It's been a while, eh? Well lets keep brief and meaningful.
updates:
Still training clients at the Y and doing kid stuff. Loving it all
Hanging out with family every single day and I love it more by the day. (Dad is up from Florida)
Still fighting the good fight of faith and feeling good about it.
Still loving strong, smiling bright, and striving to better myself, daily.
Fitness: Been doing a lot of just barbell complex stuff ~two-three days and HIIT/Jumping rope about two days a week. I've actually started training my abs pretty hard too. Always just had a naturally good core, but finally accepted they are a muscle group too and need to be trained hard to grow, haha.
Nutrition: Need I say more besides fruits, vegetables, nuts, real whole foods, and grandmas cooking? Eat good, eat less.
BIG JULY NEWS UPDATE!
I am going to make a big July nutritional challenge. I thought hey, it's time I change things up for a while. Been doing fairly the same old nutrition system for such a long time. So..
For the WHOLE month of July (July 1st - Aug 1st)
I am:
- Going vegetarian
- Cutting out all refined sugars
- No caffeine
- Possibly no dairy either.
Extreme right? Well, I figured it would be a nice break for a while. I eat a lot of meat and dairy and my grandmas baked goods intake has been pretty brutal. It's all been semi-catching up to me so I think its time to take a break and try something new for a month. Join me!
Faith: Striving to fight this good fight. Its been a challenge but a worthwhile one. Things just keep seemingly somewhat decline amongst people and this world. Sad, but reality. Have to push on and strive to stay above this mess.
Keep praying, keep smiling, keep shining. Keep on keeping on everyone.
-Adam
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It's been a while round 2
So dang. I would like to say that I have been keeping busy. But honestly, I think I have just been too lazy to update!
Few quick updates:
- Now training clients at the YMCA
- Doing a lot of youth sports program stuff (writing, coaching, etc)
- Still eating tons of fruits/veggies daily!
- Started eating a lot of Cashew butter (so good)
- Hanging out with my family (Uncle has been up from Florida) EVERY DAY.
- Miss some people in my life
- Still coming up with crazy exercises and nutrition stuff.
- Eating more legumes (Beans)
- Still smiling as bright as ever
- Still fighting the good fight of faith.
Reminder: Keep smiling bright and strive to better yourself, daily. : ) progress, not regress.
-Adam
Few quick updates:
- Now training clients at the YMCA
- Doing a lot of youth sports program stuff (writing, coaching, etc)
- Still eating tons of fruits/veggies daily!
- Started eating a lot of Cashew butter (so good)
- Hanging out with my family (Uncle has been up from Florida) EVERY DAY.
- Miss some people in my life
- Still coming up with crazy exercises and nutrition stuff.
- Eating more legumes (Beans)
- Still smiling as bright as ever
- Still fighting the good fight of faith.
Reminder: Keep smiling bright and strive to better yourself, daily. : ) progress, not regress.
-Adam
Friday, June 5, 2009
Training Tips, Tricks, Hints
So I haven't updated in a while. I have been soo stressed with studying for my ACE exam (which thankfully, is now over), and staying active/keeping quite busy. But I figured I am about due to throw some nifty new tips about your nutrition/fitness. Now mind you, these have been ones that work well for me personally. It may not for you, but I found it helpful.
Before I say anything, let me inform you guys of what 'having a fit body' means to me because if you enjoy/follow my tips, you must know the style/way I train and for what...
***Being fit to me, means being an athelete, regardless of playing a sport or not.***
And I am talking the 'lean and ripped' kind of athelete. Not the bulky body building look, which I personally find kind of lame. I rather be able to squat 200-250 and run a ~5-6 minute mile,than squat 500-600 and run a 10 minute mile miserably. I want to have speed, agility, flexability, endurance, etc..
Yeah, Edinboro doesn't have a soccer team and it sucks. But that doesn't stop me from training hard. Period. This is why you generally NEVER see me with a lifting parter. Just on brief occasions. I like to get in, train very hard, and get out. Gyms aren't meant for social butterflies.
SO, back on track. Here are some general tips:
- When working out, superset or circuit your workouts. I love to go ape at the gym and from one thing to another without much rest. Working out is all about quality, not quantity. For what takes some guys an hour or even more, I can do double in twenty minutes. Training is all about activating your fast twitch fibers. Train higher volume, higher intensities, and keep rest to a minimal. This is where I have noticed the greatest results personally. (Apart from what matters most, nutrition).
- I never do the same thing. Monday - Chest, Tuesday - Arms, etc... No. This is dumb. With correct approaches and right training, I am all about muscle confusion. Our body STRIVES for homeostasis. It likes balance. Why do the same thing over and over every week? Your body just expect its, and becomes attuned to it. I keep things mixed up. in one week, may do incline barbell bench for chest superset with decline flies. Next week I may do declined weighted push ups, with cable flies. Keep your body out of balance so it is constantly adapting, growing, guessing, etc.
- Change intensities. One thing I just got big into was transitions from high rep/low weight to low rep/high weight, training. One week I may train for pure strength (1-5 sets, 3-5 reps @ about 80-90% my 1RM (rep max)), and next week for hypertrophy (1-3 sets, 10-12 reps @ 60-70 1RM). Certain weeks I go heavy, other weeks I go light and train faster. I've already noticed differences and gains in doing this routine. So I enjoy changing sets, weight, reps, weekly.
- Full body routines. That or upper/lower body splits. I was never really a big 'isolation day' kind of guy (ex: monday - chest. The general dude bro lift day). The -more- muscles you work in a session, the -more- calories and fat you burn. (Now there is great expansion on this comment, but its just spoken generally). The more muscles you work and harder, the more your body is burnin'. But I must admit, I have been doing some isolation stuff this week and its been painful, haha. Body isn't used to it. I may start doing it more often just for sakes of throwing my body off. Been doing the same stuff for way too long.
- Jumping rope! Enough said. If you haven't guess it or known me, I love jumping rope. ~10 minutes of jumping rope = 30 minutes of SLOW BORING STUPID OVER-RATED THAT DOESN'T GET YOU NEARLY AS FAST RESULTS cardo. Anyone who knows me, knows I HATE cardio. I don't get how people can run for an hour on a treadmill. Outside is understandable, but frig. It's so boring. I consider myself pretty dang fit with a Resting heart rate of ~44, and able to still bench double my weight almost, yet a 20 minute steady state run hurts and just sucks. But hey, if you like it, more power to you I suppose.
- Do more pull-ups and push ups. Heck, do them everyday. I've never heard of anyone having health issues from doing push ups daily. I do. Push ups are the BEST upper body exercise, period. Do 50 when you wake up, 50 before lunch, 50 later in the afternoon. Push ups rule. I put a towl on my bedroom door and do wide grip pull ups daily too. They feel great. Do more compound/body weight stuff.
- Work your core like you never have before. Carry something over your head and brace your abs. Seriously. Grab a 45 pound plate, a tire, or something heavy, lift it over your head (elbows slightly bent for me personally, but straight if it feels best for ya) Brace and tighten your abs and walk around for a while. You'll work your core and abs probably like you never have before. A minute of this is more then your 1000 crunches.
- Stay positive, work hard, and anticipate gains. Enough said I suppose. Just stay positive. Keep your head up. Train real hard when you do lift. Test your pull ups, push ups, 10 second sprint, and others before you begin a work out regime so you can test yourself again every month to track progression.
There are a handful of 28958235 lifting tips I have. Either tomorrow or Sunday I will post a same blog but about nutrition which will likely be huge. Haha.
God bless, stay tuned!
Before I say anything, let me inform you guys of what 'having a fit body' means to me because if you enjoy/follow my tips, you must know the style/way I train and for what...
***Being fit to me, means being an athelete, regardless of playing a sport or not.***
And I am talking the 'lean and ripped' kind of athelete. Not the bulky body building look, which I personally find kind of lame. I rather be able to squat 200-250 and run a ~5-6 minute mile,than squat 500-600 and run a 10 minute mile miserably. I want to have speed, agility, flexability, endurance, etc..
Yeah, Edinboro doesn't have a soccer team and it sucks. But that doesn't stop me from training hard. Period. This is why you generally NEVER see me with a lifting parter. Just on brief occasions. I like to get in, train very hard, and get out. Gyms aren't meant for social butterflies.
SO, back on track. Here are some general tips:
- When working out, superset or circuit your workouts. I love to go ape at the gym and from one thing to another without much rest. Working out is all about quality, not quantity. For what takes some guys an hour or even more, I can do double in twenty minutes. Training is all about activating your fast twitch fibers. Train higher volume, higher intensities, and keep rest to a minimal. This is where I have noticed the greatest results personally. (Apart from what matters most, nutrition).
- I never do the same thing. Monday - Chest, Tuesday - Arms, etc... No. This is dumb. With correct approaches and right training, I am all about muscle confusion. Our body STRIVES for homeostasis. It likes balance. Why do the same thing over and over every week? Your body just expect its, and becomes attuned to it. I keep things mixed up. in one week, may do incline barbell bench for chest superset with decline flies. Next week I may do declined weighted push ups, with cable flies. Keep your body out of balance so it is constantly adapting, growing, guessing, etc.
- Change intensities. One thing I just got big into was transitions from high rep/low weight to low rep/high weight, training. One week I may train for pure strength (1-5 sets, 3-5 reps @ about 80-90% my 1RM (rep max)), and next week for hypertrophy (1-3 sets, 10-12 reps @ 60-70 1RM). Certain weeks I go heavy, other weeks I go light and train faster. I've already noticed differences and gains in doing this routine. So I enjoy changing sets, weight, reps, weekly.
- Full body routines. That or upper/lower body splits. I was never really a big 'isolation day' kind of guy (ex: monday - chest. The general dude bro lift day). The -more- muscles you work in a session, the -more- calories and fat you burn. (Now there is great expansion on this comment, but its just spoken generally). The more muscles you work and harder, the more your body is burnin'. But I must admit, I have been doing some isolation stuff this week and its been painful, haha. Body isn't used to it. I may start doing it more often just for sakes of throwing my body off. Been doing the same stuff for way too long.
- Jumping rope! Enough said. If you haven't guess it or known me, I love jumping rope. ~10 minutes of jumping rope = 30 minutes of SLOW BORING STUPID OVER-RATED THAT DOESN'T GET YOU NEARLY AS FAST RESULTS cardo. Anyone who knows me, knows I HATE cardio. I don't get how people can run for an hour on a treadmill. Outside is understandable, but frig. It's so boring. I consider myself pretty dang fit with a Resting heart rate of ~44, and able to still bench double my weight almost, yet a 20 minute steady state run hurts and just sucks. But hey, if you like it, more power to you I suppose.
- Do more pull-ups and push ups. Heck, do them everyday. I've never heard of anyone having health issues from doing push ups daily. I do. Push ups are the BEST upper body exercise, period. Do 50 when you wake up, 50 before lunch, 50 later in the afternoon. Push ups rule. I put a towl on my bedroom door and do wide grip pull ups daily too. They feel great. Do more compound/body weight stuff.
- Work your core like you never have before. Carry something over your head and brace your abs. Seriously. Grab a 45 pound plate, a tire, or something heavy, lift it over your head (elbows slightly bent for me personally, but straight if it feels best for ya) Brace and tighten your abs and walk around for a while. You'll work your core and abs probably like you never have before. A minute of this is more then your 1000 crunches.
- Stay positive, work hard, and anticipate gains. Enough said I suppose. Just stay positive. Keep your head up. Train real hard when you do lift. Test your pull ups, push ups, 10 second sprint, and others before you begin a work out regime so you can test yourself again every month to track progression.
There are a handful of 28958235 lifting tips I have. Either tomorrow or Sunday I will post a same blog but about nutrition which will likely be huge. Haha.
God bless, stay tuned!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
It's been a while!
I haven't posted in like two weeks. My apologies guys. Been a combination of very busy with people, YMCA stuff, studying, etc.
Off to Buffalo tomorrow *says a prayer*
Updates:
Been staying cut. Keeping ~1000-1400 calories a day in me. Lean machine.
Thinking about starting a "bulk" (whatever that means) phase. But more less aimed at gaining lean mass (I am sure I will get a bit a fat. Can't avoid it but I can afford it at ~4% body fat). Staying cut and doing what I normally do is beginning to bore me, so I want to change things up so I don't burn out and lose my will power and motivation.
Going to take a week off of lifting/cardio/whatever before starting that to just recoup. Maybe do some brisk walking daily and a little yoga while taking my week off.
Working on some more nutrition/personal fitness posts for you. Should be up here within' a week. Things will slow back down after tomorrow.
Miss everybody. Edinboro friends, Family away from here, etc.
Still fighting the good fight of faith. Striving to love God, daily. It poses it's challenges, but I am willing to take them on head first.
Keep in tune. Keep blessed, not stressed. Love others. Smile big and shine bright.
-Adam
Off to Buffalo tomorrow *says a prayer*
Updates:
Been staying cut. Keeping ~1000-1400 calories a day in me. Lean machine.
Thinking about starting a "bulk" (whatever that means) phase. But more less aimed at gaining lean mass (I am sure I will get a bit a fat. Can't avoid it but I can afford it at ~4% body fat). Staying cut and doing what I normally do is beginning to bore me, so I want to change things up so I don't burn out and lose my will power and motivation.
Going to take a week off of lifting/cardio/whatever before starting that to just recoup. Maybe do some brisk walking daily and a little yoga while taking my week off.
Working on some more nutrition/personal fitness posts for you. Should be up here within' a week. Things will slow back down after tomorrow.
Miss everybody. Edinboro friends, Family away from here, etc.
Still fighting the good fight of faith. Striving to love God, daily. It poses it's challenges, but I am willing to take them on head first.
Keep in tune. Keep blessed, not stressed. Love others. Smile big and shine bright.
-Adam
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday 5-15
May is already half over? Holy Crap.
First off, I finally scheduled my ACE exam. June 3rd in Buffalo. Ahhh!! Why I have test anxiety is beyond me. Scared I am rushing a bit fast into it maybe? Who knows. We'll see none-the-less come the 3rd!
Breakfast: - V-Bean oatmeal with an orange.
-1/2 cup instant oats nuked with 3/4-1 cup water. (Yes, water. Not milk. But you can use milk if you want.)
- Once you get the consistency you want, add 2 Tbsp vanilla whey protein and a Tbsp of vanilla extract and stir it in.
-You can opt for some cinnamon too if you'd like to add that!
Had an orange with it. The heck with orange juice, eat who fruits.
Fitness: Yesterday was a brutal cardio session, so my lower body split is still recovering. Did a good chest/back routine today with a focus on pre-exhausting muscling groups with isolation moves before doing compound.
1a) bent rows with dumbbell
1b) Inverted rows on a power rack
2a) Chest flies
2b) Incline barbell bench
3a) Wide grip pull ups
4a) decline push ups (elbows/arms <-- keep them close in your body)
Did a running in place, burpees, and jumping jack body weight interval to finish it off.
Faith: 2 Tim. 4: 7 - I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
I felt like it was time to take a quick step back. Many of my faith blogs have revolved around the simplicity of Christianity. I wanted to take todays to remind everyone, being a Christian is brutal, tough, hard, consuming, draining, and even possibly burdening at times. Sure, I just made it almost seem like it's a bad thing and makes life harder, right? Well, I over exaderated a bit to convey an emotion that hey, nobody ever promised you a free ride and people speak too much for Gods word, rather then letting God speak his word through us. You don't declair war, then win it right away. It takes time. Battle. Fighting. Pushing onward. Producing a rigerous offense. Most of this, I mean spiritually/mentally. Not literally.
If I had to make a list of the top five things people have done to absolutely rip apart Christianity, one would definitely be this (excuse my silly way of summing it up).
-****Ohhh, come to God. It's so easy. He'll take away all your burdens and lift you right up on high. It's so much easier with Christ.****
False. Shut up whoever you are preeching that. Scripture does talk about leaving your burdens at the door and also on God helping you with them. BUT, scripture also talks about coming to God WITH your burdens. You cannot escape life. It's impossible. You still have to likely go back to dealing with whatever it is you are dealing with even if you do accept Christ. One of the BIGGEST difference between a believer and non-believer, is simply the way we look at things. Being Christian changes our perspective completely. Doesn't make us any different from a non-believer, just see and think differently. We're all humans, regardless.
I struggle too. I'm no super Christian. I have days of my doubts and hardships. I have days where I just want to crack. I see the disgusting filled garbage of this world, and even find myself getting too involved with it at times. I see people hate on this faith I value sooo much daily and it isn't easy. But todays simple few word scripture is an amazing reminder to keep up the good fight.
You don't walk into a boxing ring, and ask your opponent to drop his gloves and let you punch him in the face for a free win. You have to fight to your victory. You have to protect yourself from defeat. You have to keep pushing and pushing until you almost want to puke. Yet you STILL keep pushing because you want that victory soooo much. Brothers, Sisters, let us keep the heart. We should be in this for the long haul. I don't go down to the gym, do 1 push up, then leave and never return. I go to the gym about daily to keep progressing and it gets harder.
Life is full of curve balls, unexpected bumps in the road, crazy roller coaster twists, and so much more. Let us remember that Christianity is not as easy as woofing down a whole ice cream pie from DQ (That sounds like a legit cheat this weekend for me!). It's more like trying to take a bite out of a 4 inch thick piece of steel.
Have a wonderful weekend everybody. Keep the heart. Push onward. Keep truckin'.
-Adam
First off, I finally scheduled my ACE exam. June 3rd in Buffalo. Ahhh!! Why I have test anxiety is beyond me. Scared I am rushing a bit fast into it maybe? Who knows. We'll see none-the-less come the 3rd!
Breakfast: - V-Bean oatmeal with an orange.
-1/2 cup instant oats nuked with 3/4-1 cup water. (Yes, water. Not milk. But you can use milk if you want.)
- Once you get the consistency you want, add 2 Tbsp vanilla whey protein and a Tbsp of vanilla extract and stir it in.
-You can opt for some cinnamon too if you'd like to add that!
Had an orange with it. The heck with orange juice, eat who fruits.
Fitness: Yesterday was a brutal cardio session, so my lower body split is still recovering. Did a good chest/back routine today with a focus on pre-exhausting muscling groups with isolation moves before doing compound.
1a) bent rows with dumbbell
1b) Inverted rows on a power rack
2a) Chest flies
2b) Incline barbell bench
3a) Wide grip pull ups
4a) decline push ups (elbows/arms <-- keep them close in your body)
Did a running in place, burpees, and jumping jack body weight interval to finish it off.
Faith: 2 Tim. 4: 7 - I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
I felt like it was time to take a quick step back. Many of my faith blogs have revolved around the simplicity of Christianity. I wanted to take todays to remind everyone, being a Christian is brutal, tough, hard, consuming, draining, and even possibly burdening at times. Sure, I just made it almost seem like it's a bad thing and makes life harder, right? Well, I over exaderated a bit to convey an emotion that hey, nobody ever promised you a free ride and people speak too much for Gods word, rather then letting God speak his word through us. You don't declair war, then win it right away. It takes time. Battle. Fighting. Pushing onward. Producing a rigerous offense. Most of this, I mean spiritually/mentally. Not literally.
If I had to make a list of the top five things people have done to absolutely rip apart Christianity, one would definitely be this (excuse my silly way of summing it up).
-****Ohhh, come to God. It's so easy. He'll take away all your burdens and lift you right up on high. It's so much easier with Christ.****
False. Shut up whoever you are preeching that. Scripture does talk about leaving your burdens at the door and also on God helping you with them. BUT, scripture also talks about coming to God WITH your burdens. You cannot escape life. It's impossible. You still have to likely go back to dealing with whatever it is you are dealing with even if you do accept Christ. One of the BIGGEST difference between a believer and non-believer, is simply the way we look at things. Being Christian changes our perspective completely. Doesn't make us any different from a non-believer, just see and think differently. We're all humans, regardless.
I struggle too. I'm no super Christian. I have days of my doubts and hardships. I have days where I just want to crack. I see the disgusting filled garbage of this world, and even find myself getting too involved with it at times. I see people hate on this faith I value sooo much daily and it isn't easy. But todays simple few word scripture is an amazing reminder to keep up the good fight.
You don't walk into a boxing ring, and ask your opponent to drop his gloves and let you punch him in the face for a free win. You have to fight to your victory. You have to protect yourself from defeat. You have to keep pushing and pushing until you almost want to puke. Yet you STILL keep pushing because you want that victory soooo much. Brothers, Sisters, let us keep the heart. We should be in this for the long haul. I don't go down to the gym, do 1 push up, then leave and never return. I go to the gym about daily to keep progressing and it gets harder.
Life is full of curve balls, unexpected bumps in the road, crazy roller coaster twists, and so much more. Let us remember that Christianity is not as easy as woofing down a whole ice cream pie from DQ (That sounds like a legit cheat this weekend for me!). It's more like trying to take a bite out of a 4 inch thick piece of steel.
“I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.” -Jewish proverb
Have a wonderful weekend everybody. Keep the heart. Push onward. Keep truckin'.
-Adam
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tues 5-11
May 11th and we're still dealing with frost/cold issues... Wickedddd.
Breakfast: Very Berry Smoothie.
Liquefy in a blender with either 8 oz skim milk or 8 oz water:
-1/4th cup blueberries
-1/4th cup blackberries
-1/4th cup strawberry halves
-Tbsp of whey protein powder
I'd recommend the berries be frozen. Makes for a more thick and refreshing breakfast smoothie.
Fitness: Did some classic sprints today at the soccer field. Incorporated hill sprints as well.
~8 intervals. Each being ~20 seconds of sprinting all out as hard as you can.
For the rest phase, I walk back the distance I just sprinted, once I get to the starting point, I start my next interval. If I feel I need a bit more recovery, I take a few more seconds after walking back. I try to never take more then 100 seconds of rest.
Felt really awesome after sprints. Decided ehh what the heck, went to the gym and did some planks and stability ball jack knives for abs and jumped rope for a few minutes.
NOTE:: It is vital, for any high intensity cardio training, that you properly warm up and cool down. Don't just go jet into sprints. Heck, don't start sprints if you are very aerobically unfit.. Work into it.
Faith: We live by faith, NOT BY SIGHT. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Listen. For anybody that wants hard physical proof of a God, count yourself out I guess. I've met too many people that walk away from the life of following Christ because they have no concrete evidence, science, or any other mumbo-jumbo crap to account for proof of a God. "I'm tired of praying to air', 'If God is real, I want to see him with my own eyes'. Blah blah blah. Guess what buddy, you're screwed! That's not what this faith is all about. Sure, we have miracles and other crazy fathoms that we could attain to as a 'God-send'.
The issue is, what would be the use of faith, if we had concrete proof of God? If we knew it was all said and done, then what would be the use of fighting this good fight? Someone once argued with me 'well, if you saw God and it was concrete, wouldn't that only strengthen your faith in him?' Not really. Why? A part of faith, is hope. A part of hope, is trust. These things kind of become eliminated once you can say 'OH, yup. Gods got it. No problems'. We wouldn't struggle, ever. It would always be a God send.
Why is it that majority of our generation is taking on this 'take risks/chances because we don't know tomorrow' yet won't take a chance/risk with God? Our generation has greatly adapted this motto to REALLLYYY play with fire. You have NOTHING to lose with giving God a chance. There are no negative risks involved. Period. Tell me one flaw about trying to build your own personal relationship with God? Oh, you have to stop having promiscuous sex? Oh, you should probably quit drinking/smoking? Hmm, all these sound worthy of dropping for time being rather you want to give sincere Christianity a try or not.
Now granted, nobody said you have to try and be perfect to become a Christian. It's JUST NOT POSSIBLE. We'll never be .0001% of Jesus left hand alone. That's why I hate this 'I try to be more like Jesus' thing. Sure, we strive to be better, but quit trying to be like Jesus. Be you, just strive to be better. I'm NO better than a lying, stealing, cheating drinking, smoker out there. God loves him as much as he loves me. Heck, God probably loves him more because that person needs Gods love! We all have room for improvement.
When we kiss, we go according to the feeling. Why do you think everybody kisses intimately with their eyes closed?! The BEST things done in life, are unseen! haha. When we love, we feel it in our hearts, not literally see it floating around.
So keep the hearts folks. Remember, even concrete can still have cracks and break. Faith, Hope, and Trust. We can give it to our friends, family, and spouse. Even when we can't see our spouse, and they go away to war for 2 years, we trust them. We have faith in them. We love them. Even when we won't be able to see em'.
Shine bright and smile big!
-Adam
Breakfast: Very Berry Smoothie.
Liquefy in a blender with either 8 oz skim milk or 8 oz water:
-1/4th cup blueberries
-1/4th cup blackberries
-1/4th cup strawberry halves
-Tbsp of whey protein powder
I'd recommend the berries be frozen. Makes for a more thick and refreshing breakfast smoothie.
Fitness: Did some classic sprints today at the soccer field. Incorporated hill sprints as well.
~8 intervals. Each being ~20 seconds of sprinting all out as hard as you can.
For the rest phase, I walk back the distance I just sprinted, once I get to the starting point, I start my next interval. If I feel I need a bit more recovery, I take a few more seconds after walking back. I try to never take more then 100 seconds of rest.
Felt really awesome after sprints. Decided ehh what the heck, went to the gym and did some planks and stability ball jack knives for abs and jumped rope for a few minutes.
NOTE:: It is vital, for any high intensity cardio training, that you properly warm up and cool down. Don't just go jet into sprints. Heck, don't start sprints if you are very aerobically unfit.. Work into it.
Faith: We live by faith, NOT BY SIGHT. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Listen. For anybody that wants hard physical proof of a God, count yourself out I guess. I've met too many people that walk away from the life of following Christ because they have no concrete evidence, science, or any other mumbo-jumbo crap to account for proof of a God. "I'm tired of praying to air', 'If God is real, I want to see him with my own eyes'. Blah blah blah. Guess what buddy, you're screwed! That's not what this faith is all about. Sure, we have miracles and other crazy fathoms that we could attain to as a 'God-send'.
The issue is, what would be the use of faith, if we had concrete proof of God? If we knew it was all said and done, then what would be the use of fighting this good fight? Someone once argued with me 'well, if you saw God and it was concrete, wouldn't that only strengthen your faith in him?' Not really. Why? A part of faith, is hope. A part of hope, is trust. These things kind of become eliminated once you can say 'OH, yup. Gods got it. No problems'. We wouldn't struggle, ever. It would always be a God send.
Why is it that majority of our generation is taking on this 'take risks/chances because we don't know tomorrow' yet won't take a chance/risk with God? Our generation has greatly adapted this motto to REALLLYYY play with fire. You have NOTHING to lose with giving God a chance. There are no negative risks involved. Period. Tell me one flaw about trying to build your own personal relationship with God? Oh, you have to stop having promiscuous sex? Oh, you should probably quit drinking/smoking? Hmm, all these sound worthy of dropping for time being rather you want to give sincere Christianity a try or not.
Now granted, nobody said you have to try and be perfect to become a Christian. It's JUST NOT POSSIBLE. We'll never be .0001% of Jesus left hand alone. That's why I hate this 'I try to be more like Jesus' thing. Sure, we strive to be better, but quit trying to be like Jesus. Be you, just strive to be better. I'm NO better than a lying, stealing, cheating drinking, smoker out there. God loves him as much as he loves me. Heck, God probably loves him more because that person needs Gods love! We all have room for improvement.
When we kiss, we go according to the feeling. Why do you think everybody kisses intimately with their eyes closed?! The BEST things done in life, are unseen! haha. When we love, we feel it in our hearts, not literally see it floating around.
So keep the hearts folks. Remember, even concrete can still have cracks and break. Faith, Hope, and Trust. We can give it to our friends, family, and spouse. Even when we can't see our spouse, and they go away to war for 2 years, we trust them. We have faith in them. We love them. Even when we won't be able to see em'.
Shine bright and smile big!
-Adam
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday 5-11
a week of summer so far, and it already rules. Started training my grandparents. They were scared at first, but now realize wow, I need this. Stoked about getting them fit!
Breakfast: Cocoa oatmeal
-1/2 cup instant oatmeal
stir in a Tbsp of Dark Chocolate pure cocoa powder
Then add a cup of skim milk
Nuke for 3-5 minutes. Stir it every 30 seconds.
Cut up a banana in it.
Enjoy an extremely delicious form of oatmeal.
Fitness: My back was sore all weekend from a brutal body weight interval session Saturday. Good thing I relaxed yesterday and did nothing. Today was simple.
1a) Deadlifting a bit
2a) Barbell Bench
2b) DB Flies
3a) Decline push ups on a bench
3b) chin ups
Cool down.
Faith: Dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other. Galatians 5: 13
Amazing. One absolute amazing piece of scripture. Now granted, this is generally turned into a HUGE debate with the whole 'If God is so loving, why does he let bad things happen'. -or- 'If he gives us the freedom to love and serve each other, then why are we so rotten?' It's almost as if God is saying hey, I'm programming you to do good. Don't do bad. Right? Wrong. Why? Let's take a step back and examine 1 word that makes a huge difference in all this.
'Programmed'
God did NOT create robots. When we were conceived at the moment of conception, we were not programmed like robots to an exact pin-point. Sure, God has a plan and program for us to follow, but let me just say this...
If God programmed us completely, then what would be the use of life on earth? We have to screw up, to understand good. We eventually end up 'sinning' to understand right from wrong. Sure, scream all you want 'it doesn't take a christian to understand that kind of difference'. Well why God then? 1 word answer (and seemingly generic) Love. If we ONLY ever knew good, and no bad... Would it be 'good'? I mean this is going to sound crazy but hear me out...
Why can't robots feel emotions? (Unless its a DNA computer based machine! Sorry, geek alert). Why is it that they are constantly at basically the same state of mind. Doing the same thing over, and over, and over. Never complaining, never whining, never upset, never 'happy', neither sad. Because they don't understand one, without the other. That and they just don't have a brain. If God gave us life, and only a life of 'happiness', how would we truly feel/know it's happiness? We have to have bad days, to experience good days. If God made everything good and great and ONLY that ever, it was the only thing we experienced, how would we truly know the feeling of 'good, great, etc'.
We're not going to change the world. It's impossible. There is always going to be 'evil' or bad. What's that? Look at what Gandhi did? Or Martin Luther King? Yeah, they made a HUGE impact and are in history, but things are still as bad, IF not worse. Freedom doesn't come free. Period. Good feelings doesn't come always. Period. The idea is, God did make people to be good, but he had to allow us freewill. If he didn't, then we would be programmed robots with no emotions and human nature/life. We would go through everyday, as if it never changed before.
Now take this or leave it. Argue it or share your opinion. Call/Text me if you want to discuss it more. I am quite frankly tired of the faith I value so much, being ruined and ripped apart by these TV-evanglist who steal money, 'pastors' or 'priests' that are doing an amazing job of ripping the church apart, people saying their Christian, and just living complete garbage without a frail attempt to be better lives. These are the people, that make even certain Atheists look like good people. And I agree. I've met Athiests who are honestly wayyy better then Christians. But then are they Christians? No. Is that my place to say though? Not really. I just know it's those 'Christians' who are making the faith I value, look bad. Then again, maybe I am too? Maybe I suck as well and don't know it?
According to Christianpost.com """Christian Research indicates that by the middle of last year, 2.14 billion people made up the world’s Christian population – a 140-million-person increase from five years earlier. Christians, therefore, now make up one-third of the world’s population of 6.45 billion people."""
How many of these are legit 'Christians'They should probably re evauluate that number. It's off by 100 fold.
Have a great Monday and week! Be blessed everybody.
-Adam
Breakfast: Cocoa oatmeal
-1/2 cup instant oatmeal
stir in a Tbsp of Dark Chocolate pure cocoa powder
Then add a cup of skim milk
Nuke for 3-5 minutes. Stir it every 30 seconds.
Cut up a banana in it.
Enjoy an extremely delicious form of oatmeal.
Fitness: My back was sore all weekend from a brutal body weight interval session Saturday. Good thing I relaxed yesterday and did nothing. Today was simple.
1a) Deadlifting a bit
2a) Barbell Bench
2b) DB Flies
3a) Decline push ups on a bench
3b) chin ups
Cool down.
Faith: Dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other. Galatians 5: 13
Amazing. One absolute amazing piece of scripture. Now granted, this is generally turned into a HUGE debate with the whole 'If God is so loving, why does he let bad things happen'. -or- 'If he gives us the freedom to love and serve each other, then why are we so rotten?' It's almost as if God is saying hey, I'm programming you to do good. Don't do bad. Right? Wrong. Why? Let's take a step back and examine 1 word that makes a huge difference in all this.
'Programmed'
God did NOT create robots. When we were conceived at the moment of conception, we were not programmed like robots to an exact pin-point. Sure, God has a plan and program for us to follow, but let me just say this...
If God programmed us completely, then what would be the use of life on earth? We have to screw up, to understand good. We eventually end up 'sinning' to understand right from wrong. Sure, scream all you want 'it doesn't take a christian to understand that kind of difference'. Well why God then? 1 word answer (and seemingly generic) Love. If we ONLY ever knew good, and no bad... Would it be 'good'? I mean this is going to sound crazy but hear me out...
Why can't robots feel emotions? (Unless its a DNA computer based machine! Sorry, geek alert). Why is it that they are constantly at basically the same state of mind. Doing the same thing over, and over, and over. Never complaining, never whining, never upset, never 'happy', neither sad. Because they don't understand one, without the other. That and they just don't have a brain. If God gave us life, and only a life of 'happiness', how would we truly feel/know it's happiness? We have to have bad days, to experience good days. If God made everything good and great and ONLY that ever, it was the only thing we experienced, how would we truly know the feeling of 'good, great, etc'.
We're not going to change the world. It's impossible. There is always going to be 'evil' or bad. What's that? Look at what Gandhi did? Or Martin Luther King? Yeah, they made a HUGE impact and are in history, but things are still as bad, IF not worse. Freedom doesn't come free. Period. Good feelings doesn't come always. Period. The idea is, God did make people to be good, but he had to allow us freewill. If he didn't, then we would be programmed robots with no emotions and human nature/life. We would go through everyday, as if it never changed before.
Now take this or leave it. Argue it or share your opinion. Call/Text me if you want to discuss it more. I am quite frankly tired of the faith I value so much, being ruined and ripped apart by these TV-evanglist who steal money, 'pastors' or 'priests' that are doing an amazing job of ripping the church apart, people saying their Christian, and just living complete garbage without a frail attempt to be better lives. These are the people, that make even certain Atheists look like good people. And I agree. I've met Athiests who are honestly wayyy better then Christians. But then are they Christians? No. Is that my place to say though? Not really. I just know it's those 'Christians' who are making the faith I value, look bad. Then again, maybe I am too? Maybe I suck as well and don't know it?
According to Christianpost.com """Christian Research indicates that by the middle of last year, 2.14 billion people made up the world’s Christian population – a 140-million-person increase from five years earlier. Christians, therefore, now make up one-third of the world’s population of 6.45 billion people."""
How many of these are legit 'Christians'They should probably re evauluate that number. It's off by 100 fold.
Have a great Monday and week! Be blessed everybody.
-Adam
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A day in my life of nutrition/diet/food.
I get asked this allll the time, so here we go.
So many of you probably think I pencil down every calorie, carb, fat, and protein that I take in huh? I know the stuff I eat alone spins heads, but here is your answer,
No, I have never counted and never will the point values of my food.
Why not, Adam?
Lifting/Nutrition/Fitness isn't my job, it's my hobby/passion. The minute I start having to pencil down every single thing that I eat, I'll burn out fast. Now mind you, this doesn't work for everyone and some actually like to journal/log their stuff. Hey, more power to you. But it's not for me. I may do it a bit with lifting, but not nutrition.
Now, how do I follow my diet? How do I eat? When? All these questions. Here is the sum up.
A)
I eat 5-6 times a day (3 major meals being Breakfast, Lunch Dinner, then a small snack between each major meal. Sometimes one later after dinner).
This is my general eating times:
7:00 AM:: Breakfast
10:00 AM:: snack
1:00 PM:: Lunch
3:30-4:00 PM:: snack
7:00 PM:: Dinner
(Optional 6th snack around 10:00 which is usually cottage cheese, or a tall glass of milk with a little scoop of chocolate whey just to flavor it.)
This doesn't work for everyone. Some people don't like to have to eat this much. That's fine. Eat 4 times a day. Just make sure your daily calorie intake is split among all you eat. Don't eat 1 meal that's 1,200 calories, then three 200 calorie meals.
B) Carbs Carbs Carbs. Majority of my carb sources (no I don't count, but I am talking like breads, oatmeal's, smoothies, fruits etc) start first thing in the AM and slowly shut down by dinner. Our body is more sensitive to carbs early and slows down digesting them through out the day, so they just generally become stored but if you eat some carbs at dinner, it's no sweat. (As long as it fits in your macros). I'm not afraid to eat an apple at 10:00 PM if I must. It's better then gorging on the cookies or sweets we seem to crave late.
C) Mix it up. DJ's have their own job/career for a reason. They mix stuff, make things sound neat from the norm/regular sounds. So many people eat chicken and veggies everyday for lunch and dinner. Yuck. VARIETY is the spice of life. Menshealth.com has a fabulous recipe database, check it out to spice up your life. Throw that steamed broccoli in a bowl with some brown rice, black beans, and add some hot sauce instead. Make your oatmeal with skim milk and add a banana or some cocoa powder rather then just oats and water.
D) Stop crying about fruit carbs. I refuse to worry about how much fruit/veggies I eat. Honestly, where has there been a case of fruits or veggies making you fat? 'Ahhhhh, bananas are high in sugars and too starchy for me though!' Cry some more baby. Jeez. (Unless they are all fried up or added with syrups, dried, sugars and crap). Sure, I imagine people could gain weight on a 30 bananas a day diet, but that's just silly. I am not afraid to kill a couple pieces of fruit in one sitting. I am not afraid to destroy any vegetable at ANY time. They are both good. Eat up. Enjoy.
E) Stealth Super foods. Got the top secret gourmet super mega over powered foods in my diet. What am I talking about here? Foods that instantly add 9 inches to my biceps (not really). Actually, they are foods that I DEMAND I wear a cape while eating. Or at least flexing. Quinoa, Goji Berries, Acai berries, Buffalo meat, Almond Butter, Shirataki Noodles, Flax Seed, Whey protein powder, Wheat Germ. These are just a few of many typical super secret weapons I use in my diet. All have amazing profiles.
F) Drink Green tea! Holy Crap. If there was one secret I would want to reveal which isn't so secret, it's to drink green tea (and other teas like non-caffeine teas later at night). Wake up and boil some water, steep a bag or two of organic green tea, and have that rather coffee. There are TREMENDOUS studies showing the relationship between green tea and weight loss. Look at 90% of the Asia population. Thin. Not fat. Period. They drink green tea like it's their water. NO, not that Lipton added sugar green tea you buy in the stores for convenience. I am talking straight tea bag green tea.
G) All eating created equal. Another simple, yet general standard I try to follow is try to have a bit of all three macro nutrients with each meal/snack (Carbs, Proteins, Fats). Oatmeal (carbs), A Tbsp of olive oil or little bit of natty peanut butter (fats, but could also be your protein source as well), and a little tablespoon of whey protein powder (protein). There is a perfect 3 macro nutrient dense breakfast. Another example, Yogurt with some Almonds (Also a super combo since calcium from yogurt helps the digestion of the Vitamin E from the Almonds).
H) Fiber Fiber Fiber. It's no secret. It's pretty publicly known that we don't get enough fiber. Too much eating of processed foods anymore (white carbs) and not solid dense complex carbs. Fiber is a blessing. A HUGE blessing. Oatmeal with flax and a banana = ~15g fiber. About a little under or half your fiber needs alone. Sure, it's better to split your intake through the day, but you can get it pretty easily.
I) If it comes in a box, just stay away. Okay, this can be debated obvious. I buy some oatmeal's and certain things in a box. heck, I order certain super foods and it comes shipped in a box (lololzz!) But ~85% of processed, junk, candies, pastries, chips, etc come in a box or bag. If man made it/process it, stay away. If it came out of the ground or off a tree, devour it. Except for those really poisonous black berries that look good! Stay away from those. They may just ruin your day (or week).
and my final and what I fee is my most basic tip or fact about me....
J) Live Loose and DON'T hang up on your mistakes.
We all know that you don't want to eat grains like a horse all week. We all know that eventually, you miss that pizza, some wings, a beer or soda, a donut, or whatever it is that you just are weak in the knees for. For me? Ice cream. I could eat it 10 times a day everyday. For 1-2 meals a week, No bars are held about what I eat. Granted, for those of you who know me well, I enjoy eating good and the way I eat, so I barely ever 'cheat'. If I eat 3 major meals a day, 7 days a week. That's 21 meals. 90% of that is 18.9, which we can call 19 meals. I strongly believe that as long as I am eating nutritionally dense and good meals/foods 90% of the week (aka 19 meals), then I can afford a cookie here or there. i can afford a few slices of pizza on occasion. for 2 (I would recommend one for people trying to slim down) meals a week, I am okay with eating a little off topic for my foods. I'll have that medium size ice cream cone. I'll eat 3 slices of pizza. It's that simple. This is assume that my snacking stays solid. For every 2-3 times you snack on something not so good, I just lost my cheat meal.
Another thought is, honestly, I make mistakes. Sure, I had two cheat meals, but I just went to visit friends and there was a bag of Doritos or some cheese-it's they were eating. What do I do? Eat like 2-4 servings worth.. Gosh dang it! Blow it off. Don't hang up on it and think 'time to go run a mile or work extra hard tomorrow'. It happens. Just don't make it a habit/excuse to slip up. If you make a mistake, get over it, move on, keep working hard.
I don't diet because it's good for you, but because I feel good doing it. I enjoy feeling good alllll day long. Not needing naps because I am tired. Sleeping every night from 11:30-12:00 until 7:00 Am. I wake up and jump right out of bed feeling great and ready to take the day on. Having tremendous amounts of energy for my work outs (Thank you green tea in the AM!). Look sharp and punctual and always being on time. Feeling good about myself and my lifestyle.
Lots of info. Hopefully you enjoyed it. There is so much more, but this blog was 1. big enough and 2. I'd like to write a book someday so I can't release everything for my secrets. : )
God bless and Enjoy!
So many of you probably think I pencil down every calorie, carb, fat, and protein that I take in huh? I know the stuff I eat alone spins heads, but here is your answer,
No, I have never counted and never will the point values of my food.
Why not, Adam?
Lifting/Nutrition/Fitness isn't my job, it's my hobby/passion. The minute I start having to pencil down every single thing that I eat, I'll burn out fast. Now mind you, this doesn't work for everyone and some actually like to journal/log their stuff. Hey, more power to you. But it's not for me. I may do it a bit with lifting, but not nutrition.
Now, how do I follow my diet? How do I eat? When? All these questions. Here is the sum up.
A)
I eat 5-6 times a day (3 major meals being Breakfast, Lunch Dinner, then a small snack between each major meal. Sometimes one later after dinner).
This is my general eating times:
7:00 AM:: Breakfast
10:00 AM:: snack
1:00 PM:: Lunch
3:30-4:00 PM:: snack
7:00 PM:: Dinner
(Optional 6th snack around 10:00 which is usually cottage cheese, or a tall glass of milk with a little scoop of chocolate whey just to flavor it.)
This doesn't work for everyone. Some people don't like to have to eat this much. That's fine. Eat 4 times a day. Just make sure your daily calorie intake is split among all you eat. Don't eat 1 meal that's 1,200 calories, then three 200 calorie meals.
B) Carbs Carbs Carbs. Majority of my carb sources (no I don't count, but I am talking like breads, oatmeal's, smoothies, fruits etc) start first thing in the AM and slowly shut down by dinner. Our body is more sensitive to carbs early and slows down digesting them through out the day, so they just generally become stored but if you eat some carbs at dinner, it's no sweat. (As long as it fits in your macros). I'm not afraid to eat an apple at 10:00 PM if I must. It's better then gorging on the cookies or sweets we seem to crave late.
C) Mix it up. DJ's have their own job/career for a reason. They mix stuff, make things sound neat from the norm/regular sounds. So many people eat chicken and veggies everyday for lunch and dinner. Yuck. VARIETY is the spice of life. Menshealth.com has a fabulous recipe database, check it out to spice up your life. Throw that steamed broccoli in a bowl with some brown rice, black beans, and add some hot sauce instead. Make your oatmeal with skim milk and add a banana or some cocoa powder rather then just oats and water.
D) Stop crying about fruit carbs. I refuse to worry about how much fruit/veggies I eat. Honestly, where has there been a case of fruits or veggies making you fat? 'Ahhhhh, bananas are high in sugars and too starchy for me though!' Cry some more baby. Jeez. (Unless they are all fried up or added with syrups, dried, sugars and crap). Sure, I imagine people could gain weight on a 30 bananas a day diet, but that's just silly. I am not afraid to kill a couple pieces of fruit in one sitting. I am not afraid to destroy any vegetable at ANY time. They are both good. Eat up. Enjoy.
E) Stealth Super foods. Got the top secret gourmet super mega over powered foods in my diet. What am I talking about here? Foods that instantly add 9 inches to my biceps (not really). Actually, they are foods that I DEMAND I wear a cape while eating. Or at least flexing. Quinoa, Goji Berries, Acai berries, Buffalo meat, Almond Butter, Shirataki Noodles, Flax Seed, Whey protein powder, Wheat Germ. These are just a few of many typical super secret weapons I use in my diet. All have amazing profiles.
F) Drink Green tea! Holy Crap. If there was one secret I would want to reveal which isn't so secret, it's to drink green tea (and other teas like non-caffeine teas later at night). Wake up and boil some water, steep a bag or two of organic green tea, and have that rather coffee. There are TREMENDOUS studies showing the relationship between green tea and weight loss. Look at 90% of the Asia population. Thin. Not fat. Period. They drink green tea like it's their water. NO, not that Lipton added sugar green tea you buy in the stores for convenience. I am talking straight tea bag green tea.
G) All eating created equal. Another simple, yet general standard I try to follow is try to have a bit of all three macro nutrients with each meal/snack (Carbs, Proteins, Fats). Oatmeal (carbs), A Tbsp of olive oil or little bit of natty peanut butter (fats, but could also be your protein source as well), and a little tablespoon of whey protein powder (protein). There is a perfect 3 macro nutrient dense breakfast. Another example, Yogurt with some Almonds (Also a super combo since calcium from yogurt helps the digestion of the Vitamin E from the Almonds).
H) Fiber Fiber Fiber. It's no secret. It's pretty publicly known that we don't get enough fiber. Too much eating of processed foods anymore (white carbs) and not solid dense complex carbs. Fiber is a blessing. A HUGE blessing. Oatmeal with flax and a banana = ~15g fiber. About a little under or half your fiber needs alone. Sure, it's better to split your intake through the day, but you can get it pretty easily.
I) If it comes in a box, just stay away. Okay, this can be debated obvious. I buy some oatmeal's and certain things in a box. heck, I order certain super foods and it comes shipped in a box (lololzz!) But ~85% of processed, junk, candies, pastries, chips, etc come in a box or bag. If man made it/process it, stay away. If it came out of the ground or off a tree, devour it. Except for those really poisonous black berries that look good! Stay away from those. They may just ruin your day (or week).
and my final and what I fee is my most basic tip or fact about me....
J) Live Loose and DON'T hang up on your mistakes.
We all know that you don't want to eat grains like a horse all week. We all know that eventually, you miss that pizza, some wings, a beer or soda, a donut, or whatever it is that you just are weak in the knees for. For me? Ice cream. I could eat it 10 times a day everyday. For 1-2 meals a week, No bars are held about what I eat. Granted, for those of you who know me well, I enjoy eating good and the way I eat, so I barely ever 'cheat'. If I eat 3 major meals a day, 7 days a week. That's 21 meals. 90% of that is 18.9, which we can call 19 meals. I strongly believe that as long as I am eating nutritionally dense and good meals/foods 90% of the week (aka 19 meals), then I can afford a cookie here or there. i can afford a few slices of pizza on occasion. for 2 (I would recommend one for people trying to slim down) meals a week, I am okay with eating a little off topic for my foods. I'll have that medium size ice cream cone. I'll eat 3 slices of pizza. It's that simple. This is assume that my snacking stays solid. For every 2-3 times you snack on something not so good, I just lost my cheat meal.
Another thought is, honestly, I make mistakes. Sure, I had two cheat meals, but I just went to visit friends and there was a bag of Doritos or some cheese-it's they were eating. What do I do? Eat like 2-4 servings worth.. Gosh dang it! Blow it off. Don't hang up on it and think 'time to go run a mile or work extra hard tomorrow'. It happens. Just don't make it a habit/excuse to slip up. If you make a mistake, get over it, move on, keep working hard.
I don't diet because it's good for you, but because I feel good doing it. I enjoy feeling good alllll day long. Not needing naps because I am tired. Sleeping every night from 11:30-12:00 until 7:00 Am. I wake up and jump right out of bed feeling great and ready to take the day on. Having tremendous amounts of energy for my work outs (Thank you green tea in the AM!). Look sharp and punctual and always being on time. Feeling good about myself and my lifestyle.
Lots of info. Hopefully you enjoyed it. There is so much more, but this blog was 1. big enough and 2. I'd like to write a book someday so I can't release everything for my secrets. : )
God bless and Enjoy!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday 5-4
No breakfast. Doing an Eat-Stop-Eat fast.
Fitness: Just a few simple compound exercises today
1a) Inverted rows on a barbell/power rack
1b) Bench Press
2a) Pull Ups (alternative and wide grip)
2b) Push Ups
That's all. Simple yet sweet.
I have a big list that is still accumulating of personal goals this summer. Today, I would classify as the first initial day of summer and I already accomplished one (one of the harder ones).
Was not expecting to get 1 arm pull ups, but I got a few today, and surprisingly, with each hand! I'm so excited about it. Figured it would have taken me a lot of time, but amen none-the-less!
Faith: Good weather. Friends. Family. Good food. Need I say more
Amen. Let's start this summer with a smile on our face, and enjoy the people currently in our lives. Let's appreciate what we have more. We never truly know what we have, until it's gone. So generic, yet seems so true.
-Adam
Fitness: Just a few simple compound exercises today
1a) Inverted rows on a barbell/power rack
1b) Bench Press
2a) Pull Ups (alternative and wide grip)
2b) Push Ups
That's all. Simple yet sweet.
I have a big list that is still accumulating of personal goals this summer. Today, I would classify as the first initial day of summer and I already accomplished one (one of the harder ones).
Was not expecting to get 1 arm pull ups, but I got a few today, and surprisingly, with each hand! I'm so excited about it. Figured it would have taken me a lot of time, but amen none-the-less!
Faith: Good weather. Friends. Family. Good food. Need I say more
Amen. Let's start this summer with a smile on our face, and enjoy the people currently in our lives. Let's appreciate what we have more. We never truly know what we have, until it's gone. So generic, yet seems so true.
-Adam
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday 5-1
Aprils gone? Holy crap. Schools out for summer? Holy crap.
Breakfast: Strawberry Banana Chocolate smoothie
3/4 cup milk
1 frozen banana (broken up into pieces)
2 Tbsp strawberry whey protein powder
1 tsp dark chocolate cocoa powder
2 ice cubes.
Blend, drink, savor. Mmm!
Fitness: Went and saw X-Men Origins Wolverine last night. Hugh Jackman inspired me to do a shoulders routine.
1a) Over head press
1b) Lateral raises with dumbbells
2a) up-chucks
2b) Medium grip pull ups
3a) dumbbell bicep curls start pronated then supinate hand as you raise arm. (yes did some biceps today too)
3b) close grip pull ups.
Faith: Amen. That's all I have to say. Nice job on finals week everybody. Good luck to anyone who has yet another week in school, and keep trucking. God has provided a way.
Let's focus on greatness this summer. Nothing but smiles, humbled hearts, loving each other, family, friends, and cherishing what we have. Too many times, Christians try too hard to 'serve' God as much they can. Take time to step back and just appreciate others. Write someone a letter. Help others. Love people. We all have our personal walk with Jesus. Let's work on our personal walk with our humanly relationships.
Keep the heart with summer starting folks. Be blessed. Smile bright.
-Adam
Breakfast: Strawberry Banana Chocolate smoothie
3/4 cup milk
1 frozen banana (broken up into pieces)
2 Tbsp strawberry whey protein powder
1 tsp dark chocolate cocoa powder
2 ice cubes.
Blend, drink, savor. Mmm!
Fitness: Went and saw X-Men Origins Wolverine last night. Hugh Jackman inspired me to do a shoulders routine.
1a) Over head press
1b) Lateral raises with dumbbells
2a) up-chucks
2b) Medium grip pull ups
3a) dumbbell bicep curls start pronated then supinate hand as you raise arm. (yes did some biceps today too)
3b) close grip pull ups.
Faith: Amen. That's all I have to say. Nice job on finals week everybody. Good luck to anyone who has yet another week in school, and keep trucking. God has provided a way.
Let's focus on greatness this summer. Nothing but smiles, humbled hearts, loving each other, family, friends, and cherishing what we have. Too many times, Christians try too hard to 'serve' God as much they can. Take time to step back and just appreciate others. Write someone a letter. Help others. Love people. We all have our personal walk with Jesus. Let's work on our personal walk with our humanly relationships.
Keep the heart with summer starting folks. Be blessed. Smile bright.
-Adam
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wed 4-29 Smoothie tips/ideas!
So I figured today, what the heck, why not throw out some of my secrets (which really are not that secret) on making a good smoothie.
Why smoothies?
Smoothies are a great way to bottle rocket your metabolism and get things burning like a hot furnace in you. I prefer them for breakfast since during sleep, I just went through an 8 hour fast. Liquid is digested much faster and more effective then solid foods so smoothies are a KILLER way to start breakfast. You can keep it very simple, or get wild with your smoothie ingredients. I'm a fan of both sides. Some days, I enjoy just making something quick, others I make it more delectable. Here are some basics.
Just throw any of these combo in a blender, and blend the crap out of them!
For any dairy (Milk) based smoothies, meaning ~1 cup milk (I'm a skim milk dude), you can try these combos:
Strawberry/Kiwi
Strawberry/Banana
Strawberry/Blueberry
Orange/Pineapple
Mango/Pear
Banana/Crushed Pecans/Walnuts
Banana/1 Tablespoon 100% dark cocoa powder
Cherry/1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned 100% pumpkin/1 Tablespoon cinnamon (opt little brown sugar)
2 large peaches. That's all. (this one is a summer favorite for me) You can add some honey/vanilla extract to give it the more 'peaches and cream' effect.
There is just a very simple yet good combo list. You can even mix it up. Kiwi Banana is pretty good. etc..
Here are some fun ways to mix things up when making smoothies:
- Try adding a cup of green tea instead of milk. Boil water, steep a bag of green tea, then set glass in frig/freezer until it chills.
- Add ice cubes! 1-2 ice cubes to your smoothie can give it volume to keep you filled up as well make your smoothie colder.
- Try using 'real' fruit juices instead of milk as well. Sometimes, I use 1/2 cup of Orange Juice and 1/2 cup milk. Give it that orange cream effect.
- If there is too much, just drink 8-10 oz and save the rest for an afternoon snack
- Add some peanut butter! Esp if you are looking for more of a 'mass' (gaining muscle weight) shake. (Goes great with any banana combo)
- Add 1/3-1/2 cup oatmeal! (Nuke some oats in water, then fridge it until it's more chill so you don't have a warm icky smoothie.)
- Add anywhere from 1-3 Tablespoons of whey protein! Up the protein in it a bit.
- You can also add 1-2 Tablespoons ground flax seed. Another stealthy move to add more fiber and keep you fuller.
- As said in recipes, buying some 100% cocoa powder (I LOVE the dark cocoa one personally) to add to your smoothies is an incredible (and very healthy with the flavinoids) way to add that hard chocolate taste without the cream, sugar, fat, and all the added stuff they put in chocolate.
- Add a teaspoon of olive oil to any smoothie! I know it sounds disgusting, but trust me, you won't taste it at all. Just helps with adding some mono fat fortification.
- Go buy some of Dannons light n' fit little yogurt singles. Dump one in any smoothie for added flavor and valuable nutrition!
- Freeze the fruits, then use them for the smoothie. (I LOVE doing this) Worried about bananas going bad? Just freeze some, then take one out when ready, break it up, throw into blender. Make sure to peal them first!
- If your smoothie is heavy calcium based, eat a small handful of Almonds with it (preferably raw or cocoa dusted ones). Calcium has been shown to help with the digestion, uptake, and delivery of almonds (Mainly it's Vitamin E content).
There are just some simple tricks n' tips I do with my smoothies. Smoothies to replace meals once (or twice if you are hardcore) a day is a GREAT way to get lean/back into shape/loose weight, all that good stuff!
Why smoothies?
Smoothies are a great way to bottle rocket your metabolism and get things burning like a hot furnace in you. I prefer them for breakfast since during sleep, I just went through an 8 hour fast. Liquid is digested much faster and more effective then solid foods so smoothies are a KILLER way to start breakfast. You can keep it very simple, or get wild with your smoothie ingredients. I'm a fan of both sides. Some days, I enjoy just making something quick, others I make it more delectable. Here are some basics.
Just throw any of these combo in a blender, and blend the crap out of them!
For any dairy (Milk) based smoothies, meaning ~1 cup milk (I'm a skim milk dude), you can try these combos:
Strawberry/Kiwi
Strawberry/Banana
Strawberry/Blueberry
Orange/Pineapple
Mango/Pear
Banana/Crushed Pecans/Walnuts
Banana/1 Tablespoon 100% dark cocoa powder
Cherry/1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned 100% pumpkin/1 Tablespoon cinnamon (opt little brown sugar)
2 large peaches. That's all. (this one is a summer favorite for me) You can add some honey/vanilla extract to give it the more 'peaches and cream' effect.
There is just a very simple yet good combo list. You can even mix it up. Kiwi Banana is pretty good. etc..
Here are some fun ways to mix things up when making smoothies:
- Try adding a cup of green tea instead of milk. Boil water, steep a bag of green tea, then set glass in frig/freezer until it chills.
- Add ice cubes! 1-2 ice cubes to your smoothie can give it volume to keep you filled up as well make your smoothie colder.
- Try using 'real' fruit juices instead of milk as well. Sometimes, I use 1/2 cup of Orange Juice and 1/2 cup milk. Give it that orange cream effect.
- If there is too much, just drink 8-10 oz and save the rest for an afternoon snack
- Add some peanut butter! Esp if you are looking for more of a 'mass' (gaining muscle weight) shake. (Goes great with any banana combo)
- Add 1/3-1/2 cup oatmeal! (Nuke some oats in water, then fridge it until it's more chill so you don't have a warm icky smoothie.)
- Add anywhere from 1-3 Tablespoons of whey protein! Up the protein in it a bit.
- You can also add 1-2 Tablespoons ground flax seed. Another stealthy move to add more fiber and keep you fuller.
- As said in recipes, buying some 100% cocoa powder (I LOVE the dark cocoa one personally) to add to your smoothies is an incredible (and very healthy with the flavinoids) way to add that hard chocolate taste without the cream, sugar, fat, and all the added stuff they put in chocolate.
- Add a teaspoon of olive oil to any smoothie! I know it sounds disgusting, but trust me, you won't taste it at all. Just helps with adding some mono fat fortification.
- Go buy some of Dannons light n' fit little yogurt singles. Dump one in any smoothie for added flavor and valuable nutrition!
- Freeze the fruits, then use them for the smoothie. (I LOVE doing this) Worried about bananas going bad? Just freeze some, then take one out when ready, break it up, throw into blender. Make sure to peal them first!
- If your smoothie is heavy calcium based, eat a small handful of Almonds with it (preferably raw or cocoa dusted ones). Calcium has been shown to help with the digestion, uptake, and delivery of almonds (Mainly it's Vitamin E content).
There are just some simple tricks n' tips I do with my smoothies. Smoothies to replace meals once (or twice if you are hardcore) a day is a GREAT way to get lean/back into shape/loose weight, all that good stuff!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday 4-27
Breakfast: A simple mans oatmeal.
1/2 cup instant oats nuked with skim milk (to a soupy paste)
add in a cut up banana with a Tbsp of Natty PB (Natural Peanut Butter)
Had about 5 large strawberries in a separate dish with it. Nom!
Fitness: Called for a good day of back training.
1a) Deadlift
1b) Single arm focused alternating wide grip pull ups
2a) Inverted rows on a power rack
2b) Dips
2c) (This was more-less a cooldown/high rep with low weight deal) Good Mornings
Faith:
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
When you love somebody, you don't see it, you feel it.
When you take a breathe of air, you don't see it, you feel it. (Unless it's cold! But this is just generalized)
The two necessities of life, don't generally come at the expense of visually seeing it. Sure you can call hard times watching that injured bone recovering when you just want to be playing a sport. Or sure you could call hard times seeing a paper that is showing you in debt (just to par-say, school loans), but we generally develop these 'hardships' emotionally. Sure the visual can be a spike in the process, but feelings come from the heart.
Let us remember that everything basically starts to lose it's value in this life. Sure, we classify an antique car toy model that retains its value for times to come, but as almost insincere as it sounds, it's just a toy car model. Things age, things decay.
So focus on the feelings. We have become a world full of 'give me proof'. We like to live life, very concrete. Well if God was concrete, then what would be the use of faith? Some of the finer things in life, like God, People, Love, etc are not really concrete. It's the ability to look through everything and see it from your heart.
So take time to realize that really, the unseen, hard to grasp things in life, are truly what's worth fighting for because it's something that will last forever. Nobody ever said that the best things in life, were the easiest things in life.
Life is not a continuum of pleasant choices, but of inevitable problems that call for strength, determination, and hard work. -Indian Proverb.
Keep truckin' everybody and good luck to all fellow students in college! 1-2 weeks left for everybody, then let's have a great summer.
-Adam
1/2 cup instant oats nuked with skim milk (to a soupy paste)
add in a cut up banana with a Tbsp of Natty PB (Natural Peanut Butter)
Had about 5 large strawberries in a separate dish with it. Nom!
Fitness: Called for a good day of back training.
1a) Deadlift
1b) Single arm focused alternating wide grip pull ups
2a) Inverted rows on a power rack
2b) Dips
2c) (This was more-less a cooldown/high rep with low weight deal) Good Mornings
Faith:
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
When you love somebody, you don't see it, you feel it.
When you take a breathe of air, you don't see it, you feel it. (Unless it's cold! But this is just generalized)
The two necessities of life, don't generally come at the expense of visually seeing it. Sure you can call hard times watching that injured bone recovering when you just want to be playing a sport. Or sure you could call hard times seeing a paper that is showing you in debt (just to par-say, school loans), but we generally develop these 'hardships' emotionally. Sure the visual can be a spike in the process, but feelings come from the heart.
Let us remember that everything basically starts to lose it's value in this life. Sure, we classify an antique car toy model that retains its value for times to come, but as almost insincere as it sounds, it's just a toy car model. Things age, things decay.
So focus on the feelings. We have become a world full of 'give me proof'. We like to live life, very concrete. Well if God was concrete, then what would be the use of faith? Some of the finer things in life, like God, People, Love, etc are not really concrete. It's the ability to look through everything and see it from your heart.
So take time to realize that really, the unseen, hard to grasp things in life, are truly what's worth fighting for because it's something that will last forever. Nobody ever said that the best things in life, were the easiest things in life.
Life is not a continuum of pleasant choices, but of inevitable problems that call for strength, determination, and hard work. -Indian Proverb.
Keep truckin' everybody and good luck to all fellow students in college! 1-2 weeks left for everybody, then let's have a great summer.
-Adam
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sundays call for relaxing.
Breakfast: Everyone has eggs. Eggs, eggs, eggs!
fry up some cut up white onion and scallions. Fry it up in some safflower oil. Add a tbsp of commercial canned minced garlic. When browning, add 2 whole eggs, and 2 egg whites. Scramble and cook. Serve with some hearts of romaine lettuce to give it a nice cool crunch.
No fitness today. Sundays (more-less today) call for relaxing. It's finals week so I have studying to do today, as I have already been doing so.
However, I am all about the 30 minute brisk/relax walk later this afternoon. Just take time to go for a walk, enjoy the weather, get some muscles moving to help shunt nutrition to 6 days of working out to muscle tissues. Then some light stretching.
Faith:
Let's wrap up this entire weeks faith post revolving around just doing something good. Be a nice person. If there was one thing of the entire list I posted I would do, it would to be smile at a stranger. Do it daily. It could be the only sunshine they see all day long.
fry up some cut up white onion and scallions. Fry it up in some safflower oil. Add a tbsp of commercial canned minced garlic. When browning, add 2 whole eggs, and 2 egg whites. Scramble and cook. Serve with some hearts of romaine lettuce to give it a nice cool crunch.
No fitness today. Sundays (more-less today) call for relaxing. It's finals week so I have studying to do today, as I have already been doing so.
However, I am all about the 30 minute brisk/relax walk later this afternoon. Just take time to go for a walk, enjoy the weather, get some muscles moving to help shunt nutrition to 6 days of working out to muscle tissues. Then some light stretching.
Faith:
Let's wrap up this entire weeks faith post revolving around just doing something good. Be a nice person. If there was one thing of the entire list I posted I would do, it would to be smile at a stranger. Do it daily. It could be the only sunshine they see all day long.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday 4-23
Breakfast: I hate carbs, eggs....but I love peanut butter
Fry up and scramble 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites. (Little sea salt and pepper to taste)
Dump on a plate and lay a couple slices of tomato and some hearts of romaine over top.
finished that off with a Tablespoon of Peanut Butter (Yes, just licking it off the spoon, mmm)
Fitness: HIIT. I did some mini sprints today, but as always, jumped rope for ~15 minutes worth.
Did a couple new secrete weapon core exercises. I can't list them for my own sake that I already give amazing info out, and someday, I look to write a book. : ) BUT, if you want to do abs, do.
1a) Plank on a stability ball
1b) Hanging leg raises while pulled up in a pull up.
1c) Cross mountain climbers (left knee to right elbow, right elbow left knee.
thirty seconds no rest from 1a-1c. Complete the circuit and rest for one minute then repeat three-four times.
Faith:
Again, this has been a week focused on courtesy, sincerity, love, and selflessness. Refer to the past two days faith posts about some ideas and/or things you can do to go out of your way a little bit each day to help another out. Do something nice.
Fry up and scramble 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites. (Little sea salt and pepper to taste)
Dump on a plate and lay a couple slices of tomato and some hearts of romaine over top.
finished that off with a Tablespoon of Peanut Butter (Yes, just licking it off the spoon, mmm)
Fitness: HIIT. I did some mini sprints today, but as always, jumped rope for ~15 minutes worth.
Did a couple new secrete weapon core exercises. I can't list them for my own sake that I already give amazing info out, and someday, I look to write a book. : ) BUT, if you want to do abs, do.
1a) Plank on a stability ball
1b) Hanging leg raises while pulled up in a pull up.
1c) Cross mountain climbers (left knee to right elbow, right elbow left knee.
thirty seconds no rest from 1a-1c. Complete the circuit and rest for one minute then repeat three-four times.
Faith:
Again, this has been a week focused on courtesy, sincerity, love, and selflessness. Refer to the past two days faith posts about some ideas and/or things you can do to go out of your way a little bit each day to help another out. Do something nice.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wednesday 4-22
Breakfast: Quinoa (refer to last Wednesday post about Quinoa). Also had a little singles serving of yogurt with it (I'm a fan of the Dannon's Light & Fit. Wegman's has an incredible selection of flavors).
Since this isn't a new recipe, I will give you my lunch (Could also be considered my post work out since it's eaten after working out).
Lunch: Tuna Torpedo (I make mine spicy by adding sriracha)
1 can tuna drained VERY well. (Always pick water packed or fresh over oil packed. It holds it's good fatty acid oils better)
I mix it in a bowl with:
2 Tbps plane yogurt (yes, it sounds disgusting, but remember it's PLANE so it has no taste. Just a MUCH better alternative for thickening the tuna rather then fattening mayonaise).
1 tbps Wheat germ
After mixed, slather all over a big whole wheat tortilla (A white tortilla is okay too if you just finished working out for glycogen restores).
Lay a couple big Romaine lettuce stalks and some tomato in with it.
Fire torpedo into mouth.
**I have a small glass of chocolate 1% milk with it. It's proven to be just as effective if not more effective for a post work out recovery then many 'sports supplements' on the marknet nowadays. ...and it's chocolate milk. Why complain?
Fitness: Did a lower body split today. Squats and deadlifts as my focus. Two amazing compound workouts.
1a) Barbell squat
1b) Reverse lunges with dumbbells.
2a) Deadlifts. Legs a tad more then shoulder width apart. (the wider you go, the more you work your psoas muscles (inner thighs)).
2b) 45 degree back extensions with a 35 pound plate held on my back.
That's all. Good lifts. Deadlifts alone, can hurt you if not done correctly. Majority segment of this routine could be a bit more tough so I would either get a hold of me or do deep research before attempting if you're new to them.
Faith:
Don't feel it necessary to post one today. Refer to yesterdays post and let's focus on that this week. Some may say, well Mr.Christian, shouldn't this have something everday? Well, could you go to church everday and remember what was preeched every time? Some maybe, some not so much. Especially with everyones school work load and finals. I'll put more ideas in below to follow up last nights post:
Make a promise, and keep it.
Look beyond the face of a person, and into their heart.
Don't hold a grudge (or get rid of one you have right now)
Tell someone you are thinking about them. (Or praying/have them in your heart).
Have a get-together with a friend or some friends and reminisce.
If at the grocery store, when checking out, wish the cashier a wonderful day with a smile.
Tell your mom and dad (and rest of family for that matter) that you love them and thanks for being your parent. Do this if nothing else.
Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa
Keep the heart friends. Stay strong and keep truckin'
-Adam
Since this isn't a new recipe, I will give you my lunch (Could also be considered my post work out since it's eaten after working out).
Lunch: Tuna Torpedo (I make mine spicy by adding sriracha)
1 can tuna drained VERY well. (Always pick water packed or fresh over oil packed. It holds it's good fatty acid oils better)
I mix it in a bowl with:
2 Tbps plane yogurt (yes, it sounds disgusting, but remember it's PLANE so it has no taste. Just a MUCH better alternative for thickening the tuna rather then fattening mayonaise).
1 tbps Wheat germ
After mixed, slather all over a big whole wheat tortilla (A white tortilla is okay too if you just finished working out for glycogen restores).
Lay a couple big Romaine lettuce stalks and some tomato in with it.
Fire torpedo into mouth.
**I have a small glass of chocolate 1% milk with it. It's proven to be just as effective if not more effective for a post work out recovery then many 'sports supplements' on the marknet nowadays. ...and it's chocolate milk. Why complain?
Fitness: Did a lower body split today. Squats and deadlifts as my focus. Two amazing compound workouts.
1a) Barbell squat
1b) Reverse lunges with dumbbells.
2a) Deadlifts. Legs a tad more then shoulder width apart. (the wider you go, the more you work your psoas muscles (inner thighs)).
2b) 45 degree back extensions with a 35 pound plate held on my back.
That's all. Good lifts. Deadlifts alone, can hurt you if not done correctly. Majority segment of this routine could be a bit more tough so I would either get a hold of me or do deep research before attempting if you're new to them.
Faith:
Don't feel it necessary to post one today. Refer to yesterdays post and let's focus on that this week. Some may say, well Mr.Christian, shouldn't this have something everday? Well, could you go to church everday and remember what was preeched every time? Some maybe, some not so much. Especially with everyones school work load and finals. I'll put more ideas in below to follow up last nights post:
Make a promise, and keep it.
Look beyond the face of a person, and into their heart.
Don't hold a grudge (or get rid of one you have right now)
Tell someone you are thinking about them. (Or praying/have them in your heart).
Have a get-together with a friend or some friends and reminisce.
If at the grocery store, when checking out, wish the cashier a wonderful day with a smile.
Tell your mom and dad (and rest of family for that matter) that you love them and thanks for being your parent. Do this if nothing else.
Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa
Keep the heart friends. Stay strong and keep truckin'
-Adam
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Tuesday 4-21
No breakfast today. It was a morning of fasting (Started yesterday around 12:30. Did a 24 hour fast)
This could be a mega page of typing out why I fast once in a while. Obviously, many instantly think for religious reasons (which is part of it) but also health reasons. Fasting is amazing.
Check out Eat-Stop-Eat fasting for more general info here!
Fitness:
HIIT today peeps. Yes, MORE JUMP ROPE! Can't get enough.
Today I just did ~10 minutes of intervals (probably totaled 8 hard intervals)
Then did some body weight intervals (amazingggg)
1a) Ballistic alternating bounce lunges. 4x10 rest 10 in between,
1b) Burpees 4x10. Rest 10 between.
1c) Ballistic push ups 4x10. Rest 10 between.
Do each as a separate, then kick into the next workout. When done, repeat another time or two.
Faith:
No need to write a huge daily bread. Let us just focus on smiling and being courteous tomorrow
Take a day to smile at a stranger,
Hold the door for some people.
Hug a loved one.
Learn something so you can teach it to someone else.
Drop a coin where a little boy will excitingly find it.
Let a pedestrian cross the street if you're driving.
Let someone ahead of you in the grocery line.
Call someone for no reason, just to say hi.
High five a little youngster walking with his mom in the store.
Smile and say thank you followed by their name if you are being served at a restaurant.
Just shine bright.
If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine.
-Unknown
Keep it real people. Stay upbeat. Stay full hearted. Love each other.
-Adam
This could be a mega page of typing out why I fast once in a while. Obviously, many instantly think for religious reasons (which is part of it) but also health reasons. Fasting is amazing.
Check out Eat-Stop-Eat fasting for more general info here!
Fitness:
HIIT today peeps. Yes, MORE JUMP ROPE! Can't get enough.
Today I just did ~10 minutes of intervals (probably totaled 8 hard intervals)
Then did some body weight intervals (amazingggg)
1a) Ballistic alternating bounce lunges. 4x10 rest 10 in between,
1b) Burpees 4x10. Rest 10 between.
1c) Ballistic push ups 4x10. Rest 10 between.
Do each as a separate, then kick into the next workout. When done, repeat another time or two.
Faith:
No need to write a huge daily bread. Let us just focus on smiling and being courteous tomorrow
Take a day to smile at a stranger,
Hold the door for some people.
Hug a loved one.
Learn something so you can teach it to someone else.
Drop a coin where a little boy will excitingly find it.
Let a pedestrian cross the street if you're driving.
Let someone ahead of you in the grocery line.
Call someone for no reason, just to say hi.
High five a little youngster walking with his mom in the store.
Smile and say thank you followed by their name if you are being served at a restaurant.
Just shine bright.
If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine.
-Unknown
Keep it real people. Stay upbeat. Stay full hearted. Love each other.
-Adam
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday 4-20
It was a combination of a slow/recovering weekend from all the hardships going down in my life at the moment, but still pushing through.
Breakfast: I've got smoothie moves. (Smoothie)
Smoothies are an amazing way to get you ticking in the morning and a HUGE secret weapon to blow torching body fat for loosing weight. (I know I know, I am not not fat, but I enjoy a smoothie once in a while in the AM).
1 cup skim milk
1/3rd plane yogurt
4-5 Strawberries (mine were pretty large sized ones frozen)
1/2 cup Wild Blackberries (You can also use blueberries or raspberries)
Tbps of whey powder (preferably vanilla)
1 tbsp olive oil (you won't taste it, don't worry. Just for adding some good mono fats)
Throw it all in a blender and puree. Optional moon walking while drinking it.
Guzzle a bunch for breakfast, save a little bit for an afternoon snack.
Fitness:
Upper body split today. Meaning a series of work outs that target major (and most) upper body muscle groups. (Wednesday will be a lower body split assuming I am not dead from HIIT tomorrow).
1a) Parallel Grip Chin Up
1b) Dumbbell Clean & Press
2a) Incline Dumbbell Row (Elbows Out)
2b) Incline Dumbbell Press
3a) Close Grip Bench Press
3b) Reverse Grip incline Bench Press (Brutalllll)
Faith:
1 Peter 1:8-9 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Maybe more or less directed towards active believers, but let us briefly examine this.
Nobody ever said being a Christian would be easy. No one ever said that this was a faith full of only joy, peace, happiness, etc. We're going to have some nasty days. All in about the same week, I have experienced finding out my aunt has congestive heart failure, my good high school friend passed away, and my dad has a tumor on his femur.
What's this have to do with today's reading? Faith. I still love God and believe in him with all my heart. I still have all the faith possible in him. Through these tests and fires, I still stand strong. I always will. NO ONE will ever change my mind about God. This is the kind of faith we should have. If someone walks up to you and says 'hey, I've got proof God is real' I would still say I don't want it. If we had proof, what would be the use of us grasping onto 'faith'?
So let us keep the faith friends and family. Stay strong. Never back down. We will be tested and tried. There will be hard times. But we'll get through.
Have a wonderful week everybody. Push onward and stay strong.
-Adam
Breakfast: I've got smoothie moves. (Smoothie)
Smoothies are an amazing way to get you ticking in the morning and a HUGE secret weapon to blow torching body fat for loosing weight. (I know I know, I am not not fat, but I enjoy a smoothie once in a while in the AM).
1 cup skim milk
1/3rd plane yogurt
4-5 Strawberries (mine were pretty large sized ones frozen)
1/2 cup Wild Blackberries (You can also use blueberries or raspberries)
Tbps of whey powder (preferably vanilla)
1 tbsp olive oil (you won't taste it, don't worry. Just for adding some good mono fats)
Throw it all in a blender and puree. Optional moon walking while drinking it.
Guzzle a bunch for breakfast, save a little bit for an afternoon snack.
Fitness:
Upper body split today. Meaning a series of work outs that target major (and most) upper body muscle groups. (Wednesday will be a lower body split assuming I am not dead from HIIT tomorrow).
1a) Parallel Grip Chin Up
1b) Dumbbell Clean & Press
2a) Incline Dumbbell Row (Elbows Out)
2b) Incline Dumbbell Press
3a) Close Grip Bench Press
3b) Reverse Grip incline Bench Press (Brutalllll)
Faith:
1 Peter 1:8-9 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Maybe more or less directed towards active believers, but let us briefly examine this.
Nobody ever said being a Christian would be easy. No one ever said that this was a faith full of only joy, peace, happiness, etc. We're going to have some nasty days. All in about the same week, I have experienced finding out my aunt has congestive heart failure, my good high school friend passed away, and my dad has a tumor on his femur.
What's this have to do with today's reading? Faith. I still love God and believe in him with all my heart. I still have all the faith possible in him. Through these tests and fires, I still stand strong. I always will. NO ONE will ever change my mind about God. This is the kind of faith we should have. If someone walks up to you and says 'hey, I've got proof God is real' I would still say I don't want it. If we had proof, what would be the use of us grasping onto 'faith'?
So let us keep the faith friends and family. Stay strong. Never back down. We will be tested and tried. There will be hard times. But we'll get through.
“Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”
Have a wonderful week everybody. Push onward and stay strong.
-Adam
Friday, April 17, 2009
Fridays Daily Lift and Bread
So yesterday was Carly's viewing, hence why things were not updated here, it was tough to have a clear mind.
To make up for it, I will do a post later this evening about my schedule for how I split my meals and what I do for eating.
Breakfast: Clint Eastwood Eggs.
-1 whole egg, 2 egg whites
-1/4th cup chopped up white onions and scallions. (I fry these up first with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then add eggs)
- After I get it all fried up, I add some hot sauce to give it a spice.
I ate it with a slice of 100% whole wheat bread, toasted.
Then had a handful of grapes to finish breakfast.
Fitness:
Warm up (jogs, jumping jacks, burpees)
HIIT day. Jumped rope baby. I absolutely love jump rope.
-I basically did what is in my last Tuesdays blog for the jump rope intervals, except a little more intense today since I was feeling so good.
Ended with a body weight mini circuit
1a) Balistic lunges
2b) criss-cross mountain climbers
3c) Judo-pushups.
20-30 seconds each with maximum effort, rest 45 seconds, repeat circuit 3-5 times.
Cool down.
Faith:
Let us use a quote today.
This is an incredible quote. Not one one I simply value so much, but one that should explain some of the true sincerity of Christianity as well. Stop the persecution of others. Stop screaming and just be you. LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Just leading an example for your faith, beliefs, etc should be enough for people to look at you and go 'woah, something is different about that person'. Some of the best times I have got to witness to people, has simply been by smiling at them. Not even mentioning God stuff.
It does not always take cue words, actions, plans, dates, or whatever for you to be a great person. Granted, we're going to have our down days. We're not going to be a great example/happy every single day, it's just not possible. If it was, what would be the use of life on earth? We have to struggle sometimes. Without sorrow and down days, how would we know happiness and good days. Each agonist, has it's antagonist.
So let us remember to just smile, most importantly, JUST BE YOU. Don't try to be 'more like Jesus' because we'll never be .001% of him. Granted, we strive to be better, but I don't really care for the whole WWJD expression. We can't proclaim to know an action a God would take, if we knew, we'd be as all knowing/powerful as him, so stop. We're going to mess up. We're humans. Just shine bright, and let the example you lead/your lifestyle be a light in the world and your witness at times.
Be blessed, be filled with joy. Be glad the weather has been getting better by the day. Most of all, have a fabulous weekend. Check back later for another post/stay tuned for tomorrows!
-Adam
To make up for it, I will do a post later this evening about my schedule for how I split my meals and what I do for eating.
Breakfast: Clint Eastwood Eggs.
-1 whole egg, 2 egg whites
-1/4th cup chopped up white onions and scallions. (I fry these up first with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then add eggs)
- After I get it all fried up, I add some hot sauce to give it a spice.
I ate it with a slice of 100% whole wheat bread, toasted.
Then had a handful of grapes to finish breakfast.
Fitness:
Warm up (jogs, jumping jacks, burpees)
HIIT day. Jumped rope baby. I absolutely love jump rope.
-I basically did what is in my last Tuesdays blog for the jump rope intervals, except a little more intense today since I was feeling so good.
Ended with a body weight mini circuit
1a) Balistic lunges
2b) criss-cross mountain climbers
3c) Judo-pushups.
20-30 seconds each with maximum effort, rest 45 seconds, repeat circuit 3-5 times.
Cool down.
Faith:
Let us use a quote today.
“I knew that I had come face to face with some one whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself.” -Oscar Wilde
This is an incredible quote. Not one one I simply value so much, but one that should explain some of the true sincerity of Christianity as well. Stop the persecution of others. Stop screaming and just be you. LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Just leading an example for your faith, beliefs, etc should be enough for people to look at you and go 'woah, something is different about that person'. Some of the best times I have got to witness to people, has simply been by smiling at them. Not even mentioning God stuff.
It does not always take cue words, actions, plans, dates, or whatever for you to be a great person. Granted, we're going to have our down days. We're not going to be a great example/happy every single day, it's just not possible. If it was, what would be the use of life on earth? We have to struggle sometimes. Without sorrow and down days, how would we know happiness and good days. Each agonist, has it's antagonist.
So let us remember to just smile, most importantly, JUST BE YOU. Don't try to be 'more like Jesus' because we'll never be .001% of him. Granted, we strive to be better, but I don't really care for the whole WWJD expression. We can't proclaim to know an action a God would take, if we knew, we'd be as all knowing/powerful as him, so stop. We're going to mess up. We're humans. Just shine bright, and let the example you lead/your lifestyle be a light in the world and your witness at times.
Be blessed, be filled with joy. Be glad the weather has been getting better by the day. Most of all, have a fabulous weekend. Check back later for another post/stay tuned for tomorrows!
-Adam
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday daily lift and bread.
Breakfast: Superman's breakfast.
A food that no one has really ever heard of. It's not very common, but it is basically like eating oatmeal on roid's. Extremely good for you. Not as popular, but I HIGHLY recommend getting it into your diet. Check out all about Quinoa here I always just prepare a cup of it to throw in a container to have around to eat. (1 cup makes A LOT) You make it like you would rice. You can pick some up in the health/organic section of stores. (My pick is the one from Wegmans)
3/4ths cup Quinoa warmed up
Add and stir in:
1 cut up banana
2 tsp Peanut Butter (Make sure its natural, do not buy just regular peanut butter as it contains partly hydrogenated oils which are trans fat). My favorite picks are Smart Balance Omega (Added flax seed which is a bonus) and Skippys Natural.
1 tsp flaxseed
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chopped up pecans (or walnuts)
1 tsp (preferably vanilla) whey protein powder
Eat with a nice tall glass of skim milk.
Eat it with a cape on (preferably a red cape with blue lining!)
Fitness:
~8 minute warm up (quick jog, sprints in place, push ups, lunges, jumping jacks)
1a) Incline Bench press (barbell)
1b) -Focused- wide grip pull ups (Pull ups with a focus on pulling with 1 arm at a time, for example, focus a pull up with your right hand and literally lift yourself to your ride side/right hand so your chin touches your right hand. You're still holding on with your left hand, just focusing your right side. Alternate each side.)
2a) Bulgarian Split Squats (with a barbell) you can opt for dumbbells too if you are a beginner.
2b) 1-footed calf raises. Calves are an agitating muscle group. I know I myself find it better to focus higher reps and more sets. 4x sets of 15 reps each foot.
Cool down. (basically same as warm up without sprints in place)
That's all. Simple well rounded routine. Took about thirty minutes.
Faith:
James 3:6 - The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. Placed among the parts of our bodies, the tongue contaminates the whole body and sets on fire the course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Let me add emphasis on the 'sets on fire the course of life' part. People... WORDS HURT. Honestly, Actions don't speak, they show. Therefore Words speak louder then actions (this is generalized, not indeed to be factual or debatable). What you say to people, can really effect them harder then you imagine. Granted, we get caught up in life and don't always say stuff that we mean, but...
Let us try to be more encouraging to others, not spit on them. Not name call them until their feelings are hurt. Not swearing curses at them in regards to anger/frustration. We all know that people can be dumb (including myself) and just agitate us sometimes, but rather then spit fire, blow cool air. I once was on the phone with someone and reminded her about a time she said something, and her response was "Yeah well it's just words, it means nothing". That hurt even more.
By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach.
~Winston Churchill
Chins up, Smiles bright, Be happy with who you are and what you have already, you're extremely blessed to be you.
-Adam
A food that no one has really ever heard of. It's not very common, but it is basically like eating oatmeal on roid's. Extremely good for you. Not as popular, but I HIGHLY recommend getting it into your diet. Check out all about Quinoa here I always just prepare a cup of it to throw in a container to have around to eat. (1 cup makes A LOT) You make it like you would rice. You can pick some up in the health/organic section of stores. (My pick is the one from Wegmans)
3/4ths cup Quinoa warmed up
Add and stir in:
1 cut up banana
2 tsp Peanut Butter (Make sure its natural, do not buy just regular peanut butter as it contains partly hydrogenated oils which are trans fat). My favorite picks are Smart Balance Omega (Added flax seed which is a bonus) and Skippys Natural.
1 tsp flaxseed
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chopped up pecans (or walnuts)
1 tsp (preferably vanilla) whey protein powder
Eat with a nice tall glass of skim milk.
Eat it with a cape on (preferably a red cape with blue lining!)
Fitness:
~8 minute warm up (quick jog, sprints in place, push ups, lunges, jumping jacks)
1a) Incline Bench press (barbell)
1b) -Focused- wide grip pull ups (Pull ups with a focus on pulling with 1 arm at a time, for example, focus a pull up with your right hand and literally lift yourself to your ride side/right hand so your chin touches your right hand. You're still holding on with your left hand, just focusing your right side. Alternate each side.)
2a) Bulgarian Split Squats (with a barbell) you can opt for dumbbells too if you are a beginner.
2b) 1-footed calf raises. Calves are an agitating muscle group. I know I myself find it better to focus higher reps and more sets. 4x sets of 15 reps each foot.
Cool down. (basically same as warm up without sprints in place)
That's all. Simple well rounded routine. Took about thirty minutes.
Faith:
James 3:6 - The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. Placed among the parts of our bodies, the tongue contaminates the whole body and sets on fire the course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Let me add emphasis on the 'sets on fire the course of life' part. People... WORDS HURT. Honestly, Actions don't speak, they show. Therefore Words speak louder then actions (this is generalized, not indeed to be factual or debatable). What you say to people, can really effect them harder then you imagine. Granted, we get caught up in life and don't always say stuff that we mean, but...
Let us try to be more encouraging to others, not spit on them. Not name call them until their feelings are hurt. Not swearing curses at them in regards to anger/frustration. We all know that people can be dumb (including myself) and just agitate us sometimes, but rather then spit fire, blow cool air. I once was on the phone with someone and reminded her about a time she said something, and her response was "Yeah well it's just words, it means nothing". That hurt even more.
By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach.
~Winston Churchill
Chins up, Smiles bright, Be happy with who you are and what you have already, you're extremely blessed to be you.
-Adam
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Rest well, Carly.
A friend from high school passed away last night. She was a cool girl. We had some really fun times back in our days of ole' high school. We had just reminisced not too long ago about it all. She'll be missed.
Always in our hearts Carly Combs. God bless your family, watch over us.
Let this be a reminder in addition to my faith post today. Make sure you remind the people in your life you love them. Thank your friends, for being friends. Never know when our time comes. Stop complaining, and take time to appreciate what and who you already have in your life.
Thanks for keeping me company tonight bros. (Mark, Whitey, Corey, and Brent.)
Wednesdays post will be up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Good night and God bless.
-Adam
Always in our hearts Carly Combs. God bless your family, watch over us.
Let this be a reminder in addition to my faith post today. Make sure you remind the people in your life you love them. Thank your friends, for being friends. Never know when our time comes. Stop complaining, and take time to appreciate what and who you already have in your life.
Thanks for keeping me company tonight bros. (Mark, Whitey, Corey, and Brent.)
Wednesdays post will be up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Good night and God bless.
-Adam
Tuesday's daily bread and lift.
(The first few of my blogs will be semi lengthy for sake of some explanation, thoughts, etc. Give it a couple days and it'll be a real quick read. I promise.)
Breakfast: Manmeal. (Oatmeal)
1/2 cup instant oats nuked with a cup of skim milk (until it's a soupy creamy paste)
after cooked, add:
1 tbsp Almond butter
2 tbsp fresh ground up flaxseed
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 tbsp olive oil (don't worry, you will not taste it)
1 medium cut up banana.
Flex while eating.
Fitness:
Warmed up for a good solid ten minutes. Today was a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and core (abs and lower back) day. A very generic and typical 'cardio and abs' day. This is just personal preference for me none-the-less. So as you should, did a solid warm up revolving around the major muscle groups that would be used in today's work out.
Jog for a couple minutes
30 Jumping Jacks
15 Prisoner squats
20 Push Ups
Walking Lunges (~6 each leg)
finish warm up with 10 burpee's
(mind you, these were all done with just body weight after jogging, no weights used)
Cardio has been a long debate for a while now on which is better. Long runs (aerobic) or Short hard bursts with extended recovery periods (anaerobic). I HATE long cardio. It's boring, you don't maxamize your total overall gains, and it'll just never be nearly as beneficial as higher intensities. Studys show HIIT truly is as good, if not BETTER then long runs, but for sake of arguement, email me if you want to get more into detail on this.
Jump roped in intervales today instead of sprints. You may laugh, but I challenge you to jump rope as hard as you can for a minute tough guy. Your five year old daughter will probably own you. It's an amazing way to build overall muscle (huge calves) and melt body fat. ~10 minutes of jump rope is equal to 30 minutes of running for calories burned.
HIIT:
(JR = Jump Roped WR = Walking around Recovery)
1. JR hard for 30 seconds, WR for 1 minute.
2. JR hard again for 25 seconds, WR for 45 seconds.
4. JR hard again for 20, WR for 30 seconds.
5. JR hard for 45, WR of 1 minute.
6. JR hard for 45 WR of 1 minute.
7-10. I did various footwork while jumping fairly hard:
(one footed work) 20 jumps on left foot, then 20 jumps on right foot.
Followed right into running in place jumps (alternating between feet) for 30 jumps.
You can mix it up for the last few minutes.
This is a fairly advanced routine. I wouldn't recommend this if you are just starting to get into jump rope. There is much discussion on choosing a jump rope size, the beginners phase, etc. E-mail me if you would like to discuss more a beginners level and/or preperation on a get go for JR intervales.
Core:
Too many people emphasise thousands of traditional crunches and mundane exercises for your core. Let me be the first to say that, you're wasting your time. A lot of abs comes from the twists, pulls, bends, and extensions from other work outs. Naturally, you can and should just incorporate good breathing techniques alone to get your core involved in your work outs. I just do a 6 work out circuit. Studies show that, like HIIT, working your abs hard in a series of work outs, then a rest phase, helps for most growth. Here is my core circuit.
1a) Chin up with knee raises
1b) Swiss ball planks
2a) Pike Ups
2b) Swiss ball Jackknifes
3a) Medicine ball twist crunches on a decline bench
3b) Hanging leg raises.
Notice how its numbered and lettered. 1a and 1b are done back to back as a superset ex) 1a for 8 reps right into 1b for 30 seconds. Then rest for 30 seconds, repeat.
These circuits are all done as 2 sets each with 6-12 reps. I focus Huge on form and slow sustained work outs. Four slow tightening your gut workouts are better then 20 fast blow out ones.
Good workout. Now cool down (light jog, some jumping jacks, more prisoner squats and push ups) then Stretch. STRETCH! STRETCH! STRECH!
Nobody stretches anymore. It's key. Stretching after your work outs is extremely crucial to good recovery and defined muscle growth. After working out, I usually focus on 1-2 30 second static stretches of all major muscle groups.
Faith:
It has come to my attention that there has been tension amongst friends, peers, workers, etc lately. People getting annoyed with this person. That person just not caring. Other people having real life issues and not feeling anyone there for them. On and on... (Drama)
We too many times get caught up in our own agendas and problems. It happens. I do it too. The issue is, we tend to forget the wonderful family and friends in our lives (more less take them for granted). When was the last time you got an email, text, or in person reminder from someone simply saying 'Hey, I am glad you're a good friend. I hope all is well and know that I love you bro'? A little simplicity goes a LONG way.
Calm down from your fire for God for two seconds Christians, and remember that people are almost as important and need that love/attention too. If we put 100% of our focus on God alone, who's it helping, that probably needs it more? Jesus didn't come for the healthy, he came to save/heal the sick.
Let us take time out of our day for just a few minutes to text a friend, call a family member, go to your neighbor, whatever it may be to just say hi, and thanks. Let them know you appreciate their friendship and that you hope all is well. Granted, we're not ALWAYS going to be the utmost nice because we get caught up in our daily strifes, but at least refresh others once in a while. Rather they are having problems or not, just take a minute to tell them you're glad their a friend.
(comments/feedback/questions would be much appreciated!)
God bless peeps! Stay in tune for more Iron Man material!
-Adam
Breakfast: Manmeal. (Oatmeal)
1/2 cup instant oats nuked with a cup of skim milk (until it's a soupy creamy paste)
after cooked, add:
1 tbsp Almond butter
2 tbsp fresh ground up flaxseed
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 tbsp olive oil (don't worry, you will not taste it)
1 medium cut up banana.
Flex while eating.
Fitness:
Warmed up for a good solid ten minutes. Today was a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and core (abs and lower back) day. A very generic and typical 'cardio and abs' day. This is just personal preference for me none-the-less. So as you should, did a solid warm up revolving around the major muscle groups that would be used in today's work out.
Jog for a couple minutes
30 Jumping Jacks
15 Prisoner squats
20 Push Ups
Walking Lunges (~6 each leg)
finish warm up with 10 burpee's
(mind you, these were all done with just body weight after jogging, no weights used)
Cardio has been a long debate for a while now on which is better. Long runs (aerobic) or Short hard bursts with extended recovery periods (anaerobic). I HATE long cardio. It's boring, you don't maxamize your total overall gains, and it'll just never be nearly as beneficial as higher intensities. Studys show HIIT truly is as good, if not BETTER then long runs, but for sake of arguement, email me if you want to get more into detail on this.
Jump roped in intervales today instead of sprints. You may laugh, but I challenge you to jump rope as hard as you can for a minute tough guy. Your five year old daughter will probably own you. It's an amazing way to build overall muscle (huge calves) and melt body fat. ~10 minutes of jump rope is equal to 30 minutes of running for calories burned.
HIIT:
(JR = Jump Roped WR = Walking around Recovery)
1. JR hard for 30 seconds, WR for 1 minute.
2. JR hard again for 25 seconds, WR for 45 seconds.
4. JR hard again for 20, WR for 30 seconds.
5. JR hard for 45, WR of 1 minute.
6. JR hard for 45 WR of 1 minute.
7-10. I did various footwork while jumping fairly hard:
(one footed work) 20 jumps on left foot, then 20 jumps on right foot.
Followed right into running in place jumps (alternating between feet) for 30 jumps.
You can mix it up for the last few minutes.
This is a fairly advanced routine. I wouldn't recommend this if you are just starting to get into jump rope. There is much discussion on choosing a jump rope size, the beginners phase, etc. E-mail me if you would like to discuss more a beginners level and/or preperation on a get go for JR intervales.
Core:
Too many people emphasise thousands of traditional crunches and mundane exercises for your core. Let me be the first to say that, you're wasting your time. A lot of abs comes from the twists, pulls, bends, and extensions from other work outs. Naturally, you can and should just incorporate good breathing techniques alone to get your core involved in your work outs. I just do a 6 work out circuit. Studies show that, like HIIT, working your abs hard in a series of work outs, then a rest phase, helps for most growth. Here is my core circuit.
1a) Chin up with knee raises
1b) Swiss ball planks
2a) Pike Ups
2b) Swiss ball Jackknifes
3a) Medicine ball twist crunches on a decline bench
3b) Hanging leg raises.
Notice how its numbered and lettered. 1a and 1b are done back to back as a superset ex) 1a for 8 reps right into 1b for 30 seconds. Then rest for 30 seconds, repeat.
These circuits are all done as 2 sets each with 6-12 reps. I focus Huge on form and slow sustained work outs. Four slow tightening your gut workouts are better then 20 fast blow out ones.
Good workout. Now cool down (light jog, some jumping jacks, more prisoner squats and push ups) then Stretch. STRETCH! STRETCH! STRECH!
Nobody stretches anymore. It's key. Stretching after your work outs is extremely crucial to good recovery and defined muscle growth. After working out, I usually focus on 1-2 30 second static stretches of all major muscle groups.
Faith:
Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
It has come to my attention that there has been tension amongst friends, peers, workers, etc lately. People getting annoyed with this person. That person just not caring. Other people having real life issues and not feeling anyone there for them. On and on... (Drama)
We too many times get caught up in our own agendas and problems. It happens. I do it too. The issue is, we tend to forget the wonderful family and friends in our lives (more less take them for granted). When was the last time you got an email, text, or in person reminder from someone simply saying 'Hey, I am glad you're a good friend. I hope all is well and know that I love you bro'? A little simplicity goes a LONG way.
Calm down from your fire for God for two seconds Christians, and remember that people are almost as important and need that love/attention too. If we put 100% of our focus on God alone, who's it helping, that probably needs it more? Jesus didn't come for the healthy, he came to save/heal the sick.
Let us take time out of our day for just a few minutes to text a friend, call a family member, go to your neighbor, whatever it may be to just say hi, and thanks. Let them know you appreciate their friendship and that you hope all is well. Granted, we're not ALWAYS going to be the utmost nice because we get caught up in our daily strifes, but at least refresh others once in a while. Rather they are having problems or not, just take a minute to tell them you're glad their a friend.
(comments/feedback/questions would be much appreciated!)
God bless peeps! Stay in tune for more Iron Man material!
-Adam
Monday, April 13, 2009
Welcome to my spot / Introduction.
So lately, I have been thinking, everybody is getting blogspot now at the same time thinking, well I am not. Just another wasteful boring thing to do that no one will truly care about or read. Sure enough, here I am. Hurray.
I decided to create a blogspot for a few reasons:
-Faith. I am not here to be Pastor Adam. I am not here to preach or say I am right, you're wrong. I am not here to be a hater. I am not here to say believe this, or you're going to hell. I am just quite frankly sick and tired of people spitting on Christianity and calling me 'bad, selfish, whatever, people' who throw the 'your God' crap at me, and because of that, I figured I would try to bring back the sincerity of this faith I follow as it has been utterly RIPPED apart and spit on because, well, we humans make it look bad. Plain and simple since 95% of the people that hate on the faith, really, it's the people, not the faith. These are the people that go 'Hey, that person calls himself a Christian when he is doing this or that? Then I am not a Christian anymore. Wake up, LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Don't stop. Overcome the wrong. No one said this would be easy, but it's not THAT hard either.
-Fitness. I get it ALL the time. Everyday. Questions A-Z. What's your workout? What do you eat? How can I get abs? Then it's usually followed by 'well I run 6 days a week and eat 900g protein' or something silly, Etc. So I figured, hey, why not just post a daily (or every couple day) post about the workouts I am doing, nutritional tips, advice, any thing that -Work or has worked for me- That way when people ask me about workouts, routines, or what I do, the stuff I eat, how to shop for better deals on fruits/veggies, etc, I can just say 'check out my blogspot'. Much of this WILL be from a reference point of view on what has worked for me. I am not here to tell you how to work out or what to do or exactly how to eat. Then if you get sick/hurt, I get sued. Hurray.
-Friends/Family. I am moving back home to Corry to be with my grandparents this summer. I feel very lead to go back and be with them/care for them while their time spent is probably creeping up on me. With that means that I won't have a ton of my general friend groups around to see daily as I do here in Edinboro during the school year because 90% of my friends hate Corry and aren't around anymore. So I figured hey, I will keep them up to date as well in cause I stay busy with my YMCA/Absolute internship work.
So we'll see how unsuccessful this turns out to be until I probably delete it! Otherwise, stay tuned. I will officially start my first real deal blog tomorrow sometime.
God bless, and have a fabulous week. Stay fit, mentally and physically.
-Adam
I decided to create a blogspot for a few reasons:
-Faith. I am not here to be Pastor Adam. I am not here to preach or say I am right, you're wrong. I am not here to be a hater. I am not here to say believe this, or you're going to hell. I am just quite frankly sick and tired of people spitting on Christianity and calling me 'bad, selfish, whatever, people' who throw the 'your God' crap at me, and because of that, I figured I would try to bring back the sincerity of this faith I follow as it has been utterly RIPPED apart and spit on because, well, we humans make it look bad. Plain and simple since 95% of the people that hate on the faith, really, it's the people, not the faith. These are the people that go 'Hey, that person calls himself a Christian when he is doing this or that? Then I am not a Christian anymore. Wake up, LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Don't stop. Overcome the wrong. No one said this would be easy, but it's not THAT hard either.
-Fitness. I get it ALL the time. Everyday. Questions A-Z. What's your workout? What do you eat? How can I get abs? Then it's usually followed by 'well I run 6 days a week and eat 900g protein' or something silly, Etc. So I figured, hey, why not just post a daily (or every couple day) post about the workouts I am doing, nutritional tips, advice, any thing that -Work or has worked for me- That way when people ask me about workouts, routines, or what I do, the stuff I eat, how to shop for better deals on fruits/veggies, etc, I can just say 'check out my blogspot'. Much of this WILL be from a reference point of view on what has worked for me. I am not here to tell you how to work out or what to do or exactly how to eat. Then if you get sick/hurt, I get sued. Hurray.
-Friends/Family. I am moving back home to Corry to be with my grandparents this summer. I feel very lead to go back and be with them/care for them while their time spent is probably creeping up on me. With that means that I won't have a ton of my general friend groups around to see daily as I do here in Edinboro during the school year because 90% of my friends hate Corry and aren't around anymore. So I figured hey, I will keep them up to date as well in cause I stay busy with my YMCA/Absolute internship work.
So we'll see how unsuccessful this turns out to be until I probably delete it! Otherwise, stay tuned. I will officially start my first real deal blog tomorrow sometime.
God bless, and have a fabulous week. Stay fit, mentally and physically.
-Adam
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