Let's Get Ripped

LGR Land Training: X Workout Playlist

2011-03-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

This week we took a page out of Nike's book and asked everyone that came out to LGR Land Training this morning (10:30 a.m. Lake Merced) to submit their "power song" -- you know, that song that pumps you up and makes you feel like you can bust out 50 pushups or run 20 miles. Below is the result :). Can you guess whose is whose?

Participants: Francis, Kristine, Kurt, Aaron, Sondra, Nate, Jeremy, Norina, Tony, Yau, Peachie (some submitted more than one)

What's your power song?

Fever Dream by Tyler Bates
Yes by LMFAO
Stronger by Kanye West
Get Me Bodied by Beyonce
Sandstorm by Darude
The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco
As We Enter by Damian "Jr Gong" Marley
Lose Yourself by Eminem
Move Along by The All American Rejects
Notorious Thugs by The Notorious B.I.G.
2gether by Far East Movement
Harder Better Faster Stronger by Daft Punk
Down On Me by Jeremiah
Diva by Beyonce
Hello Good Morning by Diddy
What I've Done by Linkin Park
Traffic by DJ Tiesto
Kids by MGMT
The Time (Dirty Bit) by The Black Eyed Peas

Workout Playlist week of 3/21

2011-03-23T00:13:00.000-07:00

More (Redone Jimmy Joker Re... by Usher

Blow The Whistle by Too $hort

Lean Back (Remix) by Fat Joe

Swagga Like Us (Feat. Jay-Z... by T.I.

Girls On The Dance Floor by Far East Movement

I'mma Shine by YoungBloodz

Make It Clap by Busta Rhymes

Like A G6 by Far East Movement

Get Buck In Here by DJ Felli Fel

Show Me The Money by Petey Pablo

One Minute Man (Feat. Ludac... by Missy Elliott

Tambourine by Eve

Money Maker by Ludacris

6 Foot 7 Foot (Feat. Corey ... by Lil' Wayne

Stand Up by Ludacris

Walk It Out by Unk

Move (If You Wanna) by Mims

Come To Me (As Made Famous ... by Urban All Stars

Look At Me Now (Explicit Ve... by Chris Brown

Teach Me How To Dougie by Cali Swag District

A Ripple Love Note...

2011-03-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Ripples,

Welcome to Ripple Effect Season 10!!! Many of you may just know me as the head coach, but I wanted to share with you the history behind my passion for dragon boating and my Ripple story.

I first started paddling in high school in 2000. I was drawn to the competitiveness and the goal of being number one (and we were!). After I graduated high school, I took a break from paddling to focus on school and returned in 2005, when my friends asked me to come out to Ripple practice. I was excited because Ripple was coached by Bob Leung, who was my high school coach. Paddling again brought back my competitive drive to practice hard and race harder, because I remembered that I had to turn it on in the final race of the day. After coming out to a few more Ripple practices, I learned that it was not all about my individual competitiveness, but that of the team. Everyone wanted to race hard and have fun at the same time. It became less about winning races and more about paddling with friends. After my first season, I was drawn back in for another, and another, and now 2011 marks my 7^th season with Ripple.

My hope for this season is to expand on the foundation that made Ripple what it is today: A group of friends who enjoy each other's company and the sport of dragon boating. A team does not define people-- people define a team-- and that's what makes Ripple so great. We are all in this together, so push yourselves, because our best support system is Ripple love and there is plenty of that to go around. This season I am looking forward to our new stroke, the continued growth of our Fast and Furious crews, and the introduction of our new boat, Ripple X. Together we are Ripple and in this 10^th season we are going to take this team places it has never been before.

Let’s Get Ripped!

Aaron

Ripple X Potentials: Huddle Up!

2011-03-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

We know, this weekend can't come any sooner...you can't wait to get back in the boat to paddle and feel the rush of water through your fingers :). And for those interested in joining Ripple X, the suspense leading up to Sunday is probably killing you! Just kidding, basically everything you need to know was in the last post, EXCEPT for where and when (uh durr -- it's the beginning of the season, please cut me a break). So without further adieu, here is the schedule for Sunday:

Ripple X Kickoff Meeting & Practice

8 a.m.: Kickoff Meeting

9 a.m.: Stretching

9:30 a.m.: Water Time

11 a.m.: Land Training

12 p.m.: Foodage

Introducing Ripple X

2011-03-05T00:11:00.000-08:00

As you may know, 2011 marks the 10-year anniversary of Ripple Effect – a team that had humble beginnings, but through Ripple love blossomed into the fun-loving active community you know today. Last year we experienced an amazing growth spurt, which enabled us to race through 2010 with three crews and explore the more competitive side of Ripple’s identity. After we settled into our new skin (post growing pains J) and the dust of last season settled, we realized how truly multifaceted Ripple is and that it doesn’t just welcome you through the door for who you are now, but also opens the doorway to what you want to become – and so inspired the creation of Ripple X.

Ripple X is a brand spanking new crew geared towards paddlers that embody the LGR (Let’s Get Ripped) mentality and want to take their performance to the athletic level. X paddlers seek opportunities to push their limits through a rigorous and comprehensive training program that involves both on and off the water conditioning. X paddlers are committed to each other, the team and the sport – and in that order.

The road to becoming an athlete is not an easy one, but in the company of Ripples it’s sure to be a fun one J. Ripple X’s training schedule will involve a minimum of two practices and two cross training sessions (LGR track workout and one on your own) per week. Not so scary, right?

Due to the rigors of performance training, paddlers interested in joining X will also undergo a:

Time Trial: Demonstrates proficiency in paddling mechanics and stroke efficiency
Fitness Evaluation: Exhibits the ability to fully participate in the training process

This is NOT a tryout. Tryouts are about identifying the most athletic and skilled paddlers and putting them on the crew in order to weed out the rest. Ripple X’s criteria is not designed to weed out anyone because we believe anyone can make it on this team, although the process may be longer for others. These criteria simply identify that you meet a basic fitness level that insures that the coaches can carry out the necessary training regimen for an aspiring athletic crew and let the process build the team up from there. We understand that it takes more than brute strength and skill to build a winning team – it also takes chemistry and spirit, which will result from training together on the water and learning to work together off the water.

Ripple X training will begin Sunday, March 13, at which time the coaches will discuss the crew in more detail and answer additional questions. Other important dates to keep in mind include:

· March 12 - Fitness self-evaluation

· April 9 - Spring time-trial & fitness evaluation

· April 16 - X crew announced

· June 25 - Summer time-trial & fitness evaluation

· August 6 - Fall time-trial & fitness evaluation

Let’s Get Ripped!

RFX Coaches

January 2011 Races

2010-12-09T11:30:00.001-08:00

Windmill 10K
When: Sunday, January 9, 2011
Time: 9:00AM
Where: Golden Gate Park
Price: $5
Website: http://www.active.com/running/san-francisco-ca/windmill-10k-2011

Currently Registered:

Confirmed: None
Tentative: Francis

Bay Area Cross Challenge
When: Sunday, January 16, 2011
Time: 9:00AM
Where: Golden Gate Park
Price: $40
Website: http://www.active.com/running/san-francisco-ca/bay-area-cross-challenge-baxc-2011?cmp=10-1

Currently Registered:

Confirmed: None
Tentative: Francis

Track Workout - 12/6/10

2010-12-07T23:59:00.000-08:00

The next 4 - 6 weeks will be used to create a solid base. The distance will increase as we get our body and mind acclimated to the intensity of the track workouts.

Focus: Consistent 1,000M Times

Warm Up

1,200M Jog (~ 40% - 50%)
Stretch (10 minutes)
Strideouts (4x100M)

Main Set*

1,000M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
1,000M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
1,000M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
1,000M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
1,000M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)

*After each "on" interval (odd numbers), rest for 120 seconds before begin your "off" interval (even numbers)

Cool Down

400M Jog (~ 40% - 50%)
Stretch (10 minutes)

Core/Total Body

Go through each set continuously. Rest 90 seconds. Proceed to next set.

Set 1

Mountain Climbers for 30 Seconds @ 100%

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

60 Regular Crunches

30 Reverse Crunches w/ Extension

60 Roman Twists

Set 2

Air Squats for 30 Seconds @ 100%

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

30 Leg Raises w/ V's

30 Oblique Raises (15 Each Side)

60 Frog Leg Crunches

Set 3

Diagonal Mountain Climbers for 30 Seconds @ 100%

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

30 Thread the Needle (15 Each Side)

60 Boxer Sit Ups

30 Mermaids

Set 4

Diagonal Lounges for 30 Seconds @ 100%

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

60 Bicycles

50 Elbow to Knees

30 Jumping Jack Planks

Track Workout - 11/30/10

2010-12-01T23:03:00.000-08:00

The next 4 - 6 weeks will be used to create a solid base. The distance will increase as we get our body and mind acclimated to the intensity of the track workouts.

