For many in today’s culture, apathy is the biggest enemy of fitness. Sure everyone wants to “get in shape” but it seems that few actually work up the will to make any significant change in their lives. We as a generation, are overweight, unhealthy, and are dying young. As you may have guessed, the problem is only getting worse. Recent obesity statistics have shown that 1/3 of the adult population in the United States is currently obese. That’s just insane.

Why are we this way? What has made us become so lethargic that we don’t even care that we are slowly killing ourselves? Maybe people are too busy and don’t have time to exercise. Perhaps people can’t afford the “healthy food”. Maybe, it’s genetic or the result of greedy fast food companies trying to get us all addicted to their high calorie meals. Sure, maybe it is all of the above to some degree. But the bottom line is that we, as individuals, are just too apathetic to make the change we really need to see in our own lives.  In general, I believe the root of our apathy boils down to this: we are ignorant about proper health and nutrition, we are dishonest with ourselves about the effects our lifestyles are having on us, and we are far too easily distracted from the real problems at hand.

Ignorant: At some point I’m sure we’ve all thought about losing a few pounds, putting on some muscle or just trying to get in better general shape. However, if you have tried at fitness and failed, what happened? Was it too hard to stick with? Was it too difficult to eat right? Chances are you just didn’t know what to do. I know that this was my problem. I dreamed about getting in shape for years but until I actually began doing research into what steps were necessary to lose weight, it was always a pipe dream. I’d eat a salad or two and get frustrated that I hadn’t dropped any weight on the scale. I was ignorant of the realities of calorie restriction and exercise in bringing about real and sustainable change.

If you don’t know how to begin a process of weight loss and successfully implement a fitness plan feel free to check out my 5 Fitness Baby Steps. This is how I got started and the exact steps I took to get back on track.

Dishonest: I think it is important to admit that to some degree, we have all been a little dishonest with ourselves. We know that the fast food that we casually pickup on the way home isn’t the best choice for us. We know that if we don’t make exercise a priority it isn’t going to happen on its own. We also know that we don’t want to remain out of shape forever. Simply put, this isn’t how we were made to live. It’s OK to let yourself hear some harsh truths every now and then.

Distracted: With family, work, school, church and personal time, our responsibilities can stretch us all a little thin. However, when you also add TV, internet, Xbox, blogging, twitter, facebook, etc it can quickly become ridiculously overwhelming. It is OK to unplug every once in awhile. With a continuous flood of information vying for your attention it’s difficult not to become distracted from the things in life that really matter.

The next time you feel the need to make a change in your life, act on it. Don’t wait until the next commercial break.

(photo by CCC)

Lately, some of my most exhausting (and most beneficial) workouts have involved sprinting. These types of workouts are often referred to as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and can leave you flat on your back, gasping for air. HIIT involves short duration high-intensity cardio with lower-intensity “recovery periods” and really isn’t for the faint of heart. However, if you can regularly push yourself to include exercises like these into your routine, you will experience greater gains in fitness than you previously thought possible.

Sprint workouts are great because:

-They require less time. If, like me, you come from the land of jogging, you may have slowly been improving your distance abilities. Perhaps you can go for miles and miles at a time. This is great. Personally, I still love long distance jogging. But if you need a killer workout in a minimal amount of time, sprint workouts are the way to go.

-They build muscle. Think about this. If you ever watch the Summer Olympics maybe you have noticed a slight difference between the appearance of the marathon runners and the sprinters. Both are insanely fit, but Usain Bolt looks like the Incredible Hulk next to the bulkiest marathoner. I have no doubt that they both spend their fair share of time in the gym, but the very nature of sprinting can build lower-body muscles, and fast!

-They improve speed. Running fast will naturally allow you to run faster. The more you work at it, the more results you will see. Track stars, marathoners, Ultimate players all crave increased speed. Who wouldn’t want to be faster?

