The Definition of Experiment

Recently, it was brought to my attention by an acquaintance, that in order to perform an experiment, you need to have one variable and one/multiple constants. They argued that because I am not only doing Burpees, but also cutting out bad-for-you foods, that I am introducing two variables which would negate the experiment. Now I'm always appreciative of any and all feedback/criticism. In fact, I welcome it. But I just wanted to set the record straight before starting this "experiment". I am no scientist, nor do I claim to be one, and I'm not looking for any statistical significance here.

The dictionary describes an experiment as a method of testing with the goal of explaining the nature of reality. My objective is to do just that, in the most general sense. I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say it's common knowledge that eating less fast food and drinking less soda will lead to a healthier life style.

Enter stage left: The Burpee

Without this squat thrusting beast of a workout, this "experiment" would end up being just another stupid diet fad. And we all know what happens to stupid diet fads. After Oprah gives up on them, they end up becoming a memory we'd all like to forget, much like many of the "one-hit wonders" of the 80's...Rick Astley anyone???

With all that being said, I will begin my "experiment" in exactly 4 days. Just enough time to enjoy one last hurrah before the New Year.

I'll leave you with the ever inspirational words of the great fluctuator, Ms. Oprah Winfrey:

"Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right."

L&R,

Drew

Fitness Test Results

As I alluded to in an earlier post, I decided on "The President's Challenge" for my official fitness test to be performed before the New Year. Listed below are my results:

Personal Information
State: Texas

Gender: Male
Age: 27

Aerobic Fitness
1.5 Mile Run Time: 12 minutes 08 seconds
Heart Rate: 180 bpm (beats per minute)

Muscular Strength

Half Sit-ups (in one minute): 60

Push-ups (in one minute): 56

Flexibility

Sit and Reach: 12 inches from knees (pretty terrible...)

Body Composition

Height: 5 feet 10 inches

Weight: 156 lbs.

Waist Measurement: 32 inches

BMI/Body Mass Index: 22.4

Along with these results I have taken a few pre-game pictures of myself for both your enjoyment and my records:

Picture taken 12/21/2011 @ 3:00 p.m. CST

Hopefully we'll see some physical changes over the next year that make this experiment a success. In the the meantime, I hope everyone has a fat and happy Christmas!

And in the spirit of the season, I'll leave you with a totally irrelevant yet hilarious quote from one of my favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan:

"Ever wonder what people got Jesus for Christmas? It's like, 'Oh great, socks.You know I'm dying for your sins right? Yea, but thanks for the socks! They'll go great with my sandals. What am I German?'"

L&R
Drew

The Ever-Awkward Physical (and results!)

After submitting my body for the ever-awkward yearly physical, I have listed below the results of both the physical check-up as well as my blood work.

Physical Results (December 14th, 2011):

• Height: 5'10"
• Weight: 156 lbs.
• Body Mass Index (BMI): 22.4 (in the normal range of 18.5-25)
• Temperature: 98.6 F
• Blood Pressure: 122/78
• Pulse: 66 beats per minute (bpm)

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel:

Glucose: 109 (expected range 65 - 100)

BUN: 17 (8 - 25)

Creatinine: 1.0 (0.8 - 1.4)

eGFR: 90 (>60)

BUN/Creat: 17 (6 - 28)

Sodium: 137 (133 - 146)

Potassium: 3.7 (3.5 - 5.3)

Chloride: 102 (97 - 100)

Carbon Dioxide: 29 (18 - 30)

Calcium: 9.5 (8.5 - 10.5)

Protein: 7.3 (6.0 - 8.4)

Albumin: 4.8 (2.9 - 5.0)

Globulin: 2.5 (2.0 - 3.8)

A/G Ratio: 1.9 (0.9 - 2.5)

Bilirubin: 0.6 (0.1 - 1.3)

Alkaline Phosphatase: 76 (30 - 132)

SGOT (AST): 19 (5 - 35)

SGPT (ALT): 25 (7 - 56)

CBC W/ Auto Diff:

White Bood Count: 4.9 (expected range 4.0 - 11.0)

Red Blood Count: 5.46 (4.10 - 5.70)

Hemoglobin: 15.1 (13.0 - 17.0)

Hematocrit: 46.2 (37.0 - 49.0)

Mean Corpuscular Volume: 84.6 (80.0 - 100.0)

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin: 27.7 (27.0 - 34.0)

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration: 32.7 (32.0 - 35.5)

Red Cell Distribution Width: 14.0 (11.0 - 15.0)

Platelet Count: 273 (130 - 400)

Lipid Panel:

Cholesterol: 174 (120 - 200)

Triglycerides: 72 (30 - 200)

HDL Cholesterol: 61 (30 - 70)

LDL Cholesterol: 99 (0-129)

As you can see by all of these numbers (half of which I haven't a clue, but plan on learning about), it appears that I'm already in fairly good condition going into this experiment. Nevertheless, I felt it was crucial to have this documented in order to compare the results after an entire year of eating healthier and doing nothing but Burpees. I will also be taking pictures of myself for documentation in the next post regarding the Physical Fitness Test results.

Along with the next post, I plan on continuing to take pictures every month for the entire year to document any changes in my physical/muscular appearance. My hope is that by the end of next year, I will not only see a change in my physical appearance, but also experience a dramatic change in my flexibility, core strength, cardiovascular endurance and even a small change in my overall attitude. All while doing nothing but Burpees.

I'll leave you with a somewhat relevant quote from Thomas Jefferson:

"Exercise and application produce order in our affairs, health of body, cheerfulness of mind, and these make us precious to our friends."

L&R,

Drew

The Last Meal

Much like a death-row inmate's last meal before traveling to the great beyond, I too will be indulging in a last meal of sorts. Before I begin my year long journey through the 9 circles of Burpee Hell, my stomach will be occupied one last time by an old friend, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonald's. Yes, this cheesy, meaty, and greasy mound of deliciousness is my "last meal" of choice.

Sure, I could have chosen Fried Chicken from Bush's or a Gut Pak from Vitek's, both some of Waco's finer establishments, but to me the DQP best represents the food addiction wave that has washed over America these past 50 years. A wave that I plan to conquer by completely cutting this kind of food from my diet. My hope is that I will not only be able to stop eating fast food throughout the next year, but also continue this throughout the rest of my life. And what better food to both start and end with than the McDonald's hamburger, a longstanding staple in the fast food industry.

One thing that trainers and fitness enthusiasts will always tell you is that getting in shape requires a complete and total lifestyle change, and that my friends starts with the food you eat.

I'll leave you today with a quote from well known author and nutritionist, Adelle Davis:

"We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are."

L&R,

Drew

The President's Challenge

As I've said in previous posts, I plan on participating in a physical fitness test toward the end of December and documenting my results before I start on my Burpee adventure. Although there are literally thousands of variations of tests you can choose from online, I figured why not go with one that's been certified by the president himself. Below is the link to "The President's Challenge : Adult Fitness Test".

http://www.adultfitnesstest.org/

If you follow the link and click on "take the adult fitness test", then click on the data collection form link, you will be able to see the different exercises the test requires. Now there's obviously not a lot to this test, but it covers the basic exercises that everyone should be able to do effectively without feeling like they're having a heart attack afterward. Along with the fitness test, I will be having a physical performed by my doctor as well. I'll post the results once they are measured.

Since I'm doing "The President's Challenge", I thought I'd leave you with a presidential quote from John F. Kennedy:

"Physical Fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity."