Will Trainers Ever Get It Right?

Once again, I heard a trainer giving bad advice.

Today, one told a client to pull his belly button in while he was doing dumbbell bench presses. But that's outdated, and incorrect, information. If only she'd read the New York Times earlier this year, which in article said, among other things, "Critics, including personal trainers and specialists in the spine and biomechanics, are now saying that drawing in may not make sense while, say, lifting weights or performing a crunch or running a race. In fact, some say, drawing in may even be counterproductive."

What are you supposed to do? Brace your stomach, just as if you would do before someone was about to it.

By the way, last week I watched two trainers working with someone on squats. The person didn't do them correctly -- he never got down far enough yet kept on adding weights. The trainers stepped in to show him how to do it. They didn't go down far enough either. Remember, on the squat, go down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Right Exercise, Wrong Execution

I watched a guy at the gym today doing deadlifts, which is always nice to see because the deadlift is one of the best exercises ever yet few people do it because it's hard.

This guy loaded up the bar, too, which made it even more impressive. Then I watched his form. It was terrible. He rounded his low back every single time and did so in a major way. In no time he'll have a low-back injury.

What was more worrisome was that not one gym trainer talked to him about it.

For me, it drove home once again the importance of form. Sure, I'd like to be able to load up the bar too but I'd rather be able to do the exercise correctly -- you get more out of it if you do that.

Age is Meaningless, Part 4

Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is setting records at age 40. Today's New York Times has a nice piece on how she's doing it. One key: She's spending less time in the water now than she did years ago to allow her body to rest more.

That's a Big Salad

Yep, that's what I heard over and over this week as I was eating my salad at lunch. People seemed astonished that A) I was eating a salad and that B) it was as big as it was.

But for me, it did the trick. I am, however, having a hard time getting into a routine when it comes to eating throughout the day in my job. I have gone too long between meals several times and I can feel the effect of it.

Meanwhile, I got to the gym only one of the two days I wanted to this week because I was in the office so long.

Of course these issues are what we all face. It's how we handle them -- and how we stay healthy -- that matters.

Back to Work

Tomorrow is my first day of work after three and a half months of blissful unemployment. Gone are my days of being almost the only one at the gym, surfing uncrowded waves during the week and skateboarding in a relatively quiet Central Park.

My biggest concern about the job? Food. I eat a lot during the day, spread over several meals as a way to keep my metabolism stoked. So I need to figure out again what to take and where I can store it. I'm also planning on changing lunch. It used to a sandwich, small salad and string cheese. Now, in a bid to cut the bread even though it was sprouted whole wheat, I want to try one big salad, an idea I got from Mark's Daily Apple.

I'll let you know how it goes.

The Scoop on Interval Training

Super trainer Craig Ballantyne explains how interval training works awfully well in the video below.

The More Resources, The Better, Part 2

I love finding new resources to help me live a fitter, longer life.

Here's one I stumbled upon recently, I think through a link from one of the other blogs I read. It's called Mark's Daily Apple, and it's written by Mark Sisson, a former endurance athlete who now believes in doing things like running sprints.

Sisson, 53, also writes a lot about great healthy dishes and describes the benefits of foods like oregano. It's definitely worth adding to your reading list.

Are You Seeing Progress?

There's a guy at my gym who I see frequently. A quick glance at him and he appears to be working hard -- he's sweating, after all. But look closer and you see someone who obviously is following the wrong workout program. Why? Well, he looks the same as he did a year or so ago, which is to say he still looks overweight.

Then I watched his workout. He was using very little weight; it's clear these days that heavier weights juice your progress. He was doing moves like curls, which have limited use compared with multi-joint exercises like the squat, deadlift and pullup. He also was using the machines too much instead of free weights.

If you're doing the right workout program for you, you'll start to see changes. I've even read about some people taking pictures of themselves to chart their progress. And seeing progress is a powerful motivator.

Take a look at yourself. Are you seeing changes in your body? Do you feel better? If not, it's time to reevaluate your workout program and possibly your diet.

No Marathons for Me

I passed one New York Marathon finisher after another today as I walked back to my apartment. The finish line is near where I live. I was coming from the other direction -- the garage where I'd just parked after a day of surfing. I have great respect for what they all did. I just don't want to do it.

There was a time where I did some distance running, a fair amount of it. But I have to say that I feel healthier since I switched to intervals for cardio. I've become a believer that endurance running breaks the body down in some not so good ways, something shared by trainers such as Craig Ballantyne.

Of course plenty of people disagree and love distance running and cycling and of course they're healthier than those who sit on the sofa. But it's just not for me anymore.

A 43-Year-Old Quarterback's Workout

I recently wrote about Vinny Testaverde not only starting a game for Carolina but also winning it. Now, Sports Illustrated has a breakdown on the workout that keeps him ready to play.

Here are the basics (SI didn't put them online so I had to pull them from the magazine):

Ten-to-15-yard sprints. On flat and uphill surfaces Testaverde runs while wearing a harness attached to his trainer to create resistance. Near the end of each sprint, his trainer unhooks the harness, forcing the QB to adjust abruptly to no resistance.

