The OOIC Students Blog

Proud Pinoy sings the Philippine National Anthem correctly

2009-06-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

As i was been surfing on Youtube, I was been cought to see the news, probably a months long, about a singer who have represented Philippines to sing the National Anthem being televised worldwide. Here's the news:

I believe that most of us is likewise can't able to sing our own national anthem without looking on the lyrics. Though, we can able to sing completely and correctly when singing together but the problem is when you are alone, can you make it?

Well, I have decided to post on this blog the comprehensive research that I found on the internet for us to be informed on how must be the correct lyrics and rhythm of singing the Philippine National Anthem.

According to Wikipedia, Lupang Hinirang is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Julian Felipe, with lyrics in Spanish adapted from the poem Filipinas, written by José Palma in 1899. [more...]

Below is the Official lyrics, according to RA 8491. The lyrics date from 1956, with revisions in the 1960s.

LUPANG HINIRANG

Below is the Unoficial English Translation. This translation is not intended to be sung, as the words do not correspond with the music. However, it is recommended for accurate translation of the current and only official Filipino version of the Philippine national anthem into other language editions of Wikipedia. In addition, this text differs from that of the Philippine Hymn of 1938, since the latter is a direct translation from the original Spanish version Filipinas.

CHOOSEN LAND

Singer/s who sang correctly:

Singer/s who sang differently (revival? hmmm...):

Singer/s who sang unaligned(?) :

Being PROUD FILIPINO, any where we are, any time will be... all Filipinoes are required and must know how to sing the "LUPANG HINIRANG".

Cities of the World

2009-06-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

Cities of the World

SPONSORED LINKS:

Self-Care

2009-06-18T01:48:00.000-07:00

1. Women should know how to detect breast cancer early. Have an annual breast exam at your doctor’s office, plus an annual mammogram starting at age 50 (women in their 40s should discuss their risk factors with their doctors). Aging is the single most important risk for breast cancer. All women also need a regular schedule for Pap smears. You should have your first screening at age 18 or when you become sexually active, whichever occurs first. If your Pap smears are negative for three consecutive years, screening every three years is adequate.

2. Get your annual flu shot. In particular, if you are over 50, have asthma, lung or heart disease, an impaired immune system or are otherwise at high risk for serious complications from the flu, don’t put off getting the shot. In fact, recent research suggests that even healthy adults under 50 (including children) can benefit dramatically and should consider getting an annual flu shot.

3. Though nothing cures a cold, some home remedies can help. Hot drinks, especially chicken soup, can increase the flow of nasal secretions. Tea with honey temporarily relieves a sore throat. Saltwater gargles (a quarter teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water) are also helpful, as are homemade saline nasal drops (same formula as the gargle).

4. Get vaccinated against pneumonia. The shot protects against strains of pneumococcal bacteria, which are responsible for up to half of all cases of pneumonia seen commonly. The vaccine has few side effects, usually nothing more than a sore arm. Those over 65 should get the pneumonia shot, as well as anyone at high risk for serious or life-threatening complications from pneumonia (such as people with kidney disease, diabetes, lung or heart disease, and HIV disease).

5. Ward off insects by using a repellant containing DEET or picaridin. DEET has an excellent safety record when used as directed. For ordinary purposes, concentrations of 10 to 30 percent are adequate for adults. Use lower levels for children. Apply only on exposed skin, not under clothing; you can also apply higher concentrations directly to clothing made of cotton, wool, or nylon. A newer option is a spray containing picaridin, which is effective in repelling a wide range of insects and is long-lasting, according to the CDC and World Health Organization. Picaridin is less irritating to the skin than DEET and is odorless, which many consumers find appealing.

6. Don’t take antibiotics for a cold or flu. These drugs, including penicillin, are effective only against bacterial infections, such as strep throat. They can do nothing for colds or flu, which are viral infections.

7. Improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. Relax for an hour or so before getting into bed. Read, listen to music, take a warm bath. Don’t take work to bed with you. Avoid strenuous exercise within a couple of hours of bedtime. Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool. Don’t drink caffeinated beverages after dinner. Try to establish a regular sleep schedule.

8. To keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy, spend five minutes a day brushing and flossing. Use fluoride toothpaste. Use a brush with soft bristles (hard bristles can damage the gums), and hold it in an angle pointed towards the junction of the teeth and gums. Waxed and unwaxed floss are equally effective.

9. To reduce jet lag, use the sun to reset your body’s internal clock. When flying west across several time zones, stay outdoors in direct sunlight at the end of the first day in order to push back your bedtime and wake-up time. When flying east, go out in the sun early the next day to help you adjust to an earlier bedtime. Walk, sit, or exercise outside: Wearing sunscreen won’t cancel out the beneficial effect of the light.

10. To keep a cold from spreading, wash your hands frequently. If you’re around someone with a cold, avoid touching your nose and eyes. Don’t share drinking and eating utensils and other objects with family members who have colds. Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, or sneeze into your sleeve. Dispose of used tissues promptly in a plastic-lined wastebasket or paper bag, or in any manner that makes handling them unnecessary.

11. If you’re considering taking a low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks, talk to your doctor first. Like any medicine, aspirin is not risk-free: It can cause stomach pain, heartburn, nausea, and intestinal bleeding. Anyone taking a daily dose of aspirin needs a doctor’s supervision.

12. Don’t use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning wounds. It is no more effective than soap and water (still the preferred method), and may actually damage the surrounding healthy skin.

13. For the greatest protection from the sun, get a sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Or use a product — this is now widely available — with avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789). This protects against the widest spectrum of UVA rays. Other sunscreen ingredients absorb mostly UVB rays, which are mainly responsible for sunburn and the less deadly skin cancers. UVA rays may be more important in the development of melanoma, the most deadly skin cancer, as well as wrinkling and leathering. Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before you go out into the sun. This allows the active ingredients to penetrate the topmost layer of the skin and makes them more effective. Use a generous amount, not a little dab, and reapply frequently.

14. Don’t store medications in the bathroom. The high heat and dampness from the bath can speed the deterioration of drugs. Choose a cool, dry place — such as a closet shelf (a high shelf if you have kids).

15. Small children should ride in car safety seats, of course, but never in the front seat. This is especially true if the car has a passenger-side air bag. All kids under 12 should ride in the rear and always be buckled in.

16. Don’t use hanging pest strips, since these constantly release pesticide into the air you breathe. In addition, many of them contain a known carcinogen.

17. To avoid traveler’s diarrhea in developing countries, take these precautions: Drink only bottled or canned beverages, and be sure you’re the one who breaks the seal. Or stick to hot drinks made with boiling water. Never use tap water even for brushing your teeth. Pass up ice cubes. Don’t eat anything raw. Raw fruit is okay if you peel it — and don’t wash it in tap water.

18. Never shake an infant or young child. Since a young child’s neck muscles are weak, this can cause brain or spinal cord damage.

19. With herbal “remedies,” it’s buyers beware. There is no testing for safety or effectiveness. In addition, there’s no guarantee that they are what the labels say they are, that the dosage is accurate, or that the next bottle will have the same ingredients.

20. In case you start choking on food when no one is around to help, you should know how to do the self-administered Heimlich maneuver. Make a fist and place the thumb up against your abdomen, slightly above the navel. With the other hand, grasp the fist and press it in and upward with quick, sharp thrusts. Repeat until the food is expelled.

21. Place healthy infants less than six months old on their backs or sides at bedtime (not on their stomachs, which is what most parents believe they should do). This may reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) — also known as crib death — by as much as 50 percent. Never put an infant on top of fluffy bedding, pillows or comforters.

22. Don’t skip your seat belt just because you have an air bag. Safety belts reduce driver fatalities by 42 percent; add an air bag and you gain another six percent. But the air bag alone reduces fatalities by only 18 percent. Moreover, the impact of an air bag can be dangerous if you aren’t belted.

Safety on Car Keys beside Bed at Night

2009-06-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be se t off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar rapist won't stick around... after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.....

This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

What goes around comes around

2009-06-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fears can put in you.

He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan ...

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'

There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.

Quit Smoking Now

2009-06-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Smoking is a Choice

By Fred H. Kelley, QuitSmoking.com

This issue I give another lesson in "tough love." You know this stuff somewhere in the back of your mind, but you probably don't think about it very much. I want to get you thinking about this and help shape the WAY you think about this. It just might help you quit. So here we go:

Many of you may have heard of Zig Ziglar. He's a tremendous human being, salesman, trainer and motivational speaker. One of his countless talks covered exercise and weight gain. His talks are witty, funny and clever, and he helps his listeners think about things in different ways.

During his discussion on weight gain, he relates how he got fat "on purpose." That sounds funny, of course, but he goes on to explain that he never ate anything by accident. He never slipped and fell, only to accidentally eat a piece of cake.

His point is this: He always made his own choice about what to eat and whether to eat. If he gained weight it was because HE chose to put food in his mouth. If he lost weight, well, that was his choice too. The same applies to smoking. You choose to smoke or not to smoke. Cigarettes don't accidentally land, lit and ready for puffing, in your mouth. You choose each time you smoke, to smoke!

Take a look at the typical smoking scenario:

1. You sense a desire for a cigarette.
2. Locate money to purchase a new pack.
3. Locate your car keys.
4. Walk to your car.
5. Unlock your car.
6. Open your car door.
7. Sit in your car.
8. Close your car door.
9. Fasten your seatbelt.
10. Start your car.
11. Put your car in gear.
12. Drive to the nearest store.
13. Put your car in park.
14. Stop your car.
15. Unbuckle your seat belt.
16. Open your car door.
17. Get out of your car.
18. Close the car door.
19. Lock your car.
20. Walk to the door of the store.
21. Open the door.
22. Walk inside the store.
23. Stand in line.
24. Request your brand of cigarettes.
25. Remove your money from your wallet or purse.
26. Place your money on the counter.
27. Wait for your change.
28. Take your cigarettes, change and receipt from the store
clerk.
29. Walk to the exit of the store.
30. Open the door.
31. Walk to your car.
32. Unlock your car door.
33. Open your car door.
34. Sit in your car.
35. Close your car door.
36. Fasten your seatbelt.
37. Start your car.
38. Put your car in gear.
39. Drive to your home.
40. Put your car in park.
41. Stop your car.
42. Unbuckle your seat belt.
43. Open your car door.
44. Get out of your car.
45. Close the car door.
46. Lock your car.
47. Walk to the door of your home.
48. Unlock the door.
49. Open the door.
50. Walk inside.
51. Open the pack of cigarettes.
52. Remove a cigarette from the pack.
53. Locate a lighter or match.
54. Light the lighter or match.
55. Light your cigarette.
56. Take your first puff.
57. Rest after all that work!

