Top Tips to Avoid Neck Strain From Pull Ups

Within the past half a year I fell in fitness love with pull ups and all the challenging variations that come with them. Along my pull up journey though I found my neck was getting sore. I started to get worried and I knew that something had to change. I did some reading and some research while thinking about my form. I no longer am experiencing neck pain and I wanted to share the Average Guy's top tips for avoiding neck strain from pull ups. 

1. Avoid Trying to Reach Your Neck Over the Bar

This was actually the most important thing I did. I was often really pushing (I guess pulling actually) to get one more rep and when I was beginning to stall I was attempting to crane my neck over the bar. I doubt that last rep was going to greatly improve reaching my goals and if anything I was one bad rep away from injuring myself.

2. Practice Good Form 

This could be a tip for avoiding injury for any type of fitness activity and the pull up is no exception. It is common for people to use momentum while performing a pull up instead of doing them strictly. It feels good to get a few extra reps but it is not a good idea when it comes to safety. When doing a pull up don't completely lock out the elbows at the bottom. Push down through the elbows and remember to -

3. Keep Your Shoulder Blades Tucked Into Your Back

This is so important that even though it could be under practice good form this deserves to be highlighted by itself. Keeping your your shoulder blades tucked into your back gives strength and stability to your shoulder girdle which helps to protect your neck. After reaching the top and not straining your neck over the bar lower yourself in a controlled manner to the bottom position and repeat. 

4. Use A Chair 

If you can't do pull ups or as many as you would like with proper form use a chair to make the movement easier. The closer the chair is to your body the easier it will be. To start you can place both feet on the chair and as you gain strength you can just use one leg and begin placing the chair farther away. This will allow you to gain strength and the ability to do multiple pull ups with no assistance. 

5. Warm Up

We are all so busy in the modern world that it is easy to try and skip our warm up and just jump straight into our exercise routines. It is important to do about 5 minutes of cardio to get the blood flowing followed by some ballistic stretching including

6. Neck Stretches

These will help to loosen up the neck and relieve tension. I find the two neck stretches in the P90X resistance day warm ups are effective for me. I especially like the chicken wing neck stretch. 

7. Cool Down  

Also just as important as warming up is proper cool down. You don't need to focus as much on just the neck here as total body. Stretching helps to set the stage for recovery which only happens if you

8. Get Enough Sleep

You can only recover and heal your body while sleeping. Eight hours of sleep is a good goal but I have read recommendations for getting up to ten hours of sleep if you exercise hard! So grab your pillow and get to work. 

Naked Juice No Longer Natural

After settling a lawsuit Pepsi will no longer be calling Naked Juice natural. I haven't had a Naked Juice in over five years but, back when I was less concerned about consuming liquid calories I would occasionally have one. I didn't even know that Pepsi bought Naked Juice back in 2007. In retrospect the purchase doesn't surprise me at all as I still have memories of bottles of Naked Juice flowing out of the food co-op I worked at during that time. Despite the relatively short shelf life they rarely expired and, we regularly received new shipments.

The reason Naked Juice will no longer be labeled as natural is because the added vitamins are in reality synthetic. Pepsi stated that the drinks will continue to be labeled non-GMO and is currently enlisting a third party to verify the claim. I think the important aspect to take away from all of this is the open ended and confusing usage of the word "natural". If you google the word natural the first definition given is, "existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind",  which would lead one to believe that virtually all packaged food shouldn't be labeled as such. I think anyone who has spent time learning about how to eat healthier or how to properly diet knows that avoiding packaged food is a good first step. I feel that if a food item is claiming that it is "natural" one should be cautious about consuming it. Wouldn't it look silly if you walked into the grocery store and found every piece of produce labeled as "natural"?

Five Personal Training Apps

I recently came across this brief article on the Huffington Post which recommends five different apps to help you get fit without a coach. I haven't tried any of these apps but, from what I've seen on facebook Couch-to-5K seems to be popular and, people seem to be sticking with the program. We all know that it is difficult to get fit or or maintain a routine so, any tool that can help you is great. I haven't found a fitness app that I have wanted to use but, I do enjoy the calorie counting app My Fitness Pal. 

So what fitness apps do you use or like and, what ones have you found to be more of a hindrance than helpful? I look forward to your responses in the comments.

Falling off the Wagon

Even though I've still been exercising lately, I have had difficulty finding the motivation. I do believe in some ways that is what makes me qualified to be the Average Guy who gives out fitness advice. I understand all too much the struggle that staying motivated to exercise is and not even to stay fit as much as just not to become a total blob of adipose tissue. The other day I started an Insanity video and stopped after the warm up and stretch. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm not sure what has been causing this lack of motivation but, it is very present in my mind when it comes time to exercise.

I know part of my psyche wants to just blame it on the hectic schedule of summer. I do know that traveling, which I have been doing plenty of this summer, really throws me out of my routine and makes the first days back home difficult when it comes to exercise. I tend to not take relaxing vacations and instead spend hours walking mile after mile exploring new cities. I also like to stop and check out a new bar which isn't always the best choice to keep your calories in check while on the road. I would argue though that life experience and travel are an important aspect of happiness and the cost of a few calories of extra beer are totally outweighed by the memories and stories I can share with friends and family.

Despite still eating healthy I've also been more lax on my diet lately. I have a weekly meet up with friends on Wednesday where we play games and we all bring some snacks and beer. We've vowed to bring healthier snacks because the temptation of an open bag of chips or cookies is too difficult to resist. I also went on a bit of a Doner kebab binge while on vacation. They are not known for being the healthiest snack but they certainly are tasty and cheap. I do think that the holidays and while you are on vacation are the times to not be strict on your diet but, it is important to always remember balance and moderation.

I think it is always crucial to ask yourself why when you are losing motivation. If you can find the reason you'll have a much better chance of getting yourself back on track. Part of me just wants to blame it on the summer heat but I know that is a fairly lame excuse. Sometimes I think I need to change my fitness routine but overall I'm happy with it and the results I've been having. Once I find the answer I hope to be able to get back on the wagon. Maybe I won't find the answer and I'll just hop back on anyways. I do know that despite my lack of motivation to exercise I will continue on because I know quitting is not an option.

And I don't want to look like a total slob at the beach!

Help With Picking the Right Shoe

Ever have trouble picking out the right shoe? I know that this is something that has always baffled me when it comes to exercise. Something that may help is this nifty graphic from LifeHacker. I have to admit I still have little idea what I am doing when picking out shoes but this does help!

Exercise Update - May 2013 Edition

For the most part my fitness routine hasn't changed much from last month. I did decide to move all of my bodyweight leg work to the cardio days. I was often feeling tired and sore and my joints felt like they could use some extra rest. When I do Insanity on Tuesday and Saturday I do 3 sets of pistol squats during the stretching. Despite Shaun T insisting that the stretch is the most important part of the workout besides the warm up I disagree. I've started doing some dynamic stretching before going into the sets of the pistol squats.   I often found that the static stretching sequence was leaving me tired and not ready to jump back into the intense cardio. I also now spend more time stretching at the end of the workout.

I have been able to push much harder during the Insanity workouts since moving the body weight leg work to those days. I've been able to get my sustained heart rate very high, in the low 160's, which is about as hard as I can go. Overall this change has made me feel better about both my cardio and body weight resistance training.

I was doing yoga on some Thursdays but have changed that to active recovery days consisting of stretching and walking. I changed this because I felt like my body could really use the extra day off during the week. I've also become tired of the same yoga dvd routines that I own. Once a workout becomes uninteresting it is generally a good time to change it up. I do plan on continuing with yoga but I'll need to join a class or buy some new dvds!

Coming up in June I have some exciting stuff going on such as my birthday and a trip to Florence. I'm hoping that the added year and delicious carby Italian food don't doom my waistline. I'm sure I'll be doing lots of walking so I think I'll be fine (tell that to the pizza and pastries though). There is also a new beer store with great selection (by German standards) in Hamburg called Craft Beer Store so I'll also be battling temptation while at home to only sample a reasonable amount of tasty beers. I also started a new beer blog called, Average Guy's Guide to Beer, which you should check out. Don't worry though I will still update this blog with monthly beer reviews!

Beer Review May 2013: BQ Birra Artigianale di Qualità

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

This is a special beer review because I will be reviewing a beer bar instead of just beer! I'm hoping to add more  reviews of establishments that I visit for future beer review posts. I was in Milan last month with my wife and one night after a long day of sightseeing I wanted to check out a local beer bar and BQ Birra Artigianale di Qualita seemed like a great choice. There are five different locations in Milan, Italy and I decided to go to the one at Via Losanna 36 because it was closest to my hotel and with 24 taps and 200 different bottles it had the largest selection.

We got there early by Italian standards at a bit after 7p.m. and no one was in the bar besides two people working there. Neither of them were able to speak English and since neither of us could speak Italian our communication was limited but the waitress was extremely accommodating in translating and explaining beer and food to us using her smartphone. Most of their draft beers were 5 euro for 40cl which I felt was reasonably priced. I ordered a blue cheese burger with mushrooms and onions on it for 9 euro and my wife ordered a plate of fries for 3.50. There weren't many vegetarian options on the menu for her. We ordered a couple of draft beers to enjoy while we waited for the food. The beer was delicious and the room was filled with rock and pop hits of the last several decades.

I was slightly intimidated by the size of my burger when it arrived! I was a little hesitant to even order a burger in the first place because I often feel burgers are something that most restaurants outside of the U.S. don't really know how to do. I couldn't have been more wrong in this case. The beef was fresh and it combined overwhelmingly well with the messy wonder of blue cheese, mushrooms, and onions. It was hard to bite it because it was so big but it was definitely worth the struggle! I tried a couple of my wife's fries and they were also really good.

We ordered another 40cl beer and a tasting tray. The tasting tray was 4 euro for 3 glasses of 10cl beer but all of the beers we received had way more than 10cl possibly because they were served in 25cl glasses. We talked and savored our drinks. One aspect of the bar which was interesting was that some of their beers were named after famous people from history such as Genghis Khan, Tutankhamon, Cleopatra, and Attila. There were some other interesting names such as Gasoline Super and Mahogany. The bottle selection was fairly impressive with beers from Italy, Germany, Belgium, the U.K., and  the U.S. I think there is something here to interest any beer lover.

During the course of our time there a few people showed up and left but overall it was pretty empty the whole time. It isn't a very large bar and I'm not sure if it could hold much more than 50 people. I had a great time and I would definitely recommend stopping by one of the BQ bars if you are ever in Milan!

Overall: 9/10

I apologize that I didn't take notes about the specific beers I tried but I can tell you I liked everyone of the BQ drafts I tried - Mahogany, Zingibeer, Valchiria (which was my favorite), Cleopatra, Gasoline Super, and Genghis Khan.

Bottle Selection 

Drinking is Bad and I've Found Proof!

Review: 7 Minute Research Based Whole Body Workout

I recently came across an interesting article on lifehacker. It was a quick whole body workout based on scientific research. If you would like to read the original journal article you can here. I can see several benefits from the workout although it is lacking if you are in better shape.

I think the strongest point of the workout is that it can be done in only 7 minutes. The article states that the routine should be done for twenty minutes but going through once to get acclimated would work if you haven't exercised for a while. Each exercise is done for thirty seconds with ten seconds of rest in between exercises (this actually comes to more than 7 minutes but I guess it sounded cooler like that?). This kind of high intensity interval training has been shown to be great for you. The exercises are setup to work different muscle groups in rapid succession. The most common excuse for not exercising I hear is that people don't have time and since this can take less than ten minutes I think most people could fit it into their schedule.

Another great aspect of this routine is that it only requires a chair. I think the next biggest obstacle that keeps people from exercising is the cost of equipment and gym memberships. I myself have avoided joining a gym recently do to the high cost of all the gyms in my area. Also if for some reason you don't have a chair only two of the exercises in the routine require one and you may be able to find other objects to substitute for the chair if needed. This routine could easily be done in a hotel room or while traveling. It is always good to have an idea of an easy body weight routine you can employ if you want to exercise and can't get to the gym.

This workout is obviously targeted towards a person who is sedentary. This isn't a negative if it fits your current level of fitness but I would also imagine that this routine could become unchallenging in a short amount of time. If it serves the purpose of getting someone motivated to exercise again than that is all that matters. It would work to do more rounds of the routine but that also has limited potential. I couldn't imagine someone doing this for more than three rounds before they would get bored and the workout wouldn't be short then either.

I think the largest shortcoming of this routine is the lack of back exercises. I can understand why they are left out. The two most common and effective bodyweight exercises are pull ups and rows and both of those would require more equipment than just a chair. It is possible to do bodyweight rows with a table or two chairs but it is difficult to grip the edge of a table and chairs often lack the weight and balance to be safe to do a row with. Also most people who are sedentary would lack the strength to do pull ups and rows with proper form. A pull up bar and a chair can be used to build up strength until you are able to do pull ups without assistance but once again that requires more equipment which doesn't work with the concept of this routine.

Overall the 7 minutes research based workout is a great routine for a sedentary person to start getting back into shape. Quick simple routines that don't need much equipment and use bodyweight are an excellent starting point for most people who don't exercise. The lack of back exercises is the main flaw I find with this routine. A pull up bar is a small investment and pull ups and rows could easily be added in the routine. Exercise is very important and if you are short on time or have been putting in too many reps on the couch this could help you get back up on your feet and full of energy.

One last question though ... does anyone actually do crunchs anymore? (The abdominal crunch is exercise four in the routine if you haven't check it out yet).

Do you Exercise while on Vacation or Traveling for Work?

While on vacation last week I was wondering to myself if other people exercise while traveling. I was already planning a week off from exercise so I didn't but I have in the past and sometimes I do enjoy working out while traveling. Looking back I probably should have spent some time in the evening doing some stretching or basic yoga but at the time I didn't feel like it.

I think the most significant obstacle to working out while traveling is having a place to do it. If your hotel doesn't have a gym your options are already limited. You could try your room but many hotel rooms lack adequate space for exercise. There is always the option of going for a run but for people such as myself who don't enjoy running this isn't much of an alternative. The next incumberance is time which stops many people from exercising while at home let alone on the road. Long days and modified schedules don't lend themselves to finding time for the gym but exercise can help to normalize your day and improve your sleep.

One factor which can keep me from exercise on vacation is all the walking I do during the day. My wife and I often rely on public transit while on vacation but still spend hours everyday walking from different sites and places to get food and drink. This is already a significant amount of exercise so additional cardio probably wouldn't be warranted. I still remember a few months back while in Stockholm I discovered that my gym had a large selection of free weights including a squat rack. I decided that I desperately needed to do some squats and went at it pretty hard and heavy. I found walking extremely challenging which made all the walking on vacation seem like a monumental task. Needless to say resistance exercise might not be worth it on vacation too (although I did feel more justified in savaging the breakfast buffet after my workout).

So do you exercise while on vacation or traveling? I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments.

And for your viewing pleasure a few pictures from my trip to Bergamo and Milan, Italy.

Recipe: Tuna, Avocado, and Tomato Mash

I like to cook but, ultimately I prefer to make meals which are quick, simple, and delicious. Lunch time is often a difficult time to find a quick healthy meal. I have found a simple recipe that I often turn to for a quick healthy mid-day meal - Tuna, Avocado, and Tomato Mash.


You will need tomatoes (I prefer cherry tomatoes).

One ripe avocado (it is difficult to find Hass avocados in Germany so I take what I can get). 

One can of tuna. 

I start by slicing the tomatoes. If you are worried about the avocado being bad then you can certainly start there because I know there isn't much sadder than cutting open an avocado to see it is bad inside!

 

Next comes the sliced avocado.

After the avocado drain and add the tuna.

Now that all the ingredients are in the bowl I like to add some seasoning. First I'll shake a little lemon juice over it. Then I'll pour some powdered garlic and ginger on. Finally depending on my mood and how spicy I want it I'll add red or black pepper. 

And now for the final step: The Mash!!!

This simple delicious meal boasts the following nutritional information. 

Calories: 436

Fat: 24 (Don't worry this is the healthy fat that you want)

Carbs: 22g (It also has 12 grams of dietary fiber from the avocado)

Protein: 39g 

I like to enjoy this as a post resistance workout meal. You may want to add some extra carbohydrates if you are using this meal as your post resistance workout meal though. It is also a great recipe for anyone who is trying to limit their intake of carbs. 

