Today's snapshot features two rather revealing Mexican shot-glasses. The lovely Emma (Andrew's sister) brought them all the way back from Mexico (she visited there last year). Gotta love them! :D
(Click on the picture if you'd like it more "in your face" :)
Did you know that muscle fatigue is essential if you want to gain results with your strength training? When it comes to resistance training you need to make sure you are challenging your muscles with more weight than they can handle to make them stronger. This is where muscle fatigue comes into play. Have you ever felt some discomfort, a slight burning sensation, or even pain in the muscle you're working when doing resistance exercises? If so, then it sounds like you're probably experiencing muscle fatigue. The basic rule for gaining any results from resistance training, is that you need to feel some discomfort in the muscles that you are working.
To give your muscles a full-on workout then you want them to reach failure (or momentary muscle failure). This is the point during your set where the targeted muscles reach complete exhaustion. When you experience muscle failure, you could not possibly do anymore repetitions without compromising your form and/or using other muscles--this is quite possibly the only thing in your life you ever wanted to fail at. Because muscle failure = muscle gain/tone, which in turn = loss of body fat.
When I am picking a weight to start with for a new exercise, I choose a weight I can only lift 10-15 or so times before really feeling fatigued. This means that after two or three sets, my muscles are going to be pretty well worked and I will have most likely worked through fatigue and achieved failure.
You know that feeling after pushing your legs to their extreme with, say, deadlift squats, and you feel them shaking and almost jelly-like--that's muscle failure.
Sometimes after doing a hard workout, when I get home and try walking up the three flights of stairs (to get to our flat) my legs feel very wobbly and light, like noodles. That's becuase of muscle fatigue/failure...and I tend to like that feeling. :)
I do (either of the following depending on my mood--or a combination of some of them:) : a cup of tea, a vigorous workout, a hot bath with lavendar and chamomile, ice cold lemon water (but it has to be in a glass cup!), an hour of yoga, a good book in bed, a glass of red wine, DVDs with popcorn (I especially love renting TV shows that I never got a chance to see)...
Your turn...
Ashley is going in for a minor ear operation on Tuesday (to have grommets put in her ears). She's had quite a few ear infections since she was born (and tends to have more during winter) so hopefully this operation will help prevent any further reoccurring infections.
I've known this was coming, but I've been quite nervous about the whole ordeal over the past week, as she is still very little and will have to be put under full anesthesia. Every time I think about it my stomach knots up real tight. I know that it's a basic, simple procedure, but still it's probably one of the hardest things, as a parent, to watch your child go into an operation theater. Regardless of the fact that it's a minor operation, I still keep visualizing pictures in my head of her tiny sleeping body being wheeled into the operating room. I realize that I am most probably over-dramatizing the ordeal in my mind, but I just can't seem to wipe the visuals that keep coming to haunt me. Damn this vivid imagination at times like this.
I'm sure they will do a terrific job and I know she'll be fine, my feisty little nugget, who's usually always very brave. Apart from the many motherly worries I try not to dwell on, mostly, I'm just hoping there won't be any pain when she wakes up from it all, and that to her it will seem like she's just getting a lot of great attention!
