A Punch in the Face

by Doug Betts

(Note to the reader: I’m going to go off on a pretty big tangent, but I will reveal my point about mid-way through this piece. Stay patient while I go on and on, there is a pretty big payoff at the end! Also, you should know that I don't advocate violence. I'm only using it here to demonstrate a point!)

Everybody gets mad sometimes. Every once in a while you get really, really angry. I’ve ticked off a few people in my day (sometimes by doing nothing more than being a morning person!). I’m sure I’ve even driven a few people to fantasies of punching me in the face. Luckily, outside of competitive fighting, I’ve managed to avoid that. I’ve often wondered about that fine line between throwing a punch and holding back. We stop ourselves in the name of being civilized. Fighting is kind of taboo in our society (to say the least). Obviously, some pretty major consequences can arise from it. They might hit back. We may be fined or incarcerated. We may even find ourselves the subject of a law suit. Aside from that, we worry about what people will think about us, so we take any desires we may have to hit someone, bottle them up, and store them deep down inside.

We’ve all seen those movies where one character, usually the antagonist, is just an all-out jerk to the main character. Throughout the movie, the main character maintains composure while this putz lays it on thick. You can see the frustration, the hurt, and the longing for the strength just to stand up to the verbal bully. Usually in the climactic scene, the main character, having gone through some sort of transformation, goes through a really bad string of demeaning insults brought on my the nemesis. Instead of the normal reaction, we find extreme relief to see the hero punch the villain square in the mouth.

What changed in the hero’s mind? Why did our protagonist ignore all of the aforementioned consequences? Because this formerly meek and meager person had enough. There’s only so far people can be pushed before they stop caring about consequences. If you get to that point, you’re willing to deal with whatever consequences arise.

Okay, before you start thinking that I’m advising you to go around punching people, I’d better tell you what all of this has to do with your quest for a flat tummy.

Just like punching somebody, getting serious about a weight loss program has consequences. We don’t normally call them that, but that’s exactly what they are. You will lose out on time to do other things. You will be sore. You will watch your friends eat all of your favorite foods while you abstain. Another similarity your weight loss program has with punching someone is the fact that most people won’t go that far. Most people will remain like the meek, meager version of the movie characters. There comes a time, however, where you have to stop caring about the consequences and go for it (the weight loss program, not punching somebody!). Only then will you drop your inhibitions. Only then can you exercise with appropriate vigor. Only then can you bring about positive change.

I know somebody who actually gets kind of a sick enjoyment out of the “consequences” that his goals bring. He’s of the mindset that these consequences are what will bring him closer to his goal. While everybody else is avoiding the consequences, he’s actually almost seeking them out! The same holds true for you, as well. Adopt the attitude of “yeah, bring it on!” Then take comfort in knowing that you are one of the few who is willing to face the fire and do what it takes to achieve a result.

So what now? Are you going to stay the same, or are you willing to really go for it? You need to decide right here, right now that you are willing to put up with all the bad stuff so you can get the good stuff. Consequences be dammed!

Let Sonee Get Your Upper Body in Shape!

This is part one of a series. Check back next Tuesday for more!

Try This!

by Doug Betts
Here's a cool idea to try on your next workout. Forget about reps. Instead of counting how many times you can lift a particular weight, try setting a timer. You're not allowed to stop moving the weight until the time is done. There is a concept The known to the Exercise Science community as time under tension. The idea is that it doesn't matter how many reps you complete, just how long your muscles are working against resistance. I can't say I buy the theory completely, but I do think there may be some merit. If nothing else, it adds some variety to your routine. So if you're getting bored with your workout, stop counting and start watching the clock!

Falling Off the Wagon

By Doug Betts
Director of Training, Core Fitness Solution

Have you ever fallen off the proverbial diet and exercise “wagon?” It can be tough to stay the course when the results seem to stagnate, or worse, back slide.

Here's a quote from a song by Robert W. Service that seems to fit appropriately in such a case:

"And so in the strife of the battle of life
It’s easy to fight when you're winning;
It’s easy to slave, and starve and be brave,
When the dawn of success is beginning.
But the man who can meet despair and defeat
With a cheer, there’s the man of God’s choosing;
The man who can fight to Heaven’s own height
Is the man who can fight when he’s losing."

There will always be times when your progress decelerates, stops, or
reverses, but remember to keep moving. As much as we like to think of the
process as science and the results as a foregone conclusion, sometimes
life gets in the way. Murphy's Law sometimes takes over your life. Dave
Ramsey - my favorite radio talk show host - would say that "Murphy" has
moved into your spare bedroom!

When short-term stuff starts getting in the way, we have to shift our
focus further out. This way, we realize that small deviations can be
overcome with small corrections. The fastest way between two points may be
a straight line, but that's only a theoretical construct. In reality,
straight lines don't exist. When you drive your car, you have constant
left and right movements of your steering wheel. Likewise, the space
shuttle (perhaps the most precise piece of machinery ever created) spends
an estimated 97% of its time correcting small deviations in its course.

There will always be setbacks. Just accept them as part of the process
(just like soreness was a part of the process when you first started!).
They are inevitable. The good news is that they are also temporary. Keep
trudging on!

When things get rough for me, I like to picture "Murphy" getting really
frustrated because no matter what kinds of twists, turns, setbacks, or
monkey wrenches he throws at me, he just can't get me to quit.

Don't let "Murphy" win!

Stretching: the Truth

By Lisa Ann Smith
Via Women's Health Magazine

Stretching is like backing up your PC: You know you should do it, but it's easy to blow off. Besides, you never really learned how. Stretch before you sweat? After? Are a couple of toe touches enough? If you're anything like us, you're so confused you may not bother stretching at all.

But that kind of play-and-pray strategy is risky. Unlike your computer, your body doesn't auto-save. You risk losing your range of motion and stability if you skip out on stretching. So we asked experts to analyze the research and give us the real deal.

What we learned: There are three key kinds of stretching. Combine them strategically (yet simply) and you'll prepare your muscles to expand and contract quickly so you can finesse your way around the field, up your flexibility, and promote healing between workouts.

Benefits of Morning Exercise

By by Stephanie Romero

via Families.com

There are some real benefits to morning exercise. There is just something about starting your day off with a good fitness routine that can really set a good pace for the day.

One of the benefits to exercise in the morning is that you get it done. If you are anything like me, putting off fitness

until later doesn't always happen. In fact, most times if I don't get it in right away in the morning, it is very unlikely to happen later. Let's face it, life is filled with interruptions, distractions and so many things to do that it makes sense to first exercise.

When you exercise in the morning you are more likely to stick to a routine. A fitness routine is important to lose weight and get healthy. You also tend to eat better when you have exercised in the morning. Who wants to take the time to put in a good workout or a long walk, only to follow it up with a donut? Many times we are more motivated to eat healthier if we have started off the day on the right foot.

You will also find that you have more energy if you exercise in the morning. It may be difficult initially, getting yourself out of bed but once you do and you exercise, you will feel more energized to take on the day.

Research has also shown that those who exercise in the morning sleep better at night. When you workout later in the day, you cause an adrenalin rush that can be difficult to calm down when it's time to go to sleep.

A final benefit to exercising

in the morning is that it puts you in a better mood. You feel better about yourself and that can create a more positive attitude about life in general. You feel more ready to take on whatever faces you that day.

If fitting in exercise has been difficult, try switching it to the morning and discover the benefits of it. You will be glad you did.

Your Excuses NOT to Exercise Stop Here! via Yahoo Shine

By Laurel House via Yahoo

From Fonda-style leg warmers and g-string leotards, to massive gyrotonic machines, to uber-posh gyms, to The Biggest Loser televised boot camp, fitness has come a long way… all the way around. You see, as we learned in the 80s, the best way to get fit is to make it simple, accessible, and inexpensive. Yes, those machines do work… if you use them. And, yes, gyms do work… if you go… which may be why we are now a nation of fat people. It’s too easy to come up with an excuse not to work out: “Exercise equipment is expensive,” “it’s too time-consuming to go to the gym,” “I can’t afford a fitness trainer…” Well those excuses are no longer acceptable.

Thanks in part to the economy; we are going back to basics to get in shape. From at-home cardio on the Wii, walking with friends, and group exercise DVDs, you no longer have an excuse not to workout. To help renew your fitness attitude, May 1st will be the first annual World Fitness Day- a celebration of healthy and active living, and the brainchild of none other than fitness in the flesh- Jane Fonda. Attendees will learn about physical fitness from fitness experts and will be burning calories in group workouts.

