To me this passage has been a guiding hand in my life work. I have always realized that in order to succeed, one must build on experience. While we are young we lack fundamental experience, and the only way we can get it, is from personal experience or from the study of the great lives that pioneered before us. They left footsteps, as we choose to term them, into which we can step and continue on from where they left off. The wise person searches for such footsteps of knowledge as short cuts to success. He saves the years that otherwise would have been aimlessly spent in acquiring personal experience. He delves into the lives and findings of his elders and absorbs their wisdom. It is truly said that youth whirls the world but age supplies the balance wheel. Too many young men and women fired with enthusiasm get lost in the whirl and fail to benefit from the balance. Many wonderful lives have been wasted from lack of forethought. By the time they acquire the formula to success too many years have sped past, and the years left to them are too short, or devoid of opportunity. For this reason, I urge my youthful body building enthusiasts to pause a while in their enthusiasms, and spend a little while gleaming benefit from worthwhile examples of men and women who have left their footprints on the sands of time. These footprints are stepping-stones. The world’s progression is built on this same foundation. Your success in life can be more fully blessed by following the same example.

The one who what’s to to be great, must first study greatness.
Humility a strange thing. The minute you think you’ve got it, you’ve lost it.

Love thy neighbor and his dog…
Jesse Erving L.S.C.T.

My Favorite Song. The greatest Song ever…At the CANDY SHACK

Music video by Guns N’ Roses performing Sweet Child O’ Mine.

SPALAVIE…MY NEW FRIEND…

She’s got a smile that it seems to me Reminds me of childhood memories Where everything Was as fresh as the bright blue sky.

I’m going to help you plan out your number one resolution this New Year – Get Fit!  Yeah, sure tons of people say they’re going to do it, but only few actually achieve it. I’m about to break down the most common pitfalls and, more specifically what you need to do to avoid them so you can achieve your best ever physique this year.

Set a Date…

Most people will need about 12-16 weeks to get completely fit, depending on your current level of leanness. It’s always better to give yourself more time and drop the fat slowly and steadily as opposed to rushing to get fit. If you do it right, you should even end up building a little muscle in the process. Athletes that rely on extreme tactics such as very low carbohydrate diets and excessive amounts of cardio can end up sacrificing some of the hard-earned muscle they worked so hard to pack on during their offseason.  Cut slowly and you’ll finish with more muscle and an overall much more impressive-looking physique. To set a date, it can help to register to compete in a local fitness or bodybuilding contest, book a hot tropical vacation or schedule a photo shoot. That way you’ll always have a constant reminder to keep you on track during your diet.

Establish Your Current Baseline Diet…

You’ve heard the expression “you won’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re at”? Well, a great starting point for transitioning into any fit phase is to jot down everything you typically eat and drink in a typical day. That way you can objectively see where there’s room for improvement and you can make a rough estimate of how many grams of protein, carbs and fat you’re taking in on a typical day. You will want to do this every 4 weeks to allow yourself to step back for a moment and objectively monitor the game plan.

Do it in Phases…

Don’t make the mistake of transitioning into an extremely strict diet from one day to the next. You’ll end up sacrificing muscle if you try to drop your carbohydrates and calories too abruptly. Instead, after the initial “clean-up” phase, plan to make changes every 4 weeks by gradually tapering down your carbohydrate and fat intake while keeping your lean protein intake at 1.5 grams per pound of lean body weight. As a general guideline, reduce your daily carbohydrate intake by 25% (e.g, 200 grams x .25 = cut 50 grams) every four weeks if the fat isn’t coming off. The same applies to your cardio work. Start your cardio sessions at 10 minutes each, then increase it gradually every 2-4 weeks, only if the fat isn’t coming off (up to a max of 30 minutes, five times per week). As you get closer to your goal date and you’ve stripped off most of the fat, taper your cardio back down to 20 minutes to allow your body to fill out with more muscle.

Take Progress Photos…

Every 2-4 weeks, have a friend take a few photos of you from the front, side and back so that you can objectively evaluate your progress. It’s easy to look in the mirror, under your favorite shadowy lighting, and convince yourself you’re on the right track. But try comparing photos under well-lit conditions, doing the exact same pose and wearing the same shorts every time. This will provide you with a more realistic assessment of where you’re at.  If you’re making progress, it will serve as a great source of motivation.  On the other hand, if you’re not on track, it will be a great wake-up call and kick in the butt to make some adjustments.

