So the other day someone wanted to know what "Before you Actuate" meant. So I figured anyone reading this might like an explanation as well. The whole business started with my friend Ray/Sebron and his YouTube channel. He had done a few videos before but was starting the YTO (YouTube Orbit) the objective is to post 1 video a day for an entire year. It doesn't have to be long or very interesting but there needs to be one a day with the opportunity for a few misses. As of today he has reached 310 videos so almost there. Which when you see the extremely long list of people who have failed trying to do this it is a very impressive feat.
So watching these got me interested in video and editing so I got hold of some software and started messing around. I released a video on 11/11/11 just because I thought it was cool. It really wasn't much of anything but I wanted to be able to say I put up my first video on that date. The video was all old footage I had taken with different cameras over a very long period of time so it had no point to it. It just looking like a movie trailer for nothing. Somehow that snip-it got a ton of hits at least for a first video on a channel with nothing else on it. That channel is called SelfActuate. The thought process behind that was that I wanted to do fun exciting things and share them on an epic scale. To actualize my hopes, dreams, plans, and whatnot. I only made one other video for that channel and decided that I needed to refine my skills a bit. So I jumped over to an old channel I had set up with the intention of posting stupid videos to practice with. Come to find out vlogging or video blogging is a thing and people actually started watching what I posted. That channel became SAVY SelfActuate Vlog on YouTube. Corny but everything on that channel is so it fits. I have still been uploading videos there that have a little less production time to them.
I had started my masters program around that time as well so as time was getting short I've made less and less. I wanted a place to write down ideas I had for videos that were never made so I was trying to track them here. So the original concept was before the SelfActuate video there is the blog. Hence "Before You Actuate". However since then it has taken on a bit of a different meaning. I've always been into fitness but more so recently. Now the title has come to mean "before you try this be prepared" or for geeks "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." So my new goal is to put together what I'm doing fitness wise and share what I find and let you know if it works or not. Hope your enjoying so far!
/Actuator/
PS: I should have some new videos up soon and they may even be health related!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Crazy Abs (not in a good way)
I have heard a lot of interesting stories around abs, who has them, how to get them, even how to fake them. Thought I would share some of the crazy some of the serious and some of my theories.
So let's start with the truly crazy:
Implants: Yes skip the work outs, skip the gym, and the healthy food. Don't worry they can make it look real with abdominal implants under your skin. That's right 30 minute abs just got real. If I know you and you just considered this don't tell me.
I only have a few issues. This requires you to be put under which means you might not wake up. Yes I know how often this is done and how it hardly ever happens but why take the chance when it's not life threatening? Next, if you don't have definition already or if you gain weight this is going to look horrible. I personally think plastic surgery should be saved for burn victims and people born with deformities. Large breasts attract my attention, I'd be lying if I said otherwise, however as soon as I even think the they are fake I'm not interested. If you are crazy enough to try this you probably would like to know that just about all muscles can be implanted so you look like this guy. But in all seriousness if you decide to get these please rearrange them into a smiley face and send me the picture.
Etching: Ok I hate to admit this but this option gives me pause. Personally I could never do it but...... well you decide. Etching is another form of surgery. From the limited research I have done the concept is a form of selective liposuction that targets the fat pockets around the abdominal muscles. This is for those people that work at the gym 3 hrs a day and eat right and still can not quite get that definition. For sustained results you have to continue to go to the gym. While I still personally disagree, I have less of an issue because these people still have to put in the effort. If you have never done a sit up, or leg raise, or side bend then it doesn't matter how much fat they take off you still won't have anything to show for it. That being said I still consider this unnatural and could never do it personally.
Abs in a Box: I really shouldn't be surprised by this one but really? Have you ever seen the far side comic with the guy that has ab definition tattooed on. I was really hoping to find a picture of that. Please send me the link if you find one but I found this instead. Damn near the same thing Abs in a Box is a semi-permanent stain that you put on to give the impression of curves in the right places. I also think this is stupid but can you imagine the people that buy this thinking they have a true quick fix? Honestly unless you are a makeup artist the possibilities for screwing this up are endless. And, because it "works so well" it's water resistant. So if you get carried away and paint the Mona Lisa on your gut, it's going to be there for a while. I do see how this would work for super models and makeup at photo shoots. As a matter of fact it makes me feel ever so slightly better about myself know that these "perfect people" have help. My last comment on this, dumbest tagline ever. "Paint away Flab" then they show women that are already super skinny and just add definition. if you have any flab this isn't going to work.
I don't know if it makes me feel better our worse that these things are actually available out there. Better that I am willing to actually work to get abs or worse about humanity that people think this is a viable alternative. None of these things will make you stronger or healthier and without serious effort none of these things will make you look better. Save the thousands of dollars you were going to spend on surgery and buy a gym membership and start eating better.
/Actuator/
So let's start with the truly crazy:
Implants: Yes skip the work outs, skip the gym, and the healthy food. Don't worry they can make it look real with abdominal implants under your skin. That's right 30 minute abs just got real. If I know you and you just considered this don't tell me.
I only have a few issues. This requires you to be put under which means you might not wake up. Yes I know how often this is done and how it hardly ever happens but why take the chance when it's not life threatening? Next, if you don't have definition already or if you gain weight this is going to look horrible. I personally think plastic surgery should be saved for burn victims and people born with deformities. Large breasts attract my attention, I'd be lying if I said otherwise, however as soon as I even think the they are fake I'm not interested. If you are crazy enough to try this you probably would like to know that just about all muscles can be implanted so you look like this guy. But in all seriousness if you decide to get these please rearrange them into a smiley face and send me the picture.
Etching: Ok I hate to admit this but this option gives me pause. Personally I could never do it but...... well you decide. Etching is another form of surgery. From the limited research I have done the concept is a form of selective liposuction that targets the fat pockets around the abdominal muscles. This is for those people that work at the gym 3 hrs a day and eat right and still can not quite get that definition. For sustained results you have to continue to go to the gym. While I still personally disagree, I have less of an issue because these people still have to put in the effort. If you have never done a sit up, or leg raise, or side bend then it doesn't matter how much fat they take off you still won't have anything to show for it. That being said I still consider this unnatural and could never do it personally.
Abs in a Box: I really shouldn't be surprised by this one but really? Have you ever seen the far side comic with the guy that has ab definition tattooed on. I was really hoping to find a picture of that. Please send me the link if you find one but I found this instead. Damn near the same thing Abs in a Box is a semi-permanent stain that you put on to give the impression of curves in the right places. I also think this is stupid but can you imagine the people that buy this thinking they have a true quick fix? Honestly unless you are a makeup artist the possibilities for screwing this up are endless. And, because it "works so well" it's water resistant. So if you get carried away and paint the Mona Lisa on your gut, it's going to be there for a while. I do see how this would work for super models and makeup at photo shoots. As a matter of fact it makes me feel ever so slightly better about myself know that these "perfect people" have help. My last comment on this, dumbest tagline ever. "Paint away Flab" then they show women that are already super skinny and just add definition. if you have any flab this isn't going to work.
I don't know if it makes me feel better our worse that these things are actually available out there. Better that I am willing to actually work to get abs or worse about humanity that people think this is a viable alternative. None of these things will make you stronger or healthier and without serious effort none of these things will make you look better. Save the thousands of dollars you were going to spend on surgery and buy a gym membership and start eating better.
/Actuator/
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Bulldozer training and yoga?
So I started a new training routine this week. I found the listing on MuscleandStrength.com which if I haven't mentioned before is one of my favorite sites for finding workouts, exercise explanations and videos and other such fitness related material. This plan in particular is called Bulldozer Training and it is based on the rest-pause method of training. This method suggests that the rests between reps be minimal and that the goal should not be a weight or a number of repetitions per set but the number of repetitions overall. For example you do as many repetitions in 4 sets as you can if you meet the goal number of repetitions you raise the weight NEXT WEEK. While I tweaked the weight a little bit this first go round the next time I know what I can and can not do. I like this method because it makes sure I get the most out of my time at the gym. Even still I ended up talking to someone in the middle of a routine and it threw me all off. It and I are works in progress.
One thing I wasn't crazy about on this workout was the compound movement exercises have a different set up. For exercises like squats and dead lifts that use a number of different muscles, you do a many sets of 1 as you can in 10 minutes with the goal of doing 15. This means you should be getting less than 15. I thought this was crazy talk that I would never get anything out of waiting that long in between sets. It's the exact opposite of the rest of the training. Be that as it may I did this for squats on Thursday and I'm just now able to walk normal again. But damn if my legs aren't a little bigger already.
That leads me into the next part. I have been considering trying yoga for a while now but never seem to get started. A big inspiration for this was a YouTube video about a disabled war vet that was told he would never walk again. The most interesting part about this was that even though the instructor that agreed to work with him is called out in the video it looks like the majority of the training done was at home in from of the TV. If this guy can get there anyone can. That said I did a little research on another video and realized that a lot of these yoga moves and poses are really just stretches that I had been doing for a while now. It doesn't hurt that all these yoga videos are good looking women in tight fitting cloths that can bend in ways that.....(ahem). Back on topic, since I could barely walk I decided it might now be a bad idea to try this out. So I've been doing a 5 or 10 minute set of stretches and yoga poses and I think it's helped. I'm going to be borrowing a couple started DVDs from a friend and see how far I want to go with this. There are actually ways to do do strength training with yoga and get flexibility, stability, and muscle control out of it as well. I'll be looking forward to that training.
For those who were looking for more food information I am trying to "eat clean" as much as possible. Trying to stay away from the obviously chemical based foods like soda and cool whip and anything that doesn't contain a single work on the label that you can pronounce. My biggest shocker was that after I did that meal breakdown I've been trying to do out a meal plan that will allow me to meet it but I keep coming up short. It is getting me to look at nutrition labels for more than just the calories which is a step in the right direction. If you remember if I'm doing the 6 meals a day 1 meal is only supposed to contain 9 grams of fat. I found out today that 1 normal hotdog HAS 11!! I've still got a refrigerator full of those and I hate throwing food away.
I still have some thoughts on dandelion tea and flavors of clean eating but once again it is way to late so it's time to head to bed. If you enjoy these, if they are helping, or if you just like the links and laughing at the kid running in circles trying to get healthy please let me know. While I think this is helping me keep with it, it's always nice to know someone is benefiting.
/Actuator/
One thing I wasn't crazy about on this workout was the compound movement exercises have a different set up. For exercises like squats and dead lifts that use a number of different muscles, you do a many sets of 1 as you can in 10 minutes with the goal of doing 15. This means you should be getting less than 15. I thought this was crazy talk that I would never get anything out of waiting that long in between sets. It's the exact opposite of the rest of the training. Be that as it may I did this for squats on Thursday and I'm just now able to walk normal again. But damn if my legs aren't a little bigger already.
That leads me into the next part. I have been considering trying yoga for a while now but never seem to get started. A big inspiration for this was a YouTube video about a disabled war vet that was told he would never walk again. The most interesting part about this was that even though the instructor that agreed to work with him is called out in the video it looks like the majority of the training done was at home in from of the TV. If this guy can get there anyone can. That said I did a little research on another video and realized that a lot of these yoga moves and poses are really just stretches that I had been doing for a while now. It doesn't hurt that all these yoga videos are good looking women in tight fitting cloths that can bend in ways that.....(ahem). Back on topic, since I could barely walk I decided it might now be a bad idea to try this out. So I've been doing a 5 or 10 minute set of stretches and yoga poses and I think it's helped. I'm going to be borrowing a couple started DVDs from a friend and see how far I want to go with this. There are actually ways to do do strength training with yoga and get flexibility, stability, and muscle control out of it as well. I'll be looking forward to that training.
For those who were looking for more food information I am trying to "eat clean" as much as possible. Trying to stay away from the obviously chemical based foods like soda and cool whip and anything that doesn't contain a single work on the label that you can pronounce. My biggest shocker was that after I did that meal breakdown I've been trying to do out a meal plan that will allow me to meet it but I keep coming up short. It is getting me to look at nutrition labels for more than just the calories which is a step in the right direction. If you remember if I'm doing the 6 meals a day 1 meal is only supposed to contain 9 grams of fat. I found out today that 1 normal hotdog HAS 11!! I've still got a refrigerator full of those and I hate throwing food away.
I still have some thoughts on dandelion tea and flavors of clean eating but once again it is way to late so it's time to head to bed. If you enjoy these, if they are helping, or if you just like the links and laughing at the kid running in circles trying to get healthy please let me know. While I think this is helping me keep with it, it's always nice to know someone is benefiting.
/Actuator/
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Meal Plans?
An article on one of my favorite sites explains how you should be
breaking down your diet on a good workout plan. So I thought I would
give it a shot and at least compare what I am doing to what I should be
doing. Here is the link if you want to try it out for yourselves.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-create-a-bodybuilding-diet.html
So here’s how it works. Use the calculator here to determine how many calories you should be taking in per day. This is a common calculation and worked out the same for the My Fitness Pal mobile app. Next you break down the calories into 30% protein, 50% carbs, and 20% protein. (Yea I was never a big fan of Atkins either) turn the calories into grams (use the site) and then divide each one by the number of meals per day.
For me that was 2500 cals per day
Protein 750 = 187.5g
Carbs 1250 = 312.5g
Fat 500 = 56g
At 6 meals per day (which is about what you should be doing to keep your metab up and gain more nutrients from what your eating) My Per meal is
P 31.5
C 52
F 9.3
What I like best about the article is whether you buy into the numbers or not there is a nice long list on the best places to get your healthy Proteins, Carbs, and fats.
Based on this it looks like I’m getting what I need from the right areas but I’m over doing it it the fat section and not getting quite enough in the protein area. Considering the new workout routine I’m trying this might be an issue. Another interesting fact is that fat slows down the digestion process so the meal/snack/supplement you have after a workout should contain as little fat as possible. Point being that while you might feel nice and manly after pumping serious iron at the gym your not helping yourself by having a big steak. My issue is that I mix my protein with skim milk that has less fat in it but it’s still there.
I also did some research on body fat percentage and was told that once a week was not to often even though my gym says once a month. hmmmm Wonder they are just tired of seeing me shirtless? Oh well. I also found that the caliper system isn’t the most reliable and changes dramatically when you change who is performing the test. My last test said 14% and the one before that 17% only a month before but with a different person. I didn’t even bother tracking it. At least if you stay with the same person you know what direction your going in. So my new and more precise goal (for now is to gain weight while lowering body fat percentage or at least keeping it the same. Once I bulk a little I can break out the Insanity videos again and slim down in a hurry. At least it worked that way last time.
/Actuator/
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-create-a-bodybuilding-diet.html
So here’s how it works. Use the calculator here to determine how many calories you should be taking in per day. This is a common calculation and worked out the same for the My Fitness Pal mobile app. Next you break down the calories into 30% protein, 50% carbs, and 20% protein. (Yea I was never a big fan of Atkins either) turn the calories into grams (use the site) and then divide each one by the number of meals per day.
For me that was 2500 cals per day
Protein 750 = 187.5g
Carbs 1250 = 312.5g
Fat 500 = 56g
At 6 meals per day (which is about what you should be doing to keep your metab up and gain more nutrients from what your eating) My Per meal is
P 31.5
C 52
F 9.3
What I like best about the article is whether you buy into the numbers or not there is a nice long list on the best places to get your healthy Proteins, Carbs, and fats.
Based on this it looks like I’m getting what I need from the right areas but I’m over doing it it the fat section and not getting quite enough in the protein area. Considering the new workout routine I’m trying this might be an issue. Another interesting fact is that fat slows down the digestion process so the meal/snack/supplement you have after a workout should contain as little fat as possible. Point being that while you might feel nice and manly after pumping serious iron at the gym your not helping yourself by having a big steak. My issue is that I mix my protein with skim milk that has less fat in it but it’s still there.
I also did some research on body fat percentage and was told that once a week was not to often even though my gym says once a month. hmmmm Wonder they are just tired of seeing me shirtless? Oh well. I also found that the caliper system isn’t the most reliable and changes dramatically when you change who is performing the test. My last test said 14% and the one before that 17% only a month before but with a different person. I didn’t even bother tracking it. At least if you stay with the same person you know what direction your going in. So my new and more precise goal (for now is to gain weight while lowering body fat percentage or at least keeping it the same. Once I bulk a little I can break out the Insanity videos again and slim down in a hurry. At least it worked that way last time.
/Actuator/
Monday, May 7, 2012
Nobodys perfect (not even close)
Don't worry I have no intention of giving you a play by play of every meal (if you really want to know I'll find somewhere else to put it. also pictures will be more common on my tumblr account.) However Saturday bears an accounting.
The morning started out well I did 3 egg whites and 1 yolk with some yellow pepper, onion, and the rest of the mushrooms, seasoned with salt and garlic powder. Might not look fantastic but it tasted great. Plus it carries all the great benefits of protein to build muscles, which I could use after spending 3 hrs in the gym on Thursday. No this is not healthy. I'm going to injure myself eventually but when I can't get to the gym for a while I tend to over do it. I'm a work in progress what can I say. With that I've been having decaf peppermint tea with honey. My understanding is that caffeine isn't good in general, however moderation can make it acceptable. 1-2 cups of coffee worth as a general rule. I've given up soda (kinda) and never drank coffee to begin with so this one isn't that hard. Any kind of mint is going to help digestion, among other things, and it's a great excuse to use honey, which has plenty of it's own benefits. keeping digestion moving is going to keep energy at the ready and keep you moving.
Keeping with the manageable amounts of protein theme lunch was light tuna on wheat with onion and lettuce. This is all accompanied by gallons and gallons of water. No it's not necessary and I realize I'm over doing it but this at least this isn't going to leave me moaning on the floor at the back of a running treadmill. It does however flush out your kidneys and keep you very uncomfortable and constantly running to the bathroom. Just being honest.
But let's move on to the stuff you really want to hear about: my failures. Yes it's a little early for that but thankfully it wasn't too horrifying. Saturday was also my good friends bachelor party. everyone was requested to bring a 6 pack of beer. Well I don't drink so being the smart@$$ that I am I brought Stewart's root-beer among other flavors. My personal favorite is the orange creamsicle. Oh did I say that I gave up soda? Well one is okay right but that one wasn't cold so had to go for a second. Ah well, at least there aren't two 36" pizzas and 4 boxes of cheesy bread or something crazy like that..............
le sigh. Yea well ya win some you lose some but on the up side my meal portions have been small enough that I couldn't have much before I was full. Could I have stuffed myself and expanded my stomach? Sure probably but why. Honestly the joys of gluttony aren't as exciting as they were when Halloween was the ultimate holiday because you were going to rot your teeth and love it. Portion control is nice because it keeps your metabolism up if you eat a lot of small meals vs. a few large ones because your stomach thinks food could be coming at any time instead of just at designated meals. Not trying to lose weight but keeping it steady while I bring down my body fat percentage is nice.
Hope I'm helping. Does anyone want me to cover something specific?
/Actuator/
But let's move on to the stuff you really want to hear about: my failures. Yes it's a little early for that but thankfully it wasn't too horrifying. Saturday was also my good friends bachelor party. everyone was requested to bring a 6 pack of beer. Well I don't drink so being the smart@$$ that I am I brought Stewart's root-beer among other flavors. My personal favorite is the orange creamsicle. Oh did I say that I gave up soda? Well one is okay right but that one wasn't cold so had to go for a second. Ah well, at least there aren't two 36" pizzas and 4 boxes of cheesy bread or something crazy like that..............
le sigh. Yea well ya win some you lose some but on the up side my meal portions have been small enough that I couldn't have much before I was full. Could I have stuffed myself and expanded my stomach? Sure probably but why. Honestly the joys of gluttony aren't as exciting as they were when Halloween was the ultimate holiday because you were going to rot your teeth and love it. Portion control is nice because it keeps your metabolism up if you eat a lot of small meals vs. a few large ones because your stomach thinks food could be coming at any time instead of just at designated meals. Not trying to lose weight but keeping it steady while I bring down my body fat percentage is nice.
Hope I'm helping. Does anyone want me to cover something specific?
/Actuator/
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Food to start
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/liver-cleanse-foods/
I'm out of time for tonight but I'll try and run through my Saturday for you tomorrow. Not quite as inventive but equally delicious.
/Actuator/
Friday, May 4, 2012
Detox
So I’ve been working on getting in shape for a long time now going
through the normal ups and downs of working out consistently and then
slacking off and losing the results. I’m on my up-tick again and hope
to stick with it this time, or at least make it last longer. My biggest
goal is to see ab definition. If I get that for a single day I think
I’ll die happy. I do a decent amount of crunchs: ball crunch, decline
crunch, leg raises, and planks are my normals. I’m about ready to move
to weighted leg raises.
I know that it doesn’t matter how many you do. You wont see definition without lowering your body fat percentage. I’m working on it. According to a pinch test I’m down to 14% but I think they were being nice. I want to get down to 10% but that is going to take a lot of effort.
Then I went to this free seminar on detox. They explained how acid builds up in your system when your liver and lymphatic system can’t handle what you are putting in. They also said that unless you are only eating all natural organic and living in the woods it’s bound to happen. When the acid escapes it is called free radicals. I had heard the term but didn’t know what it meant until now. Those acids attach to you cells. Your fat cells in particular. Then your body pushes water to those areas to keep the acid from damaging your cells. This water build- up is what causes or at least contributes to cellulite. (I’m not a doctor and I’m going from memory here) The point being that in order to remove the water and acid you need to detox.
I bought in right up until they told me how much their product cost to complete my detox. Sorry I don’t have a grand just laying around. So after a lot of online research I fount there are many ways to detox that are cheaper and can get you similar effects as long as you combine it with healthy eating. So I am going to try a wrap (not the kind you eat) that has alkaloids on it. The theory is that the wrap will make you lose the water and then the alkaloids with remove the acids. I know for a fact that the first part works because you can lose a couple inches wearing these things for an hour or so. But you can get similar effects from a steam room or other forms of dehydration. Did I mention you are supposed to drink half your weight in water when your done?
So my question to you is what are your thoughts on detox. Have you tried one? did it work? And is it going to get me that definition I so crave?
Hope I helped inform some people. If your interested in hearing more about detox let me know. I did quite a bit of research.
/Actuator/
I know that it doesn’t matter how many you do. You wont see definition without lowering your body fat percentage. I’m working on it. According to a pinch test I’m down to 14% but I think they were being nice. I want to get down to 10% but that is going to take a lot of effort.
Then I went to this free seminar on detox. They explained how acid builds up in your system when your liver and lymphatic system can’t handle what you are putting in. They also said that unless you are only eating all natural organic and living in the woods it’s bound to happen. When the acid escapes it is called free radicals. I had heard the term but didn’t know what it meant until now. Those acids attach to you cells. Your fat cells in particular. Then your body pushes water to those areas to keep the acid from damaging your cells. This water build- up is what causes or at least contributes to cellulite. (I’m not a doctor and I’m going from memory here) The point being that in order to remove the water and acid you need to detox.
I bought in right up until they told me how much their product cost to complete my detox. Sorry I don’t have a grand just laying around. So after a lot of online research I fount there are many ways to detox that are cheaper and can get you similar effects as long as you combine it with healthy eating. So I am going to try a wrap (not the kind you eat) that has alkaloids on it. The theory is that the wrap will make you lose the water and then the alkaloids with remove the acids. I know for a fact that the first part works because you can lose a couple inches wearing these things for an hour or so. But you can get similar effects from a steam room or other forms of dehydration. Did I mention you are supposed to drink half your weight in water when your done?
So my question to you is what are your thoughts on detox. Have you tried one? did it work? And is it going to get me that definition I so crave?
Hope I helped inform some people. If your interested in hearing more about detox let me know. I did quite a bit of research.
/Actuator/
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