tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60939382672288222682024-02-19T06:18:47.705-08:00That's How We BuildThis is a blog about our journey in health and fitness.<br>
Here you'll find our opinions, experiences, anecdotes, and the occasional oxford comma.<br>
We'll talk about about what we're learning, what we're eating, and our workouts.<br>
Why? Because. That's how we build.Donjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10111402333100429481noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093938267228822268.post-83181540087896709482015-02-22T14:18:00.002-08:002015-02-22T14:18:57.992-08:00Hello, Seth here.... So I realized that it has been a little while since Michael started this blog up, and I have yet to post, so I thought that I would rectify that. Hello, my name is Seth Bosch. Alright, well that is my post, thanks for reading..... Oh, it needs to be longer than that.... And needs to be more. Alright fine...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPz_pWk8ItGJsCIrjZPdaw4ZXYJME4c27ezPmv4OfH3iW11fpQRFW9LEBZ6bTwNNDuiPvWrLETdgXlk7ytU_h0OQ1a5UwTmxI2YXUur1tMH5fQWzqJvLbLItw2bIbNqEjzz-1D4xIqY-s/s1600/Arnold-Schwarzenegger-Recites-Lines-Reddit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPz_pWk8ItGJsCIrjZPdaw4ZXYJME4c27ezPmv4OfH3iW11fpQRFW9LEBZ6bTwNNDuiPvWrLETdgXlk7ytU_h0OQ1a5UwTmxI2YXUur1tMH5fQWzqJvLbLItw2bIbNqEjzz-1D4xIqY-s/s1600/Arnold-Schwarzenegger-Recites-Lines-Reddit.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
I have known Michael Ball for around 20 years; he is my best friend, and I miss getting to workout with him so much (1000 miles makes that difficult). Whereas Michael is the Science Guy, I have always been the Math Guy, because of that I am not as good of a writer as Michael, so I ask you to bear with me as I find my voice in this blog. When Michael asked me to do this I was not sure if I really wanted to do it, because I am not a strong writer, am not sure about how interesting my posts will be, and my workouts, that I have been doing by myself, have not been that interesting as of late. But then in thinking about it, I realized that those are the exact reasons why I <i>should </i>do it. I need to push myself in areas that I'm not strong in, because after all That's How We Build. <br />
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To give you a little history, I grew up in Rutland, Vermont, where I met Michael. I was there from just before I turned five to a few months after I turned 24. I went to a small Christian school that had its largest graduating class to-date the year I graduated, with seven students. During high school I played Soccer all four years, and Basketball for my freshman year, and weighed around 200 lbs. I have never been in super amazing shape, and during high school, it was only the afore-mentioned sports for exercise, and that was it: no gym, no weights and definitely no running. Then college came around, and I went to a state college with a full scholarship, one of the benefits of graduating from such a small school and being second in my class. People talk about the freshman 15, and I honestly don't think it was in the freshman year that I put on my weight, but I don't remember for sure. I worked out once during that first year in college that I remember, and I still have the scar to prove it (and the nickname Mortal Head Wound Seth from Michael's brother, Daniel). I will share that story in a later post. I had a few stints in college where I was very active; I took a racquetball course for an extra credit and fell in love with the sport. I met a friend that started working out with me and for a semester we were exercising 5 times a week. Eventually our schedules got out of sync, and I stopped going as regularly for quite some time. Then I got out of college and was working one job full time. I used the extra time that I had at the gym, going five days a week for, at the minimum, an hour a day. At that time I also became much more regimented about what I ate. Looking back at it now I was probably only eating 1500 to 2000 calories a day, which helped me lose about 65 lbs. When I really got into working out at this time, I was between 280 and 300 lbs, and a year and a half to two years later I was down to 215. This was the weight I was at when I moved to Florida, and when I got here I didn't keep all of my good habits: I stopped being as regimented with my diet and didn't work out for about 6 months. In that time I put back on about 35 lbs. I stayed at that weight for quite some time, roughly 2 years, but that has been changing as of late. As of writing this I am at 225 and dropping, and there are several factors that I can attribute to this, which I will get into later. I am very excited about my progress and have my goal set for lower than I was content with before.<br />
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My Current Stats (I don't have some of the accuracy that Michael does):<br />
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27 years old</div>
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6 ft tall (like Michael am really just under, but nobody asked you)</div>
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225 lbs</div>
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36-38 inch waist<br />
rough estimate of body fat% - I would say between 20% - 30%<br />
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Goals:</div>
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Stop aging</div>
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Grow Taller</div>
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Lose Weight</div>
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Lose Inches at the Waist</div>
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Lower My Body Fat %</div>
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Get Stronger</div>
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(Well, the bottom four are my real goals anyway)</div>
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I look forward to sharing my progress and insights as I travel on this journey with Michael and any of you out there that dare take it with us. </div>
