Practice, Then Preaching

I have been wanting to write an entry that offers some justification for my methods as not only tired but true, not just in the improvement of speed over the ground on a stand up paddleboard but in terms of overall health and fitness. While it has not been that long, I have already felt much better, had more energy, and even lost weight. For the first time in 4+ years I weighed in at under 200lbs. Normally I don't care about how much I weigh, but when racing in the 12-6 class every ounce you can shed is going to help speed you up. At the six-week-out mark from the Carolina Cup I plan to make a conscious effort to shed as much weight as possible without going nutso over the process. This weight-loss plan isn't going to be some sit in a Listerine bath like mixed martial arts fighters trying to make weight; this is just going to be a no-processed food only healthy meals with fresh ingredients type undertaking. If I don't lose any more weight I am certainly not going to get upset over it because, hopefully, my strength and conditioning training will make up the differences.

Another thing that has been wonderful is the fact that I have not taking any kind of anti-inflammatory medicine for any type of pain in 2013...I think. (I know I haven't taken any since I got back from Paddle Fit certification in Florida but I might have taken an Anacin in early January.) Nonetheless, I am really happy with the fact that I am avoiding ingesting medicine made by some company that certainly doesn't give a rat's behind about my overall well being, especially when I have been hitting it HARD at the gym. On the days I do power workouts, I put my body through some pretty rigorous training with 3 circuits of weights and 4.5 miles of cardio in as short amount of time as possible. I feel it the next day, but instead of taking an Aleve and hoping for the best I have been listening to my body and either walking, resting completely, or doing really light jogs on the treadmill the next day. Also, I have to believe that eating healthy, meaning eggs, sardines, avocados, smoked salmon, organic peanut butter, broccoli, juice concoctions, and bananas contributes greatly to the body healing its self. So far it is working, but these days I am certainly being tested.

The last week has been crazy! I have been in the car quite a bit and it continues this week as well. Chicago to Oxford, Oxford to Pittsburgh, Chicago to Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh to Oxford. The week has been very physically taxing from being in the car for so long but there was an emotional toll, although one with a very happy ending, as well from helping out in a small way getting a beautiful rescue dog to her forever home. I just wanted to get to Maryland and paddle but things don't always go as planned so adjustments need to be made.

Then when I got to Maryland and put some maintenance in on my DEAN 12-6 I found it had taken on quite a bit of water at some point in its history. I started draining it Saturday morning and on Sunday night water was still dripping out of a ding in the nose, although at a much slower pace. AND it is damn cold in Oxford. This wet and windy cold is much more off putting than the cold in Chicago. This has meant no paddling for this cold-weather wuss. More adjustments, meaning more walks and time at the gym. Fortunately, 55 and sunny appears to be only a few days away and maybe my board will be drained of all water by then...

The point is I am adjusting, remaining consistent to the lifestyle I am trying to promote by still getting my body moving when I can and as it allows and eating healthy meals when I am exhausted and only want pizza. The back is a bit sensitive to the long car rides but that just means it needs a bit of spoiling and not with over-the-counter pills but maybe some heating pad action, a nice stretchy walk, some exercises using very light weights, cold showers, omega-3s in sardines, and a nice hefty glass of red wine at night to help with circulation. I like helping out with the circulation!

I think I am getting my point across but still, please excuse any discombobulation in this post. I hadn't posted in almost a week so I wanted to maintain a sense of consistency with my blogging to coincide with a consistency in the improvement of my overall well being. Anybody who knows me well knows I can lose stride with the greatest of ease...that ain't happening yet. Plus, I have to get ready to jump in the car and drive to the Pittsburgh airport. At least I have a good 7+ hours of traveling to plan my nice light workout for tomorrow. Trying times lay ahead but maintaining what I have started to will help me through the crazy patch so I can come out on the other end with a paddle in hand and a healthy body to put into motion!

Don't let life get you down; keep at it. (And eat some sardines instead of popping a Motrin!)

