Web Gamblings Galore

Want to write a how-to article but can’t come up with a topic?

Start by naming the three biggest problems your customers or clients face. You’ve just come up with three ideas for three different articles. Be sure the topics tie into a service you provide, a product you sell, or a cause or issue you want to promote.

Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to select a title. Here’s a list of possibilities. Simply fill in the blank, depending on what you’ve decided to write about.

A Part-Timer’s Tactics for a Full-Timer’s ______________

A Quiz: Test Your ______________ Smarts

Cash in on _______________ Trends

Chasing the Right ______________

Cool Tools for Today’s ______________

Common Errors That Kill ______________

Discover the 7 Essential Elements That Guarantee ______________

Finding the ______________That is Uniquely You

Good News for ______________

How to Bounce Back from ______________

How to Get Other People to ______________

How to Handle ______________

How to Make ______________ Work for You

How to Make Your ______________ Dreams Come True

How to Turn ______________ into ______________

Mastering the Art of ______________

No More ______________

Part-Time ______________, Full-Time Success

Questions and Answers About ______________

Straight Talk from a ______________

The Great _____________ Dilemma

The Most Beginner-Friendly ______________

The Last Word on ______________

The Amazing Solution for ______________

The Best and Worst Ideas for ______________

The Complete Guide to ______________

The Worst Mistakes You Can Make When ______________

Top 10 ______________ Do’s and Don’ts

What’s HOT and NOT in ______________

When Not to ______________

Your Must-Know Guide to ______________

_________________ with Pizzazz!

_________________and Grow Rich

______________ on the Cheap

5 Ways to Get More from Your ______________

5 No-Fail Strategies for ______________

6 Secrets to Successful ______________

7 Ways to Keep Your ______________ Dreams Alive

7 Ways to Avoid the Most Deadly ______________ Mistakes

8 Ways to Avoid the Worst ______________ Mistakes

9 Formulas for Fantastic ______________

10 User-Friendly Facts for ______________

10 Tips to Jump-Start Your ______________

11 Questions You Must Ask When You’re ______________

12 Tactics to Open Up ______________

13 Tips That Will Make a _______________ Smile

10 Time-Tested Tips for Becoming a ______________

25 Quick ______________ Tips to Use Now

26 Holiday Gifts for ______________

Nos, start writing! Somewhere out there, there’s an editor just waiting for your story.

Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound, hosted and recorded three teleseminars dealing with how-to articles–How to Write How-to Articles for Newspapers, Magazines and Trade Journals; How to Submit Online Articles That Pull Traffic to Your Website; and Legal Issues You Must Know When Writing Articles for Fee or for Free. Learn more about them at http://www.PublicityHound.com where you can also sign up for the free ezine “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” packed with tips on how to generate free publicity.

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It’s 2 am and you’re sitting at your desk, no ideas and no thoughts. The cup of coffee to your side is the sixth. But still, the same blank sheet of paper from an hour ago taunts you, there is nothing to show for your effort but a back cramp and a feeling of inferiority.

We’ve all faced it. The loss of ideas and the lack of drive. When we are left wondering why we can’t seem to find the right words.

Perhaps what you need is to simply forget about structure and finding the right words.

Why not take a break from the tedium and freewrite?

The Benefits of Freewriting.

“If writing was dinner, then freewriting would have to be dessert.”

It only takes a few minutes a day, but there are many benefits to be gleaned from freewriting exercises.

Freewriting promotes activity. It keeps the writer sharp and in control of his writings. Practicing freewriting everyday is one of the best preventions against writer’s block and boredom in the writing process.

Freewriting allows you to stop thinking and make mistakes without judgement. When you freewrite, you allow yourself to be a little kid, able to misspell and be imperfect.

Freewriting gives us the freedom to be ourselves with all our faults.
As authors, above all else we need freedom. Freedom to write as we please. Sometimes we even need freedom from ourselves. Freewriting allows us to gain that. It allows us to detach from our worries and our mistakes, from our problems and from our concerns. All that is left is the words, with all their imperfections.

Freewriting is a good form of brainstorming. When you freewrite, you are actually performing a type of brainstorming. Freewriting can kickstart the mental process and bring new ideas and new concepts to the forefront. It brings new life to a tired mind that has focused so much on a topic that it clams up and can no longer create new ideas on that topic.

Freewriting in Practice.

Freewriting is one of the easiest ways to write. No prose, no context, just us and the words. It doesn’t matter how they are arranged, it doesn’t matter if they even make sense. All we have to do is write.

