I’m in the midst of my own recovery and pulled together the Ragnar Lothbrok Workout.

Appeal of the Vikings

I am one hundred percent Scandanavian and even share some resemblance to Travis Fimmel, who plays Ragnar in the History Channel’s Vikings Series.

I may not have the ponytail, but check the photo.

While I started working on a new hairstyle long before I had seen any images of Ragnar, I can’t claim they got the idea from me. Just great minds think alike somewhere.

Still I’ve been drawn to the TV series. Part of the appeal of the Vikings is due to my heritage. There is something deep that is intrigued by the era of the Viking exploring warriors.

Combine that with an awesome soundtrack, some drama, cool wooden seaworthy ships, and brutal weaponry and I am all in.

The Ragnar Need For Recovery and Training

In the series Ragnar was injured – okay he was shot through the chest with an arrow and sliced deep with a sword through his thigh. He was nearly done.

But to regain his honor and allow his family a chance to survive, he had to do something dramatic. He had to recover enough to be able to take on a personal battle.

Often life is like that, we can stall and feel like there is no way out. The reality is that just like Ragnar, the truth is that our condition is often something we’ve been attempting to ignore for years.

Ragnar and the Earl knew they were at odds with each other. They each attempted to find ways to ignore the underlying issue, until it could be ignored no more.

Face your challenges, train, and conquer.

Okay … put down the hatchet, this isn’t 749AD.

Ragnar Lothbrok Workout

So here’s my take at a workout to help train like Ragnar to battle the Earl. He needed full body power and conditioning to battle. He needed upper body strength to wield weapons and leg strength to keep going.

The workout pulls out two of my DIY fitness equipment projects: the Bulgarian Training Bag and the Plyometric Box.

The workout is a superset of five exercises. Perform 10–20 repetitions of each exercise, resting as little as possible between exercises. Then recover for 3–5 minutes before repeating the superset for 3–5 times.

1. Bulgarian Bag Power Swing – this exercise is like the swing with a full extension over your head, then drive back down. Strike-Up; Smash-Down.
2. Bulgarian Bag Spin Left – The spins are essential for Viking training – they build a strong core. Stable and powerful.
3. Bulgarian Bag Spin Right
4. Box Push-Ups – Drop your hands down to the ground and kick your feet up on top of your box, then do push ups. The increase load will help build upper body strength; imagine driving forward with a shield.
5. Plyometric Box Jumps – finish the superset with a set of jumps up onto the box. Explosive power to drive up and through. Jump up, then step back down.

Take time to recover and go at it again. I made it through three rounds of 15 repetitions.

Ragnar trained, then took on the Earl in battle. Check out the clip.

Train Like A Viking

So pull out your skills and make some DIY equipment, then train like a Viking to conquer your own battles.

The post Ragnar Lothbrok Workout – Train To Battle The Earl appeared first on Cube Dweller Fitness.

My Story And Why I Fired My Doctor

So time to get a bit personal. I’ve been struggling, and if you’ve followed this site for a while you most likely noticed.

My post frequency has tanked. My email correspondence with the fitness crew has been infrequent, at best. My projects have all stalled.

I had hit a wall. And not just another wall like the 8’ walls on the Tough Mudder. This wall zapped my energy, my brain power, and my ambition for just about everything.

Something was wrong.

I started digging and confirmed my suspicions that I had been living with way too much stress and was suffering from adrenal fatigue.

Armed with my symptoms and concerns I went to my doctor. I had a list of tests that I wanted performed. Some he approved, others he said were worthless.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about my interest in adrenal fatigue. He said there was no good way to test for it. He felt like the other tests we were performing would be enough.

That was back in January.

My tests came back and he gladly took out his prescription pad.

The tests revealed low testosterone. He immediately suggested that I start on hormone replacement therapy using AndroGel.

I hadn’t researched HRT, and was fed up with feeling completely drained. So I accepted the prescription. In some ways I wanted to trust the doctor, I wanted to believe there was someone else interested in my well-being.

The problem was that something didn’t match. Again I started researching hormone replacement therapy to learn some shocking information:

• Hormone Replacement Therapy, like AdroGel, will destroy my body’s ability to product testosterone.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy is a life-long decision once started.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy increases risk of prostate cancer.

I was shocked.

While I had started to feel a little better, my body also started to react. My right shoulder broke out in a rash. Initially I just noticed what looked and felt like tiny pimples, but they soon became open sores.

That skin reaction made me quit taking AndroGel.

But I kept digging deeper. None of what I found was new. In fact the more detailed guidelines published by the American Association Of Clinical Endocrinologists was updated in 2002, over 11 years ago.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists – Hypogonadism

When the experts say to never trust a single blood test for prescribing hormone replacement therapy for low testosterone I took notice.

It was time to fire my doctor

But the process of finding a new doctor has never been fun. Just what I needed … another source of stress.

The Saga of Finding A New Doctor

When I arrived 15 minutes early to the appointment I was given a stack of papers to complete. The forms asked for my personal contact information, a spotty glimpse into my health history, and a series of signatures.

Really? Do I need to fill all of this out when I have never even met the doctor?

Oh sure, the clinic has a web site with smiling faces and interesting graphics.

Oh sure, the staff have abbreviations after their names. Supposedly proof that they can help me.

But this just isn’t right.

How come I feel like they get to interview me to see if they will accept me as a client?

I needed a different perspective. There was no way I wanted to relive that process in my quest to find a new doctor.

Perspective: Health Providers Work For You

Too often I feel like I’m stuck trying to find health providers to take care of my family and myself. In that process somehow the perspective gets flipped so it feels like I work for the health providers.

Think about it this way. As patients we can find ourselves as either the customer or the patient.

The more I think about the health care system, the more backwards the system feels. But maybe that’s just because my perspective is off.

Exercise: Pick Up The Phone

Here’s a challenge. Any professional you hire, will respond to your phone calls. So apply this to your healthcare provider.

Grab the phone, call the office, and ask to speak to *your doctor*.

If you try this exercise, please leave a comment on the response you get. I have played phone tag with several offices and only had one doctor call me back.

My New Approach To Find A Doctor

Keep the perspective that doctors work for me, just like any other professional I might hire. They should offer some level of interaction prior to my first visit.

That’s right. I started searching for a doctor based on the assumption that I would only visit doctors who would interact with me prior to my first visit.

Sounds bold. Sounds brash.

But it shouldn’t be. Doctor’s that truly are interested in my health would want to know if I fit their clinic’s model of an ideal customer, right?

Finding a doctor should be a two-way interaction, where both parties can be assured that they will benefit.

I Found One

Armed with my new expectation I started searching for a new doctor. I searched online, and I searched through the physical network of friends, family, and coworkers. I scoured, looking for a health care professional willing and interested in having me as a client (not just another patient).

Seeking interaction shouldn’t be that difficult, but it was. It filtered out the majority of the doctors in the area.

But there were exceptions. I found a few doctors willing to interact.

I found a doctor who held regular office hours on the phone. He answered the phone directly during the scheduled hours. He asked questions, and offered suggestions.

I found doctors who actually responded to email.

Interaction. I had found doctors willing to interact.

Stay Tuned

The saga is far from over. Thankfully, whatever I’m struggling with is not life-threatening, just downright annoying.

I want my brain back!

I am impressed with this new doctor. During my first visit to his clinic I was able to spend nearly 2 hours of direct face-to-face time with him. He asked lots of questions, took notes, and even gave me some homework.

This will undoubtedly be very different from any of my prior doctors.

He has been hired.

So … flip your perspective if you’re being treated like a patient. Expect professional service from your healthcare professionals.

Stay tuned. It may take some time to get back on a regular posting schedule, but I’m still here. I’m still here to help you in any way I can to get and stay in shape, because we need to remember … there’s life outside the box.

Images

• Question Mark by alexanderdrachmann
• Doctors Office by helloitserica
• Old Phone by MoShotz
• Reach For the Sky by mtsofan

The post Is It Low-Testosterone, or Is It Time To Fire My Doctor? appeared first on Cube Dweller Fitness.

Pros/Cons of HIIT with Cardiovascular Intensity

Research:

• Effects of HIIT
• Is HIIT Right for You
• HIIT in Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Cardio May Damage The Heart

Pros/Cons of HIIT with Fat Burning

Okay, so I struggled to identify fat loss cons for HIIT. The primary focus of the research related to HIIT is on the added benefits of fat loss when compared to steady-state exercise.

It’s a bear of a workout

Research:

• A practical model of low-volume high-intensity interval training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle: potential mechanisms.
• Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism

Pros/Cons of HIIT with Workout Duration

Research:

• Benefits of HIIT
• Can Less Be More?

Is HIIT For You?

High Intensity Interval Training delivers lots of benefits, but it isn’t for anyone. Take time to review the pros and cons to weigh out decision before jumping into HIIT.

In my opinion HIIT is a great addition to your exercise programs once you’ve developed a base level of fitness. Use HIIT to help push through plateaus, increase performance, or just add some variety.

Ten Tabatas – Free For Three Days

Ten Tabatas There are many forms of HIIT workouts. One form is called the Tabata protocol, this style of HIIT is very intense and very brief. It packs a workout into just 4 minutes total time.

This is my birthday weekend and to celebrate I’m giving away my Ten Tabatas kindle book. But I don’t want to hold anyone back if you want to make this a two-way street – feel free to send in Birthday gifts.

Grab a copy of my book to get started, I’ll walk you through how to ramp up to the intensity of the Tabata Protocol and give ten different examples of workouts you can use.

The book is free March 1–3, 2013. Grab your copy and help spread the word that it is free this weekend.

You don’t need a Kindle to read it. You can read this on your computer, tablet, or even your smart phone using the Kindle app.

What Do You Think?

Have you tried HIIT?

What form of HIIT do you like best? (sprint, bodyweight, cycling, swimming, kettlebell, or something else)

If you haven’t tried HIIT, why not?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

The post Pros and Cons of HIIT – Tabata Tips appeared first on Cube Dweller Fitness.