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Balance: It Does a Body Good

On days between cardio and weight sessions, as long as my body feels up to it, I like to go to the gym and work on balance, not just in terms of being able to stand upright in tricky situations but in terms of making sure all the planes of the body are getting the necessary push and pull they need. I want all the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other functioning parts to work as a complete unit with each and every individual element "carrying it's own water" and not having to make up for others that might have been ignored during previous workouts. This may seem like an obvious concept to many but I know that for years I didn't vary from a routine that covered most of my body and got me in pretty good shape...or so I thought. The muscles I ignored eventually made me pay dearly for bypassing them.

I like the way anatomy books break down the body dynamic into three planes: the median, horizontal, and coronal. (A good anatomy for dummies is: Anatomy of the Moving Body: A Basic Course in Bones, Muscles, and Joints; Second Edition by Theodore Dimon, Jr.) Simply put, your body is broken down into left and right sides, top and bottom sections, and front and back sections. All sections and halves need an equal distribution of work to maintain balance. Think of things this way: if you work your right arm make sure you work your left arm, if you work your legs make sure you work your torso and if you work your biceps make sure you work your triceps. I immediately thought of the cliched gym talk of "look at that guy who's got broad shoulders and deep chest but chicken legs." Being out of balance not only makes muscles work harder to make up for the weaker elements but its grounds for malicious gym gossip as well!

For most of my life I feel like I was pretty good at maintaining a proper balance of exertion and exercise  on an equal level across all three planes. Sometimes in our daily lives this becomes difficult. On movie sets my job was to lug heavy gear around. I always attempted to never have to carry heavy gear only on one side of my body. If I was directed to grab one item I carried it with both hands in order to spread the weight around as equally as possible. Watching my brothers and sisters all hunched over to their weaker side as they carried gear in their dominant hand looked painful and harmful. (To those still in the business: stop carrying a 1200amp box in one hand!!) Because balance is hard to maintain during the daily grind it is important to make sure that, when we can, we put out a conscious effort distribute healthy and beneficial exercise across the whole body.

Working the left side if you work right and working the top half if you work bottom is fairly self explanatory. The coronal plane, what divides us into front and back halves (think biceps and triceps) is where my focus has lacked over the years. This has been especially true when it comes to abs and back. If you work the abs work the lower back muscles as well. If you work the chest, work the shoulders. If you work the hamstrings work the quads as well. Hit the front; hit the back. This seems obvious but, for me, it has often been easy to lose track. For those who live life constantly on the go maintaining a balance when it comes to exercise can be extremely difficult. Working the whole body correctly can take up some minutes in the day. Time management is an important factor when planning a schedule for exercise so balance, even if it is over a series of workouts over several days is maintained.

Over the last three years I have not focused on the muscles in my lower back because I have been scared to since experiencing back trauma. Even thought it has been some time, fear still creeps in when I start doing exercises that target my lower back. However, I cannot, once again, build up everything around the lower back and expect to continue an active lifestyle with any kind of confidence. Do you realize how many muscles are in the lower back? Recently, little tinge of pain in the lower right side of my back and occasionally the left side has informed me I have not been doing things correctly. With everything else around the lower back being worked how could there not be some screams for attention from the ignored muscles? Yesterday I made sure I found the right machine with the lower back muscles highlighted. I worked out with very light weight and did high reps. This morning was the first morning in a while that I did not wake up and feel a ping of some sort in my back. This morning I have been able to sit in the chair at my desk and get up without thinking uh-oh. I listened to my body and made adjustments. Already, I am feeling the benefits.

Balance across the whole of the body is so important. These days I am making sure that I take that one day at the gym to make sure that nothing gets ignored over the course of a few workouts. I call this the Makeup Day. Here is a chart of how I like to incorporate the Makeup Day into my schedule.

Workout 1: Power Circuit
Workout 2: Cardio
Workout 3: Makeup Day
Workout 4: Cardio
Workout 5: Power Circuit
(then repeat process)
(I don't workout five days in a row. I incorporate days of rest and active rest in between these workouts as necessary.)

My workouts will change as the weather gets warmer and I can get back out on the water. I think I have fallen so in love with Stand Up Paddling because it is the low-impact, total-body workout. Everything from the toes to the brain is put to work when you are out on the board. And everything FEELS GOOD because of the balance across the whole system! It's funny because I feel the only muscle lacking in attention while paddling is the bicep. Maybe that is due to my technique, which still needs attention, or the fact that for all of my life my biceps received most of the focus during workouts (ah, vanity) and everything else is catching up! The rest of my body feels completely worked after a paddle session except for my biceps, which is just strange to me...

Reading up on anatomy has truly opened my eyes up to not only the beautiful construction of the human body but some of the intricacies that allow us to do what we do day in and day out. My spiritual side has always made me think of the body as a temple for the Holy Spirit, even when I was filling that temple with insane amounts of garbage. Looking back, I had no idea what a temple the body is! Reading up on things like synovial fluid, which lubricates bones sliding against each other at the joints and how our head seemingly stays upright on our spine without a conscious effort due to a complex system of muscles, vertebrae, and other insane stuff I cannot recall blows me away when it comes to realizing what a gift we have available to us. (Our top two vertebrae are awesome pieces of machinery and quite different from the other 31!!)

Acquiring a basic knowledge of how the body is put together has only reinforced my desire to treat myself with respect and care. I had an idea but I had no idea! I want to be thorough, deliberate, and vigilant when I exercise so fitness and health are both focused upon equally. A major step in achieving wellness is to think of the whole body, where all three planes are getting balanced out, when setting fitness goals. Plan smart, be thorough, and adjust accordingly and you will reap many rewards.  




 

More about → Balance: It Does a Body Good

Achieve Now; Harvest Later - A Cardio and Balance Session

Stamina - the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. (Definition courtesy of Apple Dashboard Dictionary)

The Graveyard Race in the Carolina Cup is just under 13 miles...so not only do I wish to get stronger but I want to be able to breathe easier over a longer period of time than I am used to.

Doing cardio is always a mental and physical battle for me. Since my back troubles I have been limited to running on a treadmill with very rare sessions out on the open road, which I used to love. Running on a treadmill, no matter how good the music is on my Iphone, can be a form of torture. However, I need to work on breathing while my body is in motion so the treadmill it is. Because the treadmill is so awful, I truly believe it greatly benefits one's mental stamina.

For example: if I set a goal to run 3 miles I will try my hardest not to look down at the digital readout for as long as I can possibly stand it. Also, I don't want to stare at the clock on the wall to see how long I have been running. I listen to music and judge the time by how many songs have played and keep my eyes on the North Avenue looking to see what antics Street Jimmy might be up to in desperate attempts to stave off the boredom. (My gym is almost right across the street from the Old Town Ale House.)

Unfortunately, boredom always sets in much earlier than expected or hoped for and I lose my focus on NOT checking my progress. I look down at the digital readout and see that I have only been exercising for .63 miles. The sinking feeling in my chest comes on so strong and so sudden that I am thrown off balance for a second. I want to stop and do something else, but what else is there under the realm of CARDIO, that you do indoors when the weather outside is frightful, which isn't considered boring. I am sure there are other things (like playing hoops, squash, and spinning) but I am relegated to the treadmill because I like to have control over how much stress I put on my body.

Pushing past the mental blocks of exercising indoors and reaching your goals, on say a treadmill, will only improve your ability to achieve higher levels of fitness when you get back to doing the things you love to do outside. If I can compete 4 miles on a treadmill watching traffic and my favorite addict begging for money on North Avenue imagine what can be done on the water watching dolphins and eagles, hawks, and the guy or girl paddling just a little bit faster in front of you...

ACHIEVE NOW, when the conditions aren't ideal and HARVEST the BENEFITS LATER when it's board short and bikini season!

