I started my back-to-basics workout a couple weeks ago, as I explained in my last post. I had originally planned on doing Squats in the morning and Pushups in the evenings on a Mon - Wed - Fri schedule; and then Crunches on a Tue - Thu - Sat schedule. However, within the first 3 days I made some significant changes to that routine.
The first thing that I realized was that breaking up the exercises like this kept me from really pushing my entire body hard. Sure, my chest, arms and shoulders were shaking after the pushups, but I wasn't breathing hard and could barely work up a sweat. On the other hand, I never quite felt like I was "rested" because of the way the exercises were spread out.
So beginning this week, I pulled all of the exercises together into supersets and have been doing a good total-body workout on a Mon - Wed - Fri schedule. The way the program is set up, you complete 5 sets of an exercise with each workout. Thus my combined program has me completing 5 supersets, which consists of Pushups / Squats / Crunches with no rest in between exercises. I rest for a minute or two between supersets and focus on good form and steady breathing.
Here's what Day 1 looked like:
Superset 1 - 10 Pushups / 13 Squats / 15 Crunches (rest)
Superset 2 - 12 Pushups / 16 Squats / 18 Crunches (rest)
Superset 3 - 7 Pushups / 9 Squats / 10 Crunches (rest)
Superset 4 - 7 Pushups / 9 Squats / 10 Crunches (rest)
Superset 5 - Max Pushups / Max Squats / Max Crunches
Believe me, by the time I was finished with this 20-minute workout I was breathing heavy, sweating like crazy, and my heart was pounding like I'd just run a race. Obviously you can go a little easier by resting between exercises and resting a bit more between supersets, but the point is that you can also get a great workout with these basic bodyweight exercises.
One final thing I noticed is that having a full day "off" really helped with my recovery, and I did feel stronger on each new workout day. I don't know that I'll hit 100 pushups, 200 squats and 200 crunches by the 6-week mark, but 50/100/100 isn't out of the question!
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Friday, March 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
5 Excellent Reasons to Drink Green Tea
Okay… I'll admit it. I'm a coffee-holic (or java junkie, if you prefer). I love my daily cup o' joe! Actually, it's usually several cups, but you get the point. Now in my own defense, I don't add sugar or creamer, so it ends up being an extremely low calorie indulgence. However, I keep coming face-to-face with the fact that green tea provides a huge dose of disease-fighting antioxidants -- something with which my daily coffee just can't compete.
In an effort to determine if I should go back to drinking green tea regularly (yes, I was on the bandwagon a few years ago), I did a little more research, and I think it's important enough to share it with you. So, without further ado, here are five good reasons you should consider becoming a regular green tea drinker:
1. Green Tea Prevents Memory Loss
Studies have shown that older adults who consume two cups (or more) of green tea per day are 50% less likely to experience cognitive difficulties. Apparently the antioxidants that I mentioned above are excellent at preventing damage to brain nerves (commonly seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients).
2. Green Tea Protects Your Skin
Soaking a cotton ball in green tea and applying it to cuts, abrasions and bug bites will alleviate itching and help stop any swelling. As it turns out, green tea is a natural antiseptic and works great on skin from the outside and from the inside. Assuming that you're not in a position to be dabbing tea on your body regularly, let me assure you that drinking it can also help your skin by blocking skin cancer caused by over-exposure to the sun. In fact, if you're observant, you've noticed that "green tea extract" is showing up on the labels of all sorts of skin care products recently!
3. Green Tea Promotes Arterial Health
Consuming only 10 ounces of green tea a day will help keep your arteries healthy by helping prevent plaque from building up in blood vessels, thus reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. And while it's keeping your arteries young and flexible, the green tea is also slowing the absorption of fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream.
4. Green Tea Provides Blood Pressure Stability
Your doctor will tell you that a healthy blood pressure is 120/80 (or lower). Achieving that level is half the battle, but maintaining it is the other half! Keep with the "half" theme, people who drink just half a cup of green tea each day are about half as likely to end up with hypertension, thanks to the internal benefits of certain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These little helpers keep your blood vessels from contracting, which keeps your blood pressure down.
