UNB Holiday Guide Jack Adams BTS from UNB Blog on Vimeo.
We feature Jack Adams (jackadamsusa.com) from our UNB Holiday Guide. We shot all our guys in some fun underwear from them. The guys are Wes, Drew, Pat and Damien. The new collection is from a new designer and we think they are a lot of funSee the guide at our blog. Music is Romix Fly – Jingle Bells 2011 (Mary Christmas) Music by Pond 5
Hello, and welcome back to this week’s edition of “Fitness Corner”. My name is Darrin Miller and I’m the fitness staff writer for UNB. Keeping with UNB’s release of the swimwear catalog and the launch of Summer, Eric Ganison of Mens Board Model Management has snapped a pic of me this week wearing a vintage leopard skin thong bikini created by Magic Silk, which features a build in “package lifter” adding that “wow factor” to your physique.
Last week we embarked on our journey of visualization and self-affirmation and I provided you a series of 12 inspirational posters for you, complete with a tag line and an image. If you do not care for the images provided, 12 identical posters, which are void of images, are included. Click here to download your inspirational posters.
These posters, coupled with the photographs, are very instrumental in completing workouts for which you are not motivated. Now I know what you may be thinking at this point. “I don’t want to hang stuff like this up. What if someone sees this stuff? They are going to think I am the most self absorbed, conceited, and vain person on the planet.” Oh contraire, you are simply focused on achieving your fitness goals and effectively conditioning your mind to help you achieve your desired physical conditioning. You need to be steadfast in your high opinion of yourself. In the words of Michel de Montaigne, “I care not so much what I am in the opinion of others as what I am in my own.”
Visualization aides not only focus on where you want to be. Other visualization aides can simply be reminders to yourself or records of where you are in relation to where you want to be. For example, another visualization technique, more of a reminder actually, is the “note in the wallet” technique. The theory is simple-have a safety check prior to expending resources. For example, the most common meal eaten outside of the home is lunch. In fact, many people eat lunch out everyday. Anytime that you eat out you are already putting your good diet habits at risk. Mentally you are away from home and free to eat whatever you want. However, you will need to pay for lunch and to do that you must open your wallet. Therefore, tape a small phrase on the inside of your wallet that is visible as soon as you open the wallet that will keep you focused on your good diet habits. This phrase could be something like:
In addition to motivational photographs and one-liners, there are two actions you must do to help stay mentally focused on achieving your fitness goals – “actual visualization” and progress monitoring. When I say “actual visualization”, I mean exactly that. Observe yourself as you workout. Notice how the muscles you are working begin to quiver as the workout progresses. Watch the sweat roll down your face as you grimace pushing yourself as far as you can. Observe your chest heaves as you breathe heavier and heavier pushing for that last repetition. Notice the sigh of relief, the exhale of air, the smile of satisfaction on your face as that exercise is completed and you are ready to tackle something else. Watching yourself workout will help you fully experience your workout and make you proud of how hard you are working toward reaching your goals. Watching yourself go through your workout will not only help you experience your workout on a more intense level, but allows you to:
Hello, loyal UNBers and welcome back to “Fitness Corner”. My name is Darrin Miller and I’m the fitness staff writer for UNB. This week, as brought to you by Gary Gonzalez of NorCalBodz, I’m wearing thin banned, padded briefs by GoSoft briefs. These undies are wonderful for keeping you cool when working up a sweat due to the absorbency of the padded crotch
Over the next 2 to 3 weeks I’ll be exposing you to the world of visualization and self-affirmation.
As far as improving your fitness level, there are three aspects to focus on – the physical aspect, the mental aspect, and the spiritual aspect. The physical aspect entails cardiovascular activities and resistance training. Within the mental aspect comes resistance training as well. Bottom line most people are mentally resistant to do the things required to achieve goals – hard work, staying motivated, and making a commitment. Therefore, just like pushing that barbell to improve your physic, you will need to push your psyche everyday by exercising visualization and self-affirmation. After all, your roadway to improved health, fitness, and well-being will not go beyond the horizon unless you visualize it doing so and tell yourself that it can go that far.
Visualization is the act of seeing yourself where you want to be. This could be achieved by closing your eyes and envisioning yourself 20 pounds thinner, possessing a rippled abs, crossing the 5K finish line, etc. However, “a picture is worth a thousand words” (perhaps thoughts too?). Pictures motivate and encourage. My suggestion for an easy method of practicing visualization is to find and cut out photographs that inspire you and personify your fitness goals. Want to loose weight, cut out pics of thinner people. Want to tone and build muscle, cut out pics of guys with killer pectorals and washboard abs. Want to improve your running abilities, cut out pics of people running or tennis shoe ads. Obtaining images that inspire you is simple. Visit any super market and purchase two or three fitness magazines or download images from the web (UNB is a great place for this!!!). After you have cut out/printed the images that inspire you, paste these items onto various poster boards. These poster boards and images are now an inspirational tool for you, a reminder of what you aspire to be. They have become visualization posters. Place your newly created visualization posters in your workout area. If you plan to join a health club, then take just one or two images which inspire you and display them somewhere where they can be seen everyday, perhaps the inside of a locker or on the treadmill as you run or on your home bathroom mirror for example. If you have a home based gym, study these photographs between exercises and visualize yourself as the subject of the photographs.
I have taken the liberty of creating a series of 12 inspirational posters for you, complete with a tag line and an image. If you do not care for the images provided, 12 identical posters, which are void of images, are included. Click here to download your inspirational posters.
Hello, loyal UNBers and welcome back to my sixth installment of “Fitness Corner”. My name is Darrin Miller and I’m the fitness staff writer for UNB. Nothing says classic like black and white photography, low rise briefs, and a sporty fedora. This week I’m making a bold statement by combining all three of these as seen here in a pair of white and slate gray briefs manufactured by Sweat, as captured through the lens of one of the classic male physique photogs in the biz – Gary Gonzalez of NorCalBodz.
Last week I covered the 2nd of three ways to leverage the fitness goals you have set – “Goals As Reflection”. This week I’ll focus on the 3rd and final way:
Goals As Discipline & Willpower:
As mentioned in my first posting for any goal to be achievable, that goal must meet five attributes (refer to earlier postings to learn about these attributes). So why then do people who create goals which feature these attributes fail to bring their goals to realization? Well, let’s not forget the second ingredient of reaching goals – hard work. Most of the time people fail to realize goals – not because the goals were unrealistic, not because the goals could not be measured, not because any of the attributes were violated – but because the work required to attain these goals was postponed, avoided or forgotten. One of the chief benefits of well-developed goals is that they foster strong self-discipline and willpower. After all, it is very easy to forget why you are doing something when you have nothing around to remind you why you are doing it. You know the old saying “out of sight, out of mind.” Without your fitness goals posted and revisited on a regular basis, it is very easy to forget why you are blasting your biceps into pain, trying to run one more ¼ mile this week, or foregoing that piece of chocolate cake. If you have any doubts that simply seeing your goals (i.e. something you feel passionately about) will help keep you focused, take a moment and think about your family. How many times at work have you wanted just to walk out or asked yourself, “What the hell am I doing here?”; only to look across your desk and see some photographs of your family and then remember why you are working and attempting to do the best you can in your career. Your fitness goals should be just like that family photograph – something you can reach out to, feel comfort in, and serve as a reminder as to why you are exerting yourself as you do.
In addition to hard work, a sure fire way to ensure your goals will come to maturation is to see yourself already having reached these goals and constantly telling yourself that you can reach these goals-visualization and self affirmation. This will be the focus of my next few articles.
Exercise is not without its risks and this or any other exercise program may result in injury. To reduce the risk of injury in your case, consult your doctor before beginning this or any exercise program. The instructors and advice presented in this blog are in no way intended as a substitute for medical consultation, the instructor disclaims any liability from and in connection with this program. As with any exercise program, if at any point during your workout you begin to feel faint, dizzy, or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a physician.
Hello, loyal UNBers and welcome back to my fifth installment of “Fitness Corner”. My name is Darrin Miller and I’m the fitness staff writer for UNB. Last week I covered the first of three ways to leverage the fitness goals you have set – “Goals As Building Blocks”. This week I’ll focus on the 2nd way:
Goals As Reflection:
One of the wonderful things about goals, especially since they must be written down and easily visible, is that they serve as an archive of where we have been as well as where we are going. Think about it. Let’s say three years have gone by and running has become your ideal sport. You may have exceeded that initial goal of running five miles after one year by now. You may be up to 10 miles or 15 miles of running with ease. You may even be a cross-country runner. Along the way, you have created and achieved a multitude of goals fostering your running abilities. How rewarding to look back and see what you have accomplished, last year, or the year before that or simply reflect upon where you started. Who knows, you may have huffed and puffed your way up a flight of stairs three years ago and now you may be competing in triathlons. Although you may remember what your abilities were like when you started, you will soon take your athletic prowess for granted – DON’T! Posted goals help us remember where we came from and keep us vigilant about pursuing new levels of fitness. What a double benefit. Through using goals as a tool to achieve things in the future, you can truly see how, “you’ve come a long way baby!”
This week I’ve strayed away from my favorite undies label – Papi. Brought to you by photographer Russell Windle, I’m featured here in a classic black and white brief by 2(x)ist, with a black and white western themed do rag, while basking in the Texas sun and country side before it gets too damn hot.
Keep the faith and stayed focused!!!
Hello, loyal UNBers and welcome back to my fourth installment of “Fitness Corner”. My name is Darrin Miller and I’m the fitness staff writer for UNB. Over the next three weeks, I’m shifting from focusing on the attributes required to set fitness goals and concentrate on the three main ways to leverage the goals you’ve set:
Goals As Building Blocks
Goals can be whatever you want them to be, as such, one goal can be used to facilitate another. Linking goals is useful to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed. For example, let’s say your goal is to be able to comfortably run 5 miles one year from today. This is an admirable goal and for many people very realistic. However, if you are not an avid runner or you do not engage in cardiovascular activity on a regular basis, as soon as this goal is posted doubt begins entering your mind: “Five miles, that’s a lot, especially for someone like me,” you may think to yourself. But fear not, the potential for goal failure can be alleviated by establishing smaller goals which will build upon one another to achieve the original goal. One approach could be to break the year up into quarters and set a new mileage level goal each quarter relevant to the proceeding one. In this scenario, you would have the following goals (using 15-Apr-2010 as a starting date for example purposes):
In short, one goal was built upon another goal and all of the achieved goals transformed an original dream into a reality. So the idea is simple. Take that big dream of yours and break it down into a series of smaller, more manageable, visions.
Now there are some people who might say “I could never do this. I’m not that detail oriented. Even at work, I’m known as the ‘big picture’ guy.” This may be true. Yet, sub-conscientiously you are already laying the fundamental building blocks for your fitness goals – whatever they may be. After all, you did make the decision to start a getting back into shape ad you’re reading articles such as this one. So there you have it. With little forethought you have devised a somewhat vague big goal-improving your health, fitness, and well-being; and you are in the process of achieving one of the first smaller goals – increasing your knowledge about fitness. All you have to do now is consciously develop your fitness goals building upon the initial blocks you have laid.
Remember patience is a virtue. I’m pictured here in a Papi thin banned thong at 45 years old with a 30” waist weighting in at 162 lbs. My current physique is a far cry from the 230 lb, 38” waist physique I had a 40. Set and build upon your goals!!!
Hello, and welcome back to “UNB Fitness Corner”. My name is Darrin Miller and I’m the staff writer here at UNB for fitness. Keeping in the spirit of the Papi promotion, I’m pictured here in one of my favorite undies – the classic thin band thong from Papi. Last week we focused on the first attribute required in setting successful fitness goals. This week, we focus on expanding upon the last two attributes:
Goals Must Be Realistic
The general rule of thumb here is do not set yourself up for a fall. Use common sense when setting your goals. The goal of “I want to be a millionaire by 30-Apr-2011” when today is 29-Apr-2011 is (barring the lottery of course) pretty infeasible. Similarly, if your goal is loosing 30 pounds and you started working on that goal three days before your goal deadline, good luck and more power to you! Remember, goal setting is a tool for you to use to achieve things in life. Moreover, we predict how well we will do reaching a goal by how well we have done in the past. Negative reinforcement related to unmet goals will set in motion a perpetual cycle of unmet desires. Therefore, reach for the stars but keep your feet on the ground.
Goals Must Be Modifiable
So far it sounds like goal setting is pretty stringent – must be specific, well defined, visible, measurable – almost carved in stone. How ironic then that they must also be modifiable. Almost sounds like that “back door” a manager always leaves himself when he says something like “Based upon predicted absenteeism and projected work load, I think we can handle the additional project should our parameters remain constant in our ever-changing environment.” The key thing to remember here is to be honest with yourself. Changing your goal from
Because you have decided to forego your good eating habits and you just did not feel like exercising is a cop out. Changing this goal because you were involved in an accident and will have your leg in a cast for eight weeks is simply using the rule that goals must be modifiable. If there is ever a question as to whether you are just giving up or righteously modifying your goals, just ask yourself one question. How guilty do I feel about changing this goal?
Now that you have been exposed to the ins and outs about developing goals, in the next issue we will discuss the benefits of proper goal setting.
Goals mean different things to different people and effect, mold, and guide each of us differently. Some people have their whole life designed out as a series of never ending goals. They strive for the next victory, the next accomplishment, the next milestone. Other people create goals only when the “bigger” milestones in life are to be focused on – that first car, that first house, etc. Whatever type of individual you may be keep in mind that developing and striving to achieve goals will help you shape your vision of your future. As one of my friends once said “Goals pave the pathway to success through the forest of life.”
Hello, and welcome to the first installment of “UNB Fitness Corner”. My name is Darrin Miller and I’m a new staff writer for UNB. “UNB Fitness Corner” is tentatively scheduled to be a weekly posting dedicated to various topics related to health and fitness. I little about me…
Enough about me. Let’s talk fitness…
If you’re like most people, you kicked off the new year with a resolution to either get in shape or improve the fitness level you already have. Here we are three months later. Some of you are may be doing fine. While others of you may be working out regularly and watching your diet; but still not obtaining the results you desire…or so you think. Perhaps you are and you reaching your goals and you just don’t know it. Before that first dumbbell gets thrust above your head, before you step onto the track, before any physical workout program begins, you must first perform the “mental workout.” In many ways, the mental workout is one of the easiest things you will ever do, and in other ways it is the hardest, for the mental workout I am speaking about is goal setting. On the one hand goal setting is easy-you know what you need to do, think of things that you want to accomplish. On the other hand, it is difficult because in order for any goal to be achieved it must be:
Although these constraints seem to make that simple desire of yours more complicated and difficult to develop, these guidelines for goals are essential in making goals useful tools for achieving success in your life. In this installment of UBN Fitness Corner, we’ll focus on the first two attributes of successful goal setting. Next week, we’ll expand on the remaining three attributes.
Goals Must Be Written Down And Visible
Certainly saying to yourself, “I want to loose some weight,” or “I want to have a bigger chest” or “I want to be able to jog farther” are valid goals. However, these desires are in your head, a part of that mysterious thing known as human memory, and we all know how memory can fail us. So what do you do? Get out a sheet of paper and write that goal down. Write it big. Write it bold. Put asterisks around it. Use vivid colors in the text. Bottom line, make that goal stand out and post it some place where you can see it and read it everyday. Now this concept should not be anything new for anyone. Think about where you work. Doesn’t your company or department have goals posted somewhere for all employees to see. Most businesses do. Why? The idea is simple. If you are constantly reminded of what you are attempting to achieve, you will stay focused and eventually achieve that goal. The real advantage of writing down and posting your fitness goals is that they are your goals, not something developed by someone else and tacked to a bulletin board like an “edict from the ivory tower.” As such, your goals can be more individually inspiring rather than something that seems forced upon you, therefore the likelihood of you reaching these goals is increased tremendously.
Disclaimer: Exercise is not without its risks and this or any other exercise program may result in injury. To reduce the risk of injury in your case, consult your doctor before beginning this or any exercise program. The instructors and advice presented in this blog are in no way intended as a substitute for medical consultation, the instructor disclaims any liability from and in connection with this program. As with any exercise program, if at any point during your workout you begin to feel faint, dizzy, or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a physician..
