Working out at high altitude

Over the years, I've heard of many athletes, especially ones involved in combat sports, going through their training camp before fights at high altitude. The lack of oxygen in the air makes working out and training a lot tougher the higher you go, so by the time they go through a couple months of intense altitude training, their cardio is top notch.

Having been at 10,000 feet of elevation for a few days once, I had a slight idea of what may be involved, although I wasn't working out at the time. Besides being out of shape, I also had caught a cold just before going, so being being weaker and heavier than I am now, even walking up a steep slope was tough.

This time around, I headed down (or up) to the Rocky mountains in South West Colorado with my kids for a family vacation / reunion with my in laws, kids, grand kids, at their new place on Wilson Mesa. Wilson Mesa so nestled between 12,000 to 14,000 foot peaks, and lies at about 9,500 feet of elevation. Being active and fit these days, I was a bit anxious, yet intrigued, to see how being at  that sort of altitude / elevation would impact my exercise routines.

On the first afternoon, after a long and exhausting trip, I hauled all our suitcases up a few flights of stairs. Noticed feeling slightly light headed when I was done, but it only last a few moments. I made sure to stay well hydrated, and didn't develop any symptoms of altitude sickness, as did some other members of the family.

The following day, I hopped onto the mountain bike, for my first attempt at exercising at high altitude. There aren't any paved roads around the mesa, just hard packed dirt / gravel roads, which makes biking slightly tougher off the bat. Then, you have the constant uphill and downhill curves, as despite being sort of flat by nature, the mesa is located and laid out in some seriously steep hills. All roads leading to the mesa are very steep, so definitely not something I'd want to try on my first attempt.

The circular road around our section of the mesa is a good 5 to 6 miles long, so the perfect test ride, with only one steep hill in the mix. I ran the circle 1.5 times on my first day, and the lack of oxygen was very noticeable. On the long steep hill, I was gasping for air about halfway up, despite being in decent biking shape. I pushed though, and made it without stopping, a small victory in itself.

The following day, I was anxious to try a body weight circuit. I could already feel the difference in my warm up routine, and once I hit the core of the workout, I had to pace myself to avoid "gassing out". I was able to complete most sets, but only able to do 70% to 80% of the reps in the tougher exercises.

I followed up with some walking and hiking, which was a breeze, and by my next bike ride, I noticed a huge difference, with my body naturally acclimating to the elevation. I was able to run the circle twice, roughly 11.5 to 12 miles or so, in less than 1 hour on a clunky mountain bike, on the dirt road. I kept my riding routing the same for the rest of my 2 week trip there.

The circuit training got easier as well, by the 2nd week, I was fully able to complete my routine, tough still panting for air a lot more than I do when I'm home, and still having to pace myself between exercises.

I did one long hike up to Hope lake as well, carrying fishing gear on my back most of the way up to a small lake located at 12,000+  feet of elevation. The trail up to mountain is 2.5 miles, and gets steeper the higher you climb getting close to the lake.

Though I wasn't too tired, I gave the bag to Avi for the last 20 minutes or so, I was was pouring in sweat under the back pack, which made it very uncomfortable. Both he and I were breathing heavily by the time we reached the lake.

After fishing it for a couple hours, the descent was much easier.

When I finally returned to Montreal, I was anxious to see whether the short stint with altitude training had any effect once I was back close to sea level. For my first workout, I chose my strength training, as I didn't have any dumbells with me on my trip to Colorado. The first set was tough as expected, having not done the routine for nearly 3 weeks. By the second set, I felt a burst of energy, and even more so as the workout went on.

I followed up with my ride up Mount Royal the next day, and again, found the ride easier than normal, from a cardio standpoint. Sections of the ride that normally have me breathing heavy were a breeze in comparison, despite the heat and smog warning. Came within a minute of my all time record speed without much effort.

Finally, my body weight routine went easy as expected as well, one week after being back at normal elevation. Not sure how long the effects of my altitude training will last, I guess I'll find out.

The altitude affected most of the people I was with in different ways. Many developed sever headaches, and other were very bloated, with the altitude wreaking havoc on their digestive systems. On my end, I didn't encounter any serious issues, but did notice that my gas/flatulence was magnified exponentially. In other words, a simple beer or bowl of vegetable soup had me exploding non stop for 24 hours, much to the chagrin of my lovely / tolerant wife.

Over the course of my vacation, I ate more than I normally do, and drank a heck of a lot more alcohol as well. Surprisingly, I didn't gain any weight at all over the trip, much to my surprise.

Bicycling the Long Sault parkway

The Long Sault parkway is located roughly 125 KM East of Montreal, just past Cornwall, Ontario. When The Saunders hydro electric dam was built in the mid 20th century, many of the smaller towns and villages upstream were evacuated, and eventually flooded. The highest points in the area are all that remain above water, and form a chain of 11 small island in the St Lawrence river.

Operated by the Parks of the St Lawrence, the Long Sault parkway offers a variety of outdoor activities, including, camping, beaches, fishing, boating, scuba diving, cycling, and migratory bird watching, to name a few. The a scenic roadway through the park runs about 10 KM from end to end, with  many picnic areas, restrooms, etc along the way. While the park has camping and parking fees, drive through traffic is permitted at no charge.

As the Long Sault area is Canada's self proclaimed carp fishing capital, I visit the area quite often throughout my fishing season. On a recent trip to fish one of the sites with a friend, I decided to come back and bike the trail along with my wife for my next visit.

