Meet The World’s Newest (and Possibly Oldest) Triathlete

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Cammy Chapel

As far as I’ve ever known, a triathlon consists of 3 components: a swim, a bike ride, and a run. I knew the distances varied depending on the level of competition, but those were the components available. Or so I thought.

I also thought the closest I’d ever get to competing in a triathlon was walking, riding my bike, and taking a shower on the same day. And to be honest, I was quite happy with that. Especially the shower part.

Over the weekend, I happened to meet a fellow who is training for a triathlon, only his triathlon trades out the swimming for kayaking. In talking with him, I learned that there are other tri “off-shoots” with different segments, but the common ground is that there are three segments. Hence, the ‘tri’.

Suddenly my walk, bike, shower tri doesn’t seem so silly. I mean, it is a vigorous shower.

Okay, I lied. I stand there and let hot water soak into all the spots that ache until I remember that hot water costs $$$ and reluctantly limp to the bed. So maybe my triathlon is a bit too “lite.”

For some reason, I decided today was a good day for a real Tippy Toe Triathlon. I already had a gym workout scheduled, and I’ve been tacking on a walk or bike ride after that anyway. Why not go for all three?

And so I did:
- Workout A (Phase 2) of New Rules of Lifting for Life (More on that next post.)
(break for lunch and produce run)
- Zippy 30 minute walk
(break for snack and book reading)
- 45-minute bike ride

So a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes of exercise. And now I’m too tired to even stand in the shower. I might have to take my friends up on their offer to use their Jacuzzi while they’re gone.

Since I have no desire to train for or compete in an actual triathlon, this whole idea of swapping out the standard triathlon components has me thinking that any of us can create our version of an event. You know, one that matches our abilities and our schedules.

For example, I’ll need to do yard work this weekend, so maybe I’ll make that a segment. (It burns a lot of calories, plus my gutters need cleaning again which will add to the tally.) Add in a bike ride and a walk and there’s my three segments.

On a rainy day, I might do my old stand-bys, the elliptical, the bike, and the stair climber at the gym. Twenty minutes of each and I’ve got myself an hour. Or just ten minutes of each if I’m pressed for time. Or if I’m tired.

What types of exercises would you choose if you could build your own tippy toe type triathlon? If you’re just starting out, you could set shorter time limits and build from there. If you’re way past me (and probably most of you ARE), you could aim higher. The idea is to put together three types of exercise (any exercise) in one day–ones that will stretch you, but not break you.

Book Review: New Rules of Lifting for Life

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Cammy Chapel

Other than a few short breaks, I’ve been strength training since June 14, 2007. My routines and abilities have changed over time, and I’m always on the lookout for new challenges to keep me interested. When I saw earlier this year that Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove had a new book out in their New Rules for Lifting series, I knew I’d have to try it out. Their (with Cassandra Forsythe) New Rules of Lifting for Women*is one of my favorite exercise books, and I hoped the new book, The New Rules of Lifting for Life: An All-New Muscle-Building, Fat-Blasting Plan for Men and Women Who Want to Ace Their Midlife Exams*, would provide a course-shift for my mid-winter blobbiness and workout blahness.

Unfortunately, some bozo had the book checked out of the library and kept it for two months! I was beginning to think I was going to have to put an ad in the local paper asking for it to be returned, but I finally got my hands on it a couple of weeks ago. Joy!

I’m just barely into the workouts at this point, but although they’re not hugely different from what I was doing before with respect to the types of exercises, the order and the reps of phase one are a definite departure for me. They’re also a departure from some of the previous New Rules programs.

Lifting for Life (LfL) is targeted to a middle-aged audience (folks waaaay older than me) and people in injury recovery. The focus is core, core, core, but there’s not a crunch or back extension in sight. It’s all about building muscle in the core (trunk) in order to strengthen and protect the spine, using total-body exercises that emphasize strength, balance, and flexibility. Since I have no intentions of entering the amateur or professional body-building arenas, this is right up my alley!

The program is split into three phases: Transform, Develop, and Maximize, designed to cover six months in total. So far, I’m just working in the Transform phase. I’ll worry about the next phase when I get there.

Each phase has two workouts, A and B, which are performed on different days. These are both full-body workouts, but A targets more upper body and B takes care of the lower body. Exercises are divided into categories: push, pull, squat, lunge, hinge, and single-leg stance. You can choose your own exercises, based on level of ability, as long as you stay true to the category. If, for example, someone has the audacity to be using my spot when I’m ready for some push-ups, I can move over to a bench for chest presses instead since both are “push” exercises.

Here’s what my current schedule looks like:

Workout A
Category/exercise	Sets/reps	My choice
Core
- Stability	2 x 30 seconds	Plank (2 x 60 seconds)
- Dynamic Stability	2 x 10	Stability Ball Mountain Climbers
Power (lower body)	2 x 5	Dumbbell swings
Strength
- 1a) Squat	1 or 2 x15	squat to row
- 1b) Pull	1 or 2 x15	Combo: squat to row
- 2a) Single-leg stance	1 or 2 x15	Single leg deadlift
- 2b) Push	1 or 2 x 15	Chest presses
Metabolic	5-10 min.	Bicycle/treadmill/elliptical

Workout B
Category/exercise	Sets/reps	My choice
Core
- Stability	2 x 30 seconds	Plank (2 x 60 seconds)
- Dynamic Stability	2 x 10	Kneeling cable half-chop
Power (upper body)	2 x 5	Push-up/release off the low bar
Strength
- 1a) Hinge	1 or 2 x15	Bridges with stability ball
- 1b) Push	1 or 2 x15	Single arm shoulder presses
- 2a) Lunge	1 or 2 x15	Combo: face pulls/rear lunge
- 2b) Pull	1 or 2 x 15	Combo: face pull/rear lunge
Metabolic	5-10 min.	Bicycle/treadmill/elliptical

As you can see, I save a bit of time by doing one combo move in each workout: squat to rows in Workout A and tacking a rear lunge onto the face pull in Workout B. I could do those individually, but I figure if I’ve got the cable, why not put it to good use. LOL The only downside is that in order to get 15 lunges on each leg, I end up doing 30 face pulls in each set.

Not a hard-core program, but my muscles are twitching at the end of it. I even had to take Ibuprofen the day after I first tried the single-leg deadlifts. I’d never done those before, and my thighs and hammies let me know it.

I should also mention that there’s a warm-up group of exercises that are common across all workout, but I don’t do those because they require lunging and jumping around the gym. Not possible in my small and congested gym, so I do my regular warm-up.

I’ll also mention that there’s a section on nutrition and eating, but to be honest, I skipped all that. I’m mostly happy with the way I eat.

I am loving this program so far! I’m even enjoying the planks, now that they’re at the front of the workout. I had to acknowledge today that the fact that I’m at 60-second planks and not minding them is a sign that I need to move up a plank, so to speak. I’ll stick the ball under my feet on Friday, and see how that works out, or maybe I’ll start working on my side planks again. They’re rather pitiful.

As for results, I’m already feeling a difference in my arms and legs, and I’m noticing a slight tightening of the squish belly. I also noticed that pants that were starting to feel a bit snug button easily. Beyond that, I have no idea. I figured out a long time ago that I’m not the best person to evaluate my reflection in the mirror. If I feel good, that’s good enough for me!

One other note: If you are just starting out with exercise and try this program, you may have to/want to spend a few extra weeks in the Transform stage. When I first started exercising, I couldn’t have done 15 reps of anything. Heck, thanks to the pickleball knee, I still can’t do 15 front or static lunges! DO NOT feel bad if you have to work up to the full rotation. (And if you’re able to jump right in and do it all from the beginning, please don’t tell me! )

So this one is a two-thumbs-up from me! There are so many exercises and variations that I expect to play around with different combinations for quite some time!

Got a new favorite exercise or program to share? Questions about this one?

Disclaimer: The two links marked with an asterisk above are to my Amazon affiliate account, for which I receive a small commission. While that would be nice, I do encourage supporting your local library and your local bookstores first! This explains my bank balance, but so be it.

