APRIL APFT

For those of us on Fort Sam Houston, Texas (and most everyone else in the Army), April is the month for taking your semi-annual Army Physical Fitness Test. I am putting my results here as motivation for October (our other month of the year) and as the beginning of my tracking my workouts and fitness levels online for others to benefit from (hopefully).

Despite the fact that the standards for the pushups is falling drastically, and no more so that in the Army Medical Department (AMEDD), I chose to stick with some perfect form pushups despite the chance to cheat the eek out a few more ugly reps.

My goal going in for the pushups was 65 since I wasn't doing them everyday and I was focusing on my 2-mile run time which was dropping every test since I turned 35. Since I had just turned 36 and have 12 months before I hit that beautiful drop off in requirements available to the 37-41 group, I thought I would quell the losses in the run department and focus on all three events in October since I have been nursing some judo, running too much injuries.

So here are my results for the APRIL APFT:
2-min Pushups: 65 (90 points)
2-min Sit ups: 77 (101 points - "Air Assault!!!")
2-mile Run: 13:55 (94 points)
TOTAL: 284 (not too shabby)

Pushup Strategies: I lowered my standards because I knew I wasn't focusing on them enough, but I still wanted to get 90 points so I would still be eliglble for the "coveted" PT badge which is awarded for those who score 270 or above with 90 points in EACH event. I wanted to get 45 pushups in the first minute and 15 more in the 2nd. Sounds easy but when you don't work on it, it is a challenge, especially that second 60-seconds worth. I knew going in I wouldn't get 45 straight pushups without compromising my strength in the second minute so I did 30 good ones, felt pretty easy so I rested for a second and knocked out 10 more, rested again and since I still had time left, did 5 more at the 1-minute mark. Then I was determined to alternating sets of 2 then 1 then 2 then 1 pushup til the last ten seconds. So I did two, rested, did one, rested, did two, rested, did one, etc... got to ten seconds and was sitting at 62 so I did one more set of each 2, then 1, and I made it to 65 right at 2 minutes. I will use a similar strategy in October but I will try to get to 60+ pushups the first minute and 20 more the second minute. OCTOBER GOAL: 82 pushups which was the standard when I first joined the Army back in 1989.

Situp Strategies: Don't have any really. Never had trouble with sit ups except when I ended up with an umbilical hernia and could only manage 30 some sit ups in two minutes. I try to do 20-23 sit ups every 30 seconds and I usually coast into 2-minutes with 80+ sit ups. My goal this time was 77 because that is one more than I needed to max the sit ups and I wanted to save my legs for the run. I got 23 the first 30 seconds, 22 more at one minutes so I coasted into 77 sit ups with 5 or 6 seconds left. It's the first time I finished an event early. Won't happen again but I think you'll see with the run, it was for a good cause. OCTOBER GOAL: 92

Run Strategies: Don't go out too fast. Pick it up up the hill at the 1-mile turn around point. My goal was again 90 points to finish up with at least a 280 overall. I needed to get under a 14:20. So my goal was 2 7-min miles. Each quarter mile would have to be 1:45. Took it easy first quarter and still came in too fast at 1:35, slowed it down a little bit the second quarter and was just a hair over the 3:30 half mile goal. Spotted some coworkers right ahead of me so I picked it up a little bit the 3rd quarter but I still wasn't running all out. The final quarter of the 1st mile is a slight downhill that people hate to run back up when they turn around so I chose a different strategy. I chose to stride it out and pick up some time on the downhill and reel everyone in who I wanted to pass before the 2-mile mark. I was right behind one of them at the turn around and we coasted into a 7:00 mile exactly. Then I slid right and poured it on up the hill and passed him without him even knowing (sorry Chris) and a 1:35 first quarter (WOW FAST), then I tried to relax without dropping out of my lead for the second quarter. Couldn't see the watch very well at the 1/2 mile mark but I knew I was in good shape and tried to pour it on. Came in right on for the last 1/4 mile mark and tried to go even faster the last 400 meters. I was pretty suprised that I held onto my pace for the last half mile but I did it to come in under an astonishing 13:55 (and 93 points). 25 seconds faster than my goal of 14:20 and only 27 seconds from maxing the run for 100 points with a 13:18. Once I turn 37 I will only need a 13:45 or something like that so that is good. OCTOBER GOAL: 11:54 (fastest I've ever run is 12:10 back in College -- should be interesting).

No excuses -- Part Deaux

Well, it's finally here. The day where I start to practice what I preach. The more I found on the web about fitness and health philosophy, the more excuses I found NOT to get my own website and fitness products up and running. I'm just happy that I've found something that gets me going in the morning. There's nothing I like more than talking to people about health and fitness.
And that is a good thing. When I finally finish up this Army gig, I will want something to fall back on other than sitting in the 'ole rocking chair sipping bourbon and smoking cigars all day. I have found my login and password for this very old blog -- in Internet years -- and I have cleaned it up. Very soon, my website will be updated AND functional. On it I will be able to provide free fitness and nutrition newsletters to attract clients and I will be able to provide my very own eBook workouts and DVD videos. If you see anything here or on the website that doesn't make sense, please let me know. If you see something you want more of, also let me know and I'll do what I can to get more of it to you. Thanks for playing and good luck on your own journey for physical enlightenment...
Check in here frequently as I start to post my workouts and occassional meal plans to find what works for me and my fitness goals...

Happy Birthday America!!!

Well, I've finally done it. I've finally gotten off my proverbial butt and I'm close to unleashing the new and improved noexcusefitness website onto the public. I don't have any choice; my new SUPER COOL business cards came in already. I have to get that baby up and running.

With the help of my ultra sleek "sweatproof" business cards and some new products I've developed for use with my students in the Captains Career Course at Fort Sam Houston, I am ready to start offering some truly sage advice on how to keep those unwanted pounds off for good.

These are workouts designed for the slacker in mind, because let's face it, there are better things we could be doing than sweating out in the Central Texas heat and humidity. So the faster than I can get a good workout in and get back into the air conditioning, the better.

I hope you enjoy tooling around my blog and my site and some of the links I've provided to some of the quality products that I give my fullest seal of approval. These are things that are worth ten-times the money I paid for them; they have kicked my butt to there and back and I try to use them every time I workout.

Well, that's enough for now, gotta get crackin on those products so I can get them on the website this week (fingers crossed)...

The First of Many

Well, I've finally decided to "shit or get off the pot". After a year of struggling with everyday life, I am finally settling into a good thing here in San Antonio. After three long years of marriage, I am finally "re-"united with my lovely wife. I will be stablized for at least two years as an Instructor for Army Medical Department Captains at Fort Sam Houston.
I'm going to publish my own trials and tribulations with "diet" and exercise in the hopes of motivating people to revisit my website and use the products that have been so successful in my quest for excellence. Using my own excuses (and there are many) that derail my training, I hope to develop the techniques that have been successful for me into products that others can use to effectively maintain that healthy lifestyle that eludes so many of us (walk around WalMart and look at how many people might have to purchase two plane tickets just for themselves).
I am a no B.S. kind of guy and I always have been. If I have a problem with you or your ideas, I let you know. But at least you always know where you stand with me. I have very few good friends, but those that I do have, are friends for life and I look forward to traveling around in my golden years and visiting them all regularly. I hope my own cynical and jaded view on life will encourage others to get off their butts either to prove me right or prove me wrong. Either way, if it helps them achieve some previously unachieveable fitness goal I will be fulfilled beyond belief. I love teaching others, especially when you can see the light bulb go off in their heads and you know they will go out and teach even more people. Because that is the true measure of your impact on this world and the legacy you leave behind.
Enough about me for now, I have a tendancy to rant and rave (as you can see) when I get going, especially when it comes to fitness, nutrition and health. That's how I know that this will be a lifelong career path for me. Forget the crap your high school counselor fed you (if you can remember it) and go with what you love to do. There is a way to make money from it, you just have to want it bad enough. Don't be afraid to take a chance..

noexcusefitness weblog #1

The first in a series of Web Logs that I hope to use to monitor my own personal health and fitness milestones that will hopefully motivate myself and my future clients. I think I have read somewhere that motivation is the #2 reason that the ladies do not continue a new fitness program or diet. #1 for them (and us menzes) is social network (i.e. working for or with a workout partner). Can't remember #3 right now, but I should find it and write it down and use the three to help keep people (myself included) from derailing all their hardwork by letting their workouts slip one day which leads to two which leads to couchpotato-ism and a killer heart disease-causing beer belly. Since heart disease is the leading killer of humans, I guess that should really have a high priority. Let me reiterate that in case you missed it. Heart disease is the number one killer of man! And if you aren't doing something everyday to negate the effects of ultra-unhealthy society, then what are you doing here man?!?!
Okay, enough ranting for today. Since I'm taking the morning off with some college football and relaxation, I guess I shouldn't stay on the soap box too long. I suppose this first posting might motivate me to get off my butt and do something, anything.

"Slow is smooth and smooth is fast"

mdp