This week was very surprising..... what was the surprise you ask?
The fact that I am still on this new workout program and have kept it up for 3 weeks straight! I can honestly say that I have never stayed on a workout plan for 3 weeks (3 days would probably be my average.. and heck I usually don't do things I like for 3 weeks straight).
I will admit that have been fairly athletic growing up.. love to play sports, but I have never enjoyed just working out. It is way too boring and my ADD kicks in and I am off to do something else (anything else really).
As I have said before, that is one of the major benefits to this program... it is easy to stay on it, and it makes you feel like a success. I also think that I am almost ready to begin increasing my workouts - adding in more cardio, heavier weights, etc.... which is not on the 8 Minutes plan.
I think the fact that I am doing the 8 Minutes is letting me slowly get "back in shape" and now I am ready to take on more. If I had started out with a more "traditional" workout plan, I am certain that it would have been too painful and I would have quit... I will end up increasing my workout to the more traditional route.. just more gradually.
You know, the whole object at rest, object in motion thing.
One more week left and I will be an "8 Minutes in the Morning" graduate.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Some Health Myths
I came across this very interesting article on MSN:
Healthy Habits That Aren't
It details 8 different health myths, ranging from drinking water to anti-bacterial soap. I must admit there were a few I did not know.
It just goes to show that you should not just blindly believe what the "general wisdom" is on anything. This goes back to my pet peeve about showing some research before making any claims, and I am happy to say that each of these busted "myths" mentions specific research studies.
Let me know how many of these are news to you!
Healthy Habits That Aren't
It details 8 different health myths, ranging from drinking water to anti-bacterial soap. I must admit there were a few I did not know.
It just goes to show that you should not just blindly believe what the "general wisdom" is on anything. This goes back to my pet peeve about showing some research before making any claims, and I am happy to say that each of these busted "myths" mentions specific research studies.
Let me know how many of these are news to you!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Week 2 - Days 8 through 14
So here is the new format to get me caught up... week by week.
AS you may have noticed in the first 7 days of the program, the exercises rotate each day to a different part of the body. This allows for the muscles to rebuild, repair and recover from the workout. So the routine breaks out like this:
Monday- Chest / Back
Tuesday- Shoulder / Abs
Wednesday- Triceps / Biceps
Thursday- Hamstrings / Quads
Friday- Calves / Gluteus (fancy word for your butt)
Saturday- Inner and Outer Thighs
Sunday- Off day (yeah!)
What is really great about this is the book only gives you 4 weeks of exercises, but since you now know the "routine" or order you can always keep going by adding in your own exercises. You can of course just start the program over and increase the weights as you get stronger, but it might be fun to find some new exercises that work each muscle group.
So on to week 2....
I would have to say that week 2 went pretty darn well. The program became easier and easier as the days went on and I am really feeling like this is becoming a habit. Now this is coming from a lifelong "workout hater" so I don't say that lightly.
I know that many folks will attack the 8 minutes workout and say that you really can't get a good workout in 8 minutes.... However, the fact remains that I was NEVER able to stay on a traditional workout plan for more than a week and now I am through two weeks and excited about it! I would say that is better than a traditional workout.
I ended Week 2 feeling very good.... and oh yeah... by the way.. I have already lost 3 pounds. Results.... that's all I really care about.
AS you may have noticed in the first 7 days of the program, the exercises rotate each day to a different part of the body. This allows for the muscles to rebuild, repair and recover from the workout. So the routine breaks out like this:
Monday- Chest / Back
Tuesday- Shoulder / Abs
Wednesday- Triceps / Biceps
Thursday- Hamstrings / Quads
Friday- Calves / Gluteus (fancy word for your butt)
Saturday- Inner and Outer Thighs
Sunday- Off day (yeah!)
What is really great about this is the book only gives you 4 weeks of exercises, but since you now know the "routine" or order you can always keep going by adding in your own exercises. You can of course just start the program over and increase the weights as you get stronger, but it might be fun to find some new exercises that work each muscle group.
So on to week 2....
I would have to say that week 2 went pretty darn well. The program became easier and easier as the days went on and I am really feeling like this is becoming a habit. Now this is coming from a lifelong "workout hater" so I don't say that lightly.
I know that many folks will attack the 8 minutes workout and say that you really can't get a good workout in 8 minutes.... However, the fact remains that I was NEVER able to stay on a traditional workout plan for more than a week and now I am through two weeks and excited about it! I would say that is better than a traditional workout.
