Master Your Body: The Untold Story...The Missing Ring And The Slurpee

Friday, July 27, 2012

The Untold Story...The Missing Ring And The Slurpee

Everyone has had a slurpee at one time in their life...especially on very hot dry days or after a long day at school. Growing up, I remember the slurpee being very popular in our household..my sister absolutely loved her slurpees and she would do just about anything for these slushy drinks...Ohhhhh...the stories and ohhhhhh all those bribes...lol Those were the days. (Wink, Wink Dee).

Anyway, back to my story, many of you are probably not familiar with the birth of the slurpee...it is quite interesting how the slurpee and the slurpee machine came about. Omar Knedlik a poor farm boy born in Barnes, Kansas in 1916 and who served in World War II bought his first ice cream shop after the war. He then moved to Coffeyville, Kansas, where he became the owner of a Dairy Queen in the late-1950's. He did not have a great soda fountain and it would break down often, forcing him to put his sodas in a freezer to stay cool, which in turn would cause them to become slushy...he would freeze bottles of soda and just serve them instead. As it turns out, his customers preferred the frozen sodas to regular fountain drinks and kept coming back for more.

It was this moment that gave him the idea of building his own slurpee (icee) machine. Knedlik worked with a Dallas Company and it took him five years to build the first ICEE® (Slurpee) machine. Early prototypes for the machine were used from an automobile air conditioning unit. And by the mid-60s about 300 ICEE® (Slurpee) machines had been manufactured. In 1965, 7-Eleven began a licensing deal with the ICEE company to sell the product under certain conditions. The first condition was that they had to come up with a different name for the product, and second, were only allowed to sell the product in 7-Eleven locations in the U.S. And it was in 1967 that 7-Eleven sold the product known as "The Slurpee" (for the sound made when drinking them). So now that we have covered the history of the slurpee and the making of the slurpee machine...we can go on with the story! Onward We Go!

What you may not have heard is the tale of Edna Smiley, one of Omar Knedlik’s first customers, who was changed forever by her first ICEE experience. She was thirteen years old when she walked into the Dairy Queen that day. She had been there many times, but had never had the soon-to-be-famous ICEE. She ordered a burger, fries, and a small water, and sat down at a booth in the corner.

For two days, Edna had been plagued with worry and despair. She had borrowed her great-grandmother’s diamond ring from her mother’s jewelry box, and had taken it to try on. A couple hours after putting it on her finger, she looked down to find it missing! It had slipped off without her noticing while she played. She felt distress like never before in her young life. She had lost her great grandmother’s ring, her small town family’s most valuable possession. The ring, which had been handed down through four generations, which was worth a lot – in both sentiment and value.

Edna sat, slowly eating, and preparing a speech of how to tell her mother the ring was gone, when a restaurant clerk approached her. She looked up to find an ICEE in front of her on the table. The clerk said, “ON THE HOUSE,” winked and walked away. He was hoping to cheer the serious and troubled girl with this small and kind gesture.

She took five or six big, fast gulps of the frozen, carbonated soda. Instantly, her whole head rushed with sensation. Uh Oh...THE FAMOUS BRAIN FREEZE! Her brain rang with the piercing cold; her back teeth felt ready to explode under the pressure of ice. She had a vision! The toothbrush cup! She had taken the ring off and dropped it into the toothbrush holder before she had washed her hands. The ICEE headache (BRAIN FREEZE) was a revelation, a message from above! She sucked down the rest of the ICEE and ran home as fast as she could. Sure enough that is exactly where that ring was. She hurried to put the ring back in her mother’s jewelry box, safe and sound, and back where she had found it.

Edna Smiley has had an ICEE everyday since that very special day. Legend has it that the “ring vision” was the first of many. To this day, people line up at Edna’s door to ask to here her famous story and her inspiring words as she sips her ICEE. It is at this moment that people gather in hopes of sharing, understanding (or at least witnessing) the metaphysical POWER OF THE ICEE (SLURPEE).

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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 #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.

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.