Watermelon season

The first sign that summer is around the corner came Monday afternoon when I purchased my first watermelon for 2009. Later that evening, my wife and I sampled it. She had a medium serving and I had a large serving. It was pretty good for an early year purchase, not great but slightly better than good whatever that is. I’ll give that slice I ate a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Watermelon has always been a summertime favorite of mine. Join me this summer for regular feedings of watermelon on those hot summer days. I think it’s going to be a great summer and a great watermelon season.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Another way to be upside down

On Sunday in a moment of restlessness, I decided to do some headstands. There’s a yoga term for a headstand but I prefer to simply refer to it as a headstand. It’s a close cousin of the handstand that I wrote about here:

Upside down

Here are some of the purported benefits of the headstand that I found on an internet website (assume to be true at your own risk):

#1 - The headstand increases circulation to the brain, which causes improved brain function (intelligence and memory) and increased vitality and confidence.

#2 - It improves many ailments, such as nervousness, tension, fatigue, sleeplessness, dullness, fear, poor blood circulation, bad memory, asthma, headaches, constipation, congested throat, liver or spleen, for female disorders, the initial stages of eye and nose troubles, and general lack of energy, vitality or self confidence.

#3 - It stimulates four of the most important endocrine glands - the pituitary, the pineal, the thyroid, and the parathyroid glands that are responsible for our very existence, for they keep the body mechanism in good working order. Pituitary gland is called the master gland of the body. As a consequence, the practice of the headstand helps us to get relief from many of our troubles, physical as well as mental, or to prevent them. It has a very beneficial effect on the whole body.

#4 - It promotes hair growth by increasing circulation to the scalp.

#5 - It helps to put the spine into correct alignment.

#6 - It restores the position of vital organs by reversing gravity.

#7 - The quality of sleep is improved. Poor sleep is often due to an excess of nerve impulses from the reticular formation to the cerebral cortex in the brain. The headstand causes an increase in circulation to the neck, which stimulates the baroreceptors in the neck. This calms the reticular formation down, causing reduced nerve impulses to the cerebral cortex. This results in a peaceful, deep steep.

And here’s a video of my Sunday headstand session:

Give it a try. Use a wall for support if needed. The headstand is another way to be upside down.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Basement dojo

On Saturday I returned to the dojo for a Saturday morning karate workout with my karate brothers and sister after an extended hibernation. Let’s just say I’m a little rusty but I did OK. Lots of muscle memory and the spillover benefit of the other training I’ve been doing definitely helped.

The workout was kind and gentle; call it geriatrics karate as my Sensei did about the same time that those same words were rolling around in my mind in the middle of the workout. We are an aging ensemble of karateka and our training reflects that reality, but we are still doing it and that’s what counts.

On Sunday morning, I awakened and was pleasantly surprised that I wasn’t as sore as expected.

It’s more difficult for me to get to the dojo these days, as it’s about 30 miles from where I live, and I have some family special needs' responsibilities that add to the challenge. So at this point I’ve made a commitment to get there at least once a month for a Saturday morning workout. Hopefully things will improve and I’ll eventually be able to visit the dojo more often. There’s no reason why I can’t do some training on my own in my basement. Kata training is excellent for those basement-training sessions in solitude.

Here’s a video demonstration of the kata Gosoku from about 2.5 years ago when my training was regular. This is one of my favorite kata and viewing it inspires me to ramp up my training.



It’s time for some solo training in my basement dojo.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Have a super Sunday!

For as long as Pierini Fitness has existed in the blogosphere, one thing has been constant and that it we are closed on Sunday so the chief executive blogger can rest his body, mind and spirit. Sunday blogflections, therefore, have been brief and predictable to announce that we are closed; they routinely lack creativity in content and enthusiasm in delivery, and are likely to produce a giant spontaneous yawn for anyone who reads them.

