The Norseman's personal exercise progress updates: Or how it feels to take one's own medicine

Week 12

We picked up the three month membership extension offered by the rec centre so now we're set to stay with it until the fall, at least.

I have reviewed my results and tried to compare the starting weights and the ending weights for each exercise that I do. This isn't entirely exact because I have changed the machines I use for some of these along the way and the weights are not comparable. What I mean is that 100 pounds (45kg) in one machine can be a lighter or heavier load than in some other machine simply because different mechanical linkages can create different levers. For this reason, barbells and dumbbells are best for true comparisons. However, who really cares?

I calculated the relative improvements and they range from 25% as a low through 50-60% as a general average to highs of 100-200-300% for some. These high figures are a little unreliable because most involve cases where I switched machines and can't figure out exactly when it happened (didn't make a note of it at the time). However, the lone 300% improvement is actually real because here I used the same machine the whole time. Go figure.

How is that possible? None of the other results really come close. What happened here, I think, is that in the beginning I was so tired from the previous exercise that there was nothing left for this particular one. If I had done the exercises in a different sequence, I think some of these results would be different. Particularly when a weak muscle group was consistently exercised after a strong group.

In other news, I have more than doubled the resistance on the exercise bike. All in all, I am quite happy with what I have achieved. These are very tangible improvements and gives me a good foundation to build from.

Another thing I like is the fact that we as a family have done this program together and remained committed to carry it through. All of us have experienced noticeable improvements. Gina went on an excursion with her PE (physical education) class today to a rock climbing emporium. It was her first time climbing, but she won one race up the rock face and came second in another. Her leg strength made the difference and she obviously felt pretty good about it.

Doing something for yourself that you know is the right thing to do creates positive energy. The whole family doing it together adds another dimension to it. It builds and strengthens important bonds and provides tangible proof that change is possible.

In my opinion, this is an important message for us adults, too, not just for our children. We all need to be reminded from time to time that we have more power over our own lives and destinies than we typically give ourselves credit for.
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Week 11

Hm. Week 11 already and almost done with the program. One week to go. It feels almost like getting ready for an exam or something. I've been checking myself every day to see if I am ready to go up a notch in weights anywhere. So, yeah, I did add a little here and there, but nothing major.

I am not happy with the calf raises. Still experimenting to find a solution that I am comfortable with. The gym doesn't have a good set-up for this so anything I try is a compromise. Seems like I am stuck with the barbell-gizmo for this one. The good thing about it is that it is locked in with vertical sliders for better control and safety. The bad thing is that the weight I should be using is more than my back can handle. Ergo, I must reduce the weight and let my back build up more. It needs it, so in the final analysis I'm basically OK with this state of affairs.

Mostly we are talking about what to do after this first period. We already picked up a one month extension to our membership taking advantage of a promotional price. Looks like the three month membership is going on sale, too. Hm. Unless we come up with a good alternative exercise solution, we'll probably pick it up. We want to and need to keep the momentum going. Having started to develop a good habit, we don't want to lose it.

Looking back, it was a pretty undramatic week.
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Week 10

We're on the home stretch now. And it's altogether too evident that we'll not have anywhere near the results we have seen in the pictures on the BodyforLIFE web site or in the book. I have made my reflections on this state of affairs and conclude that, at least in my case, the single most important reason is probably a difference in the intensity of the effort. I can't prove this, but I think it is accurate.

I know that I don't enjoy the pain of all-out workouts. Besides, at 6am I am still waking up and seldom capable of really pushing myself. I have decided what level of discomfort I am willing to put up with and am quite willing to live with the consequences. Also, I am leery of straining too hard and injuring myself. So I won't look like Mr. Olympia, big deal. We've been through that before.

I do think that as my general fitness level improves, my strength will be more balanced than it is right now. I know that if I push too hard, something somewhere will give because some muscles are stronger than others or less supple and so on.

Phoebe suggested that the BodyforLIFE program also involves some supplements that we are not taking. Also we are losing one 20 minute session on the Saturdays we don't go to the gym. Both are valid points, but I can't quite make myself believe that the whole system is that fragile (or rather sensitive). We eat quite healthy, better than a lot of folks out there, so what's in the magic supplements? I'm not sure I want to eat something very reactive that isn't whole food based. If it isn't whole food based, it's basically fragmented, maybe a drug. I only take drugs if I am sick with a diagnosed condition and that's not where I am coming from here. At any rate, it's an interesting issue which I will contemplate further.

