How To Improve Your Appearance — INSTANTLY!

How To Improve Your Appearance — INSTANTLY!

By Terrence Thomas

 

How do you do that, you ask? The fastest way to improve the way you look, feel and perform is to improve your posture. It’s that simple. Simple but not easy and here’s why.

Posture is the position in which your body looks, functions and feels its best. When you are in ideal posture, all of your muscles are working in harmony with each other. When you have poor posture, your muscles work against each other.  In poor posture, one group of muscles will become short and tight while another set of muscles will become long and weak.  You develop what are known as length-tension dysfunction within the muscles.

Since muscles are extremely metabolically active. They play a major role in your ability to burn fat by boosting metabolism as they generate heat. Muscles act like mini engines of the body. When you are in ideal posture, you can increase your metabolism because all of your muscles are turned on and working in balance and unison and being used properly.

Improving posture can also boost energy levels. Think about it. What is the energetic cost of moving around in poor posture versus moving around with good posture?  You will use less energy when you have good posture and therefore use energy more efficiently and not waste it.

Cosmetically. the fastest way to get your butt lifted, your stomach flattened, your chin more contoured; all of these things happen when you focus on good posture. Many of the reasons people undergo surgery stems from having poor posture over a long period of time.  If you maintain a poor posture long enough, you create permanent changes in the structure of your body. Muscle and skin begin to sag and things start to hurt. The faster you achieve good posture, the quicker you’ll be able to get on your road to physical excellence.

How To Steal Time For Exercise

How To Steal Time For Exercise

By Terrence Thomas

Here is a sure fire no excuses strategy to getting fit. If you have a busy schedule and find it difficult to carve out a specific amount of time to exercise, stealing sets during the day is your solution. This is how it works. Pick 1 or 2 exercises a day and simply perform 1 to 3 sets an hour.  It may not seem like you are doing much but over time you can make some very good gains in overall fitness. ###

 

Why Organic? Why Gluten-Free?

Why Organic? Why Gluten-Free?

By Terrence Thomas

 

First let’s tackle organic food.  We’ve discussed organic food before, but it goes without saying, there are multiple studies that prove – without a shadow of a doubt -that organic food has higher levels of nutrition than conventionally farmed food.

I won’t get into a huge debate about this because there’s a lot of politics and a lot of bureaucracy around organic food. It’s now a profitable industry and people are changing the standards that govern organic farming, but organic farming and organic food in its original and pure state have more and higher nutritional values than conventionally farmed food.

 

 The second thing you should consider with organic food is that it’s going to have a higher level of the secondary nutrients. Primary nutrients would be your proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.  Secondary nutrients are all of your phyto-nutrients, that is; the thousands of plant based plant chemicals that are in foods that give it their anti-cancer, immune building and health building properties.

  In regards to organic meats and protein sources, you’re going to have fewer toxins in your body. A cow that has been raised strictly on grass and water and a plant based diet without it being injected with hormones and antibiotics and synthetic chemicals, is going to be a healthier animal.  Obviously if you’re eating a healthier animal you’re going to be healthier as well. Eating organic food is also better for the environment.  If you’re not spraying pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and giving the animals hormones and antibiotics, it’s going to be less stress on the environment. You’re not going to have any toxic run-off in the water, you’re not going to pollute the environment and the ozone with toxic chemicals, which in turn puts humanity in a better position to achieve optimal health.

Aside from these very tangible reasons for eating organic,  it tastes better, it more flavorful and it stay fresh longer.  It may be a little bit more expensive but you get what you pay for in terms of quality!

