Flatout Fit

The Diet Train

2011-02-01T04:35:00.000-08:00

Trains are ingenious feats of engineering. They ride on a rail in a set direction to a predetermined and well planned destination. The only thing that changes on the journey is the speed at which the train travels. And the faster it’s going, the more difficult it is to stop or change direction.

Dieting is not much different. You have a destination (Goal Weight) and you have a set direction (Diet program or training program). Getting started is tough just like getting that train rolling, but once you get started, it’s pretty easy to just keep rolling.

Last week, my train went off the rails. I had been rolling along at a slow pace, but in the right direction. Then on Wednesday, we took our son to a restaurant for his birthday supper. That turned into a weekend of birthday party celebrations with Chinese food, chips, and cake.

So I found myself this week, having to put on the brakes, and start back in the other direction. Back to working out during lunch, watching what I eat, and cutting out late night snacks.

The first goal of the week is to get back to where I was when I changed direction. Yes changing direction means going backwards if you are not travelling towards the destination.

So remember, momentum is key. Get that train rolling and do whatever is necessary to stay on track. And if you go off the rails, or start rolling backwards for a bit, get the cars back on the track and start chugging in the right direction.

Healthy Eating Tip

2011-01-26T06:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a little discovery I made this past weekend. If food is within reach, (good or bad) it’s more likely to be eaten.

Let me explain further. My wife brought home a full pineapple on Saturday. I cut it up, put it in a bowl, and tried to put it in the fridge. Problem was there was no room. Instead, the bowl full of fresh cut up pineapple went on the Island in the middle of the kitchen.

That’s when I noticed that every time my 9 year old walked by it, he took a piece and ate it. Then my 5 year old, copied her older brother and did the same. It could have very well have been candy, or potato chips, but it wasn’t, and throughout the day they both ended up snacking on about two servings of fruit each.

Convenience is a huge factor in eating habits. If healthy snacks like fruit are packed away in the bottom drawer of the fridge, that’s likely where they will be when you lean out the fridge two weeks later. Conversely, bars, crackers, pop tarts, chips; etc will likely be in the cupboard right at eye level. When the urge hits, that’s where you will go first.

I am going to try to keep some fruit out on the counter, in a nice bowl, looking inviting and yummy. Hopefully they will get eaten on the way to the chip cupboard.

Try it and make it a habit.

Battling Through A Crappy Workout

2011-01-21T05:25:00.001-08:00

Not every workout or training session feels like magic. For a whole bunch of reasons you may be off, and feel like quitting. And sometimes that’s the right thing to do.

But sometimes it is worth sticking it out, and battling through. Take last nights masters workout. It started poorly. The water felt light and thin and I felt slow. Non swimmers may think light water is a good thing, but experienced swimmers know what I mean. To really swim effectively, you have to reach up, bend the elbow, and catch a ball of clean water and scoop it past you. Dara Torres explains it very well in her book.

But as I battled my way through it, and got some encouragement from my lane mates, I started to come around, and by the fifth and sixth 200m pieces, I was back to the old feeling, and swimming well. I even got some comments on my flip turns, a new skill for me.

So the moral of the story, find a focus point and battle through. At the end of the session you will feel fantastic, and will be looking forward to the next session.

Why I do Triathlons

2011-01-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

This was originally posted in May of 2009 on my other blog

I came across it while researching another post, and when I read it I thought it was a pretty decent post. So I decided to place it here as well. Enjoy.

I just received my Triathlon Newsletter from TRIFUEL. There is usually a mixed bag of articles about training, nutrition, racing, and just triathlon in general. Some interest me, some don’t.

The latest edition did have a particular article that sparked my interest. Ben Greenfield asked “Why Do YOU *Really* Do Triathlons?”

In the context of the article, and after some careful reflection during the last spin class of the year, I concluded the following:

 I don’t do it to receive accolades from friends and co-workers. In fact I find it a little uncomfortable talking to non triathletes, about my accomplishments. Maybe I just get sick of explaining how far an Ironman is, and maybe I get sick of the look on their face after I tell them.

 I don’t do it so I can wear my Ironman Florida Finishers shirt in public, for similar reasons as above, plus most people just don’t have a clue anyway.

 I didn’t start it because a couple of my buddies decided to try it, nor do I continue it for the social aspect. I enjoy others people’s company if the opportunity arises, but due to my family schedule, I train most of the time alone. If my motivation was social, I would have quit long ago.

So why then. What motivates me?

 The idea of being active and competitive and setting a positive example for my family, especially my kids, is a definite motivator.

 Having something to focus on, outside of my family and work life helps me mentally. It’s a healthy distraction.

 I crave an athletic outlet to focus on. Without it, I would have no reason to be active, and watch my diet, and I would be big as a house.

 But I think one of the biggest reasons is simply because I love the sport. Some sports like curling, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, will spark heated debate over their legitimacy as a sport. But there is no dispute about the purity of competition of a race, in the water, on two wheels, on foot, or all three combined. There is no 8 out of 10 for form or artistic impression. It’s simple. First over the line wins. I feel privileged to be a part of that.

 Perhaps the biggest reason, is because I can. When you need motivation, think of someone stricken with cancer or ALS who can’t, then get off your butt and go.

Jackie Warner New Video

2011-01-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

So much to write about, and no time to write it.

