Continuing our series from Checkley’s Natural Method of Training, we have some more highlights for you today.

Checkley’s Natural Method of Training
By: Edwin Checkley
Second edition, published 1922, excerpts from pages 124-125.

“I hope I have made it clear that the carriage and management of the body, between periods of specific exercise, is of more importance than the exercises themselves. and above all that proper breathing is the very cornerstone of physical strength. Our habits do more to form our bodies as well as our minds than the conscious efforts at improvement. So that, if we can get in the habit of taking long breaths, and then gradually increase the length of our respiratory movement, and the volume of air thus taken in at a breath, we shall obviously do more than if we arranged to merely exercise the lungs at stated times.”

Continuing our series from Checkley’s Natural Method of Training, we have some more highlights for you today where Checkley discusses issues for women.

Checkley’s Natural Method of Training
By: Edwin Checkley
Second edition, published 1922, excerpts from page 104 and 111.

On Training For Women

“In the case of the bust it is of importance to remember that there is here, as in all other parts of the body, a muscular system. The muscles of this region are, of course, almost invariably unlocated by their owner, and most supports soon leave them unused also. Now, by persistent effort a control over these muscles may be established until it will be possible to voluntarily contract and relax them, with the result that a sunken and flabby bust may be made full and firm. Thus, unless she is absolutely deformed, there is no reason why a woman should not develop and mold her entire form by simply acquiring muscular control of the parts deficient in contour. The gaining of control requires a distinct effort of will, but the results surely justify the effort.”

“Women should, in fact, cultivate all the exercises that might give suppleness to their bodies. There can be no grace without suppleness. That complete flexibility in all the muscles of the body which the exercises enumerated have been calculated to secure is absolutely necessary to the charm of carriage which distinguishes one woman above another. Unused muscles, resulting from an absurd idea of the essential restrictions of a woman’s position, are worse than no muscles, because they are irritated under tension and retard the movement begun by the muscles that are fit to use.”

Continuing our series from Checkley’s Natural Method of Training, we have some more highlights for you today.

Checkley’s Natural Method of Training
By: Edwin Checkley
Second edition, published 1922, excerpts from page 54-56.

“The highest state of health and power in a muscle will always lie in its flexibility rather than in its hardness. A man trained until his muscles “feel like iron.” is really in a dangerous condition. He soon gets out of “training” and is then immediately at a loss. His muscles feed upon his vitality, and, especially when he has passed middle life, threaten his general health. A man so “muscle bound,” as the saying goes, is not in possession of a power. The power owns him.”

“The muscles will have the greatest health, strength and “staying” power that are kept flexible and full of blood by continuous use in everyday life. To expect them to keep healthy by an infrequent fifteen minutes at some machinery, is as unreasonable as to think of preserving the comfort of the stomach with one meal a week.”

Continuing our series from Checkley’s Natural Method of Training, we have some more highlights for you today.

Checkley’s Natural Method of Training
By: Edwin Checkley
Second edition, published 1922, excerpts from page 33 and 37.

“To learn to breathe is to learn the A B C of physical health, and it is of special importance that this education of the lungs should precede the education of the outer muscular system, for the natural increase of lung strength and chest room is retarded by methods that begin work on the outside first.”

“In my opinion the diaphragm has properly no greater necessary use in expanding and contracting the lungs than the ribs themselves. In other words, the action of the diaphragm should be sympathetic without being initiatory. The lungs have their own muscular power, and this power should be fully exercised.
The simplest preparatory exercise is full, long breathing. While standing or sitting in any proper attitude, with the chest free, take in a long breath until the lungs seem full, taking care at the same time not to harshly strain the lungs or muscles. Hold the breath thus taken for a few seconds, and then allow it to slowly leave the lungs. By consciously breathing in this manner the lungs will be enlarged and strengthened and the breathing will become slower. Normal breathing, when the body is at rest, should not include more than ten breaths in a minute. I, myself, get along very comfortably with not more than six, sleeping or waking. During exercise of an ordinary character the breathing will naturally increase to fourteen or fifteen breaths in the minute.”

Continuing our series from Checkley’s Natural Method of Training, we have some more highlights for you today.

Checkley’s Natural Method of Training
By: Edwin Checkley
Second edition, published 1922, excerpts from page 18 and 29.

“It is of the utmost importance, then, at the very outset that a person should do those things properly which occupy so large a percentage of the habits of his life. If there is a reflex action from the correct habits of sitting, standing and breathing, to say nothing of other actions, it is quite clear that the formation of a correct habit will bring a certain percentage of added strength and health with no conscious exertion. It is like having money out at interest. The income does not seem to be worked for.”

from page 18

“The point of what I have urged is this: The muscles must be in the support of the body–and all of the muscles that rightfully should. This does not imply greater labor, but less. What begins by a conscious effort will soon end in a habit–will become an exhilaration. What often passes for fatigue of the muscles is simply irritation arising from impeded circulation of the blood brought about not by the use but the cramping or non-use of muscles.”

from page 29

Starting this week, we will be doing a short series highlighting short sections of a classic book on strength training.

Checkley’s Natural Method of Training
By: Edwin Checkley
Second edition, published 1922, excerpt from page 15.

“The truth is that there can be no proper training that does not educate the whole system of the man. The muscular system of a man is not made up of chest and biceps. It is a wonderful and complex organization in which one part is intimately related with the other, and if the system as a whole is not kept in mind the building up of the arms will not increase the permanent strength or permanent health. Men become proficient at punching a sand bag who do not know how to simply carry their own body. They have spent their time in training, as it were, from the outside. One of our modern philosophers has said that we invent fine railroads, but we are forgetting how to walk. This is very true. We are forgetting how to stand, and, above all–fatal error!–we are forgetting how to breathe.”

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Birthday Deal!!

In honor of Life Fitness Academy’s Birthday this month we are offering our best deal ever on personal training!

50% off personal training for as long as you continue your training. That’s right: $37.50 per session. This is not an introductory deal that will go up. You can lock in this price for as long as you continue your training. It is a limited time offer that will expire on February 25, 2011. You must pay and schedule by then. After the 25th our regular rates will be in full effect.

Special Terms and Conditions for this deal are:

• Must use at least 4/month
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Do you still have concerns about raw milk? We agree that any milk, including raw milk, is dangerous when it has been produced poorly. When produced well, raw milk far exceeds anything you could buy in the store. We just want to pass on some love to this post at Plumpest Peach. Well said, well said.

Also, while all milk contains IGF- (insulin growth factor) (even human milk), raw milk from jersey and guernsey cows that are on pasture does not have the escalated levels of IGF-1 that is prevalent in conventional milk treated with rbST hormones.

The scares concerning mercury in fish have caused many to curb their fish consumption, or avoid it altogether. Many of the reasons are rightly founded in that both mercury and pcbs’s are harmful to humans, but that isn’t the whole story. Research around the world is indicating that selenium is a mineral which binds to mercury and gives protection against its harmful effects. In the U.S., the EPA describes selenium as an element that is “antagonistic to the toxic effects of mercury.”

After measuring selenium levels in 1000 commonly consumed foods, yes, I said 1000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that 16 of the top 25 sources of selenium rich foods are ocean fish. Thereby, most ocean fish provide the selenium needed to protect one from the harmful effects of mercury.

Interestingly enough, only one study showed harmful effects from mercury related to seafood consumption and the study involved the consumption of pilot whale meat, which does not contain more selenium than mercury as other ocean fish.

Make sure you are getting enough selenium in the fish you are eating! Look for wild caught! Be gone!

Source: Vital Choice

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