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%.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
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!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" (WEEK TWO) -- "HOW THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT"
I’ve always heard that if one person is asking a question, more are thinking it, so it’s always good to encourage questions. In Biggest Losers, we’ve been talking about creating a daily calorie deficit. This is where you burn more calories than you take in, so your body will start burning fat to make up the difference.
One of our Biggest Losers picked up a new wristband called the fitbit™. It’s one of several products like it that hook up to a smart phone and help you track your calories, even while you’re sleeping. They run around $100 and can really give you an edge if you’re trying to lose weight.
After using her fitbit™ for a day, Brooke found that she’d burned over 3,000 calories. I told her this was awesome, because now she could start predicting how much weight she’d lose.
She asked me through Facebook if I could explain how the daily calorie deficit works with losing weight. By the way, social media is another great tool that has made it very easy for people to communicate about anything, including workouts and weight loss. So I got back to her on Facebook, through my iphone, while I was riding the exercise bike. Here’s what I told her.
Ok, you asked for it! Here goes.
So you have your minimum calories you need to live (BMR). That was the number on your sheet. Anything you eat over that has to cover your daily activities plus exercise.
If you get moving enough, though, you'll end up in a daily calorie deficit. This means you burned more than you took in. That energy has to come from somewhere so it comes from fat.
Say you need to take in 1,500 calories. But you burned 3,000 according to your fitbit. That means you had a calorie deficit of 1,500 calories. While the numbers don't work exactly like this, it's close enough.
Think of things in 500 calorie chunks. It takes 7 chunks to burn a pound of fat (3,500 calories). So if you have a 500 calorie deficit, it will take 7 days to burn that pound of fat (500 cal x 7 days = 3,500 cal).
In your case, the deficit was 1,500 cal (3 chunks). So you'll burn that pound of fat much quicker, in just a little more than two days.
In fact, if you can keep that rate up, you'll end up burning 3 lbs that week (1,500 cal x 7 days = 10,500 cal). Divide that weekly total by our 3,500 calorie magic number and you get 3 lbs of fat!
You may have seen that the number of 500 cal chunks burned each day corresponds to the number of pounds you'll burn each week.
1 chunk/day = 1 lb/wk
2 chunks/day = 2 lbs/wk
3 chunks/day = 3 lbs/wk
4 chunks/day = 4 lbs/wk
5 chunks/day = 5 lbs/wk
etc...
This is why I like each workout to burn at least one chunk of at least 500 cal. Sometimes, monster workouts can be twice that, burning two chunks, or 1,000 cal.
But those are hard to do, much less keep up over time. This is why the second workout is so important each day.
Now your FitBit will tell you where you are, compared to where you want to be, based on how much you want to burn each day!
Our Biggest Loser this week was Cheryl Redman, who lost an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%. Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
One of our Biggest Losers picked up a new wristband called the fitbit™. It’s one of several products like it that hook up to a smart phone and help you track your calories, even while you’re sleeping. They run around $100 and can really give you an edge if you’re trying to lose weight.
After using her fitbit™ for a day, Brooke found that she’d burned over 3,000 calories. I told her this was awesome, because now she could start predicting how much weight she’d lose.
She asked me through Facebook if I could explain how the daily calorie deficit works with losing weight. By the way, social media is another great tool that has made it very easy for people to communicate about anything, including workouts and weight loss. So I got back to her on Facebook, through my iphone, while I was riding the exercise bike. Here’s what I told her.
Ok, you asked for it! Here goes.
So you have your minimum calories you need to live (BMR). That was the number on your sheet. Anything you eat over that has to cover your daily activities plus exercise.
If you get moving enough, though, you'll end up in a daily calorie deficit. This means you burned more than you took in. That energy has to come from somewhere so it comes from fat.
Say you need to take in 1,500 calories. But you burned 3,000 according to your fitbit. That means you had a calorie deficit of 1,500 calories. While the numbers don't work exactly like this, it's close enough.
Think of things in 500 calorie chunks. It takes 7 chunks to burn a pound of fat (3,500 calories). So if you have a 500 calorie deficit, it will take 7 days to burn that pound of fat (500 cal x 7 days = 3,500 cal).
In your case, the deficit was 1,500 cal (3 chunks). So you'll burn that pound of fat much quicker, in just a little more than two days.
In fact, if you can keep that rate up, you'll end up burning 3 lbs that week (1,500 cal x 7 days = 10,500 cal). Divide that weekly total by our 3,500 calorie magic number and you get 3 lbs of fat!
You may have seen that the number of 500 cal chunks burned each day corresponds to the number of pounds you'll burn each week.
1 chunk/day = 1 lb/wk
2 chunks/day = 2 lbs/wk
3 chunks/day = 3 lbs/wk
4 chunks/day = 4 lbs/wk
5 chunks/day = 5 lbs/wk
etc...
This is why I like each workout to burn at least one chunk of at least 500 cal. Sometimes, monster workouts can be twice that, burning two chunks, or 1,000 cal.
But those are hard to do, much less keep up over time. This is why the second workout is so important each day.
Now your FitBit will tell you where you are, compared to where you want to be, based on how much you want to burn each day!
