Category: Weightloss
I met up with a buddy of mine today to catch up and shoot the shit. During our conversation which touched on work, common friends, and general insanity, he mentioned he just joined an adult dodgeball league. Let me repeat that, an ADULT DODGEBALL LEAGUE. Bad assed!
He tells me it is run by the San Francisco Recreation Department, and will go for 10 weeks starting tonight. It goes from 7:30-9:00 on Friday nights at the newly remodeled gymnasium about a mile from my house. So, of course I had to look it up online. Low and behold, it was not only NOT FULL, but it only cost $27.00. You got it, $2.70 a week to run around like a kid and throw balls at people. AWESOME.
Now here is the part that blew me away; I went to the Parks and Recreation website and was stunned. They offer all sorts of great classes for kids through seniors. Everything from art classes to fitness classes to sports to ballroom dancing to theatre. Again…AWESOME. And they do it cheap! All you have to do is join the parks and recreation site (Free to join) and then start choosing places and classes. You pay for the classes you want to take.
I HIGHLY recommend anyone in SF who is looking for something fun to do, to visit this site.
Because of a conversation with a friend, tonight I was throwing balls at strangers and having a great time. And the other people playing had as much fun as I did. Good times. Very good times. (and rather spontaneous)
I wonder what I will try next?
-Rob
You are reading this because you are one of the normal people who wants to get more fit. I say “get more fit,” because some people want to lose weight, some want to add definition, and some of you want to put on muscle mass. All of you want to improve your fitness level, and are looking for that “magical something” to make it happen.
Well, here’s the secret. 99% of you already have what it takes to get more fit. You are reading this, and this shows me you have the desire to make a change. Now we have to make that desire an action, then a habit.
Sometimes it is the wacky and odd that can help us achieve new goals. I happen to like challenges and contests with my friends… So, I have just started a new fitness challenge with 2 of my buddies. These guys are already “fit,” though we all want to see how fit/ripped we can get in the next 90 days. This ISN’T a P90X challenge. It is a “Get Fit” challenge. We all have to choose our plan of attack, we all have to watch our diets, and we all have to kick ass and take name. This time around both bragging rights AND a creepy pair of fleece SAMBO shorts are the prize.
Here is what we did to start:
Thursday July 1st we all took our measurements and did the first of 2 fitness tests. The following Tuesday (After the July 4th weekend) we did the more brutal of the fitness tests. (Test 1 = P90X Fitness Test. Test 2 = Insanity Fitness Test) I must say, we all did really well and are not making it easy for the final test.
The 3 participants of this craziness are Aaron (Pound for pound, one tough SOB. Aaron leaves it all on the floor every time. He wants to add size and definition), Ben (One of the best fighters and most agile guys I have ever met. He wants to lose some lb’s), and me (Rob. I think it is time I got ripped!) We all have been training/fighting together for the last 3+ years, we are all friends, and we will workout together at least 2 times a week. The rest of the time we are all on our own.
The winner will be based on the following criteria:
- Visual changes in physique
- % Body Fat Lost/Gained
- Initial weight compared to final weigh in
- Improvements in both Fitness Test Results
The losers have to buy the winner the creepy fleece style SAMBO shorts, and have to live with the fact that we were bested. (Oh, and none of us are competitive. No way. heh)
To me, this is not only fun, but a great way to keep several friends motivated. In the end, we all really win with this kind of event!
Here are some really uncalled for pics for your amusement!
Times like the 4th of July, parties, family events, heck, just the weekend can be a MAJOR crimp on your “Fit life.” You need to understand that is OK. We all have setbacks, the thing we all have accept that we are human, and we can get back on track. We just can’t be disheartened.
The week before the 4th, I made it through my first week of full food tracking with pretty good results, and I am very confident that I’ll be rocking 6 pack abs in 2 months. Last Monday I was at 201.3 lbs, and I am now 3lbs lighter, even after a crazy weekend of 3000 calorie days. (eeeep) When I am being diligent it is easy to eat right. But beer and cocktails are my downfall. (And late night papusa runs.)
