Standing Desk

I have written about the dangers of sitting, but hadn't done anything about it for myself. That all changed today. Now that I'm officially an employee at my job, and not a temp, I asked if I could set up my desk to stand, instead of sit. I got a weird look, but also the go-ahead. After moving a ton of computer cables, digging up some boxes for my keyboard and mouse, I've been standing the last few hours. I can feel that my muscles are not used to it. I am doing a lot of weight shifting to stay comfortable.

I finally took the plunge because I am working my glutes and hip flexors twice daily for physical therapy. Sitting seemed to be negating that effort. I did a bit of searching to find if my thinking had any basis in reality. Men's Health magazine explained it very simply. Every muscle in your body is covered with fascia that tends to set into the position the muscle holds most frequently. If you're like most people, you sit for at least 8 hours a day for your job, 1-2 hours or more for your commute, 1 hour for dining and then 1-3 hours for TV viewing or on the computer at home. That's a minimum of 12 hours of a 24 hour day when your legs are bent in a sitting position.

When you sit, your hip flexors and hamstrings are shorter than when you stand. If you sit for much of the day, the fascia gets used to/adapts to being shorter. This makes it difficult for it to lengthen and hold your posture upright. Also, they become the dominant muscles in the thigh, rather than the glutes and quads, which are perpetually stretched because of the bend when sitting. This all leads to poor body mechanics and eventually to injuries.

I'm sure that making the switch to a standing desk will lead to many, many questions from co-workers and others. My desk does have many people walking past on a daily basis, so I'm ready to answer all those questions. I know that what I'm doing is the healthiest thing for me, but I also know that it's out of the ordinary. I will try to remain un-defensive and un-preachy when answering those questions. I may also need to get myself some flat, comfortable black shoes for work. Standing in heels, even if only an 1 1/2 inches, is going to be uncomfortable.

Training Inspiration

I know it's corny and ridiculous. That doesn't mean it doesn't make me want to go and defeat the evil, cheating Russians. When HBO first had the rights to broadcast Rocky IV, they showed it almost back to back that weekend. I probably watched it four times in three days. I was 11 or 12 years old and thought it was awesome. I've since realized that it's cheesy, but I can't watch this montage without wanting to get up and move. I want to do 180 degree decline crunches. I want to break out the boxing game on the Wii again and throw some punches.

This clip also plays right to my issue with lifting weights. I do lift weights for my health and to look fierce, but I want to use my muscles in daily life. Unfortunately, in my daily life in the big city, it's rare that I get to lift anything other than a big bag of dog food or cat litter. That's part of the reason most people are out of shape; there are few opportunities to challenge their bodies. Unless those moments are created, they don't happen.

Technology has made our lives so physically easy that to make our bodies do what they are able and designed to do, we have to create artificial situations to challenge our muscles. We need to lift weights and run races. At first, it seems counter-intuitive to make our lives more physically challenging, but that's what our bodies want and need. The next time you see a labor-saving device, save yourself the money and keep that natural amount of labor in your life.

Athlete Artist

I love this photo. I love how the "artist" is just as muscular as the "athlete"

Source: Uploaded by user via Jordan on Pinterest

Muscles

Taking the garbage out today reminded me how happy I am to have muscles. The garbage was full, but not overly heavy. The outside of the bag was covered in coffee grounds, though. I didn't want to wipe it off, and I didn't want to get that on my clothes. I was able to hold the bag out far enough to keep it from being bumped or swinging into me as I walked down the two flights of stairs to the Dumpster.

When I got home tonight, I swept and mopped the apartment. It's not a huge apartment, but I did have to lug a mop bucket full of water around and push hard to clean up a few spills. This was all made easier because I'm stronger than I used to be.

I was able to handle these tasks easily because of lifting weights and building muscle. Not only does that make my arms look fierce, but it makes daily tasks easier. Carrying laundry, bringing groceries into the house, and cleaning are all normal activities that can be made easier through the addition of muscle.

And before any women worry that they'll get all huge, remember that you don't have enough testosterone to fuel huge muscles. For a woman to look like the picture below, she would either need to have androgen insensitivity syndrome, or use artificial means. Even with maximum effort, most women won't get more muscular than the woman directly above.

