Daily News Archives
December 2009
12/31/2009 - What are your goals for 2010?
12/30/2009 - Short update; New Ubisoft Facebook app features my early progress photos.
12/29/2009 - Do you smoke?
12/28/2009 - More on my 2010 cut; Week off from training.
12/27/2009 - Broad overview of my 2010 cutting plans.
12/26/2009 - Fun Christmas!
12/25/2009 - Christmas plans.
12/24/2009 - Half-day of work today; Happy Holidays!
12/23/2009 - The state of JSF: 2010, and beyond...
12/22/2009 - Shoulder bothering me a little; Upcoming cut; Dieting in the new year?
12/21/2009 - Awesome ride yesterday; New video; Weight training with a purpose.
12/20/2009 - JSF BodyShop™ update; Off to the trails.
12/19/2009 - Long day yesterday; Great workout this morning; Saturday plans.
12/18/2009 - Killer back and biceps workout yesterday; Busy day; AtLarge holiday sale!
12/17/2009 - Built a bunnyhop stand for around 20 bucks, here's how I did it...
12/16/2009 - JSF BodyShop™ update; Bunny hop practice stand plans.
12/15/2009 - Are the best years of your life behind you? January 2010 "100 Challenge".
12/14/2009 - Bunny hop improvements; The bet; Getting older doesn't mean you have to be old.
12/13/2009 - No trails today, too much to do; First bunnyhop!
12/12/2009 - I guess it was an ocular migraine.
12/11/2009 - Yesterday's workout; New footage from Wednesday's ride; Ocular migraine?
12/10/2009 - Awesome day on the trails, video.
12/09/2009 - Off today, hitting the trails!
12/08/2009 - Hip "injury" is likely just soreness; My upcoming cut.
12/07/2009 - Off-road adventures, video.
12/06/2009 - Another JSF BodyShop™ update; Another biking adventure awaits!
12/05/2009 - Killed that cold; JSF BodyShop™ news!
12/04/2009 - Update from the manufacturer on the new strength training machine.
12/03/2009 - Projects.
12/02/2009 - Videos from last weekend's 38 mile bike ride.
12/01/2009 - Yesterday's leg workout; Weekend bike footage editing; December TSM!
December 31, 2009
The last day of 2009 is here, and I say out with the old and in with the new! Change is good, and I am using the start of the new year to set some goals that I want to achieve. Of course my goals for 2010 are not all fitness-related, and I'll spare you the ones that are not. So here are my fitness goals for 2010:
- Diet down to 8% body fat
- Once I hit 8% body fat, maintain at less than 10% with a balanced lifestyle
- Continue to add new healthy and delicious recipes to my regular diet
- Train for strength and not size
- Bunny hop on my bike at least 2' in the air
- Learn at least 4 new tricks on my bike
- Improve my cardiovascular system and endurance level
So, what are your fitness goals for 2010? Please share them in this thread.
I just learned to bunny hop on my bike a few weeks ago. One of my goals for 2010 is to clear 2 feet. Yesterday I reached the halfway mark, and cleared a 1 foot bunny hop.
The next 12 inches are going to be very difficult, but I know I can do it. If you want to succeed at something you have to set the goal, believe in yourself 100% and then put in the effort required to achieve it. It doesn't matter what your goals are, achieving them is simply a matter of performing those three steps.
I want to wish everyone a very happy New Year! I sincerely hope that each and every one of you reach your goals for 2010!
December 30, 2009
I totally forgot about a big network upgrade I have to make this morning at one of the apartments to which my company provides service. It's supposed to happen in like 5 minutes! This is going to be a very short update, I'm afraid.
If you're on Facebook check out Ubisoft's new Your Shape picture progress Facebook app. This Facebook application was developed so that users of the "Your Shape" game can easily create their own progress photo animations. Ubisoft is using my transformation photographs (with permission, of course) as the sample animation. Pretty cool!
Time is running out to register for the January 2010 "100 Challenge". Details are below. Be sure to post your entry today!
December 29, 2009
So I was just thumbing through a magazine, and towards the back of the magazine there was an ad for cigarettes. "Buy direct and SAVE!", the ad proudly proclaimed. A carton of Marlboros was "only" $46.99, with a 3 carton minimum. WHAT?!?! I quit smoking almost 10 years ago, and I have not paid attention to how much the prices of cigarettes have gone up over the years... and $46.99 is a savings? By the way, please don't email me if you know where to get cigarettes cheaper than $46.99 per carton--I really don't care.
OK, for the moment let's put aside the obvious and biggest reason to quit smoking--your health. How can anyone even afford to smoke now? Man, when I quit smoking I was smoking 3 packs per day. At today's prices my habit would cost me over $100.00 per week, and over $400.00 per month. That's a friggin' car. Even if you "only" smoke a pack a day, that's not chump change...
I really hope anyone who still smokes and is reading this will seriously consider quitting for the New Year. Take all that money you were spending on ciggs and spend it on something nice for yourself. That's what I did when I quit smoking, and it really helped me stay on track. Of course the health benefits of quitting smoking are well-documented so I won't repeat them here, but presumably you care about your health if you're reading this site.
Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, but it was also one of the smartest. There are a lot of ex-smokers on the forum, so feel free to post if you need some help and support. You can do it!
December 28, 2009
OK, one week from today and I'll enter full-on cutting mode until I reach 8% body fat. If you missed yesterday's update, I posted a broad overview of my 2010 cutting program: training split, food choices and the "rules" I'll be following.
I've decided to take this week completely off from training so my body can rest up before my cut starts. I'm also going to have a dietary "free week". While I'm not going to stuff myself on junk food, I'm am going to allow myself to indulge a bit more than I otherwise would. This will be my last chance to do so for at least 3 or 4 months.
As I mentioned yesterday, I am going to be tracking my 2010 diet, training and goals on the JSF BodyShop™ web site. The web site is about to go into beta mode, so not everyone will have access to it for the first month or so of my cut. Therefore, I think I'm going to design all my meal and training plans in BodyShop, and then post screenshots of my diet and training plans here. That way those of you who are not beta testers can not only see what I'm doing on this cut, but also get a few more glimpses of BodyShop. Of course once BodyShop launches everyone will have access to the site, and from that point forward my diet and training will be exclusively tracked there.
