Defense Against The Headlock

Here's a quick defense tip. Be you male or female at some point, no doubt through no fault of your own, you may find yourself in a headlock. Here is what it is: The basic headlock applier (if right handed) will wrap their right hand around your neck and bend you forward. Their right fist will be under your chin and their left hand will grab their right wrist to secure the 'lock'. Now then, before long they will notice that this hold won't choke you out (cause you to fall asleep and snore on the pavement).

In frustration or anger they will then attempt to punch you in the face with their left fist...much like any self respecting hockey player might do. They may also tilt your head up hoping to feed the fist to your pretty face. First of all; DON'T PANIC. Okay, now then, take your right hand and attempt to block two of his punches. It doesn't matter if you actually block the punches it's more about the 'head-locker' focusing on your blocks. Keep that chin of yours tucked as well. After two blocks make your right hand into a fist and give the attacker two quick and very firm punches to his groin. If either one connects you shall be free to run away, taunt or shout, "shame on you, you side-winding head-locking assailant!" Mission accomplished!

Remember, good people don't start trouble but they do defend for good, not evil!

Goals...think outside of the box

How many of you out there have say, set a New Year's resolution to lose 20lbs? You join a gym, work out for six weeks and 'dang it' the scale tells you you're a quiet 17 lbs. shy of your mark. Or you're a bridesmaid 10 weeks out from the big day and you just found out that not even Gabrielle Reece could rock the hideous form fitting taffeta on a low carb day. So, you plan on running three days a week and doing 100 crunches a day until that extra 25 lbs is gone...only to find that the night before the bridal shower, (that you didn't want to attend) you've only lost 7 lbs.

How about we go bigger. How about we set a goal outside of the usual weight loss box. One that's outside of our comfort zone. For example, why not choose a specific activity such as 'I'm going to do a marathon' or 'I'm going to do a biathlon in six months'. Or 'I'm going to get my yellow belt in tai kwon do.' Sound ominous, daunting and not to mention scary? Wait, don't go anywhere. Bear with me. Ninety per cent of us want to lose weight, firm up and look good. That is the end result- goal, let's say. If you take on an 'outside the box' goal as mentioned above there is a greater benefit. These goals take extreme focus.They take dedication and commitment. So, right there you are using mind power (as opposed to six months on a treadmill to nowhere which takes limited cerebral activity). Mind and body working together; how Eastern of you!

Next, this goal will take research. What sort of diet do marathon runners eat? How much protein per day? How many carbs? Do I run 3 days per week or every day? This research falls under the aforementioned commitment and focus. During this training period you will undergo a mini lifestyle change. Do ya see where I'm headin' here folks?

Lifestyle change is perhaps the hugest key of all. (Hugest sounds like a word Donald Trump would use). You've trained for 8 months, changed your eating habits, run until you're blue in the face (not literally I hope) gone through two pairs of shoes, driven everyone crazy with your talk of runner's high and finally...completed the race. Voila! You've achieved the BIG goal! You did it! Oh and look, your body looks great. You not only feel great but you're also full of pride. And now the new disciplined you can train for another marathon or take your new true grit and knock down the next goal; climbing mount Everest...or whatever.

The 'out of the box' goal calls for motivation and keeps one motivated. Challenge yourself. Do the tangible thing that pushes you and gets you that rockin' physique in the process. Some of you readers I've met and some I haven't but I believe in all of you. So set the BIG goal and go get it like a big dog!

Push Up Challenge

Many people struggle with push ups. Many of my young athletic clients have trouble with the push up because it's new to them. All thanks to schools cutting back on proper phys ed. classes. At the same time many adults struggle with the push up because they either haven't done them in a while or they're carrying a little more body weight than they would like. Ladies, don't for one second think that its an easy exercise for all men either. I've seen many a dude huffin' and a puffin' by their eighth rep.

So what is it about this simple woman vs. gravity exercise. First of all it's a great exercise that requires no equipment. It also works the chest, triceps, shoulders, core and back. You're probably thinking 'Wow! Do you mean I don't need to climb into a machine that looks like a space ship which requires two spotters and medical insurance?' You got it Pontiac! You may also be thinking 'ah shucks, a push up is for those guys in the military circa early 1980's'...Officer and a gentleman type stuff' No way, the push up is back so you might as well get down (literally) with it.

But where was the illustrious push up? Why did it nearly go the way of the dodo bird? Well, let's see. In the 1980's Jane Fonda and the aerobic video crowd took the world by storm. Along with it came Richard Simmons, who certainly deserves his props, but these folk were more about cardio, step aerobics, then jazzercise and spandex. Soon came the nautilus machine which endorsers claimed was better than free weights and everything else before it...including the man made push up. But thanks to trainers like Tony Horton (p90x creator), Bill Phillips, Cathe Friedrich and many others the basic push up is back. Naturally when a new flavor is in town a gimmick must accompany. I'm referring to the 'perfect push up'-an apparatus that causes the wrists to rotate during the push up. Gimmick or no, I'm just happy that the basic push up is back!

I have a client, whom I shall call Miriam. One afternoon at work she uttered to a co-worker that she could do ten real push ups, not the ones from her knees. Another co-worker, a former marine (although they're never really former) challenged her to a contest. They decided that in a month's time he would do 100 push ups and she would do 25. When she asked me if I thought she could do it I said, "tell him it's on!!!" In conjunction with her regular work outs we worked on bench press, push ups from knees, slow push ups, isolated push ups and more. It was a blast. Well, for me it was at least.

The fateful day arrived. I waited impatiently by my iphone all day. Finally a call came in. The screen said Miriam. "Hello," I said with pounding heart.

"I won! I did 30. I did 30 f-ing push ups and he only did 60!" I was over the moon with pride. I put the phone down, did a cartwheel and came back to the phone. "That's awesome!" I yelled. Miriam ended up winning a very nice bottle of wine...which she insisted on sharing with my wife and me. And who was I to disappoint.