Combining Yoga and Kettlebells: Triangle Pose and Windmills

Trikonasana, Triangle Pose, teaches many elements in one posture such as stability and evenness. This stance expands the chest and builds strength in the thighs, legs, and feet. Practicing Trikonasana eases stress as your mind works to balance the effort between your arms, legs, and torso. This pose also helps with anxiety, improves digestion, and stimulates the internal organs. All these benefits and yet I used to hate this pose. I knew how beneficial Triangle pose was, but yet I couldn't bring myself to work on this pose.

The turning point for me when I learned to love Triangle came from kettlebells and one move in particular, the windmill. The windmill targets your obliques, but it also works the hamstrings, glutes, and shoulders. A few weeks ago, I dusted off an old ashtanga yoga DVD and when triangle pose came I decided not to skip it. To my surprise this pose felt great. It was the deepest I had gone in the pose. I owe it to the yoga kettlebell combo. Yoga and kettlebells are an unlikely pair, but provide incredible benefit when combined. Windmills strengthened my core and increased flexibility in my legs allowing me to reap greater benefit from Trikonasana. Triangle pose helped quiet my mind and lessen my stress. These two moves provide powerful benefit.

Here are quick descriptions of the two exercises if you want to give them a try:

Trikonasana

Start in Warrior II, straighten your front leg. Extend your lead hand and fold at the hips reaching your hand down to your knee, shin, or floor. Reach for the sky with your opposite hand. Keep your torso extended, sides even, and shoulders in line.

Windmill

Clean and press a kettlebell overhead with one arm. Keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times, push your butt out in the direction of the locked out kettlebell. Keep the non-working arm behind your back and turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the kettlebell. Lower yourself as far as possible. Pause for a second and reverse the motion back to the starting position

When you combine these two moves you will create more space and evenness in your body. This awareness will help to unite your body and mind giving you mental and physical strength.

Namaste!

100 Consecutive Push-ups

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A few weeks ago, I posted a list of the top ten bodyweight exercises and number five was to perform 100 consecutive push-ups. The push-up is something that has been used in any number of programs from physical education to military conditioning programs. For consistency, the push-up I am describing starts lying face down. Place your hands by your shoulders, keep your torso rigid and press up. Once your arms are fully extended the only points of contact with the ground are your hands and toes. Lower back down and that completes one repetition. Test your max number and then you can start a training program.

I found a six week program to help you complete 100 consecutive push-ups, aptly named onehundredpushups. The program lays out a straight forward progression over the six weeks and is simple to follow. At any time you can repeat a week if necessary, but if you stick with it you will knock down another one of the “top bodyweight exercises”. For those that already can hit a high number of push-ups you should start at week 3.

Let me know how it goes.

Add some spice using the various push-ups in this video from Coach Tara (FYI she is 42 and rocking it!). This is part 1 of 2, and the second series is even more challenging.

Guidelines to a Healthier You (Exercise Consistency)!

People continually try to complicate getting healthy, but it boils down to exercising and eating right. The key to health is to be consistent. You do not have to be a molecular biologist to understand that eating more calories than your body needs will lead to weight gain. Those extra calories are going to be stored for later which means more fat. I understand that life gets busy, but being consistent with a plan is worth your health. The purpose of this post is to give you some basic ideas that will be a roadmap to wellness.

Here are some simple rules I use. I hope they help you make better choices.

Exercise:

1. Set a goal. Pick a target to work towards. It can be to loose more weight than your coworker, run a 5K, 10K, full marathon, climb a mountain, or chase your daughter. It doesn’t matter what the goal is, but that it helps focus your exercise.
2. Do something everyday. Be active everyday, and pick 4 days per week to get a serious sweat on for at least 30 minutes. It can be mowing the lawn, vacuuming, walking the dog, or take up a sport.
3. The two day rule! You can’t miss 2 days of working out in a row. You can skip one day. But not the next!
4. Don't put off exercise. I am a pack rat. I build up piles of clutter to a point that it feels overwhelming to deal with. Then I start sorting and it goes by quickly. I feel better once it is taken care of. Exercise is the same way so follow the 2 day rule and you will stay ahead of the clutter.
5. Exercise can be done anywhere. It is ok if you can’t workout for a straight 30 minutes. Split it up through out the day by using Tabata intervals. Do something active during the commercials. Consistently making time for activity is the key.
6. Rest. Your body needs time to repair and that is primarily done while you sleep. Go to bed early. Use the DVR, I think it was invented for late night television.
7. Your quality of life will be so much better with exercise and healthy eating! Remember this is an investment in your wellbeing. The money spent now will pay off in dividends that can only be measured in the wonderful experiences shared with others. Following Nike's slogan…Just do it!

Nutrition:

1. Eat 3 meals each day. Providing your body with a consistent source of energy will keep your metabolism burning.
2. Eat 2 snacks per day. This will keep your blood sugar levels stable and avoid binging when hungry.
3. More veggies please. The goal here is 9 servings per day (variety is key)!
4. Fruit, a gift from God. Fruit is your dessert so don't go wild (remember it still is high in sugar).
5. Carbs are ok...but only when complex. Think of the grains your grandma used for her cooking. Simple and Processed carbohydrates rapidly convert to glycogen (sugar) in the body and burn too quickly leaving you craving more food. Instead, get back to the basic whole grains like oats and try some more exotic grains like kamut, amaranth, and quinoa.
6. Fiber is your friend. You will be amazed at how little fiber you eat each day. Aim for 30 grams of fiber per day if you want to help your digestive system out.
7. Choose lean proteins. Vegetarians stick with legumes, lentils, nuts. Carnivores choose fish, chicken, and eggs.
8. Drink lots of water. Aim for a glass every hour you are awake. I try to drink a gallon per day.
9. Don't eat 2 hours before bedtime.
10. Eat slowly. The Europeans make meal time a social occasion and savor their meals. Slowing down allows the body’s natural appetite control to work.
11. If you feel full, you ate too much. Focus on savoring the meal and only eat enough to be satisfied. You do not want to feel like you need a nap afterwards.
12. Don't sweat it if you fall off the wagon. Shake it off if temptation gets the best of you. Nobody eats healthy 100% of the time. Just make sure that your next meal is healthy. Your body will thank you for every step you make towards a healthy diet.
13. Why are you eating? Ask yourself if you are eating for emotional or physical hunger.
14. Quality in, Quality out. I have a sweet tooth, but when I gorge on sugar I am hurting afterwards. Be honest, you feel better when you make healthy choices.

I have found it way too tedious to write down my food consumption and track my exercise. If you are like me than you need to check out www.fitday.com. It is a free online diet and weight loss journal that takes the guess work out of calculating calories in vs. calories out. Go create an account and start logging your food and exercise. FitDay rocks, it is user friendly, and the best part is that it is free!

You will be on your journey to a healthy life when you consistently stick to the above guide!

Start today!

Introducing Zori, My First Child!

Life is full of gifts that inspire us, challenge us, and change us. They are gifts that give us purpose. These life gifts shape who we are and where we are going. Every gift requires a specific set of skills. There are numerous ways to learn these new skills or improve existing ones. Each day we must choose whether to increase the skills necessary to flourish with these gifts.

July 10, brought a huge life gift and an opportunity for me to learn a new set of skills. I am now the proud father of a beautiful little girl, and in less than four days this tiny bundle of joy cast her spell on me. Zori, my first child, came into this world at 3:33 A.M and it took no time for her to wiggle into my heart. This new milestone in my life will require skills that are completely foreign to me, but fortunately she is forgiving (well at least her joy comes back with each passing wave of crying). My heart has reached a new depth of love and I am filled with gratitude. I have an incredible wife and now an incredible daughter. I am truly blessed.

