Under Pressure

STRESS!

"Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself."
                                                                  -George Bernard Shaw

We always say that we are stressed because of one thing or another.  Is it really those external situations that are stressing us or are they just convenient excuses?  Is the pressure we are under self induced?

A piece of coal is dirty and useless.  Not until at least heat is applied do you get energy created from it,  but when a piece of coal is under extreme heat and pressure a diamond is formed.  Most of the times when things are not going right for us we feel like a lump of coal.  When we have had enough of being in that situation, it is then we gain the energy (heat) to do something about it.  At that point, when it seems we are controlling the situation, life happens (extreme pressure).  It is when life happens we must be the strongest.  Most of us can be strong for other people, but when it comes to ourselves we let the pressure over whelm us and the heat burns out.

If we can just store enough heat, when the pressure builds it will be in that moment we will become our greatest treasure.

THINK WEAK, BE WEAK. THINK STRONG, BE STRONG!!

6/14/13

Warm Up

30 Jumping Jacks

30 High Knees

30 Run Lunges

WOD  

My Time- 8:57

21 Reverse Burpees

9 Push Ups

15 Reverse Burpees

15 Push Ups

9 Reverse Burpees

21 Push Ups

Core

50 Russian Twist

15 Sit Ups with 40#

Extra

400 m Run with 40#

Tipping the Scale

To add to yesterdays post another common mistake people make is relying on the numbers on a scale.  It's not our fault, that is what we have been programed to do.
When you are serious about getting healthy, go ahead and get on the scale for a base line, but more importantly TAKE MEASUREMENTS.  Most people are under the impression that they wanna lose weight, when in fact we are really looking to lose SIZE.  It all goes back to the childhood riddle, "What weighs more, a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks." I know putting it this way may sound silly but we often forget this rationale.
The truth of the matter is I can care less what number is on the scale, if I continue to lose INCHES and get back to a size 38, that's the bigger of the end goal.  This way of thinking took me awhile to grasp and it was a hard habit to break, but if you are doing the right healthy things you too will see the results in the mirror.  You don't carry a scale with you all the time so everyone you come across only sees those inches coming off.

6/12/13

Warm Up

10-5

Squat

Push Ups

Sit Ups

Run Lunge

WOD

3 Rounds for Time    My Time- 16:18

5 Tire Flips  

10 Burpees

15 Squats

20 Sit Ups

Core

2x 60sec Plank Holds

Anything Worth Doing, is Worth Doing Right

Today I started to narrow down the huge list of gear I have been researching.  It is unreal the many different items you need to have for a hike and at the same time trying to minimize the load weight.  I have discovered a new way of looking at packing.  Grams equals ounces, ounces equal pounds, and pounds equals space.  Until I really got into the nuts and bolts I didn't quite understand when people were telling me that everything comes down to ounces.  Simply enough when you think about it, it makes all the sense in the world.

Shedding pounds from a backpack seems hard enough.  Getting those pounds off of the body is a whole another battle.  To say it takes work is an under statement.  I firmly believe there are three core pillars needed to accomplish this.  If you neglect one of the them it becomes a balancing act, like a tripod with just two legs.  These three things are exercise, diet, and supplementation.

Lets break these three subjects down individually.

Exercise: IF YOUR WORKOUT ISN'T CHALLENGING YOU, IT'S NOT CHANGING YOU!!!
          Do a workout that you think is a step above your level.  Don't take this to the extreme.
          If you can bench press 150#, don't jump to 300#.

Diet: This word is very misunderstood.  Diet it what you consume, not some fad idea you see on TV.  
         I have discovered that when you eat the right things regularly, your body begins to crave those
         good foods.  But when you eat those delicious bad foods your body rejects it.  
         A good diet must be sustainable.  If you "crash diet" to lose weight, when you go back to normal 
         those pounds you lost come back, plus some.

Supplementation:  This is not reserved just for the meat heads that pump iron.  Supplements are just     
         that,  they are excellent companions to a healthy diet.  In reality, we can not eat enough good 
         foods to  get what the body needs.  I have learned a lot about taking supplements through 
         Advocare.  Their Scientific and Medical Board have conducted breakout sessions at Success 
         School where they explain and bring a lot of this information into prospective.  The best a doctor 
         can in layman's terms.  
         
If you have questions about supplementation, Advocare and the opportunity it offers to get healthy, gain energy, and provide a financial supplementation to the ole wallet, or if you would like to get a FREE sample of our mental focus / energy drink e-mail me at sparkandgold@gmail.com or click on the link and visit us at sparkandgold.com .

