My Workout Plan and Motivation

Workout Schedule

Monday: Cardio 1 hr, Legs

Tuesday: Cardio 30min, and Salsa Dancing

Wednesday: Cardio 1hr, chest and tri

Thursday:  Cardio 30min, Back and Bi, Gymnastics

Friday: Cardio 30min, Legs

Saturday: Cardio 30 min, Chest and Tri, Salsa Dancing

Sunday: Cardio 30 min, Back and Bi, Gymnastics

 Diet

Each day 6 to 7 meals reasonably evenly spaced.  A typical day looked like the following:

Breakfast: 2 egg whites 1 serving oatmeal made with water

2nd meal: Chicken breast, steamed vegetables, sweet potato

3rd meal: Same as 2nd

 4th meal: Whey protein powder and creatine, apple or other fruit

5th meal: Light Yogurt

6th meal:  Salmon or casein protein

My motivation, like many of the things I have recently begun, comes from my drive to have new beginnings and for filling endings.  As I have matured, I've noticed the people around me giving up on life in small ways.  I don't mean the basics of life, but I am talking about the vitality of life.I feel that ball and chain getting bigger and heavier.  Recently I realized that if I feel it now, it will only increase with age.  It seems that many of us believe that the realization of dreams must be started at a young age, and if your not on track by age 25 then its too late. That has to be one of the saddest things anyone can think. In that one statement, "it's too late", lies surrender and the death of hope.

Our Toronto Blue Jays

It’s early.

That’s been the refrain from Toronto Blue Jays players, coaches, fans and media as the team has struggled to a 3-6 start heading into Kansas City this weekend. While some panicky fans have already jumped ship – or have at least put on life jackets - others are pleading for patience. There has been nothing to cheer about in Toronto.

While it is early – there are a mere 153 games remaining ahead of Friday’s game with the Royals – there are some troubling signs for the team many folks in the baseball world were picking to win the American League East a couple of weeks ago. The Blue Jays have been all around lousy, struggling with hitting, pitching, and defence. The Blue Jays have yet to win two games in a row. Some of the losses have been downright ugly - a 13-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox, and Thursday’s 11-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers stand out.

The revamped starting pitching staff has been particularly bad, and is the first thing that needs to be fixed if the Jays are to dig out of their current funk. Toronto spent lots of money and leveraged a lot of prospects to acquire R.A. Dickey, Mark Buerhle and Josh Johnson during the offseason. The Blue Jays were supposed to have one of the best starting rotations in baseball, but through nine games it is the worst.

There isn't much more I can say. The Blue Jays need to pick up there game in order to satisfy baseball fans in the GTA. This sub-par performace thus far, isn't going to cut it for members of the public. Things are going to get ugly if the Toronto Blue Jays don't pull a 180.. 

Working in a TEAM!

Can you imagine yourself working on a major project alone in the office/workplace, and no one out there to support and assist you? Definitely a lot harder doing things alone then in groups. We all love to be part of a team and accomplish large tasks and projects, and the feeling we get as an end result of completing it. Teamwork takes place in the everyday working world, and is often needed in order to complete some projects employee's are assigned, because face it, bouncing ideas off yourself is not as beneficial as turning to your teammate and spitballing ideas back and fourth.

5 brains, and 10 hands are better then just 1

Teamwork is defined as an activity or a set of inter-related activities done by more than one person in order to achieve the common objective, the end result. My blog is directed more towards teamwork in the business world and workplace, however it is not only followed only in the corporate world toady, rather it is one of the oldest things known to man. Just to give you an example, think back to grade 7 and 8 history class when you learned about the World Wars, did soldiers go out individually? Did they enter the enemies turf by themselves, or as a team?  Do NHL players win the Stanley Cup by themselves, or as a team? We all have learned about the importance of teamwork, because face it, it is used everywhere, everyday, and in every business.

In grade 12, I had a co-op placement in the Haldimand County Marketing Department. My task was completing the County souvenirs catalogue, taking pictures and building a new book. You may read this, and think, what's the importance to a successful teams blog page? Let me tell you, the very first thing my employer told me when I sat down with him to discuss the tasks I would be given was "TEAM". I looked at him very confused, and asked what does that mean? He said to me - "Together, Everyone, Achieves, More". I sat there for a second and smiled, and realized how right he was. Two brains are better then one. I have heard that term numerous times since, whether it be at my co-op placement, school, my part time job at Dairy Queen, or the gym, teamwork is everywhere. Throughout my blog, I tend to enlighten you on the key characteristics of a successful team, and how teamwork is probably the most beneficial skill to have in order for key success.     