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P. S. If you think that my writing is not that bad, my wonderful wife, Stephanie, helped me fix it up so that it was not a jumbled mess! Love you, Stephanie!!</div>
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P. P. S. I decided that my post needed an unusual Arnold picture! Hope you enjoyed it!! Because "It's fantastic!"</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073966264571350787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093938267228822268.post-67450476469018110342015-02-15T13:36:00.003-08:002015-02-15T13:53:21.800-08:00Body Fat % (feat. BMR & TDEE)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has always been important for me to record my progress in some way. For example, I record what weights I used the last time I did a particular workout and how many times I moved said weight from point A to point B. If I don't have a planned workout where I can document my progression day to day and week to week, I cannot feel motivated. I think it's important to have not only an objective but also, inherent with many goals, the ability to observe success. There should be some relatively consistent metric of success that is directly pertinent to your objective.</span><br />
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What is your objective in fitness? What goals do you have in mind, and how are you measuring your success?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I mentioned this in an earlier post, but my current immediate goals strictly pertaining to my natural fitness are simply:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Goals</span></h3>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gain strength (gain 5-10 pounds muscle in as many months)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maintain BF%</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Discover a diet (read<i> long term changes in</i> <i>nutritional health</i>) that works for me</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3-5 days of exercise a week</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2-3 hours of cardio. a week</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first goal may seem very broad or generic, and that's why I included the parenthesis including a potential indirect measurement. I believe that increasing my strength is probably the most realistic and important thing I can focus on right now regarding my fitness and what I'm looking to achieve (here's looking at you, Captain America). I fluctuate in weight daily by about 1-3 pounds, and someone that is larger than me and wanting to lose weight will differ even more day to day. Additionally, for someone who is looking to gain healthy weight, the truth is that one can expect <i>maybe</i> 1-2 pounds of muscle gain a month with proper and dedicated nutrition coincident with a consistent workout regiment. <br /><br />For the past four weeks, I've increased my caloric intake (trying for lots of protein and some carbs on workout days, and protein and fruits and healthy fats on off/cardio days) and have spent a minimum of 3 days at the gym a week, with strength training workouts that last typically 1 hr 45 min to 2 hours. I have gone from a weekly average weight of 171 lbs to 170 lbs. So, I don't believe that using weight as a readout on it's own is a very accurate or healthy way to gauge success. At least for me. I am getting stronger, and my musculature in general is looking a little more defined, so there is a better way to determine my success. In my research thus far, aka reading endless opinions, blogs, and forums on the internet (and inevitably Nerd Fitness), diet seems to be the #1 aspect of success regardless of what your goals are (lose fat, gain muscle, <a href="http://i.imgur.com/JvoLJS4.jpg">perfect djent crab-core rocker stance</a>). Following that, the next integral ingredient is just unpasteurized, calcium-laden determination. I'll get there!</span><br />
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I want to include here, as if this wasn't obvious (though I think we do all forget from time to time), that everyone is different. Genetic predispositions can lead one to retain fat at a much higher rate than others, while for others gaining muscle seems to happen in their sleep. What's important is that we discover for ourselves what we've been given at the starting line, and not use any of it as an excuse. We all have different propensities in all areas of fitness, and if something comes more arduously and painfully for us than for others, it's important we get our mental attitude about it right. It doesn't mean <i>we can't do it</i>, or <i>it just isn't fair</i>, but instead simply means we have to work that much harder for it. The truth is, you are the only one that can live your life. It doesn't matter if someone else can "eat whatever they want and stay so thin without even trying!", they're playing a different game of life, and their rules don't apply to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So now I'll describe what I've decided to try as my metrics for success. Firstly, my goals are to gain strength and get bigger. I don't want to ride 200 miles on a bike, or run a 6 minute mile, or lose 10 pounds, or do a back-flip. Maybe do a back-flip. Regardless, I won't be gauging my success by how well I can do those things - makes sense, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Metrics For Success</span></h3>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Am I lifting heavier weights?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Use a couple benchmark lifts (bench press, dead lift, squat...)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Measurements</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chest, waist, thighs, biceps, etc...<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G7YW7Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"> I use this tape measure</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Body Fat (BF) %</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Weight (yes, weight so I can get a calculation for BF)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Progress Pics</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes it's hard to see the changes in the short term.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Attitude</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Am I happy? Gotta be honest with yourself.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now brace yourself. What follows is a series of screen shots detailing what I use to calculate my BF%, my basal metabolic rate (BMR; how many calories my body needs to stay alive and function optimally), and my total daily energy expenditure (TDEE; how many calories I need to maintain the weight I am at). Also, my opinions. So, if you're interested in these things for curiosity sake or to try yourself, here it is.</span><br />
