Keep it Positive.

Tracking progress is always important.  It’s good to know where you are compared to where you've been. It lets you know if what you are doing is working and can be an amazing feeling to see how you have progressed.  But the opposite can also be true.  If you haven’t been working out for a while you might not want to see the decline.

This is where apps like RunKeeper come in handy.  Most people have heard of RunKeeper for tracking runs, hikes, walks, and so on.  However they have also come out with some additional useful features. The good folks at RunKeeper recognized that it is important to always focus on the positive.  To this ed they were able to write there algorithms to congratulate you for any number of achievements.  This includes things like best time, most elevation change, and farthest distance.  These cover multiple time frames such as best this month, week, and so on.  This way you always get positive encouragement.  This is exactly what I needed on my most recent run.







I have not been training for a long time now.  I finally had some time to go for a respectable run the other day and I wasn't very impressed with myself.  That easy stride I used to have was completely gone.  By the end of the run I felt pretty crappy.  Thankfully RunKeeper pointed out that I was 9 seconds away from my best 5k time. (I race faster than I train) The point is that a positive attitude is key for improvement.  If your tough on yourself like many people are it's nice to have positive reminders.  There are many apps available that have similar notifications and tracking
options

Try Something That Scares You

This blog is normally about physical fitness but mental fitness is just as important. I posted on my Tumblr account not too long ago about the memory issues I have dealing with ADD.  It's not as bad as it's made out to be on TV but it is still pretty bad.  The short version is I was made to take pills to cope with my distractions all through school.  I resented my parents, doctors, and teachers who made me take them.  So when I turned 18 I took them until the bottles were empty and stopped cold turkey.  I'm almost 31 now and have done very well for myself without medical assistance.  However, now my distractions are causing issues with my relationships and I've recognized that I could do better at work if I could concentrate better. But after all the animosity I have for pills and medications and all the time I spent proving that I didn't need them it sure feels like I would be giving up if I just caved now.

Of all the things I took away from 3 years of graduate school, I appreciate the life lessons the most.  One thing that really stuck with me was this quote.  "What got you hear is not going to get you to the next level". Different accomplishments require different skills.  Sometimes you have to make changes to obtain those skills.  So here I am looking at the new addition to my cabinet at work.  I decided to go with a homeopathic remedy first.  This way I don't have to deal with the doctors or insurance companies.  I'm also not being monitored in any way so that is something to consider.  However the Triple Complex Brain Tonic that I decided to try has no listed side effects, at least according to the internet.  I know the name makes it sound corny but if it works who cares. I'm not going to say that it fixed all my issues but I will say that I have been forgetting less and that has help me at work and personal life which makes me happier in general.  

This Brain Tonic is made by Native Remedies and costs about $33-$35 depending if you go through their site or a re-seller like Amazon.  The site makes it sound like you are going to get pills but I ended up with the liquid form.  Directions are to take .5 mL every hour if you are just having "one of those days" (does this actually happen to non-ADD people?) or .5 mL 3 times a day for chronic issues.  That second one would be me.  I tried morning noon and before bed but that didn't seem to do much.  Now I leave it at work and take it at 8, 11, and 3.  That has helped keep me on track at least during work and gets me home.

Long term I would love to find out how I could not do supplements and just change my diet but I have yet to find anyone who thinks this is possible.  We shall see how everything pans out but one thing is true.  I have overcome a fear and changed for the better. 

The Community That is Always There For You

For every major undertaking in life it is important to have a support system.  Some people can accomplish things all by themselves but the odds of success rise dramatically when you have friends there to help you along. If you need evidence of this try to think of some of the great accomplishments in human history.  There might have been one leader but there was always a team of people behind that leader supporting them in a tactile or moral way. Taking it down a level there is plenty of literature on why you should get a gym buddy.  This has been highlighted by the growing popularity of Obstacle Course Races (OCR) that require team assistance.  I recently just completed a Tough Mudder and I can comfortably say that I would not have been able to accomplish a number of obstacles without help from teammates and strangers alike.

But for many of us, there are a number of responsibilities that come before your next workout.  Work, school, parenthood, and more are things that demand your attention when you know that the gym will still be waiting for you when your done.  This is exactly what happened to me.  I just completed my masters degree, I am a new father, my employer has given me additional responsibilities, and I just completed major renovations on my home.  But just like the gym there were people who were just as excited to have me back in fitness.  They happen to be people that I have never met.  That's right I am talking about Fitocracy again.  I had to start slow but they don't judge.  The same people who are benching more than their body weight are giving me props for taking a 15 minute walk.  That has been one of the biggest things that has helped me jump back in with both feet.  I've been out of the game for longer than I would like to admit and they know it but they don't care.  They are just happy I'm back. FYI none of the people that are congratulating me work for Fitocracy and if I haven't mentioned it before I don't work for them either.  I am officially back to working out and making fitness a priority again.  I'm hoping that I will be back here soon as well.  If you want to here from me on a more regular basis feel free to follow me on Tumblr or (you guessed it) join me on Fitocracy.  See you there.  We'll be waiting no matter when you decide to join us

Just stay still (workout without moving) - Part 2 Wall Sit

The most dreaded of the static exercises, or maybe just my personal nemesis, is the wall sit.  It is all the more daunting because it looks so easy.  We lean up against stuff all the time right?  That's all this really is.  You are just at a funny angle.  Here's how it goes: stand a foot or two away from the wall then lean back.  Slide you back down the wall until your knees form a right angle.  Then just hold it as long as you can.  Sounds simple right?  I think I made it about 30 second the first time I tried.

