Apr27-570,total 92,930
weight 199.5,bf%21
calories left to burn 57317
I think there is something, more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision.W. Clement Stone
I readjusted or maybe it is re-calculated my calories left to burn back to the number left to burn to reach my weight goal of 185lbs (didn't really eat this many calories this weekend-although I did eat more than I burned-so I suppose it was moving this direction anyway). Missed a few days of push ups (worked most of the weekend) so I tried to get in a good day yesterday. As far as other addictive behaviors go-I am a fairly serious coffee drinker. Usually 12-15 cups a day. Evertime a new study comes out on how bad coffee is for you I cringe a little. MSN has posted an article on the benefits of coffee today. Below are some of the reported benefits. I figure if there are things you like to do-soon enough somebody is going to do a study that says it is a good thing to do (and I suppose somebody will come up with a study to say it is bad for you).
The benefits of coffeeIf you love coffee, here's some of the latest good news.• A study of 90,000 Japanese by the National Cancer Center in Tokyo found that people who drank one to four cups of coffee daily had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank coffee. Researchers aren't sure why, but they speculate that antioxidants may play a role.
• A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health that followed more than 125,000 men and women for more than a decade found that regular coffee drinkers had a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 (or late-onset) diabetes. Studies in Sweden and Finland also concluded that coffee consumption offers protection from type 2 diabetes. Again, researchers aren't sure why.
• A half-dozen recent international studies showed a positive relationship between drinking caffeinated beverages -- including coffee -- and lower rates of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
• Other research links coffee consumption with reduced risk of cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer and asthma.
• A cup or two of coffee can improve endurance in activities such as running, cycling and swimming, according to other research. Coffee has a strong ergogenic effect, meaning it helps people work harder and longer, explains Lawrence Spriet, an exercise physiologist at the University of Guelph who has researched the effects of caffeine on athletic performance for more than a decade. “Even small amounts of caffeine can be quite powerful,” he says.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
273 push ups a day
April 22-455,apr23-300 total push ups and chins 92,360
weight 196.5 bf 21%
calories left to burn 39572
Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them---a desire, a dream, a vision."
~Muhammad Ali~
Normally I don't have time to blog every day-but I was down another pound so just had to brag about it. Bodyfat percentage still wants to hover above 20%. I haven't been doing so great at keeping the protein grams close to 200 grams- more like 100 or less each day. However weight is going down and I look a little better. Clothes are getting loose. I have been driving the average number of push ups/chins a day up a bit. Up the the 23rd of this month I have now been averaging 273 push ups and/or chins a day. Not bad -not so long ago this seemed like a lot. Now I can rip them off in a ten or twelve minute workout. Look out Hershel Walker.
weight 196.5 bf 21%
calories left to burn 39572
Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them---a desire, a dream, a vision."
~Muhammad Ali~
Normally I don't have time to blog every day-but I was down another pound so just had to brag about it. Bodyfat percentage still wants to hover above 20%. I haven't been doing so great at keeping the protein grams close to 200 grams- more like 100 or less each day. However weight is going down and I look a little better. Clothes are getting loose. I have been driving the average number of push ups/chins a day up a bit. Up the the 23rd of this month I have now been averaging 273 push ups and/or chins a day. Not bad -not so long ago this seemed like a lot. Now I can rip them off in a ten or twelve minute workout. Look out Hershel Walker.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
197.5
april20-575,apr-21-225 total 91,605
weight 197.5, bf%21
calories left to burn 41151
Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision.Ayn Rand
I am astounded by the number of articles on the net that you can find for weight loss and fitness. Yesterday I was reading that there is a new study saying you can lose weight with a 50% fat diet. Why not -I am still convinced that North America's weight problems are mostly related to the ease at which we can obtain food ( fast high calorie food) and the problem that we are so sedentary. I would say lazy but I suppose that is a little judgemental and harsh. Anyway back down to 197-could say I need to practice a little more of what I preach, but the trend overall is downward. Just not as fast as I would like all the time-but downward nonetheless.
