Category Archives: Training

Training

Choosing Elementary School Photographers – Part I

If you look on the wall of any mother’s home you will find cherished memories framed for every year. No matter how silly the photo, school photographs are remembered for a lifetime. Like most things that have a deep rooted tradition, technology has made elementary school pictures much more exciting. Many schools go with the traditional school pose for their fall program. But did you know a lot of schools use spring pictures as a fundraiser and have fun doing it?

Things to Consider when Choosing an Elementary School Photographer

Before you can think about how school photography can be a great fundraiser, you first have to choose the right photographer. For school photographers in San Diego, most decisions are made by the administrative staff, while others are left to the PTO or PTA. However, with school staffs being spread so thin these days, many schools are leaving the decision to the PTO.

There are so many school photographers available today that the decision to choose a school photographer can be a difficult one. A school photographer in San Diego is going to have a different program than a local company in a small town.

Listen to word of mouth. Good school photographers will have people talking about them. They will also have a good selection of experienced, professional school photographers to run your school picture day. It is always good to take a look at the company’s website to see their overall philosophy.

Something else to consider when choosing a photographer is who is actually taking the school pictures. You might want to ask for sample pictures taken by the actual photographers who will be at your school picture day. Many schools ask to meet the photographers who will be working at their school, which isn’t a bad idea. You want a photographer who will allow the kids to relax, because when kids are relaxed they take better pictures. This in turn leads to parents who are satisfied with their school pictures.

Another consideration when selecting a photography company is how much work will be required of the school. Many companies provide all the staff needed for picture day and require no volunteers from the school. When a company takes most of the work off of the school they are well valued.

Other photographers prefer teacher and parent volunteer involvement on picture day. There is a rational explanation for this, that the parents and staff know the students better. However, if your photographer is experienced in taking elementary school pictures, the kids will warm up to them very quickly. Plus, parents are not experienced in running a school picture day, that should be the job of the school photographer.

Training

How to Train Your Dog Yourself

State of Mind – Start training in a positive, calm state of mind. Don’t start a training session if you are going to be or even feel rushed, or have other things on your mind that influence your emotions. Dogs are sensitive to our feelings and body language and know how we feel better than we do at times. Your state of mind during training will influence your dog’s performance.

Enough Time to Train – Often, training sessions can be too long or too short. It’s going to take many sessions to get the desired behavior from your dog. Some breeds learn faster than others, so you have to know where your dog ranks in mental stamina. If you force a bored dog to train, you will likely cause the dog to lose interest in the training and become bratty and disinterested. Remember this – 10 one minute sessions are more effective than 1 ten minute session.

Don’t Stop Training Once Goal Is Achieved – It’s tempting to stop training altogether after a dog masters a behaviour and just expect the dog to retain the skill whenever you want to show it off. However, you won’t be very impressive if your dog is out of practice. You don’t have to continue with numerous formal training sessions on a daily basis, you can relax a little. It’s best to surprise your dog with the command on a random walk or during play once in a while to reinforce the learning. It makes it fun for you and the dog, which also helps strength the bond between you both.

Don’t Repeat Commands Seconds Apart – We are all guilty of this at some point. Being inpatient and asking the dog do something like “sit”, too many times before the dog follows through with the action. What happens when we use the word “sit” 7 times before the dog actually sits, is we are training the dog to wait until the 7th “sit” command 7 times before they follow through. Yes, dogs are smart and manipulating if you let them. What you want is an immediate response to the word “sit” after saying it just once.

Train in Different Spots – You want to train your dog in a variety of different areas and situations, so they get socialized to distractions. This is the best way to solidify your training and ensure reliable follow through with commands. The dog will enjoy the challenge and it will keep training interesting!

Use Treats occasionally – Providing treats at unpredictable intervals, but not EVERY TIME maintains the focus on learning the new behavior and not on being food focused. Remember that your dog wants to work for you and make you proud. So don’t underestimate positive reinforcement through praise and pats.

Have Confidence – Dog’s can sense insecurity and it makes them scared because they see the fear as an unpredictable threat. Do what you need to do to feel in control. Use Positive self-talk before a training session, take your dog to a professional so you can learn together, train in different areas, attend different venues. Be motivated to learn with your dog and have fun!

Know Your Dog – The biggest determinants of a dog’s learning style are going to be the breed, or mix of breeds and the personality. Is the breed a high strung, energized breed? Or a gentle lap dog? They both require very different training approaches. A bold, social dog will require a different approach then a timid or fearful dog. You will have to tail your training style to fit your dog’s breed and personality. So get to know your dog, train, practice, have fun and enjoy yourselves outside and in!

Training

Muscle Building – Weight Training

Weight training refers to exercises that build the size and strength of skeletal muscle. Weight training uses the force of gravity to resist the contraction of muscles. Specialized equipment is used in weight training to work groups of muscles in a number of ways. Weight training differs from bodybuilding, weightlifting, power lifting and strongman, all of which are sports rather than kinds of exercises. Weight training, on the other hand, is often part of the athlete’s training regimen.

Weight training revolves around the same principles as other forms of strength training. It relies primarily on making different combinations of reps, sets, exercise types and weights moved to increase the body’s strength, endurance, size and shape.

Weight training has many benefits, commonly among which are;

1. Increase in the body’s rate of metabolism

2. It strengthens the body’s bone mass

3. Increase in the muscle strength

4. Help in avoiding injuries

5. Increase in the person’s confidence level and self-esteem

6. Improvement in the body’s coordination and balance

The Basic Principles of Weight Training:

1. Overload: to build muscle and strength, your body needs to lift more weight, resistance, then it’s used to. The more you call on your body to do, the greater it will perform and increase its stamina and strength. You shouldn’t lift weights that are so light that you can do more than the required reps. Nor should you lift weights that are too heavy to even go half way. You should be able to finish your last rep with difficulty but also with good form. Never sacrifice form for lifting a heavier weight.

2. Progression: To avoid ‘getting used to it’ or adaptation, you need to increase the intensity of your workout regularly. This is possible in a number of ways including increasing the number of reps, changing the sets, changing the exercise, lifting heavier weights, etc. these changes should be gradually incremental, not sudden or abrupt. But they should be continuous and I n progressive.

3. Be Specific: This principle is all about focusing attention towards a goal and achieving it. Don’t just weight train at random. Be specific in what position or state you want to achieve with each muscle type and then strive with all your attention to achieve that goal.

4. Rest and Sleep: Resting is just as important as working out. While you rest your muscles heal and grow. The growth is both in size and in strength. Make sure you rest for at least one day between workouts and also arrange to get a minimum of 8 to 10 hours of sleep regularly.

Some precautions that you should take during weight training:

1. Trainer: when weight training it’s best to have a trainer supervise your routine. The best weight training exercises involve free weights and these can be dangerous if your training on your own.

2. Warm ups are essential: always warm up properly before weight training or exercise of any kind. Your body can’t go from room temperature to sudden activity as it will react to the change in a destructive manner.

3. Slow lift and pick up: lift your weights slowly and also lower them slowly as well while you weight train. Hurrying may cause muscle sprains.