So once again, today is Sunday and the message is the same – Pierini Fitness is closed but do come back tomorrow for a creative blogflection about a topic not yet determined but guaranteed to be original. Have a super Sunday!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Heading to the dojo

There was a time when I wouldn't even consider missing a scheduled karate workout with my dojo brothers and sisters so I have frustrated feelings that I have hardly trained this year.

My training erosion began during my busy work season and continued after it was over because of increasing caregiver responsibilties I now have for an ill family member. But yesterday I made a "business decision" that I was going to train early Saturday morning and began preparing myself psychologically for the muscle soreness I will have after that workout.

I spent Friday evening excited that in the morning I was heading to the dojo.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A stallion appetite awaits us

About one month ago while visiting another fitness website, I stumbled across a comment someone posted that left a lasting impression with me. It was posted by a person who goes by the forum name of Viking Dan. It gives a great perspective of the relative roles of exercise and food consumption in weight loss, and achieving and maintaining a healthy bodyweight.

I’m not sure if the quote was a Viking Dan original or a restatement of something he read elsewhere, but here it is:

"Cardio, unless carried to an extreme, won´t do much for weight loss. You can't outrun your mouth. The calories I burn in an hour of jogging can be eaten in 10 seconds."

As someone who has done lots of challenging cardio workouts in his training past but does minimal nowadays, I can personally vouch for the truthfulness of this statement. It’s darn good food for thought for all of us before we saddle up on the cardio pony for a long ride, knowing that at the end of the journey a stallion appetite awaits us.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A ho-hum training day at Bodytribe Fitness

When I began Pierini Fitness many moons ago on August 28, 2008, I stated the following in my initial blogflection:

“For the past four years, I have maintained a training journal on two different fitness forum websites. I've created this new blog to continue my cyberspace training journal, and to record anything else I have on my mind for my archival benefit and for the benefit or disadvantage of anyone else who happens to stumble across Pierini Fitness.”

Well I’ve been too busy rambling about middle-age man fitness and health, other middle-age man reflections, and occasional economic and political thoughts that somehow the cyberspace training journal went by the wayside.

Today’s blogflection is a page from the bricks and mortar training journal I still maintain. Here’s what I did yesterday afternoon after 10 minutes of flexibility and warmup drills:

Supersets of barbell squats (BS) followed by standard grip pullup (SGPU) weighted singles (all loads are in lbs.) as follows:

Set #1 – BS 95x3 then SGPU 25x1

Set #2 – BS 115x3 then SGPU 35x1

Set #3 – BS 135x3 then SGPU 45x1

Set #4 – BS 155x3 then SGPU 55x1

Set #5 – BS 175x3 then SGPU 70x1 (video below)

Set #6 – BS 195x1 then standard grip chinup 88x1 (video below)

Supersets of pullups and chinups followed by barbell squat/wide-grip behind-the-neck overhead press (BS/WGBTNOHP) as follows:

Set #1 – standard grip pullups x 6 then BS/WGBTNOHP 95x6

Set #2 – standard grip chinups x 6 then BS/WGBTNOHP 95x6

Set #3 – close grip pullups x 6 then BS/WGBTNOHP 95x6

Set #4 – close grip chinups x 6 then BS/WGBTNOHP 95x6

Set #5 – wide grip pullups x 6 then BS/WGBTNOHP 95x6

Set #6 – wide grip chinups x6 then BS/WGBTNOHP 135x10 (video below)

Here some video highlights:




Nothing fancy about this training day. Other than one weighted pullup and one weighted chinup, all loads were moderate. The last set of of squats/wide-grip behind-the-neck overhead presses was tough. It was just a ho-hum training day at Bodytribe Fitness.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A Superman-wannabe in training!

The first superhero created for comic books was Superman who leaped from radio to television when the Adventures of Superman debuted in 1952. George Reeves played the Man of Steel with a genuineness that captivated viewers of all ages and that included a young boy named me.