After parking at the Long Sault entrance, we pedaled along the pleasant route. One of the first island in the park is Mille Roches Island. This place is nostalgic for me, as it's where I started fishing with my dad at the age of 3, nearly 40 years ago. My dad had a boat at the Long Sault marina for years before getting married, and knew the area well. When sold his boat before getting married, the parkway offered miles of shore access to many of his spots. As kids, we fished the inflow an outflow pipe dozens of times, catching a variety of predatory species, and I have many fond memories of the spot.

I stopped to snap a picture of the spot, the current high water is a couple feet above normal level, so the "famous" pipe is covered, but still very visible.

A few Islands further into our trek, we cam across a flock of Canada geese. Those newly hatched chicks (in background) sure do grow quickly, nearly the size of small ducks after only 2 months or so.

Near many of the bridges, we encountered people fishing for carp. Funny how things can change. When I was a kid, no one targeted carp with rod an reel, bow fishing was the main method used for those that didn't care about killing them for no good reason. I never even saw a carper until I fished the area a good 25 years later. Today, all I saw were carpers, save for a coupe that was perch fishing.

Stopping near the last bridge at McLaren Island before the Ingleside end of the park, we had one of the carpers take some pictures of Ronit and I. No better way than to enjoy the great outdoors with the ones you love most.

How I quit smoking

As my 14th year anniversary of being smoke free is around the corner, I decided to share my story on how I quit smoking.

My first puff came in my mid teens, but it wasn't until a couple years later that I started smoking cigarettes on a regular basis, at the age of 17. Within a couple years, I was a heavy smoker, smoking about 2 packs a day of the strongest cigarettes available.

Though I originally told my wife to be that I'd quit once we got married, I guess I wasn't all that interested in really quitting smoking. As such, it wouldn't happen until many years later, when I was already a father of three kids.

By that time, I had been smoking for close to 11 years. Rising cigarette prices, along with increased warnings about the many dangers and detriments of smoking finally had me seriously thinking about quitting smoking.

Quitting smoking proved harder than I initially imagined. Any little excuse would send me rushing back to get some more smokes. My smoking habit was very ingrained into many facets of my lifestyle; From my first thing in the morning smoke, to after meals, with my coffee or beer, while fishing, etc... The mental addiction was more part of it than the physical dependence on nicotine.

Being an observant Jew, I never smoked on Shabbat, i.e. from sunset on Friday evening until nightfall Saturday night. Being able to avoid smoking for a 25 hour period each week wasn't easy, and by the time Shabbat was over on Saturday nights, I was watching the clock craving that next cigarette.

I figured I'd be able to quit on a Saturday night. After all, 25 hours was a good start, so why not keep it going? That proved wrong, as my mental addiction to that first Saturday night was simply too strong. Despite trying a few times to quit after Shabbat, I failed, despite trying patches, nicotine gums, and similar gimmicks just coming out on the Canadian market at the time.

Finally, in the spring of 2002, I came up with a new plan. I'd quit a day ahead, namely on Thursday night. If I could withstand that Friday without smoking, by the time Saturday night came around, I'd be 48 hours into being smoke free. The Jewish holiday of Lag Baomer turned out to fall on a Thursday that year. After attending a big outdoor BBQ party that evening, I ran out of cigarettes. A friend drove me home, and I bummed one last smoke from him, telling him never to give me another one no matter how much I may ask. That night, I smoked my last cigarette before going to bed.

Next morning, I was ready to face the physical and mental challenge of quitting my pack a half pack to pack a day habit. I missed my morning smoke, and headed to my office for work as usual. In retrospect, it was probably good that I worked alone for most of the day, as I was miserable. Knowing that I could pick up some more cigarettes around the corner any time, didn't make it any easier. By the time I made it to mid afternoon, I was an emotional wreck, and actually burst out crying for no apparent reason, despite being more of a non emotional person to say the least.

I headed home just before the start of Shabbat, and once it arrived, I felt a very peaceful feeling overcome me, knowing that I had passed the most difficult stage of my test. 25 hours later, my next challenge came as expected, but this time, I was serious enough about my decision to keep away from buying some more smokes. I knew how tough the initial 24 hours had been, and was already up to 49 hours of being smoke free. I told myself that it if I can make it another 24 hours, I'd be well on my way to quitting smoking for good.

And thus, by taking it a day at a time, I quit smoking, cold turkey as they say. At the outset, every little problem would bring on thoughts of going to get a smoke to help me calm down, but instead of fooling myself, I knew good and well that I'd be more angry with myself for ruining all the effort I had put in. I knew that I wasn't born with a cigarette in my mouth, and that humans don't need nicotine or tobacco to deal with every day life situations.

After quitting, I started noticing how mentally addicted to smoking I had been, and how habit forming smoking was, without me even realizing. For example, the obvious morning cigarette or after meal cigarettes were the least that I actually missed. However, every time I got on the phone at work, I was reaching for where my lighter and ashtray used to be. I had never even realized that I probably lit up every time I got on the phone.

I also noticed a major surge in energy and stamina once I quit smoking, which spurred me to start exercising as well, eventually leading up to the lifestyle I lead today. Every year, on the Jewish holiday of Lag Baomer, I make a mental note of marking the occasion, and congratulate myself for another smoke free year.

Inner War - guest post

In an affort to expand the content on my new blog, I will be inviting some friends to share their personal fitness related experiences.

This post is written by Jody, a friend I've known for a while. After marrying a good friend of mine and having a few kids, she decided to get fit, and currently works as a fitness trainer.

Her Facebook profile is at: https://www.facebook.com/Canadianfitmom-316129745076924/

In this first article, she discusses motivation:

Motivating your own self can be the hardest thing to do when tired, overwhelmed with so many other obligations, or even just time constrained ( just to name a few reasons ). You may have a trainer to motivate you, or have a friend to workout with.These are definitely big helps. 

