Kinda sad to call it quits for the year, but we had more than our share of mechanical issues during this trip. That made us a little less reluctant to end this one.
Back to strength training tomorrow.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Back from the short tour
We got back from our short, independent (independent insofar as we did not join any group, but planned and rode the whole thing by ourselves) fall tour. We hit some really brutal hills in certain spots, which provided as much of a workout as an old body like this can handle: those were some serious intervals. Averaged about 50-55 miles a day. So we got in some good exercise and probably our last long mileage of the year--probably around 250 miles total over 5 days.
Kinda sad to call it quits for the year, but we had more than our share of mechanical issues during this trip. That made us a little less reluctant to end this one.
Thinking now of getting a different bike for touring--a recumbent tandem trike (something along the lines of what's in the photo above). They're pretty pricey, but it seems like having such a machine would resolve several issues we've faced.
Back to strength training tomorrow.
Kinda sad to call it quits for the year, but we had more than our share of mechanical issues during this trip. That made us a little less reluctant to end this one.
Back to strength training tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
An uninformed assessment of CrossFit
CrossFit, a fairly popular fitness regimen, came up in a discussion with a relative the other day and I thought it would provide a good opportunity for a blog entry. The relative mentioned that he did not approve of CrossFit as a fitness regimen, which got me thinking about why I have not used it.
I should point out to begin with that I call this assessment "uninformed" because I have never tried CrossFit: my only exposure to it thus far has been through reading about it or about the exploits of those who have tried or are using it. Furthermore, I have no formal training in the fitness field and, as merely a casual fitness practitioner, am far from being in a position to offer anything approaching an authoritative appraisal of CrossFit--even if at a distance. I nonetheless do hold that I have perfectly valid reasons for not using it, though those reasons are quite unique to me and my own philosophy and situation. Your mileage may vary. Thus, the following.
I learned about CrossFit some years ago, when I was initially planning out my current fitness regime. Though it had some attractive features--namely the fact that the regime makes use of both calisthenics and weights--I quickly ruled it out as viable option for me.
One of the main reasons I decided against using it was because it incorporates lower-body exercises--not a bad thing in and of itself, of course, just bad for me because, as I've written previously, I get all the lower-body exercise I need and want from bicycling. Taking on other lower-body exercises would be apt to interfere with my cycling endeavors, and is therefore something I do not want or intend to do.
And, as I am not looking for lower-body exercises other than cycling, I am also not looking for other forms of aerobic activity than cycling. So, the aerobic activities that the CrossFit program entails were also something that holds no interest for me: I get all the aerobic conditioning I need and want from bicycling.
Another major reason I did not opt to get involved in this form of fitness is convenience: there is no CrossFit affiliate anywhere near where I live, so in order to participate in a group setting, I would have to drive (or perhaps bike?) some distance, and in my pragmatic considerations, having to drive anywhere in order to participate in fitness activities is a non sequitur: if one were to walk, run, cycle, or use some other means of self-propulsion to get there, wouldn't that serve as the only activity needed to attain fitness? Perhaps if there were an affiliate within a short walking distance I would have tried CrossFit. But barring that scenario it is simply quite impracticable for me.
And my reasons for not undertaking CrossFit on my own as opposed to at an affiliate, are also pragmatic: I could only see myself doing CrossFit at an affiliate because I do not own, nor do I wish to invest in, the equipment required to execute the routines. I don't have an olympic weight set and certainly don't want to purchase and store one, and I don't see how a number of the exercises they prescribe (squats, deadlifts) could be done without one. So Crossfit was ruled out for me on those scores as well.
Finally, I should point out that CrossFit seems to be a community-centered fitness regimen. In other words, it cultivates and seems heavily reliant on, a community of exercise enthusiasts who urge along one another. Now I certainly don't intend to demean communal fitness programs: I can see many advantages to having exercise partners and a social context for fitness endeavors. But for me this is not needed. I have an exercise partner and to date, we have been all we both need for inspiration to continue exercising. I certainly can't fault anyone who does not have a good exercise partner from seeking out one or more, but for me it is simply not needed. So, CrossFit loses on that score for my purposes as well.
This is a concise synopsis of my own rationale for foregoing the CrossFit regimen. These things having been said, I can certainly see some virtues in the program. First and foremost among these is undoubtedly the comradery aspect of the program: having a fitness partner or partners can be a huge incentive to, if not beginning an exercise regimen, certainly to sustaining one. The incorporation of body-weight exercises and more calisthenic-oriented ones such as rowing, as well as the wide selection of exercises they prescribe, seems also a big plus in my view (variation) even though, as I said, the lower-body exercises are a detraction for me.
None of the reasons I list as obstacles to involvement in CrossFit are likely to apply as they do in my circumstance to the situations of others. So this review, while spelling out what I consider to be valid and substantial reasons for not getting involved in CrossFit, will not likely serve as a deterrent for many who are considering taking up this regimen. But it may, at the least, provide some food for thought for those casting about for a fitness regimen and may thus, ultimately, be of service to someone. And this is, in part, why I offer my thoughts on the matter.
There you have my uninformed assessment of CrossFit.