More on strengthening your abs after pregnancy. The first months after the birth of a baby is a time to focus on the deeper abdominal muscles. I cannot stress enough how important it is to not start doing sit ups immediately. This won't have the right effect of flattening out your stomach, and could cause damage to your muscles in their delicate state. During the first six weeks, many women feel discouraged about their body shape and lack of abdominal tone. Although muscles and skin that were stretched to allow for a baby's growth will take time to return to their original state, you certainly can speed up abdominal recovery by incorporating specific exercises that target the lower abdomen (which is where the muscles were stretched the most). Starting a gentle, progressive exercise routine as soon as you have your doctor's approval is the first step in regaining strong, supportive abdominal muscles. (Also remember that for those who are recovering from a cesarean section you should avoid any abdominal exercises until you are fully healed and have consulted with your healthcare provider.) As i mentioned above, it's not safe to do traditional abdominal exercises such as sit ups right away as it can put too much stress on a postpartum abdomen and back and are not recommended for new moms. The most effective postpartum abdominal exercises are the series developed by Shirley Sahrmann, a physical therapist who specializes in abdominal rehabilitation. These exercises are designed to target the muscles of the lower abdomen without creating stress on the back or a diastasis recti (a thinning and widening of the connective tissue between the recti muscles that occurs during pregnancy). Monitor yourself through each step, and avoid jumping ahead to the next level until you are able to do 20 repetitions each leg without losing you abdominal contraction. If you notice you are unable to hold your basic breath contraction while doing you leg slides, then you need to decrease your repetitions to the point where you can maintain a contraction. The purpose of this series of exercise steps is to isolate the abdominal muscles and incrementally build strength. If a woman is working at a level that is too difficult for her abdominal muscles, her body will recruit other muscles groups to do the movement and possibly cause injury to her weakened back and recovering abdominal wall. Sahrmann Abdominal Rehabilitation Exercises: The first exercise is called the basic breath. It will teach you how to isolate and control your abdominal muscles as you move your legs through a series of exercises. Step #1 Figure 1 Figure 2
Step #2
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| Figure 3 | Figure 4 |
Step #3:
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| Figure 5 | Figure 6 |
When you can comfortably do 20 of Step #2 Sahrmann exercises with each leg, you can move on to Step #3.
Step #4:
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| Figure 7 | Figure 8 |
If you can comfortably do 20 repetitions each leg of Step #3, you’re ready to move on to Step #4.
Step #5:
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| Figure 9 | Figure 10 |
You may try this exercise when you can do Step #4 20 times each leg while maintaining your abdominal contraction without your back arching.
With each exercise, remember to keep breathing, contract your abdominals as you move your leg and don't let your back pop up. If the arch in your back keeps popping up during the exercise, it means you're not strong enough to progress to this level, and you need to go back to the previous exercise until you build greater strength.
This was a bit of a continuation of the last few posts I did on strengthening your abs after pregnancy. I am planning to do a post soon on exercise during pregnancy as this is something that is very important for your health, as well as the health of your unborn bub. If you didn't get a chance to read the other core posts I've done, here are the links:
Her telephone etiquette leaves something to be desired at times.
"Should we call Daddy and talk to him?"
"Yesh. *takes mobile phone* Mine mine!"
*Holds mobile phone upside-down against ear* "Hello, hello daaaadee daaadee!"
*beepy sound of millions of buttons being pressed on mobile*
*random gibberish*
"Okay. That didn’t work. Mummy help??"
(After a couple of tries, Daddy rings back.)
"Daadeee!!"
(She has a habit of talking about what she can see around here when on the telephone, which can be somewhat confusing for the listener, who doesn’t have a clue why she is saying “car! book! milk!” in response to “What are you doing today, Ashley?”)
"Hello sweetie, are you with Mummy?"
"Daadeee!"
"Yes it’s Daddy. Are you having fun with Mummy at the park?"
"Daddy...mummy"
"Can you hear Daddy giving you a kiss? Listen …" *kiss noise*
"dabudaba googily googily. One, two, three, four yay."
"…? Okay sweetie, can I speak to Mummy now? Say bye bye to daddy?"
"NO Daddy! No!"
She unintentionally hangs up. Again.
I've been working on a scrapbook project--Ashley's first year. Here are some of the pages in their (almost) final stages. They're for a 12x12 inch scrapbook album and I am including a variety of photos as well as some mementos I've saved up, such as her ultrasound pic, the wrist band she wore at the hospital, her first birthday invitation, etc. Fun!
(By Joey Atlas, M.S. Exercise Physiology)
As a woman - you either ‘have cellulite’ or you know at least one other woman who suffers from this beauty crippling ‘condition’.
I understand you may have heard many other ‘opinions’ or read various articles on the subject - but I’m here to give you some helpful info from a very different perspective - one that is sure to help you - or anyone you might know who is looking for help in reducing or completely getting rid of cellulite.
First things first:
It’s simply a word, derived from French and Latin roots, that is used to describe the bumpy/dimpled appearance of skin. (the roots are ‘cellula’ and ‘-itis’)
Ponder this:
There are women who are ’skinny’ - with the appearance of cellulite, and there are women who are ‘fat’ with no signs of cellulite at all.
