Good day for a 5k wouldn’t you say? The race is the Central Vermont Runners First Night Montpelier 5k and it is all set to start at 3pm. I am excited
I don’t have any expectations as far as running a good time in this one… I have been so busy with work over the last couple of weeks that my training schedule has become all but non-existent. What I do expect is to have fun and not freeze my arse off. Not too much to ask right?
After the race I am going to head out to my favorite bar, the Three Penny Taproom, with a couple of friends, followed by food and fun (and probably some poker) here at the apartment.
I’m sure I will get into a “plans for the Two Ten” style post some time soon, but for now all I can think about is how happy I am that the end of the year work rush is over. Between the days that were added to my regular schedule and the days that I have had to cover for sick/accident prone coworkers, I’ve been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest.
Hope all is well with everyone. Have a safe and happy NYE. May the Two Ten be filled with unexpected triumphs for you all.
So, today has not gone well. Too much sweet junk food. I’m actually throwing the reese’s pb cup xmas trees in the trash, and topping them with soap. I bought them to use as stocking stuffers this weekend, and instead I’m shoving them down my piehole like I’m preparing for a Biggest Loser audition. So, in the trash they go.
I did, however, get up at the ass crack of dawn to workout. I ran my 3 miles and did upper body weights. I totally tried to wuss out, and texted my wake-up call girl (not a call girl, I swear) at 4:45 am and told her not to call me, because I was going to be on my own tonight (DH has poker) and I would workout then. She insta-texted me back and said “No you won’t. Get up!” This, by the way, is why I love my Scoobs. If she hadn’t made me get up, I’d totally have not done my workout today.
Novia asked for my sauce recipe, to go with the meatballs. I have a super specific recipe that involves dumping cans of stuff in a crock pot and leaving for the day, so here it is. Roughly.
1 big can of diced tomatoes, or two smaller ones… I like the fire roasted ones, but any will probably do
1 can organic kroger brand tomato sauce
garlic… if you do fresh, several cloves all minced up (cloves are the tiny things inside the big bulb, right?) or I use the jarred kind (not in oil) and I take a big ol’ glob of it and dump it in
italian seasoning… I dump some in
sugar… I sprinkle a bit in, or sometimes splenda… it takes the bitter/acidity out of the tomatoes
So yeah, that is the recipe. Feel free to tweak… ha ha!
Last Wednesday, I went snowboarding for the first time in my life. I’d actually never gone skiing either, so the whole concept of going down a hill with my feet strapped into purposely slippery objects was completely new to me.
Yeah, I didn't really look like this. Not at all.
Sure, it was fun. My rental board was even color-coordinated with my outfit (oh-so important!), I wasn’t the only beginner in our small group lesson, by the end of the day I was really getting the hang of it, etc.
But the real victory came during the part of the lesson where the instructor kept having to help me up when both my feet were strapped to the board (it’s pretty difficult to get up when both of your feet are in the board).
1) I was letting a guy help me up off my feet. Previously I would have shunned such contact because of my weight – I wouldn’t want to pull the guy off-balance with my massive mass. But on Wednesday, I later realized, I did it without thinking. I didn’t stop to compute the estimated relative visible strength of the guy against my weight, including variables for the slickness of the snow and the potential for embarrassment should my calculations be wrong.
2) I let a guy (a strange guy, I might add) stand in my personal space, also without a second thought.
3) I was falling down, looking stupid, and not really caring who saw me doing so. This happened instead of worrying that people might be goggling at a fat chick bouncing down the slope, snowboard trailing behind her – because I am not that same girl who I was this time last year. I am not the person biting her nails and freaking out, pondering if everyone is constantly judging her and her weight/judging her for her weight.
In just a few days, I will have been on WW for a year. But it took me this long and trying a new winter sport to really realize how much I really have changed and how high my confidence has soared.
My name is (The Venture Boy) and this is my world. This page will expose my non-business adventures and unbelievable, but entirely true stories, along with occasional tidbits of entrepreneurial experience and updates thrown in. This is my educational background: I dabbled in high school and struggled through college. During these times I acquired many entertaining stories not through the grapevine, but by the most fortunate series of personal events that should have landed me in the slammer. Thanks to my fast feet and slow brain I have lived to reminisce the now funny predicaments. However, I do not want this to be solely based on previous engagements, but rather on what I have learned…Haha, oh man, who am I fooling? I’m not sure I’ll ever grow up, but that’s okay because everybody needs a little, mischevious, slightly dimented kid inside them…right? My first adventure will be posted with pictures Saturday, January 2, 2010. Enjoy the ride!
Darkness came more slowly in the city of tents, because it was higher ground and no trees blocked the sky. Fortis and George had slipped into the academy, one of two permanent structures in the area. The ancient stone building was simple, though quite large. They had been placed in a room on the third floor, and Fortis sat on the tiny balcony. The wind was cool, but the night dampness had not yet begun. His mind swam in that wide ocean again.
Some part of him remembered to absorb his environment. The wind across the low peaked roof of slate made odd noises. He could have sworn he heard for a moment something like the sound he recalled the sails making during their long voyage from the pole. Was that movement on the roof?
Too slowly he turned to look, and faced the glint of a Gauss weapon in the hands of a shadow on the roof above him. Fortis froze.
The shadow spoke in a stage whisper. “Good idea. I have no intention of harming you, so not moving will keep me from having to think about it. Step over here to the railing.”
Fortis moved slowly to the place where the roof met the framework of the balcony. The shadow climbed down and sat on the railing next to him. Somehow, the Gauss weapon never strayed from pointing at him. He was now just a few feet from the barrel.
The shadow removed his cowl. Fortis was hardly surprised to see the fake hunter from the village. “Your hunters just about finished me back there in the woods. I wish I could recruit them, but I don’t have time for such things.” He seemed quite relaxed, almost friendly. “They deserved their awards. And you aren’t such a slouch yourself. Past your prime and you still manage to keep up with everyone else, load and all. I’m impressed.”
Fortis was not sure how genuine such praise could be. But the weapon was relaxed, and the man leaned near him, as if he feared nothing at all.
“Again, this has nothing to do with hurting you, or anyone else. I decided to take a chance and just talk. Frankly, if you wanted to run back inside, I would not stop you. What I hope for is just your ears for a few minutes. I want you to hear an honest account of the other side.”
Fortis sighed, then said quietly, “I’m listening.”
“Good. I knew you were too intelligent to swallow everything you hear without a few questions. This isn’t some evil cabal plotting to take over Misty. We just want a chance to be heard, and so far, no one will listen. We are shot on sight, mostly.”
“So I’ve heard,” Fortis agreed.
“That part was true enough. All we really want is for someone to consider the safety of our paradise here. We have no standing army, and the few troops we have are tied down. Most of the rangers are tied up chasing punks or preventing prisoners escaping the northern islands.”
Fortis bit his tongue to keep from asking about that.
The man continued. “It’s gotten pretty tough, lately. Quite a few are getting much closer to escaping. My associates are catching more and more of them trying to slip across the open water to the deserts. Twice in the past year, they chased little groups across the plateaus, even though letting them go would have left them to die in the desert. No man on this planet can carry enough water to make it.
“So what’s going to happen if the outsiders send their troops? You know better than I do. Rangers are stretched too thin. Don’t you think we need some effective defense to keep ourselves safe? If nothing else, let them see a deterrent force at the pole. All we are asking is that the first shipments include some more weapons, better stuff that work here, like the old chemical explosive based rifles. They make these” — holding up the Gauss short rifle — “look like toys. We know they can be made, and we are sure they’ll work here. With no energy weapons working here, we would always have the upper hand.”
Fortis placed the fingers of one hand on his chin, resting the elbow in the other hand. He hoped he looked a lot more relaxed than he felt. “I suppose you would recruit men like the twins as part of your larger ranger force.”
“Yes. We can surely afford to field a couple of new regiments. Of course, it would require a central command to run it, but this planet has more than enough wealth to support at least that many. We just need an independent force so the sheiks will quit hindering our efforts to protect the planet. They keep finding unimportant errands for us, like they don’t have enough slaves running around.”
Fortis was pretty sure this was not entirely accurate, but let it pass. “I suppose you have something you’d like me to do.”
“Of course. Just take me back with you. I’m sure your ship has room, no?”
Fortis juggled the risks, then decided honesty was the best answer. “There is room. However, the ship is going to leave without me, so there might be plenty of room for you.”
“What?” The man stared hard at Fortis.
“I estimate within twelve or thirteen days, Elder Bradley will reach the ship with a device which will instruct it to leave immediately without me. I can’t imagine you’ll get there fast enough to do any good.”