But for now, I’ll share my wife’s latest request. She is queen of the workout video. She has a closet full of them, but unlike a lot of other people, she actually uses them.

The latest one she is requesting is the newest offering from Jackie Warner.

When she get’s it, and does the workout, I’ll entice her to write a review.

Recipe Spaghetti Sauce

2011-01-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

After checking in on my analytics account, I see there is a lot of interest in my sample menu from the P90X program. The post is here.

I also noticed that there was a request for the homemade spaghetti sauce that I listed as my supper choice that evening.

It’s actually my wife’s concoction. It’s really tasty, and tough not to go back for seconds. I am not 100% sure how she makes it but it starts something like this.

2 lb pack of lean ground beef
2 14 oz cans or jars of spaghetti sauce
1 14 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup ketchup
1 medium onion
1 medium pepper
1 cup of chopped mushrooms
2 or 3 cloves of garlic

No rocket science here, brown the beef and drain off any excess fat. Sweat the veggies in a skillet. Then throw it all in a pot, dutch oven, or crock, and simmer it for at least an hour.

The key is to find a ready made spaghetti sauce you like. You can cheap out on a canned versions, or you can opt for a high quality jarred low sodium, organic sauce. Once you hit on a sauce you like, you need to start experimenting with spices to get it to your liking.

This makes a pretty large pot full. Enough for a couple of meals. You can freeze the excess, or use it to make a baked pasta dish with rigatoni, or fuzilli, topped with cheese.

Obviously the protein comes from the beef, the veggie servings from the onion, mushrooms, peppers, and tomato sauces.

Enjoy, and get back to me with comments.

2011-01-05T07:57:00.001-08:00

I originally started this blog to track my progress with the P90X program. That was last year, and I have since let this blog slide while concentrating on my other blog. However, I notice there are still interested people checking me out. So I decided to revive it.

Given the time of the year, it’s understandable that there are people scouring the internet looking for information to get in shape, or get back in shape.

I have a little experience with this. On at least 3 occasions, I went through changes in my life and career and experienced an unwanted transformation from a fit athlete, to an overweight slob. Stay tuned for more on those.

I am currently the former as a competitive triathlete with 10 years under my belt, and a ton of races completed including an Ironman, three half Ironman, and a host of Olympic and sprint distance races. You can also read about those on my other blog

I am not an expert, not a nutritionist or dietitian. I am not a personal trainer, although I have completed coaching courses in both cycling and triathlon.

But when I write, I write from the heart, about topics that interest me, and I believe will interest you.

Read me for Motivation, Inspiration, and Information. And Please Please Please, don’t be a lurker. Let me know what you think. Good Bad or Indifferent.

Yoga: Core Cross Train by Rodney Yee

2010-02-10T03:08:00.000-08:00

I gotta say, I have been surprising faithful to the core sessions that I planned for my early to mid winter routines. With the exception of last week, (Recovery as well as Schedule issues) it’s been consistently 2 times per week, every week. Sunday morning, and Tuesday evening. Sunday is reserved for the p90X Core Synergy, but Tuesdays are reserved for yoga.

A big reason I have been able to stay faithful is that I try to keep variety in my Tuesday session. I swore off Tony Horton’s Kick Ass Yoga a while ago, opting instead to stick with a video from my wife’s collection. So last night at I dug down to the bottom of the pile, and found this gem.

The workout is broken into two 30 minute sessions. The first is the core strength phase, and it uses flowing movements from pose to pose in a sequence specifically chosen to engage the core. If the poses are done correctly, it’s as good a core session as you’ll find.

The second session is the restoration phase, and is supposed to concentrate on restoration, rejuvenation, and just plain old stretching and flexibility. This is also where Rodney reaches a little into his hokey side. He uses a blanket as a prop, mainly as a bolster for several of the poses, as he reminds us several times to “Feel the message of the internal organs.”

Both sessions are good. As I said the core can be as tough as any. I like Rodney Yee. As a yoga instructor, his workouts focus on technique and flow, as opposed to Tony Horton who is a personal trainer who is quite good at yoga and his yoga routine is more of a bootcamp style.

In the interest of keeping thing fresh and exciting, or as exciting as yoga can get, this is worth a shot. But there are a couple of recommendations.

1. I may take a couple of tries to become familiar enough with the session to be able to do the entire workout without straining your neck to see what Rodney is doing next on the TV screen.

2. Keep your remote near and pause the DVD when you have to fold your blanket into a bolster. I didn’t know blanket folding was an essential yoga skill, but it took me 3 times as long as it did in the DVD.

3. Don’t laugh at the hippie jargon in the second half. Just remind yourself, it will make me more supple, and faster on the bike. When I PB my 20k ITT, or our local Olympic distance tri, I can look back and thank Rodney.

P90X Core Synergistics Review

2010-01-15T03:12:00.000-08:00

In my opinion this is one of the best sessions in the series. It’s almost a shame that it only gets scheduled in during the recovery weeks. The workout hits most of the major muscle groups including chest, shoulders, arms, and leg while at the same time engaging the core.

The legs are especially targeted with sets of lunges and squats as is the chest with several sets of pushup veriations such as Prison Cell pushups, and Sphinx Pushups.

