Canada Goes on to the Olympics to Watch?

Seeing as this is a sports blog i get a chance to discuss my sport of choice which is soccer, specifically the CONCACAF Women`s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. There are only two available tickets to the 2012 London Olympic Football Tournament and Canada is in the running to gain one of these precious tickets. The teams are divided into two groups, group Awhich consists of Canada, Costa Rica, and Haiti; while Group B consists of the United States, Guatemala, Mexico, and the Dominican republic. 

Thanks to the wonders of pvr i managed to record a few of these games to watch, being a fellow soccer player i wish i had even an ounce of the talent that some of the players have. I managed to record a Canada game as well as two US games. Canada and the US both emerged with wins by alot of goals. The games that i got a chance to watch were very entertaining and both teams played with a tremendous amount of skill.

However even though Canada is on their way to the Olympics can they even compare to the vast amount of skill of theUnited Sates or is it just a lost cause? The two teams came head to head and the US came out the winner with four goals. watching both games i have noticed that the US seems much more aggressive as well as some serious offensive players like Abby Wambach and brand new player who scored five goals in her first game as an American player Sydney Leroux.

So the real question is can Canada compete with the power of the US or will they simply be showing up? This should`nt be all negative though Canada has some very strong players as well who have helped to bring them as far as they have come already. When i say these very strong players I obviously am talking about Christine Sinclair who has been called one of the best soccer players of all time. She is Canada`s all time leading goal scorer and is the reigning six time Canadian Soccer Association Player of the year. we have also seen and heard great things from Melissa Tancredi who has set up some great plays resulting in goals.

I think the only thing that can be done is Canada can practice and work on some new offensive plays and hopefully give the US some competition. So all we can do now is hang tight and wait for the Olympics and hope for the best.

The Evolution of the National Hockey League (NHL)

Hockey is an ever evolving sport and since the first season in 1917-1918, the NHL has changed dramatically; new rules, new goalie pads, faster play, bigger players.

If you watch the vintage games from the 80’s and 90’s and compare to the games now, players back then seemed to lack the skill they have today. Don’t get me wrong there were many great players in those decades such as Mark Messier, Bobby Ore and the great Wayne Gretzky, but the games and players today look even better.

Goalies rarely had shutouts, games usually ended in blowouts, physical defensemen were usually considered “the best” and the games overall seemed slower paced since defensemen rarely pinched. Players are now stronger and faster.  For example, Al Macinnis was once known for having the fastest Shot at 100.1 mph but nowadays players usually shoot at that average and the fastest shot now is at 108.8 mph by Chara.

It’s not just players; coaches have evolved as well having new strategies, better communication with play by play analysts and understanding the game a lot better. 

Retrieved from Vintage Leaf Memories

With the evolution of players, comes evolution of equipment. Sticks are lighter and made out of composite material instead of a heavy piece of wood. Goalie pads are much bigger and goalies tend to allow less goals, which a lot of fans dislike but isn’t that their job?

Another key change that will modify the league next season is the new conference realignment that will be implemented next year, increasing games against rivals and be more accommodating geographically.  This will even out the travel schedule for teams and present a chance to face every team in the league. I think this change will be huge and will force teams to adopt new play styles.

What are everyone else’s thoughts on the new conference changes?

Anderson "The Spider" Silva

The most commonly known  and most popular MMA league or mixed martial arts league in the world is the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). However, with mixed martial arts being so diverse ranging from different fighting techniques to different rules, fighters are able to compete in different leagues or tournaments such as Strikeforce, Japan's DREAM or the Bellator Fighting Championships.

There are 323 fighters competing in 8 different weight categories in the UFC, but only a few of them have really caught my attention, particularly Anderson "The Spider" Silva.


(Photo retrieved from Movie-freedom)

 

Originating from Curitiba, Brazil, Silva is arguably one of the greatest and most dominant fighter in the history of MMA fighting and the UFC. He is currently the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion and has been since October 14, 2006 after he knocked out Rich Franklin with a vicious knee to the face in the first round of the fight at UFC 64. He hasn't lost a fight since April 2006 and has won 14 consecutive fights including 9 title defenses. He holds the UFC record for longest winning and title defense streaks.

Anderson Silva is very well rounded fighter and is considered as one of the best in the UFC. He is mainly known for his devastating and precise striking, as well as his lethal Muy Thai leg and knee kicks. Additionally, his ability to counterstrike makes him very dangerous to any of his opponents. Although he's been criticized for his ground game, he's shown improvement by submitting some very good wrestlers such as Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson in the last couple of years.

He still doesn't have a set date for his next fight or title defending fight, but you can be sure that I won't be missing it! Click here to see some of his knockouts.