For this exercise, let’s buy ourselves a spiral bound notebook, I personally use OMNI.

Write in it everyday. Just one page and one side per day. It doesn’t matter if you can’t think of anything to write, just write what comes to you, even if you feel it is subpar or not worth the effort.

It doesn’t have to be neat or perfectly spelled. This exercise isn’t about spelling, structure or neatness. Instead, it’s meant to promote plain and simple activity. If you write more often, even if you feel it’s bad, you will improve. The key to improvement in any activity is to practice often, and writing is no exception.

Keep on freewriting everyday, one page and one side at a time. By the time you have reached the end of the book, I can promise you will be more skilled than you were before you started. Once you get into the habit of writing everyday, writing will become easier and more natural.

This exercise also promotes mental clairity. We all have stress and other issues on our mind. By freewriting everyday, we allow our minds to be cleansed of this muck and allow the mind to be freed of that so it can think clearer and create more precise and interesting ideas.

Closing Arguments on Freewriting.

To truly be a creative author, it doesn’t take knowing the magic words, it takes the patience and persistence to write the wrong ones often and the willingness to mold and shape them into the right ones. Freewriting will help to keep your mind fresh and your heart in the right place, not to mention, it’s very fun too.

Sources.

“Anybody Can Write” by Roberta Jean Bryant.

About the Author

David is a freelance writer who is enthusiastic about writing. He is also the webmaster for http://midnightlibrary.net/

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So maybe you don’t know about betting hall wagering, feel free to read on.

A running definition of a gaming room is a building that caters to card playing. Here, customers are expected to take a wager going for the slot machines or different gambling games. Gambling saloon games ordinarily have ovious percentages informing them which guarantee the gambling organization possesses its ascendancy above the gambling enthusiasts.

A large amount of betting saloon games can encourage you to become dependent swiftly. For instance the infamous slot machine, a coin operated appliance with three plus discs that orbit when a handle hitched to it is operated. This machine in the main pays corresponding with a combination of pictograms asvisible on the screen of the instrument. Deplorably, betting saloon games will convey a mirage of influence, conning the player — the victim is endowed alternatives, but in reality they do not truly match up the customer’s statistical odds. This is due to the betting establishment never repaying the full stake as expected. This pattern is often found in well known casino games like Texas hold’em, dice, roulette or blackjack. Five card stud poker is doubtlessly a highly popular casino pastime. The gamesters, playing with partially guarded hands, are betting in a principal pot that is ultimately paid out to the winning participant holding the highest combination of cards. (Of course, the shameless bluffer may well prevail ..)

online casinos

Resembling five card stud, blackjack is likewise a very trendy casino game. A substantial part of its acclaim is a result of the mix of chance and cunning & decision making, as well as a practise dubbed card counting. The aforementioned is a skill through which players can skew the winning odds of the card game to their benefit both by betting and procedural decisions established on the cards dealt.

Craps is yet another famous gambling hall wagering game utilizing the roll of dice. Gamblers are placing bets on the end result of one cycle, or on a succession of cycles of two dice. Dissimilar to blackjack, there isn’t any conceivable killer strategy players could cash in on to improve the odds.

Roulette is another insanely popular game of chance; here a croupier twirls a roulette wheel that contains a set of precisely thirtyseven (applies to French roulette) or 38 (in the case of Vegas roulette) distinctively numbered compartments in which a tossed ball will eventually settle, which is the winning number Assuming that the gamester has wagered on a single number which wins i.e. he is actually having a streak of luck, the promised dividend will be 35:1, the initial stake itself will be returned. Hence in total it’s increased by a factor of thirty-six.

Try to be guarded nonetheless for many of these betting hall betting games may well be extra obsessive. An incredible number of lives are known to have been ruined as a result of gambling + much as it admittedly may be fun, please do aspire to regulate your gaming.

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Ezine marketing has come of age.

Beyond argument and controversy today, an ezine is accepted to be the most effective online marketing tool, one with the highest return on investment. In simple terms, ezine marketing gives the biggest bang for your buck.

Ezine publishing is also fairly straightforward. There are many tools and services that help you get started quickly with very little effort or expense. They let you

create an ezine e.g. Ezine Launch – http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/ezinelaunch/

provide you with content e.g. Ezine Writer – http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/ezinewriter/

find you subscribers e.g. The Amazing List Machine – http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/listmachine/

even sell advertising space for you e.g. The Directory of Ezines – http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/doe/

Not surprisingly, several hundred ezines are being launched every day. Anyone can do it – and many people do.

