Honor Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Honor   Courage   Commitment

I’ve always heard these words but never knew what they really meant until I joined the Marines back in 2004. These are the words of the USMC and they define what being a Marine really is. All those cool commercials don’t do it justice, it is a brotherhood that you can’t experience anywhere else, it’s one of those things that you may hate while you’re in it but respect and love it at the same time due to the brotherhood you formed with the Marines you trained with and served with.

I want to share with you a story on Memorial Day that I don’t really talk about too often but it has had a profound impact on me and really puts Memorial Day in full perspective and gives you an inside look as to what kind of person we have protecting us and our country as we sleep. I will omit the names and exact locations for personal reasons. Hopefully this will help you get a feel for how great our country really is and how great the people in America really are.

It was some time in 2006 and we were doing a few missions here and there for 4-7 days at a time and then we would come back to base for 4-5 days and then do it again. This was pretty much what we did for the 7 months we were there. This story does not pertain to my platoon, but it happened to a close friend of mine, who is tragically no longer with us. He and his platoon were out on a routine mission nothing special, but anybody who has been out there knows that those are the most dangerous missions of all due to all the road side bombs or IED’s as they are called. These are by far the deadliest things out there in Iraq because you just can’t see them and you never know where they are.

They were driving down the road in their Humvee; Humvee’s usually have 5 guys in each one the gunner, driver, comm guy, team leader, and another Marine usually an engineer. While driving they got hit with an IED on the passenger side right underneath the gas tank, the Humvee immediately exploded and with the explosion the gunner was thrown out of the Humvee about 150’. Meanwhile the other four guys were still in the Humvee shell shocked from the explosion, one died on the spot and the other three were suffering from burns and would have died as well if it wasn’t for the Courage of the gunner who made it back to the Humvee and dragged all 4 Marines out of the Humvee by himself as he himself was suffering from wounds due to the IED himself. He gave these guys an opportunity to survive because he never even thought twice about going back to saving them, in a situation where every second counts for life and death he never hesitated.

Unfortunately weeks after this explosion the 3 Marines passed away due to infections from all the burns. One of those guys was a good friend of mine and we Honored them each and every day we went out on a mission and I still Honor him each and every day of my life. To know so many people who would give their life to protect me and my family without even knowing us is a thought I have in my mind each and every day. My friend did that on this day and so many others have done it before and after him.

He Committed his life like so many others to serving and protecting this country. You may not support the President or support this war but please take the time out of your day not just today but every day to show support to all the Veterans and all the Military Servicemen out there. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about our fallen soldiers and I ask you to please do the same. Work hard every day, overachieve every day, over deliver every day, and don’t let a day go by were you can look back at it and say to yourself that you wasted it because these guys don’t have that opportunity anymore so do it for them.

Have a Great Memorial Day Guys and I will see you back at the gym tomorrow!!!!!

How to Spot Signs of Overtraining

For those very involved in exercise, overtraining can be a huge danger. Although the majority of the country does not get enough physical activity, many people are just the opposite, and do too much! It kind of makes sense though, because knowing the right amount of exercise to get can be a bit tricky. Doing nothing is worse than something, but too much can be worse than nothing at all! The right mix lies right in the middle. Read on to figure out where this is for you.

Regression

If you frequently get to the point at which you cannot complete your normal workouts, this can be a huge sign that you are overtraining. For instance, if you normally go to the gym and lift weights for 30 minutes and now you cannot lift them for more than 10 minutes, you are almost definitely overtraining. This is known as regression. Your body is weakening, perhaps literally slowing down, and your stamina has stopped because you’re pushing too hard.

Losing Lean

Often times, exercising too much will cause and increase in the amount of fat on your body. This is because working out too much burns glucose AND muscle tissue. That will make your body become less lean than it was before. Furthermore, overtraining can cause an increase in insulin resistance and that will often result in fat deposits around the stomach area.

Daily Routines

If you are working out every single day, you are not allowing your body to recover the way it needs to. You have to learn to take a day off from time to time, even if you're training for a marathon. Let your body recuperate. Unless you're working with a trained professional and consulting a doctor, training every single day likely means you're overdoing it.

Pain

If all of a sudden you find that you are wincing when you run, or you dread going up and down the staircase because your legs hurt, you are probably overtraining. Listen to what your body is saying. If you are in pain, slow down and stop. This is true for everyone, whether you're a beginner or veteran, 20 or 80. Never do anything that hurts. There are always other exercises you can do that are healthy & more beneficial. All pushing through it will do is result in injury - which will probably mean NO exercise while you recover. There's good pain and bad pain. If you don't know the difference, as a doctor about it!