-They improve endurance. This is a surprising benefit that I noticed after I began regularly sprinting. Last year, I spent hours upon hours training for a marathon. I did nothing but long, slow jogging. This past year, I moved jogging to the side and began working on speed. I have been playing Ultimate Frisbee several times a week and have even incorporated regular sprint workouts into the mix as well. As it so happens, I ran a half-marathon this past February and crushed my personal record.

There is actually a ton of science to back up these claims too. Statistically, it has been shown that bouts of high intensity exercise actually burn more calories and fat than traditional cardio does.

So, now that you’re sold on the benefits of sprint workouts, what should you do? The following routines are the ones that I have been doing with a small group of runners at a local track. The diversity that these routines offer really break up the monotony of running/walking/running and are actually fun.

Pyramid Runs: This exercise is strict jogging+sprinting in increasing distance intervals.

Jog 100M,
Sprint 100M,
Jog 200M,
Sprint 200M,
Jog 300M,
Sprint 300M,
Jog 200M,
Sprint 200M,
Jog 100M,
Sprint 100M

Of course, you can vary these distances as you see fit. The key is alternating jogging and sprinting with increasing and decreasing distance.

20-20-70: This is a workout designed to improve your performance in any sport setting. On a long straightaway mark off a 20 yard distance then mark of 50 yards more (for a total distance of 70 straight yards). Start by sprinting to the 20 yard marker. Turn around and sprint back to the start. Then turn around again and sprint all the way to the 70 yard marker. Finally, turn around and slow jog back to the start line. These are similar to old-school “suicides” with a much longer distance. Do 3 reps of these and see if you are still standing.

Stairs: These are my personal favorite. Find somewhere with a considerable amount of stairs (like the famous scene from Rocky). Begin by running up the stairs as fast as you can, making sure to touch every single step. Take it easy on the way back down. Repeat this 3 times. Next, run up the stairs as fast as you can touching every other step. Repeat 3 times. On completing the final rep, feel free to jump up and down with arms overhead. It makes you feel like a champ.

Each of these exercises are pretty intense (they are designed to be). Make sure you warm up first with at least 5 minutes of moderate jogging and stretching. Bring plenty of water with you and avoid going alone. Racing against a partner makes it much more fun and competitive.

(photo by tarunactivity)

Any project can seem overwhelming at the start. Losing weight is no exception (especially if you have a considerable amount of weight to lose like I did). If you are starting from scratch and want to jump start your weight loss efforts the best thing you can do to avoid being intimidated or overwhelmed is to progress through baby steps.

The following 5 baby steps are what I did to lose 70 pounds and what I’d recommend to anyone who is just starting out on a similar journey. The point here is to take them one at a time. Progress through them in order and only proceed to the next step when you feel you are ready (i.e. no need to do all 5 steps in a single week).

1) Create a foodlog – This first step is often overlooked but is very important in starting out into fitness on the right foot. Before you begin cutting calories and exercising, take a stock of what you are really eating. This can be done with a notebook and pen or a text file on your computer. Record every meal and every snack that you eat. Omit nothing. Also, at the beginning of each week, record your current weight. It is an awesome feeling to look back and see the weight slowly drop off.

At this time you can also begin counting up your total daily calories. This can take a little bit of guess work, but try to get as accurate as you can. It can be shocking at how much we really eat in a single day when we stop and take stock of our diet.

2) Cut out 500 calories a day – Now that you have a good idea of what you eat on a given day, we can begin the hard work. Start altering your diet in small ways by taking 500 calories out of your daily consumption. This may seem like a small number but overtime it will really add up. If you removed 500 calories a day from your diet then after a week’s time you will have consumed 3,500 less calories than you normally would resulting in 1 pound of weight loss (as 1 pound = 3,500 calories).

At this point, don’t try to overly restrict your calories. Stick to 500 calories less than what you usually eat. Later as we add exercise, your weight loss can increase beyond the 1 pound a week if you let it.