Since I have been getting serious about my own health and fitness and wanting to help others get serious about theirs, I have noticed improvements in my stamina by doing cardio, that borders between aerobic and anaerobic, on a consistent basis. On the treadmill I set small goals and work at different paces and levels, without taxing my body too much. This particular workout described below I use to offset the POWER CIRCUITS written about in the previous post. Depending on how my body feels after a power session I either do this the next day or after a day of rest. I don't do these workouts on any specific day because, for me, longevity is the key so I make sure my body is rested enough and ready to take on any challenge put before it. I DO NOT believe in forcing the body into an exercise session just because it is pre-planned. I DO believe in exercising even when I don't feel like it but it is important to adapt, and change plans if necessary, in order to ensure the body is on the road to improvement rather than further taxing any areas of the musculoskeletal system that need rest and recovery. That being said, here is a good workout I like to do following a day of weight training.

TREADMILL
.50 miles at 6.0
.50 miles at 6.0 incline increased to 1.5
.50 miles at 6.3 incline back to 0.0 (flat)

BALANCE WORK
squats standing on 6lb medicine balls, as many as possible (the bigger the medicine ball the harder it is {for me} to maintain balance so progress as needed)

TREADMILL
.50 miles at 6.3
.50 miles at 6.3 incline increased to 1.0
.50 miles at 6.5 incline back to 0.0 (flat)

BALANCE WORK
variations standing on 6lb medicine balls: here I do squats, medicine ball tosses, roll a 4lb medicine ball around my torso toward the left and toward the right, heel slaps with opposite hand holding 4lb medicine ball {hold medicine ball in left hand overhead, try and tap left heel with right hand before having to place foot back down on medicine ball, switch and do opposite side - I can do one on each side then have to step off before falling - hard but so fun!}

TREADMILL
.50 miles at 6.5
.50 miles at 6.5 incline creased to 0.5
.50 miles at 7.0 incline back to 0.0 (flat)
.25 mile cool down from 6.0 - 3.5

BALANCE WORK
NOTE: this next example was something I just started doing to have fun. I fell A LOT but the falls were under control and on a soft floor in one section of the gym
one legged hops onto Basso ball:
-stand, feet together, with right foot next to Basso ball hop from left foot and land with left foot in center of Basso ball - land one then move to other side with left foot next to Basso ball and hop from right foot with right foot landing in center of Basso ball
-vary stances and just do one-legged hops
-after PERFECT LANDINGS reward yourself by doing one-legged squats with non-weight bearing leg extended behind you and in front of you
-if you are having trouble, do two-legged hops on the Basso ball as a way to RESET your brain and body (the brain and body enjoy successes and therefore erase the failed attempts from before making further attempts seem fresh) then go back to trying one-legged hops and STICK 'EM!!

Over time, more progressions can be added meaning more mileage under the belt, longer times on the medicine balls, and further improvements to your health and fitness!!

It is so important to have fun when training and/or exercising so never be afraid to add a variation that will breathe new life into your routine. I look forward to doing these wacky exercises because: one, they make cardio seem fun and two, because they make me feel like I am improving myself and three, I hope that during the next race in choppy conditions (meaning you Surf to Sound and Orange Bowl Paddle Championships) I will not get tossed off my board like a rag doll!

Have fun and be well(er)!!

More about → Achieve Now; Harvest Later - A Cardio and Balance Session

A Power Workout for the Podium

Everybody is dealing with winter, even the folks down in Florida have issues with the fluctuating weather. I have to chuckle when I read about fluctuations between 80 and 50 degrees as winter...but no matter what the case may be any change in what you are used to can be hazardous to your motivation. For many years I suffered from extreme cases of motivation-suffocation-by-cold weatheritis. This winter is no different; in fact, it may be worse than the previous years because I will use any excuse to avoid paddling on a frosty lake. I have until February 27th to be paddle-lazy but after that particular day the serious on-the-water training commences for it will begin the two month countdown leading up to the Carolina Cup.

Until February 27th I am hitting the gym for strength, speed, power, endurance, and confidence going as anaerobic in my workouts as my body will allow. I will continue to include anaerobic workouts into my weekly routine until March 16th. With six weeks to go until the race I will go completely aerobic and train according to my Maximum Aerobic Function, which is a mere 143 (more on the MAF in later posts). For now, I am working with weights to near failure and incorporating a lot of balance exercises into any session at the gym whether it be weight training or cardio.