Schedule Weeky Cheat Meals…

It will be a long three months if you try to cut the fat without having an occasional cheat meal. But it’s not only to provide some psychological relief from the diet.  Your metabolism can start to slow down on a calorie-restricted diet, so by incorporating an occasional meal that’s dramatically higher in calories and carbs, you trick your body into thinking it’s not dieting and your metabolism will be revving at full capacity again. Some metabolically gifted athletes can do a cheat day but for most, stick with a cheat meal after you’ve just blasted a lagging body part to be safe.

Use these five guidelines to avoid the most common pitfalls of any Get Fit plan. When it’s done I want to hear about your results, let me know how you did and which Larry Scott Nutrition & Fitness Supplements you used on my website and check me out on my Facebook page.

More is not better, less is not enough, just right is right for you and me. Know where you’re going and remember where you’re from. And don’t forget where you’ve been. Have fun.

Tell a friend, tell a stranger, tell anyone who’ll listen.  – Jesse

Remember to consult your doctor before starting any diet and exercise plan.

New Ionic Hyper Growth Pure Whey Protein Isolate™ isn’t your run-of-the-mill whey isolate protein powder; it contains an incredible 30g of protein and is loaded with what is known to be one of the cleanest and purist sources of protein existing today – whey isolate protein! The ideal form of whey protein for rapid absorption post-workout. Whether you’re a hardcore bodybuilder, hard-training athlete or somebody looking to add some size, using high-quality whey isolate protein as part of your supplement program is crucial.

The advanced New Ionic Hyper Growth Pure Whey Protein Isolate™ formula contains valuable Ionic Trace Minerals, and Glutamine to help hardcore athletes get the most from their workouts. Bottom line – the  New Ionic Hyper Growth Pure Whey Protein Isolate™ formula has raised the bar for whey isolate supplementation!

For Those Who Want To Get Huge

Because let’s face it, muscle size is king! Nothing tells people that you’re a bodybuilder more than a hulking frame complete with wide shoulders, big arms, a powerful chest and back, and a set of tree-trunk legs. Bodybuilders and hard-trainers alike are always looking for a supplement to help them gain weight fast. Now, whether you’re stuck in a frustrating growth plateau or just have a hard time packing on mass, you now have help breaking through your roadblock. It’s called Ionic Hyper Growth Pure Whey Protein Isolate™. It’s a superior mass builder that promotes dramatic muscle growth and has changed the way bodybuilders and other athletes pack on muscle! Reap the rewards of all your hard work in the gym by usingIonic Hyper Growth Pure Whey Protein Isolate™ to help make the kind of muscle gains that you’ve never experienced before!!

You’ll Feel Pumped All The Time.

Because, after about a week you are going to wonder “Is my pump lasting longer”. In fact, it not only lasts longer, you’ll even be pumped before you start working out. Carrying that pump around gives you an exciting tingle right down at the base of your spine.

Hyper Growth Does It’s Magic.

Little known to most of us… Pure raw milk contains trace amounts of a very powerful growth agent known as “Insulin Growth Factor”. In fact, during the first few months of a newborn’s life… Mother’s milk is crammed full of these hummers. They’re known as IGF1 and IGF2. They are why a baby grows so fast. Sometimes they double their body weight in just a few months.

Let me tell you how IGF1 and IGF2 do their magic. First, they speed up the rate at which amino acids are synthesized, then they slow down the rate of amino acid destruction and finally they do some magic thing so even less amino acids are needed. But that’s nothing. Listen to this…

Pull and lean back, way back — the handles the oars — and contract deliberately upon completing the action. 12 to 15 reps define the work and activate key muscles from stem to stern (boat talk): Grip, biceps and forearms, lower back to the upper back, delts and pecs (I’m serious), lots of core muscles and stretching and extending with a lot less congestion in the midsection and intrusion upon max breathing. Swoosh… swoosh…

Secret’s out, everyone, I leave the rest to you. Find your groove. Don’t make waves. Never let go. Thumbs up, flaps down.

