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Spring is here so get your workouts in gear

April 23, 2012 / Staff

So you probably had a ton of New Year’s Resolutions, including all the new workouts you wanted to start doing, but now it’s springtime and you have to take stock and be honest about the progress you’ve been making.

Everywhere you see people getting outside with the warmer weather, so hopefully that’s motivation for you. Pro football teams are starting their spring workouts and college football teams are hosting spring scrimmages for fans. Baseball season has started as well, and naturally you’re seeing tons of hotties running through the streets as they’re wearing their tight running outfits and working out with breast implants. They want to look better for the upcoming summer, so that should motivate you as well.

The first thing you should do is break out the resolutions from January and be honest about your progress. If you’ve done nothing, then rip them up and start over. This time, come up with a plan that’s realistic for your schedule. Start by assessing your goals, and make sure to have goals laid out in stages. Then put together a plan to get to your first goal along with a longer term plan. Consider getting a personal trainer if necessary, or find a buddy to work out with.

Summer will be here soon, so get serious so you don’t get embarrassed on the beach or by the pool!

Exercise

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Treadmill distractions

April 21, 2012 / Staff

One of the best things about working out on a treadmill are all the available distractions to help the workout go by faster. From watching SportsCenter on TV to listening to your playlists on your MP3 Player to even playing online bingo from OnlineBingo.com, the possibilities are endless.

My favorite distraction, however, is watching TV episodes on my iPad. This is one of the hundreds of reasons that Apple is selling millions of iPads and about to report record sales again. The flexibility of this gadget is incredible. I start by downloading a great series like “The Wire” or “Sons of Anarchy” on iTunes and then transferring them to my iPad. “The Wire” went for five season of about 12 episodes each so there’s a lot of workouts you can get in. I usually spend an hour on the treadmill and that perfectly fits with one episode of these great shows. The hour just flies by and that’s a huge asset when you’re working out regularly.

It’s also something to look forward to. You start to equate the time on the treadmill with being able to watch your favorite TV show. Particularly in dramas where the stories continue week to week, you’re actually anxious to get back on the treadmill so you can see what happens next. There are also so many great shows to choose from. In terms of quality, the television shows on cable have surpassed the movies in terms of overall quality when it comes to dramas. Shows like “The Sopranos” and “Rome” were incredible achievements. If you haven’t watched them you should try them. You’ll get hooked.

Another great option is “24” as the action moves so fast that it actually makes you walk or run faster on the treadmill!

The key is finding stuff that will grab your interest. It’s important to develop a habit of working out, and connecting your workouts with a distraction that you enjoy can help develop that habit. Soon, your body will be craving the workout along with your head.

Exercise

treadmill

Squeeze in Some Exercise During Your Commute

March 2, 2012 / Staff

Driving to and from work every day can eat up a lot of your time — time that could have been otherwise spent at the gym (if you hit the lottery and could quit your job). If you’re looking to get a workout into your daily schedule, you’ll be happy to know that there are some exercises you can do during your commute. However, only do these exercises when at complete stops, such as when traffic is at a stand-still or you’re stuck at a red light. Strengthening your body shouldn’t mean increasing your insurance rates!

Note: If you feel distracted or feel like doing these exercises will affect your commute negatively, don’t engage in these activities.

Abdominal Exercises

Traditional crunches aren’t the only way to tighten your abdominals. Livestrong.com suggests trying out the “spotlight crunch,” which consists of inhaling slowly and tightening your torso as you exhale. When you inhale, slowly relax your stomach while taking a deep breath and repeat the exhaling maneuver. Make sure that you’re sitting upright while doing this exercise and that your shoulders are straight over your hips.

Glute Exercises

O The Oprah Magazine features an article about invisible fitness moves you can do, and one of them helps you work out your buttocks. To do the “glute squeeze,” sit up straight, tighten your abdominal muscles, and squeeze your buttocks together for 3 to 5 counts. Then, release for 2 counts and repeat 15 to 20 times (for each set). While this article doesn’t mention doing this exercise in cars, it’s a sitting exercise. Try it with caution, and make sure the car is always stopped.

Working Your Core

This move from The Daily Beast can work out your core, back, arms, and shoulders all at once. When you’re at a light or stuck in traffic, place your hands on the roof of the car, squeeze your abs and push up with your arms simultaneously. This creates a hold that will strengthen many areas of the body.

Conclusion

If you want to work on strengthening and toning some muscles, your morning commute may be a good time to do it. The convenience of these low-maintenance moves can help you exercise even when you don’t think you have enough time.

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Cutting down on salt

January 28, 2012 / Staff

Everyone knows that cutting down on salt is advisable. Men’s Fitness has a good article on the subject with 5 helpful tips. Here’s two of them:

– Always ask for the sauce on the side: For example, 1 tablespoon of Teriyaki sauce contains 1/3 of the daily recommended amount (1 tsp of salt). One portion of Chinese takeout often has over five times this amount
– Stay away from frozen meals: One Lean Cuisine has about 500 mg of sodium (about 1/3 of the daily recommended amount)

Check out the rest of the article for more, along with previous posts on low sodium diets.

Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition

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Get in shape for golf season

January 19, 2012 / Staff

If you’re looking forward to the upcoming golf season and are planning a trip to a luxury golf resort, you might want to think about whether you’ll be in good enough shape to really enjoy it. Many of us eat to much and do too little exercise over the holidays, so there’s a reason why people start thinking about fitness when they make their new year’s resolutions.

But think about how much golf you’ll be playing on a golf vacation, and you’ll want to get in shape before you go to maximize your endurance and also help your scores. Think about hitting the treadmill for endurance, and think about some weight training to get your muscles in shape.

Of course you don’t need to build serious muscles like Tiger Woods did. For the casual player that will probably hurt your game, as Tiger has professional help making sure that he also gets in the proper stretching so he keeps his range of motion. But strength can be very important, especially if you want to hit the ball well off the tee. Do some research and look for exercises tailored to golfers.

There are so many great golf trip ideas out there, from US masters golf packages to European travel to American golf holidays at spectacular courses. If you put the work in ahead of time, you’ll have so much more fun as you blast off on the tee shots and then keep your energy for the later holes. Get in shape and win the golf bets with your friends!

General training, Men's Health and Wellness, Weight training

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