Friday Inspiration: Don't Underestimate Yourself

We form the habit of comparing ourselves to other people all the time. Usually, what we come up with is short, especially when it is people we admire. For every kind of success in life, whether it is success with our bodies, our minds, our careers, or our families, let us continue to try to remember not to underestimate ourselves. 

Final Installment of the August Arm Loving Challenge

Awww... the month is over :( I enjoyed this challenge and hope you did too. I hope you feel stronger, and at least can incorporate various arm workouts into your routine besides the standard ones.

New Approach For Black Women's Battle Against Obesity: 'Maintain, Don't Gain' (STUDY)

Excerpt from article published in Huffington Post on 8/26/2013

I read this article and was thoroughly confused, so I thought maybe you guys could help me. The article is about a study on black women, where it says the population is generally overweight and to solve this issue, we should focus on maintaining our weight and not gaining. Isn't the problem that people are already overweight and need to lose weight? Read it below and let me know what you think. You can also read the full article here.

Let's Chat About GaiamTV

I received a free month-long membership to try out GaiamTV and write a review. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have heard me talk about it once or twice. GaiamTV is an online database of original transformational videos with a membership fee of $9.95 per month. The videos on the site fall into three categories: 

• Live Healthy
• Spiritual Growth
• Seeking Truth

The Sunday Ciclovia Tradition in Bogota

Although there is a lot I might miss in New York City, there are some activities in Bogota that I will miss when I leave. There is such a huge focus on physical activity. This is evidenced by a weekly activity they have had for almost 40 years (since 1976) called the Ciclovia.

What is this Ciclovia, you ask? Well, basically, Ciclovia means "bike path" in English. Every Sunday and every public holiday, Bogota closes down about 120km of the streets from cars so that cyclists and runners have free access to perform their physical activity. There are also free yoga, Pilates, and other exercise classes offered in the city's largest park (Parque Simon Bolivar). Isn't that pretty great?

August Arm Loving Challenge Week 5 Monday

Errrrmmmmiiiigggoood! It's the last week of the challenge. I promised it would be a little harder this week and here you go. We're doing 1 more set, and putting together some of the tougher exercises. Remember to rest between sets to bring your heart rate down just a little bit.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

A Little Information About Our September Challenge!

August is almost over, which means our September challenge will be beginning soon. So I thought I'd give you a sneak peak into the challenge. It is all about you. It is going to be all about what inspires you, in life and in fitness. You would need to upload a photo of something or someone that inspires you to be healthy on one of our social media outlets, a tagline, and the #SeptemberInspiration tag. Videos are acceptable too.

I'm excited about this challenge and hope you are too! Start planning what you want to submit, tell your wife, your kids, and your friends, and I'll hopefully be seeing your pictures starting next week.

FYI - There will be prizes to be won from GaiamTV. I will let you know more about that soon ;)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch it Out!

I don't think we place as much importance on stretching as we should. Stretching in itself is not some tree-hugging "let me just sit here and breathe" type of activity. If you exercise intensely and regularly, stretching can be pretty painful. That should tell you that your muscles get tenser and tenser and need a release, however painful or boring it might seem.

Barbecued Marinated Croaker Fish Recipe

by Dobby from Dobbys Signature

Today we have a guest blogger! Dobby blogs about recipes and delicious food at DobbysSignature. I asked her to share one of her healthy recipes with out readers, and here it is.

August Arm Loving Challenge Week 4 Thursday

Only one more week till the challenge is over! Next week, the challenge will be a little tougher as we have to push more towards the end. 

Please look out for the September challenge coming soon. And it comes with prizes ;)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Hiking the Amazon Jungle

I spent this past weekend hiking the Amazon jungle. Obviously, not all of it, but for 3 days, I did quite a bit. Well, I say "hiking", but there was climbing, zip lining, hiking, riding in boats, and more. 

The pictures are so many that i cannot share it all with you, but I will show you a few. I walked soooo much over the course of 3 days! It was such a great workout and such a lovely time communing with nature. There is so much green down there that I can't even start to explain.

August Arm Loving Challenge Week 4 Monday

Some Friday Inspiration: Don't Take Anything So Seriously That You Forget Who You Are

You know that saying "Don't take life so seriously, nobody makes it out alive anyway"? I'm all about that today. I know I'm constantly pushing you to be fitter, do challenges, eat right, etc. but I wanted to show a different side today. 

August Arm Loving Challenge Week 3 Thursday!

Wow, we are about halfway through already. Just about 4 more challenges to go! This is the challenge for this week, and although most of the exercises should be familiar by now, I have added links to how to do each right. Remember that form is key, and you should be pushing yourself more each week.

Healthy Snack Recipe: Spicy Baked Plantain Chips

Excerpt from article by Joanna Miller on TheKitchn

We're used to reaching for the riper yellow versions with plenty of black spots on the peel. These are great for grilling in a pan or frying. But sweet and juicy is not what you need in a plantain for chips. The less-ripe green fruit are much firmer. They can hold up to the heat even in a thin slice and provide the perfect crunch in chip form.

CrossFit in Bogota

You may or may not have heard of the CrossFit program, so I'll enlighten you. CrossFit is a program that has taken over a lot of the US and is slowly creeping into various countries around the world. CrossFit has both the online and class versions. 

We are Sponsors for the Accra International Marathon!!!

Do I sound excited?! Do I? Do I? Yes, that's because I am! Running is a particular passion of mine, and I have always wanted to promote running in West Africa, especially because it is not yet that popular. There are not as many races to participate in, and where there are, they don't get the publicity they deserve. Those who can afford to run and participate in races usually don't. And those who are interested and have the talent to race professionally usually cannot afford the training, the tools, the time, or the fees. But we are slowly getting there.

August Arm Loving Challenge Week 3 Monday

A few points to note:

• For a demonstration of "Walking into a pushup", please visit the @eightsnweights Instagram page or check this link here.
• Chair dips are tricep dips done with the palms on a chair. 
• High planks are just planks in the upper pushup position, with palms on the floor instead of elbows.
• Forward arm circles involve straightening out and rotating your arms forward in a circular motion. See a description here.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Knee to Elbow Plank

It's still August, which means we are still focused on our arms. The knee to elbow plank is a great exercise to work your arms and obliques. But as with any exercise, you have to do it right to yield the right results. Watch the video below for more instructions.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Triceps, Back, and Abs Exercises: Triple Toner

Since we are all about the arms this month, I wanted to share this video from Fitness magazine with you. It's a great routine for the triceps, back, and abs. Enjoy!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

August Arm Loving Challenge Week 2 Thursday!

It's that time of the week again! Today is all about the arms. Get to it!

For instructions on these exercises, please visit out Instagram page (@eightsnweights) for videos. A detailed video on the "Pushup - Side plank - Pushup" can also be found here. You can choose to either stack your legs on each other in the side plank or have them how I did in the video.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Have I Told You How Much I Love Almonds?

So I received a care package today with some roasted unsalted almonds from 'Whole Foods' (I miss Whole Foods so...). I love almonds because they are soooo nutritious, but they also taste so good! I'm not one to ruin the fantasy of my nuts with all that salt. Good and plain is great for me.

Healthy Facts About Chickpeas

Excerpt from article by Natalie Stein on SFGate.com

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are central to some Middle Eastern dishes, such as hummus, and Indian dishes, such as some kinds of curry. These beans are delicious and easy to prepare, and they also provide several potential health benefits.

Climbing the Cerro de las Tres Cruces and Santiago de Cali

Okay, so I've talked a lot about my climbs lately; I've done a few. I headed over to Santiago de Cali, Colombia (usually just referred to as 'Cali') this past weekend, and since they also have a lot of mountains in the area, I decided to pick one with a very scenic view to climb. I chose the "Cerro de las Tres Cruces" (which means the Hill of the Three Crosses). Oh boy, where do I start?

August Arm Loving Challenge Week 2 Monday

Another Monday, another challenge! Let's get back to working on those arms today. The exercises should be fairly common, and if they are not, please perform a search on this site to find demonstration videos and images.

August Arm Loving: Week 1 Thursday Routine

Well, it is Thursday, and as promised, we have a strength training routine for our arms. This August is all about the arms. Do this and let me know how it works out! New one next Monday.

Cheers Eights & Weights!