WHAT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT?

I created a brand new poll on the sidebar to the right, asking what kind of subject you'd most like to learn about. I'm thinking of creating a very detailed and specific "how to" series in the near future, but I'd first like to find out what you, the reader, are most interested about? There are currently four choices available:


1. MARTIAL ARTS
2. WEIGHT LIFTING
3. DIET
4. FLEXIBILITY


I can currently write about any of the four subjects above extensively, but I'd first like to know which one you're most interested in. I'm going to leave that poll active for a month from this writing, so take your time and think it over if you want to. If you also want to request a topic that's currently not on the list, please let me know by leaving a comment below!

HOW TO KEEP YOUR ENERGY LEVELS UP

Ever get down in the dumps and have a terrible energy crash in the middle of the afternoon and wonder why each day is regularly 24 hours long? I mean, how the heck can people stay up that long? There must be a mistake in the design of the universe! Well, instead of complaining about the metaphysical could-have-been’s in your head, why not instead take a look at the physical should-be’s in yourself:

1. QUIT COFFEE

What? Quit coffee? But that’s the only thing that’s actually keeping my energy levels up! Yeah .. about that. Caffeine – heavy drinks can be alright for some people as an easy pick-me-up at the start of the day, but when it wears off, it leaves (at least most people) with a terrible energy crash. Caffeine charges you up for hours on end about a half hour after consuming it, but then leaves you weak and lazy for almost the same amount of time. And, if you’re anything like me, it can cause annoying headaches during this period as well.

I actually bought into the whole “you need coffee to function” for a few years, but then wised up, and noticed that it was actually doing more harm than good. It can supercharge you for a while, but then it leaves you so devastated afterward, plus the fact that it can cause sleeplessness more often than not really doesn’t make a few hours of high energy activity worth it to me. Besides, I found that if you follow the rest of the tips in this article, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with those overpriced cups of hot liquid in the first place.

Oh, and yes, I realize that not all people get these sorts of reactions from drinking loads of caffeine. Good for them, but they should at least realize that caffeine is truly addicting, and that if they’re drinking too much on a regular basis, it could cause permanent damage to the digestive system. In that sense, I really don’t think coffee is all that worth it.

REQUIREMENTS TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT

Are you exercising all day and night and still feel look and feel like a weak, little kitten? Well, physical activity is definitely an important requirement to being physically fit, but it’s not the only requirement. If you’re constantly exercising but fail to see any noticeable results, then maybe it’s time to look at some other factors in your life:

1. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The human body is meant to move. It is not meant to just sit or lie around all day and be idle. If it used as such, its internal systems become weaker and weaker over time because of constant disuse. Muscles, bones, and so on become weaker and the body becomes more susceptible to various diseases.

2. PROPER NUTRITION 

Food is the fuel for the human body, and quality definitely counts. The better quality food, the better your body will react to it and the healthier it will become. Attaining a balanced amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats is key to healthy living. Feed the body junk and it will react accordingly. Attempt to stay from processed foods such as fast food and feed the body ingredients that are as natural as possible. Plenty of vegetables and good quality protein such as chicken breast and fish are what the body needs.

SCENTED CANDLES: RED DOOR REVIEW

Eating right and exercising regularly aren’t the only things required to live a healthy lifestyle. Proper rest and relaxation is also needed in order to ease your body of stress and recover from you workouts. This is what led me to look into the world of scented candles.

Now, I have to be completely honest in that I have very little knowledge on this specific subject. But the little that I have read indicates that scented candles (and other related products) can help you relax quicker and make you more at ease. With that in mind, I decided to try some of them out.

During one of my visits to the TriNoma Mall, I saw this quaint stall in the third floor called “Red Door” that specializes in scented candles. So, fine, I bit the bullet and bought one to try it out. I bought a large one in a container, which is about ten inches tall and has a three inch diameter. I chose the vanilla scent for the simple reason that I like the smell of vanilla. It cost me around Php400, I believe, but the lady said that I could refill the container when it runs out for only around Php200. She also said that if the candle were lit all day and night, that it would last for a solid two weeks.

Anyway, so I tried it out. The first day was pretty lovely. The scent would fill the room and leave me utterly satisfied of my purchase. I wouldn’t leave it on the entire day, though; just the times when I wanted the scent to be present.

HOW STREET FIGHTER CHANGED MY LIFE

Okay, I just bought Super Street Fighter IV, played a few matches to try it out and am really hyped over it! But, no, I’m not going to review it. I know that I really like to review stuff, but this isn’t a video game blog. What I will do is relate how the Street Fighter franchise relates to my personal views of fitness and well – being.

When I was a kid, I’d play pretty much only one type of video game: fighting. And most of the time, the Street Fighter franchise would, more often than not, fill my video gaming needs. What this instilled in me as a little boy is a sort of idol worship for the characters I played as. My favorite is, and always has been, the Ryu character. I’m not sure what it was about him, outside of the fact that he’s the male poster boy for the franchise and is the favored character of many players out there, but I believe it was because he always seemed the most human to me, and that made me relate to him more. Sure, he throws fireballs and flies vertically through the air, but he didn’t have green skin and fangs, or was bald, had an eye patch and stood nearly seven feet tall.

FIRST POST

Hello to you all,

I have been personally involved in physical fitness for more than ten years to the day. I started in high school when I was only seventeen and wanted to change the way my flabby and unattractive exterior was viewed. Social conditioning, I know, which had vanity and possibly selfishness at its core, but it actually did a lot of good for me.

I started working out at a gym which was only walking distance away. Oddly enough, the gym had opened just three or four months before I seriously made my decision to get in shape. I worked out there pretty much every day, doing basic body building things like babrell biceps curls and machine chess presses. I also became more and more conscious of my diet and substituted fruit for all the junk food I was eating. I have no idea how I did it before but I just quit flat out. Almost like a smoker does cold turkey. Suddenly any and all junk food really did look like their namesake: trash, with flies and all.