Fitness Blog for Strength

Today I will be reviewing the blog of the person that popularized the 5x5 workout.  The author that fueled this cultural trend goes by the name Mehdi, and he has the strength to back up his program.  His blog can be found at this link.  Mehdi has incredible blogs because he shows that strength is added overtime, not overnight.  The program of 5x5 starts low, and it consists of progressive overload every week. 

 For example, you may start by bench pressing the bar for 5 reps and the following week you may add 5 lbs.  This is done until your progress slows, then you are to either deload or start a new program.  5x5 is a great starter program because it teaches you to use proper form as it starts with low weight.  The 5x5 workout consists of a few main exercises, namely: the squat, deadlift, bench press, bent over row, and overhead press.  The workout is as it sounds, you will perform 5 sets for 5 reps, which results in 25 reps.  The workout is only 3 days a week, and you will perform three of the above workouts every workout.  This makes the workout extremely quick, usually lasting only 45 minutes.  The squat is performed every workout as it is not taxing on the central nervous system, unlike the deadlift.  The deadlift will be performed once per week.  This is a great beginners workout and it can significantly improve your strength in a short time period as it concentrates completely on compound lifts.  This will increase growth hormone, making your entire body strong.  This workout can also be shown on Mehdi's Youtube channel.

Review of Illinois State's Fitness Center

Today I think it is only fair that I give a review of Illinois State's fitness center.  I am finally about to graduate from Illinois State and I have been attending this gym for 3 years now (I transferred here as a Sophomore).


Upon entering the rec, you will be greeted by the staff where you will then show them your ID.  The staff is often extremely friendly and they will most definitely help you if you have any problems (remember, you can only forget your ID once per semester).  Also, upon walking into the fitness center you will also notice they have Jamba Juice, which is a great for after workouts.

As for the fitness center itself, I say it is great.  They have just about all of the equipment that you could ever ask for at a fitness facility.  They have plenty squat racks, benches, dumbbells, treadmills, etc.  They literally have just about anything you could ever ask for.  The rec did change one thing this year that I do not like however.  Instead of having the dumbbell rack against the mirror, they moved it out towards the bench press.  This has made the rec a lot more cluttered and this is the one problem I have.

The rec is also often extremely crowded, which is why it is important to come at certain times.  I will often try to work out Friday-Sunday because I have found that these are the least busy days.  Also, it is probably wise to try to get to the gym before 4 pm, or else you will have a hard time completing your workout in a timely manner.

Overall, my only complaint is that it can often times feel cluttered and so many people go to the gym.  The equipment however is great and it has everything you could ever ask for in a gym.  It is also conveniently located next to the quad, so it is never too far of a walk for anyone.

In the past 3 years that I have gone to this school, I would give the rec an 8/10.  The only reason it is not a 10/10 is because it is often cluttered and you have to schedule around when people will be there.  Information on the rec can be found here.

My Top 3 Summer Workouts

As summer is quickly approaching, I think it is important to spend a little less time in the gym and a little more time outside enjoying the weather.  I think working out outside is great and it can be a new change of pace.  In this post, I will be introducing 3 of my favorite summer workouts.

1.  Outdoor plyometrics:  The idea of plyometrics is to produce an action as quickly as possible, as plyometrics will work your fast twitch muscles.  So for example, you will try to jump as high as you can, or sprint as fast as you can.  The point of plyometrics is not to tire you out, but to train you muscles to react as quickly as possible.  Many different variations of plyometrics can be constructed to create an effective workout.  For example:
1. Jump Rope
2. Box Jumps
3. Depth Jumps
4. Long Jumps
5. Sprints

If you are interested in becoming faster and more explosive, you can also check out this post by Lee Boyce called   THE 9 BEST PLYOMETRICS EXERCISES FOR MUSCLE

2.  Running:  Many people still run indoors during the summer and I don't understand why.  Running in nature can be a great way to clear your mind and it can be therapeutic for many.  My favorite thing to do is to find a large hill, and I will run up and down it for sets.  Once I am done, I will finish by jogging at a steady pace and looking at nature.

3. Swimming:  Nothing sounds more summer-like than swimming.  Many people don't know, but swimming is an absolutely great exercise and it burns even more calories than running.  If you have access to a pool, then you should without a doubt give swimming a try.  Not only will you be burning calories faster than basically any other workout, but you will also be getting a great tan.

