The 5 Biggest Mistakes Made by Newbies to P90X or Insanity

Posted on June 18, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0

Exercise PitfallWhile P90X and Insanity are very different programs–P90X is centered on strength training, while Insanity is all about high-impact cardio–newbies to each program tend to make the same mistakes. Here are 5 traps to avoid:

  1. They don’t watch the intro DVD or read the introductory materials. These contain important information on how to follow each program. You will definitely have questions about the programs; most of the time, you’ll find the answers in the intro DVD or the written materials.
  2. They don’t follow the Nutrition Guide included with the program, or at least some type of healthy eating/weight loss plan (like Weight Watchers). In the P90X program materials, Tony Horton puts it succinctly: “Eat right, or don’t bother.” You cannot out-exercise a bad diet.
  3. When doing the exercises, they think they have to look exactly like the people on the tapes, and do not take breaks as needed. The people featured in the workouts were chosen because they are extraordinarily fit, and they have been through the programs before. Most people will never look exactly like the people on the screen, at least not for every exercise. Especially Insanity. When Shaun T went through Insanity last spring, he reported having a difficult time looking like…himself.
  4. They don’t modify moves as needed. My right wrist is blown out from carpal tunnel syndrome; my left one is damaged. There are certain exercises, such as the Side Arm Balance, that I will never be able to do. There are other exercises that I must modify, sometimes severely. The important thing is to do the best you can.
  5. They set unreasonable expectations. You will not do P90X or Insanity for two weeks and lose 25 pounds. You will not go from one pull-up to 18 in three weeks. These are 90- and 60-day programs. Often, people who are very overweight and/or out of shape find they have to go through them two or more times to get where they really want to be. Will you see results in 90 or 60 days? Of course you will, and there’s nothing wrong with aiming high. Just don’t aim so high that you set yourself up for frustration.
Beachbody, Insanity, P90X, Weight Loss , , , , , , , , , ,

New BMI calculator…Oh boy!

Posted on May 14, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0

BMI calculatorWhy yes, it is BMI Day! If the previous article questioning whether BMI is the most accurate predictor of propensity to disease didn’t get purists and detractors at each others’ throats, the new standards released by Oxford University will. The Telegraph reports:

Nick Trefethen of Oxford University’s Mathematical Institute has identified a flaw in the basic formula for BMI, and has created a new calculation which he says better accounts for the relationship between height and weight.

According to Mr Trefethen, the current formula to calculate the score (weight/height2) is incorrect because “it divides the weight by too large a number for short people, and too small a number for tall people. So short people are misled into thinking they are thinner than they are, and tall people are misled into thinking they are fatter than they are.”…

Click here for entire article, as well as an interactive calculator where you can figure out your “new” BMI.

That’s interesting. According to the new calculator, I’m no longer considered overweight at my current weight, just on the high side of “normal.” But I set my goal at a weight that’s in the middle of my range, not the top, so the new number doesn’t matter to me. I don’t think I belong at the top (or bottom) of my range. I’ve got a medium size frame, not a large or small one. Yes, there is such a thing as frame size, despite the gross misusage of the term “big-boned.”

The bottom line is that the BMI was always meant to be an estimate, not an exact number. If you’ve been at your goal weight for years, and you are happy with how you look and feel, there is no reason to let an arbitrary number send you into a tizzy.

Fit Life Daily, Weight Loss , , , , , , , , ,

Toss the BMI and use waist-to-height ratio instead? Yes and no.

Posted on May 14, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0

BMIAs if the topic of BMI weren’t controversial enough, The Telegraph reports on a new study finding that waist-to-height ratio may be a better predictor of predisposition to disease:

Measuring the ratio of someone’s waist to their height is a better way of predicting their life expectancy than body mass index (BMI), the method widely used by doctors when judging overall health and risk of disease, researchers said.

BMI is calculated as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in metres, but a study found that the simpler measurement of waistline against height produced a more accurate prediction of lifespan.

