Health

Nov122014

Help Save Lives

Recently, I received an email from change.org. I’m subscribed by choice and I typically read the petition and sign it if I believe in it. Sometimes I even share it on social media if I think it’s a worthy cause. However, sometime last week I got one that really resonated with me more than others. The email was titled “My son drowned on a cruise” and the petition was titled “Make it Mandatory for Cruise Lines to Employ Lifeguards.”

The story states…

“October 13, 2013 remains one of the darkest days of my life. My family of five was enjoying the last day of our Carnival cruise in the Caribbean when tragedy struck in a matter of minutes: my six-year-old son Qwentyn drowned in a pool.

Although it breaks my heart, I have come to terms with the fact that I got distracted and let this happen. Accidents happen, and that’s why I couldn’t believe that most cruise lines do not employ lifeguards on ships. With all the activities occurring on a ship deck at any given time, I believe that properly trained lifeguards — acting as an extra set of eyes and ears — will help to save more kids’ lives.

It has taken me some time to pull myself together to start this petition, but I felt that I had to do it so that other families don’t have to go through what my family and I have during the last year. I’m here to ask Carnival Corporation and the cruise line industry to employ lifeguards to provide greater passenger safety onboard ships.

Research shows that nearly two million passengers under 18 board cruises each year. Many cruise travelers can probably relate to the distracting nature of the deck — music, people, water activity, entertainment and noise are all constant. Despite this, only Disney puts lifeguards on its ships, a decision made shortly after our son’s passing. The cruise industry brought $42 billion in economic activity to the U.S. in 2012, so why can’t it require that companies hire lifeguards to ensure greater safety?

Make no mistake, parental supervision should always be a priority, but it’s clear to me and many others that the presence of lifeguards can only help to protect lives. Please sign our petition so we can make this important change sooner than later. Thanks for your support!”

My reaction was not just sympathetic to the family that lost a child. Despite being a person that feels responsible for nearly everything that happens to me, there is something wrong with this picture. As much as we can blame the father, and he obviously blames himself, there has to be some accountability. As an experienced pool manager, I have used the old put a sign up to remove our liability trick, but my staff was still trained to respond to emergencies and make sure no one loses their life on our deck or in our water.

The cruise lines are not going to be there to respond to the emergencies if they have pools and no lifeguards. That is something only private facilities can get away with, and believe me, I know. I also was the Director of an Aquatics Facility that was privately owned and we did not require a lifeguard on duty. Still, we had certified lifeguards teaching swim lessons and managing the deck, because safety matters. This way, we saved money because lifeguards are a black hole for costs, but still never lost anyone.

I have been on a cruise ship and swam in their pools, and I would be willing to pay an extra dollar in order to pay for a single lifeguard because if every cruise ship had one lifeguard per pool area, that child would not have died. Many individuals would still be alive. I hate it when people lose their lives when it is completely preventable. A major company being cheap and wanting to maximize profits is completely preventable.

So, I’ll go even farther with this petition and say that cruise lines can raise the price of cruises to compensate for the wages given to putting one lifeguard on duty per pool area. It’s such a sad story, and it never had to happen. While we continue to teach parents and children about water safety, let’s encourage the other side to have professionals keep us safe. Thank you for reading and please sign the petition.

Nov072014

Mark Bell at Barbell Brigade

Last weekend, through my reliable Instagram feed, I found out that Mark Bell would be doing a powerlifting seminar at Barbell Brigade. For those of you who don’t know, Mark Bell is very well-known in the world of strength training. He invents and patents products for training, makes one of the most popular podcasts, competed in powerlifting and professional wrestling, and appeared in the documentary that his brother made. (Bigger, Faster, Stronger)

Also, for those of you who don’t know, Barbell Brigade is a training facility in Los Angeles located a few blocks from Union Station. It is absolutely amazing and I will be doing a video there shortly so you will find out more. (200 lb dumbbells, sleds on turf, olympic platforms, monkey bars, freedom to do what you want, etc.)

I decided to go because it would be a great chance to see Mark present and check out the facility. It was inexpensive, so well worth my time if all went well. And it did… I even dragged Fit along with me. Now in all honesty, I’m happy with my squat, deadlift, and bench press, so my reason for attending wasn’t to get advice for myself. As a coach, I wanted to see how Mark presented to a large diverse crowd. There were all sorts of people there so I won’t even start to describe them. Nevertheless, he had experienced lifters demonstrate technique as he explained what they were doing and why they were doing it.

Typically, I find a few minor, or even major, points that I disagree with in other people’s clinics, but strangely enough… I was agreeing with nearly everything he said. It was actually a little creepy seeing someone else that you’ve never seen coach before explain topics in a similar way. (With the exception of some choice of words… I keep it PG, because I work with a lot of young athletes.)

So, that kept my attention and I particularly enjoyed how he answered most of the questions. Very open-minded to implementing various training practices while still staying true to core principles of powerlifting. Very relatable for the general populace and extremely entertaining. He had the crowd participating a lot and everyone was laughing a considerable amount. The group seemed comfortable during the “lecture” portion, which is important to creating an effective learning environment.

Us taking a creeper selfie with Mark Bell in background

Now, I wasn’t there strictly for business. I also wanted to ask Mark about the Slingshot, a product he developed that assists in the bench press. In 2011, I performed my best competitive bench press ever, and about one month later suffered a full SLAP tear of my labrum in my left shoulder. I decided to forego the only way to repair it, which is surgery and just deal with it. It took a while to get strength back, but I’ve built the bench up to nearly 70% of what it used to be by developing other muscles in the shoulder girdle. I asked Mark what Slingshot model and size would work for me, someone with nearly a decade of proper bench press experience, and a torn labrum, and he told me to order an XL Reactive, the first stage of four different levels.

Fit posing with Silent Mike, Mark Bell’s assistant

I should be receiving it soon and will write a full review on it. In the review, I will talk about how the product works for someone with a serious injury and also the uses of the product. I am sure I will find a way to use it for my non-powerlifting athletes so stay tuned for that. All in all, it was a great experience and even though we had to leave nearly 2/3 of the way through, we left completely satisfied. Fit even enjoyed it more than she expected! As always…stay hungry and fit!

Oct292014

Do This Before You Go to Bed!

We all complain that we simply don’t have enough time. Does that sound familiar? I say it too. We all use it as an excuse–whether that’s in order to not do the dishes, not brush your teeth, or not exercise! Well I say bollocks! You do have time. You just need to realize it. Even though it’s easy to say you don’t have time to workout, you do. It doesn’t need to be an hour workout. It can even be six minutes! Something is better than nothing so do this before you go to bed!

30 seconds each

Crunches
Side crunches (right)
Side crunches (left)
Reverse crunches
Fast bicycles
Slow bicycles
In n outs (rows)
Scissors
Crossed leg crunches
Ankle touches

1 minute

Plank (you can side plank for a break)

The above workout is six minutes. SIX MINUTES! You can do that. Do yourself a favor and even if you “don’t have any time,” I promise you can squeeze this in. Not only is it good for your health and sculpting your core, it will make you feel better about yourself. You will feel that you have accomplished something, even if it’s a short workout. This is a great, healthy thing to do before bed. Make it a habit and do it every other day! Believe in yourself! This will give you power! Please leave any comments or questions in the comment section. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

meow

Oct242014

AMPY: A Charger Worth Running For

Recently, I learned about a new gadget in the fitness industry and I am quite excited about it. I have not tried it yet, but I thought I would share the news with you because I’m excited for it! I found it through a fitness newsletter I receive and learned more about it on Kickstarter. It’s called AMPY. It was created by a few PhD students from Northwestern who met together in a class. They had a great idea and ran with it. Do you know about those flashlights that turn on after you shake them? It uses kinetic energy. And guess what? So does AMPY.

You’re probably wanting the specifics. So I will give them to you! AMPY is a device charger that uses energy from motion. How freaking cool is that! Kinetic energy–pure and simple. This personal, clean energy, folks! You might be asking, “HOW?!” Well, AMPY is a wearable device in many different formats. You can strap it to your arm while you run, you can put it in your pocket as you walk, or around your leg while you bike! AMPY will literally generate energy while you bustle your way around town. Once you get to your destination, you can take it off yourself and charge whatever needs charging–anything with a USB port. I seriously can’t get over what a creative and useful idea this is.

Besides being totally awesome and useful by generating clean energy for our personal use, AMPY also comes with a pretty neat app. It will tell you how much energy you’ve generated, how many calories you’ve burned, and your carbon footprint offset! You can then share the daily info with friends on social media. Although the app isn’t necessary for the device to work, it still looks pretty cool to use.

This is the perfect tool to have on you (literally) at all times because we know what a bummer it is to have a device run out of juice when you really need it. With AMPY, you can just plug in easy, peasy. Now remember, I have not used it yet as it’s not out to the public. I am simply bringing the knowledge that I have learned researching this product. It’s something I want to back–it’s only on Kickstarter for a few more weeks now. I’m always interested about the newest fitness gadget and I am absolutely thrilled when they are creative like this. I am looking forward to trying it out! You should take a peek at it and see if it’s worth your money. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: Are you interested in AMPY?

Oct222014

How to Workout at Disneyland

As you saw, we went to Disneyland over the weekend. It was a blast–no doubts there. However, when you’re at Disneyland for 13 hours, it’s hard to fit a workout in at the gym. How do we remedy this situation? Workout at Disneyland! What?! It’s possible, I promise. Despite the churros, the popcorn, and the beignets, you can also fit in some good workouts. After all, you do spend a considerable amount of time waiting in line. Instead of wasting time being bored or on your smart phone, but that time to good use! Work it!

Some of these are self-explanatory, but others I will delve into.

When I say incline push-ups, you might be thinking where. I say incline, because you don’t want to put your hands on the gross Disneyland ground. So there are usually poles forming the lines, or huge flower bed holders and so forth. Find one of those in line, move your body in the correct place, and start doing push-ups! It’ll give you a rush and a pump and get you even more excited for the ride!
When I say partner shoulder raises or biceps curls, you obviously need a partner. Now, you can do loads of partner exercises, but there were only so much room on my thing. For example, with shoulder raises you would have someone press on your straight arms, while you try to raise them. There are so many options for this, you can really get creative.

It’s actually easy to fit in a workout at Disneyland or any other theme park because you spend some time waiting in line! Pair that with the thousands of steps you will walk and you’ve done a great workout for the day! Did you know that we took 30,000 steps (13.4mi) when we were at Disneyland? That could’ve been my highest ever. So instead of waiting in line doing nothing at a theme park, spice it up and exercise! Have fun and workout! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Wet dog wet dog!

Oct172014

Flex Belt Review

There are a lot of interesting products out there. Some of them are bogus, some of them are legit. It’s hard to determine what really works and what’s just a scam. As we were being sent the Flex Belt, we felt a little wary, because it had the “get fit quick” feel that we aren’t huge fans of. However, as my mum says, try everything once! You never know about something (truly) until you try it. So, we went ahead and agreed to review the product. You never know! And we can do what’s right for others and let them know if it actually works or not. Let’s get to it.

This has been tried by about four members of the “family.” We all have our different views, but it also shows more than one person’s experience with the product which is helpful in deciding for yourself. Let’s get to the how it works part of this review. First off, read the manual to make sure you do the steps properly. Basically you attach gel pads to a belt and wrap it around your stomach. Connected to a device, the belt uses electricity to stimulate your muscles. The gel sticks on your belly button and each of your obliques in attempts to get a large area of the abdominal. It feels like you’re wearing a bomb strapped to your torso, which is slightly alarming, but you get used to it. You can easily put a shirt over the belt. The belt stimulates your muscles in contractions. It will stimulate, then rest, stimulate, then rest, over and over until time is up. The higher the intensity level, the longer it will contract and the more intense it will be.

Does it work? I can’t honestly say yes or no. I could definitely feel my muscles contract on level 70 (it goes from 1-150) and I could definitely see Chris’ abs dramatically pulling as he put it on level 150. We’ve done it a few times throughout a few weeks. Sophie’s abs were sore the next day. Although mine weren’t, I could still feel the muscles pulling. So we know it works the muscles in some form, but does it chisel them? Does it make the muscles stronger? We aren’t sure. But I know that I will continue to put the belt on from time to time just because it’s kind of fun. It’s also good to stimulate your muscles in that way. Ever hear of stims? It’s an important part of muscle recovery. So we will be using it at the minimum for that.

Should you try it? Why not? Give it a try because it might work for you. Everybody’s body is different. If we could feel our muscles contracting, maybe it does work in a way. We will leave it up to you. At least check it out–you can just click here to learn more. Be open-minded, be critical, let your body try it for about 2 weeks before you make a solid decision. We are obviously in the middle of the road. It’s always fun to try new products! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

Oct152014

Get Back Up

With this big move and transition including everything and above, Hungry and I are struggling to create a routine. I’m using the train to get to work, he’s driving, he has weird hours, I like to be home before sundown if I’m walking by myself. What am I getting at? It’s tough for us to make a solid fitness routine. We haven’t been on our A-game (Hungry has been much much more than I), we haven’t been Hungry and Fit. I’ve been seriously struggling with setting a routine. There were times where I wouldn’t workout for a week! What! That’s crazy for us, but it happens. Sometimes you can’t always be a power machine because life enjoys throwing curve balls. But you can always get back on your feet and start again. Always.

Recent trip to the gym

Despite our bumpy road of transition–finding gyms, finding time for the gym, starting new jobs, juggling the animals, etc.–we are starting to get back on our feet. Hungry has been really good about finding time and pushing himself, me not so much. However, I miss having sore muscles and callused hands. I miss that feeling of desperate fatigue, of power, of strength, of a knowing calm. Although I am a bit sad and disappointed with how much strength I have lost, I know that I can get it back. I know I can get my bench press and squats back up to even beyond what they once were.

It’s all about perspective. If you sink yourself into the little hole that you feel you are in, you are going to drown. However, if you step back and put into 6 month, a year, or even 5 year perspective, is it really going to put that big of a dent in your life? The answer is no. The answer is that you’ve fallen on your butt before, and somehow you’ve gotten up again. So even though I’m not on my feet, I have the mindset and knowledge that I will stand back up. I’m pulling myself up now and I know I will be hitting the iron on a regular routine. Try not to get down on yourself (because that just makes things worse) and know that you can get back up. As always, stay hungry and fit!

Oct082014

3-Minute Paleo Test

At Hungry and Fit, we have opinions. Wow, Alana, great sentence. I’m serious! You know from our talks, discussions, and rants, that we don’t always hold back. That we tell you guys what we really think. Like… the rental scam or not taking shortcuts or the right way to season your food. We are HONEST with you in the hopes to bring you knowledge so that you can form your own opinions.

We certainly have our opinions about the “Paleo” diet as well (which basically entails meat and dark vegetables). For one, we don’t agree that it should be called Paleo because you can bake things, and second of all, we don’t love fads. We believe that is what the Paleo diet is right now–a fad. Not to say it doesn’t work for some people (my brother does it almost accidentally), but that we aren’t huge fans of fads in the fitness industry. However, we believe that nobody should be prescribing something for everyone, but that something can work for someone and not for another. While the Paleo diet doesn’t work for me, it does for those I know. Not everyone does it because it’s cool some people do it because it really syncs up with their bodies. And that’s great!

Why am I talking about all of this? Well, somebody showed me this really interesting test to see if the Paleo diet is good for you. Finally! Someone who isn’t shoving the Paleo diet down my throat and instead letting me answer 31 me-related questions to figure out whether the Paleo diet would even work for me. Spoiler–it didn’t work for me because I don’t eat meat, surprise surprise. However, I really think it’s a neat, fun test that isn’t harmful. Instead, it’s honest! And you know we like that. We are all about doing something because it is good for you, not because others tell you to do it or it’s the newest cool thing. Try it out by clicking the link below:

http://www.paleotest.com/

These were my results…

NOPE! OFF LIMITS!

You have no business thinking about Paleo, my friend.

YOUR PALEO DIET SUCCESS RATE:

-151%

SOME TIPS FOR YOUR SUCCESS:

You’re a leaf-eater, right? Paleo requires MEAT and is not a good fit for you. I made you do the other 30 questions for fun. Mwu ha ha ha ha ha.
You must learn to like meat. This diet is all about getting your meat consumption on. You’re going to need to get more comfortable with eating more meat or your success will suffer. Get good with spices and consider soups and stews.
Bread and pasta are yummy! Ahhh I feel you, I really do, but you’re going to have to seriously cut back on all things bread and pasta. Don’t tease yourself, just go cold turkey and quit the stuff. Expect a few weeks of sadness – fret not, it will subside.

It’s a fun test that can tell you whether or not you are paleo-fit, so why not try it out? If you were ever wondering whether you should actually “go paleo,” here’s your perfect opportunity! I’m a sucker for quizzes and tests that tell more about myself, so this was simply fun for me. Take it and let us know what you get! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Oct032014

Who Inspires You?

We are all here for a reason. When I mean “here,” I mean on this path and journey to achieve good health and fitness. No matter what your goals are, you are here for a reason. I’m here to give you a short post today, and ask you WHO inspires YOU to keep going on this journey. We all have someone in mind when we strive for health or look for motivation, even if we don’t know it. Someone special to us, someone we care for, someone who depends on us–it could be ANYONE! We all need motivation each and every day, and what easier place to pull it from than someone who means so much to us?

People who inspire us…

Maybe we will do that extra rep or that extra minute or that extra mile because that person is in mind. Because you want to be healthy enough to see them get married. Because you want to look good for them and see their face light up. Because, maybe, while they inspire you, you want to inspire them. Not all of us have a person in mind when we workout, but if you dig deep, you may find it there. It could even be you.

So as you go through your motions today, think about who you inspires you to push past that level of comfort and keep going through and beyond your routine each and every day. It’s important to draw motivation from wherever we can. This method can bring motivation that comes from a deeper place, a deeper meaning that will inspire us for days to come. When you step into the gym, into your run, or whatever you do, think about WHO inspires YOU. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: Who inspires you?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Oct012014

7 Tips for a Happy, Healthy Fall

October is here! Woohoo! I know Hungry is excited—Halloween is one of his favorites. What else does October mean? Fall is really here. Those closing their eyes and pretending it’s summer have to stop now. Well, you don’t have to, but come on—there are pumpkins now! I find that everyone I talk to has different opinions about Autumn—fears, loves, and so forth. Some detest it because the weather starts to get too brisk for outside workouts. Others love it because of the hearty produce it yields and the way it makes them feel. If you are ever feeling lost in Fall, here are a few tips to keep you happy and healthy while the leaves change color and drift away:

1. Don’t let the weather keep you inside. Yes, it may be getting colder, or even downright cold in some states, but that shouldn’t keep you confined to your personal quarters. That’s why layers were invented, of course! To allow you to bundle up and go outside, even when the wind threatens to flay you. You can even workout outside when it’s cold! Put as many layers on as you need to and remember—you can always take them off!

Talk about beauty!

Using layers 😉

2. Fight off negativity. Don’t get down on yourself if you find yourself indulging in pumpkin sweets and heavy foods. Negativity is the worst thing you can consume if you’re striving to be a healthy person. Even if you have an unplanned splurge, don’t trash talk yourself. Instead, learn from the moment and move on. Put it in perspective.

Indulgences happen…move on

3. Set a new goal for the fall. This is important because your goals should always be fresh and exciting to you. Otherwise you will fall away into boredom and apathy.

4. Indulge in autumn produce. Just because it’s no longer summer and watermelon isn’t on the daily menu anymore, doesn’t mean you have to resort to boring foods that give you the “blahs.” Even though in most states, it is getting colder, you must remember that Autumn is still a vibrant season with so much to offer! Think squash, pears, pomegranates and more!

5. Find a gym. If it is getting cold, and you find that it deters you from your workouts, find an indoor arena or gym you can perform your preferred workout. It may seem superficial, but atmosphere and environment are huge factors when it comes down to whether or not you will have a good workout, or even workout for that matter! Bite the bullet, hand over some money to either buy yourself some home workout equipment or a gym membership.

Home workouts galore!

6. Try new things. Change is scary, but it’s also really exciting. With new seasons, come change. And what should you do with change? Fight it? No! Embrace it and give it meaning! Learn something new! Try a new form of exercise! Do yoga! Take a dance class! Roll with the punches of nature and use the opportunity to embrace change and try something new.

That time I did a triathlon…

7. Stick with the old. Alright, now you really must think me crazy because now I’m contradicting myself. Contradicting? No! This is simply an add-on. While you embrace the new, hold onto the old that comforts you. It could be your morning routine, it could be your favorite snack, or your favorite drink. For me, it’s my Silk milk that I put in my smoothies and protein shakes. No matter what, my Silk Soymilk or Almondmilk will be there for me, giving me sustenance while the world around me continues to change.

We are all different. We all have our likes and dislikes, our habits and our avoidances. However, one thing is the same, ironically, and that is change. Nature teaches us to accept change and let it nurture us into better people who try new things and have a wider range of experiences. There is always the “old” or our rocks, our foundation that keeps us going to balance the change in our world. If you want more of the old and the new, check out Silk’s Facebook page, which is constantly coming out with new recipes and tips to stay at your happiest, healthiest you. You could also win a year’s worth of Silk products if you sign up for their newsletter.

Even though this may seem like a list of ways to stay healthy throughout the Fall (and it is), the deeper meaning is to allow yourself to experience change (and enjoy it) while balancing yourself with the things that make you who you are and keep you sane. I hope these tips help you along your way in your Autumn journey. As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: How do you stay healthy during Autumn?

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all ours.