As it turns out, swimming is much more than a way to cool off on a hot day.  It’s one of the best overall workouts there is.  It combines a great cardio workout with a strength workout built for toning up your arms, chest and legs, meaning that a short amount of time in the pool can add up to the equivalent of way more time in the gym.  And it can be very relaxing while you do it, making it even better.  Please allow me to break down what I’m doing in the pool.

I get in, and thankfully my pool is heated.  Now, I’m not here to lazily float around and just bask in the mid-morning or afternoon sun.  I’m here to work.  But it’s kind of like working at a really fun place, because I love to swim.  I plant my feet at one end of the pool, push off the wall and start the American Crawl from one end to the other, focusing on both my form and my kicking, my breathing, and my swimming path.  I really don’t want to run into the wall or Sergio half-way down the pool.  I go to the other end, and without touching my feet on the bottom I embrace the wall and turn around with a good kick-off, and I go back to the other side yet again.  I go back and forth without stopping for absolutely as long as I can, which isn’t very long because I’m still pretty out of shape and this is a rather intense workout.  When I absolutely can’t go any further, I stop at one end and catch my breath for a little while, then I start going on “one-way trips” where I only swim to the other side.  I do as many of those as I can also.  Every lap or half lap you do (a lap is considered down and back) is that much more work that you’re forcing your body to do, and it’s working out almost your entire body.  Keep going, and going, and going, until you can’t breathe anymore and your muscles ache because they haven’t been used like this is forever, and then do one more lap for good measure.  Then, if you’re lucky like me, you can get out of the pool and go directly into the hot tub and relax some more.

I’ve found that swimming with a friend, especially someone who is in much better shape than you, is most rewarding.  Why specifically someone who is in much better shape? Because that person can benefit from swimming some laps as well, but they have to go harder and farther than you to get that same benefit that you’re getting.  What I do with Sergio is he has to do DOUBLE the laps that I do.  So if I do 5 laps (which is, again, down and back) he has to do 10 laps.  If I’m feeling extra-energetic, and decide to do 6, or even 7 then he has to do 12 or 14 laps, respectively.  So if I push myself a little bit more, it pushes him a lot more, which is great motivation for me to go as long and as hard as I can, so that I can punish him a little bit.  And he loves it, because it’s helping him with his cardio and his toning as well.  We make a game out of it, by pushing each other to go further and further.  I also love to handicap him by making him do more difficult strokes, like the butterfly or the breast stroke, which will focus on different muscles as well.   And that’s something you can do also.  Go down using the crawl, go back using the breast stroke, go down again using the butterfly, go back using the back stroke, etc.  By mixing it up you’ll put the strength focus on different muscle groups, while still working out all of them in the general whole.  And at the end of your swim, when you’re gasping for air because you didn’t realize that swimming was this much of a workout, remember one thing: you’re still in a pool, working out, and enjoying the water and the sun.  Then go hit the hot tub with a bottle of Protein Water to rehydrate you, and bask in your glory of another successful workout.  Enjoy, and until next time, KEEP AT IT!

Pros to going to the Gym during lunch:

Going to the gym during lunch is amazing in so many different ways. It not only helps cure the workout “itis” but it also greatly helps to curb the work “itis” that many of us constantly face on a daily basis. It generates a true break from work and although it is a break filled with physical work, it is nonetheless a break from that constant grind. When I first started working at my job, I didn’t want to take lunches, because I thought that there wasn’t enough time in the day. But like with most jobs you find a great time management system to allow you to complete all of your job details on time and well throughout the week, as you strive to become more efficient – or maybe you don’t (who knows). Now, granted you are going to run into that project where there is just no getting around working 12-14 hour days, but even the eight hour day is a daunting one. Whatever the case may be, you are likely to be 5 times more productive if you break your day up by at least half an hour, when you are work. My problem: I was running myself ragged because I would eat my lunch in about 5-10 min, go back and work because there was really nothing else for me to do during lunch. I would not try to find ways to better handle my time and become more proficient because I never gave myself a reason to in the sense that I never really found the importance in a full 30 or more for lunch. So by going to work out during my lunch breaks I am forcing myself physically to take a break away from my desk, which in turn permits me to clear my mind and when I come back for those last 2 or 3 hours of work it is almost like getting to work in the morning – a fresh new start almost. I feel surprisingly rejuvenated when I return and definitely have seen a difference in the output of my work rounding that 7th-sometimes 12th hour.

