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Posts Tagged with 'health'P90X: Getting Startedon July 13th, 2008 by Matt
So, you’ve decided that P90X is the workout and diet plan for you to achieve lasting fitness and health for the rest of your life. Excellent! You won’t regret making the commitment. Now that you’ve ordered the DVDs, you need to get ready for their arrival. You ordered the DVDs, right? Equipment NeededYou will need some equipment. Don’t worry though; it’s not much and you may already have some things. Let’s start with the most important first. Weights or BandsYou’ll need either dumbbells (free weights) or resistance bands. There are a ton of options for each, but there are some basic guidelines you should remember when choosing. You can get simple free weights at many department stores as well as sporting good stores. I recommend getting single piece weights. You can buy them in sets, but if you get the interchangeable plate design dumbbells, it may end up slowing you down. However, there are newer options now that let you adjust the weight of each dumbbell. These are very cool, but usually cost more at this time. If you get the single piece dumbbells, make sure they are coated for a good grip (or use gloves). Look for polychloroprene (i.e. Neoprene), or any kind of rubber/vinyl, coating. Here are links to some affordable dumbbells of each type: Resistance bands are very versatile tools for strength training also. Each band is rated at a certain resistance, but you can vary the amount of resistance depending on the distance from the handles you pull. This actually allows for a much broader range of resistance. One option that I appreciate are bands that can be interchanged with a set of detachable handles. There are several types of bands that you can purchase. I, personally, own the full set of bands by the creators of P90X. Once I figured out how to easily swap the higher resistance bands among the handles, I really grew to like these bands. Pull/Chin-Up BarA good pull-up bar or chin-up bar is something that you will absolutely need for this program. Depending on the type of person you are, you will learn to love or hate pull-ups. That said, you want to get a bar that makes the whole process much easier on you. You can get one that stands free like a tower on your floor. These are usually adjustable in height. A cheaper alternative is a bar that installs in a doorway. Some of these require a sturdy doorway with trim that you set the bar onto. Others need brackets screwed into the studs of your doorway with the bar resting into the brackets (these usually telescope to the appropriate length). Below are links to a couple of each type.
Fitness Floor MatAnother essential for your workout plan is a floor mat. You will be on the floor for an hour and thirty minutes of extreme yoga. You will be sweating through plyometrics (jump training) for about an hour. You will be stretching all your muscle groups for another hour. Thankfully, these exercises are on different days. However, you will need a floor mat that is thick enough for these activities.
Heart Rate MonitorSeveral workouts in this plan are cardio-based: Plyometrics, Cardio X, and Kenpo X. In order to get the most out of these workouts, you should monitor your heart rate. It is important to keep your heart rate within an ideal range for burning fat. A good monitor will prompt you for your physical attributes and calculate the rest for you. After a proper setup, you can equip the monitor and it will beep when you are out of your range. This allows you to adjust your activity to get back into range. Other EquipmentSome other equipment that you may get could improve your experience. Most importantly, a way to monitor your fat loss is very nice to chart your progress. You can get a standard caliper or an electronic monitor. Some are built into weight scales, others are hand-held. If you have wrist issues or want to get more range of motion out of your push-ups, you can purchase a pair of push-up stands. I have a bad wrist, and a set of push-up stands are great. Lastly, yoga blocks are absolutely great for so many people. For me (and most guys), yoga blocks will help to perform the more advanced stretches which would otherwise not be possible. For the more flexible people out there, yoga blocks will help you stretch beyond normal means. SupplementsI suppose it is possible to experience this workout plan without supplements. However, I really do not see how this would work. In order to meet your dietary needs, I sincerely recommend that you invest in supplements. You can get all of these items at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and other similar shops or online with Amazon and many others. VitaminsThe foods we have available to us today are usually very short on the vitamins and minerals our bodies need. Then, if you take on any workout plan, let alone an extreme plan, you will really need the vitamins. Get a multi-vitamin for men or women. For the P90X program, consider getting a multi-vitamin that targets sports activities or athletes. ProteinThe first phase of P90X expects you to really put down the protein and lay off the carbs. It is really, really hard to eat enough protein via food. You’ll want to consider a protein powder supplement. I keep it simple. I consume a GNC whey protein that is chocolate-flavored. It actually tastes great mixed with just water (this has come a long way in the past 10 years). 