There is number of lumbar spine disorders that cause sciatica. Sciatica is known as a mild to intense pain, which can be felt in the right or left leg. There are also instances where both legs are affected by the pain. Sciatica is due to the compression of nerves in a person’s lower back. Another… Continue reading Common Causes of Sciatica
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Numbing of fingertips is often a symptom of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS. For beginners, the carpal tunnel is basically that narrow passageway situated on your wrists palm side. This tunnel serves as an efficient protection for your hands main nerves and your fingers nine tendons. Numbing of the fingertips is usually caused when unbearable pressure is… Continue reading Numbing of Fingertips Due To Nerve Impingement or Damage Pain in Upper Back Back Pain In Upper Back Upper Back Pain Exercises To Help You Get Through It Back pain in the upper back could be uncomfortable and it is definitely a problem when it happens while one is working or studying. The usual pain on the upper back usually affects the shoulders, neck and… Continue reading Back Pain In Upper Back: Upper Back Pain Exercises Hang Up Inversion Table A hang up inversion table is used to relieve the back pains you’re experiencing. It is used to soothe your backaches in a more natural way. Although some people would quickly go to chiropractors or resort to medicines, there are also some who choose to stick to natural ways like this hang up inversion… Continue reading What Is A Hang Up Inversion Table Used For? Hang Up Inversion Table A hang up inversion table is used to relieve the back pains you’re experiencing. It is used to soothe your backaches in a more natural way. Although some people would quickly go to chiropractors or resort to medicines, there are also some who choose to stick to natural ways like this hang up inversion… Continue reading What Is A Hang Up Inversion Table Used For? If there is one problem that affects more people than any other, it is probably back pain. It is the leading cause for why people take time off of work, and it can limit the way that you live your life. There is some back pack that is short-term and the result of some kind… Continue reading The Most Creative 7 Day Back Pain Cure Book Review If there is one problem that affects more people than any other, it is probably back pain. It is the leading cause for why people take time off of work, and it can limit the way that you live your life. There is some back pack that is short-term and the result of some kind… Continue reading The Most Creative 7 Day Back Pain Cure Book Review Teeter Hang Ups Inversion Tables Looking for ways to treat your sciatica may not be that easy. A lot of institutions claim that they have the answer for your chronic back pain but not all of them will give you the permanent relief that you are looking for. You may just be one of the… Continue reading Teeter Hang Ups Inversion Tables: Treatment For Sciatica? Teeter Hang Ups Inversion Tables Looking for ways to treat your sciatica may not be that easy. A lot of institutions claim that they have the answer for your chronic back pain but not all of them will give you the permanent relief that you are looking for. You may just be one of the… Continue reading Teeter Hang Ups Inversion Tables: Treatment For Sciatica? Below is an email that my friend Steve Hefferon (CMT, PTA, CPRS) sent me the other day. Steve is a physio-therapist and when he noticed I was taking Heal-n-Soothe he thought I should know a little bit more about it. He also said I could post the email on my website if I wanted, so… Continue reading Systemic Enzymes from Natural Sciatic Relief http://www.natural-sciatic-relief.com/feed/ via Roger E Scranton Blog https://rogerescranton.wordpress.com/2018/12/23/natural-sciatic-relief/
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This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. If you're looking for new strategies to market your business, you should give Pinterest some serious consideration. Pinterest is still often thought of as a recipe or fashion social media platform, but in reality there are many savvy marketers who use Pinterest for a variety of niches. Like all social media platforms, success on Pinterest takes time, effort, and measuring what works and what does not. Here are 15 tips on how to make the best of your Pinterest marketing efforts. Research your target audienceIt's important to know if your target market is on Pinterest. Women are the dominant users on Pinterest, however the male audience is quickly growing. According to Pinterest, half of new sign-ups are men. Other interesting data from Pinterest: 40% more people are on Pinterest now than in 2017, 93% of Pinners use Pinterest to plan purchases, and 67% of Pinners say they discovered a new brand or product from Pinterest. Create a complete profileUnder the About You section of your profile, you should be specific about what you do and most importantly, how you help your target audience. Use keywords that describe your niche so that Pinterest knows what your brand is all about. This is important not just for optimizing your Pinterest profile, but also for any