Friday, May 17, 2013

Going the Extra Mile with the Alkaline Diet for the Performance Athlete

We all know that excessive exercise leads to reduced oxygen and increased acidity in the body through lactic acid. Just think of being breathless and muscle pains or perhaps not cooling down properly after a hard workout and you know exactly what I mean!

However did you ever stop to think of how your diet fits into the grand scheme of things?

Even pro athletes can fall into the trap of eating too much acid forming foods with excessive consumption of meat, dairy, fruit juice not forgetting the long list of convenience foods, sugar, soft drinks and high salt content.  As a result many athletes of too much acidity in the body many athletes therefore reach their peak of performance far too early.

This peak can successfully be extended with preventative mineralization, alkaline purification and continuous regeneration, with regard to both health and an increase in performance.

I highly recommend that you check out www.AlkalineDietPlanHQ.com; to gain an understanding how to best leverage the alkaline diet for that added advantage and boost when it comes to that final lap.

With an alkaline diet plan formed and tailored to your needs it will help you attain the best mind and body balance.

The secret to success is to follow simple rules such as identifying which foods reside on the ; alkaline to acid food scale and thereafter adopting the 80-20 principle. That is 80% of your diet should consist of alkaline foods and the remaining 20% acid forming or as how you feel.

Life is a journey full of discoveries, finding the right balance with focus will help you lead to success and achievement. With that in mind many will agree that the Alkaline Diet Plan is indeed at the very core of aligning your body, soul and mind in taking you that one step forward ahead of the competition and to victory!

Image courtesy of Allposters.com

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Improving Basketball Perimeter Play

Perimeter players are generally the most adaptable players on the basketball court. These players have the ability to hit open shots, and they are excellent secondary ball handlers and primary rebounders. Perimeter players can play very effectively, whether they are playing the game indoors or outdoors. Qualities of a top-notch perimeter player

1.  Excellent Shooters - There are multiple players in basketball history who are known for their shooting abilities, including Bill Bradley, Larry Bird, and Reggie Miller. Many players think that you have to be a great shooter to be a phenomenal perimeter player, but this is not so. However, you must know how to make open shots in order to maximize the abilities of your teammates. When you can do this, those playing defense must adjust their game in order to defend you, which creates opportunities for your team to score more points.

2.  Excellent Driving Ability - Just as there are many phenomenal shooters in NBA history, there is also a long list of legendary players who are excellent drivers, such as Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, and Julius Erving. While these are some of the best drivers in history, you don't have to have their skills to be effective as a perimeter player. To enhance your driving ability, simply take advantage of any and every opportunity you get to get close to the basket.

3.  Excellent Defenders - Perimeter players should also have great defensive abilities. This critically important skill is necessary for all players. When you see bigger players trying to block smaller players, lock down defenders, or disrupt an offense, they are using their defensive abilities. As a defender, there are three things you must do effectively. First, you should never allow open shots. Second, you should avoid penetration that causes interior players to be exposed. Third, you should always be in position to assist your teammates.

4.  Rebounding Skills - A perimeter player can be a primary rebounder or a secondary rebounder. This means that they must be aware of each shooter on the court in order to anticipate shots. All rebounders should have an aggressive rebounding attitude. The role of a rebounder is just as important as the role of a shooter who is trying to score points.

5.  Understanding the Game - As a perimeter player, you should be match-up oriented, and you should understand the role changes for each match-up. For example, a perimeter player who is a defender should be able to draw opponents away from the basket. When playing opponents with lots of speed, perimeter players must use screens. When playing opponents who are slow, perimeter players must take it to the basket. A perimeter player must understand the differences in each opponent's playing style and must be able to adjust his game whenever necessary.

Perimeter players should also be able to use their specific skills to complement the skills of their team members. They should be able to make outside shots that allow for driving opportunities and make moves that cause the opposing team to step away from the basket in order to make room for jumpers.

Improving Perimeter Play 
Multiple aspects of perimeter play can be taught on an individual basis. For example, you can practice screening, rebounding, passing and many other skills without your team. My plan is to focus on combination drills that increase individual scoring as well as address other skills that are necessary in order to be a perimeter player.

