“Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we.

Rant and Tip for March 2, 2012

Quote: “Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.”   Lee Haney

First let me apologize for not writing yesterday. I was way too busy and the day just got away from me.

Lee has hit the nail on the head with this statement. Many of us that want to lose weight and or get fit want that quick fix. Human beings want the magic pill that will make something happen overnight. The proof is in the fact that there are so many diet pills and different exercise equipment and videos out there. It amazes me how often the manufacturers come up some new machine to get you fit. Most of them are really just fun little tools that may work you body a little but not enough to give you the sculpted arms you want. If you think for one minute the guy using the shake weight got that way by using this silly contraption you are sadly mistaken. Now with that said if you are using the shake weight just to get yourself started that is fine and it will help for the extreme beginner, just don’t expect the results you see on TV. It takes time to lose the body fat and get fit. It does not happen overnight. It takes time and some serious planning.

One of the things I use to drink a lot of was milk. I would drink 16 oz of milk a night easily. Heck of course I was thinking I needed the vitamin D. However had you read the label on milk. There Carbohydrates in milk are all sugar. So now comes the challenge of where to get your vitamin D is you do not drink milk. I know I need vitamin D and during the winter months it is very difficult to get it from the sun. This is my preferred source. I truly enjoy being outside but as I get older and leaner I find I am starting to strongly dislike the cold. You can get plenty of vitamin D from most fish. This is good news for me because I love fish. However if you are allergic to fish and fish products then you need an alternative. Mushrooms are a great source of Vitamin D as are cheeses as well as eggs. I know you are thinking that cheese is bad for you but if you are eating low carb you do not need to worry about the fat. You actually need it as fuel. Even a lot of your meats contain some vitamin D including chicken. I personally eat a lot of chicken and fish and have no worries on whether I am getting enough vitamin D.

Training is going well and my weight is good. 168 and dropping. I will hit 165 easily by the end of March and then by may I will be a solid 163 for the world meet. Raising of funds is still very slow but I am hopeful to get things really rolling by the end of April.

Have a great workout!

Tip: Deadlifts

Rounded back. Start with a lower back arch and try not to round your back when deadlifting.

No jerking. The best way to prevent the strain from jerking is to make sure your arms are completely locked when starting the deadlift. If they are not, a chain reaction will ensue resulting in bad form.

Raising hips. Concentrate on keeping your hips in the same position as you deadlift. Many deadlifters have a tendency of lifting their hips after initially jerking the weight off the floor. Raising the hips turns the deadlift into a lower back lift.

Heels. As you lift, press down with your heels. Do not deadlift from the balls of your feet.

Fall back. As you lift the weight, concentrate on falling back and/or pulling the bar back.

Knees. Try to keep your knees in the same position as you lift. Do not move them in or out.

Head. Do not look to the left or right when deadlifting. Messing around like this can result in a bad neck strain.

Shoes. Wear Chuck Taylor’s.(Converse All Stars) or Deadlift slippers,  No thick bottom exercise shoes, or running shoes. You need a thin, flat shoe for deadlifting.

Brian Espino