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One of the most frequent questions is a variation of “am I working out hard enough?” It’s usually something along the lines of “am I doing enough reps?”, “am I lifting enough weight?” or “am I running fast enough?” Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this. Everyone is different and what’s “hard enough” for me may be easy or impossible for someone else. Fortunately, there are a few guidelines.

Weight / Reps

Everyone has a different idea on what is a good weight and number of reps. Some people will do five reps with a lot of weight and others will prefer twenty reps with a light amount of weight. I have heard people claim that lower numbers of reps are good for building bigger muscles while higher number of reps are good for building tone, but I’ve seen ZERO evidence of this and no reliable research. If you know of any, feel free to send it in or add it to the comments. In the meantime, I’m going to assume that five reps are just as good as twenty assuming you lift sufficient weight.

Actually, I’m going to go one step further. I think you should vary the number of reps you do from day to day. Go light weight, high reps one day and high weight, low reps the next. I do this all the time, starting my week with a workout that uses ten rep sets and average weight on Monday. On Wednesday I do a workout with a low number of reps (around 7) and a high weight and I finish it off on Friday with a high rep (around 15), low weight workout. It keeps things interesting and challenging.

Still, what is the right amount of weight? Well, that’s something you’ll need to workout for yourself, but here’s a good rule. If you can consistently do two more reps that you intended to, then it’s time to increase the weight. For example, on Mondays I use ten rep sets. If I can lift my target weight 12 times, that means I should increase the weight. So if I intended to do 170lbs dumbbell presses and I managed to do 12 of those then I should probably increase the weight because my body is telling me “hey, this is easy! I can do extra reps here. Better crank up the weight and keep me challenged!”

By the way, the opposite is also true. If you find yourself consistently falling short at least two or three reps before your target number, you may wish to consider lowering the weight. Also, notice that I say consistently. Everyone can have an especially good or especially bad day once in a while. That’s not a reason to change your workout plan. However, if you do find yourself over or undershooting your rep goal multiple weeks in a row, it may be time for a change.

Cardio

I think I’ve spoken about this in the past, but I can’t find the old article to link to, so if this is a repeat for some of you, my apologies. Cardio is supposed to elevate your heart rate. So the best way to see if you’re working out hard enough is by measuring your heart rate. Your heart rate should be at around 60 to 80% of your max heart rate.  Max heart rate is calculated as 220 minute your age.

Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to measure heart rate while you’re running so here’s a quick short cut. Elevated heart rate means faster breathing, so we can do a rough estimate of our heart rate by seeing how hard we’re breathing. Try the following, sing out “Mary had a little lamb, his fleece as white as snow”. If you can get through that whole line without taking a breath, then you’re not working out hard enough. Alternatively, if you have to take a breath in between each word then you’re probably working out too hard. You can also try the conversation trick. That is, if you can easily hold a conversation while working out, then you’re not working out hard enough. If you can barely say a word, you’re working out too hard. You should be able to talk, but only in short sentences and with breathing in between sentences.

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Also, if you’re able to casually read a book, peruse a magazine or do your homework, you’re NOT working out hard enough. Yes, I’m talking to you on the stationary bike!

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One of the misconceptions about workouts is that they have to happen at the gym or at home. I sometimes wonder why that is. I’ve often blogged about workouts at other places such as a hotel room. So why not extend that a bit further? If I can workout in a hotel room, can’t I also work out at the park? How about at the beach?

It’s All The Same

All of these places are excellent for working out. They keep us interested and motivated. Even better, many of them come equipped with exercise machines. For example, the local park around my work has an exercise track with 12 exercise stations set up along it. You can run or walk from station to station and simply follow the directions at each station that will explain what you need to do.

Bring Equipment

How often have you seen people go to the beach and bring a whole car load of “stuff”? It can be anything from towels to beach balls. Well, why not include a few small weights, a resistance band and maybe a jump rope. It’s not that much compared to that hibachi grill you’re lugging around.

Change It Up

Change is one of the key ingredients for a healthy life. You don’t want your body to get used to a routine, even if that routine does have some exercise in it. That’s why it’s great to change things up every once in a while. Do a calisthenics workout at the beach, do the track workout at the park. Whatever it is, take a break from your normal routine and challenge your body in a different way.

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This weekend I’m planning to go hiking. If you happen to be in the same park and see me doing some pushups in the middle of the trail, now you know why.

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I’m in Memphis this week as part of some business travel and I’m amazed at the different food options available here.  At the airport we have a stack of chain places with lots of fried food.  Outside the airport we have local farms with fresh produce and organic meat.  How did we get to a point where healthy food is considered low class roadside food and industrialized crap is considered the norm?

