New Year's Goals

Happy New Year 2013!! Hope everyone rang in the new year in grand fashion; Laura & I were at the Burj Khalifa to watch the Epic Fireworks display with some close friends.

First off, resolutions in my opinion seem very immediate, without substance; where goals have lasting effect especially when planned or simplified to easily integrate into your daily routine. For example a resolution or choice to "Eat Healthy" is great but lacks the ability to achieve the end result because the commitment is open ended... a goal on the other hand to "replace potato chips with cucumbers and hummus" or "limit coffee to one cup per day" is defined giving you the opportunity for you to be proud of achieving your target.

I have a lot of things to be proud of and grateful for in 2012. L & I really came into stride when it comes to eating healthy and cooking. Yeah we still have our pizza or thai curry every now and again but for the most part we try to stick to lots of whole foods, fruits, organic veggies, eggs and lean protein mainly fish. We even bought a Juicer!

I have turned a new leaf after watching "Forks Over Knives" practically cutting out red meat and dairy from my diet. Fish is the preferred selection with Pork & Lamb in a close tie for second.

As for working out… I’ve maintained pretty much everything throughout 2012; Weight, Muscle Mass, Body Fat & BMI hasn’t changed over the course of the year. My goal in 2013 however is to increase my muscle mass, I weight about 160 right now and would love to be up to 170 by years end; this won’t be easy especially working a full time job and trying to meet the expectations of my wonderful fiancé (who wants a puppy). Anyways, 2013 Goals: 

1. Spend more time Outdoors with L: Going to the beach, golfing, camping, fishing, hiking, etc anything to get out the apartment; while safely sustaining the Dubai summer heat. 
2. Workout at least 4 times a week focusing on Multi-Muscle Lifts: Power cleans, dead lifts, dips, pullups, squats, and core training with dumbells or kettle bells. 
3. Eat more protein: Eggs for breakfast, tuna or chicken sandwich for lunch with bean salads, nuts and dried fruits for snacks, and looking forward to trying some new recipes for dinner which I’ll be try to be more diligent to post. 
4. Stretch Everyday!! Considering I can barely touch my toes I'd like to start the day stretching.
5. Write More: Weather it’s for The Healthy Press or otherwise, allocate at least 2 hours, 2 days a week and build from there; block out the time and stay focused.
6. Make Pickles: My buddy and I started making pickles a few months back aiming to sell them at the Ripe Farmer’s Market in February; check us out Mr Pickles: Famous Pickles!

We also plan to cut down on the drinking and going out to bars to once a week. A nice night in or with close friends over a decent bottle of wine is the preferred poison now days. I have been trying to learn more about wine and fascinated with the depth of the industry, expect some upcoming posts about Wine and my progression from 2 buck to chuck to hopefully a respectable standard. 

Wishing everyone a Happy & Healthy New Year!! Cheers,

Fit Running Tips

Distance Running for me is not only good exercise but a great time to reflect... Part of me wishes I've been running for years; the other believes I've fallen upon this whole fitness thing now for a reason. 

Either way here are a bunch of tips I that would of helped me get started to train for a race. In Simple Bullet Points... Close the Gap!!

• Training: Choose a plan that fits your schedule, rushing home from work is a chore and will make the whole experience less enjoyable...

• Eating: Magnesium helps prevent cramping but Fiber causes it... What to do about those delicious leafy greens?? Still working on this one but my suggestion is to eat light, eat simple. 

• Drinking: Hydrate well the night before but minimal before the race. Once you get thirsty while running go to town on the liquids but don't overdue the gatorade, could cause cramps.

• Snacking: Dried Apricots & Almonds...

• Stretching: Don't forget your calves!! They tighten quick and don't let go.

• Listening: Live Music; feels like everyone is cheering you on!!

• Pacing: The right pace can last forever. Find it and stick to it, over exhaustion can lead to a miserable race. If you set you standards low there is only room for improvement!!

• Starting: Don't peak too soon; start slow & finish strong!!

• Breathing: I generally try to breathe normal when racing but for all the multitaskers out there deep breathes from the Belly increases the oxygen flow and reduces cramping.

• Thinking: Mind over matter. Your first long race I can promise you at some point you'll question your decision making process. I can also promise you'll be glad you did after you cross that finish line so just maintain those positive thoughts and push through!! 

• Finishing: Close the Gap!! That last 8th of the race make it a goal to slowly close the gap with person in front of you. Next thing you know you'll have some groupies on your coattail!!

• Celebrating: Have a nice protein filled meal... You'll have deserved it!! 

That's assuming you can walk... Just kidding! Hope you learned from my mistakes!! Check out more great tips from ChiRunning...

Close The Gap: A Beginners Guide to Running

Three years ago I never ran; not because I didn't have time or enjoy it but I preferred to work out by lifting in the gym. I really didn’t understand the benefits to cardio. Three years ago I also met my now girlfriend whose main method of exercise is running... so in an effort to find more activities we could do together I reluctantly started running, three years later we just ran our first Half Marathon!! 

Close the Gap is beginners guide to running but also a play on word for anyone wishing to get closer to achieving their health and fitness goals which is a developing concept. I'll just focus on the running aspect in this post mainly preparing for 5k races to marathons in a few simple concepts. 

Pace: Anyone can walk a mile, most can run a mile but the thought of completing a marathon is extremely intimidating for the vast majority. For these people I promise You Can Do It!! The key is to find the Pace between walking and sprinting that you are comfortable to maintain the desired distance.  Most people I talk to get exhausted early in the race...

THP Fit Tip #5: Don't peak too soon; start slow and finish strong!!

There are tons of tips on setting your pace, my recommendation is to take your mile time and add 25% for the average mile time ie if you are comfortable running an 8 minute mile your target average mile should be around 10 minutes. Most longer races have pace setters to follow otherwise running watches and even the new ipod nano can track your pace. 

Training: If you can run a mile you can run a marathon!! Now I can't promise you won't be super sore the next day if your muscles aren't use to long distances, even if you stretch.  Hundreds of training models exist so pick one that suits your schedule. The more training the better!!

Breathing: My suggestion is to relax do what comes natural however deep breaths, through your mouth, pushing out your belly, and standing upright will maximize oxygen intake.

Stride: For some reason I tend to get close to the front when running on treadmills but if I step back and lengthen my strides I go faster with less energy. Same rules apply for races; use your calves and push off your back leg. I see a gap and want to close it!!

Food: First off simple foods for you body to break down like whole grain pasta, fruits and vegetables low in fiber, as fiber can cause cramps, should only be consumed within 12 hours of the race. Prior to that avoid fatty or processed food and make sure to drink plenty of water!!

I had a pasta dinner with tomato sauce, chicken, and asparagus prior to the race; I estimate the meal was about 800 Calories, this will vary pending on your Metabolic Rate. For breakfast I had a piece of whole grain bread with peanut butter only. 

Most important point of all is to believe in yourself and have fun! Cause what's the point otherwise? Bright colors, headbands and high fives are highly encouraged!! 

The FST-7 Workout

Growing up I was never into stretching... maybe a couple jumping jack before soccer games or the circle of calisthenics in the sweaty wresting room. But I don't think anyone ever explained why stretching was important past the "don't pull a muscle" rationale.

After doing some research WOW! The benefits of stretching while lifting are endless!! FST stands for Fascia Stretch Training which was established by The Oak Arnold Schwarzenegger, mastered by Mr Olympia Jay Cutler who introduced the 7 number of repetitions. Essentially the goal is rip your muscles then stretch out the tear to allow more essential amino acids repair the muscles... which adds volume!! The more you lift stretch and eat good protein packed food the bigger you get.

Just to warn you I started the FST-7 chest workout on Monday and my pecks are still sore, it's Saturday!! The first day I focused on heavier weights and lifting to failure contrary to the Men's Fitness Article advising to lift more repetition at lower weights, I did this on the second day after 24 - 36 hours to allow for initial muscle repair.

Did you know flexing increases blood flow to help repair muscles? So don't make fun of the guy showing off in the mirror!!

Day 1: Power Training

• Incline Press: After a quick warmup I load the Smith Machine to fail for 4 sets of 8 - 10 reps. Recommend to descend just past 90° to avoid shoulder injury if you stack the weights.
• Incline Dumbbell Fly: Keep your arms at 45° at finish for 3 sets 10 - 12 reps. Finish with your palms up and squeeze at the top to add focus on your lower chest.
• Flat Dumbbell Press: Bringing the weights down just above your chest without touching for 3 sets of 10 - 12 reps or to fail. Keep your feet in the air to engage your core.
• Hammer Strength Press: Load weights to fail at 8 -10 reps, drop weights & immediately repeat to fail, drop weight & repeat for a total of 4 sets. Adjust height to focus on different muscles.
• Fascia Stretch Training: Between each set of the final 7 sets stretch the focus muscle. For chest; place hand on door jam and lunge for 10 seconds on each side followed by 20 seconds of flexing; with your hands clamped inhale and pull hands apart followed by exhale and press hands.
• Cable Crossovers: During the fascia stretch training perform 7 sets of cable crossovers loading the weights for 10 - 12 reps. Adjust angle to exhaust the desired muscle and squeeze at finish.

Day 2: Low Intensity Training

• Incline Dumbbell: Bench at 45° smoothly finish 4 sets of 12 - 15 reps.
• Flat Dumbbell Fly: With arms only slightly bent 4 sets of 12 - 15 reps.
• Decline Bench Press: Finish just above chest 3 sets of 12 - 15 reps on smith machine.
• Low Cable Crossovers: Start FST for first 4 sets of 12 - 15 reps. Start in a lunge and finish with arms outstretched while your back leg in the air to engage your core.
• Modified Pushups: Finish FST for last 3 sets to fail, grab two 25 pound weights to balance on the start pushups. I failed at 8 then 6 and 5...

After each day I was extremely sweaty, exhausted and very hungry... Luckily the island hotel was still serving during Ramadan and got to have my 111th Mexican Chicken Burger!! A large grilled chicken  breast, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos and amazing quacamole perfect for a post FST-7 Workout. 

One of the many benefits to lifting is that your muscles consume fuel in calories long after the exercise is finished. The results 2 days later were definitely noticeable, the top of my chest was much larger. Probably from the water intake but hey... at least I know its working!