Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Core Issues
Attemption to divine the next move in this yo yo of a market calls for a lot of hours seated in front of a computer. This can wreak havoc on your back and your core. These are the cornerstones of you skeletal system and support almost every other part of your body. I've mentioned this before and it bears repeating.
Good posture is a sign of good health. A strong lower back and abdomen are very helpful during a marathon session on your feet on the trading floor during the day or in front of the computer later that night. Another thing to consider is that one tends to carry oneself with more confidence which inspires confidence in others. Don't want the troops seeing you slouched over, right? And lastly, your weekend ball games and fun with the kids will call upon you to shoulder the kind of load a lackluster core just can't handle.
Today I'm going to lay out a solid core sculpting workout that will not only strengthen your body's center of support, but also carve an attractive midsection. .
1) Oblique Cable Crunch
A. Grasp a rope handle attached to a high cable pulley and kneel about 2 feet from the weight stack.
Turn your body about 45 degrees to the left so that you're at an angle to the cable apparatus.
Position your hands down on top of your head and keep your arms locked in this position throughout the exercise. Your knees should be bent at close to a 90-degree angle, and your hips should create an angle just beyond 90 degrees between your torso and thighs.
B. Inhale and hold your breath as you pull down against the resistance, flexing and twisting your spine by contracting your abdominals and obliques. Attempt to bring your right elbow to your left knee.
Hold this position for a second as you forcefully exhale and contract your abs and obliques.
Slowly return to the start position, resisting the weight with your abs and obliques.
Pause for a moment,then inhale and repeat for repetitions.
2) Crunch
A. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and hands behind your head.
B. Curl up, bringing you torso toward your knees, concentrating on crunching your abs muscles as you come up. Try to get your shoulder blades off the floor. Don't pull on your head or press your chin into your chest.
3) Hanging Knee Raise
A. Grasp a high bar so that your body hangs freely without your feet touching the floor. Hang with your arms fully extended and a slight arch in your lower back.
B. Bend your legs and raise your knees towards your chest. For this exercise to be effective, your knees should come up above your hips. Return to the start position.
Good posture is a sign of good health. A strong lower back and abdomen are very helpful during a marathon session on your feet on the trading floor during the day or in front of the computer later that night. Another thing to consider is that one tends to carry oneself with more confidence which inspires confidence in others. Don't want the troops seeing you slouched over, right? And lastly, your weekend ball games and fun with the kids will call upon you to shoulder the kind of load a lackluster core just can't handle.
Today I'm going to lay out a solid core sculpting workout that will not only strengthen your body's center of support, but also carve an attractive midsection. .
1) Oblique Cable Crunch
A. Grasp a rope handle attached to a high cable pulley and kneel about 2 feet from the weight stack.
Turn your body about 45 degrees to the left so that you're at an angle to the cable apparatus.
Position your hands down on top of your head and keep your arms locked in this position throughout the exercise. Your knees should be bent at close to a 90-degree angle, and your hips should create an angle just beyond 90 degrees between your torso and thighs.
B. Inhale and hold your breath as you pull down against the resistance, flexing and twisting your spine by contracting your abdominals and obliques. Attempt to bring your right elbow to your left knee.
Hold this position for a second as you forcefully exhale and contract your abs and obliques.
Slowly return to the start position, resisting the weight with your abs and obliques.
Pause for a moment,then inhale and repeat for repetitions.
2) Crunch
A. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and hands behind your head.
B. Curl up, bringing you torso toward your knees, concentrating on crunching your abs muscles as you come up. Try to get your shoulder blades off the floor. Don't pull on your head or press your chin into your chest.
3) Hanging Knee Raise
A. Grasp a high bar so that your body hangs freely without your feet touching the floor. Hang with your arms fully extended and a slight arch in your lower back.
B. Bend your legs and raise your knees towards your chest. For this exercise to be effective, your knees should come up above your hips. Return to the start position.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
SERENITY NOW!
It goes without saying that our jobs are pretty stressful. Maybe not as much so as saaaaayyyy Jimmy Cayne over at Bear Stearns (any bidders out there? BSC closed at $116 today), but given these markets, it's a nutty way to live. www.breakingviews.com
However, this is what we bargained for when we chose this career. Some of the traders and investment bankers I've met have no concept of stress relief. They think relaxation and toning life down a few octaves is for wimps. Really, why make all that dough if you're dead by 40? If you have to work 80 hours per week in this environment, here are some tips that will help you enjoy it a little more, perform a little better, and live a little longer.
Today we'll focus on your diet. Yes, your diet can affect stress and vice versa. Failure to eat right can cause your body to experience blood sugar imbalances, higher cortisol output, and blood pressure changes. When you're going a hundred miles an hour all day you forget some important things, like;
Drinking water. You need 8 glasses a day, period. It helps in fat loss and regulates blood pressure.
Eating foods prepared by others. I.E. Fast food or prepackaged meals. Food we make ourselves means we put more thought into it and its ingredients.
Coffee overload. A little is OK and can be good in helping fat loss. But all day coffee drinking raises blood pressure and kills appetite which in the long run is a bad thing.
Skipping meals. Running out the door without breakfast is a serious sin. Your body is a machine. It needs high quality fuel. Period.
From now on: Eat Breakfast. No coffee after 2 pm. Drink ice cold water or diet soda (caffeine free). Pack lots of healthy snacks; almonds, Triscuits, apples, bananas, etc. No more donuts, bagels, and candy bars (unless it is packed with nuts and you plan on hitting the gym after work). Try Green tea. Cook your lunch the night before.
Tomorrow, some other tips on chilling out plus a mellow workout.
However, this is what we bargained for when we chose this career. Some of the traders and investment bankers I've met have no concept of stress relief. They think relaxation and toning life down a few octaves is for wimps. Really, why make all that dough if you're dead by 40? If you have to work 80 hours per week in this environment, here are some tips that will help you enjoy it a little more, perform a little better, and live a little longer.
Today we'll focus on your diet. Yes, your diet can affect stress and vice versa. Failure to eat right can cause your body to experience blood sugar imbalances, higher cortisol output, and blood pressure changes. When you're going a hundred miles an hour all day you forget some important things, like;
Drinking water. You need 8 glasses a day, period. It helps in fat loss and regulates blood pressure.
Eating foods prepared by others. I.E. Fast food or prepackaged meals. Food we make ourselves means we put more thought into it and its ingredients.
Coffee overload. A little is OK and can be good in helping fat loss. But all day coffee drinking raises blood pressure and kills appetite which in the long run is a bad thing.
Skipping meals. Running out the door without breakfast is a serious sin. Your body is a machine. It needs high quality fuel. Period.
From now on: Eat Breakfast. No coffee after 2 pm. Drink ice cold water or diet soda (caffeine free). Pack lots of healthy snacks; almonds, Triscuits, apples, bananas, etc. No more donuts, bagels, and candy bars (unless it is packed with nuts and you plan on hitting the gym after work). Try Green tea. Cook your lunch the night before.
Tomorrow, some other tips on chilling out plus a mellow workout.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Back In the Saddle
Well, after a long hiatus I have returned. Geez, I go away for a couple of months and the whole market almost implodes! There have been blog posts a-plenty regarding the whole sub prime mess. I've had a great time watching the blame being tossed hither and yon as the panic ensued.
My take?
Monster hedge funds started trading as if a guy who had a 585 credit score and little or no documented income was as good a bet as the US Treasury.
1. Essentially, banks were lending on frenzy and faith.
2. People who don't have the means were over reaching for the American Dream
3. Hedgies magnified it all with mountains of leverage.
Bad combo.
What did I learn? To navigate this or any market mess creates a vigilant attitude and a cool head. When waters get choppy as they have been and should be for the foreseeable future, FEAR and GREED come way to the front of people's minds and that is no way to trade.
This week we'll dive right into one of the most brutal workouts, with some minor adjustments, that will take your mind off the fluctuations of the market, the information overload, the "noise", and reactionary feelings that will only trap you into bad trades, poor business decisions, and possibly a trip to the ol' psych ward or coronary unit.
Clean and Press
3 Sets x 10 Reps
Dead Lifts
3 x 10
Push Ups
75 total
Pull Ups
25 total
Floor Wipers
3 x 10
Jump Rope
6 minutes total
You have only 15 seconds rest between exercises and 30 seconds between sets. You will not need a cardio session after this workout. If you are able to do a fair amount of cardio after you're done then YOU DIDN'T WORK HARD ENOUGHT!!!
My take?
Monster hedge funds started trading as if a guy who had a 585 credit score and little or no documented income was as good a bet as the US Treasury.
1. Essentially, banks were lending on frenzy and faith.
2. People who don't have the means were over reaching for the American Dream
3. Hedgies magnified it all with mountains of leverage.
Bad combo.
What did I learn? To navigate this or any market mess creates a vigilant attitude and a cool head. When waters get choppy as they have been and should be for the foreseeable future, FEAR and GREED come way to the front of people's minds and that is no way to trade.
This week we'll dive right into one of the most brutal workouts, with some minor adjustments, that will take your mind off the fluctuations of the market, the information overload, the "noise", and reactionary feelings that will only trap you into bad trades, poor business decisions, and possibly a trip to the ol' psych ward or coronary unit.
Clean and Press
3 Sets x 10 Reps
Dead Lifts
3 x 10
Push Ups
75 total
Pull Ups
25 total
Floor Wipers
3 x 10
Jump Rope
6 minutes total
You have only 15 seconds rest between exercises and 30 seconds between sets. You will not need a cardio session after this workout. If you are able to do a fair amount of cardio after you're done then YOU DIDN'T WORK HARD ENOUGHT!!!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Shoulder the Load
This will probably be the last day of our body part concentration routine. I know I've had fun. It's a unique and good way to train sometimes provided you have 5 days per week to devote to weights. Plus you can really make strides in a body part you feel is lacking.
Shoulders. Not only do they cap off a chiseled, proportioned physique. They support our upper body and help protect our neck. They also act as a bridge between our neck, back and arms. Much of the heavy lifting in daily life is done in part by our shoulder muscles.
Get a load of this workout and see increased strength, flexibility, and shape to your boulders, er shoulders!
Smith Machine Military Press
1. Sit on an upright bench in the Smith Machine with the bar level with your shoulders. Grip the bar with an overhand grip.
2. Press the bar up until your arm are extended. Don't shrug your shoulders. Lower the weight with control to the starting position.
I like the Smith machine here until you're comfortable balancing the weight, just like squats. Here you will have a smooth range of motion and can use a little more weight.
3 sets x 10 reps
Upright EZ Bar Row
1. Stand upright holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
2. Maintaining an upright posture, lift the bar upward along your body, leading with your elbows to bring the bar toward your chin. At the top, your elbows should be pointing toward the ceiling. Flex your shoulders for a moment, then straighten your arms to lower the bar back to the start.
These are great for traps and even the lats to a certain extent.
3 sets x 10 reps
Seated Dumbell Lateral Raise
1. Sit with your abs contracted and feet shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells in to each side of your thighs with your palms facing each other.
2. Leading with your elbows, raise your arms up and out to your sides in an arc, stopping when they're parallel to the floor. Lower under control. Throughout the exercise, your elbows will remain straight, but not locked -- the movement should be generated in your shoulders, not your arms.
Perfect over-all shoulder move really sculpts and tones the shoulders.
3 sets x 10 reps
Market Musings.....
Where do the wealthy park their assets? After all, many, if not all of these families can afford a managed account where their financial advisor can run a private portfolio for them. Do they need indexed securities like the pedestrian mutual fund or its trendy cousin the ETF?
http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2007/06/06/study-suggests-wealthy-avoiding-mutual-funds-in-favor-of-indexing/
Shoulders. Not only do they cap off a chiseled, proportioned physique. They support our upper body and help protect our neck. They also act as a bridge between our neck, back and arms. Much of the heavy lifting in daily life is done in part by our shoulder muscles.
Get a load of this workout and see increased strength, flexibility, and shape to your boulders, er shoulders!
Smith Machine Military Press
1. Sit on an upright bench in the Smith Machine with the bar level with your shoulders. Grip the bar with an overhand grip.
2. Press the bar up until your arm are extended. Don't shrug your shoulders. Lower the weight with control to the starting position.
I like the Smith machine here until you're comfortable balancing the weight, just like squats. Here you will have a smooth range of motion and can use a little more weight.
