Hello again, ladies and gentlemen!
Seems like it's been ages since I've had the time to pen or should I say type on this blog. My last post I was getting excited about the possibility of competing again this season! Training was hit or miss due to the addition of the new baby but I was still training pretty good. I decided it was time to get back to the track so I went to www.charliefrancis.com, one of my favorite training resources, and found a workout I wanted to give a shot. The workout was simple:
1st set 100 + 100 + 100 (meters)
2nd set 100 + 200 + 100 + 100 (meters)
3rd set 100 + 100 + 200 + 200 (meters)
4th set 100 + 200 + 100 + 100 (meters)
5th set 100 + 100 + 100 (meters)
* relaxed runs
(+ = walk 50 meters, walk 100 meters between sets)
"PRIDE COMETH BEFORE THE FALL"
As I was completing my workout there was a coach and athlete from one of the local universities completing a workout as well. They had a pretty tough workout going and since I always want to look like the track athlete I was, I was doing my best to look like a pro. However, on about my 4th set I noticed my Achilles felt a little tender and I picked up a slight limp. No worries I thought. It was a great workout and no need to push any more, I'll just do something tomorrow. The problem is, when tomorrow came my Achilles was still sore. One day, two day, a week, two weeks...still sore and my Achilles hasn't quite been the same since. Luckily, I didn't pop anything as I know what that feels like from my other Achilles accident some years earlier. But, till this day it is still not 100%.
I did buy some compression socks http://www.2xu.com/men-s-compression-perf-run-sock-ma2442e.html which seem to help but most mornings, it takes about a good hour before the circulation is good enough that I don't feel discomfort. The compression socks however feel awesome and I'll probably do a review on them soon.
SO WHAT WAS THE CAUSE?
Minimalist shoes! Yep, they warn you.."take your time building up your tolerance in these shoes." In my opinion, I wasn't running mileage so that didn't apply to me. The draw for me was sprinting without SHIN SPLINTS. Lawd knows I've dealt with them for too much of my running life so to be able to sprint pain free was a blessing. However, I guess I fell in the "too much too fast" category because on two seperate occassions my Achilles tendons have paid the price. My first incident occured when I was wearing Vibram Five fingers and now wearing the Inov8 Lite 195's https://instagram.com/p/0J3MfpEEne/?taken-by=markbfitness
Initially I would not have blamed the shoes and would have thought it was just freak accidents until I read someone else have the same thing happen with the Vibram Five Fingers. Not to mention there is a class action lawsuit against them right now for false advertising. If you're interested here's the link to file https://www.fivefingerssettlement.com/
Ah well, hopefully, my achilles will heal up soon. If I find a good method for rehab I'll be sure to post that as well. Injuries suck and make training unpleasant but I guess it's just a part of getting older.
MORAL OF THE STORY
Take your time and train smarter. Slow and steady wins the race...well sometimes atleast.
-Mark
Boo Koo adj. Many; much; An abundance of. Aiming to make the world Beaucoup Fit one person at a time.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Track season is in full effect! Time for the comeback!
Hello again ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!
Track season has kicked off and I am a bit behind where I wanted to be as far as my conditioning is concerned. As some of you know, I injured my achilles sometime ago and it still flares up from time to time which has made me a bit tentative about sprinting a good bit of the time. And let's not forget, I have a family now! Man, training was so simple before becoming a father!!!
However, as the track meets come on tv and my old training partner began to talk trash, more and more the urge to compete creeps up in me again.
With that being said, I believe I'm going to target some of the Master's Track and Field track meets this year. Hell, if I can beat the young cats, I'm gunning for them too but I know I have my work cut out for me, especially concerning how far I am behind in my training. Anyway. here's a teaser of me getting back in shape.
This is one of my go to exercises to get myself back into condition. Another staple routine you may want to consider is 16x100. The way this exercise works is you run 100, drop down and do 20 pushups then you turn around and run back and do 20 sit-ups/crunches. Repeat and alternate between the pushups and crunches until you have completed 16-100s. The pace isn't an all out sprint however it is run at faster than a jog pace.
-MB
If you are new to the page, don't forget to head over to the Facebook page and give me a what's up! Let me know where you are from and that you have seen the page. Thanks!
Track season has kicked off and I am a bit behind where I wanted to be as far as my conditioning is concerned. As some of you know, I injured my achilles sometime ago and it still flares up from time to time which has made me a bit tentative about sprinting a good bit of the time. And let's not forget, I have a family now! Man, training was so simple before becoming a father!!!
However, as the track meets come on tv and my old training partner began to talk trash, more and more the urge to compete creeps up in me again.
With that being said, I believe I'm going to target some of the Master's Track and Field track meets this year. Hell, if I can beat the young cats, I'm gunning for them too but I know I have my work cut out for me, especially concerning how far I am behind in my training. Anyway. here's a teaser of me getting back in shape.
This is one of my go to exercises to get myself back into condition. Another staple routine you may want to consider is 16x100. The way this exercise works is you run 100, drop down and do 20 pushups then you turn around and run back and do 20 sit-ups/crunches. Repeat and alternate between the pushups and crunches until you have completed 16-100s. The pace isn't an all out sprint however it is run at faster than a jog pace.
If you are new to the page, don't forget to head over to the Facebook page and give me a what's up! Let me know where you are from and that you have seen the page. Thanks!
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Working out while your out of town or on the road!
Well let's face it, most of us have to travel for work. Unfortuanetly, traveling means alot of fast food and very little working out. However, as with anything, if you try to implement a routine then your chances of success are higher than if you just try to play everything out on the fly. So here are some tips from my own experiences that may help you on your traveling fitness journey.
1) COOK
If you can stay at a hotel with a kitchen and cook your own meals then you will probably eat a
little healthier than if you are relying on eating out.
2) HEALTHIER FAST FOOD OPTIONS
If you do have to eat out, atleast try some of the healthier options. Sweetgreen, Roti, Chiptole, are all some of the spots I visit as opposed to Burger King, Popeyes, etc... I understand that salads do get boring but if you do decide on a burger than don't feel obligated to get the fries and a drink. Even small changes count!
3) SODAS ARE A HIDDEN CALORIE NIGHTMARE
Skip the sodas where possible. Opt for Water instead. Drink as much water as possible. It will help with the hunger pains as well and keep you from craving as many snacks. Additionally, if you're like me and you just need something sweet. Go for green teas, or natural vegetable/fruit juices. And don't fall for the "DIET", "half the calorie" advertising!!! The artificial sweetners they are made with are nothing more than POISON.
4) TIMING
Eat your heaviest meals in the morning. The saying goes something like this, "Eat like a Prince in the morning, a Pauper in the evening and a Peasant at night." Your body will only store the energy that it doesn't use as fat so eat your biggest meals when your body can actually use the energy. Try to drink a glass of water before your meal and see if that helps alleviate that FAMISH, STARVING FEELING.
5) JUNKFOOD!!!
Do I really need to say anything about this? Don't give yourself any temptation! If you bring it into the room, you are going to eat it!!! If you're going to do it, do it in the morning! Not at night!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So now that we have the food and eating stuff out of the way, let's talk WORKING OUT and ROUTINES.
Fitness level makes a difference but if you are in pretty good shape then I recommend a few different alternatives.
1) JUMP ROPE or JUMPING JACKS
Speaking for myself, I don't always feel like putting in any mileage. And though I love to sprint, sometimes it's just impractical. I would love to sprint back and forth up and down the hallway but I'm pretty sure that might get me kicked out of somebody's hotel. Consequently, if you have a jump rope, make sure you pack it up and use it. 15-20mins of jumping rope will torch a ton of calories and in someways it provides a better form of cardiovascular exercise than simply running at steady state. If you don't have a jumprope, don't fret! Jumping jacks are just as good. Both provide a full body workout and the plyometric component is excellent for gaining strength in your legs. My suggested routine is a tabata type circuit of BEGINNERS-20secs on 40secs
INTERMEDIATE- 30secs on 30secs off, BEACOUPFIT- 40 secs on 20secs off
2) CALISTENICS AND BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES
If your hotel doesn't have a gym or you don't have access to one then you can still get in a good muscle-building, fat-torching workout. There are tons and tons of exercises you can do but If I had to pick a set of 4 to include in my circuit I would include a) pushups b) bodysquats c) crunches d) dips
From here I would do a set of let's say 20. (20 pushups, 20 body squats, 20 dips, 20 crunches) If you take very little recovery between sets then this workout will become very taxing and can be completed within 20mins. For an even faster workout, that is just as intense you can try my 7minutes of hell! Basically, the routine is to perform as many good BURPEES as possible in 7 minutes! Talk about a workout from hell! You will literally be sweating like you just made it out if you attempt this one.
3) WORKOUT VIDEOS
Nowadays, with youtube and videos such as P90X, Insanity, etc... there really isn't a good excuse not to workout. These videos are entertaining and youtube is a treasure trove of people posting workouts, giving workout tips etc..If you are a morning person then workout first thing in the morning when your fresh. If you are a night owl then do it then when you are up and at em'
Well, I guess you get the picture by now. I haven't even mentioned running the stairs or hell walking the stairs for that matter. Personally that is one of my favorite exercises to do though. I am getting at one thing, if it is something you really want to do you can and will make time to do it. Prioritize your schedule so that no matter what that will be your me time. In the long run your body will thank you for it and you will feel so much better you did. You have been provided with both dietary and workout tips here so stop putting off and start taking control of your life today!
1) COOK
If you can stay at a hotel with a kitchen and cook your own meals then you will probably eat a
little healthier than if you are relying on eating out.
2) HEALTHIER FAST FOOD OPTIONS
If you do have to eat out, atleast try some of the healthier options. Sweetgreen, Roti, Chiptole, are all some of the spots I visit as opposed to Burger King, Popeyes, etc... I understand that salads do get boring but if you do decide on a burger than don't feel obligated to get the fries and a drink. Even small changes count!
3) SODAS ARE A HIDDEN CALORIE NIGHTMARE
Skip the sodas where possible. Opt for Water instead. Drink as much water as possible. It will help with the hunger pains as well and keep you from craving as many snacks. Additionally, if you're like me and you just need something sweet. Go for green teas, or natural vegetable/fruit juices. And don't fall for the "DIET", "half the calorie" advertising!!! The artificial sweetners they are made with are nothing more than POISON.
Eat your heaviest meals in the morning. The saying goes something like this, "Eat like a Prince in the morning, a Pauper in the evening and a Peasant at night." Your body will only store the energy that it doesn't use as fat so eat your biggest meals when your body can actually use the energy. Try to drink a glass of water before your meal and see if that helps alleviate that FAMISH, STARVING FEELING.
5) JUNKFOOD!!!
Do I really need to say anything about this? Don't give yourself any temptation! If you bring it into the room, you are going to eat it!!! If you're going to do it, do it in the morning! Not at night!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So now that we have the food and eating stuff out of the way, let's talk WORKING OUT and ROUTINES.
Fitness level makes a difference but if you are in pretty good shape then I recommend a few different alternatives.
1) JUMP ROPE or JUMPING JACKS
Speaking for myself, I don't always feel like putting in any mileage. And though I love to sprint, sometimes it's just impractical. I would love to sprint back and forth up and down the hallway but I'm pretty sure that might get me kicked out of somebody's hotel. Consequently, if you have a jump rope, make sure you pack it up and use it. 15-20mins of jumping rope will torch a ton of calories and in someways it provides a better form of cardiovascular exercise than simply running at steady state. If you don't have a jumprope, don't fret! Jumping jacks are just as good. Both provide a full body workout and the plyometric component is excellent for gaining strength in your legs. My suggested routine is a tabata type circuit of BEGINNERS-20secs on 40secs
INTERMEDIATE- 30secs on 30secs off, BEACOUPFIT- 40 secs on 20secs off
2) CALISTENICS AND BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES
If your hotel doesn't have a gym or you don't have access to one then you can still get in a good muscle-building, fat-torching workout. There are tons and tons of exercises you can do but If I had to pick a set of 4 to include in my circuit I would include a) pushups b) bodysquats c) crunches d) dips
From here I would do a set of let's say 20. (20 pushups, 20 body squats, 20 dips, 20 crunches) If you take very little recovery between sets then this workout will become very taxing and can be completed within 20mins. For an even faster workout, that is just as intense you can try my 7minutes of hell! Basically, the routine is to perform as many good BURPEES as possible in 7 minutes! Talk about a workout from hell! You will literally be sweating like you just made it out if you attempt this one.
3) WORKOUT VIDEOS
Nowadays, with youtube and videos such as P90X, Insanity, etc... there really isn't a good excuse not to workout. These videos are entertaining and youtube is a treasure trove of people posting workouts, giving workout tips etc..If you are a morning person then workout first thing in the morning when your fresh. If you are a night owl then do it then when you are up and at em'
Well, I guess you get the picture by now. I haven't even mentioned running the stairs or hell walking the stairs for that matter. Personally that is one of my favorite exercises to do though. I am getting at one thing, if it is something you really want to do you can and will make time to do it. Prioritize your schedule so that no matter what that will be your me time. In the long run your body will thank you for it and you will feel so much better you did. You have been provided with both dietary and workout tips here so stop putting off and start taking control of your life today!
Stretching and recovery
Stretching and recovery
Whether you are working out to improve your performance or just to look better there is one component that should always be included. What am I talking about? Stretching and recovery.
Stretching is so crucial to having a healthy fit body. I must admit this is even one of the major areas I slack off in. Personally, I feel that stretching is boring however after I finish a session my body feels great. In my opinion, it is not healthy to be overly muscular but super stiff. Tight muscles are a sure sign of an upcoming injury especially if you compete in sports. I do not condone YOGA, however, serious participants of yoga are a good example of our body's capability to be strong, flexible, and toned.
Working out is not what builds the muscle. The recovery is when this happens. That is why it is so important to feed your body the right nutrients so that when you are sleeping, the body can GROW!
Working out is what tears the muscles down, it tells your body that we need more muscle in order to accomplish a certain task. As these broken down fibers repair, additional muscle is created.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
MARK where are you?
So, I wrote this whole article on why you should squat, the benefits etc... Had a few computer hiccups and before you know it, I was sitting here looking at a blank screen. Talk about took the wind out of my sales. Thus, I didn't publish my article and as you can see the blog has been rather stagnant lately.
Why aren't you writing more articles? Are you atleast working out? Training anyone right now?
Well, my other line of work has kept me pretty busy lately. I've been doing a bunch of flying in and out of town and frankly, I've just been a little lazy when it comes to writing. Especially, when you finally do take the time to write an article but it doesn't save properly so you lose it before publishing it. As far as working out, come on, you know good and well I'm working out. My eating habits however are hit and miss. As I always say, hats off to bodybuilders because the level of will power necessary to shred to those lower single digit bodyfat numbers is something I'm presently lacking.
Am I training anyone right now? Yes, and No. I have a couple of colleagues and close friends I give pointers to and workouts here and there but I haven't been meeting anyone for one on one sessions or group sessions. I miss it though and soon as I get free time again, you best believe "Embrace the pain University" will be back in full effect. Until then, check out my clips on youtube or instagram to keep up with the going ons and what nots.
In the mean time, if you're not already doing so ADD SQUATS TO YOUR ROUTINE! Yeah they hurt, but your body needs them.
-Mark BFitness
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Bullnox Androrush Pre-workout Review
What's up fit people! Today, I tried the Bullnox Andro-rush preworkout formula! It was pretty cool.
Check out my review! As always, I'd love to know what you think!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Coke and other soft drink products! Let's talk.
WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?
The VIDEOS
This first video comes from the Russian Hacker, I love his videos. He has all kinds of useful life hacks and interesting experiments that one would probably not think of ordinarily. In this video he does an experiment where he boils a bottle of 20oz soda. What is left after the water burns off is the accumulation of sugar/corn syrup that was added to make that 20oz soda taste exactly how you like it. And I want you to imagine this build up in your body and think about how long it takes your body to break this down and the effect that this probably has on your system!
Batteries Corroded?
The next video shows something we have all heard about growing up. The acidity of coke can actually clean copper pennies and in this case battery cables. Once again, if this stuff is capable of cleaning rust and battery acid then what is it doing inside of your arteries and how does this affect your pearly white teeth!? Probably breaks them down and turns that white to hmm...something a little more unattractive.
TOILET CLEANING
Lastly, in the same vein as the last video, this one shows coca-cola being used to clean a toilet. Don't have bleach!? No problem. Crack open the fridge and pour some soda in the toilet!
Works pretty good eh!
I've said it time and again. Some of the worst things for you taste good, feel good, etc... I know not all people are extreme enough to cut certain things out of their diets for good but atleast try to adjust your intake to give your body a fighting chance. I haven't even addressed the weight gain associated with drinking these coke products. And please don't think "DIET" is any better. Hell, with the artificial sweetners they are actually worse! Anyway, as the Hodgetwins always say," This is just advice! DO WHATEVER THE %$# YOU WANNA DO!
Thanks for reading!
-Mark B Fitness
Also be sure to hit up www.facebook.com/beaucoupfit.com
and show some support.
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