Keeping track of your weight training

You know that muscular dude bench-pressing a small car in the gym and smelling of man-sweat? He probably keeps a diary (but for your own safety, you should call it an "exercise journal" when talking to him).

Keep a record of each workout, so you can track your progress and finetune your weight training program. A journal is a report card for your muscles. You can see if you are getting stronger or plateauing, so you can adjust your program accordingly. If you want to be stronger, you shouldn't be doing the same thing the same way every time.

To get started, download the great worksheet from Corrie Haffly.

In addition to Corrie's worksheet, your diary—I mean—your manly exercise journal should have another sheet for entering your feelings (the butch term is "state"). Was the set hard to complete? Easy? Or just right? If you're really serious about the whole thing, you could also write about your state before and after the workout. Were you enervated or energized?

We're not uniformly strong every single day, because our bodies, diet, and situations change. Sleep, stress, diet, biological rythms, emotional states, and that cute person looking your way affect strength and performance. Some days, you can do all your reps; on others, you are two reps short. That's OK. Each set should be a range of reps, not a precise number of reps, so no worries if you are within your target range.

Applying sunscreen

Instructions for applying sunscreen seems, well, unnecessary... afterall what does one need to know beyond: squirt into hands and apply all over exposed flesh? Well, the thing is, I've observed people apply too little with their expired SPF-12 lotion with no UV-A protection whatsoever (you know who you are). Why not just sprinkle yourself with chicken blood (or, if you are vegan, soy sauce) hoodoo? It's just as effective.

Sun damage is cumulative, so it's best to minimize it. Here are three simple tips:

• What to apply: Get broad-spectrum "sweatproof" sunscreen that protects you from both UV-A and UV-B rays. Not all sunscreens are created equal. In fact, the Environmental Working Group claims in its study that 4 out of 5 (84%) are ineffective or unsafe. For UV-A protection (against aging), look for zinc oxide, titanium oxide, avobenzone, or ecamsule in the ingredients. For UV-B protection (against burning), look for at least SPF 30.
  Costco sells Neutragena sunblock*—which claims to meet all criteria, plus it's non-comedogenic (won't block pores) and feels light on the skin—for a good price. If you'd rather use something else, you can check out a database of tested suncreen. And do keep an eye out on the expiration date.
• When to apply: Apply 30 minutes before sun exposure, and reapply every few hours. Be OCD if you are fair-skinned.
• How much to apply: You need an ounce of sunblock to cover your entire body (more if you are a big guy). An ounce is about 1/3 of a standard-sized Neutrogena tube. You need to apply half a teaspoon each for the face, neck, and arms; and a full teaspoon each for the chest, stomach, back, and legs. Don't forget your ears and the top of your shoulders!

For some background on UV-A and UV-B, see the previous post. Physical protection, such as wide-brimmed hats work great, too, but don't forget about reflected radiation. Bah, just get a burqa. Maybe one made from reflective tin foil.

* Neutrogena also contains oxybenzone, which a few animal and lab studies suggest might release free radicals and mildly affect hormone systems, however these studies did not show harm in sunscreen users. In any case, the risk of not applying sunscreen is many multiples worse (as assessed by the American Cancer Society)!

If you're really creeped out by chemicals, you can use suncreen that contains inorganic particulates, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Sun damage while driving

You still can get sun damage inside some cars. True, it's unlikley that you'll get a sunburn while driving, not even in long road trips, but incremental damage does happen and accummulates over the years.

In most cars, the windshield is treated to filter out UV-A radiation, which accounts for wrinkling, but the side and the rear windows only partially filter out UV-B radiation, which darkens skin. So while you might not darken, you still get wrinkly and all. Boo! (But a few car models actually have better UV-A and UV-B protection).

You can have the windows professionally treated to block out UV rays without tinting or affecting visibility. Incidentally, in California, all new automoblies are required by law to have heat-blocking (either by deflection or absorption) glass by 2012. This makes environmental sense since one will need less energy to cool the car.

p.s. If you can never keep track of which one is UV-A and which one is UV-B, try this menmonic: UV-A causes skin Aging; UV-B causes skin Burning. Both types contribute to cancer.