Benefits of Yoga

Recently I've been hearing more and more about the health benefits yoga has for people; physically and psychologically. I'm not a consistent yoga-goer, but I have gone a couple times and through the sweat and pain, enjoyed myself. I looked up some of the different benefits of yoga to see if it offers advantages that just working out do not.

In regards to strength, yoga that focuses on holding poses for longer periods of time can build muscle in the upper-body, hamstrings, abdominal muscles and lower back. Each pose serves to strengthen specific parts of the body. The poses are held from anywhere between 30 seconds to a couple minutes, and the repetition of these poses is the quickest way to build and strengthen your muscles. Trying to increase your flexibility also uses the repetitive and challenging poses. It's frustrating to find that my flexibility hasn't made any improvements the few times I tried to take up yoga; but then I remembered that yoga is all about consistency, and most people won't see a change in flexibility after the first class. 

For those in competitive sports, yoga can help a great deal in regards to performance and endurance. Yoga helps to prevent injuries, increase lung capacity, strengthen hand-eye coordination, increase reaction time and much more. The effort that is put into yoga has its way of giving back by allowing better overall performance.

From a psychological perspective, one of yoga's biggest benefits is creating a calm, meditative atmosphere. This does a great deal for someone who struggles with stress, anxiety and depression. How? The breathing techniques are slow and allow you to consume a lot of air. This is opposite to the type of breathing you get with stress and anxiety. Yoga can change your whole mindset on life. It can improve self-confidence, self-acceptance, memory, concentration, calmness, etc. While breathing gives oxygen to the muscles in your body, it also gives oxygen to your brain! The more fresh, clean oxygen you brain gets, the clearer your mind. Your brain will actually become healthier with all of that oxygen, which will in turn mentally and physically allow you to stay healthy. 

These are just a few of the factors of yoga that would be most affective for me. Definitely read into some of the links I provided, which gives detailed explanations of how every different stretch and breath can positively affect your health. 

Good foods

Although our blog is based on fitness and sports, food plays a major role in both. To maintain a healthy body, get results, and feel better, people must get better eating habits. Since there are hundreds of examples, I have chosen three of my favorites, avocados, strawberries and yams. These three are awesome because they can be mixed into many meals, taste great, and are easy to obtain.

Avocados, like olives, are high in mono-unsaturated fats and calories. However, they are very rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals and packed with health benefiting plant nutrients. Dietary fibers help lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent constipation. Most people do not consume these alone, and they are usually incorporated in salads and dips.

One of the more famous yet not really appreciated fruits is the strawberry. Low in calories and fats but contains a rich source of many health promoting phyto-nutrients, minerals and vitamins that are essential for optimum health. Fresh berries are an excellent source of vitamin-C, which is also a powerful natural antioxidant. These can be eaten alone or thrown in a salad.

An alternative to potatoes, yams are a very healthy source of carbohydrates. One yam contains (on average) 100 grams of complex carbohydrates. This is a really good source of energy 1-2 hours prior to a high intensity workout for over 1 hour, or for those who do long distance running. Yams are also rich in vitamin B, which aides in the metabolism of carbohydrates, triglycerides, fats/lipids and proteins. Yams are also great for hair and nail growth and a good source of antioxidants when cooked at the right temperatures. Yams can be eaten as fries, mashed, and several other forms.

In the end, eating healthy will maximize your results, make you feel better and help you out in the long run. The biggest conception to eating these types of food is the taste, but when it comes to these examples, taste is no problem.

If you guys know any other foods that people might not know about, post them and then maybe we can spread the info!


Definitions:
Dietary fibers
Antioxidant
Phytonutrients 
Complex carbohydrates

Competition at the gym

I've always noticed whenever I go to the gym, the level of competition people have with each other. I'll be running on the treadmill and notice the girl beside me glances to see how fast I'm running and how many calories I'm burning. Guilty; I find myself doing it too. I have no idea if it 's just curiosity, or if a little bit of competition comes into play as well. I notice it is equally as obvious in women and men. With younger men, they'll park themselves beside me, then immediately go as fast as they can, have the strongest resistance, etc. In those cases, I think younger men feel the need to impress others around them. It's all about showing off their manliness: which I find quite humorous.

What I don't understand, is why we do it? The fact that someone is at the gym means they are conscious about their health, and trying to stay fit; end of story. It doesn't matter how hard they're working out because we're all at different levels of strength and endurance. Just because I can run faster than someone else, or someone can run faster than me, doesn't make me feel better or worse about myself. Still, I find curiosity gets the best of me. 

Men are obvious about their competition with others. I have friends that go to the gym with me, come find me, and tell me how much they just bench pressed. Here's the thing; I don't actually care. And most other girls won't either. The only people who care are your friends, who are then just going to try to lift heavier weight then you just did. 

