Brand Journalism
Paradigm Gym
Best way to introduce and implement fitness into your lifestyle.
Getting into the gym can be a scary thing, right? It can be intimidating seeing all the fitness junkies around and feeling like the only one not knowing what to do. Here are some ways to start with these easy-to-follow tips.
1. Don’t wait to start healthy habits
It takes almost three months for a behavior to become a habit. Habits do not develop overnight. Fitness is a lifestyle, and taking time to implement something new into your routine takes practice. Never feel that there is a wait for the right time; the right time is now. How many months have passed since you’ve said you were going to start at the gym? There are 24 hours in a day; if eight hours of sleep were to be taken out, that leaves 16. Now, take out an hour and 30 minutes. That leaves 14.5 hours left in a day to do all other responsibilities. Sounds like enough time. The trick is to go about this starting small. Begin by taking a small part of your day to do a quick 30-minute workout. Over time, gradually increase the time slot made. Never forget to remain consistent; one can only reap the benefits if you increase the time they spend working out.
2. Do research for you
Everyone’s body is different. What works for one person may not work for the other. With so many variations of workouts on the rise, it tends to get a bit overwhelming. The best way to start is by identifying your own body type. This medically reviewed article by Everyday Health offers a simple first look into the different types of bodies. It shows the differing body types and what one should focus on to undergo the proper training. Although a workout may implement a spike it the heart rate, it still may not be showing you the results that you are looking for. For example, a pear-shaped body carries the majority of weight around the thighs, hips and buttocks. Aerobic exercises like cycling tend to work best to help tone the lower body. Not knowing what to do or where to start can be very intimidating for a first-time gym goer. Not only will this allow one to know more about their body, but also bring them one step closer to the gym.
3. Challenge yourself and set goals
Working toward your own self-made goal can be one of the most motivational tools out there. Taking the time to sit down and journal your day pushes you to accomplish the goals you have set in place for yourself. It takes about two weeks to feel the result, four weeks to see it and another two for people to start noticing it too. A great way to start is by writing down all your daily goals. When those are conquered, expand it to weekly goals. There are also so many challenges that can be done. A 2015 study done by the UC Berkeley Engineering Leadership Professional Program found that challenges can increase motivation and retention, making workouts more fun and enjoyable. Nike offers multiple free training circuits on different types of workouts. All that is required is to download the app, set up a profile and enter the beginning of the journey.
4. Implement rest and recovery
With all the newfound excitement of building a relationship with the gym, rest and recovery are often overlooked. When one starts to see results, it is natural for someone to want to do it as much as possible in hopes of seeing those results reach their full potential. Building a healthy lifestyle circulates around the body’s overall health. Knowing when your body needs to recover is more important than getting that last rep in. It is important to cease excessive movement so you can allow yourself to relax and refresh. Studies have shown that recovery after training returns your body to a state of balance. It has been said that up to 72 hours of recovery is needed after working a specific muscle group. There are a multitude of different ways to help the body. It can start with something as simple as refueling your body with the proper nutritional foods. When you sweats, you lose a lot of water in the body; that is when proper rehydration is in order. Lastly, using infrared therapy for improved circulation or something as simple as a sauna to release tension in the muscles is beneficial. Fitness does not need to be a hard-core rigorous process. Everyone’s body is different; it is about finding what’s perfect for you.
Facebook Post: Getting into the gym can be an intimidating thing. Where does one even start? Here are some quick and easy ways to get started.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chinyere Akuechiama
Phone Number: 832-870-0361
Email: chinyerew.a02@gmail.com
Biology professor’s traveler guide on family and teaching higher education
The impactful nature of travell on students and families.
(DENTON, Texas- Sept. 22, 2022) Imagine you are getting ready to pack for a big trip. Let the chill of anxiety and thrill flow through your body for a few minutes before you realize it is time to pack. Now, imagine that you are now packing. To ease your mind, you start to hum to the tune of a song. The song “Cat’s in the Cradle” is a good one, but it is highly unlikely that it is the song you thought of first. When it comes to travel, Warren Burggren would argue that this is the perfect song to describe it.
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Warren Burggren, Ph.D., a biology professor at the University of North Texas is no stranger to traveling. Racking up more than 2 million airline miles, Burggren has seen more of the world than anyone would think possible. From the start of his career, travel fast became something close to a requirement. It posed as something beneficial to his career and something that took a little time away from his family.
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“A sort of requisite for biology was traveling,” Burggren says. “Specifically environmental physiology which required you to arrive at a certain place to study a particular problem.”
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Environmental physiology is the study of the environment and how it effects living organisms. Burggren was able to travel for research on that subject in places such as Denmark, Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan, Canada and many other countries. This gave him expanded knowledge on his craft. It positively effects his teaching style and the way his students pick up his lectures. He calls it his spoken travelogue.
