How to Get Fat

1.  Eat Like You're Still 16
I know that you could jam down a whole large all-dressed pizza when you were 16 and it wouldn't touch you.  Guess what?  Your metabolism isn't 16 anymore; its 36.  You can't pig-out any more.

2.  Take the Elevator
I know that you're in a hurry.  I know that you don't want to get sweaty at the office.  Listen - leave a few minutes early, lather-on some extra anti-perspirant and take the stairs.

escalator - but you get the idea

3.  Skip Breakfast
I know; brekky is a hassle.  You want a few extra minutes of sleep.  Get something ready the night before.  Leave it on the table or the counter where you can easily get it ready.  Eat oatmeal for breakfast.  You just plop some quick oats into a cereal bowl, pour in some hot water and wait a few minutes.  Lots of slow-burning, complex carbs to power you through the day and fibre to keep you from snacking on crap.

Keep Checking Back...for some more hot tips on how to get fat or how not to get fat.

Tom

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Outdoor Training

Bench Dips

 

Bench Dips

 

You can do "Bench Dips" almost anywhere.  You just need a stable low platform.  These are great tricep builders and good for developing practical, natural strength.  If you need to throw a punch or push yourself up and out of a manhole; you need strong triceps.

Push-ups on a Swing

Push-Ups on a Swing.

 

Wicked core workout before we even talk about pecs.  Holding yourself up and stable in this position really works the abs.  Crank out a few push-ups and you will do your chest and arms a favour too.  Look for a swing-set in sand rather than pea-gravel pictured above.

Step-ups on a Low Wall

Step-ups

 

This is a good glute exercise.  Easy to find a nice low platform.  I do all my reps on one side first then switch.  Knee-high platform is good; higher is even better.

Box...



...Jumps

Box Jumps 

Box Jumps are a wicked plyometric workout.  Find a low, stable, flat, dry platform like the sculpture/seat pictured above.  Stand back a couple of feet.  Crouch.  Jump. Step back. Repeat.  Great exercise for glutes, quads, hamstrings.  Do these at a rate of 20/minute and they'll be great cardio too.  This is an advanced move; start low and work your way up. 

 

 

 

Tom

 

 

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Coming Soon - Training for Archery

Get Ready for Bow Season

Think that you should just grab your bow and have a go?  Think again.  You'd be wise to do a little prep training before you even pick up the bow and arrows.  A few well-planned workouts to get your neglected back muscles ready can save you a lot of pain and help you hit your mark.  An upcoming article will tell you exactly how to get ready for intense archery!

Tom

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Hotel Workouts



Arm Curls with Power Band

Powerbands - Portable

 

 

Powerbands are those neat coloured rubber tubes with handles on the ends.  Very light and portable, these are perfect for air travel.  Mine scrunches up in the corner of my luggage.  Different colours have different amounts of tension.

Tricep Pressdown with Powerband

Powerbands - Versatile

 

Powerbands are a useful travelling workout tool.  They basically provide resistance like weights or machines would.  They can be used in countless ways to work various muscles.  Maybe not as effective as weights or machines but better than just laying back and doing thumb-presses on the remote all evening long.

Wall Sit

The Wall

Even the wall is an exercise tool.  Use it for wall-sits.  The longer you hold this position; the better.


Stationary Lunges

The Floor

Lunges are a great workout that you can do in a hotel room.


Crunches

The Bed

Tuck your feet under the bed and bang out some crunches.  This will keep your core strong.

Bench Dips

 

Coffee Table

 

Bench dips on the coffee table will keep your triceps in condition while you're travelling.

The Stairs 

Creepy Stairs



Most hotels have stairways.  Not often used in these lazy times.  Take the stairs man!  Excellent exercise.  Mind you; not all stairwells seem that nice.  Check them out before using them.  These ones were kind of creepy.  I don't feel that vulnerable so I used them anyway.

 

The Hotel Fitness Room



Hotel Gym

I judge a hotel by its fitness room.  I love having some free-weights and at least a few choices for cardio machines.  Pool and sauna are nice too.  If you're lucky and the hotel has a decent fitness room; take the time to get in a quick workout.  It may not be exactly what you'd do at home or in your regular gym, but look at it as a good change.

 

Tom

 

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Where to Park

Fitness Parking

Do you drive around for 2 minutes looking for the closest parking space to the door?  Shame!  Go to the back of the lot and park as far away as possible.  This little trick will guarantee that you burn extra calories strolling from your car to the building and back.  It will take a few more minutes but you will feel better and look better.

Tom

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Prepare for March Break Now

Start Thinking About Packing a Six Pack Now

Now's the time to start thinking about March Break.  I'm a trainer and I don't want you coming to me all fat and desperate in early February, complaining that you need to lose 25 lbs in a month.  Profitable for me but painful for you.

Six Months to Success

Summer's over.  You strolled the beaches with your tanned, tight bod.  Let's keep it that way for the next few months.  The heavy sweaters and long pants of fall and winter are not the time to hit the pizza and beer.  Students - all the fun times and beer and wings with your buddies will add up to major grief for you in Florida next spring if you're not careful now.  Career folks - Christmas calories count just like the rest.

The Plan

Weigh yourself today.  Track your weight weekly over the next six months so that you know exactly what's going on with your body.  Be very careful with your total daily caloric intake.  Stay active.  Walk, run, workout - whatever.  Plan to get serious about training in early December.  I know that's relaxed party season but trust me - it'll pay off in March.

Starting in December, we'll crank-up the training slowly so that you peak when you hit the beach in February or March.  Start thinking about this now - there's only one March Break for you each year - you don't want to blow it.

More on March Break prep training in a later post.

Tom

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Kefir

Kefir?

I first heard of kefir in a nutrition class promoted by the military.  Neither the instructor nor any of the students had ever even seen kefir.  All that was known about it was it a dairy product with vaguely middle eastern origins.  Living in the remote prairies at the time, kefir was scarce.  I finally found kefir in New Brunswick.  It was in the "exotic/foreign" food section of the grocery store, near the goats milk and yak butter.  The first product I found came in a container that was sealed with a foil lid (like the one pictured below).  The foil lid was bulged out under pressure.  I thought that it had gone bad but all of them were like that.  Closer inspection of the label revealed that this phenomenon is called "Champansky Effect" and is normal.  It is caused by fermentation gases.

The Taste

Kefir has a very unique taste.  I describe it as "yogurt-flavoured beer".  The plain version tastes the strongest but you can get raspberry and other flavoured kefir also.

Value

Its sold in smaller containers than cow's milk and is more expensive.  Its no good for adding to coffee or tea or cereal.  I use it as a beverage.  Some of my kids like it and some don't.  It seems to last in the fridge for a long time.

Nutrition

Kefir is high in protein and calcium.  Its loaded with healthy probiotic bacteria which is good for your gastrointestinal tract. 

Use

I keep kefir in the fridge and drink a small glass of it once or twice a day.  Its good mixed into a smoothy or protein shake.  Even a tablespoon of kefir taken occassionally can give you much of the probiotic benefits.  I've never tried taking kefir in my lunch and I doubt that it would be very portable.  Cooking with it will kill the healthy bacteria.

Recommendation

Get some kefir.  Start with nice flavoured stuff.  Try it.  You'll either like it or hate it.  At least when someone mentions kefir; you'll know what they're talking about.

Tom

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