It started on Twitter. Someone I follow tweeted about a fitness product unfamiliar to me - FitBit. Being curious, I went to the website http://www.fitbit.com/. The first thing I saw was the price - $99.00. I did not look further - it was too high. I did not know exactly what FitBit did or if it warrented the $99.00 price. My vague impression was that it was a high tech pedometer.
Then, at TED@MotorCity, it was mention by Thomas Goetz, Executive Editor of Wired and author of The Decision Tree. Thomas made the point that people need personal, relevant information to make better choices. He showed graphs and charts from FitBit. Thomas talked about the nature of the personal, relevant information the FitBit provided. Additionally, he talked about the ease of use, tracking against goals and against others. My interest in FitBit went up. I went back to the website to find out more information. In addition to keeping track of activity, it also keeps track of sleep. Sleep is important. The price seemed a lot more reasonable.
I needed more information, so I checked out the reviews in Wired and the Wall Street Journal. The reviews were from October and November of 2009. Generally, they were positive. Both mentioned a lack of a manual. Time to go back to the FitBit site. A link for the manual is right on the home page. I am even more interested, but not quite ready to order. In addition to the features already mentioned, it also tracks calories consumed and expended. Usefull personal relevant information.
A blog post by Angela Jenkins (@AJhealthcoach) on the Healthier Michigan website moved me to action. Five Ways Technology can Help You Achieve and Maintain Your Ideal Weight http://bit.ly/fk2nPk . One of the technologies mentioned - FitBit.
All of this happened within two weeks. I got the hint and ordered my FitBit.
11/04/09 WSJ.com - Fitbit Sees How You Run, Walk and Sleep
http://on.wsj.com/3LK73g
10/16/09 Pocket-Sized Workout Pal Is Data Geek's Dream | Product
Reviews | Wired.com http://t.co/pcAbmdF
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Chasing 315
The quest began shortly after I entered the Powerhouse Gym in Highland Park almost 30 years ago. It was the summer between high school and college. A few friends were going to gym to stay ready for football when they went away to college. They were all playing college ball someplace – I never played or had interest in football. I just wanted to get into shape. As I entered the gym, I was impressed by the massive amounts of weight lifted by massive men. I was new to working out with weights and self conscious. I was not a 95 pound weakling – I was a 200 pound weakling.
One exercise people like to use as a measure of strength is the bench press. The folk I worked out with were lifting more than 225 pounds - 2 large 45 pound plates on each side of a 45 pound bar. The strongest of the group was lifting 315 - 3 large 45 pound plates on each side of a 45 pound bar. When it was my turn, they dropped the weight to 135 (one 45 pound plate on each side). I gasped, squirmed and struggled. It was too heavy and I was embarrassed. They assured me - everyone starts out with a low weight. They lowered it to 95 pounds. I struggled less and lifted the weight.
That was when I set a goal of lifting 315. I worked hard that summer. By the fall, I was benching 135. The folk I worked out with emphasized form over amount of weight. I was still embarrassed - but I kept working on it. I decided to buy a lifetime membership (initial fee of $290.00 and a $50.00 renewal).
When the folk I worked out with went away to college, I kept going and worked out with a new group. I made progress. Over time, I improved and became more confident. I realized that it is not important where you start - just that you start.
After a few years of hard work, I accomplished it - I was able to bench 315. Now what? I changed my goal to lift it with ease. Accomplished. Now what? I did not have a fitness goal - only a single exercise. I lost focus and purpose in my workouts. Without focus at the gym, I slacked off. I stopped going for long stretches of time. The longer I was away, the easier it was to stay away.
I needed a proper goal. I needed a general fitness goal to go along with various specific goals. Setting a goal of benching 315 was limiting – it said nothing about health or fitness. It was not part of an overall fitness goal. Without a health and fitness goal, I gained weight – a lot of weight. I topped out at 330. While working toward my goal of benching 315, my over 6 foot frame stayed about 235.
The start of this year, I set a general fitness goal to go along with various specific strength goals. Based on a TED talk by Derek Sivers, I’m going to keep these goals private. They are written down and I hold myself accountable. After I achieve them, I'll share them.
You can check out the TED Talk by Derek Sivers here: http://bit.ly/dgPwfg
One exercise people like to use as a measure of strength is the bench press. The folk I worked out with were lifting more than 225 pounds - 2 large 45 pound plates on each side of a 45 pound bar. The strongest of the group was lifting 315 - 3 large 45 pound plates on each side of a 45 pound bar. When it was my turn, they dropped the weight to 135 (one 45 pound plate on each side). I gasped, squirmed and struggled. It was too heavy and I was embarrassed. They assured me - everyone starts out with a low weight. They lowered it to 95 pounds. I struggled less and lifted the weight.
That was when I set a goal of lifting 315. I worked hard that summer. By the fall, I was benching 135. The folk I worked out with emphasized form over amount of weight. I was still embarrassed - but I kept working on it. I decided to buy a lifetime membership (initial fee of $290.00 and a $50.00 renewal).
When the folk I worked out with went away to college, I kept going and worked out with a new group. I made progress. Over time, I improved and became more confident. I realized that it is not important where you start - just that you start.
After a few years of hard work, I accomplished it - I was able to bench 315. Now what? I changed my goal to lift it with ease. Accomplished. Now what? I did not have a fitness goal - only a single exercise. I lost focus and purpose in my workouts. Without focus at the gym, I slacked off. I stopped going for long stretches of time. The longer I was away, the easier it was to stay away.
I needed a proper goal. I needed a general fitness goal to go along with various specific goals. Setting a goal of benching 315 was limiting – it said nothing about health or fitness. It was not part of an overall fitness goal. Without a health and fitness goal, I gained weight – a lot of weight. I topped out at 330. While working toward my goal of benching 315, my over 6 foot frame stayed about 235.
The start of this year, I set a general fitness goal to go along with various specific strength goals. Based on a TED talk by Derek Sivers, I’m going to keep these goals private. They are written down and I hold myself accountable. After I achieve them, I'll share them.
You can check out the TED Talk by Derek Sivers here: http://bit.ly/dgPwfg
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