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The site I use for the calculations is falled Fat2FitTools.com<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/fPm8vtn.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/fPm8vtn.png" height="494" width="900" /></a></div>
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<br />The first of these tools we'll be looking at is the Military Body Fat calculator. I've tested other versions of tape-measure based body fat calculations, and I have found that the Military Body Fat calculator tends to lie in the middle, and from what I've read, is typically only ~1 % off of the more accurate caliper measurement methods. For the absolute best BF % calculations, you will need to find a facility where they do submersion analysis, where you float in a tank. Yes, it does sound like fun!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are my measurements:</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/uW1nO6a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/uW1nO6a.png" height="494" width="900" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br />The math if you're interested: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Male </b>= 495/(1.0324-0.19077(log(w-n))+0.15456(log(h)))-450</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Female </b>= 495/(1.29579-0.35004(log(w+h-n))+0.22100(log(h)))-450</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Variables</b>: n = neck, h = height, w = waist, h = hips</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the readout:</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/StmzzbW.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/StmzzbW.png" height="383" width="900" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is a chart of what your body fat calculation means, according to the American Council on Exercise: </span><br />
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<a href="http://cdn.builtlean.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.builtlean.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mine was 12.6% last week, and 13.4% this week, but that difference could be simply be because I took measurements at different times of the day. So, consistency is key - for me, I am choosing to take my measurements on Saturday mornings, after coffee but before food from now on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, onto the calorie stuff! Again, everyone is different - a unique snowflake of predisposition, predilection, and environment. Our bodies interact with calories differently from each other, but the basic premise of more calories out than in (for weight loss; reverse that for weight gain) stands true for everyone. Some individuals have inefficient fat cells, which means when your body needs energy, they are greedy and won't let energy (fat) out, make you crave more input (food). Luckily, I learned from my favorite fitness site that several studies have demonstrated that regardless of genetic differences, we all fall within <a href="http://examine.com/faq/does-metabolism-vary-between-two-people.html">200-300 kcal of each other on the scale of metabolic efficiency</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moving on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Your BMR is how many calories everything in your body burns excluding your fat tissue (aka, lean body mass). These are the calories you need to live. TDEE, is a calculated estimate of how many calories you need to consume in order to maintain or achieve increased/decreased weight. Now that I have my BF%, I can calculate these numbers.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/JSqQh1S.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/JSqQh1S.png" height="422" width="900" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The reason you put in your CURRENT weight into both the CURRENT and GOAL weight section is to determine your TDEE. If you want to lose weight at a certain activity level, aim for calories below that number. For example, my BMR and TDEE:</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/MFvG3R0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/MFvG3R0.png" height="363" width="900" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/X1JiFmR.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/X1JiFmR.png" height="259" width="900" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />It's the Katch-Mcardle Formula that takes into account your lean body mass based on your BF%. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">[Maths, because Seth likes that sort of thing]</span><br />
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Harris-Benedict Formula: </h4>
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<li style="text-align: left;">MenBMR = 66.473 + (13.7516 x weight in kg) + (5.0033 x height in cm) – (6.7550 x age in years)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">WomenBMR = 655.0955 + (9.5634 x weight in kg) + (1.8496 x height in cm) – (4.6756 x age in years)</li>
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Katch-McArdle Formula:</h4>
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<li style="text-align: left;">P = 370 + (21.6*LBM)</li>
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My understanding of the derivation of these coefficients and combinations of numbers is that they were formed based on indirect measurements of metabolism via gas exchange rates amongst large populations. Additionally, the TDEE calculations are based on multiplying the Harris-Benedict results by some coefficient depending on which activity level category you fall into.<br />