Meanwhile, I am enjoying the improvements such as they are. The other day I had an early morning meeting and misjudged the distance from my office. I had decided to walk and it turned out to be a 20 minute brisk walk to get there in time. But I did it with no huffing and puffing and arrived fairly invigorated and ready to get on with it. Then I strolled back. It helped that it was a gorgeous spring day. If you're at all familiar with the Pacific North West coastal weather, you'll know what a relief that was. (Hint: it rains rather a lot here at times.)
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Week 9

Old dogs can learn new tricks, and not just bad habits! One of the growing trends in the fitness world is personal trainers. I am my own personal trainer, but it's clear that the teacher doesn't really know a whole lot more than the student in this case. It's a closed system and new knowledge can only come from outside.

So where am I going with this? Well, stay with me.

I have settled into a way of doing my exercises and lately haven't thought a great deal about the finer details such as the best way to do them. I mean, in terms of body position, what parts of the body to move and what to hold still, the efficient range of movement and so on.

On morning I observed a member with a personal trainer in tow. The session was mostly a show and tell on how to use the equipment. Actually very useful. I got a free lesson myself and realized that I have some work to do to hone my technique.

Why is this important? Well, here is an example. Imagine yourself standing in front of a t-bar suspended at face height. The t-bar is attached to a wire running over a wheel to a stack of weights. You pick your weight. Then you grab the t-bar palms down with hands close to the wire. The object is to push the t-bar down and thereby exercise certain of your back muscles.

I had worked up to level of weights where I was beginning to cheat on the movement. I would get up on my toes and use my bodyweight to start the bar moving. Then on the return, I would basically just control the bar as the weights rushed back towards Mother Earth. Sort of gravity, Einstein, Newton and everybody working together in an empirical experiment.

Now, it turns out the right way of doing this is to stand still with the elbows tucked in and just move the forearms pushing down and slooowly letting Einstein and Newton back down. They want to go fast, but don't let them.

So, I thought I'd try doing it that way. No surprise, it's a lot harder. I had to back off the weights quite a bit. Actually, I don't mind because I am now back to training the right muscles.

As a side issue, I now have this rather ridiculous mental image of Einstein and Newton riding up and down on the weights whenever I use one of the machines. And I wonder, how much did those guys actually weigh?
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Week 8

This week was mostly about just staying with it, doing it, getting it done and then getting on with other things. The program is working because I am working the program. I like that; a positive feedback loop where I determine the direction. It's also honest.

I am still looking for ways to incorporate stretching into my regime. At home, we have a hanging bar, which I use to stretch my back. It's convenient to grab it when I go by. We also have one of those inversion tables where you lie down and invert yourself backwards until you hang from your heels. A great stretch for the lower back. I am starting to using it more diligently again.

The exercise program should help my lower back condition, but in reality the workouts tighten my muscles and keep my pelvis tilted forward thus perpetuating the strain. I am not really confident that I can beat this because many years ago (ouch, it really is many years ago now!) I trained Kung Fu (a Chinese martial arts form) and did a lot of stretching. My back was still not great.

I am on the right track though, as I am standing a little straighter these days.

We missed Saturday again and I think we will no longer worry too much about that. 5 days a week is enough. Never mind that the program is like this or like that. This is about more than just 12 weeks. We have extended our initial three month membership at the rec center and will continue to get our daily exercise. So that's the really important result to keep in mind. IMHO.
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Week 7

Wow, week 7 is gone and done with. That was fast. A very, very busy week what with the official launching on March 11 of the British Columbia Viking Ship Project of which I am chairperson. Stayed up till 2 am in the morning on the Friday scrambling to get the material finished for our project poster board. Way too tired Saturday morning to go to the gym so Phoebe went by herself. Gina was already half-way to Whistler Mountain for a day of snowboarding. So, I have logged my first missed day. Bummer. I didn't totally slack off, though, as I spent most of the Saturday at the Scandinavian Centre getting things ready for the evening session. Still, I can't rightly claim it as a workout.

