A Better You

Vanity

2012-11-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends,

not this vanity

I hope today's post finds you well. Today I want to talk about why we workout, exercise, eat healthy, go to great lengths to stay as healthy and fit as possible. We as humans and more specifically Americans, we spend over a billion dollars a year on exercise equipment, trainers, diets, videos, and everything under the sun health related. I think a lot of it is money well spent, unless you keep buying shake weights, please stop buying shake weights and go spend the money on good running shoes. Anyway what I'm saying is some people feel the need to come up with some supremely noble reason why they work out, sighting that they have a family history of high blood pressure, or their father had a heart attack at age 55. These are all great reasons and I'm not saying that they aren't real or valid.

However I do want to touch on the fact that no matter who you are and what you say there is always an element of vanity. I feel that the word vanity gets a bad wrap sometimes VANITY, say it with me "van i teeee" but it doesn't have to be an ugly word. I am here to tell you that it is PERFECTLY fine to have a level of vanity. I mean honestly it's human nature. Everyone wants to look good, no one wants to look bad and that's OK. You look good, you feel good, you feel good, you do good. This works with everything. If you feel good about yourself and how you are looking your whole attitude, spirit, and confidence is up. This leads to a nice positive vibe and tends to rub off on others and lead to more good things. This is not really an arguable point so don't sit there and try to counter with anything, just accept it as fact, thank you for not arguing.

So I want everything for you. This is what I always try to get across, all the time. I want you to be super fit I mean super DUPER fit, and be able to run for your life. I want you to be super strong and be able to push a bulldozer out of your way, I want you to be healthy and disease free and live just about forever, but I also want you to look your best and feel your best. It is an important part of life and it's nothing to be ashamed of. You deserve to feel good about how you look and I want you to get to that place, wherever it is.

But it does take work, none of that stuff comes easily, so you will need to put in the time exercising and eating right. You can improve on everything I just talked about, your health, your well-being, and your overall look. So get focused and get going. That's all for this time peeps. A short one I know but hey that's all I have for you. Until next time embrace the burn and thanks again for reading.

Want to get stronger?

2012-11-08T12:19:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello, one and all,

see if your strong enough you can just carry trees around

How is everyone today? Oh me? I'm just fine thank you. We all have goals in the world of health and fitness. A lot of times one person's goals are not the same as anothers, however most of us would like to be stronger. I'm not necessarily refering to the fact that everyone wants to be able to deadlift 500lbs (I would like to be able to do this, but that doesn't mean that everyone does) I'm just saying however strong you are or aren't, almost everyone could benefit from being stronger. It makes a lot of sense, the stronger you are the easier everyday tasks become. Picture this.....You get home from the grocery store..... Are you picturing? OK, you have a lot of bags. Do you want to make more than one trip in with your bags? NO! I will literally carry a bag on each finger damn near breaking my fingers off, while stacking things on my chest and slinging dog food over my shoulder, just so I only have to make one trip. I do all this and I have about a 25 step walk to my apt from the car, it wouldn't kill me to make extra trips, but I've done it a thousand times and will continue to do so until I have invented some sort of conveyer belt from the driveway to the house that will take my stuff in for me. Well the point I'm getting at is that I am strong enough to accomplish this, and it is awesome. I can name any number of day to day tasks that one could use a little extra strength for. Such as; if you are moving and you need to lift couches, tables, beareaus and things of that nautre, maybe you are packing for a trip and need to get your bike on the bike rack on top of the car, maybe while your on that trip your car breaks down and you need to push it off the road, you may be able to do all of these things, but they'd all be easier if YOU were STORNGER. See what I'm saying here?

So this brings me to my next point, which is how do we get stronger? Well this is not rocket science, there is no trick to the answer either. You lift up heavy things often. I repeat to get stronger you must PICK UP THINGS THAT ARE HEAVY AND DO IT WITH REGULARITY. Over time your body and muscles will adapt, adjust, and grow, then next thing you know TADAAAAA, you are stronger. Now it is a little more complicated than that, but really not much. I don't want this post to take a turn and start talking about nutrition and protein and bla bla bla. That is boring. I'm not going to do it, and it's my blog so you cant make me.

not working hard enough

Lift heavy and lift heavy a lot, you will get stronger. Do execises that big strong people do and have been doing for years and years. Doing planks, one legged deadlifts, burpees, and squats on a bosu are all great, they really are, they're great. I do them, I have my clients do them, I wouldn't tell anyone not to do things like that, but you can't stop there or rely on exercises like these to get you a lot stronger, they are benficial but they aren't going to get you that real deal overall strength. No what you need to do are the basics, back squats (heavy) deadlifts (heavy) bench press (heavy) overhead press (heavy) lunges (heavy) you see the theme here right? I don't feel like listing more exercises and inserting (heavy) after them. If you are easily working through your sets of whatever exercise or lift you are doing, you are definatly not going heavy enough and not exercising intesly enough. You should be sweating, you should not be able to carry on a conversation while you are actually lifting, you should have a slight fear of not being able to complete a rep, or set, you should not be able to check out the cute guy or girl getting off the eliptical. This is the way to get stronger, this is how to make the body take notice and adapt to your needs. Thats it. Done.

So let's get to work people, getting stronger and more awesome at life, after all thats what it's all about right? Kicking life's ass and dong it with a smile.

Until next time my friends embrace the burn, have a nice day, and thanks for reading.

And I raaaaaannnnn I ran so far awayyyyyyy

2012-10-25T12:21:00.000-04:00

Beunos noches,

Friends, family, ditcated readers. I often times talk to people about extra exercise aside from what is done in the gym. Time spent in the gym is typically a small part of ones day, that is if it is an everyday occurance. Generally people feel happy to get into the gym for exercise 3x per week. That leaves a lot of extra time in the week to eat, and not work out. You may have a nice healthy active lifestyle, and go hiking a lot, or kayaking every weekend in the summer, and skiing every weekend in the winter. Well if so, thats awesome kep it up. However you can always add a little extra to your regimin cant you? Ya you probably can. A great way to start your weekend when you have the time is a nice saturday morning run. I don't mean you have to get up and start running at 6am, I mean we all wake up too early as it is, you can sleep in a little. But when you do get up, if you strap on your trusty Asics, and go pound the pavement for a little bit, I can all but gaurantee you, that you will feel pretty good about it. I can also tell you that you will probably be at least slightly more healthy throughout the rest of the weekend.

Picture this for example you get up on a Saturday and go knock out some running, any amount is good, lets say for the sake of our example that you crank out 3 lovely miles. Well then you get home, you feel good, energized, you probably take a shower (I hope you are going to shower) and then eat. However while your feeling great and productive, I highly doubt that your going to sit down to a stack of pancakes for breakfast, and ruin everything you just worked for. These healthy feelings may indeed spill right over into lunch and you might have a salad or a small sandwhich instead of going out for nachos and burgers like you do most weekends(hopefully not really MOST weekends). In the eveneing reallity might set in and you go out to din, and have a few drinks but hey at least the first part of your day was nice and clean and healthy right? A better Saturday than you were expecting and right there you see the value in this activitiy.

