Body Sculpting – Week 29

Better late than never, right, guys?  Funny how time blends together when you’re unemployed.  “I’ll get to it in an hour” becomes “I’ll get to it tomorrow”; and that turns to “I’ll get to it eventually”.  Oy.  I can’t wait to get my awesome job by March 22nd.  I don’t know HOW I’m going to get it, but it’s going to be great.

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Continue working out different muscle groups
2. Start Month Three, Week 4 of the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“
3. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
4. Do EFT tapping technique for low energy
5. Eat 4-5 small-portioned meals everyday

I’ve been doing great at working out different muscle groups.  I’ve been doing exactly what I said I would do: alternate between working the following on different days:

• Chest, arms, & back
• Legs
• Abs/core

It feels really good to work certain muscle groups out and feel the burn the next day.  I think this will greatly help me reach my goal of having six-pack abs and V-shaped obliques.

Here’s my progress with the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“:

Month Three

1/27 – REST

1/28 – REST

1/29 – REST

1/30 – REST

1/31 – REST

2/1 – REST

2/2 – REST

2/3 – REST

2/4 – REST

2/5 – REST

2/6 – REST

2/7 – Week 2. Pullup Workout C1: Descending Pyramid Session (total=45 pullups)

2/8 – REST

2/9 – REST

2/10 – REST

2/11 – REST

2/12 – Week 2. Pullup Workout C2: 50-100 Reps in as few Sets as Possible (6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 6, 4, 4)

2/13 – REST

2/14 – REST

2/15 – Week 3. Pullup Workout C3: Maximum Set Practice Sessions (6, 5, 4, 4, 3)

2/16 – REST

2/17 – REST

2/18 – REST

2/19 – Week 3. Pullup Workout C1: Descending Pyramid Session (total=45 pullups)

2/20 – REST

2/21 – REST

2/22 – REST

2/23 -Week 4. Pullup Workout C2: 50-100 Reps in as few Sets as Possible (7, 7, 7, 8, 7, 8, 7)

2/24 – REST

2/25 – REST

2/26 – REST

 

Haven’t read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”; will do that tomorrow.

The EFT Tapping Technique for low energy has been working sporadically.  I feel it works better if I just do it in the mornings, as opposed to doing it twice per day.  Although maybe I shouldn’t do that specific tapping technique right before bed, like I’ve been doing.  I’ll definitely continue doing it in the mornings, at least, since it only takes about 6 minutes.

Eatting 4-5 small-portioned meals everyday has proved to be a bit difficult, since I’ve been waking up too late to fit in 5-6 meals.  4 meals I can do, though.  So starting tomorrow, I will be getting up at 6:30/7:00 to ensure I eat at least 5 meals per day.

Next week:

1. Continue working out different muscle groups
2. Start Month Three, Week 5 of the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“
3. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
4. Do EFT tapping technique for low energy
5. Eat at least 5 small-portioned meals everyday

 

 

 

Road to Financial Abundance – Week 33

Sorry for not posting last week, everyone. Just been feeling really down about my journey to wealth, so I didn’t feel like writing in this section of my blog.  But let me catch you up to speed.

Two weeks ago I said I would do the following:

1. Listen to at least one Law of Attraction for Financial Freedom podcast episode
2. Finish reading The Passion Test

Wow, it really has been a while.  I finished The Passion Test two weeks ago.  It was a good read.  The book is divided into two sections – one containing the Passion Test itself and the steps to take, one listing successful people and their experiences.  I found The Passion Test to be useful because it helped me prioritize my goals/passions.  I think that was the most valuable thing I learned from the book.  The second half was very valuable too, as I believe it’s extremely helpful to see the experiences of people in whose shoes you want to be in.  I definitely recommend it.

Listened to another Law of Attraction for Financial Freedom podcast episode.  One big thing I got out of it was that miracles are happening every day for you, even if you don’t know it.  That really perked me up, reminding me that the universe and others are constantly working to help me.

