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More and more people are using functional training, and some argue it’s the only way to train. The purpose of this article is to give people an understanding of what functional training is, and what it does and does not do.
According to the functional training “experts”, functional training uses bands, balls, free-weights, and plyometric exercises in an attempt to condition the body in an un-stable environment. My definition of High Intensity Training is: training to momentary muscular failure, with brief and infrequent workouts in which all variables are prescribed based on the individuals: goals, age, current fitness level, fiber types, personal preference, and past experience.
The purpose of strength training is to increase strength and lean body mass, NOT for training a specific skill or movement-that’s called practice!

In the past few years I’ve seen a huge transition in the fitness industry. More and more people are using functional training, and some argue it’s the only way to train. The purpose of this article is to give people an understanding of what functional training is, and what it does and does not do.
Lets look at what functional actually means.
Func.tion.al 1. capable of functioning or operating, 2. capable of serving the purpose for which it was intended (Webster’s Encyclopedia 2nd Edition, 1996).
Based on that definition, you can draw many conclusions as to what is functional. According to the functional training “experts”, functional training uses bands, balls, free-weights, and plyometric exercises in an attempt to condition the body in an un-stable environment. Many of the experts feel that performing exercises that mimic activities or specific skills is the most effective way to train, regardless of ones goal.
What is the safest, most effective and efficient way to optimize human performance?
Factors Affecting Human Performance.
In order to maximize human performance, you must have a good understanding of what affects performance. The factors that play the greatest role in performance are: Power (Strength and Speed), Agility (Flexibility/Mobility/Stability), Cardiovascular and Respiratory Conditioning, Sport Skill (Neuromuscular Coordination and Efficiency), and Genetic Potential.
Let’s take a look at each factor and determine which training methods are going to deliver optimal results. By optimal results, I mean the greatest amount of improvement, with the least amount of risk, and in the shortest amount of time.
Power.
Power= Force x Distance.
Time.
Power can be increased three ways.

1. Increase Force (Strength).
   In my opinion, High Intensity Strength Training is the most productive, safe, and time efficient approach available. My definition of High Intensity Training is: training to momentary muscular failure, with brief and infrequent workouts in which all variables are prescribed based on the individuals: goals, age, current fitness level, fiber types, personal preference, and past experience.
   The purpose of strength training is to increase strength and lean body mass, NOT for training a specific skill or movement-that’s called practice! Numerous studies have shown that the neurological transfer of skills is not optimal unless the skill is practiced EXACTLY as it is performed in competition. Focus on increasing strength and lean body mass, and practice your skill exactly as it is performed during competition.
2. Increase Speed.
   Increasing the speed at which a skill is performed is another great way to improve power. That does not mean that you can not improve speed by practicing the skill EXACTLY as it is performed in competition.
3. Increase Distance (flexibility/range of motions).
   Increasing flexibility is another way to improve power. By increasing flexibility, you increase the distance that force is applied which results in an increase in power.
   The safest and most effective method to increase flexibility is by performing a full range of motion exercises and incorporating a sound stretching routine.

Step II: The Plan
A 3-day a week commitment is great for beginners because excessive strength training can damage the body, particularly if you haven’t been active lately. This allows your body to recuperate from the stress and rigors of strength training. If you can’t spread out your workout sessions, focus on one muscle group during each session.

Step I: Setting Goals
Setting the goal of getting stronger and shaping your body is no different. The first step you must take is getting a notebook that you can dedicate to your new workout routine.

You’ll use this to track your progress which will also keep you motivated to continue your strength training routine.

Step III: Your First Workout
Your first workout ever is not going to be your “normal routine”. Next, you’re going to want to the amount of weight you can rep with every strength training exercise you plan to do. You’ll use this to track your progress which will also keep you motivated to continue your strength training routine.

Short Term Goals:
1: Bench press 150 lbs.
2: Keep my routine going for at least a month
3: Be able to do 50 pushups

This series covers the 3 most important aspects of setting up a strength training regimen, starting with basic aspects of a strength training routine like goal setting and planning to workout routines and exercise. This article deals with the first stage of a successful strength training routine, goals and a plan for reaching them.

Once you have your notebook dedicate the first page to all of your goals, this can be anything from getting in shape for a healthier lifestyle or getting strong enough beat up your brother. Reaching short term goals gives you that extra boost you’ll need to sustain a long term fitness routine and reach some of your bigger, longer term goals.

That ends the parts I in this series. Part II will detail specific strength training routines designed to achieve certain goals such as body definition and muscle building. Because it can mean the difference between exercising for a week and exercising for life, I hope you understand the importance of keeping a log of your fitness routine!

Reaching short term goals gives you that extra boost you’ll need to sustain a long term fitness routine and reach some of your bigger, longer term goals. Next, plan your workout routine. Starting off with a few pushups and crunches is also a great way to gear your body up for a tough weight training routine.

