In their wonderful book TRUE WORK, Michael and Justine Toms tell a great story about an acorn who wants to become a redwood tree. No matter how many positive affirmations the acorn says, no matter how many self-help seminars or diets it tries, it will grow up to be an oak, not a redwood. "Enormous power and strength is available when you act from your essential nature," they remind us. And to power and strength, I would add happiness too.
Embracing our essence is not necessarily easy. For many of us, our essence is so intrinsic as to be invisible; to others it is devalued because it feels so ordinary-we keep thinking it's BETTER to be a redwood than an oak. If your essence eludes you, ask a friend, "When you think of me, what adjectives come to mind?" Ask yourself, "When do I feel most true to myself?"
Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 271.
Love you Always Mom!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Expect The Best
Moods tend to generalize. What I mean by that is that you can get on a roll of feeling bad and carry it over day after day till suddenly a month has gone by with you in a gray fog.
We can stop such a cycle, however, when we remember that every day is a new one and that we should expect the best today no matter what. As Iyanla Vanzant remembers in YESTERDAY I CRIED, her spiritual teacher once said, "Just because it rained yesterday and the ground is flooded, that does not mean you are going to get wet today."
Try adopting that as your slogan for today. Keep walking forward and don't look back...keep forward and think positive, and things will fall into place like they should.
Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 269.
Thanks Mom...love you!
We can stop such a cycle, however, when we remember that every day is a new one and that we should expect the best today no matter what. As Iyanla Vanzant remembers in YESTERDAY I CRIED, her spiritual teacher once said, "Just because it rained yesterday and the ground is flooded, that does not mean you are going to get wet today."
Try adopting that as your slogan for today. Keep walking forward and don't look back...keep forward and think positive, and things will fall into place like they should.
Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 269.
Thanks Mom...love you!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Intense Workout
"Dare To Be Remarkable." -Jane Gentry
Goals:
1) Do Not Rest Between Exercises in a round
2) Challenge yourself and pick challenging weight for each exercise
3) Watch your form and make sure you are breathing on each exercise
4) Intensity! Bring it...push!
Round One: Four Sets Through-No Rest!
1) Pull-ups or Assisted Pull-ups-10x + Push-ups- 10x
2)**After Fourth Set- One Lap Sprint- Goal Time: Under 30sec
Round Two: GO DOWN THE LINE WITHOUT RESTING!
1) Smith-Machine Squats or Free Motion (G.Z.) Squats- 25x (moderate/challenging weight)
2) Wall-Sit- 1 min (make sure you are parallel to the floor)
3) Squat Jumps- 25x (Land deep in a squat position/jump up and land in a squat/jump continuous without stopping)
4) Smith-Machine Squat or Free-Motion (G.Z) Squats- 25x (try to increase weight from #1)
5) Wall Sit- 1 min
6) Squat Jumps- 25x (same form as #3/hold EVERY 5TH at the down squat position for 10 seconds)
Round Three: Four Sets-No Rest!
1) Lat Pull-downs (Wide)- 10x + Push-ups- 10x
2)*After Fourth set- Two Lap Sprint- Goal Time: Under 60 sec
Round Four: GO DOWN THE LINE WITHOUT RESTING!
1) Step-Taps (use 17" or 23" box)- 25x each leg (moderate/challenging weight)
2) Split Squat Jumps- 1 min
3) Hip Abduction- 100x (moderate weight)
4) Split-Squat Jumps- 1 min
5) Lying Leg Curls- 4x10 (rest ONLY 10 SEC between sets/moderate weight)
6) Stair Sprints- 5x (up and down= 1)
Round Five: Four Sets- No Rest!
1) Universal Row- 10x (1st & 2nd set-palms down/3rd & 4th- palms up) +
Finger-Facing Push-ups- 10x (moderate/challenging weight)
2) *After 4th set- Core Plank- 1 minute
3) * After Core Plank- Bent-Over Flye- 10x + Alternating Shoulder Press- 30x > 4 sets/moderate weight
4) *After 4th set-Core Plank with Forward & Backward Shift- 1 min
5) Windjammer Race- 4 min/Pick challenging level/First set> palms down/second set> palms up
Round Six: Go Down The Line With No Rest!
