Last weekend I had a chance to watch the 2014 CrossFit Games on ESPN. In a word, Wow! I've watched it every year it's aired, and each season they take it up to a whole new level.
They say the athletes are the "Fittest Men and Women on Earth." It's probably true. There are certainly some amazing athletes doing triathlons, ultra endurance runs, and the Ninja Warrior series on NBC right now. But nowhere else are they moving not just their bodies, but significant weights too, and doing it quickly, repeatedly, over such a wide variety of challenges.
The philosophy behind CrossFit is not specialize in any one event or sport. Instead, they train as generalists, preparing for a variety of challenges. It's a good philosophy that has led to wide acceptance across the globe. CrossFit gyms have popped up all over, from what they call "boxes" with minimal equipment, to full scale centers that add this style of training to their traditional equipment.
I've been aware of CrossFit for about eight years now. For three years or so, most of my personal workouts were CrossFit routines, and I used them for many of our Boot Camp group workouts too. Over the past couple years, I've pulled back a little bit though. As a trainer with an M.A. in Exercise Physiology, I've come to feel that a couple of these workouts a week is more than enough for most people. At 52, it's sufficient for me too.
While it's true that CrossFit allows (and encourages) you to scale the weights down to fit your fitness level, I think it might be a little much for the average person, especially if they're a little older, or have shoulder, knee, or back issues. Balancing this style of training with other less intense workouts seems to work better for the larger population, and for our Boot Camps as well.
Still, there's nothing like a CrossFit style workout to push you. And if you're wanting to improve your overall athletic performance, there's probably nothing better. I would caution you to take it easy, and not push too hard too soon, because that can lead to injuries. It's also extremely important to learn the proper techniques, especially for the Olympic Lifts with the barbell, for this can help keep you safe.
That being said, if you're wanting to see something special, I'd encourage you to look for replays of the 2014 CrossFit Games on ESPN. These are the best of the best in the world, both men and women, and you will be amazed at what they can do.
This week, I wanted to give our Boot Camp warriors a little feel of the games so I cooked up several new workouts for them. They're a little long, compared to most CrossFit workouts, but Boot Camp is 30-45 minutes. This workout definitely left them feeling smoked! Here's the first one that they did Monday night:
1. Run 1/4 mile
2. 30 pull-ups (modified if necessary)
3. 40 Wall Ball shots
4. Row 500 meters
5. 50 push-ups (modified if necessary)
(3x)
As you can imagine, this wasn't easy. It took me all of 35:36, going full bore, and there were a couple times I had to pause, during the last round. If you decide to try it, make sure you know how to do everything correctly, and that you pace yourself the first time. Also, make sure you've had something to eat about 45 minutes before working out!
This week's Biggest Losers are learning how to push themselves too. Our Week Two winner was Mark Clark, who lost an amazing 11.8 lbs and 3.2% of his body weight. Brian Blair finished second, losing 6.6 lbs and 2.1%, and third place went to Shelly Borchers, who lost 4.0 lbs and 2.0%.
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "21" -- WEEK ONE: "GETTING STARTED"
This marks the end of Week One for Biggest Loser "21" so now we're really underway! They completed their initial weigh-in, assessment, and fitness testing a week ago, and it was pretty eye-opening. They did a minute each of push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups, and a minute of Mountain Climbers, Burpees, Kettlebell Swings, Battle Rope, and Ball Smacks.
A minute of the basics is tough enough, but a minute of the advanced exercises is very hard, even for experienced people. For most of them, 30 seconds did them in, but it will get much easier after 12 weeks of training.
You know how it is when you start something new that you've been really wanting to do? You're excited about the new beginning and all the possibilities. But you're also a little nervous, wondering if you can do it, and you don't want to mess it up.
That's typically how it is for the first group workout, but it went fine. They started with a five minute cardio warmup, and then did 10 minutes of Interval Training (a minute of cardio where you really push, followed by a minute where you back off to recover).
We took a little break to look at their daily calorie logs and talk about getting their food intake right. Most men eat too much, and most women don't eat enough. The trick is getting what you need. So we worked on creating a daily calorie deficit that will let them burn fat for fuel.
Women tend to do very well around 1,500-1,650 calories a day, and most men will lose weight at around 2,000-2,400 calories a day. This will give them enough to feel satisfied, and fuel their day, including workouts.
Finally, we jumped into a 13-station full body circuit. Machines are a pretty good way to get started because they're simple and safe. Later, they'll transition to dumbbells and free weights where they'll have to control and guide the weights.
This time, they did all 13 machines with a weight they could keep doing for a minute. If it got too difficult, they lowered the amount of weight. After a minute, they quickly moved to the next station, which worked a different group of muscles. It only took about 15 minutes, raising their total workout time to just a half hour.
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Dale Colter, who lost 5.0 lbs and 2.2% of his body weight. Shelly Borchers was second, losing 4.2 lbs and 2.1%. Polly Colter finished third, losing 3.2 lbs and 1.6%.
Next week, we'll modify their workouts to increase the level of difficulty, and start working on how to put good meals together. I'll give you updates from time-to-time in case you'd like to follow along!
A minute of the basics is tough enough, but a minute of the advanced exercises is very hard, even for experienced people. For most of them, 30 seconds did them in, but it will get much easier after 12 weeks of training.
You know how it is when you start something new that you've been really wanting to do? You're excited about the new beginning and all the possibilities. But you're also a little nervous, wondering if you can do it, and you don't want to mess it up.
That's typically how it is for the first group workout, but it went fine. They started with a five minute cardio warmup, and then did 10 minutes of Interval Training (a minute of cardio where you really push, followed by a minute where you back off to recover).
We took a little break to look at their daily calorie logs and talk about getting their food intake right. Most men eat too much, and most women don't eat enough. The trick is getting what you need. So we worked on creating a daily calorie deficit that will let them burn fat for fuel.
Women tend to do very well around 1,500-1,650 calories a day, and most men will lose weight at around 2,000-2,400 calories a day. This will give them enough to feel satisfied, and fuel their day, including workouts.
Finally, we jumped into a 13-station full body circuit. Machines are a pretty good way to get started because they're simple and safe. Later, they'll transition to dumbbells and free weights where they'll have to control and guide the weights.
This time, they did all 13 machines with a weight they could keep doing for a minute. If it got too difficult, they lowered the amount of weight. After a minute, they quickly moved to the next station, which worked a different group of muscles. It only took about 15 minutes, raising their total workout time to just a half hour.
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Dale Colter, who lost 5.0 lbs and 2.2% of his body weight. Shelly Borchers was second, losing 4.2 lbs and 2.1%. Polly Colter finished third, losing 3.2 lbs and 1.6%.
Next week, we'll modify their workouts to increase the level of difficulty, and start working on how to put good meals together. I'll give you updates from time-to-time in case you'd like to follow along!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS, IN WEIGHT LOSS AND LIFE!
Over the years, I've been fortunate to work with a wide variety of people with many different goals. I've seen dozens of Karate Kids who've spent several years to achieve their Black Belts. I've also seen hundreds of adults take off tremendous amounts of weight in just 12 weeks, and 20 different Biggest Loser groups.
What I've come to realize is that even though their goals are diverse, the process is pretty much the same. I was reminded of this recently when doing some planning for our new group of Karate for Kids students and our Biggest Loser "21" group which is also just getting underway. So here are 10 steps that will help each of these groups of kids and adults get where they want to go:
1. Know what you want. You have to have a goal. It's impossible to set course if you don't have a destination.
2. Have a burning desire. Without that fire, you won't have the staying power to go the distance. Especially when other things come up. And they always come up.
3. Get more information. Dreams are great, but they're just that: Dreams. But when you get specific information, you can have a plan.
4. Find someone who knows how to do it. Ideally, someone who's actually done it. Even better, someone who's helped others do it too.
5. Just get started. Too many people sit on the fence, afraid to make that jump. But even with desire and a plan, nothing will happen until you get started.
6. Set smaller, bite-sized goals. Keep the big picture in mind, but focus on the short-term immediate goals. Knock them out one at a time and check them off your list. This will give you some momentum, and a sense of accomplishment too.
7. Review your progress from time to time. Compare it with others to see if you're on track. If you've missed a step or two, figure out what went wrong and redouble your efforts.
8. Stay focused. Lots of things will happen that can throw you off track. Life intrudes. Always. You have to keep the fire, and stay focused.
9. Celebrate success. Even the little ones, and not just your own. Celebrate others' successes too. It's easy to get discouraged, so look for the silver lining in things. Stop the negative self-talk.
10. Never give up. No matter what. You've probably heard "Quitters never win, and winners never quit." I've never seen a single person who got what they wanted by quitting, but I've seen hundreds get what they want by simply not giving up! A loss doesn't mean it's over. It means the journey is just beginning.
I know the article has been about 10 steps, but there's actually one more. A big one. Sometimes we just can't do it on our own. In times like that, prayer can make all the difference. I've found that to be true, and know plenty of others who've done it too. In fact, it can often make the other steps easier.
Some people who've taken the first few steps include our newest group of Biggest Losers. Good luck on your new journey. I'm looking forward to celebrating your successes over the next 12 weeks!
What I've come to realize is that even though their goals are diverse, the process is pretty much the same. I was reminded of this recently when doing some planning for our new group of Karate for Kids students and our Biggest Loser "21" group which is also just getting underway. So here are 10 steps that will help each of these groups of kids and adults get where they want to go:
1. Know what you want. You have to have a goal. It's impossible to set course if you don't have a destination.
2. Have a burning desire. Without that fire, you won't have the staying power to go the distance. Especially when other things come up. And they always come up.
3. Get more information. Dreams are great, but they're just that: Dreams. But when you get specific information, you can have a plan.