I am also providing a link to a website that provides details about 10 cardio exercises that burn more calories than running that comes from Men's Health.

Review of Jonnie Candito

JONNIE CANDITO! Fitness tips and advice!  Subscribe to him on Youtube!  One of the strongest people in the world!   check out his channel!

Today I will be talking about a very popular person in the fitness community whom has a very strong Youtube following.  His name is Jonnie Candito and he is a powerlifter and he also posts useful information for people that are looking to become stronger.



Jonnie Candito focuses a lot on strength training.  At times he will post other informational videos on an array of topics, but you can expect a lot of his videos to focus on strength.  A lot of the time these videos will be focused on himself and what works specifically for him.  Over the years, his followers have been able to track his progress as he has had many ups and downs in his fitness journey.

I think if anyone is looking to become stronger, than they should subscribe to Jonnie Candito on Youtube.  Not only does he offer online videos, but he also offers a strength training program that you can use.  I have seen and used the program and overall I think it is one of the best programs I have used.  The program focuses a lot on volume and keeping thing simple.  Each day you will focus on a main strength movement, such as the squat, deadlift, or bench.  From there, you will follow it with a list of possible accessory exercises for that given day.

If I were to give a recommendation of anyone to subscribe to on Youtube for the fitness industry, it would be Jonnie Candito.  He is young, motivated, intelligent, and he walks the walk.

Jonnie Candito's training program is provided in this link

Must Buy Products!

Today I will be going over two products that I 100% think you should buy.  I have talked about Eric Cressey in the past, with his 16 week strength book.  That book was called "Maximum Strength" and it was a 16 week plan to becoming stronger.  That book offered variations in frequency, volume, planning, exercises, reps/sets, and it offered deloads.  Overall, it is an absolute must purchase.  However, if you are looking for an even more advanced/updated version of that book then you should definitely check out   This is an updated version of his 16 week maximum strength book and it could be a great purchase if you see that your results are slowing.  Eric Cressey is a leader in the strength training community and his newest addition, "Show and Go Training" will without a doubt improve your strength beyond any other products you purchase. Click Here! to buy now!


















The next product that I find to have value is a product that will allow you to unlock your hip flexors.  Tight hip flexors can cause a ton of problems, such as back pain, poor mobility, and a loss of strength.  If you are able to improve the flexibility in your hip flexors, you will see your squat numbers fly through the roof, along with your deadlift.   Again, in order to truly improve your strength, you must have the flexibility to go along with it.  If you are to buy both of these products listed above, you will soon have the strength you could only dream of.  Not only that, but you're body will thank you because you will get rid of all of those aches and pains you have. Click Here! to buy now!

Top 3 Supplements For Strength

Supplements

Today I will be going over the top 3 supplements you should be taking if you are interested in becoming stronger.  Note: It is not necessary to take supplements to get stronger.  Every once in a while I will take a few months off of supplements, but I feel like my progress usually isn't as great when I am cycling off of the supplements.  If you want to become stronger in a more efficient manner, these three supplements will do just that for you.  These products can all be bought from GNC.



1. The first supplement that I am going to recommend is protein from Optimum Nutrition.  This protein can be found at a variety of places, but I will usually buy this product at GNC.  If you are a member at GNC, you will even get a discounted price when purchasing.  The reason I chose this protein from GNC as the greatest supplement for strength increases is because protein is what is going to build muscle.  If your protein intake is too low, then you just won't gain as much muscle.  Optimum Nutrition's protein is great because it does not have a ton of filler ingredients like a lot of other suppliers have.  This protein is 100% whey, which means that it contains more BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) than any other form of protein, which will increase muscle protein synthesis.  This protein is going to give you your greatest bang for your buck.














2.  The next supplement that I am going to recommend is a pre-workout.  There are many different types of pre-workouts on the market. I find that pre-workouts can help to create motivation to go to the gym on days that you are feeling lazy.  I have experimented with pre-workouts such as C4, Jack3d, coffee, and Muscle Pharm Assault.  If you are looking for a pre-workout that is going to be the cheapest for you, then a simple cup of coffee before hitting the gym can be a great idea.  The problem that coffee may have though is that it has the tendency to dehydrate you.  If you are able to keep a bottle of water with you at all times during the gym, you should be fine.  If you are looking for something a little stronger than coffee, then I would recommend Muscle Pharm Assault.  This is the healthiest pre-workout of all of the ones I have listed above.  This pre-workout is FDA approved and NCAA approved, making it one of the healthier pre-workouts.  All in all, if you are looking to take your workout to the next level, it would be wise to invest in either some coffee of some Muscle Pharm Assault.  Since I am currently a college student, I don't have too much money.  I will usually make a cup of coffee before going to the gym and I think it works great for me.
.

