There are hundreds, actually make that thousands, of products out there that are the next best thing. They promise the world and instead deliver an atlas.
So in this series, “Things I Like” you get to bypass the trial and error stage as I have done that for you. Listed below are, you guessed it, things I like! They have either made my life either more productive or more successful in one way or another and thats why I am passing on my recommendation.
1. Magic Bullet Blender
You might think with all the endorsements I give this that I’m on their payroll. I wish I was, but it is just my genuine opinion. It’s quick, easy, powerful and versatile.
With the Magic Bullet you can very quickly make your favorite nut meal, nut butter, protein shake, soup or blended breakfast.
2. Poach Pods
These little silicone pods are the lazy mans answer to poached eggs. Simply get a pot of water, drop the pods in, spray with some oil and crack the egg directly into the pod. Crank up the heat and when the water starts to boil turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot. Leave them for a minute if you like the yolks runny and leave them for a few minutes if you like the yolks hard.
3. Lynx Grips
I have had one pair of these grips for 18 months and they would go through 2-3 workouts a day between my clients and myself. What’s more, there aren’t any signs of wear and tear on these bad boys! Compare that to your average pair of gym gloves. Another bonus with the Lynx Grips is that they will actually help you grip the bar. This is an added bonus if you tend to get sweaty palms when you train of if your gym doesn’t allow lifting chalk.
4. Swiss Diamond Cookware
Before I bought my first Swiss Diamond the most I had spent on a fry pan was about $20. You can sense my nervous anticipation for when I handed over around $150 for this whiz bang fry pan that was going to change my life! Well, after using it once, I have been recommending it to everyone. Yes it is that good, and whats even better is that they have come down in price since I first bought one. I now have three, two of the fry pans and once deeper dish. In all seriousness I would use this just about every day. Cooking is a breeze on it and cleaning is just as easy.
There you have four of my favourites. All of which have made my life easier and more productive.
If there’s one thing that has been obvious in the first few weeks of getting two new additions to the family, it’s that time is of the essence.
Every day activities seem to take a bit longer and before you know it you are running late and behind the eight ball.
Typically this translates into rushed eating and missed training sessions. Not a great combination when you want to be at your peak both physically and mentally.
So what can you do to combat this common problem? Well prevention is always better than a cure so use some protection! But assuming the kids are planned then you will also need some sort of a plan to make sure you stay on track with your eating and training.
1. Pre-make meals and freeze them so you have well prepared, healthy options at the ready. The best way to do this is to make a double or triple batch of your recipie and store the leftovers. 2. Have a plan ‘B’ for in between meals and so you don’t miss a meal. All you need for this is a few zip lock bags. In one put a serve of mixed nuts (almonds, cashews and walnuts work for me), and in the other have a serve of your favorite protein powder. Throw those in a large shaker and you have all your nutritional bases covered in on neat package. 3. Don’t train for more than 45 minutes per session and see how much you can cram into a 30 minute session. If you need some ideas make sure you have a look at these workouts. Keep your rest periods short and avoid isolation exercises. 4. If you only have 20 minutes a few times per week then your best option is to do some tabatas. If the word tabatas is foriegn to you then have a look at this Tabata Workout.
Keep an eye out for some more short, sharp and hard workouts which will be posted as soon as I have given them a test run and the thumbs up!
How many push ups have you done in your time?
Chances are it is in the hundreds if not the thousands.
Even if you can’t do a whole heap of them, they are a staple ingredient in most workouts (or at least should be).
But there comes a time when enough is enough.
There’s only so many pushups you can do before you get bored and want to move on.
Check out the video below for some simple (not easy!) variations on the good old pushup and try them out in your next workout.
If you want to get better at any athletic venture, being stronger will help.
By the way, working out should be an athletic venture. I have female clients over 60 that do burpees and sprints. Get busy.
If you think the workouts you are doing are tough and working well right now, just think how effective they would be if you were 10% stronger. What if you were 20% stronger?
Think of all the extra calories your body would be burning both during and after your workout.
Sprint faster, jump higher, more reps, more weight ->more calories burnt and the closer you’ll be to the body you have always wanted.
Surprise yourself. Try adding some more weight to the bar, get someone to spot you and crank it out.
It’s not rocket science, but at the end of your next workout ask yourself this “Did I really give it my best or have I sold myself short?”
Do I practice what I preach? Hopefully by now you know that I do.
Check out the video below and leave comment below to tell me how you are going to push yourself this week.
