How Long Does It Take To Get Fit!

posted FAll 2008

Starting from many years of being "sedentary":

1. Strength and muscle development: Muscle tissue renews itself completely over course of about 6 months. As we train new cells are forming everyday. Those new cells will be stronger than the ones they replace. Increases in strength will occur slowly in the beginning, but within 6 months of starting resistance training there will be significant improvements in muscle tone and strength.

2. Aerobic endurance (VO2 max): it will take 6-12 weeks of preliminary base building before meaning full results. The average person should be able to run a mile by the end of this period without stopping.

3. Body metabolism: The rate at which our body burns calories at rest begins to adapt to change with new exercise and eating habits. We begin to burn more calories while resting. That change is immediate...slow but immediate. It took me about 12 months to see a dramatic change.

4. Weight loss: People who are 40-60 pounds overweight should expect to lose 50% of that within the first year. If they don't then they are doing something wrong. The ideal formula is to lose 2 pounds a month until the desired weight is obtained. However, 3-4 pounds a month in the beginning is not unusual. I dropped about 40 pounds in the first year (240 to 200); 15 in the second year; and 5 more the 3rd.

Heart Rate Monitoring

posted spring 2008

We've discussed the heart rate question a number of times, but it's always good to see the new material on various internet sites. The information is becoming very good. Plus research is also expanding and being posted on-line.

Here's a site to help you calculate training zones, but it's based on age and resting heart rate.:

view link

I think this site is a bit conservative, probably due to the potential for legal action against Polar USA.

My maximum calculates at 161. 3 years ago I tested to 167 max. with a VO2 max of 44. Take away a few years and now my max. is around 162...point is that this calculator is pretty good.

Here's another really good site that discusses the age relation to Maximum heart rate (MHR) and suggested levels for athlete's, elite, and by different type of exercise. It's more aggressive, but frankly I think it's on the money.

view link

I exceed 170 when doing all out anaerobic threshold training... intervals by racing the length of a basketball court 4 times in about 26 seconds then rest 44 seconds and repeat 5 times then rest 3 minutes. That's the toughest cardio workout I try and I only do it about 5 months out of a year for about 25 minutes including rests and warm-ups two days a weeks.

I have no prior history of heart issues. My resting HR is 45, and my recovery time is very good. Today I checked my recovery from 136 in two minutes my HR drops to 72 from 136. From 160 it will drop to 130 within 1 minute. A 20 point drop from peak is average, 25 or better is considered very heart healthy.

Back to Plyometrics

posted April 2008

After 4 days of rest back at it this week with a new routine designed to prep for golf season. Power drills including medicine ball tosses against a wall and floor are the biggest change. Combining this with lifting and cardio for a challenging workout.

Only issue is amount of time it takes...over 90 minutes not including cardio which has to be split out.

The program is as follows:

M. Dynamic Warm up, basic elastic drills, Power (ball throwing), Strength (weights basic strength...bench, pull, ups, squats...upper body 2 days, lower 1 day alternating by week).

T. Hard Cardio for 30-40 minutes.

W. Same is Mon...first week do 2 chest focus, 1 leg....next week 2 leg days, 1 chest/back.

Th. Recovery easy run at 65%

Friday Same as Wed. add 40 minutes spinning at medium to high depending how I feel

Sat. Recovery

Sun Rest

Pumping up

posted February 2008

Calories burned last two weeks over 10,000...and feeling great. Little if any soreness...

Seems that between Gluten and dairy my body spent most of the time fighting off the effects of the inflammation leaving me sore from most any activity. Another issue might have been tomatoes. When I cut out tomatoes from my diet my sinus congestion eased dramatically.

Friday's workout: Spun for 40 minutes at AT 1/2 of that....then immediately to heavy weight routine. Highlight was 270 lb. deadlift after about 1 1/2 hours of work. Doing Russian twists 12 reps at 45 lbs.

Prior day did 2 sets of 15 reps pushups with feet on ball. First 15 toes down...

Only issue is that I'm hunger more than usual!

Gluten and Dairy Sensitivity

posted January 2008

"It's recommended that you completely remove dairy and gluten from your diet." HOLY COW! No pun intended... I took the lab test and that's what was found. I'm way over the limits on dairy and gluten reaction. I have celiac disease. Wow....

That is what has caused my sinus problems among other things. Better late than never to have found out. It all makes sense now.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.....

ANOTHER snowman!

posted December 2007

Ok, so that wasn't my "last" snowman....but this one will be for 2007.

My last snowman....

posted December 2007

The dogs were having a great time romping in the snow while I watched. Being the type "A" can't stand still for long I started to lob snowballs at them until my arm started to give out. They were having a great time, but always need supervision so not to follow the joggers home. So to make my time "productive" enters Mr. Snowman.

Mr. Snowman began to take shape and although remembering the "method" I had forgotten the effort involved with wet snow. By the time the eyes were placed my snow pants were sweat soaked on the inside. Maybe 200 calories burned including the snowball making (bend over 500 times).

Snowboy lasted a total of two days and melted before Xmas... In a few days we're back to Austin and out of the snow. I can see this as my last snowman.