In four feet of water, Testaverde runs for 10 minutes doing a series of techniques, including high kicks (knees raised to waist level) and butt kicks (heels kicked back toward buttocks rapidly). The water minimizes impact and creates resistance.

Testaverde runs through the squares of a 10-foot agility ladder -- essentially a rope ladder lying on the grass -- using a variety of shuffling foot patterns. It hones coordination and footwork.

Using a two-foot rubber band with a handle on each end, Testaverde holds one side, his trainer the other. They face each other with the band taunt and Testaverde, arms forward, continually switches his grip on the band from left to right. This works the core; Testaverde does it standing on a balance disk to build his lower body.

What can we learn from this since we're not pro quarterbacks? Plenty. You can pull pieces from it for you workouts and you'll find yourself getting fitter faster. For instance, the water workout easily translates to any of us. So does the agility ladder, or just trying to use different footwork than simply going forwards all the time. And of course sprints are great. If you want to add resistance, simply buy a weight vest or parachute.

Who Needs Weights?

OK, I love lifting weights. But anyone who thinks they need a gym membership or a big rack of weights at home to get fit is wrong. Super trainer Craig Ballantyne proves it with his bodyweight workouts.

If you want want a sense of just how tough bodyweight workouts can be, give his bodyweight 500 a try. (As he points out, this isn't something you'd want to do more than once a month.

Here is his video on the challenge.

The Power of Kettlebells

I got lucky at the gym today. A kettlebell was left out. They keep them locked up for some silly reason. So I quickly put it somewhere it was less likely to be found by the staff and finished lifting. I had plans for it.

When I went into the yoga studio to do my intervals, I grabbed it. Here's what I did. I put it at one end of the room, sprinted to it, picked it up and did walking kettlebells swings to the other end, then did side slides (just going sideways by pushing off with my trailing leg) down and back, and then picked the kettlebell up again and did the walking swing backwards. It was hard but good.

Kettlebells are a great way to work out, either as resistance training or as a way to juice your intervals. You can even buy a couple and easily use them at home. There are tons of resources online with ideas for how to use them.

Here's a nice video that demonstrates the walking kettlebell swing.

Age is Meaningless, Part 3

Green Bay's Brett Favre completed 13 of 14 passes in the second half of last night's game against Denver, including an 82-yard touchdown pass to win the game in overtime. He's 38.

Putting Fitness to Work

I spent a good part of yesterday helping a friend with some yard work. As I was pulling up some deep roots from a plant she was getting rid of, I realized I was using the same technique as the deadlift. When I was chopping up a tree, I thought about how I was using my core to power the ax and protect my low back. (And the chopping action, which you can mimic at the gym with medicine balls, is a great full-body workout that quickly boosts your heart rate.)

So what you do in the gym translates to everyday life.

The Cure for an Aching Back

On one of my better days of surfing a few years back, I left the water barely able to bend over to take my leash off my ankle. Yep, my low back was killing me.

So many of us have had similar experiences, if not from surfing then from some other sports activity or even from simply moving the wrong way. While I've had a couple of other scares, my overall back health is much better because I've spent a lot more time strengthening my core and watching my form.

The New York Times' sports magazine Play makes the point that core strength, flexibility and cross training are crucial to low-back health. It even has three good exercises that'll help you rid yourself of back troubles.

The Benefits of Small Victories

There are moments during workouts when you do something just a little better than before. You know them. Maybe you do one more rep than you've ever done before. Maybe you lift a little more. Maybe you sprint five seconds longer.

Whatever it is, never let one simply pass by. Realize what you've done. Congratulate yourself. And let the victory spur you ahead.

Today when I was jumping rope between intervals I successfully performed the criss-cross. Now, I've done this before but usually I think about it too much and wildly exaggerate the movement. I didn't today and when I realized what I'd done, it gave me a little extra boost for the rest of my interval training.

The Simplest Nutrition Rule

A friend who is a very good health writer and I were talking today about an article in Men's Health that says bad fats may not be as evil as some doctors say. It's a truly interesting piece that takes apart some of the reasoning behind the saturated-fat-is-bad philosophy.

But is it right? I don't know. I do know that I am doing things like eating eggs much more often because I read more and more about how their benefits outweigh their drawbacks.

Then my friend said amid all the debates about what's best to eat it's probably best to follow one simple rule -- if it's processed, don't eat it. When she said that it reminded of what Jack LaLanne said so long ago: "If man made it, don't eat it." Hey, he's more than 90 years old and still doing great, which ought to make you think there's something to what he says.

Get Off the Ball

There are plenty of good uses for stability balls, most of which involve core work.

The other day I used one for a core move that involves putting your feet on the ball with your hands on the floor in a pushup position. Keeping your core braced, in other words not sagging in the middle, you pike up your hips, pulling the ball forward. Then walk your hands out a couple of steps so you're back in the pushup position. Repeat. It's tough.

But too many trainers seem to believe they're a good way to make workouts exciting. So they use stability and Bosu balls, those half stability balls, in some pretty dumb ways. At my gym, for instance, I so often see a trainer make a newbie do squats on the Bosu ball. I've yet to see a client do the squat properly, and it makes me want to yell, "Teach them to do bodyweight squats on the ground before you even think about using a Bosu ball."

