Time to Rest

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

My body is screaming loudly for a respite as I have seriously put it through it's paces over the last couple days. That said, I always allot at least one stretch day in my regimen—one that's typically Yoga-infused—just to be sure that I keep my flexibility where I want and need it to be.

It's important to always listen to your body's cues when you come across the point where everything hurts and you literally don't have the energy to lift a pot much less a weight.

Rest is one of the most important aspects of training and if you neglect to get it as needed, you can potentially do unnecessary harm to the progress you've already made.

Remember to always take a day or two—sometimes a week is necessary—to reset and rejuvenate. Your body will thank you for it and the gains you'll experience the next time you workout will be felt two-fold.

Planking Is The New Craze?...I Don't Get It

The newest craze in Australia is something referred to as "planking". It's an activity that is described as "people lying flat on their stomach in unusual places while a photograph is taken"...no, I'm not kidding, that's how it's defined.

Yeah, I didn't get it either. 

While I realize that you cannot demean or make fun of people for whatever they might deem interesting or entertaining, I find it troublesome when activities such as this one don't have limits or safety guidelines.

The video that follows is what can happen when "planking" is taken to the extreme:



Now, obviously, one might say that some common sense should have been taken on the part of the deceased but, to be fair, this whole "planking" idea doesn't seem to make much sense in the first place—I certainly don't get the fun of just lying on inanimate objects, very still, just for kicks and giggles.

Where is the fun in that? It's not like you're doing anything that would make someone stop and admire your great skill or anything—you're just lying there. I guess if you've got nothing better to do and you want to test your core strength, then this is a pretty good way to do it but, other than that, it seems odd.

Frankly, I would suggest not doing this activity at all in favor of something that a) makes a little more sense and b) doesn't sound so darn asinine when you describe it to another human being...but that's just me. 

Related articles

• 'Planking' Craze Takes Over Australia (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)
• Planking, Laying Face Down In Public With Your Arms To The Sides (laughingsquid.com)
• And Now 'Planking' Has Claimed its First Victim (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)

Day 25: Find Your Fight...

Most people are content to admit that they are defeated. Believe it or not, it's easier to give up than it is to say, "you know what, no matter what happens here, I'm all-in ". No we, as human beings, feel the easier way is to disappear and accept that we are not strong enough to win.

In truth, there is fight in all of us.

While some of us may not know our strengths yet, we do understand our weaknesses well enough to not leave them exposed. We know where our deepest fears lay, and it is that understanding that keeps us from putting ourselves out there to rise up against the challenges and conflicts that life sets in our path.

That said, it's important to realize that inaction is as dangerous as action.

If you allow yourself to fall prey to circumstance, you will never break free from the negativity or the misery that surrounds you. It's important that you always remember that you have the option of fighting—always.

Never allow the fears fed to you by self-doubt keep you from making progress. Find that lion inside your heart and make it roar. Make it roar loud enough that everyone can hear you—show this world just how strong you truly are.