Your Weekly Reader, Including a Personality Test

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Cammy Chapel

Anyone remember the Weekly Reader from elementary school days? Or Highlights magazine? I loved those magazines! And the “Look-it-Up Club”…such happy memories.

But I digress…

First off, I must apologize for the absence of Rock Star tributes this week. I’m a bit behind in my reading and I basically have no idea who’s done what. I’ll get back on track next week, I hope. Meanwhile, feel free to nominate YOURSELF for the award. I know you did something awesome this week. You always do!

I’ve been positively ROCKING my exercise lately (more on that next week), but I tell you, it’s a good thing I got my gym workout in early this morning or I might have suffered a rock-free day. We’ve regressed a bit in our Springness and are having a cold and dreary spell that has me feeling sloggy and blech! (This is more mental than physical.) I’m reasonably certain that if a trip to the gym was still on my to-do list for today, I’d be trying everything I could think of to convince myself to avoid it, and I’d probably be successful.

In the event you are opting to stay in, or having it forced upon you by heaps of snow, and are looking for some interesting reading, here are a few items from my soon-to-be-defunct Google reader:

10 Reasons Why You’re Enough Just the Way You Are [Dumb Little Man]
Sneak peak: “Everyone’s a work in progress: Nobody’s perfect including yourself so stop putting so much pressure on yourself to be so.”

There’s a reason I listed this at the top. Each and every point was a gem, in my book.

20 Great Body Weight Exercises (and Why You Should Do Them) [Wisebread]
Sneak Peek: “[I'd] venture to say that being able to lift your own body weight — whether with your arms, your legs, or your core — is an important life skill. What better, more basic measure of fitness could there be? The best part of it is that most body weight exercises require little or no equipment of any kind, which means you can practice them anytime, anywhere.”

No reason to go to the gym at all with this comprehensive list of body weight exercises. If I hadn’t already worked out today (and have the jangly muscles to prove it), I’d be working through at least a few exercises from each group.

Or if I hadn’t been able to muster up the motivation for even that, according to the following article, I might have gotten enough of a workout just by taking care of a few household chores.

Stay Fit Without Ever Visiting the Gym [Yahoo Shine]
Sneak Peek: “Researchers from Oregon State University evaluated a federal survey of more than 6,000 American adults and their physical activity levels. All participants wore accelerometers to track their movement throughout the day. Part of the group took part in structured gym workouts, while the others simply stayed active throughout the day by doing simple chores around the house and running errands. After four consecutive days of wearing the device for at least 10 hours a day, the results were surprising: Small bouts of activity-even just one- and two-minute increments totaling 30 minutes per day-were deemed just as beneficial as longer bouts of exercise at the gym or elsewhere.”

The article doesn’t suggest giving up regular, or more vigorous, workouts for more comprehensive health benefits, but it supports the notion that virtually all movement is beneficial. I think many of us don’t realize (and don’t give ourselves credit for) how much we do every day just managing our life tasks.

Finally, here’s a fun little thing I found via MakeUseOf, a personality-type assessor based on your Facebook likes. I was up to the challenge (it was that or scrape wallpaper off the kitchen walls), and here’s what they had to say about me:

My first thought was that 3-out-of-5 wasn’t bad. They had the Openness, Stability, and Agreeableness parts right, but on first glance the other two seemed off. Further checking, though, revealed that their version of “well-organized” included planning, persistence, and reliability. They weren’t looking at my disheveled kitchen after all. As for extraversion, they blew it big time on that one. I do have some social anxiety, but I generally ignore it in favor of exchanging life stories with pretty much every one I meet. LOL

So, in the end, they were 4-for-5. Not bad for an unscientific, but fun, little “test”. (If you take the test, let us know how it worked for you. Unless you’re shy and reserved like me. LOL)

Happy Weekend, everyone! If you’re looking for me, I’ll be hanging around updating my FB likes, scraping wallpaper, catching up on my reader, and watching my March Madness bracket go up in flames. (Next year, no picking teams based on prior year grudges and/or team colors!)

What are you up to this weekend?