The sphinx Pushup is probably the second most difficult movement in the series. Pushing the body up from a sphinx position really requires extreme chest and tri strength while at the same time engages the core unlike any other move.

I find the most difficult move to be the Plank to Chatarunga Run. Trying to move the legs in a running position while keeping the body hovered just inches above the floor in the Chatarunga position is near impossible for me at this stage, and I have had to stick with doing the movement in the plank position only.

The only movement I skip is the Dreya Roll, mostly because it hurts my spine when I roll.

The only major criticism I have is the lack of upper back movements, although with core floor movements like Banana to Boat, and Superman Banana, the back is far from neglected.

If you are an athlete looking for a solid core session to supplement your winter training routines, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Below is a quick rundown of the workout set progression.

Stacked foot/Staggered Hands pushup-One hand forward one back, one foot on top of the other--do 5 pushups and switch sides until you can't anymore

BananaRoll-Start on back with legs and arms extended 6-12 inches off floor-hold for 5, roll onto side hold for 5, roll onto back hold for 5....Keep going!

Leaning Crescent Lunges-Lunge forward at 45 degree angle while extending your arm in one straight line with your back leg holding dumbells.

Squat run-Squat position with one leg in front, holding dumbells moving your arms back and forth like you are running--switch legs.

Sphinx Pushups-Rest on forearms elbows under shoulders. Press up off forearms until arms are straight. Great lat exercise.

Bow to Boat-5 seconds in bow flip over 5 seconds in Boat---OUCH!

Plank to Chatarunga run-While in plank run your knees in for 10 seconds then go down to a chat positions and do a fast type of crawl while hovering!!

Walking Pushups-I did this on the hardwood part of our basement. Get in plank with your toes on a towel and walk with your hands 4 counts forward and back keep repeating for a minute.

Superman/Banana-Alternating Superman and then roll onto your belly for arms and legs off floor position/ Go back and forth

Low lateral skaters-Slowly shifting side to side in a deep lunge while lifting your straight leg at the end of the movement

Lunge and Reach-With weight in hand reach down to front leg as if you are lifting something off of the floor, then reach up and twist as though you are putting it on a shelf. 30 seconds on each side repeated

Lunge-Kickback-Curl and Press-20 reps-Very tough total body movement provided you use adequate weight. I loved this!

Reach High and Under Pushups-Combine standard pushup then a sideplank from sideplank reach under like a pilates twist and repeat. Very tough.

Prison Cell Pushup-Prison Cell Pushup
From standing bend forward to plank do a pushup bring your right knee in and out, do another pushup, bring left knee in and out do another pushup, do third pushup and ump back to standing. Do 8 times.

Side hip raise-Lying on side resting on forearm. Lift hips up off of the floor and lower them. Do a bunch on each side.

Squat X press-Holding weights do plie squats while you are performing a wide shoulder press to that your body forms and X. 30 reps

Steam Engine-Standing knee to elbow crunches-50 reps

Dreya Roll-From standing squat down rolling onto your back, kick legs straight up in the air, almost like a pilates control balance and roll forward coming to standing again. To make it harder jump between reps.

Plank to Chaturanga Iso-Alternate 10 second counts between plank and chat position

halfback-Agility moves simulating going through football tire drills 60 sec

Table dip/Leg raise-Get yourself into a yoga table. Raise one leg in the air keeping hips up, and do tricep dips changing after 5 reps. 60 seconds

5 minute cooldown with yoga stretches

2009 Retrospective

2010-01-07T03:15:00.000-08:00

Some of my bloggie friends seem to have had an awesome 2009 race season. My very best good friend Craig Alexander repeated at KONA. (Actually I’m sure Craig hasn’t a clue who I am, but he still repeated in KONA) Fellow blogger Charisa placed in her age group in KONA and came home with a salad bowl, and a pro card. (She drops by my blog from time to time and leaves me nice comments)

Although my year turned out better than Tiger Woods, to be truthful, for me 2009 was a little bit of a letdown.

If you really want to find out why 2009 sucked, click here!

Can’t Contol Time? Control your workout.

2010-01-06T02:46:00.000-08:00

Just like it says, no matter how big and strong you are, you can’t control or slow time. Inevitably, there comes a time when you are pressed for time, and getting in a short workout is by far better than skipping altogether.

Of course there are always options such as compressing the P90X workout as I posted about late October. Another option is to simply blast through a circuit session like I did Monday.

Take Monday night, January 4, just 1 day into my new schedule, and I had more to do than I had time to complete. Registration for our winter spin sessions was at 7:00pm across town, which was a double pain given the class I wanted, filled as I waited in line, (but that’s a story for another day) That followed by a trip to the bulk store, and then home to pack lunches.

Monday was scheduled to be Shoulders, Arms, and Ab Ripper X. I felt too good to skip, so I decided to blast through a quick but intense circuit session. One exercise per body part, done one after another for 3 sets, for 2 rounds. I threw in an extra set of lateral raises at the beginning to get the shoulders pre stressed.

The workout looked like this.

Set 1
Lateral Raises
Single Dumbell Press
Tri Kickbacks
Standing dumbbell curls
Leg crunches

Set 2
Upright Rows
Chair Dips
Static Curls
Bicycles

Set 3
Bentover Flies
One arm Triceps extensions
Concentration Curls
Crunchy Frog

Round 2 was the same except I did the following Ab Ripper X movements

Set 1
Wide legged situps
Set 2
V-up Roll-ups
Set 3
Mason Twists.