Anyway, before I go off on another rant, here are some articles I thought you might find useful:

Actually, if you do want to know how industrialized crap became the norm, read this piece from Modern Forager about some recent HFCS advertisement.  Our cuisine and food choice are essentially being dictated to us by the food industry, either through the government or through advertising.  Don’t fall for it.
@Modern Forager

Here’s another article on the same topic from Almost Fit.
@Almost Fit

On an unrelated note, here’s an interested article from the LA Times about the connection between walking and a healthier brain.  As though we needed more reasons to walk.  It’s already the best and easiest exercise for your body.  Now we find out that it’s also good for your brain.
@The LA Times

Speaking of good exercise, here’s a somewhat depressing note from Backpacker which talks about how few people are actually going outdoors and getting some physical activity.  Believe me folks, there’s a wonderful world out there full of incredible things to do.
@Backpacker

And on a similar note, here’s another article from the LA Times, this time talking about kids and going outside to play.  I remember spending hours outdoors as a kid, and this was in Israel, a country which was actively at war when I was growing up.  Then we came to the US and we were told that a serial killer lurked behind every door which meant my brother and I couldn’t go outdoors or walk to school on our own anymore.  I wonder if that was the start of my unhealthy habits.
@LA Times

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I’ve been staying at a hotel the past couple of days and their fitness center is not quite up to par.  Actually, let me be clearer on this, their fitness center is awful!  Everything is either broken or about to break, which makes working out there a bit difficult.  So I’ve had to improvise a few things in order to get a good workout.

First, The Basics

Never ignore the basics.  Crunches, lunges, push ups, squats, calf lifts and so on.  These are your bread and butter.  They require no weights and can be done anywhere.  So yes, you’re lifting less weight because you’re doing body weight excercises, so what?  Do more reps and do them slower.  You’ll get a great workout.

Second, Improvise

That chair they gave you?  That would make a great weight!  Just hold it in your hands as your do your squats.  Or how about lying on your back and using your suit case as a weight for bench presses?  My suit case currently weighs about 80lbs due to some school books I brought with me.  That’s perfect for some nice slow sets of 20 bench presses.  Remember, a weight is just that, a weight.  Anything that you can hold and that has weight can be used as a weight.  It doesn’t have to look like a barbell and have a convenient shape in order to qualify as a weight.

Third, Always Be Prepared

There is plenty of workout gear which is portable and light.  Resistance bands are one example, a jump rope is another.  These are things that fit into any suit case and can be used in a variety of ways.  Resistance bands are especially useful.

Fourth, Find The Time

Yes I know, you’re busy on the road.  You had a full day of meetings and now you need to answer some email.  That’s fine, but you can still find the time to workout.  How about a set of exercises between each email?  How about a quick workout in the morning and another quick one in the evening?  I usually workout late in the evening when I’m traveling, between getting back to the hotel and going out to dinner.

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Last night I did 30 minutes of exercises, most of them with just body weight.  Was it a perfect workout?  No, but it was good and challenging and that’s all it needed to be.

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Stop me if you heard this one. A guy walks into the doctor’s office and tells the doctor “hey doc, it hurts when I do this”. The doctor reply “well then, don’t do that.” Ok, so I’m not that good at telling jokes over the internet, but this joke does have a point.  Over the weekend I got a question from a reader who wanted to know why his feet hurt after he jogged on pavement and if he could do something about it.  My answer is “don’t run on pavement”.

First, The Why

How much do you weigh?  The reason I ask is because every time you take a step while running, all that weight comes down on your feet.  Now I weigh about 210lbs.  That means that every step I take brings 210lbs crashing down on my feet.  Think about that one for a second.  Each step is the equivalent of someone hitting my feet with a 210lb weight.  That would hurt!  Even if you weigh a lot less, you’re still putting a lot of stress on your feet and that causes pain.

A Bit Of Personal History

I’ve actually tried running on pavement multiple times.  I used to exercise while traveling by going for a run around the hotel.  I also used to go running with friends who really enjoyed running in the streets around their home.  Each and every time I did this my feet and shins really hurt.  No, not the dull kind of ache that says you had a good workout.  This was sharp pain that was my feet telling me to never do that again.  And you know what?  I listened.  These days I only run on a treadmill, a running track or on a trail.  These are all surfaces that are softer and springier than pavement, which means less impact on my feet.

So There’s No Solution?

