Proper Workout Attire

Being an avid gym goer, I have started to notice people who have no idea what they are doing in the gym, let along wearing the right clothes. Granted, I was certainly that way when I started working out at the beginning of the semester–no idea what weights to use, how to work the elliptical, or even where the gym was (not kidding)! So, in this post, I will give my two energy bars (again, cents is over-rated) about workout attire.

Keep Comfort in Mind
It is important to wear clothing you are comfortable in. Clothes that allow airflow (i.e. not cotton) are the best. Whatever you chose to wear, whether it be a t-shirt and shorts, sweatpants, or windpants, make sure you will be able to workout in it. I saw a guy working out in jeans the other day and I just started to laugh.

Be Safe
A lot of people choose to exercise after they get off work or early in the morning when others are commuting to work. It is important here to stay safe and wear bright clothes so passer-bys can see you, and be courteous. If exercising at night, reflective clothes and shoes are also highly recommended….even one of the bright construction vests would work well.

Use the right shoes
The right pair of shoes is important for your workout. If you are doing weight lifting and lighter cardio workouts, a cross training shoe is perfect. If you run or jog on a regular basis, a running shoes is order so it gives you the cushioning and support while on your run. If looking for a great cross-training shoe I own the New Balance NBZip 8515–I’ve had them for over two months, and they are holding up really well for going to the gym six days a week.

For proper nutrition, please consider my great tasting all natural energy bars, made right here in the Green Mountain State.

Subscribe to my blog to receive my entries in your e-mail every day. Keep looking back for tips on what you should be doing at the gym and proper nutrition before and after your workout.

Michael
Owner and Health and Fitness Nut
Eddie’s Energy Bars

“The Best Handmade Energy Bar EVER!”

NorthFace, Country Music, and Energy Bars

Good Sunday morning to everyone!

I am writing today about something that I have noticed on campus in the past few days….the Bryant University campus should be sponsored by NorthFace. It really should. 75% of the students here have an article of NorthFace clothing whether it be a vest, winter jacket, fleece, t-shirt, or backpack. I might call NorthFace and ask them to sponsor our school. A friend just told me that he saw in the Princeton Review that Bryant is a Northface and Abercrombie & Fitch school…haha. Parts of that are true, although it’s more Polo here. Speaking of clothes, I went to an Emerson Drive concert last week, and I was with my “Vermont” kind–the people that wear plaid and jeans with work boots. There are a lot of those kinds of people in Vermont, along with Outdoorsy types–those that buy my energy bars–and I thank them a lot for that! Want to be a Vermonter like those mentioned above? Start by buying some all natural, made in Vermont Eddie’s Energy Bars–a staple of the state.

On another tangent–it snowed AGAIN last night in Rhode Island. It was 55 degrees and not a cloud in the sky in the morning…then….it got cloudy, cold, rain, hail, snow, everything–YUCK! It was spring on Thursday–where did it go? Someone, if you have the answer, please leave me a comment, and I will be sure to get back to you.

In upcoming news, the Eddie’s Energy Bars one year anniversary is coming up on April 5th! I think a little customer appreciation is in order! Be on the look out for crazy deals on my website, as well as here on the blog. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to receive updates, coupons, and nutritious articles written by yours truly.

And I’m Out.

Michael
Eddie’s Energy Bars

“The Best Handmade Energy Bar EVER!”

Energy Bars–they were much needed this week!

Whew! What a week. I have been so busy with school I haven’t blogged in 3 days (sorry about that). It seems that all of my professors have dumped homework on me at the same time…reminds me of high school but just ten times the work. What do I do to get through all this work? I eat energy bars for a great snack, and the extra boost  gets me through the last couple pages of Liars Poker, the book I am reading for my english class. By the way–I think I am going to set a personal record and finish a 250 page book in 5 days! Honestly, it’s kind of a dry book so far–about corporate finance, mortgages, and bonds at Salmon Bros. Not really my cup of tea.

Speaking of personal records, the location of the beCAUSE show in Essex Junction, VT has changed. It will now be located at Grace United Methodist Church on Maple St in the Junction. It is the church directly to the right of the ADL School, just up from Maple St Park. It’s on Saturday, April 14th from 9-4. I am donating 50% of profits to the Sam Cohn Foundation, so be sure to stop by and support Sam, and many other great charities and causes.

Lastly, Eddie’s Energy Bars has started the Eddie’s Energy Bars Corporate Energy Program. It is a great way to thank employees, co-workers, or customers for showing a great amount of effort and determination in your company. Buy them some energy bars today!

Back to reading now!
Everyone enjoy the weekend!

Michael, hardworker and energy bar manufacturer

Networking is Leadership

I have never really thought about networking as being so important, but it really is. I went to a seminar yesterday on how to work a career fair. Bryant’s Spring Career Fair is tomorrow, and I want to make sure I am prepared and ready to interact with a lot of the employers. But, what exactly is a freshman to do at a career fair? Aren’t all career fairs for Juniors and Seniors looking for jobs and internships? Well, yes, but as I freshman, I still would like to harness the opportunity to put myself out there early and in contact with many of these (possibly future) employers. This could potentially mean a great deal when I am actually looking for a job out of college or an internship over the summer, because I made that contact with the company freshman year of college, and I kept up with them..very important. Here were a few tips that I liked at this presentation:

• Be Prepared and Arrive Early
  I know, a lot of people who like to arrive fashionably late to events, because it’s “cool”. Well, that wouldn’t be so smart. The smart thing to do would be to come early. Coming early provides you with the extra time to walk around, survey the scene, and locate the potential employers you plan on talking to. Before you talk to those employees, make sure you are prepared. Have a resume or two handy, you’ve done your company research, and your thirty second “commercial” about yourself should be running through your head. Firm handsdhakes and eye contact are key here.
• How you conduct yourself during the conversation is key
  When greeting an employer, a firm handshake and eye contact are important. Make sure you show enthusiasm when introducting yourself during your thirty second commercial. If you are dull and boring, that’s what you will get in return, dull and boring. Need a boost of energy before the networking event? Grab an all natural no preservative energy bar that is sure to give you some excitement! Showing enthusiasm is an integral part of networking. It shows the employer that you are interested in the company, and that you would like to learn more. Other things of importance: try to avoid eating or drinking at this event, and remember, this is not the event for you to be “cool”. It’s an event where you should be giving employer’s all of your attention.
• Follow Up–Probably the most important
  After finishing your conversation with the employer or small business person, make sure to thank them for their time. Within 48 hours after the event, make sure to shoot a quick e-mail to the employer(s) just saying thank you. It’s as simple as that.Networking is key, so take that key, and open a door to a whole bunch of new opportunities awaiting you! Networking has helped me immensly in how I have conducted business over the past year. Think of how it can help you!Michael, Entrepreneur and Networking Nut.
  Eddie’s Energy Bars

  “The Best Handmade Energy Bar EVER!”

I live two different eating and exercising lives…Odd.

While I was back home, I had an interestaing discussion with my parents and my grandmother. We discussed how we lead two different lives. One is our vacation life, and the other is our home life. In one life, we eat normally, exercise regularly, but in the other life we eat way too much food and don’t exercise at all.
In my case, home is college, where I eat healthy for every meal, and I exercise six days a week. This method has definately been working as I am down to 194 pounds, and I have never felt better!

However, when I go back to Vermont to see family, I am completely different. I barely have any motivation to go workout (I managed to workout once over break..but I was pretty busy), and I eat a lot of snacks I shouldn’t be eating, and bigger food portions (maybe it’s because the food I eat at home is homemade, or nice restaurant quality.)
It is so weird to think about your life in two different ways. The trick here, is to maintain one common lifestyle, no matter where you are: your living room, the beach in Florida, or even your college dorm room (if anyone reads this that is in college, you know what I am talking about…making the grocery store runs to fill your dorm room up with sugar loaded foods, but you should be making healthy food choices). If you maintain a common lifestyle throughout, it will only become second nature to you in how much you eat, what you eat, and when you eat it. If your family has a candy dish in the kitchen, get rid of it. This eliminates calories that shouldn’t be consumed anyway. It will be amazing to see what just this little change can do for your lifestlye. It should make you open up the fridge and find a piece of fruit, which is way more filling than a handful of M & M’s, and it has less calories!

This is what our family has done at our house: we have gotten rid of all the “junk food”, and it has been replaced with much healthier alternatives like fruit, veggies, yogurt, crackers, and salad galore! It was such a easy choice to make, for the health and well being of my family. Now, instead of talking about the awesome flavor of Doritos that just came out, we talk about how good fruit salad can be in the afternoon!

So, even the smallest of changes can lead to a healthier lifestyle. Think about what you can do to help yourself, and your family today! Maybe it’s buying some energy bars and eating them as a snack with a piece of fruit, or it could be as simple as throwing out all the bags of greasy potato chips.

Enjoy the Sun!

Michael
Eddie’s Energy Bars