hey Everyone,

I get a little excited whenever I have fitness breakthrough and would like to share this new one with you as it has been bringing me great rewards.


Although I can run hard and play sports on occasion, I have avoided running on consecutive days for decades because I repeatedly get knee and heel pains that cumulatively get worse over time. The problem is that weightlifting, crossfit, and my other workouts sometimes lack that sustained heart rate boost that brings hours of euphoria. I get bored easily on the bike or other machines.


If your knees, heels, shins or hips have been keeping you away from daily cardio also, try this new style on the treadmill:


Big Picture:
30 minute uphill climb at a slow pace.

Details:
-set the treadmill incline to 8.0
-set the speed to 2.5 to warm up. Increase to any comfortable slow speed. (I get to 3.5 after about 7 minutes)
-increase incline to 10 at around the half way mark (15 minutes)
-increase incline to 12, then 15 (max) every 5-10 minutes.
-keep speed slow ~3.5

as a beginner modification, you can also make the whole workout a fast uphill walk.
(This will probably be enough for those who are more susceptible to injury.)

The slow speed and high incline with give you both a sustained cardiovascular workout with minimal impact on the joints. It kind of feels like the eliptical, but much better.

I usually go for 30 minutes minimum and add extra minutes when feeling stronger.

try it…
and let me know how the sweet rewards feel.

Let me know if you are able to repeat the workout for multiple days in a row without hurting your joints.

-Dr. Neal

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©2010 “Knees Hurt On the Treadmill??” by Dr. Neal Schwartz

When was the last time you felt momentary pure joy???


The kind of smile you can’t hold back, the kind of laugh that goes up an octave accidentally.


How powerful has your vast knowledge been in regards to finding happiness in a single moment in time?
(Hint** Your intellect can’t always save you from depression. Mood is a visceral sensation and can’t be fixed from the mind)

This is biggest medical tip I can give anyone in the world:

Your Doctor, Psychiatrist, Therapist, Holistic Healer, Nutritionist, Dermatologist, or Spiritual leader can never fully fix your Depression or Anxiety. Ever…!!!

Its really all up to you and your actions…

They can give you a turbo boost or a step by step path to a new destination, but it’s really all on you.

The sooner you take 100% accountability for your life, the sooner you will develop the needed skills for this world.




As conscious human beings, we are all predisposed to depression and anxiety. Some will crack early and some won’t feel its rath until they get older. The more you alienate or isolate yourself as a “Special” case, the lower your chances are of seeing the truth.


The Truth is that only tenacious self-starters can rebound and pull themselves out of a hole.
To dig out from the bottom, It takes four times the energy of getting through a typical day.
(Fortunately, energy can be aquired step by step as an artistry in itself. follow the blog here for a map of how to escape the dungeon)

I can see in retrospect how my uncomfortable skin and my imbalanced mood ruined many joyous opportunities in my 20’s. I became hesitant to do many fun activities including the beach, skiing, outdoor sports in general, and general daytime social activities. This is what troubled skin has done to millions of others. A huge group of repressed sufferering souls who are missing the best years of their lives. It’s horribly painful to experience and equally troubling to witness as a prior sufferer.

Here’s the up side:
Its never too late to re-capture your youth. You’ll need to swiftly and effectively fix your skin and mind and start living before it’s really too late. 20’s, 30’s, 40′, 50’s, and on…. it moves fast…

I’m 34 now, feel like I’m in my early 20’s only through creative physical activity that has exponentially gone up in the last few years.

After having needlessly suffered for long over a decade, I have re-entered the “World of the Living” in full regalia.

Check this out.

As an expressive necessity of being a sensitive person came to a head, I finally found the guitar and my voice at 29.
(We all have this same need. It’s never too late to find it)
(learn how to play guitar here)
Original songs will be coming on this site to help inspire people to express themselves. It’s vitally important, especially if you consider yourself to be a sensitive individual)

As the possibilities of the world re-opened for me, I found a childhood dream in Mexico 3 years ago:
(I loved the beach as a kid and lost this amazing aspect of life somewhere along the line)
This photo is from my first time surfing a few years ago. I improved last year and this summer will be bringing surf videos here to inspire the most sluggish of minds.

After a complete mind transformation from surfing, skiing magically came back into my life.
(I had skied as a kid and somehow through the rigors of becoming a doctor had completely lost it in my twenties and early thirties)

And last but not least, This video is from yesterday, day 1 of a new adventure in physicality. This last one is the inspiration for the “pure joy” of this post.


It’s the artistic search for the “balance point” that magically clears the heady mind. I strongly believe that the stress caused by the energy of our overly-conscious minds is one of the biggest causes of all disease.
Our greatest strength as humans, our consciousness, is often the cause of our own demise.

(They make these things in Adult sizes also!!)

I am feeling good today and it is no accident. My actions will dictate my life. Your actions will dictate yours.
There is no western medicine or eastern herb that can really save you.

Like all real arts, finding happiness, physical balance, and mental wellness can never be mastered. Only improved upon.
If you do not yet consider yourself an artist of life, know that your knowledge and intellect may not have enough power to save you.

As a former “know it all” non-artist, follow me as someone who has transformed and found the light of life. New possibilities arose only when I began to move away from the imbalance created by the stress-inducing “heady” identity.

Engaging in the daunting challenges of artistic balances rather than patting myself on the back for the simple task of gathering and storing knowledge.




Find the art of movement and your mind will finally release.
(your therapist can’t help you with this)


At this rate, I imagine I’ll be younger by 35…..


I promise to help you all find “pure joy” in this very short lifetime.
Stay tuned for the next level…


-Dr. Neal






©2010 “Pure Joy” (part I) by Dr. Neal Schwartz

Acne is a relentless condition that can tweak the mind of anyone.

As you can imagine,  I see many cases of anxiety and depression on a daily basis. In our newer information age,  I’ve noticed people are becomming less and less equipped to handle the emotional stresses of life, possibly due to the search for a magic piece of information that can save them.

In this series of videos and posts, my intention is to shift the emphasis of healing back to action instead of knowledge.

One reason the  internet may be failing to help you find balance is because sitting and watching the screen, in and of itself,  is very bad for your health.

The more you sit and research for magic solutions that require less action,  the worse off your mental health becomes.

Success in achieving any goal often times comes from action rather than the endless gathering of opinions and statistics.

With that in mind,  I’ve decided to make some videos to get people in action.  I will refer patients from the office and clients online to this video collection in an effort to break the spiral of hopelessness and mistaken pessimism that is often unconsciously created while having troubled skin or any other chronic medical problem.

Part 1 is the introduction and Beginner workouts:

Details:

20 squats

20 sit-ups

or

20 squats

20 pushups

or

20 pushups

20 situps.

For more intensity,  raise either or both numbers as high as you need and repeat sets decreasing the numbers like this:

100 squats

50 situps

80 squats

40 situps

60 squats

30 situps

40 squats

20 situps

20 squats

10 situps

For more beginner ideas,  see the crossfit (beginners) section of the blog.

(see videos 2 and 3 in the link below)

(more…)

      As I mentioned in the crossfit section,   I spend a great deal of my energy helping people take on their own anxiety and depression.  The transformations you are witnessing in the videos are both physical and emotional.  Listen closely how the tone of voice changes in the after videos.   For patients in the office and clients online, I plan to make this blog a mecca for finding the sensitive balance of the body and mind.   This balance point of wellness is often times very difficult to achieve and all efforts should be viewed as an ongoing artistry for life.  Like with every real Art, it can never be perfected, only improved upon.

My mission is to add methods and activities that are both fun and effective, stimulating the most sluggish of emotional situations.     

For our first week of yoga poses,  I want to share with you the very popular and effective  “Shoulder Stand”

I chose this one for week 1 because I find it to be dramatically helpful for easing the commonly tense muscles of the lower neck and upper back.  It’s also pretty fun. 

                 (basic pose)                                                (super-advanced)   

Directions:  (These are very basic instructions to get you started)

-Lie on your back

-Bring your knees up and toward your head.

-Use your hands to support your lower back.  (see photo)

-With your hands,  press the lower back higher into the air keeping the knees bent at first. 

-When your hips are in the air and you are getting a good stretch of the neck,  you can try to straighten your legs to the sky. 

-Use your abs to control the legs and try to get your back straight like the photos above.   Avoid looking side to side and tuck your chin into your chest.

-Breathe in and out slowly through your nose.  Each breath should help move the pose further into position.

