Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – AJ Jacobs

Tags

AJ Jacobs, Funny, health, Healthy Eating, Noise Reduction, Wearing a Helmet

Here is a comical look at living healthy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Until next time…

Dave

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Daily Ramblings – Bonus Content – Remaking Love

Tags

Barbara Fredrickson, Connection, Coursera, health, Love, Micro-moment, Positive Psychology, UNC at Chapel Hill

This was a Ted Talk that was included as part of a Positive Psychology course I took from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Great course and great Ted Talk. Enjoy!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday

Tags

Body, Exercise, Grateful, Gratitude, gym, health, New Followers, Thank you, Workouts

To all my new followers this week—Thank you! It is always a treat to get a new follower. I hope you continue to enjoy the content here. I’ve recently posted my workout routines. This is a great diary for me to look back to. It is also a great way to get ideas on how you can start your own workouts. My philosophy about working out in the gym—GO! I don’t care if your form is perfect, your effort is maximal, or what your goals are. Just GO! This is 90% of the battle with an exercise routine—going. If you can get yourself to the gym at least 3-4 times a week, mixing in some weight work, cardio, and some stretching exercises, you’ll be fine.

I’m 55 and not interested in competing or becoming a bodybuilder. I want to move around and remain mentally sharp for the rest of my life. My Dad is my motivation. He neglected his physical activity since he retired and now is paying for it. My Mom is 75 years old and works out with weights 3 or 4 times a week. It is terrific. I use her to “shame” my young friends when they say they are too tired or too busy to workout.

I enjoy variety in my workouts. I like to keep altering what I do each day to keep up my interest level and avoid being bored. I hit all the major muscle groups during the week and goal myself to do at least 140 minutes of cardio each week. Today, I did a chest and triceps routine. I am so grateful for my health and my ability to go to the gym and push myself. I have friends who are diabetic or have an injury that prevents them from doing a lot of work in the gym.

Today, I am heading to the Chiropractor. I don’t really need one, but it is nice to do preventative maintenance on the back. I had a back surgery back in 2003 and wish I had taken better care of my spine. If you are afraid of getting your back “cracked”, do what I did and find yourself a “no-force” chiropractor. They are terrific. Mine helps me stretch out, uses various pressure points to ease inflamed nerves, and gives me guidance on what I should do with myself to ensure I aggravate nothing. One was to get new shoes. I picked up a pair a few weeks ago, and boy, what a difference. Trust me. Take care of your back now. Back surgery is no fun. It knocked me down for about 5 years, before I felt normal again.

I am grateful for my health and my ability to maintain my health in the gym and with other activities I work on during the week. I hope each of you follow my advice if you have not already begun a workout routine. It is not too late. Just start out slow and progress gradually. Always check with your health care practitioner to make sure you are ok to start a program. If you get approval, take it slow. Most gyms today offer an introduction program where you can use one of their trainers for free. These trainers will walk you through the gym to show you how to use their equipment. They are always available if you have a quick question about how to use something. Once you know how to use the equipment, start slow. Start with 3 sets of 10 reps on each machine you choose. I would recommend a basic split for your first routine. A split is how you break up the body during a workout week. You can split your routine over the days you want to go. If you will only go 3 times a week, you’ll want a routine that handles all the major muscle groups. Day 1 you could do chest, shoulders, and triceps. Day 2 you could exercise back and biceps. Day 3 you would do your legs and abs. Simple, but effective.

What are you grateful for today?

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Being Grateful for the Little Things

Tags

Appreciative, family, Friends, Grateful, health, Life, Little Things, pets, Tecumseh, Thankful

“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” – Tecumseh

Read more at: BrainyQuote

I want to start today’s post with a “Thank You!” to my new followers this week. I appreciate you following my blog and hope my content helps or inspires you to do great things in your life. Today is Thankful Thursday and I want to talk about the things we take for granted in our lives.

Each morning I journal. The first thing I do is write in my dream journal, recording whatever I remember about the dreams I had the night before. The second thing I do is write in my gratitude and affirmations journal. The third thing I do is work through my morning pages to empty my mind and think about the day ahead. All these journals are important in different ways. The most important journal is my Gratitude and Affirmations Journal.

I am grateful for this life. I am grateful for God’s love. I am grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful for my pets. I am grateful for the little things. Little things, like a warm cup of coffee as I stare out my office window and look at the snow. A nice meal. A good book and a cup of tea. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for the intellect I am blessed with. I am grateful for the insights that come into my mind.

