If you ever blame your age as one of the factors for losing athleticism, I don’t blame you; I do the same. However, we can fight against aging if we practice proper techniques and exercise consistently. Many older swimmers from U.S. Masters Swim program have shaved their time with consistent training and great coaching.

I have always had sore knees if I overexercise. Knowing sore knees can affect my performance, here’s a list of “recovery exercise” that I do frequently to minimize pain.

• Brisk walk; with arms swinging, stress is distributed evenly throughout the body
• Body weight squat; with proper rhythm, 3 counts going down and coming back up.
• Military march; picking your feet up until yours knees are bent 90-degree before stepping forward.
• Knee hugs; tuck the knees in to your chest and relax, repeat several times.
• Backward high kicks; with arms supporting your upper body and knees are down on the ground, kick (or extend) one of your legs back until it is straight, then do the same with the other leg.

With a thoroughly designed routine, we can all exercise without pain. Join The Sweaty Guinea Pig, say no to aging!

Protocol: core stability and total body mobility; light weight, high repetitions, and multi-planar
Goal: increase core strength and range of motion

Active warm up:

• Jumping jacks: 1 x 1 minute
• Backward lunges & twist: 1 x 15
• Inverted hamstring: 1 x 15
• Body weight squat: 1 x 15
• Hip rotations: 2 x 15
• Front & side planks: 2 x 1 minute (1 set: front & both sides)

Main sets:

• Superset 1: Alternate chest press (on a stability ball), 30 lbs: 2 x 15; leg lifts: 2 x 30
• Superset 2: Transverse lunges w/ shoulder raise, 10 lbs: 2 x 15; bicycles: 2 x 15
• Superset 3: Jump squat, 65 lbs: 2 x 15; v-up crunches: 2 x 30
• Superset 4: Diagonal ball chop backward lunges, 6 lbs: 2 x 15; full body crunches: 2 x 30
• Superset 5: Side lunges, 65 lbs: 2 x 15; regular crunches: 2 x 30
• Barbell combos: bench press, close grip press, curls, bend over rows, shoulder press, wide grip press, bar weight: 2 x 10 (do all the exercises continuously without rest for 1 set)

Valeo medicine ball is a versatile exercise tool. You can do different variations of push-ups (unbalanced push-ups, close grip, etc.), crunches (v-ups, seated twist, etc.), or use it as a dumbbell and do shoulder press, sumo squat, or tricep extensions.

Valeo medicine ball is made of rubber and has a firm grip on the outside for great handling (however, don’t let the younger kids use it without proper instructions). The medicine ball comes in different weight; I usually pick the weight that I normally use for my “recovery session” in the gym. Valeo medicine ball serves as a complement to my heavier weight training program. I use it for 3 to 4 times a day for doing simple and light exercises to stay flexible and mobile.

Protocol: endurance; low weight and high repetitions with short period of rest
Goal: increase lactic acid threshold

Active warm-up:

• Jumping jacks: 1 minute
• Hip rotations: 2 x 15
• Bird dog leg extension: 2 x 15
• Glute march: 1 x 15

Main sets:

• Superset 1: Incline bench: 3 x 1-minute, bar weight; flat bench press: 3 x 4, 95 lbs.
• Superset 2: Clean & jerk: 3 x 15, 75 lbs; front lunge: 3 x 15, body weight.
• Superset 3: T-bar 1-arm rows: 3 x 15, 95 lbs; pull-ups (wide, regular, hammer grip): 3 x 10
• Superset 4: Split jumps: 3 x 15, bar weight; back flies: 3 x 15, 10 lbs dumbbells

Note: 30 seconds of rest between each set. 60 seconds of rest between each exercise.

Core Training (stability ball training):

• Crunches: 1 x 15 w/ 6 lbs. medicine ball
• Diagonal crunches: 1 x 15
• Oblique crunches: 2 x 15
• Lower back lifts: 2 x 15

Making pancakes in the morning is a luxury; the buttery smell rejuvenates my spirit and brings me energy after my workout. Making traditional buttermilk pancakes is time consuming (need to measure each ingredient precisely and mixing buttermilk with butter needs two steps…etc) ; therefore, I often forgo the plan of making pancakes when I need to replenish my body right after my workout. However, the “rule of 1″ pancake recipe is an excellent “fast food” choice when hunger kicks in every morning after I train.

“Rule of 1″ Pancakes:

• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of whole milk

Beat the egg in the milk and combine the wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Roughly stir the batter and you will have fluffy and hearty pancakes within five minutes!

Since I have been focusing more on endurance training in the last month, I have noticed a significant loss of muscle mass. To regain my muscle mass and strength, I created a new weight training program that will complement my endurance training and make me a stronger and faster triathlete. I will lift 3 days a week (in a 6-day week) with 3 different protocols: power and strength,  endurance, and mobility.

Protocol: Power and Strength; heavier weight with longer resting period
Goal: Increase rate of force production and total body strength

Active Warm-ups:

• Jumping jacks: 1 minute
• Hip rotations: 2 x 15
• Inverted hamstring: 1 x 10

Main Sets:

1. Bench press: 4 x 6; 135, 145, and 2 x 155 lbs.
2. Squat: 4 x 6; 135, 145, 155, and 165 lbs.
3. Standing shoulder press: 4 x 6; 95, 105, 115, and 125 lbs.
4. Straight leg deadlift: 4 x 6; 135, 145, 155, 165 lbs.
5. Bend over rows: 4 x 6; 95, 105, and 2 x 115 lbs.
6. Front lunges: 4 x 6; 95; 105; 115; and 125 lbs.

