Push Up Routine

Push to clean up York County dump sites

One year after a countywide initiative to battle illegal dump sites kicked off, only about 10 percent have been cleaned up.

A survey completed by the county's West Nile virus program uncovered 274 illegal dump sites containing an estimated 263 tons of trash last winter.

The county was recently designated as an affiliate of the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program, which could be ammunition to get more sites cleaned up.

PA CleanWays-Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is a state nonprofit that helps people take action against illegal dumping and littering.

In York County, West Nile program coordinator Tom Smith monitors the dump sites and facilitates volunteer groups to clean them up. So far, 30 have been

cleaned up.

More funds: The designation means York County can receive grant money to purchase items necessary for cleanups, such as gloves, trash bags and vests. All volunteers will also receive special recognition for the efforts, Smith said.

This winter, the Rotary Club of York spent six hours cleaning a dump site on Eberts Lane near Mill Creek.

A state road runs along the site, which is overlapped by Spring Garden Township, Springettsbury Township and York City. Smith said almost one ton of trash, including mattresses and tires, was removed.

"I'd like to see all these sites we have get cleaned up and stay clean," he said.

How it started: The efforts started as Smith performed routine mosquito control a few years ago. Some areas were so bad pesticides were useless, he said. Southeastern parts of the county, including Delta, have had active dump sites for years, he said.

Five sites in Newberry Township were designated as illegal dump sites, according to the survey.

As a result, Newberry Township manager Don Keener said, his township's littering ordinance was changed to impose steeper fines on those caught in the act. Litterers in Newberry Township will owe $600, twice the fine of littering in other parts of the county.

Signs warning against illegal dumping are posted at those sites, which are also closely monitored, Keener said.

"I don't think we have as much (trash) as we did," he said. "It's unsightly. No one wants to drive and see stuff dumped. You want to see nature, not rubbish."

But the trash can also cause health problems if it contaminates local water supply, J.T. Hand, chief operating officer for York Water Co., said. He led the Rotary Club of York group on the Eberts Lane cleanup last winter.

Cool Workouts | Turbulence Training Fat Loss

The August 2011 issue of Men’s Health magazine is packed with cool workouts (including a full 4- week program from Eric Cressey and a push-up routine from yours truly).

However, what really stands out are the nutrition articles. There’s a full diet plan and an article on 5 big nutrition myths.

I’m not going to cover the nutrition in this review, or Eric’s workout, so I suggest you get the magazine. It’s perfect summer reading…and the “Permanent Vacation” article will make you think.

But here’s a rundown on the coolest training tips from Men’s Health, August 2011.

1) 3 sets are better than 1 – but not 3x’s better

Scientists in Japan found that men got more results by doing 3 sets of biceps curls for 10 repetitions compared to just 1 set. It was a well-designed study, because the subjects trained one arm for 3 sets, and the other arm for 1 set. That way, all the genetic between-subjects variation was removed. That type of study design strengthens the accuracy of the results.

However, the results were not 3x’s better with the 3 sets. In fact, the 3 sets resulted in a 13% increase in muscle growth and 32% increase in strength compared to only 8% and 20% respectively with 1 set.

So another way to look at it is that if you only have time for 1 set per exercise, you’ll still get 50-60% of the results of 3 sets.

2) Exercise of the Month: The Renegade Crawl

You’ll need hexagonal dumbbells or kettlebells for this. Place two of them (same size) slightly wider than shoulder width apart on the floor. Start in a pushup position, grasping the weights.

Keep your abs braced, and row one of the weights up to your abs, then set it down a few inches in front of where it started. Follow that with a staggered stance pushup.

Now repeat the row with your other arm, and then set the weight down a few inches ahead of the other one. Drag your feet forward as you progress so the weight always ends up under your shoulder. Do another pushup and repeat this for a total of 4 rows per side and 8 pushups.

3) A Craig Ballantyne Push-up Routine (featured in the Belly-Off Plan on page 54)

Pair each exercise with a rowing or pulling exercise, such as pullups, db rows, and TRX rows.

1A) Spiderman Pushup – As you descend, swing your right knee up to your right elbow. Pushup, and repeat with  the other side. Do 8 reps per side.

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