Focus: Speed 200M at a time.

Warm Up

1,200M Jog (~ 40% - 50%)
Stretch (10 minutes)
Strideouts (4x100M)

Main Set*

200M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
400M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
600M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
800M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
1,000M (90%)
400M (half marathon goal pace)
1,200M (90%)

*After each "on" interval (odd numbers), rest for 120 seconds before begin your "off" interval (even numbers)

Cool Down

400M Jog (~ 40% - 50%)
Stretch (10 minutes)

Core/Total Body

Go through each set continuously. Rest 90 seconds. Proceed to next set.

Set 1

Pushups for 15 Seconds @ 100%

Mountain Climbers for 20 Seconds @ 100%

25 V-Ups

40 Elbow to Knees

60 Bicycle Kicks

Set 2

Pushups for 15 Seconds @ 100%

Mountain Climbers for 20 Seconds @ 100%

60 Roman Twist

60 Seconds of Side Planks (30 Seconds Each Side)

60 Side to Side Sit Ups

Set 3

Mountain Climbers for 15 Seconds @ 100%

Push Ups for 20 Seconds @ 100%

25 Reverse Sit Ups with Extension

25 Leg Lifts

Hold Legs Out for 45 Seconds

Set 4

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

Diagonal Lounges for 30 Seconds @ 100%

40 Regular Sit ups

40 Boxer Sit Ups

40 Frog Sit Ups

Track Workout - 11/23/10

2010-12-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

The next 4 - 6 weeks will be used to create a solid base. The distance will increase as we get our body and mind acclimated to the intensity of the track workouts.

Focus: Set benchmark times.

Warm Up

800M Jog (~ 40% - 50%)
Stretch (10 minutes)
Strideouts (4x100M)

Main Set*

1,600M (10K goal pace)
400M (warm up pace)
1,200M (same pace or faster than interval 1)
400M (warm up pace)
1,000M (same pace or faster than interval 2)
400M (warm up pace)
800M (same pace or faster than interval 2)
400M (warm up pace)
400M (same pace or faster than interval 2)

*After each "on" interval (odd numbers), rest for 120 seconds before begin your "off" interval (even numbers)

Cool Down

400M Jog (~ 40% - 50%)
Stretch (10 minutes)

Core/Total Body

Go through each set continuously. Rest 90 seconds. Proceed to next set.

Set 1

50 Regular Sit Ups

50 Boxer Sit Ups (count every other)

50 Frog Sit Ups

25 Air Squats

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

Set 2

25 Reverse Sit Ups with Let Extension

25 V-Ups

25 Feet Clap

25 Air Squats

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

Set 3

50 Roman Twists

30 Thread the Needle (15 each side)

40 Side to Side Sit Ups

25 Air Squats

Push Ups for 30 Seconds @ 100%

2010 Christmas Relay!!!

2010-11-29T23:53:00.000-08:00

Hello Team!!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! It's this time of year again... The Christmas Relay is here!! Here’s the 411:

What: 4 man relay race around Lake Merced, each member runs around Lake Merced once (4.5 miles)

When: Sunday, December 12 @ 9:00 a.m. (rain or shine)

Where: Our home turf, Lake Merced (start of the race is at the parking lot with the pull up bars @ Sunset Blvd. @ Lake Merced)

Cost: $15 per person, includes a long sleeve shirt, a run with awesome people, and a race bib to start or add to your collection

I NEED your response by Friday, December 3 @ 10:00 a.m. PST via email (francisjdavid@gmail.com), text (408-821-6150), facebook, paper airplane, or whatever means of communications you can think of if you want to participate. In addition, I'll need your shirt size. Currently I have Yau, Yau's brother, Kristine, and I.

This is a fun run, so don’t worry about being “slow.” Teams will be constructed randomly (I’ll pull names from a hat). Feel free to invite non-Ripples, the more the merrier! You can pay me at race day. If you’re on the fence, JUST DO IT, NIKE! You never know, you might fall in love with running! If you have any questions, please let me know. I hope to see you there!

Happy Training!
FD

Rainy/Overly Windy/Oops I Skipped Practice Workout 4.21.10

2010-04-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

When nature gets in the way of your workout, simply take it inside. Detailed below is a circuit workout designed to hit the muscles that would have been conditioned today if practice wasn't canceled. Remember, something is always better than nothing and if for some reason you miss practice or want to supplement water training, just take 30-45 minutes to run through these exercises (make sure to leave an additional 5-10 minutes to do some warmup/cool down cardio).

For those of you that are unfamiliar with circuit training, the workout involves a series of exercises (in this case 6). Perform a set of each exercise back to back with 30-45 second rests in between to complete one circuit. Perform a total of at least three circuits while resting/doing a cardio move for 60-90 seconds between each circuit.

Exercise Name (muscle focus)

Lunges (quads, glutes), advanced: jumping lunges
Pushups (core, chest, shoulders), advanced: knee elbow touch
Wall squats (quads): the advanced version is shown; to do the regular wall squat, place both feet on the floor
Roman twists (obliques/abs)
Leg lifts (lower abs), advanced: 360 leg lifts
Tricep dips (triceps), advanced version

Perform exercises 1-6 for 30/60/90 seconds each (the stronger you are the longer you do the exercise for) and then rest

for 30-45 seconds between each set. Then rest 60-90 seconds after doing each circuit (exercises 1-6).

The best dboat quote EVAH!

2009-12-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

"No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing. "

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

As we get ready for the new season, I think every year we have to remind ourselves of this fundamental dragon boating fact: no one finishes the race unless we all cross the finish line together. No one person is going to pull us the whole way; in fact, having someone who is too strong can throw off the balance and fluidity of the boat because that person's stroke is inconsistent with the others. We all bring something unique to the boat, whether it be a voice that can project across all 10 rows, or impeccable timing, or a reach that keeps the three corners (front, side and back partners) stroking long, but when it comes to our paddling skills, we can only succeed if we grow together.

Dragon boating may be the purest team sport known out there. It takes the incredible precision of 20 people doing the exact same movement at the exact same time -- some would think a sport like this would require a 6th sense! And maybe we have that 6th sense, that connection that keeps us together on and off the water. The intangilble sense that we all call the magic of Ripple Love.

Mark your calendars folks, we'll be seeing you at first practice on February 6!

All paddles up!

Kristine

Christmas Relay @ Lake Merced: Need RSVP by 12/4

2009-11-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

The annual Christmas Relay is BACK for all of you who feel as stuffed as the turkey you chowed on Thanksgiving, or could use a good dose of Ripple love, or just want to show off how easy running the lake is now after all those training runs! Here’s the 411:

What: 4 man relay race around Lake Merced, each member runs around Lake Merced once (4.5 miles)

When: Sunday, December 13 @ 9:00 a.m. (morning before Ripple’s Friends & Family)

Where: Our home turf, Lake Merced (start of the race is at the parking lot with the pull up bars @ Sunset Blvd. @ Lake Merced)

Cost: $24 per person, includes a long sleeve shirt, a date to run with awesome people, and a race bib to start or add to your collection

I NEED your response by Friday, December 4 @ 11:59 p.m. PST via evite reply (check your e-mail!), email (francisjdavid@gmail.com), text (408-821-6150), facebook, paper airplane, or whatever means of communications you can think of. I apologize for the quick turnaround.

This is a fun run, so don’t worry about being “slow.” Teams will be constructed randomly (I’ll pull names from a hat). Feel free to invite non-Ripples, the more the merrier! You can pay me at race day. If you’re on the fence, JUST DO IT, NIKE! You never know, you might fall in love with running!

If you have any questions, please let me know. I hope to see you there!

- Francis

Run Wild for a Child, 5K/10K, GG Park, Sunday 11/29

2009-11-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

Anticipate feeling guilty after the Thanksgiving bout of gluttony? Unmotivated to get off the couch and attempt to burn off the week's worth of calories you consumed on Turkey Day? If you said yes to at least one of these questions, this solution is for you!