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I'm not big into calorie counting, though I've tried it at times, like when I used to think I needed to lose weight, and it was unhealthy for me. But, in my quest of building mass now, I may need to start paying a little more attention to it again.<br />
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This has already become a very long post, so I will sign off for now. I hope some of you are able to use this information to form an adequate series of metrics to measure your success towards your fitness goals. For me, this is my starting point. In a few months, or maybe even sooner, I plan to post some progress pictures.<br />
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Thanks for reading! Go forth and be fit.<br />
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~Michael</div>
Donjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10111402333100429481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093938267228822268.post-62721495601230173302015-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:002015-02-14T14:08:45.819-08:00Making fitness a priority<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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I have decided to make fitness a priority. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Not just because of the sweet, sweet gains. Not because I’m vain and want mirrors
to shatter on the edges of my startlingly chiseled rectus abdominis, and
certainly not because I have too much time to kill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
reality is I am making it a priority because I know it has the potential to supplement,
power, and drive all other aspects of my life. Steve Kamb, author of the
fitness/health website Nerd Fitness, recently published an article talking
about this very topic and his personal experience with it: <a href="http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2015/01/26/why-you-need-to-be-selfish-and-put-fitness-first/" target="_blank">Why You Need to BeSelfish And Put Fitness First</a> (contains some adult language). I highly
recommend Nerd Fitness to anyone wanting to get fit, and especially those that are
nerds at heart like me, and enjoy thinking of things in the context of our
nerdom. In brief, he relates how he has put fitness first the past 13 months,
and seen remarkable changes in his life, not just physically, but in all
aspects. Some of the key points:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Simply, if you put fitness first, you will get fit.</span></li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">"Not today" or "I can’t" are not even
options.</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">You will be forced to be efficient to make time for your health.</span></li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">At work, at home,
everywhere. And you’ll have the energy to do it!</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">You will save money in the long run (efficiency is key)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">You will realize that you have more time than you thought.</span></li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">You will find what has been
taking your time and what isn’t a priority to you.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Sure,
it sounds all well and good. But you actually have to do it. So many of us are
convinced that there just isn’t the time or means to do it. But there is! Our
lives feel packed to the brim and overflowing, but a lot of that is perception
and a lot of that is unnecessary<i> (hardest
word to spell ever) </i>garbage that doesn’t reflect what we truly want out of
our lives or for ourselves. There is a way to do it. We could complain all year
long about how we wish we could stick with it/be healthier/start eating better,
or we could make the commitment and necessary sacrifices to do it. One point of
advice that was particularly helpful to me from the Nerd Fitness article was to
stop thinking about fitness in terms of days and weeks, and think about it in
terms of months and years. It’s about months and years. This is a lifestyle,
with real benefits, but you have to live it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In
my personal experience, and I would expect many people can relate, I would work
out consistently for a few months, and feel the best I’ve ever felt. I would
say things like “I just feel so much better when I’m working out!” or “I know
that when I’m working out and getting enough sleep I am at my best: positive,
energized, confident - I need to keep this up!” Then, inevitably, the late
night study session or sleepy mid-week-workout-wimp-out occurs, and I’m off my
game. One thing leads to the next, and before I know it I’m sitting at my
computer 4 months later wondering where all the time has gone, and resembling
the chair-bound blimp people in the movie WALL-E. I can no longer accept “I
just want to relax” or “I need to skip the gym to get this work done” as
excuses for not being committed to my health. If I ever do accept these things,
then I will never get to where I want to be.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
all of course is in the context of being the healthiest I can. So, in case of
an injury or medical situation, I will obviously do what I need to and limit
what I need in order to get better and keep making progress. That brings us
back to thinking in terms of years, not weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lastly,
I will say that this has much more to do with my being as a whole than my physical
body. If I want to succeed and excel in the physical realm I need to interact
with it in an optimal and efficient way. By making fitness a priority, it begins
to filter out the excess garbage (as Steve Kamb says, "yes, you’ll probably
need to give up a few crappy TV shows"), builds discipline, and clears my mind and