I ended Week 2 feeling very good.... and oh yeah... by the way.. I have already lost 3 pounds. Results.... that's all I really care about.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
I guess "8 Minutes" is easier than daily blogging
So if anyone has noticed (as if anyone is really reading this...) I am a little behind on the posts in this blog. I am on Day 8 in the blog, but am actually on Day 21 or something in the program itself.
So it appears that I have found a workout that is "easier" then sitting on your butt and typing! Now THERE is a great advertising slogan:
So it appears that I have found a workout that is "easier" then sitting on your butt and typing! Now THERE is a great advertising slogan:
"Our workout is easier than sitting on your butt and typing"
I will even let the author, Jorge, use this if he wants for the next edition of the book (small royalty fee of course).
I have also noticed that since the workouts are so simple and quick I really would not have much to write about every single day. Therefore, I am going to try and catch back up by lumping some of the days together in single posts. This should get me back on track with the writing and hopefully caught up this week.
I will even let the author, Jorge, use this if he wants for the next edition of the book (small royalty fee of course).
I have also noticed that since the workouts are so simple and quick I really would not have much to write about every single day. Therefore, I am going to try and catch back up by lumping some of the days together in single posts. This should get me back on track with the writing and hopefully caught up this week.
Day 6 and Day 7- Ooops...Missed a day
So this is where the rubber meets the road.... we ended up missing a day. I woke up late for work (I blame it on the alarm, but I am quite certain it was human error) and had to just rush out the door asap.
No work out... no 8 minutes. This is the spot that most workout plans end up going wrong and never recovering. You miss one day and it is SO much easier to skip the next day.. and the next. Then the next thing you know you are on the couch with that spoon and a tub of lard.
I mean if your workout consists of 30 min to 1 hour and driving to the gym, etc.... its damn hard to keep that up in the beginning. I am sure once you do this for months it becomes habit, but we all know that most folks never get to that point as they end up missing a day in the beginning and go downhill from there.
This is another way the 8 Minutes in the Morning is so great. We missed one day (8 minutes), so we just double up the next day (16 minutes in the morning).. and BAM we are back on track!
If you miss a 45 minuted workout and try to double up the next day you are talking an hour and a half.... who the heck has time for that?
We were even luckier this time as Day 7 is supposed to be an "off day", so we just did our workout on the off day and were all caught back up to start week 2. Very cool feeling to be back on track and not have to go through all the guilt and beating yourself up for days, etc. (there are plenty of other things I can beat myself up about).
By the way, the day 6 work out was inner and outer thighs (sounds a lot more fun than it really was..lol).
No work out... no 8 minutes. This is the spot that most workout plans end up going wrong and never recovering. You miss one day and it is SO much easier to skip the next day.. and the next. Then the next thing you know you are on the couch with that spoon and a tub of lard.
I mean if your workout consists of 30 min to 1 hour and driving to the gym, etc.... its damn hard to keep that up in the beginning. I am sure once you do this for months it becomes habit, but we all know that most folks never get to that point as they end up missing a day in the beginning and go downhill from there.
This is another way the 8 Minutes in the Morning is so great. We missed one day (8 minutes), so we just double up the next day (16 minutes in the morning).. and BAM we are back on track!
If you miss a 45 minuted workout and try to double up the next day you are talking an hour and a half.... who the heck has time for that?
We were even luckier this time as Day 7 is supposed to be an "off day", so we just did our workout on the off day and were all caught back up to start week 2. Very cool feeling to be back on track and not have to go through all the guilt and beating yourself up for days, etc. (there are plenty of other things I can beat myself up about).
By the way, the day 6 work out was inner and outer thighs (sounds a lot more fun than it really was..lol).
Friday, May 11, 2007
Eating better is easier than you think
As I mentioned earlier, I do read some of Dr. Weil's stuff now and find it to be rather helpful. Take this article for instance:
Stocking the Pantry
He has great suggestions for cooking ingredients that you should always have on hand.. and most are not that outlandish at all. He covers oils, pasta, herbs, etc. and makes recommendations of "more healthful" choices.
As I feel my family is eating very healthy right now, we have decided not to use the food recommendations in "8 minutes". We found them to be rather limiting and we feel that we are doing a good job on this front... using many of the ingredients that Dr. Weil suggests above.
My single biggest tip on eating healthy is to do it in small bite sized chunks (pun definitely intended). Pick an area of your diet or an ingredient you want to get rid of and just start with that.
