In-Shape: Palmdale West

Exercise burns calories. Not excuses that you couldn’t make it to the gym, or you didn’t have time.

I don’t care who you are. You can be in literally any physical condition and workout. You are never too far gone, and you are never too fit. In order to reach a goal first you have to start.

Let’s refer back to #1. There is plenty of time in a day to focus on yourself. Even if you have to adjust your schedule a little bit, you can do it. Successful people find a way.

REHAB AND REDEMPTION: MATT CHILDS' INCREDIBLE FITNESS JOURNEY I made the mistake of getting a beer license. He would drink more than we would sell, Melody Childs-Clark says as she recalls the moment that her husband’s, Matt Childs', drinking started to really get out of hand. The couple met in August of 2002, hit it off, and decided to open a restaurant in June of 2003they both had restaurant experience. Childs' parents, Donna and James Childs Sr., had owned one for many ye...arsand eight months in Melody decided to get the beer license. Matt Childs had his first drink at 14-years-old. He recalls that it made him feel cool, but it wasn’t until he had unrestricted access to his restaurant’s booze that things started to really get out of hand. More was coming home than going to customers, Childs says, agreeing with Melody. Five years later the restaurant closed down and the drinking persisted.

KETTLE BELL CLIMB TO TORCH FAT & BUILD LEAN MUSCLE THE SETUP You’ve got yourself a pair of kettlebells and a stopwatch, and you want to lose bodyfat and improve your conditioning with some high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but you need a way to periodize your set and rep schemes without spending an hour repeating the same exercises. This kettlebell pyramid circuit will show you the basics and give you a way to set up your sessions without boring yourself to death.... Everyone knows about kettlebells by now. You can find them in mainstream sporting-good stores and gyms, and some trainers have been incorporating these Russian artifacts into their clients' programs for years now. In fact if widespread criticism can be seen as one measure of noteriety, a shining example of the worldwide kettlebell-fever pandemic is the current backlaash questioning their efficacy and claiming that it's possible to perform all the same movements with dumbbells. THE SOLUTION While it’s certainly true that you can perform similar movements with dumbbells, you can’t replicate the way kettlebells feel. There’s a stability requirement your wrists, elbows, shoulders and lower back are all recruited to keep the kettlebell in line throughout a movement that’s simply not a factor when you use dumbbells for the same exercises.

Fitness is a lifelong journey. Set goals and chase them down. When you reach one goal, set another one and pursue it just as furiously. Don’t get frustrated when it gets tough. Even if you’re moving slowly that’s better than not moving at all. Just focus on being better today than you were yesterday.