3 sets x 10 reps
Upright EZ Bar Row
1. Stand upright holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
2. Maintaining an upright posture, lift the bar upward along your body, leading with your elbows to bring the bar toward your chin. At the top, your elbows should be pointing toward the ceiling. Flex your shoulders for a moment, then straighten your arms to lower the bar back to the start.
These are great for traps and even the lats to a certain extent.
3 sets x 10 reps
Seated Dumbell Lateral Raise
1. Sit with your abs contracted and feet shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells in to each side of your thighs with your palms facing each other.
2. Leading with your elbows, raise your arms up and out to your sides in an arc, stopping when they're parallel to the floor. Lower under control. Throughout the exercise, your elbows will remain straight, but not locked -- the movement should be generated in your shoulders, not your arms.
Perfect over-all shoulder move really sculpts and tones the shoulders.
3 sets x 10 reps
Market Musings.....
Where do the wealthy park their assets? After all, many, if not all of these families can afford a managed account where their financial advisor can run a private portfolio for them. Do they need indexed securities like the pedestrian mutual fund or its trendy cousin the ETF?
http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2007/06/06/study-suggests-wealthy-avoiding-mutual-funds-in-favor-of-indexing/
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Leg Work
Part three of our single body part workout extravaganza brings us to legs. Grooaaaannn! I actually like leg day. It can be rough and make cardio the following day a little uncomforable, but I love the way just one workout a week really improves the glutes, quads, calves and hamstrings in a very noticeable way. I've always been a soccer player and thought leg training was unnecessary. Result? Decent but not spectacular legs. Now that I know the truth about weight training.....? Well, sadly I still have a long way to go but I notice a big difference in power production and some definition.
This routine will have you getting out of bed pretty slowly the next day.
Alternating Dumbell Lunge
1. Stand with your feet pointing straight ahead, between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward.
2. Step forward with one leg, using a long stride. As your front foot lands, bend both knees to lower your body. With your forward leg bearing most of the weight, bend it to a 90-degree angle, making sure that it doesn't move past your toes. Don't allow your back knee to touch the floor.
To rise back up, press through your front foot to return to a standing position, bringing both legs together.
Do 3 sets x 10 reps. You can either do them in place or "walk" around the gym using this technique.
Smith Machine Squat
Squats are arguable the best leg exercise for the legs. You are hitting the quads, glutes, and even calling your core and abs into play. Using the Smith Machine is great for beginners because it allows you to concentrate on form without having to balance the weight on your shoulders. Master this first and then move to free weight.
This routine will have you getting out of bed pretty slowly the next day.
Alternating Dumbell Lunge
1. Stand with your feet pointing straight ahead, between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward.
2. Step forward with one leg, using a long stride. As your front foot lands, bend both knees to lower your body. With your forward leg bearing most of the weight, bend it to a 90-degree angle, making sure that it doesn't move past your toes. Don't allow your back knee to touch the floor.
To rise back up, press through your front foot to return to a standing position, bringing both legs together.
Do 3 sets x 10 reps. You can either do them in place or "walk" around the gym using this technique.
Smith Machine Squat
Squats are arguable the best leg exercise for the legs. You are hitting the quads, glutes, and even calling your core and abs into play. Using the Smith Machine is great for beginners because it allows you to concentrate on form without having to balance the weight on your shoulders. Master this first and then move to free weight.
Start: Position yourself in the Smith Machine, resting the bar relatively high on your traps and placing your feet about shoulder-width apart, 12-15 inches in front of your hips. Your hips should be directly under your shoulders.
Movement: Bend your knees, lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pressing your heels into the floor, return to the start position.
3 sets x 10 reps
Standing Calf Raise
1. Stand holding a barbell balanced over your traps, or use a standing calf raise machine. With the balls of your feet on a raised surface, such as a step, and keeping your knee straight, lower your heels to stretch your calves.
2. Then press upward on the balls of your feet as high as you can
3x10
Lying Leg Curl
1. Lie facedown on curl machine and place your heels under the rollers. Grasp the handles, retract your shoulder blades slightly and raise your chest off the pad.
2. Without letting your hips come off the pad, contract your hamstrings to raise the ankle rollers, bringing them as close to your glutes as possible. Lower the pads to the start position and repeat.
Market Musings: Boy oh boy! The CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) must feel like the Belle of the Ball these days. While she has coyly entertained the Chicago Merc's (CME) merger overtures now Intercontinental Exchange has become a serious suitor....
Monday, June 11, 2007
Best of the Chest
We're going to continue with our body part isolation routine today with almost everybody's favorite, chest. For some reason chest day tends to be the favorite of most gym rats, especially the men. The bench press, for better or worse, is used as a universal measure of overall strength. A strong chest that is well developed is asthetically pleasing because it adds symmetry to the body. More importantly, a powerful set of pecs will protect your skeleton from impact, add stability to your torso, and assist in the heavy lifting of daily life. Again, I am a proponant of total body workouts in most cases. You burn more calories that way and you won't get stuck obsessing or overtraining one body part. But if you are in need of improvement on a specific bodypart, focusing on one area per workout is not at all bad from time to time.
Here is a a good routine to use when trying to improve your overall pectoral power and get that beach bod look. Incorporate these three exercises with a standard 3-4 sets on the flat bench. Do 3 sets x 10 reps for each exercise. As always, eat asap after you're done. A whey protein shake or a PBJ should do the trick.
Incline Dumbell Press: I like this the best because it allows you to use a greater range of motion than simple bench presses with a barbell. Plus it forces the stabilizers in your shoulders to get into the act.
1. Grab two dumbbells and rest them on your quads. Carefully and one at a time, use your legs to assist you in lifting the dumbbells to the starting position as you lie back on the incline bench, which should be set at a fairly low angle (< 45 degrees).
2. Flex through your pecs and triceps to press the dumbbells up toward the ceiling, stopping just short of elbow lockout. Pause, then slowly lower the weights until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Decline Barbell Press: This move is great because it really concentrates a lot of effort to the pecs without demanding too much from the triceps or shoulders. I suggest using a Smith Machine until you are comfortable using free-weights.
1. Set the angle on the decline bench between 30 and 45 degrees below horizontal.
Lie face up on the bench, securing your feet under the rollers. Your head, shoulders and glutes should touch the bench, with no arching or rounding of your back.
Grasp a barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip so that your hands are spaced a bit wider than shoulder width.
Lift the bar out of the rack and start the exercise with your arms fully extended but not locked out at your elbows.
2. Inhale and hold your breath as you lower the barbell at a moderate pace to your lower chest (at or just below the nipple line). At the bottom of the movement, your elbows should point out to your sides.
Before the barbell touches your chest, reverse the movement and push the weight up until your arms are fully extended.
Exhale forcefully at the top of the movement or just after you pass the most difficult portion of the up phase.
The descent and ascent should be continuous, with no pausing or holding.
After you reach the top position, pause momentarily, then repeat for reps.
Cable Flyes: These are great at the end of the workout to get that last pump and burn into your muscles.
1. Start by standing between two upper pulleys and take a split stance. Lean forward slightly, arms extended to your sides, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
2. Using your pecs, pull the cables in a wide arc out in front of your body as if hugging a big tree, bringing the handles all the way together at the bottom.
Then, reverse the motion, allowing the weights to pull your arms back to stretch the pecs, but not too far to avoid injury to your shoulders.
Exodus- Lots of long time asset management pros are fleeing the big brokerages and banks in search of new challenges, and outsized paychecks, in the ever proliferating field of hedge funds. Will this bring a sense calm and order in the rootin' tootin' world of top shelf money management or will it cause a talent vacuum at giants like Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley....?
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601084&sid=a7Psyov65G1s&refer=stocks
Till next time, sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you!
Here is a a good routine to use when trying to improve your overall pectoral power and get that beach bod look. Incorporate these three exercises with a standard 3-4 sets on the flat bench. Do 3 sets x 10 reps for each exercise. As always, eat asap after you're done. A whey protein shake or a PBJ should do the trick.
Incline Dumbell Press: I like this the best because it allows you to use a greater range of motion than simple bench presses with a barbell. Plus it forces the stabilizers in your shoulders to get into the act.
1. Grab two dumbbells and rest them on your quads. Carefully and one at a time, use your legs to assist you in lifting the dumbbells to the starting position as you lie back on the incline bench, which should be set at a fairly low angle (< 45 degrees).
2. Flex through your pecs and triceps to press the dumbbells up toward the ceiling, stopping just short of elbow lockout. Pause, then slowly lower the weights until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Decline Barbell Press: This move is great because it really concentrates a lot of effort to the pecs without demanding too much from the triceps or shoulders. I suggest using a Smith Machine until you are comfortable using free-weights.
1. Set the angle on the decline bench between 30 and 45 degrees below horizontal.
Lie face up on the bench, securing your feet under the rollers. Your head, shoulders and glutes should touch the bench, with no arching or rounding of your back.
Grasp a barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip so that your hands are spaced a bit wider than shoulder width.
Lift the bar out of the rack and start the exercise with your arms fully extended but not locked out at your elbows.
2. Inhale and hold your breath as you lower the barbell at a moderate pace to your lower chest (at or just below the nipple line). At the bottom of the movement, your elbows should point out to your sides.
Before the barbell touches your chest, reverse the movement and push the weight up until your arms are fully extended.
Exhale forcefully at the top of the movement or just after you pass the most difficult portion of the up phase.
The descent and ascent should be continuous, with no pausing or holding.
After you reach the top position, pause momentarily, then repeat for reps.
Cable Flyes: These are great at the end of the workout to get that last pump and burn into your muscles.
1. Start by standing between two upper pulleys and take a split stance. Lean forward slightly, arms extended to your sides, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
2. Using your pecs, pull the cables in a wide arc out in front of your body as if hugging a big tree, bringing the handles all the way together at the bottom.
Then, reverse the motion, allowing the weights to pull your arms back to stretch the pecs, but not too far to avoid injury to your shoulders.
Exodus- Lots of long time asset management pros are fleeing the big brokerages and banks in search of new challenges, and outsized paychecks, in the ever proliferating field of hedge funds. Will this bring a sense calm and order in the rootin' tootin' world of top shelf money management or will it cause a talent vacuum at giants like Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley....?
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601084&sid=a7Psyov65G1s&refer=stocks
Till next time, sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you!
Friday, June 8, 2007
Back it up
During the short lifespan of this blog I have concentrated mainly on full body workouts and other variations. My target audience are busy people and training individual body parts can be time consuming. Also, I am a big believer in super setting and multiple move training whenever possible. You tend to burn more calories and gain more strength using these methods. Nevertheless, if your goal is to improve a specific weakness, concentrating on a body part for a week or two can reap big benefits.
I love "back day". A tapered torso is sure to draw admiration and a strong back, along with a strong core, is a pillar of overall strength and total fitness. I usually do 3-4 exercises with 2-3 sets each making sure to vary how many reps I do, how much weight I lift and the order of the exercises in my routine. You want to shock your muscles by switching things up. It forces them to "think" differently and adapt to different stresses, thereby increasing strength.
Give the following workout a try and see if you don't notice a marked improvement in your training performance and physical appearance.
Pullup: This one is old school and for good reason. You are dead lifting body weight. It's just you against gravity.
Grasp a bar with an pronated (palms facing away from you) grip that is outside your shoulders. Fully extended your arms and relax your shoulders to fully stretch your lats. Pull yourself up so your chin can touch the grip.
Do this till you fail. The "Arnold" method is the best. Do these in small sets until you hit 35.
Pulldown: This allows you to concentrate all effort onto your lats, especially the outer lats to acheive a wider "V" cut in you torso.
1. Start by taking an overhand grip on the pull-down bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Sit down and position your thighs under the pads, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep your back slightly arched and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the bar down to your upper chest, pause for a beat and return to the start position.
3 sets x 10 reps
Power Clean: The name says it all. You will burn a ton of calories and lift a ton of weight over time. A great over all body strength workout. **MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SPOTTER FOR THIS MOVE. HAVE A PERSONAL TRAINER SHOW YOU HOW BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THIS MONSTER MOVE!**
1. Stand holding a barbell at about knee height with an overhand shoulder-width grip.
Space your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Incline your trunk forward up to about 45 degrees and maintain a slight arch in your back.
Keep your arms straight and your shoulders over the bar, your vision focused downward and forward.