As I am now choosing to learn the necessary skills to be a dad; I will need your prayers, thoughts, and words of wisdom. This responsibility frightens me somewhat until I look into those little eyes. I recently read an article on giving and a phrase stuck in my mind…you are most fulfilled when you are serving others. This gift of a daughter is going to take a tremendous amount of effort to raise, but I am already feeling more fulfilled in serving her. This new shift in life’s journey will hopefully shape me into a better person.

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers! I can’t wait for the adventures that lie ahead!

Red Yeast Rice Study Shows Promise for Dyslipidemia

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There is hope for those that have elevated cholesterol but can not take statins because of pain. A recently published study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, June 16, 2009 issue found red yeast rice and a therapeutic lifestyle change to significantly lower LDL-cholesterol levels in patients that are intolerant to statins. The Chinese have been using red yeast rice for centuries to treat blood circulation, gastric issues, spleen and stomach health. The yeast, Monascus purpureus, grows on rice and produces monacolins which collectively give us red yeast rice. The monacolin you may be familiar with is lovastatin, Mevacor, produced by Merck & Co. Lovastatin comes from “monacolin K” which is a powerful inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase.

The lead investigator Dr. Becker started studying red yeast rice after several of his patients switched to red yeast rice and stopped taking their statins due to mucsle pain. The patients did not suffer adverse effects to their lipid profiles. Dr. Becker designed a study with 62 patients with dyslipidemia and a history of stopping statin therapy due to myalgias (muscle pain). The patients were randomized to receive 1800 mg of red yeast rice or placebo twice daily for 24 weeks. All patients were enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic lifestyle-change program that included eating a Mediterranean-based diet, an exercise program, and relaxation techniques.

Following 12 weeks of treatment, LDL- and total-cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the red-yeast-rice group when compared with the placebo-treated patients. HDL-cholesterol levels were unchanged with treatment, and triglyceride levels were not significantly different between treatments. LDL- and HDL-cholesterol levels increased slightly from weeks 12 to 24, the investigators attribute this because the lifestyle intervention program ended and adherence to therapy declined.

Dr. Becker mentioned the daily amount of red yeast rice in the study amounted to 6 mg of lovastatin. The normal does of lovastatin is 20 mg to 40 mg. Dr. Becker said the benefit of the red yeast rice goes beyond the “monacolin K” contained and its effectiveness may also be from the numerous other monacolins. All the monacolins in red yeast rice might work to lower LDL-cholesterol levels without causing recurrent muscle pain. Further research is necessary, but red yeast rice may be a good alternative to traditional statin therapies.

There are two things you need to do before you run out and buy red yeast rice. First, talk with your physician especially if you are already on a statin because these two should not be combined without your doctor’s supervision. Second, you get what you pay for…check consumerlab.com and you will find that there is a huge quality disparity between brands. Your local health food store will be able to help you pick a quality brand.

How to Perform a Pistol Squat

Last week I posted a list of 10 bodyweight exercises and the first on the list was 10 pistol squats with each leg. The pistol squat popularized by Pavel Tsatsouline builds phenomenal leg strength by using only your bodyweight. Performing pistols takes flexibility and strength as it incorporates the joint’s full range of motion. Training pistol squats will rewire your kinetic chain of movement and build dynamic power.

Description of the Pistol Squat

Start with one foot flat on the floor pressing down through your heel and hold your other foot straight out in front of you. Extend your hands out in front of you and then lower yourself down until your hamstring touches your calf. Pause for a second and push back up. Keep your shin vertical and your core tight. Pavel describes the pistol squat as being an exercise of complete body tension. The pistol squat done properly does not use momentum to bounce back-up, but rather complete muscle control, hence the body tension. Check out Pavel’s The Naked Warrior for a detailed breakdown of the pistol and exercise variations to build up to the pistol.

How I built up to my goal.

It took me two months to go from not being able to do one pistol squat to doing 10 with each leg. The key for me was to build the volume slowly by performing low numbers of reps spread throughout the day. Part of my success was to break this exercise into two stages. First, I needed to increase my hip flexibility so that I could acheive a deep enough squat. I used a flight of stairs to increase the depth of my squat and work up to unassisted pistol squats. Week one, I started with my heel against the first step and squatted until I was sitting on the stairs (for me it was the third step up), paused and stood up. Week two, I stood far enough away from the stairs so I was squatting deep enough for my butt hit the second step. By the third week I was lowering down to the first step. During these first three weeks my goal was to be able to complete an unassisted pistol squat. Every time I went by the stairs I performed a few repetitions alternating legs each squat. You can use a stool, chair, or whatever is handy. Remember to build volume gradually because you are also working the tendons and ligaments. The fourth week I was able to perform a pistol squat without assistance. Now starts the real building phase. The description of each week that follows is an example of one set. I would do three to five of these sets spread throughout the day. Each set consisted of 10 reps per leg. Here is the repetition progression I used starting at week four since the first three were assisted with the use of the stairs.

• Wk 4: 2 squats per leg, alternating until I reached 10 reps (switch legs 5 times).
• Wk 5: 4 squats per leg, alternating legs twice and then 1 squat per leg, alternating legs twice (10 total reps)
• Wk 6: 6 squats per leg then 2 squats per leg, alternating legs twice (10 total reps)
• Wk 7: 8 squats per leg then 1 squat per leg, alternating legs twice (10 total reps)
• Wk 8: You have reached the goal! 10 reps per leg

Remember the long-term goal is total health, if I can build up to a pistol squat so can you, but listen to your body and/or physician before you start training.

Now get to work comrades and as Pavel would say “Power to You”!

Daily Motivation

I would like to share a quote on learning from one of my Guro's Guros.

• What is learning? A journey and process, not a destination and conclusion.
• What is an instructor? A guide, not a guard or dictator.
• What is discovery? A constant process of questioning the answers, not answering the questions.
• What is a goal? Open minds so that you can "be", not closed issues so that you have to "do" and follow to achieve the goal.
• What is the test? Being and becoming, not just remembering and reviewing.
• What do we teach? Individuals; not lessons, not styles, not systems, and not methods or techniques.
• What is the school? Whatever we choose to make it.
• Where is the school? Anywhere, not a four cornered classroom, wherever we are!

By Dan Inosanto from his book The Filipino Martial Arts

Everyday we are faced with learning and a choice to be made. Before you start the daily grind put yourself in the right mindset by taking some time to make learning a priority. When you look at each experience as an opportunity to learn, it will make that an opportunity to grow physically, mentally, or spiritually.

True Strength Test: Top 10 Bodyweight Exercises

Bodyweight exercises build the foundation for any training program. You are setting yourself up for injury if you can not move your own body through all the planes of movement. Bodyweight exercises help develop true mobility. I am not talking about just flexibility which is stretched out tendons and ligaments. I am talking about being able to use the joint’s full range of motion. There are some incredible athletes/teachers such as Scott Sonnon, Steve Cotter, and Steve Maxwell providing excellent instruction on bodyweight exercise (and beyond). For today’s post we are going to focus on another unconventional expert Zach Even-Esh. On his blog, he listed his top 10 bodyweight exercises for measuring real strength:

Top 10 Bodyweight Exercises Making You a TRUE Beast!

The List:

1) pistols x 10 ea. leg
2) 1 arm push ups x 10 ea. arm
3) 1 hand pull up x 1 rep ea. arm
4) muscle up on bar / rings x 5 in a row
5) 100 consecutive push ups
6) 10 handstand push ups
7) handstand walking
8) 20′ rope climb without leg assistance
9) parallel bar dips x 50 reps (upper arms parallel to floor)
10) 20 pull ups (overhand or underhand grip)

I am still not able to perform the entire list, but I am more than 50 percent there. Give the entire list a try or pick a few exercises to incorporate into your routine. Set your goal and as Zach Even-Esh says, “Kill it!”