Our Biggest Loser this week was Cheryl Redman, who lost an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%. Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Saturday, January 25, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER '19" -- WEEK ONE
It’s not unusual for people to pick up 5-10 lbs over the holidays. But this can happen several times over the course of a few years, until one day, you realize you’re 40 or 50 lbs overweight. Left unchecked, you can get to the point where now you’re 80 to 100 lbs in the hole.
Now your body is forced to carry all that extra load, which makes everything harder, and can lead to knee and back trouble. Your heart has to work harder too, and you become at risk for other problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart disease.
But not everyone lets it go that far. Some people catch it halfway there, and just need to lose 40 or 50 lbs. Others catch it earlier and just want to lose 15 or 20 lbs. For some, it isn’t even about the weight. They’re just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. So after a few weeks off, and a week delay due to the big winter storm, Biggest Loser “19” started a week ago.
The first step was weighing in, which isn’t a simple undertaking with 32 people. We got their weight and body fat, which tells us how much of them is fat, and how much is lean muscle and bone. We also got their water percentage, which tells us if they’re drinking enough water.
We also recorded their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which tells us the minimum calories they need each day, and also their visceral (belly) fat, which helps define their risk for heart disease and other problems. They also got a homework assignment to take body measurements and pictures so they can track inches lost and other changes over the 12 weeks.
The group took a battery of physical tests, including a minute each of pushups, sit-ups, body squats, burpees, and mountain climbers. Even though it was only five total minutes of exercise, many thought it felt like a “workout” and were pretty sore over the next couple of days. They’ll be amazed at how much easier it is when we throw that test at them again in 12 weeks.
They also had some other tests to do on their own, including a 1 mile walk/run for time, and a minute on the battle rope, a minute of kettle bell swings, and a minute of medicine ball smack downs. There were just too many people to do these all at the same time.
For the first week, the goal was to get moving, twice a day if possible. They did some cardio like walking or riding the bike. Then later in the day, they went to the gym for a more vigorous workout with both the cardio and weight machines.
In times past, I’d tell everyone what to do all week, and then hope for the best. Now, with most everyone on Facebook, I can give them workouts everyday, along with other things that are good to know.
The other main goal was for them to learn how much they were eating, by starting a daily calorie log. Right now, it’s important for them to track their calories so they know if they’re eating too much or too little.
Surprisingly, 9 out of 10 women don’t eat enough (though they usually think they do). Not surprisingly, 9 out of 10 men are overeaters. Tracking it with a daily calorie log on their phone or computer (or even old fashioned paper) will show us the truth, and help them see where they are.
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Shawn Bowers who lost an astounding 12.1 lbs and 3.6 percent of his body weight. Second place went to Rhonda Arthur, who lost 6.8 lbs and 3.2%. Brooke Bishop was third, losing 7.6 lbs and 3.1%, and Sarah Mitchell placed fourth with 4.2 lbs and 2.8%. Chris Redmon finished in fifth, losing an amazing 8.8 lbs and 2.6%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Now your body is forced to carry all that extra load, which makes everything harder, and can lead to knee and back trouble. Your heart has to work harder too, and you become at risk for other problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart disease.
But not everyone lets it go that far. Some people catch it halfway there, and just need to lose 40 or 50 lbs. Others catch it earlier and just want to lose 15 or 20 lbs. For some, it isn’t even about the weight. They’re just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. So after a few weeks off, and a week delay due to the big winter storm, Biggest Loser “19” started a week ago.
The first step was weighing in, which isn’t a simple undertaking with 32 people. We got their weight and body fat, which tells us how much of them is fat, and how much is lean muscle and bone. We also got their water percentage, which tells us if they’re drinking enough water.
We also recorded their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which tells us the minimum calories they need each day, and also their visceral (belly) fat, which helps define their risk for heart disease and other problems. They also got a homework assignment to take body measurements and pictures so they can track inches lost and other changes over the 12 weeks.
The group took a battery of physical tests, including a minute each of pushups, sit-ups, body squats, burpees, and mountain climbers. Even though it was only five total minutes of exercise, many thought it felt like a “workout” and were pretty sore over the next couple of days. They’ll be amazed at how much easier it is when we throw that test at them again in 12 weeks.
They also had some other tests to do on their own, including a 1 mile walk/run for time, and a minute on the battle rope, a minute of kettle bell swings, and a minute of medicine ball smack downs. There were just too many people to do these all at the same time.
For the first week, the goal was to get moving, twice a day if possible. They did some cardio like walking or riding the bike. Then later in the day, they went to the gym for a more vigorous workout with both the cardio and weight machines.
In times past, I’d tell everyone what to do all week, and then hope for the best. Now, with most everyone on Facebook, I can give them workouts everyday, along with other things that are good to know.
The other main goal was for them to learn how much they were eating, by starting a daily calorie log. Right now, it’s important for them to track their calories so they know if they’re eating too much or too little.
Surprisingly, 9 out of 10 women don’t eat enough (though they usually think they do). Not surprisingly, 9 out of 10 men are overeaters. Tracking it with a daily calorie log on their phone or computer (or even old fashioned paper) will show us the truth, and help them see where they are.