5. Green Tea Pummels Cancer Cells
Studies continue to show that drinking green tea reduces the risk of multiple types of cancer, including breast, stomach, colon, and prostate cancers. Apparently a number of those wonderful little polyphenols also keep cancer cells at bay, first by discouraging growth of the cancerous cells, and then by stifling the creation of fresh blood vessels that tumors require.
And there you have it: five excellent reasons for all of us to start drinking green tea on a daily basis. I won't give up my coffee completely, but I'm sure I can find a way to fit a cup or two of green tea into my daily routine!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon
In an effort to determine if I should go back to drinking green tea regularly (yes, I was on the bandwagon a few years ago), I did a little more research, and I think it's important enough to share it with you. So, without further ado, here are five good reasons you should consider becoming a regular green tea drinker:
1. Green Tea Prevents Memory Loss
Studies have shown that older adults who consume two cups (or more) of green tea per day are 50% less likely to experience cognitive difficulties. Apparently the antioxidants that I mentioned above are excellent at preventing damage to brain nerves (commonly seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients).
2. Green Tea Protects Your Skin
Soaking a cotton ball in green tea and applying it to cuts, abrasions and bug bites will alleviate itching and help stop any swelling. As it turns out, green tea is a natural antiseptic and works great on skin from the outside and from the inside. Assuming that you're not in a position to be dabbing tea on your body regularly, let me assure you that drinking it can also help your skin by blocking skin cancer caused by over-exposure to the sun. In fact, if you're observant, you've noticed that "green tea extract" is showing up on the labels of all sorts of skin care products recently!
3. Green Tea Promotes Arterial Health
Consuming only 10 ounces of green tea a day will help keep your arteries healthy by helping prevent plaque from building up in blood vessels, thus reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. And while it's keeping your arteries young and flexible, the green tea is also slowing the absorption of fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream.
4. Green Tea Provides Blood Pressure Stability
Your doctor will tell you that a healthy blood pressure is 120/80 (or lower). Achieving that level is half the battle, but maintaining it is the other half! Keep with the "half" theme, people who drink just half a cup of green tea each day are about half as likely to end up with hypertension, thanks to the internal benefits of certain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These little helpers keep your blood vessels from contracting, which keeps your blood pressure down.
5. Green Tea Pummels Cancer Cells
Studies continue to show that drinking green tea reduces the risk of multiple types of cancer, including breast, stomach, colon, and prostate cancers. Apparently a number of those wonderful little polyphenols also keep cancer cells at bay, first by discouraging growth of the cancerous cells, and then by stifling the creation of fresh blood vessels that tumors require.
And there you have it: five excellent reasons for all of us to start drinking green tea on a daily basis. I won't give up my coffee completely, but I'm sure I can find a way to fit a cup or two of green tea into my daily routine!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon
Friday, May 15, 2009
Your Beach Body for $39!
Much to my chagrin, I end up spending an inordinate amount of time checking out different exercise programs online. Have you noticed how many "experts" are out there? Everyone has the greatest new thing, with hundreds of dollars worth of "bonuses", all for just $39!
Wow! Achieve the ultimate beach body for less than 40 bucks?! Count me in!
Unfortunately, a $40 ebook isn't going to transform your physique. Only proper nutrition and exercise will do that. Of course, there is a lot of information that you need to know to achieve "proper nutrition". There are also a bajillion exercise programs to choose from, and they are not all created equal. But do you really need to plunk down 40 simoleons to get an effective exercise program?
The answer, my friends, is "no". With a little work, you can put together excellent workouts all on your own. And with the help of exercise videos on YouTube and a searchable encyclopedia of exercises on BodyBuilding.com, the task becomes much easier. (In fact, you can find full workouts on YouTube but, again, they are not all created equal.)
Regardless of how you come up with your workout, there three things you should keep in mind:
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon
Wow! Achieve the ultimate beach body for less than 40 bucks?! Count me in!
Unfortunately, a $40 ebook isn't going to transform your physique. Only proper nutrition and exercise will do that. Of course, there is a lot of information that you need to know to achieve "proper nutrition". There are also a bajillion exercise programs to choose from, and they are not all created equal. But do you really need to plunk down 40 simoleons to get an effective exercise program?
The answer, my friends, is "no". With a little work, you can put together excellent workouts all on your own. And with the help of exercise videos on YouTube and a searchable encyclopedia of exercises on BodyBuilding.com, the task becomes much easier. (In fact, you can find full workouts on YouTube but, again, they are not all created equal.)
Regardless of how you come up with your workout, there three things you should keep in mind:
- Use proper form when doing exercises, even if it means using lighter weights.
- Set a weekly workout schedule and stick to it for 4 weeks, then change up your workout and stick to that for 4 weeks, etc...
- Focus on body measurements and body fat percentages, not weight!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon
Friday, March 13, 2009
More Energy for Hectic Days
Okay... so who hasn’t been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well, regardless of whether you agree with the statement or not, there is one thing that everyone seems to agree with: A healthy breakfast is certainly a good thing. Of course, there’s also another statement that many people will agree with: Eating a healthy breakfast can be difficult with the fast pace of life today!
With that in mind, here are two suggestions for ensuring that you get a decent breakfast, even when you’re on-the-run!
1. Prepare something the night before. Most of us underestimate the time we’ll have available in the morning, so take breakfast out of the equation by preparing something the night before. Throw some nuts, raisins and sunflower seeds into a plastic bag for an inexpensive, homemade trail mix. Likewise, you could throw some granola or other healthy dry cereal into a plastic bag to munch on during your commute. Or what about some low-fat cheese slices and some whole wheat crackers? Or pre-peel an orange, slice an apple or pear, or clean some grapes and have them bagged and ready to grab on your way out the door.
2. Focus on the right foods, not on breakfast foods. Cereal and oatmeal are fine, but you don’t have to limit yourself to traditional breakfast fare. The key is to shoot for the right types of foods. Go light on the sugar to avoid a ‘crash’ later in the morning. Focus on fiber by going for complex carbs, not highly processed white flour foods. Try to add in some protein for more sustainable energy. And if you can, include some healthy fats for added brain performance (throw some almonds or walnuts in with your trail mix, or have some omega-3-enriched hard-boiled eggs on hand).
Regardless of whether or not you think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the fact is that it is important... so don’t skip it. Prepare something the night before and make sure you’re eating the right types of foods, and you should have more energy to get you through your hectic day!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
With that in mind, here are two suggestions for ensuring that you get a decent breakfast, even when you’re on-the-run!
1. Prepare something the night before. Most of us underestimate the time we’ll have available in the morning, so take breakfast out of the equation by preparing something the night before. Throw some nuts, raisins and sunflower seeds into a plastic bag for an inexpensive, homemade trail mix. Likewise, you could throw some granola or other healthy dry cereal into a plastic bag to munch on during your commute. Or what about some low-fat cheese slices and some whole wheat crackers? Or pre-peel an orange, slice an apple or pear, or clean some grapes and have them bagged and ready to grab on your way out the door.
2. Focus on the right foods, not on breakfast foods. Cereal and oatmeal are fine, but you don’t have to limit yourself to traditional breakfast fare. The key is to shoot for the right types of foods. Go light on the sugar to avoid a ‘crash’ later in the morning. Focus on fiber by going for complex carbs, not highly processed white flour foods. Try to add in some protein for more sustainable energy. And if you can, include some healthy fats for added brain performance (throw some almonds or walnuts in with your trail mix, or have some omega-3-enriched hard-boiled eggs on hand).
Regardless of whether or not you think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the fact is that it is important... so don’t skip it. Prepare something the night before and make sure you’re eating the right types of foods, and you should have more energy to get you through your hectic day!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
Friday, February 6, 2009
Pick-Me-Ups that don’t Pack-It-On
In spite of what the candy bar manufacturers would have you believe, a sugar-packed candy snack is not the best way to get past a mid-afternoon energy slump. Likewise, firing up the coffee maker again is not the best choice (even though coffee may not be the evil drink that many people would have you believe).
So when your eyelids are weighing heavy in the afternoon and you’re struggling to stay awake while the boss drones on and on, here are three things you can try in order to keep you going for a few more hours!
1. Drink water and walk around. Especially if you’ve been chugging java in the morning, your feelings of fatigue may actually be dehydration. Drink some water and then take a walk to get your blood flowing better. After your walk, drink some more water and continue to sip for the rest of the afternoon. This is a no-calorie tip that will actually help you burn more calories throughout your day.