Exercise Progress Update - April 2013 Edition

After returning from my trip home to the U.S. I decided to design and execute my own fitness routine. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible so I went with a full body routine following an  ABAB pattern (I've been doing this Monday, Wednesday, Friday). I've been tinkering it some throughout the month and I can't say that it is quite where I want it but overall I'm happy with it. Each workout consists of 5 pushing, 5 pulling, and 5 lower body exercises. I also have added in 2 to 3 sets of core work and 1 set of bridge work during every workout both of which I have been liberally borrowing from Convict Conditioning (which I may review here at some point).

Workout A

Pull - chin ups x 2, v pull ups, and close grip pull ups x 2

Push - pike press x 3 (I've been trying to work my way higher up the wall instead of just using a chair to put my feet on), diamond push ups x 2 (I was originally doing 1 set of diamond push ups and 1 set of wide grip push ups but I found that the wide grip push ups were not challenging enough)

Lower Body - pistol squats x 3, wall squats x 2 held for as long as possible

Core work - flat knee raises x 3

Bridge work - straight bridges x 1


Workout B

Pull - pull up x 2, wide grip pull ups x 2, close grip chin ups x 1

Push - dive bomber push ups x 3, military push ups x 2 (I originally had 1 set of incline push ups instead of 2 sets of military push ups but soon found the incline push ups weren't challenging enough)

Lower Body - 1 leg lunges x 3,  1 leg wall squats x 2 held as long as possible (I've tried other exercises here such as the body weight deadlift but haven't found an exercise I really like)


Core work - flat knee raises x 3

Bridge work - straight bridges x 1

On Tuesday and Saturday I have been doing modified Insanity workouts. I generally redo the first half of the video instead of the floor work with the push ups, ski abs, and burpees because I am already doing pushing exercises on other days. Thursday is consists of either yoga or stretching. When I do yoga I tend to try different routines I find on the internet or go back to yoga videos I already own like the P90X Yoga video. 

Overall I am happy with my current routine but I definitely feel there is room for improvement with it. As exercises become more simple I'm swapping them out for more challenging ones. I've also been thinking about moving all of the lower body work to the cardio days. I want to avoid overtraining and keep my workouts as focused as possible. For now the lower body work is staying put though. Later this week I'm off to Milan and will most likely be taking a week off from exercise but, I will be getting in plenty of walking!

Beer Review April 2013 St. Pauli Edition: Astra Urtyp and Elbperle Pilsner

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

It's a very special month here in beer review land because, we are giving you two reviews for the price of one. I had so much fun at the Luftgitarrenwettbewerb (Air Guitar Competition) in St. Pauli (the red light district here in Hamburg) that I decided to attempt to share some of that great time with you.

First up we have the Astra Urtyp which is an extremely popular beer here in Hamburg. If you are a fan of the local St. Pauli football team (by which I mean soccer) then you proudly and obnoxiously drink and swear by this brew. This is proof to me that many locals have taken one to many soccer balls to the head because this beer although passable is nothing to be proud of. It pours with that classic light golden beer color and a decent head. The flavor seems to consist of a little bit of malt and a little bit of hops and a whole mouthful of meh. This beer isn't bad it is just boring overall. People will always exclaim about how it must be amazing for a beer lover such as myself to be in Germany (and at times it is) but I often have to dourly explain that a large portion of German beer is cheaply made and boring and most of the good and especially the rare brews are difficult to find (especially here in the north). If you find yourself terrorizing the red light district sometime in Hamburg then by all means grab one of these because you may not have any other choice!

Coming in at 4.9% alcohol with 147 calories for a 12 oz serving isn't to bad. I'm guessing this combined with all the walking is how most Germans keep their beer guts manageable.

Overall: 4/10

This beer is so boring that my camera lost interest focusing!

Up next we have the Elbperle from Colbitzer Heidebrauerei. I'd never heard of the beer or the brewery but, I was feeling very local and native so I wanted to be adventurous and give it a try despite my sinking feeling that it was a bad idea. 

There is a pretty decent 24 hour kiosk/store on the Reeperbahn a couple shops down from the Burger King and Davidstraße which has a decent selection of single cold bottles (which aren't for sale 24 hours a day I believe). The bottles are more expensive than they would be in a grocery store but you can get a cold beer cheaper than a takeaway/imbiss or a bar and drink it on the street. I really enjoy being able to drink beer on the street here and walk around. But anyways we were going to walk around for a bit so I decided to grab a road beer and the Elbperle caught my eye mainly because I'd never seen or heard of it and I wanted to try something new. 

This wasn't a total mistake because I'd rather know then not know but this beer was pretty vile. The flavor was kind of bitter and grassy and generally kind of gross. It had all the aspects I don't like about a Pilsner. It actually tasted like it could be a little off as there was something not quite right and artificial in the flavor. I drank this straight from the bottle and finished it and I won't be going back. 

I could include the calorie information but quite frankly you should never drink this beer so I don't think it is necessary!

Overall: 2/10 

My Fitness Pal App Review

I've dieted on and off over the years and like most people I've found it difficult. One of the main struggles with being on a diet is needing to count calories. Most people (myself included) can not look at a box, plate, or utensil full of food and accurately know how many calories it contains. One of the rare health benefits of prepackaged food is that calorie and nutrition information is contained on the side but, even then it can be difficult to tell what half a box is. Maybe after awhile you have the hang of what most of your frequent foods are going to give you calorie wise but at that point you would still need to log them. One way to avoid all of this headache and get your diet on track is with a diet app like My Fitness Pal.