3) Begin cardio that you can stick with – Lately, a lot of people have been downplaying the effectiveness of long, slow cardio as a means of losing weight. Maybe they’re right. Maybe there are faster ways that people can drop weight. But if you attempt something that is so intense that you’re out of commission for a week, then it probably isn’t something that you’ll be able to stick to.

Therefore, for beginners, I recommend to start by adding 30-60 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. The longer you stick with it, the more efficient you will get and the faster you can go. However in the early stages, keep it nice and slow. Walk if you have to. Just make sure you get out of your house and get your heart rate up for the required amount of time.

4) Add strength training – After you feel comfortable jogging for the full 30-60 minutes, it’s time to add strength training to the mix. You don’t have to join a gym or even buy any expensive equipment (though it wouldn’t hurt). What you will need to do is begin looking for a strength training program that meets your needs. If you do have a gym membership, try StrongLifts.com’s 5×5 program. If you want to invest in a cheap dumbbell set and/or doorframe pull-up bar, I’d recommend following some of GymJunkie’s excellent strength training tips. If all you have is a floor, try the HundredPushups program. There really is something for everyone out there.

This baby step will really accelerate your fat loss. When combined with regular cardio, you should see a noticeable difference in a very short amount of time.

5) Train for a race – This last step may seem out of place but I really think it is important. Training for an event like a local 5K, 10K or marathon will give your training a specific purpose. No longer are you shooting for a vague goal of “losing weight”. Now you have a target in your sights with a fast approaching deadline. Training for a race will also give you accountability. If you aren’t prepared for the event when it comes, there is no postponing it. You’re either ready, or you’ll fail. This was seriously one of the most important things I did when I was first starting out.

You don’t have to be a runner for the rest of your life. Finish one race and decide for yourself when it’s over. You don’t have to be able to run the whole way (I didn’t). Go as fast as you can. If that means walking the whole way, then that’s fine. I know that a lot of people won’t see the importance of this step and will skip it altogether. But trust me, any benefits you receive from competing in a local race will out way the suffering you put into it.

Continue. The point of these steps is to ease a total beginner into a life of fitness. Living a fit life isn’t a 90 day program; it takes a lifestyle change that has to be consistent. There is no end. Just diet, exercise, and consistency.

(photo by D’Arcy Norman)

The main reason people workout is to see results. Whether you are wanting to drop some weight, build some muscle or improve your performance, exercising is how you achieve those goals. However, sometimes we inadvertently hurt ourselves by sabotaging our exercises with inefficient or harmful practices. To get the most out of your workout time and prevent injury avoid these common exercising missteps.

Not Getting Enough Fuel – Sometimes I like to view my body like it’s a machine. If you take care of it and supply it with enough fuel then it will run like you want it to. If you are running on empty all the time then eventually, your body will shut down. If you are trying to lose weight, and are operating on a calorie deficit, then it is important to make sure that you are not overly restricting your diet. Aim for consuming 500-700 less calories per day than you burn. Otherwise you could be doing your body some damage.

Using Bad Form – For any exercises that you do, make sure you are doing them right. Lifting weights in an improper way can lead to some serious problems. Before you begin any new workout routine, go over the exercises thoroughly. If you are unclear what the proper motions are, seek out a personal trainer, gym instructor or an online video resource like GymJunkies.com or StrongLifts.com. If you have any doubt that you are doing a lift using the right form, decrease the amount of weight you are attempting to lift and practice the motions until you have it 100% nailed. Then begin amping up the weight.

Using the wrong equipment – In most circumstances, I’d recommend avoiding weight machines as they limit your field of motion and take away the benefit you would otherwise get from using your stabilizer muscles. (However, if you are alone and don’t have someone to “spot” you, then I’d say to use the machines. Better a less efficient workout than being trapped under your last rep.) Similarly, if you are a runner, make sure you are replacing your shoes in a timely manner. If your shoes are feeling flat and you notice that your legs are aching more after a run it may be time to get new shoes. Most experts recommend replacing your running shoes every 300-500 miles so it’s important to keep track of how far you are actually going.