Super trainer Craig Ballantyne agrees.

Still the Best Exercise Ever

Simply put, the deadlift rules. I've written about before. Now, Men's Health has a piece on it, saying it once was called the health lift. And yes, it's great for women, too. In fact, it's great for anyone who wants to be in shape and know how to pick up things without getting hurt. Give it a try.

No, No, No

I saw it again at the gym yesterday -- someone walking around with no plan. What's worse, she was going from one largely useless isolation arm exercise to another. Even worse, she was doing them on machines.

Remember, the best way for men and women to get the most out of their workouts in the least amount of time is through exercises that work multiple parts of the body, such as squats, pullups and pushups. As usual, I have backup on this.

The More Resources, The Better

I stumbled upon a decent training Web site, Stack.com, which says it's for athletes, by athletes. The site has a few problems. For instance, clicking on Stack Widgets gets you nothing.

But it also has some nice workouts and videos. One example is this from the Cornell lacrosse team, which I'm planning to use today (possibly with some modifications) as my intervals training session.

A Rarity at the Gym

I was heartened today to see someone doing deadlifts and then showing others how to do them. As I've written before, the deadlift is one of the single best exercises anyone can do. But you rarely see it done in most mainstream gyms, which is ashamed.

Do you want to be in the best shape ever? Add deadlifts to your routine.

Older and Wiser

As we age, we learn to get more from our training and to get the most from our bodies during competitions, a story in today's L.A. Times says.

It makes complete sense to me. I'm getting smarter about how I train, for instance. Until recently I trained six days a week, lifting three days and doing cardio three days. But that practice left my legs always tired because they often worked all six days.

Now I lift and get my cardio in on the same days, giving myself the next day off. The result? My legs feel refreshed when I hit it again.

Age is Meaningless, Part 2

At 43, Vinny Testaverde started, and won, an NFL game yesterday at quarterback.

"Physically, after watching him for a few days, there's no question in my mind he can handle it," his coach, John Fox, said according to Sports Illustrated's Peter King.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Why is it that some people go to the gym day after day only to do the wrong exercises with poor form? They obviously care enough to get to the gym, which is more than many of us can do. Do they not know where to look for guidance? Do they even know they're not doing it right? Are they assuming gym trainers will step in to help (when was the last time you saw a trainer actually help someone with form)?

I saw it again today at the gym. A guy came in, did a few reps on the machines, which are generally not worth using, and went from one exercise to another as if it was a circuit -- it wasn't. When he did a good exercise, one-arm rows, he did it wrong, rounding his back, going too fast and using almost no weight.

What's the lesson here? There are plenty of resources out there, including ones I point to here, that will teach you what to do and how to do it at the gym. Use them and you'll see how your gym time will transform your body and health.

Rule No. 1

There's an old saying that says if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. That can -- and does -- apply to many facets of training. But here's where it applies most -- form.

I learned this lesson yet again a little more than a week ago when I was doing squats. I went up in weight and on my third set got to the bottom of the movement and realized it was going to be tough going getting back up. So I panicked a bit and lost proper form in an effort to just get the weight up. I immediately felt it in my lower back, which I'd allowed to round.

Today I squatted for the first time since then. I paid attention to my form the entire time, starting the movement by sitting back, not bending my knees, keeping my shoulder blades together and stomach braced. And even though my back still has bothered me a bit in recent days, I was fine and felt great after the workout.

'The Body of a 30-Year-Old'

Sports Illustrated has a nice piece about the NHL's oldest player, Chris Chelios of the Detroit Red Wings. He's 45 but his trainer says he has the body of a 30-year-old. Here's a look at his workout.

Your Core Asset

Right as my feet hit the board I realized I had a problem -- I was off balance. I'd fallen on an earlier wave, so I was determined not to let it happen again. What kept me up? My core.

This happened during a four- or five-hour surfing session yesterday. (Hey, I'm unemployed, so I can surf on a Monday.) The waves had some size to them, anywhere from waist to shoulder high, courtesy of a tropical storm off the North Carolina coast that pushed a swell toward Long Island. And I'm still getting accustomed to my relatively new board, which is just 6'4".

So after falling earlier because I was off balance, I quickly realized on this one wave it was going to happen again. So I braced my core and lowered my center of gravity. The next thing I knew I was stable and surfing down the face of the wave. I'm convinced that if I hadn't done so much core work over the past few months I would've fallen again.

Remember that a strong core helps with everyday activities, too. It's vital, especially as we age (who wants to slump into old age?).

Age is Meaningless

A close friend of mine was fretting a bit the other day over the fact that she just turned 36. "Age means nothing when it comes to you," I said. And I meant it. She looks better than she did when I met her at 21.

Super trainer Alwyn Cosgrove agrees that age is meaningless (and if that photo isn't inspiring, then I don't know what is).

The Importance of Goals, Part II

The October issue of Outside has a quote from ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes about how to approach goals: "Think only about the present and focus on micro-goals. Just make it to that stop sign up ahead; OK, now make it to the tree up the street: and so on."

