Still Working On Me

I'm Sooooo Creative

2012-01-28T17:23:00.002-05:00

It's my Nike Beer holder...I'm going to pin this to Pinterest.

A Salsa Saturday Night

2012-01-28T16:53:00.000-05:00

Grilled chicken and homemade salsa is on the menu this evening.....Ahhhh and some Michelob Ultra Light.

The salsa recipe is as follows.....

-1 can Ro-Tel
-1 can tomatoes (either whole or diced!)
-half an onion, chopped
-1 can black beans (drained)
-1 can whole corn (drained)
-1 clove garlic
-cilantro (again, depending on taste)
-salt
-the juice of half a lime

Pulse in a food processor or blender...then chill and add chips.....I guess no clean eat this evening.

The window cleaner is not for seasoning but for cleaning up my mess.

Excuses

2012-01-27T21:22:00.002-05:00

Words To Live By

2012-01-27T20:10:00.000-05:00

The Holstee Manifesto Lifecycle Video from Holstee on Vimeo.

New Years Resolutionists

2012-01-27T11:26:00.000-05:00

are gone..... We are 27 days into the "New Year" and my gym is for the most part EMPTY. Possibly since I live in Florida everyone is already slim, trim & beautiful and myself and a select few have at our disposal a fully equipped (PURPLE) gym. Even the red-shirted trainers have been standing around more and more this past week.

On a brighter note I got on the scale this morning and I met half of my January goal, to be under 220 lbs the other half is to remain below that number for the month of February. Even with a hearty serving of Wings with TNT Man the other day I managed to still drop some weight....... It's going to be a great weekend, some lifting, some running, some swimming and some biking.

Talk About Leaving A Footprint

2012-01-25T07:14:00.001-05:00

The Weeks Totals

2012-01-22T09:16:00.002-05:00

I spent some time in the pool and on the bike this week, nothing quite like having Friday off and living in Florida...the pools always open and as long as it's not raining you can get in a bike ride.

I'll never be fast, but I ran 3 miles without walking and maintained an average heart rate of 153.

Things Aren't Always As Advertised

2012-01-17T22:09:00.002-05:00

The hotel stated "Indoor Pool" so I booked a room.....somehow I think if you can stand in the middle of said pool and touch both of the sides it's not really a pool........They did have a nice dreadmill.

C'mon Scale

2012-01-16T16:03:00.004-05:00

MOVE........

Lean Lifting

2012-01-15T20:30:00.002-05:00

Confidence Through Strength - Lean Lifting PROMO from Bougie Photography on Vimeo.

I Guess I've Got A Few Years Left

2012-01-15T20:23:00.004-05:00

via......http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan/

I Ate Too Much Last Night

2012-01-15T09:23:00.000-05:00

Saturday Night Dinner

2012-01-14T20:21:00.001-05:00

I'm a foodie and I enjoy cooking, this evening it's
Three Amigos Chili accompanied by BETTY'S JIFFY CORNBREAD CORN CASSEROLE which looks delicious except they left off how long to leave it in the oven....at this time it's longer that it takes to drink 3 beers....it's one of those once per week days.

The Week In Review

2012-01-14T19:55:00.001-05:00

So this week I spent 30 minutes in the pool thrashing about, I rode my bike 4.5 miles, ran a bit over 7 miles and threw the iron around for an hour and 40 minutes.......I have no idea if this in any way resembles a triathlon training program. I'm following (or trying) a program that I found at TriNewbies of course finding hotels with indoor pools in the winter is tough.
I think one of the weirdest things is changing up my resistance training...the hardest part is not hitting the iron every other day the second part is not trying to lift something heavy only 5 times but instead checking the ego at the door and dropping the weight and increasing the reps...this procedure does actually cause the heart rate to increase...

Speaking of heart rate I replaced by long ago dead Polar heart rate monitor. I started out looking for some sort of a waterproof timer. All I had with a timerwas my trusty Gymboss or my iPhone...neither of which are WATERPROOF.... I hit up WallyWorld looking for a Timex Ironman, which after pricing out I found that for $10.00 more I could buy a waterproof heart rate monitor....so I took the plunge...after my first swim I'm not 100% convinced that it's totally accurate in the pool but I'll take it for a run tomorrow and see what we get.

Which leads me to my next topic, not really but it sounded kind of cool.....as everyone know I love beer and as a matter of fact I even track my beverages via Untappd....well as I embark on a more regimented training program my plan is to partake of this wondrous beverage only once per week......golf clap please...actually this really won't be that hard as I've actually only been sipping that amazing nectar only twice per week for the last month or so......thanks to the holidays...

The Friday Laugh

2012-01-13T17:36:00.002-05:00

Most of my posts are fairly short, so anytime you read something that's a couple of hundred words or more long and if it seems grammatically correct you can almost be guaranteed that I've copied it from someplace.....*Please See Below

It's a new year and as normal the "Revolutionists" are back in the gym, sporting their "New" shoes and "New" workout clothes and the "New" attitude....I hope this time they make it.....so what I stole below is dedicated to to them and all their "Newness".

The 27 Rules of Conquering the Gym

By JASON GAY

This is the time of year when even people who hate the gym think about going to the gym. Many of us are still digesting whole floors of gingerbread houses, and jeans that fit comfortably in October are now a denim humiliation.Sweating is a good way to begin 2012. Exercise, like dark chocolate and office meetings that suddenly get canceled, is a proven pathway to nirvana. But if you're going to join a gym—or returning to the gym after a long hibernation—consider the following:

1. A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better about yourself. If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about yourself, it would be a bar.

2. Give yourself a goal. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds. Maybe you want to quarterback the New York Jets into the playoffs. But be warned: Losing 10 pounds is hard.

3. Develop a gym routine. Try to go at least three times a week. Do a mix of strength training and cardiovascular conditioning. After the third week, stop carrying around that satchel of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

4. No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while reading "The New Yorker" and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one.

5. Bring your iPod. Don't borrow the disgusting gym headphones, or use the sad plastic radio attachment on the treadmill, which always sounds like it's playing Kenny Loggins from a sewer.

6. Don't fall for gimmicks. The only tried-and-true method to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.

7. Yes, every gym has an overenthusiastic spinning instructor who hasn't bought a record since "Walking on Sunshine."

8. There's also the Strange Guy Who is Always at the Gym. Just when you think he isn't here today...there he is, lurking by the barbells.

9. "Great job!" is trainer-speak for "It's not polite for me to laugh at you."

10. Beware a hip gym with a Wilco step class.

11. Gyms have two types of members: Members who wipe down the machines after using them, and the worst people in the universe.

12. Nope, that's not a "recovery energy bar with antioxidant dark chocolate." That's a chocolate bar.

13. Avoid Unsolicited Advice Guy, who, for the small fee of boring you to death, will explain the proper method for any exercise in 45 minutes or longer.

14. You can take 10 Minute Abs, 20 Minute Abs, and 30 Minute Abs. There is also Stop Eating Pizza and Eating Sheet Cake Abs—but that's super tough!

15. If you're motivated to buy an expensive home exercise machine, consider a "wooden coat rack." It costs $40, uses no electricity and does the exact same thing.

16. There's the yoga instructor everyone loves, and the yoga instructor everyone hates. Memorize who they are.

17. If you see an indoor rock climbing wall, you're either in a really cool gym or a romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson.

18. Be cautious about any class with the words "sunrise," "hell," or "Moby."

19. If a gym class is going to be effective, it's hard. If you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, you're at brunch.

20. If you need to bring your children, just let them loose in the silent meditation class. Nobody minds, and kids love candles.

21. Don't buy $150 sneakers, $100 yoga pants, and $4 water. Muscle shirts are for people with muscles, and rhythm guitarists.

22. Fancy gyms can be seductive, but once you get past the modern couches and fresh flowers and the water with lemon slices, you're basically paying for a boutique hotel with B.O.

23. Everyone sees you secretly racing the old people in the pool.

24. If you're at the point where you've bought biking shoes for the spinning class, you may as well go ahead and buy an actual bike. It's way more fun and it doesn't make you listen to C+C Music Factory.

25. Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories.

26. A successful gym membership is like a marriage: If it's good, you show up committed and ready for hard work. If it's not good, you show up in sweatpants and watch a lot of bad TV.

27. There is no secret. Exercise and lay off the fries. The end.

Where's my infomercial and best seller?