 But either way, it's up to you to make the best of the time spent on the workout.
Initially, you're the one who has to decide to do this workout. You must be dressed appropriately and really be telling yourself over & over again how this is really important to get done. 

Have your goal in mind. Have the intent & your workout in mind. Make a plan of attack, and don't let anything stop you. This is serious, this is war!  Our laziness, war to destroy the fat!

I sometimes just tell myself that I will only do a little and trick myself into getting into that fitness feeling. Once I start to feel my own adrenaline kick in, and body heating up, with sweat on my skin, I at that point am not in danger of letting laziness take me over. 

We all have to fight the urge to not reach our goals. It's a challenge. We must push ourselves to reach higher levels and not give up on ourselves. Believe in yourself and don't listen to the chatter in the gym, as those who chat are not as focused as you are. 

You're 
Doing this for yourself and know one else. Having said that you will become sexier than you thought, because you weren't focused on being sexy. You were focused on doing each exercise to its fullest, with proper posture and breathing. 
Sexiness is a byproduct of being fit. Being fit comes as your first priority. 
Never loose sight of that and never let it slip through your fingers. You will prevail one day at a time, one workout at a time.

Mindset / motivation to workout

Achieving the proper mindset to get motivated to workout is probably one of the most important steps in being able to achieve one's goals when it come to fitness training. Like anything else in life that requires effort, it's only too easy to come up with valid excuses on why today, this week or this month isn't good. From being tired or overworked, to having a busy lifestyle schedule, a human being inherent laziness is always ready to intercede on your behalf to disrupt any positive effort required to make the necessary changes.

For many forty something individuals such as myself, the everyday grind of juggling between responsibilities both at home and at work, are often the culprit. It's only too easy to lay blame on these factors, but laying blame won't get you in any better physical shape. Recognizing, understanding, and internalizing this, and you've conquered the first step to making positive changes in your life.

Speaking from personal experience, unlike quitting smoking or changing bad eating habits, working out requires a lot more physical effort. While it may be hard enough to train oneself to ignore a craving for nicotine or junk food, once you're at it for a while, it becomes second nature. Exercise on the other hand, requires 100% effort every time you train,no matter how tired you feel or how busy you may be.

Here are a few pointers to help with motivation:

1) Make the time to work out, and make it sacred. Set aside 1 hour per day at your most convenient time, and dedicate it to working out come hell or high water. If it means waking up earlier, do so.

2) Set goals to achieve. Whether increasing the amount of repetitions / weight, beating a previous speed record when running, biking swimming, etc.

3) Vary your workout routine. Your muscles need time to recover between workouts, so I alternate between 3-4 routines, and allow 1 day of total rest per week. As an example, I'll try to cycle 2-3 days per week, and circuit train on the other days. I'll also vary my circuits between strength training to endurance training style exercises. To help prevent injury, make sure to warm up for at least 15 minutes before, and cool down / stretch for a good 5 to 10 minutes when done. The cool down period also is not only physical, but mental as well, and helps put your frame of mid back into your everyday routine.

4) Make your workout routine fun. I like to cycle on scenic routes, or combine my biking with fishing, one of my main hobbies. I do my strength and endurance circuits in my home office, so I blast my favorite tunes when doing so. On the odd occasion where a certain muscle may be sore or strained, switch up your routine to accommodate whatever situation you may be dealing with.

5) Chart your results. I keep a spreadsheet of my weight loss/gain on a daily basis, and it also contains much of my workout routines, time logged, etc. It make for some great references to see what trends work well over time.

6) Motivation tips. I tend motivate myself than stepping on a scale every morning, then planning my workout based on a combination of weather conditions, d how I feel on a given day, and what I've been doing for the couple days leading up to it. During a proper workout, it's totally normal to feel gassed every now and then. Often, the lactic acid buildup in your muscles will burn, and once in a while you'll reach a point where you may feel like your going to explode. I use these moments to try and push even harder instead of easing up, and over time, the results are very noticeable. Don't be afraid to push harder than ever before, every time you work out.

7) Admire your results. Every once in a while, admire your body in a mirror, or show off  your results to your significant other or friends. After all, it isn't during the workout that you're going to feel great, it's after.

8) Lastly, always remember that the mental challenge is a lot tougher than the physical challenge. Even if you feel a bit tired or unmotivated when getting started on any given day, that usually wear off a few minutes into the routine. Don't cut corners, stick with your planned routine, and give it your all every time out. I guarantee you'll be happy with the results.

Wavemaster punching bag boxing

Being a long time fan of combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts, it's only natural that one of the most enjoyable workouts for me over the years,  has been boxing with my Wavemaster punching bag.

I bought my wavemaster a good 12 years ago or so. After originally setting it up indoors in a residential setting, I quickly realize a few issues that prompted me to move it outdoors.

1) The noise level is unbelievable when hitting a bag that size with that sort of power. The neighbors came running within minutes of my fort round with it indoors.

2) The Wavemaster will naturally wobble around as you hit it, and will keep moving if left on a flat, smooth surface. Great way to destroy a carpeted or wood floor, on viable option would probably be a warehouse style concrete floor.

After moving it out, I have put it to good use outdoors during all 4 seasons of the year. In boxing practice with a punching bag, you can control the intensity of your workout by altering your pace gears as required. During the dead of our Canadian winter, I've managed to go at it with enough in intensity to have me in a t-shirt, with steam rising off my body in sub zero temperature. Spring and fall are manageable, but during summer, early morning workouts still need to be less intense, especially on those hot, smoggy, dog days of summer.

The set up is fairly simple. The Wavemaster base can be filled with either sand or water. I chose water in order to be able to move if to different location as required. Once filled, it will weigh close to 275 lbs or so, giving plenty enough resistance to most of your punches. I usually leave the base in place year round, and simply remove the "bag", which is basically a strong cylinder core surrounded by foam padding and an outer leather/vinyl shell.

I've added images of my various villains that I use for motivation, and coated them with layers of clear tape, which probably reinforce the outer shell as well. As you can see, the assorted villains have taken quite a beating by my fists over the years.

First step to a Wavemaster workout, if to watch some footage of how to properly throw basic punches like jabs, crosses and hook. Proper form is important, though not necessarily essential.

Next, make sure you are properly warmed up. I typically do a 10 to 20 minute warmup routine indoors, followed by a god 25 to 30 minute intense body weight / dumbell circuit. Though it uses more energy than one would before a fight, The Wavemaster doesn't hit back, and I like to ensure that my entire body is properly warmed up, to avoid injury.

Though you can punch with your bare hands, I prefer to use hand wraps and light boxing gloves, which allow me to put a lot more power into my punches with much less chance of breaking my hand or wrists.

Keep a water bottle nearby for hydration, a towel to towel down between rounds. A stop watch to time your rounds comes in handy, and a boombox with your favorite workout music makes it more enjoyable.

I aim for 5 or 6 rounds, usually about 3 minutes each. I start off with some light jabbing and punching, then to a couple round focussing more on speed and accuracy rather than full power. I work in increasing punch combinations of jabs, crosses and hooks, thrown both a head and body level of my target. I also switch stances from orthodox (left hand/foot first) to southpaw (right hand/foot first), to work out and practise punching from both sides evenly. Elite boxers switch stances at times during fight, but for the most part they stick to their natural stance, which would be orthodox for right handed people, and southpaw for lefties.

Once I've gone though a couple rounds, my heart rate is increased, and by body has warmed up / tuned in to punching mode. This is where the fun comes in, where I'm putting close to full power into every punch. I'll aim for a least 200 punches per round, often throwing more. So over a full workout, I'll throw between 1000 and 1500 punches, depending on the length of me boxing session.

Once done with the wavemaster, I store the bag in a dry space to keep it out of the rain. Then make sure to properly do some full body stretching for a good 10 minutes or so, as proper cooldown is important to recovery.

He is a short video clip I shot of myself using the Wavemaster punching bag, should give you a rough idea of what it's like.

Cycling to stay fit and healthy

One of the more enjoyable ways to stay fit and in good shape is cycling. Ever since I was a child, I've always enjoyed getting on my bike and riding the various routes, dedicated bike lanes, and trails in the Montreal area. Over the past 10-15 years, Montreal has become quite the bike friendly city, with reserved bike lanes and trails popping up all over the place.

Though most serious cyclists prefer road bikes, my primary concern when biking is comfort. I'll gladly give up speed and the ability to ride 100 km days for the comfort of my double suspension mountain bike. Though you lose some cranking power when pedaling hard or going uphill, I don't need to concern myself with wearing those funny looking padded shorts, nor with my bike shattering to pieces riding over our terrible roads or rougher trails.

In comparison to my other workout circuits, biking / cycling has proven the most effective for weight loss. During extended periods of time where I was forced to stay away from weights due to injuries, I lost a decent amount of weight simply putting in more time on my bike.

For motivation, I time my rides, trying to beat my previous bests for any given trail almost every time I ride. Keeps me pushing and panting, especially when riding uphill. Beating a previous record every now and then re-assures me that I'm on the right path to staying fit.

Living not too far from Mount Royal, I incorporate a decent amount of uphill trails into most of my cycling hours. The mountain itself has a nice wide trail all the way around it, and there are various roads that cut through the different slopes and peaks.

My favorite ride  is cutting through the Notre Dame des Neiges cemetery from Decelles, then exiting it at Camillien Houde, right across Beaver Lake. From there it a few minutes ride up to the peak where the radio towers are, via the Mount Royal trail (Chemin Olmstead).

See map at: https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5022677,-73.5934084,546m/data=!3m1!1e3

Typically stop to stretch on my way back down at the Chalet Du Mont Royal lookout.

Other decent rides up and down other segments of Mount Royal go through the upper scale residential areas of Westmount. Ascending from the North slope, Victoria, to Sunnyside, to Gordon Crescent, will lead you to Summit Circle. Not as long of a ride from where I live near Decarie / Van Horne, but a bit more of an intense uphill ride.

See map at: https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4919185,-73.6100944,640m/data=!3m1!1e3

Lastly, most of the roads going South from the Boulevard are quite steep. Very quick acceleration downhill, and a short but intense uphill on any of the roads between Grosvernor and Clarke once you pass Sherbrooke and climb back up.

Aside from the mountain trails, I often combine biking with fishing. I can hit the Lachine canal trail within less than 25 minutes, and although fishing there is tough, I am able to run and gun many spots within an hour or so, just perfect for a short bike n fish break during my work day. Biking to the canal and back involves climbing Mount Royal with some fishing gear on my back, which ads to the workout.

The Lachine Canal trail runs about 12.5 kilometers from it's starting point on the Lachine/Lasalle border, and runs along the canal into Old Montreal. The trail tens to get very busy on weekends, so I try to bike it only during the week during work hours during peak season. Various waterfront parks to stop at along the way, a bike rental/repair shop, and of course, plenty of spots to cast your line. The canal is accessible from various points, I typically hit it by climbing Mount Royal, crossing lower Westmount into Ville St Henri, than then heading West towards Ville St Pierre, or East towards Little Burgundy. See map at: https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4589907,-73.6019523,13.47z

Alternatively, I can fish the Riviere des Prairies by crossing St Laurent and Cartierville, a bit more of a steady flat ride without much incline. Less scenic, but still a good cardio workout. Gouin Boulevard runs along the waterfront, and certain segments of it further East have some bike trails.

Additionally, there are some nice trails off the island that require driving to by car.

The South shore trail intermittently runs along the St Lawrence River though Brossard and La Prairie.
See map at: https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.480524,-73.5064053,15.97z

The Soulanges Canal bike trail West of Montreal Runs 24 KM from Pointes Des Cascades to Les Coteaux (Coteaux Landing). Scenic paved trial runs along the South side of the canal trhough wooded area, much less bike or foot traffic than the Lachine Canal trail.
See map at:  https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.3288924,-74.1091795,12.5z

Lastly, the longest dedicated bike trail in our region is the Linear park / Ptit train du Nord, that runs 200 KM from St Jerome up to Mont Laurier. Originally an old rail track, it was turned into a bike trail after the trains stopped running. Much of it is a well managed dirt trail, though the Northern segments are paved. It runs mainly through forest, with some very scenic rivers and lakes along the way. As it passes through many small villages, stopping for a bite, drink or other leisure activities, is only minutes away. A yearly access fee of $15 is no longer in effect, so it's free to ride.

View their web and interactive map with a list of points of interest along the trail at:
http://www.laurentides.com/en/linear-park/maps-train-stations-and-parking-0

Proper nutrition for weight loss and fitness training

Though exercise and fitness training play a big part when it comes to getting in shape and looking good, proper nutrition is the key factor to achieving and maintaining results. Without getting into too many details, the basic idea is to burn what you consume. Extra consumption will generally lead to weight gain, and under consumption will lead to weight loss.

Artificial diet pills and other "magic" products most often yield temporary results if any at all, and are simply a colossal waste of money. They have been designed and marketed by companies preying on on people that lack the willpower/motivation to lose weight, and that are unable or unwilling to put in their time exercising. As human nature is often to find the "easy way out", new miracle weight loss supplements pop up every day, ready to fleece the next unfortunate victim by selling the some snake oil.

Various calculators exist to determine a ballpark figure of daily energy / calorie consumption required to survive. These calorie calculations are generally based on height, weight, age and gender. A Google search should yield many results to help you determine your "break even point". Any additional exercise will burn extra energy, so normally would require extra calorie consumption, unless you are trying to lose weight.

Using my self as an example, as a  5.6 feet tall, 150 lbs, and 42 year old male, I'll lose a few pounds per week limiting my intake to 1500 calories a day with 4-5 hours of exercise. If I increase my intake to 2000 calories per day, I'll likely put on about 1 lb per week until I hit a higher weight, at which point it would likely level itself out.

Limiting my self to 1500 calories a day isn't too hard, but if I want to feel energized and have enough stamina and power when I work out, I must not only consume the most efficient foods, but also consume the different food groups at different time of the day. I not strict to the point of monitoring all dietary nutrition, simply a general calorie count a healthy mix of anything I feel like eating.

A kitchen scale is extremely useful in determining a given food's calorie value. One you have the weight, you can research the calorie value either on the label, or online when it come to unlabelled foods like fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.

As I like to work out before lunch, I start off with an early breakfast of roughly 60 to 70 percent carbohydrates, and the rest protein/fat. If opting to eat bread, I try to stick with whole wheat bread, proteins are usually cheese, milk, eggs. Breakfast cereals containing extra protein are a decent choice as well. I stay away from sugar, and very rarely drink any coffee. I typically drink a cup of unsweetened black or green tea flavored with mint of ginger in the morning. I aim for a total consumption of 400-500 calories for breakfast.

A good time for lunch, is immediately of exercising. Recovering muscle need protein, so this is typically where most of my fish and meat consumption happens. I like to catch most of my fish, but that isn't always possible. When I can, I stick with wild caught walleye or Northern pike fillets, either baked or sauteed with a touch of butter and breading, or fresh caught trout(rainbow, speckled or brown), either baked or pan fried. Store bought steelhead or salmon is good too.

If I opt to eat meat, most often it will be grilled or roasted chicken or turkey breast. Calorie count is way less than read meat. Also contains less cholesterol and saturated fats. Way better on my wallet too. I will usually top off the lunch with a vitamin packed fruit, grapefruit, apple or bananas are my staple choices. Again, I'll aim for about 400-500 calories consumed.

I always try to eat supper early, try to not eat much after 6:00 PM. Supper is usually when I get my fiber, most often a large salad with spinach, carrot, celery, tomato, cucumber, and some sort of beans or corn. I not a fan of dressing, maybe a teaspoon of olive oil, or half and avocado to help my body absorb the raw nutrients. Some lemon juice, very little if any salt, and lots of black or cayenne pepper for flavor. Will typically top off the salad with some seeds and nuts, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachio kernels, or brazil buts. The nuts I consume are either raw or dry roasted, with nothing added. Very important not to over consume nuts if trying to lose weight, as they are packed with fat and are very high in calories. Again, here is where a scale comes in very handy, as a handful of nuts may pack close to 100 calories.

Fluid consumption is important as well. I don't touch any soda, diet or otherwise. Ever. I stay away from fruit juices, except a half a cup of pomegranate juice after dinner, extremely good for blood circulation and cardio vascular system. I won't touch alcohol either, at least not on any weekdays, limiting my self to water and unsweetened herbal tea.

Lastly, NO junk food such as chips, chocolate bars, cookies, cake, etc.

I don't find my diet to be drastic at all, as I indulge in most of the foods I like, simply limiting my consumption to normal portions. That being said, constantly watching what you eat requires a lot of self control, especially when my wife is cooking all sort of tastier food for the rest of the family. Over time, it would likely be impossible to stick with this sort of diet every day, at least for me.

This is where Shabbat comes in. As an observant Jew, part of keeping Shabbat is enjoying certain traditional meals. For me, it is the time to let loose once a week and treat myself to whatever I skip on the other 6 days. I can go through hefty amounts of beer, wine, scotch, tequila, meat, and a few pastries over a period of about 25-26 hours,. Of course, I pay the price when it's all said and done. I typically put on 4-6 lbs in that period, though they come off rather easily, typically in about 2-3 days when I'm back to my regular nutrition.

I'm not advocating anyone to emulate my bad eating / drinking habits once a week, but I do believe that everyone should take a few days off a month to reward themselves for the self discipline they put in on a daily basis. Whether you prefer a sizzling steak with a tall glass of cold beer, and nice bowl of pasta with wine, or possible a large slice of cake for those of you with a sweet tooth, give yourself something to look forward to every once in a while.

Getting fit with GSP Rushfit circuit training

As mentioned in my previous post, my first step towards losing weight and getting fit again at 40 years old, as purchasing the George St Pierre Rushfit program. I've been a fan of George St. Pierre dating back to his pre-UFC debut, back when he was fighting local televised venues in Kahnawake. I've followed his rise to glory as UFC champion, and always admired both his work ethic, and humble attitude. As MMA fighters are just about the epitome of fitness level, I figured I'd have a decent shot with his program.

The 6 DVD set comes with a nutrition guide, workout chart to plan your exercise routine, and most importantly, the DVD's with various workout programs. Designed by George's trainer Eric Owings, they can be used by beginners as well as high level athletes, just following along George, Eric, and a few others on the screen.

What sold me on the program was the lack of having to get any equipment outside a workout mat and a set of dumbell weights that I already had. Just cleared out enough space in my office, and I was ready to start.

As soon as my busy season at work slowed down, I started with the beginner program, 8 weeks of GSP rushfit, combined with his nutritional plan. The plan begins with a workout schedule of 3 days in the week, along with some extra cardio sessions of your choice. Throughout the program, the seventh day is a rest day, which ends up perfect for me. As an orthodox /  Shabbat observant Jew, I do not watch TV on Shabbat, nor do I workout.

The workouts start with a 10 minute warmup session, which is the same for all workouts, and a 6-7 minute cool down once the workout is over, again, same cool down for all workouts. The the warmup is good for all of them, I would have preferred a cooldown that was more specific to each workout, as different muscle groups and exercise styles (isometric, plyometric, etc0 are used. The workouts are all based on 5 x 5 minute rounds, with 1 minute of rest in between each round, simulating a championship MMA fight (minus getting hit!). Though George is in tremendous shape, he looks just as human as anyone else throughout the series, sweating, grunting, being out of breath at times. The beauty of this system, is that the same workout works just as well for beginners.

As for the nutrition plan, I use it as a general guideline, but did not follow it to a tee. I don’t diet on Shabbat either, and it’s the one day I allow myself to enjoy a few beers and some nice Tequila/Scotch. No matter, I made up for the extra calories throughout the rest of the week. At the end of each workout week, I got on the scale to gauge results.

I documented the program live on a week by week basis , so from time to time, you'll notice me speaking in present or future tense, even though this all happened a couple years ago...

Week #1:

I opened the first DVD, a Strength and endurance workout. GSP’s trainer Eric Owings is a “kinder” version of a drill sergeant, calling to moves, correcting form, and pressing you to pick up the pace throughout the session. GSP along with a couple others are working to a quick  pace. I was surprised that I was actually following along for the most part, albeit at a slower pace. Needless to say, I was gassed at the end of my first workout, and had many aching muscles for the next couple days, as I tapped into many muscles that I rarely use.

Next GSP Rushfit workout was the abdominal training. Again, quite intense for a beginner, but less intense than the strength and endurance workout, except for the 5^th round.

Finally, my third workout of the series, was the fight conditioning workout. I strongly suggest watching the foundation moves section of the DVD, especially if you are not familiar with combat sports. Takes about 45 minutes, but very well worth it, as you’ll have proper form for the entire workout, which is essential.

By the end of the week, I was surprised at how much energy I had, despite the major cutback in my calorie intake. Moment of truth, I got on the scale after the first week ended, I lost a whopping 7 lbs!

  

Week # 2:

Being pumped from the success of the previous week, I was determined to build on what I had started. The workouts already seemed significantly easier, and I found myself pushing a lot harder. The Fight conditioning combinations were coming more naturally as well. Towards the end of the week, I tried the bonus “Balance and agility” workout. Starts off easy, but the last 12 minutes are very intense, felt like I was going to explode by the end.

Again, got on the scale to another nice surprise, lost 4 more lbs! At this point, my wife decided to get on the program as well.

Week # 3:

Another week of improving speed, endurance and form, building on the work from the previous weeks. Got to try a new workout, “Full body & strength conditioning”, again, quite intense when doing new exercises, alternated between 5 and 0 lbs dumbbells on it. End of the week weigh in seemed to start balancing out, lost only 1 lb in week #3, but not surprising considering the quantity of alcohol I had consumed the previous weekend.

Week #4:

Another good workout week, increased weight to 10 lbs dumbbells for most of the exercises in all workouts, to raise the intensity. For exercises that used body motion only, I made a conscious effort to put a lot more into the speed. Besides for all the workouts, we were moving lot’s of furniture at home, so I got some good exercise hauling beds, mattresses and furniture up and down the stairs. Surprised to only lose 1 lb in week #4 after all I had done, but at least I still lost weight.