Muscle

People say that muscle weighs more than fat. That's like the old kids riddle: "Which ways more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?" They both weigh the same. A pound of one item weighs exactly the same as a pound of something else. What's really different is the volume. A pound of fat takes up 503 ml so if you have excess weight in the form of fat, just 4 pounds takes up the volume of a two liter bottle of soda. That's a lot to lug around.

A pound of muscle only take up about 427 ml. This isn't a big difference if you're comparing it to the volume of fat, but does explain how two people who weigh the same can look different. Muscle is tight and compact, but fat is loose, squishy and jiggly.
Comparing muscle volume to fat volume is something that really only holds value for the skinny-fat segment of society. That was me. I have a pair of jeans that are labeled size 3/4. They look good on me, but I mainly bought them because of the poor sizing. I am probably a size 6/8, but I can fit into these jeans. The last time I fit into them comfortably, I weighed at least 8 pounds less than I currently do. I was not fit, though. I was merely thin. I have removed some of those soda bottles of fat and added muscle, so I take up less space.

I look back at pictures from January of 2010 and know that I weigh about the same as I did at that point, yet I am firmer and tighter than I was then. I can fit into smaller clothes than I did at that point. That is the present that weight lifting and real fitness have given me. It's the same present that you can give to yourself.

Muscles

You may have heard that a pound of muscle burns 100 times as many calories as a pound of fat. You may have heard the stat as 50 times, because that was Dr. Oz's claim. Neither is true. The truth is that muscle burns 3 times as many calories as fat. That is an improvement, but won't help you lose much weight.


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"The bottom line is that weight loss is 90% about diet," obesity researcher Dr. Sue Pedersen, a specialist in endocrinology and metabolism in Calgary, told me. "The studies show that exercise alone is not going to result in weight loss."

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This does not mean people should avoid exercise and just watch their calories. Exercise has benefits beyond the scale. And you shouldn't avoid weights. The real benefit muscle has over fat is volume. Both the fat and the muscle in this image weigh one pound, but the fat takes up about 20% more space. Same number on the scale, but smaller waistband. Working out with weights may not make huge changes in your weight, but they may help with your size.

Muscles

I think the image says everything, but there is an entire study that goes along with these cross-sections of the thighs of athletes and a non-athlete. The dark matter that looks like the meat in a steak is muscle. (Just like the meat in a steak.) Look at how little muscle the non-athlete has.

Here's their synopsis: This study contradicts the common observation that muscle mass and strength decline as a function of aging alone. Instead, these declines may signal the effect of chronic disuse rather than muscle aging. This maintenance of muscle mass and strength may decrease or eliminate the falls, functional decline, and loss of independence that are commonly seen in aging adults.

Butt

I am not like the woman in this ad. I do not have a big, round butt shaped like the letter C. I have a bony butt. I have had a bony butt since I was a small child. I have always wanted a bigger butt, and am starting to get my wish granted. All of the squats, lunges and running are adding size to my gluteus maximus. I know some women would dread having their butt get bigger, but I welcome it. I think the women who dread these changes should take a cue from the Nike ad.

Slim Goodbody

As I was reading about the million muscles (only a slight exaggeration) that are part of every shoulder movement, Slim Goodbody's suit was suggested as a learning aid. If you are 40 years or younger, you probably remember seeing him on PBS as a child.

I don't think his suit would get into enough detail for me, but reading about him has been fascinating. He's been Slim Goodbody for 37 years. In an interview he said that his fundamental message is "Your body is full of wonders. That makes you wonderful. Respect and love yourself. You are a miracle." His chief desire is to help children build self-confidence and develop self-respect. Such a great goal. Reminds me of Mr. Rogers.

Day 17D--Measurements

I have been working out with the EA Active faithfully for about five weeks. I was seeing some physical changes in muscle tone and definition, but much of it was still hidden under fat. I had been watching my diet and trying to lose weight, but wasn't seeing any progress. I finally gave in and started Weight Watchers about 10 days ago. I am too poor and cheap to actually pay them, so I am piggy-backing onto another's online membership. I am using the minimum number of points that they set up, based on the relatively small amount of weight I would like to use. It's working, too. In 10 days, I have lost almost 2 pounds and am at my lowest weight in 2 years.

