April 10, 2009Real Life of FitnessI don't know who created the mantra "keeping it real" - probably some hip hop star from the early 90's - but I'm a fan when it comes to planning out a fitness lifestyle. The truth is, most people only think about one immediate goal. It could be 15 pounds, 2 inches, or for the more athletic-minded folks, running 20 plus miles and cutting sprint times. But if you're really interested in seeing far into your fitness future, there are some basic realities you need to keep in mind. If you don't use it, you lose it. I hope you know that if you stop exercising and eating healthy, you're bound to gain the weight back. That's not rocket science! There are other things to lose, however, like specific strengths. Maybe you've worked super hard through a program like P90X, and suddenly you've become a pullup master. Well, after you've finished and moved onto some other crazy fitness regiment, you can't expect to continue putting up the same rep numbers unless you're doing pullups regularly - even if you're doing other back exercises. The same goes for general skills like endurance, stamina, and speed. To maintain the same "upper limit" you have to practice! Everybody gets bored. Yes, the gym gets boring after you do the same old routine everyday. Home fitness gets boring, too, especially if you're watching the same videos all year. It could be the repetitiveness, or maybe working out just seems less important compared to other things going on in your life. That's just how it happens. Routine is your frienemy. We all have those people we keep as friends but secretly want to stab in the back - well, maybe just a quick jab to the kidneys. Similarly, we like routine when it keeps us consistant with our exercise habits. If your fitness routine stays the same week in and week out, however, you'll steadily see less results. That's a serious bummer. Our bodies change as we age. Metabolisms slow down. It becomes harder to keep muscle on your bones and fat off certain places. At some point, you may not be able to do all the same activities as 5 years ago. If you really want to stay in shape, don't think you can get away with all cardio all the time. Resistance training and protein drinks will help keep meat and muscle on your body! Yeah, I know. I'm a real downer. All my friends tell me so. The trick is not to think of these as insurmountable realities. Instead, just think of them as the "rules of the game". First, figure out your goals and which fitness elements you want to retain most. That way, you know where your training should stay focused. If you're getting bored, or your routine is running you dry, it's time to get a little inventive and try something new! And lastly, be aware of your body. It may even help to consult with a physician or nutritionist, or even get some bloodwork done to make sense of it all. There's no real magic formula to getting in shape and staying there. Be "real", but don't give up and plan ahead. You'll find any fitness setbacks far less disconcerting - trust me. March 23, 2009Pirate's Cove 30K Trail RunWell, at least I crossed the finish line, but I really got my ass handed to me on this one! The start for the Pirate's Cove 30K trail run was just over the Golden Gate bridge in the Marin headlands, right by the coast. Skies were overcast, but the views from the hillside were truly breathtaking. Luckily, my puffing and panting may have helped prevent vertigo from some of the potentionially dizzying heights. It took me almost 4 hours. I finished 75 out of 119 people, and second to last in the 29 and under crowd. My running buddy, Kingston, finished 15th, and the winner of the 50K ultra marathon finished 15 minutes after me... haha. I guess I should do some more running-specific training before the next time. Lesson learned. The Pirate's Cove run was put together to help promote trail running in the bay area. I have to give props to the organizers who were extremely helpful and did a great job pulling things together. The trails were all very well marked, so I was never worried about missing a turn. What I didn't realize is that unless you're one of those 2 or 3 people at the front, it's pretty impossible to do the race without walking at some point. It's brutal when you're 10 miles in, and suddenly you come across a humungous stair case leading up the side of a hill. I also learned that even though the gummy bears and beef jerky taste AWESOME when you make it to a pit stop, I should not stuff my face unless I want to get a major muscle spasm in my left quad! At the moment, I'm expecting one of my toe nails to fall off any day - casualty of war, it happens. While I was only hobbling around yesterday, I'm feeling better today and was even able to do 25 minutes of an upper body workout. Anyway, it was an interesting experience. I think 20K is much more reasonable for me, but I'd be willing to give it another shot, if for nothing else except salvaging my pride. Yes, yes - my friends and family have said "at least you finished the race" and "most people wouldn't even run one