4. Find someone who knows how to do it. Ideally, someone who's actually done it. Even better, someone who's helped others do it too.
5. Just get started. Too many people sit on the fence, afraid to make that jump. But even with desire and a plan, nothing will happen until you get started.
6. Set smaller, bite-sized goals. Keep the big picture in mind, but focus on the short-term immediate goals. Knock them out one at a time and check them off your list. This will give you some momentum, and a sense of accomplishment too.
7. Review your progress from time to time. Compare it with others to see if you're on track. If you've missed a step or two, figure out what went wrong and redouble your efforts.
8. Stay focused. Lots of things will happen that can throw you off track. Life intrudes. Always. You have to keep the fire, and stay focused.
9. Celebrate success. Even the little ones, and not just your own. Celebrate others' successes too. It's easy to get discouraged, so look for the silver lining in things. Stop the negative self-talk.
10. Never give up. No matter what. You've probably heard "Quitters never win, and winners never quit." I've never seen a single person who got what they wanted by quitting, but I've seen hundreds get what they want by simply not giving up! A loss doesn't mean it's over. It means the journey is just beginning.
I know the article has been about 10 steps, but there's actually one more. A big one. Sometimes we just can't do it on our own. In times like that, prayer can make all the difference. I've found that to be true, and know plenty of others who've done it too. In fact, it can often make the other steps easier.
Some people who've taken the first few steps include our newest group of Biggest Losers. Good luck on your new journey. I'm looking forward to celebrating your successes over the next 12 weeks!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "20" FINAL RESULTS
Last week, Biggest Loser "20" ended with Christy Henry losing 46.2 lbs for first place. Brian Bradley finished second, losing 43.2 lbs, and Lori Hollingsworth was third, losing 27.3 lbs. We also covered "building hedges", and staying accountable, to give them some tools for keeping the weight off.
This week, I thought you might like to know how some of the other participants did. Twenty-two people started the 12-week program, and twelve made the final weigh-in. Of those that didn't finish, I can think of at least three who are still working on it, and haven't actually quit. They just didn't make the weigh-in for one reason or another.
Typically, 50% of the people finish the 12 weeks, so the 54% completion ratio was a little better than usual. I'm not sure why that was the case this time, but it's always good to see. When I polled the finishers, a common theme was "I just don't quit."
Several participants spoke about their support system. Both Christy and Lori (1st and 3rd place) said they relied on each other for motivation. Brian did the 12 weeks along with his 13 year old daughter, and says she helped give him the push he needed to finish in second place.
Several others had nice results too. Cheryl Funkhouser finished in fourth place, losing 19.2 lbs, and Heather Watson was fifth, with 17.6 lbs. Both were pretty happy, especially after interesting starts. Cheryl had to be talked into doing Biggest Loser "20" by her sister, and Heather had a serious ankle sprain in the 1st workout!
Pam Kelly took sixth, losing 23.6 lbs; Brad Adams was seventh, with 25.1 lbs; and Matt Murphy finished eighth, at 25.1 lbs. Brian's daughter Bailey lost 10.2 lbs for ninth place, and Sarah Mitchell was tenth with 5.8 lbs. This was Sarah's second Biggest Loser in a row, and both her and Bailey had the least to lose, as they were already close to their goal weight.
Other notable accomplishments include several ladies dropping 2-3 dress sizes, and guys dropping 2 pants sizes. One individual lost 21" over their body during the 12 weeks. There was dramatic improvement in the physical post-tests too. It was common for people to take 2-3 minutes off their 1 mile walk/run time, and one even took off 8 minutes!
It was routine for the group to get 10-12 more reps of each exercise in a minute. But the biggest improvement was Lori's ability to do Battle Ropes and Mountain Climbers. She doubled her output in both, and never had to stop for any breaks!
These results were typical of the improvements people have been able to make over the last ten years in twenty Biggest Losers. They're also very predictable if someone just works at it a little bit. If you've been wondering how YOU could do, Biggest Loser "21" starts Monday night at 6:15. We'll have some members from Tom's along with people from other gyms including the Rec and even some working out at home. Let me know if you'd like to join in!
This week, I thought you might like to know how some of the other participants did. Twenty-two people started the 12-week program, and twelve made the final weigh-in. Of those that didn't finish, I can think of at least three who are still working on it, and haven't actually quit. They just didn't make the weigh-in for one reason or another.
Typically, 50% of the people finish the 12 weeks, so the 54% completion ratio was a little better than usual. I'm not sure why that was the case this time, but it's always good to see. When I polled the finishers, a common theme was "I just don't quit."
Several participants spoke about their support system. Both Christy and Lori (1st and 3rd place) said they relied on each other for motivation. Brian did the 12 weeks along with his 13 year old daughter, and says she helped give him the push he needed to finish in second place.
Several others had nice results too. Cheryl Funkhouser finished in fourth place, losing 19.2 lbs, and Heather Watson was fifth, with 17.6 lbs. Both were pretty happy, especially after interesting starts. Cheryl had to be talked into doing Biggest Loser "20" by her sister, and Heather had a serious ankle sprain in the 1st workout!
Pam Kelly took sixth, losing 23.6 lbs; Brad Adams was seventh, with 25.1 lbs; and Matt Murphy finished eighth, at 25.1 lbs. Brian's daughter Bailey lost 10.2 lbs for ninth place, and Sarah Mitchell was tenth with 5.8 lbs. This was Sarah's second Biggest Loser in a row, and both her and Bailey had the least to lose, as they were already close to their goal weight.
Other notable accomplishments include several ladies dropping 2-3 dress sizes, and guys dropping 2 pants sizes. One individual lost 21" over their body during the 12 weeks. There was dramatic improvement in the physical post-tests too. It was common for people to take 2-3 minutes off their 1 mile walk/run time, and one even took off 8 minutes!
It was routine for the group to get 10-12 more reps of each exercise in a minute. But the biggest improvement was Lori's ability to do Battle Ropes and Mountain Climbers. She doubled her output in both, and never had to stop for any breaks!
These results were typical of the improvements people have been able to make over the last ten years in twenty Biggest Losers. They're also very predictable if someone just works at it a little bit. If you've been wondering how YOU could do, Biggest Loser "21" starts Monday night at 6:15. We'll have some members from Tom's along with people from other gyms including the Rec and even some working out at home. Let me know if you'd like to join in!
Thursday, July 10, 2014
KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF
Someone I hadn't seen in awhile stopped me the other say. They'd gained 30 lbs and wanted some help getting going again. I got them started, but couldn't help but think about the dozens of conversations I've had like this before.
Unfortunately, I see this all the time. People will work like crazy for three or six months but then just let it go. I've even had several work a whole year to lose 100 lbs, but then put it back on.
What's so hard to understand is how this happens, especially after someone puts in all that time and hard work. It's like spending a ton of money for a new lawn and landscaping, and then just deciding not to mow all summer. Or the next year, and the next.
People don't really intend to put the weight back on. Just like no one ever wakes up one morning saying, "You know, I think I want to mess up my life today." We just kind of slide into these things.
Drop your guard a little today; compromise a little bit tomorrow. Pretty soon, days and weeks can go by. Before you know it, you've lost your way. By then, up can be down, black can be white, right can seem wrong, and wrong can seem right.
To prevent this, you have to stay vigilant, wherever necessary. I've heard it called "building a hedge around yourself." If you know you're vulnerable to a thing, arrange it so it's impossible for you to act, should you find yourself tempted. Another strategy is keeping yourself accountable in some way, even to someone else.
Our Biggest Loser "20" veterans will likely need these strategies. Now that they've finished their 12 weeks, some will need to set new goals. Others will need to keep a close watch on their diet and activity levels.
If they gain a pound one week, no big deal. But if they gain a pound two weeks in a row, it could be a big deal. They might need to turn the activity back up, or start watching their portions again. But these participants have shown they have the staying power to get the weight off and keep it off.
The winner for Week Twelve was Lori Hollingsworth, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.8%. Bailey Bradley was second, losing 1.8 lbs and 1.3%. Christy Henry placed third for the week, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.2%.
Our overall winner for Biggest Loser "20" was Christy Henry, who set a new women's record during the 12 weeks. Christy lost a total of 46.2 lbs and an amazing 25.1% of her body weight. Great job!
Brian Bradley finished in second place overall, losing 43.2 lbs and 19.4% of his body weight. Third place went to Lori Hollingsworth, who finished the 12 weeks with 27.5 lbs and 17.0%.
Unfortunately, I see this all the time. People will work like crazy for three or six months but then just let it go. I've even had several work a whole year to lose 100 lbs, but then put it back on.
What's so hard to understand is how this happens, especially after someone puts in all that time and hard work. It's like spending a ton of money for a new lawn and landscaping, and then just deciding not to mow all summer. Or the next year, and the next.
People don't really intend to put the weight back on. Just like no one ever wakes up one morning saying, "You know, I think I want to mess up my life today." We just kind of slide into these things.
Drop your guard a little today; compromise a little bit tomorrow. Pretty soon, days and weeks can go by. Before you know it, you've lost your way. By then, up can be down, black can be white, right can seem wrong, and wrong can seem right.
To prevent this, you have to stay vigilant, wherever necessary. I've heard it called "building a hedge around yourself." If you know you're vulnerable to a thing, arrange it so it's impossible for you to act, should you find yourself tempted. Another strategy is keeping yourself accountable in some way, even to someone else.
Our Biggest Loser "20" veterans will likely need these strategies. Now that they've finished their 12 weeks, some will need to set new goals. Others will need to keep a close watch on their diet and activity levels.
If they gain a pound one week, no big deal. But if they gain a pound two weeks in a row, it could be a big deal. They might need to turn the activity back up, or start watching their portions again. But these participants have shown they have the staying power to get the weight off and keep it off.
