You are here: Home / Archives for Exercise / Work Out

Workout Entertainment

January 26, 2009 By 5 Comments

Ahh, the iPod. In the few years it’s been available, this little device has become the loyal companion of many a workout. Runners on the street, bikers on the road and weight lifters in the gym all have ear phones in and iPods (or other MP3 players) playing. It’s gotten to the point where most people wonder through the gym in their own little MP3 worlds, paying little attention to what’s going on around them.

Some people find this offensive.  I’ve heard complaints about the iPod wearers, claiming they’re antisocial or unfriendly.  Personally, I don’t mind.  If it helps you make a workout more entertaining, that’s great.  If it makes a workout more fun, even better.  So I thought I’d make a few recommendations when it comes proper workout iPod use.  These are based on my own experiments of what works and what doesn’t.

Arm Band – If you’re going to use an MP3 player, make sure you do it in a way that doesn’t interfere with your workout.  Armbands are best.  They’re the little band that goes around your bicep and holds the mp3 player there.  Shirt clips are ok but the players tend to bounce a little, which could be distracting.  Pockets are bad, players fall out of them and distract you at the worst possible time.  Also, make sure your headphone cords aren’t in your way.

Faster Paced Music – You really don’t want something with a slow pace.  Faster rhythms have been shown to elevate heart rate and contribute to physical performance.

Educate Yourself – As a good alternative to music, try a podcast.  There are hundreds and thousands of them available online for free.  You can use your workout as a time to learn a new language, listen to news or learn about the world around you.  This is especially good for cardio sessions that tend to be a bit boring.  A distracting podcast can make the jog fly by.

No Comedy – Unfortunately, comedy or anything that will make you laugh is not a good idea.  Laughter makes you lose control of some bodily functions.  Yes, I realize most podcasts won’t make you laugh until you pee, but they might make you laugh to the point where you are distracted or unable to steady yourself while lifting weights.  A good joke at the wrong time can easily lead to injury, and I base this on a very amusing if somewhat painful personal experience!

Turn the volume down – If you’re wearing earphones but I can still hear what you’re listening to, you’re playing it too loud.  Not only is this rude to the people around you, it’s also damging to your hearing.

Pay Attention – Just because you’re listening to music doesn’t mean you can ignore the world around you.  The majority of people annoyed with headphone wearing gym goers are annoyed because they feel ignored.  We ask you to work in on some machine and you ignore us, caught up in your music.  We say hello to you and you ignore us, caught up in whatever is playing on your iPod.  We ask you to spot for us and you ignore us, focusing more on whatever you’re listening to.  Enjoy your music, but also pay attention to the people around you.

###

If you’re looking for some good podcasts, try anything by NPR.  Marketplace and Talk of the Nation are my favorites.

Filed Under: Work Out

Love This New Exercise: Dumbbell Pushups With Rotation

December 11, 2008 By 3 Comments

Yes, I’m a fitness geek.  I actually go on YouTube and search for exercise related videos to see if there’s anything new and cool to learn.  Today, I found this great new way to do pushups, which I’m planning to add to my routine.

It looks perfect.  Not much equipment needed, just some dumbbells.  Plus it’s a compound exercise, which means that it works out multiple muscles groups at once.  In this case, it looks like a great workout for your chest and back.

###

I’ll tell you how things went next week.

Filed Under: Exercise, Work Out

My Workout Routine

December 10, 2008 By 3 Comments

My workout has changed a bit over the past few months and I wanted to share my new routine with all of you.  Please note that I change weights and # of reps by day, so I’m going to list each exercise with 3 sets of numbers.  Each set stands for a number of reps and a certain weight which I use on a particular day.  If it’s a particular exercise where you do 1 side and then the other, like lunges, the number of reps is per side.  If it’s a barbell exercise, I do it with dumbbells instead since my gym does not have a set of barbells.  Also, I’m going to use the name of each exercise as a link to a video that shows how to perform that exercise.

Back and Abs

  • Leg Raises – This is a body weight exercise which means I use no extra weight.  On Mondays I do 10 reps, on Tuesdays I do 20 reps, on Thursday I do 20 reps.
  • Deadlift – I don’t use the stiff leg pose you can see in the video and instead keep my knees slightly bent.  On Mondays I do 10 reps with 150lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 170lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 90lbs.
  • Knee To Chest Crunches – This is another body weight exercise.  On Mondays I do 10 reps, on Tuesdays I do 20 reps, on Thursday I do 20 reps.
  • Single Arm Row – Mondays I do 10 reps with 75lbs, Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 85lbs and Fridays I do 15 reps with 45 lbs.
  • Alternate Sit Ups – This is another body weight exercise.  On Mondays I do 10 reps, on Tuesdays I do 20 reps, on Thursday I do 20 reps.
  • Bent Over Row – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 150lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 170lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 90lbs.

