Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees the others

Rant and Tip for December 19, 2011

Quote: Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees the others. – Aristotle

It seems the more I look for inspirational quotes Aristotle pops up a lot. Thought I would rant a little about courage and in this case the courage to step out of your comfort zone into a new lifestyle that will help you live a long happy life. Have the courage to start something new in regards to exercise and have the courage to say NO to the processed simple carbohydrate foods that are just destroying you.

Too many bad or simple carbohydrates raise your triglycerides and make your blood thicker, this can put you at risk of heat disease. They also contribute to carb cravings and diabetes. Simple sugars include, sugar one, fruit and fruit juice. Fruit is sweet because it contains the sugars glucose and fructose. It is advisable to avoid simple sugars and refined carbs because they readily promote fat storage. To some extent they are converted to fat, however the big thing here is they cause a spike in insulin release from the pancreas and this blocks the use of fat as fuel. Since our goal is to lose the unwanted fat on our bodies it is important to avoid the simple/refined carbohydrates as much a possible. Examples of refined carbs are breads, pasta, and any of your precious goodies made with flour. Chips although made with a potato, which is a complex carb falls into this category because it is refined and fried in oil. Refined carbs digest so quickly that they cause the insulin spike I mentioned earlier and you body cannot burn those calories of fast enough. Now here is an important thing to remember.

Fibrous vegetables supply critical nutrients and slow the rate of release of glucose into the bloodstream this helps to moderate insulin levels. Good fibrous vegetables are Lettuce, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bean and not the canned kind; turnip greens, squash, zucchini, okra etc. Notice that here these are not root vegetables. They all have plenty of fiber and are rich in nutrients.

Do today is a bench day and after having the weekend off from lifting I always look forward to getting back in the gym. I am going to combine benching with my tricep work today since the triceps take a hit when benching anyway this way I can really hit them hard. Hopefully tear some muscle fibers and add some muscle. I train the tricep as both a bodybuilder would and a powerlifter. For instance in the cable push downs a bodybuilder will use very strict form and will not allow his elbows to move also have a more complete range of motion. A powerlifter will only allow the wrist to come parallel with the ground and when he presses the weight down will allow the elbows to move. I have been told many times I have pretty good triceps so I hope I am onto something in training both ways. As you train today remember to keep your form clean and keep in mind the type of training you are striving for.

Have a great workout!

Tip: Life is to short, take the time to smell the roses. You will not be able to smell the roses if you are winded all the time so do not forget to get some cardio in. Even if that cardio comes form high rep weight training. Yes I said it weight training done correctly can also be a cardio workout.