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Welcome!
• At Home Workout Plans. • 10 minute workouts.
• Training plans, 5K to marathon.
• Triathlon training plans. • Endurance sport plans. • Healthy lifestyle ideas. • Exercise tips. • Workout plans. • Physical activities for all ages & all levels of fitness. • Nutrition suggestions. • Cycling workout plans.
• Ironman Arizona 2009 training.
• 80 "Active Lifestyle Clubs" Around The World That You Can Visit.
Always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise plan, or increasing your present activity.
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IrongeezerSays:™ “Try something new for your mind as well as your body. This month’s suggestion: Orienteering”
Orienteering ("O"): A versatile sport or activity, orienteering has Scandinavian roots and maintains its popularity in Europe, though word is getting out in the US. Why feature orienteering? For one, anyone can participate regardless of age or ability and it's one of the featured activities on the President's Challenge website (http://www.presidentschallenge.org). There are different types of orienteering including foot-O, ski-O, MTB-O, and trail-O. Depending on difficulty, courses may be on or off a designated or marked trail (with the exception of trail-O). Foot-O consists of hiking, running, or walking; ski-O refers to cross-country skiing; MTB-O is a mountain bike course; and trail-O takes place on a natural trail allowing those requiring mobility assistance the opportunity to participate.
O is good for both the mind and the body as the object is to read a map, plan a route, and identify controls along the way. As noted, in some events, participants race against a clock, providing a good cardiovascular workout.
How it works:
The standard O course has a start and finish, controls (sites marked by circles that must be found by the participant) and control flags. Control flags are markers that contain some type of mechanism (hole punch, sticker) to indicate on a participant's control card that the control was found. Only Trail-O is not based on time, and controls can be sighted from a distance so that everybody has access to the control. Unless the course is for the very young (where routes may be identified by string), routes are not marked and the participant must use his/her map reading skills to identify the best course.
O-courses can be found across the U.S. in many local, state, and national parks. Competitions are held at the local, national, and international levels. In addition, there are teacher resources to design O-courses in school settings to help students develop skills in map and compass reading, angle identification, and team building.
For more information on orienteering visit: www.usorienteering.org/
Submit you favorite activity to be published here. irongeezer@irongeezer.com
Irongeezelle Lifestyle: Health Tip: Sweat! Now in the dog days of summer, the doldrums of monsoonal moisture literally upon us, it is time to talk about sweat and hydration. We generate body heat just sitting still, but, if we exercise outdoors now, we are creating an internal inferno. That fire must be quenched and the body must regulate its thermometer. Immersion in cold water (if we could find any) helps. Experiencing a cool breeze helps (that's why you feel cooler when your ride a bike) Sweating helps. Drinking liquids helps. All of these assist the body to dissipate heat and maintain the homeostatic temperature of 98.6, although a little higher body temp is probably normal for desert dwellers. To avoid overheating and dehydration, we need to exercise early or late. Exercising early or late sounds great in theory, but then it is already 91 F when we head out the door at 5 am, and it stays at 100 F until late in the evening. Alternatives: Cool gym workouts, mall walks, swimming, aqua jogging. Or, if you choose to exercise outside, remember to drink to avoid dehydration. Dreaded Dehydration: All exercisers know about dehydration - not enough fluid in the tank means performance loss and fatigue. Dehydration: increases the risk of heat illness. disturbs electrolyte balance. increases stress on the heart. is cumulative. decreases urine output. harms muscle cells. impacts athletic performance negatively. is sneaky - thirst is not an indicator - if urine color is apple juice dark, you are dehydrated. Light lemonade urine color is the goal. causes muscle cramps and weakness. makes you nauseous, lightheaded or dizzy. reduces ability to concentrate. makes you cranky and irritable. creates gastrointestinal distress. So, drink up - plain water is fine, if you are not exercising for extended periods of time, 45 minutes or less, and if you are not exercising intensely. If you are exercising long and hard, you need to replace your electrolytes as well - especially sodium. There are a myriad of sports drinks available - you need to find out which ones work for you and don't irritate your stomach. 