My Wife's Workout

Thursday already? Sweet! This week on Training Thursdays, I am going to share an exercise program I am giving my wife that she will use at the gym. Guys can also do this program, but I made this to meet my wife's goals.

My wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter back in June. She has been dieting fairly well with me, but has not been very active in exercise yet. Since she is more fragile than normal right now, I don't want to push her too hard at the beginning. After a few weeks, she can go back to full workouts. So let's get to it. She will start on a 2 day routine per week. Here's what she needs to do:

Day One

• Stretch for 5 minutes (Important because we will be focusing a lot on her legs)
• 30 minutes on a cardio machine (Elliptical, Treadmill, Bike)
• Stretch for 5 minutes
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Squats (For now, I would recommend machine squats)
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Calf Raises
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Machine Leg Curls
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Back Extensions on Roman Chair
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Captains Chair Leg Raises
• Stretch for 5 minutes

Day Two

• Stretch for 5 minutes (Important because we will be focusing a lot on her legs)
• 30 minutes on a cardio machine (Elliptical, Treadmill, Bike)
• Stretch for 5 minutes
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Machine Bench Press
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Bicep Curls with Dumbbell
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Overhead Press
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Lat Pulldown (Make sure to bring to chest, not behind neck)
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Tricep Dips (Machine or on a bench)
• Stretch for 5 minutes

That's it. This workout will probably take about an hour or so to complete on each day. I would recommend increasing weight on each set, so start off with something comfortable. I know some of you are saying this is pretty light of a workout, but remember this is for anyone who has not worked out in a while and needs to build up some strength before working out to the max.

In conclusion, work out! Make sure not to push yourself too hard if you are getting back into lifting weights. Wait 2 weeks before maxing out and pushing yourself to the limit.

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Insanity is Insanity

What up!? This week on Trendy Tuesdays, I'm going to talk about the workout program called Insanity. I will discuss some good and bad things about.

My wife and I tried this program out a few years ago at our townhouse. We were pretty pumped up about it and really wanted to get in shape fast. We had the schedule they provide and were ready to follow it. The first day we did it, OMG, we were dead tired. It reminds me a lot like basketball drills. Bunch of running and jumping and twisting and shouting going on. I won't lie, it was a great workout and hard enough for even athletes. The one big mistake we did, was not to drink the smoothie they tell you to take after each workout to rebuild muscle and all that fun stuff. It didn't bother us at first, but after a few days of working out like this, we were out of energy. After about 6 days, we decided to throw in the towel.

If we would of taken the smoothie like directed, I'm sure we might of lasted a little longer. I do not think we would of lasted to day 60 though. We had not worked out in over half a year and were not in the best shape. When I first started this my friend Larry told me that the failure rate for this program was around 90%. I took this as a challenge and decided I was going to finish this. Boy was I wrong. The constant cardio and burning of calories depletes your energy so fast, that if you are not nurturing your body constantly, then you will burn out fast and quit.

Does this mean that Insanity is a fraud and no one should do it? Absolutely not. I would say if you are in great shape and/or an athlete, this can be a challenging exercise you can do at home instead of hitting the gym as much. It works every muscle in your body, is an intense cardio workout, and is safe if you follow directions. If you have any health problems, definitely consult with your doctor before trying it. This is not for beginners.

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Enchilada Casserole

TGIF everyone! I hope you are ready for the weekend as much as I am. On this week's installment of Foodie Friday's, I show you how to make Enchilada Casserole. I made this earlier in the week and my wife went crazy for it. It was even better as leftovers the next day. Let's get to it.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 large onion
• 2 cups homemade salsa
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Once you have everything prepped, get to cooking!

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
• Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning and cumin. 
• Place three tortillas in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
• Layer with half of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers. 

• Cover and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. 
• Let stand for 5 minutes; top with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. 

Easy stuff huh? This is one of the easiest and most delicious meals I have made in a long time. The tortillas create a soft crust and the filling is so good. Make sure to rinse and drain the black beans, the extra juice in the can will mess up your filling. Also, make sure to drain the grease from the meat, or else the grease will surface while cooking and be unpleasant to look at.