The man froze, staring. Then he jerked upright at the sound of door handle rattling. With a quickness that left Fortis staring, the man jumped back up onto the roof and disappeared over the peak. A few seconds later, something like a kite rose almost invisible in the night air. With its dark fabric, Fortis barely made out the shape, as it filled with air, then drifted away.
George’s face peeked around the door. “I’m going to bed…” He stepped out hurriedly. “Are you unwell? What has made you so pale?”
“Our fake hunter came to visit.” Fortis still stared off into the dark over the peak of the roof. “I didn’t know the kites could be used as gliders.”
George looked, too. “It’s extremely risky. Only a very few can afford the time to master them. Most who try end up dead or maimed. It began as a way to gain elevation for human eyes with the rangers. But the winds aloft are very unstable compared to what we experience with sails and windmills. A skilled wind-rider must face the wind, rise to altitude, and as soon as it starts bucking and before collapsing they must glide downward a ways, then repeat the process. It’s exhausting, so just a few kilometers is about the limit for most.”
They stepped inside the little room. George continued, “Did you have a nice conversation?”
Fortis looked just a little sheepish. “I told him the ship was leaving when Elder Bradley got to it.”
George smiled. “I suppose now is as good a time as any for him to learn that. If he were able to muster the incredible endurance, he just might fly there that fast with his glider kite, but the winds won’t give him much of a lift down near the pole. He would have to approach in a very wide circle, making at least a couple of loops around the polar island. So it’s not likely any man could get there, and Bradley would surely try to kill him before he landed. He’s a much better archer than I.”
George stepped into the hall and called someone as he walked, then thumped down the stairs. Fortis stayed in the room, staring out the window at the eternally starless sky of Misty. He could hear George talking to whomever answered his call. The ranger captain might easily escape, but there was little he could do now. Perhaps this would shut down all their plans? He hoped so.
I had a HARD time finding comfortable maternity & nursing bras. Here’s what I like about this one… 1. Fabric: Beautiful, soft, stretchy bamboo. Soooo much nicer on tender breasts and nipples than thin cotton/spandex (if you’re lucky) or (god-forbid) constricting nylon/poly blends. 2. Fit: Racerback style means no fussing with clips or slipping straps. Wide elastic around your ribcage that doesn’t pinch. The staps are wide and of a soft elastic that doesn’t chaff. Plenty of coverage so your ‘newly endowed’ self won’t be spilling all over the place. Also held breast pads in place very well. 3. Support: This is the reason I gave *4*. For me (I topped out at 38E), it allowed a little more jiggle than I want for some activities. For sleeping, around the house, or a leisurely stroll it was perfect. 4. Ethics: As long as I’m spending money, I’m glad to spend it on something that has been made with the people making it (in Canada, I believe) and the environment in mind. If you can find a better bra, please let me know.
Mama’s Best Nursing/Maternity Bra Feature
Nursing bras
Nursing access: Pull Down cover with clip
support
machine wash cold – hang to dry
Mama’s Best Nursing/Maternity Bra Overview
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Wow! This is the best nursing bra ever! – Lynann Derrick – Washington, DC These bras are simply the best nursing bras I have ever owned! They are comfortable, durable and easy to work; a real plus when you have so much else to think about.
I have used this company in the past for nursing clothes and swimwear and am thrilled that I can order through Amazon. Breast-is-best has always handled my orders promptly and has given good advice and excellent customer service. I can’t say enough about this amazing woman-owned company.
This summer, Katie and I were sitting on the couch, drinking coffee, reading through my twitter feed when we came across this post by Gary Lamb. By now, much has been written on blogs about Gary (most of it is not helpful for anyone).
I have never met Gary. I only know him from his blog, twitter and occassionally listening to his sermons. Seemed like a guy who was making strides for the kingdom of God, definitely slamming the devil and leading people to Jesus (which I’m a huge fan of).
Immediately as we read through it, we were saddened by the news. It definitely hits close to home being a pastor. It is a reminder that no one is immune. Katie and I started talking through the question, “How do we make it to the end? How do we make it not only in our marriage to ‘death do us part’ but also to the finish line of ministry? Are there things we should be doing that we aren’t doing?”
It was also timely in that on Saturday night I preached through Hebrews 12:1 – 3 on the topic of endurance. You can listen to that here.
I’ve written before about boundaries that Katie and I have in place, which, while they seem crazy to some people have done a lot to help us keep our integrity.
A few thoughts that Katie and I came up with as we talked about our marriage and finishing well that came out of the terrible news of Gary & Deanna:
You are not immune. None of us (even those who wrote scathing blogs about Gary are immune from sin or failing). My favorites are the ones who say he fell because he’s trying too hard to be culturally relevant. Like we’ve never had a conservative, fundamentalist pastor fall in ministry. Come on. All of us sin, all of us can fall. You must realize this, you must live like this. You must always keep your guard up. Satan is a being that has been around since the start of the world, he knows our weaknesses and will not rest. To win the war, you must knock down the leaders.
Have accountability. This starts with your spouse, but must go farther than that. Have filters on your internet, make sure people know your passwords, put your computer in a public spot in the house. Have people who you trust and who love you ask you the hard questions.
Rest. The reason most pastors fall is because they are tried and they let their guard down. Seasons of life and ministry are hard. Life gets busy and it is easy to put your marriage, your romance and sex life on the back burner. It is easy to get crispy in ministry (if you don’t know what that is, you will). Make sure you are taking your day off, getting exercise, keeping boundaries: don’t check e-mail on your day off, don’t meet with people on your day off, don’t answer the phone on your day off. My day off is Monday, if you need something, call me Tuesday.
Talk openly and honestly with your spouse about your season. You must be aware of the season of life you are in. Is it busy? Too busy? What do you need to do to slow down? Recently, I just took a retreat just to catch my breath, spend some extended time with God and get some sleep. Katie and I (separately) see a spiritual director, just to have someone who helps process our journeys and helps us to see what God is doing in our lives.
Beware of warning signs. People don’t just happen into an affair. It doesn’t just happen one day. There are warning signs. Have you disengaged from your spouse? If you are not meeting your spouse’s needs, they will look for someone else to do it (I’m not saying this is right, just reality). Are you dating your spouse?
Keep the right things first. One of the things Katie and I talked about as we’ve watched pastors close up and from afar fall is what the wife does. It is easy for wives to make their kids their first priority. It is easy for pastor’s wives to not be enamored with their husband, after all, they see him all the time, they’ve heard all his best stories and jokes a thousand times. People get enamored with pastors. Being on a stage seems sexy. They are often articulate, engaging, they are spiritual (which is a big plus to women, especially if her husband is not). Your first priority is your spouse, not your kids. One thing Katie does after church and into Sunday is talk about how great I did on Saturday. If I sucked, I know it, she doesn’t need to remind me. She builds me up so that if someone else gives me a compliment, while it is appreciated, it doesn’t fill my tank because she does.
As a church, you play a huge role in the health of your pastor and their family, you play a huge role in whether or not your pastor finishes well. Let them take their day off, make sure they take all of their vacation days, make sure he is dating his wife, offer to babysit their kids, pray for them. Also, care for the pastor’s wife, too many churches just try to take care of the pastor, but one of the greatest thing you can for a pastor is care for their spouse.
Right now, we need to be praying for Gary and his family, his church that needs to pull together and keep going through this. Pray that Gary and his wife work through this, stay married and get back into ministry.
I would say this to pastors and bloggers alike. As you react to this, ask yourself, “How would I want people to react to me if this happened to me?” That’s how we should react. And second, “Is there anything in my life that I need to repent of? Is there anything in my life that can lead me down this road that I need to get out of my life?”
…is not that big at Bally’s Total Fitness. Consider the signs:
Please do not cut your hair in the sink.
Do not throw paper in the urinals. If seen, your membership may be revoked.
These are not metaphoric signs. They are pieces of paper pasted strategically throughout the locker room.
I’m sure this is not a phenomenon unique to Bally’s. At every gym I’ve ever visited, clients demonstrate a difficulty in returning dumbbells to their proper location, or removing weights from the barbell. In the unlikely event a bar is unloaded, it is a near certainty that barbells will not be returned to their homes. Today there was an old apple core beside one of the cable machines.
In college, our coach would not let anyone leave the gym until every dumbbell and barbell was returned to its spot. This took less than 5 minutes.
Irony is everywhere. You would think people go to the gym to AVOID being a lazy slob.
(Optimum Edge Training, located at 9050 Fairway Dr. Ste., # 115, Roseville, Ca.) launches Acceleration Training™ utilizing Power Plate® to aid in the loss of body fat and to improve circulation, stability, balance, bone density, strength, and reaction time.