My family first started with removing trans fats from our diet. We read a few years back on how bad they are for your health and decided to remove them completely from our diet (easier said than done as they are in everything!).
I am currently working on a more detailed post regarding trans fats (or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as they are listed in the ingredients of foods), so I don't want to get too detailed here.
So, look at your pantry.. look at Dr. Weil's suggestions and pick just one thing to improve upon. Then later down the road pick a 2nd item to add/remove. Before you know it you will be much happier with your diet and I bet will start to feel better and lose weight as well.
Stocking the Pantry
He has great suggestions for cooking ingredients that you should always have on hand.. and most are not that outlandish at all. He covers oils, pasta, herbs, etc. and makes recommendations of "more healthful" choices.
As I feel my family is eating very healthy right now, we have decided not to use the food recommendations in "8 minutes". We found them to be rather limiting and we feel that we are doing a good job on this front... using many of the ingredients that Dr. Weil suggests above.
My single biggest tip on eating healthy is to do it in small bite sized chunks (pun definitely intended). Pick an area of your diet or an ingredient you want to get rid of and just start with that.
My family first started with removing trans fats from our diet. We read a few years back on how bad they are for your health and decided to remove them completely from our diet (easier said than done as they are in everything!).
I am currently working on a more detailed post regarding trans fats (or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as they are listed in the ingredients of foods), so I don't want to get too detailed here.
So, look at your pantry.. look at Dr. Weil's suggestions and pick just one thing to improve upon. Then later down the road pick a 2nd item to add/remove. Before you know it you will be much happier with your diet and I bet will start to feel better and lose weight as well.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Day 5 - Becoming a habit
I was up and moving at about 6:20am this morning and it was really much easier. Could it be that this is becoming a habit?
It may be too early to tell, but it sure seems like this is getting easier to do. Since it is such a short period of time it just does not seem that intimidating... and I really do end up feeling better for the rest of the day. A combination of knowing I actually "exercised", and of course my body is actually responding to the workouts.
Today's exercises was calves and glutes.. not really areas that most "guys" would work on. The glute exercise was some sort of kick-up move - on the ground on all fours you kick you up in the air behind you. I really was having a little trouble getting this down and my wife asked "haven't you ever done this in aerobics?" I responded with "I really saw aerobics as more of a spectator sport growing up". (ba da bum)
I should note here that I am not really a sexist and my wonderful wife understands this about me... so she did not even hit me that hard (I was bruised, but she never broke the skin with her repeated blows).
After learning how to do this new "aerobics" move, we finished up and went about our days.. knowing that we were one 8 minute interval closer to being in shape.
It may be too early to tell, but it sure seems like this is getting easier to do. Since it is such a short period of time it just does not seem that intimidating... and I really do end up feeling better for the rest of the day. A combination of knowing I actually "exercised", and of course my body is actually responding to the workouts.
Today's exercises was calves and glutes.. not really areas that most "guys" would work on. The glute exercise was some sort of kick-up move - on the ground on all fours you kick you up in the air behind you. I really was having a little trouble getting this down and my wife asked "haven't you ever done this in aerobics?" I responded with "I really saw aerobics as more of a spectator sport growing up". (ba da bum)
I should note here that I am not really a sexist and my wonderful wife understands this about me... so she did not even hit me that hard (I was bruised, but she never broke the skin with her repeated blows).
After learning how to do this new "aerobics" move, we finished up and went about our days.. knowing that we were one 8 minute interval closer to being in shape.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Day 4 - The "Beast"
No, the "beast" is not some sort of crazy new exercise or workout..... its a 12 lb. pug. A buddy of mine was going out of town for 4 days and asked me to watch his dog (the "beast" is his actual name). OK, I thought.. how hard can it be to watch a little dog like a pug.
Little did I know.. Pugs have a very difficult time breathing and therefore snore like a freight train. And even better, the Beast likes to sleep on the bed with you.... Yeah! Sounds like fun.
I only mention this whole issue with the Beast because I ended up getting about 2 hours of sleep the first night with the dog and had a VERY difficult time getting out of bed. Finally rolled out at 7:20 am, which means I would definitely be late for work today.
It would have been an easy day to "skip" the workout... but that is another advantage of the 8 minutes in the morning... its only 8 minutes so how much later would it really make me.
So, I hoped out of bed, did my exercises - hamstrings and squats today - and hit the shower in about 12 minutes. Not bad at all.
I must say I really think this program is great for someone as exercise averse as I am. It really is quite easy and I think I will be able to stay on it for the long term.
Now we just have to see if I get results... stay tuned. I will try and type up my current results on a weekly basis, although I would not expect too much the very first week.
Little did I know.. Pugs have a very difficult time breathing and therefore snore like a freight train. And even better, the Beast likes to sleep on the bed with you.... Yeah! Sounds like fun.
I only mention this whole issue with the Beast because I ended up getting about 2 hours of sleep the first night with the dog and had a VERY difficult time getting out of bed. Finally rolled out at 7:20 am, which means I would definitely be late for work today.
It would have been an easy day to "skip" the workout... but that is another advantage of the 8 minutes in the morning... its only 8 minutes so how much later would it really make me.
So, I hoped out of bed, did my exercises - hamstrings and squats today - and hit the shower in about 12 minutes. Not bad at all.
I must say I really think this program is great for someone as exercise averse as I am. It really is quite easy and I think I will be able to stay on it for the long term.
Now we just have to see if I get results... stay tuned. I will try and type up my current results on a weekly basis, although I would not expect too much the very first week.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Resource - Dr. Weil
As I mentioned in my first post, I also want to include some health related resources that I use and trust. They will include books, websites, articles, or anything health related that I think is useful.
Today, I want to talk about Dr. Weil. Most folks have heard about Dr. Weil, and I would guess to say that most people also think he is a freak.
I have heard people say that he is SO alternative, granola.... or just plain weird. I will admit that I used to think the same thing. That is until my wife forwarded me a few articles from his newsletter.
As I actually read about his ideas and advice, I realized that he is pretty on the money when it comes to health stuff. Even more important, he bases his ideas on actual research. (and not research done by the pharmaceutical companies... but by actual scientists).
I have to admit that this is a huge pet peeve of mine. I really hate folks that spout off about topics with no basis for their opinion or ideas.. or even worse their sources of totally suspect. Dr. Weil references medical journals and quite a few studies done in Europe.
My suggestion is to check out his site and sign up for his newsletter. Read a few issues and judge for yourself whether he is a freak or is just telling the truth (one that Americans don't want to admit is true) that we are poisoning our bodies.
** Note: I have been really been focusing on "eating more healthy" for a while now so that may be why I don't think his stuff is that "freakish"... you may disagree. If you do, please let me know what you think, I would love to hear it.
Today, I want to talk about Dr. Weil. Most folks have heard about Dr. Weil, and I would guess to say that most people also think he is a freak.
I have heard people say that he is SO alternative, granola.... or just plain weird. I will admit that I used to think the same thing. That is until my wife forwarded me a few articles from his newsletter.
As I actually read about his ideas and advice, I realized that he is pretty on the money when it comes to health stuff. Even more important, he bases his ideas on actual research. (and not research done by the pharmaceutical companies... but by actual scientists).
I have to admit that this is a huge pet peeve of mine. I really hate folks that spout off about topics with no basis for their opinion or ideas.. or even worse their sources of totally suspect. Dr. Weil references medical journals and quite a few studies done in Europe.
My suggestion is to check out his site and sign up for his newsletter. Read a few issues and judge for yourself whether he is a freak or is just telling the truth (one that Americans don't want to admit is true) that we are poisoning our bodies.
** Note: I have been really been focusing on "eating more healthy" for a while now so that may be why I don't think his stuff is that "freakish"... you may disagree. If you do, please let me know what you think, I would love to hear it.
Day 3 - Ok, Jorge is a genius
Waking up was a little easier today, only hit snooze once. As I rolled out of bed I realized the "genius" of the 8 Minutes in the Morning program... it all comes down to embarrassment.
What I mean is that who the heck wants to admit that they can't even do 8 minutes of exercise. Like I said before, if you can't do 8 minutes then you might as well grab that bucket of lard and a spoon and settle down in front of the TV (I hear there is a rerun of "Everybody Loves Raymond")
It really is pretty easy to motivate myself in the morning, as I know it is only 8 minutes and I don't want to look like a wimp in front of my wife.
Today's exercises focused on triceps and biceps using the dumbbells. Pretty standard bicep curls and tricep curls so it was pretty easy. My biceps and triceps are in fairly good shape. Finished them off and hit the showers.. just another day towards my fit self.
What I mean is that who the heck wants to admit that they can't even do 8 minutes of exercise. Like I said before, if you can't do 8 minutes then you might as well grab that bucket of lard and a spoon and settle down in front of the TV (I hear there is a rerun of "Everybody Loves Raymond")
It really is pretty easy to motivate myself in the morning, as I know it is only 8 minutes and I don't want to look like a wimp in front of my wife.
