Week 2 - Getting the right form

Just completed my first full week of my new and exciting exercise program - Tuesday, Thursday and Friday night!

Personal stats:
Age: 45
Height: 5" 8.5'
Weight: 192 lbs (hey, my home scale says only 188 - what gives?)
Body fat - 35%

Have you ever heard of the saying "No pain, no gain?" In some respects I suppose it is true. Right now, I'm feeling muscle pain that I have never felt before. Whenever I sit down I feel it in my thighs and in my butt. The quads are probably one of the largest muscles in the body, so I'm expecting some great gains down the road ........ but patience, I need patience. Actually, it is not so much pain, as it is just an ache. It hurts only when I sit down.

I went to a store this afternoon where prices were slashed up to 80% off. Now, I really hate shopping and would rather make all of my purchases on the Internet if I had a choice. But my mother thought that I really needed new pants and finally convinced me to check out this warehouse clearance centre.

Well, I came and left pant-less ... I mean, I didn't buy any pants after all. The trip to the store was not in vain. I learned that I have now dropped from a size 42 to size 36 within one year. So what's the point in buying new pants? Especially when I continue to drop pant sizes.

Now, enough about being pant-less and more on the subject of muscle ache. It appears that the reason for the muscle ache is that under the patient guidance of my trainer at Good Life Fitness Club I'm finally learning proper form and technique in my exercise program. For years I was afraid to push myself in my leg exercises and for my other exercises my form and technique definitely needed work.

With a positive attitude and commitment I will develop better exercise form habits. Form is everything! If my form continues to be poor, I ask myself what's the point in dedicating myself to 3-4 nights a week at the gym? When form is effective, you can workout less and workout smarter.

Getting the right form in my exercise routine is similar to the level of dedication that a professional athlete must achieve in order to be the best in their chosen sport. For example, a baseball player must learn the mindset of constantly adjusting their form to be able to hit major league pitching. The little things like standing too far back in the batters box, holding the shoulders too high and even stance can greatly impact the batter's ability to hit the ball, not to mention their batting statistics.

The same is true of a person when they train at the gym. Not pulling the chest out, not looking up and not breathing properly can greatly impact their training success and goals, whatever they may be. I could also go on and list other faults. In some cases, bad form and technique can also lead to injury.

Parts of my legs, especially my feet, are numb due to paralysis as a result of being born with spina bifida. If I have bad form in my leg exercises I may never know. I won't feel much pain and that is rather scary.

So you see why form is sooooooooooo important. Now enough on form. I think I have beaten this baby to death - right?

Let's briefly talk about food choices before I close this week.

As mentioned, when it comes to working out, form is everything. But when it comes to everything you do from the moment you wake up in the morning to moment you go to sleep at night, the state of your diet is said to be 80% of you.

In other words, there is no point in working out at the gym if your diet is not where it should be. I know this well. I have experienced it. I lost my first 50 lbs by just exercising regularly and without any conscious effort on improving my diet. However, it has become apparent that if I'm to reach my desired weight, I have to pay more attention to my diet.

The reason for my weight being stuck in a long, long plateau could be two-fold: 1) Up until now, I haven't pushed myself hard enough on the weights and 2) I'm consuming the wrong nutritional food groups at the wrong time of the day. We more or less touched on the first reason earlier in this blog. Lets look at the second reason.

For some reason, I like to eat cold cereal for breakfast and then I also like to eat another bowl when I get home from my workout in the evening. Most cold cereals have high protein composition, which is good. Protein helps to build and repair muscles after workouts. However, cold cereals are also high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the body with energy to carry out the day's activities and demands. They are good in the morning for breakfast, but not necessarily as desirable in the evening in a snack. After all, why do you need the energy that carbohydrates provide the body when you are just winding down for the night?

Therefore, it was recommended to me that if I wanted a good choice for an evening snack that I try cottage cheese. It is an excellent source of protein and, as mentioned earlier, protein builds muscle fibers and repairs muscle strain after a workout. Personally, until last night, I had never eaten cottage cheese in my entire life, and I thought I would gag on it . It was recommended to me that I try the fruit bottom cottage cheese by Nordica. Well, when I ate some last night, I must confess that it tasted almost like fruit yogourt. You know, I can actually learn to like cottage cheese, just like a future good friend that was recommended to me but I shunned him or her because they weren't to my liking at the time.

Well, that's enough on food talk for today. I'm sure that I will talk more about food choices in the near future as I learn about them.

If you are interested in knowing, my choices of topics each week will be based on recurring themes that I encounter every week in my fitness journey and through knowledge passed on by my trainer.

Talk to you later!

Week 1 - Starting Over

This entry, almost two months from the last one, brings with it a message of rebirth for me.

After eight years of working out at the gym with essentially the same workout plan with some tweeking, I'm starting over. When I stepped into a gym for the first time, I was carrying around almost 250 lbs and my blood pressure was very, very high.

Since then, I have watched my weight drop almost 60 lbs and my blood pressure is now well within control. I still have some weight that I would like to take off, but I'm sure it will come off.

My new goal is to work on a new fitness plan to maintain my mobility as I age. I really believe that I cannot be of service to my friends and family unless I'm at my best. I'm at my best when my fitness level affords me the opportunity to help others in their times of need.

Am I going through a mid life crisis? Perhaps the tell-tale signs are there ... over 40, searching for youth ... But I firmly believe there is more potential for improvement in how my body functions. While most people living with the form of spina bifida I have are using wheelchairs and other walking aids to get around, I still am very functional. I no longer take that for granted and I see it as a gift from God. I want to take this gift and use it to improve the lives of others around me who live with physical disabilities. I'm still not sure how I want to do this, but my answer will come in time.

Perhaps my speaking and writing background will open a door for me some day.

This week I began a 16 week program with a personal trainer to help me achieve that increased mobility that will serve me well as I age. I don't fear aging, but I do fear having to watch my body debilitate. I want to rediscover some of the mobility that I had when I was in my 20's. I don't want to have to rely on a wheelchair and grow fat!!

Over the next 16 weeks I will use this space to take you through my workout plan as I rediscover my mobility, increase my strength, raise my stamina and hopefully shed some more pounds along the way. I hope that as I strengthen my core muscles, I can take some pressure off my joints.

My old workout plan was no longer serving me and this week I began working with my personal trainer on some new goals.

In my first session, he assessed my capabilities by taking me through some workout moves that I normally would have used in my time spent in the gym. I was encouraged by the fact that I seemed to manage everything that was expected of me.

During my second session that week, I acknowledged that my quadriceps were sore. I cannot ever recall a time when my legs developed muscle soreness. Usually when my legs were sore it was a form of joint soreness that was with me for days on end. It must have coem from the lunges and squats that were asked of me. In the past, I never bothered with lunges and squats because I didn't think I could do them properly. I was afraid I may hurt myself.

At the end of the week, I learned some valuable lessons:

1. I needed to raise my fitness plan to a new level if I was to realize my goal of increasing my mobility and strength.
2. There is some untapped potential for developing more strength in my legs.
3. If I was to be successful in reaching my goal, I had to learn to communicate effectively with my trainer.

Week 10 - Smelling the Roses

I've been on vacation the past two weeks and have not been updating my blog. The first week I took a bus trip to Florida and this week I spent the time around my home.

I traveled on my own by bus with a tour group down to Daytona Beach in Florida on May 30th until June 8th. When I told this to some people, they asked me two questions:
Why do you travel on your own?
Doesn't it cost more to travel single?
Why not fly instead of going by motorcoach? BTW - Americans call it a bus, and Canadians call it a motorcoach - interesting distinction.

I often travel on my own because I can see the sights at my own pace with less stress. Ultimately, I end up meeting and sharing time with many like-minded people who enjoy travel. Although I travel on my own, I'm always in the company of caring people who take me under their wings.

I really enjoy listening to people who tell stories about their lives in a time before my time. They are a source of inspiration to me!

In the past, I have paid the single supplement. I don't like it, but if you want to go somewhere, you just do it! When I went down to Florida, I was fortunate in that the single supplement was waived for the time I was down there.