The other amazing phenomena that occurs in this situation is that from about 12:30-2:30p the gym is as vacant as welcome home party for Bernie Madoff (thank god that won’t happen). I have personally gone to four different gyms two by one chain, and then two separate gym chains and all of them were empty at these times. I even double checked by asking the people at the front desk and they said it is definitely a trend that they see on a daily basis: come 12:30 the number of people in the gym dramatically decreases until about 3p. Just think to yourself for a hot second, you can wake up at your normal time, you don’t have to worry about going after work, you can get a full work out in, and make work a little more refreshing on the afternoon curve, all without really tweaking your day that much. Personally, I would much rather stay at work an extra ½ hour or 45 minutes and get my work out in at lunch then have to try and hurdle that brick wall that seems to erect itself everyday when the clock strikes the “time to get the hell out of dodge,” hand at work.

The lunch time work around is also perfect for people who like to get in, get out and get on with their lives when they go to the gym. For those of you who enjoy being in that zone when you work out, where every second is meticulously calculated out so that your break time and actual physical endurance time are in perfect harmony, this routine is perfect. I can sometimes get caught up in those resting periods during normal workouts, and although it is by little increments at a time, it adds up and I find myself being at the gym a lot longer than I really want to be. But when I go on my lunch break my eyes are on that wall clock every second of my rest period, and I fly through my workout. The time restraint really helps me stay focused and keeps my aimless wandering, that can easily occur, stagnant.
Even though this is my favorite option in fighting the “itis” I do realize that it is a very unrealistic plan for many. After saying that, I hope that the cons to this one in the next blog won’t discourage you too much from trying to give this method a try. Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy who has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

Cons to going to the Gym on the late late night:

The first con is an obvious one and that of course is being “out late on a school night.” It is perfectly fine to go out on the weekend. Hoot and holler until your lungs and adrenaline give out around 3 AM because you have the ability to sleep it out the next day and restore your REM sleep cycle back on track. But coming out of the gym any time between 12AM-3AM for an optional workout routine doesn’t necessarily work for the huddled masses that get up at 6:30 AM in the morning to go to work.  I am one of those people and let me tell you it took me a couple weeks of adjusting my sleep and nap habits to work around this schedule, which was a rather tiresome endeavor at first. But for many people they do not want to schedule their day around a gym routine. Instead they want to  schedule their gym routine around what ever else they have planned for the day. This plays on the another downfall which is:  if you don’t get a grip on juggling this routine with sleep, meal times, and personal time, then it is even quicker progress to the “itis” than just trying to go to the gym after work.

First, if you are not getting proper sleep and it comes 10 PM at night, guess what, the first thing to go is going to be that trip to the gym.

Second, if you are a person that is greatly affected by their nutrition cycles in regards to balance of periods in which you ingest your nutrients, needs to be somewhat strict, this will definitely throw you off. You can eat your three meals a day, but more often or not you are going to take a nap if you are a 9-5er so that you are not a complete train wreck. When you do this, even if it is only a two hour nap, you run the risk of working up another appetite after you complete your workout. And it is a well know fact that it is not good to eat right before you go to sleep. If you read my blog then you know that I never claim to be an expert and to tell you the truth I have done no scientific research on this. But I will tell you one thing, what I just mentioned is something that I battled personally for about a week and half to two weeks when trying to find my groove in this cycle. In fact I was flat out miserable until I found my “late night gym chi” and was able to finally center myself.