Today's exercises focused on triceps and biceps using the dumbbells. Pretty standard bicep curls and tricep curls so it was pretty easy. My biceps and triceps are in fairly good shape. Finished them off and hit the showers.. just another day towards my fit self.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Day 2 - The Morning Health Parade
The alarm goes off at 5:30am.. hit snooze again. Maybe I hit it one or two more times, but who's counting. Finally roll out about 5:55am.
This seems harder than it was yesterday. At least yesterday had the promise of something "new"... today its just a workout. Amazing how fast something you don't want to do becomes routine, boring and painful (that's me... Mr. Positive... yeah!).
I wake up my wife. No mention of "the ticket" this morning (what do you think I'm that stupid?). We head down stairs to read our motivational kick start from Jorge. I guess its the sarcasm in me, but its a little tough to read some motivational rant about imagining my perfect body at 6am in the morning... but hey it usually gives me some good material to crack a joke and make my wife laugh.. I am always looking for new material for jokes.
We then head into the warm up routine. For some reason instead of running in place to warm up, we end up actually jogging around the house. Into the kitchen, around the island counter, into the living room, around the coffee table, etc. Kind of like a little morning parade... oh this is so much fun!
Not sure how this became the warm up but I sure hope our neighbors don't see us. Oh yeah, that's right.. its 6am...Who the hell would be looking in my windows at this time of the morning anyways. I peek out the front.. just to be sure.... I never did trust my neighbors.... small hands, smell like cabbage (Austin Powers for those of you not as dorky as I am).
We jump right into the exercises - Shoulders and Abs today. The shoulder exercise uses the dumbbells and you know about the abs... just your standard pain in the rear crunches. Takes me back to the glory days of Middle School, and failing the Presidential Fitness Test... again.
Once again its over before I know it and I am putting the weights back in the garage and hitting the shower. I really do think I can do this. Wait a second.. is that an actual positive comment on this program with no sarcasm what so ever.... it is. Now that is impressive.
One note on the "8 Minutes" thing. Its really more like 15-18 min. After you warm up, do the exercises and stretch, but I just don't think "15-18 Minutes, give or take a few here or there in the Morning" tested well with the focus groups. So "8 Minutes" it is.
** Stay tuned for Day 3 when I realize why this program is so effective.......
This seems harder than it was yesterday. At least yesterday had the promise of something "new"... today its just a workout. Amazing how fast something you don't want to do becomes routine, boring and painful (that's me... Mr. Positive... yeah!).
I wake up my wife. No mention of "the ticket" this morning (what do you think I'm that stupid?). We head down stairs to read our motivational kick start from Jorge. I guess its the sarcasm in me, but its a little tough to read some motivational rant about imagining my perfect body at 6am in the morning... but hey it usually gives me some good material to crack a joke and make my wife laugh.. I am always looking for new material for jokes.
We then head into the warm up routine. For some reason instead of running in place to warm up, we end up actually jogging around the house. Into the kitchen, around the island counter, into the living room, around the coffee table, etc. Kind of like a little morning parade... oh this is so much fun!
Not sure how this became the warm up but I sure hope our neighbors don't see us. Oh yeah, that's right.. its 6am...Who the hell would be looking in my windows at this time of the morning anyways. I peek out the front.. just to be sure.... I never did trust my neighbors.... small hands, smell like cabbage (Austin Powers for those of you not as dorky as I am).
We jump right into the exercises - Shoulders and Abs today. The shoulder exercise uses the dumbbells and you know about the abs... just your standard pain in the rear crunches. Takes me back to the glory days of Middle School, and failing the Presidential Fitness Test... again.
Once again its over before I know it and I am putting the weights back in the garage and hitting the shower. I really do think I can do this. Wait a second.. is that an actual positive comment on this program with no sarcasm what so ever.... it is. Now that is impressive.
One note on the "8 Minutes" thing. Its really more like 15-18 min. After you warm up, do the exercises and stretch, but I just don't think "15-18 Minutes, give or take a few here or there in the Morning" tested well with the focus groups. So "8 Minutes" it is.
** Stay tuned for Day 3 when I realize why this program is so effective.......
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Day 1 - "Damn you Jorge...."
Alarm goes off at 5:30 am.... I hit snooze of course. Alarm goes off again at 5:45 am. I manage to pull my raggedy self out of bed.
The interesting thing is that this is about the same time I wake up almost every day for work... but for some odd reason today seems a little harder to get going. Oh, that's right... today is the FIRST DAY OF MY WORKOUT PLAN! I begin to curse Jorge, the author of 8 Minutes in the Morning... I mean, c'mon.. what kind of mad man creates a workout program that only takes 8 minutes! Now I don't have any excuse NOT to work out. It is either pure genius or insidious... I am currently reserving judgement.
So I try and wake up my wife so we can start this "fun" journey together, so I gently shake her. No response. I shake her a little harder and she tells me "no, I'm waiting for the ticket".
I laugh and ask, what ticket? She says, "The ticket from the lady". Now I really start laughing.... big mistake apparently (Note to self: do not laugh at my wonderful wife before she is awake.. it seems to make her pretty upset). You would think I would learn this after over 8 years of marriage but after all I am male, and therefore not very sharp.
After a short conversation about why I should not be laughing right now (which makes me laugh even more.. another bad idea by the way) we head downstairs to begin our "8 minutes in the morning". (BTW - the "ticket" that she was waiting for was apparently at Oprah's airport and the whole family was trying to get on a plane to go home..... wish I was at Oprah's airport and not heading downstairs to work out)
So back to Day 1. We head downstairs and gather our weights and open the 8 Minutes book to "Week 1, Day 1". There is a short motivational page.. something about visualizing your new body or something like that. I am currently visualizing my nice warm and cozy bed, but I would much rather be starting a workout plan of course (BTW - not sure if I mentioned this, but I am arguably one of the most sarcastic people on the face of the earth. Not sure if that comes through in writing but I just thought you should be aware).
The next step in the daily plan is to "warm up". Jorge suggests in the book to "run in place" for few minutes. As my wife and I begin to do this.. and looking pretty ridiculous in the process.. I go on a short tirade and curse Jorge once again for his diabolical "8 minute" plan.
Today's exercise consists of a bench press like motion laying on the floor and a bent over row with the dumbbells. Once we got going it was not really that bad, in fact it was rather easy. As with most things it is the act of starting.... a rolling stone and all of that.
And then just like that it was over.... weird. It almost didn't feel like "working out", and I should know because I usually have a sever allergic reaction to working out (I get hives and turn all blotchy I think).
So after Day 1 I am feeling pretty good... maybe this will work after all.
The interesting thing is that this is about the same time I wake up almost every day for work... but for some odd reason today seems a little harder to get going. Oh, that's right... today is the FIRST DAY OF MY WORKOUT PLAN! I begin to curse Jorge, the author of 8 Minutes in the Morning... I mean, c'mon.. what kind of mad man creates a workout program that only takes 8 minutes! Now I don't have any excuse NOT to work out. It is either pure genius or insidious... I am currently reserving judgement.
So I try and wake up my wife so we can start this "fun" journey together, so I gently shake her. No response. I shake her a little harder and she tells me "no, I'm waiting for the ticket".
I laugh and ask, what ticket? She says, "The ticket from the lady". Now I really start laughing.... big mistake apparently (Note to self: do not laugh at my wonderful wife before she is awake.. it seems to make her pretty upset). You would think I would learn this after over 8 years of marriage but after all I am male, and therefore not very sharp.
After a short conversation about why I should not be laughing right now (which makes me laugh even more.. another bad idea by the way) we head downstairs to begin our "8 minutes in the morning". (BTW - the "ticket" that she was waiting for was apparently at Oprah's airport and the whole family was trying to get on a plane to go home..... wish I was at Oprah's airport and not heading downstairs to work out)
So back to Day 1. We head downstairs and gather our weights and open the 8 Minutes book to "Week 1, Day 1". There is a short motivational page.. something about visualizing your new body or something like that. I am currently visualizing my nice warm and cozy bed, but I would much rather be starting a workout plan of course (BTW - not sure if I mentioned this, but I am arguably one of the most sarcastic people on the face of the earth. Not sure if that comes through in writing but I just thought you should be aware).
The next step in the daily plan is to "warm up". Jorge suggests in the book to "run in place" for few minutes. As my wife and I begin to do this.. and looking pretty ridiculous in the process.. I go on a short tirade and curse Jorge once again for his diabolical "8 minute" plan.
Today's exercise consists of a bench press like motion laying on the floor and a bent over row with the dumbbells. Once we got going it was not really that bad, in fact it was rather easy. As with most things it is the act of starting.... a rolling stone and all of that.