-You can hold the pose for as long as you are comfortable.   Come down frequently as a beginner to make sure you’re not overdoing it. 

Hope you are lovin it.  I just did it. 

Be careful with yoga poses.  There are many possible injuries from this type of stretching.   go slow at first. 

I do my yoga poses after my muscles are very warm from my crossfit routine.

Enjoy, 

-Dr. Neal

climbing with my brothers in Yosemite. My original crossfit inspiration...

**continued from the  “crossfit”  category.

     My patients in the office are asking for more crossfit workouts.  This is best place for them to gather the information quickly.  

Dr. Neal’s Selection of Crossfit Workouts:

Day 6

100 Burpee/pullups

Details:

  The bar shouldn’t be too high.   Don’t forget that you can take as long as you need to complete this.  This single set could take 30 minutes!    just take breaths and rest when you can’t continue.  Always use a water bottle rather than waste time and momentum walking to the water fountain.  Always use a stopwatch and record your times.  

Day 7   (advanced)

Video

For time:
15 Handstand push-ups
1 L Pull-up
13 Handstand push-ups
3 L Pull-ups
11 Handstand push-ups
5 L Pull-ups
9 Handstand push-ups
7 L Pull-ups
7 Handstand push-ups
9 L Pull-ups
5 Handstand push-ups
11 L Pull-ups
3 Handstand push-ups
13 L Pull-ups
1 Handstand push-up
15 L Pull-ups

Details:  

Warm up you shoulders for this one and make sure you are comfortable in a handstand on the wall before trying the handstand push-ups.  You can do tiny shallow dips at first.  This workout can take as long as you need.  Remember it’s one long set with short breaks as needed.

Day 8 

“Murph”

For time: 

1 mile Run

100 Pull-ups

200 Push-ups

300 Squats

1 mile Run

Details:    Take breaks as needed, have water bottle handy.

My patients in the office are having full body and mind transformations using these crossfit workouts.  I’m going to keep adding more as I continue to get positive feedback in the office.  If you haven’t started this type of workout yet,  try one of the beginner routines to get your motor running…

(Always be conscious of your limitations and check with your doctor if you are unsure of any exercises)

Remember…,   “It’s never too late to re-capture your youth”      -Dr. Neal

©2009  ”More Crossfit: days 6,7, and 8″    by   Dr. Neal Schwartz

      While helping to battle patient’s anxiety and depression for many years,  I’ve found that balancing a patient’s physical body chemistry and circulation has more of an impact on the mind’s health than than any prescription medicine, therapy, or life coaching.   It’s always a challenge to bring someone to the next level of fitness because advice is often met with reflex resistance.  If the patient is already going to the gym,  I will hear  ”I’m already working out all the time!”  and if the patient is not working out, I often hear, “I don’t have time for the gym…”

To cater to every situation,  I have created a special workout for any patient or client that does not currently feel amazingly energetic, powerfully inspirational, or able to find joy anymore.      You can do this workout in your home or at the gym and it takes less time than watching a rerun on TV.  (there really is no good excuse not to join in here…)

I teach people that we are no longer working out for reasons of body image.  The workouts are really needed for the mind.  (not everyone has come to this realization yet.)

 If done exactly as prescribed, this workout culture will change you life in dramatic ways.  You can’t imagine the rewards until you feel them.  Once you’ve made it past the hurdles, you will look back at your old lifestyle and think, “If I only knew then what I know now…”

If you feel less than great in your day to day mood,  I recommend working out 7/week.  (you can replace this workout  with other types of exercises to mix it up.  If you can’t come up with other ones, see my crossfit section for more ideas.  you can mix in home yoga, other crossfit workouts, long walks, jogging, dancing, swimming, etc.)   

7 days a week is what I call a “treatment dose”    It can change any hopeless and helpless situation.  It’s amazingly powerful when the rewards accumulate.

(be conscious of  your limitations, your heart, your joints, your feet, and your back.  Always consult with your doctor if you are unsure of any exercise)

Without further ado,  I present to you,  

Dr. Neal’s Ultimate Home Workout (for all levels of fitness)

We’re going to start off with the full workout for those feeling pretty fit and then water it down for all other levels.

If you have been reading some of my crossfit posts, this workout represents the best crossfit-style workout that can be done at home.

