Category: Sweat

I’ll never forget my first CrossFit workout. Reebok flew my husband and I out to visit their headquarters to get a sneak peak of all their newest apparel before they hit stores. Part of this exciting trip included getting a bunch of new gear and working out with some of Reebok’s CrossFit pros.

Getting new digs sounded fun to me, but working out with elite CrossFit athletes scared the bejesus out of me. I barely like to workout, much less workout out until I bleed or pass out on the floor. I had heard about those crazy CrossFitters. I had seen their bloody calluses on facebook and bruised stripes all over their legs from all their double-unders. They really seem to like pain. Me, not so much.

While I had never done a CrossFit workout before, my husband, Steve Pfiester, was very familiar with CrossFit and had just received his CrossFit Level 1 Certification. He told me the stories of how he thought he was going to die during “Fran” (I’ll explain Fran later). Anyway, unlike me, Steve was very excited to workout with the pros and give the workout everything he had.

I, on the other hand, knew it was going to be the longest workout of my life. I hate the unknown. I hate trying new things. I also hate pain, which I was pretty sure was inevitable. I also loathe being in a place where I have to compete with others. I despise the pressure, and I knew they weren’t going to tame it down for us one bit. I expect their trainers wanted to give us the gnarliest workout possible. And, they probably were not going to be happy unless someone puked – and I did not want that puking pathetic soul to be me.

While I may be strong and fit, I am no professional athlete. While, I admit, there were others in our group that seemed less fit than me, they didn’t seem the least bit worried about this workout. Maybe they were just better at hiding it. Whatever the case, my heart rate started increasing as soon as we started walking to Reebok CrossFit One, located on their headquarters’ campus. I seriously was a certified nervous wreck.

As soon as we walked in, everyone was super nice and welcoming. Of course they have to be nice at first so we wouldn’t run away before the workout began. After greeting us, they took us to the white board to discuss the workout. I knew they were dividing us up in teams and I wasn’t going to be with Steve. This frightened me even more. There went my security blanket. I now actually had to absorb what they were explaining and not look like a complete idiot. “I can do this,” I kept telling myself. However, I walked away still having no clue what they just explained to me.

The trainers spoke in some other language. It sounded like English, but they seemed to have a secret code.  Even though I had been in the fitness world for more than twenty years, I felt like I had never been in a gym in my entire life. “Were they enjoying making us feel completely pathetic,” I wondered?

The trainers called everyone by the door to get the workout started. My team leader shouted out, “Does anyone like to run”? “Yes!” I said, “I love to run.” Truth is, I don’t really love to run, but I know how to run – and I expected I’d be better at running than using some of the other torture devices they had laying out for us.

I had one very brief moment of relief that I could actually do something they were asking me to do. Then they push me to the front and said, “Good, you will run for our team”. The relief went away and panic came right back. I realized I’d be racing against all the other team runners. Did I mention how much I dislike competing? Well, just in case you missed it, I really dislike competing.

The workout had a combination of everything. We did box jumps, pull-ups, overhead holds, push presses and all kinds of stuff. In the end, while I might have fought the whole process, I survived the workout. I could barely breath the whole time, but I lived. I didn’t puke and they didn’t have to bring out the AED. So, overall, it went well I guess. However, I did realize a few things about CrossFit that day.

There are things that go on during a CrossFit workout that would never fly in any other public establishment. Here are just a few things I noticed.

1. They abruptly strip their clothes off when they get hot. Seriously, this isn’t one of those things many people would complain about, but I have to admit it took me by surprise. Everyone started the workout fully clothed, but by the time the workout was over, everyone was half naked.

I know our gym members would totally freak if we let members take their shirts off during their workout. I can only imagine all the complaints I’d get about their sweat getting everywhere, not to mention the people who would be plain-out offended to see a bare chest or sports bra. Our germaphobes would be spraying down everything and I’d eventually have a riot on my hands. But, I’m not alone. Let’s face it, most places have the “no shirts, no shoes, no service” motto, probably, for a good reason.

2. They speak in codes and acronyms. I understand that different organizations have acronyms for different things to make communicating a little easier, but CrossFitters don’t just speak in code in the gym. They speak in code everywhere they go. It is almost like a special code they speak to let other CrossFitters know they are in the special group, and to let everyone else know they aren’t.

Though I don’t believe the purpose is to make you feel stupid, it does seem to leave everyone listening in complete confusion. Maybe it would help if CrossFit came out with a “How To Be a Friend with a CrossFitter” book. This way people could join their conversations without feeling completely lost.

3. They are constantly talking about girls. They complain about how much they hate Annie or how Mary kicked their butt. Some of the talk is downright dirty sounding. I mean, what would you think if someone asked you how fast you did Fran or hear someone compliment a friend on their snatch?