And then just like that it was over.... weird. It almost didn't feel like "working out", and I should know because I usually have a sever allergic reaction to working out (I get hives and turn all blotchy I think).
So after Day 1 I am feeling pretty good... maybe this will work after all.
Review of "8 Minutes in the Morning"
As I mentioned in the previous post, we have decided to use a book by Jorge Cruise called "8 Minutes in the Morning: A Simple Way to Shed up to 2 Pounds a Week Guaranteed".
We selected this book based on some research and the fact that we have very busy/hectic lives - we both work full time and have two VERY active young children (as well as a perverse need for a few hours of sleep every night). So the whole 8 minutes thing really appealed to us. If we can't devote 8 minutes a day to our health then we should just throw in the towel and eat bon bon's and lard right out of the tub.
The program consists of:
Cruise explains that aerobic exercise (running, cycling, etc.) is great from burning calories while you are exercising, but adding muscle revs up your metabolism and burns fat throughout the day. In fact, every pound of muscle you gain burns and extra 50 calories per day.
The Eating Card Plan
Cruise's plan focuses on eating more complex carbs, high quality protein, vegetable and "good" fats (omega fats), while eating less dairy, fruits and "treats". He helps you do this by using an "Eating Card System" with specific portions of each food group you are allowed to eat each day.
This is one area where we are going to alter Cruise's plan a little as our family has been really focusing on "eating healthier" for a few years now. We have eliminated "trans fats" and high fructose corn syrup and have greatly increased our intake of vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids. We feel like we have a good handle on the "eating right" and just don't think the "card system" would work with two little ones running around.
As the healthy eating area is one that I feel we have learned a lot about the last few years, I am planning on adding some posts around this topic. Some ideas would be, the dangers of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup, benefits of grass fed beef, benefits of fish oil, etc. I can honestly say that if it was not for us changing our eating habits over the last few years I would easily be about 260 lbs. minimum.
While some of this may sound a little "granola" I think you will be amazed when you actually read some of the research around these topics.
Overall Thoughts on 8 minutes in the morning
At this point I think 8 Minutes is a great idea, but we will have to see what the results are at the end of this. Since the hardest part of any workout plan is starting and staying on it, the idea of it only taking 8 minutes is pretty motivating. What I am hoping is that after just doing the 8 minutes for a few weeks and "getting in shape" it will be much easier to do a little more and a little more.... and "suddenly" you can do 20 min.... 30 min.... and Bam! You are now in shape.
* I will try and come back and update this review as I get further into the program and have more results.
We selected this book based on some research and the fact that we have very busy/hectic lives - we both work full time and have two VERY active young children (as well as a perverse need for a few hours of sleep every night). So the whole 8 minutes thing really appealed to us. If we can't devote 8 minutes a day to our health then we should just throw in the towel and eat bon bon's and lard right out of the tub.
The program consists of:
- An inspirational "wake-up talk"
- kind of like a Tony Robbins pep talk every morning to get you motivated
- 8 minutes of strength training each morning
- a 28-day program of illustrated exercises using dumbbells, you focus on 2 muscle groups per day
- Build muscle mass and by doing it in the morning you increase your metabolism for the rest of the day
- Eating according to his "eating card" program
- focus is on a "healthy diet", including more "good" fats
- Lose about 2 pounds per week.. and keep it off.
- Cruise claims you will "change your shape and gain muscle mass and energy"
Cruise explains that aerobic exercise (running, cycling, etc.) is great from burning calories while you are exercising, but adding muscle revs up your metabolism and burns fat throughout the day. In fact, every pound of muscle you gain burns and extra 50 calories per day.
The Eating Card Plan
Cruise's plan focuses on eating more complex carbs, high quality protein, vegetable and "good" fats (omega fats), while eating less dairy, fruits and "treats". He helps you do this by using an "Eating Card System" with specific portions of each food group you are allowed to eat each day.
This is one area where we are going to alter Cruise's plan a little as our family has been really focusing on "eating healthier" for a few years now. We have eliminated "trans fats" and high fructose corn syrup and have greatly increased our intake of vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids. We feel like we have a good handle on the "eating right" and just don't think the "card system" would work with two little ones running around.
As the healthy eating area is one that I feel we have learned a lot about the last few years, I am planning on adding some posts around this topic. Some ideas would be, the dangers of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup, benefits of grass fed beef, benefits of fish oil, etc. I can honestly say that if it was not for us changing our eating habits over the last few years I would easily be about 260 lbs. minimum.
