by Marty Coleman | Dec 4, 2013 | The 'While Coffee Brews' Exercise Plan
My Morning Routine
I have gotten into the habit of having rice cakes for first breakfast. I toast 2 of them, then put on a bit of jelly and peanut or almond butter. They are crunchier when you toast them but you have to watch out, some of them have a glaze on them that will start to smoke in the toaster oven. I then take them into my office and eat them while I start my day. Speaking of office, we recently had a slew of visitors to our humble abode for Thanksgiving weekend. My office was used as a bedroom so I thought I would try out moving my napkin drawing studio into the dining room so I could draw early in the morning while our guests were still asleep. It worked out pretty well so I think I might keep it like that for a while.
Exercises #3 and #4 – Abdominal Crunches and Oblique Crunches
Exercise #4 – Oblique Crunches
In the sequence, #4 actually comes twice, once on the left side once on the right, so I do one side first, then do #3, then do the other side of #4.
In the original photo I saw on how to do oblique crunches the guy was laying on the large flat side of his glute, a 1/4 of the way towards being on his back, and raising his torso up to get the crunch as in version #1. The legs stayed on the ground. But when I started doing them I laid directly on my side and found my legs came off the ground as did my torso. I like the #2 version better because it seemed to work the lower oblique region as much as the high region. But I notice that #1 tends to work the lower side back more than #2 so I do both on and off.
One of the coolest things about doing these is where the lower arm (on the floor) ends up going. It is folded in front of you with your hand actually on your obliques. What that means is you can feel the muscles working, contracting and releasing, as you do the exercise. Over the months I have started to feel all the definition throughout the oblique and ab areas. It’s very cool.
Exercise #3 – Abdominal Crunches
These are pretty straightforward. They are the beginning of a sit up, but you don’t go above about 25 – 30 degrees from the floor, then you go back down. That is enough to get the abs working. The drawing is a bit off actually because you really shouldn’t be bending your head forward at the angle I have it. Keep it as straight as you can.
Do 10 to start and repeat each time you come around to it in your circuit.
Finish up by doing the oblique crunches on the other side and you are done.
To Repeat or Not Repeat
As usual, you can do these two ways, one is a set amount done in a circuit with the other exercise. Most of the time a circuit of 3-4 is good. Or you can do each exercise to the fail point, with no repeats. It’s sort of like the two different versions of Solitaire you can play, once around drawing every card and you are done, win or not, or every 3 cards until you can’t do anything more or you win.
Either way, you’ll get a good work out.
Benefits
Obviously your abdominal muscle and the oblique abdominals are the main beneficiary. Did you know that the ab muscles are actually just one big sheet muscle? The ‘six packs’ aren’t different muscles, they are parts of same muscle that just happen to build up. Each of us has a different landscape when it comes to our one big ab muscles. The oblique are separate however.
By the way the pink bumps on her tummy are not her intestines popping out don’t worry, they are her six pack of abs (of which you can only see 3)
Speaking of…If you are hoping to have that six-pack by just doing exercises, it’s not going to happen. Well, it can happen, but it will be under a layer of fat and you won’t be able to see it. To see your abs you really will have to change eating habits so you not only lose fat but build your muscle as well.
That’s It
And that’s it. These 4 exercises should take you about 10-15 minutes, max. That’s about the length of time a pot of coffee takes to brew. It’s not sophisticated or complicated or hard to figure out. It’s easy and it’s doable today, right now. Start somewhere, and repeat. That’s the key. You can do it.
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Exercise #6 – Lunges
Exercise #5 – Jumping and Laying Down Jacks
Exercise #3 and #4 – Abdominal Crunches and Oblique Crunches
Exercise #2 – Push Ups
Exercise #1 – Glute Kickbacks
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 3, 2013 | The 'While Coffee Brews' Exercise Plan |
My Morning Routine
When I first started doing this morning routine it was just stretching and warming up for the day. I still stretch and warm up before I do the exercises because I am an old and creaky guy. You should limber up too, even if you aren’t old and creaky. The run groups I coach always start with an active warm up time to get the blood flowing, the heart beat up just a bit and the joints and muscles lubricated and ready to work. It’s alway a time to just be quiet and meditate for a few moments before you start exercising.
