The Miche workout #2

Yesterday we celebrated the girls birthday, and after that I was tired (lazy) so I skipped the workout.

Today I had all the energy in the world, so no excuses this time. Here is my workout for today:

• 7 min. barefoot running.
• 2x10 bag lifts (from ground to a 42 inch platform) followed by 10/leg step ups with a sand bag in my arms.
• 2x12 horizontal pull ups followed by 10 one armed cable pulls.
  
• 2x16 bar swings followed by 15 push push with a pike.
• 2x15 dips followed by 10 bicep pull ups.

I'm not posting any weights because it's not really relevant. I always go all out, more or less. If you want to know what kind of weights I'm using, just ask. Next week I'll start filming some of the exercises so you can follow along easier. Good luck!

The Miche workout

After a long absence I'm back to show you how I work out, and to give you some ideas of what you can do on your own. On January 1st I will post a challenge for me, and everyone who would like to join me. Along the way I will post some videos and pictures of exercises and combinations that hopefully will make your workout more fun. Today's workout was about 25 min. long and consisted of:

• 5 min. of barefoot running
• 3x30 push ups, and 8 pull ups in between each set.
• 2x30 lunges, and 10 burpies in between the sets.
• 3x10 hanging knee ups.

It will get a bit more elaborate than this, so come check in daily, and I encourage you to follow along.

Big Kahuna Half Iron Man

My training update.

My Iron Man is getting closer and closer. I thought that I would update you on how things have been going the last couple of months. I'm not following any specific program, so I have to be very self motivated. A triathlon is somewhat like decathlon- it takes a long time to build a base before you do the actual event. I started 3 years ago with a few Sprint distance triathlons (750m swim, 12.5 mile bike ride, and 5k run), and an Olympic distance (1500m swim, 25 mile bike, and 10k run). Last year I did another Olympic distance, and a half Iron Man (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run). So the natural progression is to do the full Iron Man this year, right!

The training has been coming along really well. I have taken my time to build up the mileage, but my body has held up like a champ. I try to get 4000-6000m swim, 50-75 miles on the bike, and 18-20 miles of running in per week. My swimming has improved the most. Last year I swam an all out 500m in 9.04, and last week I averaged faster than that for 1500m (27.09). Another thing that has improved is my ability to eat during my longer workouts. This has helped tremendously with cramping. I have yet to do a triathlon without cramping. If I can eat enough during my races I think my cramping can be eliminated, or at least minimized. My main focus has been to spend more time on my legs, and in the pool, to build my endurance. I'm planning on doing an Olympic distance triathlon May 22 to work on the chaos in the water, and the bike to run transition. I welcome questions and feedback on my training.

Getting fast hurts - Macca

Miche Hoffer - MichRoFIT Circuit Training Boot Camp

How to burn the most calories.

The most common question I get is: "What is the easiest way to lose weight?". Well, the first thing you have to realize is how you gained the weight in the first place. As you get older your metabolism slows down, but most of that is because we lose muscle mass and we exercise less. Here is some good points from an article in Epigee:

If you are worried about your metabolism slowing down, don't be. Experts agree there are several things you can do on a daily basis to increase your metabolism, such as:

• Eat Breakfast: It is important to eat breakfast in the morning to kickstart your metabolism. Since you have gone the entire night without eating, your body needs the energy from food to help you carry out your daily activities. And if you're tempted to skip a meal in order to to do some quick weight loss, don't! Your metabolism will slow down if you skip this meal. Experts also advise eating small meals every couple of hours to help increase metabolism.
• Get Active: Your body needs to exercise at least 30 to 60 minutes a day at least three times a week, if not every day. But you don't have to do all your exercise at once; you can break it up into manageable portions with a 20 minute walk in the morning, a half-hour bike ride in the early afternoon or an hour-long aerobic workout at the gym after work.
• Build Muscle: Since muscle burns more fat and increases metabolism, it wouldn't hurt to incorporate weight training into your fitness routine. You should lift weights two to three times a week since your muscles need 48 hours to recover between sessions. If you have questions about the forms and techniques of weight lifting, you should consult a personal trainer or fitness consultant rather than risk personal injury.
• Drink Plenty of Water: Your body needs plenty of water to perform it�s various functions. Plus water will help flush toxins out to keep you healthy.
• Get Enough Protein: The American Dietetic Association notes that the protein from nuts, tuna and cheese takes longer to digest, burns more calories and therefore increases your metabolism. Protein should make up 10% to 35% of your daily caloric intake.
• Get a Good Night's Rest: Women need seven to eight hours of sleep a night for the body to recuperate, for muscles to be regenerated and to feel rested enough to tackle the next hectic day! Research has shown that those who don't get enough sleep are likely to gain weight.. So get yourself a bedtime routine and be sure to catch your eight hours of sleep every night.
• Avoid Alcohol: Studies have shown that people who drink alcohol before meals will consume more calories. After the body burns the alcohol, all the other calories of the meal are stored as fat. So try to limit or even cut-out alcohol altogether from your diet.
• Try to Limit Stress: Stress can cause weight gain due to the release of hormones like cortisol that slows down metabolism. If you're feeling stressed, take 15 minutes for yourself during the day to doing something that relaxes you, like listening to music, stretching or writing in a journal

FOOD, too many calories in and not enough calories out. First and foremost you have to change your eating habits. I know that it's easier said than done, but it's the easiest way to lose weight. However, you can only cut so many calories before your body goes into survival mode. This means that your body will store any food it consumes instead of efficiently using it to do your every day work. Exercising helps to burn calories, and build muscles that will burn more calories than fat. For those of you who are interested in burning excess calories, running is the exercise that burns the most calories.

Here is a list of the the exercises that burns the most calories per hour: http://www.livestrong.com/article/18777-cardio-workout-burns-calories/.

What I say is: "just move around during the day, if you can". If you have one of those jobs that keep you in front of a computer all day, join a running group or a class. MichRofit has some great circuit training classes that is sure to help you burn some unwanted calories. Come join us!

MovNat - Erwan Le Corre - Barefoot Running

Minimalist running, my experience.

The new trend, minimalist running, has been spreading like fire. For you who haven't heard about this before, it's running barefoot or with minimal support. The thought behind the minimalist running is that you are somewhat forced to run more on your forefoot rather than with a heel strike. This will in turn help with a better cushioned stride that protects knees and joints. The less support also helps strengthen your feet (arches).

After seeing this new trend I wanted to find out for myself what it was all about so I got a pair of Vibram FiveFinger shoes. I was told to start running about 10% of what I had been running up until that point. I was very excited to try it out since it reminded me of running barefoot just like I did during my track career. I went out for a short run around the neighborhood. I was surprised to find that it didn't feel so weird after all. I found myself running a bit faster than I normally do, most likely because I did not want to be seen in those funky shoes. After the run I noticed that my achilles tendon was very sore. After all the years of wearing shoes with a built up heels, my achilles tendon had shortened, and now they had finally been used the way they were meant to be used.

After using the shoes for a while I did get more comfortable, but my calves were still getting sore. I guess it takes a while to get used to the lengthening of the calf muscle. My body felt great, and I had less problems with my knee. (I have no cartilage left in my left knee). I know that I had an advantage because of my background as a track athlete, but I think that minimalist running is a step in the right direction. We just have to start really slow, and I mean REALLY slow! You have to let the body get used to its natural position again, and stretch your calves a lot.

I'm currently training for an Iron Man, and I have only used the minimalist running to strengthen rather than as a lifestyle. I do runs up to 3-4 miles, but anything longer than that I use my light trainers. Minimalist running is not for everyone, but I think many problems common running related problems like: knee, feet and back, can be greatly reduced. Please let me know your own stories if you have tried this form of running. Happy running!!

Run fun!

One of the first thing we learn to do in life is to run. As kids we are told play and have fun, but somewhere along the way we have managed to make what was once fun into a chore (workout). Running used to be fun. Remember when we ran around all day playing kick the bucket, hide and seek, and played soccer with friends. Why did we stop all the fun activities, and where did all the injuries come from?

I have been reading this book: Born To Run, and it made me think about these things. Why do people tell us that doing something that we were born to do is no longer fun? Since this happened, and we started to eat processed food instead, have we changed for the better? I personally don't think so, but McDonald's would probably argue that with me. Running has been the fundamental base to every sport, except chess if you call that a sport, and yet most people don't know how to properly run any more. Most of you have probably heard the expression: you get good at what you practice. Well people, start practicing so that we can start having fun again. Think how much fun it would be to play ball again with your friend, or just go for a run to clear your mind. Running also comes with a great side effect, it burns the most calories of any activity. So for you who have a sedentary job, get the "couch potato to 5k" program and get back in the game! Don't ever let anyone tell you that running isn't fun. Think back at all the fun you had as kid, before they told you that running wasn't fun, and help them remember.

What about injuries? I have bad knees, my back is not very strong so I have to protect it, I have weak ankles, flat feet........ When did all this happen? When we stopped playing! What people fail to realize is that you can't stop playing for 20 years, and then pick up where you left off. No wonder we hurt ourselves when we go out and play that yearly game of flag football. We go from zero to hero in one day. The key is to never stop being active. In other words, don't listen to those who tell you that watching the game is more fun than playing it. Just know that if you have been sedentary for a while, start slowly, and mean really slowly. Start walking, a few crunches, and don't forget stretching.

A challenge that grew into something much bigger.

Two years ago my best friend Tommy challenged me to an Olympic distance triathlon(1500m swim, 24.9 mile bike, 6.2 mile run). Not being one to back down I accepted it, and that's how it all started. In 2009 I bought my first bike (Trek Madone 5.1) not counting the one I had when I was 12 years old, and a punch card to the local pool. Like any athlete crossing from one sport to another, I thought I would pick it up without a problem. I had never swam laps before, biked farther than 6 miles, or run more than 5 miles. But heck, I'm a decathlete, how hard can it be :) I won't bother you with all the time I spent in the pool, or miles on the bike and on the road running. After 2 sprint triathlons I finally did my first Olympic distance triathlon with lots of cramping along the way in 2 hrs. 41 min..

After I had finished the challenge, and beaten Tommy's time by 2 min., I thought the madness was over. On the contrary, it had just begun. Tommy responded by crushing me with 2 hrs. 30 min. time of his own, and the race was back on. A knee problem set me back a bit, but I was able to get back in the saddle again and continued the hunt. Many hrs. in the pool and hrs. on the road later, I finished a very painful half IronMan in 5 hrs. 55 min. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alRp5WzrLkY

One of the most amazing abilities that we humans possess is the ability to suppress painful things. It took me 4 months to forget about how painful that half IM was (and how I was literally a wreck for 2 weeks after), but I did. So, how do you know when you have truly suppressed something? When you sign up for double the dose! Oh yes, I did...on July 30th I will do a full IronMan (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run).

Follow me in my quest of finishing one of the biggest challenges known to man - becoming an IronMan!

For laughs (and to give you an idea of how most conversations go when people find out I am embarking on this challenge, here is great clip for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B03dFMG8nR4&feature=player_embedded