Here is a typical workout I have come up with after reading all kinds of information on other people's blogs. For instance, Dave Kalama suggested push ups to help the shoulders for paddling. I hate push ups so I found a way to make them fun. Just about everyone who writes about exercise mentions doing pull ups and they have always been one of my favorite exercises to do. Youtube is full of examples of workout routines so I have incorporated some new stuff into a full-body circuit that I have done for many years. While this workout is good for anyone looking to better themselves I am doing these circuits specifically to become a stronger paddler.

POWER WORKOUT #1

.50 mile run at 6.0 to warm up

FIRST CIRCUIT:
1). 8-10 pull ups Follow with a set of ab exercises.

2). 10-12 medicine ball pushups (each palm on a 6lb medicine ball and toes on a 12lb medicine ball. chest presses close enough to floor so shirt touches). Follow with a set of ab exercises.

3). 25-30 shoulder shrugs holding 45lb plates in each hand and standing on a Basso ball. Follow with a set of ab exercises.

4). Triceps/Balance - stand with each foot on a 6lb medicine ball and using a 25lb plate place it behind your head and press upward (do these near a wall so you can help yourself get settled standing on the medicine balls holding a plate!). Try to do 10 in a row with out falling off. DO NOT TRY TO STOP YOURSELF FROM FALLING OFF MEDICINE BALLS. STEP OFF MEDICINE BALLS BEFORE YOU FEEL YOURSELF FALLING. When 10 have been completed, grab 45lb plate and stand on the flat side of a Basso ball and do 25 overhead tricep presses. Follow with a set of ab exercises
---------OPTION: do 8-10 dips instead and follow with a set of ab exercises---------

5). 15-20 Lat pull downs. Follow with a set of ab exercises

6). 10-12 dumbbell curls standing on a Basso ball. Drop down 10 lbs and using one dumbbell...stand with one foot on Basso ball and do curls with opposite arm, 5 with leg extended behind you and 5 with leg extended in front of you. (So, if you are standing on your right leg do curls with left arm and extend left leg behind you and in front of you. I use 35lb dumbbells for the first part then drop to using one 25lb dumbbell for the one-legged/ balance curls. This way just makes doing curls more fun for me.) Follow curls with a set of ab exercises.

7). Balance work: stand with each foot on a 6lb medicine ball and just do small movements with your body so your body has to adjust and recover without having to step off or fall. DO NOT TRY TO KEEP YOURSELF FROM FALLING!! STEP OFF MEDICINE BALLS BEFORE YOU FEEL YOURSELF FALLING!! As you get used to standing on medicine balls, add weights, other medicine balls, a lightweight curl bar and continue to make movements so there is adjustment and complete recovery. When you get really used to balance work on medicine balls...lift one leg up and try to tap the  bottom of the foot with the opposite hand before having to step back down on the medicine ball. This is a fun one but you get a lot of looks when you fail and medicine balls go rolling across the floor in opposite directions and you have to get up off the floor to go chase them!!

.50 mile run at 6.3

SECOND CIRCUIT: Try to maintain the same number of reps or more from the FIRST CIRCUIT and follow each of the 6 weight-training exercises with ab exercises.

.50 mile run at 6.5

THIRD CIRCUIT: Again, try to do the same number of reps as the FIRST CIRCUIT and follow each of the 6 weight-training exercises with ab exercises
End your last CIRCUIT with as many pull ups as possible until you achieve failure

.50 mile run at 7.0

.50 - .75 mile cool down at 6.3 - 3.5

Try to do 3 CIRCUITS but if time only allows for 2 you will still feel it. Make sure you end with pull ups to failure before a final jog top wrap things up for the day. AND...make sure you cover all your abs when doing ab work. Those lower abdominals just above the waist line often get ignored so make sure you get everything covered as you incorporate ab work throughout the CIRCUIT TRAINING.