The main benefit of this app is that it is a quick easy to use tool which can track calories and nutritional information. Just input your current weight and how much weight you want to lose or gain and it will tell you how many daily calories to eat. From there one just needs to start actually tracking their food intake. At first this seems like it will be very time consuming but, the app already has "over 1 million foods" in their database. The barcode scanner or search function often quickly bring results to your finger tips. If the food you're eating isn't included it can quickly be added. The app also has the ability to store recipes and meals if you have frequently eaten items you want to track without having to reenter all the individual items. I've found this as well as the ability to copy meals to other days useful (this can only be done for meals at the same time such as breakfast to breakfast). One problem that you may encounter with food items already in the database is that they may have incomplete or incorrect nutritional or caloric information. If this happens you just need to create a new food with a slightly different name. The more you use the app the easier it becomes because most of us eat similar foods day to day and week to week. Calorie and nutrition tracking is the strong point and focus of this app and it shows.

There are many other useful categories of diet and fitness information that can be tracked such as weight and body measurements. I really enjoy being able to input my weight over time and see it displayed on a graph. The one drawback is that it will only show up to the last three months. For most people dieting is a long process with many ups and downs and three months of information will not do it justice (unless you want to forget your holiday binge!). Sometimes more important then knowing your weight is knowing your measurements and My Fitness Pal allows you to track your neck, waist, and hip measurements for three months as well. I'm surprised and disappointed that chest isn't included in the measurements as well. It would also help to include other areas of the body such as upper arm and leg measurements to give a full picture of progress. I'm definitely glad that the app includes the ability to track some of your measurements but there is room for improvement.

I think one possible pitfall of the app is the tracking of calories burned from cardiovascular activity directly through the app. It can be interesting and some quick positive reinforcement to see that I burned 580 calories from water jogging  for 60 minutes but, there is a strong tendency to overestimate energy expenditure. I've found a much better plan for dieting is to set your daily calorie limit and don't subtract calories for exercise. People tend not only to overestimate energy expenditure but also to eat more after exercising from thinking that they just blasted through two jelly filled donuts (calories taken from first search result from the app!). There is a common feeling that calories out are safe to reward as calories in and therefore 580 burned at water jogging allows two 290 calorie jelly filled donuts ... it is all supply and demand right? The app allows you to set your activity level from sedentary to very active and I feel like this is a good basis, even if you are rigorously and consistently exercising, to base your daily caloric needs on instead of subtracting calories burned from exercise.

One aspect of the app that I haven't explored that people may like is the social networking feature found under the friends tab. It allows you to connect with other My Fitness Pal users and keep each other motivated and offer support. I've often read that it is easier and more effective to diet with a friend and since you can keep in touch with people all over the world using the app this will be even easier. I don't think I will use this feature of the app but, I do see its appeal.

Overall My Fitness Pal is a great tool to help guide your diet. Tracking information is quick and simple which takes away one of the more previously daunting and important aspects of anyone's diet. The app could use a few more features and I hope that they will improve their product with future releases. Ultimately the app is only as good as the information you put in and take away from it but at this point I would consider My Fitness Pal an essential tool for the modern dieter.

Rating: 8/10

P90X Review

I think everyone has heard about P90X but just in case you haven't

"P90X^® is a complete 90-day home fitness system designed to get you in the best shape of your life. Created by trainer Tony Horton, the program includes 12 intense workouts that use resistance and body-weight training, cardio, plyometrics, ab work, martial arts and yoga, along with a nutrition plan, fitness guide and workout calendar."


Wow .... Best shape of your life ... well I say - Bring it! That is a lofty claim and I'll discuss some my likes and dislikes of the program.

For the bare minimum to do the program you'll need a set of resistance bands with a door attachment.  Although not required I'd highly recommend investing in a pull up bar if you want the best results from the program. Pull ups are one of the two most effective resistance exercises for the back (rows are the other) and the resistance bands can't simulate the difficulty of the pull up. Most of the people on the dvds are using free weights and if you have an extensive set of dumbbells that will help your results with the resistance workouts. Most of the people on the dvd use push up bars but you could use a pair of hexagon dumbbells for a little extra depth. Definitely the most important thing you can buy is a pull up bar though.

Before I start with the review of the program it is important to address that the price is restrictive. At 120 dollars for many people this will be a serious investment.  Adding in the cost of resistance bands, push up bars, and a pull up bar will up the cost (just imagine if you bought a whole range of dumbbells!). Despite the high cost of the program if you hate going to the gym it will give you workouts you can do from home. I should mention that if you try and do any of the cardio routines in an apartment and your downstairs neighbors are home they will not be impressed.

The program is designed and led by the affable and slightly annoying Tony Horton. He is likable but after 90 days his jokes will become increasingly less funny. Every workout has three other people doing the routine and they show how to do different modifications of the exercises. This is helpful and makes it possible to get more out of the routines.

The program consists of 12 workouts one of which is the shorter Ab Ripper X. The other 11 workouts can be broken down into 5 resistance workouts, 3 cardio, 1 yoga, 1 active recovery stretching, and Core Synergistics which is a mix of resistance, cardio, and core work. Most of the workouts are very intense and can continue to be challenging but a couple fall short compared to the others.

The Chest and Back workout is made of mostly classic push and pull exercises consisting of variations on push ups, pull ups, and rows. This workout can continue to be challenging for most people and is a great upper body routine. This is one of my favorite workouts from the program. Back and Biceps and Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps are also challenging upper body workouts but, I do feel that there is just too much arm work. If you are concerned with the size and definition of your arms the isolation exercises performed are not going to help much. The best way to transform the arms are through heavy compound movements  such as bench press, row, and pull up variations. I'm not saying to completely avoid arm work on these days but, I don't think you need to do twelve sets of bicep curls.