For Athletes:

1)   Warm up:   jog in place for 5 minutes with athletic shoes on.  while bouncing around, swing the arms around in all driections stretching out the shoulders, chest, and back.   You can swing them in circles both directions and across the chest.  Bring you elbows back behind you back to open up the chest and back.   

2) use a stopwatch or clock if available to time your workout.  You’ll be surprised how much this can change the intensity of the workout.  try it!

3)  Do the crossfit-style workout entitled:   

“Annie-modified by Dr. Neal”

25  Burpees

50 sit-ups    (Keep your feet flat on floor.  you can cheat with momentum swinging and reaching with your arms.  Don’t grab the back of your neck.  Keep the pace with momentum and cheating)

20 Burpees

40 sit-ups

15 Burpees

30 sit-ups

10 Burpees

20 sit-ups

5  Burpees

10 sit-ups

**Remember you can always take a break to catch your breath.  Just get back into the action as soon as you can.  Have water available before you start.  Time the event, write down the time.

4)  Eat a conscious, nutritious meal without fear or compulsion.  

5)  If available, take an old school bath.  Try this despite any reflex resistance.  try it.

6)  Put on comfortable clothing and bask in the rewards of your new found culture, personality, and wellness.   If the workout was done at the proper intensity level, this feeling should last many hours.  After doing 7 days a week for awhile,  the feeling can last for days at a time.   If you are not feeling the rewards, assume your intensity level was below the threshold for breaking you free of your mind and step it up better next time.

For those who workout occasionally: 

1)   Warm up:   jog in place for 5 minutes with athletic shoes on.  while bouncing around, swing the arms around in all driections stretching out the shoulders, chest, and back.   You can swing them in circles both directions and across the chest.  Bring you elbows back behind you back to open up the chest and back.   

2) use a stopwatch or clock if available to time your workout.  You’ll be surprised how much this can change the intensity of the workout.  try it!

3)  Do the crossfit-style workout entitled:   

“Annie-modified by Dr. Neal”

15  Burpees     (one variation is to step your feet one at a time back and forth rather than jumping)

30 sit-ups    (Keep your feet flat on floor.  you can cheat with momentum swinging and reaching with your arms.  Don’t grab the back of your neck.  Keep the pace with momentum and cheating)

10 Burpees

20 sit-ups

5  Burpees

10 sit-ups

3  Burpees

10  sit-ups

2  Burpees

10 sit-ups

**Remember you can always take a break to catch your breath.  Just get back into the action as soon as you can.  Have water available before you start.  Time the event, write down the time.   When this workout gets too easy, move up to the next level.   (above)

4)  Eat a conscious, nutritious meal without fear or compulsion.  

5)  If available, take an old school bath.  Try this despite any reflex resistance.  try it.

6)  Put on comfortable clothing and bask in the rewards of your new found culture, personality, and wellness.   If the workout was done at the proper intensity level, this feeling should last many hours.  After doing 7 days a week for awhile,  the feeling can last for days at a time.   If you are not feeling the rewards, assume your intensity level was below the threshold for breaking you free of your mind and step it up better next time.

For those who are active but never really Exercise:

1)   Warm up:   jog in place for 5 minutes with athletic shoes on.  while bouncing around, swing the arms around in all driections stretching out the shoulders, chest, and back.   You can swing them in circles both directions and across the chest.  Bring you elbows back behind you back to open up the chest and back.   

2) use a stopwatch or clock if available to time your workout.  You’ll be surprised how much this can change the intensity of the workout.  try it!

3)  Do the crossfit-style workout entitled:   

“Annie-modified by Dr. Neal”

5  Burpees     (one variation is to step your feet one at a time back and forth rather than jumping)

15 sit-ups    (Keep your feet flat on floor.  you can cheat with momentum swinging and reaching with your arms.  Don’t grab the back of your neck.  Keep the pace with momentum and cheating)

4  Burpees

10 sit-ups

3  Burpees

5  sit-ups

2  Burpees

5  sit-ups

1  Burpees

5  sit-ups

**Remember you can always take a break to catch your breath.  Just get back into the action as soon as you can.  Have water available before you start.  Time the event, write down the time.   When this workout gets too easy, move up to the next level.   (above)

4)  Eat a conscious, nutritious meal without fear or compulsion.  