weight 197.5, bf%21
calories left to burn 41151
Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision.Ayn Rand
I am astounded by the number of articles on the net that you can find for weight loss and fitness. Yesterday I was reading that there is a new study saying you can lose weight with a 50% fat diet. Why not -I am still convinced that North America's weight problems are mostly related to the ease at which we can obtain food ( fast high calorie food) and the problem that we are so sedentary. I would say lazy but I suppose that is a little judgemental and harsh. Anyway back down to 197-could say I need to practice a little more of what I preach, but the trend overall is downward. Just not as fast as I would like all the time-but downward nonetheless.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
750-1500 push ups a day
apr18-95,apr 19-440 total push ups and chins 90,805
weight 199.5, bf%21
calories left to burn 43082
Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. - Norman R. Augustine
Hershel Walker has a new book out. In one of the articles promoting the book he says
I still train like a madman. I'm still doing all the push-ups, the sit-ups, running. ... I do between 2,500 and 3,500 sit-ups - every day - and between 750 and 1,500 push-ups.
Somewhere in the book Walker also reveals that he suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. I read another article promoting the book and the author claims that this disorder is one of the reasons that Walker works out obsessively. Walker had a pretty good athletic career -not to make light of people suffering with DID-however part of me thinks a little DID might not be such a bad thing if it will push you to this level of committment.
As you can see from the calories left to burn-I have has a few big eating days over the weekend. Good thing is the weight seems to be holding at just below 200 pounds. We were celebrating Mel and Emma's birthdays-so I kind of had a "what the heck weekend" I know I can catch up during the week. Maybe I'll have a 750-1500 push up day like Hershel.
weight 199.5, bf%21
calories left to burn 43082
Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. - Norman R. Augustine
Hershel Walker has a new book out. In one of the articles promoting the book he says
I still train like a madman. I'm still doing all the push-ups, the sit-ups, running. ... I do between 2,500 and 3,500 sit-ups - every day - and between 750 and 1,500 push-ups.
Somewhere in the book Walker also reveals that he suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. I read another article promoting the book and the author claims that this disorder is one of the reasons that Walker works out obsessively. Walker had a pretty good athletic career -not to make light of people suffering with DID-however part of me thinks a little DID might not be such a bad thing if it will push you to this level of committment.
As you can see from the calories left to burn-I have has a few big eating days over the weekend. Good thing is the weight seems to be holding at just below 200 pounds. We were celebrating Mel and Emma's birthdays-so I kind of had a "what the heck weekend" I know I can catch up during the week. Maybe I'll have a 750-1500 push up day like Hershel.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
2 pack on the way to 6 pack
Apr16-362,apr17-290, total 90270
weight 199.5 bf 21%
calories left to burn 40942
It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.
Arnold Toynbee
I just left the weight and bf % above the same as the last post. I have been out of town on business for the last few days so haven't had a chance to weigh myself. I am starting to wonder how accurate the tanita is when it comes to body fat percentages. I am just starting to be able to see the outline of my abs. I have read that you have to be down around 10% bodyfat to see your abs. The scale is still telling me I am over 20% -which could be true -but I am wondering if I might be a little lower as I am starting to see the outline of the abdominal muscles. I am hardly ripped or anything like that but I can see a little progress. My daily average for chin ups/push ups is up to 264 per day. I am still trying to push the average up and so far the shoulders and elbows are cooperating. I am getting pretty close to 100,000 push ups and chin ups-so I am planning to try to get a couple of 1000 push up days in here and there to get closer to this milestone. It will only be a tenth of the way to the overall goal but still a pretty good milestone.
weight 199.5 bf 21%
calories left to burn 40942
It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.
Arnold Toynbee
I just left the weight and bf % above the same as the last post. I have been out of town on business for the last few days so haven't had a chance to weigh myself. I am starting to wonder how accurate the tanita is when it comes to body fat percentages. I am just starting to be able to see the outline of my abs. I have read that you have to be down around 10% bodyfat to see your abs. The scale is still telling me I am over 20% -which could be true -but I am wondering if I might be a little lower as I am starting to see the outline of the abdominal muscles. I am hardly ripped or anything like that but I can see a little progress. My daily average for chin ups/push ups is up to 264 per day. I am still trying to push the average up and so far the shoulders and elbows are cooperating. I am getting pretty close to 100,000 push ups and chin ups-so I am planning to try to get a couple of 1000 push up days in here and there to get closer to this milestone. It will only be a tenth of the way to the overall goal but still a pretty good milestone.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Spiderman push ups
Apr13-355,apr14-162,apr15-470,total push ups and chins 89,618
weight 199.0 bf%21
calories left to burn 42477
We will either find a way, or make one!
