YOU GAIN STRENGTH, COURAGE, AND CONFIDENCE BY EVERY EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU STOP TO LOOK FEAR IN THE FACE. YOU MUST DO THE THING YOU THINK YOU CANNOT DO.

Friday, June 21, 2013

How To Safely Exercise In The Heat


Summer is officially here. Finally you can pack away your jackets (well maybe not completely because this weather has been unpredictable...lol) and get outside. Summer offers extras hours of daylight and with it the opportunity to spend even more time enjoying outdoor activities. For many, this means more time doing physical activities and playing sports. So, it’s important to remember the potential dangers that also come with exercising in hot conditions. As long as you know the dos and don’ts of working out in the heat, then you can fully take advantage of all the fun of Summerr.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:

• Drink plenty of fluids. It’s extremely important to stay hydrated. If you’re thirsty then you are already dehydrated; drink before you feel a need to. Be sure to drink throughout the day (stick to non-caffeinated beverages, preferably water). Also, drink 15-20 minutes before beginning your workout and every 15 minutes throughout the exercise.
• Eat regularly. The heat can decrease your appetite, but it’s important to eat normally. Try to eat small meals 5-6 times per day. Include lots of fruits and vegetables. Aside from being nutritious, fruits also tend to help with hydration.
• Wear light, loose fitting clothes that can breath. Cotton is always a good choice. If your outdoor activity produces a lot of perspiration, consider clothing that is designed to wick the sweat away.
• Wear sunscreen. Even if you exercise early in the morning or late in the evening, if the sun can reach you then you can get burned. Not only is a sunburn bad on the skin and potentially dangerous but it also hinders your bodies ability to stay cool.
• Use common sense and don’t attempt strenuous activities that your body is not accustom to. Stick to exercises that you are very familiar and comfortable with.
• Check the weather forecast. It’s best not to participate in intense outdoor exercise sessions when the heat index registers in the dangerous zone.


WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO:
• Don’t try to diet by sweating. Excessive perspiration is not the key to permanent weight loss. Any decrease in the scale would simply be a result of water loss, not fat reduction.
• Don’t adapt the “no pain, no gain” motto. Ignoring your body’s signals could be dangerous. Heat-related illnesses come with warning signs. Be sure to learn how to recognize them and what actions to take.
• Don’t forget to drink plenty of liquid when swimming.Just because your body is surrounded by water does not mean that you are well-hydrated. As with any land exercises, you need to regularly replenish lost fluids when in the pool.
• Avoid physical activity during the hottest part of the day, which usually is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• If you want (or need) to be working in very hot temperatures, don’t do it until you become acclimated.Try to spend only a few minutes per day in the hot conditions for the first couple of weeks and then add time gradually each day.
• Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Don’t hop from being extremely hot and sweating excessively right into an ice cold, air-conditioned environment. Try to cool your body down slightly before exposing it to the extreme temperature variation.

Whether you have to work outside or do it for enjoyment, following the above tips will help you stay cool and safe during the dog days of summer. So, don’t spend the season cooped up, get out there and have some fun!




Keep Going




The person that achieves the highest vision is the one who has made the most errors along the way. A person must recognize that success is built not on success, but on past mistakes, mishaps, and errors. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but instead embrace them, move forward, and makes sure not to make the same mistakes again. Never take the shortcut in life, take the long route because it is on this path that you will pick up the most experiences along the way. Learn from each experience good or bad and push forward....GROW and BECOME. 

Monday, June 17, 2013

The HIDDEN SECRET Of Yoga


Do you know what the hidden secret of Yoga is? Give up! Me too...lol. Just kidding. Yoga is a tried and true method for maintaining strong, flexible joints and muscles, good posture, and MUSCLE ENDURANCE. That's right, good ol' muscle endurance. Nancy Coulter-Parker of the Yoga Journal (Mar./Apr., 2003) claimed that yoga builds endurance because it trains you to breathe more deeply and efficiently. And if you really think about this for a second...she is absolutely right. It teaches you how to breathe, which in turn will help you to perform better in the gym and/or outside the gym. Slow, controlled breathing as practiced in yoga will not necessarily have an effect on the way the lungs deliver oxygen to the bloodstream during exercise and doesn't effect oxygen consumption...BUT, it does give your body a different technique in breathing. 

