Muhammad Ali and Laila Ali – Together

Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky.  His birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, but he changed it to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after he joined the Nation of Islam.

As an amateur boxer, Ali won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.  When he turned professional, he was the first person to win the world lineal heavyweight championship three times.  Ali has 56 wins and 5 loses to his career records.

In 1967, Ali was arrested for draft evasion charges after refusing to be drafted into the U.S. military based on religious beliefs and general opposition to the Vietnam War.  The arrest caused him to lose his boxing license, as well as the boxing title for four years while the case was fought in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Muhammad Ali was known for his unique fighting style, which he himself described as “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”.  Some of his most notable boxing matches included the three matches with Joe Frazier and one with George Foreman.   In 1970, while his case was still on appeal in the Supreme Court, Ali was allowed to resume boxing in Georgia against Jerry Quarry, whom he defeated after three rounds.  Shortly after the match, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that Muhammad Ali had been unjustly denied his boxing license and Ali went on to fight Oscar Bonavena in 15 long rounds before finally defeating him and qualifying for the match against the undefeated Joe Frazier.  On March 8, 1971, Frazier and Ali met for the “Fight of the Century”, which ended in Ali’s first professional loss.

During a match with Foreman, Ali invented a tactic that involved leaning on the ring ropes and covering up against ineffective body shots thrown by Foreman.  This move was later termed “The Rope-A-Dope”.  Ali regained his world title in this match.

Muhammad Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons.  It was during his third marriage with a woman by the name of Veronica Porche that Ali’s daughter Laila was born in December of 1977.

Laila Ali

In Laila’s first professional boxing match in December of 1999, Ali knocked out April Fowler in the first round.  She went on to win 8 consecutive matches and soon the boxing fans wanted to see Laila Ali face off against George Foreman’s daughter or Joe Frazier’s daughter.  It was June 2001 when Ali had the first match with Jackie Frazier-Lyde (Joe Frazier’s daughter).  The fight was given the name Ali/Frazier IV, after the women’s fathers’ fight trilogy.  After 8 rounds, the judges ruled Laila Ali the winner.

In 2002, Laila Ali co-authored a book with David Ritz, titled Reach! Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power.  It was meant to motivate and inspire young people.

Laila has been married twice. She gave birth to her son, Curtis Muhammad Conway Jr on August 26, 2008.

A Review: Bodybuilding.com

Bodybuilding.com’s mission is “To help our visitors reach their health, fitness and appearance goals through information, motivation and supplementation.”  That’s a big goal, does the site live up to it’s mission?

From the homepage, a web visitor is presented with four main options for accessing information: the store, the SuperSite, the BodySpace and the Forums.

In the store, you have access to over 8,500 different products designed for your health and fitness needs – supplements, clothing and accessories.  When reading comments about Bodybuilding.com on Amazon – many customers who have made purchases from the store complained that they receive the wrong items.  Almost all said they received their orders fast, and that when the orders were wrong they were corrected immediately.  The prices of the products are just average – you can probably find the same products for cheaper at other stores and online fitness websites.
Read more

The Health Benefits Gained From Swimming

As we all know, there are health benefits that we can gained from swimming. Swimming is a popular sport and recreational activity that dates back to prehistoric times. Believe it or not, there are some health benefits gained from this sport activity. It is believed that cave paintings from the Stone Age show people using swimming as part of a ritual.  In the Middle Ages swimming was one of the seven agilities of knights, which included swimming in armor. Different civilizations held swimming contests throughout history leading up to the first Olympic Games held in 1896 which had six scheduled swimming events.  It would appear that our ancestors understood the value of swimming to improve strength and stamina, however it is unclear if they fully comprehended the additional health benefits associated with swimming.

The following health benefits make swimming an excellent exercise option for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Read more

What Is Physical Fitness?

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is reaching the halfway point and many of you may find your self asking, “What exactly is the definition of physical fitness?”.  We all have our own idea of what it means to be physically fit.  For some people, fitness is measured by weight, others by strength and still others consider endurance a sign of physical fitness.  To determine how fit you are and find ways to improve your fitness level you must first understand that true fitness is measured by multiple components.

•    Body Composition- Many people confuse body composition with body weight or body fat.  In reality your body composition is actually defined as the percentage of fat, bone and muscle in your body.  In relation to physical fitness, the amount of fat compared to bone and muscle is measured to determine body fat percentage and overall health.  Too much body fat increases the chances of illness and disease.  Conversely men and women who have too little body fat risk decreased exercise performance and severe health complications.  The ideal body fat percentage varies by individual based on gender, age, body type and heredity.  Finding the level that is right for you is an important factor in determining overall health and fitness.

Read more

Tips To Break Free From A Workout Rut

Even those who are most dedicated to fitness can find themselves in a workout rut.  Whether you began exercising to lose weight or improve your health eventually you may discover that the enthusiasm you once had may begin to wear off.  Unfortunately exercise is not one of those things that you can do only when you feel like it, at least that is not the case if you want to receive the maximum benefits from your workout.  What can you do if you find yourself creating excuses to put off working out?  The following tips can help you stay motivated and break free from a workout rut.
Read more

The Wii Fit Theory

The Wii Fit craze: Can it deliver? Like anything else you do regularly, staying healthy and fit can fall into a routine of monotony.  In order to stick to your goals of losing weight or maintaining your optimum health, you sometimes need to alter your routine to keep it interesting and help stay motivated.

The highly sought after Wii Fit may be just what you need to keep your workout interesting.  The exercises will help you work up a sweat, build strength and improve your balance and posture – and all while playing an entertaining video game.  For die-hard fitness buffs, you’re probably not going to get the same level workout that you would get at the gym, but if you just need a way to make exercise fun again – this is an option you might want to consider.

Read more

The Benefits of Pilates

A man by the name of Joseph Pilates developed a physical fitness system we now know as “Pilates”. It teaches total body awareness, it has benefits, good posture, and the practice will increase your strength, flexibility and a toned body. In the past five years or so, Pilates has gained popularity and more than 10 million people, including athletes, dancers, Hollywood celebrities and supermodels claim to use Pilates.

Pilates includes over 500 exercises which can be done on a mat or using equipment that was invested by Joseph Pilates. There are exercises within each of three levels for beginners, intermediate and advanced students of Pilates.

The benefits of Pilates are many, both when it’s used as your health and fitness program and when used to rehabilitate individuals with poor backs, knees, and other problem areas of the body. Some of the benefits of Pilates include:

Read more