So what gives?
Well - lets back up a little - to help us put this into perspective.
If we take two overweight women - one without the appearance of cellulite, and one with the appearance of it - we have to first answer the question: Why/How is this?
Before I get further into this - keep in mind I earned a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology - part of which entailed spending eight complete weeks dissecting a human body (cadaver) from the skin, down to the deepest layers (inside the vital organs) - which included EVERY layer in between.
First - If we were to analyze the fat from the 2 overweight women mentioned above - we would find no physiological or biological difference between the fat in their lower bodies.
BUT we would find some structural differences along with several other factors that are affected by lifestyle habits.
Here’s what we would find structurally:
The muscles beneath her fat are firmer and more toned.
The connective tissue that sits between the deepest layers of the skin and the outermost layers of the fat is tighter and smoother.
The fat deposits themselves are more evenly distributed.
The muscles beneath her fat are very soft and most likely droopy or jiggly.
The connective tissue that sits between the deepest layers of the skin and the outermost layers of the fat is looser and not as taught.
The fat deposits themselves are unevenly distributed, and lumpy in configuration.
In addition to these differences there are, most likely, differences in lifestyle habits. These are:
1 - Proper exercise, improper exercise - or no exercise at all.
2 - Nutrition habits: besides calories and ‘quality’ of foods eaten, several other factors can have a substantial impact on the appearance of cellulite:
– A: sodium intake levels
– B: hydration habits (types and amount of daily fluid intake)
– C: levels of other minerals in relation to sodium (potassium, etc)
3 - smoking, excessive alcohol intake (drinking), other bad habits.
I will be addressing more about this topic, cellulite, in future articles on this website - but for purposes of this article - I want to stay on point…
So - when we look at the factors above - and the factors that one has control over - it is quite safe to assume that a woman who is affected by the appearance of cellulite in the form of fat combined with several structural challenges - she can definitely reduce the appearance of that cellulite by incorporating habits of proper and specifically targeted exercise, combined with healthy nutrition habits that take into account proper hydration and reduced sodium intake.
Now - lets go back to our original question about the ’skinny’ woman with cellulite and the ‘fat’ woman with NO cellulite.
It should be very easy to understand that the appearance of cellulite in the ’skinny’ woman has nothing to do with her having a different kind of fat under her skin - or some ‘cottage cheese’ substance that other women don’t have - but rather several structural factors that result in the dimpled and bumpy texture of the outer layer of the skin.
It is also very likely that these structural factors are ‘in addition to’ poor health habits and the lack of proper exercise.
Hence the reason to realize that cellulite, this thing that doesn’t even actually exist, can be reduced and many times ‘removed’ completely.
In reality we are simply changing the appearance of the surface of the skin. We do this with slight changes in the muscle, nutrient balance, hydration and connective tissue ‘taughtness’. Exercise is the catalyst that drives the reasons for change in the structural components that make up the layers behind the surface of the skin.
(Don’t ask me to explain why I google practically everything I wonder about. It’s a bit of an obsession.)
-implanon removal
-scrapbook ideas for first birthday page
-amazon.com
-what has more vitiman C—oranges or cabbage?
-what age are most kids potty-trained by
-is it okay that to eat sushi every day?
-charles Poliquin
-skinfold test pincher
-two cups = ? ml
-pumpkin patch new season
-lyrics to song like only a woman doe
-yoga pose the crow
-what do you wear for a personal trainer job interview
-knee injuries from excessive exercise
-gliding exercise discs
-shoulder length haircuts
(While talking about guys first impressions of girls, first dates etc.)
Him: There are some things that guys absolutely hate hearing girls talk about, especially if they've just met the girl. Things like: My ex this, my ex that, my ex, ex, ex, ex.... Or...I don't eat meat, I don't eat dairy, I don't eat carbs. I'm kind of a vegetarian with a twist becuase I do eat certain fish and blah blah...Or...oh my god, that girls outfit is so slutty. Please pass the ashtray so I can puke in it. Those sorts of things. Complete turn-off. (All examples spoken in a squeaky high-pitched voice.)
*snicker snicker*
I've had to do some research on the issue of supplements, as a part of my nutrition course, and following are portions of some articles--which I found very educational.
Fact #1. Natural vitamins are not better than synthetic vitamins. A common mistake made not only by the general public but also by many fitness professionals as well is that vitamins made in nature are superior to synthetically-made vitamins. The fact is that the chemical structure of synthetic and natural vitamins is basically identical. In other words, synthetic vitamin C looks the same as natural vitamin C. This means that your body cannot tell the difference between them. In some instances, the absorption of vitamins can differ between natural and synthetic, but this does not always favor natural vitamins. For example, folic acid, common among prenatal vitamins, is actually the synthetic version of the B vitamin, folate. Folic acid is used in prenatal vitamins because it is better absorbed. Fact #2. Soy can help reduce cholesterol levels. Many people have heard that soy may help cholesterol levels but most have no idea how much might help. For soy to have an impact on cholesterol, studies show between 25 to 50 grams of soy per day is going to be needed. So, those who are supplementing with soy-containing foods and/or supplements and not seeing a reduction in cholesterol may simply not be eating enough. Keep in mind that most research for soy reducing cholesterol is on people who eat soy-containing foods. This leaves open the possibility that isolated soy ingredients, often found in supplements, may not have the same effect as eating soy itself. Regardless, if soy is going to help, it is important to combine it with a diet that is also low in saturated fat to obtain the best results. Fact #3. Vitamins do not give us energy. Some people may take massive amounts of vitamins (especially B vitamins) in the hopes that they will provide more pep to get through hectic days. This is why you often see a lot of B vitamins in energy drinks. However, a problem arises when it becomes known that vitamins do not contain any usable energy (calories). Vitamins do help us extract energy from food and process it. In a malnourished person, such vitamins may indeed help, but for those who eat an even halfway decent diet, vitamins alone are unlikely to improve energy levels. Remember, vitamins and food work in concert with each other to keep us healthy and provide us with the energy we need. Fact #4. To build the most muscle, eat your protein after working out. Frequently, I am asked the question, “When is the best time to eat protein, before or after exercise?” While your body will absorb protein no matter when you eat it, new research suggests that after exercise may be better than before exercise. In a study of older individuals who lifted weights, researchers found that people who ate protein immediately after exercise built more muscle than the seniors who ate protein two hours later. While this study investigated the effects of protein and strength training in seniors, there is little reason to doubt that the same effect would not be seen in younger persons. If you like to eat protein before exercise, that’s fine. Just remember to also eat some protein (and carbs) preferably within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise to get the best results (great muscle tone). Fact #5. The government does regulate supplements. It’s often stated that the government doesn’t regulate supplements. In reality, it does, but the regulations are different than those used for medications. The government has a very lengthy definition to describe what can and cannot be called a “supplement.” While this does allow for a wide range of products to be sold, the definition does have limits. For example, some hormones are not permitted to be sold as supplements. Another stipulation is that supplement companies cannot make specific claims that a product can treat or cure any diseases or conditions. Doing so might confuse people and make the product appear to be like a drug. In contrast, supplement labels can list what are called structure/function claims. These claims make reference to how a supplement is involved in helping the body. For example, the claim that a supplement helps keep bones strong is a structure/function claim. Structure/function claims are pretty easy to identify because they usually contain words like supports, aids or maintains. Fact #6. You actually CAN absorb more than 40 grams of protein at a time. There is an urban legend circulating through some fitness circles that maintains that people can only absorb a certain amount of protein per meal. Usually, people say this amount is about 40 grams. This may be why some protein bars and shakes usually do not contain much more than this amount. Regardless, while we can indeed utilize more than 40 grams of protein per meal, the real question is whether or not all of that protein is going to build and maintain muscle. This is a much harder question to answer and depends on your exercise routine, how often you work out and how much rest you get, to name a few. Some people do need more protein than others. Fact #7. Extra vitamins will not make you a better athlete. While a good quality multivitamin is probably something to consider, many studies have found that extra vitamins do not make people stronger, faster or improve any exercise-related activity. As a rule, people who exercise regularly tend to eat more food and make healthier food choices overall. Food is also a very good source of vitamins. So the more healthful food people are eating, the more vitamins they tend to eat as well. Fact #8. Even if you eat a healthy diet, you might still benefit from supplements. The very common question: “Do I need supplements if I eat well”? It turns out that the answer appears to depend on who you are. Research shows that some supplements may benefit certain groups of people when used above what is normally consumed in a typical diet. For example, it is well known that as people grow older, they tend to eat less. This can have disastrous consequences by leading to muscle and strength loss and a reduced quality of life. Some new research is finding that the branch chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) can stimulate appetite in older adults. Potentially, if you can stimulate appetite, this might lead to stronger muscles and a better chance of remaining independent to a ripe old age. Another example is the amino acid glutamine. Studies tend to show that when consumed at higher amounts than is normally eaten, glutamine may lead to shorter hospital stays in some cancer patients. There is no doubt that for most people, a balanced diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables and grains is still a great first step to staying healthy. For those who have special needs or concerns or who want to see what else they can do to stay fit, a quality-made supplement may be something to discuss with a health professional. References:
--I cannot get over how frustrating it is that I often end up re-washing the same load of laundry five times because I always forget about it.
--I also think it's very rude of me that I repeatedly interrupt Andrew while he is clearly busy concentrating on something, to sing "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" while slapping my own ass.
--I get annoyed at myself for refusing to read a book that someone else has read before me. I have to own a brand new copy before reading it.
--After cracking eggs to cook I always crush the eggshells in my hands before throwing them away. I looove the feeling of that.
Your Love is a Lie (Simple Plan)
Like only a woman can (Brian Mcfadden) [I'm loving this one the best of all =D]
Pictures of you (The Last Goodnight)
In my dreams you were perfect (Vanessa Amorosi)
Better in Time (Leona Lewis) [Her voice is amazing!!]
This Love (The Veronicas)
Don't Hold Back (The Potbelleez)
Aside from the fact that I have personally experienced better results in training both myself and others, without doing hours of cardio, here's a great explanation on why traditional cardio isn't really all it's cracked up to be:
(Portions taken from a few different articles written by Mike Geary...Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer.)
Are you a cardio junkie? Everyone seems to think that "cardio" is the best way to get in shape and lose body fat. I'm going to tell you why I disagree!
It is quite common to hear doctors, and other health professionals prescribe low to moderate intensity aerobic training (cardio) to people who are trying to prevent heart disease or lose weight. Most often, the recommendations go something like this:
"Perform 30-60 minutes of steady pace cardio 3-5 times/week maintaining your heart rate at a moderate level."
Before you just give in to this popular belief and become the “hamster on the wheel” doing endless hours of boring cardio exercise, I’d like you to consider some recent scientific research that indicates that steady pace endurance cardio work may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
First, realize that our bodies are designed to perform physical activity in bursts of exertion followed by recovery, or stop-and-go movement instead of steady state movement. Recent research is suggesting that physical variability is one of the most important aspects to consider in your training.
This tendency can be seen throughout nature as all animals demonstrate stop-and-go motion instead of steady state motion. In fact, humans are the only creatures in nature that attempt to do “endurance” type physical activities. Most competitive sports (with the exception of endurance running or cycling) are also based on stop-and-go movement or short bursts of exertion followed by recovery.
To examine an example of the different effects of endurance or steady state training versus stop-and-go training, consider the physiques of marathoners versus sprinters. Most sprinters carry a physique that is very lean, muscular, and powerful looking, while the typical dedicated marathoner is more often emaciated and sickly looking. Now which would you rather resemble?
Another factor to keep in mind regarding the benefits of physical variability is the internal effect of various forms of exercise on our body. Scientists have known that excessive steady state endurance exercise (different for everyone, but sometimes defined as greater than 60 minutes per session most days of the week) increases free radical production in the body, can degenerate joints, reduces immune function, causes muscle wasting, and can cause a pro-inflammatory response in the body that can potentially lead to chronic diseases.
On the other hand, highly variable cyclic training has been linked to increased anti-oxidant production in the body and an anti-inflammatory response, a more efficient nitric oxide response (which can encourage a healthy cardiovascular system), and an increased metabolic rate response (which can assist with weight loss). Furthermore, steady state endurance training only trains the heart at one specific heart rate range and doesn’t train it to respond to various every day stressors.
On the other hand, highly variable cyclic training teaches the heart to respond to and recover from a variety of demands making it less likely to fail when you need it. Think about it this way......Exercise that trains your heart to rapidly increase and rapidly decrease will make your heart more capable of handling everyday stress. Stress can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to increase rapidly. Steady state jogging and other endurance training does not train your heart to be able to handle rapid changes in heart rate or blood pressure.
The important aspect of variable cyclic training that makes it superior over steady state cardio exercise is the recovery period in between bursts of exertion. That recovery period is crucially important for the body to elicit a healthy response to an exercise stimulus. Another benefit of variable cyclic training is that it is much more interesting and has lower drop-out rates than long boring steady state cardio programs.
To summarize, some of the potential benefits of variable cyclic training compared to steady state endurance training are as follows: improved cardiovascular health, increased anti-oxidant protection, improved immune function, reduced risk for joint wear and tear, increased muscularity (versus decreased muscularity with endurance training), increased residual metabolic rate following exercise, and an increased capacity for the heart to handle life’s every day stressors.
There are many ways you can reap the benefits of stop-and-go or variable intensity physical training. Most competitive sports such as football, basketball, racquetball, tennis, hockey, etc. are naturally comprised of highly variable stop-and-go motion.
One of the absolute most effective forms of variable intensity training to really reduce body fat and bring out serious muscular definition is performing wind sprints.
In addition, weight training naturally incorporates short bursts of exertion followed by recovery periods. High intensity interval training (varying between high and low intensity intervals on any piece of cardio equipment) is yet another training method that utilizes exertion and recovery periods and is a magical remedy for weight loss. For example, an interval training session on the treadmill could look something like this:
Warm-up for 3-4 minutes at a fast walk or light jog
Interval 1 - run at 8.0 mi/hr for 1 minute
Interval 2 - walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes
Interval 3 - run at 10.0 mi/hr for 1 minute
Interval 4 - walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes
Repeat those 4 intervals 4 times for a very intense 20-minute workout.
The take-away message from this article is to try to train your body at highly variable intensity rates for the majority of your workouts to get the most beneficial response in terms of heart health, fat loss, and muscle maintenance.
Flowers are nice and have their time and place, but why not try an idea or two from here for something a little, er, different. :D
We all know that vigorous exercise is important, but do you ever stop and actually think about how often you exercise on average each week?
I want to know:
Need a quick fix for flabby triceps--a very common problem area (especially in women)? Try this simple exercise. You can do it almost anywhere. And winter is a great time to get those triceps all firmed up so that come summer you can flaunt your toned arms in sleeveless tops and tanks. In order for this exercise to be effective, you need to do it regularly, every other day or so. Remember to make it harder by straightening your legs as you get stronger, so that you can continue to get better results (firmer triceps, yay!)
Tricep Dips:
(Postural tip: Make sure you don't allow your neck to sink and your ears to fall close to your shoulders.)
The devil won again. Not the Devil, just the little one on my shoulder. It's like I NEVER learn. I don't have any sexual willpower. I always go back for more. Why do I always continue with such emotionally destructive behavior? What about all the hurt he caused me? What about the angry tears streaming down my cheeks? What about the absolute hell he put me through? What about the sleepless nights? I want to have control in this situation. I want to set the boundaries. But I can't do it! I can't say no.
You know what irritates me the most? Not that I actually slept with him again. Not that we had the hottest, most awesome sex I've had in awhile. But that while I am being tortured for days on end every time this happens--for him, it means nothing. Nothing emotional anyway. Nothing more than a good fuck. And while he carries on with his carefree life as usual, I can never find escape from this emotional quicksand. Drawn back into it becuase I don't have the willpower to say no.
It's not supposed to be this way. It isn't meant to always end in regret.
The nugget has become increasingly interested in her private parts over the last few months. It's a combination of a growing awareness of her own, as well as an understanding that boy’s are different.
