Love and gratitude

Love and gratitude will dissolve all negativity in our lives, no matter what form it has taken. Love and gratitude can part seas, move mountains, and create miracles. And love and gratitude can dissolve any disease.

·         

Be thankful

Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, and the music will play.

negative thinking

You don't drown by falling in water, You drown by staying there...same goes for negative thinking!

control perception

If negativity is slowly creeping in... shake it off by having a good laugh. Always remember the basics... what you are thinking dictates your outlook today.

 

imagination

Whatever you create in your life you must first create in your imagination.

 

Top 10 tips for your ideal physique

1. Correct Supplementation

Top 3 economical supplements to seriously consider taking:

BCAA’s: Makes up 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins, it is shown to support recovery as well as help regulate blood sugars. Mix this as directed in your protein shakes or just in plain water.

ZMA: ZMA is a combination of the 2 minerals zinc and magnesium, and vitamin b6 is shown to raise strength levels, aid recovery and support immune system. ZMA is recommended prior to bed.

Whey & Casein Protein Powder: Whey protein is a very economical way to support muscle tissue with fast mixing amino acids: Recommended post workout with low dose of simple sugars.
Casein protein has a structure that is hard to break down by the body and thus time releases amino acids which is suitable for nighttime recovery.

2. Sleep including short power naps

Growth hormone gets released during sleep, which has a tremendous effect on muscle recovery. During the non-r.e.m deep sleep stage, your pituitary gland releases growth hormone that stimulates tissue growth and muscle recovery.
The minimum amount of sleep a bodybuilder should get is between 7-8 hours. The national sleep foundations sleep guidelines recommend seven to nine hours on average for adults.

3. Continuous change in your workout program

Lets face it, if you continue on following the same routine day in and day out, the results will hit a rut, it’s a given. So make sure to apply plateau breaking training techniques such as: Drop sets, negatives, partial reps, super slow reps etc.. Into your routine in order to keep the muscles guessing. Once your muscles adapt, the results will end!

4. Eat enough protein of different varieties

Make sure that you are consuming at least 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. So for a 200 lb. Male bodybuilder that would mean 300 - 400 grams a day. I do not recommend going under 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.

Also make sure to consume protein from a variety of sources such as: fish, turkey, chicken, flank steak, whey and casein shakes, casein from cottage cheese, egg whites, and mushrooms for example.

5. Stay motivated

Staying motivated to me comes at the top of the charts. The power of motivation is what sparks the fire of the first step towards a goal and also the power to keep going when your mind wants to quit. I try to find motivation through many factors: New outfits, a compliment from a fan, another inspiring athlete, success stories of others, music and finally competing against myself and other athletes.

6.  Be consistent

Consistency is extremely important. Make sure to have a regular routine and don’t let vacations and family functions get in the way of your workouts. My theory is the more days you miss, it takes the amount of days you missed multiplied by 2-3 to get back into it.

7. Have a goal

Setting short-term goals have been shown to help individuals reach their long-term goals and stay more consistent. This psychological strategy in return helps us to take our physiques to the next level. Goals can include setting a date for a photo-shoot, competition, a body fat test or even lifting a certain max weight on a specific day.

8. Make sure to drink enough water

The institute of medicine determined that an adequate intake (ai) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The ai for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Especially for us athletes, we need to drink at least the minimum the amount of the recommendations since we do lose more water during physical activity. Keep in mind, the muscle cells are over 70 percent water and water helps proper muscle contractions, protein synthesis, transport of amino acids and removal of waste products. As bodybuilders/athletes we need to make sure to drink, drink, drink h20.

9. Watch your form

Most of us have heard about the cheating technique that Arnold himself used to apply in his training routines. Performed with caution and experience, the cheating technique can work wonders and help break plateaus. Remember, however, during all the other lifting techniques form is everything. Picking the right amount of weight and making the mind and muscle connection is crucial.

10. Choose HIIT for cardio

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of cardio created to burn more fat and boost metabolic rates higher in a short period of time.

Usually the HIIT workout sessions vary from anywhere between 9 - 20 minutes. The original protocol set a 2:1 ratio from work to recovery periods. For example, 20 seconds intense exercise followed by 10 - second rest period and repeating the cycle.

There has been clinical studies that has shown that the HIIT methods burns up to nine times more fat than the traditional steady state cardio. The bottom line is if you want to burn more fat and not muscle in a short period of time and in addition increase your metabolic rate for the rest of the day, choose HIIT training.

Never give up

·         You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face.

 

Character

Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints. It’s something you weren’t born with and must take responsibility for forming.

