Turning 61

May 27, 2010

There are billboards and ads everywhere announcing the release of “Sex in the City 2” on May 27^th. My favorite is one with high heels in the sand and the girls looking as comfortable as if they were walking on a red carpet. No sinking heels in that sand dune. We love Hollywood because it makes the impossible – real. (Photoshop does too) Making the impossible – real is one of my favorite things about California. The whole state lives in the sunny land of possibility. 

May 27^th is also my birthday – I just turned 61 – and I was lucky to spend most of my life in California so that even the last 6 years of living in New York hasn’t changed my mindset. New York is solid, and the city is all about business, no flirting and teasing. But I had to stop for a few minutes and think about my life because it’s always been a combination of California and New York.

Flirting,Teasing & Love

I love the flirting and teasing and the exploration of new ideas and teachings. The concepts that I love get more attention and eventually become part of my life. They become part of the “business of life”.

The same applies to “fitness life”.  For my birthday this year I explored kickboxing and was surprised by how much I loved it. It really helps to love everything we do, even if it’s tough work. Having a “flirt affair” with the treadmill or dumbbells at the gym is a great start. I like to “date “ different kinds of workouts too and then get down to business. The tease comes from watching our bodies change while we’re doing this.

Looking at my body as a business enterprise has been pretty easy. I used to build graphic design projects from a napkin concept to finished campaigns. The ones that were the best always had a special relationship to the businesses that hired me.

If you’re an actor, dancer, or in my case, a lifestyle coach and fitness trainer, it’s obvious that our bodies are important for our careers. But it’s no different for bankers or corporate vice-presidents – a fit body tells the world that you’re focused, strong, and flexible enough to navigate life. No bag of Doritos or financial glitch is going to knock you off course. You’re dependable.

When you believe that you are worth the effort to stay fit and healthy others will believe in your worth as well.

If you can take care of yourself then you can take care of company business… or your client’s – that’s one hidden message. You’ll get promoted instead of someone else – that’s a message that’s not hidden.

Creating our Future

Think of health and exercise this way – working out is like creating a “Fitness 401k”. The more we stock away, the stronger our “F401k” is. The longer we do it, the more we have in reserve. Of course diversity is also security. That means creating strong minds and lifestyle training as much as having a strong body.

If you’re 30, start your “F401k” now. You’ll start compounding the benefits early. If you’re 60 or older, it’s not too late to tap into the unlimited possibilities that a healthy strong body offers you for your future.  If you don’t believe me, maybe it’s time to take a trip to Hollywood.

Train your Body. Train your Mind. Tame your Tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. You should never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.

The Beauty Bitch Interview

BeautyBitch.Com is a website you'll want to visit. The following is a recent interview with their editor, and I like my new title. – Rick

Beauty Bitch interviews Rick Dinihanian a 61 year-old celebrity lifestyle coach and fitness trainer

Hey Ladies and Gentlemen, we were extremely fortunate to have witnessed a photo shoot while at the beach in California and found the ultimate inspiration for "Sexy Bastard."

Meet Rick Dinihanian. He's a lifestyle coach and fitness trainer in New York and Los Angeles and guess what? He's 60... that's right – 60. May he be an inspiration to all of us!

Sexy Bastard

BB: Rick, you made a big change in your life and became an inspirational sex symbol. What made you choose to make those changes and become such a sexy bastard?

RD: I was 49, well on the way to 50, and my jeans didn’t fit any more. I had a 50-year-old belly, and thought “I’m going to deal with this now, or it’s just going to take me over”.

Beside the vanity factor, there was another reason that drove me to take action. At that point in my life I was tired all the time, feeling pretty low in the confidence department and unhappy in an unsupportive relationship. I felt compelled to become the best that I could, instead of staying stuck.

By the time I was 54 my jeans were fitting just fine. Playgirl Magazine agreed and made me their oldest Cover/centerfold ever published. I guess that’s where the sexy bastard comes from.

BB: What mid-life advice would you give to our readers?

RD: Let’s start with the context of being in the best shape that you can be. You get that by training your mind and your body. Then you have to watch your tongue. The tongue stuff is tricky because it’s both what you say, and what you eat. If you have a vision and use your mental muscle you can achieve anything.

