"Six-Pack" Abs

Six-packs are common discussions in health clubs - both the kinds you drink, and the ones that you develop through hard work, diet, and a little luck. The luck is your genes. Some people, genetically, have the propensity to develop ripped stomach muscles. Others are born with a blockier build (think of a beer keg, to stay in that frame of reference), and just cannot get that same look, no matter what they do. I always feel that you work the most on your strengths. If your abs look good, you work them even more. If they're not there, you tend to concentrate on other parts that can be developed easier. It's just human nature. Working with clients, I usually like to start with abs, rather than finish with them, as most trainers do. i feel abs are a priority for people, so it's good to hit them when your fresh and can keep good form. Plus, a variety of core exercises warms up the entire body and raises the heart rate up, so you are loose and supple for weight-bearing exercises. I think five-10 minutes of core work, on the ground or standing, is way more effective than a five-minute walk on the treadmill! It's important to hit the core (a group of over 20 muscles, including your hips and glutes), from many different angles. I like ground routines where you do one exercise on your back, one each from your sides, and one plank-type exercise facing down to spend an equal amount of time and effort in each direction. You can go two times through, with different exercises each time, for a total of eight different "ab" exercises. Change up your number of reps and your cadence, and don't forget some isometrics like your planks or "V-sit." Never pull on your neck when doing crunches, hold for a second when you "feel the burn," and put as much variety as you can in. I probably have about 100 different exercises that I rotate through for "abs," for myself and my clients. Out of all I do, I feel the most effective is the medicine ball throws off the decline bench. Have your partner throw 20 over your head, and reach up to catch, "Dwight Clark-style." Go all the way back to the bench, sit up with the ball over your head, and throw back, as hard as you like. Have your partner go next, then do another 20, catching it over your shoulder to target the obliques more. The final set, if your brave enough, sit up, and have your partner throw the ball into your stomach. Tighten up as hard as you can, and don't exhale as the ball hits! On the first five, guide it in with your hands. Then, the stomach should be ready for full absorption. I saw Evander Holyfield do this with a 35-lb medicine ball, only he was lying on the ground, where you cannot lean back to lessen the pain. Unbelievable! Those are for advanced exercisers, but other great ones are hanging leg raises (there's a bunch of different varieties of those), and partner resistance band pulls. Of course, to bring out the abs visually, you have to reduce the amount of surrounding body fat, through diet, cardio, or both. Getting a six-pack is a lot of hard work, but I always tell the clients (half-jokingly): "If your abs are good, the rest of life's problems will eventually work themselves out!"

Exercise and Pregnancy

My wife likes, but does not love, exercise. She does does her 30-minutes, three or four-days a week to stay in shape and keep the blood and oxygen flowing through the arteries. In the 25 years I've known her, she worked out most religously during her pregnancies with our two children. During those times, she walked on the treadmill or biked five times a week, and kept her tone with light weight-training. She felt good through the pregnancy, gained only about 30 lbs. through each one, and lost it quickly afterward. She also recovered fairly quickly following childbirth, and most importantly, both kids came out healthy! E#xercise during pregnancy is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Highlights of their guidelines were published by Dr. Dennis Cardone, in the Family Medicine column of the Star-Ledger. Some recommendations they made were: sticking to non-weight bearing exercises like swimming or biking, rather than running; maintaining adequate water intake before, during and after exertion; not working to exhaution; avoiding exercising on your back after the first trimester; and avoiding activities with the potential for trauma or falls. These all seem reasonable and achievable for most people. I've also read that people who were avid runners can continue it through their pregnancy, with Physician's approval. However, don't increase your normal load, or pick up a new activity you are not used to. Besides the ability to bounce back into shape more quickly after delivery, benefits mentioned by the Physician's include reduced backaches, swelling and bloating; and improved posture, sleep and mood. Other advantages are better energy levels during this time; better strength and endurance, which can be important in the birth process, and, possibly, decreased risk of gestational diabetes. Warning signs to stop exercise? Dizzyness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, back or hip pain, decreased fetal movement, vaginal bleeding or leakage of fluid, or persistant contractions. One should contact a Doctor immediately if experiencing any of these symptoms. The general summary is that exercise is good, but use common sense. Don't set new workout goals during this crucial period of your life, or do anything wild or crazy that may harm you or your baby. Get the blood flowing, stay happy, eat healthy, keep the joints moving, and remember everything you do, positive or negative, affects that precious cargo you are carrying!