The key in this workout is to warm up thoroughly beforehand; (I did the standard P90X warm up,) use light weight; with high reps; and progress through quickly with very little rest. ie. High intensity.

The benefits of a session like this is
1. Time. It gets you a quick session when you don’t have time for the full 1.5 hour P90X session.
2. Intensity. Progressing quickly through the movements will PUMP YOU UP. Training like this all the time won’t get you strong and big, but it will get you a brisk session when time is at a premium.
3. Muscle Confusion. Remember what Tony says about shocking the muscles every once in a while? This will do it.
4. Flexibility. This type of session could probably be done with any of the strength sessions.

Next time you are stuck for time, or feel like you need a change, give this a try.

Over the Holidays

2010-01-05T03:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas represents a prime opportunity for two things.

1. Increase or build on your current fitness level.

OR

2. Blow your current fitness level.

To me, the extended holiday represents a prime opportunity to get some me time, and get in some killer workouts. Even with all the visiting and festivities, as well as time with the kids, with no work in the schedule, 1 or 2 hours a day is not hard to squeeze in..

Even with the overindulgences. For me, the key was to refuse to fall into the F*@K-IT mode, and blow off activities because I was already eating and drinking too much. The way I looked at it, even if I was consuming too much, I would be far better off with some intense training sessions under my belt than without.

So over the holidays, I failed to stay off the toxic mixture of fermented grape refined sugar, trans fat soaked potato snacks, turkey and ham. Truth is, I didn’t really try that hard to refrain. It was Christmas afterall.

I did however, manage to stay fairly active. With a full week off, it was not hard scheduling in good solid training sessions.

Looking back, my 10 days looked like this. 4 dryland sessions, combining p90X workouts with my wife’s new workout videos, and included 2 core sessions. 4 solid swim sessions, although I missed 2 masters workouts, I dragged my ass to the lunch or morning sessions and did a couple of easy days of drills, and then a hard day with about 2500 yards of timed 100s, and some extended STROKE (Any stroke but Free) sets. I even managed a good 1.5 hour ride on my mountain bike, in the freezing cold, on a hilly course.

I am now ready to fall back into a routine. As tough as it was to get to work this week, it was good to be back on a schedule. So here is planning a good winter, and successful summer racing season.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T02:49:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2010. Holidays are over, work is started. There are no more excuses, the house has been purged of all reminents of the season. Tree, decorations, wine, and chocolates.

So it really is time to get my butt in gear, and get started on whipping myself back into shape. I am already feeling the effects of detoxifying myself. I have a bag full of healthy meals packed. I have my 2 litre water bottle full, and I am ready to start my parade to the little boys room.

I have a few new ideas in mind, as well as a few goals. Now that the panic at work has subsided somewhat, I have a little time to bang out a few posts, and try to keep my motivation.

Stay tuned, and stay happy.

BTW, fittingly, the video above is of the new years fireworks in Dubai. The new Dubai Tower opens today. Does anyone have a suite booked?

Fall Motivation

2009-12-14T03:38:00.000-08:00

Missy, One of my bloggy buddies recently posted about how she has done virtually nothing in the off-season, that she is enjoying it. In a nutshell, she is feeling guilty about feeling guilty.

I think this is a common occurrence for weekend warriors like us who spend a g good part of our free time balancing our training and our personal life. When the pressure is off, it’s such a relief.

For me, the offseason was dry and slow. No swimming or riding. I jumped into my P90X program, and saw an increase in strength and flexibility, as well as a decrease in body mass. But then came the start of our masters swim season, as well as our bike clubs winter spin sessions.

Going to the pool was getting to be a chore. I would sit at my desk in the morning and think about new excuses for blowing off my lunch session. The thought of more laps just made me want to burn my speedos.

Then our Masters Club scheduled a mini swim meet. I signed up for a couple of free events and a couple of breast stroke events. I got online and searched out drills and advice on beast. We did a few workout sets of breast stroke and drills, and all of a sudden, a fire was lit. I couldn’t wait to get to the pool and practice. The meet went ok, I managed to just break 50 seconds for a 50 breast, and I couldn’t wait for the next workout.

Then at our last workout, our coach decided to try and teach us how to swim butterfly. Some of my swim mates really weren’t impressed, and whined and made excuses like “I don’t swim Fly in a Triathlon.” As it turns out, I am not a bad butterflyer. I am no Michael Phelps, but I did garner a few looks from my lane mates.

So I am now in a situation where I look forward to every session. I don’t need to drag my ass to the pool. I eagerly look forward to practicing new skills, like breast stroke, and fly, and finally learning to do a flip turn. In doing so, I have found that my freestyle stroke count has dropped. Hopefully it means that my freestyle efficiency is increasing.

So here is the moral of the story. If you are starting to feel unmotivated this fall, sign up for a masters club swim meet. Try a new stroke, Perfect your flip turn. Before you know it, spring will be here, you will be 12 weeks out from your first race of the year, and stoked about the upcoming season. And if not, you can sell your bikes, and take up scuba diving, or knitting.

Big George

2009-12-01T03:00:00.001-08:00

Somewhere along the way, I must have stumbled onto the blog of Jenny Fletcher and made a comment about one of my favorite athletes, George Hincapie. In response, she emailed me with a few comments of her own.