I should point out to begin with that I call this assessment "uninformed" because I have never tried CrossFit: my only exposure to it thus far has been through reading about it or about the exploits of those who have tried or are using it. Furthermore, I have no formal training in the fitness field and, as merely a casual fitness practitioner, am far from being in a position to offer anything approaching an authoritative appraisal of CrossFit--even if at a distance. I nonetheless do hold that I have perfectly valid reasons for not using it, though those reasons are quite unique to me and my own philosophy and situation. Your mileage may vary. Thus, the following.I learned about CrossFit some years ago, when I was initially planning out my current fitness regime. Though it had some attractive features--namely the fact that the regime makes use of both calisthenics and weights--I quickly ruled it out as viable option for me.
One of the main reasons I decided against using it was because it incorporates lower-body exercises--not a bad thing in and of itself, of course, just bad for me because, as I've written previously, I get all the lower-body exercise I need and want from bicycling. Taking on other lower-body exercises would be apt to interfere with my cycling endeavors, and is therefore something I do not want or intend to do.
And, as I am not looking for lower-body exercises other than cycling, I am also not looking for other forms of aerobic activity than cycling. So, the aerobic activities that the CrossFit program entails were also something that holds no interest for me: I get all the aerobic conditioning I need and want from bicycling.
Another major reason I did not opt to get involved in this form of fitness is convenience: there is no CrossFit affiliate anywhere near where I live, so in order to participate in a group setting, I would have to drive (or perhaps bike?) some distance, and in my pragmatic considerations, having to drive anywhere in order to participate in fitness activities is a non sequitur: if one were to walk, run, cycle, or use some other means of self-propulsion to get there, wouldn't that serve as the only activity needed to attain fitness? Perhaps if there were an affiliate within a short walking distance I would have tried CrossFit. But barring that scenario it is simply quite impracticable for me.
And my reasons for not undertaking CrossFit on my own as opposed to at an affiliate, are also pragmatic: I could only see myself doing CrossFit at an affiliate because I do not own, nor do I wish to invest in, the equipment required to execute the routines. I don't have an olympic weight set and certainly don't want to purchase and store one, and I don't see how a number of the exercises they prescribe (squats, deadlifts) could be done without one. So Crossfit was ruled out for me on those scores as well.
Finally, I should point out that CrossFit seems to be a community-centered fitness regimen. In other words, it cultivates and seems heavily reliant on, a community of exercise enthusiasts who urge along one another. Now I certainly don't intend to demean communal fitness programs: I can see many advantages to having exercise partners and a social context for fitness endeavors. But for me this is not needed. I have an exercise partner and to date, we have been all we both need for inspiration to continue exercising. I certainly can't fault anyone who does not have a good exercise partner from seeking out one or more, but for me it is simply not needed. So, CrossFit loses on that score for my purposes as well.
This is a concise synopsis of my own rationale for foregoing the CrossFit regimen. These things having been said, I can certainly see some virtues in the program. First and foremost among these is undoubtedly the comradery aspect of the program: having a fitness partner or partners can be a huge incentive to, if not beginning an exercise regimen, certainly to sustaining one. The incorporation of body-weight exercises and more calisthenic-oriented ones such as rowing, as well as the wide selection of exercises they prescribe, seems also a big plus in my view (variation) even though, as I said, the lower-body exercises are a detraction for me.
None of the reasons I list as obstacles to involvement in CrossFit are likely to apply as they do in my circumstance to the situations of others. So this review, while spelling out what I consider to be valid and substantial reasons for not getting involved in CrossFit, will not likely serve as a deterrent for many who are considering taking up this regimen. But it may, at the least, provide some food for thought for those casting about for a fitness regimen and may thus, ultimately, be of service to someone. And this is, in part, why I offer my thoughts on the matter.
There you have my uninformed assessment of CrossFit.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Bike tour aftermath
In an attempt to rein in procrastination, I need to get this entry out of the way. It's been way too long since I posted anything here, yet things keep coming up that I want to write about and I keep not writing. So, here's to overcoming writer's block and procrastination.
The tour ended some time ago and it was a joy for us. Well, if you subtract getting rained on then cold afterward, two flat tires, searing heat, harsh headwinds, etc. But despite those things it was a joy. Why? Because part of the reward from bicycle touring is overcoming hardships and getting to your destination despite obstacles. But more on that later.
We did over 500 miles in about 10 days. And at the end of it, we were sad that we had to stop.
Well, we didn't actually stop altogether. We, of course, continue riding. We're in training now, in fact, for another, shorter, tour--just 5 days this time.
And the tour had its health benefits. My blood pressure after we got back was almost ideal: I saw 119 over 72 a couple of days after we finished. That's without any medicine. But it's since then gone up a bit.
I want more . . .
We continue our upper-body strength training--we're still in the arm toner phase. I did have to leave town for 10 days, so we took one of our breaks from fitness during that interval, not doing any cycling or strength training. And we're fine with that.
So there. I've broken the procrastination cycle and hopefully preempted writer's block.
The tour ended some time ago and it was a joy for us. Well, if you subtract getting rained on then cold afterward, two flat tires, searing heat, harsh headwinds, etc. But despite those things it was a joy. Why? Because part of the reward from bicycle touring is overcoming hardships and getting to your destination despite obstacles. But more on that later.
We did over 500 miles in about 10 days. And at the end of it, we were sad that we had to stop.
Well, we didn't actually stop altogether. We, of course, continue riding. We're in training now, in fact, for another, shorter, tour--just 5 days this time.
And the tour had its health benefits. My blood pressure after we got back was almost ideal: I saw 119 over 72 a couple of days after we finished. That's without any medicine. But it's since then gone up a bit.
I want more . . .
We continue our upper-body strength training--we're still in the arm toner phase. I did have to leave town for 10 days, so we took one of our breaks from fitness during that interval, not doing any cycling or strength training. And we're fine with that.
So there. I've broken the procrastination cycle and hopefully preempted writer's block.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Preparations for the upcoming bike tour
That's the headline for at least the last month. We've been training for our upcoming tour, which starts toward the end of the month.
We put in just short of 200 miles a couple of weekends ago. That was the culmination of our training. We're now tapering off to get ourselves rested up prior to the start.
So we've put in lots of miles these weeks. We've been riding in the heat so as to try and acclimatize ourselves to conditions we may be facing while on the road. And we'll still be putting in miles in the coming days, though shorter ones.
We've slacked off a bit here and there on our upper-body strength training. For example we missed doing our last session. And prior to that we did some half sessions, i.e., we did only part of the arm toner routine we're using at this point in the year.
But that happens. Sometimes the session has to get shortened or canceled. In this case, we're cutting back a bit on upper-body work so as to focus more on cycling. But in the fall/winter months it ends up that our hardest workouts are usually the upper-body sessions, while cycling (stationary bikes) is less intense.
This is our fitness philosophy. Sometimes you miss workout sessions, and that's ok. Sometimes one form of fitness overshadows another, and that's ok too. Flexibility in our fitness pursuits is what we're after.
We put in just short of 200 miles a couple of weekends ago. That was the culmination of our training. We're now tapering off to get ourselves rested up prior to the start.
So we've put in lots of miles these weeks. We've been riding in the heat so as to try and acclimatize ourselves to conditions we may be facing while on the road. And we'll still be putting in miles in the coming days, though shorter ones.
We've slacked off a bit here and there on our upper-body strength training. For example we missed doing our last session. And prior to that we did some half sessions, i.e., we did only part of the arm toner routine we're using at this point in the year.
But that happens. Sometimes the session has to get shortened or canceled. In this case, we're cutting back a bit on upper-body work so as to focus more on cycling. But in the fall/winter months it ends up that our hardest workouts are usually the upper-body sessions, while cycling (stationary bikes) is less intense.
This is our fitness philosophy. Sometimes you miss workout sessions, and that's ok. Sometimes one form of fitness overshadows another, and that's ok too. Flexibility in our fitness pursuits is what we're after.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
It's time to celebrate!
Ok, there's a bit of hyperbole in the title of today's entry. You see, nothing particularly eventful happened today. Or yesterday. Or the day before. Or, probably, tomorrow or the next day. So, what's to celebrate about?
Well, it occurred to me the other day as I was thinking about what I'm doing fitness-wise and how long it would last. Won't I get bored with it at some point, won't it become a burden? Will I give up this regular fitness regime and go back to an active, as opposed to a very active, lifestyle? I hope not. I've sustained this regime for some time now, and I'm trying to organize things such that it can be sustained indefinitely--as long as I'm still alive and physically capable.
And that's what got me thinking about celebrating. I should be celebrating, I thought to myself, the fact that I've sustained my current regular fitness regime for over 3 years now. It's an accomplishment, and one I should not be taking lightly. Perhaps I could think of today as my 39th (month) anniversary of staying on a regular, year-round exercise regimen. Hooray for me! Keep up the good work!
On other fronts, I'm experimenting with electric assist for my bike--this in the hope that it will facilitate some long-distance bicycle touring such as I did in my younger years. "What!?" you may say, "you're talking electric wheels on a fitness site?!" All I can say in response now is that I'll have more to say about that in a subsequent entry and that, yes, I will address how it has/will impact my fitness endeavors--not a whole lot, as you will see.
And I continue looking out for new fitness routines to augment our upper-body strength training regimen. Nothing major to report on that front at the moment, but when something newsworthy develops I'll post about it here.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Further thoughts on workout variation
I ran across an article on yahoo yesterday entitled "The 5 Biggest Exercise Myths" that gave me some further ideas about workout variation. I just want to make a sort of mental note about the substance of the article here. But before doing that, a bit of review on the need for variation in workouts as well as an update on how my current experiment with variation is going. Oh, and, incidentally, the article can be found here.
So, why variation in workouts? As I've observed previously, it's to offset monotony. Sort of a mental trick to counteract some of the trudgery that can go along with engaging in fitness regularly. The theory is, keep things changing in order to sustain interest and perhaps to help boost morale. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?
My own approach to varying things centered first and foremost on finding a few "canned routines." In layman's parlance this means finding a few exercise DVD's that suit my needs (upper-body strength training) that I can follow along with.
Well, we're in about our third year of working with those DVD's. So, though we've got some basic variety, I'm now looking into ways to vary things yet a bit more.
I recently decided that, for most of any given "phase" of our fitness cycle, I should be varying things by working out at a lower intensity. There should be a few sessions in each phase when I really go all out, but most sessions should be done at a lower intensity. I'm experimenting with that now.
And it's going ok. I can say it's refreshing to not have to feel that I'm pushing to my maximum all the time. It has its challenges but so far seems to be giving the desired effect.
One thing I will note here though is that I was initially thinking of doing high-intensity sessions toward the end of a given phase, while lately I've decided it's probably better to do the high intensity sessions at the beginning. But I may further change things based on what's said in the article I referenced at the beginning of this entry.
