Monday, October 31, 2016
Sunday, October 30, 2016
BLOG 84 HABITS
BLOG 84 HABITS
Oh those good old habits we all have. Whether good or bad
for us, we lean on these comfortable behaviors to take us through our day. Can
you name a few of your own?? Habits impact our fitness journeys when it comes
to incorporating healthy changes and getting rid of poor choices. So let’s take
a look at the scope of these habits and why it’s our human nature to lean on
them.
And now of course we all want to know the secret to how we
break these habits. Many folks make that New Year’s resolution or Monday
morning promise to themselves that they swear they’re going to let go of
something. So here might be some help for you that I found, “Breaking bad
habits — or what James Claiborn, a psychologist and co-author of The Habit Change Workbook: How To Break Bad
Habits and Form Good Ones, describes as learned, almost automatic
thoughts or behaviors that have become somehow problematic in our lives — is
tough. Really tough. Here are five surprising
strategies to help you succeed” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/break-bad-habits_n_6438748.html):
1.
Become hyper aware of your habit
2.
Stop focusing on what you’re not going to do
3.
Be your own opposing counsel
4.
Think doom and gloom
5.
Focus a big chuck of your efforts on your
environment
To start, don’t ignore the habit. Rather, “So break out the
notebook and really spend some time sitting with your bad habit — when you do
it and why you do it and how it makes you feel.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/break-bad-habits_n_6438748.html).
Not that we like to think about what we are trying to forget, but when we
perform these habits half the time we are unconsciously doing them. Set
positive goals and stop saying, “I’m not going to eat ice cream”. Rather, focus
on the new positive behavior. You have been the one giving yourself permission
to have this habit so now think about why you do this and what you tell
yourself moments before that allow you to make this choice. Then talk yourself
down from it. You have to think of all the negative of the behavior and maybe
even the worst case scenario if you keep doing it to break the cycle. Don’t
think about the positive of it haha. And of course if you don’t want to have
ice cream every night, then don’t buy it. Make your environment the best set up
for success. Take control of your surroundings.
There are many tricks I’m sure to talk ourselves out of habits.
If we can talk ourselves into something, then we are all capable of talking
ourselves out of it too. The mind is powerful but let’s use it to our benefit
on our fitness journeys. You are worth every positive behavior so out with the
old and in with the new. That happens one choice at a time, one rep a time, one
bad habit gone at a time.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Friday, October 28, 2016
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
Sunday, October 23, 2016
BLOG 83 ELECTROLYTES
BLOG 83 ELECTROLYTES
Performing our best and feeling our best are important
components on our fitness journeys. Internally, we have many bodily functions
working as a unit to help us achieve this. Electrolytes are a type of mineral
in our bodies found in our blood and fluids which actually carry an electrical
charge. So what are these minerals’ purpose and why does Gatorade advertise
them as part of its ingredients?? Let’s check out electrolytes….
So here’s the gist of what electrolytes are (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002350.htm):
Electrolytes affect how your body
functions in many ways, including:
- The amount of water in your body
- The acidity of your blood (pH)
- Your muscle function
- Other important processes
When we sweat we lose electrolytes and that’s why a sports
drink company like Gatorade, promotes replenishing this loss with their drink.
To replace lost electrolytes we need to have:
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
Fruits and vegetables are good sources of electrolytes. Most
commonly though we think of electrolytes as sodium, which is found in many soft
drinks. I used to drink Power-Aid Zero every day.
If our body has an electrolyte imbalance, we might
experience muscle cramps and fatigue. As such, “The level of an electrolyte in
the blood can become too high or too low. Body electrolyte levels tend to alter
when water levels in the body change - when our level of hydration goes up or
down. Electrolyte
levels are kept constant by our kidneys and several hormones. When we exercise we sweat and lose
electrolytes, mainly sodium and potassium. To maintain constant electrolyte
concentrations in our body fluids, these electrolytes must be replaced. Fresh
fruits and vegetables are good sources of sodium and potassium and replace lost
electrolytes. Excess electrolyte levels in our blood are filtered out by our
kidneys” (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153188.php). Most people will tell you eat a bananas
if you have cramps for the potassium.
The elderly
and intensely training athletes are the most susceptible to these imbalances (https://draxe.com/electrolyte-imbalance/):
- Being sick with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, sweating or high fevers that can all produce fluid loss or dehydration
- A poor diet that’s low in essential nutrients from whole foods
- Trouble absorbing nutrients from food (malabsorption) due to intestinal or digestive issues
- Hormonal imbalances and endocrine disorders
- Taking certain medications including those for treating cancer, heart disease or hormonal disorders
- Taking antibiotics, over-the-counter diuretics or medications, or corticosteroid hormones
- Kidney disease or damage (since the kidneys play a critical role in regulating chloride in your blood and “flushing out” potassium, magnesium and sodium)
- Chemotherapy treatments, which can cause side effects of low blood calcium or calcium deficiency, changes in blood potassium levels, and other electrolyte deficiencies
Besides Gatorade
or sports drinks, Pedialyte, coconut, chia seeds, and kale are replenishment
options. We don’t often experience this, but if you are feeling a little less
energy then normal, maybe you do have an electrolyte imbalance. So go have some
kale!!!! Take care of your body inside and out and stop problems before they
start. When we eat clean and hydrate properly, the rest speaks for itself. Sweat
is good, but we have to replenish. Our fitness journeys are meant to last!!!!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Friday, October 21, 2016
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Monday, October 17, 2016
Sunday, October 16, 2016
BLOG 82 ROBBY ROBINSON
BLOG 82 ROBBY ROBINSON
From a random Amazon Prime search for books I’d be
interested in, I stumbled upon Robby Robinson. I’m finished reading his memoir,
The Black Prince, and immediately
felt inspired and motivated for more. This bodybuilder’s unique story is one I
had to share and his path to success in the fitness world was not the average
route. As one of the world’s first African American bodybuilders, his rise to
fame was both a fight and a choice to perform regardless of the stakes.
Robinson was born in 1946 in the south. His fitness journey
began with seeing the great, Jack La Lanne on T.V. as a teenager. His body
immediately responded to the activity and he quickly noticed when looking in
the mirror that muscles suited him well. He had the genes and body type for
sure. He was drafted to the service and further learned the required discipline
and tenacity needed to be a competitive bodybuilder. He came from very little
and had very little equipment to use for training. It was his friendships with
the right people that allowed him to enter gyms like Florida State and use
their facility. One his friends introduced him to, Muscle Magazine, and it was then that Robby saw what he wanted to
become so badly.
So of course he had to move to Venice Beach in order to
train and compete with the best. He surrounded himself with the men of Muscle
Beach and Gold’s Gym. His days in the south of black and white certainly
changed in California. However, the world hadn’t seen a black bodybuilder of
his caliber. While in Venice, he even
had a part in the movie, Pumping Iron.
His legacy speaks for itself. He earned the nickname, “The
Black Prince”. In summary, “He competed
professionally for twenty-seven years, winning titles including the IFBB Mr. America, Mr. World and Mr. Universe.
However, he has always stood apart from the bodybuilding community, having
spoken out for decades about the corruption of the business and later about the
dangers of steroid abuse. That defiance earned him another moniker: the Bad Boy of Bodybuilding” (http://www.mrofansite.com/robinson.html). His career
took him all over the world. In 1994, “He became the first IFBB Masters Mr. Olympia Champion over
the Hulk, Lou Ferrigno. He went on to capture the over-50 title every year
until he retired from professional competition in 2001 at the age of fifty-four” (http://www.mrofansite.com/robinson.html).
When Robinson trained, he
wanted to feel the muscle change with each repetition. His workouts were
learned by watching others, but perfected by his work ethic. No one could deny
his merciless quest to be the best. Having said that, “His philosophy is that
the body is a gift which can be molded into a beautiful piece of art if fed and
trained properly. He calls his weights ‘the paintbrushes’ which have helped him
achieve a body so chiseled it resembles a sculpture” (http://www.mrofansite.com/robinson.html). So today,
when I was lifting, I slowed down just a tad to tune into the muscle change and
really feel it. I admire Robinson’s mission to be the best and can only imagine
on that level of competition what his body must endure.
His book, The Black Prince, is available on my
shelf to borrow. The books I stumble upon that I enjoy the most always seem to
be by luck. The aches and pains and gains of being a bodybuilder are all worth
it once on the stage. The daily grind seems ruthless; the nutrition a nagging
factor, and the exhaustion does set in. But I wouldn’t take a second of it
back, and I’m sure Robby wouldn’t either. That’s why he still workouts out
every day and even trains others to this day.
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