Long Term Goals:
1: Bench press 200 lbs.
2: Keep my routine going for 3 months
3: Do 100 pushups
4: Look good for prom

Next, plan your workout routine. Starting off with a few pushups and crunches is also a great way to gear your body up for a tough weight training routine.

Part II will detail specific strength training routines designed to achieve certain goals such as body definition and muscle building.

Now, get out your journal and set dates and times for your fitness sessions, be very specific and make sure you have enough to time warm up and cool down. Decide what muscle groups you’ll be working each day and design a workout routine specifically for yourself. This will prevent you from competing against Joe Blow next to you who has been regularly working out for the past 5 years and keep you on track to reach your goals.

A resistance band or even a whole set of them in different resistance levels, might cost $10-$20. A complete set of those types of weights costs hundreds of dollars.

Why is this type of exercise so good for losing weight? It’s good because you’re toning your muscles.

Any aerobic exercise will help your weight loss efforts. Don’t overlook strength training as an excellent exercise to help you lose weight.

Why is this type of exercise so good for losing weight? Aerobic activities and exercises are necessary to help you lose weight. Strength training, however you choose to do it, is also a very good exercise for weight loss.

Hold the band in place against your hip while you exercise on arm and then switch sides. Even just playing around with these bands helps you strength train. Almost any exercise you can do with the barbell or dumbbell set, you can do with resistance bands.

Aerobic activities and exercises are necessary to help you lose weight. Strength training, however you choose to do it, is also a very good exercise for weight loss.

And when you tone your muscles, you make them more efficient. Muscle tissue burns more fat and is more metabolically active than any other tissue in your body. The more toned muscle you have, the more fat you burn.

Resistance rings or bands are a wonderful tool for this type of exercise. You can wrap a band around your back, hold the ends of it, and push your fists forward.

In that case you will need to go to a gym or have a complete set of weights. Huge muscles require large amounts of weight and exhausting workouts.

Any aerobic exercise will help your weight loss efforts. Don’t overlook strength training as an excellent exercise to help you lose weight.

With resistance bands, you practically have a whole set of weights in one piece of equipment. While the band is set up to offer a certain amount of resistance, if you hold it in a different way you increase the resistance. By giving yourself very little slack, for instance, you can triple the resistance or double of the band.

Strength training might make you think of barbells and dumbbells and muscled men working out in gyms. Leg lifts or arm raises done with controlled muscle strength will help you lose weight.

The first barrier that one encounters while thinking of career change is- how did I get into a wrong career? Why should I change my career?

Before thinking of changing career, one needs to do analysis of life goals, and deciding about how the present career does not satisfy those goals. Only after deciding that something drastic needs to be done can one think about changing career. One has to develop emotional and mental strength to undergo these changes and emerge a winner again.

A career change needs a lot of mental preparation. If you have a family, that may get disrupted by your career change. It needs mental strength to change career.

A change of career shifts us from a comfort zone to a zone full of discomfort in the beginning. For a full-time production engineer, a change to a career as human resources consultant may need a total about turn, back to school and learning new skills for the new job. I am talking about learning about a new career along with the old one and then shifting to the new career slowly.

I am talking about learning about a new career along with the old one and then shifting to the new career slowly. The first barrier that one encounters while thinking of career change is- how did I get into a wrong career? Before thinking of changing career, one needs to do analysis of life goals, and deciding about how the present career does not satisfy those goals. Only after deciding that something drastic needs to be done can one think about changing career.

Things oftentimes seem so unfair on the surface. Others, who may have been born into a better situation may be blessed for some reason that we can not see upon first glance. It may seem unjust or unfair that they have been given more but, if we can remember that everything happens for a reason, we will be better equipped to turn to our own lives instead of pointing our fingers at others.

Still, you don’t need more than a positive attitude to be successful no matter what situation you were born into. You just need more perseverance and strength to maintain your positive attitude over the long term. The only difference is determination to remain positive and to overcome the negative things that have been placed in your way.

The words “success” and “positive attitude” should really be considered as synonyms. If you have success, for example, you will have a positive attitude and if you have a positive attitude, you will surely have success.

Positive mental attitude makes it possible for people to add the frosting to their cake of success and to enjoy even greater things than just “mere success”. For us, we must look at the place we are at and do everything we can to improve our attitude each and every day.

The words “success” and “positive attitude” should really be considered as synonyms. If you have success, for example, you will have a positive attitude and if you have a positive attitude, you will surely have success. Actually, what they fail to recognize is that they are extremely lucky to have a positive mental attitude and this attitude they possess is actually the real reason why their lives are so good most of the time. Positive mental attitude makes it possible for people to add the frosting to their cake of success and to enjoy even greater things than just “mere success”. A positive mental attitude can indeed bring success to everyone but it requires strength and perseverance in many cases.

A positive mental attitude can indeed bring success to everyone but it requires strength and perseverance in many cases. Next time you think that attitude isn’t enough, think again.

Some people may argue that they have often held a positive mental attitude in the past but things didn’t work out for them. They now feel that positive attitude isn’t always enough to bring you to success in life.

Successful people feel good and they sometimes take their positive mental attitude as a “given”, often wondering why more people don’t feel the same way as they do. Actually, what they fail to recognize is that they are extremely lucky to have a positive mental attitude and this attitude they possess is actually the real reason why their lives are so good most of the time. If they decide they want more from their lives, they are in a good position to try for more and to even achieve greater and greater things and it is their positive mental attitude that will make these extra things possible.

Virtually all sports have some dependence on maximal strength. It underpins performance in almost every sport. Sports such as football and rugby have an obvious need for a high level of maximal strength, but all sports from tennis to baseball rely on it to help improve performance.

Athletes use a variety of methods in strength training. Machine weights, free weights, dumbells, barbells, kettle balls, resistance bands are all useful and available tools in helping developing strength.

It has great benefits on the musculoskeletal system and can help treat and prevent back pain, knee, shoulder and ankle problems. Strengthening the muscles around a joint can help take the strain off joints. The knee is a great example, by strengthening the quadriceps and hamstring muscles you are taking some of the load off the joint.

Strength Training for the Elderly

Strength training can not only enhance athletic performance, it can also help prevent injury. Most sports involve large amounts of force being produced and also absorbed by the body. Strength training can prepare tendons, ligaments and muscles to cope this high level of force experienced during sport.

Strength training can involve unilateral exercises. These are basically exercises done on 1 leg, such as lunges, single leg squats, standing hip extension and abduction.
Strength Training for Athletes

Strength training can be beneficial for all age groups. It is a great form of exercise that can really improve quality of life and help fight off disease and injury.

Strength training is a great form of exercise for an elderly population. Strength training is beneficial in helping to prevent falls.

Strength training can be really beneficial to mental health. It is a good stress reliever. Throwing some metal around is a great way to unwind after a hard day at the office.

A good strength training program also ensures that proper balance is maintained between muscle groups. Correct balance between opposing muscle groups ensures good posture, which leads to efficient movement, as well as helping prevent injury.

Strength training is a great form of exercise for an elderly population. Strength training is beneficial in helping to prevent falls. Strength training can involve unilateral exercises. Strength training can not only enhance athletic performance, it can also help prevent injury. Strength training can prepare tendons, ligaments and muscles to cope this high level of force experienced during sport.

A lot of the health benefits you get from exercise in general can be derived through strength training. It decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and increases insulin sensitivity, to name a few.

Another of the best books on astrology that can teach you how to interpret real horoscopes is called Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope by Sue Tompkins. This book explains why newspaper and magazine horoscopes are rarely accurate for most people.

There are thousands of books available on astrology. Most of the books that you see while out on your daily errands are some of the worst books on astrology that you can waste your money on.

Using the information you gathered and the charts you created in the last book on astrology, you can use this next book to predict your future using astrology. This book is called Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark and is written by Bernadette Brady.

The best books on astrology are those that teach you how to plot your own astrological chart and readings. These books on astrology are the best way to learn how astrology affects your life and teach you how to apply that knowledge to better your life. Below you will find some of the best books on astrology.

These so-called books on astrology are often no more than horoscopes, based on nothing more than sun signs. Some of these books claim to help you with your relationships, while only providing sun sign information. Astrology actually encompasses many factors into your astrological readings, and the sun sign is one small factor of many.

The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk is a great place to start learning about astrology. This book gives you an overview of the various sun signs, as well as other factors such as the moon, your ascendant, and the houses. Additionally, this book on astrology provides extensive charts by birth date to help you create your own personal astrological chart and readings.

These books on astrology are the best way to learn how astrology affects your life and teach you how to apply that knowledge to better your life. Using the information you gathered and the charts you created in the last book on astrology, you can use this next book to predict your future using astrology. Another of the best books on astrology that can teach you how to interpret real horoscopes is called Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope by Sue Tompkins.

Most of the books that you see while out on your daily errands are some of the worst books on astrology that you can waste your money on.

You can take this information and apply it to your daily life using the book Financial Astrology by David Williams. This is one of the best books on astrology that actually explains how to use real astrological principles to better an area of your life. This book provides astrological data for past major financial events, as well as outlining how to use real astrological data to predict future financial opportunities and windfalls.

If, after reading the above books, you are still a little fuzzy as to what the various aspects of an astrological chart are and how they affect you, this is the book for you. The Complete Book of Astrology by Ada Aubin and June Rifkin provides the best explanations of sun signs, houses, planets, planetary movements, the moon, and other aspects of astrology that affect your life.

