Little things that give us HOPE

Happy Friday the 13th y'all!

So today's post is not a workout, or anything, but rather things I've been thinking about lately that have just made my heart feel so nice and warm lately.  All day today i had been limping along on my ankle.. which feels much better! i had limped all around campus and people watched, which i normally do! hehe we all do from time to time don't act like you haven't. Anyways, as i was looking around i couldn't help but notice the little things like how people look at each other, friends, significant others and so on. No one is perfect, but to each person our imperfections make us that much more worth the picture. Some had disabilities, some braces, some scars but each smiling or laughing because the other is doing the same.. to me that really is what happiness and love are.  Seeing the other person smiling and laughing and you can't help but do the same just over the simple thought you know that they are happy.

So i personal train at a private gym in my hometown, The HIT Center, in Huntington, WV.  I have clients for an hour each day and of course i get attached to them.  One client in particular and i had a moment.  This moment really made my heart happy when she had opened up to me saying how confident she feels and how beautiful she feels in her own skin now.  She works hard day in and day out and is so determined to live a healthy lifestyle, i mean the transformation is UNREAL! Seeing her open up and be vulnerable about her situation and knowing how much of a turn around she has made really has opened my eyes that anything truly is possible if you are committed.

While working out today at my university rec center, there are intramural basketball games going on and volley ball tournaments on every court in the gym, there's like 4 or 5 courts. One court in the middle was open and i couldn't help but watch this young man in a wheelchair shoot basketball.  I had watching him while i stretched, making and missing shots over and over again and yet he still never got tired of rebounding the basketball no matter how far it bounced away from his reach.  I continued with my workout.. still glancing to the gym to see him never grow tired of shooting that basketball.  I wish more people could be like that, i know plenty of adults and people my age (21) who are even too lazy to get off the couch or their apartment let alone have a disability that would make it that much HARDER.  That kid really made my heart happy just by being that determined to play something that he loved.  That moment i felt true happiness knowing that this guy i didn't even know was perfectly content with shooting and rebounding this basketball where ever it landed on that court.

One last thing, i don't normally watch the X-Factor but a little 13 year old girl, Rion Page, from Jacksonville, Florida was on there a few nights ago i'm guessing and she has a disease called  arthrogryposis multiplex congenita,which causes the joints in her hands to be deformed. She is also almost completely blind in her right eye.  She has the heart of pure gold.  She never once felt sorry for herself nor did she want anyone else in the competition to either.  if you haven't heard her, you definitely need to check her out.  She even brought Simon Cowell to his feet.  Seeing her confidence, you just couldn't help but smile and tear up.  Little things like this are what make life worth living.  Little things like this give us hope, and little things like this are what matter most in this crazy sick world we live in today. Below is the link to hear Rion's Story :) 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/13/watch-a-13-year-old-country-singer-bring-even-simon-cowell-to-his-feet/

Down but not out- No Excuses !

Hey Guys!

Once again it's been a crazy week and a half! I play co-ed slow pitch softball.. since I'm not a college athlete anymore :( (boo), this gives me my fix of still playing the game I love just at a slower pace.  Any who last week on September 5th we had a game, which we kicked butt in by the way :) And my second at bat I hit a triple.  Rounding first I hit the base at a weird angle and knew it wasn't gonna be the prettiest of all runs.  I approached third base, sliding feet first, because I am too competitive to get thrown out if I can help it! Needless to say I slid into the base, jamming my ankle into the side and ended up getting a Grade 2-3 Sprain.  For those of you who don't know there are 3 grades to an ankle sprain.

Grade1 : is mild, with slight stretching of the ligaments.
Grade2: is moderate, partial tearing of the ligament occurs
Grade3: is severe, Complete tear of the ligament occurs

Despite me not being able to put a lot of pressure on my foot to do the leg workouts I have been wanting to do, I have not skipped the gym! It is important to still be cautious but know that when you are in an injured state you have to pay a lot more attention to your diet and still be active where it is comfortable.  I have been doing some rehab and am on the way to recovery!

Today's workout will consist of a 20-30 minute bike ride, along with some upper body and back & every ones favorite, ABS!

Stationary Bike 20-30 min. Add Resistance according
 (Make sure you adjust your seat level so that when your pedal is on the decline, your knee is slightly bent)

DONT FORGET THE FIRST NUMBER IS THE WEIGHT-REPS-SETS
Hammer Curls: 20 x 12-15 x 2
Overhead Triceps Extension: 30 x 12-15 x 2

Back Extension: 25 plate 15 x 2
Lat Pull downs: 42.5 x 10-12 x 2

ABS: 200 (10 sets of 20)

Bye Bye Flabby Arms !

Hey all, sorry once again for the long wait for a post! I hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend, lots of cookouts and great food! Now's time to finish working off those hot dogs and hamburgers eaten over the long weekend! Today was an upper body day for me so I will just run you through what I did this morning :) Hope you can use it as well

Incline chest Press: 30 x 12-15x2
Dumb bell Upright Row: 20 x 12-15x2

Lateral/Front Raises: 10 x 10-15x2
Supine Lat Pullovers: 20 x15x2

Reverse grip pulldowns: 42.5 x 15x2
Rope Hammer Curls: 35 x 10-12x2

Abs: 200-  10 sets of 20 reps ! quick and easy !

Cardio: Run 1 mile on the treadmill at 7.5 mph.

All of this can be done in 45 minutes! SO GO MAKE TIME