Sorry to be reviewing so many Mizuno volleyball products these days! I am finally getting around to writing reviews on all of the great stuff I purchased from Hock Sports . Volleyball trends come and go, but one that I will probably not ever get past is the long socks. I love wearing long socks to play volleyball! I'm not talking about the ones that reveal your calf. I'm talking about long socks that unite your knee pads and your shoes so that your leg can be as one! There are so many great reasons why I wear long socks. They make your leg look skinnier (unless you're already skinny, in which case, I would totally go for the calf length. They're perfect for slim legs!); they give you a place to deposit extra dirt on your shoes when they start to get slippery (if not on your hands, which I often do, because I'm a setter and not ashamed to admit that my hands get clammy sometimes); and, perhaps most importantly, they hide your legs if you maybe, just maybe, you  ...

Volleyball players are often torn on whether or not to wear knee pads. When I was younger, there were phases where it was "cool" or "uncool" to wear them. Do you get the "turtle shells?" How about the singular, smooth pads? The short kind or the long kind? Now that I'm older, and my knees are blacker, I realize that there really should be no debate on whether or not you wear knee pads, first and foremost. They really do protect your knees, and absorb much of the shock that your body receives when you dive after a ball. I hear a lot of people say, "as long as I'm moving my feet, I shouldn't need knee pads!" Really, bro? The entire USA Women's Volleyball Team wears knee pads. You gonna tell me they aren't moving their feet enough? Of course they are! They wear them because they're smart, and care about protecting their bodies! It's not lame to want to be able to use your knees for the rest of your life. ...

This week, while reading Blogilates (seriously, it's so encouraging and adorable -- I highly recommend it), I learned that Cassey Ho, the blog's proprietor, will be conducting a DietBet for January. It's pretty straightforward: Pay $30, lose 4% of your body weight, and get your $30 back + your share of what's leftover in the pot from whoever didn't make their goal. It's a pretty sweet deal! As long as you lose the 4%, you don't lose any money. And if you don't make your goal? Well, then you've learned a valuable lesson. Want to get in on this DietBet? Here's the link to the one I'm competing in: http://diet.bt/1dNicC5 I like it because it holds me even more accountable than just simply blogging about various things. There is a financial motivation, a competition, and a goal -- all things that work great for me! I am so competitive, that even if it wasn't for money, I'd probably sign up anyway! Okay, that might not be entirely true....

Personally, I'm not a fan of sports bras that require too much fuss. The Ta Ta Tamer is super snug, which is great, but also super complicated. It has three hooks on the back, which seems to be a bit much. Honestly, two hooks can be too complicated at times, especially when you're rushing to a fitness class or running to get into the shower. This was my first purchase from lululemon. The store is right across from the store where I work on Sundays, so it's not that the store is difficult to get into. It's just rather intimidating. The first time I visited , I had quite an unpleasant experience. Nevertheless, I was willing to give it another shot. I'd heard so many great things, so I figured that the offensively rude and presumptuous sales associate was just a bad apple. Fortunately, she wasn't there when I returned. ...

Sometimes I wonder if anybody is reading my blog. I mean, really  reading my blog. I can see all of the visitor counts (and the stats are starting to look awesome), but I can never truly tell if anyone is reading it. Today is the day after Christmas (also known as Boxing Day  in many other parts of the world), and I can say that my family members read my blog! I received several amazing health/fitness-related gifts. I am so excited to try all the things and wear all the clothes! I've had friends ask if it would be rude to receive health-related gifts. No! Of course not! I know some people would be offended by it, but not me. To me, it means that, at a minimum, the people around me love and care about me enough to want me to be healthy. Why should I be insulted? Plus, these are things that are practical, and things I want and/or need! So, here is a rundown of the health and fitness gifts I received yesterday: Under Armour Gotta Have It Headband I have been ...

I needed new volleyball shoes BADLY. The shoes I previously wore for volleyball were so funky, and the traction on the bottom was getting harder and harder to locate. They were some sad Asics that I received as part of my coach apparel from the season when I coached a juniors club team. They're not bad shoes, but they're sad because they smell so bad, and are probably ashamed of hearing me tell everyone, "hold your breath" when I'd remove them after games. Fun fact: If you only wear your volleyball shoes indoors, you will extend the life of the shoe's traction!  I've played in Asics, Adidas, and Mizuno volleyball shoes more than any other brand. I'd say that my favorite volleyball shoe brand (until proven otherwise) is Mizuno. I have skinnier feet, and their shoes are cut narrowly enough for me that I feel like they're actually holding my feet in place. They're also incredibly lightweight and come in great styles. You can tell they've ...

This is the first in my new series, Interview with an Athlete. Enjoy! Fernando "HuggyBear" Escobar                                     Age :29 Weight:  365 Current City: College Park MD Favorite Strongman Event:  Yolk Least Strongman Favorite: Circus Dumbell Current Profession: Fire Alarm Inspector  Where do you even lift, bro? Colosseum Gym , Columbia, MD Instagram: @strongesco Website:   gladiator-strength-training. com I first met Fernando "Huggy Bear" Escobar a few years ago through friends. When I first met him, I thought "this is the biggest guy I've ever met!" It's been truly amazing to watch him melt over the years. He has lost over 100 lbs, and all without surgical intervention!  He admits that he was not always into health and fitness. "I consider myself to be lucky. As I have grown up, I have always been a big man. I have been up to 500 lbs, but was still able to walk and enjoy l...

Judy, my teammate, nearly annihilated my other teammate (Jackie) and me a couple weeks ago. She gave us this jump training workout , and encouraged us to do it "in good health." Note: I have linked to my google site. You can print the workout directly from the page if you would like your own copy. Equipped with a guest pass for Jackie, we headed over to the Washington Sports Club in Downtown Silver Spring. Our original intention was to take a Zumba class (Jackie's first), but we ended up missing it due to traffic and an overly enthusiastic salesperson. It all worked out, though, because we definitely wouldn't have survived the workout! I warned Jackie about the aggressive sell they make at WSC, so she was prepared for the never-ending sell that took place while the time left in the Zumba class dwindled away. This was extremely annoying, but it comes with the territory... By the time the salesperson finally stopped touring and selling (seriously, why woul...

As I stated in a previous post ,  my body has been ACHING from day after day of competitive volleyball. My lower back and hamstrings have been especially sore after each match, and even worse after each tournament. I have to admit that I haven't been very good about stretching both before and after playing. I am definitely going to make sure that I start stretching more, because my current routine is not working. For me, having tight muscles makes me more susceptible for injury, and I am unable to be as flexible and quick on the court, which also makes me less consistent and more timid. Last week, I freaked out because I temporarily lost my fitbit , I scoured my house, and eventually found it right next to where I'd turned into a blob on my couch after a tough game. In the process of destroying my bedroom looking for the tiny, pink fitbit, I discovered that I already owned a foam roller! Of course, it was unwrapped, dusty, and completely foreign to me. I vaguely remembered ...

Oh, yeah. I love it so much that I used to coach it! (Photo by  Christopher Anderson⁄The Gazette) About two months ago, I hosted a potluck for my USAV (USA Volleyball) women's team, Spiked Punch . (What can I say? Volleyball players love puns!) As an icebreaker, I asked everyone why they like volleyball. There were some really great answers on how everyone got started, and why everyone continues to play as an adult. For some, it was peer pressure. For others, it was parental pressure. Some started playing out of curiosity. ...