Picking the best melondramatic fruits

Melons (such as watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew) are delish and stuffed with goodness. Their colors give you a hint of their superpowers. The cantaloupe is brimming with vitamin C and beta-carotene; honeydew has loads of folate; watermelon has super high levels of citrulline, which the body converts to nitric oxide (relaxes your blood vessels and lowers your blood pressure).

Some studies have shown that melons could help with anxiety, stress, panic attacks, as well as stroke and heart disease. And the beta carotene can't be bad for your eyes.

OK, OK, so we love melons. But how do you pick one?

A good melon:

• Is heavy for its size
• Sounds hollow when you tap it (if it has a dull thud, it might be overripe)
  
• Is brightly colored
• Has a yellow spot (the fruit ripened on the vine, not the warehouse)
• Plays well with others, including the ugly fruits
  

More on beans, the magical fruit

Beans are good veggies for athletic folks or pips who just want to maintain their weight. Besides the abundant phytochemicals and antioxidants, they pack the most fiber and protein (half a cup = two ounces of meat and seafood) among our plant friends. All the fiber fills you up, so that should keep you from eyeing the dessert tray.

If you're not that into beans, you can trick yourself by secretly adding them to your salad, salsa, ground-meat type stuff (like spaghetti sauces and sloppy joes). If you puree cooked beans, you can add them to your soups, stews, and sauces.

See our sister blog to learn why the bean is also called the musical fruit. For more high-brow stuff on beans, see also our previous blabber.

Eating Sponge Bob's second cousin twice removed, Uni the sea urchin

So you've finally gathered the guts to eat uni. (They say it's raw sea urchin "roe." [whispering in teeny voice] But it's really sea urchin gonads, dude! Seriously yo.) We have a few pointers we picked up from Chef Dave from Shiro's in Seattle. (Yes, they serve really good stuff!)

What to expect
Uni has the texture of brain (not that we know what brain feels like, but that's how we imagine it)—firm yet custardy. Uni has a light, sweet taste with no hint of fishiness.

Determining quality
Eat only fresh uni. Uni is delicate and falls apart easily, so it gets disgusting when it's been processed. If it's watery or squishy, turn up your nose and mentally cross out the sushi place from your list of favorite restaurants.

The best kinds of uni are harvested in cold waters. Alaskan sea urchin are good, and the ones in California are seasonal (late fall through winter). They can be good when the water is cold, but terrible when not. The Japanese market covets the December harvests in particular.

Bon Appetit!
What could whet appetite better than the, ahem, something-something of spiky sea-cucumber thingies with the mouthfeel of braaaiins?! Enjoy!

p.s. "spiky sea-cucumber thingies" are called "echinoids" by some people with fancy degrees. See, we know some big words! Oooh!

The fun part of exercising—eating!

Eating before and after exercise matters because it affects the quality and results of your efforts.

Before exercising
Make sure that you have enough energy to sustain the intensity of your workout. Eat a substantial meal (300-500) with a 2:1 ratio of complex carbs and protein. Candies and soda are nonsense carbs, so think whole grains. 

If it's been a while since you last ate, snack up on bananas, cereal, or something that's easy to digest (that is, not loaded with fat or fiber). It's a snack, OK, so 100-200 calories would do. Do I need to tell you that a wheel of aged cheddar is a bad idea?

While exercising
If you are going for long sessions, say, a 40-mile bike ride, you need to keep on snacking to keep yourself from bonking out. At a brisk pace, one can burn about 500-700 calories an hour (but the actual number of calories that you burn depends on a variety of factors, like your weight, muscle mass, intensity, and so on). 

It doesn't matter if you are not in the mood to chow. Remember the rule: Eat before your hungry, drink before you are thirsty. By the time you feel the pangs, it's too late. You're already approaching Bonksville.

After exercising
Help your muscles recover from the beating. Within 20 minutes of your exercise, eat a mix of protein and carbs, such as a fruit smoothie,  milk, or yogurt with fruits. Ricotta cheese is particularly promising. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that it eased workout-related muscle soreness. The cheese contains a type of amino acid essential for repairing exercise-worn muscles.

Don't pig out (like sucking in 40 ounces of smoothie) just because you burned some calories that day. Be consistent with your caloric intake, otherwise you'd be gaining some pudge along with muscle mass.

And don't forget to rest or do low intensity stuff for a couple of days after a really punishing workout. For dealing with muscle soreness, see the previous blog.