Yesterday I received an email from a 68 year-old man. I’ve never met him, but he started emailing me three years ago. Since then he’s dropped 45 pounds and is planning on entering a marathon this summer. Sometimes all any of us require is inspiration and a few words of encouragement.

BB: Give me one tip to survive getting older.

RD: Never blame anything on your age. Own your responsibility. If you blame a lack of strength or fitness on age, well, you’re just stuck. You can’t change your age. But you can change your eating habits, your exercise routine, your flexibility, and your sleep patterns. Pick something that you can change, and then do it.

BB: How do you stay motivated to continue to look the way you do?

RD: Well, I’ve been lucky to have photographers and magazines want to photograph me at intervals close enough together to keep me motivated to stay in shape. My physique is also my personal billboard… I’m a lifestyle coach and fitness trainer. I can’t imagine practicing anything other that what I teach.

BB: How about a few motivational tips for Beauty Bitch.

RD: Make a fitness plan, set specific goals, use the things you know that motivate you, take a before picture, find someone to help you keep going when you’re wanting to stop and be patient and kind to yourself along the journey of transformation.

It’s helpful to set goals with timelines. Anyone can create an event and train for it. You might be getting ready for a presentation at the Tony Awards, a 4th of July pool party or a special date with your lover. Set-up enough of these and you’ve got a year’s worth of motivational goals. The other option is to wait until you’re sick and the doctor tells you to start exercising. Then your motivation is avoiding illness or death. I think you would agree that the first option is a better choice.

BB: You’re one of those exceptional modern renaissance men. You’re a well-known fitness expert and writer, you model, travel with your clients, train celebrities like Jessica Lange, Anika Noni Rose and Marcia Gay Harden and are an accomplished artist. I heard that when you accompanied Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour in Europe and North America you were training her dancers. How do you do it all?

RD: All of these things are part of who I am. I use my artistic vision when I’m painting; I also use it when I’m training a client. I can see their transformation, often before they can see it themselves. I rarely get tired doing this because it’s what I love. It was such a great experience training Madonna’s dancers. They’re all passionate and exceptionally skilled. Even though I was old enough to be their father (or grandfather) I brought wisdom and could match them physically.

BB: We’d like to understand more about your life vision.

RD: I’ve always done things that I’ve loved doing. Those times that I didn’t have that passion, my world turned darker. Making choices that bring more light and love into our lives can never be wrong. Turning this towards fitness meant fine-tuning my thoughts and having power over uncontrolled appetites that work against growth and renewal. Take a look at food. How many people do you know that understand how harmful or helpful foods can be? Why not? You wouldn’t try to run your Maserati on kerosene would you?

I believe that we all have an untapped potential to reach high levels of health and fitness. When you’re living pain free, feeling in control of your body and have an abundance of energy, your self-confidence and sexiness is expressed naturally.

BB: What about your writing? I heard you are writing a book.

RD: I do have a book in the works, but you’ll have to interview me about that another time! I can tell you that it will be groundbreaking and inspirational. I write weekly on fitness and health and Beauty Bitch readers can find my writing at BreakingSixty.Blogspot.com.

BB: Can I join your fan club?

RD: That’ll make us even; I’ve already joined yours!

BB: Passion. Is that why you do the work you do?

RD: Absolutely. I do it for myself, and for the joy I get when I see a client walking in the door with a newfound confidence. My message to everyone is to be the best that they can be, no matter what age. Being your best inspires others and ultimately brings more love to the planet.


BeautyBitch.com

Train your Body. Train your Mind. Tame your Tongue.
Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional, health care provider or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your wellness professional.

Behind the Scenes

I wanted to post a video teaser from a recent photoshoot. This is one of the things that keeps me motivated to stay in shape...  I think the feature will be groundbreaking for the magazine. You rarely see anyone over 60 on fitness magazine pages.

If you have trouble playing the video on my blog, click on the link below for a full screen view.

Video Teaser Link


Thanks for watching... and reading. See you next week.

Train Your Body. Train Your Mind. Tame Your Tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional, health care provider or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your wellness professional.

