Fitness News & Views
A Publication of Graham Fitness

January 16, 2012 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20
Announcing the Spring Boot Camp
Reserve Your Spot Now

The next Graham Fitness Boot Camp will begin on Saturday, March 10th, and run through Saturday, April 21st. That′s 7 weeks of intense fun.

Bring a friend or two and make new friends as well while you put your body through intense but fun workouts. For the regulars, we′ll have a lot of new things for you, but plenty of your old favorites too.

You’ll have a great time while challenging yourself. You’ll accomplish more than you ever thought you could as you get your body in shape for the spring and summer.

Each Boot Camp will last approximately one hour, beginning at 9 am.

We′ll go to several different locations in and around Columbia, such as Finlay Park, Riverwalk Park, Sesqui Park, Saluda Shoals, Irmo Middle School, and the Harbison Forest. Each location offers different challenges, so you won′t get bored.

Sign up now. I need at least 10 participants to do this Boot Camp. The cost is $70 per person, or only $10 per session. You do not need to pay in advance, but you will need to bring a check or cash for the entire amount to the first session. Checks should be made out to Graham Fitness.

The only other items you will need will be a workout mat, such as a yoga mat, and a bottle of water.

Boot Camps will consist of calisthenics, running, stairs, hills, some competitions, obstacles, and lots of fun. You should be in fair physical condition, but you don’t have to be an athlete.

If you plan to attend, please let me know by calling 803-749-3461 and leaving your name and phone number on my voice mail or emailing me at tim@grahamfitness.com.

I look forward to seeing you there.


      We are two weeks into a brand new year and many of you have made some resolutions for 2012. No doubt many of you have already broken a few of those resolutions by now as well. Here is a list of the Top 10 New Year′s Resolutions according to Time magazine with a few comments and suggestions of my own:
1. Lose weight and get fit. This may be the most often made and the fastest broken of them all. Gym memberships balloon in January, but according to research, 60 percent of the new memberships go unused and gym attendance is back to normal by mid-February. Here’s a hint for keeping this one: Make yourself accountable to someone. A personal trainer may be the best bet, but another option is a workout partner or you can report in to someone at least once a week with an honest account of your diet, workouts, and weight.
2. Quit smoking. Fortunately, only about 25 percent of the American population still smokes, but if you are one of them, this should be your top priority. Nothing – absolutely nothing – is as harmful to your health as smoking. You can quit. Millions already have. I quit a three-pack-a-day habit 34 years ago, and you can do it too.
3. Learn something new. Maybe you would like to learn Spanish or learn to play a musical instrument. Go for it. The year I quit smoking (1978), I also started exercising and learned to ski. I haven′t regretted any of those decisions.
4. Eat healthier and diet. The biggest problem here is that most people go to extremes trying to lose too much weight too quickly. Learn to eat in moderation, and you’ll have a greater chance of losing weight now and keeping it off for the long haul.
5. Get out of debt and save money. The John Cummuta plan is a good one to implement, but like any plan to get out of debt, it requires discipline. Make payments each month on all your debts, but when you have paid off your smallest one, add that payment to your next smallest until that too is paid off. Then add both those payments to the next and so on until all your payments including your car payments and mortgage are all paid off. Then take all the money you were putting into paying off the debts each month and make the same payment to a savings plan of your choice.
6. Spend more time with the family. Hopefully they will also want to spend more time with you. Remember nobody comes to their death bed and says, ″Boy, I wish I′d spent more time at the office.″
7. Travel to new places. I used to love to travel, but not so much anymore. I fly maybe once a year to go out west to ski, but vacations now are mostly to places I can drive to. The allure of the exotic is not worth the hassle of flying. However, if travel is your thing, go for it, but don′t add to your debt to do it. (See number 5.)
8. Be less stressed. Easy to resolve. Hard to do. The best way I′ve found to be less stressed is to start each day with a cup of coffee and some time reading the Bible and meditating on the goodness of God. Add to that some strenuous exercise each day. Exercise has been found to be a great stress reliever.
9. Volunteer. It can be very rewarding to volunteer. You will bless others and be blessed in kind. There are dozens of opportunities to volunteer. Anything from building houses with Habitat for Humanity to sorting clothes for the Salvation Army. If you don’t think you have time to volunteer, you might want to at least resolve to be more generous with your charitable donations.
10.Drink less. This is undoubtedly a good idea. It′s better for your health, your wallet, and possibly your reputation. You don′t have to abstain completely. Research has shown that a glass of red wine each day for women or two for men may actually be beneficial to your health. Beyond that, you′re doing more harm than good. A personal note: I used to be a heavy drinker, but I stopped drinking in 1978, the same year I stopped smoking, started exercising, and took up skiing. That was also the year, I became a Christian. Needless to say, it was the turning point of my life.


      Way back in August, I made my predictions for Carolina′s football season. I said I thought the Gamecocks would finish the regular season 11-1 with their only loss to Arkansas. Then I added that if they did that, they might as well go on and win the SEC Championship game and their bowl game which would make them 13-1. Of course, that didn′t happen, but I′ll take 11-2. Finishing the season with wins against Florida, Citadel, Clemson, and Nebraska makes for great memories all winter long.
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      For the last six years, I′ve given myself a once-a-year fitness test. I check my weight and measure my waist and body fat percentage. I also check my time for a 3.25 mile (13 lap) run, see how many pushups I can do without stopping, and determine my one RM (repetition max) bench press.
I began doing this when I was 59. I am now 64 years old. Here are the results for this year:
Weight
Waist
Body fat %
3.25 mile run time
Pushups
1 RM bench press
140 pounds
33 inches
8.5%
31:27 (9:41 per mile)
80
187 pounds

Here′s an asterisk to these numbers: They were taken in November and December of 2011. Unfortunately, on January 8, 2012, while skiing in Utah, I fell and severely injured my left shoulder. It was my only fall in two days, and it was strictly carelessness on my part, but the result is that I can′t do even one pushup or bench press any weight right now. Funny how an instant can change things, but certainly it could have been worse. The shoulder will heal, and my goal is to perform the same or better numbers when I′m 65.

      I ran across this little poem in the January 5th edition of The Lake Murray Fish Wrapper. I don′t know who wrote it, but it′s entitled ″Why Do I Exercise?″

Why do I exercise? T′ain′t no mystery.
Wanna have a good medical history.
Doctor told me exercise is great.
Helps them blood cells circulate.
Great for the lungs, great for the ticker.
Can′t nothin′ getcha in better shape quicker.
Feels so healthy, feels so sweet.
Pumpin′ my arms and flappin′ my feet.
Moldin′ my muscles, firmin′ my form.
Pantin′ like a pack mule, sweatin′ up a storm.
Keeps me youthful, keeps me loose.
Tightens my tummy and shrinks my caboose.
Beats being sluggish, beats being lazy.
Why do I exercise? Maybe I′m crazy!

      Most of the exercises we think of as strength training are known as ″isotonic″ exercises. They involve both a lengthening and shortening of a muscle such as the biceps during a biceps curl. The lengthening happens as you lower the weight, and the shortening occurs when you raise it.
      An ″isometric″ exercise also strengthens the muscle, but without lengthening or shortening it. Confused? An easy example would be a plank. There is no movement, no lengthening or shortening of a muscle, yet you gain strength by doing such exercises. Disciplines such as yoga and Pilates often involve isometric exercises. (from Beat the Gym by Tom Holland)

      Since injuring my left shoulder skiing a week ago, I′ve been unable to continue my regular exercise routine. The injury which I have self-diagnosed as a separated ac joint is so debilitating that I can′t even run because the pounding causes the shoulder to hurt too much. And I certainly can′t do any upper body lifting. Besides the ac joint, I also strained some muscles in the rotator cuff and the pectoralis muscles on the left side. Even some lower body exercises produce discomfort.
      This is extremely frustrating, because exercise has been a part of my everyday routine for over 35 years. That means I′ve had to seek alternatives to my normal regimen. I can do some stationary cycling and I can walk and for the time being, that′s about it, although I will soon add some core and lower body strength training.
      The body is amazing in its capacity to heal itself, but the healing process takes time, and patience is not my best character trait. One thing I am certain of however is that God purposes everything for our good, so maybe He is working on my patience or my humility or maybe I just need a rest.

      Here′s a tip I recently ran across that I′m going to implement for my clients immediately and for myself when I start lifting again. When doing a standing exercise such as a biceps curl or front raise, use a staggered stance. In other words, stand with one foot in front of the other one. It doesn′t matter which foot is forward. This foot position stabilizes the body and minimizes bad form, not only protecting your back but increasing the effectiveness of the exercise as well.

From the internet (Dan Worona): You know it′s time to diet when:
• You are diagnosed with a flesh eating virus and the doctor gives you 22 more years to live.
• You put mayonnaise on an aspirin.
• Your driver′s license says, ″Picture continued on the other side.″
• In the summer, you sell shade.

And one more: Two women are talking. The first one says, ″Seems like all John and I do anymore is fight. I′ve been so upset, I′ve lost 20 pounds.″
″Well, why don′t you leave him then?″ asked the other.
″Oh, not yet,″ replies the first. ″I′d like to lose another 15 pounds first.″

Graham Fitness
Tim Graham
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Website: www.grahamfitness.com
Email: tim@grahamfitness.com
Phone: 803-447-8557

Harbison Recreation Center
106 Hillpine Road
Columbia, SC 29212
Phone: 781-2281

The Harbison Rec Center offers more facilities for less money than anywhere else in town These are just some of the features: a new weight room with all new machines, free weights, treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes; a 25 meter junior Olympic size indoor heated swimming pool; sauna; whirlpool; racquet ball and tennis courts; a basketball gym; and miles of traffic-free trails for walking or jogging. There are classes for seniors as well as summer camp and after school programs for kids. Also newly remodeled locker rooms and an all-purpose room for large gatherings. All for only $315 a year for singles or $600 a year for families Check out their website: http://www.harbisonhoa.com/rec.












Wolf′s Fitness Center
5432 August Road
Lexington, SC 29072
Phone: 356-6400

Wolf′s is a total fitness facility offering some great amenities. There′s a huge recently expanded weight room featuring free weights and machines. There is a cardio area with treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, stair steppers, and the cardio theater. Other amenities include an indoor walking/running track, sauna, child care facilities with an attendant, tanning beds, showers, locker rooms, and sports supplements. Prices are very reasonable and there are no enrollment fees ever. Wolf′s also offers a full slate of fitness classes including kickboxing and pilates, as well as all new spinning classes .
Check out their website, www.wolfsfitness.com.