1) Sit-ups- 15x
2) Bicycle Pumps (2's)- 50x
3) One Crunch + One Sit-up (2=1)- 15x
4) Bicycle Pumps (2's)- 50x
5) Sit-up Twist/Twist- 15x
6) Corkscrews- 30x
7) One Crunch + One Sit-up Twist/Twist (2=1)- 15x
8) Corkscrews- 30x
9) Pick one cardio exercise or machine> 20 min/75-85% work load
AWESOME JOB! YOU DID IT! Remember, if you have any questions about any of the exercises or concepts, please don't hesitate to ask!
Goals:
1) Do Not Rest Between Exercises in a round
2) Challenge yourself and pick challenging weight for each exercise
3) Watch your form and make sure you are breathing on each exercise
4) Intensity! Bring it...push!
Round One: Four Sets Through-No Rest!
1) Pull-ups or Assisted Pull-ups-10x + Push-ups- 10x
2)**After Fourth Set- One Lap Sprint- Goal Time: Under 30sec
Round Two: GO DOWN THE LINE WITHOUT RESTING!
1) Smith-Machine Squats or Free Motion (G.Z.) Squats- 25x (moderate/challenging weight)
2) Wall-Sit- 1 min (make sure you are parallel to the floor)
3) Squat Jumps- 25x (Land deep in a squat position/jump up and land in a squat/jump continuous without stopping)
4) Smith-Machine Squat or Free-Motion (G.Z) Squats- 25x (try to increase weight from #1)
5) Wall Sit- 1 min
6) Squat Jumps- 25x (same form as #3/hold EVERY 5TH at the down squat position for 10 seconds)
Round Three: Four Sets-No Rest!
1) Lat Pull-downs (Wide)- 10x + Push-ups- 10x
2)*After Fourth set- Two Lap Sprint- Goal Time: Under 60 sec
Round Four: GO DOWN THE LINE WITHOUT RESTING!
1) Step-Taps (use 17" or 23" box)- 25x each leg (moderate/challenging weight)
2) Split Squat Jumps- 1 min
3) Hip Abduction- 100x (moderate weight)
4) Split-Squat Jumps- 1 min
5) Lying Leg Curls- 4x10 (rest ONLY 10 SEC between sets/moderate weight)
6) Stair Sprints- 5x (up and down= 1)
Round Five: Four Sets- No Rest!
1) Universal Row- 10x (1st & 2nd set-palms down/3rd & 4th- palms up) +
Finger-Facing Push-ups- 10x (moderate/challenging weight)
2) *After 4th set- Core Plank- 1 minute
3) * After Core Plank- Bent-Over Flye- 10x + Alternating Shoulder Press- 30x > 4 sets/moderate weight
4) *After 4th set-Core Plank with Forward & Backward Shift- 1 min
5) Windjammer Race- 4 min/Pick challenging level/First set> palms down/second set> palms up
Round Six: Go Down The Line With No Rest!
1) Sit-ups- 15x
2) Bicycle Pumps (2's)- 50x
3) One Crunch + One Sit-up (2=1)- 15x
4) Bicycle Pumps (2's)- 50x
5) Sit-up Twist/Twist- 15x
6) Corkscrews- 30x
7) One Crunch + One Sit-up Twist/Twist (2=1)- 15x
8) Corkscrews- 30x
9) Pick one cardio exercise or machine> 20 min/75-85% work load
AWESOME JOB! YOU DID IT! Remember, if you have any questions about any of the exercises or concepts, please don't hesitate to ask!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Eating The Right Way
"I didn't get here by dreaming about it or thinking about it-I got here by doing it."