Rest Soft – Get Hard

Last week I wrote about sleep. An extension of the fantastic healing power of sleep are days off from intense workouts. We refer to those as rest or recovery days. They’re one of the most overlooked pieces of the muscle building equation.

Lean Muscle Builder

When we do intense weight training and muscle building, our muscle fibers break down. As the muscle repairs itself during rest, it becomes stronger and grows.  If we don’t rest, how can we expect to gain in the lean muscle mass department? Fat loves it when you don’t rest enough. Muscle is just the opposite. Rest and recovery means days off and at least 8 hours of sleep every day.

Last weekend I had a photoshoot for a national fitness magazine (more about that in a future blog). One of the hardest things for me to do when training for this day was keeping my commitment to resting and recovery. Personally, it’s easier for me to go workout, than take a day off and chill, but I knew that the only way to show up my best was to avoid overtraining and get the rest days in.

Balancing your Auto Pilot

When we push our training to the limit, our body is mostly functioning with the help of our “sympathetic nervous system”. This system is responsive to our body’s requirements during times of increased activity and stress. When we are resting, the “parasympathetic nervous system” takes over. Both of these systems are part of our autonomic nervous system, made up of nerves that control and help maintain body functions without our awareness. Things like breathing, heart rate, blood flow and digestion. Both systems work together. When we keep them balanced, we’re functioning in a healthy zone – another reason for taking that day off and a good night’s sleep.

Rest Soft, Get Hard

Resting doesn’t mean parking on the couch with a box of donuts. It means consciously choosing to get 8 hours sleep and taking a day off from our regular gym routine to do something different. We’ll be resetting our metabolic process, increasing muscle growth and preparing ourselves for a better workout on the next day.

While training for the magazine shoot, my best workout days were those after I had a full day off from the gym and plenty of sleep. I made sure that the day before the shoot I let all my muscles rest. It was a mental challenge to stay away from the gym, especially since I was nervous about the shoot (I’ll confess to a light run though, it keeps me grounded). On the day of the shoot I didn’t need to do much of a pre-shoot pump to be photo ready.

Mind Programming

Think of it this way. Our internal mechanism is working really hard to build new muscle and burn fat. By giving it a break from new tasks it will to catch up (rebuild you) and really get you into great shape. So take a day off and go dancing, ride your bike, hike in the woods, have sex in the afternoon, sail your boat, or just go for a walk in the park… your body will still be working hard – just without the intense muscle work you do on other days.

Train Your Body. Train Your Mind. Tame Your Tongue.

Thanks to Adam Razak for inspiring this blog.
Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional, health care provider or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your wellness professional

Good in Bed?

Not Getting Enough?

Sleep! It is the underrated supplement for weight loss and body building. Imagine that. No conscious mental or physical exertion… all you have to do is get into bed and wake up about 8 hours later.

When I’m getting ready for a photoshoot, the two most important things for me are drinking enough water and getting enough rest. Rest equals recovery. It also equals a lot of other things. We detox emotions and physical toxins during sleep. We also create important hormones including growth hormone. You get the picture – if you are only getting two-thirds of the sleep you require, you’re short changing yourself on much more than feeling rested in the morning.

More HGH

A University of Chicago study reported that those who slept 4 hours had cortisol levels 37 percent higher than those who slept a full 8 hours. High cortisol equals less muscle and more fat. If you want really good stuff without supplementation, you’ll be glad to know that another University of Chicago study reported that men who got plenty of sleep – deep sleep –produced about 65% more human growth hormone (HGH) than those who short changed themselves in bed.

On those days where I’ve missed my sleep quota, I’m usually prone to wanting to eat more – that usually means calorie laden, carbohydrate heavy and fatty with plenty of salt. Put a plate of sweet potato fries (everything sweet potato isn’t healthy) in front of me one of those days and I’ll inhale them first and think about it later. Yes, I’ve really done that. But about 4 hours later, I’m reminded of my choice and feel really tired and bloated.

Getting enough sleep isn’t something we’re trained to do as adults. Some men pride themselves on being able to function on 4 hours of sleep.  Eventually, when their bodies have had enough, it’s crash and burn time. Not a great way to manage a fitness program.

