Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
So today I am to make a post regarding my personal health plan. More specifically, I am to plan out a 'Fitness Routine' (to be referred to as FR) that follows the FITT principles. Alright punks, let's do this.
Step one: Cut a hole in the box. I mean, figure out which muscle groups I want to work on which days of the week. Honestly I feel kinda iffy about gym's. What can I say, I'm a little self conscious. I don't want people looking at me going "look at this skinny kid doing all his reps' wrong. What a douche-nozzle." So, for the purpose of this work out regimen I shall design it around activities that can be performed at home with perhaps a few friends around to work with and make sure everything is being worked correctly.
Firstly, as part of the warm up for everyday it is smart to go in for some stretches before you really start working your body. This is basic stuff we all learn in high-school and grade-school to avoid hurting ourselves during a work out or physical activity. For me personally, I would concentrate on stretches that coincide with whatever muscle group I intend to work that day. Let's say I intend to do core work. Well, then my warm up stretches would consist of something like a 'Lying Abs Stretch' or 'Camel Stretch'. For a comprehensive list of stretches that you can use before a work out, check out:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp?exercise_type=stretch, I have been shamelessly pillaging it for the information shared in this last paragraph. Now, to go by the FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) principles, I shouldn't just do the stretches associated with the muscle group I am working. So while I will concentrate on those stretches, it is still ideal to stretch all muscle groups. To really make this system work as well, I would want to at the very least do some stretches every single day of the week. Each stretch should be done (and I paraphrase directly from the FITT principles here) two to four times each and have each stretch held for fifteen to thirty seconds. This will ensure maximum effectiveness.
Now, what about the actual work out? Will I lift weights? Do dancing? Punch bears? Well, that depends on if I am working on my CRE (Cardiorespiratory endurance) or MS/ME (Muscular Strength/Muscular Endurance). After all, you can't be a runner and expect to win in a cage fight (not that I know of or condone any local cage fighting rinks potentially around these parts). So, let's start with CRE since it's the simple one. Basically my plan is to take a nice jog around my neighborhood every week day. Why only week days? Because it's recommended to only go three to five days for this sort of activity. Now this may seem a little too easy, but CRE isn't really that complex. As long as my jog lasts anywhere from ten minutes to one hour, I have fulfilled the necessities of this particular part of my FR. Well...almost. There is one other requirement, which is to work my heart at a certain level. Once more I shall pull directly from the FITT outlines. For this kind of exercise, one must ideally have their heart rate at fifty five to sixty five percent of their max heart rate. How does one figure this out? Unfortunately, with math. Luckily, it's easy. Just take 220 minus your age and that's your maximum heart rate. In my case, my maximum heart rate is 198 beats per minute. This doesn't mean that it'll explode if it beats faster, it's just not healthy to work your heart at that level or beyond. Back to the prime topic however: if 198 is my max heart rate, then I will want to be working at about half or a little over half that level. Remember kidos, 55-65% of max. So, for me while I am jogging/running I will want to keep my heart rate around 100 to 130 beats per second. Now my math here isn't perfect, but it gives a basic idea for what I should be striving for. So, if you're following this for your regimen, remember...it's not important to get everything mathematically perfect, it's important to have heart heart working in a realm where it will actually grow stronger, but not be worked so hard as to make it commit mutiny...because they do that, those little traitorous blood pumpers.
Finally let's talk about Muscular Strength and Endurance training. Running by the book I would want to work on this two to three days a week on non-consecutive days (days that don't fall right next to each other). For me personally, I like the idea of going Monday, Wednesday, Friday. It keeps the regimen within the weekdays, so I can be a sore vegetable on weekends. I'd probably go top down with my muscle groups for each day as well. By this I mean, I would work the upper body on Monday, my core on Wednesday, and then lower body on Friday...because getting to veg out in a vat of ice after leg day is the precise definition of bliss. Now, having not been in a gym since...well, ever quite honestly, I do not know the specific weight at which I would want to train. So I can't exactly write that specification into this blog. I can however list off a few neat exercises that fill the needs of each muscle area (upper, core, lower) which I have discovered through searching a total of five minutes (because this site rocks for home exercise routines) on http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp?exercise_type=upper. Given that I will be exercising out of my home and would consider myself a newb or beginner by the sites standards, a few exercises I intend to try include 'Lying Tricep lifts', 'Wall Pushups', and the 'Icometric Biceps hold with Towel'...and that's just upper body training. For Core training there is always 'Crunches' and 'Reverse Crunches' (If you're a rebel!). Finally for lower body training I personally am looking at 'Squats' and the duo of 'Standing adductions' and 'Standing abductions'. Now, all of these exercises (and whatever you may want to do) should be done eight to twelve times (I'll aim for a nice middle ground) as part of a larger "set". Perhaps you just want to do one "set" perhaps you'll want to do more. That is up to you. I intend to at least do two or three, but I like to hear the screams of suffering tendons. By which I mean I've sat on my derrier most of my life and if I'm gonna go in and actually start exercising regularly then I should have at least a decent goal to go for that I can expand upon once I've solidified the drive to work out. So there you have it. It wont impress hardcore athletes, but this regimen is designed for lazy college students, so they can go win a triathlon or something...Imma go play StarCraft while my legs burn with the fire of victorious muscle reconstruction.
