Mental Training to the MAX!!!!

Ever heard of a "scatoma","efficacy", "potential", or "conditioning"? I am going to give you a quick explanation of each because each is as important to each other. All of these terms will bring out the best in each and every one of you if you think hard about them and work with them.

SCATOMA- is a blind spot that holds you back from experiencing experiences. They are good. They allow you to concentrate because they block out things you don't want to see or hear. You may be seeing a lot more things than you realise because you aren't looking for them. If you were looking for the ketchup in the fridge, would you notice that there was no bread in the fridge to make a sandwich later?

EFFICACY-If you believe in something so badly, good chance that it will happen. It is like dreaming big. I really want that car. What am I going to do to get it? Go back to school to get a better job, work more hours at work, don't spend as much money on things that you don't really need. Reach for your dreams!!!

POTENTIAL-What are you really capable of. What can you be? What is your true potential? Not what you have been told you can be, but what you believe you can be.

CONDITIONING-What you were raised like? What are you going to make yourself into? Your past conditioning influences how you see things now.

Here is a poem that I found that relates to how mental training works!! I'm not sure who wrote this but they were very wise.

                                                                   
                                                                        DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill
When the funds are low and debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but just don't quit

Life is weird with its twists and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns
And many a failure turns about
When we might have won had we stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far
So stick to the fight when you're the hardest hit
It's when things seem worse, that you must not quit

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It's not necessarily the amount of time that you spend at your workout that counts; it's what you put into your workout.

Passion is power.....
Nothing was ever achieved without it.
And nothing can take the place of it.
No matter what you face in life,
If your passion is great enough,
You will find the strength to succeed.

Wisdom is knowing what to do next,
Skill is knowing how to do it,
And virtue is doing it!!!!


                                                                               Anonymous

Proper techniques for a barbell squat and lunges

Barbell squats-If you are at the gym and it has a squat rack you are in luck due to the fact that there is a safety mechanism on all of them. There should be safety bars located on both sides which you need to put at a safe level as not to squat down too far. For extra safety if you are a beginner grab a weight bench and put it about 1-2 steps behind you. Put your barbell at about shoulder height so you can left it off of the top safety with just lifting at the toes. When starting to do a barbell squat be sure that there isn't too much weight on the bar. Position yourself in the centre of the bar that is at shoulder height and spread out your arms to help with the centre of balance on the bar. Hold tight to the bar and lift off of the top safety. Step back 1 step an look ahead. Look slightly up and bend at the knees, stick your butt out slightly and bring the weight down until your butt touches the weight bench. Bring your self back up by standing up until your are almost standing straight. Keep your knees slightly bend when you are almost at a complete stand. Repeat this process for about 8 times. Take a 1 min rest and do it all again. 3 more times.

Lunges- Lunges require some balance so it may take some time to master this exercise, so be patient. Grab 2 same size dumbells. Maybe 10 lbs to start with. Stand facing a mirror so you can check how even your body looks. Stand up srtaight with the weights at your sides relaxed. Take a step forward and bend your knee towards the ground and bend your back knee to be in proportion with the front leg. Stand up straight again and switch feet to step forward. Repeat this precess 8 times per leg. Take a 1 min. rest and do it another 2 times.

Myths About Your Food Intake!!!

So many Myths, so little time. Have you ever heard that too much protein will hurt you kidneys? Researchers back in 1983 discovered that protein in your diet increases the amount of blood that your kidneys filter per minute. Some scientists believed that this put the kidneys at higher risk of stress. During the past 2 decades this has been proven wrong. It does increase the blood flow but it  doesn't have the adverse effect over kidney functions as presumed.

Red meat causes cancer? Even in Japan this has been squashed! They found that overcooking meat in high temperatures causes a cancer in rats. Not the meat itself. If you feel uncomfortable eating the charred part, cut it off and enjoy the grilled to perfection parts of your meat!!

Salt and high blood pressure? Some people with high blood pressure might be "salt sensitive". Eating a little less salt could be helpful but if you don;t want to lower your salt intake you can consume more potassium rich foods. You need to balance the two minerals which will help to lower your blood pressure slightly. To get more potassium in your diet try eating more spinach, broccoli, bananas, white potatoes, and most beans. Each of these will get you more than 400 mg of potassium per serving.

Diet soda? Huuuummmmmm. Is it better? Not exactly. It can lead to greater weight gain. Surprised? Just because it is lower in calories doesn't mean it can't make you gain weight. It might only  contain 5 calories or less but it can cause you to crave more sugary foods.

Want to skip breakfast? Is this going to help you loose weight? Missing meals can mess up your body's ability to control your appetite and can destroy your will power to avoid the "nasty" foods. In 2005, a study was conducted and they found that people that ate breakfast were 30 percent less likely to be overweight or obese.

How many times a day should you eat? 1,2,3 or more? Most people say 3? Do you? Everyone should be eating 3 mneals and 2 healthy snacks in order to maintain a healthy diet. If you think eating snacks is failure, think again. When you snack you keep your energy levels high all day. Enjoy your snacks.

Weight Training Makes a Healthy Heart

Did you now that when you work out, it can actually lower your cholesterol levels? When you train regularly with weights you can also slightly decrease your blood pressure, loose some of that unwanted body fat and increase your metabolism? Weight training can also make the heart stronger and pump more efficiently which increases blood flow to your body when requires.

Medix Fitness Consultant Student

Being a student here at Medix is filling the void in my life. Owning a small gym in Strathroy, Ont. and having no diplomas or certificates to prove my knowledge of being a fitness person doesn't help with my business. Now with the knowledge and documentation that I have and will have, should set me apart from the rest. With this one year course I will get the same education as a two year course at most other colleges. This is going to give me this edge in a quicker amount of time. Only being in the class for two months, we really feel like a family going through the same stresses. It is quite easy to work out any little snags that we might have as a whole. We will obtain knowledge in:Anatomy and Physiology, Business Management, Exercise Physiology,Nutrition and Wellness, Kinesiology, Health Communications, Health Promotions, and do a Personal Fitness Trainer Lab. At the end of the course we all have to go to Las Vagas to do a boot camp, CPR and Difibulator certification.

Training Philosophy

I believe that all people have the courage to train like a champion and I hope to meet you someday. I would really enjoy training you and learning about how you want to improve your life. Your family and friends need you to be around for a very long time and I want to be able to help you to accomplish this. You are the only one who can ever make you get out of bed in the morning and smile and say "I am going to make my dreams come true today"! Take a new outlook on life and say that you can do it. For you!