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Shawn Bowers who lost an astounding 12.1 lbs and 3.6 percent of his body weight. Second place went to Rhonda Arthur, who lost 6.8 lbs and 3.2%. Brooke Bishop was third, losing 7.6 lbs and 3.1%, and Sarah Mitchell placed fourth with 4.2 lbs and 2.8%. Chris Redmon finished in fifth, losing an amazing 8.8 lbs and 2.6%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
THE WINTER STORM
It was quite a storm. Especially for us, here in Edgar County. You know it’s rare when you start hearing comparisons to the “Blizzard of 78.”
To me, it starts getting “cold” in the 30’s. Single digits make me start thinking fondly about just freezing temperatures. But when you get below zero, with these crazy wind chills, now we’re talking some serious weather.
How do people deal with this kind of stuff day in and day out, year after year? Imagine living in North Dakota or somewhere else up there? I guess they learn to deal with it, or move.
They dress warm, and live and work smart. They understand how to keep their vehicles running and keep them moving too. They have to, because their lives depend on it. But every now and then, we get a little glimpse into their world.
I took a trip to the store today, to get a few things we missed when we stocked up before the storm. The shelves looked pretty empty. Imagine if the storm had gone on longer. It makes me think we need to stock a little more food in our pantry, just in case.
Remember those folks in the North East last year? Some of them were without power for days. Think of it. No power. No heat. No work. No food. No gas. We were pretty lucky.
Big props to our Edgar County Highway Department, especially their updates. They were the best source of information through the worst of it.
I also admire all the ECHD, IDOT, Ameren, and Enerstar crews, local police, fire, deputies, and other emergency services personnel who got the job done in pretty tough conditions. You know it’s bad, when even they can’t get through!
Perhaps the most impressive to me, though, were the volunteers who didn’t have any affiliation, but did happen to have a truck, a plow, or a snowmobile, and the willingness to use it. There were lots of stories on Facebook that make me proud to be part of this community!
So because of the storm, we had to delay the start of Biggest Loser “19” a week, but finally got underway last week. It's tough sometimes. Things don’t always come easily. But you can get through it. Just like a winter storm.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
To me, it starts getting “cold” in the 30’s. Single digits make me start thinking fondly about just freezing temperatures. But when you get below zero, with these crazy wind chills, now we’re talking some serious weather.
How do people deal with this kind of stuff day in and day out, year after year? Imagine living in North Dakota or somewhere else up there? I guess they learn to deal with it, or move.
They dress warm, and live and work smart. They understand how to keep their vehicles running and keep them moving too. They have to, because their lives depend on it. But every now and then, we get a little glimpse into their world.
I took a trip to the store today, to get a few things we missed when we stocked up before the storm. The shelves looked pretty empty. Imagine if the storm had gone on longer. It makes me think we need to stock a little more food in our pantry, just in case.
Remember those folks in the North East last year? Some of them were without power for days. Think of it. No power. No heat. No work. No food. No gas. We were pretty lucky.
Big props to our Edgar County Highway Department, especially their updates. They were the best source of information through the worst of it.
I also admire all the ECHD, IDOT, Ameren, and Enerstar crews, local police, fire, deputies, and other emergency services personnel who got the job done in pretty tough conditions. You know it’s bad, when even they can’t get through!
Perhaps the most impressive to me, though, were the volunteers who didn’t have any affiliation, but did happen to have a truck, a plow, or a snowmobile, and the willingness to use it. There were lots of stories on Facebook that make me proud to be part of this community!
So because of the storm, we had to delay the start of Biggest Loser “19” a week, but finally got underway last week. It's tough sometimes. Things don’t always come easily. But you can get through it. Just like a winter storm.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Saturday, January 04, 2014
REAL AND LASTING CHANGE!
At first glance, that almost seems like an oxymoron: words that seem to suggest just the opposite. The words change and lasting don’t seem to go together very well, do they? But look at it this way. If you make an important change, you want it to last, right?
All too often, this is exactly what happens. You’ve probably heard of the yo-yo syndrome. This is where someone loses weight, then puts it back on, loses it again, gains it back, and so on. The problem is we like being lazier and eating whatever we want, more than we want to be thin.
How many of us have worked hard to eliminate our debt, maybe even followed Dave Ramsey’s debt reduction program, only to start using credit cards again when things tightened up. The problem was that we wanted stuff more than we wanted to stay debt free.
In the end, it always comes down to the choices we make. You’re going to do what matters most to you. Good or bad.
Last week we looked at 10 tips to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions. But first you actually have to be resolute about something. That means you have to really want it.
If you don’t want it more than you want what you’re already doing, you’ll keep doing what you’re doing. But if you want it more than what you’re doing, then, and only then, will you start making changes. But you have to do something else first.
You’ve got to change your state of mind before you can change your state of being. You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you think you can, you’re right. If you think you can’t, you’re also right.” Either way, what you think, is what you’ll get.
You’ve got to believe that doing something new will be good for you, good for the people you care about, and good for your situation. So to be really effective, you’ve got to really believe it. You’ve got to have buy-in.
Once you make up your mind, then, get to work. Soon, you’ll start seeing changes. Stay with it long enough and you’ll see more changes. But if you quit, or just do half measures, or a half-hearted effort, the changes will only be temporary. Stay with it, though, and the sky’s the limit.
What changes do you want to make this year? Write it down. Tell your friends. Get started, and don’t quit. That’s how you get real and lasting change! To help you with the changes, Biggest Loser “19” starts this Monday at 6:00 pm. Let us know if you want to participate!
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
All too often, this is exactly what happens. You’ve probably heard of the yo-yo syndrome. This is where someone loses weight, then puts it back on, loses it again, gains it back, and so on. The problem is we like being lazier and eating whatever we want, more than we want to be thin.
How many of us have worked hard to eliminate our debt, maybe even followed Dave Ramsey’s debt reduction program, only to start using credit cards again when things tightened up. The problem was that we wanted stuff more than we wanted to stay debt free.
In the end, it always comes down to the choices we make. You’re going to do what matters most to you. Good or bad.
Last week we looked at 10 tips to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions. But first you actually have to be resolute about something. That means you have to really want it.
If you don’t want it more than you want what you’re already doing, you’ll keep doing what you’re doing. But if you want it more than what you’re doing, then, and only then, will you start making changes. But you have to do something else first.
You’ve got to change your state of mind before you can change your state of being. You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you think you can, you’re right. If you think you can’t, you’re also right.” Either way, what you think, is what you’ll get.
You’ve got to believe that doing something new will be good for you, good for the people you care about, and good for your situation. So to be really effective, you’ve got to really believe it. You’ve got to have buy-in.
Once you make up your mind, then, get to work. Soon, you’ll start seeing changes. Stay with it long enough and you’ll see more changes. But if you quit, or just do half measures, or a half-hearted effort, the changes will only be temporary. Stay with it, though, and the sky’s the limit.
What changes do you want to make this year? Write it down. Tell your friends. Get started, and don’t quit. That’s how you get real and lasting change! To help you with the changes, Biggest Loser “19” starts this Monday at 6:00 pm. Let us know if you want to participate!
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
TEN TIPS TO HELP YOU KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS!
The older I get, the faster each year seems to go. Remember when we were younger, and things seemed to take forever? Still, to me, year ends are like bookends. It’s always good to take a look back so you can close the book on things.
Did you accomplish all you wanted to do? If not, did you at least make some progress?
Unfortunately, sometimes we can look around and wonder what we really accomplished. If everything’s the same but everything’s great, then that’s fine. Good job. But if everything’s still the same and everything isn’t great, then you’ve got some work to do in 2014.
If you’ve just been procrastinating, remember time marches on, with or without you. If you feel like you just can’t do it, I’d like to ask “who said you can’t do it? Who told you that?” Just because you haven’t been successful yet doesn’t mean you can’t be, or won’t be.
You might recall last week I told you “Resolutions matter, but what you do matters more.” Well here are ten tips to help you keep them:
1. Know what you want to do.
2. Really, really want it.
3. Do your homework.
4. Break it up into smaller, attainable goals.
5. Stay focused.
6. Don’t let setbacks throw you off track.
7. Learn from your mistakes.
8. Get back on the pony.
9. Take pride in your victories, but know that they’re not yours alone.
10. Use them to gain momentum that keeps building, until you get what you want.
To give you some support, we’re going right ahead with our community-wide Biggest Loser “19” in January starting right after the holidays on Monday, January 6th. Our goal is to have lots of couples, partners, or even just friends, so you’ll have lots of motivation to get there!
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Did you accomplish all you wanted to do? If not, did you at least make some progress?
Unfortunately, sometimes we can look around and wonder what we really accomplished. If everything’s the same but everything’s great, then that’s fine. Good job. But if everything’s still the same and everything isn’t great, then you’ve got some work to do in 2014.
If you’ve just been procrastinating, remember time marches on, with or without you. If you feel like you just can’t do it, I’d like to ask “who said you can’t do it? Who told you that?” Just because you haven’t been successful yet doesn’t mean you can’t be, or won’t be.
You might recall last week I told you “Resolutions matter, but what you do matters more.” Well here are ten tips to help you keep them:
1. Know what you want to do.
2. Really, really want it.
3. Do your homework.
4. Break it up into smaller, attainable goals.
5. Stay focused.
6. Don’t let setbacks throw you off track.
7. Learn from your mistakes.
8. Get back on the pony.
9. Take pride in your victories, but know that they’re not yours alone.
10. Use them to gain momentum that keeps building, until you get what you want.
To give you some support, we’re going right ahead with our community-wide Biggest Loser “19” in January starting right after the holidays on Monday, January 6th. Our goal is to have lots of couples, partners, or even just friends, so you’ll have lots of motivation to get there!
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Friday, December 20, 2013
RESOLUTIONS MATTER, BUT IT'S WHAT YOU DO THAT MATTERS MOST!
I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about their New Year’s resolutions. You’ve probably even made a few of your own over the years. The question is, did you follow through? Did you actually do the things you said you were going to do?
Most everyone has good intentions. We’d all like to see things get better whether it’s at home, at work, in the community, or inside our clothing. I’m guessing that many of us are feeling a little bit snugger in those “skinny” jeans. Maybe even in our not-so-skinny jeans!
You’ve probably heard that the average American gains between five and seven pounds over the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years. It’s easy to see why, with all the extra temptations like Christmas cookies, Egg Nog, and all those awesome leftovers.
Plus you’ve got all that stuff to do during the holidays like all the running around for shopping, kids concerts, and so on. It’s easy to start missing workouts, if you were active. And if you were already struggling with the whole exercise business, it’s easy to let it slide altogether.
Here’s where you just have to have some discipline. Good things don’t always happen to those who wait (although sometimes you do have wait). Good things tend to happen to those who get going, and keep going!
Sometimes I hear people speak a little enviously of others. “Those people are so lucky, they can just do anything they want.” Or, “She’s always so skinny, she can just eat anything.”
But they don’t see how that couple has worked three jobs, tons of overtime, socking money away, and avoiding debt. And that gal has walked five miles a day, everyday, for years, even in bad weather! It’s what they’ve done, that has put them in that better place today.
Having a resolution is great, because it means you’re really resolved to do something; it‘s important to you. It means you have a plan. And telling other people gives you leverage and helps make you accountable.
To help you get some leverage, the community-wide Biggest Loser “19” starts right after the holidays, on Monday, January 6th. If you’ve already made your resolutions, that’s great, for resolutions do matter. But remember, talk can be cheap. It’s what you do that matters most.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Most everyone has good intentions. We’d all like to see things get better whether it’s at home, at work, in the community, or inside our clothing. I’m guessing that many of us are feeling a little bit snugger in those “skinny” jeans. Maybe even in our not-so-skinny jeans!
You’ve probably heard that the average American gains between five and seven pounds over the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years. It’s easy to see why, with all the extra temptations like Christmas cookies, Egg Nog, and all those awesome leftovers.
Plus you’ve got all that stuff to do during the holidays like all the running around for shopping, kids concerts, and so on. It’s easy to start missing workouts, if you were active. And if you were already struggling with the whole exercise business, it’s easy to let it slide altogether.
Here’s where you just have to have some discipline. Good things don’t always happen to those who wait (although sometimes you do have wait). Good things tend to happen to those who get going, and keep going!
Sometimes I hear people speak a little enviously of others. “Those people are so lucky, they can just do anything they want.” Or, “She’s always so skinny, she can just eat anything.”
But they don’t see how that couple has worked three jobs, tons of overtime, socking money away, and avoiding debt. And that gal has walked five miles a day, everyday, for years, even in bad weather! It’s what they’ve done, that has put them in that better place today.
Having a resolution is great, because it means you’re really resolved to do something; it‘s important to you. It means you have a plan. And telling other people gives you leverage and helps make you accountable.
To help you get some leverage, the community-wide Biggest Loser “19” starts right after the holidays, on Monday, January 6th. If you’ve already made your resolutions, that’s great, for resolutions do matter. But remember, talk can be cheap. It’s what you do that matters most.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Friday, December 13, 2013
BIGGEST LOSER "18" -- WEEK TWELVE (FINAL RESULTS)
After 12 difficult weeks, we finally reached the end of Biggest Loser “18.” We started with 24, and ended up with 12, which was exactly half the group. Things come up, people get busy, and priorities change, especially with such a difficult thing as starting and sticking to a new, rigorous, exercise and weight loss program.
The statistic always holds, no matter the size of the group (we’ve had up to 66), the difficulty of the program (I’ve tried easing them into it, slamming them into it, and everything in between). Half will finish, half will drop for one reason or another.
So I always like to ask the ones left standing a couple questions: “What makes you different? How did you do this, when others couldn’t? Here are some of their answers.
“I just made up my mind.” “I love new clothing.” “It’s about not ever giving up, even if you tried 100 times before.” “Determination.” “It was the competition with my wife.” “When you told us half the people always quit, I was determined not to be a quitter.”
The group also took post-test like the one they took on the first day: a series of one minute tests: Pushups, Sit-ups, Body Squats, Burpees, and Mountain Climbers (they had already done a 1-mile post-test on their own).
All of them were much stronger in each area, doubling their output in several categories. Most took several minutes off their 1 mile time, and a couple gained more than 7 minutes!
The winner for Week Twelve was Johna Todd, who finished first by losing 2.4 lbs and 1.2% of her body weight. Lesley Mills, Tracy Whitaker, and Sondra Martin tied for second place, and Julie Panetti and Debbie Eveland tied for third place.
Our overall winner for Biggest Loser “18” was Jeremy Whitaker, who lost 30.0 lbs and 17.1% of his body weight during the 12 weeks. This is particularly impressive because he was also the winner last time in Biggest Loser “17”, losing 66.4 lbs, bringing his total weight loss to 96.4 lbs! This is the first time anyone has won two Biggest Losers or two in a row.
Tracy Whitaker, finished second overall, losing 18.2 lbs and 13.6% of her body weight. This was also unique, because it was the first time a husband and wife ever finished in 1st and 2nd place! Sondra Martin was third, losing 30.2 lbs and 12.7% of her body weight.
Now the group needs to think about how to maintain what they’ve fought so hard for. In some cases, they’ll set new fitness and weight loss goals, with a new 12-week cycle. Others may need three or four 12-week cycles before they get where they really want to be.
To help them along, we’ll be starting Biggest Loser “19” right after the holidays on Monday, January 6th. It’s been reported that most Americans gain 5-7 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years. Hopefully that won’t happen to this group, but if it does, we’ll be ready!
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
The statistic always holds, no matter the size of the group (we’ve had up to 66), the difficulty of the program (I’ve tried easing them into it, slamming them into it, and everything in between). Half will finish, half will drop for one reason or another.