The Importance of Goals

One of the trainers at Velocity has one overriding goal -- get a spot on the U.S. rugby team. He gears nearly everything he does toward reaching that goal.

For those of us over 40, serious athletic goals like that are probably long past. But we still can set goals, and they'll drive us toward life-long fitness. Simple goals work, such as doing one more rep or just a bit more weight each time you go to the gym. Then there are bigger goals, such as running the fastest mile of your life or completing a triathlon.

My most recent goal was to go the length of the track -- 30 yards -- at Velocity with my feet on a dolly. Let me explain: The idea is to walk on your hands and pull the dolly by piking your body up. So you walk out a couple of hand lengths, pike your body up, which pulls the dolly and then walk out again. It works so many parts of your body, from your core to your shoulders.

I'd made it 20 yards twice but that was it. Last night, I made the entire way.

So pick a goal and pursue it. Then find another and another.

I'm Back

Sorry for the long delay. There are several reasons for the hiatus. But rest assured while I wasn't writing, I was still eating right and keeping up with my workouts. In fact, I have a lot more time for those things since I'm unemployed for now, which isn't as bad as it sounds.

I get to the gym in the middle of the day, which means I have to place to myself. I picked up my skateboard for the first time in years. And I'm out surfing every day there are waves. This time makes me realize the value of time away from work, and the value in a little contemplation of where we are in life.

So even if you're working, give yourself some spare time here and there. You'll thank yourself.

What's Your Trainer's Background?

After suffering through one injury after another, the Yankees just fired their strength coach, the New York Times reports. And where did this person who was charged with developing conditioning plans for pro players come from? Ballen Isles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where he was director of fitness.

Learning New Tricks

Olympic lifts often are called the best moves anyone can add to their routines because they work so many muscles so effectively.

But they're damn tough to learn. Last night at Velocity I was trying to get the clean down. And doing it correctly was difficult. I had the help of Marco the trainer and an Olympic skeleton sledder.

I know that with time I'll get it down, and then I'll begin to reap the benefits. Beyond that though, I love the idea that there always are new ways to challenge yourself when it comes to fitness.

Better at 40

Trainer Josh Hills shows what you can accomplish when you're 40. And Turbulence Training creator Craig Ballantyne has an interview with Fit Over 40 co-author Jon Benson.

What Not to Do at the Gym

Yesterday at the gym I watched a woman read the paper not only between sets on the leg adduction machine but also during them. That said one thing to me -- she wasn't working very hard. You ought to concentrate on the task at hand because you'll get more out of it. And you want to take on tasks that are difficult enough that they demand some concentration (in other words, challenge yourself).

So read the paper at home with a cup of coffee. Come to the gym ready to work. Or as some trainers say, get your mind right.

One Great Workout Plan

When I got sick, I was on the last week of a year-long workout plan from Men's Health. It's the Homegrown Muscle plan developed by Mike Mejia. The plan comes from the magazine's 2005 poster workouts, but it's still among the most popular pieces of MensHealth.com judging by discussions about it on the message boards.

So if you're looking for something new, give it a try. One note: I did modify pieces somewhat. For instance, in Phase 1 I expanded the rest periods between supersets because I found myself too fatigued, which led to some lousy form on the next superset. Also, I do know of one woman who tried and liked the program.

Now for the Comeback

Tonight is just my second time lifting since I got sick a couple of weeks ago -- and I'm still feeling the effects of my first trip back. Two days ago I did squats, pull-ups and bench presses, and I feel sore nearly everywhere.

One thing I definitely noticed was that nearly two weeks away from weights seemed sap my strength more than it had in the past. Yes, we all need time off -- and I'm going to watch that in the future -- but two weeks may have been too much. Or maybe it was just how sick I ended up being. The fever I had really wiped me out.

Now, though, I'm determined to start gaining strength and making real progress.

You're Just Like a Lawnmower

It's getting easier and easier to find fitness role models for those of us over 40 who are trying to stay fit. Today's L.A. Times has a great story about people in their 50s, 60s and beyond who continue to work out.

Bill Bell, who still does triathlons in his 80s, tells the Times, "My advice to anyone is simple. Keep moving. I call it the 'lawnmower theory.' If you leave a lawnmower out on the grass and it rains, you better get out and push that thing before it gets rusty. I'm creaky and rusty every day when I get up in the morning, but after I get moving, I feel pretty damn good."

"Age is Just a Number"

That's what trainer Keith Scott writes over and over in his post about a 67 year old who was looking for performance training.

Sick and Tired

Three days ago I woke up with a stomachache. By lunchtime it had progressed to a fever, and I left work around 2 p.m. -- the first time I've taken time off because I was sick in seven or eight years.

I'll never know if being overtrained contributed to getting sick but I do know that being overtrained weakens your immune system, which means I set myself up to get sick.

Stubborn and Stupid

Here's a classic case of do as I say, not as I do.

I'm in my final week of what's basically been a year-long workout program (more on that soon) and instead of feeling great, feeling like I've accomplished so much, I'm limping toward the end. Why? I've waited too long since taking a break.