I know a lot of you are planning to get in shape for the new year, and I think that's great! I encourage you to get involved on the forums. If you're not sure where to begin, start off by reading the excellent fat loss/muscle building primers in the beginner's forum. If you want to work with a personal trainer who can design a complete custom diet and training program just for you, you're in luck because forum sponsor Aram "Mastover" Hamparian is holding a 15% off sale during the entire month of January! More details on the sale can be found here.
It's time for me to get to work. This is going to be a short work week, but a very busy one. Have a great day!
December 27, 2009
A week from tomorrow I'll begin my 2010 cutting program. Over the past week or so I've started getting myself mentally prepared for this task, and I've been thinking about my meal plans. When I'm cutting or bulking I like to keep things simple, and I like to have a clear-cut set of "rules" that I simply will not allow myself to break.
My rules for this cut are as follows: No missed workouts or cardio sessions, no missed meals, no "cheat" meals or snacks, no alcohol, at least 8 hours of sleep each night and weekly tape measurements/body fat readings.
While eating the same foods week after week is not very sustainable in the longterm, I find that sort of simplicity helps me stay focused while I'm cutting body fat. That said, over the past few months I've found some new very healthy recipes that will allow me to enjoy bit more variety than I've had on past cuts. My proteins will consist of chicken breasts, 96% lean ground beef, Nitrean protein powder, egg whites and fish. My fats will mostly come from natural peanut butter, olive oil and whole eggs. My carbs will come from brown rice, oats and potatoes. I'll be posting my actual meal plans here soon, and I'll be tracking everything in details on the JSF BodyShop™, which will soon be in beta (and will open to the public while I'm cutting).
As for my workouts, I've decided to go with a 3-day split for this cut. Monday: legs. Wednesday: chest, delts & triceps. Friday: back, traps & biceps. I'll do cardio on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Most of my cardio will be HIIT in the form of mountain biking, but some of it will be LISS.
This was just a broad overview of what I'll be doing. I'll post more details and talk about some of the mental tricks I use to stay focused over the next week and as I progress along the cut. 8% body fat, here I come!
December 26, 2009
Christmas day was a lot of fun! After my morning workout and shower I started prepping for dinner, and the family arrived a short time
later. We watched a movie while my beer braised pork and roasted root vegetable dinner was cooking. All the food came out perfectly cooked
and we all ate until we were stuffed. After dinner we decided to watch another movie, but I noticed a little snoring going on around
me. I guess the big dinner combined with the wine, the comfy recliner theater seats and the mostly sub-titled 2.5 hour "Inglorious Basterds" was
a recipe for a catnap. 
After everyone woke up from the movie we had a slice of apple pie and then went to bed. I guess it was around 11:00 PM, which is very late for me (I'm usually in bed before 9:30). I slept until 7:30 this morning, which is unheard of for me! Thankfully it's a lazy morning around here with nothing much going on.
I'm going to go join Lisa and her parents in the kitchen for some more coffee, and then I'm going to make us all breakfast. No training today, but the weather is awesome so we might go for a nice long bike ride. See you tomorrow!
December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
I'm going to go ahead and get my delts and traps workout out of the way first thing this morning. Later today Lisa's parents are coming over and I'll be making dinner for everyone. I really enjoy cooking for the family on holidays (I get that from my mom)! Because I just did the big turkey thing less than a month ago, today I'll be preparing an awesome beer braised pork shoulder. I'm also going to make roasted root vegetables (red potatoes, white potatoes, carrots, garlic cloves, onions, olive oil and fresh herbs) and buttermilk biscuits. We've got cheesecake and apple pie for desert. Yum!
I might as well enjoy these foods while I can. My cut starts on January 4, 2010 and there will be no cheat meals while I'm cutting.
I'm going to go hit the weights and start cooking. I hope you all have a fun, safe and very merry Christmas!
December 24, 2009
Happy Holidays, everyone! It looks like I might be able to get away with a half-day of work today, so I'm pretty happy about that. After work I'll be doing my back and biceps workout, and then I've got to get some house cleaning out of the way. Maybe I'll have time this afternoon to get some more practice in on the bunnyhop stand that I built last week.
If you missed yesterday's update, please take a few minutes to give it a read. There are a lot of changes coming to JSF in the very near future. I'm very excited about the future of JSF, the forums and, of course, the all new JSF BodyShop™. I think these changes are going to make reaching your fitness goals easier, more fun and more exciting.
I'm going to get back to work now. Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have a fantastic day!
December 23, 2009
Soon we'll be entering not just a new year, but a brand new decade! Most people associate the new year with change, and things are definitely going to be changing around here. Today I'd like to talk about some of the exciting changes you'll be seeing on JSF in the very near future.
The first major change you'll see is the launch of our brand new sister site, JSF BodyShop™. We're very close to launching the closed beta program. Once the beta program ends, JSF BodyShop™ will be open to everyone, free of charge.
JSF BodyShop™ is going to affect how I do things here on the main site. While the daily updates to JSF will continue (along with much more--I'll talk about that a bit further down), I will no longer track my personal progress on the main site. All my weight training programs, cardio workouts, diets/meal plans, weight, body fat level, measurements and so on will be available on my public JSF BodyShop™ profile. Tracking my progress, setting goals, creating meal plans and logging my training using BodyShop is so much easier than how I've done it in the past. For example, let's say I am going to eat the same weekly meal plan with slight changes from one week to the next. I can duplicate my weekly meal plan with a couple mouse clicks (you can also, of course, duplicate any range of dates), and then make any changes I like with a couple more clicks. All the data is automatically adjusted, and I get instant, accurate information showing exact calories, macronutrients and micronutrients. This functionality, along with our massive database of almost 8,000 food items (you can enter your own food items, too), makes experimenting with meal plans fun and easy. You can even copy another member's meal plan right into your own meal plan! This powerful functionality is also found in the training module of JSF BodyShop™.
The next big change you'll be seeing is with the forums. A brand new, major upgrade to the forum software was just released. The entire look and feel of the forums will soon be changing for the better, and tons of cool new features will be added. I've had a chance to play around with the new version of the forum, and it's pretty darn awesome. It's easier than ever to use, and I know you guys are going to love it. I'll talk in more detail about the new features in a future update. I expect to perform the upgrade in late January or early February.