Week #5:

Packed in as much workouts as I could in the first 4 days, as I travelled to Dallas towards the end of the week. No weigh in as I was away from home.

Week #6:

Did a couple workouts in Dallas, but also came down with strep throat which I likely caught from my kids the previous week, as it was going around at home. After couple days on penicillin, I worked out again, although at a bit of a slower page, and more effort. Not sure if it was the smartest thing to do, but by this point I found myself mentally and physically craving the workout. By week’s end, I was very surprised to have lost another 5 lbs (over 2 weeks)!

Week #7:

By now the workouts are getting relatively easy, barring a few of the extremely intense rounds in some of the workouts. The final un-opened “Explosive power training” DVD is introduced, and to my increased fitness level, less intense than when I originally opened new ones earlier on in the program. Lost another 2 lbs in Week #7.

Week # 8:

Final week of the my initial Rushfit program. Gave it my all this week, really made the extra effort to work as hard as possible. Explosive training and strength/endurance workouts remain the toughest ones for me to get through at this pace, the the other 4 are relatively easier as long as you managed to keep proper mental focus on each set. Finally, the moment of truth, I got on the scale, dropped another 3 lbs!

My overall assessment of this training program is great. I love being able to train my full body instead of just specific muscles. I love being able to mix up the various workout rotations and cardio, so it doesn’t become monotonous. I (and my wife) love the way I look. I love the energy boost I feel every day. Most of all, I love the fact that I was able to achieve knocking off 23 lbs in 8 weeks, in a relatively easy, cost effective and fun way.

That being said, I was ready to take it to the next level and hit another 8 weeks. 

Week # 9:

Decided to change it up a bit. The Rushfit blog recommends taking at least 1 week break, then starting the next level. As I have a bit of holidays coming up in a few weeks for Passover where I probably won’t be able to workout too much, I decided to push through until then at my own pace. Plan is to do 5 workouts a weeks, with one day off for stretching and another day of simply resting. Started off Sunday doing the Strength and endurance workout, which is one of the tougher ones. Followed up on Monday with the fight conditioning workout, and Tuesday with the abdominal training. Did both the balance and agility and stretching on the Wednesday, as Thursday was a Jewish fast day and I wasn’t going to workout out. Ended off the week doing the Full body and strength training on Friday.

During 2 of my sessions, I started finding that some rounds were getting too easy, so plan is to up the weight next week. Lost another pound during week 9.

Week #10:

Mixed up the schedule again this week. Started off with strength and endurance on Sunday. Had way too much to drink Sunday night, ended up drunker than expected at a Purim party. Somehow managed to avoid a hangover the following morning, drank lots of water and was ready to workout a few hours later. Went with the Abdominal training workout, which is one of the easier ones for me. Increased my dumbbell weight in round 1 to 15 lbs, still no major issues despite all the booze I drank the previous night. Took the day off to ice fish on Tuesday, and followed up on Wednesday with the full body and strength conditioning workout. Increased dumbbell weights in round 2 to 20 lbs, and round 5 at 15 lbs, still doing 10 lbs for rounds 3 & 4. Did the stretch workout instead of the usual 5 minute cooldown. Following with good sessions of the fight conditioning workout on Thursday, and explosive power training on Friday.

A relative warm front came in this week, outside temperature hovered a bit below the freezing mark. Despite working out with the windows wide open, I was sweating a lot more than I had been earlier on in the winter. Getting worried that I’m going to need a 3^rd air conditioner once summer comes around.

Ended up losing another pound during week 10, despite all the heavy eating and boozing the previous weekend. Also started noticing definition in many muscles, seems like shedding fat and increasing workout intensity and using higher weights are having their desired effect.

Week #11:

Another week of shuffling the workouts. Parts of the standard daily routine is lateral planks done at 5 second intervals, with longer periods being encouraged. Upped them to the max of 30 seconds in warmup, and 60 seconds during the workouts that cal for that particular exercise.

Increased my wiehgt to 20 lb dumbells for some sets, 15 lbs for other (up from 10 lbs.) Managed to strain one of my outer hamstrings a bit during the level changes of the fight conditioning workout, but found that some good stretches in the stretch/flexibilty DVD so wonders at smoothing it out. A bit of Myoflex, Arnica and Advil helped as well, was good for the next workout within 48 hours.

Ended losing another 2 lbs in week 11. Random visit to my doctor, he was absolutely amazed with my results. Just out of curiosity, we referred me for another blood test in a few months, to see how all this exercise and proper nutrition will affect my lipids / LDL counts once I’ve reached my target weight.

Week #12:

Increased weight for many of the workouts this week, but it seems that all this pushing has aggravated something in my left elbow. Noticed it a bit late last week, but didn’t think much of it. This week it became increasingly painful, especially a few hours after doing dumbbell circuits with increased weight. Bummer, as next week was scheduled to be my last before a mandatory 2 week resting period, so will probably avoid all dumbbell circuits next week. GSP Rushfit has 2 complete workouts without any dumbbells, and I can also mix and match a few rounds of selected workouts, as well as do some cardio on my bike as the roads are just about clear of snow at this point.

Lost another 2 lbs this week.

Week # 13:

Started off the week doing the fight conditioning workout, as my left arm was still a bit sore from the previous week. Took Monday off to fish, and pulled a muscle in my right forearm trying to figure out a new throwing stick I bought. So much for any possible dumbbell circuits, ended up mixing and matching workouts and rounds that don’t involve dumbbells for the rest of the week. Proper nutrition became more complicated due to the upcoming Passover holiday and not having my kitchen available. Still managed to lose ½ a lb in week 13.