I have several of the signs of overtraining. One example: I'm no longer improving. I'm struggling to maintain, much less improve, my pullup count. The biggest issue is that I just feel tired and not excited about my workouts.

I've known that I needed a break for a while but kept putting it off. I far too often do this because I think, "I need to keep working out." Look where it got me -- frustrated when I can't crank out one more pullup and worn out.

So here's the plan, I'll finish this week and be done with this workout and then I'll take a full week off before jumping on something else.

Put breaks into your workout planning and stick to them.

Over the Hill at 28?

Trainer Craig Ballantyne has a great post today about aging and fitness. His take? "As a 30 year old male, I expect to live at least another 70 years. And I plan on being as active, as strong, and as sharp as I can be."

Pumping Iron at 90

If you doubt the benefits of resistance training as you age, just ask Ben Sann. He's 90, and still lifting, according to today's New York Times.

Working out gave him a "whole new life," he tells the newspaper, and helped him fight the depression that descended upon him after his wife died. Oh, and when shoppers push him in the always-crowded Fairway supermarket in Manhattan, he has the strength to push back. (I shop there, too, and there's plenty of pushing, unfortunately.) He aims to do better every workout.

"He is determined to be the oldest man on the planet," his son tells the Times.

It's Time to Suit Up

Here's another reason to work out, at least for men. Today's New York Times has a story about the new slimmer suit that's beginning to appear in stores. "You get to show off your physique more" wearing the new style, says Michael Chan, a 30-year-old New York equities trader.

The Science Behind Interval Training

While doing a little studying today on how the muscles get energy I came across an interesting article on interval training, which includes its history and why it can make you fitter.

Too Old? Never

Trainer Jason Ferruggia has a great post today about aging and staying in shape. My favorite part: A 34-year-old client once told him "there's no way I can compete with these high school guys (at the gym), I'm way too old for that." Ferruggia writes that "I couldn't look at him for the rest of that workout without wanting to throw up."

Accentuate the Negative

The Washington Post has a nice story on the power of "negatives," or the lowering phase of a lift.

Stupid Gym Move of the Day

Today I saw a guy walk into the gym and hit the bench press without even taking his jacket off, much less warming up. He pumped out a few horrible-looking reps at 135 and then proceeded to start adding weight. And of course the reps got worse -- he wasn't lowering the bar that much.

I shook my head, just thinking about how he was dramatically raising the chance he would injure himself by not warming up.

Then it got better. He started offering unsolicited advice to someone squatting nearby. Unless someone is doing something so wrong that he or she is about to get hurt, keep your mouth shut.

The guy who was receiving the advice sneaked a look at me and we laughed.

Too Little Time to Work Out?

Trainer Craig Ballantyne has a great post today about how you can do so much even when you have almost no time and no equipment. Now try and come up with an excuse to not work out.

Real Effort Creates Real Success

Why do so many people apparently think they can get results from half-assed efforts?

Last night at the gym I watched a trainer put a woman through sets of dumbbell bench presses. The woman had 9-pound dumbbells that she handled so easily she was able to have a conversation the entire time with her trainer.

Only when you put forth real effort, when you actually challenge your body, will you see results. It's then that your body responds -- and changes. Otherwise, what's the point?

Ramp Up Your Workout

Last night's workout at Velocity was a little too easy, which is really rare. The reason: There were five of us in the class, which meant we often had to wait for the slowest to catch up before starting the next drill.

But I forgot an easy way to have quickly made the session tougher -- a weighted vest. I've worn one from time to time at Velocity and the extra 25 pounds makes a huge difference. Even a jog is harder.

So if you want to ramp up your workout quickly, give them a try. Today's New York Times has a review of several models.

Strength from Unusual Places

Trainer Jason Ferruggia has the first part of an interview today with the Underground Strength Coach himself. I mentioned the Underground Strength Coach the other day.

Here's one of his best quotes: "Eventually, people get bored of doing the same old stuff or training in the gym all the time! Training outdoors in the fresh air kicks ass!"

Amen.

Become an Athlete

It's never too late to take up, or go back to, a sport.

Today's L.A. Times has a story about four people who later in life went back to a sport they took part in during high school or college. 60-year-old Richard Dessert started wrestling again. His most prized possession? A badge with his name and the word "athlete" that he wore at the U.S. National Wrestling Championships last year, the Times says.

Taking up a sport is a great way to stay in shape over the long haul because competing gives you a goal.

Kick the Routine Out of Your Routine

Last week I switched my Saturday cardio routine to the hour-glass drill. But after doing it just eight times last week, I was bored with it. Doing it a few times is fine, but running through it eight times isn't.

So this week I took a play from the NFL Combine and added the L drill, which meant I ran five hour-glass drills and then five L drills. The result: I was more engaged because I knew my workout would change halfway through. Check out this Men's Health article to get the lowdown on the L drill.

Go Swing a Sledgehammer

My best friend has told me over and over how she thinks she gets a great workout by simply doing yardwork on the two acres she lives on in the country. Now she's talking about more than just digging up weeds. She chops wood and hauls bags of grass seed, among other things. And if you saw her, you'd quickly realize that she's right.

