Yesterday was the first day of SUMMER! June 20-21 is start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere but simultaneously the start of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. It's also the longest day of sunlight for places in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day for cities south of the equator. However, June 20-21 is not the day when the sun rises earliest in the morning nor when it sets latest at night. And, even though the Northern Hemisphere receives more sunlight than on any other day of the year, that doesn't mean the first day of summer is also the hottest day of summer. In fact, so far, it is the second day of  the year!! Today, it is 92 degrees. I'm inside. I went outside to check the temp. Yup, 92. I'm thinking about being at the pool.

And, since we are on the subject of the pool......is there any bodypart that is more impressive than seeing six-pack abs? I really don't think so. Carving up the abs is probably one of the most sought after goals of most fitness enthusiasts, and more probable, the most difficult to carve up! No matter how many ab crunches you do, or how many minutes you spend on the treadmill, there is nothing better for a well-defined midsection than proper nutrition. Remember, "YOU are what you eat!"

Friends are awesome!! I received these pics and I wanted to share them with all of you. I don't know the exact dates of the pics, but they are not too terribly old. These pics bring back some super duper memories. Thanks buddy!

Monday's.........ugh! Well, I guess they are not so bad. I thought since I like to do legs so well, I would hit them on the hardest day of the week.

I warmed up doing some leg extensions then went straight into walking lunges. I did 5 sets of 20 steps increasing in weight each set. I ended with 45# db's in my hands. I finished with 5 sets of leg press and 4 more sets of leg extensions alternating with lying leg curls.

I usually do cardio on one of the machines following my weight workout. My cardio is usually steady state training--meaning, I set the machine for 30 minutes and stay at the same pace the whole time. Today, I got a wild hair and did HIIT......High Intensity Interval Training. I was walking on the treadmill and this girl next to me asked if I wanted to do it with her. Of course, I took the challenge, not knowing what to expect.

Actually, I needed the change. I realize that I need to get after a different type of training for a while to burn some more fat. The reason that High Intensity Interval Training works better for fat loss is this: When you do a cardio session at the same pace the whole time, your body goes into what is called steady state. This means that your body has adjusted itself to the speed you are going and tries hard to conserve energy (calories). You will be able to avoid this and burn more calories and FAT by doing the interval training.

The easiest way to do HIIT is to start off at a good pace for 5 minutes. Then take up the intensity on the machine and go as hard and as fast as you possibly can for a 30 seconds and then bring it back down for a minute or two — however long it takes for you to recover enough to do it again. ANY cardio machine will work — I did the treadmill today and will probably do the elliptical trainer on Thursday.

If you are not up to killing yourself the first time out, you could simply keep changing your speed and intensity level every two minutes or so — go up and down — challenge yourself. This will "trick" your body into burning more calories since it does not achieve steady state.

HIIT it hard bloggers!!

Wednesday, Mittwoch, literally means middle of the week. It's the day between Tuesday and Thursday. It's also my day off from work--YAHOO! I worked the Memorial Day holiday. DoctorsNow West opened at 9am and after 23 people strolled through the door and 1pm arrived, I was outta there and home to enjoy the afternoon. What a fantabulous Memorial Day. I remember one Memorial Day about 12 years ago, it was only 40 degrees. I was home to see my dad and I made him take me up to Okoboji......just so I could say I was there on Memorial Day. Burr, it was cold on the dock! This year, a welcome 85 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!

So, I thought Tuesday, the day AFTER Memorial Day was going to be a little slower...not true...58 sick people needed the doctor. I was dead tired at 8pm, but it's all worth it if all 58 patients are feeling better today!

I haven't gone to the gym yet this morning. It's only 10:30, but I have to decide soon if I'm going to get in there. I really haven't taken a day off for a while, but I am also not feeling worn out. Maybe I will hit some quads today. That sounds good, eh? I might nail some calves while I am at it.

The training thought for today...Functional training. It's definitely the training trend the past few years. I am going to give you a twist to this hot button term. Many people believe that the most effective way to recruit the core stabilizing muscles is to execute "traditional" exercises on an unstable surface. However, physical activity is rarely performed with a stable load on an unstable surface.....usually the surface is stable and the external resistance is not. In other words, if you want your exercises to have the most real-world functionality, keep the surface (bench, floor, chair) stable, and the resistance, in the form of dumbbells, kettlebells, or even a less stable piece of equipment such as a water filled pipe or balance ball, unstable.

Until next time, enjoy your Mittwoch, and train hard and smart!

Following the end of the Civil War, many communities established a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. These observances came together around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days. Memorial Day was officially named on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, then commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were laid on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia. By 1890 Memorial Day was recognized by all of the northern states - the first observance was in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General Logan was probably a key factor in the holiday's acceptance. On June 28, 1968, the US Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their original dates t o a specified Monday to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays include Washington's Birthday, now celebrated as Presidents' Day; Veterans Day and Memorial Day.