10 tips for being a sleep athlete:

1. Regular Sleep Patterns

Plan your evening and your morning. Make your bedtime and wake-up time consistent. You’ll find your natural rhythm and body clock will kick-in and after several weeks and it’ll be natural for you to be getting 8 hours of sleep. If you have a partner, or roommate that loves to watch Letterman and midnight sci-fi movies, engage them in supporting you (and themselves) in better health. If they insist on staying up late, buy them some headphones to plug into the TV.

2. Create an Evening Routine

Your routine will signal your body that it’s time to rest. Eat at least two (better yet, 3 hours) hours before you hit the pillow, have some warm herbal tea, soak in a tub – and if you can’t do that, be sure and take a warm shower to wash off all of the electrical vibration you’ve been exposed to during the day.

3. Sex-place not Workplace

Save your bedroom for sleeping and sex. Leave your legal papers, newspapers, TV and brain activities in another room. The bedroom is a place to recharge your body and soul.

4. Make it Shady

Dim your lights an hour before you are going to sleep. Shut off the TV. The brighter the lights are before you go to bed, the longer it will take for your body to start producing melatonin. Low levels of melatonin have been associated with aging and studies have shown men with prostate cancer and women with breast cancer have lower levels of melatonin. Ever see a rock star right after a concert? She’ll pop on rose tinted glasses to start quieting her system after being in the glare of the stage lights.

5. Hot Magnesium

Soak in a bath with Magnesium flakes and magnesium “oil”. Your body will absorb the magnesium through your skin, relaxing your muscles. The side benefit is that it’s great for your skin texture. If you’re hyper and can’t relax before bed, fill the tub, dim the bathroom lights and soak for 10 minutes. You’ll sleep deeper than you can imagine.

6. Rock Off

Turn off the disco beat and play something calm.  If you find a tune that works for you, keep playing it. Personally, I like new age wind instrument tracks. Try playing them every night for a week. Add this to your other night-time routines to create more restful sleep.

7. Other Hands

Get yourself a massage, chiropractic or acupuncture treatment, or other holistic care once a month. If you’re working out intensely, you’ll benefit from this care more often. All of these treatments assist your body in releasing tension, calming your mind and correcting imbalances. Whenever you do this, your body becomes healthier and more alkaline.

8. Work it Out

You know the benefits of exercise or you wouldn’t be here on this blog. Don’t make it your second priority. Work out so you can sleep deep, and sleep deep so your workouts make a difference. Since you’ll be releasing plenty of feel good endorphins when you work out, just before bed isn’t a great time to exercise. While these endorphins are great during the day, their energy can keep you awake at night.

9. Deep Sleep Tea

It’s really not called that, but it’s my “get me to sleep now” tea. I use a combination of mint and valerian root tea. It’s not addictive and almost always works. Try making it with hot almond milk and water.

10. Spirit Quest

Still dragging your office into the bedroom. Put a box outside the bedroom door and leave your physical or imaginary problems in it. They’ll be there in the morning if you still want them, but they won’t follow you into bed. Take a minute to be grateful, no matter what’s going on in your life.  Sweet Dreams.

Train your body. Train your mind. Tame your tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional, health care provider or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your wellness professional.

Guarantees

And an Extended Warranty

You know how every time you buy an appliance or big-ticket item – like that new flat screen – you get hit up at the end of the sale for the purchase of an extended warranty. The sales person will imply that the extended warranty will guarantee you results for as long as you are going to want to keep your new shiny toy.

Which guarantees are important to us anyway? I couldn’t help but think about all of this when a client (who happened to have won a “Best Acting” Academy Award) asked for a “guarantee that my lifestyle coaching and strength training program would yield results.  Maybe we’ve all become overly accustomed to manufacturers warranties and product guarantees.

No Remote Control

In the journey to getting fit and healthy, most of us are looking for a guarantee of tight abs and a shiny new body. Not much different than the amazing picture quality we are expecting from that new flat screen we’re searching for in all of the appliance stores.  The only difference is that our bodies do not come with a remote control and there’s only one form of guarantee and extended warranty – I’ll get to that in a minute.