3. The first supplement that I am going to recommend is creatine monohydrate.  There is a lot of conversation that goes along with whether or not to take creatine.  Some say that it has negative effects on your long term health, or that your body will become accustomed to the creatine (your body actually produces creatine naturally) and others will say that creatine is completely safe.  Research has been done and it has been scientifically proven that creatine will make you stronger.  My advice would be to start off taking 5 grams a day and continue this for two months.  Once those two months are over, cycle off of it for another two months, then continue taking it again.  The best brand of creatine monohydrate to get is from GNC, and you can either get the pill form or the flavorless mix.  I will usually buy the flavorless mix and then mix it in with my protein shakes after a workout.

Recommendation Of Liquid Chalk

A Must Use Product


Today I am going to focus on a product that will take your strength through the roof.  I have talked about it on one of my pages, but I can't emphasize it's importance.  The product I am talking about is liquid chalk.  This product comes in a small tube that can easily be carried around in your gym bag.  It also only costs $8.00.  The reason I recommend this product so often is because the thing that holds most people back in the deadlift is their grip.

Most of the times, people will have no problem lifting the weight, but you will notice that peoples grips will fail.  Especially at commercial gyms, the bars will often times be extremely slippery.  The only way to combat this is with chalk.  If your gym allows the use of real chalk, then you should definitely use that.  Since most gyms don't allow the use of real chalk though, liquid chalk is your next best bet.  You can probably imagine that it would be difficult to hold 400 + pounds in your hands, but some people are so strong that they do it for multiple reps.

This is why liquid chalk is so important!  The way to get stronger is with reps.  If your grip is holding you back, you will never get in your rep work.  There is no feeling worse than knowing you can complete all of your reps, but the bar is slipping out of your hands.  I struggled with this for years until I came across liquid chalk.  I couldn't believe how much it helped my grip and because of this my strength increased instantly.

Again, for anyone interested in liquid chalk (I highly recommend it) I will provide the link right here.  You will no longer have to worry about your grip holding back your deadlift.



Now that you have your liquid chalk, you should think about buying one more product.  That product comes from Everyday Fitness and it is a phone case for your new iPhone Plus 6.  Accidents happen while working out.  Your headphones get tangled on your pants while deadlifting, benching, or squatting, and the next thing you know your phone is shattered on the ground.  Get Everyday Fitness' phone case to protect your phone during your toughest sets.  Buy it here

Review Of Gold's Gym Express

A Gym For Those In A Hurry

Today I will be giving a review on Gold's Gym Express located in Normal Illinois.  First thing is first, the location of the gym is great.  It is located on College Avenue and it is by a variety of stores.  It also has a parking lot that is often times empty, which calls for easy parking.  Overall, the location and the ease of getting to and from the gym is a big plus.



Once entering the gym, you will notice a friendly atmosphere and a great staff.  The staff at Gold's Gym are all very nice and they are willing to help you on an array of topics.  The layout of the gym is very practical.  They have an area for cardio, which features a lot of treadmills and some ellipticals, along with rowing machines.

 They also have a free weight section.  This features a wide range of dumbbells, going up to 100 pounds.  Another area features some machines that allow you to add resistance (examples: leg press machine, hamstring curl machine, and pushing and pulling machines).  Another feature they have is a group training area where you can work in a group of people and perform challenges set by a personal trainer.  All in all, the environment is great.  They have tanning beds, personal trainers, TVs, free weights, machines, and cardio machines.

If I could give one recommendation, it would be to add an additional squat rack.  Gold's Gym Express only has one squat rack, which makes it hard to finish work outs in time because you are waiting on the person in front of you.  To balance this negative out, the price of the membership is only $10 a month.
If you are interested, HERE IS THE LINK TO SIGN UP

Why My Fitness Blog Is Great

Why My Blog Is Great

Today I will be talking about my personal fitness blog.  In the past I have done an analysis on other's blogs, but today I will be doing an analysis on my own.  Although I still do not have too many blog posts, I will continue to post new blogs with important information.  

My blog is more suited towards a specific niche market, which is for those whom are looking to become stronger.  In my opinion, everyone can always be stronger.  Not only will it improve the way you look, but it will make everyday life easier, it will improve your mood, and it will make you healthier.  It has also been proven that it will help you as you grow older, strengthening your bones and preventing osteoporosis.  

I love to talk about fitness and I love to help people get stronger.  Fitness is great because it is something that can be easily tracked and your results are based on how hard you work.  If you are going to the gym only a few times a month, you will never see progress.  My blog is here to motivate you to want to go to the gym and it is here to give you information on how to improve your strength gains.

This blog focuses mainly on strength, but at times I will talk about things like diet and ways to become healthier.  I have a big passion for powerlifting and this translates into everything I say in my blog.  There is a clear distinction between bodybuilding and powerlifting.  Bodybuilding is working out in order to look better, while powerlifting is working out in order to become stronger.  My blog is for the sole purpose of getting you stronger.  I provide tips on how to perform certain exercises correctly, how to vary intensity and volume, and I provide information on how to get stronger.  

Bodybuilding.com blog link

Increase Strength As Quickly As Possible

Today I read a blog about how to get stronger in 31 days.  This blog featured 10 areas to increase your strength in a short amount of time.  I will go over these top 10 areas, then I am going to add 3 ways that I think were missed.  To save on time, I will go through and list these and I will also provide a link so you can read in depth how these will help you.  The link is provided here.

1. Use free weights and compound movements
2. Learn perfect technique
3. Use low repetition range
4. Warm up properly
5. Increase your resistance every time you train.
6. Train your weak points
7. Limit your exercise selection
8. Train like a strongman
9. Eat
10. Supplement wisely

I believe that these are all solid ways to improve your strength.  In my opinion though, you should not want to try to increase your strength by a lot in a limited amount of time.  Strength comes with time.  You are not going to see incredible gains in a short amount of time.  Rather, you should program your workout to try to make small gains every month.  The goal is long term, not short term.  I am going to now include 3 areas that were missed.

11. Rest-  Without proper rest, you will never get stronger. You are going to have to get proper rest in order to become stronger.  It isn't a race to get as strong as possible.

12. Foam roll-  This will not only loosen your muscles up for your workout, but it will also prevent injuries.  You should spend 10-15 minutes foam rolling before every workout.  Not only this, but you should also do it on off days.  This will help get of soreness and it will get you ready for your next workout.  You can buy a cheap foam roller from Amazon.

13. Vary your volume and rep range-  I think an area that was missed was varying your rep range and volume.  Going with a higher rep range will make your muscles grow larger, due to hypertrophy.  Low rep ranges will work your fast twitch muscles, allowing you to lift more weight.  The key is to lift the weight as quickly as possible.  If you are doing high rep ranges, you should try to focus on going slow, and working on contracting your muscles.  Doing both of these will help your muscles grow and become stronger.

Analyzing Eric Cressey's Blog

The Greatest in the Industry

I still urge everyone to check out Eric Cressey's blog, and I can not stress how important it is to see his stuff.   He is not only extremely intelligent, but he can back up his knowledge with incredible feats of strength also.  A link to his blog is shown here.  His blog is absolutely amazing and I have learned more for his stuff on his website than I have anywhere else.  He has complete knowledge of anything strength, fitness, or diet related.  If you would like to see even more than what his website has to offer, he also writes informative books on an array of subjects.  Click here. 

I have personally purchased his book "Maximum Strength," and I only have good things to say about it.  One of the things that Eric Cressey does that most other fitness professionals don't do, is that he emphasizes the important of mobility and proper warm ups.  He has a big selection of different warm ups that he talks about on his blogs.  He also goes in and talks about ways to move better, improve 

posture, and improve the quality of life through fitness.

Eric Cressey often posts multiple times a week and he not only posts blogs himself, but he also promotes others in blogs, which gives a wide range of knowledge across many fitness professionals.  I believe that this is one of the greatest blogs you can read.  The information on it is backed up by science, unlike a lot of blogs which may be just personal opinions from people.  One of the things that separates his blog from the rest is that he has personally gone through many of the things he talks about.  Some bloggers may only know about the information, but they may not be athletes themselves.  Eric Cressey has been there and he has been an elite powerlifter.  If you want to take your strength to the next level, his blogs can be a great resource. 