People with the highest waist-to-height ratio, whose waistlines measured 80 per cent of their height, lived 17 years fewer than average….

Click here for entire article.

BMI purists will be upset by these findings, but the important thing to realize about the study is that it’s saying the waist-to-height ratio is better at predicting diseases than BMI is, which it very well may be:

Measuring someone’s waist is important because it accounts for levels of central fat which accumulates around the organs and is particularly closely linked to conditions like stroke and heart disease.

For years, it has been argued that one of the reasons why men have higher rates of heart disease than women is due to where their excess fat tends to accumulate. Most overweight men are apple-shaped; women tend to be pear-shaped (although being called a “pear” used to enrage me to no end). “Apples” may be more prone to heart disease than “pears,” although more recent research argues that this conventional wisdom may not hold water.

In any event, saying that height-to-waist ratio may predict disease more accurately is not the same thing as saying that BMI is worthless, and of course, there are weight-related conditions that don’t “care” where the fat is located, such as Type II diabetes and osteoarthritis. My foot and ankle issues are easing as I lose weight. I strongly suspect that most people will get the same or very similar results using this measurement as they would had they used BMI.

Fit Life Daily, Weight Loss , , , , , ,

Scott Jurek on Vegan Running

Posted on May 9, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0

Vegan FoodEven if you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, this Runner’s World article written by ultrarunner Scott Jurek, discussing his transition to veganism, and how he feels it has helped with his running and overall athleticism, is worth a read:

I learned that the standard Western diet—for a long time my diet—rich in animal products, refined carbohydrates, and processed food, has been linked to three of the most common causes of death in our country: heart disease, cancer, and stroke. I read that diabetes affects nearly nine percent of Americans, and that type 2 diabetes, once nearly unheard of in children, is on the rise, bringing with it a host of complications, such as kidney failure, blindness, and amputations.

My grandmother was neither vegetarian nor vegan. She smoked 3-4 packs of cigarettes a day, and unlike me, she didn’t work out or run half marathons. But she was ahead of her time regarding her diet: she put only a small piece of meat on her plate, filling the rest of it with vegetables, and did her best to push me away from butter, mayonnaise and cheese. She felt that meat should be eaten sparingly, especially red meat. She called fast food “poison.” She understood what Scott does about the typical American diet, that it’s unhealthy and killing us all. If it hadn’t been for the tobacco use, she might have lived to be 104. I credit her for the fact that, while I ended up overweight and needing to lose quite a bit, I never “hated” vegetables or fruits, and had no problem adding more of them to my diet when I began my weight loss journey.

Notably, Scott’s transition from omnivore to vegan was just that: a transition that took place over a period of time, in small bites. This is a lesson that anyone looking to change their lifestyle and eating habits can learn from. There are things I have cut out of my diet, but I didn’t cut all of them out, all at once. That would have been overwhelming. I’ve made a lot of small changes over a long period of time. They do add up, and I now have a diet that is dramatically different from the one I ate when I was 70 pounds overweight.

Fit Life Daily, General Fitness, Running, Weight Loss , , , , , , , , , , ,

Running Clubs: Are You Part of a Pack or a Lone Wolf?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0
Running wolf pack

Image courtesy of http://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/

Do you belong to a running club, or do you prefer running alone? This article in the Guardian’s Running Blog presents two points of view regarding whether to join a club or go it alone. From the pro-club side is a discussion of the camaraderie, motivation and support that can be found within a running club:

Deciding to join a club is one of the best things that any runner, whatever their level, can do. Club membership can often instigate big improvements in performance and, more importantly, provide enduring memories, experiences and companionship.

Conversely, the arguments for going it alone revolve around the benefits of increased flexibility and the opportunity to be alone with one’s thoughts:

[W]hile running clubs and running with others do have their merits, some of us want to have a bit of time and space where we don’t have to talk (or listen), where we can decide what route we choose or how fast we want to go, where we can change direction whenever we like. Even if you can’t wholly “forget” everything, you can take the time to think.