Another downfall stems from one of the benefits of going so late at night, and that is all of the janitorial work that goes on late at night. Because there are so few people there at that time, it is the perfect opportunity to thoroughly clean the gym without interrupting a lot of people at once. Of course anyone who is cleaning does their best to not disturb you while you are working but at the same time when no one else is there it can be quite disturbing to have someone going to town with the cleaning duties. The crazy loud vacuum that is used is definitely enough to throw you off. During the day there are a million other people and it doesn’t really bother you if someone asked you to move so that they can clean real quick, because you feel a little bad because this person is trying to do their job with all these people everywhere which is almost impossible. But when no one else is there you feel like “really,” all this open space to clean and you have to ask me to move from this tiny little area?” I am being more than a borderline ass by saying this because obviously the gym has to be cleaned but I know I am not the only one who is thinking it. To tell you the truth though this is not even close to being a big deal to me but I have noticed that some of the few people there that late at night are really kind of put off by the fact.

Obviously, this plan is not for everyone. But honestly I believe that if you are dedicated to the fitness lifestyle the pros out weigh the cons 7:3 – in my opinion. This route definitely takes some dietary and sleep adjustments but after about a week or so you should properly adjust and it then it should just becomes like clock work for you. If this option isn’t for you either, then hopefully this last one will be. Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

KEEP AT IT!

I almost guarantee that you feel a little worn out from the more healthy diet and lots of exercise that you’ve been working on and have started to let go of.  Well, now is the perfect time to double your efforts! What better time than the holiday lull to start working out with your partner? Invite him or her to join you for a jog around the block (or hopefully 3 blocks by this time).  You might surprise yourself with their stamina, either strong or weak.  Invite them to a challenge of bench-pressing abilities, or to make it more exciting, a dinner date for the winner of a circuit challenge of lifting abilities of every muscle your gym has to offer.  Use EVERY machine in your gym for the purpose it serves, and see who lifts the most OVERALL weight, the total of the individual pounds lifted by each person.  The loser buys the winner a health-conscious dinner out, and maybe a movie, now that Awards season has hit us.  I hear both Applebee’s and Chili’s offer calorie & cost-conscious persons a decent menu.  A little competition never hurt anyone, and you might be shocked by what your partner is able to do after working out for 6 weeks.  So add a little competition to your diet and set some romantic stakes on the proverbial grill to spice up both your romantic and health lives.  Because although your weight loss should be mostly for you and your health, you loved one benefits just as much as you do. Let’s make the world a better place, with a little more love and a lot more healthy.

Pros to going to the Gym on the “Late Late” night:

The local gym becomes a completely different place late at night, especially if it is open past 12a or if it is 24 hours. The best part about going to the gym this late (around 10:30p or later), as you can probably figure out, is it is an utter ghost town. All those pesky little things that I wrote about so frequently during the “Do’s and Don’ts series” are almost irrelevant when it is only you and 1-3 other people in an entire section – unless of course you are the one who is committing these indiscretions. Every piece of equipment at your finger tips with absolutely no wait times. On many occasions when I want to go to the gym I crave that feeling of solidarity. The ability to be in my own world and get done exactly what I need to get done. Many times this desire gets lost among the mad house crowds, the ambient howl of busy conversations, the sharp clinking of machines, and the lack of being able to do what it is that you need to. It’s really easy to scrap a game plan and fall short of a new one if you are rerouted at the gym. If you set up this entire workout and by the time you are on your last leg someone is using your first and second options in machinery or weights, you are going to be more than inclined to skip it if you are in a pinch for time. But during the late night you don’t run into any of these little dilemmas because like T.M. “The World is Yours”, pertaining to the reality of the gym at least (don’t get carried away now). This is also perfect for anyone who is trying to get into cross fit type workouts because you have the freedom of using up three to six different things at one time because no one else is there, and you can’t be the ass that hogs all of the equipment if no one is there to call you out, right?

