Warrior Mode: Becoming a Wonder Woman! - By Monique R. Anderson, MBA

Enjoy this cancer survival message below from a friend and fighter!

Warrior Mode

Becoming a Wonder Woman!

Monique R. Anderson, M.B.A.

I always saw myself as regular, ordinary person. I was athletic, intelligent and had many talents. I’ve endured some not so great events in my life that most will never but I survived them. The Summer of 2013 started the biggest battle I’ve ever encountered and none of my athletic skills, knowledge or talents could help me.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Big C doesn’t exist in my family at all so I’m the only one that had to go through this journey. Being that I had no one to relate to or to prepare me for what was about to take place, I decided to become the strongest version of myself. I became Wonder Woman!

I shut my mind and heart off to all feeling. I was superhuman with super powers now. Nothing phased me, hurt me, scared me nothing! And cancer was just an inconvenience to me that I tried to get past as fast as I possibly could. The hardest part was supporting myself since so many people chose to abandon and judge me on something I didn’t ask for nor had any control over. To get through I had to be strong, I had to fight, I had to tell myself this was no big deal and pray that God would give me the strength and motivation that I used during my healthy days to get through this. It was the hardest time of my life but like the other hard times, I made it to the end and I’m still a survivor.

I had to become a warrior and fight what wanted to take over and destroy me. The upside is that I view the world differently and there’s nothing I can’t do. I’m only 3 months in remission but no one can tell I was ever sick. I told them that “I’m not trying to look the part.”  Now if there’s ever a situation that seems complicated or changes everything as I know it or tries to prove me weak……… I just go into warrior mode. Cancer sure picked the wrong chick to mess with!

The Winning Sport

The pro sport leagues*: EPL, MLB, MLL, MLS, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, NHL, WNBA.

What athletic sport is winning? Well, they all are because they exist. What pro sport season lasts the longest? The NHL does from pre-season to post-season (about 9.13 months). What pro sport league has the shortest off-season? The NHL, again, from the last game of the playoffs to the start of pre-season (about 2.87 months). What pro sport league is second in both of these categories? Ooh, tough one. It's NASCAR (has about a 9 month season).

What pro sport league has athletes that burn the most average calories? Your guess might be the NFL. That is a smart guess. But, it might even be the EPL or the MLS with all of the running done in in soccer. What pro sport league is the most physical on the body? The NFL. They have the largest athletes and some of the largest body impacts (an extreme hit can reach roughly 150 g-forces!) What are the only two pro sport leagues that have a longer off-season than their in-seasons? The NFL and the MLL. So, what pro sport league, based off this information (non-scientific by the way), is the most grueling? I'm going with the NFL followed by the NHL. The NFL has the most grueling calendar year (in-season from August to February; Team workouts from April to June; Pre-season camp from July to August...coupled with all of the interesting injuries that NFL players amass. In fact, football injuries alone catapult this sport to the top of the most grueling list.

Every sport is subject to concussions. But, when looking at the incidence of concussions guess who leads the way? Hints: they have plenty of lawsuits to deal with right now. They are being sued my many former players. Yup, the NFL most likely (actually, this number is an embellishment so far. According to one source, high school concussions are led by football, then ice hockey, then girl's soccer.) If anyone has any good statistics on this topic, please fill free to share.

On a lighter note, which sport is the most fun to play? Well, that is up for grabs. I have my preference. But, any sport can be fun to play. Just play it at the level you can play.

*English Premier League (Soccer), Major League Baseball, Major League Lacrosse, Major League Soccer, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League,  Women's National Basketball Association

With heart,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS       www.teempt.com        TEEM Performance Training

What Are Your Kitchen Staples?

Some people have butter, sugar, and eggs in their kitchen at all times. Some people always opt to have other different items in  their kitchen at all times. These items that we carry or do not carry in our kitchen have the potential to define our kitchen personalities. It also does not hurt to exclude certain items from your kitchen; meaning you can have them in your kitchen temporarily (over holiday seasons) or in one big bulk for an event. 