I often talk about the runner’s high that commences around Mile 6 of my runs, when my brain can no longer hold onto coherent thoughts, everything loses meaning, and it’s all about my breath, my form and completing that day’s distance.

I am not a member of a running club, but I’ve considered joining one, especially since I’m going to start training for a full marathon this summer, which will mean I’ll need to do some seriously long runs. I do not know if I’ll like running 18-20 miles on my own as much as I enjoy doing 10-12 in solitude.

Do you prefer running in a group or by yourself?

Fit Life Daily, General Fitness, Running , , , , , ,

Chris Christie: Weight Loss Surgery About Health, Not Politics

Posted on May 9, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0

Surgery ToolsThe New York Daily News reports that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s decision to undergo weight loss surgery–in secret–was based on health considerations, not political ambitions:

Christie, who is believed to weigh more than 300 pounds, said he had the lap-band stomach surgery in February for one reason only — he turned 50 and wanted to live long enough to see his children grow up.

“This is a hell of a lot more important to me than running for President,” the father of four said at a Newark news conference. “This is about my family’s future.”

He added, “I still have two children in elementary school. so I’m in this father business for a while and I hope someday, God willing, to be in the grandfather business.”

I believe him. In the several years I’ve participated on the Weight Watchers message boards, and during the time I’ve been in the Beachbody community, I’ve spoken with many men (and women) whose decision to lose weight was prompted by concerns about their children, specifically them being around long enough to see their children grow up and reach life milestones, such as high school and college graduations, marriage and children of their own.

I also understand Christie’s decision to keep the surgery a secret until it was over. Weight loss surgery is highly controversial. Many people do not believe in it. I personally would have never gone this route, but as a lifelong individualist and liberty activist, I’d be the first one marching in the streets to defend the right of others to choose to undergo this surgery. It is a very private decision involving those patients and their doctors, period. What I or anyone else thinks is irrelevant.

It is my hope that Christie’s decision to take control of his life and health will spur others struggling with obesity to do the same, whether or not they undergo surgery.

Fit Life Daily, General Fitness, Weight Loss , , , , , , , , , ,

I Am a Runner of Steel: Pittsburgh Half Marathon Race Report

Posted on May 8, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0

pittsburgh marathonEventually, one of these years, I’m going to run a race while in perfect health. But not this race. During the Philly Half last November, my right foot and ankle–suffering from plantar fasciitis and posterior tibial tendonitis–had screamed like bitches on a bitch boat. In Pittsburgh, they were quiet, but my stomach more than made up for it.

I made some poor choices the day before the race. I didn’t eat dinner until nearly 9:00 p.m., when I should have already been in bed, and laid down a half hour afterwards. It took a very long time for me to get to sleep. I got a grand total of about three hours of sleep, before awakening at about 2:00 a.m. with an upset stomach. I didn’t fall back to sleep. The stomach upset persisted as my husband and I got ready to leave. I decided not to drink anything but water, despite my fatigue, and not to eat anything. We’d received NuGo bars in our Expo goody bags, so I took one with me.

We parked at Heinz Field and walked over the bridge to Point Park. The walking actually made me feel better, which was encouraging. I felt pretty good as we checked our gear and found our corral. We arrived at about 5:30 a.m., later than we were told to but with plenty of slack before the start time. We were at the very front of our corral; the scene reminded me of New Year’s Eve in Times Square, where the NYPD puts up “corrals” as the blocks fill, and spectators just keep walking toward the ball until they cannot go any further.

Unfortunately, having to wait so long in the corral caused me to feel the full effects of the cold (it was about 50 degrees), my fatigue and my stomach. I got the shakes and felt like I might faint. I was terrified that I wasn’t going to be able to run the race, but I didn’t let my husband know that. I wanted him to be able to run his race even if I had to be carted off the route at Mile 1.

My medal, my bib, my bangle bracelets, and my Eat 'N Park Smiley CookieFinally, at about 7:20, it was time for my corral to cross the start line. I managed to yell a hearty “BRING IT!” as I crossed it–just as I did in Philly–and then something amazing happened. The shakes stopped. My stomach quieted. I didn’t feel dizzy or faint. I’m glad I had the NuGo bar with me, because as I ran, I started to feel hungry. I ate the bar in small bites over the course of about four water stations.

Just as he had in Philadelphia, my husband tore ahead of me around Mile 0.25; he is significantly faster than me. We start together, but run our own individual races. Even though I’ve never lived in Pittsburgh, my husband and I had been there several times, and I recognized many of the landmarks as I went by them: the National Aviary, where we’d been the day before; the Duquesne Incline, which we rode the last time we were there; Mt. Washington, on the other side of which my husband grew up; the South Side; and all the bridges.

We ran in Philadelphia a couple of weeks after the New York City Marathon had been cancelled, and had the privilege of running with displaced NYC runners. For the Pittsburgh race, Dick’s Sporting Goods had flown in 37 runners who had been unable to complete the Boston Marathon before the bombings caused the race to be shut down. Pittsburgh did a great job of welcoming them. There were many runners wearing “Run for Boston” apparel, spectators with signs, and businesses proclaiming they were “Boston Strong; Pittsburgh Proud.”

I really enjoyed the live music from local bands throughout the course. I chuckled that one band called itself “The Unemployed.”

The course wasn’t as hilly as I thought it would be, but it was tough for someone used to training in the flatlands. Most runners in my corral took walk breaks on the uphills, and I did the same thing. Someone had warned me that the worst hill in the race came at about Mile 11, as we approached Duquesne University and Robert Morris College, and I took special care not to push beyond my limits going up that hill. I walked most of it, running in short spurts as I felt able.

Even with my walk breaks, I managed to keep up with the 5:30 (full) Pace Team for nearly my entire half, up until about Mile 9 or 10. The lady leading the team was great; her coaching style reminded me of Chalene Johnson’s. If I come back next year, I hope that she comes back and that I’m on her team.

I am a Runner of Steel!Reaching Mile 8 with no significant pain was a relief for me, because that’s when my foot and ankle had given out in Philadelphia, leaving me to complete the race on one good leg. This time, my foot and ankle held up well. For that, I thank P90X, Dr. Scholl’s Custom Orthotics, and sports tape. I had some pain, but nowhere close to what I’d experienced in Philadelphia. I crossed the finish line shortly after the 3:10 (full) Pace Team, with a chip time of 2:52:20, over 15 minutes less than my time in Philadelphia. It’s amazing what happens when you run the race on two legs! I was able to walk normally through the finish line chute and toward the family reunion area, something I couldn’t do in Philly; I was crippled by then. When I was handed my medal, I kissed it before putting it on.

The Festival in Point Park was happy chaos, but I managed to locate my husband easily. He’d finished only five minutes before I had.

The next stop for me, following another round of Insanity, is the full marathon in Philadelphia this November, and possibly the Los Angeles Marathon in March. Part of me wants to run the Flying Pig next May, but then part of me would like to return to Pittsburgh to do the full 26.2. I really enjoy Pittsburgh, and I enjoyed running there. The race was fun and well-coordinated; there were more knowledgeable volunteers directing traffic, and better signage, than there had been in Philadelphia. The extra security measures taken in the wake of the Boston tragedy were reasonable. The spectators were fantastic. My husband and I had a wonderful time!

General Fitness, P90X, Running , , , , , , , , , , ,

Want to Get Healthy for Life? Change Your Eating AND Exercise Habits.