Note: Rest 2 minutes between each set.

Auxiliary sets:

1. Bicycle crunches: 4 x 15
2. Push-ups: 4 x 25
3. V-up crunches: 4 x 15
4. Overhead shoulder raises: 4 x 10
5. Leg drops/lifts: 4 x 15
6. Overhead triceps: 4 x 10

Note: each auxiliary set is done right after each main set; each auxiliary set gets paired up with a main set in the order assigned.

Although summer squash and zucchini are still being harvested, I bought a case, approximately 15 lbs, of those two vegetables and froze them for use in winter. I like to put squash and zucchini in various pasta dish; they provide crunchy texture in contrast to soft and creamy caramelized tomatoes and onions.

I cut the squash and zucchini into cubes (not exactly squares) and blanched them for 30 to 40 seconds first. Second, I chilled the vegetables by running cold water through the colander for 10 seconds. I laid the squash and zucchini out in other containers (open lids) for extra cooling. I eventually distributed the cooked vegetables into sandwich bags and stored them in the back of my freezer. Eating summer squash and zucchini during winter is a privilege and indulgence we can all appreciate!

The box of zucchini and summer squash that I intended to freeze. I ended up freezing approximately 2/3 of the box.

Shock the vegetables for 30 to 40 seconds and take them out immediately.

Zip them up…I am set for the winter. (The plastic bags will be reused for other seasonal goods.)

Leek is a versatile vegetable; one can use it as the aromatic base in either a soup or sauce. I used leek in my tomato sauce this evening. I also added diced onions, celery, roasted red pepper, and hot pepper for extra flavors. I stirred in ricotta cheese to create creamier consistency at the end.

Leeks belong to the same family as onions and garlic; therefore, leeks provide similar benefits. Leeks help us prevent cancer, especially colon, prostate, and ovarian cancer. Also, leeks can reduce LDL (”bad”) cholesterol while increase HDL (”good”) cholesterol. Finally, this garlicky vegetable contains vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and iron, which stabilize blood sugar when combined together.

Leek Tomato Suace with Ricotta Cheese.

The tomato sauce with farfalle.

Triumph!

Resistance training is crucial for increasing and maintaining muscle strength, power, size, and endurance. To achieve each goal, adequate rest between repetitions and sets should be implemented for the best results.

Training for muscular power, we can create blocks within each set or exercise for maximal recovery. For instance, if we do multiple set of 9 repetitions of bench press, we can break down the sets into 3 blocks of 3 repetitions respectively, with 2 minutes of rest between each block and 3 minutes between each set. The rest period allows replenishment of phosphocreatine stores that may help us gain velocity and rate of force production.

Muscular strength training demands similar rest period for power training. Although a study has shown that bench press repetitions decline after 1, 2, and 3 minutes of rest, people who rested 3 minutes have shown smaller decline. However, everyone has different threshold (usually based on age) that after achieving a certain amount of strength gain, longer rest period does not necessarily help him or her get stronger.

For muscular hypertrophy, we should focus on higher repetitions with less rest time between each set. A usual protocol would be 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of bench press (usually 8 exercises total in a workout session) with only 1 minute or less of rest. The emphasis of muscle hypertrophy protocol is to buffer metabolic acids, which increases our stress tolerance when working with weights.

Endurance training protocol is similar to hypertrophy program; we keep the repetitions at 13 to 15 in each set while resting about 1 minute or less before proceeding to the next set or exercise. Endurance protocol helps us increase lactic acid threshold that will help us sustain the intensity of our workout.

Different workout goals require different resting periods. Adequate rest is absolutely crucial to maintain great fitness level. Building and maintaining a great fitness level is like training for a triathlon; a triathlete should be aware of his or her training goals (long or short term) and program the recovery time accordingly.

I took a half-day off on my business trip and went to Dallas farmers’ market at downtown of Dallas. Dallas farmers market has a decent size, as you will see from the pictures. However, the market is located away from any major streets and does not attract the locals or the tourists regularly.

The station where I got on the train to go to downtown of Dallas.

A look at the rail road system in Dallas county.

1-day pass, unlimited ride on the red and blue line. Everything is just a tiny bit cheaper than in New York.

On my way…

Got off at Pearl station and ready to explore.

Dallas downtown is rather empty comparing to New York City. I felt a little out of place with my backpack and camera haning on my wrist.

It was encouraging to know that I was going the right way!

There it is! after 1.13 miles of hike.

Section 3, which sells produce. The market is well organized, just needs frequent visitors.

Look for the seasonal goods!

One of the rare ones who visited the market on Tuesday.

Peaches and tomatoes are everywhere now!

Tuna! I had my first tuna this week. Tuna has many seeds inside the soft shell and they are meant to be swallowed with the meat of the fruit. If tuna is ripe, the texture is a little slushy and has its own distinct sweet flavor. By the way, when picking a tuna, use a plastic bag because the skin of the fruit could cause itch.