Day 44 -- Working Out with Mr. America

Want to increase the effectiveness of your work outs? How about working out with a guy who actually placed in the Mr. America competition. My buddy Ken placed in the Mr. America competition quite a few years ago, but he is still extremely buff. I mean humongous! I have always been very intimidated to work out with him even though he has frequently invited me and we are very good friends. So I finally got up my courage and decided to let him "bring on the pain!" I met him yesterday at Gold's Gym in Herndon and the manager immediately gave "any friend of Ken's" a free 7-day trial membership. The pass lasts until September 3, 2008, which is the day before I fly off to California to start a new job and new life. So until then, it's just me and Ken at the gym every evening. Last night we worked on our backs. We "warmed up" doing a lift with a barbell wedged in a rack on one side and 45lb plates on the side we were lifting. Ken said the inside grip was better than the similar machine with the bicycle-type handle bars. I liked it cuz it felt "old school." Next, I learned how to do proper dead lifts. Dead lifts are apparently the best exercise ever invented for total body workout. Next we did a machine that was like a lat pull but worked more my upper back and Ken had me keep doing the exercise while he took off the plates and I couldn't pull back on the handles anymore without any plates left. So here I am feeling like if a two-year old ran into me I would fall over and Ken says we would finish up with pull ups. I have not completed a pull up for years. I say completed, not attempted, because about three months ago I was at a playground with my kids and I attempted a pull-up. I also charlie-horsed in both arms about half-way up. So, to my amazement, I did complete two pull ups and then Ken grabbed my feet and made me do 3 more. Needless to say, my back is very sore today. The great thing about today is I learned how (at 40 years old) to finally do proper squats. Ken trained me with just the barbell first and then I worked my way up to 185lbs. But the absolutely amazing thing was to watch Ken squat 400+lbs. That is 4 big plates on each side. The steal barbell actually bends down it has so much weight on it. There were some teenagers next to us squatting in the 200lb range and they all stopped and starred with amazement, just like me. Then Ken told me about back in the day when he would squat 600+lbs. Anyway, this post is getting long, so I will just say that I could barely walk down the steps from the gym when Ken was done with me tonight. Tomorrow -- biceps and triceps -- Wahoo!

Day 11 -- BFL -- I Miss Muscle Media Magazine

What happened to Muscle Media magazine?!! During my last two challenges, I could look to Muscle Media to new ideas, recipes and ways to mix up my work out. One of my favorite articles was ab boot camp. The ab work out in BLF training program really doesn't work for me. I do not know why I would do decsending reps of 12 through 6 for my abs work out. But check out this article from Muscle Media http://musclemedia.com/training/BootCamp.asp!!! The work out in there is not for beginners. I have not sarted it yet, but when I am ready -- BAM! -- this abs boot camp work out is the ticket. It worked beauifully for me before, and I guarantee it will work for you. But seriously, wait until simple exercises like 75 floor crunches and 50 bent-knee leg raises just aren't doing it for you any more. The last thing you want is an injury so early in you Body-for-LIFE transformation. The Muscle Media website has no search engine, so to find articles you must search in Google for the term "muscle media" and then insert the topic you are looking for. Kind of a pain, but the search is worh it if you find an old article like abs boot camp.

Day 10 -- Avoiding Injury

I have never broken a bone or "blown out" any joint of my body, but I am very familiar with the "dumb" injury. What are dumb injuries? They're the ones you cannot brag about. They are the injuries sustained because you twisted wrong, or tried to perform an exercise you were not ready for. To complete a Body-for-LIFE challenge, I know I must avoid these "dumb" injuries that will bring my fitness quest to a screaching halt. So, to avoid injuries:

1. Minimize Impact from Cardiovascular Exercise

I choose a 20-minute cardiovascular workout that minimizes impact on my joints and stress on my ligaments. This is especially important because I am, well, overweight. I mean, I would never start a running program wearing a 30-pound weighted vest!

