Chrstopher Columbus does 20 minutes on the Precore

Most people work out just like Christopher Columbus. They go to the gym not know what they are going to do. They get to said gym and wander around not knowing what to do. They come home not knowing what they did.

Chris Columbus left for the "new world"not knowing where the heck he was going. When he got there he certainly didn't know where he was. To prove his ineptness he named the people that he found "Indians". (The real tragic irony today is that we still call Native Americans Indians.) He then went home really not knowing where he'd been.

Do you know people that work out this way? I sure do.

OK, my advice to those of you that may resemble my remarks: Have a plan! It doesn't have to be complex it just needs to be. Go to the gym with a piece of paper that has on it a workout. I don't know. Make something up. Just jot down something, walk into your workout facility and do that.

OK, so you want some guidance. What should you do?

Make sure that your workout has at least 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. You should do some functional drills and some resistance training as well. Do all three and you are getting somewhere! How many of each is up to you. As long as you do a little bit of all three then you are good to go. Let's look at what each really is and what are some options.

CARDIO: If you are sweating then you are doing cardio. You need to do at least 20 minutes of cardio virtually everyday of your life. It doesn't matter what you do really as long as you do something. I think the treadmill is the best. Swimming and rowing are excellent as well. The other stuff is acceptable as long as you do it!

FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES: Push-ups, burpees, sit-ups, squats, pull-ups, jumping jacks... see a pattern here? If you are being dynamic and/or using just your body weight then you are using your body the way it was meant to be used. To fit this into your gym routine pick at least 3 exercises and pick 3 numbers. Execute. I like to do push-ups, squats and pull-ups. As part of my routine I might do 50 push-ups, 25 squats and 20 pull-ups. Other exercises can be just as effective. You can do this at home as well. Just think of what your fitness level would be if you started your day off with 20 each squats, sit-ups, burpees, jumping jacks and push-ups. 5 minutes that could save your life.

RESISTANCE TRAINING: The "Express Circuit" is ok for the beginners but if you have any fitness at all you need to get into free weights. Here's what you need you: Focus on doing compound exercises that involve pushing, pulling and squatting. A compound exercise in one that involves multiple joints. Bench press (elbow/shoulder) is and bicep curl (elbow) is not. Doing to many sets is a waste of time. Two sets is enough. Also working the biceps, triceps, calves, forearms etc. is silly and needless. You're better off doing cardio.

OK let's tie it all together into a nice workout.

1. Cardio 20 minutes on treadmill running/walking.
2. Do at least 3 functional exercises.
3. Resistance training. For the beginner a trip through the "Express Circuit" followed by lunge walks, bench press, and lat pull-down (1 set each). For the more experienced it's 2 sets each of leg press, back squats, bench press, lat-pull down, and overhead press.
4. 15 minutes on the rowing machine.
5. Stretch for 5 minutes and be done. Have a GREAT day.

60 minutes and you are done and gone. No talking involved. No catching up with olds friends. You do that before or after. Arrive, work out hard, move on. For the quicker workout skip the 2nd cardio.

When you go to the gym have a plan. If you don't then you'll just show and do nothing like many people do. Millions of people join gyms every year and millions and people quit the gym because they don't get results. You earn the results and it requires hard work and planning.

Good luck. Have faith is yourself. Your fitness level is, afterall, your choice.

No Surprise here

You have to check out this article from Yahoo.com from today. Perhaps you've seen it had been shocked. I was not.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Pfizer-to-pay-record-23B-apf-1176280604.html?x=0

"Pfizer's corrupt practices went so far as sending physicians on exotic junkets as well as wining and dining health care professionals to persuade them to prescribe the company's drugs for patients in taxpayer-funded programs."

Shocker!

"Shares of Pfizer dropped 14 cents to $16.24 in midday trading."

Ouch! That must hurt! Killing a few people needlessly lops 14 cents of the bottom line. Let's try to avoid that guys.

Drug companies are publicly traded companies. That means they have a legal obligation to the shareholders to make money. BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY. This includes deceptive marketing and killing a few people.

With all this health care mess why aren't people talking about this? Why are we still observing a ridiculous vaccine schedule for diseases that don't work? Why are we giving people that smoke and drink heavily blood pressure and cholesterol medicine? Why are we giving ADHD drugs to kids that simply have food allergies? What a mess this thing is.

Is Obama care going to fix it? Can you imagine a world where the drug companies are not "For Profit"? Maybe then the goal would be to make people well instead of keep them sick.

If all were well and didn't need drugs what would Pfizer do then?

Today is a GREAT day

Today is a great day. The past is in the past and the future is perfect. How is that for positive thinking? It doesn’t matter what is going on in your life now because you can always change what you don’t like. Well, it’s time to get to work. Today is YOUR day and it was made specifically for YOU. What are you going to do with it?

If it is cloudy today the sun will come up tomorrow. If you are sad today the brilliance of your potential will make you happy tomorrow. You can take solace in that fact.

If your fitness level is not what you want it to be you know that all you have to do is make a plan, do it and the results will come. If it is to be it is up to me. That’s breaking it down to the most simple.

Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You Will Go” is one of the greatest books of all time. Here is what he has to say about your results:

"Will you succeed? Yes, you will indeed. (98 3/4% guaranteed.)"

I agree. Do your best and you will get the results that you want (and deserve!). Stay positive and you WILL succeed! Now I will conclude today with more of the great philosopher Dr. Seuss: (live his words!!!)

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.”

Decide where to go and just do it!!

Beleive....

Believe in your self. So many people that I meet on a daily basis just don’t believe in there selves. They show up saying, “I can’t” or “I won’t” or “it’s too hard” or, you get the point. Most people are defeated by themselves before they ever step into the batters box. Don’t live your life that way. Believe in yourself and what you are capable.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson found time to write the Declaration of Independence, be Governor of Virginia, ambassador to France and started his own college? In his free time he was president of the United States. All this without the internet, cars, running water, and text messaging. It’s all possible if you just believe in yourself and in the human spirit hat is within you. Believe in yourself and ANYTHING is possible.

Let’s get the ball rolling today! Let’s start small. First sit down tonight and plan your day tomorrow. Make sure that plan includes healthy food choices, empowering activities, and some exercise. Plan out every hour. Write it all down and go to bed. Set your alarm and GET UP 30 minutes before you usually get up. Take a 15 minute walk and review your plan for the day that you wrote last night. Now eat a healthy breakfast and do what you said you were going to do.

Do the same thing every night and every morning and you will be amazed how your confidence level will start to go up.

Next you need to start believing in yourself and you MUST refuse to succumb to the prevailing victim mentality in our country. Every time a negative thought creeps in simply push it away with positive thoughts. You will be amazed at how much better you life will become.

Next you need to get out of your life what is bothering you. Make a list and deal with each challenge one at a time. Have confidence! Don’t try to tackle the whole list in one day. Take it one thing at a time. Have you been meaning to call your mother? Clean the garage? Hire a personal training? Sorry to steal Nike’s slogan but JUST DO IT! Start now with one thing at a time!

Try these simple things and your happiness and success will begin to grow exponentially.

So many of us accept mediocrity in our lives. We accept those rolls of fat. We accept a bad relationship. We accept a messy garage? And we accept a level of health that is downright sad. Why? It’s time to take back your potential and begin to fulfill it!

“We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.” – Anthony Robbins