Mick’s Max Workout

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly going to be bursting with exercise, after reading all this research that’s explaining how we can look younger with just a few simple minutes every-other day! It seems almost crazy not to! Come on, moms!  Come on, dads!  Come on, seniors!  (Ha!  Gotcha with that one… whether you’re a senior in school or a senior in life and wisdom.)

So, what’s your excuse?  You mean you still have one?!

We’ve already covered the time factor, the age thing, and the injury issue.  What’s left?!

Ah… maybe it’s space.  I can truly understand that!  I’m not going to let you get away with it, though.

Our fun family of four lives in a <1200-square-foot townhouse.  Thankfully, it’s 2-story, so we can feel spread out to get away from each other once in a while.  The biggest problem with it, though, is that we moved here from an apartment that was bigger, after we had moved from a house that was a LOT bigger.  That means the furniture that moved with us now seems bigger than it did originally.

  My hubby was nice enough to
demonstrate our tiny workout space. 
I'm not even in it yet! 

Where we exercise, when not outside, is in our living room, which also acts as the music room and the office.  The 234-square-foot living room is actually only 36 square feet (with one diagonal strip of 12 feet) of floor space in between all the furniture and fixings… that’s only 6 feet by 6 feet!  The awesome part is:  I share the workout space with my 6’4” hubby!  That’s awesome, because it means he’s exercising with me!  Oh, and I forgot to mention there’s a ceiling fan in the center of this workout space, which makes it even more limited, especially for him, since the ceiling is not very high to begin with.  We can do it, though!  Our best fitness equipment investment, I’d have to say, is the chin-up bar.  There is an amazing workout waiting on that little piece of metal… and it doesn’t take up any floor space!  (When the kidderz join us for a workout, we get creative, or just move the workout outside… whatever it takes… but no excuses!)

So… I ask again:  What’s your excuse?

Oh… now you’re thinking how confusing it is for you to come up with a variety of exercises on your own.  First of all, nobody said you have to have a variety.  However, if you still insist, let me mention  a workout I was introduced to this past Spring.  It’s the MaxT3 workout by Maximized Living.  It incorporates 12 minutes of intense exercise in a DVD set, so you can follow the coach, Dr. Fred Roberto.  That way, you don’t have to plan out a routine for yourself.  Do be aware, though, they use some fitness equipment in these workouts, but they are simple enough to substitute with household items if necessary and are inexpensive enough to grab at a nearby department store.

If you’re curious, the T3 is explained by By Dr. Shane Taffe and Dr. Ben Lerner this way:  “You can get serious exercise and fitness quickly by manipulating the Time, Tempo, and Type of exercise you do.  It’s our T3 principle.  If you lower Time, you have to increase the intensity by increasing Tempo (going at a faster pace).  You do this safely and efficiently by choosing Types of exercise that allow you to use the most muscle groups in their most natural ranges efficiently.”

With short, high-intensity workouts, you are Hitting All Of Your Oxygen Systems And All Of Your Muscle Groups.  “We’re looking to influence oxygen (O2) and lean muscle here. To do so means utilizing the multiple energy systems that work with and without O2 while you exercise, as well as working all three types of muscle fibers.” (Maximized Living)  Remember the reason we want to exercise is to make healthy cells with increased oxygen. (Mick’s in the Oxygen)  Tomorrow’s post will cover the lean muscle aspect of these awesome exercise techniques.

Not only is it music to our ears… but also... shorter workouts are overall more beneficial for our health. (Mick’s up Exercising)  Different “tempos” in your exercise routine affect your muscles differently, because of the different muscle fibers and how they react.  One study tells us:  “high-intensity intermittent training in humans may alter the proportion of fibers… and in consequence that fiber type composition is not determined solely by genetic factors.” (European Journal of Applied Physiology)   This means you are not doomed to being out of shape!  "The results indicate that the number of fibres activated from the start increase gradually in response to increased exercise intensity. " (NCBI)  For more science behind this, here are some links for research:  MaxT3: Complete Fitness System, Muscle Fiber Types, Muscle Types and Sprinting vs Endurance Training, Metabolic Conditioning

Have we covered everything?  If not, leave me a comment, and we’ll cover that, too.  Oh!… and don’t forget to take the poll at the top of the left margin!  Thanks for enjoying another Mick’s up Life!

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last,
but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly;
I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave
so that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (NIV)

Keep up the training:  both physical and spiritual!
Don’t be disqualified!

~