Work your age

This 54-year young middle-age man has been told more than once to act his age. Seems like I’m a rebel in remission and a 16-year old kid in remission, capable of relapse on a moment’s notice in response to an opportunity to sink to the lowest common denominator. It’s something for me to work on in my lifelong journey of personal development.

Well I got this bright idea inspired from the reminder to act my age and that is to work my age in a workout; that’s what I did on Monday afternoon at my gym. My workout consisted of a flexibility and stretching warm-up, followed by a strength workout and concluded with a cardio closer. All three components consisted of 54 reps. Here’s a recap of what I did:

Flexibility and stretching warm-up – shoulder dislocates/overhead squat combo using a PVC pipe x 54 reps followed by 4-count cherry pickers x 54 reps.

Strength – squat cleans for 18 sets x 3 reps with these weight (in lbs.) - 95-95-115-115-135-145-145-145-145-145-145-145-145-135-115-115-95-95.

Cardio closer – 2-handed kettlebell swings with a 24kg kettlebell – 3 sets of 18 reps completed in 3:28.

This workout took a little longer than one hour to complete because some gym chit-chat got in the way and slowed things down. I suppose in keeping with my workout theme that I should have tried to complete it in 54 minutes.

I like this work my age workout and will probably do more of them in the future. The trick is to pick the right combination of exercises and loads to make it challenging yet achievable so for a 20-something that means heavier loads and greater intensities because you are only doing 20-something reps.

Give it a try and tell me what you think, and don’t forget to act your age and work your age.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

They just eat too much

Last week on Monday, the world’s oldest man, Mr. Walter Bruening of Great Falls, Montana, turned 113 years young. In an internet news article I read, Mr. Bruening shared his secrets to his long life including his diet secrets. The news article began with “So what does the world's oldest man eat? The answer is not much, at least not too much.”

Mr. Bruening eats just two meals a day and has done so for over 30 years. He gets up early every day and eats a big breakfast consisting of eggs, toast or pancakes. He also eats lots of fruit and drinks plenty of water. He enjoys a cup and a half of coffee for breakfast and a cup with lunch. Lunch is his final meal of the day and on Mr. Breuning’s 113th birthday it consisted of one of his favorites, a plate of liver and onions. He hasn’t eaten dinner (or supper as he calls it) since 1978.

His advice seems so simple yet so difficult for many of us to do. “I think you should push back from the table when you're still hungry,” said Mr. Breuning who also shared that he has been healthy all of his life and believes diet has a lot to do with it.

Pierini Fitness extends a belated happy birthday greeting to Mr. Walter Bruening, and thanks him for sharing his diet secrets. His explanation in the news article put into perspective why so many Americans are overweight. Mr. Bruening said “They just eat too much!”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Mañana

Back in the days before I became self-employed over 25 years ago, I once worked as an employee. Most of the jobs I had provided good benefits, including vacation and sick leave with compensation. Everyone now and then, I'd call in "sick" on Monday to squeeze in an extra day of goofing off or to get an extra day of rest after a hard weekend. I'm sure that practice still exists today.

Now that I'm self-employed, I don't do that because if I don't work I don't earn. So if I call in sick on Monday it's because I'm really sick.

Well in a Pierini Fitness first, I'm calling in "sick" today so there will be no blogflection but rest assured that there will be one mañana.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

This last Sunday in September

It was a busy and productive week for me in my work world with much accomplished under acceptable levels of managed stress. In my health and fitness world, I made it to the gym for good workouts three times this week and practiced my intermittent fasting lifestyle Monday through Friday. In the rest and relaxation department, I had mixed outcomes with a couple sleep deficit nights but great deep sleep the other nights.

But today is different than all those other days this past week because it's Sunday and, as usual, this chief executive blogger is resting and rejuvenating his body, mind and spirit. So there's no great blogflection today because Pierini Fitness is closed this last Sunday in September.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Out of the loop

Last Saturday my wife and I attended the wedding ceremony and reception for a young client of mine. It was a beautiful wedding ceremony at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, a church where I frequently attend Mass with my father who was baptized there in 1933.

My beautiful young lady client is in her early 30s and so is her handsome spouse whom I also know. My prayers and thoughts are that they have a wonderful marriage that bears them much fruit and a bounty of children. I asked the groom as I entered the church if he was ready and he replied yes he was. I reminded him that marriage is a sacrament and for forever to which he acknowledged and agreed.

