Get Killer Abs
From the streets of New York City you may have heard the age old question, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall”? The answer: practice, practice, practice. The same holds true for your core and abdominal...
View ArticleHappy Birthday Mom
My mother turned 70 today and she looks amazing! What’s her secret? Well, about 31 years ago when I joined my first gym she was this 39 year-old mother of three who never worked out. One year later...
View ArticleTGIF
I was just thinking about TGIF. That is to say, how Time Goes Incredibly Fast. We’re 10 weeks into the New Year – which feels like yesterday – yet it seems like everything we strive for takes so much...
View ArticleVacation workout
Twelve days ago I posted my 100th video/blog for my 100 days of 5 minute, low-impact, yoga-based, fat burning workouts. Since then I visited my family in New Jersey, and spent some time with friends...
View ArticleMind games never work
I was working out next to this very large twenty-something year old guy in the gym the other day when he says to his friend, “I told myself I’m going to lose 15 pounds, so when I don’t make it and only...
View ArticleTake compliments to Heart
Oftentimes we receive compliments from friends or people we recently met, and just let them slide off us without really absorbing their energy. That is to say, really taking compliments to heart and...
View ArticleKeep the Drive Alive
Yoga masters Rich Tola and Jessi Harper teaching a charity class in Hollywood to benefit The Boulevard Zen FoundationDid you ever notice how quiet your fitness center is on Sunday mornings? That’s...
View ArticleGet Fit. Live Healthy. Lose Inches. Stay Zen
Because life’s a BLVD and you gotta be ZEN. And everything else that comes with living a self-respecting and healthy lifestyle that keeps you happy and fit. As well as lean and confident, because...
View ArticleWelcome to a new Fat Burning lifestyle!
What does fat burning mean to you? Is it a specific thing, or action, or result? To me it’s a lifestyle. I know we hear that word a lot and in too many scenarios, but for the most part we all know...
View ArticleYesterday’s Press Release & Anniversary
FAT BURNING WORKOUTS TO BENEFIT WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – December 9, 2010 – Little did Rich Tola know exactly one year ago today he would premiere a film, start a...
View ArticleSelf-confidence
Yesterday I went to San Diego to teach with The Boulevard Zen Foundation yoga teachers Carolyn and Jen. It was our monthly workshop class for everyone at the shelter including kids, moms and staff....
View ArticleIt’s never easy
Sunday's Fat Burning Workout You’ll never hear me say that developing and maintaining a daily fitness program is easy. It just gets easier to keep it going. And more rewarding each time you workout,...
View ArticleGet “Zen in ’10”
Tuesday's Fat Burning Workout I recently read the average American gains 10-15 pounds during the holiday months. As crazy as that sounds, people who gain weight around the holidays seem to rationalize...
View ArticleBreak the cycle
The cycle of domestic violence occurs when abuse or victimization is passed down from one generation to the next. More specifically, it’s when children learn destructive behaviors from their parents,...
View ArticleLook, you don’t understand
Thursday's Fat Burning Workout Everybody knows what comes next, right? I mean, how many times have you heard your best friend or someone you just met say, “Look, you don’t understand”, immediately...
View ArticleSore in a good way
Saturday's Fat Burning Workout After my workout this morning I ran into a friend who just started doing my 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts. I would describe this twenty-something gal as rather solid,...
View ArticleA little above the weather
Monday's Fat Burning Workout Everyone knows the feeling when the weather’s got you down and you’re ‘a little under the weather’ right? Well how about turning the tables on today’s bad weather and...
View ArticleSick and tired of being sick and tired
I was speaking with a friend today about how most people are sick and tired of the same old thing. That is to say, the state of our economy, the 12.5% unemployment rate in California, the depressed...
View ArticleNo judgment
In my opinion, this is the most important lifestyle and yoga principle that everyone should embrace. And I truly dislike that word should because it implies that one is projecting their personal...
View ArticleWhat are friends for?