Another awesome thing about going to the gym on that late, late night tip is the switch up in atmosphere. There are only one or two employees at the gym and true personalities come out. At both of the main stream chain gyms that I go to, I have witnessed workers in their late night element and their normal hour element. And with out sounding too cliché, the difference is day and night (awful pun intended). During both of these shifts, employees are pleasant and nice, but during the day, you get that forged, almost forced smile and conversation with the staff that is written right into their contracts.  During the night shift people get real, like Chuck Klosterman, and it actually looks like they genuinely enjoy their jobs.  They are always doing batty things like dancing around and revamping all the equipment. Keeping real conversations around your workout and not trying to make what they say take precedence over your gym routine. They are helpful and offer a lot of different tips. This goes for both male and female co-workers at the gym. I have had this interaction with both. Grave yard shift workers of any kind know how to entertain themselves which from what I can gather makes them quite interesting people. I would think that you would be a little more reclusive if you worked one of these type shifts, but clearly that is not the case here.

Something else that I really enjoyed was that you let you entire day’s food intake have more than enough time to go through its proper digestion cycle before you workout. You essentially get the chance to work it all in at one time instead of splitting it. I can guarantee this is a mental victory and not an actual proven physical one, but I definitely feel more complete when I am able to finish a work out and know that I am not ingesting any more for the day, other than a protein shake to close it out.This state of mind definitely plays to the side of vanity though, in the sense that I like this because when after I am done working out and when I wake up the next day I know what my body looks like: it is not really going to change like it would if I ate two meals after I worked out. This might just be a personal satisfaction but nevertheless it is something that I see as being a positive.

The last thing that I noticed I appreciated about going to the gym late at night was the media controlling ability that you have. Because it is a ghost town you can ask the workers to put on any station you want on the T.V.s, any radio stations or Music lists that you prefer. I have been in there when I heard 10 songs in a row that I really loved. I asked the worker what type of mix that was and he simply told me that it was a CD that he had made. I know, everyone and their sister Jane (including me) has an iPod “so what’s the big deal right?” Well, sometimes I don’t feel like bringing my iPod to the gym. Sometimes, I feel like the iPod slows me down (on contrary, I also believe that it speeds me up a lot of the time) and when I feel that I will go to the gym without it. When that happens I depend on the music that is playing or the T.V. programs that are on, to get me through my workouts.  But this might not be for you, and the next blog might show you why it might not be for you. But no matter what, I believe that one of the four suggestions will fit your lifestyle.  Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy who has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

Pros to going to the Gym before you go to work:

Getting up and going to the gym early and getting it in before you go to work can be an absolute godsend. The first time I attempted this it was at the gym that was by my house. This worked out perfectly because I woke up got on my running shoes, some b-ball shorts and an old shirt and took off for a half mile run to the gym. By the time that I got to the gym I was in full alert workout mode and awake and ready to go. I got in there on a specific time frame and just cranked out a quick, smart and gnarly work out. I then ran back to my house, showered, hopped in my car and was at work with time to spare. I then realized that not everyone has the option of just running a half mile to their gym, so I tried it a different way the next day. I woke up got my gear on, grabbed a towel and a little shower kit – put it in a gym bag and grabbed my work clothes, strung them up on the car hangers and went to the gym. By the time I got to the gym I was awake from the incessant blasting of my music on the way there. I put in a full work out, showered and got on my merry little way to work and once again I got their with time to spare…allotting myself the exact same amount of time as the day before.

Not only did I get a full perfect workout in for the day but I went to work feeling like a million bucks! I had really forgotten how that pumped up, bliss filled feeling that you get from working out felt. It is a refreshing burst of energy, a natural fuel that powers your energy levels up and gets the body going. I have totally been missing this feeling because I usually finish my workouts after work and just go home and relax and completely shut down. I totally thought that I might crash later on at work but right about the time that I began to crash, it was lunch time and I ate a well balanced lunch and boom, I was good to go for the rest of the day – just enough of that fuel to power my engine until that old school steam whistle blows and then I am free to become a brain dead veg-head.

