Sohan

Fosgate, I've had the same thing happen on both of my pinkies, though they were indeed broken, with one dislocated at a 90 degree angle. Ouch. With respect, Sohan

Seriously, though, I hope you have a speedy recovery. Nice avatar, my friend... With respect, Sohan

Jiffy, that was great! Very impressive and well done. With respect, Sohan

Congratulations! With respect, Sohan

Your surgeon and PT should certainly know better than anyone. Sounds reasonable to me, though. With respect, Sohan

Faktion and Stone Sour are awesome... Haven't heard of the other bands though. Might have to look them up. I'm a rock/alternative/metal guy, so I love to train while listening to music from those genres. Faktion's "Take It All Away" is an amazing song, and sounds nothing like their other music. Supercell has a page on MySpace, and you can download a few of their best songs for free. The rest have provided free downloads available here: http://music.download.com/ You have to sort through some junk, but there are plenty of gems there. I spend my time in Alternative Metal and Blues. I rarely listen to mainstream hard rock anymore. With respect, Sohan

I have a seven year old boy and two adult cats. I gave up disinfecting every five minutes a long time ago. When you've dealt with the disgusting things that these three can create as long as I have, not much bothers you anymore. But I draw the line at people who can control passing on their infections and don't do so. With respect, Sohan

This is my absolute favorite music to train to. These are bands that no one has heard of that really rock: Supercell Scars of Life Faktion Stone Sour Mortal Remains KnotEye Subcore Waiting for the Fall With respect, Sohan

Don't worry so much about measuring your caloric expenditure. Most figures are not exact anyways (and many of the machines' calculations are worthless), and you'll have a difficult time making a precise calculation regardless. You're better off focusing more on becoming as physically fit as you can (increasing jump rope/running time, minutes climbing stairs, increasing speed and strength endurance, etc), and making good dietary choices such as moderating your portion sizes and consuming low-fat, low-sugar, higher protein meals. Be sure to eat frequently, but only until you're not hungry any more, not until you're full. Keep your workouts varied yet consistent, and challenge yourself to better performances as you progress in your workouts. Motivate yourself by visiting armed services forums and listening to descriptions of their training regimes. It really can be that simple. I haven't counted calories in years. With respect, Sohan

Seems that "energy" drinks are beginning to get the attention of the medical community: http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-gen/ap/Health_Medical/Energy_Drinks.html With respect, Sohan

Recent research shows that the difference between a 20 yr old and a 65 yr old is: 15% less endurance 3% less strength. Not a lot of difference considering. I am 50 and am fitter, faster and stronger than I was at age 20. Your numbers are a bit off, though I applaud your training ethic. According to the NSCA, strength gains have been found to decline approximately 1-1.5% per YEAR from age 30 to age 70, where even a more dramatic decrease occurs (Meltzer, Med & Sci in Sports & Exerc, vol. 26, 1994). Maximal oxygen intake, a measure of aerobic capacity, decreases approximately 10% per decade from age 25 to 65 (Shepard, Physical Activity and Aging, 1988). Keep in mind, that though you might be fitter than at 20, your potential for peak performance is considerably less. Meaning that, if you trained the way you do today back at age 20, your best performances would be considerably higher than they are today. With respect, Sohan

Depends on your goal. If you're going for muscle endurance and stamina, this workout is fine. However, the rep scheme and sequencing of exercises here would not bode well for developing explosive power. 3 sets of 10 reps in the bench is a hypertrophy rep scheme, which is counter to the goals of a martial artist. A martial artist needs power and limb speed, which is not achieved on a bodybuilder routine. All the stamina in the world won't help you if you get knocked out in the first 5 seconds. Also, not everyone can run 4 miles in under 30 minutes, where for others, a 7:30 pace over 4 would be considered slow. I wouldn't follow a 4 mile run with weights and conditioning anyways. Do them separately for best recovery. This isn't a terrible routine, I just have an issue with the word "great" being used here. A great workout is only great if it helps you achieve the goals you have set for yourself. With respect, Sohan

Tom, I don't know about your tolerance, but I'd skip drinking milk before a run. It could give you the trots. If your vitamin has iron in it, it could also upset your stomach. Try juice instead. It's got more carbs, which will help with that "legs like a rock" feeling. Milk doesn't have that much in the way of carbs and it milk sugar is harder to digest. With respect, Sohan I will try juice instead then. Orange juice will do fine then I think. Tom Sure, orange juice is fine. I personally prefer apple because it is less acidic, as I have gastric reflux (GERD), which is exacerbated by running and acidic foods, most unfortunately. With respect, Sohan