Therein lies the problem. Not all these ezines will be marketing successes.

Because too many ezines that are published today are worthless.

I’m sure you’ve seen them too. Poorly designed and formatted, full of ads and marketing hype, with little useful content and – worst of all – totally lacking in focus, trying to be everything to everyone.

These are the ezines I would unsubscribe from after reading just one or two issues.

And I’m sure you would too.

The sheer number and variety of available ezines is forcing subscribers to be hypercritical and choosy about the ones they finally elect to keep. Limited time and interest spans add to the challenge faced by ezine publishers.

You now need to publish the perfect ezine, one that will capture and retain your reader’s attention – atleast until they can be converted into customers.

Which is why you have to learn to do it correctly, differently, better than anyone else.

And you need a guide to hold you by the hand and lead you step by step through the processes involved in ezine publishing – like The Ezine Masters – http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/ezinemasters/

But the perfect ezine is not easy to create.

Not impossible, not very difficult, just … not easy.

You need to know what to do. And then, step by step, you’ll move steadily towards that goal.

So where do you begin?

There are four broad stages in ezine publishing:

- Process Planning: creating a blueprint for your ezine including the topic you will write about, frequency of publishing, nature of content, proposed revenue streams, target audience, expected growth rates and more

- Designing: deciding the layout, format and appearance of your ezine and preparing templates

- Creation: getting down to the nuts and bolts of creating content and putting together each edition

- Distribution: setting up a delivery system to sign up new readers, send them each issue of your ezine, handling feedback and list administration

And each of these major steps is made up of dozens and dozens of smaller action steps, each of which is equally important to your business success. It is a lot of work to get these different processes working together like well-oiled machinery.

The upside, of course, is that the profits are high.

Sure, it’s hard work to get started. You’ll need to plan your ezine, create content, set up an ezine management process, and grow your readership with smart effective promotion. All of this can take two or three months.

But soon you’ll have a large, devoted group of readers who trust you – and to whom you can market your business over and over, for a long time.

At no extra cost !

To help you get started, here are some useful ezine publishing resources:

Website Tutorials

- Brian Alt’s Email Publishing Digest at http://www.epdigest.com/

- Mark Brownlow’s Keeping The Key report at http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/brownlow/

- Michael Green’s E-Z Ezine Toolkit at http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/ezinetoolkit/

- Create Email Newsletters at http://www.create-email-newsletters.com

Books and Courses

- Chris Pirillo’s Email Publishing at http://www.TheEzineCenter.com/pirillo/

- Dr.Mani’s Ezine Launch at http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/ezinelaunch/

- The Ezine Masters at http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/ezinemasters/

- Michael Southon’s Ezine Writer at http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/ezinewriter/

Good luck and happy e-publishing

About the author:

Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian has been building profitable niche
minisites since 1998. He recently launched “INSTANT NICHE
MINISITES” – a Web-based tool you can use to ‘point-and-click’
your way to creating niche marketing websites.
http://www.InstantNicheMinisites.com

www.InstantNicheMinisites.com
ideas@ezinemarketingcenter.com

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A Book Note versus a Book Report

Introduction

Since our early days of elementary education we have been familiar with what a book report entails. But do you know what a book note is? Good question you say? Great! Read on and together we can explore the relationship between the two.

Preparing the Reader

For starters, a book report provides the reader with general background information such as the setting and time period. Where does the story take place? When is all this occurring? For a reader it is important to have some sort of working knowledge of the book, before diving right in. This working knowledge of the book can enhance our understanding of the events and circumstances found within the book. The setting and time period can explain many things concerning the actions, behavior, and personalities of the characters that might otherwise be misinterpreted.

Likewise a book note offers up similar information for the reader to consider before setting out to read the book. It provides the reader with insight into the objective and focus of the book. Just like it is difficult to find the solution to a problem if one does not really have a firm grasp of the problem, it can be challenging to completely understand and get the most out of a book if the book’s primary mission is lost on the reader. It can answer questions like what is the purpose of this book or what is the author’s main argument. A book note might also offer up additional information, such as the style the author employs to support his/her argument. It will inform the reader who the intended audience is, so that the reader will have a better idea as to whether this book will prove to be a good read. In their own unique way, book reports and book notes prepare and inform the reader before delving into their book of choice.

Teaser vs. Review

However, a book report offers more information than just a simple description of the setting and time period. It also introduces the reader to the main characters of the book, granting the reader a feel for what the characters will be like. In addition, a book report almost always offers the reader a taste of the plot, employing extreme caution not to spoil it. This provides the reader with a convincing reason to read the book, having just wetted their appetite with a suspenseful synopsis of the storyline. A good summary of the plot will relate the adventures of the main characters, and offer insight as to what the main characters are trying to overcome or achieve. The summary of the plot might also include a few particular events that happen to the main characters.

On the other hand the second half of a book note has a more personal feel to it as it seeks to provide just one person’s individual assessment of the read. Its primary objective is to provide the reader with a personal evaluation of the book in question. It might examine how the author achieved or failed to achieve the perceived objective of the book. Often times a book note will explore the good, bad, and ugly of the book. What did the author do well? What didn’t the author do well? What are the shortcomings of the book? In what regard can the book be considered a success? Finally, a book note will discuss the overall quality of the book. Like a movie review, the book note should help the reader decide if the book is worth his/her time or not.

About the author:

Adam Smith is a client account specialist with http://www.10xMarketing.com- More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For more information, visit http://www.oneminutemillionaire.com/affiliate/glossary/book-note.asp

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In Meacham Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory was planning to lay off a number of employees. The Supreme Court ruled that if an employer seeks to rely on that defense. The Supreme Court has previously recognized that the employer has the burden to establish the BFOQ affirmative defense. Specifically the jury found that although the plaintiffs did not prove that Knolls intentionally discriminated against them they did prove that Knolls method of deciding who to lay off disproportionately harmed older workers. The BFOQ defense states that it is not unlawful for an employer to take adverse employment actions otherwise prohibited by the ADEA where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the particular business. The company had its supervisors rate their subordinates based on their performance flexibility and critical skills. Twenty-eight of those 69 employees sued under the ADEA claiming Knolls illegally fired them because of their age. Thirty of the 25 salaried employees the company laid off were at least 47 years old. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit initially affirmed the jurys findings but after the United States Supreme Court asked it to reconsider the Second Circuit reversed itself and ruled in favor of Knolls. Knolls totaled those scores and gave the employees additional points based on their years of service. It then used those totals to decide who to lay off. Even if the employment action is otherwise prohibited by the ADEA. At the trial a jury found Knolls had violated the ADEA because its layoff procedure had a disparate impact based on age. In other words the ADEA permits employers to discriminate based on age considering age is legitimately necessary under the circumstances. The Supreme Court then agreed to hear the case and eventually reversed the Second Circuit and reinstated the jurys finding that Knolls policy unlawfully discriminated because of age. As long as the adverse action is based on reasonable factors other than age. For example it would not be illegal to consider criteria for a particular role in a movie that has a disparate impact on age if the part calls for someone of a particular age. It has the burden to prove that its decision was based on a reasonable factor other than age. In that case Meacham versus Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory the Supreme Court interpreted a provision of the ADEA that permits an employer to take an adverse employment action against an employee. In reaching its conclusion that the employer has the burden to prove the reasonable factors other than age defense the Supreme Court looked at another provision of the ADEA the bona fide occupational qualification defense. A lawyer from Rotterdam won from a lawfirm in Green Bay Wisconsin

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What do you do when you want to write poetry? I hope your answer is “I start writing.” Even writing a bad poem is better than waiting for the “right words.” You can always throw it away, and the process has begun. You’ll start to find the words sooner than if you just waited. Here are some more ways to get started.

Sing A Poem

Try a little experiment – alone in the basement if you must. Describe something, then describe it again, singing instead of talking. You’ll notice the words you use change. Your sentences will generally be more rythmic. It is also easier to rhyme when you are singing.

Singing comes from the right side of the brain. This is the side that handles pattern-recognition. When you sing, you access this part of your brain, and you’ll get ideas or patterns of words that are difficult for your analytical left-brain to create. Try it.

Start With Poetic Materials

You can create poetry by listing words most likely to result in decent poems. Look for emotional content, for example. “Love” or “worship” have more poetic potential than “like,” right? Scan a book, pick out powerful words, and write them down. You may want to write words that rhyme with them alonside. Then start using them.

Say something dramatic, like “I sing of death,” or “Your eyes called out.” Try to let it come from somewhere deep inside you. Then start explaining what it might mean. This will almost certainly give you material for a poem.

Play with short verses, long verses, rhyming and non-rhyming poems. Try haiku. Try writing down your thoughts as fast as you can, without stopping. Don’t worry about quality at this point. You just need to get that creative mind working. Then, when you find gems in all the dirt, you can start polishing them.

About the author:

Steve Gillman has been playing with poetry for thirty years. He and his wife Ana created the game “Deal-A-Poem,” which can be accessed for free at: http://www.dealapoem.com

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Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having a number one best seller. Both are wonderful reasons for writing. What many fail to realize is that these two do not have to be mutually exclusive. With a little research, you can enjoy writing incredible stories and see to it that they generate a profit.

The first thing that is needed is a business like attitude toward the process. From day one you must:

1) Know your niche.

Research which books are popular in your genre. Go to bookstores and start reading popular authors in your field. Also pick up writing magazines and see what publishers are looking for today.

2) Know your audience. If you are writing for children, for example, know the developmental stage that a child reading your book needs to be and cater to them.

Ex. A five year old would not be a good candidate for a chapter book.

You can also talk to your future readers and find out what really sparks their interest.

Ex. If you are a sci-fi writer, you can go into sci-fi chat rooms and ask what books are the most popular and why. Also ask what they feel is missing in this field. Do they want a return to some of the earlier styles of sci-fi books are an even more futuristic approach?

3) Write from this knowledge.

Once you know what your audience wants, create your story and characters around that theme. Give them what they want, what they crave and you have a better chance of creating a book that they and publishers will love.

4) Pre – market. If you are self-publishing, you can give away a free chapter of your book on hundreds of sites to spark an interest and get feedback. You can also send out press releases right before your book is about to be releases. Prweb.com is a great place to send out free press releases.

5) Network – Contact the webmasters of writing sites online. Submit your book for pre-review. Go to writing chat rooms and offer to answer other writer’s questions about your book or writing in general. Do book readings at your local library or bookstore. The more people that are exposed to you and your book, the better the chance of it being a success.

Those are just a few examples of pre – marketing. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other free ways to gather interest and get feed back.

The more information that you have before you write, before you market and before you go to press, will determine your chances of creating an enjoyable and profitable book. Remember you can be creative and profitable. Just start from a place of knowledge and the rest will follow.

Caterina Christakos is the author of How to Write a Children’s Book in 30 Days or Less. For more writing tips and articles go to: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com

CChrist896@aol.com

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Being physically fit provides a foundation for overall health and well being (Health and Fitness Principles). We can define physical fitness as, the physical attributes and skills that one has that allows them to perform the tasks of daily living effectively and alertly, while leaving an adequate amount of energy in reserve for recreational and/or emergency activities (Health and Fitness Principles). When we hear the term, physical fitness, we typically think of activities such as running, jumping, or lifting weights. But, fitness involves much more than how much you can “lift”, how fast you can run, or how high you can jump (Physical Activity and Health).

Practically speaking, it has more to do with your ability to easily and effectively carry out common activities like shoveling snow, back packing, mowing grass, or playing with your children.

What can exercise do for me?

Regular physical activity has been associated with decreased risk for many illnesses. According to the American Heart Association, regular, moderate exercise has been shown to provide the following benefits:

• Decreased risk of heart disease
• Decreased risk of heart attack
• Lower total cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Decreased risk of being overweight or obese
• Decreased risk of stroke
• Lower stress levels
• Improved sleep
• Improved physical appearance
• Increased energy and strength
• Stronger heart, lungs, bones, and muscles
(Why Should I be Physically Active, AHA)

As with other components of wellness, the transition to becoming more physically fit requires lifestyle changes. In order to reap the benefits of regular physical activity you must be able to make a lifelong commitment to your program (Fitness Fundamentals). It isn’t necessary to have any special equipment, or to join a health club or gym. It only requires that you participate consistently in some type of moderate – vigorous physical activity. Again, this does not need to be limited to traditional health club style exercises. Use your imagination, and select activities that you can enjoy. For example, rock climbing, hiking, rowing, or dancing would be excellent alternatives to the typical exercise program.

Physical Assessment

Regardless of your current health or physical condition, it is always a good idea to have a physical examination before undertaking any exercise or nutrition program. This is especially true if you are over the age of 35 and have been inactive for several years (Fitness Fundamentals). There are several other indications that would also suggest the need to consult with your physician before starting:

• High blood pressure
• History of heart disease
• Dizzy spells
• Difficulty breathing after mild exertion
• Arthritis or other bone ailment
• Muscle, ligament, or tendon problems
• Known or suspected disease
• If you smoke
(Fitness Fundamentals)

Although there are some small risks that go along with exercise, it has been well documented that the risks associated with inactivity, and/or being overweight are much, much greater (Fitness Fundamentals).

A properly designed fitness program should always focus on balance. In other words, a program should address each component of fitness. According to The Aerobics Fitness Association of America, there are five components of fitness (Yoke, et al).

1. Muscular Strength
2. Muscular Endurance
3. Cardio-respiratory endurance
4. Flexibility
5. Body Composition

In addition to including balance in your routine, you should always begin the program development process by establishing a set of realistic goals. It is unfortunate that the majority of information about cardio and strength training that people hold as true are nothing more than “urban legend”. I have listed below several of my favorite fitness and exercise myths:

Popular Exercise Myths

1. “If you stop weight training the muscle that you have built will turn to fat.” As bodybuilding legend, Franco Colombu once said, “That would be like saying that an apple can turn to an orange.” Muscle and fat are two completely unique types of tissue. Therefore, it is impossible for fat to “turn into” muscle. Likewise, it is not possible for muscle to “turn into” fat.

2. “Weight training makes women have a masculine appearance.” Proper weight training will help almost anyone to look healthier by improving body composition and making the body look more tight and firm. The huge muscles that are seen in the professional women’s bodybuilding ranks are produced by very large quantities of anabolic/androgenic steroids, not simply by strength training alone.

3. “You need to spend a great deal of money on dietary supplements to be successful.” The foundation of any exercise program is built upon the combination of a balanced diet, plenty of rest, and a well designed exercise regimen. Supplements are definitely not necessary for strength trainers or endurance trainers regardless of their fitness level.

4. “It takes expensive machines and workout equipment to build a quality physique.” Although it is desirable to have a few basic pieces of equipment at your disposal, it is very possible to design an effective workout routine with no equipment at all. There is a great deal of research that has demonstrated a number of advantages to “low tech” functional strength training programs. This doesn’t mean that you should avoid the fancy weight machines. But, you should keep in mind that some of the greatest physiques in history were developed with little or no exercise equipment at all.

5. “Weight training will make you muscle bound and stiff.” Actually, research has demonstrated that when resistance exercises are performed through their full range of motion, flexibility increases. Weight training stretches opposing muscle groups.

Designing Your Program

As you begin putting together your program, it is helpful to use what is known as the FITT formula.

F.I.T.T. =

F = Frequency (how often you exercise)
I = Intensity (how hard you are working when exercising)
T = Type (what type of exercise is being done?)
T = Time (how much time is spent exercising)

The American College of Sports Medicine has established specific guidelines concerning the FITT formulas for both cardio-respiratory training and strength training. The guidelines for Cardio training are as follows:

Cardio Guidelines:

• Frequency = three – five times per week

• Intensity = 55 – 90% of max heart rate

• Time (or duration) = from 20 – 60 minutes

• Type = Common forms of cardio training: walking, cycling, jogging, swimming, stair climbing, and dancing

• Beginners = Start by working at approximately 55 – 70% of max heart rate

• Hydration = be certain that your body is adequately hydrated before and after exercise Approximately – 1 cup of fluids per 15 minutes of vigorous activity

• Warm Up = an exercise session should always begin with a brief warm up period of about five minutes. Warming up consists of light activity such as walking or cycling

• Cool Down = Always slow down your pace during the last several minutes of your exercise session in order to allow your heart rate and core body temperature to gradually return to normal

• Over exertion can be hazardous to your health. Be certain that you are training at an intensity that is appropriate relative to your age, fitness level, and personal health condition.

Intensity Level

It is extremely important that you are exercising at an appropriate level of intensity. There are several methods that can be used to measure how hard you are working. The method that you choose will depend on what type of equipment that you have at your disposal. The two most common measures of intensity are heart rate, and the talk test.

As mentioned earlier, your training heart rate should be from 55 – 90% of maximum heart rate, depending on your current fitness level and goals. (Consult with your physician to determine if this range is appropriate for your personal condition). You can use the following formula to approximate your target heart rate.

220 – Age = Max Heart Rate

Max Heart Rate x .55 = beginners level training heart rate

Max Heart Rate x .70 = Intermediate level training heart rate

Max heart rate x .90 = advanced level training heart rate

The most common measure of intensity, however, is “The Talk Test”.

Basically, if you can speak conversationally (but not get enough air to sing), while performing your aerobic exercise you are probably somewhere between the desired range of 55 – 90 % of MHR. If speech becomes broken, you are exceeding the desired range.

Next we will discuss strength training. There are many health benefits associated with strength training that are often overlooked by recreational exercisers. A few of the benefits include:

• Increased motor performance
• Increased bone density
• Decreased risk of injury
• Increased metabolic rate
• Increased capacity to perform work

Strength Training guidelines

• Frequency = Two – Three non-consecutive days for beginners

• Intensity = Perform each movement to muscular fatigue or near muscular failure

• Type = The most common forms of resistance training include weight lifting, pushups, pull-ups, crunches, resistance bands.

• Time (or volume) = Beginners perform one – three sets of eight – fifteen repetitions per exercise.

• Progression = Increase weight by approximately 5% when you are able to reach your repetition target on two consecutive training sessions.

• Exercise Order = It is most desirable to work from largest muscle group to smallest muscle group.

• For example, Squats, Pushups, Chin Ups, Calf Raise, Crunches

• Breathing = Always exhale on the positive (concentric) portion of the movement. In other words, exhale when you exert force. NEVER hold your breath when strength training.

• Tempo = Move the weight in a slow and controlled manner. Many popular methods recommend two seconds for the positive phase, followed by four seconds for the negative phase of the lift.

• In my opinion, it isn’t necessary to count your tempo. Just embrace the concept of slow and controlled movement.

• Overload = You must challenge you body to work at increasingly higher levels to bring about ongoing improvement

• Regularity = you must work out consistently to benefit from strength training. At least two non-consecutive sessions per week are required on a consistent basis.

As with cardio training, it is necessary to begin all strength-training sessions with a brief, five minute warm up period. At the conclusion of your strength routine, you should conclude with a short cool down, followed by static (non-bouncing) stretching of the major muscle groups.

Tips for finding time

1. Wake up an extra 30 – 60 minutes early to exercise before your workday starts.

2. Take a brisk walk on your lunch break.

3. Begin your workout immediately upon arriving home from work.

4. Incorporate exercise into family time. Take everyone out for a 30-minute walk after dinner, or go to the park for a game of basketball or soccer.

5. Split your exercise into two separate sessions, fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the evening.

6. Schedule your exercise just like you would any other appointment. Put it in your Palm Pilot, Day Planner, or Outlook Calendar.

Developing a realistic plan of action before adding exercise to your schedule is necessary to ensure your long-term success. Making any change to your lifestyle requires commitment to change. Identifying potential roadblocks to your success will help you to make more realistic plans. The number one reason that people site for failing to exercise is “lack of time”.

Therefore,
you should examine your daily work and activity schedule thoroughly to determine where you can fit exercise in to the mix. For more detailed information about developing an effective training routine it may be helpful to consult with a professional personal trainer. There are also a number of qualified personal trainers that offer online coaching for those who don’t have the time to work with a trainer in person.

As mentioned earlier, regardless of your current health or physical condition, it is always a good idea to have a physical examination before undertaking any physical exercise or nutrition program.

References:

YMCA of the USA. YMCA Personal Trainer Instructor Manual. Champaign: Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc, 2000.
(YMCA of the USA)

Yoke, Mary, and Laura Gladwin. A Guide to Personal Fitness. Sherman Oaks: Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, 2003.
(Yoke et al.)

“Fitness Fundamentals.” Guidelines to Personal Exercise Programs. President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Sept 2005 <http://www.fitness.gov/fitness.html>.
(Fitness Fundamentals)

YMCA of the USA. Principles of Health and Fitness. 3rd ed. Champaign: Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., 1999.
(YMCA of the USA)

“Why Should I be Physically Active”. American Heart Association., 2004 http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3009620
(Why Should I be Physically Active)

American Council on Exercise. Personal Trainer Manual 2nd ed. San Diego: ACE Publications, 1996

Douglas Galligan is a Personal Trainer and Health Club Manager with over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry. You can visit his Online Personal Training site at:
http://www.Trainerforce.com/Retroworkouts

E-Mail: Retroworkouts@Insightbb.com

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“If a man has talent and cannot use it, he has failed. If he has
a talent and uses only half of it, he has partly failed. If he has a
talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has
gloriously succeeded and has a satisfaction and a triumph few
men ever know.”
— Thomas Wolfe

By now you have decided what kind of writer you’d like to be:

You either want to write for pleasure or for profit.

To write articles or just to write for your own enjoyment?

Or perhaps just start writing and see what develops.

To perhaps even one day write a book-about your life or about
the life of someone you know.

To one day write the novel you always dreamed of…and I
believe everyone has some tale to tell. We can all reach out
and help others by sharing a little of our little (don’t repeat
‘little’ in such close proximity- “yes sir, boss”!) world.
Somebody else said: “No one but a blockhead would write
not to be published.”… but I don’t agree with that one.

I believe writing is for pleasure or profit, but it can be both.
That’s the ideal to aim (and wish/hope) for. Could I end that
sentence with a “preppie” (preposition)?

That was my ideal when I started out in my quest to do
something worthwhile with my life after being dropped out
of the sky here in “Sleepy Hollow”. I try to have a bit of FUN
with my writing, because life (together with all the appendages,
like mortgages, bills (but not my business associate, Bill Rosoman),
wives, “hubbies”, etc) can be ever so serious.

We spoke about making a writer out of you.

Decide where and when to write.

Which room is most comfortable and gives you peace and quiet?

When are you most creative?

Are you a “morning” or “evening” person, when your concentration
is at it’s highest level? My body rhythms (correct spelling – for a change!)
work best in the early morning, so I’m in bed with my teddy bear and hot
“choccie” and pussy cat by 9pm. How utterly boring!

When are you most likely to be undisturbed?
I have the strangest type of people (plenty of “weirdos”)
dropping in to visit “recluse” me. Must be the lot of an “artist”!

Treat your writing seriously and bar visitors – it is your work
or leisure time, yet people don’t seem to understand that. “When
are you going to get a proper job”, ask the locals continuously
(should it be ‘continually’?), as they can’t seem to understand
us “strange” writers. Nor even my good Aussie friend, Kaye who
is visiting at the moment!

*
GETTING STARTED
What to write about?

This is the writer’s principal dilemma.

Write what the market wants, but draw on your world, your
unique experiences in life.

Ask yourself this:

How can I best inform, entertain, help or perhaps even inspire
other people?

Where to get ideas?
The human mind has the most incredible power and your
magination is your greatest asset.
.
So use the great powers of your IMAGINATION to the fullest
by allowing your creative juices to flow.

Then once you have the idea, RESEARCH well, so you are
factually correct.

Accuracy in writing is paramount for credibility- you have to
be seen to be an authority on your subject..

If you are writing purely for money (nothing wrong with that!),
write what will sell. I only write from the heart, either with
serious messages (in my novels) or “zany” and hopefully uplifting
material for the human spirit in my non-fiction “work”.

Always remember:

There are too many subjects to write about – not too few!

Remember to collect interesting items for later use.

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR WRITING STYLE

We all have a unique style of writing, in addition to our unique
experiences in life… because each one of us is unique, thank
God. So just be grateful for who you are , your unique abilities
and gifts and count your blessings. Enough on this subject -
this is not a new spiritual book!

Style is our natural way of writing: it can be brief, long-winded,
chatty, wacky, breezy, light, heavy and so on – like the way we
talk. I try and write like I speak: very much to the point, but
with the odd “zany” bit thrown in to startle or get a person
thinking (or perhaps just wondering about me and where I’m
coming from – Mars!).

My advice…

Build on your own natural style of writing… and the best way
to do that is to get into the writing habit. Then just be you.
Incidentally, a word of seriousness (for a change)… Although
this road I have chosen is very rocky and financially uncertain,
doing this type of work gives me way more fulfilment in my life
than ever before, as well as feeling this is the “real me”. And
that’s most important.

(Can I start a sentence with an “And”. See the next “gripping”
lesson to find out).

Write something daily; because practice makes perfect.

Be open to growth, to try new styles or new directions in your
writing. I find after I’ve done a serious book (like a novel on
South Africa), I try to write to inform and entertain in a light
breezy style. Probably just both sides of me coming out.

You could perhaps try adding touches of humour, your natural
humour, of course!

This comes with confidence and confidence comes with more
writing. My confidence has increased greatly after my tentative
first steps down this track.

I believe the essence of good writing style lies in precision and
accuracy.

Therefore omit unnecessary words. Try to think up some
examples of everyday unnecessary words and let me know
what they are in our homework. One example to get you
started: “actually”.

Lots more on style coming up in another lesson.

I hope this information may be helpful to you in your creative
writing.

About the Author

Craig Lock is an author of numerous books and the
creator of the “original” online creative writing course.
http://www.nzenterprise.com/writer/creative.html

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