I know I shouldn't focus on weight, and that has not been my first goal or focus. I have mainly been noticing it because I know my body has more muscle, but I could feel the layer of fat over that muscle and realized that losing pounds is the only way to see the definition.

It's been one month since I did my last set of measurements, so it's time to remeasure and check for progress.

My weight is currently 136.5, which means a BMI of 24.14.

My waist is 30 inches. Down one inch!!!
My hips are 39 inches. Also down one inch!!!!

My waist to hip ratio is .76, just slightly better than last month.

According to one site that calculates body fat percentage based on these measurements, I have is estimated to be 30%, which is down 1% over the month.

Upper chest: 34
Under bust: 31
Thigh: 23
Calf: 13
Wrist: 6
Bicep: 11
Neck: 13
Forearm: 10

Most of the measurements have remained the same. My thigh has gotten bigger, but I can feel that it's stronger, so I'm not too worried about the increase in size.

I will be back in one month to take a new set of measurements. My goal is to lose a little on the waist and hips and several more pounds on the weight.

Day 1D--starting again

Six weeks on crutches and unemployment have done a number on me. I am sluggish, heavier and just plain out of shape. Now that I've ended my stint on crutches, it's time to get myself back into shape. My goal is just general better health, with a more specific goal of running the marathon next year. To achieve that specific goal, I will be targeting muscles that will help me improve my run performance. To determine which muscles to target, I will be doing research into anatomy and running injuries.




The first muscle that I know I need to work on is my quadiceps. It seems such a straight-forward muscle, but it's not focused on enough by many runners. It's the muscle that makes walking possible, but that doesn't give it enough work to fully strengthen it. To isolate the quadriceps, I will be doing wall squats. They consist of "sitting" with your back up against the wall and your feet about a 12 inches out but with no actual chair. It's amazing how quickly this will make your legs quiver in exhaustion.

Kathrine Switzer mentions this exercise in her book "Marathon Woman" and how she was insulted at the idea that she needed to strengthen her thighs, despite running 100 miles a week. Her first try she was able to hold it for 70 seconds. Later, she built up to 11 minutes. The doctor who gave her the exercise had never seen anyone exceed 4 minutes. I don't know if I will get up to 11 minutes, but need to improve on my current 25 seconds.

Day 74C--16 Miles

That is how far I ran on Saturday. A new personal record in both time and distance. Luckily, the heat and humidity broke a bit, so I didn't want to die right away. I did want to die about mile 12, though. My legs were starting to get super sore and did not want to keep going. The only thing that got me through the rest of the run was sheer stubbornness. I was not going to fail at my run. Here are my mile splits:
14:08--mile 1 (I have no idea why this was so slow.)
11:40--mile 2
11:36--mile 3
11:34--mile 4
12:23--mile 5
15:10--mile 6 (this included our first gatorade/water stop)
11:24--mile 7
11:43--mile 8
12:02--mile 9
12:48--mile 10
14:06--mile 11 (our second gatorade/water stop. Also lots of stretching)
13:11--mile 12
12:07--mile 13
13:51--mile 14 (third gatorade/water stop with hosing off.)
12:44--mile 15
11:49--mile 16

Because of the heat, we ran a 4:1 interval, instead of 5:1, so our overall pace was slower. Although, looking at the splits, I see that miles that we didn't stop for food or water were run at our normal 11:30 pace.

I wanted to cry when the run was done. My legs were so sore that driving was difficult. I had a hard time moving my right leg between the gas and the brake. I had to push it with my hand. Luckily, I was in really slow traffic and a short drive, so I didn't have to switch back and forth very often. I went home and spent much of the next hour soaking in a cold bath, which helped a lot. I was able to get out of the house later that day and walk to the train & to the movies.


This weekend's run has led me to discover a new muscle. It's commonly called the IT band, which is short for iliotibial band. I think mine became problematic from walking and running unevenly because of my tight calves. I will be spending the next few days stretching that out so I can continue to run comfortable. I will also make sure to keep my calves and thighs stretched so they don't put excess stress on my IT band.