World bowls – a history

World Bowls – a History

Bowls is a sport that is played and followed by millions throughout the world. It is a game of skill and precision rather than physical fitness and has therefore often been associated as a game for the older generation. However, many of the upcoming champions are becoming increasingly younger and the sport has spent recent years making its competitions quicker and more colourful to encourage followers.

Bowls can be played indoors or outdoors, and the rules are the same for both. Put simply, the aim of the game is to get your bowls as close as possible to a small white ball called the ‘jack’.

In the singles competition, one of the two opponents flips a coin and begins a segment of the competition by placing the mat and rolling the jack to the other end of the green to serve as a target. Once it has come to rest, the jack is aligned to the canter of the rink and the players take turns to roll their bowls from the mat towards the jack.

When all the bowls have been played, a competitor or team gets one point for each of their bowls that is closer to the jack than the opponent’s closest bowl.

After all the bowls have been played, the direction is reversed which signals the end of an end.

In group games, the team captain always plays last and has a key role in directing the team’s shots and tactics.

Although it sounds easy, the fact that the bowls are not completely round and do not therefore travel in a straight line, means there is a great level of skill and tactics involved to win a match.

The game of Bowls has a distinctive history, dating all the way back to the Egyptians. Based on artefacts found in tombs dating circa 5,000 B.C, it appears that the Egyptians used to enjoy playing a version of skittles using round stones.

Different versions of this form of game then spread throughout the world and can be seen in the many types of bowls games played today. In Italy the game Bocce developed, which is a precision sport closely related to bowls with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire. In France the famous game of Boules arose from Bowls. This is a game that is played using metal balls, often on unusual and challenging terrain such as sand. The aim of the game is to get your large, heavy balls as close as possible to the small, white ‘jack’.

The traditional game of bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, has particularly developed popularity throughout England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and more recently, Denmark. The oldest recorded bowls green is in Southampton, England, which dates back to 1299.

There are also many famous bowling fans throughout English history. Perhaps one of the most infamous in bowls folklore is Sir Francis Drake who, according to legend, insisted on completing his game of bowls in Plymouth before setting sail to confront the Spanish Armada in 1588.

King Henry VIII and King James I were also said to be keen lawn bowlers and even introduced bowling legislation for their subjects!

In 1903, the English Bowling Association was officially founded and began to organise and direct clubs and competitions. Previously competitions had always taken place but for the first time an extensive league and organised contests sprang up.

Indoor variations of the bowls game also appeared, largely due to the problem of the English winter stopping outdoor play. Indoor Bowls is simply the indoor version of Lawn Bowls, which is played on strips of artificial green a similar length to Lawn Bowls rinks.

All versions of the sport have now grown enormously and there is a wealth of leagues, clubs, amateur and professional bowling leagues and competitions throughout the world.

World Bowls grew out of the Commonwealth Games when it was first held 70 years ago (then known as the Empire Games). It was originally intended that only athletics would form part of the games but bowlers successfully convinced the organisers to have bowling included and it has been played at the games ever since. Top stars from both indoor and outdoor formats now come together to play lawn bowls at the Commonwealth Games.

One of the largest bowling event organisers today, is the World Bowls Tour (WBT) – a limited company formed in September 1996 by the Professional Bowls Association, and the two major governing bodies for world flat green bowls, World Bowls Ltd and the World Indoor Bowls Council (WIBC).

The primary object of WBT is to set up a series of premier bowls events at which the top players in the world can play.

One of the most exciting competitions in the UK World Bowls Tour calendar is the World Indoor Bowls Championships that take place at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton, Norfolk. The event has been hosted at Potters for the last eight years (since 1999) and 2007 will see the event take place there once again for the ninth year running.

As on other previous years, 2007 will see professional players come together from throughout the world, to take part in televised matches including singles, pairs and mixed pairs.