Being a good coach means walking a fine line between teaching, pushing, pulling, watching and inspiring – then letting your client be responsible for choosing and taking actions that will yield the results that they desire. Motivation and inspiration are critical to the process. So are positive thoughts and language. If someone is moving and has been motivated, their brain is fed electrical charges that create internal and external change. We didn’t evolve into this spectacular place as human beings without movement and challenges (existence motivation).

Tame your Tongue

Take a look at my Blog tag-line that says: “Train Your Body. Train Your Mind. Tame Your Tongue”. The first two thoughts are pretty clear, but what about “Taming Your Tongue”?

When I penned that last "command", I intended it to have a double meaning. Primarily, I was referring to the voracious appetite that the tongue has for food. The 2^nd meaning was a result of the years spent meditating and studying the effects of positive thoughts, actions and language.  I want to make sure that the meaning of it is clear.

How are you going to “Train Your Mind” if you don’t use supportive language and “Tame Your Tongue”? If you are in the habit of saying, “I just can’t,” chances are you won’t.  When my client said something negative and then made a positive language correction, I had a huge Cheshire cat grin. Tongue taming was in the works.

The Guarantee

Now let’s look at guaranteed results.  When we do the work, stay present in our training, keep our minds sharp, eat right and do not allow our tongues to run away with our confidence and determination – spoiling all our positive work – we’ve got the tightest guarantee around. The best thing about this is that there is no extra cost and it is far better then the “limited” warranty that comes with your flat screen.

You’re the guarantee baby. Go for it.

Train Your Body. Train Your Mind. Tame Your Tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.

10 Beach Body Tips

1.   Eat Often

Space your meals out three hours apart and make them small.  Aim for three “meals” and two or three snack size meals. You’ll kick-up your metabolism this way. If you’re still full after three hours, you ate too much at the last meal.

2.   Go Green

Fill up on vegetables. They don’t weigh a lot on the calorie counter, but they’ll fill you up, add fiber and insure your supply of vitamins and minerals. Go for cruciferous vegetables and dark leafy greens.

3.   Drink it up

Drink water. If you’re under-hydrated, your body will hoard water and you’ll feel bloated. Plus water helps your body process toxins and to eliminate lactic acid after you’ve worked out. You’ll want to drink at least one ounce of water for every two pounds you weigh.  Have at least 8 ounces of water ½ hour before a meal, and minimize your water intake at meals to small sips. You want your digestive fires undiluted for the best metabolism of your food. Sodas and juices are not water.

4.   Choose Proteins

We burn about 25% of the calories in each gram of protein while it’s being digested. Compared to carbohydrates (which only take about 6%) protein wins on the calorie burn race. And protein will give you the fuel to build the muscle you want.

5.   Cut your Carbohydrate Intake

But don't cut it completely. Here’s a trick. Alternate low carb and normal carb days like this:  

Give yourself two days with one serving of carbohydrates like brown rice, white sweet potato or quinoa. Replace the missing carbs on these two days with vegetables and protein. On day three, have four servings of carbs. Then repeat for a second time. When you’ve done this cycle, limit yourself to 3 servings of carbs per day.  You’ll notice your body shift. One serving is about the size of your clenched fist.

6.   Challenge Yourself

If you weight train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday then hit the gym for an additional cardio blast on Tuesday and Thursday – and make these two days “challenge” days. Aim to run farther in the same amount of time, or to increase your time from 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Every week challenge yourself to be better than the week before.

7.   Work Up-and-Down

Alternate a lower-body set with an upper-body set when training with no rest between the two sets. Pause 60 seconds and repeat the routine. Do this 3 times for a total of 6 sets. You’ll be resting your lower-body while performing an upper body set and vice-versa.

8.   Do the Big Ones

Work your big body parts. Heck, work your arms too. But focus on your bigger body parts. Working them will create the calorie burn and muscle you want. Your abdominals get worked every time you do a squat, lung, bench press or pull down. Do your abs workouts, but don’t count on them to produce a six-pack. Getting lean and putting muscle on the rest of your body is a better solution.