The winner for Week Twelve was Lori Hollingsworth, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.8%. Bailey Bradley was second, losing 1.8 lbs and 1.3%. Christy Henry placed third for the week, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.2%.
Our overall winner for Biggest Loser "20" was Christy Henry, who set a new women's record during the 12 weeks. Christy lost a total of 46.2 lbs and an amazing 25.1% of her body weight. Great job!
Brian Bradley finished in second place overall, losing 43.2 lbs and 19.4% of his body weight. Third place went to Lori Hollingsworth, who finished the 12 weeks with 27.5 lbs and 17.0%.
Monday, July 07, 2014
SIX-PACK ABS
One of my friends posted a neat picture of their seven year old on Facebook recently. Jackson had quite the six-pack of Abs going on. Actually, I think he had an eight-pack.
This was obviously the product of good genes, a super-fast metabolism, and lots of activities (he does baseball and gymnastics). While he does eat some junk food now and then, his mom told me that they control it.
His extremely "ripped" condition is also extremely unusual. But it didn't always used to be that way. Think back a generation or two. I'll bet you'll recall that many of the kids were "ripped." It was so normal that we didn't even think of it as "ripped."
Kids were so active that almost everyone was lean. Back then, it was pretty unusual for a child to be significantly overweight. Sure, some kids might have had more muscle than others, but you could usually see their ribs, and their Abs, too.
So what's changed? Many experts believe it has something to do with all the processed foods and artificial sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. There is some evidence to support that. We certainly eat much more fast food and junk food than we did in earlier generations.
Declining activity levels have a lot to do with it too. Games on iPods have taken the place of games outside. If a child isn't in organized sports or an individual activity like martial arts or gymnastics, the problem can be even greater.
So how do we counter this? We have to take personal responsibility. A parent has to take control of their children's diet and exercise every day. It also helps if they're doing it themselves.
Jackson's parents are both active in sports and working out, and they're very involved in health and nutrition. So they have a whole household of active people who are also watching what they eat.
But kids aren't always going to be interested, or even able to excel at sports. Perhaps they're already overweight, which will make every kind of activity harder. It will likely also affect their self-esteem. Parents can still make a difference if they'll just help their kids get started.
They can put them in individual activities like martial arts or swimming. They can also start them out by going on walks together, or even taking them to the gym. Parents can also take advantage of kids bootcamps, summer programs, or whatever else you can do to get them moving.
Some people who've taken personal responsibility this week include our Biggest Losers. Bailey Bradley won first place, losing 3.0 lbs and 2.2% of her body weight. Christy Henry was second, losing 3.8 lbs and 2.0%. Brian Bradley placed third, losing 4.0 lbs and 1.8%. Cheryl Funkhouser finished fourth, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.3%, and Sarah Mitchell was fifth, losing 1.4 lbs and 1.1%.
This was obviously the product of good genes, a super-fast metabolism, and lots of activities (he does baseball and gymnastics). While he does eat some junk food now and then, his mom told me that they control it.
His extremely "ripped" condition is also extremely unusual. But it didn't always used to be that way. Think back a generation or two. I'll bet you'll recall that many of the kids were "ripped." It was so normal that we didn't even think of it as "ripped."
Kids were so active that almost everyone was lean. Back then, it was pretty unusual for a child to be significantly overweight. Sure, some kids might have had more muscle than others, but you could usually see their ribs, and their Abs, too.
So what's changed? Many experts believe it has something to do with all the processed foods and artificial sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. There is some evidence to support that. We certainly eat much more fast food and junk food than we did in earlier generations.
Declining activity levels have a lot to do with it too. Games on iPods have taken the place of games outside. If a child isn't in organized sports or an individual activity like martial arts or gymnastics, the problem can be even greater.
So how do we counter this? We have to take personal responsibility. A parent has to take control of their children's diet and exercise every day. It also helps if they're doing it themselves.
Jackson's parents are both active in sports and working out, and they're very involved in health and nutrition. So they have a whole household of active people who are also watching what they eat.
But kids aren't always going to be interested, or even able to excel at sports. Perhaps they're already overweight, which will make every kind of activity harder. It will likely also affect their self-esteem. Parents can still make a difference if they'll just help their kids get started.
They can put them in individual activities like martial arts or swimming. They can also start them out by going on walks together, or even taking them to the gym. Parents can also take advantage of kids bootcamps, summer programs, or whatever else you can do to get them moving.
Some people who've taken personal responsibility this week include our Biggest Losers. Bailey Bradley won first place, losing 3.0 lbs and 2.2% of her body weight. Christy Henry was second, losing 3.8 lbs and 2.0%. Brian Bradley placed third, losing 4.0 lbs and 1.8%. Cheryl Funkhouser finished fourth, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.3%, and Sarah Mitchell was fifth, losing 1.4 lbs and 1.1%.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
LESSONS FROM BUDDY
This week, I'd like to share some lessons I've been learning from Buddy, our 14 month old Golden Retriever. I'm sure the Dog Whisperer would have lots to say about these things, but here goes anyway.
A cute little 2-month old puppy soon becomes a large force of nature, rivaling even the strongest willed and most energetic 3 year old child. In fact, it's pretty much like having another 3 year old, without the vocabulary. When you see "cute", unless you're committed to the long haul, turn around and run.
Human Lesson: Nothing will ever be as easy as you think it will be. (It's still worth it though).
Library Books are expensive when you have to buy them. Apparently, 50 chew toys aren't enough to satisfy this need. Any book left out on a counter sooner or later becomes number 51. After the second book, we use the cabinet now to avoid yet another $30 fee.
Human Lesson: Whatever your vice, don't just leave it laying around. I can always sniff out a leftover cookie, and I'm sure to make short work of it too. Just like Buddy and my books.
No matter how many times he's come up short, he's always going to try and catch that next bird that he scares up. You've got to keep a pretty tight rein on things, even when you're just out there for potty-time. At a newly trim 74 lbs, Buddy's quite a force to be reckoned with, especially if he gets the jump on you.
Human Lesson: Never give up, and keep reaching for that goal. Even if you don't make it, you'll get lots of exercise.
Finally, when we first got Buddy, we followed the directions on the dog food. That's what you're supposed to do, right? Wrong. With all the extra calories, and less activity due to the winter weather, Buddy was starting to get fat!
So on the advice of our vet, we slowly cut back his serving sizes, adding some vegetables like green beans and carrots to make up the difference. We also get him outside several times a day so he can really get moving. He even goes swimming in the pond (which is another story). It's been working too. Last weigh-in, he was down about five pounds!
Human Lesson:
Don't count on "regular" serving sizes and portions to keep you thin. We probably also need to get moving more ourselves.
Some people who've been moving include our Biggest Losers. Brian Bradley finished first this week, losing 4.6 lbs and 2.0% of his body weight. Lori Hollingsworth was second, losing 3.1 lbs and 1.9%. Matt Murphy placed third, losing 5.3 lbs and 1.6%.
A cute little 2-month old puppy soon becomes a large force of nature, rivaling even the strongest willed and most energetic 3 year old child. In fact, it's pretty much like having another 3 year old, without the vocabulary. When you see "cute", unless you're committed to the long haul, turn around and run.
Human Lesson: Nothing will ever be as easy as you think it will be. (It's still worth it though).
Library Books are expensive when you have to buy them. Apparently, 50 chew toys aren't enough to satisfy this need. Any book left out on a counter sooner or later becomes number 51. After the second book, we use the cabinet now to avoid yet another $30 fee.
Human Lesson: Whatever your vice, don't just leave it laying around. I can always sniff out a leftover cookie, and I'm sure to make short work of it too. Just like Buddy and my books.
No matter how many times he's come up short, he's always going to try and catch that next bird that he scares up. You've got to keep a pretty tight rein on things, even when you're just out there for potty-time. At a newly trim 74 lbs, Buddy's quite a force to be reckoned with, especially if he gets the jump on you.
Human Lesson: Never give up, and keep reaching for that goal. Even if you don't make it, you'll get lots of exercise.
Finally, when we first got Buddy, we followed the directions on the dog food. That's what you're supposed to do, right? Wrong. With all the extra calories, and less activity due to the winter weather, Buddy was starting to get fat!
So on the advice of our vet, we slowly cut back his serving sizes, adding some vegetables like green beans and carrots to make up the difference. We also get him outside several times a day so he can really get moving. He even goes swimming in the pond (which is another story). It's been working too. Last weigh-in, he was down about five pounds!
Human Lesson:
Don't count on "regular" serving sizes and portions to keep you thin. We probably also need to get moving more ourselves.
Some people who've been moving include our Biggest Losers. Brian Bradley finished first this week, losing 4.6 lbs and 2.0% of his body weight. Lori Hollingsworth was second, losing 3.1 lbs and 1.9%. Matt Murphy placed third, losing 5.3 lbs and 1.6%.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
DON'T LET EM QUIT!
"But I don't want to go." If you're a parent, you've probably heard this a time or two. Given loud enough, and with enough frequency, even the toughest parent can begin to waiver. Truth be told, we've said those words ourselves a time or two.
It's easy to quit. Especially these days. Kids are so busy, with so many activities, that sometimes they just get tired. Likewise, parents are often glad for the break when seasons end, or even when a child stops an activity. But the real secret to success in youth sports is that the season never really ends.
Parents with kids on traveling teams understand this. They've made a commitment to it. For these kids, their skills continue to grow. They get to test themselves against other kids just as interested. It's no surprise that these will be the go-to kids when they hit the varsity level.
But what about the kids who don't have that level of interest or ability, and never will. How are they going to learn the life skills that come with competitive sports? Where will they face challenges that help them learn how to overcome, and be successful in life? And how are they going to stay in shape?
