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
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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

AAAAAAAnnnnd we're back!

Honestly I am coming back with new fitness posts.  I have to say the people that are STILL reading this blog with how long a break I have taken have really inspired me.  With only 13 total posts I have almost 2 thousand views.  I'm glad to hear you are still interested.

I have a whole list of things I want to talk about this time around.  First off an injury that took me 6 months to heal with the help of a chiropractor and a physical therapist.  Second, I AM A DADDY!!  Just 6 short weeks ago my little boy was born and it has been a wild ride.  I have some tips and ideas for the guys for not gaining her pregnancy weight as well as some ideas for the ladies about getting that shape back as quick as possible.  Third, since the last time I have talked with you I attempted to run 200 miles in 3 months.  That's less than 2.5 miles a day but finding the time and not wearing out is tough.

My latest challenge? The baby is crying, the diaper smells, work is calling, so WHEN do I get to work out and WHAT kind of exercises can I do?

If your interested in catching up with what I have been doing for the last 6 weeks I have a video blog on YouTube that I post to once a day.  This is mostly to update family and friends but I also try to be informative to new parents and we will squeeze in some good info on staying in shape at the same time.  I'll make sure to post any of those videos right to the site.

Once again thanks for hanging in there.  I can't wait to get things rolling again.