! Paul says not to worry.

I have really started to like the work-outs. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am not sure that I LIKE to be so out of breath and feel like I want to hurl… but I do like the feeling of it being over… and the feeling of accomplishing something. You know, feeling like, I made it one more day. I made it though this work-out.

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I am living more fully

on February 13th, 2008 by Rob

Weight- 271.0- You know, I just wanted to touch today on what I am feeling. I feel really good. You know, I may be sore, and it seems like I am all the time now… but I know that I am living more fully. I know that I have just GOT to be more healthy.

This is going to seem kind of silly, but it is kind of like I pride myself on how far and fast I can run. I mean, I know it is not far or fast, but it is good to know that I am ahead of the majority of the population.

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Yo… Head-Fat!

on February 7th, 2008 by Rob

Weight- 273.75- First day of Paul’s fitness class. Not that much different from what we have been doing. Just doing it with a lot of people. Started out with some stretching, and then moved into some running on the basketball court.

Did something new today, quick foot ladders. Basically, it is an agility drill. Like the old football players going through tires- except with a rope ladder. It was fun and not really all that challenging. Kind of like running.

We also did a whole 8-10 minutes (one station) of abdominal exercises. I hate them. Nascar rocks. She is someone that I work out with; her last name is Carr—- thus the name. Paul named her. He has been calling me head-fat.

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