Strength and conditioning

[Smokin Rock]

Will,
is that 2 miles every day? if so, you could be you're burning muscle instead of fat. 2-3 miles every other day could be better. you can lift weights and not bulk up significantly if you stick with lighter weights and higher reps.
resistance training using your own body weight is also good- push ups, sit ups and one of the best in my opinion, pull ups. i know they're boring but as your body weight is static you should'nt bulk up significantly.
try to make sure your tank is full of good fuel. whey protein drinks are easy, fast and should ensure you're building muscle not tearing it down. although any source of quality low fat protein will do.
hope that was of some use.

[kripchik]

WillP

If you want to lift weights and don't want to bulk up, then go for higher reps, this will also help your muscular endurance. However to continue increasing your strength you should throw in a week of heavy weights low reps at least once a month.

Alternatively you could use the one rep strength method. Your first set (after a good warmup) will consist of 1 rep maximum. Grab the heaviest weight you can possibly push for one rep. Then do the rest of your sets as normal. This will keep your strength improving and is great for increasing power as well. (Safety note: You definetly need a spotter for this stuff, because you need to max out).

You don't need to be in the gym everyday, 3 days a week, with a whole body program is enough. You need that recovery period!!!

If you haven't done weights on a regular basis for a while, you should start off with body weight exercises first. Do a little circuit including push ups, tricep dips, chin ups, sit ups, squats and lunges. This will help condition your body before hitting the weights, do it for a couple of weeks. Body weight exercises are excellent, becuase they increase muscular endurance, which is needed for surfing, but they won't bulk you up.

Now that you are pretty fit from all that running you should alter you run routine as well. Some days you should do a bit of interval training, hill running or sand sprints. This will stop you getting into a fitness rut, only fit when it comes to running 2 miles and nothing else.

Variety is the spice of life!

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Sophia

[stemple]

Lets face it, surfing is not that great of a cardio work out. If you really want to get into good cardio shape with the least amount of effort buy a heart rate monitor and a few books on how to use it. They really work. I have trained on and off using them for years. 6 years ago a ran a sub - 3 hour marthon by training with one for three weeks. I had a pretty good base though. If you like to ride bikes, put it on the bike and get one with alarm. set the alarm for the desired rate for that work out. The alarm sounds when you go below or above the set rate. Its like having a coach with you all the time. Also, by monitoring your resting rate it will tell you when to back off on the harder work outs. It is alot easier to overtrain or workout too hard then you might think. Most monitors can also be used in the water during swim work outs. Watching your recovery rates after intense cardio work will also give you real valid benchmarks on your conditioning progress. Not just how many benches you need to climb out of blacks.

You can pick up a cheap one for less $50 bucks but ones with high and low alarms cost abit more. I highly recommend them. Almost every elite pro or am althete uses one religously for training.

Running two miles a day will only get you so far. You need to diversify cardio work outs to include high intensity work to improve VO2 max capability. these should be spaced with long duration low intensity work outs to burn fat and build conditioning base. Also active rest or very low intensity work is very important, speeds recovery and builds conditioning in you faster. Work out smarter not longer

[doc]

I've been jogging 2 miles per day since May. I've noticed a huge increase in stamina, but a loss of muscle mass. I want to lift wieghts, but I don't want to bulk up. Any tips?

Ok, your body has been adapting to the demands you put on it on it. The runner's body doesn't need all that much bulk muscle. How many gazelles you see that look like Ahnuld?

Now, as you get older, as has been mentioned, you really, really need the time to heal up. Ya do a number on the muscle and put wear on joints with all this exercise and if you don't have rebuilding time figured in you're heading for injury city.

Get yourself some weights. Free weights, not the super whoopie-doo exercise machines. Dumbbells, that sort of thing. Lots of benefits to free weights that you don't get from the machines. Besides not having to hang around in a gym with a lot of spandex clad oddballs. http://www.indiana.edu/~health/weightrn.html has some fairly good basic info. And they are not selling anything.

Alternate your running days with upper body weight stuff and give yourself a minimum of one day off a week- completely off, no exercise of any kind.

Eat. And eat well. Lots of greens and veggies and so on. If you have any protein supplements and that sort of thing, throw them away. Likewise vitamins. You can get everything you need from food, if you're eating right. You need to eat as much as you burn, y'know? Drink as much as you sweat.

Pay attention to what the body is telling you. Something starts to hurt? Take a break from what's doing that to ya. . Feeling run down? Take some time off. Better not to gain for a little while, 'cos being hurt really sets you back.

hope that's of use

doc...........

[WillP]

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the input.

[Smokin Rock]

Doc,
couple of questions.
what exactly is a protein supplement? it's either protein or it's not. protein is the prime building component of muscle.
the USPSTF, thats united states preventative services task force to you and me, state they can find no evidence to either support or endorse the use of vitamin supplements. therefore they neither support nor condemn their use. you strongly support not using them. do you have anything say, scientific to support your view?
p.s. i prefer the fred flinstone one-a-day. helps me out-hustle the longboarders.

[Beeline2.0]

..

[Smokin Rock]

normal folks need 0.8 g of protein per day per kg. of body weight. endurance and heavy resistance athletes require more like 1.2-1.7 g.
where you get it if in the correct amount is not supplementation. overdoing protein intake will not have a benefit. probably the reverse is true. in my opinion there are better sources than others. soy and whey will have much less fat and cholesterol than a steak.
after age 35 we lose approx. 1% of muscle mass per year. if you don't build some muscle (at least enough to keep even) eventually we'll struggle to make it out at a 2' beachbreak with a pair of olive oil arms. ingesting enough protein is crucial. most americans get way more protein daily (McDonalds ect.) than they will ever need but along with it lots of fat and cholesterol so the source is important. i figure most athletes don't fall in to this category and are more selective.
gatorade has a great website for sports nutrition where protein and amino acids and their relationship with muscle are discussed at length.
i believe it's www.gssiweb.com search protein

[doc]

Doc,
couple of questions.
what exactly is a protein supplement? it's either protein or it's not. protein is the prime building component of muscle.
the USPSTF, thats united states preventative services task force to you and me, state they can find no evidence to either support or endorse the use of vitamin supplements. therefore they neither support nor condemn their use. you strongly support not using them. do you have anything say, scientific to support your view?
p.s. i prefer the fred flinstone one-a-day. helps me out-hustle the longboarders. give it a try, might work for you.

Hi Mike,

Well protein supplements are snake oil, medicine show hooey, pure and simple. They tend to be soy-based powders, which don't actually contain all the amino acids you need to keep going. You get deficiency illnesses if you don't get all the aminos you need.

That is, you really need food, not supplements.

Now.... lets just figure out how much protein I really need. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, it's about 1 gram per kilo of weight per day. Stepping on the scale, I get 85 kilos, roughly, so by that math I should take in 85 grams of protein every day.

Ok, http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Da ... 2_2002.pdf gives some idea of what's in stuff, protein, vitamins, all that.

And lets stack that up against what I'm having for supper: chicken breast sauteed in olive oil, with onions, garlic, pignoli and veg over home-made pasta. Ready? Break out the calculators.

Chicken breast, boneless skinned, about 8 oz. - about 50 grams
Onion, half cup chopped- 1 gram
2 tablespoons pine nuts ( tasty little guys) - about 4 grams
Olive oil - trace
Veg- who knows.
Balsamic vinegar - nope.
Herbs and spices- nah.
Total - around 55 grams

Pasta-
1 cup bread flour ( makes better pasta than the 'all purpose' flour, plus I make bread now and then) - 13 grams
1 egg - 7 grams
Olive oil- trace
Total - 20 grams

Add it up: 75 grams protein. My daily needs of 85 grams....wow....in just supper, ignoring anything in the added veg, I'm up to 75 grams of complete protein, not the incomplete stuff in the soy powder. A single lousy tuna fish sandwich and I'm well over what I need for the whole day. Or a couple handfuls of peanuts. And this isn't an especially healthy day for me. So, I don't need any extra protein. Nor does anybody who eats halfways right.

As for vitamins..... I could do the same breakdown of all of that for vitamins, trace elements and so forth, but lets just say it goes along with the above.

Now...who says you need these supplements and all? Funny thing about that. Give you an example: Adam the Spaceboy. Real guy, in college right now, and last summer he was all hot on protein supplements. One day he had to pick up a jar of the stuff at his local gym and so he was late for the tide.

"Oh" I asked, "Who says you need all this stuff"
"Uhhh" says Adam, not being real quick thinking " The guy at the gym I go to, the guy I buy them from."
"Ah huh." I said, waiting for him to connect the dots. He never did- typical American consumer mentality. Getting ripped off and smiling all the way.

Now, the USPTF you've mentioned, they mainly say that taking vitamins does not replace eating right:
Patients should be reminded that taking vitamins does not replace the need to eat a healthy diet. All patients should receive information about the benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables, as well as information on other foods and nutrients that should be emphasized or avoided in their diet

Now, for me, I eat right. And I don't blow my cash on vitamins or supplements. As for out hustling the longboarders.... you can't out paddle 'em because of their overgrown equipment. But then again, outsmarting 'em isn't difficult at all.

hope that's of use

doc..................

[kripchik]

Hey Beeline, you are right about proteins being amino acids, and amino acids are the cellular building blocks.

Doc

I agree with alot of what you say. A well balanced diet will provide you with enough protein, carbs and fat. Unfortunately most peoples' diets are unbalanced.

You are bang on the money about those soy-based products not supplying you with all the essential amino acids. Meat is the only food group that has all the amino acids in one package. If you are a vegetarian you need to eat a combination of legumes to get all the essential amino acids.

Now about vitamin and protein supplements! Unfortunatley too many people take them when they don't need to. Just a marketing gimmick. I have a jar of vitamin B tablets and only take them when I need (which may be months apart). I do have a tin of "Ideal Protein" in my desk at work, I like it because it is very low in sugar and sometimes after a lunch time workout I want something sweet to drink, but don't want the sugar content. But I am by no means religious about it.

So guys, don't believe all the hype you see in magazines or on TV. Plus not all gym instructors are well informed about nutrition.

Balanced diet, regular exercise and an adequate recovery, is the key.

Cheers
Sophia

P.S Doc.. What's pignoli, I mean what shaped pasta is it?

[DrStrange]

i prefer the fred flinstone one-a-day

Don't ever eat the Barney's!!!

Food ain't what it used to be. Soil depleted, synthetic fertilizers instead of complex compost etc. There is lots of research showing that taking antioxidents lowers risk of all sorts of health probs. Also, if you work out hard, you need more protein because you are breaking down muscle tissue (that's why you need the rest periods, for repair). Whey powder, one without fructose (read sugar) as an add-on not a replacement for food can help give what you need to speed repair. Not every day or instead of food, but if you work out really hard, its difficult to eat enough to make up for it, so adding a little concentrated building blocks could help...

[doc]

Hey Beeline, you are right about proteins being amino acids, and amino acids are the cellular building blocks.

Doc

I agree with alot of what you say. A well balanced diet will provide you with enough protein, carbs and fat. Unfortunately most peoples' diets are unbalanced.

You are bang on the money about those soy-based products not supplying you with all the essential amino acids. Meat is the only food group that has all the amino acids in one package. If you are a vegetarian you need to eat a combination of legumes to get all the essential amino acids.

Now about vitamin and protein supplements! Unfortunatley too many people take them when they don't need to. Just a marketing gimmick. I have a jar of vitamin B tablets and only take them when I need (which may be months apart). I do have a tin of "Ideal Protein" in my desk at work, I like it because it is very low in sugar and sometimes after a lunch time workout I want something sweet to drink, but don't want the sugar content. But I am by no means religious about it.

So guys, don't believe all the hype you see in magazines or on TV. Plus not all gym instructors are well informed about nutrition.

Balanced diet, regular exercise and an adequate recovery, is the key.

Cheers
Sophia

P.S Doc.. What's pignoli, I mean what shaped pasta is it?

Okay, first off:

Pinenuts or pignoli are the tiny seeds from a specific species of pine tree that grows in Italy, China, Spain, Portugal and Australia. Pine trees only start producing pine nuts after 25 years and only become commercially viable after 75 years. Pine nuts have a long culinary history and are even mentioned in the Bible. They were cultivated by the Romans, and remnants of pine nuts were actually found among the ruins of Pompeii.

Elongated, cream-colored pine nut kernels are about 12/ inch long with a sweet flavor and buttery texture. A large pine cone can bear about 100 seeds, some of which are so small that an average of 1,500 seeds make up a pound.

Tasty little devils, kinda like a cashew in flavor, the ones I used tonight were, oh, about the size of the little whatsits inside a pomegranate. Sorry, but I wasn't able to find what exact species of Australian pine tree it is, so I can't aim you for a specific type of tree.

Now...speaking as an unabashed carnivore ( urp ) I'm constantly amused by the cluelessly uninformed among wanna be vegetarians, vegans, health club staff and general population of idiots. I'll happily eat well balanced vegetarian food but the brown rice, tofu and bulgur wheat only crew worry me. A practicing vegetarian, in my far from humble opinion, should be as on the ball as most working nutritionists, 'cos here in the industrial Western world it's downright difficult to get everything you need with what's available. Not so in places where they really do live on the stuff most of the time, such as sub-Saharan Africa.

And, you know, those people, living on what they do, do heavier work, every day, than most gym rats. And they have what we'd call a very low protein diet.

I go on a basic theory: if something is heavily advertised and hyped, it's bad. Howcome? If you need to hype something up to get people to buy it, it's unlikely to be worth having. On the other hand, if something is genuinely good, your only sales problem is producing enough to keep up with demand.

Oh - you might want to look carefully at the ingredients in that 'Ideal Protein' - damned if I can understand how it can taste sweet without either some sort of sugar or else an artificial sweetener of some kind...and that stuff really worries me. Sugars ain't necessarily a bad thing, especially after short, sharp exercise when you're doing anaerobic work. May I heartily recommend a nice ripe apple......

best

doc...............

[kripchik]

Thanks for that Doc...

I agree on the hype thing too.

Yeah I will have a look at the label.... But it has sat there for a while now without me using it so I should probably ditch it.

I munch apples a fair bit, my friut of choice!

Cheers
Sophia

[doc]

Thanks for that Doc...

I agree on the hype thing too.

Yeah I will have a look at the label.... But it has sat there for a while now without me using it so I should probably ditch it.

I munch apples a fair bit, my fruit of choice!

Cheers
Sophia

There you go. Apples are something I grow here on the old homestead. Was thinking that maybe I should put in some Roxbury Russets this year, nice, fairly disease resistant variety that's good for all purposes and has the singular virtue of being one of the few varieties that will make a good cider without blending. Kinda nice to wake up in the spring, when they're flowering.

In fact - here's a strength and conditioning program: dig/turn over the garden with a spading fork and garden spade. Set up rows and raised beds with a landscaper's rake. Repeat annually for ....ever. Plant fruit trees and bamboo for maintainance during the off season.

I sometimes wonder, when I see somebody hopping off their riding lawnmower to get into their ( usually oversized, four wheel drive) car and drive to the gym. Do they really understand what they're doing? Wouldn't it be a better idea to put a little physical work in their lives?

Ah well..... now, where am I gonna put a dozen or so apple trees......

best to ya

doc.......................

[kage]

Steering back towards the conditioning part of this thread, how about swimming? I like to swim laps on those days that I can't surf ( or a little running or biking.) Just plain laps tire me out, but I often wonder if I should be mixing it up more - sprints or kickboarding or something. My primary goal, aside from general health is surprsie (!) paddling faster. Any thoughts?