Training Wheels

Tony Kornheiser Cyclists Comments Audio: Lance Armstrong Responds | The News is NowPublic.com

2010-03-19T07:53:00.001-05:00

People like this worry me when I am out riding. Here we have Tony Kornheiser a ESPN radio personality bashing cyclist. Comments such as "run them down", "tap them", "if your not rubbin, you're not racing", "not a fatal tap", and so on. My personal favorite is calling us "crunchy granola people."

These are the type of idiots that empower other idiots. These idiots then go out on our public roadways and hurt or kill people that are trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I understand that cycling is not for everyone, but that doesn't mean to bash the few that appreciate the culture and sport of cycling.

BOOM BOOM POW!

2010-03-12T08:17:00.002-06:00

Don't eff with the Badger...

Who's hungry?

2010-02-19T08:33:00.007-06:00

Would you eat this fish?

Not very appetizing, eh?

How about now?

Yup, that's were it comes from....

Safe Passage....

2010-02-06T08:39:00.005-06:00

A good start? I believe so. This is an important step to increase awareness of not only cyclist but ALL people that have rights to use the road. Although this is a new city ordinance, to my surprise not a lot of local San Antonians are not aware of this. I ask all of my local readers to kindly spread the word.

There were over a dozen runners/cyclist that had a story to share about incidents that have occurred while running/riding on city roads. One person in particular was a friend of mine that I ride/race with often. Like myself he realizes the importance of staying active and being healthy; and like myself commutes via bicycle more often than he drives. One day last week he was struck by a vehicle. From what I understand it was completely preventable IF the motorist just took a little more effort to observe his surroundings and be aware not everyone travels by car.

Now to play "Devils Advocate", I also see the other side of this issue. Many of times I see riders/runners on roads that are not able to accommodate a rider/runner. Also, I have seen individuals "roll" red lights/stop signs without looking and taking up a complete lane when only one lane is available. I too have been guilty of it. As the saying goes "share the road." Just because there is a new city ordinance it doesn't mean ride around thinking we "own the road" , that car/truck still weighs 2000 pounds and can still harm people if we are not more diligent of the rules of the road.

In closing we (motorist/cyclist/runners etc) can effectively make roads safer for all, but it is a "two way street."

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Interval Trainng

2010-02-02T15:06:00.007-06:00

Being that February is the shortest calender month of the year lets discuss the shortest most effective workouts the "time crunched" individual can do. What I speak of is interval training. Here are Aaron's top 10 reasons why interval training is the stuff dreams are made of.

They are not time consuming. An interval workout should not be any longer than 45min.
They BURN FAT! University Studies (including my own) have shown that an individual who completes 30 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) burns more fat than a person doing an hour of moderate exercise.

HIIT increases EPOC (Elevate Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). See #2.

They decrease your time! This is to all of my athletes out there. Be it cyclist, runners, swimmers or whoever, if you want to get faster do them and do them often.

Intervals improve your recovery time. At first they will be far from pleasant but as you continue you will find that you can recover from an intense bout of exercise more quickly.

Plateau Busters. Hit a wall in your routine? HIIT it BACK! Interval training can help deliver the shock of a new routine to your body and get you over that hump.

Very little equipment is needed. Let me re-phrase that...NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED. All you need is a pair of athletic shoes and a safe area to run.

Boredom Buster. It busts boredom...

Your burning fat not muscle. People think that they sweat off 7 pounds of fat on their one hour treadmill jog. Bad news, the only thing they lost was water weight. Long bouts of cardio can also have a negative effect on new muscle growth (another topic).

They are just SUPER! NOW GET BUSY!!!!

A-Ronism #11

2010-01-15T08:10:00.003-06:00

STRENGTH DOES NOT COME FROM PHYSICAL CAPACITY. IT COMES FROM AN INDOMITABLE WILL!

--Gandhi

WE CANNOT STAND FOR THIS...

2010-01-09T08:44:00.002-06:00

Its really saddening when people are just trying to live a healthy lifestyle and have to constantly watch their backs cause of idiots like this!

You know, people are always hating on bike riders and I quite don't understand why. Jealousy? Envy? Some childhood issues they have not resolved? I have no clue, but it needs to stop.

While J.R.A (just riding along), I was talking to a fellow roadie who shared a story with me . Basically the story was a motorist at a gas station made the comment "I wish I could just ride my bike all day long.." The point was no you don't "wish you could" if you did you would find a way to make it happen.

Another point, we are nice people. If your job sucks, or you didn't win the Lotto, your late for work or WHATEVER don't take it out on us who have worked so hard to enjoy our hobby.

A-Ronism #2

2010-01-08T22:01:00.001-06:00

YOU HAVE TO WANT TO DO IT!!!!!

New Year, New You

2010-01-06T11:36:00.009-06:00

Well, we made it. 2010 is finally here, speaking from my own experience 2009 was definitely not my best year and I am sure there are others out there that agree with me. Lets take a proactive look at 2009. No matter if it was a bad year because of finances, job, relationship or in my case athletic performance, now is the time to learn and grow. This year is "The Year I Do Everything Right." This is the mentally I expect from all of my clients and anyone who reads this article. "This is YOUR Year to do everything right," I get fired up just saying that and I hope you do to.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

"Scrap the crap" from your diet, this is the #1 downfall for most people. Imagine 55 gallons, that's the average amount of sweetened soda an average American drinks in a year. That is 352 20oz bottles, or roughly 84,000 calories a year which is roughly 20 pounds worth of calories. So if you eat right and exercise and drop sweetened sodas you could lose 20lbs in a year, get the picture?

Be prepared for "plan b". Only in a perfect world does everything go as planned. So count on things going awry and have a back up plan ready. A back up plan is always a good way to keep focused. I cannot count how many times "something came up" and it just derailed my whole day. If I had a plan b I would have had a back up plan ready to go. "Plan B" is important in all aspects of life.

Stay True to Yourself. This is plain and simple as it gets, do not get washed up in what other people are doing. Remember you made a commitment to do everything right this year, do not let anything or anyone come between what you know is best for you.

Do What Sucks. Your "New You" isn't going to be an easy journey. Sacrifice is the magic word here, be it sacrificing happy hour with your co-workers, sacrificing that extra helping of dessert or sacrificing that extra hour of sleep so you can get to the gym.

Train the Brain. You are far more capable that what you think.

HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE RIDE. We already have a job. Work hard, but never make it work.

Remember: BELIEVE, ACHIEVE AND SUCCEED!

A-Ronism #64

2009-12-18T16:43:00.002-06:00

FITNESS NEVER RESTS! 24/7, 365 sometimes 366!

Made the Front Page!

2009-12-08T13:42:00.011-06:00

http://fitorbit.com

Bike Food

2009-12-04T15:18:00.002-06:00

Why buy it when you can make it!

A-Ronism #1

2009-12-03T09:21:00.003-06:00

YOU are your greatest competitor and your greatest motivator.

A-Ronism #27

2009-12-02T06:15:00.001-06:00

KNOWLEDGE IS THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION!

Really?!

2009-11-06T08:34:00.004-06:00

In our never-ending journey for the perfect body people are always trying to find the "easy way out." But seriously, this ain't it, people. What ever happened to umm...DIET AND EXERCISE!? Also, i dont know you guys remember the Reebox DMX, same concept as Easytone.

The crap cyclist deal with

2009-10-28T18:20:00.001-05:00

I found this article and thought I'd share it with whomever is interested.

A good start?

2009-10-26T21:38:00.003-05:00

Iceland says goodbye to the Big Mac
McDonald's closes in Iceland as currency collapse takes a bite out of Big Mac profits
By Gudjon Helgason and Jane Wardell, Associated Press Writers
On 3:41 pm EDT, Monday October 26, 2009

A whole new way to train...