LINK

Focus, Focus, Focus

2012-01-13T11:14:00.002-05:00

From the "What Could Possibly Go Wrong Department"

2012-01-10T11:43:00.003-05:00

A hot water heater suspended 5' above the floor....What Could Possibly Go Wrong....

2 Words

2012-01-08T19:24:00.001-05:00

to never say.............

It's A Day Of Firsts

2012-01-08T18:10:00.000-05:00

I bought a pressure cooker yesterday, I'll probably blow the house up this evening.

This Is My Dog

2012-01-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

It's Up To You

2012-01-07T09:02:00.002-05:00

They See me Rolling They Hating

2012-01-05T20:36:00.001-05:00

A bike in a box...couldn't it have at least been a huge box

Tie wraps, foam, cardboard and no assembly instructions. I'm a computer nerd so there's got to be some carry over from my career into bike assembly. I searched the internet looking for assembly instruction and all I could find were reviews from others mentioning.........the lack of assembly instructions.

An hour or so later assembly of this Clydesdale Chariot was complete......A quick ride down the street and she pedaled, she shifted and she braked....I think everything is functioning. This weekend will be her inaugural ride.

The Clydesdale Division

2012-01-05T08:20:00.002-05:00

The Clydesdale Division......apparently I'm a "Clydesdale" (This was my stripper name back in the day.....) any racer over 200lbs can register for this triathlon race division. Hopefully I'll be competing against some "Super Clydesdale's" or "Mega-Clydesdale's".
I'm down about 8 lbs since changing up my lifting from a Strength template to more of a Fat Loss template that and I've dropped the beer drinking (for now). I'm guessing by April I'll be under 210 lbs.

Splish Splash.....

2012-01-04T22:26:00.000-05:00

Just like a ~~duck~~ brick....Wow swimming is harder than I remembered, I think I must have played more Marco Polo in my youth than actually swimming. I splished and splashed through 350 meters...resting every 25 meters. Of course in the pool next too me (Yes I had my own pool that's how comical this was) was the local school having swim practice...back and forth went the little freaks....My shoulders are sore so I'm guessing that I need to kick more with my legs and not depend so much on my arms......I can't wait to hit the pool this weekend I really enjoyed this.

I'm So Lucky

2012-01-03T22:04:00.004-05:00

I ate at a restaurant that was approved by Billy Dee Williams

Lots Of Cool Gear

2012-01-03T11:55:00.000-05:00

....as very everyone knows I'm a total "Gear Whore" and apparently triathlon participants have some cool, cool stuff. Last night I picked up a pair of swim Vanquisher Goggles. Now I haven't really swam in 30 years I was on a swim team when I was six, I think I joined because we got to eat powdered Jello mix (Grape, of course) between heats......inputting pure sugar into a 6 year old.....performance enhancement in it's earliest stages.........so anyways I stared at the goggle rack for a good 15 minutes having no idea what in the hell I was looking for...then I saw it it...the Vanquisher box said "Competitor" on it....that's gotta be the right pair...so I bought them. I must of looked stupid standing in the shower last night with these babies on.

First Official Tri Workout

2012-01-01T21:27:00.003-05:00

Starting out slow, so to speak..and trying to figure out how to transition or create a strength training template that doesn't leave my muscles drained and then wondering how taxing swimming and cycling is going to be on me.
2 Minutes Warm up 4 MPH
8 Minutes 5 MPH
14 Minutes 1 Minute intervals 4 MPH/5 MPH
2 Minutes Cool Down

It's Been A While

2012-01-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

Since I've had a MFT post. I travel a bunch, this year it was 82 flights not to mention car rides and to keep myself somewhat sane I depend on my iPod.
I go through headphones like you wouldn't believe, I've got a pair of Bose, Sony you name it and I've tried it...I have been a fan of Skull Candy Headphones since 2008. The downside of all this is that I am hard on headphones, I've torn wires out of ear buds getting off of planes, I've slammed them in car doors...you name it and I've found a way to destroy them. Thankfully this year for Christmas my sister got me a pair or Rasta Ink'd Skull Candy's. With triathlon training underway I'll be doing more running than usual and a reserve pair is very handy.

I went and hit "Submit"

2011-12-31T21:43:00.000-05:00

After a few bottles of New Years Eve courage i signed up for the Child Of the Sun sprint-tri. I've spent the last month of two changing my training from a powerlifting format to more of an endurance format.
I bought a bike yesterday from NashBar and I'm sure that it was the wrong type but due to finances it was the best that I could do. I've found a training program and I'm planning to wean away from the beer. I've got about about 4 months to get all this in line....and did I fail to mention that I haven't swam for at least 20 years and other than a bike ride last spring it's been almost as long since I've rode a bike..this should be good. The next 52 Day Challenge begins next week and I'm going to try to make my tri workout fit into the 52 DC.
As I ring in the new year I know I've got a good 25 lbs to drop as well as transition from a Powerlifter to a triathlete.... stay tuned

3-2-1 Blast Off

2011-12-08T20:24:00.001-05:00

My Hotel Room The Other Night

I'm sore this morning.....

2011-12-04T11:47:00.001-05:00

We were in the first heat, 8:00 AM, they were still making the mud as the starter gun fired.

The fit pit was "fully involved" but managed to die down by the time us "old men" arrived

One of the cargo net obstacles.

One of the climb over and climb down obstacles, my upper body is still sore.

Here I am totally worn out, I'm heavier than I've been in my previous two races and I felt it. We ran a solid mile before the first obstacle and I think there were 4 or 5 obstacles in the last 1/2 a mile.
There's another Warrior Dash in January and I'm going to more than likely run that one as well.

If you've ever wondered what a Clydesdale Horse looks like in mud just hit play.....at least I know what my legs would look like with a solid tan.

You Gotta Just Love Cardio

2011-11-28T10:27:00.001-05:00

7 Days And Counting

2011-11-26T20:20:00.001-05:00

Is It Possible To Be A Little Bit Insane?

2011-11-24T21:28:00.001-05:00

Didn't someone once say that "Idle hands are the devil's tools"? I took the week off to paint the house and probably due to the paint fumes killing what little brain cells remained....I decided to sign up for a Sprint Triatholon next year...oh but here is the best part I haven't swan in lets say 20+ years and other than a ride out to Shark Valley last year lets also say that my bicycle riding has been limited since Middle School. Did I fail to mention that I don't even own a bike.....well at least the house has a fresh coat of paint.

Vacation, Staycation or Whatever

2011-11-22T21:54:00.001-05:00

I took this week off in order to paint my house...I started Saturday it's now Tuesday I'm almost done, I'm tired and I haven't been to the gym or did anything exercise related except for going up and down a ladder for four days........I'm not in a great mood.

Hat Trick....

2011-11-19T09:04:00.001-05:00

Just signed up for my third Warrior Dash, this year.....I'm in the 8:00 AM wave...just how cold could the water possibly be on December 3rd?
Seriously these races are a lot of fun...you get to get muddy, wear a warrior hat and....drink some beer and in my case that will be somewhere around 8:45 AM in the morning.

Todays Text Coversation

2011-11-17T16:16:00.001-05:00

Me: I'm here where are you?
Friend: @ CVS
Me: Buy Aspirin?
Friend: No arsenic
Me: Use a fake name

I love technology.....

Race Our Ad

2011-11-16T06:56:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, Tuesday.....

2011-11-15T21:47:00.001-05:00

Gym time and then a meeting...then a drive to Sarasota where I feasted on grouper and a cold adult beverage.

Kyle Does Life

2011-11-13T21:16:00.001-05:00

Kyle is giving away a MacBook Pro....check it out here LINK

7 Simple Tips To Deal With Negative People

2011-11-13T10:42:00.001-05:00

7 Simple Tips To Deal With Negative People

Tip #1: Don’t Engage in the Negativity
One thing I found is negative people tend to harp on the bad things and ignore the positive stuff. They also have a tendency to exaggerate issues they are facing, making their predicament seem a lot worse than it actually is.

Tip #2: Hang Out In Groups
Speaking to a negative person can be extremely draining. When I spoke to my negative co-worker, I would be mentally drained for several hours, even though we talked for only 20-30 minutes. That was because I was on the receiving end of all her negativity.

Tip #3: Objectify the Comments Made
Negative people can be quite critical at times. They tend to drop insensitive comments that are hurtful, especially if they are directed at you.

Tip #4: Go with Lighter Topics
Some negative people are triggered by certain topics. For example, one of my friends turns into a self-victimizer whenever we talk about work. No matter what what I say, he’ll keep complaining about everything in his job, which becomes quite a conversation dampener.

