Flash Forward

So it has been a while since I have added content to this blog and chapter(s) of my life.

I have been changing jobs, going to school, changing jobs again, traveling, changing jobs, and working now while traveling and not getting time to do much of anything else.

So I am sitting here thinking about my current occupation and I find myself wanting to add content here.

Currently I work in a fairly physically demanding line of work. Exercise is essential and a key factor in my current job performance. While what I do for a living is may not require my need to see a gym or a regular routine every day or several times a week it is still of a high benefit. You see, I crawl, climb, and carry up to possibly hundreds of pounds of things a day. Being fit is something that comes standard or should be a factor daily.

So if you are not like me and do not work a highly physically demanding job, how do you do it? How do you continue to strive for better and maintain your physique in a regular weight or a body builder status?

When I used to have a routine desk job of a standard 9 to 5 fashion I found that I was in need of frequent trips to the stairs just to get some exercise in my legs or I would get stiff.  Along with these trips I looked for any excuse to lift the boxes of paper to load the copy machine or unload a truck.  If I was in need of a trip to the store I would park far enough away to “A” not have my car get hit by a cart and “B” get some movement.  I often carry all my shopping items and don’t typically use carts.

Flash forward to years later, I seldom drive a car and while I am at home and not on a business trip ride a motorcycle.  Riding a motorcycle is both a bit physically demanding and mentally challenging. Giving benefits all around.  While this may be more dangerous to some, it is of a convenience to others, especially to me.

Well this has been a flash forward.

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Loosing Weight

Loosing weight is not always FAT loss, you can also loose muscle mass.

Fasting thing to loose muscle, DIET (starving, more later).

Your body relays on the best sources of nutrition to survive and maintain it self.
Which is better for you?

Lean steak or tub of Crisco?

Your body sure knows.

This is part of the idea behind eating 6 meals a day in proper nutrition requirements, your are not starving (DIETING) so you have the fuel to loose that fat you want gone.

Starvation - basically your body becomes super efficient at using the scarce resources it is given and often at times uses the higher quality resources first, i.e. eating your muscle to survive while leaving the fat as a back up source when all the muscle is gone.

Please don't starve. You wouldn't like to see the picture I found trying to brush up a little while searching.

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Colby Butler

Building Muscle & Loosing Weight

In response to those who just don't understand this concept.

Whether your ideas is to get super huge, tone and fit or loose weight, it really doesn't matter.

If your body is going to get huge, well you can't really help that.
If your body is going to get really strong, but not huge, you really can't help that either.

Those are principles which we like to call, genetics.

Some people are very lucky and born with great genetics others not so much. Some overweight people find that they are really very strong while some find they are really very week. Same goes for thin people too.
(I personally have extremely strong calves, genetics)

As John said, as you gain muscle your body burns more calories from the food you eat.

So if you are 170 lbs, then gain 20 lbs muscle, but stay at 170lbs, you are know more fit and tone then before.

Muscle burns 50 calories per pound. So merely adding 10 lbs of muscle across the whole body would give you an extra 500 calories a day burn that equals your 3500 calorie a week deficit to loose one pound of fat a week.
How many hours would you have to spend on a cardio machine to burn that same amount of calories each week? Then just gain it all back because you don't have the extra 10lbs of muscle to keep it off?

(170lb person 3 mile jog approximate cardio burn 300+/- calories an hour = 1500 calories in 5 days) You ever run 3 miles, it sucks. How long did it take?
(Weight lifting in a moderate intensity fashion with low rest periods in about 90 minutes can accomplish the same 300 calories burn. However the recovery rates are different.)

This is why cardio alone does not work.

Add 20lbs that is an extra 1000 calories a day, adding 2 lbs of muscle to every inch of your body is relatively easy when you compare it to running like 3 miles a DAY for a week.

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Colby Butler

What makes a true health enthusiast?

Is it going to the gym?
Wrong
Is it reading the latest diet plans from your magazine?
Wrong
Is it being a personal trainer?
Not necessarily

What makes a true health enthusiast is someone who is passionate about providing others health tips, whether for free or by some book they write or seminar they put on. A true health enthusiast is someone who shares a life long passion about themselves to serve themselves and their bodies better. Doesn't have to be a Doctor, or physician or even a personal trainer.