Legs

  • Lunges – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 100lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 120lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 60lbs.
  • Deadlift – I don’t use the stiff leg pose you can see in the video and instead keep my knees slightly bent.  On Mondays I do 10 reps with 150lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 170lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 90lbs.
  • Squats – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 150lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 170lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 90lbs.
  • Calf Raises – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 150lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 170lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 90lbs.
  • Abductions – This is another body weight exercise.  On Mondays I do 10 reps, on Tuesdays I do 20 reps, on Thursday I do 20 reps.
  • Adductions – This is another body weight exercise.  On Mondays I do 10 reps, on Tuesdays I do 20 reps, on Thursday I do 20 reps.

Biceps and Triceps

  • Sitting Preacher Curls – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 100lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 110lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 70lbs.
  • Bench Triceps Extensions – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 100lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 110lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 70lbs.
  • Hammer Curls – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 35lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 40lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 25lbs.
  • Overhead Triceps Extensions – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 35lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 40lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 25lbs.
  • Sitting Concentration Curls – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 40lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 45lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 30lbs.
  • Skull Crushers – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 75lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 80lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 45lbs.

Chest and Shoulders

  • Barbell Bench Press – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 170lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 180lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 100lbs.
  • Lateral Raise – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 70lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 80lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 50lbs.
  • Shrugs – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 170lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 180lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 100lbs.
  • Pushups – This is another body weight exercise.  On Mondays I do 10 reps, on Tuesdays I do 20 reps, on Thursday I do 20 reps.
  • Pull Ups – These are weight assisted pulls up which means a higher weight is actually easier than a lower weight.  On Mondays I do 10 reps with 100lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 70lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 120lbs.
  • Overhead Press – On Mondays I do 10 reps with 100lbs, On Wednesdays I do 5 reps with 120lbs and on Fridays I do 15 reps with 60lbs.

Cardio

  • Monday – Elliptical at a high difficulty for 40 minutes
  • Tuesday – Treadmill at 6.5mph and 1.5% incline for 45 minutes
  • Wednesday – Elliptical at a high difficulty for 40 minutes
  • Thursday – Treadmill at 6.5mph and 1.5% incline for 45 minutes
  • Friday – Elliptical at a high difficulty for 40 minutes

Some Things To Notice

  • One set a day – Yep, I don’t believe in multiple sets of a specific exercise per day.  I get most of the benefit from the first set anyway and the other sets just bore me.
  • Alternate muscles – This workout is set up so that no two consecutive exercises are working out quite the same muscles.  That way I don’t have to rest as much in between sets.
  • Different By Day – Each day is different.  Monday I do all the exercises at an average weight and number of reps.  Tuesday I do just body weight exercises and then run.  Wednesdays are like Monday but no body weight exercises and I do less reps with more weight.  Thursdays are like Tuesdays.  Fridays are more weights and no body weight exercises but with more reps and less weight.  Again, this keeps me interested and keeps the workout challenging.
  • Similar weight – You’ll notice that I use a lot of the same weight.  For example, 6 out of the first 12 exercises use the same set of dumbbells.  Sure, this is a little less optimal in terms of a workout but it’s great in terms of time efficiency and it lessens the need for me to memorize what I need to lift.
  • Lots of freeweights, very few machines – I’m a great believer in freeweights and I think they give me a better workout.  However, your mileage may vary.  I recommend playing around with both freeweights and machines before deciding what you like.
  • My weights are increasing – If you some some of my older spreadsheets, you’ll notice that most of these weights are higher now for the exercises I’m still doing.  My progress is slow but constant and I’m perfectly happy with that.

###

Next week we’ll talk diet!

Filed Under: Exercise, Work Out

Increase or Decrease Weight By Set?

October 22, 2008 By 7 Comments

If you’ve been to the gym on a regular basis, you will eventually see the following behavior.  Someone is working out with freeweights, doing some common exercise like bench presses.  They do a set and then they change weights, sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing.  They do another set and again they change the weight.  In fact, they go on like this for multiple sets, usually four or five, changing the weight each and every time.  Is this normal?  Is it helpful?

Well, Maybe…

As with many things, the answer isn’t quite as straightforward as you would think.  There are reasons for and against both increasing and decreasing weight.  However, the difference is rather small.  In fact, unless you’re a serious body builder, you probably don’t have much to gain from increasing vs. decreasing weights.  However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the impact of weight altogher.