2. Fresh fruit, tempered with protein and fat. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, get an energy zap from a high fructose fruit such as watermelon. You’ll get your sugar rush, but also a dose of fiber and a shot of vitamins (A and C), all for about 100 calories for 2 cups of fruit! Throw in some protein and a little fat (low fat string cheese, seeds, or nuts) and the sugar will metabolize slower and make the energy boost last longer. Keep it to 1 cup of fruit and 1/4 cup of nuts (or one serving of cheese) and you’ll keep it around 200 calories for this excellent pick-me-up.
3. Ye’ old PB&J on whole wheat bread. Much like the fresh fruit with protein and fat described above, this old childhood favorite packs quite a wallop because of its wonderful combination of carbs, protein, and good fats. And if you only make a one-slice sandwich, then you should come in at about 200 calories.
So when you’re eyelids are droopin’ and you don’t know how you’re going to make it through the rest of the day, try one of these 3 tips to get a pick-me-up that’s not a pack-it-on!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
So when your eyelids are weighing heavy in the afternoon and you’re struggling to stay awake while the boss drones on and on, here are three things you can try in order to keep you going for a few more hours!
1. Drink water and walk around. Especially if you’ve been chugging java in the morning, your feelings of fatigue may actually be dehydration. Drink some water and then take a walk to get your blood flowing better. After your walk, drink some more water and continue to sip for the rest of the afternoon. This is a no-calorie tip that will actually help you burn more calories throughout your day.
2. Fresh fruit, tempered with protein and fat. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, get an energy zap from a high fructose fruit such as watermelon. You’ll get your sugar rush, but also a dose of fiber and a shot of vitamins (A and C), all for about 100 calories for 2 cups of fruit! Throw in some protein and a little fat (low fat string cheese, seeds, or nuts) and the sugar will metabolize slower and make the energy boost last longer. Keep it to 1 cup of fruit and 1/4 cup of nuts (or one serving of cheese) and you’ll keep it around 200 calories for this excellent pick-me-up.
3. Ye’ old PB&J on whole wheat bread. Much like the fresh fruit with protein and fat described above, this old childhood favorite packs quite a wallop because of its wonderful combination of carbs, protein, and good fats. And if you only make a one-slice sandwich, then you should come in at about 200 calories.
So when you’re eyelids are droopin’ and you don’t know how you’re going to make it through the rest of the day, try one of these 3 tips to get a pick-me-up that’s not a pack-it-on!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
Friday, January 30, 2009
Flex Those Prayer Muscles
When we say the word "prayer", images of darkened rooms, flickering candles, and quiet reflection usually pop into most peoples' minds. But prayer is about communication with God, and communication can take many forms. For some people, quieting the ruckus in their minds is much more easily accomplished not through stillness, but through motion.
For thousands of years, many Asian cultures have practiced meditation in motion. One such art is Tai Chi. Though a martial art, it is also an excellent way to quiet the mind, center the body, and open your heart to the Lord. The flowing sequences of memorized movements allows one to expend nervous energy and anxiety, and the repetition acts like white noise, helping block out the thoughts that can interfere with prayer.
Likewise, regular exercise can be used in this fashion. Putting your body through its paces of familiar exercises can help raise your overall energy, improve your focus, and make it far easier to listen for what the Lord has to say. It's as if the exertion of one's physical being occupies the body so completely that the mind is left to other things.
Spirituality & Prayer Tip #1: Whatever form of exercise you choose, whether it be weight-training, running, martial arts or anything in between, it can be combined with prayer to create a good spiritual workout as well. Exercising the body and the soul -- the ultimate in cross training!
Train hard but pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Keep a Food Log
I don't get on the scale very often -- maybe once a week -- mainly because I don't believe that it's the best way to measure health & fitness. (Checking your body fat percentage? Now that's a bit better indicator!) However, "weight" is one of the measurements I've been tracking over the past few months, but I'm cautious about fluctuations our bodies have due to water retention or temporary dehydration. I mean, if a pro fighter can sweat out a dozen pounds in one day so he can qualify in a lower weight class, is it so hard to believe that our bodies can fluctuate a couple of pounds from day to day?
