So I officially moved my blog over to a self hosted WordPress blog website.

I must tell ya it was not fun, nor was it a smooth transition. (Lots of bumps and frustrations!)

I learned a lot about web hosting, uploads, plugins, etc. And learned a lot about what I don’t know. LOL

I’m still in my infancy with developing a worthwhile looking and functioning blog website, but at the very least, I was able to carbon copy my WordPress.com blog and move it over to a self-hosted website.

So please update your settings with my blog website if you are a frequent visitor. If you’re one of my 6 RSS subscribers please by all means update and/or change my feed as well, I’d hate to lose everyone who’s been kind enough to read my blog.

My new RSS is : 2bestrong.net.

I will start the process of updating all my Web2.0 profiles to reflect my awesome new blog website!

OK OK.. maybe not awesome, but I  just love the idea of being able to add and/or delete anything to my new blog, as opposed to the JavaScript restrictions I had with WordPress.com.

I’m almost 100% positive I will have future headaches in regards to diving into the self-hosted world, but as of now.. I’m pretty pumped.

So please join me at the new home of To Be Strong.

I of course missed out on the .com address, and settled for .net. I figured it suited Darren over at Problogger just fine, so I should survive.

I’ll also start to trim away the fat here on this blog site, and have all arrows pointing towards www.2bestrong.net.

I successfully moved all my blog post from here to my new home, so I’m not exactly sure how that will all play out with backtracks and permalinks, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Thanks again to anyone and everyone who has blessed this place with your visits.

Carpe Diem

I am once again baffled by what I see in the gym these days. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a people watcher. Everywhere I go, I watch people. Whether I’m in the gym, at the mall, in the car, at work, I love to observe (OK.. maybe I stare once in a while )

I was wondering at what point in the exercising world did stretching become obsolete? Or when did flexibility become unimportant?

All too often I’m noticing members walk in the gym, put down their bag and either jump on a universal weight machine, start running/walking, or get on the treadmill and/or ARC trainer without any preparation at all!

I myself wonder how these people can walk the next day or two after their workout??? I take 15-20 minutes before my workout and roughly 5 minutes post workout to do full body stretching. Everything from my upper body, upper extremities, core and torso, lower quadrant and lower extremities. If I’m using it, I’m stretching it.

I know from my education and training that a flexible muscle is a safe muscle. During a movement, whether strength training or not, you need to utilize and maximize the range of motion of the muscle being trained. Each muscle group, and individual muscle has a set range of motion parameter that is determined by anatomy, physiology and basic physics. The more you can move the muscle, the more you can use the muscle. Maximum motion produces maximum effort which yields maximum results. (ergo.. move faster, lift stronger, etc)

Flexibility also protects your muscles from injury. Everything from the planned workouts, to those long days at work, and the unfortunate accidents we all encounter. The more flexible your muscle(s) are the more adept YOU are to saving yourself from possible injury, or at the very least minimizing the severity of injury. Have you ever slipped on ice? Did you get hurt? How did your back feel over the next couple of days. Or how about your hamstrings? Did you ‘pull a muscle’? Or for heaven’s sake did you tear something?

Now we could dissect the proper methods for stretching. Everything from types of stretches, whether or not to hold or bounce, static vs. ballistic, the ever-so popular jump-stretch program, foam rollers, the Graston Technique, PNF stretching and PNF Patterns, Myofascial Release, Proprioception, and Golgi Tendon Complexes and the Reciprocal Inhibition Reflex, but I digress. The list is endless and limitless as you can see.

I guess maybe I always view things as the worst-case scenario. I’ve lived the scenario of not being able to exercise, of not being able to simple task like lifting a glass of water. I’ve injured myself enough times to want and demand that being safe is so much better than being sorry. (Did you ever see Jack LaLanne? Did he incorporate stretching?)

If you exercise in any manner, it would behoove you to stretch. Those of us who have suffered the consequences of not having a safe muscle know better. (Have you ever tried Yoga?)

It may not happen today, or tomorrow. It may not happen this month or even this year, but it will happen. Sooner or later inflexibility catches up with you and your body and kindly reminds you of how important stretching and flexibility really are.

Carpe Diem

The hard is what makes it great.

Lessons learned always come with a price. I myself have developed the theory that anything and everything I’ve learned of value I learned the hard way.

If it was easy, it just wasn’t a lesson I think I retained. Or should I say, it was a lesson that was not embedded into me. Most of the easy lessons had to be repeated until it became a hard lesson learned.

For instance, when you were told to look both ways when crossing the street. Did you look both ways the first time? (I didn’t) I think I may have looked ACROSS the street and then crossed. I got away with that action for a lil’ while. Then one day I crossed and came millimeters from getting hit by a car. I think I felt the brush of the car against my clothing.

I chalked it up to chance. I thought to myself,”Aahh that’s a one in a million instance. That won’t happen to me again.”

Time moved on and I kept crossing the street, not looking both ways. I think I might occasionally look down the road one way, but never both.

Another typical day, and like clockwork I didn’t look. Low and behold there was a fellow neighborhood friend zooming down the street on his bicycle. If I could have clocked his speed I think he was reaching the 35mph mark. Before I could blink I can hear this funny ‘click-click-click’ noise and WHAM, BOOM, SKREEETTCH.

The next thing I remember is picking myself up off the road, and looking around for some sort of clue as to what happen. I’m scratched up. My knees and elbows are skinned clean and I think there is gravel in my ear?

We both end up having some lasting scars, but my fellow neighbor, myself and his bike survived the ordeal.

Since then and to this very day, if I cross a road, I look both ways TWICE.

The moral of this story: No one chooses to take a header over their bike, or suffer a face plant on the road, but it’s a great learning tool.

Carpe Diem

This post is the first in what I’ve dubbed: Mentality Mondays, surviving life is sometimes simply a mindset.

Side note:

I recently purchased a domain and webhost. I’m in the beginning (learning) stages of creating my new home for my blog. So stay tuned! In the meantime I’ll keep on doin’ what I’m doin’.

The hard is what makes it great.

Lessons learned always come with a price. I myself have developed the theory that anything and everything I’ve learned of value I learned the hard way.

If it was easy, it just wasn’t a lesson I think I retained. Or should I say, it was a lesson that was not embedded into me. Most of the easy lessons had to be repeated until it became a hard lesson learned.

For instance, when you were told to look both ways when crossing the street. Did you look both ways the first time? (I didn’t) I think I may have looked ACROSS the street and then crossed. I got away with that action for a lil’ while. Then one day I crossed and came millimeters from getting hit by a car. I think I felt the brush of the car against my clothing.

I chalked it up to chance. I thought to myself,”Aahh that’s a one in a million instance. That won’t happen to me again.”

Time moved on and I kept crossing the street, not looking both ways. I think I might occasionally look down the road one way, but never both.

Another typical day, and like clockwork I didn’t look. Low and behold there was a fellow neighborhood friend zooming down the street on his bicycle. If I could have clocked his speed I think he was reaching the 35mph mark. Before I could blink I can hear this funny ‘click-click-click’ noise and WHAM, BOOM, SKREEETTCH.

The next thing I remember is picking myself up off the road, and looking around for some sort of clue as to what happen. I’m scratched up. My knees and elbows are skinned clean and I think there is gravel in my ear?

We both end up having some lasting scars, but my fellow neighbor, myself and his bike survived the ordeal.

Since then and to this very day, if I cross a road, I look both ways TWICE.

The moral of this story: No one chooses to take a header over their bike, or suffer a face plant on the road, but it’s a great learning tool.

Carpe Diem

This post is the first in what I’ve dubbed: Mentality Mondays, surviving life is sometimes simply a mindset.

Side note:

I recently purchased a domain and webhost. I’m in the beginning (learning) stages of creating my new home for my blog. So stay tuned! In the meantime I’ll keep on doin’ what I’m doin.

Come visit me over at Fat Man Unleashed for my guest post. With the assistance of Israel,  we’re approaching weight loss from a very different perspective, titled The Master List of Unconventional Benefits of Weight Loss

I am once again baffled by what I see in the gym these days. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a people watcher. Everywhere I go, I watch people. Whether I’m in the gym, at the mall, in the car, at work, I love to observe (OK.. maybe I stare once in a while )

I was wondering at what point in the exercising world did stretching become obsolete? Or when did flexibility become unimportant?

All too often I’m noticing members walk in the gym, put down their bag and either jump on a universal weight machine, start running/walking, or get on the treadmill and/or ARC trainer without any preparation at all!

I myself wonder how these people can walk the next day or two after their workout??? I take 15-20 minutes before my workout and roughly 5 minutes post workout to do full body stretching. Everything from my upper body, upper extremities, core and torso, lower quadrant and lower extremities. If I’m using it, I’m stretching it.

I know from my education and training that a flexible muscle is a safe muscle. During a movement, whether strength training or not, you need to utilize and maximize the range of motion of the muscle being trained. Each muscle group, and individual muscle has a set range of motion parameter that is determined by anatomy, physiology and basic physics. The more you can move the muscle, the more you can use the muscle. Maximum motion produces maximum effort which yields maximum results. (ergo.. move faster, lift stronger, etc)

Flexibility also protects your muscles from injury. Everything from the planned workouts, to those long days at work, and the unfortunate accidents we all encounter. The more flexible your muscle(s) are the more adept YOU are to saving yourself from possible injury, or at the very least minimizing the severity of injury. Have you ever slipped on ice? Did you get hurt? How did your back feel over the next couple of days. Or how about your hamstrings? Did you ‘pull a muscle’? Or for heaven’s sake did you tear something?

Now we could dissect the proper methods for stretching. Everything from types of stretches, whether or not to hold or bounce, static vs. ballistic, the ever-so popular jump-stretch program, foam rollers, the Graston Technique, PNF stretching and PNF Patterns, Myofascial Release, Proprioception, and Golgi Tendon Complexes and the Reciprocal Inhibition Reflex, but I digress. The list is endless and limitless as you can see.

I guess maybe I always view things as the worst-case scenario. I’ve lived the scenario of not being able to exercise, of not being able to simple task like lifting a glass of water. I’ve injured myself enough times to want and demand that being safe is so much better than being sorry. (Did you ever see Jack LaLanne? Did he incorporate stretching?)

If you exercise in any manner, it would behoove you to stretch. Those of us who have suffered the consequences of not having a safe muscle know better. (Have you ever tried Yoga?)

It may not happen today, or tomorrow. It may not happen this month or even this year, but it will happen. Sooner or later inflexibility catches up with you and your body and kindly reminds you of how important stretching and flexibility really are.

Carpe Diem

We all to often jump head first into things. Patience is of course a virtue, but when something is heard, or spoken that flickers your emotions it’s hard sometimes to stop and let it marinate.

So where did you learn of this news or information? Who told you? Where did you hear it from?

The Internet has turned John Q. Public into a very informed society. But what kind of information are we consuming? We all too often believe what is in print simply because it just MUST be true?! Right?… uuuhh Right?

Or better yet, when someone claims to be an expert or a learned professional we should trust their judgement and recommendation…. Right?

Yes, some things are true whether we choose to believe them or not. But make sure you consider the source.

Carpe Diem

Don’t you hate those. Your minding you own business, running your race, or swimming your laps, or lifting your weights….OR your sleeping! And all of sudden WHAM @$&!.

What the BLEEP!

For anyone who was or is active in their life, the infamous Charlie Horse, more commonly termed a muscle cramp, is something we all wish we could have never experienced and only heard of or read about.

You get that searing  HOT or COLD feeling at the point of impact. It could be your calf (most common), or your thigh (Quadriceps or Hamstring complex), or your darn toe! You can’t move the joint or muscle affected and you can actually SEE the muscle stuck in a contracted position! (Did you ever see a toe cramp?)

I’ve experienced most of the above mentioned, including the toe cramp ( I was a competitive swimmer at one point in my life). Over the years experience and education have taught and shown me multiple ways to treat Mr. ED.

In all most all cases, you simply need to treat the cause. However it’s not always the easiest course of action. Most Charlie Horse cramps are due to fatigue mostly, followed up by dehydration, metabolic imbalances and lastly inflexibility (except for that damn toe – he doesn’t fit in any of those categories).

Common quackery used to tell you to massage the muscle cramp. Most recently I’ve heard and read to stretch the muscle at it’s source. I’m here to tell you that they all work, and they all DON’T work. Unfortunately each situation requires a different solution and you’ll never know which one to use, other than trial and error.

As an ATC I’ve treated them in some strange ways that in my humble opinion optimally eliminate your horse from trouncing on your day. Here are my list of pointers and tips on what to do in the event you become that unfortunate soul who meets Charlie:

• If at all possible try to relax the limb that is affected. Almost always the cramp is due to a neural pathway misfiring. You get a temporary tetany to a muscle and the only way to stop is to relax. (Yeah, I know easier said than done)
• When relaxing doesn’t work, you can sometimes trick your body (muscle) by contracting it. (This one rarely works)
• Abuse the Contract/Relax Reflex Inhibition of your body. Contract the antagonistic muscle that is affected. (This takes practice)
• Pressure point therapy to the belly of the muscle affected. This will hurt like a SOME-EN-NAH-GUN, but it’s highly effective. (this messes with your neural pathways as well but in a different way)
• Heat or Cold therapy (This is a more long and drawn out process, not an immediate fix-er-upper)
• Of course stretching the affected muscle always helps in the long run.

I use a combination of treatments depending on where I am at the time. (trying to stretch out my toe at 3am in bed can be tough) I wish I could give you a better explanation as to why with some great physiological research information, but I don’t. I do know from my own run-in’s with Charlie and treating my athletes and clients who meet up with Charlie the pressure point therapy works. It hurts like HECK, but it works. If you can apply pressure to that affected area anywhere from 15sec to 2min, it works wonders. It sometimes will just slow or stop the cycle long enough for you to stretch out the cramp and recover.

Does anyone have any tried and true methods they’d like to share?

Age is inevitable. Aging is guaranteed. From that bookcase you bought to that toy you had as child. Sooner or later it will fall apart.

The question is do you want it to happen sooner or later?

If it’s put together properly, it should last a good amount of time. If you take care of it, it should last. If you pay attention to how you handle it, it should last.

Now if you want to haphazardly put it together.. then it’s sure to fall apart soon. If you neglect it or handle it improperly… yep. Much sooner than later it won’t be around.

Maybe we should treat our selves like something we put together?

What do you think?

Carpe Diem

Core Comment Update:

I wanted to thank Derek Semmler over on The Man Page of Sparkplugging for generously including me in The Manival 8th Edition!