Calisthenics for Beginners

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Are you interested in building muscle and working out? Yet, you don’t have the time or money to buy a gym membership/expensive equipment.

I suggest that you try calisthenics, which is a method of exercising entirely in the form of bodyweight exercises, meaning that you use your own weight and the force of gravity to build muscle. This method of exercising is excellent for those who are on a low-cost budget, yet still want an efficient way to workout and build strength and muscle.

Now what are some types of calisthenics exercises?

These exercises include Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups etc.

Unlike traditional weightlifting, you do not use progressive overload, rather you can increase the intensity and difficulty of your workout, by using harder variations, for example, instead of a normal push-up, do a diamond pushup. You can also introduce more reps for each exercise per set.

For those of you who are new to working out, a “rep” is a single repetition of an exercise, such as 1 rep of a pushup being performing 1 pushup, a set is a set is a collection of reps performed one after each other. Take a 30-to-60-second break in between each set.

Keep in mind, that most of these exercises will only work 1 or 2 muscles, but they will each have their own respective variations which when performed can be used to work different muscles, such as close-grip push-ups rely more on the triceps, while shoulder-width pushups relying more on the chest.

Plyometrics is similar to calisthenics, but instead of solely building strength, plyometrics focuses on building explosiveness, which is especially beneficial for athletes.

Now that you understand what calisthenics are, you need a plan of the exercises that you will do, thus, I have created a beginner calisthenics plan for you, which I used to use. You will require a pull-up bar for these exercises, which can be found for up to $60, and will be very beneficial to building your back muscles. I am currently using a Kakiclay pullup bar on Amazon, which can be used for multiple exercises on that single pullup bar. (This is not sponsored in anyway, it is just what I found on Amazon and seemed like it was worth its price.)

Day 1(Upper Body):

  • Pull-Ups, 3 sets x 8 reps, Muscle Worked: Latissimus Dorsi
  • Chin-Ups, 3 sets x 8 reps, Muscle Worked: Biceps, Lats, Rear Delts, Forearms
  • Push-Ups: 3 sets x 12-15 reps, Muscle Worked: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
  • Dips: 3 sets x 8-10 reps, Muscle Worked: Triceps, Chest, Shoulders
  • Plank: 3 sets x 30-60 seconds, Muscle Worked: Core(Abdomen)

Day 2: Rest Day

Day 3 (Lower Body and Core):

  • Squats, 3 sets x 12-15 reps, Muscle Worked: Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, and Lower Back
  • Lunges: 3 sets x 10 reps PER leg, Muscle Worked: Quads, Hamstrings, and Glutes.
  • Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps, Engage lower abs.
  • Russian Twists: 3 sets if 30 reps, Use a weight or water bottle if too easy, Strengthens: Oblique Muscles on the Sides of the Torso.

Day 4 (Plyometric and Conditioning):

  • Box Jumps, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes, Calves, Hamstrings, and Hip Flexors
  • Depth Jumps, 3 sets of 6-8 reps, Same muscles worked as box jumps
  • Squat Jumps, 3 sets of 12-15 reps, Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes, Calves, Hamstrings, Hip Flexors, and Lower Back Muscles
  • Lateral Bounds, 3 sets of 8-10 reps per side, Muscles Worked: Quads, Adductors, Abductors, Glutes, Calves, Hamstrings, and Hip Flexors
  • Burpees, 3 sets of 10-12 reps, Muscles Worked: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Core, Quads, and Hamstrings
  • Tuck Jumps, 3 sets of 12-15 reps, Same as Box Jumps
  • Clap Pushups, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, and Core

Day 5 (Upper Body and Endurance):

  • Pull-Ups: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
  • Push-Ups: 3 sets x 15-20 reps
  • Diamond Push-Ups: 3 sets 10-12 reps
  • Planks: 3 sets x 75-90 second

Day 6: Rest Day

Day 7 (Full Body Workout):

  1. Pull-Ups: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  2. Push-Ups: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
  3. Squats: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
  4. Hanging-Knee Raises 3 sets x 12-15 reps.
  5. Plank: 3 sets x 60 seconds

Remember that, the more proper form and less that you “cheat” out on your reps and workout, the better results that you will see, physically and mentally.

Make sure to stretch well before and after your daily workouts to avoid cramps and injuries. And make sure to consume protein after you work, out and carbs before you work out to supply you with energy.

Thank you for reading and viewing my calisthenics page! I wish you the best on your Calisthenics journey!

Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles

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Annie and the Old One is a Newbery Honor award-winning book by Miska Miles. Annie is a young Native American girl who is very close to her grandmother. Sometimes, when they are laughing together, Annie’s grandmother seems quite young. Other times, when her grandmother is quiet and still, Annie realizes that her grandmother is very old.