Partner training

Everything is more fun with a friend! Small group-training of two to four people has been a popular trend in the fitness industry over the last decade. First, sharing training makes economic sense for many people, as the cost is split between the participants. Second, the participants get the energy (or shared misery!) of working with someone else. It helps stoke the competitive fire, as no one wants to be the first to "fall out" during push-ups to failure, or minutes-long plank sessions. I noticed with my running, if I'm doing intervals on the track or a hill repeat workout, I'm going much faster with another person, with seemingly less strain. By yourself, it takes a ton of mental discipline to push though race-pace "quarters" or "halves." With another person of somewhat similar abilities, the pacing is shared, and neither wants to be the "laggard," or person holding up the general pace of the workout with prolonged rest. Here are a few ideas for partner training, on the track, in the gym, or out in the field. 1. Relays on the track: Set a basic, shared, goals for you and a partner. Let's say, a 14-minute two-mile. Person number one starts off with a 1:45 (or less) quarter-mile. You tag the person as you reach the finish and they set off, trying to retain the same pace. You rest as they run, and then pick it up again as they finish their 1/4-mile leg. Four quarters each, to reach your two-mile goal. Try it a second or third time, if you want to increase volume! 2. Partner jump-pulls, in the gym, or a the playground. Find a pull-up or monkey bar. Two people stand on either side of a pull-up bar. The first person crouches, jumps, grabs the bar, completes a pull-up, and drops. The second person then goes, for one. Set a number (say 10 each) and take your heart-rate after. It will be high! Great for legs, back, shoulders, and arms! 3. Partner plank/pushups: Person number one assumes push-up or plank position. The partner puts their feet on your back and assumes a push-up position (horizontally to parter). You can either both stay stationary like that (great for balance), or trade off doing push-ups. That can be done on a one-to-one cadence, or having the top person doing two (it's easier on top!) to the bottom person's one. Have fun! For an easier version of that killer, have one person in push-up position. The second person is standing, with legs straddling, the person in push-up position. The standing person presses their hands on the back of the person doing push-ups, to add an extra element of resistance. Keep it reasonable, so the person doesn't lose form and bend their back while doing the exercise. Plus, remember, you have to take your turn, too! Or, you can try the wheelbarrow, with one person in push-up position, and the other standing, holding their feet or legs. Try a few push-ups like that, or just do the walking wheelbarrow. 4. Partner squats: One person assumes the squatting position, their partner stands in back, with hands on your shoulders. Try 15-20 squats, then switch places. Vary the resistance with each squat to keep it fresh! The hips, glutes, and quads are all working on this one. 5. Partner dips: One person assumes "dip" position, with hands on a bench or stoop. Their partners lifts your lfeet or legs, and commence exercise. Another great balance one that kills the triceps and shoulders! This is just a sample of the many, many exercises you can do with a partner, with no equipment involved. Have fun!