Hannibal
Doing a lot of push ups and chin ups can get a little boring. I am doing lots of regular chins and push ups-but try to add some different variations just to keep things interesting. This version of the chin up is kind of interesting and really seems to challenge all the back muscles at once.
. Spider-man Pullup
Grab a pullup bar with an overhand grip, your hands a bit more than shoulder-width apart. Pull up toward your right hand as you simultaneously bend your right knee and lift it toward the bar. When your chin is above the bar, lower back down and repeat to the other side. Do 10 reps.
weight 199.0 bf%21
calories left to burn 42477
We will either find a way, or make one!
Hannibal
Doing a lot of push ups and chin ups can get a little boring. I am doing lots of regular chins and push ups-but try to add some different variations just to keep things interesting. This version of the chin up is kind of interesting and really seems to challenge all the back muscles at once.
. Spider-man Pullup
Grab a pullup bar with an overhand grip, your hands a bit more than shoulder-width apart. Pull up toward your right hand as you simultaneously bend your right knee and lift it toward the bar. When your chin is above the bar, lower back down and repeat to the other side. Do 10 reps.
The spiderman push up is also an interesing variation. You can find a photo of both exercises on Mens Health.com. In addition to hitting the chest arms and shoulders like a regular push up-this version seems to hit me in the upper back and the butt. Give em a try.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
SuperHero
Apr11-60,Apr12-370 total chins &push ups -88,631
weight 197 bf 21%
calories left to burn 43242
We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.
C. Malesherbes
Went to the funeral for Parker a 6 year old who struggled with cancer for about three years. Parker and his mother Alex stayed at the house for over a year. The funeral was a SuperHero theme. Everyone attending was to wear some type of Superhero garb or costume. The theme was surprisingly fitting. Alex had prepared a powerpoint of various shots of Parker,family friends etc. As I was watching the photos-it struck me what a good job she had done packing every moment of his short life with as many memories and opportunities as she could. If special guests or celebrities were at the house or the hospital-Alex was at the front of the line with Parker. She was always finding opportunities to do interesting things with Parker. I know Alex feels pretty fortunate to have had Parker-but with how short his life was in a lot of ways he was very fortunate to have a mother like Alex. May our Superhero's stay in our memories for ever.
weight 197 bf 21%
calories left to burn 43242
We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.
C. Malesherbes
Went to the funeral for Parker a 6 year old who struggled with cancer for about three years. Parker and his mother Alex stayed at the house for over a year. The funeral was a SuperHero theme. Everyone attending was to wear some type of Superhero garb or costume. The theme was surprisingly fitting. Alex had prepared a powerpoint of various shots of Parker,family friends etc. As I was watching the photos-it struck me what a good job she had done packing every moment of his short life with as many memories and opportunities as she could. If special guests or celebrities were at the house or the hospital-Alex was at the front of the line with Parker. She was always finding opportunities to do interesting things with Parker. I know Alex feels pretty fortunate to have had Parker-but with how short his life was in a lot of ways he was very fortunate to have a mother like Alex. May our Superhero's stay in our memories for ever.
Friday, April 11, 2008
down 17 pounds since Christmas
april 10-560.total 88,201
weight 197 bf 21%
calories left to burn 42000
A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.Vince Lombardi
I adjusted the calories left to burn back up to 42k. At 197 I have 12 pounds left to lose to be at 185 (12X3500 cal/pound + 42K). I must be systematically under-estimating my portions of food or fitday is over calculating my calorie burn. None the less I was in the ball park. Good news is I am down in weight again. Had a pretty late night at work on Wednesday and didnt get a workout in at all-and still lost some weight. I was up around 214 just after Christmas so I have lost about 17 pounds since then ( I weighed a little less when I started the fitday calorie count). Not bad for a routine mainly of push ups and chins ( some weights here and there) and no cardio. I am starting to think I should add some cardio-mostly for the fitness level. I haven't been doing any and the sets up push ups with out a lot of rest between seem to be getting me in better shape overall. The other weekend I went to the Y with Cathy and was able to run the treadmill for a half an hour without any trouble. So it appears my endurance is improving without any direct effort to do cardio workouts. Although I guess you could say that doing hundreds of push ups at a go-is sort of endurence work.
weight 197 bf 21%
calories left to burn 42000
A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.Vince Lombardi
I adjusted the calories left to burn back up to 42k. At 197 I have 12 pounds left to lose to be at 185 (12X3500 cal/pound + 42K). I must be systematically under-estimating my portions of food or fitday is over calculating my calorie burn. None the less I was in the ball park. Good news is I am down in weight again. Had a pretty late night at work on Wednesday and didnt get a workout in at all-and still lost some weight. I was up around 214 just after Christmas so I have lost about 17 pounds since then ( I weighed a little less when I started the fitday calorie count). Not bad for a routine mainly of push ups and chins ( some weights here and there) and no cardio. I am starting to think I should add some cardio-mostly for the fitness level. I haven't been doing any and the sets up push ups with out a lot of rest between seem to be getting me in better shape overall. The other weekend I went to the Y with Cathy and was able to run the treadmill for a half an hour without any trouble. So it appears my endurance is improving without any direct effort to do cardio workouts. Although I guess you could say that doing hundreds of push ups at a go-is sort of endurence work.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
expansion
Apr8-700, total 87641
weight 199 bf 20%
calories left to burn 38999
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.Ella Wheeler Wilcox
About time to give an update on the Edmonton House expansion. All three floors of the expansion has been framed and boarded so you can see the actual size the renovated building will be. In the new year we will be able to serve 30 families at a time instead of 16. The capital campaign is going well with 6.3 million pledged of the 11 million needed to fund the new build. Next Wednesday will be the one year anniversery of moving into the new house in Calgary.
weight 199 bf 20%
calories left to burn 38999
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.Ella Wheeler Wilcox
About time to give an update on the Edmonton House expansion. All three floors of the expansion has been framed and boarded so you can see the actual size the renovated building will be. In the new year we will be able to serve 30 families at a time instead of 16. The capital campaign is going well with 6.3 million pledged of the 11 million needed to fund the new build. Next Wednesday will be the one year anniversery of moving into the new house in Calgary.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
trend holding
april7-191,total 86,941
Weight 198.5 bf%20
calories left to burn 40381
If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.Rosalyn Carter
Well the trend continues in the right direction-holding at 20 % body fat-back down to 198.5 pounds. Okay I am not going to get too cocky -everytime I get to a new low - I bounce back a bit for the next few days. The last week I have been trying to get about an hour of push ups in a day and an hour of chin ups on the alternating days. My trips to Edmonton always mess me up a bit-so some days it will be two days of push ups in a row (no chin up bar in the hotel). Chin up days are always the low number days-just can't get the same kind of numbers as I can with push ups.
Weight 198.5 bf%20
calories left to burn 40381
If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.Rosalyn Carter
Well the trend continues in the right direction-holding at 20 % body fat-back down to 198.5 pounds. Okay I am not going to get too cocky -everytime I get to a new low - I bounce back a bit for the next few days. The last week I have been trying to get about an hour of push ups in a day and an hour of chin ups on the alternating days. My trips to Edmonton always mess me up a bit-so some days it will be two days of push ups in a row (no chin up bar in the hotel). Chin up days are always the low number days-just can't get the same kind of numbers as I can with push ups.
Monday, April 7, 2008
4 -pounds of muscle gained?
Apr5-260,apr6-526-total 86,750
weight 201.5 bf%20
calories left to burn 41442
We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.
Helen Keller
Well the scale can be full of surprises. Weighed myself this morning and I am up weight but down in percentage of bodyfat. Working out the numbers -I was at 157.21 pounds of lean mass a few days ago. Todays weigh in has me at 161.2 pounds of lean mass, up almost 4 pounds of muscle. Fat was 41.79 pounds and now is at 40.3 pounds-1.5 pounds of fat lost. Although I would like to just believe the scale I think one of two things may have caused this change. The first probability is that this is some type of random swing in my favour. Your bodyweight swings back and forth everyday-I can be 3-5 pounds heavier at night. This is why I usually weigh myself in the morning-psychologically it just seems better this way. The other possibility is that with the extra protein I have been taking in-maybe I have swung up in lean body mass. ( I am crossing my fingers on this one). It is possible that because I was taking in so little protein ( about 65 grams a day) maybe with all the push ups I was doing my body didn't have enough protein to repair the muscle damage I was doing. I have been getting at least 100 grams a protein a day now and of course a healthy dose of poor man's creatine (and trying to get more) it is possible that I have experienced some kind of rebound effect. I suppose the only way to know is to watch the scale over the next few days and see if I bounce back. Since New Years I have lost about 8 pounds -but I keep losing and gaining the last few pounds. Despite this fluctuation I have had a hard time getting below 20% bf and 200 pounds of bodyweight. Lets see what the next few days show on the old tanita
weight 201.5 bf%20
calories left to burn 41442
We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.
Helen Keller
Well the scale can be full of surprises. Weighed myself this morning and I am up weight but down in percentage of bodyfat. Working out the numbers -I was at 157.21 pounds of lean mass a few days ago. Todays weigh in has me at 161.2 pounds of lean mass, up almost 4 pounds of muscle. Fat was 41.79 pounds and now is at 40.3 pounds-1.5 pounds of fat lost. Although I would like to just believe the scale I think one of two things may have caused this change. The first probability is that this is some type of random swing in my favour. Your bodyweight swings back and forth everyday-I can be 3-5 pounds heavier at night. This is why I usually weigh myself in the morning-psychologically it just seems better this way. The other possibility is that with the extra protein I have been taking in-maybe I have swung up in lean body mass. ( I am crossing my fingers on this one). It is possible that because I was taking in so little protein ( about 65 grams a day) maybe with all the push ups I was doing my body didn't have enough protein to repair the muscle damage I was doing. I have been getting at least 100 grams a protein a day now and of course a healthy dose of poor man's creatine (and trying to get more) it is possible that I have experienced some kind of rebound effect. I suppose the only way to know is to watch the scale over the next few days and see if I bounce back. Since New Years I have lost about 8 pounds -but I keep losing and gaining the last few pounds. Despite this fluctuation I have had a hard time getting below 20% bf and 200 pounds of bodyweight. Lets see what the next few days show on the old tanita
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Competition with Yourself
apr2-233,apr4-300,total85,964
weight 199,bf%21
calories left to burn 42532
The competition is and has always been against yourself.
Ollie Cooperwood
I posted the quote above -because I thought what else is the goal to do a million push ups and chins-but a goal against yourself. The blog keeps me honest. Can't be too many people out there reading this-but the thought that someone might be out there checking on the numbers- keep me pushing and posting.
Average daily push ups/chins per day is now at 260 per day.Still trying to drive that average up each day. The calorie deficit (calories burned over calories eaten) is a little harder to obtain when you are driving the grams of protein up-althought really eating lots of crap on the side isn't helping either. It is Saturday today so I am hoping to get in a good workout or two. We will see what kind of numbers I can get today.
weight 199,bf%21
calories left to burn 42532
The competition is and has always been against yourself.
Ollie Cooperwood
I posted the quote above -because I thought what else is the goal to do a million push ups and chins-but a goal against yourself. The blog keeps me honest. Can't be too many people out there reading this-but the thought that someone might be out there checking on the numbers- keep me pushing and posting.