Although travel by plane would have gotten me there faster, I believe that air travel is more stressful. Also, I believe that your vacation begins from the moment you step on the bus. It takes about 36 hours and 1,250 miles to travel from Toronto to Daytona Beach express, but during that you have the opportunity to experience many interesting sights that you wouldn't have experienced by plane.

• I ate a southern style breakfast at a roadside restaurant in Georgia that was fit for a king (I apologize for the cliche). Eggs over easy, coffee, bacon, grits and biscuits. It is not everyday that you experience a breakfast like this, unless you live in the southern states year round.
• I saw the skyscrapers lit up at night in Atlanta, Georgia as the bus drove through the city.
• I saw the rolling hills of Ohio Valley as we traveled past Cincinati into Kentucky.
• I saw a chapel for truckers by a roadside stop.
• I saw a beautiful peacock in a tree
• I saw a magnificent thunderstorm in Ohio that was short-lived, but left a beautiful rainbow.
• I saw some dolphins in the Atlantic ocean.
• I saw a gorgeous sunrise and sunset while walking on the beach.
• I watched some pelicans fly over the top of the hotel where I stayed.
• I witnessed some little tiny lizards race across from one garden, across the pavement to another garden.

Priceless!!!

You may wonder what this all has to do with fitness .... probably not much. However, in the midst of all of your busyness, when you take the time to smell the roses and experience new sights, you have the potential to reduce your stress level and improve your health.

When I came back from the trip, I had actually lost 3 lbs, despite eating larger meals than that to which I'm accustomed.

It is surprising how many people that I talk to say that they haven't had a vacation in years, even a mini-vacation. They say, we'll do it when we have more money or when the time is right. When is more money actually enough and when is the time right? Can we measure these goals? When we reach these goals we automatically set new ones and try to chase those ones. Our ultimate happiness depends on whether or not we reach specific goals. When we do that, our happiness in life becomes an elusive concept. We'll never be happy!!

I'm not saying that we shouldn't set goals for ourselves; on the contrary, we need to set attainable goals for ourselves to lead ourselves outside of our comfort zones. But if we set conditions to making ourselves deserving of the things that make us "happy" and joyful, we'll never experience what it means to be truly happy and content. When you are content, you raise the vale of stress off your shoulders. You live in the moment. Nothing will burst your bubble.

Why not take the time now to experience what life has to offer now. It doesn't have to cost the price of a trip to Daytona Beach. Although we are told that if we look after our fitness and watch our diet we may improve our chances of living a healthy, long life.

Yet, even with that, there are no guarantees. I don't mean to sound like I'm being negative, but this is the absolute truth. Our health can still deteriorate with almost no warning, severely compromising our quality of life.

As for me, I don't expect the state of my own health to be challenged anytime soon. However, as I age, I have come to terms with the fact that I just don't have the stamina that I once had when I was 25. I'm also feeling some loss of sensation in my legs that was there when I was 25.

Today I had a good day. Tomorrow may not be as good. Yet, I still believe in my mind that everyday is a good day! My prescription I offer to you is to take the time to smell the roses, and get out there and experience all that life has to offer. Live your life to the fullest!

I'm 45 now, but when I was 25 I honestly didn't believe that I would have the physical ability to get around and enjoy the life that I'm enjoying now!! I'm not going to squander that time that I'm given by God. The time we're allowed is a gift from God. Don't waste it!

Week 9 - Giving Can Improve Your Health

I recall somewhat vaguely when I was a child that I emptied a piggy bank that contained around $7. Then my mother took me with her on a long bus ride to the CFTO TV studios in the Scarborough area. There was no Scarborough SRT back then and the journey seemed to take forever to a wasteland where a TV studio was a located that seemed like Hollywood to me then.

On the outside, the studio seemed isolated and lifeless, but when we finally went inside we were met with the excitement of cameras moving around the floor with local celebrities running around constantly waving microphones around the room and talking very enthusiastically. Celebrities with loud jackets, wide ties and long sideburns that were the rage back then. You had to be very careful about where you stepped, because of a mess of camera cords and cables dragging around the floor.

It was certainly a rough and tumble existence running a 1971 TV telethon to raise funds for children with disabilities. I'm sure today the TV sets must be a lot more organized and high-tech. However, I was in awe of the celebrities that I brushed shoulders with .... Uncle Bobby and other entertainers that I could identify with as a 7 year old growing up in those days. They were like Hollywood stars to me in my little world, but they were just local people who happened to connect with children.