-Estee Lauder
Back to the drawing board. Many of us seem to struggle with making the proper decisions that will help us overcome the battle with nutrition. I believe it is important that you become in tune with your body. You must find what works for you and what is going to help you. And like I have said before what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Just remember to be patient and don't get discouraged if you don't respond to certain foods or tactics the way you should. For some of you, it may become an uphill battle...but don't give up, try another approach. Stay positive and be consistent. Consistency is the key. No one said this would be easy, but I promise you that once you find what works...you will see nothing but positive changes.
Below, I am including some information that will help you establish proper eating choices and real results in the end.
1. Please, please, please...avoid skipping meals. This is one of the worst things you can do for yourself. Skipping meals will lower your metabolism and will cause you to overeat at other times. Skipping meals will prevent you from performing with intensity during your workouts and will contribute to a lack of energy throughout your day.
2. Watch your serving sizes. This has become one of the main problems with nutrition. Many tend to overeat in one meal, possibly because they haven't eaten enough throughout their day. Their body is starving, which is influencing them to overeat...particularly at dinner time. One example is a serving of meat is comparable to a deck of cards and can be held in the palm of your hand. In the last 10 years, our serving sizes have doubled which is leading to a tremendous increase in weight gain.
3. Think well-balanced! Give your body what it deserves and it will give you back so much more. A balanced eating regimen should include equal balances of grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, and beans. Each meal should be well-balanced containing a protein, a carb, and a fruit or vegetables.
4. Don't forget your whole grains. Did you know that eating more whole grains will help you ward off diabetes and heart disease. Also, whole grains contain high fiber, vitamin and mineral content...things that we tend to lack in our daily intake. Some examples of whole grains are whole-grain breads and cereals.
5. IMPORTANT! One way to reduce blood pressure is to check nutrition labels for sodium content in the foods you eat. There has been a tremendous increase in an individual's sodium intake over the years. When you feel like you need to add seasoning to your food, give herbs, spices, and other seasonings a try...this will give your food a natural flavor without the sodium.
6. BE CAREFUL EVERYONE! Please, do not allow long periods of time between eating. This seems to be another problem amongst people. For instance, someone will eat breakfast at 7a and then have their next meal at 12p...that is 5 down hours that could be crucial to your progress. Try to eat every 3 hours and try to consume three or more healthy meals plus healthy snacks in between.
7. An interesting way to be creative in eating is to make your healthy foods available, visible, and easy to eat. I have found that over the years, making your foods easy to eat will make you more likely to eat right and will promote consistency in your eating regimen. An example of this process is to leave the bananas out on your counter so you can grab one one-on-the go in the morning. Another example (which has always been effective) is to prepare your meals at the beginning of the week (Sunday). Cut up fruits and vegetables and put them in plastic bags for easy snacking.
8. Always include healthy snacks in your daily eating regimen and make sure they are on hand for a quick treat or a pick-me-up. Try to think of snacks as a great way to satisfy hunger.
9. Family is one of the most important aspects of our life. You set examples for your children...they are like sponges (sucking everything in). So what you do and the choices that you make for yourself are important for your children. They look to you for the answers. Get your children involved in proper nutrition early in life. You will be helping them pave their way of life for the rest of their life. Try to keep your children interested in nutrition by making it fun...who knows this approach may even help you stay motivated and consistent. For example, use cookie cutters for sandwich art. Try new and creative ways to help your children understand proper nutrition.
10. Family! Family! Family! Try having regular family meals each day...you must make it a priority, which means everyone eats at the dinner table and everyone eats at the same time. We must go back to old ways of living in order to grab this monster by the horns...smaller serving sizes, family dinners at the table, and being well-balanced.
11. Get Involved! On school nights, involve your kids while packing their lunches for the following day. Have them make a list of the healthy things they would like in their daily meals...get their input and provide the knowledge that is going to help them make right choices. Get them involved in grocery shopping and have them look for the things that they wrote down on their list. This will teach them about the right foods, plus they will feel all grown up because you are allowing them to make decisions for themselves.
