Jamcore Training Blog

Now that you’re enjoying that summer sun, here are some tips to keep your skin safe, smooth, & sexy!

First off, get to know the key terms that will help you stay healthy. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally-occurring substance that is present in large amounts in younger skin. The level of hyaluronic acid decreases with age, and causes skin to become dry and oily during the summer. Since hyaluronic acid creates a barrier that moisturizes the skin, adults can benefit from products that utilize the substance. When you’re selecting a moisturizer or lotion for the summer months, check the label and look for hyaluronic acid.

Next, be smart about the sun: wear sunscreen even on the cloudiest, most overcast day. UV rays are always dangerous, even when you can’t see the sun clearly. Take a good look at the products you are putting into and onto your body. Anyone taking an acne treatment such as accutane or benzoyl-peroxide should consult his or her dermatologist to see if a switch for the summer is possible. These medications make the skin more susceptible to sunburn. Another substance that makes the skin more sensitive is Vitamin A. As a result, more and more people are switching to Vitamin C-based lotions and moisturizers.

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As I prepare for another competition this July, finding the balance between work, relationships, and volunteer coaching (in addition to training and dieting) can be quite overwhelming. My obligations pull me in every direction and I tend to worry if I’m neglecting one or the other.

When it’s time for me to diet and become more meticulous about my food intake, I tend to worry about the quality time I spend with my fiancé, friends and family because sharing a meal is a considered a social activity. When I bring packed meals to events, I feel that it seems to make others feel uncomfortable - I find myself apologizing for the broccoli and tilapia that end up stinking up the place! Sure, I’ve been competing for four years in this industry, but by nature I’ve always been a ‘worry wart’ and have always conformed in order to make others happy, sometimes before myself. As I prepare for my upcoming competition, I have to keep telling myself that I am doing this for me: I can only do the best I can do and should not worry so much about what others may think. Regardless of how I place or the sacrifices I need to make, competing is something that I enjoy; I cannot compromise on the path to improving my performance.

While researching Sports Psychology today, I found an article by Dr. Patrick Cohn. Dr. Patrick Cohn is a master mental-game coach who works with professional and amateur athletes, sports parents, and teams of all levels. Dr. Cohn’s article really struck a chord with me and I wanted to share it with all of you. ENJOY!

“One big challenge for many athletes today is the fact that they worry so much about what others think when they perform that it becomes a huge distraction.

It is extremely important to care about other people. However it becomes unhealthy when athletes worry too much about what others think of them to the point that it distracts them from focusing on the task.

We call this social approval or acceptance. It causes athletes to look for status from their peers in the form of respect, admiration, popularity, or wanting to fit in or be liked. Many people in today’s society crave these qualities.

When you worry too much about what others think, you can’t focus on what is really important - your performance! In addition, this mindset also causes you to avoid mistakes or bad plays - not a good mindset to instill peak performance.

Let’s face it, many athletes want respect from their peers. But at the very least, you have to let go of what others may or may not be thinking about you when you compete. To get your head in the game, focus on what is truly important during your performance!”

Article Source: ezinearticles

As you take on resolutions to become a healthier version of yourself, you will be making changes. Some of the changes you make may, and will, impact your current relationships. If your partner isn’t up to making the same changes you are, keep in mind that the changes you’re about to make will help you become a better person not only physically but emotionally. As selfish as it may sound, you have to put you first. Oftentimes the ending result will be more than you could ever expect. This 2008 season I plan to do just that and I can only imagine how much more I will accomplish when I worry less.

-Mona Liza Reyes

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According to a report by the International Food Information Council, over 70% of American’s went on a diet last year. Ironically, many dieters find themselves feeling so alone – like they are the only one struggling with their weight.

It is so easy to fall in a trap of feeling like no one understands or no one struggles quite like you do. The truth is 70% of people are struggling with their weight or they wouldn’t be dieting.

Whether someone is 10lbs or 100lbs overweight, being heavy is not fun. It may be easy to look at everyone who appears to be smaller than you and think they don’t understand, but just because you would be happy at their size doesn’t mean they are. The fact is they could be just as unhappy about their weight as you are about yours.

For some odd reason we like to categorize our self by weight or situation which only separates us more, leaving us feeling more alone. It’s easy to think other people have it better. Although that may be true in some cases I guarantee you there is someone, just like you, who has experienced great success. Unfortunately, these insecurities often prevent people from even attempting a diet.

Read the rest of this entry »

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I don’t have a lot of free time these days. Running a multi-million dollar brand-marketing agency has me running is circles sometimes. With seemingly constant task such as preparing and delivering client presentations, train employees, travel to tradeshows, meet with accounting and all the other day to day…I still find time to workout. I find that when I don’t workout I actually have less energy throughout the day and even less by the time and I am home and with the family. Its funny how thirty minutes out of my day actually give me more quality time at work and at home.
I have found some ways to keep track of my busy schedule and still find the time I must make for my health. Try following these simple guidelines; they have worked for me for years.

1. Buy a day planner (Franklin Covey / Day Planner) or use a phone with a calendar such as a Treo, Blackberry or Sidekick.

2. Then, set your weekly workout goals for an entire month (build muscle, loose weight, etc.).

3. Determine how many times a week you can workout (JamCore suggests three times a week for 45 minutes, taking a day off between every workout).

4. Then enter it in your planner and plan it out for a month.

5. IMPORTANT. Set reminders for yourself! This will keep you on your toes and mentally prepared to be ready for the gym or other fitness activity.

6. Update your schedule at the end of every month. Make a note to do that! Set an alert! The reminders help me stay committed to a healthy lifestyle.

Once you get in this routine and schedule time, it will make life so much easier and fulfilling. All you have to do is make it part of your weekly routine and having it in your schedule makes it achievable.

Good luck and let me know how fitness scheduling works for you! Also if you near Ventura County, Southern California, try hittin’ up Jamo for a personal training session, I did it and his help has made a huge improvement on my quality of life.

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Recently I read a quote that got me thinking about how I have come to reach some of my tougher goals such as competing in figure competitions and completing marathons. Being mentally and spiritually healthy is just as important as being physically healthy as well. The following quote I share with you is taken from the Bible:

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see.” Hebrew 11:1

Regardless of your goals; No matter how far out of reach it may seem. Never
lose focus and know that persistence, consistency and faith in yourself will
get you there.

See It. Achieve It. – Jam Core Training

Mona Liza Reyes

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As an active businesswoman and fitness enthusiast I am always adding to my travel tips for road warriors. As there are many aspects to travel and how it affects my health and fitness I will start with the first leg of the trip, getting there.

In this fast-paced world without boarders, traveling by plane seems to be the standard. Here are some tips to get you to your destination and ready to perform whether in the boardroom or the hotel gym.

• Try to book your flights for daytime arrival. Traveling across country or across the globe, landing during the day can help your bodies natural clock reset. Getting out in the sun while at your new location can shorten any jetlag.

• Planes are very dry, bring water and make sure to drink plenty. Dehydration can also add to jetlag, try to drink 8-ounces each hour you are in flight. Stay away from coffee, alcohol and caffeine, as these will add to your feeling of jetlag.

• Eat light during the flight. If you want to sleep carbs help to induce sleep while high-protein and low-fat help you stay alert.

• Get up, walk and stand each hour. The extra water you are drinking should help motivate you with a bathroom break. This will help keep your circulation moving and your body feeling less fatigued at the end of the flight.

• Try to get extra legroom where you can stretch-out during the flight. At the ticket counter you can ask for the bulkhead or emergency isles.

• Reset your watch right away. Start thinking in your new time zone, this will help you reset your body’s natural clock and once again help reduce the jetlag.

• Stretch before and after the flight to reduce the stress and the fatigue.

I hope you enjoyed my first post on the JamCore Training Blog. Make sure to let me know if there are other topics you would like to me cover. You can either leave a comment or email me directly judy@jamcoretraining.com.

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I know its tough to go to the gym by yourself and try to follow a routine. It takes serious discipline and commitment. There will always be excuses why NOT to go to the gym, long day, I’m tired, not enough time with my significant other or family the list goes on… Staying motivated is key to reaching your goals whether that is being healthier, physically fit, losing weight or looking and feeling better.

First, set you goal or goals write them down and take a minute to imagine where your goal will take you and what it will take to get there. Prioritize your goals, how important are they for you and remember small steps are the only way to achieve them. Then I would use that as my motivation to go workout, visualizing my goal and knowing that if I work hard enough I will achieve these goals. Now for the additional motivation many of us need, I find that a having a workout partner at the gym is invaluable!

A workout partner who will encourage you to work harder and don’t give up on that last set, even when your muscles may be aching or you are drippin’ with sweat from the previous set. A partner you can set a schedule with and you each expect to be at the gym. A workout partner can make a BIG difference in your motivation.
Now its time to find yourself a partner, this person could be family, friend or others at the gym with a similar schedule. How about starting with your significant other and family, the gym is a great way to spend more time together. Here are some ways to find the right workout partner for you:

• Ask! ask family, friend or other at your gym.
• Post a bulletin at your gym; give some background and goals, your desired schedule and contact info.
• Talk to prospective workout partners and see if they have similar goals and schedule as you do.
• Inform them of your goals, set a schedule and start working to meet each of your goals. Be sure to keep communication open when you are not able to meet.

I can tell you from experience my workout partner is one of my main motivations and actually makes working out more enjoyable.

Let me know your thought on what keeps you motivated, we are alwasy looking for input that can help the entire JamCore Community!

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Besides my love of personal training as part of my life I always wanted to help other in the gym that either couldn’t afford or couldn’t schedule the time to work with a personal trainer. While working out with clients I always found myself helping other work on their form and giving out other advice.

So long story short I started JamCore Personal Training to give everyone access to the benefits of working with a personal trainer. We will give you the tools needed for overall good health and fitness and teach you things such as good poster, great form, and training systems to get in the best shape of your life.

As we all know, personal trainers can be pretty pricey, personal trainers can cost on average $60 to $75 an hour. JamCore is a computer and video iPod based personal training system. For $19.95 per month (less for multi-month packages) you can have our training tools with you anytime you need them. Want to work on a new body part or learn how to use a fitness ball download the segment to your video player and it is ready to use when you are.

With JamCore training you can have the workouts whenever you want to do them and whenever you have time to do it. You are in control of when you workout, you’re not on someone else’s schedule.

So you can join and download the straight to your computer or to your iPod. For a list of some video iPod opiton checkout the following link: iPod Prices

Ready to join the community, please post question or contact me or any of our team on The Team page.

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I thought I’d start by saying thanks for checking out the JamCore Personal Training blog. As the anywhere/workplace workout partner for JamCore, I thought I’d jump right into the meat and potatoes of it and talk about something we can all relate to: Stress at Work.

The mind and the body work together in mysterious ways, work related stress affects our health in ways that scientists don’t even fully understand. Some of the stress factors that are known to include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, chronic headaches, fatigue, and panic attacks. The reality of it is that everyone responds to stress in different ways, depending on their environment and depending on their personality. Being the creative director for Vyant and DegreesInc, I am constantly hit with situations like tight deadlines, marketing and design challenges, client meetings, and time management decisions. Long story short, I have a LOT of experience with stress at work, and I’m sure we all have a story to tell.

Here are some ways to lower stress at work.

Posture:
If you are in an office punching a keyboard all day, posture and ergonomics are the first point to address. Is your chair, desk and computer setup for you? Checkout these tips for setting up your office and posture to reduce stress.

Short hourly breaks from computer work:
It has been shown in studies* that short 3-5 min breaks each hour from your computers will lower your stress and increase productivity. The break can mean a period of other work, not involving a computer, or a full break during where you do no work. Ideally, the alternate work should be as dissimilar from computer work as possible. Stretching will also help you lower stress and improve you performance.

So what kind of stress do you encounter at work? How do you deal with it? What do you think you could do better?

* As reported on PudMed.com a service of the National Library of Medicine
Henning RA, Jacques P, Kissel GV, Sullivan AB, Alteras-Webb SM.
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269-1020, USA.

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