Most experts agree that we need to be active everyday to keep fit. Just look at a 3-5 year old. They're little balls of energy that almost never seem to stop. They're also rarely overweight. It's later that we usually see a problem, when their movement slows down, and television and iPod game time increases. If they're not in an organized sport, their weight gain can be even more pronounced.
That's one of the reasons I love our summer BooT CamP for KidZ, and our Karate for Kids programs. These classes, and others like them around the country, give kids a chance to stay active, and to learn all those other life skills too.
For me personally, I can tell you that martial arts changed my life. I was a sick, asthmatic youth who wasn't allowed to even participate in gym class. As a result, my focus was mostly on music, because it was pretty unlikely my piano would ever cause an asthma attack.
After high school, I was finally able to get in the gym, and also into a martial arts program they offered there. New medicine for asthmatics helped out at just the right time, too. Over the years, I just kept on training, ultimately becoming a Master Instructor and 6th Degree Black Belt. When people ask me how I got that far, I tell them "It's simple. I just never quit." I still haven't.
Out of the hundreds of kids I've worked with over the years in our Karate for Kids programs, I've never had one tell me later that they were glad they quit.
Now as adults, they often tell me they wish they'd have kept on going.
I've also never met a black belt who wasn't grateful for the lessons they learned along the way:
Hard work pays off.
Courtesy and respect make things go smoother.
Confidence breeds success.
And no one does it all by themselves.
If you're thinking about quitting, think again. And if your kids are thinking about quitting something, stand strong and help them look past the short term. It could have lasting consequences.
Some people who haven't quit include this week's Biggest Losers. Cheryl Funkhouser finished first, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.9% of her body weight. Mary Jo Becher and Heather Watson tied for second, losing 2.5 and 2.4 lbs respectively, both losing 1.4%. Pam Kelly lost 2.2 lbs and tied for fourth place with Christy Henry, who lost 1.8 lbs, and both losing about 1.0%.
It's easy to quit. Especially these days. Kids are so busy, with so many activities, that sometimes they just get tired. Likewise, parents are often glad for the break when seasons end, or even when a child stops an activity. But the real secret to success in youth sports is that the season never really ends.
Parents with kids on traveling teams understand this. They've made a commitment to it. For these kids, their skills continue to grow. They get to test themselves against other kids just as interested. It's no surprise that these will be the go-to kids when they hit the varsity level.
But what about the kids who don't have that level of interest or ability, and never will. How are they going to learn the life skills that come with competitive sports? Where will they face challenges that help them learn how to overcome, and be successful in life? And how are they going to stay in shape?
Most experts agree that we need to be active everyday to keep fit. Just look at a 3-5 year old. They're little balls of energy that almost never seem to stop. They're also rarely overweight. It's later that we usually see a problem, when their movement slows down, and television and iPod game time increases. If they're not in an organized sport, their weight gain can be even more pronounced.
That's one of the reasons I love our summer BooT CamP for KidZ, and our Karate for Kids programs. These classes, and others like them around the country, give kids a chance to stay active, and to learn all those other life skills too.
For me personally, I can tell you that martial arts changed my life. I was a sick, asthmatic youth who wasn't allowed to even participate in gym class. As a result, my focus was mostly on music, because it was pretty unlikely my piano would ever cause an asthma attack.
After high school, I was finally able to get in the gym, and also into a martial arts program they offered there. New medicine for asthmatics helped out at just the right time, too. Over the years, I just kept on training, ultimately becoming a Master Instructor and 6th Degree Black Belt. When people ask me how I got that far, I tell them "It's simple. I just never quit." I still haven't.
Out of the hundreds of kids I've worked with over the years in our Karate for Kids programs, I've never had one tell me later that they were glad they quit.
Now as adults, they often tell me they wish they'd have kept on going.
I've also never met a black belt who wasn't grateful for the lessons they learned along the way:
Hard work pays off.
Courtesy and respect make things go smoother.
Confidence breeds success.
And no one does it all by themselves.
If you're thinking about quitting, think again. And if your kids are thinking about quitting something, stand strong and help them look past the short term. It could have lasting consequences.
Some people who haven't quit include this week's Biggest Losers. Cheryl Funkhouser finished first, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.9% of her body weight. Mary Jo Becher and Heather Watson tied for second, losing 2.5 and 2.4 lbs respectively, both losing 1.4%. Pam Kelly lost 2.2 lbs and tied for fourth place with Christy Henry, who lost 1.8 lbs, and both losing about 1.0%.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED
"You have to put yourself in a position to succeed." We used to hear this all the time from Dad when we were growing up.
He said it when I was getting tired of school. He said it when I didn't want to go to piano lessons or practice my violin. He said it anytime I wanted to quit anything.
Once I made it into college, he never seemed to mind when I changed majors, even after the fifth time. He said whatever I wanted to do was fine, as long as it was legal. But he always insisted I be as prepared as possible, so I'd be in a position to succeed.
I've often wondered what he meant by succeeding. Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to try a lot of different things. Some were successful; others not so much. But it's all been interesting, and I think I've finally figured out what Dad was really getting at.
It wasn't about which career, which job, or the type lifestyle I could get. It was about the effort. It was about doing my best, and not giving up, even when it was hard. Particularly when I didn't feel like it.
A World War II veteran born during the Great Depression, Dad understood the value of hard work and persistence. That whole generation did. They knew how to gut it out, day by day, doing the hard work you do that to achieve something, or make something better.
It worked too. Our industrial base and ingenuity helped win the war, and it took us a long way in the decades since. But sometimes I wonder if we've been as successful in transmitting that work ethic as they were.
We want everything so fast these days: fast food, faster news, and immediate status updates. Recently someone told me they had to lose 30 lbs by the time they went on vacation--in just a couple weeks! Yeah, they do it on television, but they live on a ranch with no kids, no minivan, no job. Just weight loss.
I told them they probably just didn't have enough time, but to just get started, and do whatever they could. I didn't want to discourage them, but really, how long has it taken them to gain the weight? Why do we think we should get such dramatic results overnight?
Our leader in Biggest Loser "20" has lost just over 35 lbs in eight weeks, which is fantastic. But you need to know that she's been walking 6 miles EVERY morning, and then coming in and doing the regular workouts every night. I've seen her do them. She's one of the only people I know I who actually prints out my daily workout and brings it to the gym.
When people are a little unhappy because they aren't quite getting there fast enough, I tell them to look at her. See what she's doing. "If you want those results, maybe you need to try that." And remember, it's not so much WHAT she's doing, it's how she's doing it. It's her work ethic. She found a plan she could do. She takes full advantage of it, (to an extreme), and she's totally committed. She just doesn't stop.
Dad was right. We have to put ourselves in a position to succeed. This week's Biggest Losers have certainly done that. Lori Hollingsworth finished first, losing 3.5 lbs and 2.0%. Christy Henry took second, losing another 2.6 lbs and 1.3%. Brad Adams was third, losing 2.4 lbs and about 1.0%.
He said it when I was getting tired of school. He said it when I didn't want to go to piano lessons or practice my violin. He said it anytime I wanted to quit anything.
Once I made it into college, he never seemed to mind when I changed majors, even after the fifth time. He said whatever I wanted to do was fine, as long as it was legal. But he always insisted I be as prepared as possible, so I'd be in a position to succeed.
I've often wondered what he meant by succeeding. Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to try a lot of different things. Some were successful; others not so much. But it's all been interesting, and I think I've finally figured out what Dad was really getting at.
It wasn't about which career, which job, or the type lifestyle I could get. It was about the effort. It was about doing my best, and not giving up, even when it was hard. Particularly when I didn't feel like it.
A World War II veteran born during the Great Depression, Dad understood the value of hard work and persistence. That whole generation did. They knew how to gut it out, day by day, doing the hard work you do that to achieve something, or make something better.
It worked too. Our industrial base and ingenuity helped win the war, and it took us a long way in the decades since. But sometimes I wonder if we've been as successful in transmitting that work ethic as they were.
We want everything so fast these days: fast food, faster news, and immediate status updates. Recently someone told me they had to lose 30 lbs by the time they went on vacation--in just a couple weeks! Yeah, they do it on television, but they live on a ranch with no kids, no minivan, no job. Just weight loss.
I told them they probably just didn't have enough time, but to just get started, and do whatever they could. I didn't want to discourage them, but really, how long has it taken them to gain the weight? Why do we think we should get such dramatic results overnight?
Our leader in Biggest Loser "20" has lost just over 35 lbs in eight weeks, which is fantastic. But you need to know that she's been walking 6 miles EVERY morning, and then coming in and doing the regular workouts every night. I've seen her do them. She's one of the only people I know I who actually prints out my daily workout and brings it to the gym.
When people are a little unhappy because they aren't quite getting there fast enough, I tell them to look at her. See what she's doing. "If you want those results, maybe you need to try that." And remember, it's not so much WHAT she's doing, it's how she's doing it. It's her work ethic. She found a plan she could do. She takes full advantage of it, (to an extreme), and she's totally committed. She just doesn't stop.
Dad was right. We have to put ourselves in a position to succeed. This week's Biggest Losers have certainly done that. Lori Hollingsworth finished first, losing 3.5 lbs and 2.0%. Christy Henry took second, losing another 2.6 lbs and 1.3%. Brad Adams was third, losing 2.4 lbs and about 1.0%.
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
QUICK WORKOUTS CAN BE VERY EFFECTIVE
We've passed the halfway point in Biggest Loser "20" and I have to say, it's been pretty interesting. Our leader, Christy Henry, has lost an amazing 32.8 lbs, and she's done it in just seven weeks. Another has lost about 25 lbs, and we have several who have lost around 15 lbs.