Tip #5: Be Mindful of the Time You Spend With Them
As Jim Rohn puts it – “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”. What this quote means is that who you spend your time with has an impact on the person you eventually become.

Tip #6: Identify Areas You Can Make a Positive Change
Negative people are negative because they lack love, positivity and warmth. A lot of times, their negative behavior is a barrier they erect to protect themselves from the world.

Tip #7: Drop Them From Your Life.......
If all else fails, reduce contact with them or drop them from your life.

As I was stumbling through the Internets this morning I came across a link to a "Zenhabits" titled "7 Simple Tips To Deal With Negative People", good stuff, nothing that groundbreaking, but it is good to know that there are people out there that think along the same lines as I do......I am not alone.

A Relaxing Friday

2011-11-11T21:54:00.001-05:00

I took the day off day from work and working out.......Just "JF" and I hanging out do nothing, I gotta say it was sweet.

The Current Gym Playlist

2011-11-09T18:41:00.000-05:00

Name			Artist
Alive and Kicking			Simple Minds
All Summer Long			Kid Rock
Break It Down Again			Tears For Fears
Bring Me To Life			Evanescence
Call Me When You're Sober			Evanescence
Check It Out			John Mellencamp
Cradle of Love			Billy Idol
Dream On			Aerosmith
Escape			Journey
Grey Street			Dave Matthews Band
Hells Bells			AC/DC
I Alone			Live
Lose Yourself			Eminem
Love Walks In			Van Halen
Name			The Goo Goo Dolls
Name [New Version]			Goo Goo Dolls
Open Letter (To A Landlord)			Living Colour
Photograph (Live In Atlanta)			Nickelback
Right Now			Van Halen
Right Now			Van Halen
Rockstar			Nickelback
She's a River			Simple Minds
Silent Lucidity			Queensryche
Southern Cross			Jimmy Buffett
Summer Nights			Van Halen
Tom Sawyer			Rush
Trippin On a Hole in a Paper Heart			Stone Temple Pilots
Tripping Billies (Live At Wrigley Field)			Dave Matthews Band
Turn Up The Radio			Autograph
Your Life Is Now			John Mellencamp
#41			Dave Matthews Band

Lunch!

2011-11-09T12:51:00.001-05:00

I enjoy making omelets and I usually try to put bunches of fresh spinach it them..so much bunches that I usually end up with an overstuffed omelet that doesn't close right or the fold comes apart...you know the really important stuff when it comes to eating. This morning I decided to try something different, I put my eggs and hot sauce in my Bella Cucina Blender as I normally do..but then I added in my spinach and blended....sweet...no more stuff-age issues and all I need is some ham and I'll be all set for a Green Eggs and Ham reenactment.

Inspiration - Motivation

2011-11-06T15:13:00.001-05:00

By Shomari Stone Published: Jul 13, 2009 at 7:28 AM PST Last Updated: Jul 13, 2009 at 10:44 AM PST

SEATTLE -- Two months ago Alison McWeeny was lifting steel columns and using her legs and upper-body strength to pull a car when she took first place in a 'strong man' competition at Central Washington University.
Now she's sitting in a hospital bed with one leg, surrounded by flowers, get-well cards and balloons.
"I really wish that I was able to walk right now, because I want to get as soon as possible but I can't yet," McWeeny said. "I feel anxious to get out of this bed." "Read More"

The above video was from "The Night Of Living Dead - Deadlift Competition" and taken last month, just a little more than 2 years since her accident.

Here's more of Alison's story "Part One" and "Part Two"

Now as everyone knows I hate single legged exercises, I have no balance even with two feet on the ground, much less one foot. Currently I do 3 sets of 10-15 reps of Bulgarian Split Squats every other workout and when it's time to do these you would think that the world is coming to an end, the 3 sets with rest take maybe 6 minutes of the day every few days.....damn after watching Alison I'm a big old baby, because she spends 24/7 on one leg and can pull a hell of a lot more on one leg than I ever could.
The mind, spirit and determination is an amazing thing...living life with no limits, adapting and conquering it rather than trying to have life adapt to you and being miserable.
My hat is off to you Alison....

Three Amigos Chili

2011-10-31T13:58:00.001-04:00

It's Fall here in Florida, which in a nutshell means that at some point during the 24 hours that make up the day the temperature drops below 80 degrees.
Fall season is chili season and here's a very easy, very quick and healthy (until you add the shredded cheese and sour cream). The cinnamon adds a nice twist to the flavor and you can swap out the ground turkey for ground chicken. Look 11 grams of fiber (thank you Mr Beans...) and 31 grams of muscle building protein...what's not to like?

Three Amigos Chili (LINK)
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapeño peppers
1 can (10 1/2 oz) each chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans, drained
1 can (14 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp each salt and cumin
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Hot sauce to taste

PREPARATION
In a pot, heat the oil on medium-low. Add the onion and sauté until soft (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add the turkey, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with juice, chickpeas, beans, broth, and spices. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. (Freeze the leftovers and save $5 by eating them for lunch.)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories:     293 calories
Carbs:        32 g
Sodium:     788 mg
Fat:           5 g
Protein:     31 g
Fiber:        11 mg

School fails spelling test: Misspelled sign near a Lauderhill elementary school upsets parents

2011-10-28T16:50:00.000-04:00

Posted: 9:27 AM
Last Updated: 3 hours and 29 minutes ago

By: WPTV Web Team

LAUDERHILL, Fla. - Some parents are upset after noticing a misspelled sign near an elementary school at the corner of 50th Street and Pine Island Road in Lauderhill, reports WPLG-CH. 10.
The sign reads "SCOHOL" instead of "SCHOOL." And according to WPLG-CH. 10, one parent said the sign is a bad lesson for all kids.
A parent told WPLG-CH. 10, “It's a shame...kids need better than this!"
The station reports that Broward County paid out good money for the incorrect letters. But so far, no comment has been issued from the county.

School fails spelling test: Misspelled sign near a Lauderhill elementary school upsets parents

NROL Fat Loss II

2011-10-28T16:20:00.001-04:00

I've been through both the "A" & "B" workouts of the Fat Loss II portion.....these high rep sets have not gotten any easier, however the high reps paired with several HIIT sessions each week has caused the needle on the scale to move back towards the left.

Oh and another thing I still can't stand single legged exercises, they never get any easier and they usually bring on the occurrence of me trying to hop on one foot while my other foot is draped over a flat bench.....in other words doing all of these exercises and reps will certainly provide results.....what's the old saying "Do what your weak at you will get stronger"...well close to something like that.

I must say that I do like the exercise change up every 4 weeks or so, it weens me from my steady diet of squats and deadlifts - deadlift and squats.

Workout B
Alternating Sets
Snatch-grip deadlift    3x12.
T-push-up    3x12.

Alternating Sets
Bulgarian Split Squat    3x12.
Underhand-grip lat pulldown    3x12.

Alternating Sets
Romanian deadlift    3x12.
Lower-body Russian twist    3x12.

My Latest Addiction

2011-10-25T21:06:00.001-04:00

I spend hours and hours each day on the internet, sometimes work related sometimes not so much work related. I recently camE across Pinterest, wow think of it as a public cork-board where people post their motivation, favorite food, fitness or health. the topics are endless and limited to what people want to post.

I Survived The Break-In

2011-10-23T11:41:00.000-04:00

I just finished the 3 week high rep break-in period of NROL. I've actually lost a few pounds in the last 3 weeks, which is always nice. I broke out the MyoTape to take a few measurements, I hadn't done this since January where I was a solid 10lbs heavier than I am today and found that I really hadn't lost that much size, which surprised me.

So now we're onto the Fat Loss II Phase. 4 weeks of 3X12's Ughhhhh
It looks something like this.

Workout A
Alternating Sets
Front Squat    3x15.
Wide-grip cable seated row    3x15.

Alternating Sets
Supine hip extension w/leg curl    3x15.
BB push press    3x15.

Alternating Sets
Dynamic Lunge    3x15.
Swiss-ball crunch    3x15.

Workout B
Alternating Sets
Snatch-grip deadlift    3x12.
T-push-up    3x12.

Alternating Sets
Bulgarian Split Squat    3x12.
Underhand-grip lat pulldown    3x12.

Alternating Sets
Romanian deadlift    3x12.
Lower-body Russian twist    3x12.

