Interval Running Workout

Here's a little interval workout I put together using a field rake on this Florida farm...

This involved my jogging up and down this driveway and occasionally towing a field rake for about 50 yards at a stretch, for a killer interval workout.

80 Year-Old Muscle-Heads

Recent article of interest to geezers everywhere:

80 year-olds with 40 year-old muscle mass

Gout Relief

I started downing cherry juice, after I heard it has been known to relieve symptoms of gout. After a few days, I must admit, my bilateral big toe pain is about 98% gone. And remember, the FDA is in bed with the pharmaceutical drug cartel on this, as in most areas of health care, so ignore anything you may read from those sources.

Here are some article links:
Cherry Juice for Gout
Medpage-Gout Relief
Arthritis Forum

Hearing Loss Phone

Attention geezers! Do you suffer from CHS? (can't hear shit!) Check out this hearing-loss phone:

Perfect Pushup V2

Hi there! I just blew $40.00 of my amazingly pathetic savings account on these rotating pushup thingies, and I must say that they have been an incredible addition to my home-gym routine so far.

I've always much preferred working out at home in private as opposed to any public gym, and these babies have landed me one step closer to never setting foot into the mega-gyms again. I have been aware of them since they first appeared on the scene about two years ago from some enterprising inventor, and I'll tell you what, I wish I'd thought of it. From the reviews I've read, the V2 version is a huge improvement over the original and after trying it out, I'd have to agree.

Eating Right

During the past several years, conventional dietary wisdom — skimp on fat, count calories — has started to crumble, thanks largely to a one-man wrecking crew named Gary Taubes. In his latest book, Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It (Borzoi Books), Taubes argues that calories and fat aren’t to blame for the world’s increasing girth and high incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.....read more

Thoracic Stretch

Tell your pharmacist to take a flying-fuck at the moon! Here's a thoracic stretch I have been using this last year, utilizing a standard lat-pulldown machine at the gym. It has eliminated all pain and discomfort in this area. It's a great way to unlock the thoracic and lower cervical joints and open up the nerve pathways. Let's see your pills accomplish that! You may not be experiencing this yourself, but I was involved in a whiplash accident at the age of 9, and my back and neck have bothered me ever since, well into upper middle age, so this is a big deal to have complete relief in this area. I use 180 to 250 lbs. Exceed that weight and you risk an over-stretch of the spinal ligaments. A good rule of thumb is, your body weight+50 lbs=max weight. You want the angle to be about 15 degrees from vertical. Remember to anchor your thighs under the pads, and roll your shoulders back and forth under stretch, and shrug shoulders in towards your neck, for optimum release of the spinal joints. For an even better stretch, find a way to anchor your body just below the rib cage:

Reaction Ball Workout

The Reaction Ball is a surprisingly good workout in as little as 5 minutes, and the uneven nature of the ball's surface is great for sharpening the reflexes.............

Sunday Workout Jan 30

D. Squats: 235x14,14,14,12,10
Incline Curls-Dumbbell: 27.5x14, 30x14,35x10,8
Situps-Fitball: BWX16, 25x18,18,18,18
Delt Raises: 17.5x14,20x12, 22.5x10,10
Chest Flys-Cable: 90x11,10,8, 80x9
Side Bend Shrugs: 50x14, 60x14, 70x14, 75x13

Fit-News:
Attention Old Bats-Tips From Top Muscleheads
How to Use That Modern Gym Equipment

Friday Workout 1-28

Triceps Extensions-Cable: 70x12, 80x12, 100x12,10,8
Lat Pulldowns-Cable: 160x12, 220x8,210x10, 200x10, 190x9
Splits-Leg Machine: 200x14x4
Treadmill-25 Minutes/409 calories

Tuesday Workout 1-25-2011

Barbell Deep Squats: 135x12, 185x12, 235x14,13,12,10,9
Rows-DBell: 50x13,13,13
Incline Bench Press: 135x12, 185x5,175x5,165x7,155x7+1,6

Notes: Lingering flu symptoms got me down.