Now comes more evidence that serious outdoor work does constitute a workout. Today's New York Times has a story about Nick Swisher of the Oakland A's, who put on 20 pounds of muscle over the off-season by doing things like swinging a sledgehammer. Swisher went to a place called Edge Athletic and Fitness Center in central Ohio. Edge specializes in training that's "more like Rocky in Russia, running through Siberia and hitting sides of beef," its owner, Bill Fry, tells the Times.

There are others who preach this approach, including the Underground Strength Coach. You have to love its simplicity, and the idea that hard yardwork will do more than give you a great-looking lawn. And it shows that there always are ways to keep yourself interested if you're looking for new ways to work out.

Train Like Tomorrow's NFL Stars

Tomorrow the NFL begins its annual combine in Indianapolis, where hopeful draftees will run through drills like the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle run and bench press. You can watch it on the NFL Network (if you have a cable company other than Time Warner, which is what I'm stuck with).

According to the schedule, the real stuff begins Saturday morning, when tight ends, kickers and offensive linemen start running drills.

It's killing me that I won't be able to watch -- there are few places you can find this much athleticism on display.

But the combine's drills are good for more than just future pro cornerbacks. They're good for us. As Men's Health pointed out a while back, becoming proficient at the combine's drills will help you in plenty of sports beyond football.

And think about this -- the 20-yard shuttle run or the L drill could easily become your interval training.

Yet Another Reason to Lift

I was trying to catch up on some reading over the last few days and came across this in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (the November 2006 issue): A study says "older men can complete a high-intensity resistance exercise program resulting in spikes in testosterone that may attenuate age-related muscle and bone mineral density loss." The testosterone spike from heavy lifting, something approaching 80% of the one-rep max, was similar for young, middle-aged and older men.

So go lift some heavy weights.

Surfing and Sex

I love it when I find stories of older people who are still active. They make me believe that my quest is possible.

So when I was cleaning up today I found a couple of pages I tore from Surfer magazine last year -- an article about Doc Paskowitz, who still surfs at 85. As I note, I don't completely agree with everything he says, but when someone can still do what he does at his age, it's at least worth considering what he has to day.

He had five simple rules for living a long, active life.

"1. Keep Your Weight Down. Stay slim, trim and elegant. Get to be about 15% body fat and stay there the rest of your life. An easy way to check if you're not at 15% body fat is to pinch-an-inch anywhere on your frame. If it's an inch or over, you're too fat.

2. Fat Makes Fat. Forget all the crap you're hearing about carbohydrates. Concentrate on fat. ... The longest-lived people on earth eat only about 40 to 50 grams of fat per day. If you're like most Americans, you're eating four times that amount. (I don't agree with this one completely, because I do believe that excess carbs are a big problem.)

3. To be Alive, You've Got to Eat Life. Throw it on the ground. If it grows, it's first-class food; if it doesn't grow, it's not. You can't grow Ritz crackers, potato chips or French fries, but a grain of 3,000-year-old red wheat found in Tutankhamen's tomb sprouted when planted. Green leafy vegetables, grains, beans, peas -- these are living things and they make up the bulk of what most people on earth eat -- a lot of fruit and vegetables and a little meat -- the universal meal. (Again, I don't completely agree with this one, mainly on the issue of meat.)

4. Move, Move, Move. Movement is life-like. Movement is life. But you have to give your first priority to the big muscle of the lower extremeties. It's not enough to just arm-paddle. The great exercise of all is walking, brisk walking. I never walk less than 20 minutes a day, though I often walk much, much more than that. I can do it even when I feel lousy. (As you know by now, I'm a big believer in intervals, which you could do while walking.)

5. Surf, Surf, Surf -- as much as you can. Not just for exercise and fun but also for recreation. It's easier to understand the word "recreation" broken up; it's "re-creation." Every time you paddle out, you re-create and re-inspire yourself. You only die once but you have to worry about living each and every day of your life. We did only when we stop living."

By the way, here's what Paskowitz says he does for fun -- surfing and sex.

Shaking Things Up

It's time to change my Saturday cardio workout. I try to do this every four weeks for a couple of reasons. First, it makes it more interesting. Second, it challenges my body in different ways.

There was a time when it was hard for me to come up with new routines. In hindsight, the main reason wasn't so much a lack of imagination as it was a lack of material. In other words, I hadn't been exposed to enough different routines, or even pieces of routines, that I then could put together into a new routine.

But as I've read more and more, and seen more and more in action at Velocity, I've begun to put together a portfolio that I can draw from.

So today I'm going to try a variation of something I read in the March Men's Health -- the hourglass drill the magazine says the University of Connecticut basketball team uses. You sprint in a diagonal line from one corner of the court to the other, then shuffle along the baseline to the opposite corner, sprint from there again in a diagonal line to the far corner of the other baseline, then shuffle back to your starting point.

I don't have a basketball court -- just a yoga studio at the gym. So I'll probably run through this three times in a row before resting, and then do it again. I figure that'll leave me gasping for oxygen.

As with all my cardio, it'll include a quick warm-up and cool-down and I'll be in out in less than 30 minutes.

