CELEBRATING YOU

 

 

Many people begin the fitness journey by hating themselves, and this leads to unhealthy or downright dangerous health and fitness habits. Walk into a gym and you're likely to see people  going through the motions of training in ways that are detrimental to their health, all for the purpose of looking like someone else.

 

The fitness journey isn't only about being thinner, bigger, stronger or fitter; it's about discovering who you really are inside. When you get into the gym, discard any preconceptions you hold about your appearance (indeed, the mind often makes us look far worse than we really look). Focus on the workout at hand, crank out as many sets as possible, and Go home happy and fulfilled.

 

Remember, it's a lifelong marathon, not a sprint.

 

 

 

 

 

TEN TOP FAT LOSS ERRORS

1. You focus too much on exercise and forget nutrition. The workout is not nearly as important as proper nutrition.

 

2. You don't eat enough.

3. You think you can outtrain a bad diet.

4. You think that the more you exercise, the better.

5. You actually believe you can lose 14 kg in 4 weeks

6. You believe fat converts into muscle, and you fail to plan to build muscle.

 

7. You spend hours on the cardio machine.

8. You forget that fitness is more than losing fat.

9. You fail to congratulate yourself for the small successes

10. You don't read LegallyMuscled

TOP 25 MOTIVATIONAL FITNESS QUOTES

1. Strive for progress, not perfection.
-Unknown

 

2. You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it.
-Maya Angelou

 

3. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
-Wayne Gretzky

 

4. If you don’t make mistakes, you aren’t really trying.
-Unknown

 

5. You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted.
-Ruth E. Renkl

 

6. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
-Mahatma Gandhi

 

7. Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.
-Norman R. Augustine

 

8. I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate.
-George Burns

 

9. Energy and persistence conquer all things.
-Benjamin Franklin

 

10. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

11. No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.
-Aesop

12. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
-Albert Einstein

 

13. Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.
-Lou Holtz

 

14. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
-Jim Ryan

 

15. I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
-Michael Jordan

 

16. Fear is what stops you... courages is what keeps you going.
-Unknown

 

17. The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race.
-Unknown

 

18. The difference between a goal and a dream is a deadline.
-Steve Smith

 

19. Just do it.™ -Nike

 

20. In seeking happiness for others, you find it for yourself.
-Anonymous

 

21. The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
-Mark Twain

 

22. It's not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.
-Anonymous

 

23. Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.
-Oprah Winfrey

 

24. It's never too late to become what you might have been.
-George Eliot

 

25. Clear your mind of can’t.
-Samuel Johnson

9 THINGS RICH PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY EACH DAY

What you do today matters. In fact, your daily habits may be a major determinant of your wealth.

 

"The metaphor I like is the avalanche," says Thomas Corley, the author of "Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits Of Wealthy Individuals." "These habits are like snowflakes — they build up, and then you have an avalanche of success."

 

Corley spent five years studying the lives of both rich people (defined as having an annual income of $160,000 or more and a liquid net worth of $3.2 million or more) and poor people (defined as having an annual income of $35,000 or less and a liquid net worth of $5,000 or less).

 

He managed to segment out what he calls "rich habits" and "poverty habits," meaning the tendencies of those who fit in each group. But, Corley explains, everyone has some rich habits and some poverty habits. "The key is to get more than 50% to be rich habits," he says.

 

And what are those rich habits that are so influential? Here are a few:

 

1. Rich people always keep their goals in sight.
"I focus on my goals every day."
Rich people who agree: 62%
Poor people who agree: 6%

 

Not only do wealthy people set annual and monthly goals, but 67% of them put those goals in writing. "It blew me away," says Corley. "I thought a goal was a broad objective, but the wealthy said a wish is not a goal." A goal is only a goal, he says, if it has two things: It's achievable, and there's a physical action you can take to pursue it.

 

2. And they know what needs to be done today.
"I maintain a daily to-do list."
Rich people who agree: 81%
Poor people who agree: 19%

 

Not only do the wealthy keep to-do lists, but 67% of them complete 70% or more of those listed tasks each day.

 

3. They don't watch TV.

"I watch TV one hour or less per day."
Rich people who agree: 67%
Poor people who agree: 23%

 

Similarly, only 6% of the wealthy watch reality shows, compared to 78% of the poor. "The common variable among the wealthy is how they make productive use of their time," explains Corley. "They wealthy are not avoiding watching TV because they have some superior human discipline or willpower. They just don't think about watching much TV because they are engaged in some other habitual daily behavior — reading."

 

4. They read … but not for fun.
"I love reading."
Rich people who agree: 86%
Poor people who agree: 26%

 

Sure, rich people love reading, but they favor nonfiction — in particular, self-improvement books. "The rich are voracious readers on how to improve themselves," says Corley. In fact, 88% of them read for self-improvement for 30 minutes each day, compared to 2% of poor people.

 

5. Plus, they're big into audio books.
"I listen to audio books during the commute to work."
Rich people who agree: 63%
Poor people who agree: 5%

 

Even if you aren't into audiobooks, you can make the most of your commute with any of these commute-friendly self-improvement activities.

 

6. They make a point of going above and beyond at the office.
"I do more than my job requires."
Rich people who agree: 81%
Poor people who agree: 17%

 

It's worth noting that while 86% of rich people (compared to 43% of poor) work an average of 50 or more hours a week, only 6% of the wealthy people surveyed found themselves unhappy because of work.

 

7. They aren't hoping to win the jackpot.
"I play the lottery regularly."
Rich people who agree: 6%
Poor people who agree: 77%

 

That's not to say that the wealthy are always playing it safe with their money. "Most of these people were business owners who put their own money on the table and took financial risks," explains Corley. "People like this aren't afraid to take risks."

 

8. They watch their waistline.
"I count calories every day."
Rich people who agree: 57%
Poor people who agree: 5%

 

Wealthy people value their health, says Corley. "One of the individuals in my study was about 68 and worth about $78 million. I asked why he didn't retire, and he looked at me like I was from Mars. He said, 'I've spent the last 45 years exercising every single day and watching what I eat because I knew the end of my career would be my biggest earning years.' If he can extend his career four to five years beyond everyone else, that's about $7 million for him."

 

9. And they take care of their smiles.
"I floss every day."
Rich people who agree: 62%
Poor people who agree: 16%

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY

Productivity is the combination of intelligent planning and focused efforts designed to help you do more, better.  Productivity can be continuously improved, not by multitasking (which only clogs your mental pipelines), but by doing the following.

 

1. Leave Early: If you're putting in long hours and are not feeling productive at the end of the day, try shortening your work day by 30 minutes or even an hour.

 

2. Constantly ask yourself if you what are doing presently is productive: I often catch myself spending a lot of time using Facebook or participating in irrelevant conversations while at work. When I realize that I am not working on something productive, I mentally scold myself and get back to the grind. 

 

3. Weed out distractions: I know a few people that have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Hootsuite, Tumblr, Foursquare, Shutterfly, Pinterest, Google Chat, Reddit, and StumbleUpon account. When they are not using these social media tools, they may be checking their e-mail on their smartphones or reading random facts on Wikipedia every 5 minutes. Disconnect from these tools while at work, it destroys your productivity!

 

4. Set ambitious, yet realistic goals

Les Brown, a motivational speaker and radio DJ, once said “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” If you can cross everything off of your to-do list in one day, you need to create more ambitious goals. Some goals should take as long as 1 week, 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days. People that set higher goals have a tendency to be more satisfied than those with lower expectations, according to research published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

 

One of the major reasons why people fail a goals is because they did not set a deadline. Goals have to be very specific and they should be written down. It is good to get feedback about the goals in order to refine them.

 

Goals should be personal and professional. Spending time balancing your budget can be a personal goal and putting together process flow charts to make certain recurring tasks easier at work is a professional goal.

MOTIVATION

A BODY THAT PERFORMS

To the ancient Greeks the ideal male form—as imagined in sculptures, paintings, and drawings— was usually made with a wide chest, broad shoulders, and a thick back placed upon a slim waist. The legs were muscular, but not overly huge. Everything was balanced and proportionate. The Greeks believed in these proportions for three reasons: to perform athletically and in battle, to live a long time with good health, and to be attractive in order to pass along genetics.. 

 

The Greeks didn't have health clubs with fancy machines. Although there is debate whether they actually invented the barbell, plenty of evidence has been found that ancient Greeks picked up heavy objects and walked or ran with them, and even threw them.

 

You don't have to walk around with a giant rock to attain the Greek ideal. Instead, make big compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls, and weighted lifts the backbone of your training program. Those movements are designed to improve your size, strength, symmetry, and overall function.

Think back to the last time you did a workout. Did you really give it your all? Many people hit the gym and just go through the motions. They may spend more time taking selfies, texting, or finding the right music than actually lifting. You can't expect great results if you half-ass your workout.



The next time you have a date with the iron, dial it in and focus. Feel your muscles squeezing at the top of each rep. Extra focus can increase your intensity and mean the difference between mediocre and superior results.

 

 

FITNESS MOTIVATION PINS

Source: Pinterest.com
 

THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES!!!!

I was blown away by a post I read on Cordell Parvins blog titled 'Want to know what it takes, Here is a Great example". In the article he talks about his daughter Jill, a Jiu Jitsu practitioner who seeks to become the best Jiu jitsu player she possibly can be. I can scarcely add anything, as it fully encapsulates the attitude, focus and drive required by any person interested in achieving the highest levels of fitness, or any other life goals.

     

 

"Today, I want to share with you a concrete example. My daughter Jill posted something on Facebook that made clear to me she paid great attention to what I was teaching her when she was growing up.

 

I am very proud of Jill. I also feel she has expressed what I hope lawyers I coach take away from our work together. I asked if I could share what she wrote with you and she gave me permission.

 

 

 

I earned two stripes on my belt at jiu jitsu today. I was a little upset because my knee is messed up and I couldn’t roll. I just keep telling myself that God did not grant me with natural athletic ability so I have to work harder than most of the guys. I will show up and train every day no matter how tired I am. My goal is not to earn a black belt (although I believe that will happen) or win any tournaments ( got to enter them first), but to be better than the jiu jitsu player I was yesterday. I am not competing against other guys but against myself and my own self doubt and my fear of failure. I can’t bench press as much as Réne (her husband) and I do not have the skill of more seasoned players, but I will win in the long run because I am going to work harder through the tears, blood and sweat and I believe my passion will help me to overcome my physical short comings. I will be the best I can be. No excuses! I will be better than I was yesterday. It’s me vs. me.

 

I will leave you with a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."

MARRIAGE AND WEIGHT GAIN

We all see it, a fit and sexy single guy or girl gets married and in a few months gets the spare tire, love handles, pot belly, turkey arms, etc.(If you doubt me, look up your parents pre wedding pictures.)  

Kim +Kanye, 20 years on??

Unfortunately, a recent study revaled that weight gain constitutes the biggest relationship peeve for most couples.

The biggest culprit is the change in lifestyle that happens after marriage. The reason for this is simple; when a person is single, they feel the need to look sexy and attractive, so they adopt lifestyle choices such as dieting and exercise. With marriage and the attendant adjustments however, couples tend to slack off on healthier choices. Your partner may even encourage less-than-healthy habits. "When you're combining lifestyles, sometimes the less active one wins out," says Cheryl Forberg, RD, nutritionist for The Biggest Loser and author of the cookbook Flavor First. for instance when your guy wants you to skip your morning run to sleep in with him, it's easy to roll over and give in.

You don't have to get like this!!!

There's no need to fear, research shows that couples that work out together have a 94% chance of sticking with their fitness programmes. Couples can motivate themselves toward a healthy lifestyle while sharing some emotionally beneficial quality time. In order to do this however, the couples should identify activities which they mutually enjoy. Activities which couples can enjoy together include:

1. Dancing: 

Take a Latin dance class or alternatively, head down to the hippest dance club in town and break out some moves. Avoid too much alcohol and drink lots of water while youre at it (You wouldn't want to do something you'll regret later on!!).

2. Martial Arts

 Taking a martial arts class together helps the couple build a healthy respect for each others physical abilities, in addition they can work out together and provide mutual support to each other in the process.

 

3: Swimming:

 This low impact and enjoyable activity can provide hours of quality and healthy entertainment to the couple, as well as being a wonderful prelude to some bedroom activity (*wink*)

 

4. Biking:

 You and your partner could take a nice bike ride and enjoy the environment together reminiscent of how you hung out with your siblings when you were young.

   

 

The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar

BUILDING THOR

I'm fascinated with the systems and techniques used by actors to build themselves up for their movie roles. 

For the movie 'Thor' Chris Hemworth, who played the titular character, had to gain over 20 pounds of muscle. He maintained the sexy body for his part in the Avengers movie. Now try that on for size.

Before...After

I came across this video which gives really cool information about building yourself up. The guy seems to really know what he is talking about. His message focuses on the commitment nutrition, and exercises required to get you to that point where you look like a true Asgardian.

The other  videos show you the kind of butt kicking workout required to build a body like Thor within a reasonable time. When carrying out such exercises, make sure you use proper form and focus.