Tag Archives: exercise

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February 13, 2018

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Man Hour

6 WEEK FITNESS CHALLENGE: WEEKs 4, 5, 6, and Fin.

So, this was tough one. Everything was super smooth leading up to week 4. I was on track to losing 1.3 – 1.6 lbs per week…. exercising regularly; eating very well… the only admission I have is that I could’ve lifted more. Ironically, my life long hate of running has turned into enjoyment.

Overall, as I reflect on this experience — the adherence to diet was quiet easy… it was meal planning that was difficult. I was consistent with Muay Thai and even stepped up for a brutal Friday night Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sparring session. All that said… it was a business trip that ultimately derailed me during the final week.

Yep… flying out to the East Coast, there was practically no good way for me to meal prep or dose my diet. I did get in some great CrossFit workouts at my business, Recharge|HoCo-CrossFit.

All together, I found that this was a wonderful experience as both a challenge and as a journey of learning. I found that picking up something I hated in running has turned into a new form of enjoyment. I learned that being at home is easier to adhere to plans than on trips… obvs…. 😉  I also learned I really needed to lift more and that fitness from an input/output perspective is all about time… time…. TIME. TIME!

Viewing food as fuel was helpful.

Being consistent with a prescribed schedule which I could just turn my brain off to, was very helpful.

I think the things that will stick will be a more mindful dosing of meal planning, running, and upping my game in terms of lifting, calisthenics, and bringing kettlebells back into my life in a regular way.

Challenge — OVER!

Result: Excellent.

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April 21, 2016

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Man Hour

Back On The Mat

So, maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago I got my thumb “popped” in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). In all honestly, it was an accident / mostly my own stupid fault. I was wearing my looser gi and my hand got stuck. While address that and not actually paying attention to the match, my hand finally got free. However, in doing this and being all distracted… I allowed my partner to take mount. But, I was a dumb dumb and let him kinda sling shot into mount.

In English, I was keeping him at bay from establishing a top position where he basically sits on top of my torso. However, by doing all that nonsense with getting my hand free out of my gi and not paying attention… he suddenly launched into that position at the exact same time my hand came out.

Result: His knee/thigh slide over my torso and straight onto my left thumb.

POP!

I exclaimed for a sec… but, decided to finish the last minute of the match. No harm done… I thought.

Well, I thought…

It appeared to be a typical hyperextension sprain. I’ve had these before from basketball in my faaaaaaar younger days. I thought things were going great 24hrs post injury. That was, until my son heel kicked… more or less like this:

Yeahhhhhhh….. suffice to say. IT HURT A LOT. I mean, it hurt SO BAD… I don’t remember such pain except for when I broke my arm… that one moment when my nerves still worked before I broke my arm.

I didn’t think my thumb was broken. But, if it wasn’t before… it was SURE TO BE after Nathan flipping axe kicked it. *sighs* Diaper changes… it’s as dirty as it is dangerous.

In any case, the whole next day… it hurt like hell. I mean it just kept hurting. I finally set up an appointment, got it x-rayed… and, had an office visit with a savvy DO. Films were clear. We agreed on a ligamentous injury. And, he was pleasantly respectful of me being a DPT.

He came into the room with me reading some sports med journal that was in the magazine pile. The DO never knew it was there. Ironically, it was his subscription! *LOL*

In any case… super pleasant visit. I was glad to know there was no fracture. I got hooked up with some braces via a family member… and… tonight, I was brave enough to finally hit the mat again.

Thanks to some awesome training partners who are beyond respectful of each other and that much more cognizant of their training partner’s safety, I felt comfortable enough to spar. When rolling, I realized that I could still survive with just 1.5 arms available. It was a pretty cool experience to the fact that I was still able to hold my own and even sink some armlocks. #ThankYouFundamentals

In any case… it’s nice to be back on the mat 🙂

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April 15, 2016

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Reviews

Product Review: The Pelvic Clock™

Today’s product review is sponsored by The Pelvic Clock™.
While some of you may read my professional audience Blog @DrBenFung, I know many of you come from the parenting audience. And, if you’re like me… kiddo is HEAVY. AND, picking up heavy all throughout the day = sore back. So, I thought to share this product with you guys. I’ve messed around with it a good deal; and honestly, it’s a LOT of fun. What’s more, it’s one of those simple solutions where it’s hard to cheat, easy to get results, and no where near dangerous for babies/kiddos to be messing around with. Safety First!
As with many inventions, the Pelvic Clock came out of personal necessity. Founder & CEO Yana Blinova created the Pelvic Clock during a time when she was told her spine was so of whack, that her only hope was spine surgery. Being an olympic coach, she knew the power of Physical Therapy… both professionally and personally. Both her parents were olympic coaches; and, one of her twin brothers — being born with clubfeet — experienced transformative improvements through Physical Therapy.