I know a lot of you have been wondering what's been going on with the main site (this site) redesign. While development has slowed quite a bit as I've focused my time on other projects, there is another reason I've had the redesign on the back burner as of late: the same company that develops the forum software also just released a brand new CMS (Content Management System). I knew this product was coming, and I've been reluctant to dump more time into the site redesign until I had a chance to check the new CMS out. This new CMS is tightly integrated with the forum software, and may prove to be a better fit than Wordpress. What does all that mean? I may be starting the redesign from scratch. I have not decided yet. I want to wait until BodyShop is launched and then take some time to evaluate the new CMS before deciding. Once I do make my choice, the redesign of JSF will become priority #1, and development will commence at a very rapid pace.
With the new year fast approaching, right now the top priority is getting JSF BodyShop™ launched. It won't be long now, so stay tuned...
December 22, 2009
It's been years since my bum shoulder has given me any serious trouble, but my right shoulder has been protesting a bit lately. I know the pain I'm currently experiencing is a direct result of the stresses I've been placing on the shoulder while mountain biking; more specifically, bunny hopping. Today I'll be training chest and triceps, and benching along with weighted chest dips are two exercises that definitely put my shoulder health to the test. It will be interesting to see how it holds up. I'll be honest, I'm not going to stop riding, even if it affects my ability to bench. I'll just have to figure out a way to work around it.
This week I'll be working on getting my upcoming cutting diet and training program worked up and posted. Actually, most of it is already done, as I'll be using a slightly modified Mastover-designed cutting program that was created for me when I was at a similar weight and body fat percentage. I may modify the training split so I'm only weight training 3 days per week because I want to leave a few days open so I can do cardio as much as 3 days per week (and still have one day of complete rest). My hope is that the majority of my cardio will be performed outside on my bike, but practically speaking some of it will likely be in the gym.
If you are gearing up for a fat loss program to start the new year, don't put off the planning stage until the last minute. I suggest that you post your diet and training plans on the forums and ask for comments and suggestions. If you are not sure about something, just start a post and ask away. I know it can seem overwhelming when you're new to healthy, sustainable fat loss/dieting. Don't worry, JSF is a friendly community and we're here to help you reach your goals!
December 21, 2009
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Mine was pretty darn awesome. I finally got to chill out and have some much needed fun after a very difficult work week. Actually we got to literally chill out on the trails yesterday, as the temperature was in the upper 40s and there was a decent wind as well. I didn't mind the cold at all, actually, and once I was warmed up it felt quite nice. The only thing I didn't really enjoy about the cold weather was the burning in my lungs. I guess I'm just not used to it.
So yesterday Roger (Bluestreak), his wife Tanisha (Chameleon), Lisa and I all met up at Big Tree park to ride the trails around Soldier's creek. We had an incredibly good time hanging out and riding the trails.
This was Tanisha's first time on these trails, and I was impressed with her riding as I cased her with the camera on part of one run.
I also decided to trail Lisa on a run, and unfortunately it was not a good one for her. The ride started off bad, and got worse. She took her first real spill, flipping her bike (it's in the below video). It was pretty scary for me, too, as all I could do was watch it happen. She got a little scraped up, but is otherwise just fine.
I didn't tail Roger on any of the runs, but he reported awesome rides and no wrecks!
I tried a few new tricks this time and manged to (mostly) pull them off. There were definitely a few areas in which my newly acquired ability to bunnyhop came in handy, but I still need more practice before it will feel completely natural. Also, someone built a bridge over the downed tree, so that kind of screws up the 2' bunnyhop bet I have with my brother.
You can watch the video below, or for a bigger HD version (recommended) go here.
Today is going to be another cold-ish day (highs in the mid 60s), so I'm definitely going to be doing part of my leg workout outside. Funny, now that I'm doing all this mountain biking my leg workouts (in particular) have taken on a whole new meaning. I'm no longer training to have massive quads; now I'm training because I want to have awesome strength and endurance. So today's workout will be a mix of very heavy squats, backyard lunges and I'm going to bang out some grueling sets of breathing squats while I'm in the backyard. Lately I've been enjoying my weight training even more than usual; It's a bit of a different feeling now that I'm training with an external athletic purpose in mind. I like it.
December 20, 2009
Let's kick this update off with a JSF BodyShop™ update! Matt and I had our usual weekly meeting yesterday, and most of our time was spent going over some minor bugs and a couple functionality/design changes. I think that by next weekend the site should be very close to ready for the closed beta phase. Somehow Matt has managed to work in some cool new features over the past week, and he did that while deep in the process of squashing bugs. The guy is a coding machine. BodyShop just keeps getting better and better, and we're both very excited about it. Matt and I are very much looking forward to hearing the comments, suggestions and feedback from the beta testers. It won't be long now...
Last week was a pretty busy and stressful one for both me and Lisa, so we decided to blow off the house cleaning and watch a movie. It was the right move. We both get off from work a little early on Christmas eve, so we made a pact to clean then. Today We're meeting up with Roger and Tanisha and hitting the trails. It's a bit chilly at 42 degrees, but the winds are calm and it's sunny and clear. Lisa would disagree, but to me this is perfect riding weather. I really like riding when it's cold. Of course if I fall in the water again I may change my mind. I'll be shooting HD helmet cam video of the entire ride, so if I'm not in the hospital I'll probably have some footage to post later today.
Breakfast time. I hope you have a great Sunday!
December 19, 2009
Yesterday wound up being even more busy than I'd anticipated. I didn't get back from the datacenter until almost noon, and that trip set me back 3 hours. Once I got back in front of my computer it was one problem after another. By the time I finished up for the day I was completely exhausted.
As I mentioned in yesterday's update, I suspected that I was not going to have time to lift, and I was right. This morning I woke up, drank a protein shake with some raw oats and then hit the weights! I had a really good workout, and now I feel totally energized (and am in a much better mood than I was yesterday!)
