Today we’re talking about the best exercises anyone can do from head-to-toe using only dumbbells. And since the news is rather depressing this Wednesday when it comes to current events including President Biden’s approval rating and paltry school lunches, not to mention murder rates we haven’t seen since the 1990’s and homelessness and inflation on the rise, let’s focus on an easy and affordable daily fitness program that positively affects your 7 body parts: abs, shoulders, back, chest, triceps, biceps and legs. Plus three more steps to everlasting youth from my book, as well as some encouraging price moves from our beloved – and sometimes unbeloved – cryptocurrencies on Robinhood. Have an awesome day everyone…and get your workout in!
Self-Correct…anytime you get Off-Track
Whenever you find yourself getting off-track when it comes to your fitness regime or worse, your body weight, no worries. Simply Self-Correct.
Anyone who has read my memoir knows that Chapter 67 is one of my favorites and is called just that, Self-Correct. Because it’s all about getting back on-track ASAP as soon as you start to deviate from your daily fitness responsibilities as well as from your ideal weight.
Case in point: Last month I gained the COVID 5, that is to say, 5 pounds of extra weight due to the overconsumption of food (mostly cookies) during this crazy pandemic. Not sure about you, but the prolonged ‘safer-at-home’ decree has really put a damper on my fitness routine, not to mention my usually good eating habits. So rather than get mad or frustrated, I confidently chose to Self-Correct and I’m right back where I started…5 pounds lighter.
How did I do it? I increased my aerobic exercises to 8 miles of walking per day (up from 7 miles/day last month) and decreased my weight training exercises by about 50%. Thus, I kept my total monthly exercise percentage the same (12%) while increasing my total calories burned. That said, with a little time and energy and discipline (of course), anyone can make the right choice versus the easy choice. For more self-correcting details, check-out my book on Amazon.
Here’s my exercise report card for May 2020:
- 20 minutes/day of Abs/Stretching and Tola Yoga = 10 hours
- 20 minutes/day of bodyweight training = 10 hours
- 25 flights of stairs/day = 750 (about 3 hours)
- 8 miles/day of fast-paced walking = 250 miles (about 60 hours)
- 7 minutes/day of standing balancing poses = 3 hours
Have an awesome June everyone…and get your workout in! Peace – R
Make Note of Your Small Victories…They Count
Now that April is in the books, it’s a great time to reflect upon your small victories in the quest to win the war. Because when it comes to achieving your goals and aspirations – and your bountiful dreams – it’s all about making small advances on a daily basis as well as experiencing enlightenments along the way. Especially in these frustrating times of shutdown and uncertainty.
Small victories in the war also relates to your physical body, i.e., your temple and what you’ve done (today) to help fortify it for the journey. Thus, fitness is an everyday necessity, for sure, if you want to stay strong and youthful forever.
So, you gotta ask yourself one question: Did I workout enough in April 2020? Meaning, every single day or more specifically, 30 times. With ‘stay-at-home’ orders permeating the globe, how difficult was it for anyone on the planet aged 12 and up to squeeze at least 15 minutes of exercise into their busy day? And what about your Cardio, Abs/Stretching and Tola Yoga? I trust you got those in too. And if not, then hopefully my exercise report card for April will provide you with some much-needed fitness inspiration:
- 20 minutes/day of Abs/Stretching and Tola Yoga = 10 hours
- 40 minutes/day of bodyweight training = 20 hours
- 25 flights of stairs/day = 750 (about 3 hours)
- 7 miles/day of fast-paced walking = 210 miles (about 50 hours)
- 7 minutes/day of standing balancing poses = 3 hours
When you look at my sum total for April, that equals 86 hours of exercise. To get my daily (and monthly) percentage of exercise achieved, simply divide 86 hours into the total number of hours in April (720), and that equals 12%.
Perhaps more than your average bear, but nothing too extreme. Now 12% may seem gargantuan compared to 1% – that’s exercising every single day for 15 minutes – because unfortunately most people don’t even do that. And if your exercise score is somewhere between me and 1%, you’re a superstar. I believe that. But if during April you’ve averaged less than 1%, than God help you.
Either way, make note of your small victories and keep moving forward. In everything you do, including your career goals and aspirations as well as your hobbies and your wildest dreams. And believe that anything is possible.
And finally, in addition to my fitness victory for April, I scored another small victory by completing my second nonfiction opus about everlasting youth. Another one-of-a-kind creation you’ll really enjoy, especially all the readers of my first book, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood.
Have an awesome May everyone, and get your workout in! Peace – R
No Judgment…Just More Resoluteness
Never judge yourself when it comes to fitness. Just forgettaboutit, and keep moving forward. Because what you did or didn’t do yesterday – or last week – or last year – makes no difference when it comes to exercising today. Because each dawn brings a new day, and with each day brings another opportunity to reward your body with fitness. With an emphasis on reward.
Case in point: Yesterday my friend says to me, “OK, this week I’m going to start working out every Tuesday and Friday for the rest of the year, because it’s two weeks into 2017 and my resolution to workout twice a week is, well, failing.” This coming from a woman who worked out 4 times a week for the past 20 years until last year, when an injury put her on the sidelines for nearly a year. Now she’s completely healed but just can’t seem to get started.
Is this you? Or perhaps you’re someone who’s never been into fitness and wants to start? No worries.
Really. Because each dawn brings a new day, and with each day brings another opportunity to reward your body with fitness. You get the picture.
And if you don’t already know it, then repeat after me: if I workout on a regular basis, I will look and feel younger. Just like I said to my friend lamenting over her inability to re-start her engines, look at it this way: if you workout twice a week for 30 minutes each for the rest of the year, by New Year’s 2018 that’ll be 50 hours of fitness. Better yet, if you can make it one hour and then turn that second hour into a Yoga class, that’ll be 100 hours…a helluva lot better than Zero.”
No judgment over failed resolutions people…just more resoluteness. You can do it.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone! Peace – R
Now Teaching TOLA YOGA Classes in Las Vegas
I’m excited to announce I’m now teaching my Tola Yoga classes in Las Vegas, Nevada. The perfect workout for beginners to advanced, my fitness style of Yoga is strong, energetic, safe and effective. Developed after 10 years of teaching more than 25,000 students in over 2,200 classes, Tola Yoga incorporates 5 key elements: Yoga stretches, abdominals, core strengthening, balancing and foundation poses. Public & Private classes – 7 days a week.
Rates and availability upon request: [email protected]
Have an awesome day everyone…and don’t forget your daily workout!
Peace – R
Another day, another Tola Yoga Workout (15 mins)
Start your mid-week off with our 15 minute Tola Yoga Class #10 with me and the lovely Amy Johnson – a featured yogini in YogaStyles of RICH and the Almost Famous. Short & sweet with NO downward facing dogs, chaturangas or abdominal crunches. Have an awesome workout!
Tola Yoga Classes LIVE on Periscope
Get a great Yoga workout with my first Tola Yoga class on Periscope. Tune-in for free LIVE pop-up classes weekly and follow on Twitter.com/richtola to stay updated.
Since 2006, I’ve taught more than 2,000 Yoga classes and over 25,000 students throughout the United States, including A-List celebrities. Tola Yoga workouts are 45 minutes and include 5 key elements: Yoga Stretches, Abdominals, Core Strengthening, Balancing and Foundation Poses.
Tune-in today, April 5th, for another LIVE class starting at Noon. Peace – R
Learn the Art of Arm Balancing & Inversions on January 30th
Come join the fun and strengthen your Yoga practice by learning how to come in and out of these 10 challenging and potentially harmful poses. Since most Yoga instructors avoid these advanced poses in class, all the more reason why you should learn the proper way to do them.
Make a day of it, learning new skills & enjoying the amazing amenities Evanston Athletic Club has to offer, not to mention what a lovely downtown to explore, just 12 miles north of Chicago and home to my alma mater, The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
For reservations call the Evanston Athletic Club @ 847-833-6190…and I’ll see you next Saturday!
Peace – R
Tola Talks The Best 2 Exercises in the World
Hands down, these are the best 2 exercises that anybody can do! And learn how I superset them with footage from my Stay Zen fitness series on http://youtube.com/boulevardzen. We’re also talking about the best CEO in the world, Apple’s Tim Cook, giving away all his money, plus the scientists say eat high fiber cereal and live longer. Watch on youtube.com/tolatalks
Tola Talks Top 10 Ways to Workout with a Stool
Tola Talks about the best exercises you can do using a stool…with clips from his Stay Zen web series on exactly how to do them. So don’t be a stooly and check-out the Top 10 Ways to Workout with a Stool. Plus special shout-outs to Lady Gaga and all the Fifty Shades fans.
Weekdays on youtube.com/tolatalks. Social: @richtola