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America, was that a good Super Bowl game or what? Even though I was going for Indy and Peyton, I felt good about Naw’leans winning. I mean, how could you NOT at least smile when the game was over? Just a few years ago the fans were calling themselves the “New Orlean’s Aint’s” and wearing bags over their heads like the Unknown Comic from the old Gong Show. Mardi Gras officially started a week or so early...wish I was there!
So how’d everyone do on their foods today since some of you are 7 weeks out from the Vancouver and 10 weeks from the EC? Were you on task? Did you ‘cheat’ just a little? Did you go off the deep end? Do you feel guilty? Not me!!! I ate my butt off, America! Why??? Because I wanted to and ‘CAUSE I’M LEAN, AMERICA! It pays to stay lean year-round just for occasions like this. I know that whatever I did today will literally have no effect on me except outside of a little water weight gain. No biggie there – an hour of cardio tomorrow and Tuesday and I’ll be back to normal weight and then some by Wednesday morning. Also, I don’t consider this a cheat day as I don’t really do those. I pretty much eat what I want when I want. I’ve just learned how to control what goes in my mouth. And since I’ve learned how to control my foods rather than my foods controlling me, it’s really not that difficult to eat what I NEED to eat to stay lean so I can eat what I WANT to eat on days like this. Oh, I just said somethin’ America!
So what’d I eat? Let’s see...fried chicken (haven’t had that in months), potato salad (my niece put her FOOT in it, it was so good...), spaghetti, barbecued ribs, southern-style gumbo, chips, smoked turkey...oh...and a couple diet Pepsi's – gotta watch the figure y’know! With everything I ate I only picked up 3 lbs – a little above my normal weight gain for a normal day’s eating. There really is something to the ‘thermic effect of feeding’ - that speeding up of the metabolism when foods are consumed. I was sweating literally every time I ate. Family and friends were chilly in my 73 degree house and I was burning up! Hope all you guys had as much fun as I did...
Speaking of fun, most of you should be doing no less than 45 minutes of cardio at this time, and for many of you it should be a solid hour. And for those of you that enjoyed yourself a bit too much off-season, you’d better start cranking out that second session of 30-45 minutes, if not more. I was asked by two competitors this weekend if they could split up their hour into two sessions of 30 minutes each. My answer was quick and to the point. “No, because research shows it takes about 15-20 minutes to get into a good fat-burning zone, and if you only do 30 minutes you’ll get 10-15 minutes of good fat-burning as opposed to up to 45 minutes of fat-burning if you do a straight hour.” If you want more science, America, go waaaay back to my first few blogs – I think I went more in-depth on the science of cardio. If not, hit me up with an email or phone call and I’ll be sure to give you the answer.
Another client asked about cardio intensity – her other trainer told her to do easy cardio to maximize fat-burning. Once again, I covered that in a previous blog but I’ll net it out for you real quick. Slower, easier cardio in which your heart rate stays in a target zone of about 60-70% will burn a higher PERCENTAGE of fat calories, but working at a higher intensity level, say 75-85%, will burn a higher total NUMBER of fat calories, and that’s what’s important. Why burn a higher percentage when it’s a lower number? You’d just have to work that much longer to get all that fat off, and since the intensity is lower, the fat won’t come off anyway. Think about it, America...if slower and easier is the way to go, sittin’ on your couch should be the best exercise of all! Can’t get much slower and easier than that! But even if you’re exercising or active, let’s look at mail carriers – they walk all day long delivering mail getting ‘exercise’. How come so many of them are still overweight? Factor out the foods and it all comes back to intensity, America, so bump it up if you wanna take it off. Remember the F.I.T. Principle – Frequency (how many days/wk), Intensity (how hard are you doing it), and Time (how long is each session). Y’know what, America? I think I’m gonna revisit foods, cardio, and training again. I’m sure there are new readers out there that didn’t get this the first go-round, and I’ve learned that you can never hear or read good, solid information too many times.
Well America, when last we left Master SO and Weedhoppah, his pupil, Weedhoppah had just finished unclogging the stream of rocks so it could run freely. He had just told Master SO that he’d finished and was ready to head to the land of competition. Let’s pick it up from there...enjoy!
The Philosophy of SO – The Land of Competition: Part II
“We shall go to the land of competition,” Master SO replied, “but before we do, I must ask something of you. When the stream became unblocked it allowed the water to flow but with it all the fish went downstream. We have no more fish. We are unable to eat. Do you see the logs by the stream? Take the logs into the center of the stream and build them up to block the flow. This will keep the fish upstream so we will be able to eat. Lift one log at a time and place it on the back of your neck. Do not place it on either shoulder. Start with the lightest log and work up to the heaviest. When you get out to the center of the stream lift the log off your neck, and slowly lower each log into position. Do not deviate from these instructions. Let me know when you are done.” Master SO turned around and strolled off, hands clasp behind his back.
Weedhoppah stood watching Master SO walk off. He was getting more upset by the minute. How was he ever going to get to the land of competition if Master SO kept having him do these menial tasks? But Weedhoppah knew better than to question his master for two reasons – one, Master SO was the smartest of the smart, the wisest of the wise, and the most knowledgeable of the knowledgeable. Two, if he questioned Master SO he would receive a wicked slap upside his head, from which he was still smarting the last time he questioned his teacher.
Weedhoppah dug through the hundreds of logs until he found the smallest one. He lifted it up and placed it on his shoulders just as Master had instructed. Out into the water he went, but this time, because the weather had changed, the water was warm – too warm. Within a few trips Weedhoppah was sweating profusely. The current was still strong, so it took all of his balance and coordination to get to the center. Log after log Weedhoppah hauled out, following Master’s instructions to the letter. Each time, in the center of the stream, he would lift the log overhead and lower it slowly into position. But as the logs became heavier and heavier Weedhoppah found that he had to squat deeper and deeper to lift the logs. Initially this was very difficult, but over time it became easier. Soon Weedhoppah was able to lift the heaviest logs easily overhead and wade out to the center of the stream. No matter how strong the current and how much the water swirled, he had perfect balance and coordination, neither slipping nor sliding on river rocks in the stream.
When he was done, Weedhoppah found Master SO. “Master, I have finished the task you asked of me. I have moved all of the logs from the shore to the middle of the stream. It is now blocked. I moved the logs on the back of my neck from the smallest to the largest as you said. It was difficult at first as I kept losing my balance but by the end I was able to move in and out of the water effortlessly. Now can we start on our journey to the land of competition?”
“We shall go to the land of competition,” Master SO replied, “but before we do, I must ask something of you. Many times each day Grasshoppah walks down to the stream to wash our clothes. He is getting old and can no longer walk such a great distance. Take the clothes to the stream and wash them clean. Use this ladder-type rack I have created. Push the clothes away from you on the top side of the rack 10 times, extending your arms all the way. Then pull the clothes toward you on the bottom side of the rack 10 times, contracting your arms all the way. Do this 10 times for each garment. Do not deviate from these instructions. Let me know when you are done.” Master SO turned around and strolled off, hands clasp behind his back. End of Part II – to be continued...peace...
The Dr.
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David ‘Dr. Buff’ Patterson
Personal Training Systems | “There Are No Shortcuts!”
http://www.personaltrainingsystems.net
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"The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare." Thane Yost
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Dr Buff
