Andrew Woods Seattle Web Developer

lifting weights

In my efforts to get fit, I’ve historically avoided lifting weights. I’ve always felt that i gain mass easily. So i feared that I would become one of those guys with no neck, giant muscles but no muscle definition. That’s the exact thing I don’t want. Because of that I’ve been focusing on cardio. After all, look at marathon runners. They have small, defined muscles and they still have a neck.  I really want to delete my belly and love handles. By the way, I’ve never loved them. That’s the worst name ever! I recently read Urban Smiler’s article “So you want a flat tummy/6 pack”. When I saw the title I thought “yes please!”, then actually read the article. If I’m understanding her first point, definition comes not from adding muscle, but rather removing fat. Strengthening the muscle with make it bigger and more pronounced when the fat is removed. In her second point, I’m wondering what she means by “major muscle strength work”. Does it mean work all the muscle groups?  or does it mean intense muscle building , which will render large muscles? In any case, I’m looking to build lean muscle and gain definition in my chest, stomach, back and shoulders.  What’s the best way to do that? leave your ideas in the comments

100 Life Experiences

I was inspired to create this by Marina Martin, when I read her blog post “100 Life Experiences“.  It’s only right to use the same title on my post. My list is targeted for things that appeal to my sense of adventure, and things are a challenge for me. At the initial time of publishing on July 22, 2009, I have 18 items completed.
  1. Start your own blog.
  2. Sleep under the stars.
  3. Play in a band.
  4. Watch a meteor shower.
  5. Go to Disneyland.
  6. Learn to ride a horse.
  7. Sing a solo.
  8. See the Alamo in person.
  9. Visit South America.
  10. Visit Australia.
  11. Visit Hawaii.
  12. Visit London.
  13. Visit Paris.
  14. Visit Japan.
  15. Visit the birthplace of your ancestors.
  16. Visit Russia.
  17. Visit the Vatican.
  18. Visit the White House.
  19. Walk to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
  20. Walk in Jerusalem.
  21. Visit a Concentration Camp.
  22. Visit the Lincoln Memorial.
  23. See the Grand Canyon in person.
  24. Stand in Times Square.
  25. See the Changing of the Guards in London.
  26. See the Mona Lisa in France.
  27. See Niagara Falls in person.
  28. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
  29. See the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
  30. Ride in a gondola in Venice.
  31. See Old Faithful geyser erupt.
  32. See Michelangelo’s David.
  33. Visit the Great Wall of China.
  34. See the Sistine Chapel in person.
  35. Go skinny dipping.
  36. Run a 5K
  37. Run a Marathon.
  38. Ride the STP (Seattle to Portland)
  39. Go rock climbing.
  40. Go deep sea fishing.
  41. Go scuba diving
  42. Go snorkeling.
  43. Bungee jump.
  44. Swim in the Great Salt Lake.
  45. Go whale watching.
  46. Go hang gliding.
  47. Go Parasailing
  48. Take a martial arts class.
  49. Teach yourself an art from scratch.
  50. Sleep on a train.
  51. Have a pillow fight.
  52. Take a sick day when you’re not ill.
  53. Build a snow fort.
  54. See a total eclipse.
  55. Watch a sunrise or sunset.
  56. Hit a home run. [In little league baseball I hit several :) ]
  57. Go on a cruise.
  58. Teach yourself a new language.
  59. Have enough money to be truly satisfied.
  60. Sing karaoke. [I do this a lot]
  61. Buy a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
  62. Walk on a beach by moonlight.
  63. Have your portrait painted / drawn.
  64. Kiss in the rain.
  65. Learn to shoot a gun well.
  66. Go snow-shoeing
  67. Go to a drive-in theater.
  68. Have dinner in your car at a car hop
  69. Be in a movie.
  70. Start a business.
  71. Ride a zip line.
  72. Fly in a helicopter.
  73. Save a favorite childhood toy.
  74. Ride on a speeding motorcycle.
  75. Publish a book.
  76. Have your picture in the newspaper.
  77. Kill and prepare an animal for eating.
  78. Save someone’s life.
  79. Meet someone famous.
  80. Learn to shoot a bow and arrow.
  81. Ride in a hot air ballon
  82. Read an entire book in one day.
  83. Write a song
  84. Organize a major event. [I organized Barcamp Seattle 2 years running]
  85. Ride a train across the USA
  86. Road trip across the USA
  87. Learn to swing dance
  88. Perform 100 consecutive pushups
  89. Cook Christmas Dinner
  90. Kiss a Celebrity
  91. Learn to drive stick shift (manual transmission) car
  92. Build my own house
  93. Learn CPR
  94. Live in a foreign country for 6 months.
  95. Write and release an music album
  96. See the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
  97. Attend a large music festival
  98. Get 6-pack abs
  99. Buy a blue sunburst Gibson Les Paul guitar.
  100. Learn to fly a helicopter

The Fine Art of a Playlist

If you ask people what they love, it’s very likely that music is one of the things they say. So it’s fair to say that just about everybody has mp3 player, whether it’s one of Apple’s iPods (raises hand. I luv my nano), a Zune, or another fledgling player.  I cant help but wonder “how many people use playlists, and of those, how many plan the contents of the playlist strategically?”. Every player lets you select music by artist or genre. When I talk about playlists, I’m referring to “a themed or purpose-driven, manually selected set of songs”. For example, I like to run around Green Lake in the afternoons after work. One revolution is 2.8 miles, which takes me about 33-35 minutes, depending upon the day. I have constructed a playlist called “Running”, which contains particular songs in a specific order. What determines my order? Motivation. It’s specifically tailored to my sticking points. I know that at mile 1, I have different emotional needs than at mile 2.  I’ve included my “Running” playlist to demonstrate.
  1. Morning Exercise by The Heavenly States
  2. Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
  3. Slave to the Grind by Skid Row
  4. Monkey Business by Skid Row
  5. Lost in the Light by The Heavenly States
  6. The Middle by Jimmy Eat World
  7. Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet
  8. Middle of the Road by The Pretenders
  9. Cold Hard Bitch by Jet
  10. Go Faster by The Black Crowes
  11. Take It Off by The Donnas
  12. Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis
  13. Workin’ for a Livin’ by Huey Lewis and the News
  14. Mistaken by Save Ferris
  15. Dakota by Stereophonics
As of now, the total time for this list is 53.3 minutes. It’s always good to have a few extra songs in case you exceed your normal routine. This list is purpose-driven. Another way to create a list is to organize around a theme. I have a list called “Happy” that is designed to put me in a good mood. There are many other themes you could use like creativity, productivity,  nostalgia, and relaxed – the possibilities are vast. I’m also including my Happy playlist.
  1. Ain’t That a Kick in the Head by Dean Martin
  2. Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson
  3. Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
  4. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness
  5. Kodachrome by Paul Simon
  6. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours by Stevie Wonder
  7. Such Great Heights by The Postal Service
  8. A Wink and a Smile by Harry Connick Jr.
  9. You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
  10. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher by Jackie Wilson
How do you organize your playlists? Share one of your playlists in the comments.

My Cyborg Name

One of the people I follow on Twitter, Cali Lewis, tweeted about her cyborg name. Being the geek that I am, having my own cyborg name appeals me. So I used their system to give me one. First I tried Andrew Woods, which they balked at, saying the name ‘Andrew Woods’ was too long. So I gave it my twitter name ‘awoods‘ for which it told me that it stood for Artificial Wireless Organism Optimized for Dangerous Sabotage. They know me so well!

Artificial Wireless Organism Optimized for Dangerous Sabotage Get Your Cyborg Name

Trouble Getting Started

Getting started with the process of getting fit has been a little slow lately. I haven’t jumped in with both feet yet. Instead I’ve been touching my toe in the water. I think part of that is I’m realizing I’m gonna have to give things up that I know are bad for me. While I know this logically, I’ve been caving into my desires. We can all agree that this has to stop. I have a goal. My goal is to weigh 240 pounds by September 26, 2009. That’s 29 pounds to lose in 82 days from today. Is that possible? I wonder. I just did a search and found that WebMD says “If you need to lose 25 pounds, figure you are embarking on at least a three-month program“. My goal is a little more ambitious than that, but it’s not totally unattainable. I suppose that even if I don’t make that goal, I still win, right? So, Dear Reader, tell me – how do you stay motivated with your fitness? Do you set treat goals – only have ice cream once a week? or run a mile for every beer you drink? buy yourself something nice for reaching milestones? I wanna know.