Promotion of GymTalk's Blog "Less Is More"

A Blog Everyone Should Read

Today I will be talking about a blog post that I urge everyone to read.  This blog is about going back to the basics and it is kind of what  I touched on in my last post.  My train of thought is that most people try to do too much.  They may be on a program for a month, then they will get tired of it and switch to a completely new program.  The blog I read today was titled "Less Is More," and it goes through and talks about exactly that. His blog is humorous and insightful, and I suggest you read it.

The first step that this article talked about was to unfollow every fitness coach from social media except one.  The idea in this is that there is just too much information out there and the variety is not needed.  All you have to do is follow one fitness coach and you will have more than enough information on what to do.

The next step is to figure out what we can actually do.  This gives you a good idea of your base of strength and it will allow you to capitalize on it.  This is all about building a base before you move on to more advanced exercises.

He also talks about going back to a basic 3 meals a day.  You don't have to get fancy with your meals.  All you need is something basic that is going to give you your core nutrients necessary.  Many people will mess with different diets and fads, only to give up on them and go back to where they started.

Finally, he talks about incorporating a fully body workout three days a week.  People are too focused on specializing on a certain muscle group (think of the people that go to the gym and just do bicep curls).  The idea is to hit all of the areas of your body and to create a balanced physique.  Focusing too much on certain areas will cause imbalances and they can cause problems in posture.

Top 3 Exercises To Perform for Strength

These Exercises Are A MUST!

In this post I will be talking about the most crucial exercises to perform in order to obtain strength gains.  If these exercises are done consistently and with proper form, you will be able to see noticeable gains in strength in as little as one month.  The key is to do these on a weekly basis and to work on perfecting your form.  Each week you should be adding 5-10 pounds, depending on the exercise.  Once these strength gains come to a stop, and you start to plateau, it is reasonable to try to add 2.5 pounds every week or every other week.

1. The Squat

The squat is the most important exercise that anyone can perform.  All people have different bone structures, femur lengths, torso lengths, proportions, etc., so the weighted back squat may not be for everyone.  This should not stop you from squatting though.  There are many variations of the squat that can be completed safely.  Some different variations include the box squat, the front squat, the back squat, and a body weight squat.  Some other variations could even be with single leg work, such as doing lunges.  The squat is the most important exercise because it is a complete full body movement.  Just about every muscle is used in this movement, not just your legs. The squat can be done a few times a week, and it will not necessarily tax your central nervous system like the deadlift... which brings me to my next exercise.


2. The Deadlift

Many Consider the squat the king of all exercises, which often times leaves the deadlift as the next best exercise.  The deadlift is also a complete full body exercise.  It mainly ends up working your hamstrings, quads, forearms, and upper back.  When done properly it can leave you completely drained.  The reason I put this below the squat is because it can not be performed quite as often as the squat.  Since you will be lifting more weight in the deadlift than in a squat, it will more easily tire out your central nervous system, making recovery time longer.


3.  The Bench press


The final lift that I will be going over is the bench press.  I included the bench press in the final most important strength exercise that you can do because it completely targets the upper body.  Whereas the squat and the deadlift target the entire body, the bench press will solely be targeting your triceps and chest.  The squat will target your core, hamstrings, quads, glutes, and back, while the deadlift will target your hamstrings, quads, core, forearms, and upper back, which just leaves the chest.  The bench press allows you to lift a very large amount of weight, which is why it is considered a compound movement.  Doing compound movements increase strength quicker than doing something in isolation.  The key is to involve as many body parts in a movement, and your strength will go through the roof.

Feel free to read more of this from an article provided by Bodybuilding.com

Beginning the Journey

Beginning the Journey


I think the most important thing that anyone can do in fitness is to start small.  Too many people work too hard in the beginning and they become demotivated.  I see beginners going to the gym all of the time and they push themselves to the breaking point and they don't understand that it is not necessary.  It isn't necessary to wake up at 5 am, run 5 miles, then eat salad all day, in order to become fit.