Afterwards, the reception was at an unusual place for a reception, about one block away from the cathedral, at place called The Cosmopolitan. It currently has the status of Sacramento’s premier night club, a place for all the young and beautiful people to be seen dressed to the max and ready to score on each other. Expensive nightclubbing at its finest, like the image I have of a Manhattan Club 54.

As my wife and I satisfied our evening appetites, built by eating light earlier in the day, with an assortment of hor d'oeveres, we were overwhelmed by the loud music and the density of all these beautiful and young single people with alcoholic beverages in hand, engaging in nightclub mingling while hunting for that evening score. We weren’t the only middle-age people among this vibrant crowd but we were definitely in the minority.

The imagery from high to low and left to right as I sat and watched reminded me of my yesteryear nightclubbing days that began before and ran concurrently with the 1970s disco era. The predictable Friday and Saturday evenings of late night dancing and drinking and the following morning hangovers, headaches and empty wallets.

Well that was then and this is now.

It didn’t take long before the intensity of the music and beautiful and young people density overwhelmed us. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when a cocktail server brought us each a small glass of champagne for the toast to the bride and groom that was soon to follow. Since neither of us drink alcoholic beverages any more, we both looked at each other with glass in hand looking like fish out of water with a “what are we suppose to do with it” look on our faces.

At about 15 minutes before 9:00 p.m. we made a mutually-agreeable “business decision” that it was time to leave and we exited out a side door as unassuming and quietly as possible. As the door shut behind us, we were greeted with a wonderful breeze of fresh air and the beauty of nighttime quietness, in sharp contrast to the oxygen-thin nightclub air and and decibel-piercing noise.

As we walked to our car, holding hands, I looked at my wife and told her that we are both out of the loop.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Safety in movement

My blogging journey has blessed me with many self-discoveries, particularly when my blogflections have a reflective theme and ask thought-provoking questions, like the one I wrote on Monday here: Empty your cup.

I am also blessed when cyberspace friends and strangers visit and take the time to post a comment about a daily blogflection, and that was the case when Anonymous visited and posted a comment that spellbound me with its adventure and cleverness that I decided to make it today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection. It needs to be read in the context of Monday’s blogflection. Here it is, completed unedited in its entirety:

“You wake up in what seems to be a cheap motel room. You are fully dressed in a shirt and slacks. But your shoes, a pair of Nike sneakers, are under a nearby chair. You feel refreshed and relaxed. But that relaxed feeling disappears when you realize that you don’t know who you are or why you are in this particular motel room.

You look at a clock on the bed stand. It’s 6:00 AM, and there is a card on your bed stand that says that checkout time is 10:00 AM. You search your pockets. You have only a wallet, sans identification.

There is exactly $100 dollars in your wallet. A quick search of your room confirms that you have no luggage. You open a window. A fresh, sweet breeze blows in. The air is cool but not cold. And the leaves on a nearby tree are still green, so it’s summer.

But you still have no a clue as to who you are. Although your emotions are under control, something tells you that you are in danger.

Now what? Your intuition warns you not to go to the front desk in order to inquire about who you are. You sense the need for extreme caution.

So what’s your plan? How will you determine your identity? You look into the mirror over the sink in the bathroom. Your reflection tells you that you are a white male about six feet tall with graying hair. You feel healthy and strong and judge yourself to be around 55 to 60 years of age.

Survival is the first order of the day. You need information about who you are, but are you safe in going to the police? What’s going on? Are you being pursued by the authorities? Maybe people other than the police are pursuing you. Why can’t you remember? Have you been drugged or injured? You, certainly, don’t feel either sick or injured.

Wild scenarios go through your head. You know you need time to organize your thoughts, but your resources are extremely limited. Your money won’t go far. Should you attempt to stay in the city? For some reason you sense that there is a wilderness area near by. Should you procure some camping essentials and blend into the woods in order to gather your thoughts? That would be an option. It would be a way to gain some time.