Average daily push ups/chins per day is now at 260 per day.Still trying to drive that average up each day. The calorie deficit (calories burned over calories eaten) is a little harder to obtain when you are driving the grams of protein up-althought really eating lots of crap on the side isn't helping either. It is Saturday today so I am hoping to get in a good workout or two. We will see what kind of numbers I can get today.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Surprise drop in weight
Apr 2-340 total 85,431
weight 198.5 bf% 21
calories left to burn 42716
Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration.Evan Esar
Well I spoke too soon about the poor man's creatine. I weighed myself this morning and had dropped two pounds and a percentage of bodyfat. Maybe it is working a little better than I thought. I can't attribute all the success to peanut butter alone. I have been trying to eat more protein and complex carbs. I am averaging about 100 grams of protein a day which probably is not quite enough but is quite a bit higher than the 65 grams a day I was averaging before. They recommend that you eat 6 small meals a day to get lean-but with a busy day-work and family I find this pretty hard. When I get hungry I am doing the tablespoon or two of peanut butter thing. 100 -200 calories and a little bit of protein-just keeping the metabolism burning.
weight 198.5 bf% 21
calories left to burn 42716
Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration.Evan Esar
Well I spoke too soon about the poor man's creatine. I weighed myself this morning and had dropped two pounds and a percentage of bodyfat. Maybe it is working a little better than I thought. I can't attribute all the success to peanut butter alone. I have been trying to eat more protein and complex carbs. I am averaging about 100 grams of protein a day which probably is not quite enough but is quite a bit higher than the 65 grams a day I was averaging before. They recommend that you eat 6 small meals a day to get lean-but with a busy day-work and family I find this pretty hard. When I get hungry I am doing the tablespoon or two of peanut butter thing. 100 -200 calories and a little bit of protein-just keeping the metabolism burning.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
over 85 k
Mar31-80, April 1-510 total 85,091
weight 200.5 bf%22
calories left to burn 42740
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination." -- Tommy Lasorda
Below is an article from the Desmoine Register. It looks like Ted Skup is getting lots of press across the U.S. Good for him. Got to say I like his horizontal treadmill idea. Well I have been doing the poor man's creatine for a couple of days now. Each day I am eating 2 -5 tablespoons of peanut butter. Would have thought this was pretty gross a few weeks ago. I tablespoon or two staves off hunger for a couple of hours-so I suppose it is doing not a bad job of helping me to keep the overall calorie count down on some days-lets face on some other days I just plain blow it. Overall I am trying to get my protein intake up a bit. So far the tanita bodyfat scale is not showing that it is making a huge difference. However it is a little early to concede that the poor man's creatine is not working. I would like to call it the thinking man's creatine-cause it is pretty cheap compared to creatine-however it is hard to imagine a guy cramming tablespoons of peanut butter as "thinking man".
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/LIFE02/803310320/-1/SPORTS0803
Drop and give me 20.Or 10.Five, maybe?Love 'em or hate 'em, the push-up - that old-school workout staple - is the latest fitness buzz.It seems everyone is dropping to the ground to prove their push-up prowess - from hosts of CBS's "The Early Show" facing off to National Public Radio's Alex Chadwick grunting through his 30 push-ups on-air.
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Many Americans can't perform the exercise that engages the whole body, including core, arms and legs, the New York Times reported earlier this month. The Times dubbed the push-up "the ultimate barometer of fitness."Author Ted Skup, who has done more than 10 million push-ups during the last 25 years, is taking the buzz a step further: He wants to start a "push-up revolution" with his recently published book, "Death, Taxes & Push-Ups.""I'm making it into a lifestyle instead of a warm-up exercise," said Skup, who has worked in the oil industry for almost 40 years. "This is an all-inclusive exercise that works for everyone. It's the best exercise you can do that's working your whole body."
Skup said he wants to do for push-ups what the late Jim Fixx, jogging enthusiast and author of "The Complete Book of Running," did for jogging.Skup not only touts the gospel of push-ups but also takes on what he says is a $35 billion fitness industry that's misleading people with infomercials and supplements."People are kind of going back to the old days of doing exercises at home simply because of economics or time management," said Skup, 56. "It's kind of like the Porsche of exercises - there's no substitute."
Craig Pope has been doing push-ups for years. He does roughly 200 push-ups a day, in addition to his gym workouts."Actually, I love them," said Pope 31, of Urbandale. "It's a good upper-body workout ... and you can do a lot by changing your hand positions."Push-ups were the first exercise Pope did when he first started working out. He was inspired by football player Herschel Walker, who, according to media reports, did approximately 1,500 push-ups daily as part of his fitness regimen.