I've really tried to mix things up with this group. They've done a couple of tough new kickboxing workouts, with weights, ropes and other exercises mixed in. They've done a workout in the park where they also ran there and back. Last week, they even took on a hill run, up and down the overhead bridge (by the football field), complete with battle ropes at the bottom!
But during each Biggest Loser, I like to introduce a concept called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Always a tough workout, HIIT keeps making a comeback in fitness circles because it allows you to burn a lot of calories in a fairly short amount of time.
This week their HIIT workout was about 28 minutes long, based on doing a hard minute of work followed by an easier minute for recovery. They did a 7 minute round on each of four pieces of cardio equipment: a Treadmill, Rower, Elliptical, and an AirDyne bike. Here's what each round looked like:
1 min warm up at 50-60%*
1 min at 70%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 80%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 90%**
1 min at 50-60%
*of a maximal effort.
**just short of having to stop.
After completing that seven minute round, they moved to the next piece of equipment, repeating the same routine. While a person could complete several rounds of a HIIT workout on a single piece of equipment, I wanted them to experience it on a variety of things. It also keeps it interesting and is pretty good for the body too.
Shorter workouts are becoming the norm, due to busy schedules and other time constraints. For example, Monday's popular boot-camp workout was based on a protocol created by a well known exercise physiologist named Tabata. It calls for eight intervals per exercise, for 20 seconds on and just 10 seconds of rest. It's only four minutes per exercise, but it's pretty tough. We did seven stations, eight sets each, for a total workout lasting just 28 minutes. I think they found it challenging.
Even the latest workout DVDs have been trending shorter, like the super popular T-25 series, which is just 25 minutes in length. The newest version of P90X3 has also shortened their workouts to just 30 minutes, 6 days a week. In both cases, they were responding to the main reason people either didn't finish their program, or didn't even start it at all: people reporting that they just didn't have enough time.
This week's Biggest Losers have found the time for some good results. Brian Bradley finished first, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2% of his body weight. Jennifer Bowers placed second, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 4.6 lbs and 1.4%. Christy Henry finished fourth, losing 1.8 lbs, and Brad Adams was fifth, also losing 1.8 lbs, both losing about 1.0%.
I've really tried to mix things up with this group. They've done a couple of tough new kickboxing workouts, with weights, ropes and other exercises mixed in. They've done a workout in the park where they also ran there and back. Last week, they even took on a hill run, up and down the overhead bridge (by the football field), complete with battle ropes at the bottom!
But during each Biggest Loser, I like to introduce a concept called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Always a tough workout, HIIT keeps making a comeback in fitness circles because it allows you to burn a lot of calories in a fairly short amount of time.
This week their HIIT workout was about 28 minutes long, based on doing a hard minute of work followed by an easier minute for recovery. They did a 7 minute round on each of four pieces of cardio equipment: a Treadmill, Rower, Elliptical, and an AirDyne bike. Here's what each round looked like:
1 min warm up at 50-60%*
1 min at 70%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 80%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 90%**
1 min at 50-60%
*of a maximal effort.
**just short of having to stop.
After completing that seven minute round, they moved to the next piece of equipment, repeating the same routine. While a person could complete several rounds of a HIIT workout on a single piece of equipment, I wanted them to experience it on a variety of things. It also keeps it interesting and is pretty good for the body too.
Shorter workouts are becoming the norm, due to busy schedules and other time constraints. For example, Monday's popular boot-camp workout was based on a protocol created by a well known exercise physiologist named Tabata. It calls for eight intervals per exercise, for 20 seconds on and just 10 seconds of rest. It's only four minutes per exercise, but it's pretty tough. We did seven stations, eight sets each, for a total workout lasting just 28 minutes. I think they found it challenging.
Even the latest workout DVDs have been trending shorter, like the super popular T-25 series, which is just 25 minutes in length. The newest version of P90X3 has also shortened their workouts to just 30 minutes, 6 days a week. In both cases, they were responding to the main reason people either didn't finish their program, or didn't even start it at all: people reporting that they just didn't have enough time.
This week's Biggest Losers have found the time for some good results. Brian Bradley finished first, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2% of his body weight. Jennifer Bowers placed second, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 4.6 lbs and 1.4%. Christy Henry finished fourth, losing 1.8 lbs, and Brad Adams was fifth, also losing 1.8 lbs, both losing about 1.0%.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
ALL AT ONCE, OR A LITTLE AT A TIME?
So you've decided you need to make some changes to your diet, and add some exercise. Do you go ahead and just totally revamp everything? Knock out all the junk, quit the pop, clean out your cabinets and refrigerator and start fresh? Do you throw yourself in a total fitness program? Or do you do these things incrementally, one thing at a time?
Just like everything else, it depends who you talk to. Some experts recommend just doing a big reset, and starting over, so hopefully several things stick. The idea is that you may backslide in some areas, but you'll have some other positive changes still working for you.
Other experts suggest it may be more beneficial in the long run if you start with something simple first. The idea here is that it's easier to implement something small, and then something else, so you slowly gain momentum. Small changes add up over time, and also become habits.
So which way is best? I think it can depend on a couple things, like your personality and even your life history. Both can have a lot of influence on your potential success.
Let's start with personality. If you're a Type A kind of person that likes lots of control and micromanages things, then maybe the complete overhaul is for you. You can just dig in, and through force of will make it happen. If you're a little more relaxed, though, you might let some things slip through the cracks. In that case, you might be better off sticking with one change and focusing on that for awhile.
But history can have something to do with it, too. If you're new to dieting and working out, it's possible that you can use a big reset in your life, and a jumpstart to get the ball rolling. But if you've tried lots of diets and exercise programs, maybe you need to focus on one or two small changes. For example, going for a 20 minute walk, and trying to cut out the pop. After you learn you can sustain it, then you can add something else.
Personally, I lean toward the Type A, lots-of-control way of doing things, but that's just me. Usually, I just need to get a project started, and the rest kind of falls into place. But sometimes, it's just too big to do in the short term. Then I have to take bite-size chunks out of it. Drives me crazy, but I'll do it. So you can see that sometimes you might use a mixture of BOTH approaches.
In the end, how you get there probably doesn't matter, as long as it's moral. There are lots of ways to eat better, and lots of ways to workout. Many different plans will get you there, if you just stick it out. So what really matters is: "Did you get the results you wanted?" If so, then great! If not, then reevaluate, recommit, and renew your efforts.
Here are some people who had a good result this week. Cheryl Funkhouser was this week's Biggest Loser, with a loss of 3.8 lbs and 2.3% of her body weight. Brooke Bishop placed second, losing 4.7 lbs and 2.2%. Haley Johnson finished third, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%.
Just like everything else, it depends who you talk to. Some experts recommend just doing a big reset, and starting over, so hopefully several things stick. The idea is that you may backslide in some areas, but you'll have some other positive changes still working for you.
Other experts suggest it may be more beneficial in the long run if you start with something simple first. The idea here is that it's easier to implement something small, and then something else, so you slowly gain momentum. Small changes add up over time, and also become habits.
So which way is best? I think it can depend on a couple things, like your personality and even your life history. Both can have a lot of influence on your potential success.
Let's start with personality. If you're a Type A kind of person that likes lots of control and micromanages things, then maybe the complete overhaul is for you. You can just dig in, and through force of will make it happen. If you're a little more relaxed, though, you might let some things slip through the cracks. In that case, you might be better off sticking with one change and focusing on that for awhile.
But history can have something to do with it, too. If you're new to dieting and working out, it's possible that you can use a big reset in your life, and a jumpstart to get the ball rolling. But if you've tried lots of diets and exercise programs, maybe you need to focus on one or two small changes. For example, going for a 20 minute walk, and trying to cut out the pop. After you learn you can sustain it, then you can add something else.
Personally, I lean toward the Type A, lots-of-control way of doing things, but that's just me. Usually, I just need to get a project started, and the rest kind of falls into place. But sometimes, it's just too big to do in the short term. Then I have to take bite-size chunks out of it. Drives me crazy, but I'll do it. So you can see that sometimes you might use a mixture of BOTH approaches.
In the end, how you get there probably doesn't matter, as long as it's moral. There are lots of ways to eat better, and lots of ways to workout. Many different plans will get you there, if you just stick it out. So what really matters is: "Did you get the results you wanted?" If so, then great! If not, then reevaluate, recommit, and renew your efforts.
Here are some people who had a good result this week. Cheryl Funkhouser was this week's Biggest Loser, with a loss of 3.8 lbs and 2.3% of her body weight. Brooke Bishop placed second, losing 4.7 lbs and 2.2%. Haley Johnson finished third, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
WHEN "I WANT-TO" BECOMES "I HAVE-TO"
Why can some people stay in shape while others struggle with their weight? And why can some do it for awhile, but only awhile?
I've spent years watching people come and go. I've also spent years watching the same people keep coming back for more.
Some people just "have to do it." They love the process. They love working out and getting sweaty. They come to love the challenge.
These people are pretty well connected with their bodies. They're constantly monitoring the situation. If they see things going South, they quickly make adjustments and fix the problem.
No surprise, it's the ones that can't seem to commit to a daily routine that struggle the most. They try this new program, that new diet, and the latest hot new DVD series.
But tight schedules make it tough. Pain makes it worse, and of course, life intrudes. They're in for awhile, and then they're out. But every now and then, someone breaks out and finds their way.
They make the changes, and then make them stick. They keep a routine until it becomes... routine. They're more encouraged by their successes, than discouraged by their failures.
They've finally joined the ranks of the "have-to's." It's become important to them. Maybe even critical. They now "have to" do it.
Life still has lots of mysteries to me, but I'm pretty sure of three things: God is not dead, Jesus still saves, and when your "I want-to" becomes "I have-to", that's when you'll find your breakthrough.