Inadequate Hydration – This is a major source of problems for people during long distance running, sprinting, or other active cardio workouts. You NEED water. If you don’t have enough, the early stages of dehydration begin to set in. If you notice that you have stopped sweating or experience muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, heart palpitations, or lightheadedness then you may be dehydrated. To prevent this, consume plenty of water before, during and after your workouts.

Lack of Intensity – This is something that I believe everyone has been guilty of at some point. When you are going to push yourself with an active workout, make sure you are giving 100%. Otherwise, if you are just going through the motions so you can check it off your list, then your body won’t get nearly the same benefits. Push yourself to experience your max effort in short, powerful sessions. Anything else is just a waste of time.

(photo by corrieb)

Your “core” is a collection of muscles that span across your abs and up your back. Strengthening your core will give you improved performance across the board. With a stronger core, you’ll notice increased stability, better overall back health, and maybe you’ll even acquire those elusive six pack abs you’ve been dreaming about for so long. Personally, I’m always interested in finding new and challenging core routines to do just that.

Here are some great exercises that you can plug into your workouts to provide some intense activity for your midsection. Be sure to click the links for full video demonstrations of each routine.

Double Dumbbell Swing – This workout lets your torso do most of the work. Hold two dumbbells (one in each hand) and simply swing them in a smooth and controlled manner. As the video shows, this will really punish your abdominal muscles. Aside from some shoulder strength, this exercise is virtually all core.

Turkish Get Up – This is a new workout for me, but it has actually been around for generations. Old-timey strongmen used to do workouts like this before the modern era of gyms, Bowflexes, and cardio machines. When done correctly, your entire body will feel it. Be sure to watch the video for the exact form, but basically you are transitioning from a prone position to standing and laying back down again all while holding a weight over your head. Basic but fun.

Plank/Bird Dog – This workout has been in my rotation for some time now. I first heard about it when I was training for a marathon last year. It seems that many runners swear by it as it really increases your stability and allows you to have a more efficient running form. To increase difficulty, perform the “bird dog” on your toes instead of your knees while still maintaining a straight line with your body.

Scissor Kicks – Lower abs are usually the trouble areas for most of us. Scissor kicks and leg lifts can help with that. As the video shows, the small kicking motions really apply a lot of pressure to your abs and provide both strength and stability conditioning. For extra difficulty, place your hands out to the side of your torso instead of using them as leverage beneath your butt.

Captain’s Chair – This exercise requires some equipment, but it’s totally worth it. A recent study has shown that this is actually one of the most effective areas at working your obliques (the muscles that run along the side of your midsection). Plus, the name of the exercise always makes me think of Captain Kirk.

(photo by Adam Baker)

Honestly, I was planning to post a different article today. However, after reading this post on NerdFitness.com I became inspired and wanted to jump on this meme. I’ve often counted the many reasons why I like excerise for health reasons (e.g. burning calories or building muscle) but there are so many more reasons than just that. Here’s my short list of why I keep doing what I’m doing. I’d love to hear a sample of yours as well.

Vanity – Frankly, one of the biggest reasons I started exercising was because I wasn’t happy with the way I looked. I’ve read countless stories of people who have turned their lives around after seeing an unflattering or surprising picture of themselves. The same thing happened to me 3 years ago. Maybe one day I’ll let some people see my awful picture :] The bottom line is that I had let myself go and wanted to see a drastic change in the mirror. Now, I still desire improvements in my physique and workout to see those results. Maybe this isn’t the best reason to stay active but it is an honest one.

Performance – One of my absolute favorite things to do with my free time is to play Ultimate Frisbee. I play recreationally and I’d like to think competively. Once I made it on to my first club team I made my workouts a priority. I know I needed to get better at virtually every aspect of the sport (still do) and there was only one way to do this: work for it. I now do sprints for speed, leg routines for jumping and cutting, upperbody and core  workouts for improved pulling/throwing/stability and longer runs for endurance. Ultimate can really reveal where your body is weakest.