Before I address that issue though, I need to provide an overview of the article. Thus the following. It's a short piece that challenges some fitness "myths." What this means in the main is that it questions numerical standards such as the 10-repetition, 3-set formulas. Its not very technical and the alternate suggestions they make do seem appealing to me.
For example, the following excerpt:
That gets the variation gears working yet further in my mind. I don't intend to do 3 workouts per week, but it does seem as though I can adapt these directives in some way into my strength-training routines.
I could, for example, try to use heavier weights and fewer repetitions--and possibly more sets--during certain workouts. It doesn't seem, as I think of it now, that this is something I need to plan into my annual fitness schedule, but more like something that could be introduced more or less spontaneously. But I am still considering what are the possibilities for my purposes.
I should mention in closing that the article is tackling what could be considered body-building myths. In other words, they're saying that the received wisdom among body-builders is not necessarily going to build muscles as large or as quickly as has been assumed.
Which makes what's being said somewhat irrelevant to me, since I'm not trying to build bigger muscles. That said, the workout variation potential the article offers is definitely interesting. So I figure following some of the advice they give--despite the fact that I in no way, shape, or form, am interested in body-building-- certainly can't hurt me. It can help me introduce some further variation into my regimen and, though I don't vehemently opposing increasing the size of my muscles, I can't say that, if they did grow a bit further, I'd be terribly disappointed.
So, it's got me thinking. I'll be posting again on this topic once I decide how I can actually use the information I've found.
So, why variation in workouts? As I've observed previously, it's to offset monotony. Sort of a mental trick to counteract some of the trudgery that can go along with engaging in fitness regularly. The theory is, keep things changing in order to sustain interest and perhaps to help boost morale. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?
My own approach to varying things centered first and foremost on finding a few "canned routines." In layman's parlance this means finding a few exercise DVD's that suit my needs (upper-body strength training) that I can follow along with.
Well, we're in about our third year of working with those DVD's. So, though we've got some basic variety, I'm now looking into ways to vary things yet a bit more.
I recently decided that, for most of any given "phase" of our fitness cycle, I should be varying things by working out at a lower intensity. There should be a few sessions in each phase when I really go all out, but most sessions should be done at a lower intensity. I'm experimenting with that now.
And it's going ok. I can say it's refreshing to not have to feel that I'm pushing to my maximum all the time. It has its challenges but so far seems to be giving the desired effect.
One thing I will note here though is that I was initially thinking of doing high-intensity sessions toward the end of a given phase, while lately I've decided it's probably better to do the high intensity sessions at the beginning. But I may further change things based on what's said in the article I referenced at the beginning of this entry.
Before I address that issue though, I need to provide an overview of the article. Thus the following. It's a short piece that challenges some fitness "myths." What this means in the main is that it questions numerical standards such as the 10-repetition, 3-set formulas. Its not very technical and the alternate suggestions they make do seem appealing to me.
For example, the following excerpt:
MYTH #1: DO 8 TO 12 REPETITIONS
The claim: It's the
optimal repetition range for building muscle.The origin: In 1954,
Ian MacQueen, M.D., an English surgeon and competitive bodybuilder, published a scientific paper in which he recommended a moderately high number of repetitions for muscle growth.The truth: This approach places muscles under a medium amount of tension for a medium amount of time—it's basically The Neither Here Nor There Workout.
Here's the deal: Higher tension—a.k.a. heavier weights—induces the type of muscle growth in which the muscle fibers grow larger, leading to the best gains in strength; longer tension time, on the other hand, boosts muscle size by increasing the energy-producing structures around the fibers, improving muscular endurance. The classic prescription of 8 to 12 repetitions strikes a balance between the two. But by using that scheme all the time, you miss out on the greater tension levels that come with heavier weights and fewer repetitions, and the longer tension time achieved with lighter weights and higher repetitions.
The new standard:
Vary your repetition range—adjusting the weights accordingly—so that you stimulate every type of muscle growth. Try this method for a month, performing three full-body sessions a week: Do five repetitions per set in your first workout, 10 reps per set in your second workout, and 15 per set in your third workout.
That gets the variation gears working yet further in my mind. I don't intend to do 3 workouts per week, but it does seem as though I can adapt these directives in some way into my strength-training routines.
I could, for example, try to use heavier weights and fewer repetitions--and possibly more sets--during certain workouts. It doesn't seem, as I think of it now, that this is something I need to plan into my annual fitness schedule, but more like something that could be introduced more or less spontaneously. But I am still considering what are the possibilities for my purposes.
I should mention in closing that the article is tackling what could be considered body-building myths. In other words, they're saying that the received wisdom among body-builders is not necessarily going to build muscles as large or as quickly as has been assumed.
Which makes what's being said somewhat irrelevant to me, since I'm not trying to build bigger muscles. That said, the workout variation potential the article offers is definitely interesting. So I figure following some of the advice they give--despite the fact that I in no way, shape, or form, am interested in body-building-- certainly can't hurt me. It can help me introduce some further variation into my regimen and, though I don't vehemently opposing increasing the size of my muscles, I can't say that, if they did grow a bit further, I'd be terribly disappointed.
So, it's got me thinking. I'll be posting again on this topic once I decide how I can actually use the information I've found.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
About my diet
I haven't posted much of anything here about my diet thus far. The details of my eating habits are not, I think, crucial to understanding my own health or even the more general topic of this blog, i.e., health and fitness at age 50 and beyond.
