If you are the type of person where I ask you “why don’t you go to the gym, or workout” and you reply with “I don’t have time”, this is the solution for you. This excuse comes up a lot and not to say people honestly aren’t busy but people also aren’t around the clock being productive otherwise we wouldn’t have people who are unhealthy. You might work 2 jobs and go to school but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay active doing so and it doesn’t mean you have to go to a gym to be active.  Now, in a perfect little world, I would want all of us to be a member at a gym and use the facilities but in this not so perfect world called reality it doesn’t happen & when it does, it doesn’t happen to last very long. Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to making time to stay active:

Now these are just some ideas to help get you started and I wasn’t going to make a novel of a list of things that one can do to stay active without attending a gym. It’s very obvious that the majority of these things you may already do and guess what? YOU HAVE TIME FOR THEM! so this means you actually do have time but you don’t realize it. The end result should be you moving more and sitting less. If you work 2 jobs and go to school full time, that means you have more leverage than the stay at home mom because you are constantly on the move; congrats! if you are a stay at home mom that means you have more leverage than the working college students because you have someone to watch over and keep up with; which means you should be constantly moving; congrats! (See how I did that). 

I welcome people to add more to this list, because I want to see it grow daily and be more of a 100+ ideas versus my very small list of ideas. The reason behind me not adding more, is because I don’t want to do all the thinking for you, be creative! life is what you make it, and if you know you are the type who never seems to have time for anything; then maybe you need to find time to read this and change that or maybe you are doing exactly what you should but don’t realize it and hopefully this motivates you to continue. I hate to seem too snarky, but these excuses become issues and issues become problems and problems are left as problems because no one wants to fix “their” problems, they want others too… stand up, adjust your pants and take some time evaluate your life choices and routines and add some movement to your life. 

Being productive = Staying active

Add me, comment, Share, like, reblog, whatever it might be. Hopefully this will help motivate the ones who need it and give clarity to others. I want to help you help yourself be the best you can be! If you ever have questions or comments, or concerns you are always welcome to contact me! Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Your blogger Shay-lon

Nutrition:

• Food labels (don’t pay attention to the food labels)
• taste (don’t like the taste of healthy foods)
• confusion (don’t understand what eating healthy means and lack knowledge about nutrition)
• Money (believe healthier foods are more expensive)
• myths (believe in these myths about what eating healthy entails)
• diets (don’t like dieting because it doesn’t work, think they have to diet in order to eat healthy, ect)

• Don’t get enough sleep (which makes them more stressed)
• get stressed out (then they don’t want to sleep or eat)
• get stressed out and then eat more
• have sleeping issues they haven’t dealt with

Sorry for being absent these past 7 plus days, I have been busy with school and clinicals but I promise I will try to make more time for blogging and start back up again on a schedule. Right now it’s a little hard because I am constantly busy but my goal is one blog a week or at least 2 blogs a week just to make sure my followers know I am still around. I appreciate all of you who continue to read my blogs, please feel free to share them, comment, follow, and like. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your blogger Shay-lon

People have been writing blogs and the news have been blaring with the new barbie dolls that are going to be released soon (if they haven’t already). I have heard good and bad responses and mostly due to the fact parents feel some type of way.  Now after hearing both sides of the argument, one being “barbies weren’t made to be plus size, they are trademarked as every girls fantasy to be beautiful” and “I think this is a good idea because now every race and body type is a trademark of what it means to be beautiful”.  I have came to my own opinion and conclusion: Barbie is a doll, a doll doesn’t represent you or me, a doll is only a doll and if this doll bothers you so much because of its shape, weight or color then maybe you need help. Now don’t call me an asshole because I am not one, let me explain my point.  Firstly I will say that I am happy we are expanding our minds and becoming more open minded with different body types and races of dolls, I do think it’s wonderful and I believe it will go a long way in our history books. 2ndly, I am all for variety and changes in this particular situation, and 3rdly I never played with dolls to care much about them in the first place. 