Also, some of the balance work may engage the muscles in the back that have been in hibernation during the cold months so please listen closely to what your body is telling you. Adjust, slow down, and/or stop as necessary.

This CIRCUIT TRAINING is what helped me over the early part of the winter. I was doing these workouts 2-3 times a week before I went down south to race in Florida and North Carolina. I know I got stronger in a very short amount of time, which I truly believe has helped me become a stronger paddler. Nowadays, I am also incorporating some weight training that is more focused and specific to make certain muscles healthier. I don't plan to always go for power power power in the weight room because longevity is one of my long-term goals, but for now it sure feels good, especially when I am too much of a wuss to paddle in the cold.

Now, go get strong(er) healthy(ier)!

More about → A Power Workout for the Podium

Compression Apparel and the Linus Blanket Syndrome

I have always had an addictive personality. If something tastes good, sounds good, looks good, or feels good I will go all in until I become the definition of the word gluttony, which doesn't just apply to food.   Give me a great song on my Ipod and I will put it on loop until I never want to hear the song again. Give me a slice of cake and I will make that thing disappear or keep eating until I get hives. Give me a great-feeling compression top and I will want to wear it during every aerobic and anaerobic activity. Now, let me remind folks of the cliche: too much of anything is a bad thing. I want to pass on a bit of information that I received during the healing process of my back that I have further evidenced during recent workouts.

As of late I have become a huge fan of 2XU compression tops for almost all my fitness and health-related activities. Originally I wanted a compression top for my shoulders as I decided to move to a larger paddle blade. My wife got me one for Christmas and while it was too cold to get out on the lake I immediately put the top to use at the gym in order to get a feel for it. The feeling I experienced was quite familiar and after some analysis, maybe not the best idea for excessive use.

My first back brace after the herniated disc was nothing more than a compression band to go around my torso. The second doctor I saw during consultations, while undergoing the healing process and physical therapy exercises, warned me about wearing the brace too much. He said my muscles would get used to the physical activity with aid of the pressure created by the brace, which would not be very beneficial to the healing and strengthening process in the long run. I trusted him and worked hard at trying to balance the time exercising with and without the brace. This proved to be very difficult. Exercising while trying to heal required an acute attention to the details going on within the body, especially while trying to find that balance. I had not yet learned to trust my own instincts and constantly lived in fear as I tried to not only get well but get better. Wearing the brace felt incredibly good and boosted my confidence; not wearing the brace gave me the shakes, but was better for me in the long run. I was not a fan of having to decide when to wear and when not to. Even months after the injury and when I was feeling much better, weening myself away from wearing the brace was not an easy task.

Compression tops feel so good that I want to wear one anytime my heart rate goes above 85. In such a short amount of time I have quickly grown accustomed to that comfortable feeling encompassing my body when I stand under the chin-up bar looking svelte in my 2XU (it's like male Spanx!). When at the gym without wearing my 2XU and facing a set of 8-10 pull ups my confidence lacks. My body craves the compression like it used to crave a cigarette with morning coffee. I remembered what that doctor told me 3 years ago about wearing the brace too much and now need to be more careful when it comes to the use of compression as an aid for exercise. Too much of anything is never a good thing!

I am sure there are plenty of scientific and/or psychological theories associated with the body and compression tops that are both pro and con but that material is far beyond my research capabilities. This entry is just a little heads up/warning. I am only speaking of the possible effects from excess that I have experienced and wanted to pass such information along.

Basically: I don't want my muscles to rely on a compression top in order to perform at their peak during any activity. I am not against compression tops at all. I still plan on using them, especially in SUP races. As I head to the gym today I am going to wear one, but that is only my because my back is a little sore from being on my feet for several days in a row bartending. My Linus Blanket Syndrome has both physical and psychological justifications this morning. Ideally, the next time I go to the gym I won't think twice about going WITHOUT wearing a compression top. I want my muscles to move and react at 100% no matter what I'm wearing. Besides, the dream is to be wearing no top at all in warm sunny weather isn't it!!??

Take Care and Be Well!

More about → Compression Apparel and the Linus Blanket Syndrome