I will share that we, my family and I, do not have butter, sugar, and coffee in our kitchen for us to devour. We had all three to accommodate family and company, but that is hospitality. There is a fine line between what is hospitable and what is consumed daily. This type of topic flows in to all sorts of conversations on proper nutrition and even grocery shopping. Let me make this one point, and we are done:

Let's say you are a coffee drinker (see: Nutrition Corner - "Nutrition Challenge"; From May 2009 - "Challenge #2")  . But, you would like to decrease the amount of coffee you drink. You realize that your five cups of Joe are derailing you - you are "caffeined" for 30 minutes, crashed for 60 minutes, caffeined for 30, crashed for 60, caffeined for 30, crashed for 60. You resemble a working yo-yo. You also come to realize that you have consumed all of your coffee in the cupboard or on the counter. You say to yourself, "I need to buy more coffee." NOT SO FAST! Remember your goal of needing and wanting to decrease the number of cups of Joe you drink? Therefore, if your goal is to decrease, then do not increase the potential for you to drink more coffee. In other words, do not buy more coffee. The more coffee you buy, the more you will have to walk by the full coffee bag or container that you are trying not to consume. Simply, decrease the self-torture. As a matter of fact, do not be coffee-hospitable in this case. Tell your guests that you have water, tea, and something else to drink. The same type of deal goes for other kitchen vices you may own.

With heart,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS       www.teempt.com     TEEM Performance Training

Potato Pitch: Have You Potassiumed Lately?

Sweet Potatoes - interesting smoothie potential

Potatoes might just be the most versatile food out here. Period. The U.S. has spoken and proves that potatoes are bought at the amount they are supposed to be bought: What Do Americans Buy at the Grocery Store.

As the spring approaches and more individuals venture outdoors, it will be important to remember potatoes. Kick them up post workout or eat them as a meal at some point during the day. Your body will thank you. Your muscles will thank you for keeping them working and contracting smoothly.

Banana - high smoothie potential

   

They are not only for monkeys and gorillas. When was the last you ate a banana, and it represented an energy boost for exercising versus a scrumptious fruit eaten for anything else besides increasing exercise tolerance?

Carrots. the combo of these three foods would make a great smoothie. Marathon and running season are already here. Replenishing what you have burned is tasting good. 

Carrots - high smoothie potential

With heart,

Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS      www.teempt.com       TEEM Performance Training

Potato Pitch: How's Your Shouldah?

Baseball season is here.

Before moving to the Boston area, I thought that Massachusetts was a big ice hockey state. Well, it is, which is great, considering that hockey is just the best sport. However, MA is a baseball state. Baseball is very popular, and more than I ever thought. So, since this throwing sport is in-season, prompting the public to participate in leisure throwing on warm and sunny days, let's get throwers on the right path. Pain free. Full of distance. Full of good form. Also, if you are female, then you throw like a female because you are a female. If you are a male, then you throw like a male...because you are male. The old cliche of "you throw like a girl" has been nipped in the bud...thrown away!

Just a few rules before throwing your balls and Frisbees:
1) Warm up the arm and shoulder.
2) Throw to someone.
3) If no one is available, then throw at a wall. Some parks have a ball-wall...for wall-ball.
4) Adopt some strength and flexibility:
5) Lastly, you do not have to be Tom Brady, Robert Griffin III, or Mariano Rivera when throwing or when warming up to throw. You only have to be [insert your name]:

With heart,

Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS       www.teempt.com       TEEM Performance Training

Front Plank Full Arm Extension

Medicine Ball Overhead/Soccer/Futbol Throw Extension Form

Medicine Ball Overhead/Soccer/Futbol Throw Flexed Form (Begin)

Medicine Ball Underhand Throw Extension Phase

Medicine Ball Underhand Throw Squat Phase (Begin)

Modified Jumping Jack Flexion Phase

Modified Jumping Jack Extension Phase

Power Walk - it's a good warm up

Sit-to-Stand Roaming 1

Sit-to-Stand Roaming 2

Sit-to-Stand Roaming 3

1/2 Kneeling Tubing Horizontal Fly

1/2 Kneeling Tubing Throw Form (Flexed/Cocked)

1/2 Kneeling Tubing Throw Form (Extension/Follow Through)

Standing Tubing Single Arm Throw Form (QB Warm-up)

Standing Tubing Single Arm Throw Form Press (QB Warm-up)