Now let me explain why I feel like this whole Barbie transformation idea shouldn’t get people’s panties in a bunch and shouldn’t be your smile for the week. First off, If you have a problem with a barbie doll being plus size, then I already know your issue, you have a simple mind & you should fix that narrow mind of yours because this is 2016 and people don’t aim to please you. Sorry. Not sorry. If you are extremely happy about this commotion and it somehow made you feel better about yourself (unless you are a child) you should probably begin to wonder why and then figure out how you can feel good about yourself without Barbies help. I understand this is no different then having “plus size” models, but lets be honest about this; we should be happy but we shouldn’t be celebrating this because guess what? kids are going to ask why and guess what? most kids didn’t play with barbie because of her size they just liked her for her.  At some point when you go to the store to choose a barbie doll for your child, and you ask them what barbie they want and they still choose the “skinnier” one, for some reason I feel like parents will then and only then explain to their children that size doesn’t define beauty; then somehow pressure their child to getting the new barbie instead because your belief system is saying “I want her to play with the new one because it looks more like mommy or he/she needs this new one because the skinny ones are no longer the cool ones” whatever it takes so you can feel good about yourself as a guardian/parent.  By all means please continue to treat this newsflash as a beginning to something new but don’t have such high expectations just because you believe the “plus size” one is “better”.

Barbie shouldn’t be your example of beauty. Beauty should be taught from the inside out, not be a superficial, materialistic way of thinking. If this new barbie transformation has you preaching to friends, family, your kids, ect about how amazing this is, then you need to rethink your reasons as to why because  if saying “she is no longer a stick figure” or “the plus size ones are prettier” or “the skinny ones don’t look like you or me” are your reasons, then you are choosing the wrong reasons to be proud of this new addition. Don’t forget, body shaming comes from both sides of the spectrum and it’s not fair to make such statements about one size over the other because no one is the same. Again, I will state I am happy about this Barbie transformation but I am happy because it shows me how the world is evolving and getting away from standards and allowing children to recognize the good in all types of people. I don’t think it has anything to do with the weight, I look beyond that and recognize the good that can come from being different. You should too.

Thank you for reading, share. comment, follow and like. 

Sincerely,

Your blogger Shay-lon Moss

So this is a large list and hopefully it will help the majority of you college students, as it has helped me. There is no excuses for why we can’t continue to stay fit and healthy, we just need to make time for it and do things that mean the same thing as going to the gym, use your surroundings. Thanks for reading, please share, like and comment if you wish!

Sincerely,

Your blogger Shay-lon

So basically these next couple of days or post will be about getting you ready to lift weights. This post specifically will give you the proper form and techniques to lifting weights. I will probably list a a decent amount of exercise that require good form and technique. I don’t like skipping the important stuff and before I start posting about certain exercises more in depth, I need everyone ready to know how to do these exercises properly so that you can refrain from any injuries. I would also like to add that, I will cover running form/technique as well (not in this post) so be prepared for that as well. Tons to talk about. I think most of you might leave overwhelmed, but I am an open book & you can ask me questions about these topics &  I will answer them at the best of my ability. Pictures speak louder than words and pretty soon down the road I will post pictures of these particular exercises and the steps but until then, just bare with me and deal with the text or do some picture researching before hand.  To begin with, this particular post will cover ONLY form and technique of specific exercises dealing with weights and will not cover spotting (that will be for another blog post); so keep this in mind as you read.   Following these procedures are highly recommended and while I am not there to stop you from continuing down the path of “wrong”, I would just like to say it would be in your best interest to follow these steps.

Now before I begin this, I want everyone to know, there are many different exercises out there dealing with weights, so excuse me if I don’t hit all 4893759759272572952 of them, but if there is one that I don’t list, PLEASE CONTACT ME & I will add it with no problem. Weight lifting is a very important aspect to working out, not only is it about strength but it is for endurance purposes too, so if you are new to this part of fitness, these rules will help you get started. 

The barbell back squat:

Bench press:

1. Getting under the bar: make the 5 contacts (both feet on floor, back on the bench, both shoulders on the bench and head on the bench) very important because it will help keep your base of support strong. 
2. Foot position: Neutral foot position for beginners and general public. If you compete you may have to do the “feet back” but everyone else focus on neutral which means flat on the ground. 
3. Hand position and gripping the bar: There are three different kinds (neutral, narrow and wide) and they all are very good, especially if you need to work on certain muscles. It’s a good idea as a beginner to start with the neutral hand grip and get used to that before moving on to the other two types. The knuckles should be placed behind the bar not under it, pull your shoulder blades together & down, act as if you are trying to rip the bar apart, engage your core, glutes and quads by squeezing these muscles. It is a good idea to practice these steps with an empty bar for starters until you get the hang of it. 
4. Unracking the bar: Use your back and lat muscles to push the bar off the rack without pushing the shoulders forward (because it will make it harder to get back into position if you push your shoulders forward)
5. Proper breathing: before lowering the bar, take a big breathe in and hold it. You can exhale when you at the very top of each rep. The more advanced athletes will exhale using pursed lips as they reach the very top. Breathing is very, very, very, very important!( reset breathe at the top, never at the bottom of a rep)
6. Stay tight and pull bar to your chest: Make sure to squeeze your butt, glutes, abs, back and lats. Do not allow your elbows to flare out or go perpendicular to your body ( keep elbows at a 45 degree angle), control the bar all the way down to your chest for proper mobility. Avoid popping your head off the bench. 
7. Drive the bar up with your whole body: Push up until you are locked into that position but keep shoulders from pushing forward. 
8. Eye focus: Keep your eyes focused on one point on the ceiling.

1. Starting position: start with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and toes pointing out slightly, squat down and grasp bar with a closed pronated grip. Hands should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart, outside knees with elbows fully extended. Place the bar 1 inch in front of your shins and over the balls of your feet.  Your back should be flat or slightly arched, chest held up and out, shoulder blades should be retracted.  keep your head in a neutral position ( in line with your vertical column), eyes focused straight ahead and inhale. 
2. First pull phase: Lift the bar from the floor by forcefully extending the hips and the knees as you exhale, the upper torso should maintain the same position. Do not bend the wrist or have your hips rise before the shoulders, keep elbows fully extended, with head in neutral position and shoulders over the bar.As the bar raises, keep it close to shins as much as possible
3. Transition/scoop phase: As the bar passes the knees, thrust your hips forward and slightly bend the knees to avoid locking them. thighs should be against the bar. keep the back flat or slightly arched, elbows fully extended and head is neutral. Hold your breathe until the next phase. 
4. Second pull phase:Inhale and forcefully and quickly extend your hips and knees and stand on your toes. Keep the bar as close to your body as possible. Back should be flat and elbows pointed out to the sides. Keep shoulders over the bar and arms straight. When the lower body joints are fully extended shrug the shoulders upward rapidly without letting the elbows flex. Exhale during this portion. As your shoulders reach their highest elevation, flex your elbows to begin pulling your body under the bar. Continue to pull the arms high and as long as possible. 
5. Catch phase: . After the lower body has fully extended and the bar reaches near maximal height, pull your body under the bar and rotate the arms around and under the bar.Simultaneously, flex the hips and knees into a quarter squat position.Once the arms are under the bar, inhale and then lift your elbows to position the upper arms parallel to the floor. Rack the bar across the front of your collar bones and front shoulder muscles.Catch the bar with an erect and tight torso, a neutral head position and flat feet. Exhale during this movement Stand up by extending the hips and knees to a fully erect position
6. Downward movement phase: Lower the bar by gradually reducing the muscular tension of the arms to allow a controlled descent of the bar to the thighs. Inhale during this movement.Simultaneously flex the hips and knees to cushion the impact of the bar on the thighs.Squat down with the elbows fully extended until the bar touches the floor.Start over at Phase 1 and repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Bicep curl:

You can do this exercise sitting down or standing up.

One arm dumbbell row:

1. Choose a flat bench and place a dumbbell on each side of it.
2. Place the right leg on top of the end of the bench, bend your torso forward from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, and place your right hand on the other end of the bench for support.
3. Use the left hand to pick up the dumbbell on the floor and hold the weight while keeping your lower back straight. The palm of the hand should be facing your torso. This will be your starting position
4. Pull the resistance straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side and keeping the torso stationary. Breathe out as you perform this step. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. Also, make sure that the force is performed with the back muscles and not the arms. Finally, the upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work except for holding the dumbbell; therefore do not try to pull the dumbbell up using the forearms.
5. Lower the resistance straight down to the starting position. Breathe in as you perform this step
6. Repeat the movement for the specified amount of repetitions.
7. Switch sides and repeat again with the other arm

Thank you for reading, please comment, like, follow, and share. 

Sincerely, 

Your blogger Shay-lon