This past week was interesting because I felt I made some progress. Even if I felt very tired most mornings, I ended up putting a decent effort into the workouts.

I have by now pretty much doubled the work load on the bike compared to the starting level. And I am just about up to the same RPM level. Maybe I'll reach it this week. Seems like I can "do an Emerill" (he on the Food-network TV-show - sorry if you don't get US/Canadian TV channels, you'll miss the pun) and "kick it up a notch" each week on most of the exercises. I am probably a little over-cautious about adding weight, but that's OK. Actually, for my calf raises I have a hard time adding weight I can work with. I could really use a machine with some decent padding for my shoulders, but alas, no have in my gym.

I am pacing myself well and have avoided significant injuries. What little strains and aches I have developed have healed up fine in the interval between the workouts. I'm still struggling to fit in time for specific warm-ups and stretching like I feel I should, but I have a good structure to the sequencing of exercises now which helps. Also I think I should stop beating myself up over some of these things, I'm not trying to become Mr. Olympia or anything so what's the rush, really.

We're getting to know many of the other regulars. We exchange updates on progress as quite a few are trying the same program. But mostly everyone is just busy doing their own thing and focusing on getting on with the day.

I have noticed that I have tightened my belt a notch. I like that, that's real progress in my book.

I seem to always want to end my reminiscence with an admonishment or two for the coming week. This time it's about eating right. I was so busy last week and worked out of the office a lot which made me slack off on the food I brought to work. Bad mistake. I do much better if I can bring my own sandwiches, some yoghurt and a few pieces of fruit. The most easily available snack food when you're on the run isn't the best nutritionally speaking - overloaded with sugar, fat and empty calories. Tasty but destructive. So, one more thing to work on. But I think it's going to be a good week. See ya!

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Week 6

What, no week 5? Well it did occur, we didn't just fast forward to week 6. Sorry. the program isn't that good. Just got a little too busy with other things. See, I am involved in the launch of a Canadian Viking Ship Project and it needed my available cycles. It's exiting and it will need both physical and mental energy. So, everything is working together. I like that.

We are still hitting the gym as per the program. I have noticed that we have been a little bit slow getting going in the morning and will have to get on top of that. It's not so bad on the shorter aerobics days. It's the other days that is a concern. As any commuter will tell you, 10-15 minutes difference in your start time can make a big difference in your arrival time. Then again, maybe the work-out will help keep the stress level down? I think so. Hey, that's winning even when you think you're not!

The program is becoming habit now. It's beginning to seem more and more mundane. Thinking back over the last two weeks, I can't recall any particular events that really stand out. Well, that's OK. Let's explore the mundane,then.

Everybody has pretty much settled into their own versions of the program. Some personal tailoring is taking place. Gina, for example, has her own aerobics routine which tacks a 5 minute cool down period onto the standard 20 minute program. Phoebe and I have finally dropped the lunges. I tried a couple of sessions in a contraption with a weighted bar across my shoulders that ran up and down two vertical supports. I also tried this for my standing calf raises. It helped, but wasn't very comfortable for my neck and back.

Even when I discovered a padded sleeve for the bar, it was only so-so. The sleeve was made from strips of padding, not a solid piece. Naturally, the bar would settle between the strips. Who makes these things? They obviously never use this themselves.

I went back to the book and looked at the exercise options. The lunges are for hamstrings. Well, the leg curls look better for that, so that's what we're doing now.

I spoke loftily about warm-ups and stretches the last time. I confess to not really taking that advice. I am still thinking about it and have been very conscious about not rushing anything. I have changed the sequence of the exercises so that the ones where I think risk of over-straining is largest will come towards the end of the program.

One thing I have noticed: I doubt if I am getting all I can out of the exercises simply because my body is not awake and ready to go that early in the morning. The quandary is that I don't really think I have more time in the morning. Getting up at 5:30 am is my limit.

Having thought about this some more, two opportunities come to mind: 1) Get out of the house a little faster and use the time saving on a 5 minutes or so warm-up. This makes sense and should be doable. 2) Capitalize on the general improvement in my fitness level. I think there is something here. I am probably not matching the weights and repetitions to the scheduled intensities the way I should.