Exercise #2 – Push Ups
Version #1
This is the version you need to do. Even if you can do only one pushup this way, you need to do it this way. It’s where you want to get to so why not work at it from the very beginning. If you can’t do 5 pushups this way, do at least one, then do the other 4 in the version #2 method. A full push up goes all the way until your nose touches the ground.
Version #2
Forget the sexist crap about this being the version for women. It isn’t. It’s the version for those who aren’t yet strong enough to do version #1. That’s it. It has nothing to do with whether you have a penis or vagina. Nothing. Here is the truth, male or female – if you can’t do one pushup in the version #1 method, then start with version #2. If you can do 5 of version #2 then next time you do the exercise start with #1 and try to do one of that. Keep trying #1 each and every time you do pushups. Do not settle for version #2, it’s only for those who can’t do #1 and everyone can do #1 if they work at it.
To Repeat or Not Repeat
Once again you can do these as part of a circuit of exercises that you repeat 3 or more times, or you can do them once to the fail point. Both have their benefits and you should try both types of regimens during the week.
Benefits
Obviously the arms and chest are the prime beneficiary of pushups. In the arms it’s the entire shoulder and the triceps (back of the arms) that get the bulk of the workout. The pectorals of the chest are being built as well.
Remember, to lose weight you have to burn calories. To burn calories you have to have metabolically active tissue, and that’s muscle, not fat. If you build muscle you get a better metabolism and that means better calorie burning.
When To Start
Duh, now. Don’t wait until you have the right workout clothes or the right mat or the right headband. Do it first, then get all those things as you have time.
Exercise #6 – Lunges
Exercise #5 – Jumping and Laying Down Jacks
Exercise #3 and #4 – Abdominal Crunches and Oblique Crunches
Exercise #2 – Push Ups
Exercise #1 – Glute Kickbacks
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Drawing and workout description by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 2, 2013 | Fitness & Health, The 'While Coffee Brews' Exercise Plan |
My Morning Routine
I typically get up around 5:30am and have about an hour to myself before Linda calls me in to cuddle before she gets out of bed. My usual routine was to let the dogs out, make coffee and go into my office/studio immediately. In April I decided to add some early morning stretching and calisthenics into that routine. Instead of going directly into my studio while the coffee brewed I went into the living room and stretched. I am not a limber guy by any means and stretching is something I really need to do for my running. While I was doing the stretching I started to add some light calisthenics. I timed the exercises to about the same time it took the coffee to brew. Over the course of the months I have worked out a very brief workout routine that is easy to do with no need for equipment or extra space. If you have a space on the floor as big as your body, you have room.
Exercise #1 – Glute Kickbacks
Version #1
Version #1 starts with your leg bent with the knee on the ground. You kick the leg back to be slightly above horizontal and return it. You aren’t kicking hard, just putting it out there until it’s straight. And yes, I know the drawing makes it look like the person is farting. She might be, farting is allowed!
Version #2
In version #2 you put your leg straight out back and have your big toe touching the ground. You then lift your leg up past horizontal and return it to the ground (or close, you don’t need to touch the ground and break your toe!) I usually do this version, I just like it better. And yes, the drawing sort of looks like she is peeing. That is not allowed, it will ruin the carpet.
To Repeat or Not Repeat
You can do the reps two ways. One way is to pick a number, 10 to start is good, and do them, one leg at a time (as opposed to alternating legs like you are riding a bike). You will do those, go on to the next exercises and then return to these after you have done the circuit. When I do it this way I do the circuit 3 times.
The other way is non-repeating. This way is one time only. You don’t pick a number, you just do it until you can’t do them. You do it to ‘fail’. I do this way when I have less time to do the entire workout. You aren’t going to come back to these at the end of your circuit of exercises. You will be done after one circuit.
Benefits
The benefits of this exercise are in your glutes (that’s your butt just in case you weren’t sure) and your hamstrings (the muscles on the back of your thighs).