Pope, who started out doing about 50 push-ups a day, said he likes their convenience and portability. "The days I don't work out, I do push-ups."Mark Lowe, a triathlete, does about 220 to 330 push-ups weekly.Lowe, 42, of West Des Moines, likes the fact that he can go out for a run "and just rip off a quick set of push-ups.""I think it's one of the best core exercises you can do," along with pull-ups and dips, he said.According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a woman age 20 to 29 who does 14 push-ups earns an "fair" rating; a man of the same age must do 21. Women do the "modified" version, with their knees on the ground.
The push-up can be a simple way to measure muscular endurance and upper-body strength, exercise professionals say. It also can be the first step to beginning a regular resistance training program, which is woefully lacking in Americans' fitness regimes.But they stop short of touting it as "the ultimate barometer of fitness.""One of the nice things about the push-up is you're using your own body weight," said Amy Fletcher, Health Iowa fitness specialist at the University of Iowa. Health Iowa is the educational branch of the university's student health service.
"You're in that (plank) position, you're contracting your shoulders, your deltoids, you're contracting your upper back and your abdominals, as well as your thighs and calves because that's where your feet are connecting with the ground."But, "We know that fitness is multidimensional."Total fitness includes muscle endurance, as well as cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility, said Ken Mobily, a professor of leisure studies at the University of Iowa whose speciality is recreation therapy.
"This has always been a conundrum of physical education, health: Is there a single measure that one can use that can give a crude estimate of health and fitness?" said Mobily, who mainly works with older adults. "The answer is probably no."However, push-ups are probably a good barometer of strength and endurance for healthy adults younger than 30, Mobily said.But for many, push-ups are risky because people tend to hold their breath while lifting a lot of weight. He said that can cause a dangerous increase of pressure in the chest, which may cause problems with heart function.
A quick, safe test, Mobily said, would be measuring grip strength, which requires using an instrument called a hand dynamometer.The ability of older people to perform push-ups properly also can indicate how well they deal with the challenges of aging, including safely breaking a fall, the Times story added.A recent study shows that 21 percent of adults participate in strength training at least twice a week, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Strength training, in general, is imperative in helping people in daily activities - carrying groceries and grandchildren, not tripping over curbs, climbing the stairs and even reaching the top shelf. That, Mobily said, is functional strength."We definitely need a lot of improvement in strength fitness in our society," said Kent Adams, director of the exercise physiology lab at California State University at Monterey Bay. "I think the push-ups are great, but I would recommend ... to start lifting weights. Strength is very important to successful aging."
It's particularly critical for older people, Mobily said, who lose the lower-extremity strength needed to prevent trips and falls.
weight 200.5 bf%22
calories left to burn 42740
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination." -- Tommy Lasorda
Below is an article from the Desmoine Register. It looks like Ted Skup is getting lots of press across the U.S. Good for him. Got to say I like his horizontal treadmill idea. Well I have been doing the poor man's creatine for a couple of days now. Each day I am eating 2 -5 tablespoons of peanut butter. Would have thought this was pretty gross a few weeks ago. I tablespoon or two staves off hunger for a couple of hours-so I suppose it is doing not a bad job of helping me to keep the overall calorie count down on some days-lets face on some other days I just plain blow it. Overall I am trying to get my protein intake up a bit. So far the tanita bodyfat scale is not showing that it is making a huge difference. However it is a little early to concede that the poor man's creatine is not working. I would like to call it the thinking man's creatine-cause it is pretty cheap compared to creatine-however it is hard to imagine a guy cramming tablespoons of peanut butter as "thinking man".
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/LIFE02/803310320/-1/SPORTS0803
Drop and give me 20.Or 10.Five, maybe?Love 'em or hate 'em, the push-up - that old-school workout staple - is the latest fitness buzz.It seems everyone is dropping to the ground to prove their push-up prowess - from hosts of CBS's "The Early Show" facing off to National Public Radio's Alex Chadwick grunting through his 30 push-ups on-air.
