Hunger

Hunger is the scourge of weight loss. Are you hungry, or facing and emotional or habitual need to eat.

If you ate within the last few hours, chances are your body is not asking for fuel. Are you depressed? Are you sad? Are you missing something in your life? These are all questions to ask. What about habitual eating? I used to be in the habit of getting a carbonated drink at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM. This was halfway between breakfast and lunch, and half way between lunch and going home. I was not thirst, I just had a habit. I needed to break this habit.

Will power helps, but lets give you a few more tools to use.

Water: You are mostly made up of it anyhow. Drink it. This helps to keep your stomach full. It keeps you hydrated and everything flowing smoothly inside. Yes you do go to the restroom more. What happens when you pee? You are getting ride of the waste products that your body does not need. Hey, what a great idea!

Keep good food handy: I like to keep bags of fresh fruit or vegetables close at hand. This is easy to do if you are on shore duty. At sea, well this is not so easy. Do not use the vending machine as a substitute. This could be an opportunity to talk with your CoC about having fresh fruits and veggies available between galley hours.

Eat often: Eating every few hours prevents hunger. Need I say more? Just be sure to eat natural foods, not junk.

Exercise: I’ve found that going for a walk, a run, hitting the gym, or play a sport makes me forget that I was hungry. In other words, I really was not hungry.

Try to work these 4 extra tools into your fitness plan and see how it can help you lose weight.

Don’t wait for the New Year!

New Years resolutions. Every gym in the country is trying to get you to set one to start exercising on January 1st. Why wait? What is so significant about January 1st? Waiting until then is nothing more than an artificial mental barrier. This barrier was set up in our heads while we were children. It is a sales gimmick. We watched our parents make New Years resolutions. People ask “What is your New Years resolution?” Of course, where there is demand, Entrepreneurs will provide the supply. Undoubtedly, you have see offers of this supply on TV for fitness equipment, gym memberships, and diet pills.

You don’t have to wait to start exercising, start now.

Easy Snacks

One of the challenges many people have is staying away from snacks. Here is a healthy alternative, veggie bags. Go to the store and grab your favorite veggies. Clean and cut them. Now, get some sandwich bags and fill them up. Keep them cool and handy in he fridge. Now, you have something to much on that is quick to get to. For those of you who eat six times a day, consider grabbing two bags on your way to work. Have on before lunch and another before heading home. The fiber in the veggies will help you to fill full. Also, you will not get any nasty chemicals in your system or lab created food additives.

Exercise: Bench Press

Come on guys. You know you like this one. It is the ultimate status of your manhood. It is the question that is always asked. "How much can you bench?" Well, a bench press does no good if you do it wrong. As a matter of fact, this on can seriously injure you.

A few things to consider for the bench press:

• Use a spotter.
• Keep you head, torso, and hips on the bench and your feet on the ground.
• Keep in control. Jerks do nothing but tear muscles. Smooth flowing motion develops muscle.
• Lower the bar to just above your nipples.
• Raise it but do not lock your elbows.

Exercise: Dumbbell Deadlift

This is simply a squat using dumbbells. This exercise develops your middle traps, lower back, gluteals, and hamstrings. Say what??? I mean it gives you muscular legs, and strong back, and keeps you butt from sagging.

To do this:

• Place two dumbbells shoulder width apart on the floor.
• Squat down and grab the dumbbells.
• Stand up and slowly lower the weights.
• Do not lock you knees and pause while standing.
• Keep a smooth, non jerking motion.

Exercising with Injury

I’ve been off the exercise band wagon for a few months now. I over trained my knee getting ready for Command Fitness Leader school in August and as of mid November, I’m still on the side lines. Healing is taking much longer than I expected. So, how do I stay in shape?

Over the past few months I’ve been so ticked off and worried about this injury that I’ve back off way too much on staying fit. My fear has been that this may turn into a permanent injury if I aggravate it too much and end my active lifestyle. Well, after 4 months, it is time to do something.

My doctor has cleared my for swimming and any other cardio activity that does not aggravate my knee. Obviously the first step is to see your doctor and follow their advise. I took an inventory of what I am capable of doing for short periods of time and I’ve come up with this list:
· Swimming
· Cycling
· Elliptical
· Stair climber

OK, cardio is now solved. As for strength, I’m going to take that one one day at a time. Obviously most all upper body activities should be OK with exception to any that requires me to carry weight or flex my knees. As for lower body, I’ll try various exercises to see what causes discomfort and which ones do not.

Once the doctor says go for it, create a plan that will not impede the recovery process. I did not do this a few years back. Because of the permanent injury caused by my ignorance, my arms are not several inches smaller then what they once were. Staying down for the last few months was the best option for me. Now it is time to start slowly getting back in shape.

Triathlon...Do you dare???

What the (insert explicative here) are they thinking? 2.6 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and then a full marathon. I'm watching the Ironman Championships in Kona. Interesting, a major sponsor is Navy Special Forces. So, do you dare? Triathlon is a very fast growing sport for th recreational athlet. You can find triathlons of all distances. The Ironman is the extreme.

Photos by: Bakke-Svensson/Ironman.

Care to try it out? Running is the easiest to train for. You need shoes and a road. OK, Swimming. A gym membership usally helps but if you live on a lake, no problem. The most expensive is the cycling. You need a bike. Please do not go out and buy a carbon fibre Lance Armstrong special. At the smaller races, you will see people on mountain bikes. Use what you have, buy later if you continue.

Here is an opportunity to raise physical awareness at your commands. Hold a triathlon. OK, maybe its the dead of winter. Most bases have a pool at the fitness center. Usually there are bikes and treadmills. Use your imagination.

Here is a link about the 6 sailors who completed the 2008 Ironman.