Greek astrology is often, and more properly, referred to as Hellenistic astrology. Hellenistic astrology also comprises Roman and byzantine astrology.

While Hellenistic astrology can’t be linked to any one individual or culture, it is the root of all modern, or Western astrology. There are numerous documents written in Greek, although some are written in Latin, that are devoted to natal astrology.

Greek astrology is often, and more properly, referred to as Hellenistic astrology. Hellenistic astrology also comprises Roman and byzantine astrology. While Hellenistic astrology can’t be linked to any one individual or culture, it is the root of all modern, or Western astrology.

That doesn’t mean that important Greek philosophers and scientists haven’t been part of the development of astrology. Pythagoras studied in Egypt, and while nothing in writing exists of Pythagoras’ theories, he is attributed with stating that the Earth, Planets and fixed stars revolved around the sun, thousands of years before Galileo!

Following Alexander’s conquest of Mesopotamia, Greek astrology began to take on a more personal approach. Greek astrology influences the metaphysical astrology of India.

Another way that you can find books on astrology is to visit a large book store such as Barnes and Noble. You will have a better chance of finding books on astrology in these book stores than in smaller book stores. You are more likely to find horoscope books than true astrology handbooks on these shelves.

The best way to find books on astrology is to visit a New Age or occult shop. When you visit these types of stores you will have two advantages to finding the books on astrology that you need.

While you can find lots of books on astrology at Amazon.com, it is best to visit websites of e-commerce New Age book stores. Amazon.com will list hundreds of books on astrology, but not all of them are helpful or realistic.

The other advantage to buying used books on astrology is that they are significantly less expensive. The best books on astrology are rather large and can often cost around fifty dollars or more. When you buy these same books used you can often save as much as thirty or forty dollars.

The attendant at the New Age or occult shop can easily point out books for the beginner, books for the avid astrologist, or books for those interested only in astrological concepts. Doing a search for New Age books on astrology can bring up many online book stores. While you can find lots of books on astrology at Amazon.com, it is best to visit websites of e-commerce New Age book stores. Another way that you can find books on astrology is to visit a large book store such as Barnes and Noble. You will have a better chance of finding books on astrology in these book stores than in smaller book stores.

Many books containing horoscopes and the like are readily found. You see them in supermarket checkout lanes and on the shelves of bookstores. The best books on astrology, those that actually explain all aspects of the art and how to apply them to your life, are harder to find.

This is not to say that you can not find real books on astrology at Amazon. There are many great books available on the website. If you are not sure what you are looking for it can be difficult to determine the best books on astrology from the mere entertainment.

There can be a couple of advantages to buying books on astrology from websites such as Amazon.com and EBay. Sometimes you can find used books on these websites that contain extensive notes from experienced astrologers. These notes can often be extremely helpful in filling and learning the art in the blanks left by most books on astrology.

The second advantage is that you will have someone to help you find the books on astrology that are best for you. The attendant at the New Age or occult shop can easily point out books for the beginner, books for the avid astrologist, or books for those interested only in astrological concepts. Since books on astrology can be expensive, it is nice to know that you are leaving the store with exactly what you came for.

, if you do not have a New Age or occult shop in your area you can find books on astrology on the internet.. Doing a search for New Age books on astrology can bring up many online book stores. You can email the store owner or help desk for information if you are unsure what you are looking for.

Next, try to get a small ring either from your pocket or one from your audience. As you hold the string by the other end, light up the thread starting from the ring end.

The Magic Cup
Show your audience an ordinary cup that you have filled with ice cubes. Tell your audience that you will attempt to make water vanish inside the magic cup.

The secret to this cool magic trick is that you make use of a cup or glass that your audience can’t see through. Now try to fit in a piece of sponge at the bottom of the cup and make sure that it fits securely even if you turn the cup upside down.

Cool magic tricks need not be too complicated in order to delight audiences. Some magic tricks also depend on how the performer goes through the motions in order to be successful. The secret to this cool magic trick is that you make use of a cup or glass that your audience can’t see through. Here is a magic trick that can be as easy as any trick can get. Here is another cool magic trick that you can try out.

Floating Ring Trick
Here is another cool magic trick that you can try out. Mix lots and lots of salt into a small amount of water to make a really, really thick salt mixture.

The Vanishing Coin
Here is a magic trick that can be as easy as any trick can get. All you need is a table, an audience and a coin. As you sit at one corner of the table, place a coin on top of it and try to get the attention of your friends by pointing on the coin.

Cool magic tricks need not be too complicated in order to delight audiences. Some magic tricks also depend on how the performer goes through the motions in order to be successful.

As you get to the edge of the table, put your thumb together with your middle finger, acting as if you are picking up the coin. The coin has mysteriously vanished!