As a tall celebrity kneeled down to my level so that he could chat with me and take my $7 in change, I felt unbelievably nervous. There were TV cameras focused on me. I wanted to say something, but I was too shy.

This was my first time ever on TV and I didn't know what to say to the people. In reality, I probably didn't have to say anything. A had my 15 minutes of fame, as Andy Warhol once alluded to. A picture says a thousand words. When people watching TV saw my face and could see the progress I made and the hurdles I overcame, they knew the money was being put to good use.

Not only was this moment my first time on TV, but it was also the first time I ever donated anything to anyone. I realized in my own way the importance of giving to others.

For a moment, forget about doing all you can about eating right and exercising your body until you feel the burn. You can do all of these and still not improve your health, at least your mental health.

But when you make that decision to give of your time or your monetary resources to a worthwhile cause, you change your health in a different way. You reduce your stress level and you begin to feel a sense of doing something right for others in need. This results in a positive outlook that makes you feel good about yourself. Giving of ourselves to others whether it be monetarily or by giving of your time in terms of your health benefits is as important as eating and exercising right.

Many people in this hectic world find it hard to find time to volunteer to assist with a worthy cause. This is understandable. However, the time contribution and the monetary contribution don't have to be significant to benefit others.

Here is a brief list of some of my own contributions:
- I sponsor a young girl in Africa through World Vision
- I give contributions to Sick Kids Hospital
- When I can, I mentor people with their job search skills after they are rehabilitating from spinal cord injury.
- I serve as a member of two Toastmasters clubs because I believe in the importance of helping others improve their communication skills.
- In my department at work, I represent and fundraise for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Remember, when you reach out to help others, you are also helping yourself!

Week 8 - Keeping Your Sights On the Big Picture

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who had to walk to a castle to run an errand for his wife. This was to be the first time he would visit this castle. Between his home and the castle there was a large forest in his path.

He was quite confident that he would be able to reach the castle fairly quickly. However, as the forest became more and more dense and the paths multiplied, he quickly became confused. He tried different paths that led to nowhere and became frustrated.

Another man walking in the opposite direction noticed that he was troubled, but presented him with a map and explained to him that there was a star shining atop the castle that could be seen through the dense forest. Sure enough when the wise man looked up, he saw a light through the leaves of the trees. When he took the time to examine the situation and follow the star, he eventually found his way out of the forest and found the castle.

Is there a moral to this story? Certainly! Sometimes when we set goals for ourselves, we can often get discouraged by the "small stuff." The small stuff could be events that may prevent us from reaching our goals. Even when life gets in the way, we must examine our goals in light of the big picture. Sometimes it is inevitable that we will face some adversity when we are pursuing a worthwhile goal.

Of course, as you know from my past blog postings, one of my goals is (or was) to lose 30 lbs by the end of July. To reach my goal, I have to be more careful about my diet and secondly, I need to try to get to the gym 3-4 times a week for cardiovascular and resistance training.

In a perfect week, I can usually accomplish all of this. But how often does one have a "perfect week?" Sometimes other "stuff" happens that may, if we let it, derail us from our goals and plans.

For example, a few weekends ago, I attended and volunteered my services at our Toastmasters Spring Conference. To clear my schedule for the weekend, I had to run some errands during the week after work that I normally would have been able to do on the weekend. This left less time for me to go the gym. That week I could only find time to go to the gym once that week.

At first, I stressed over this; however, I realized that I was silly to let this bother me. This was a very minor roadblock in my way to reaching my fitness goal. I needed to look at the bigger picture in terms of reaching my goals.

By missing the mark on 3-4 visits to the gym that week, in terms of the big picture, I actually improved my mental and physical fitness level in several ways:
1) I was able to give my limbs some well-needed rest
2) I was able to get some well-needed sleep
3) I was able to take the time to relax and develop some new friendships and chat with some friends on Facebook. I improved my mental fitness and self-esteem which contributed in gains in my goals in ways unimagined previously.