Time for the classic

2011-10-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

CE: 90

RT: 17

CT: 17

PG1 (Turkey Trot or Warrior Dash)

PG2 (Drop 5 lbs)

Starting tomorrow this is the plan for my next 52 days....90 meals of clean food, 17 resistance training sessions, 17 cardio sessions, a race or two and the goal of dropping 5 lbs.

I'm almost finished with the Break In template for the New Rules of Lifting and then it's onto Fat Loss II for the next few weeks.

This should be a good challenge

Lost A Clean Eat This Evening......

2011-10-15T09:13:00.000-04:00

Even though we're between challenges I still try to adhere to a clean eating plan....try is probably the key word in that sentence.
It seems as if the "Food Channel" is on an awful lot in this house and one show that's in heavy rotation is Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. For someone that eats a bunch of meals on the road and for someone that wishes to eat as healthy as possible...this is the last show that I need to be watching.
Well it turns out that one of Guy's stops was just a few miles South of the house, Sonny's Famous Steak Hogies was where Friday night "Date Night" was planned.
They say that TV tends to put 10lbs on you, well I think it also adds a few hundred square feet to a restaurant, because Sonny's looked a whole lot bigger on TV than it did in person. The place had maybe 7 booths and 3 tables......but what it lacked in size it made up for in taste. I ordered a #95 with a side of hot peppers, the bread is baked daily on site and it was soft, fresh and light.......so all in all it was worth losing a Clean Eat as well as making a second trip on another evening......and the prices were very reasonable, the four us ate for less than $40.00.

The Trifecta

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

So for the third time this year I participating in another Warrior Dash and for the first time this year the race is about 20 minutes from my house, no planes, no rental cars and no hotels.....I can't wait. My wife and I had registered for the Disney 5k at the end of September but she tore the upper part of her Achilles a few weeks before the race so those plans got nixed. I guess at some point in the next few week I'll have to switch from the elliptical back to running......in hopes of being able to competitively run 3 miles through mud, water and over fire....

The Building Blocks.....

2011-10-10T10:38:00.001-04:00

I have a few rules that I try to stick with....

If I'm going somewhere with a group of friends I'll drive that way I have my car and I can leave when I want to.

I don't stay in hotels with a number in their name.

I don't use drive-thru's it's easy for them to forget to put straws, napkins etc... in your bag and you don't discover it till you're home.

I don't like lending books, CD's, etc......this ones self explanitory

Occasionally against my better judgment I break these rules and often it comes back to bite me in the butt.

Several years ago a friend asked me if I could point him in the right direction of getting healthy, so I lent him my copy of the the book of all books...New-Rules-Lifting . Several years later I'm still without the book and he's still in the same shape that he was back then.

NROL holds a special place with me, it was the first "Real" exercise book that I bought. Years ago I had just dropped 80lbs basically using starvation and cardio (knowing what I know now....not the right way) and I decided to start lifting weights again. Being internet savvy I searched the WWW and time and time again NROL came up as the place to start so I bought the book and started the program, I'll never forget the first time I pulled 200 lbs on a deadlift...fast forward to last week and looking for a program that I hadn't done in a while I bought another copy of NROL.

I'm now on week two of the "Break In' portion...it's been a long, long time since I've done high rep sets followed by a HIIT session...hopefully the mirror will show some results.

My 52DC results were less than desirable, I missed my CT by one session, there really is no excuse for missing by one session......my weight loss was non-existent....as we fire up for the next 52 DC I plan to run trough the NROL templates, there's a years worth in the book....

Here's Your Sign

2011-09-28T21:14:00.000-04:00

Ever Had One Of Those Days

2011-09-17T21:44:00.000-04:00

The alarm went off waking and bringing me only to a level of confusion. Usually, I am up before the alarm. I stumbled into the bathroom and just stood there in the dark. The voices in my head argued. “Go back to sleep you will be on vacation next week and can double up on your workouts.” - ”No – get it done today and allow yourself to enjoy your vacation.” I stood there – holding onto the back of a chair until the voices quieted down and I decided to go to the gym. What did it matter if it was not the best workout or if all I did was to go through the motions. Another 40 minute RT would have been chalked up. READ MORE.......

The above was written by TNT Man, an active and supportive member on the Men's Health Forums.... I plan to be as active and healthy he is till the day I leave this earth.

We've all had those days when we just don't want to get our of bed, get motivated and get going with the day. I kind of had one of those days this morning. It was the first night home in a week, the dog got walked at 3:45 AM ( don't ask me about that ) and since my wife blew out her Achilles I knew there was no way that she would be accompanying to the gym.......but I also knew that my body needed the activity...so I dragged my lazy road weary behind out of bed and off to the gym I went...and an hour or so later I felt like a new man.

Speaking of road weary here's one of the reasons and one of the reasons I lost a CE......ready for this...dinner Budweiser, fried pickles, grilled gator, seafood gumbo and an oyster po-boy....I was as bloated as I could be... then couple that with an early morning flight home and while being on Central time and my body still being on Eastern time... I was one bloated, tired human being. Plus to top it off I showed up for the Miss Crawfish pageant only to discover that I should have read the sign closer.

I'm a gadget guy

2011-08-24T17:53:00.000-04:00

I love gadgets, cooking gadgets, exercise gadgets (legitimate gadgets..nothing with "AB" in the name), electronic gadgets..etc.... Think SkyMall magazine and I actually use most every gadget that I buy.
Today I came across SportCount a site that sells timers, lap counters, and heart rate monitors . The thought of a timer that fits on my finger is beyond cool the only problem is that I really don't do anything that I need to time....

Lots of links and things....

2011-08-23T18:13:00.000-04:00

It's the second week of the 52DC and I must say this time I'm a bit more focused.....I'm down a couple of pounds, which is always nice. It's been great having a gym at my disposal and I'm actually contemplating selling my rack, superbench and adjustable dumbbells.

Laura Phelps Sweatt of Westside Barbell breaks the all time 165lb weight class total (again) at 163lbs via 745 squat (WR), 530 bench press (WR) and 525 deadlift totaling 1800 lbs. The first woman to EVER total 11 x body weight. Truly amazing!

In keeping with the powerful ladies theme, I came across the site "Strong is the new skinny". Follow this amazing transformation...and I'm thinking of adopting Strong is the new skinny for myself.

Another site that I've added to my RSS reader is Practical Paleolithic. I know very little about the Paleo Diet but the pictures and videos are remarkable.

It was sad seeing all of the DC Earthquake devastation this afternoon,

I'm sure FEMA will be arriving very soon

I was on Web MD the other day, it was the first time I'd been back there since being diagnosed with cancer last year. I came across a slide show of the the 9 least effective exercises. It seems that I see most of these being done every time I go to the gym. My only regret is that they didn't list "Curling in the squat rack" as the 10th least effective exercise...or is it squatting in the curl rack that's bad.

With the addition of Jessie The Wonder Dog my cardio numbers have increased dramatically. A 6 month pup has to be walked, and walked, and walked.....We've been on a few runs (trots) together and usually after 10 minutes or so I give her a break because I had no idea if she was tired, sore dying, etc.....well last night we took her to the local dog park to see if she possessed any "Doggie Social Skills" and it turns out that she does, but she also has amazing acceleration.

I Love Me Some Weekends

2011-08-13T18:26:00.000-04:00

It's been a week....I finished up a 3 week stint on the road, it's nice to be home. My wife and went for a moonlit walk on the beach. We also had a transformer blow which caused damage to most anything plugged into an electrical socket -(1) Dell PC, (1) HP Printer, (1) Sony Wii, (1) Air Conditioner, (1) Phillips Speaker System, (1) Netgear Wireless Router, (1) 21" TV............Damn, just damn.....The damage might just be the exact same amount as our deductable.
I did manage a trip to the gym this afternoon and it felt great. Some chicken tenderloins and green beans for a dinner and possibly a long walk for the dog.

Day 1

2011-08-10T08:08:00.000-04:00

First day of the Fall 52DC.....time to drop the summer pounds.
I got in a 2.5 mile walk this morning on the hotel treadmill, one CT down 16 more to go.
I weighed myself on the hotel scale, I never trust those scales, but this one leans towards 226 which I think is close to accurate. By Sept 30th I will be at 215 lbs.

Ahhhh Another 52DC Begins.......

2011-08-07T10:54:00.000-04:00

So this is the forth challenge in the last year......during the summer challenge I came up short, due to travel and vacation, not a real reason more of an excuse. The good thing about these challenges is just that they challenge you, sometimes it exposes your strengths sometimes it exposes your weaknesses.

So the goals are as follows
CE: 0/0/90 (0%)
RT: 0/17 (0%)
CT: 0/17 (0%)
PG1 (11lbs in 5% Challenge): 0/11 (0%)
PG2 (64oz of water/green tea each day): 0/40 (0%)
PG3 (1 Soda per day): 0/40 (0%)

I need to get more H2O into my body and less Diet Soda and of course planning to drop that same 10 lbs that I've dropped 1000 times before.

Kind of following the Stronglifts template..I'm taking advantage of the gyms squat rack and the 5x5 program fits in there nicely. Two months of working out in the gym and I've managed to work my squats up to 245lbs for reps, oh course I'm 10 lbs heavier than I was 2 months ago and I wish I could say that it was 10 lbs of muscle, but it's not.

In other news, we've managed to rescue a yellow lab, Jessie is 6 months old and full of puppy energy. A new pup + required dog walks = CT's. At this point Jessie has consumed one pair of shoes and one book bag strap......currently casualties is at a minimum level for a puppy.

Still In The Hunt

2011-07-05T14:03:00.000-04:00

There's 17 days left in the challenge and I'm going to have to double up to make my RT/CT and 40-4-40 goals. Work has been busy lots of travel and a week without a rental car and a different hotel every night didn't help.

I've used the gym membership as much as I can and I think it's paying off. After being away from from a barbell for a solid year and a half I've managed to get both my deadlift and ATG squats back up to 225lb for reps. Hey, it's a start.....

I've ran over 13 miles in the last 7 days, with a couple of those runs being over 4 miles......still not a runner but I'm contemplating a few of the local mini-tri's or a 10k...we'll see.

The diet has been so-so, nothing that bad, still eating clean but more than I should and for whatever reason there has been lots of specials on beer at the grocery store.

I'm still in the hunt and trying to get re-focused.....

Picture Of The Day

2011-06-23T23:53:00.000-04:00

Sign at dinner the The Dixie Springs Cafe' & Lounge

Picture Of The Day

2011-06-22T23:45:00.000-04:00

As seen in Hattiesburg MS

Picture Of The Day

2011-06-19T17:12:00.000-04:00

Blue Monster Energy Drink Ford Fusion Edition....

Picture Of The Day

2011-06-18T13:20:00.000-04:00

Alligator Alley East bound.

Picture Of The Day

2011-06-15T09:26:00.000-04:00

Meeting Time

Picture Of The Day

2011-06-14T09:10:00.001-04:00

Morning Cardio

Possibly A Third One This Year

2011-06-13T23:39:00.000-04:00

Looks like they've added another Warrior Dash in Florida...Set for January 2011....I had thoughts of heading to TN this September in order to complete the Triple Crown but now I might not have to wander all that far. Mud, Sweat and Beer......

I Thought This Stuff Only Happened In Florida

2011-06-13T23:21:00.000-04:00

A police officer in Independence, Missouri, who thought he was killing an alligator on the loose actually shot a life-size concrete lawn ornament. The police department ended up apologizing to Rick Sheridan, the cement gator’s owner. Sheridan heard gunfire as he was working in his garage last weekend. When he went out to see what was going on, he discovered several police officers with their guns drawn. “The officer fired two rounds and killed my concrete, ornamental alligator,” Sheridan said. The police department said a man called to report his children had seen an alligator. The police department checked with state conservation officials and were told they should kill the animal if they could find it. Sheridan said he has found the alligator to be more effective than “No Trespassing” signs to keep strangers from wandering onto his property. He said vandals just rip the signs down. LINK

This is the reason that I have one of those "Lawn Gnomes" in my front yard.

Rewiring The Body

2011-06-05T15:28:00.000-04:00

Two weeks into working out in a gym and my body is sore in places that it hasn't been sore in for years....but it's a good kind of sore.

Last Thursday I did over squats, an exercise that has been absent from my programs for years, and my shoulders still felt it on Friday. Yesterday was back squat day! Due to a jacked up L1-L5 I've stayed away from back squats for the last 18 months. During that time I've done DB lunges, sled pulls and Goblet squats and really concentrated on strengthening my core. Yesterday I re-watched EliteFTS so you think you can squat series on You Tube since I've been out of the groove for a while. I managed to work up to a set of 175, far from where I had been in the past but it felt good. After I was done one of the trainers came over and said I had one of the best squat forms that he had ever seen........since he didn't try to sell me a block of training sessions I taking it as him being serious LOL.

This morning was cardio day..... a 40 minute run. I manged to knock out 3.4 miles running HIIT style. My total for the week was just under 10 miles, not bad for someone that's not a runner.

Oh yeah, I still haven't gotten on the scale to find my starting weight for this challenge.....I should have made it my goal to be under 210 instead of just losing 5lbs, oh well live and learn.

Been There

2011-06-03T20:44:00.000-04:00

Worth The Watch

An Audio Post

2011-06-02T23:27:00.002-04:00

Just trying something different - an audio post - 6 minutes of your life that you will never get back..

Day One

2011-06-01T20:06:00.000-04:00

The latest 52DC challenge began this morning and runs till July 22nd, my anniversary.
Since I've recent;y joined a gym I'm dragging out a template that I did several years ago from Men's Health Power Training.
Week 4A
Hang Power Clean
Front Squat
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Bench Press
Bent Over Alternating Dumbell Row
Push Press
Single Arm Pulldown
Seated Russian Twist
Plank

Week 4B
Hang Power Snatch
Lateral Stepup
Zercher Good Morning
Close Grip Bench Press
Standing Cable Row to Neck
Jackknife Pushup
Mixed Grip Pullup
Seated Russian Twist
Plank

Week 4C
Snatch Pull
Split Squat
Single Leg Back Extension
Reverse Grip Bench Press
Facepull
Push Jerk
Side to Side Pullup
Cable Wood Chop
Plank

Week 5A
Muscle Snatch
Single Leg Squat
Romanian Deadlift
DB 1 Arm on Ball
Facepull
DB Split Jerk
Chinup
Barbell Torque
Plank

Week 5B
Hang Power Clean
Back Squat
Single Leg Good Morning
Bench Press
Two Point Dumbbell Row With Twist
Push Press
Single Arm Pulldown
Swiss Ball Weight Roll
Plank

Week 5C
Snatch Pull
Bulgarian Split Squat
Romanian Deadlift
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Standing Cable Row to Neck
DB Push Jerk
Chinup
Barbell Torque
Plank

Week 6A
One Arm Dumbbell Snatch
Overhead Squat
Single Leg Back Extension
Incline Bench Press
Bent Over Two Point Dumbbell Row
Push Jerk
Pullup
Cable Wood Chop
Plank

Week 6B
Clean Pulls
Stepup
Seated Good Morning
Side to Side Pushup
Standing Cable Row to Neck
DB Push Press
Mixed Grip Pullup
Wood Chop on Knee
Plank

Week 6C
Power Clean
Split Squat
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Dip
Facepull
Split Jerk
Side to Side Pullup
Seated Russian Twist
Plank

The first exercise is 3 sets of 3 the rest of the exercises follow reps of 10,8,8,6. This program contains a lot of volume but I will enjoy the variety of the exercises.

My goals

CE:90
RT: 20
CT: 20
PG1 (40-4-40):
PG2 (Drop 5lbs):
PG3 (No Alcohol 40 days):

PG1 40 minutes of exercise for 40 days
PG2 Hey everyone can afford to drop 5lbs
PG3 I always have 3 PG's...so it's no beer while on the road only on Friday and Saturday nights.

I'm Back

2011-05-26T20:01:00.000-04:00

As yet another 52 Day Challenge approaches I am reminded that I haven't updated my blog in a month or so.....

I did manage to participate in yet another Warrior Dash. What a blast Mud, Sweat and Beer. the best part was that both my wife and my Mom were able to participate.

Where else can a 47 year old cover himself in mud and then get 3 free beers and a medal? This is the second Warrior Dash that I've worn this same shirt and this time my Mother took on the challenge of getting the mud out of it.....

At the race end most donate their shoes where Green Sneakers washes and then washes them again and ships them off to those who need sneakers....not a bad way to be a humanitarian and get 3 free beers.

Since the last warrior dash I've eased off the weights, it's really been the first break since last summer. I did manage to keep up with my cardio logging approx 12 miles or so a week. My weight has held between 214 and 218 those 3 free beers have planted themselves right on my hips.

