Friday Link Love + Apparently I’m In Shape
By admin
TGIF! Is your week winding down?
I don’t know what it is about this week, but I’ve been exhausted. It was a treat yesterday when Dan and I decided to ignore our alarm clocks and allow our bodies to tell us when to get up. 8 hours of sleep… on a weekday!? That never happens! But I am glad it did. Clearly we both needed it.
Today I am bringing back Friday Link Love, something I used to do weekly here at LiftingRevolution but then fell off the wagon.
These are a few articles and blog posts that I loved and recommend checking out if you haven’t already.
If you have a blog to share or a post that really caught you eye, please feel free to tell us in the comments!
Friday Link Love
Lean Green Bean’s: It’s Not Easy For Everyone
Lindsay opens up more than I have ever seen her do before and shares her and her husbands personal struggle to get pregnant. And how each time someone asks when are they going to have a family, it stings just a bit more. We’re not trying physically yet for a family but I can relate completely as we are trying to get our business lives straight to be able to start. We aren’t trying because at this time we can’t. So I get it.
Tara Stiles: Got A Private Life?
The tale of the blogger… our social media habits or the dream of posting an epic post can often times lead us to sharing too much and living too little. This really hit home!
Love Life Surf: Laws Of Motion
My friend Christine wrote this beautiful post that is perfect for this time of year. The time when many of us fall of the bandwagon for our goals and from there toss in the towel. Well, it was a good ride while it lasted, I guess I’ll give up now! NO! Christine covers how to fall off only to get right back on that wagon and continue trekking along.
Why Runners Need To Strength Train
I have written several articles on this very topic over the years, but I really can’t stress it enough. No matter your sport, runner, swimmer, biker, chess player… strength training is important!
Oh She Glows: Luxurious Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa
Image source: OhSheGlows.com
Last week I gave my boot campers a challenge to go dairy free. Some where successful, most not so much. This recipe made me think of them and it looks amazing! Well, everything Angela does looks delicious! And let’s face it, it’s freezing outside! So yes, this is a must!
Apparently, I Am In Shape!
This past Monday, I was invited to Cenegenics, an upscale weightless and holistic doctor’s office here in Charleston.
They have recently began offering fitness tests for anyone interested and asked if I would like to see what goes on during a physical.
As a trainer and athlete I jumped at the opportunity! I love numbers and wanted to see how my fitness looked on paper.
The tests performed included:
- DEXA (Bone Density)
- Carotid Artery Ultrasound (check heart health)
- VO2 Max Test
I am proud to announce that my arteries are clean as a whistle! I wasn’t too worried about that but it was still fun to watch the blood flow freely.
Generally this is a test recommended for 40+ year olds or those at risk of early heart disease. So my levels were far below the norm. Go healthy heart!
As for the DEXA…
I was really excited for this. I’ve had my bone density tested in the past, and in the past my levels have been low, not quite at a level to worry about but definitely at a level where I should focus on building those bones up to avoid issues in the future!
I could have fallen asleep on this bed! It was nice to just chill out and let the machine do it’s thing. After about 3-5 minutes the test was over and the results were in…
My bone density has improved over the past 2 years (2011 was when I had my last one). I am in the normal range now and though I still have room for improvement, it’s nice to know my training has helped! Go weight lifting (very beneficial for building bone density).
And finally… the test I was most excited for:
VO2 Max
This test basically tests how good of shape you’re in. How can you convert oxygen to move your body to extreme intensities, how hard does your heart have to work, how hard do your lungs have to work, etc.
Dan teased me before going asking how I would feel if I was just “average”? I would be pretty upset!
Luckily, I passed by average and turns out I am in great shape for my age!
My aerobic threshold is very high and my ability to use ATP is beyond average. Basically that this means, is that once I go beyond using oxygen for fuel the body turns to ATP in the muscles (this is the energy used for sprinting, weight lifting, etc) when using short bursts. Most people can’t stay in this range for very long…
I stayed here for over 2 minutes… which is why I was informed I love the 5K distance and why I love doing track work.
My not so great zone? My anaerobic state, the state the falls in the middle is pretty pathetic. I learned that doing tempo runs would help with this, which makes sense because I HATE tempo runs and NEVER do them. SO the fact that my technician was able to guess that stung a little.
How did this help?
I learned what I need to work out, how my body works best, and now I am motivated. In fact, the day this test was done I did a 3 mile tempo run at a 7.50 post… baby steps!
Thank you Carrie, Todd and Cenegenics for allowing me to come in and play with your toys! I had a blast. For those of you interested, if you live in Charleston let me know and I’ll be happy to give more details!
Have you ever had any of these tests performed? Are you a number person?