So I always like to ask the ones left standing a couple questions: “What makes you different? How did you do this, when others couldn’t? Here are some of their answers.
“I just made up my mind.” “I love new clothing.” “It’s about not ever giving up, even if you tried 100 times before.” “Determination.” “It was the competition with my wife.” “When you told us half the people always quit, I was determined not to be a quitter.”
The group also took post-test like the one they took on the first day: a series of one minute tests: Pushups, Sit-ups, Body Squats, Burpees, and Mountain Climbers (they had already done a 1-mile post-test on their own).
All of them were much stronger in each area, doubling their output in several categories. Most took several minutes off their 1 mile time, and a couple gained more than 7 minutes!
The winner for Week Twelve was Johna Todd, who finished first by losing 2.4 lbs and 1.2% of her body weight. Lesley Mills, Tracy Whitaker, and Sondra Martin tied for second place, and Julie Panetti and Debbie Eveland tied for third place.
Our overall winner for Biggest Loser “18” was Jeremy Whitaker, who lost 30.0 lbs and 17.1% of his body weight during the 12 weeks. This is particularly impressive because he was also the winner last time in Biggest Loser “17”, losing 66.4 lbs, bringing his total weight loss to 96.4 lbs! This is the first time anyone has won two Biggest Losers or two in a row.
Tracy Whitaker, finished second overall, losing 18.2 lbs and 13.6% of her body weight. This was also unique, because it was the first time a husband and wife ever finished in 1st and 2nd place! Sondra Martin was third, losing 30.2 lbs and 12.7% of her body weight.
Now the group needs to think about how to maintain what they’ve fought so hard for. In some cases, they’ll set new fitness and weight loss goals, with a new 12-week cycle. Others may need three or four 12-week cycles before they get where they really want to be.
To help them along, we’ll be starting Biggest Loser “19” right after the holidays on Monday, January 6th. It’s been reported that most Americans gain 5-7 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years. Hopefully that won’t happen to this group, but if it does, we’ll be ready!
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
BIGGEST LOSER "18" -- WEEK ELEVEN
We’re getting close to the finish line for this 12 week program and it’s pretty clear who the finishers will be. I always wish more people could make it to the end, but so many different things always seem to come up that make it hard for them to stick with it.
For the remaining participants, it always comes down to how well they hit their calorie targets each week, and how much they were able to keep moving. Calories out must exceed calories in. If you watch what you eat and move more, you’ll lose the pounds.
While those things are constant, we try to change the intensity of their workouts each week. As they get capable of doing more work, they’ll be able to burn more calories which means more pounds off on the scale.
The goal has always been to show them they can do much more than they thought they could do, in both the cardio room and weight room. Since this was the last chance I had to work them out, I really tried to make that point this week.
We set up a couple 6 station circuits and spent 30 seconds at each station with about a short break after each round. That amounted to about 3 ½ minutes per round, if you count movement time. The exercises were Dumbbell Curls, Box Jumps, Pushups, Kettlebell Swings, Ball Smack-downs, and Abs.
At first they thought they were doing five rounds, but after the fifth one, I let them know they were actually doing ten! It would have been hard for them to believe they could do 10 rounds, but once they were halfway, they realized that they could do it.
Since each station lasted only 30 seconds, they were able to push really hard at each station, each time. This 100% effort on each exercise is guaranteed to raise the intensity.
Two of the group are runners, doing significant mileage each week. They both said they were breathing harder and sweating more than they do during 8-10 mile runs. Another participant logged 400 calories for the 36 minute workout, which is quite good for such a short time.
This week’s Biggest Loser was Sondra Martin, who lost another 2.0 lbs and 0.8% of her body weight. Sondra’s been very consistent, averaging two and a half pounds a week for a total of 28.8 lbs. Second place went to Tracy Whitaker, losing 1.0 lb and 0.7%. Stevannah Drake was third, losing 1.0 lb and 0.6%.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
For the remaining participants, it always comes down to how well they hit their calorie targets each week, and how much they were able to keep moving. Calories out must exceed calories in. If you watch what you eat and move more, you’ll lose the pounds.
While those things are constant, we try to change the intensity of their workouts each week. As they get capable of doing more work, they’ll be able to burn more calories which means more pounds off on the scale.
The goal has always been to show them they can do much more than they thought they could do, in both the cardio room and weight room. Since this was the last chance I had to work them out, I really tried to make that point this week.
We set up a couple 6 station circuits and spent 30 seconds at each station with about a short break after each round. That amounted to about 3 ½ minutes per round, if you count movement time. The exercises were Dumbbell Curls, Box Jumps, Pushups, Kettlebell Swings, Ball Smack-downs, and Abs.
At first they thought they were doing five rounds, but after the fifth one, I let them know they were actually doing ten! It would have been hard for them to believe they could do 10 rounds, but once they were halfway, they realized that they could do it.
Since each station lasted only 30 seconds, they were able to push really hard at each station, each time. This 100% effort on each exercise is guaranteed to raise the intensity.
Two of the group are runners, doing significant mileage each week. They both said they were breathing harder and sweating more than they do during 8-10 mile runs. Another participant logged 400 calories for the 36 minute workout, which is quite good for such a short time.