The beauty of practicing gratefulness is the way it focuses my mind on the good rather than the bad. It is so easy to be unconscious. It is so easy to develop bad habits. It is so easy to blame everything outside of us for our problems. It is so easy to get upset and pissed off. I started my gratitude practice by writing three things I was grateful for. Initially, it was hard. It was hard because it takes a conscious effort. It requires you to act and recognize how great your life is.

Despite your current circumstances, you have lots to be grateful for. You are alive. This life is yours to live. Be grateful for what you have. Look at all the things that make your life great. Maybe it’s your warm bed. Maybe it is one of your friends. Maybe it is taking a hot bath or shower. Find things to be grateful for. You will notice a feeling enter you. This feeling will be one of comfort, joy, and contentment. It may take a while to recognize it because we are so focused on what’s wrong with our lives. Flip the switch. Look for what’s right. Focus on that.

Each of you who are reading this posting has things to be grateful for. What are they? When you think about them, how do you feel? Try this out for a month. Each morning take time to write three things you are grateful for. Constantly look for new things to express your thanks for. When you concentrate on what’s good, more things will rise to your attention. Before long you will have hundreds of things you are grateful for. This is one habit that can change your life. It will change your life because it will focus your attention on the good rather than the bad. It is a great way to live.

Well folks, that’s it for today. I hope each of you begins a daily gratitude practice. It will make a huge difference—promise.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday

Tags

Assessing your Situation, Being Prepared, Finances, health, Insurance, LIfe's Surprises, Organization, Taking Inventory

“Life is a series of interconnected wheels. Very little can happen to you without it being known ahead of time by you. All you have to do is learn to be aware.”—Harold Klemp The Language of Soul

So how can you become more aware? It’s really simple, but it takes practice. If you are cognizant of your physical and mental health, take care of your finances, maintain the things you own (including your mind and body), you can avoid a lot of problems that will develop over time.

Neglect the things you own, your mind, your body, your relationships, and they will wither and die. We are never static. We are either improving or degrading. There is no in between.

I’m not knocking leisure or having fun. These activities are terrific for your mental health. It’s nice to settle down with a good book and a cup of coffee or tea. It’s nice to close your eyes and listen to soothing music. But everything has limits.

Living the life of a sloth is a sure way to personal destruction. Look around your surroundings. Are things in order? Look at your digital life. Are your files organized in such a way that you can find what you are looking for quickly? What about your calendar? Does it have all of your important dates in them with appropriate reminders? Are your financial responsibilities automated? Is your medical, dental, eye, auto, home, and life insurance up-to-date?

What are you doing today to improve—to take one more step toward a personal goal? What do you want to achieve in the very short time you are here on this Earth? How do you contribute and make someone else’s life and the world in general better?

Tomorrow is the day I really take my life into inventory. It’s the day I do not schedule anything except my religious pursuits, my weekly review of what I did and where I’m going in the next week, and my workouts. It is also a time to re-evaluate. Am I really going in the direction I want to? Are there are any goals I have set for myself that I’ve realized that I just don’t want to pay the price for anymore?

If you are tracking all of the things you need to and are keeping yourself abreast of where you are and where you want to go, there are very few things that will surprise you. That doesn’t mean that life won’t surprise you from time-to-time. There are always unavoidable accidents that come our way that we had no way of seeing. A few months ago, I was driving home from my sister’s home and accidentally ran over a semi-truck shock absorber that sliced open both of the driver’s side wheels on my minivan. There was no way I could have avoided this, nor see it coming. This is an example of an accident coming out of nowhere. A buddy of mine likes to ride his bike back and forth from work. He was driving down a dark street one night and accidentally ran into a parked car. Another surprise, I’m sure he had no idea was coming his way.

So, here’s some advice:

Keep track of physical health by getting annual checkups and going to the doctor when you think something might be wrong. Get to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned and checked out on a semi-annual or quarterly basis. Get to the eye doctor once a year.

Make sure you evaluate your insurance on a semi-annual or annual basis. Laws change, insurance policies change. Do you need a power of attorney or a will? Get that done so your loved ones aren’t blindsided by an accidental death and have a nightmare to deal with in Probate court.

Get your bills, birthdays, holidays, upcoming trips, tax filing dates, and any other dates that are important to you on a calendar like Google with the appropriate reminder mechanisms in place, so you don’t miss these important events. Then you can forget about them. Your calendar will remind you when it’s time to send out a card or a gift.

Get to the gym! Get your strength training in. Get your cardio training in. Plan out your meals for the week. Research and get the supplements you need that are specific to your body and temperaments.

Schedule times during the year to take inventory of what you own and donate or get rid of the stuff that is just collecting dust and doing nothing for you but taking up space. Schedule weekly or bi-weekly times to clean your living areas. Dusting furniture, sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning your oven, your refrigerator, your microwave. Get your laundry done on a weekly basis. Get your suits or dresses dry-cleaned so you have something to wear at the next surprise wedding or anniversary invitation.

