New federal exercise guidelines include strength training

At a block party at the Henry R. Benavidez Community Center in Las Cruces, N.M., Erika Lopez and her daughter Brianna, 7, do push-ups after tossing dice that tells how many and what exercise to do. More Americans need to incorporate strength training through push-ups, weightlifting or resistance bands, the government recommends.
By Norm Dettlaff, Las Cruces Sun-News, AP

The US government raised the bar for physical activity levels today and nobody's exempt, not even kids or older adults — everybody needs to get moving. The new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, are the most comprehensive federal recommendations ever and the new gold standard.

Read the guidelines and federal toolkit

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Triceps Dips Week 1 Day 1

Arnold Schwarzenegger - triceps dips
Originally uploaded by d_vdm

I'm doing dips now when I swim, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I do them at the corner of our apartment's pool. I face the corner and go down to 90 degrees at my elbows. My score was 12 dips for my initial test.

I'll have to get our scale outside to see what the total weight is on my hands. It won't be my full weight, because my legs are in the water. However, I'm sure it will be more than my push up weight of 100 lbs.

I'm thinking that I will follow the 100 pushups workout program. I forgot to look at it before I got in the pool today, so I just made up the first workout. I did 5 sets of 10 each. It felt like a good challenge. I'll take a look at the pushup paper before I do it next time.

Hundred Pushups Week 3 Day 3

Did column 2 again today. It went real well. I was kind of afraid that I wouldn't make it to 22 for the last set, as I was struggling at set 3 to get to 19. However, I actually made it to 24 for #5. So I did 25, 19, 19, 17, 24 for the five levels. It is cool that I broke the 100 barrier with a total of 104 push ups today. I really need to celebrate reaching the halfway point of my 6 week commitment to the hundred pushups challenge.

After 5 min rest I started my 60 min Body Pump #45 workout. I went ahead and did everything with my normal weights, including bench fly work and bench presses.

Check out Body Pump at BODYPUMP Group Fitness Program - Les Mills Global I've been doing it 1 to 3 times a week since 2004. However, this pushup program is pushing me to new levels of strength.

Here is a chart of my repetitions for each of the five sets and total push ups for each workout to date:

1. 10, 10, 8, 6, 16 = 48
2. 12, 12, 10, 10, 16 = 60
3. 15, 13, 10, 10, 17 = 65
4. 12, 12, 9, 8, 16 = 56
5. 16, 13, 11, 11, 18 = 69
6. 15, 15, 12, 12, 17 = 71
7. 25, 17, 17, 15, 15 = 89
8. 22, 17, 17, 15, 25 = 96
9. 25, 19, 19, 17, 24 = 104
   

I'm still wondering how to maintain these gains after the 6 or more weeks it may take to get to 100 consecutive pushups.

Join me in the hundred pushups challenge.

Hundred Pushups Week 1 Day 1

I'm committed to do this workout program for the next six weeks. I've decided to do my training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week. I'm already doing my weight resistance training on Wednesday and Friday every week. I'll still get my needed day of rest between workouts.

I printed out the PDF file of the hundredpushups.com training program, so I can note on it what I've done each day. As I do each set or level as they are referred to in the PDF document, I check it off. I am noting the date and the number of push ups acheived for each set.

Today, I did the following number of push ups for the five sets: 10, 10, 8, 6, 16. The last set is the only set where you are required to do your maximum number of push ups. They also give a minimum number of push ups that must be acheived. The minimum for the 5th set today was only six push ups. I was really excited to get to 16 push ups on the final set.

Join me in the hundred pushups challenge.

Hundred Pushups Challenge

I ran across this workout program at the Plurk social network. It looked like a fun challenge to gain more strength. It is a six week training program with a goal to complete 100 consecutive push ups. It has training schedules for men and women of various ages and fitness levels. It is assumed that you will need about 30 minutes a week to do this training program. Not a lot of time to achieve a major strength increase.

What will you gain doing push ups?

Push ups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Push ups are not only great for your chest, but do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso.

Join me in the hundred pushups challenge. Tomorrow, I'll take the Initial Test. It will determine my current level of push up ability and what training program I'll follow.

Stay Safe in the Sun!

Hot, sunny weather can be dangerous. We enjoy exercising outdoors, but high temps can be dangerous without proper precautions. Experts at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommend lowering your risk of heat injury. Keep their tips in mind when you play outside:

• Drink plenty of water. Don't wait until you become thirsty — keep yourself hydrated throughout your workout.
• Take breaks, especially if you're trying a new activity or if you weren't active during the colder months.
• Schedule your workouts in the morning or evening, when it's cooler. Avoid working out during the hottest part of the day — between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Slow your pace on hot days. Your workout may take longer, but heat exhaustion can come on quickly when you exercise at an intense pace. Take it easy!
• Wear lightweight, breathable fabrics; light colors will help reflect the sun's heat.
• If you suspect heat exhaustion, stop what you are doing immediately. Move to a shaded area, remove excess clothing, fan or wet your body to reduce your core temperature, and seek medical care immediately.

Keep safe outdoors, and stay cool this summer!