My best piece of advice is to start your fitness journey by taking a 30-60 minute walk outside everyday at the same time.  For example, you may come off of work and begin your walk at 6 pm and finish it by 7 pm.  After a week or two, this will start to become more routine and you will look forward to these walks.  It's a time to relax and erase your mind of all of the stress you have had during the day.  After you have finally eased into it, you can finally get to the gym.  Walking everyday for 30 minutes is important because it isn't something that you are going to dread and at the same time it is something that you can make a routine.  The problem that most people have is that they fall out of a routine.  You may have motivation to start your routine, but once that motivation fades, it is important to keep going out of habit.  All you have to do is replace your time at the gym with the time you used to spend walking.  Therefore, you will have already built the foundation of your schedule with your walks.

If you try to start your fitness journey too aggressively, you are going to burn out.  Fitness isn't a race, rather, it's a marathon.  It is important to set goals, but I think that people often times get too caught up in the short term goals.  Of course, you need short term goals to stay on track for your final fitness goals, but they have to be realistic goals.  Becoming stronger takes a lot of time and it isn't something that will happen overnight, and it may not even happen after a year.  That is why it is so important to make it a routine.  It is a complete lifestyle change and you are going to have to look forward to going to the gym. This can be accomplished if you ease into it and make every step enjoyable.

Everyday Fitness Preview

Introduction

In this post I will be introducing you to the type of content that I will be covering in my blog posts.  My goal is to educate you on the strength training, ways to become stronger, and I want to help you understand the many benefits of lifting weights, among other things. I will dedicate this post to the person whom got me into strength training in the first place, and his name is Eric Cressey.  Eric Cressey is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and he offers some of the best content on the internet on an array of fitness related subjects.  His blog post, which features many posts about fitness, diet, and his own personal stories, can be found here.

Not only is Eric Cressey incredibly smart, but he can also back up his knowledge with his amazing feats of strength.  Cressey is not just a coach and a writer, but he was also once a competitive power lifter.  Basically, power lifting consists of three particular lifts.  These lifts include the bench press (lowering a weighted barbell to your chest and pressing it back up), the squat (squatting with a weighted barbell on your back until your thighs are parallel with the ground, and standing back up), and the deadlift (picking a weighted barbell off of the ground, locking it out, and then lowering it back to the ground).  In a competition, you are to choose the most weight you can do for these three lifts and you have to try lift the most weight you can.  Each lift allows for three attempts at.  For example, you may start with a bench press of 315 pounds, then the next lift you may try 320 pounds, and then finally you may try 325 pounds, and your highest lift will be counted towards your total.  Eric Cressey's best competition included a 540 lb squat, a 402 bench press, and a 650 lb deadlift.  His total was 1532 at a body weight of 165 lbs, which is impressive to say the least.

I played baseball in high school and this is how I originally came across Eric Cressey.  I wasn't very big in high school. I only weighed about 160 pounds and I wanted to find something that would help me get bigger and stronger, so I could throw harder. This is when I found Eric Cressey and the work that he had done with a guy named Tim Collins.  Tim Collins is a 5-5 professional pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, and with the help of Eric Cressey he was able to go from throwing in the low 80's to throwing in the low/mid 90's.  From then on, I knew that Eric Cressey was the real deal and he knew what he was talking about.  I decided to buy a book from him called "Maximum Strength," and the book was a great starting point for me into the world of weight training.

About Me

For my blogs, I will be using my pseudonym Jeff Fit.  The purpose of my blog is to offer fitness content that you can use in your everyday life and to show you that fitness can be fun.  Not everyone likes to workout, but if you ease into it, you might just end up enjoying it.  The key is to start small and gradually build upon your initial foundation.  As for me personally,  I have always loved fitness and being active.  I was always involved in a lot of sports when I was younger, eventually I put most of my focus into baseball.  I played baseball from the time I was 6, until I graduated high school at 18.  After I finished high school, I wanted to find a way to continue to be active.  I began by researching different workout programs, diets, supplements, and I watched countless videos of people like Eric Cressey (powerlifter who specializes in baseball), and I was able to develop a passion for fitness. I always wanted to play a professional sport, but unfortunately I was just never good enough.  Originally, I started lifting weights to get stronger for baseball, but I finally figured that I would never be a professional baseball player, but along the way I found a new passion in lifting weights.  I think everyone can benefit from becoming more fit and incorporating strength training into their lives.  You do not have to do anything crazy, just a few hours of lifting weights a week.  After a while you will stop dreading your workouts and eventually you will begin to look forward to them.  Again, I will be going by the pseudonym Jeff Fit and if you want to contact me, you can visit my contact page.