Arnold Schwarzenegger - Quote

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Self-Disciplined People Are Happier (and Not as Deprived as You Think)

A great article that hits home for me personally........

Self-Disciplined People Are Happier (and Not as Deprived as You Think)

By Maia Szalavitz     June 24, 20130

 

http://healthland.time.com/2013/06/24/self-disciplined-people-are-happier-and-not-as-deprived-as-you-think/?iid=tl-main-mostpop2

 

Stay tuned.......

Wayne Gretzky - Quote

"Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy." - Wayne Gretzky

Back Exercises - Variations

As I have written in previous post, our back is KEY to sooo much of our lifting and daily life.  Back muscles are best built from heavy deadlifts, chin-ups, and rows.  Everyone can stall out quickly without the right challenging variations.  Below are 2 back exercises that will add variety to your back routine and bust you out of any stalls.

Supported Meadows Rows -  Put a barbell in a corner secured from moving (lifting rack or corner of a room), and perpendicular to a bench and row.  Grip is pronated vs. the dumbbell row of neutral grip.  Start with one arm, leave the bar right where it is and just turn around on the same side of the bench and do the other arm.  I always use straps and go heavy.  If you do not use straps you will be limited to your grip. 

Wide Grip Inverted Rows - Inverted rows are excellent way to really concentrate on the back.  Add an additional challenge by performing them with hands set wider than normal and your elbows flared out instead of tucking them in (like you would do on normal inverted rows).   

Stay tuned...............

Serena Williams - Quote

"Everyone's dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard." - Serena Williams

Summer Diet Mistake - Smoothies

Many people pick smoothies to cool off and refresh in the summer.    Sounds healthy – right?    Places add in fresh fruit, yogurt and protein powder.   All sounds healthy and “diet friendly”.     NOT EXACTLY -----    It is full of fruit and fruit juices that are loaded with sugar.       I am not suggesting you ban them.  Smoothies can be “healthy” if you make them yourself and use less sugar-based juices and replace the sugar with sugar substitutes if it needs extra sweetening.  Just be extra cautious with the ingredients you are putting in your smoothie and conscious of the sugar and calories involved.  

Stay tuned…………..  

EAT After a Workout !!

A big mistake that many people make is not eating after a workout. They worry that they will “eat back” what they just burned off.   

That is just FALSE.    

Working out puts stress on the body and you need to have the right nutrients to heal and repair.    The breaking down and healing and repair are the keys to muscle growth and fat loss.  It is NOT just the training.  But more importantly it is the mending process/rebuilding process that builds muscle and boosts your metabolism.   Otherwise stated, it makes you more toned!!   Having said that, do not think a hard workout is a free pass to pig out.    See my previous posts on “Muscle Growth After Gym” and  “Pre and Post - Workout Nutrition”

Stay tuned……….