- The importance of Teamwork and Cooperation, because it will only benefit you. 
 

Bench Press - "How to do it properly!"

The bench press is  one of the Mecca of weight bench exercises. The bench press is generally used by most people as a measurement of how strong you are, although using the bench press as a measurement of total strength isn’t a very good indicator of your overall physical strength. However it is a great exercise that will help build your chest as well as your arms and being able to push alot of weight on a bench is a great way to show off to your friends. Many people do not realize that half of the work is in the technique.

Position yourself correctly
Most people, especially beginners do not know how to position themselves on the weight bench. when resting on the bench line yourself correctly so that your forehead is inline with the center of the bar and your arms are of equal distance apart. this will help you balance the weights once you have lifted them from the rack. once you have the balance sorted each arm will take equal load of the weight thus preventing one arm taking too much weight and failing a few reps short of your full potential.

Use full and precise Movements
There’s nothing more important than form. if you cant lower the bar to your chest at a controlled speed its time to lower the weight until you can. on the push action its both beneficial to push fast and push the weight up slowly so from one week to the next or on different sets fluctuate the speed at which you push the bar up. you will gain no benefit in dropping the weight to your chest (you may however cause an injury).

Breath
Breathing is a big deal, if you stop you will fail to circulate oxygen around your body and muscles, which will decrease the amount of repetitions you can achieve as the lactic acid will build up faster. As you lower the bar breath in. as you push the bar breath out – DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH!

Mix it up
Don’t allow your muscles to get used to any particular weight or set of repetitions whilst Benching. mix it up occasionally by lifting less weight with more repetitions. Also have a session at least once a month were you try and lift as much weight as possible, even if you only achieve one rep. if you put your body through un-normal stressful situations it will respond better.

Partner up
there’s nothing more encouraging than a training partner. a training partner will give you more focus and will help push you that little bit further. You can also cheat on the last few reps with the assistance of a training partner and they can also be there for safety to help you if you struggle to rack the weights or drop them.

Rest and Relaxation
Do not bench press every time you see a weight bench. Your Muscle’s need to rest every time they have been through a stressful exercise (recommended amount of rest is 24hrs). if you don’t rest, your muscles will never get the chance to repair themselves which will result in a sports injury which could put a stop to your bench press action altogether.

NOW ... NEXT TIME YOU GO TO THE BENCH PRESS, DO IT RIGHT!!!! Prevent getting injured by just knowing the simple facts/tips on how to perform it properly, and to the best of your ability. 

NHL Trade Deadline Re-Cap

I would classify this trade deadline as interesting. First up, Bobby Lou. The Luongo talk came and went once again with Bobby Lou putting on a new jersey. The days preceding the deadline overshadowed the actual day. Neither of those are really surprising, but you had to assume that if Luongo was to be dealt it was going to happen today.

The non-trade of Luongo, in my mind, means one of two things.

1. Luongo is going to be bought out.

If no one was willing to take him right now, for a playoff run and beyond, then why would someone take him in the summer? Mike Gillis lives in this fantasy world where Luongo will get him the moon. Sorry, Mike, thanks to your spectacular GM skills you have made Luongo untradeable unless you give him away.

2. Schneider will be dealt in the summer.

Cory Schneider is a much more appealing acquisition strictly for his contract. He doesn't come with 9 years left on his deal. As oblivious to reality as Vancouver Canuck fans are, they will soon realize that they really can't keep both goaltenders, especially when Vancouver has only $1.3M in cap space with only 15 players signed. Luongo isn't to blame here either, it's the man making the deals happen, Mr. Mike Gillis.

On to the actual trades.

There were a lot of deals made that really don't mean much, so I'm not even going to entertain them. I do have a few words about four trades though. Most of the playoff-impact deals were made before today and I still have to go with Pittsburgh as the short term trade deadline winners for the deals they made. All in all the deadline was a bust and the Luongo saga will continue on into the summer and the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending questions will be tagging along.

Monday Morning's..

We all hate early mornings, especially Monday mornings. It is the beginning of the work week, school week, and just another 5 days from the weekend, again. However I like to look at Monday's as a fresh start to implementing new goals. One great quote that I read somewhere, but can't remember the author is "You don't need a New Year, just a Monday". I really like this quote because every 7 days gives you the opportunity to implement something you want to change.This doesn't mean that you can't implement something during the middle of the week, but nothing feels better then starting the week off proper.

Taking a look at my last blog post regarding BCAA's and Amino Acids, I went into the detail the significance they play on maintaining a healthy active lifestyle. On the week I went and bought a few new supplements that I am excited to incorporate into my daily supplementation. As odd as it sounds, Sunday night when I was preparing my lunch and supplements, protein, etc, I was motivated to get up come Monday morning and begin my new supplements, and routine. It was a chance to implement my new goals and routine, and no better time then a Monday! Looking at my Monday as a whole, it seems I am pretty busy WIth class 8:00am-11:00am, and class 12:00-3:00pm, I have at least 6 hours of class. Between that I have to make sure I am maintaining my diet, eating every 2 hours, taking my supplements at the appropriate time, completing any extra work from class, and most importantly hitting the gym in the afternoon.


To me ... this is a pretty busy day!

A lot of it seems like it is just little things that I have to implement through out the day, but I constantly have to be on the ball with things. Making sure that I follow my time schedule, get everything done, and do it to the best of my ability. Time management skills are important to gain and maintain, so I push my self to prioritize, make a routine, and implement new goals and things I would like to change. People reading this I think will take a little bit of inspiration from this and start planning some goals for the beginning of the week, and making it happen! Start the week off proper, have the energy to make it happen, and force yourself to follow it. Nothing is more of a bitter sweet feeling then a sense of accomplishment and achievement!

Happy Monday! Keep your goals attainable, and reach for the stars!

Amino Acids & BCAA's

Every athlete trains to become bigger, faster and stronger. Everyone looks within themselves to attain a new level of performance, and at times, supplementation is essential. I wanted to take a look a some of the new Supplements that I picked up this weekend, and the importance they have in terms of proper muscle development and growth. Amino Acids in General are essential in living a healthy, physical, active lifestyle, and especially for those who train hard in the gym. Muscles can not grow without protein and despite their variety; all proteins are composed of just 20 different amino acids. Porteins are macromolecules constructed from long strings of units called amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Each Amino acid has an amino group on one end, and a carboxyl acid group of the other. To some people reading this, it probably sounds like a bunch of giberish. 

Let me explain something about BCAA's..

How often have you walked into your local gym for a workout, only to have your attention seized by the products on sale promising rapid weight and muscle gain through amino acid supplementation? Then again, the sheer cost may have put you off the idea, and besides, being well educated in these matters, you think you know that a moderate carbohydrate and high protein intake is what the scientist say is best. Yet, almost all of us know someone who is more muscular and stronger that swear by amino acid supplementation. Branched-chain amino acids supplements, commonly referred to as BCAA's, are very popular with athletes these days, who are searching for ways to increase lean mass and performance. 

Looking through the thick, complicated, scientific definition of Amnio Acids, and BCAA's it comes down to a few very important points. When you are training to develop a strong, more powerful body it is essential to stimulate and fuel your muscles at the cellular level. BCAA's reduce muscle fatigue, speed recovery, decrease the loss of other amino acids from muscle during exercises and will help the body absorb protein at a fast pace. 

I was extremely happy that I did my research on these products and have incorporated them into my supplementation. I am constantly looking for results, and looking for new things, and this is just another method of putting myself on the correct track. 

Sports Enjoyment

Why a lot of guys like sports..

The short answer might seem obvious; spots is entertaining and provides a distraction from "real life". Additionally, we know that competitive athletics somehow stirs us at gut level, either as participant or as a spectator. Some major points on why I like sports, and my outlook on things. 

• Sports Inspire Us

• Sports touches the depths of our emotion

• Sports lets us believe in the impossible 

• Sports engages our mind

• Sports provides the element of danger

• Sports can give us a place in history

• Sports validate our competitive nature

The list could go on. Sports plays a huge role in my life, next to my interest in bodybuilding. Minus going to the gym and doing what I love, I thoroughly enjoy watching a wide variety of sports. NFL especially, but also NHL, EPL and many other sports leagues. From soccer, to basketball, to football and such, I always like to keep on top of the top headlines and news. Obviously sports is a physical discipline, but even the casual fan will tell you that mind and body work together. But when one gets to the top of his game, the mental aspect is huge. Not only in the sense of getting "psyched up" but in devising strategy, studying video, researching and developing training, technique, etc. More than any other time in history, sports has now become a science. For the participant and spectator alike, there is plenty of mental stimulus in todays sporting world - and we can swim as deep as we like in those waters. 

What is it about sports that does such a great job of lifting the burdens of life off our shoulders and bring out the best in us? I think that is the sports ability to draw real, unpredictable drama with meaningful outcomes, but at the end of the day, after the best athletes in the world have poured bit of their soul into the competition, no one gets hurt, no one gets killed, and the losers have a chance to come back and fight another day.

My Interest in Bodybuilding

The origin of my interest in bodybuilding goes hand-in-hand with my interest in weight lifting. During high school when I was researching different training programs I would look for videos on Youtube of people performing certain exercises so I would know the correct form of how to do them. Well many of the people in these videos were professional bodybuilders and while at first I thought they looked unnatural and almost disgusting, the more I watched the more I became accustomed to their size. This also created an interested of what the sport of bodybuilding was about and the competitors and competitions involved in the world of bodybuilding. At first all bodybuilders looked the same to me but the more I watched different competitions and learned about what judges look and how they are scored the more I could differentiate and evaluate the competitors. Also learning about the training and the dieting that bodybuilders go through also increased my interested in both the sport of bodybuilding and my own personal practice of weight lifting.

 

I have made certain goals for myself to try to aspire to my dream. Each and every day I wake up in the morning and make my meals anywhere between 6:00am-8:00am. I cook a large amount of food and put it all in Tuperware for the day. This allows me to just reheat the food at school and save money by doing so. When I don't make my food I tend to want to go spend money in the cafeteria or on fast food. My New Years resolution was to shape up my diet, train hard and eat harder. Diet is 80% of your results, and in order to reach those goals and get the results that you want, you need to stick with a well rounded diet. There are a lot of things that I can improve in, and work towards. One thing I constantly tell myself, is you don't need a new year, all you need is a Monday. Today is a Monday and it is a good opporunity to fix the things that I want to fix. For example, today I told myself that I want to drink more water and increase my healthy fat intake.

 

The easiest way to achieve failure and disappoint very quickly is by setting yourself unrealistic targets. Small and achievable goals are the best way to go about getting what you want. If you were going to learn to drive a car; you wouldn’t get in it and drive, would you? No, because you’d probably crash it within a few seconds.You need to set attainable goals, realistic by challenging, and thats what I have done for myself. Let the journy begin..

 

 

My Team Loses in AFC Championship

Like every other sports fan who's team loses in a championship game, there are things that have to be said. The New England Patriots, my favorite NFL team, dropped the ball last night against the Baltimore Ravens. I was not to impressed after this loss, as last year we lost in the Superbowl to the New York Giants.

The Baltimore Ravens were 7.5-point underdogs to my New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship game, making their 28-13 win rather improbable. However, history suggests the upset was even unlikelier than that. Let me explain in greater detail.

After the Ravens took a 7-3 lead over the Patriots at the beginning of the game, New England came back and actually led, 13-7, at halftime. It's hard to win on the road. It's hard to win on the road when you are losing at halftime. No matter the players or the situation, those are just givens in the NFL. Playing in a visiting stadium in any sport is rather hard, especially in the National Football League. Baltimore had to beat the Patriots by being at least six points better than them in 30 minutes of football and do it in New England. They did that, which is rare in the league, but even more rare for Tom Brady. Consider this: New England entered the AFC Championship Game with a 72-1 record at home when leading at halftime during the Belichick (who is the head coach) era (2000-12). Even more impressive, Tom Brady began last night’s third quarter with a 67-0 career record at home in games where the Patriots held a halftime lead.

And the Ravens shut us out 21-0 in the second half. With all this being said, there is always next year. Room to improve, room to grow and areas to change. Whether that is coaching, players, or the play book, the pats will need to fix some things to b a contender next year.