9.   Sleep Deep

At night our bodies detoxify things like lactic acid as well as emotional waste. When it’s doing that, it’s also secreting growth hormones that we want to build muscle. Besides, you know how good you feel, and how much energy you have to work out after a solid nights sleep. 

Try this for 10 days: Take a warm shower (or better yet, soak in a bath with magnesium flakes) before you sleep every night; your skin holds surface tension from all the electro-magnetic fields you’ve been exposed to during the day disrupting your sleep. 

           

10.   Get Smaller, Look Bigger

When you lean down, your body will be smaller and tighter. Your jeans won’t fit anymore, but you’ll actually look bigger because your muscular definition will be more visible. So eat more often, on smaller plates and double up on your cardio. If you make your mantra “yes I can”, you’ll be beach ready before summer.

Train your Body. Train your Mind. Tame your Tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.

Making Strides

The early morning sun in West Hollywood is streaming into Peet’s Coffee. It’s a crisp sunny Los Angeles morning. Sunset Boulevard is waking up along with me. I feel great and soon I’ll be ready to head out for a run.

My first recollections of the joy of intense “cardio exercise” go back to somewhere around the seventh grade. I had a big, clunky green Schwinn Bike that took me everywhere.  As soon as my parents let me ride it wherever I wanted, off I’d go. Soon, I’d explored every park in East and West Portland. The next year I talked older friends into letting me ride with them into the foothills of Mt. Hood. In the summer, we’d end up splashing in the Sandy River and coming home sunburned.

The idea that we were “exercising” never entered our minds. It was just sheer joy of the adventure and how good everything felt. Moving my body became associated with freedom and fun.

Happy Feet

In high school I started running. Running became an add-on to my bike adventures. I’d had no idea that my legs could take me so many places so fast. At the same time, I felt elated with the activity. While I didn’t understand it back then, my body was releasing tons of “feel good” chemicals. At the same time, all my insecure teen mental chatter would stop for an hour or two.

After high school I transplanted myself from the Pacific Northwest to the San Francisco Bay area. The climate was amazing, and you could run the foothills above Palo Alto all year long. I didn’t have a car, so my bike (now a 10-speed special) became my transportation.

Transportation. I guess that’s what this blog is about. I’m lucky that I love doing things that Trans-port me to a place called elation. As much as I love cars, they’ve never been able to create the same internal feeling for me as physical exertion.

I’ve coached one of my clients away from doing a long daily run. If heroin had a healthy double, running would be it for him. After two weeks of replacing some of his runs with weight training, we saw a body shift – better muscle tone and more energy. After week three, he reported that his weekend run was the most energetic and fastest he’d had in 6 months.

Most of us are like racehorses. If we don’t get out and move – we go stir crazy. Our bodies sag and slow down and our minds slow down too. Overtraining can produce the same results. Personally, I get a little grumpy if I have to be still for too long. When I’ve had a stretch of morning aches that keep me from activity, I start to feel sorry for myself.

Writing this in Peet’s, I see a jogger with an amazing stride coming up the street. As he passes I can see that he’s lost a leg and has an arc of metal to replace it. Nothing is going to stop him from following his bliss. The universe couldn’t have sent a better messenger to me this morning and I’m filled with gratitude and determined to take even better care of my body.

I like being trans-ported.

Getting Started

1. Walk first

If you haven’t run, start by walking. That’s intense walking, not walking to get yourself to work. Walk, then speed walk. Build up to a walk-run-walk-run. You’ll see results faster than you think.

2. Buy Good Shoes

Buy running shoes, not sneakers. Shoes that fit you well, are comfortable and assist you with your stride. You must change them… they don’t last forever. The more you run, the quicker you should replace your shoes. Here’s a shoe buying tip: try on new shoes on in the afternoon, our feet are usually “larger” then.

3. Get F I T

Combine these for your running program – Frequency, Intensity and Time. With this formula, you’d start with walking, graduate to a walk-run and then run. Make your "frequency" every other day, your "intensity" a comfortable pace and your "time" about 30 minutes. Your comfortable pace will increase along with the distance you cover.

4. Lighten up

If you’re severely overweight, lose some weight before you start to run. Your joints will thank you for it. Running exposes your joints to two to three times your body weight – with each foot impact!