If you really want to increase your skills in Basketball, why not take a look at attending a basketball camp. Take a look at Breakthrough Basketball's resource of camps!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

4 Tips to Buying Beach Cruiser Bikes


If you are a person that is looking to take leisure rides, then you should be looking into the possibility of getting a beach cruiser bike. Beach cruiser bikes are the ones that have been made specifically for leisure without much thought given to speeds or performance necessary for competition. Here are some of the tips you will find very valuable when you are in the market for one of these bikes.
Test It Out
Not every bike is the same, so when purchasing beach cruiser bikes make sure that you test it first. You should be able to sit upright without any unwanted strain on your back. Your arms should be extended to reach the handles. You should not pay too much attention to aerodynamics with this bike because it is not built for speed so seating up straight is what you want. Make sure that you can easily keep the balance when you are riding and that if the bike feels too tall that you can adjust it.
Think Of Where You Live
It is important to pick the right bike for your location. Though some beach cruiser bikes do not even have different speeds, some of them do. Those different speeds are perfect if you live in a hilly area where you will need to change speeds going back up the hill. The more hills you have in your area, the more speeds you will want to get in your bike so make that a priority.
Get The Fenders
Beach cruiser bikes usually will have fenders on the wheels and you want to make sure that yours has them as well. Other bikes which are designed for competition avoid the fenders because of the additional weight fenders represent. On a beach cruiser bike however the fenders serve a purpose that is not just the classic look. The fenders will protect your clothing if you get caught riding in the rain so if you care about being clean make sure that your new bike has them.
Go With Quality
Though the beach cruiser bikes are not the type that you will take to the park and do tricks on, you still need a high quality bike. These are bikes that have a classic look, so a good quality bike will last a lot longer and never seem as if it is too old. Better quality bikes also have more features that will assist you no matter where you ride it.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Picking Beach Cruiser Bikes In An Easy Way


Beach cruiser bikes are quite popular around the world! They are meant for the leisure riders who are more into recreation riding rather than competitive biking. Most of these bikes have vintage or retro looks, suggestive of the time when these kinds of bikes made their first appearance and gained immense popularity several years ago. These ultra – glam bikes are known to showcase the personality of the person riding them. So, in case you are planning to pick on a great beach cruiser bike then you can go on and read this article carefully. Well, by purchasing your own custom made beach cruiser bike you can definitely attract a lot of attention and even make your beach vacations great fun. The best part here is that personalizing the color and accessories of beach cruiser bikes is quite easy. So, you can follow the below mentioned points carefully in case you wish to pick on the best bike.

1.  You can get started by picking a suitable frame. You got to figure out the exact size of the frame which you require. You can easily base the entire frame size on the inseam of your leather pants.
2.  Now, you should decide upon the style and material for the construction of your beach cruiser bike. There are several frames available in the market which is made up of aluminum and steel. You can opt for old fashioned or ultra modern designs as per your convenience and requirements.
3.  The next thing that you must do is to select your favorite color. You don’t just have to stick around to basic colors such as blue, black or red. But you can opt for any particular color which you like. Mint green, chrome, purple and yellow are some of the most popular colors which you can opt for. You got to choose a color which suits your style in the best possible way.
4.  Now, you should start gearing up. You got to opt for some multiple gears for your bike. Go for coaster brakes which are standard gears available quite easily in the market. You got to choose brakes according to your preference.
5.  At last, you got to customize your beach cruiser bike according to your needs and style. You can add several accessories which will make your bike look great. Some of the key accessories which you can consider adding are: handle bar grips, fenders, basket, buzzers, bells, horns, white wall tires and horns.
I hope all the above mentioned instructions will help you in picking beach cruiser bikes according to your preferences. It is of utmost importance to pick the right bike for yourself so that you are able to attract the attention of several individuals around you. Make sure you go through this resourceful article carefully. I am pretty certain that you are going to love reading this article. A cruiser bike will surely help you in enjoying your summer vacations in the best probable way. For any other information on these bikes, you can log on to the internet.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Payback is a Bitch, Shaka

You were pressing with a 40 point lead in the second half of your first round loss, so I guess it is a fitting result that you lose by 25 points in you Round 2 game. 

Adios, classless!

Full Round 1 thoughts NCAA Tourney Madness

Trending Up:
B1G - Yes the Big Ten is for real, 7 teams in the tourney and 6 advance on to round 2.  Very impressive showing for the B1G.  These teams all had great records against other power conferences going into the Big Ten season and then beat each other up but the reality is all 6 of the teams that advanced should probably be in the Top 15 teams in the country.  Still will be shocked if we do not see at least 2 of these teams in the Final Four.

A10 - What a great showing for an underrated conference.  They were a good conference before adding Butler and St Louis, now they are a great conference.  We are going to have to call them a Power Conference going forward.  Certainly more powerful than the Big 12 and maybe the SEC (in hoops).  They had 5 teams in the tourney and they still have 5 - very impressive.  Not sure if any of them can make it to the Final Four but I also would not be surprised to see one of them there.

ACC -  The ACC had a down year from a depth standpoint putting only 4 teams in the tourney, but three of those teams remain after Round 1. 

Missouri Valley - They only had 2 teams in the tourney, Creighton and Wichita State, but both of them advanced to Round 2.  I don't think I would call this impressive yet, since there are only two, but if one of them gets to the Sweet Sixteen -- that will be impressive.


Trending Down:
Big East - The conference is going to go out with a whimper in its final year.  The committee put 8 Big East teams in the tourney but only 3 remain after round 1, and one of those, Marquette, barely eeked out a win when their Davidson opponent fell apart in the last minute and gave up a 5 point lead.  The Georgetown loss as a #2 seed was a very bad loss.  While I think many people had Louisville going all the way in their bracket, I think some doubt may be sneaking into the back of people's minds.

Big 12 - The committee put 5 teams in from the Big 12 even though the conference competition was thinned dramatically with the loss of Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC and Colorado to the PAC 12.  Well, they are unlikely to do that again next year because only 2 of those 5 teams are still standing after Round 1.  Kansas is a good team but probably not as good as the pundits think because of how weak the conference is this year.  What's more Gonzaga was also hanging its hat on three quality wins against Big 12 teams -- those aren't looking as solid as they once did.  I don't expect either to make it to the Final Four.

Treading Water:
Mountain West - After a brutal Thursday, the Mountain West put a second team in the 2nd Round with San Diego State's win.  So now 2 of their 5 teams made round 2, which is respectable vs horrible as it was shaping up in day 1.  However the #4 and #5 seed losses for New Mexico and UNLV, respectively, will likely the committee pause during seedings next year.

SEC - Only 3 SEC teams made it into the tourney but 2 have advanced to round 2 after Ole Miss' comeback win over Wisconsin.  However, it is hard to say this is an uptrend since it is only two teams and given Kentucky's stunning early exit from the NIT, this conference is still a huge question mark at this point.  It is hard to gauge just how good a team Florida is, given the uncertainty of the strength of the SEC.



Friday, March 22, 2013

First Day Thoughts from NCAA March Madness

Trending up:
Pac 10 - Conference was largely slammed as weak by the pundits and the tourney selection committee before the tourney started, bt yesterday proved that they may actually have been underseeded.  Two 12 seeds won yesterday and they were both from the Pac 10, Oregon and California. Oregon beat a Big 12 team, Oklahoma State, in a blowout and California knocked off UNLV from the Mountain West in a tight game.  Arizona also added a convincing win over Belmont.

A10 - The Atlantic 10 also had a very good day with convincing wins from VCU and St Louis and a solid win (closer than the score indicated) for Butler.  Granted all three teams were supposed to win over lower seeds but VCU and St Louis both shellacked their opponents to each win by at least 20 points.

B1G - The Big Ten only had two games yesterday but both Michigan St and Michigan won in convincing fashion.  Today will be the real test for the conference though as it has 5 teams playing.

Trending down:
Mountain West - In a classic case of "don't listen to the pundits", the Mountain West has been destroyed in the tourney so far.  If you recall, the pundits were placing the Mountain West's conference RPI at either #1 or #2 before the tourney.  Well the results are in and there is heartburn in the mountains this morning.  The Mountain West put 5 teams in the tourney including Boise St which lost in a play-in game on Tuesday.  Four of the five have played with only Colorado State winning its first round game.  UNLV and New Mexico were both heavily favored teams upset by #12 and #13 seeds.

Gonzaga -  Yes they won by 6 but the score does not tell the story here.  The Zags really struggled against a #16 seed Southern University and its 214 RPI.  Southern played great and you have to hand it to them for their clutch performance and the Zags fought back to get the W.  However, this just confirms what I said a week ago, the Zags will not be making a trip to the Final Four.  Their record is a farce and the result of a cupcake schedule with quality wins over weak Big 12 teams, one of which, Oklahoma St, lost to a #12 seed yesterday.

Treading Water:
Big East - While Louisville and Syracuse both took care of business with convincing wins in their first round matchups, Marquette and Pittsburgh struggled.  Pittsburgh lost in an 8/9 game to Wichita State.  Nobody can fault them for losing an 8/9 matchup.  However, while Marquette got the W, they really lost that game but for an utter collapse for cinderella Davidson, a #14 seed, who was up by 5 points with 45 seconds remaining.