Now this is just a quick observation of my watching and listening to the President and CEO of Humana Health Insurance on C-Span talking about rising health care costs and legislation.  Boring as usual but he started speaking about children and their being overweight.  His discussion talked about them playing video games, inactivity and such creating a lifestyle that made them obese.  Now I’m watching him and thinking to myself, he’s lecturing the masses on health, eating right and exercise when I can see what kind of shape he’s in.  I’ve shared information from the CDC on Obesity in the US and what I’m seeing on TV certainly looks like a trend from that report, ….just say’in….

He also talked about BMI or Body Mass Index and noted that in his own company that those with a BMI over 30, spent all the money.  Now I’m fairly he was sure about the health insurance money, but he stated that if he could figure out a way to lower the BMI of his employees and knew it would lower his cost by 25 million, then he would be all over it.  But he hasn’t figured out a way to do that yet.  You have got to be kidding me!  Eating right and exercise…Duh!

The problem lies in that we are quick to point out others faults and fail to take action ourselves.  Now don’t get me wrong, I have to look at myself in the mirror and forcefully say…”Hey…do what you preach or don’t preach…”.  My real desire is that if we are going to try and help others, that we first help ourselves.  It’s like on a plane ride.  Remember that the flight attendants say that in an emergency, first place the mask on yourself, then help others do theirs.  There is a reason for that which I think is very obvious.  So let’s start taking care of ourselves first, then let’s care for one another and help them where they’re willing too.  Have a great weekend my friends!

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Healthy Eating Habits

Wouldn’t it all be wonderful if we completed all the tasks in front of us, ate all the right foods, exercised every day and spent time with the one we loved like we should? Hmm… what a wonderful world that would be!

But if you are anything like me, that’s just not the case. We all live rushed lives. It seems as though we are continually on the go. We wake up already behind schedule…(I know some of us just like to sleep in)…

Read the rest of this entry »

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Ok, as promised in my earlier blog, Body mass Index or BMI, here’s some information on how WE are trending in the United States.  Now I was being politically correct when I said WE.  I know this isn’t you, so for everyone else out there, let’s take action and do something.  I wanted to do this article in a video so you don’t have to read a lot, and it’s a short video any way, so why am I continuing to type?….  Take a look!

So again, my hope for you is to share this information with your family and friends.  Tell them to take nutrition and exercise seriously, or they may be on the path to a statistic on our map we just saw.  Get into a great at home work out routine such as P90X, Insanity, Chalean Extreme, Slim In 6, Rev Abs, Turbo Jam or something else.  If not they might just have to start using the Kathy Smith’s Project You Type 2 program that helps those fighting Diabetes.

So take action NOW!

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So you’ve reached a plateau.  What now?  You started working out, eating right and suddenly
you’ve found that you’re not seeing any more gains.  Sort of stuck in one place.  Bummer!

No, just kidding.  When you feel like you’re not improving and maybe even losing ground, not
to fear, there’s much you can do to keep tracking forward.

Read the rest of this entry »

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I just finished my cardio at home workout.  It’s been awhile since I did this one so like everything new, the body rebels.  Well maybe my mind any way.   This is Tony Horton’s One on One Cardio Interval routine.  There are twenty different moves.  And you get to do them TWICE!

Here are a few snapshots of Tony Horton doing some of them.  He’s punching, lunging, twisting and hopping.  He’s sweating and I’m sweating.  Shoot, I should have taken a video of me doing it!  This is real stuff.  He glances at his heart rate monitor several times and we’re both on track to 150 plus each time.  He’s 50 and I almost am.  (He’s in a lot better shape than I am though).

So this just goes to show that you can do a cardio in home workout instead of running around the block.  Boring!  This One on One Cardio Interval routine is one of many in Tony’s 2^nd volume in the One on One series.  My advice to you is get them.  Really, they’re only pennies a day and you get one a month.  Lots of variety, great Tony Horton instruction all done in his own downstairs workout room at home.  So what are you waiting for?  Decide today and Get Fit, Get Healthy and Live Again!

Check out my Fitness Page for One on One for a video of this excellent at home workout routine!

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Brett Hoebel has given me a new way to work out my abs.  I thought I had come across the best ab routines and methods until I used RevAbs.

One minute I’ll be standing doing a few moves, the next I’ll be on the floor being put through some merciless routines.  Mercy is what you’ll be crying, but it feels so good you don’t want to stop.  I had been combining a few routines from several different types of workouts I do and had come up with my “90 minute” ab cruncher series.  But Brett Hoebel and RevAbs really has me putting that routine back in the file cabinet.

He uses high intensity calorie burning cardio routines as well.  Because we all know that you need cardio to burn away the fat as well as resistance routines to build the muscle.  In an earlier article I talked about Abs are made in the Kitchen and you can find that in the Jan 2010 archive.  Through strength and endurance, power intervals and Abcentrics, revAbs really targets that core part of your body that the opposite sex is just going to love on the beach.  Bret engages your abdominal muscles throughout your entire workout so every move counts. You’ll build a lean, strong physique with a variety of lively exercises, including the acrobatic martial art known as Capoeira.

Click on the Fitness tab above and find RevAbs.  Read all about it and decide today to get that middle section of your body into shape.

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This post may seem a little boring as compared to some of my other musings, but it’s here more for you to be able to see what’s in this crazy, life changing, body sculpting workout routine.

Out of the box you get…

• 12 DVD’s, Chest & Back, Plyometrics, Shoulders & Arms, Yoga, Legs & Back, Kenpo, Stretch, Core Synergistics, Chest Shoulders & Triceps, Back & Biceps, Cardio, Ab Ripper X

• 3 Phase Nutrition Plan
• Fitness Guide
• How to bring it video
• Workout Calendar
• Online Support

Choose one three different intensity levels from Lean, Classic or Doubles.

It’s 90 days of workouts varying from resistance to cardio.  Stretching and flexibility routines are also thrown in for good measure along with a fantastic AB program t o give you those rock hard abs.

Tony’s concept of muscle confusion accelerates your results by constantly introducing new routines so your body never plateaus.  The first month you do 3 weeks of exercise and the last week is reserved for recovery doing cardio.  The second month is a whole new set of workouts setup similar to the 3 week and 1 week as the first month.  The last month is a mixture of the first two.  Believe me, you will see results.

I’ve done several rounds of P90X and I still love watching and workout to these DVD’s, listening to Tony and being encouraged and laughing at some of his comments as he leads me through each routine.  I know you’ll love it as much as I have.

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Let’s face it.  If we all had an unlimited amount of time, didn’t have to sleep and energy to spare we would all have more success in doing our workout for the day.  Exercising for most of us is something that we love AFTER the workout is done.  But getting it done can be a chore if you’re anyone like me with a very busy day.

Let’s see, I go to work with a drive time of an hour.  Ten hours at work, then an hour home.  The dog grabs my attention for his 30 minute jaunt around the neighborhood then it’s time for dinner.  Relax time seems to be a long way off as I finish the dishes and do a chore or two around the house.  Getting that hour workout in can be a challenge at times.

I’ve found that if I do it early (VERY early) in the morning I can have that success in my life that starts the day off with more to follow.  The morning time for me works best.  You see, if I do it early, then when I get home and caught up doing everything else I don’t have to worry about “I’m too tired to workout” and have a failure for the day.  Now this is just my time.  Yours may be quite different, but I’ve found success in working out in the morning creates a whole series of possible successes in my day.

So the morale of the story is; find that time in your day where you can exercise and have done without other things interfering with YOUR success.

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Have you seen this infomercial on TV?  Wow!  Can I really believe what I’m seeing?  People are jumping around, moving from one exercise to the next.  These guys are doing pull ups, push-ups, lunge’s and throwing in some exercises with dumbbells.  This has got to be a myth, because the people I see showing their before and after results from using P90X are just too good to believe.  Or are they?

I have to admit, these men and women doing P90X on TV sure do look like they’re sweat’in through the routine.  Heck, they aren’t even using the excuse that they slept in a Holiday Inn last night.  They’re move’in and groove’in and getting it done.  The men and women showing their fantastic results from using P90X certainly lead me to believe that this in NO myth.  The pictures look real and taken in their home.

OK, I’m playing the devil’s advocate here about this infomercial and being a little silly, but I was once one of these “Before” photo people!   My story started when I was out of town and lounging on the bed in a hotel room (not a Holiday Inn) eating a doughnut of all things and channel surfing on TV.  I came across this P90X program and was floored.  I made up my mind right then and there that I was taking command and control of my life and making my change right then and there!  I picked up the phone and ordered P90X.   You can get it HERE. Well the delivery was no myth.  Just a few short days later I had the program in hand and was anxious to start.

I flipped that mental switch in my mind and haven’t looked back.  As you can see from my before and after pictures, this P90X program is NO myth!  I lost 30 plus pounds and gained muscle.  I’m almost ready to take my next series of after pictures so stay tuned and check back here often to see how much more muscle I’ve gained and fat I’ve lost.

Don’t get me wrong, this program is no magic pill.  You do need to open the package and slide in the DVD and do the workout.  I was a little intimidated at first and could only do a few of some of the moves, but as I kept at it, I got stronger and was able to do more and more.  You will too!  So here’s my advice to you.  Do IT!  Take control of your life today and order P90X.  I believed in it so much that I became an Independent Beachbody Coach with Beachbody and am authorized to sell this program to you.  So take comfort in the fact that you are getting an authorized program with a full 30 day money back guarantee.  And I will become your coach for free.  That’s right, I get to serve you and help you stay on track to reach your fitness goals.  So what are you waiting for?  Just do it!

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OK, OK.  I give in.  Sometimes I’m as confused as you about all these technical terms in life that people around us spout off like they were born with that vocabulary.  Seriously though, there are a few terms that we just need help with.  And with everyone wanting to lose some weight, gain some muscle or just down right want to know what the heck is a “BMI” then I’m here to help you today!

BMI stands for “Body Mass Index” and in a nutshell provides an estimate of how much your weight is muscle and bone and how much is fat…yuck.  Now let me just say right now that BMI is a better health gauge than weight alone, but it’s not perfect so we’ll discuss other more accurate measurements in a later post.  A normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9 with 25 to 29.9 being overweight.  A BMI of 30 or greater is considered to be obese.  I have a great post coming that really shows you how we in the United States are doing from State to State as reported by the CDC.

To calculate your BMI do this; divide your weight in pounds by height in inches squared.  Then multiply that answer by 703.  OK, we’re back to math aren’t we and we all hated that in school, and least some of us any way.  So a 5 foot 9 inch man weighing 190 pounds would have the following BMI.  69 inches times 69 inches equals 4761.  190 pounds divided by 4761 equals .0399.  Multiply .0399 times 703 and we get a BMI of 28.  Now here’s the inaccuracy of it.  A heavily muscled person could be classified as overweight or obese when obviously they’re not.  So take your own physical condition into account when doing this.

If you deal only in metrics, send me a short message or reply here and I’ll do it in kilograms and meters squared… that ought to be fun!

Coming soon we’ll talk about Body Fat measurements using calipers ….

Enjoy!

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