Geek Into Shape

Start Fresh for 2009

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and became well rested for 2009 over the holiday break.  I haven’t put much thought into providing much original content, but I thought I would provide a couple of good posts from other blogs I have seen over the break that really seem to have gotten me excited about starting the new year fresh!

1. Zen Habits: How to Press the Reset Button On Your Life

The New Year is an exciting time. It symbolized transformation and starting new. It’s a time when you can let go of the old, shed your past and begin again.

2. Being Healthy for Busy People: Achieving Your New Year’s Resolution

Make sub-goals: Sometimes the main goal can feel so overwhelming that it becomes hard to achieve.  So, break your goal into smaller components.

And since the season of giving was just a week ago and you might have received have a little bit of holiday money, here are a few ways to invest in yourself for the new year:

1. Give or get a subscription to Men’s/Women’s Health Magazine (~$20).
2. Buy winter workout clothes.  Don’t use the weather as an excuse to be lazy.
3. Use it towards the first few months of a gym/health club membership OR
4. Invest in a cheap home gym or some workout DVDs.
5. Buy an iPod.  You can use this to listen to music while you workout or start listening to some of the great fitness podcasts that are out there.
6. Or you could be like me and buy a new flat screen TV so I can practice my Shimmy… I loves me some Shimmy.

The most important thing to remember for the New Year is that it is not too late to start getting back into shape.  Just because losing weight has been your resolution for the last three years and you have yet to meet your goals does not mean that you shouldn’t set the goal this year as well.  At some point, it is going to click and everything will work.  So just remember to keep with your goals and use this time to start fresh.

I am always listening to podcasts.  Driving, working, cleaning, exercising, all the time.  It drives my wife nuts, but I find so much useful information about anything and everything by flipping off the TV and putting in those little white ear buds.  One thing I am new to, though, is fitness podcasts.  And there are a bunch of them out there.  Some, I have found helpful and interesting.  Other can be boring and useless.  I have been sifting through a bunch of them recently and thought I would let you know about the ones that are climbing to the top of my “must listen to” list.  And of the ones I review each month, I will pick my favorite one so that ye with little time will always be able to trim down your playlist and only listen to the best.  So enough with this introduction rubbish. On to the reviews!

My Pick: Being Healthy for Busy People

(Review based on Episode 9)

This podcast rocked!  I had to listen at this podcast just for the title; try to find geek that isn’t busy (and I do consider playing Lord of the Rings Online “busy work”).  The funny thing was, the episode I listened to wasn’t even about being busy.  It was about the health benefits (and decrements) of tea, coffee, and Venti Carmel Mochas with extra whip cream.  This really hit close to home since I am a café junkie.   The information provided was detailed and very well researched.   Yet it remained very concise, understandable, and helpful.  But most importantly, this one little 20 minute show actually motivated me to start changing one of my habits by providing me with all the facts and options I need to know to do so.  I was so impressed by Episode 9 that I downloaded and listened to all of the episodes.  This podcast seems really seemed to hit all the high points for me and I strongly suggest it for everyone else.

Other Reviews This Month:

Motivation to Move (Review based on Episode 161)

I enjoyed this podcast.   It was light, upbeat, and knowledgeable.  They sure have been doing it for a while, seeing that they are on episode 161.  The length is good: only 30 minutes.  Long enough to have in depth topics, but short enough to listen to on the commute to work or walk to the store.  The website seems to have a big community as well.  It did, however, have some cheesy, “self-help” style music playing in the background.  That always drives me nuts.  This was a good podcast, but it wasn’t great.  If you are dedicated to fitness podcasts or have a lot of time, I say listen away because this was a good show.  I personally have plenty of other podcasts on my play list that I would listen to first, and this one would probably fall into the “Mark as not new” category.  I do plan to listen to a few more episodes, and I’ll let you know if I have a change of heart.

Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous (Review based on Episode 7)

I love the whole Quick and Dirty Tips line of podcasts.  I think they have the perfect format for a podcast.  They all take one topic or user question a week and provides a 5-7 minute tip.  The Nutrition Diva is one of their more recent additions to the lineup.  The host seems knowledgeable and professional.  The episode I listened to wasn’t necessarily the best podcast I have ever heard, but, hey, it only took 5 minutes out of my day (and those were just audible minutes)!  Even though this specific episode wasn’t anything special, I am biased to the overall quality of QaDT productions, so I have added this to my subscriptions.  Hopefully I’ll have better things to say in the future.

And that’s it for Septembers reviews.  If you have agree or disagree with anything I have said, please leave some comments.  Also tell me if you have any other podcasts that you enjoy.  Next month, I plan to look at podcasts featuring workout music, which should be fun since I really don’t like electronica, and that is what all fitness music podcasts play.  Have a great week and remember to stay active!

Have you packed on a few pounds since you started playing World of Warcraft? Are you never able to get to the flag in Warsong Gulch because you you need to stop and catch your breath halfway up the entrance tunnel? If so, then listen up!

A great way to increase your daily fitness is to push that old, squeaky office chair out of the way and replace it with an Exercise Ball during your game time.   Using an exercise ball will improve your balance and tone your core muscles just by sitting down and playing WoW.   Using an exercise ball for brief periods of time is also known to help improve posture and body alignment.  To get that extra calorie burn, bounce on the ball or do hip circles while you play.  But the fun doesn’t stop there!  An exercise ball opens up a whole new world of quick and easy exercises to do while playing, such as Squats, Lunges, and Bridges.  If you play Warcraft while on the road, a popular portable alternative to an exercise ball is a Fit Disc.

Caution: You’ll want to make sure you slowly transition into the use of an exercise ball and only use it for a few hours at a time.  It is not recommended to permanently replace your office chair with an exercise ball.  And as always, consult your personal doctor before attempting any exercise presented here.  This has been your World of Warcraft Workout tip of the week.  Have fun and stay active!

Also, I would like to thank Scott and Randy and the crew over at the Instance for including the audio version of the World of Warcraft Tip #1 in ther latest episode.  I’ll keep the segment regular as long as they keep playing it!

One of the best things to add to your regular exercise routine is some sort of spontaneity and uncertainty.   Breaking the mundane aspects of working out really helps you look forward to your workouts.  This is why people who get their exercise through sports, such as basketball, soccer, and tennis, are 47% more likely to stick with exercising (I just made that up that statistic.  It sounds great, right?!).  But I suck at sports.  I’M A NERD!  I need a different way to add some variety to working out.  So, I hijacked an idea I heard about a while back: Podcasts and drinking games!

No you don’t get to take shots during this workout, but you are going to play the Diggnation Drinking Game without the booze.  Here’s how it works: You turn on Diggnation and listen for certain triggers in the show that will cue you to do a specific workout.  A trigger could be something Kevin or Alex says, does, or implies.  Some shows might not give you much more than a simple walk in the park, others might make you pee yourself because you are too sore to go to the bathroom.  Either way you are listening to one of your favorite podcasts and slimming down at the same time.  So lace up your running shoes, set your Ipod to the latest Diggnation, and let’s get moving.

Warmup

1. Start off by walking for at least 90 seconds
2. If the show is recorded in San Francisco, stop and do 60 seconds of jumping jacks, then continue walking
3. If they are drinking beer during the episode, lightly jog for 60 seconds, then continue walking
4. Walk for 30 more seconds.

The warm-up should take 2:30 regardless of which combination of exercises you do.  If you hear any triggers during this time, ignore them.  Trust me, there will be plenty more to come.

Workout

Note: After completing every individual workout, walk for at least 60 seconds, regardless of whether any triggers come up during the time you are finishing your workout/walking combo.  This gives your body a chance to cool down.  If you are in very good shape, you can relax off this constraint as long as you feel comfortable doing so.

• Alex mentions his girlfriend: 60 seconds walking lunges
• Alex yells something in a high pitched voice: Jog for 60 seconds
• Either of the guys starts on a new beer/tea (not counting the first round): Stop and do squats for 30 seconds
• One of the guys admits to doing something illegal: Sprint for 30 seconds
  • Sprint 60 seconds if they make a failed attempt at covering their tracks
• Kevin or Alex tastes either of the other’s beverage: Jog for 60 seconds
• They massacre one of the “submitted by” user’s names: Stop and do 60 seconds of Jumping Jacks
• Either one of the guys makes a sexual innuendo: 60 Seconds of stair climbs (If you can’t find a full set of stairs, just step up and down on a curb.  Make sure you alternate your leading leg when stepping up)
• A female Diggnation listener submits a sexy picture of themselves and Kevin and Alex gawk at it: Sprint for as long as you can. This is the worst, but you know you are almost done with the show.  Once you feel like you can’t run any more, just finish walking for the remainder of the show.

That’s it!  You have an instant unique workout.  If you want to kick it up a notch, any time either of the guys cuss, start jogging.  Don’t stop jogging until you hit another trigger from above or you hear a second cuss word.  Another way to step it up is double the workout times if it is a live show.  This will definitely add some extra kick to the entire workout.

The good thing about this is that you can make up your own triggers, your own workouts, etc.  In fact, if you have any good ideas, please post them below so I can make an updated Diggnation workout. This is just a fun way to get us geeks into shape and the community will only add to the fun, so please comment.  And remember that whenever you pass somebody while doing the workout, you have to give them a big, hearty: “DIGGNATION!”

As always, consult your doctor before attempting this.  Stay active, have fun, and get into shape.

One of the most important things to do when starting to lose weight is keeping a good journal of what you are doing and what you plan to do.  While this is one of the best methods for meeting your goals, it always been the most tedious part of the whole routine.   Like a lot of people, I live for the here and now and only look forward.  While I recognize the benefit of maintaining important data, the time needed to keep that log and maintain it just seems pointless.  Well… no more.  In the age of Web 2.0, RIAs, and kick ass mobile devices, keeping track of your workout routine is no longer a hassle.  It’s now fun and motivating.  There are a TON of online (and offline) fitness tracking applications, including FitDay, Online Fitness Log, and even WeightWatchers. Today, we will be looking at two free online apps: Traineo and Gyminee.

Part 1: Traineo.com

I really like Traineo’s design.  It is slick, easy to navigate, and even easier to use.  After you set up your account and set your goals, you can easily see your progress in the upper right hand corner.  You are able to quickly, and I mean quickly, enter your weight and workouts for the day and see you progress on a pretty graph.  The workout entry system is extremely simple: “What did you do today?”  “Crunches, 10 min, it was hard.”  You are limited to 3 workouts a day though.  So if you like mixing it up by walking, running, weight training, and making love (yes, making love is considered a workout), you are going to have to leave something off.  You can also make custom logs, such as distance run or … Cans of Tuna?  Hmmm, I guess that is useful…?  Traineo also has a nice group system in which you can join together with others that have similar goals and interests and motivate each other via the groups’ forums.  Where I feel Traineo is lacking is in it nutrition tracking system.  It gives you two sliders: How did you eat today, poor->outstanding.  And how many calories did you eat.  It then gives you a link to the USDA food database.  I think this is a weak way to track your nutrition.  This means I will have to keep track of food all day on …. *gasp* pen and paper, and then enter it at the end of the night or the next day.  Overall, Traineo is a great site.

Part 2: Gyminee.com

Gyminee has a great design.  Big links for the major site areas make for easy navigation with drop down menus to get you to the sub sections.  The “Locker Room” shows you your weight (with a really nice graph), your goal, and a quick way to tell whether you have met your fitness and nutrition goals.  You can also see your Gym Friends’ status and enter quick journals.  You can set what workouts you want to do, walking or the Hundred Pushups challenge, for example.  You then track the progress you have made on each workout.  Where Gyminee really shines is the nutrition tracking.  It has a quick search for foods and their nutritional facts, very quick and tons of foods in the database.  You can add each food item you eat for the day and it will track the calorie intake and give you a breakdown of where your calories are coming from… very nice.  Gyminee also has groups with forums and challenges, where you can challenge your friends or the community to different competitions, such as weight lost, distance ran, pounds benched, etc.  Oh, did I mention Twitter integration and an iPhone app?  Gyminee also maintains a great fitness and nutrition blog.

Part 3: Face-off

Part 4: Final Thoughts

Both sites are great.  Traineo is extremely easy to use and takes very little time to record my data, so much so that it was part of my nightly shutdown routine within a week.  Gyminee got my geek blood pumping with the sweet design and bundle of cool features.  While it took longer to get my workouts and favorite foods set up, the pre-planned workout routines and accurate calorie tracking got me motivated to work out and eat right.

I really like both of these sites and I could recommend either of them.  But, since I hate sites that give comparisons, but no suggestions, I will tell you which one I am choosing to stick with…

Part 5: George’s Pick

I couldn’t resist all of those features. And with the continuous release of new features, Gyminee seems to be top-notch and only getting better.  You can follow my progress on my Gyminee public profile

As always though, in the world of technology, today’s results are most likely outdated by tonight. So please comment to tell us about your favorite tracking program or let me know if you feel that I missed an important topic. Also just let us know if you like the style of the product comparison. Given some good feedback, we would like to continue these face-offs as a regular topic and make them better and more suited to what you want to know.