(Better Human Performance Report – Roseville, CA.) – Power Plate® is used for movement preparation, stability and core training, flexibility training, strength training, balance training and speed training for (Optimum Edge Training) clients. Power Plate® Technology stimulates the body’s natural response to vibration. These vibrations transmit waves of energy throughout the body, activating muscle contractions between 25 and 50 times per second, enhancing overall performance in sessions as short as 15 minutes once a week. Acceleration Training™ on Power Plate® offers benefits including an immediate improvement in blood circulation, increased muscle strength and flexibility, improved range of motion, decreased cellulite, increased bone mineral density, reduced pain and soreness, and faster recovery. The benefits are grounded in extensive academic and independent scientific medical research.
“Power Plate® technology provides a revolutionary opportunity for us to expand our market by providing a significant health and fitness solution for thousands of aging baby boomers and de-conditioned older adults,” says (Mike Evans, Owner/Master Trainer). “
Power Plate™ technology creates instability in the human body, as with each vibration the body is forced to perform reflexive muscle actions, multiple times per second. The principle by which Power Plate® machines work lies in the law of motion that the force of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by acceleration, or f = m x a. Other forms of conditioning use mass – as with weight machines, free weights, etc. Power Plate® machines, instead, use the second half of this equation, by applying acceleration forces to the body, while keeping mass, i.e. body weight, the same.
Power Plate technology allows optimal “loading” of the human frame while minimizing high impact and external loads. Gravity is a force that adds load to the human body every second of every day for every movement we perform. Power Plate® machines make the body feel as though it “weighs” more by accelerating the body with vibration. The result is that the body works against the increased “load” of gravity in every movement you perform on a Power Plate machine.
For more information on Acceleration Training™ utilizing Power Plate® visit
their website at www.OptimumEdgeTraining.com or call 916-771-6776.
I deviated from the plan that I posted yesterday. Instead, I started The Female Body Breakthrough. I had planned to wait and start fresh after the new year. But, fitness nerd that I am, I got too excited (impatient).
Lemme just say, the warm-ups alone had me short of breath! I’m notorious for skimping on warming up. Warm-up sets, I can manage, but I am shamefully lazy when it comes to dynamic work. Never again! I really did feel like this prepped my body for lifting. And those inchworms were a workout in and of themselves.
I’ll report back when I’ve finished the entire program, of course. But so far, so good.
Another thing I’m loving lately is Bob’s Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal. I think I might even prefer it to steel-cut oats.
I’m a little tired today, sleep wasn’t the best; M went to his mother’s (out of town) and ended up staying due to the weather. I’m a big wimp and I hate being alone in our house. The tiniest noise has me convinced that someone has broken in to our basement and is waiting to come get me. I know, it’s pathetic. I did live on my own at one point, but it was in an apartment; something about an empty house is somehow much scarier.
I can’t believe Christmas is right around the corner! It doesn’t feel like it. Usually, I love Christmas but this year, I’ve had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. Maybe I’ll crank some Christmas tunes on Sirius while I’m at work (through headphones, of course; I’m not that coworker) and see if that helps.
Fitness Boot Camps: Get Your Butt in Gear for the New Year!
The holidays are over and if you’re like most people, you’ve probably had more than your share of eggnog, heavy meals and decadent desserts in celebration of the season. Enjoying and over-indulging in delectable goodies has more than likely left you with the gift of a few unwanted pounds, but with the new year comes a resolution to get back on track and get into your best shape ever! Why not try a fitness boot camp?
To the average person, hearing the word “boot camp” immediately conjures up images of the brutal military training program that new recruits go through before being sent out to the field. These days, it has become a popular title for extreme fitness programs that command hard core group exercise that push participants to their physical limits for one reason: to obtain results. Maybe going to the gym to hit the weights and do cardio hasn’t given you the results and the ongoing motivation you were expecting? Signing up for a fitness boot camp just may be the change you need to reach your goals.
Fitness Boot Camps: Not for Wimps
Be forewarned − fitness boot camps are designed to get you out of your comfort zone and push you a bit further than you would normally yourself in the gym alone. This provides a different environment for those who get bored in a gym and find it hard to develop a habit of exercise. Fitness boot camps can be held indoors and/or outdoors depending on the time of the year, the weather and the region. Exercises often consist of, but are not limited to: jogging, sprinting, plyometrics, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges and a variety of calisthenic and flexibility exercises. One advantage of a boot camp is that the large group dynamic will help motivate participants. The interaction of a boot camp class is not only emotionally satisfying, but it helps people to push themselves physically.
Train Like a Gladiator, Feel like a Pro
IFBB Fitness Professional and 2009 Fitness Olympia runner-up Tanji Johnson is an entrepreneur, marathon runner and certified personal trainer who runs her own specialized fitness boot camps primarily in the Washington state area where she resides. You may even recognize her as one of the stars of NBC’s “American Gladiators” where she played Stealth, who wreaked havoc on her opponents by challenging them physically. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and commissioned Air Force officer, she brings authenticity to her boot camps which are similarly patterned after “real” military basic training. “I started teaching boot camps because I enjoy leading groups who are motivated to take things to the next level,” Tanji says. “My camps range from all high-level female athletes to the everyday gym goer looking to get their butts kicked from an American Gladiator.”
Tanji’s boot camp sessions run for 45 minutes not including the warm up and cool down. She teaches several different boot camp classes for men and women. Her classes range from $15 to $20 per class with some classes held outdoors and some in gym aerobics rooms. For optimum results, Tanji suggests that participants take two to three classes per week. Her classes accommodate 10 to 15 people. She adds, “I like to have a large enough group to facilitate positive energy and excitement, yet small enough that I can keep everyone accountable with good form and execution.” Session structure consists of: plyometrics, calisthenics, sprints, agility drills, core exercises and exercises using moderate weights. “I begin with dynamic flexibility drills, followed by sprints and shuttle runs,” shares Tanji. “Then, I move into the main portion of the bootcamp utilizing various athletic strategies like countdowns, circuits and timed segments. We end with a cool down and group stretching.”
While some people may be concerned that they are not physically fit enough to participate in one of her fitness boot camps, Tanji reassuringly states that her programs are geared towards anyone no matter what their fitness level. “I don’t turn anyone away. During my boot camp sessions, I usually teach three different options per exercise so that each client can work out at their appropriate fitness level,” she says. “But the challenging part of my job is to make sure I can manage the various fitness levels of each client while teaching a group class. You have to be able to multi-task mentally and provide guidance while leading a class. These are two traits that I excel at, take pride in and have helped my boot camps to be successful.”
School of Hard KNOXX
Current Strikeforce Lightweight MMA World Champion Josh Thomson and 2006 NPC California State Figure Overall Champion Mona Liza Reyes joined forces to help others in their fitness quest. The result is the wildly successful “School of Hard KNOXX Fitness Camp,” which is geared towards men and women of all ages and fitness levels. The collaboration is a well thought-out effort that required both leaders to come up with a curriculum that would challenge, yet inspire and motivate their participants to stick with the program. While the duo look tough in their Army gear for this month’s cover and the photos in this article, both prefer not to call their camp a “boot camp” because they don’t want to risk frightening anyone away. Instead, they call their program a “fitness camp.”
Josh and Mona Liza’s “School of Hard KNOXX Fitness Camp” costs $350 for a 4-week program of three sessions per week with a $50 discount for early registration. Upcoming camps will be held in January 2010 for those with New Year’s resolutions and then again in April to get participants ready for the summer. Their camps are held both indoors and outdoors depending on the weather conditions and the mood of the instructors. The classes are structured, but yet there is a lot of spontaneity in the curriculum. “When indoors, we host at the infamous American Kickboxing Academy (in San Jose, Calif.), which is home to some of the UFC’s top professional fighters,” says Josh. “When we’re outdoors, we take the participants to a local high school track or a local park.”
Class structure basically consists of speed drills, box jumps, sprints, weight training, conditioning drills and kickboxing techniques with the structure changing daily to ensure that each workout is different every time. Each class lasts approximately 75 minutes and always ends with core strengthening and stretching. “Our clients pay for our services to organize great workouts for them, so we try hard not to let them down. If clients wanted to do the same thing every day, they would work out on their own at their local gym probably never pushing themselves. That’s the beauty of our fitness camps,” says Josh. “We continuously change things up to keep everyone guessing and to obtain the desired end result.”
Mona Liza adds, “Before camps begin, I always get e-mails from future participants who express worry and anxiety that they will have a hard time. Rest assured, although the workouts are challenging, it’s our goal for our participants to feel empowered and not defeated after a session. The workouts are meant to be difficult, but we teach the participant variations to modify them so that they are able to participate.”
Prepping for Camp
If you’ve never participated in a fitness boot camp, there are ways that you can prepare yourself mentally and physically to get the most out of the program. “If possible, I would recommend building a strong core and muscular endurance in bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups using your own body weight,” suggests Tanji. Adds Mona Liza, “It’s very important to exude positive energy and come to class with a good attitude and the mindset to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It’s these little things that make the biggest difference in reaching your fitness goals.” MS&F
WE WANT YOU!
5 Ways to Stick To the Program
Join With a Friend. If you have someone to go to boot camp with, you will be less likely to miss class and continue to motivate each other.
Keep Hydrated. Make sure you bring a big bottle of water to quench your thirst and keep your body hydrated during your fitness boot camp sessions.
Modify Your Diet. Yes, you will be burning more calories than ever by participating in a fitness boot camp, but make healthy food choices by cutting out soda, refined sugar and processed foods.
Push Yourself. If your instructor demonstrates exercises on a different fitness level, try the next level up. Stop if you cannot continue, feel pain or experience shortness of breath.
Continue Training. After you’ve completed your sessions of fitness boot camps and/or have reached your fitness goals, continue training two to three times a week using what you’ve learned. You may not need to sign up for another set of classes because the exercises you learn at boot camp classes can be done nearly anywhere.
Here’s the summary I promised. 3.2 pounds lost this week. Health experts say 1 to 2 pounds a week is a healthy rate of loss for an average person. For the obese 3 to 4 pounds a week is the maximum. I’m in that range. I haven’t added exercise yet. One lifestyle change at a time thank you. This works better for me. I have more energy as I lose the weight. This is making me want to be more active physically. But I’m holding off on scheduled or planned exercise for now. We have a small house and it’s cold outside. So I’ll wait until I need to start with the exercise. I’ve been doing isometrics more recently. But noting scheduled or planned. I’m having fun with the points. Yesterday was my daughters 2nd birthday. I had enough points to have cake and ice-cream with the family. I had to watch the portion size is all and since it wasn’t rich I got a whole 1/12th of the cake and 1 1/2 servings of regular ice-cream. I still had 2 points left last night too. I changed my points to 39 for this week, That’s down 1 since I am in the 270’s now and I lose a point. But that is all good. Portion control and moderation are my friend.
I am a horrible blogger. I have been so overwhelmed with school and my personal stuff that I just have not been keeping up with my blog. I hate using my cell phone to take pictures anyway, and I have not cooked anything interesting since Turkey Day. I am sorry I did not upload the freakin pics from the holiday either. They are still sitting on my parents computer. I will do it-sooner then later. I completed my last final yesterday, so now I can get back on track.
I have no food to report on today, so lets just blog about fitness.
My new fitness goal is to be able to do 100 crunches of at least one kind. I do 50 sit ups a balance ball. I also do 50 lower ab crunches on that machine that makes you hold yourself up with your arms while you raise your legs to your chest (I call it the iron maiden). I also do 30 side oblique crunches for each side. I want to get up to 50 side oblique crunches and 100 lower abs crunches.
I am trying to figure out a new playlist to make before I hit the gym. I have been listening to the same stuff for a couple of weeks. I’m thinking some hip hop and pop. I am really into Lady Gaga these days. Bad Romance? um…amazing!!
Christmas is coming next week. I totally am not celebrating and I am glad not to be celebrating. Well, I won’t say glad, but I’m just glad classes are done with and I am looking forward to hermit living. I don’t want to be festive. I want to do my thang- no mall, no wrapping, no carol singing. Just me, and my shit. Word.
I have a freakin cold. Probably because I have eating a lot of sugary foods, and skipped the gym yesterday. Seriously, if you eat like shit and don’t work out your immune system goes to hell. I have not been following a raw diet as I was back in fall. I don’t feel nearly as good either. I know I will eat cooked food on Christmas, but I’m really going to try to up my raw intake again, starting today. I eat a salad almost every day, so that is good, but I need more fruit. Frankly with these cold, I don’t feel hungry at all.
I am going to the gym today, and going to get some citrus fruits into my system later. All I want to do is sleep, but just because I do not have school doesn’t mean I do not have work- no biggie. I’d rather work right now then worry about homework.
Hopefully I’ll have so good stuff to share with everyone very soon.
Whether the ambition is ethernal youth, perfect beauty, solid health or long lifespan, we can state that medicine, surgery and cures, in different forms and with various priorities, have always been central, as discipline and as ability, in the concerns of every civilization. The ancient cultures have transmitted us an immense heritage of traditional knowledge about herbs, massages, ointments and other natural remedies (some of which retain impressive potential). These remedies are still popular, important, applied and admired by large groups of people in many countries, with results that sometimes appear very positive even by modern scientific standards. Of course, the contemporary scientifical approach to the problems of healthcare and wellness has dramatically developed and immensely enhanced the power, the influence, the efficiency and the prestige of medics and doctors in human society, thanks to their capability to lengthen lifespan, to remove plagues, to defeat diseases and to cure infections, limiting pain and recovering vigor.
The age of antibiotics, pain-killers, laser surgery, genetic research and chemiotherapy promises wonders for the improvement of the average human quality of life: therefore, obviously, massive capitals and great resources are invested yearly by conscious governments and large multinationals in the field of research and development for vaccines, therapies and pharmacons. Even the informational aspects of medicine and healthcare are, in themselves, a massive market, where people desire to know which are the best practices to feel better and which solutions help to live longer, following latest discoveries and newest solutions. Given the relevance of the topic, we’ve summarized a rich group of websites presented by http://www.t-h-e-n-e-w.com and http://www.euroserve.cn ( with http://www.esw3.eu dns services ); their purpose is, of course, presenting valuable material about plastic surgery, hormonal therapies, pharmaceutical prescriptions and medical assistance.
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Last night I did about 30 minutes of pretty intense hatha yoga. From the way I felt afterward it is a wonder how I ever did that before. I used to be able to do a lot of this with no problem, however by about 20 minutes in I was transitioning from one posture to the next rather easily. It was much needed, there was a lot of tension in my neck and back. Last night I slept really well.
This morning I woke up at 7am and went for my morning run. It was colder than I had hoped, but that is really just an inspiration to run all that much harder and get the distance behind me so I can go shower. Tonight I started moving some more, I never realized how much stuff we had but aside from the TV I am fairly sure all the heavy stuff is done.
Tomorrow I have to move more stuff but I hope to be able to hit up the gym briefly. Until then, check out my teamraising site and donate to help animals.
Alli Moyer flexes with a hint of mischief at the 2008 Olympia. All new footage of Figure’s Badass is coming soon!
It’s getting cold outside but count on defrosting those windows thanks to the heat of superstar talent rolling into the studio this winter. The latest name guaranteed to bring temperatures up is fiery Allison Moyer, the highly popular 25-year-old figure lass out of Pennsylvania.
Not shy about giving opinions, Alli’s witty and insightful, engaging and often hilariously sarcastic blog mingles foxy with moxie. Among reviews of recent posts on the eponymous page, Alli railed on peevish, disingenuous fans (smart, scathing and riotously funny); revealed a move to the lighter side with a hairstyle change involving a platinum blonde coiffure (nice, but I think medium-length strawberry-blonde would be cute); and discusses switching to bodybuilding next year if figure doesn’t pan out (thoughtful, intimate and emotionally charged).
Competitively, Alli plans on taking the stage at the Arnold for her initial stop in 2010. She’ll be in the figure ranks, where her heart remains, hoping to successfully navigate the slippery too muscular for figure but not quite big enough for bodybuilding slope that has flummoxed her — and many others — in the past.
Stay tuned for footage from her shoot at the most recent Olympia coming up soon. Meanwhile, check out this quick highlight from the ‘08 show, where Alli sent camera flashes popping and pulses racing with a baseball-sized biceps exhibition during the expo. With a physique as impressive as that, there’s no question Figure’s Badass is really pretty darn good.
I bombed the run this morning, but overall my distance improved. What hurt about the run is that I had been running 8:34 min/miles this week, but maybe that was earlier in the week and this morning was coming off a fluff 2 days of little more than a few weighted Burpees yesterday afternoon.
Well, here are my distances: (again, I stuck with the rowing machine in place of the swim)
Rowing Machine– 2300 meters (1.4 miles)
Stationary Bike– 3.8 miles
Treadmill Run– .9 miles (ouch!)
That’s a distance of 6.1 miles in 30 minutes. (Again, minimal transition periods= less than 1 minute)
I think the lesson I’ll take from this is to spread my workouts consistently through the week. Also, I won’t try to increase miles on the Row or Bike since I’m already stronger there than I am on my run. I should have easily had 1.25 miles this week, but my lungs felt a little unstable by the time I started the run, so I slowed down. Better to finish and gain something than to blow myself out and miss the next few days due to illness. (I have a recent history of beating my lungs to a pulp through overtraining– not this year, baby!)