-Estee Lauder
Back to the drawing board. Many of us seem to struggle with making the proper decisions that will help us overcome the battle with nutrition. I believe it is important that you become in tune with your body. You must find what works for you and what is going to help you. And like I have said before what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Just remember to be patient and don't get discouraged if you don't respond to certain foods or tactics the way you should. For some of you, it may become an uphill battle...but don't give up, try another approach. Stay positive and be consistent. Consistency is the key. No one said this would be easy, but I promise you that once you find what works...you will see nothing but positive changes.
Below, I am including some information that will help you establish proper eating choices and real results in the end.
1. Please, please, please...avoid skipping meals. This is one of the worst things you can do for yourself. Skipping meals will lower your metabolism and will cause you to overeat at other times. Skipping meals will prevent you from performing with intensity during your workouts and will contribute to a lack of energy throughout your day.
2. Watch your serving sizes. This has become one of the main problems with nutrition. Many tend to overeat in one meal, possibly because they haven't eaten enough throughout their day. Their body is starving, which is influencing them to overeat...particularly at dinner time. One example is a serving of meat is comparable to a deck of cards and can be held in the palm of your hand. In the last 10 years, our serving sizes have doubled which is leading to a tremendous increase in weight gain.
3. Think well-balanced! Give your body what it deserves and it will give you back so much more. A balanced eating regimen should include equal balances of grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, and beans. Each meal should be well-balanced containing a protein, a carb, and a fruit or vegetables.
4. Don't forget your whole grains. Did you know that eating more whole grains will help you ward off diabetes and heart disease. Also, whole grains contain high fiber, vitamin and mineral content...things that we tend to lack in our daily intake. Some examples of whole grains are whole-grain breads and cereals.
5. IMPORTANT! One way to reduce blood pressure is to check nutrition labels for sodium content in the foods you eat. There has been a tremendous increase in an individual's sodium intake over the years. When you feel like you need to add seasoning to your food, give herbs, spices, and other seasonings a try...this will give your food a natural flavor without the sodium.
6. BE CAREFUL EVERYONE! Please, do not allow long periods of time between eating. This seems to be another problem amongst people. For instance, someone will eat breakfast at 7a and then have their next meal at 12p...that is 5 down hours that could be crucial to your progress. Try to eat every 3 hours and try to consume three or more healthy meals plus healthy snacks in between.
7. An interesting way to be creative in eating is to make your healthy foods available, visible, and easy to eat. I have found that over the years, making your foods easy to eat will make you more likely to eat right and will promote consistency in your eating regimen. An example of this process is to leave the bananas out on your counter so you can grab one one-on-the go in the morning. Another example (which has always been effective) is to prepare your meals at the beginning of the week (Sunday). Cut up fruits and vegetables and put them in plastic bags for easy snacking.
8. Always include healthy snacks in your daily eating regimen and make sure they are on hand for a quick treat or a pick-me-up. Try to think of snacks as a great way to satisfy hunger.
9. Family is one of the most important aspects of our life. You set examples for your children...they are like sponges (sucking everything in). So what you do and the choices that you make for yourself are important for your children. They look to you for the answers. Get your children involved in proper nutrition early in life. You will be helping them pave their way of life for the rest of their life. Try to keep your children interested in nutrition by making it fun...who knows this approach may even help you stay motivated and consistent. For example, use cookie cutters for sandwich art. Try new and creative ways to help your children understand proper nutrition.
10. Family! Family! Family! Try having regular family meals each day...you must make it a priority, which means everyone eats at the dinner table and everyone eats at the same time. We must go back to old ways of living in order to grab this monster by the horns...smaller serving sizes, family dinners at the table, and being well-balanced.
11. Get Involved! On school nights, involve your kids while packing their lunches for the following day. Have them make a list of the healthy things they would like in their daily meals...get their input and provide the knowledge that is going to help them make right choices. Get them involved in grocery shopping and have them look for the things that they wrote down on their list. This will teach them about the right foods, plus they will feel all grown up because you are allowing them to make decisions for themselves.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Where Are You Right Now?