With me, it's gotten to the point where I get a bit self-conscious about other people watching me work out. I wonder if they're judging the pace I'm at, or criticizing my form. But in reality, I don't judge other people based on how they work out, so they probably don't judge me either.

If people learned to mind their own businesses, it would make my workouts much more enjoyable. :)

New found respect for tennis

I have always had a great time playing tennis, and use to think I was a fairly good tennis player. Sunday January 29, was the final day of play at the 2012 Australian Open. Rafael Nadal was defeated by Novak Djokovic. This match made Novak the number 1 seed in the world for male tennis players and crowned him the 2012 Australian Open Champion. It was an unbelievable match, and after 5hours and 53 minutes of playing time Novak ripped off his shirt in celebration. The previous day number 3 seed in the world Victoria Azarenk defeated number 4 seed in the world Maria Sharapova in 2 straight sets to capture the title of Australian Women's Single Champion. Another amazing performance by two amazing athletes. Although the play wasn't nearly as long or fast as the men's play it was still great match to watch. 


I never thought of tennis being that strenuous of an activity, but after watching many matches of the Australian Open this year I found a new respect for Tennis players. The men's final match set a new record for length in just under 6 hours, this was an incredible feat to watch! It's unbelievable the amount of effort put forward by each person on the court. It sucked knowing that one of the two competitors would end up having to lose.


The statistics put forward by each of the competitors were absolutely unreal! Novak and Rafael had their fastest serves of the match at 202 KM/H and 204 KM/H respectively. With average serve speed being 190 KM/H and 183KM/H. The serve speeds are absolutely ridiculous. Imagine trying to return a tennis ball moving at the speeds these men were serving. It's mind boggling when thinking about an object moving at these speeds in such a compact space. In comparison Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins set a record of shooting the puck at a blistering 108.8 M/H (175 KM/H) in the 2012 NHL all-star game on Sunday Jan. 30. The new record for hardest shot is still 25 KM/H less then the speeds these men were serving the ball.

I truly never had very much respect tennis players, thinking their wimps and don't need to train as hard as other sports. After watching more matches this year I finally realized that these men are actually amazing athletes. The ability to serve the ball over 200 KM/H is remarkable. As well as the training/cardio needed to be able to put forward strenuous effort for just under 6 hours is amazing. Personally I wish I was in the shape these men must be in the be able to do this. A new found respect for tennis players has definitely been found. 

Concussions... and a mini rant about Crosby

Concussions have always been a possibility when engaging in contact sports. Recently, it seems that they have been receiving more attention then usual. I would like to blame, it's not the right word but the first that comes to mind, Sidney Crosby for this. Sid the Kid (I hate calling him that), took a blind sided hit from David Steckel of the Washington Capitals during the Winter Classic in 2010. A few games later, he got hit into the boards by Victor Hedmen of the Tampa Bay Lightening. The question remains....which one of these fine, young, talented men gave Crosby the concussion?

Personally, it does not matter to me. If he wasn't feeling like himself after the Winter Classic, he probably shouldn't of played the next game. The hit by Hedmen definitely made whatever brain injury Sid had worse. I could go on about Crosby and how long he has been out for, and his unreal comeback game against the New York Islanders and how the Pens won 5-0, and Crosby had a 4 point game. But I will stop here. That is not the point of this point. The point is how the NHL is continuing to review head shots,  and cracking down on suspensions.

Classic example, Nicky Backstrom of the Washington Capitals, took a dirty elbow to the head by Flames Rene Bourque. Who by the way, is now a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Bourque was suspended 5 games, and Backstrom is still out with concussion like symptoms.

Not so classic example. Freak accident occurs to Oilers young star, Taylor Hall. During a warm up just before a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hall slips on a puck and Corey Potters skate cuts Halls forehead pretty badly. Hall required medical attention which ended up being 30 stitches. The following game, The Edmonton Oilers required all members of the team to wear helmets during warm ups.

Because of these recent accidents, many teams are making requirements for players to wear helmets.
The Colorado Avalanche have also made it a requirement for players to wear helmets during warm up. However, Vancouver Canucks have made it optional for the players.

Click Here for article on NHL.com about head shots.

Alex Ovechkin was suspended for 3 games due to a hit, where his feet left the ice, on Pens Michelak. Ovi had decided that he did not want to participate in the All-Stars game, because he felt as if he did not deserve to be there, and other ridiculous reasons. As a replacement, James Neal from the Pittsburgh Penguins went. I think that's such a slap in the face to bring a member of the Pens instead of just choosing another Capital. I will also not get into this because I could talk about the All-Star game and the hilarious commentary done by Scott Hartnell. I'll post the video anyways..


Anyways, concussions can occur anywhere, anytime. It has becoming more common in sports, I have only discussed hockey because I am not very knowledgeable in football so I'm not going to try to impress you with facts. Everybody can take preventative measures in order to decrease the amount of concussions happening. We can also make sure players are completely healed and back to normal before engaging back into play. Players can also take it easy starting out slowly with fewer playing minutes and not acting like goons. *COUGH* Sidney Crosby asking for it with numerous hits after his return. *COUGH*


:)

Carlos Tevez Transfer Saga

I was born and raised in France so it's not surprising that soccer or as we call it in Europe, "football", is my favorite sport. As any sport fan, I'm always aware of the latest scores, transfer news and standings of my favorite teams in the different European leagues I follow. I mainly enjoy watching England's Barclay's Premier League, France's Ligue 1 and Spain's La Liga.



(Photo found on wikipedia)

Unlike many other sports, in soccer there are "transfer windows" which means that teams can only sign, loan or transfer new players to their current roster during that period of time. Those transfer periods take place twice a year; once in January and then again from June all the way through the end of August during the off season. The transfer window is currently still open but will be closing tomorrow night at midnight (January 31, 2012).

One of the hottest transfer targets of the year has been Argentina's world renowned striker Carlos Tevez. Tevez left Manchester United and signed for their archrivals Manchester City on July 14, 2009. Last September, during a champion's league matchup between Manchester City and Bayern Munich, he directly refused to obey his coach's orders to warm up and to go on the pitch as a substitute. As a result of his misconduct, City's manager Mancini announced that Tevez was finished at the club. Carlos Tevez has been playing golf in Argentina this whole time while waiting for the transfer window so that he could be bought by another club. However, things haven't looked bright for him and with the transfer window closing in under 24 hours it looks like Tevez will not be going anywhere until the end of the season. Italian giants AC Milan and Inter Milan, along with France's top flight Paris Saint Germain have all ended their pursuit for Carlos Tevez in this transfer window as none of them were able to come to an agreement for him with Manchester City.

As a Paris Saint Germain fan, I would really like to see him go there this summer, even though he has clearly stated that AC milan is his preferred destination. Manchester City won't let him go for cheap and this is the main reason no team has to come to terms to the buyout clause in his contract which is estimated at 30,000,000 euros. As far as cash rich Manchester City is concerned, they are not willing to do him any favors and in an ironical way, this is how they are punishing his rebellious attitude. Tevez is one of the best and naturally talented strikers in the world, and I think that it's a shame that he isn't able to play because he still hasn't reach his full potential as a player. Let's see what the summer transfer window holds for him and especially at which club he will end up at!

Click here to see some of Tevez's scoring highlights

I was watching my brother's hockey game the other night which ended up being a very physical game with injuries and many penalties. Having played girls hockey for many years, I started comparing the ways in which girls and boys take their anger out on the rink.

For girls it is very much an emotional game. On the ice, I found that the ways in which we expressed our frustrations were verbal more than anything. As hitting is not allowed and physical contact is closely monitored, talking is the only way to take anger out on the ice. The names that girls call each other are just as vulgar as they would be at school or at a bar. For me, it was always hard not to laugh when the ladies would get so worked out. I took my frustrations out by skating faster and shooting harder. After watching men's hockey for many years, it is obvious that they take their anger out in a more physical form. The hits and the fights are always intense and it makes me wonder if the boys fight because they are actually frustrated, or if it's just for show. In the NHL it is obvious that there are chosen players on the team that are designated to take most of the fights. As well, sometimes during girl's hockey it felt as if the name-calling was just to impress or please the other girls on the team. Perhaps this is the same for boys as well; to impress the team and the crowd.

If anyone has any insight as to why choose to fight with each other on the ice, I'd love to hear it. 

The Buisness of Recruting

As January winds down, and we get closer and closer to Febuary anyone who has taken the time to look at just about any american sports website, or pick up the newest edition of Sports Illustrated has probably noticed alot of talk about college signings and recruitment. This is because on Febuary 1st of each year is the fianl date for high school football players to commit to their college of choice. It is a massive industry in the states as College coaches and High school prospects alike fight for the last scholarships schools have available, and the few top prospects that remain uncommitted To give you an idea how large this industry is in america, on febuary first of each year ESPN has 24 hour coverage of the top signings, and high schools assemble all their students in gymnasiums as their top athletes declare, press conferance style, where they plan to attend for their 4 year career as a college athlete. There are massive websites such as scout.com, or rivals.com that are soley dedicated to following these top high school athletes and trying their best to decypher where they are going to attend, sometimes even going as far as harassing extended family members for insight as to where there relative may be attending(Second-and-third cousins are not usually the best sources of information).