Fun – Call me crazy, but I think most forms of exercising is just fun. When I was first starting out and was unfamiliar with the needed motions to properly perform the routines I definitely experienced my share of frustration. But learning and mastering a new skill, especially one that is so beneficial, is really, really a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Health – Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Working out is supposed to be good for our bodies, isn’t it? Whether you enjoy running, weight training, swimming or yoga, all forms of exercise provide your body with more health benefits than you could imagine. People would kill for a “magic pill” that could solve heart problems, weight problems and cancer wouldn’t they? Well that solution is here and it’s free. So many people don’t take advantage of the single best thing they can do for their bodies and we’re all suffering for it.

Eat more – I’m sorry to say this but I like eating. I like it a lot. The more I exercise, the higher my metabolism is and the more I can eat without it turning to fat. Science is magic!

Socialize – Through running, Ultimate and the gym, I have met tons of awesome people that I wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to meet. Hanging out with them as we run or lift together is definitely a highlight of my week.

Confidence – Aside from looks, strength, and skill, exercising just provides me with more confidence throughout my day. Even if I bailed out of a lift or had a terrible run and had to throw in the towel, I can still leave with my head held high. Knowing that you attempted something difficult and tested the limits of your body feels great and can teach you a lot about yourself.

(photo by U.S. Army)

As a computer engineer, I’m often required to chase down problems in software programs. When a particular application isn’t functioning the way it needs to, I don’t just give up on it or assume that the solution is impossible. How long would I be employed if I took that approach? Instead, when something doesn’t work I have to find out why its not working and replace the code with something that provides the desired results.

We should look at our fitness programs the same way. When we aren’t experiencing the results we want all we need to do is to spend some time debugging the problem. Whether the desired outcomes are to lose weight, gain muscle or improve performance, we should all be able to alter our routines to find solutions that produce.

Debug Your Fitness Program -

Measure all inputs and outputs: Without knowing exactly what you are currently doing, it is difficult to fine tune your procedures. Begin by logging all food you eat and exercise you do. Then record your results, be it your daily weight or other metric. Simply by forcing yourself to take stock of what actually goes into your body can be a sobering experience in and of itself.

Adjust diet: Once you are precisely measuring the calories into your body, slowly reduce them (if seeking to lose weight). If you are desiring to build muscle mass, you should consider eating more protein and fat (this, of course, should be accompanied by a proper exercise routine). As you make these adjustments, keep tracking your intake. If you still aren’t noticing results, you can always adjust your diet further.

Increase Exercise Intensity: Assuming that you already are on a regular exercise routine (if not, now might be a good time to start) and you aren’t seeing what you’d like to see in the mirror or on the scale, up the intensity of your workouts. I’ve recently been adding sprint workouts into my routine and I am really noticing some results. If you’re a lifter, add more weight (under proper supervision) or more reps. Your exercise activities may not be bad or ineffective. Maybe they are just too easy for you.

Try new exercises: Then again, maybe you should try something new. For over two years, I had a regular routine of running, running and running. Eventually, I plateaued in both my weight loss and muscle building.  I could have always increased my intensity or tried some interval training, but by adding a simple routine of strength training into the mix I’ve seen much greater results. If you are curious about what you should add to your program to get your desired results, drop a comment or email me anytime and I’ll try to help out.

Get more rest: Another possible problem is that you may not be giving yourself  enough rest. Your body needs a certain amount of recovery time between training sessions. Your body also needs an adequate amount of sleep. I know that personally, I need at least 7 hours of sleep on average or I’m a zombie. There are some serious health consequences when we don’t listen to our bodies in regards to rest.

Research: If you have honestly tried to shake up your routine and still haven’t experienced the results you wanted, try researching online to find others who may have had a similar struggle. The Internet is big. Chances are someone has been where you are today and may have found a way to overcome their deficiencies in a way that may be helpful to you. Of course, take everything you see online with a grain of salt. There is indeed loads of valuable information out there but your mileage may vary in regards to what works for different individuals.

Ask for help: Simply asking someone more experienced than yourself is always a great way to gain a new perspective on your problems. Professionally, I couldn’t have gotten anywhere if I hadn’t swallowed my pride and asked others for help in the beginning. Plus, most people love to help others out as it highlights their wisdom and skills. Offer to buy them a cup of coffee in exchange for an honest critique of your fitness regimen.

Change your environment: Sometimes getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing life in a different context can have dramatic effects on your life. I have found that it is much easier to start a new habit when I’ve just made a major change in my life. I began going to the gym much more regularly, for example, shortly after I moved into a new house. I had a new commute, new surroundings and new neighbors. Why not add a daily trip to the gym as a new habit as well before I get settled.

Remove inefficient routines: If you are looking to amp up your progress in the gym, try getting rid of inefficient routines that you know aren’t providing the results you want. Still doing situps and tricep extensions? Try replacing these exercises with planks and pushups. These work more muscle groups with greater intensity in a shorter amount of time. Win, win, win.

Repeat things that work: Lastly, don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. If you ever become frustrated in your progress and feel like you’re getting nowhere, don’t give up on fitness in general. Just because you aren’t pressing 200lbs yet, doesn’t mean that your healthy diet and regular cardio aren’t making you healthier. If you have noticed any results due to your lifestyle changes then pat yourself on the back! Getting in shape isn’t easy and even the smallest victory can be celebrated. Learn from the things that have worked in the past and don’t give up on what you know to be right.

Basically, debugging your lifestyle is simply a matter of adjusting variables until you begin seeing the outcomes you want. Your body is a system of connected components that each operate like small machines. The inputs will always have an effect on the outputs. Tweak as necessary.

(photo by jitze)

There are literally thousands of different fitness plans out there. Some guarantee crazy results with little to no effort while others are time tested and approved. What’s the difference between these two types of plans? What differentiates a road to success from a road to failure? It isn’t a secret what works and what doesn’t. If you step back and take a thoughtful look at which programs actually produce results you may notice that they all contain some of the same components.

The following are what I consider to be the 5 essential components for a successful fitness regimen. If you don’t have each of these components established in your regular fitness plan, chances are you will eventually fail.

Diet – Probably the most important and obvious part of a successful fitness plan is a proper diet. However, you’d be surprised by how many people think they can successfully lose weight without taking this into consideration. What you put into your body has a direct correlation to the results you want to see in your body.

To create a diet that is suitable to meet your fitness goals, it is first necessary to assess what your ultimate goal really is. Realistically, it is impossible to create a “one size fits all” diet plan for everyone. However here are a few general guidelines:

-If you are trying to drop some body fat, begin by consuming 500 less calories a day than you normally would. Eat more fresh fruits and veggies and lean sources of protein like fish or grilled chicken. Avoid high calorie beverages and sweets.

-If your goal is to gain muscle mass, your diet needs to include much more protein and fat. Avoiding sodas and sweets is still a good idea, as these empty calories provide nothing nutritional for your body.

Cardio – Regular cardiovascular exercise is essential. Cardio describes any type of exercise that increases the work of the heart and lungs. The health benefits of cardio are many, but in a regular fitness plan it is the key to burning fat. Jogging, cycling, swimming, jump rope are all excellent activities that are successful at elevating your heart rate and burning some serious calories. Aim for an elevated heartrate 60%-80% of your max for 20-30 minutes a day. This will improve your endurance abilities drastically and is an easy way to burn fat.

Strength Training – While cardio will help your heart, lungs, and endurance, strength training will build you some nice lean muscle that will continually aid in burning fat from your body. Building muscle will help you perform better in whatever exercises you attempt and will prevent future injury. Strength training will help you will look better, feel better and is a great complement to cardio when trying to burn calories.

If you are looking for good place to start, check GymJunkies.com and StrongLifts.com for loads of amazing resources for both beginners and experts.

Consistency – If there is no consistency in your diet and workout attempts then your efforts will be in vain. I’m not saying that you can never slip up, but the times when you don’t live up to your goals should be the exceptions, not the rule. Losing weight or building muscle is an exercise in endurance and determination. You aren’t going to get there in a week and it won’t come without consistently making sound decisions. I’m sorry to have to break it to you. This is just the way the game works.

Accountability – I believe that accountability is the most overlooked factor in most people’s fitness plans today. Unless you have the ability to move mountains by sheer force of will, you may find fitness to sometimes be struggle. Believe it or not, some people just don’t eat right and exercise naturally. It is something that most of us have to work on a lot. There are going to be times when even the most determined of us fail or want to quit altogether. This is why it is important to have accountability systems in place; to push us forward when we’d rather just give up.

I’ve probably mentioned this a hundred times by now, but keeping a daily food log is an excellent way at keeping track of what you eat and measuring your progress along the way. Knowing that you are going to have to record that entire pound of bacon you just ate, might be a deterrent from eating it in the first place.

If you work better in a team, seek out the assistance of a fitness partner who will help you along the way. Tell them your goals and ask them to check up on you often to see how you are doing. Never underestimate the power of an encouraging teammate to help people make changes in their lives.

(photo by fireflythegreat)

I started really getting into fitness a little less than three years ago. At that time, I had zero experience with consistent exercise even though I knew that my body needed it. When I decided to make my lifestyle change, I went with jogging as my primary form of activity because that seemed to be something I could do easily with little barrier to entry. However, I knew nothing about jogging and couldn’t even go 1/4 mile.

Long story short, I kept with it, lost some weight, and started participating in local street races. I started with a 5K, then a 10K, then a 13K. I continually progressed to longer distance races without ever really focusing on my performance. As long as I could finish a race without dieing, I considered it a victory.

Last November, I crept through a marathon and checked off another box on my to do list. “So what’s next?” I thought to myself. Unless I wanted to progress into the strange world of ultra marathons, I had reached the end of the road… literally.

Also, even though I had achieved all my personal distance goals, I wasn’t really progressing physically. I wasn’t putting on much new muscle mass, nor was I continuing to drop any body fat percentage. In essence, I had plateaued.

Meanwhile, I began playing lots and lots of competitive Ultimate Frisbee. I know I’ve mentioned this awesome sport before, but in case you don’t know, Ultimate puts a ton of emphasis on sprinting. As I continued to play Ultimate multiple times a week I noticed that I was getting faster and faster without really having to punish myself with long distance running workouts.

This brings us up to my half-marathon that I completed yesterday morning. Even though I didn’t put nearly the time into training for it that I did last year, I met my goal of a sub two-hour race. I finished in 1:58:15 and felt great as I crossed the finish line. It was strange that although I hadn’t run farther than nine miles since the marathon last year, I was able to complete the 13.1 miles at a pace that was over two minutes faster than my pace last February. Needless to say, the constant sprinting I was doing with Ultimate seemed to really affect my race performance. While running farther distances is indeed challenging, running faster is a lot more fun to me.

I now plan to focus on performance in future races rather than trying to push myself into farther distances. This should definitiely help in getting better times at races but should also translate into better fitness as well.

Via JoshsGarage:

“Super lean endurance athletes focus on performance.

If they run a distance, they’re training to run that distance again faster.

They have a structured training week hitting different adaptations from long low intensity endurance training, to high intensity speed work, to moderate intensity tempo work.  Maybe even hill training.

Instead of trying to survive distances, super lean endurance athletes are trying to better their performance at distances.”

New goals:

• Run faster rather than farther.
• Pursue a lower body fat percentage rather than simply maintaining my current weight.
• Actually win a race someday rather than just finishing.

Coming off that great run yesterday has really been exciting. I honestly don’t remember the last time I was this pumped about running.

(photo via SaucySalad)

Lately, the interwebs have become riddled with various web applications, social networks, and training programs that are great for helping the web savvy of us get in shape. I’m very thankful for all the amazing efforts put forth by these fit-minded web developers and have used many of these sites in my own personal fitness journey. Browse the massive list below and feel free to add your own favorite fitness resources in the comments.

DailyBurn.com

DailyBurn.com is an all-in-one online fitness suite. It allows you to keep track of your diet, caloric intake, workouts and goals. There is also a strong community around this site that definitely helps in personal accountability.

MapMyRun.com

MapMyRun.com is my personal favorite way to log and map out new running routes. Use their online mapping software to create your own routes through your city or browse through their massive database of routes created by other users. This site is also great at helping you keep track of your running schedule and total mileage.

DailyMile.com

Hailed as the “social” training log, DailyMile.com allows its users to keep track of their weekly running mileage via a simple status update system like Twitter. This site is great for sharing your workouts with friends and mingling with other users for daily encouragement.

PeerTrainer.com

PeerTrainer.com is a fitness social network that places a lot of emphasis on community. Users come here to meet like-minded individuals for accountability and encouragement. While the site does offer diet and workout logs, the strength of this site is its large user base.

ProjectWeightLoss.com

While other sites tend to have a broad focus on fitness, ProjectWeightLoss.com aims at helping its users do primarily one thing: lose weight. This social network is riddled with articles and blog posts from experts and professionals that will help you create a diet and fitness plan that will work.

Traineo.com

Traineo.com provides a super-clean web interface that allows users to keep track of their activity, diet, and weight. The sheer simplicity of this site is very appealing and is backed up by a very strong community of active users.

FitLink.com

FitLink.com is another all-in-one fitness community. You can log your workouts, research exercises, calculate your body mass index and find “activity partners” who can train virtually alongside you.

iStats.com.au

iStats offers a very comprehensive stat tracking package for all types of workouts. Enter your activity, duration, intensity, and track your progress over time. Definitely the site of choice for statistically minded information geeks.

FavoriteRun.com

FavoriteRun.com specializes in one thing: finding and creating new running routes. There are a ton of different running routes from cities all across the world that are easy to search through. The intuitive interface is built on Google Maps so route creation is always a breeze.

BodyDaemon.com

BodyDaemon.com is another online fitness network that specializes in logging all aspects of your fitness life. The site has several experts on hand to give advice and seems to have a community that is more focused on strength training than other areas.

WalkJogRun.net

WalkJogRun.net is a barebones web app that lets users create walking routes around their homes. The interface is simple and easy to navigate. Also, it seems to have plenty of users so finding a route near your home shouldn’t be a problem.

introPLAY.com

introPLAY.com is another workout tracking web app that allows you to log almost every type of activity imaginable. However, what I find interesting about this site is their “competitive workout leagues”. If you are ever lacking motivation, this could be a great way to kickstart your workouts.

WeEndure.com

WeEndure.com is simply a training log site for athletes interested in all types of endurance sports (primarily running, swimming and cycling). This is a fantastic resource for those training for a marathon, triathlon or other endurance event.

RunFatBoy.net

RunFatBoy.net (I love the name) is a type of workout generator. Once you signup and complete the profile questionnaire a fitness plan will be created for you. Keep track of your daily workouts and diet as you progress from fat to fit. There’s not a lot here for the experienced fitness professional, but for the beginner, it seems like a great place to start.

Gmap-Pedometer.com

Gmap-Pedometer.com is the original distance calculating application built on GoogleMaps. I remember using this app years ago when I first started jogging around my neighborhood and wondered how far I actually ran. Sure, there are more feature rich applications online today but this probably inspired most of them. If you prefer a streamlined way to measure the distance of your running routes over the fancy bells and whistles of other sites, then this site may be for you.