Celebrating 50 Years of Fitness with Weights & Yoga!

Yesterday I turned 53, so we did a little photo shoot by Lake Michigan to celebrate my 50 years of fitness. That’s right, I said FIFTY because at age 13 my Dad started me weight training on a regular basis – not to mention all the push-ups and sit-ups I had already been doing for years.

Add to that 10 years of Yoga, and voila! 40 yrs of Weights + 10 yrs of Yoga = 50 yrs of Fitness

And like the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, so you do the math. And don’t forget to tune-in this Sunday, April 3rd at 11am (Central Time) for the best Yoga workout in the world…Tola Yoga streaming LIVE (and it’s free) on my Periscope and Twitter! Peace – R

Rich Tola Birthday 2016

Longer days for better bodies

In exactly three weeks (June 21st), the summer solstice will occur when the days are longest and the nights are shortest.  I’m not sure about you, but I certainly prefer the daytime when it comes to working out or doing anything fitness related.  With longer days and the hot summer weather, it’s a great time to go for that after dinner walk or scenic bike ride.  And why not consider adding a few 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts to the mix to round out your evening.  Either before or after, these bite-size workouts will provide you with a quick and effective warm-up or cool-down to complement your stroll. So let that extra sunlight help you achieve that better body, and enjoy sculpting your entire body with today’s 97th consecutive fat burning workout – Side Plank.  – R

Invest in yourself

For the past 75 days, I’ve been posting videos and blogging about the benefits of a daily fitness program.  These short and effective workouts are meant to put a fat burning spark in your day, as well as inspire and empower you to embrace a daily fitness program. Because doing something fitness-related everyday is the epitome of a personal investment. Why? Because time is money, and when you allocate time to a daily fitness program, you invest in yourself.  That’s right.  You invest in your physical and mental well-being, preserving the most important asset in your life – you!  So enjoy investing in yourself with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #75 – Chest & Shoulders II.   – R

Staying fit for the Cougars

This is for all you guys out there who’ve fallen out of shape, especially you Baby Boomers from the ages of 46 to 65 who could use a little help staying fit for the Cougars. Everybody knows what a Cougar is, right? For example, yesterday I spoke with my yoga teacher friend who’s 46 and divorced with a 10 year-old son.  She’s attractive, sexy, independent, active, in-shape, confident and fun to be with.  And she’s not just looking to hang out at some hotel bar drinking the afternoon away.  That Cougar.  Because my friend deserves someone her age or older who’s in-shape and can keep up with her. Which, unfortunately for most of you Boomers, is guys much younger than you.  So if you haven’t started one, get with a daily fitness program and stay fit for the Cougars!  Enjoy sculpting your abs, biceps and thighs again with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #72.  – R

Saturday fun with Bruce Springsteen

It was early November, 1978, when I first experienced the amazing sounds and vibrations of the world’s greatest rocker, Bruce Springsteen.  I was 15 years old, and growing up in New Jersey, of course I was a “Boss” fan.  So I tagged along with some older kids to watch him at Princeton University’s Jadwin Gymnasium.  It was my first Springsteen concert and Bruce was promoting his 4th album, Darkness on the Edge of Town.  Interestingly, after I post this blog, I’m heading over to Santa Monica to watch The Promise on the big screen.  This documentary shows the anguish and the creative joy that went into the making of Darkness.  I’m looking forward to the 1970s footage of young Springsteen creating the album with the E Street Band and the interviews of Bruce today. So whatever your fancy is today, enjoy, and don’t forget to get your daily workout in!

Here’s today 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #66 – Triceps, Core & Abs  – R

It’s all relative with Einstein’s Relativity

Exactly 105 years ago today Nobel Laureate Albert Einstein introduced his “Theory of Relativity”.  Although his ‘curved space-time continuum‘ doesn’t really affect our lives because we travel at speeds much less than the speed of light, it was one of the most significant scientific advances of our time.  When you think of relativity, it’s applicable to everything in your life.  Just ask yourself a yes or no question, like whether or not you work too much.  Before you answer, think: relative to whom?  Because it’s all relative. Like fitness.  If you exercise all the time, then working out 5 minutes a day seems like nothing.  But if you don’t workout at all – and you know if you don’t – then 5 minutes a day is significant.  But rest assured, 5 minutes a day becomes 15 minutes. Then 15 minutes becomes whatever your heart desires. Enjoy sculpting your body with today’s fat burning workout #47 – Crane Legs (remember the movie, Karate Kid).  See you next time – R

…if we’re always doing

One of my idols growing up was Revolutionary War hero and first president of the United States, General George Washington.  Washington once said, “It’s wonderful what we can do if we’re always doing”.  Words that hold true no matter what the circumstance. Because in the “doing” comes results.  Like physical fitness.  If you want to achieve results like burning fat while positively affecting your mental and physical well-being, then focus on the “doing”.  And enjoy today’s 5 minute fat burning workout #42 – Warrior Lunge. Because it truly feels wonderful to see the benefits of a daily fitness program! My best – R

Gotta love ‘Opening Day’

As a child, my brother and I used to play baseball for hours on end with my tireless father hitting us popups and grounders until the sun went down.  To this day my father and brother coach kids of all ages from childhood through high school.  My two nephews are also following in our footsteps, becoming quite the ballplayers we knew they would. So of course I’m a huge fan of ‘Opening Day‘.   The smell of freshly cut grass, the sounds of the crack of the bat, the pop you hear when the pitcher fires one past the batter right into the catcher’s mitt. Hmmm, hmmm, good!  There’s also that feeling of a new beginning. Because once the season starts, nobody cares about last year, let alone what happened yesterday. Everybody gets a fresh start – something we all can use from time to time.  So if you’re a baseball fan like me, take this time to start something new.  Like a daily fitness program. Because just like ballplayers forgetting their past seasons, you can forget about the workout you didn’t do yesterday and start anew.  Why not?  It’s Opening Day!  Have fun getting terrific triceps with my 5 minute fat burning workout #36.  Let’s play ball – R