I find that many people share a passion for a better future through the use of proper nutrition, health and wellness. However few people actually take this information to heart or beyond. Most people read a few items, think they know everything, then quit. Those people often loose site of their goals and choose to except things just because. It is also said that most people quit right before they start to see results. What a shame.

What is the purpose of working out, dieting, starving (like some do) or putting yourself through things that you really don't like to do. I mean come on, who seriously loves the gym. We hate the gym, but live the results and what we are doing for ourselves. If you workout for yourself and not others, you will progress further. Although the support of others helps, you must first have the inner desire to change, because without the inner desire, you will not push hard enough and waste your time.

After all if we were not true enthusiasts and we don't share the inner desire, why would we push ourselves that hard in the gym everyday?

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Colby Butler

Love the Gym?

People always ask me, "Do you love the gym or something, your always here?" Well quiet frankly no, I do not love the gym. I just like being fit and trying to stay in the best shape that I can. If that means going to the gym 5 days a week then so be it.

However its not always just the gym. On the weekend I like to stay as active as possible. Ride my bike to a friends house, play some baseball, maybe go kayaking, a walk around downtown, anything to keep me from sitting on my butt all weekend.

People take for granted what good physical fitness does for you. Good physical fitness keeps you on top of your game. Whether its walking around the mall or going to a hike in the woods. You need to be in your best form at all times.

Recently a friend of mines dad starting going back to the gym. He did this because his doctor said you go or your health will increasing get worse. Now, that same guy can't wait to get back into the gym each trip he makes. It's that kind of feeling which keeps me going back. I hate the feeling of laziness, so I try to avoid this at all costs. Heck there are even some guy in their 50's that can still lift as much as I can, probably because they have been going to the gym since they were young too.

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Colby Butler

Core training

I cannot stress enough how important core training is for your body.

Your core supports everything you do practically. Without good core stability your back slouches, your shoulder can roll and your neck can hurt. These are all based on examples, however if you view a person who has bad pasture, then you will soon figure this out.

A person with a weak core, will find that they develop soreness in their lower backs more often. A weak core places more pressure on your back to support your body. Over time this develops into a back problem.

Core training is not just sit ups and crunches. Its much more then that. One should work out lower back, stomach, lower stomach, and obliques. As a person with a former back injury I know how bad a person can ruin there body. Overtime I have worked out many areas of my core to be able to support my body through out daily functions and routine. Yet have the ability to take on something harder if needed.

I'm not a super fit guy, yet I can do most of these with ease. I also was not blessed with a great metabolism like most people you see in muscle and fitness mags. Yet I probably can keep up with them in the gym, in some case, surpass them.

Things to try:

• Planks - front, and side one arm. Step it up to one leg and one arm.
• Oblique crunches
• Standing side bends
• Seated side bends
• Floor leg lifts with weight
• Swiss ball plank crunches. Like a plank but bring your legs to your chest on the ball

Check this video out.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=24719260

Colby

Pushups versus Bench press

Did you know that the Bench Press exercise can actually do more damage then a standard push up? Lets look at the factors:
Bench Press:

• A bench press applies pressure to mostly your shoulder area and not your entire chest/arm/shoulder area.
• It is not a natural movement
• Requires no stability of your core
• If done incorrectly can ruin your posture and your shoulders permanently

If done correctly:

• Can build a strong chest and add some size to you arm and shoulders
• Will make you look powerful in the gym
• Work the four sections of your chest independently for maximum results
• Works your grip strength along with routine

Push up:

• Is a natural movement when preforming life routines
• Builds and requires all parts of your body to preform well
• Does not require a spotter or gym
• Can be effective in building all parts of chest in one movement
• Is more impressive when done with weight or vertically

I'm sure I could come up with more comparisons, however I think you get the jest of it.

For people with rotator cuff problems or or shoulder related injuries that wish to work out their chest, should prefer a push up over a bench press. I am a good testament to this. I have been doing push-ups for about a two years now. Recently started doing bench presses. Found my shoulder to be really week and need two days of recovery after doing each bench press. Switched back to push-ups, with weight, and have since conquered my shoulder weakness.

A good friend of mine was struggling to lift 175 on the bench press. After a little two week period of working with weighted push ups and higher reps, he can now lift a maximum of 2 lifts on the bench press now at 225. That's a pretty good result in just two weeks I think.

Colby