Archive for August 2009

Rutina Wesley: Fitness and True Blood

Rutina Wesley: Fitness and True Blood

I was going to blog about Michelle Obama‘s arms…or should I say legs but I want to find the only black girl on HBO‘s True Blood. I’ve never really watched the show but I saw a glimpse of her and those arms.

The daughter of a Vegas showgirl and a professional tap dancer, Rutina Wesley practically grew up in dance shoes. These days, even though she’s busy taping HBO’s True Blood, she still keeps up with her first passion. “Dancing is a release for me,” she says. “It’s an expression of what my body can do.” Rutina took a break from her busy schedule to share the strategies that keep her fit and relaxed.

* FIND YOUR RHYTHM “I’d always enjoyed classic forms of dancing, like ballet and tap, but when I was in my teens, I started taking hip-hop classes and fell in love with them. Hip-hop gives you the freedom to create your own routine. You get into the music and before you know it, you’ve gotten a great workout.”

* FEAST ON HEALTHY FARE “I used to eat huge dinners, like chicken and gravy with macaroni and cheese. Then I started noticing how bad they made me feel. So I began eating more salads, making lunch my biggest meal, and snacking before working out. I still order fries every now and then, but they’re never worth the feeling I get afterward.”

* SWING AWAY STRESS “My husband and I recently started going to the batting cages together. I’m a pretty competitive person and can’t stand it when I miss. He reminds me to stay calm and try again. When I do hit the ball, all my frustration vanishes.

source: Shape, July, 2009 by Claire Connors

She's Pretty For A Dark-Skinned Girl....

I was going to write about the Mediterranean diet and update my MAX OT, workout until I saw an article . Remember that bum Lawrence Phillips?..well…

Then I thought about writing about self esteem and self image then…well here is a article from Russel Simmon’s Global Grind. Check it out

Please also check out Abagond’s article on Black Beauty.

Hey Global Grind Readers. I hope you enjoy this piece that I wrote surrounding Black on Black hate in our community. This piece took me over a month to write because I didn’t want to offend anyone that I’m sure two to four edits ago I probably would have. I’m a huge fan of our First Lady, Alek Wek, Oprah Winfrey and others that I didn’t mention, they are all beautiful strong black women. I realize that this topic is an issue in many other cultures, but I chose to speak on my own personal experience. Please note that the purpose of writing a blog piece is that it’s personal to the writer. This is merely MY perspective on things. It is not meant to be a lesson in history, I never professed to be a literary genius. However, I did okay in my Psych and English classes    I apologize in advance for those who don’t agree.  Love rules.

P.S.  I am so blessed to have the ability to articulate these words because due to my experience in Brazil it was thought and also a huge probability that I would not be able to. God is good.

I am a dark-skinned African American woman with features that reflect my ancestry. Debates regarding Light vs. Dark and other biases have plagued our race for years and continues to impact millions of Black women. The deeply rooted intra-racial contempt that lies beneath this inane “compliment” is the reason I’ve chosen to spark dialogue surrounding the topic of self-hatred in our culture. It saturates every aspect of our lives, dominating the perspectives of our generation as a whole. We culturally are so influential, at times inadvertently, that we affect all with the words we utter and the images we portray. It lends to the theory of systemic racism. I’m authoring this piece because I’m miffed by this reality and would like to share my views on these subjects.

It is a fact that many African-Americans are often mixed with an array of other ethnicities (as am I), which allows for the spectrum of our features to be as distinctive and special as we are diverse. Why is it felt that the more diluted our traditionally African features become the more aesthetically acceptable we are considered? It was said in the 1960s and the sentiment seems to be forgotten, “Black is Beautiful.” Wow, nearly 50 years later and is that now only meant for a specific shade? Nonetheless, I believe the beauty of our people and splendor of every individual is reflected in our varying features and hues.

Often dark-skinned women are considered mean, domineering and standoffish and it was these very labels that followed Michelle Obama during the campaign for her husband’s presidency and which she has had to work tirelessly to combat. I was appalled when I heard a Black woman refer to Michelle Obama as unattractive. The conversation turned into why President Obama picked her as his mate. No one in the witch-hunt made reference to the possibility that Michelle Obama was smart, funny, caring, a good person, highly accomplished or brilliant. Nor did they mention that she previously was President Obama’s supervisor. If she were fair skinned, petite with long straight or wavy hair, would the same opinions be linked to her? I seriously doubt it. It is believed that for the dark skinned, dreams are less obtainable.

In fact, I have read similar comments about myself that I am “dark, aggressive, bossy and bitchy.” It has been stated that my husband should have been with a “younger, more beautiful” woman. Astoundingly, the majority of the remarks come from African-American women and are mimicked by others. Sadly enough, I don’t know nor have I met 99% of those making these assertions. Funny, how we can judge another without having personally seen, interacted with or experienced a person’s character.

As I began to delve into further research on this topic, and the more I read, I concluded that many of our people do not like what they see in the mirror. Seeing ones own reflection in another person and then to dissect it in an effort to destroy can only be the product of self-loathing. Why don’t we congratulate as opposed to hate?

There is an adage “hurt people, hurt people”. If this is true then we must examine the root of negative words and judgments that are passed on people. Unfortunately, we have internal stereotypes based off of skin color and facial features that stem from years of programming, dating back to the “Willie Lynch” method for creating a slave. In this infamous formula, one of the main factors in separating and creating division was placing the lighter skinned blacks in a higher position in the house, while those with darker skin were made to stay in the fields and deemed “less desirable”. Much like the Caste System in India. No matter what strides we make as a people, these issues continue to plague and rot our souls, causing significant decay to a portion of our population and truly hindering our progress. Perhaps we show progress in our wallets and lifestyles but not in our mind set.

Reading magazines, social media sites, watching our music videos, and television shows feed our appetites for all things ‘beauty”. Rarely, however do I see depictions of grace and elegance in the form of dark complexioned women. I Googled one of the more ethnic models, Alek Wek and I was saddened by the tone of what the bloggers wrote in reference to her complexion, features and hair texture. Ms. Wek’s escape from Sudan, her journey, philanthropy, and groundbreaking success as a supermodel in America is not only beautiful, but it displays her tenacity and character. African-Americans seemed to have lost their eye for character. These comments are evidence of the confusion that lies within many black people. It’s the cruelty and prejudice that has spilled into the fabric of our everyday lives. It makes me wonder what have we collectively lost as a people? Our Minds.

I too have fallen prey, while on vacation in Brazil I decided to undergo tummy lipo-surgery. After having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia, I went into cardiac arrest before the procedure ever began. I nearly lost my life over something as superficial as having a flatter mid-section and trying to adapt to society’s traditional definition of beauty. As I nursed my psychological wounds, I began to realize that trying to live up to the prototypes of external beauty paled in comparison to the fact that I have undergone labor, subsequently being blessed to raise five handsome, smart, healthy, intuitive, and happy children. I emerged from my ordeal realizing that my body is an amazing vessel that has given birth to life and that being healthy is what’s important and nothing more.

It is my hope that our First Lady and others who share in this effort will continue to be the beacon to shine a light for those who toil on America’s beauty totem pole. Now don’t get me wrong or take my words out of context. I truly believe that everyone has a right to delineate what they deem is attractive, but we must not confuse perceived “attractiveness” with authentic “beauty.” It is important for African Americans, especially, to realize that true beauty is a spiritual element that lies deep within an individual’s spirit. It can neither be seen nor is it tangible. People tend to forget that beauty is not about looks and looks is not about beauty.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the great poet Khalil Gibran who once wrote, “Beauty is not the face; beauty is a light in the heart.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tameka-foster-raymond/shes-pretty-for-a-dark-sk_b_256784.html

source:www.globalgrind.com

Best Fitness Blog / One Year Anniversary

Black Fitness Blog celebrates one year since the launch of the blog. The day before yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of the launch of this blog. I totally forgot about it, probably because it hasn’t felt as a whole year. Anyway, I have to par myself on the back for hanging in there for so long. I  know many have enjoyed it, but it has been 12 months of joy for me (and headache but you have to enjoy the journey). Hopefully I can continue writing on regular basis in the future.

I was thinking about writing and my buddy Craig from thesnapclap called , it was like the stars were lining up. It seemed new and fresh at the time , and with the comments, articles and etc it still does.

So there you have it! I can’t say what the year ahead will look like (maybe a new design/layout). I believe there’s room for a lot of change on my blog. We’ll see! I hope you will continue to send me your ideas, your feedback, your comments, your help, and your encouragement, and we’ll navigate the road ahead together. At least for now.

Some memorable moments from the past year:

-1000 hits in one day (sadly it was a negative story)

-10,000 visits in a 30 day period (increasing traffic)

-a lot of freebies and friends

-being on sports illustrated

-checking out my first bodybuilding show

-google “best fitness blog 2009″ and “black fitness”

Anybody who wants to celebrate BlackFitnessBlog may do so by having some cake and cookies (which you buy yourself), and I will try to provide some good atmosphere by continuing blogging.

George Sodini Website: Video LA Fitness killer

GeorgeSodini.com is George Sodini’s online diary website preparing for LA Fitness Shooting. GeorgeSodini.com’s online diary lists George Sodini’s preparation thoughts in advance of Tuesday’s horrific

The sad thing is this is a good looking guy who probably had no self esteem ..where did he get the courage to kill others, then himself?

No girl, sex or serious relation ship for 15+ years. He tracked his pathetic rejections and marked his day of death Aug. 4,2009

http://georgesodini.com/

LA Fitness Shooting: PA Gym Massacre

sad-face

An LA Fitness shooting in Bridgeville, Pa.— southwest of Pittsburgh – has left fivedead. The Bridgeville, Pa LA Fitness shooting prompted Pittsburgh press to report three dead, 12 wounded, then increasing that number to reportedly five dead moments later.

shooting

The man entered the LA Fitness with a gym bag and began opening fire. The time of the attack – 8:15 pm tonight. The location is inside a mall at the Collier Township.

The county police tell press tonight that gunman (at that point) had killed three women, and the rest of the victims were also women. The sole male dead was the gunman. Police say he didn’t say anything but walked into an aerobics room and started shooting. There were possibly 30 to 40 women in the room when the man entered, he turned off the lights, and started shooting from a short barrel rifle. The class was Latin Impact taught every Tuesday night.

UPDATE #1 – UPMC Mercy Hospital says five of the women are in critical condition, two are in fair condition. The conditions of the remaining injured women are still unknown. The shooter is described as a middle age, white male.

UPDATE #2 –

LA Fitness has issued the following statement to press tonight:

“Each of us in the LA Fitness family are shocked and saddened by the senseless acts of violence that took place at

Bridgeville Club in Pittsburgh this evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and friends. We are working with local law enforcement as they conduct their investigation.”

KANYE WEST - WORKOUT PLAN

LenDale White's secret to weight loss? No tequila

LenDale White went through a serious weight loss training program this past offseason. At least that’s what everyone thought when he showed up for training camp 30 pounds lighter than previous years.

Even though “one reason or another” was the suggested (albeit ambiguous) cause, it was just presumed that White was busting his tail to get in shape with exercise and a proper diet. Turns out, he just quit drinking booze. Seriously.

“I really got to be honest,” White said. “It wasn’t a lot of major diet changes. (It was) watching what I drink. I was a big Patron consumer. … That’s what it was. I was drinking a lot, drank a lot of alcohol. I cut that out of my diet all the way. I don’t drink at all. I cut the drinking, I stopped drinking for six months.

“It started falling off.”

“Your parents always say you’re going to learn. You’re going to say it takes a while. It took me three and a half years, but I think I caught it right on time,” White said.

Initially, when White’s weight loss was reported, it seemed reasonable to suggest that he might be less

So this news changes everything — plenty of healthy people consume alcohol and there’s no reason to think you can’t drink and still be successful. But if you drink a lot and are out of shape as a result and then you put the cap back on for a few months, you’re suddenly going to find yourself with a lot more energy, a lot more stamina and in much better shape (trust me on this one — it’s true).

As a result, it seems perfectly reasonable to now think that White could be in line for a monster season and to actually project that the Titans‘ running game will somehow be even better in 2009. Which is a relatively terrifying idea for opposing defenses. successful this season without the extra poundage. After all, Chris Johnson was Tennessee’s most productive running back overall, whereas White was the goal-line specialist and the perfect “pound it up the gut” compliment.

source:http://nfl.fanhouse.com

Reality Can Punch a MoFo right in the Mouth!

So, as I’ve said in my previous blogs my diet and workout have been horrible lately…actually straight s&*%! to be frank. I know why and I now have things cleaned up and on the right path. I have had a lot going on personally the past few weeks….so upset/stressed.

NOTE: COMMITMENT TO CONSISTENCY CREATES EMOTIONAL STABILITY

If I’m pissed off or happy, I usually bottle it in, trying to channel some special energy to do positive. If I’m sad, vulnerable or hurt I tend to keep it to myself. I dont like being one of those weak, emotional clowns out there bitchin and complaining all day….so I tend to eat my feelings. My binging has been uncontrollable the past few days but once I realized why I was doing it, I was able to fix it. I got back to bloggin every other night, which helps my clear my head. I finally feel like I’m mentally in a good place…like I’m back to my old self. This makes me accountable and leaves little room to F up.

Its been SUCH a long week so now, I’m looking forward to chillin on the couch with wifey and watching TV! btw…I LOVE the Food Network Next Star….anyway enough babbalin to the gym I go….