only facilitates my conversations in my spirit. When I think about my body ‘as a temple’, I don’t think about it all religious-y with the idea that I have to make it pretty for Jesus to come live inside. But instead, it makes much more sense to think about it in the context of 1) yes a temple should be beautiful and well maintained, but mainly 2) if things are supposed to get done and business is supposed to be taken care of, the temple must be clean and efficient and able to move. It makes me think of Howl’s moving castle, but more elegant of a machine perhaps.</span></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/p7IC84g.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/p7IC84g.gif" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What
are your thoughts about making fitness a priority? What are your reasons for
not being able to? I am trying to convince you that you should care about it,
why aren’t you convinced? Why are you convinced?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Live
long and prosper,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Donjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10111402333100429481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093938267228822268.post-29806378848980128682015-01-23T13:34:00.001-08:002015-02-14T14:02:47.298-08:00A Little About Michael<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Another welcome to THWB! Now, allow me to introduce myself. My
name is Michael Ball, and I am graduate student at Dartmouth College studying
tumor immunology; specifically the function and regulation of tumor associated
macrophages within solid tumors, such as breast tumors. These cells are an integral
part of your immune system which, in a healthy context, engulf pathogens (bugs),
activate your adaptive immune system (antibodies and cells that kill other
cells!), and produce many factors with a wide variety of inflammatory effects
(ice until the swelling goes down). Conversely, they also play a pivotal role
in immune-suppression so as to prevent autoimmunity (for example), dead cell
removal, wound healing, and the development of new blood vessels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/lD77r2O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/lD77r2O.jpg" height="281" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small; text-indent: 0.5in;">The mighty macrophage, valliantly overthrowing</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">a tiny pez-worm regime! I think.. ::</span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">squints</i></span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">:: ... trust me. I'm a scientist</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">This varietal,
and even antithetical, repertoire of functions macrophages possess is
critical for your body’s homeostasis. In the tumor, macrophages are tricked to
believe there is a wound to heal and normal self-tissue to protect, and set
about dampening immune responses that would otherwise get rid of the caner,
encouraging new vessel growth that provides nutrients and oxygen needed for
tumor growth, and even assist in destabilizing the extra-cellular matrix
holding the tumor together allowing for potential metastases. My research is looking at reversing the role of these macrophages, convincing them engage in a
more appropriate reaction to their surrounding environment. Macrophages that would enter the other potential activation state of inflammation and initiating an adaptive immune response
would be detrimental to the cancer cells of most solid tumors. I personally
believe that we, like the multifaceted macrophage (objectively the most
important cell-type in the entire world), have such a capacity to interact with
life and the universe. There is no strict dichotomy with regards to macrophages,
i.e. pro- versus anti-inflammatory, but instead they exist along a spectrum of
activation states, modifying their response via cues from, and interactions
with their environment. We do it too. And sometimes, we don’t quite get our
response right. And sometimes, we get it completely wrong, or are tricked by
what’s around us that we are interacting with to perform in a manner entirely
detrimental to the body.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Part of my desire in writing THWB is
to address the reality that there are aspects of my life, each instance to the
next, that I can react in much, even much much, dare I say much</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">3</sup><span style="text-align: justify;">,
better. Not all of them need to be addressed, but then again, one can live a
very long time with a host of ailments. Grand analogy/ research tie-in aside,
the way we treat our bodies and what we put in them has remarkable consequences
for our health. For example, research done in the United Kingdom suggests that
32% of the most common cancers in the UK are entirely preventable by lifestyle
choices such as diet and exercise, not smoking/ reduced alcohol intake[1]. Overweight
and obesity is a category that as of 2008, accounts for 68% of our adult population
here in the USA[2] (obesity accounts for over one third of the US population,
or 35%[3]). The stats for ages 2-20 year olds isn’t much better. There is a
host of diseases associated with overweight and obesity alone, including heart
disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and different cancers. And those listed are some of the main causes of preventable death. For a list of some of the cancers
currently known to have attributable risk associated with overweight and
obesity and some information in regards to the research, you can look at the
National Cancer Institute’s website[2] cancer.gov (albeit a little outdated in
my opinion). In reality though, talking about
overweight and obesity only acknowledges the symptom of many changeable
life-style choices. I’m not making a point of writing about this in order to
condemn anybody or even myself. Instead, to me, this is some of the most
hopeful information available in the news these days. I know I can make a difference
in my own life, and not just decrease my chances of a slew of diseases (a nice effect
though), but increase my ability to experience life and all that I am capable
of; all that I was created to do. I’m not so foolish as to believe I won’t get
sick if I work out constantly, or even that I’ll attain enlightenment from
eating a Paleolithic diet, but I am equally not so foolish as to believe that
simply because I have a relationship with my Creator that I can forgo the
realities of his creation. If anything, those realities and necessities of life
are part of what make it worth living, and what hone us and shape us into what
is our true nature. Some people might think they don’t need medicine, to pay
attention to what they eat, to exercise, because they want to enjoy life and
because God will protect them. To that I would just say, paying attention to what
goes into my body (oh man do I need to work on this!) and exercise only enhances how I enjoy life, and I do feel protected,
but for some reason I still have to sleep, eat, and breathe. And that’s just
the easy stuff.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Oh right, so about me. I am a
graduate student, a musician, I’m learning to snowboard, and I want to be fit. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">My stats currently:</span></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">6 feet </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">::read 5' 11</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">3/4</span><span style="font-size: large;">''::</span></i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">170 lbs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Probably about 15% body fat (I will be posting about this later)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Work out 3-4 days a week (ideally)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At the moment eating whatever</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My goals: </span></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Gain 1/4" in height <i>::deletes heading titled, "I can dream..."::</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Gain 10 lbs while maintaining 15% BF or less (or whatever I'm at, better estimates to come)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Be conscious of what I'm eating, understand it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Make fitness a <a href="http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2015/01/26/why-you-need-to-be-selfish-and-put-fitness-first/" target="_blank">priority</a> (some adult language)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I want you to be fit, too. I really do. I’d like you to
get fit and to get fit with you! Let’s not just talk about what we’re going to
do, let’s talk about what we did and what we are doing. Ask yourself, “am I going to workout/ eat a
small dinner/ drink plenty of water today?” The answer is either yes or no.
Pick one, and nothing in between. That’s how we build.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>http://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/cancer-preventability-statistics</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">2.</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/obesity</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Donjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10111402333100429481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093938267228822268.post-4314243240606450652015-01-21T20:38:00.006-08:002015-01-27T07:04:42.718-08:00Welcome<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Welcome
to That's How We Build, a blog about exercise, fitness, health, and et cetera!
Before this fitness/progress/health science/pumped up kicks/opinion blog, I attempted something similar several years
ago that quickly became my online food diary and then quickly died. Food diaries are a great and useful tool when trying to control your
food intake, and I highly recommend doing it. If you take a picture of every
meal you eat with your smart phone and let your eyes feast upon your gallery of
gorging at the end of the day, a pretty profound realization of how much one
actually consumes sets in. Regardless, I never intended that to become the
entire focus on my blog HoldStronger, but nevertheless it did. What I was after
was a place that I could use for delving into whatever health related topic I
was on, keep track of my progress to hold myself accountable, and would essentially
be an expression of the multifaceted reality of what it means to be healthy - and
maybe even help someone looking for that same thing. It's a lot to keep track
of, and the reality is no less daunting for each one of us that is trying to
better ourselves. It is possible however, and I intend to see myself become all
that I can be, mind and body. Today we begin again, not on my own this time but
bolstered anew by my co-blogger and greatest of friends Seth Bosch, who thoroughly
understands what it means to say "that's how you build!" A very real inspiration to me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm
not sure what form this blog will end up taking on as it develops, but I'm
excited to see. I have a feeling Seth and I can put together a mean blog. Feel free to join us on this adventure, message us, disagree with
us, get fit with us! If there's a personal story you would like to share or something you would like us to look into, let us know. There are literally thousands of exercise blogs and health
web sites that have tips, tricks, and topics galore, so what you'll find here
is our exploration through all of that information, in search of truth and health
and happiness and the elusive pump.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/IyOqCG3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/IyOqCG3.jpg" height="198" title="" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That pump.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thank you for reading, and we hope your journey leads you to success in all you need to accomplish.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"I
will persevere until I hold in my hand the dream I hold in my heart." ~
Apostle F. Nolan Ball</span></div>
Donjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10111402333100429481noreply@blogger.com0