Workout of the Week

David Goggins: Fitness Inspiration

Bad knees and all, I think it might be time to go for a little run! I will wrap up my week with you guys, but first take a look at a winner:

David Goggins went from 290 pounds and out of shape to one of the fittest athletes around.   He’s truly an inspiration. On his website it says, “I’m nobody special.  Let’s be perfectly clear…I don’t like to run. I don’t like to swim. I don’t like to bike. I do this to raise money for the children of soldiers killed in combat.”  He’s a NAVY Seal who runs ultra marathons and he is an inspiration.  Don’t you agree? Visit his website www.davidgoggins.com for more info on how you can help the children he is running for.

The Health Benefits of using a Trampoline

As fun as trampolines are to use, people are often unaware of the health benefits they provide. Studies by NASA scientists show that rebounding (bouncing on a trampoline) is 68% more effective than jogging, and yet requires a lot less effort, also using a trampoline on a regular basis can help aid weight loss, increase your metabolism and strengthen your muscles.

I have listed the major health benefits that can be achieved on a mini trampoline (or if you have the space in your yard, a round trampoline):

Coordination – The great thing about using a trampoline is that it improves your coordination, for example if you were to perform star jumps on a trampoline you would need to coordinate your arms and legs to move at the same time, the same distance apart. Performing various workouts on a trampoline will definitely improve your hand eye coordination. In fact one of the best workouts is bouncing on a mini trampoline and having someone throw a medicine ball to you, once you catch it you throw it back to them, try and get to 100 throws before swapping with your partner. This exercise will help your coordination whilst at the same time burn a lot of calories.

Balance – Because you are bouncing on “unstable ground” so to speak, you will have to use balance to ensure you stay upright. This is great because balancing yourself helps strengthen the weaker muscles of your legs and core, if you struggle with balance try bouncing in the same spot and try to keep in that spot for as long as possible, over time your balance will improve.

Bilateral Motor Skills – The action of bouncing on a trampoline whilst coordinating movements uses both your body and your brain simultaneously, compared to some ground sports where only one side is favoured (such as running or soccer). To help increase your bilateral motor skills try jumping jacks on an outdoor trampoline, I say outdoor trampoline because you need a big surface area which mini trampolines don’t really provide.

Low Impact – You may think that the bouncing movement is high impact, but actually bouncing on a trampoline is actually very low impact. The low impact comes from the longer acceleration and deceleration and because the mat & springs absorb most of the joint impact. This makes using a trampoline much better on your joints compared to jogging or running.

Improved Lymphatic System – The short periods of weightlessness between higher than average G forces that occur whilst bouncing on a trampoline will help the body get rid of toxins. Flushing these toxins from your body will help your overall wellbeing.

Increased Bone Density – The bouncing movement puts bones under small amounts of stress sufficient to help build them up to cope with that stress. Over time this will improve your bone density which can seriously help reduce fractures and even osteoporosis.

Hopefully the above has helped you understand the health benefits of using a trampoline and if you’re looking for an extra piece of equipment to help you lose weight and tone your body at the same time, consider purchasing a trampoline for your home.

Day 3: Is it Diaper duty or Diaper Doodie?

Day 2 I ate well and didn’t fail!

I woke up late hhaving diaper duty at 3am hurts….arrrrghhh!

25 Mins treadmill / 6.0 incline / 3.5 speed / weight 229

The sad thing is the euphoria doesn’t kick in until ~20 minutes, that natural high, the point where you fell like you can go another 20 minutes. Whatever the case is I’m just building my cadence and habits (takes me about 2 weeks). I got to get in shape so I can start working out…to get in shape.

2 sets of incline pushups / 2 sets of dips

Glutamine/ Vit C/ BCAA / Multi

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Tea

Water, Water, Water, Water ….

Meal 2: Mix 1 mango flavor shake (29gms of carbs …ouch!)

DAY 1: Baby or Not, Here I Come!

30Mins treadmill / 6.0 incline / 3.5 speed / weight 229

2 sets of Dips / 2 sets of pullups

Glutamine/ Vit C/ BCAA / Multi

Breakfast: Egg whites and veggie patty

Tea

Water, Water, Water, Water ….

Meal 2: Protein shake w/ scoop of peanut butter

“Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present”  waking up up is hard: it’s cold, baby wakes up 2-3 times a night and my bed fells so good.

Why did I wake up 530am?

Body is soft

Waist line is getting big

Nephew beat me in a game of basketball (this will not happen again)

Life is too short to worry about the past and the future, because what will happen is you will not be in the present.  The present is where those little wonderful moments happen, that can give you peace.  Those moments give you a purpose, one that you could not have even imagined, and if you were too busy worrying, it would float right by you.  Living is taking it one day at a time, finding courage, accepting hardships as pathways to peace, and smiling when you can through the joy of others.  But you cannot accomplish any of this until you get honest with yourself…. and begin living!!! Become the person you ought to be!

The Ultimate Workout Partner Part Deux

Don’t exercise with the opposite sex- This would be directed more towards someone in a relationship. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen “gym relationships” turn into more than that. Wisdom says be careful if you decide not to follow this friendly advice.” -unknown

Ok… let’s think about what it takes to be a good workout partner…reliable, trustworthy, knowledge, and fitness age. This is all good and can be found in many female/male workout partners. I personally have found female partners in the gym to workout with the same intensity as I do.  Honestly, pound for pound they might be doing the same workout as me. Eventually my ego kicks in so I end up lifting more by the end of the day.

Our bodies are inherently different, and it’s a special kind of cross training to let your partner broaden your routine into something traditionally used by the opposite sex. I’ve tried yoga and pilates because of a female workout partner. I’ve also done weird things with big bouncing balls…don’t ask me what they are….lol. This is a different topic but Rusty at BlackBookFitness begs the question “Should Women Do the Same Type of Workouts as Men?

Let’s get dirty and talk about the intimacy of working out with the opposite sex.

Let’s start with spotting. Think squats… need I say more? Seriously to allow someone to touch you, hold you or grab you requires a lot of trust. This exchange of trust between members of the opposite sex is huge.

Now let’s move over to sweating. Pheromones are natural scents, which play an important role in sexual communication. Consciously we don’t attract to sweaty workout partners but what if subconsciously we do? It has been documented that male sweat can boost a females hormone levels. More so we can get real comfortable with each other in our own skin when we sweat especially around each other.

Another aspect of working out with the opposite sex is the grunting and stretching. Yes, I know this sounds weird but every possible sound and movement you can imagine the opposite sex in,  happens during an intense workout. This might be a one sided view but watching an intense push and a shear desire to be better in itself is a turn on. Physicality aside motivation and drive are attractive traits, During one of my recent workouts I remember this one female say ” Interesting…I’ve never heard that sound come out of you before.”

Development- Typically, no matter what a woman’s size or shape is there are certain parts that are beautiful like shoulders, the lower back, arms and so forth.  It’s not until you’re in an intimate situation, working out, with the opposite sex that you notice the beautiful parts about them. Again these parts are enhanced over time while working out…it only gets bigger and better. Then you start imaging the possiblities….

Finally, the idea that you can substitute sex for a good workout. Your’re in top shape and your workout partner is in top shape, so the only thing left is to test each others strength, flexibilty and stamina. A solid base, strong core, more power, double the stamina = wilder positions. Trust me,  I used to date a track athlete …it is different.

LL Cool J's New Year Platinum Workout Plan

Approaching his 39th birthday, James Todd Smith, of course more famously known as LL Cool J, has every right to slow down, rest on his laurels, count his money and perhaps even call it quits. After all, contrary to the fact that many hip-hop artists have fairly short careers, LL has spent over two decades in the limelight, including two Grammy Awards, 11 platinum CDs, a hit TV show and more than 20 feature films. But instead of winding down, he just cut a new CD’s worth of tracks with 50 Cent as producer and he’s developing a CBS pilot with the creator of CSI. Also, reinforcing his status as one of Hollywood’s very fittest, he’s just come out with the book LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout, collaborating with Scooter Honig, his personal trainer of nearly 5 years.

“Working out is a huge investment in yourself, and it builds equity in your body,” says LL. “It helps in all your decisions. It helps you negotiate. It clears your mind. It gives you strength to overcome obstacles. It’s a deep thing, you know?”

His workout plan was born of necessity during concert tours. LL and Honig would hop off the bus in the middle of a desert for miles of roadwork, or scramble over the fence of a high-school football field to do wind sprints followed by pullups on a goalpost. Their superefficient, use-what-you-have approach, where not one single second is wasted, comes in handy during a time crunch, either LL’s or yours.

One of the reasons LL Cool J looks the way he does is that his trainer, Scooter Honig, combines old-school exercises like bench presses and curls with “cardio blasts” designed to produce maximum results in minimum time. LL’s book blends this unique “combination-platter” approach with free-weight bodybuilding, plyometrics, fighters’ moves, calisthenics and endurance training, all designed to build muscles while burning fat. The beauty is that the added muscle and staggered cardio can make you a fat-burning machine, even while sleeping. The net result? One day you might wake up looking like an LL Cool J version of yourself!

Below are excerpted examples of three of his explosive routines, both the workout schedule and explanations of the key moves.

LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout (Chest, Bicep and Cardio Circuit Excerpts)
 
Do this circuit plan once a week for a month, replacing your normal chest and biceps sessions. Try upping your poundage and cardio intensity a bit week to week. At the end of the month, go back to your normal training for chest and biceps and use circuits for another part of your body.

Before the workout, warm up for 5 to 10 minutes using a treadmill, a stationary bike, or some other cardio apparatus. Jumping jacks or running in place will also do the trick.
 
Lastly, when doing a circuit, don’t rest between exercises until you finish the last move. Rest for 1 1/2 minutes before doing the same circuit again. Perform both chest/cardio circuits two times each, and do the biceps/cardio circuit three times. Rest 1 1/2 minutes before moving on to the next circuit.
 
The Circuits

Chest/Cardio Circuit #1
(Perform two sets of each exercise, 10 – 12 reps each set)
Barbell Bench Press
Explosive Pushup
Jump Rope (1 minute at 70% of max heart rate)

Chest/Cardio Circuit #2
(Perform two sets of each exercise, 10 – 12 reps each set)
Barbell Bench Press
Cable Crossover
Treadmill Run (1 minute, 3% incline, at 70% of maximum heart rate)
Hanging Running Man

Bicep/Cardio Circuit
(Perform three sets of each exercise)
Standing Barbell Curl (4 –6 reps)
Preacher Curl (12 – 15 reps)
Mountain Climber (1 minute at 90% of maximum heart rate)

Extra Body Blasting Tip: Hold the fifth or sixth rep of each exercise in the most difficult position for 5 seconds before continuing

source:www.blackdoctor.org

VIDEO: HOT MESS FITNESS

Someone sent this to me about 3 months ago I was very hesitant about posting it. There is some sensitive material here so volume down in front of the youngins. What do you think? Over the top or effective? Some people need hands held & some people need to be barked at!

He calls them out of their names and makes fun of them in hope that they will make changes and lose the weight… He even goes as far as to hit them with a bat…. Yes a BAT and its all real … What type of person wants to work out with a man that calls them out of their name and beats them. I thought people work out to feel better about yourself… This is what King James Has To Say About His Class:

The only all female total body workout program that has a proven 100% success rate. Clients have lost 20-30-40-50 over 70 pounds!!! Because of the unique and unusual workouts created by “Sir James”, unheard of weight loss has been achieved in an incredibly short period of time.  It is all about you “Ms. Thick Gurl” and you “Beginners”, your bringing “Sexy Back”!!

World AIDS Day: AIDS Myths and Facts

Since those bleak days of the AID/HIV pandemic, there’s been real progress against the disease with a higher percentage of people infected by the HIV virus receiving life-extending treatment. UNAIDS recently reported that new HIV infections fell 17 percent over the past eight years. UNAIDS provides an informative interactive map with global data on the pandemic.

With the numbers disproportionately higher with the African American race I thought it would be important to know the top 10 Myths about AIDS and HIV.

Shortly after HIV/AIDS hit the scene, rumors about it flew throughout the world. “You can get it by kissing.” “You can get it by holding hands.” “It is airborne.” Throughout the years, most of the HIV myths have been dispelled, but it seems as though there are still a few rumors afloat. See if you can sort the truth from the most common myths about HIV.

True or False?

1. If you test positive for HIV, you will inevitably die from AIDS.

FALSE. In the early years, an HIV diagnosis often meant the infected person would develop AIDS and die from complications of the disease within a matter of years, but this is no longer true. Medications, combined with lifestyle changes and complementary therapies that support the body’s ability to keep the virus in check, can keep an HIV-infected person from developing AIDS or the fatal complications associated with it for many years, or even a lifetime.

2. You can catch HIV from a toilet seat.

FALSE. The HIV virus cannot be transmitted by casual contact, from a toilet seat, a doorknob, a fork, or a handshake, for that matter. The only known HIV transmission methods include unprotected sex, intravenous drug use, exposure to blood or bodily fluids from an infected person, from mother to child in pregnancy, and through blood transfusions if the blood came from an HIV infected person. (Transmission of the virus did happen through blood transfusions or blood products in the 1980s before HIV testing became routine for all donated blood, but is highly unlikely to happen in a modern medical facility.)

3. There is no cure for HIV.

TRUE. There are medications available to suppress the virus in infected individuals and to lower their viral load. Such treatments can prolong or prevent the development of AIDS for years or even a lifetime. However, researchers have not found a cure for HIV that would eliminate the virus from an infected person’s body entirely.

4. People have been infected with HIV from taking the HIV test itself.

FALSE. Some claim that the HIV test itself can give you the virus. But unless a clinic reuses a needle that was previously used on someone with HIV (a highly unlikely scenario that has never been reported), there is no way that testing for HIV could cause the infection.

5. You can spread or get HIV through oral sex.

TRUE. One myth HIV experts often hear is that HIV can’t be spread or contracted through oral sex. This is not true. If the person performing oral sex has a cut or abrasion in their mouth and comes in contact with HIV-infected bodily fluids, they can become infected with the virus just as they could having unprotected vaginal or anal sex. Using a dental dam or condom during oral sex greatly diminishes this risk.

6. If both you and your partner have HIV, it’s safe to have unprotected sex with one another.

FALSE. If you and your partner both test positive for the HIV virus, that doesn’t mean you can ignore the diagnosis or live life just as you did before your diagnosis. To best decrease your odds of developing AIDS, you should both work closely with a medical professional to manage the illness. You also both need to take whatever precautions you can to prevent exposing others to the HIV virus. This includes not having unprotected sex or sharing needles with anyone, taking proper precautions to contain and warn others about exposure to your bodily fluids (such as when you’re bleeding), and following any other advice from your HIV care team. Nobody with HIV can afford to ignore his or her diagnosis for their own sake, or for the sake of others who could be exposed to the virus.

7. Mosquitoes can spread HIV.

FALSE. While mosquitoes can spread a number of illnesses such as West Nile Virus or malaria, there are no known cases of HIV transmission through mosquito bites. If mosquitoes could transmit the HIV virus, there would be many more cases among young children, adolescents and other people who would otherwise be at low risk for HIV exposure.

8. You could have HIV and not know it.

TRUE. People who are infected with HIV don’t necessarily “feel” sick; it’s possible to have the HIV virus for some time before developing any symptoms. HIV testing is the only way to determine whether someone has HIV or not.

9. If you’re taking medication for HIV, you can’t spread the virus.

FALSE. Even while taking medication, a person with HIV can still infect others if they have unprotected sex, share needles, or expose others to their blood or other bodily fluids.

10. HIV and AIDS may not be caused by the same virus.

FALSE. Some claim HIV and AIDS are not caused by the same virus. This is not true. Without treatment, the HIV virus will probably progress to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is essentially a collapse of the immune system. However, with HIV treatment, most people living with the virus are able to prolong or prevent the development of AIDS.

source: www.blackdoctor.org