Free Glide

One thing that is often stressed in the diet industry is that a lifestyle change is necessary. We need to eat less and move more. So we get off the couch and we start a walking program or some other form of exercise and stick with it for a while, hoping to see results.

While this is better than staying on the couch dreaming about the changes you would like to see, you may want to take it a step further. After a while your body adjusts to new activities. If your chosen exercise is a daily walk, it is only a matter of weeks before your body gets used to that exercise and will stop responding to it in the way of weight loss.

The key is to step out of your comfort zone. Easier said than done, right? Maybe, but the benefits you will get from doing this far exceed the effort you need to put in.

You can start gradually chipping away at the walls of your comfort zone. You can start to challenge yourself a little bit everyday. Start by walking faster than you thought you could, walking longer than you thought you could or even jogging (like you never thought you would.) One day you may even decide to sign up for a mini marathon and start training for that (imagining all the while how it will feel when you cross that finish line.)

This is so effective because once you implement this new strategy you will feel empowered. You will be able to do things you never thought possible and your self-esteem will soar. In turn, this will affect all areas of your life and your new positive results and attitude will show.

Once you build up your confidence in the area of exercise, look at other areas in your life that need improvement. Break down all the barriers that are keeping you from having what you want out of life. If you are shy, try breaking out of your shell a little at a time. Join a club, find a weight loss buddy to share the journey or accept a leadership role. Push yourself to move outside of the box you have put yourself in.

As you remove one brick at a time, your goals will become crystal clear to you and you will be in control of attaining them. You will be able to successfully lose the weight and stop hiding behind the extra weight. Brick by brick, pound by pound, you will be able to remove this barrier and live the life you have yearned for.

So, what are you waiting for? Test yourself everyday by doing something you normally wouldn’t feel comfortable doing. If you have always wanted to swim, for example, now is the time to take the plunge. Start small and work you way up. You will be able to see and feel the difference, inside and out.

Tracy Rose is a Freelance Writer. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Written Communication and is an expert on the subject of weight loss.

Tracy writes a daily weight loss blog at: http://www.writingup.com/blog/roserighter

I just delivered a free speech. I am a great believer in free speech, but an even greater believer in paid speech. However, there are good reasons why someone like me would deliver free speeches. For instance, to support a charity or a cause I believe in. Or if the audience is full of people who hire speakers.

If you’ve ever spoken at a dinner or ran a workshop at a conference, you’ll wince when I mention the dreaded “token of appreciation” presented to the speaker. In your head you think, “Oh no, not another T-shirt.” I have my share of T-shirts, golf shirts, letter openers, books that do not interest me, sweets, ball caps, and pens. I don’t need any more.

Sigh. I suppose that’s the price of free speech.

Which brings me to my recent free speech, at the end of which I braced myself to face Dreaded Token. I was presented with a lovely gift bag brimming with colorful paper — the perfect camouflage to conceal Dreaded Token until he was ready to pounce. Mercifully, Madam Group President did not make me open the bag in front of everyone.

As I was preparing to leave, I sneaked a peak inside the bag. To my surprise, there was a candy jar with dozens of tiny plastic smiley faces glued to the lid. Around the lid were foam-rubber multi-colored letters that read “Happy Guy”. Wow! It was hand-made. Madam Group President took the time to craft a personal gift. How thoughtful. Dreaded Token, you have met your match. Meet Happy Jar.

If you have ever been a parent, valuing more the hand-made card your little daughter scribbles for you than any present she could buy, you know how I felt when I met Happy Jar. I can’t wait for my daughter to be old enough to draw so I can feel that way more often.

In life, little things really do count. You might be tempted to dismiss them, but they are the seeds that grow up into the garden of your life. Not all little things are good, but yours can be … if you are willing to make a small effort. Madam Group President could have handed me a T-shirt or a ball cap or leftover fruit cake from last Christmas. (Yes, I was once presented with left-over fruitcake.) But she invested her effort instead and I have something wonderful to write about today.