You quickly don your shoes and exit the room. You sense safety in movement.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Keep me humble

A glimmer of improved training frequency showed its pleasant face Tuesday afternoon when I arrived at my gym for a second workout this week, an improvement from a series of once-a-week workouts I had been doing. Continuing with the sub-max training that I wrote about on Tuesday, I did some random this and that stuff, going easy as new posterior chain delayed-onset muscles soreness was settling in thanks to Monday afternoon’s introduction to kettlebell swings.

I concluded the workout experimenting with a pair of 10 lb. clubbells, fitness tools I’ve previously never used, keeping it simple and shoulder-friendly. I’ll continue to experiment and incorporate clubbells into my workouts along with kettlebells as cardio closers.

Prior to the clubbell experiment, I pulled an oldie but goodie workout out of my training archive closet and did my Plan B workout described here: I am doing my Plan B workout.

Completing this Plan B workout was another exhibition of operating in the sub-max zone. I’ll give some credit to my recovering shoulders for my sub-max effort, but most of the credit goes to being Plan B workout rusty. Here’s a recap of my hold times with prior personal best times in parenthesis:

Handstand hold – 1:09 (1:59)

Standard grip pullup hang – 1:05 (2:08)

Parallel squat wall sit – 1:30 (2:30)

Ab plank – 3:00 (5:01)

Superman extension on the glute-ham unit – 1:00 (1:19)

There’s nothing better than some Plan B workout rust to keep me humble.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Who will be next?

Last Saturday I attended a celebration of life to honor a fallen high school buddy who got called home at the too-young age of 51 years. Per his wishes, he was cremated so there was no funeral service. Instead, his father and older brother arranged a get-together celebration for those who knew him, centered on food and drink. It was a long-overdue opportunity to mingle and engage in middle-age man small talk, and to catch up on what we have all been doing since our youthful yesteryear high school days.

It’s a shame that it took a funeral for old high school buddies from 95824 to get together to enjoy each others’ company.

There were high school buddies I hadn’t seen in over 35 years including one who was a very close friend until three of us dropped out of high school in our senior year to join the Army. I asked him what he did after the three of us departed the neighborhood and reported to Army basic training. He shared that soon thereafter he dropped out of high school and started a long journey of do-nothingness while staying close to home. Many years later he abandoned that lifestyle and now has a secure job, adult children and several grandchildren. He never left the neighborhood and now lives about two blocks away from the home where he lived during high school.

He was quite knowledgeable about the whereabouts of almost everyone I inquired. Some had died including a couple due to drug overdose and another to alcoholism. Others have had recent heart attacks, and one had his feet amputated because of diabetes.

Some of my buddies were sporting bulging middle-age man bellies while the rest of us sported gray to white to no hair. One had body posture reminding me of an old rodeo cowboy who had been bucked off a rodeo bull one time too many. What I discovered is that while bellies may bulge, hair may turn gray or fall out, and body posture may lack youthful uprightness, the eyes generally remain the same and that was the fail-safe clue to identifying my buddies that were difficult to identify on first pass.

Among this middle-age man crowd of my high school buddies from 95824 were predictable moustaches and a hair-combed-back style, clues that we attended high school during the early 1970s, an era that pre-dated the disco years soon to follow.

While enjoying everyone’s company, I repeatedly asked out loud why does it take a funeral to get us together? Privately, while reflecting on the life of my deceased high school buddy, I asked myself the question “Who will be next?”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

In the sub-max zone

For over 3 years I maintained a cyberspace training journal on internet fitness forums until Pierini Fitness was born last August 2008 to cyber-chronicle my training. Soon thereafter, I discovered that middle-age man reflective writing was something more enjoyable than posting a training journal of the "this and thats" of my workouts, so I stopped posting my training details. I still maintain a training journal, bricks and mortar style, and every now and then share tidbits of my training with a video and accompanying blurb of something I did in a recent workout.

Wow! I can’t believe it took 93 words to say all that but it’s a long-winded paragraph leading up to sharing that lately my training has been not as challenging and not as frequent as I'd like it to be. Life sometimes gets in the way, but in a lifelong training journey this not as challenging and not as frequent training hiccup won’t last long.

For example, here’s what I did yesterday:

Flexibility and warm-up drills – various for about 10 minutes.

Squat cleans – lbs. x sets x reps - 95x3x3 – 115x2x2 – 135x2x3 – 145x8x3 – about 2 minutes rest between sets.