of these", but I suppose I'm just not satisfied yet. March 20, 2009Pre-Run Jitters!Tomorrow's a big run for me. I'm heading over to Pirates Cove for a 30 kilometer trail run. I signed up on a whim about 2 1/2 weeks ago, figuring if I'm spending all this time working out, I might as well use it for something! But 30k works out to just under 19 miles, and that's sounding like a BIG challenge now that I need to be at the start line in less than 24 hours. It looks as if all the races (8k, 20k, and 30k) are sold out except for the 50k length. I don't know who's crazy enough to do a 50k trail run, but I'm definitely going to stay out of their way! As long as it's sunny, I'll be running in plain old running shoes. I was breaking in some trail runners and realized that the difference in impact was quite significant. Fastest times in '08 seem to be under the 3 hour mark. We'll have to see how I measure up! I really hope this queesy feeling in my stomach goes away before I get there. February 23, 2009Fit Test at Breckenridge 2009!My family and I go on a yearly ski trip, a tradition that started just over 10 years ago - a full 4 years before I even learned to snowboard! While our annual vacation has typically wisked us off to the slopes at Blackcomb Whistler, outside Vancouver, we've shaken things up a bit and spent the week in Breckenridge, Colorado. It's been my first taste of the Rockies! Here's the fitness spin on this tale. Story is I was expecting to board 4 days out of 6. That would give me a couple rest days because I usually don't board more than 2 days in a row without getting extremely exhausted. Who wants to be crippled by total body muscle-aches when they're on vacation, right? What I didn't factor into my plans, though, were the days when the rest of my group wanted to hit the snow, OR when the fresh powder decided to hit the mountains. Sometimes my family can be just as unpredictable as the weather! Essentially, I ended up shredding the slopes for 5 days straight - and you know what? It didn't kill me. In fact, my legs felt stronger than ever before, and I seemed able to keep up with the pace, even with the high altitude (nearly 14,000 feet sometimes!). I guess I owe another debt of gratitude to P90X. And it's nice to know my current routine is still doing some good, and keeping me fit when it counts.
Here's something my sister put together for me. I'm goofing around with my niece. Okay... I'm acting like a goof and she's just staring at me! January 16, 2009Be My Coach Requests!It's been very rewarding helping many of my friends (old and new) get into the fitness game. Along with my P90X blog, I've been receiving requests to help with continued motivation and advice. So if you'd like me to be you're BeachBody/P90X coach, I'm happy to be of service! Here's how to make me your coach: 1.) If you have yet to purchase P90X, first enroll for a free Beachbody Online account by following this link: https://www.milliondollarbody.com/signup/register.htm?type=&MDB_SKU=&username=r2chi2 The page should tell you that Robert Chi (user name: r2chi2) will be assigned as your coach. That's me! Then, you can purchase P90X and any other videos/equipment/supplements from the official Beachbody store (bottom left link). 2.) Already have a Beachbody account or just bought P90X? If you already have a BeachBody program and haven't had a satisfactory experience with your assigned coach, you can choose to switch. Just call up customer service at 1-800-470-7870, and tell them you'd like Robert Chi, username r2chi2, (yep, me again) assigned as your coach. People ask me if I can help with other Beachbody programs. While I do tend to focus on P90X because it's my FAVORITE, I'm well versed in the rest of Beachbody's library as well as other workouts. Whatever the case, we'll be in close contact, making sure you're on the right track! January 16, 2009Nike + iPod Test RunI bought a Nike + iPod pedometer as a Christmas stocking stuffer for someone, but ended up keeping it for myself when I found out the likelihood of that person running outdoors for exercise was about 1/1,000,000. It's a pretty classic case of selfish gift giving! I took it running with me today for a first-time trial, and was impressed overall with the design and packaging - very neat little gadget. The Nike + iPod just comes with two pieces: a receiver attachment for any model iPod Nano, and a sensor to be placed in your shoe. The setup was extremely straight forward - basically plug and play. Once you stick the receiver into your Nano, a new menu pops up titled "Nike + iPod". Flipping through the menu chain, there are options for a basic, timed, distance, or calorie-goal workout. A modest list of settings allows you to change the voice (male or female), select units of measure (miles/km), input your weight, or calibrate the sensor. My favorite setting, though, HAS to be the "Power Song" setting, which allows you to choose one song that you can switch to at any time during your run. Mine, of course, is "Viva La Vida" - song of revolutionaries! At the end of your Power Song, your iPod picks up right where it left off in your playlist. According to my Nike + iPod, I ran 5.45 miles in 49 minutes. The setting I used was for a timed run, and the voice kicked in every 5 minutes to tell me how long I'd been running, and then every minute for the last 5 minutes. Personally, I wish I could set the system to give fewer updates, like maybe every 10 minutes, or even holding off until the halfway point. It kind of sucks when you think you've been running for a long time only to be reminded that you haven't actually gone that far. What a buzz kill! I'll probably turn the voice off next time around and just use the display, but I can see how it would be useful for running intervals. The last feature that I thought was kind of neat is the downloadable content from iTunes. You can download music tracks that have famous people like Lance Armstrong guiding you through a workout. Oh, and on a last note, the Nike sensor was designed to fit into Nike Plus shoes, but I just slipped it below my Asics laces and it worked fine. I was going to finish off with a clip of the Simpsons where Homer buys Marge a bowling ball for her birthday that says "Homer" on it. But since I couldn't find that - here's some other bowling entertainment. I understood "Homer" and "bowling center". How about you? January 11, 2009Snocial San Francisco Ski BusOn the 10th, yesterday, I jumped on the Snocial Ski Bus along with 7 friends and headed up to Alpine Meadows.
The next trip is back to Alpine Meadows on Feb. 8th, and I think I may join in again. Here's more video of friends... they must like the taste of snow cause some of them love to eat it every chance they get! January 6, 2009Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells
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Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells are designed and marketed for home fitness, providing a means to save space, but still allowing for a full range of interchangeable poundage. They use a unique dialing system where weights on each end of the dumbbell are determined by turning a knob to the appropriate number. Function
As space-savers, they do the job great! Each dumbell is only slightly larger than a shoebox. I generally keep them out, near where I workout, but you could easily find someplace to pack them away if necessary (just watch your back lifting!). In addition, while they're slightly slower than switching weights with a full rack, SelectTech's are much faster for transitioning weights than dumbbell systems that use those removeable plates. Another interesting advantage is the ability to have slightly different weight amounts on each side of a dumbbell. This can be useful for torqueing or corkscrew bicep curls, for instance, that add an extra little twist at the top of each rep. On the down side, Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells are definitely clumsier than what you find in a gym. No matter what weight you choose, whether is 5 lbs. or 50 lbs., your dumbbells keep the same width. The size can make certain exercises a little bit awkward, especially for anything that requires bringing your hands close together. Also, the SelectTech plates are secure, but they do wobble slightly during exercises, giving a different feel from what you may be used to. On the other hand, it could be argued that the extra clumsiness is a positive attribute, forcing you to keep balance and work more of those tiny muscles required in the process. Style I don't know how many people out there actually care what their dumbells look like, but Bowflex has done a decent job making them look aesthetically pleasing. More importantly, I like the fact that they look like dumbbells, which can't be said for other brands of adjustable dumbell sets such as PowerBlocks. Cost When I'd been told about SelectTech Dumbbells, I'd heard they were being sold on Overstock for $100. Unfortunately, I missed that boat and purchased mine at full price for $350. Since then, the price tag has jumped even further to $450, excluding tax. I do know they've become much more popular, and obviously someone at Bowflex decided to capitalize on the higher demand. At the new price, I'd recommend hunting online for store coupons. You can generally find something decent when you're planning on spending more than a couple hundred dollars. There's also a payment plan option, but I think you might as well scrape up the cash and pay everything upfront. Skip the hassle! Alternatives I'm guessing it has something to do with patenting, but there aren't that many dumbbells on the market with comparable designs to Bowflex SelectTechs. The closest competitor is probably the PowerBlock system, which uses pegs instead of dials and are slightly less expensive. Other than that, the remaining home fitness alternatives are more "traditional". They include:
resistance bands With each of these alternatives, you may lose some or all the advantages of the SelectTechs, but you could actually save some cash, especially if you shop for something used. Are they worth it?