visitor who looks at your profile. Use your pictureUpload a clear recent picture of yourself. Pinterest users prefer to see a headshot of a real person rather that a logo or corporate image. If you have a picture of yourself, this comes across as more personable and you're likely to have more engagement and credibility. Name your boards with keywordsName your board with keywords that are related to your board topic. This is where you can use long tail keywords. For example, if you're a digital marketing expert, one of your boards could be named YouTube Marketing Tips. Think about what the user's search intent is, rather than trying to be cute with your board names. The Pinterest search bar works similar to Google, in that it will provide search suggestions as you begin to search. Since this is based on popular keyword terms, you should consider using these search terms to name your boards. Boost your board descriptionWhen you add Pins to your boards, you can add a Pin description. Here, you want to communicate what your pin is all about, and it's another opportunity to use your keywords. You can use a few different keywords -broad and long tail keywords- this will help your pins to be found easier. Make your description natural and don't be spammy by stuffing keywords. Pro Tip: You can set your board to "secret" in Pinterest. This is a good idea to keep it a secret until you have at least 30 Pins saved to your boards. When logged into Pinterest, click on boards, go the board you want to hide and simply click on the pencil icon and move the dial to secret. You can learn a lot about how to setup your boards by looking at other successful Pinterest Marketers. See how many boards they have, how many Pins are in each of their boards, the concentration of their Pins to other user's Pins, the wording of their board descriptions, and see how they're using keywords within their boards. Design your Pins for successPin Design: It's vital that your Pins are attractive. Use vibrant colors that capture the viewer's attention. Vertical Pins that have 2:3 ratios perform best on Pinterest. Curulate did a study of over 500,000 Pins and here are a few notable conclusions:
Use text overlayAdding text overlay is a great way to add more detail to your Pins. It helps to describe what your Pin is about, and why someone should click on your Pin. Use bold text with contrasting colors for more appealing and attractive looking Pins. Text overlay should only be used if it makes sense for your brand. Link your PinsYou should add a link to your Pin. This will help drive more traffic to your site. Call to actionAdd a call to action on your Pin so you give someone a reason to click on your Pin and take a desired action. You can use words such as: learn more, find out how, see why, read more, or discover. Curate contentSharing other Pinner's Pins is a must on Pinterest. Why? This will help establish your account as a valuable resource and someone who shares great curated content. Pinterest uses an algorithm, and if you're sharing other's high quality content, this can help your profile to get more traction- impressions and clicks on your own Pins. Tailwind schedulingTailwind is a 3rd party application that will help you be more efficient and consistent on Pinterest by scheduling your Pins in advance. It also has a smart scheduler feature that automatically schedules Pins you add based on your time zone and target audience so your Pins get the best exposure at the right time of day. LoopingLooping is a new feature in Tailwind where you can automate your Pin scheduling to recycle your Pins over a time period of your choice. You can schedule Pins to your boards, and set date intervals over days, weeks, or months. Create infographicsInfographics get a lot of engagement and are highly repinned on Pinterest. If you create nicely designed infographics, you will likely get many repins. This can help your Pinterest engagement and therefore improve your overall rankings and visibility on Pinterest. ConsistencyLike any other form of social media, it's important that you're consistent on Pinterest. You should Pin at consistent times throughout the day. Most Pinterest experts say to Pin at least 30 Pins per day with a mixture of your Pins and other Pins. Dig into analyticsDigging into your Pinterest Analytics will provide you awesome data about your Pinning strategy, and whether it's working or not. Analytics will tell you which Pins are performing, how many Pins are being saved by users, how many clicks you're getting to your website, age of users, and device used. Further data includes age, gender, location, and the most popular categories people are searching. Pinterest can be a great source of traffic to your website. With the right strategy, you can see some serious marketing benefits. Helping freelancers and solopreneurs. I help freelancers, remote workers and solopreneurs find income opportunities, marketing tips and resources. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/12/21/how-to-grow-your-audience-quickly-on-pinterest/
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BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – 2019 DatesThis workshop will piggyback on the material Dean Somerset and I covered in the original Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint. With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:
Check em out HERE. 2. Coaching Competency Workshop – Raleigh, NCJUST ANNOUNCED. I’ll be making my first appearance – ever (<— how’s that possible?)( – in the wonderful state of North Carolina this coming March to put on my popular Coaching Competency Workshop. Full details (date, location, itinerary, how to register) can be found HERE. EARLY BIRD rate ($50 off) is in full swing at the moment and won’t last forever. SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORKThe Best of the PTDC 2018 – A Bunch of Badass MOFOsAn article I wrote for the Personal Trainer Development Center earlier this year – 3 Ways to Write Better Training Programs – made their list of top articles written for their site in 2018, in tandem with many other phenomenal articles. It’s always a great honor to be recognized for your work. It’s even cooler when it’s alongside so many other esteemed colleagues. From Wheelchair to Wheels – Lee BoyceThis is a BALLER story. Next time a hangnail curtails your training, stop, punch yourself in the face, and also give this a read. Strategies For Better Food Tracking – Jason LeenaartsIf nothing else this article drives home the point that the details – even the small, seemingly inane ones – matter. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2018/12/stuff-read-youre-pretending-work-12-21-18/
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My almost two-year old is obsessed with cars. The vroom vroom kind. We live on a busy street here in Boston so it’s more of less toddler catnip for him. It’s impossible to go for a walk and he not be transfixed with every Hyundai and Honda that whizzes by. Likewise, every book we read together he points out every car, Car, daddy. Car, car, car, car. I’m obsessed CARs too. By contrast, though, I’m referring to Controlled Articular Rotations. And they’re something I’ve been including into more and more of my warm-ups of late. Adding CARs to Your Warm-UpThe concept of Controlled Articular Rotations is nothing new to the industry. Coaches like Pavel Tsatsouline have been singing their praises for decades. However, there’s been a bit of a renaissance and cacophony of interest within the industry of late due in no small part to Andreo Spina and his Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) courses. Full Disclosure: I have not taken any of the courses myself, and my only immersion with the concepts are through various colleagues of mine – Dean Somerset, Frank Duffy, Matt Crush, to name a few – who have taken the courses or who have been certified. FRC is a system of joint health and mobility, and CARs are just one branch underneath the FRC umbrella. Or maybe I should use tree in this analogy? Anyway, whatever, you get the idea. CARs are active, rotational movements that explore the outer limits of articular (joint) motion. To steal a frame of thought from Long Island based strength coach Chris Cooper:
Too, another component of CARs that’s important to respect is the idea of irradiation, which is just a fancy schmancy way of saying “tension.” When CARs are done well they incorporate an immense amount of tension in the body so nothing else moves (spine, pelvis, etc) so you can capture as much range of motion possible in that one particular joint. To borrow another scientific word, they fucking suck donkey balls when done correctly. Here two of my current “go to’s” when it comes to how I’ve implemented CARs into my programs: Scapular CAR[embedded content] This is a fantastic option on upper body days before any heavy bench pressing. Moreover, in terms of overall shoulder health these are stellar. Many trainees have gotten into the unfortunate habit of “locking” their shoulder blades in place (most germane to the conversation: scapular downward rotation syndrome) and this drill is a great way to “unglue” everything. Key Points to Consider
Seated 90/90 Hip SwitchesI like this drill a lot because it trains both hip internal and external rotation simultaneously. NOTE: After I posted this my boy Frank Duffy chimed in to say this:
Note to Frank: Don’t ever embarrass me on my blog again. This is also a good choice to get the hips nice a juicy before a squat or deadlift session. I prefer to start people ground-based (sitting) with hip CARs before I implement quadruped and then standing variations. [embedded content] Key Points to Consider
The Warm-Up Blueprint For LiftingLooking for some more ideas to spruce up your warm-up? Listen, we all go through the motions when it comes to warming-up. I find most people fall into two camps:
You’re either someone who doesn’t do a warm-up (and likely always has achy joints and sub-par lifts), or someone who does warm-up, but then takes 45 minutes to go through a laundry list of “correctives” (and likely has achy joints and sub-par lifts). I was recently given a copy Jack Hanrahan’s The Warm-Up Blueprint For Lifting and found it very useful. It shows you how to design your own customized warm-up using the concepts I discussed above and then some. It takes you through soft tissue release, dynamic stretching, CARs, and targeted muscle activation techniques to better prepare you for squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing, and overhead pressing. What’s more it’s all done with a British accent. Jack could read The Silmarillion or, I don’t know, the Wikipedia page for the Kreb’s Cycle and I’d pay to listen to it. The best part is that this is a home study course. So you can go at your own pace. Be sure to check it out HERE. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2018/12/adding-cars-warm/