Step one: Cut a hole in the box. I mean, figure out which muscle groups I want to work on which days of the week. Honestly I feel kinda iffy about gym's. What can I say, I'm a little self conscious. I don't want people looking at me going "look at this skinny kid doing all his reps' wrong. What a douche-nozzle." So, for the purpose of this work out regimen I shall design it around activities that can be performed at home with perhaps a few friends around to work with and make sure everything is being worked correctly.
Firstly, as part of the warm up for everyday it is smart to go in for some stretches before you really start working your body. This is basic stuff we all learn in high-school and grade-school to avoid hurting ourselves during a work out or physical activity. For me personally, I would concentrate on stretches that coincide with whatever muscle group I intend to work that day. Let's say I intend to do core work. Well, then my warm up stretches would consist of something like a 'Lying Abs Stretch' or 'Camel Stretch'. For a comprehensive list of stretches that you can use before a work out, check out:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp?exercise_type=stretch, I have been shamelessly pillaging it for the information shared in this last paragraph. Now, to go by the FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) principles, I shouldn't just do the stretches associated with the muscle group I am working. So while I will concentrate on those stretches, it is still ideal to stretch all muscle groups. To really make this system work as well, I would want to at the very least do some stretches every single day of the week. Each stretch should be done (and I paraphrase directly from the FITT principles here) two to four times each and have each stretch held for fifteen to thirty seconds. This will ensure maximum effectiveness.
Now, what about the actual work out? Will I lift weights? Do dancing? Punch bears? Well, that depends on if I am working on my CRE (Cardiorespiratory endurance) or MS/ME (Muscular Strength/Muscular Endurance). After all, you can't be a runner and expect to win in a cage fight (not that I know of or condone any local cage fighting rinks potentially around these parts). So, let's start with CRE since it's the simple one. Basically my plan is to take a nice jog around my neighborhood every week day. Why only week days? Because it's recommended to only go three to five days for this sort of activity. Now this may seem a little too easy, but CRE isn't really that complex. As long as my jog lasts anywhere from ten minutes to one hour, I have fulfilled the necessities of this particular part of my FR. Well...almost. There is one other requirement, which is to work my heart at a certain level. Once more I shall pull directly from the FITT outlines. For this kind of exercise, one must ideally have their heart rate at fifty five to sixty five percent of their max heart rate. How does one figure this out? Unfortunately, with math. Luckily, it's easy. Just take 220 minus your age and that's your maximum heart rate. In my case, my maximum heart rate is 198 beats per minute. This doesn't mean that it'll explode if it beats faster, it's just not healthy to work your heart at that level or beyond. Back to the prime topic however: if 198 is my max heart rate, then I will want to be working at about half or a little over half that level. Remember kidos, 55-65% of max. So, for me while I am jogging/running I will want to keep my heart rate around 100 to 130 beats per second. Now my math here isn't perfect, but it gives a basic idea for what I should be striving for. So, if you're following this for your regimen, remember...it's not important to get everything mathematically perfect, it's important to have heart heart working in a realm where it will actually grow stronger, but not be worked so hard as to make it commit mutiny...because they do that, those little traitorous blood pumpers.
Finally let's talk about Muscular Strength and Endurance training. Running by the book I would want to work on this two to three days a week on non-consecutive days (days that don't fall right next to each other). For me personally, I like the idea of going Monday, Wednesday, Friday. It keeps the regimen within the weekdays, so I can be a sore vegetable on weekends. I'd probably go top down with my muscle groups for each day as well. By this I mean, I would work the upper body on Monday, my core on Wednesday, and then lower body on Friday...because getting to veg out in a vat of ice after leg day is the precise definition of bliss. Now, having not been in a gym since...well, ever quite honestly, I do not know the specific weight at which I would want to train. So I can't exactly write that specification into this blog. I can however list off a few neat exercises that fill the needs of each muscle area (upper, core, lower) which I have discovered through searching a total of five minutes (because this site rocks for home exercise routines) on http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp?exercise_type=upper. Given that I will be exercising out of my home and would consider myself a newb or beginner by the sites standards, a few exercises I intend to try include 'Lying Tricep lifts', 'Wall Pushups', and the 'Icometric Biceps hold with Towel'...and that's just upper body training. For Core training there is always 'Crunches' and 'Reverse Crunches' (If you're a rebel!). Finally for lower body training I personally am looking at 'Squats' and the duo of 'Standing adductions' and 'Standing abductions'. Now, all of these exercises (and whatever you may want to do) should be done eight to twelve times (I'll aim for a nice middle ground) as part of a larger "set". Perhaps you just want to do one "set" perhaps you'll want to do more. That is up to you. I intend to at least do two or three, but I like to hear the screams of suffering tendons. By which I mean I've sat on my derrier most of my life and if I'm gonna go in and actually start exercising regularly then I should have at least a decent goal to go for that I can expand upon once I've solidified the drive to work out. So there you have it. It wont impress hardcore athletes, but this regimen is designed for lazy college students, so they can go win a triathlon or something...Imma go play StarCraft while my legs burn with the fire of victorious muscle reconstruction.