Herbs and Your Health

David Hogsed of Standard Process/Mediherb was one of our instructors today for a class offered by the Florida Chiropractic Association continuing education offering this weekend in Destin, FL. Here's what I picked up from him today that I wished to share:

(These herbs are beneficial when taken in the correct dose and obtained from a quality supplier)

Liver Detoxification Herbs:

• Brassica (Kale, Brussels Sprouts)
• Schissandra
• St. John's Wort
• Turmeric

Anti-Inflammatory Herbs:

• Turmeric ("Gaia" brand at Whole Foods)
• Rosemary
• ***Smokers would do well to take Turmeric combined with Ginger Root (ongoing)

Herbs that Reduce Adverse Drug Reactions:

• Milk Thistle with Hepatotoxic and/or Nephrotoxic Drugs (milk thistle rejuvenates the liver)
• Licorice with Corticosteroids

Herbs for Brain Health:

• Gingko in High Doses
• Turmeric
• Fish Oil

Chronic Immune System Weakness:

• Cat's Claw

Stress and Tiredness/Fatigue:

• Panax Ginseng (Korean Ginseng)

Acute Infection/Colds/Flu:

• Andrographis and Echinacea (Together)
• (anti viral,bacterial, and parisitic)

Low Testosterone/Male Sex Drive:

• Tribulus (Bulgarian only) combined with Korean Ginseng

Anti-Depression, Anti-Viral, Liver Detox:

• St. John's Wort

Sinus Infection/Mucous Membrane Health:

• Goldenseal

The finest natural herbal food supplements are available through MediHerb. See the MediHerb catalog, here (.pdf) To order directly from Standard Process or MediHerb, you will need to contact us one time, to establish an online account.

Wednesday Workout 1-19-2011

Splits: 180x14,14,14
Lat Pulldowns: 175x14,190x14,205x12,11,10
Magnum Situps: 90x16, 135x16, 145x16,16,16
Triceps Ext-Cable: 85x14, 100x11,8, 85x11
Delt Raises: 80x12, 90x12, 100x10,10,8

Treadmill: 25 minutes @ 4.5mph+incline

Pumpin' Iron, Sweatin' Steel

Tuesday Night:

Barbell Deep Squats: 225x14,14,14,12,11
Side-Bend Shrugs: 45x14,80x12,90x12,12
Rows-Hammer: 90sx12, 135sx10,10,9
Incline Bench Press: 185x6, 175x6, 165x7, 155x8,7

Sunday Workout Jan 16, 2011

Splits: 180x15x3
Hammer Curls: 70x14, 75x10,7, 70x9
Triceps Extensions: 80x12, 90x12, 110x7, 100x8,7
Lat Pulldowns: 175x18, 190x14, 205x12, 220x10, 190x12
Situps-Magnum Seated: 90x18, 135x16, 145x15,15,14
Delt Raises-Machine: 80x12, 85x13, 90x12,10, 85x10
Treadmill 25 minutes/480 calories

 Workout Logbook

 Butterfly-Bar Triceps Extensions Setup

Magnum Situp Unit

Lat Pulldowns

Jan 14 Workout

Looks like I ran out of things to write about here, so I am at least going to track my weekly exercise progress (or decline). I lost all record of my workouts last year when my PDA erased everything, for no apparent reason around mid-December.

If these numbers seem a little weak, remember, I am just coming off a three week flu thing, where I didn't do anything but eat warm soup and shuffle around in my bathrobe between naps and barf sessions.

Here was today's routine at Gold's:

(1:30 second pause between sets)

Incline Bench Press: 135x14, 185x6, 175x6, 165x7, 155x9
Dumbbell Rows: 45sx12, 55sx11,11,11,10
Chest Flys (Body Masters machine): 110x14, 120x12, 130x8, 110x10
Power Squats (Body Masters-Facing Inward) 180x12, 270x14, 360x13,13,13
Side Bend Dumbbell Shrugs: 75x14,14

Low Back Stretch (Dr. Kim)

Low Back Stretch (Link)

Hip Flexor Stretch

Functionally Fit: Tubing-Assisted Hip Flexor Stretch
By Brian Schiff

In the latest edition of Functionally Fit, Brian adds tubing to add support and increase continuity of the Hip Flexor Stretch. This exercise is good for relieving hip and abdominal tightness, both contributors to spine problems.
See 'Related Resources' below for past Functionally Fits and other exercises and training tips.







Execution:

The tubing anchor point should be well above the head of the client. Next, kneel down on one knee and position the other leg forward in a traditional hip flexor stretch position.
Now, grasp the handles of the tubing and slowly shift the body weight forward over the upright knee while simultaneously allowing the arms to move away from and diagonally opposite the hip of the kneeling leg.
Once a comfortable stretch is attained, hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat twice and then switch sides. If kneeling is uncomfortable, the stretch can also be done in standing, but you would need a much taller anchor point for the tubing. You may also opt not to rotate the upper body as much if it proves uncomfortable.

Application:
While this stretch is not new, I do like using the tubing to assist the pull and achieve a smoother continuous stretch as the upper body is more supported. You can also move further away from the anchor point to accentuate the stretch as desired.

In general, most clients have hip flexor tightness given the amount of sitting and computer work done today. In addition, this stretch will also help elongate the abdominals, which are often tight and weak. Excessive hip flexor and/or abdominal tightness can pull the pelvis anteriorly and contribute to lumbar spine problems.

Some general precautions include clients with active lumbar disc pathology, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, facet joint pain, stress fractures of the lumbar spine, gross shoulder instability, or active shoulder impingement. While these conditions may not preclude you from using the exercise, their presence may require special attention or modification based on each client.

Be sure to closely monitor form and ask for client feedback with respect to where the stretch is felt and if any discomfort in the spine or shoulders is occurring. Clients with knee arthritis or patello-femoral pain will do better in the standing position.

Brian Schiff, PT, CSCS (www.brianschiff.com) is a licensed physical therapist, respected author and fitness professional. He became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) in 1998. Currently, he serves as the supervisor at the Athletic Performance Center in Raleigh, NC. Brian presents nationally at several professional conferences and seminars on injury prevention, rehab and sport-specific training. 


Beyond 50 Fitness - Total Strength Workout - Functionally Fit For Life

Heart Health

Weight Training Has Unique Heart Benefits, Study Suggests

(11/11/2010)

Resistance exercise (such as lifting weights) produces a different pattern of blood vessel responses than aerobic exercise, suggesting that it may have specific and important benefits for cardiovascular health, according to a study in the November issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy. "Resistance exercise may offer greater benefits from the increases in blood flow to active muscles and could be implemented as companion to an aerobic training regimen," according to the new study, led by Scott R. Collier, Ph.D., of Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C. continued at MedicalNewsToday.com>>

Beet Juice for Hypertension

Recent research published online in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that drinking beet juice can lower high blood pressure. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London found that blood pressure was lower within a 24 hour period in people who took nitrate tablets, and those who drank beet juice. The nitrate content found within the beetroot juice had been found to be the main underlying cause of its blood pressure lowering ability.

The study’s author Amrita Ahluwalia stated that they were able to demonstrate that the nitrate found in beetroot juice was the cause of its beneficial effects upon cardiovascular health by increasing the levels of the gas nitric oxide in the circulation. Ahluwalia said, “We showed that beetroot and nitrate capsules are equally effective in lowering blood pressure indicating that it is the nitrate content of beetroot juice that underlies its potential to reduce blood pressure. We also found that only a small amount of juice is needed – just 250 ml - to have this effect, and that the higher the blood pressure at the start of the study the greater the decrease caused by the nitrate.”

This study has shown that there are ways to lower your blood pressure that are safe, natural, and effective, without the need to depend strictly upon prescription drugs.