So I’m into week 8 of my 12-week training program, and I’ve added running to the regimen for my cardio training. This is a head-on challenge for me, and a direct jump up to hitting one of my big goals: running a mile without stopping. Half of the training time so far has been getting myself ready and training my joints ‘n stuff for running. And now’s the main event.

How’s it going? Awesome. AND hear more about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard about in the history of human endurance, after the jump. (more…)

We’re in week 6 of fitness training now, which means almost half way thru the transformation. It’s been going strong but thing have just started to come up this week, involving actually not wanting to go to the gym. Actually avoiding it some. Six days a week is a lot of time. However, I’ve also made it my goal this week to officially have a free day on Sunday (I had to move a few workouts last week), which means I’m doing double-duty strength-and-cardio days in order to make sure I have Sunday free. Which is good.

The most interesting thing has been stopping and looking at those moments when I don’t want to go. Because they’re actually involving me, negotiating with myself in my own head. I’m writing about this now, because I’ve hit this wall before - usually at about the six week mark - so I’ve got a legitimate challenge in front of me. So after the jump, I’m gonna talk more about that, plus updated progress photos. (more…)

Welcome to Week 4. We’re one quarter of the way thru the 12 weeks.

One of the beautiful parts of the Strength For Life program is that is requires that you set goals along your journey. But not just physical goals. Inner Strength goals are required too. The suggestion is two of each: two Physical goals that can be specifically tested along the way for progress and achievement; and two Inner Strength goals that may be on going, but that have specific steps for moving forward.

Well, I’ve laid out mine, in almost the same order, kinda. More after the jump. (more…)

I’m shooting a kung fu movie with 10 year olds, via the fine folks at 826 NYC, as part of their Summer Filmmaker program for kids. It’s gonna be major stylized, and set to premier on August 20th at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (or BAM). Come see it. Flight of the Concords’ Eugene Mirman is our villain. And he’s hilarious.

We’re thru week 1 and 2 now, and about to move into week 3 of the official Strength For Life: Transformation Training Camp and things are certainly moving. This means we’ve started our full regimen and it’s had some significant impact so far. “Before” picture and stories about how my legs almost fell off after the jump. (more…)

Goodbye June, Hello July!

Base Camp is over and as of yesterday, we’ve officially begun our 12-week fitness transformation journey with Strength For Life. Yesterday, June 30th was the first day of training to begin our journey for three months of heavy fitness training to get in the best shape of our lives. Read more about ending of Base Camp and the progress of Day 1, after the jump. (more…)

A smattering of the “Dewmocracy” ads I directed for Mountain Dew & collegehumor.com are up now!

Watch ‘em HERE,
or by checking them out in the films section to your left,
and watch them in HD at vimeo.com.

Thanks to Dave Burdick for his help, half of the voices, and for letting me build tiny sets in the dining room.

And you can see all of the ads (all 40 of them!) on the “I Have To Go In A Minute Show with Superhost Dan Levy” every weekday in June & July at collegehumor.com.

Week One of Base Camp is going well. We’ve all been able to stick to our dietary requirements (even though a little creative solutions have been developed in there) and the workouts have been going strong. They’re a little easy, or at least they seem that way, since I’m still familiar with doing multiple sets across many muscle groups and taking 45 minutes or sometimes an hour, depending on how awesome I decide to take it that day. Though three sets of three exercises are still taking a toll in the moment, working really, really hard to get the most out of those push-ups, squats and crunches. Push-ups have gotten harder for me during these days for some reason, but I’ve been rocking out the sit-ups even harder each day it feels like. And the soreness has gone down. Day two left us with BOATLOADS of soreness in every area. I’m surprised I’ve been able to burn thru them in a few days. We’ll see over the weekend, after I don’t work out the muscles for three days.

On all fronts, cravings have come up. Mine have been surprisingly for stuff like bread and chocolate. Things I rarely ever crave anyways. I actually noticed a small chocolate craving coming up in the previous two weeks or so, so I’m going to chalk it up to just a coincidence. But the bread thing has actually been like wanting a piece of raisin toast with peanut butter. Something like that. Also for a cup of coffee. Which I can’t have traditionally with milk and sugar, since both of those are out. I’m having to suffice with my Folgers crystals (yeah, I bought them, it’s my own fault, what of it, wanna fight?) and Silk vanilla soymilk, which is sweetened with cane juice and I’m taking it in small quantities.  It’s its own animal, but I’m OK with that.  I’ve also allowed myself the indulgence of peanut butter on a whole-wheat tortilla. Not sure where that falls during the first two weeks, but it’s natural peanut butter so I’m gonna rock it too. Strange what comes up.

That’s it from the home front on fitness.  I’m going to the Mermaid Parade tomorrow at Coney Island.  Ahoy to the season, via sea animals! It’ll be the Solstice. Welcome to summer, folks.

The fitness program begun today. Two weeks of preparation (12 days to be exact and then the last two days are off days) before the 12 weeks of heavy training starts. This is “Base Camp”. The rules are: 5 meals a day, balanced with lean protein, complex carbs, and all the greens you can eat. Plus seven hours minimum of sleep a night, and very basic body-weight strength training. A 5-10 minute warm-up like a jog around the block (which it was, in fact), followed by 3 sets of push-ups (15-20 each set) with 30 seconds in between, 3 sets of squats (same numbers about), and then 3 sets of crunches (a few less, like 12-15). And you’re done.

Dave, Kelsey, and I started all together today, with different schedules, but the same focus. We’re keeping two weeks of food logs, as well, to see how we’re doing (I mean, do you know how many glasses of water you drink a day? I do now!) It was fun cooking more and half working out of cookbooks, half improvising off of the cookbook for guidelines and I’m already glad to be eating better and more frequenly. I’ve done this before, but not for a while and I took the past two months or so off, so it already feels good to be back in my body.

The push-ups are harder than I remember, or at least they get harder when your focus is real slow and my arms seemed to give out faster. But it feels good again. And running out on my tree lined streets at night to the sounds of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” on my iPod, makes me feel like I’m in a Nike commercial. Which is pretty nice.

So, on Day 1 of “Base Camp”, I’m 160.8 lbs. Before starting the official 12-week Transformation we’ll be taking full body stats and “before” pictures. Those’ll be up here then. Cheers out and wish us well.

My roommate Dave Burdick and I are taking on the Strength For Life program from Shawn Phillips’ book of the same title.

The program begins this Monday with “Base Camp”, 12 days of preparation, basic body weight exercises, rest and detox to prepare for the semi-grueling 12-week “Transformation Training Camp” which will last from the last day in June to the Autumnal Equinox on September 21st. Cute, huh?

I’ll be keeping tabs here on the process, approximately week-by-week and Dave will be blogging at daveburdick.com in an official capacity. The first post is up now. He’s calling it “Dave For Life”. Catchy.