This goes out to all the Ladies living at the domestic violence shelter in San Diego where I taught a 2-hour yoga & lifestyle class last night. Because after teaching a 75 minute yoga class followed by a 45 discussion about embracing a positive mindset, a healthy diet, and most importantly, a daily fitness routine, I truly believe in each and every one of them. I know you’re reading this Ladies, so don’t forget to do your Peaceful Warriors, Temple Poses, Side Body Abs and Stretching, Chair Poses up against the Wall, and of course our favorite, Viparita Karani or Legs Up the Wall. Today and every day this week until I come back again next Thursday to “kick it up a notch”. Always remember to stay present with your thinking and live positively and happily, moment to moment. Because whether or not your past experiences have been negative or abusive, you never have to carry that energy with you. Let it go. And if it begins to creep into your mind and body, go outside and do some yoga and my fat burning workouts, or better yet, work on some balancing with that meditative breath I taught you – and remember to pick that point of focus and use all distractions to help you focus more. So respect yourself each and every day, especially during this long holiday weekend, and enjoy sculpting your thighs and butt today with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #96 – Killer Squats II. Namaste – R
Are you Free Squared?
The other night I had dinner with Stephani Drapeau, my dear friend and co-star of my film, Boulevard Zen. We were discussing the concept of “freeing your mind and your soul” from anything that prevents you from evolving to a higher level. That is to say, letting go of the “ties that bind” you to past beliefs, or rather, disbeliefs about your dreams, your desires, and your life’s destiny. Because when you free your mind and your soul, you evolve to a much better and brighter place. A place where anything is possible if you truly believe it. So make a conscious effort to become Free Squared, especially when it comes to fat burning and a daily fitness routine. Because anyone and everyone has at least 5 minutes a day to respect themselves with a little exercise. So enjoy firming your Core & Abs with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #97 – Side Plank. My best – R
Keep it like Clarence Clemons
I just read an LA Times editorial by Randy Lewis expressing his appreciation for the late Clarence Clemons. Similar to Randy, I’ve also been a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fan for more than 35 years now. And I agree with Randy that, “Clemons was there to express that which transcended mere language.” Because with the Boss and the Big Man, it was about reaching into your mind, body and soul to echo feelings and images, not just sounds. I still remember a bootleg version of Prove it All Night from 1979 with the Boss’s heart-felt guitar riff and the Big Man’s incredible sax. “The wondrous thing about Clemons was that everything he played, in solos or accompanying his bandmates, was astonishingly simple from a technical viewpoint.” Thanks for pointing that out Randy, especially to us non-sax people, because technical simplicity should also apply to your daily fitness program. So keep it simple and technically correct with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #98 – Elevator Squats. And thank you Clarence Clemons! RIP – R
Take compliments to Heart
Oftentimes we receive compliments from friends or people we recently met, and just let them slide off us without really absorbing their energy. That is to say, really taking compliments to heart and warming yourself with the admiration. Especially guys. We can easily prefer criticisms to compliments because of our male conditioning. But it’s OK for anyone to basque in the moment of the compliment. Like what happened to me this morning. I saw a friend in the gym I haven’t seen in a while who complimented me on my film, Boulevard Zen, and my 100 days of blogs when she went on about how she loved the film’s characters, and my “totally believable” girlfriend, and my “powerful blogs”, until she finally said, “And you know what Rich Tola, you got heart.” Now that made my day. And why shouldn’t it, right? So take note and absorb that positive energy. Take compliments to Heart! And enjoy firming your Core & Abs as we countdown with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #99 – Core Power II. – R
100 Workouts in 100 Days
When you read this you might think, what’s so special about exercising 5 minutes a day, everyday, for 100 straight days? I mean, you walk around and climb stairs everyday at work and home, and even work-up a sweat doing the household chores like scrubbing the bath tub. But are you really embracing a daily fitness program? One that’s effective, simple and attainable, and most importantly, one that becomes an integral part of your subconscious. Because moving the body around isn’t the same as exercising the body. With exercise there’s a purpose and a goal. And if you exercise daily, you will see results. You’ll not only benefit from having more strength and flexibility, increased bone mass, better posture, better circulation, and better breathing, but also from the mental clarity and strength you’ll get from succeeding everyday at something quite challenging. All it takes is the belief and the courage to try. So believe and achieve with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #100-Bridge Pose II. It’s also the finale of this fat burning series, with details coming soon about my Burn Fat America Tour. Thanks for tuning in! – R
Fail over and over again
Michael Jordan, one of basketball’s greatest players, once said, “I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot – and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” No doubt. Because if you never try you’ll never succeed. And by trying you learn, experience and mature into a do-er and not a talk-er. One who’s not afraid to take the next shot, whatever the outcome of the previous one. So if you’ve tried before, to exercise a little bit each day, and just it didn’t stick, well then, be like Mike, and try again today with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #99 – Core Power II. Enjoy – R
Arsenal of Exercises
For the past 98 days, I’ve been coming up with different fat burning workouts that are uniquely challenging, simple and short. No special equipment or anything else required. Just yourself, a device with internet access, and a space about the size of your bathroom. Clothes optional. So check out the cool arsenal of exercises you now have at your disposal with the past 98 workouts. And enjoy blasting your thighs from the Ground to the Penthouse with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #98 – Elevator Squats. – R
Benefits of balancing
Balancing poses are great for the mind and body because they help you develop lightness, strength, agility, muscle tone, coordination, concentration, self-confidence and overall control of your body. And when you add a backbend to your standing balancing pose, like we do with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #95 – Dancer’s Pose, you’ll also rejuvenate the body, giving you more alertness, openness, flexibility, energy and courage. So add some balancing & backbends to your long holiday weekend. And enjoy! – R
Maximize Gains and Minimize Injury
This week I updated my YouTube Channel home page (click HERE to check it out) and changed my Profile section. For anyone my age or even 10 years younger, this New Age internet world with all it’s social networking, websites and tags is quite a handful, right. Whatever happened to calling someone or sending them a handwritten letter. (like I’ve been doing in recent weeks). It’s also interesting how few words you use when you write a note or letter by longhand. With computers and all, we’re usually bombarded with TOO many words. Oh well, adapt and survive! Nevertheless, in my Profile on YouTube I wrote, “My style is precise to maximize gains and minimize injury.” Simply put, getting the most out of your workouts is achieved when you know exactly what to do and exactly how to do it – as in proper form and body mechanics. Plus, you’ll reduce your chances of getting hurt. Which is exactly what and how I teach. Even if you exercise regularly or practice yoga, check out my videos and expand your knowledge base. You’ll definitely learn something that will help you and that you’ll never forget. So enjoy going to the “extreme” today with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #93 – Extreme Abs. – R
Make it a Religion
I met a thirty-something year old gal in the gym this morning who’s there religiously, Monday-Friday, but never on the weekends. When I asked why, she said “because she likes to sleep a lot to get ready for Monday”. Interesting, I thought, then she asked me why I workout everyday, even on the weekends. Because working out everyday is a religion to me, I responded, and I believe that rest is more pertinent to strength training than it is to a comprehensive daily fitness program. One that includes weight training, yoga, cardio, abdominals, and stretching, all combined with a moving meditative mindset. As described by Dictionary.com, the noun religion is also defined as “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects”. Thus, my fervent belief in a daily fitness program makes it a religion for me, albeit, in an unconventional way. No worries if you believe otherwise. Just consider the results you’re getting from whatever fitness program you believe in, and if they’re not too satisfying, then perhaps consider embracing my religion. And enjoy another 5 Minutes of Fat Burning with today’s 92nd consecutive workout – Killer Thighs. My best – R