You do not have to go to every single work function; however, you should do your best to make it to the big events (Christmas Party?) At these “work events” you should do your best to make the time worthwhile. Introduce yourself to someone you have never had the chance to meet, have a meaningful conversation with someone who could be vital in your career, or if you’re the boss…make everyone realize you are not a heartless bastard by letting your guard down a little and having fun. But…Above everything else…Stay sober. The last thing you want is for everyone coming away from the event remembering a career limiting decision you made in front of everyone. These events can be a great chance to show people you are interesting and a good guy, but it can also be the ruin of lesser men. Know your limits. Two or three drinks over two hours, maybe three or four over a longer time span….but don’t push your luck.
Flickr credits: Mothlike
One of the greatest signs of strength is someone’s ability to control their own bodyweight. Pull-ups may very well be the most difficult standard bodyweight exercise…People generally skip on pull-ups for one reason. They are hard. If you don’t have the pull-up in your workout routine, ADD IT TODAY.
It should be noted that all of these exercises begin with arms fully extended, and end with the chin passing above the bar without any stretching of the neck.
Here are 24 different variations of pull-ups you might want to try:
1. Strict pull-up: Plain old pull-up, no kipping, no wiggling, just chin over the bar.
2. Kipping pull-up: a pull-up, which uses momentum, generated with movement from the feet, shoulders, hips and torso (google: kipping pull-up for more definitions)
3. Chin-up: Similar to a pull-up but hand grip is reversed to palms face back toward you, rather than away from you.
4. L-Pull up: When hanging from the bar, lift legs up so they are parallel to the ground, if someone looked at you from the side your upper body would be perpendicular to your lower body. While keeping your body in the L shape do a regular pull-up bringing your chin over the bar.
5. Side-to-Side pull-up: Do a regular pull-up but at the top of the pull-up, while the chin is above the bar. Move your head over to your right hand, then back to the left over your left hand.
6. Crunch pull-up: While hanging from the bar bring your knees and feet into your chest so your body is crunched up into a ball, then do pull yourself up until the chin crosses the bar.
7. V-pull up: A variant of the L pull-up, bring your feet up almost to your hands so that your body is in the shape of a V.
8. One-Arm pull-up: Using one arm (with the other arm hanging), do a full pull-up. Sounds challenging, but it can be done.
9. Close Grip pull-up: Keep the hands close together.
10. Dyno pull-ups: One of my favorites. Do a pull-up, but as you get to the top of the pull-up, release one hand and reach up as high as possible (this works best if you have a target about 2 feet higher than the bar to reach for.)
11. Chest to Bar: Make sure the chest touches the bar on each and every pull-up. Discipline.
12. Plank pull-ups: Very challenging. Hold your body in a plank position so it is perpendicular to the floor and pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.
13. Right-Side pull-ups: Hold the bar with each hand on opposite sides of the bar (Your body will be in position so that if you don’t move to the right or left when you pull-up, your head will hit the bar). Pull up and move your head to the right of the bar…go up until your shoulder touches the bar.
14. Left-Side pull-ups: Hold the bar with each hand on opposite sides of the bar (Your body will be in position so that if you don’t move to the right or left when you pull-up, your head will hit the bar). Pull up and move your head to the left of the bar…go up until your shoulder touches the bar.
15. Wide-Grip pull-ups: Use a very wide grip
16. Circle pull-ups: Starting at the hang position, move your body in a circle so that at the hang position that is the bottom of the circle, and the normal position at the top of a pull-up is the top of the circle
17. Thick Bar pull-ups: Do pull-ups on a much thicker bar than usual
18. Towel pull-ups: drape a towel over the pull up bar, grasp each end of the towel in a different hand. do pull-ups either straight up or side to side.
19. Fingertip pull-ups: Rather than taking a full hand grip of the bar, try using only your fingertips
20. Weighted pull-ups: use a dumbbell, kettlebell, weighted vest, or anything else to add weight to yourself.
21. Paused pull-ups: Pause for 3 seconds at the top of your pull-up
22. Mixed grip pull-up: One hand grips like a chin-up, one like a pull-up
23. Slow descent pull-up: Go very slow on the descent of the pull-up.
24. Resistance pull-up: Use a band or someone holding you as resistance to going up on the pull up
As I mentioned briefly above, there is only one real way to call something a pull-up. You must start the pull up with your arms fully extended, and end with the entire head above the bar.
Thank you to all who have been reading this blog so far. I encourage comments to start discussion , give feedback, or offer suggestion. If you like what you have read please use the “add this” bar to tell Digg, stumbleUpon, or any other site that you enjoyed the post. And again, thank you all for reading.
Flickr Credits: .B.P.M.
What is the Federal Reserve?
The Federal Reserve is the central banking system of the United States of America. The president appoints 9 members to the “Board of Governors”, with one Chairman of the Board (Currently Ben Bernanke, formerly Alan Greenspan.) There are 12 Federal Reserve Banks scattered across the U.S. that are basically tools for the Federal Reserve to control the U.S. financial universe. The Federal Reserve is an independent institution within the U.S. Government, and it does not operate in order to make a profit, however it does make enough money to cover its operating expenses.
What does the Federal Reserve do?
The Federal Reserve is tasked with the job of regulating the monetary policy of the United States, in a way that encourages low unemployment and sound economic growth. Hmmm…sounds easy enough
What is “The Interest Rate”?
The “interest rate” which we hear so much about is actually the federal funds rate. This rate is the rate at which banks loan money to other banks (very short-term, usually overnight.) The fed funds rate is not actually SET by the Federal Reserve, rather it is a “market” rate. Meaning, the price for money (rate) is determined just like anything else, supply and demand. When the Federal Reserve announces the fed funds rate, what they are announcing is their TARGET. The Federal Reserve then influences this rate by buying or selling Treasury Securities in the open market (just like you or I could).
(Quick Lesson on how this works: By buying Treasury securities the fed is taking investments out of the open market and putting cash into it. This cash will eventually find its way into a bank. Since the banks have more cash they will all be more willing to lend cash to one another…greater supply, less demand, the price of money (interest rate) will drop. Obviously the opposite is true if the Federal Reserve decides to sell Treasuries)
What does this mean to me?
In very simple terms, the federal funds rate more or less directly effects the interest rates you see in your day-to-day lives. If the fed funds rate drops significantly, you will see that you can get a pretty good rate on a mortgage or a car loan…but on the flipside you aren’t going to get much of an interest rate on your savings account.
A couple interesting facts on the Federal Reserve:
- The Federal Reserve Bank in NY holds more gold than anywhere else in the United States. Even more than Ft. Knox
- Any earnings the Federal Reserve makes beyond its expenses, are turned over to the Treasury
Thank you to all who have been reading this blog so far. I encourage comments to start discussion , give feedback, or offer suggestion. If you like what you have read please use the “add this” bar to tell digg, stumbleUpon, or any other site that you enjoyed it. Again, thank you all for reading.
Flickr Credits: epicharmus