5)  If available, take an old school bath.   Try this despite any reflex resistance.   try it.

6)  Put on comfortable clothing and bask in the rewards of your new found culture, personality, and wellness.   If the workout was done at the proper intensity level, this feeling should last many hours.  After doing 7 days a week for awhile,  the feeling can last for days at a time.   If you are not feeling the rewards, assume your intensity level was below the threshold for breaking you free of your mind and step it up better next time.

For those who are completely inactive:  (check with your doctor if worried about exercise in general)

1)   Warm up:   jog in place for 5 minutes with athletic shoes on.  while bouncing around, swing the arms around in all driections stretching out the shoulders, chest, and back.   You can swing them in circles both directions and across the chest.  Bring you elbows back behind you back to open up the chest and back.   

2) use a stopwatch or clock if available to time your workout.  You’ll be surprised how much this can change the intensity of the workout.  try it!

3)  Do the crossfit-style workout entitled:   

“Annie-modified by Dr. Neal”

2  Burpees     **(one variation is to step your feet one at a time back and forth rather than jumping)

10 sit-ups    (Keep your feet flat on floor.  you can cheat with momentum swinging and reaching with your arms.  Don’t grab the back of your neck.  Keep the pace with momentum and cheating)

2  Burpees

5  sit-ups

1  Burpees

5   sit-ups

**Remember you can always take a break to catch your breath.  Just get back into the action as soon as you can.  Have water available before you start.  Time the event, write down the time.   When this workout gets too easy, move up to the next level.   (above)

4)  Eat a conscious, nutritious meal without fear or compulsion.  

5)  If available, take an old school bath.   Try this despite any reflex resistance.   try it.

6)  Put on comfortable clothing and bask in the rewards of your new found culture, personality, and wellness.   If the workout was done at the proper intensity level, this feeling should last many hours.  After doing 7 days a week for awhile,  the feeling can last for days at a time.   If you are not feeling the rewards, assume your intensity level was below the threshold for breaking you free of your mind and step it up better next time.

If you decide to join in with me,  comment on your experiences to help others motivate themselves to check it out.

Be safe and enjoy, 

-Dr. Neal

©2009  ”Dr. Neal’s Ultimate Home Workout (For all levels of fitness)”    by Dr. Neal Schwartz

    Many of my patients in the office have been asking for more crossfit interpretations so I’ll keep posting them up as a quick resource for those both in and outside the office…

If you are not in great shape yet, Here’s a total beginner crossfit-style workout you can do in your own home or gym.

***If unsure, check with your doctor to make sure you are ready for physical activity.  (i.e. stress test, bloodwork, blood pressure, joints, etc…)

“Dr. Neal’s Crossfit Workout for total beginners”

Day 1:

1) stretch for a bit and warm up by just fake jump roping in place for 5 minutes.   (use sneakers, no need for a rope yet.  looks a little like dancing)

2) then Do 10 push ups.  (you can put your knees down to make them easier if needed)  Take a break if needed and get back to it as soon as you can.

3) Then immediately do 15 sit-ups.  (you can lock your feet under something only if needed.  You can cheat by using momentum and climbing up with hands on knees if needed.)

That’s it!!   That is day one.   Warm yourself into the rhythm with this short 10 minute workout at home.

Day 2

Increase the number of pushups to 15,  sit-ups to 20

Day 3

keep increasing the number of push-ups and sit-ups at any interval.  When you get to 50 and 50,  you’re ready for some real crossfit workouts from the other posts.   Remember you can always take a break to catch your breath.  Just get back into the action as soon as you can.  Time the event, write down the time, and watch your fitness and balance in life improve every day.

be mindful of you limits and enjoy, 

-Dr. Neal

©2009 “Dr. Neal’s Crossfit Workout for Total Beginners”  by Dr. Neal Schwartz

       This post is a continuation of the topic entitled:    “Intro to Crossfit”

Many people have been emailing me asking for the next workout…    I’ll detail a week’s worth here and there will be more to come as I experience and uncover the massive rewards of this new trend of workouts.

After your shoulders get worked from “Fran”,  this workout of the day is a good one to follow.

