Hi,
Welcome to week three of the "Monster Fit Club Check In". If you have some movies, stories, images that inspire you, send them to me and I will post & credit you here. Post your progress & diet tips over at Mrs. Nightmare's Weblog column.
Sorry, I'm late on this, but I'm helping out with tests all this week. Next week I will be back on Wednesday.
At this point some of you are probably getting some rhythm in your workout regime. A good way to keep track of your progress is with Global Positioning System Applications. These are two that I've personally used:
Iphone Nike + This is a pretty great "app" that has been going strong for a couple of years. It basically uses "GPS" to track your distance, pace & location in order to give you a pretty good idea of your progress. This is helpful because lets to you concentrate on your running while it takes care of the math. There is a pretty strong Nike plus community and they have events and a small social scene that can keep you motivated. A couple years ago they actually organized one of the best fun races I've ever run. There is also an ipod touch version of this that works with a microchip, but the readings are not very accurate.
Sport Tracker for Android This app is similar to the Nike one except that it's social aspect is pretty lacking. On the bright side, the readings are actually more accurate than the Iphone version and there is a compatible heart monitor. You could say this is actually a more serious alternative. The only thing that would beat this would be an expensive Garmin sports system that might run you thousands of dollars.
However, if you have neither an Iphone or an Android, you can still keep track of your running. You can start by run/walking for 30 minutes every other day. Speed does not matter. Find a park near you where people exercise. It doesn't matter where you live, If you've seen people exercising on a park, they will be there year round. Don't be self-conscious if your running form is not perfect, running comes natural to people. Once you log a couple of miles, your form will automatically improve. If you've been running for a while and want to improve it, you can check out Runner's World, but it basically breaks down like this: keep your back straight, your chest forward, and your stride short. Another tool in the runner's arsenal is the "talk test". Basically, if you can't keep a conversation while running; you are going too hard. Slow down just a little and keep your mind clear.
I promised you some home exercises, but I did not get a chance to tape myself doing them. Let me reefer you to a website called Bodybuilding.com. Much like Youtube, this site is a mixed blessing. The content is very useful, but the commenters are less than helpful. Browse with caution. Additionally, please ignore all the supplement advertisements, if you really need them: consult with a doctor before taking them. Not to alarm you; these are not steroids, but a lot of them could be detrimental. The thing about supplements is that they are classified as food and not as drugs. This means that the FDA does not need to approve it before they are sold. Check out next week's "monster movie club" for more info on this. I don't get why some of my kids are so fuzzy about putting "strange food" in their mouth, but don't make a peep while ingesting a pill just because a shirtless punk is on the bottle. Remember that the human spirit is your strongest forte.
At this point some of you are probably getting some rhythm in your workout regime. A good way to keep track of your progress is with Global Positioning System Applications. These are two that I've personally used:
Iphone Nike + This is a pretty great "app" that has been going strong for a couple of years. It basically uses "GPS" to track your distance, pace & location in order to give you a pretty good idea of your progress. This is helpful because lets to you concentrate on your running while it takes care of the math. There is a pretty strong Nike plus community and they have events and a small social scene that can keep you motivated. A couple years ago they actually organized one of the best fun races I've ever run. There is also an ipod touch version of this that works with a microchip, but the readings are not very accurate.
Sport Tracker for Android This app is similar to the Nike one except that it's social aspect is pretty lacking. On the bright side, the readings are actually more accurate than the Iphone version and there is a compatible heart monitor. You could say this is actually a more serious alternative. The only thing that would beat this would be an expensive Garmin sports system that might run you thousands of dollars.
However, if you have neither an Iphone or an Android, you can still keep track of your running. You can start by run/walking for 30 minutes every other day. Speed does not matter. Find a park near you where people exercise. It doesn't matter where you live, If you've seen people exercising on a park, they will be there year round. Don't be self-conscious if your running form is not perfect, running comes natural to people. Once you log a couple of miles, your form will automatically improve. If you've been running for a while and want to improve it, you can check out Runner's World, but it basically breaks down like this: keep your back straight, your chest forward, and your stride short. Another tool in the runner's arsenal is the "talk test". Basically, if you can't keep a conversation while running; you are going too hard. Slow down just a little and keep your mind clear.
I promised you some home exercises, but I did not get a chance to tape myself doing them. Let me reefer you to a website called Bodybuilding.com. Much like Youtube, this site is a mixed blessing. The content is very useful, but the commenters are less than helpful. Browse with caution. Additionally, please ignore all the supplement advertisements, if you really need them: consult with a doctor before taking them. Not to alarm you; these are not steroids, but a lot of them could be detrimental. The thing about supplements is that they are classified as food and not as drugs. This means that the FDA does not need to approve it before they are sold. Check out next week's "monster movie club" for more info on this. I don't get why some of my kids are so fuzzy about putting "strange food" in their mouth, but don't make a peep while ingesting a pill just because a shirtless punk is on the bottle. Remember that the human spirit is your strongest forte.
If you have any questions "DM" me or leave a comment. I will leave you with Mr Jordan, See you next week.
Sincerely,
Yourhighschoolcoach
Something I found interesing on the food side of Fit Club is the BBC series the Truth about Food. Because I had an unhealthy relationship with food, that was the hardest for me to change, because even at my heaviest I was still playing sports at least twice a week. Having a better understanding of food, what it does to the body and why helped me make the next step in my fitness
ReplyDeleteEspecially watch episode 4, which deals about the effects of food on your weight. It has some interesing findings abour metabolism, portion sizes and satiation and even dairy. The BBC website, I just found out, also has all the information, plus relevant recipes. Lorry joke!