Knuckle pushups strengthen the wrists and toughen the knuckles. The smaller footprint causes you to use more synergistic muscles for stability, so knuckle pushups are likely better for the development of functional strength. If you do enough of them on a consistent basis, they can improve bone density in the bones of the hands, which may lessen risk of breakage. Lastly, they also better mimic the mechanics of a real punch better than flat hand pushups. With respect, Sohan

I definitely feel it is a good idea to train in regular clothing, at least on occasion. I especially like to practice kicks in shoes, athletic or dress, since I would likely never find myself kicking someone while barefoot, unless I'm just coming out of the shower.... With respect, Sohan

Everything heals, given time. You'll be 100% before you know it. With respect, Sohan

I'd suggest that if you want to run with an incline you do so on a treadmill. Running downhill is very hard on your legs (joints). I don't remember if I read that here or in an article in a different site, but I know that it puts more pressure on the joints so it's best to just go uphill (you can choose that on a treadmill) I completely agree. I do most of my running on the treadmill, and it is much more forgiving than asphalt. The only problem is that you tend to be a little more sore after a race because you're not used to the downhills or pounding. I would recommend if you are going to do a race, try some downhills at least a month out from your race about once a week to develop a tolerance. With respect, Sohan

Tom, I don't know about your tolerance, but I'd skip drinking milk before a run. It could give you the trots. If your vitamin has iron in it, it could also upset your stomach. Try juice instead. It's got more carbs, which will help with that "legs like a rock" feeling. Milk doesn't have that much in the way of carbs and it milk sugar is harder to digest. With respect, Sohan

Gatorade is indeed an energy drink because it contains an energy substrate--sugar, which is what your muscles and brain need to operate. Juice has sugar (calories), so does milk. They are all "energy" drinks. The other drinks you refer to are nothing more than glorified caffeine drinks with other irrelevant ingredients that are overpriced and overhyped. Manufacturers have taken over the name "energy drink" in order to market their products, so the term is much misunderstood. What makes an energy drink an energy drink is one that provides energy, which is in the form of calories. Caffeine provides no calories, thus a drink with just caffeine would not be considered an "energy" drink. Caffeine is a stimulant, a drug that stimulates the CNS and causes the release of sugar into the blood stream, sugar that was already stored as glycogen in muscle. The added sugar that your drinks provide is the only thing that can be considered "energy" providing. The worst part of these drinks is that they cause a brief surge in blood sugar along with a stimulated CNS, but they cause a blood sugar and energy crash later on. It's like robbing from Peter to pay Paul---the energy released from these drinks comes from somewhere, and the debt to be repaid is a monster. I wouldn't waste my money on them. Eat right, sleep well, train hard. If you need a little boost before a race or event, save your money and drink a diet coke, but don't depend on "energy" drinks for sustaining daily energy. With respect, Sohan

SK, have you seen the movie yet? With respect, Sohan

Yep. I'd need a bike to go 10 miles that fast! Hope you have a great run tomorrow! With respect, Sohan

I was at Cub Scout Camp with my son this weekend, and while standing in line for dinner I noticed a young teen who was handing out burger buns suddenly let out a monster sneeze. He then proceed to wipe his dripping nose with his hands, the same hands that were presently handing out food to those of us in line. I walked over and politely handed him some hand sanitizer and then proceeded to take over his duties. I just couldn't bear to see that kid touch one more food item with that cold. The parents who were in line noticed what I did, and they appeared silently grateful. I'm no germaphobe, but most colds can be prevented if people use a little common sense. With respect, Sohan

Buy some bagged bagels and keep them in your dorm. Dried fruit works great also. You can do a lot with what you have if you use some creativity. If I were you, I'd invest in a mini-blender as well (@$10). With respect, Sohan

Take it before strength training, but after any cardio or MA training. Your uptake should be better post-workout, and chances of stomach upset will be lower. And be sure to take creatine with a juice or sugar-based drink to optimize uptake. With respect, Sohan

Tom, typically I put in 30-45 minutes of running (not counting warmup), for about 20-25 miles a week. However, since it's October and I'm 40 yrs young now, I'm switching gears because I want to qualify for a seeded position at the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta (would put me in the top 200 or so runners out of 55,000) . As an oldtimer now, I get an extra 1:30 to qualify, so I have to run sub-38 mins. I've never qualified for seeding, so this is a major life goal for me, and this is the perfect time to do it. I plan to up my miles to a peak of 50 in mid-February and do 2-3 speed workouts per week until then. I'll probably cut back a little on the other strength and conditioning work and gradually add it back as I adapt to higher mileage. I do prefer to run in the morning, though I have certainly run at odd times in the past (midnight, 3 AM, etc). And I've always felt better the more miles I do, provided I recover adequately from training. I guess the key is getting a good mix in your training, ie long stuff, hard stuff, and hill stuff, so you never get stale or bored. With respect, Sohan