Lake Takanassee Race 2013

This summer was the 50th anniversary of the venerable Lake Takanassee Road Races in Long Branch. Held every Monday night through the summer, it is the oldest racing series in New Jersey, and well-known nationally through the writings of Dr. George Sheehan. Most of the top runners in the Shore-area have raced there at some point in their careers, and high-school teams often use it as a prep for their runners for the upcoming cross-country season. It's decidedly "no-frills," with a five-dollar entry, no shirts, and the bushes in the nearby trail serving as port-a-potties. Four laps around the brackish lake, with the wind usually coming off the Atlantic. Weave around the parked cars along the street, and yell "on your left" when coming up on lapped joggers and race-walkers. The celebrated "50th Anniversary Race," was held on July 29th, and I wanted to go to see some old compatriots and get in the commemorative 50th-anniversary group picture. Unforseen things at the club got in the way, however, and I couldn't make the hour-ride down the Parkway and get there for the 6:45 p.m. start. I made a mental note to try for the next week, but unsure if I could make it, did eight miles and a heavy chest workout on Sunday, and had six hours of training (lunges, squats, push-ups, and planks) with some fit clients on Monday. Still, with a colonoscopy scheduled for the next week, I knew this was my only chance to get down there before the series ended, so down the Parkway I went. I fortified my tired mind and body with a Diet Coke after the drive down, and tried to psyche myself up. Hoyle Mozee, a longtime running friend and race volunteer, saw me stretching and asked why I wasn't there last week for the big reunion. "I tried," I replied, "how did the old guys do?" "Bill Scholl (another old friend and former winner of the Philadelphia Marathon) won it in 20:30, and a few people were right in back of him, "Mo" replied. "Then they all went out for some beers and told a bunch of stories about the old days." I vaguely had been hoping to come near 20 minutes, even with my heavy day's workload, tired body, chronic achilles tendonitis, and pulled lower stomach muscle. After hearing that Scholl, about seven years older than my 54, but a former 2:18 marathoner, had run 20:30, I think I mentally re-adjusted what I felt would be a respectable time on this particular night. While there were other acquaintances amongst the volunteers, I didn't recognize many of the faces actually competing, and didn't have anyone to pace with. The Ocean Twp. cross-country team was there, as well as some college runners, so there were definitely some good runners amongst the crowd of 100 or so. The high school kids darted out fast, and I tucked in with a few of the them through the first mile, which we hit in 6:22. While not in total oxygen debt, the first mile did feel fast on this particular evening. Feeling I'd have to rely on mental strength in the second mile, I said to myself, "no one passes you from here on out." With so many inexperienced runners out in front of me, I was able to stay true to that credo, all the while slowing down myself. While I probably passed five or six high schoolers in the second mile, my two-split was a rather unsightly 13:04. "Just gut out the third," I grimaced to myself, and managed to do so, weaving through the afore-mentioned cars, joggers, and walkers to finish in exactly 20:30. I felt spent, and my hear-rate was 168, but after catching my breath, wondered, "did hearing the 20:30 that Scholl ran, sub-consciously just having me aim for that time? If he had run, say, a 20:10, would I have pushed myself to hit that?" Those are the unansweable questions of racing, and what draws some people to continue to do it at ages when common sense and aching body parts say not to. I threw a hooded sweatshirt on, caught up with a few other people I hadn't seen in 20-plus years, and collected my 50-59 age group first place medal. I placed 13th overall, and basically was satisfied with the night's effort. I got in the car, had the windows down driving through the summer sunset on the Parkway, and listened to Alex Rodriguez's comeback night for the Yankees on the radio. I hope to be back again next summer.

Hoboken Pump N' Run

  I enjoy bench pressing. Although many other exercises are more functional for athletics, I like the feeling of grabbing a bar loaded with weights, bringing it down to your chest, and exploding it back up.
   My one-rep best I achieved at around age 40, a 240 lb. "single' at a body weight of 148. I never  quite reached my goal of 100 lbs. over my body weight, but was happy with that, nonetheless. I also was able to do my body weight for 22 reps, which, again, I was pleased with.
   Soon after that, my focus turned back to running, primarily, and my body weight has dropped down a good 10 lbs. I've also lost some inches on my hairline, and what's left is quickly turning into more "salt" then "pepper."   That explains why, at 54, I've lost at least 40 lbs. off of my all-time one-rep max.
     I saw the Hoboken Pump N' Run advertised and it appealed to me in a few different ways. You combine a bench-press "rep" competition with a 5-k run - right up my alley! It's also a benefit for the Wounded Warriors Project, which I like to support.
    For guys under 40, the bench was set at 145. For geezers like me, 115. Women under 40 had to lift 65 lbs., over 40, 45 lbs.
   The race is held on the last Saturday in June, right along the waterfront overlooking Manhattan. You bench outside on the gazebo at Frank Sinatra Park. Inspiring!
    A bit anxious and arriving early, I may have warmed up a ltttle too much for the bench. Keeping my back flat against the pad, and locking out each one, I got 29 reps at 115, which I was satisfied with, definitely.
   The 5-k was held about 10 minutes after the last competitor finished, and I honestly didn't know what to expect, time-wise. The crowd of about 100 was primarily young and "jacked" , with men and women showing off muscles and "rips" not normally seen at an average 5-k. There were active and ex-military guys, as well as many "20-somethings' who look like they were perfect extras for a Coors Light commercial.
   The pack went out pretty fast, and I tucked in around 10th place or so. There were no mile markers or splits, so I just gave myself the credo of "no one passes you!" after what I estimated was the first mile. The first woman runner and I stayed together through most of the race, and I was very pleasantly surprised when the finishing clock read 19:46, sixth overall in the run.
    The overall scoring is a bit complicated, but, bottom-line, I placed ninth and third in the 40-over division. The winner, in fact, was a very fit 40 year old.
    All in all, a fun day, and event I will keep on my calendar for next year. Besides the novelty of it, I think it will keep me inspired lifting, and perhaps "turning back the clock" a bit on my bench.     
     