• Stationary Bike or Eliptical Machine. I begin my BFL program riding a stationary bike or using an eliptical machine. The machines have easy to read displays for time, speed and calorie burning that make it easier for me to measure, record and adjust my intensity levels.
• Speed Walking. If I want to exercise outside, I speed walk. Walking is probably the best low-impact exercise because it is also weight bearing and very good for my bones. By speed walking, I can definitly reach a level "10" intensity and easily reach my target heart rate. The real problem with speed walking is my pride. It is not a pretty picture when the fat guy is grunting out a level-10 speed walk. I admit it, I look silly.
• Swimming. Swimming is also a great cardiovascular work out with no impact. I generally have to improve my cardiovascular strength before I enjoy swimming or can hit even a level "8" intensity without loosing rythm and gagging down buckets of water. Around week six I believe I can begin incorporate swimming.

Once I loose about 20lbs and improve my cardiovascular endurance, I will probably add in some sprint exercises and some swimming. As explained below, it is good to mix up my exercises to develop a well defined Body-for-LIFE. I have had many running injuries from starting a program too fast and not being prepared.

2. Follow Strict Form in Lifting Weights

For each lift, I must learn the form and then strictly follow it. First, by performing an exercise with improper form, I can extend a muscle too far or strain my joints. Second, if I cheat by trying to bounce or twist to achieve "extra" lifts, because of all the weight I am holding I risk straining or pulling other "helping" muscles. If I cannot perform the last lift with good form, then I have already hit my intensity goal without that last "cheat" lift. I know that cheating for "extra" lifts is actually not beneficial and is a formula for strained and pulled mucles. I will not cheat!

3. Mixing It Up -- A Well-Rounded Lifting Program

My two favorite work outs are pectorals and biceps, of course. But I have learned that I must also work out the little, less known "helper" muscles to increase total strength, avoid injury and improve posture. (See http://musclemedia.com/training/shoulder.asp for a good Muscle Media article). For example, with shoulders I begin with dumbell presses and lateral raises, but I will have to work in some bent over raises and barbell front raises to have a well-rounded work out.

4. Lifting Too Much Weight

I know that I must lift heavy weights and push myself to achieve muscle growth. But I also know that I can seriously injure myself if I lift a weight that I cannot control or bring safely to the ground. I work out at home and finding a spotter is not always easy or convenient, but I know it is important to avoid injuries. Also, I do not sit up with dumbells I have used in a bench exercise, but carefully drop them to the floor.

One way I estimate if the weight is too much, is if I can control the eccentric part of the exercise when I am slowly lowering the weight. The eccentric part is so important to my work out, even if the lift (or concentric) part seems more fun.

5. Be Flexible

Stretching and improving my flexibility are very important to me know that I am 40. The one down side of the BFL program seems to be that it does not emphasize stretching. I have included a very minor 5-minute yoga program that I do every day at the end of my cardio or weight lifting. It is a simple program from "You, the Owner's Manaul" that helps with flexibility. In a couple weeks I will need a more advance program. So if anyone knows one, please let me know.

6. Warming Up

Back when I had a trainer, he had me start each weight lifting session by warming up on the stationary bike. I like Bill Phillips method better. He actually incorporates the warm up into the exercise. It is the level "5", "6" and "7" exercises. So I use these exercises to warm up. I take them slow (on each concentric part of the exercise I actually say "Body for Life" and on each eccentric (or negative) part of the exercise I lower the weight slow enough to get in the whole phrase "I am building a Body-for-Life") and I feel my muscles strech and my blood start pumping. Now I am ready for the level "8", "9" and "10" when I am actually building my Body-for Life.

7. Ice, Ice Baby

If I do strain, twist or otherwise feel a "bad" pain, it is time for ice. I rotate the ice on and off for 20-minutes while I collect myself and hope that it is okay. I like a cold shower after a work out because it not only helps me cool down faster so I can get on with with life faster and less sweaty, but I also feel like it helps reduce muscle and joint inflamation and helps me recover faster.