Objects in picture are as they appear!

6/11/13

Warm Up
25 Run Lunges
10 Push Ups
10 Sit Ups
250 m Run



WOD
Hanging Grace
for time    My Time- 13:02
30 Hang Clean and Jerk  95#

Extra
3-3-3-3-1
Back Squats
135-205-225-245-255

Core 
30 Russian Twist w/10# med ball

I am a Champion

"The worst thing I could be, is the same as everybody else.  I'd hate that."
                                                                          -Arnold Schwarzenegger


Today after a long day at work I came home and was getting ready to hit the gym.  Well, my little buddy ask:

Little guy: "Da da where you going?"
Me: "To the gym."
Little guy: "I'll go too."
Me: "You can't"
Little guy: " I'm a big boy, I can go. I can run with you I'm super fast."

Long conversation short, me and my buddy worked out in the front yard then went on a walk/jog together.  It seems that as we grow up and become adults we loose that drive and confidence that we can do anything.  We forget that we are "SUPER FAST."

Everyday I tell my son he is a champion.  This is a practice my wife and I started a year ago after attending Success School, which is a business conference we attend twice a year for our Advocare business.  My son without a doubt believes he is a champion.  When he plays make-believe with other kids they pretend to be all kind of things from police, cowboys, and monsters.  My little buddy very confidently proclaims "I am a CHAMPION."  When he makes this claim you better acknowledge him because he will say it louder till you do.  This is the attitude we all should strive for.  We are all Champions,  you just have to keep saying it louder and louder until you are heard.

It is the day we want most to skip the workout, that we need to workout the most.  I have experienced this first hand.  The first year I started CrossFit I never missed a single scheduled class.  When that one day I missed the first time, it became easier to justify not making it.  In that moment we give in, the slippery slope affect begins.  The longer we slip the harder it is to get back on track.

You must trust yourselves enough to commit to the inner you that you will not quit.  If your body truly needs a rest make sure you set a date to when you will be back in the game.  I said a rest not a vacation.  A day, two at the most.  

Strive to be WHO you want to be!  Don't try to be WHAT you can't believe you can be!  You can't be Michael Phelps if you can't swim.  Be realistic with your goals.  Make them challenging but attainable.  

6/10/13

Warm Up
30 Jumping Jacks
15 Sit ups
10 Pass Thrus

WOD
50, 40, 30, 20, 10
Kettle bell Swings 35#
Sit ups
Air Squats
My Time 32:34

Extra
Walk / Jog 3/4 mile

IF YOUR WORKOUT ISN'T CHALLENGING YOU, IT'S NOT CHANGING YOU!!!

"Da da, you need help?"

Little Buddy doing air squats

Him: "Da da, we done?  Time to run!"
Me: "Not yet Da da is trying to breath."
Him: "OK."

"1, 2, 3 Go. Da da how may more tricks you have left?"

"Go SUPER FAST, we have to run!!!"

Life's Six Rules of Success

I have been pondering the direction in which I wanted to take this blog.  My main goal is to ensure that I don't run out of things to post while keeping things interesting.

Surprisingly, I am leaping out of my comfort zone with the hopes of creating something great.  The verdict is that I will be using this blog as a life journal for all to share.  I will share my goals and accomplishments.  Positive Motivation will be the purpose.


I am a very passionate person.  I believe this comes from the depths of my life story.  To say my life was and is a roller coaster ride would not exactly be true.  My life seems to have been a series of cliff dives followed by a long hike to the peak (sounds familiar).  Early on some of those cliff dive appeared to be bottomless pits, but by the grace of GOD and loving parents I landed as softly as could be expected.  Through out this journey I will share these stories where they fit.

I have a great love for motivational sayings and videos.  If you really listen to them, the messages speak to us all and can get you through the darkest of times.
If through my actions and writings I can motivate just one person to find their dream, get the motivation, drum up the courage to do what was never imagined, I have succeeded!

Once again I want to Thank You for your interest in my story.

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!

6/8/13

Warm-up

20 walk lunges

10 push ups

10 sit ups

Samson stretch

Work Out of the Day (WOD)*

8 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)

5x dumbbell snatch each arm (45#)

5x dumbbell thrusters each arm (45#)

10x Burpees

CORE

15x sit up with 25# plate / Russian twist each way every time 

60 second plank hold

EXTRA

10 degree incline

run 20 sec / rest 10 sec for 10 min @ 5mph

then

walk for 5 min @ 3.5mph