LIFT is a web magazine for the adventurer in all of us (not necessarily the gym goer) -- successful men and women who work hard and play harder. Fitness isn’t about living at the gym, it’s about living at your peak, no matter what stands in your way. It’s about obeying the alarm clock, peeling yourself out of bed, and finding that extra hour most people think they’ll never have.
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Entries in TRAVEL (9)

Wednesday
29Apr

Basic Training: It's time for Boot Camp!

Comment5 Comments |

Boot-Camp-Fitness.pngNew Year’s came and went. Lent is over. Memorial Day is right around the corner. You’ve talked a good game. But you’ve run out of time (and excuses).

With spring break out of the way and summer right around the corner, well, 'er, it’s officially swimsuit season. And you have yet to break a sweat (or get rid of your winter bulge). It's time to get yourself into high gear with some basic training at an outdoor (or even indoor) boot camp class before it's too late.

You say working out is boring? Yeah, well, bulging out of your bathing-suit is well, down right miserable!

Lucky for you: Military-style workouts are still on the rise. Turns out many of us like being yelled at while we sweat. The basic boot-camp workout includes a warm-up, cardio work (jogging, sprinting, relays, etc), and strength training (push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, etc). Many are outside and most are led by stringent, stern instructors who likes to motivate through yelling. Don’t see the appeal?

Here’s why people like boot camps: They’re efficient, they’re a good deal (it’s like a having a personal trainer for a group discount), and if nothing else... they get us out of the gym!

Click to read more ...

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Sunday
26Apr

There's hardly anything more fun than playing on a beach with your best buddy

CommentDiscuss |

Dogs-at-the-beach.pngIn a dog-eat-dog world, sometimes you need to throw yourself and your pooch a bone. So whether planning a fun vacation or a quick trip down to the shore, make a splash and head to the beach with fido. With plenty of dog-friendly beaches across the nation, there's sure to be a spot in the sand for you. Here are four examples:

WEST COAST
Samoa Dunes Recreation Area, Samoa, California: This 300-acre park is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and offers everything from hiking and surfing to fishing, sightseeing, and beach-combing. Dogs are allowed off leash.

EAST COAST
St. Augustine Beach, St. Augustine, Florida: Like most beaches in St. John's County, Florida, St. Augustine Beach allows leashed dogs to enjoy the surf.

Click to read more ...

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Friday
10Apr

Fly CLEAR: The Fast Pass For Airports

CommentDiscuss |
flyclear.jpgHere's what wears me down: the check-in line, the let me check-your-baggage-for-weapons line, the check-your-boarding-pass line, the security line, the customs line, and the taxi line.

And, while a business- or first-class ticket enables some hopscotching, not all airports allow it. Instead, if you're adventurous side is traveling this spring (and hopefully it will be), enroll in the Clear Registered Traveler program, a virtual security express lane for those who need to get where they're going without the hassle. The $100 annual membership includes a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) vetting fee, fingerprinting, and an iris scan.

The downside: The program is up and running ... but only in a select few airports.

So for the rest of you, your only alternative is a private jet ... which really isn't a bad option either!
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Friday
06Mar

NASCAR, Barbecue Make Nashville "Manliest" City

CommentDiscuss |
Nashville.pngWho knew? Apparently having too many home furnishing stores like Ikea in your city is a sign of being "unmanly."

At least that's the conclusion of a study released Thursday that ranks "America's Manliest Cities" on criteria such as the number of professional major league sports teams, popularity of tools and hardware, and frequency of monster truck rallies.

Nashville came out on top in the study conducted by Sperling's BestPlaces. Mars Snackfood US and its Combos snack food brand commissioned the study. The ranking is part of the Combos launch of its Ultimate Man Zone Sweepstakes, which awards prize packages to upgrade men's tailgating, grilling, home theater or gaming "zones."

How did New York City rank? Well, despite high ratings in the bowling category, New York City came in 50th (which is actually last place) because it apparently lacked in areas such as fishing, home improvement and drag racing.
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Monday
02Feb

The green card: Gold luxury without the commitment

CommentDiscuss |
Tour.pngFor those upscale consumers who want to sample the good life on a budget (or for those afraid of commitment); part-time sports luxury is here. Manhattan-based Tour GCX serves up choice courses to men on the move with its fractional-ownership Tour Card program.

Think of the Tour Card as the golfing Gold Card for the $200,000-a-year jet set. It grants individual and corporate members access to private clubs in major cities along the eastern seaboard and to eight affiliates in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Nevada, where the big-money players (from Merrill and Goldman) roam. Tour GCX’s 800-plus members largely hail from the NY metro area, but GCX plans to expand its markets to Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Los Angeles this year.

While Tour GCX won't disclose the actual courses, prospective members do receive the secret list ... and qualified golfers (respectable handicaps, please) are eligible for a minimum of ten foursomes (you can brings guests), seven of which must be played on weekdays. That works out to roughly $160 a head per round (including green, cart, and locker fees.)

Finally, a club that allows you to play the un-fairway. Individual memberships from $6,250; corporate memberships, $13,500 -- far less than the typical $50,000+ initiation fee some clubs charge.
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Friday
03Oct

Zac Sunderland: Could he be the youngest solo circumnavigator?

CommentDiscuss |
His name is Zac Sunderland and he's 16 years old. He departed June 14th from Marina del Rey, California in an attempt to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the world ALONE by yacht.

And, if that doesn't make you feel like a loser, I don't know what will.
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Monday
03Mar

Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips

CommentDiscuss |
Journeys-of-a-lifetime-500.pngYou are ready to take to the skies. Hop on a train. Hit the open road.

Just one problem: you have absolutely no idea where you want to go.

Lucky for you: It's impossible to thumb through this colorful travelogue and not find exactly where you want to go. The staff of the famed magazine take us to some of the most unusual places they've ever been: the Kerala backwaters of India, the forts of Oman, the Fitzroy Massif of Argentina, and the barrier reef off Belize. Handy planning tips (when to go, how long to stay, etc.) accompany tales of each journey, making this a practical, indispensable addition to any globe-trotter's library. (National Geographic Books, $40)

It's exactly what you need to plan your next amazing trip.

Problem solved.
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Monday
29Oct

Alex Roy completes a modern day Cannonball Run

Comment2 Comments |
Alex Roy & Co broke the 27-year coast-to-coast driving record, going from New York to Los Angeles in 31 hours, 4 minutes.

Roy, a wealthy speed racer, hired spotters and planes to help his tricked-out BMW (not pictured) break the cross country record. And, as one might expect, he drew some attention.

The high-speed totally illegal run has spawned a memoir, and a great write-up in both the NY Times and Wired Magazine. Did I mention the forthcoming documentary?

Do the math: That's a sustained 89MPH for over 31 hours.
Reference1 Reference
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Thursday
20Jul

All Grown Up and Someone To Follow

Comment2 Comments |
Yale Habitat Bike ChallengeAll grown up, are you? Well, let’s see: You’ve got a job or go to college, maybe a mortgage, a car, even a gym membership. Guess so.

Time to give back.

Think you’ve got nothing to offer? Puh-leez. Remember that bike you have sitting there in the garage? Yes, odds are you have a bike even if it's from when you were 8 years old! Well, give it some pedal power and next summer try following in Evan Leitner's lead. He and Marc Gimbel (pictured) took giving back to the next level and even did it with fitness.

This summer Evan Leitner and Marc Gimbel completed a 4,500 mile bicycle trip across the United States ending on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Yes, you read right, a 4,500 mile bicycle trip. They began their ride with a group of 26 other students, from various universities, on May 27th in New Haven, CT. The students were riding to raise money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity, whose mission is to end poverty housing. Leitner, who hails from Wyckoff, NJ, is a sophomore at Yale University which sponsored the ride and Gimbel (also from Wyckoff) is a sophomore at the University of Maryland.

Don’t worry about boredom; their route took them through CT, NY, PA, WV, KY, IL, MO, KS, CO, UT, NV, and CA. At night they slept in church basements and YMCAs. Meals were provided by local houses of worship and they showered at Ys, camps, town halls and, on one occasion, a boxing gym. In all, 90 riders on three different routes raised close to $500,000.

Ok, so that's a little out of your league and you don't have time for a bike ride because you have nail appointments , hair appointments and shopping to do... possibly even a job to go to. You’re actually looking for a different way to give back. Well, next month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and yes, you can do more than pin a pink ribbon to your lapel. Be creative and Think Fit... Jim has developed a program called Pink Ribbon Fitness(tm) that cancer survivors can do at home and we will be donating time and fitness tips to breast cancer survivors.

I know, I know. Many of you, like Evan, actually do donate your time so kudos to each of you! And, for those who want to get involved there are many great organizations out there that need your help. So go on. Throw your arms around the world and get involved with something that interests you. It really does make giving feel a little bit like getting, especially if you can get fit doing it!
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