Falling Off the Wagon

My name is Drew Snyder, and I'm a cheese cake addict. No, not just the normal fluffy white cheese cake you can find at almost any restaurant in New York City. No, I'm in love with fried cheese cake.

Pictured: Heaven

Yes, that's right. A few weeks ago, I unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) indulged in this guilty pleasure when it was erroneously brought to our table by our unknowing, yet thoughtful waiter. I like to picture Paula Dean waiting back in the kitchen telling the waiter that the skinny guy up front needs some cake to fatten him up...

Pictured: The Devil

Now, I'm writing this post not to make myself feel better for getting this off my chest, but rather to reassure all of you that it's okay to fall off the wagon every now and again. It's not the end of the world (unless the Mayan conspirators are right...).

For most people, "falling off the wagon" means to take up drinking again after you've quit for good. But I'm going to use this phrase to describe any mistakes people make while trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Of course, as I said above, I made my first mistake of the year by going against "The Burpee Diet" and eating some pretty fattening cheesecake.

Of course now, I could either sit and regretfully dwell upon this slip-up, or I can use this as motivation to work harder throughout my workouts. I choose what's behind door number 2.

With all that being said, my workout results from Week 6 are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
2/6/2012	Climber	4	6 min  39 sec	60 sec	40
2/7/2012	Ladder	15	22 min 25 sec	70 sec	120
2/8/2012	Pull-up	5	9 min 29 sec	60 sec	50
2/9/2012	REST
2/10/2012	Lunges	7	13 min 26 sec	60 sec	70
2/11/2012	Mix	6	11 min 23 sec	60 sec	60
2/12/2012	REST

And today I leave you with a quote from the great American essayist, lecturer, and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."

L&R,

Drew

The Change-Up

I've now marched on through the first four weeks repeating the same workout over and over again while slowly increasing the number of reps I performed each day, and now I feel it's time to change things up a bit.

As you may or may not have known already, there are countless ways to vary up your workouts, especially when it comes to Burpees. But for now I'm specifically going to focus on three new moves that I'll be adding to my weekly workouts over the next month.

#1 - The Pullup

 

#2 - The Mountain Climber

#3 - The Lunge

Now you may be asking yourselves, "What about the Burpees?!", but don't you worry your pretty little heads. These forms of exercise can easily be added to the workout without compromising the original Burpee technique, the squat thrust. 

I've also attached a quick video not only displaying all three moves, but also showing that this workout is great even in a confined space, such as my office...or a jail cell.

And as always, I've listed my weekly workout results below for the start of Month 2:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
1/30/2012	Climber	4	7 min 45 sec	60 sec	40
1/31/2012	Ladder	15	22 min 30 sec	70 sec	120
2/1/2012	Pull-up	5	9 min 38 sec	60 sec	50
2/2/2012	REST
2/3/2012	Lunges	7	13 min 36 sec	60 sec	70
2/4/2012	Mix	6	11 min 42 sec	60 sec	60
2/5/2012	REST

side note:
Pull-ups per set = 10 reps (3 on Mix days)

Lunges per set = 10 reps (2 on Mix days)

Mountain Climbers per set = 10 reps (1 on Mix days)

And in the spirit of change, I'll leave you with a quote from the great Aristotle:

"Change in all things is sweet."

L&R,

Drew

Reaching the Plateau

As I ploddingly drag my abused body toward the summit of that Burpee plateau, I am left with a feeling of both triumph and relief.

Pictured: Triump and Relief

Yes, I know it's only been one month. Yes, I know I still have roughly 240 more days of Burpees ahead of me. And yes, I used the word ploddingly. Look it up.

But I've passed the first test I set out for in this experiment and did so while constantly pushing myself to work harder every day. That, to me, is something to be proud of.

With that being said, here are my final workout results from the first month:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
1/23/2012	Ladder	14	20 min 32 sec	70 sec	105
1/24/2012	Ladder	14	20 min 38 sec	70 sec	105
1/25/2012	Ladder	14	20 min 36 sec	70 sec	105
1/26/2012	REST
1/27/2012	Ladder	14	20 min 29 sec	70 sec	105
1/28/2012	Ladder	15	22 min 43 sec	70 sec	120
1/29/2012	REST

Now that I've reached the plateau of 120 burpees in a day, I figure it's time to post my monthly picture update:

As you can see, not a lot has changed in terms of my physical appearance, but I can easily tell my cardiovascular endurance has improved substantially since the start. I also understand the physical results will take time, but I know they'll come if I continue to stay the course.

This next month brings about a new round of Burpees, and with it a renewed sense of pressure on myself to perform without fail.

But as our beloved 2011 Heisman winner, Robert Griffin III, said in his victory speech:

"No pressure, no diamonds."

L&R,
Drew

Vanquishing the Beast

Week three has been thoroughly vanquished, and already in my journey I've gained awareness on quite a few things I thought I'd share with all of you.

First off, slowly but surely things are getting easier. As my body is getting used to the burpees, I've noticed my soreness recovery time getting shorter and shorter. Second, to a very small degree, I now understand what it feels like for a chain smoker to quit cigarette's cold turkey. Since giving up on fast food, beer, and snack food, I've found myself craving them at all different times of the day. I even had a vivid dream recently involving the infamous red solo cup and peanut butter cookies...Explain that one.

But one thing I've also noticed, is that my drive to work harder has increased over these past three weeks. Not only have I been more motivated in my workouts. I've also been more active in both my work, and around the house (my wife thoroughly appreciates this).

However, this doesn't mean that I'm not fatigued and worn out from these workouts. And I'm not going to lie. After the first week, I was seriously questioning whether or not I was crazy for starting this experiment in the first place.

But since then, I've had a couple changes in my overall attitude. I came into this experiment excited and a little nervous. After the first week, I felt miserable at how ridiculously tired and sore I was. Now, after three weeks of burpees, I can say that I'm happily exhausted. For any of you that work out on a regular basis, you may not enjoy your workouts, but one thing I feel we can all agree on is that afterward we feel a sense of accomplishment.

With that being said, the results of this weeks' 'accomplishment' are posted below:

Date Workout Sets Total Time Beak Time Per Set Total Burpees 1/16/2012 Ladder 12 13 min 41 sec 50 sec 78 1/17/2012 Ladder 13 17 min 25 sec 60 sec 91 1/18/2012 Ladder 13 16 min 53 sec 60 sec 91 1/19/2012 REST 1/20/2012 Ladder 13 16 min 50 sec 60 sec 91 1/21/2012 Ladder 13 16 min 46 sec 60 sec 91 1/22/2012 REST

Whether it be the endorphin coursing through my body or a trick my mind's playing on me, I'm actually starting to look forward to these workouts every day. Winston Churchill said it best when he stated:

"Attitude is a little thing, that makes a big difference."

L&R,
Drew

Reservation for Burpee, Party of One

One question that's been posed to me a few times since the start of this experiment is, "Since you've put so many restrictions in place for your diet, what is it that you CAN eat?"

Now I'm not going to take up an entire blog post discussing all of the foods I can and can't eat, but I will be throwing in "shout outs" over the coming months, spotlighting different healthy products that I've deemed worthy of consuming.

One healthy snack alternative I thought deserved a shout out, is a cookie I've recently been made aware of, produced by a brand called WhoNu?. This cookie manufacturer boasts that their products are an excellent source of Calcium, Iron, Vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E, while also having as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal. Now, I have to say at first I was a little skeptical of any kind of "health" cookie that's supposed to rival the juggernaut that IS Oreo, but I must say, after trying them I actually found them to be quite tasty.

Sure, they aren't Oreos, but if you're looking for a healthy cookie replacement, I say look no further!

Who knew??

Now on to the nitty gritty! My workout results for the week are posted below:

Date Workout Sets Total Time Beak Time Per Set Total Burpees 1/9/2012 Ladder 11 10 min 41 sec 40 sec 66 1/10/2012 Ladder 11 10 min 17 sec 40 sec 66 1/11/2012 Ladder 12 13 min 21 sec 50 sec 78 1/12/2012 REST 1/13/2012 Ladder 12 13 min 36 sec 50 sec 78 1/14/2012 Ladder 12 13 min 26 sec 50 sec 78 1/15/2012 REST

As I continue to move up the ladder (pun intended), my never ending search for motivation trudges on. This week I leave you with the insightful words of the influential author and gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin:

"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are."

L&R,

Drew

Hell Week

And so it begins...As the first of many brutal weeks comes to a close, I believe one word best summarizes my experience thus far.

                                                 "Ouch."

To say every muscle in my body is 'sore' would be an understatement. But that's the price you have to pay when you start down that winding road toward sedentary liberation. I knew what I was getting into when I first came up with this experiment. Now just comes the follow-through. Below, I've listed my official workout and results from the first week:

Date Workout Sets Total Time Break Time Per Set Total Burpees 1/2/2012 Ladder 10 8 min 43 sec 30 sec 55 1/3/2012 Ladder 10 8 min 16 sec 30 sec 55 1/4/2012 Ladder 10 8 min 34 sec 30 sec 55 1/5/2012 REST 1/6/2012 Ladder 11 10 min 54 sec   40 sec 66 1/7/2012 Ladder 11 10 min 35 sec   40 sec 66 1/8/2012 REST

As you can see, I decided to start at 10 ladder burpees and painstakingly work my way up over the next few weeks. This means that for the first week or two, my workouts will most likely be under the 15 minute mark that I set out as a requirement for this experiment. However, over the next month I plan on moving up until I reach 15 ladders. Once I reach this plateau, I will begin to vary up my workouts over the coming months, while also increasing the number of reps I do on the days I perform ladders. This will obviously increase the time of my workouts, helping me to maintain my "goal" range of 15 to 30 minutes every day.

(Side note: For any of you that don't know what a 'ladder burpee' is, it's when you start with a certain number of burpees and work your way down each set until you get to zero {i.e. 10, 9, 8, 7, etc...})

I have also decided to make a slight tweak to my weekly workout routine per the direction of my Burpee Advisor (my wife Rae). We decided that due to risk of injury, it would be better to work out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, while spreading out my rest days to both Thursday and Sunday. This will give my muscles more time to recover throughout the week. 

Although my muscles and joints may be aching after only the first week, I know it will continue to improve as my body gets used to the workouts. I'm using the inspirational words from one of the greatest marines that ever lived, General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, as guidance:

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body!"

L&R,
Drew

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