2.
Lift the bar with powerful extension of your legs and trunk while simultaneously pulling with your arms.
As you complete the pull, lean backward somewhat, rise up on the balls of your feet, raise your shoulders and flex your arms.
Jump up and spread your feet, turning your knees and feet out to the sides slightly.
Quickly drop down to squat under the barbell. As you do this, rotate your arms, bend your elbows and turn them so that they point forward and the barbell rests on your palms and the upper portion of your shoulders and deltoid muscles.
Straighten your legs and rise to the standing position, placing your feet back into the shoulder-width position.
Return the barbell back to the start position in a slow and controlled manner. Be sure to keep your back arched as you resist the weight back down. Repeat for reps.
3 sets x 10 reps
This is a good start. Master this routine for a week or two before moving on or adding any new moves.
In the market...
How do all you brokers feel about the 12b-1 conundrum and the repeal of the "Merrill Rule"? Lots of good info in the following link. All About Alpha is one of my favorite sites. A must read for anyone in Asset Management.
http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2007/06/05/what-do-fiduciaries-etfs-and-12b-1-fees-have-in-common/
Till next time, don't go getting lazy till Monday. Weekend means it's the end of the week not the END of the week.
I love "back day". A tapered torso is sure to draw admiration and a strong back, along with a strong core, is a pillar of overall strength and total fitness. I usually do 3-4 exercises with 2-3 sets each making sure to vary how many reps I do, how much weight I lift and the order of the exercises in my routine. You want to shock your muscles by switching things up. It forces them to "think" differently and adapt to different stresses, thereby increasing strength.
Give the following workout a try and see if you don't notice a marked improvement in your training performance and physical appearance.
Pullup: This one is old school and for good reason. You are dead lifting body weight. It's just you against gravity.
Grasp a bar with an pronated (palms facing away from you) grip that is outside your shoulders. Fully extended your arms and relax your shoulders to fully stretch your lats. Pull yourself up so your chin can touch the grip.
Do this till you fail. The "Arnold" method is the best. Do these in small sets until you hit 35.
Pulldown: This allows you to concentrate all effort onto your lats, especially the outer lats to acheive a wider "V" cut in you torso.
1. Start by taking an overhand grip on the pull-down bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Sit down and position your thighs under the pads, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep your back slightly arched and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the bar down to your upper chest, pause for a beat and return to the start position.
3 sets x 10 reps
Power Clean: The name says it all. You will burn a ton of calories and lift a ton of weight over time. A great over all body strength workout. **MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SPOTTER FOR THIS MOVE. HAVE A PERSONAL TRAINER SHOW YOU HOW BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THIS MONSTER MOVE!**
1. Stand holding a barbell at about knee height with an overhand shoulder-width grip.
Space your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Incline your trunk forward up to about 45 degrees and maintain a slight arch in your back.
Keep your arms straight and your shoulders over the bar, your vision focused downward and forward.
2.
Lift the bar with powerful extension of your legs and trunk while simultaneously pulling with your arms.
As you complete the pull, lean backward somewhat, rise up on the balls of your feet, raise your shoulders and flex your arms.
Jump up and spread your feet, turning your knees and feet out to the sides slightly.
Quickly drop down to squat under the barbell. As you do this, rotate your arms, bend your elbows and turn them so that they point forward and the barbell rests on your palms and the upper portion of your shoulders and deltoid muscles.
Straighten your legs and rise to the standing position, placing your feet back into the shoulder-width position.
Return the barbell back to the start position in a slow and controlled manner. Be sure to keep your back arched as you resist the weight back down. Repeat for reps.
3 sets x 10 reps
This is a good start. Master this routine for a week or two before moving on or adding any new moves.
In the market...
How do all you brokers feel about the 12b-1 conundrum and the repeal of the "Merrill Rule"? Lots of good info in the following link. All About Alpha is one of my favorite sites. A must read for anyone in Asset Management.
http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2007/06/05/what-do-fiduciaries-etfs-and-12b-1-fees-have-in-common/
Till next time, don't go getting lazy till Monday. Weekend means it's the end of the week not the END of the week.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Comforting Thoughts
Wow, all this concentration on cleaner eating has left me lusting after a heaping plate of comfort food. I haven't plowed through a buffet line in ages. I'm not one of those "carb starve" idiots and if I feel like a brownie I usually don't hold back. But the thought of eating comfy foods like meatloaf and mashed potatoes only once or twice a year made me a little sad. After all, they call it comfort food because a lot of the ingredients we put in those recipes tend to boost seratonin and other "happy" chemicals in the brain. In the spirit of eating yummy meals without busting a gut and ruining our training diet, I have constructed a protein and vitamin packed dinner that will satisfy the soul and provide the power tools your body needs for intense training and a great physique.
Meatloaf:
2 lbs ground low fat turkey breast
1 cup chopped onions
2 eggs, 2 egg whites
1 cup super chunky medium salsa
1/2 cup uncooked Irish oatmeal
a couple dashes of low sodium Worchestershire sauce
1 ts of Cayenne pepper
1/2 ts of garlic powder
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, Mix everything but the BBQ sauce in a bowl. Place in a meat loaf pan and cover with BBQ. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Potatoes:
8-10 redskin potatoes (cut into fourths/boiled but not skinned)
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1/2 skim milk
1 ts garlic powder
2 ts Extra Virgin olive oil
Instructions: Add all ingredients except milk into bowl and mash until contents are soft like dough. Add milk and return to low heat while using mixer to fluff potatoes to desired texture.
Green Beans:
1 lb fresh green beans
1 ts olive oil
1/2 cup of slivered almonds
1/2 ts black pepper
Instructions: Add contents into bowl and mix.
Enjoy!
For more interesting thoughts on the market, I've included a Blogwatch. It will cover some of the best and most useful blogs I've come across. Today's:
1) Fly on the Wall-Theflyonthewall.com, a single source provider of market-moving financial news for equity professionals, is now featured on Blogger. Designed by professional money managers, Theflyonthewall.com has been reporting unbiased market information to investors for over 6 years.
2) Cramer Watch-www.cramerwatch.org, these guys are Cramer haters at thier funniest. I happen to think the man is a talent, but this is good reading anyway. They pit a monkey randomly picking stocks against Jim. Hilarious.
3) Between the Hedges- www.hedgefundmgr.blogspot.com Run by an anonymous hedge fund manager, this blog focuses on providing market wraps, important news, and a top collection of trading links.
Till next time; Keep your ear to the grindstone!
Meatloaf:
2 lbs ground low fat turkey breast
1 cup chopped onions
2 eggs, 2 egg whites
1 cup super chunky medium salsa
1/2 cup uncooked Irish oatmeal
a couple dashes of low sodium Worchestershire sauce
1 ts of Cayenne pepper
1/2 ts of garlic powder
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, Mix everything but the BBQ sauce in a bowl. Place in a meat loaf pan and cover with BBQ. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Potatoes:
8-10 redskin potatoes (cut into fourths/boiled but not skinned)
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1/2 skim milk
1 ts garlic powder
2 ts Extra Virgin olive oil
Instructions: Add all ingredients except milk into bowl and mash until contents are soft like dough. Add milk and return to low heat while using mixer to fluff potatoes to desired texture.
Green Beans:
1 lb fresh green beans
1 ts olive oil
1/2 cup of slivered almonds
1/2 ts black pepper
Instructions: Add contents into bowl and mix.
Enjoy!
For more interesting thoughts on the market, I've included a Blogwatch. It will cover some of the best and most useful blogs I've come across. Today's:
1) Fly on the Wall-Theflyonthewall.com, a single source provider of market-moving financial news for equity professionals, is now featured on Blogger. Designed by professional money managers, Theflyonthewall.com has been reporting unbiased market information to investors for over 6 years.
2) Cramer Watch-www.cramerwatch.org, these guys are Cramer haters at thier funniest. I happen to think the man is a talent, but this is good reading anyway. They pit a monkey randomly picking stocks against Jim. Hilarious.
3) Between the Hedges- www.hedgefundmgr.blogspot.com Run by an anonymous hedge fund manager, this blog focuses on providing market wraps, important news, and a top collection of trading links.
Till next time; Keep your ear to the grindstone!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
This One's For the Ladies
Being a guy, most of my blogs have a guy's perspective when it comes to training. Now I feel both sexes should train in about the same manner. Meaning, the weight room does not and should not say "Gals need not enter". In fact, most guys tend to train a little harder if there are a few cuties in the weight room. But as we've discussed over and over on this blog, YOU MUST BUILD MUSCLE TO LOSE WEIGHT. PERIOD!
Most of the workouts I have posted can and should be used by females. Just adjust the weight or rep count if necessary. Maybe train 2-3 times per week instead of 3-4 times per week since some studies show weight training increases the bodies production of testosterone. We don't want our readers to resemble the Ukrainian Womens Weigtlifting Team.
Do this all round workout 3 times per week with 4-6 days of cardio and a Jenny Henderschott type physique is on the way!
Pushups
3(sets) x10(reps)
Barbell Curls
3x10
Dumbell Squats
3x10
Lateral Dumbell Raises (Do these while sitting on a Swiss Ball for added difficulty and core work)
3x10
Swiss Ball Crunches
3x10
Standing Calf Raises
3x10
Most of the workouts I have posted can and should be used by females. Just adjust the weight or rep count if necessary. Maybe train 2-3 times per week instead of 3-4 times per week since some studies show weight training increases the bodies production of testosterone. We don't want our readers to resemble the Ukrainian Womens Weigtlifting Team.
Do this all round workout 3 times per week with 4-6 days of cardio and a Jenny Henderschott type physique is on the way!
Pushups
3(sets) x10(reps)
Barbell Curls
3x10
Dumbell Squats
3x10
Lateral Dumbell Raises (Do these while sitting on a Swiss Ball for added difficulty and core work)
3x10
Swiss Ball Crunches
3x10
Standing Calf Raises
3x10
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Oh, The Brutality
We've taken it easy so far when it comes to weight training. Well no more! No matter what some fitness gurus tell you, if you want to add real muscle mass as well as increase strength you must engage in some form of weight training. Now I don't believe you should waste too much time on the so called "beach muscle" lifting moves (isolated biceps curls, for example). I'm a big proponant of training for strength more than looks. If you do lots of pull ups and rows, you don't need to devote a ton of attention to preacher curls to acheive a nice set of pipes. But there are a few exercises that are the core of real strength training and any regimine that lacks these is, well....lacking.
Bench press (or push ups), Squats, Dead Lifts, Straight bar curls, and Rows. The following is a workout that was passed on to me by my good buddy Adam. He gave fair warning that at first it would wreck ya. Correct! But I've noticed a steady increase in the amount of weight I can lift and in my overall physique. I've made some modifications to fit my taste. At first, just lift what you are comfortable with lifting. Don't worry about how much, just so you're doing them correctly.
Now get your Icy Hot out of the medicine cabinet, have your protein shake ready, and prepare for brutal punishment and brutal gains.
Day 1- Legs/Back/Chest (e.g. Monday)
Squats Dead Lifts Seated Hamstring Curl
4(sets) x10(sets) 4x10 4x10
Seated Cable Row DB Flat Bench
4x10 5x10
Day 2- Biceps/Triceps/Shoulders (e.g. Wednesday)
Straight Bar Curl DB Hammer Curl (hold DB vertical) Dips
4x10 4x10 4x10
Triceps Cable Push-down DB Shoulder Press (seated) DB Lateral Raise
4x10 4x10 4x10
Day 3- Legs/Chest/Back (e.g. Friday)
Dead Lifts Squats Seated Hamstring Curl
3x10 3x10 3x10
DB Incline Press Flat Press Seated Rows
3x10 3x10 3x10
Free Motion High Row
3x10
**Make sure you take two days off after Day 3. Maybe some nice cardio, but that's it. (You won't have much juice available anyway)
***Do core training (ab work) on each lifting day. 3-5 sets x 15 reps of your favorite.
Follow each workout with 20 minutes moderate cardio, followed by a whey protein shake or a PB&J and glass of milk within an hour to help repair the muscle tissue you just trashed!
Bench press (or push ups), Squats, Dead Lifts, Straight bar curls, and Rows. The following is a workout that was passed on to me by my good buddy Adam. He gave fair warning that at first it would wreck ya. Correct! But I've noticed a steady increase in the amount of weight I can lift and in my overall physique. I've made some modifications to fit my taste. At first, just lift what you are comfortable with lifting. Don't worry about how much, just so you're doing them correctly.
Now get your Icy Hot out of the medicine cabinet, have your protein shake ready, and prepare for brutal punishment and brutal gains.
Day 1- Legs/Back/Chest (e.g. Monday)
Squats Dead Lifts Seated Hamstring Curl
4(sets) x10(sets) 4x10 4x10
Seated Cable Row DB Flat Bench
4x10 5x10
Day 2- Biceps/Triceps/Shoulders (e.g. Wednesday)
Straight Bar Curl DB Hammer Curl (hold DB vertical) Dips
4x10 4x10 4x10
Triceps Cable Push-down DB Shoulder Press (seated) DB Lateral Raise
4x10 4x10 4x10
Day 3- Legs/Chest/Back (e.g. Friday)
Dead Lifts Squats Seated Hamstring Curl
3x10 3x10 3x10
DB Incline Press Flat Press Seated Rows
3x10 3x10 3x10
Free Motion High Row
3x10
**Make sure you take two days off after Day 3. Maybe some nice cardio, but that's it. (You won't have much juice available anyway)
***Do core training (ab work) on each lifting day. 3-5 sets x 15 reps of your favorite.
Follow each workout with 20 minutes moderate cardio, followed by a whey protein shake or a PB&J and glass of milk within an hour to help repair the muscle tissue you just trashed!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Shake It Up
I've said quite a bit about diet, even putting together a couple of menus to power up your metabolism and burn fat. Lots of protein, veggies and good carbs abound. Then I got to thinking; "Most of my readers are very busy people." By and large, even if you prepare most of the meals I've laid out in advance, many times you might not be able to leave your desk/trading pit/kids soccer game etc. to even microwave your chicken breast with broccoli salad. While I still say it's vital to eat this way as much as possible, in cases when it's not feasible, you need to turn to shakes. They're quick, easy, affordable and will fill you up with the good stuff you need to cruise through your day and keep that evil snack machine out of your life. If you've got a blender, all the better! Just toss in some skim milk, melon, strawberries, bananas, spinach, it doesn't matter. Just hit BLEND and enjoy.
Lots of studies have shown that if you're trying to lose a few pounds, a meal replacement shake will work even better than a low cal meal. Think about it. Instead of hitting Chipotle (burrito with a large soda comes to 600-800 calories, not to mention the post-lunch sleepies), most shakes contain 200-400 calories plus a lot less time and money.
I've tried a few and here's what I think;
Myoplex: Probably the best I've ever tasted. Vanilla tastes just like it should. Chocolate is not bad either. A four pack at the grocery store is about $8 but you can get great deals at supplementwarehouse.com. That comes to $2 for a meal. You might want to throw in some Triscuits and an apple, still a great deal. That crushes any dollar menu anywhere. From EAS
Calories: 270 Calories from Fat: 25Total Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 350mgPotassium: 650mgTotal Carbohydrates: 23g Dietary Fiber: 3g Sugars: 3gProtein: 42 grams
Muscle Milk: Kinda has a saccharine aftertaste but is a very good base if you blend it with your favorite fruit and skim milk. It's also a little higher in saturated fat than I'd like. Banana creme is the best flavor. A 20 pack is $45 on VitaXL.com From Cytosport.
Calories: Calories from Fat: 18 total: 3g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 200 mg, Potassium: 600 mg, Total Carbohydrate: 12g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 32 g
Slim Fast Optima or High Protein: Very yummy. A bit of a grainy finish. Not extremely filling. Only 180 calories per can. No other info available.
Lots of studies have shown that if you're trying to lose a few pounds, a meal replacement shake will work even better than a low cal meal. Think about it. Instead of hitting Chipotle (burrito with a large soda comes to 600-800 calories, not to mention the post-lunch sleepies), most shakes contain 200-400 calories plus a lot less time and money.
I've tried a few and here's what I think;
Myoplex: Probably the best I've ever tasted. Vanilla tastes just like it should. Chocolate is not bad either. A four pack at the grocery store is about $8 but you can get great deals at supplementwarehouse.com. That comes to $2 for a meal. You might want to throw in some Triscuits and an apple, still a great deal. That crushes any dollar menu anywhere. From EAS
Calories: 270 Calories from Fat: 25Total Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 350mgPotassium: 650mgTotal Carbohydrates: 23g Dietary Fiber: 3g Sugars: 3gProtein: 42 grams
Muscle Milk: Kinda has a saccharine aftertaste but is a very good base if you blend it with your favorite fruit and skim milk. It's also a little higher in saturated fat than I'd like. Banana creme is the best flavor. A 20 pack is $45 on VitaXL.com From Cytosport.
Calories: Calories from Fat: 18 total: 3g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 200 mg, Potassium: 600 mg, Total Carbohydrate: 12g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 32 g
Slim Fast Optima or High Protein: Very yummy. A bit of a grainy finish. Not extremely filling. Only 180 calories per can. No other info available.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Drilling to the Core
Let's talk about abs. Anyone who cares about their appearance wants to have a shredded six pack. I see people doing hours of cardio and dozens of crunches to attain this very goal. That's all well and good, but a strong midsection is not just for looks anymore.
Elite athletes and personal trainers agree that a strong core is the nucleus of our body's support and the generator of our motive power. The abdominals stabilize your spine. If you go half assed on your ab training all sorts of other workouts will suffer as a result. Especially if you plan on doing any squats!
Martial artists, soccer players, golfers and many others bring most of their power from the core. We did hundreds of crunches and other ab exercises during my soccer days. And kicking the stationary bag during my kickboxing workout crushes my obliques. And somewhere under John Daly's beer belly is a very powerful set of abdominal muscles. It can't all be attributed to his driver!
Ab training can also be a preventative measure against lower back pain and bad posture. Most of us sit at a desk all day and that can put a lot of pressure on the discs in your spine leading to chronic back pain and a "slouched" look. Plus, you need a stable core for almost anything you do from getting in and out of a car, putting groceries away and picking up your kids.
Lastly, to get that chiseled midsection, you gotta eat the right stuff. Doughnut Hoovers rarely have "Fight Club" style abs. So the low fat, high protein, high fiber diet you should be eating will not only help you acheive a great looking tummy but also protect your ticker.
The Workout:
Core
Woodchop 2 sets x10 reps (both sides)
Plank 2x 30 seconds
Swiss Ball Crunch 2x15
Lower Abs
Cable Reverse Crunch 2x15
Hanging Leg Raises 2x15
Obliques
One Arm Deadlift 2x10
Incline Crunch W/ Twist 2x10
In addition to these, plus a good diet and plenty of cardio, here are some supplements that are sure to help. Green Tree Extract (200-500 mgs), Fish Oil (1-3 grams with food), Carnitine 1-2 grams.
Drilling for beta....
I found a way to get lots of leverage in the oil patch without all the heavy lifting of hours of research and contant trades that are sure to be necessary in that volatile market. ProShares Ultra Oil and Gas (RIG) ETF . I'm not lazy, but since I work for a securities firm I am obliged to hold any security I buy for at least 60 days. This high Beta ETF is perfect if you want exposure to the oil markets without having to pick stock. It won't save you from the belly ache a coup d' etat in Western Africa or another bad hurricane season but it should be fun!
Elite athletes and personal trainers agree that a strong core is the nucleus of our body's support and the generator of our motive power. The abdominals stabilize your spine. If you go half assed on your ab training all sorts of other workouts will suffer as a result. Especially if you plan on doing any squats!
Martial artists, soccer players, golfers and many others bring most of their power from the core. We did hundreds of crunches and other ab exercises during my soccer days. And kicking the stationary bag during my kickboxing workout crushes my obliques. And somewhere under John Daly's beer belly is a very powerful set of abdominal muscles. It can't all be attributed to his driver!
Ab training can also be a preventative measure against lower back pain and bad posture. Most of us sit at a desk all day and that can put a lot of pressure on the discs in your spine leading to chronic back pain and a "slouched" look. Plus, you need a stable core for almost anything you do from getting in and out of a car, putting groceries away and picking up your kids.
Lastly, to get that chiseled midsection, you gotta eat the right stuff. Doughnut Hoovers rarely have "Fight Club" style abs. So the low fat, high protein, high fiber diet you should be eating will not only help you acheive a great looking tummy but also protect your ticker.
The Workout:
Core
Woodchop 2 sets x10 reps (both sides)
Plank 2x 30 seconds
Swiss Ball Crunch 2x15
Lower Abs
Cable Reverse Crunch 2x15
Hanging Leg Raises 2x15
Obliques
One Arm Deadlift 2x10
Incline Crunch W/ Twist 2x10
In addition to these, plus a good diet and plenty of cardio, here are some supplements that are sure to help. Green Tree Extract (200-500 mgs), Fish Oil (1-3 grams with food), Carnitine 1-2 grams.
Drilling for beta....
I found a way to get lots of leverage in the oil patch without all the heavy lifting of hours of research and contant trades that are sure to be necessary in that volatile market. ProShares Ultra Oil and Gas (RIG) ETF . I'm not lazy, but since I work for a securities firm I am obliged to hold any security I buy for at least 60 days. This high Beta ETF is perfect if you want exposure to the oil markets without having to pick stock. It won't save you from the belly ache a coup d' etat in Western Africa or another bad hurricane season but it should be fun!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Truth, Justice, and the FitMarket Way
Cheesy title, yes. But today I want to talk about the importance of honesty in your physical development. Obviously we should all strive to be truthful people. And I hope to the heavens that those of you working out there in the financial markets list honesty as one of your dominate traits. If not, shape up! If so, good for you, yet it is important to be honest not just with others in daily life, but with ourselves. And there is no better place to delude ourselves, cut corners and flat out kick the truth to the curb than when talking about accomplishing our fitness goals. Hell, I've padded my bench press, rationalized a donut, and convinced myself I ran 4 miles instead of 3.5!
In training, whether its weights, sports, yoga, etc, telling the truth is what separates the strong from the weak; Figuratively and literally. Truly fit, successful, happy people have the ability to take responsibility for what happens to them. Those who blame others, the circumstances, or anything else for a bad result will never take it to the next level.
While these folks always own up to shortcomings and never rationalize failure, they also set realistic goals and timelines for themselves. It is not a good idea to sign up for a full contact kickboxing tournament when you're on your fourth lesson! Super fit people never take failure lying down, yet they go with the flow and are realistic when evaluating their abilities.
When you commit to the truth in your training, not only will you improve your fitness results (painstaking records keep you honest!) but it will increase your ability to be fully present in your efforts and stay in the moment. Dishonesty in training is only a reflection or reaction to negativity.
Your belief in yourself will grow as you keep testing yourself. As you leap each hurdle your need or desire to cut corners will diminish. You will develop more confidence as you see results. Then you carry that honest confidence into every other aspect of life.
Till next time. Chopping down cherry trees is a great cardio and strength workout!
From Last Week: Merger Madness...a slowdown?
LBO market. Private-equity firms are diverging on their opinions on the current LBO market and that could be bad for stocks, according to this WSJ article. Ripplewood's Timothy Collins, TPG's David Bonderman, and Carlyle co-founders David Rubenstein and Bill Conway have all raised concerns about the froth they see in the buyout market. Such bearish views could take the air out of the stock market as private-equity's appetite for public companies has helped buoy stock prices. KKR, meanwhile, is roaring ahead, taking part in $120 billion of buyouts so far this year.
In training, whether its weights, sports, yoga, etc, telling the truth is what separates the strong from the weak; Figuratively and literally. Truly fit, successful, happy people have the ability to take responsibility for what happens to them. Those who blame others, the circumstances, or anything else for a bad result will never take it to the next level.
While these folks always own up to shortcomings and never rationalize failure, they also set realistic goals and timelines for themselves. It is not a good idea to sign up for a full contact kickboxing tournament when you're on your fourth lesson! Super fit people never take failure lying down, yet they go with the flow and are realistic when evaluating their abilities.
When you commit to the truth in your training, not only will you improve your fitness results (painstaking records keep you honest!) but it will increase your ability to be fully present in your efforts and stay in the moment. Dishonesty in training is only a reflection or reaction to negativity.
Your belief in yourself will grow as you keep testing yourself. As you leap each hurdle your need or desire to cut corners will diminish. You will develop more confidence as you see results. Then you carry that honest confidence into every other aspect of life.