2-handed kettlebell swings – 24kg x 3 sets of 18 reps with about 2 minutes rest between sets. This is something new for me. I train at a gym that is a kettlebell heaven but have stayed clear of them until yesterday. This little 3x18 end of workout finale was a nice heart-thumper for me, as I haven’t done much cardio training as of late.

Lately I’ve had to avoid overhead work due to a right anterior deltoid muscle strain that has bothered me for the past couple months. The culprit, I believe, was one day when I reintroduced bar dips into my training and used a wider-than-normal hand placement. I hope to be back on the overhead training saddle in the next month and have had to be patient as my shoulder muscle heals.

Well that was it – nothing earth shattering – just my Monday afternoon workout in the sub-max zone.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Empty your cup?

Last Friday, I read about a 53-year young middle-age man afflicted with a rare form of amnesia. About seven weeks ago, he walked out of a Seattle, Washington park with no idea of who he was and how he got there. Now he has some memories that are returning including those of living in China and Europe. His estranged sister provided police with an expired passport and driver’s license that established his identity but he is frightened and wonders if he will ever be reconciled with the man people say he is.

Reading this news article reminded me of my curiosity with amnesia and what it would be like if that condition one day struck me. My curiosity is probably just another example of “the grass is greener on the other side” syndrome, something we all periodically experience in the thick of things during challenging times. A yearning of wanting to erase our mental classroom chalkboard cluttered with the acts and facts of our lives from years of our journey down both the roads heavily traveled and off the beaten path.

This amnesia victim shared “I’m living in this state of confusion because I’ve got this knowledge, but where has it been used, where is it going to be used, and am I going to be able to retain it?”

What would life be like if my profession, interests, family, friends and all my past beliefs, memories and thoughts were bundled in a large bag and tossed off a cliff at the top of the highest mountain? I can only imagine the adventure and suspense of exploring life with no baggage or benefits of my life previously lived. The romanticist in me finds it exciting but the pragmatist finds it unimaginable. What about you?

Reading this news article reminded me of the story of a young man who became very excited about Zen Buddhism and read every book on it he could find and saved enough money to travel to Japan. When he met a famous Zen master in Japan, the young man could not restrain himself and began telling the master about all the books he had read and all the questions he wanted answered.

While the young man zealously talked, the master simply smiled and poured him a cup of tea. Noticing that the master kept pouring tea well after the teacup was full, the young man interrupted his self-absorbed monologue and said, “Um, excuse me, Master. The teacup is full.” To this the master replied, still smiling, “Likewise also you, my son. If you wish to be filled, you must first empty your cup.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Closed on Sunday

It's a familiar blogflection for regular readers of Pierini Fitness who know that this chief executive blogger needs his Sunday to rest his body, mind and spirit.

Enjoy your day and come back tomorrow because Pierini Fitness is closed on Sunday.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

While drinking their sodas

They are at it again, those nutrition and economic “experts” with their recent proposal to fight obesity. This time, it’s imposing a tax of one cent on every ounce of soda and other sweetened beverages. The experts’ plan was outlined in a health policy article by the Surgeon General of Arkansas and six other supposedly health and economics big shots. The article appeared in a September 16, 2009 Health Policy Report of the New England Journal of Medicine titled "The Public Health and Economic Benefits of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages".

Apparently, a national tax of that amount would generate nearly $15 billion in its first year according to the proposal’s authors, an amount our federal government elected officials could spend before noon in a normal day’s work. The authors suggest that this money could be used for child nutrition and obesity prevention programs and would also lead to a yearly 2-pound weight loss for the average soda drinker. In a finer point that people like us of average intelligence might not realize, the authors pointed out that the weight loss could be a lot more for people who drink lots of soda.

If this is the best that our nutrition and economic experts can produce, who needs them? This middle-age man can do without them, soda, and a tax on sodas and other sweetened beverages. He doesn’t need to be taxed to lose two pounds of weight, and neither do most people if they really set their minds to it and want it bad enough.

Well thanks to hired gun lobbyists who represent the soda and sweetened beverage industries, this proposal appears to be dead on arrival with no apparent interest in either the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate, busy at the moment trying to legislate the healthcare reform proposals of President Obama.