In my P90X Review, I put together a cost analysis that includes the price of my SelectTech Dumbbells. January 5, 2009Oprah is Depressed and Fat!The truth comes out! I watch Oprah! Ok, many of my friends already know this and make fun of me for it. I guess I can live with the humiliation. Hey, if I can put my half-naked self on the Internet, what's one more small thing like Oprah.
Truthfully, Oprah is the queen of defensive re-marketing (not re-invention, that's Madonna). In cases like this, where she's taken a beating from the press, she's quick to confront the issue with an apology or an explanation, and we tend to take her at her word. The last big headline was when James Frey's memoir, "A Million Little Pieces", was discovered to be fictional, and Oprah publicly denounced the author and apologized to her audience. So when it comes to today's show, perhaps she actually is the same person, someone whom her fans are quick to forgive when mis-steps occur. Today, Oprah described herself as having "fallen off the wagon" - not just with her weight, but with her spiritual centered-ness. It's in these full disclosure shows, I think, that we see why Oprah is so identifiable. It's not because she is in fact the happiest person on earth. Instead, here's an instance where she shows us the reality of being a human being. Falling off the wagon and subsequently getting back on is just another way of describing the human cyclical condition. We all have periods of great fulfillment in our lives that often revert to less than ideal times. It's the struggle to regain our happiness that teaches us how to handle things better the next time. Then, hopefully, the struggle becomes less, and our cyclical patterns are never as extreme - that's how I define "finding balance". It's a philosophy that I think can and should be applied to weight loss and fitness. The first and hardest struggle may be losing those 40 extra pounds, but over time the goal should be to stay within a smaller range of weight gains and losses, while learning to enjoy the process. Just another thing I learned from watching Oprah. December 7, 2008Remember When...Always leave it to family to remind you where you started from. I opened up my inbox looking forward to the usual email banter from a couple friends, when instead I get an email from my sister - subject line "Dude, your face is ROUND!".
Though I look festively Hawaii-bound, I haven't made it out to the islands before. Actually, this was right out of college. I guess it's just a reminder that most people have been through a "fat stage", and it's nice to know that we all have enough time to rebound from years of bodily neglect. And no, the video game addiction wasn't helpful! November 21, 2008Adding My Blog to Technorati Technorati Profile
November 14, 2008Omron HR-100C Heart Rate Monitor ReviewIs this what wearing a bra feels like except without the cups? Okay, let's not go there. I prefer to imagine my new heart rate monitor as a fancy batman-esque utility gadget that can shoot laser beams from my chest. Yes, folks - I'm 28 years old, and I still enjoy playing "make believe". The thing does look pretty sleek, though. I bought an Omron HR-100C Heart Rate Monitor from Amazon for $32.49. I was debating between this versus a body fat tester, and I decided I'd check my heart rate more often than my lard to muscle ratio (that's the technical term, of course). From the reviews I read, there are a number of affordable monitors on the market, most of which combo clock, stop watch, and heart rate functionality just like the Omron HR-100C. Popular models come in two parts. There's the "wrist watch" portion that displays measurements, and there's the chest strap that wraps right below your manly and/or womanly cleavage. It makes sense that you want a comfortable chest strap that doesn't chafe while you workout. This Omron monitor also comes with a bike mount, which I think will come in handy. I did my first test run on an hour of P90X Plyometrics. Overall, the chest strap stayed in place. I just needed to get used to the pressure of having something wrapped around my rib cage. As I was warned, this monitor, like many others, takes a little while to rev up and deliver accurate heart rates. But it only takes 30 seconds to a minute to get steady readings. Some of my extreme jumping did seem to throw off my reported heart rate (sometimes going above 200 beats per minute), but would go steady with less bouncing around. I'd say this was a worthwhile investment. You want to read the manual first in order to figure out how to set your lower and upper heart rate indicators. The watch will beep whenever you go below or above your optimal heart rate. It's very interesting to see how your chest muscle varies it's blood-pumping duties during a rigorous workout. Definitely give it a try! November 4, 2008Crazy About Eggs!A clinical study on boiling and harvesting egg whites.