What does having no weaknesses mean?

The idea has to do with eliminating areas of weakness that have been accumulated over time.

• Have you focused on running a lot, making your body weak?
• Have you focused on only strength training, making your body not suitable for a one mile run?

CrossFit takes several different training methodologies and packages it into one. So, while no actual exercises are being invented, they are being re-programmed in a way that greatly benefits an individuals fitness level.

Why does CrossFit work so well?

CrossFit has spread like wild fire across the United States for a few reasons. CrossFit works, and it works really well. While you should always talk to your doctor before trying a new program, Crossfit could work for you.

CrossFit scales to everyone’s different fitness abilities. This means you’ll have elite athletes working out next to stay at home moms. There is a sense of community at the every gym, and they all encourage you to train harder, and push yourself.

Many CrossFit gyms hold competitions, and these are a great way to push yourself towards a goal. Many people do this with a marathon, a 5K race, or a triathlon. All of these things motivate you to show up more often, keep pushing, and strive to become fitter.

What does a CrossFit workout entail?

Every gym has a different way of structuring their workouts, but this will give you a general sense of what it is like. A CrossFit workout starts with a warm up, which is usually a very dynamic warm up. You usually work on skill movement or have a strength session before the workout. Then you have the workout of the day (WOD), which usually lasts under 15 minutes. Lastly, you have a cool down.

An example Crossfit Workout

1. Dynamic warm up

Body weight movements like lunges, pull ups, push ups, hand walks, jump rope, and squats performed in short rep ranges. Dynamic stretches including front and back and side to side leg swings, and arm circles.

2. Strength session or skill movement

Next you’ll either work on a power lift or Olympic lift. These include the deadlift, squat, clean and jerk, snatch, and all the variations of each lift. You may also take this time to work on a skill movement like hand stand push ups, kipping pull ups, muscle ups, hand stand walks, etc.

Here are 3 different examples:

• 5×5 Deadlifts at 80% of your max
• 1 Snatch at 85% max on the minute, for 10 minutes.
• Practice stringing kipping pull ups together

Note: This section is sometimes skipped due based on the design of the following workout section.

3. The Workout Of the Day (WOD)

The workout of the day, or WOD for short, is the bread and butter of CrossFit, and what has attracted a lot of people. It is usually follows HIIT principles – high intensity interval training. Meaning, it is fast, intense, and pushes your body to the limit.

An example workout:

• Five Rounds for Time
  
  This means completing 5 rounds of the following three exercises as fast as you can while keeping good form for each movement.
  • 5 Deadlifts at 225 pounds for men or 155 pounds for women
  • 10 pull ups
  • 15 burpees

4. Cool Down

Some gyms require you to “cash out” for the day, which means you’ll be doing a little mini workout. Something they want you to take easy, to bring you down from the intensity of the WOD. This is usually followed by group or individual static stretching.

An example of this:

• Run 400m
• 50 sit ups

The cool down might seem easy, but trust me, after you’ve done all of the above… you’re feeling it!

Can you do CrossFit at home?

Absolutely!

However, I’d highly recommend finding a great gym before you switch to building a home gym. The reason I recommend this is, you need to have proper instruction and guidance. Jumping into this without proper instruction can have serious consequences. Even seasoned weight lifters and gym goers need to ease into CrossFit because of the combination of weight lifting and intense cardiovascular exercise.

How to Choose a CrossFit Gym

Ok, so you’re taking my advice and finding a gym. How do you know the gym is qualified, the coaches are experienced and know what they are doing? Here are a few key things to look for when choosing a CrossFit gym.

1. Strength and Olympic Lifting

Seek out a gym that have a separate strength and Olympic lifting program. This is absolutely vital to progressing in CrossFit.

You need to be spending one to two days focusing strictly on strength, and efficient movement in the Olympic lifts.

2. Certifications Matter

Check the trainers qualifications, specifically check their list of certifications.

While certifications these days have really gone downhill, they are still some measure of competence. Look for trainers with multiple certifications, especially:

• Level 1 CrossFit,
• Level 2 CrossFit, and
• Olympic/weight lifting certifications

3. Look for one that suits you’re style!

Making sure you have a good experience and you want to go back is very important. Do they have women/men only classes? Do they have a weight lifting program, since you like weight lifting on the side? Do they look sociable and have outings? Do they host events, run 5k’s together, or plan other fun activities? All of these things are important to check for when choosing a gym.

See what gyms in your area offer CrossFit by either checking the Crossfit Map, where you can find gyms in your area, or searching Google.

Be aware that some regular gyms offer CrossFit, but I recommend finding a strictly CrossFit style gym.

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid

1. A Terrible Coach. If you’re a beginner, and don’t know how to squat, press, do a push up, or even if you’re experienced… make sure to check out these videos before and while you’re being instructed. If your trainer isn’t coaching you to do the exercise the way they are described and seen in the video, RUN! You have a coach that is putting you in harms way. Find another gym pronto. These are always great videos if you plan on working out at home.
2. Keeping up with the Beast. You may get caught up in the atmosphere of competitive fitness and want to out-do the guy next to you. That guy may turn out to be a veteran 5 year CrossFit beast mode competitor. Don’t do that, as you might get a case of Rhabdomyolysis, or Rhabdo for short. There are documented cases of this happening to not just average joes, but military, athletes, and season gym goers. Relax, there will be plenty of time to go all out after you get used to your limits and your body adjusts to the new stresses.
3. Not giving your body Time Off. Your body needs time to recover, and not just from muscle soreness. Your central nervous system needs time to relax, and your nagging injuries aren’t improved by pushing them. Train hard; train smart.
4. Putting Regular gas into a Porsche. In other words, don’t expect optimal performance while eating poorly. If you want your body to run smoothly while you slam on the accelerator, eat good food. What is good food? Don’t listen to me, listen to an expert – find the Robb Wolf nutrition videos here. Also, this will help transform your body into something to show off at the beach.
5. Having a Poor Attitude. This is more general, but having a good attitude about improving your fitness is key. Rome wasn’t built over night, and neither will your body and lifestyle habits. Stay consistent, always be looking to improve in areas, and you’ll eventually get there.

Crossfit Wrap Up

Whether you want to compete some day, or you’d like to get in better shape as fast as possible, try out CrossFit for yourself. Most gyms are very friendly to new people trying it, no matter your fitness level. Most gyms also have ramp-up classes, so they can give you more personalized instruction as a beginner in CrossFit for a few weeks before you are brought into the regular classes.

Already have enough of a training background and want to give it a go yourself? Check out the link in the author box, and get started with the basics – a barbell, bumper plates, and some wooden gymnastic rings.

Images

• Camaraderie by CrossFit Fever
• Crossfit Competition by Craftapalooza
• Crossfit Games by Amber Karnes

About The Author: Shane McGrotty is the owner of Rep Fitness where you can find CrossFit and Olympic lifting equipment for sale at extremely competitive prices. He has been doing CrossFit for several years, and still loves it. Follow Rep Fitness on Facebook they will be releasing several new products in the coming weeks.

The post What is CrossFit |Why You Should Try It appeared first on Cube Dweller Fitness.

The 30-30 Fighter Intervals

Like the previous 30-30 workouts this workout consists of intervals made up of 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest.

30 Seconds may not sound like much, but that’s all your bodies energy system can produce in one burst. After that your ATP-CP system is depleted and your body must start tapping into your glycogen stores for energy.

The 30-30 workout have five different exercises to make one round of five intervals. When you start aim to make it through one round, then take a 3-5 minute recovery break. Drink water, or a recovery beverage. Rest before starting again.

The entire workout is 3 rounds of the 5 exercises. That means you will be workout for a total of seven and a half minutes. Sure there are rest intervals and rest breaks, but you are going all out for 7.5 minutes.

The exercises in the fighter 30-30 interval workouts are:

• 24″ Box Jumps drag out the plyometric box you made and jump on, step off, and repeat. If you don’t have a plyometric box, you can do jump squats. Jump squats are an explosive version of the bodyweight squat where you jump as high as you can in the air when coming up from the bottom of the squat.
• Heavy Bag – go at the heavy bag using one of the options listed below. The key is to keep punishing the bag, use your upper body, making sure that you keep breathing while you punch.
• Mountain Climbers pick a variation and work those abdominal muscles. I like the standard mountain climber video and the cross-body mountain climber versions the best.
• Heavy Bag Use another combination, or punching pattern, and go at the heavy bag for another interval.
• Hanging Leg Raises Jump up to a pullup bar, let your legs hang, then with a slight bend in your knees raise your legs by bending at your hips. Do not swing, this should be a slow, steady, and controlled movement.

The Heavy Bag Fighter Workout

The core of this workout is using a heavy bag for two of the five intervals. The other work on explosive legs and core.

When you work a heavy bag change up what you do each round, but here are the combinations I used.

• Rapid fire jabs
• Jab Cross
• Jab – jab – Cross
• 6 Jabs
• 5 Jabs – Elbow

Pick combinations that are intense, but let you keep punching for the entire 30 seconds. These intervals will work your body hard. Keep your cardiovascular system going, keep breathing, and keep your upper body punishing the bag.

The rest of the workout is intervals to support the fighter in you: legs and core strength.

The 30-30 Fighter Workout Packs A Punch

Seriously, it is only seven and a half minutes of work.

7.5 Minutes

But give this workout your best shot and I think you will agree that those 7.5 minutes are an incredible workout.

That’s why I love these types of workouts. They do not take a lot of time but they produce results; fast and efficient workouts to help you burn fat and build muscle so you can get on with enjoying life.

What do you think of the 30-30 fighter interval workout? Grab your timer, your bag gloves, and start swinging. Then come back and leave a comment.

Images Used

• Punching Bags by bbcworldservice

The post 30-30 Fighter Interval Workout appeared first on Cube Dweller Fitness.

30-30 Workout Framework

The concept behind this workout is even intervals of 30 seconds of work with 30 seconds of rest. The workout is then built up into 3 rounds of 5 exercises.

During the workout each interval will alternate between two main types of training:

• Strength
• Cardio

The strength intervals will be performed with a little less intensity and speed, but will demand more muscular exertion.

The cardio intervals will be less strenuous on your muscles, but will get your heart and lungs working.

By alternating the focus of the intervals your different systems get a little recovery beyond the 30 second rest period.

30-30 Workout Rounds

The 30-30 Workout can be easily scaled by changing the rounds. A great workout to start with is two rounds, with a 3 minute rest between rounds.

Scale it up by adding one or two more rounds to the workout.

When you are ready for even more, rest less. Decrease the rest periods between rounds, then if that isn’t enough, start reducing the rests between exercises.

30-30 Workout Exercises

You can get creative with the exercises you choose for this workout, just remember to alternate between strength and cardio focused exercises.

The workout consists of five exercises:

1. Kettlebell Swing – do any variety of the swing, just be sure to work both sides equally through the entire workout. For example do one-arm swings with the right hand for the first round, then left hand in the second, and two-hands for the third round.
2. Burpees – okay so this exercise may blur the line between strength and cardio. For me this hits my cardiovascular system more; I’m puffing hard before my muscles fatigue.
3. Kettlebell Squat – Try differing weights and grips. I did this by using my 60 lb Troy Barbell Kettlebell using different squat forms for each round: right arm front squat, left arm front squat, and goblet squat.
4. Jump Rope – Just keep skipping. Grab your jump rope and skip for all 30 seconds of the work period. If you want add in some variety to the skips, but the goal is continuous movement for the entire work period.
5. Push Up – build that chest. This round is slow and steady. Pick a pace where you can keep moving for the entire 30 seconds without pausing.

Give it a Go

Give the 30-30 workout a shot when you want to mix in some variety to your conditioning.

Leave a comment and let’s hear how it went. How many rounds? What rest periods did you use?

My first bout with this workout was for three rounds, with a 3 minute rest between the second and third round.

Bring it.

The post 30-30 Interval Workout appeared first on Cube Dweller Fitness.

It took me a few months, but I finally succumbed and started digging deeper. I kept telling myself I was just stressed out and needed to rest and recover. That wasn’t working.

I was still feeling down and needed to get back up. So eventually I was done doing research and decided I must go to the doctor.

I’ve grown to have a slight okay significant distrust of the medical community. I’ve watched my relatives take an increasing number of pills only to be hit with the conditions those pills were supposedly helping.

I’ve watched my father overcome asthma that was getting worse with prescriptions by telling the medical community to go away and instead focus on nutrition, vitamins, and running. He turned to Cover Bailey’s Smart Exercise for advise and never looked back. That was about 30 years ago and he’s still running regularly without asthma meds.

So there was no way I was going to go into see a doctor while being uninformed.

Your Doctor Works For You

While doing my research I ran across this comment:

Yeah, YOU EMPLOY health care providers to advise you on health.

(Granted most health care providers know NOTHING about HEALTH, but you get the point).

That helped reaffirm my thinking. Too often I get stuck with the tables turned thinking that I must just follow whatever the doctor says – like I worked for him.

Not the case; I needed to remember that at the end of the day I am responsible for my own health. I need to be able to find trusted advisors to help me improve my health.

So when you start feeling down and need to get back up do your research then find health care providers to advise you as you go. I’m not saying be your own doctor; I’m saying to be informed.

Show up to the doctor with a list of questions and a list of tests that you would like to see performed. Have them guide your plan, don’t let them set the plan.

I went in with a list of tests that I wanted done. I was reminded that the doctors work for me; not the other way around. He reluctantly ordered the tests and guess what? The tests found something; actually three things.

Cardiovascular disease, vitamin D deficiency and low testosterone levels.

According to some those three things can be interrelated. But either way the last two explain my malaise.

Feeling Down with Zero Ambition

Oh, I still come up with ideas. One of my top strengths is futuristic, how could I shut that off if I wanted, right? The problem was I had absolutely no drive, ambition, or even interest in doing anything about those ideas.

It is frustrating. I knew something had to be wrong and now had an explanation.

So often that’s how life goes and the lesson is to dig in.

Don’t let hurdles stall your progress. Dig in. Find out what’s stopping your progress, get help, get advise, and start building a recovery plan.

I knew that likely had the start of cardiovascular disease. I’ve been battling with the doctors about the effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, of statins for two years. I had to find another approach.

So what tests did I get to help shape my plan forward?

Know Your Current State

I wanted to know my current state for both my heart health and mood. So here are the tests I asked to be done:

• Expanded Lipid Panel -VAP, or NMR
• Heart Scan – CT Scan to Calculate the Coronary Calcium Score
• Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy
• Thyroid, TSH, T3, and T4
• Testosterone

The doctor ordered the tests and they helped affirm some of my own guesses. Now I have more digging to do.

Addressing Cardiovascular Disease

This is a biggie and is a lifelong battle for many of us. After a lot of research I now have a plan, or better yet a community.

I joined Track Your Plaque, a community focused on leveraging the latest heart health research and collaborating to cure heart disease. There is no quick fix, but there is research based results and a strong community to support each other in the process.

The CT Heart scan produces a coronary calcium score, or a measure of the amount of calcium built up. That calcium is a more accurate measure of the amount of plaque built up. Remember cholesterol doesn’t cause heart attacks, the plaque does. Address the root problem, not the symptoms.

The Track Your Plaque program focuses on making lifestyle changes aimed at not only stopping, but reversing, the amount of plaque. Having a solid way to measure progress is essential; especially for an engineer like myself.

Addressing Vitamin D Deficiency

My mood could be from both the low vitamin D and the low testosterone. Vitamine D is a simple one to address.

I’m addressing the vitamin D deficiency now. That means taking vitamin D3 gelcaps. I’m starting out with 20,000ui per day for 2 weeks, then backing off to 10,000ui per day. I plan to hold that level for three months then have my blood tested again. Toxicity blood levels are nearly 5 times higher than where I am.

My doctor said that it wasn’t safe to sustain a dosage of 2,000ui per day for any length of time. What was interesting is that he could not suggest any research that linked those to blood Vitamin D levels.

So yes I am deciding not to listen to my doctor. That’s my choice and I am not recommending anyone else follow my path. Do your research, get appropriate tests done and go on.

Vitamin D toxicity issues are real, but they don’t show up until your blood levels exceed 140 nmol/l. (see research)

First, dosage doesn’t correlate easily to blood levels. I’ve found stories from too many people describing different vitamin d3 dosage levels to get their blood levels to 60-70 nmol/l.

From what I can tell it takes some extremely high doses to reach those levels. I’ve a found people who can sustain their Vitamin D blood levels with 1,000ui per day. While others have said it took over a year to determine he needed to take 12,000ui per day to sustain the same vitamin D blood levels.

That’s a huge variation. Time will tell what dosage will work for me.

Addressing Low Testosterone

This one has me puzzled. If I listen to my doctor I would start on a life-long plan of testosterone replacement therapy.

Life long.

Yup, he just pulled out the prescription pad and signed me up. Just apply this gel in the morning and it will fix your low testosterone levels.

Was I surprised to dig into testosterone replacement therapy to learn that once started it shuts down the bodies normal systems to produce testosterone? Not really.

There was no discussion of side-effects, nor the duration of the prescription. Just apply this and be happy. WRONG!

Again, I am biased. Through the years there have been too many times where the response of doctors supports a life-long addiction to pharmaceuticals rather than addressing the underlying issues.

No I’ve been digging around trying to find a trusted Endocrinologist. I’ve also read Mike Mahler’s journey battling andropause.

I know there are other solutions and more tests that need to be done to determine why my testosterone is low. I don’t just need a life-long prescription. This journey is only just beginning.

Don’t Be Left Feeling Down – Get Back Up

If you are feeling down and need to get back up. Decide to change, do the research, and find out. If your initial tests doesn’t explain it, keep digging. Keep digging until you find an explanation, then work on developing a recovery plan.

Images Used

• February by Catskills Grrl
• Feeling Blue by Sammo Sammo
• CT Scan by WBUR

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Alternative #1 – Zumba

Even if you haven’t tried it yet, you may have heard of Zumba. It’s a craze that seems prepared to stick around awhile. Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program that incorporates fast and slow dance moves, although the steps are easy to follow. Zumba zealots claim they feel like they are hanging out with friends at a party instead of working out. Classes are widely available through gyms, parks and recreation departments and even churches.

Alternative #2 – Boot Camps

Boot camps are another alternative fitness activity growing in popularity. Join fellow fitness nuts very early in the morning or late evening, usually outdoors if the weather permits. Workouts will vary every day, so although you may not know exactly what to expect when you arrive, you’ll spend some time every day on cardiovascular, strength and flexibility drills. Plus, you have the benefit of a watchful instructor that will encourage you to continue pushing yourself even when you’ve had enough. You’ll leave with a sense of personal accomplishment.

Alternative #3 – Yoga

There’s nothing new about yoga, but it continues to be a workout trend in 2013. Sure, yoga is a mental activity that helps you recharge and relax after a stressful day. But it’s also a great strength and flexibility fitness activity that will lead to better balance. Some yoga enthusiasts also report that practicing yoga regularly helps them achieve overall healthier lifestyles, with better sleep patterns and stronger mental acuity.

Alternative #4 – Spinning

A spinning class is a great alternative fitness activity to burn off calories quickly. Instructors lead the class through a variety of exercise on a stationary bike, increasing and decreasing speeds and adding tension throughout the class. The varied routines keep classes interesting. Spinners sweat – a lot.

Alternative #5 – CrossFit Videos

If you prefer to exercise alone, consider a CrossFit video. These are hardcore, fast-paced workouts that you can do in the privacy of your own home. True CrossFit training requires workouts of 3-5 times per week in short intervals, usually 15 minutes or less. Don’t be fooled by the length of the workout; CrossFit is an intense, calorie-burning alternative fitness activity.

You’ve Got Alternative Fitness Activies

Given their rise in popularity, any of these alternative fitness activities are likely convenient for you and most classes are widely available to fit into your schedule If you’re serious about your fitness goals, try out something new. You’ll love your improved health.

Images Used

• Zumba Crowd by Cimm
• Yoga Sun Salutation by Terriko
• Spinning by juanpol
• Boot camp by trey
• Crossfit to Fight by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

About The Author: This post was guest written by Jonny Grant of the Chill Factore – an indoor Ski Slope in Manchester. As well as offering a range of ski and snowboard classes the Chill Factore host Zumba fitness classes and an exciting Bootcamp in the snow! Find out more at www.chillfactore.com

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Get Sleep

This may sound like an odd first tip, but without sleep your body will not be properly rested and ready to tackle training and the race itself. When you are training for a race, you are pushing your body to its fullest. If you do not allow it to recover via sleep, you will notice a decline in endurance and you are also likely to feel quite sore.

One Light Week

The week before your race should involve far less intense training than you have been doing. At this point, your body should be ready so continuing to push the limits could leave you exhausted on race day. So, you will still train, but keep it light so that your legs, lungs and the rest of your body is ready and rested come race day.

Eat to Train

This is not the time to either diet or eat and unhealthy diet. You need to fuel your body each and every day and have it fully ready to compete. A healthy diet will also help your body recover from intense training sessions. On the actual day of the race, you want to make sure that you are well-hydrated and that you eat a light meal that is packed with protein and carbohydrates, such as a bagel with peanut butter.

Interval Training

Interval training is ideal for both beginners as well as advanced runners. You will alternate walking and running which pushes your body a lot harder than just running alone. A good example for beginners is running for 15 seconds and then walking for 45 seconds. You will alternate this for a full mile for beginners and for three or more miles for those that are advanced.

Find a Partner

It can be a lot easier to stay on track when you have a workout buddy. It is a good idea to choose someone that will be running the race with you and/or a friend that is in good physical shape so that he or she will push you. The key is to help each other stay on track and get the training done.

It Takes More than Cardio

While cardio is the most important part of training for a race, you will also need to do some strength and flexibility training and this will enhance your results and help to prevent injury. Do strength and flexibility training every other day so that your body has a day to recover in between these workouts.

Dress Right

Not wearing the proper training gear can cause problems, such as injury. If you are training in the summer, you want to wear light clothing made of synthetic materials to help keep you cool. In the winter, layer a bit so that you can add and remove clothing as necessary. Your shoes should be designed for running to help keep your feet and ankles healthy.

Listen to Your Body

If you wake up on a training day in pain and just not feeling well, take a rest day. Rest is important for the body to recover. Plus, if you do have an injury, continuing to run could just make it far worse causing you to miss the race.

Images Used

• Fruits and Vegetables from Nutrilover
• Race Day from sophiea

About the author: Kennith Campbell writes for UltraSlide. When Ken is not busy blogging or reviewing slideboards and other fitness equipment, he spends his down time golfing and playing basketball with his friends.

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I know it’s pretty easy to say you’re going to stop eating junk food, or that you want to cut out all carbs from your life. But when it comes down to it, what’s your plan?

Of course Will Power is the first step. It’s what’s going to help you say “NO” to buying a chocolate croissant or blueberry scone while shuffled in line next to the pastry case at Starbucks. But if this—Will Power—is your only weapon…you’re defenseless.

Facing modern-day indulges could leave your results chucked off to the wayside if you’re not following some form of program.

But sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error before you figure out what will personally work for you. The trick is not to give up.

Commitment and Dedication is essential to success. So, keep with a plan until you wholeheartedly know it just isn’t the right one.

How do you know when you’re busting your butt with just the right plan of action?

You’ll know.

It’s like wearing a new suit after it’s tailored. It’s neither too tight or too loose. There’s a difference between looking like a stud who’s taken his time to get his outfit fitted…or a kid who’s pulled his suit off the rack and slapped it on.

In this article we’ll be looking at a few different ways to help you stay on course to the profound changes you want to achieve, so you look more like Scenario 1 (the stud) rather than Scenario 2 (a kid).

First Step: Get Organized

Sit and jot down when you’re going to exercise.

That’s right. I know it seems like a pain, but this is elemental. You shouldn’t skip this.

What I find helpful is to note the times and dates when I want to start working the cobwebs off my muscles. Each workout doesn’t have to be started on the exact second it’s planned out. We live in a chaotic world, and things are going to naturally get in the way.

However, those real-life roadblocks can be overcome.

They’re not excuses, unless you allow them to stay in the way. Instead, this is when your character has the time it shine.

If you’re honestly ready to get in shape nothing will ever get in your way.

While we can do our best to plan ahead, there’s one trick I want to share with you.

It’s worked for me over the years.

We’re going to take our schedule of workouts and tweak it a bit.

Visualize Your Workouts

We’re going to visualize the exact process…from warm-up to cool-down.

If you’re routines normally take around 45 minutes to complete, you don’t need to imagine every rep.

But know the order of each exercises. How many reps per set? How many sets per movement?

One of the worst things you can do is start a workout without having a real clue to what you need to do.

When I used to work out in a gym, I couldn’t tell you how many people I’d see bounce from a cardio machine to resistance training, possibly do a few reps of isolation movements before moving on to a single set of a compound exercise, to then wander off for some sauna time.

They didn’t have a real plan of attack.

With the right kind of program, you can mentally map out what you’re going to work on, in what order. When you’re right in the middle of a routine you don’t want to have to think about “what comes next.”

By mapping the sequence ahead of time, you’re owning the goal. I learned this through experience.

A few years back, just after the birth of my youngest daughter, I really needed to burn off the sympathy weight I had put on during the pregnancy.

I planned, plotted and spent all my free-time working out..

With the pressures of work, family life, and being unhappy with the state my body was in, I knew there needed to be an organized approach, rather than try to fit in a random work out here and there.

What I found to work the best was just to note in down on a calendar. At the time I’d log the times and dates ahead of time in my Blackberry. Today, I use the calendar synced to my Gmail account. I know there are a ton of apps to help you along the way. But maybe something as simple as writing it in a Moleskine planner may work for you.

It doesn’t really matter if you go Hi-tech or Low-tech. The point is to understand it’s part of your priority for that day.

A key factor to realize here is you can try to predict when a session will start, but don’t get bummed out if they don’t begin as planned. If you aim to make it 5 p.m. sharp every time, don’t freak out if it’s 5:10 p.m. and you haven’t started yet. Down to the second planning will eventually be the goal. However, be realistic. Don’t feel like a failure if you aren’t getting the job done at the very moment you want to.

It’s not the end of the world if you’re a little late. What really matters is that you actually do the effort.

How to Plan The Frequency of Your Routines

Some people prefer to workout every day: Monday through Friday, with the weekends set aside for recovery.

It just means you plan on working out 3 days a week. One method I prefer is featured in Rusty Moore’s Visual Impact Muscle Building. You workout two days in a row (pushing muscles on day one, lower body on day two), and then hitting the pulling muscle after a day of rest.

It looks like this:

Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Traps

Tuesday: Legs, Calves, Abs

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Back, Biceps, Forearms

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Repeat Monday’s routine

Sunday: Repeat Tuesday’s routine

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Repeat Thursday’s routine.

The reason for the three-day split is a popular starting point for beginners and intermediate trainers is it allows for just the right amount of effort vs recover per muscle group.

The split sections off non-competing muscle groups, so you can effectively work one set while another is recovering. Another reason this split comes in handy is when people want to add in a bit of cardio during the week, but who don’t have the time to tack it on at the end of their routines.

Ideally, you want to combine a sweat-inducing activity immediately after a resistance workout. But time is a luxury. So, it’s completely fine to work in a Tabata session on a rest day. This will help carve out some deeper fat loss points.

Effort is effort. And you’re body will thank you for it.

Send Appointment Notices to Yourself

Email reminders can be super important.

I know I’m not the only one who grabs their phone when a new email chimes in their inbox. So, use that as a cue to get ready. It might be earlier in the day, 1-2 hours before you actually need to switch to your exercise clothes. A notification could be closer to exercise time—of it could be even further.

This is all personal preference. This is just a easy method for keeping your mind on the goal for the day: Get in some exercise.

Plan Your Meals Out in Advance.

I regularly use an Intermittent Fasting approach that lets me eat for a solid 8 hours a day. The benefit of not eating the rest of day (the other 16 hours) is certain hormones in the body will start to act like they’re in exercise-mode.

So, in those 8 hours I can fit in around 3-4 meals.

But I also like to fast for a 24-hour period at least once a week. This is something I picked up after reading Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon.

However, not matter what diet approach you take…it all truly comes down to the eating the right kinds of foods.

When I was younger I could enjoy my favorite food of all time is Pizza more than I do today. As I get older I realize more and more how important it is to eat as clean as I can, and much more frequently.

When I was 22 years old I couldn’t imagine going without a slice of Pizza from my favorite restaurant. Now, at 32, I realize reigning in the way I eat is proving to be a necessity. And at 42, I’m sure I’m not going to mind not enjoying it once a week.

Things change.

And more often, it’s for the better.

Why a Support Group is Important…

A bit of competition is always good. So if you can find someone you can workout with it could be the best thing that can happen in your path to a strong version of yourself.

It’s not always about finding someone to get in shape with. Moreover, it’s more about having people that will speak up when you start reach for a muffin someone at work baked at home. It could they can make sure you don’t head back for a second helping at dinner.

There are people in our lives that help to keep us strong. It’s important that we cherish them, and support them as well. Finding people that will keep you strong in your moment of weakness is what you need. And, if you can provide that same level of support, your group will thrive.

Images Used

• A Workout Game Plan – Louish Pixel
• An Exercise Calendar – Petr Dadák
• Fitness Support Group – D. Sharon Pruitt

About the Author: Mitch Wright runs the blog of the Home Fitness Manual. He speaks with expert trainers and respected authors to prove you don’t need a gym membership to get in shape.

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