my blood
Yesterday I donated blood. The donation took place in the church of the village. Because it was my first time, they put a sticker on my t-shirt that says: "New Donor". I was the only one with this sticker. Other donors were looking at me that way :"good boy". While I was giving blood I never felt like if I was saving the life of someone, but I knew my blood was leaving my veins and would be in someone else's veins in a few days. I was feeling like if I was a participant in some strange experiment: "the Re-shaping of the Human Body by Modern Technologies" or if I was joining some underground vampire club. I felt I was part of a vast traffic of body fluids. Often, someone is forced by the members of his family or co-workers to give blood "what do you have to lose? are you scared? Give your blood, some people need it more then you do". Today, people exchange their fluids and bodyparts like we do with cars. And people who don't do so are seen as murderers.
Movies I Saw 2
Films que j'ai vu dernièrement : Movies I saw lately: L'âge des Ténêbre I didn't like it. Just a batch of sketches that are not even funny and it becomes really repetitive. - Vantage Point yeah I liked it, suspence-thriller that never stops - In Bruges it was ok, a bit slow rythme but not too slow, good dialogues- Over the Topahah this was funny, with Sly Stallone, the final match with the close-ups is quite something 2 see - Bella - Romulus, My Father - Tracey Fragments This was very inventive, visually, while the screenplay is only mixing up the scenes, the story is too simple -- just a girl looking for her disappeared young brother. But again, visually -- multiple split screens editing -- very impressive. - Shutter that was ok, not bad at all. - Insanitarium - Punisher I&II the first one sucks, the second one rules! - The Bank Job I liked it! not the typical explosion-packed Jason Statham flick - Born to Fight the stunts in this movie are INSANE! - Funny Games not better nor worse than the original. Just a good reflexion on violence and it's relation to enternainmentsNever Back DownThis was actually way better than what I feared judging by the critics. Of course it's just another teen movie, but better than most of them.
president of the US
Hahaha this is so funny! ::: The Vancouver Sun:
"George W. Bush gulping booze from a funnel. Sauntering into jail wearing a Yale sweatshirt. Dancing on a bar with a curvy blond. Driving on to a lawn with a lit cigarette in one hand and crashing into a garbage can on the way.
This is the U.S. president Oliver Stone wants you to know." see the trailer. While he's still the president, there's already a movie about him. I think this is a premiere, what it's gonna be after his presidency? There was even a movie about his assassination, Death of a President. I just hope Oliver Stone's film is making fun of Bush.
"George W. Bush gulping booze from a funnel. Sauntering into jail wearing a Yale sweatshirt. Dancing on a bar with a curvy blond. Driving on to a lawn with a lit cigarette in one hand and crashing into a garbage can on the way.
This is the U.S. president Oliver Stone wants you to know." see the trailer. While he's still the president, there's already a movie about him. I think this is a premiere, what it's gonna be after his presidency? There was even a movie about his assassination, Death of a President. I just hope Oliver Stone's film is making fun of Bush.
movies saw
I've been working in a rental video store for about 3 months and was bringing about a dozen of movies 2 see at home each week. I guess I must have seen over 200 movies lately. Here's some of the ones I enjoyed the most:
Klimt: Ruiz film about the painter, for people who love arts and unconventional filmmaking.
Giant : the classic with James Dean, already saw it before of course.
Strings: animation movie with puppets. Didn't really like it but it's different from most movies.
Manufactured Landscapes: awesome documentary. "Photographer Edward Burtynsky travels the world observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing".
Edmund : wow, this is an incredible movie. Violent, crazy, but lots to think about and wonderful actors. Written by David Mamet.
The Host: Korean movie about a monster in a river. I liked it, good action scenes and funny moments, and even a subtile critique/metaphor about USA!
La Brunante : French-Canadian movie, I doubt you can find this one distributed near you, but good actresses, it was a good drama about life, friendship, death.
Vitus: movie from Switzerland. The first part, it's just another movie about a kid who's a genius. But then, a surprising twist. Really good.
Once: incredible music ! 2 scenes espescially. Won an Oscar for best song. Eventhough I'm not really into music creation, I liked it very much. Well done with low budget. It feels real.
Before sunrise: I prefered this one than it's sequel Before Sunset. Eventhough I don't really like Ethan Hawke, especially in Before Sunrise, Julie Delpy is so amazing, samething with the screenplay, long shots, etc... -Communion : '80's movie with Christopher Walken, best alien movie I've ever seen
-Pirates : by Roman Polanski. Not so good but funny and I like Polanski's work
-The Great Debaters : Denzel Washington's second effort as a director, about racism, KKK, black students and white universities... really good.
-Enlightenment Guaranteed (English title): this was so funny, a social satire showing how pathetic our society is, people are so materialist, with their cell phones, and eating Big Macs. Not different in Japan, where two German brothers go for a trip to visit a buddhist zen monastry and end up begging in the streets and sleeping in a tent near trains. The Tattooist : ok drama-thriller with supernatural phenomenons, spirits, etc. Good movie if you love tattoos.
10 000 B.C : better than what I thought
Immortal : nice French animation movie
Savage Planet: be careful don't watch this one it is of the worst movie I ever saw. Really bad, especially the cheap special effects made on computer.
Shiri: kind of korean Nikita
Colour me Kubrick: this was so funny. John Malkovich portraying a crazy guy that make believe he's filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Based on a true story.
King of California: reading the synospis I thought it would have been better
Be Kind Rewind: So funny and lots of creativity. It was shot in a small American town and the people in the movie are the real citizens. I love Michel Gondry, a French director that made lots of beautiful music videos such as Bjork's. He made good movies such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep.
The Other Boley Girl: good drama about the rivality between two sisters for the king of England. One of them gave birth to Queen Elizabeth I.
Rambo IV: I liked it even if it's really violent. I have nothing against violence in movies, it's better to have a dose of fictional violence than causing real violence. Catharsis effect. It's the same story than before, but Stallone adds another dimension as a director director, samething with his latest Rocky. He adds some humanity in a subtile way to old characters.
The Bucket List: comedy with Jack Nicholson. Conventional, academic but still good,
The Take: very good thriller with nice pursuits, actions scenes and drama.
The Contract: not bad. Good thriller in nature.
Tideland: Terry Gilliam movie but Canadian production lol. It's like Alice in Wonderland but more mature, with some junkies, etc. I found it a bit boring, like his other movie about childhood: Munchasen
Toi: a French Canadian movie about sex, love, relationships and separation. Good
The Undisputed I & II: first one : When heavyweight champion James 'Iceman' Chambers lands in prison, the resident gangster arranges a boxing match with the reigning prison champ (played by Wesley Snipes). it wasn't, the actors are doing a good job. But second one was better: this times is with mixed martial arts and in a prison located in Russia. All the actors are great and perform the stunts themselves. Great fight scenes even if over the top.
Normal and Waiter : two awesome foreign movies (England and German I think) Great screenplay. City of Men, sort of sequel to City of God, about the gangs war in Rio de Janeiro.
Awesome movie. The shooting scenes with over 50 kids with guns in the streets are impressive. The Snake... not very good but it was OK. A L'Interieur (Inside):That was hardcore. Pure carnage. blood everywhere. Truly disturbing scenes. It's feminine horror, gore, with scissors and all kinds of strange weapons. Arielle Dombasle is pure evil in this; her voice, her look... Even if sometimes it was a bit over the top, it's still pretty realistic. I suggest it to those who love this genre of cinema.
Klimt: Ruiz film about the painter, for people who love arts and unconventional filmmaking.
Giant : the classic with James Dean, already saw it before of course.
Strings: animation movie with puppets. Didn't really like it but it's different from most movies.
Manufactured Landscapes: awesome documentary. "Photographer Edward Burtynsky travels the world observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing".
Edmund : wow, this is an incredible movie. Violent, crazy, but lots to think about and wonderful actors. Written by David Mamet.
The Host: Korean movie about a monster in a river. I liked it, good action scenes and funny moments, and even a subtile critique/metaphor about USA!
La Brunante : French-Canadian movie, I doubt you can find this one distributed near you, but good actresses, it was a good drama about life, friendship, death.
Vitus: movie from Switzerland. The first part, it's just another movie about a kid who's a genius. But then, a surprising twist. Really good.
Once: incredible music ! 2 scenes espescially. Won an Oscar for best song. Eventhough I'm not really into music creation, I liked it very much. Well done with low budget. It feels real.
Before sunrise: I prefered this one than it's sequel Before Sunset. Eventhough I don't really like Ethan Hawke, especially in Before Sunrise, Julie Delpy is so amazing, samething with the screenplay, long shots, etc... -Communion : '80's movie with Christopher Walken, best alien movie I've ever seen
-Pirates : by Roman Polanski. Not so good but funny and I like Polanski's work
-The Great Debaters : Denzel Washington's second effort as a director, about racism, KKK, black students and white universities... really good.
-Enlightenment Guaranteed (English title): this was so funny, a social satire showing how pathetic our society is, people are so materialist, with their cell phones, and eating Big Macs. Not different in Japan, where two German brothers go for a trip to visit a buddhist zen monastry and end up begging in the streets and sleeping in a tent near trains. The Tattooist : ok drama-thriller with supernatural phenomenons, spirits, etc. Good movie if you love tattoos.
10 000 B.C : better than what I thought
Immortal : nice French animation movie
Savage Planet: be careful don't watch this one it is of the worst movie I ever saw. Really bad, especially the cheap special effects made on computer.
Shiri: kind of korean Nikita
Colour me Kubrick: this was so funny. John Malkovich portraying a crazy guy that make believe he's filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Based on a true story.
King of California: reading the synospis I thought it would have been better
Be Kind Rewind: So funny and lots of creativity. It was shot in a small American town and the people in the movie are the real citizens. I love Michel Gondry, a French director that made lots of beautiful music videos such as Bjork's. He made good movies such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep.
The Other Boley Girl: good drama about the rivality between two sisters for the king of England. One of them gave birth to Queen Elizabeth I.
Rambo IV: I liked it even if it's really violent. I have nothing against violence in movies, it's better to have a dose of fictional violence than causing real violence. Catharsis effect. It's the same story than before, but Stallone adds another dimension as a director director, samething with his latest Rocky. He adds some humanity in a subtile way to old characters.
The Bucket List: comedy with Jack Nicholson. Conventional, academic but still good,
The Take: very good thriller with nice pursuits, actions scenes and drama.
The Contract: not bad. Good thriller in nature.
Tideland: Terry Gilliam movie but Canadian production lol. It's like Alice in Wonderland but more mature, with some junkies, etc. I found it a bit boring, like his other movie about childhood: Munchasen
Toi: a French Canadian movie about sex, love, relationships and separation. Good
The Undisputed I & II: first one : When heavyweight champion James 'Iceman' Chambers lands in prison, the resident gangster arranges a boxing match with the reigning prison champ (played by Wesley Snipes). it wasn't, the actors are doing a good job. But second one was better: this times is with mixed martial arts and in a prison located in Russia. All the actors are great and perform the stunts themselves. Great fight scenes even if over the top.
Normal and Waiter : two awesome foreign movies (England and German I think) Great screenplay. City of Men, sort of sequel to City of God, about the gangs war in Rio de Janeiro.
Awesome movie. The shooting scenes with over 50 kids with guns in the streets are impressive. The Snake... not very good but it was OK. A L'Interieur (Inside):That was hardcore. Pure carnage. blood everywhere. Truly disturbing scenes. It's feminine horror, gore, with scissors and all kinds of strange weapons. Arielle Dombasle is pure evil in this; her voice, her look... Even if sometimes it was a bit over the top, it's still pretty realistic. I suggest it to those who love this genre of cinema.
Like a Monk
I now live like a monk. It's been a while in fact. Here's an idea::: here's my routine for everyday, I'm not strict about it, it just happens naturally like that::: here's what I did and what I'll do today::: woke up at 4 a.m -- did some stretching full-body for 10 minutes while drinking water -- blogging here -- then will have breakfast, ending with green tea, reading newspaper -- will probably work-out, using bodyweight or some free-weight, and riding to the village on my bike -- watch a movie -- go to bed before midnight. When I'm in my most monk-mood, I listen to mostly relaxing music, or Leonard Cohen songs (who's also a monk) especially his most holistic albums: Dear Heather and Ten New Songs. I haven't been in a bar or nightclub, even restaurant or movie theatre in months and don't feel the need/envy to. I haven't fucked in years. 2 years I think, I don't even know, and most of the time I don't even feel the desire to, neither to have a girlfriend. Perhaps when I will move back to the city it's gonna be different but right now I'm happy living that way. Happy as much as I can, I could be more, if there was a bit more sunrays -- which is one of the main reason why I moved closer to nature, to enjoy the summer, but there's no summer this summer, just rain, everyday, like pouring melancoly over a monk's temple. Anyway, I've been enjoying the 2 minutes per day of sunrays, and the 3 or 4 days of sunny days there was.
Nutrition and BodyBuilding
I wrote that on my blog on MySpace and while ago. http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog&Mytoken=E59DED15-9750-4683-8A985F40FE75403C85447596 Training and Vegan Tips, Life... ect
Someone asked me questions about starting to workout and transitionning to a vegan diet. I replied with an email, but thought it could be useful for some people if I'd share it here.
I thought I could share at the same time what my vision of arts is, and life, etc.
It's nothing extraordinary, just things you may already know or have seen in books, but I've put it here in this blog.
So I made some modifications from the email I wrote and here it is:
RESISTANCE TRAINING
There's 4 different types and they all improve strenght. Choose depending what you're looking for: 2 really increase size of muscles, more than the others.
1-endurance: long series of high reps (25 and more), light weights... impove especially endurance. It is recommanded for beginners to start with this.
2-strenght (traditionnal bodybuilding training, hypertrophy): 4 or 5 series of 8-15 reps (usually 10-12) each, for each muscles groups, heavy weights, improve strenght and size
3-sheer strenght: really heavy weights, many series of only 1-3 max reps. Gives power and strenght.
4-speed and explosivity (long series like for endurance, but concentrate especially on lifting weights the faster you can) gives power, some endurance, some strenght. Recommanded for advanced athletes.