The one thing I find interesting in my job is how people have a tendency to hold their breath or they are unable to breathe probably...especially when the exercise is a difficult one. It is important to breathe when you exercise, but I believe it is important to be able to breathe in many forms. It helps your body to adjust and to adapt to each exercise independently and helps in the process of creating your "STRONG" body (your temple). Yoga increases muscle strength and endurance, which can help you from running out of gas during the day. Remember, you don't work as hard when you have fit muscles, so you aren't forced to use your energy reserves during daily tasks. Yoga is a terrific form of exercise for muscle and fitness...so if you have the opportunity to do yoga, definitely give it a try. Never limit yourself! ALWAYS allow yourself and your body to experience all different forms of exercise.  

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day. :)

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The SHADOW FIGURES Of The Crescent Hotel- REVISITED







ONE QUICK NOTE: BEFORE I GO INTO THE HISTORY OF THE CRESCENT. IF YOU COULD WEAR HEADPHONES SO YOU CAN GET THE FULL EFFECT OF THIS VIDEO. :)

The Crescent Hotel was first opened to the public on May 10, 1886 and was formally opened May 20 and 21st, 1886 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It was built on the summit of the Crescent Mountain and 600 feet above the Crescent Spring. The purpose of this elegant five-story 125 room hotel was to attract tourists and the wealthy...claiming that it was an American Plan Hotel. As the largest hotel in the Ozarks, it provided people the comforts of living while on vacation during the summer time only. Guests could swim in Lake Lucerne, bowl, play tennis, play golf, ride horseback, shoot at the gun club, hike, fish, participate in card parties held every afternoon and evening, or dance in the brilliantly and beautiful ball room.

On March 1st, 1900 another grand opening of the Crescent Hotel occurs making it an all-the-year resort and promoting the healing waters in Eureka Springs. According to many sources, the magical waters from the springs helped thousands relieving them from pain and suffering.

On September 23, 1908, the Crescent College and Conservatory For Young Women opened its doors. At this time, the hotel began to lose credibility nationally and internationally. Owners of the hotel were interested in any project that would be able to provide additional income to the property. Both the hotel and the school were shut down in 1934 from the results of the Great Depression.

In July 1937, the Queen Of The Ozarks would take a twisted and stranger fate when a man named Norman Baker drove in to Eureka in his big purple car bought the property and converted it into the "Baker Hospital" and Health Resort. He painted all the halls and walls lavender and at the roof top he placed his favorite instrument, a loud playing Calliaphone and converted it to his "Castle in the Air." The Hotel/School/Hospital would close its doors again in 1946 and in January 1950 Norman Baker was charged with "mail fraud" and sent to jail.

There is a lot of tragedy that surrounds this building. Many people have died here from the beginning of its construction. And this number is unknown. An Irish man who was helping build the Crescent fell to his death before it opened. A young girl from the college fell/jumped to her death. A young woman named Theodora on the fourth floor who was a cancer patient of Norman Baker to the first Crescent cat. The number of people that lost their lives is plain and simply unknown. The broken promises and lies of Norman Baker, who claimed to have the cure for cancer and would eject these cancer victims with watermelon seeds, spring water, and other stuff. The lack of record keeping or shredded documents have not been able to shine light on this question. Many claim that he effected so many lives and stole so much money from these people and their families. Others say he buried his victims in the walls of the building and many suffered on both a mental and physical level...leading up to their death. It is definitely a hot spot and many believe that several spirits are drawn there (who were not affiliated with the hospital).

I have always been sensitive to energies and things around me. As soon as I walked through the door, I felt the sadness and the heaviness of this building. It is VERY active and the energy there is OVER THE TOP. It is a beautiful hotel and they have kept most of the same furniture and have tried to restore it to its original look. There is a new day spa in the basement area and this is where this video takes place. My friend and I were walking around and on several instances random strangers would ask of our findings and would suggest that we go down to the basement level bathrooms. That these bathrooms were very active from what they had been told. They did not experience anything there but maybe we would be able to. Thought it was the strangest thing that so many random people who did not know each other were leading us there. Things began to die down at the Crescent around 11 p.m. and 12 a.m., so I thought that would be the best time to go check it out. I didn't want anything to interfere with this experience. The basement was very quiet and absolutely NO ONE was down there and from what I heard many are afraid to go down there. I don't think you will be sorry that you watched this video, I was even amazed at what was captured. Be sure to watch it to the end because that is when the shocking happens.

Hope you enjoy this video and if you are in the area you should try and visit this historic building. It is a site to see and a place that holds so much energy. My thoughts and prayers are always with the victims and lost souls of the Crescent Hotel...this moment in time put life in perspective even more for me and I was grateful for my experience. :)

Saturday, June 15, 2013

One Of The Fastest Ways To Build Up Your Fitness



So who wants to trim their legs, build muscle tone, and develop the muscle of a racehorse...IN RECORD TIME? That is what I thought...EVERYONE SEEMS TO WANT THIS, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO BUILD UP THEIR FITNESS FAST. 

One of the best ways to do this is to add interval training to your fitness regimen. It will help you burn more calories than normal workouts and will definitely STOKE UP your metabolism for the rest of the day and night. So what exactly is interval training? Interval training is bouts of higher intensity exercise interspersed with periods of lower intensity exercise or rest. And my clients will definitely tell you, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT LIKE TO REST BETWEEN SETS. 

Interval training manipulates repetitions, speed, distance, and of course MY FAVORITE, REST! :) For example, you could run six sets of 400 meters on a track in 100 seconds, with 3 minutes rest between sets. Run more slowly for longer distances to build endurance and shorter distances faster to build speed and power. You may even spice it up (ALWAYS BE CREATIVE) and incorporate the two. You can do interval workouts for walking, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, and indoor weight training.

So your PLAN OF ACTION is to incorporate the full package in one...maybe include some side shuffles during your walk or a plyometric exercise after so many minutes...remember you can choose different reps, speed, and distance. Try hard not to rest to much between rounds of exercises, that way you burn more calories and you begin teaching your body to train hard. Remember, everyone is different...everyone is at different fitness levels. Don't go full force if you are just beginning an exercise regimen or if you have an injury you are dealing with. Go at your level and work up from there. DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANYONE ELSE. Do what is right for YOU and for YOUR BODY! But most importantly, HAVE FUN. 

Your Personal Trainer, Human Kinetic Publisher, 1999.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

The Calm Before The Storm And The Big Grand Finale- May 30 2013

This took place on May 30, 2013 at around 10 p.m.
Let's just say this was the calm before the storm. Loud rumbling sounds filled the sky and then stopped. Then a cool but bizarre lightning show began with some small rumblings, but the sounds associated with the lightning sounded more like vibrations. It did not sound like thunder. Actually very calm feeling when the continuous flashes of light filled the sky.There was no rain and some wind but not heavy wind. Then loud rumbling began again with some loud booms, then came the thunder...loud and intense...jumping from one side of the sky to the other.

If possible, try to watch this video with headphones to get the full effect.  :) You will definitely hear the deep and loud rumbling, some harmonic vibrations, intense booming, etc. Check out PART TWO...Lightning show continues but then here comes the heavy thunderstorm- strong and heavy wind, intense rain coming in sideways, and loud thunder.




PART TWO: May 30, 2013 at about 1030 p.m.
The calm is now gone and the sky begins to speak. This strong thunderstorm produced very heavy rain coming in sideways, strong winds, and intense rumbling and thunder.

If you can, try to watch video with headphones so you can get the full effect. Lots of interesting and intense sounds in the sky during this storm. Thanks for watching and stay safe.

Crazy Arkansas Weather May 2013



Arkansas Thunderstorm/Lightning Strikes/Tornado Warning- May 2013

Crazy Lightning Strikes
Weird Thunder/Rumbling Sounds
Bizarre Clouds And Strange Colored Sky

Try To Watch Video With Headphones, So You Can Get The Full Effect. :) Stay Safe!

Popular Posts

Power Of Your Heart

Power Of Your Heart
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the HEART. -Helen Keller

Be Unique. Represent....YOU!

Be Unique. Represent....YOU!

Abdominal Challenge #1

  • NO REST Between Exercises/Keep hands on your head at ALL TIMES when you perform each Sit-up/Keep your legs bent on all Sit-ups/Watch your form and make sure you engage your belly button AT ALL TIMES/Control your motion and DO NOT USE MOMENTUM!
  • Unassisted Sit-ups- 10x/Hold #10 at the Halfway Mark for 20sec
  • Core Plank- 30 seconds
  • Unassisted Sit-ups- 15x/Hold #15 at the Halfway Mark for 20sec
  • Core Plank- 1 minute
  • Unassisted Sit-ups- 20x/Hold #20 at the Halfway Mark for 20sec
  • Core Plank- 1 minute 30 sec
  • Unassisted Sit-ups- 25x/Hold #25 at the Halfway Mark for 20sec
  • Core Plank- 2 minutes

Abdominal Challenge #2

  • DO NOT REST BETWEEN EXERCISES UNLESS IT IS STATED/USE THE SAME RULES FOR ABDOMINAL CHALLENGE #1/Substitute One Crunch + One Sit-up Twist/Twist for Plate Stand-ups if needed/Substitute Roman Chair Leg Raises for Hanging Leg Raises if needed
  • Medicine Ball Sit-ups (Unassisted)- 25 times/Explosive on the UP- 10 second count on the DOWN/Keep M.B. on your chest AT ALL TIMES
  • Hanging Bent Leg Raises- 3x15/Rest 10 seconds between sets/DO NOT SWING
  • Plate Standups/25 times/DO NOT MOVE YOUR FEET/Tempo- Moderate Pace/The lighter the plate the harder the exercise...CHALLENGE/PUSH!
  • Side Core Plank- Hold 30 seconds/25 Ups and Downs/Do one side at a time
  • Hanging Straight Leg Raises- 3x15/Rest 10 seconds between sets/DO NOT SWING
  • Plate Stand-ups + Sit-ups/(2=1) 35 times/DO NOT MOVE YOUR FEET/Tempo- Moderate Pace/The lighter the plate the harder the exercise...CHALLENGE YOURSELF
  • Side Core Plank- Hold 1 minute/35 Ups and Downs/Do one side at a time

CONDITIONING DRILL #1

  • PERFORM 5 SETS/NO REST BETWEEN EXERCISES/REST 30 SECONDS BETWEEN EACH CIRCUIT
  • Burpees x 30 seconds
  • Mountain Climbers x 30 seconds
  • Split Squat Jumps x 30 seconds
  • Mountain Climbers x 30 seconds
  • Split Squat Jumps x 30 seconds
  • Burpees x 30 seconds

CONDITIONING DRILL #2

  • PERFORM 5 SETS/NO REST BETWEEN EXERCISES/REST 3O SECONDS BETWEEN EACH CIRCUIT
  • Wall Sit with Medicine Ball Between Knees x 30 sec
  • DB Split Squat Jumps x 30 seconds
  • Mountain Climbers On Forearms x 30 seconds
  • DB Burpees x 30 seconds
  • Diamond Shape Push-ups On Medicine Ball x 30 seconds
  • Medicine Ball Squat Jump Toss x 30 seconds

CONDITIONING DRILL #3

  • PERFORM 4 SETS/NO REST BETWEEN EXERCISES/REST 30-45 SECONDS BETWEEN EACH CIRCUIT
  • Traveling Forward Burpee- 10x
  • Traveling Forward Burp + Burpee- (2=1)- 10 x
  • Traveling Backward Burpee- 10x
  • Traveling Backward Burp + Burpee- (2=1)- 10x

CONDITIONING DRILL #4

In order to MASTER this conditioning drill, each exercise must be performed with perfect form and without STOPPING!

**Be sure that the BURPEES are ALL EXPLOSIVE...JUMP AS HIGH AS YOU CAN AT THE START/LAND IN A LOW PUSH-UP POSITION/EXPLODE BACK UP, LEADING WITH YOUR LEGS

**Make sure that the SQUAT HOLDS ARE LOW (THINK OF AN L-SHAPE/DO NOT LET YOUR BUTT FALL TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR)...SIT BACK ON YOUR HEELS AND ALWAYS KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT

1) BURPEES- 15 TIMES
2)LOW SQUAT HOLD (15TH BURPEE)- 10 SECONDS
3) BURPEES- 12 TIMES
4) LOW SQUAT HOLD (12TH BURPEE)- 10 SECONDS
5) BURPEES- 10 TIMES
6) LOW SQUAT HOLD (10TH BURPEE)- 15 SECONDS
7) BURPEES- 8 TIMES
8) LOW SQUAT HOLD (8TH BURPEE)- 15 SECONDS
9) BURPEES- 6 TIMES
10) LOW SQUAT HOLD (6TH BURPEE)- 20 SECONDS
11) BURPEES- 4 TIMES
12) LOW SQUAT HOLD (4TH BURPEE)- 20 SECONDS
13) BURPEE- 2 TIMES
14) LOW SQUAT HOLD (2ND BURPEE)- 20 SECONDS

