It’s hot out, isn’t it? I mean, I woke up and I was practically sweating at 9am. My lack of air conditioner could be a contributing factor, because the rest of the house feels fine. I can’t give one solid reason for not using an AC, but it’s mostly to reduce my carbon foot print and contributing to my parent’s electric bill. I already do enough damage to the food budget; they’re amazed at how much I eat. This current heatwave is pretty brutal, and I might be at a point where I let the AC hog my window. Sure, I’d much rather have a nice breeze flowing through my room, but when the country looks like this, I might need to make concessions.
That’s just ridiculous! All of this disgusting weather is really making me wish for Christmas to come along, even if it’s 5 months away. I’ll take the cold over this heat, and I’m a huge fan of holiday cheer that brings everyone together in the months surrounding the holiday season. New York City is awesome during that time of year, even though it may feel like living in a microwave recently. In the spirit of the holidays, I’d like to pass along some good content for you to check out before the weekend; doesn’t everyone love to read links and watch some videos?
The first video I have for you is of one of my classmates from Adelphi completing his first Muscle Up. I know that he’s been trying for a while, and since he figured it out early last week, he’s already completed a set of 4. They’re tough as hell, and I’m not quite sure I’d be able to do one, let alone four. Great job, Frank!
Next, I’d like to share an awesome exercise that Tony Gentilcore posted earlier this week that you really need to try out. It’s a plank variation with increased demands on shoulder stability, and it’s as easy as ‘Wax On Wax Off’. Named after Mr. Miyagi, you can use anything that slides on a floor to make small circles underneath your shoulder. When you try it, you’ll feel both shoulders working to stabilize your body, and you should be bracing your abs just like any other plank! In Tony’s video, he’s using a slideboard, but you can use almost anything. Yesterday my girlfriend tried them out using ValSlides, and I used a simple towel at Adelphi. We both got our asses kicked, and I think it’s definitely an exercise you should try out. Below you’ll see a video of me using a towel for the Miyagi, and THIS is a link to Tony’s original post. Read it!
While I’m recommending exercises, I’d like to share with you the dumbbell swing. It’s an obvious variation on the kettlebell swing, and it allows people without access to kettlebells to receive much of the benefit that kettlebell swinging has to offer. You’re working every muscle from the bottom of your foot up to you shoulders, and the hips/hamstrings and core get hit particularly hard. The selling point on the swing is that it’s has an extremely high energy demand, and will get your heart rate up in a hurry. If you’re looking for the most productive exercises in the world, swinging is one of them, and I’d recommend you pick up your own kettlebell. If you can’t afford it, or if your gym doesn’t provide kettlebells, the same motion can be done with a dumbbell. In the video below, John Romaniello provides concise explicit details on how to do the swing. Try them out, check your heart rate, and start to shun the treadmill in favor of swings.
After you’ve completed the awesome workout where you tried out Tony’s Miygai and John’s Dumbbell Swing, you’re likely very hungry and in need of a good post workout meal, right? Exactly!
In that case, you’re going to be happy to return home to a fridge filled with healthy foods, especially if it doesn’t cost you and arm and a leg to stock that fridge. In THIS post about ‘How to save money on your healthy grocery bill‘, Cassandra Forsythe explains 8 key steps for getting the most out of the money you spend while shopping. Some of them you’ve definitely heard before yet warrant repeating (Eat more fruits and vegetables!) while others may be new to you. If you’re doing your own food shopping and want to get the most out of every dollar you spend, it’s definitely a great list for you to check out. Again, THIS is the link.
Alright, that’s it for today, folks! You’ve seen somebody accomplish a big goal of theirs, and he’s still going hard. Setting goals (and meeting them) is a big part of improvement in your health and fitness What personal records have you set recently? If you’re in need of two great exercises, try the Miyagi and the dumbbell swing. Both are great bang for your buck exercises that get a lot done at once, and using ‘smart’ exercises like those two will help you get the most out of the time you spend in the gym. As for the money you spend at the store, click on through to Cassandra’s link and learn some easy strategies that can help you eat healthier.
Set your goals, train for them, and eat properly. If you’ve seen some examples of how to do it, what excuse do you have for not doing it?
Harold Gibbons 