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“Many of my students say my travelogue enriches the course material,” he says. “I love to share my travels with my students.”
Daisy Chukwu, an undergraduate biology student at the University of North Texas is among the many students of Burggren’s this semester. Chukwu looks forward to his lectures every class due to the way he entices the students with stories and pictures of his travels.
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“I say that him having traveled to all these places gives him more information to work with,” she says. “He has seen all the things he talks about, and the pictures he has give evidence to substantiate what he teaches.”
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Like a true student of science, she believes that it is always useful to have evidence to back your claims.
“His experience makes the subject all more real, interesting and believable.” Chukwu says.
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His fascination with science matured at a very young age. It has always been a part of him. Since the beginning, he knew he was interested in it way more than anything else.
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“Skip the part where my mother thought I was the most beautiful child in the world, I was born in Southern Alberta, Canada.” he says. “I spent a lot of time throwing rocks, etching snakes and bringing them back in jars.”
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Burggren showed an interest in life at quite an early age. All throughout middle school and high school, his focus was on his science courses where he excelled. When it was time for college, it was a no brainer; he knew science was what he wanted to do. That passion for the subject was how he made first class honors in his undergraduate.
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“I studied zoology,” he says. “That created the pathway to what I do now.”
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After getting his Ph.D. in physiology, Burggren would soon begin his journey in education. With 45 years of teaching to his name, Burggren still continues to show the same enthusiasm for the subject as he did when he was a just a student himself.
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“I have been to 43 countries.” Burggren says, “You get into teaching higher education by virtue of extensive research in a discipline, and I was tossed into the hopper based off my expertise.”
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With such passion and dedication, he became a master in his craft. He was awarded as a Fellow of the American Physiology Society, among many others. He has also done a number of consulting for publications about science. From Encyclopedia Britannica to Houghton Mifflin, Burggren never misses an oppurtunity to spread knowledge about his passion. His children are no exception.
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If there was one regret Burggren has regarding his career, it is not spending as much time with his family as he would have liked. Harry Chapin once sang about having planes to catch, and bills to pay; Burggren compares himself to that 1974 song, and that happens when travel takes up a good percentage of your profession.
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However, his relationships with all four of his children are great. The most recent trip he took with his wife was going out to see one of them who lives in New York. His passion for science even influenced another one of his children, who studied anthropology and archeology during their undergraduate years.
Burggren would agree with the lyrics that every time he came home, they’d all have a good time then.
Feature Story
Warren Burggren was inducted into The American Physiology Society (Top left) and was elected as the first foreigner to be president of The University of Mexico State (Top right).
Burggren’s students are able to see his favorite souvenirs from all the 43 countries he has been to when visiting his office.
Youtube Script
Video title: The Secret to Abs uncovered - Paradigm Gym
Video
Audio
[0:00-0:10] LONG SHOT
Brian Casad (owner and Trainer) walks in through double doors of a small gym and walks a few steps before standing more toward the center of the gym in front of two yoga mats
“Hey! My name is Brian Casad, owner and trainer here at Paradigm Gym. Today, I am going to help you all understand the ways behind having a strong core and abs.
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[10 seconds] LONG SHOT OF:
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Two of his fellow trainers Ashley Pitts and Buddy Abel. They both walk in and each of them stand on a yoga mat. Brian moves off to the side of them so they are centered, but is still a few paces in front of them.
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“We will be doing this today with two of our trainers Ashley and Buddy. Ashley will be demonstrating how to do the advanced version of each workout, and Buddy will be demonstrating how to do a simpler, but still effective version.”
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[10 seconds] ZOOM IN AND PAN:
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Focus on Brian walking a bit more to his left, beside a TV showing a PowerPoint highlighting key points to know when trying to get a strong core and abs.
“Now before we get into the workout, let’s have a little lesson on how the body works. A lot of people think that simply training the body gets you the results you are looking for, but that is only a small part of the process.”
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[10 seconds] ZOOM OUT INTO LONG SHOT:
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Brian stands to the side of the TV and demonstrates content displaying on the screen that reads “What to do and what to don’t”
“I know, you didn’t ask for a science lesson. Good news, this is not too difficult to grasp. The science of it is pretty simple, it’s just implicating it into your daily routine that may be the hard part. I like to call it what to do and what to don’t."
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[8 seconds] STAY IN ZOOM AND LONG SHOT:
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Slide changes to a shot of someone doing a lot of crunches and sit-ups.
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“First, we need to stop doing excessive sit-ups and crunches. Before we start physically training our core, we need to work from the inside out.”
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[15 seconds] STAY IN ZOOM AND LONG SHOT:
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Switches to next slide showing a woman eating healthy foods and a phone in her hand showing a calorie tracking app.
“Tracking your calories is probably the last thing you want to do. Trust me, I’ve been there. However, it can be very beneficial. Making sure you are in the proper calorie deficit is key when wanting to ensure result. There are a few calorie deficit calculators I like that will be linked down below for you to check out.
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[11 seconds] STAY IN ZOOM AND LONG SHOT:
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Goes to next slide showing a plate of food with tiny portions of vegetables, rice and fish.
“That brings me into this next step. A calorie deficit doesn’t necessarily mean you should start eating less. No, you still need the appropriate amount of nutrients entering your body. Eating too little may increase your cravings for things that could potentially hinder you from moving forward.”
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[15 seconds] STAY IN ZOOM AND LONG SHOT:
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Goes To next slide showing a mathematical equation of “65kg x 2g = 130g”
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“Protein is also the key. Someone who weighs 143 pounds is 65 kilograms. It is good to eat about 1.6 grams to two grams of protein per body weight. If that person chooses higher protein and goes with two, they can then multiply their 65 kilograms by two and get 130 grams of protein to intake daily.
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[10 seconds] STAY IN ZOOM AND LONG SHOT:
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Goes to last slide showing a loop of a man doing cardio.
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“Lastly, your workout. Spot weight loss is never a good thing. Overall weight loss is way better. Try to incorporate an ab routine into any workout you are doing that day. Whether you are lifting weights or doing cardio.”
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[5 seconds] ZOOM IN AND PAN:
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Brian walks to his right, back to where he was in the beginning. His trainers remain standing with their hands on their hips.
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“So, what workouts should I be doing Brian? That is what you are probably asking. Well, here we are about to show you.
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[10 seconds] ZOOM OUT AND LONG SHOT:
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Brian stands to the side while Ashley and Buddy get onto the mat in a plank position. Kettle bells to the left of them. They then cross the kettle bell underneath them to the other side and repeat this process.
[5 seconds] ZOOM IN CLOSE UP:
Ashley and Buddy continue with the workout. Buddy drops his plank to his knees.
“First is the kettlebell cross plank. Get yourself in a plank position and then with your right arm, reach under you to the left toward the kettlebell, and bring it over to your right side. Then do the same with your left hand to the left side. Repeat this process for 30 seconds.”
“Try not to sway when doing this; and to make the workout easier, drop to your knees like Buddy.”
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[5 seconds] CUT TO ZOOM AND LONG SHOT:
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Brian is still positioned to the side of the demonstrators. Ashley and Buddy are now standing in the middle of the yoga mat, no longer next to kettle bells.
[10 SECONDS] ZOOM OUT LONG SHOT:
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Ashley and Buddy get onto their back and begin to extend their hands behind their head with their legs extended out flat to the mat. They then bring their arms and legs to their center.
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“Now onto the next workout. One of my favorites, V-UPS.”
“Extend your arms flat above your head and your legs flat onto the mat. Then use your core to bring your arms and legs to the center of you like a V. Slightly lifting your upper back, keeping your lower back steady.”
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[6 seconds] ZOOM INTO CLOSE UP:
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Camera goes to Buddy who is now sitting with his legs extended, and only lifting his upper body up with his hands extended touching his toes.
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“To make it easier, don’t worry about lifting your legs. Just lift yourself up keeping your arms extended and touching your toes. Never forget to engage that core and repeat this for 30 seconds.”
[5 seconds] CUT TO ZOOM OUT LONG SHOT:
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Ashley and Buddy are now standing in the middle of their yoga mats again.
[10 seconds] STAY IN ZOOM AND LONG SHOT:
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Brian remains standing ahead of the mats, slightly angled to the side.
“Now onto the next workout. Sitting Tuck ins. Sit on your glutes and extend your arms out in front of you. Bring your knees into your chest, and then extend them out.
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[8 seconds] ZOOM IN AND CLOSE UP:
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The shot zooms into Buddy who then places his hands behind his back doing the modified version of the workout.
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“To make it easier, go ahead and place your hands behind you and press your palms into the floor. Remember it is important to always keep your core engaged. Repeat this for 30 seconds.
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[5 seconds] CUT TO MID SHOT:
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Ashley and Buddy have now left. Brian is shown still by the TV once again.
[10 seconds]: CLOSE UP:
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The focus is now on the content on the TV.
“Those are not all the workouts that you can do, but they are ones that I recommend you do after each workout.
“Getting abs requires a lot of discipline, especially with your diet. My recommendation to you is to develop a relationship with what you eat before you get into the gym. When you start to get into the gym and need workouts, refer back to this video; we’ll give you a great head start.”
[8 seconds] FADE:
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Paradigm gym logo with a black background is shown.
5815 Live Oak St Unit 104, Dallas, TX 75214
V/O: “For more information on our facility, go to our website, or come check us out! We’d love to meet you.”