Another pro are the people that are at the gym during this time. Yes, you are not the only other person that had this flash of genius to hit the gym early before work. It is actually quite packed in the mornings but the difference is that most people there are in the same mentality that you are. They want/need to get in and out in the most efficient, physical and time restricted manner. From what I have noticed the majority of the people in there any time ranging from 6:30 AM-8:00 AM are all business from the moment they set foot into the establishment until the moment they put that final weight down or complete that final stride on the treadmill. Because of this people seem to be a lot more inviting when it comes to working in. In the morning if I am standing around a piece of equipment I find that people are 3 times as likely to immediately ask if you want to work in with them before you even ask than people working out later in the day or in the afternoon.

Another pro I found was that I was much more likely to do secondary workouts when I got off work. When I say secondary workouts, I am talking about doing cardio and/or working my abs, two things that I constantly neglect do to lack of energy or time constraints. When I would exercise after work I would not have the time or drive to add these onto my workouts.  When I would finish my workouts, I would think to myself “that’ll do” like the father in Babe. I felt good enough just getting in my workout, but if I truly want to meet my fitness goals I need to be able to incorporate these elements on a regular basis.  By going to the gym in the morning, when I get off work my mind state is like hey “it’s just about 20 minutes for 3 miles and about 15 min for abs and then I am out”. This is so much of an easier blow to my motivation take than my mind telling me that right after I just did a full weight workout. It is like the difference between being punched in face once by Erkle – not the actor because that dude is ripped but the character – and taking one in the face by Tyson like Galifinakis in the Hang Over. If you are looking to try and combat the “Itis” I really suggest trying this for a week. But this might not be for you, and the next blog might show you why it might not be for you. But no matter what I believe that one of the four suggestions will fit your lifestyle.  Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

I personally hit the wall after a 9-10 hour day at the office and the last thing I want to do is go to the gym, but I try and force myself to make that journey because my physical fitness is something that I value very much. But if I have anything else that I need to do when I get home from work, the gym is the first thing that goes because I know I will be an absolute wreck if I don’t get some rest at some point. This “itis” is a creeper, and it can gain on you in rapid time and without any warning. For instance, about a month ago (before I initiated a comprehensive game plan to battle this) I had 30 minutes left at work and was really excited about going to the gym, which is literally about 2 blocks from work, the second that I got off. But when that clock struck 5 PM I got into my car and saw that the left turn lane that leads to the gym was just a little too long for my liking at that particular moment (which in reality meant that I would have to wait about 1min- 1.5 min – normally not a big deal). So I thought to myself “screw it” I will just drive home and work out at the gym at home. I got into the house and my roommate was eating a fantastic dinner and I thought to myself again, you know what, I need some dinner: I will just go after I eat. Well, turns out that if you eat a whole meal and a half from “Wings and Things” and work a 9 hour day and then plop down on the couch, you are pretty much guaranteeing that you are going to be stuck for the night – and I mean embedded into that couch like Wiley Coyote at the bottom of a canyon after trying an Acme flying device.

If you can’t tell by my blogs I am a very motivated person, especially when it comes to fitness. But scenarios like this one and others that tend to poke their heads about from time to time seem to take root within my fitness routines on a weekly/monthly basis. And if you are anything like I am one day of getting hit with this “itis” can throw your whole weeks routine off and in many cases you are not able to meet your weekly goals. So about a month ago, specifically right after I realized how much the disease affects me “on the reg” (i.e. the instance described above), I started to develop several different methods to help me curb this mini plague and it’s horrendous effects.  So for the next for the next four blogs I will be offering up some suggestions about how I go about battling this illness. With these quips of advice I will also be offering some pros and cons that come with each. And as usual I will have my relentless and unfiltered opinions about it all as I go down the line.  Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

So today I had my best workout to date.  I wanted to share this with everyone because if even my workouts are getting better and easier, then yours can too.  First of all, let me share the workout routine I do (now for all you hardcore athletes/gym fanatics, this workout isn’t for you, it’s for me!).

I start every workout with a quick stretch, mostly of the legs since my primary exercise is running.  I run 1 mile at 6 miles per hour with a 0% incline, which is a 10-minute mile.  Not terribly fast, but fast enough that if your 260+ lbs and haven’t ran in a year you’ll be out of breath in the first 1/10 of a mile. I power through that mile and slow it down typically to 3 mph, where I briskly walk to catch my breath while still burning some calories.  Now lately I’ve been adding an incline to this, at 3%.  It’s not much, but it works your calves more and it hurts just a little bit more, burning a few more calories.  I usually walk for about 5-6 minutes.  If you have the time, feel free to walk longer, because you’re still exercising.  After my walk I’ll take a breather and drink some Protein Water, then I’ll get on the Swiss Ball and do some crunches, right now I’m at 50 straight through.  After that I’ll pump out 20 push-ups.

Today was my best workout because I didn’t have to grab at the handrails to help catch my breath during my run, my run was a little easier than it has been, I walked at 3.2 mph with an incline of 3.5%, and my crunches and push-ups were easier, even with a chest workout yesterday with my personal trainer/roommate Sergio Sobrino.  And with all the work I’ve been putting in and the help of Designer Whey Protein Water and The Biggest Loser Protein Powder Chocolate Deluxe I’ve managed to shed 4 pounds, bringing me down to 259! Yeah for me! So for everyone out that that’s getting discouraged because the workouts hurt, just keep at it, because it’s GOING to get better!

Also, I’d love to plug Protein Water just one more time.  I drink one of these during/after every workout.  They’re absolutely delicious (today I had Cranapple, which tastes like a juicy, delicious Fuji Apple), and with only 60 calories to a bottle (YES, the entire 16-oz bottle has only 60 calories) and 12 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 1 gram of sugar, they blow Gatorade and Vitamin Water out of the competition for your daily thirst quencher!  My favorite is Pomegranate Fruit.  I could drink these all day.  Literally, they’re good for you!  So pick some up, take it with you on your next workout, and enjoy the fruity goodness while you get healthy.  Take care, until next time!

You know what I say? I say that in the end the best you can do is push yourself.  You HAVE to think, everyday, about WHY you want to lose weight.  Is it to look attractive to the fairer sex in order to find a girlfriend? Is it just because you feel that you’re not healthy enough and you want to lead a better life? Did you look into your future and realize you want to live to 110 years old, and that triple whopper with cheese isn’t helping?  THAT’S your motivation, right there.  The very reason you decided to lose weight in the first place still exists.  Think about that reason every single day, even if you don’t work out that day.  When you go to get a bite to eat, or are about to make dinner, think about that reason before you hit up Burger King instead of Subway.  And speaking of Subway, thank you for you.  Those sandwiches are delicious, and much lower fat than the burgers I typically would eat.  Not a cheap plug (I’m not paid by them!), but it is the truth.  They have me eating a little better, which is great for me.

Next, when it comes to motivation, you have to have something to pump you up.  For me, I have several playlists on my iPod to exercise to.  I have my “Running Mix” which consists of songs that help me push myself while I’m running my one mile a day (or my 11 miles a day, like I did during that famed deployment).  I have my “Workout Mix” which is geared more for lifting weights, consisting of a ton of great adrenaline-rushing songs that force me to put that bar up just one more time.  And, most important of all, is my “Motivational Mix.” Nine songs that truly speak to my core, that make me want to be the better person I know I can be.  I listen to this playlist and it’s almost a guilt trip to be better at everything I do.  If I haven’t been a good boy that day, I’ll know it when I listen to this playlist.  But beyond that, it makes me strive to be better.  A little to lazy to hit the gym? By the end of the first song I’ve got my running shoes out of the closet, headband on my head, and I’m out the door.

So, the next time you feel just a little too tired, or “you’ll hit the gym in a few hours, right now I just want to play some video games”, think about that reason you wanted to better yourself, think hard on it, then put down the controller, grab a Protein Water, and go hit the gym.  Then do what I do and play video games AFTER THE GYM!