Where are our Priorities At?

As you all know I do not like to touch on political/societal issues as I really want to keep this blog focused on life and living it the best with the most fulfillment that we all can.

I just read a story that made me want to vomit and I felt compelled to share it all.

I will include a link to the article below, but I have to warn you, it is hard to read.  I will provide a brief summary for those of you who do not think you can stomach the full article.

Essentially this Dr. named Kermit Gosnell has been operating an abortion clinic in Pennsylvania since 1979.  Pennsylvania law prohibits abortions past 24 weeks.  Dr. Gosnell's practice focused on performing illegal abortions, ones past the 24 week mark. 

The way he performed these abortions was that he would give the women medication to induce labor.  Once the baby was born he would cut their spinal cords in half with scissors. 

His primary clientele were women who were very poor and often minorities.

It is believed that he performed 100's of abortions this way.  At least two women died while being treated at his clinic.

His staff was untrained.  He had a 15 year old high school student performing work that only a licensed medical professional with years of training should do.

Many women who came to his clinic were infected with diseases from Dr. Gosnell reusing unsanitary equipment.

The list of atrocities goes on and on

If you would like to read the entire article I read, click here.  Again I must warn you it is very very hard to read.

Throughout all this going on for the last 30+ years, reports were filed, complaints were made, and yet nothing was done to shut this down!  Dr. Gosnell should have been in jail years ago, yet he was allowed to continue on doing what he was doing, and nothing was done!

Why?

My next question, how come we have not heard about this?  Why is this story not national news?  Why does our National Media put a higher weight on where Jay - Z and Beyonce choose to go on vacation than alerting the public that there are Dr. Gosnell's out there doing horrible things and encouraging us all to be vigilant?

My final question, what is our responsibility?  If the media is an industry and it supposedly gives us, the consumers, more of what we want to be informed about, does that mean we as a society have become so disconnected that Jay Z's vacation and the fight at the Dodgers baseball game has become so important to us that it allows the Dr. Gosnell's of the world to operate free from the public eye?

 Does it mean that we are failing in not putting enough pressure on our political leaders to stop bickering and focus on holding agencies accountable that should be put in place to stop the Dr. Gosnell's?  It seems with each passing day we become more ok with the fact that politicians fabricate, twist, embellish, and just plain out lie about the truth.  These are the people that represent us and we as a society are ok with that?

What can we as a society do to change to help ensure a case like Dr. Gosnell's never happens again? ( I guess I had one more question ;) )

I believe that we need to all step back and acknowledge the  power that each and every one of us posses - the power to change - the power to do good.

We posses weapons of change that we did not several years ago, mainly social media.  We live in a world where an unknown can become a household name over night after their video goes viral on Youtube.  We make this happen by passing on information, we have the power to spread information.  With this power, we can make hero's, we can right wrong's, and we can bring about change.

What ways can we use the power of social media to better hold ourselves, our elected leaders, and our media outlets accountable? 

How can we better be the change we wish to see in the world?

I would love to hear your thoughts, please share below.

Note this is a very sensitive topic please be respectful of everyone's thoughts and feelings.

Carpe Diem,

Jesse

Cross Fit vs. Bar Method

This is a great read from our guest blogger Katie Rudolph and explains two of the very popular exercise phenomena going on right now

CrossFit vs. Bar Method

After a workout I like to feel totally fatigued and sweaty….. like I just sweat out every ounce of my dinner from the night before. Maybe you prefer to feel loosened and refreshed? Whatever keeps you feeling fit and confident is the best route for you.

Lucky for us, exercise has crossed over into consumer culture territory and a multitude of “branded” workout regimens exist for our insatiable need for options. Some have their own aptly named facilities (how convenient!). CrossFit, Barre, Dailey Method, and P90X are all popular examples of such regimens. I’d like to explain a few for those who are curious.

I haven’t tried CrossFit, but have friends and family that are devotees and certified CrossFit trainers. My current exercise program is similar in that it’s high intensity, high repetition, and pushes you to anaerobic state (expelling EVERY ounce of energy possible). CrossFit was founded in 2000 and is actually a franchise, so the “CrossFit” name, certification program, and daily workouts can be purchased by trainers and gym owners. The workouts, or WOD’s (Workouts of the Day), can include a warm up, movement practice, the WOD, and a cool down. The WOD segment consists of intense movements with high repetition, meant to be performed as quickly as possible to completely exhaust the muscles being used. The movements are also meant to be functional, to help you move better in everyday life.

I have tried the Bar Method workout, and it’s a killer workout if you do it right. The Bar Method focuses on sculpting and reshaping muscles by alternating smaller, isolated movements with deep stretching. The original “Bar” workout was created by a ballet dancer who wished to combine her dance training with therapeutic movement meant to elongate and strengthen muscle with minimal impact on joints. Workouts are one hour long, and each muscle group in the body is worked during that time. The only weight used is your own body weight, and exercises are performed in the seated position or while standing at the ballet barre. You really have to pay attention to your body’s positioning and be aware of what each muscle is doing, even if you’re not using it directly.

One thing I’ve learned over years of working out at various intensities and with various trainers, is that there is no one-size-fits-all workout. Just because Johnny over there can run 3 miles once a week and still look awesome while eating Egg McMuffins daily doesn’t mean you can too. So naturally I’m curious, what sort of workout has gotten you the results you want?  Please share below.