Try this meal out next week or over the weekend for your family or friends. I guarantee they will love it! It is cheap and yields about 8 servings. Bon Appetit!

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CrossFit

I hope everyone is having a good start to their week. Tuesdays are hard, keep going strong. Today I will start Trendy Tuesdays. This is a little break from my more technical posts. Every Tuesday I will talk about a new trend in fitness or one just in general. This week I will take a look at CrossFit.

CrossFit is a fairly new trend in fitness that is picking up huge popularity in both cities and small towns. The general synopsis is that a bunch of people get together in a warehouse type location and workout using Dead Lifts, Olympic Lifts, Squats, Pull Ups, Headstand Push Ups, and anything that doesn't require a machine like at a gym. They mostly use dumbbells, Kettleballs, medicine balls, and barbells. The objective is to perform a workout system of constantly varied functional movements executed at a high intensity level. Does it sound hard? It is.

Pros of CrossFit are quite rewarding, and a reason why classes sell out and are rather pricey in some parts. The exercises they do are extreme and require multiple reps at fairly heavy weight. With proper form and a good instructor, you can build muscle and agility really quick. CrossFit is also very competitive because you are going against the clock with people in your class. This makes it a lot more fun than working out by yourself. Overall, the workout will get you in better shape in a quick amount of time.

Cons of CrossFit are ones that need careful consideration. Some CrossFit gyms have instructors who earned a certificate after taking a moderately easy exam and that's the extent of their knowledge. This is dangerous if bad advice is given. I am not saying all instructors are like this, many are highly trained and should be your first choice, but others are just doing it for a quick paycheck. Make sure to research your instructor before you choose a gym. With all the power lifting and heavy weights in high reps, it is easy to injure yourself or set yourself up for joint and muscle problems 10 years from now. Proper technique and training needs to be enforced. If you are just starting out exercising after years of not, then start off with easier classes and build yourself up. These courses are intense and not for the weak.

In conclusion, if you have the money and are already in pretty good shape, I would say CrossFit is an amazing workout to do to get in even more shape. It is definitely not for everyone, and you should research everything you can before attempting it. Stay fit.

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Turkey Sliders

The first recipe I want to share is for Italian Turkey Sliders with Honey Dijon Mayo. I made this earlier this week and it was a huge hit with everyone. I found this recipe on a Disney website of all places, but it is perfect for families and groups because it yields a lot of food. The cost per slider should run you around 40 cents, so it is really affordable.

Here's what you need:

• 20 ounces lean ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 16 slider buns
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard 

Once you have all the ingredients prepped, the rest is pretty easy.

1. Combine ground turkey, cheese and all seasonings. Mix together well.
2. Shape turkey into 16 small patties.
3. Place patties on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 10 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful not to cook too long or they will become dried out.
5. Combine mayonnaise with honey Dijon mustard and stir until well blended.
6. Place on turkey patties on the rolls and top with honey Dijon mayo. 

Pretty easy huh? All the seasoning you add helps the turkey have flavor, because face it, turkey is super bland and not the most fun to eat unseasoned. Using turkey cuts your fat in half as opposed to using beef. I also used whole wheat slider buns because the fiber content was higher and is healthier than white bread. Multigrain buns are even a better choice if you can find slider buns that are multigrain. You can also use low-fat mayonnaise and low-fat Parmesan cheese. If you are watching your carbs heavily, then you can just take away the bun and it will still be a good meal, although it kind of takes away the fun of making sliders.

Try this out at home next week and let me know what you think.

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Push/Pull/Leg Workout Method

This morning I was thinking of what I can talk about today. I have so many ideas and stories to share, it was hard to decide where to go next. That's when I decided to make every day of the week something unique. Today we start the first installment of Training Thursdays. Every Thursday I will discuss old and new techniques for working out and what I personally do to keep in shape.

The workout routine I follow is one called "Push/Pull/Legs". Below is the schedule I follow every week:

Monday - Push
Tuesday - Pull
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Basketball
Friday - Legs/Abs
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Push
Monday - Pull
Tuesday - Off
etc...