Still, in the interest of full disclosure, I feel I should offer a few comments about my diet. Thus, the following.
I have been what might be most concisely termed an ovo-lacto-pesco vegetarian for many years--going on 25 now, actually. So in many respects I've been for the most part observing a pretty healthy diet for quite some time.
In case it's not apparent from the terms I've used to describe the diet concisely, what they mean is that I do not eat red meats and poultry, though I do incorporate other animal products into my diet--namely eggs (the ovo part), milk and dairy (the lacto part) and fish (the pesco part). I must observe that lately, in an attempt to address some digestive issues, I've cut way back on the dairy part of the diet, so I'm presently eating very little in the way of lactose.
My diet does vary during the year to some extent, there having been periods when I've followed more what might be called a vegan diet, i.e., one with virtually no animal products. But I have, with advancing age, been trying to vary the diet less and less and trying to and eat more of the same types of things throughout the year
I did not actually adopt this diet for any kind of health reasons--though I do think it has had much to do with my steady weight over the years. Probably it has played a key role in the pretty low cholesterol readings I've had as well. But that was no my intention when I started eating the way I do.
No, I actually eat this way for religious reasons. I led a fairly intense religious life for some years, and in the setting where I did that, an ovo-lacto-pesco vegetarian diet was what we followed. Though I left that life quite a few years ago, I continued following the eating prescriptions even down to today.
I have to say that I really do not recall missing red meat in my diet. Perhaps toward the beginning I had an occasional craving for red meat--I just don't remember. But I can say with confidence now that I don't feel any sort of craving for meat. I have tried a bit of meat here and there during the last quarter century, just to see what it tastes like again. But I've had no desire in those instances to go back to eating it.
That said, I am a fairly ruthless pragmatist. So, if I decided that red meat would be a good thing to have in my diet, I'd have no qualms about eating it. But so far--low-carb and paleo diet trends notwithstanding--I just haven't seen any compelling reason to go back to it. But I am keeping an open mind, and if I thought a change in diet would address some of my chronic health problems, I'd definitely be amenable to some experimentation.
That said, I wonder as I write this what my health and physique might be like now had I not given up eating red meat all those years ago? Hard to say. But I do feel like I must assign some degree of credit, given what I believe to be my unusually trim and athletic build for a man my age, to the dietary rules I've followed for the last two decades and more.
So, there you have it. If this entry will be of help to someone pondering their dietary habits, I'll be happy. If anyone has disagreements to voice or advice to offer, please feel free.
Still, in the interest of full disclosure, I feel I should offer a few comments about my diet. Thus, the following.
I have been what might be most concisely termed an ovo-lacto-pesco vegetarian for many years--going on 25 now, actually. So in many respects I've been for the most part observing a pretty healthy diet for quite some time.
In case it's not apparent from the terms I've used to describe the diet concisely, what they mean is that I do not eat red meats and poultry, though I do incorporate other animal products into my diet--namely eggs (the ovo part), milk and dairy (the lacto part) and fish (the pesco part). I must observe that lately, in an attempt to address some digestive issues, I've cut way back on the dairy part of the diet, so I'm presently eating very little in the way of lactose.
My diet does vary during the year to some extent, there having been periods when I've followed more what might be called a vegan diet, i.e., one with virtually no animal products. But I have, with advancing age, been trying to vary the diet less and less and trying to and eat more of the same types of things throughout the year
I did not actually adopt this diet for any kind of health reasons--though I do think it has had much to do with my steady weight over the years. Probably it has played a key role in the pretty low cholesterol readings I've had as well. But that was no my intention when I started eating the way I do.
No, I actually eat this way for religious reasons. I led a fairly intense religious life for some years, and in the setting where I did that, an ovo-lacto-pesco vegetarian diet was what we followed. Though I left that life quite a few years ago, I continued following the eating prescriptions even down to today.
I have to say that I really do not recall missing red meat in my diet. Perhaps toward the beginning I had an occasional craving for red meat--I just don't remember. But I can say with confidence now that I don't feel any sort of craving for meat. I have tried a bit of meat here and there during the last quarter century, just to see what it tastes like again. But I've had no desire in those instances to go back to eating it.
That said, I am a fairly ruthless pragmatist. So, if I decided that red meat would be a good thing to have in my diet, I'd have no qualms about eating it. But so far--low-carb and paleo diet trends notwithstanding--I just haven't seen any compelling reason to go back to it. But I am keeping an open mind, and if I thought a change in diet would address some of my chronic health problems, I'd definitely be amenable to some experimentation.
That said, I wonder as I write this what my health and physique might be like now had I not given up eating red meat all those years ago? Hard to say. But I do feel like I must assign some degree of credit, given what I believe to be my unusually trim and athletic build for a man my age, to the dietary rules I've followed for the last two decades and more.
So, there you have it. If this entry will be of help to someone pondering their dietary habits, I'll be happy. If anyone has disagreements to voice or advice to offer, please feel free.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
A new evolution in our fitness regime: using lists
This is sort of another ho-hum contribution. But I want to write about it anyway in case it may benefit anyone else. It will also help me to remember the stages of progression in our fitness pursuits.
Lists. Yes, I've been hoping for some time now to get away from the DVD's we're using for our strength-training sessions and simply to work from a list of exercises. Why?
