LINK LOVE

Cleaning out the inbox of my email...I have emails in there from 2010.  I thought they were interesting or that I would go back and read then.  Now, I am sharing some of them with you.  The question is...Why did I save that?  Unfortunately, there are some good ones that no longer have active links.

PHILOSOPHY

Jen Sinkler - Thrive as the Fittest

In New Zealand’s Maori culture, the spiraling “koru” symbol representing an unfurling fern frond indicates new beginnings, new life, awakenings, personal growth, positive change, strength and peace. I was touring the country with the U.S. women’s 7s rugby team in 2003, and during an afternoon of shopping, a handful of us were picking out traditional jade and bone necklaces.

I was drawn to the koru immediately, connecting with its shape on some fundamental level before I even knew the meaning attached to it. Each of us was pulled to something different, something that held significance in our personal lives. Since then, the spiral has cropped up for me when I need the reminder to release, move, change, grow, expand. It’s not just Maori culture that this symbol hold significance. In Celtic tradition, for instance, the spiral represents the journey to enlightenment, as well as the same echoes of release, growth and evolution. Spirals have even, in recent years, also showed up in ways relating to the body — our fascia is set up in spirals, and the idea is that moving in circular ways can be healing. Thus, it is no coincidence I campaigned for the “spiral aisle” that I will walk during my wedding ceremony tomorrow.

I fully expect that this next life stage will involve all of the beauty and change that new beginnings bring. Here’s to embracing growth and change in whatever way you are encountering it in your own life. Curvily yours,

Jen Sinkler

MUSIC

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/video/little-girl-amazing-drums-050000380.html

FITNESS

https://trireview.co.uk/2013/06/17/hever-castle-triathlon/

The following link was good (and gone) so I am printing the whole email.  It is a good workout.

Guest newsletter by Mike Whitfield

The Secret of Ab Training Finishers

I train my clients at an independent gym.  We have all kinds of amazing equipment, including Hammer-Strength, Life Fitness and even a cute little circuit area with a traffic light (yes, a traffic light... yeah, I said “cute”).  You see, the traffic light is on an ongoing cycle.  When it is green, you are to perform reps on one of the machines, including an ab crunch machine.  When it turns yellow, you have 10 seconds left.  Once it turns red, you move onto the next machine.  Ha-ha, so cute.

The truth is - it’s extremely rare I use any of the machines.  As a matter of fact, I never use them when it comes to ab training because over the years, I have learned they are useless and can cause more harm than good, leading to neck and back injuries.

Learning from coaches like Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove, Craig Ballantyne, and Stuart McGill, among others, I’ve discovered our abs were designed to work in unison.  Shamefully, went I first started training people years ago, I threw in crunches and even sit-ups (yeah, I know... the horror).  But I learned my lesson and my “ab tool box” now includes what works, which is variety of planks, cross-body mountain climbers, rollouts and more.  I even use the little-known methods like high rep dumbbell rows and KB/DB swings (not too many people know that these work your abs... but now you do - and you’re welcome).

One of the things I obsess about is metabolic finisher methods.  I love experimenting with rep and set schemes, as well as rest periods.  I’m sure you have used finishers in your workout programs.  They are challenging, “fun” (and I put that word in quotes because, well... you know) and burn tons of fat.  But one of the questions I kept asking myself was, “How can I use these effective ab exercises in a metabolic finisher?”.  Let’s be honest, you won’t huff and puff performing cross-body mountain climbers.

But if strategically placed in with metabolically demanding exercises like burpees, you can certainly perform a metabolic finisher and work your core efficiently simultaneously.

For example, let’s take a look at the following metabolic finisher (and you’ll see what I mean by me experimenting with rep and set schemes, too):

The 5 X 5 Ab Finisher

Do the following circuit 5 times, resting for 20 seconds between circuits:

1A) Jump Squats (5)
1B) Spiderman Pushups (5 per side)
1C) Lunge Jumps (5 per leg)
1D) Cross-Body Mountain Climbers (5 per side)
1E) KB or DB Swings (5)
 As the cool kids would say - “that’s sick dawg”.
 But the secret to this finisher is that it’s metabolically demanding, your heart will be pumping and you will have sculpted your abs at the same time.  That’s the beauty of what I call an “ab finisher”.
The reason I find finishers so fascinating is that they burn so much fat in such a little bit of time.  After all, I need to stay on my toes so I can keep the 105 lbs I have lost off for good (yeah, I said 105 lbs.   I’m kinda’ proud, so that’s why I typed it).

Mike Whitfield
Certified Turbulence Trainer

FOOD


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/147565/spinach-basil-pasta-salad/

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/12/fontina-and-spinach-baked-eggs-with-garlic-brown-butter-breadcrumbs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+howsweeteats%2FsmSp+%28How+Sweet+It+Is%29