Stay tuned for next weeks stats!
(On a side note, I’ll be posting other articles this week. Check back for those, too!)
So many places, locally or otherwise, that I consider the best place, and more than likely it’s somewhere cozy and relaxing. If it’s nice weather outside, more than likely it’s somewhere hiking.
But every single day, and increasingly as of late, the coolest place that crosses my mind, the one that perks me up and motivates me, is the Bikram yoga studio here in San Antonio.
For the ones who don’t know, this is the description from Wikipedia:
Bikram’s Yoga, also known as hot yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue including 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Classes last approximately 90 minutes.
I first learned about Bikram yoga about 9 years ago, right after my son was born. Prior to this, I’d been heavily into activities like mountain biking, soccer and boxing. However, I encountered many back issues post-partum, battered and sore and stitched up. Having a boy with a head the size of a satellite dish will do that to you.
Yoga sounded gentle enough to work through most physical issues and also intense enough to give you results. But to be honest, I’d never tried it. And to be even more honest, I was still pretty skeptical. Maybe it’s my personality or maybe it was the brainwashing of the military, but I craved grueling physical activities. Debilitating runs. Aggressive sports like boxing. Calisthenics that left me crippled. A glutton for punishment. Major psychological issues.
When I heard about Bikram, I decided to take on the challenge. I had to see for myself if the hype was overinflated, or if I would die a slow death in Lycra.
Yes, it kicked my ass. Unless you’re one of the few who drink enough water everyday, there’s never really a way to get ready for that first session. Accepting the fact that you will feel nauseous, dizzy, drunk or like you’re stuck in quick sand is good to know ahead of time. Fortunately, the instructors are phenomenally supportive and understanding. The classmates are encouraging — though everyone is really focused on not dying too.
And that is the cool part. Regardless of experience level, everyone is getting a collective ass kicking. It’s not a personal torture; it’s a gradual group triumph.
I think that’s what makes Bikram yoga such a fond place for me. The feeling of accomplishment at the end is too good for words. Sure, during the whole session I’ll curse life, long for a Sonic smoothie, contemplate how to kill the person who invited me. But seeing how far I can push myself is a complete thrill.
Definitely makes up for the fact that my sweat-drenched towel weighs more than me at the end of 90 minutes.
Admittedly, I’ve been an erratic follower over the last 9 years. I haven’t gone to a session in a few months and that may be why it’s on my mind so much. My body craves that adrenaline rush, that sadistic wallop. I need a fix.
Or maybe it’s craving that somatic return to constant hydration and cleansing of impurities. To pushing myself to the edge. Not all addictions are bad…
So it’s not really proof and it’s kind of old news but let me sum it up for everybody. So what would you think if I told you that Online gamers are actually in better shape than the rest of the population? You might say something like, ” Eroc that sounds crazy! That doesn’t fit the stereotype at all! “. Well a survey done in 2008 has something quite different to say. Basically the researchers of the study quizzed gamers that were playing EverQuest II (Nerver heard of it probably wouldn’t like it anyway…) about their health and got some interesting results. The results showed that the online gamers on average were in better shape than the average American. This could be because the average online is older (about 30 I think) and has more disposable income. Whatever the reason however this is far from proof and this was just a small study only looking at one game. More studies would have to be done before this considered common knowledge. I’ll keep watching the interweb for more info.
For the whole story please check out this….. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19926746.400-online-gamers-are-fit–physically-if-not-mentally.html?feedId=health_rss20
I’ve attended several gyms/saunas/spas in HCMC, in search of a decent exercise experience at a reasonable price. From the Park-Hyatt, which was possibly the most posh experience, to the Worker’s Center on Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, where the equipment was rusting and there was no air-con, I’ve hit the entire gamut and, I think, found something that works pretty well for me.
California Wow, a gym that in Thailand is cheap, runs about $150 a month here. The other hotel/high-rise gyms also run above a $100 US. Far too much for my current meager salary and often lacking in equipment or activities. So I go for other alternatives. Lan Anh is too noisy and, as mentioned, most of the smaller and older local gyms have outdated and dilapidated equipment. Thus, I go to Phòng Tập Fitness Phạm Văn Mách on Huyền Trân Công Chúa between NTMK and Nguyễn Du.
Located on the back side of the Worker’s complex it occupies a portion of the ground floor in a three story building with colonial aspirations. Itself a small fitness complex, various vendors offer sporting equipment, yoga training, coffee, and a gym. But in one of my weekend wanders I stopped in this gym to find it has air-con, is priced reasonably at VND300,00 a month (approximately USD$17), and only crowded during peak times. Unfortunately, I go during peak times, but you can’t have everything at that price.
After a month of working out I met the owner, Phạm Văn Mách, a man about half my height but so ripped that he could probably snap me like a twig. Only later did my buddy from Uzbekistan point out that half the pictures on the wall were of Mách. Mách has been a competitive body builder for eleven years winning all kinds of amateur awards and recently moving into professional competition. He is currently the top light-flyweight lifter in the WBPF-whatever that stands for-and is definitely an impressive specimen. I won’t link to his name but Google search him and you’ll get an idea. He’s a nice guy and he’s frequently at the gym.
Now, that said, I wouldn’t use his gym for aerobic workouts. (I stepped on a treadmill and it killed the electricity for five other machines. The bikes, for the most part, don’t have variable resistance, and the elliptical machines are designed for people with short legs.) He’s got a great selection of weight machines and free weights and for anaerobic workouts, I think probably the best show in HCMC. And he’s ordered new treadmills so that may change in the near future. For aerobic workouts, I find myself running in the park and swimming on the weekends.
Swimming pools are surprisingly abundant in HCMC. Unfortunately, the public pools all close at 18.00 hours, and often during lunchtime as well. So if you want to go for a swim after work you’ve got to pony up the bucks for a private pool. Too expensive for my taste. Instead I go for a jog most days that I actually get a workout. But even then, don’t try to do this on the street. Not only will you end up walking at a snail’s pace because of traffic, but if you actually do get to run you’ll twist your ankle in some unseen pothole or badly installed tile. And don’t do this during the day. It’s too hot to choose to run while the sun is in the sky.
I run in circles in the park after dark. It’s cooled off by then and the surface is reasonably flat. The central park area between Phạm ngũ Lão and Lê Lai has a 500 meter circuit. After a few times around you’ll figure out where the tree roots and cracks are and can avoid them easily. Yes, it means running in a circle, and yes, if you’re white, everyone will stare and comment as you go past. But if you need a workout, and if you’re in HCMC, this is the way to do it. Cheap, simple, and oh so repetitive. Otherwise, you’re paying thousands of dollars a year for a service you may or may not use.
Arkansan Jim Wilson had 300 pounds on his 5-foot-7-inch frame when he decided he wanted to walk a half marathon. He knew it would be a long journey: he couldn’t walk a mile without getting winded.
Still, his goal spurred him on. He started training in March 2001, and in September of that year he walked a scenic 13-mile loop in Red Rock Canyon, outside Las Vegas.
Along the way, he started feeling stronger and sleeping better. His self-esteem shot up, and he ate more healthfully. By the time he walked his five-hour half-marathon, he was down 50 pounds.
“The whole process [gave me] a major feeling of accomplishment,” says Wilson, a 53-year-old financial adviser.
You don’t have to walk 13 miles to reap the benefits of walking. In fact, it’s one of the best ways for a sedentary person to start an exercise program, says California health educator, fitness expert, and author Shirley Archer.
“There’s very low risk of injury with walking,” she says. “It’s comfortable, easy, and low-cost. All you need is a good pair of shoes.”
Besides that, she says, it can actually be enjoyable, which is half the battle when it comes to sticking to a fitness regime.
“Too many people think of exercise like medicine,” says Archer, the mind-body spokeswoman for IDEA Health and Fitness Association. “It’s not. It can be fun and the body will start to love it.”
A Step Toward Health and Happiness
Medically, the benefits of walking are undisputed, says Little Rock, Ark., orthopaedic surgeon John Yocum, MD. Cardiovascular exercise such as walking can reduce the risk of heart disease and improve heart function and muscle tone, as well as lower blood pressure, cholesterol, risk of stroke, and risk of injury, says Yocum.
In addition, he says, “improving strength around the joints can help with degenerative joint disease.”
But that’s not all. “The benefits are multiple,” he says, “not the least of which is the improved sense of well-being or happiness with the increased endorphin levels.”
Archer, who coaches many beginning exercisers, says they have a kind of “awakening” when they begin to work out. They begin to feel better, so they sleep better, manage stress better, and get more energy in the process, says Archer. As a result, their self-esteem improves.
Former Olympic marathon runner Julie Isphording, a walking/running coach, author, columnist and host of two health and fitness radio shows for National Public Radio in Cincinnati, says she sees it often in the walkers she trains.
“People start to change their attitude,” she says. “It really isn’t about the walk. It’s about something so much bigger; so much better. You can breathe deeper. You last longer in the day. You’re running up steps.”
When walkers enlist a partner, it’s even better, Isphording says.
“I recommend that people find a friend to do it with — meet at the mailbox,” she says. That helps walking to become a part of the day you look forward to, not dread.
“Walking turns into more of a play-out than a workout,” says Isphording.
“Social support is the most important factor when sticking to a program,” says Archer. “Get a partner — even a dog — because that will reinforce it. We don’t like to let other people down.”
Isphording also encourages beginning walkers to keep a journal to chart progress.
So when you step on the scale and say, “it’s not working,” she says, you can look back at how far you’ve come. “Maybe a month ago, you couldn’t walk a mile and now you’re walking three,” says Isphording.
In the journal, Isphording recommends you write everything down: the weather, how you felt that day, who you went with, and how far you walked.
Getting Started
Don’t skimp when it comes to footwear. Yocum advises all walkers to get a good pair of walking or running shoes with arch support and the proper cushioning to prevent injury, even when they’re just starting out.
“I’ve been in the Olympics and I can’t tell you that I bounced out of bed every morning to run.”
“Shoes are the only piece of equipment you need,” says Isphording, “so invest well. Whether you choose a walking shoe or running shoe,” she says, “go to a specialty store and have them fit you. Expect to spend between $80 and $100.”
And set a goal beyond weight loss and better health. “What about doing a walk for charity or a planning a walking trip in France?” Isphording asks. Create a goal that’s out of your current reach but attainable, she says, and that will help you stay focused.
Even if you follow all the tips to stay motivated, it isn’t always easy, say the experts.
Archer teaches her clients to accept the fact that they’re not always going to want to do it. “It’s normal to have variations in energy and to experience a little discomfort at times. It’s part of the process of conditioning your body. It doesn’t mean you’re backsliding, it’s just life.”
Isphording concurs.
“I’ve been in the Olympics and I can’t tell you that I bounced out of bed every morning to run,” says Isphording. “But those days [when it was harder to get motivated] were some of the most rewarding. You overcame doubts in yourself, you could meet the challenges of the day, and you got so much more out of it.”
When starting a walking program, experts advise starting slow, then working up to longer distances and more time on the road. Even if 10 minutes is all you can handle at first, it’s a start. Feel satisfied, keep gong, and try for 15 in a couple of days.
Progress at a pace you can handle. Isphording calls it the “talk test”: You should be able to talk while you walk.
“As the body starts to feel more comfortable,” adds Archer, “pick up the pace a bit more.”
Keeping It Safe
Keep in mind, Yocum says, that though very safe, walking may not be for everyone. He recommends that those with lower-extremity degenerative disease such as arthritis or cardiovascular disease see their doctors before starting any exercise program. Some arthritis symptoms may be aggravated by impact; in this case, you might want to walk on a soft surface like a track or decide to swim or use a stationary bike instead.
Recent studies from the CDC have indicated that even moderate exercise can provide tremendous benefits.
The experts interviewed by WebMD agree, saying that while working up to 45 to 60 minutes a day would be great, you’ll still benefit from doing 30 minutes or even 20. And they hope that once people get started walking, they won’t quit.
“We are naturally active creatures,” says Archer. “We were designed to move. It’s unnatural for us to sit and be sedentary. We need the muscular stimulation. We need the stimulation to the brain.
“The bottom line is technology has made our lives very sedentary. It’s not a character flaw,” she says, “it’s just that our environment is such that we don’t get enough activity in our daily life, so we have to think active — take the stairs instead of the elevator.”
Are you doing knee-friendly exercises? RealAge.com recently asked this all important question.
The artice was entitled: “Are You Killing Your KNees?” What is the age of your knees? Are you guilty of any of the bad habits this article mentions? To a large extent knee pain is both treatable and avoidable.
KetYoga is an effective way of dealing with knee pain. The exercises of KetYoga improve posture, strength and flexibility – and strengthen the connective tissue of the joints. The exercises of KetYoga are not only low impact on the knees, they actually serve to build the joint up by efficiently increasing strength, reilience and mobility - unlike activities such as long distance running and other low-intensity aerobics.
Treat your knees well, and they will return the favor.
So I glanced in the mirror this morning (I assure you, it was an accident) and I didn’t like what I saw. I mean, I’ve never been one of those narcissistic types that just melt with adoration at the sight of my reflection – but this was b-a-d. Maybe once I had a body that worked reasonably well. It was no Terminator, but at least it was functional. Now what passes for my muscle definition resembles a blancmange wrapped in clingfilm, my posture is that of a jaded orangutan and my belly has been known to cause unkind people to make jokes about male pregnancy. It’s sad.
I’m not quite sure how it happened. One of the reasons I came to Bali was to start eating properly and to get fit and healthy. Lord knows I have tried. Since learning how to say lari pagi, I go for a morning run every single morning, hefting weights to ensure that I get a good cardio workout. Well, maybe I’m being a tad cavalier with the truth – it’s more of a power-walk than an actual run. OK, would you believe a stroll? Oh alright, just one weight, and that’s actually a paperback book to read during my hearty breakfast … but at least I do carry it home in the other hand. After all, it wouldn’t do to end up with one over-developed bicep.
Running, or even jogging, is hard work. The worst part is, if I run, I jiggle. Bits of me move in ways they were never designed to move. I think I need a bra, or a corset or something. Actually, I did go for a real run of about 50 metres a few months back, followed up with walking since then. I think they call it interval training. It has a lot going for it, as long as the intervals are long enough. I think a few months between runs is perfect. My friends have been exhorting me to get up early (yeah, right) and at least go for a brisk walk on the beach every morning. I tried that, but I get distracted easily, so I end up spending most of the time watching planes landing, or watching others who are equally unenthused about committing exercise, or talking to dogs. I speak fluent dog, and it’s more fun than walking anyway.
On one of my beach walks I discovered the Bali equivalent of Muscle Beach. Under a group of palm-trees, someone had left some rusty pipes with lumps of concrete attached to the ends. I watched a young Balinese man doing repeated sets of 20 curls without even breaking a sweat, then lying on the sand for another 20 bench presses. After he was well out of sight, I nonchalantly ambled over to have a go, but found that he had obviously glued the weights to the beach somehow so they couldn’t be moved by anyone else. I guess you had to be a member or something.
It’s not as if I’m a complete slob though. There is not a day goes by where I don’t swim 4 laps of my pool – sometimes even 8. And my pool is 4.8 metres long, so it’s not as if I’m slacking off or anything. I hear that breaststroke can be quite punishing if one pushes oneself. And I will push myself, just as soon as get a little fitter.
In a temporary spasm of enthusiasm, I even looked for a gym close to me, so I wouldn’t have to walk too far. All I wanted was something with a few machines you could sit in for an hour while reading a book and having a Bintang. No good. They had machines, but they were all attached to heavy things that you had to lift, or push, or bend – all dangerous in my opinion. There were other devices that made you run on the spot while this belt thing whizzed by underneath. If you stopped running, you would be shot backwards all the way to Nusa Dua. Insane. They also offered lots of something I think they called ‘air row bits’, whatever they are. I don’t even know what they look like. Also ’kick boxing’, which I presume is football with gloves, and even hippetty-hop dancing! Dancing! You have to be kidding - I want to go home and rest after a workout, not socialise. And to top it off, the photos on their website showed all these guys shaped like inverted pyramids, with muscles on their muscles. If that’s what you end up looking like after gym work, I’m not going anywhere near the place.
No, what I need is a personal trainer to help me get fit and healthy again. One who understands that pushing one’s body to the limits of endurance is not something the gods had in mind for Bali expats. One who is as easily distracted as me, and will happily spend time watching planes or dogs while we are exercising on the beach. One who understands that nicotine is an appetite-suppressant and will happily share a quiet cigarette to support my efforts at dieting. Oh, and I’d like a flat stomach (with the abs on the outside please), and reasonable pecs and biceps and all that other macho stuff.
As long as I can find the right trainer, I’m willing to devote all the time it needs to achieve my goal. I reckon two weeks should just about do it. Any recommendations?