The participants in Biggest Loser "20" are experiencing their own breakthrough, with a month under their belt. First place went to Lori Hollingsworth, who lost 5.4 lbs and 3.0% of her body weight. Brian Bradley and Heather Watson tied for second, both losing 1.6% and 4.0 lbs and 2.8 lbs respectively. Cheryl Funkhouser placed fourth, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.3%.
I've spent years watching people come and go. I've also spent years watching the same people keep coming back for more.
Some people just "have to do it." They love the process. They love working out and getting sweaty. They come to love the challenge.
These people are pretty well connected with their bodies. They're constantly monitoring the situation. If they see things going South, they quickly make adjustments and fix the problem.
No surprise, it's the ones that can't seem to commit to a daily routine that struggle the most. They try this new program, that new diet, and the latest hot new DVD series.
But tight schedules make it tough. Pain makes it worse, and of course, life intrudes. They're in for awhile, and then they're out. But every now and then, someone breaks out and finds their way.
They make the changes, and then make them stick. They keep a routine until it becomes... routine. They're more encouraged by their successes, than discouraged by their failures.
They've finally joined the ranks of the "have-to's." It's become important to them. Maybe even critical. They now "have to" do it.
Life still has lots of mysteries to me, but I'm pretty sure of three things: God is not dead, Jesus still saves, and when your "I want-to" becomes "I have-to", that's when you'll find your breakthrough.
The participants in Biggest Loser "20" are experiencing their own breakthrough, with a month under their belt. First place went to Lori Hollingsworth, who lost 5.4 lbs and 3.0% of her body weight. Brian Bradley and Heather Watson tied for second, both losing 1.6% and 4.0 lbs and 2.8 lbs respectively. Cheryl Funkhouser placed fourth, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.3%.
Thursday, May 08, 2014
INSPIRATION CAN BE FOUND ALL AROUND US
It's easy to get tunnel vision sometimes, especially when we get busy. But if we'll take a moment to pay attention, inspiration can often be found all around us. Here are a few things I've found noteworthy in the last couple of weeks. They're in no particular order; they just happened to catch my eye, and impressed me.
Last Saturday, a friend of mine named Roy won his first MMA fight in the 1st round by a technical knockout. This means the referee stopped the fight because the other guy wasn't intelligently defending himself anymore.
That's probably because Roy had taken him down and was hammering on him pretty good. I think what impressed me the most, was that a couple days earlier, Roy told me how he saw the fight going. It went exactly that way. Now that's working your plan!
I've now seen three different kids do a cartwheel-back handspring-back tuck combo, which is an amazing thing to behold. Perhaps the most impressive one, was the FaceBook video I saw of Karrington up in Chrisman on the gym floor, without mats! I know it's taken a ton of work for these kids to get that tumbling run down. Awesome!
A couple days ago, I was watching a friend roll our lawn. He owns this special machine that looks like those machines they use when they pave the highway. He sits up on it, and it's five times heavier than the biggest roller I could pull behind my mower!
After years of mole holes that were more like gopher holes, Marc had it looking like a golf course. He said he takes pride in keeping the lines straight, and doing a good job for people. Nice!
Ten years ago, Tim fell victim to a disease that attacks the myelin sheath around the nerves in his spine, making it hard for him to use his lower limbs. Recently, he had a long hospital stay in the hospital, sedated and on a respirator with double pneumonia and sepsis, a serious bacterial infection in the blood!
They gave him a 20% chance to live, and said if he hadn't been as strong as he was, he wouldn't have made it. Now he's back in the gym, trying to get back to where he was. A few days ago he said, "I have to do it, I've got to do it. It's more important to me than most people." I think he may be right.
Something else that always impresses, is our short list of Biggest Losers this week. Brian Bradley was first, losing 5.4 lbs and 2.1% of his body weight. Jan Poynter placed second, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.0%. Bailey Bradley finished third, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.6%. Kit Kirby and Christy Henry tied for fourth place, losing 3.6 and 3.2 lbs respectively, and 1.5%.
Last Saturday, a friend of mine named Roy won his first MMA fight in the 1st round by a technical knockout. This means the referee stopped the fight because the other guy wasn't intelligently defending himself anymore.
That's probably because Roy had taken him down and was hammering on him pretty good. I think what impressed me the most, was that a couple days earlier, Roy told me how he saw the fight going. It went exactly that way. Now that's working your plan!
I've now seen three different kids do a cartwheel-back handspring-back tuck combo, which is an amazing thing to behold. Perhaps the most impressive one, was the FaceBook video I saw of Karrington up in Chrisman on the gym floor, without mats! I know it's taken a ton of work for these kids to get that tumbling run down. Awesome!
A couple days ago, I was watching a friend roll our lawn. He owns this special machine that looks like those machines they use when they pave the highway. He sits up on it, and it's five times heavier than the biggest roller I could pull behind my mower!
After years of mole holes that were more like gopher holes, Marc had it looking like a golf course. He said he takes pride in keeping the lines straight, and doing a good job for people. Nice!
Ten years ago, Tim fell victim to a disease that attacks the myelin sheath around the nerves in his spine, making it hard for him to use his lower limbs. Recently, he had a long hospital stay in the hospital, sedated and on a respirator with double pneumonia and sepsis, a serious bacterial infection in the blood!
They gave him a 20% chance to live, and said if he hadn't been as strong as he was, he wouldn't have made it. Now he's back in the gym, trying to get back to where he was. A few days ago he said, "I have to do it, I've got to do it. It's more important to me than most people." I think he may be right.
Something else that always impresses, is our short list of Biggest Losers this week. Brian Bradley was first, losing 5.4 lbs and 2.1% of his body weight. Jan Poynter placed second, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.0%. Bailey Bradley finished third, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.6%. Kit Kirby and Christy Henry tied for fourth place, losing 3.6 and 3.2 lbs respectively, and 1.5%.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
WINNING
I love winning. Everybody does. But you can't always be the winner. Still, you can often learn from the experience.
Back when I was younger, I traveled quite a bit to sparring competitions. While I had my share of first place victories, more often than not, I took second.
Some of those losses were due to mistakes, and even chance. But sometimes, they just had my number. I have to say, even I was impressed with some of the ways they beat me.
One year, I made it to the finals at Disney World in Orlando, FL. It was only the second time in 15 years that I ever made it to the finals at a national event.
This time, we were about even when WHAM, out of nowhere a spinning heel kick blasted through my guard. It knocked my right hand down, broke my nose, and cracked my cheekbone in two places. Now that was a nice kick!
At that point I couldn't really stand up, so I just sat down right there in the ring. Obviously, I couldn't continue, but I didn't want to say I quit. So when the referee asked me, I simply said, "I resign." Smooth answer.
A few years later, after I'd taken some first responder training, I realized I'd probably experienced my body going into shock. Significant injuries can do that sometimes.
A good friend drove our rental car to the hospital where they said "Yep, it's broken!" They gave me antibiotics for the ensuing infection, from a plane ride home with an open sinus cavity. They also referred me to a specialist to see if surgery would be required. Yikes.
Fortunately, my nose wasn't bent quite enough to require re-breaking. And the specialist said the two cracks in my cheekbone would heal on their own. While one side of my face was pretty numb for a couple of years, it really could have been worse.
For years, friends would kid me about getting a "Reuben sandwich." That was the guy's name, and we even became friends later, although we never competed together again.
The next year, they made face protection mandatory at all national events. Later, they extended it to regional tournaments, and finally to all sparring at the local levels too.
I was told my face actually "helped launch a thousand face shields." All these years later, it's probably tens of thousands of kids' parents who don't have dental surgery to worry about. Now that's a win for everyone!
This week's Biggest Losers were Christy Henry, who lost another 6.8 lbs and 3.1% of her body weight. Brian Bradley placed second, losing 6.2 lbs and 2.4%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 5.0 lbs and 1.5%, and Pam Kelly finished fourth, losing 3.4 lbs and 1.4%. Of course, I think they all were winners!
Back when I was younger, I traveled quite a bit to sparring competitions. While I had my share of first place victories, more often than not, I took second.
Some of those losses were due to mistakes, and even chance. But sometimes, they just had my number. I have to say, even I was impressed with some of the ways they beat me.
One year, I made it to the finals at Disney World in Orlando, FL. It was only the second time in 15 years that I ever made it to the finals at a national event.
This time, we were about even when WHAM, out of nowhere a spinning heel kick blasted through my guard. It knocked my right hand down, broke my nose, and cracked my cheekbone in two places. Now that was a nice kick!
At that point I couldn't really stand up, so I just sat down right there in the ring. Obviously, I couldn't continue, but I didn't want to say I quit. So when the referee asked me, I simply said, "I resign." Smooth answer.
A few years later, after I'd taken some first responder training, I realized I'd probably experienced my body going into shock. Significant injuries can do that sometimes.
A good friend drove our rental car to the hospital where they said "Yep, it's broken!" They gave me antibiotics for the ensuing infection, from a plane ride home with an open sinus cavity. They also referred me to a specialist to see if surgery would be required. Yikes.
Fortunately, my nose wasn't bent quite enough to require re-breaking. And the specialist said the two cracks in my cheekbone would heal on their own. While one side of my face was pretty numb for a couple of years, it really could have been worse.
For years, friends would kid me about getting a "Reuben sandwich." That was the guy's name, and we even became friends later, although we never competed together again.
The next year, they made face protection mandatory at all national events. Later, they extended it to regional tournaments, and finally to all sparring at the local levels too.
I was told my face actually "helped launch a thousand face shields." All these years later, it's probably tens of thousands of kids' parents who don't have dental surgery to worry about. Now that's a win for everyone!
This week's Biggest Losers were Christy Henry, who lost another 6.8 lbs and 3.1% of her body weight. Brian Bradley placed second, losing 6.2 lbs and 2.4%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 5.0 lbs and 1.5%, and Pam Kelly finished fourth, losing 3.4 lbs and 1.4%. Of course, I think they all were winners!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
I had a neat conversation with someone the other day. It was their first day back in the gym after spending the winter in Florida.
First of all, how cool is that? Not just Florida, but Florida during the blizzards! He said they were just lucky. I think he makes his own luck.
We were talking about older people and how to get them into the gym. He said he was working out because he doesn't want to be back in a wheelchair.
Twelve years ago, a serious medical issue knocked him down, but apparently not out. It was tough going for awhile, though, and he said he can still feel it a bit on the one side of his body.
During his rehab, he stayed focused on a particular goal. He wanted to walk over a large skyway bridge down there, that was big enough for ships to pass under. It took lots of work, but he finally made it, both there and back!
He went on to tell me he's pretty sure he'd be back in a wheelchair if he didn't work out. So he and his wife come in regularly when they're home in Paris. When they're down South, they frequent a gym there.
It seems to be working. He's a great example for people of all ages. Twelve years ago, he was determined to make it back. Now 80 years young, he's still back!
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Terra Ogle, who lost an amazing 14.0 lbs and 7.0% of her body weight. Christy Henry placed second, losing 10.2 lbs and 4.4%. Bailey Bradley was third, losing 4.0 lbs and 2.8%, and her dad, Brian finished fourth, losing 6.0 lbs and 2.3%.
First of all, how cool is that? Not just Florida, but Florida during the blizzards! He said they were just lucky. I think he makes his own luck.
We were talking about older people and how to get them into the gym. He said he was working out because he doesn't want to be back in a wheelchair.
Twelve years ago, a serious medical issue knocked him down, but apparently not out. It was tough going for awhile, though, and he said he can still feel it a bit on the one side of his body.
During his rehab, he stayed focused on a particular goal. He wanted to walk over a large skyway bridge down there, that was big enough for ships to pass under. It took lots of work, but he finally made it, both there and back!
He went on to tell me he's pretty sure he'd be back in a wheelchair if he didn't work out. So he and his wife come in regularly when they're home in Paris. When they're down South, they frequent a gym there.
It seems to be working. He's a great example for people of all ages. Twelve years ago, he was determined to make it back. Now 80 years young, he's still back!
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Terra Ogle, who lost an amazing 14.0 lbs and 7.0% of her body weight. Christy Henry placed second, losing 10.2 lbs and 4.4%. Bailey Bradley was third, losing 4.0 lbs and 2.8%, and her dad, Brian finished fourth, losing 6.0 lbs and 2.3%.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
GETTING IT DONE
Getting it Done:
Biggest Loser "19" finished last week with some nice results. Several lost over 25 lbs and two lost more than 30 lbs during the twelve weeks. But the completion rate has always been 50% at best. Sometimes it's as low as a third of the group.
This has held true for 10 years, regardless of the season, the day we've done it (Mon, Fri, Sat), or even the time of day. It's held true with winners ranging from 25 to 60 years of age. It's even held true whether we eased into things, or hit the ground running.
For whatever reason, about half the group never finishes. As you might imagine, this bugs me. I've even thought it could be me, but enough people have loved the program, that I figure I'm not the reason either. So I decided to ask what kept them going, even when they got busy, injured, discouraged or just plain didn't feel like it. Here's what the top ten had to say (in no particular order):
1. "I wasn't about to start something I couldn't finish."
2. "Something about having to check in each week just made us accountable."
3. "Having someone tell me what to do helped a lot."
4. "Once I started seeing results, I got excited."
5. "I saw other results besides just the numbers on the scale: my clothing changed and I could do a lot more."
6. "I got with workout partners, took some nutritional supplements, and used a fitness app on my phone."
7. "I just watched what I ate and worked out."
8. "Family support kept me in."
9. "We all celebrated victory together in the group."
10. "I was just determined not to quit."
On Monday night, I told the new group in Biggest Loser "20" that for whatever reason, only half usually finishes. Then I asked them, "Which half are you going to be in?" Almost everyone said they're going to finish. Guess we'll see in 12 weeks.
Biggest Loser "19" finished last week with some nice results. Several lost over 25 lbs and two lost more than 30 lbs during the twelve weeks. But the completion rate has always been 50% at best. Sometimes it's as low as a third of the group.
This has held true for 10 years, regardless of the season, the day we've done it (Mon, Fri, Sat), or even the time of day. It's held true with winners ranging from 25 to 60 years of age. It's even held true whether we eased into things, or hit the ground running.
For whatever reason, about half the group never finishes. As you might imagine, this bugs me. I've even thought it could be me, but enough people have loved the program, that I figure I'm not the reason either. So I decided to ask what kept them going, even when they got busy, injured, discouraged or just plain didn't feel like it. Here's what the top ten had to say (in no particular order):
1. "I wasn't about to start something I couldn't finish."
2. "Something about having to check in each week just made us accountable."
3. "Having someone tell me what to do helped a lot."
4. "Once I started seeing results, I got excited."
5. "I saw other results besides just the numbers on the scale: my clothing changed and I could do a lot more."
6. "I got with workout partners, took some nutritional supplements, and used a fitness app on my phone."
7. "I just watched what I ate and worked out."
8. "Family support kept me in."
9. "We all celebrated victory together in the group."
10. "I was just determined not to quit."
On Monday night, I told the new group in Biggest Loser "20" that for whatever reason, only half usually finishes. Then I asked them, "Which half are you going to be in?" Almost everyone said they're going to finish. Guess we'll see in 12 weeks.
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" -- WEEK ELEVEN
After eleven weeks, we finally had both warm weather and enough daylight showing, so we took the workout outside. As always, the Park-to-Park workout was pretty challenging, especially for those new to running.
It started with a run from the gym to the park on Wood St. where they did 15-25 reps each of push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups. Then they ran North on High St. over to Sunrise Park.
This time they did the push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups, but also added 15-25 reps of pull-ups on the jungle gym. Then for extra fun, they climbed across the jungle gym too, just like the kids do!
Then they ran over to the football field where they hit it all again with a few special twists. First, they did a set of push-ups, and then they did walking lunges all the way across the field. That got their attention, and their legs burning too. Once there, they did some more push-ups, a sprint back across the field, and another set of sit-ups.
Finally, they got to run up across the overhead bridge across the railroad tracks, and then back to the gym. But that wasn't the end. First they had to do a final set of push-ups, body squats, pull-ups, and sit-ups.
For those who had only run inside on treadmills, it was kind of eye-opening. It's a little harder running outside in the wind, and also with hills. It's also more fun, especially when you throw some other stuff in there.
This workout was sort of an introduction to outdoor events like Warrior Dash (5K) and the longer Tough Mudder (10-12 mi). With spring arriving, we're going to do much more work outside in the next Biggest Loser!
This week's winner was Brooke Bishop, who lost 3.0 lbs and 1.4% of her body weight. Sarah Mitchell was second, losing 1.8 lbs and 1.3%, and Rhonda Arthur placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.1%.
Biggest Loser "20" starts on Monday, April 14th. Sign up now!
It started with a run from the gym to the park on Wood St. where they did 15-25 reps each of push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups. Then they ran North on High St. over to Sunrise Park.
This time they did the push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups, but also added 15-25 reps of pull-ups on the jungle gym. Then for extra fun, they climbed across the jungle gym too, just like the kids do!
Then they ran over to the football field where they hit it all again with a few special twists. First, they did a set of push-ups, and then they did walking lunges all the way across the field. That got their attention, and their legs burning too. Once there, they did some more push-ups, a sprint back across the field, and another set of sit-ups.
Finally, they got to run up across the overhead bridge across the railroad tracks, and then back to the gym. But that wasn't the end. First they had to do a final set of push-ups, body squats, pull-ups, and sit-ups.
For those who had only run inside on treadmills, it was kind of eye-opening. It's a little harder running outside in the wind, and also with hills. It's also more fun, especially when you throw some other stuff in there.
This workout was sort of an introduction to outdoor events like Warrior Dash (5K) and the longer Tough Mudder (10-12 mi). With spring arriving, we're going to do much more work outside in the next Biggest Loser!
This week's winner was Brooke Bishop, who lost 3.0 lbs and 1.4% of her body weight. Sarah Mitchell was second, losing 1.8 lbs and 1.3%, and Rhonda Arthur placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.1%.
Biggest Loser "20" starts on Monday, April 14th. Sign up now!
Saturday, March 01, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" -- WEEK SIX (KICKBOXING)
We reached the halfway point in the twelve week program, putting Week Six of Biggest Loser “19” in the books. The turnout was really excellent this week, possibly because it was kickboxing week.
Everyone always loves the kickboxing class because it’s such a great workout (it’s common to burn 500-600 calories). There’s also a lot of hitting things, which is great for stress. While one or two of the participants have often done some kickboxing, the majority of the people haven’t, so we always start from scratch.
First we do what I call the Duck-Duck drill. This is where the people gently swipe at each other twice (L & R) while the other just ducks the punches, and then they switch, back-and-forth. It’s a good drill that helps them learn how to react to a partner.
Then we cover the basics: Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover. Typically, I’ll have them work on the techniques just in the air, all facing the same direction. Once they start getting comfortable, the next step is always to add movement: Skip-step in, Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover, Skip-step back out.
To add some zing, I’ll have them change directions quickly between combinations, and also break things up with partner sit-up and push-up drills, and the dreaded command: “Sprawl!” Whenever they hear this, they’re supposed to drop down into a pushup position, and then pop right back up. It’s really designed to keep somebody from taking you down, and it’s a killer!
Finally, we throw in some knee strikes, front kicks, and round kicks, and the prep work is done. Then we do it all again, but with partners holding two square targets. This lets them learn to focus their techniques, and also have some fun hitting things. We’ll do 30 seconds of a drill, and then hand the targets over to their partner, switching back and forth before changing drills.
At the end of the class, I always do one minute rounds where the partner feeds them different looks with the targets, and they have to react with the proper moves. It’s always challenging, and it adds some realism and intensity to the drills.
Later, participants can get 12-16 oz boxing gloves, and do all the techniques on a heavy bag too. They’ll typically do 3-5 minute rounds on the bag, with lots of movement in-and-out, and around the targets. Personally, one of my favorite workouts is to do 10 five minute rounds on the heavy bag, with a quick drink and towel break in between each round!
Our Week Six Biggest Loser was Michelle Clark, who lost 4.6 lbs and 2.8% of her body weight. Cheryl Redman placed second, losing 1.3% and 2.8 lbs, and Brooke Bishop finished third, losing 1.1% and 2.6 lbs.
Everyone always loves the kickboxing class because it’s such a great workout (it’s common to burn 500-600 calories). There’s also a lot of hitting things, which is great for stress. While one or two of the participants have often done some kickboxing, the majority of the people haven’t, so we always start from scratch.
First we do what I call the Duck-Duck drill. This is where the people gently swipe at each other twice (L & R) while the other just ducks the punches, and then they switch, back-and-forth. It’s a good drill that helps them learn how to react to a partner.
Then we cover the basics: Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover. Typically, I’ll have them work on the techniques just in the air, all facing the same direction. Once they start getting comfortable, the next step is always to add movement: Skip-step in, Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover, Skip-step back out.
To add some zing, I’ll have them change directions quickly between combinations, and also break things up with partner sit-up and push-up drills, and the dreaded command: “Sprawl!” Whenever they hear this, they’re supposed to drop down into a pushup position, and then pop right back up. It’s really designed to keep somebody from taking you down, and it’s a killer!
Finally, we throw in some knee strikes, front kicks, and round kicks, and the prep work is done. Then we do it all again, but with partners holding two square targets. This lets them learn to focus their techniques, and also have some fun hitting things. We’ll do 30 seconds of a drill, and then hand the targets over to their partner, switching back and forth before changing drills.
At the end of the class, I always do one minute rounds where the partner feeds them different looks with the targets, and they have to react with the proper moves. It’s always challenging, and it adds some realism and intensity to the drills.
Later, participants can get 12-16 oz boxing gloves, and do all the techniques on a heavy bag too. They’ll typically do 3-5 minute rounds on the bag, with lots of movement in-and-out, and around the targets. Personally, one of my favorite workouts is to do 10 five minute rounds on the heavy bag, with a quick drink and towel break in between each round!
Our Week Six Biggest Loser was Michelle Clark, who lost 4.6 lbs and 2.8% of her body weight. Cheryl Redman placed second, losing 1.3% and 2.8 lbs, and Brooke Bishop finished third, losing 1.1% and 2.6 lbs.
Monday, February 24, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" (WEEK FIVE) -- INTERVAL TRAINING
Interval training is one of the most effective ways to get in shape, stay in shape, and for our Biggest Losers, weight loss. Interval training workouts are also usually pretty quick, which is good if you’re running short on time.
The first type of interval training used five stations in a circuit: KettleBell swings, Box Jumps, Dumbbell Curls, Ball Smacks, and Assorted Ab exercises for 45 seconds on each, with 15 seconds rest while moving to the next one. This was done for a total of four rounds. You can always change out the exercises to make a completely different workout.
Last week they did some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in the cardio room. They each started on whatever equipment they happened to be using (treadmill, elliptical, rower, recumbent bike, Schwinn AirDyne, or stair-stepper). Here’s what it looked like:
• 2 minutes warm-up
• 1 minute “harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “even harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “really harder”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “as hard as you can go”, 1 minute “recovery”
(Repeat on different equipment four times)
This week they incorporated both high intensity cardio intervals together with circuit training intervals to create a monster workout. These can be the most difficult. Here’s the basic one they started with:
Run ¼ mile on treadmill
25 push-ups
25 body squats
25 sit-ups
(4x)
Note: Try to do each ¼ mile run faster than the one before.
Our Week Five Biggest Loser was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 3.2 lbs and 2.2% of her body weight. Rhonda Arthur was second, losing 3.8 lbs and 1.9%. Michelle Clark placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.2%.
The first type of interval training used five stations in a circuit: KettleBell swings, Box Jumps, Dumbbell Curls, Ball Smacks, and Assorted Ab exercises for 45 seconds on each, with 15 seconds rest while moving to the next one. This was done for a total of four rounds. You can always change out the exercises to make a completely different workout.
Last week they did some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in the cardio room. They each started on whatever equipment they happened to be using (treadmill, elliptical, rower, recumbent bike, Schwinn AirDyne, or stair-stepper). Here’s what it looked like:
• 2 minutes warm-up
• 1 minute “harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “even harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “really harder”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “as hard as you can go”, 1 minute “recovery”
(Repeat on different equipment four times)
This week they incorporated both high intensity cardio intervals together with circuit training intervals to create a monster workout. These can be the most difficult. Here’s the basic one they started with:
Run ¼ mile on treadmill
25 push-ups
25 body squats
25 sit-ups
(4x)
Note: Try to do each ¼ mile run faster than the one before.
Our Week Five Biggest Loser was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 3.2 lbs and 2.2% of her body weight. Rhonda Arthur was second, losing 3.8 lbs and 1.9%. Michelle Clark placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.2%.
Friday, February 14, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" -- WEEKS 2, 3, 4
BODIES-IN-BALANCE: BIGGEST LOSER “19” – WEEKS 2, 3, & 4
It’s been a pretty busy time around here, what with the winter storm and other goings on, but finally, here’s the skinny on Biggest Loser “19.”
Week Two was another great week, following that amazing first week. Cheryl Redman was the winner, losing an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%, and Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
I have to say, things went a little south in Week Three. Anytime you get taken out of your routine, something has to suffer. The weather derailed a lot of people, and in this case, it also derailed their weight loss. After an amazing first two weeks, ten of the thirty participants actually gained weight!
It’s not unusual for a few to gain, since weight loss tends to be a little erratic at times. We’ll often see someone have a great week, and then a so-so week, followed by another great week, and so on.
But something else seemed to be going on in Week Three, because it’s pretty unheard of to have a third of the group gaining. And the ones that did lose weight, didn’t lose that much, either. Only the top two put up numbers similar to those we saw in the first two weeks.
My guess is that the weather was responsible for forcing people to miss several workouts, as shown by the low turnout for the weekly Monday night workout. It might also have had an effect on their eating habits, too. Hopefully, as the snow gets cleared away, everyone will get back on track with the program.
The winner for Week Three was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 4.2 lbs and 2.9% of her body weight. Second place went to Brooke Bishop, who lost 2.4 lbs and 3.7%. Rhonda Arthur came in third, losing 2.4 lbs and 1.2%.
Week Four was a better week all around. We had more participation in the Monday night workout, this time doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I’ll tell you more about the workout another time.
It looks like people were able to get their routines established again, because only a few people had a gain for the week, and the average weight loss was much better than the week before. With a month down, it’s time for them to take a look at their original goal to see if they are on track, and make any needed adjustments.
Our Week Four winner was Beth Motley, who lost 4.0 lbs, and 2.1%. I’ve heard through the grapevine that she attributes that to moving their elliptical inside from out in the garage! Penny Spinner placed second, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.8%. Christen Reed was third, losing 2.8 lbs and 1.7%, and Terra Ogle finished in forth place, losing 3.2 lbs and 1.6%.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
It’s been a pretty busy time around here, what with the winter storm and other goings on, but finally, here’s the skinny on Biggest Loser “19.”
Week Two was another great week, following that amazing first week. Cheryl Redman was the winner, losing an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%, and Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
I have to say, things went a little south in Week Three. Anytime you get taken out of your routine, something has to suffer. The weather derailed a lot of people, and in this case, it also derailed their weight loss. After an amazing first two weeks, ten of the thirty participants actually gained weight!
It’s not unusual for a few to gain, since weight loss tends to be a little erratic at times. We’ll often see someone have a great week, and then a so-so week, followed by another great week, and so on.
But something else seemed to be going on in Week Three, because it’s pretty unheard of to have a third of the group gaining. And the ones that did lose weight, didn’t lose that much, either. Only the top two put up numbers similar to those we saw in the first two weeks.
My guess is that the weather was responsible for forcing people to miss several workouts, as shown by the low turnout for the weekly Monday night workout. It might also have had an effect on their eating habits, too. Hopefully, as the snow gets cleared away, everyone will get back on track with the program.
The winner for Week Three was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 4.2 lbs and 2.9% of her body weight. Second place went to Brooke Bishop, who lost 2.4 lbs and 3.7%. Rhonda Arthur came in third, losing 2.4 lbs and 1.2%.
Week Four was a better week all around. We had more participation in the Monday night workout, this time doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I’ll tell you more about the workout another time.
It looks like people were able to get their routines established again, because only a few people had a gain for the week, and the average weight loss was much better than the week before. With a month down, it’s time for them to take a look at their original goal to see if they are on track, and make any needed adjustments.
Our Week Four winner was Beth Motley, who lost 4.0 lbs, and 2.1%. I’ve heard through the grapevine that she attributes that to moving their elliptical inside from out in the garage! Penny Spinner placed second, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.8%. Christen Reed was third, losing 2.8 lbs and 1.7%, and Terra Ogle finished in forth place, losing 3.2 lbs and 1.6%.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
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