Till next time. Chopping down cherry trees is a great cardio and strength workout!
From Last Week: Merger Madness...a slowdown?
LBO market. Private-equity firms are diverging on their opinions on the current LBO market and that could be bad for stocks, according to this WSJ article. Ripplewood's Timothy Collins, TPG's David Bonderman, and Carlyle co-founders David Rubenstein and Bill Conway have all raised concerns about the froth they see in the buyout market. Such bearish views could take the air out of the stock market as private-equity's appetite for public companies has helped buoy stock prices. KKR, meanwhile, is roaring ahead, taking part in $120 billion of buyouts so far this year.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Head Games Part Deux
Let's continue our discussion on the psychology of training and trading. This is a topic we will continually return to because it is that important. From championship athletes and master traders to titans of all business, these souls tend to attribute their success to having a positive attitude and clear mental focus.
Acheiving your goals in the gym, which is my primary concern, starts with abolishing, or at least training without the negative assumptions you have about yourself and the fixed ideas of what you think or have been told are possible. When you commit your attention to a clear vision or goal you will invariably begin to act in accordance with the attainment of that goal. You live in the moment. Believe me, when you are concentrating on benching 10 extra pounds or running that extra mile, focusing on notions of past failures or what "can't" be done is a sure recipe for failure.
Each new success in your fitness journey will breed more success if you let yourself feed off of this momentum. Once you let go of what others tell you or what you have fixed in your mind as possible, attaining the next fitness goal becomes almost effortless. It's kind of like compound interest. At first when you start saving money it looks like you'll never amass that first $1000. After you build a few hundred bucks, that money begins to pile faster and faster. You're just focusing on earning that next few dollars, not on the "impossible" amount you want to save. In no time you're there! You are in the moment.
This way of training will hurt at first, both figuratively and literally. If you habitually lift one amount of weight or run a certain length of time or do one particular workout, you become comfortable. You've defined yourself by old parameters. Jumping into a boxing ring for the first time, I experienced fear of the unknown. Would I be able to make it? Will I look like a fool? Will I lose my lunch? Yes to the first two. No to the latter!
Ultimately it boils down not so much to changing yourself but the manner in which ou relate to each challenge. Another mile on your bike, another 30 seconds hitting the bag, another 3 reps, whatever. Just concentrate on each specific training task as one project and take the steps to get there. Get over yourself and you'll forget any limitations you or society may have imposed on you in the first place.
Speaking of boxing. If you're looking for a great combination of strength training and cardio all in one workout, boxing is perhaps the best. Plus it is the consummate challenge. Floyd Mayweather looks (and talks!) like that for a reason.
I suggest you take a class at your gym. Most will have a certified personal trainer that can safely and effectively put you through a good, basic routine that will shed fat, improve focus, strength and confidence. For now, here are some great basics to get ready. Included is a good link to boxing equipment and other tips on the sport.
www.my-workouts.com, SportsWorkout.com/Boxing_Training
Jump rope: 4 sets at 1 minute a piece. Great for cardio and agility.
Crunches: 4 sets x 20 reps. I use the swiss ball for these making sure not to forget the obliques (the sides, where your lovehandles are!)
Pushups: 4 set x 20 reps. Awesome for shoulders, chest and abs.
Walking lunges: 3sets. Take two dumbells (25 lbs or less) and do walking lunges 20 feet, turn, 20 feet, rest.
Treadmill: 25 minutes alternating speeds; 50%, 75%, 90%, 75%, 50%.
Till next time. Keep your eye on what's in front of you, especially if it's wearing gloves that say Everlast!
Acheiving your goals in the gym, which is my primary concern, starts with abolishing, or at least training without the negative assumptions you have about yourself and the fixed ideas of what you think or have been told are possible. When you commit your attention to a clear vision or goal you will invariably begin to act in accordance with the attainment of that goal. You live in the moment. Believe me, when you are concentrating on benching 10 extra pounds or running that extra mile, focusing on notions of past failures or what "can't" be done is a sure recipe for failure.
Each new success in your fitness journey will breed more success if you let yourself feed off of this momentum. Once you let go of what others tell you or what you have fixed in your mind as possible, attaining the next fitness goal becomes almost effortless. It's kind of like compound interest. At first when you start saving money it looks like you'll never amass that first $1000. After you build a few hundred bucks, that money begins to pile faster and faster. You're just focusing on earning that next few dollars, not on the "impossible" amount you want to save. In no time you're there! You are in the moment.
This way of training will hurt at first, both figuratively and literally. If you habitually lift one amount of weight or run a certain length of time or do one particular workout, you become comfortable. You've defined yourself by old parameters. Jumping into a boxing ring for the first time, I experienced fear of the unknown. Would I be able to make it? Will I look like a fool? Will I lose my lunch? Yes to the first two. No to the latter!
Ultimately it boils down not so much to changing yourself but the manner in which ou relate to each challenge. Another mile on your bike, another 30 seconds hitting the bag, another 3 reps, whatever. Just concentrate on each specific training task as one project and take the steps to get there. Get over yourself and you'll forget any limitations you or society may have imposed on you in the first place.
Speaking of boxing. If you're looking for a great combination of strength training and cardio all in one workout, boxing is perhaps the best. Plus it is the consummate challenge. Floyd Mayweather looks (and talks!) like that for a reason.
I suggest you take a class at your gym. Most will have a certified personal trainer that can safely and effectively put you through a good, basic routine that will shed fat, improve focus, strength and confidence. For now, here are some great basics to get ready. Included is a good link to boxing equipment and other tips on the sport.
www.my-workouts.com, SportsWorkout.com/Boxing_Training
Jump rope: 4 sets at 1 minute a piece. Great for cardio and agility.
Crunches: 4 sets x 20 reps. I use the swiss ball for these making sure not to forget the obliques (the sides, where your lovehandles are!)
Pushups: 4 set x 20 reps. Awesome for shoulders, chest and abs.
Walking lunges: 3sets. Take two dumbells (25 lbs or less) and do walking lunges 20 feet, turn, 20 feet, rest.
Treadmill: 25 minutes alternating speeds; 50%, 75%, 90%, 75%, 50%.
Till next time. Keep your eye on what's in front of you, especially if it's wearing gloves that say Everlast!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Head Games
This week we're going to try and get into our heads a little bit. Anybody doubt that psychology plays a huge role while working in the markets? Didn't think so. Well the same applies when striving for results in the gym, the ball field, the course, whatever.
We are all governed by beliefs and habits to some extent. I love soccer, but I generally don't think I'm MLS material. Most golfers would never dream of playing like Tiger. And most traders wouldn't put themselves in the same league as Steve Cohen. Why? This limits us and will ensure that we DO NOT attain these lofty goals.
Great traders, like great athletes, have many common traits; knowledge, skill, and rationality. Think these are inborn or unattainable? Hardly.
Knowledge: Look at how many books on how to trade there are out there. I mean the ones written by actual pros. How much software exists to help you test your trading ideas, calculate your profit and loss, give you Buy and Sell signals, and so much more?
Skill: We all have the capacity to hone our skills through practice. Sure Tiger had some innate talent when it came to hitting a golf ball. But do you think that man doesn't practice constantly, even now at the top of his game. You've got money in the market. You pay attention every day. You have the tools at your disposal in an ocean of information. Use it.
Rationality: All humans are rational beings to some degree. Ultmately it comes down to defeating anxiety and self doubt by using our conscious, rational minds to redesign ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally to train and trade successfully.
There are some terrific books out there to help get into this mindset . All week I'll be sharing some of these ideas along with where to get some of these publications as well. Two of the very best are Trading in the Zone and Trading to Win by Dr. Ari Kiev.
Most of my attention will be on using these ideas in your fitness training to keep a sound body and mind to better enable you to focus on trading.
Until next time. Believe you can. Set goals to get there. Enjoy the ride.
We are all governed by beliefs and habits to some extent. I love soccer, but I generally don't think I'm MLS material. Most golfers would never dream of playing like Tiger. And most traders wouldn't put themselves in the same league as Steve Cohen. Why? This limits us and will ensure that we DO NOT attain these lofty goals.
Great traders, like great athletes, have many common traits; knowledge, skill, and rationality. Think these are inborn or unattainable? Hardly.
Knowledge: Look at how many books on how to trade there are out there. I mean the ones written by actual pros. How much software exists to help you test your trading ideas, calculate your profit and loss, give you Buy and Sell signals, and so much more?
Skill: We all have the capacity to hone our skills through practice. Sure Tiger had some innate talent when it came to hitting a golf ball. But do you think that man doesn't practice constantly, even now at the top of his game. You've got money in the market. You pay attention every day. You have the tools at your disposal in an ocean of information. Use it.
Rationality: All humans are rational beings to some degree. Ultmately it comes down to defeating anxiety and self doubt by using our conscious, rational minds to redesign ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally to train and trade successfully.
There are some terrific books out there to help get into this mindset . All week I'll be sharing some of these ideas along with where to get some of these publications as well. Two of the very best are Trading in the Zone and Trading to Win by Dr. Ari Kiev.
Most of my attention will be on using these ideas in your fitness training to keep a sound body and mind to better enable you to focus on trading.
Until next time. Believe you can. Set goals to get there. Enjoy the ride.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Hot In Here
Now lets get to the heart of fat burning. Cardio. Yes, we all hate it. No one in thier right mind likes to run in place for very long. But to shed fat, cardio training is of paramount importance. Don't worry. The following programs will not take long. So plug in your iPod. Pray the gym TV is tuned to something cool like Bloomberg TV or CNBC (I could watch Maria Bartriromo on a treadmill all day). Now get moving!
Program 1: Even Burn
Intensity: 50%(% Max heart rate) Time: 2 minutes
60% Time: 2 minutes
75% Time: 25 minutes
60% Time: 2 minutes
50% Time: 2 minutes
Program 2: Cruise to Lose
Intensity: 50% Time: 1 minute
60% Time: 1 minute
70% Time: 5 minutes
75% Time: 15 minutes
60% Time: 5 minutes
50% Time: 2 minutes
Cool Down walk Time: 1 minute
If running bores you out of your mind, too bad. For now just gut it out. Later I will present some much more entertaining forms of cardio (PG rated of course) like kickboxing, cycling, etc.
All this talk of heat this week has me focused on the weather. Anyone paying attention has noticed that the climate is changing. I'm no environmental alarmist, I am a pragmatist. All you Kyoto haters out there just admit it. Al Gore is not a total idiot. But being a pragmatist, my question isn't "Is the climate changing?", it's "How can I adapt and profit?"
The climate has impacted investment since the first fields were planted. Futures markets have helped farmers hedge against floods and droughts for decades. Hurricane Katrina sent a wave of uncertainty and destruction through every market imaginable (insurance, oil, etc). Can the futures markets and good old capitalist ingenuity help protect us (at least financially) against the most fickle of all ladies, Mother Nature?
Check out this fascinating article on MarketWatch.com for more....
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/growing-futures-market-lets-businesses/story.aspx?guid=%7B40213F1C%2D4108%2D4464%2D859B%2D47436F68649B%7D
Till next time, wear comfy running shoes and don't forget an umbrella!
Program 1: Even Burn
Intensity: 50%(% Max heart rate) Time: 2 minutes
60% Time: 2 minutes
75% Time: 25 minutes
60% Time: 2 minutes
50% Time: 2 minutes
Program 2: Cruise to Lose
Intensity: 50% Time: 1 minute
60% Time: 1 minute
70% Time: 5 minutes
75% Time: 15 minutes
60% Time: 5 minutes
50% Time: 2 minutes
Cool Down walk Time: 1 minute
If running bores you out of your mind, too bad. For now just gut it out. Later I will present some much more entertaining forms of cardio (PG rated of course) like kickboxing, cycling, etc.
All this talk of heat this week has me focused on the weather. Anyone paying attention has noticed that the climate is changing. I'm no environmental alarmist, I am a pragmatist. All you Kyoto haters out there just admit it. Al Gore is not a total idiot. But being a pragmatist, my question isn't "Is the climate changing?", it's "How can I adapt and profit?"
The climate has impacted investment since the first fields were planted. Futures markets have helped farmers hedge against floods and droughts for decades. Hurricane Katrina sent a wave of uncertainty and destruction through every market imaginable (insurance, oil, etc). Can the futures markets and good old capitalist ingenuity help protect us (at least financially) against the most fickle of all ladies, Mother Nature?
Check out this fascinating article on MarketWatch.com for more....
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/growing-futures-market-lets-businesses/story.aspx?guid=%7B40213F1C%2D4108%2D4464%2D859B%2D47436F68649B%7D
Till next time, wear comfy running shoes and don't forget an umbrella!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Super Sets
Now for the ultimate fat burning strength workout. We call these "super sets". Now you're probably thinking; "How will a heavy weight lifting routine help me burn fat?" Well, like we covered in prior posts, muscle building actually speeds up metabolism. Research shows that weight/resistance training gives your metabolic rate a bigger push than cardio alone. Super sets, where you do back to back exercises without rest will promote an even greater boost to this metabolic process. How? By forcing you to do more work in less time. Caution: YOU WILL BE TIRED AFTER THESE WORKOUTS.
NOTE** Your only rest period will be between super sets. I suggest about 3-4 minutes at first. After a couple weeks you can take it down to 2-3 minutes. Do what feels right without being lazy. During these exercises, use about 75% of your maximum weight. Each super set is denoted color.
Day #1 Chest:
Incline bench press: 3 sets x 8 reps
Incline dumbell fly: 3 x8
Flat bench dumbell press: 3x10
Flat bench dumbell flyes: 3x10
Decline bench press: 3x10
Cable crossover: 3x10
Day #1 Triceps:
Bench Dip: 3x10
Overhead dumbell extension: 3x10
Close grip bench press: 2x10
Push ups: 2x15
Day # 2 Back
Deadlift: 3x10
Pullup: 3x10
Wide grip bent over row: 3x10
Seated row: 3x10
T bar row: 3x10
Lat pulldown: 3x10
Day # 2 Biceps
Barbell curl: 3x10
Dumbell curl: 3x10
Preacher curl: 3x10
Incline dumbell curl: 3x10
Day # 3 Legs
Barbell squat: 3x10
Leg press: 3x10
Romanian deadlift: 3x10
Lying leg curl: 3x10
Seated calf raises: 3x10
Standing calf raises: 3x10
Abs
Swiss ball crunch: 1x20
Hanging leg raises: 1x15
Planks: 2x 30 seconds
Incline crunch: 2x15
Day #4 Shoulders
Overhead dumbell press: 3x10
Dumbell lateral raise: 3x10
Upright barbell row: 3x10
Dumbell front raise: 3x10
Traps
Dumbell shrugs: 3x10
Whew! Beat? I'll bet. While you're soaking your muscles in a well deserved shower, ponder this. Hedge fund titan ESL Investments, run by Eddie Lampert, just disclosed it owns 15.24 million shares of Citigroup (C).
Does this mean;
A) Citi's struggling share price might be on the way up since Mr. Lampert is a noted value investor? Good news for Chuck Prince!
or
B) Mr. Lampert will become a rabble rousing advocate for change in the executive suite at Citi? Bad news for Chuck!
Added fun bonus!
Remember how Jamie Dimon was tossed aside by Citigroups architect, Sanford Weill, essentially paving the way for Mr. Prince? Anyone checked the last couple year's performance of JP Morgan Chase and Co. JPM (where Mr. Dimon happens to be the CEO)? Karma's a funny thing....
NOTE** Your only rest period will be between super sets. I suggest about 3-4 minutes at first. After a couple weeks you can take it down to 2-3 minutes. Do what feels right without being lazy. During these exercises, use about 75% of your maximum weight. Each super set is denoted color.
Day #1 Chest:
Incline bench press: 3 sets x 8 reps
Incline dumbell fly: 3 x8
Flat bench dumbell press: 3x10
Flat bench dumbell flyes: 3x10
Decline bench press: 3x10
Cable crossover: 3x10
Day #1 Triceps:
Bench Dip: 3x10
Overhead dumbell extension: 3x10
Close grip bench press: 2x10
Push ups: 2x15
Day # 2 Back
Deadlift: 3x10
Pullup: 3x10
Wide grip bent over row: 3x10
Seated row: 3x10
T bar row: 3x10
Lat pulldown: 3x10
Day # 2 Biceps
Barbell curl: 3x10
Dumbell curl: 3x10
Preacher curl: 3x10
Incline dumbell curl: 3x10
Day # 3 Legs
Barbell squat: 3x10
Leg press: 3x10
Romanian deadlift: 3x10
Lying leg curl: 3x10
Seated calf raises: 3x10
Standing calf raises: 3x10
Abs
Swiss ball crunch: 1x20
Hanging leg raises: 1x15
Planks: 2x 30 seconds
Incline crunch: 2x15
Day #4 Shoulders
Overhead dumbell press: 3x10
Dumbell lateral raise: 3x10
Upright barbell row: 3x10
Dumbell front raise: 3x10
Traps
Dumbell shrugs: 3x10
Whew! Beat? I'll bet. While you're soaking your muscles in a well deserved shower, ponder this. Hedge fund titan ESL Investments, run by Eddie Lampert, just disclosed it owns 15.24 million shares of Citigroup (C).
Does this mean;
A) Citi's struggling share price might be on the way up since Mr. Lampert is a noted value investor? Good news for Chuck Prince!
or
B) Mr. Lampert will become a rabble rousing advocate for change in the executive suite at Citi? Bad news for Chuck!
Added fun bonus!
Remember how Jamie Dimon was tossed aside by Citigroups architect, Sanford Weill, essentially paving the way for Mr. Prince? Anyone checked the last couple year's performance of JP Morgan Chase and Co. JPM (where Mr. Dimon happens to be the CEO)? Karma's a funny thing....
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Feed the Burn
As promised, here's the fat burning meal plan we talked about. This is going to take some discipline, but since the FitMarket audience is choc full of Type A personalities anyway, this should be a snap.
6:30 am: Green tea or coffee
7:00-7:30 am: Cardio on empty stomach (stop whining, you can listen to Squawk Box on your iPod. Use a stationary bike, real bike, treadmill, run around the block, run to the subway. Get it done!
8:00 am: Meal #1-4 egg white omelette, with green peppers, low fat cheese, oatmeal, OJ. Power up before the opening bell. Pressed for time? Egg Beaters work fine, so does V8 Juice in place of peppers. Just toss the eggs into your bowl of oatmeal.
11:00 am: Meal #2- 10Triscuits, handfull of almonds or walnuts-NO SALT! The market won't slow down for you, champ. This is my personal fave pick me up.
1:00 pm: Meal #3-Grilled chicken in a whole wheat wrap (chicken, lowfat cheese, spinach, tomato). Granola bar for desert. Gordon Gekko said lunch is for wimps. Notice how he was always checking his blood pressure?
3:30 pm: Meal #4- Peanut butter and apple. Don't let an insulin drop dull your edge so near to the closing bell.
6:00 pm: Meal #5- 2 scoops of whey protein, skim milk, banana or other fruit. You're still too jacked from the day's activity.Plus you probably won't leave the computer for another hour. This will give you the fuel you'll need for weight/resistance training tonight.
8:30 pm: Meal #6-Have a flank steak, sweet potato, steamed broccoli. You earned it (hopefully). And if you took a beating today, this comfort food will help you forget if the workout didn't.
Tomorrow we'll have the fat blazing workout all lined up. Plus some more commentary on all this M&A activity! Will Cerberus take Daimler Chrysler to the gates off hell.....?
See you tomorrow. Same Fit time. Same Fit channel.
6:30 am: Green tea or coffee
7:00-7:30 am: Cardio on empty stomach (stop whining, you can listen to Squawk Box on your iPod. Use a stationary bike, real bike, treadmill, run around the block, run to the subway. Get it done!
8:00 am: Meal #1-4 egg white omelette, with green peppers, low fat cheese, oatmeal, OJ. Power up before the opening bell. Pressed for time? Egg Beaters work fine, so does V8 Juice in place of peppers. Just toss the eggs into your bowl of oatmeal.
11:00 am: Meal #2- 10Triscuits, handfull of almonds or walnuts-NO SALT! The market won't slow down for you, champ. This is my personal fave pick me up.
1:00 pm: Meal #3-Grilled chicken in a whole wheat wrap (chicken, lowfat cheese, spinach, tomato). Granola bar for desert. Gordon Gekko said lunch is for wimps. Notice how he was always checking his blood pressure?
3:30 pm: Meal #4- Peanut butter and apple. Don't let an insulin drop dull your edge so near to the closing bell.
6:00 pm: Meal #5- 2 scoops of whey protein, skim milk, banana or other fruit. You're still too jacked from the day's activity.Plus you probably won't leave the computer for another hour. This will give you the fuel you'll need for weight/resistance training tonight.
8:30 pm: Meal #6-Have a flank steak, sweet potato, steamed broccoli. You earned it (hopefully). And if you took a beating today, this comfort food will help you forget if the workout didn't.
Tomorrow we'll have the fat blazing workout all lined up. Plus some more commentary on all this M&A activity! Will Cerberus take Daimler Chrysler to the gates off hell.....?
See you tomorrow. Same Fit time. Same Fit channel.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Burn Baby Burn!
We're going to shake things up and concentrate on the fitness side of things this week. With summer fast approaching even the most hard core bankers, traders and brokers are going to hit the beach, the tennis court, or the golf course. In order to dominate on the courts or the course and look good on the beach, we're all going to burn some of that lingering winter flab. The next few posts will address just that.
Here are some basic laws that will get us going. Later I'll inject a meal and training plan as well.
1. Kick calories: This one's really simple. To burn a lot of fat, you must eat fewer calories than your body is used to. When the body doesn't receive the amount of calories it is accustomed to, it starts to consume fat stores. If you exercise 3-5 days per week, that means you burn 18 calories per pound per day. So a 200 lb guy would normally take in 3600 calories per day. Shoot for 3000 calories.
How? Cut out butter, salad dressings and oils and bad fats. You'll be shocked by how easy it is to do and by how fast the calories drop. Steak eaters rejoice! You can still eat flank steaks, just steer clear of the marbled cuts. Remove skin from chicken. Stick to egg whites for a week or two.
2. Cut Carbs: Carbohydrates have a huge impact on hormones that control fat burning. By suppressing the hormones that help the body store fat, you will see a drop in body fat. Carbohydrates increase insulin production. Insulin hinders fat break down. Fewer carbs=less insulin=fat loss.
Bad Carbs: Fast digesting carbs, i.e. white bread, white rice, sweets, potatoes.
Good Carbs: Slow digesting, i.e. whole grains, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, etc.
3. Pack on Protein: Protein builds muscle. Period. Muscle building boosts your metabolism. Our bodies burn more calories when they process protein than fat or carbs. You should try to eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of body fat each day. Chicken breast, fish, lean beef, whey protein, low fat milk, nuts, cottage cheese, eggs. All these are solid sources.
4. No Carbs before bed: This one's a toughie! I love some chips and salsa in front of the late night tube as much as the next person. But from what we just learned about insulin, the late night carb craves are detrimental to our mission of fighting flab. Nighttime is when our bodies produce a lot of growth hormone which is key in muscle growth. If you hit the chips and crackers before bed you'll drive up your blood glucose (carbs in your blood) and hurt your body's ability to produce growth hormone and burn fat. Got the munchies? Have some sting cheese or a protein shake. Some great places to shop for high quality whey protein at terrific prices are www.AllTheWhey.com or www.supplementwarehouse.com or just hit the nearest GNC.
5. Eat more: I know guys who come into work and blast through the first 3-4 hours on caffeine alone. A jumbo latte from SBUX, and that's it until they're starving around noon. Result? A trip to Chipotle (including a huge bag of chips and salsa with large soda) followed by the inevitable insulin crash around 3 pm. No good! Each time you eat your body's fat burning mechanism (metabolism) increases. So if eating (nutritious power foods, that is) jumpstarts your metabolism, it stands to reason that you'd be better off eating more often. Try to eat 6-8 small meals per day 2-3 hours apart. When you wait longer your body goes into "starvation mode" and stores fat to compensate. Plus, when you're absolutely famished, you are more likely to hit the feed bag extra hard, especially with carbs and starches that make us feel fuller. Just make sure to evenly space your caloric intake accordingly. 6-8 meals means eating about 400 calories per meal. Don't forget a healthy dose of protein!
6. Post workout feeding: Body fat is tough to gain right after a workout. This is because your muscles are depleted and are busy gobbling up carbs and protein to recover. Don't eat too little after you train or you could do damage to your body's recovery process. Get 30-40 grams of protein from a shake (Muscle Milkor Myoplex are good or the dozens of whey protein shakes out there) plus a baked potato (hold the butter and sour cream!). I'm also a fan of guzzling a 20 oz Gatorade most nights, especially after heavy cardio.
7. Easy does it: Don't over train. People kill themselves and do dozens of sets and 60 minutes of cardio every single day. In the words of ESPN's Lee Corso; Not so fast my friend! Train till you're tired, not dead. Overtraining can hamper your anabolic hormones. Remember, muscle mass helps fat loss. It is the main driver of your metabolism. By all means, bring the noise while you workout, but after 60-75 minutes you're just breaking down muscle and inhibiting growth hormone.
That covers it. Later this week I'll provide a good workout routine and meal plan.
Till next time. Watch your calories. Watch your workout routine. And keep watching that ticker!
Here are some basic laws that will get us going. Later I'll inject a meal and training plan as well.
1. Kick calories: This one's really simple. To burn a lot of fat, you must eat fewer calories than your body is used to. When the body doesn't receive the amount of calories it is accustomed to, it starts to consume fat stores. If you exercise 3-5 days per week, that means you burn 18 calories per pound per day. So a 200 lb guy would normally take in 3600 calories per day. Shoot for 3000 calories.
How? Cut out butter, salad dressings and oils and bad fats. You'll be shocked by how easy it is to do and by how fast the calories drop. Steak eaters rejoice! You can still eat flank steaks, just steer clear of the marbled cuts. Remove skin from chicken. Stick to egg whites for a week or two.
2. Cut Carbs: Carbohydrates have a huge impact on hormones that control fat burning. By suppressing the hormones that help the body store fat, you will see a drop in body fat. Carbohydrates increase insulin production. Insulin hinders fat break down. Fewer carbs=less insulin=fat loss.
Bad Carbs: Fast digesting carbs, i.e. white bread, white rice, sweets, potatoes.
Good Carbs: Slow digesting, i.e. whole grains, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, etc.
3. Pack on Protein: Protein builds muscle. Period. Muscle building boosts your metabolism. Our bodies burn more calories when they process protein than fat or carbs. You should try to eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of body fat each day. Chicken breast, fish, lean beef, whey protein, low fat milk, nuts, cottage cheese, eggs. All these are solid sources.
4. No Carbs before bed: This one's a toughie! I love some chips and salsa in front of the late night tube as much as the next person. But from what we just learned about insulin, the late night carb craves are detrimental to our mission of fighting flab. Nighttime is when our bodies produce a lot of growth hormone which is key in muscle growth. If you hit the chips and crackers before bed you'll drive up your blood glucose (carbs in your blood) and hurt your body's ability to produce growth hormone and burn fat. Got the munchies? Have some sting cheese or a protein shake. Some great places to shop for high quality whey protein at terrific prices are www.AllTheWhey.com or www.supplementwarehouse.com or just hit the nearest GNC.
5. Eat more: I know guys who come into work and blast through the first 3-4 hours on caffeine alone. A jumbo latte from SBUX, and that's it until they're starving around noon. Result? A trip to Chipotle (including a huge bag of chips and salsa with large soda) followed by the inevitable insulin crash around 3 pm. No good! Each time you eat your body's fat burning mechanism (metabolism) increases. So if eating (nutritious power foods, that is) jumpstarts your metabolism, it stands to reason that you'd be better off eating more often. Try to eat 6-8 small meals per day 2-3 hours apart. When you wait longer your body goes into "starvation mode" and stores fat to compensate. Plus, when you're absolutely famished, you are more likely to hit the feed bag extra hard, especially with carbs and starches that make us feel fuller. Just make sure to evenly space your caloric intake accordingly. 6-8 meals means eating about 400 calories per meal. Don't forget a healthy dose of protein!
6. Post workout feeding: Body fat is tough to gain right after a workout. This is because your muscles are depleted and are busy gobbling up carbs and protein to recover. Don't eat too little after you train or you could do damage to your body's recovery process. Get 30-40 grams of protein from a shake (Muscle Milkor Myoplex are good or the dozens of whey protein shakes out there) plus a baked potato (hold the butter and sour cream!). I'm also a fan of guzzling a 20 oz Gatorade most nights, especially after heavy cardio.
7. Easy does it: Don't over train. People kill themselves and do dozens of sets and 60 minutes of cardio every single day. In the words of ESPN's Lee Corso; Not so fast my friend! Train till you're tired, not dead. Overtraining can hamper your anabolic hormones. Remember, muscle mass helps fat loss. It is the main driver of your metabolism. By all means, bring the noise while you workout, but after 60-75 minutes you're just breaking down muscle and inhibiting growth hormone.
That covers it. Later this week I'll provide a good workout routine and meal plan.
Till next time. Watch your calories. Watch your workout routine. And keep watching that ticker!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
What's the Deal?
The proliferation of takeover and M&A activity has got Wall Street and the whole investment planet in a tizzy. Merger volume is at an unprecedented $2 trillion according to Dealogic (Oh, to be an investment banker right now!). Long held barriers that kept many large companies from takeover are crumbling. Some firms were thought to be too gigantic to swallow and were thus "off limits" to the LBO and other corporate acquisition shops. No more. ANB Ambro, the massive Dutch bank is being offered upwards of $100 million, mostly debt, which used to be unheard of.
Today Alcoa (AA) is making an unsolicited offer for Alcan, Inc. of Cananda. The marriage could create a near aluminum monopoly, something the mighty US government frowns upon. What are the drivers to these mega deals?
1. Equity financing-The stock market remains strong. The Dow is hovering at 13,300. Higher stock prices means more cash and confidence for CEO's to go shopping. Shareholders, flush with returns, give thier blessings for these spending sprees, especially since mergers often add value to a company by saving money through economies of scale.
2. Debt financing-Interest rates are so reasonable right now there are tons of options for agreeable financing for these deals. Banks, hedge funds and other large institutional lenders will provide this kind of financing because the return for Treasury bonds is not so great. Why not lend in this environment? Add to this, despite recent elections, we still have a very friendly Congress and US Justice Dept. These consumer watchdogs are still on the prowl for deals that could hurt the public, but according to former Federal Trade Commission economist, Jonathan Baker, the Bush JD has the lowest instance of merger challenge since the late 80's.
3. Private Equity-Firms like Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts, BlackRock, et al are swimming in a very tax-friendly environment for the financing of these kinds of mega deals. Private Equity gains are currently taxed at a friendly 15% long-term cap gains rate. This could go up to 35% if certain folks on Capitol Hill get thier way. So firms are getting things done pronto before the winds of fortune change.
So look for heavy M&A activity for the time being. To me it feels like the giddy easy money home lending days of 2004-2005 but I won't be an alarmist. Heck, braver folks could try arbitrage trading some of these transactions. Like buying calls on Alcan (the target company) and buying puts on Alcoa (the possible acquirer). Traditionally, if a deal is done the price of the target goes up while the hunter's price goes down. I'm not an advocate of this type of trading but it could be fun to try.
This Alcoa/Alcan deal intrigues me. Fitmarket will be watching this development closely.
Whew! With all that heavy lifting on Wall Street it's a good thing I've included a solid leg routine followed by a tasty power filled menu. Dig in.
Do these at 75%, meaning if you can squat 300lbs 6-8 time safely with good form, use 225 lbs for this workout. Use a spot if you need it. As I continue to beef this blog up I will provide a way to locate a gym and a personal trainer in your area. Till then, let your fingers do the walking ya loafers!
Smith Machine Squats: 3 sets x 10 reps
Calf Raises (seated): 3 x 10
Leg Press: 3 x 10
Romanian Deadlifts: 3 x 10
Standing Calf Raises: 3 x 10
Cardio: 25-30 minutes at 60-75% speed.
Menu:
Breakfast:
Oatmeal, skim milk, 1 scrambled egg, V8 juice
Snack: 1 sliced apple w/ peanut butter
Lunch: Turkey on whole wheat with spinach, carrot sticks, 8 oz skim milk or diet soda.
Snack: 10 Triscuits and a handful of walnuts or almonds
Dinner: Grilled fish, spinach, cucumber, tomato salad, redskin potatoes baked with black pepper and olive oil.
Workout shake: Muscle Milk (you can get good deals at www.bodybuilding.com or grab some at most grocery stores these days. Plus, there's always GNC) or whey protein shake with banana.
That's all for now. Watch those charts, do your homework, and don't forget to stretch!
Today Alcoa (AA) is making an unsolicited offer for Alcan, Inc. of Cananda. The marriage could create a near aluminum monopoly, something the mighty US government frowns upon. What are the drivers to these mega deals?
1. Equity financing-The stock market remains strong. The Dow is hovering at 13,300. Higher stock prices means more cash and confidence for CEO's to go shopping. Shareholders, flush with returns, give thier blessings for these spending sprees, especially since mergers often add value to a company by saving money through economies of scale.
2. Debt financing-Interest rates are so reasonable right now there are tons of options for agreeable financing for these deals. Banks, hedge funds and other large institutional lenders will provide this kind of financing because the return for Treasury bonds is not so great. Why not lend in this environment? Add to this, despite recent elections, we still have a very friendly Congress and US Justice Dept. These consumer watchdogs are still on the prowl for deals that could hurt the public, but according to former Federal Trade Commission economist, Jonathan Baker, the Bush JD has the lowest instance of merger challenge since the late 80's.
3. Private Equity-Firms like Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts, BlackRock, et al are swimming in a very tax-friendly environment for the financing of these kinds of mega deals. Private Equity gains are currently taxed at a friendly 15% long-term cap gains rate. This could go up to 35% if certain folks on Capitol Hill get thier way. So firms are getting things done pronto before the winds of fortune change.
So look for heavy M&A activity for the time being. To me it feels like the giddy easy money home lending days of 2004-2005 but I won't be an alarmist. Heck, braver folks could try arbitrage trading some of these transactions. Like buying calls on Alcan (the target company) and buying puts on Alcoa (the possible acquirer). Traditionally, if a deal is done the price of the target goes up while the hunter's price goes down. I'm not an advocate of this type of trading but it could be fun to try.
This Alcoa/Alcan deal intrigues me. Fitmarket will be watching this development closely.
Whew! With all that heavy lifting on Wall Street it's a good thing I've included a solid leg routine followed by a tasty power filled menu. Dig in.
Do these at 75%, meaning if you can squat 300lbs 6-8 time safely with good form, use 225 lbs for this workout. Use a spot if you need it. As I continue to beef this blog up I will provide a way to locate a gym and a personal trainer in your area. Till then, let your fingers do the walking ya loafers!
Smith Machine Squats: 3 sets x 10 reps
Calf Raises (seated): 3 x 10
Leg Press: 3 x 10
Romanian Deadlifts: 3 x 10
Standing Calf Raises: 3 x 10
Cardio: 25-30 minutes at 60-75% speed.
Menu:
Breakfast:
Oatmeal, skim milk, 1 scrambled egg, V8 juice
Snack: 1 sliced apple w/ peanut butter
Lunch: Turkey on whole wheat with spinach, carrot sticks, 8 oz skim milk or diet soda.
Snack: 10 Triscuits and a handful of walnuts or almonds
Dinner: Grilled fish, spinach, cucumber, tomato salad, redskin potatoes baked with black pepper and olive oil.
Workout shake: Muscle Milk (you can get good deals at www.bodybuilding.com or grab some at most grocery stores these days. Plus, there's always GNC) or whey protein shake with banana.
That's all for now. Watch those charts, do your homework, and don't forget to stretch!
Monday, April 30, 2007
And away we go!
All traders, brokers, bankers, and market enthusiasts watch CNBC. Though I believe too much punditry can confuse and prejudice even the most savvy Wall Street junkie, it is a great network. From 'Morning Call' to Jimmy Cramer's 'Mad Money' to my personal favorite show for the hard core trader, 'Fast Money' (Dylan Ratigan is a tyrant of a host- Love him) it's a terrific source of information and entertainment. This is why I entered the Million Dollar Challenge on cnbc.com.
It's guilt free portfolio management at its best because you're trading fake dough. No need for pesky encumbrances like diversification, cash management, or even fear. CNBC gives you $1,000,000 to invest in any security on the AMEX, NYSE, or the NASDAQ, as long as the company has a market cap of +$500,000,000 (no small or microcaps please). It also bars you from options, comodities, currencies and derivatives trading, though to be honest 90% of the folks playing have no business in these types of securities, fake money or not.
My current "holdings"; CAT (Caterpiller to the newer folks) 335 shares, , and UNP (Union Pacific) 1000 shares, and Freeport McMoRan (FCX) 500 shares. Lot's of industrial extraction. My Sierra Club friends would have a coronary! Currently I'm in the top 30%. Not bad I guess. My portfolio certainly doesn't pass the diversification sniff test. CAT, FCX, and UNP are so closely linked that a sharp spike in oil prices could (and probably will) sink me faster than the Lusitania. I'm hedging against this risk with a nice dose of GSF (Global Santa Fe) which provides oil equipment and services. It's not enough to provide adequate cover by any stretch, but that's my plan. Who cares? The game ends May 14th. Fiduciary responsibilty be damned!
I'm lucky this week. The ISM factory index (Institute for Supply Management) came out this week and it rose to 54.7% in April from 50.9% in March, the private trade group reported Tuesday. It's the highest since 54.7% in May '06. Most economists were looking for the number to stay steady, so this casts some doubt on the earlier consensus that the US economy was going to slow a great deal more. The next report will be key. Plus we all wait on pins and needles for the FOMC meeting next week (May 9th). The majority of fedwatchers see overnight lending rate holding at 5.25%.
My luck held further as the price of crude dipped on this strong economic news. I was a bit suprised seeing as how that banana republic buffoon, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, made good on his threat to nationalize the Orinoco oil Belt. The leftist dictator has now put the extraction of his country's only real source of income into the incompetant hands of PDVSA, the Venezuelan state owned oil company. "Open investment will never return," he said late Monday to thousands of cheering workers dressed in the signature red of his self-styled leftist revolution at a rally for workers rights. Viva Chavez! Viva Starvacion!
Time to hit the gym. Since this is my second posting, we'll start with a solid base. We'll get more creative over time which should help both the uber busy market pros who are pressed for time and the hometraders who have to do household chores, pick up kids from soccer and get dinner in the oven. I'll even make sure you all are properly fed.
On the following exercises, you will want to lift about 75% of the maximum weight you can safely lift 6 times. So, for example, if you are able to bench press 180 lbs 6 times safely, during this workout you will want to aim for 135lbs. I highly suggest asking for assistance from a personal trainer at your gym if you're just starting out. They will help you do the exercises safely and perhaps even offer thier services. Better yet, get a workout partner. This will keep you both motivated to hit the gym consistently, and provide a means of competition! In future posts we'll be providing links to help you find a great gym in your area. If joining a gym is not in the cards right now, more "home friendly" workouts will also be provided. Plus, some great outdoor activities and workout routines so you can get out into this gorgeous spring weather.
Flat Bench Press (w/barbell): 3x10
Squat(w/barbell): 3x10
Shoulder Press(w/dumbell): 3x10
Calf Raises: 3x10
Curls(w/barbell): 3x10
Lat Pulldowns: 3x10
Cardio: 25-35 minutes at 60% speed on the treadmill or 75% speed on the eliptical.
This should give you a nice over all body pump. Make notes on the weight you are able to lift, how many times, etc. and keep track! You'll see steady improvement over time with effort and organization-just like when you trade.
Food:
Here is a great beginner's shopping list for the type of food you should be picking up at your grocery. Later I will come up with weekly menus, but for now just stock up on these goodies. Just having them in your fridge is a great first step to better eating habits for the kind of fuel you'll need to think and feel better. You don't have to shop at Whole Foods (WFMI on the NASDAQ) to get this stuff, although they are great. Especially if you want to buy orgnanic, which can't hurt.
Protein:
Turkey (ground or sliced), eggs, chicken breast (skinless), fish (tuna packed in water), salmon, tilapia, whey protein powder, jerky, lean beef
Fats: Unsalted or lightly salted nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts), lowfat swiss cheese, skim milk, olive oil, peanut butter (natural, low sugar/low salt if possible), lite cream cheese
Carbs (breads): Whole wheat/multigrain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, redskin potatoes, Triscuits, high fiber breakfast cereal, oatmeal.
Fruits and Veggies: Broccoli, spinach, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, 2 or 3 bags frozen/stirfry veggies, apples, bananas, pears, V-8 juice (low sodium)
Beverages: Water (lots!), OJ, V8 juice, coffee, green tea, and diet soda (if you gotta have that fizz like I do).
Fill up your shopping cart with these items and you are halfway to your goal of eating better at home and at work. I guarantee you'll have more energy while tackling the market, the gym, and your life.
Till next time, buy low, sell high, break a sweat every day and eat your veggies!
It's guilt free portfolio management at its best because you're trading fake dough. No need for pesky encumbrances like diversification, cash management, or even fear. CNBC gives you $1,000,000 to invest in any security on the AMEX, NYSE, or the NASDAQ, as long as the company has a market cap of +$500,000,000 (no small or microcaps please). It also bars you from options, comodities, currencies and derivatives trading, though to be honest 90% of the folks playing have no business in these types of securities, fake money or not.
My current "holdings"; CAT (Caterpiller to the newer folks) 335 shares, , and UNP (Union Pacific) 1000 shares, and Freeport McMoRan (FCX) 500 shares. Lot's of industrial extraction. My Sierra Club friends would have a coronary! Currently I'm in the top 30%. Not bad I guess. My portfolio certainly doesn't pass the diversification sniff test. CAT, FCX, and UNP are so closely linked that a sharp spike in oil prices could (and probably will) sink me faster than the Lusitania. I'm hedging against this risk with a nice dose of GSF (Global Santa Fe) which provides oil equipment and services. It's not enough to provide adequate cover by any stretch, but that's my plan. Who cares? The game ends May 14th. Fiduciary responsibilty be damned!
I'm lucky this week. The ISM factory index (Institute for Supply Management) came out this week and it rose to 54.7% in April from 50.9% in March, the private trade group reported Tuesday. It's the highest since 54.7% in May '06. Most economists were looking for the number to stay steady, so this casts some doubt on the earlier consensus that the US economy was going to slow a great deal more. The next report will be key. Plus we all wait on pins and needles for the FOMC meeting next week (May 9th). The majority of fedwatchers see overnight lending rate holding at 5.25%.
My luck held further as the price of crude dipped on this strong economic news. I was a bit suprised seeing as how that banana republic buffoon, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, made good on his threat to nationalize the Orinoco oil Belt. The leftist dictator has now put the extraction of his country's only real source of income into the incompetant hands of PDVSA, the Venezuelan state owned oil company. "Open investment will never return," he said late Monday to thousands of cheering workers dressed in the signature red of his self-styled leftist revolution at a rally for workers rights. Viva Chavez! Viva Starvacion!
Time to hit the gym. Since this is my second posting, we'll start with a solid base. We'll get more creative over time which should help both the uber busy market pros who are pressed for time and the hometraders who have to do household chores, pick up kids from soccer and get dinner in the oven. I'll even make sure you all are properly fed.
On the following exercises, you will want to lift about 75% of the maximum weight you can safely lift 6 times. So, for example, if you are able to bench press 180 lbs 6 times safely, during this workout you will want to aim for 135lbs. I highly suggest asking for assistance from a personal trainer at your gym if you're just starting out. They will help you do the exercises safely and perhaps even offer thier services. Better yet, get a workout partner. This will keep you both motivated to hit the gym consistently, and provide a means of competition! In future posts we'll be providing links to help you find a great gym in your area. If joining a gym is not in the cards right now, more "home friendly" workouts will also be provided. Plus, some great outdoor activities and workout routines so you can get out into this gorgeous spring weather.
Flat Bench Press (w/barbell): 3x10
Squat(w/barbell): 3x10
Shoulder Press(w/dumbell): 3x10
Calf Raises: 3x10
Curls(w/barbell): 3x10
Lat Pulldowns: 3x10
Cardio: 25-35 minutes at 60% speed on the treadmill or 75% speed on the eliptical.
This should give you a nice over all body pump. Make notes on the weight you are able to lift, how many times, etc. and keep track! You'll see steady improvement over time with effort and organization-just like when you trade.
Food:
Here is a great beginner's shopping list for the type of food you should be picking up at your grocery. Later I will come up with weekly menus, but for now just stock up on these goodies. Just having them in your fridge is a great first step to better eating habits for the kind of fuel you'll need to think and feel better. You don't have to shop at Whole Foods (WFMI on the NASDAQ) to get this stuff, although they are great. Especially if you want to buy orgnanic, which can't hurt.
Protein:
Turkey (ground or sliced), eggs, chicken breast (skinless), fish (tuna packed in water), salmon, tilapia, whey protein powder, jerky, lean beef
Fats: Unsalted or lightly salted nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts), lowfat swiss cheese, skim milk, olive oil, peanut butter (natural, low sugar/low salt if possible), lite cream cheese
Carbs (breads): Whole wheat/multigrain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, redskin potatoes, Triscuits, high fiber breakfast cereal, oatmeal.
Fruits and Veggies: Broccoli, spinach, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, 2 or 3 bags frozen/stirfry veggies, apples, bananas, pears, V-8 juice (low sodium)
Beverages: Water (lots!), OJ, V8 juice, coffee, green tea, and diet soda (if you gotta have that fizz like I do).
Fill up your shopping cart with these items and you are halfway to your goal of eating better at home and at work. I guarantee you'll have more energy while tackling the market, the gym, and your life.
Till next time, buy low, sell high, break a sweat every day and eat your veggies!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Genesis
It's been said many times that to lead a happy, successful life one should do what they enjoy. They should be passionate about their work. We spend a huge percentage of our adult lives earning our daily bread. That's reality and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd rather use my wits and my body to produce my income rather than sit on my can waiting for an inheritance or the lottery. Producing value with our lives is a human beings most noble endeavor. So enough with the platitudes.
My two passions? Fitness and the stock market. No two things fascinate me more. The brutal honesty of both the gym and the market mark two of humanities greatest arenas for achievment. They both demand discipline, focus, mental clarity, dedication, honesty, and just plain old hard work and elbow grease. You can't pop a pill to get in shape and Lord help the fool who thinks he or she can beat the market by throwing darts at a stock table.
I believe that being fit; Mental and physical fitness is paramount to success in the market, in business and life in general. This blog will offer tips on all that and a whole lot more. We'll start slowly with the basics and build from there. But this isn't just a site for the gym newbie or the stock trading neophyte. Fitmarket doesn't want to bore the savvy trader or the hardcore gym rat. Training tips from real pros, nutrition, meal plans, supplementation will all be in the mix. For the Marketeers we'll provide market analysis, fundamental and technical trading tips gleaned from some of Wall Streets biggest and baddest, and a whole lot more. Plus my own personal training and trading ideas, successes, and failures thrown in for good humor!
The market, whether it's on Main Street or Wall Street or Cyberstreet, is made up of human beings. That's it. If we all have fit minds and fit bodies, it stands to reason we'll create a fitter, saner, more profitable market. More to come......
My two passions? Fitness and the stock market. No two things fascinate me more. The brutal honesty of both the gym and the market mark two of humanities greatest arenas for achievment. They both demand discipline, focus, mental clarity, dedication, honesty, and just plain old hard work and elbow grease. You can't pop a pill to get in shape and Lord help the fool who thinks he or she can beat the market by throwing darts at a stock table.
I believe that being fit; Mental and physical fitness is paramount to success in the market, in business and life in general. This blog will offer tips on all that and a whole lot more. We'll start slowly with the basics and build from there. But this isn't just a site for the gym newbie or the stock trading neophyte. Fitmarket doesn't want to bore the savvy trader or the hardcore gym rat. Training tips from real pros, nutrition, meal plans, supplementation will all be in the mix. For the Marketeers we'll provide market analysis, fundamental and technical trading tips gleaned from some of Wall Streets biggest and baddest, and a whole lot more. Plus my own personal training and trading ideas, successes, and failures thrown in for good humor!
The market, whether it's on Main Street or Wall Street or Cyberstreet, is made up of human beings. That's it. If we all have fit minds and fit bodies, it stands to reason we'll create a fitter, saner, more profitable market. More to come......
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