1 scoop of this stuff is equivalent to 1 protein on the P90X diet plan. Be aware that whey protein contains eggs, so if you are a strict vegetarian, look for an alternative to whey. You can mix a protein drink as a snack in the middle of the day and get a full protein count toward your daily goal. For protein bars, there are the P90X Protein Bars; however, I prefer the Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bars. Recovery DrinksAfter an extreme workout, you need to recover; and fast. There is an important 1-hour window, right after your workout, when you have the opportunity to help your muscles recover from the stress and strain beyond natural means. Consuming a recovery drink after such workouts, you will experience less soreness and will actually repair your muscle tears so much faster. P90X has a recovery drink that I understand is great. However, my wife and I decided to find out the ingredients and find an alternative. The key to a recovery drink is the 4:1 ratio. That’s 4 parts carbohydrates to 1 part protein. If you want an alternative that is fairly affordable, I recommend Accelerade. You can find it at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe at a decent price. I believe GNC only has 2 of the flavors, while Vitamin Shoppe has all 6 or 7 flavors. You should take 2 scoops of Accelerade, but you may want to divide that up into 2 drinks unless you like it strong. This stuff tastes great and we always look forward to it after a workout. Note: Accelerade (and most recovery drinks) use whey, which contains dairy. So, if you are strictly vegan, know this fact and read the labels to find something suitable for you. SummaryIt may seem overwhelming at first to get started on a high intensity workout. However, once you make a list of the things you need, it is not that bad at all. If you have to purchase everything listed here to get the most of your P90X workout plan, you can expect to spend the following amounts:
You will not regret committing yourself to this workout plan. P90X definitely guides you to real results of fitness. I mean long-lasting fitness. My wife and I love the results we are getting. I expect to finish the program, take a small break, then start it all over again. Yeah, it’s that good! Good luck!
Tags: fitness, health, life, p90x Can one person make a difference?on May 27th, 2008 by Chrissy
For the past week, I have had a one line phrase repeating in my head whenever I get into my routine duties like washing dishes, laundry, and cleaning the cat box: “Can one person make a difference?” It all started with a conversation I had with my dad. My dad, my husband, and I were out in front of our house having our spring yard sale. The Orkin man visited our neighbor’s house and he told us to give him a call if we ever need his services. We said thanks and I turned to my dad and husband and asked, “I wonder if they have a non-toxic chemical option”. My dad asked why and I talked about the pesticides going into the ground and then into the ground water. We are on city water, but it still just doesn’t seem right since the water eventually makes it to the streams and bay. And then my dad said something like “but you are just one person”. I can’t remember now if I said something or I just didn’t know what to say. I know that he meant nothing mean to me by it, it is just how so many people feel when we live in a system where is seems as if one person has no impact on anything. As this phrase has been repeated over and over in my head, I have thought about it a whole lot. I first started to think about the positive ways someone can make a difference, but my mind soon turned to how one person can make a difference in a negative way – a horrible co-worker who can turn the whole office into a “toxic soup” with their negativity and pessimism, a driver who decides to drive drunk and hits someone who was innocently driving their vehicle and not harming anyone, an assassin who kills a leader of a country. These negative people show that one person can really make a difference. Negative impacts are always easier to find since they tend to be dramatic and immediate. But this is not the direction of a difference that I ever want to consider. I want to know how one person can make a difference positively. I learned in high school to Think Globally, Act Locally. This means that what you want to happen on a global level, you need to do in your own life – locally – in your home, community, and and other places that you have impact. When more people catch on and start to participate, the group will get larger, and an impact will be seen. It really does start with one person – one person joining another person which forms a group. I finally started thinking about how much in the last 3 years my husband and I have acted locally in a way we would like to see a global change and it has already changed our lives for the better…
In addition to making our lives better, we are making others’ lives better too. By purchasing organic food and textiles, we are putting our money toward businesses where their employees aren’t exposed to pesticides that can make them sick. Choices done by individuals everyday, for example through purchases, show companies what you want – that we want healthier choices – so each individual “one person” really is making a difference. The environmentally friendly and organic movements didn’t happen overnight, they have been years in the making. Each aspect started with one person with a want for something different and the ideas grew.
Tags: go-green, health, organic So Much Research, So Little Timeon April 18th, 2008 by Chrissy
This past week has been all about research… so much research… mostly about the things we put in and on our bodies. From clothes to food to personal care products. When I posted my recent article about Earth-Friendly Products, I started thinking that these items are good for the earth (petroleum-free, chlorine-free, toxin-free, cruelty-free, and organic (where the option exists)), and while those things are good for our bodies, there are additional concerns when our personal care is considered. What is the specific toxin levels of the ingredients of these products we use on our bodies? When you start to think about it too deep, your head starts to spin. So when the dizziness stopped for me, I found a company that is all about showing you the details of the ingredients in your personal care products. The company is Environmental Working Group (EWG). The section of their site that I have been using quite frequently recently is EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. I have found many of the products I have looked for, however, they are always updating their database, and some items just aren’t there. When you can’t find an item, look up its individual ingredients. We have come along way in using more healthy products, however, through my research, there is still more work to be done. Some products we use everyday will soon not be in our cabinets because of what I have found out. Replacements will be made soon and I will update my product use list and add explanations and links to why a change was made. I also did a little research to find where you can get a list of companies that really are not testing their products on animals since they can say it on the product and it not be true. PETA is the best place to find this information. PETA’s website has a link to PETA’s Caring Consumer.com who has a list of Companies That Do/That Don’t Test on Animals. I am happy to say that the three main companies that we buy personal care and household cleaners from (JASON, Seventh Generation, and method) are all on the Don’t Test on Animals list. Yea! I am happy that we have the freedom to choose the products that we use. I am also happy that others are out there to help us with the facts that we just don’t see on labels. Earth-friendly Productson April 10th, 2008 by Chrissy
Over the past couple of months, I have been asked a couple of times which earth-friendly products I use, so I thought I would share my knowledge and experience. Most of the earth-friendly products we buy for household and personal care are made by 3 companies: Seventh Generation, method, and JASON. The products are petroleum-free, chlorine-free, toxin-free, cruelty-free, and organic (where the option exists). The reasons we buy these products are many and here are some of them:
Seventh Generation: Laundry, Dishwashing, Household cleaners, Household paper and supplies, For Baby, Feminine Care.
method: Laundry, Dishwashing, Household cleaners, Aircare, Personal care, Cleaning cloths.
JASON: Personal care.
Random Acts of Kindnesson April 9th, 2008 by Chrissy
What would this world be like if each person did one nice thing a day? Just the smallest thing like say hi, hold a door open for someone, or allow someone to merge onto a road properly. I think it would be a much better world. What made me think of this is all the little horrible things I see every time I go go shopping or driving even the shortest of distances – people cutting other drivers off, not using turn signals, people just walking out in traffic or in front of a store (do they not realize that even if you are doing 5 miles an hour that there is a breaking distance), people hurrying to get in front of you at the store even though you have so many items less than them… I could go on forever about these things. My theory on why people aren’t nicer is that they don’t see it fitting in their schedule. It seems like so many people are in such a hurry because so much is asked of them in a short period of time. It wouldn’t be the worse thing if someone gets in front of you or you have to get behind someone else depending on how you are looking at this. Maybe in those few minutes you can take a couple deep breaths and slow your heart rate and de-stress rather than become furious, get angry, and feel the need to hurry even more. If someone slowing you down makes you late for something, then you just need to give yourself more time to get whatever you need to get done. It all comes down to procrastination. All of us are guilty of it – even in the smallest things. Personally, I am a person who runs late. My friends know it. My family knows it. I have improved over the years, but still have more improving to do. I try to do too much in too small of a time period. But what makes me different than many of the people who are running late out there is that they get mean about it. It isn’t someone else’s fault that I am late… no matter how many red lights I encountered that I normally don’t… I am my own undoing. So, to all of those family members and friends out there that I have been late to something, I apologize and I am trying to add “padding” to my plans so that I am either on-time, early, or at the least just a couple minutes late. I can say that my GPS has really helped with the plans when I need to drive a longer distance since I see the arrival time and am more aware of it. I think I got a little off topic of Random Acts of Kindness, but I wanted to tell a story too since the story is what inspired the topic. Try to do something nice for someone else… you will help both of you in the process.
Tags: health Know the Causeon April 2nd, 2008 by Chrissy
This afternoon I talked on the phone with one of my aunts from PA. We don’t talk very often, but when we do, we cover lots of topics including herbs, medicines, and natural remedies. My aunt was so happy to talk with me since she is not able to talk with many people about these types of things. One of the things we talked about is a TV program that she had seen recently. She is without a computer and wanted me to look something up on the internet for her regarding the show. I did some research but wasn’t able to find exactly what she was looking for while we were on the phone, but I did find lots of information that I thought I would share it since it is quite interesting. There is a theory out there that fungus causes cancer. A man named Doug Kaufmann has done extensive research on the effects of fungus on the human system and has written 8 books about the subject. He is in the process of writing and revising more books and has a website: Know the Cause. He has created an Anti-fungal diet which is what my aunt is trying to see if I can find Phase I of without having to buy the book. She wants to see what the “diet” is all about before getting the book. I am going to do some more research for her so I will be adding more as I find it.