One day, Annie’s grandmother announces that she will “go to Mother Earth” when Annie’s mother finishes work on a new rug. Annie is deeply saddened at the thought of her grandmother passing away, so she decides that she must stop the rug from being completed. She does everything she can to delay her mother’s work on the rug. She even attempts to unweave the rug when her mother is not looking. Annie’s grandmother takes her to a quiet place in the desert, so that she can teach Annie about the meaning of life. Annie learns an important lesson from her wise grandmother that she will never forget.

This book is quite short, but I found it to be very poignant and meaningful. I especially liked the relationship between Annie and her grandmother. Annie’s behavior after learning that her grandmother would die seems understandable. I think most children would react in such a way to the death of a loved one. It was very touching to see how much Annie did not want to lose her grandmother. I was also impressed by the way Annie learned to cope with her feelings, out of respect for her grandmother’s teachings. I believe that this is an excellent book for children or anyone else to read about dealing with family death and finding purpose in life.

Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book Review: Catcher in the Rye

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I first read Catcher in the Rye in my sophomore English class. I thought it was boring and that my teacher was making me analyze words that meant absolutely nothing. I re-read it about a week ago, and I have to admit, she was definitely onto something. While it’s not on my ‘favorites’ list, Catcher in the Rye is a book I would read again willingly, and that’s good enough for me.

I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style going into it, as the references to the time period and some of the language were just too far off from what I’m used to. However, I was immersed in the story itself, and I really enjoyed it. It follows the story of a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield as he narrates the months of his most recent winter, and I thought it was a very honest book with a very honest main character. Holden is definitely not the best person to narrate his life. He’s extremely biased in favor of himself and he enjoys hating on every other person he comes into contact with, but it’s something about his cynicism that makes the book such an interesting read.

For me, Holden’s inner monologue was a character that I feel most people could relate to, although not to the extent that he feels things. He’s a bit rude and that’s something most teenagers resonate with, especially going through high school and early adult life while figuring out who they are. I didn’t like Catcher in the Rye at first, but I recommend giving it a try if you’re also trying to figure yourself out.

– Tanvi G.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Book Review: Liquid Rules- The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik

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It isn’t common that I do a non-fiction book for a book review, but this might be one of the first times because this book felt so interesting to read. In this book, Mark Miodownik briefly explains why some liquids are dangerous, and why some aren’t, as well as why coffee and tea tastes bitter, all in the course of one flight.

The book starts with a brief introduction to all the liquids the author has had taken away from him during airport security. At the start, The author boards a plane to attend a conference in San Francisco, he begins to explain how jet fuel has more energy than nitroglycerin, an extremely volatile explosive substance. Here, he also introduces Susan, a woman sitting next to him. Throughout the flight, he goes on to explain how the TV he is watching works, how airplanes went from being made of plywood to being made partially using glue. The journey ends with Miodownik realizing that the person he sat next to the whole time was actually the whole reason why he came to the meeting in the first place, as she was the keynote speaker of the conference

In my opinion, this book was really interesting as it took usually mundane things we use in our everyday lives, and delves deeper into how they work. Miodownik makes all of these things very fascinating through his very thorough explanations of how each of these things work, as well as their chemical properties. I would 100% recommend this book for anybody who is very interested in science.

Liquid Rules by Mark Miodownik is available to download for free from Libby.

The Fault in Our Stars: A Masterpiece

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The Fault in Our Stars has been talked about a lot. It’s moving, it’s tragic, it’s so wonderfully and horribly true.

(It’s making me wax poetic as we speak!)

I don’t know quite what I would say in a spoiler review, so instead let this post be here to convince you, to be that sign to check out TFIOS. You won’t regret it.

A sixteen year old girl named Hazel Grace has, as she puts it, lungs that “suck at being lungs.” She uses a cannula to breathe and carries an oxygen tank around; she suffers from thyroid cancer. Every week she goes to a cancer meeting of survivors and patients, as forced by her mother. Hazel, of course, is in the patients group- her disease is terminal and always has been.

Eventually, Augustus Waters, who has been cancer-free for a year and bears a prosthetic leg for his burden, comes into a meeting. And so the two click.

Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters; love in its rawest, purest, most untainted form. As John Green so famously wrote, and as Hazel Grace so famously said: “…I fell in love the way you fall asleep. Slowly, and then all at once.” 

Filled to the brim with enough wit and metaphors to last a lifetime, the pair thrives off of each other’s sharp and astute nature. Books and poems, the thrill of the chase.

It’s filled with rides and waves and those beautiful aha moments and those crushing, sweep you off your feet realizations. 

Oh, this book takes your heart and whips it up into a pretty cream just to drop it and watch it splatter on the sidewalk

In a good way, of course.

I developed a tendency to put mini-sticky bookmarks over particularly good quotes, scenes, or anything I might want to come back to.

And I have to say, this book is an endless trove of remarkable quotes – I ran out of bookmarks

I’ll have to stop here before I ramble on any longer. Seriously, genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, read this. Maybe there are a few tropes in the plot, but the writing far outweighs it. Brilliant execution.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It’s one of the best reads I’ve ever had.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

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Many self-help books encourage complete changes in lifestyle. While these can be helpful for some, many find it overwhelming, and often do not know where to start.

The book Atomic Habits by James Clear defines atomic as “an extremely small amount of a thing.” Unlike other books, the author emphasizes small changes to make big differences.

In the opening of the book, James Clear describes how he overcame his extremely painful baseball injury by improving his habits. Eventually, he started publishing online articles and launched his “Habits Academy” training program. The combination of his extensive background and inspirational journey build his credibility.

Clear often explains the false assumptions made about habits. One of my favorite ideas he presented was the “Plateau of Latent Potential.” He explains that many expect progress to be linear, but in reality, results will not appear until a breakthrough occurs. He uses analogies and illustrations to better help the reader understand.

Another one of my favorite ideas presented was making habits easy. He explains that relying on motivation will make it difficult to complete your goals on harder days.

Explains that making habits easier will “reduce the friction”. Preparing your environment by laying out everything you need beforehand is a great way to make things simpler.

Other helpful techniques include habit stacking, making scorecards, and using habit trackers.

In addition, the author explains that you have to change and reinforce your identity. This way, habits will be less focused on what you want to do, and more on what you want to become. This also involves surrounding yourself with a culture/community with similar goals.

Not only does Clear explain how to build new habits, but also how to break bad ones. He uses many of the same ideas, but in the opposite manner. Some methods of breaking bad habits include increasing friction, reducing your exposure, and finding an accountability partner.

Moreover, the author includes a chart of the 4 Laws of Habits. The chart slowly fills up as you progress through the book. The final version of the chart is shown to the left.

Finally, Clear provides insightful summaries and key take aways at end of the chapter. This makes it easy to refresh on older concepts.

Overall, this book is much more accessible to a general audience and makes the process of building habits less overwhelming. Summaries, analogies, and graphs/illustrations, make the book more interesting,

Atomic Habits by James Clear is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: Kate Chopin

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Influential and inspirational, author Kate Chopin is a notable individual for her necessary contribution to American literature.

Acting as one of the earliest feminists in her time, Kate Chopin wrote frequently in hope of defying the societal norms for a woman in the mid to late 19th century. Chopin embodies this  same mindset as reflected in her novels, such as The Awakening in which she uses a strong female character to show what it means to develop a sense of individuality.

Around the world, Chopin is recognized as one of the world’s most essential author’s, and the lessons within her novels have transcended the era in which they were written. 

Like many other important authors to us today, Chopin was criticized during her time–even having her books banned–as her work was controversial in nature. For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate and commend the impact her work has had on female writers worldwide as she was often disregarded during her own time.

Chopin’s work helps us to understand many themes such as existentialism, transcendentalism, and realism, in order to see how these themes were perceived throughout history. Her work itself was often influenced by her personal life and her beliefs as a woman who fought the incarcerating gender roles experienced in the 19th century.

If you happen to stumble upon a writer whose work was once banned due to it sparking controversy, consider their position and learn more about them. Oftentimes, the books that were the most poorly received during their conception are the most impactful to our lives today.

– Taylor O.

Works by Kate Chopin are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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Juliette Ferrars has been locked in an asylum for over 264 days by the Reestablishment due to her ability to kill anybody with a single touch. One day, she is suddenly introduced to her new cellmate, Adam Kent, who just happens to be an old friend from her past. With the Reestablishment planning to use her as a new torture weapon, Juliette must make a choice in order to preserve her newfound freedom.

Overall, I really liked this book. Each character was very unique with their own backstory and voice, which made it really easy to tell when the character POV switched from Juliette to Warner in the sequel, Destroy Me. The characters felt like real people that you could relate to and I loved how they all had their opinions and ideas on what Juliette should do. Plus, Juliette’s character development was really great as she went from unsure and scared to starting to become more confident and embracing her powers near the end.

Personally, I feel like Warner and Juliette have more chemistry together than Juliette and Adam, but I can’t wait to learn more about Warner and his backstory as the series continues. I’d definitely recommend this book to anybody who’s a fan of books like The Hunger Games or the Delirium Trilogy.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.