The World Indoor Bowls championships take place at Potters Leisure Resort (more details can be found at pottersholidays.com)

Burn the fat, feed the muscle: can you possibly fail with this program

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: Can You Possibly Fail With This Program

If you haven’t noticed, the #1 best selling diet and fitness ebook for the last 3 years is a book called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. However, best selling doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best. Can you really fail with the Burn the Fat Program?

Surprisingly, the answer is a resounding YES.

And here’s how:

Tom Venuto has absolutely packed his program full of information. In fact, he over-delivers in this respect. How can that be a bad thing you may ask?

Simple, most people fall into a form of “analysis paralysis” when they are overloaded with information. You see, the Burn the Fat program itself is around 337 pages. Then, stack on the healthy load of bonuses that make the purchase really worth it and you have an absolute nightmare for a person that’s in perpetual information gathering mode.

So what’s the answer?

Simple, just remember that you only need 75% of the information in order to get moving. In fact, the great Lee Iacocca once said:

“I have always found that if I move with seventy-five percent or more of the facts that I usually never regret it. It’s the guys who wait to have everything perfect that drive you crazy.”

Therefore, one could make the argument that having too much information could be just as harmful as having too little.

Also, the Law of Diminishing Returns states that it will take just as much time (or more) to find out and understand this remaining 25% as it did to figure out the first 75%.

And that’s the real key. It’s not just about having a certain amount of knowledge (and Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle certainly has quite a bit).

No, the real secret lies in the “application of the knowledge” and this is the true secret to any successful endeavor. One could make the analogy that a college professor has a great deal of knowledge to teach, yet lacks the skills to “apply” this knowledge in the real world.

Of course, this is a pretty big stretch but you can see how it can relate to the Burn the Fat Program.

To sum it all up, the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle Program can fail if you try to absorb all of the information before taking any action. But how do you take action or gain applied knowledge?

By applying of course.

To gain or lose weight is only a matter of what you believe

To Gain Or Lose Weight Is Only A Matter Of What You Believe

This article applies to people who want to put on weight as well as those who want to lose weight. I will use the example of someone who wants to put on weight first.

Yes, thin people (hardgainer) can gain and put on weight. Although you may be genetically programmed to be skinny and have a higher metabolic rate, I can assure you that you can gain weight. Only problem is are you sabotaging yourself?

As a professional fitness instructor, I am always amazed by the skepticism of my skinny clients when they contemplate about hiring me to help them gain muscle weight. During my initial consultation with such these potential clients, I am always dumbstruck by their negativity when they ask me questions such as :-

“I have been skinny all my life and have been eating more than other people and yet, don’t ever seem to be able to gain weight, what makes you think you can help me to put on weight?”

“All my family members are thin and that probably means that I am genetically programmed to be a hardgainer. So, are you sure that you can help me gain muscle weight? Is it healthy to go against my genetic predisposition?”

“I have experimented with many types of weight gainer supplements and have worked out with weights in the gym without gaining any muscles or weight, what makes you so sure you can help me put on weight?”

Although, I cannot blame them for being such pessimists because of the fact that they were really thin and had been trying to get fatter or more muscular many times but were disappointed again and again. However do take notice that it is also because of this type of negative thinking that could be the root cause of them not getting their desirable body weight.

As a fitness personal trainer, I am playing the role of not only training my clients to achieve their health benefits, but as a counselor as well. When I start to train them physically, and at the same time change their beliefs, and then when they start to see improvement on their physiques, you can see the overwhelming joy on their faces and the gratitude they show me. Yes, thin people can put on weight. You change your beliefs, you change your result.

Have you heard of the Law of Attraction? Simply put, the law of attraction means that you will get or be what you think or focused on. This is a very simplified definition but the point is made.

Every thought that you think has a meaning that you have attached to it represented by pictures and emotions which are just forms of energy. As you ‘think’ or talk to yourself (mental self chatter), your mind is defining these words simultaneously. Because we believe in the thoughts that we think and say to be our truths, our minds are continually working to find evidence to reinforce these beliefs whether the beliefs are true or not.

Henry Ford once said “If you think you can, then you can. If you think you can’t, then you are also right.” So, if you think that you can’t ever gain weight or muscles, then you can’t because after a few feeble attempts, your mind will tell you that it is difficult for you to put on weight and you gave up without searching for other methods to help you to achieve your weight gain goal.

Since our thoughts are energies and the law of attraction states that energy attracts similar energy, you will start to attract more of the same type of energy thoughts (negative thoughts) to you that will confirm what you are thinking. Here are some more self sabotaging thoughts that will prevent you from gaining weight.

“It is difficult for me to gain muscle”

“I will never have a body that I desire”

“I’ll never going to be able to put on weight”

You know what? These negative thoughts can be so imbedded into your subconscious mind that your body believes and obey every thought that you think!!

“It is well known by scientists that when a person has a thought, a chemical presence or reaction occurs, and neuropeptides, the chemical correlates of thought, become detectable. Neuropeptides not only are present in the brain but can also be found throughout the body, including the stomach, kidneys and liver. Thus a thought has a real embodied physical presence.” – Dr Fred Gallo, Ph.D and Harry Vincenzi, Ed.D

“very change in the physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, and conversely, every change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiological state” – Dr Candice Pert, Ph. D.

“With sensitive EMG instruments, we can show that muscles are activated when we think about anything involving action or emotion, even though there may be no visible movement. Although we do not know how thoughts are generated in the brain, it seems clear that once present, thoughts are amplified by the brain and turned into actions. Every thought we think influences millions of atoms, molecules and cells throughout the body. Besides this straightforward effect on the physical body, we know from general principles of physics that any acceleration of electrons produces some electromagnetic radiation.” – Physicist and psychologist Dr Burl Payne, Ph.D.

The same can be said of fat people who want to lose weight. It is your mind that prevents you from gaining or losing weight. Once you have gotten past these negative beliefs, I can guarantee you that your success is just round the corner. I am saying this with conviction because I have helped many people succeed over their weight challenges.

It will be very difficult for fat people to become lean if they keep thinking about being fat and similarly, it will also be very difficult to gain muscle weight when you believe that you will not be successful doing so. If you want to change your body shape, you will have to change your thoughts. If you want to own a ripped and buffed body, then you have to start thinking exactly like what the people with ripped buffed bodies think!

Unfortunately, these negative thoughts may have been with you for such a long time and are deeply entrenched in your subconscious mind that even as you are reading this article, you may not believe what I am saying here. By being skeptical about this article is the result of your unconscious mind accepting your negative believes. Get the drift?

Yes, I admit that it is difficult to change these deeply entrenched beliefs because you have already convinced yourself that what you think is true. So in order to gain or lose weight, you have to change your beliefs regarding this issue. There are many ways that you can do this, such as through positive affirmations and creative visualizations as taught by many motivational gurus like Anthony Robbins and Brian Tracy.

Change your beliefs to change your destiny and in this case, to gain or lose weight.

How to put on weight

How To Put On Weight? Change Your Thinking

As a professional fitness personal trainer, I am always amazed by the skepticism and pessimism of my skinny (hard gainer) clients when engaging my services to help them gain muscle weight. During my first meeting with such potential clients, they will pose me questions like:-

1) I have been skinny all my life and have been eating a lot, but can’t ever seem to be able to gain weight, what makes you think you can help me to put on weight?

2) Everyone in my family is thin and therefore I am genetically programed to be a hard gainer. So, how sure are you that can help me put on muscle weight? Is it wise to go against my genetics?

c) I have taken all many of weight gainer supplements and have worked out with weights very often without putting on any muscles or extra weight, what makes you so sure you can help me put on weight?

I honestly can’t blame them for being so skeptical because the fact is that they were really skinny and had been trying to get fatter or more muscular without much success. However, it is also because of this negative thinking which is the primary cause of their weihgt problem.

When I started to train them and at the same time change their beliefs, and then when they start to see improvement on their physiques, you can see the overwhelming joy on their faces and gratitude they shower me with. Those were very pleasant experiences indeed.

Now, you may probably heard or the Law of Attraction (LOA)? Simply put, the law of attraction can be defined as “you will get or be what you think or focused on”. This is a simplified definition but the point is made.

Every thought that you think has a meaning that you have attached to it is represented by mental pictures and emotions which are just forms of energy. As you ‘think’ or talk to yourself (self chatter), your mind is defining these words simultaneously. Because we believe in the thoughts that we think and say to be our truths, our minds are continually working to find evidence to reinforce these beliefs.

Henry Ford known to have famously said, “If you think you can, then you can. If you think you can’t, then you are also right”. Therefore, if you think that you can’t gain weight or muscle, then you can’t because after a few feeble attempts, your mind will tell you that it is difficult for you to gain weight and you gave up without searching for other methods to help you to gain weight.

You mind is sabotaging yourself. Since our thoughts are energies and the law of attraction states that energy attracts like energy, you will start to attract more of the same type of energy negative thoughts to you that will confirm what you are thinking. Here are more of the self defeating thoughts that will prevent you from gaining weight.

1) It is not possible for me to gain muscle weight

2) I will never have an attractive body

c) I will never be able to gain weight

You know what? These negative thoughts can be so imbedded into your subconscious that your body believes and obey every thought that you think!!

“Every change in the physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, and conversely, every change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiological state” – Dr Candice Pert, Ph. D.

The same can be said of fat people who want to lose weight. It is your mind them prevents you from gaining or losing weight. Once you have gotten past these negative beliefs, I can assure you that your success is just around the corner. I am saying this with conviction because I have helped many people overcome their weight issues when they are willing to change their mindsets.

It will be very difficult to become thin if you keep thinking about being fat and by the same token, it will also be very difficult to gain muscle weight when you believe that you will not be successful doing so. If you want to change your body shape, you will have to change your thought habits. If you want to own a ripped and buffed body, then you have to start thinking exactly like the people with ripped buffed bodies think!

Unfortunately, these negative thoughts and self talks may have been with you for many years and are so deeply entrenched in your subconscious mind that even as you are reading this article, you do not believe what I am saying. Get the drift? By being skeptical about this article is the result of your unconscious mind accepting your negative believes.

Yes, I admit that it is difficult to change these deeply entrenched beliefs because you have already convinced yourself that what you think is true. So in order to gain or lose weight, you have to change these beliefs and there are many ways that you can do this such as through positive affirmations and creative visualizations, self hypotism as taught by many motivational gurus such as Anthony Robbins azs an example.

So if you are thin and you want to gain muscle weight, the first thing to do is to change your thinking about yourself.

Total soccer fitness review – soccer fitness training

Total Soccer Fitness Review – Soccer Fitness Training

Soccer is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game. The game is played using a single ball. Two of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team’s goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner. Soccer calls for skills involving ball control, as well as the ability to receive a pass or block a ball. Kicking and dribbling with the feet is the main body function used to play this game.

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The real secrets to becoming super fit for soccer may be found in the ebook which is entitled, Total Soccer Fitness. It discusses several topics that include: aerobic and anaerobic endurance conditioning; strength and explosive power conditioning; speed, agility, and quickness conditioning; flexibility conditioning and stretching for soccer; and warming up and cooling down.

Here, you will discover how to use speed ladders for soccer-specific agility; how to develop maximal strength, breathtaking explosive power, and superb strength endurance without one compromising the other; how endurance conditioning must alter over the course of your season; how to guarantee that your sprints are as quick in the final ten minutes of a game as they are in the first ten minutes; how to recover quickly after several, successive high intensity sprints; how to use plyometrics safely and effectively to increase your jumping ability; how to exercise in the off or closed season so that you maintain most of your fitness and allow your body to recuperate; and how to train for speed with and without the ball.

You will also discover a step-by-step warm up and cool down routine that prepares you physically and mentally for a game; the four phases of a strength training program; the most effective way to prevent long-term injury; the most important type of strength for soccer.

The key to being a great soccer player lies in Total Soccer Fitness.

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