This looks like "working smarter, not longer", doesn't it? I like that. Next week will be the test.

On another front, I finally figured out something on the exercise bike. The bike is one of those things with readouts and electronics, but few instructions. To give you an idea, it tells me things like "To begin exercise, begin pedaling". That's a revelation to all of us, I'm sure. As always, these things seem self-evident once you know how. That is not a recommended engineering approach in my mind as it has resulted in millions of VCR's continuously and perpetually flashing "12:00" at you.

But there is a way. The infernal machine had this annoying habit of cycling through about 10 different measures like time, rpm, distance and so on, plus a couple where you had to wear a pulse meter to make it work. All I wanted was the time. Turns out that by pressing enter after overriding a bunch of other nonsense settings, I can step through the various readouts and lock in the one I want. Isn't it marvelous how easy it is for technology to get in the way of what we really want to do?

A curious thing happened yesterday (it's Sunday as I write this). Phoebe took Gina to her school at 5:30 am to catch the bus for a snowboarding trip to Whistler. (So Gina got more than her share of the Saturday program, that's for sure.) Coming home, Phoebe went back to bed and we got up late. Had a leisurely breakfast and started getting ready for our separate activities for the day. Then Phoebe called me: "We forgot to go to the gym this morning!". And it was true. The previous five weeks we had gone to the gym first thing, before breakfast. This time it completely slipped our minds. So we scheduled a walk on the beach with the dog for the afternoon. Worked out fine (pun intended), especially for the dog.

Bottom line: We are getting used to the routine and still learning about our bodies. The program is basically fine, but we are tweaking it a little here and there to suit us individually. We see others in the gym using the same program and everybody is doing it their way. And I think that's just exactly the way it should be.

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Week 4

So here we are. Week 4 and a third of the way through the program. What I learnt this week was to make sure I warm up before doing anything too strenuous. I got a light strain in my right quadricep (thigh muscle) because I started out with my lunges a little too fast and with a little too much weight. I should have known better as I had pushed myself on the bike the day before and my legs were really tight. So I had to quit the lunges and do some work-around exercises instead. No matter, I'll heal up soon enough, nothing serious.

Another thing I am starting to pay attention to is stretching. I think from now on, I'll do a couple of minutes on a bike and a quick series of basic stretches before starting my the upper- or lower-body programs.

In a nutshell, all this is really about pacing oneself. It is very easy to overdo things when starting out from a low fitness level. And the more competitive one is, the harder it is to be patient. My attitude is that I can't get the workout I want if I am injured. Still, mistakes happen, don't they.

Except for the aerobics days, I haven't noticed any real improvements this week. I feel great, but basically just doing the program. I think that I am now over the first hurdle. If I watch myself and don't overdo it, I should be able to increase the energy I put into my exercises. Hm. We'll see, I guess, next week.

Phoebe missed a couple of days to a flu attack. Without the flu vaccine, it would probably have been a much longer break. Gina went to a photo shoot on Saturday and was told they wanted her back sometime later for some work for the photo studio. So she felt really good about that. Then she went snowboarding for the rest of the afternoon and evening. That kid's got energy!

The bottom line for week 4: The good things we do and have done for ourselves lately are paying off! The small confirmations may look inconsequencial in isolation, but they all add up as fuel to a positive spiral.

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Week 3

Yihaa! Week 3 is done. We made it. This week was a test of our resolve. I had to go out of town for three days and we couldn't do the program together. But we did good. Phoebe and Gina went as usual to the rec center while I tried to use the exercise room at the hotel.

I say try, because I was challenged. I discovered that Wednesday was my lower body day and the hotel only had a training center for upper body exercises. Bummer, but I did my crunches, little bit of bike riding for the legs and filled in with some upper body stuff I don't normally do. So maybe I didn't get the exact workout per the program, but that's OK. I still hit the gym at 6 am and did something.

The second challenge was the day of my return trip. The airport shuttle was scheduled to pick me up between 5:30 and 6 am on the Thursday morning. I don't know about you, but I hit my limit - no gym that morning. I was pretty beat at the end of the day and just didn't have it in me to go to the gym in the evening for the aerobics workout. However, I didn't slack off completely because I went through about 10 minutes with my secret weapon.