5. Hot Stuff

Warm-up means getting your body temperature up before you hit your stride.

Speed walking, jumping jacks or push-ups. Save your heavy duty stretching for after your run.

6. Stretch It Out

When you finish, be sure to stretch. Otherwise you’re like a horse that’s been rode hard and left wet (a sure recipe for problems). Make stretching a part of your practice that you never miss.

7. Hydrate

You’ll want to drink more water and also replace lost electrolytes. Water supports your body in cushioning your joints. Dehydration is a disaster for knees and ankles.

8. Be Social

Run with friend. If you can talk to each other you’re in aerobic mode. If you’re breathing so hard you can’t talk, you’re in anaerobic mode. You’ll want to experience both modes during your run.

9. Lift Weights

Want to improve your run? Lift weights. You’ll have extra muscle and energy to propel you along the way. Long distance running can break down muscle, so build it back and add to your bone density at the same time.

10. Be safe, carry id and don’t hop right into a hot tub after your run. 

Cool down and stretch. If you’ve created inflammation during the run, getting right into a hot tub will make it worse.

Train your Body. Tame your Mind. Tame your Tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. Never begin an exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.

Fit for Takeoff

The April-May 2010 issue of MetroSource , an upscale business guide for New York City and Los Angeles, includes an article that I wrote entitled “Fit for Take-Off”.  It’s about exercising when you are away from home and gives you a great Hotel Gym Workout.  I thought I’d share it with you here– especially for everyone outside of MetroSource’s distribution area.  

Traveling on Madonna’s “Sticky and Sweet” tour gave me a chance to experience a lot of hotel gyms. Guest conscious establishments, like the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton, know their guests are fitness savvy and provide their gyms with amazing equipment.  Regardless of where you’re staying, most hotels with a gym will provide you with hand weights and dumbbells for working out.

Fit for Takeoff

MetroSource Magazine

Most of my clients are gearing up for bathing suit weather with spring just around the corner. Since it’s also a time for travel, I’m giving those of you who have some training a “portable workout” that is primarily dumbbell-based because most every gym has them.

I love coming back from a trip feeling energized and more fit than when I left. You will too, if you take this program along with you. It’ll help you knock out your training anywhere. For those of you who are just getting started, you may need some instruction first, but don’t use this caution as an excuse to sidestep exercise. Almost anyone can use cardio equipment and do simple abdominal and floor exercises.

Workout Notes

Warm up for each weight workout with five to 10 minutes of cardio. Complete three sets of 12 repetitions for each weight exercise. Target three sets of 25 reps for each abdominal exercise. If you can’t do that, set a benchmark that’s just above what you think you can do and shoot for that number. Do 20 to 40 minutes of “interval training” on your cardio days. If you don’t have the endurance or time for a 40-minute stretch, get up, grab some coffee and hit the gym before breakfast for a 20-minute cardio blast, then come back at the end of the day before dinner and give yourself another 20 minutes. (As an added bonus, you won’t feel guilty if you eat dessert.)

The Workout

Day 1: Chest & Triceps

Flat bench, dumbbell chest press

Incline bench, dumbbell chest press

Flat bench, dumbbell flys

Decline pushups

Triceps dumbbell kickbacks

Triceps bench dips

Day 2: Cardio & Abs

Bent knee leg raises

Oblique crunches

Crunches

Day 3: Back & Biceps

Dumbbell row

Pull ups: narrow & wide grips

Dumbbell biceps curl

Dumbbell hammer curl

Day 4: Cardio & Abs

Knee-in on bench

Stability ball abdominal crunches

Stability ball oblique crunches

Day 5: Legs & Shoulders

Squats and lunges

Leg extensions

Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Side deltoid: Seated lateral raise

Front deltoid: standing forward raise

Posterior deltoid: seated bent-over raise

Day 6: Cardio & Abs 

Flat bench crunches

Flat bench bicycle

Flat bench Russian twist

Train your Body. Train your Mind. Tame your Tongue.

Information on this site is not a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional or nutritionist. Never begin and exercise or nutritional regime without consulting your health care provider.