<p>PS thanks, now I’m getting those ads on the side ;)</p>
<p>Omg, if idad doesn’t order the burpee boxers, I will for him! Priceless!</p>
<p>And hopefully after completing the WMI’s program, my glutes will be worthy of the squats version ;)</p>
<p>Those are hilarious! Thanks MOWC and BB for the coaching. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.</p>
<p>Nice job on 700 days, MoWC! And Saba, I hope tomorrow brings a better day and conditions for running. Rundies, undies, boxers, and briefs–lol.</p>
<p>H and I went to the gym today after deciding to bag the walk (too darned hot)–nice workout for me. I ran 2.5 on the floaty, springy treadmill and followed up with a drop 2 sizes strength workout and stretching. Getting ready to have friends over tomorrow for lunch of southern fried chicken. Now this is something I haven’t cooked in a long time :o</p>
<p>BB:</p>
<p>Hilarious. I could go for a whole new wardrobe with that stuff!</p>
<p>I can’t believe there’s a whole website for [people</a> who love burpees](<a href=“http://www.burpeessuck.com/]people”>http://www.burpeessuck.com/).</p>
<p>CJANE would probably be a candidate for some of this apparel.</p>
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</p>
<p>[Marine</a> Corps Physical Fitness Test Chart - Males](<a href=“http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/l/blfitmale.htm]Marine”>http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/l/blfitmale.htm) describes the USMC physical fitness standards for men. There are minimums for pullups or chinups, crunches, and running speed, but the Marine must score sufficient points on them to add to a passing score (doing just the minimum on each will not yield enough points unless you are 46+ years old).</p>
<p>The corresponding standards for women are at [Marine</a> Corps Physical Fitness Test Chart - Female](<a href=“http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/l/blfitfemale.htm]Marine”>http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/l/blfitfemale.htm) ; the pullup or chinup is replaced by a timed flexed arm hang (holding the “up” position of a pullup or chinup).</p>
<p>The USMC accepts new recruits only up to 28 years old<em>. Age limits for other branches are listed here: [US</a> Military Enlistment Standards – Age Limits](<a href=“http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlage.htm]US”>http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlage.htm) . The statutory limit is 42 years old</em>, but all services have age limits of 35 years old or lower*.</p>
<p>*Note that those with previous US military service can subtract the number of years previously served in the US armed forces from one’s actual age for the purpose of comparing one’s age to the age limit.</p>
<p>2 hr bike ride with H this morning, and then CorePower Yoga. Man, I am really getting into the CorePower yoga stuff. Bought the type of membership whereby you get unlimited classes per month for $x, versus pay-as-you-go. The teacher today, who is my favorite of all of them, told me after class she was really seeing improvement versus when I started. And, I did crow pose (upside down balancing on forearms) for a few seconds!</p>
<p>I think I burnt myself out on running by trying to improve my time so quickly, but I actually feel that my running will be fine this coming weekend because I am so much stronger.</p>
<p>Thinking about starting the Chalean Extreme that is sitting in my home office …</p>
<p>Well, after a long Sunday afternoon nap, I was all set to take a rest day, but the boxer shorts motivated me to shuffle my glutes down the stairs to the basement where I did my little kettlebell circuit. 35lb KB.</p>
<p>Suitcase deadlift
KB snatch
KB front squat
KB push press</p>
<p>Six reps of each with the KB in the left hand, six reps of each with the KB in the right hand. 90 seconds between sets. Four sets. 18 minutes total.</p>
<p>Saw a max heart rate of 90% of my max. These sets take me anywhere from 2:30 to 3:20. The deadlifts are an easy start to each set, but the final three exercises, non-stop are tough. The push presses at the end continue to be crazy hard, although I’m getting there on the right side. Left side is still a challenge just to get the KB overhead – which is why I always have to start each set on the left side (weaker side first). It’s really a struggle on the fourth set.</p>
<p>Thanks UCB. A couple of the physical therapists I follow (especially Gray Cook) are involved in fitness consulting for the armed services. There’s a big push to change the antiquated fitness testing, especially the crunches, which is just viewed as stupid in this day and age.</p>
<p>What kinds of crunches do you think are good (if any), interesteddad? I could use a flat stomach over here 
It seems that’s the area that is the hardest for me – I lost weight pretty quickly in my chest and butt, and slimmed down / toned my arms and legs and developed more of a waist, but the stomach is the last to go!</p>
<p>Crunches or other abdominal muscle exercises (e.g. planks and side planks) won’t “spot reduce” fat in that area, although they can make those muscles stronger. For many people, the abdominal area is the last place for body fat to be lost (and the first place to gain body fat).</p>
<p>Well, I plank (via chatarunga) and side-plank all the livelong day in CorePower Yoga!</p>
<p>[Hang</a> clean - YouTube](<a href=“Hang clean - YouTube”>Hang clean - YouTube)</p>
<p>PG:</p>
<p>I don’t do any crunches. I believe that spine-guru Stuart McGill is probably correct when he argues that the lower spine is like bending a coat hanger. Each bend weakens it and, after some finite number of bends, the disks are shot. Why waste hundreds or thousands of bends on an exercise like crunches that only works very small muscles and isn’t even very effective for fat loss. The crunch is the worst, because we already spend too much time bent forward (driving, sitting at a computer, etc.).</p>
<p>[Magazine:</a> Core Values - NYTimes.com/Video - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukmaW9CmSU]Magazine:”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukmaW9CmSU)</p>
<p>From a fitness standpoint, you want to strengthen all of the core muscles. Not just the abs, but the obliques, and the lower back muscles, and the glutes. And, the purpose of a strong core is to RESIST motion of the lumbar spine. These muscles stabilize the spine like the guy wires on a TV broadcast antenna tower. From an athletic standpoint, a strong/stiff core coils like a spring and delivers power – to the arm when throwing or hitting or to the leg when kicking or jumping. I do core exercises in every workout, but never crunches.</p>
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<p>ucbalum is right. You can’t spot reduce. All you can do is lose fat and it comes off where ever your body dictates. Usually, the first place you gain fat is the last place you lose it. For men, that’s always the belly, so we have to get down to very low body fat to see ripped abs – certainly below 15% body fat. Crunches won’t change that. They won’t even help much. For max fat loss, it’s better to do exercises that work big muscles. Same reason that bicep curls aren’t particularly good fat loss exercises.</p>
<p>OK … when I do strength training, I’m always doing big muscle stuff (step-ups, squats, leg presses, etc.) with pretty heavy weights (from the standpoint of being a girl and all). My trainer believes in always working both arms and legs at the same time (e.g., doing a step-up onto a platform while simultaneously lifting a weight above my head) and come to think of it, he’s not really had me do a lot of core work. I do core work in Pilates, though. CorePower has a minute or two of crunches, but it’s not the focus - there’s a lot of planking going on. I do think I would be well served to shift my focus away from running a little bit (sorry MOWC!) and more to strength for a while as I work on these last 10 - 15 pounds.</p>
<p>nice cleans, HOPS.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ve tried one of those this year. Hate them. I guess I should keep plugging away at making the catch comfortable, but I can’t bring myself to pencil them in. </p>
<p>I didn’t expect KB cleans to be as big a project as they’ve been. I’m finally getting the hang of them.</p>
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</p>
<p>That’s fantastic! Makes for tough workouts, but its very effective.</p>
<p>Normally I stick to full-body activities (squats, cleans, etc) but tonight I decided to throw some isolation work in. I decided I may start adding some isolation work in time to time which I think will help with the more complex movements…</p>
<p>But I CANNOT do those burpee things! They make me nauseated!</p>
<p>I also have a hard time on that pull-up machine (I can’t think of the name, but it’s assisted pull-ups or triceps dip-down, depending whether you hold onto the top or the bottom). But I realized why - I am an inveterate reader, and I’d start to read the directions while I was doing the pull-ups, and it would get me sick. Once I stopped doing that, I’ve been ok. My trainer also has me doing some of the TRX moves - looping around a Smith machine, leaning back and then pulling myself up and back, and another move that looks like I’m doing archery.</p>
<p>Signed up fora 5k that was scheduled for this morning at 8am. We decided to goto our cottage out of the state (and actually country- Canada) so realized I wouldn’t be here for the race. Picked up my tech shirt and bib on Thursday , brought it with me. Yesterday at 5pm ( yes, hottest part of the day - that’s just how it worked out) I put my race shirt and bib on, drove to the next cute little each town from our remote cottage and S ran our own 5k to represent!! He of course sailed past me! None the less I was pretty tired after 2.5 but finished with a PR of 33.02. Plenty satisfying for this running newlywed!!!</p>
<p>Still feel like I would run even better “at” the event , but it all worked out. I know the people running the race so I took a pic of myself dressed in their bib and shirt per race and then a pic of my RunKeeper screen at 3.11 miles- sent it to them as proof I ran!</p>