There's something I haven't told you about. I have found a clever little piece of workout equipment called the ISOROBIC Exerciser. It's made by the Fitness Motivation Institute of America (FMIA) and was developed by NASA who spent some $1 million on the research.

Isorobic exercise is one of just a few so-called three dimensional exercise programs in the world today. An isorobic exercise program covers strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness in only 15 minutes per day. It has been used for over 30 years by NASA's astronauts as well as professional, college and high school athletes.

What I find most intriguing about it, is that it also gives you an aerobic workout. Not too many gym-in-a-bag products can do both resistance and aerobics training.

I heard about this from Jack Medina at one of his JuicePlus+ Prevention plus seminars (I have caught two of them). Jack is a former coach for several US Olympics Team gymnasts and lectures extensively on fitness and nutrition. He currently works with several professional sports teams using the ISOROBIC Exerciser.

His demonstration and explanation of the equipment was very convincing. Not to mention entertaining. Jack's got the gift of the gab and knows how to use it. If he comes to your neck of the woods, go see him. You won't regret it.

The ISOROBIC Exerciser is what I classify as a very intelligent product where technology has been blended with a thorough understanding of human physiology. And human psychology, I might add.

Jack tells a very amusing story about his work as a fitness consultant to the Los Alamos Laboratory, a very large and highly regarded research organization. At Los Alamos they had a million dollars worth of exercise facilities that no-one used. So he set out to discover what it would take to get people to exercise.

The end result of a rather extensive survey was summed up in a few short sound bites which I quote from memory:

• We want to do it in a location convenient to us and not have to go to a gym.
• We want to do it standing up or sitting down, but not lying on the floor.
• We want to do it in 15 minutes or less.
• We don't want to get sore.
• And we want it to be backed by a million dollars worth of research. (After all, this was at a major-league scientific institution.)

A daunting task don't you agree? But Jack accepted the challenge and, to make a long story short, found the solution at NASA. It was the ISOROBIC Exerciser.

The whole unit is very compact and fits easily in your suitcase when traveling. It comes with a great video explaining how to use it for 2, 6 or 15 minutes a day workout programs. The manual goes through all the standard exercises and also has an extensive section illustrating sport specific exercises for things like golf, racquet sports, football, skiing, martial arts, archery, bowling and so on.

So I got one of these just recently and took it with me on my trip. I used the 2 minute program for lower back, abdominals and shoulder stretching. I was cooped up in a room for two days banging away on a computer learning some new simulation modeling software. That can be hard on my shoulders (I mean the banging, not the simulation modeling). If I had been a little more organized in my packing I would have brought all the pieces with me and I would have been able to get in most of my lower body program. I did use it to compensate in some small way for the lost aerobics day.

For now, I feel I need the structure of the three month BodyforLIFE program as a way to build up to a higher general fitness level. With the ISOROBIC Exerciser I have removed a number of excuses for not exercising even when I travel (I just need to bring all the pieces). Later, I may find that the 15 minute program will be all I need to maintain may level rather than the 45 minutes I spend today.

So bottom line for week 3: I think we all came through pretty good. Gina missed the Saturday aerobics session, but she went to Whistler Mountain with her school and spent the whole day snowboarding. That's not exactly a day lost in my book.

This is such an obviously positive thing to do for yourself and we all feel noticeably better and more energized. We have entered a positive reinforcing loop where one good thing provides some extra energy for doing something more in some other area and so on. And that's what it's all about isn't it?

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Week 2

This was a week to settle in with the program. The soreness is gone, but I have noticed that my muscles still need some more development to be able to follow the individual exercises the way they are meant to be done.

Each set of repetitions is supposed to be at a specific intensity level. I can't do a progression in weights for the various repetitions without overloading myself in some cases. But it is getting better. I have decided to do the exercises correctly from now on, and worry less about the weights. My reasoning is that if I don't do an exercise over the full range of motion, I will be creating an imbalance in the muscles' strength. I will continue to be weak in the area of motion skipped over. Which guarantees that I will always be struggling. So, I will now adjust to what I can handle over the complete motion range. This is especially relevant for the dumbbell lunges. Truly a perverted exercise surely put on this earth simply to torment us and make us repent our sins. I would give it up in a flash if I could. However, I have promised myself that I will not mess with the program or try to "improve it" and will do it as described by Bill the Man (that's Phillips, not Gates) for the entire 84 days.

