By Mark Salinas
Have you been to the gym and admired the person that can pop out many pull ups? Pull ups also known as a “chin up” is a great upper body work out. This exercise can improve the core, arms, shoulders and back immensely.
It is all in taking on the challenge of lifting ones own body weight. Krista Scott-Dixon in Life Experience wrote a great article titled “Clear the Bar.”
“Pull-ups make you seriously strong”, I have seen time and time again that the pull up is one of the “most effective measures of your strength-to-body-weight ratio.”
Again it is a fantastic work out for the core as well.
So how does one pull up so much weight? Muscle memory and technique…perform exercises that will improve strength in muscles involved in a pull up. Push ups, Lat Pull Downs and upright rows. Continue to work these exercises and before you know it, you should be able to increase your amount of pull ups performed.
Remember the Pull up is one of the most difficult yet beneficial exercises for your upper body. Make little adjustments, don’t get frustrated…..the results will come!
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By Mark Salinas
I think most of us face challenges at common times when it comes to eating. My biggest challenge is when I am slowing down for the day or bored, maybe looking for something to keep me busy…. “STOP!”
Grab a book or a little bean bag to toss up and down…something. Keep your mind off of food!
All the hard work during the day, and over a couple of hours prior to bed I take a few steps back.
Try this:
This has helped me in my nightly battle to avoid binging. I put a timed imaginary lock on the fridge and/or cupboards (7pm they lock). I have been practicing this and it tends to get easier to stay away each night. If you must…. try some milk or if you are craving sugar a glass of chocolate milk.
Good luck!
Remember you are in control!
By Mark Salinas
I think we tend to get wrapped up in our lives and forget that so much of what happens in todays world has a huge impact on our children and the children of tomorrow. Think about it. “What are you doing each day that could be indirectly or directly affecting the children?”
Is the car you drive affecting the air we breathe? Are the pesticides used on fruits, vegetables affecting the food our children eat? How is the media affecting the children? With so much technology our children tend to be less active…don’t they? What steps can we take to turn the tide before it is too late?
“Every waterfall starts with a drop.”
I would like to get different perspectives from children and people of all ages.
We will call this “The Children’s Corner”
by: Mark Salinas
Developing mental fitness is a key component for a successful training routine. At the top level it is not your physical or technical expertise which separates you from the competition but your mental toughness. To have constant growth you have to learn the ability to hold your nerve, perform under the most intense pressure, and consistently turn it on even when you don’t feel at your best. Mental toughness is what makes an individual that reaches the top of his/her “game” so special. These athletes know their real battle is not so much on the field or track, but inside their mind. It is a must that you manage your mental side if you want to maximize your efforts.
Given that mental strength is such an important trait in constant growth, it is surprising how many individuals neglect the mental side in training routines. If you are an individual that spends the majority of your training regiment on technique and fitness while paying no attention to your mental side, you are probably doing yourself a disservice. Mental skills are acquirable and you can, with practice, learn to perform mentally. “You can improve your confidence, concentration, motivation and anxiety levels if you chose to. You operate within a system…..your performance is just an outcome of how your system operates. The parts of your system are all related.”
A baseball’s player’s confidence may be affected by his technique, which may be affected by his fitness, which may be affected by his lifestyle which may be affected by his time management. It is always logical to solve the underlying causes of a problem than the symptom itself.
Increase your self-awareness during this process, so that wherever possible you find the solutions and suggest changes yourself.
Feelings will usually affect your performance. Whether you are aware of them or not, how you feel affects how you perform. Feelings are based on what you imagine and/or how you interpret from an event and not from the event itself. The message is very simple, learn how to change your interpretations and you learn how to manage your emotions. When you can manage your emotions you can perform at your best.
Read the rest of this entry »
By Mark Salinas
Most people tend to take an “all or nothing” approach to weight loss. When an individual has decided that it is the time to lose weight they often will eat much less and increase activity.
By increasing daily activity to build muscle and burn more calories. Continue to eat as your body will require the “fuel”.
Consistently exercising, such as a daily run or walk for 20+ minutes, is a great way to burn calories. Strength training exercises, such as weight training, also are important in a weight loss program. And since muscle tissue burns more calories, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.
Regularly scheduled aerobic exercise is best for weight loss, also additional extra movement helps burn calories. Come up with additional ways to increase activity each day. Taking the stairs more often and parking farther away at the store also are additional ways to burn more calories.
BEWARE of dietary supplements for help in burning calories.”Dietary supplement manufacturers aren’t required by the Food and Drug Administration to prove their products are safe or effective, so view these products with caution and skepticism.”
Your metabolism is the catalyst for your energy needs, it’s the amount of food you consume and physical activity that ultimately determine your weight.
Hello! I’m Mark Salinas of Minnesota and this is my personal blog. I’m planning to use the blog to tell the story of my weight-loss and fitness journey where I lost 50+ lbs. as a result of changes to my diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. I hope my blog will serve as an inspiration to others who may be considering or who are in the process of this journey.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it and visit again soon.
-Mark Salinas
By Mark Salinas
I am thoroughly convinced in a healthy eating routine. The key for me is listening and understanding what my body is telling me. Example: After a 1-2 hour intense workout, just below or above my AT (anaerobic threshold). My body is sugar deprived, so my solution has been juice, oranges etc. If the workout is all weight lifting, a diet consisting of much protein such as chicken is part of the plan. The importance of keeping the metabolism working at a fast pace is one of the key factors in a successful weight loss program.