This emphasis on arm work comes to a peak in the Shoulders and Arms video. I do feel that shoulders need plenty of work but as I mentioned before there is no need to work the arms as much as they are. This video feels like a waste to me and at a few seconds short of a full hour you'll be dedicating plenty of time on it. Also if like most people you don't have dumbbells at home the resistance bands just aren't going to cut it. If you were going to skip any of the resistance videos this would definitely be the one.

Legs and back is done in every week except for the recovery ones. This is one of the more challenging routines but it gets repetitive doing it so often. All of the back exercises are variations of pull ups. The legs are more of the focus in this routine. I think the biggest drawback of the video is that the leg exercises use mainly body weight since people are capable of putting on more muscle in the lower than the upper body with progressively heavier resistance. Only a few of the exercises use dumbbells and those can't be done with resistance bands. Despite the drawbacks this can be one of the more intense videos if you push yourself.

Many people's least favorite video of the program is Yoga X. From most complaints I've heard it is the length of the video people dislike and at an hour and a half I can understand that. If I'm in a hurry I will skip the balance postures and just do the first half of the video and then come back for some of the stretches and cool down at the end. This video will take many people out of their fitness comfort zone if they haven't done yoga and that is a good thing. Yoga is challenging for strength, balance, and endurance and it will help you improve in all of these areas. After the length of the video my main complaint would be that since the routine is done every week and three times on the recovery weeks it can become repetitive. Overall though it is a great routine and a very important part of the program.

Even the name of the Plyocide routine sounds intimidating and if you haven't done plyometrics before your joints and lungs should be afraid. This is by far the most intense of the cardio videos and it can definitely get the heart pounding. If you aren't able to do the exercises on the video and need to modify them you can still get a good workout but it won't be nearly the same. I've gotten much better at many of the moves but sometimes it does leave my joints aching. I do enjoy this video but I feel that it could do a better job of truly getting into the HIIT zone. If you can't perform this video there is also the option to do Cardio X.

Cardio X is a lighter version of plyometrics mixed with the martial arts moves of Kenpo X. If you are run down but still want to do some cardio then this is a good option. Also if you aren't feeling up to the other cardio routines this is an alternative workout. If you haven't done much cardio and are looking to build up your endurance this is also a good place to start. After a certain point of training this video won't be effective but it does serve its purpose to bridge the gap to the more difficult cardio routines.

Kenpo X is a martial arts and kickboxing themed cardio video. This video is done every week and is the last workout most weeks. Its timing as the last workout is good because it still gets you moving around but is low impact and not too strenuous. This can become a problem because as your endurance and athletic ability increases this video becomes less challenging. I personally don't enjoy the routine as I feel a bit silly jabbing and kicking at my imaginary air opponent and even though it keeps my heart rate up and steady it is difficult to really push my heart rate to its limit. I also don't like the warm up at the beginning and often feel my body isn't ready to go directly into some of the stretches. Despite my personal dislike of the video it does serve its purpose in the program and I do think many people would enjoy it.

If you are looking for a routine for active recovery or to do on the seventh day of your workout week then you have X Stretch. This isn't a workout but it can help to improve your future workouts by focusing on static and ballistic stretching. Often people over train and this video can help to prevent that by taking time to heal the body. If you want to burn calories this video won't help but it can assist in reaching your fitness goals.

In between the different phases you'll finding yourself doing the a full body workout called Core Synergistics. Even though this is a full body workout there isn't much emphasis on the back but since the back is trained so heavily on other weeks this can be a good break. This routine features many moves not found in the other workouts so it can be challenging. Despite being challenging I don't find this video very engaging. It at times just feels like all the exercises that didn't get fit into the other routines are mashed into this one. Although I don't care for this workout I do feel the weekly workout before the next phase where this routine is located is well timed and a productive change of pace.

I'm not sure if many people enjoy doing core or ab work and I don't think that Ab Ripper X is going to win over many devotes. Working the core is important but this video is fifteen minutes and done after the resistance routines which makes it difficult for me to find the motivation to do it. I'll sometimes go back later in the day but I rarely want to work abs after exercising for an hour and I feel that the extra fifteen minutes pushes many people past the amount of time they want to or can afford to work out. The video is challenging physically but even more challenging to actually find time to do.

Overall P90X is a challenging dvd workout program. If you are in decent shape and not sure what to do next then this is a great option. If you have a long term fitness plan though I'm not sure if this is the best direction to take. The program claims that you'll be in the best shape of your life after 90 days. I've been much stronger than this in the past and had better cardiovascular endurance but at separate times. So overall I am in the best shape of my life but, I know I am capable of accomplishing more then this program can give me. The best aspects one can take away from this program are to add pull ups, HIIT cardio, and yoga into your fitness routine. I can't give a blanket endorsement of P90X but for certain individuals it is just what you are looking for. 

Article Review: "Happy April Fools' Day: 12 'Health' Foods Fooling Us All"

While the premise of Happy April Fools' Day: 12 'Health' Foods Fooling Us All from the The Huffington Post is definitely on point and I'm all for articles pointing out unhealthy foods that masquerade as healthy options it falls short in focusing on processed food options. I definitely agree with the article that all of the options presented are touted as healthy and that all can have drawbacks or are just plain awful food choices. If made at home these foods would be perceived as a healthy but showing unhealthy mass produced items from giant corporate chains won't fool us all.