To mark the occasion, some serious fitness trailblazers, including Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons, Billy Blanks, Denise Austin, Debbie Allen, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, along with thousands of fitness fanatics, will come together, to transform Atlanta’s Georgia Dome into a workout wonderland, moving to the live tunes of the Pointer Sisters and Ludacris!

More than just celebrating fitness once a year, the concept behind World Fitness Day is to remind all of us that fitness is a lifestyle. Meaning? According to Denise Austin, “Fitness as a lifestyle means that you are dedicated to doing something active every day. It doesn’t take that much to get in good shape. If you’re too busy, tighten your tummy or do twists and rotations at your desk. Walk for 15-minutes at lunch. Just try a little something every day. It will become part of your life like brushing your teeth.” Working in extra steps during your day really does add up. Try this power walking interval exercise with walking legend, Leslie Sansone.

Make exercise and weight loss social by getting girlfriends together, put on a fitness DVD, and start a fitness program for you and your friends to use at your home. If you want to work out with a really big class, ExerciseTV* will be streaming the World Fitness Day “star”-studded classes live. Yes, you can work out with Jane Fonda too, if you tune in… Come on, get in shape girl!

Addition by Subtraction

Via Yahoo Health By By Mark Anders, Men's Health

Standard crunches
Abs are all about body fat. Once you get your percentage into single digits, try doing planks (work up to holding the position for 2 to 3 minutes) and Swiss-ball crunches (start with 10 reps and work up to 30 to 40). "Both are better than the standard crunch for bringing out your abs," says Tom Seabourne, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist and sports psychologist at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant.

Protein
Too much of a good thing can be, well, a bad thing. "Your body can use only so much protein, and then some of it is just converted into fat instead of going to your muscles," says Mike Bracko, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist at the Institute of Hockey Research in Calgary, Alberta. He recommends consuming no more than 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight each day.

Calf Raises
"Squats work all those tiny muscles in and around the calves, so you don't need to use calf-raise machines," says Seabourne. He recommends doing three sets of eight to 12 squats with heel raises. Lower your body with your feet flat on the floor until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, then stand back up and rise onto the balls of your feet.

Jogging
If you're devoting too much time to cardiovascular workouts, it could be compromising your muscle development. When you jog, you use mostly slow-twitch muscle fibers, and the constant pounding seems to have a shrinking effect on your upper-body muscles. It's best to do sprints for your cardio at a track or football field. On a treadmill, after a light 3-minute warmup jog, sprint for 30 seconds, then rest for a minute, and repeat this sequence for 10 minutes.

Curls
"Curls are a waste of time because they isolate a muscle group that's the size of an orange," says Juan Carlos Santana, M.Ed., C.S.C.S., director of the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Florida. Instead, work larger muscle groups with pulling exercises such as lat pulldowns and rows, both of which also work your biceps. Then do two or three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of either barbell curls or standing dumbbell curls, says Santana.

Workout Streaks
"I've observed that when people finally take a day off in their weekly strength programs, they start to get stronger and bigger," says Seabourne. That's because muscles grow during rest. Two days a week of strength training per muscle group is all you need.

Rest Between Sets
"Less rest time can sometimes increase the amount of testosterone your body is producing," says Bracko. Try supersets—performing two exercises back to back without rest. For instance, do a set of bench presses immediately followed by a set of seated cable rows. Then rest for 90 to 180 seconds.

Leg Extensions
Switch to body-weight lunges instead. Leg extensions isolate only your quads, while lunges work your quadriceps and butt and force you to stabilize your abs, lower back, and hips.

Bench Presses
Do more pushups, which build core musculature and upper-body strength. Santana recommends limiting your bench presses to three to five sets per week and incorporating six to 12 sets of pushups, including three-point pushups and those in which you wear a weighted body vest, elevate your feet, or hold a medicine ball between your hands.

Chest Stretches Between Sets of Bench Presses
For up to 15 minutes following a static stretch, your muscles and tendons stay stretched and are temporarily weakened, says Bracko. "A doorway stretch done between sets of bench presses actually makes your muscles weaker, so you won't be able to lift as much," Bracko says. Save it for afterward, during your cooldown.

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