2009-10-26T15:19:00.002-05:00

GET READY, ITS COMING!

2009-10-26T11:50:00.000-05:00

Like many americans working the "9-5'er" it can be difficult to stay on track at the office. Many obstacles present themselves in the form of the birthday cake for Pam in Accounting, your Manager Bill's luncheon/think tank the first monday of every month, or the all too familiar Pot Luck lunch (just because). Whatever the case may be, these scenarios are all too common in the work place and provide an avenue for tempation. These tempations are enough to have you waiver from the thin and narrow line that is your fitness journey. I like cake and pot luck lunches like any other person, and too have found myself in a compromising situation a time or two. By taking the right measures it is easy to keep yourself on track.

What's the trick you say? It's real real REAL easy. We humans are easily swayed and influenced by our environment, and we all have a sense of what we SHOULD be doing and what we SHOULD NOT be doing. That said, a solution to fitting in that extra 30 to 45 minutes of exercise in your day is looking at your lunch hour. Think about it, its an hour, and it could be as simple as walking around the block or spending 30 minutes climbing stairs. Whatever your choice of activity is, the point is to GET MOVING! Once you begin this practice watch and see how much of a following you will begin to observe. At first, yes, you may get a strange look or a smart alec remark but I guarantee that Pam in accounting and Bill your manager are probably thinking "I need to do something with my health" along with many other of your co-workers. What are they waiting for? Someone like you to take the reigns and start a routine.

Let's break it down a little further. We have established that we could utilize half of our lunch hour, what about the other half? That time is used to clean up a little and eat. What to eat, the remnants of the birthday cake? The scraps from the pot luck lunch? No, why? Because you thought ahead and packed your lunch. Packing your lunch gives you complete control on what you put in your body. You will also find that your are more motivated to make better nutritional choices after your exercise bout. Once you have your personal routine underway, it's time to "infect" the populace with your good habits. When there is an occasion that calls for food to be present, take it upon yourself to bring a healthier option for yourself and others. By bringing your own Hors d'oeuvres you now have control on what your eating. This healthier option becomes your safety net in case less healthy options are present.

Once others see you making these healthy choices it will then spread throughout the office. Within two weeks you'll be walking with other co-workes and discussing your weekend activities over your salad and tuna instead of the local fast food favorites. It only takes one person to make a difference. BELIEVE, ACHIEVE, and SUCCEED!

Further reading:

Top 10 benefits of excercise
Exercise makes employees more productive

Cool Pic

2009-10-23T20:48:00.001-05:00

I love this pic...pure suffering.

Who's to blame?

2009-10-03T10:18:00.001-05:00

Accountability (n) - the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for ones actions.

This is a subject that is very near and dear to me. It is a mutual element that must exist between both between trainer and client. Our clientele hold us (fitness professionals) accountable to deliver them to their goals Those goals could be anything from weight loss to completing their first marathon. We as fitness professionals hold our clientele accountable to show up on time, continuing to exercise on days when not with their trainer, and make the right nutritional choices. See the pattern?

Commonly I see the case were the client is unhappy with his/her results and/or progress that they have made. They start to get discouraged because they “expected more” from their trainer or they feel that the trainer is not holding up their end of the agreement. So who is the blame here? The trainer or the client….both are.

Lets start with the client. Lets say that this individual meets with a trainer twice a week. That is two out of seven days. Lets break it down a little more.

There are 168 hrs in a week
The average person works 40hrs a week, leaving a balance of 128hrs
Throw in sleep: 7hrs a day of sleep, 49hrs a week, leaving a balance of 79 hours.
The commute to and from work: 1.5hrs round trip (and that’s accounting for traffic): 7.5hrs.
Time working with a trainer: 2.5 hrs a week.
I’ll also account for random mishaps, IE. flat tire, doctor visits, etc.: 5hrs.