It's so easy to get caught up in the mundanities of life and lose track of the big picture of our lives. To keep focused on what is most significant, a woman named Dawna Markova has taken to orienting herself by asking four questions: "What are you moving away from? What are you moving against? What are you moving with? What are you moving toward?"
Don't worry if you aren't sure what the questions mean. Just respond with the first thing that pops into your head. It's a powerful practice for getting clear on where you are right now in your life. It makes you realize what you need to do and holds you accountable for staying true to yourself. Live your life and EMBRACE IT!
Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 259.
Thanks for all that you have done for me. Love you Mom!
Don't worry if you aren't sure what the questions mean. Just respond with the first thing that pops into your head. It's a powerful practice for getting clear on where you are right now in your life. It makes you realize what you need to do and holds you accountable for staying true to yourself. Live your life and EMBRACE IT!
Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 259.
Thanks for all that you have done for me. Love you Mom!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Inspiration and Motivation
Where do you look for inspiration? What keeps you motivated to keep working hard and consistent in all your workouts or in your daily life? You must find ways to be inspired and motivated to continue on your path. It can be very difficult to stay motivated due to obstacles and challenges you face each and every day....THAT IS HOW LIFE WORKS! You must believe that you have what it takes to overcome any obstacle/challenge. Look around you...there is inspiration and motivation all around you. You must be able to recognize it and apply it to your life. People come in and out of our life everyday....some stay for awhile, while others are there for a short time. You can learn so much from others...which will help you stay motivated or inspire you to overcome difficulties. You will come across people that have overcome seemingly impossible difficulties, people who follow their dreams into uncharted territory, people who rise to incredible heights of achievement and success. Inspiring people teach us how to find spiritual fulfillment, creative expression, and deep satisfaction in life. But don't sell yourself short...everyone has a story and EVERYONE has overcome something. It is a snowball effect, you get inspiration from one person and then you are an inspiration to another person. It is quite a fascinating pattern.
For several years, I have been trying to find new and different ways to keep my clients motivated/inspired. Motivation must come within, but I believe that you can help someone find their motivation by providing them with tools (knowledge, confidence, assurance). Recently, I decided to try something different and something unique. Something that could be a daily reminder for someone....something that could reassure someone they can do whatever they set their mind to. So my idea is to give some sort of motivation/inspiration on a different level...inspirational/motivational frames, each different and each with meaning. Making sure that each one touches on different aspects of a person through spiritual, emotional, and physical ways. As I began to work on this project, I discovered all the possibilities right in front of me...all of which would help people to stay motivated and inspired to do good in life. Below, I have included some of my general frames and one customized piece. A customized piece is different because the client will give me the colors they want included. I will then customize this piece by what I see for them, what I think they are capable of (how I see them through my eyes/their full potential), and help them think about what they want to accomplish and how they can accomplish anything. If you are interested in a general frame or a customized frame, please contact me through this blog entry. I would love to give you a piece of inspiration.
For several years, I have been trying to find new and different ways to keep my clients motivated/inspired. Motivation must come within, but I believe that you can help someone find their motivation by providing them with tools (knowledge, confidence, assurance). Recently, I decided to try something different and something unique. Something that could be a daily reminder for someone....something that could reassure someone they can do whatever they set their mind to. So my idea is to give some sort of motivation/inspiration on a different level...inspirational/motivational frames, each different and each with meaning. Making sure that each one touches on different aspects of a person through spiritual, emotional, and physical ways. As I began to work on this project, I discovered all the possibilities right in front of me...all of which would help people to stay motivated and inspired to do good in life. Below, I have included some of my general frames and one customized piece. A customized piece is different because the client will give me the colors they want included. I will then customize this piece by what I see for them, what I think they are capable of (how I see them through my eyes/their full potential), and help them think about what they want to accomplish and how they can accomplish anything. If you are interested in a general frame or a customized frame, please contact me through this blog entry. I would love to give you a piece of inspiration.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Who Wants To Play
"Our senses are indeed out doors and windows on this world, in a very real sense the key to the unlocking of meaning and the wellspring of creativity."- Jean Houston
Here is a little combo that will challenge you and make you work...