The Big Spring Cleaning Calorie Burn

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Cammy Chapel

Image Credit: Geir Halvorsen (CC2.0)

Spring is mere weeks away, and I’ve decided to get a head start on what passes for Spring Cleaning around here.

As you might imagine, I’m not real persnickety about housework. I do, however, like to have one month (or so) when everything is clean all at once. For some reason, though, the bug to clean doesn’t usually strike me until warmer weather, which is about the same time the bug to spend every available moment outdoors sets in.

That’s not working so well for me, so this year I’m hoping to get the worst of it out of the way early. I think Thursday’s going to be the Big Kick-Off Event, since that’s my scheduled workout rest day, and I won’t have the excuse of needing to go to the gym to get in the way. Even so, I’ll still be burning lots of calories, according to the Calories Burned Calculator:

Those numbers were calculated using the standard 150-lb. average person the computer never met, but heck, even if I only work half the day, I’ll burn a lot of calories. Maybe even enough for two cookies!

Anyway, that’s the plan. We’ll see how it goes.

Do you do a big Spring (or Fall) Cleaning every year? Or are you one of those people who keeps it all together through the year so you don’t have to do a Spring Cleaning?

Escape from the Gymbeciles

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Cammy Chapel

This blogging time would probably be better spent counting my blessings…
- I am healthy.
- I have a warm home not located in the northeastern U.S.
- I am loved.
- I have an ample pantry with healthy, nourishing foods.
- I have a soon-to-be flourishing business that allows me to set my own schedule.

I could go on, but I’m just not in the mood. Despite my many blessings, I’m feeling quite cranky.

Is it too much to ask for one little(ish) spot at the gym to call my own?

The answer, of course, is NO. And it’s HELL NO when aforementioned spot is already claimed and covered with my own personal gym mat.

As you might have guessed, there was drama at my gym yesterday a.m. Sadly, I was the only one experiencing it as the offending party (he who was dropped to do his push-ups right next to my mat and flung his sweat everywhere, including ON MY MAT) was oblivious. Or pretending to be. I dunno.

It wasn’t just this guy, or the friend who eventually joined him to consume the rest of the tiny area available for floor work. There were gymbeciles everywhere.

Almost every bench or station I wanted to use was occupied by other people. That wouldn’t have been so bad if they’d been using the equipment for exercise instead of a place to watch ESPN or check their phone messages. And when I did get a couple of machines, someone else took them over the minute I got up to get some water.

Speaking of water, this early morning crowd has a bad habit of running off and leaving their empty water bottles all over the place. They do the same with equipment. If they change a bar or grip on a machine, they just drop the old one at the station instead of walking the 10-20 feet over to the rack where they should be stored. (I’ve known this because it’s all scattered when I go for a workout at 7:30-8:00, but this was the first time I saw it in action.)

And then there was me. I was a bit of a gymbecile myself for going to the gym at 5 a.m. anyway. I’d woken up at 4 and decided on a whim that it would be a great idea to get my workout done. I let the frustration (and an unnecessary–and hot!–base layer under my fleece pants) ruin my workout, which piled onto some other things that went “wrong” this week, and affect my mood for the better part of the morning. The lack of sleep didn’t help.

So I declared “Girls Day Out” and went to get my hair cut and restored to its natural Brazilian Bronze color, and then had an extremely tasty lunch: the Salsalito Turkey on Flatbread at Bogie’s Deli.

Roasted turkey coated in Mexican spices, cheese, a LOT of lettuce, tomato, and black olives, and an oil-and-vinegar house dressing. It looks massive, but it’s mostly veggies. Still, I didn’t eat any dinner.

I had time for a very short nap before heading downtown for a WordPress meet-up, where I had the pleasure of seeing Mary from A Merry Life! I arrived at the same time as the meeting leader, so Mary and I didn’t have much time for chatting. Maybe next time.

Today was another rushed day with a few snafus, but I’m declaring tonight a Cammy-Climbs-in-Bed-and-Watches-Dateline-and-HGTV night. During the commercials, I plan to seriously count my blessings. ‘Cause I do have them, in abundance!

Stop back tomorrow for the RockStars of the Week and an opportunity to brag on your own good actions. (I’m making my list now!)