Overall, by taking the time to take a step back and rest, I was able to improve my fitness level. I was also able to discover that my resting heart rate is around 56 beats per minute, which I measured when I was lying in bed about to rise for the day. BTW - I think 56 is pretty good - don't you? :)

Up until then, I never knew my resting heart rate. I always knew my maximum heart rate and that I could get my heart rate up to 150 bpm for 30 minutes at a time if I had to while on the elliptical trainer. I've heard from fitness professionals that your resting heart rate tells you more about the state of your health than your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can always be inflated through the consumption of coffee and other products with caffeine. Ha Ha!! I do that sometimes.

In achieving your goals, just remember that sometimes that your pursuit of goals that you have formulated with the best intentions can and will be derailed. It is only a matter of "when". However, when you keep your sights on the big picture and the end result, you don't need to let yourself become discouraged.

Just keep peddling and stay the course! Eventually you'll make it to the finish line.

Week 7 - Pain!!!

Well .... I'm back. I'm trying really hard to make sure this is a weekly blog. However, last weekend I attended a Toastmasters conference where there was a whole bunch of really inspiring people who left me really pumped by the end of the weekend. Unfortunately, I was too tired to focus on writing an article for my blog.

This leads me to my main goal in life: To become inspired by others and then go out, in turn, and inspire others with whom I have contact (if I misused the use of "whom" here, please write to let me know. I'm trying to sound more erudite than I really am. I'm actually quite a down-to-earth guy.)

When I write my blog, it is usually far too late at night and I need to keep pumped. As I write this, I'm playing a selection from my iTunes library playing called "Chains of Love" by Erasure. A great song for power walkers and runners alike.

By responding back, it tells me two things: 1) That you actually read my blog and 2) That you think I actually have something well worth saying. My intent in this blog is to inspire people to greatness, because I feel really blessed!!!

The subject of my ramble today is PAIN!!!

PAIN is something we all experience at some point in our lives, and if you have never felt physical pain in your life, you're probably not human! I face pain of some kind every day, but it is in various degrees.

For me, traditionally I feel the effects of arthritis in my lower back or legs twice a year - in the spring and in the fall months. It is usually much worse in spring. About ten years I used to have pain in my knees that would last weeks! I lost a lot of sleep and then had trouble concentrating on my work during the day.

Then the pain went away in my knees. Now, for the first time this year during the spring, I began feeling it in my lower back at the base of my spine. I just got back from a walk to Tim Horton's for a coffee and the night air can make the pain even worse.

Let the truth be told, I live with pain everyday, but when I compare myself to others living with challenges, I'm indeed blessed.

Now enough of my pitiful story of pain .... I want to share with you how I'm rising above the pain. Below is my quick list of how I do it:

1) Develop a high threshold for pain - keep it in perspective
2) Keep moving!! Join a fitness club and keep walking
3) Think like an athlete - tell people you are "training" not "exercising"
4) Enjoy your successes
5) Belief in a higher power - I'm sure you're waiting for this

In a previous blog I mentioned some methods for relieving some pain such as massage therapy and chiropractic. Again, I have found some great success in massage therapy. However, the above four items have helped me to manage PAIN and keep it in check before I have eventually have to book an appointment with my RMT.

Keep Pain in Perspective
My pain maybe worse than that of the guy walking next to me, but my pain may not be as bad as that of the guy walking on the other side of me. I just can't find the time to dwell on it. I once read about a girl who, like me was born with spina bifida. She wrote proudly about how she wrote a document that explained her disability in detail and the pain she experienced every day. When she visited different doctors, instead of having to verbally explain her dilemma over and over, she would just hand this document to them and let them read it. Honestly, I understand, totally.

Now I don't know what you think, but I have to honestly say that I don't have time for these types of people. Not only do I not have the time to write such a document, but doing so only makes me focus too much on me. I really want to help others and thereby transfer the focus away from my situation. What also helps me is that fact that, in terms of research, not much is known about how about someone in their 40's should live with spina bifida. I'm glad I don't know. I may act that way.

Keep Moving
Even the staff at my local fitness club are getting tired of seeing me. They kid me when they say, "Oh, you again?!" I make fitness fun! My trusty iPod is sometimes my best friend. When you keep moving and do anything to keep moving, you can actually alleviate pain. It's true! Some people believe that walking only makes arthritis worse. Actually, the opposite is true.