Best,

Katie

Willpower and a Guest Blog

Hi everyone!

Today marks the start of what will hopefully be a new way that I can bring more value to all of your lives.

Today I am featuring our first ever guest blogger.  I hope that with bringing in new people from time to time it will greatly benefit you all.

Enough rambling from me, onto Katie our guest blogger

Hey All! My name is Katie, and starting today I’ll be doing some guest blogging for Jesse. I’m into all things healthy, am a total foodie and exercise fanatic, and stoked for the opportunity to share my thoughts with a like-minded community.


I can definitely relate to all of you who follow Jesse’s fitness and life coaching programs. In the past year I feel I’ve made (and seen!) multiple positive changes in my life. The daily routine was really getting to me, making me restless and distracted. Wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, work out, go home, eat dinner. Repeat, repeat, and REPEAT. Well THAT needed to change, and the beginning of 2013 served as a perfect wake up call/ clean slate for new resolutions. An attitude adjustment and refocused energy were the first orders of business. Like Jesse’s program promotes, I think the best and most lasting changes are made from the inside out. My nutrition and lifestyle were next. I’ve always been a social, active, and athletic person, but I was slowly losing steam. By being more conscious of what I put into my body and how it made me feel, and whose thoughts I let (and didn’t let) into my head, I began to feel happier and more motivated than ever.


I participate in a group boot camp program daily and sometimes twice a day (I’ll be the first to admit my exercise regimen isn’t typical). In this hour I’m surrounded with encouraging, healthy, and positive people. I’m lucky to call them friends now and lucky to have this daily positive reinforcement. It has helped keep my resolutions on track in a BIG way and helped me to create new goals for myself. Support systems, be it a friend, a Facebook group, or a Twitter follower, are ESSENTIAL to making real change. It’s all about accountability and knowing there are people who really care about your wellbeing. Exercise Accountability Group, people. Do it!


Fun side note: Did you know willpower is real? It’s not just an intangible idea we all talk about NOT having. Check out this article I found about willpower and accountability’s effect on making lasting changes in your life.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/sunday-review/new-years-resolutions-stick-when-willpower-is-reinforced.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


Has joining the Exercise Accountability Group affected your progress in creating a healthier and happier lifestyle?

Best,

Katie

The Talk Test

As I am writing this, it is a little less than 24 hours away until I open up the Fat Eradicating Challenge for you all to participate in!

I am so excited for you to try out this program.  Who is eligible you might ask?  Anyone who is tired of having the "spare tire" hang over their pants.  Anyone who feels self conscious in a bathing suit.  Anyone who wants to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol.  Anyone who wants to live a healthier happier life.  Anyone who wants to have more energy to play with their kids.  Essentially anyone who wants to and is committed to Eradicating their body fat is eligible for this program.

I have tested this program out with numerous clients and it works!  The details will come out in my newsletter tomorrow.  Make sure you don't miss out, click here to sign up to my newsletter.

One of the most common questions I hear in my Fitness life is, "Jesse, when I do cardio how fast/how hard am I supposed to train at?  What is the best heart rate for me to be at?"

My first answer is always, "well, it depends on your goals."

After that my second answer is always the following recommendation, "I personally believe the "Talk Test" is the best way to gauge workout intensity for the average person who wants to be healthy and reduce body fat." 

What is the "Talk Test?' 

The talk test is a simple test that requires no equipment to perform and is always accurate. 

You begin by doing your cardio training of choice: running, walking, exercise bike, etc...  and from there, you start talking.

If you can carry on an uninterrupted conversation where it does not sound like you are even breathing hard, then guess what - YOU need to up the intensity.

If on the other hand you are working so hard that you cannot utter a couple of coherent words, then you might want to consider slowing down just a tad, as this intensity is going to be very hard to sustain over a cardio session of 20 - 30 minutes

The sweet spot is when you are huffing and puffing, but can still get a few words out without feeling like you will pass out by talking.  You should be able to say hi, hello, and comment on the weather through heavy breathing.  If however you have enough wind to talk politics, you have slowed down to much and need to pick up the pace.

For a little more info about the talk test, check out this article from the CDC:  Talk Test Article

There you have it.  With your voice as your guide, you are on your way to maximizing your time at the gym and achieving the results you want and deserve!

Carpe Diem,

Jesse

Attitude Adjustment

“A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You can’t go anywhere ‘till you change it.” - Anonymous

I really like this quote, it rings true in so many ways. A bad attitude not only affects how you feel on the inside, it can also effect the choices you make, the effort you put into achieving your goals, the people around you, and who wants to BE around you It’s not pretty.

How many times have you been around someone whose constant complaining leaves you at a loss for what to say to them, even if it’s a close friend or family member? You listen, sympathize, make positive suggestions, but it’s sort of draining, and leaves you feeling a bit down, right? You might start looking for things to complain about (don’t do it!). We tend to mimic the communication styles of those we’re talking to because it makes us feel more connected.

Fact -- It’s important to surround yourself with POSITIVE, SUPPORTIVE people who will keep you accountable, motivated, and encouraged. We in turn have a responsibility to be positive for those around us. It’s a great feeling knowing that you brightened someone’s day :)

What is something you did in the past week/weekend to make someone’s day better?

Carpe Diem,

Jesse