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Posts written by Michael J. Mahony

The following posts have all been authored by Michael Mahony

Saturday Sharing: Reality Check Rant

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Sit back and prepare yourself because you are about to receive a reality check!

  • The problem is that you don't try hard enough.
  • You need to do a better job of planning your meals
  • You skip the gym way more than anyone should
  • The motivation needs to come from within
  • You don't need to be an inspiration to be successful
  • People really aren't watching, but only because they know you're going to fail
  • Every plan you've ever tried has not worked
  • The common denominator in every failed plan you've tried is you
  • Goals need to be tracked
  • The weights don't lift themselves

Now what are you going to do to change things up?

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Pondering the Past

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I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, pondering the past. I think about all the wasted time and squandered opportunities and I get angry. At the same time, I realize that the journey I have been on is one I needed to go on. Had things been different the results would not be the same. I would not have met some of the people I came in contact with. At the same time, I wonder where I would be if I hadn't been so damned lazy.

The truth is that I have been addicted to “getting in shape” and until this year I have not really made serious progress towards that goal. I have had so many mental blocks that I've allowed to get in my way. Then, at the end of 2014, I realized I needed to grab hold of the focus in my life and make some changes. The changes I made were not strictly about “getting in shape” as you will soon see.

Taking Back Control of My Life

As many know, I went through a bitter divorce. It beat me up and spit me out. I had so many insecurities as a result of that divorce. Things would simply take control of me and I would be powerless over them. That is until I made the decision to take back the control in my life. I stopped letting others tell me what to do or how to act and suddenly I had an amazing woman in my life. I stopped letting others discourage me from my goals and suddenly I had my focus back.

Setting Realistic Long and Short Term Goals

After regaining control of my life I began setting goals. Some of them are for the short term while others are for the long term. It is an amazing feeling to script out what your future should look like. My goals include personal things, fitness related things, business related things and anything that will make me a better person.

Pondering the Past

As I ponder the past I realize that I need to embrace it–all of it. That past is what made me who I am today. Without the trials and tribulations I experienced I would not be as strong as I am now. I would not have the control over things that I have now. I would not be the person I am now. So ponder your own past. Own it. It is yours and yours alone.

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Protein Shake Recipes for Muscle Building

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Protein shakes are an easy way to help you get the calories and nutrients you need in order to build muscle. Today I will give you a couple of my favourite recipes for protein shake success.

Why Use Protein Shakes?

Some people go overboard and use protein shakes for so many of their meals. I am not an advocate of that approach. Instead I believe you can and should use protein shakes to get the extra nutrients into your system so as to help build muscle. Too many protein shakes means not enough real food. When you aren't taking in enough real food you lose the thermogenic effects of digestion.

Plain Slushy Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 scoop protein powder (use your favourite flavour)
1/2 cup of ice
3/4 cup of water

Directions

Mix ingredients in a blender
Blend on high until ice is crushed
Enjoy your nice icy shake

Berry Slushy Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 scoop protein powder (use your favourite flavour)
1/2 cup of ice
3/4 cup of water
1 cup of berries (use your favourite)

Directions

Mix ingredients in a blender
Blend on high until ice is crushed
Enjoy your nice icy berry shake

Berry Dairy Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 scoop protein powder (use your favourite flavour)
1 cup of water
1 cup of berries (use your favourite)
1 cup of Greek yogurt

Directions

Mix ingredients in a blender
Blend until smooth
Enjoy!

Variations

You can try many different ingredients to give variation to the above recipes. Try adding some green veggies like spinach or kale. If you are doing a post-workout shake replace water with some kind of fruit juice.It will give you a nice insulin spike. I also add oatmeal, fresh fruit, chia seeds and milk to my shakes. It all depends upon what I am looking for. Give it a try.

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Monday Madness: Farmer Carries for Cardio

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Farmer carries are an amazing exercise that is under utilized. There are so many benefits that I think if you aren't doing them already, you should continue reading and then add them to your normal routine. Today we are going to discuss using them as a form of interval cardio.

Farmer Carries – Go Heavy

If you want maximum benefit then you need to go heavy. Too often I see people doing these with a very light weight. There is little to no benefit in doing this. Pick up two very heavy dumbbells and start walking.

Farmer Carries – Hard to Walk

The first thing you will notice is that it is difficult to walk when doing farmer carries. The weight in your hands will destabilize you. It makes things very difficult indeed.

Farmer Carries – Increased Heart Rate

As you carry the heavy weights across the floor  you will notice that your heart rate increases. You are going to get a cardio effect if you can harness the idea.

Farmer Carries – HIIT Workout

Follow the workout below for an amazing HIIT session using farmer carries. Make sure you've picked a heavy weight. Now get a good timer or a timer app for your phone. Set it to intervals of 45 seconds followed by a 90 second rest period. Have this repeat the desired number of times. In this workout it will be 10 times.

Warm up – 5 minutes

High Interval – 45 seconds carrying heavy weight

Low Interval – 90 seconds without the weight

Repeat this 9 more times.

Farmer Carries – Don't Wuss Out

It is really easy to wuss out on farmer carries. Don't let yourself be a wuss. Push through it. Your heart rate is going to spike. You are going to experience burning in your forearms. Just push through. You will find that this is a much less boring way to accomplish your cardio sessions.

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To All the Fitness Mamas

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Dear Fitness Mamas,

I have to say that I admire you. Not only for your amazing physiques, but because somehow you manage to find time to be a mom and stay in great shape. It is an amazing thing when you ponder it.

How exactly do you balance things? I have a hard enough time getting both work and the gym scheduled. As a single divorced dad, I am constantly having to plan my gym activities around those of my children. It is a never-ending battle. How do you manage to be such a great mom and still find time for the gym? That's the question I need answered.

Every single time I think I have my week properly planned, some activity with the children derails me. The latest was a band concert coupled with a massive amount of homework. That kept me up way later than I wanted and made it almost impossible to get up for the gym in the morning. What do you use to fight fatigue?

I am impressed by your ability to dig deep and get to the gym no matter what. I am impressed that you still show your children they are important to you while continuing to make your health a priority. What's even more impressive is the group of you fitness mamas who bring your kids with you to the gym. You are modelling future behavior for your children that will take them a long way towards living a healthy and happy life. Congratulations on that! I tip my hat to you.

Thank you for inspiring me daily via Facebook and Twitter. Seeing you at the gym while I know you have some other major obligations that involve children has taught me that I can do it as well. Your dedication is impressive and something I strive to replicate. Keep up the amazing work because you are inspiring a world full of people!

Fitness Expose

 

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