While some of this may sound a little "granola" I think you will be amazed when you actually read some of the research around these topics.
Overall Thoughts on 8 minutes in the morning
At this point I think 8 Minutes is a great idea, but we will have to see what the results are at the end of this. Since the hardest part of any workout plan is starting and staying on it, the idea of it only taking 8 minutes is pretty motivating. What I am hoping is that after just doing the 8 minutes for a few weeks and "getting in shape" it will be much easier to do a little more and a little more.... and "suddenly" you can do 20 min.... 30 min.... and Bam! You are now in shape.
* I will try and come back and update this review as I get further into the program and have more results.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
What's this "health journey" all about?
So the first question I guess I would have to answer is why they heck am I doing this? After a little soul searching I have come up with two very different reasons:
Nothing like a good combination of altruism and pure selfishness to motivate you to do something.
With these goals in mind I plan on documenting my daily routine to "get back in shape" and along the way add in some resources and items of interest for others who may be going down the same path. Hopefully, my daily ramblings will help motivate folks and the other health related articles will provide a solid backdrop for discussion.
A little more about me:
I am a 36 year old father of two and happily married. I used to be very active and played multiple sports including volleyball, basketball and hockey. As is the case with most folks, in the last 10 years I have slowly put on weight and have not been able to find the time to play sports or exercise in any way. Blame it on the desk job, lack of time, lack of motivation, whatever.... the end result is that I am now getting pretty darn overweight!
The Plan:
So once I decided to do this I of course had to come up with a plan, as I am extremely "plan" oriented. As I researched.. and researched... and researched the "best" way to get back in shape I began to realize that this was yet another way to avoid the actual doing.
About this time, my wife suggested that we both start doing a new program she found called "8 Minutes in the Morning: A Simple Way to Shed up to 2 Pounds a Week Guaranteed" by Jorge Cruise (remember this name.. it will come up in later posts).
Of course my first thought was "8 minutes.. yeah right". My next thought was "8 minutes.... I just might be able to manage that". So we purchased the book and began reading the intro chapters and learing about the program.
I will probably do a more thorough review in a latter post, but the 20 second review goes something like this:
- To create a dialogue and hopefully educate others on health related issues that I have been learning about,
- To create a line in the sand and motivation to stay on my new "get back in shape" plan.
Nothing like a good combination of altruism and pure selfishness to motivate you to do something.
With these goals in mind I plan on documenting my daily routine to "get back in shape" and along the way add in some resources and items of interest for others who may be going down the same path. Hopefully, my daily ramblings will help motivate folks and the other health related articles will provide a solid backdrop for discussion.
A little more about me:
I am a 36 year old father of two and happily married. I used to be very active and played multiple sports including volleyball, basketball and hockey. As is the case with most folks, in the last 10 years I have slowly put on weight and have not been able to find the time to play sports or exercise in any way. Blame it on the desk job, lack of time, lack of motivation, whatever.... the end result is that I am now getting pretty darn overweight!
Tale of the tape
Height - 6' 2"
Weight - 210 lbs.
Waist - 42"
Chest - 41 3/4"
Bicep - 13"
Height - 6' 2"
Weight - 210 lbs.
Waist - 42"
Chest - 41 3/4"
Bicep - 13"
Not severely overweight, but I do have a nice sized "beer belly" (as I do love beer!) and have started to notice my energy level go way down. I figured it was time to get a handle on this or it would quickly spiral out of control and I would begin to see other more serious health problems. Hence, the idea to "get back in shape"... and for some odd reason start a blog to talk about it.
The Plan:
So once I decided to do this I of course had to come up with a plan, as I am extremely "plan" oriented. As I researched.. and researched... and researched the "best" way to get back in shape I began to realize that this was yet another way to avoid the actual doing.
About this time, my wife suggested that we both start doing a new program she found called "8 Minutes in the Morning: A Simple Way to Shed up to 2 Pounds a Week Guaranteed" by Jorge Cruise (remember this name.. it will come up in later posts).
Of course my first thought was "8 minutes.. yeah right". My next thought was "8 minutes.... I just might be able to manage that". So we purchased the book and began reading the intro chapters and learing about the program.
I will probably do a more thorough review in a latter post, but the 20 second review goes something like this:
- Do just 8 minutes of strength training each day
- Build muscle mass and thus increase your matabolism
- Eating a more healthy diet, including more "good" fats
- Lose about 2 pounds per week.. and keep it off.
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