I have been slack with my blogging lately, so Jenny's reply got the mind churning again, and it brought back memories from my childhood, and a little insight into why I have such respect for the guys who make up the "Rest of the team" the supporting cast.

When I was a kid, I was a big hockey fan. Our local team brought in a couple of import players. One guys name was Bruce Campbell. He was a pure goal scorer. He was an ofensive machine. Everyone raved about him, and at the end of the year, I believe he racked up enough points to win the scoring championship.

But the second guy's name was Kent Lannon. He was a digger. He was a work horse. He was the first guy in the corners, he was good on faceoffs, he blocked shots, he skated hard to get back into the defensive end to pick up his check. He did all the little things that go unnoticed, but are nesseccary for a team to win. My dad said one time, That's a good hockey player, and since then I had a special place for the guys who worked hard and got little recognition.

That's why I like George Hincappie. I was dissapointed when he missed out on the yellow jersey at this years tour, but it's only fitting. Oh so close again.

I hope he returns. Lance's and Alberto's come and go, but the Pelaton tour won't be the same without the big guy, so here is to a few more saddle sores.

I even have an order in for a team columbia jersey for Christmas. If it fits, I'll post pics.

Can a Triathlete Eat What they Want?

2009-11-18T03:13:00.000-08:00

That was the title of an article I read recently in “Inside Triathlon” magazine.

One of the more nutrition interesting articles I had read in a while, it was more a commentary of the dietary requirements of elite athletes than a how to, or a how much for weekend worriers.

The article started with a breakdown of the infamous diet of Michael Phelps. In case you missed out on the details, look at the pic at the top of the page. And keep in mind, this is not a one or other menu, he eats everything. I feel stuffed just reading about it.

What I took away from the article was that there are a group of elite athletes out there, who among everything else, can manage to eat whatever they want, including foods that would make a nutritionist have a heart attack, and still seem to excel in their sport.

In fact, the article goes as far as to say there is no real documented evidence to suggest an increase in performance with an enhanced or healthier diet.

But hold on before you stop in to Tim’s for a double dozen Boston Creams, the article does go on to state that even though this meal plan worked for Phelps at the last couple of Olympics, it won’t work for everyone.

The article is also careful to point out that although in some cases, a fairly crappy diet might not hinder performance, there are also health issues to think about.

The reality is that at that level of performance, the body burns so much energy, that it’s an absolute necessity to supplement the diet with calorie dense rocket fuel. Think about that last 1 hour long killer kick ass masters workout you barely survived. Now think about doing that same workout for 4 to 6 hours a day, every day, using a body that has been genetically designed to be a metabolic machine. Now those 12000 calories don’t seem so out to lunch, pardon the pun. Can you imagine trying to fuel those workouts on garden salads and tofu?

So in my own words, everyone is different. What works for MP might not work for Craig Alexander or Lance, and certainly not for me. Practice and experimentation is key to finding out what works best for the individual. Over the years, I have found that my body seems to be sensitive to an overabundance of carbs. When I bump up my protein intake, and supplement it with mainly veggies and fruit, and keep starchy carbs to a minimum of amount of high quality whole grains, my body responds positively with better performance and better body composition.

So unless you are a genetic freak, training 6 hours a day, don’t follow Phelps diet, and expect to win 8 gold medals at the Olympics. Stick with what you know.

The Flu, Weather, and Life Modified P90X Program

2009-11-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Not sure if it was H1N1, but it sure knocked the snot out of me.

The plan at the beginning of the program was to complete the entire 90 day program before things like our Masters Swim club, and our Cycling club spin class sessions started, but after a couple of weeks of dealing with flu and cold viruses, first with the kids, and then with my wife and I, as well as doing some much needed home maintenance, which is still not complete, I now have to re-juggle the entire P90X structure.

I am sure a lot of time and effort went into the program scheduling, and the group breakdowns. There is definite logic to having a break between Plyometrics and Legs. Or sticking yoga right in the middle of the week, but to fit the program in around my own busy schedule, I had to make some serious changes.

But, before changing the schedule, I decided to list a few objectives that would help me re-plan my program.

1. Fit in the schedule of my NOW current offseason training, mainly Thursday and Sunday evening Masters Swimming workouts, and Tuesday evening Spin workouts.
2. Continue with upper body training. This is what suffers the most when Full triathlon training kicks in.
3. Keep the core and flexibility work. I have seen an increase in my flexibility, and I am banking on that translating into a more aero position on my tri bike next season, as well as helping with my swimming.
4. Keep the plyometrics. I have already praised the plyo session, and I feel this will help my speed on the run next season.
5. Opt for an increase in training volume similar to the Doubles Program, as opposed to a reduction in training volume similar to the Lean program.

So to keep with these objectives, I decided to make the following changes:

1. Stick with the phase 2 Chest and Back routine on Saturday.
2. Keep the shoulder workout on Monday, but instead of a P90X workout, I changed it to a resistance session at the pool, i.e. a swim workout with the paddles, and incorporating lots of sculling drills. Core in the evening.
3. I flipped the yoga with legs, so Legs are now on Tuesday, but instead of a P90X leg session, I changed it to a spin session. And if you don’t think that’s a tough leg session, try one.
4. Wednesday is now a lunch time swim, and yoga in the evening.
5. The Kempo session which was intended to be a cardio session, was switched for my second masters swimming workout.
6. Friday is rest day, although if I have time, and energy, I plan to slip in a little stretching.

So given these parameters, my new schedule looks like this.

Saturday: Chest Back and Ab Ripper X
Sunday: am Plyo, pm Masters Swimming
Monday: lunch Swim pm Core
Tuesday: Spin Class
Wednesday: Lunch Swim pm Yoga
Thursday: pm Masters Swimming

You may note a couple of things, especially if you are a triathlete.

1. No Running. This is by design. I always take the fall and part of winter completely off for a couple of reasons. To avoid injury, and to concentrate on other disciplines.
2. 4 swim workouts. Again, for several reasons. It’s convenient in northern climates. The pools are always open, and not weather dependant. Also, swimming at this time of year is about refining technique, not building fitness, and to do this requires frequency in the water.
3. Only 1 cycling/spin session. Cycling is my weak point, but my long term seasonal plan is to incorporate other spin training sessions into the schedule in the New Year. I have a power builder program I am dying to try, but for now, I am concentrating on my strength training

So if I PB next summer, it’s a hit. If not, it’s a bust. Time will tell. Stay tuned.

The Compressed Workout

2009-10-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

Here’s the scenario. You work regular hours. By the time you get home, have supper, unwind, do a couple of errands off the honey-do list, workout time is limited and at a premium. To make matters worse, there are other pressing engagements competing for that precious workout tim. Your wife’s office Christmas party, Great Aunt Harriets 90th birthday party. You can’t skip out on these to do your P90X workout, because you are a real person with a real life.

So in this case, you have a couple of options.

1. Write it off. Skip the session altogether, and hope missing just 1 workout won’t adversely affect your progress.

2. Cut the workout short. If you have 45 minutes, put the DVD in the player, hit play, when you hit 45 minutes, you are done.

3. Compress the workout.

Option 3, compressing the workout will give you a solid crack at completing most or all of the session in less time. I have saved 10 or 15 minutes off some sessions.

You may have noticed, a substantial amount of time for some of the movements that are only really needed if you are Tony Horton, or one of his P90X cyber workout robots. You may also noticed a lot of moving around time between sets, preparing for the next movement, and waiting for the explaination from Tony.

So if you are pressed for time, and you are finding a lot of time after you max out your reps, as well as in between sets, get the remote and fast forward through the dead sections and get on with the next session. This works better once you are familiar with the exercises, and don’t need to wait for the narrative.

Of course with anything, there are drawbacks, as well as benefits.

Drawbacks

1. This will not work with all session. The movements in sessions like plyo are structured so you use all the time allotted. But it will work for chest, back, shoulders etc. In these are sessions you have flexibility to do your own number of reps.

2. This won’t work as well if your fitness level is on par with Tony Horton, or one of his P90X cyber workout robots. If you are capable of banging out 25 pullups, you will likely burn up all the time allotted for that set, and won’t be left with a lot of dead time.

3. This is not the way the P90X program should be done. If you compress all the workouts, you won’t get the same results. You are better off from a training point of view to let the DVD run. If there are 120 seconds to do a set of pushups, and you max out at 8, and you end up with 60 seconds, you really should log your set, sip some H2O, move and stretch a little and rest up for the next movement. Compressing should only be used if you are pressed for time.

Benefits

1. It will get you the equivalent of a full workout session done.

2. The decrease in rest intervals between sets bumps up the intensity. Although I already described above that compressing is not the correct way to complete a P90X workout, doing a shorter, more intense session could have positive training benefits, and could shock you out of a plateau.

3. Even though this strategy won’t work with all of the sessions, it affords you some flexibility to reorganize family obligations. You can make a deal with spouse and promise to pick up the kids from Tae Kwan-Do class tomorrow on your compressed back and bicep day if you can have a full 90 minutes to do YOGA this evening. We all know how much you love yoga.

It’s rare that anybody will never have a situation where they don’t have sufficient time to complete a workout. And there will be times when the only choice is to skip a session. That’s life. But the compressed workout is a tool that can give you a little flexibility, and hopefully continued results.

KOTO KAPAMA (CINNAMON CHICKEN)

2009-10-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

I have a few recipes on my triathlon blog. Here is an awesome recipe I found on the web site for runners world a while ago. They have an awesome list of recipes. This is one of my favorites.

1 chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into eight pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 peeled garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 peeled, coarsely chopped medium yellow onions
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 cup chicken stock
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Mix the cinnamon, kosher salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix all over the chicken pieces.

Mince three of the garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat (a 12-inch skillet with sides about 2 1/2 to 3 inches high will allow you to brown all the chicken at once). Add the chicken to the oil and brown for about four to five minutes on each side, until it is well browned all over. Then remove and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-high and add the onions and minced garlic. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and are a rich golden brown. Add the wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the water, chicken stock, tomato paste, oregano, and remaining two garlic cloves. Return the chicken to the pan. The liquid should cover about 3/4 of the chicken pieces. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about an hour or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. Season the finished sauce with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serve over a bed of quinoa or another favorite grain. Serves four.