Rules of the Game:
1. Absolutely no rest between the two exercises.
2. Make sure to breathe accordingly.
3. Make sure to use your upper and lower body as one unit/working together to get through each exercise with perfect form.
4. Watch your form/technique and form are very important when it comes to fitness.
5. PLEASE Pay Attention to what you are doing when you attempt this workout. Do not fall off the treadmill or lose your balance.
Warm-up-2 minutes on Treadmill> Moderate Level
The Fun Begins...do the following two exercises back-to-back for a total of 10 sets
**Remember both exercises together will equal 1 set
*Treadmill Run- 60 seconds> Level 7-Level 8
*Squat Position Hold- 30 seconds
(no need to jump off the treadmill/position yourself on the sides of the treadmill/use the handles only to balance yourself if needed/squat down parallel to the floor and hold your position tightly/make sure back is straight, abs are engaged, head is up, and your sitting back on your heels)
Here is a little combo that will challenge you and make you work...
Rules of the Game:
1. Absolutely no rest between the two exercises.
2. Make sure to breathe accordingly.
3. Make sure to use your upper and lower body as one unit/working together to get through each exercise with perfect form.
4. Watch your form/technique and form are very important when it comes to fitness.
5. PLEASE Pay Attention to what you are doing when you attempt this workout. Do not fall off the treadmill or lose your balance.
Warm-up-2 minutes on Treadmill> Moderate Level
The Fun Begins...do the following two exercises back-to-back for a total of 10 sets
**Remember both exercises together will equal 1 set
*Treadmill Run- 60 seconds> Level 7-Level 8
*Squat Position Hold- 30 seconds
(no need to jump off the treadmill/position yourself on the sides of the treadmill/use the handles only to balance yourself if needed/squat down parallel to the floor and hold your position tightly/make sure back is straight, abs are engaged, head is up, and your sitting back on your heels)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Different Month From The Rest
Welcome to a new month...a month filled with lots of adventure, new concepts, new information, and something totally different. I have been doing a lot of thinking recently on how I can make this month different. I have enjoyed sharing my passion with you and my love of training and fitness on so many levels, but one thing I haven't done is share my personal experiences with you on all levels. The experiences that I have faced. Experiences that have been hard, great, difficult, tremendous...the good and the bad.
And so I have decided to take you on a journey through my experiences, which have definitely shaped me into the person that I am today. Please bare in mind that even though I am going to share my experiences with you, you will still get what this blog is intended for (health, fitness, & life). My hopes from all of this is to give YOU a deeper view and understanding of fitness and life.
I am so excited to share what truly has lived inside of me all my life. And I know in my heart that we all have it, a gift filled with determination, drive, commitment, perseverance, love, purpose, joy...HEART! And if you don't know what is inside you, it waits to be discovered. It is patient and it doesn't give up on you. Most importantly, it believes that you will embrace it. It is up to YOU to make it happen and that is one thing I have learned in my 34 years on earth.
So here we go...follow me to the beginning!
And so I have decided to take you on a journey through my experiences, which have definitely shaped me into the person that I am today. Please bare in mind that even though I am going to share my experiences with you, you will still get what this blog is intended for (health, fitness, & life). My hopes from all of this is to give YOU a deeper view and understanding of fitness and life.
I am so excited to share what truly has lived inside of me all my life. And I know in my heart that we all have it, a gift filled with determination, drive, commitment, perseverance, love, purpose, joy...HEART! And if you don't know what is inside you, it waits to be discovered. It is patient and it doesn't give up on you. Most importantly, it believes that you will embrace it. It is up to YOU to make it happen and that is one thing I have learned in my 34 years on earth.
So here we go...follow me to the beginning!
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