When you are overtraining, your body is going to start to work against you. You’re going to feel worse instead of better. Take the time to slow down and train properly so your body does not take the hit. Find out what your limitations are and then allow yourself to rest! You deserve it! It won't result in a few more LBs. If anything, it will make the rest of your workouts more efficient and beneficial!

Melissa Jenner writes about fitness, saving money & frequenting www.creditscore.net

The Best Bodybuilding Supplements to Gain Weight, Build Muscle and Increase Strength

If you are looking for ways to gain weight, build muscle or increase strength, bodybuilding supplements may be just what you need. However, while taking the right types of supplements will definitely show results, the wrong ones will not do anything for you. So read on!

Creatine Monohydrate

The most popular and most in demand supplement today is creatinemonohydrate. Believe it or not, the human body actually creates creatine on its own. It is a combination of arginine, glycine and methionine. The great thing about creatine supplements is that it gives the body a burst of energy, which is always a benefit to a bodybuilder or weight lifters who are looking to reduce lactic acid but increase strength and give them more energy during their workouts. Weight gain from creatine monohydrate can happen very quickly. Creating can be taken either before a workout or right after. Ideally, creatine should be taken during your workouts. The creatine will also cause your cells to fill with water and swell, which is good for the recovery process of a workout.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is another supplement that can be very beneficial for building muscle and mass. Whey protein is actually the maximum grade of protein, which is why it can be so helpful with bodybuilding. Protein builds muscle and whey protein is the ultimate form of protein that can benefit a bodybuilder due to all the nutrients and amino acids that are a part of its makeup. Not only does it help build muscle, but whey protein also works to rebuild muscles after very intense workouts. Almost all bodybuilders take whey protein supplements to benefit their exercise routine.

Meal Replacement Supplements

Meal replacements work well to add vitamins, minerals and supplements to any diet. They are quick meals that give you all the carbohydrates and proteins you need very quickly. Some are designed specifically to help you gain weight specifically. Also, they come in several flavors and are easy to take on the go!

Nitric Oxide Supplements

Another great source of supplements for muscle and mass are nitric oxide supplements. These are usually found in powder form and can be mixed with juice or water and drank before you work out. This will help to create the effect called vasodilation, which allows the blood vessels to expand, which in turn helps the oxygenated blood to get right into that muscle. In other words, it gives you a temporary boost of strength, as well as endurance. It also helps make the intensity of your workouts much more reliable.

There are so many other good bodybuilding supplements out there, but the ones listed above are the most popular ones used today and really do work for obtaining extra muscle! They have worked for me, and I wouldn’t recommend anything else!

Melissa Cranberry writes about exercise, nutrition & saving money at www.homeinsurance.org.

Dropping Pounds for Charity

Hey everyone I hope you guys are having a great and successful 2012!!! We have been blessed with so many great things in our lives such as good health, a strong family, and great friends. It is only fitting that we give back to those less fortunate then us. Last year we raised over $3,000.00 for the Love Doctor’s Charity, so this year we decided to do another fundraiser to support the Van Duzer Foundation which is a local foundation that does so many tremendous things for St. Lucie County. We are joining forces with them starting on June 1^st we will be launching Samson S&C Dropping Pounds for Hope Fundraiser Challenge.

This is an 8 week challenge that will have a weigh in at the beginning and another weigh in at the end of the 8 weeks. Samson S&C and other businesses that want to jump on board will be donating $1 for every pound that is lost.

How it will work:

We will have 4 teams with 2 trainers per team to help lead you to your fitness goals.

The trainers/teams are:

Tony/Pam- Team Lean Machine- Red/Black

Justin/Shauna- Team Mission Slimpossible- Black/White

Mike/Andrew-Team Witness to Fitness - Blue

Jena/Lou-Team J and L Express- Black/Yellow

To start things off right we will be doing weigh ins and a blood drive. You will be introduced to your trainers and go over the 8 week fitness plan they have for you. We will take group and individual pictures and exchange emails and phone numbers.

The trainers will have weekly training tips, recipes, shopping tips, cardio tips, supplement suggestions and so much more that will be communicated to their team through our new message board, email, and a weekly team blog post.

The teams will be doing off site training and nutrition seminars, you will also be entitled to all our boot camps and the trainers can set up group training sessions.

The trainers job here is to enable you to carry on a healthier lifestyle that you will continue to do even after the program. Its not fair to you for us to get you into great shape then send you back out to the real world without any knowledge to continue on with your fitness goals.

It is a great way to lose weight and to also give back to the community just for being healthier. This is an unbelievable opportunity for Samson’s to help raise some money for a good cause and to also help you guys improve your health and life.

This 8 week plan will only cost you $200 for 8 weeks and 2 trainers, plus so much more!!!!!!!