 

Refusing to give up, she looked around her house for ANYTHING she could use to augment therapeutic exercises and alleviate her low back pain. Fashioning a broken pot lid & a towel for padding, she performed the popular Pelvic Clock exercises and felt immediate relief across her sacroiliac joint & low back.Not thinking much about it until far later when her many clients urged her to produce the Pelvic Clock as formal product, she went to work on design and production. After numerous revision and manufacturing intensities two years in the making…

The Pelvic Clock™ is proudly made in the USA!

It’s a rather intuitive device with a truly comfortable material texture. It isn’t too hard, nor is the height of it impossible to appreciate in terms of spinal extension. It is also more intuitive (to me at least!) with the explanation of the Pelvic Clock exercises as well as the proper muscle engagement in performing the pelvic clock exercises as a whole.

Yana and I had a wonderful conversation together and remarked on both the portability (for home health), the ease of use and simple patient education, and of course, the fact that it can be utilize in the clinic as ther-ex. The Pelvic Clock can be used on a hard surface, a soft surface such as a mattress, and even against a wall… which was, as Yana recalled, how a pregnant Physical Therapist used it the first time she was introduced to the product.

Through personal use of the Pelvic Clock, I was truly impressed by how HARD it was to cheat. Typically, with supine core exercises, it’s easy to engage with the lower extremities to feign substitute and compensatory movements. However, I tried… I mean, I REALLY TRIED to perform a posterior pelvic tilt with the lower extremities… No Go. However, *BOOM* with core engagement… PPT #Done.

The Pelvic Clock is highly rated on Amazon — and — I agree! It’s a solid product. Feels really nice. Is quality material. And, is made in the USA! I can see this useful in the clinic as a foundational exercise for low back concerns. And, since the exercise is rather self regulating, it can also be used much like most warm up exercises are in the clinic in terms of maximizing time management & productivity. Of course, that’s after a patient has demonstrated proper exercise technique 😉

I’m very pleased to present the Pelvic Clock with my recommendations. While the price may be seemingly high; the quality it presents with, the ease of use, and the fact that is made in America earns it my thumbs up!

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March 15, 2016

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Man Hour

Man Hour: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

For years and years and years… and, I mean YEARS… Surfing was the one thing that kept me sane. It was my “man hour” — it was the time I got for me, to unwind, relax, express myself, exert myself, and become better in and of my own. Well, after having done a couple local-style bucket list achievements via surfing, I almost got swept out to sea. That was that, especially since I was a newly wed and my wife doesn’t surf.

Instead, my efforts turned to…!

BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU

You have to understand that surfing was so big in my life that I started to make life lessons from surfing experiences.

  • If danger is coming at you, you must paddle towards it — duck under or dive over; but, never sit there waiting for it to come crashing down.
  • Success is best found when you go in the same direction, same speed, same force as the waves in life.
  • The closer you are to danger, the farther you are from harm.
  • Always find your safe spot just outside the line-up; stopping at the breakers will only cause you misery.
  • When tossed by a wave, just curl up into a ball — protect yourself and go with the wave… you’ll come out the other side & you’ll be fine.
  • Stuff like that!…. and, it was ENDLESS.

Well, BJJ has now taken it’s place.

I see so much similarity in terms of the life lessons available via BJJ. Things like:

  • If you’re in the right position, the threat is decreased (kind of like where you are on the water for surfing).
  • Be efficient in your movements; don’t let the opponent make more moves than you.
  • Life is like chess, not checkers. Your game should be strategic, not reactive.
  • Use your body as a whole, together. Try not to muscle or isolate your movements.

There are lots of great lessons, and honestly, you’re better hearing them from an instructor than myself, a humble student of the art.

The other big reasons why BJJ is important to me has to do with self defense. See, surfing, for me, was ultimately selfish past time. The only person truly gaining anything from surfing was me. It was the moments away, the moment on the waves, in the water, etc. However, when I got home, my family didn’t really gain anything from it. However, with BJJ, I gain a conditioning of body and mind that can also be utilized to defend my family should the unfortunate situation arise.

Not to mention, it is incredible exercise! Happy training!

Just testing this out with my #BJJ blue belt promotion pic. I’m hoping to launch come New Years. Stay tuned!

A photo posted by Ben Fung (aka @DrBenFung) (@daddyintheraw) on