When to Start
DO NOT wait until January 1st. That is an arbitrary date, it means nothing. If you start this (or any) exercise regimen now, and start in on making some simple diet changes, you can lose 5 lbs by the start of 2014. Why wait? I will talk more about all of this as this series continues. In the meanwhile, today is the day.
If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments, I would love to hear them.
Exercise #6 – Lunges
Exercise #5 – Jumping and Laying Down Jacks
Exercise #3 and #4 – Abdominal Crunches and Oblique Crunches
Exercise #2 – Push Ups
Exercise #1 – Glute Kickbacks
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Drawing and exercise plan by Marty Coleman, © 2013 – All Rights Reserved
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 26, 2013 | Annette Funicello, Thanksgiving |
I think it’s a perfectly wonderful week to talk about Thanksgiving
The Mouseketeer
Annette Funicello was a founding member of Disney’s Mouseketeers. She then went on to star in Beach Blanket movies with Frankie Avalon and record chart topping records. She had it all; looks, fame, money and adulation of fans around the world. She also had MS, which caused her to retire well before she would have otherwise. When she made it public she was inundated with messages of sadness and sorrow for her plight. In response she said this,
“Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.”
Annette Funicello – Mouseketeer & star of Beach Blanket Bingo
The X Factor
One of the past contestants on ‘The X Factor’, Rion Paige, was born with wrists and arms that are bent at wrong angles and can’t move as you would expect. She is up in front of millions and millions of people singing, showing the world all her ‘imperfections’. She is the one on the competition who is the biggest smiler, the sweetest laugher, the most thankful in her responses to the judges. Her body may not be ‘perfect’, but her attitude is. I have no doubt she has this quote on her refrigerator.
Rion Paige
Perfect vs Wonderful
I know for me, when I like look for the perfect in myself, others and the world around me, I see imperfection. But when I look at the wonderful in myself, others and the world around me, I see perfection everywhere.
The Vintage Napkin
I have used this quote before, WAY back in 2002 when I was drawing the napkins for my daughters and putting in their school lunches.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
Quote by Annette Funicello, 1942-2013, American actress and singer.
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 24, 2013 | Products |
This Manly Gift Buying Guide to Fall Fashion is a sponsored post for Collective Bias and the Social Fabric community.
Part 1 – Shopping For my Daughter and Granddaughter
My oldest daughter, Rebekah, is transitioning this winter from an academic setting, where she is getting her Ph.D. in Neuroscience, to an employment position at a major Neuroscience Institute. Because of that I thought it was time to get her some clothes that will help her feel more at home in her new professional setting. Rebekah is not particularly one style over another but I felt like a look on the preppy side would be on the mark. She likes a simple, classic style and knows how to wear it.
I had liked the searStyle Facebook page a few months ago so I knew Sears would have that preppy look for less so I went there to see what I could find. My wife, Linda and I weren’t in the store more than 5 minutes when we came across a perfect pink turtleneck.
Turtle Neck from Sears – Closeup of Stitching
We then quickly found a classic cream colored cable knit cardigan That we felt fit perfectly with the turtleneck. I was not worried about whether they fit a particular 2013 fashion trend since both of these are evergreen styles and will not go out of fashion soon. If you are over 25, #ThisisStyle.
Cable Knit Cardigan from Sears – Closeup
I was pretty sure I got the right sizes for her but wanted to be sure before I sent them to her in time for the holidays. I have a friend who lives in my same neighborhood who I know to be almost the exact same size as Rebekah. I asked Kristen, who is a fellow runner and a fitness role model extraordinaire if she would mind trying them on to see how they fit. She came over and graciously allowed me to take some photos of her in the ensemble.
Pink Turtleneck from Sears
She started with just the turtleneck and said she loved the color and feel of the piece. She had chosen her lipstick really well as it matched perfectly.
Pink Turtleneck from Sears – Closeup
She then tried on the cable knit cardigan to complete the look.
Cable Knit Cardigan from Sears
It looked to us both as a classic, timeless look with shades of east coast preppy, without being overwhelming.