Posted on April 23, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0

Lifestyle ChangesMany people who wish to improve their health debate which they should change first: their diet or their exercise habits. Since we get fit in the gym and we lose weight in the kitchen, many people feel that it’s more important to concentrate on diet in the beginning of a lifestyle change (I’ve seen dozens of posts on the Weight Watchers boards vehemently arguing in favor of this). However, a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine found that people who improve their diet and begin exercising simultaneously tend to fare better in the long term than those who concentrate solely on diet–or solely on exercise–from the outset:

[S]cientists recruited 200 inactive participants who were age 45 or older and randomly assigned them to one of four groups that provided nutrition and exercise coaching over the phone. One group was instructed about making diet and fitness changes at the same time, the second group were taught about diet changes first, then fitness changes four months later, the third group changed their exercise habits first and made changes in their eating habits four months later, and the final, control group were not instructed about either diet or fitness changes but about how to manage their stress.

The researchers tracked the groups for a full year to determine which strategy was more successful in helping participants achieve the nationally recommended goals of 150 minutes of exercise per week, eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily and keeping saturated fat intake at less than 10%.

Compared to the group that did not receive any dietary or exercise advice, the three intervention groups made healthy changes in their diet. Those that changed their fitness regimen first also significantly increased the amount of exercise they received daily compared to the other groups after four months. However, at the end of the year, the group that changed both diet and exercise at the same time was the only one that met the nationally recommended targets for both exercise and nutrition levels, while those who worked on improving their nutrition first were unable to meet the recommended levels of fitness after a year…

The bottom line: for those who wish to make a permanent lifestyle change, a healthy diet and exercise may be like the head and the neck, unable to function separately.

Read more at Time Magazine.

Fit Life Daily, General Fitness, Weight Loss , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tips for Avoiding Distance Running Injuries

Posted on April 23, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 0
Tired runner

Image courtesy of women-running-together.com

We runners are a tough bunch, but it’s no fun getting injuries. As I mentioned before, I hobbled during the last 5.1 miles of the Philly Half, as my foot and ankle screamed from posterior tibial tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. I’m damn lucky that I finished that race. I’m even luckier that I didn’t completely blow out a tendon doing it. And I’m angry at myself because, had I cross-trained properly during my race preparations, it might not have happened.

An article in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer about preventing injuries during the upcoming Broad Street Run has advice about injury prevention during that race, and any other distance run, including:

  • Remember Thy Taper and Keep It Holy. Your last long run should be completed two weeks prior to race day, and no additional mileage should be added during the remainder of training. Your weekly mileage will drop dramatically during your taper. It’s supposed to. You’ve been pounding yourself for weeks. Those who have done P90X and Insanity will recall that there are “recovery weeks” built into those programs; runners need those, too.
  • If your shoes have at least 300 miles on them, get rid of them. As I typed this, I reminded my husband that the shoes he wore during the Philly Half last November can’t be worn in Pittsburgh next week!
  • Run your own race and don’t worry about everyone else. Don’t try to keep up with runners who are far faster than you are.

Child's Pose - You're Gonna Need It - Insanity

  • Too much stretching is just enough. Before and after my runs, I keep one of Shaun T’s lines from Insanity in mind, the one about how the most important part of the workout is the stretch, no matter how many times you’ve done that particular workout, and whether you feel like doing it or not. He’s right. I do a series of P90X and Insanity stretches before and after each run, including the split leg hamstring stretch, the hip flexor stretch and the glute stretch.

Click here for the original article.

Beachbody, Fit Life Daily, Insanity, P90X, Running , , , , , , , , , ,

Boston Strong and Run for Boston Wristbands Available in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland

Posted on April 23, 2013 by trothaarwork | Permalink 2

Boston Strong WristbandThe Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, the Flying Pig Marathon, and the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon have joined forces to honor the victims of the terrorist attack in Boston and raise money for the Boston One fund. Two styles of blue and yellow wristbands will be available for runners in each race, one reading “Boston Strong” and the other “# Run for Boston,” for a suggested $1.00 donation for each band.Run for Boston Wristband

In Pittsburgh, the bands will be available at the pre-race expo on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4; for availability in Cincinnati and Cleveland, visit the Flying Pig Marathon website and the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon website.

Running , , , , , , ,