Richard's Fitness Journal

. . . continuation of Richard's Fitness Journal 

On my way flying home a made a resolution to fully review one of my own websites, applying all the principles laid out in the SBI! Action Guide (used as the course guide).

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Because I use my Best Fitness Program [this] site to demonstrate to my Web Services client how to build a web site using the SBI! block build method, I thought it would be a good candidate. When I first built the site a year ago last Christmas I was in a hurry to get a fully developed site so I cut a number of corners to get my pages out. In particular I was not careful in my keywords analysis (I had done it several years earlier) or page optimization (I planned to do advertising to get traffic [however, in retrospect, not at all targeted] to the site.

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To skip all the details of the month of June (mostly modifying all the pages in the site taking out the broken links and making long overdue updates), fast forward to about a week ago.

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I had been hosting a couple pages for my first client ever since he decided that his SBI! site was not worth the $300/year investment (I could never convince him that he needed to pre-sell, pre-sell, pre-sell). Well, he had spend a lot of money to build a new sales landing page and wanted to transfer his two domains to the new site (take a look for yourself at www.21stCenturyFitness.com).

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The change prompted me to upgrade my own site by adding illustrations of the exercises I use. I did some research and asked a fellow SBIer if he would help me. In the meantime I updated my exercise page (www.Best-Fitness-Program.com/yoga-pilates.html) linking to  Bruce Thomson's excellent site at http://www.easyvigour.net.nz/index.htm.

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Since I stopped running I've had a gap in my own exercise program -- keeping the leg muscles in shape. I used to be a runner and my legs always were in good shape. However, knee problems (from the constant impact from running) ended that -- and that ultimately led me into the yoga-Pilates exercise program I now follow.

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My former mentor's program included 30 minutes of good posture walking on mat-off days.  I never could get enthusiastic about that -- and my alternate approach was to have my office on the third floor and make many trips up and down every day.

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When we started preparing for our trip to China last October I started going for longer walks each morning with our 6 year old Yorkie (Yorkshire Terrier) Brinsley. I was very diligent but I still had major leg aches during our 21 days in China. I resolved to fix that in some way.

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After our return on sever occasions I tried to take extended walks, even tried jogging a couple times. None of that worked. I then tried a different approach. Perhaps I could build into my exercise regime a leg exercise routine using the mini stair stepper (see http://www.best-fitness-program.com/home-fitness-exercise-equipment.html) my wife had given me several Christmases ago. I gave it a try, but my reaction was similar to the 30 minute walk routine -- just so boring!!!

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NOTE: in my own mat routine you must concentrate on doing the exercises correctly -- it is a totally engaging experience. When my step-daughter exercises with me I give her stretches as a part of her workout -- like a professional personal trainer session. Those sessions reinforce the need for concentrating on doing every exercise correctly. NOTE2: Doing the exercises correctly, without cribs or other help, was the mantra at the original Pilates studio in New York -- and remains so today.

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OK, we're almost to the present. One of things I had not done with my site is go through a formal monetization analysis. My fellow SBIer Mitch Bowler (www.drawingcoach.com) doing my exercise drawings had asked me how the site was doing. My response was that traffic was increasing and that I needed now to monetize it.

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That prompted me to do a number of neglected things. Bottom line: I started looking at all my high performing pages and asking the question -- how can I get a wanted response from that page.

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I also started exploring for other affiliate programs that I might promote. That led me to finding out about the new iTrain program that leverages MP# technology to help folks in their exercise programs. Bingo! It was exactly what I was looking for.

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After further investigation I found it the perfect match. Here was a way to bring in a motivational personal trainer into the type of training program that I was recommending. So I signed up to be an affiliate, purchased one of the audios which was the best fit for me (at least for right now) and started my first session today (you can review a sample of what I used by clicking here).

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I did my first session today and this add-on to my program is a perfect fit. I use the 35 minute session. For my very first session I doubled the time and intensity of my last solo stair stepper session. I will admit that I looked at my distance before the 20 minute mark -- but I'll follow Grace's recommendation on the next session.

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OK, we're at the present. I plan to report my progress in my blog. My goal is to do 4 mat sessions and three walking sessions each week. I'll report along the way -- including the results I may achieve.

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I'm really excited about getting this all in place -- and cannot wait to post the next installment.

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August 16, 2009:  completed Pilates mat intermediate certification. Teach my first class at the Mount Pleasant senior center Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 6 PM.

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