First, it is good to initiate yourself to weightlifting with very slow movements to learn how to do them correctly.
To be fit, you need to do more than only resistance training, but also some cardio vascular training too, like running, cycling, swimming, or sports such as basketball, soccer, badminton.
The physical condition consists essentially of qualities of strength, speed, stamina, flexibility and coordination. You need to master all five to be in perfect physical condition.
Despite some may say, I believe bodybuilding is a sport, you can call it art too if you want, expressing yourself through your body. Martial arts are arts too. In both, possibilities are infinite and there's almost no limits at what you can do.
There's so many different programs, techniques, etc. You need to search and read the more you can about it. If you want examples of exercices routines, you can find lots of good infos on veganbodybuilding.com forum, or www.veganfitness.net forum
and http://www.bodybuilding-trainer.com/bodybuilding_routines/bodybuilding_routines.html
http://musclemayhem.com/front/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_intensity_training
also in books, magazines, ask people in fitness gym, etc.
Resistance training, sport and any physical activity is a stress for the body, so be sure to have adequat rest also, like for instance: yoga, meditation or just relaxation, enough of sleep, avoid as much as possible other sources of stress like at work or your relations with your close relatives.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
VEGAN FOOD
You can deceide to go vegan for different reasons :
-1-health: to get fit, improve athlete performances, or because of allergies to certain animal products or just to stay away from diseases
-2-ethical and philosophical: for animal rights and to respect nature, environmental reasons or just because it doesn't fit with your spiritual vision of life
Usually, most vegans do it for both main reasons, but the second one (animal/nature) is a must, otherwise you're not a vegan (this term involves a certain lifestyle or way of thinking), you're just someone who's on a vegan diet.
Anyway, in this article I'll just discuss the health aspect of it, because it's about getting fit.
The fundamentals are:
-vegan
-raw
-organic
Then, perhaps some other important aspects if you wanna get even closer to a perfect nutrition, a superior nutrition :
good food combining rules (from Dr. Shelton, saying our stomach cannot digest any different kinds of foods all at the same time)
Dr. Adamo's Blood Type Diet (saying some foods may be good for someone but not good for someone else with another blood type... but this is a pretty controversial theory, and I'm not so sure about this one, just trust your instinct)
a balanced PH (to have health you need a healthy blood. It needs to be slightly alkaline. If your blood is too acidic, all the problem starts. Only greens are alkaline. Fruits are alkaline or slightly acidifying. All the other foods are acidifying so they shouldn't be more than 50% of your diet.
So basically, as much natural as possible.
Mostly fruits and greens, it's all your body needs to work properly. That's all it needs to have all the vitamins, minerals, water, oxygen, chlorophyll, enzymes and proteins. With this nutrition your body will reach the optimal health your genetic allows you to. Cooked vegan food may not directly cause diseases as much as animal proteins could, but you'll be at maybe 90% of optimal health instead of 100% with raw.
It doesn't matter if you eat some industrial food sometimes, just try to eat foods that are the closest to nature as much often as possible.
Just stay away from all other foods supposed to have amazing health qualities -- It's propaganda. If you want vitamins and minerals go see Mother Nature, not scientists with supplements. So called nutritionnists, modern dieteticians are saying you should drink a glass of red wine each day and 3 squares of dark chocolate each day for the rest of your life otherwise you're gonna have disease. What a joke!
Red wine for the grapes it contains, just eat grapes instead.
There's antioxidants in all vegetal foods other than dark chocolate - cocoa (which is an addictive drug) containing saturated fats.
Hemp and soy and flax and basically all seeds and nuts and avocados and olives, will provide the benefits of healthy fatty acids without the deadly bad sides of fatty fish. Those fish live in polluted rivers and eat other sick fish, so you eat all those DDT, BPC and mercury.
A healthy food is a complete healthy food, with nothing nocive to health.
There's a serious misperception/misinterpretation about the purpose of food. It's not medication supposed to reduce risks of diseases. That's really inexact. It's supposed to keep us away from those risks, or not causing to have those risks. We are born with health (excluding internal factors such as chimicals and toxic products that are already in our cells before we're even born, due to our industrial era and nutrition of your mother, and exterior factors such as pollution, deadly sunrays, etc that we try our best to protect ourselves from), virtually no risks of illness and diseases. The purpose of food is simply to maintain this health to it's maximal level. This is what a vegan raw diet can do for you. No food is gonna give you extra energy or health that you don't already have inside of you. What food can do though, is causing damage to your health if you eat bad foods, such as mentioned below.
We don't need animal proteins. So just ignore what people still living in another century say and try to convince you to eat meat, fish, eggs and milk and other fatty dairies. It has nothing vegetal reign doen't have, besides it's full of grownt hormones, toxins, chemicals, pesticides, saturated and trans-fat, cholesterol, animal fats... cooked, pasteurized, irradiated and highly processed, packed in plastic, not providing anything useful to the body.
A healthy and nourishing diet, giving strength, stamina, physical and intellectual vigour. Without vitality and energy, you lose your most precious good: Health, without which there is no happiness.
Cholesterol doesn't exist in the vegetal reign. Fruits, greens, nuts, seeds --
A natural nutrition, capable of filling the needs of the human body, to maintain Man in this state of kindness and beauty which is its right and its duty the most sacred and where from ensues happiness.
Your foods defines what you are and becomes your new cells -- You are what you eat.
Life engenders life -- Living foods, raw foods, such as fruits and greens regenerate your cells.
Cooked, processed foods -- maintains life...
Sugar, foods deprived of any vitamins -- slows down the life.
Animal fats, animal proteins. Dead flesh -- Kills and destroys life.
To get from an omni diet to a vegeterian diet (with eggs, dairies) can take months, or just a matter of days for others.
To get to a strict vegan diet (no animal products of any kinds) can take years for some, or it can be very easy for some others.
To get to a 100% raw vegan diet, or even fruitarianism, can take years too. It all depends on your background, education, environment, etc...
The path from a modern nutrition to a natural nutrition can be long, very long.
The key is to go slowly, gradually, if you crave for meat or dairies at the beginning, it's normal, and don't resist because it's useless, go ahead and eat it, instead of creating frustrations. After some time, the envy for such things will completely disappear, and you'll feel only better.
You can eat lots of seeds and nuts, grains and beans, or you can eat less dense food if you want.
The best way to gain lots of muscles is to eat a lot, more than you would normally do. But you'll gain muscles even if you don't eat a lot, your body will use your bodyfat and transform it into new muscles.
Whatever happens, believe only in yourself, and forget about all the animal proteins thing and the protein myth, we don't need huge quantity of proteins, but we need quality proteins, like the vegan proteins, and raw is even better because it's intact amino acids. High quality amino acids is the key. Again, it can take some time before understanding this and to get rid of your education and all of preconceived ideas.
You don't need any protein supplements such protein shakes. But if you still feel you need some, which is normal with the overestimated protein real utility and importance, prefer other sources than soy isolate (low digestibility and highly processed), prefer brown rice protein powder, some algae like spirulina or chlorella, or hemp, they're all raw. Hemp being perhaps the best choice of all (hemp protein powder is a raw, organic, easily digestible complete food with high quality amino acids). For soy, limit yourself to soy derivees like tofu and all fake cheese and meat products and desserts.
Of course, stay away from cigarettes, alcohol and all drugs, try avoiding coffee, chocolate and other things containing caffeine. Avoid refined flours and sugars, molasses, wheat, too much sodium, pepper, and even vinegar, onions, garlic, hot peppers, spices, cooked oils... Reduce to a minimum all processed foods (packed, irradiated, full of pesticides and additives) and non-organic foods.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LIFESTYLE
The key in changes is a progressive transition, accepting mistakes and learning from them, go up gradually to whatever perfection represents for you.
I think most important things in life are self achievment, set goals and accomplish them, don't have any attach (especially not material) and above all, life is a long search for perfection and happiness. The ideal of perfection is different for each person because perception of life differs from a person to another. As for me, perfection is simplicity, revoving everything which is useless, until there's only essential left. Happiness being the ultimate goal. It is a long road paved with accidents, strewed with discoveries, mistakes, understandings, illuminations, being lost and searching for truth and finding what you are, discovery of the world, etc.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CONCLUSION
So to be perfectly fit, focus on quality not quantity, you need all 4:
- training program - high effort level and efficient technic, resistance training along with some cardiovascular training
- nutrition - healthy foods, as close to nature as possible
- rest - relaxation, yoga, meditation, breathing, positive thinking, creativity -- physically and artistically – express yourself through art and through your body. Read, listen, look, travel.
Stay away from: stress, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, caffeine, fast food and processed food and all animal proteins.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MORE VEGAN FOOD INFOS
Here's some more links related to veganism, because sometimes at beginning the transition to a new diet or lifestyle can be difficult.
With vegan foods, always remember than wathever which meal or food you like (may it be cakes and other baking goods, or meals that usually contain cheese or meat) it is possible to get a vegan version of it for absolutly everything you can think of.
Fake meat and fake cheese (usually made of soy) and all cakes, cookies, pancakes etc can be made without eggs and milk. I like some vegan fast-food sometimes. I love vegan pizza, also veggieburger and veggiedogs. Also sandwiches with raw veggies like spinach, with avocado and tomatoe slices, alfalfa, Veganaise (so delicious, more than Soyanaise or regular mayo)...
If you wanna go vegan but don't wanna quit all your favorite fast-food type of meals, you'll be served: http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13365&highlight=
Vegan recipes blogs links:
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10849
Vegan recipes books suggestions:
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9522
Someone asked me questions about starting to workout and transitionning to a vegan diet. I replied with an email, but thought it could be useful for some people if I'd share it here.
I thought I could share at the same time what my vision of arts is, and life, etc.
It's nothing extraordinary, just things you may already know or have seen in books, but I've put it here in this blog.
So I made some modifications from the email I wrote and here it is:
RESISTANCE TRAINING
There's 4 different types and they all improve strenght. Choose depending what you're looking for: 2 really increase size of muscles, more than the others.
1-endurance: long series of high reps (25 and more), light weights... impove especially endurance. It is recommanded for beginners to start with this.
2-strenght (traditionnal bodybuilding training, hypertrophy): 4 or 5 series of 8-15 reps (usually 10-12) each, for each muscles groups, heavy weights, improve strenght and size
3-sheer strenght: really heavy weights, many series of only 1-3 max reps. Gives power and strenght.
4-speed and explosivity (long series like for endurance, but concentrate especially on lifting weights the faster you can) gives power, some endurance, some strenght. Recommanded for advanced athletes.
First, it is good to initiate yourself to weightlifting with very slow movements to learn how to do them correctly.
To be fit, you need to do more than only resistance training, but also some cardio vascular training too, like running, cycling, swimming, or sports such as basketball, soccer, badminton.
The physical condition consists essentially of qualities of strength, speed, stamina, flexibility and coordination. You need to master all five to be in perfect physical condition.
Despite some may say, I believe bodybuilding is a sport, you can call it art too if you want, expressing yourself through your body. Martial arts are arts too. In both, possibilities are infinite and there's almost no limits at what you can do.
There's so many different programs, techniques, etc. You need to search and read the more you can about it. If you want examples of exercices routines, you can find lots of good infos on veganbodybuilding.com forum, or www.veganfitness.net forum
and http://www.bodybuilding-trainer.com/bodybuilding_routines/bodybuilding_routines.html
http://musclemayhem.com/front/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_intensity_training
also in books, magazines, ask people in fitness gym, etc.
Resistance training, sport and any physical activity is a stress for the body, so be sure to have adequat rest also, like for instance: yoga, meditation or just relaxation, enough of sleep, avoid as much as possible other sources of stress like at work or your relations with your close relatives.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
VEGAN FOOD
You can deceide to go vegan for different reasons :
-1-health: to get fit, improve athlete performances, or because of allergies to certain animal products or just to stay away from diseases
-2-ethical and philosophical: for animal rights and to respect nature, environmental reasons or just because it doesn't fit with your spiritual vision of life
Usually, most vegans do it for both main reasons, but the second one (animal/nature) is a must, otherwise you're not a vegan (this term involves a certain lifestyle or way of thinking), you're just someone who's on a vegan diet.
Anyway, in this article I'll just discuss the health aspect of it, because it's about getting fit.
The fundamentals are:
-vegan
-raw
-organic
Then, perhaps some other important aspects if you wanna get even closer to a perfect nutrition, a superior nutrition :
good food combining rules (from Dr. Shelton, saying our stomach cannot digest any different kinds of foods all at the same time)
Dr. Adamo's Blood Type Diet (saying some foods may be good for someone but not good for someone else with another blood type... but this is a pretty controversial theory, and I'm not so sure about this one, just trust your instinct)
a balanced PH (to have health you need a healthy blood. It needs to be slightly alkaline. If your blood is too acidic, all the problem starts. Only greens are alkaline. Fruits are alkaline or slightly acidifying. All the other foods are acidifying so they shouldn't be more than 50% of your diet.
So basically, as much natural as possible.
Mostly fruits and greens, it's all your body needs to work properly. That's all it needs to have all the vitamins, minerals, water, oxygen, chlorophyll, enzymes and proteins. With this nutrition your body will reach the optimal health your genetic allows you to. Cooked vegan food may not directly cause diseases as much as animal proteins could, but you'll be at maybe 90% of optimal health instead of 100% with raw.
It doesn't matter if you eat some industrial food sometimes, just try to eat foods that are the closest to nature as much often as possible.
Just stay away from all other foods supposed to have amazing health qualities -- It's propaganda. If you want vitamins and minerals go see Mother Nature, not scientists with supplements. So called nutritionnists, modern dieteticians are saying you should drink a glass of red wine each day and 3 squares of dark chocolate each day for the rest of your life otherwise you're gonna have disease. What a joke!
Red wine for the grapes it contains, just eat grapes instead.
There's antioxidants in all vegetal foods other than dark chocolate - cocoa (which is an addictive drug) containing saturated fats.
Hemp and soy and flax and basically all seeds and nuts and avocados and olives, will provide the benefits of healthy fatty acids without the deadly bad sides of fatty fish. Those fish live in polluted rivers and eat other sick fish, so you eat all those DDT, BPC and mercury.
A healthy food is a complete healthy food, with nothing nocive to health.
There's a serious misperception/misinterpretation about the purpose of food. It's not medication supposed to reduce risks of diseases. That's really inexact. It's supposed to keep us away from those risks, or not causing to have those risks. We are born with health (excluding internal factors such as chimicals and toxic products that are already in our cells before we're even born, due to our industrial era and nutrition of your mother, and exterior factors such as pollution, deadly sunrays, etc that we try our best to protect ourselves from), virtually no risks of illness and diseases. The purpose of food is simply to maintain this health to it's maximal level. This is what a vegan raw diet can do for you. No food is gonna give you extra energy or health that you don't already have inside of you. What food can do though, is causing damage to your health if you eat bad foods, such as mentioned below.
We don't need animal proteins. So just ignore what people still living in another century say and try to convince you to eat meat, fish, eggs and milk and other fatty dairies. It has nothing vegetal reign doen't have, besides it's full of grownt hormones, toxins, chemicals, pesticides, saturated and trans-fat, cholesterol, animal fats... cooked, pasteurized, irradiated and highly processed, packed in plastic, not providing anything useful to the body.
A healthy and nourishing diet, giving strength, stamina, physical and intellectual vigour. Without vitality and energy, you lose your most precious good: Health, without which there is no happiness.
Cholesterol doesn't exist in the vegetal reign. Fruits, greens, nuts, seeds --
A natural nutrition, capable of filling the needs of the human body, to maintain Man in this state of kindness and beauty which is its right and its duty the most sacred and where from ensues happiness.
Your foods defines what you are and becomes your new cells -- You are what you eat.
Life engenders life -- Living foods, raw foods, such as fruits and greens regenerate your cells.
Cooked, processed foods -- maintains life...
Sugar, foods deprived of any vitamins -- slows down the life.
Animal fats, animal proteins. Dead flesh -- Kills and destroys life.
To get from an omni diet to a vegeterian diet (with eggs, dairies) can take months, or just a matter of days for others.
To get to a strict vegan diet (no animal products of any kinds) can take years for some, or it can be very easy for some others.
To get to a 100% raw vegan diet, or even fruitarianism, can take years too. It all depends on your background, education, environment, etc...
The path from a modern nutrition to a natural nutrition can be long, very long.
The key is to go slowly, gradually, if you crave for meat or dairies at the beginning, it's normal, and don't resist because it's useless, go ahead and eat it, instead of creating frustrations. After some time, the envy for such things will completely disappear, and you'll feel only better.
You can eat lots of seeds and nuts, grains and beans, or you can eat less dense food if you want.
The best way to gain lots of muscles is to eat a lot, more than you would normally do. But you'll gain muscles even if you don't eat a lot, your body will use your bodyfat and transform it into new muscles.
Whatever happens, believe only in yourself, and forget about all the animal proteins thing and the protein myth, we don't need huge quantity of proteins, but we need quality proteins, like the vegan proteins, and raw is even better because it's intact amino acids. High quality amino acids is the key. Again, it can take some time before understanding this and to get rid of your education and all of preconceived ideas.
You don't need any protein supplements such protein shakes. But if you still feel you need some, which is normal with the overestimated protein real utility and importance, prefer other sources than soy isolate (low digestibility and highly processed), prefer brown rice protein powder, some algae like spirulina or chlorella, or hemp, they're all raw. Hemp being perhaps the best choice of all (hemp protein powder is a raw, organic, easily digestible complete food with high quality amino acids). For soy, limit yourself to soy derivees like tofu and all fake cheese and meat products and desserts.
Of course, stay away from cigarettes, alcohol and all drugs, try avoiding coffee, chocolate and other things containing caffeine. Avoid refined flours and sugars, molasses, wheat, too much sodium, pepper, and even vinegar, onions, garlic, hot peppers, spices, cooked oils... Reduce to a minimum all processed foods (packed, irradiated, full of pesticides and additives) and non-organic foods.
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LIFESTYLE
The key in changes is a progressive transition, accepting mistakes and learning from them, go up gradually to whatever perfection represents for you.
I think most important things in life are self achievment, set goals and accomplish them, don't have any attach (especially not material) and above all, life is a long search for perfection and happiness. The ideal of perfection is different for each person because perception of life differs from a person to another. As for me, perfection is simplicity, revoving everything which is useless, until there's only essential left. Happiness being the ultimate goal. It is a long road paved with accidents, strewed with discoveries, mistakes, understandings, illuminations, being lost and searching for truth and finding what you are, discovery of the world, etc.
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CONCLUSION
So to be perfectly fit, focus on quality not quantity, you need all 4:
- training program - high effort level and efficient technic, resistance training along with some cardiovascular training
- nutrition - healthy foods, as close to nature as possible
- rest - relaxation, yoga, meditation, breathing, positive thinking, creativity -- physically and artistically – express yourself through art and through your body. Read, listen, look, travel.
Stay away from: stress, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, caffeine, fast food and processed food and all animal proteins.
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MORE VEGAN FOOD INFOS
Here's some more links related to veganism, because sometimes at beginning the transition to a new diet or lifestyle can be difficult.
With vegan foods, always remember than wathever which meal or food you like (may it be cakes and other baking goods, or meals that usually contain cheese or meat) it is possible to get a vegan version of it for absolutly everything you can think of.
Fake meat and fake cheese (usually made of soy) and all cakes, cookies, pancakes etc can be made without eggs and milk. I like some vegan fast-food sometimes. I love vegan pizza, also veggieburger and veggiedogs. Also sandwiches with raw veggies like spinach, with avocado and tomatoe slices, alfalfa, Veganaise (so delicious, more than Soyanaise or regular mayo)...
If you wanna go vegan but don't wanna quit all your favorite fast-food type of meals, you'll be served: http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13365&highlight=
Vegan recipes blogs links:
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10849
Vegan recipes books suggestions:
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9522
"Season of the Superhero"
I like this article/essay. I fully agree. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/features/usaid/story.html?id=490dd6b5-bbcc-4659-aae7-276c8b9bb6a3 The new Batman movie (The Dark Knight) is breaking box-office records, grossing out 200 millions during the first days of exploitation. Will probably do around 500 millions profit. written by Kate Heartfield, Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, July 30, 2008::: "Trends happen. " "When the people seem to like something, they're bound to get more of it, until most of them get sick of it. There was that weird penguin fascination a little while back. One summer, it might be wizards; the next, pirates. It's obvious from the children's section in bookstores these days that somebody just figured out, again, that little girls like fairies." "Young people and storytellers have always liked rogues and heroes, and they always will." "It does not take a lot of imagination to see the new Batman movie that is setting box office records, The Dark Knight, as something of a commentary on the war on terror," blogged the editorial board of The New York Times last week. " "Some reviewers of The Dark Knight and Hancock say we're a culture that's sick of heroes and mistrustful of easy answers. Other commentators say the opposite: That the superhero trend shows that North American society is scared of terrorists or global warming - even of the future of the economy - and is hoping for rescue. According to that analysis, we yearn for the days (probably imaginary) when there were good guys.
It's foolish to read too much cultural meaning into the release date of a movie. Remember when everyone was reading The Fellowship of the Ring as a comment on Sept. 11, 2001 and its aftermath? Not only did the film version come out a mere three months later, which would make Peter Jackson more impressive than Nostradamus, but it was, of course, based on a book published a half-century ago." I always found that there were too many movies made out of comic books lately. All those superhero movies, and then movies to make fun of those movies... I hate all trends. Like the Lord of the Ring trend. Like the Harry Potter trend. Then all the animation movies with pinguins, pigs and chickens that dance and sing. People who go see this are like : "oh he's so cute!" while they're eating their butter popcorn that is made with the fat of the milk of slavery cow who's gonna be slaughtered later, and after the movie they're gonna go eat a BBQ chicken. All those movies are for kids. We see how mature adults nowadays are.
Published: Wednesday, July 30, 2008::: "Trends happen. " "When the people seem to like something, they're bound to get more of it, until most of them get sick of it. There was that weird penguin fascination a little while back. One summer, it might be wizards; the next, pirates. It's obvious from the children's section in bookstores these days that somebody just figured out, again, that little girls like fairies." "Young people and storytellers have always liked rogues and heroes, and they always will." "It does not take a lot of imagination to see the new Batman movie that is setting box office records, The Dark Knight, as something of a commentary on the war on terror," blogged the editorial board of The New York Times last week. " "Some reviewers of The Dark Knight and Hancock say we're a culture that's sick of heroes and mistrustful of easy answers. Other commentators say the opposite: That the superhero trend shows that North American society is scared of terrorists or global warming - even of the future of the economy - and is hoping for rescue. According to that analysis, we yearn for the days (probably imaginary) when there were good guys.
It's foolish to read too much cultural meaning into the release date of a movie. Remember when everyone was reading The Fellowship of the Ring as a comment on Sept. 11, 2001 and its aftermath? Not only did the film version come out a mere three months later, which would make Peter Jackson more impressive than Nostradamus, but it was, of course, based on a book published a half-century ago." I always found that there were too many movies made out of comic books lately. All those superhero movies, and then movies to make fun of those movies... I hate all trends. Like the Lord of the Ring trend. Like the Harry Potter trend. Then all the animation movies with pinguins, pigs and chickens that dance and sing. People who go see this are like : "oh he's so cute!" while they're eating their butter popcorn that is made with the fat of the milk of slavery cow who's gonna be slaughtered later, and after the movie they're gonna go eat a BBQ chicken. All those movies are for kids. We see how mature adults nowadays are.
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