              

Lessons from James Gandolfini

  James Gandolfini's death hit hard here in New Jersey. He was a larger-than-life figure in this state, and that, in a literal sense, may have had something to do with his sudden death at the age of 51.
   The Star-Ledger, the newspaper "Tony Soprano" retrieved off his driveway every morning, interviewed Cardiologist  Barry Cohen of Morristown Medical Center on June 21st about identifying and potentially avoiding fatal heart attacks, which (pending an autopsy) is believed to have killed Mr. Gandolfini.
     Dr. Cohen is Medical Director of the cardiac catheterization lab at Morristown, and author of the book "Coronary Heart Disease: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment."
      Dr. Cohen described a fatal heart attack as a situation where the arteries feeding the heart muscle - he used the helpful analogy of a gas line to your engine - become clogged. There is instability in the electrical impulses to the heart, and the heart goes into a chaotic rhythm.
       Symptoms of a fatal heart attack are familiar to many: shortness of breath, chest pain, arm pain, throat  pain and sweating. However, approximately one-third of  heart attacks occur without any warning.
      While Mr. Gandolfini was overweight, that in itself is considered an independent risk factor. There are others, including elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, all of which can be weight-related; and smoking. The most important factor is family history. I have read many times that family history is 50%, and all other factors can add up to the other half. So no matter what shape you are in, you can't out-run your genes.
    As far as triggers to an actual heart attack, everyone is familiar with these: stress, anger, and, again, smoking.
    As far as prevention, Dr. Cohen's suggestions are solid and sound: a diet low in saturated fats, with lots of fruits and vegetables, and exercise. If you are smoking, quit now! See a doctor regularly for check-ups, and monitor your blood pressure. Don't just shake it off if you feel any of the symptoms of a heart attack mentioned above. It may be the warning sign to get medical help before a fatal heart attack occurs.
   Larger than life in a mythic sense is one thing - in a literal sense, it's quite different.

      
              

MS BIke Ride 2013

   Every year, members of my health club and I participate in the "Coast the Coast" 25-Mile Bike Ride for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, held the third Saturday of May.
   The ride starts at my old college, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, winds through the side streets of Monmouth County to Spring Lake, and returns up Ocean Avenue through Belmar, Asbury Park and other well-known Shore points.
   While there are some very serious riders participating, it is a non-competitive event, with people of all ages and abilities out on various types of bikes, raising money for a great cause. I am happy to say that "Team Mountain Fitness" raised over $1800 and had a strong showing of 12 riders!
    Since age eight, my son, Max had always participated, but his year could not due to a conflict with a track meet. However, my brother-in-law, Bill, and nephew, Daniel, joined in for the first time, and it was good to have the family representation.
   The weather forecast looked great, but like most days this Spring in New Jersey, dawn brought clouds and mist. Luckily, the skies held up for us, as "Team Mountain Fitness" embarked together on our ride.
   The ride down was leisurely, and at the halfway point, all the riders stop for juice and protein bars provided by the MS Society. The comraderie on this day is really special, as everyone mingles and takes pictures. It is a day that holds true to the Mark Twain saying, "There are no strangers. Just friends you haven't met!"
   I pick up the pace on the return trip, and my quads get a good workout as I push my Trek hybrid bike against the wind as we head back north along the ocean. I try to get back in time to get off my bike and take pictures of the rest of our group as they finish. We eat lunch at the college gymnasium, and just beat the rain which comes soaks the state the rest of the weekend.
   One of my favorite days of the year!