Day 2

Annie:

50-40-30-20 and10 rep rounds for time of:
Double-unders
Sit-ups

Here’s the translation:

      After warming up your heart, muscles, and joints, grab a jump rope and start jumping a little for a further warm up.  When you feel ready for mentally and physically for battle,  you do 50 consecutive double-unders back to back.  If you catch a foot, just immediately start from the number you left off at.  If you can’t do back to back double unders yet,  it’s ok to just single jump once or twice between double-unders, or just attempt the double unders and count them.   After reaching 50, you immediately start your sit-ups as shown in this “Annie” Video. These sit-ups are very different from the body building type ab workouts.  The goal is to get up and quickly repeat. You can drive arms forward for some momentum but be careful not to jerk around recklessly.  A good mental image here is to imagine yourself getting out of bed. The better you can do these functional sit-ups now, the easier it will be to get up out of bed tomorrow. 

After the sit-ups, it’s back to the double unders immediately for a count of 40.  Any breaks are just to catch your wind like you were on a soccer field backing off the ball for a moment. There are no big trips to the water fountain or to socialize.  It helps to bring a water bottle with you for this type of continuous workout.

The rounds of the rope and sit-ups go back and forth as detailed above.  No break except to catch wind. Remember, this is a timed event that can be recorded and compared to as you get more and more fit.

Safety considerations:  The sit-ups need to be fast but not jerking of the low back. Don’t pull on your neck with your hands.  Be mindful of your heart during double-unders in the beginning.

Day 2b

Although I’m enjoying the coaching of doing the exact crossfit workouts as specified, I did a homemade modification of annie today because I didn’t have a rope and didn’t want to do pull ups again. I have to share it with you because it brought amazing rewards.  It’s for anyone who either doesn’t have a rope, or is looking for a more strenuous version of “Annie”

“Annie-modified by Dr. Neal”

25 Burpees

50 sit-ups

20 Burpees

40 sit-ups

15 Burpees

30 sit-ups

10 Burpees

20 sit-ups

5  Burpees

10 sit-ups

Day 3

Now that your shoulders have had a day of rest, this next crossfit workout is pretty intense and very rewarding…

no fun name.  just a good “workout of the day”:

For time:
100 squats
2 muscle-ups
80 squats
4 muscle-ups
60 squats
6 muscle-ups
40 squats
8 muscle-ups
20 squats
10 muscle-ups

 For the squats, you can have your knees faced mostly forward. and you hands wherever you want.  (I like mine up on an imaginary straight bar on my shoulders)  Use a mirror in front of you and try to squat until you see a little bit of your lower but in the mirror.  (knees make it to the right angle.)

Here a “muscle-up” video for you. Or check out these: Muscle up 2    Muscle up 3

The muscle up is obviously not a beginner move but attempting them requires so much energy that you can count the attempts as muscle-ups for now.   I’ve been using my feet on the pull-up apparatus to “Climb” up my muscle ups.  Or you can use the pull up machine that removes some of your weight.

**Again, there are no real breaks or sets.  It’s all one set with quick rests only to catch your wind. bring a bottle of water to keep next to you if needed.

Day 4

“Filthy Fifties”     (for time)

50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

The video link shows the moves.  Notice the small breaks for catching wind in the videos.  

For those of you who don’t have all this equipment in your gym or at home,  here’s another option for day 4

      In the passion for helping those who needlessly suffer,  I have found that ultra-fitness has been my biggest weapon to help my patient’s mild depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, mania, obsessive compulsiveness, fatique, and general low levels of enthusiasm for life.    

     When I was a Soccer and Lacrosse player in high school,  I remember my overall emotional and physical balance would keep me healthy under all types of stress.   As college, medical school, and the life of a doctor overshadowed my physcial fitness energies, I found myself constantly in need of something that I couldn’t put my finger on.  It was a mild anxiety and mild depression that crept up on me without my knowledge.  I used to think it was just “part of getting older”  or “part of life”  but I now realize what I was doing wrong throughout my 20’s…

      I realized that my stress level was greater than my fitness level and the resulting negative slope was what I now call the “downward slope of unwellness”   Although I was still working out almost every day with weights and some cardio, it wasn’t enough to balance the heavy tolls of work and living in New York.  