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This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. I’m a full-time freelance web designer and developer—and a momma. I have two kiddos—Quinn and Julia, ages 9 and 3. So fellow freelancers, especially ones who are expecting, ask me all the time: Did you take maternity leave? How do you handle childcare? Well, as you know, self-employment doesn’t come with maternity leave. (Although some states like New York offer paid family leave options). That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create your own. I did. And it was great. But I had to learn a few things, and didn’t quite get it right until my second time around. When it comes to taking time off for babies, here’s what I did, what I learned, and what I recommend… First child: big ’ole messWhen I had Quinn, the fact that I can’t do it all hit me like a ton of bricks. “Maternity leave” was a learning experience that left me dealing with projects that were running late, with a 3-day old baby by my side. You see Quinn was born 4 weeks early and I thought I had plenty of time to wrap things up. Not! Child two: lessons learnedWhen I discovered I was pregnant with my second child, I was determined to do maternity leave right. Julia was due in October, and since daycare didn’t have openings until January, I decided to take three whole months off. Here’s how I did it: Own itYes, I’m having a baby and I’m taking THREE months off. It felt foreign to me, especially after Quinn, but I wanted to do it right with Julia, and I needed to be confident and fearless in my own mind first. Start earlyYour maternity leave planning should start as soon as you find out you’re pregnant, if not before. Don’t wait to deal with it until the month before the baby arrives (or you’ll end up like I did with my first baby, in the throes of work with a newborn and seriously regretting your naivety). Save 3x your monthly salaryEvery month, I pay myself a salary. This salary goes towards living expenses. So in order to not make any money for three months, I’d need to have 3 months’ salary in the bank. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I started stashing money away. Give clients plenty of noticeI started telling clients in the second trimester. I didn’t tell everybody, just those it would affect most. Then about two months before my leave, I told everyone on my newsletter list. Set scheduling expectations, and communicate themBefore my maternity leave, I told clients I was booking projects for January. Then when January filled up, February. While I was out, my website and email replies clearly stated that I was on maternity leave, and how to start the process of booking a project together. Get helpIf waiting until January wasn’t doable, or current clients needed help with maintenance, I wasn’t going to leave them high-and-dry. I needed somebody awesome to fill my role while I wasn’t available. Fortunately, a long term colleague (who’s amazing!) was willing to be the go-to. Maintain your marketing pipelineEven though I wouldn’t be working on projects for three months, I did need my pipeline to be there when I came back. I wrote and scheduled three-months-worth of blog posts and newsletters while I was out. Have a little cushionAs a freelancer, and as a parent, you realize there always needs to be wiggle room. Unexpected stuff happens. To account for that, I saved a little extra money, and allowed a little extra time. I wrapped up in early September, just to be safe. Julia ended up arriving two weeks early on September 22nd, but the extra time gave me time to rest, focus and prepare. Arrange childcare!Yes, I have a home office. But I can’t watch kids AND work. That means I’d be 50% mom, and 50% designer—neither is good enough. My 3 year old goes to pre-school every day, and will continue to go to school. My kids attend camp in the summer. Sure, if they’re sick, they stay home with me and I reschedule my day. I’m grateful for that flexibility! But being able to put my all into work while I’m working, means I’m able to put my all into being a mom when I’m momming. And that feels really, really good. Kids don’t want a mom who isn’t fully-present, and nobody wants to hire somebody who’s half-a$$ing their job. I’m a firm believer that if you work, you need childcare. To be good at anything, we need to be focused. And seriously, in any other profession, you don’t take your children to work with you—how is freelancing any different? A few more thoughts about maternity and parental leave
I will leave you with this: Do what is right for you and your family. I certainly hope the information I shared will help to guide you. Jill Anderson is a web designer/developer who partners with graphic designers, writers, and creatives to craft custom, responsive WordPress websites. Have you wanted to revamp your website for a while but haven’t gotten very far? Get my FREE guide, Get Your Website Done: JillLynnDesign.com/freegift/ via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/12/20/advice-for-freelancers-taking-paternity-leave/
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When a business venture, partnership, or idea doesn't work out, it can have a devastating effect on us. Questions about preparedness, execution, or even one's business acumen and aptitude may arise. Understandably, these are all responses that can leave one feeling doubtful and even confused. Unfortunately, this past month, I had to sever a client/provider relationship with someone whom I have known for almost two decades. Even with the best of intentions and numerous attempts at reconciliation, the relationship grew unproductive and contentious. Although it was an incredibly difficult decision to make, I had to forsake our business and personal relationship—not out of spite, but out of necessity. Knowing When to Let GoIf you have anyone in your sphere of influence who is under the age of 12 then you are probably familiar with the song "Let it Go" immortalized in the movie, Frozen. Although this cute and quite whimsical song was used for an animated film geared towards a youth audience, there are kernels of wisdom embedded throughout its chorus that can be useful for those of us who are self-employed: Let it go (go, go, go go, go go, go go, go, go, go go) Let it go Let it go Let it go Of course, the key to letting something go is first understanding what’s anchoring you down and preventing you from moving forward. As someone who strongly advocates for overall well-being—physical, financial, spiritual and psychological—it is important that we recognize when something is not working. It is also important to recognize when letting go means asking others to step in to help us. Independent contractors are not expendable or disposableIn my particular case, my friend had a pattern of paying his invoices late. Typically, he leaned on our friendship in order to explain away his insolvency. I often listened empathetically and gave him extensions. However, there was a sizable invoice that he did not pay and would not acknowledge. I sent email reminders, but he ignored them. Eventually, he started ignoring me. After almost a year of non-payment and no other recourse, I had my lawyer write a demand letter. Upon receipt of the demand letter, my "friend" began sending me an onslaught of mean-spirited text messages, nefarious FB inbox messages and he even went so far as to create a retaliatory video about me (without naming me and without giving context) for his YouTube channel. I was shocked that asking him to pay his debt would lead to such an unprofessional and sophomoric response on his part. Within a matter of days, it became clear that he did not value my time, services or friendship. The value of time, gifts, and skillsI admit that I even started questioning if collecting the debt was worth this additional stress, but then reality kicked in: Why should I feel bad about asking someone to pay me what I am legally owed? Why should anyone expect me, or others, to give away their hard-earned time? In this case, I recognized that I needed someone else to advocate on my behalf. One of the first questions that my lawyer asked me was: Why did you allow this to happen? The question was fair and simple; the answer was not so simple. I wasn't letting someone take advantage of me or forgetting what had transpired; I honestly thought that he would eventually do the right thing for the right reasons. In this sense, I allowed the assumption of goodwill to blind me from the realities of a business transaction that had gone south. In the words of my lawyer this could have led to “a very expensive lesson.” The power of letting goAlthough she was referring to the potential legal costs that I would have to deal with, I also understood that there was another cost, the cost of losing something that was once valuable—a client and a friend. As independent contractors, freelancers and business owners, it is important that we stand firmly when others, friends or non-friends, refuse to pay or engage in behaviors that are counter-productive. It is important to note that letting go does not mean that we won’t hold others accountable or that we will remain silent when wronged. The reality is that at some point throughout this journey, we will all encounter something (or someone) that we will have to disconnect from in order to move forward. In this sense, letting go can be a springboard for new lessons, new growth, and a greater sense of empowerment. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/12/19/the-power-of-letting-go/
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Many freelancers own residential or commercial rental real estate properties, which helps to supplement their client work. If you are one of them, this article is a must-read because the rules related to rental property income are changing under tax reform (also known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act or TCJA). Here are the key changes that may impact your tax situation. Key tax reform provisions that may apply to freelancers with rental properties
The bonus depreciation deduction also applies to qualified improvement property and fixed asset additions that fall into these categories:
How the new QBI deduction and loss disallowance rules apply to rental incomeAs mentioned above, a highlight of tax reform for many small business owners is the new 20 percent tax deduction based on qualified business income (QBI) from a pass-through business entity. This deduction generally applies to sole proprietorships, limited liability companies (LLCs) treated as a sole proprietorship, partnerships, LLCs treated as a partnership, and S corporations. The QBI deduction may offset net income from any rental real estate activity that you generate a profit from through a pass-through entity. However, if you experience a tax loss from your rental property activities, you need to be familiar with passive activity loss (PAL) rules which only allow you to deduct passive losses in proportion to passive income from other sources, including that from other rental properties or gains from selling such property. Passive losses beyond that of your passive income are not allowed unless you have enough income or gains, or until you sell the property on which you took a loss. The TCJA adds the following provision to the existing PAL rules: For tax years 2018 through 2025, any excess business loss cannot be deducted in the current year. Essentially, any current-year business losses can’t offset more than $250,000 of income from such other sources for single filers or more than $500,000 for a married joint-filing couple. If you have an excess business loss, it will be carried over to the next tax year and can be deducted as a net operating loss (NOL) carryforward as long as your loss meets the PAL rules as a valid deduction. How like-kind property exchanges fit into the pictureThe TCJA still allows the sale of appreciated properties with an indefinite deferral of federal income tax through like-kind exchanges of commercial (not personal property). Under tax reform, you can trade the property you have for a replacement property and delay paying taxes until you sell the replacement property. In theory, you can perpetually trade properties and continue deferring taxes. In the case of personal property, the TCJA eliminates tax-deferred like-kind exchanges for 2018 and beyond. If you transacted a personal property exchange on or before December 31, 2017 and one end of it remained open after that date, the prior rules on like-kind tax deference still apply. Be sure to check how these new tax reform rules impact your real estate rental incomeAs you can see, the TCJA has some new benefits tied to real estate rental property income as well as some changes which may not be as beneficial, depending on your unique situation. If you have questions, ask a tax professional for advice so you can be sure you are optimizing your tax situation and the rental income you are using to supplement your freelance work. Jonathan Medows is a New York City based CPA who specializes in taxes and business issues for freelancers and self-employed individuals across the country. He offers a free consultation to members of Freelancers Union and a monthly email newsletter covering tax, accounting and business issues to freelancers on his website, www.cpaforfreelancers.com which also features a new blog, how-to articles, and a comprehensive freelance tax guide. Jonathan is happy to provide an initial consultation to freelancers. To qualify for a free consultation you must be a member of the Freelancers Union and mention this article upon contacting him. Please note that this offer is not available Jan. 1 through April 18 and covers a general conversation about tax responsibilities of a freelancer and potential deductions. These meetings do not include review of self-prepared documents, review of self-prepared tax returns, or the review of the work of other preparers. The free meeting does not include the preparation or review of quantitative calculations of any sort. He is happy to provide such services but would need to charge an hourly rate for his time. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/12/18/supplementing-your-freelance-business-with-rental-income-know-the-new-rules/
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Today’s guest post come courtesy of Dan Edelman of The Brand X Method, which is a wonderful institution dedicated to improving youth sport(s). I love what they stand for and what the strive to instill in their coaches and athletes. There’s no ONE set way to train anyone – youth athletes included – and oftentimes the larger, more pertinent approach is adopting methodologies for LONG-TERM health and fitness. Not for ego. Enjoy the read (and be sure to download the FREE guide “How to Reduce the Risk of Injury in Youth Athletes” below). Why Kids Should “Cheat” the DeadliftSumo is cheating. We hear that a lot. Mostly from a certain uppity corner of the powerlifting community and mostly owing to its shortened range of motion compared to the conventional deadlift. Well, we love it. The Brand X Method™ loves the sumo deadlift. And we’re often asked about this great love affair. So yeah, why sumo?
To say the sumo stance is functional is to lose its significance in all the buzz around that overused label. But it is functional. Profoundly so. The sumo stance is everywhere in the everyday world, from the backyard to the ball field, from the garage to the library. When we train sumo, we enhance physical literacy, we improve our ability to engage with the environment. The more we are able to interact with the world and others around us in positive and rewarding ways, the healthier and happier we—and everyone around us—can be. Imagine a world like that. We do. Never Say NeverSo am I saying that we never train conventional? Of course not. We program conventional deadlift variations all of the time for our experienced lifters: Single-leg dumbbell, deficits, rack pulls, RDLs… Conventional deadlifts make for great accessory and supplemental work. Some of our experienced kids are committed competitive powerlifters. Our sports-specific programming includes conventional deadlifts because it makes sense to identify which position the kid best pulls from. Is this a contradiction? No. We’re talking sport. We’re talking kids who want to lift the most weight possible. That doesn’t mean we simply let the kid pull conventional. A TBXM™ program for a kid who can stand up with more weight in the conventional stance than in the sumo position also includes exercises that support the conventional stance to ensure that safety and efficiency are maximized during training and competition. The conventional stance deadlift transfers to the power clean, a staple power-building exercise for The Brand X Method™. Let’s optimize. Occasionally anthropometry such as long femurs, long torso, and comparatively short arms call for us to explore a conventional stance for plateau-busting insights. Individualizing our program is essential to our mission. Frankly, variation is a fairly conventional strength training principle. And therein lies one of the great things about The Brand X Method™—our principles are sound; they are long-established, evidence-based, and proven. With that kind of foundation, we can forever explore and evolve best practices for teaching kids how to move more safely and efficiently for fitness, sport, and life. If You Ain’t Cheating You Ain’t TryingThe Brand X Method™ wrangles with the constant tension between the goals of youth sport and the goals of our program. The former wants high performance at all times (e.g., lifting the most weight, throwing the hardest, running the fastest) while we want to see the discovery, participation, and enjoyment of sport and other physical activities for all time.
We know that high performance and lifelong physical activity based on consistently good movement don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Our proof is in the USA Powerlifting—California state record book where our kids and teens (and even some adults) hold more than 100 records. Imagine that—prioritizing safety and efficiency in the form of consistently excellent (and natural) movement yields record holders, champions, and national qualifiers, most of whom stepped onto the platform just for kicks. High performance is a by-product of The Brand X Method™. Sumo. What they call cheating, we call common sense. What they snicker at, we find advantageous. Efficient. Safe. Long-term. We want our kids able to lift when they’re 40 50, 60, beyond. A youth fitness program that is not thinking about lifetime fitness is not thinking period. We’ll continue to train the most efficient, safest movement built on naturally intended, functional motor patterns and positions. We’ll continue to encourage kids to try different sports and then provide them the best strength and conditioning we can to keep them strong, fast, and durable. We’ll continue to imagine a better future for our kids. And we’ll continue to gather the medals, trophies, and records that come with it. They say cheating. We say scoreboard, baby. About the AuthorDan Edelman is a Brand X Youth Coach and has been a member of The Brand X Method staff for nearly a decade, principally as staff writer and editor. He is the current Director of Marketing & Communications and is co-owner of R Town Strength & Wellness – A Brand X Method Training Center in San Diego County, California. About the The Brand X MethodSince 2004, we have been driven by a relentless pursuit of best practices in youth training. Our focus on motor pattern training and physical literacy enhancement optimizes kids’ fitness and elevates their athleticism. We help protect kids and teens against sports injury, boost their sports performance, and push back against the forces behind obesity. The mastery, confidence, and motivation that kids develop in our gyms are the ingredients of freedom and fearlessness. The Brand X Method™ instills the essence of adventure, passion, and joy in kids and teens when playing their favorite sports, trying new things, and tackling life’s challenges so they can step out of our gyms knowing they can do whatever they set out to do. Free Download: Brand X Youth Coaches Guide & AssessmentContact Email: [email protected] Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2018/12/kids-cheat-deadlift/ Freelancers have you had to take time off for paternity leave or to care for a family member?12/17/2018
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One of the most difficult challenges freelancers can face is the loss of income that results from needing to take time off to care for a family member or take leave after the birth of a child. Traditional employees can often access benefits through their employer or through state programs, but the landscape is much more challenging for freelancers. In New York, freelancers can sign up for family leave, but you currently need to pay premiums for two years before you could access benefits. In order to help us push for change, we need to hear from you! How has this issue affected you? Have you had to take time off for one of these reasons?
Tell us your story and let us know if you’d be interested in sharing with our community or testifying in support of better options! via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/12/17/freelancers-have-you-had-to-take-time-off-for-paternity-leave-or-to-care-for-a-family-member/
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It’s popular nowadays for people to brag about how hard their workouts are. And I don’t mean “hard” as in “man, I’d rather jump into a shark’s mouth than do that squat session again” hard. No, for whatever reason, it’s become more important to one-up each other, to champion shenanigans over actual progress in the gym: Person #1: “I could barely walk to my car after my workout today.” Person #2: “Pfftt, whatever. I threw up today during my workout. It was awesome.” Person #3: “Oh yeah, well, after my workout I couldn’t feel the right side of my face.” Progress, it seems, has more to do with how close to a medical emergency someone can get than it is actually seeing tangible improvements in their lifts. The Forgotten Component of ProgressTo be fair… My hoity toity introduction wasn’t meant to imply I’m against trainees pushing the envelop in their training. I’ve often said, somewhat facetiously, that lifting weights isn’t supposed to tickle. I love when people work hard in the gym. But there’s a stark contrast between someone working hard during a workout and them going out of their way to routinely surpass their ability to recover from said workout. In a very much watered down explanation, “progress” can be applied, measured, or attributed to the following factors:
In Short: Are you making a concerted effort to “do more work?” What’s more, are you able to do so over the course of weeks, months, years? Your ability to progress long-term is directly correlated with how well you’re able to recover from your workouts (via purposeful fluctuations in training volume, as well as ensuring ample sleep, calories, and hydration). It has nothing to do with one’s prowess at regurgitating their Quinoa & Kale power salad from a few hours ago. But I’ll get off my high-horse and get to the point. “Feel” MattersLast year I started working with another local coach here in Boston. She’s co-owner of a KB-centric gym and Strong First certified, but wanted to hire me to help her get more proficient with the barbell lifts (specifically the deadlift) as well as help her prepare for the Strong First barbell course. Jessica was already pretty freakin strong when she started. When we tested her deadlift she hit 300 lbs; a number many guys would love to hit. However, it didn’t “feel” or look easy. She had a few technical glitches I wanted to iron out. We had ten weeks. During that time my only goal was to clean up her technique in an effort to make 300 lbs feel easier. I knew that if we worked on cementing her technique, making each repetition look (and feel) pristine, and getting her into better positions to be able to express her (true) strength…we’d likely see an improvement when she re-tested her 1 rep-max at the conclusion of the certification course. Conventional wisdom would dictate that in order to get her to lift more weight we’d have to focus on progressive overload – more sets, more reps, heavier load, did she destroy the back of her pants, etc. That’s not the route I took. Over the course of ten weeks we never touched a weight above 265 lbs. 35 lbs under her best lift. Instead, like I said, we focused on improving position(s) and making sure we trained with loads that allowed her to marinate in impeccable or FAF reps.. Fast Forward Ten WeeksBefore she left for her certification weekend we re-tested 300 lbs. Few things have made me cry – saying my vows to my wife during our wedding, holding my son for the first time, watching Rose let go of Jack at the end of Titanic, flipping my omelet and not breaking it. Okay, I cry all the time. Jessica’s deadlift brought a tear to my eye it looked so good. What was originally a 419 on the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale, looked (and felt) like a 7/8 by the time ten weeks were over. What’s more, she ended up hitting a PR of 35o lbs that weekend. *drops the mic. Progress = Feel, TooFar too often trainees are quick to add more weight to the bar, or use the concept of more (more sets, reps, load, etc) as the sole metric to gauge progress. All are important of course, and everyone should be cognizant of them. However, don’t be so quick to underestimate the value of staying put and getting more acquainted with a specific weight. If five reps of a certain weight is challenging, even if you can complete five reps, stay there. Stay there. Stay there until it feels easier. Easy training is good training. That’s progression too. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2018/12/forgotten-component-progressing-weight-room/ |
AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
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