Tags: food, health Health Store in Salisbury!on March 18th, 2008 by Chrissy
For the last 11 years there has been a health store in Salisbury, MD and until last week I never knew about it. I have even been to the shopping center where it is located and never noticed – and I think of myself as a pretty observant person. I think they need some marketing since I think it is the only health food store in Salisbury. Granted I could be wrong about it being the only one since I didn’t know this one existed, but it never hurts to have a little marketing here and there. Since the people there were so kind and they had quite an assortment of organic and natural foods, I wanted to give them a little free marketing by plugging them on my blog. Not that a lot of people read this so far, but more and more are starting to read my posts, so it can’t hurt a small businesses to get their name out there – it only needs to reach a few people – those people can tell their people and so on. Well, here is the name, address, and phone number of the health store in Salisbury… Health Store and More Polyphasic Sleepon October 18th, 2005 by Matt
There has been a lot of discussion lately among certain circles about polyphasic sleep. It is a way of sleeping that differs from the “norm” by breaking up sleep into many phases, as opposed to one continuous sleep phase. There is not much official research into this practice by sleep researchers; it’s not their goal in research. However, there have been a few independent researchers of the technique that are not necessarily accredited in medicine or biology; thus, rendering their findings speculative and less than trusting. On the other hand, there have been plenty of reports on the human sleep cycle. Many findings indicate that we sleep in intervals of 90 minutes. We simply repeat the 90 minute cycles throughout the night. Try it sometime. Make note of when you go to bed one night and when you awake. You should notice that, on average, that time is a multiple of 90 minutes. It may vary slightly based on how long it actually took you to fall asleep and whether or not you awoke during the night to go to the bathroom, etc. There have been a couple of postings on digg.com lately on polyphasic sleep as well. Before you simply believe or disbelieve what you are reading, please make an effort to do some research of your own. For example, one of the posts on digg.com pointed out problems with polyphasic sleeping. However, the referenced definition of polyphasic sleep was one from Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a community-driven collection. Upon reading that definition, I learned that polyphasic sleep consisted of several short naps throughout the day in lengths of 20-45 minutes. How can that be!? The word “polyphasic” does not imply 20-45 minutes; it does not imply any time whatsoever. It simply means many phases. Of course, an article written about polyphasic sleep based on that definition may be negative. You would have to enter REM sleep almost immediately, to get anything out of 20-45 minutes! My point is, be careful in your judgments when reading such articles on the Internet. This should apply to either side of the story. Personally, I trust sources like WebMD and Britannica more than unvalidated sources. Most research recommends that you should not interrupt REM sleep. And most research shows that we sleep in 90 minute cycles where REM isn’t achieved until after an hour. Therefore, it makes sense that 20-45 minutes may not be ideal for your naps. Maybe that is the problem with any studies that have reported poor findings for human health. Maybe they need to up the nap time to 90 minutes. Polyphasic sleep is really not that far-fetched. Infants and many animals adhere to a polyphasic sleep pattern. If you don’t believe me, watch your newborn or your cat or your dog. If you don’t have either, ask a family member or friend who does. Granted, animals don’t follow the same sleep cycle as humans (90 minutes), but nature starts many animals in polyphasic sleep. We even wean our children from the pattern as they grow older. We’re only held to a monophasic sleep pattern because of our jobs. So, maybe there is something to say about a properly executed polyphasic sleep pattern after all. If you would like to try polyphasic sleep, I suggest a very simple technique to avoid interrupting your precious REM sleep during your cycles. Do not set an alarm clock. Your body should not naturally wake itself up in the midst of REM. It’s as simple as that! If you’re worried about oversleeping and missing work, do not go to bed so late. Go to bed early until you can better judge when your body will wake itself up. Go to bed much earlier than normal in the beginning and set your alarm clock for the absolute latest time to avoid being late. That way, when you naturally awake, you can just get up and spend some productive time in the morning before work; however, if you slip up and oversleep, you will have a back up to wake you. Above all, use common sense and please, please, please listen to your body. If after 2 weeks, you are always tired and/or sleepy, add more time to your sleep schedule or exercise more often. Sources of interest (notice the necessity of a 3 hour core sleep in most articles that praise polyphasic sleep):
Tags: health, life, sleep The preceding is the opinion of the author(s) and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. The views of the writer are his own, and do not in any way reflect the views of the site they are posted on, other sites affiliated with this site, the staff involved with the site, or any other members of this site. For more information, review the full Terms of Use for this site. |
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