I know that the basis of this blog is that you can live fit and still enjoy good food and drink. I stand by that 100%, but to be ripped, and super fit, then you have to record everything you eat. You have to maintain a good workout program, and you have to decide how long you want to maintain being super ripped.
So, I’ll admit it… I have a SERIOUS weakness for chicken skin. I call it “The Bacon of the Barnyard,” though I suppose pigs hang out in the barnyard as well… but for the sake of my cute saying (and it’s correlation to my other favorite– salmon skin, the bacon of the sea), I’m gonna let it slide.
Never is there a greater battle of the wills than in that first five minutes after arriving home with a convenient rotisserie chicken.
Today’s mission: Make chicken pot pies for a friend who recently had a baby without scarfing down on an entire chicken’s worth of salty, crispy skin in the process.
The secret weapon: Sugarfree Gum.
The M.O.: Get home, set down chicken, pop a stick of gum IMMEDIATELY, open chicken container, remove skin and place in trash, remove gum once tempataion is gone so that I can taste the finished product for seasoning.
So much of the temptation comes in the prep-work when you don’t really need your palate to be “on”– popping chunks of cheese you might be grating for a casserole, for example. Or, moms, if you make different meals for your kids– having a cheese doodle here and a chicken nugget there really adds up. Pop a stick of gum while getting their plates ready and feeding them to to make it a non-issue. I find Citrus Mint really does the trick. You can’t really take it out and cheat since the flavor sticks with you for a while…
Incidentally, this tip also helps with my OTHER other meal-prep weakness– Polishing off a big ol’ glass of red before I even sit down to eat. 
I’ve had the BodyBugg for about 12 weeks now, and have been sitting on my review for a while because I don’t want to discount the fact that several people on the BodyBugg message boards swear this thing saved their lives… But, in my twelve-weeks experience with it, it’s my conclusion that, for the price, the Bugg is a “neat to have,” not a “need to have.” Even then, it’s a novelty that wears off quick.
As you all know I practice what I preach! Here are my day 1 Fit test results for the beginnig of my 3rd Insanity cycle.
Week 1
Switch Kicks: 100
Power Jacks: 56
Fast Knee’s: 113
Power Jumps: 41
Globe Jumps: 7
Suicide Jumps: 15
Push Up Jacks: 31
Lo Plank Knees: 70
We recently got a copy of ChaLEAN Extreme here at the FitLifeSF headquarters and I have had a chance to tuck into it a little bit. Keep in mind that this is just a preliminary “review”– not even a review, really. A lot of folks have been asking us how to decide between P90X, Insanity and ChaLEAN, so this is a first stab at helping folks figure out what program might be best for them.
Here’s a thought that has been on my mind lately, especially as I read over comments on this blog and spend time on various fitness-related message boards. It seems nobody is interested in learning to walk before they run.
This past week I have been away from the house 8 of the last 10 days. This is the kind of situation that thrashes most peoples training programs. You can be very good when you are at home. You are in your comfort zone, you are able to follow your regimen, you can eat what you are supposed to and everything you need is available to you. Being on the road, you are lucky if you can bring any of your training needs. You MUST be creative. (Earlier this week, while in Seattle, I found a group of guys who also train in Sambo and went to train with them. Got to think outside the box when traveling!)
This trip, I did not want to take a single step backwards, s0 I took precautions. I have 2 videos with me that are good full body workouts, don’t need any equipment, and can be done in a confined space. They are also core centric, so I know I will get a good burn. I also made sure that I had a supply of decent food and snacks. Though I hate the Biggest Loser marketing, there is something to be said about knowing where you can find a Subway. 6 inch turkey subs with lots of veggies are great in a pinch, and with Honey Mustard, are usually between 280 – 300 calories.