Most people don’t know that Fran is a workout and a good snatch is an Olympic lift done with food form. The whole CrossFit lingo is a bit edgy and would probably need to be modified if you wanted to talk about CrossFit in church.

4. They spend a lot of time on the ground. When a CrossFitter gets tired, they just fall down wherever they are and lay down in their pool of sweat. Can you imagine if I collapsed on aisle 3 in the grocery store? How about if I decided to fall to the ground in the middle of my golf game? Every nurse, doctor and candy striper in site would run to my aid. You just don’t see that in most public places, and if you do, someone is calling an ambulance. Floors are nasty and everyone knows you aren’t supposed to get on the floor unless you trip and fall.

CrossFitters don’t care about germs or dirt. They actually are proud when their workout ends with some face to floor time – so much so, they will be sure to take a selfie to capture their proud moment.  Try that anywhere else, and the cops will ask you to leave the premises.

5. They seem to enjoy awkward moments.  As if it the verbal sexual innuendos are not already edgy enough, they love to share their wild slang on clothing and social media. Is it a chance to talk dirty and get away with it, or do they just like creating awkward moments? Maybe I’m just a bit of a prude, but I think I’ll stick to wearing fitness clothing with motivational quotes on them.

6. They make up new terminology for normal gym stuff. CrossFitters don’t go to a gym, they go to a box. They don’t do a workout, they do a WOD. They call cheating kipping, which is totally acceptable during your WOD in your box.  Since kipping looks a lot like someone having a seizure while attempting a pull-up, you may not want to do this in a traditional gym unless you want immediate medical attention.

Also, written workout programs are not just workout routines, they are prescri
ptions in the CrossFit world. While they don’t call it a prescription, they use the RX prescription term all the time. If they complete the workout as written, they say they RXed it, which means they did the workout as prescribed. What they really should tell you is that if you RX a workout, you will need an actual real prescription to manage the pain afterwards.

7. They celebrate and encourage pain. I don’t know about you, but I am never excited about throwing up. There are many things I try to avoid and throwing up is one of them. Getting blisters is not too far behind barfing. Yet, the CrossFit community seems to really love bleeding palms, puking their guts out, whipping their body with speed ropes and showing off their scrapes and bruises from box jumps and muscle ups.

The more battle wounds someone has the better, it seems. I guess if you aren’t strong enough to RX a workout, at least you can look tough if you walk away with evidence of a really good beating.  But don’t worry. If you don’t get hurt working out, you can always wear a really tough shirt with a hardcore CrossFit slogan using the F-word on it so everyone knows just how tough you really are.

CrossFun

CrossFit isn’t the only organization or hobby to make an easy target for a rant or Saturday Night Live skit. The world of sports and fitness is full of funny slang words and silly practices – especially in the eyes of an outsider. In all honesty, I could come up with the same number of funny jokes (or more!) for the bodybuilding world too.

The truth is, as a trainer, I personally use a lot of CrossFit training principles. CrossFit, when done right, and under the right leadership, can be very safe and fun. But, when you think outside the CrossFit box, CrossFit can be downright funny.

It’s an excuse for skipping exercise I hear all the time from friends and clients. I often respond with a laugh and say, “Don’t tell me about being busy. I know busy. “

I’ve got seven kids ranging in age from 7 to 24. I shuffle the younger kids back and forth to lessons, sports activities, play dates, and shopping trips. I work from home, help kids with schoolwork, cook meals seven nights a week, and play the role of doctor, vet, chauffeur, counselor, and more.

I am busy. But I don’t let busy get in the way of eating healthy or exercising. And neither should you.

If you have ever said you don’t have time to exercise because your schedule is too busy, I want to encourage you to find ways to banish that excuse.  If I can do it with all I have going on, so can you.

Why is it even important?

It is important because exercise is a vital part of your weight loss experience. Exercise by itself will not do much for your weight loss success, but adding exercise to a healthy diet certainly will.

A few years ago, I took an informal poll of people I know who lead extremely busy lives and still find time to exercise. Fortunately, they were not so busy that they did not have enough time to help me out.

Here are the eight commonalities among my friends and acquaintances who rarely skip exercising.   

1. Work Out More on the Weekends

If your weekdays are filled with family and work responsibilities, do not skip weekend workouts. Instead, exercise on both weekend days and take a couple of days off during the week.

2. Exercise Two Times a Day for Short Bursts

I often break up my exercise into two short sessions because I don’t always have a 30 to 45 minute block. But I usually do have two 20 minute blocks of time and I bet you do too.

3. Reward Yourself for Exercising

Save that book you’ve wanted to read or the Facebook game you’ve wanted to try until after your workout. Knowing you have something fun to do after you are done can increase your motivation to fit exercise into your day.