I thought the article would be fairly informative since it starts out with granola. I do enjoy granola occasionally but you definitely need to read the label and check the serving size and ingredients. It is very easy to over indulge in calorie dense foods and granola is a perfect example of this. You can definitely find healthy granolas but you will most likely want to avoid most store bought options and try and make it at home.

All of the drink options presented: vitamin water, sports drinks, and smoothies/pureed fruit snacks are definitely healthy living landmines. If you are extremely physically active then grabbing a sports drink makes sense but very few people are depleting their body to the point where this will ever be a regular necessity. If you need more vitamins than you get in your diet it is better to turn to a supplement then to grab a vitamin water. I like an occasional homemade smoothie but any store bought option will contain more calories than some of your daily meals. More and more people have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight and one of the best options is to restrict or eliminate liquid calories. Fresh squeezed juice can be okay to drink but pureed fruit snacks are just another calorie adding problem. These options were some of the better "health foods" called out by the article.

I was a little surprised that cold cuts and muffins were included in this. Do people actually think these are health foods? I feel these items were thrown in there as filler and take away from the article much like the inclusion of items from Burger King, Starbucks, and McDonald's. Yes a turkey burger, oatmeal, or egg white wrap could all be very healthy if prepared in your home or from certain restaurants but I think it is a bit odd to include them here. I do understand pointing out that seemingly healthier options on a fast food menu are far from healthy but health food and fast food are not concepts that share space in my mind. I did find the  inclusion of Kind Bars interesting and thoughtful though. I'm not very familiar with them but I do generally with any company that makes bars reading the labels is extremely important.

The best slides from the article aren't food items but the words "natural" and "gluten free". I've been fooled before by the natural label and I think it is deceiving for many people. So many unhealthy things are natural and there is no guideline for labeling a product as such. Anymore it might actually be good advice to avoid any product touting itself as natural. The article points specifically to gluten free sweets but I would go as far as to include any product that includes gluten. People who have gluten allergies have been greatly helped by this influx of products but it doesn't make sense to spend hard earned money to avoid gluten if you don't have an allergy. One can make a case for avoiding breads and other calorie dense items containing gluten but if you are planning on eating a dessert there is no reason feel that gluten free is healthier if you don't have a gluten allergy. Being gluten free won't mean it is low in calories or sugar and it isn't an indicator that it is healthy.

I definitely liked the premise of this article but wished it would have excluded the processed and fast foods from the list. I know knowledge on healthy food various widely person to person but many people are already aware of the short comings of these kinds of foods. The article definitely did a good job pointing out that some trendy health buzz words are products of advertising and not of nutrition information. I hope you enjoyed my review and I look forward to your comments.

Exercise Progress Update - March 2013 Edition

This has been a very different month for me and exercise. I spent two weeks visiting friends and family back in the U.S. and had to adapt my exercise schedule around my travels. Overall I was able to stay fairly active and still spend plenty of time with all the people I wanted to. I have limited access to weights at my home in the states. I own a small barbell with 50 and 25 pound plates and 30 and 15 pound dumbbells. There is also a chin up bar and some reasonably spaced kitchen counters for doing dips. I opted to do full body workouts to save time and limit the negative impact from not having different weights to chose from.

I wanted to do as many workouts as possible outside but overall the weather was wet and cold and the ground was muddy. Because of this I was only able to workout once outside which you can read about here. There isn't adequate space inside my home to workout with the barbell and I didn't want to scuff the wooden floors by picking up and putting down the barbell. My inside fully body workouts generally consisted of five sets of push and pull exercises for my upper body and five sets of leg work with some additional calf and hamstring sets.

My push sets consisted of body weight dips on the kitchen counter and shoulder work with the dumbbells. I would alternate between two and three sets of dips on different days doing as many reps as possible. I would fill in the rest of my push work with dumbbells doing overhead press, arnold press, upright rows, and lateral raises. I sometimes would do super sets consisting of maximum reps presses with the 30 pound dumbbells followed by alternating reps of upright rows and lateral raises with the 15 pound dumbbells. I enjoyed doing the dips because I don't have anywhere in my apartment in Germany to do them but, overall it wasn't a great workout.

The pull sets were divided between pull ups and rows. I would switch between doing three and two sets each workout for the exercises. I've definitely been enjoying pulls ups recently but I've also noticed that my progress hasn't increased much. I'm hoping that the dumbbell rows will help to break through my plateau. I would vary my grip on the rows and go for maximum reps because the 30 pound dumbbells aren't heavy enough for me. Much like the push sets I felt that my pull work was alright but lacking because of my limited selection of weights.

My leg sets were done with step back lunges, squats, goblet squats, stiff leg deadlifts, and calf raises. I quickly found that the two 30 pound dumbbells weren't enough weight for squats so I phased those out of my workout. I could have used more weight for the goblet squats also but I just went slow and made sure to get as low as possible in hopes of hitting some of weaker muscles that can be worked with deep squats. I was actually surprised that the step back lunges were so challenging with two dumbbells. I've never enjoyed doing lunges but they are an effective exercise. I also did stiff leg deadlifts to hit the hamstrings. Every workout I would also include one or two sets of calf raises depending on how I felt and the time I had available. I felt I got a better leg work in then my upper body work but it was also hindered by my limited selection of weights.