This leaves a balance of around 65hrs or roughly 2.7 days. My point here is this: two hours a week is not enough exercise for anyone to make any progress at all. ACSM guidelines recommend between 4-7hrs of exercise a week.

In terms of weight loss, a person needs to burn roughly 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat, the only caveat to that is IF the person is following a healthy diet (but that’s another topic). So 3500 calories in two days = 1750 calories an hour, as an elite cyclist that is a huge number for even me to burn in an hour’s time. Another option is to take that 3500 and divide and conquer! 3500/7days is 500 calories a day, roughly 1 hour of moderate exercise. Doesn’t seem so bad, eh?

Now for trainer accountability. The trainer is accountable to make sure the clients program is specific to their needs. There are cases were the trainer just does things to eat up an hour and sends their client on their way. As a trainer I make sure to communicate the significance of holding me accountable, I also expect my clients to allow me to hold them accountable. I personally check up on my clients to make sure they are coming in on their own time. I set a target number of days that they should be exercising in relation to their own personal goals. Ultimately it is the client that has to be more diligent. Yes, I said it. The client has to be more diligent. “Well I’m paying you (the trainer) to get me to my goals.” Yes, this is true, but realistically the trainer is only in contact with you for approximately 2-3 percent of a persons week. Take a look at the numbers I provided earlier. To think that we can make a lifestyle change in a matter only two hours a week is laughable.

Fitness and overall wellness is a lifestyle choice that one must choose to live. It essence it is a full time job. Just like your 40 hour a week job, you must hold yourself accountable for your actions. Trainers, this applies to you also. Your clients are your income, you are accountable for insuring they are getting the best support you can service them during and after their contract has been satisfied.

So I ask you, are you holding yourself accountable?

Mr. Nelson

It doesn’t get easier, you just go faster.

I'm back

2009-08-18T11:55:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the abscense, that whole life thing kinda gets in the way. Stay tuned for updates!

P90 ACHES!

2009-07-01T13:31:00.003-05:00

Wow, its been about a week since I started the P90x program and sheesh its kicking my butt. I know that I am a pretty fit person but I have never done that many push ups/ pull ups in my life! Wowza!

Hmmmm...Sound like your place of employment?

2009-06-26T14:03:00.003-05:00

Statistically-of 100 employees in a company

1 uses Cocaine

5 are being treated for diabetes

10 have high blood pressure

10 HAVE diabetes

25 smoke

25 have high choletesterol

25 have heart disease

30 are overweight by more than 20%

50 feel they are under moderate stress

Source: UHF and APHA annual report 12/2005

Top 20 Tour Riders

2009-06-25T06:42:00.002-05:00

Bicycling.com has released their Top 20 all time greats of the tour:

Ullrich*

Virenque
Cancellara*
Bernard*
Cipollini*
Voigt (WWJD?)*
Hincape (Will he ever win the Roubaix?) *
Bobet (Who?)
Lemond*
Bartali
Jalabert (He did it all...)*
Bahamontes
Zabel*
Poulidor
Thys
Indurain
"The Badger" Hinault*
Anquetil
"The Cannibal" Merckx*
Armstrong (of course)*

I notated the ones I agree with, the others I'm not really familiar with.

Aaron's Honorable Mention (obvious generation gap):

Evans
McEwen
Cavendish
Hushovd
Sastre
Schlek 1
Schlek 2
Boonen
Pantani
Leipheimer

Taking the Plunge

2009-06-23T21:01:00.003-05:00

So I'm doing it, what, you say? I am taking the plunge into "telemercial" fitness. I know you all have heard of the P90x program, and in the past week or so I have been introduced to a huge cult like following. "This is some serious stuff here," I said to myself. So being a person to try anything once, I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and see what P90x is really all about. Stay tuned for before/after pics. Day one starts tomorrow!

Welcome!

2009-06-12T09:45:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the site! It is currently under construction, stay tuned!