Think Like an Athlete
When you tell yourself you are training to gain more muscle or to lose weight, it puts a whole new spin on your efforts. When you think like an "exerciser," the process seems so finite, but when you think like an "athlete" and sit consistent goals, the process takes on a longer term and you begin to settle into it and relax more.

Enjoy Your Successes

• Some pain after your workout can mean that you put your muscles under an appropriate amount of tension to allow you to know that you exercised appropriately. Enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant, but don't go overboard with the portion sizes.
• When the pain is too much, whether it be from an injury or just from muscle tension, step back and give yourself a much needed break. Enjoy the break.

Belief in a Higher Power

Now for my final reason why I have the strength overcome pain. It is one that I have a hard time articulating and one that I don't tell everyone: My belief in a higher power.

I wouldn't call myself a "religious" person. I attend church services weekly and I try to put into practice every day my Christian life, but I'm not perfect. I don't even read the Bible every day. I'm just one of the guys! The difference, is that about 20 years ago I began doing everything for the glory of God. Jeff Brown 1 didn't realize how blessed he was. He was not realizing his potential and lacked confidence in himself. Jeff Brown 2 began to look beyond himself to others who needed guidance. JB2 realized that he had the gift to write and tell his story to inspire others who are less fortunate. To that, I'm eternally grateful.

Having that belief in God has helped me to overcome adversity, look beyond myself, and look more closely at my values. Pain is only temporary.

Week 6 - Goal Setting

I have taken a two month break from writing this blog. The break, however, was not intended. The Gym Rat hit a brick wall and began wallowing in apathy over his fitness goals. The Gym Rat became discouraged but never gave up. He kept on track, but he just stopped writing. After all, who would ever read my silly little blog.

The truth is, I didn't take the time to carefully construct my fitness goal. As you may notice in my right side bar, I want to lose 30 lbs by the end of July. So far, I have only lost 3 lbs. It appears that I have done a great job of maintaining my weight.

In thinking back when I began this blog, I probably didn't think carefully about my fitness goal.
When you set your goal, whether it be to lose weight or lose a few notches on the ol' belt or do 100 consecutive push ups, you must first take a step back and determine your "fitness mission."

Determining your fitness mission can be answered by asking yourself the question, "Why do I want to lose weight?, or why do I want to lose a few notches on my belt?, etc.

Once you've clearly stated why you want to reach a goal (your objective) then the process of reaching the goal becomes more clear. You will then have a purpose.

In my case, my mission is to be able to remain mobile while into my middle to senior years. I'm motivated by images of others around me. When I was at a movie theatre recently, I saw a very over-weight man sitting in a wheelchair. I didn't really know the circumstances of how he became overweight. I can't judge him on this; however, I do know I didn't want to look like this when I reached his age. I want to remain mobile and vibrant as long as possible. I even find myself moving away from friends who were negative-minded and didn't live a healthy lifestyle. If you associate too much with them, you will become much like them if you don't watch it!

With my fitness mission being to remain mobile as long as I can in life, I need to revise my goal. How do I intend to remain mobile? I will remain mobile by going to the gym 3-4 times a week and walking about one hour over each weekend. This will be my fitness goal.

Forget my weight loss goal! There is a lot here that is not within my control. I was not obese when I began writing my blog. I probably only need to lose another 20 lbs to be satisfied. When I put on muscle when I workout, my weight will tend to go up, but that's OK. It is better than gaining fat.

Set up your fitness goals to allow you to succeed, not fail, although they must be challenging. With a demanding job and other committments, sometimes it is challenging enough to workout 4 days a week. This is my goal: To work out consistently week to week and to stay active.

You will never see staying glued to the TV. I will strive to associate myself with others who enjoy staying active.

To recap:
Step 1: Write your fitness mission - What do you want to achieve and why?
Step 2: Write your fitness goal(s) - How will you achieve your mission?
Step 3: Review your mission and goals to ensure that they are achievable.

Make sure your goals are SMART
I'm interested in hearing about your own fitness mission and goals. Let's learn from and inspire each other!