A couple years ago, I purchased a DVD that featured 26 complete first season of this classic television series, all in vintage black and white film. It brought back pleasant memories and, as I compose this blogflection, there’s a tug on my nostalgic heart that it’s time to view these 26 episodes again.

As a kid, wearing a Superman costume I owned, I would run around my house with arms extended imagining that I was flying in the sky like Superman while making a “shooshing” sound from my mouth like the sound when Superman was flying in the television series. Eventually, I outgrew the costume but never the childlike mind of wanting to be Superman.

So this leads to the Superman pushups I tried early yesterday morning at home  before jumping into the shower. As my current training is primarily the Olympic lifts, I don't normally include pushups in my training and consider myself a rookie with the Superman pushup. 

Here’s me performing 25 reps of the Superman pushup variation, then moving forward a little for a greater span to make it tougher, then performing a couple more reps before losing my "core lock", dropping to the floor and calling it a morning.

Notice that I used the baseboard wall to keep my feet from sliding. That was after multiple attempts and a serious case of slippery feet. I believe the hardwood floors in my 1905 home are the slipperiest in America. I even tried a set wearing running shoes but to no avail. I'll admit that using the wall for support makes it easier to perform this pushup.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Superman-wannabe in training!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

All life is precious

I am a pro-lifer who believes that life begins at conception. I’ve spent many hours in front of neighborhood abortion facilities in a peaceful and prayerful presence, praying for pregnant women to choose life rather than abortion for their unborn infants. Recently, I had an opportunity to do so far from home and shared my experiences in this blogflection:

Hermanos y hermanas de la Ciudad de Mexico

On Sunday, I was saddened to learn of the tragic murder of George Tiller, a provider of late-term abortions (abortions performed after the 21st week of pregnancy when the fetus is considered viable and able to survive outside the uterus). Mr. Tiller was serving as an usher during morning services Sunday when he was shot in the foyer of the Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas.

Many of us from the pro-life community have worked hard to promote an image of peaceful and prayerful presence in front of abortion facilities. This is in sharp contrast to the protestor and violent image that many Americans have of the pro-life community due to the distorted characterizations of this ministry promoted by the abortion industry and the media. This tragic murder keeps that distorted image alive in the eyes of many Americans.

My prayers and thoughts go out to the family of Mr. George Tiller as they mourn his tragic death. It’s also a confirmation for me to continue promoting the peaceful and prayerful presence of The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, the pro-life apostolate with which I have been involved; to maintain a loving, peaceful, prayerful witness outside abortion centers, supporting pregnant mothers and their families with spiritual, emotional and practical assistance.

I believe that life begins at conception and ends only when God decides, and not anyone else. All life is precious.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

On the commode again

Last week a client sent me a funny e-mail that is today’s blogflection. Apparently, some musicians from the 1960 and 1970 era are revising their hit songs with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers – middle- age men and women like you and me.

They include the following:

Boby Darin - -

“Splish, splash, I was having a flash.”

Herman’s Hermits - -

“Mrs. Brown, you’ve got a lovely walker.”

Ringo Star - -

“I get by with a little help from Depends.”

The Bee Gees - -

“How can you mend a broken hip.”

Roberta Flack - -

“The first time ever I forgot your face.”

Johnny Nash - -

“I can’t see clearly now.”

Paul Simon - -

“Fifty ways to lose your liver.”

The Commodores - -

“Once, twice, three times to the bathroom.”

Marvin Gaye - -

“I heard it through the Grape Nuts.”

Procol Harem - -

“ A whiter shade a hair.”

Leo Sayer - -

“You make me feel like napping.”

The Temptations - -

“Papa’s got a kidney stone.”

Abba - -

“Denture Queen.”

Tony Orlando and Dawn - -

“Knock 3 times on the ceiling if you hear me fall.”

Helen Reddy - -

“I am a woman, hear me snore.”

Leslie Gore - -

“It’s my procedures and I’ll cry if I want to.”

And last but not least:

Willie Nelson - -

“On the commode again.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum