When I started this year’s challenge, life was cruising along just fine. I had it set that I would do a Super Squats post every Wednesday to guide other eager participants through the first six months of the year with a series of core exercises evolving from the plank position. Then life happened. I suffered a terrible and sudden death in my family that threw everything into chaos where it largely remains three weeks later. I have difficulty expressing myself with more frequency and my inability to find laughter in normally humorous things is troubling (though some would argue that I have always struggled with humor). The odd thing is that when trapped in the sad house, surrounded by the stunned and grieving family and friends, my sister and I were able to do one thing to help keep our sanity – we did plank. Continue reading
super squats
The first installment in this series covered some basic running tips that helped me get started. Now it’s time to Get Serious. Here are the tips that have helped me get to my next running level. Continue reading
A few weeks ago, I reached one of my goals for 2012, a goal that I have been working on for about a year: I finished a timed 5k in under 30 minutes. If you are a runner you are probably saying “big whoop”‘ but if you know anything about me, you will understand why this is a big deal for me. Continue reading
We’ve all heard the expression “You are what you eat.” I always took this to heart, being from the South, which has a very rich history of consuming very rich and high-fat foods. We always expressed ourselves through the foods we ate — well at least in my house we did. Continue reading
“The body is a perfect machine, only limited by the head,” my old high school weightlifting coach used to say. I laugh at it now, but when I was younger I would imagine myself as a Terminator T-800. )Shout out to the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of my first big influences in weight training.)
The deeper I got into lifting, and the more I started seeing results, the more I begin to understand that saying. There are similarities between man and machine. Like most machines the body is made to work, perform and complete tasks — and requires just as much maintenance. Continue reading
When I’m at the gym or just hanging out, I’ve been asked these questions more than a few times:
“What are you taking?”
“What are you on?”
“What’s your secret?”
“Are you on steroids?”
Now of course I’m not on steroids, and some of these questions just make me go “Huh?” There is no secret! But I do take advantage of supplements as part of my fitness regimen. Continue reading
I was at work the other day and I was going over my annual H.R. review and it hit me, “What if I did this for my fitness goals?!” Just like the annual review at work, the purpose of this review is not to dwell on past achievements or challenges, but more so to gauge what your next steps should be in the coming year.
I thought it would be a good idea for us to have an annual review of our health goals. I want you to be honest with yourselves — so no excuses! Continue reading
Now that we are in the home-run stretch of the holiday season with the Thanksgiving feasts, company-sponsored Christmas parties to attend and all that comes with New Year’s Eve debauchery; we’ve got to be mindful about how we finish off the year and start off the next one. Continue reading
I recently was asked by my friend to pick up the mantle of the Super Squats column here at Crasstalk and I humbly accepted, of course. Why else would I be writing this? So anyway, I’ve been a self-proclaimed “gym rat” for many years now and with that has come a lot of knowledge about what challenges people face when they’re trying to lose some weight or get back to the gym or just improve their life. Continue reading
Well folks, eight weeks have come and gone. This is it for us for now. Continue reading