When I need to put a weight on my chart, which I had to do this week, I weigh myself for 3 days and take the highest of the three. I'm not sure why I don't go with the average. I guess it's just to make it more of a challenge.
Whatever the case, I weighed myself over the last three days and here are the results:
Sunday: 234 lbs.
Monday: 232 lbs.
Tuesday: 235 lbs.
So I noted on my chart that I now weigh 235 pounds, which means I've lost 23 pounds since the end of August.
Now I know that might not seem like a lot given the claims of all the fad diets these days. "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!" Sounds great, but most of them basically suck. The truth is, a lot of people lose weight on those diets because the food selections are so limited that they end up restricting calories because they have no more appetite for the few things they can eat!
"Eat all the protein and fat that you want!" Sounds great, but what am I supposed to do with this stick of butter and a pound of bacon? And what about this cup of lard? Oh yeah... I forgot... I can dip my pork rinds in it.
Over the next few months, as I continue my journey to better health, I'll take the time to share what I'm doing with you. It's not overly complicated, but it is too much to share in a single post.
However, here is the first thing you should do (it's the very first thing that I did):
Start keeping track of everything that you eat and drink, every day.
I began by jotting everything down in a little notebook. Eventually I opened a free account at FitDay.com and started tracking everything online.
I'll be very honest with you: this was an absolute pain when I started, and sometimes I still have to make myself do it. BUT it's worth every second of time that it takes!
If you struggle with your weight like I did, you will probably be absolutely amazed at the amount of food that you eat! And don't, don't, don't just guess at quantities. Get yourself a little kitchen scale and really weigh that chicken breast or those fish fillets. Eventually you'll get better at more accurately eye-balling quantities, but make sure those eyeballs are wide open first!
Health & Fitness Tip #1: Keep a food log and use a kitchen scale to measure quantities.
Health & Fitness Bonus: When tracking your weight over a period of time, weigh yourself for 3 days in a row and record the average weight (or the highest weight, like I do). And whatever you do, don't weigh yourself every day. Fluctuations in water weight can be demoralizing when they're actually quite healthy and normal.
Train hard but pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
When I need to put a weight on my chart, which I had to do this week, I weigh myself for 3 days and take the highest of the three. I'm not sure why I don't go with the average. I guess it's just to make it more of a challenge.
Whatever the case, I weighed myself over the last three days and here are the results:
Sunday: 234 lbs.
Monday: 232 lbs.
Tuesday: 235 lbs.
So I noted on my chart that I now weigh 235 pounds, which means I've lost 23 pounds since the end of August.
Now I know that might not seem like a lot given the claims of all the fad diets these days. "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!" Sounds great, but most of them basically suck. The truth is, a lot of people lose weight on those diets because the food selections are so limited that they end up restricting calories because they have no more appetite for the few things they can eat!
"Eat all the protein and fat that you want!" Sounds great, but what am I supposed to do with this stick of butter and a pound of bacon? And what about this cup of lard? Oh yeah... I forgot... I can dip my pork rinds in it.
Over the next few months, as I continue my journey to better health, I'll take the time to share what I'm doing with you. It's not overly complicated, but it is too much to share in a single post.
However, here is the first thing you should do (it's the very first thing that I did):
Start keeping track of everything that you eat and drink, every day.
I began by jotting everything down in a little notebook. Eventually I opened a free account at FitDay.com and started tracking everything online.
I'll be very honest with you: this was an absolute pain when I started, and sometimes I still have to make myself do it. BUT it's worth every second of time that it takes!
If you struggle with your weight like I did, you will probably be absolutely amazed at the amount of food that you eat! And don't, don't, don't just guess at quantities. Get yourself a little kitchen scale and really weigh that chicken breast or those fish fillets. Eventually you'll get better at more accurately eye-balling quantities, but make sure those eyeballs are wide open first!
Health & Fitness Tip #1: Keep a food log and use a kitchen scale to measure quantities.
Health & Fitness Bonus: When tracking your weight over a period of time, weigh yourself for 3 days in a row and record the average weight (or the highest weight, like I do). And whatever you do, don't weigh yourself every day. Fluctuations in water weight can be demoralizing when they're actually quite healthy and normal.
Train hard but pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)