2-11-2013 5k Training Guide

5k Training Guide

 This week's workout is aimed for all of you runners out there. I know it is cold and there was just a giant blizzard, but when there is a will there is a way.  Here is an awesome training guide that I have used in the past to train for a 5k.   You figure out your VDOT score using the chart above, then you use the times they provide you for the different types of workouts listed in the picture below.  This is a great workout plan.  I was always the kind of guy that just went for runs without direction and hoped for the best come race day.  This gave me the structure I needed.  As you can see, My VDOT score was 46 when I first did this workout.  I'm happy to see that I made progress, so my VDOT score is now 50.  I hope you guys enjoy this workout.  I am excited to complete this and see what the best time I can get is.  Good luck running!

 Workout courtesy of: Runner's World

2-4-2013 Spartacus Workout

Spartacus workout!

Directions
Perform the following workout 3 days a week with a day of rest between each session.  For each exercise, you'll do as many reps as you can in 40 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest.  Start with Triple Set 1, performing 1 set of each exercise in succession.  Rest for 60 seconds after you complete all three exercises in the triple set, and do them all a second time.  Next, repeat the procedure for Triple Sets 2 and 3.

I apologize for the poor quality.  This is a great workout for shredding calories.  It will really get you working.

Workout courtesy of Men's Health

2-7-2013 - Kiss Your Excuses Goodbye!

Kiss your Excuses Goodbye!

Excuses are interesting little things, aren’t they?  We all find ourselves making them, left and right, in order to get out of doing something.  Well, I have to say that if there is one thing in the world that you need to stop making excuses for, it is your body.  You only get one body for your entire life.  Why is it that so many people avoid the things that will keep their one body in the best shape for the longest period of time possible?  I have but one answer for you: excuses.  People claim that they will start working out “tomorrow.”  They are tired.  They “don’t have enough time.”  It is cold outside.  All of these are excuses to not get moving and make yourself feel a million times better.  Here Is an example of the excuse I could use for my life:

I am an Intern at Stanford Hospital, which usually entails 60-70 hour work weeks with shifts that start at 5:30 in the morning.  I could easily say that I have no time or energy to work out.  

My way around this is utilizing alternative forms of transportation to and from the hospital.  I live about four miles from the hospital.  Alternating biking with running is a great way for me to get some cardio in without adding any time to my day.  I get a good hour of cardio without having the excuse of time constraints.  On the days when I get out earlier than expected, I will lift.  No excuses for me because I know that excuses mean nothing when you have preventable health conditions down the road.  I deal with patients on a daily basis that never would have needed heart surgery if they cut out the excuses years ago.

I will tell a short story about two of the founders of Lean Green Healthy Machine overcoming the allure of excuses.  Chris came to visit me in San Francisco one weekend in January.  We intentionally got a hotel with a fitness center.  When we got there, we realized that it was meager and extremely under equipped for the workout we were hoping to do (The workout for this week).  We had the perfect excuse.  Instead of giving in, we created a well balanced, full body circuit that utilized exercises done with body weight.  We got a great workout in while on vacation, which is something that few people accomplish.  We also walked around the city and went on a hike as opposed to taking the public transit system around.  We had a phenomenal time.  I implore you to take action against this evil we know as excuses.  Nothing is stopping you from taking the next step towards your wellbeing.

Our article this week is about another excuse being debunked.  In this WebMD article, the effects of exercise on fatigue and energy levels are discussed.  You will never be able to use the excuse that you don’t have enough energy ever again.  Read at your own risk!

Article - Exercise Fights Fatigue, Boosts Energy

What are your fitness goals, and what are you willing to do to achieve them?

The easiest thing in the world is finding excuses.  My challenge for you is to find the excuse for why you should be in the best shape in your life.  I want you to be motivated and driven towards the goal of bettering yourself on an extremely personal level.  This is not about you reaching your goals to impress anyone.  It is only about making sure you are in the shape that you deserve to be in.  This is solely for yourself and your own wellbeing.  Your first step is setting a fitness goal for yourself.  Without a goal, there is no direction, so progress cannot be monitored.  I implore you to set a realistic goal for a realistic time frame.  Fitness is all about the small wins.  Finishing that last rep.  Running the extra mile.  Motivating yourself to work out after a long, stressful day at work.  These small wins add up and result in a better you.  I challenge you to take the first step.  Write down a realistic goal for yourself.  Put some serious thought into what this goal will be.  I want it to be a goal that you can accomplish in a 3 month period.  Whether it is the ability to run 3 miles without stopping, or do 50 pullups in a row, I want you to have a goal to work towards.  The last thing you should do is make a goal that is focused around the number you see when you step on a scale.  That number is a function of the gravitational pull of the Earth.  That number does not define your level of fitness, nor does it describe you as a person.  If you can achieve a written goal, I promise you will feel infinitely better about yourself than if you lost 5 or 10 pounds.  Take the first step.  Though the first step is sometimes the hardest, each subsequent step gets easier as you get better.  Keep your head up!

Lean Green Healthy Machine

Hey guys and gals!

This is an extension of the fitness section on the awesome website Lean Green Healthy Machine.  This blog is for the sole purpose of you having access to older posts, workouts, and articles from our fitness page.  The workouts will include many circuits and exercises from Men's Health Magazine, which will include different variations of the Spartacus workout and various celebrity workouts to help you get the body that you want.  My primary goal is to help motivate you to feel great in your own body.  Whatever your personal goal is, I really hope that my words and workouts help you achieve them.  I will also be keeping a weekly log of my personal workouts so that you can see an example of the workouts I do and how I apply what I write about in the fitness section.  I hope you enjoy!