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Many Americans can't perform the exercise that engages the whole body, including core, arms and legs, the New York Times reported earlier this month. The Times dubbed the push-up "the ultimate barometer of fitness."Author Ted Skup, who has done more than 10 million push-ups during the last 25 years, is taking the buzz a step further: He wants to start a "push-up revolution" with his recently published book, "Death, Taxes & Push-Ups.""I'm making it into a lifestyle instead of a warm-up exercise," said Skup, who has worked in the oil industry for almost 40 years. "This is an all-inclusive exercise that works for everyone. It's the best exercise you can do that's working your whole body."
Skup said he wants to do for push-ups what the late Jim Fixx, jogging enthusiast and author of "The Complete Book of Running," did for jogging.Skup not only touts the gospel of push-ups but also takes on what he says is a $35 billion fitness industry that's misleading people with infomercials and supplements."People are kind of going back to the old days of doing exercises at home simply because of economics or time management," said Skup, 56. "It's kind of like the Porsche of exercises - there's no substitute."
Craig Pope has been doing push-ups for years. He does roughly 200 push-ups a day, in addition to his gym workouts."Actually, I love them," said Pope 31, of Urbandale. "It's a good upper-body workout ... and you can do a lot by changing your hand positions."Push-ups were the first exercise Pope did when he first started working out. He was inspired by football player Herschel Walker, who, according to media reports, did approximately 1,500 push-ups daily as part of his fitness regimen.
Pope, who started out doing about 50 push-ups a day, said he likes their convenience and portability. "The days I don't work out, I do push-ups."Mark Lowe, a triathlete, does about 220 to 330 push-ups weekly.Lowe, 42, of West Des Moines, likes the fact that he can go out for a run "and just rip off a quick set of push-ups.""I think it's one of the best core exercises you can do," along with pull-ups and dips, he said.According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a woman age 20 to 29 who does 14 push-ups earns an "fair" rating; a man of the same age must do 21. Women do the "modified" version, with their knees on the ground.
The push-up can be a simple way to measure muscular endurance and upper-body strength, exercise professionals say. It also can be the first step to beginning a regular resistance training program, which is woefully lacking in Americans' fitness regimes.But they stop short of touting it as "the ultimate barometer of fitness.""One of the nice things about the push-up is you're using your own body weight," said Amy Fletcher, Health Iowa fitness specialist at the University of Iowa. Health Iowa is the educational branch of the university's student health service.
"You're in that (plank) position, you're contracting your shoulders, your deltoids, you're contracting your upper back and your abdominals, as well as your thighs and calves because that's where your feet are connecting with the ground."But, "We know that fitness is multidimensional."Total fitness includes muscle endurance, as well as cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility, said Ken Mobily, a professor of leisure studies at the University of Iowa whose speciality is recreation therapy.
"This has always been a conundrum of physical education, health: Is there a single measure that one can use that can give a crude estimate of health and fitness?" said Mobily, who mainly works with older adults. "The answer is probably no."However, push-ups are probably a good barometer of strength and endurance for healthy adults younger than 30, Mobily said.But for many, push-ups are risky because people tend to hold their breath while lifting a lot of weight. He said that can cause a dangerous increase of pressure in the chest, which may cause problems with heart function.
A quick, safe test, Mobily said, would be measuring grip strength, which requires using an instrument called a hand dynamometer.The ability of older people to perform push-ups properly also can indicate how well they deal with the challenges of aging, including safely breaking a fall, the Times story added.A recent study shows that 21 percent of adults participate in strength training at least twice a week, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Strength training, in general, is imperative in helping people in daily activities - carrying groceries and grandchildren, not tripping over curbs, climbing the stairs and even reaching the top shelf. That, Mobily said, is functional strength."We definitely need a lot of improvement in strength fitness in our society," said Kent Adams, director of the exercise physiology lab at California State University at Monterey Bay. "I think the push-ups are great, but I would recommend ... to start lifting weights. Strength is very important to successful aging."
It's particularly critical for older people, Mobily said, who lose the lower-extremity strength needed to prevent trips and falls.
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