10 Cool Tips to "Beat the Heat" Recognize the warning signs of dehydration. Allow for acclimation. (two weeks) Drink. Have fluids readily available. Don't rely on thirst. Favor sports drinks over water. Drink, don't pour the water over you. Exercise in the morning or evening. Dress for the weather. (no kidding, I saw a guy in sweats this last week) Break the exercise up - rest in between sets, take breaks. Source: Jennifer Burke, MD. Thompson Peak Family Practice. Dr. Burke is board-certified in family and sports medicine. Gatorade Sports Science Institute. IrongeezelleSays:™ Hydration - I am doing it my way. I have never had any success using the rehydration products - the ones with electrolytes - that are on the retail market. You name them, I have tried them in training and racing, always with the same result: a bloating, wrenching gut ache. So I have only drunk water, until , by chance, I came across the rehydration formula of the World Health Organization. It is used in the Third World countries to prevent severe dehydration following diarrhea-causing illnesses. Remember there is no store in these countries in which to purchase Pedialyte, no hospitals in which to get hooked up to an IV...so W.H.O came up with a simple formula to rehydrate: One level tablespoon of salt Eight level teaspoons of sugar Five cupfuls of clean drinking water Dissolve sugar and salt in water. That's it. No, it does not have potassium or magnesium, but neither does it have high fructose corn syrup, synthetic, albeit natural flavors ,(whatever that means), or a variety of food colors, additives and preservatives - all of which, I conjecture, have caused my gut aches in the past. So, next time out, I am doing "it" - the hydration thing- my way - of course, this will be trial and error situation before I get the formula that's right for my gastro system, but then, I'll have a new designer sports drink just for moi. More: http://www.rehydrate.org/
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IrongeezerSays: "Think about it."
IrongeezerSuggestion:™
On the pages of this site, you will find lots of advice, tips, how-to’s, ideas and thoughts to enhance your lifestyle. Our tip is to pick only one to implement in the next 30 days. Then, if you have made this a new healthy habit, pick another one. If you have not quite made it happen, then in the following month work on making it a habit again. Do not add any new habit until you have accomplished the first. Then, choose another, and so on. You get the point: Pick a tip, implement, and, if all goes according to plan by the end of the year, you’ll have added twelve new healthy habits to your lifestyle.
IrongeezerSays: "Try old fashion calisthenics."
Calisthenics There are numerous methods to beat the weight and stay fit, calisthenics workout being one of them. Bodyweight calisthenics exercises help in improving the overall fitness, physique and strength of a person. Calisthenics originated from the Greek words, ‘kalos’ meaning beauty and ‘thenos’ meaning strength. Check out the benefits of a calisthenics workout.
Calisthenics
Calisthenics involves numerous simple movements that are generally performed without weights or other equipments. Body weight is used for resistance. Calisthenics involve anaerobic exercise generally done without weights. The origin of calisthenics is linked to gymnastics. Disciples of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn share the credit of bringing in their own version of gymnastics to the United States. Initially, both men and women participated equally in this workout. Later on it became a favorite with women. Every human body has its own innate activity pattern. Added physical activity in the daily routine helps in conditioning the body in a natural way. Calisthenics help in regaining the natural conditioning of the entire body. Methodical, regular exercises like push-ups and sit-ups are intrinsic to any calisthenics workout. They help in toning and strengthening the muscles and also help in improving the overall fitness of the body. Calisthenics exercises are also popularly known as body strengthening exercises. These exercises help in improving the fitness level of a person by strengthening numerous muscles throughout the body including the cardiac and skeletal muscles. An increase in the heart beat rate helps in improving the health of the heart and lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Calisthenics exercise Calisthenics exercises provide a balanced and exceptionally efficient exercise program. These exercises promote vigor, resistance, flexibility, agility, and coordination. Calisthenics exercises can be termed as tough, efficient and effective on the body. They focus on particular areas of the body. E.g. Sit-ups strengthens the abdominal muscles and push-ups focus on the pectoral muscles. Just a few exercises work the entire muscle group of the body. Calisthenics exercise routine should be followed carefully. A 3-minute break is a must between each of the calisthenics exercises. While beginning the program, repeat each exercise five times and increase the number of repetitions as you get used to the exercise pattern and schedule. Begin with the core exercises always. Even as you add new and advanced exercises to your schedule, you have to start with core exercises and later on proceed to the advanced ones. This will help exercise your body in a total and balanced manner. Some simple yet effective calisthenics exercises are listed below: Squats: Stand with feet spread apart, squat as much as possible while keeping your arms parallel to the floor. Get back to the standing posture and repeat. Other types of squats include squatting by lifting one leg off the floor in front of you and positioning both the arms in front of you for balance (mainly for lower body). Sit-ups/crunches: Lie down on your back, position your knees at right angle. Place your hands below your head and support your head while you lift up slowly using your abdomen muscles (mainly for abdomen). Arm rotation: Stand straight and stretch out your arms horizontally. Move your hands in a circular motion both in forward and reverse directions. Knee rotation: Place your feet together, keep your hands on your knees. Gradually rotate your knees clockwise and then in reverse direction for one minute each. Hip rotation: Stand straight and keep your hands on your hips, gradually rotate your hips in the clockwise direction and reverse direction for one minute each. Flutter kicks: Lie down on your back and place your hands below your buttocks. Raise one leg at a time for a minimum of 6 inches from the ground. Follow leg motion similar to motion of kicking legs while swimming. Jumping jack: Start in a standing position with both legs close to each other; hop up while spreading your feet apart as you hop. Keep clapping your hands over your head and then get back to the initial standing position.
Calisthenics workout
Calisthenics workouts increase the metabolic rate of the body hence these exercises should continue with a smooth flow from one exercise to another. The calisthenics workout should not be stopped all of a sudden in between exercises. Initially each exercise can be repeated for five times and as you get used to the workout each exercise can be repeated 25 to 30 times. It is recommended that you begin calisthenics workout after a few warm up exercises. This exercise workout can be made more interesting by playing music and following the rhythm. Guide to calisthenics exercise routine
Start slowly, exercise according to your stamina levels. Slowly and steadily increase the exercise repetitions and period. Calisthenics require high energy levels.
Exercise according to the energy levels of your body for the day. You need do all the exercises everyday. You can skip a day of exercising when you feel low and embark again when you feel better. Calisthenics must be practiced in a safe, clean place. The flooring where you practice should be of even level. Good ventilation, lighting and serene atmosphere are equally important. Wear comfortable clothing that is stretchable. A padded floor mat will be immensely helpful for floor exercises. Begin with the core exercises and get on to the advanced ones later. Have a guide or friend to help and assist you during the workout.
Source: Targetwomen.com
This workout will be posted here thru 2008, refer to it as often as your like.
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The Ten-Minute Home Workout
Ten minutes isn’t a long time. It isn’t long enough to reap the long-term benefits of cardiovascular exercise or get in a solid muscle-building session. However, it is long enough to quickly tone your body and do just enough exercise to jump-start your metabolism. Here are some ten-minute workouts that can accomplish a mini fitness-goal: burn a few extra calories, strengthen your body or work on flexibility. The best part of all is that you can do any of these quick workouts right in your apartment. Use them as a compliment to your regular workout or when you can’t fit in a trip to the gym.
Quick Cardio Blast: Burn up to 150 calories Minutes one to two: High-intensity cardio, jump rope or run up and down stairs. Minutes three to four: Do as many push-ups as you can. Minutes five and six: Jump rope or run stairs again. Minutes seven and eight: Do squats by standing with your back against a wall and squatting as low as you can. Focus on form rather than speed. Minutes nine and ten: Back to the high-intensity cardio, but this time give it your all. Try to get in ten more jumps or stairs in the same amount of time. Tone and Strengthen Do each of these exercises for about one minute. The goal is to move continuously for the entire series. Squats against a wall: Stand with your back against wall and squat down as far as you can.
Push-ups: Focus on form, not quantity. Knee push-ups are perfectly fine until you have the strength for military style.
Walking lunges with a front kick: Step forward with one leg and lunge until your knee is above your front foot. Stand and kick up, lower your leg and repeat with the other side.
Squats/Chest squeeze: Hold a weighted object and pull it in towards your chest as you lift up.
Dead lifts: Stand with a weighted object in your hands and bend forward until your back is parallel to the floor. Keep your back lifted the entire time. For an extra challenge, stand on one leg and alternate.
Shoulder raises: Keeping your arms straight, lift the weight to the front of your body and hold. Lower slowly and repeat. Side raises: Stand with your upper torso parallel to the floor. Raise your arms to your sides with your thumbs pointing up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold. Triceps Dip: Support yourself on a couch or sturdy chair with both hands behind you, facing away from the chair. Bend your knees and lower yourself using only your arms. Lift and repeat. Wide-leg squat: Stand with your legs spread open past your shoulders and squat as low as you can.
Crunch: Lie on the floor and do a set of traditional crunches, with your arms behind your head and your knees bent. Lift up your upper torso, squeeze in your abs, lower slowly and repeat.
Stretch and Lengthen These five stretches will target the major muscles in your body. Hold each stretch for one minute on each side. Hamstrings: Sit with your legs in front of you and reach for your toes with your hands, keeping your back straight. Then alternate the same stretch on each leg, bending your other leg inwards.
Triceps: Hold one arm under your head, bend it and use your other arm to gently push it back, stretching the muscle on the front of your arm.
Shoulders: Stretch one arm across your chest and hold it in place with your other arm. Gently pull the straight arm towards your chest.
Quadriceps: Stand up and bend one leg back behind you. Pull the leg in with the same-side arm until you feel a stretch.
Spinal twist: Sit with one leg straight and the other bent. Twist your torso toward your bent leg, supporting yourself by resting the opposite elbow on your leg. Use your other arm to hold yourself up by resting it on the floor behind you.
Source: Apartment Living
This workout will be posted here thru 2008. Refer to it as often as you like.
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At Home Strengthening Exercises
What You Need to Get Started:
1. Floor mat
2. Free weights (two hand-weights between 3 and 15 lbs. each, depending on your level)
3. Bench
4. Consult your physician to make sure these exercises are appropriate for you.
Doing these strengthening exercises should build up your muscle strength and bone density and increase your metabolism.
Always perform the exercises in the order given and do the entire routine twice a week (should take around 40 minutes each time.) If time is a problem, try splitting the routine in half and doing the exercises 4 days a week. For instance, do the first half of the exercises on Monday and Thursday and the second half on Wednesday and Saturday.
Perform each exercise in 2 sets of 12 repetitions with a short break in between, unless stated otherwise.
1. Chest Press
Using a bench and hand-weights, lie on your back with the weights in your hand and upper arms in line with your shoulders. Using a slow, controlled movement, press your arms up to a fully extended position, then back down to the starting position.
2. Row
Start by placing your right hand and right knee on a bench with your left foot on the floor and left hand hanging down with a hand-weight. Your back should be flat and parallel to the ground. Slowly pull the weight up to your shoulder and squeeze your shoulder blades to finish. With control, return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.
3. Abdominal Crunch
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Cross your arms across your chest with your hands on opposite shoulders. Look up at the ceiling to keep your neck relaxed. Slowly contract your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders off the floor and hold the crunch for a 2-count. Then relax your shoulders back to the floor. Begin with 12 repetitions, but build up to 20. **For additional resistance, move your hands up beside your ears with your elbows out to the sides. Place your feet up on a bench or sofa.
4. Side Crunch
Start as you did for the abdominal crunch, lying on the floor with your knees bent and arms across your chest with hands on opposite shoulders. Again look at the ceiling and keep your neck relaxed. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your shoulders off the floor, but twist so your right elbow goes toward the left knee. Relax back down to the floor. Do 12 reps in each direction. **For additional resistance, move your hands up beside your ears with your elbows out to the sides. Place your feet up on a bench or sofa.
5. Biceps Curl
Sit on a bench with your legs spread apart. Place your right elbow inside your right knee with the hand of that arm resting on the top of the opposite leg. Your left hand holds the weight and the arm starts straight (just inside the left knee). Slowly bend it up until the weight is up at the shoulder, then return to the starting position. Repeat the set on the other arm.
6. Overhead Press
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Hold the hand-weights in your hands beside your shoulders (if you use a single bar, it should be resting across the top of your chest). Using slow control, extend your arms straight up overhead, without locking your elbows. Then bend your elbows and return to the starting position.
7. Tricep Dips
Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands on the edge next to your buttocks. Slide your butt forward off the edge of the bench, bend your arms and drop your body down until your elbows are almost at 90 degrees. Then lift your body back up (but don't return your bottom to the bench until you've completed all 12 repetitions). For an easier option, keep your feet on the ground with your legs bent. The intermediate option would have your legs straight out in front of you. The most challenging position is elevating your feet on another chair or bench.
8. Lunge
Start by standing with both feet together. While maintaining a tall posture, take a giant step forward while bending your forward knee (but don't push your knee beyond your foot). Then press forcefully off your forward leg to return to your starting stance. Alternate 10 reps on each leg. **To increase resistance, hold light dumbbells.
Source: PBS. Exercise.
These exercises will be posted here thru 2008. Refer to them as often as needed.
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IrongeezelleSays: "Tell us about your club, or find a club here." 80 CLUBS AROUND THE WORLD
EIGHTY "ACTIVE LIFESTYLE" CLUBS AROUND THE WORLD. "Be Active." For 80 Months, starting 01/07, Irongeezer will publish one article per month about a club, written by a club member. The month that the article is published, the club listing will be added to the "80 Clubs Around the World" list below. All of these clubs welcome visitors! And yes, at one club per month, the list will not be complete until mid 2013! The Coyotes Curling Club was formed in April of 2003 after all of the great press curling received at the 2002 Nagano Winter Olympics. A few of us Canadians tried to get the Alltel Ice Den to try curling but to no avail. It was only after the Olympics that their phone started to ring. The fellow who runs the Ice Den is from Winnipeg so he helped champion the curling cause in a building where skating and hockey is their bread and butter.
We have just crossed over our 5th year in operation. We started with roughly 20 members and have well over a 100 now. Because we are in Scottsdale, our active participation swings a little with the arrival and departure of our snowbird friends.
Curling in the desert continues to attract members ranging from 6 to 80 years of age. The most "seasoned" curler we have in our club is 77 with many 40-60 years old members. Curling is one of the last true gentleman sports. There is only about 12 rules one has to learn, and their is no officiating. It's all based on the honour system. Curling itself started back in the 1500 in Scotland. The "rink" we curl on is roughly 15 feet wide and 146 feet long. At each end there are three concentric circles, or bulls-eyes if you will. The largest circle is 12 foot in diameter, followed by a smaller 8 foot circle, and inside that, a 4 foot circle. At the very middle, is the "button". If you know the game of bocce ball, our "button" is much like the Palina or "Jack" in bocce as its the goal of each team to put as many of their colored stones closest to the button than that of their opponent. Speaking of that, there are 4 people on a team. Each player "delivers" or slides two 42 pound stones down the ice, alternating shots with their opponent. Brooms are used to sweep in front of the rock. Most people think its to steer the rock, but actually, it lessens the friction on the rock and makes it travel further. As we release the stone we give it either a clockwise or counter-clockwise spin, much like you would if your bowling. This make the rock "curl from left to right, or right to left, depending on what your goal is. This may seem all a little involved, but we can teach the game of curling, and have any new person ready to play in a league setting after two hours. We have all been "the new guy or gal" on the ice and appreciate the fact that a new person is out to learn and may not be very good on their first outing. Luckily, curlers by nature are very patient and gregarious. Everyone, regardless of ability, is welcome in a curling club!
The club host many Learn To Curl events over the year. Our leagues run Sept-Dec, and Jan-June. In August we will be hosting two or three learn to curls. For those interested, they can go to www.coyotescurling.com and sign up for our newsletter. This way they won't miss out on the next class. Curling is truly a sport that can be played by anyone, at any age. If your at the point in your life where squatting down isn't as easy as it used to be, curling has many aides that will help you continue to play. Curling Clubs across the world, and ours is no different, is a great place to make new friends as its written in the rule book that you treat the team you just played (if you beat them) to a drink. Then the losing team reciprocates. The camaraderie and friendship on and off the ice is almost the best part of curling. We invite any friend of the irongeezer.com network to come try us out. Not only will you have fun, and meet new people, but it also is a great way to stay in shape!! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or call 602-300-4808! Darryl Horsman President, Coyotes Curling Club |
07/08 - Greater Phoenix, Arizona. The CoyotesCurling Club. They host many learn to CURL events throughout the year. www.coyotescurling.com
06/08 - Greater Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona road Racers. The 2000+ member club welcomes visitors from all over the world on a regular basis. www.arizonaroadracers.com
05/08 - Scottsdale, Arizona. Tri-Scottsdale. A one of a kind, super triathlon club. Check them out: http://www.triscottsdale.org/ 03/08 - Buffalo, New York. The Buffalo Triathlon Club. Last year they gave $5,000 to various charities, my kind of club. Check out the Website> http://buffalotriathlonclub.com 01/08 - DeRidder, Iowa. The fabulous Granny Basketball league. Establish a Granny Basketball team in your area. www.grannybasketball.com 12/07 - Washington, DC. The Potomac Valley Track Club. It's the largest club in the area, and has something to offer to runners & walkers of all abilities. www.pvtc.org 11/07 - Entire U.S.A. The American Volkssport Association, an international organization offering self-paced physical activities. www.ava.org 10/07 - Bangkok, Thailand. The Thai Cycling Club. They promote, health, the envoronment, family values, and help the poor. www.thaicycling.com 09/07 - Santiago, Chile. The DAV Mountaineering Club was founded in 1909 by German descendants. The club has a great history of first ascents and welcomes visitors and inquires. www.dav.cl/Deutsch/Einleitung.htm 08/07 - Cambridge, UK. The Cambridge '99 Rowing Club. Founded in 1899 and still welcoming rowers of all levels. http://nines.rowing.org.uk 07/07 - Berkeley, California. "Club Chaos." The UC Berkeley Hiking & Outdoor Society. Everyone invited for a good time! 06/07 - Jacksonville, Florida. The HammerHead Triathlon Club is, as they say, northeast Florida's great triathlon club. Join in in helping them with charity work or a workout: www.hammerheadtriathlonclub.com 05/07 - Silicon Valley, California. The MIT Community Running Club is known as the world's friendliest and only ChiRun/ChiWalk club. Everyone is welcome to join them for a workout: www.MITcrc.org 04/07 - Tempe, Arizona. Arizona State University Cycling & Triathlon Club. ASU students, faculty, and alumni are welcome to become members. These collegiate champions are always "turning up the heat." www.asucycling.com 03/07 - West Indies. The Nevis Cycle & Triathlon Club. Experience the wonders of the Caribbean. Nevis is a 36 square mile Island near St. Kitts. www.neviscycleclub.com 02/07 - Surprise, Arizona. The Saguaro Sun Striders Walking Club. As part of the American Volkssport Association. They have a network of over 350 clubs, and host more than 3000 events a year. All events are open to the public. 01/07 - Greater Phoenix, Arizona. The Phoenix Triathlon Club. The PTC has it all: A free program for kids, education, group workouts, training, and they host a major duathlon every year in February. People of all abilities are always welcome to the workout sessions.
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