Godspeed… Jesse

Kale

If you are always looking for a new healthy food to add to your menu, look no further than the beautiful, leafy kale. When eaten steamed, kale can fortify our body against many health conditions. The reason steaming is best is because that process allows the fiber in the kale to be easily absorbed in the body. While raw kale is still healthy, steamed kale offers the best benefits.

Whenever, you go out to shop for vegetables, do you always look for broccoli because of its nutritional value and benefits that it offers to your health? If yes, then now you have another equally beneficial alternative to broccoli. This is kale and it contains almost all the nutritional value that you get from broccoli. If you do not believe this, then simply check out the list of kale nutrition facts. The kale nutrition facts will tell you how kale can work wonders for your health and what all it contains. Those who wish to keep fit should try to realize the benefits that this leafy vegetable offers.

Move over Popeye and make room for the “queen of greens,” kale. Gaining in popularity, kale is an amazing vegetable being recognized for its exceptional nutrient richness, health benefits, and delicious flavor.

Eating a variety of natural, unprocessed vegetables can do wonders for your health, but choosing super-nutritious kale on a regular basis may provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol.

Kale, also known as borecole, is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. A leafy green, kale is available in curly, ornamental, or dinosaur varieties. It belongs to the Brassica family that includes cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

What makes kale so exceptional? Here is why it’s a superstar vegetable — and ways to work it into your diet.

Kale is a Nutritional Powerhouse

You’ll want to include kale as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis if you want to receive the fantastic health benefits provided by the cruciferous vegetable family. At a minimum, include cruciferous vegetables as part of your diet 2-3 times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-1/2 cups. Even better from a health standpoint, enjoy kale and other vegetables from the cruciferous vegetable group 4-5 times per week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups.

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around and one way to be sure to enjoy the maximum nutrition and flavor from kale is to cook it properly. I recommend Healthy Steaming kale for 5 minutes. To ensure quick and even cooking cut the leaves into 1/2″ slices and the stems into 1/4″ lengths. Let them sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance their health-promoting qualities before steaming.

See one of the Healthiest Way of Cooking Kale in my the World’s Dining Table (Soup’s On) section below.

World’s Dining Table (Soup’s On)

Hlelem (Tunisian Vegetable and Bean Soup) Makes 8 Servings

• 1/2 cup dried lima or butter beans
• 1/2 cup dried chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 1 quart chicken stock homemade
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 4 large kale leaves, or to your liking, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves shredded
• 1/3 cup angle hair pasta, broken into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons Harissa
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Step 1: Soaking the Beans and Chickpeas

Soak the dried lima beans and chickpeas separately overnight in three times their volume of water.

Step 2: Making the Soup

Drain and cook them separately in two times their volume of fresh water until they are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and reserve the cooking water from both the lima beans and chickpeas. Combine the lima beans and chickpeas; set aside. Combine the cooking waters and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the broth, reserved bean cooking liquid, and the tomato paste. Mix together until well blended and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add the cooked beans and chickpeas, the kale, and the pasta. Simmer until the pasta and kale are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the harissa and stir until blended. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Serve in heated bowls, garnished with chopped parsley.

Harissa:

Harissa is a spicy-hot Tunisian condiment that traditionally accompanies couscous. It is frequently used to flavor soup and stew. For the best flavor, grind caraway, coriander, and cumin seeds yourself just before making the harissa (a spice/coffee grinder will give you the finest grind, but it may smell like harissa forever after). Cover tightly, harissa will keep in the refrigerator for months.

• 9 dried New Mexico or other large, hot red chiles
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground caraway
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Step 1: Cleaning and Soaking Hot Red Chiles

Stem, seed, and break up the chiles. Soak in cold water for 15 minutes.

Step 2:

Drain well, wrap in cheesecloth or place in a strainer, and press out any excess moisture. Chop the garlic, sprinkle with the salt, and mash to a paste uing the side of a knife. Grind the chiles garlic, caraway, and cumin in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Place in a small jar or other suitable container and drizzle a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil over the harissa. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Executive Chef – Fitness Chef — Jesse

As a women, your bodies need vitamins and minerals that are different than a man’s. Ideally, you would get these essential vitamins through the food that you consume on a daily basis. However, in this fast-paced world and the modern woman’s schedule, you are lucky if you eat at all, never mind making sure our body is getting what it needs to function.

That’s why it’s crucial that in addition to trying to eat healthy, you add at least a daily multivitamin to your routine. However, all multivitamins are not created equal so it’s important that you take a few minutes to look at the New Ionic Revive.

Why You Need Revive…

This Mega-formula improves athletic performance, boosts energy, stimulates the immune system, reduces free radical damage, assures healthy nerve tissues, initiates over 60 different needed enzymes and lowers cholesterol. Current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) represent only the levels heavily lobbied by the food industry to make packaged foods seem more nutritious.

For optimum health you need the higher levels contained in Revive. Without minerals, vitamins are unable to function. You not only waste your vitamins, you impair your health and weaken your recuperation. Our bodies can make some vitamins but it must rely totally upon outside sources for minerals.

Commercial growers do not add minerals to the soil. If your fruits and vegetables have not been grown on mineral added, organic, composted soil… you are mineral deficient.

1. Folic Acid. Folic acid has been thought to help prevent certain diseases and conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, depression, cancer, and memory loss. It also supports normal cell growth and helps prevent anemia, something many younger women suffer from. Folic acid is extremely important for pregnant women and should be a part of your prenatal vitamins. Recommended dosage for women is 400 mcg and pregnant women should take at least 600 mcg. You can also boost your folic acid count naturally by eating dark leafy greens and orange juice.

2. Vitamin K. This vitamin is often missing from a multivitamin so check your labels carefully. Recommended daily dosage is 90 mcg. Most multivitamins don’t come close to this number however. Vitamin K is essential for strong bones, healthy blood clotting, and can also reduce your risk of heart disease. You can naturally get your Vitamin K from eating dark leafy greens such as swiss chard, spinach, kale, and broccoli.

3. Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin for a healthy immune system. It also helps produce hormones and brain chemicals. It has been known to reduce depression, heart disease, and memory loss and also can help maintain your blood sugar levels. Pregnant women can use Vitamin B6 to help with morning sickness. 2 mg is all that is recommended and most multivitamins contain this vitamin. It can be found naturally in fortified cereals, beans, poultry, and fish.

4. Calcium. It’s no surprise that calcium makes our list. Its role in keeping your bones healthy and strong and preventing osteoporosis is well known. However, calcium also provides your body with many other additional benefits. These include lowering your risk of high blood pressure, and even colon cancer. Women can also reduce the effects of PMS and even help you lose weight! Check your multivitamin and make sure you are getting the proper amounts of calcium. You may need to buy a vitamin supplement just for calcium. Women ages 19 to 50 should take 1,000 mg of calcium and women over 50 need 1,200 mg. a day. You can also boost your calcium intake by eating leafy greens, dairy, and juice.

5. Vitamin A. Vitamin A, also known as beta carotene, is essential for a healthy immune system by helping to fight off infections and also plays a vital role in your eye health by promoting a healthy lining of the eye. It can also contribute to healthy bones and teeth. Up to 5,000 IU is an acceptable dosage. You can also find Vitamin A in whole eggs, liver, milk, fortified cereals, and dark fruits and vegetables such as carrots and apricots.

6. Vitamin D. While we all know that calcium can strengthen our bones, what most people don’t realize is our bodies can’t properly absorb calcium without Vitamin D. Vitamin D can also lower your risk of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain forms of cancer. This vitamin can also help reduce your PMS symptoms and protect your vision. You can get Vitamin D naturally from fortified milk, salmon, and egg yolks. 400 IU is the recommended dosage.

7. Vitamin E. Healthy hair and skin come from sufficient amounts of Vitamin E. It’s no coincidence that this vitamin is found in a lot of moisturizers and shampoos. Its anti-aging properties have been used for years because of its ability to fight cell damage. It can also help prevent heart disease, cataracts, memory loss, and certain types of cancer. Vitamin E occurs naturally in wheat germ, most nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds and peanuts, and spinach. The recommended dosage of Vitamin E is 30 IU.

8. Vitamin B12. Another essential vitamin in the B family, Vitamin B12 can help prevent heart disease, memory loss, and anemia. It has also been proven to help with depression and can help maintain nerve and brain functions. The recommended daily dosage is 6 mcg and can be found naturally in poultry, some lean meats, eggs, milk, and shellfish.

9. Vitamin C. Known as an immunity booster, Vitamin C has many health benefits including helping you heal faster, promoting tissue growth, and reducing your risk for certain kinds of cancer, heart disease, and tissue damage. 60 mg is the recommended daily dosage, but you can also try to eat any kind of citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, brussel sprouts and peppers.

10. Omega-3 Fats. Omega-3 fats are the kind so good fat that you hear so much about. We’re encouraged to eat foods rich in these kind of fats such as fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts. However, most people don’t get enough of their Omega 3s. This is one supplement you won’t find in your multivitamin, and require you to take a separate supplement. Fish oil or flax seed oil supplements are great options. Omega-3s can reduce your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and bone loss, memory loss, as well as rheumatoid arthritis.

Taking a multivitamin made especially for women is a great start to getting the essential vitamins and minerals you need to stay fit and healthy. By keeping these 10 essential vitamins and minerals in mind as well as the daily dosages, you should be able to find all the vitamin supplements you need.

Hey… somebody want to help me push the pickup truck? The sooner we get the thing started, the sooner we get on the road.

I love road trips, don’t you?

Godspeed… Jesse

Is your fitness goal on your mind all the time? The more your mind stays focused on your fitness goal, the better chance you have of achieving it. The best way to put it in your conscious mind all the time is to sit down and write out your goals. The reason for this is because your goal isn’t a temporary thing. It’s probably something you want forever, right? This goal of fitness includes the good health, happiness and energy that you want not only for yourself, but for your family too. That means making changes that last a lifetime.

If you are focused on your goals in your conscious mind, you are much less likely to become distracted. Even without knowing it, you’ll begin to do, say and think things that will get you to that goal and you’ll stop allowing distractions to get in your way. Motivation lives inside you. Writing out your goals in a journal will set you on the right path. Later when you spend time rereading them you will be able to see the results from all of your hard work. This will keep you motivated to work towards the next level.

If you are just beginning a fitness program, make changes gradually to make it easier to see what works for you and what does not. Change up your exercise routine, alternating cardio with strength training exercises and don’t restrict your diet too harshly in the beginning, allow your body time to adjust.

For women in an intermediate or advanced stage of fitness, motivation is usually not a problem. That’s because they have made fitness a regular part of their life. They enjoy the feeling that fitness allows and like the way it brings out their natural beauty. However, everyone needs a little support and encouragement every now and then. It’s never too late to start a fitness journal to challenge your mind and body continuously.

Exercise helps to restore the essence of youth. It can build strength, increase flexibility, and improve the natural functions of the body. Your diet is a main component to your overall health. Choose healthy foods that nourish the female body and give you the energy you need.  Ring of Fire | Sports & Athletic Performance Systems  and Supplements makes women’s fitness easy with a diet that you can live by, an exercise program that is easy to follow and a fitness journal to show the results. If you believe it, you can achieve it. Get started today.

Let’s taxi down the runway, and take off one by one  in fine form till we fill the skies with roaring and fill our hearts with fire.

Go. You first, I’ll follow… Jesse

God’strength

Successful dieting depends on the type of foods that we eat. So much of what we put into our body is just junk food. Very little nutritional value and many times way too high in fat, sugar and salt.

Take inventory of what is in your cupboards and pantry. What foods are you feeding your body? Write down everything that you are presently eating as a regular part of your diet.

1. Begin replacing high calorie foods with ones that are lower in calories. For example, drink fat-free milk instead of whole milk and water with a twist of lemon rather than high calorie, high sugar content, soft drinks. Eat an extra spoonful of vegetables at dinner instead of junk food. Choose sliced fresh fruit for snacks instead of chips. Little changes like these make a big difference in your caloric intake.

2. Serve smaller portions. Resist the urge to fill your plate from rim to rim. Serve up slightly less than what you think you’ll eat. You can always have seconds, if you are still hungry.

3. Never eat from a container or bag. You need to see what you are eating in order to get a sense of how much you’re eating. Seeing food on a plate or in a bowl is much more appetizing and easier for you to realize when you’re full and satisfied.

4. Be sure to check food labels for the serving size and number of calories per serving.

5. Stop eating as soon as you feel full. Don’t take another bit past that full feeling. Remember, your next meal is only a few hours away. If you enjoy counting calories, a fitness journal is a great place to calculate the number of calories that you eat at each meal. Be sure to include all the condiments, snacks and drinks that you have throughout the day, too. Stay tuned for additional posts about how keeping a journal can be your key to successful weight loss. Ring of Fire | Sports & Athletic Performance Systems  and Supplements, a diet and exercise program developed exclusively for men and women shares all the secrets of losing weight, gaining weight and looking your very best.

Gotta keep moving, or as we say in the trade, press on.

Godspeed…Jesse

Do you find yourself craving sugary or fatty snacks or foods? Do you beat yourself up because you lack the willpower to abstain? Well, put the boxing gloves away and try these tips to keep you from caving in to those crazy cravings.

1. Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals causes serotonin levels to drop and makes it harder for you to resist foods that you crave.

2. Eat 2 snacks each day, plus 3 meals. By keeping your body nourished, you won’t succumb to impulsive cravings.

3. Plan your meals well in advance. This way you will always have something healthy to snack on, rather than just settling for a sugary or fatty treat.

4. Get plenty of rest. Try taking a nap instead of reaching for a sugary snack.

5. Take a 30-minute walk. This will take your mind off the craving and will boost endorphins to elevate your mood.

6. Put on some good music and drink a full glass of water. The music will help to reduce stress and the water will fill your tummy.

7. Flip through a magazine of swimwear or clothing that you plan on buying. Just the thought of not being able to fit into desirable clothes may be all you need to help your cravings pass.

8. Call a friend and have an enjoyable conversation, sometimes a little distraction is all that you need.

9. Carry an affirmation or even a photo of how you want to look. These will serve as reminders to you of your ultimate goal.

10. Take a moment to determine what you are really hungry for. Will that candy bar really satisfy your hunger or would some protein make you feel better?

Life’s amazing. You gotta hang  on to what you got… Jesse

Ring of Fire is a lifestyle. Inspiration is the first step towards greatness. The next step is learning how to harness that inspiring power in order to succeed. How do you capture the essence that is inspiration and turn it into a tool for success? First of all, you must really want to succeed, without that desire, the inspiration will die off before you even have a chance to try it out.

If you have ever harnessed a horse; you know that you must be in control or the animal will have his way with you. That is because he outweighs you by hundreds of pounds and if you let him go, you may not be able to encourage him to come back. The same proves true for harnessing your inspiration. It is much bigger than you can even imagine and if you let it go, you might run the risk of having it desert you forever.

To harness the power to succeed, you need to capture your inspiration and develop a plan to make this spark of motivation work for you. Whatever your inspiration for women’s fitness, you will want to put it to the test. How far do you want to go? What results do you anticipate and how long will it take you to realize this goal?

Harnessing the power to succeed is not impossible. Successful people do it all of the time. They come up with an idea, run it around in their heads, write out a plan, check out the feasibility and act upon it as quickly as they can. This is the same attitude you can take when it comes to women’s fitness.

Ring of Fire.com makes it so easy with a diet that you can live by, an exercise program that is simple to follow and a journal to show you the results. Get inspired and get moving with a fitness program that has been developed exclusively for women. Members have the ability to access all the tools they need to look and feel their very best and Empower the beauty within. – Jesse

Let’s talk about those terribly stubborn things called calves. Because… I want to share a little trick that can coax some extra growth out of those hummers. I don’t know about you but the old conventional stuff for working calves just doesn’t seem to cut it. You know… Leg press calf raises standing calf raises. Seated calf raises. all… that same old Pablum. They give you lots of pain… but if you’re training naturally… they don’t give you much growth.  I don’t know what it is about these basic machines for calves but they only lift you so far and that’s it. You can keep pounding out reps on these machines forever and your calves don’t change unless… you use this little trick I’m going to share with you.

You see… the key to making your calves grow is getting a unique degree of movement or some kind of stress the calves normally don’t run across. Because one of the main reasons calves are so darn hard to develop is because they are being worked every time you take a step.  Everywhere you go… You’re always doing one-legged calf raises… They’re worked all the time. No other body part get this kind of attention.

And that causes another problem.

If a muscle is worked constantly for long periods of time… It’s going to gradually become predominately red muscle fibre. Let me give you an example so you know what I’m talking about . A turkey breast is white muscle fibre because those gobblers don’t fly anymore. They just hang around the chicken coop waiting for Thanksgiving Day.  But a duck breast… man that’s another thing. Those hummers have to fly from Canada to Mexico and back each year. That’s a lot of wing flapping. That takes high endurance fibre. That’s why the duck breast is all dark meat. Which of course is red muscle fibre.

Okay… so we got two things to consider.

The calves are working all the time but only at partial reps. So if you’re going to get any growth out of them it’s going to have to be with some full reps. Secondly they are red muscle fibre so they don’t even start to grow until the pain is two or three times what you would have in other muscles.  I started out by urging you to “Take a Stick To Your Calves”. And the reason I said that… was because I want to show you how to make some other calf exercises almost as effective as Donkey’s.

I’ve got to tell you a little bit more about Donkey’s I guess or you won’t know why… what I’m going to say next is important. One of the things that makes Donkey’s so effective is that as the reps get harder you can you can make the weight lighter by leaning forward. But that’s not all. You can actually target just a certain portion of the rep and make it lighter without making the whole rep lighter. You see… You don’t want to make the extension part of the rep lighter because you need the extra weight in order to get the stretch. But the contraction part… you know when you’re trying to get up on your toes… that’s the part where you need the help.  You don’t have to stop and change the weight… all you have to do is lean forward at the top of the movement. It’s a forced rep you’re doing.

There’s a lot of other things about Donkey’s that are great but I’m going to focus on just this aspect right now.

Okay, let’s go over to another exercise for calves and see what happens. Lets take leg press calf raises for example. It’s really a pretty good exercise for calves even without using this secret. Because the leg and hip position is almost just like Donkeys. In other words the hamstrings are pulled tight.  But there is one important difference.  The hips are fixed and when the reps get tough you can’t lean forward or do anything to make the reps easier.  You just flat run out of strength and unless someone else pulls the weight off… you can’t really force out any more reps.

Not full reps anyway.

And remember those little partial things… don’t do beans. Your calf growth receptors laugh at them . Yeah they hurt like crazy, but your calves have been doing thousands and thousands of those already. They are not going to grow on those things.   But lets suppose you do something kinda smart. Ever notice how experienced hikers always carry a walking stick with them.

 Ever wonder why?

I always thought it was because they were getting old or they wanted to look cool with their leather shorts walking stick and all… like a Bavarian experienced tour guide or something. Actually it wasn’t either of those reasons. They pack a stick because when their legs start to get tired they still have two arms that are still fresh.

Starting to get the idea?

Dave and Arnold

Suppose you got a two by four about 30 inches long or some kind of a stick anyway and… When your calves start to get tired on the leg press you just flap that old stick up there on the Leg Press and press on the end of it with one of your hands. Give your calves just enough help on the top part of the movement that they can burn out more Full reps. You don’t want help on the way down because you need the weight to give you total stretch, but on the way up… yeah that’s the place.  That’s where you need it. Just enough… about the same amount of help you would give when you are leaning forward on your Donkeys. As you get more tired you press a little harder with the stick. Let your arms help you get more full reps.  Remember it’s not the partial reps that do it. It’s those complete… all the way down to the bottom and… all the way up to the top reps… that build calves. Full range… shock treatment… that they never see throughout the day. That’ll build them.

That’s the problem with those darn Standing Calf raise machines. Actually there’s two problems, but the main one is the fact that when you get tired you can’t do any more full reps. Granted you can stop and change the weight, but you only want a lighter weight on the way up. Furthermore… the new weight is only good for 3 or 4 reps and you then you have to change it again. No… you want to make that change without having to stop the exercise. This is especially true on calves because they recuperate so fast. So take a stick to your calves on Leg press and you’ll be able to beat some new growth into those hummers. You’re going to like this idea because it’s going to build some great calves, but just to balance everything out let’s talk about building your inner self as well.

“Virtue is harder to get… than knowledge of the world; and if lost in a young man, is seldom recovered.”

I have only one recourse: Go to the  gym and toss ourself at the mercy of the iron.

Never say never, unless you say, “Never Quit!”

Going, going, gone…Jesse