I joined a local gym.....The special that they were running was one of those deals that I couldn't pass up. This evening was my second visit and lo and behold there he was 18 years old 6' 2" 140lbs and doing curls.....in the one and only squat rack...I almost pee'd in my pants.

My goals for the Summer Challenge are as follows
CE: 90
RT: 20
CT: 209
PG1: 40-4-40
PG2: Drop at least 5lbs
Why is that 210lb mark so damn elusive?

There Goes My Decorating Budget...

2011-04-14T15:59:00.006-04:00

April 11, 2011, 2:36 pm

Gee, How Did That Towel End Up in My Suitcase?

By SARA J. WELCH

Hotel guests may want to think twice now before walking off with that bathrobe. Linen Technology Tracking, a company in Miami, has patented a washable RFID chip that can be sewn into towels, robes and bed sheets, allowing hotels to keep track of their linens.

So far, three hotels — in Honolulu, Miami and Manhattan — are using the chip, said Linen Technology Tracking’s executive vice president, William Serbin. He said the hotels did not want their names used.

Mr. Serbin added that rising cotton prices were a motivation: “A bath towel that might have cost $5 last year could cost $8 or $9 now. High-end hotels want to watch those assets.” READ MORE

In all of my years of traveling I don't think I've ever taken a towel with me, even by accident. Now I can tell you that if I was to ever accidentally remove a towel I would never take it from my room but from the pool or fitness room, yes it would have the blue strip on it (kind of like a range ball) but at least I would have a matching set.

All this hotel talk reminds me of a hotel room tour that I took a few years ago...

It's Sunday......

2011-04-10T15:18:00.004-04:00

Somewhat MIA this week, both from posting on here as well as the 52DC forum...
It was just one of those weeks. I managed to get in 3 solid RT's as well as 2 CT's totaling 6.63 miles. I had to late week meeting, one ended up at PF Changs, I never knew that you could create a 1000 calorie chicken plate without using breading.....It was a good meal.

I got a small surprise from the scale mid-week...211.2. Down from 236/237 during the last week of 2010. I should be able to hit 210 by Warrior Dash time. This weigh in was before the whole PF Changs nightmare and my planned Saturday cheat day.

My TNT Diet Book arrived yesterday and I've skimmed through it and it's not that far off from how I'm currently eating. I still need to drop my carbs more and increase my healthy fat intake. I'll need to concentrate on the "Muscle Building Zone" and do a better job of feeding the furnace after my workout.

The book cost me less than $9.00 with shipping..If this whole TNT diet thing doesn't workout I figure for the amount of recipes that the book contains I bought a pretty decent cookbook for $9.00. The exercises don't appear to be anything ground breaking as I must have 5 or 6 of the Men's Health exercise book.

Don't pull out the checkbook

2011-04-02T22:17:00.002-04:00

Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison will make a fine commencement speaker at this year's Rutgers University graduation ceremonies. She will engage the students and inspire them with all the hard-earned wisdom of her 80 years. She also will leave the stage $30,000 richer. And that's a problem.

This is the first time that Rutgers is paying a commencement speaker. It's a bad precedent — not only for Rutgers but for other institutions that heretofore have shunned the idea of pulling out the checkbook to induce name speakers to address their graduates.

Read More

At first read I thought this was an Aprils Fools joke (it might still be) but I was amazed.......so decided to watch an episode of Jersey Shore this afternoon. After losing an hour of my life that I will never get back I must say "I'm impressed" apparently "Snookie" is/was smart enough to hire an agent that could land her a commencement gig that paid $32k.....damn.

Accomplishments week of 4/2

2011-04-02T09:26:00.010-04:00

This past week
I replaced roadwork cardio with DVD cardio, not a bad choice
Got in 4 resistance training sessions
Lost 1.6 pounds
I managed to drop my carbs to under 80 grams per day

The scale showed 212.6 this morning, not a bad way to start the weekend. I'm going to chalk it up to the Cardio DVD's and the drop in carb consumption. I should be below 210 by the end of the challenge.

I dug out my old GymBoss timer the other day and began using it for intervals, planks and rest times between sets....I forgot how handy this thing can be.

The food of the week Gardein Beefless Tips Package. They were 2 for 1 at Publix....yes I'm a bargain shopper. I cooked them in garlic and low sodium Soy Sauce, not bad tasting. 150 calories, 8 grams of carbs & 18 grams of protein all in 3/4 of a cup and yes I ate the whole bag.

On a lighter note I managed to snag my wife with a great Aprils Fools prank. I made a fake hollow roll of toilet paper. When she went to pull the toilet paper off of the roll she was greeted with a nice April Fools message. It worked like a champ.....

No One Wants To Eat What I Eat

2011-03-30T18:39:00.003-04:00

This morning I drank my normal morning morning shake while I made breakfast for everyone, I got cleaned up stepped on the scale and........I lost a few oz's.....Food was within 10 or 15 calories of the day before no there was no major calorie deficiency so how could I have possibly lost weight? Note the sarcasm in that sentence, could it be the types of food that I'm eating instead of solely that number of calories...Hmmmm

Breakfast consisted of one whole egg, 1/2 cup of egg whites, peppers, frozen spinach and some leftover ground beef....so how come no one wants to partake in that for breakfast? I think I lose them at the ground beef with the eggs.
Roughly 300 calories, 6.5 grams of carbs and somewhere around 30 grams of protein, not a bad way to get the morning going. Tonight chicken on the grill some lentils and a salad....salad, really what's the use?

I've been enjoying this latest workout template, mostly from the book Power Training, it's a book I've had for years and so many of Coach Dos's workouts seem to help me shed
weight.

I bought a Bob Harper DVD at Sam's a few weeks ago and had never taken the time to run through it...damn 40 minutes into the 60 minute workout I was done....I even did it without weights. I must have something to do with weighing 160lbs and not 213.6.

Life In The Healthy Lane

2011-03-29T16:21:00.005-04:00

After two years in the making, Albert Lea Hy-Vee rolled out its Blue Zones checkout lane in January.

While most checkout lanes are stocked full of candy bars, gum and sweet treats attractive to children and adults, the Blue Zones lane features a variety of healthy snacks, including granola bars, carrots, dried fruits, string cheese and flavored water.

Hy-Vee dietitian Amy Pleimling said since the Blue Zones lane opened, the store has seen an average of a 42 percent increase on sales of items featured in the lane. READ MORE

I remember when my kids were small and still fit in a grocery cart I never knew what I actually purchased till I arrived home and unpacked the groceries. The reason Clepto #1 and then Clepto #2 would wait till Dads back was turned and then they would drop a candy bar or two (or three) on the "Motion" belt and Dad was never the wiser, until he unpacked the groceries - Where the hell did this candy bar come from? Cut to Clepto #1 smiling :)
The grocery store marketers know what they're doing, you're done shopping, you're in the checkout line, you're exhausted Little Johnny has flat worn you down - You just want to go HOME.....all of sudden you look to your left and it's a chocolate, potato chip, cookie cornucopia.....ahhhh time for the impulse buy! It works every time and it has for years the bad thing is that it sets a bad example for Little Johnny - shopping = food treats. Marketing's job is complete.
Enter Hy-Vee and the Blue Zone. Checkout lanes stocked with some healthy alternatives. Child friendly and for that matter adult friendly. the best part is that the Marketing Dept. can still smile "the store has seen an average of a 42 percent increase on sales of items featured in the lane." We'd all like to see a 42% increase on a featured item.
We, as the consumer, are still faced with the impulse buy and as we all know those "Healthy Nuts" are very high in calories so you can still be faced with weight gain, but if nothing else it does show us and our kids that there are alternatives if you just take a moment to think about it.

Welcome To Monday

2011-03-28T07:57:00.005-04:00

Make Good Decisions to Start the Week

Did you burn a lot of calories over the weekend? Did you make a couple of trips to the gym, do a lot of yard work, and watch your calories as you should?

If you did, you’re definitely in the minority.

I didn’t make it to the gym over the weekend, nor did I get much of a chance to burn calories outside as it was raining. I also had a couple of meals out with the wife where I had no intention of counting calories. That’s fine, though. I feel great.

Today is another day to make a whole new set of decisions. Read More

I subscribe to the RSS feed of a couple of hundred blogs - from health and fitness to the craziest of the craziest I skim through them each and everyday. There are some nuggets everyday, some posts that you learn from some posts that make you chuckle and some posts that make you wonder "Why did I even bother going to school". The above snippet came from 344 pounds, it's an amazing transformation and shows what the mind and body can do when you focus and apply dedication.

I seem to always do better with food and exercise on the weekends. Yes, I manage to get in my low carb beer (Yuck) but the weekends allow me to get in at least 3 exercise sessions, cook some food for the upcoming week.

It seems like most trash their bodies on the weekend and "poof" they go cold-turkey at 6:00am Monday morning only to fall of the wagon by noon on Wednesday. This whole healthy lifestyle thing is a journey, it's not a destination. There is no finish line, maybe the finish line is living with low cholesterol or without diabetes....who knows. Just because Tuesday evening you had a bowl of ice cream ( a big bowl of course ) that doesn't mean that you've undone all of the healthy stuff you did on Monday and most of Tuesday. That's part of the strategy behind the 52DC challenges....so you manage to eat half of the pizza instead of the just one piece (who can really only eat one slice of a pizza) it doesn't mean that you've lost progress for the whole day. You choose to eat the pizza, don't beat yourself up over it.

It's all about taking those little baby steps and listening to what your body is saying. I know that if I miss out on exercise for 3 or 4 days I know that my mood will change, like most people I know if I load up on a high calorie - high sugar meal at some point my blood sugar will come crashing down.....I don't let the scale set my mood for the day, if I weigh an extra of couple pounds in the morning, so be it.....I just look at my weight graph and I can see that downward progression that I've been making and I know that my journey is moving in the right direction.

So welcome to Monday - it's a brand new never before used Monday, enjoy it.

Accomplishments week of 3/26

2011-03-26T11:56:00.003-04:00

This past week
Spent time in Jacksonville, FL
Got in close to 18 miles of cardio
Got in 3 resistance training sessions
Lost 1.8 pounds

Again the scale was kind this week, dropping 1.8lbs for the week including a major breakfast screw up, I'll just call it a "Metabolism Adjustment". Three days on the road this week and I really didn't get near enough food into my system....then you add in all of the exercise it's no wonder that I lost weight and I'm sure some muscle along with those pounds. Dropping the carbs is working I'm going to continue on getting the total carbs down closer to 50 grams each day.

Calories 1,571

Fat 59.3 grams 34%

Carbohydrate 100.4 grams 26 %

Protein 155.8 grams 41%

Hump Day

2011-03-23T21:00:00.004-04:00

Got on the scale this morning to a surprising 214, down from 217 on last Wednesday
The major change is the diet and particularly in the area of carbs and types of carbs. I've gone from approx 150 grams per day down to 100 grams per day and I've replaced the brown rice with the lentils and black beans. I'm trying to eat most carbs early in the day and after I workout.

Post workout breakfast this morning - egg, egg whites, frozen spinach and fresh peppers and about 1/2 cup lentils.
The water intake has also increased, as much as I dislike water I forcing myself to drink 96 ozs per day......Believe me it keeps you alert looking for rest stops on long drives.

The new workout template really seems to test my endurance, it's been a few years since I've done dumbbell complexes as a warm-up and the kettlebell swings as a finisher manages to send the heart-rate towards the higher numbers.

I've managed close to 15 miles since Sunday, which for someone who is not a "runner" sucks. I have no idea how anyone ever ran or jogged before WalkMans and iPods.......if I didn't have something to listen while running I'm sure that I would get lost in my thoughts and run into a telephone pole.

The Sunday Funnies

2011-03-20T18:13:00.001-04:00

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two
groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its
recommendation.

The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora' ), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself
spending half your paycheck on accessories for
it.

(THIS GETS BETTER!)

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador') , because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model..

The women won.

OK, so it's starting to come back to me.

2011-03-19T17:22:00.005-04:00

After 2 days of good clean eating mixed with some exercise I'm back in the grove. The KB Swings are giving my cardio a run for the money. It's been over a week since I've gotten a decent RT session in.

The RT plan is as follows:

Warm Ups	Sets	Reps
DB High Pulls	2	5
DB Hang Snatch	2	5
DB Squat Press	2	5
DB Bent Over Alt Rows	2	5
Push Ups	2	5
Core Rows	2	5

Workout A	Sets	Reps
1a Weighted Hip Raises	3	10-12
1b Suspended Inverted Rows	3	10-12
2a Goblet Squat	3	10-12
2b DB Bench	3	10-12
3a Plank	3	60 sec
3b DB One Arm OHP	3	10-12
4a DB Shrugs	3	10-12
4b KB Swings	3	25

Workout B	Sets	Reps
1a Deadlift	3	10-12
1b Kneeling One Arm Row	3	10-12
2a Sumo Squat	3	10-12
2b DB Incline Bench	3	10-12
3a Side Plank	3	60 sec
3b Lunges	3	10-12
4a KB Swings	3	25
4b Hammer Curls	3	10-12

Ahhhh Another 52DC Begins

2011-03-16T14:46:00.004-04:00

The Spring 52DC has begun (FAQ's Here).

I've backed off on some of my goals due to an enormous workload the next month or so.
CE: 90
RT: 17
CT: 17
PG1 (Lose 5lbs):
PG2 (Walk with wife 10 times):
PG3 (Post to FitDay 30 days):

Starting weight is 217, Ughhh up a half of a pound since the end of the last challenge. I've been signed up for another Warrior Dash....at the end of May, so I'd like to go in weighing under 210lbs.

It's been a tiring last week or so, I got some sort of stomach bug and re-framed from eating for a couple of days, then the time change and then a change in time zones due to travel...it has been exhausting.

I'm having a hard time getting motivated for the start of this challenge, hopefully a RT this afternoon will kick it into gear. I lost a clean eat last night....I've had 6 flights in the last week and 5 of them have been delayed due to mechanical issues......so last night once I landed it was Corned Beef sandwiches and PBR's...yes I'm back on the no beer thing for a while.

M.I.A. .......not really......

2011-03-07T17:34:00.003-05:00

It's been a very busy last week, but I've managed to exercise almost everyday since the challenge ended including 15+ miles of walking/running.
I've signed up for another Warrior Dash...... and can't wait for that weekend to arrive..this time "More Beer"

Starting last Monday I've done all that I can to cut as many carbs out of my diet that I possibly can...by the end of the week I had dropped 3lbs. Around Christmas time I was at 236, 10 weeks later 213, maybe I will stop snoring now.

Along with dropping the amount of carbs that I've been eating I've traded brown rice for black beans...lets see if the rest of the household appreciates this change as much as I do. I've also been drinking more WATER.......Ugh as much as I try I just have a hard time sipping on water all day.

Something I Saw Today

2011-03-02T17:39:00.001-05:00

Via: Term Life Insurance

For all you soda drinkers.....

Final Numbers

2011-02-27T18:51:00.004-05:00

CE: 93/104/90 (103.33%)

RT: 21/20 (105%)

CT: 30/20 (150%)

PG1 (40-4-40): 51/40 (127.5%)

PG2 (Warrior Dash): 1/1 (100%)

PG3 (Lose 10lbs): 15.6/10 (156%)

I did what I set out to do....get my exercise and diet back in focus. I must say thanks to all of the 52DC participants as they provided some great motivation.. I'm already thinking of some new PG's "No Walmart on the weekend", "No technology after 6:00 pm on Saturday", "Slow or Low Carb Diet"

I must say that I saw the scale creep up a few pounds this morning...homemade pizza, brownies and that wonderful malt beverage last night...but I got in a RT this afternoon so all in all I'm hoping that it all evens out.

Dinner On the Road

2011-02-22T20:14:00.004-05:00

If you saw some crazy man in Wegmans this evening in a red t-shirt and black shorts it was I....(someone forgot to look at the weather report before leaving the house this morning)....Wegmans is my place to shop on the road. Fresh, fresh, fresh food and not all that expensive.

This evening in Hotel Kitchen Stadium it was a cranberry chicken salad, almonds, orange, a low carb wrap and a pouch of Starkist tuna warmed in the coffee pot.
It's amazing what kind of foods you can pack into a suitcase and then add imagination and a microwave and or a coffeepot you can whip up a pretty damn good meal.

I ended up working out at MAC Express this evening. I've trained there before, it's a great place...and it's close to the hotel and Wegmans.
As with most gyms the squat rack was all mine....the best thing about this place is that it's located on McCormick Road...McCormick road as in the spice company. There are times when you can actually smell the spices when you leave the gym..

Years ago and in a previous blog life I took a picture where McCormick advertised "Food Testers Needed!".....you can't make this stuff up.

Random Stuff

2011-02-21T15:34:00.007-05:00

I haven't spent much time updating this last week so here's a run down of some stuff I've come across.

Meet John Wallace III

You would almost have to know the thrill of committing to your own running streak to understand it…

I’ve run every day for the last 3,400 days.

I’ve logged a total of 11,500 miles at an average of 3.38 miles per day! My running streak has been a part of my daily routine for so long, that I can’t imagine a day without running; it really feeds itself once you get this far into it. I’m a proud member of the Running Streak Association of America, and currently hold the #135 spot on the active list of 257 members. The top four members have 40+ year streaks! At the end of October of this year, I’ll reach the 10 year mark. LINK

I'm not a runner, it's almost my mantra..I ran last night and my first mile clocked in at 10:20 is that fast or slow (the second two miles were over 12:00)? Who knows! The thing I don't like about running is the competition that I have with myself over time and distance - faster or further Ughhh. I think about John and his running each and everyday - what an amazing streak - I did 18 miles this week and I'm expecting someone to give me a TV show or something.

I've really become enamored with Tim Ferriss and his site. This afternoon I spent around $12.00 and built a T-bar handle for kettlebell swings. Not too bad for a trip to Home Depot and 5 minutes worth of work. I did order Tim's book The 4 Hour Body.. and look forward to it arriving this week.

I've followed Nate Green for several years and he's giving away a free download of The Hero Hand Book. It's 136 pages and you should be able to take away a few new nuggets of information. hey it's not everyday that someone gives something away for free.

Accomplishments week of 2/18

2011-02-21T09:14:00.010-05:00

Slow on posting the weeks results, it's been a crazy weekend, lots of projects.

This past week
Spent time in Boca Raton, FL, Orlando, FL & Miami, FL
Got in over 18 miles of cardio
Got in 3 resistance training sessions
Lost 3 pounds

I would love to break through into the 215's this week...lets see if it happens.

This last week I chose not to track my foods. Why you might ask? Because after 6 weeks of doing I was at the point that most breakfast, lunch and snacks were the same, the calories were the same, the carb - fat - protein ratio was the same so that left me with just really being concerned with what I was eating for dinner. I've done my numbers for the 40-4-40 and all that's left is to get in is my CE's this week.
I've been looking over the excerpts from 4 Hour Body Book and finally decided to shell out the $14.00 for a copy of my own. Tim has a blog and like most in the online, internet fitness folks it's full of all kinds of marketing hype but inside there is a bunch of free useful information. This morning I built a T-Bar for kettlebell swings for under $10.00...the idea came from Tim's site. I'll post the pics and the link later.

EliteFTS.com: So You Think You Can Squat

2011-02-17T21:51:00.003-05:00

In their never ending quest to pay it forward the guys over at Elite FTS have put together an instructional series on squating. Their site is littered with more free dead on instructional information than you know what to do with.

A New Low

2011-02-15T13:02:00.002-05:00

Not a bad way to start a Tuesday!

Feb 13

2011-02-13T21:00:00.007-05:00

It was a great weekend I managed a CT and an RT, saw a movie, cooked on the grill, cooked a turkey that we bought for Thanksgiving and cut the grass.

Since I cut the grass what would be better than tear it up with the weight sled.....my wife managed to snap a picture or two of my primitive landscaping tool.

We had seen a Spaghetti Squash recipe the other night on Diners Drive-ins and Dives and tried to recreate it at home.

We cut the squash in half and boiled the squash for around 10 minutes..... while boiling we sweated garlic and onions in olive oil and then added squash, sweet peppers, zucchini and mushrooms and let them cook down

After the squash got soft we scrapped it out and added it to the skillet after a few minutes we threw in some sauce and the spooned the whole mixture back into the cleaned out squash boats.

Throw on some mozzarella and back into the oven till browned.

All in all it's one of those recipes that we'd fix again and it turned out to be somewhat healthy.

There's An App For That

2011-02-13T09:36:00.004-05:00

I'm on the information cul-de-sac this morning and what do I find but Confession: A Roman Catholic App. For less than $2.00 (less than a tank of gas my friends) you can avoid going to confession and I guess you'd call it "Phoning It In"......Have we really become that gadget and app dependent that we stray away from live person to person conversation and interaction?
And would the priest use and iPod or an iGod.

One of the participants in the 52DC has a goal of "Device Free Thursdays" there is no way that I could make that goal. Between a couple of cell phones, blue tooth this and blue tooth that it seems that I'm never not connected. My wife and I both check e-mail on our phones before we ever even get out of bed. I check in for flights from either the web or my phone. I can't remember the last time I ever talked to a travel agent. I remember when traveling it was too expensive to use the modem in the hotel room..so once 5 o'clock came you were pretty much done for the day, now a days if I get an e-mail at 9:00pm I feel compelled to reply. I was grocery shopping yesterday and remember seeing a bottle of wine that looked interesting I had the name of the wine but didn't know if it was a red or a white...so I pulled out my phone "Googled" the name found the type, a picture of the label and the price range for it...all while standing in the wine isle of the grocery store (yes, that's where I find only the finest of wines).

Devils & Angels

2011-02-12T10:51:00.001-05:00

Yep it made me laugh......also

Accomplishments week of 2/11

2011-02-12T10:36:00.004-05:00

This past week
Spent time in Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC & Bonita Springs, FL
Barely did 4.5 miles of cardio
Got in 2 resistance training sessions
Lost 1.2 pounds

hSaw a nice number on the scale this morning, I'm down 13lbs since the start of the 52DC. My eating really suffered this week. I think I drank 4 or 5 Muscle Milks, 4 bags of Pork Rinds and probably 5 bags of Beef Jerky....it was one of those weeks where my food choice seemed to be Fast Food or something quick from a convenience store....My Mom and Dad did feed my Fajita's on Monday night...it's always good to share a meal or two with them.

Feb 8

2011-02-08T21:03:00.002-05:00

Have you ever been to Subway and gotten one of those perfect TV commercial subs? Well tonight I landed a 6" double meat Turkey sub that was truly TV commercial perfect. I found a site that will calculate the calories in a Subway Sandwich...I'm not attesting to the accuracy but at least it gives me a number to put in FitDay.

I worked out at ZX Fitness in Laurens SC. Anytime I get to workout in a gym I take advantage of as many of their resources that I can. Tonight I got to do Box Squats which I haven't done in a few months, Barbell Shrugs and my favorite - Deadlifts.

Still Working On Me

I'm Sooooo Creative

A Salsa Saturday Night

Excuses

Words To Live By

New Years Resolutionists

Talk About Leaving A Footprint

The Weeks Totals

Things Aren't Always As Advertised

C'mon Scale

Lean Lifting

I Guess I've Got A Few Years Left

I Ate Too Much Last Night

Saturday Night Dinner

The Week In Review

The Friday Laugh

The 27 Rules of Conquering the Gym

By JASON GAY

Focus, Focus, Focus

From the "What Could Possibly Go Wrong Department"

2 Words

It's A Day Of Firsts

This Is My Dog

It's Up To You

They See me Rolling They Hating

The Clydesdale Division

Splish Splash.....

I'm So Lucky

Lots Of Cool Gear

First Official Tri Workout

It's Been A While

I went and hit "Submit"

3-2-1 Blast Off

I'm sore this morning.....

You Gotta Just Love Cardio

7 Days And Counting

Is It Possible To Be A Little Bit Insane?

Vacation, Staycation or Whatever

Hat Trick....

Todays Text Coversation

Race Our Ad

Tuesday, Tuesday.....

Kyle Does Life

7 Simple Tips To Deal With Negative People

A Relaxing Friday

The Current Gym Playlist

Lunch!

Inspiration - Motivation

Three Amigos Chili

School fails spelling test: Misspelled sign near a Lauderhill elementary school upsets parents

NROL Fat Loss II

My Latest Addiction

I Survived The Break-In

Time for the classic

Lost A Clean Eat This Evening......

The Trifecta

The Building Blocks.....

Here's Your Sign

Ever Had One Of Those Days

I'm a gadget guy

Lots of links and things....

I Love Me Some Weekends

Day 1

Ahhhh Another 52DC Begins.......

Still In The Hunt

Picture Of The Day

Picture Of The Day

Picture Of The Day

Picture Of The Day

Picture Of The Day

Picture Of The Day

Possibly A Third One This Year

I Thought This Stuff Only Happened In Florida

Rewiring The Body

Been There

An Audio Post

Day One

I'm Back

There Goes My Decorating Budget...

It's Sunday......