     It wasn’t until about age 30 that I realized I was in a “fitness deficit”,  even though I worked out 5 times a week!  It was the intensity of the soccer field that was gone leaving me in a “relative mild depression”    In a flurry to get back what I now realized I had lost, I started searching for better ways to safely gain cardiovascular fitness and found indoor rock climbing and “the summit” (older post).  They gave me a good fix of what I was looking for but never held enough ground to get me through the whole week.  Still looking for more, I consulted my older brother who is a world certified Moutaineer and Alpine touring ski guide.   He had recently gotten into a new workout called “crossfit” and urged me to join in.  He said,  “this is the only workout I’ve ever done in gym that has even come close to the ice climbing and alpine touring trips I do all winter.”  A “bad” patient myself, I was very reluctant to change anything even though the rewards from my workouts had been only partially fullfilling.   I hedged for a few more months and then finally started checking it out.  

       I limped in trying some of the isolated exercises like “burpees” and “Box Jumps” without actually doing the real “workout of the day.”  I immediately felt the rewards and my hunger for crossfit began to grow.  It wasn’t until I did a “workout of the day” called “fran” that I became completely hooked.  The rewards were so massive that I felt at 33 years of age that I was back in high school.  It furthered solidified all the subtle wellness mistakes I was making in my twenties.

       As a passionate practitioner of medicine and wellness,  I can’t help telling every patient about the crossfit revolution regardless of the reason they have come to see me.  Mild depression and anxiety work into every facet of life and if not addressed, creep up on patients unconsciously.  

      Although I’m a huge fan, I have found that the crossfit site, without real one-on-one coaching, isn’t very easy to follow for a beginner.  As a 3 week beginner myself, I’m going to outline how I got massive rewards from this innovation so far.  If there are any crossfit experts out there reading this,  feel free to comment on my instructions as this represents my personal amazing experience with this “new” type of workout.  

        As a beginner, I’ve been selecting out the workouts of the day that have less powerlifting moves in them.  I did a more advanced move the other day as a tester and indeed pulled my back out likely do to improper form.  I will be outlining and detailing some of the safer routines for any beginners like myself.  If you are a beginner to exercise in general,  it’s safer to wait on this intense workout until you have done some standard cycling or treadmilling for a few weeks.  (if cleared by your doctor of course.) 

     For those that have done some of the isolated exercised and are ready for a “workout of the day”, I think “fran” is great place to start because you can adjust the weight to your specifications.   (I used 65 pounds on day 1 and now use 75 on week 3.  Will be increasing as my form improves.)

Here it is:

“Fran“

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
95 pound Thruster
Pull-ups  

Post time to comments.

   As I mentioned earlier,  these workouts of the day aren’t very clear to a total beginner, so i will elaborate here.  

         21 “Thrusters” using any weight as shown in the video link.  You should have a weight that is difficult to get many repititions from but not too difficult to do a small handful.  After doing a bunch,  you take “mini breaks” just to catch your breath as if you were in a soccer game hanging off the ball for a moment.  You don’t take a long walk to the water fountain or have any conversation like you used to do with classic weight lifting.  The whole routine is one long set with breaks only to catch your breath momentarily.  You get back into the fight as soon as possible.  (see video for these little breaks)

      Immediately after thrusters, you catch wind only if needed and start your pull ups.  you can use the assisted pull up machine or swing your legs.  This pull up is different than the isolated pull ups of bodybuiling back workouts.  It’s more of a full body functional move.  Use the small breaks to get though it. 

After the pull ups,  you catch some wind only if needed (no real breaks here),  and start your 15 thrusters.  Change weight only if you can’t even do a couple of them.  

then the pulls ups–15,   9 more thrusters,  9 more pulls ups.  no real breaks, just short breaks to catch wind.  

The whole routine is intensified by the fact that you are timing yourself.   you’ll see “for time” on the workout of the day.   Knowing that thousands of people around the world are doing and timing the exact same workout you are doing is very motivating and brings massive rewards.

