Archive for September 28th, 2010
Motivational Tips for Beginning Runners
September 28th, 2010 | 
Author: Having trouble getting out the door? Here are a few tips to help keep you motivated.
Pick a goal. A performance goal. Maybe a race, or just a specific workout. I recently met a woman that was so proud when she ran 30 minutes
without stopping, I could tell something had really clicked with her. She is hooked.
Start slow. A beginning running program needs to be slow, easy, progressive, and hopefully enjoyable. Back in my days at Ball State University we
took 12 weeks to take adults through a jog walk progression with a final goal of jogging 20-30 minutes nonstop. Remember, the more out of shape
you are, the more uncomfortable exercise is going to be, unless you keep the intensity low. If you cannot walk 3.5 miles in an hour, you are not ready
to start jogging.
Buy some nice gear. Good shoes and comfortable gear might be something you look forward to using on a regular basis.
Involve the family. Family fitness is an awesome motivator for parents.
Involve others. It does help some to workout with others. Most of the time I am alone, but the tough workouts like long runs or intervals are best done
in groups.
Get a dog. My dogs are raring to go every morning, and it is hard for me to turn them down. I love taking them out for those easy morning runs.
Establish a routine by running at the same time of day often.
Keep a log. I had a roommate at Ball State that hung a calendar in the kitchen and recorded his time run on a daily basis when he was preparing for
a marathon. To me those 2 hour plus morning runs highlighted on that calendar looked very impressive.
Learn. Read, go to workshops, attend lectures, and do what you can do find out what others do to make them successful.
Variety. Run different routes, maybe change up the pace once in a while. Cross training may keep you from burning out on running.
Patience! Many give up after a short time because they do not see results. You have to stick with it and give your body a chance to adapt.
Think positive! I tell students in my tobacco cessation class, keep telling yourself 50 times a day that you need a cigarette, and you will never quit
because that is what you believe. What would happen if you told yourself 50 times a day, I cannot wait to get in shape! After about a week, you would
have a much better outlook on working out.
Reinforcement. I honestly cannot explain why I became such a fanatic about exercise, but I do remember having some modest success as a high
school freshman cross country runner, and after that the harder I worked, the better I became. That was all the reward I needed.
So what are you waiting for?
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
Dave Elger is a well respected authority within the running community having written hundreds of articles on the topics of running and wellness.
Posted in 
Tags: 
Golf Stance Tips
Many newer golfers (and a few older ones, too) have a tendency to misalign themselves when they take their stance. Normally, what they will do is
aim way right of the target and they do this for a reason. Players who are misaligned from the get go and aim right are usually players who try to swing
with their arms. When they do this the ball will almost always take off to the left. So what they are doing with this “right side” target trick is trying to fix a
problem before it even happens!
In theory, this shouldn’t be a problem…but this is not theory, it’s golf. When an “arm swinger” forces his ball back on the fairway by overcompensating
his alignment, he thinks he’s doing himself a favor. But on those occasions when he actually makes a good, solid full body swing, his ball zips off into
the trees on the right or into a right side bunker and he gets mad, and what’s worse is that by using this misaligning method he’s never going to reach
his full potential as a golfer.
These players need to work on the basics of their swing, using their body as a whole and not just their arms. But they also need to know what their
alignment is.
So how can you (or anyone else for that matter) see what your alignment is to the target?
Well, here’s a simple and very effective tip to determine what your target alignment really is.
Take a stance (your usual stance), aim at a target that you would hit at, and then lay a club down on the ground from toe to toe. Now step back about
8 or 10 paces behind the ball and club that you laid down and sight down the club. Sighting down this club will reveal your alignment.
If the club is a bit left of the target, then you’re fine. But if it’s to the right of the target, you are out of alingment. Simple but effective.
If you discover that you are out of alignment (that the club on the ground is pointing to the right of the target) then you need to work on squaring up
your stance.
Being square to the target is one of the most important tips in golf. Every ball you hit will be effected by this stance–either in a good way or (if you’re in
a misaligned stance) a bad way. It really is that simple.
Now when you are certain that you are in a square stance, hit a few balls. If the ball goes way left of the target, you know you are pulling it by trying to
use too much of your arms. If the ball goes way right, you know you are allowing your body to slide too much through impact.
By being in a square stance and evaluating a few practice shots, you can determine a lot about your swing and those areas that you need to work on.
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
Robert Partain has been an avid golfer for over 40 years.
The Anatomy of Fishing Flies
While you may not find them displayed at art galleries, fishing flies and the tying of them, is a true art form as old as fly fishing itself. The best fishing
flies aren’t only interesting to look at, their combination of colors, patterns, and textiles work better to attract fish then some of the more mass produced
tackle. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the elements that make these fishing lures so effective.
Hackle:
Hackle, or the neck feathers from a rooster, is one of the primary elements of a fishing fly. The hackle is what gives fishing flies their organic look and
feel and also their intricate color patterns. Though many people seem to think fish aren’t all that bright, they sure know enough to steer clear of putting
anything in their mouths that doesn’t look natural or like it absolutely belongs in the water.
The patterns and movement of the hackle are difficult to match with synthetic materials. When tying your own lures or buying fishing flies online or at
the tackle shop, keep a look out for lures with Whiting Farms feathers-or at least fishing flies with organic hackle versus those made with synthetic
materials.
Hair and Fur:
An alternative to the hackle fly is hair and fur fishing flies. They types of hair and fur most used for fishing flies are deer, beaver, opossum, otter, fox,
and badger. As with hackle, there are synthetic hair and fur fishing flies, but most fish seem to respond more favorably to natural hair and fur
materials. However, there are cases such as when fishing on dark river beds, when fishing flies constructed of brightly colored synthetics are a better
choice. When setting out on a fishing trip it’s best to have lots of different types and colors of fishing flies to try.
Thread, Yarn, and Wire:
Thread, chenille, braid, yarn, wire, and other spooled materials are most often used to recreate the thin, tight, body of the insect. Some types used
are flat waxed nylon thread, gossamer silk thread, sparkle yarn, and mohair and all of these come in natural and bright colors. No matter how natural
the color of the hackle of hair, oftentimes a little spark of color in the thread and yarn is what catches the fish’s attention.
Eyes:
Not all fishing fly gear have eyes, but eyes are sometimes necessary with certain types of gear, especially those that look like other fish or small
mammals. Eye styles can range from the “googley” type doll eyes that kids use in projects to silver or bronze beads, to reflective stickers.
There’s no one correct style or material for catching every type of fish. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that you take lots of different types
and colors of fishing flies with you when you try out a new spot. Even in the same river, different fish within the same species will react to different
things. Half the fun of fly fishing is experimenting with new styles and techniques and finding what works.
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
Author is a writer for Blue Fly Cafe who specialize in fishing flies and accessories.
How to Practice for Basketball Improvement
A major component you have to consider when trying to design a Basketball Improvement system is to leverage your time wisely and work on the
areas that are most important to you and your game. To use an example, if you are a point guard, your main job is to be able to handle the rock under
control and pressure, control the pace of the game, make sure all your teammates are doing their job correctly and be your coaches on the court
general. Why it would be great if you were a great rebounder, it is not something that you should spend alot of time practicing. You should focus the
majority of your time practicing and improving the areas that are most required. Try not to get caught up in trying to work on every aspect of basketball,
there just is not enough time to work on every thing in one practice.
I have outlined a Practice plan that I use to structure all of my Pro Clients workouts,they are very effective and time efficient. The practice will last
approximately 1 hour and will begin with a Sports Warm-Up.
Sports Warm Up ( 15 minutes)
It is very essential you participate in an active warm up that will prepare you for a vigorous work out ahead. The days of static stretching as a team are
long over,due to the fact that you want to prepare your self for moving, running, and explosive burst, you want to prepare your body to handle certain
movements and game situations. I normally have all my players run 4 to 5 times around the court at about 50%, and then follow that up with 4 half
court layups from both the right and left side. Then, we perform 3 full court layups on each side, right and left. Then we move onto two ball dribbling,
full court and back 3 times, two ball alternating dribbling full court and back, 3 times, and then finish with a couple of dynamic warm up stretches that
improve the mobility, stability, and flexibility of certain muscle groups.
Basketball conditioning ( 10 minutes)
I have always like jumping right into some conditioning drills as my players perform better when we get conditioning done at the beginning of
practice.Many practices, the exercise or drills will change and vary, but the principles remain the same. I usually compile 6 conditioning drills that we
will perform only once, but at 100% intensity. I will then give them a 30-45 second
break and then move onto the next conditioning drill.We do not perform the drills for certain amount of reps, but rather for a duration of time. Usually
lasting 30-45 seconds.
Hers is a sample Conditioning workout:
Exercise # 1 suicide ( 30 seconds)
Rest(45seconds)
Exercise # 2 ( machine guns while dribbling a basketball) 30 seconds
Rest (45 seconds)
Exercise # 3 Basketball Pushups with a basketball( 20 seconds on each side)
Rest(45 seconds)
Exercise #4 Full court Defensive slides( 35 seconds)
Rest ( 45 seconds)
Exercise # 5 Net or rim touches ( 30 seconds)
Rest ( 45 Seconds)
Exercise # 6 Push Up Holds ( 45 seconds)
Rest Until 10 minutes is up
As you can see, if you structure your workouts and practices correctly, you can get a very effective
practice in a short period of time. The next 10 minutes will solely focus on shooting. I have a simple rule when trying to improve your shooting. Think of
the 5 most common shots and area that you are most likely to shoot in a game and work on those 5 shots the most. It is almost a waste of time if you
are a center trying to improve your 3 point shooting. Once you have figured out your 5 most common shots, spend 2 minutes each working on them
and getting up as many shots as you can in those 2 minutes from those specific spots. You will be surprised when you start working on only a couple
of shoots how much more you will improve compared to trying to shoot from every where.
After you finish working on your shooting, you will then dedicate the next 10 minutes on ball handling. There are millions of drills that will improve your
ball handling skills and you can pick which ever ones you like, but follow these rules when you do so.
1. Try not to ever look down at the ball.
2. Try your hardest not to mess up.
3. Involve as much running and movement as you can.
4. When you have mastered a drill, do not continue to do the same drill, move on to a more challenging drill.
5. Try to incorporate multitasking drills as much as possible, like 2 ball dribbling, the more you can do at the same time the better. Follow those rules
and you will see a dramatic improvement in your over all game. Now that you have gotten past those stations, it is time now to move on to the most
important aspect of the practice. The last 15 minutes will solely be committed to working on your niche, the most important component of your game.
What Is Your Niche?
I’m Glad You Asked. This is by far the most over looked aspect in basketball. A niche is what you do best, it is the one thing that you do great, the
thing that separates you form the baller next to you. The One thing you can provide the team, and what the coach can count on you for. Without a
Niche, you have no identity on the court. If you look at all the Kings in the NBA, you will easily discover their Niche.
Steve Nash- passing
Ben Wallace- Rebounding
Dwayne Wade- attacking the basket
Mike Miller- Shooting
Kobe – Scoring
And the list goes on…. Spend the last 15 minutes working and mastering your niche. Whatever it is, whether it be shooting, rebounding, ball handling,
defense, scoring, driving tot he basket, 3 point shooting, ect… Work on mastering and improving it. I guarantee you that if you take this outline and use
it to structure your workouts and practices, you will have more improvement in a couple of weeks then you probably have had your whole career.
Improving your game is easy when you do it the right way.
Your # 1 Fan
Rali Todd
Pro Basketball Performance Coach
Go Basketball Pro
Since you have read this entire article, I would like to reward you a with a special FREE gift. You can get a FREE Subscription to my 12 keys To
Basketball Greatness Email Course.( A .95 Value). Just simple visit www.gobasketballpro.com to get the 12 Keys To Basketball Greatness and Unlock
your full potential.
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
I am a professional basketball performance coach. I work with a lot of elite college and pro ballers as well as own a basketball developmental company
in Miami, FL; Go basketball Pro.
