Rick and Rocco

Don’t get me wrong. I still have to have pretty strict discipline when it comes to the amount of weight I lift and the exercises I do. The notion of reinjuring the disk/nerve still lingers, but as long as I’m taking my precautions in advance then I know I’ll be OK.
The way a pilot goes through a meticulous pre-flight checklist, here’s what I do to prepare for a run, or weight lifting session. These are all basic tenets of exercise for anyone, but most “healthy” people forget how important this stuff really is. For anyone with back problems, I recommend you take heed of these pre+post workout tips and make them a permanent part of your daily regimen.

1.) Stretch Before Work-out – Stretch leg muscles thoroughly. Spend at least 10-15 minutes doing this. So important in helping me feel good before I start excercising
2.) Have a plan + know your limits. Lifting light weight is where you’ll want to begin (especially in excercises where your back is involved). The idea is to get your muscles moving and working.. even with light weight.. that’s better than not doing anything at all or trying to overdo it. Be careful all the time and focus on proper form to prevent injury in general!
3.) Choose a good pair of running shoes. – Make sure they are comfortable, fit well, and are tied tightly.
4.) Stretch After Work-out – (and for that matter – stretch on days you aren’t working out)
5.) Drink Tons of Water – just because you should
.

There you have it. As I’ve said before.. there’s no magic bullet. It’s combination of developing good habits and introducing new ways of doing things into your workout routine. Good luck out there!

I’ve eaten dinner, kissed the kids goodnight, watched the Rangers lose to the Canadians, responded to a few client e-mails, watched about 10 minutes of Southland, and virtually everything inside of me is telling me that it’s just time to get into bed – BUT – I went and made this public commitment to engage in physical activity for every day of this year so I don’t want to let myself and my thousands (ha) of readers down. I’ll admit I really thought this was going to be easy. Thank God for my P90X DVDs. I think I’ll pop in the Yoga program. That’s low impact, quiet, relaxing… At least I’ll be of sound mind + body before I go to bed right?

60 min later. It’s nearly midnight and I got through 55 minutes of P90X’s 90 minute Yoga program. OK OK, I didn’t finish the full 90 minutes, but I’m sorry – getting through 30 minutes of that is a pretty good accomplishment in my book. I’m not a Yoga Person OK!? ? I kept thinking to myself throughout – this Tony Horton guy is fucking gotta be INSANE!! But – I give him a pass, he’s from Fairfield County, CT like me, and the guy is in amazing shape. I know in my heart that if I can work Yoga into my routine once or twice per week, for say the next 3 months, I am certain I could get through the full 90 minutes. You can’t help but become flexible after 4 or 5 sessions of this.

I won’t bore you with the particulars of the workout (buy the program if you want to know!) but I am literally sweating my ass off and I finished the workout 20 minutes ago! It’s amazing. Fantastic. Makes you want to cry. Curse at Tony. Definately pushes you to the limit. For my readers who have gone through microdiscectomy, please, please, please, talk to your orthopedist, surgeon, or chiropractor before doing any fitness program. Remember I’m about 16 months out of surgery, and have been through rehab, and a recent 12 week cycle of leg/back strength training, weight loss, and daily cardio.

Tonight proved a lot. It proved that I was very close to doing what most of us do after a resolution. We break them. We fall back to old habits. The grind of daily life after the holidays slowly creeps back into our lives. We go back to being “comfortable”. This workout was refreshing. I tried something I hadn’t done in 18 months, and feel amazingly clear and calm. It’s given me some mental strength to carry on. Now maybe I can get in another 10 days of working out before I hit the mental barriers I felt an hour ago. One thing’s for sure, I know that I can’t make excuses. Snow or a power outage, or really nothing except catastrophic injury (knock on wood 3 times) can stop me. The biggest challenge of the year is coming up though A weekend trip to DC for my son’s hockey tournament, and a trip to Vegas for 5 days of a conference that will certainly include some professional education, maybe a little blackjack, texas hold ‘em, and copious amounts of alcohol. 7 Days of temptation for bad food, hotel luxury, indulgence, and debauchery. If I can get through Vegas – the other 345 days of the year will be a breeze. Next report from DC.

Happy training!

Many in this crowd, with their spanking new gym outfits are who I call “The Resolution People”. I enjoy the enthusiasm on their faces, the happy couples walking through the gym getting their tour from the manager who points out the locker room, and available facilities, the optimism in their eyes as they push through the 45th minute on the stairmaster.

We’ve all been in their shoes. In fact, I’ve been this person many years over. Start strong in January and all of a sudden Valentine’s Day rolls around and you’re back to the old habits of making the gym the last place you want to spend on earth. Why do we do this? Does life really get in the way? Are old habits hard to break? I’m not sure. Doing anything 5 or 7 days in a row can become boring and repetitive. Hell, I guess that’s why by Friday we’re screaming for the weekend to come just to get away from the daily grind of work.

There’s a saying about variety being the spice of life and I guess my point here is that if you approach a workout regimen with the notion of variety in your mind that might just be the trick to keep things going.

Maybe plan your workouts a few days or maybe even weeks in advance, then perhaps you can keep the momentum going, keep the optimism of the fit body and healthy living at the forefront of what you do.

When I was eighteen, my buddies and I would hit Gold’s Gym and we did the same thing every week. Chest/Tris on Monday, Back, Bis on Wednesday, and Legs/Shoulders on Friday. This was and still is very boring. Going to the gym shouldn’t be like the movie Groundhog Day. In fact, you don’t have to visit the gym every single day to stay fit. For instance, today is a busy day. I’m pretty sure I won’t make it to the gym tonight. So – instead of sitting at my desk for lunch, I’m going to take a 30 minute walk uptown and back. Boom – I did some exercise. Hell it’s not hi impact, and I’m not burning a ton of calories or sweating my ass off – but the key thing is I’m moving. It’s amazing how many of us, can’t even muster up 10 minutes to walk somewhere.

Tomorrow, I’ll make up for it and kill it in the gym. I’ll do some different exercises I didn’t do the week before. I’ll do the stationary bike instead of the elliptical. Maybe some crunches on a swiss ball, or dumbbell curls instead of straight bar curls. Gonna maintain this approach to see if my theory is proven. Only time will tell. What do you think ?

I figured, why not, in a public forum, challenge myself to make a big change and see how it goes? Blog about it, and get encouragement or scrutiny (depending on whether or not I succeed or fail) from the public at large. I can’t remember the last time I had a concrete New Year’s resolution, so, here goes.

The Challenge: Engage in some form of physical activity – i.e. weight lifting, yoga, running, walking, skating, biking, or playing a sport (softball, hockey, football) every single day of 2011 for at least 30 minutes per day.

Now to some of you fitness buffs, this doesn’t sound like a big deal does it? But to a guy like me who works between 50-60 hour weeks, travels 40 nights a year, and has 2 elementary school-aged boys involved in soccer, hockey, and theatre, this will be quite a challenge.

Do I picture myself at O’Hare after a day of meetings sitting at my gate doing Downward Dog as my fellow passengers line up for boarding? Not quite. But this will be a profound change in my life. At the moment, I get in the gym at minimum 3 days in a week. 5 days on a good week. The other 2 days, there’s GOTTA be at least 30 minutes where I can do SOMETHING, ANYTHING at all to get the heart pumping and blood flowing. That’s the idea really. With obesity as high as it is in America, someone has to do their part to lower the diabetes and stroke rate in our country.

I’m not looking to bulk up to look like John Cena, or have an eight-pack like the Situation, and so I’m not going to stress any particular weight loss, or muscle gain goals. I’m approaching middle-age and have accepted that my metabolism is not as cooperative as it was when I was 30. What I will do is document some monthly figures such as current weight and body fat levels just to see if this fitness commitment helps any. Of course, I’ll throw in some details on the foods I’m eating , avoiding, and maybe throw in a few recipes for good measure. I’m willing to bet that one year from now, if I stick to this, I will be at minimum 20 lbs lighter and a helluva lot healthier.

So, join me on the journey to health. I’ll be honest and try to post every few days or so to keep the “public” challenge going. At the least, I would imagine that some creative work-out routines, locations, and stories will develop as a result of this. I still think this is a pretty cool way to take my resolution to another level.

So far, the first 2 days of 2011 have been kind. I spent an hour in the gym on the elliptical yesterday (New Year’s Day), and 35 minutes on there again today. Wish me luck!

My older son is a bit more tech savvy and instead of scribbling down every toy or gadget he could find, he led me to the family computer to share links to toy websites he had bookmarked over the course of the last few months. The kid’s pretty resourceful that way.

When I was nine years old, to put together a kick-ass toy xmas list was to wait for the Sears, Service Merchandise, and JC Penney catalogs to come in the mail. Or to take notes on the commercials that ran during Saturday morning cartoons. I vividly remember the theme song from Hungry Hungry Hippos and Connect Four’s “Pretty sneaky sis’” tagline.

Both of my boys are asking for Ipod Touches this year which are some pretty pricey items, but when I remember back when I was 9 during the winter of 1981, the big item on my wishlist was a stereo system which was an AM/FM, cassette, with a turntable. In what was probably the most memorable Christmas ever, I not only got a brand spanking new Emerson stereo, but a bunch of my all time favorite albums – Van Halen’s first four albums – Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women & Children First, and Fair Warning, AC/DC’s Back in Black, and a Black Sabbath Greatest Hits Album “We Sold our Soul to Rock and Roll”. Thinking back, I wonder what my parents wound up spending on these things and if they had the same bit of joy watching me open those gifts as I get watching my boys open theirs.

As the years went by there was always that one big gift that you couldn’t stop thinking about, the holy grail, like Ralphie’s wanting for a Red Rider BB gun with a compass and a stock and a thing that tells time. Our parents always seemed to come through on whatever it was we wanted. There was the year of Atari, the year we got an NHL Stanley Cup Table Hockey, the Nintendo, Commodore 64.

Looking back, I’m was not unlike my own kids. My brother and I were always excited about getting our hands on the newest technology. While I wouldn’t dare compare an Atari Game system or Commodore 64 to an Ipod touch, at the time it sure felt like the wave of the future was upon us each and every time we opened that giant box on Xmas morning. A part of me was leaning against getting the boys the ipods this year, but when I reflect on all those xmas’ mornings where my brother and I were never disappointed, I want to be like Ralphie’s dad in A Christmas Story and point out that last gift hidden away behind the desk. I will watch in anticipation as they hurry to tear open the package and jump for joy at the the gift inside. These are the joys of parenthood no one tells you about and virtually no gift on earth can compare to the happy feeling you get inside when you can provide these memories for your kids. Happy Holidays everyone!

Over one year ago, I was in the worst pain of my life from hip to toes, with a weakness in my right ankle that made me feel like I was 67 years old instead of 37. After microdiscectomy surgery of my disc between L4-L5, and probably up to 6-8 months after, I still had lingering pain that was so random and frustrating that I really began to doubt the effectiveness of my surgery. I went through PT, tried my best to get back into the gym, but had forgotten that 6 months pre-surgery I had reverted to a fairly sedentary lifestyle, drinking alcohol a little more often that I wanted to keep the pain at bay, and gaining at least 15lbs of fat while feeding my face watching episodes of Lost, Dexter, and Mad Men. I rushed into things. I tried to run 3-4 miles a few times a week, as I had done years previous and probably came back too soon.

Somewhere between August and October of this year, I noticed that pain, tingling, and tightness in my muscles I had been feeling throughout recovery sort of magically disappeared. I’m not saying this will happen to you, but I’m sure it gives hope to some of you who are 4-6 months out of surgery asking yourself “When the heck is this going to end?”

I tell everyone to stay in touch with your neurosurgeon or go see your orthopedist to make sure you’re on track or just to have them check any irregular pain or tightness you’re feeling.

Now I train at least 3 days a week, and I use light weights and do some ample interval cardio on the elliptical, stairmaster, + stationary bike. I’ve abandoned running outdoors for now, because the pounding still aggravates my lower back and hips.

I’ve sought the advice and training of fitness guru Anthony Ellis, who’s muscle building/fat bashing programs I’ve followed for years. One of the things he helped me with was strengthening my back muscles. There’s not a day I’m not in the gym anymore where I’m not working my legs, back or shoulders and these are areas that are most ignored and dreaded by most fitness buffs out there to begin with. These are important muscle groups you should be working. Below are a list of a few exercise that I enjoy doing now, and are really helping me get stronger. Keep in mind that I started out doing some of these with as little as 5lb dumbbells. Be careful and consult your doctor before trying any of these excercises!

1.) Split Squats (dumbbell)
2.) Lunges (dumbbell)
3.) Crunches w/ Swiss Ball
4.) Rows
5.) Step Ups (with or without dumbbells)
6.) Calf Raises
7.) Back Extensions
8.) Deadlift (dumbbell)
9.) Squats

With a steady regiment of the workouts Anthony created for me and about a 2,000 calorie diet of 40% protein 40% carbs and 20% fats (all healthy foods), I’ve lost about 12lbs of fat and put on 3 lbs of solid muscle. I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in 18 months and can’t wait to update you again in about 6 weeks on progress.

Just stay positive and pace yourself in the gym. Don’t worry about using light weights. It’s all about moving your body, working your muscles out, and please, please, whatever you do – don’t forget to stretch!!

Even on days I don’t work out, I stretch for 10-15 minutes a day. Make it part of your morning routine and this will help you feel great!

1. Cell-phone Guy -

This is an obvious one and even with the provisions the MTA have made with their “quiet cars”, these people are one of the typical offenders who don’t care where they are, how loud they are being, or who hears their conversation. No one cares for a loudmouth, but a loudmouth talking into his phone while we’re trying to get through our commutes in peace is the worst! I’ve heard people share their most intimate details and moments without even realizing that an entire train car was listening in. Keep this in mind the next time you take that phone call on the train from a loan officer who wants to verify your social security number.

2. Smelly food lady with too much perfume (or guy)

You know this one. She has her onion bagel with lox, a bag from McDonald’s, or a KFC bucket (I’ve seen this), and stinks to high heaven with the stench of perfume she hosed herself off with earlier in the day. Sorry miss, but A veggie delight from Subway loaded with onions and garlic + that bottle of Liz Claiborne perfume you doused yourself with is terrible! You are in a poorly ventilated tube with 100 other people and while your meal might be tasty, NO ONE wants to smell you or your disgusting food.

3. Cover the seat with your bag Guy

Hey pal, I know what you’re trying to do. I say nice try at pissing on your tree and setting up your own perimeter, but I see what’s going on here. You want your own personal space and have intimacy issues- we get it, but if there are 10 empty seats near you and I see that the seat next to you is covered with a wall street journal, your goose down jacket, briefcase, and a pier one bag, I’m sitting in THAT seat just to piss you off and make you uncomfortable. This is probably the same person as “Cut his nose to spite his face guy” that is so terrified to say “excuse me” to claim a middle seat on a crowded train that he’d rather stand in the vestibule from Tarrytown to Manhattan.

4. Nail Clipper Dude

I will never understand what possesses any human being to whip out his nail clipper to do a makeshift mani-pedi in public! The periodic sound of “clip”….”clip”….”clip”…. emanating from 2 seats in front can’t be disguised as anything BUT a nail-clipper. Remember folks, no one wants a piece of your corn chip toe nails landing in their Dunkin Donuts coffee or scratching their corneas. Save your personal grooming for the bathroom at home !!

If you have run into one of these people or have a unique experience to share, please post in my comments section and I’ll add it to the list. Happy riding everyone!