I could go on and on, but you know what I’m driving at. So much of our lives can be automated and scheduled so you can alleviate the stress that is caused by worrying about these things. You also free up a lot of mental processing power because your calendar and to-do app will tell you what you have to do today.

By doing this you’ll be more capable of handling life’s “surprises” and be able to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get moving again much more quickly.

Well, that’s it for today’s Spiritual Saturday. I hope you are having a great weekend!!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday

Tags

Healing, health, Immune System, Kaitlyn Sadtler, Regeneration, Ted Talk

Happy Tuesday! Today, we get an update on what some folks are doing to help our bodies heal faster.

Enjoy!

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Daily Quote

Tags

Exercise, health, Joyce Meyer

Today’s Quote:

“I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” – Joyce Meyer

No doubt about it Readers!

Your health is everything. I don’t know about you, but when I am sick, I am absolutely worthless. I don’t feel like doing anything but sleeping or lounging on the couch and binge-watching a television show on Netflix, Amazon Video, or Hulu. Getting sick is also expensive. You miss work, you fall behind in your assignments (if you’re in school), and then there are the bills to pay for a doctor’s visit, medicine at the Drug Store, and all the rest.

Stephen Covey said it best, “when I ask people why they don’t exercise, they reply: ‘I don’t have the time.’” I reply to them: “You don’t have time to exercise? You don’t have time not to.” (paraphrased)

Our bodies adapt to their environments. This is the miracle of the human body. If you exercise it, it stays strong, it endures, it repairs itself. If you fail to exercise, your body will degrade. It is an efficient machine that will only adapt to what it is exposed to. If you do not exercise, your body will adapt by reducing musculature, reducing bone density, reducing flexibility, and a whole host of other internal mechanisms.

If a person ignores exercise, it is almost like a slow suicide.

If you do anything for yourself this year—get out and exercise. Whether it’s a push-up or sit-up, a 5-minute walk, or perhaps a plank for 30 seconds—get out there and move!

I hope you are having a great Tuesday!!

See you tomorrow…

Daily Ramblings – Workout Log

Tags

Abdominals, Bodybuilding, Core, Exercise, Hamstrings, health, Quadriceps, workout

Happy Friday Readers!!

Today marks the final day of Phase 2 (4 weeks) of the Shortcut to size program by Jim Stoppani (www.jimstoppani.com). I am always amazed at how quickly these workouts progress. Goes to show that when you begin a new program, you only need to concentrate on each exercise, each workout, and each day. Don’t worry about yesterday’s workout or tomorrow’s; concentrate on today, one exercise, one set, one rep at a time.

I really enjoy posting my exercise routines. I’ve received some great feedback, some questions, and have even motivated a few folks to start exercising. I don’t care how out of shape, how overweight, or how old you are. You can do something every day to improve your fitness level. Start small and remember: “Your exercise program is not a race; it is a marathon.”

I challenge each of you out there to really dig in and start exercising today. You can start as small as one push up a day. That’s it. Commit to doing one push up each day for 7 days. That is your initial program. Once you finish that, you can start a new program of 14 days. It’s really that simple. I don’t care what exercise you start with or what activity you begin with. It’s a matter of just STARTING.

I wish each of you a great weekend!!

Today’s Exercises

Quadriceps

• Squat 4 x 5 (160lbs)
• Front Squat 3 x 5 (80lbs)
• Leg Extension 3 x 5 (175lbs)

Hamstrings

• Romanian Deadlift 4 x 5 (205lbs)
• Seated Leg Curl 3 x 5 (40lbs)

Abdominals

• Smith Machine Hip Thrust 3 x 9 (70lbs)
• Machine Crunch 3 x 9 (125lbs)
• Planks 3 x 45 seconds

Workout Overview

Today’s workout is Day 16 Week 3 Phase 2 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 3-5 rep range.

Today’s workout hits the Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Abdominals and Core muscles.

Current Bodyweight

My current weight is 240lbs and I am 6’ tall. The goal is to be around 245-250 by the end of this 12-week workout and maintaining my body fat percentage, which is around 20%. This is higher than I’d like, but during any bulking phase, it is quite common to gain some body fat or stay where you started because of a large amount of food a mass building program requires.

Yesterday’s macros

Carbohydrates 201g; Fat 69g; Protein 213g

I use my MyFitnessPal (I the iTunes App Store) to track my macros each day.

Supplements and Water intake

Water

Water intake is more than a gallon a day. I drink a 1/2 gallon of water just with my pre-workout, during, and post-workout drinks. The rest of my water intake is around my meals (six in total each day). I currently feed every two hours.