Time to take a mandatory break from Rushfit, 2 weeks is what the Rushfit blog suggests. Works out perfectly with my holiday schedule, which all falls during weekday this year. Proper nutrition will definitely be out the window over the holidays, with all the upcoming feasts and mandatory  ceremonial wine consumption. I’ve lost 30 lbs so far, and hope to start another 8 weeks Rushfit training schedule when the holidays are over, with a target loss of 10 lbs by the end of June.

Week # 14:

After a mandatory 2 weeks rest period, I was itching to get back to a regular workout schedule. During my time off which coincided with Passover, I managed to put on 1 lbs in the first week, then lose 2 lbs the following week, by simply watching my calorie intake. I also came down with strep throat again for the second time in 2 months, I guess all that dieting and exercise left me vulnerable to the germs at home with all the kids and daycare kids sharing bacteria. Either way, it all worked out, my sore/aching muscles were back to normal.

Started off Sunday with the Strength and endurance workout. A bit tougher than last time around, as I was just getting back into the routine after nothing but some light stretching for 2 weeks. By the following day, the fight conditioning workout had me sweating again, as did the abdominal workout I followed up with on Tuesday. After taking Wednesday off for some stretching, I was more than ready for the full body workout, which contains the most dumbbell circuits (4) in the series. Pushed through it a record speed for repetitions, though my glutes and knees were a bit stiff by that night. Rubbed in a bit of Arnica, felt great by Friday. Finished of my week on Friday doing the balance and agility workout, and managed to lose another pound.

At this point, I had stopped documenting my success. I did another 4-5 weeks of combining the Rushfit workouts, until I eventually pushed to hard, injuring my shoulder. As the only thing that would help my shoulder at that point was resting it, I had to switch my routine and cut out the rushfit training until I healed up. Luckily, this coincided with mid Spring in Quebec, so I switched to cycling for most of my weekly exercise.

The first 6 months of using rushit helped me lose over 35 lbs, and put on a significant amount of muscle instead of fat. Not to mention feeling like I was 5-10 years younger. 

Without getting into many details about my cycling in this post, I stayed off the Rushfit program from June to December in order to heal properly, during which time I lost another 8 lbs while cycling though the summer.

My the time winter was back and I put my bike away due to all the snow, I was ready for another run at the Rushfit program. Did another 18 weeks or so of Rushfit, with a few weeks of rest in between. Knocked off another 5 lbs of fat, and put on a bit of muscle as well. Unfortunately, my RSI injury in my wrist came back again, probably due to me pushing too hard with increasing dumbell weights during my sets. I took it easy on the weight, and stuck with routines that avoided aggravating it, as well as a bit of added cycling. Lost another 5 lbs or so, bring my total weight loss from the beginning to over 50 lbs.

With the next set of Jewish holidays, the massive amounts of holiday food and alcohol consumption caused me to put back another 12 lbs or so in a matter of 3-4 weeks, as working out on the holidays is forbidden as previously mentioned. Though it was frustrating, Another 3 months of Rushfit got me back to my ideal weight of 150 lbs.

Finally, after nearly 2 years of Rushfit training, I started getting tired of the same routine each time, so I designed my own circuits based on many of the exercises I learned to do from the Rushfit program, as well as some others. Those circuits, in addition to outdoor cycling in summer, and indoor cycling in winter, have replaced my Rushfit routine for now.

Still, I can safely attribute  most of my success to George, Eric and the Rushfit program they created. While people may spend thousands on a fancy gym to get similar results, I spent less than $100 total, aside from my time and commitment to stick with the Rushfit plan.

Getting fit at 40 years old

I've decided to start this blog and share my experience of getting physically fit at the age of forty. So I guess I'll start by sharing a bit about my background and past.

I've always enjoyed being physically active and spending time outdoors, ever since I was a child. I stayed active until my late teens, at which time a few circumstances in my life led my being less active, less fit, and less healthy.

I started smoking at the age of 17, and within a couple years I was smoking between 1 to 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I always enjoyed good food and lots of beer, and as I went through computer school, my lifestyle was extremely sedentary. These combined factors led to rapid weight gain. By the age of 21, I weighed nearly 200 lbs, morbidly obese for someone that measures just 5'6. 

After having lost the weight with a crash diet in my late twenties, I quit smoking and took up exercise. Though I put on a fair bit of muscle, I wasn't really watching my calorie intake, so I eventually put on some weight over the next decade. In my late thirties, I ran into a repetitive stress wrist injury that put an end to my ability to lift weights for a couple years, and again, my weight ballooned to nearly 200 lbs, and my waist being 38 inches around. Not a pretty sight to say the least.

 

At the age of 40, upon advice from my doctor, I decided to finally stop sitting around and making excuses for myself. Sitting on a chair in front of a screen all day isn't conducive to weight loss, but I'm blessed enough to have a very flexible schedule. As such, I committed myself to getting my weight back where it should be, in a healthy manner. 

After doing some research as to what sort of exercise routine I would incorporate into my lifestyle, I decided on home based circuit training. This would give me the leisure of being able to workout at home or at my office, without having to pay expensive gym fees, stand in line to share sweaty machines with hundreds of other people, and be tied down to going there in general.

After doing some comparison shopping, I decided to try the George St. Pierre's Rushfit program. Aside from being well priced at under $100 for 6 DVD's, I am an avid MMA fans. With George being the UFC champion, and local hometown favorite, I was sold on his brand for my planned weight management and fitness training.

Though I rarely use those DVD's any more, they were the key that put me on proper nutrition, safe and healthy training, and general mind frame of being committed enough to stick with my new lifestyle. 

My goal isn't to become a shredded bodybuilder or gym rat. The training and nutrition plan I follow was designed by myself, to help me feel fit, strong, and comfortable with my body.