4. Get Creative With Workouts

I understand it can be hard to get to the gym or spend time outside running or walking. I sometimes workout in our living room to a video on YouTube or just run in place.

5. Become An Early Bird

Busy people do not have a lot of free time. I most often choose to forgo 45 minutes of sleep in order to get my workouts done before my busy day gets cranked up.

6. Involve Your Children

Don’t use your children as an excuse to skip your exercise routine. When I was 300 pounds, I blamed my lack of exercise on my three young children. However, once I got serious about losing weight, I often took my children with me on long walks. The two youngest rode in the stroller and my oldest daughter rode her bike.

7. Count Your Steps

A popular way for busy people to make sure they are moving enough is to attach a pedometer to their waistbands. It takes about 5,000 steps to walk three miles. Set a step goal and work up to it. I generally get in 8,000 to 10,000 steps each day.

8. Multi-Task

I often talk on the phone while I am doing stretches, do calf raises while cooking dinner, and workout while listening to a book I want to read but can’t find the time. Become an exercise multi-tasker in the same way you multitask at work to get things done.

One day I made a mental list of all the different tools I have used to lose and maintain my weight. It was quite the list and represented some successful and some not so successful weight loss tools.
If I asked you to make a list, would yours be similar to mine?

Books and magazines
Internet articles and websites
Measuring cups, food scale, and measuring spoons
Resistance bands and dumbbell sets
Treadmill
Stationary bicycle
Running shoes
Notebook
Exercise clothes
Some of these tools were extremely helpful like the running shoes, clothes, notebook, and books. Others, not so much.

Take the stationary bike for example. That ended up being a terrific clothing rack that my husband and I struggled to keep clean. We finally sold it for $5 at a garage sale.
For years, researchers have tried to figure out what the magic ingredient is that sets the successful loser from the not so successful. Weighing habits, balance of nutrients, exercise frequency, breakfast habits, and support groups have all been identified as possible reasons for dieting success.
I am sure that many of those played a role in my success. I have never been much of a breakfast eater but still managed to lose weight and keep it off. I do weigh every day, eat a healthy balance of nutrients, and exercise regularly.

A 2015 research study has added a new tool to the arsenal of people who want to lose weight. It’s so simple it seems silly.
Make a grocery store list.
Who knew?
Just write down what you are going to buy and you have a better chance of weighing less than your friend who doesn’t make a list.
The cool thing about this tool is that it is super simple. Everyone has a piece of paper and a pen and a lot of people have access to computers or smartphones capable of making and printing a list.
Researchers at the RAND Corporation took time to go door to door and asked people about their grocery shopping habits. All in all, they interviewed over 1,000 people living in lower income neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh area.
Among the questions they asked was whether the person shopped using a list. When the researchers ran their statistics, they found that the people who used a list weighed about 5 pounds less and had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than the people who didn’t.
Now, 5 pounds may not seem like a lot, but if you are 50 pounds overweight, 5 pounds is 10 percent of what you need to lose. That’s pretty significant.
When I read the study, which you can find in the “Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior,” it made me think about how simple changes can add up to big benefits.

Making a list is simple – right? All you have to do is sit down, decide what you want to eat for the week, and note what foods you need to buy.
Not only is it simple, but having a list helps you avoid being swayed by the ceaseless push from food advertisers to buy junk. They push you toward unhealthy purchases by featuring junk food on almost every endcap in the store, filling grocery store ads with unhealthy foods, and making junk food appear cheaper than healthy food.
Using a list gives you the same benefits a horse using blinders has.  The horse can only see what is in front of him and is not swayed by what the horses on the other side of him are doing.
A list is like your blinder. Pay attention to your list, look specifically for foods you want to buy, and you will leave the store with only healthy foods in your cart.
And you know what happens when your diet is filled with healthy foods and void of junk, don’t you? You often end up eating fewer calories and losing weight.

These days you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of obstacle course racing. Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, Warrior Dash…it seems everyone knows someone who has crawled under muddy pits of barbed wire and leapt over flaming logs resulting in the most epic of Facebook profile photos.

But with the popularity of obstacle course racing, or OCR as it’s often referred to, also comes numerous stories of injuries sustained at these races, as well as fear inducing reports encouraging runners to pick another sport. Typical injuries include sprained ankles, cuts and scrapes, as well as the occasional broken limb, and absolute worst case scenario: death. While loss of life is incredibly rare, it has happened, such as the 2013 drowning of 28 year old Avishek Sengupta during a Tough Mudder race.

There is no denying that with the addition of obstacles, some of which are inherently dangerous in and of themselves, such as fire, heights, or barbed wire, that obstacle course racing is a far riskier sport than traditional road or trail running.  So is obstacle course racing really worth the potential risk?

The answer is clearly subjective.

If you are an elite athlete, surgeon, or have some other profession where a possible injury would absolutely ruin your livelihood and career, then maybe the potential for an injury is simply not worth the risk. But for the rest of us, the potential to broaden our fitness horizons while pushing our mental and physical capabilities…and having a lot of fun… might be well worth the risk.

Let’s check out a few pros and cons of OCR.

Pro: OCR is so much more than running. I’ve met a number of very fast, very fit road runners who simply lack the upper body strength to do a single pushup, never mind pull themselves up and over an 8 foot wall. Training for an OCR will force you to work on ALL aspects of fitness: endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, and more; many of which are ignored by the traditional avid runner. Racing an OCR will clearly and quickly show you what your fitness weaknesses are.

Con: The “do more/never quit” mentality that surrounds OCR may be too much for beginners, resulting in an overuse injury during training.  Or worse: a race day injury from attempting an obstacle they physically weren’t prepared for yet.

Pro: OCR will force you out of your comfort zone. These days, everything in our society seems to be about ease and comfort, and about doing as little as possible to achieve our end goals.

Not the case in OCR.

When was the last time you were cold and wet for hours on end, or had to carry a big, unwieldy log up a large mountain? OCR will not only make you uncomfortable, but may even force you to face some of your fears, such as heights and small confined spaces. The personal and emotional growth that can come out of facing your fears and leaving your comfort zone truly is priceless.

Con: Sometimes, forcing yourself to leave your comfort zone can cause you to ignore that inner voice warning you of danger. Maybe you know you are unable to grip monkey bars, for whatever reason, but you see everyone else successfully completing the task, so you try it anyway and end up falling.  You knew you should have listened to the voice of reason, but the adrenaline flowing and the mob-mentality caused you to second guess yourself, resulting in injury.

Pro: Some of the obstacles are really, ridiculously fun. A combination of both primitive adventure and the sort of fun you had as a kid playing in the mud. When was the last time you got to plummet down a waterslide through flames? I’m pretty sure I never got to do that before OCR.

Con: Some of the obstacles are not dangerous by design, but can be due to user error. Falling off of the top of a 12 foot wall hardly ever ends well, nor does catching yourself on barbed wire.

Pro: the majority of OCR race directors take care in ensuring the race course is as safe as possible. Well, as safe as leaping through flaming logs and crawling under barbed wire can be. Despite the fact that many obstacles look dangerous, there are often insurance regulated safety measures in place, making the race far less dangerous than it may appear.

Con: Some aspects are completely out of the race directors control. For example, I know of a few people who have sustained small cuts due to branches, rocks, etc., and the mud they subsequently crawled through after resulted in an infected wound.

These are just a few examples. So, as we’ve established, injuries are certainly possible in obstacle course racing. But there are steps you can take to minimize your risk of injury.

Stick with well established races. These companies are more likely to have their safety standards up to par, whereas some smaller races may try and cut corners to save costs. I’ve seen some very unstable obstacles and lack of safety measures taken at some of these less experienced races.

Avoid crowds if possible. Injuries are more likely to occur when there are more people vying for the same foot or hand hold. If you approach a wall or cargo net crawling with people, give it a few seconds (or minutes) to allow the crowd to thin out before attempting to climb it.

Know your limits. Can’t swim? Obviously you should avoid deep water obstacles. Do heights cause you to freeze up and panic? Maybe you shouldn’t attempt that 20 foot cliff jump. Have a recurring injury that might prevent you from lifting heavy weights? Don’t pick up the 80 pound atlas carry. You get the idea here, know your physical and mental limits.

Most importantly, the best way to avoid injury is to train for the race. Just because many advertisements allude to the fun, muddy, beer drinking aspect of the race doesn’t mean you don’t actually have to put in any work to reach the finish line. Chances are you will still be covering 3 or more miles, and facing obstacles that will require lifting, climbing, and crawling using both your body weight and added weight (such as carries). A body physically trained for such tasks is far less likely to sustain injury.

Plus, the race is far more enjoyable when you aren’t suffering from lack of adequate training.

So, are obstacle course races worth the risk? In my OCR loving opinion, yes they are, but truthfully only you can make that decision for yourself. In the end, while the race director is responsible for providing a safe course, you are responsible for your own actions. If any aspect of the race course feels questionable or unsafe for whatever reason, use your best personal judgment and modify, or skip the obstacle altogether. Show up prepared, know your limits, and most importantly, have a muddy good time.

If you were to tell the average person that you planned on run streaking, they might give you the side eye and question your sanity. But tell any running enthusiast that you plan on run streaking, and they will know exactly what you mean, and it’s certainly not running through a public place wearing nothing but your birthday suit.

Run streaking is the term for running a typically large number of consecutive days, one mile minimum, without taking any days off.

Any running enthusiast who frequents social media will tell you that run streaking has become the next big challenge in the running world. Even the popular magazine Runners World promotes and hosts streaks a few times a year; in fact the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rwrunstreak) for their Summer 2015 streak has well over 16,000 fans. And if that isn’t enough to prove streaking’s popularity, there is an entire group, the United States Running Streak Association (http://www.runeveryday.com/) full of members who have completed run streaks of at least one year or more.

That’s right, these people have run at least one mile per day, every day, for over a year.

If that isn’t enough to blow your mind, consider current USRSA member Jon Sutherland from West Hills, CA, who is currently 46 years into his running streak and still going. That’s 16804 days of running without ever missing a day.

Those of you who aren’t huge fans of running are probably shaking your heads thinking “what kind of crazy person does that?” whereas those of you who have been bit by the running bug are probably thinking “quick, sign me up!”. If you are in the latter category (and as a running addict myself, I certainly can’t blame you) there are a few things you should consider before attempting to streak yourself.

Are you injury prone?

This is probably an obvious point, but it should still be said. Do you find yourself complaining every few weeks of a sore knee, twisted ankle, or painful shin splints that seemingly come out of nowhere? Are you constantly battling an injury or wearing some sort of brace to prevent another persistent pain? Then streaking probably isn’t for you. When in doubt, check with your doctor first.

Are you new to running?

If so, the run streak might not be for you. The United States Running Streak Association recommends that no one should attempt a daily running streak until they have been running on a regular basis for at least six months, with no more than three to five outings per week. Obviously, running every single day is going to open you up to potential overuse injuries and mental and physical burnout. Those who have more running experience have bodies that are more adapted to the act of running, and are less likely to sustain an overuse injury.

Can you mix up your runs?

Because you absolutely should.  

Scratch that, you absolutely NEED to mix up your runs.   

Even experienced runners in the best of shape can mentally and physically burnout from doing the same thing every single day. Alternate your running sessions between hard runs or races, slow recovery runs, longer distances and shorter distances. Don’t be ashamed to cover the minimum required one mile if your body is telling you it needs rest.  Your body needs recovery in one way or another.  Switching your runs up between varying paces and distances will allow your body to actively recover, while also prevent you from getting bored doing the same thing over and over.

Can you still find time for cross training?

Running every single day may seem like more than enough physical activity, but you shouldn’t ignore the fitness needs of the rest of your body simply for the sake of a challenge. Be sure to still incorporate cross training, strength training, and flexibility (stretching) into your weekly workouts.

Are you smart enough to know when to quit?

If your body is screaming at you for a rest day, if your once nagging hip is now borderline excruciating pain, if your personal life is being negatively affected…will you be able to say enough is enough? In other words…don’t be stubborn, or stupid.

Bottom line: Run streaking can be fun. It is amazing to see what your body, your willpower, and your mental fortitude are capable of. But no challenge nor bragging rights is worth a serious injury, especially one that could potentially take you out of the running game permanently.

If you decide to go for a running streak of your own, be sure to remember to have fun.

And whatever you do, please don’t forget your shorts. It’s not that kind of streaking.

If you are in search for a new workout routine, you may not need to do a new set of exercises. You can completely change your existing workout program simply by adjusting your repetition speed.

Everyone has a comfortable pace they naturally follow when lifting weights. When you change that pace, it challenges your body in an entirely different manner. By using a smartphone metronome app like MetroTimer, you can set a specific pace for each repetition to get a totally different workout, using the same exercises you are already using.

Here are three suggested paces to put to the test:

Slow: 45 Beats Per Minute

It is easy to think going slower means going easier, but moving resistance slower can actually be even more difficult. By slowing down the pace of each repetition, you increase intensity and decrease momentum.

Set your metronome for 45 beats per minute. In a very robotic fashion, only move the resistance when the metronome beeps, making sure to move in a full range of motion. Move the weight up on the first beep and back down on the next beep. If your exercise has several movements, like a burpee, you will perform each separate movement to the beat. Force yourself to stick with the pace and not get ahead of the tempo. Continue for a predetermined number of repetitions or for a set amount of time.

Medium: 90 Beats Per Minute

This pace will likely feel normal and natural. However, after doing the exercise for a few repetitions at a slow pace, even a normal tempo can become more challenging.

Set your metronome for 90 beats per minute. Begin each movement at the beat, staying with the tempo for the same repetitions or time.

Fast: 135 Beats Per Minute

The faster tempo will be extremely difficult to keep up with and will challenge your endurance, power, speed, and coordination. Try your best to stay with the set pace. Depending on the exercise, you may not be able to do each repetition in a complete full range of motion, but do your best.

Sample Metronome Workout:

For a sculpting workout, do each bodyweight exercise for ten repetitions slow, ten repetitions medium, and ten repetitions fast. Take little to no rest between exercises, resting only after all three paces are done. Turn the same workout into more of a conditioning circuit by doing all the slow exercises first, followed by the medium-paced exercises and finishing with the fast exercises. Take little to no rest in between exercises during this entire workout to increase intensity even more.

Simple Metronome Full Body Workout

10 Push Ups Slow

10 Push Ups Medium

10 Push Ups Fast

10 Sit Ups Slow

10 Sit Ups Medium

10 Sit Ups Fast

10 Burpees Slow

10 Burpees Medium

10 Burpees Fast

I was always the skinny kid.
You know, one of those bony types that weighed about 90 pounds in high school, flat as a board, with a face that belonged in kindergarten. It never occurred to me to ‘watch what I ate’ or exercise regularly outside of gym class or softball practice.
In fact, when I experienced my first significant ‘weight gain’ my first year of college (the typical freshman fifteen), it took me awhile to realize that all my pants hadn’t magically shrunk…I just didn’t fit in them anymore. Looking back, it’s not surprising that a steady dining hall diet of pizza, ice cream and Dr. Pepper led to a few extra pounds over the course of a semester. But at the time, I was shocked.
So I started to dabble in going to the gym. I had no idea what I was doing, of course, so I mostly stuck to running on the treadmill and a couple of Ab Blast workout classes with a girlfriend. Between this and slightly modifying my junk food diet, I was able to lose a few pounds and maintain (what I considered) a healthy weight.
A few years after college, some of my extended family got a membership at the YMCA, and included me on their pass. So I started going, maybe once or twice a week, still not having much of a clue how to properly work out. The machines looked complicated and intimidating, but no way was I asking for help like some kind of square. So I stuck to the simpler ones I could figure out: elliptical machine, seated leg extensions, shoulder press, etc. I used these machines in no particular order, with no real consistency or tangible fitness goals.
But hey, I was ‘going to the gym,’ and that’s what counts, right?
I had never struggled with my weight, so taking exercise seriously wasn’t a priority.  Why spend hours at the gym if you don’t need to shed some serious pounds?
As I entered my late 20s, I started to realize something: I wasn’t in shape. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see fat…but I didn’t see muscle tone either. Working in an office means a lot of time spent sitting, and since I lived in a one-bedroom apartment, so I couldn’t even justify getting a dog to walk. My time at the gym was sporadic and unfocused. It wasn’t getting me anywhere and I didn’t feel good about my body. And I feared that if I didn’t get into a healthy workout routine soon, I would most likely pay for it later.
This is when I started to consider a personal trainer.
The frugal part of me balked at the thought, what a waste of money! Why pay someone when there are so many exercises you can do for free?
There are hundreds of lists online about “how to stay fit on a budget.” Run around the block, do sit-ups while you watch TV, push ups before bed, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away at work…the list goes on and on.
I’m going to be totally honest and say I just wasn’t that motivated.
So why pay for a personal trainer? Because it would motivate me.
I didn’t have fifty pounds to lose that would light a fire in my belly.  When I got home from work, I wanted to crash on the couch, not crunch on the carpet. I wasn’t miserable with my body; I just thought it could stand to look better. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there are many people out there who feel the same way. We want to make a change, but we’d rather make it tomorrow.
Now I know there are countless fitness fanatics that claim to get an amazing high from working out, others who have to work their butts off just to maintain their goal weight. There are also people who flat out aren’t as lazy as I am.
I also know there are plenty of people out there who really just can’t afford it. Having a personal trainer is a luxury, there’s no doubt about it. And I didn’t take the financial aspect lightly. I was 27 with a monthly rent, car insurance, student loans, and all the other bills that come with being a grown-up.
But when I got to thinking about it, what was that money going towards anyway? I went out to eat for lunch almost every day at work. Averaging 8 or 9 dollars a meal, Chipotle and Panera were already accounting for roughly $150 of my monthly budget! Not to mention going out to eat for dinner, which was also a regular occurrence. How about $10 a pop to see a movie these days? Or the $30 sweater I bought at the mall? The point being, I could afford it. My dirty little secret was…I chose to believe that paying for a personal trainer would put a serious crimp in my budget.
It didn’t.
I’ve been going to the trainer once a week for over a year, and I’m getting something invaluable for my money. My workouts in the past had been passive at best.
I didn’t push myself, I didn’t sweat and I didn’t burn. It was like showing up to class twice a week just for the lowest passing grade.
Now I feel myself getting stronger, and I see myself actually making progress. I can ask her questions about my diet, my fitness goals, and my overall health, and get an answer from someone who knows what she’s talking about.
I now feel good about my body, and that’s definitely worth the price.

I’m not going to sugar coat this or tip toe around this often taboo topic: but sometimes being a woman sucks.

As a runner, we deal with things our male counterparts never have to concern themselves with. For example, there is an entire science to choosing the right sports bra: one that will properly restrain your chest while hopefully still providing comfort, and not leaving you with chaffed rib cage and raw shoulders. Chances are when you find that perfect combination, you will end up shelling out as much cash out for it as you paid for your last marathon entry.

And then there is the topic of periods.

Ahh the wonderful, unpredictable, menstrual cycle. Sure, this feat of human anatomy should be celebrated, as it is a reminder of our awesome ability to bring life into this world, to carry on the human species. But let’s face it: periods are not fun. In fact, sometimes they are downright miserable, leaving us in a lot of physical pain and discomfort. On those days it would be easy to justify skipping a training running for curling up on the couch in a pair of baggy sweatpants, blaming our period for what we can only assume would end up being a less than stellar run.

But how do our periods really affect running? The answer might surprise you.

First, let’s have a little refresher on the menstrual cycle as a whole. The first day of the cycle is the first day of menses, or when bleeding begins. Bleeding is usually complete by day 5 or 7. Days 1­-14 are called the follicular phase. By day 14 or 15, ovulation begins with a surge in estrogen and luteinizing hormone. The following phase lasts until the last day (28 on average) and is called the luteal phase.

During the luteal phase, or the weeks leading up to your period, the hormones estrogen and progesterone are at their highest. The change in hormone levels cause a number of changes in your body, including (but not limited to) decreased sodium levels, a drop in blood plasma volume, and an increase in core temperature.

But what does this all mean?

The hormone levels before you get your period are more likely to negatively affect your performance. And here’s how: A decrease in blood plasma volume means your blood will essentially be thicker, and therefore slower moving to the muscles both during exercise and recovery. Further, a decrease in blood plasma volume can slow down our body’s natural sweat response, which will cause an increase in core body temperature, negatively affecting performance.

Once your period starts, specifically on the second day of bleeding, your estrogen and progesterone levels hit rock bottom. In other words, even though you may feel miserable, your hormone levels and core temperature are more similar to that of a male at this point than at any other point of the month. Pretty ironic, isn’t it? From a performance standpoint, this means you are physiologically more likely to hit higher intensities with your workouts.

Further, running can help you get rid of those awful menstrual cramps. The increased blood flow from aerobic exercise produces natural pain relieving endorphins, and helps to burn the

prostaglandins, or chemicals that cause muscle contractions, which result in cramps. And those endorphins do more than just relieve physical pain: these mood affecting neurotransmitters have been proven to help uplift your mood and decrease stress. If you’ve ever found yourself crying over an otherwise not sad TV commercial while on your period, you can understand how beneficial these mood lifting endorphins may be.

So to sum up the topic of how your period affects your running: in short, it doesn’t, at least not negatively.

Sure, you may feel crampy, moody, and uncomfortable, but from a training point of view you may be at your peak while enduring “that time of the month.” So lace up your sneakers, run a few miles… and then grab that pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

No matter what your health and fitness goals are, there’s probably an app for that. And that’s sort of a problem. There are so many apps to choose from that it’s hard to make a decision.
I’ve tried many, including MyFitnessPal, Runmeter and the Fitbit app, but my most recent experiment has been with BodySpace from bodybuilding.com. And no, it’s not just for bodybuilders.
So what can it do? The short answer: a lot. Whether you want to get inspired to work out, track your workouts, design a plan, steal other people’s plans, or find a community to keep you going, BodySpace can help.
It’s not going to drive you to the gym, but it does have a “fitboard” designed to help motivate you when you need an extra kick. You can post photos or a status update (it has a similar process as Instagram or any other social sharing app) or check out what other people have been up to. It’s kind of like having all the motivational stuff on Pinterest all in one place.
Probably the biggest benefit though is the ability to track your workouts in detail.
You can search for plans other people have made, so you never have to worry about what you’re going to do at the gym on any given day. You can find a workout just for that day, or you can choose a whole program designed to meet whatever goals you have set. It even allows you to add your program to a calendar so you can stay organized.
While it’s convenient, I think the calendar function could be improved by letting it sync to your existing calendar. And it doesn’t allow you to customize the days beyond what day you start. Example: You want your rest day to be Saturday but the plan has it on Sunday. You can’t change it.
You could always design your own plan with the same exercises or track a scheduled workout on a different day, but that definitely takes away from the convenience factor, and I really like convenience.
You can, however, change the order of the individual exercises in the workout, add sets, add entire exercises or skip around within the workout. It takes some getting used to, but it’s pretty intuitive.
Physically tracking your workout within the app is fairly easy. You can enter the time, place, your starting weight, and energy level before you begin. Then you just follow the moves that it tells you to do. It even counts out your rest time between sets so you know when to start moving again.
And a huge plus is that if you don’t know how to do a specific exercise, there’s a written explanation and usually a video that shows you how to do it.
The app also tells you how many workouts you’ve tracked and how much total weight you’ve lifted over those workouts. Being told that I’ve lifted 465,000 pounds so far really doesn’t mean much, but it sounds awesome, so I’ll take it. However, being told what weight I’ve previously used on certain moves is a huge benefit. It helps me remember what I lifted before so I can gradually move up in weight without having to guess.
Basically, I like this app because you don’t have to think about anything while you’re working out, unless you want to.
Another small downfall is that the search function isn’t always great, but it usually does what I need it to. If you’re designing your own plan or adding an exercise to an existing one, it’s sometimes impossible to find basic moves. At first I thought this could be user error, but after reading other reviews in the App Store, I realized other people had the same issue.
One more area that could be improved is the process used to save your workouts. Sometimes it will save what you’ve done, but the workout doesn’t actually sync (so your workout history won’t be accurate). It’s annoying, but fixable by checking your workout history.
Other than small glitches, like it being a little slow sometimes and not always clearing notifications, the app is pretty awesome. The weekly recap emails are useful and surprisingly encouraging, too. They’re one of the few newsletter emails that I actually take time to read.
Plus, it’s free, so you won’t be out anything if it turns out to not be for you.

Life gets busy. We all know that. It’s one of the few things that is universally understood. So I don’t have the time—or the energy for that matter—to go to the gym at 5 a.m. to get an hour workout in. Now, there a probably a lot of people who will disagree with me on that who go every morning. And, that’s fine. I applaud you for having that kind of motivation.
It’s just that…I don’t.
But, just like probably 85 percent of population, I still want to look good and be healthy. So, I went out looking for a compromise. I had done the “Insanity” workouts by Shaun T before in college, but those are 45+ minutes and are literally insane.
As in—choice words were usually flying out of my mouth as I did the 100th Burpie of the DVD—insane. (It got me in awesome shape fast, but it wasn’t something I could keep up with nowadays.) But I learned recently about a new Shaun T workout set that came out and decided maybe this could work for me.
I’m five weeks in. Here are five reasons why this is the best workout program I’ve ever invested in.

1. Fast

They’re 25 minutes. (There’s an optional 3-minute stretch after each video, so I guess technically about 28 minutes.) Before you know it, you’re done and you broke a good sweat.
The best part about the shortness is that I don’t have any excuse not to get up 30 minutes early each day to work out for 25 minutes. In the grand scheme of a whole day, 25 minutes is nothing. And research shows that working out in the morning gives you better long-term results because you stay more consistent. It also increases your metabolism throughout the day and gives you more energy to be more productive! That sounds good to me.

2. Levels

There are two levels of difficulty with these DVDs. There’s the Alpha round first, which builds you a foundation of strength and cardio to get you in good enough shape for you to step up to the next level. You wouldn’t build a house without first building the foundation for it, right?
You’re supposed to do this for five weeks, but after about three weeks I felt good enough to step it up. The second level is Beta, which takes what you did in Alpha, kicks it up a notch, and adds some new moves to the mix.
What’s great is that I didn’t feel discouraged because I attempted something before I was ready. And when I was ready, I felt pretty dang awesome when I put a Beta DVD in.

3. Modifying Option

There’s always one person in the group on the DVD who’s “modifying.” This means they’re doing a lower impact version of what everyone else is doing. I always try to do the harder version, but sometimes I get tired and feel like I have bad form or just need a break. So I look to the modifier and keep moving and keep working, but in a lower impact way.

4. Realistic

It’s realistic that I’d get up to get a 25-minute workout in. It’s realistic that I’d not only make it through the entire workout, but I’d be more likely to really push myself knowing I only have to focus for that 25 minutes. And, it’s realistic that I can achieve great fitness and a goal weight when I’m more likely to actually do the workout.

5. Effective

I’m still a T-25 rookie, but I’ve seen some results already. Not only have I lost some weight, I feel an urge to eat healthier and be more active aside from just the morning workout. I won’t confirm or deny that I’ve checked out my more toned arms in the mirror once or twice. But I will confirm that I feel better about my health and body.
I may not always jump out of bed super excited about my morning workout (working out probably will never trump my comfy bed), but I do get up knowing that I just have to push through 25 minutes and that I’ll look and feel better by the end of it.