Now let’s talk about gluten. Some experts believe that 60% of white skinned people and 40% of people with colored skin are intolerant to gluten. What is gluten?  Gluten is a protein molecule, not only found in wheat, but also in rye and barley.  Gluten has been connected to everything from chronic inflammation, irritable bowel, Crohn’s Disease, even issues with hormones and fertility in women.  So if you’re having any of these symptoms or just general body aches, weight gain or hormonal issues, it’s worth eliminating gluten from your diet for a month or so and see how you feel. A month gluten-free will give your body enough time to clear it out of your system and then when you reintroduce it, if the symptoms come back, you’ll know gluten is most likely the culprit. ####

Awaken, Thrive, and Conquer Your Way to Physical Excellence

Awaken, Thrive, and Conquer Your Way to Physical Excellence
By Terrence Thomas

Twenty three years of coaching exercise and physical performance has convinced me that to be your best a developmental approach to fitness, exercise and physical performance must be taken. I have created a 3 step system that follows the natural developmental process of human movement and performance. I call it Awaken, Thrive, Conquer (ATC )

These three steps are critical to building a body that not only looks good but also performs at a high level. Before you can achieve optimal physical strength and performance you must first be able to awaken the body.

Awakening the body means having all of the basic reflex patterns and abilities in tact. Many of these basic reflex patterns are developed early in life. I mean really early such and pre birth and during infancy. For various reasons, these fundamental reflex patterns can and often become dysfunctional. For most people a small glitch in one’s developmental reflexes will not be a major cause for concern. However during high performance situation such as in sports or combat, developmental deficits can and often does make a massive difference in safety and performance.

The purpose of “thrive” phase of the system is to bring all physical abilities back to baseline. After the body is awakened, it can now progress to moving and performing at a level that supports life. The thrive phase develops what are known as primal patterns and biomotor abilities. The system of primal patterns was developed by Paul Chek and the gist of it is that there are 7 movement patterns that human beings must be able to perform. They are Squat, lunge, bend, push pull, twist and gait. Gait consists of walking, jogging and flat out running /sprinting. These movements were they to being able to survive and thrive in the wild. The concept of bio-motor abilities was developed by sports scientist Tudor Bompa and they are (strength, speed, power , agility, endurance, coordination, balance, and flexibility).

The “Conquer” phase of the ATC system is your where all of the advanced methods of exercising and training fit in. This phase is only warranted after you have successfully awoken your body and are thriving. If you try to Conquer while your body is still asleep and not thriving, you will set yourself up for injury and frustration from a lack of progress.

By following this progression you lay yourself a solid foundation for achieving long lasting and sustainable health and fitness. You must first awaken the body and then bring it to a point where it can thrive and ultimately bring it to a conquering aspect where you’re able to execute high performance tasks without destroying the body. This is Physical Excellence at it’s finest. ###

How Your Body Thinks

How Your Body Thinks

By Terrence Thomas

 

Contrary to what you might think, our bodies are absolutely smarter than we are. The sooner we understand that we MUST listen to our bodies, rather than trying to outsmart it, the better off we’ll be. If you don’t believe this to be the case, then I encourage you to do an experiment.

 

Here’s what I want you to do. Hold your breath and see what happens. If you hold your breath long enough, your body will instinctively render you unconscious. In turn, you automatically begin breathing again.  This happens when the innate intelligence of the body takes over to insure survival.

 

The body works on a hierarchy of systems. In other words, the more important functions in the body will always govern and take precedence over less important functions. Think of it as a totem pole. Check practitioners and holistic lifestyle coaches, we are trained to view the body from this hierarchy perspective.

 

For example, breathing is at the top of the totem pole because we can only survive three minutes without oxygen. Therefore, any threat to oxygen intake has immediate precedence over all else. Lower back pain; hunger…neither is higher on the totem pole than breathing. As long as you are focusing on the hierarchy, or the highest priority aspect of your fitness, health and vitality, you will be doing what you need to do to accomplish your goals.

 

In every aspect of your health and fitness journey, there is always a hierarchy of need. At any given time, if you focus on the most important priority, your results are guaranteed.  This is easier said than done because many of the hierarchy systems are not the most exciting, fun or sexy things to focus on.

 

But remember, the road to achieving physical excellence is not just a development in your body. It’s a development in your character, mind and in your ability to be a whole person.

 

Focus on the hierarchy until that hierarchy is healthy and fully functional. Then move on to the next level and you will never go wrong. ###

Create More Success With Your Exercise Program

Create More Success With Your Exercise Program

Terrence Thomas

 

There are two goals that are so important to ANY and results oriented exercise program. Failure to meet these two objectives will result in the following happening 100% of the time.

 

1. Your efforts will be wasted and your results will be mediocre at best.

2. You are guaranteed to suffer an injury.

 

With that said if you DO address the following objectives in your exercise program, ANY result that you wish to achieve is almost guaranteed.

 

Fundamental Exercise Objective #1: Restore and Improve Body Mechanics (movement quality).

 

The health, strength and beauty of the human frame rely heavily on how it is used. Form follows function. Let me ask you this. What would happen to a Ferrari (a sports car) if you took it off road and drove it like a Jeep? It wouldn’t be a pretty site to say the least.  This example holds true with the human body. The more you move the body like it was designed to move, you will bring healing energy and strength into the body. Strength, body symmetry (i.e. the quality that makes for visually appealing and attractive physique), power, endurance and every other bio-motor ability can be developed when the body is trained to move correctly. One of the best ways to achieve this is to: 1. Know what your current physical capabilities are. Is your movement skill average, above average or below average? Knowing this will help you choose the ideal exercises for your physical training program.

 

Fundamental Exercise Objective #2: Improve Posture.

 

Paul Chek, founder of the CHEK Institute said the following in regards to posture;

 

“Posture is the position from which movement begins and ends. Ideal posture is that state of muscular and skeletal balance which protects the supporting structures of the body against injury or progressive deformity, irrespective of the attitude in which these structures are working or resting.”

 

This statement makes it crystal clear that if your exercise program is not improving posture then it is degrading posture. .  If your goal is to develop a strong and beautiful body, it’s important that you are training with proper exercise technique. Exercise technique and the improper use of the body is the #1 reason for most injuries associated with exercise.

 

The variable achieving the two foundational exercise goals is to have an assessment system that determines whether an exercise is going to be right for you.  Remember: technique first and intensity second.  Go ahead and practice. Consider your exercise program as a practice rather than a workout. If you approach it this way, your quality will improve and I guarantee you your results will come faster and you will have better health. There is less likelihood for injury and you will be able to stick with your program much longer because when you practice you’re achieving mastery and the subconscious mind likes to learn new things.  Bottom line: you will feel better about what you’re doing which will help you stick with your program longer. ###

Strengthen Your Immune System With Food Rotation

Strengthen Your Immune System With Food Rotation

By Terrence Thomas

 

Eighty to Eighty five percent (80-85%) of your immune capacity is in your digestive system.  In the body you have what is known as a mucosal barrier and it starts at your nose and mouth, runs down your windpipe and your esophagus and your stomach and finally through your intestines and out the back end.  Since 80% of that real estate is in your intentional tract, most of your immune system is in your digestive tract.

 

Due to stress, medical drugs, environmental toxins and poor nutrition, the mucosal barrier is highly compromised in most people. The mucosal barrier serves as your first line of defense for your immune system. If the mucosal barrier is compromised within the digestive tract, anything that is introduced into the digestive tract is seen as a foreign substance to the body.  When this happens you get what is known as an autoimmune response; meaning you can become intolerant to whatever is in the digestive tract.

Eating the same foods frequently while having a weak mucosal barrier is how most food intolerances are acquired. To combat this problem, rotate your foods. This will reduce the stress on the immune system and lower the chances of developing an intolerance to any one particular type of food. This applies strongly to proteins because your immune system is primarily protein driven. On day one you can do fish, day two you can have beef, the other day you can do chicken or game and continue on that type of rotation. You could even go as far as rotating vegetables as well, but I would probably start with proteins first and see how you feel.  This will go a long way in helping you balance out your immune system and calm down any autoimmune reactions or any type of inflammatory reactions that you may be having in your body.  Give it a try and see how it goes. ####

 

Playing Catch Up With Your Health Is A Bad Idea

Playing Catch Up With Your Health Is A Bad Idea

By Terrence Thomas

 

This goes back to the old saying; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As a holistic lifestyle coach, I am often presented with the challenges of helping clients  “play catch up” with their health, and unfortunately, this is one of the primary reasons people hire me.  They are looking for viable solutions to undo years of neglect to their health and vitality.

 

It’s my job to help them cultivate enough life force and energy to regain the quality of life they want. Consider this message a strong admonition to you that it is much easier to put a little bit of effort in over a long period of time rather than trying to play catch up – it just doesn’t work.

 

Things left unto themselves tend to move toward chaos, UNLESS there is energy used to maintain order. Your health, fitness, vitality and just about every aspect of your life is on exception.

Focusing on the foundational principals: water intake, getting enough sleep and eating quality food. These simple actions if done consistently make all the difference. Food for thought… ###

 

Improve Your Endurance In As Little As Five Minutes

Improve Your Endurance In As Little As Five Minutes

By Terrence Thomas

 

     Here are the cold hard facts. Any training technique that you use to boost endurance will be useless if one critical element is not in place.  It is the easiest, most obvious and the most overlooked aspect of endurance training. This very powerful method for boosting endurance is to improve your breathing mechanics.

     By optimizing your breathing pattern, you maximize your ability to bring oxygen into the body with each breath. Strong and efficient breathing will reduce your lactic acid build-up and you’ll be able to go longer, harder, faster.

The first step in improving breathing is to bring attention to the primary respiratory muscles. Your diaphragm and deep abdominal muscles are your primary respiratory muscles. If you watch an infant breathe, you’ll see they breathe perfectly. The belly is expanding as they inhale and flattening out as they exhale. They are showing you the ideal breath with should be about 70-80% use of the diaphragm and 20-30% of the accessory respiratory muscles. It is only in the presence of stress that this pattern gets reversed or “inverted”. An inverted breathing pattern is when the dominant muscles of respiration become the neck, chest and shoulder muscles. These are your accessory respiratory muscles, and if they become the primary breathing muscles, you are guaranteed to have health challenges at some point. Some of them include;

 

*Chronic Headaches

*Chronic Neck pain

*Increased likelihood of shoulder injury

*Lower back pain

*Constipation

*Chronic fatigue

*Poor posture, which will lead to multiple orthopedic injuries.

 

It is my experience has been that once the breathing pattern has been inverted, it does take considerable effort to correct the pattern. It is not impossible but it does take consistency to retrain the body into a correct breathing pattern.

 

Here are some quick tips to help you optimize breathing;

1. Do stretching exercises for the neck and chest muscles: This will allow the body to use the diaphragm easier.

2. Practice breathing through your diaphragm lying down. Doing this makes it easier to activate the diaphragm.

If you apply these techniques 10 to 15 minutes a day, set little reminders to focus on your breath during the day and do specific exercises to enhance breathing mechanics, you will be half-way home in terms of being able to boost your endurance. ###

Desire VS. Willpower

Desire Versus Willpower

By Terrence Thomas

 

Tony Schwartz in his book, The Power of Full Engagement, said a very clever thing. We all have an infinite capability of fooling ourselves, but our willpower is extremely limited.

 

 

I believe that it is important to understand the angle from which we are approaching our goal. Is the mental approach one of pushing away from something (i.e. resisting), or is it a mindset of reaching/striving to achieve your goal. Metaphorically, anytime we desire something we have a stronger drive to achieve it rather than trying to prevent or resist something.

 

There is an infinite amount of energy that we can put towards resisting something. For instance, if you are a smoker, it’s hard to really give up smoking, but if you focus on achieving optimal health and let THAT be the driving factor rather than resisting the urge to smoke, it becomes a different mindset and different energy to help you reach your goals. You are here to achieve physical excellence, NOT to prevent yourself from getting sick or fat or unattractive or whatever the results that you are resisting or pushing away from.

 

Think about what you’re reaching for, put your thoughts into that paradigm and watch your energy, your sustainability and your commitment increase. ###

 

 

 

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