If prepared without the skin:
Calories: 360
Protein: 40 g
Carbs: 18 g
Fat: 11 g

Muscle Confusion and DOMS Here we go again

2009-10-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

You hear the term Muscle Confusion used in reference to P90X from time to time. Tony Horton claims it to be one of the keys to the success of the p90X program. If you wondered what the hell he his talking about, here is my take on muscle confusion.

Training is a constant process of stressing the body, and then letting the body adapt, and rebuild stronger than before. This is the same for strength and resistance, or endurance. For example this is reflected in a marathon training program where the weekly long run distance increases by about 10% per week, so if you ran 10k last Sunday, you run 11k this week.

Over time, the body adapts, and learns to deal with that stress more effectively, without the benefit of the upgraded re-build. For example, just because you did an average of 10 pushups last chest workout, doesn’t mean doing 12 this workout is going to stress your body enough to result in an increase in the desired fitness area.

So it becomes necessary to shake things up. Change the routine, introduce some new exercises, and muscle groupings, or in the case of the marathon program, drop back the distance, but do a tempo run. This process of confusing the body, or muscles, is referred to as, YOU GUESSED IT, Muscle Confusion.

As far as the P90X program goes, it’s not that big of a change. In the second phase, Chest is grouped with shoulders and triceps to concentrate on a push workout, Back is paired with biceps to focus on pulling. Legs, Abs, Plyo, Kempo, all stay the same, but the change is enough to be effective.

It should be noted, after a you complete phase 1, and do your recovery week, you can expect some soreness to creep in after the first session of the next phase. Remember, you are now re-vitalized after a week of recovery workouts, AND you are now hitting the muscles in different ways.

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. You are not less fit. You are shocking the body into the next level.

P90X Progress and my Fans!

2009-10-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to thank my first three followers. I managed to lure them over from my other blog with a couple of shameless promotional plug type posts.

So a big Shout out to James, Jordan, and Roger.

I think my very first follower was James. He took the time to email me to let me know he enjoyed my blog, but that he was not able to leave comments. The problem was that I set my comments to allow them to be embedded below the post, but It doesn’t seem to work with the template I downloaded. I am open to suggestions.

James also made an enquiry about my progress. Weight lost, inches gained / lost - reps, etc. I have to admit, I didn’t take measurements. It didn’t even dawn on me until week 2, by that time I just decided to skip it.

I have however, made some significant progress. So far, my weight is just shy of 196, so I am down about 11lbs and a bit.

As for my reps, I have no problem keeping up with the plyo, leg, abs, and kempo sessions. The two most challenging sessions for me are the upper body sessions, specifically chest and back.

The first chest workout, I banged out 18 reps on my first set of pushups, then crashed. By the end, I was shaking to get 3 or 4, from my knees. I can now do 10 to 12 for most variations. My goal by day 90 is to be able to do 20.

As for back, The pullup gives me trouble. I am sure if I was 150 pounds, I could bang away 20 or so, but at 200, I can manage 3 or 4 good ones then I bang away to 10 chair assisted. My goal by day 90 is to be able to do a complete back session with 5 non chair assisted pullups for the entire workout.

So there it is James. Thanks for asking, and best of luck with your own program.

Week 4 Wrap-up, Recovery Done Right

2009-10-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Not the kind of rest and recovery Tony had in mind, but it works for me!

A few days late, but finished just the same.

The more I advance through the program, the more I appreciate how well thought the program is. I just finished the first recovery week, and I realize that it is every bit as integral to the overall success of P90X as the Plyometrics, or the Chest and Back.

To understand the importance of recovery, there are a few concepts that you must understand about training, and rest and recovery.

Every program is a process of stressing the body, then resting to recover so the body adapts, and rebuilds stronger than before. But as the body adapts and accumulates fitness, it also accumulates fatigue. Every couple of weeks, you need to back off and let the body recover from the previous weeks of hard training.

This is true of strength, speed, or endurance training, and you will often see well thought up programs on a 3 on 1 off, or 2 on 1 off pattern. HOWEVER, what often happens is that during that recovery week, athletes take it a little too easy, fall into the habit of sloughing through workouts, or skipping them altogether, eating poorly, and losing fitness.

The p90X programs recovery week is a good blend of core strength and flexibility work, and it seems to stress the body just enough that you are still active, but still allows you to recover.

I enjoyed the synergistic core. It seemed to incorporate most of the major muscles of the body while at the same time focusing on the core muscle groups. I also enjoyed the stretching. I skipped it during the first 3 weeks as the optional stretch day fell on a Friday. I think that says enough. It was thorough and I felt good after the session.

I also took the opportunity to really focus on the yoga session. This session is not your run of the mill yoga session. It’s challenging, and I have been finding it tough to fit it in after a coming home from work, and taking care of family obligations. As it turned out, my schedule allowed me to do it in the morning, fresh and ready to work. If you can manage to do all the poses in first half of the session, go deep into the warrior pose, and hold them with good form, you have made a significant achievement, believe me.

So I am recovered, and rested, and ready for the next block. Time to Bring It.

Nutrition Tip of the Week, The Fallback Day. Dealing with the Weekend Splurge

2009-10-06T03:38:00.000-07:00

It happens every couple of weekends, especially this time of year. Inching closer to the holidays, you have Thanksgiving, and Halloween. The kids are back to school bringing home a barrage of birthday invitations. You start a weekend with all good intentions, and then it all goes to S-$-@_T.