The Right Weight

The right weight is the one at which, when you do your target number of reps, you can barely do the last rep.  For example, if I plan on doing 10 reps, then I should pick a weight where, on the 10th rep, I am barely able to lift the weight.  If I can easily do an 11th and a 12th rep, then I’m using a weight that’s too low for me.  The same applies to any number of reps.  For example, if I want to do 5 reps, then I should pick a weight that will be very difficult on the 5th rep and pretty much impossible on the 6th rep.  That’s called “working to failure” or “failure point”.  That last rep is the failure point at which you simply cannot complete another full rep.  Ideally, every set of exercises you do goes to the failure point.

NOTE – This applies to everyone, not just body builders.  And yes, it applies to women too.

What Does This Have To Do With Increasing Or Decreasing Weight?

A lot.  Think about the fact that many people do multiple sets.  For example, I used to do 4 sets of 10 reps for each exercise.  So for example, I would do 10 lunges, rest a few seconds, 10 more, rest, 10 more, rest and then 10 more.  That’s 4 sets of 10 reps.  Now clearly, as I do more and more of these sets, I’m going to be pretty tired.  That means I’m going to have a harder time with the weight.

If I used the same weight for each of these sets, I would have an easy time lifting it on the first set and I might find it impossible to even complete my fourth set.  To compensate for that, I would start out with a higher weight and decrease the weight as I progressed in sets.  So the first set might be with 120lbs, the second with 110, the third with 100 and the last one with 90.

So Decreasing Weight Is Good?

That’s not what I’m saying.  Decreasing weight is just a means to an end.  That end is always working each set so that you’re unable to do even one more rep at the end of it.  Decreasing the weight was just one way of achieving that.  I could have done it in other ways.  For example, I can do:

  1. Set 1 – 12 reps with 100lbs
  2. Set 2 – 10 reps with 100lbs
  3. Set 3 – 8 reps with 100lbs
  4. Set 4 – 6 reps with 100lbs

This way I can keep the weight the same while still working to failure on each set.

Alternatively, I could do:

  1. Set 1 – 20 reps with 60lbs
  2. Set 2 – 15 reps with 80 lbs
  3. Set 3 – 10 reps with 100lbs
  4. Set 4 – 5 reps with 120lbs

This approach is just as valid.

These days I only do one set of exercises per workout.  So I’m never doing multiple weights.  However, I do change weights per day so that on Monday I might be doing a set of 10 lunges with 100lbs.  In Wednesday I do a set of 5 lunges with 160lbs while on Friday I do a set of 20 lunges with 70lbs.  Again, it’s not about increasing or decreasing weight, it’s about always working to failure and making sure that last rep is really the last one that you can do.

One Last Point

The only real benefit of decreasing and increasing weight is change.  Change is good for your body.  Doing the same thing over and over in the exact same way tends to lead people into a rut.  They get stuck with one routine and can never improve.  Changing weights can be a way of forcing your body to adapt to different conditions and that’s a good thing.  So whether you change weights every set or every day, just keep trying new things and always work towards that failure point.

###

Speaking of which, today was my blowout workout with 50% the normal weight and but only half the reps.  I loved it!  If anyone hasn’t tried something like this before, I highly recommend it.

Filed Under: Building Muscles, Work Out

Try This Evening Workout

October 13, 2008 By Leave a Comment

I’ve always had issues with evening workouts. At the end of the workout I’m too sweaty and too awake to go to bed, which means I don’t get enough sleep. And since I’m not a morning person, I usually work out in the afternoon. However, I recently found a little evening workout that sounds really promising.

The Key Is Pace

Rather than being an all out workout, this one is more of a stretching routine.  It doesn’t involve high weights or high reps, just a low number of reps with body weight exercises done at a very slow pace.  In fact, it’s a VERY slow pace.  Each rep should take you about 10 seconds, which is slow enough to be relaxing.

The Exercises

Toe Touches – Stand up straight.  Now slowly start bending down, keeping your legs straight, until your finger touch your toes.  Do this very slowly (take at least 5 seconds to get all the way down) and go back up at the same slow pace.  Do this five times and take a five second break between each rep.

Calf and Arm Raises – Stand up straight with your arms at your side.  Now slowly go up on your tip toes.  As you do this, raise your arms as far up above your head.  Again, keep a slow pace.  Going all the way up should take you at least 5 seconds and the way back down should be as slow.  Try to inhale on the way up and exhale on the way down.  Again, 5 reps and take a five second break between each rep.

Leg Lifts – Lie down flat on your back.  Now slowly raise your feet until your legs form a 30 degree angle with the ground.  Keep your legs straight and your feet together while you do this.  3 seconds to move the feet up, followed by 4 to 5 seconds of keeping them in place (you may want to try moving your feet around in little circles while you do this) and then take 3 seconds to bring your feet back down.  Take a five second break between each rep.