Hello one and all. This is a blog I've made for my Health 100 class at Palomar College. Here I will be posting a lot of thoughts and feelings on the topic of Health, mostly I imagine, as part of assignments given out in class. However I may rock the boat a little and throw in a few stray thoughts and topics of my own, y'know...just in case I get board. It'll be a part of looking after my mental health. Anyhow, I'm told to write you folks a biography for this so I guess I should slip a little info about myself.
Well, I was born in Eire, Pennsylvania on February 22nd of 1991 at approximately 2am in the morning and have been an utter pain in my parents backsides ever since then. You see, growing up, while all the other kids were rebelling against there parents like my mother and fathers generation had done for their parents, I just sat their and enjoyed the loving nature of my family. I went right out and did the laundry when it was asked and didn't take criticism as if I were a five year old child...even when I was a five year old child. Actually, that last bit isn't entirely true...my grandmother always did the laundry. Anyway, I digress. So, stuff happened and I grew up a bit and my family moved out west to sunny sunburn central. I mean California. Don't mind the sarcasm if your native, I actually really love it here. I just hate the beach and the sunburns that come with it. Does that make me a freak? I don't think so. After all, I make up for that silliness by having impossible dreams to one day be a worlds famous actor...though perhaps that trope is more commonly known for people who move to California than Californians themselves. Regardless, it's a thing that I think about sometimes and really at this point I'm more California grown than anything else.
School was something I've struggled with ever since I moved out here. I dunno what it is, I guess I changed on the way here or there's something that just doesn't mesh right with me...or I was so devastated by my first non-A report card that I just lost my way...because that can happen to an eight year old, I promise. Totally not over-exaggerating for the sake of melodrama...at all. Anyway, I've made it to college and have been kinda creeping my education along since then. This year I'm finally getting my A.A out of the way (I told you I was creeping along with my education) starting with this semester. So, hopefully I'll pass with flying colors...or flying enough to impress future job-holders. See you all in class. Unless you're not in the class and are just internet stalking me...in which case, those pictures are fake and I don't know who that woman is. Whoever took them is not a friend of mine. AT ALL. I know who you are and so do you...because you happen to be you. So hah! As for the rest of you, as I say, see you in class. Toodles.
Well, I was born in Eire, Pennsylvania on February 22nd of 1991 at approximately 2am in the morning and have been an utter pain in my parents backsides ever since then. You see, growing up, while all the other kids were rebelling against there parents like my mother and fathers generation had done for their parents, I just sat their and enjoyed the loving nature of my family. I went right out and did the laundry when it was asked and didn't take criticism as if I were a five year old child...even when I was a five year old child. Actually, that last bit isn't entirely true...my grandmother always did the laundry. Anyway, I digress. So, stuff happened and I grew up a bit and my family moved out west to sunny sunburn central. I mean California. Don't mind the sarcasm if your native, I actually really love it here. I just hate the beach and the sunburns that come with it. Does that make me a freak? I don't think so. After all, I make up for that silliness by having impossible dreams to one day be a worlds famous actor...though perhaps that trope is more commonly known for people who move to California than Californians themselves. Regardless, it's a thing that I think about sometimes and really at this point I'm more California grown than anything else.
School was something I've struggled with ever since I moved out here. I dunno what it is, I guess I changed on the way here or there's something that just doesn't mesh right with me...or I was so devastated by my first non-A report card that I just lost my way...because that can happen to an eight year old, I promise. Totally not over-exaggerating for the sake of melodrama...at all. Anyway, I've made it to college and have been kinda creeping my education along since then. This year I'm finally getting my A.A out of the way (I told you I was creeping along with my education) starting with this semester. So, hopefully I'll pass with flying colors...or flying enough to impress future job-holders. See you all in class. Unless you're not in the class and are just internet stalking me...in which case, those pictures are fake and I don't know who that woman is. Whoever took them is not a friend of mine. AT ALL. I know who you are and so do you...because you happen to be you. So hah! As for the rest of you, as I say, see you in class. Toodles.
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