Category Archives: Fitness

RANGE OF MOTION – The First R

You hear it all the time in the gym or see it in magazine articles. “Get the full range of motion.” What does it mean and how does it help you? So glad you asked.

When you hear “range of motion” it means the complete movement capability of the joint. In other words from the full stretch of the targeted muscle to a fully contracted position. Think of the bicep curl……the full stretch would be when your arm is fully extended downward. The contraction is when you bring the weight curled up to to the top of the shoulder and you get the squeeze on the bicep muscle. Working the muscles through the full range of motion will allow the joint to work properly…..to maintain and improve its range of motion. If the muscles surrounding the joint do not have the capability of full range o motion then the joints it surrounds will not either.

An example- think about when you have your arm in a cast for several weeks and you don’t use it. When the cast comes off you cant straighten the arm very well. You have to go to therapy not only to strengthen the muscles that have not been used but to work on their range of motion so you can fully extend and use your arm the way it was before. If you do not you will not have full use of that arm.

Same holds true in your workouts. If you do not use the full range of motion when you work the muscles then you will not have full range of motion in the joints.

One word of caution……. be careful and Make sure you go through the full range of motion on all exercises without hyper-extending or going past full extension. Be careful not to lock knees or elbows.

Reflecting on a day of rest!

As you may have noticed I did not post yesterday. I am trying to make a commitment that I will leave Sunday as a day of rest to reflect on my week and to honor God. I truly believe God loves it when we take the time to honor him by spending time with him, by being with our family, and just resting from the work we have done……He did! I am so glad I did too. At our church yesterday, while I felt very convicted (not condemned), our minister talked about how Satan attacks us little by little and that the main way is through unforgiveness which leads to bitterness. It could come from the smallest incident to a life changing event. It leads to abusive behavior that we could direct toward ourselves and even towards others. It can lead to addictions we never thought possible. It can also directly affect our health. It can cause so much stress that our body reacts to it. I realized in my own self just how damaging it can be. It made me step back and check out my own attitude…..and when I did I didn’t like what I saw. So, how do we learn to forgive and let go…….well it’s easier said than done……but the answer is to look to the example of Jesus and how he went to the cross for us. He had no sin and took on mine. He forgave those who put him on the cross when he’d done nothing to deserve it. Pretty sober example, huh?!!!

DOES YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM INCLUDE THE 5 R’s?

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All beginner and intermediate training programs whether bought, put together by a trainer, or put together by you should encompass the 5 R’s. those 5 R’s are: Range of motion, Resistance, Repetition, Rest, and Recovery. I will discuss each one over the next few days individually. So check back!!!!!

SUPPLEMENT SATURDAY – SPARK

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This is one of my favorite supplements.
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For a quick boost of energy*: AdvoCare Spark® contains an effective amount of caffeine to give you the quick boost you’re looking for.* Caffeine supports the processes in the central nervous system and muscles that enhance mental energy and focus in a relatively short amount of time.* The amino acid taurine helps provide the fast-acting energy you need that won’t over stimulate or overburden your body.*
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For mental focus and clarity*: The neuroactive amino acids in AdvoCare Spark® help increase your mental focus and alertness by supporting your brain’s ability to receive and send messages to and from the nervous system.* For example, L-tyrosine an amino acid found in dietary proteins, is believed to improve mental energy and focus by serving as a precursor for specific neurotransmitters. Furthermore, the choline and GABA found in AdvoCare Spark® are essential for nerve function, muscle control, memory and many other functions.* Together, the nutrients found in AdvoCare Spark® provide the energy, mental focus and well-rounded nutrition that makes it one of the most effective source of energy on the market.*

TRAINING SPLITS

Figuring out a good training split is hard and should be individualized. I have found for me it works best when I weight train every other day with cardio I between. I usually take 2 consecutive days off to let my body rest (during off season). During my training for competition I usually add a day of cardio and only rest one day.

The following is my split:

Monday – chest, tris, shoulders
Tuesday – cardio (I vary the type up all the time)
Wednesday – back and bi’s
Thursday – cardio
Friday – legs

I work abs and core every day I weight train

Hope this helps to give you a place to start.

Have an amazing weekend! Check out Hebrews 12:1-3.

That’s not me! It’s my kid!!!!!

I have tried to wait a couple of days to post about this as I know what I’m about to say could be misinterpreted. I also wanted to make sure I still felt the same a few days later. I have tried looking at this from not only a mom’s point of view, but also as a trainer, coach, and competitor.

Here is the scenario….I was at our high school track 2 days ago running bleachers etc. not long into my workout here come a dad and what looked to be his 8 or 9 year old son. My first thought was that it was odd he was not in school but then it donned on me he was probably home schooled (which I have absolutely no problem with). Next I see another young man walking onto the football field with a bag of footballs and meets the man and his son on the field. I continued to watch (as I worked out) only to see them begin a private quarter back lesson…….now don’t get me wrong I do believe in private lessons and training…….but not at 8 or 9 years old. This wasn’t just a football fundamentals lesson…..it was a full blown focus on quarterback position training. It wasn’t even a small group setting or a camp, but a private specialized lesson. I must stop hear and say I have paid for one of my 4 boys to have private basketball lessons but that was at age 13 and it was to help him make his school team. I also know as kids approach kid pitch baseball private lessons are needed in order for them to learn proper form so they do not get injured…..I’m all for that! I have to wonder though…..did this child come up with private quarterback lessons on his own or did his dad put the idea in his head. I have an 8 year old who is quarterback of his pee wee team and not once has he ever asked for private quarterback lessons.

I would love to hear your thoughts as I am sure to be opening a can of worms. Maybe the child did come up with it or maybe it’s dad trying to live his dream through his kid. I don’t know so it would be wrong to judge but it does make my stomach a little uneasy. Our kids are already put under so much pressure at school. My fear is we are turning fun youth sports into more of a job for them and putting them under even more stress. They are being taught to win at all costs, being yelled at (saw it on an 8u basketball court), and then they are worried about letting mom and dad down.

I want my kids to play youth sports, I want them to win, I want them to play sports I school if that’s what they want. I am not of the mindset that my child is going to be the superstar, get a scholarship to a D-1 school, and then play professional sports. The odds are way against it. I do want them to have fun being a kid though and to look back on their sports with a smile and fond memories. If Gods plan for my children is for them to be professionals at a sport then he will provide us the opportunities and guidance to do so…….I don’t think 8 years old though is the time for it. Thoughts?