Last week, one of my professors mentioned something about America that I’d like to elaborate on. As wealthy and prosperous as we are, the United States is one of the worst countries in the world at adhering to the “three pillars” of health — nutrition, exercise, and sleep. I believe it was Mike Huckabee (Disclaimer: I don’t support him for the presidency) who recently said that we have not a health care crisis, but a health crisis. For an interesting read specifically about obesity, look at this 2003 testimony by Surgeon General Richard Carmona.

You can say all you want about what the government should do to improve the situation, where our money should be spent, yadda, yadda, yadda — but we all know that when it comes to the government, nothing happens quickly (unless it’s related to anti-terrorism). That’s why, here at Don’tASQ, we believe in the power of the people to fix — or much better, to prevent — their own bloody health problems.
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Today marks the third day of living this dreaded vegan/exercising/early-rising life. I’ll give a brief synopsis of how things have been going and what’s to come.

Diet
The vegan diet, thus far, hasn’t been terribly difficult to follow. Other than the occasional chicken sandwich craving, I haven’t had many regrets. Of course, it’s only been three days — ask me again in three weeks. However, for full disclosure, I should note a few possible exceptions…
*Green tea: I bought a bottle of green tea which “contains a small amount of honey.” Not included in the ingredients, just in fine print on the bottom of the label.
*Boost protein drink: Contains “milk protein concentrate.” I started buying these last semester, but I don’t think they’re vegan-friendly. I have about six more to drink, and will not be buying any after that.
*Blueberry waffles: Contains whey powder, which apparently consists of milk. I’ll be more careful next time. (Give me a break!)
*Syrup: I bought a bottle of Valu-Time syrup containing “artificial flavors.” I don’t know that it’s not vegan, but quite frankly, that scares me.

I’m not an anal retentive purist, so I won’t be deterred by things like a “small amount of honey.” I’m doing this diet primarily for health reasons; saving an animal or two is a bonus.

Fitness/Early-rising
Yesterday, I woke up before my alarm; I didn’t sleep much at all the previous night. This morning, however, I happily shut off my alarm and promptly returned to sleep for an extra three hours. As a result, I missed out on my morning run. Yesterday’s workout went quite well.

Effects
Yesterday morning, I had a surge of creative energy in the morning (after my workout) that lasted a good couple of hours. I don’t know how to describe it other than that I couldn’t bring myself to do anything but brainstorm ideas, whiteboard style — and so I did! I also experienced a brief stuffy nose this morning, which may have been a detox symptom due to the diet.

Expect another update on this next week.

In addition to going back to basics and getting up 5:30 every morning, I will be resurrecting the ever-popular Fitness project… with a few twists. (more…)

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” -Thomas Edison

Just like everyone else in the world, I’m “celebrating” the end of the year by reflecting on the ups and downs of the past twelve months. Unlike everyone else, however, I’m not sugarcoating anything — in the realm my own life, 2007 was a failure of catastrophic proportions. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?

Projects:

• Dream Machine

Of the five projects on which I made any headway this year, the Dream Machine was probably the most successful… though that’s not a major feat given the competition. Beyond my original prediction that the project would take two weeks (it took six), I’ve also failed to attempt any sort of virtualization. Nowadays, I pretty much just stick with OS X. The laptop runs beautifully, but I’m simply not using it to its full potential. Lesson learned — Tweaking doesn’t need a purpose; it’s fun for its own sake. I’m itching to try out the latest versions of Ubuntu and Fedora, though…

• Fitness

Though the Fitness project admittedly wasn’t the extent of my focus on health (more on that in a moment), it’s safe to say that I bombed it. I didn’t exactly get off to a “running” start (get it?), and I eventually got bored and stopped recording my progress. In the weeks following, I noticed a slowdown in improvement (and even some slight deterioration), to the point where I eventually decided that it wasn’t worth my time and I would have to re-work the project. Lesson learned — Health isn’t a project that can be tackled half-heartedly.

• Polyphasic Sleep

This project was a failure only in the sense that I didn’t achieve what I set out to achieve — two hours of sleep, every night, for an indefinite period of time. I did, however, master such feats as napping around the clock (for varying lengths, averaging about 90 minutes), waking up drenched, and making my roommates think that I escaped from an asylum. Lesson learned — People have no idea what to do about others who don’t share their sleep habits.

• Resolutions 2007

Last year, I claimed that I would score 20 “productive” hours (whatever that means) each and every day. No, I wasn’t under the influence or playing a prank. In some aspects, I’ve achieved that, but what I’ve truly failed at doing is documenting my time or using any form of accountability. I definitely feel better about myself in this regard than I did a year ago, but I don’t really have anything to show for it. Lesson learned — When it comes to productivity, choose quality over quantity.

• Write, Write, Write!

Write, Write, Write! was never an “all-year” project, but it’s worth mentioning. I wasn’t at all frequent or consistent with publishing (especially during this fall); not usually for a lack of writing material, but for a (perceived ;)) lack of time. I wish to carve out a certain amount of time every day for Don’tASQ instead of waiting until I have “a free minute.” Lesson learned — A great thing about writing is that it can be done any hour of the day.

Areas of Focus:

• Finance

Despite having worked a full-time job for seven months (instead of taking classes), I’m arguably not much better off financially now than I was last year. However, there’s no question that I’ve learned a lot about finance from all of the little things — savvy co-workers and roommates studying business, and even the process of finding the right credit card. Lesson learned — Debt in America is bad news!

• Fitness

In addition to the Fitness project (briefly reviewed above), I’ve made some serious attempts to change my diet. While I’ve had a bit of success, my biggest problem is, once again, not documenting that progress. Lesson learned — Fitness and Finance are mutually exclusive (healthy food can be expensive!)

• Relationships

Compared to a year ago, when I lived alone, this year has been incredible from a social standpoint (living with several good friends). Hermitization is on the decline and procrastination is on the rise! On the romantic side, I decided earlier in the fall that the timing wasn’t right to pursue any romantic relationship; surprisingly enough, I’m glad I made this choice, and it’s actually been kind of a stress relief. Lesson learned — Okay, so maybe not everything in 2007 failed.

Happy New Year! 2008 will be your best one yet!

It’s Monday morning, around 7:30. I am in the weight room of the Athletic Complex, sitting at the leg press machine. I glance down at the pad of paper on which I record my progress, and see the number 16. “Okay,” I think to myself. “I did 16 reps on Friday, so today, I should be able to do 17.” And I begin. As usual, the first several reps are easy, but it doesn’t take long… 11… 12… 13… “This is starting to hurt, but I can’t give up yet!” 14… 15… 16… 17! “Whew! I made it!” That’s when I look at my notepad to jot the number, and am shocked by a realization. I didn’t do 16 leg presses on Friday (I must have been looking at a different exercise); I did only 12.

My exercise program, inspired by the Colorado Experiment, consists of several different exercises, one set each, completed to failure (i.e. when I physically cannot do any more repetitions). After hitting 20 reps, I increase the weight. Under this program, an increase of five reps between sessions is pretty significant.

But I didn’t think I was going far until the set was done. I was only trying for a small goal… and immediately quit as soon as I’d met it. I don’t know for sure that I could have done any more reps, but I almost didn’t even try after #17. I wonder how much more effort I truly could have put into my workout this morning.

Society teaches us to set goals and strive to meet them. There’s nothing wrong with that, inherently; but what happens after we meet our goals? Sometimes we’re tempted to stop there, or “take a break” even if we decide to set a higher goal and press on. Or sometimes we fail to meet our goals, and immediately conclude that they were too lofty. I, however, advocate a different approach: Failure? What’s that? It just seems like yet another excuse for apathy.

Does my exercise anecdote sound familiar? You can probably think of a situation in your own life that parallels it. The moral of the story is the same: Failure is all in your head.

I’d prefer to avoid writing constant updates about projects which are personal rather than global in nature (by “personal” I mean those which only directly involve me — currently, all of them). Don’tASQ is not about me but about us, and it’s important for readers to understand where that focus lies. Nevertheless, I also feel it’s important to keep you informed when I virtually disappear for a month without warning. In this roll-up, I address the status of all current and a couple of near-future projects — not to explain where I have been (though that will be answered), but to give you an idea of where we will be going. (more…)

Starting today, I will be making drastic changes in the way I undergo the Fitness Project… and it’s all because of what’s known as the Colorado Experiment (with a few tips from Tim Ferriss).

Here’s the Colorado Experiment in one sentence: Participants gain large amounts of strength and muscle mass (and lose fat) in a relatively short time period by upping their workout intensity by about six notches, performing repetitions until exhaustion, and doing exercises correctly with a full range of motion, while decreasing the total workout time.

… And here are today’s results:
Bench Press (28)
Shoulder Press (12)
Bicep Curl (13)
Tricep Extension (7)
Neck Press (12 — Stopped here for monotony reasons; will find a better exercise)
Iron Cross (13)
Calf Raise (25)
Sit-Up (32)
Bent Over Row (25 — Stopped here for monotony reasons; will find a better exercise)
Dumbbell Deadlift (15 — Stopped here for safety reasons)

A few of the notations probably deserve comments…

Neck Press: Yes, it’s taken me an embarrassingly long time to realize that, well, the Neck Press just isn’t doing much. What I perform is called an Isometric Neck Press, in which the neck doesn’t actually move, but tries to prevent itself from moving while pushed on from any direction. Great for preventing serious injury — not so great for exhausting muscles.
Bent Over Row: This was a decent exercise until I reduced the weight following an injury. I may increase it and see if it becomes more challenging.
Dumbbell Deadlift: After 15 repetitions today, I had a feeling in my lower back which was indicative of an impending injury. I will need to take the back exercises very slowly, and will probably not exhaust those muscles nearly as much as the others.

I should add that the attitude I’m taking toward the sets has changed as well. I define “exhaustion” as the point when I must pause before doing an exercise correctly — if I need a breather, or if I can no longer perform correctly, the set is done. Also, you’ll notice that some muscle groups are exercised over consecutive sets; this is to further increase exhaustion. It would also explain why, for example, I could only perform seven tricep extensions today (an exercise which is normally easy for me).

If you have any comments on your own “Fitness Projects,” I’d love to hear them. This is, after all, a cooperative website, not a preacher and his pulpit!

This ends today’s episode of Exercise for Busy People.

Three weeks ago, I launched the Fitness Project. The project page still doesn’t list much other than my exercise routine, and I did promise more details… not to mention that I’d really like to gloat about how I haven’t quit yet. Therefore, in typical Don’tASQ fashion, it’s time for a status report!

Commitment: I’ve so far completed nine full-body workout sessions and two short jogs. (Do you see anything wrong with this picture?) The original plan was to work out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and to jog on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Recently, I’ve had a lot of trouble waking up early; I have no qualms about lifting weights at any hour of the day, but somehow I just can’t bring myself to go running in broad daylight. (There must have been a vampire somewhere in my lineage. )

Workout Details: On the project page, you can see a list of the exercises I’ve been performing. The workout usually lasts about an hour — give or take ten minutes — and I try to make it as intense as possible while still doing the exercises correctly. Since I’m a poor college student (and/or cheap), I’m limited to doing the entire workout with a 40-pound adjustable dumbbell set. Granted, I may be a twig, but 40 pounds won’t even take me that far. Within the next several weeks, I’ll probably look into a gym membership.

Injuries: On Friday (4/27), I suffered a minor back injury while doing the Dumbbell Deadlifts. Because of this, I performed only half of a workout on Friday, and the other half on Saturday. I’ve also decreased the weight for both back exercises as well as the Calf Raises. I’ve suffered back injuries in the past, but it’s a bit disappointing that I suffered one while doing the very thing which should help to prevent them. I’m hoping that this was a one-time shot due to overexertion, and that it won’t be a continuing problem.

Results: I still look like a twig, but I feel slightly stronger and more energetic. A couple of the more difficult exercises (e.g. Iron Cross and Shoulder Press) have become less exhausting. I didn’t expect significant results this early on, but it is encouraging to notice at least some improvement.

After spending three months trying to fulfill one of my yearly goals of starting a workout program (and failing miserably), I’ve decided that I need some extra motivation. The extra motivation of, say, millions of people holding me accountable for my actions. Therefore, I’ve launched the Fitness Project… also informally known as “Dadgum It, I’m Gonna Exercise Whether I Like It Or Not!”

This isn’t so much a “Change the World” project as a “Change the Body” one, but I do hope to inspire others to start their own fitness plans. Right now the project page is a bit lacking, but I’ll add more details as time goes on, as well as keeping a daily log of my own progress (since that’s kind of the whole point). Please don’t hesitate to leave a deriding comment if you notice me slacking off.