Amari Cooper(WR, Miami, FL)
 Photo Courtsey of Amari Cooper

However it is not just Febuary first where these festivities begin and end. For years leading up to this date high school players do as much as they possibly can to gain exposure in the eyes of college recruiters, which means in alot of cases attending summer camps that universitys will sometimes put on, or traveling to regional combines where players can get their physical stats tested (eg. 40 yard dash, Bench Press, Squat). In recent years The Nike SPARQ combines have become popular with recruits. Also for the elite few that are selected there are all-state, and better yet All-American Games that some can play in. The most popular of these are the Under Armour All American Bowl, and the US Army All-American Bowl, both of which are televised internationally. At these games the top recruits will sometimes declare there intent to attend their school of choice in sideline commitments, in which they usually have hats lined up on a table of the schools that they are considering, and then put on the hat of the school their choice.

At the end of all this chaos, many future college stars are born, and many people are fourtunate enough to have their hard work pay off, through a full-ride all expenses paid scholarship to their school of choice. Some of the top recruits to look out for on national signing day and college game day next year are Dorial Green-Beckham(WR, Springfield, MO), Arik Armstead(OT, Elk Grove, CA), and Stefon Diggs(WR, Olney,MD).

Nutrition is key behind training

Everyone believes that in order to get muscular or lose weight you need to kill your body at the gym. These assumptions are completely inaccurate. In order to reach your physical goals you need to focus time on following a strict diet as well as a good workout. Working out is only 10 percent of the equation while diet is 90 percent of the equation in order to reach your goals.

With my background of working in a supplement shop (naturally fit) I have the luxury of being able to study what your body needs the most to reach its full potential. Whenever a client comes in for help to get a new supplement, we ask what are their goals and from there we create diet, then a workout. We explain to each person whose trying to lose weight that they could run for hours a day, but if you don't have proper nutrients going into your body your not going to get anywhere. Or if your trying to get big you need to eat clean food, and have a large intake of clean foods then hitting the iron is required.

Studies have shown that the key to bulk is all about your nutrition. Each body type is completely different but there are proper times to eat, and to eat different things.  Carbs, proteins, and fats all have different functions for our bodies and muscles. Carbohydrates are there to provide your body with energy, and there are two different kinds of carbohydrates. These two kinds of carbs are, fast digesting and complex carbs. Complex carbs are meant to be eaten throughout the day, but ideally 30-45 minutes prior to training, examples are oatmeal, pasta or rice. Fast digesting carbs are meant to be eaten right after training and are meant to give your body energy quickly, things like apples and oranges (natural sugars) are examples of these or a supplement called "waxy maize" is a fast digesting carb. Fats come in different forms but your body requires fat when bulking because they are slow digesting calories that do not allow your body to burn more calories then digested while training. Proteins are meant to repair torn muscles and to promote muscle growth. Inside of protein is things called Amino Acids (BCAA's) which are branch chain proteins that are meant to increase recovery rate. Many supplements are out on the market filled with BCAA's which are very beneficial to gaining size.

When you finally get into a proper diet for whatever your physical goals are you, you are able to successfully manipulate your metabolism. After manipulating your metabolism you are able to make your body gain weight or lose weight. The ability to lose weight through metabolism manipulation is eating smaller meals 5-6 times a day, high protein and low carbs/starches, but with a lot of veggies. The protein makes your body feel full and not want to eat anymore. To gain weight by manipulating your metabolism you still eat 5-6 small meals a day with high protein, and high carbs. The carbs are meant to be stored and help you gain weight because carbs are high in calories. Doing this will make you feel as if your gaining fat, but this will happen and will be able to be cur right after.

Training is such a large topic of discussion and talking about nutrition is also massive. This is just a broad overview of nutrition and more will come. The above information has been gathered over years of training, and talking with my boss (Joel Cloutier, Body builder and owner of Naturally Fit South Calgary), also lots of information found at Cutandjacked website, and articles.

Money and sports

  Are athletes overpaid? Well, we provide them with their salary. Even if you never go to the game, if you turn on to watch, you make them money. Advertisers invest millions of dollars in these games to sell their products.The money then leaves our pockets when we buy tickets and the products advertised and therefore we pay for the athletes.

Yes teachers, doctors, police, fireman, and soldiers are the true backbone of society. They make much less money, but no one is lining up to watch english classes. It is human nature to pay for entertainment. We support the sports, and in return we expect them to entertain us. We demand a quality product.

On the other side, this controversy has lately become a terrible plot to ruin sports for good. As certain sports become bigger in the world of entertainment, companies will continue to pay more and athletes will continue to demand more.From a personal viewpoint, I believe athletes deserve good pay, but in the recent decades, the pay has exceeded reasonable amounts.

Beginning in May 2010, ending in May of 2011, the top five most paid athletes racked in almost 270 million dollars, among these were Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James. Media plays a major role in the salary race. As more people are recorded watching these events, the more the agents and teams will demand.  

In an interview, Alan Ball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Ball,_Jr.), a member of England's World Cup winning team in 1966, once explained that when he was playing, he lived and socialized with the people who watched him, now all the players live in big houses and ride in limos.


Even though my opinion is split in some ways, I'm interested in what you guys think about money and sports.











http://www.therichest.org/sports/forbes-highest-paid-athletes/

Get your sleep on

It may seem very simple but most people don't get that 8 hours of sleep to help that allows their body to recover and prepare for a new day. Whether it is school, work or exercising, sleep should be a priority, studying for the test till 4 am when it’s at 9 am, getting only five hours of sleep will lower your chances of success.  

For those doing intense training sessions and want maximal recovery time over night, going to sleep at 10 pm and rising at 6 am is the time frame in which you should be sleeping. Remember that when you are asleep your body releases anabolic hormones such as HGH (Human Growth Hormone), which are essential in the process of gaining muscle. This also allows you to start your day early so you can get an extra meal or two in over the course of the day.

In a study done by the National Sleep Foundation (http://www.sleepfoundation.org/)  showed that at least 40 million Americans suffered from over 70 different sleep disorders. It also found that 60 percent of adults reported problems involving sleeping a few nights a week. Lack of sleep can affect various areas:

·         Brain and nervous system

·         Cardiovascular system

·         Metabolic functions

·         Immune system

And cause:

·         Pathological sleepiness, insomnia and accidents

·         Hypertension and elevated cardiovascular risks (MI, stroke)

·         Emotional disorders (depression, bipolar disorder)

·         Obesity; metabolic syndrome and diabetes

·         Alcohol and drug abuse

So for those of you out there trying the maximize your health, fitness results and daily awareness, try getting to sleep earlier as the sun sets and wake up as the sun rises.

 

Research and further information about sleep can be found here:

http://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why.aspx

Compund vs Singular

 Most people who hit the gym tend to focus on single parts of their body on a day-to-day basis. Although its not the worst way to go about it, results may vary and there is a easier way to obtain the muscles you desire, in a sorter period of time.

Compound exercises require work from more than one muscle. For a beginner it is best to start off with these compound exercises rather than isolation exercises because they put stress on your muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. So instead of isolating separate muscles the body is being built as a whole.

The reason compound exercises are so effective is because the body is composed is several related parts. For those focusing on gaining weight and heavy muscle you really need to focus solely on compound movements. Doing so will result in you surpassing your target weight.

Examples of compound movements would be bench press, dead lifts, squats, and military press. As you notice if you perform these movements, they are related with the movements we make during everyday life such as lifting a heavy box could be related to a dead lift. This makes these exercises really advantageous in building overall strength as well

 The video below is a great example of compound exersing by Sixpackshortcuts workout coach Mike Chang.

http://www.youtube.com/user/sixpackshortcuts?v=gk6A0rNxPNc&feature=pyv&ad=12684415327&kw=bench%20press

 

 

Should religion be allowed in sports?

A conversation within another class the other day got me curious of everyone else's thoughts about professional athletes expressing their religious beliefs in sports. My professor asked the class about whether or not religion should be allowed in sports. Many people agreed that religion is personal and everyone should have the right to express their beliefs however they find fit. Other half the class think that people shouldn't have to watch people celebrating and showing off their religious beliefs. This discussion within class has made me curious about what other people think on this subject.

There has been the ongoing controversy of whether or not religion should be permitted to be shown/expressed within sports. In the middle of this controversy is Denver Bronco's Quarterback Tim Tebow, who has made famous "Tebowing" which is the act of going down on one knee and make a fist and placing it to your head and praying. Tim Tebow isn't the greatest quarterback in the NFL, with average statistics for the 2011-2012 year, but he has been well liked and is bringing lots of publicity to the league surrounding religion. This publicity has been both poor and good for the NFL and even was brought up on Saturday Night Live. This has been raising the question if whether or not professional athletes should be able to express their religion/belief in their sport of choice.

Although Tim Tebow has created many speculations in regards of should religion be allowed to be expressed within sports, many other athletes of other sports have shown their beliefs in the past. Athletes like Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa have been known to express. Barry Bonds makes a simple reference to his God by pointing to thy sky and acknowledging him.  While other players express their religious beliefs in other ways, like Sammy Sosa, he taps his chest to his mouth then points to the sky to thank God for allowing him to hit a home run. These are only a few key examples of professional athletes showing off their beliefs, soccer players are very religious as well and slide on their knees praying to God after scoring a goal.

My opinion is that every person should be allowed to show off their beliefs how ever they find fit, and allow the haters to hate. What is everyone else's belief on expressing religious beliefs in sports?

Old is new... again?!

It's that time of year again, just over halfway through the regular season and also days away from the NHL All-Star game (which just happens to be on my 20th birthday!).  It's the time of year where based on how each team has played, they make decisions that will effect the remainder of the season, whether it's making the big trade that lands you a star player for playoffs or clearing up salary cap space for the off season.  The Calgary Flames were one of the NHL's clubs that made a decision to add a boost to their team, and help to potentially land them in a playoff spot.

During the off season of 2010, after the Chicago Blackhawk's anti-climatic and yet glorious win over the Philadelphia Flyers for the Stanley Cup, the Flames made two acquisitions.  What made these acquisitions notable is that before that time, they were both Flames forwards at some point.  The players I am referring to are Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen.  Both of these players had some of their best statistical seasons with the Flames, but neither changed the outcome of the team as a whole, and just as they did the previous year without these players, the Flames fell short of a playoff spot. 

On Thursday January 12th, the Calgary Flames announced late within the evening that they had acquired Mike Cammalleri from the Montreal Canadiens.  The notable player from the Flames that was sent the opposite way was Rene Bourque, Alberta native.  Bourque was currently serving a five game suspension.  Like the players mentioned above, Cammy had spent a season in Calgary previously.  He is also the only Flame that I can remember, in all of the seasons of hockey that I've watched, to outscore Jarome Iginla.  This trade sparked many questions.  Does Jay Feaster (Calgary Flames General Manager) think that Cammy will be able to get the Flames in to a playoff position?  Why was the trade executed so quickly and with little marketing done by the Canadiens?  Did the Canadiens see something they liked in Bourque or did they just want Cammy out as soon as possible?  Some of these questions have been answered, others will be based on the results of this newest Flame's play.

Cammy is one of my favorite players to ever wear a flaming "C" but even I am skeptical of this move.  There is no question that Calgary benefited from this trade more than Montreal, but is it what they needed?  The Flames need to score goals more than anythings else.  They are solid defensively but they need more offense from their top two lines.  Cammy has the potential to be a goal scorer, but it hasn't been shown this season.  When you look at Cammy's contract and salary, you sure hope he starts to net more pucks.

In conclusion, it seems like the strategy Jay Feaster is going for is to take the key players from previous years and combine them to make a successful team.  Personally, I believe Tanguay and Cammy will be spending the later part of the season fighting for the left wing position on the first line, due to Calgary's abundance of centers.  That is, of course, when Tangs returns from injury.

Below is a picture of Cammalleri in a shootout while he played for the LA Kings.  The picture was taken in 2007 by Connie Kim.

Caps vs Pens.

This mornings match up between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins was quite the showdown. Former Winter Classic competitors have always played quite an aggressive game. With Sidney Crosby still out of the line up, centre Evgeni Malkin has been quite the super star. Both Malkin and Ovechkin logged 3 points this morning. They started out with a quick 2 goal lead by the Pens. "Back-up" goalie Michal Neuvirth was in net this game. I believe they put him in because of the embarrassing shut out loss against The Hurricanes on friday. I cannot stand Thomas Vokoun, the way he plays makes me cringe. His style is awful, he does not commit, and does not make the easy saves he should. I also really enjoyed when Seymon Varlamov was goaltender for the Caps. But no, lets just get rid of him to Colorado. Also, Braden Holtby is quite the up and coming star! Anyways, caps came back, tied it up, and had a 1 goal lead in the 3rd. 3rd goal was made by Ovi and was quite a snipe shot! Then of course Pens tie it up and it goes to OT. Of course, Malkin puts one in the back of the net, and Pens win in OT. You know what? I'll take that 1 point for an OT loss, its completely fine.

Here is a fun video of Ovi and Varlamov, best buds. Commercials DON'T lie about friendships.

Russian Spies?

Washington Capitals Winter Classic Jersey, and away jersey in Edmonton in October

Pre-game, Post-game music choices.

Bonjour!
Just sitting here wondering what athletes listen to before and after games and activities.
I am not personally a fan of "main stream" music, but right now I cannot get enough of Rihanna's "You Da One."  I don't know what it is about this song, but it pumps me right up! Recently, in HBO's 24/7 The Road To The Winter Classic, the Philadelphia Flyers have shared what their post game winning jam is. Knock Knock by Mac Miller is what the team rocks out to after a "W".

The question that I am thinking of, is this more of a preference or has it become a post game ritual?

The Washington Capitals have chosen a different approach on post-game wins. Their winning tune is Pauly D's, Beat That Beat. Which I personally find hilarious. They all fist pump in the locker room after a win to this track.

From experience of being on a sports team, having a pre-game ritual or a post game music choice, can be the difference between having the best game of your season, to one of the worst.

I went to sunshine snowboarding yesterday, and its a completely different day if you have your headphones in or not. You get super amped up in the gondola on the ride up. The second your off the chair lift, and strapped in, the perfect song comes on your play list and your just cruising. I don't know how to really describe the feeling of it, but its like nothing else.

Band-aid Boyfriends

This is going to be more of a mini rant about how many of my favorite hockey players are, what I like to refer to as, a "band-aid". Boyfriend, because I would marry any of these fine young men in a heartbeat. And no, not just because of their charming good looks.

Recently in the NHL, numerous players have suffered nagging injuries.
The best example I can think of right now, is one of my favorite players, Mike Green.
With Mike Green in the line up for the Washington Capitals, they are a completely different team. The dynamic is totally different. He is such an offensive defender, making goals happen. Unfortunately, he has played a total of 10 games this season. However, in those 10 games, Green has 6 points. Split half and half for goals and assists.

Some say this is an unlucky season for the Calgary native. Personally, I think it is ridiculous. How on earth does a player obtain so many different injuries in such a short period of time!? Don't get me wrong, I love Green as a player, but he is becoming a joke to the hockey world. Almost every game Green has tried to make his big return, he suffers a new injury. I feel as if Green is either not warming up enough, or isn't taking hits properly. Regardless of what it is, something needs to change, fast.

Mike Green in line up, along with D-man Jeff Schultz. In Calgary

Season Opener, Oilers vs. Pens

My band-aid boyfriend numero dos, Jordan Staal. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins centre, Jordan Staal, keeps fighting reoccurring injuries. P.K. Subban, of the Montreal Canadiens, skate hit Staal's tendon during playoffs last year. He was out for the remainder of the season. The latest injury occurred against the New York Rangers. Staal went knee to knee with Rangers, Rupp and tore his MCL. 

Click here to see The Staal brothers :) 

Jordan is not the only band-aid in the family. Brothers Marc and Eric shared a "brotherly moment," on February 22 2011. What looks like a clean hit from Eric to Marc, ended Marc's season fairly early. Marc was out for the season with a severe concussion. Marc just recently made his debut return in the Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers came out on top with a  3-2 win!

Ryan Whitney of the Edmonton Oilers has had numerous problems with his right ankle. Problems also occurred after surgery he had, causing abnormalities, which in toll, lead to a form of tendinitis. Whitney is a key player in the Edmonton Oilers defensive lineup. Some say, he is the missing piece of the struggling Oilers puzzle. He will make his return tomorrow against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Edmonton Oilers & Washington Capitals warm up October 2011

(Also, I could talk about the biggest band-aid in the league, Mr. Crosby, but he does not deserve my time.)

I'll stop now because I could go on for hours and hours about this. Don't take offense, I like these players, and it sucks how they keep getting injured. Minus Crosby, he can stay out for the rest of life. 

Stay tuned for a post on concussions. 

Steroid Usage in Sports

Everyone believes that steroid use is terrible and will lead to many negative side effects, like “roid rage” and heart attacks as well as shortened life expectancy. Although side effects like these are both true and false, professional athletes are still using steroids. Steroids/performance enhancing drugs are illegal and are frowned upon throughout the sporting community, but many athletes are willing to take the risk of using these drugs to make them a bigger, a better, and a stronger athlete. Now performance enhancing drugs are becoming more accessible to people seeking to use them.

Image found at; http://atom.smasher.org/office/?l1=Get+Your&l2=Anabolic&l3=Steroids&l4=Here

Baseball is one sport that’s constantly under speculation for the use of steroids within the MLB, but other sports like football and hockey are seeing higher numbers of “Juice monkeys.” Jose Canseco made the use of steroids within sports very clear when he ratted out numerous professional baseball players. These professionals MLB players included great athletes like; Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Alex Rodriguez. These are some of the greatest baseball players ever within the MLB. The issue of steroid use is continually advancing within the baseball community; there has been an increasing amount of athletes testing positive and receiving suspensions from the league for using steroids.  Recently Ryan Braun, tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, and received a 50 game suspension for doing so. Former Tampa Bay Devil Ray player Manny Ramirez, tested positive for performance enhancing drugs for a second time, and received a suspension for 100 games, and proceeded to retire instead of serving his suspension.

After reviewing the baseball suspensions due to steroid use, my thoughts began to become curious about other sports. Football is another sport which is experiencing increasing amounts of steroid usage of the players.  The NFLPA (National Football League Player Association) recently agreed to tests looking for HGH (Human Growth Hormone) to the players. Human Growth Hormone is a steroid that isn’t detectable through human urine which makes it extremely hard to detect in a human. HGH allows a person to workout/be physical for a longer period of time, as well as allowing the body to heal quicker and easier. The NFL is the first professional sports association to accept testing for HGH.