It doesn’t take much. A beer or two at a friend’s house, a celebration lunch at work, a little too much salt and sugar, and all your good efforts are de-railed.

The good news is that it’s not permanent unless you let it be. You can’t lose 10 pounds of fat overnight, and you can’t gain 10 either. The counter for such a weekend is to get back on schedule, and use a fallback day.

This is a day where you make sure you eat super clean. Plan it out well in advance so you are not wasting time fretting over what to prepare for Monday. Spend an hour or so Sunday afternoon or Sunday night, getting prepared. Then come Monday, you are ready to get back on track.

For me, it goes like this.

Breakfast: Spinach mushroom and Cheese omelet.

Morning Snack: Yogurt and Cottage Cheese over Blueberries with 1 scoop of protein powder.

Lunch: 1 can of water packed tuna mixed with a cup of chopped veggies, celery, peppers, green onion etc.

Afternoon Snack: Cup of Baby Carrots. No dip, No Humus.

Supper: Stir-fry, or a Salad with chicken etc.

Evening Snack: Either a couple of cheese strings, or a protein bar.

Notes:

Drink lots of water. It’s likely your weekend splurge was packed with sodium, so you are carrying excess water. The best way to get id of it is to flush it out.

If possible, try to skip a serving of condiments. I also try to keep my fat intake low.

Sometimes, like last night, I am just not hungry, so I simply didn’t eat a snack in the evening.

Remember, this is not meant to be an every day thing, this is only meant to get you back on schedule after a weekend de-railment. The simpler the plan, the easier it is to follow.

It can also be used in reverse if you know you have a function coming up.

I have relied on this a couple of times now, and given the time of year and the season I am sure to defer to this again several more times.

P90X Plyometrics and Endurance Running

2009-10-01T16:56:00.001-07:00

One of the most challenging sessions in the entire program is the Plyometrics session. Hence, Tony’s comment, “This is the X in P90X”

He also explains the importance of Plyometrics in multiple sports. In his own words, “If it’s played on a rink, a court, or a field, this is for you.”

BUT what about endurance athletes, and what is the importance of “JUMP TRAINING” for Marathoners, and Triathletes?

In Endurance sports, the body is trained to develop the cardio system. Aerobic effort makes up the bulk of this training, stressing the body to adapt to longer and longer distances. That will get you across the finish line, but to excel at distance, just like in short distance, you have to be fast.

At one time, I assumed that the athlete running a two hour marathon simply ran harder, or put in more effort than the guy running a four hour marathon. But after watching some elite athletes in top races like the Houston Marathon, the Corner Brook at the ITU World Cup Triathlon, and Ironman Newfoundland 70.3 I realized that there is more to the story. Top athletes like Simon Whitfield, and Craig Alexander didn’t just rack up impressive run splits because they were fitter then everyone else, they were faster. A bit of a D’UH moment I know, but this is where the concept gets sketchy for most people.

Before I go further, let me stress that I am not a running coach, and I could be totally off base, but this is the way I understand speed as it relates to endurance athletes and running.

All other things equal, what makes one person faster than someone else, is how quickly their limbs can move from point A to point B. The quicker a runner can complete a running stride as one complete movement, the quicker their time.

So again all things equal, endurance, Aerobic capacity, VO2 max, what makes one runner faster is his ability to move his legs quicker.

Again, I must stress I am not a running coach, but if I am right, then the benefit of a good plyometrics workout is obvious. Training the limbs to move quickly, without expending a whole lot of extra energy will make you a faster runner.

Slogging through a plyometric session is an excellent workout on its own. But for a runner, it can have increased benefits if the movements are done with good running form in mind.

For example, the JUMP double knee tucks can be done by jumping as high as possible and bringing the knees up to the torso, but if you really want to improve running by increasing quickness, you should concentrate on bringing the knees up and down as quickly as possible, with as little gain in height as possible. The head should stay in the same position, or as close to it as possible. Concentrating on moving the legs and feet up and down as quickly as possible is where the maximum benefit will be found. This is similar to running with good form, with a minimal amount of bounce. If you read POSE method, or Chi Running, this bouncing along with heel striking is the cause of a large number of running injuries.

So even if you are training for the New York Marathon, or KONA, do your plyo, think like a cat, land softly, think quick legs, and become fast.

Curried Squash Soup

2009-09-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

For my lunch tomorrow, with a couple of pieces of grilled chicken.

This is curried squash, and will tick off a vegetable, dairy, and if you use the flavoured coffee cream, a carb serving as well. Keep this in mind if you want a veggie dish to complement a protein serving AND you are sick of salads.

2 medium onions chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 large butternut squash, split in half, baked for 45 minutes then peeled and cubed and then mashed with a potato masher
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup fat free hazelnut flavoured coffee cream
1 cup plain yogurt

In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, cook the onions until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, curry, salt, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne, about another minute.

Add the squash and chicken stock. Puree with a hand held blender. Add the coffee cream and yogurt.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Makes about 4 servings.

Breakdown Cal 245, Pro 7.25, Carb 57, Fat 1.5, Fibre 6.5.

If you want to see some of my other fav recipes, check out my triathlon blog, and click on Favorite Recipes.