But have you had trouble boiling that perfect egg with just the right color yolk? Or have you ever tried peeling a farm fresh egg and the whites stick to the shell, losing precious chunks of protein? I eat 6 egg whites a day, and here are tips I've learned by trial and error on how to maximize your egg white harvesting while being efficient with your time! The Perfect (Boiled) Egg... First off, a farm fresh egg should have a nice solid shell. If you notice that an eggshell feels thin just by touching it, then it's probably been sitting in storage just a little too long. You also want the brown ones, which generally haven't been artificially colored. I'm an organic shopper, too, and for me, eggs make the list of "foods worth spending on". In my opinion, chickens are nasty little critters and whatever you can do to clean up their act is all the better! I used to follow the eight minute rule - cook eggs for eight minutes after the water comes to a boil. While some people still swear by the method, I find that the results are inconsistent. Even when the first egg turns out right, by the time I crack a couple and move on, half the batch may be over-cooked simply from sitting on the table too long. It was my sister-in-law who taught me another way to boil a perfect egg.
1.) Place your eggs into an adequately sized pot. This method may take an extra few minutes, but the results are far more consistent. Why not spend the time making a healthy smoothie while you wait! Egg White Harvesting Now, I've usually got better things to do, so I don't like waiting around for my eggs to cool completely. After the ten minute cooking time, uncover your pot. Spoon out the first egg and give it a quick rinse under cold water so you don't burn your fingers. You want to make the first crack straight down on the narrower side of the egg. Use a table top or some other hard, flat surface. Then, add a few more cracks leading from this point upward. Next, hold the fatter end in one hand, and use your other hand to continue cracking the egg as you rotate it slowly. Make cracks with small squeezes and very slight torque. This loosens up the egg membrane from the narrow end first, preventing the loss of precious egg chunks when you peel. Start peeling your egg from the fatter end. There's usually a small air bubble here that allows you to get past the shell and the thin membrane. If you did a good job cracking, you can even get the shell off in one piece! Put your peeled egg aside and start on the rest. Don't remove the egg yolk until after you've finished the rest. This allows each egg some more time to cool. It makes it easier to separate yolks in one piece. Eggs Tip for Taste I'm pretty used to just eating plain egg whites, but you can add a little salt and pepper for taste. A tiny bit of tabasco or asian hot sauce also makes them pretty darn yummy! July 16, 2008How to Become a Certified Personal TrainerI've been finding time for workout buddies lately, and I had the great opportunity to sweat it out with a soon-to-be trainer and my friend, Teresa. We've been able to fit in a couple two hour sessions, doing a full range of stretching and free weight resistance. If anyone is looking for someone to train with in the Manhattan area, they should definitely look her up. Beyond the value of getting free training time and having my butt kicked, Teresa has also made me curious about the trainer certification process. Here's what I've found out about it. 1.) CPR Certification According to my research, first step in becoming a trainer is getting CPR certified. The most versatile CPR certification for a personal trainer is the American Heart Association's (AHA's) Health Care Provider CPR. This is the option you want if you plan on partnering at any gym or fitness center. Obtaining the certificate is more time consuming, but it also lasts for two years. You can also choose to get the standard adult CPR certificate, which lasts one year. On the AHA website, you can find information about all their classes, and search for something suitable in the area. Don't worry if you're not sure what you want. They have this neat feature that will help you pick out a fitting course. 2.) Which PT certification? There's something absurd like over 30,000 distinct personal training certifications offered in the industry, and apparently you can get screwed if you choose the wrong one. There seems to be common agreement that the most recognized are NASM, ACE, ACSM, and NSCA. Several resources seem to dislike the ACE, saying that it's a "light-weight" certificate and may become outdated, but all the major gyms still accept it. All four are accredited by the NCCA. With these two pieces of paper under your belt, you're pretty much ready to go. Ultimately, there are plenty of specialization certificate options that can round out your personal training pedigree if you wish. Specialty programs include yoga, palates, weight loss, strength training, and sport-specific training. (I gathered my information from various websites as well as active trainers and local gyms.) July 1, 2008Rave Cardio with Tiesto
TI... ES... TO! The chanting broke out about 30 minutes before midnight with increasing intensity. I'll be honest, I'd never heard of Tiesto (arguably the number one DJ in the world), but apparently my friend Alia is his biggest fan. I'd bought my tickets on a whim, just for something interesting to attend on a Wednesday night. What ensued was a non-stop 4-hour workout - lots of jumping, oodles of sweaty people, deafening electronica, and an eye-piercing light show. Imagine a full night of straight cardio! So here's the million dollar brain child of mine - all you marketing geniuses read close now - we need Rave Cardio. It's the DVD series that brings the rave right into your living room! Move over Core Rhythms. Why settle for ballroom when you can look like a beefy raver? If you've never been to a rave, a good example is the "dancing in the cave" scene from Matrix Reloaded (after Morpheus gives his speech and while Neo and Trinity are getting it on). However, I wouldn't advise going to a real rave in bare feet like in Zion, cause you'll probably catch something ugly. The depiction of super sweat-drenched, shirtless people, though, is fairly accurate. What do you need to package Rave Cardio? Well, first the DVD(s) needs to be partitioned into at least 4-hour segments to get the full conditioning. Second, you need Tiesto or a DJ of equal caliber in the back spinning some beats while the trainer teaches the moves. Plus, our product must also be packaged with the following:
1.) One multi-color strobe light. The possibilities are endless people... like why not have different editions? You don't need to workout next to a nameless dummy. Rock out next to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the celebrity edition. Look - even their kids are dancing in the back! Of course, I'd have to opt for the limited Start Trek edition, so I can bump hips with Captain Picard on my left and Lt. Commander Data on my right. Man, I'm a freakin' genius. Just remember you heard it here first. |
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About MeI'm an entrepreneur who's steadily become interested in health, nutrition, and fitness over the last couple years. With this blog I'm hoping to keep motivated to get ripped and beyond!
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Snocial is a new ski/snowboarding bus service that carts folks from the Bay Area to Tahoe. For around $100, you get lift tickets plus a seat on a "luxury bus". This trip to Alpine Meadows was its first ever event.
Our guide and coordinator was Kingston - a friendly friend-of-a-friend who reminds me of Chef Ming Tsai for some reason. Even though you could tell this was a first-time trip, things went pretty smoothly and I have a feeling the few random kinks will be worked out quickly. More importanly, though, we arrived at our destination, Alpine Meadows, earlier than scheduled!
I'm a die-hard snowboarding enthusiast, and this was a beautiful, sunny day up on the mountain. Alpine Meadows is hailed as a "locals" destination, but I'm a big fan based on my now two visits. There's a lot of interesting terrain and gorgeous views of the lake.
Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbell are one of three versions of adjustable dumbells created by Bowflex. At this time, they seem to have stopped selling their lightest set, SelecTech 220's, while the SelectTech 1090 dumbbells are still being marketed and sold directly from the company. The remaining two dumbbell sets differ in weight and price, with the higher number indicating heavier weights.
The 552 Dumbbells allow you to pick a weight from 2.5 lbs. to 52.5 lbs., which I'd say is adequate for most persons' general fitness goals. The Bowflex SelectTech 1020 Dumbbells are more appropriate for people aiming for bulk with a range from 10 to 90 lbs.
For the current price, I still think the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells are a worthwhile investment. I've been able to get great workouts with the 552's and I love that they don't take up so much room. Most alternatives aren't that much cheaper, if at all, so the advantages win out over any extra cost. As with any home fitness equipment, too, it'll only be worth it if you use them! So, save the space, but don't just store them away in your closet.
In 
Oprah's whole image has seemed to be about being the happiest person on the planet - spiritually whole and living the life envied by others. If there's a church that isn't a church, it's probably the Oprah Show and it's millions of viewers who look to America's leading lady for advice and wisdom. So hearing that she hasn't been "walking the walk" for nearly 2 years is more than a little bit disconcerting. Is she really the woman we all thought we knew?
There's no message in the body, of course, just a photo attachment that I choose to "view in browser" like a chump. It's the photo I've posted here that may seem small, but most people have done that thing where you click on a photo from your email and get shocked by the gi-normous, high resolution image that loads in a new window. Yeah... it's even more glorious when the intended purpose is to remember the good ol' days back in Chubs-ville.
Many people describe eggs as a superfood - one of those naturally occuring foods with potentially great health benefits. For anyone looking to build lean muscle, eating egg whites is a must and the best source of protein outside of using supplement powders and formulas. Here's a great article written about the