A Calorie-Burning Machine

I believe I'm a living example of our ability to boost our metabolisms even as we age.

Granted, my belief isn't based on science. It's based on the fact that I'm hungry almost all the time, which means I eat constantly. But I'm not gaining weight and in fact have lost a couple of pounds recently. Losing weight isn't my goal, so I need to either cut back the intensity of my workouts or eat even more, and I'll probably choose the latter.

But it makes sense that with everything I do, I have, as Marco at Velocity says, turned my body into a calorie-burning machine.

Powerful Motivation

OK, I'll admit it -- there are days when I don't feel like working out.

That's saying something, considering that fitness has basically become a hobby for me. Today is one of those days. I simply feel sluggish, which means it would be easy to stay home after work instead of changing and heading to the gym.

But I'll go. I know I will. And here's why -- working out has never failed to make me feel better. There's that simply sense of accomplishment I get from having done it. Then there's the knowledge that I'm doing something to improve myself physically. Finally, it makes me feel better mentally, more alive, more focused.

With benefits like those, I'd be crazy to skip a regular workout.

A Better Warm-up, Part 2

Just as with lifting, you want to run through a warm-up before cardio that prepares you for what you're about to do. And that's exactly what I did yesterday before my cardio work. (My cardio involved running an arrow drill -- sprint five yards to the top of the arrow, shuffle about five steps to the left side of the arrow, back to the point, then shuffle to the right, back to the point, and then backpeddle to the start -- three times in a row with a minute rest between each set of three. There were seven sets of it, followed by three of a bodyweight circuit, both from the latest Men's Health. Then I was done, all in less than 30 minutes with the warm-up included.)

So I do things like jumping jacks, skipping, lunges and high-knee running in place. A warm-up like this also stretches the muscles, but does so in a dynamic manner instead of static manner, something Bill Hartman explained not too long ago. Experts believe that static stretching, the kind where you stretch and hold a muscle, can actually weaken the muscle, something you obviously don't want before a workout (it's fine afterwards).

Here's a great video from the James Madison University Strength and Conditioning Program showing a dynamic warm-up. It's fairly easy to do modify many of these so that they work standing in place, which makes them easier to do in a gym.

As we get older, injury prevention begins to become even more important. And dynamic warm-ups can play a big role in helping you stay injury free.

A Better Warm-up

I've heard this far too many times: A trainer walks up to a client and asks, "Have you warmed up yet? No? OK, jump on the treadmill."

I heard it again last night at the gym. Then the trainer took his client to the bench press.

What's so bad about that?

As Craig Ballantyne once wrote in his blog, warming up on a treadmill gets you ready to run on a treadmill. In other words, your warm-up should get you ready for what you're about to do. And running on a treadmill doesn't get you ready for the bench press.

Before upper-body work, you'll want to do moves like arm circles and stick-ups (check out the picture of Craig for this one, and it starts with the arms lower down). Even pushups work, especially if you throw some variety into them with, say, the T pushup (without the weights for the warm-up).

One of the absolute best resources is a manual and DVD from Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson called Inside-Out: The Ultimate Upper Body Warm-up.

And this type of warm-up won't add any time to your workout. But it will do a better job of protecting your from injuries.

More from Less

Jason Ferruggia, who I've mentioned before, has a great post today that anyone who lifts weigths or is thinking about doing so -- and everyone should fall into either of those camps -- will want to read. The basic idea is that you can get more from less, which is great for anyone pressed for time.

Can You Get Faster?

Today's New York Times has a story about college football players getting ready for the NFL Combine this month. The combine, of course, is the event where the players run through various drills for NFL scouts and coaches. It can make a big difference in where they end up in the draft.

Within the story there's a debate about whether speed can be taught. The trainers at Parisi Speed School in Fair Lawn, N.J., where the potential draftees are training, say yes. So do the people who run Velocity Sports Performance. (Velocity centers across the country train plenty of players getting ready for college and pro sports, as well as regular folks like me.) The president of the Super Bowl champion Colts disagrees, saying, "Fast guys run fast," the Times reports.

Here's what I know: I've learned at Velocity that your running technique can make a difference. I feel faster when I run sprints. Am I? I don't know. I was never timed before my training at Velocity. But does it even matter whether I'm faster if I feel like I'm running more fluidly, more efficiently? I don't think so if the end result is that my workouts have improved.

To learn the right way to run, you can go somewhere like Velocity or look around for articles that have been written about it. Men's Health has at least two pieces on it: "Smarter Cardio" and "Hit the Accelerator."

The New Cardio Plan

Once upon a time I didn't think anything of all the people plodding along on the treadmills and ellipticals at the gym. Hell, I often was one of them.

Then I discovered intervals. Thanks to the high priests of intervals like Craig Ballantyne, Alwyn Cosgrove and the trainers at Velocity Sports Performance, I began to learn about what interval training can do for you -- because your body works so hard during the intervals it must do more after the workout to make up for it. So your body burns calories long after the workout is done. This is what Ballantyne calls "turbulence" and Cosgrove calls "afterburn." In contrast, during steady-state aeorbics, such as a 30-minute run at the same pace, you burn calories during it but not so many afterwards.

The other benefit: You're done in much less time than a traditional cardio workout. So last night at the gym I climbed on the VersaTrainer, basically a stair machine that's completely human powered, and knocked out eight 30-second intervals with 1-minute rests in between. Throw in a warm up and cool down and I was out of the gym in about 20 minutes.

Trust me -- it was a tough workout. After each interval, I was gasping for air.

Intervals can take many forms, everything from bodyweight work done in circuits to sprints. The idea is simply a burst a speed for some period of time followed by a slower pace or rest. It's catching on, too. The L.A. Times recently wrote a story about it.

For me, they've cut my body fat by about four or five percentage points over the past several months, while my weight has stayed the same, meaning I've gained muscle.

Work Ethic

My father always taught me that no matter what you're doing, do it as well as you can. So when he put me to work on the shirt factory floor as a teenager, I worked as hard as I could.

It's always important to take that same work ethic into workouts. What's the point of doing it half-assed anyway?

Think about this: Peyton Manning practices with the same intensity that he plays. "Peyton practices like that every week ... like it's the Super Bowl," coach Tony Dungy said, according to SI.com's Peter King, after Manning ended a 2-minute drill with a touchdown strike.

And Manning, of course, just won the Super Bowl.

One of the Best Exercises Ever

I love the deadlift, which says a lot considering what it did to me once.

It's one of the best exercises because it works nearly everything, especially the often-overlooked posterior chain, which includes the glutes and hamstrings. You get power for nearly every sport from the posterior chain. Some of the best trainers will tell you that the deadlift is a great move to include in your training -- but only if you do it right.

And that's what I once didn't do. Well, actually more than once. When I first started deadlifting, I didn't understand well enough how to do it. Looking back, it's fairly clear that my core wasn't strong enough either. So one night at the gym, with what most would consider a modest weight, I went to pull the bar up and could've sworn I heard a pop from the left side of my lower back. I could barely straighten up enough to put the plates up and walk out of the gym.

My biggest problem was that I was rounding my lower back on the pull, a common mistake.

But it didn't stop me from deadlifting, after a break, of course. Simply put, the benefits were too big to walk away from. So I worked with Marco Ferdinandi, the sports performance director at Velocity Sports Performance in Manhattan, on my form. With each pull, I concentrated not on how much I was lifting but on my form. I worked on my core more than I ever have, too.

Today, I felt great after my last deadlift. The weight I'm pulling is still awfully modest compared to many guys, but I'm moving up.

If you want to try it, wikipedia.org has a good explanation of the move, and at T-Nation.com Eric Cressey has a great article on it.

Winning at 40

Gail Devers won the 60-meter hurdles last night at the Millrose Games in New York's Madison Square Garden. She's 40.

OK, I know that track and field has had its share of issues with performance-enhancing drugs. But let's go with the assumption that she's clean, and no one is suggesting otherwise now. If that's the case, then she's certainly a stellar example of how it's possible to maintain, or even improve, your athletic performance as you age.

She also indicates that she has no plans to retire. "My grandmother lived until she was 98 1/2,'' Devers said, according to Tim Layden's column today on SI.com. "I'm going to live a long life.''

Sweet Rest

Today is an off day, no workouts, which is good. One area where I could probably do better is rest. Yep, rest is crucial. It gives your body time to adapt to the stress you've put it through during your workouts. And that's when it improves.

So as important as it is to train, it's just as important to makes sure you don't overtrain, something that can take many forms. Jason Ferruggia, one of the nation's top trainers, wrote about this recently.

Youth and Vigor

I had to run by the grocery store tonight after the gym. As I waited in line, the man in front of me turned, looked at me standing there in shorts, and said, “You aren’t cold?”

“It’s not so bad,” I said, which I meant -- it was only in the mid-30s outside and there was no wind. I wasn’t cold. Plus, I was also wearing a fleece jacket over a sweat shirt.

“I wish I had your youth and vigor,” he said, adding that he was like an old man, bundled up in layers to protect himself from the cold.

But here’s the thing -- I’m hardly young. I’m 42. And he was hardly an old man. He was 50, maybe.

So what was the difference? I’d like to think it’s my approach to health and fitness. I care deeply about both, and work hard at both. Working out and eating well have become my hobby over the past 10 or 15 years, which means I’ve learned a lot along the way. I’ve learned by training with some of the best -- mainly the folks at Velocity Sports Performance in Manhattan -- and digging through articles and blogs written by some of the sharpest and most innovative minds in fitness, from Adam Campbell at Men’s Health to Alwyn Cosgrove, who runs Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif.

So my thought was that others might be able to learn from what I’ve learned. No, I’m not an expert. But I do know a lot. And maybe people can see things that work for me and give them a try. Or maybe they can be exposed to the thinking of some of these great minds through my training and nutrition.

That’s my goal with this blog. Then there’s the greater goal, which is to never become the old man the guy in line at the grocery store said he’d become. I believe that’s possible. I believe that with proper training and nutrition, you can always have the youth and vigor he talked about, regardless of your age.