Way To Go Bro

There is always that one excuse that everyone holds on to so they do not have to do something. The most popular one, I just don’t have time. While some people can use this excuse to a degree it tends to loose strength over time and much use. While time has different meanings to different people depending on there situation it can not be wasted. To bring a point to this rambling I would like to talk about my little brother. While the term “little brother” lost its literal meaning about twelve years ago it still has a personal one. It was about then he grew 2 inches taller than me and his lifting weights really started to show. Sure you can say it was high school, and most people look there then, but that was 1998 when he graduated. Here it is ten years later and he has made a major decision. After some encouragement from his friends and family he entered an amateur body building competition. It was always something on the back of his mind but was never followed through. You see my brother is now married and 2 sons and one daughter with his wife. He provides a good household for his family. But to do this he works around 60 hours a week at the steel mill. Add being a dedicated father and husband, how could you find time to dedicate to anything else. And to put in the time and commitment it takes for entering a competitive body building competition, even amateur, is a major accomplishment. Just recently that decision led him to enter into three competitions. In his first ever competition he took first in his weight class, middle weight. After each weight class, light heavy, middle weight, and light weight receives a winner the three winners compete for the all around winner. On first attempt he did not succeed at winning the all around title. I went to his second competition to cheer him on and you could see the pure, almost kid like, excitement and joy he had just being on stage. After being announced winner in his class again the all around would be the next thing to make this competition better than the last. Knowing the competitive nature in my brother I knew he really wanted it. I don’t know a lot about body building, and having some bias in opinion, it looked like he was the best on stage. The three winners flexed one more time and then they lined up on stage to wait for the announcement. After a seemingly forever pause my brothers name was called and all around winner was attached to it. I was great to be there and watch him win. It was a win that could be relished for all time. But being a competitor entering an open competition was on his mind and became his next step. He entered a competition in Chicago, Illinois for his first open. He took fourth place this time. He was a little disappointed because he wanted to two placement. I think just competing on stage for someone with as many responsibilities as he has is just great. He made time to do something he really wanted to do and did excellent in many peoples eyes. Sometimes it is what you become #1 in but who you are #1 to. You will always be first to your family and friends so keep your head up. And so I shout with a lot of pride and at the top of my lungs WHAY TO GO BRO!

Stretching: Static or Dynamic

I remember being told to “stretch before you start playing a sport” so you do not pull a muscle. I was something every kid got told in gym or if you played a sport. Coaches were so regiment about this you just never questioned weather or not it was bad. I was even one of those people who did my stretches with a lot of regularity. It seemed to work and if you pulled a muscle or got a cramp you did not do it right or for the right amount of time. Just recently I was reading a article from The New York Time “Stretching: The Truth” and it raised some good questions. Was good old static stretching wrong? Researcher are now showing some evidence that static stretching may reduce your strength and power. Could it be so many years and so many people could be wrong about something so important to a vast majority of people and athletes. Researchers come out with studies on so many things and even studies about there studies. But there just was something that seemed just right about this one. If you can remember playing sports and doing your stretches it did not always work. Maybe the only thing you did wrong was the type of stretch.
The report does not just tell you what is wrong, thank you, but gives you an alternative to try. They talk about dynamic stretching. Stretching your muscles and tendons while getting your blood flowing. No more sitting down and holding it. Stretch it and keep moving seems to be the lesson. The video shows stretches like straight leg march, scorpion, and hand walks. All seem to do the same as good old stretches but you keep moving and simulate more of what activity you will be performing. They do still keep static stretching in the workout but only as a cool down. Watch the video and give it a try. It is absolutely something I am going to look more into and even try out.

Taking Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself does not stop at just looking better. When you take the extra effort to do something good for yourself all parts of your body respond. Felling better can mean physical, emotional, and even mentally better. A good physical appearance can make you more confident which can make you feel better, act stronger and that makes people around you see you in a different light. Effecting people around you in its self is a great thing. Mental health goes hand and hand with physical. But you have to start somewhere. Getting a book to follow can give you some ideas on how to start. In the books there will be a layout so you know how to start and the steps to get started. Make sure the book seems genuine and committed to helping you. So if you like what you see on the pitch page read the testimonials. See if the people are like you and are trying to accomplish the same thing. It might seem hard in the begining but give it time and an honest effort. Even if you do not want to get a book you can just get a fitness ball or a workout mat and follow the instructions that come with it.

So about that mental health thing. You can exercise you mind by doing a sudoku puzzle, cross-word puzzle, jigsaw puzzle and anything that you have to stop and think about for a second. Clearing your mind can open a new world for you. The old saying goes "accentuate the positive" and get rid of the negative. "Negative" can be your thoughts or those of others. The people around you need to be positive thinkers as well. I always tell my friend to make today a drama free day. It seems she always seems to find someone with a problem that they want to involve her in. It is all right to help your friends but your friends should be there for you as well right! When you constantly deal with other peoples problems it can make you feel physicly and mentaly tired. When you become tired you can stop taking care of yourself and start to even look worse than you are. Getting fit for life is as much mental as it is physacle