Find no comfort, however, because there is no sin tax haven to be found so long as these experts have time on their hands to dream up their misguided ideas. They are probably in a meeting, as you read this, creating their next bright-idea tax and spend health and wellness proposal while drinking their sodas.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

See your doctor first

The United States Tax Court recently denied a Brooklyn tax lawyer’s attempt to claim over $100,000 in payments for prostitutes and pornography as medical expense deductions.

In the case, William G. Halby v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, a U.S. Tax Court judge upheld an Internal Revenue Service determination that Halby pay $21,491 in back taxes and $4,298 in accuracy-related penalties related to disallowed medical expense deductions claimed on his tax returns. Halby also lost a case last September in the New York State Division of Tax Appeals in which he had tried to deduct $322,000 in sex-related charges for 2001-2005.

During 2004 and 2005, Halby frequented prostitutes in New York. His visits were not part of a course of therapy prescribed by his doctor, nor did he ask his doctor to prescribe any sort of sex therapy. Halby kept track of these visits in a journal. The journal included the date, the name of the ‘service provider,’ and the amount. He did not discuss these visits with his doctors afterwards to determine their impact on his health. During 2004 and 2005, Halby purchased pornography and books and magazines on sex therapy, and recorded the dates and amounts of the purchases in his journal.

Regular readers of Pierini Fitness know that I sometimes challenge conventional medicine, the health and wellness advice given by medical doctors, and the prescription medicines they prescribe. This case illustrates, however, that before you try as Halby unsuccessfully did, see your doctor first.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Just thinking about burpees

Earlier this year on January 5th, about 6 weeks before my 54th birthday, I subjected myself to a burpee challenge. It consisted of a Monday through Friday daily set of 54 burpees. To motivate me to stick with this simple program, I told myself “no burpees today no food tomorrow”. In other words, if I didn’t complete a Monday through Friday daily set of 54 burpees, I wasn’t allowed to eat the next day.

Well I was burpee rusty and almost died on day one. It took me 7:51 to complete that day one set. In fact, I don’t recall one day ever being pleasant because, as I become more efficient and adapted my cardiovascular system to the demands of this devilish exercise, I ramped up my pace even more so I was never ever in a comfort zone. There were several days when I thought about taking the no food tomorrow option but realized that would ill-prepare me for the next day of burpees and that I would starve myself with consecutive days of wimping out.

This challenge gave new meaning to TGIF and a profound realization of how much I enjoyed my Saturday and Sunday burpee respite.

Well I survived this burpee challenge, didn’t miss a Monday through Friday burpee day, and completed it on February 19th, my 54th birthday, with 54 reps completed in 4:46 for a birthday personal best.

That was then and this is now, and that was the last time I did a burpee!

Lately I’ve been thinking about incorporating these bad boys into my training mix, probably because recently I have been dispensing fitness training advice and encouraging a young man whom I am serving as a mentor of life of sorts. I’ve thought about doing a set at the end of my weightlifting workouts, or perhaps a set on non-training days just to give me a living proof reminder of my adage that "I’m a middle-age man and only as good as my last workout".

Yup! I’ve been thinking about burpees lately. But thus far, that’s all I have been doing . . . just thinking about burpees.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

My final 100 things

Reading my local newspaper a la internet yesterday morning, I stumbled across an article about a middle-age man medical doctor who is living his last days in the final stages of a neurological disorder known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The afflicted doctor shared how he found himself unable to lift his arms above his head so he had to give up basketball and golf, and how he cut short his medical career when he grew too tired to get through a work day. He quit singing when forming words became too difficult. The article went on that this 55-year young middle-age man has been contemplating how many more losses he can endure before life is no longer worth living.

What glued me to this article were two things. First, he was my physician about 15 years ago and I remember giving him a piece of my mind one visit when he did something that offended me. Second, as a card carrying 100% Roman Catholic, I follow my faith and believe that life ends only when God and nobody else decides. I found comfort later in the article when this dying doctor shared that he is against euthanasia and assisted suicide; believing still to this day of the Hippocratic oath he learned in medical school which pledges that doctors “will give no deadly medicine” nor “suggest any such counsel.”

The food for thought in the article was the part about how he maintains a mental list of things most important to him, from kissing his wife to taking vacations to enjoying food. He shared that he’ll be ready to die when he has lost “enough things that matter”. He calls his approach “100 things”.

Upon finishing the article and clicking on to other morning news, I made a promise that I would include my former doctor and his family in my prayers and thoughts as he enjoys his final days, and to privately thank him for cultivating in me the desire to define my final 100 things.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

It was not bad

Yesterday’s blogflection was about resuming my intermittent fasting (IF) lifestyle after taking a time out from it to put some weight back on my body. An early August episode of the flu left me too light for comfort so I decided to eat more and gain those lost lbs. I’m convinced it’s very difficult to gain weight following an IF lifestyle.

So I woke up yesterday morning with a strong mind committed to resuming IF and made it through the day just fine. My feeding window was from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. I didn’t eat constantly during this 4-hour window but those were the hours that my kitchen was open for business.

From past experiences, I’ve learned that day one is always the toughest and yesterday was no exception. I started thinking about food around 1:30 p.m. Those intermittent thoughts weren’t disruptive to my work productivity, and they eventually went away when I got to the gym at 4:30 p.m. for a Monday afternoon workout. Dinner, afterwards, was great.

Today is day two of resuming my IF journey. I survived day one and am pleased to report that it was not bad.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Back on the IF saddle

It’s been some time since I’ve given an update of my intermittent fasting (IF) lifestyle. Regular followers of Pierini Fitness know I began this fascinating lifestyle earlier in the year in late February as part of my 2009 Lenten sacrifice. I continued IF after Lent but suspended its practice in early August after an episode of the flu. I lost too much bodyweight and made a business decision to eat more and put back on my body the lbs. lost from the flu.

Well my mission has been accomplished as I’ve gone from 172 lbs. to an average of about 178 lbs. as of late. So today is day one of resuming my Monday through Friday practice of IF until I give further notice. It’s a wonderful lifestyle that makes my life simple.

I’ll continue to post periodic updates but, as of right now, I’ve jumped back on the IF saddle.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Closed on Sunday

Pierini Fitness is closed on Sunday.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Is a good woman

Well the oldies but goodies are over and I promised fitness-related blogflections but there won't be one today. Life sometimes gets in the way. A chaotic week and my wife's birthday left this middle-man exhausted by the end of the week and unable to compose a good blogflection.

Last Tuesday was my wife's birthday and I put together a short video of the celebration with photos of the small cast of characters who were present.

Here it is and I hope you enjoy it:

Life gets in the way so I only made it to the gym once on Wednesday. Hopefully next week will be better. My focus this past week was on my marital fitness because behind every content middle-age man is a good woman.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #12

It was a short journey down memory lane and we have arrived with today’s oldie but goodie #12 of my top 12 favorite Pierini Fitness blogflections – one from each month – during the past year. Now I realize it’s time to get back to work and compose some new creative and original blogflections starting tomorrow.

Today’s oldie was originally published on August 25, 2009, the day after I returned to the gym after a 3-week training rest and recovery sabbatical. My reflection pondered about those who, like me, took a training time out but, unlike me, never resumed their fitness training. Lately, life has been getting in the way of my training and that probably influenced my selection of forever never made it back to the gym as today’s oldie.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #12.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #11

We’ve almost reach our destination during the short journey down memory lane of revisiting my top 12 favorite blogflections from the past year with today’s oldie but goodie #11.

Thus far, most of the oldies revisited have been middle-age man reflections rather than the fitness stuff I envisioned when Pierini Fitness was "born" in cyberspace a year ago. So to exclude fitness training among the oldies would be a disservice to my original intent.

Today’s oldie but goodie #11 is typical of several blogflections published that included a short video from a recent fitness training workout. Originally published on July 21, 2009, it was a short discussion about testing for a strength personal record using singles progression.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #11.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #10

It’s 10 down and 2 to go after today’s oldie but goodie #10 in our short journey down memory lane of my top 12 favorite blogflections from the past year.

Today’s oldie is about body image disorder, a subject you are more likely to hear as a woman issue, but a cyberspace fitness brother shared that perhaps he suffered from it too.

Originally published on June 30, 2009, my blogflection on this topic attempted to give encouragement and hope to to anyone suffering from body image disorder that God loves you just the way you are.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #10.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #9

We are down the home stretch in our short journey down memory lane of the top 12 favorite blogflections published at Pierini Fitness the past year. The journey should end this Friday.

