A while back, I did a post that mentioned "wearables"--a term that usually refers to devices worn on the wrist to measure steps, heart rate, etc. But recently I got myself an early birthday present that's a different kind of "wearable": a weighted vest.
It's not for everyone, but it does have a variety of uses.
I was talking with someone recently who was concerned about his daughter doing squats in her workouts. He didn't want any advice--he "used to lift weights" and "knows all about squats"--so there wasn't much of a conversation.
But I know he's not alone in his concern about squatting. But is it a bad thing to do?
I was talking with a friend recently who mostly walks for exercise, and during inclement weather this means treadmill walking. She mentioned that she really doesn't enjoy it (although she's disciplined enough to do it anyway) and it got me thinking: should exercise be fun?
There are frequent references to finding something you enjoy doing to make sure you get enough exercise. But we can see how that works for most people (who don't get enough exercise).
(This article originally appeared in the 9 October 2012 edition of the StrongFast Planet newsletter.)
One of the most popular training routines making the rounds these days is "High Intensity Interval Training", or "HIIT." It involves short bursts of very hard work ("high intensity") interspersed with short rests ("interval"). The intervals are measured in seconds, as high as 60 (yes, I know, that's a minute) and as low as 10. They are described using a work-to-rest ratio; for example, 30 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest would be written as 30:15.
The origins of today's fascination with HIIT date back to a 1996 study led by Dr. Izumi Tabata that compared two groups of cycling athletes. One group rode for 60 minutes straight (yes, I know, that's an hour) while the other rode 8 20:10 intervals for a total of four minutes of training. The result showed the interval group getting better results than the steady-state group. Awesome! So awesome, in fact, that the term "Tabata Intervals" or just "Tabatas" has taken root in the training lexicon. And why not? Four minutes instead of an hour? What's not to like?
A recent article in the NY Times technology section had the author "seeing what provided a better workout: a real personal trainer or a personal training app." Obviously I'm biased. As a tech guy, I was rooting for the app! (Weren't expecting that, were you?) And her conclusion in this single-sample unscientific study was indeed that the app was better for her. (Although it didn't match her original thesis: the trainer actually provided the better workout.)
The venerable pushup has long been a staple of exercise routines and for good reason. It's easy to do most anywhere (do not try them in pools of molten lava) and provides a good workout to the triceps, shoulders, chest, and core stabilization muscles. There are also hundreds of variations of the pushup, most to make it harder or work some part of the body more intensely, and some to make the movement easier for those not quite ready to do the real thing.
When hitting the road (not literally, of course), it's always a good idea to plan ahead to take advantage of the activity opportunities of your destination. For example, many hotels have fitness centers (of widely varying quality), a beach trip can feature lots of water activities (swimming, snorkeling, bodyboarding, wind surfing, etc.), and a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area can (and should) include hiking and biking and, of course, hill sprints.