Morning

• AlphaJym
• ShredJym
• PreJym combined with flavorless Whey Protein (25g)

During Workout

• BCAA drink during workouts with flavorless Whey Protein (24g)

Post Workout

• PostJym Dextrose and BCAA Matrix combined with flavorless Whey Protein (24g)
• OmegaJym
• VitaJym

Evening

• ZMAJym

See you tomorrow!!

Daily Ramblings – Workout Log

Tags

Bodybuilding, Exercise, health, weight lifting, workout

I hope all the Mothers out there had a terrific Mother’s Day. Today is the beginning of the final week of phase 2 of the Shortcut to Size program. This is a 12-week program. 5 weeks to go. Happy Monday All!!!

Today’s Exercises

Yesterday’s off-day workout was 60 minutes of Cardio (Sunday)

Chest

• Bench Press 4 x 5 (155lbs)
• Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5 (55lbs)
• Dumbbell Fly 3 x 5 (45lbs)
• Incline Cable Fly 3×5 (35lbs)

Triceps

• Triceps Pushdown 3 x 8 (80lbs)
• Dumbbell Overhead Extension 3 x 8 (55lbs)
• Lying Cable Triceps Extension 3 x 8 (57.5lbs)

Calves

• Seated Calf Raise 4 x 9 (125lbs)
• Standing Calf Raise 4 x 9 (80lbs)

Workout Overview

Today’s workout is Day 13 Week 4 Phase 2 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 3-5 rep range.

Today’s workout hits the Chest, Triceps, and Calves.

Current Bodyweight

Posted a gain of 5lbs this week. Now I am 240lbs. The goal by week 12 of this program is to get myself to 245 -250. Wish me luck!!

My Macros

My current macros were calculated using Jim Stoppani’s recommendations. He recommends 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, .5 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight, and 2.0 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight. Since I am trying to maintain my body fat percentage, I’ve reduced the carbohydrate intake to 1.0 gram of carbs per pound of bodyweight.

235lbs (current weight)

235 x 1.5 = 352.5 grams of protein per day

235 x 1 = 235 grams of carbohydrates per day

235 x .5 = 117.5 grams of fat per day (rounded to 117 for ease of tracking)

Yesterday’s macros

Carbohydrates 162g; Fat 86g; Protein 233g

I use my MyFitnessPal (I the iTunes App Store) to track my macros each day.

Supplements and Water intake

Water

Water intake is more than a gallon a day. I drink a 1/2 gallon of water just with my pre-workout, during, and post-workout drinks. The rest of my water intake is around my meals (six in total each day). I currently feed every two hours.

Morning

• AlphaJym
• ShredJym
• PreJym combined with flavorless Whey Protein (25g)

During Workout

• BCAA drink during workouts with flavorless Whey Protein (24g)

Post Workout

• PostJym Dextrose and BCAA Matrix combined with flavorless Whey Protein (24g)
• OmegaJym
• VitaJym

Evening

• ZMAJym

See you tomorrow!!

Daily Ramblings – Workout Log

Tags

Cardio, health, workout

Today’s workout

Hello, all! Today was an off day, which means cardio was the focus of today’s gym visit. Currently, I am doing two 30-minute workouts. One of the 30-minute sessions is on a treadmill, while the other is on an Elliptical.

One of the things that tend to alarm people about working out 7 days a week is the risk of overtraining. This has to be an individual decision. My current routine demands 4 days for weight lifting activities with active off days on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. I have the choice of doing something in the gym on these off days, as long as it is not heavy lifting, like cardio. I can also choose to do nothing on these days because the workout routine allows it.

I choose to go to the gym every day because that’s the way I’m wired. If I don’t do something each and every day, it is more difficult for me to make that act a habit. This is what I mean when I say it is your decision on how and what you do. If you are doing something that isn’t helping you achieve your goals, you need to change it. Conversely, if what you are doing is producing results continue this practice.

Yesterday’s Macros

Carbohydrates 251g; Fat 82g; Protein 147g;

If you’ve been monitoring my macros, you’ll see that I’m all over the place. That’s ok. What I’ll be doing in my final analysis is averaging out all of my macros for the past 12 weeks to see what my average is. I’ll use this as a baseline and use this as a foundational starting point for my next routine and continue to add and tweak my daily intake until I get it aligned with what I am supposed to be eating. I’ve had a few days where my protein intake was almost there, but most days are way off. If I want to achieve the aesthetic results I’m looking for, diet is about 80% of that. This is where my opportunity for growth is. Stay tuned.

Until tomorrow…