You can make someone’s day just by making that same little effort. I sent an encouraging e-mail to lift a friend’s spirits today. It worked. Those carefully chosen words brought her mood right back up. I’m sure you can guess how great that made me feel, too.

When Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the epic This Is The Place raved to me about the writing in my book, I felt on top of the world. (It’s not the huge $75 royalty checks every three months that inspire authors to write.) She then raved to Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com and a dozen other book review web sites. Do I have to tell you how her little extra effort made me feel?

I know I am blessed to be surrounded by so many thoughtful people, but I also know that we reap what we sow. What are you sowing? Are you making the time to give a little extra to people around you? Are you sowing seeds of happiness in your garden of life?

With the right seeds and a little extra effort, you may find more Happy Jars in your life than Dreaded Tokens. And of course, let us not forget the magic words to keep those Happy Jars coming: “Thank you Madam Group President.”

David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy. He is a motivational speaker and author of Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness. Buy the book at Amazon.com.

About The Author

David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy, and author of Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness.

Visit him at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com

David@TheHappyGuy.com

If you want to write well, one of the stylistic elements that you need to pay heed are those nasty dangling modifiers, whether in participial, gerund, or phrasal form. Although sometimes insidious to spot, these grammatical faux-pas will tinge your writing and confuse your readers’ train of thought. Much like a poorly segued musical transition, dangling modifiers impinge somewhat strangely on the ear and often lend unintended yet grotesque humor to your writing in general.

In the following sentence, see whether you can detect the dangling modifier:

It was early morning. George rose from his bed taking his furry slippers with him and began his march downstairs where breakfast awaited him.

In this complex sentenceas grammarians would call itcomplex because the sentence contains the independent clause, “George rose from his bed taking his…downstairs” and the subordinate clause, “where breakfast awaited him,” we have a “not-so-obvious” dangling participial phrase. The reason that the “dangler” is not so obvious is because the intent of the writer is obvious from the context; we know who is taking the slippers. Yet the way the sentence is structured, the bed, by its juxtaposition to the participial “taking,” is the one doing the taking. One could argue that this is splitting hairs and being overly pedantic, yet this example, by the very insidiousness of the “dangler,” demonstrates very well that if we are not careful with these grammatical structure razers in cases such as these, we would become very sloppy in more serious cases, in which the meaning becomes grotesquely distorted.

Though the meaning be clear in the previous example, this does not make the infraction pardonable. A good writer needs to be aware of these “danglers” and has to conform his writing so as to minimize their occurrence. We are all guilty of these infractions and should not stop writing because our writing is not always perfect. Since the dangling modifier is such a common erroreven among good writerswe need to be ever aware of its stealthy manner of sneaking into our prose. We should rewrite the above by making any of the following changes:

Rising from his bed, George took his furry slippers with him and began his march downstairs where breakfast awaited him.

Or,

Taking his furry slippers with him, George rose from his bed and began his march downstairs where breakfast awaited him.

If you want to write well, beware the “dangler.” And go get a good book on grammar and learn about the language you wish to express yourself in. This will be well worth your while.
More on this in another article. Stay tuned…

Joe is a prolific writer of self-help and educational material and an award-winning former teacher of both college and high school mathematics. Under the penname, JC Page, Joe authored Arithmetic Magic. As a result of this publication, Joe was invited to be a guest on the television show the Book Authority. Joe is also author of the charmingly pithy and popular ebook, Make a Good Impression Every Time: The Secret to Instant Popularity; the seminal collection of verse, Poems for the Mathematically Insecure, and the creator and scriptwriter of an upcoming DVD series that is both visionary and highly educational. The diverse genre of his writings (novel, short story, essay, script, and poetry)particularly in regard to its educational flavor co continues to captivate readers and to earn him recognition.

Joe propagates his teaching philosophy through his articles and books and is dedicated to helping educate children living in impoverished countries. Toward this end, he donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every ebook. For more information go to www.mathbyjoe.com.

Introduction
Sex has been the part of the life since the day Adam saw the apple. Man has been striving to achieve a better performance in order to satisfy both his as well his partner’s requirements. Age, hormonal imbalances, society, money and many other things have not been able to remain a barrier for long in this quest. Medicinal herbs, fruits and certain exercises such as meditation have helped him in one way or the other but there has always been a search to help men in his erectile dysfunction in nearly all cases with having minimum of the side effects. Viagra hit the market in 1998 and was an instant success in that regard. But due to its side effects more research was still needed and a new product was about to come. Cialis then came and with its minimum side effects profile and the greater half-life was what people needed the most.

What is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is the inability of the person to either initiate or sustain a penile erection for a sufficient period of time that is needed to attain a sexual gratification. The causes of it may be many for e.g. psychological, hormonal, arterial or muscular. The diseases associated with it are Diabetes Mellitus, Major Depression, certain thrombotic disorders, etc.

What is cialis?

Cialis and drugs related to it like Viagra act by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 which release Nitric Oxide from nerve endings and endothelium causing relaxation of smooth muscle and hence penile erection. This is a product developed by Eli Lilly and ICOS and it is a trade name of the product called Tadalafil launched in the market in 2003.

What are the advantages and side effects?
Although the vasodilatation that is needed is in penis, due to the extreme non-specificity of the product there are certain side effects related to vasodilatation at other sites such as headache, nasal congestion, stuffiness, and fall in blood pressure. Some patients complain of loose motions. These side effects are more applicable to products such as Viagra than to Cialis. Some patients have suffered heart attack and severe fall in blood pressure.

Who all can benefit?
Men with erectile dysfunction due to some arterial disorders will benefit the most. It doesn’t benefit those with hormonal problems or psychological problems except those with Diabetic neuropathy. There is a myth that a person as soon as taking the drug will have erection but that is not the case. It starts taking action only when a person starts physical activity.

How is cialis better than others?
Cialis has a half life of around 36 hours while that of Viagra is around 4 hours that means that a person can take the drug and can expect to have erection at a time much later than the time of administration. This achieves much patient compliance.

What is the latest research that is going on?
The latest research that is going on is hormonal therapy and genetic therapy in this regard. These are basically to avoid the side effect profile of these type of drugs.

Tia arora writes cialis basics topics. Learn more at http://www.cialislifestyle.com.

I went to a tax sale yesterday in an out of the way rural municipality in New Jersey. Unlike most of the tax sales in New Jersey this sale was poorly attended. New Jersey is a very competitive state for tax lien investing so this was an uncommon event.

Most serious bidders arrive an hour before the sale starts. At first, I was pleased to see, with less than an hour to go before the sale, that there was only one other bidder there. Then I did my research on the properties that were left in the sale and I discovered why other investors didn’t bother with this sale. Out of the thirteen properties that were left in the sale, there was only one decent property. All of the other properties were vacant land and when I looked on the tax maps and checked with the zoning department (this is why I arrive at the sale an hour early) I found out that none of these properties were build-able lots. Most of them were land locked and none of them were large enough to build on, even though one parcel was a three-acre lot.

Since the other bidder there was a professional bidding for an institutional investor, I decided not to bid on any of the properties in the sale. I knew that if I bid on the one property that had a house on it, the professional bidder would bid high premium for it, so I decided not to bid him down and not to bid on any of the other properties since they wouldn’t be profitable. I stayed around to see what would happen at the sale.

About fifteen minutes before the sale three other bidders arrived. These investors were new to tax lien sales and did not really know anything about them. They asked the tax collector a few questions before the sale and indicated that they really weren’t there to bid but intended to watch since this was their first sale. When the sale began the tax collector let us know which properties had prior liens. Four of the undesirable properties had prior liens. I was not surprised and this just confirmed my suspicions that these properties were not worth bidding on. If they were, then the prior lien holder would have been there to bid on them, or would have paid the subsequent taxes and prevented them from being included in the tax sale.

The tax collector announced the first property, and seeing that no one was bidding on it, one of the inexperienced bidders could not resist. He bid 18% and was awarded the lien (this was the 3 acre landlocked and undersized lot – you need 5 acres to build here). The next three properties were struck off to the township at 18%. The next property was the only one with a house on it and that went to the institutional buyer at 18%. There were eight properties left. Another one went to the township. The temptation to bid and get a get a lien at 18% was too great for the other two new investors; they bought three liens each, each one at 18% interest. Fortunately for them, they were very small liens.

After the sale, I explained to them that they should check the zoning on properties before they bid on them. The tax collector does not tell you before the property is sold if it is unusable property and that is why the owner did not pay the tax. The tax collector only has to convey that industrial properties may be subject to the Environmental Clean Up Act, the Spill Compensation and Control Act, or the Water Pollution Control Act. And this is usually done in fine print; on the notice of the sale and the bidder information sheet.

When it come to buying tax liens, and this goes for other states as well as New Jersey, it’s “buyer beware.” As the investor, it is your responsibility to make sure that the property that you are purchasing a tax lien certificate on is a valuable piece of property. Even in states like New Jersey, where real estate is at a premium and has increased in value tremendously over the last five years, there are still tax parcels that are worthless. In many areas of the state, municipalities have been steadily increasing the zoning requirements for all types of properties. In many rural areas you need a few acres in order to build a house.

I know that many of you are under the false assumption that if you are a holder of a tax lien certificate; you are guaranteed to get paid. This is not true; it is a misrepresentation that is fostered by real estate infomercials and high priced seminars. The truth is that no one guarantees that you will be paid. You are first in line to get paid, but there are circumstances in which you might not get paid. You do have the right to foreclose on the property if you don’t get paid within the redemption period, but what if the property is worthless? Than you have a worthless piece of property that you have to pay taxes on.

Joanne Musa is a Tax Lien Investing Coach and Consultant who works with investors who want to learn how to buy profitable tax lien certificates and tax deeds. She is the president of Tax Lien Consulting LLC, a consulting firm for tax lien investors.

Ms. Musa is also the author of the Tax Lien Lady’s E-books: Tax Lien Investing Secrets, and Tax Lien Lady’s State Guide to Tax Lien and Tax Deed Investing. You can get more information about her e-books at http://www.taxlienlady.com/store2/sales.html For more tips about how to invest in tax lien certificates send an e-mail MoreTips@taxlienconsulting.com

Ladies, when was the last time you were treated like a queen? Whether it was in this millenium or the last, spending the day at a Spa guarantees the Star Treatment. Day Spa’s are like hair and nail salons, only better. In addition to hair and nail services, they offer relaxing muscle massages, pedicures, manicures, deep cleansing facials and even body scrubs, all in a comforting, soothing environment. Most offer gift certificates and will combine services into ‘packages’ at a reduced price.

Winter weather wrecks havoc on our skin, especially our hands and feet, leaving them dry and cracked. I don’t know about you, but my lotion just ain’t getting it! Dead skin cells on your body can prevent your oil and lotion from soaking in, leaving you with a bad case of winter itch. Get rid of all that dead, dry (ashy) skin with an invigorating sea-salt body scrub. Your face can get ashy, also, and feel dry and tight. Contrary to popular belief, Black women and men needs facials too! A good facial will deep clean your pores – removing black heads, acne and even hair and shaving bumps- and leave your face smooth and hydrated.

If nothing else, get a massage, especially if you have children. They are great for your body and spirit; they can tone muscles and are ultra relaxing. Massages can be purchased by the hour (full body) or half hour (back only). During a massage, you will be asked to remove all of your clothes. Don’t be shy, but feel free to leave your underwear on. You will be covered by a sheet at all times. So, lay back, enjoy the candlelight and listen to soothing sounds while being massaged with warm oil. Or better yet, learn how to massage each other in a class you can take together.

About The Author

Nicole Elizabeth Smith, the author of “Healthy Black Hair” (2003), is a freelance health and beauty writer and a graduate of Michigan State University. She and her son Zack live in Michigan. Currently, she is beauty editor for www.myhairbook.com.

nicole@myhairbook.com

You had better sit down for this one because you are not going to believe it even after you let it sink in. Think about this for a second. Shop all you want and save over $1600. What could you do with an extra $1600? Shop some more?

So what am I talking about you may be asking yourself. Well, consider this before I give you the answer. Let’s say you go shopping twice each week. While you are driving all around town running in and out of all the different stores, you are spending money on gas. Now we all know the price at the pump is growing faster than unwanted weeds in a manicured lawn.

With more and more Americans driving the “luxury” SUV, the gas mileage is less than desirable. So, if you are driving an average of 85 miles while you are shopping, and your SUV gets only 15 miles per gallon, with the cost of a gallon of gas at $2.81 you are spending $15.93 in gasoline. That’s right, almost and extra $16.00 per shopping trip.

Now if you take that $15.93 and multiply it by the two shopping trips each week, you are spending $1656.72 in gas each year just to go shopping. Sure, the amount you are spending on gas will vary depending on how often you actually go shopping as well as the gas mileage you get and the cost of gas. However, as you can see in this example it can be the cost of a great new home theater, or maybe a nice vacation or cruse, or what ever you choose.

So how do you save this $1600 and keep shopping without cutting back on the things you buy? It’s really quite simple, you shop online. The cost of shopping online is zero. You can visit all the stores you want, shop all you want and never crank your car. And one other advantage to shopping online, it is environmental friendly.

Now if you want to save even more, be sure to take advantage of the sites that offer coupons and free shipping. Most of them have a code, which is automatically registered when you check out. This could add up to some great savings to go along with the money you save by shopping online.

Working for 23 years in the industrial distribution industry as sales, and in management, has given me an in-depth knowledge of the sales process as well as customer service. I have always found it to be true that without great customer service, you have no customers, just buyers. Therefore, I always try my best to exceed my customer’s expectations and provide them with only the best.

The same is true when it comes to my online venture providing shoppers a place they can relax, shop and find a great bargain. I offer designer clothing, home & garden items, bedding and more. I invite you to visit me at http://www.ochashomeshop.com.

All the world’s a story. Video games have storylines; newspapers report stories; country music lyrics tell a sad tale.

At a quick glance it would appear that fiction writing and copywriting are two mutually exclusive disciplines. But it just isn’t so.

Fiction and copywriting share the same heart: emotion.

What’s the goal for a fiction writer? I mean a slam-bang Harry Potter series type fiction writer? To write best-selling novels.

And what’s the target for a copywriter? To write best-selling controls, of course.

There are three fiction techniques that can pump up the drama in your copy:

• Imagery

• Tension

• Release

Let’s look at them one at a time.

IMAGERY

Imagery is defined as ‘mental images’ or ‘figurative language’. What it does is create pictures in a reader’s head through words.

The best way to get an image across is to find some common ground with the reader. That’s where similes and metaphors help. While some might think that this kind of writing has no business being in direct-mail copy, I’m here to disprove that.

Here’s an example for organic tranquilizer we’ll call Calm-All:

Take Becky: When she learned that Robin had won the award she rightfully deserved, she lost it. Came unglued. Threw Robin’s staplers and boxes of paper clips.

We’ve all, at one time in our lives, probably felt like Becky. And that paragraph gives us a visual image of how she’s feeling. But what about Robin? How about this:

Take Becky: When she learned that Robin had won the award she rightfully deserved, she lost it. Came unglued. Threw Robin’s staplers and boxes of paper clips — the ones that were all lined up — just so — like soldiers on a battlefield.

The addition of 14 words, ‘the ones that were all lined up — just so — like soldiers on a battlefield’, added depth to the scene and gave us a mental picture of Robin without fully describing her. The soldiers on the battlefield simile sets up the tension.

TENSION

Tension can manifest itself in lots of forms. There are tension headaches, tension rods, and tension in fabric. One of the best tools a writer can have is the ability to create tension in a storyline.

Now, this does not have to be the cliffhanger from Dallas — it can and should be more subtle than that.

It could be just a line.

That’s it, right there. The line right above where you are now — a one sentence paragraph — creates tension all by itself simply by disrupting flow. That’s where you want something memorable, disturbing, thoughtful.

How about Becky and Robin? What was the simile about the boxes of paper clips? That they were all lined up — just so — like soldiers on a battlefield.

The tension started in two places in that phrase: ‘just so’ and ’soldiers on a battlefield’.

• ‘Just so’ — Sure, I could’ve made it longer, explained about distance between the boxes or described how each box end matched the next one perfectly. But that would’ve been too long. “Just so” describes Robin’s anal compulsiveness without being wordy.

• ‘Soldiers on the battlefield’ — Not only does this visual give you an idea of the kind of precision Robin demands, but the “battlefield” states in one word the atmosphere in that room.

The icing on the tension cake is a line you haven’t seen yet:

Take Becky: When she learned that Robin had won the award she rightfully deserved, she lost it. Came unglued. Threw Robin’s staplers and boxes of paper clips — the ones that were all lined up — just so — like soldiers on a battlefield.

She even wrote on the walls.

Now, by itself, wall writing isn’t that big a deal. After all, you probably did it when you were a kid or during that stint as a graffiti artist in San Francisco.

So what makes it more? The fact that it follows the paragraph where Becky lost it, had a meltdown, when postal. And it makes you wonder just what she wrote. It creates tension because its behavior you don’t expect from a rational adult.

Why?

Because society tells us that when an adult is angry and hurt writing on walls isn’t acceptable. It’s something a child would do and we can’t be seen as having so little control.

Okay, now Becky’s a psychopath because she wrote on some walls. The reader will hold her breath on several levels with different emotions:

• Whoa! What a psycho = shock

• Whew! I’d never be like that = relief

• Wow! Wish I could unleash it all like she did = desire and envy

With 21 words, your direct-mail copy for Calm-All caused your reader want to order to make sure she never reacts like Becky did.

And when she’s held her breath long enough, you let her go.

RELEASE

This is the point in a work of fiction where the writer lets go of the reader’s throat and lets her come up for air. And it’s the thing that keeps readers turning pages whether they are bound in a book or enclosed in an envelope.

Here’s Calm-All’s release:

Take Becky: When she learned that Robin had won the award she rightfully deserved, she lost it. Came unglued. Threw Robin’s staplers and boxes of paper clips — the ones that were all lined up — just so — like soldiers on a battlefield.

She even wrote on the walls.

Hey, it’s okay to make a scene sometimes. It’s all right to get rid of pent-up frustration.

It’s just not your fault.

The last two paragraphs following the tumult of Becky and Robin make the push for Calm-All a slam dunk:

When you’re on your very last nerve, reach for Calm-All.

Just for fun, here’s Becky and Robin as a scene from a novel:

Becky lost it. Did exactly what her parents had warned her never to do:

DO. NOT. MAKE. A. SCENE.

Wisps of dirty blond hair stuck to the sweat on her face. Fury pounded her into the production room, all sense of business decorum lost.

Finding Robin’s things, her tools, Becky decided to destroy them as Robin had destroyed her. First was a wide tipped Magic Marker and next the graffiti on and over Robin’s desk. Robin’s boxes of paper clips – all lined up just so like soldiers on a battle field — were cast all over the floor. And the stapler, pitched at just the right angle, shattered the glass on the frame of Robin’s Ad Age Award.

The award that was rightfully Becky’s.

The imagery is found in the third paragraph where we can actually see what Becky looks like at the point of explosion. The tension comes in the paragraph after that and the release is the last sentence.

CONCLUSION

Direct-mail copy’s story is told through the needs and desires of a reader for an offered product or service. Elements of fiction — imagery, tension, release — can enhance direct-mail copy and make the sale.

Remember:

Fiction does something To the reader

Copy does something For the reader

About The Author

Victoria B. Rosendahl

Copywriter

P.O. Box 280

Urbanna, VA 23175

804-758-3013–voice

804-758-3107–fax

mailto:rosendahlwrites@yahoo.com

Overnight delivery address: 118 Mill Pond Road, Warner, VA 23175

Why do so many people spend so much of their time and money buying old sports cars, and restoring and taking care of them? Because a classic sports car is like an old tune, a vintage wine or a black-and-white photograph–timeless, priceless and nostalgic. A classic sports car is a ‘classic’ because it traces its lineage to the first or second generation of sports cars and is at least 30 years old. Cars from the 60s are especially popular due to their flamboyant design and trademark engine roars that call attention to their power.

The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, Pontiac GTO, Porsche 911 Carrera, Mercedes-Benz 300SL and Alfa Romeo Monza Spider are a few famous classic sports cars that wowed generations of auto enthusiasts with their sleek tailfins, chrome plating and grilles, bright, happy two-tone colors, jet tube taillights, wraparound windshields and plush upholstery.

Classic sports car collectors either lovingly restore and drive their cars or simply keep them in prime condition in their garages. Many love to show off their cars in shows and win trophies. And why not? These handsome cars are the epitome of style.

If you plan on buying a classic sports car, it is advisable to go for a car that’s reasonably priced and is simple but nevertheless interesting. American cars offer great value for the money when compared to cars from Europe, in terms of availability of spare parts for restoration. Most American classics come equipped with power windows, air-conditioning and power steering. On reliability, too, American cars tend to score better, as they require lesser maintenance and do not need frequent servicing.

Yes, it’s possible to get yourself a piece of history and some of that romance, without having to rob a bank, win a lottery or inherit a fortune.

Sports Cars provides detailed information on Sports Cars, Exotic Sports Cars, Classic Sports Cars, Sports Cars for Sale and more. Sports Cars is affiliated with SUV Vans.

One look at a line at the local Starbucks in the morning and you don’t need to be convinced of the huge amount of coffee consumption in the U.S. The National Coffee Association found in 2000 that 54% of the U.S. adult population drinks coffee daily. Guess there’s nothing like the first double espresso in the morning to clear the cobwebs from our heads so we can face the day.

But what are the effects relating to fitness? If that grande-no-foam-double-whipped-extra-shot-no-fat latte gives us the get-up-and-go to start our day at work, will it do the same if we’re headed to the gym?

Physiological Effects

The main ingredient in coffee that gives us that jolt is caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine is found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, and chocolate, and is a popular added ingredient in carbonated beverages and some over-the-counter medications such as cold remedies, diuretics, aspirin, and weight control aids. It is estimated that in the U.S., 75% of caffeine intake comes from coffee.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by blocking adenosine, a neurotransmitter that normally causes a calming effect in the body. The resulting neural stimulation due to this blockage causes the adrenal glands to release adrenaline, the “fight or flight” hormone. Your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, your muscles tighten up, and glucose is released into your blood stream for extra energy. Voila… you now have the caffeine buzz.

But wait…we’re not done yet. Caffeine also increases dopamine. Dopamine activates the pleasure in parts of the brain. It has been suspected that this also contributes to caffeine addiction.

Physiologically, caffeine makes us you feel alert, pumps adrenaline to give you energy and changes dopamine production to make you feel good. Another espresso, anyone?

Ergogenic Effects of Caffeine to Performance

In addition to various psychological and physiological benefits, numerous studies have documented caffeine’s ergogenic effect on athletic performance, particularly in regard to endurance. Studies show that caffeine ingestion prior to exercising extended endurance in moderately strenuous aerobic activity. Other studies researching caffeine consumption on elite distance runners and distance swimmers show increased performance times following caffeine consumption.

Despite effects on endurance, caffeine produced no effect on maximal muscular force in a study measuring voluntary and electrically stimulated muscle actions. However, the same study did show findings that suggest caffeine has an ergogenic effect on muscle during repetitive, low frequency stimulation.

Caffeine’s positive performance-enhancing effects have been well documented. So much so that the International Olympic Committee placed a ban leading to disqualification for an athlete with urinary limits exceeding 12 mg/mL. Roughly 600 to 800mg of caffeine, or 4 to 7 cups of coffee, consumed over a 30-minute period would be enough to exceed this level and cause disqualification. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has a similar limit, set at 15 mg/mL.

Coffee: A Pre-Workout Drink?

Before you make Starbucks part of your pre-workout warm-up in order to harness the effects of caffeine, be aware that simply downing a grande may not give you similar benefits found in these studies. A recent Canadian study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology compared the effect of coffee and caffeine on run time to exhaustion. A group of nine men took part in five trials. Sixty minutes before each run, the men took one of the following:

• A placebo

• Caffeine capsules

• De-caffeinated coffee with caffeine added

• Regular coffee

Performance times were up to 10 times longer in subjects using the caffeine capsules, with no differences in times among the other trials. Since the level of caffeine absorption was similar during the caffeine trials, researchers concluded something in the coffee itself that interferes with caffeine’s performance-enhancing effects. This makes sense considering that there are literally hundreds of compounds dissolved when coffee beans are roasted, ground and extracted. Results of this research suggest that if benefits of caffeine on endurance times are desired, caffeine capsules work better than coffee.

Caffeine and Creatine Supplementation

Although caffeine has been shown to increase endurance time, further research shows it may actually blunt the effect of creatine, a popular and well-researched compound known for its consistent ergogenic effects. In a study evaluating the effect of pre-exercise caffeine ingestion on both creatine stores and high-intensity exercise performance, caffeine totally counteracted any effects of creatine supplementation. It was suggested that individuals who creatine load should refrain from caffeine-containing foods and beverages if positive effects are desired.

The Downside of Caffeine

Despite coffee/caffeine’s positive effects on psychological states and performance, there are numerous documented risks that must considered when consuming caffeine, whether for performance-enhancing effects or simply as a part of daily dietary consumption.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and can produce restlessness, headaches, and irritability. Caffeine also elevates your heart rate and blood pressure. Over the long-term as your body gets used to caffeine, it requires higher amounts to get the same effects. Certainly, having your body in a state of hormonal emergency all day long isn’t very healthy.

Caffeine is also a diuretic and causes a loss of fluid, which then leads to a dehydrating effect. This is obviously not conducive to fitness activities such as resistance training, as fluid is needed for the transfer of nutrients to facilitate muscular growth. It is also important when considering the further loss of fluid while exercising in hot environments.

Perhaps the most important long-term problem is the effect of caffeine on sleep. The half-life of caffeine in the body is about 6 hours. If you drink a big cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine at 4PM, at 10PM you still have about 100mg in your body. By 4AM, you still have 50mg floating in your system. Even though you may be able to sleep, you may not be able to obtain the restful benefits of deep sleep. What’s worse, the cycle continues as you may use more and more caffeine in hopes of counteracting this deficit.

Caffeinated Conclusions…

Though caffeine has some benefits in relation to exercise performance, risks have been documented. Most problems seem evident with very high consumption. The American Heart Association says that moderate coffee drinking (one or two cups per day) does not seem to be harmful for most people. As with everything else, moderation is the key to healthy caffeine consumption. Further research is needed to clearly determine whether the performance-enhancing benefits of caffeine outweigh the potential risks.

About The Author

Jon Gestl, CSCS, is a Chicago personal trainer and fitness instructor who specializes in helping people get in shape in the privacy and convenience of their home or office. He is a United States National Aerobic Champion silver and bronze medalist and world-ranked sportaerobic competitor and editor of the fitness ezine “Inspired Informed and Inshape.” He can be contacted through his website at http://www.jongestl.com.

jongestl@jongestl.com