Are you working out to achieve the complete opposite of the skinny-mini look? If the flat butt, ripped abs, no curve in sight look is not for you (and there are plenty of men who are with you on this one) then the 3 sexy body workout tips below are exactly what you need to lose the fat without losing your curves.
Stop Using So Much Weight
Celebrity trainer Valerie Waters author of Red Carpet Ready is the master of sculpting lean sexy curves and she explains that women who train to get lean and curvy are often going about it all wrong and using entirely too much weight. Her workout plans used by Jennifer Garner, Cindy Crawford, and even Jennifer Lopez rarely recommend using more than 10 pounds on most exercises. Her secret weapon for sculpting lean sexy curves is using targeted circuits with little to no weight. This burns the fat, tones trouble zones but builds muscle in those areas where you want curves.
Forget Machine Cardio & Try Sexy Cardio
There are tons of sexy body workouts on the market that will blast the fat, boost your self esteem, and build curves like you wouldn’t believe but most women are too afraid to try them. Pole dancing, strip aerobics, exotic dance workouts burn tons of calories and sculpt sexy curves better than a lame 40 minute treadmill workout followed by 20 minutes of weights. The reason exotic workouts burn fat and tone is they include short bursts of fullbody exercises that work even the tiniest muscles followed by short recovery periods.
Exotic workouts are a very effective form of interval training that combines fatloss, toning, agility, flexibility, balance, and strength moves into one dynamic routine that gets results. Kate Hudson stays in shape with The S Factor: Strip Workouts for Every Woman Here’s what she had to say about exotic workouts “Pole dancing is a great way to keep in shape, because you use muscles you didn’t even know you had. It’s a very grueling physical exercise.”
Cut Back on Ab Training & Focus on Posture Correction
It’s hard to look curvy and sexy when your shoulders are slumped forward, your tailbone is tucked under, and your abs look bulky from too much sitting and too much ab work. One of the best ways to get a sexy body without much effort is to cut back on ab work a bit and start your workouts with a few posture correction exercises. This alone can make you look 5-10 pounds lighter and years younger.
It is very rare these days that you will catch me doing a workout for more than one hour, let alone one for two hours! But, alas, I did one this morning. Two whole hours of sweating over a piece of steel. Yip, I went for a kettlebell class with one of my new fitness heroes, Trent Murgatroyd, a kettlebell expert from Fourways, Johannesburg and IKFF certified.
We started our session with some joint mobility exercises and then on to a warm up. Now if you think a warm up is a lazy let’s stand in the corner and pretend to stretch our “very stiff” muscles, again, you are sadly mistaken. We were allowed to grab a light warm up kettlebell (I rushed for the pink 8kg bell!) and we started swinging, cleaning, clean and pressing and snatching a couple of times (felt like a couple of hundred times). Fantastic, you are all warmed up and ready to go. To make this two hour story a little shorter, we continued to swing, then do push ups, planks, cleans and clean and press, some snatches, with bridges and side bridges for a good 45 minutes. Then the gloves came off. Ok, not really, they came on.
We did rounds of punching a bag, skipping and swings and every now and then Trent felt it would be ok if we could steal a sip of water. We continued and finished off with some heavy cleans and throw in some heavy swings just for good measure and it is all good.
The question is. Why do we all flock to get our kettlebell fix these days? It is not a difficult question to answer really. You just look at a bell and you can feel your muscles ache. Not in a bad way though, a bell is probably the most versatile piece of fitness equipment that you can find these days. Use just a little bit of your imagination and you can conjure up the most wonderful workouts. These can be combinations of some running, skipping, boxing, body weight moves and then the basic kettlebell moves, swing, clean and press and snatches. The other good news is that you definitely do not have to train 2 hours a day to see results with these steal wonders. If you keep the intensity of your workout high, you can do a 20 minute workout, no sweat (ok, I lie, lots of sweat). You will burn calories and build a strong physique. No is that not what all of us want out of a workout?
Go ahead, be crazy and put a bell to the test. The Russians have been doing it for hundreds of years and they are scared of no one. Maybe they carry a bell in their bags wherever they go…
Get your planner out now and schedule some time for you next week! We offer classes Monday through Thursday nights from 5:30-6:15 and 6:30-7:15. If mornings are more your style we have classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 9:30-10:15 and 10:15-11:00. They are $5 per class and if you really need the extra calorie burn our classes are designed so that you can get a two hour workout in.
OK, hands up who was convinced I would not make it to the gym this morning?
You, you over there, and you behind that DJ mixing desk, right?
Well, and me.
I’m pleased to report that I eventually DID go back to bed, get to sleep and did not wake up until a little before 7:30am.
I came in here to my desktop computer, read my e-mail, browsed a few news sites and then had an ‘epiphany moment’. As tired as I still was, I decided that the only way I was going to ‘purge’ all that horrible HFCS from my system was at Urban Active.
So I donned my gym clothes and headed there – in it has to be said temperatures that have fallen dramatically overnight (is there snow on the way?) – to manage the full mini weights circuit (minus one out-of-order machine), a full 15 minutes on the elliptical and cycle 5 miles on the recumbent bike.
Not the biggest work out I’ve ever done, but going a little way to make up for my “badness” yesterday when I was a very naughty boy… and not the messiah.
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Overview
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Hmmmm. I have been really enjoying my weekly 5k challenge at the Finsbury Parkrun, but it wasn’t to be this weekend as the big fella had had a little too much to drink on Friday night and was certainly not up to entertaining a lively toddler while I pootled around the park. Grrrrr. I did go out though, and did a 5k around my local park, cheerfully shouting a jolly ‘hello’ to all the bundled up runners I passed along the way, but did any of them reply? No, not a sausage, grumpy lot. I pushed myself, imagining I might be able to manage a little PB, with it not including that big hill and all. I did manage to improve on last week’s time a little.
Time: 27 minutes 22 seconds
Distance: 5 km
Average Pace: 5.28
Calories: 308
On Sunday I wanted to do five miles to bring me up to my week’s target of 20 miles, but the rain kept saying: ‘No, stay there! It’s nice and warm…and dry’. I did get over myself though, and headed out into the winter wonderland. I’m so glad I did. I ran down to the canal and the sun was glorious, with rain cutting through it. All along the path I had to leap from side to side, avoiding the huge muddy puddles as I watched determined rowers ease through the water.
Time: 49 minutes
Distance: 8.10 km
Average Pace: 6.03
Calories: 500
When I got home Edward said he wanted to go out for a run too. I was a bit shocked because it must be about a year since he last ran – he cycles to work and back every weekday and plays football once a week, but never runs. Of course, he went out and beat my 5k time to a pulp. Damn it.
Building Muscle takes a lot of hard work, and if you are going to do all of that hard work, you want to ensure you feed your body right, and also get enough sleep in order to make your workouts pay off. When you sleep, your muscles grow from the workout that you gave them, but guess what! If you don’t sleep properly your efforts will be wasted rather than rewarded.
Recovery Time
Your body needs substantial recovery time after a workout, that means 8 hrs sleep each night, (not 10hrs one night and 5hrs the next). You cannot store sleep, so it must be regular, adequate sleep is something you must engage in every single night.
Stages of Sleep
There are 5 stages to sleep and if you are like most people leading stress filled lives, you never make it past stage 1 or 2. Because of this you will wake up feeling as tired and drained of energy as what you did when you went to bed. This type of sleeping will not help you to build muscle.
If you were to practice deep breathing, or meditation before going to bed you would be more likely to reach stages 4 and 5 where your body can heal, repair and grow. These are the stages of sleep you need to get to in order for you muscles to grow. Your body however will react to a number of different elements in your life. You must also focus on stress relief, eating right and exercising on a regular basis. A good Personal Trainer will be able to help you with this.
During the deep sleep stage, your body goes through a process of specific adaptation to imposed demand, which means your body goes through a process of building your muscles bigger and stronger so that when you work out again, they will be ready. This is the reward you will get from your workouts if you get the right amount and type of sleep, they will build bigger and stronger.
Additional benefit
How does your body get the energy to do all of this work while you are asleep. The answer is Fat, that’s right, that rotten old body fat that all of us want to get rid of, while you are in a deep sleep, not moving at all, your muscles are using your fat stores, so, not only are you building muscle but you are also burning fat simply by getting a proper amount of sleep, I’m sure you won’t want to complain about that.
I don’t have time
Look at ways you can do things better through the day, can things you go out for be done online or on the phone etc, Use time blocking for certain tasks and do them in that time. Prioritise. Your family, work and sleep should be your priorities, and you will be able to deal with all of them far more efficiently by getting a proper amount of sleep, so if you want to live your life to it’s fullest (and who wouldn’t want to)? Get the right amount and type of sleep and in return you will have increased muscle, lose weight and feel rested and ready to tackle each day.
Goodnight from me for now, see you in around 8 hours.
Finding something fun to do that will get your groove on and make you feel fabulous about your body is such a boost for your confidence. While the gym is a great place to get fit, consider more wicked ways to work it out:
POLE DANCING
Great for the Gorgeous Girl who want to add a little more sensuality into her life. Luckily it’s a great workout too – it builds endurance, strength and tones muscles, especially the core. No wonder strippers looks so fit! Best yet, you can install a pole in your home to impress all your friends and neighbors.
BELLY DANCING
Belly dancing encompasses seductive dance moves with advanced fitness that can include floor gymnastics, back bends, poses and stretches. Don some finger cymbals, shake your hips and let your mind and body go with the flow.
BOOT CAMP
Not for the timid or weak at heart. You’ll need some serious determination and commitment for this very intense but completely worth it workout. Pounds will melt off as you lunge, run, do jumping jacks, push ups and all kinds of imaginative and creative workouts that will get your energy soaring.
Being a Personal Trainer can be very competitive between other trainers. One would think that people in the same industry could support each other because there are a lot of people to help teach healthy lifestyle changes to but that would be if only we lived in a fair world. When it comes to competition, all is fair in love and war.
Just the other day, as I was training my new female client, I was confronted by a male Personal Trainer who came up to me to tell me that only him and his male co-workers were allowed to train in the condo building gym. I thought what the f**k! Because I actively work on empowering myself and other women, I was not even dazed. I told him, politely, where the hell he can go. I informed him that the crap he was saying was illegal and that I am not falling for that BS; the look on his face when he realized I was not a push-over was priceless!
Our world may be a male-dominated world but that doesn’t mean us women need to let them push us around. Times are a changing and women are gaining a stronger voice. If one person can change the way the world is run, time for a woman to do just that. I will lead by example and stand up for my rights as a female and Personal Trainer to show my female clients that they are entitled to be treated fairly and seriously. Empowering women is the most fulfilling part of Personal Training and I love it!
Okay. Its the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday, and Carlos Whitaker’s blog here mentions the Pre Christmas/Pre New Years challenge. Loswhit has inspired me several times this year, given me pause to think and or reflect in others. Today’s challenge is no different.
Its 30 days.
Its easy. Yet hard. Makes you think and reflect on where and what you need to improve upon. And I think I’m up for it. Here’s how it works.
Choose 3 bench marks you would like to measure those 3 areas with and blog/tweet/facebook/whatever about them twice a week.
Come to my Ragamuffin Soul 30 Day Holiday Health Challenge post and use the widget at the bottom of this post to simply place a link back to your virtual space so our readers can easily go see your progress as well.
So measure the areas, blog/tweet twice a week about the progress? Easy enough… I think.
Well, here goes- My 3 goals?
Physical – Well, I’m in week four of being into running. This week I ran a 2.5 mile goal. Felt pretty good. In 30 days I will run a comfortably paces 5K. (That’s 3.1 miles- I’m not too far off). The 2.5 came pretty easy but I found the psychological aspect came into play- Needed to keep myself motivated to push on past the 2 mile mark. Mental talk.. conditioning.. Knowing you can do it.
Spiritual – To continue in my spiritual growth. I think my prayer time is generally good, but as with most other things, you can always do more. To take more time and to not give God my “leftovers”, as Francis Chan calls the half-hearted, sleepy, rushed prayers we often give. One other thing I’ve been thinking of starting is following Elevation Church’s “B90X” program..Its an intense Bible reading, that will take you cover to cover in 90 days. The original idea came from biblein90days.org where it’s called “B90″. I like the “B90X” title…reminds you of the exercises of spiritual discipline. (Here’s the link to a neat .pdf schedule- http://bit.ly/109fAo )
So I’m up for it. I was going to wait until January to start, but like loswhit said in the video, why wait to get started??
Relational – Here’s a bit of a challenge for me. First I need to be more honest with myself. I need to take steps to make amends for some things. I need to develop and strengthen some relationships with people in church and personally that God has blessed with getting to know, and with that comes a stringer bond, with like minded believers, who also will be a better focus on priorities and in leadership.
Not too much all at once. After all, I only have 30 days to get started. Sound intriguing? Its easy to get on board with Carlos and myself and dozens of others from around the net.
And hey, it beats complaining about holiday weight gain and saying “wait til new years” over and over.
What are you waiting for between now and Jan 1? Nothing.
I slipped into the empty group exercise room at my gym the other day to mix things up a little bit. I wanted a different workout that really targeted my legs, and I’d been in the mood for some jump rope. I love jumping rope because I feel like it strengthens my ankles and calves, and it’s an easy way to work up a sweat. My college kickboxing instructor had us jumping rope all the time, but I hadn’t practiced much in the years since then. If you need to brush up on the basics, here’s what the American Council on Exercise has to say about it.
My workout went like this:
100 jumps (both feet)
side squats across the room and back, holding weights
100 jumps
walking lunges
100 jumps
step-ups with weights (20 each leg)
100 jumps
Repeat 2-3x
My legs felt like spaghetti, so mission accomplished!
1. I feel gypped. Birthing a baby in early fall then trying to lose the baby weight at the same time that the holidays roll around sucks. It’s hard enough to try and maintain your weight November through January, when cookies and peppermint mochas and pumpkin pies are floating around, but LOSING weight through all of this? The undeniable failure is already driving me to the cinnamon rolls. These last five pounds are giving me the most trouble, and that flat stomach I once had has been replaced by a baby bulge that clearly reads AVALON WUZ HERE.
2. I’m really looking forward to the long weekend with Rob. We’re going to decorate for Christmas, which means buying a new tree, because the last tree we bought two years ago was cheap. And cheap trees means straggly and ugly. Since this is our first Christmas in this house I have all sorts of new decorating ideas I can’t wait to try. Garland, stockings, twinkle lights…Rob is thrilled!
3. Here’s a secret for ya. Shhh. *Avalon slept through the night last night.* I don’t want to say it too loud for fear of jinxing myself. But she did! She slept from 8pm – 7am without even a peep or squeak out of her! I’m not sure if that was a fluke or if we’re turning a new corner filled with lots and lots of hours of sleep. I’m really hoping for the latter.
4. So now that my body has healed and is back to normal I’m back on birth control. Although I hope that God blesses us with more babies in the future, I am crossing my fingers that it isn’t in the next couple of years. Problem is, well, there are two problems: 1) I am horrible at taking pills on a regular basis. I forget. I get lazy. Blah blah, needless to say popping pills is not the best, safest birth control for me AND RIGHT NOW I AM ALL ABOUT BEING SAFE, and 2) the NuvaRing, which I am on right now, is giving me migraines almost daily. This happened the last time I was on it, but for some reason I was thinking maybe it wouldn’t do that anymore. Unfortunately, all the headaches have resulted in me taking some left over Vicodin from one of Rob’s previous ailments for the past three days. I think this might be a problem, only I’m not really sure what to do about it.
5. I’m desperately trying to come up with something to say that’s not Avalon-related. But the only thing that comes to mind is something food-related. Why is it that AVALON and FOOD are the only two subjects on my mind ALL THE TIME?
Today I hit the gym to work my arms. I started on the elliptical machine and ran a mile to get my blood pumping, then stretched for a few minutes, and then I made my rounds and hit practically every arm machine in the place.
I did 2 sets of 12 for almost everything, and if the first set seemed easy, I increased the weight for the second rep.
At times, I checked my form in the mirror and noticed that my body already looks different than it did a month ago. Is it perfect? No. Do I have more work to do? Yes. But does it feel good to see that I’m already getting some results, however small those results are? You bet!
As Thanksgiving weekend hovers on the horizon, I’m a little nervous about how I’m going to keep up my routine. It seems the only solution to not taking a week up is pretty simple: don’t take the week off. It’s not like my parents life in the middle of nowhere. There’s an LA Fitness nearby that I can go to, so there’s no reason why I can’t hit the gym even if I’m out of town for Thanksgiving. I’m also determined that I will NOT be asking for 2nds at Thanksgiving dinner. One serving is plenty.
Do any of you struggle to keep things going during the Holidays, and if so, what’s worked for you? Leave a comment!
Here’s what she had to say about exotic workouts “Pole dancing is a great way to keep in shape, because you use muscles you didn’t even know you had. It’s a very grueling physical exercise.”
We Want You…In Class Next Week!
Okay. Its the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday, and Carlos Whitaker’s blog here mentions the Pre Christmas/Pre New Years challenge. Loswhit has inspired me several times this year, given me pause to think and or reflect in others. Today’s challenge is no different. 