I hate photos like this.  Don't smile, be realistic. Grunt, grimace, grind your teeth in frustration, something, anything to show this exercise is not a pushover.  She is such a faker or she does this constantly for some kind of crazy wall sit competition.  

As you might have guessed, this is going to work your legs pretty hard.  First your quads. Quadriceps are the ones on the fronts of your thighs. These work to straighten you knee.  And your hamstrings. On the back of your thigh these are used to bend your knee. Needless to say after a couple sets of these your thighs might be a little warm (Warning: the previous sentence was a massive understatement)



Hope these are helping.  The next one is going to get a little weird.  It involves being upside down!


Just Stay Still Series:
1 Planks

"You have to have a burning desire to get to where you want to be"

This is a great article that I wanted to share.  As usual it links directly to my favorite fitness site Fitocracy.  Have a look at a man who did it because he decided he could.

http://www.fitocracy.com/knowledge/fitocracy-member-spotlight-gsfreeman2/

Just stay still (workout without moving) - Part 1 Planks

I have found that some of the exercises that give you the best burn don't require any movement.  As a matter of fact they require you to stay completely still, normally in a rather uncomfortable position.  Everybody knows (or thinks they know) about the most common kind of static exercise, the plank.  Now before you run off to take pictures of yourself laying down in funny places lets note, that trend was not an exercise and most people were getting no benefit from it.  Honestly taking a pose like the one below works your back and is closer to a superman but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

good effort but no

Planks in their many variation are all designed to strengthen the core, primarily your abs.  You can do a high plank which is the same pose you would take at the top of a push-up.  This is the easiest to get started with as it's a more natural position and helps keep everything off the ground.  The only parts that should be touching are your hands and your toes.







As you get more comfortable though try getting lower to the ground.  A low plank is what you will normally see in a Google search.  Up on your toes, spine straight,support yourself on your forearms.  The lower you go the tigher you have to hold.  If your really skinny (read skinnier than me) take the wide push-up stance and then lower yourself until you are almost touching the floor.  If you can do that why are you reading this?




Another alternative that keeps you completely straight and doesn't threaten to pinch your shoulder blades is using a chair to put your feet on.  This is a little harder and requires you to squeeze those abs a little tighter but that burn is what your going for.


Just about every variation of plank can also be done as a side plank.  This way you are working your abdominal, obliques, and back one side at a time.  Some people find them easier some harder but feel free to do less time since you should always do both sides.

This quickly went from a intro to static exercises to just planks so we'll make this a series and call this part one.  Feel free to post any questions or ask for a certain workout or topic to be covered.  Until next time I'll leave you with my personal feelings on planks.  No one I know looks like the people above so when you feel like the picture below don't sweat it.  Core workouts are more about maintenance and resisting injury.  You are getting more benefits that you don't see than one you do.

Just Stay Still Series:
2 Wall Sit

He's going to pump..... You up!

My favorite fitness social media site, Fitocracy.com has teamed up with biggest fitness icon of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Together they have created something called the 1% Challenge.  Together they have created 5 workout routines (so far) that take about 15 minutes each.  There are strength and cardio as well as equipment and body weight routines. Where does the 1% come in?  15 minutes is roughly only 1% of your 24 hr day.

I've talked about Fitocracy before but adding in these routines takes it up a notch.  Your not just blindly trying out exercises to see what works, though that's not always a bad way to begin.  All of these routines have video tutorials which is great for beginners who aren't sure of correct form.  In preparation for writing this post I watched a couple and I would even recommend them to people who know the exercises.  There are some good tips on how to keep your form all the way through the routine.

My favorite Routine is B or the Body Weight Circuit.  These means you can do all the exercises without buying any equipment going to the gym or even being at home.  If you live out of a suitcase you still don't have an excuse for not doing these.  Once again this is a great routine for beginners because it's much harder to injure yourself with no heavy objects around.  If this gets too easy you can always up your repetitions or jump over to the intermediate body weight routine D.

To ease myself back into working out and make sure I don't injure myself like I did last time this is how I'm starting off.  Personally I have added in some crunches and side planks but as with any exercise routine only do what feels comfortable to you.

//Actuator//