Exercise: Dips

Dips are a really versatile exercise. You can use a dip machine. This machine will have weights to reduce how much or your body weight you must raise. You can pull two benches together. Put your hands behind you on one and your feet on the other. Dip your body low between the benches and raise back up. Even to folding chairs can be used.

Dress for the weather

The days are now short and only mid day is warm. Winter is slowly sneaking up on us. Time to start thinking about how to dress outside. Dressing in layer is best. It allows you to remove layers as you heat up. A outer shell with zipper vents is a great way to keep from getting wet with sweat in the cold temperatures. Thin gloves are good from early and late winter, but consider heaver ones once things get really cold. Don't forget to check the weather before you leave. It may be sunny now, but it could get very nasty in an hour. Unlike summer where you can shed clothes to stay cool, you can only add what you have in winter.

Exercise: Lat Pulldown

The Lat Pulldown will help you to develop you upper back muscles

• When you grab the bar, use an overhand grip, but keep your thumbs on the same side as your fingers.
• Use your upper back muscles to pull your shoulder blades together.
• Pause with the bar about an inch or two from your chest.
• Slowly raise the bar.
• Momentum will not help you. Keep the motion smooth.

Good Luck Marathoners

Tommorow is the Marine Corps Marathon. I just want to wish everybody luck. This was my first marathon.




Registration starts soon for next year. Even with a field of over 30,000 runners, it does not take long to fill. It is a very well supported event.

I Want Abs!!!

Hey, who does not! Abs are more easier for guys than gals, but more women are sporting them these days. A lot of us had them, or the body fat that would have allowd them when we were teenagers. Unfortuatly beer, pizza, and a natural drop in testoserone make a goal of abs very difficult. I can tell you this much, situps will not help. You must lower your body fat. How much? well here is some oneline research:

Men 8% - Women 14% - http://www.ironmagazine.com/article12.html

Men 10% - - http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/lemare8.htm

Men 10% - Woman 14-18% - http://www.takefit.com/212/how-low-does-my-body-fat-percentage-need-to-be-before-my-abs-will-become-visible/

Men 11% - Women 17% - http://www.chiquibrosas.com/blog/2009/what-body-fat-percentage-do-i-need-for-six-pack-abs/

Men 10-12% - - http://4pack.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/4-6-pack-abs-get-body-fat-down-to-10-12/

Ok, so what is the answer? No one really knows. Each body is differentl. The following charts are from AsktheTrainer.com

By these charts, the "average" american does not have the ability to show off abs. Duh! It also shows that not everyone with "ideal" body fat will display abs. If it was easy, we would all have them. If abs is what you desire, be responsible in how you get them. Stay away from the fad diets and consider consulting a personal trainer.

You can do all the sit ups and crunches that you want, but until you safely lower your body fat those abs will never show.

Eat This not That: Part III

More good ways to eat healthier

Use Enriched Skim Milk and not whole milk.

All the good stuff, non of the bad stuff.

Pick ground turkey over ground beef or ground chicken.

Beef is big in the US. It is also not good for you. Skinless chicken breast is very good for you. Ground chicken is the breast and the skin ground up. Ground turkey is very good for you. Some do not like the rubbery texture though. See the next substitute.

Pick Bison or Elk Over Beef.

OK, this might sound like the whole Ostrich meat thing all over again. Truth be told, both bison and elk are outstanding. The Louis and Clark expedition took advantage of this treasure of the great plains. In April of 1805, Lewis wrote that his men ate up to 9 to 10 pounds a day each. Bison and elk are low in fat an cholesterol. Something that beef cannot claim.

Make your own pizza.

Frozen pizza is high in fat and trans-fats. Make your own to make it healthy and better tasting.

Choose broccoli instead of celery.

Celery may make a quick snake, but it is lacking in nutritional value. Try raw broccoli instead. Another good use of broccoli is as the base for your salad instead of lettuce.

Exercise: Pullup

This is one of the basics for the military. When I first enlisted at my reserve center, I used a pullup bar outside the drill deck. I could not figure out why everyone looked at me funny. Apparently it is because that only the marines used it. Well, times have changed. I see many more pullup bars on bases and ships.

• Using an overhand grip at should width, pull yourself up and hold for 2 - 3 seconds.

Exercise: Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

One thing that I like about dumbbells is that that force you to exercise your stabilization muscles as well as prevents your strong side from helping your weak side. He is a variation on the Dumbbell press.

• Set a bench to 10 - 30 degrees.
• Lower the dummbells to your armpits and then raise them back up.
• Do not lock you elbows or bag the weights together.
• Keep in control.

Eat This not That: Part II

Here are some more food substitutes:

Pick Whole Wheat bread instead of white bread.

Just remember to get "Whole Wheat"

Use reduced fat mayo instead of regular mayo.

Some brands will advertise "50% less fat then regular". Well, check the regular. It is easier to produce a fat produced then a reduced fat product. The regular may have an overwhelming amount of fat compared to its competitors. The reduced fat may not be much better then the regular varieties out there. Read the labels.

Use Half & Half cream instead of whole cream.

Hey, you will probably not notice the difference in you java anyhow. Just stay away from Starbucks. Seriously, do you know how much fat, surger, and calories are in those things? (http://dietbites.com/Calories-In-Starbucks-Coffee.html)

Pick multigrain chips instead of regular chips.

This on kind of violates the rules on eating lab created foods. but multigrain chips made from whole wheat have benefits for weight control.

Dark greens instead of iceberg lettuce.

Lets get to the point, iceburg lettuce is like water with a green membrane. Choose a darker green vegetable. Spinach is a good one. I know, your kids will never eat it. Don't tell them what it is. To them spinach is the pile of green goo that is splattered on their lunch tray at school.

Exercise: Dumbbell Lunge

You will feel this one. I seriously suggest starting with weights that are light.

• You can alternate legs or do an entire set on just one.
• Step forward and down, but do not let your knee touch the ground.
• Push yourself back up.

Again, use lighter weights then you what you think you should use. You will feel this one.

Exercise: Leg Press

The leg press will really give your quads (The big muscles on your upper legs) and you butt a workout.

• Keep your back firmly on the seat.
• Place you feet should width apart.
• Do not lock your legs.

Eat This Not That: Part I

One of the ways that you can remove unhealthy chemicals and calories from your diet is substituting foods. Here are a few examples:

Use while wheat pasta instead of white flour pasta.
If there is a difference in taste, I have yet to find it. The whole wheat will help you feel fuller, longer.

Add oatmeal to your cereal.

We are not talking about the instant kind. Using less surgery cereal and more oatmeal will reduce the processed suger you take in. The fiber will also help lower your cholesterol levels.

Use chocolate drizzled strawberries instead of Candy.

They taste better. You get your chocolate fix, and no trans fats. Remember moderation on the chocolate. It's drizzled, not dipped.

Use frozen shrimp instead of fish sticks.

This is a very easy to prepare food. Since it is already cooked, just a few minutes in running water thaws them out. Great in salads and high in Vitamin D.

Use fresh herb or Ms. Dash instead of salt.

News flash. American food is already very high in salt. To us, salt in food makes the food taste better. It also increases our blood pressure, retains water (makes you look fat), and causes heart disease.

Use canned tomatoes instead of tomato sauce.

Read the labels. I'm looking at them right now.

One can of canned tomatoes

• 10.5 grams of suger
• 0 grams of fat
• 90 calories
• 220 mg of sodium

One can of tomato sauce

• 66 grams of suger
• 15 grams of fat
• 480 calories
• 3900 mg of sodium

A compromise would be one part tomato sauce to one can on canned tomatoes.

Hydration

Think of your blood cells as fish and your veins as a river. The fish can't get to where they need to go if the river is running dry. Stay hydrated. Water is very important in exercise. It allows your body to carry nutrients to your muscles and carry away waste.

In the summer heat, it keeps you cool. If you stop sweating, you had better stop exercising and start drinking.

In the winter cold, it allows warmth to be moved to your extremities. With out warmth, your fingers and toes will go numb or worse, Frost bite.

Some people say that they do not carry a hydration belt because of the extra weight. Come on. If you are extercising you should have lost a pound or two by now. This is good weight. It helps you exercise longer. Still, if you do not want to carry one, choose a route with plenty of drinking fountains. As a percaution, I carry a $5 bill in my running shoes. After a few minutes in the sun, it is dry and the store clerk will have no idea that it has been at the bottom of your sweaty sneakers for the past 3 months.

Stay Cool

Summer is still here. For those of you who are parents, I know that you are quietly counting down the days till the free day care kicks in. But the heat will be here for quite sometime. August can be a scorcher. Heat releated illness is no joke. Take the symptons seriously. While exercising, if you experience cramping, dizziness, cold or clammy skin, or fast or slow breathing, you may be in trouble. Seek a cool environment as soon as possible. Heatstroke is a life threating condition. This is one of those things where exercise will no longer be a benifit to you. Its best to retreat today, to live and fight another day.

Working with pain

I’m actually writing this article with a little bit of pain in my knee. I’ve written before about the good pain and the bad pain. This is clearly the bad pain. It shows up after about 3 miles or running. I’m well aware that I’m 37 now. I do have 2 “permanent” injuries that I will live with for ever. Both those injuries became permanent because I was stupid and did not stop exercising when I should have. I do not want this to be the third one.

Cross training is one way to deal with pain. I’m cross training on my bicycle right now. It offers my a low impact workout to stay in shape, while reducing the stress on my knee Now with wind chill I sometimes do this in the gym, but we do still have some mild days that I can go outside and exercise. Swimming is also a good activity to consider.

Finally rest. Your body is injured. Listen to it and just take a week off. Remember “Retreat today to live and fight another day.”

Burning Calories

Those of you in my unit know that I am not the best at counting calories while eating. As a matter of fact, many of you have noted that I eat a lot. Hey, I save my cheat day for drill weekend. I do like to know how I'm doing buring those calories. The link below takes you to Runners World magazines web site and their calorie counter. It is basic, but gives you an idea of how many calories you burned. Remember that 3500 colories equals 1 pound.

http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/caloriecalculator/0,7153,s6-242-306-313-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

When Lightning Strikes, Go Inside

Every year Americans are killed or injured from lightning. Here are some statistics from the NOAA:

• To date, in 2009, 24 people have been killed by lightning
• In 2008, 28 people died due to lightning strikes
• Hundreds of others were permanentlyinjured. Of the victims who were killed by lightning in 2008:
  
  • 100% outside
  • 79% male
  • 36% males between the ages of 20-25
  • 32% under a tree
  • 29% on or near the water

When you hear thunder, take your workout inside.

FDA Dietary Suppliment Information

Friday I posted a quick blg about the FDA hydroxicut recall. Below is the link to the FDA Consumer Updates for Dietary Suppliments.

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm153239.htm

It is true that our olympic athelets take suppliments like protien, but you should always consult your doctor about any suppliments that you wold like to take.

Pain: Good or Bad?

Pain is part of exercise. It is either a good pain, or a bad pain. The good pain is the burning of your muscles. That warm feeling that lets you know you are becomming stronger. The bad pain is usually sharp and unexpected. The good pain means keep going. The bad pain means stop right now!

Take heed to the bad pain. It is your bodies way of telling you that you have gone to far. You have injured yourself. If you do not stop now, you may be injured permanently. You do not want to pres your luck with this pain.

The good pain is not just the burn of the workout, but that settle hint the next day that you did good. Should that settle hint cause you to walk funny or keep you from exercising again, then you pushed it to far. Find that level where you know you did good, but not to much.

Hydroxycut Recall

I just stumbled upon this on the Navy Physical Readiness website.

-hydroxycut warning 5/1/2009 - stop taking Hydroxycut due to liver problems-tainted weight loss pills 12/22/2008 Please consider consulting you doctor befor taking suppliments. The suppliment industry pay big bucks to not be regulated like the drug industry. Kind of makes you wonder why.

50 Days and counting

For CPPD-MW, it is 50 days and counting until the Fall PFA. For anybody who required measuring in the spring, it is time for a little honesty. If you have not yet made an effort to make sure I do not need to stick my nose under your arm pits to wrap the tape measure around you, please try this workout. It is called the "50 States climbing challeneg" You can find it on my NavyFit website at http://sites.google.com/site/navyfit/cardio/50-state-climbing-challeng. This will help you shed some pounds before the PFA. You will have to commit 1 hour a week. Speak for all CFLs out there, we would appriciate it.

The Call of the Wild

Getting tired of your gym yet? The same roads put you to sleep on your runs? Try a trail. Trail running, or even hiking, adds new elements to your exercise and stimulates your mind by offering you something else to look at. I live in Indiana. Let's face it. Kansas has more hills then Indiana. As a matter I've been to 36 states. Only 2 of them are flatter then Indiana. In my hometown, you can stand 5 miles from town and see it. The only reason you could not see farther is because of the trees.

Trails offer you something different. Depending on where you live, trails can offer you:

• Plains
• Deserts
• Mountains
• Rivers
• Oceans
• Forests
• Glaciers

None of which your gym can offer you. Try it some time when you need some rejuvenation in your workout.

10 Weeks and counting

I hate to say this, but we are at that time of the year that we have to think about the fall PFA. Use the summer to your advantage and start losing those lbs. For those of you who required measureing during the sring PFA, 6 months is enough time to work off the extra lbs. For those of you who have not yet started, osing more then 2 lbs a week is not recommened. Be smart about it.

Summer Goals (Triathlon)

Triathlon! Are you kidding me??? Actually, triathlons are one of the fastest growing sports for the casual athlete looking for a new challenge. Nascars Tony Kanaan is a triathlet (https://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=19591&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0). You will be surprised to learn that there are many “sprint” triathlons in your area. The swim may only be the length of a football field. The run may only be 5 miles. The challenge (and benefit) is to get your body for three disciplines. Many casual triathlets will not have a carbon fiber frame bike. The bike is obviously the biggest investment. You can use your mountain bike if you want to. Don’t be shy, just Tri It!

Summer Goals (Walking)

Walking may not sound like a very aggressive sport, but for many, it can be a key ingredient into a fit life style. Although I encourage more strenuous activities, walking can have some great health benefits for those whom may not be able to exercise like an 18 year old. Walking will get you moving, which most of us only do on the way to the fridge or in a car. Start off walking around your neighborhood. Summer sun to hot, wake up earlier an go walking in the morning. Need motivation, walk with your spouse. The dog will love it to. IN the end, walking can help you to lose weight and have stronger bones and cardiovascular system.

Summer Goals (Cycling)

Cycling can be a great fitness and social activity. Many cities through the country have cycling lanes and trails. You do not need anything more than a helmet and a bike to enjoy this sport. I do recommend a few things though.

Cycling shorts:
These shorts come in introductory models (4 and 6 panels) and higher performance (8 panels). The number of panels is the number of different pieces of fabric used to conform to your body. The padding has very little to do with comfort. It is more for whisking away moisture.

Your seat:
Your seat will be your posterior will want the most investment. If you start going long, you will understand. Most of your body weight will be focused on a few square inches. Choose wisely.

Bike adjustment:
Take the time to have a cycling profession properly adjust your bike for your specific biometrics and the type of ridding you will do.

Where you ride and how far you go is entirely up to you. While driving over the Big Horm mountains of Wyoming, I came across a very large group of cyclists. Their goal was to go from Sheridan Wyoming to Lovell Wyoming on their bikes. All skill levels were represented on the 80 mile ride. The only problem for them was the 9,000 foot mountain range in their way. At the highest point on the road, you could hear the screams of success from each rider as they passed by.

What will be your success?

Summer Goals (Stair Climber)

One of my ways of keeping off the weight is the stair climber. The stair climber is lower impact then running, but it burns calories just as fast. The stair climber is not for everyone. If you have knee or loer back problems or trouble going up stairs, consult your doctor first.
When you use the stair climber, be prepared to sweet. When you get on the stair climber, it will ask you to select a program. You do not want to select manual. You want variation in your speed to receive the full benefits of the workout. You will be prompted for your weight. Be honest, no one is looking. You will then select an intensity level. Start at level 8. I usually use level 10-12. Next, you will select how many minutes you want to climb.

Start at 5 minutes at level 8. You may choose any program. This will be a slow climb. For each additional workout, add 1 minute. You decide on the intensity level and program. Once you get up to 20 minutes, you should be climbing around 100 floors (1,000 feet) and burning at least 300 calories.
Doing 20 minutes 2 times a week will allow you to burn off more the 2 lbs by the end of August. The after burn effect will allow you to continue to burn more calories while sitting at work.

Summer Goals

Without a doubt, the warm weather is here. No more excuses. It is time to make a goal. 9 out of 10 Americans go through life without writing down their goals. I believe that is one of the reasons we do an annual and mid-term consoling with our subordinates. To help get them to set attainable goals. You can do the some for your personal fitness. Now, losing 20 lbs a week, like on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" is not a reasonable goal. Losing 2 lbs a week is. Running a marathon may not seem like a reasonable goal, but it could be. The only question is, are you willing to improve your health and your quality of life?

Here is a step by step plan to reaching a half marathon distance.
1) Run a 5K
The 5K is only 3.1 miles. It is the most common racing distance you will find and it is very easy to train for.

2) Run a 10K
A 10K may seem like an eternity the first time you run one. It will take most people about an hour.

3) Run A 15K or 10 miler
15K and 10 miles runs are a bit more rare, but you can fine them. To train at this distance, it is easy to find an excuse to stop. To help tame this urge to quite, I run out 5 miles. That way, I'm forced to return the rest of the distance under my own power. I would also plan a route with plenty of drinking fountains or carry your fluids in a hydration belt. At this distance, you are going to long to rely on your body's reserves.

4) Run a half marathon.
Distances of 1/2 to full marathons can be a destination weekend in itself. The list below provides a few.

Navy Half Marathon
Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon
Marine Corps Half Marathon
Las Vegas Half Marathon
Black Hills Half Marathon
Norfolk Half Marathon
Achorage Marathon and Half Marathon
Pittsburg Half Marathon
Minneapolis Half Marathon
Memphis Marathon and Half Marathon

Running into the Wind

This is a personal choice. Do you run with the wind? Against the wind? Do you keep it to your side? For me it depends on the season.

During the winter months, I try to keep it to my side. That way I’m not fighting a big wind chill. During the summer months though, I like to finish in the wind. This may go against common sense. After all, you are normally not at peak performance at the end of your run. I like to do it for two reasons. Finishing in the wind while I’m at my weakness really drives home the workout. I also like it because it helps me stay cool. I run hot. There is no question about it. While training for a marathon, even at night, I am soaking wet when I finish. Running into the wind help provide a little bit of wind chill to help get rid of some heat.
Don’t be afraid of the wind.

The Century Workout

In every fitness routine, you will hit a plateau. A plateau is a stop in progress. You may be eating right and exercising right, but you measurement of progress has stopped. This measurement may be your weight, how fast you can run or how much you can lift. You need to get past the plateau. To do this, you need to try something different. Try this workout out.

The century workout should tell you that you are about to do something 100 times. Reduce your normal lift for each muscle group to 1/3 of what you have been doing. Now, try 1 set of 100 reps. It may seem like a waste of time for about 50 reps. It will become a muscle burner after that.

Doing this shocks your muscles because you are doing something completely different. This is how you can help push your way over the plateau.

How Much Have You Burned?

Right off the bat, I am not big on counting calories. For our people at sea, that would be a little difficult. I do look at the food labels when I'm at the grocery store. I'm interested in the servings, calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and protein. But I do not keep a log of my caloric intake. I do like to see how many I burn off though. Here is a tool from Runners World to help you estimate how much you have burned off.

http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/caloriecalculator/0,7153,s6-242-306-313-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

Remember, 3,500 calories = 1 lb of fat. This tool does not take into account intensity, elevation or topology. But it still serves a purpose. Are you burning enough on your cardio days?

Kick an Addiction and Start a New One

I was in the Navy Exchange with a good friend of mine at Naval Station Great Lakes. Yes, home to our Recruit Training Command. Both of us stood in awe at a disturbing site. You see, over the past year our Navy has been pushing a "Culture of Fitness". This blogsite supports the Navy's effort in every way to help Sailors become healthy, productive members of the fleet. What we could not understnad is the special section of the Exchange dedicated to the selling of tobaco products. What message are we sending to our young sailors? I also noticed that the parents of our new shipmates were also taken back at the length of the line waiting to purchase their drug of choice.

I took the time to visit the Surgen Generals website. By the way, the current Surgen General is Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H. In the Reports and Publications Section, I invite you to look at Tobacco Cessation - You Can Quit Smoking Now! It not only provides resources to help you quit smoking, but also tells you how you are affecting those around you.

For us non-smokers, that same report offers tips and advice on how to protect ourselves from second hand smoke.

Your health and the quality of your life, and your families is in your hands. I invite you to quit this addication to nicotine, and start an addiction to living a healthly lifestyle.

Carry the Burn

Carry the Burn is a new exercise technique that I've been working on. The idea behind Carry the Burn is to get your muscles to work past exhaustion (and give you a really great pumped up look). Here is how it works.

• Select the muscle groups that you want to work on. Now focus on one group.
• Ok, now select an exercise. You want to set the weight to be fairly strenuous.
• Do 8 - 15 reps.
• Rest for 15 seconds.
• Set the weight to the next lowest setting and repeat.
• Do this process for 5 sets.
• Move on to the next muscle group.

The idea is to create a burn that is carried to the next set. Once you get adjusted to this workout, repeat the process on the same muscle groups, but with different exercises.

Enjoy!

Summer Time Burn

No, we are not talking about sun burns here. We are talking about keeping our bodies in burn mode. First off, good job CPPD-MW on the PFA. I'll be sending each of you individual progress reports to let you see how you did. Now, let's burn.

I would like to invite everyone to take advantage of the summer time and lose a uniform size. One way to do this is to burn calories while sitting on your butts. No, this is not an infomercial for some new expensive gadget that has a better chance of emptying your wallet then making you thin. It is simple biology. Our bodies are genetically tuned to store fat for times of famine. Well, I don't know about all of you, but my local super market is not showing signs of a food shortage. Your body will store fat if it perceives that there is a shortage of food. So....make sure you are feeding the beast, often.

I would like everyone to try eating 6 times a day. You should eat every 2 to 3 hours staring with breakfast. Maybe I should clarify, you should eat smart every 2 to 3 hours. The idea is to put real food into your bodies before your body realizes it is hungry. By doing so, your bodies will continue to burn calories as opposed to store them. What I mean by real food is food that is not over processed or cooked in grease. Also, eat in moderation. If you need to loosen your belt and take a nap after each feeding, this will not work. I will warn you, once your body becomes accustomed to eating this often, it will let you know when you are running late for a feeding.

This is only one part for my fitness triad. Look for the Summer edition of the CPPD-MW Fitness Newsletter next month for the complete triad.

New Look!

Navy Fit has changed its look!

Now that the spring time Physical Readiness Test has passed, it is time to start working on some life long changes. Stay tuned for the weekly update with new fitness tips and stradegies to help you find the right plan to live life to its fullest.

PFA is next weekend!

This is it! Over the past few months I've done my best to help pass on tips and motiviation to everyone. This saturday, we are going to see how we all did. Remember to help your shipmate out and to encourage anybody who may have difficulties to do push further then they thought possible. We are looking at a very dispesed PFA schedule at this point.

1) 9AM: 3 cyclists (No more seat availible for this one)
2) After that: A swimmer
3) Afternoon PFA for everyone else who is doig the run
4) After that the final PFA for the remaining cyclist.

This is subject to change. Please have your PT gear in your cars on Saturday. If it has been issues, Uniform for these evolutions is the offical PT gear.

As for your final workout, do the full PRT at least once. Do not do anything after Thurseday that may cause you sorness. In preparing for a marathon, your logest run is usually 2 weeks before the marathon. You begin scaling back your distance for the next two weeks to refresh your body. This is the same principal. Take Friday off.

Results from my seond business trip experiment.
I'm happy to say that I lost a pound on this business trip. I took my mountain bike with me. I was able to get in a 10 mile ride in with hills and wind. I also management a 4 mile trail run and my gym finally opened.

13 Days and counting

13 more days!

How many calories have you burned? Try this online tool from Runner's World
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/caloriecalculator/0,7153,s6-242-306-313-0-0-0-0-0,00.html


Last weeks business trip experiment did not go as well as planned. I gained 1 half pound. The Gym I was going to use had not yet opened. There goes the weight training. Also, thunderstorms keep me in three evenings. I did manage to get a 3 mile run and a 4 mile hike in.

Busines Trip Experiment Take II
This week I'll be on the road again. I'm at the same hotel without a pool or a fitness room. I'm planning on doing a cardio week. The evening prep work for my client will be more extensive, but I'm willing to bet the I can get in at least 2, four mile runs in. I'll be starting the week at 167.5 lbs.

For this weeks workout.
- Touch your toes and hold.
- Push ups - Do 10 more then your goal.
- Sit-ups - Do 10 more then your goal.
- Cardio - Go longer by at least 5 minutes.

20 Days and counting

Only 20 days are left. It is not to late. I've heard from most of CPPD-MW and it sounds like people are doing their part to stay above the failure line. I encourage everyone to strive to do more then just pass. If you are going to "just pass", you may "just fail." Everyone has received a copy of what their requirements are and know what they need to do. Look at what you did in the fall and work to exceed it. By training to do more or go faster, you will help to ensure that on April 4th you stay comfortably above the line and not just above it.

This week I'm also trying an experiment. I'll be traveling on business all week and I want to see if I can continue to drop weight while on a business trip. I'm starting out at 167. I did a little prep work before I left.

1) I'll be staying at an extended stay about a mile from my clients office. That way, I'll be able to use the kitchen in my room to keep me from going crazy with the fast food.
2) About 2 miles away is a gym that I have a membership at.
3) I checked the weather for the week and I've packed appropriate clothing for outdoor activity after work.
4) I know that there is a grocery store within a mile of my hotel.

Hopefully this will translate into another pound or two off before the PFA.



For this weeks workout.

• Touch your toes and hold.
• Push ups - Do 10 more then your goal.
• Sit-ups - Do 10 more then your goal.
• Cardio - Go longer by at least 5 minutes.

28 Days and counting!

First off, sorry about last Mondays posting being published a few days early. That was a programming error on my part.

Spring is coming! I encourage all of you to feed the beast. Yes, I’m encouraging all of you to eat. I know this close to the PRT that is usually not recommended. That fact is if you diet now, your body will go into “Store mode” in which you will gain weight. You want your body in burn mode this month. Try to eat (in moderation) six times a day. Of course, choose your food wisely. Eating pizza six times a day will only tighten the belt, not loosen it. Choose snacks that give your body what it needs. There is nothing wrong with eating an apple on break as opposed to a bag of cheesy puffs.

It is no secret that I’m a fan of the biggest loser. These two links are for receives from the show from chefs Curtis Stone and Rocco

http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/exclusives/nutrition/curtis-stone-recipes/
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/exclusives/nutrition/roccos_recipes/

This week’s workout

1) Stretch! You know the drill. I’m still trying to touch my toes and hold them so don’t feel bad…unless you are not even trying.

2) Pushups. At this point, all of us should be closing in on the maximum pushup points for the PFP. I encourage you to go 10 more. This way you will have the confidence to know, you will max out this exercise.

3) Core exercises. Don’t hesitate to go to the gym and make yourself sore. Stronger core muscles will go a long way for you.

4) Cardio. Cross training time. If you have a gym membership, select 3 cardio machines. Do each for 10 minutes at moderate intensity. If you do not, go for a bike ride, x-country skiing, or even go run on trails. Do something different and reap the rewards.

Gain Weight to Lose Weight

The title of this blog may seem like an oxymoron, but it is true. You actually can lose weight by gaining some. Muscle weight that is. We are not talking about looking like Hulk Hogan here. Your muscles are your body's furnace. Your body fat is the coal reserves for your furnace. When you eat, you maintain a reserve supply of energy. When you eat too much, you add more to your reserves. Your muscles burn these reserves. The more muscle you have, the more energy they will burn. The best part is muscle burns fat while you sleep, as well as during exercise. Yep, you can lose weight while sitting on your butt.


How much muscle do you need? Well, let's look at it this way. 1 lb of muscle will burn 50 calories a day. 10 lbs of muscle will burn 500 calories a day or 3,500 calories a week without you lifting a finger. It gets better. 1 lb of fat stores 3,500 calories. In short, build 10 lbs of muscle and lose a pound a week by sleeping. After talking with a trainer at LA Fitness, he told me this takes about 10-12 months for the average person to accomplish. Obviously a commitment and a small expense in new athletic cut uniforms, but the health benefits can prolong your "active years" and lead to a longer life.


I do not have the stats for the ladies, but after 30, the average man loses 1% of their muscle per year. Not to scare anybody, but exercise can stop and reverse that lose.



This week’s workout
1) Stretch. Hold on to your toes for 5 seconds. No quick touch and goes.
2) Pushups. If you've been adding 1 a day, you should be able to do 60 by now.
For many, you are approaching the maximum for your age groups on the pushups. To help build confidence, continue on for 10 more past your PFP max.
3) Core exercises. Alternate between different types of core exercises to strengthen all your core muscles.
4) Cardio. Get up to at least 2 miles without stopping this week. "Wait a second! I only run 1.5 miles twice a year. We do not test for 2 miles." That is right, we do not. The concept is both conditioning and physiological. Two miles will give you a weight benefit and the confidence to know during the PFP, you can run farther than required.

How to Join a Big Gym for Little Money

This week my wife and I decided to give LA Fitness a try. One is being built just 2 miles from our home. We have been members at AnyTime Fitness for a year and a half now. When we joined, our work made the trip to AnyTime Fitness easy. Well, both work and life changed and now our old gym is about 15 minutes in the wrong direction. We toured another LA Fitness about 20 minutes from home to see if we would want to join. We were hoping to get a Grand Opening discount. Well, that particular location could not give it to us because they had been open for some time. Here is where you can save some money. Ask them to register you at a location that is offering some type of grand opening discount. Like most large fitness center chains, your membership at one, is good at all others. He simply took our information, faxed it to the new gym to be processed, and handed us our membership cards. The end result for our month-to-month membership saved us several hundred dollars over the course of the next two years. He said he actually processed a membership for a lady in Texas during his gym's grand opening special, saving her hundreds of dollars as well.

This weeks workout:
1) Stretch. You should be able to touch your toes by now.
2) Push ups. If you've been adding 1 a day, you should be able to do 54 by now.
3) Core exercises. Alternate between different types of core exercises to strengthen all your core muscles.
4) Cardio. Get up to at least a mile and a half without stopping this week.

The Clock is Ticking

This last week, we meet some friends for dinner at a place that we have never been before. I'm a fan of the Mom and Pop operation. You usually get the best food at these places. What my wife and I were not prepared for is the smoke. The establishment was the client of our friends. They make it a habit at eating at the establishments of those who do business with them. From a business perspective, it is a smart move. Well, 2 days later, I'm still coughing.

The clock is ticking is not only a reminder that the PFA is in a few weeks, but also a reminder to our shipmates about the dangers of smoking. I was exposed for almost two hours to secondhand smoke and I'm still effected by the smoke of that night. Image your loved ones around you. Smoking is a personal decision, but I highly encourage everyone to breath smoke free. http://www.smokefree.gov/ has resources to help you get started in kicking the nicotine addiction and your doctor can also provide assistance.

From a financial point of view during this recession, lets look at the cost. In Indiana, a pack of cigarettes cost $4.10. One pack a day over a week is $28.70. Over the course of a year, that is $1496.50. For comparison, you can have a 4 night stay at the Shades of Green, 2 days at Disney Theme Parks, and round trip tickets from Indianapolis to Orlando for less then a year of smoking a pack a day.

This weeks workout:
1) Stretch. You should be able to touch your toes by now.
2) Push ups. If you've been adding 1 a day, you should be able to do 47 by now.
3) Core exercises. Do not forget your back. Even though we do not test for back strength, you need to have a strong back to support those six pack abs.
3) Cardio. Everyone should be able to do at least a mile and a half within the time required by your age. If not, you really need to be getting to work.

3 days a week. That is all you need.

The countdown has started!

I would like to thank those individuals who commented about how much I ate this weekend while at NOSC Chicago. For the record, I lost another pound over the weekend. How??? Well let’s look at what I ate.

Prior to leaving for the airport, I made sure I had lunch. I also stopped at the USO and snacked on Power Aid and a trail mix bar. My wife also packed some nutria grain bars in my backpack to make sure I was not tempted by the overpriced goodies at the airport. Thursday night The Grubbster and I had dinner at the Rain Forest Café. My meal was the chicken fajitas. Now, I do not deny that I ate all the chicken and veggies. I did not touch the sour cream and only part of the cheese. In short, I had a relatively healthy meal. I also stocked my quarters with fruit and mostly ate Subway the rest of the weekend. My one vice was the pizza at Silo. But hey, you need a cheat day at least once a week.

I had hoped to get to the gym, but time only allowed for pushups and sit-ups every morning. I did take an hour and went hiking at O’Hare. Yes, I said hiking. I’ll be sharing that one in the next issue of our unit’s fitness newsletter due out in May.
Now is a really good time for a really good reality check. Ask yourself these questions:
1 – Are you in shape?
2 – Are you comfortable in a bathing suit?
3 – Can you go outside, right now, and get at least an Excellent on the PRT?

Most people will answer no to at least 2 out of 3 of these. Don’t put it off any more, get ready for the PFA.

This week make sure your run a mile at least twice. You can do a third mile or some other form of cardio. Don’t look at the minimum for your push-ups and sit-ups. Look at the maximum and build up to that goal. As the lesson above shows, you can still eat well, as long as you eat smart.

10 Weeks to Go!

OK CPPD-MW. We have our drill wekend set for April 4th and 5th. The PFA will be held on the Track. Please be prepared for cool temperatures. For those of you who have either been following the blog for the last 2 months or who started on the catch up plan in January, you should all be in really good shape for the PFA.

t this point you should be spending at least two days a week dedicated to preparing for the PFA. You also need to be spending at least another day of the week in some sort of physical activity. In running we have a saying "Train he way you plan to race." In otherwords, do your PFA training in this order.

• Warm up
• Toe Touch
• Pushups
• Curl ups
• Run
• Cool down

This will get you body used to the different stresses you will place on it. When I ran the PRT just a few weeksprior to a marathon, everyone expected an incrediable run. After all, I was running 20 miles every other day. A 1.5 mile run is nothing. Wel, before those 20 miles runs, I di not do 95 push ups. To complete those pushups, your body will redirect bloodflow to your ches and away from your legs. The 1.5 mile run was ood, but far from what it could have been. I was not training for a PRT at the time and it showed.

One last bit of motivation. Watch the "Biggest Loser." It is proof positive that no matter what your age or physical condition, you can improve your health and your qualityof life for the long term.

Below is the receipe posted by Chef Curtis Stone on last weeks "The Biggest Loser" as a way of making buffao wings for your Suppoer Bowl Party. I'll be taking this receipe over to a SUper Bowl party this evening to see how they go over.

Rosemary Skewered Chicken with Orange Glaze

Serves 6-->

INGREDIENTS

• 
  Juice of 3 oranges
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 6 large sprigs of rosemary about 10 to 12 inches long, with half the leaves removed
  

METHOD

1. 
   Preheat a grill or grill pan on medium high heat.
   
2. Place the orange juice into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the orange juice has the consistency of a very thin syrup.
   
3. Add the Dijon, honey, garlic, and ginger and continue cooking over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
4. Remove from heat to allow flavors to meld and reserve.
   
5. Evenly divide the cubed chicken among the rosemary sprigs and skewer the chicken onto the exposed part of the rosemary sprigs.
   
6. Lightly brush the grill with oil and grill chicken for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F on an instant read thermometer.
   
7. Remove skewers from the grill to a serving plate, drizzle with the orange sauce and serve immediately.

Navy Fit Week 13

Normal program:
2 minutes of streching (Unless you can already touch you toes).
Guys - 25 pushups
Ladies - 13 pushups

Guys - 30 crunches

Ladies - 20 crunches

20 minutes of running for all.

Catch up program:
You should be up to 19 pushups and 19 situps by today. Keep adding 1 per day.
Start stretching. We are adding that to the program next week.
This week we need to do 20 minutes of walking, 3 times a week.

Navy Fit – Week 14

How are those New Year Resolutions doing? Remember, there are two programs listed here now. One for those of you who have been following this blog for the past 2 months, and a catch up program.

Normal program:
2 minutes of streching (Unless you can already touch you toes). Guys - 20 pushups Ladies - 11 pushups Guys - 25 crunches Ladies - 17 crunches 15 minutes of running for all.

Catch up program:
For our upper body and core exercises, we are now adding to them. In short, you are adding on rep per day. So, on January 12th, you will be doing 12 pushups and 12 core reps. Continue to alternate the exercises to cover more muscle groups.

We also need to be moving. Do at least 15 minutes of walking, 3 time per week. You should not be spending more than 1 hour per week at this point on your PFA training.

Navy Fit - Week 15

Happy New Year!

According to a study by the University of Maryland, your New Years resolutions are already starting to get pushed to the back burner. For what ever reason we think of January first as the time to change our lives. By January 31st, we say that I'll try again next year. Well, as the years pass, our opportunity to extend the productive years of our lives get shorter and shorter.

The next season of NBCs "The Biggest Loser" will feature two contestant I want everybody to see. On is a yung man who will start the show as the heaviest person ever to complete on "The Biggest Loser". Another one is the oldest. Both will be trying to save their lives. I have not seen nor heard of what transpires, but I know that time is ticking away for both.

For those of you in the unit who have not been following this program, I strongly encourage you to stand in front of your mirror in your birthday suit and ask if you have been a good custodian of your body. Two programs are now going to be listed here. I'm now six weeks into recovering from a respitory infection. My lung capacity is that of a smoker while I'm working to kick this infection. If I can do it, you can to.

Normal program:
We are going to start doing mini PRTs. It is important to do this in the order of the PRT. In the past, I've trained by first running, and then doing the pushups and situps. On PRT day, that is not the order we do them. As a result, my runs are up to a minute slower.

2 minutes of streching (Unless you can already touch you toes).
Guys - 15 pushups
Ladies - 10 pushups

Guys - 20 crunches
Ladies - 15 crunches

15 minutes of running for all.



Catch up program.
Again, we need to ease our bodies into physical activity. We are going to start out with 10 pushups and 10 flutter kicks. We are going to do this until January 11th. At that point, we are adding one rep per day. Also, we are changing between two different exercises depending on the day.

On even number days, do your pusups with you hands close to your body. This will promot a workout in the arms. On odd days, use a wide hand position. This will work your pectorals.

For your core exercises, do a four count flutter kick on even days and crunches on odd days. This will work a wider range of abdominal muscles. Optionally, you can do supermans to help pull your guts in and balance your abdominal strength.