some stuff I liked that I wanted to share with the Spring Chicks

I've come across a couple of interesting tips and tricks in the last little bit and I thought I would share them. Here we go!

The blog ccoltrun.blogspot.com, has two posts that I thought were both interesting and important for everyone to know. The first post was about cottage cheese and it's benefit for people who are working out and looking for a way to help their muscles heal and build faster. As he explains, cottage cheese is a rich source of casein protein. Whereas the most common (or at least in my experience) protein supplement you see is Whey protein, which is very quickly absorbed and ideal after a workout, the casein variety is VERY slow acting. It's ideal to have a small bit of cottage cheese before bed because the slow acting protein will work to build your muscles throughout the night. Not to mention the million other benefits from this snack!

The second post on Colts blog that I wanted to share is a bit of a rant about a girl friend of his who wanted advice on an exercise program, but scoffed at the idea of lifting weights. He points out in this post that women don't have enough testosterone to become a 'hulk' by lifting weights unless they take some sort of supplement or make bodybuilding their profession. He also talks about how strength exercises targeting a problem area won't get rid of the fat there. Instead, fat burns off of the body at an even rate and so it's beneficial to work everything, so that you have an even distribution of lean muscle mass.

The next blog I want to talk about is Diary of a Junk Food Addict. It's written by a woman who is very fit, into bodybuilding and one of her current goals is to make it to the top 20 of a bodybuilding.com spokesmodel search. In other words, she knows what she's talking about. In most of her posts she gives some sort of tip or trick, and records her diet + exercise. Seeing what it takes to get where she is is pretty eye opening. My favorite post in this blog is all about motivation. She shares the ways the she gets and stays motivated. My favorite was the suggestion that you make an effort to look good for your workout, so that you feel good and confident. I thought that was a great idea, and it in part led to my goal this week to moisturize at least once a day.

The last blog is one that I started following just today. It's called DB Strength and Conditioning. The author is a professional fit person - you can read the heading of his blog if you want more details - i don't feel like typing out all of his qualifications! He is blunt but honest and interesting. My favorite post covers his opinion on the usefulness of various exercises, everything from yoga to my fav., crossfit. It's long but good. The conclusion is that everyone has to do the exercise that is right for them, because not everyone is the same. I really like following other weight loss blogs because I find it inspiring. I also think it's important, though, to check out blogs written by fit people and fitness professionals who know exactly what they're talking about because there is a LOT of bad information out there (hello, master cleanse!).

So thats the end of my linking to stuff I like post. I hope at least one person finds these links interesting and maybe even helpful!