I'm glad I was able to consistently exercise while home but I definitely felt limited in what I was able to accomplish. I wanted to do as few body weight exercises as possible while home to change up my routine a little because I have been mainly focusing on body weight resistance while in Germany. I figured with only two weeks time it would be good to try something different and keep my workouts interesting. The wet and muddy weather kept me from doing any cardio while home besides just walking in the woods. If it was a bit drier I may have went for a run but I generally don't enjoy running and wanted to spend my time doing other things.

I'm taking a week off of exercise to give my body a rest during the last week of March before I start back in April. I'm currently planning on doing full body workouts three times a week using various body weight exercises. I'll also do one or two days of Insanity for cardio and one or two days of yoga. I'm looking forward to picking up where I left off before my travels.

Beer Review for March 2013: Samuel Adams Alpine Spring

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

I was tired after having just flown from Germany to Newark Liberty International and I had a four hour layover. I could have gone to my gate and done some push ups or maybe dropped down into a few warrior poses but, I was lacking energy and motivation. I also had the sinking feeling that I would probably be detained or tasered if I did anything more then just sit there. I began walking around checking out the shops near my gate when I came upon the Samuel Adams Brew Club. I knew the choice to enter would be pricey but with 4 hours to kill on a Monday afternoon what better to do then grab a beer or two?

I sat down and scanned the small collection of taps and was unimpressed by the selection. I had already tried every beer on tap multiple times before except for one so I easily decided to have the Samuel Adams Alpine Spring. With the upcoming change of the season and my never ending thirst to try new beer I was drawn into this beers hazy web of taste.

I was actually surprised when it was poured because I was expecting something clearer but was greeted by 22 ounces of unfiltered orange haze with a thin white head. It looked good so I dove in mouth first. After having had mainly German beer for a whole year I was interested in seeing an American twist on German beer. I was promised aspects of a Helles, spring bock, and Kellerbier by the description and was intrigued that they somehow managed to cram all of that into one glass. I'm often impressed with German beers consistency (this also has it draw backs in lack of diversity) and American beers willingness to push boundaries (although sometimes I think this just means trying to overload every beer with hops) and it was interesting to see these two worlds come together. The beer tasted crisp and refreshing with a nice balance of smooth malt and light citrus hops. I can see where this brew pulls inspiration from German beer but this beer tastes in no way German. This was a great beer to have after an eight hour flight and I enjoyed it enough to order a second one!

This beer is tasty and would work well on a cold or warm spring day. Despite its delicious taste and reasonable 5.5% alcohol content the 191 calories per 12 oz serving is hefty enough that it might be better suited to pack on a few pounds for winter hibernation then help chisel out that six pack for the summer beach season.

Overall: 8/10 

Random Road Workout 1: Deadlift, Row, & Press

Working out away from home is always a challenge. It is difficult to find the time let alone the energy or the place to workout. I'm currently back in West Virginia where I grew up and I don't have access to very much workout equipment. I do have a straight bar (not Olympic sized), 50/25 lb metal plates, 30/15 lb dumbbells, and a chin up bar. I do have plenty of time to work out on this trip so I've decided to do some improvised workouts. Monday was one of the few days during my trip with a dry and warm forecast so I decided to take my workout outside.

I wanted to just work out with the plates and bar so I did deadlifts, bent over rows, and presses. I also decided to do one set of barbell squats because, I was getting tired doing the deadlifts. I did one one set of deadlifts with just the 50 lb plates on to warm up and then did 3 sets with the 50 and 25 lb plates on the bar. I did 5 sets or rows and 5 sets of shoulder presses with the plates and straight bar. I also added in one set of the barbell squats to get a fifth set for my legs. Overall it was a decent workout and as far as I can remember the first time I've lifted weights outside. I really enjoyed being under some sun but that might also be because I don't see the sun very often in Germany.

The only negative I found with the workout is that the ground isn't perfectly solid or flat outside. It wasn't a problem but it could be dangerous trying to move a heavier weight during a deadlift. I never felt unsteady but the ground felt so much different under foot then lifting in a gym.

What is Your Food Weakness?

Mine is pizza!

Well not this pizza exactly ... 

Getting closer ... 

The tuna fish pizza tasted alright but one time was enough.

There is just something about it ... thin crust, thick crust, just cheese, or with all the toppings I just love it. I've gotten better at treating it as a treat and not leaving it as a viable dinner option but I can't have just one slice. I can go to a pizzeria and just order a couple slices but that's not quite the same. If I get delivery I'll eat half the pizza and if I make a frozen pizza there is a good chance I'll eat the whole thing.

So what is your food weakness? How do you deal with it? Moderation or abstaining? Only for special occasions?

Beer Review for February 2013: Franziskaner Weissbier

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

Here is a murky delicious hefeweizen. Living in Germany, as I do currently, you would think that there would be endless amounts and selection of great beer available. Although there are endless amounts it is difficult to find much in the way of selection without spending some time and going out of your way for it. That has helped to make this widely available beer one of my favorite German beers and in my top three favorite hefeweizens that I've tried.

This beer is hazy with a great orange color. The head is prominent, white, and lasting. The taste has some banana with an enjoyable spiciness. There is also some maltiness which helps to round it out. I definitely like this beer and if it wasn't for one small issue I would drink much more often.

I'm not sure if you have had many unfiltered beers before but that means that the yeast is still in there. Although this doesn't happen to everyone, some of us (ahem) have lingering after effects from drinking unfiltered beer. To put it more bluntly I've been amazed and horrified at the pungency and amount of horseradishy/ wasabi-ishy/spicy gas that can be produced. If you want to do some further reading on the subject you can look here and here.

Despite some of the interesting side affects, I do find this beer delicious and I highly recommend it (unless you are looking for romance).

9/10

This guy definitely likes it too!