Step one, stop eating leftovers. Step two, get off the couch. Step three, put on a costume and run either a 5K or 10K (that's 3.1 and 6.2 miles respectively for the metric system illiterate) with your Ripple teammates, family or friends at the Run Wild for a Child race in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, November 29, at 8:30 a.m. Not only will you feel better after having eaten enough for half the boat over the holiday, you'll have a chance to relive Halloween (sober!) and supporting the SF Firefighters' Toy Drive! A win win situation folks!

For more information, please check out the event website: http://rhodyco.com/runwild.html or ask Kristine or Francis. See you there!

- Francis

Home Gym: Chair Exercises

2009-09-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Chair exercises - AskMen.com

No gym? No equipment? No time? NO EXCUSES! This article details 10 exercises you can do using simply...a chair.

Remember proper form and for many of these exercises, if you can't do them properly on the ground without being elevated, definitely don't try doing them on the chair or else you'll risk injury. Also, if a chair is too elevated for your taste, try doing them using a sturdy stool or if you have a weight bench, which is what I use, those will also work great and you can build up to higher elevations.

And what can you use these exercises for? Yup, you guessed it...your 3x30's!! Do it peoples!

And an FYI for the ladies, Carmen Electra has a great video how-to series of chair exercises too, but of a different nature...but still a workout! Ha :P.

Let's get ripped! (note the picture ;) and no...that's not a picture I took of Francis, geez)

Kristine

It's BaaaaACK!: The 3x30 CHALLENGE

2009-08-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the dealio: Erik Young and I kicked off this program last year 30 days before Treasure Island in an effort to encourage Ripple to take their training to the next level. Your first question may be, why is it called the 3x30 (triple 30) Challenge?

The program entails you to do 30 repetitions for each of your three major muscle categories everyday for 30 days and coincidentally, this should take no more than 30 minutes each day. To top off the theme, it also requires 30 minutes of cardio exercise, you guessed it, 3 times a week (your practices count as one 30 minute session, so if you come to all three you're set).

What is considered a repetition? A single movement of the exercise, such as one push-up, or one sit-up or one lunge, for example, is considered one repetition

What are the three major muscle categories?

Upper body: ex. back, chest, shoulders, arms
Core: ex. abs, lower back
Lower body: ex. glutes (your bootay), thighs, calves

Examples of 3x30 workouts:

10 push-ups + 10 tricep dips + 10 pull-ups
10 roman twists + 10 crunches + 10 leg lifts
10 lunges + 10 squats + 10 clams
30 minutes of jump roping

30 bicep curls
20 supermans + 1 min. plank
10 side steps with band + 10 jump squats + 10 calf raises
30 minutes rowing machine

Things to keep in mind:

Basic exercises like lunges and push-ups are great because they don't require any equipment, so being too tired to go to the gym or not having a gym membership is not an excuse :).
Basic exercises like these that engage multiple muscle groups at once and leverage your own body weight are ideal for paddlers at our athletic level because the human body naturally moves using multiple muscle groups at once and need to learn to support it's own weight properly before moving on to targeted weight training.
Avoid boredom with basic exercises by spicing it up! For example, instead of doing lunges in one place, try to do them up and down your hallway or up a flight of stairs or jump up when you switch legs. If you have questions about variations of these exercises, stay tuned and/or ask your coaches!
Try not to do the same exact exercise two days in a row. Give yourself a rest day.
Mix up your routine even further by doing circuit workouts. Such as the following:

Do 10 pushups
Do 10 crunches
Do 10 lunges
Do each set of 10 back to back without rest to complete one round, which equals one circuit. Repeat circuit three times with a minute rest in between each circuit.

Track your days! You'll be amazed what you can accomplish in just a month and please always ask if you have any questions!! TI watch out, cuz we're gonna go get it!

PREPARE FOR GLORY!

2009-08-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

I personally can no longer stand the sugar in sports drinks. As you know, I used to love Rain and when that got too sweet the orange endurance vitamin water, but then that got too sweet too. But I know that drinking water during an intense run/pract...ice isn't the best so I'm thrilled to find this article!! At the bottom, find how to make your own sports drink. GLORIOUS. here's what they recommend!

Sports drink recipe from “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook”

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 1/2 cups cold water

In a quart pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water. Add the remaining ingredients and the cold water. The drink contains about 50 calories and 110 mg of sodium per 8 ounces, approximately the same as for most sports drinks.

Full article:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/phys-ed-are-sports-drinks-actually-good-for-kids/

Baby Steps: Try training for a 5K by TI!