DEFINITION OF EXERCISES/LANGUAGE IN EXERCISE

1) Straight-legged to Heels-to-Butt Sit-ups- lie flat on the ground with your legs straight and your hands on your head. As you start to do a sit-up bring your heels in to your butt and tap the floor (*the closer the heels come to the butt the harder). As you come out of your sit-up and begin to roll-down straighten out your legs and make sure the heels touch the floor. It should be a smooth, contolled one motion.
2) Burpee In Place-start by jumping straight in the air and then landing in a squat position with hands on the ground. Kick your feet back into the downward position of a push-up. Thrust the feet up and push up with the arms simultaneously.
3) Traveling Forward Burpee- the same concept as the Burpee In Place the only difference is jump forward instead of straight up.
4) Traveling Backward Burpee- the same concept as the Burpee In Place the only difference is jump backward instead of jumping straight up.
5) Burp- also known as a stripped down burpee. Start low and tucked toward the floor. Kick feet out to the bottom portion of a pushup. Then, push with your hands, while thrusting the feet back to the beginnning position (which is low and tucked toward the floor). It is only a half way motion minus without the jump in the air.
6) M.B. or Plate Stand-Ups- lie flat on the ground with your feet planted on the ground. Beginners should use two dumbbells and place on feet. Hold a m.b. or plate over your head (*the heavier the db/plate the easier...the lighter the db/plate or no weight the harder). Quickly move your arms forward and start to sit up. It is very important that you use your arms for momentum and engage your abdominals. Once your arms pass your knees, quickly push forward with your legs, moving into a standing position.
7) Mountain Climbers- start with your body in a push-up plank position. With the hands stationary, alternate the feet back and forth. One leg should be tucked with the knee coming close to your chest and the opposite leg extended. Make sure to place your weight on the balls of the feet.
8) Grasshoppers- your body will begin in the same position you used for mountain climbers. The movement starts by bringing your left foot underneath the body until it touches your right hand. After touching your hand, return the left foot to the starting position and repeat the movement by bringing your right foot across the body to your left hand. You will be on the balls of your feet but when you bring your foot toward your hand you will land on the side of your foot.
9) Wall Sit- place yourself up against a wall and squat down until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Think about forming an L with the bottom portion of your body. Your back is supported against the wall. Hold this position for time. Do not place your hands on your thighs because this takes off the pressure in your legs. Absolutely no movement with this exercise.
10) Bridge- a great exercise that will develop strength and flexibility. It is a static hold that helps improve lower back strength. Start by lying down on the floor with your knees bent and your hands on the floor close to your ears. Lift yourself up with your abdomen pointing upward and with only the hands and the feet on the floor. Your body should create an arched position and you will maintain the upright position for time.
11) Aerobic exercise- means with oxygen. An activity in which demands of muscle for oxygen are met by circulation of oxygen in blood. Distance running, cross-country, skiing, distance cycling are all examples of aerobic activities.
12) Anaerobic Exercise- means without oxygen. Activity in which oxygen demands of muscles are so high that they rely upon an internal metabolic process for oxygen. Short burts of "all-out" activities such as sprinting or weightlifting are examples of anerobic exercises.
13) Burn- also known as "going for the burn." For instance, in endurance exercise, working muscles until lactic acid buildup causes a burning sensation.
14) Concentric- when muscles contract or shorten.
15) Delts- an abbreviation for deltoids, the large triangular muscles of the shoulder which raise the arm away from the body and perform other functions.
16) Eccentric- when muscles lengthen while maintaining tension.
17) Fast-Twitch- refers to muscle cells that fire quickly and are utilized in anaerobic activites like sprinting and powerlifting.
18) Glycogen- can be referred to as a full tank full of stored carbohydrates. Some of it is stored in the liver and some of it is stored in the muscles themselves.
19) Hybrid Lift- is two or more exercise done in one single movement. It is the inverse of a combo lift. For istance, performing a bicep curl while lunging.
20) Interval Training- is a short, high-intensity cardio exercise alternated with longer periods of lower-intensity cardio. It allows you to burn more calories, increase your speed, improve your power, and much more. It is more effective at burning fat while maintaining muscle mass. Combine this type of training with intensity will also increase your metabolic rate to amazing levels. This is because the work you do utilizes a greater percent of the body's muscles.



If You Want To Be Tough, You Are The Only One That Can Get You There!

If You Want To Be Tough, You Are The Only One That Can Get You There!

POWER THOUGHT OF THE DAY

TRADE AFFIRMATION FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT: Accolades fade quickly, but your accomplishments have the potential to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

TRADE IMMEDIATE PLEASURE FOR PERSONAL GROWTH: It takes an oak tree decades to grow, but it takes a squash only weeks. Which do you want to be?

TRADE EXPLORATION FOR FOCUS:  The younger you are, the more experimenting you should do. But once you have found what you were created to do, STICK WITH IT!

TRADE QUANTITY OF LIFE FOR QUALITY OF LIFE: Your life is not a dress rehearsal. Give it your best because you won't get another chance.

POWER THOUGHT OF THE DAY

NEVER GIVE UP IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN.

POWER THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"I CHOOSE TO LOVE MY LIFE

Find a balance between your creativity and your responsibility to the world. Share your innovative ideas and inspire others.

POWER THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"When change seems frightening, remember that it's the mother of new life, the one story line that we can count on to bring us home to our essential nature and our interconnectedness with the wholeness of life."

Borysenko, J. Saying Yes to Change. Pg. 173.

DOFITNESS TRAINING STATION

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