Arm Lifts and Curls – Stand up straight with your arms at your side.  Slowly raise your arms up while keeping them straight until your arms are pointing straight out ahead of you.  At this point, make sure your palms are facing up.  Now slowly curl your arms in by bending the elbow, keeping your upper arms steady.  Once you’ve completely curled your arms in, pause for a second, uncurl your arms to the straight out position and then lower your arms back down to your side.  Again, 5 reps with a 5 second break in between each.

That’s it, that’s the workout.

###

By the way, this workout can also be used as a good stretching routine for times when you’ve been sitting down for too long, like on an airplane (although you may want to take out the leg lifts at that point).

Filed Under: Work Out

Two Exercise You Should Be Doing But Probably Aren’t

October 8, 2008 By 2 Comments

Actually, maybe I should add “If you’re a guy” to the end of this post’s title.  That’s because the two exercises I’m talking about are Lying Leg Adductions and Thigh Abduction.  For some reason, whenever you mention thigh exercises to men they automatically think those are not for them.  It’s as if only women should have strong thighs while guys should focus on strong biceps.  Well, I happen to think that’s ridiculous.  Strong thighs are part of a strong core which is going to keep you fit and in shape, and that’s good for both men and women.  So without further ado, here are two exercises you may want to incorporate into your routine.

Benefits

Abductions and Adductions both reach a muscle that many of us neglect.  Unless you’re a competition horse rider then you might not have very strong thighs.  That could lead to injuries and less than peak performance in any activity that involves your legs.  That’s because your thighs are the support for your legs.  They keep you stable and prevent you from collapsing to either side.

Body Weight Only

First of all, both of these are usually body weight exercises.  There are variations with added resistance in the form of exercise bands but that’s a nice to have, not a must have.  So assuming you’re doing these as a body weight exercise, that means you don’t need any weights or machines to do them.  If you’re trying to decrease or increase difficulty, you’re going to need to do that through slowing or speeding up and changing the number of reps.  That said, these exercises are also a great way to stretch and I frequently do a set or two before I run.

Thigh Abduction

This one is pretty easy.  just lie down on your side, hold your legs straight and lift up your outside leg.  That means that if you’re lying on your right hand side you should be lifting your left leg.  Keep lifting until you reach a 45 degree angle but don’t push that too much if you feel any pain in your inner thigh.  Now lower your leg and you’re done.  You’ve just done a single rep of Thigh Abductions for one of your legs.

If you want to see a video showing this, this link will take you to Cooper’s Guns:

CLICK ME

Lying Leg Adduction

If thigh abductions workout your outer thigh, then adductions workout your inner thigh.  The idea is the same.  Lie on your side and lift your leg.  However, instead of lifting your outer leg, you’re going to lift your inner leg.  So if you’re lying on your right side, you’re going to lift your right leg.  This is a little trickier than abductions because you’re lifting the leg you’re lying on, but with a little practice, it will get easy.  Again, don’t push up too high, you don’t want to strain your ligaments.  A little 30 degree rise is enough with these if it’s done in a slow and controlled fashion.

Again, if you want to see a video, click on the following link:

CLICK ME

###

Too many men focus just on their upper body just like too many women focus solely on their legs and butts.  Remember, being fit means keeping your whole body in shape, not just a single muscle group.

Filed Under: Exercise, Work Out

Cardio Pole Dancing

October 3, 2008 By 3 Comments


Cardio Pole Dancing

Originally uploaded by conradh

Well, it had to happen some day and I guess today is that day. I got an email asking my opinion on stripper fitness courses.

Huh?

In case you’ve missed this odd little trend, stripper fitness (also called cardio pole dancing and a variety of other names) is a type of exercise where women imitate the moves of strippers. Yep, you heard me, dance like a stripper and call it a workout. Yes, it’s a bit silly and yes, it was probably thought up by a man (really honey, dancing like a stripper is good for you!) but is it healthy?

So Is It A Workout?

Depends. Most of these are too slow paced to be real workouts. They don’t get your heart moving and they don’t really challenge your muscles the way a real workout should. I’m sure that some of them do but the majority do not.

So We Should Avoid This?

Not at all. While it may not be a complete workout, these kinds of courses do get your ass off that couch and moving (quite literally) and that’s a good thing. If you think this is fun then by all means, enjoy. Anything fun and physically active is great.

Any Downsides?

Are there any harmful side effects to this? Not really, unless you count looking silly at times as a harmful side effect which I don’t. The only word of caution I have is that some of these courses have ridiculous requirements like wearing high heel shoes. That’s just crazy and is practically begging for injuries.

Summary

I don’t know if it’s a fad or something that will be around years from now, but if it gets people moving then it’s alright in my book. Just don’t mistake this for a real workout.

###

There are just so many jokes I could close out this post with… However, I will exercise some amazing will power and refrain. :)

Filed Under: Alternative Workouts, Work Out
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »