Road Warrior Fitness

I remember back in high school if you wanted to start a huge argument, all you had to say was “Cheerleading isn’t a sport…”  That would really get a battle of the sexes going!  Since then, I’ve come to terms with the sport that is Cheerleading.  In fact, I recently turned a well known game into a sport.  Being a huge fan of card games, I came up with a workout routine that’s based on a deck of playing cards.  It’s my World Series of Poker workout routine!

Read More >>

What is the biggest difference between someone who is in shape and someone who is not?  Is it genetics?  Amount of free-time?  Money?!  Good try.  It’s motivation.  Even though there are tons of factors that can affect your fitness endeavors, the one that will make or break you is motivation.  I have naturally skinny friends that are buff, I know working mom’s who are lean, and I know broke people who are ripped.  So obviously you can overcome any obstacle as long as you stay motivated.  One great way to stay motivated starting out is to have a workout buddy!

Read More >>

I love biking.  I try to ride my bike every day and at least 4-5 times a week.  It’s cheap and quick transportation and it’s fun and effective exercise.  I would ride my bike everywhere if I could.  But since we chose to fly to Florida, and I couldn’t quite fit my bike in my carry-on bag, I had to go without a bike for the trip.  My girlfriend and I, in an attempt to try something new, incidentally stumbled upon kayaking.  I didn’t know much about kaykaing going into the situation, even though one of my good friends in college was a huge kayaker (even though I know it’s a word, it looks weird, and I don’t think I’ve ever written it before).  Well, fifty bucks and twenty minutes of instruction later, I officially became a kayaker (bizzaro biker).

Read More >>

First off, let me apologize for the lack of posts recently.  I was on vacation for a few weeks, and now I’m touring with the band, so alone time has been scarce at best. Where did I go on vacation, you might ask? Well I’m sure your extensive amounts of detective work would lead you to hypothesize South Beach, and you’d be right. I spent a week in Miami Beach, on South Beach, and needless to say it was a great time. The place was so beautiful that I am inspired to write about my experience there and how it relates to dieting in general, and more importantly eating while on vacation. So is there a “New” South Beach Diet?  Not that I’m aware of.  But my trip to South Beach did help me reflect on the wrong way to go about eating while on the road.

Read More >>

If you’ve ever purchased a fitness program, you’ve probably been privy to a nutrition guide.  It’s anywhere from a little pamphlet to a huge book that tells you exactly what to eat, everyday, for every meal, forever.  If you’ve sincerely tried to follow one of those, it requires several hours a day just to prepare the food and costs hundreds of dollars in groceries every week.  It’s damn near impossible to keep it up unless you are some sort of rich stay-at-home-chef.  If you’re like me, you’ve tried to buy groceries and failed.  I spend way more money at Kroger’s and Whole Foods than I do when I buy food at McDonald’s or Taco Bell.  The problem then becomes the quality of food that I’m eating.  It’s common knowledge that fast food is not health food.  So what am I supposed to do?  Spend all of my money on groceries, or get fat from eating off of the value menu?  My plan is to eat the right amount of the right foods from fast food restaurants.  I’ve compiled a quick list of over twenty fast food menu items that you can eat guilt-free.

Read More >>

Between my iPod Shuffle, iPod Video, and my iPhone (Apple fan much?), I always have some music at my disposal.  I recently got the Shuffle because I’m not afraid of breaking it and it’s ultra-portable which makes it perfect for exercising.  Since it’s small in storage as well, I had to condense my main library down for my workout playlist.  I usually listen to a variety of music when I’m training; anything from De La Soul to Smashing Pumpkins.  But for this post, I wanted to tell you all about 8 touring bands that I work out to.

*This post has inspired a new page on my blog called “Playlist.”  Please feel free to suggest bands/artists that you workout to in the comments section of that page and I will add them to the playlist.  This can be a good resource for us all to get new tunes to get fit with.

Read More >>

Sometimes I think I pay more attention to commercials than I do to actual TV shows.  Maybe it’s because they are louder and more sensational, or maybe it’s because they cater to my pseudo-A.D.D., but either way, I watch them.  “New product” commercials suck me in because of how corny they are and how stereotypical their format is.  “Has this ever happened to you?”  (Cue black and white reenactment of something bad happening).  “Well good news, now there’s THIS!”  (Cue full color shot of people being happy).  From Snuggies, to ShamWows, to SnugWows (Google the parody video), there is always some new ridiculous thing on the market that’s going to finally bring humankind our well-deserved eternal peace and happiness.  The fitness world isn’t exempt from trendy products and obnoxious infomercials.  In fact, I’d say diet and exercise programs are the biggest perpetrator of what I like to call the “late-night life-changers.”  Everything sounds like a good idea at 2 a.m. when you’re half drunk and dreading work the next day.  Since I’ve been feeling a little guilty that my previous posts have somewhat neglected the ladies, I’ve decided to take a look at the hottest new trend in women’s fitness.  Flirty Girl Fitness!

Read More >>

I watch a lot of movies.  I have Netflix and cable, and I frequently go to Blockbuster and the Redbox.  Add in the good old Cineplex, and I probably spend $100 a month watching movies.  Sound ridiculous?  It is.  But it’s my favorite type of entertainment.  Some people follow sports teams and athletes.  I follow actors and directors.  It’s what I like to do.  But that’s enough self-justification for now.  Every now and then, while watching a movie I find myself thinking, “Man that guy has some serious shoulders,” or “I’d kill to have abs like that.”  So keeping with that spirit of thought, I’ve decided to compile a list of 3 movie characters that have great bodies and what techniques they use to achieve their type of physique.

Read More >>

One of my biggest fitness goals is to have six pack abs.  Who doesn’t want ripped abs?  Even sumo wrestlers have strong abs (under all that blubber). I’m getting really close too.  I can see them in there, they just haven’t quite decided to leave the house and come out to play.  I also love beer.  Last night I indulged in a few of my friend’s homemade brews and they were spectacular!  The question is, can I get my six pack abs and keep drinking that sweet, sweet nectar?  The answer is as simple as it is complicated.  Yes, I can.  But I have to be smart about it.

Read More >>

If you own a car then you know that gas is a serious expense.  And if you’ve ever been in a touring band and traveled in a van with a trailer, or even worse a bus, you know that gas accounts for about 80-90% of touring expenses.  Our van and trailer combo gets about 11 miles per gallon when loaded up.  And that’s highway mileage by the way.  So who knows how terrible our in-town mileage is.

When touring, we’ll get to town and have daily tasks like going to Panera for the free WiFi, or going to the mall to promote the show that night.  Throw in random trips and we use anywhere between 2-10 gallons of gas driving around town.  These trips are often within a 5 mile radius.  If we didn’t have to drive everywhere we would save a lot of money, not to mention reduce our carbon footprint.  I’ve found a great solution that offers an additional health benefit…

Read More >>