So there is really no excuse. People ask me ALL THE TIME about what they can do while they're away on a business trip, or visitng family and they wont have much equipment "Pat what are some good hotel exercises I can do until I'm back?".......... All you need is sneakers and shorts my friends, I'm sure you can sneak these items past airline security, but dont try to bring a full bottle of mouthwash, or a swiss army knife, they will take that stuff away quick and give you the old "you can either check this bag, or throw the item away" Then next thing you know you need a new swiss army knife. Back to the topic you can also change things up if running gets boring for you. So maybe you dont have an hour to go out and run 6-7 miles but you still want a really good workout that kicks your ass. Well you are in luck, all you do is go out, get nice and warm with a terrific dynamic warm up, and do 1 of 2 things either

1. Find a steep hill and run up and down that sucker a bunch of times (trust me this will NOT last for an hour)

2. Just run SPRINTS! I mean real sprints, as fast as you can. As though you are running for your life.

If you choose one of the above activities, you will be dead in a matter of a few minutes, the harder you push the faster you will die, you will be hunched over breathing heavy and sweating like a maniac. It will be over quickly and again you will feel good about it and hopefully make a few more good decisions for the rest of the day/weekend/trip/vacation. This is obviously not limited to weekends. If you feel you need a little bit extra one day, go out, warm up and run 1 mile as fast as you can. The mile will be over in a pretty short amount of time, you'll feel better for doing it and you can get on with yoru day, or evening, or whatever.

That's all for now peeps, until next time embrace the burn and thanks for reading.

REvisit your goals

2012-10-25T11:08:00.000-04:00

Hey folks,

Pat here, back again, this is a few weeks in a row, I'm really on a roll here, let's hope I can keep it up for a while. So today's topic is your goals. I have written posts about goals and goal setting in the past, feel free, in fact I encourage you, to scan through some of my previous articles and check. Everything I said in previous posts is true, however sometimes a few weeks or months go by and we loose sight of our goals. We might forget what they were all together. So today we are going to revisit. Its not something that should scare you or make you cringe, it's not your weird uncle with bad breath or your significant others overbearing friend that only talks about the good ol days from college.... No these are your goals, you came up with them, and at the time they seemed tough but realistic, you wanted to achieve them bad enough to write them down or make a mental note and you even tracked your progress for a while.

Somewhere along the road to victory, you got lost, or your car broke down, or a Seinfeld marathon was on, or maybe it was happy hour at the bakery and you went a little overboard. Whatever the case, somewhere along the way you got off track. Well its time to go into that weird drawer in your house or desk where you keep random things. You know the drawer, stapler is next to candles, that are on top of a flashlight, there are band aids in the back, 4 birthday cards in the front, a pack of twizzlers, some earings, measuring cups, a transformer from when you were 9, God only knows what else you could find if you emptied that thing out...... Somewhere in there is your list of goals, so take it out and dust it off.

Become acquainted once again. "Hello there goals, I'm Pat. Remember we met a while back? Sorry I haven't kept in touch much lately but I am back. OH I'M BACK BIG TIME BABY!!!" Sorry, I'm not sure why I felt the need to yell at my goals just now. Anyway go through your lists of goals and reset them. If they still seem reasonable and doable, then you can just pick right up where you left off. Perhaps you have accomplished some or all of them. If that is the case........ I'd like to stop everything and acknowledge you right now. If you accomplished all of the goals from last time you set them try to picture me right now, I am at school with a free period I should be doing my students grades but I am standing up wearing a blue polo, eating almonds and I am clapping for YOU! OK back to biz, if you accomplished things on the list, it's time to set new ones, maybe add a few more lbs to your hang power clean, or subtract a few from your waistline, whatever your goals are its time to refocus and rededicate.

congratulations on accomplishing your goals!

What's that you say? you want to drop a size? you want to crank out 40 push ups at a time, you want to look like a specimen, and be dying for summer to be back to show off your bathing suit body??? Guess what? These things don't just happen on their own. You can't wish yourself to be smaller or bigger or stronger, etc... YOU set the goals, YOU form a plan, YOU stick to it, YOU put the work in, and when its all said and done, YOU get the reward of a job well done, possible compliments, and certainly a fantastic feeling of satisfaction................ That is until the next goals are set.

So focus on things and get back to work, if you stick to it and follow the advice from some other posts you'll be on the way to accomplishing your goals in no time.

Until next time embrace the burn, and thanks for reading.

SUGAR

2012-10-17T11:46:00.000-04:00

ahhh suga (do do do do do do) ahhh honey honey (do do do do do do) you are my candy girlllll and I eat to much of youuuuuuuuuu!

So people lets chat for a bit about sugar shall we? I'm going to be honest it's gonna be a one sided chat seeing as how I am doing all the typing here, and if you say something I can't hear it anyway (you can leave a comment if you want to though). So sugar sugar sugar. How much sugar do you need? How much do any of us need? Really the answer is about none. We especially as Americans take in SO MUCH FREAKING SUGAR IT IS LITERALLY HARD TO BELIEVE. I honestly cannot emphasize that last sentence enough, capitol letters do not do it justice, I need stone ingravings the size of trees, or bilboards or something else like a blimp with a flashing sign to even try to begin to stress that point enough.

Truth be told we get more than enough sugar without trying to eat sugar. Sugar is in all kinds of foods that you might not even think about. Fruits are obviously FULL of sugar, now its obviously natural and fruits have lots of nice vatimins as well but that doesn't mean you should eat 6 kiwis, 3 bananas, and a 1/2 lb of grapes every day, that is way too much sugar. Even some vegetables have sugar in them. Don't believe me? Why do you think carrots taste so sweet? Tomatos? Peppers? Yup,YUP. Corn? Oh god CORN dont even get me started on corn. Ya whos laughing now? That's what I thought. So if all that fruit is more suagr than you need, exactly what kind of favor do you think you are doing for yourself when you smash down 3 cupcakes at that work party? Or save a whole bag of that Halloween candy for yourself? Ya they might be mini Hershy's bars but they pack the same punch as the full grown sized ones if you eat 6 at a time.

Storage not typically thought of as sexy

Basically you should absolutely not go out of your way to make sure you are getting enough sugar, its in everything from ketchup, to salad dressing, to apple juice, and even your saturday morning sausages. Sugar when it gets broken down from your body is sometimes used a fast acting energy source that can provide a quick boost or a "sugar buzz" however this only requires a small amount and it only works if you are about to be very active or you were just very active like 10 seconds ago. Just about all the other times that you are putting sugar into your body your body uses it for storage. Storage, huh? Theres a nice word. You want people looking at you and thinking man that (insert name here) has got quite a lot of storage going on? Didn't think so, because storage is another word for fat. Plain old fat. I tell you what I dont really know anyone who is thinking to themselves "gee I really need to put on a few", and if you are such a person, keep your comments to yourself becuase most mere mortals are uniterested in what you have to say.

So avoid sugar avoid it like the plague you will look and feel better for it. I know your not going to be a perfectly sugar free person from here on out but do yourself a favor and just check the nutrional label next time your putting syrup on something or even drinking a beer, just do it and think about it for a second..... Thats all for now.

ps. Ever hear of a thing called SUGAR snap peas.......?
Until next time my friends, embrace the burn, and thanks for reading.

Small Decisions

2012-10-12T10:58:00.000-04:00

Hola amigos!!!

As with many of the posts I write this one is applicable in many areas of life, not just health, well-being, and or fitness. I was having a conversation with a client of mine the other day who was having a hard time trying see the big picture and take things one step at a time. I understand that sometimes the mountain top can seem quite far away when your standing at the bottom. However I assured my client that as Rome wasn't built in a day, 30,40,or 50lbs aren't lost in a day either.
Ones health, well-being, and fitness is a life long journey filled with ups and downs. Everyone has their good days, weeks, months, and their bad ones. There are times personally when I feel like I'm in such great shape that I want to throw all of my shirts away and walk around topless while alternating between racing triathlons, and competing in CrossFit competitions, there are also times when I feel like I'd collapse and die if I played basketball for 5 minutes and want to wear nothing but hooded sweatshirts.