This week’s Biggest Loser was Sondra Martin, who lost another 2.0 lbs and 0.8% of her body weight. Sondra’s been very consistent, averaging two and a half pounds a week for a total of 28.8 lbs. Second place went to Tracy Whitaker, losing 1.0 lb and 0.7%. Stevannah Drake was third, losing 1.0 lb and 0.6%.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
BIGGEST LOSER "18" -- WEEK TEN
I do a lot of kickboxing and other forms of martial arts training like Brazilian JiuJitsu and mixed martial arts, so as you might imagine, I also like to work them into my regular workouts.
One of my favorite workouts is to do ten 5 min rounds on the heavy bag with a 30 second break between rounds. Since it’s a lot of rounds, with little rest, it’s a pretty good workout.
Sometimes, if I don’t feel like doing so many rounds, I’ll alternate rounds on the bag with either 500 meters on the rower, or with quarter mile sprints on the treadmill. If I’m doing that, I’ll usually just do five 5 min rounds.
Once in awhile, if I’ve had trouble finding time to get my weight workout in, I’ll actually work it into a kickboxing routine, or a Brazilian JiuJitsu workout on the mat with a partner. I tend to do this more when I can roll with a partner on the mat, but hitting the bag works fine too.
The most recent example is where we did 5 minutes on the mat, and then a biceps and triceps exercise. Then we returned to the mat for another round, another set for arms, and so on. I’ve also done it with chest & back routines, and also with legs & abs, usually for 10 rounds.
Regardless what body parts you’re working on, it’ll be a tough workout, because you tend to also use the same parts kickboxing or rolling on the mat. It makes for high intensity, especially in the later rounds, and it also gives you a huge calorie burn. Trust me, your workout clothes will be totally soaked when you finish, if you’ve been pushing hard.
For this week’s Monday night group workout, we used the same idea to expand on the basic kickboxing workout we did two weeks ago. This time they learned some new combinations, and also included workout intervals. Each round lasted five minutes.
The group working their kickboxing did Jab-Cross-Low Round Kick (both sides), and then Front Kick-Jab-Cross-Low Round Kick (both sides). They worked on hand held targets for the first two rounds, and then on the heavy bag for the last two rounds.
While they were doing kickboxing, the other group did Pushups, Pull-ups, & Sit-ups or Kettlebell swings, Pull-ups & Crunches. After five minutes, each group rotated, so they all ended up with four rounds of kickboxing, and four rounds of exercises.
This week’s Biggest Loser was Steve Johnson III, who lost 2.9% of his body weight and 6.2 lbs. Debbie Eveland finished second, losing 1.2% and 1.6 lbs. Sondra Martin was third, losing 0.8% and 2.0 lbs, and Jeremy Whitaker placed fourth, losing 0.7% and 1.2 lbs.
For more information, you can reach me at the gym, email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
One of my favorite workouts is to do ten 5 min rounds on the heavy bag with a 30 second break between rounds. Since it’s a lot of rounds, with little rest, it’s a pretty good workout.
Sometimes, if I don’t feel like doing so many rounds, I’ll alternate rounds on the bag with either 500 meters on the rower, or with quarter mile sprints on the treadmill. If I’m doing that, I’ll usually just do five 5 min rounds.
Once in awhile, if I’ve had trouble finding time to get my weight workout in, I’ll actually work it into a kickboxing routine, or a Brazilian JiuJitsu workout on the mat with a partner. I tend to do this more when I can roll with a partner on the mat, but hitting the bag works fine too.
The most recent example is where we did 5 minutes on the mat, and then a biceps and triceps exercise. Then we returned to the mat for another round, another set for arms, and so on. I’ve also done it with chest & back routines, and also with legs & abs, usually for 10 rounds.
Regardless what body parts you’re working on, it’ll be a tough workout, because you tend to also use the same parts kickboxing or rolling on the mat. It makes for high intensity, especially in the later rounds, and it also gives you a huge calorie burn. Trust me, your workout clothes will be totally soaked when you finish, if you’ve been pushing hard.
For this week’s Monday night group workout, we used the same idea to expand on the basic kickboxing workout we did two weeks ago. This time they learned some new combinations, and also included workout intervals. Each round lasted five minutes.
The group working their kickboxing did Jab-Cross-Low Round Kick (both sides), and then Front Kick-Jab-Cross-Low Round Kick (both sides). They worked on hand held targets for the first two rounds, and then on the heavy bag for the last two rounds.
While they were doing kickboxing, the other group did Pushups, Pull-ups, & Sit-ups or Kettlebell swings, Pull-ups & Crunches. After five minutes, each group rotated, so they all ended up with four rounds of kickboxing, and four rounds of exercises.
This week’s Biggest Loser was Steve Johnson III, who lost 2.9% of his body weight and 6.2 lbs. Debbie Eveland finished second, losing 1.2% and 1.6 lbs. Sondra Martin was third, losing 0.8% and 2.0 lbs, and Jeremy Whitaker placed fourth, losing 0.7% and 1.2 lbs.
For more information, you can reach me at the gym, email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Monday, November 25, 2013
BIGGEST LOSER "18" -- WEEK NINE
Over the past nine weeks the group has been learning different ways to exercise, in both the cardio room, and on the weight equipment. The goal is to keep raising the level of intensity of their workouts by showing them something new each week.
This week, they learned how to perform compound movements with the long straight bar and weight plates. They’re called compound movements because they involve more than one muscle group, and since they use so many different muscles at the same time, these exercises are much more taxing. This means you’ll burn more calories faster.
The first movement is the straight bar deadlift. Bend down at the knee and waist and grab a straight bar. Being sure to use your hips and legs, and not just your lower back, you then straighten back up while dragging the bar up to your waist to an upright posture. Then you reverse the movement by bending at the knee and waist and lowering the bar back to the floor.
The second exercise is a new one called the hanging clean, which starts where the other one left off. With the bar hanging from your arms in an upright, standing position, you slightly dip your knees and hips, and then explosively drag the bar straight up your body, by pushing up with your hips, legs and calves. Your elbows will move outward, and then back inward as the bar goes up past your hands, which come in to grab the bar from below, holding it at shoulder level. Reverse the movement, letting the bar drop back to a hanging position.
The third movement also starts where the last one left off, and is called the front squat. Once you have the bar palms up in the upright position on the shoulders, with your elbows out in front of you (which keeps the bar tight to your upper chest), slowly squat down by sitting backward until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Be sure to keep your upper body as straight as possible and avoid bending forward, which can hurt your lower back. Reverse the movement by pushing up, especially from your heels, and not just the balls of your feet, until you’re standing upright again.
The final movement also begins where the last one left off, and is called the push press. This time, with the bar in the upright position, resting on your upper chest with palms up, slightly bend at the knees and hips, and then explosively straighten your legs, and hips, transferring the energy into your arms, which then explode straight upward, lifting the bar to the overhead position with arms locked out overhead. Reverse the movement until the bar is resting on your palms and upper chest.
The group performed each exercise 10 times before moving on to the next one. Once all four exercises were performed 10 times, they did a bunch of different ab exercises while waiting for their partner to complete the four movements. Then they switched back and forth until each of them had done the whole thing five times.
It’s a fairly quick workout, but it’s a barn burner, with lots of benefits. Be sure not to use much weight while you’re learning the movements. At first, you might even just use the bar, without any weights on it.
You should also get with a trainer or other qualified individual who can actually show you how to do it. You can also check out lots of videos on YouTube. Just Goggle that particular exercise and you’ll find lots of hits showing you how to do it.
This week’s Biggest Loser was Stevannah Drake, who lost 1.1% and 2.0 lbs. Second place was a tie between Tracy and Jeremy Whitaker, both losing 0.7% and 1.0 and 1.2 lbs respectively. Third place went to Sondra Martin who lost 0.4% and 1.0 lb.
For more information, you can reach me at the gym, email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
This week, they learned how to perform compound movements with the long straight bar and weight plates. They’re called compound movements because they involve more than one muscle group, and since they use so many different muscles at the same time, these exercises are much more taxing. This means you’ll burn more calories faster.
The first movement is the straight bar deadlift. Bend down at the knee and waist and grab a straight bar. Being sure to use your hips and legs, and not just your lower back, you then straighten back up while dragging the bar up to your waist to an upright posture. Then you reverse the movement by bending at the knee and waist and lowering the bar back to the floor.
The second exercise is a new one called the hanging clean, which starts where the other one left off. With the bar hanging from your arms in an upright, standing position, you slightly dip your knees and hips, and then explosively drag the bar straight up your body, by pushing up with your hips, legs and calves. Your elbows will move outward, and then back inward as the bar goes up past your hands, which come in to grab the bar from below, holding it at shoulder level. Reverse the movement, letting the bar drop back to a hanging position.
The third movement also starts where the last one left off, and is called the front squat. Once you have the bar palms up in the upright position on the shoulders, with your elbows out in front of you (which keeps the bar tight to your upper chest), slowly squat down by sitting backward until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Be sure to keep your upper body as straight as possible and avoid bending forward, which can hurt your lower back. Reverse the movement by pushing up, especially from your heels, and not just the balls of your feet, until you’re standing upright again.
The final movement also begins where the last one left off, and is called the push press. This time, with the bar in the upright position, resting on your upper chest with palms up, slightly bend at the knees and hips, and then explosively straighten your legs, and hips, transferring the energy into your arms, which then explode straight upward, lifting the bar to the overhead position with arms locked out overhead. Reverse the movement until the bar is resting on your palms and upper chest.
The group performed each exercise 10 times before moving on to the next one. Once all four exercises were performed 10 times, they did a bunch of different ab exercises while waiting for their partner to complete the four movements. Then they switched back and forth until each of them had done the whole thing five times.
It’s a fairly quick workout, but it’s a barn burner, with lots of benefits. Be sure not to use much weight while you’re learning the movements. At first, you might even just use the bar, without any weights on it.
You should also get with a trainer or other qualified individual who can actually show you how to do it. You can also check out lots of videos on YouTube. Just Goggle that particular exercise and you’ll find lots of hits showing you how to do it.
This week’s Biggest Loser was Stevannah Drake, who lost 1.1% and 2.0 lbs. Second place was a tie between Tracy and Jeremy Whitaker, both losing 0.7% and 1.0 and 1.2 lbs respectively. Third place went to Sondra Martin who lost 0.4% and 1.0 lb.
For more information, you can reach me at the gym, email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
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