Even if you don’t follow NASCAR you have to be impressed with the winning record of Jimmy Johnson. With his record five straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, Jimmie Johnson is arguably the greatest driver in NASCAR history (he even has his own Mario Kart–like video game, Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With an Engine). Guiding a monstrously powerful stock car through traffic at 180 miles per hour is an incredibly demanding physical task. It’s no surprise, then, that Johnson is no slouch in the gym.
Change Your Program Often
Johnson attributes his five titles, in part, to never being satisfied with how his workout is going. That same mindset can help you grow in the gym, too. “Every three or four months, I add new elements to my training,” he says. Most recently, he’s been doing more cycling to help him with his cardio. His advice: Switch up your program often to get the best results. Reorder your exercises or structure a different progression. If you’ve been lifting heavy for weeks, mix in a “light” day with high reps. If you’ve been doing all cardio, start lifting. Make sure you keep adjusting.
Keep Your Head in the Race
Look to whatever inspires you for motivation. For Johnson, it’s his ride. “You can’t hurt these cars,” he says. And that’s what keeps him going. He wants to always be fit enough that his car will wear out on him before he wears out on it. Do the same. “When you make a commitment to fitness, it’s a job,” he says.
Work Your Weak Points
Because NASCAR is a sport of left turns, Johnson taxes one side of
his upper body much more than the other. But he’s careful to train the opposite side to make up for possible deficiencies. “Any trainer
will tell you, when you have a muscular imbalance, that’s when injury happens,” he says. Treating imbalances is also a good way to bust through perpetual plateaus. If you work out with a trainer, he can test you to spot potential problems. If you work out alone, try swapping to unilateral movements (single-arm or single-leg). They’re an ideal way to make sure each side gets the same attention.
Always Fit in Your Meals
Like most elite athletes, Johnson tries to eat every three to four hours. Since his job requires him to drive for long stretches, it can be hard to make his schedule work. But that doesn’t stop him: Johnson actually drinks protein shakes while he drives. “They’ll pass one to me at the pit stop,” he says. “Under caution, that’s mealtime for me.” If Johnson can get a meal while speeding around a track at 185 mph, you have no excuse not to make a tuna sandwich before work or grab a bag of turkey jerky and stash it in your desk to help your body stay fueled up for workouts.
Chandra Johnson is the wife of NASCAR Nextel Cup driverJimmie Johnson. The Wilhelmina model was introduced to Jimmie by his teammate, Jeff Gordon, in 2002. In December of 2003, he proposed on a mountain top in Beaver Creek, Colo. where the couple was enjoying a skiiing-snowboarding adventure. Chandra reportedly cried all the way down the mountain. They were married on Dec. 11, 2004 on the island of St. Barts, the location of their first vacation together and where Jimmie first told ‘Chani’ he loved her. The newlyweds honeymooned on #48 team owner Rick Hendrick’s 150-foot yacht.
Chandra holds the responsibility for managing the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, the charity she and Jimmie launched in February 2006 which strives to help those in need, particularly children, achieve their dreams. That August, the Foundation announced its first grant to Kyle and Pattie Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp. The Foundation raised several hundred thousand dollars to build Victory Lanes, a 5,000 square foot, four lane bowling alley, complete with a shoe counter, arcade games and a refreshment stand, which opened in 2007.
Jim
Chicago Cub fan Steve Bartman’s attempted catch of a foul ball during in October of 2003 during the Cubs playoff game goes down as one of baseballs greatest, well, . . . . fan blunders. Do you remember Steve Bartman? I feel bad for Bartman because he got screwed by the City of Chicago, and the rest of the country for that matter, because he “got caught up in the excitement of the game”. He tried to catch a foul ball that may or may not have been caught by Mois’es Alou which would have only been the second out of the 8th inning. The second out mind you. The Cubs should have won the game but they screwed it up. They were ahead 3-0 in the 8th inning and blew it after the Bartman incident. They were five outs away from going to the World Series. Don’t blame Bartman.
of 1969 when a black cat ran across the filed when the cubs where playing the Mets in Shea Stadium. In September of 1969 the Cubs were in 1st place ahead of the NY Mets in a regular season game but when the cat appeared and ran across the field. The Cubs lost the game and then proceeded to fall eight games behind the Mets allowing the now “Miracle Mets” go on to win the World Series. Cub fans blamed the cat!
After the Bartman incident, Florida Marlin fans sent Bartman gifts which he donated to charity and the governor of Illinois suggested that Bartman go into the witness protection program because of the hundreds of creepy threats Bartman received. The governor of Florida offered Bartman asylum in Florida. Bartman turned down many interview request, endorsement deals, guest appearances and even refused $25,000 for one autograph by a Sports Memorabilia Organization. Bartman was also featured on the inspirational poster series as “Scapegoating” where it shows the above picture and the quote which states: Scapegoating: The secret of success is knowing who to blame for your failures.
Cubs at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 1976. Monday noticed two protesters in left-centerfield, preparing to burn the American flag. He swooped over and snatched the flag from them. ”I was angry when I saw them start to do something to the flag, and I’m glad that I happened to be geographically close enough to do something about it,” Monday told the Washington Post.
I love basball and every year around this time I cannot wait for the playoffs to start. Of all the major sporting events in the US The World Series is the best for me. Much better than the Super Bowl, The NBA finals, The Masters and anything related to tennis, horse racing. The World Series rules the roost for me.
The fall and school season is upon us now and if you’re like me spending time on your bicycle is more than just a summer fun thing to do. I use my bike for just about everything travel related in the fall as my car is only used on the weekends. I recently purchased a beautiful 
. . . but nobody wants to be Larry Bird, until now! Dirk Nowitzki from the Dallas Mavericks is down-right-no-holds-barred AWESOME! You can find other words to describe his level of play but they had better be similar or you’re not watching the same player that I am. Rebounding, shooting, assisting, leadership and focus. The Heat had better figure out a way to stop this guy’s “determination” or they can kiss this season good night. I say determination because when you’re down 15 points half way through the fourth quarter and come back to win you have an attitude that’s dangerous, lethal and infectious. I can hardly wait to watch tonights game.
A recent report written for Yahoo stated that with the NFL lockout in full swing, John Elway must really be bored. Somehow Elway — the Denver Broncos vice president and Hall-of-Fame quarterback — became aware of the Fort Collins, Colo., punk band “Elway,” and decided he’s just not cool with the group using his surname. The Broncos legend’s lawyer has requested that the band change its name, but stopped short of suing or issuing a cease and desist order. The band, to its credit, was mostly amused. In a statement released via punknews.org, the band acknowledged the letter and suggested Elway had better things to do in the wake of the Broncos’ disastrous 2010 season.