I am beginning to see some small, concrete improvements. First of all, the combination of eating a little more intelligently and getting some more exercise is in itself invigorating and I am not as tired as I used to be at the end of the day. Hey, this is great.

I am also noticing that I am straightening up and slouching a little less. My lower back is not out of the fire yet (pun intended), but I went to a meeting this week where I ended up standing for over 2 hours. Normally, this would have been a miserable time for my back, but I came through it with noticeably less discomfort than expected. This was really the most important sign of improvement for me so far. Hey, double great!

Something is happening with my lungs, too. I can feel them opening up on the cycle and I have been going up one notch in work load each day this week.

All of us feel really good about this. We are actually a bit proud that we are getting out and doing this together as a family. Gina, being the youngest, is improving the fastest.

The bottom line after week 2: Small changes beginning to become noticeable. Nothing major, but very encouraging. We're on the right path.

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Week 1

Wow. What a week this was. Seems like the main part of the program was to figure out what exercises to do, how to do them, what weights to use and so on. We brought the book to the gym for reference. The gym we go to does not have identical equipment to everything that is shown in the book, so we had to find some substitutes.

We discovered that there are some pretty strange looking contraptions out there! But with the help of the staff we figured it out. Individually, we seem to pick somewhat different solutions here and there, but that's OK.

Not knowing what our capacities were, all of us did a little too much the first times. Boy did we pay for that, especially my wife and I. Stiff and sore most of the week. Slept really well, though. The aerobics days were great as they helped to loosen things up.

Towards the end of the week, I had pretty much found the basic pattern of exercises and weight combinations to work from. The aerobics work out started on the treadmill, but running is too jarring on my knees and back so I gave that up after the first day. Tried the eliptical glider next as Gina and Phoebe seem to really like that one. No dice. Couldn't stand the motion, couldn't find the rythm, didn't see the point. I don't know what it is, but the glider sure isn't for me. So I ended up on the cycle which works great.

I weighed and measured myself this week in order to see how things will change. I also keep notes on what I do for each exercise. This should give me a record of my specific progress in terms of strength and endurance. It isn't necessary to do this, but the forms are available from the Body for LIFE web site so why not. Besides, I can't remember all the details from one session to the next anyway, so the notes are pretty much a necessity for me.

I have started working a little more carefully on how and what I eat. I don't quite seem to follow the six meals a day regime Bob Phillips recommends and I don't keep track of my food on the forms. (Each day has a nutritional schedule in addition to the exercise schedule.) However, I have started eating breakfast everyday before going to work. And I can feel the difference it makes. I have no appetite in the morning and generally can't get anything down except coffee. I used to drink way too much coffee during the day and all that caffeine was really starting to bother me. My wife felt the same way and she took the initiative some months ago to get us off regular coffee and onto decaf. What a difference that made. I was still drinking too much coffee or whatever was available (except water) because I would get hungry before lunch and in the afternoon.

If you skip breakfast or any other meal on a regular basis, the metabolism adjusts itself and changes the way it processes the food you eat with a propensity towards storing a disproportionate amount as fat. The exact opposite of what we want to happen by reducing our food intake. So there I had two reasons make some changes.

What I do now, is to mix up a drink of JuicePlus+ Light with skim milk and a banana or a handful of frozen strawberries. I also make sure I get my Juice Plus fruit and vegetable capsules. We have been using the Juice Plus fruit and vegetable capsules since they came out in 1993, so that's not actually a new thing to me. The capsules ensure I get the equivalent of at least 5-9 servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. In addition, I have started taking a few pieces of fruit to work for mid-morning and afternoon snacks.

The net effect of this is that my metabolism is now beginning to recognize a more frequent intake of food and the change process has started to become a little more efficient how the food is processed. This is of course greatly aided by all the exercise I am getting. So, everything is pulling together.

The bottom line after week 1: I feel great simply because I know I am doing something important for myself. It is really too early to notice any significant changes except that the soreness is mostly gone. That was one important hurdle cleared.

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