I've got a lot going on today: house cleaning, planning and shopping for Christmas dinner, my usual weekly meeting with Matt (JSF BodyShop™ developer) and a couple small-ish projects around the house. It's going to be cold, sunny and clear today. I hope the sun dries out the trails (it rained all day yesterday), because tomorrow morning we're going riding. I can't wait!
I'm going to go get started on things around here. Have a great Saturday!
December 18, 2009
I had an absolutely incredible back and biceps workout yesterday! The pizza I ate Wednesday night probably helped fuel my training (it wasn't a cheat meal, it was a carb load... yeah!), but I think mostly I was just ready to take out the frustrations of a very bad day on the iron. I started off with 3 sets of very heavy deads, and manged to rip the scab on my shin clean off again. I'm starting to think that cut is never going to heal because I keep re-opening it. As many times as that scab has been torn off I think I'm going to have a pretty dreamy scar if it ever heals.
The weather tomorrow is going to be perfect for trail riding: clear and cool. The problem is it's going to rain all day today so the trails are probably going to be a mess. Lisa, Roger, Tanisha and I were planning to hit the trails in the morning, but I think we're going to have better luck on Sunday. We'll see...
So today was already going to be packed from start to finish with more work than anyone could possibly accomplish. Of course what do I wake up to? A critical server is down, and I've got to drive out there in the pouring rain and deal with it. This is going to set me back at least 2 or 3 hours. I don't think I'm going to be able to do my delts workout today, as there simply isn't going to be time. Thankfully today is Friday, so I'll just postpone the workout until tomorrow morning.
AtLarge is running an awesome holiday sale on Nitrean and Novus protein bars! The prices are outstanding, and these are two of AtLarge's most popular products. Go stock up NOW! No coupon code needed. Details are just below today's update...
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AtLarge Nutrition - Holiday Sale! It wouldn't be a holiday unless we ran an awesome holiday sale right? Well, it's a good job this one is truly awesome! Now through Monday, December 21st, 2009 we are slashing the prices of our award winning Nitrean Protein and also our Novus Protein Bars. Nitrean 4.6lbs, normally $52.95 is now a low $45.95 - a massive saving of $7 per tub! Novus Protein bars, normally $35.95 for a box of 16 bars are now a low $27.95, representing an $8 saving per box! That's only $1.75 per protein bar which comes loaded with 36 grams of protein! A perfect opportunity for you to stock up on protein for the holidays! Order yours now as the sale will ONLY be running through Monday, December 21st, 2009. Happy Holidays from AtLarge Nutrition! |
December 17, 2009
I've been splurging on the frequency of my "cheat" meals a bit more this month (last night I had pepperoni pizza). I think the reason is because I know I'm going to be starting my cut on January 4th, so I'm not worried about putting on an extra couple of pounds right now. Also, right before I go into "all or nothing" mode, I always like to eat all the things that I know I won't be able to enjoy while I'm cutting.
That pizza I ate for dinner last night has left me incredibly bloated this morning. I feel like I'm typing this update with small water balloons attached to my hands. Today I'll definitely eat nothing but healthy foods, and I'll be drinking extra water. I simply can not have heavy meals two days in a row. The day after a cheat meal I always crave nothing but clean foods. I think I'm going to make a stir fry tonight. I'm really enjoying that recipe: it tastes great and is incredibly healthy.
So yesterday I posted the detailed bunnyhop stand plans that I painstakingly developed and rendered in 3D Studio Max. As soon as I finished up my work yesterday I went out into the garage and built that sucker! I deviated from my original plans in a few areas, so I'll talk about that here in case any of you want to build one, too.
Here's the completed bunnyhop stand:
Building the stand was really easy, and only cost about 20 bucks. Want to build one? You'll need the following:
(4) 3' 2x4s
(4) 9" 2x4s
(2) Heavy-duty 90 degree angled brackets
(2) Heavy-duty flat brackets
(1) 1" numeric stencil set
(1) Can spray paint
(1) 6' length of 3/4" PVC pipe
3" nails
1.5" nails
The first thing I did was measure out where the 1.5" nails (for holding the PVC pipe) would go on the (2) 3' vertical risers. The height of the base 2x4 is 1.5", and the height of the PVC pipe is a little over 3/4". The nails that the PVC pipe rest on also add a small amount of height, for a total height of 1". You need to account for those things when making your marks. So, for example, the first mark would be for a 4" jump: 4" - 1.5" - 1" = 1.5". So I made my first mark at 1.5", and then simply made marks every 2 inches up the entire length of the board. Don't mess this part up. Before you start making the rest of your marks, hold everything together by hand and make sure the top of your PVC is dead-on 4". You should have jumps from 4" - 38" in 2" increments. Once all the marks were made I drove 1.5" nails about halfway into the board, centered on the marks. You can eyeball the centering--it doesn't have to be perfect.
The next step is to nail the 3' vertical 2x4s to the 3' base 2x4s using the brackets. The vertical 2x4s should be centered along the length of the base 2x4s, and flush against the side. A picture is worth a thousand words:
I used 1.5" nails in all the places where a 3" nail would have been too long, but I used 3" nails on the lower flat bracket, and I drove a couple extra 3" inch nails into the vertical risers from underneath the base 2x4s.
Now you need to take the (4) 9" 2x4s and nail them centered on the ends of the base 2x4s with a couple of 3" nails. See the above picture.
Almost done now! I used 1" numeric stencils and spray paint to indicate the height of each jump in inches. You could just as well use a sharpie.
This setup works great! Just make sure you face the side that holds the PVC pipe away from the direction of your approach so the pipe can fall away if you hit it. The pipe can take quite wallop, but it won't last forever. Thankfully they are very cheap.
Here I am making my inaugural jump:
I had no luck finding any information on building one of these things, so I hope this helps someone.
December 16, 2009
I have some excellent news regarding JSF BodyShop™: the website, software and database have been moved to the live JSF servers! Getting everything moved over from the development environment onto the live servers is a pretty big accomplishment, and I'm happy to report that, for the most part, this phase has gone amazingly well. Of course there are still some bugs that need to be squashed and quite a bit of testing that needs to be completed before we can enter the closed beta phase of this project, but Matt and I both feel pretty confident that we can remain on schedule and launch the beta before the end of the year. That said, we're not going to put out a half-baked product; if new issues come to light during the our testing phase it could push things back a bit. I'll keep you all posted!
Yesterday after work I decided to go outside and practice bunny hops. I was feeling pretty tired at that point (long day at work + a hard chest and triceps workout), and my jumps were not very good. I was getting pretty good height, but I kept mis-timing and my back tire would come down on the cardboard boxes I was using. So at this point I've pretty much destroyed every cardboard box in the garage. I've decided that I'm going to build a bunny hop stand to practice on. I stayed up all night working in a sophisticated 3D cad program. After countless hours of toiling I rendered this design:
Basically it's a bunch of 2x4s nailed together. The vertical boards will be 4 feet high (gotta dream big, right?), then the "feet" will be like 1.5 feet long with 18 inch boards at the ends to stabilize. I'll nail together two of these, and then put nails at one inch intervals all the way up. For the bar I want to buy some sort of flexible tube, so when I hit the bar it will just bend and fall off the nails. I think this design should work pretty well.
I'm off to the patent office. Have a good one.
December 15, 2009
It was wonderful hearing from so many of you in response to the second half of yesterday's update! I received quite a few awesome similar stories and words of encouragement to keep on doing what I do. Thanks!
I also heard from one gentleman who, as he put it, "...would have rode by and sneered, too." This person told me that he is in upper management for a large corporation, works very long hours and recently "celebrated his 50th birthday with a sigh". He told me that yesterday's update stirred up some difficult feelings: he said he felt the best years of his life were gone. He said looking at the pictures of me goofing around on my bike made him feel bitter at first, then sad. I really appreciated his honesty.
I'm not a "self-help guru", and I've never pretended to be. In fact I don't even like most of those guys very much. What I can tell you is that I was miserable when I sat around smoking weed, drinking and eating like crap. Back then I was afraid to try anything new, and my life was boring and monotonous because I'd pretty much given up. All that changed when I began to eat right and exercise. When you're physically active, drug-free and healthy it opens up all kinds of doors! My advice is pretty simple: eat healthy, do something fun and physically active every day and don't ever be afraid to try the things you think you will enjoy. I don't know if that's good advice or not, but I do know that it works for me.
I've opened the January 2010 "100 Challenge" for entry. Details are immediately below...
Registration for the January 2010 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EST) on January 1, 2010 if you plan to participate--NO EXCEPTIONS! To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. It can take up to 24 hours for your account to be activated, so don't wait until the last minute to register! For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the January 2010 "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part!
December 14, 2009
I had a productive, but fun day yesterday. I did some chores around the house, watched a movie, played some poker and got some bike time in. I decided to stay close to home and not hit the trails for a change. Yesterday I really wanted to continue working on my bunny hop...
On Saturday I managed to do my very first bunny hop. It was a small one, but it felt very satisfying to get that rear tire off the ground. I really only put a grand total of 2 or 3 hours into learning the trick before I managed to pull it off. I've read that the bunny hop can be difficult to learn, but I felt like it came pretty easily once I decided to get out there and really focus on learning it.
Of course getting the basic technique down is just the first step. The next step is working on getting the jump timing down at various speeds and, of course, getting more height. Yesterday I went outside to practice those two things. I only had time to practice for about an hour, but I felt like I made some solid progress. In an hour's time I progressed from barely being able to do a bunny hop, to doing them consistently and with more height. I started off jumping a broomstick and an old shoe. Once I was able to reliably clear those objects I started hopping an empty 12-pack soda carton. After I was able to jump the soda carton with no trouble, I moved on to an empty garbage bag box, which stands 10 inches high. By the end of the practice session I was clearing the 10 inch box pretty reliably:
My goal is to be able to bunny hop this tree that fell across one of the trails at Big Tree Park:
I estimate that is at least a 2 foot bunny hop. I told my brother that I want to be able to clear that tree by sometime this summer, he said no way.
Of course now we have a bet, and I am definitely going to take his money.
So while I was outside in the driveway practicing this weekend, I caught a few strange looks from some of my neighbors and people riding by on bikes (they were riding quite maturely, obviously--none of the silly shenanigans I was attempting). At first I felt a little embarrassed, but that was stupid. What's to be embarrassed about? Yeah, I'm a 41 year old man practicing bunny hops in my driveway, so what? I feel sorry for the people who looked at me like I was off my rocker. It must suck to get to a point in life when trying new things is so scary that you feel the need to look down on those who aren't dead inside. I don't ever want to be like that.
It's leg day, and I think I'm going to do some backyard lunges. Shoot, I may just do them in the front yard today...
December 13, 2009
As much as I want to hit the trails today, Lisa and I just have too much to do around the house. Also, I got paged at 4:00 AM this morning and never really got back to sleep, so I'm feeling a bit tired. I don't think that riding the off-road trails at Big Tree while tired would be a wise move, especially at my level of experience. Those trails are challenging enough when I'm fully alert!
Hopefully we'll get done with our household chores in time for at least a bike ride around the neighborhood. Also, I want to practice fixing a flat in the garage. This is something I've been meaning to do, but have been putting off. I've read up on how to change/patch a bike inner tube, but I've never actually done it. I was reminded in this thread that making sure you can fix a flat is best done under controlled conditions. So that's on the list for today.
I also want to continue to practice the root of all BMX tricks: the bunnyhop. The bunnyhop is an absolutely critical skill for mountain bikers, and I'm determined to get good at it. Yesterday I manged to put some air between the back tire and the ground for the very first time:
It was a happy moment, but obviously a very weak hop (that screengrab was taken at the apex). I've still got a whole lot of work to do on this trick, and I hope to have at least an hour this afternoon to continue practicing.
December 12, 2009
Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to email/PM/post about the weird vision problem I wrote about in yesterday's update. It looks like I was correct in my assessment that it was something called an "ocular migraine", but until yesterday I'd never even heard of such a thing, let alone experienced one! Most of the people who contacted me said that ocular migraines almost always meant that a horribly painful migraine headache was on the way, but I never experienced any sort of headache or pain--thank goodness. Anyway, I rarely get headaches and I don't think I've ever had a migraine headache in my life. Turns out the ocular migraine I experienced yesterday is almost always harmless, but it really scared the crap out of me because I had no idea what was going on. My sinuses have been a little stuffy the past few days, so I wonder if that had something to do with it?
Lisa has to work today, and I have some projects to take care of around the house. I really want to hit the trails tomorrow, but
I'm not sure if we're going to be able to. Lisa and I have a lot of stuff to do around the house, and we need to clean. Still,
the temptation to blow all that off and go get muddy is pretty strong. We'll see...
Yikes, it's almost 9:00 AM and I still have no eaten breakfast. I need to go cook before I pass out. Have a great Saturday!
December 11, 2009
I had a really satisfying back and biceps workout yesterday. I decided to go heavy/low reps with my deadlifts, and I was particularly careful with
my form because I am still feeling a little tossed around from Wednesday's day at the trails. When I'm lowering the weight on a deadlift I always scrape the bar
down my shins to make sure I'm keeping the weight as close to my body as possible. Unfortunately yesterday that dragging action ripped one of the scabs on my shins clean off,
and I started bleeding like a stuck pig (it didn't feel too great, either). I slapped a bandage on there, but then I ripped that off on the very next set. 
I think all this mountain biking I've been doing lately is forcing me to use some muscles that are not hit with my usual weight training workouts. I've had some soreness in places I normally never get sore: the front-ish part of my hips (above and just outside of my quads) were pretty sore earlier this week, and this morning both of my ankles are sore. There's no question that it's muscle soreness. It's a little weird to have sore ankles!
In yesterday's update I wrote about Wednesday's awesome mountain biking outing with Lisa and Roger. I also posted a video, but mentioned that, unfortunately, some of the footage had been lost. Yesterday evening I was able to recover much of that footage from the SD card, and so I created another video last night. This new video has a lot of footage of three of us chatting after a couple of our earlier trail runs (the first run was not a very good one for any of us). I also acted as chase cam while Roger tackled one of the trails, and that footage was recovered and included in this video, too. You can check out the video below, or follow this link for a larger, High Definition version of the video.
The weirdest thing just happened. I was typing this update, when all of a sudden I was having trouble reading some of the text. There were bright spots that sort of washed out the area I was directly looking at. It was in both eyes. A very short time later (a couple of minutes), that went away and was replaced by wavy, rainbow-like lines at my peripheral vision. I did a quick search and it sounds like I was hit with something called an "ocular migraine". There was absolutely no pain (and I've never had a migraine of any sort in my entire life), but my sinuses have been pretty crazy the last few days. Apparently ocular migraines are caused by blood flow restriction to the eyes, and are harmless. It lasted about 20 minutes, and then went away. Scared the crap out of me until I figured out what was going on. Any of you guys had something like this happen?
Time to get to work. Happy Friday!
December 10, 2009
Lisa, Roger (Bluestreak) and I went out to Big Tree yesterday morning to ride the off-road trails. We spent around four hours tearing around the trails, and we even found a couple of new trails. This was Roger's first time on the Big Tree off-road trails, and just the second time for me and Lisa. Actually the second half of the more difficult trail (we all rode the difficult trail several times) was brand new to all of us. We all got a little bloody and bruised (and I got wet), but we were having way too much fun to care about a few bumps and scrapes.
Unfortunately some of the footage didn't survive or wasn't recorded at all (by accident): a nice run of me following Roger, and what was easily my best run of the complete circuit didn't make it. I did get some good footage, however...
You may recall that this past Sunday Lisa and I started off on what turned out to be a pretty difficult trail. We wound up bailing on the trail halfway through, and for the rest of the day we stuck to the less challenging trail system across the way. When we went out there yesterday, we started off with two runs on the easier trail, but then we all decided to give the hard trail a try. It was not nearly as challenging as I remembered it being, and Lisa thought the same thing. I think the reason we felt it was so difficult last Sunday is because we'd literally never ridden a dirt trail before. A little practice on a less challenging trail made a huge difference.
The teeter-totter that I fell off of last Sunday is on the hard trail, and I promised everyone that I was going to try it again. I did, and the result is the first part of the video I posted below.
Of course the second half of the difficult trail was new territory for all three of us. It had some nice challenges, including a 12-foot long, 4 inch wide crossing over what basically amounts to a large mud puddle. The consequences of falling at that spot, while not pleasant, are much less dire than, say, falling from the same setup 10 feet above a rocky creek. It's a great place to practice riding over very narrow bridges, and practice I did. It took me three runs to nail it, but I finally made it across. The first time I tried I was way too tentative and took a spill right into the mud and water. I was soaked and muddy for the rest of the day. The second time I tried I made it 90% of the way and took a hard fall onto a rock, cutting my knee open. Covered in mud, soaking wet and already bleeding from my shin from an earlier wreck, I stood up to check my knee. It was bleeding, and I felt great.
You need to understand that I wrote the above paragraph without the slightest hint of machismo: I don't like getting hurt, I don't want to get hurt and I try to avoid getting hurt. I was merely attempting to convey just how much fun mountain biking is. The minor cuts and bruises don't matter, you simply don't care. Lisa and Roger both got banged up, too. From what I know of Roger he's not the type of person who would care about some minor injuries (he's an avid and experienced ATV rider), but Lisa? Normally even the slightest of injuries freaks her out. Yesterday she scraped the crap out of her leg and she didn't even care.
Here's the video, but I suggest you watch it in my media thread for a bigger, high definition version.
December 9, 2009
I went to bed last night at my usual time, but I guess I needed some extra sleep because I overslept this morning by an entire hour. I rarely oversleep, but this was the day to do it: as I mentioned in yesterday's update, I'm off from work today! When Lisa told me that she had today off from work, I just had to take a personal day so we could hit the trails. It looks like Roger (Bluestreak on the forums) is going to join us, too! I should have some cool video to post later on. Hopefully none of the footage will contain flashing lights, blood and/or medivac helicopters, but if it does I'll post the videos as soon as I'm released from the hospital. I'm kidding, I'm kidding... I'll be careful, I promise.
I'm going to go get everything ready and load up the car. Can't wait!
December 8, 2009
So yesterday I mentioned that my hip, wrist and shoulder were hurting, and speculated that the pain was the result of flipping my bike while riding the trails this past weekend. Well, I still think the wrist and shoulder pain was due to the wipe out (they feel fine now, by the way), but now I'm not so sure about the hip pain. Yesterday afternoon I noticed some discomfort in both of my hips, and in the exact same spot on both sides. I realized that the sensation felt more like muscle soreness than an actual injury. Sure enough, yesterday afternoon I was able to squat heavy with no problem. I wonder if riding the off-road trails is forcing me to use muscles that I don't normally use when leg training? Interesting...
I'm getting pretty excited about my upcoming cutting cycle (January 4th). Even though aesthetics have taken a backseat to my overall health and fitness levels, I still want to be at a body fat level that I'm comfortable with during the summer. I have not taken measurements or a body fat reading in quite some time, and I don't plan to do so until the first day of my cutting phase. Over the past few months my scale weight has remained rock-steady, but I suspect I may have lost a little muscle (which, of course, means I've added some fat). If I had to guess I'd say I'm around 13% body fat right now, and I'm going to diet down until I'm happy with how I look with my shirt off--probably 8% or 9% body fat. I will be 100% strict with my diet and training until I reach my goal. I'll be posting my complete diet and training plans, of course. One change on this cut is that I will be doing very little (if any) "formal" cardio: riding the off-road trails is an incredible HIIT workout, and about a million times more fun and exciting than sitting alone on a bike in my gym.
Unless something blows up at work I am taking a personal day tomorrow! Lisa is off from work, too. I don't train tomorrow, so if
the weather holds up we're going to hit the trails again. I think my boss is nervous that I'm going to kill myself on the trails, leaving
no one to run the network.
I'd better sign off and get busy. Have a great day!
December 7, 2009
Today is leg day, and squats are going to be a particular challenge because I banged myself up a little bit yesterday. Lisa and I went back out to Big Tree to explore the off-road trails in the area. We had an incredibly good time, but I manged to flip my bike at the end of one run. I wasn't seriously hurt, but I got scraped up a little bit and had the wind knocked out of me. My right hip, shoulder and wrist are hurting a little bit this morning, but I don't think any of it is serious enough to alter my weight training workouts.
Now I know some of you are probably thinking "Why would you risk sustaining an injury that might cause you to not be able to lift weights?" The answer is very simple: because trail riding is really, really fun! I love weight training, but I no longer care about lifting weights simply for aesthetics. I'll always lift because I enjoy it, but I also want to be strong and in good enough shape to perform well at other athletic activities. I'm brand new to the mountain biking scene (yesterday was my first real trail ride), but I had so much fun that I can already tell that mountain biking is going to become a major part of my life. As much fun as the long bike rides on paved trails have been, they are boring compared to the excitement I felt yesterday.
Oh, and the cardio workout--wow! Riding along a paved trail, even at a good clip, is nothing like off-road mountain biking from a cardio standpoint. I'm in excellent cardiovascular shape, and I was still breathing very hard through all of the trail runs. It's one heck of a workout, but it's so much fun you don't even think about how hard you're working. I'm seriously thinking about selling my recumbent stationary bike because I can't imagine ever wanting to use it again.
Of course I have some high-definition helmet cam video from the ride! In this video you'll see that we rode a couple different trails: the first trail was a little too advanced for us, but the other trail had some nice challenges for our level of skill. As I mentioned above, I managed to flip my bike and knock the wind out of myself at the end of one run and that's in the video. I hope you enjoy it! By the way, for a bigger HD version of the video, watch it in my media thread here.
December 6, 2009
Yesterday's weekly meeting with the developer of the JSF BodyShop™ software was very exciting: Version 1 of the software is 99% complete! There are a few loose ends to tie up, some polishing here and there and a couple minor bugs to squash, but the bulk of the programming is done. We've begun to focus on moving the code and the database to the JSF servers (this will happen early next week), and making sure that BodyShop will work seamlessly with the JSF Forum user account system. There is also still some content (such as the exercise database) that's being worked on, but we're on schedule to launch the closed beta sometime this month. The software is very easy to use, but I think Matt is going to create a video tour demonstrating all the major features of the software.
I managed to fight off that little cold with no problem (I feel great this morning); the temperature outside right now is in the low 40s, and it will warm up to around 70 degrees this afternoon; the skies are sunny and clear. It's not a question of will Lisa and I go for another biking adventure today, it's where will we go? While I'm deciding what trail I want to terrorize, I'm going to go get breakfast started. Have a great Sunday!
December 5, 2009
Yesterday morning I was not feeling 100%, but by the time my afternoon workout rolled around I was feeling much better. This morning I'm feeling good, but clearly still fighting something off.
Prior to 2003 when I ate poorly, didn't workout, smoked and did drugs I would become ill rather frequently. I'm not talking about a mild cold, either; I'm talking about "I can't get out of bed, I wish I were dead" kind of sick. Of course there have been a couple of occasions over the past few years (like yesterday morning) when I've clearly been fighting off a bug, but I don't think I've used a sick day or been laid up in bed in several years. Being sick flat-out sucks, so it's very nice to not have to deal with that too often. I feel that my diet is the #1 reason I don't get sick much anymore.
This morning I have my usual weekly meeting with Matt, the developer of the JSF BodyShop™ software. Over the past few days we've been making preparations to move the code and the database to the JSF servers. Matt's been working hard to make sure that existing JSF forum users can join and then get their BodyShop accounts up and running quickly and easily. If you have an account on the JSF Forums, your username will remain reserved for you on BodyShop! When you log in to BodyShop for the first time, it will check your username and password against the forums and then automatically pull your username, password and profile information from the forums to get your BodyShop account and profile off to a fast start. It's really going to be that simple! Of course you can customize your BodyShop account all you like after you join, but we wanted to make the sign up process as simple and hassle-free as possible.
Another very cool feature that Matt recently added is the ability for us to create graphical "skins", just like on the forum. These skins allow BodyShop users to quickly switch the entire look of BodyShop to suit their preferences. We plan to create a number of skins after launch, and we should be able to add user-created skins as well. Everyone is different, and so we want JSF BodyShop™ to look and feel the way YOU think it should.
By the way, the default look of BodyShop has changed quite a bit since the screenshots we posted awhile back.
There is so much more I could talk about, but I'm out of time. The list of features and the capabilities of the BodyShop software is quite extensive, and we have so much more planned for Version 2. The closed beta program is only a couple weeks away from launch, so Bronze+ JSF Supporters be sure to watch your email for your invite!
December 4, 2009
Hrm, I'm feeling a little under the weather this morning. Nothing serious, but a little stuffy and groggy. I've been pretty stressed out lately, and I'm sure that's having a negative effect on my immune system. Hopefully I can shake this off. I'm pretty sure I haven't been sick in at least a couple of years! Unless I start feeling much worse as the day wears on, I'll definitely be working out today.
In yesterday's update I talked about some of the various projects that I'm working on. One of those projects is a brand new high-end weight/strength training machine. This new machine is being developed from the ground up to be the very best of its kind. Throughout the design process I worked directly with the team responsible for the design of the machine, and I'm amazed at what they've been able to accomplish. I can't tell you how many ideas that I threw at them that started like this, "I don't think there's any way you could do this, but it would be really cool if...", and then, somehow, they did it!
Here is the latest update direct from the manufacturer:
"To those who have inquired about our product, we appreciate your interest. John asked if we would be willing to give a brief update as we approach the launch of our new product. Without giving away too much to the competition, we can share a few tidbits. Our product is a no holds barred development addressing many of the compromises found on other products in the premium fitness market. We have a very talented group of folks working on our team, including engineers involved in the Bloodhound SSC project (fastest supersonic car in the world). We appreciate John sharing his experience and knowledge of the various pieces of fitness equipment he has evolved with. Much of what he and other industry insiders, including those on these boards have contributed, has helped to optimize our design.
The capabilities of our product will cover a wide range, from the most serious free weight and cable enthusiasts, to those wanting a quick, simple workout without lugging weight plates around. It will include a leg press (seated and vertical) and a host of cable exercises beyond anything on the market today. We are not currently aware of any machine on the market with more capabilities than our new machine. We think even Titan, Hoist Fitness and Tuff Stuff users will be pleasantly surprised with what we have created. Ease of operation is a key point for us along with high quality and versatility.
The beginnings of our product were prompted by the need for fire departments that require a very high quality all-in-one machine that doesn't take up a ton of floor space for daily workouts. We had the engineering talent and wherewithal to create such a machine. After carefully studying the competition, our market research indicated a large number of personal home users looking for and willing to pay extra for a higher quality, more functional machine. To that end, the new machine was created. We look forward to forging a fitness partnership with those of you interested in a machine of this caliber in the coming months. We have agreed to give JSF forum users a special launch price that likely will be the lowest price you will see the machine sold for. That price is yet to be determined."
I will continue to post updates as they are sent to me from the manufacturer.
Time to get to work. Happy Friday!
December 3, 2009
Work has been absolutely insane lately, and I've also been hitting it hard in the gym and on the bike trails. Of course with the beta of JSF BodyShop™ fast approaching, lots has been going on there, too. I've also continued to work on the JSF main site redesign as much as I can, but my spare time has been very limited lately. On one hand I like being busy, but on the other hand I'm feeling a little stretched thin at the moment. A lot of irons in the fire right now!
Another project that I have going is I've been working closely with a fitness equipment manufacturer on a brand new high-end weight/strength training machine. This project is something I'm very excited about, and I should have some new news direct from the manufacturer to report tomorrow. The creation of this machine has been a massive undertaking, and the manufacturer is determined to make it the absolute best product of its kind on the market. Based on what I've seen, I have a feeling the wait will be well worth it.
Oh, if you missed yesterday's update I posted a couple new HD videos of the 38 mile bike ride from this past weekend. Also, I still plan to post pictures from Thanksgiving, but I simply have not had time to go through them yet. Hopefully this weekend.
Gotta run, have a great day!
December 2, 2009
I don't train today, and I'm not going to be doing any bike riding, either. I've been weight training or distance biking every single day for a while now, and my body could really use a day off!
I've posted the two ~10 minute videos from our 38 mile bike ride this past weekend. You can watch the videos below, or click through to this post in my media gallery for larger, High Definition versions of the two videos (recommended).
Part I is the journey from the Prado trailhead on the Seminole-Wekiva trail to Big Tree State Park. There are a couple of scenery shots, but most of it is Lisa and I talking and joking around. People make fun of my helmet cam, Lisa almost runs into me... the usual stuff:
Part II is what happened after we got to Big Tree. There are some shots of the massive Big Tree and also the unfortunate incident on the dirt trail I found:
I hope you enjoy the videos and have a few laughs at my expense.
December 1, 2009
The first day of the month is always a busy one for me, and today is no exception. I've been going full-steam since I woke up at 6:00 AM, and I still feel like I'm running behind!
I did not feel like working out yesterday, but I forced myself to get in the gym and get it done. I'm really glad that I did, too (which is almost always the case). I was feeling very stressed out about work, but an intense leg workout took the fight right out of me. I went back to work after my workout feeling much calmer and far less stressed. The endorphin rush after a great leg workout is simply incomparable to any other feeling. Whenever I don't feel like lifting I remind myself how good I'm going to feel when I'm done, and that almost always does the trick.
After work yesterday I spent a couple hours working on the exercise database for the JSF BodyShop™ web site, and then I spent some time editing down the 3 hours of HD helmet camera footage from this past weekend's 38 mile bike ride. I've managed to cut all that footage down to 20 minutes, and I think what I've got is (hopefully) fairly interesting. There are a few nice scenery shots, but I tried to focus on areas where Lisa and I were talking and joking around and, of course, my stupid off-road trail mistake (mentioned in yesterday's update). It was hard for me to leave that off-road footage in the final cut because I look like an absolute moron, but sometimes you just have to be able to laugh at yourself. I still need to add captions and transitions to the videos, but that won't take too much time. I'll try to post the videos later today on my Youtube and Facebook accounts.
Be sure to check out the December 2009 Transformation Spotlight! A few short months ago Chris (forum member "Zero") weighed 238 pounds and was over 40% body fat. Well, just look at him now! The transformation from March to November is simply astonishing. Since March Chris has lost over 80 pounds of fat and completely changed his life in the process. Chris proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that if you are willing to stop making excuses and put in the work then anything is possible! Read the full interview here.
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