As you can see, I never keep the same schedule every week, because there is an odd number of events that I do. The only one that remains the same is basketball on Thursdays, because this is when me and my friends have decided we can play for a good 3 hours after work. I recommend finding an activity you like to do every week other than working out so you can keep it fun. Now let me explain what I do on each of these days.

"Push" days train all of the upper body muscles that are involved in pushing exercises. This primarily includes chest, shoulders and triceps. Example of workouts I do are:

• Bench Press or Dumbbell Press - I recommend dumbbell press if you are working out alone, because the bar press can be dangerous when you get heavier weight involved.
• Decline and Incline Press - I do these to workout all parts of your chest. This is important if you want a well defined chest.
• Shoulder Press - This is great for working out your shoulders.
• Cables Crossovers - This is a workout that doesn't receive enough attention. Doing these is a great way to make your triceps stronger.
• Pulley Pushdowns - This is a great workout to target your triceps. I use the rope, but you can also use the iron bar if you want. I feel that the rope isolates the triceps better and is a little harder.

Those are the exercises I generally do on "Push" days. Sometimes I will add a tricep dip or another way of doing shoulder press if I am feeling pumped. This is a good start though for those trying out this method.

"Pull" days train all of the upper body muscles that are involved in pulling exercises. This primarily includes back and biceps. Example of workouts I do are:

• Wide Grip Pulldown - This is a key exercise in working out your back and biceps. I sometimes see guys pull the bar behind their back, this is a big NO NO! Besides injuring yourself, you are not getting the full potential of the workout. Bringing the bar to your chest is the correct way to do this. I cannot stress that enough.
•  Machine Row - This is a great exercise for your back. You can either use the machine row or get on a rowing machine at the gym.
• 21's - Not many people have heard of this one. My friend Jon Robert taught me this one time in high school when we were at 24 Hour Fitness. It's called 21's because you do 3 sets of 21 reps for each arm. I would recommend using a light weight because it can wear you out. I use 15 lbs on this exercise. You setup like you are doing bicep curls, and then you curl halfway up 7 times, then full curl 7 times, then halfway down 7 times. This is a beast workout for your biceps and you will see results almost immediately. Thanks Jon!

These are the main workouts I do on "Pull" day. I will usually add a few bar curls, isolated rowing machines, and maybe some machine bicep curls. If you do the 21's it is almost enough of a workout on your biceps to only do that along with the back workouts.

 "Legs/Abs" day train the entire lower body. This primarily includes quads, hamstrings, calves, and abs. Example of workouts I do are:

• Squats or Leg Press - This is a key workout to get your quads in beast mode. This is like the equivalent of bench press for your chest.
• Calf Raises - I do this on two machines actually, and is a great way to isolate your calves.
• Leg Curls - This is a great exercise to work both your quads and your hamstrings. You can do this in a forward motion and also laying down. The laying down way focuses more on your hamstrings.
• Captain's Chair - You may have seen this but didn't know it was called this. It is the piece of equipment where you hold on above the ground, and raise your legs up. This is a monster workout for your lower ab section.
• Back Extensions - This is where you lay face front on a little piece of equipment and raise your upper body up and down. This is great for your lower back. The reason I do this on abs day is because it goes well with the other exercises I do for abs.
• Crunches- You know what these are! I do enough until my abs are burning.

These are the main workouts I do on "Legs/Abs" day. Like the other days, I will sometimes add variations of these workouts if I feel I haven't pushed myself to the limit.

So there you have it, my workout routine. For all exercises, I will do 3 sets of 10 reps unless stated otherwise above. If you are trying to build muscle, I would increase weight after every set by a minimal amount. If you are just trying to tone up, keep the weight at the same but make sure it's not too light. The reason I like this method of working out is because it targets a group of muscle per day. This decreases your chance of injury due to muscle fatigue and actually helps build muscle faster because you are targeting specific muscles each day and giving them the attention they deserve. I also will do 30 minutes on the elliptical every day I workout as a warm up and extra workout for my legs.

In conclusion, you want to work out at least 3 times a week and give yourself at least 2 or 3 days rest per week so that your muscles can heal and build. The routine I just showed you is not for everyone, especially those who don't visit the gym as much as I do. If you are good about keeping your routine and want to get in shape faster, I definitely recommend trying this out in the future.

*If you have questions about any of the exercises I listed, please feel free to comment below and I will explain in more detail or find a picture to demonstrate it.

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Living in a Fast Food World

If you live in America, then you know that fast food dominates the food industry. It's fast, cheaper than restaurants, and pretty good depending on how you look at it. In reality, it is not cheaper than buying groceries and making meals, and almost all of it is bad for your health. We have all been forced to eat fast food, either because we forgot our lunch or our friends are meeting there to get something fast and cheap. So what do you do if you are trying to be healthy and not gain back the pounds you lost this week? I will explain why fast food is so bad for you and what you can do to be healthy if you have to eat it for a meal. Let's start with just some basics of health and how they relate to fast food.

All fast food places use preservatives. They have to in order for food to stay fresh and meet health standards. What if McDonalds didn't put preservatives in their meat? By the time it got to the restaurant and sat for a few days, it would most likely grow mold and spoil. So why is it bad that they do this? It's bad because the food is loaded with sodium. Sodium is vital to humans because it hydrates our body by holding water in and can help in preventing heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases. Of course sodium is only good for you if you keep it at a healthy level. Too much sodium can have the reverse effect by raising blood pressure and holding too much water, causing you to build fat in your body and bring up a whole bunch of cardiovascular problems. The average person should intake around 1500 to 2300mg of sodium a day. This seems like quite a bit of sodium to intake per day, but when you throw processed foods in the mix, the numbers climb really fast.

Fat, specifically saturated fat, can increase your LDL cholesterol if you consume too much. LDL cholesterol is the bad kind of cholesterol. This is usually found in burgers and cheeses at fast food places. You do need fat and cholesterol to maintain a healthy life and keep your heart healthy, but there are no benefits from eating saturated fats. It basically hardens your arteries and therefore causes several cardiovascular problems related to high cholesterol.

Calories are the easiest way to track how you are doing. The average person is allowed between 2000 and 3000 calories a day depending on age, sex, and activity levels. For me, being 6 foot 3, male, and working out 4 times a week now, I need a little less than 3000 calories to stay moving and have energy for my body to burn fat. You never want to consume too little calories, because then you will fatigue and your body won't have energy to burn fat. If you go over though, then those unused calories will be stored by fat. So for me, I need to always have at least 2500 calories a day, and no more than 3000. This does involve being conscience of what you eat, which you should always be doing anyways. Eating is something we do 3 or more times a day, so why not treat it with respect?

The vegetables in most fast food are not healthy for you. If they are used in fast food then they were most likely sprayed with heavy pesticides and were depleted of all nutritious value. So you are basically just eating empty mass that use to be a vegetable high in nutrition.This is why almost every salad at a fast food place is no more healthy than the burgers they serve. Besides having no nutritious value, the dressings they use are loaded with sodium and fat.

Let's take Taco Bell's XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito with Chicken, one of my old favorites. One burrito alone has 2080mg of sodium, 850 calories, 93g of carbs, and 35g of fat with half of that amount being saturated fat. Now let's see why this is so bad for you. This one burrito has a full days worth of sodium, so you are already above your limit just from one item. Unless you eat raw veggies the rest of the day, this is going to effect you enormously. Calories from this burrito aren't too horrible, but you usually want to consume 400-600 calories per meal so you can eat good throughout the day. The carbs and fat of this burrito are a bad combination together. When you have a large amount of carbs along with a large amount of fat, you are setting your body up to store all the fat you eat. So to recap on this burrito, in one meal you have exceeded your sodium intake for the day, left little room to consume calories for the rest of the day, and set your body up to store fat. I use to eat this burrito along with a Double Decker Supreme and maybe a small taco with a soda. Adding those other items made my numbers sky rocket for one meal and is probably the main reason I developed high blood pressure at a young age. Imagine eating this way for two meals out of your day, scary huh?

I'm sure you've heard enough about why fast food is bad. Now let's take a look at what you can do to be healthy if you have to eat it. A lot of the fat and sodium comes from the processed cheese they use. There is almost nothing good about the cheese at fast food places. If you look at all the items on the menu, you will realize that most everything has cheese included. The first and most simple thing to do is order something without cheese. If cheese is an essential part of the item, then that is an item you should avoid. You might of noticed the Fresco Style menu at Taco Bell. This menu has cut out the cheese. This is a good option if you are visiting Taco Bell because you could have 2 or 3 tacos Fresco Style and stay relatively healthy. If you want to be extreme about it and are trying to cut carbs, you can always eat just the filling of the tacos. Sounds like a waste, but will leave you surprisingly satisfied and carb free.

Beef from fast food places are also something you should avoid. They are loaded with saturated fat and filled with preservatives. The best option is to order grilled chicken when you can instead of beef. Fish that isn't fried is also a good substitute if available. You never want to get fried food at a fast food place, because it is loaded with saturated fat and preservatives also.

Another way to be healthy is portion control. All of the fast food places I know of have nutrition charts on their website so you can check the stats on what you are wanting to eat. This usually helps me in deciding what to get so I don't go over my calories for the day. Looking at these will also help you realize how high in calories and sodium these foods are and hopefully give you a reality check, like it did for me. If an item alone has over 700 calories, you do not want to eat that. If the combination of your meal is over 700, cut out one of the items. One example I use when talking portion control is Subway. Eating a foot-long sub puts you almost to 1000 calories. If you only eat a 6 inch, you are doing pretty well. Just remember, the vegetables they use are doing you no good.

In conclusion, I would say to avoid fast food at any cost. If you must eat it for whatever reason, try to limit it to one time a week. This will allow you to join in on Fridays or whenever your co-workers want to grab some McDonald's and hang out. If you use portion control and search for the healthier options, you save yourself from the evil that is fast food.

*This will not be my last post about fast food, but this is a good introduction to it.

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Welcome to My Blog!

My name is Chris Folmer, and I am an advocate of health and fitness. At the moment, I do not have any degrees or certifications towards health and fitness, but I do plan on studying for the ACE exams this year so I can be certified in personal training. I do know my stuff though! I just want everyone to know, as of now, this blog is just my opinion and to always consult your doctor before trying anything new. Now that we have met, let me tell you a little about myself and what I plan to accomplish with this blog.

I grew up in a sport dominating home. I played baseball, basketball, and soccer growing up. My little brother even made it to the minor leagues in baseball a few years ago. It helps to compete in sports when you are 6'3" and very agile for your size. In high school though, I discovered music and decided to pursue that instead of sports. I did very well in music; making all region bands, starting a record label that won several awards, and working at world class recording studios. During my music career, the last thing I thought about was health and fitness. I would stay up late, eat junk food, consume energy drinks daily, smoke a whole lot of weed, and would only workout minimally. This caused me to go from 190 lbs at age 18, to 260 lbs at age 31.

Yeah, we all tend to gain some weight as we get older, but gaining 70 lbs is not healthy for anyone. My blood pressure was high, my gut was huge, I had man-boobs, and I was always tired no matter how much sleep I got. At one point I looked at myself, and was actually scared for my life.

Before I go further, I must mention that I have the best wife a man can ask for, her name is Kelly, and she has been supportive of everything I do the 8 years we have been together. Just last year we had our first child, Sadie Ann. When Sadie came into this world, my whole world changed, for the better. I realized then, looking into my daughter's eyes, that I needed to act now on becoming healthy and in shape so that I can live to walk her down the aisle and see my grand kids.

Well, it took until November of 2012 for me to really get going on losing weight and feeling great. As of today, I am down 24 pounds and am feeling the best I have in a long time. I still have a good 30 pounds to go before I will be completely happy, but this is a great start. I want you to join me in my adventure of living a healthy life.

In this adventure, I will post about food, workout regimes, spiritual healing, and anything I can think of that can help us become a better person, both physically and mentally. Some of my techniques are new and some are old. Some are better for men and some are better for women. I will be specific in who the audience should be for every post. Will you join me?

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