Part of the reason for this is that I get tired of watching--and hearing--the same thing over, and over, and over, and over (etc.) again. But I also see it as a small step in progressing beyond canned fitness routines to something I devise myself. We've now made some actual steps in that direction.
For now, I've simply made lists of the exercises, in the order in which they occur, from the DVD's we use. Not too creative, but it's a first step. So, rather than popping in, for example, the Arm Toner DVD when doing our strength training during the Arm Toner phase, we just consult a list of the exercises done on the DVD as we go through the routine.
There are a few reasons--aside from the fact that I think it will help us to progress in our fitness undertakings--this has turned out to be a good approach. One is that we can play our own music while exercising. That's a relief after listening over and over again to what's being said on the DVD's (and we even get in a little extra exercise by dancing during "stretch breaks" :) ).
But, as I said, the main reason we're doing things this way now is to try and progress closer to a point when we can, by picking and choosing from exercises we've done, design our own routines. Once we're able to do that, we will likely have minimized the drudgery that usually accompanies regular fitness pursuits--also called, not surprisingly, "routines."
We'll undoubtedly still pop in, and work out along with , a DVD from time to time. That will help us to ensure we're using proper form. But I assume we may also notice nuances in the routines that had escaped our notice with repeated viewing.
In any case, I'll be offering updates on how things are going with our new approach involving lists. Stay tuned for those.
Friday, May 13, 2011
The challenge of low-intensity workouts
The title probably sounds a bit self-contradictory. But it's accurate--at least in my experience so far.
What do I mean? Well, this entry is a follow-up to my last entry, where I discussed a new experiment I'm trying--one in which I'll be doing most upper-body strength training sessions within a given phase at a low intensity, while doing just a few sessions at the end of the phase at full intensity. I'm hoping thereby, as I said, to introduce some further variation into my workouts.
Ok, so I'm going easy in these last few sessions. What's the challenge in that? Well, I've found it challenging to restrain myself from ramping up the intensity. I start doing reps with the resistance bands and think to myself unconsciously, "this is too easy, I'll have to use less slack next time." As you may have noted from my last entry, that's the first step toward getting into competition with myself--something I'm trying to avoid during this low-intensity segment of the experiment I'm doing during this phase.
So, it takes some conscious effort to ramp down the intensity. It's something I'll probably have to work on continuously.
And it brings up some interesting possibilities. I'm perhaps more engaged in the routines mentally than when I'm just trying to go all out in my efforts. So, what will be the effect--if any--on my efforts when I come to the high-intensity segment of this phase?
Might I be able to break through some barriers that I've confronted thus far while being in full-throttle-mode for most workouts? Might I, for example, be able to do more push-ups than the maximum I've been kind of stuck at for a year or two? Do more reps with a given amount of weight?
I'll have to wait to find out the answers to those questions. And, interesting as those answers will be, I can't say that an answer in the positive is terribly important. As I said, I do this for health reasons, not to win any sort of competition or anything.
But still, it will be interesting to see what are the effects on performance. I am--in addition to trying to maintain god health--out to learn, after all.
I'll be posting results as they become available.
What do I mean? Well, this entry is a follow-up to my last entry, where I discussed a new experiment I'm trying--one in which I'll be doing most upper-body strength training sessions within a given phase at a low intensity, while doing just a few sessions at the end of the phase at full intensity. I'm hoping thereby, as I said, to introduce some further variation into my workouts.
Ok, so I'm going easy in these last few sessions. What's the challenge in that? Well, I've found it challenging to restrain myself from ramping up the intensity. I start doing reps with the resistance bands and think to myself unconsciously, "this is too easy, I'll have to use less slack next time." As you may have noted from my last entry, that's the first step toward getting into competition with myself--something I'm trying to avoid during this low-intensity segment of the experiment I'm doing during this phase.
So, it takes some conscious effort to ramp down the intensity. It's something I'll probably have to work on continuously.
And it brings up some interesting possibilities. I'm perhaps more engaged in the routines mentally than when I'm just trying to go all out in my efforts. So, what will be the effect--if any--on my efforts when I come to the high-intensity segment of this phase?
Might I be able to break through some barriers that I've confronted thus far while being in full-throttle-mode for most workouts? Might I, for example, be able to do more push-ups than the maximum I've been kind of stuck at for a year or two? Do more reps with a given amount of weight?
I'll have to wait to find out the answers to those questions. And, interesting as those answers will be, I can't say that an answer in the positive is terribly important. As I said, I do this for health reasons, not to win any sort of competition or anything.
But still, it will be interesting to see what are the effects on performance. I am--in addition to trying to maintain god health--out to learn, after all.
I'll be posting results as they become available.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Dullard's revelation: does variation in workout intensity = fitness variety?
It's an enigmatic title, I admit. But I don't think it'll take you long to figure out what I had in mind in formulating it. So please, read on.
I'm slowly coming to grips with the fact that my existence has been a series of moments of intellectual density interspersed with occasional flashes of brilliance. That's a change from, say, 30 years ago, when I might have thought the reverse--viz., a succession of brilliant moments disrupted by occasional bouts of density. And, yes, it's taken me that long to realize the truth of the matter. But I digress.
In this entry I just want to write about a "revelation" I had the other day for introducing further variation into my exercise regimen. And, as I consider how to write about it, I realize that it's something that should have become evident to me some time ago.
Put simply, I've finally figured out that a good way to further vary my regimen is to introduce periods of lessened intensity with periods of heightened intensity. Same exercises, but a slightly different approach. And, as I write these lines, it further occurs to me that we already do this with the staple part of our regimen--the cycling part. Guess I just never thought about it in this way before.
Now, bear in mind that, as I've written previously, I believe that variation in the fitness routine can help us maintain our regimens by breaking up the monotony of doing the same exercises over and over, week after week, and--hopefully--year after year.
What I mean when I mention the role lessened intensity has played in our cycling regimen is that, as readers of this blog (yes, all 0 of you) will be aware, we ride stationary bikes during the part of the year when on-road cycling is not possible. And that we take it a lot easier when doing that than when we ride on the roads. So we have a period of lessened intensity built into the mainstay of our fitness regimen, one that corresponds to cycling season.
And, of course, there have been times when I've taken it easy when doing the upper-body, strength-training component of our regimen--mostly on days when I'm not feeling too well--as well. But I never thought of doing something similar to what we do with respect to cycling when it comes to our strength-training routines, i.e., having periods when we work out with less intensity. Nor did I, for some reason, think of that as a way to introduce further variation into our fitness regimen. But now I have.
So, how comes this revelation? Well, there are a few contributing factors.
Perhaps first and foremost is the fact that we're now going into our 4th year of having a regular, year-round exercise regimen. And we've been using some of the same upper-body routines for some time now--some we've done for 3 or 4 cycles already.
And believe me "muscle confusion" has not worked as advertised by the P90X folks (no great surprise to me). That is to say that the exercises, despite the variation we have over the course of the year, cease to have the sort of impact they used to. No longer do I feel sore for days after a hard workout: no, sometimes when I've gone really hard and am expecting the soreness I used to see, I'm pretty well recovered after only 36 hours or so: not much soreness remains at all.
And I find myself "hitting a wall" as well. For example, it's just as hard for me to do 10 push-ups today as it was a year ago. I'm not gaining much in that department--owing, certainly in some measure, to advancing age.
But at the same time I'm not out to win any push-up contests. So, though I wonder about the seeming lack of progress, I can't say it's something that is especially bothersome.
But this sort of thing can, it must be recognized, detract from morale. The seeming lack of progress can make one wonder whether what they're doing is really worthwhile: haven't we all come to that (faulty) conclusion at some point(s) in our fitness journey(s)?
Then, there's a related issue I confront. I tend to get into a sort of contest with myself, always pushing to outdo some previous mark I've made: a larger number of push-ups, more repetitions with a given amount of weight--that sort of thing. That kind of attitude can further erode morale when the hoped-for results are not quickly attained.
But there is really no contest here. I'm deluding myself to some extent in pretending that there is. I'm certainly not going to enter--much less win--any push-up contests. I'd be blown away by just about anyone who's serious about fitness and is even as little 10 years younger than me. So there's a bit of delusion involved in these imagined competitions.
No, the only thing I'm really aiming to achieve in all these fitness pursuits is a good health. So why the contests? No, I think I need to get away from that mentality more. Being intense at times is good, but being in a competitive mode all the time is not and, in my experience of exercising on my own, is even likely to contribute to burn-out.
So, what's needed to counteract that is to deliberately lessen intensity. At least a certain part of the fitness year as I've conceived of it, should be conducted at a lessened intensity. And I plan on that portion being the majority of the year. Yes, intensity in my upper-body strength training is henceforth to be limited to short intervals during the course of the year--as I'm now conceiving of it, to just several sessions of each the phases into which we divide our annual regimen.
And an added benefit to deliberately lessening intensity of upper-body workouts will be to introduce a bit more variation into our regimen. True, we're doing the same exercises. But my speculation is that lessening intensity during most of the period during which we're doing these exercises is going to make them seem somewhat different. And preliminary experimentation proves this out.
Ok, so that's the theory. Now, how will it be implemented?
As I mentioned, I have a habit of getting into competitions with myself, trying always to push harder and outdo myself--often unsuccessfully. So, how can I get myself to "take it easy" for most of each of the phases into which I've divided my fitness year?
My lone experiment thus far was conducted using a resistance band instead of weights. That way, I had only one resistance level--and not a terribly difficult one at that.
It worked pretty well. There were a couple of logistical issues--mainly related to hairy arms and the bands ripping out hairs when performing certain exercises. But I did find using the band to be a fairly effective way of restraining myself.
Another way to introduce restraint would be, of course, to simply set out only lighter-weight dumbbells for use in a given routine. I'm not sure whether I'll use the resistance band or the lighter weights, but either should be equally effective in lessening the intensity of my workouts.
So I would use that band or those lighter weights for most of a given cycle or phase, then, for a certain number of sessions in that cycle, I'd allow myself to push hard--to get intense--to my heart's content. I haven't decided for how many sessions that should go on, nor have I thought much about at what point during the phase those heightened-intensity sessions should occur. Offhand, I presume something like 6 - 8 sessions per phase, and as I've thought about it thus far, those would probably be grouped together at the end of the phase.
But these are matters I'm still considering. Likely I'll have to experiment a bit to see what works best. But that is probably what I'll try to start off with.
So, stay tuned for my reports on how this new form of variation is working and whether, as it seems to me now, it comprises a worthwhile adjustment to my regimen.
I'm slowly coming to grips with the fact that my existence has been a series of moments of intellectual density interspersed with occasional flashes of brilliance. That's a change from, say, 30 years ago, when I might have thought the reverse--viz., a succession of brilliant moments disrupted by occasional bouts of density. And, yes, it's taken me that long to realize the truth of the matter. But I digress.
In this entry I just want to write about a "revelation" I had the other day for introducing further variation into my exercise regimen. And, as I consider how to write about it, I realize that it's something that should have become evident to me some time ago.
Put simply, I've finally figured out that a good way to further vary my regimen is to introduce periods of lessened intensity with periods of heightened intensity. Same exercises, but a slightly different approach. And, as I write these lines, it further occurs to me that we already do this with the staple part of our regimen--the cycling part. Guess I just never thought about it in this way before.
Now, bear in mind that, as I've written previously, I believe that variation in the fitness routine can help us maintain our regimens by breaking up the monotony of doing the same exercises over and over, week after week, and--hopefully--year after year.
What I mean when I mention the role lessened intensity has played in our cycling regimen is that, as readers of this blog (yes, all 0 of you) will be aware, we ride stationary bikes during the part of the year when on-road cycling is not possible. And that we take it a lot easier when doing that than when we ride on the roads. So we have a period of lessened intensity built into the mainstay of our fitness regimen, one that corresponds to cycling season.
 |
| Ta daaah! |
So, how comes this revelation? Well, there are a few contributing factors.
Perhaps first and foremost is the fact that we're now going into our 4th year of having a regular, year-round exercise regimen. And we've been using some of the same upper-body routines for some time now--some we've done for 3 or 4 cycles already.
And believe me "muscle confusion" has not worked as advertised by the P90X folks (no great surprise to me). That is to say that the exercises, despite the variation we have over the course of the year, cease to have the sort of impact they used to. No longer do I feel sore for days after a hard workout: no, sometimes when I've gone really hard and am expecting the soreness I used to see, I'm pretty well recovered after only 36 hours or so: not much soreness remains at all.
And I find myself "hitting a wall" as well. For example, it's just as hard for me to do 10 push-ups today as it was a year ago. I'm not gaining much in that department--owing, certainly in some measure, to advancing age.
But at the same time I'm not out to win any push-up contests. So, though I wonder about the seeming lack of progress, I can't say it's something that is especially bothersome.
But this sort of thing can, it must be recognized, detract from morale. The seeming lack of progress can make one wonder whether what they're doing is really worthwhile: haven't we all come to that (faulty) conclusion at some point(s) in our fitness journey(s)?
Then, there's a related issue I confront. I tend to get into a sort of contest with myself, always pushing to outdo some previous mark I've made: a larger number of push-ups, more repetitions with a given amount of weight--that sort of thing. That kind of attitude can further erode morale when the hoped-for results are not quickly attained.
But there is really no contest here. I'm deluding myself to some extent in pretending that there is. I'm certainly not going to enter--much less win--any push-up contests. I'd be blown away by just about anyone who's serious about fitness and is even as little 10 years younger than me. So there's a bit of delusion involved in these imagined competitions.
No, the only thing I'm really aiming to achieve in all these fitness pursuits is a good health. So why the contests? No, I think I need to get away from that mentality more. Being intense at times is good, but being in a competitive mode all the time is not and, in my experience of exercising on my own, is even likely to contribute to burn-out.
So, what's needed to counteract that is to deliberately lessen intensity. At least a certain part of the fitness year as I've conceived of it, should be conducted at a lessened intensity. And I plan on that portion being the majority of the year. Yes, intensity in my upper-body strength training is henceforth to be limited to short intervals during the course of the year--as I'm now conceiving of it, to just several sessions of each the phases into which we divide our annual regimen.
And an added benefit to deliberately lessening intensity of upper-body workouts will be to introduce a bit more variation into our regimen. True, we're doing the same exercises. But my speculation is that lessening intensity during most of the period during which we're doing these exercises is going to make them seem somewhat different. And preliminary experimentation proves this out.
Ok, so that's the theory. Now, how will it be implemented?
As I mentioned, I have a habit of getting into competitions with myself, trying always to push harder and outdo myself--often unsuccessfully. So, how can I get myself to "take it easy" for most of each of the phases into which I've divided my fitness year?
My lone experiment thus far was conducted using a resistance band instead of weights. That way, I had only one resistance level--and not a terribly difficult one at that.
It worked pretty well. There were a couple of logistical issues--mainly related to hairy arms and the bands ripping out hairs when performing certain exercises. But I did find using the band to be a fairly effective way of restraining myself.
Another way to introduce restraint would be, of course, to simply set out only lighter-weight dumbbells for use in a given routine. I'm not sure whether I'll use the resistance band or the lighter weights, but either should be equally effective in lessening the intensity of my workouts.
So I would use that band or those lighter weights for most of a given cycle or phase, then, for a certain number of sessions in that cycle, I'd allow myself to push hard--to get intense--to my heart's content. I haven't decided for how many sessions that should go on, nor have I thought much about at what point during the phase those heightened-intensity sessions should occur. Offhand, I presume something like 6 - 8 sessions per phase, and as I've thought about it thus far, those would probably be grouped together at the end of the phase.
But these are matters I'm still considering. Likely I'll have to experiment a bit to see what works best. But that is probably what I'll try to start off with.
So, stay tuned for my reports on how this new form of variation is working and whether, as it seems to me now, it comprises a worthwhile adjustment to my regimen.
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