Part of complete coverage on
By Will Cleveland, Special to CNN
updated 4:32 PM EST, Fri February 22, 2013
Will Cleveland poses for a photo in Phuket, Thailand.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Will Cleveland imagines places he’d like to visit to motivate him through workouts
- Cleveland wants to get and stay healthy so he can travel with his son
- “Certain parts of the world simply require you to be fit to enjoy them,” he says
Editor’s note: Will Cleveland is one of six CNN viewers selected to be a part of the Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge[1] program. Follow the “6-pack” on Twitter[2] and Facebook[3] as they train to race the Nautica Malibu Triathlon with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on September 8.
(CNN) — When I hit what runners call “the wall,” I imagine myself jogging along the coast of Cape Town during a sunset, smelling the salt in the air and hearing seagulls cawing.
When my pace in the pool begins to slow, I pretend I’m swimming upstream in the Amazon, pushing against the current. Or I let my mind wander to the rapids of the Congo or the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef as I swim by.
As I run drills, I am not on my usual trail on the back road of my neighborhood; I am kicking up sand in a foreign land that one day I wish to see — like the Sahara Desert or the volcanic beaches of the Galapagos Islands.
Certain parts of the world simply require you to be fit to enjoy them — such as a swim in the Mediterranean, a trek in the Andes of Peru or a bike ride through the Netherlands.
T-shirt tales: The athlete I used to be[4]
When I turned 6, I remember what I got for my birthday: a G.I. Joe set with action figures and a tank, Legos, a soccer ball and an Atlas book that was as tall as I was. I remember this because that is when my interest in traveling started. I pretty much pushed the rest of my toys to the side and made that giant book my home.
My mother tells me, “You would keep coming up to me asking me what this place is like and what that place looks like.” It was truly the beginning of an obsession that I have to this day.
My father was in the Army; my mom was Air Force civilian personnel. When I got my giant atlas I was living in Tacoma, Washington; shortly after, my mother and I relocated to an Air Force base at the Cotswolds in the United Kingdom.
While we lived in England, my aunt and uncle would come out to visit and take trips with us through Europe. I was 8 years old when I first saw the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. I still remember to this day touring Buckingham Palace and seeing Big Ben.
Getting fit for the family I love[5]
When I turned 17, I joined the Army and started hopping countries on my own: Turkey, Kuwait, Iraq. I saw the Nur Mountains portside and enjoyed the sights of desert sunrises on many convoys. I also had the pleasure of visiting the Bahamas and some great areas of Arkansas. But there are still many things I haven’t seen!
I have a son now. His name is Jaedon and he just turned 1. I want him to have the same passion for the world that I developed as a child. I want to share the world with him as he grows. The only way I can do that is by getting healthy — and staying healthy — long-term.
As I join the Fit Nation team in training for this triathlon, and learn to make healthy choices day-to-day, my boy and I will continue to learn and explore together. I’ve had problems in the past with partying and smoking. But to me there is no drug in the world that can replace the knowledge of different cultures and regions of our planet.
And that’s why I run and bike and swim; why I picture running through the heat of the outback, biking down the steep hills of California, swimming through the thrashing waves of Hawaii or any other place that I have not yet seen.
Because it’s what keeps me going.
I will continue to make my health a priority so that one day my boy will have to wonder why he can’t keep up with his dad… wherever we may be.
‘Too fat to do a lot of things'[6]
What tricks and tips do you use to make your workout go by faster? Share them in the comments below.
References
- ^ Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge (www.cnn.com)
- ^ on Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ T-shirt tales: The athlete I used to be (www.cnn.com)
- ^ Getting fit for the family I love (www.cnn.com)
- ^ ‘Too fat to do a lot of things’ (www.cnn.com)
Resources:
More Than A Resolution: 10 Simple Workout Tips | WLFI – West …
For our health series, More Than a Resolution, we've highlighted numerous ways to stay fit and treat your body right. Now, we're bringing you 10 simple exercises to help you reach your goal. http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/more-than-a-resolution-10-simple-workout-tips
4 Tips To Get Over Being Burned Out – HelloBeautiful
When you work out, it's very easy to burn yourself out. Here's four tips to keeping fit, but not burning out. http://hellobeautiful.com/2623512/4-tips-to-get-over-being-burned-out-from-your-workout/
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Is There An Online Site That Gives Free Workout Tips? I’m looking for a site that gives free workout tips and tips on getting abs. I don’t need a so-called “quick trick” that will supposedly get me a six-pack in 2 days. I just want tips on how to work out and what to eat to get in shape.
If you want to stay in shape, you need to adopt healthy eating habits and make exercise a part of your daily life.
How to start?
Choose exercises you enjoy according to your fitness level. Aerobics exercises move the muscles fairly continuously and strengthen the heart and lungs. Examples of such activities are brisk walking, jogging, aerobic dancing, swimming, badminton, cycling and football.
If you have not exercised for a long time or just started, start slowly and increase gradually over a period of 3 to 6 weeks.
For those who are above 35 years old, overweight, or have medical problems, you need to check with a medical doctor before you embark on an exercise programme.
Frequency or How often?
Exercise for at least 20 minutes, 3 times a week or more
Intensity and duration?
Do exercise until you perspire and breathe deeply without getting breathless. You should be able to talk or whistle while exercising.
Do warm up and stretch for at least 5 minutes before exercise. Also not to forget to cool down and stretch after exercise.
Can You Give Me Some Workout Tips On Buns? I have a big butt and I don’t know how to lose the waight. Can someone help me out? Can you name some workout tips that might work for me?
I saw an interview with Fergie not long ago. She said that using the uphill setting on a treadmill is what gave her her glorious booty. My friend has been doing just this for a few months and i’m already seeing results. It works the thighs and hips too!
How Can I Get A Good Source Of Carbohydrates And Proteins, Plus Workout Tips? I am wanting to start working out and getting healthy and gain lean muscle mass but i don’t really know what foods i should eat before and after a workout to get a good serving of protein and carbohydrates. so anyone who is maybe an athlete or just trying to get healthy too share some meal ideas? and maybe a few workout tips? thank you.
By the way I’m a 19 year old male weighing in at about 164lbs and about 5’7″ if that helps
Oh and i have access to workout equipment like dumbbells, that machine where you work out your legs by pushing weights with them, (don’t know what its called) treadmills, and those stationary bikes and an elliptical.
I’ll give you a list of some common foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and take notes because it’s great for you to add them to your meal plan:
Oatmeal
Pasta
Macaroni
Spaghetti
Rice
Potatoes
Bread
Home-Made Pizza
Cereal
Bran
Wheat
Corn
Yam
Peas
Beans
Lentils
Vegetables
The above mentioned foods make your stomach full for a few hours. They make you have a slow digestion. So it’s good for those who want to slow down their metabolism. These foods are also beneficial for those who want to build muscle because they are great sources of energy for your body and muscles.
Now I’m going to give you a list of foods high in protein that you should make sure you add to your meal plan. These foods are very important to build muscle mass.
Here is the list:
Eggs
Ham
Sausages (healthy choices)
Seafood (Fish, Calamari, Octopus, Salmon, etc.)
Poultry (Chicken, Turkey, etc.)
Beef
Pork
Tofu
Peanut Butter
Dairy Products
Protein Shakes
Protein Bars
Liquid Protein
As you can see there are many sources of proteins. So I recommend that you choose various, not just one.
Doing combinations of these foods high in complex carbs and proteins will be the best way to create your meal plan.
Three other foods you might want to add to your meal plan are:
Ice creams
Smoothies
Yogurts
These 3 are very good and delicious.
Workout Tips:
Get your form straight before you go heavy
Progression is key – Add weight or reps when you can.
Don’t get greedy – This is a long game. Adding too much too soon can leave you injured
Eat. Adjust as needed.
Focus. Gym time is work time. Socialization is fine, but spend time under the bar.
Don’t buffet train – You don’t need to hit your biceps from 8 different angles, you need to get your primary lifts up.
Get brutally strong – Your chest isn’t impressed with 15 pound flyes. Get your lifts up and good things will happen.
Have fun – If you hate your time in the gym, you aren’t likely to make much progress.
What Are Some Good Workout Tips That Will Help Me Get Into Shape Quick? Im 22 5’6″ and weigh 178lbs. im sick of being fat and repulsed when i look in the mirror at my body. i just would like to know some great workout tips to help me get fit and lose about 40 lbs in 2 months
Well the best way to lose weight is to run everyday morning and night or after for hour and of course you wont be able to run the whole 1 hour as your not in shape yet so try to run for 30 minutes or more if you can and then walk for like 10 minutes and then run until you get to an hour and if your finally able to run the whole 1 hour start running for 2 hours
also start weight lifting as well as muscle burns fat so just get normal 15 lb or lighter if its to heavy and do curls dumbbell presses etc and most important of all do free weights such as push ups and if your unable to do allot of push ups do like 10 rest 10 seconds 10 rest 10 rest until you get to 100 or 200 if you can also get a bar and try to do pull ups front wards and you probably wont be able to so try really hard and go to the top and go down slowly, and you will have to do ab workouts like crunches and raise your legs
and do a quick warm up and and stretch before you lift and also with running do a quick warm up run like 10 minutes then stretch and start your 1 hour run
the other most important key fact to weight loss is a big change in your diet which mean more calories out then in so no to any fast food for the rest of your life unless you want be fat the rest of your life, don’t eat any junk foods high in fat like donuts and stuff like that because if your going to be burning like 1000 calories and then eating 3000 calories you wont be losing fat but instead just gaining fat and the only difference will be you will be gaining 10 lbs everyday instead of 5 lbs
what you should eat is salad fruit vegetables yogurt eat meat but not one in a kfc bucket a kind that homemade eat eggs also good in protein
follow these steps and i guarantee you of you being fit