Source: http://evolutiontucson.com/scaling-squats-and-ankles/

I have had lots of thoughts going through my head of late, especially with all the noise out there in the “fitness” world. I recently had a potential member come to our facility to inquire about our training and it inspired me to write about the following.

This woman had been training at another facility that is into the whole HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training) thing. As we were getting into our initial consultation, she said that she hated squats and that she didn’t want to do them. I asked her why and she said she hated squats because she had lots of difficulty doing them. She said her current trainer would have her just do them anyway because she “needed to squat”. After I looked at her technique it was clear to me why she hated squats so much: they looked painful, and were mechanically a mess. As my friend Dan John would say, “Squatting isn’t causing that pain, whatever you’re doing is causing that pain.” Meaning she wasn’t squatting, she was moving up and down with disregard for proper movement. This statement is not a judgement on this woman, she was just doing what her trainer told her. My issue is that I see this kind of thing happen all the time. She kept using the word ‘scale’, as in her trainer would ‘scale’ the squats for her and have her do different variations of the movement so she could complete the workout with a modified squat. Though squatting to a …

Source: http://www.sonima.com/meditation/body-scan-meditation/

Watch video on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zHaZJpLdBk

Relaxation is not all in the mind. It is a full-body experience as this mindfulness exercise will show you. In this guided meditation, Deepak Chopra invites you to lie down in Savasana with eyes closed and arms at your sides. Follow your breath and when ready, bring your awareness to your toes. Slowly, and at your own pace, mentally travel up your feet to your ankles, then calves, knees, upper legs, hands, abdomen, and so on. Continue to move your awareness upward to your heart and lungs, past your neck to reach the final destination: an awareness of every cell in your body at once. Consciousness of the whole body brings rest and a feeling of bliss throughout.

You Might Also Like

A Meditation for Beginners with Deepak Chopra

A Relaxing Meditation to Relieve Stress

A Meditation on Being…

Source: http://greatist.com/eat/healthy-breakfast-cup-recipes-to-fuel-your-mornings?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

If you’re a sucker for meals made in a mug, drool over muffin tin recipes, or are generally a fan of bite-size food, you’ll love these breakfast cup recipes. Simple, healthy, and totally transportable, they’ll make your mornings easier and tastier.

1. Breakfast Hash Brown Cups

Frozen hash browns bake into perfect “nests” for the eggs, veggies, and cheese in these individual mini meals. Throw a few in a tupperware box for a balanced, on-the-go option.

2. Fro-Yo Berry Bites

If you don’t have (or don’t like) coconut sugar, other natural sweeteners work just fine in these cool and crispy treats. They’re originally a dessert recipe, but with Greek yogurt, oats, strawberries, and almonds, they’ve got…

Source: http://clubindustry.com/nonprofits/idaho-ymca-chapter-probation-taking-steps-recover-financial-woes

YMCA Magic Valley board chairman Andy Barry outlined the chapter’s actions toward recovery in a statement issued to the local newspaper.

read more

…

Source: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/06/08/how-larry-beat-rheumatoid-arthritis-and-got-strong-as-hell/

Larry’s story put a MASSIVE smile on my face and I knew I had to share his story here with the whole Rebellion.

A year and a half ago, he woke up with such intense pain that he could barely get out of bed.

“The pain came on overnight and it was explosive and everywhere, I thought to myself that this was something that was probably serious and I should find out what is going on.”

6 months of doctors and insurance questions later, and Larry learned he had Rheumatoid Arthritis.

“Drugs ensued and changes happened to my body because of the disease and the medications that I was being prescribed. With the drugs the disease became manageable and I could start living in a world that was not consisting solely of pain and the feeling that I was made of glass and would break with the merest touch.”

This was Larry’s starting point, a point many can relate to: a health problem being the source of a rude awakening. Other than remodeling his house, Larry was living a practically sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle.

But – spoiler alert – things changed. Larry retook control; he lost an enormous amount of body fat and regained that weight as muscle. His body transformed over the course of the year, and eventually he defeated the very disease that served as his signal flare that something needed to change.

Here’s how he did it:

<p…

Source: http://greatist.com/move/indoor-cycling-the-most-common-mistakes?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

You already know how to set up your bike like a pro. Now it’s time to ride like one.

We asked Wil Ashley, cycling instructor and Equinox trainer, to reenact the mistakes he frequently spots in class. Bad form doesn’t just feel weird; it can lead to a sore lower back or extra-tense shoulders. Basically, you’re not doing your body any favors.

Below Ashley demonstrates those mistakes, plus the proper way to ride in the most common positions.

How to Ride Properly in Every Position

There are 3 main positions that most instructors will rotate through. The outline below should be used as a general guide, since variations do exist. Master each one to ace your next class.

Position 1

Place hands where the brakes would be on a regular bike (also known as the hoods), Ashley says. As another variation, you can place hands on the middle of the handlebars. Sit on the saddle and allow torso to hinge forward n…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/healthy-habits-tips-that-finally-made-habits-stick?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

“I’m just not a routine person.”
“I guess I’m just a free spirit.”
“But I don’t want to be boring!”

These were the excuses I made when I failed—yet again—to keep up a new habit. These were the things I’d tell myself when I thought about the things I wanted to do daily—journal, meditate, go to the gym—but never did.

I had an excuse for everything. I had a reason to control every failure. The road to success may be full of curves, but the path to failure is much easier to predict. And I like to stay in control.

Over the last few months, I went from not being able to be consistent with anything to genuinely doing the damn things I wanted to do. It wasn’t a matter of forcing myself, and it wasn’t a quick fix. It was a diligent, conscious, intentional, and vigilant process to bring about new, healthier habits into my life.

Bottoming Out

Late last year, I hit a breaking point. If I continued on the path I was on, I realized that in two, five, or 10 years I’d only have regrets, frustration, and a gnawing sense that I could have done better. I was tired of dreaming up goals and never achieving them.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

I hate to be stereotypical and quote Gandhi, but hear him out: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” The problem was that I was in disharmony with myself. I’d…

Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/06/08/hiking-lake-louise-in-banff-national-park/

Hello my friends! What a wonderful time we had exploring the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver over the past week and a half! As I mentioned, I have so many pictures from the trip that I’m going to break them up into a bunch of smaller posts (rather than doing just a few enormous recaps) featuring some of the main hikes or series of smaller nearby hikes in the different areas we visited. I’ll share the posts over the next few weeks, mixing in some of my normal lifestyle content too, for those who aren’t into the travel stuff! First up: hiking Lake Louise in Banff National Park.

(p.s. – Want to know our full itinerary in the case you’re interested in planning a trip too? Check it out: western Canada hiking trip itinerary. Also, our travel buddy Melli wrote a great post about some of our adventures: 10 Things to Do in Banff and Jasper National Parks.)

Matt and I spent the first 4 days of our trip hiking in Banff National Park, which is about an hour and a half drive from Calgary, where we flew in. We had heard Banff was gorgeous and the rumors were true – it was stunning.

If you ask anyone where to go in Banff National Pa…

Source: http://www.theptdc.com/2016/06/leveraging-new-info-fitness-convention-to-grow-your-business/

My continued personal development and professional education as a trainer are important to me, as I’m sure they are for you. One way I continue to develop my knowledge and skills is to attend conferences, conventions, and seminars–you know, places where some of the brightest minds share their knowledge for you to absorb like a sponge.

So I’d attend conferences and conventions, one after another, until I had stacks of legal pads full of notes and ideas. I thought I was making a solid investment, but there was a problem: I never did anything with them.

I missed out on opportunities to improve. I had all of these ideas, but having no follow-through was making me waste time and money.

Then I realized what was holding me back: It was a case of having too much information all at once, with no plan for putting knowledge into action. After all, there’s a difference between knowing something and actually doing it. So, I finally figured out a way to act on these ideas.

1. It starts at the educational venue.

Wherever you are–a conference, seminar, a class, whatever–take great notes by focusing on what really matters, as opposed to transcribing the presentation verbatim. Use keywords and short phrases written in your own words to improve efficiency.

…

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/08/481081074/copycake-when-food-art-ideas-get-swiped?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

The Oculus cake now being sold by the new caterer running the SFMOMA’s upstairs cafe. The cake was inspired by the distinctive tower at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It is similar in design and spirit to a cake prepared by Caitlin Freeman and her baking team for a museum event several years ago. (See below.)

Connor Radnovich/ Courtesy of The San Francisco Chronicle

Where do you draw the line between inspiration and straight-up imitation when it comes to food?

A few years ago, we brought you the story of Caitlin Freeman, a pastry chef baking innovative…