No updates this week, computer fitness failure (in Personal)

There won’t be any updates this week.  My computer’s motherboard decided to die, so I can’t do any posting from home.  I’ve got a new one ordered that should be here friday.

5 Simple Tricks I Used to Diet at the Company Party (in Diet and Nutrition)

I went to an official company party tonight.  It was a party in the true classy vein, with a live band, little black dresses, catering, and an open bar.  I was a little worried about eating dinner there, so I started thinking about a couple of things I could do to help mitigate the “damage” I might do to my diet.

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Clean and Press, the single best exercise (in Exercise)

If I had to pick one exercise as a favorite, I would pick the pull-up because I think they’re fun (and now that I can do them, I can finally laugh at all those childhood fitness tests where I just hung on the bar ). However, if I were to look at exercises objectively and select a single resistance exercise as “the best,” it would be the clean and press.

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Five Reasons Cheating isn’t just OK. Its great! (in Diet and Nutrition)

When I first started dieting, I didn’t understand the psychology of dieting.   I tried to be very strict and never, ever deviate from the diet I set for myself.  Of course, this always led to failure because I just couldn’t stick to a diet on a strict basis.  When I gave in to temptation and cheated, I would feel like a failure and just say “Flip the diet” and give in to binge eating — my attempt at seeking comfort.

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How many calories should I eat on a daily basis? (in Diet and Nutrition)

There are a lot of fad diets on the market that push the body into various unhealthy states. However, the only real way to lose weight (or gain it, for that matter) is to control how many calories you eat on a daily basis. Some diets try to simplify the process by working on portion control and promoting quality food over junk food, two examples of this are Body for Life and Weight Watchers. At the end of the day though, they’re still limiting the number of calories you put into your body.

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Four Day Split Body Building Routine (in Exercise)

Here’s a great bodybuilding routine I used in the old days. Its designed to be run through once a week with a rest day every couple of days. Its very intense when done properly (lifting heavy), so make sure that you’re getting enough food and rest. Also remember that getting enough protein is key if you’re looking to develop the strength and larger muscles.

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The Dangers of the Swiss Ball (in Personal)

I’ve recently learned that the swiss ball, one of my favorite pieces of ab equipment, can lead to some painful injuries.

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The 52-Card Workout (Deck of Cards PT) (in Exercise)

This is great PT style workout that’s been popular in the army for ages, I learned it in ROTC. Recently, I’ve seen several similar commercial products that cash in on the “hardcore army” image. The truth is, no one that’s actually in the army uses these products. Instead, they use you generic deck of cards. If you’re looking for a workout and want a new use for that poker set, here’s how the 52-Card Workout is done.

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Welcome Aboard (in Personal)

Who am I?

Well, my name is Michael (although most people know me as Mac). I’m 26 years old, recently single, and overweight. I started College pushing 370 lbs…yeah, I was kind of fat. Through-out college I dieted and worked out, getting heavily involved with mixed martial arts and other equally exciting fitness-related hobbies. By the time I left college, I was just under 200lbs and running at at 12% body fat.

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Iron Man Round 1: Pilates and Weight Training (in Exercise)

As with any successful movie, Iron Man’s going to be followed with a slew of “how they did it” articles talking about actors and actresses getting in shape. Normally I’d happily ignore them, but the inner nerd in me just won’t allow it — the movie was too good. So, here’s round 1 with an article talking about Robert Downey Jr getting in shape for Iron Man and Gwyneth Paltrow using Pilates to transform into Pepper Potts.

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Sunny D and Moods (in Diet and Nutrition)

Vitamin D is produced by your body when you’re out in the sun, and its an essential for helping prevent colon cancer, heart disease, and prostate cancer.  Most of us have been trained to avoid the sun, being told repeatedly that staying out in the sun will lead to skin cancer and eventually to our deaths.

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Pre and Post Workout Meals (in Diet and Nutrition)

I’ve found that what I eat/drink before and after an intense workout can have great benefits. For both, I like to have a lot of water involved. Usually something a little sugary and carby for the pre-workout (think sports drinks). My body will burn through the calories and the extra hydration will keep me from cramping up 45 minutes in (I sweat like a pig). The combination of instant fuel and water helps me perform at my peak. Calorie-wise, I like to keep it under 200 calories though.

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11 lifesyle changes for a healthier life (in )

Coming to us via the Diet Blog, here’s 11 simple ways to help you lead a healthier life. Continue…

See yourself 20lbs lighter (in )

What a goal picture? Check out this this awesome website. Upload a photo of yourself, work a little magic, and you can see what you will look like after losing twenty pounds. Not quite as good as actually losing them, but its a start.

Three Different Round Kicks (in )

Let’s take a quick look at three different round kicks. Jeet Kune Do’s Oou’Tek (pronounced Now-Tech), Tae Kwon Do’s round kick, and Muay Thai’s switch kick. The JKD Oou’tek takes its cues from fencing, its intended to be used as an entry technique to close the distance into punching range. It relies on a pendulum motion where the rear foot replaces the front with the kick impacting on the opponents knee or thigh. Its delivered without chambering or snapping the kick. The Oou’tek is faster than a switch kick and more powerful than a Tae Kwon Do kick, it could be considered a “middle ground” between the other two.
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