I just returned home from Bangkok, Thailand. I was there to research some health treatments. Whilst I was there I met two people that really made me stop and think about life…
The first was a massage lady. I visited a massage spa near my apartment and was amazed to learn that a 2 hour massage was just $8.25
I started talking to the lady who was massaging me – asking her about her life and if she had kids, family nearby, what her hopes for the future were etc
She told me she was 30 years old and had 3 kids – all girls – 5 year old twins and a 6 year old.
She showed me pictures of her girls on her cell phone. Really cute looking kids. Then she started to tell me her story. her husband had left her for another woman and her kids lived with her Mom and Dad – about 3 days away by bus.
She lowered her head and her voice fell to just a whisper as she told me how much she missed her girls. "I get to see them once a year. I miss them so much!"
I asked her how much she earned. "About Baht 8.000 a month" (about $232) She works 12 hours a day 6 days a week.
Can you imagine how hard her life must be? She then shared her dream with me… "My dream is to marry a farang (Westerner). I asked why she wanted a Westerner and she told me. "Because western guys are kind and he probably wont beat me and will love my kids"
Did I mention that this woman (Like most Thai ladies) was stunningly beautiful? In Australia or America she would be beating guys off with a stick. I really hope she gets her dream one day!
The second person was a young street kid that I almost trod on as she lay sleeping on a busy Bangkok sidewalk.
I looked at her and honestly thought: "This kid has not had a bath in 5 months"
It was a stinking hot day – the kind of heat that ONLY Thailand can create and there she was – fast asleep on the footpath.
I wanted to help but I only had a few hundred Baht in my pockets so I walked to a local foodstand and bought her some noodles.
I wish you could have seen her face as I gently shook her arm to wake her up and give her the food. Just for amoment, a fleeting moment, she looked like such an innocent young girl and when it dawned on her that the food was for her, she beamed.
As I walked away a Thai friend explained to me that she was probably addicted to sniffing thinners. I asked them "If this girl wants to change her life. is there anyplace she can go to get help? even to wash and shower?"
"No"
"But surely there must be some government department that will hep her or some Charity?"
"No she is a beggar – why would anyone bother to help her?"
"But imagine if she did want to change her life – she would need clean clothes (Hers were rags) and to wash before she could even hope to get a job – surely someplace must exist here to hep her? Some people we can call?" "Maybie some Christians would help her but there are so few of them here"
By now my Thai friend thought I was completely bonkers as they asured me "Chris this is her life – she is a crazy girl only a silly person would want to go near her!"
As I sat in the train on the way back to my hotel the thought struck me how unfair it all seemed.Think about it – this kid seems doomed to remain a street kid – even if she wants to change. It also made me feel very thankful that I lie where I do – in a society that truly cares for the individual and that despite the current financial nightmare, truly does abound with possibility.
Finally, I'd like to offer a challenge to everyone reading these words: Go and find someone in need – greater need than you and help them. help them with wild abandon. A great teacher once said that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive – very true words.
Filed under Blog by on Oct 8th, 2008. 1 Comment. 
by Lani Muelrath, M.A., aka the Fitness DreamMaker
Let's face it, I love feeling fit and strong, and SuperSets are a powerful part of my workout routine for body shaping and – I'm finding – Fat Loss !
There's nothing like lithe strength (yes these two can go together!) to make you energetic and shapely at the same time. And the feeling of empowerment that comes with physical strength is not to be discounted.
And I love showing others the tools to get you there.
In last week's FitDream Ezine, I gave some specific pointers about how to play safe with weights by utilizing T-Tapp rehabilitative techniques. Now, I'm happy to share more about my own personal weight training workouts.
First, a little history. Several years ago, I worked out with weights pretty regularly. When I learned about T-Tapp, and the results of resistance training that I could achieve by using only the resistance of my own body with the initiation first of isometric contraction, I decided to give it a full-on shot to see what I could achieve with that. To say the least, I was surprised and delighted with the results AND that I now had something with which to travel so easily!
But frankly, I missed the feel of the weights. And now I enjoy BOTH! Actually, all 3: T-Tapp, Weight Training, and integration of T-Tapp techniques with weight training. NOTE: It is important to clarify that T-Tapp should NOT be done with weights – it is not designed to use more resistance than that which you can create with your own muscular contraction. However, you CAN apply T-Tapp alignment principles to weight training, which I presented recently in FitDream Ezine 2. I hope that this differentiation is clear.
Also, I wanted to build up some sports specific strength. While scuba diving last summer, I noticed those scuba tanks were a little more difficult to schlep around than I remembered. By the end of our two week trip, I had built up some good strength from heaving tanks into the truck – and it felt good! AND I wanted to be sure to keep that strength for our next upcoming trip.
So, when I returned from our trip in August, I pulled out my dumbells and resumed my favorite, most time-efficient and results-delivering type of weight workout: Supersets.
How Do Supersets Work?
Supersetting is easy to organize. Here's how I do it.
1) I select 6 exercises: 3 that focus on upper body, 3 that focus on lower body
2) I make sure that all exercises selected are compound in nature: that means they are not isolated muscle exercises.
So far so good! Now, here is the next part:
I combine 1 upper body compound exercise and one lower body compound exercise for each Superset. This will deliver up a total of 3 Supersets made up from the 6 different exercises. Are you with me? Let me clarify with an example:
Upper Body Compound Exercise: Push Ups
Lower Body Compound Exercise: Split Squat with Dumbbells
The Superset unfolds like this: I would do one set of pushups, immediately followed by one set of Split Squat with Dumbbells. Rest 20-30 seconds, and repeat. Twice. One Superset, done!
Then, I proceed to a second combination. Then a third.
Including my warmup, this is a 20 minute, total strength, body shaping, and renewal workout!
I then follow this with my Interval training, and the whole darn thing is done in less that 40 minutes. How do you like them apples?
Supersetting is something to be approached with excellent warm up, moderate weights as you get going, and full attention to proper exercise form. I was pleased and surprised at how rapidly I was able to increase the weights I was using, which told me I was building good muscle.
AND the fact that my strength went up while my weight stayed the same and my waist measurement went down, tells me that I was making optimal shifts in body composition.
And I'm counting on those scuba tanks being easier to schlep around come our next dive trip later this Fall!
P.S. If you are looking for something out there similar to Supersets as I practice and coach it, I recommend Turbulence Training. This is the best newest thing out there to organize Supersets into an easy-to-understand format.
Filed under Blog, Men's Health, Menopause, Motivation by on Oct 6th, 2008.
Hi Folks
I just returned from Thailand and China. I was OFFline the ENTIRE trip.
It was the longest time I have been away from the Internet in 9 years – quite an experience.
I felt like a fish out of water!
I am busy responding to about 300 emails but will be uploading LOTS of pics and info in the coming days!
Best Regards
Chris Bloor
Filed under Blog by on Sep 11th, 2008.
by Lani Muelrath, M.A., aka the Fitness DreamMaker
Let me ask you something.
What if you could find exercise that:
1) challenges your cardiovascular fitness (of course!)
2) builds muscle (anabolic activity)
3) invigorates and provides stress reduction at the same time
4) can be finished in 20 minutes 2-3 times per week.
Tada, it exists! And it’s right here at your fingertips and footprints. And it’s been here all along, it just got buried under all the “long, s-l-o-w” cardio information we’ve been presented with for the last few years.
The good news is, you needn’t do long, s-l-o-w to get the best benefits from cardio exercise, quite to the contrary! If you are willing to put a little more muscle and mind into the equation, you can slice your cardio time by huge chunks and come out ahead as well.
Interested? Here’s more….
What Exactly IS Interval Training?
Interval Training (IT) involves changing speed or resistance – and thus intensity – within the course of a cardiovascular workout. Thus, instead of a slow, long distance – or long, slow time – within your aerobic intensity aerobic training “zone”, you intersperse short, intense periods into otherwise more moderate minutes.
This approach – intermittent bouts of intensity systematically built in – works better for f*at loss and muscle building than long and slow does.
Bottom line, what I best like about IT is that it aligns beautifully with my preference for “short and to the point” fitness. Bang for your buck is essential with my busy life, and IT fits the bill.
AND (there’s more!) IT creates a huge afterburn effect, in terms of elevated metabolic advantage. I’m talking for HOURS after the exercise itself…not to mention that which comes along with the added muscle from this type of exercise. Now THAT is what I call great ROI! (return on investment!)
Simply put, the easiest way to do interval training is to start off at a good pace for about 5 minutes. A variety of modalities can be utilized: stationary bicycle, eliptical trainer, jogging/walking, for example.
Then, you pick up the intensity and go hard and as fast for a minute and then bring it back down for a minute or two – however long it takes for you to recover enough to do it again. Then you repeat the process for a total of only 15-20 minutes, including warmup and cool down. It is advisable to start with one interval a session, then progress to two, and so on.
The intervals can feel more intense than you might imagine. Jack LaLanne refers to it as imagining “you are running for your life” -that’s tough stuff! And also not for the foolhardy who may have been out of condition for a long time. Doctor’s clearance is always recommended. (I always think it’s funny that a doctor’s clearance isn’t required for laying around on the couch for years at a time! )
Another way to practice interval training is simply to keep changing your speed and intensity level every two minutes or so – go up and down – challenge yourself…
…Read MORE about Interval Training and Part 2 of this article here
Filed under ADD & ADHD, Blog, Men's Health, Menopause, Motivation, Weight Loss by on Sep 7th, 2008.
by Lani Muelrath M.A., the Fitness Dream Maker
Need to get clear about planning a nutritious eating plan? There is some breakthrough software that completely simplifies the process for you!
We know – or we SHOULD all know by now – that we build our health – and dig our graves – with our eating utensils. As a holistic fitness coach, I find that my clients come to me with a broad spectrum of understanding regarding what does constitute a healthy and balanced diet.
At the same time, they can have been so inundated with conflicting information that they don't know where to begin – so they just throw up their hands (and forks!) and eat what I call "chaotically".
And more often than not, chaotic eating delivers chaotic results.
I have just reviewed some very simple software that is designed for in-home (as well as professional) use. Meal Plans 101 is easily down loadable upon purchase or can be bought as a hard copy CD as well.
Here's how it works, once you've down loaded the software.
1) Enter your personal data: height, weight, weight goals (lose, maintain, or gain?)
2) Select what ratio of macro nutrients to which you wish to aspire with your dietary balance
3) Select from the food lists provided desired options for each exchange. In other words, you are building a daily balanced diet from foods that YOU like!
4) Click "enter", and a printable page with your day's selection and appropriate quantities to your weight goals is produced.
There you have it! You can also go in and change preferences at any time, if your goals need adjusting. It thus becomes an organic tool that grows with you as your weight loss, health, and dietary needs change. Simple!
For anyone who desires to get back on track with balanced structure to their eating day, this may be just the ticket. This provides convenience and support for anyone considering improving their dietary intake – whether for weight, allergy, or preventative diabetes, for example.
Lots more details – and easy online ordering – at Meal Plans 101.
Claim your FR*EE "7 Surefire Solutions for Fitness, Energy, and Weight Loss That LASTS!" Special Report AND weekly Lani's FitDream eZine, with fitness info, insights, motivation, and inspiration!
Filed under Allergies, Blog, Diabetes, Healthy Foods, Men's Health, Menopause, Motivation, Weight Loss by on Aug 19th, 2008.
