This Month's Giveaway

Freebies.  Everybody loves 'em, so we're providing 'em.  November's giveaway, our very first, is...

This excellent, bio-friendly, eco-friendly Gaiam® aluminum water bottle.  This bottle is brand spanking new (IOW, human lips have never blotted its surface) with the tag still hanging on it like a Minnie Pearl bonnet.

This bottle proudly displays the message, "I Am Not A Plastic Bottle".  By using this bottle you are:

- reducing the number of bottles that end up in landfills (that take 1000+ years to biodegrade)
- reducing the potential leeching of plastic chemicals in your drinking water
- supporting the fine folks here at wo40.com

Ok, so I'm fudging it just a little with that last benefit, but you get the point.

So by now you might be asking, "So what have I got to do to win the bottle?"  Nothing, my friend, could be easier!  Simply browse the website and leave a relevant comment.  Every comment logged in the month of November will count as an entry into the drawing, so the more comments you leave the better your chances of winning!

 So how easy is that?  Read, comment, and have a chance to win!  Just remember that we need your email address to notify you if you're the winner!  Don't worry - we promise to keep the address to ourselves.  We won't sell it or give it away to any other entity.

The USA-only winner will be announced on December 1.  Be well!

Push-Up Workout

This blog entry comes as a result of many nights in the karate dojo.  One of the things that we frequently do in our karate classes is a push-up workout that involves anywhere from 10-12 sets of different types of pushups.  Throw in varying widths of the hands, and you can hit every major muscle group in the upper body including your abs. 

If you want to give this workout a try, do about 30-60 seconds of jumping jacks to warm up, and get ready to push.

Basic pushup - you know how to do it.  Hands are slightly wider than shoulder width and directly below the shoulders.  Lower yourself until your nose touches the floor and then push back to the starting position.  Do 10 reps then rest for 30 seconds.

Wide pushups - same as the basic pushup except your hands are 2 hand-widths outside of your shoulders.  Again, lower yourself until your nose touches the floor and press back up.  Do 10 reps then rest for 30 seconds.

Diamond pushups - bring your hands together under your face and form a diamond with your thumbs and forefingers.  Lower yourself until your nose touches inside the diamond (or as low as possible) and press back to the starting position.  Do 10 reps then rest for 30 seconds.

Alligator pushups - with these pushups, your hands are staggered.  One hand is slightly in front of your head while the other is back at your ribs.  Do 10 reps then switch hand locations.  Do 10 more reps then rest for 30 seconds.

Now we amp up the intensity a little by adding in extra movements

Gladiator pushups - perform a basic pushup.  At the top, lift your right hand off the floor, turn your entire body until your chest, stomach, and legs are perpendicular to the floor, and press your right hand towards the ceiling.  Return your right hand to the starting position and do another basic pushup.  Repeat the turn and point, this time with the left hand.  Do 10 reps, alternating sides with each rep, and then rest for 30 seconds.

Plyo-pushups - perform a basic pushup, only this time explode upward with enough force that your hands leave the floor.  Quickly clap your hands and get your hands back to the floor to avoid face-planting.  Do 10 reps and rest for 30 seconds.

Crunch pushups - perform a basic pushup.  At the top of the pushup, pull your right knee toward your chest.  Put your foot back in the starting position and perform another basic pushup.  This time draw the left knee toward the chest.  Do 20 reps (each leg does 10 crunches) then rest for 30 seconds.

Spiderman pushups - these are tough.  Lower yourself in a basic pushup.  Before you push back into the starting position, bring your right knee up to touch your right elbow.  Place your knee back on the floor and push back to the starting position.  Repeat the movement alternating legs.  Do 10 reps and go get something to eat.  Note: if you can do 20 spiderman pushups, then you are one strong individual!

Give that workout a try once or twice a week for a few weeks.  Your overall strength will improve as you challenge your muscles in new and interesting ways.

Be well!

10 Benefits of Working Out

Let’s talk benefits.  Not the kind you get at work, but the kind you get from taking a fraction of your day (less than an hour, and often less than 30 minutes) and spending it in a state of physical activity.  It’s worth knowing the types of rewards you’ll reap for the labors you perform; after all no one goes to work without knowing what the payment is going to be.  Right?  So, let’s take a look at 10 benefits of regular exercise.

Mood Enhancement - Let’s face it - life can sometimes be pretty hard on us.  Without an outlet, that stress can be released in ways that are destructive rather than productive.  We blow up at friends, family, and perfect strangers, and then brood over why it is that no one likes us.  A great way to relieve that tension is to take it out on such inanimate objects as dumbbells, barbells, and elliptical training machines.  And that exertion has more to do with your brain than it does with grunting out that last difficult rep.  When we exercise, our brains release a cascade of hormones, particularly endorphins, that help regulate mood.  Frequent workouts (once a day will do nicely) will help keep your mood on even keel rather than having it fluctuate wildly from day to day.

Reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases - There are so many diet- and nutrition-related illnesses and diseases that I can hardly list them all here.  Some of the key diseases whose risks may be reduced with less than 4 hours of physical activity per week are cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis.  A few hours a week may help prevent years of suffering, medication, and doctors appointments.

Better sleep - If you find yourself suffering from insomnia, then maybe it’s time for a brisk morning run.  Daily exercise helps support better and deeper sleep (assuming, that is, that you don’t exercise right before bedtime), which can enhance your mood and sharpen your senses.  Besides, what’s not to love about sleeping better?

Weight control - File this reason under “duh”.  People know that exercise helps regulate weight.  As I’ve already pointed out, it doesn’t take a lot of time to get the benefit from exercise.  The best part is knowing that the degree of exertion you put into exercise will return in more calories burned and better overall cardiovascular and respiratory health.

Boost those energy levels - I have to admit – there are basically only 2 things that will help me become alert at 6:00 in the morning.  One is a double-shot latte made with skim milk.  The second is a good morning run.  Only one of those things, however, gives me a lasting energy shot, and you can probably guess which one it is.  A good run helps oxygenate the body, and the abundance of oxygen in the system puts all body systems on high alert.  What that means is no mid-morning crash once the caffeine wears off – and no fear of the boss finding you napping on your keyboard!

Sex, baby! - That’s right - I went there!  Exercise helps both genders in the area of sexuality.  Fit women have the benefit of heightened arousal and sensitivity while fit men experience a natural form of “male enhancement” that doesn’t come in a capsule.  Never mind the fact that men and women who are in good physical shape are usually more attractive to the opposite sex.  Factor it all together, and working out could just be your path to higher sexual bliss.  Oh yeah!

Relationship building - Finding yourself at odds with your spouse?  One of the ways Alice and I found to develop our relationship was to head to the gym to work out together.  Exercise helped us deepen our trust as we spotted each other on the hardest reps.  The cooperative nature of spotting benefits both the one holding the weights and the one doing the spotting.  Alice has told me of the many times she felt pride in me (and love for me) for doing the things that were necessary to change my body and my life for the better.  We were cheerleaders for each other in addition to being accountability partners, and it was an activity we could do together – no kids, no TV, and no distractions.

Positive self-image - I remember looking in the mirror before I lost about 30 lbs of fat and thinking, “Wow.  You’re ugly!”  I just couldn’t say anything positive about the way I looked because, well, I looked bad.  It wasn’t until about 5 months after I started training that I looked in a full length mirror and said to myself, “Wow!  You’re looking good!”  It was then that I suddenly realized just how down on myself I had always been.  Exercise and training has brought me to a point where I can respect and appreciate the body I live in.

Reduce back pain - My chiropractor told me some years ago that for every 10 pounds of fat we carry on our abdomens, we’re experiencing about 100 pounds of pressure on our lower backs.  The way I figure it, I was feeling the weight of a 250 pound man pressing on my lower back.  Reducing that fat load up front can reduce the stress on the back.

Have fun! - Yes, exercise can be fun.  Did you know that you can burn nearly 500 calories per hour by just dancing?  What form of exercise could be more fun than that?  Personally, I also enjoy activities like karate, bowling, table tennis, swimming, and playing football.  These are FUN activities that disguise the fact that exercise is taking place.  If you’re finding your exercise program lacking in excitement or fun, try something new.  Go for a hike, take a rock climbing class, learn to cha-cha, or sign up for karate.  It’s not necessarily the activity, but rather the fact that you are doing something that matters.

Be well!

Keep it Simple!

Sometimes we tend to overcomplicate things, especially with regard to health and wellness.  We overthink the details - do we work out first thing in the morning or in the evening?  When do we eat?  What kind of exercise do we do?

Until you are able to develop a workout and nutrition plan, your best option is to just do SOMETHING.  Anyone can go for a 30-minute brisk walk.  Anyone can do pushups and chair squats.  The key is to start and keep working as you're learning the finer points of exercise.

What about your eating plan?  Well, we all know what foods are really bad for us - fast food, sugary sweets, and soda - so it's easy to eliminate those things from our menus while we take the time to study exactly what it is we should be eating.  We all know that drinking water is a better choice than drinking any other beverage, so it's simple to make that change.

Keep it simple.  Make the best decisions you can at this point in time.  When you are able to figure out the details, you can integrate them into your program over time.  Start the process of fat reduction before you know everything, and then move yourself along the path more efficiently over time.

For a good place to start with your fat loss program, read my article on Getting Started with Physique Transformation.

Exercise Outdoors

It's fall here in the northern hemisphere, and for me that means the opportunity for some outdoor time before the temperatures are cold enough to be uncomfortable.  Around here in the summertime, it's just too hot to be outside.  With the humidity, an outdoor run depletes the body of water and electrolytes at an alarming rate.  I suppose it doesn't help that I sweat profusely in the summer, even if I'm NOT exercising.  The winters here aren't so bad, it's just that deep breathing in frigid temperatures makes my lungs hurt a bit.  For me, outdoor training is a fall and spring activity.

So now it is October.  The air is crisp and cool - the perfect excuse to head outside for some training.  It's nice to get out of the dank, stale gym every now and again and enjoy the rush real (rather than circulated) air.  Never mind that there is the opportunity to throw a new routine at your muscles by taking your training outside.  My wife and I have started going to the park during the week and running the trails that surround the little lake there.  Near the head of these trails is a pullup bar and a balance beam.  Our workout consists of as many pullups as we can do followed by incline pushups and dips on the balance beam.  In between sets, we run the trails.  This workout is remarkably different from moving plates and dumbbells around at the gym.  And it's WAY more interesting than thudding along on a treadmill.

Keepinhg your workouts new and interesting is a key aspect to sticking of fitness training.  We don't do the things we become bored with, so adding a new element - like 45 minutes of outdoor activities - can help us keep our perspective on training interesting and inspiring.

So get out there and have some fun outdoors.  Play some flag football with your family.  Climb a tree.  Do whatever makes you feel stronger and more refreshed.  Your mind AND your body will appreciate it!

For more information on keeping your workouts interesting, take a look at my article titled Making Exercise Fun.