Several blogflections published have had a “slap in your face” or “in your face” message directed towards overweight and out-of-shape middle-age men. I’m sure the motivating influence in these compositions is a personal message to me that I could join those ranks if I do not stand guard against the perils of middle-age man fitness and health lethargy so alive and well in America.

Today’s oldie but goodie #9 was originally published on May 20, 2009 and was definitely a message to myself. You can read it here: A fat man on the beach.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #9.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #8

Today we are two-thirds finished with our short journey down memory lane revisiting the top 12 favorite blogflections from the past year at Pierini Fitness.

After my busy tax work season ended on April 15th, my wife and I traveled to Mexico City and attended a contemplative pro-life retreat and witness firsthand the swine flu outbreak during week zero. Family and friends feared for our safety but all was well during our entire one week stay. I had a sense of comfort that Pierini Fitness was in good hands thanks to an awesome platoon of middle-age men “soldiers” who served as guest bloggers during my absence. Today’s oldie but goodie #8 was originally published on April 25, 2009 and introduced the Pierini Fitness Substitute Dream Team here: Pierini Fitness Substitute Dream Team.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #8.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Monday will be oldie but goodie #8

Even during the short journey down memory lane, Sunday is Sunday and, since today is Sunday, Pierini Fitness is closed so the chief executive blogger can rest his body, mind and spirit.

Monday will be oldie but goodie #8.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #7

Today’s oldie but goodie #7 is another middle-age man rambling unrelated to fitness. Our short journey down memory lane of my 12 favorite blogflections from the past year makes me wonder why isn't this blog named Rambling Reflections of a Middle-age Man.

Anywho, today’s oldie was originally published on March 10, 2009 and was fun to compose and share with my middle-age men brothers who have chosen the juice option. What’s the juice option? You can read about it here: Go away or here to stay?.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #7.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #6

Today’s oldie but goodie #6 marks the half-way point of our short journey down memory lane reviewing the chief executive blogger’s 12 favorite blogflections from the past year – one from each of the past 12 months. These oldies are presented in the order they were originally published; today’s is from February 2009.

Choosing today’s oldie was very difficult because there are so many that I really enjoyed composing and sharing with clients, family and friends. Two in particular had economic messages that I shared with many of my clients, several of whom gave me positive feedback. They are not the ones chosen, however, because my favorites are turning out to be those that have a middle-age man reflective message like today’s Until death do us part.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #6.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #5

Long-time followers of Pierini Fitness know that I’ve written several blogflections about American Olympic weightlifting legend Mr. Tommy Kono. He’s become a good friend of mine and for that I’m most grateful.

Today’s oldie but goodie blogflection was published on January 28, 2009 and was an interview article I wrote in August 2007 that appeared on another fitness website; you can read it here: When Tommy Kono speaks wise men listen.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #5.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #4

Day by day, our short journey down memory lane continues with today’s oldie but goodie #4. What I’ve discovered in revisiting the 365 blogflections I’ve written the past year is my affinity for those based on a true story and today’s oldie but goodie is no exception.

Originally published on December 6, 2008, it’s a bittersweet blogflection where I share a memorable and pleasant experience of my wife and I meeting a famous person over 24 years earlier, and my feelings and thoughts the day after reading a sad news article about him. It provided me a stark reminder of how our lives can change so drastically and so suddenly from the visions we have for them. You can read it here: Thanks for the memory O.J.

I hope you enjoyed Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #4.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Oldie but goodie #3

Moving along our short trip down memory lane of revisiting my top 12 favorite blogflections from the past year finds us one-fourth finished with today’s oldie but goodie #3.

This one was a hands-down favorite by a long shot; it’s a true story about how my Dad, as a young sailor during World War II, traveled to New York City, sought out and met fitness legend Charles Atlas. It was originally published on November 19, 2008, is a very long read but a great one, so grab a cup of coffee and find it here: A young sailor meets Charles Atlas.

It’s one of my favorites because it’s a true story involving my Dad and I believe the effort spent interviewing him and writing the story was a great investment in family history. Hopefully, future generations of descendents will read it and be grateful that someone took the time to compose a fun read and true story.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection oldie but goodie #3.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum