How to Get more Veggies & Fruits in your daily life…

 

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Most of us are aware that we need more Vegetables & Fruit in our daily-diets. By the way, these are also called Plants. Don’t be scared or bothered by that. Embrace it if you can. You don’t have to like everything. Try stuff out. I feel confident that with enough effort anyone could find a few vegetables & fruits to suit their taste buds. Attitude has a lot to do with it. Also, understand that it might take some time for your taste buds to get used to new things, so remember to be patient. And yes, you can still eat meat if you want. You can still have some bread, some chips, sodas, cookies, etc. (maybe don’t go too crazy). Just know this, Plants = Healthy Nutrition. And yes, there are even a few great plant protein sources. Lentils are a great example. The problem is HOW to actually get more in each day?! For many of us, it’s difficult to navigate the real-world logistics of actually getting more veggies & fruits in DAILY for say…an entire year. And make no mistake, the goal is every single day, for a lifetime. Once a week is just not good enough. Obviously, this takes time. A lot of people think they eat “healthy” just because they cut a few unhealthy things from their diet. That’s great. I applaud your efforts but don’t stop there. What’s equally important are the things we DO intentionally choose to consume regularly. The ONLY solution i’ve found to help overcome this obstacle is to drink a SMOOTHIE each day. I make mine at home. Everything in it is healthy. No BS. Most of my stuff is frozen. For me, this is a simple, fast and affordable option. Otherwise, I can’t lie, there’s no way I’d get in both veggies & fruits every day. I’m too busy. Keep in mind, I enjoy non-healthy food as much as anybody. I also know the importance of proper nutrition. A smoothie is just a suggestion and something I think worth considering for anyone that cares about their health yet finds themselves forever busy. I know the struggle is real. I just wanted to share what’s worked well for me for years. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox #smoothies #healthandwellness #healthandfitness #nutrition #drgregersdailydozen

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Mar 27, 2019 at 11:13am PDT

Thoughts on Core: Part 2

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The Core: Part 2. Last week I mentioned that I like the term “braid” to describe the muscles of the core. I also like the term “Pillar”. Think of a Roman pillar supporting the weight of a heavy stone or marble structure. Envision your pillar as 2 shoulder sockets + the spine + 2 hip sockets. One very important job of all these different muscles is to work together to protect the body from injury, especially the Spine. They can also work together to produce large amounts of stability, strength that will hoped translate into sustained durability, if trained appropriately. The “core” is not just abs or stomach muscles. Because of this, we should always focus on keeping these areas “braced” when doing most movements, especially during exercise. At the very least, when exercising, keep your stomach muscles braced tightly as if you’re expecting a powerful punch. This tension is actually useful in creating a strong Core as well as helping the body learn to fire these muscles automatically during future movements. Most “core” exercises, things like sit-ups and crunches for example, don’t typically incorporate the entire body while performing them. It’s not that they have no value, it’s just that better options are available. By the way, the best option for improving the appearance of the Core is still a BALANCED DIET & LIFESTYLE. #coreexercises #healthandfitness #healthandwellness #blueskystrongbox #bssbbooks

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Mar 18, 2019 at 2:53pm PDT

Thoughts on Core: Part 1

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The Core. It’s a very popular topic. Why? Because most of us want ours to look better. There’s nothing wrong with that. Why don’t I talk about it more? Well, I do, kind of. I talk a lot about a balanced lifestyle. Why? Because all roads of a balanced lifestyle lead to everything we want, including the improved appearance of our waistlines. A balanced lifestyle typically does a lot to improve health, fitness, happiness and yes, the way we look. Why then does the fitness industry talk so much about special “core” exercises that “target” and “melt” away unwanted fat…and other things like controversial Supplements, Drugs and other Nutritional protocols. Why? Profit. Exercises that target the Core typically won’t do much to improve the way it looks, at least not until very lean. Taking expensive, possibly even dangerous, nutritional supplements, drugs; following questionable nutritional practices, etc…will most likely just deplete your bank account and could possibly even damage your health. And all we wanted was a flatter stomach, right. Instead, seek BALANCE. ✨>Quality sleep. Hydration with clean water. Consume adequate amounts of fibrous Veggies & Plants, adding in some lean proteins & healthy fats. Laugh more, have fun more…after your responsibilities are done, of course! Don’t exercise too much or too little. Do move every day. Walking is a great choice most days. Enjoy time alone and with friends. Have something or someone to Love, something to always do and something to always look forward to. Repeat and tweak as needed…till the end of time. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox #healthandwellness #healthandfitness #coreexercises #coreexercise

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Mar 11, 2019 at 11:18am PDT

Thoughts on Cardio…

 

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We’ve all heard the term “cardio”. It means many different things to many different people. Sadly, there are also a great number of misconceptions that come with this. Just remember, doing Cardio can help with health & fitness goals when done in appropriate doses. Too much or too little is typically not recommended. Do know that Cardio does not magically burn off body fat. It can help but should never be a substitute for a sh*tty diet. When I teach most of my students about Cardio I often explain it in terms of Gears (by the way, I like limiting most things to 3.) So for Cardio, I think…Low Gear, Middle Gear & High Gear. A great example of a low-gear exercise is Walking. Walking Hills would be a great example of the middle-gear and a HIIT Spin Class would be a great example of high-gear. For most beginners or anyone that doesn’t already have great stamina, Low Gear is the best place to start. It doesn’t mean you can’t do the other stuff but just be careful. Test the waters. Start slow, build strong. The secret to improving anything Cardio is learning to breathe better when the going gets tough. It’s all about the oxygen. This is why I prefer the middle-gear most often. It can act like a bridge and really help keep the focus on breathe control. Most people only use 2 gears, a low-gear that allows for easy breathing and an all out high-gear that leaves you devastated. THE GOOD STUFF IS OFTEN FOUND SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE! (yes, you can quote me on that. Lol) Since I’ve been doing this stuff for a lil’ while and my stamina is fairly decent, I prefer to mix things up regularly. It keeps boredom at bay and helps me add more movement variety to my portfolio, which also helps with injury prevention. I like to use a simple old-school-low-tech stopwatch set for 30 minutes and perform 5-10 minutes of a variety of exercises till my time is up. Some call this a Circuit. I call it Gumbo. At the end of the video above you will see a few quick examples of what I actually did today. This is just to give y’all some ideas… #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Mar 5, 2019 at 7:47am PST

Be happy with your body.

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I’m thinking there’s not really such a thing as “smart lipo”… just my opinion. These ads are EVERYWHERE in Austin. It’s not like we needed more body image issues. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Mar 21, 2019 at 12:03pm PDT

Gravitate towards all things that are sustainable…

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Sustainability has special powers. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Feb 25, 2019 at 8:26am PST

Students February 2019

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February 2019. Simple stuff repeated consistently adds up over time. Remember this when under (or over) confident about a goal. Most likely, there will be a lot of work involved. The key is to break down all the necessary components into bite-sized pieces and then consistently do those small things EVERY DAY until the job is done. None of us are perfect… it’s ok. Sh*t will happen sometimes. But with that said, I believe the current culture of entitlement that tricks some into believing they frequently “deserve” time off from any (or all) responsibilities is the easiest way I know to self-sabotage your entire life away. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Feb 27, 2019 at 10:26am PST

Temptation is everywhere. Fight the good fight!

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It is NOT by accident that things like this are the way they are. We could argue it’s all by design. We are surrounded by temptation. It’s up to each of us to fight the good fight. #healthandwellness #blueskystrongbox #healthyfood #nutrition

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Feb 21, 2019 at 9:06am PST

Balance Tension & Relaxation!

 

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Our bodies need a healthy balance between Tension and Relaxation. Too often, many of us stay “tightly wound” from overworking our minds and bodies. I’m all for 100% effort (both physical & mental) but it needs to be balanced with some Calmness & Relaxation after. When it comes to exercise and being physical, there is nothing wrong with pushing hard if done safely but again this needs balancing. This balance I’m talking about can come from many different things (warm baths, adequate sleep/rest, taking a day off, massage, stretching, relaxing yoga flows, easy walks, etc) This same concept can also be applied WITHIN the actual workout between each set of any exercise. This works great when there is no time for stretching (or a warm shower). The great Russian fitness expert, Pavel coined these ideas as “fast & loose” exercises. Call them what you want. The idea is that in a very short amount of time we can greatly reduce tension inside our bodies by shaking certain areas of the body in a controlled yet relaxed manner. I believe by shaking the JAW, the SHOULDERS (via the arms) & the HIPS (via the legs & butt) we can achieve this “dumping of tension” in less than one minute. I typically shake each area 10-20 times between any exercise that feels intense or heavy. I normally first jump around to shake my arms & shoulders out, then shake both hips/legs while also moving my jawbones back and forth sideways. The more jiggle and floppiness the better. The idea is to “get loose” as fast as possible. It may look AND feel ridiculously silly but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it for a while. I’ve done this for years and can honestly say that it has helped me a lot. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox #healthandwellness #strengthtraining #strengthandconditioning #

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Feb 18, 2019 at 7:37am PST

Simple Plans are always best!

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Have you clarified any and all Goal(s) yet for 2019? Try to. It’s the middle of February already. Devise a simple, doable plan. Build in confidence. Write stuff down so it’s very clear and manageable. Execute. I always like to write down my weekly exercise schedule (top left), among other things. I look at it every day for clarity before the workout. It really helps keep me focused. I’m confident because I created a plan and schedule that I know I can easily do AND understand. I love seeing/reading other folk’s “simple plans”. Top right & Bottom Left are 2-day strength plans from Mike Boyle & Zach Even-Esh respectively. Bottom right was my Resting Heart Rate last week. It had creeped up in the 5o’s for most of December, most likely due to a lack of quality sleep. Never underestimate the fundamentals or simplicity. My daily mantra: POSITIVITY + SIMPLICITY + CREATIVITY. Have a plan. Put it into action. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox #positivitysimplicitycreativity

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Feb 14, 2019 at 7:01am PST