The point is we get to each of those places and fitness levels the same way...... Through a collection of very little minor and sometimes insignificant seeming decisions. What harm is one hand full of M&Ms? not much harm at all. Whats the big deal with having one slice of pizza? No big deal. how bad can two beers really be for you? Not very bad. Missing the gym one day isn't going to kill me right? RIGHT!!! All of these decisions in a vacuum are no big deal whatsoever and nothing to worry about. However you can see how things quickly add up. If all of these events occur on the same week, or the same day for that matter, well that's probably going to make an impact. Especially if it happens week after week. You see where I'm going with this right? I hope so.

The same thing works in the other direction, a whole bunch of little healthy decisions and next thing you know you HAVE lost a few lbs or you are starting to feel a bit stronger or run a bit faster. I could sit here and type up a list of examples trying to think of a funny one or two but you all know what I'm saying.

It all adds up, one way or the other. Make a boat load of good positive choices that have your health and well-being in mind, next thing you know your kicking ass and taking names (maybe you don't even take names, you just kick ass and leave a nameless pile of defeated people in your path) or you make a dump truck full of poor choices and next thing you know its getting PRETTTTTTTY prettttyyyyy preTTTTTYYYYYY tough to fit into those jeans that make your butt look good (when your butt is looking good).

One more quick point before I hit publish. If you make a bad food choice or you skip the gym one day when you were planning on going, compartmentalize it. Don't let it lead to a giant series of more and more bad decisions. Take that decision and put it in a box and move right past it and get right back on the track. Just because you had some Doritios at lunch doesn't mean you should go home and have 33 tacos for dinner. Get over it and get back to working toward your goals.

So in closing as always, stay consistent, do your best to eat healthy, workout as often and intensely as possible, and EMBRACE THE BURN. That is all, until next time.
Thanks for reading!

Not in your routine?

2012-09-13T12:59:00.001-04:00

Oh you wanted the healthy breakfast? So sorry!

It can be very difficult to eat, workout, stay active, basically stay healthy when you aren't in your regular routine. If you are traveling for work, on vacation, or you've just been thrown off for one reason or another.

All you can do is your best right? RIGHT, but do you do your best at these times? Well if you don't you should really start to try, now I know there wont always be a healthy food choice available to you, sometimes all you have time for is a quick bagel (aka more bread than you need for a week) and you have to keep it moving. Maybe you are at a meeting and they provide a lovely spread of coffee and danish and pastries, not really looking out for those of us trying to live the clean life.

However you can still try, eat the fruit if that's an option, have your coffee black, walk to places if its within reason. If there is no gym around you can certainly still get a workout in. It's not difficult to bring a pair of running sneakers with you and just go pound the pavement. You can always do a great variety of body weight exercises in a hotel room, I have gone through plenty of workouts that have kicked my ass in places that don't really seem conducive to exercise.

you may not be as hunky as this dude but you can work off last nights drinks

If you are on vacation get creative, a short run on the beach is equal to a long run on the pavement, actually any exercise in sand makes it about a million times harder; burpees, squat jumps, anything like this. I love working out on vacation, its a great way to start the day, I feel energetic, and then I don't feel so bad about what I may or may not eat and drink all day and night long. If you ate and drank all night the night before a workout is a great way to start to shake off a hangover.

Bottom line peeps where there's a will there's a way, sayings like this have been around forever for a reason..... THEY'RE TRUE!!!

until next time my friends live healthy and do something fun. Embrace the burn!

Help is GREATLY appreciated

2012-09-07T18:49:00.003-04:00

Hello ladies and gents, I know I have neglected you for a long time but I will be getting back to regular posts now.

Kerri and Kai celebrating his 2nd birthday

However this post is about something a bit off topic. My sister Kerri has a two year old son named Kai, Kai was diagnosed at 8 months old with an inoperable brain tumor. The tumor runs along his optic nerve which causes many problems, nerve disorder, blindness, and almost constant pain. Kerri and Kai have struggled through his 2 years, his 2nd birthday was Sept 5th. My sister is quite simply the strongest person I know, the way that she keeps her head held high and carries on day to day is amazing. She faces all problems with careful thought and explores all options to look for the best solution for Kai. As he continues to grow older and get bigger it becomes increasingly difficult for her to care for him. She has recently received a special wheel chair to help get kai around.

Me and Kai sharing a smile :)

However the wheelchair doesn't fit in my sisters car. My uncle has organized a raffle to try to raise money to help the situation.

Kai and my fiance Lisa spending some couch time

The raffle is $100 per ticket with a maximum of 300 tickets. The prize is 2 club seat tickets to the Patriots vs the Jets game (worth about $1200) The game is on Oct 21st 2012. if you or anyone you know have any interest in participating in this raffle please email my uncle Al at AJMICALE@AYOUBENGINEERING.COM he will send you an email acknowledging that he received yours and promptly send you your raffle ticket.

Kai with his Dad Mark

Anything you can do will be a tremendous help and will be greatly appreciated. There is no better cause than helping a sick innocent cute baby boy. He and my sister have had a tough go and they cant receive enough help, but every little bit counts.

You can read more about Kerri and Kais journey at my sisters blog kaisfightclub.org/ there is also a direct donation button that you can click if you want to donate but don't want to be a part of the raffle. The donation button is setup through a paypal account.

Thank you to anyone and everyone for anything you choose to do. Please feel free to share this to facebook or repost to anyone who may be interested. Thank you again.

Kai with a sweet owl hat one of the more stylish kids I know

we are a fragile being

2012-03-28T10:38:00.003-04:00

Hola seniors and senioritas,

Sorry I haven't been posting too much lately, things have been busy all around. But I have some time now so join me for a little blog action! Its going to be a short one but hey better than nothing. As I said in the title we are a fragile being. "We" as in humans, as we all know there are endless ways to die and we try to avoid them daily (I hope). But aside from accidental deaths such as getting hit by a rhino or slipping into a pit of quicksand there are countless illnesses, diseases, and medical issues that can cause death. The best thing that we can do for ourselves to combat these types of illnesses and deaths is to be as healthy and fit as possible.

A strong healthy well balanced individual is going to have a much better chance at beating sicknesses than someone on the other end of the spectrum. Peak fitness and health improves all qualities of life including having a dominating immune system that can be used to combat any issue that may arise now or in the future.

Maintaining a healthy diet, a consistant exercise program, as well as keeping your mental health in tip top shape are all super important to staying in the best shape possible and enjoying only the finest quality of life. A lot of diseases and conditions are avoidable altogether just by being healthy. You can significantly decreases your risk for things such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and strokes, just to name a few, simply by taking care of yourself. These are all things that I'd like to avoid and I'm pretty sure you'd like to avoid them as well.

So stay fit, stay healthy, stay alive as long as possible, and live the highest quality of life.

until next time people embrace the burn!

Dear diary,

2012-02-29T12:17:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, hello and how are you all? Due to your mixed response I'm going to say most of you are doing ok, some of you are tired, some are bored and wish this article was more entertaining, and some of you didn't respond. You know who you are.

write down everything you consume in me!

Now I know some of you have stepped up to my challenge of sticking with your New Year's resolution and have been doing a great job, and to you I say.... NICE WORK! keep it up. On the other hand some of you are trying to stick to your guns but are having a hard time seeing the gains.

Well I am here to give you a tip. Keep a food journal. Thats it. very simple very easy. I often times ask people who aren't having the sucess they are looking for what they are eating. The most typical response is this "I've been eating really well. Hardly any junk food, minimal bread and pasta, lots of salads. Oh and I've been trying to cut down on alcohol as well." Well guess what!? This is a very unspecific response, your idea and my idea of eating "really well lately" might be very different things. There is no reason to lie to me. I'm not grading you or throwing you in jail depending on what you eat. I am trying to get to the bottom of why every time you step on the scale it looks up and laughs at you pointing out the extra 2 lbs that are on there since last time you got on that thing.

Keep a food journal and write down EVERYTHING you eat in it. EVERYTHING if you walk by a bowl of M&m's and grab a handfull write in your journal "about 12 M&M's" these are the types of things that you would forget about or neglect to tell me/yourself if you didnt have a journal. Make sure to write down all bevarege consumption. Sodas, coffee with milk and sugar, sodas, lemonade, alcohol, odwallas, love potion #9, special elixers, and whatever else you are drinking these days. At the end of the week go back through your journal. You'll be surprised at just how much is in there. Probably a lot of unecessary things. Then try to tally up your daily caloric intake. You can find calorie counts for just about anything on any number of calorie tracking websites. You will know exactly why your weight loss progress has calm to a screeching halt.

Now that you've done all this you can disect your diet and get rid of the unneeded and unwanted, left to focus on the good and necessary. Before you know it you will be sliding into those skinny jeans no problem. You'll be excited to tell me about it, I'll be excited to hear about it. Everyone will be happier.

Let's review

- get a food log

-track everything you eat in it

-find out what you are eating that is keeping you grom your goals
-eliminate those things

-arrive at goal

-celebrate by eating and drinking (but just for one night so we dont end up right back where we started!)

Until next time people... Embrace the burn!!!

Types of stretches

2012-02-15T11:24:00.001-05:00

Ok peeps I have given you back to back stretching posts maybe you should notice my emphasis on flexibility and take it seriously. Last time I asked if anyone wanted to know about the different types of stretches, and I got enough feedback to create this final post of the 3 part stretching series. So sit tight and read up. Some of this will be familiar to you and some wont. here we go!!!

Ballistic stretching
Ballistic stretching uses the momentum of a moving body or a limb in an attempt to force it beyond its normal range of motion. This is stretching, or "warming up", by bouncing into (or out of) a stretched position, using the stretched muscles as a spring which pulls you out of the stretched position. (e.g. bouncing down repeatedly to touch your toes.) This type of stretching is not considered useful and can lead to injury. It does not allow your muscles to adjust to, and relax in, the stretched position. It may instead cause them to tighten up by repeatedly activating the stretch reflex

Dynamic Stretching
involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both." Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching! Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you (gently!) to the limits of your range of motion. Ballistic stretches involve trying to force a part of the body beyond its range of motion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or "jerky" movements. An example of dynamic stretching would be slow, controlled leg swings, arm swings, or torso twists.

Active Stretching
Active stretching is also referred to as static-active stretching. An active stretch is one where you assume a position and then hold it there with no assistance other than using the strength of your agonist muscles. For example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there without anything (other than your leg muscles themselves) to keep the leg in that extended position. The tension of the agonists in an active stretch helps to relax the muscles being stretched (the antagonists) by reciprocal inhibition

Passive Strecthing
Passive stretching is also referred to as relaxed stretching, and as static-passive stretching. A passive stretch is one where you assume a position and hold it with some other part of your body, or with the assistance of a partner or some other apparatus. For example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there with your hand. The splits is an example of a passive stretch (in this case the floor is the "apparatus" that you use to maintain your extended position).

Static Stretching
Many people use the term "passive stretching" and "static stretching" interchangeably. However, there are a number of people who make a distinction between the two. According to M. Alter:

Static stretching involves holding a position. That is, you stretch to the farthest point and hold the stretch ...
Passive stretching is a technique in which you are relaxed and make no contribution to the range of motion. Instead, an external force is created by an outside agent, either manually or mechanically

Isometric Stretching
Isometric stretching is a type of static stretching (meaning it does not use motion) which involves the resistance of muscle groups through isometric contractions (tensing) of the stretched muscles. The use of isometric stretching is one of the fastest ways to develop increased static-passive flexibility and is much more effective than either passive stretching or active stretching alone. Isometric stretches also help to develop strength in the "tensed" muscles (which helps to develop static-active flexibility), and seems to decrease the amount of pain usually associated with stretching.
The most common ways to provide the needed resistance for an isometric stretch are to apply resistance manually to one's own limbs, to have a partner apply the resistance, or to use an apparatus such as a wall (or the floor) to provide resistance.

PNF Stretching
PNF stretching is currently the fastest and most effective way known to increase static-passive flexibility. PNF is an acronym for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. It is not really a type of stretching but is a technique of combining passive stretching and isometric stretching in order to achieve maximum static flexibility. Actually, the term PNF stretching is itself a misnomer. PNF was initially developed as a method of rehabilitating stroke victims. PNF refers to any of several post-isometric relaxation stretching techniques in which a muscle group is passively stretched, then contracts isometrically against resistance while in the stretched position, and then is passively stretched again through the resulting increased range of motion. PNF stretching usually employs the use of a partner to provide resistance against the isometric contraction and then later to passively take the joint through its increased range of motion. It may be performed, however, without a partner, although it is usually more effective with a partner's assistance.

There you have it my friends, sorry no pictures or comedy today I'm pressed for time so just straight facts for you. Go warm up and stretch it out! until next time Embrace the BURN!!!

Stretch it out

2012-02-01T11:22:00.000-05:00

Loose and Limber (or soon to be) ladies and gents.
Obviously the last post was about stretching, If you don't remember just look directly below this post and see for yourself.

What I am going to do in this post is recommend some particular stretches that should be done daily in order to maximize your muscle and joint range of motion, and improve your quality of life, because at the end of the day that's what its all about right? RIGHT!

So here we go, when stretching a nice rule of thumb is start at the top and work your way down. so lets start with the neck

This is not really what I am talking about. lets try again.

These are good stretches for the neck, you don't want to pull too hard on your head just let the weight of your arms hang down creating some pressure it will do the trick. Hold the stretch for :30-1:00

Next is a chart showing stretches to do basically for the rest of your body. Obviously there are many more stretches than this available to you, however if you make sure to hit these ones daily, or at least most of them you will be doing yourself a huge favor. Try to hold each one for a minimum of :30 but 1-2 minutes will really allow you to work into the stretch loosening up the muscles and actually gaining some flexibility. Stretches should be held in a position where you can feel it and it is slightly uncomfortable, you should not stretch to the point of actual real deal pain. There are a variety of types of stretches such as dynamic, ballistic, active, passive, static, isomeric and PNF. Each stretch is beneficial in its own way, we are focusing mainly on static where you are getting into the farthest position possible and holding for a period of time. If you are super interested in all of the other types of stretches I just listed, make a comment on the post, if I get enough feedback I'll do a short post explaining them all. So eat right, get to the gym for tons of exercising, and make sure you are rocking those stretches. Until next time people embrace the burn!

Getting Loose

2012-01-25T09:42:00.000-05:00

flex·i·ble (flks-bl)

adj.

a. Capable of being bent or flexed; pliable.

b. Capable of being bent repeatedly without injury or damage.

2. Susceptible to influence or persuasion; tractable.

3. Responsive to change; adaptable: a flexible schedule

All right folks lets talk about the good ol flexibility. Flexibility is the ability of our muscles and joints to stretch, move and glide through a full range of motion. A loss of flexibility restricts our ability to move, perform daily functions, and have fun (you do want to have fun don't you?). Ones flexibility is affected by ones age, genetics, and activity level. In general people can get away with performing mundane day to day tasks without paying too much attention to their flexibility, thus it is often neglected and put on the back burner, until that day that you have to shovel or stretch for something, or slip and fall awkwardly then BAM!!! You pull or tear a muscle and you really REALLY wish you had payed a bit more attention to stretching it out, don't you!

Our muscles are similar to rubber bands in the fact that they have an elasticity to them. The bigger and stronger they get the less they want to stretch so they must be forced. Also the less frequently they are used and moved they once again lose that elasticity and range. So it is very important that you take care of your muscles by stretching them regularly. They will most definitely not be stretching themselves!