So last weekend my mom and I attended a workshop called “The Landmark Forum”.  I had heard about it from my house mate, who is a very successful salesman.  He spoke very highly of the workshop, saying that it was one of the best investments he’d ever made.  He pretty much sold me on it, so I asked my mom if she’d like to attend, and she was very excited about it.  As soon as I registered my mom & I, I told others we were going.  Turned out lots of people had heard of it, and had attended it.  Everyone attendee I talked with said they were definitely glad they went.  “The Landmark Forum” website even boasts that 92% of their attendees are glad they attended, so it’s hard to argue with those statistics.

I don’t want to go into detail about the workshop, since it was pretty intense and there was a lot of material.  So here’s what I have gotten out of it so far:

Enrollment – talking with people about my goals in such a away that they are touched, moved, & inspired.  I realized that this is a huge ingredient to success.  The more people you get excited about your goals and life, the more they want to help you realize those goals.  Thus, the more resources you have available to you.

Empowerment – there were some really good empowerment exercises and meditations.

So I want to touch, move, and inspire everyone I meet from now on, about my goals and life.  So here are my goals regarding money, just in case anyone missed it:

A) I will be making $10,000 per month doing what I love by Feb 22, 2012

B) I will have a job I love by March 22, 2012, in which I:

- am surrounded by fun, creative, wealthy mentors who help me grow

- get to write, be creative, and use technology

- work in a beautiful, convenient location

- only work 20-30 hours per week

My house mate Aaron recommended I tell people the reasons why I want my goals, and what I will do once I obtain them.  So here goes: I want wealth because I grew up in a family constantly struggling for money.  I feel I’ve been struggling with money my whole life, and I’m sick of it.  I want to live comfortably – I want to eat out whenever I want, I want to buy whatever I want, I want to travel, etc.  I also want to do things for others – buy gifts, travel with them, take them out to meals, buy anything I want for them.  Once I’ve obtained financial abundance, I will be a mentor to others, as well as donate to and set up charities with which I feel an affinity.  For example, charities/nonprofit organizations promoting LGBT issues, green energy, travel, alternative education, mentors, open-mindedness, etc.

I hope that touched, moved, or inspired some of you out there

Next week:

1. Tell at least two people everyday about my goals, and get them inspired about them
2. Listen to at least one Law of Attraction for Financial Freedom podcast episode
3. Do EFT tapping for wealth (YouTube video here) twice per day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body Sculpting – Week 28

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Toy around with figuring out best days to do P90x ab workout
2. Start Month Three, Week 3 of the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“
3. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”

I’ve figured out a schedule for doing not only the P90x ab workout, but also exercises working out other muscle groups (note: I will also be doing 12 or more minutes of tabata exercises before these strength training workouts):

Mon: Abs

Tues: Shoulders, Arms, & Back

Wed: Legs

Thurs: Abs

Fri: Shoulders, Arms, & Back

Sat: Legs

Sun: Rest

I started this last week, and I’m really looking forward to the results.  Even if I don’t see results, it’s a nice change of pace, and I feel like my body is getting a great overall workout now.  But I’m confident I will see desired results faster, since I will be working out all muscle groups.

Here’s my progress with the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“:

Month Three

1/27 – REST

1/28 – REST

1/29 – REST

1/30 – REST

1/31 – REST

2/1 – REST

2/2 – REST

2/3 – REST

2/4 – REST

2/5 – REST

2/6 – REST

2/7 – Week 2. Pullup Workout C1: Descending Pyramid Session (total=45 pullups)

2/8 – REST

2/9 – REST

2/10 – REST

2/11 – REST

2/12 – Week 2. Pullup Workout C2: 50-100 Reps in as few Sets as Possible (6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 6, 4, 4)

2/13 – REST

2/14 – REST

2/15 – Week 3. Pullup Workout C3: Maximum Set Practice Sessions (6, 5, 4, 4, 3)

Read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”.  Learned more about the importance of eating 5-6 meals per day, but small portions.  I tired doing this before, but with not a lot of structure, and I felt like I gained more fat, so I stopped.  But this time I am simply being more disciplined about my portion sizes and when I eat.  First off, I need to figure out a solution to my low energy, since it’s difficult to stick to a diet when I’m waking up and going to sleep at different times.  I discovered EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), which is basically acupressure and affirmations.  I found this guy who has lot of videos for different symptoms; his YouTube account is EFT With Brad Yates.

I also found this great blog post about EFT for low energy: “EFT Protocol for Low Energy Levels“.  According to this blog post, I should do this EFT twice a day for a week, in order to see results.  So I will do exactly that.

Next week:

1. Continue working out different muscle groups
2. Start Month Three, Week 4 of the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“
3. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
4. Do EFT tapping technique for low energy
5. Eat 4-5 small-portioned meals everyday

Breaking Dawn: Part 1

After stumbling upon an awesome review for the movie Chronicle on the movie website, ComingSoon.net, I’ve decided to modify my review format.  It’s pretty much copied from the reviewer, Scott Chitwood, which I hope is OK with him.  You can check out the review here: Chronicle review.

Title: “Breaking Dawn: Part 1″

Rating: 7 out of 10

Movie Details: View here

Summary:

“Breaking Dawn: Part 1″ continues the brooding teen/fantasy romance theme with decent cinematography, music, special effects, and acting.  If you have enjoyed the Twilight movies so far (even just moderately), definitely check this out.  Plus, it’s not like you can’t finish watching the series now!

Story:

Edward & Bella finally tie the knot, much to the displeasure of Bella’s best friend/unrequited lover and werewolf, Jacob Black.  The wedding goes smoothly, with the exception of Jacob’s outburst from Bella’s admission that she and Edward plan on having sex on their honeymoon.

Cautionary sex and lots of intimacy are the main components of Edward & Bella’s honeymoon.  But things quickly shake up when Bella realizes she’s pregnant.  The newlyweds rush back home to have Carlisle (Edward’s father) abort the fetus, though Bella realizes she wants to keep the baby, no matter what kind of creature it is.

As Bella’s fast-growing baby wreaks havoc on her body, Edward and Jacob find themselves agreeing that the demon seed must go, while Jacob’s wolf pack grows wary.

“Breaking Dawn: Part 1″ is rated PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, sexuality/partial nudity and some thematic elements.

What worked:

The formula of this movie is pretty much the same as “New Moon” and “Eclipse” – start off the movie with a foreshadowing, romantic/dark quotation, have the movie revolve around said quotation, lots of brooding teenage love/angst, a good amount of CGI showcasing the fantasy creatures, and a cliffhanger ending leading into the next movie in the franchise.

I’ve read the books and I always give book-based movies a little slack, because there’s so much packed into a book that’s impossible to fit into a movie (i.e., thoughts of characters, superfluous events & characters, just to name a few).  That being said, I think the directors have done a very decent job with all Twilight movies, with the very big exception of the first one (director: Catherine Hardwicke).  The director of “Breaking Dawn: Part 1″ does an excellent job at pacing, ensuring that things don’t move too fast or too slow, which I would think would be especially hard when breaking up this fourth and final book into two movies.

The birth scene of Bella’s child was very well-done, considering how gruesome it is described in the books.

What didn’t work:

The acting still needs a bit of work, though it’s hard to judge the actors too harshly if you’ve read the books – continuous brooding and outbursts of passion can only be acted out so many times.

The Bottom Line:

If you enjoyed the books and have enjoyed the movies, definitely see this one.  It’s always fun to see a good book’s characters & world come to life on screen, and this movie does a decent job at it.

10 Movie Poster Cliches (with plenty examples)

So true:

10 Movie Poster Cliches (with plenty examples)

 

Road to Financial Abundance – Week 31

Two weeks ago I said I would do the following:

1. Listen to at least one Law of Attraction for Financial Freedom podcast episode
2. Read more of The Passion Test

Sorry I was on a week-long hiatus there, folks.  Spent a much-needed week with the bf, figuring stuff out.

Almost done reading The Passion Test.  The first half of the book is the actual Passion Test, and the second half consists of interviews with successful people living their passions.  I think this is great, because exposure to specific people’s experiences of abundance can be a great learning tool.

Haven’t listened to a Law of Attraction for Financial Freedom podcast episode.  Will do that this week.

Great news though – I got an offer to do a modeling job with a professional photographer!  It pays $50, but I’m really excited to work with a professional photographer and add him to my modeling network.

I’m also going to be in my second fashion show this Saturday, so I’m looking forward to networking with photographers, makeup artists, designers, and other models.  Hopefully tons more money will come along with the creation of awesome photographs.

Next week:

1. Listen to at least one Law of Attraction for Financial Freedom podcast episode
2. Finish reading The Passion Test

Category: Body Body Sculpting – Week 27

Two weeks ago I said I would do the following:

1. Start fifth and final week of Month Two of the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“
2. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”

Sorry I was on a week-long hiatus there, folks.  Spent a much-needed week with the bf, figuring stuff out.  It actually was perfect timing, since last week was Month Three, Week 1 of the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“, and the instructions for Week 1 are to rest.  Here are the rest of the instructions for the third and final month of the regimen:

Pullups Workout Program – Month 3: Lowering Volume and Building Intensity to Peak for the Final Test

You’ve already laid a foundation of good technique in month one, perfected that technique and built a base of training volume in month two, and now is when the work starts to get hard because it’s time to increase the intensity of your sessions.

Pullup Workout C1: Descending Pyramid Session

Instructions: This is essentially half of a pyramid, and you are starting at the top and working your way down. Perform a near-max set of pullups (approximately 90% of your max reps), then rest for as long as necessary before performing a set of one less repetition, and continue this until you reach the final set of 1 pullup. Obviously, it’s very important that you’re adequately warmed up prior to starting this session (see joint mobility recommendations below).

Here is an example of the progression: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps = 55 total pullups

Pullup Workout C2: 50-100 Reps in as few Sets as Possible

Instructions: Perform between 50-100 pullups in as few sets as possible. Select the goal number based on your conditioning level. It’s probably best to try and select repetition amounts for each set that land around 60-80% of your maximum ability. So, if you can perform 10 pullups, then sets of 6-8 are probably optimal for this session. Rest as necessary.

Here’s an example for a goal of 100 repetitions:

10, 10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 8, 8, 7, 7, 6, 6.

Pullup Workout C3: Maximum Set Practice Sessions

Instructions: Repeat the following 3-5 times.

1 Set of of maximum pullups with 3-5 minutes of rest between sets

These are an all-out effort, and you should be trying to hit 100% exertion every time. Your repetition numbers will likely decrease every subsequent set. This is a sign that you’re doing it right. When you repeat this workout later in the month, try to score more total reps on your last set to both gauge and ensure progression.

Month 3 Training Schedule

Here is the training schedule to follow (it’s ok if you make some changes to this, just remember that less is more):

Week 1 – Rest. No pullup training at all. This is a time for your body to recover from the high volume training that you’ve done over the last two months and prime you for a few weeks of higher-intensity training. Other fitness training is ok, but depending on your program, it might be a good idea to take a 5-7 day break anyways (highly recommended if you haven’t taken a week off in the last 12 weeks).

Week 2 – C1, C2 (e.g. C1 on Mon, C2 on Thur)

Week 3 – C3, C1, (e.g. C3 on Mon, C1 on Thur)

Week 4 – C2, C3, C1 (e.g. Mon, Wed, Fri)

Week 5 – Pick a day for your pullup test. Plan ahead, and give it a shot.

So today I started Month Three, Week Two of the regimen (C1 workout).

Haven’t read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”; will do that this week.

My good friend Sam introduced me to a P90x ab workout vid, which I’ve been trying out.  It’s pretty insane, and my core burns for the following two days after the workout.  I’m toying around with doing it 2-3 days per week, and working out other major muscle groups the other days (i.e., chest, back, arms, legs.)

Next week:

1. Toy around with figuring out best days to do P90x ab workout
2. Start Month Three, Week 3 of the pullup regimen, “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“
3. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”