Going to a new place is fun: new sights, new food, new people, new smells–the list goes on. However, sometimes it’s hard to get oriented in a new city. You aren’t used to the way the streets run or even what direction they’re going in! Some people can easily figure themselves out in a new city (like Hungry), but others like me need other ways of doing so. For some it helps to drive around. That doesn’t quite do it for me. For me, I run or walk the city.
At work, there’s been a new trend of using standing desks. Our CEO has had a treadmill desk for some time now, and perhaps others have been inspired to improve their health. I jumped on this trend as well–as I don’t love sitting for 7-9 hours. Many studies have been coming out (like this one and this one) about why sitting all day is bad for your health.
Well, I’ll tell you one thing, they won’t do anything if you don’t! Performance enhancing drugs enhance… performance but they don’t magically give people biceps bursting out their sleeves and eight packs. Now, it’s up to you if you want to spend a part of your hard-earned paycheck on some powders with artificial flavors and food dye to make them actually look like “fruit punch.” Obviously, just like any other consumer good, there are better and worse products based on the principles and practices of the companies that create them. Without naming any names, I’ll say that companies that constantly talk about the science behind their products and are more transparent are safer bets. If a company relies on using sex, popular people, flashy labels, and other marketing tricks to sell their sub-par products, save your money. And, if you have any specific questions, feel free to send me an email!
When I train females, I always hear about their fear of getting “bulky.” It’s a real concern of a lot of women and I want to tell them to stop. Lifting weights and getting muscles doesn’t make you bulky–it makes you strong and it gives you definition. For too long, the fear of “getting bulky” has stopped women from lifting weights, leading them to only do cardio. There is nothing more empowering than lifting weights and feeling strong. Here I go with another infographic from ChuzeFitness.
So I want to ask the female audience a question.
*If you do lift, why do you lift?
*If you don’t lift, why don’t you?
And as always, stay hungry and fit!
Gaiam has some awesome personality tests and I love personality tests. The past fun ones have been which element are you and what your 2015 mantra should be. For me…”fire” and “I’ve Got This.” I’d say that is a deadly combo. We love these personality tests because they are fun, but also inspiring! They give you insight into who you are and how you can better fulfill yourself. The newest one came out yesterday called the “Clean Eating Quiz.”
They want to know–and in turn help you to know–how clean or dirty you are. In what respects? you may be asking. Clean EATING of course. That may sound boring, but it’s still a fun little quiz. The choices help you break down to where you really need to clean–what needs to be cleansed and how. In the end, you’ll put your email in, and it’ll suggest way to “clean” yourself up–with a cleanse and some yoga. We could all use a little of both.
So…are you brave enough to take the quiz and see how dirty you really are? Post the results below! And as always, stay hungry and fit!
BONUS PUPPY PIC
On Saturday, April 4th, the LA Times came out with an article called “Head’s up on ‘text neck'” in their awesome Saturday Mind & Body section. I believe this is one of many articles, studies and research journals that are to come in the future. Why are they coming our way? Because of our current lifestyle habits regarding electronics. It’s frightening to think how quickly cell phones, tablets, and such invaded our lives and started messing with our posture and behavior. It’s also frightening how much this behavior can severely damage our bodies–especially our spines.
Talk about bad posture
No one wants to be the person in the office, or the roommate, or the significant other that has to hide their smelly gym bag in the deepest and darkest corners of their closet. You know there’s a serious problem when that awesome designer sack that you splurged on to motivate you to actually go to the gym this year smells worse than the cat litter… or trash can… or garbage disposal… or compost. (Does anyone actually compost? No seriously, comment below.)
The mornings are the start to our day. I’m wildly observant, I know. Why does it matter that the mornings are the start to our day? Because we get a period of time to set the mood, tone, intention or whatever you want to call it for the rest of the day. Most of us often feel rushed and frazzled in the morning which doesn’t quite set up a productive, peaceful day. Most mornings I felt like this, barely having enough time to throw food down my gullet. So I made a decision to wake up an hour earlier: at 5:30am instead of 6:30. The difference it made is remarkable.
Sleepy puppy
In NO particular order, these people have inspired me to achieve great things. And even though I’ve fallen far from my greatest physical achievements, these are some of the only people in the world that can push me to climb back up the mountain. Remember, I’ve been a competitive athlete in many sports for my whole life; this list is 25 years in the making. (These are literally the first ten names I thought of today)
1. Hercules – It’s unfair really, he’s not even real. Still, Kevin Sorbo’s portrayal on the Legendary Journeys captivated me for half a decade. My father has called me “Herc” for over twenty years. Whenever I think something isn’t possible, I call upon the power of Olympus and push through.
October 4th, 2015. Lake Tahoe, CA. Elevation 6200-9000 feet. Spartan Ultra Beast. 26+ miles. 50+ obstacles.
I haven’t REALLY challenged myself for over 4 years. I was a slacker in high school, even though I was involved in a lot. I did it all, going through the motions, but rarely applied myself. I never studied, rarely practiced outside of class or practice, and as a result, I prevented myself from moving to the next level. College was a little different since I took on so much that it was mathematically improbable for me to be able to complete everything without trying. Still, I lost valedictorian because I didn’t care. I missed Olympic trials because I wanted to be big.