Stretching can relieve pain and solve problems. Often times people ask me about back pain, knee pain, etc... At least half of the time I can attribute this pain to a lack of flexibility. Tightness in the hamstrings can cause tremendous back pain, tight quads can make your knees feel very uncomfortable. A few simple stretches done with regularity can make this all go away. What would you give to go through your days without those aches and pains that have bothered you for so long? Well maybe give 30 minutes a day to the stretching gods and see how that works out....

This guy never pulls a hammie

Stretching can also reduce and relieve stress. Often times we hold stress in our muscles, you all know what I mean, those tight shoulders after a stressful meeting with your boss or when your back tightens up when you wake up in a cage with a hungry tiger, I know that always stresses me out. Well (after you get to safety) take some time and stretch it out work those specific areas and literally feel your stress go away.

Try to find some time each day to do some simple stretches let those muscles really feel it and you will be rewarded with improved range of motion, less stress, and a lower probability of hurting yourself.

You will thank yourself
Until next time people embrace the burn!!!

Advice from a five percenter

2012-01-08T18:59:00.002-05:00

(This is a guest blog from one of my clients, Richard Bondi.)

Here’s how I joined a gym three years ago and didn't quit (link).

It had nothing to do with will power. Also, although I had a general plan like Pat has suggested, in my case that wasn’t enough. I still kept creeping closer to quitting.

I dreaded going to the gym. I dreaded the gruelling workout, and possible excuses multiplied in my head each week: wasn’t I too tired? Did I feel well enough? Wouldn’t I miss a work deadline? Exactly why again was I doing this to myself? It’s an old song, and I know you know it by heart.

Then I realized four things in rapid succession which completely changed my attitude, and I’ve never looked back.

First, I suddenly noticed that my body was lying to me. Over and over again I had experiences like the following. The goal would be, say, to do 50 burpees. After 25 I would be dying. Words would be coming out of my mouth like “I can’t,” “Must stop,” “No more. Gas.” And I’d believe them, too; that’s what my body was telling me. And then every time, with barely a break, I’d do the next 25 burpees. Maybe faster than the first 25.

So how could I have been “dying” after the first 25?!

Second, it hit me that my concept of complaining was all wrong. Complaining had always been speaking truth to pain. To not complain was to not acknowledge the pain, and seemed as unnatural as trying not to sneeze. But clearly my complaints after 25 burpees were factually false. It was not true that I couldn’t go on. Not even close.

Third, I noticed then that I was a serial complainer. Dreading the gym was just complaining. And I wasn’t just doing it with thoughts and words, but with my face, my body language, everything. After 25 burpees I’d be rolling my eyes and staggering around as if I was about to pass out or die. That was just more totally false complaining, because then I’d do 25 more.

Fourth, beyond the obvious -- changing my body language, and giving myself new positive words to think during metcons (link) instead of “can’t,” “No,” and so on -- I developed a small bag of tricks to turn the tables on myself mentally. They aren’t ways to deceive myself, but exactly the opposite, ways to remind myself of what is actually true.

The most effective one I call “making the problem smaller.”

For example, when I thought about what made me not want to work out, it was really only the metcon. But the metcon is typically around 10 minutes, 20 at the most. I was getting all worked up about a measly 10 minutes!! Since then I’ve never dreaded going to the gym.

Another example of cutting a problem down to size is to think about only the next three, or even just the next one thing you have to do, instead of the next 30 or whatever. Just ask yourself: “Can I do one more?” Almost always the answer will be: “Sure, definitely!”

Finally, remember you can’t always do your best on your own. Teams play better at home games, and a little yelling from a trainer or buddy can push you amazingly far when you think you can’t go on.

I think of all this as pain management. It’s not as easy as it might sound. It takes practice. Because anyone can embrace the burn; it’s not letting go that’s the hard part.

New Year

2012-01-04T10:58:00.001-05:00

Welcome to 2012 my friends!

So the gyms are packed with fresh faces, people are running out to the stores to get new gear, sneakers and dry-fit shirts are flying off the shelves at an alarming pace, Facebook statuses near and far are popping up reading "gym day 2, and loving it!" or things like "can't wait to get out of work and go hit the cardio pump class with my girls" calenders are being filled with reminders such as "cardio kick boxing 6pm", "yoga", "gym, Mon, Wed, Fri" , and "go running". All of these things are great, stores make money, gyms make money, I get annoyed trying to navigate the new landscape of the hours between 6-8am, and 5-8pm. The gym is currently a WAR ZONE. However I'm not worried. Do you know why I'm not worried? Well if you have been an avid exerciser for any significant length of time (multiple years) you already know why..........

THESE PEOPLE WONT BE HERE IN MARCH, this is a guarantee, and a fact. I am a mild mannered, patient man, and I can handle the onslaught of seeing 60% more people in the gym this morning than I saw 2 weeks ago, most of which I have never seen before.

AH the gym has cleared out!

I can deal with the fact that these people are "all pumped up and ready to make a change" and that "this is really the year, I'M READY!!!" Because guess what? As I already said, they wont last, this isn't the year, and they wont make a change. Now that doesn't apply to everybody, every year I see this title wave of enthusiasm, and out of the crowd roughly 5% stick with it for more than 6 months, generally once you make it more than 6 months you are good to go and you will continue for a long time, we in the biz call this reaching the maintenance phase and it's a good thing.

Why is he telling me all of this? I know its true, everyone talks about it and knows that it happens. I mean it's a well written, and entertaining post but that's not why I check this blog.....

If the above line sounds like your current inner dialog allow me to explain. This is a warning to you. If you haven't been exercising and just decided to start well the chances are about 90-95% that you aren't going to last more than 2 or 3 months at the most. Offended? I'd like nothing more than for you to prove me wrong, and here is how I am going to help you get there.

First: MAKE A PLAN!!!

Probably the most crucial step because everything stems from there.

Set time in your schedule, set reminders, don't just assume that you will be able to start exercising because all of a sudden you want to, you are busy, you need to schedule this thing man!

Second: Set goals. Make them easily measurable, and specific. Make them challenging, but not impossible, tell a lot of people about them (the type of people who are going to ask how they are going 2 months from now) reference my goals setting article. Having your goals be easily measurable allows you to MEASURE THEM this will help you determine whether or not you are making progress towards them. Same thing with making them specific "I want to lose weight" this is a sucky goal if you lose 1 lb you've accomplished it, I doubt you want to lose only 1LB. "I want to lose 12LBs" better goal, nice and specific, if you lose 8 your not there, 15 you've gone above and beyond.... See what I'm saying here?

Third: Be consistent. Constancy is the key to this whole ball of wax, you can work out super duper hard for 3 weeks and all you're going to get is sore really sore. But if you are consistent all year the chances are you are going to get more fit, more healthy, and less heavy (unless you are trying to pack on muscle).

So here we go people 2012 big things on the horizon for all of us. Life changes, transitions, new beginnings, job promotions, or whatever else you have going on, but let's all agree that THIS YEAR YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN THE BEST SHAPE OF YOUR LIFE!!! It wont happen overnight and it's not going to be easy, so get to work. Best of luck and always ALWAYS remember to embrace the burn.

Just because you get into great shape, doesn't mean you ahve to wear a speedo. I repeat, speedo at your own risk!

Keeping it clean

2011-12-21T11:16:00.002-05:00

I found a video on an exercise website that I respect. However this video is a horrible example of how to do cleans, check it out, and don't think that the Internet has all the answers.

Now you'll notice that the athlete has his arms bent at the start of each rep which allows him to use his arms, and doesn't use the full potential of his hips. This will be a perfect way for him to never have a clean as heavy as he could have. You'll also notice that at the top of each rep he brings the bar off of his shoulders before standing up all the way (his knees are bent), this results in a partial rep and would be considered a "no rep" in any competition. Lastly the athletes elbows are questionably ending up in front of the bar at the top of the lift if they don't actually get in front of the bar this would also be a "no rep"

Let's learn from this bad example and do things the right way around here. Clean it up folks, and clean it properly!!!

Happy Holidays peeps

Until next time embrace the burn!

1 leg Deadlift

2011-12-19T14:55:00.000-05:00

Hello one and all, I trust you are all doing well, and trying hard to follow the advice of my previous post. Well if you are or aren't I hope you are finding some time to make it to the gym through this period of celebration. Now, there are about 1,238,290,343,920 known exercises which is a lot, some good, some great, and some are a total waste of time.

Today I'd like to take a quick look at the one legged deadlift. If you are one of my clients (hi clients!!!) first of all thanks for reading this, and second you know exactly what the one legged deadlift is. I have my clients do this exercise ALL THE TIME!!! Some of them are probably sick of it, well this just in, its a great exercise and not going to leave my repetoire any time soon, so get used to it.

The one legged deadlift is obviously a member of the deadlift family, which if you've followed this blog at all you'll know that I think very highly of the deadlift. The one legged deadlift is exactly what it sounds like, a deadlift but while only standing on one leg.

BENEFITS OF THE SINGLE LEG DEAD

The single leg deadlift, like other single leg exercises doesn't allow one side to work harder than the other, which can happen from time to time when doing exercises on 2 legs. Each leg has to lift the weight independently with this version. Single leg exercises prevent and help fix muscle imbalances where one leg is stronger than the other. A significant difference in leg strength can potentially lead to injuries and further dependence on the dominant leg. Also single leg deadlift works a lot on balance. Any exercise on one leg is going to challenge your balance, and especially this one as you move through the motion. Balance training is a big part of overall fitness.

TARGET AREAS

The glute of the standing leg is the primary muscle working here, but you will also receive benefits in the standing hamstring, you will get a stretch on the hamstring of the leg in the air, and the lower part of the standing leg will do tons of work during the balance part, all of your little peronious muscles, and tibialis muscles will be working hard to keep you from falling down. The abs, and obliques will lend a hand as they assist in the stabilization of your body, in fact you may even recruit some low back muscles for stabilizational purposes. The glute and hamstring of the raised leg will also be working in order to keep that leg HIGH in the air.

EXERCISE TECHNIQUE

This exercise can be done with dumbells or a barbell. If with a barbell you will hold it with both hands about shoulders width apart standing on one leg you will lean forward at the waist keeping a straight line from your head to your toe raising one leg higher as you lean more and more forward, when you are as low as you can go, or about parallel to the floor return to your starting standing point, but try not to touch your foot to the ground, then repeat. If you are using a dumbell (just one) hold it in the hand on the same side of your body as the leg you'll be raising. If using 2 dumbells follow the barbell instructions. I have included some pictures so you can understand the movement. Enjoy!!!

Until next time my friends, embrace the burn!

Tis the season

2011-12-14T10:07:00.000-05:00

HO! HO! HO! Ladies and gentlemen as we really dive head first into the heart of the holiday season let's first stop and take a minute to figure out what it's going to be like in the deep end of this pool.

Now Thanksgiving has come and gone and whatever happened, happened good bad or indifferent I'm not here to judge. However, now we really get tested, Christmas is almost upon us, and with it comes all of the Christmas parties. Your friend's annual ugly sweater party, your work party, your wife's work party, the small gathering in your neighborhood, the Christmas eve event that you attend every year, and your sister's on Christmas day. Tally that all up and that is a lot of partying with a lot of drinking, a lot of food, and simply having a wonderful Christams time!!! (did you catch that?)

As always I am not going to sit here, as I type this on my laptop at school before a day filled with indoor soccer and 7th and 8th graders trying to ask me for the 827,000th time how old I am at which I always respond "old enough to be your teacher" and tell you to not attend these parties, eat, drink, and be merry. Why would I do that when I will be doing all of the same things as you? I will however sit here and try to convince you that it is in your best interest to try to pick out one or two of these occasions to cut loose and live it up, and on the other 3 or 4 events try to keep it to a minimum. Try to go into it with a plan, either eat a bit before you go or stay near the crudetay. Also don't forget how the drinks add up, alcoholic, as well as juices and soft drinks. These drinks all are packed with sugars and calories, and area all an unnecessary consumption. As I said enjoy the one or two events where you get your moneys worth, but if you are at one of the gatherings where you are supposed to take it easy, instead of "oh I'll just have one or two drinks" why not just have none!? One or two will do nothing to enhance your Christmas spirit anyway so let's try to zero and just stick to water on the rocks? Maybe you will maybe you wont, but you can't argue that what I'm saying isn't totally reasonable. To top it all off we know that New Years eve is lurking in the shadows close behind, we will deal with resolutions later (hopefully you attained your resolution goals from last year, because if you haven't its pretty much too late) but it is no secret that New Years will bring at least one more day/night of the same high level gathering with all of the same fun and unhealthy indulgences. So let's all make a strong effort to end this year with some momentum heading into next year where we will all be in THE BEST SHAPE OF OUR LIVES RIGHT!?!?!?! I thought so.

Until next time my friends embrace the burn!

My Daily food intake

2011-11-16T19:11:00.001-05:00

People ask me diet and nutrition questions A LOT! This often leads to them asking me "what do you eat?" Well here's what I eat, just about everyday!

Setting Goals

2011-11-09T10:45:00.001-05:00

I've always been very goal-focused – both inside and outside the gym – in part because I don't overcomplicate goal setting. I don't go off on extended pilgrimages to far-off places to search for my "true purpose." I simply find a quiet spot and follow a few simple steps, which I'll share with you now.

Step 1: Redefine Your Expectations

When setting your goals, you must define exactly what you want to achieve, as well as what you believe to be possible and realistic. In life you should always set your goals extremely high. If you reach them, bonus. If you come close then you should be doing pretty well. If you set your goals lower and achieve them all, well, then you probably set them too low.

Satisfaction can be a real dream killer, as well as complacency. If you feel as though you are satisfied with whatever it is you have going on, then you are certainly not going to go farther than where you are. SO DON'T GET SATISFIED OR COMPLACENT!!! Sometimes we get caught up in our own accomplishments. If you have lost 20 lbs and feel really great about it and are satisfied, find someone who has lost 40 lbs: then your 20 doesn't seem quite so extraordinary, and you will realize that although you've come a long way, there is still plenty more to go. This also works if you are a runner, maybe the fastest in your group. Well, find a new group, people who are absolute lightning bolts. Next thing you know your 7:30 miles seem like a snail's pace, and your expectations have been REDEFINED. Now you won't stop until you are at a 7:05 mile...... and away we go!

Step 2: Set Specific Goals

It's imperative that goals be specific and definable. Vague goals lead to obscure results. Avoid setting goals that are subjective, where results can be altered independent of your own progress.

For example, many competing athletes set goals based upon the result of their next competition. Most would assume that this is a great way to set goals. However, if you think about it, you can see the flaws in that mindset. Let's say you want to finish higher in your annual 5k than last year. You get out there and finish 51st out of 350, which is 6 places higher than last year. However, you ran 1:00 slower, so is this truly an improvement? The answer is NO! You have actually regressed, even though you achieved your goal. The opposite can also happen. You run your race and finish 6:03 faster than last year, but everyone was fast and you finished 2 spots worse than last year. Now you clearly improved but you didn't "achieve" your goal.

The key is that no matter what your goals may be, you need to make them definable and measurable to allow accurate gauging of true progress.

Step 3: Set Short, Medium, and Long Term Goals

You should have short, medium, and long-term goals – and it's crucial that your short-term ones act as steppingstones towards both the medium and eventually the long-term goals.

As obvious as that may sound, many fail to do this and set conflicting or even opposing goals. While what constitutes a short, medium, or long-term goal is up to the individual, for athletics it's useful to define a short-term goal as something that can be accomplished over weeks or months.

Accomplishing medium-term goals should be set for 1-2 years, and long terms goals 5-10 years or possibly more. Of course, these time frames will vary greatly depending on exactly what the goal may be. Also make sure you write your goals down, check them off as you go and continue to reevaluate. If you are blowing through your medium length goals in a few months, then reset them and up the ante!

Step 4: Work Backwards

To ensure your short, medium, and long-term goals all work well together, it's best to start with the long-term goals and work backwards. This will also bring issues to light if you're not being realistic in your expectations.

Often people will set excessively ambitious long-term goals without having the short and medium-term goals in place. By starting with the long-term and working backwards, it will be easier to evaluate whether the entire process is even a realistic possibility.

Step 5: Be Lofty But Realistic

Your goals should bring you to the peak of what is possible for you. Don't be afraid to reach too far and come up short. Fear of failure has kept many worthy individuals from achieving all that they were capable of.

Remember there is no reward without risk – and often the greater the risk, the greater the reward. This works in all aspects of life, not just health. Too many people sell themselves short by setting goals that they know they can easily reach, and then pat themselves on the back for doing so. However, this is silly and pointless: you are not living up to your potential, and could do/be way more!

I'm a big believer in competing at the highest level you're able to. If you're an athlete and qualify for a national level competition, then compete there. Don't waste yours and every one else's time in lower levels just to rack up wins and trophies and make yourself feel like King Kong.

Just be realistic in your expectations and try to learn as much you can. The knowledge that you acquire by competing and losing to stiffer competition will only benefit your future aspirations, as well as giving you the satisfaction that you tried at the highest level. Win, lose, or draw, you were competing against the people you should be competing against.

On the other hand, setting goals that are easily achievable proves nothing, accomplishes nothing, and fails to lead to the progression that we ultimately should be striving toward.

Some people sell themselves short, and some go too far in the other direction. Setting goals that are truly unattainable won't do you any good either. It will be as if you had a built-in excuse. If you are a slightly overweight 45 year old man, your goals should probably not include running the 400m sprint in the next Olympics.

Goals should push you to your limits – but if you find yourself repeatedly falling short by a wide margin, a stern reality check may be in order.

To correct this, try discussing your goals with knowledgeable people that you respect, and most importantly, will be straight up with you. Ask them for their honest opinion and tell them not to sugar-coat it. Say you need to hear the absolute truth, and that you have a lot riding on their analysis; put the pressure on them to be honest.

This might require a thick skin on your part, but you have to be able to accept constructive criticism if you're to grow and progress. However, also remember that their opinion is just that – their opinion – and not necessarily 100% accurate. Accept it as a qualified outside perspective, and combine it with everything else that you already know and believe. Still, if everyone you ask gives similar reviews, then it's probably fairly accurate feedback.

Summing Up

As important as goal setting may be, it doesn't have to be complicated or require days of self-analysis. Here's the quick and dirty version:

Redefine your expectations. A helpful tip is to surround yourself with people that are at the level you desire to be at.
Ensure your goals are specific and objective. Base your goals around criteria that are definable and measurable.
Set short, medium, and long-term goals, and remember that it's vital that the short-term ones serve as steppingstones toward the achievement of the medium and long-term goals.
Use the inverse method of setting your long-term goals first and working backwards through your medium and short-term goals.
Your goals should be lofty and extract the absolute maximum from your potential but not be unrealistic. Look for constructive criticism from knowledgeable and honest sources.

Most importantly, remember that goal setting is ultimately about the process of continual progression and personal growth, and this is where we find the true meaning in our aspirations.

Until next time people, EMBRACE THE BURN!!!

At home workout

2011-11-02T08:09:00.003-04:00

A big hello to everyone that's sitting at a computer! Which I will assume will be almost all of you, and a happy little bit late Halloween! People ask me all the time - ALL THE TIME!!! - about workouts that they can do at home, or when they are traveling in a hotel or just don't have access to a gym. So I am going to design one here that everyone and anyone can do on their own when in such a situation.

All you will need for this workout is some space, something soft enough to lay down on, a clock, stop watch or something else to measure time with, and some workout gear.

First things first: start with a

warm up
Do some walking lunges (or stationary if there isn't enough room) about 10 on each leg
:30 jumping jacks
15 squats
:30 running in place with high knees

Then go through a series of stretches. Try to hit most or all major muscle groups. (If I list every stretch along with how to do it, as well as every exercise, this post will be super duper long.) If you don't know any stretches ask someone, Google it, or watch some old ESPN or Jane Fonda fitness shows.

This should be sufficient to get you warm; now down to business.

The workout

Max effort push ups. This doesn't mean do 10 or 20 and stop, this means AS MANY AS YOU CAN, until you literally cannot get up to the top of your plank position. Do them from your knees if you have to, or on an elevated surface such as a coffee table or side of a couch.

Plank Facing down, then side plank on each side 1:00 each.

Mountain climbers 1:00.

Russian twists 1:00

Squat jumps 20 reps.

Lunge jumps 20 reps.
Hop on one foot 1:00 each foot
Jackknifes 20 reps
Supermans 20 reps using the front and back of your body at the same time, then hold for :30 immediately.
Wall squat 1:00
Hamstring bridges 30 reps.

If you are unfamiliar with these exercises, again use the Internet as a reference. If you cannot do the prescribed amount of time or reps, break it up and work your way to the number provided in smaller sets. Go through the list of exercises at least 2 times, or more if you have the time and desire!

Until next time peeps, Embrace the Burn!!!

The Cousin of Death

2011-10-31T12:35:00.003-04:00

Importance of sleep

Sleep is essential for a person’s health and well being, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Yet tons of people don't get enough sleep, and many suffer from lack of sleep; this is a problem. A surveys conducted by the NSF (1999-2004) shows that at least 40 million Americans suffer from over 70 different sleep disorders, and 60% of adults report having sleep problems a few nights a week or more. Most of those with these problems go undiagnosed and untreated. In addition, more than 40% of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month, ranging from being tired at work to trouble staying awake while driving, etc. It is the same with children: almost 70% of kids experience trouble sleeping at least one night per week.

Amount of sleep needed

Just 5 more minutes

Everyone’s individual sleep needs are different. In general, most healthy adults are built for 16 hours of productive wakefulness and need an average of eight hours of sleep a night. However, some individuals can function just fine without sleepiness or drowsiness after as little as six hours of sleep. Some people need up to 10 hours, just sleeping the day away! I need about 7 to feel good, less than that I'm a hurting unit, more than that I'm generally a little lethargic from oversleeping.

What causes sleep problems?

Psychologists and other scientists who study the causes of sleep disorders have shown that such problems can directly or indirectly be tied to abnormalities in the following systems:

Physiological systems

Brain and nervous system
Cardiovascular system
Metabolic functions
Immune system

Furthermore, unhealthy conditions, disorders and diseases can also cause sleep problems, including:

Pathological sleepiness, insomnia and accidents
Hypertension and elevated cardiovascular risks (MI, stroke)
Emotional disorders (depression, bipolar disorder)
Obesity; metabolic syndrome and diabetes
Alcohol and drug abuse
As well as video games, redbull, and How I met your Mother marathons (JK)

How to get a good night sleep

According to sleep researchers, a night's sleep is divided into five continually shifting stages, defined by types of brain waves that reflect either lighter or deeper sleep. Toward morning, there is an increase in rapid eye movement, or REM sleep, when the muscles are relaxed and dreaming occurs, and recent memories may be consolidated in the brain. This is my favorite part of sleep! Even though a lot of us do it, the experts say that hitting a snooze alarm over and over again to wake up is not the best way to feel rested. This on and off again effect of dozing and waking causes shifts in the brain-wave patterns. Sleep-deprived snooze-button addicts are likely to shorten their quota of REM sleep, impairing their mental functioning during the day. (New York Times, October 12, 2004)

Certain therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy, teach people how to recognize and change patterns of thought and behavior to solve their problems. Recently this type of therapy has been shown to be very effective in getting people to fall asleep and conquer insomnia.

According to leading sleep researchers, these are techniques to combat common sleep problems:

Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule
Don’t drink or eat caffeine four to six hours before bed and minimize daytime use
Don’t smoke, especially near bedtime or if you awake in the night
Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before sleep
Good Morning!

Get regular exercise!!!
Minimize noise, light and excessive hot and cold temperatures where you sleep
Develop a regular bedtime and go to bed at the same time each night
Try and wake up without an alarm clock
Attempt to go to bed earlier every night for certain period; this will ensure that you’re getting enough sleep

In closing, people, get your rest and eat your vitamins!

Until next time embrace the burn! And the sleep zzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZ

You look good, you feel good.

2011-10-26T10:23:00.002-04:00

Hey peeps, things work in cycles..... Take for example the moon. First it's not there, then a sliver, then bigger and bigger until its full, then GONE - working in a cycle. Same thing goes for the seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, repeat in an ongoing cycle. Cycles are all over our lives and are a part of our world.

Cycles can work for and or against us. They can be ongoing, vicious, positive, or negative. In the wellness world we are going to check out what cycles can do to help or hurt our progress towards our goals. Let's first take a look at the negative, shall we? (If your reading this.... we shall!) Then we will end on a more positive note!

I don't feel like going to the gym today
Since I didn't go to the gym I might as well not watch what I eat so much
Now I feel sluggish and don't want to move
Sluggish and feeling unhealthy, I make bad dietary decisions again
repeat the above steps, and eventually I feel like I have dug myself too deep a hole to ever climb out of

I don't like you because you're dangerous

Sometimes we are just going down and going down hard as if we have taken heavy punishment from Maverick and Goose and we are suddenly in a tailspin. A downward spiral of negativity leads one into making one poor decision and excuse after another. After a while it seems almost impossible to get back on the right track and get things moving in the right direction again. When you find yourself stuck in a cycle such as this one, it's important that you don't try to fix everything at once. Focus on one small change such as eating a clean, healthy breakfast. This seems reasonable, right? You start the day on the right foot, by getting up and eating a few eggs and some slices of cantaloupe (mmmmmmm), then you are off and running. You stick to this healthy breakfast for a couple weeks, then build off of that and keep adding more positive changes, until next thing you know you are well on your way back to your goals.

Now let's get a look at how a positive cycle can help us reach our goals (its basically the opposite of what i just wrote above).

I am planing on going to the gym tomorrow, so I am preparing tonight
I will eat a healthy breakfast to get ready for my workout
I am at the gym and kicking ass!
Now that I went to the gym I don't want to ruin it, so I will eat healthily the rest of the day
Hopefully avoid alcohol at night
Feeling good and healthy, now I want to go to the gym tomorrow as well

As this cycle continues to repeat and build upon itself you start to really notice some differences, first in fitness levels, then in appearance. Next thing you know you are looking a bit more slim and feeling better (hence the title, you look good you feel good) and this encourages you to keep things going in the right direction. It becomes easier and easier to stay focused and on task when you are feeling all of the positive effects, and receiving compliments from peers about how good you are looking lately! Now the key is when you get thrown off for whatever reason, maybe you just go out and eat a bunch of unhealthy things, celebrate something and have a bunch of drinks, go to a football game and tailgate your face off, whatever the reason...... GET BACK ON TRACK QUICKLY!!! Don't let one event lead toward a bad cycle, right the ship and keep on sailing.

Good luck and enjoy.

Until next time people, embrace the burn!

Workout Partner.... Friend or Foe?

2011-10-17T14:29:00.001-04:00

When working out it is often times useful to be motivated with someone else. This will give you more to be held accountable for.

Some people are very good at holding themselves accountable, but that doesn't always cut it. For the best results one must answer to more than just oneself. This is where a workout partner can come in and help. You can bounce ideas off of each other, share diet tips, check in with progress, and share in each other's accomplishments. A workout partner would be somebody that you go to the gym with and get your sweat on, seems pretty self explanatory, right? It can be useful when one person is more motivated than the other on a given day, then hopefully the other person gets in gear to keep up with their partner. A workout partner can also be helpful by introducing you to new exercises, or a new exercise philosophy, or convincing you to try a yoga class, or just switching things up a bit. A workout partner can help get you back on track when you are veering off course. Or if you are about to demolish a chocolate cake, maybe there is one tiny little thought about your partner and how hard you've been working together, and how you know they aren't eating cake, and maybe JUST MAYBE you step away from the cake, slowly, and turn around and walk the other way. A workout partner is also someone that you like as a friend, and this can make going to the gym more enjoyable. If you aren't enjoying your workouts, it's not likely that you are going to keep them going, so I think this is one of the biggest positives about having a workout partner

Reasons a workout partner is awesome!

Pushing each other
Variety
Accountability
Fun factor

good workout partners for life!

HOWEVER! I see people in the gym ALL THE TIME with their "workout partners," and they spend more time talking than working out. They joke around, talk about work, their weekends, the previous workout, they do everything except work out. This is annoying and not helpful to anyone. Something else that I often see is when one of the two partners is slightly more knowledgeable or has been working out longer, this person will assume the role of mentor. Now there are times when this works really well (see all reasons I like a workout partner in above paragraph), but a lot of times its a disaster. The "mentor" or Obi Wan Kenobi, will take charge of the workout and show Luke a ton of exercises that shouldn't be done together, or in the order they are being done, OR, worst of all, teaching exercises with horrible, make you want to cry, your back hurts from just watching kind of form. It's not usually a bad exercise being taught but just really bad form.

PEOPLE IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, DON'T MAKE SOMEONE ELSE DO IT TOO!!!

So in closing I encourage you to work out with someone, just make sure you are doing things correctly, pushing each other, keeping your focus on the workout, and staying positive.

Until next time, embrace the burn!

A Strong Foundation

2011-10-03T14:31:00.001-04:00

different foundation, but the same idea

A strong foundation is crucial in life, it doesn't matter if the subject is a sky scraper, boxing skills, body strength, or anything else.

We are going to focus on the body. THE CORE. It has become a very popular word in the fitness industry, and it's not a bad thing. People used to refer to their "abs" a lot and think that, that was all they needed to work on. However the core is more like an equator, it is a complete circle around the body. Included in the core are abs, obliques, low back, and glutes. We think of the abs more because they're in the front, we see them and are concerned with how they look when other people see them. However we cannot ignore the back side of our bodies. So when exercising the core include abs, obliques, lower back and glutes. Don't ignore doing Supermans, Back extensions, Planks, Side planks, and so on.

where you goin? NO WHERE!!!

There are a bazillion faphillion core moves to chose from, so chose some and do them, and do them often and take them seriously. You might walk around looking pretty jacked, but if you have a weak core you are never going to reach your full potential. The body needs that strong core in order to put big weight overhead and hold it up there without crumbling like a saltine, (mmmmm saltines) and big weight means big gains. We have to push the envelope to make the gains, and without a strong core the envelope is going NO WHERE!

O.K. So core training leads to better training and overall fitness, don't ignore it, take it seriously.

Embrace the burn!