Well, I didn’t say that.  There’s plenty of people out there who are running on pavement and they seem to enjoy it so maybe there is something to it.  You could lose weight which would mean less impact on every step.  You could get better shoes which would cushion your feet.  You might even do some stretching exercises since I understand those minimize the damage (although I’ve never tried this myself).  However, at some point, you may need to admit to yourself that running in the street is just not for you.

…and that’s ok!

Just because jogging is popular doesn’t mean it’s the best exercise.  Just because you see a lot of people running in the street, doesn’t mean you should be as well.  You know what, there are a ton of exercise machines at the gym too and some of them are actually bad for you.  Some of those workouts you see people doing?  Not that good for you.  Just like some of those diets that the “experts” recommend are really lousy.  If running on pavement hurts your feet then don’t do it.  There are a hundred other ways to get a good cardio workout, from sprints on the beach to swimming in the pool and none of them will cause you as much pain.

Lesson Learned

Don’t force yourself to do some exercise just because you think you should.  Listen to your body and hear what it’s trying to tell you.  Not all exercises are good for you and if your body is telling you “I HATE THIS EXERCISE!  MAKE IT STOP NOW!” then maybe you should listen and find some other way to work out.

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My feet hurt and so I refuse to run on pavement.  What has this crippling disability done to my overall fitness?  Absolutely nothing.  I’m in the best shape of my life and loving every day.

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Do you see trees? Plants? A backyard? Want to know what I see?

I See Breakfast

Wake up in the morning, let the dog out and grab some figs off the tree.  Eat them with a bit of cheese for a wonderful mediterranean style breakfast.

I See Lunch

I have onion (not pictured), potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers growing.  That’s a great salad there, or maybe an omelette if I throw in some eggs.

I See Snacks

I was a bit hungry while reading this so I walked out to the yard and picked a few mandarin oranges off the tree.  Delicious!  just wait until the Blueberry bush is a bit more mature, that should make for some great snacks.

I See Money

Our food bill in general has gone down since we eat at home more.  However, even our grocery bill has gone down now that we’re raising more of our own food.  Figs?  Those are expensive at the store, but not in the backyard.

I See The Environment

I grow it here so there are less cars on the road, less fumes in the air and less carbon in the atmosphere.  That may not have a direct effect on my health but it has a big indirect impact.

I See A Workout

I spend 10 to 20 minutes every day in the yard just maintaining things.  On the weekends, I’ll usually spend an hour or two.  To me, this is heaven.  I get a bit of sun (not too much), make our house look pretty, create food, get exercise and I do all this while making things grow and live.

It’s Not That Hard

This isn’t costing us much.  Seeds are virtually free.  You can grow things from your leftovers or just get seeds from people who already grow food.  The water costs a bit but we recycle things like dish water and we pick plants and spots in the yard that minimize the watering.  Plus all of this is done on a pretty small scale.  Our yard is less than 500 sqaure feet and much of it was bricked over before we moved in so it’s not usable.  Heck, even apartment dwellers can get in on the action with a bit of a balcony or window sill garden.

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I can’t think of any downside to growing your own food.  It’s healthy eating, good exercise, saves you money and saves the world around you.

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ahh homework.  I never thought I’d encounter it again but here I am, working on accounting, finance and management homework.  Oh well, I’m learning a lot and school (even with homework) is a blast.

And on that note, here are some articles I thought you might find useful:

A few days ago I talked about some crazy diet that involved hormone shots from human placenta.  Well, that’s not the only crazy idea going on out there.  Here’s an article from Mark’s Daily Apple about some other crazy diet ideas.  Remember, there are no quick solutions.  The best way to be healthy is to live healthy.  That means eating healthy food in moderation and being physically active.
@Mark’s Daily Apple

And on the same note, here’s an article from ABC News about some other crazy diet and fitness ideas.  Enjoy the read and don’t be too embarassed if you’ve ever fallen for some of these, so have I. 
@ABC News

Now let’s change the subject to something a bit more useful.  Stephanie over at Back In Skinny Jeans wrote this great post about changing your mindset.  Stop thinking about what you CAN’T do and start thinking about what you CAN do.  It’s a small change but one that makes a big difference.
@Back In Skinny Jeans

The following article if just one in a series from Almost Fit.  It’s a photograph of food that the blog’s owner has recently eaten.  I like this series because the food is healthy and it shows how wonderful healthy food can be.  Stop thinking about healthy food as lettuce and granola and head on over to Almost Fit to see some of what they’ve been cooking.
@Almost Fit

And while we’re looking at healthy food that tastes great, how about this post from Webecoist?  It’s another series of photos, this time of 20 vegan meals that taste great.  Yes, vegan does not have to mean bland. Why not try making a few of these at home?
@Webecoist

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