Phewww! Are you as tired as I am after typing all that? Ok, first, I know most of you would probably have skipped to step 51 right after step 30. That's the reality. But take a look at all the steps that came before step 30.

Each step along the way was a place where you made a choice. You made the choice to continue your pursuit of your cigarettes. At each step in the process, you could make a different choice,
hopefully to not continue.

Our lives are a result of the choices we have made up to this point. Fully 99% of those choices are within your complete control. You choose daily what to wear, eat, drink, what to say to friends, co-workers and loved-ones. You choose what action (or inaction) to take while on your job. These million-and-one choices we make daily make us rich or poor, happy or unhappy, fulfilled or empty, healthy or sick, effective or ineffective. And they make you a smoker or a non-smoker.

Making better choices about smoking requires that you give yourself well-defined reasons for not-smoking (better health, save money, feel better, smell better, etc.). You should also prepare alternate choices for yourself, well in advance of your cravings. Give yourself other activities to replace your smoking. Here's some choices you could make: Take a walk, call a supportive friend, drink a glass of water, solve a puzzle, chew some gum. Create your own set of choices.

Smoking is no accident. You have chosen to smoke every cigarette that you ever smoked. Even if you had peer pressure to smoke, you still had the choice to simply walk away.

Make your decision, right now, to kick the habit forever. Then, start making those minute-by-minute choices that make your overall quitting goal become reality.

Men's Workout Tips

2009-06-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

BEST TIPS IN THIS PAGE ARE:

The Power Look
The Hardgainer Mindset
Muscle Building Secrets
The Magic Number for Building Muscle
Less Time Equals Better Results

The Power Look

By Jason Ferruggia, MuscleGainingSecrets

Nothing says power like a big set of traps and a thick neck. Think about it. When you’re out somewhere and you see a guy with massive traps and huge neck you automatically know he’s the last guy in the joint that you’d ever want to mess with. Maybe he’s an ex wrestler. Maybe he competes in MMA. Or maybe he played football. You don’t know but you definitely don’t want to find out.No other muscle groups instill fear in and command respect from all those around you like the traps and neck do.

Plenty of pumped up pretty boys walk around with decent sized arms weighing all of 169 pounds. An equal amount of guys have built up a pretty good sized chest since it’s the only muscle they ever train. But big arms and a big set of pecs do nothing to command respect. In fact, if all you have going for you are big arms you are more likely to get laughed at then be looked at in fear.

“Look at the pencil neck pretty boy showing off his guns.”

If you really want to look powerful, athletic and intimidating you need to develop the traps and neck aka “the yoke.”

When it comes to achieving the power look the first exercise you need to be concerned with is the deadlift. The deadlift packs size on the traps like nothing else. You are going to want to deadlift at least once per week for 1-3 sets of 3-12 reps. Be sure to use the heaviest weights you can handle with good form and don’t be afraid to use straps if your grip is weak.

Next on the list come Olympic lifting variations such as hang cleans, power cleans, high pulls, and shrug pulls. These Olympic lifts build up huge traps and can be done more frequently than deadlifts. If you are really trying to build up the traps rapidly I recommend that you do some sort of Olympic lift variation at least once per week, if not three times for 3-5 sets of 1-6 reps.

Another great trap building exercise is the shrug. Shrugs can be done with barbells or dumbbells and with heavy weight for low reps and a partial range of motion or lighter reps for high reps with a full range of motion. I recommend that you use both approaches for full trap development once or twice a week after your deadlifts or Olympic lifts.

With the traps taken care of you need to move on to your neck. You simply can’t beat an old school neck harness with a plate attached to it for neck development. Other great neck exercises are manual resistance flexion and extension exercises with a partner or isometric supports against a stability ball. To do the partner resisted exercises simply lie down on a flat bench with your head hanging off and have a partner drape a towel over your head and provide resistance as you move up and down. Be sure not to use extreme ranges of motion on neck work or you could put yourself at risk for injury.

The neck should be trained two or three days per week for 1-3 sets of 10-25 reps. Personally I like to train flexion one day, extension another day and rotation or lateral flexion on the third day.

Stick with the yoke building plan for the next eight weeks and get ready for guys to start stepping aside when they see you coming.

Muscle Building Secrets

By Jason Ferruggia, MuscleGainingSecrets

In the quest to unlock the world’s most powerful muscle building secrets I have tried nearly every training system and diet there ever was. Through many years of trial and error I have finally developed a surefire way to build enormous amounts of muscular size and strength rapidly in even the most painfully skinny hardgainer.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is training session frequency. One look at male gymnasts or Cirque Du Soleil performers will tell you that a higher frequency of training than the typical “once-a-week-per-bodypart” recommendation is in order for rapid muscle growth. Whenever you want to improve something in life you do it frequently. It doesn’t matter if it’s improving your golf swing, learning an instrument or building muscle; you have to do it more than once per week.

The next thing that needs to be looked at is training session length. When you allow your workouts to stretch any longer than 45 minutes, you are actually doing yourself more harm than good. Research has shown that testosterone levels are shot after 45 minutes of training. They actually peak at 27 minutes, so stopping at 30 minutes might even be a better idea. Beyond the 45 minute mark, cortisol production increases dramatically as testosterone levels plummet. Cortisol is the stress hormone and actually eats muscle tissue and increases bodyfat storage.

Another one of the most important muscle building secrets that I have discovered over the years is that it is crucially important to cycle your training. The body eventually adapts to any one set routine after a while. The trick is to switch your routine just before your body starts to adapt to it and your gains come to a halt but not so soon that you don’t allow for significant progress. Switching too often is just as big of a problem as not switching things up often enough. If you constantly switch programs too frequently you will never make steady progress because you will always be confusing your body and you will just end up spinning your wheels.

Some experts argue that overtraining is the biggest problem most drug free lifters face. Others say that undertraining is actually the main problem for those who fall into the hardgainer mindset. The truth is that both camps are right and wrong. You need to push yourself, sometimes to the brink of overtraining, and then adjust things at just the right time and back off for a while. Eventually, if you back off too long, you will enter a state of undertraining. The key is to ramp up your training again before that happens. When you train like this you will never experience plateaus.

Finally, I must point out that no matter how well you cycle and plan your training you will never experience any significant muscle growth if you use the wrong exercises. The most effective exercises are those that allow you to move your body through space (as opposed to just moving your limbs). Those include chin ups, dips, pushups, handstand pushups, inverted rows, squats, single leg squats and deadlifts. Stick with those exercises and their different variations and you will build massive amounts of size and strength.

Now that you have the knowledge it’s time to put these muscle building secrets to work and get your butt to the gym and start growing like a weed.

Good luck and train hard.

The Hardgainer Mindset

By Jason Ferruggia, MuscleGainingSecrets

Nothing pisses me off more than skinny guys who complain about their inability to gain weight.

“Waaaaa (said in a whining baby voice ala Artie Lang and Howard Stern), I have a really fast metabolism.”“Waaaaa, it’s harder for me than most people to gain weight.”

“Waaaaa, I don’t have the appetite to eat that much.”

“Waaaaa, I have terrible genetics.”

“Waaaaa, I don’t have time to eat that much.”

“Waaaaa, I have tried everything and still can’t get bigger.”

“Waaaaa, I’m a hardgainer.”

You know what I say to people who make those excuses?Give up.

Quit.

It’s hopeless.

You’re right, you are a hardgainer.

So, stop going to the gym today and never even think about picking up a weight again. End your misery now and start something else because I promise you that you will never get bigger.There’s not a shot in hell… and that’s the honest truth.

You know why you will never get bigger and stronger?

Because you don’t have the heart or the balls to do it. It’s that simple. And the sooner you realize it the sooner you can move on and start doing something more productive with your time.

You are a weak, lazy chump… or as you like to put it- a hardgainer.

And you make me sick.

I graduated high school weighing all of 147 pounds at six feet tall. I was the epitome of a hardgainer.

Eventually I got up to 231 pounds through proper training and eating and an undying dedication to achieving my goal.I trained as hard as I could and ate when I didn’t want to, when it wasn’t convenient and when I wasn’t hungry. I went to sleep early on nights I wanted to be out drinking and partying. I did whatever I had to do to achieve my goals and refused to believe that my crappy genetics would hold me back. I never fell into the hardgainer mindset.Somewhere along the path I came down with tuberculosis and nearly died. I spent a few weeks in the hospital and six months on bed rest. I was on medication for a year and when I returned to the gym could only bench press the bar.

But I didn’t let that stop me and picked up right where I left off.

Over my fourteen years in the fitness industry I have seen numerous people achieve the same kind of results time and time again. Many, far more impressive than mine. Many who all could be considered the classic hardgainer.

My client and friend, Mike Schwalb gained 100 pounds of muscle in the time he trained with me. I witnessed Mike force down many a meal and come in to train on nights when his friends were out having fun.

Another good friend, client and former training partner of mine named Todd Coker gained over 120 pounds during the time he trained with me, going from somewhere around 130 pounds to over 250.

My friend Jim Wendler has less than God like genetics and even had a serious disease which he overcame to go to squat 1000 pounds in competition and a body weight of over 280 pounds.

Jim’s teammate and friend Matt Rhodes went from 220 pounds at 6’4” to 313 pounds within the course of two years because of his incredible commitment to eating and training. I had dinner with Matt a few weeks ago and personally watched him force feed himself long after he was full. In fact we all laughed as the sweat dripped down his head while he choked down another bite of chicken. That’s dedication.

I could literally list dozens and dozens of examples of people I know personally who were once considered a classic hardgainer but went on to big time success in the weightroom, (let alone the thousands of people who overcame crappy genetics that I don’t know) but I think you get the point.

You know what those people all had in common?

Drive, desire, dedication and an iron will and commitment to excellence.

That had heart and they had balls.

They never succumbed to the hardgainer mindset.

And most importantly, they never made excuses.

Do you?

The Magic Number for Building Muscle

By Jason Ferruggia, MuscleGainingSecrets

When looking at most popular muscle building workouts you need to understand that most forms of training have just been passed down for decades from one generation to the next, without the inclusion of rational thought. Sometime in the 60’s sensible muscle building programs started becoming less and less prevalent with the rapidly growing usage of anabolic steroids.

In days gone by, men like Steve Reeves and Paul Anderson trained with far more sensible, lower volume muscle building programs, but these started to disappear during the 60’s. By the time Arnold got to Gold’s Gym in Venice for the first time, high volume, bodypart splits were the widely accepted way for everyone who wanted to build muscle and gain strength to train.

This type of training is not based on rational thinking but just on the fact that “it’s what everyone else is doing.” The proponents of these training methods will always blindly tell you that “higher volume training is needed to build muscle.” Says who? I can tell you for a fact that the University of Chicago isn’t wasting time examining the effects of Jay Cutlers workouts. There are no studies saying that you need 8-12 sets per bodypart to build muscle. However, there are, in fact, studies that show the exact opposite; that one set is just as effective as three when it comes to building muscle.

The proponents of this type of training will also tell you that higher volume training is associated with higher levels of growth hormone secretion. What they don’t tell you is that almost anything you do elevates GH. Extreme temperatures elevate GH but my biceps don’t get bigger every time I take a shower. The increased GH secretion is not enough to make the slightest difference whatsoever in the muscle building process.

For the drug free lifter who does not possess muscle building genetics quite up to par with the Austrian Oak, training this way is a huge mistake. Not only does it drain your amino acid pool and glycogen stores but it dramatically increases your recovery time between workouts. If you do 8-12 sets for chest on Monday you can not recover from that workout and be able to train again for seven days. So you are only getting one growth stimulus per week or fifty two per year. Now if you reduce your volume to the point where you can recover faster and more efficiently without draining your amino acid pool and glycogen stores so greatly, you can train bodyparts twice per week instead of once. Now instead of 52 growth stimulating workouts per year for each bodypart, you can now do 104.

To train more often you absolutely have to lower your training volume. The total sets per workout should be kept low and the total sets per exercise should be even lower. Contrary to what a lot of the popular programs out there today prescribe, there is rarely a need to do more than two sets per exercise when you are trying to build muscle. If you can’t get the job done with two sets you probably aren’t training hard enough. In theory you should be able to get the job done with just one set but I like to use two just to be safe and make sure all bases are covered. The second set is basically an insurance set.

The are only a few times you should do more than two sets per exercise. If you are a raw beginner who needs more sets just to practice and perfect your form then you should probably do more than two sets. If you are doing speed exercises such as cleans or box jumps you should also do a few more sets. Finally, if you are varying the reps and weights, you can do more than two sets. For example if you are doing two sets of three with 315, a set of five with 295 and a set of eight with 275, you can get away with more than two sets. But other than that, you should never do more than two sets of any exercise with the same weight for the same reps.

There are a few different approaches you can take to doing your two sets. The first approach is to go balls out on your first set and then drop the weight a little bit on your second set and use it as a sort of backoff set. Theoretically this will allow you to give your most effort when you are freshest on your first set. The second approach is to hold a little something back on your first set and instead use it as a hard, working warm up set. Then you go balls to the wall on the second set. It has been suggested that a heavy, but not all out set, before your money set can serve as a neural primer and arouse your nervous system thus making the second set even more effective. The third option is to not take neither set to the limit but instead just do two very hard sets to clean failure. Each option works very well but you will have to experiment to see which is best for you. The most demanding method would be to do two all out death sets to failure. This can work but may be a bit hard for most people to recover from.

Whatever option you choose will be far better than the normal, mindless nonsense of doing 4-6 sets per exercise and you will get far better results. Better muscle gains with far less work? Sounds like an unbeatable plan to me.

Less Time Equals Better Results?

By Jason Ferruggia, MuscleGainingSecrets

Why is it that almost everyone you see working out in the gym does high volume bodypart splits? Today is Monday and in just about every gym in America that means it’s chest day. Tomorrow is back, Thursday is legs and Friday is arms…or something like that, I guess.Why the lack of variety or rational thought? What is the need for all that training volume?

You need to understand that most forms of training have just been passed down for decades from one generation to the next, without the inclusion of rational thought. Sometime in the 60’s, sensible training programs started becoming less and less prevalent with the rapidly growing usage of anabolic steroids.

In the days of old, men like Steve Reeves and Paul Anderson trained with far more sensible, lower volume programs but these started to disappear during the 60’s. By the time Arnold got to Gold’s Gym in Venice for the first time, high volume, bodypart splits were the widely accepted way for everyone to train for size and strength.

This type of training is not based on deductive reasoning but just on the fact that “it’s what everyone else is doing.” The proponents of these training methods will always blindly tell you that “higher volume training is needed for hypertrophy gains.” Says who? I can tell you for a fact that the University of Chicago isn’t wasting time examining the effects of Jay Cutler’s marathon workouts. There are no studies saying that you need 8-12 sets per bodypart to grow. In fact there are studies that show the opposite; that one set is just as effective as three.

The proponents of this type of training will also tell you that higher volume training is associated with higher levels of growth hormone secretion. What they don’t tell you is that the level of GH increase is not enough to make any difference at all. In fact, almost anything you do elevates GH. Extreme temperatures elevate GH but my biceps don’t get bigger every time I take a shower. The increased GH secretion from training is so minimal that it is not enough to make the slightest difference whatsoever.

For the drug free lifter who does not possess muscle building genetics quite up to par with the Austrian Oak, training this way is a huge mistake. Not only does it drain your amino acid pool and glycogen stores but it dramatically enhances your recovery time between workouts. If you do 8-12 sets for chest on Monday you can not recover from that workout and be able to train again for seven days. So you are only getting one growth stimulus per week or fifty two per year. Now if you reduce your volume to the point where you can recover faster and more efficiently without draining your amino acid pool and glycogen stores so greatly, you can train bodyparts twice per week instead of once. Now instead of 52 growth stimulating workouts per year for each bodypart, you can now do 104. In fact, if your volume is kept low you can even get away with training bodyparts three times a week in certain situations. Now, which do you think will be more effective; 156 growth stimulating workouts per year or 52?

To train more often you absolutely have to lower your training volume. The total sets per workout should be kept low and the total sets per exercise should be even lower. There is no need to hit four sets of incline presses, flat bench presses and decline presses for your chest workout. Doing that is a form of neuroses; you think that you need to hit every angle and do and endless amount of sets to stimulate every last muscle fiber, but this is simply not the case.

The reason these training programs remain popular is because nobody wants to be told that they are wrong. Admitting your mistakes is something many people can’t do. It is why when something radically different is proposed, the high volume proponents get upset and offended. Nobody likes to have their ego bruised so they keep on doing and promoting the same old high volume workouts that they always have.

That’s fine, let them continue to do what they choose; personally I have way more important things to do than spend all of my waking hours in the gym. If I can get better results in a fraction of the time I will choose that option every time.

Cut your volume down, up your weights and intensity and get ready for the “what are you on” questions to start rolling in.

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please visit MuscleGainingSecrets.com.

Visit also below to see more Great Muscle Building eBooks:

Tips for Sexier Ladies

2009-06-17T23:43:00.000-07:00

Best Tips in this page are:
- Love Your Heart
- Free Your Mind and Your Body Will Follow!
- Put Sex Back In Your City
- The Dieter's Holiday Survival Guide:How Not To Gain Weight During the Season

Love Your Heart

By Jennifer Nicole Lee,
Fitness Expert & Author
Miss Bikini America 2005, Miss Muscle and Fitness

Some of you maybe asking, “Why care about the heart? I just want to be able to fit into my bikini and look good this summer”. Well in order to look good on the outside we must also take care of ourselves on the inside.

Information on the “good old’ ticker”
A sedentary (inactive) lifestyle is one of the top risk factors for heart disease. Fortunately, it's a risk factor that you can do something about. Regular exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has many benefits. It can:

• Strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system.
• Improve your circulation and help your body use oxygen better.
• Improve your heart failure symptoms.
• Increase energy levels so you can do more activities without becoming tired or short of breath.
• Increase endurance.
• Lower blood pressure.
• Improve muscle tone and strength.
• Improve balance and joint flexibility.
• Strengthen bones.
• Help reduce body fat and help you reach a healthy weight.
• Help reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression.
• Boost self-image and self-esteem.
• Improve sleep.
• Make you feel more relaxed and rested.
• Make you look fit and feel healthy.

I see that you are all sold on the benefits of living a heart healthy lifestyle. And now you are asking me, “Okay, JNL! How Do I Get Started?”

It’s a lot simpler than you would ever believe!

First of all always check with your doctor first before starting an exercise program. Your doctor can help you find a program that matches your level of fitness and physical condition. Here are some questions to ask:

• How much exercise can I do each day?
• How often can I exercise each week?
• What type of exercise should I do?
• What type of activities should I avoid?
• Should I take my medication(s) at a certain time around my exercise schedule?
• Do I have to take my pulse while exercising?

Three Basic Types of Exercise
Ready to start exercising? Great! But for basic heart health, I am going to share with you the types of exercise that are the best.

Exercise can be divided into three basic types:

1. Stretching or the slow lengthening of the muscles. Stretching the arms and legs before and after exercising helps prepare the muscles for activity and helps prevent injury and muscle strain. Regular stretching also increases your range of motion and flexibility.

2. Cardiovascular or aerobic is steady physical activity using large muscle groups. This type of exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and improves the body's ability to use oxygen. Aerobic exercise has the most benefits for your heart. Over time, aerobic exercise can help decrease your heart rate and blood pressure and improve your breathing (since your heart won't have to work as hard during exercise).

3. Strengthening exercises are repeated muscle contractions (tightening) until the muscle becomes tired. For people with heart failure, many strengthening exercises are not recommended. (See below)

JNL’s Examples of Heart Healthy Aerobic Exercises
Plain and simple, aerobic exercises include: walking, jogging, jumping rope, bicycling (stationary or outdoor), cross-country skiing, skating, rowing and low-impact aerobics or water aerobics.
The suggested frequency of exercise depends on your fitness level and goals.
In general, to achieve maximum benefits, you should gradually work up to an aerobic session lasting 20 to 30 minutes, at least three to four times a week. Exercising every other day will help you start a regular aerobic exercise schedule. I recommend working up to exercising on most days of the week. While the more exercise you can do the better, any amount of exercise is beneficial to your health.

What’s the #1 Killer of Women in America?

Let's face it. One in three women get heart disease. Most of us just don't want to know the true state of our hearts, according to recent surveys by “Go Red For Women”. When we realize that heart disease continues to be the No. 1 killer of women in America, there is something we can do about it.

The fact is, it's essential to each one of us that we know our individual risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Our hearts are in our hands--and by seeing your healthcare provider and getting a blood test and blood pressure test we can save them.

Eating right is a powerful way to reduce or even eliminate some heart disease risk factors. Adopting a heart- healthy nutrition strategy can help reduce total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and reduce body weight.

To reduce your risk of heart disease, try these tips.

• Increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.
• Limit fat intake. When you use added fat, use fats high in mono- and polyunsaturates only.
• Eat a variety -- and just the right amount -- of foods high in protein. Commonly eaten protein foods (red meat, dairy products) are among the main culprits in increasing heart disease risk. By balancing animal, fish and vegetable sources of protein, you can reduce your risk.
• Limit intake of cholesterol.
• Eat complex carbohydrates (such as whole-grain bread, rice, pasta) and limit simple carbohydrates (such as regular soda, sugar, sweets).
• Eat small but more meals throughout the day (for example, eating 5 to 6 mini-meals).
• Reduce salt intake.
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink 32 to 64 ounces of water daily (unless you are fluid restricted).

QUICK JNL FACTIOD:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over 40 years old, especially after menopause.

Once a woman reaches the age of 50, (about the age of natural menopause), the risk for heart disease increases dramatically. In young women who have undergone early or surgical menopause, the risk for heart disease is also higher, especially when combined with other risk factors such as:

• Diabetes.
• Smoking.
• High blood pressure.
• High blood cholesterol, especially high LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
• Obesity.
• Lack of exercise.

JNL’s 101 on Heart Disease Symptoms-Be Prepared and Know How to Recognize the Signs!
Coronary artery disease, heart attack -- each type of heart disease has different symptoms, although many heart problems have similar symptoms. The symptoms you experience depend on the type and severity of your heart condition. Learn to recognize your symptoms and the situations that cause them. Call your doctor if you begin to have new symptoms or if they become more frequent or severe.

Coronary Artery Disease

The most common symptom is agina. Angina can be described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling in your chest. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw or back.

Other symptoms that can occur with coronary artery disease include:

• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats in your chest)
• A faster heartbeat
• Weakness or dizziness
• Nausea
• Sweating

During a heart attack, symptoms typically last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest or oral medications. Initial symptoms can start as a mild discomfort that progress to significant pain.
Some people have a heart attack without having any symptoms (a "silent" MI). A silent MI can occur among all people, though it occurs more often among diabetics.

If you think you are having a heart attack, or one of your loved ones, DO NOT DELAY. Call for emergency help at 911. Immediate treatment of a heart attack is very important to lessen the amount of damage to your heart.

Arrhythmias
When symptoms of arrhythmias are present, they may include:

• Shortness of breath.
• Chest discomfort.
• Weakness or fatigue (feeling very tired).
• Palpitations (a feeling of skipped heart beats, fluttering or "flip-flops," or feeling that your heart is "running away").
• Pounding in your chest.
• Dizziness or feeling light-headed.
• Fainting.

Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial what? That’s what I said after my dad was diagnosed with this. Let me fill you in: AF is a type of arrhythmia. Most people with AF experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Heart palpitations (a sudden pounding, fluttering, or racing feeling in the heart).
• Lack of energy; tired.
• Dizziness (feeling faint or light-headed).
• Chest discomfort (pain, pressure, or discomfort in the chest).
• Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing during activities of daily living).
• Some patients with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms. Sometimes these episodes are briefer.
• Heart Valve Disease
• Symptoms of Heart valve disease can include:
• Shortness of breath and/or difficulty catching your breath. You may notice this most when you are active (doing your normal daily activities) or when you lie down flat in bed.
• Weakness or dizziness.
• Discomfort in your chest. You may feel a pressure or weight in your chest with activity or when going out in cold air.
• Palpitations (this may feel like a rapid heart rhythm, irregular heartbeat, skipped beats or a flip-flop feeling in your chest).

Okay, so we know the medical stuff. Its time to switch to the funner topic of FOOD!

Heart Healthy Foods to Eat! Yum!
From asparagus to sweet potatoes to a robust cabernet (YES, a glass of red wine once in a while!) -- Every bite (or sip) of heart-healthy foods delivers a powerful dose of phytonutrients that prevent and repair damage to cells. That's the essence of preventing heart disease.

There really is an abundance of fruits and vegetables in many colors, shapes, sizes that are good for your heart. You can definitely reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by eating these foods every day."

Indeed, fresh produce provide the cornerstone for a heart-healthy diet because they help wipe out free radicals in the bloodstream, protecting blood vessels.

This is what I call "the whole-foods diet. You want everything to be in its natural form, as it comes from the ground, the less processed the better.

Whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts, fatty fish, and teas are just as important -- offering all sorts of complex heart-protective phytonutrients.

JNL’s Top 26 Heart-Healthy Foods

Here is my list of the "best of the best" heart-healthy foods! Enjoy!
The foods listed here are all top-performers in protecting your heart and blood vessels. We've also got menu ideas -- so you can easily bring heart-healthy foods into your daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

1. Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids.
Grill salmon with a yummy rub or marinade. Save a chunk to chop for a pasta or salad later on.

2. Flaxseed (ground)
Omega-3 fatty acids; fiber, phytoestrogens.
Ground flaxseed hides easily in all sorts of foods -- yogurt parfaits, morning cereal, homemade muffins, or cookies.

3. Oatmeal
Omega-3 fatty acids; magnesium; potassium; folate; niacin; calcium; soluble fiber.
Top hot oatmeal with fresh berries. Oatmeal-and-raisin cookies are a hearty treat.

4. Black or Kidney Beans
B-complex vitamins; niacin; folate; magnesium; omega-3 fatty acids; calcium; soluble fiber.
Give soup or salad a nutrient boost -- stir in some beans.

5. Almonds
Plant omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin E; magnesium; fiber; heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats; phytosterols.
Mix a few almonds (and berries) into low-fat yogurt, trail mix, or fruit salads.

6. Walnuts
Plant omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin E; magnesium; folate; fiber; heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats; phytosterols.
Walnuts add flavorful crunch to salads, pastas, cookies, muffins, even pancakes.
Catechins and reservatrol (flavonoids).

7. Toast your good health! A glass of red wine could improve "good" HDL cholesterol.

8. Tuna
Omega-3 fatty acids; folate; niacin.
Here's lunch: Salad greens, fresh fruit, canned tuna. Keep "Salad Spritzer" – a light dressing -- in your office fridge.

9. Tofu
Niacin; folate; calcium; magnesium; potassium.
Tasty tofu is easy: Thinly slice "firm" tofu, marinate several hours, grill or stir-fry.

10. Brown rice
B-complex vitamins; fiber; niacin; magnesium, fiber.
Microwavable brown rice makes a quick lunch. Stir in a few chopped veggies (broccoli, carrots, spinach).

11. Soy milk
Isoflavones (a flavonoid); B-complex vitamins; niacin; folate, calcium; magnesium; potassium; phytoestrogens.
Soy milk is great over oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. Or, make a smoothie with soy milk.

12. Blueberries
Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); anthocyanin (a flavonoid); ellagic acid (a polyphenol); vitamin C; folate; calcium, magnesium; potassium; fiber.
Cranberries, strawberries, raspberries are potent, too -- for trail mixes, muffins, salads!

13. Carrots
Alpha-carotene (a carotenoid); fiber.
Baby carrots are sweet for lunch. Sneak shredded carrots into spaghetti sauce or muffin batter.

14. Spinach
Lutein (a carotenoid); B-complex vitamins; folate; magnesium; potassium; calcium; fiber.
Pick spinach (not lettuce) for nutrient-packed salads and sandwiches.

15. Broccoli
Beta-carotene (a carotenoid); Vitamins C and E; potassium; folate; calcium; fiber.
Chop fresh broccoli into store-bought soup. For a veggie dip, try hummus (chickpeas).

16. Sweet potato
Beta-carotene (a carotenoid); vitamins A, C, E; fiber.
Microwave in a zip-lock baggie for lunch. Eat au naturale, or with pineapple bits.

17. Red bell peppers
Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex vitamins; folate; potassium; fiber.
Rub with olive oil, and grill or oven-roast until tender. Delicious in wraps, salads, sandwiches.

18. Asparagus
Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex vitamins; folate; fiber.
Grill or steam slightly, then dress with olive oil and lemon. It's a pretty side dish.

19. Oranges
Beta-cryptoxanthin, beta- and alpha-carotene, lutein (carotenoids) and flavones (flavonoids); vitamin C; potassium; folate; fiber.

20. Got orange juice? Check out the new nutrient-packed blends.

21. Tomatoes
Beta- and alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein (carotenoids); vitamin C; potassium; folate; fiber.
For a flavor twist, try oil-packed tomatoes in sandwiches, salads, pastas, pizzas.

22. Acorn squash
Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex and C vitamins; folate; calcium; magnesium; potassium; fiber.
Baked squash is comfort food on a chilly day. Serve with sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins.

23. Cantaloupe
Alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex and C vitamins; folate; potassium; fiber.
A fragrant ripe cantaloupe is perfect for breakfast, lunch, potluck dinners. Simply cut and enjoy!

24. Papaya
Beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein (carotenoids); Vitamins C and E; folate; calcium; magnesium; potassium.
Serve papaya salsa with salmon: Mix papaya, pineapple, scallions, garlic, fresh lime juice, salt and black pepper.

25. Dark chocolate
Reservatrol and cocoa phenols (flavonoids).
A truffle a day lowers blood pressure, but choose 70% or higher cocoa content.

26. Tea
Catechins and flavonols (flavonoids).
Make sun tea: Combine a clear glass jar, several tea bags, and hours of sunshine

So there you have it, your total update on how to live life with a super healthy heart. Remember that nutrition and exercise compliment each other, and help you to live a whole, healthy lifestyle!

And visit my websites JenniferNicolelee.com.

Free Your Mind and Your Body Will Follow!

By Jennifer Nicole Lee,
Fitness Expert & Author
Miss Bikini America 2005, Miss Muscle and Fitness

Health starts in the mind and then flows to the body. In this chapter I prep both the mind and body for the fantastic health advances that lay ahead. You must be 100% ready to be committed in making healthy progress in order to see and keep results! Although it may be hard to be believe, but sometimes it is ourselves who sabotage our own successes because we are not mentally ready and committed to sticking to our wonderful lifestyle improvements. You must create your results before they occur, and prepare yourself for boundless energy, and confidence.

In order to lose weight, get six pack abs, a round butt, fight cellulite, find stretch mark solutions, detox, tone up, firm up and get flat abs you must start with your mind! A close friend of mine already sabotaged her weight loss potential by saying to herself “Why lose weight? My skin will only be flabby if I lose the amount of weight that I want”. She had already set herself up for failure by pre-determining that she was not going to lose weight. Another client of mine once claimed that she wanted to lose the weight but was afraid of all the remarks from those close to her, and how it might affect her family. I told her that she would only be adding quality to her life, and not taking away from it. And that these healthy new changes would actually be helping her family as well. In addition, the other side to this “fear” was rooted in the constant idea that she would never be able to lose weight. What about the added health risks of heart disease, diabetes, and not to mention the added pressure on joints from the additional weight? These are examples of people riding the fence; not knowing what side to get off on. Make a decision to improve your life by being healthy because your mind and body will thank you.

Mental Preparation for the Whole Process: Preparing yourself Mentally to Loose Weight

Start by asking yourself, do I have a healthy mind, or a mind that will thwart my efforts? Am I my own best friend or my worst enemy? If you answered yes to the latter, well we first need to clean your “mental” house! Here are my top 7 strategies to giving yourself the right mental attitude that will allow you to start improving your life.

1. Have a Crystal Clear Vision of What You Want to Achieve

I have heard it so many times: my clients come to me and cry “I’m sick and tired of being overweight!”, or they will complain “I have no energy and I’m tired all the time”. This will not help you! We all know what we want to move away from. But what do we want to move towards? I am referring to the fact that we must realize where our main focus needs to be in order for us to achieve weight loss success from now on. Since we have all taken “Before” picture of ourselves, we need to now have an “After” image of what we want. Envision what you want to achieve. See the new you and imagine what it would feel like to be that new you! Take out your journal and write down what you want to achieve, what you want to move towards and how you are going to do it. Picture yourself with limitless energy, being able to handle your daily tasks, your job, and all the while, still having enough steam left over for your children and your personal life. If you want to lose inches, release stress, sculpt your body, fight your sugar addiction, and get on a low carb diet, you can do it! How will it feel to put on a swimsuit and feel great about what you see in the mirror? Imagine weighing yourself and loving the number that you see! You will start to relish the after burn of your morning workouts! You have to know and understand what you are moving towards, and say goodbye to what you are moving away from to be able to have fitness success and maintain it!

2. Clean out Your Mental House! Stop putting yourself down! That unfriendly little voice inside your head needs to be silenced now and forever! That super critical opinionated alter ego of yours needs to know who the boss is. You are! So what you gained 5 pounds on the family vacation cruise. That does not make you a “fat pig”. Rather than beating yourself up by complaining, instead compliment yourself by saying something like “Yeah, I did have that chocolate chip cookie for desert. But I didn’t have 3 of them like I would have done before.” You need to learn to stay focused on your objective and stay positive. Don’t let the negativity get you down or blur the vision towards your destination! Stop whining and take more control over your actions and your life! Stop playing victim. It doesn’t help you or others around you.

3. Treat yourself with respect: Respect yourself. It is that simple, but we don’t do it. If you had a best friend who you loved with all your might, would you give them a fat laden artery clogging fried cheeseburger with fries, or a crisp and fresh garden salad topped with marinated and grilled chicken? Yes, you would give them the salad. But why don’t you do this to yourself? Most likely because the psychology behind your actions does not allow you to treat yourself with the respect and consideration you would have for those you love. You are self sacrificing; always giving to others and not yourself. Think about this thought: your mind and body are temples and you need to treat them as such. Why would you put something dirty and of no value in a sacred and special place? Well of course you wouldn’t. So start respecting yourself and treating yourself right. You deserve better than processed fast food with little to no healthy nutrient content. Also, you deserve to chisel out at least 50 minutes every other day, for a weight training session with a touch of cardio at the end. Remember, you are the most important person in your life. If you can’t help yourself, than how can you help others? It all begins with you!

4. Be creative: What does she mean by “be creative”? I don’t mean to be an artist or a philosophical thinker. But we are in this for the long run. Being healthy is a process, a journey, not a one-time event. Fitness and health is going to be your new lifestyle. Therefore we need to make it fun, different with variety, and interesting. Ask yourself “what are my favorite foods and the exercises that I love to do most? If you answered Italian food, then go out there and buy a low-fat, low-carb Italian cookbook and learn how to remake over your old favorites! And if you love to play tennis, join a tennis club or hire an instructor who will help you strengthen your back hand or give you a better edge on your game. If you love nachos, be creative and re-invent the recipe using low fat ingredients rather than the real stuff. Just open your mind to new and different tools and use them as a bag of tricks that will help you fight the war on fat. By being creative, you will make it fun, refreshing, interesting, and there will never be a dull moment in your new healthy life.

5. Put fitness first: Well not exactly first, but make it a top priority. It should be a rock in your life. If your car breaks down, exercise. If you get a job promotion, exercise. If your husband leaves you, exercise. No matter what happens-stick to your routine! Of course we all will have bad days and get off of our diet-but refocus yourself, look at your compass, and get back on track! And prepare to be tempted. This strategy of “thinking five steps ahead” will allow you to win at the game of fat loss. You know that you have to attend your family’s barbeque dinner with non-stop servings of hot dogs, potato salad, and sugary deserts. So be smart and execute your fitness plan: munch on a crispy apple before the bbq, this will fill you up cutting the edge off of any uncontrollable hunger pains that might set in while you are there. Then opt for the grilled chicken breast with no bun, a side salad, and an ear of corn with no butter. You put fitness first and you are still able to enjoy your family’s social activities without ending your fitness goals!

6. Set yourself up for success: Put health on the shelf and the gym bag in the car! Stock your fridge and pantry with the latest guilt free snacks and treats. Low-carb and low-fat foods are tasting better and better. Try something new today. Have your gym bag ready to go in the car for a pre or post work-day workout. Throw in a towel and a change of clothes and you will not have an excuse, to not make it to the gym. Everywhere you go and no matter where you are, your healthy habits will follow you! Therefore it will be almost impossible to not stick to your plans and reach your goals. Buy used exercise DVD’s for little to nothing online and have them ready to go in your family room. Have your running shoes right there by the bed so all you have to do is roll out of bed right into your morning run!

7. Compel and Coerce Through Pain:

Yes, pain CAN be your friend! Use it to your advantage as a tool to get you motivated to make a positive change in your life. I said that my technique to losing the fat and getting in shape would be painful-well almost! I created my success through constantly reminding myself of what I looked like before, and the pain I experienced when I was at my heaviest. Get some leverage on yourself. First, it is absolutely necessary for you to take a “Before” picture of yourself. Secondly, it would be best if you took this “Before” picture and put it somewhere where you can occasionally see it when you need to feel the “pain” and that frustration associated with that picture, to get you motivated. When you feel your motivation and desire weakening-glance at those pictures and remind yourself of the despair that you felt when you were at your unhealthiest. To make yourself take action, you have to be at the doorsill of pain looking directly at it, straight in the eye. This is where your power and supremacy over your future decisions will come from. Pain will be your friend because you will learn how to manipulate it and use it towards your advantage. The pain that I revisited often was surrounded by my overweight “before” photo. I deliberately glanced at my “before” image to use it as my pain, that then coerced me into taking positive action. This pain was the vital vehicle which propelled me into fast forward mode; making sure I never pushed the rewind button. I used the pain of feeling overweight, frumpy, and not being able to wear the beautiful clothes that I wanted, as a therapeutic medium to get me towards my goals. These were all the methods that lead me to my weight loss achievements. Again please use these techniques to stay on the right path. They are as follows:

· Look at my Before Picture

· Remember how I felt to carry all that extra weight around

· Remember how I was treated differently when I was heavier

· Remember the confidence I started to experience when I felt stronger

· Compare my old lifestyle with my new improved one and how great it felt to be healthy!

· And as I speak from experience, I can’t say it enough, but it is necessary to stop playing the victim and start making those improvements in your life now to become victorious!

Fitness expert and author, Jennifer Nicole Lee (JNL), has become an icon for women and fellow moms across the world with her amazing 70-pound plus weight loss success story. To ultimately improve her physical and mental health and become more active with her children, JNL began a regimen of exercise drills and performance nutrition. Training as an athlete, JNL's goal was to lose weight, with the ultimate goal of entering a bikini contest. Less than one year later, JNL entered the ultimate figure competition and was crowned Miss Bikini America 2004, realizing her goal and proving that mothers can still be sexy, fun and fit!

This empowering experience catapulted Jennifer Nicole Lee into the health and fitness industry and gained her the respect of countless professionals. She has shared her compelling weight loss story on national talk shows including Oprah and Inside Edition, and has proudly graced the covers of over 15 fitness magazines. Please visit JenniferNicolelee.com for more information.

Put Sex Back In Your City

By Jennifer Nicole Lee,
Fitness Expert & Author
Miss Bikini America 2005, Miss Muscle and Fitness

It’s no wonder that the movie “Sex and the City” made record breaking history with an estimated $57 million in sales this past opening weekend.

Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha exemplify the modern day multidimensional woman that has it all, including a super- fierce body that is confident, sexy, strong and fit!

And let’s face it ladies, when you look good, you feel good! If you feel like “Sex” has left your “City” it’s time to BRING YOUR SEXY BACK with The Fitness Model Program™

The Fitness Model Program™ will help you lose that darn ugly fat, blast cellulite and allow you to build feminine sleek and sexy muscle tone with only 4 short workouts per week! Some women are even experiencing the enjoyment of getting their hot body back and not only looking, but feeling years younger and even reporting having higher sexual energy with the help from the
Fitness Model™ Program!

Bring Your Sexy Back with my fitnessmodelprogram

The Fitness Model Program™ is a scientifically proven fat burning and muscle toning program which is endorsed by elite trainers and top female fitness magazines. It has been used by hundreds of women of all ages to gain that Fitness Model™ look! Most importantly it does not rely on hours of training; you DON’T have to live in the gym and work out 3 hours a day!

It is the ultimate Bikini Body Program that will give you a round butt, toned arms and flat abs!

Most importantly, it will help you get those flat abs that you have always wanted!
Summer is here- Are you bikini ready? Here are some of my favorite tips for six pack abs:

CRUNCHES: Don’t Count-Just “Burn” Them!

Abdominal exercises are your arsenal at sculpting and toning your tummy. I am strict when it comes to these, almost always exercising my abs until exhaustion. My militant mantra is “If you are not burning, you are not earning”, meaning you have to work for your washboard and a good indicator is that post work out soreness that sets in on the abs after my workouts.

Here I have highlighted my 3 top favorite abs exercises guaranteed to give you a run for your money!

A. BALL BUSTERS: Lay your back on a yoga ball with your knees bent 90 degrees and your workout buddy holding your feel down. Lean all the way back holding a small 5 pound weight behind your neck crunching up and actually curling your torso inwards towards your belly button and at the same time turning your pelvic muscles up.

B. THE PENDULUM: Lay on the floor while holding your work out partner’s ankles. Bring your legs up and have your partner push them down to the floor and then snap your legs back up-the key is to use resistance when your legs are being pushed down.

C. HANGING KNEE RAISES: When I first put myself into these arm straps, I thought that it was some kind torture device! But know I only have my abs thanking me! Hang in 2 arm slings with elbows bent and locked, and gently raise your knees into your chest.

The Dieter's Holiday Survival Guide:
How Not To Gain Weight During the Season

By Jennifer Nicole Lee,
Fitness Expert & Author
Miss Bikini America 2005, Miss Muscle and Fitness

Is it that time of the year, again? Summer is over, the fall is here, and winter is just around the corner. What does this mean for the fitness lover in all of us? We are all in the midst of the yearly battle where we fight fat all throughout the holidays. We are constantly bombarded with empty sugar-filled “gifts” from our holiday work party, or our family and friends get-togethers.

What is the health conscious and fitness fanatic to do with all the external pressures to fall into the holiday rut of eating out of control and munching on whatever is placed in front of us? Sadly enough, we will always be bombarded by our own parents, friends and family with their never-ending requests to eat, eat, and eat some more! But you will survive, not gain any fat, and maybe even lose fat pounds, boost metabolism, lose fat fast, get flat abs and gain muscle with my “Dieters Holiday Survival Guide to Fat Loss”. I’m going to get you geared up the weight loss for women guide complete with the diet tips, fat burning exercises, and tools that you will need to fat and win the war on holiday weight gain.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not here to take the fun out of the holiday season. Because what would you prefer? At your next function to have your family and friends murmur “Wow, did she put on some weight?”, or comment “She looks incredibly fit!” I am actually here to help you survive the holiday season without even gaining one pound, and maybe even slimming down a bit. And I have developed a plan that will allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds. My program will allow you to meet your fitness goals, without ostracizing you too much from your holiday cheer with your friends and family. Just read on…I will show you how to build the best body ever for the New Year!

Your Workouts

Let’s get real! The holidays are surrounded with food, and tons of it. You will be forced and shoved in front of food, whether you are hungry or not. Therefore, you must exercise to balance off the increased caloric intake during this winter time. Some fitness gurus and so- called experts state that exercise is a choice, and not necessary. This is a flat out lie, and I am here to tell you that exercise is mandatory. But don’t think of exercise as a chore that you must squeeze in between Aunt Barbara’s Yule Log, and Uncle Steve’s spiced egg nog. Try viewing exercise as an “I get to!” not as an “I have to!” When you exercise, you are getting fresh blood and oxygen to every cell in your body. What a “fat incinerating” treat! And in addition, this gift giving season, give yourself the greatest gift of all, the gift of exercise. Your heart, lungs, and muscles will all love you for it!

And digest this: Treat your workouts like important business meetings that you cannot be late to, call in “sick” to, or cancel. And your workouts are with the most important person in the world-YOU! You must go ahead and pre-schedule your workouts as a priority meeting that is already blocked out. Aim for at least four invigorating workouts per week. If you get to five in, then congratulations. And if you achieve six complete workouts a week, then hats off to you! And the great thing about exercising is that you get to choose what you love to do best, such as weight training, yoga workouts, pilates workouts, working out a home, using an exercise dvd’s , running for a marathon, running on a treadmill, or even doing one of my Fabulously Fit Moms exercise DVD’s from www.shopjnl.com

Plan Your Food In Advance

To survive this holiday season without gaining a pound, and even better yet, maybe even losing some weight, we need to understand “planning our food”. I call my own meals and the order and content of them my “Food Plan”, not a fat loss diet. I never have called it a “diet”. Why? Because what are the first 3 letters of the word DIET? Yup! DIE! We all don’t want to DIE! We want to live, and live optimally and eat wisely in order to meet our fitness goals. So here are my fitness tips, nutritional tips for a fat blasting food plan.

It’s smart to plan your meals in advance and to follow a certain system of eating. To master planed eating and stop eating accidentally (eating whatever comes in front of us) is when a true weight loss master is born. Thinking ahead per meal is one of the best weight loss strategies anyone can accomplish and master. And don’t get overwhelmed, its pretty easy.

Follow this tried and true food formula: one lean source of protein, combined with about 1?2 cup of whole grain carb, plus about one cup of a fibrous carb. This will be for your breakfast, and lunch, and then for dinner omit the complex carb.

Aim to “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper”, making sure to concentrate your amount of calories in the early part of the day. And if you know that you are going to a “gut bomb” of a dinner party, and then prepare yourself by eating a healthy small meal before you go. This small healthy mini-meal will help curb your hunger and insure you don’t over eat on junk when you are at the party.

Sample food plan:

Breakfast-the biggest meal of my day

Mid morning snack is protein shake made with water

Lunch is still satisfying large in portion

Late afternoon snack is another protein shake with water

Dinner is a lean source of protein with my fibrous carb of choice (salad, broccoli, asparagus, etc)

Therefore aim to eat early, often, and taper off the calories as the day goes, and you will be able to still fit into that “little black dress” on New Years!

To Drink or Not to Drink, This is the Question!

‘Tis the season to eat, drink, and be fat! This is my motto for all of those who are NOT on a program. Just leaving your body to the fate of the holidays and all the parties, you pretty much can be guaranteed gaining weight this season. Those of you who are on a food and exercise plan, our motto is “Eat high protein, low carbs, drink water and protein shakes, and be merry! Your body will thank you by being more efficient, effective, burning fat faster, and having more energy to take upon this super busy season.

And now the topic of alcohol! Many of us are still confused on if alcohol is good for our or not. Here is the answer in plain presentation. Alcohol is empty calories, most of it sugar. Its not rocket science to see that when one consumes alcohol, those empty calories pile on quickly. In addition, when someone drinks, their appetites tend to increase, therefore the effects of drinking quantify. Once scientific study proved that one drinks a cocktail at dinner, they consume up to 600 calories more, than if they did not have a drink.

I am not here to tell you not to loosen up with a cold one, and be a social stiff all holiday season. But drink in moderation. And if you don’t want to seen unsocial, simply take a glass of wine or champagne that is offered, take part in the toast, and sip socially, only to leave most of that “sugar” in the glass! And here is another holiday tip: instead of a fully loaded drink, opt for a “wine spritzer” where it’s half the amount of wine that is diluted with a splash of soda water. Add a twist of lemon, and you have slashed your calories in half. And if you are asking yourself “what are the best supplements for fat loss” then simply visit my website at JenniferNicolelee.com for more information on proper supplementation.

This Season, Let Your Body is a Walking Advertisement of Your Health

Your holiday office party is coming up very soon, as well as your family get together to celebrate the season. One of your first questions is likely going to be “What am I going to wear?” If your diet and exercise plan is in order, then what you wear really doesn’t matter. This is because your body can’t lie! It will show everyone if you have been “cheating” on your food plan, or if you have been putting yourself back on your to do list, and making eating right and exercising priority on your list.

I remember one holiday season when I was around 200 pounds (and maybe can you too!) when I would wear big black baggy clothes, big hair and tons of makeup to try and “mask” me being over weight. Now this holiday season, I am celebrating the fact that I have finally gotten my weight under control. Now I pride myself in being able to not hide my body, but show off my physique, and your body is your biggest advertisement on whether you are living optimally, or not. It’s your choice, so choose wisely!

Sample Dieters Holiday Survival Workout:

Mon – Legs

Tue-Upper

Wed-Cardio

Thurs-Legs

Friday-Upper

Sat-Cardio

Sun-Off

On weight training days, aim to perform 45 minutes of weight training exercises. Execute 3 sets of 8-12 reps at a weight that is challenging for you.

On cardio days, perform 20 minutes to 45 minutes of a type of cardio that you prefer.

Sunday, or one day of the week, needs to be a rest day to keep you rested.

This year, you can have your best body ever, and still enjoy the holiday season with your friends and family. The key is moderation, making sure you get to your workouts, and also pre-planning your meals. You can start the New Year looking sleek and sexy with my tips and fitness expertise in this “Dieters Holiday Survival Guide”, and not look like Santa Clause himself!

Visit our ebook for more Sexier Tips:

The Rewards of a Good Deed

2009-06-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

A true story...

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.

"Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked.

The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town. "All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."

When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me, I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them.

So the couple agreed.

As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."

The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.

The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a pale reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.

"That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage."

"You must be joking," the young man said.

"I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.

The older man's name was William Waldorf-Aster, and that magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.

Fun with Figures

2008-11-19T03:44:00.000-08:00

Check This eBook!

Fun with Figures

Brilliant Mental Math Short Cuts That Will Amaze Everyone... and Give You A Positively Unfair Advantage In School And In The Workplace!

Electronic Format For Instant Download!

Here Are Just Some Of The Amazing Feats You'll Learn How To Do about this Book:

• How to multiply any 2-digit numbers together in your head within seconds! Like 26 x 38.… does that look hard? It’s simple when you know this ingenious method of multiplication.

• The magic phrase you can use to instantly check your change. You'll kick yourself when you find out how easy this is -- and you'll never get short-changed ever again!

• How to calculate naturally - from left to right! Our dinosaur methods of math force us into the unnatural right-to-left techniques that are like trying to walk up the street backwards! Left-to-right makes math as easy as reading a book.

• How to double-check your bills by using a single number. Save yourself loads of time with this simple secret known only to mathematicians and magicians… until now!

• The easiest method ever for dealing with fractions! Using this simple technique, you can add and subtract fractions in a single step. You've never seen anything like this before.

• A brand new approach to multiplication. Ever had trouble with those multiplication tables? Using this little-known method, you can know the entire range of tables without having to remember anything higher than 5 x 5!

• The simplest, most obvious, common sense method of subtracting - without having to remember the dreaded “carry digit" – another outdated and unnecessary mental torture!

• 11 little words to instantly overcome the most-feared mental math sum of them all: long division. Using this ingenious mental device, you'll be able to perform long division within a few seconds and amaze your friends and yourself! “369 divided by 72?” Easy!

If You Can Follow Simple Instructions

Then You Can Perform Math In Your Head!

In “Fun With Figures” by professional mathematician Kenneth Williams and computer programmer Murdo Macleod, you’ll find out exactly how to perform some amazing mental math in clear simple steps.

No dull theory here!

All the techniques are presented in plain, simple language that shows you exactly what to do, backed up by crystal-clear examples and quizzes where you can amaze yourself with your new math skills.

Using Math Games to Enhance Learning

2008-11-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

Check This eBook!

Using Math Games to Enhance Learning

by Andrew Tsai

Ever wonder how you could get your son or daughter to be more interested in math? Math is hard work, but with some fun maths games, you can capture their attention while they learn. So, how can you find some fun maths games? They are actually not very hard to find. If you look up math games on Amazon.com, for instance, many books will come up that have math games. Or, you can look up math game on the internet for free, and find many free resources for math games. There are online games, or games that you can read about and play at home with your child.

So, what is the best way to incorporate them into your child's study schedule? It is best to cover the basics first, but let him know that the game awaits him if he masters the subject. Positive reinforcement is a proven technique for children. By saving the fun maths games for the end, you'll not only grab your child's attention for learning math, but you'll give him a reward that he'll enjoy and benefit from.

Here is an example of a challenging, but fun game. Jot down on a piece of paper the number 1-20. The game is then to, using the same number no more than 5 times and using any standard mathematical function, try to have that written number as the result. For example, if trying to get the number 1 with 5, 7's, one may come up with1 = (7 7)/7 7/7. For 2, you may come up with (7 7)*7/7/7 = 2. Pretty simple at first, but it gets challenging later on. This and other fun maths games can be used to challenge children to use math in new and creative ways.

There are other fun maths games that can help a child expand his mind or your mind. For example, a popular game called Sudoku is being played by many adults these days. The game is easy enough for kids, but can be challenging enough for adults to enjoy. Try, and you'll be hooked!

How To Teach Kids Math?

2008-11-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

Check This eBook!

How To Teach Kids Math?

by Frank Liu

Math is everywhere in our lives. For example, taxes, loans, credit cards, purchases, budgeting and shopping. Parents should teach kids handle money wisely when he is small. All this requires math knowledge.

Today, we use math in every field, science field, technology field, production field,etc. Math can help us understand the world with big and small numbers, statistics, probability and percents. We need to use math every day. So it is important to teach kids 's math well when he is young.

A good way to teach kids math is to provide experiences for 'playing and living' math. You will be surprised at how effective these activities are in teaching math thinking. Many games are designed for kids and they can increase kids thinking skills. These games require kids to use their math skills, use strategies and involve logical thinking. Parents can play these math games together with your kids. In this way, you can instruct your kids. And once he face trouble, you can give him some hints too. You will have fun during this course.

Much of our math computation through life is with money. Teach money concepts at your child's level of development and build his understanding through the years. Occasionally give your child some pocket money . Let him pick out what he wants to buy. You may ask the kid to record how he uses the money in computer. Ask him to print a report weekly or monthly. This is also a good way to teach kids math.

Do Basketball And Math Go Hand In Hand?

2008-11-19T00:04:00.000-08:00

Check This eBook!

How Do Basketball And Math Go Hand In Hand?

by Jim Inman

Basketball fundamentals and math go hand in hand. There are so many benefits for your child in purchasing a learning system for learning how basketball fundamentals and math work together. Math is a very important subject to learn for anyone. Sometimes it can be difficult to get a child excited about math because they can find it boring or think that math has no real purpose in life. By combining math with the sport of basketball they can see how math works in the real world and get excited about learning it. This can really open up any child’s learning capacity, because they can start to see how other subjects they are learning in school relate to the real world.

Children can enjoy a fun computer game that shows them exactly how math and basketball go hand in hand. It will open up their minds to math in a whole new and exhilarating way. You just might find that your children are suddenly having fun learning math and enhancing their math skills. This can go all the way into the classroom where they can learn math easier and have fun in math class. By getting thrilled about math in a new way by combining it with basketball your child could even raise their math grade and be able to accept opportunities to take more difficult math classes in school.

A simple math and basketball game can introduce your child (possibly without them even knowing it) to basic math skills, the game that is based on standard tests, shows your child where they need help in math, and more. The computer game will run right on your CDROM in your (or their) computer. They will be enticed by the colorful graphic images and great sounds. It is entertaining and fun to play this basketball game that includes math learning. The questions in the game will help your child stay on top of their math skills and bring that knowledge into their classroom. Since they are based on standard school tests they may even do better in class, earning higher grades and doing better on the various tests they have to take.

By learning math with basketball your child will see learning in a whole new way. This excitement could drizzle into their other classes and subjects because they will see and understand that there is a purpose for each class they are taking in school and relate what they are learning to the real world in an easier and better way.

"Why Smoke?" and "Why Quit?"

2008-09-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hidden Meanings Behind
"Why Smoke?" and "Why Quit?"

High school and college literature classes are preoccupied with the hidden meaning behind the words on the page. Much of the students' time is spent examining what meaning the author was really intending to convey with the story. In fiction, the story is never what it seems.

In our own lives, our motivations and reasons for what we do are not always what they seem. At first glance, why we do things may seem simple. But upon closer examination, our motivations often have hidden purposes and agendas, driven by events and feelings in our lives. Often we are totally unaware of these forces that shape our daily decisions.

The decision to quit smoking is propelled or impeded by two basic questions: "why smoke?" and "why quit?" Answer these questions honestly and you'll make great progress toward quitting.

Let's examine each in turn.

WHY SMOKE?

Do you smoke today for the same reason you smoked five years ago, or when you first started smoking? Chances are good that you started smoking for reasons totally different than why you smoke now. You started smoking to be cool, or to rebel or to fit in or just because you were curious. Now you would probably say that you smoke to relax or to think clearly or because you are addicted and can't stop.

Take a long hard look at why you smoke NOW. You probably haven't even thought about this. Dig very deep. Think. Examine your emotions as you imagine yourself craving a cigarette and lighting up. What "made you do it?"

Smoking is easier than quitting. Staying where we are is much easier and more comfortable than working on ourselves and moving to a different place. It's hard. It hurts. It takes work. It requires admitting painful things to ourselves.

Quitting smoking means admitting that you have been wrong all the years that you smoked. Quitting means admitting that you harmed yourself. Quitting means that you aren't cool just because you smoke. Quitting means that your parents were right. Quitting means that your husband/wife/kids/co-workers/society was right. Quitting means you wasted THOUSANDS of dollars on cigarettes and insurance. Quitting means that you'll have to learn how to relax naturally. Quitting means losing a "friend." Quitting means giving up your security blanket.

These are some of the hidden meanings behind quitting. Many are painful. They force you to admit you are wrong or are not superman. Most people hate to admit they have weakness. But admitting weakness might be called the first step in most any 12-step addiction recovery program.

Examine why you smoke and you may find that you smoke not to get something, but instead to avoid or flee from something. This type of fear-motivated action (or inaction) is almost always detrimental to health and happiness. Begin to focus on desire-motivated action.

This leads us to:

WHY QUIT?

The reasons for quitting are voluminous: save money, improve your health, cut your risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and numerous other diseases, smell better, look younger, clean teeth, nice breath, live longer, etc., etc.

Make sure you know exactly what you want to get out of quitting. If cutting your risk of lung cancer is hard to visualize, then focus on something more concrete such as the money you can save. See the hundreds of dollars you'll save stacking up in a big bank vault. See bright clean teeth when you smile. These reasons for quitting should be YOUR reasons for quitting. They should pull you to them like a magnet. Find the magnets that motivate you the most.

One word of warning: Avoid the flipside of the question "why quit?" The flipside is not the question "why smoke?" Instead, it is "why NOT quit?" This is a dangerous question because it leads you down the easy path. Ask yourself "why not quit" and you'll likely answer, "because I can't do it," or "because withdrawal makes me crazy," or "because I can't relax without it," or "because I'm still young," or "because smoking isn't that bad for me," or "because I can quit anytime I want," or "because I only smoke a few," or "because I failed to quit before." These are dead-end answers that will never lead you out of the habit. They are lazy, defeatist, powerless answers. They are answers that allow you to put off quitting until the tomorrow that never comes.

To quit, you must take back control of your life from cigarettes. Take responsibility for your own health and happiness. It is you who puts the cigarettes in your mouth, and it is you who can take them out.

Ask yourself "why quit" and "why smoke" so that you can truly understand why you do what you do. Then begin to pursue the positive reasons that will help you to quit smoking, ON PURPOSE.

** Article © Copyright Fred Kelley of QuitSmoking.com. Visit the web site at QuitSmoking.com for great information and products designed to help you quit smoking.

Read more tips about Quit Smoking at ODAV OnLine Journal, click here.

How to Improve your English

2008-07-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

How to Improve your English:P-R-A-C-T-I-S-E
By OdavHost, OdavOnLine.com

Patient - Keep in mind that learning a language is a gradual process; it does not happen overnight.

Read - Read an articles and news in English language.

Ask- Don’t be shy to ask the meaning of the word that seems strange when you heard it.

Communicate- Be brave to talk with foreign people who can speak English or get involved on English conversation most often so that you can improve both your listening and speaking skills. Get used on today’s technology, chat with your friends in English. If it calls for you to use your local dialect, then later check the equivalent English word in the dictionary.

Team-up - Look for your companion who is so willing to learn English as well.

Initiate - Even you are still doubt on your English capabilities, just talk with your friends even in a form of jokes. Or apply your English knowledge at your home.

Surf - There is so many available materials on the net so maximize its advantage.

Exercise - Constant practice makes you perfect. Try to learn every day.

Student Pointers on Taking the Board Exam

2008-07-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Student Pointers on Taking the Board Exam
By OdavHost of OdavOnLine.com

Professional Board Examination is a primary requirement to acquire license for us to practice our profession freely and legally as mandated by the government. In most companies or employers, a license plays an important role in the determination of our capacity and capability as it measures what we have learned in university during our years of studies. It is likewise affirms the employer that we are bold enough to handle our job and it is our client's assurance as we render our services with them.

Normally, we may hear from our fellow professionals the claim that in "the actual job execution, our learning from schools are not being applied." However, this point of view might be possible in rare case but It is absolutely untrue at most situation because we have forgotten that we are working with our job base on the basic foundation of our major studies. The mere difference is that, we might not only able to directly apply exactly the same as what had been taught in the school. But during your course of work, as long as you are able to work in line with your profession, every single lessons we have had in the university has corresponding applicability as we move on to our career.

The fact that our license initiates confident with the people we will be working with such as our clients, employers, co-professionals, and so on… It is likewise our license that gives confidence to ourselves that we can perform the job.

Eventhough the people might not be asking us frankly, whether we have passed the board exam or not, but most of the time it might borne within ourselves the authority to do and decide such job because we believe we are license and registered to do or sign for the approval of a certain work.

Since, I am task to give you some pointers to note and prepare when taking the board exam, I may not be an expert as you may expect to be, but I will try my best to elaborate with you my actual experienced which hopefully would help you in one way or another. Please remember the letters P-E-N-C-I-L.

Preparation

a) Gather all materials you may need for your review such as books and notebooks from your freshman stage ‘till your last year in the school.

b) Get involve and be active on free review classes being offered by the school. Some schools have already incorporated the review classes in their curriculum, students should take and grab this opportunity seriously. In my case, it was not available at that time, hence, if I have free time I was been reviewing by myself and making an outlined notes.

c) Inquire and enroll with reputable review school. We may have the foundation earned during our course of study but being enrolled in a review school is an added factor or advantage because it will remind us of some topics that was been omitted or we have already been forgotten. Although, this step maybe an optional to you and you would prefer to take self-review in your own roof.

d) If you would be renting a room in a boarding house or dormitory make sure that you’ll be accommodated comfortably. Some people can concentrate reviews with silence and some may love noisy (sounds) surroundings… so it’s up to you where will you be comfortable.

e) Peer review. Review together with your peers, with books and not with bottles (wines).

f) But the most important step of preparation at all is praying while you are doing your best.

Encouragement

a) I was been confident that I could pass the exam. It means that I set that in my mind already though I know it would be very difficult. So I have live with the faith that God will be doing the rest for me.

b) Sorry but my second encouragement were my critics or predators. I believed that if I would fail they will be the first person who will laugh at me. Hence, during my reviews I have listed their names on paper so that every time I was been too loose for my review, I just look on their names then I can regain my energy to take my reviews diligently .

c) I know that my parents have bigger hopes on me, so their strength and prayers were my motivation in surviving the battle.

d) My school, relatives, classmates, and friends were my challengers whom I have believed that they’ll be so excited waiting for my name to be listed on the newspaper once the result will be released.

Nevers or Nots

a) Never be late on exam proper. Arrive on time. If you are not familiar on the location of the examination, it would be better for you to visit the place prior to the day of examination (Site-seeing!). But if there’s a company bus that will send you to the location, make sure you won’t miss the time of departure.

b) Avoid getting tired. I left the review center at 11PM the last night before my examination day which will be the next morning at 8AM. The review center claimed that they will be releasing a “guess leakages” at 12midnight. I never believed them, instead, I packed my things and went home. If the leakage were true, why then my friend who have handed that leakage has failed. “Never believe on leakage!”

c) During the examination proper, never focus yourself on difficult questions or problems, proceed answering first on all those easy questions. But leave a mark on the questions that you will skip so that you can easily go back and distinguish those unanswered items.

d) Never leave a problem blank. Even how hard you’ve been trying to solve the problem, yet still the figures that come-out to your calculator or solution is out of choices. The better solution for you is to have an educated guess.

e) Never panic. If on the last hour and yet there are still so many questions that you’ve to answer, don’t panic, and just relax. Continue solving the current problem you are in then after which, proceed to the remaining problem. But I should advise that you’ve to set a guess limit of time span for each items that you are going to solve so that you can avoid rushing and you will not be pressured too much.

f) Never leave an exam early. Use any extra time to go over the exam. On scrap paper, do each problem over from start to finish. Then compare your new answer with your old answer. If there is a discrepancy, figure out which one is right, and the sooner the better. Also check if your answer seems reasonable.

Checks

a) Calculator. Will you be bringing "allowable or acceptable" scientific calculator? Does your calculator has been fully battery charged? Better yet, bring an extra calculator.

b) Have you carried necessary papers or IDs that you were advised to bring during the exam?

c) Small handy notes or booklets of formulas. Though, you may have no chance to review during the exam proper but sometimes before entering to the examination rooms or during lunch break, there will be time that you might think you have forgotten some formula or basic principle, thus, to remove your felling of anxiety better yet browse that booklets but don’t study and start over again. Just go directly on the item that you’ve think you might have forgotten. Or rather, try to gain that confidence before the exam and better yet do not bringing any booklets with you. Don’t ever-ever bring volumes of books because you have no chance to review during the exam proper. It would just be an added tension on your mind. I have sitmate who have brought with him volumes of three to five books, then suddenly just a couple of minutes I have noticed leaned on the chair and sleeping.

d) Urinate. Visit the comfort room before entering the room. Because it might disturb you during the exam due to nervousness.

e) Bring your mobile phone with you because you may use it in cases of emergency situations such as you’ve forgotten some requirements, etc. So rather than going back home, the best way is to advise your mates or family members to deliver for you. But mind you, don’t be bothered to much, try to relax while waiting for your mate to arrive. Though, I believe CPs are prohibited inside the examination room, still I want to remind you to turn-off your cell phone during the exam proper.

Inners

a) Read the questions very well. Read between the lines. Since during the exam, we might be time-pressured and we tend to omit reading some important words or values that will lead us to choose from the selection “d.) None of the above”.

b) Shades properly as instructed. It’s a machine that checks, not human!

c) Derive formulas if requires necessary especially if you are not sure on the formula you have in mind.

d) Ask the examiner if you have doubt of something on the procedure or directions. Never bother to ask your sit mate. But if someone asks you, better direct him/her to the examiner because you might lose the momentum of answering some questions.

Lots

Choose which you would prefer:
“There are LOTS of opportunities waiting for you if you’ll pass the exam; however, there are also LOTS of chances still for you to re-take if you’ll fail the exam.” Think of it!

GOOD LUCK, guys & gals!

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