Day 16

Well now.  Another morning another workout.  Talked to a pal yesterday and we decided to go for a ride in the am.  So, after waking at 5:44 AM, I got set to go.  The ride is ten minus away, so it's easy.  Still.  5:44  Really.  Anyway, I'm back and feel great. 

Great place to ride.  The trails were cut by mountain biker for moutain biking.  Not the old roads, horse trails, or walking trails.  Moutain bike trails with great, squirely lines with tons of technical-ness.  You have to be on your game when you come to rock fields.  The side wall of my tires are taking a beating.  And let me thank the makers of my arm and leg pads. 
 

Fitness: Surf n Mountain Bike

Interesting

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/riding-the-wave-of-surfer-fitness/?smid=pl-share

Props to James Wilson for this article from About.com.  Thing is that I'll take this into account. 

No Gym, No Problem – Mountain Bike Strength Training

Real Bodyweight Training for Mountain Bikers - Day 1

From James Wilson

 

Bodyweight training is a very effective and efficient way for mountain bikers to add strength training into their programs. It is convenient since it can be done anywhere and with minimal equipment and offers several benefits beyond simply making you stronger. Unfortunately, though, most riders only think of push ups, pull ups and some crunches when the words “bodyweight exercises” are mentioned. While these exercises are fine, they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this type of training.When challenging exercises and variations are used, bodyweight training is very effective for building real strength. Remember that anything done for more than 6-8 reps in a set is not truly building strength. At that point you are instead starting to build up muscle and short term strength endurance. As mountain bikers it is not usually the endurance that we need to work on with strength training since we get that on the bike, instead it is raw strength that needs to be increased.Bodyweight training also offers the added benefit of increasing our body awareness and control. As mountain bikers, these attributes are extremely important for us as we try to increase our skill level. As my friend and popular skills coach Gene Hamilton has pointed out, it is amazing how many people in his camps simply do not know where they are in space in relation to their bike. This makes learning the new skills he is trying to teach them difficult to pick up since they do not know how to control their body and bike as they need to. This also increases the likelihood of crashing since they do not know how to “stay loose” and flow when things get a little hairy, which is an inevitable thing if you ride actual trails instead of just spinning on fire roads.So, considering the extra strength, body control and increased skill and safety aspects, every mountain biker should be incorporating a good strength training program with an emphasis on bodyweight type movements. Although there are a lot of other great tools that can vastly expand the exercise choices (such as a Swiss ball or pull up bar) I am going to keep this routine simple by using exercises that require no other equipment besides a chair. That way everyone who reads this can start incorporating this routine today instead of having to wait until they can get out and pick up something extra. This also makes it a great routine to use on the road when you do not have access to extra equipment.Before I get into the workout itself I need to explain how to read it. This 2 day workout will consist of 8 exercises each day, and each exercise will be paired with another exercise resulting in 4 pairings, also known as supersets. Grouping the exercises in this way allows for more work to get done in less time and also helps bring about a good anaerobic conditioning effect, increasing your strength endurance as well as your raw strength.You can tell which exercises are paired together by the letter and number listed with them. The letter tells you which exercises are paired together and the number tells you the order of the pairing. For example, when you see an A1 with an exercise and an A2 listed with the next exercise, you know that those two exercises are paired together. You would do one set of the A1 exercise, rest for the prescribed time and then do a set of the A2 exercise. You would repeat this sequence until all the prescribed sets for each exercise is done and then you would move on to the next exercise pairing.The next thing that you need to be aware of as you read the workout is the tempo for each exercise. Tempo allows me to assign a rep speed which will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the workout. Tempo is communicated via a three number sequence such as 3-1-3. The first number tells you what speed to lower yourself down in the exercise, the second number tells you how long to pause at the bottom and the third number tells you what speed to raise yourself back up.Using the 3-1-3 example with a push up you would lower yourself down to a count of 3, pause for a count of 1 at the bottom position and then push yourself back up to a count of 3. While it may take a little while to get used to, tempo is a great way to increase the difficulty of the workout while also ensuring that you are using the same rep speed throughout your entire set. Most of the time as we fatigue we start to move faster and let our form break down which robs us of results and opens us up to increased injury potential.Now, on to the workout (Please check out the video link below for detailed explanations of each exercise): Day 1Format:
Exercise > Pairing > Sets and Reps > Tempo > RestJumping Box Squat > A1 > 3 X 5 > 1-0-* > 30 sec.
Feet Elevated Push Ups > A2 > 3 X 6-8 > 3-3-3 > 30 sec.
(* means to explode quickly)Bulgarian Split Squat > B1 > 2 X 6-8 > 3-3-3 > 30 sec.
Inch Worm > B2 > 2 X 6-8 > N/A > 30 sec.Uni Stiff Leg Deadlift > C1 > 2 X 6-8 > 3-3-3 > 30 sec.
Door Frame Rows > C2 > 2 X 6-8 > 3-3-3 > 30 sec.Step Ups > D1 > 2 X 6-8 > 3-3-3 > 30 sec.
Ab Sequence > D2 > 2 rounds > N/A > 10 sec.please continue to the second page for the second day of exercises.

Props to About.com 

Day 15

Workout, 15th day.  Worked out legs and back.  Hollywood Physique. 


      Back squat (3×15)

Rope pull-down (6×6)

Lat pull-down(6×6)

Calf press in leg press machine (3×20)

Incline walk (1o minutes)

Day 14

Mountain Biking.  3.98 miles in Vietnam with Jeff.   We met a 6:00 AM, Jeff had obligations of the family nature that had to be attended to.  So, off we went and it was great morning for a ride.  Twenty five minutes in, one of the screws that holds onto a cleat on the bottom of my shoe let go.  The clear snaps into a peddle.  So, I'm screwed because I can't get out of the peddle on the right side.  So, we had to take it easy and do a small loop with no nasty things I'd have to bail on if need be. 

Good ride.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/bSdugW-TmTI"     Great video from Vietnam. 

Props to CaptnExtreme for the vid.

  Props to FreeHub.com and Ryan Kirk.

Day 13

Working out in the am.   Just finished the Hollywood Physique workout and feeling the burn.  Got up this morning and had a pre-workout drink, something new, and got started.  I know that I've mentioned it before, but the fact that you are going so much slower with each rep does a variety of things: it forces me to concentrate more on the actual muscles that I'm working out.  Doing so I'm in a constant state of tension (not the right word) - contraction - throughout each rep.  That contraction forces the muscle to work throughout the rep.  How long did I move weight around without the focus that I do now?  A long time.

Funny how day 13 of the working out has led to little victories.  I feel stronger, more focused, and Mrs. Ntckfit mentioned that I looked better.  Now all that is worth the effort, and then some.  Speaking of Mrs. Ntckfit, she is a beautiful woman who is my rock.  And the fact that she has recovered from ACL surgery and has fired through all the associated issues related to recover and has come out the other side - working out with a trainer, paddle board afficianado, and expert skier - makes me want to give her a huge hug and a nudge right now.  I love you babe! 

 

Day 12

Tuesday.  Went for a great paddle board cruise with Mrs. Ntfit.  Talk about a great shoulder, core workout.  Sweet.   Left the paddles by the lake, though.  Hmm.  I ordered two leashes for the boards made by Dakine - the arrived yesterday.    Time to go.

 

Day 11

It's Monday Morning and I got up for a 6:30 workout.  Doesn't sound like much just typed here, but the fact is it is huge.  Huge.  I'm getting ready for the school year when I'm going to be getting up early to workout.  Not bad at all.  In fact, I feel great right now, just hungry. 

I did a workout today that was shoulders and arms yet again and then three sets of dead lifts.  Interesting.  The workout is the Hollywood Physique.  I'm not following it as it is laid out - and most likely will not see the results that they promise - so be it.  I'm not neccessarily all about being cut at 50.  Though, truth be told, I could move away from the middle aged guy shape. 

Day 10

Hello All -  I'm salty and sweaty still.  Just got back to ntckfit central and poured a cup of coffee.  Good stuff. 

I went to "Vietnam" in Milford.  Vietnam there is a mountain biking preserve.  NEMBA (New England Mountain Biking Association) along with a bunch of sponsors back some time purchased about 40 acres of land.  Mountain bikers have been there for awhile and the trails were laid down - but after the purchase, the trails grew in number and complexity.  The trail maintenance is excellent.  The thing about it that I like is the terrain.

(These images came of the internets, so props to all the riders in the pics and the sites they came from - oh, and the photograpers too.)
Some mtn bikers like drops, some downhill, some cross country.  I'm a cross country guy.  I love technical trails with lots of baby head sized rocks that I can either blow over super fast or that I can pick myself a line and cruise through.  I love to find rock gardens that are just that - only rocks that you have to carefully cruise through with little wiggle room for error  - mess up, and you head into the rocks. 

So, Day 10 workout is complete.  And now its onto working out cutting a bed on the side lawn.  The workout that is coming is going to be epic - I have no idea how much weight over all I'll be moving, but it's a lot.  

I was on my way home from the mtn bike ride and I realized something: I feel more in shape.  I haven't had that thought in a long time, and truth be told, it's great to feel.   

Day 9

Source: mylifebody.com

I just completed a shoulder routine with the new program which I'll call HP.  It's designed to work the muscles that create a shaped musculature based on hitting the high profile muscles that ultimately develop into a distinct shape.  Think Brad Pitt in Fight Club.   I'm working on muscle development and shedding fat.  Yes, fat is evil and should be punished. 

Here's something.  I suck at consistency.  Or I should say that I sucked at consistency of working out.  For too long I let the other crap in my life get in front of what is important - my physical and metal being.  I remember when I was in super shape and how I felt - awesome.  I like the feeling of looking good.  Vanity?  Yup.  But it was more than that.  It was a sense of pride that I was consistently doing better in the workouts, eating well.  I had a very good balance then and I worked towards that now. 

Mrs. Ntckfit is on the same path as well, and it is sweet being in the same place.

29er Mountain Bike29er Mountain Bike

Day 8

What a day.  Okay, this day was a low key workout day, but a workout nonetheless.  I turned 50 and my family bought me a paddle board.  It's great.  Mrs. Ntckfit loves hers, and would take off for up to an hour when we were at the beach.  So, it looked like fun and I was surprised when I was told that was the big gift for 50.  Very cool. 

We went to this local pond in Hopkinton and were out there for about 45 minutes or so.  It was a great core, shoulder, and arms workout.  And I felt it even more because I did my shoulders yesterday. 

Day 8 fini.

Later,

Day 7

Well now.  I tried a new program today, and it has shorter, more intense workouts than P90X.   The burn factor is so much more. And there's talk out there in the internets (yes, the internets) that the lengthier the burn the better. The thing about the intensity is each rep is super slow.  You're in total contraction mode and moving through each rep SLLOWWLY.  I'm about to head out for an incline walk. Back.  That was short and sweet. Thinking about either going for a ride or paddle board later in the day with Mrs. Ntckfit. 

     Squats (3×8)                                         25 lbs.

Wide-grip neck press (3×8)                 15

Side laterals (3×8)                               10

Preacher curls (3×8)                            10

Incline walking (10 minutes)

Later,

Birthday Weekend

Man oh man. That was fun. It did not, however, fit into the fitness/healthy living category. Hmm.  Let me be honest, I used it (the weekend) as an excuse to eat and drink. And I did. Not to excess, but definitely off the path. Definitely. So be it. What is one if not human. First rationalization drips off my fingertips too easily. The thing is, I will be back at it in the am on the morn.

Adieu, readers.

Day 6

Got up, dressed, grabbed the dog and went for a walk for 27 minutes,  Now, who said a good walk wasn't part of this plan?  I hadn't done that in a long time, just got up in the morning and gone for a walk with the dog.  I think that will change in the future.  There are two programs out there that insist that walking is integral to the program - one is the incline walk and the other is a 4 mph walk, but nonetheless, it's walking.

I will continue to bike (mountain and road), walk, and swim.   I too will be starting the rehab protocol for my foot - it is susceptible to stress fractures.  And that is something that I WILL NOT DO TO MYSELF AGAIN!  Stress fractures suck. 

Day 5

Again. Yes, again. I worked out again. Today was Shoulders and Arm and Ab Ripper X.  I like the S&A workout the best of all the P90X workouts.  It seems that as I got fit that the fat seemed to leave my shoulders and arms first, and I could see definition of the muscles.  Fat comes off in layers, and the layers that stick longer go 'round my gut and chest. 

So, yesterday I completed that HIIT bike ride and came in and saw Mrs. Ntckfit.  She was a tad freaked out, as I was grey.  Yes, grey.  Which means that my blood oxygen level was WAY too low.  Kind of scary for the Mrs. and a wake-up call for me.  First get in shape then push myself that hard.  Walk before running.   

Day 4

Went out this morning at 730 for a quick ride.  The goal was High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and it worked. I rode 8 miles in 28 minutes with and average speed of 16.73.  Hammering for me. 

Ok, I've decided to look at my weight once a week and not be focused on weight. Also, that the part about diet is essential. Man, it is too easy to screw that up.  So, smaller portions, more meals a day, and clean eating are the keys there. 

Today:  Eat clean, work at the new job for a bit, and hang with Mrs. Ntckfit.

Later,

Day 3

Ok.  It's three days in and I'm feeling good.  Just got back from a 6 mile mountain bike ride with my bud in a place called "Vietnam".  No, not the country, but a parcel of land that was purchased exclusively for mountain biking.  And truth be told, it's one of the best places on the east coast to ride.  Very technical in parts, while in other parts, it's rolling trails. Good fun. Sweet workout.

 

This morning I did Chest and Back from P90X and that was interesting (for me).  The amount of strength I've lost is considerable.   As it should be because I've done squat for so long.  So be it.  Thing is if feel good, and that's the ticket. 

So I sit here and think that my birthday is coming up.  50  I wonder if I've done enough to be healthy.  Hmm.  Makes me think.  Truth is, its been a on and off eating well (clean) and working out for ages.  I worked out for two years straight and changed my body.  Big time.  But it all fell apart right around when I was dealing with my dad dying.   I lost the focus I had.

I hope that someone who reads this can identify with the struggle.  Fitness is a path.  Sometimes your find yourself on it and rock solid, other times you fallen in the rut on the side of the path.  Right now, I feel like I'm in the middle, maybe with some rocks that I can plow over on my mountain bike. 

Later,

Day 2

Well now, the day was a bit different than I thought.  My alarm did not go off as I expected it would (that has to do with my trying to set it last night without my new glasses on) so I got up late.  That led to eating late, then I had to get set and ready to go to my new job's HR department.  SO.... Mrs. Ntckfit and I rode in the evening = 12 miles on the road.

Truth be told, the ride was ok.  The roads were awful for half the ride.  But I got a good solid workout in.  I have to say that I feel good right now, out of the bike duds, cleaned up, and laughing at Mrs. Ntckfit.

I added a new widget to my blog from DailyMiles.com.  That's kind of cool.

Did you ever think that writing online would be a good way to motivate?   I recognized awhile ago that logging no matter how kept me on the path, so to speak.  So, I'll continue to blog away.

Eats: Clean and on target
Water: Some to go, but on target
Vitamins: Yup
Workout: Yes
Attitude: Positive and focused

Good Times!

Trip to the National Parks

Flight over the canyon

Grand Canyon

Right outside our room

On the road to Monument Valley

Mule Deer on the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon

Monument Valley

Arizona

Day One

I've decided to post what I'm doing to get healthy and to be consistent about it.  I look at the heading of the blog and feel that its as true today as it was when I wrote it: diet, working out, consistency, and determination.  The reality is that I have allowed other things to get in front of what is important - my health.  And that is not the way I want to live.  The fact that I've lived in a state of stress for too long (long story) has something to do with the falling off the cliff of fitness.  But that, in a way, is an excuse. So be it, I'm on the path again and feel good about it. 

I went for another mountain bike ride today.  33 minutes in the heat and humidity - nice workout.   Mrs. Ntckfit wants to do laps in the local pond here later.  Sounds good. 

Today:

Today: 181.6 BF%:   24 43.58 lbs. fat
Goal:   167.0 BF%:   18 30.06 lbs. fat

Goal calorie intake: 2400
Goal water intake: 72 ozs.
Goal Calorie Deficit: 500 - 600

This is the plan for the remainder of the year:

Cycle One: (3 Months)

P90X  -      Weight Resistance: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
                   Cardio (HIIT, mountain and road biking, swimming laps, chasing Mrs. Ntckfit) Tuesday,
                   Thursday, and Saturday  (Not doing the program's cardio bits)

Cycle Two: (2 Months)

P90X/Insanity Hybrid       Cardio and Weight Resistance as Above

Cycle Three: (2 Months)  Cardio and Weight Resistance as Above

Kettle Bells, TRX, WODs, Tabata fun

One of the things that I have in the quiver of programs is the Hollywood Physique.  It's a program that focuses on developing specific muscles that create the definitive Hollywood body - think Brad Pitt in Fight Club.  Now, I like the program for its focus on the creating of the body type, yes I'm vain, but the diet is wacked.  Eggs and more eggs ..... then more eggs.   I can appreciate that the protein is natural, that the focus on fats (animals?) is what they are after too .... but the diet is not for me.  I'll take parts of it and run with the things that I find helpful.  I like one of the things that they focus: slowing down and focusing on every single rep to the point you are totally wiped out at the end of the workout.

Ok, enough said for today.

Right.  I haven't posted all summer.  Like to think that was because I was too busy working out and stuff, but not so.  I was looking for a job. Still not a good reason, but I'll use it.  Oh, I got a job.

So, what have I done for workouts this summer? Hmm.  I went mountain biking, which is a blast in one of the best places on the east coast, a bunch.  I went for some road rides on the cape and around here.  I swam laps a few times.  I hiked the Grand Canyon for a hour, then a day later, Bryce, then later still, Zion.  Wow, that was amazing stuff.  A workout at elevation.  I have no wind.


My first view of the Grand Canyon:


So, I've been working out a bit, but it's not enough.

My weight today:  186.3 Body Fat 23%    Ugh
Goal weight:          167.0 Body Fat 18%

The trail on the Grand Canyon.

What is the plan?  6 meals a day.  Eliminate processed food and sugars.  A lot of load of water.  B12, Calcium, and Multi Vitamin each day.  Two workouts a day.  Alcohol consumption eliminated. Sleep 8 hours a night.

I have to choose a program to begin.  These are the options:  P90X, Insanity, Hollywood Physique, TRX and Kettle Bells, Turbulence Training ...... oh, the decisions.

I'll start out with P90X.  It's known and it works.  I transformed my body with it before.  Ok, that's the start.  Going to do early morning workouts.  Then have a post workout drink then breakfast.

Diet.  If I burn about 500 cals working out each day, my nutritionist says I should burn eat 2900 cals a day.  With a 500 cal deficit, to lose weight, that translates to 2400 cals.  I want to eat as close to paleo as possible but found it to be tough.  I'll start that again too.