Runnin' From The Devil?

Ok. Now, it's about time for somethin' a little fitness-ey. Now, when people think of "getting in shape" or losing weight, they pretty much imagine treadmills, stair masters, ellipticals or any other monster of a machine. People often dread getting on the treadmill unless they're doing a crossword or reading the funnies. They run for miles and miles and don't stop until they're just a tad short of dying. In my opinion, I hate running. It sucks and it sucks hard.

Now, I don't mean to bash running as a sport or as a leisure activity. To some people, running can be relaxing, calming, and fun. But in reality, running can be EVIL.

You must be thinkin', "Whoa, whoa, hold on there Juicy! What you talkin' bout ee-ville?"

Well let me splain', jack. I'm sort of a sucker for studies. I like them because they provide counter evidence to a lot of crazy assertions or claims. But anyway...

A study was done on people who have been running for 10, 20 and even 30 years. The scientists conducting the study found that with each passing year, the runners would have to increase the amount of their "running mileage" by 40 miles just to MAINTAIN their weight. I am no math wizard, but over a decade that would equal running an EXTRA 400 miles just to MAINTAIN their weight.

"Damn, an extra 400 miles? I'm gonna need more water."

Now, before you go nuts and start smashing all the treadmills in the gym, just hold up one second. You won't have to run those additional miles, considering that you have not been running religiously for 10 - 30 years. If you have, then you can still fix the problem. So how come these runners have to run an extra 40 miles a year to maintain their weight?

Well, running is a very costly activity, for your body that is. After your body is done burning whatever energy is around, it starts breaking down muscle tissue. Some people run for a lengthy period, sometimes hours at a time. This equates into more energy burned, and unfortunately, more muscle tissue burned. This isn't good because muscle keeps your metabolism burning at a substantial rate. Do you remember the whole "burn calories while you sleep" deal? Well, it's true. The more muscle one has, the more calories one will burn at rest. And that is where the true weight loss happens, chief.

Now, that doesn't mean you have to throw your running routine to the dogs. You can still run as much as your little heart desires. But you're going to have to combine some weight training in with your routine. No, no, you do not have to become a bodybuilder, so calm down. Weight training builds muscle; running doesn't. And muscle is what we want. At least I hope.

Putting the pie together, it'd look a little something like this:

Monday: Upper Body/Cardio (Running)

Tuesday: Lower Body/Cardio (if your legs aren't completely dead)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Cardio (Running)

Friday: Upper Body/Cardio (Running)

Saturday: Lower Body/Cardio (for the badasses)

Sunday: Rest (read the funnies)

Of course, you can substitute a rest day whenever you need it. One thing to remember is to ALWAYS run after a weight training session. Trust me, you don't want to be so dog-tired from running 3 miles that you smash your throat with a barbell, or worse.

Shoulda ran after.

Sorry to burst your bubble cardio bunnies, but it's about time you picked up something and lifted it a couple of times. Your body will thank you!

- Juice

Whining And Dieting

Whoops! I made a big mistake. I titled this blog "Fitness N' Junk." I shouldn't have because there is this one eency, weency little thing I left out. Diet. You didn't think you could get away with eating M&M's and fried Twinkies, did ya'?

Sorry Baby, not tonight.

Yes, yes, I know - you hate the word "diet." I do too. It has the word "die" in it. It sucks. Nobody wants to die, even if they want to lose a few pounds. But I have some good news: you don't have to "die" in order to shed those inches. I know you're probably thinking, "stop toyin' with me Sanju." But there is some truth. You can basically, sorta eat what you want but at a small cost. Step one is to look at what you're shoving down your gullet first. If it's "Pizza, Pasta, Burgers!" like the fat guy on Nutrisystem says, then we have a few problems and you're gonna have to make some sacrifices, but not too many. All it will take is some smart substitutin'.

Nutrisystem at its best.

For those of you who just plain don't know what to eat, have no fear - I'll be able to ease your pain quite fast. Here's a little checklist of approved foods:

Meats/Poultry

Chicken

Chicken Sausages

Lean Cuts of Beef

Turkey

Turkey Sausages

Pork

Fish

Lamb

Venison

Bison

Elk

Alligator (for the nuts out there)

Veggies

Anything Green

Bell Peppers

Carrots

Onions (not deep fried please)

NO CORN

Fruits

Apples

Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews)

Bananas

Tomatoes (yes these are fruits)

Oranges

Grapes

Mangoes

Pears

Plums

You get the idea.

Now as for the grains, check these out:

Grains

Whole Wheat Pastas

Whole Wheat Breads

Whole Wheat Pizza Crusts (they come pre-made)

Brown Rice

Quinoa (Incan grain)

Oats

Sweet Potatoes

Yams

Any Kind of Bean

Nothing too bad, right? Just try opting for these other choices and see where that takes you. See, you can eat "Pizza, Pasta, Burgers!" without guilt. The Nutrisystem guy will be proud.

- Juice

Who Is This Kid?

My name is Sanju. It's pronounced Sun-Jew. I'm not Jewish though. Funny, right? Ok maybe not. I don't mind anything you call me. I have had people call me Sawn-Jew, San-Drew, Sand-Drew, Some-Jew, Sun-Juice, Sun-Shit (for some odd reason), Som-Boo, Koopa (way out there), Juice (my most famous one), Juicy, Juice-Box, Juicyjuice, Somebody (this was kinda funny) and so many more that if I kept writing I would never be able to finish. Anyway, I'm an 18 year-old punk kid who is just trying to get by my senior year! Whoo! Anyway, I have one super major passion. And that is fitness. I started this whole adventure back in my freshman year of high school and I never stopped and never plan on stopping. I'm writing this bad boy to share with you a boatload of info I learned over the years. I don't give my self any credit and I am NO EXPERT! But that doesn't mean my info doesn't have any merit. If it helped me go from a skinny-fat Pee-Wee Herman to an almost exact version of The Rock (:P), then I think it can definitely help you. Oh, and along the way I'll share with you some shenanigans that I experience. I'll probably inject my own stupid humor as well, so be prepared! Comments appreciated!

Sincerely,

This 18 year-old "Somebody"