******As with any exercise routine,  the conversion from regular cardio and weight lifting to crossfit style working out comes with several real risks.   You must be mindful of your limits especially in the first few weeks.  Specific concerns for this routine would be your heart, your back, your shoulders, your knees, and neck.  Be careful and ease into this new amazing culture.  You still have plenty of time to recapture your youth…

    Having access to hundreds of mildly depressed patients and online clients everyday,  I will make a crossfit section here and update all the beginner details in an effort to clear the heads of all my patients. This new clarity will open up infinite possibilites of tackling any health challenges including the ruthless ones of the skin. 

hope you feel the energy here, 

be well, 

-Dr. Neal

©2008 “Introduction to “crossfit”" by Dr. Neal Schwartz

     For those of you who make music every day of your life, there is no need to read this.  We’ll focus on some more detailed physical activity techniques later on for you…

    For those who don’t sing with your own piano or guitar,  you have no idea of the stress relieving and soulful experiences you are missing in this one and only lifetime.  I lived for 29 years without a real base of making  music or singing in my life.  When I finally found the guitar and my voice 4 years ago, it was probably the biggest shift of my life.  It’s a physical vibration that can help soothe any personality.  

   As a doctor, a teacher, and a healer, I’d like to share my experience with my dramatic transition from non-musician to musician in a way that hopefully will change many peoples lives in infinite ways.  I’m going to share the exact  details of how I used the internet to teach myself guitar and exactly how I was able to play and sing my first two real songs in the first week of playing….

So without further delay,  I introduce to you:  

“Dr. Neal’s One Week Transformation Into a Full Blown Musician”

1)    Buy a reasonably priced guitar.

      Used guitars are everywhere and if you are shopping around for guitars, try to find someone to help you who knows what they are supposed to feel and sound like.   If you’re on your own,  consider getting help from the guys at the music store.  For a new one, you are looking for a simple guitar between 150-300 dollars.  Any less and you will throw it out.  Any more and you’re posing a little bit…

Special Tip:  If a regular sized guitar feels intimidating, uncomfortable, and doesn’t sit well in your lap at first,  you may have a beginner’s edge if you buy a junior guitar made originally for kids.  It’s easier to handle, easier to push down the strings, and easier to get over the hump for those who are scared to buy a guitar and not make it to the other side.  They are about 130 dollars. Fender and a couple other brands make them.  Check them out at you local guitar shop.

Accessories needed:   capo $20, picks $5, tuner $30  (buy the black Korg chromatic tuner.  The cheaper silver one is a waste of money.)

2)  Pick a Song

     This is the fun part.  choose a very popular classic rock, pop, or rock song that has been covered by many other guitarist before you.   The 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s have unlimited amount of choices that have very simple guitar interpretations.   

To find you version of the song to play on the guitar (or piano),  go to http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/

Enter a song or band name in the top search with the appropriate category checked.  Choose a song that has many versions already written by other musicians.  Select the version that is in Chords and has a high rating with many votes. 

Here’s an example of one of the first songs I ever learned:   http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/u/u2/one_acoustic_crd.htm

Notice how this chords are placed on the lyrics usually close to where the chord should change.  You’ll have to use your familiarity with the song to help fill in the gaps.

3)  Chord Interpretation for Guitar (or piano)

The new ultimate-guitar site has actually been making all the chords expandable to show the finger postions.  

For a Closer look at where your fingers should go,  go to http://www.chordfind.com/

Notice the finger positions and whether to play an open string or not to play an open string.  (the piano chords can be found at the link at the bottom of the page)

Major chords are all chords with no other elaboration or description.  m  is a minor chord, etc…

–Those who catch the music fever will not put the guitar down until their fingers are sore and developing the needed caluses on the finger tips.   Those who don’t catch the fever and play only once or twice a week will have a much lower chance of making it over the hump.  If you sprint in life toward a destination, unbelievable things can happen.  Only a sprint will get you playing your first song by week one….  The rewards are massive if you make it.    I hope you do….

some side tips:

-fingernails ultra short on your string hand (left) so you can go completely vertical onto the real tip of your finger.

-Observe your own neck hunching and fix it when you can.  Try to keep the guitar upright after you’ve found your place.  It will allow you reach around the neck easier.

-Right hand (strum hand) can start with a pick or just your thumb. The right hand plays the familiar rhythm of the song you chose. (I’ll try to add a video of this later)

-don’t forget to check the top of the song to see if you need a capo and where to place it.

For those who make it over the hump, let us know how it feels…..

Be well, 

Dr. Neal

©2008   “Stress Relief #2 (Anyone Can Play Guitar)  by Dr. Neal Schwartz