2009-08-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Half Marathon Training: Novice

2009-05-14T15:09:00.001-07:00

Half Marathon Training: Novice

Posted using ShareThis

Ripple Challenge

2009-05-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to get ripped? Up for a new challenge? Well here it is:

100 push-ups and 200 sit-ups

What am I talking about, you ask? Check it out here:

100 Push-ups

200 Sit-ups

This is an open challenge to everyone, but totally optional. It only takes about 20 minutes, three times a week, for six weeks. For those who are interested, we will start week 1 on Monday, May 18th. Initial tests should be done a couple of days before. At the end of week 6 we will do one last max out test to see who made the biggest improvement from week 1. The ripple officers will gather up some prizes for the male and female who make the biggest improvements. I think this is a great opportunity to do something as a team and have fun, with a little competition. I hope everyone will give it a try, you don't have anything to lose, but something to gain.

Let's get ripped!!!

Aaron

Upcoming Races

2009-05-04T02:07:00.001-07:00

Bay to Breakers
May 17, we have 6 signed up so far and we're making our own caterpillar dboat costume, so join in on the fun!

SF Half Marathon
July 26, training begins the weekend after Paragon Point. If you've ever wanted to prove to yourself that 13.1 miles is not impossible, this is your chance! We have 3 signed up so far!

Let Kristine know if you want in on the training, kristine.lee8@gmail.com

Goals

2009-01-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'm realizing that just reading about workouts isn't exactly exciting. I'll share what little knowledge I have and have read about the subject. Please don't let the fact that my appearance is less than... fit deter you from reading what I have to say.

There are folks on the team who can hopefully back this up, but I was told that goals should always be specific, realistic and challenging. Goals like "to lose weight" or "to be a better paddler" won't help you achieve much. But goals like "to lose 15 pounds by May 31" or "to run the Bay to Breakers in under 50 minutes" are better. Both are specific in terms of what to achieve, and a timeline.

Being specific also means choosing a goal that's measurable. "To become stronger" leaves a lot of room for interpretation. "To do 15 pull ups" leaves no room for that.

In terms of being realistic, this means setting a goal that is actually attainable. Setting a goal to bench press 1,000 pounds isn't practical (unless you're Sharkie). Take your resources into account - time, support and so on.

And goals should be challenging. If you can run Lake Merced in 45 minutes, setting a goal of 44 minutes by May isn't exactly a stretch. Pick a goal that will stretch your limits. This is part of making it realistic - you don't want something that won't challenge you, but neither do you want one that will frustrate you.

That's it for now. For the record, since my last update on Jan. 20, I managed at least 45 minutes of exercise every day but Friday. Mostly cardio (will be explained in a later post), but some weights thrown in.

Stay ripped!

Still going...

2009-01-20T14:43:00.001-08:00

Even though I haven't posted in a bit, it doesn't mean I haven't been working out. I'll just include the most recent workouts:

1/17: 60 minutes of cardio, medium/high intensity
1/18: 60 minutes of cardio, medium intensity
1/19: 90 minutes of cardio, medium intensity
1/20: 45 minutes of cardio followed by light leg workout (leg press, extensions)

I'll do the full weight circuit tomorrow, legs plus upper body.

Keep in mind that my focus is more the cardio side. Helps keep the asthma in check. But don't forget that paddling starts in a short 2 months. Now is a good time to start working on the fitness base. More endurance training will help to paddle longer earlier, and more strength training will help prevent injuries.

Six in a row

2009-01-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Started off with 30 minutes of cardio as a warmup, then did the full body circuit - shoulder push downs, shoulder press, chest press, curls, rows, lat pull down and leg press. I'll take tomorrow off since my knee feels a bit tender - guess that's what 6 consecutive days working out will do to you.

New Year, new focus

2009-01-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

With the New Year starting, I'll focus more on cardio to maintain my fitness base, and to burn off the extra holiday calories:

1/1: 60 minutes steady cardio, average hr around 150
1/2: 60 minutes cardio invervals, 5 minutes medium intensity, 1 minute high intensity
1/3: 60 minutes steady cardio, lower intensity
1/4: 60 minutes steady cardio, medium intensity

Cardio workouts were done on an elliptical trainer. As much as I know that "true" cardio, or running/biking outside are better, it's just too dang cold to go out. I'll stick to what works to help maintain my fitness level.