Another week to get better....

Another week is upon us. We have opportunities everyday to improve and get better. Do not settle with just ordinary. Always strive to reach your fullest capabilities. There is no limit on what you can accomplish. When you achieve a goal, set higher goals and go out and achieve them. You have the power to do anything you want.

This weekend was another triathlon. Overall, this was my 18th triathlon. And 11th in the last 2 years. I participated in the San Luis Obispo Sprint Triathlon. It was a great race. I competed with twelve members from the Visalia Triathlon Club. It was great seeing everyone on the course. We represented and got Visalia on the map in the sport of triathlon.

Two years ago, when I completed in this event for the first time, my time was 1 hour 37 minutes. Sunday, my time was 1 hour 17 minutes. Good enough for 9th overall and 1st in my age group. It is pretty cool to see how much I have improved in this tough sport. I know I have a long way to go, but I will continue to work my butt off. I am excited to get better and I am excited to see how far I can go with this sport. With a determined attitude, who knows what I can do.

I thank the "man upstairs" for the people He has surrounded me with and the skills and traits He has blessed me with. I will contine to use my skills and traits to motivate and inspire everyone around me!

Let's all continue to be positive and motivate others so that we make this world a better place to live. It is our job to inspire and drive others to be their best.

LIVE LIFE!

Training for Life

Training for Life
By: Justin Levine, Owner and Head Trainer of
California Fitness Academy

What are you training for? Is it a specific sport or are you trying to shed off those last ten pounds? Whatever your goals are, in order to accomplish them you need to make your health a priority. You will not achieve the goals you set out for if you do not live a healthy life day in and day out.
Here are 5 ideas you can put into your daily routine, starting now, to enhance the vitality of your Life. Implement them into your schedule and see your levels soar beyond what you imagined. You can do anything when you put your mind to it. You just have to put in the work. Do not MAKE EXCUSES and do not wait, DO IT NOW!

1. Wake up and eat breakfast every morning. You must wake up every morning and eat a good quality meal. In order to get your metabolism where we want it, eating first thing in the morning is crucial. You will speed up your metabolism, increase your lean body mass, burn unwanted body fat, and “wake” up the body. Do not let a morning pass without eating a good balanced breakfast.

2. Workout 4-6 days a week. Be consistent with your working out. Fitness is not fitness without the working out. You must stay cardiovascular fit, strong and healthy in order to feel good everyday. Just because you are going out of town, that is no reason to skip a workout. Do not make excuses. Working out will release endorphins, give you energy and you will feel good about yourself. It needs to be apart of your Life.

3. Don’t do diets! Diets are things you get on and get off. Learn how to eat healthy all the time. In the long run, diets do not work. You can get great results from a specific diet but when you get off you will lose everything you worked for. You must create a lifestyle to where you eat nutritious foods on a daily basis and it is just something you do automatically. Eating a healthy diet will keep your immune system strong, fight away infection, give you energy and keep you going all day long. Plus, it will aide in your recovery from your hard workouts.

4. Eat more protein. Most people do not eat enough protein to surplus their activity level. They are constantly in a catabolic state; meaning they are tearing lean muscle, storing body fat and decreasing metabolism. When you eat more protein you will stabilize your blood sugars, increase your lean muscle mass and increase your metabolism. After a grueling workout in the gym, your body is broken down and it is very important to eat quality proteins the rest of the day in order for your body to rebuild, recover and get stronger. Do not be afraid to drink a protein shake if you do not have time to cook or prepare a meal. Protein is a needed nutrient that you body needs everyday.




5. Be POSITIVE! Do not put yourself down. Always believe in yourself and have confidence. You will not accomplish your goals if you are constantly being negative and do not believe you can achieve your goals. Fitness is your Life. And if you continue to make it a priority you will see the long term benefits. Enjoy the adventure and continue to get better!

My first blog.

Life is such a precious and awesome thing we were given. We are able to make people happy, take care of our bodies and enjoy every single day to the fullest. Make sure to take advantage of every single day. We need to use what we were blessed with and change people's lives. Every day is an opportunity to live a better life. Whether you help a family member, a friend, or a plain stranger, do those things that make you feel good. Life is what we put in, each and everyday. If you wake up each morning with a negative aspect and do not believe in yourself, then you are not doing your part to live a positive life. Really try, every morning when you wake up, to live a positive and motivating life. One day at a time. If a barrier approaches you, then take it head on and find a way to get past it. You will be such a stronger person. Mentally, we all need to start thinking a bit more positively. This world is full of negative people and negative vibes, but we can change that. By being unique and different, we can make a change. Let's start doing good things, spread motivating thoughts, and see how much change we can make. We can either look at our lives empty or full. You need to make that choice. It doesn't matter about the size of your bank account, the prestige of your job, or how many people you know. What does matter is how many lives you can touch, and what kind of legacy you will leave behind. Remember, when we are no longer here, we do not take our money, clothes, shoes, and the rest of our materialistic objects with us. What we do take is our soul, our character, and our self of well being. Remember, everyday is a brand new day. Do not get frustrated with what happened yesterday or the day before or the week before. Go forward! Take one day at a time. Be positive. Motivate others. Inspire the people around you. Surround yourself with positivity and inspiration and watch your LIFE soar. You have more power than you think. Use those powers for good and it will come back twice fold. This is a test for myself and you. See what kind of person you are and what you will become. You can do so much with the right mindset. Just go for it and do not MAKE EXCUSES. MAKE IT HAPPEN! ENJOY!