Cable Knit Cardigan and Pink Turtleneck from Sears
Let’s go back to our shopping trip for a moment. Besides Rebekah getting her Ph.D. another momentous event recently occurred. She had her first child (our first Grandchild). She had a baby girl they named Vivian. Linda and I thought it would be perfect to see if we couldn’t find some complementary outfits for the baby that would fit well with the preppy style. I had recently joined the Sears ‘Shop Your Way‘ program and knew that we would be getting a few discounts and the prices were already so affordable we had no excuse not to.
Once again, it didn’t take us long at all to find exactly what we wanted.
Preppy sweater and dress for 9 months – from Sears
Preppy hoodie and pants for 9 months from Sears
Hoodie closeup from Sears
We are pretty excited with our finds and are looking forward to giving these gifts to Rebekah and Vivian for Christmas.
You can see the SearsStyle Shop Your Way Catalog here.
Follow SoFabConnect’s board ThisisStyle on Pinterest.
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Part 2 – Tips for shopping for women
I pride myself on being more fashion aware than the average guy. I am an artist, photographer and designer and as such see fashion as another extension of creativity and art out in the world. While I am not a shopper who could compete with many women I know, I do know how to shop and can do it effectively when I want to.
Part of the reason I can shop is I have 4 daughters. They are all grown now, ages 23-31. That means I shopped for them during all ages, from baby through teen years into adulthood. I didn’t always get the gifts right, but I felt I had a good batting average overall. Sometimes I would even hit it out of the park.
If you say, as a guy, ‘Well, that’s what women do. Guys don’t do that.’ I say you are missing out. You can do it, and it can be great for your relationship. It’s also not as alien as you think. You buy a specialty wrench for a specific need and you buy a run of the mill wrench for whatever might come up, right? The same is true in fashion. You might buy a special piece of jewelry for your daughter’s graduation, but you might by a pair of earrings for whenever your daughter might like to wear them. You might buy a glittery blouse for your wife’s New Year’s Eve party, but you might buy her a sweater for any occasion. Shopping is like one or the other in most cases.
The key to being a guy and shopping for someone else is paying attention. I don’t mean paying attention while you are shopping, obviously you have to do that. I mean paying attention to what your wives, girlfriends, daughters, etc. are wearing day in, day out. It means asking questions about other outfits you see when you are out with them. Getting them to talk about what they like and don’t like. It means noticing things.
For example, do you see the same colors on your wife again and again? Ask her why. She might tell you that gold color looks great against her skin or that deep blues contrast nice with her brown hair. If you ask, you will find there is a reason. It’s not by accident. Do you see your daughter’s wearing jewelry that a big and bold, bangly and colorful? Ask her why. She will probably say she loves the glittery shine, or maybe they make her feel happy. There is a reason, it’s not by accident.
JUST as important is paying attention to what they don’t wear. You can do this by paying attention to what you see people their age wearing but the object of your gift buying does not. For example, my wife, Linda, is a pretty high powered business woman. Many business women wear suits. My wife however, never wears suits. I need to be paying attention to that so that when I am gift buying I can skip right over all these blazers and suits, knowing they aren’t going to be for her, no matter how interesting they may be to my eye. For my daughters, each one is different. They could and do overlap in what they might wear at times, but they aren’t clones of each other. One might be a bit of a hippie, the other more outdoorsy, a third a bit on the preppie side.
An important note: If you are buying for teens and early 20 somethings? There may be no reason that you can really figure out very easily. It won’t be about color or sparkles. It’s more likely going to be about who wore that pattern at the VMAs or something she saw the other, very cool girl at work, wear. You may not be able to discern this very easily. The only advice here is to pay attention to who your daughters listen to in music, which actresses and singers they like. What do those celebrities wear? Now, it may not be a celebrity in the typical hollywood/MTV sense. It might be a professor she likes, maybe a favorite author. But chances are she doesn’t get her fashion sense in a vacuum. She is finding it out in the world and adapting it to herself. The more you pay attention to what she pays attention to, the better chance you have of getting the gift buying right.
So, in a nutshell it’s about paying attention and asking questions. Because remember, it isn’t about what you like, it’s about what your loved one likes.
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