The daily Mount Kisco- Man of the Year winner

Please find below a link to the Daily Mount Kisco;

http://www.thedailymtkisco.com/neighbors/mount-kisco-trainer-named-man-year

appreciation

We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don’t overlook it!

attitude

·         You can reach your goals and aspirations if you go after them, but you have to want it. The desire for success must be so strong within you that it is your first thought when you wake up in the morning and your last thought at night. In between, take action! Make the best you possible. Our one shot at life slips away day by day. Go after everything you deserve.

 

How we act

How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind. They reflect thinking.

 

Optimism

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

 

Man of the Year winner

Dear Family and, friends,

As you might know, the last 10 weeks I have been competing for the Man & Woman of the Year Campaign to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). I truly feel blessed with the love, support and donations I have received over the past few weeks from family, friends and others, to support my Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2012 Man of The Year Award run.  

My goal was to raise enough money so that an LLS research program could be established in honor of Joan Richman (in the US) and also one LLS research program on Honor of Jacques and Viviane Snoek combined (in Holland).

Especially because of the enormous support of Michael Richman in the US and Evelyn and Max de Jong in The Netherlands, we were able to raise over $159,000 for LLS. Therefore, it is my privilege to let you know, that because of your incredible generosity, we have been able to succeed in our mission!! In fact we have surpassed our goal, and therefore, a LLS research program will be named in honor of Joan Richman, as well as an individual research program in honor of Jacques and Viviane Snoek!

However, the real reason that I was running for Man of the Year, is because I am very grateful to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society with the progress they have made in regards to finding a cure against cancer over the years. I have a dear family member who was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2001. Without the research that is being funded by LLS, he would not be with us anymore.

With no further ado, it’s my pleasure to inform you that I was awarded the prestigious LLS Man of the Year award for Westchester County. Because of the incredible amount (far beyond my expectations) I continue to run for Man of the Year on a national level.

I will keep you all informed about the progress of my additional nomination, and again wanted to thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for your love and support!

Mervy

set clear goals

Set clear, concise, and measurable goals. Set present, mid-term, and a long term goals. I recommend writing them down. Without clear goals you will never really know where your path is leading you and you will get frustrated and possibly give up on your fitness journey.

Make a choice

Make a choice, set a goal, and never look back! You are stronger than you think! Keep going!

Caffeine 101 - Know This About Your Daily Fix

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.

William Jennings Bryan

Caffeine 101 - Know This About Your Daily Fix

Coffee, teas and sodas, they all have one thing in common- caffeine. Caffeine, an alkaloid chemical, is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system making you more alert and give you that necessary boost of energy to get your gears turning in the morning. This is the world’s most popular psychoactive stimulant; did you know we consume 120,000 tons per year? Clearly it works! People have been drinking and eating caffeine as far back as the Stone Age, and far be it from me to tell you to stop drinking that morning cup o’ joe to get you ready for the day, but knowing the facts surrounding both the benefits and the negative side effects of caffeine may have an impact on your daily caffeine consumption.
How much is too much?
While there is no recommended daily intake for caffeine, generally speaking 200-300 milligrams (equates to 2-4 cups of drip coffee) is considered moderate intake and should not cause any harmful effects. Studies do show that heavy daily caffeine consumption, more than 500-600 mgs a day (4-7 cups of drip coffee), may cause insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, tremors, headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms, abnormal heart rhythms and possible increases in blood pressure. However, a little does go a long way. The majority of individuals will see an increase in alertness and begin to experience the effect of caffeine about an hour after ingesting only 25-50 mg. At lower levels of consumption, the negative side effects decrease as well, which means experiencing no feeling of fatigue 4 hours later (or at least not as severe).
Caffeine is known to toy with your blood sugar levels, which is the reason you experience the initial boost of energy followed by the unwanted midday crash. Research shows that by reducing your caffeine intake throughout the day can not only be good for your health but also for your productivity.  Alternatively, switching from a caffeinated beverage or snack to an alternate energy booster such as a vegetable juice or pack of almonds and cashews, can keep you alert and ward off the feeling of restlessness without excess caffeine intake. Caffeine also has the ability to deplete your body of water so be sure to drink plenty of water to maintain hydration throughout the day.
While there are many negative connotations associated with caffeine, before you swear off coffee completely there are a few interesting possible benefits to consider. The most well known benefit is caffeine’s ability to keep you awake and alert; this ergogenic acid can increase both your mental and physical capabilities. There have been studies showing benefits of moderate (200-300mg/day) caffeine intake associated with a reduced risk of inflammation, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease in women. There is also some evidence indicating caffeine’s ability to protect the brain to help preserve long-term cognitive skills.
One of the most common negative side effects of caffeine is a headache or migraine. The exact connection between caffeine and headaches/migraines is still questioned and unknown, but a direct correlation has been established. So if you find yourself suffering from headaches or migraines more frequently, cutting back on your caffeine consumption can be an initial step.
Caffeine’s affect on body weight is a question that has been posed by many doctors and researchers alike. Caffeine is believed to give a slight boost to individuals seeking weight loss or preventing weight gain, but only temporarily. There is no evidence suggesting long term effectiveness. There are argued theories for the mechanism of this action such as appetite suppression, water loss and increased calorie burning.
How do popular sodas, tea and coffee stack up on the caffeine scale?
Not all caffeinated beverages and foods are created equal. The table below will aid you in finding out your daily caffeine consumption, which may lead you to rethink how little or how much you should drink. But remember, when you walk in to Starbucks or whichever coffee shop you frequent, a lot of the fancy drinks (lattes, frappuccinos etc) may have less caffeine but most likely have more sugar than coffee or tea. When I’m not in the mood for plain coffee or iced coffee some of my favorite low calorie and low sugar picks are:
-       Nonfat Cocoa Cappuccino: at 8 oz its only 70 calories
-       Tall Skinny Macchiato: 100 calories
-       Nonfat Iced Sugar Free Vanilla Latte: 60 calories
-       Frappuccino ® Light Blended Coffee: 110-140 calories

Drinks	Size	Caffeine (mg)
Drip coffee, generic	8 oz	95-200
Dunkin donuts brewed coffee	8 oz	70-100
Starbucks brewed coffee	8 oz	180
Starbucks Espresso	1 oz	58-75
Coke- regular, diet or cherry	8 oz	27
Sprite/7up- regular or diet	8 oz	0
Dr Pepper, regular or diet	8 oz	40
Starbucks Tazo Chai Latte	8 oz	50
Black Tea, generic	8 oz	40-120
Green Tea, generic	8 oz	32
Red bull	8.3 oz	76
Rockstar	8 oz	80
Full Throttle	8 oz	80
*Excedrin, extra strength	2 tablets	130
*NoDoz, maximum strength	1 tablet	200

* Surprised? Even medications contain caffeine!

There comes a special moment in everyone's life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission — a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment, he finds greatness. It is his finest hour.
Winston Churchill

try change

·         It is tempting for us - myself included - to remain in our comfort zones. But that is not where we grow, improve, and make the changes necessary to dramatically move ahead. So my challenge to you to do the opposite. Look at what you are doing to stay in your comfort zone and think, "What is the opposite action of my habit? And would this opposite action be the better solution?"

 

Good Habit

Good habits are formed by good choices. Health and wellness are tied very close together! Have a great day!

fat & Muscle weight

·         Muscle does not weigh more than fat...muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. Your weight may even go up as you lean out but you will look thinner. Just because the number on the scale does not go down as fast as you may like does not mean an amazing transformation isn't taking place underneath it all. How do your clothes fit...how you look in the mirror...better yet, how do you feel? That number on the scale does not define you or tell the truth about your real progress. Keep going! ;)

 

stationary bike

The Stationary Bike Workout, Should It Be Banned?!

In my opinion there are few things more useless and redundant in a gym than a typical stationary bike “workout”.  I realise that more than a few of you may warm up, cool down, or even attend spinning classes, but I am sorry as I just think the whole lot is a bit of a waste of time.  (More on spinning later as that falls slightly outside of the remit of my point today, but I’ll address it anyway)

I think steady state cardio has its place, and I also think that if you enjoy something, then by all means go for it.  My issue with the use of stationary bikes as exercise tools is a very simple and basic one.  The way that most people use them is just too easy.  If you can read a magazine / book whilst “exercising” then you are not really exercising at all, you are just wiggling your limbs around a little bit.  I’ll elaborate a little bit more of this for those of who want a less simplistic explanation.

You should all appreciate that in order to stimulate a decent physiological response you should do something a little bit of out of the ordinary for the body, correct?  Assuming you regularly walk to the bus stop, walk to the pub, or walk around a supermarket, then you will instinctively appreciate that a 5-10 minute stroll on a treadmill will not really do all that much to improve your fitness / fatness levels.  Given that walking (even when on a treadmill) involves more muscular and nervous system recruitment than perching your pretty bottom on a stationary bike, why on earth do some people think they are going to stimulate a change by aimlessly spinning their wheels against the lightest of possible resistance, and going nowhere on a bike that does barely anything for their leg muscles, and only exercises their upper bodies when they turn the page of the latest edition of “Hello”?!

If you appreciate the whole idea behind the importance of weight training for both health and body composition benefits, then it should only take a second for you to understand what I am driving at here.  We need a decent level of resistance (relative to your own strength levels, not absolute resistance) in order to generate the correct hormonal responses that are needed to create positive body composition changes.  So making something too damn easy means the body will not produce any sort of noticeable adaptive response.  And it this guiding principle that makes me look at 99.9% of people on stationary bikes and just shake my head with a mixture of pity and wonderment.

What About Spinning?

I am now going to perform a nice little volte face and also tell you that I have nothing against spinning if done in what I view to be the right way.  My belief is that currently spinning classes can last 40-60 minutes, which is way too long because at this duration you just can’t hit the intensity peaks required for the right body composition changes.  If I were running spinning classes at SMC, I would make them about 20 minutes in duration and they would truly represent the HIIT (high intensity interval training) paradigm.  Pedal resistance would be cranked up to reflect each individual’s strength levels, and they would go for it in bursts of anything from 10 to 60 seconds. 

Even When Used Properly I Think The Stationary Bike Workout Is…Rubbish!

My issue with stationary bikes for body composition purposes is that even if the resistance on the pedals is high, we are only really working the lower body and there are a million better bang for your buck “cardio-type” options available in the gym.  Cranking it up to a standing position works much better (as with high intensity spinning)– but are you not then just mimicking a stair climber?  So why not use one in the first place and save on the risk of people using the exercise bike “incorrectly”?

One quick caveat I will make here is that my opposition to stationary bikes doesn’t extend to “real” bicycles.  Your entire body can get one hell of workout on a productive bike ride.

Some people will tell us that stationary bikes are useful for working around certain lower body injuries, and on this score I’d have to gree.  Furthermore, the educated amongst you will know that the vast majority of gym goers will have chronically tight hip flexors, so the very last thing they need to be doing is spending too long sat on a stationary bike as the positioning of the body will only exacerbate any restrictions in range of movement.

Conclusion; When doing cardio, try to challenge yourself, like you would do with resistance and strength training. If you are using a stationary bike, try something new. However, even though there are better cardio equipment than a stationary bike in my opinion, doing anything form of cardio vascular training is better than doing nothing at all!

LLS Fundraiser

Mervyn Tugendhaft

Donate Now one week left!!!

Dear Friends and SMC members,

It all started a few years ago, when I had a crazy idea, and organized the first Train the Trainer event to help support the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. This event would give clients the opportunity to make a bid, with the winning bidder the chance to train a trainer for a full hour, and do what ever they wanted. Not realizing what I had started, and not knowing the “vindictive” side of our clients, who at the high end, contributed over $1,000 per session to train a trainer, I raised over $15,000 over several events.

After last year’s Train the Trainer, I was asked to compete for the LLS Man of the Year award. I was not sure if I could follow in the foot steps of some of the previous winners, with some fundraising roughly between $50,000 to $100,000. However, when hearing that my good friend’s mother died of Lymphoma in 2010, I had a mission to compete and to try to win.  Therefore, I accepted this challenge to compete for LLS Man of the Year.

I am truly pleased with the support and donations I have received over the past few weeks from friends, family and SMC members during the SMC group exercise class fundraiser, to support my Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2012 Man of The Year Award run.  I have to admit that some of the classes I took were more challenging than I anticipated. But of course with the support and encouragement from the group instructors and members, it became a fun experience. Therefore, I would like to thank all of the instructors and members who participated in those classes for their support and enthusiasm.

Also, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Saw Mill Club for their support and to giving me the opportunity to do my fundraiser in the club. SMC is truly a classy organization which supports and encourages community fundraiser like mine.

With no further ado, it’s my pleasure to inform you that I raised over $5,500 during the group exercise classes, which was only possible thru YOUR generosity. Every dollar YOU donated is a vote for me and a step closer to having a cancer research program named after Joan Richman, and becoming LLS’s Man of the Year 2012. 

If you haven’t donated yet, I am certain you will consider making a donation to this worthy cause. 

All donations should be made before May 18^th!!

To visit my personal website address and for donations: http://wch.mwoy.llsevent.org/mervyntugendhaft

Thank you,

no regret

“Every noble work is bound to face problems and obstacles. It is important to check your goal and motivation thoroughly. One should be very truthful, honest, and reasonable. One's actions should be good for others, and for oneself as well. Once a positive goal is chosen, you should decide to pursue it all the way to the end. Even if it is not realized, at least there will be no regret.”

Dalai Lama

Happiness

Be grateful for what you have now. As you begin to think about all the things in your life you are grateful for, you will be amazed at the never ending thoughts that come back to you of more things to be grateful for. You have to make a start, and then the law of attraction will receive those grateful thoughts and give you more just like them.

words of wisdom

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”
~Denis Waitley

simple religion

Share this simple religion...

Focus on the Solution :)

Focus on the Solution :)

mistakes

·         Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did......

Think

Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you are right. It's the thinking that makes it so.

Action

Action is the foundational key to all success.

~ Pablo Picasso

Mindset

·         Whatever your goals are...make today count. Every choice should be a step toward your goal. Even though you can't see the changes right away, you are still changing. Don't give up...stay positive! Remember, it's a mindset!