Thursday's Fat Burning Workout This morning I met this fifty-something gal in the gym with a great body who’s always there. The first thing I asked her was if she worked out everyday. She said yes....
View ArticleOde to my sister
I spoke with my sister yesterday after I received her beautiful pictures of my nieces and nephews, including my brother’s children. This holiday season my family is 3,000 miles away, but for sure I’m...
View ArticleStart from scratch
This morning I spoke with this twenty-something year old Ethiopian guy who moved here to pursue the American dream. You know the one: money, kids, cars, a big house – am I forgetting anything? Well,...
View ArticleTop 10 Excuses
www.RichTola.com So what’s your excuse for not making fitness a daily part of your life? Here are the top 10 excuses I’ve heard this year: 1. It’s too expensive. Well, if you can’t afford the...
View ArticleA good hurt
I just got off the phone with my sister who’s been doing my fat burning workouts for past two weeks. She says she loves them and after every workout she feels the burning which she eloquently calls “a...
View ArticleHelp with Sciatica
Lesson #30 - Zoo Yoga I spoke with my brother yesterday who said he could use some help with his sciatica. Sciatica occurs when there is pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in...
View ArticleCultivate self-discipline
The topic of my horoscope today was self-discipline and how no one is born with it, but is something that must be fostered. I believe self-discipline is something you can cultivate everyday with...
View ArticleExternal motivation
Let’s face it. Sometimes you need a little external motivation to get you going to the gym or yoga studio, or for that power walk around the neighborhood. Take me for instance. In six weeks I turn...
View Article30 Day Workout Challenge
So how about a little workout challenge to add to your external motivation? If you’re not already a fan of ours on Facebook, become one today and win a complete set of my yoga and fitness videos ($50...
View ArticleEverything worth doing takes time
Have you heard of the new 787 Dreamliner that’s due to hit the market this fall? It’s promised to be the most advanced, fuel-stingy passenger jet ever made – at a mere $200 million each. But it’s...
View ArticleHealthy lifestyle
Rich's Healthy Lunch I forgot to mention the bonus part of my 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts: my succinct intros and outros reinforcing the concept of positive thoughts, speech and feelings with the...
View ArticleBased on yoga principles
Utkatasana Bicep Curl When I refer to exercises being based on yoga principles, I’m referring to the how you do the exercise as compared to what you do and how often you do it. In the gym this...
View ArticlePoint of no return
I just visited my thirty-something year old friend who was speaking about her weight when she said, “I know what it’s like to be past the point of no return”. She spoke with such conviction about how...
View ArticleThank you Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne My first memories of this pioneer and King of daily exercise and good nutrition were in my Aunt Tina & Concetta’s living room. My “right off the boat” Sicilian aunts were fascinated...
View ArticleIt gets in your head
Yesterday I spoke with an old college buddy and former baseball player like me at the University of Pennsylvania. He recently started the 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts and simply stated he really...
View ArticleYoga for low back pain
I woke up today with pain in my low back, specifically on my right side. It wasn’t there yesterday so perhaps it occurred during the night, or maybe negative energy or tension came to reside there as...
View ArticleWelcome to the Year of the Rabbit
Year of the Rabbit Today starts the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rabbit. If you were born in the year 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, or 1999, then it’s your year. I was born in...
View ArticleChild obesity is a serious problem
This morning I read an enlightening article about the growing concern of California residents that believe childhood obesity is not only a serious problem, but one that nearly 60% of those polled...
View ArticleChange is good
For the past week I’ve had the fortunate, albeit stressful task of moving my home and office. I say fortunate because whether you see the cup half full or half empty, change is good. As humans, we...
View ArticleAnything’s possible
Anything's possible Imagine peeling off a Post-It note and sticking it on your wardrobe mirror so you can watch the morning news while you’re getting dressed. Or better yet, post it anywhere – at any...
View Article5 Minutes of Fat Burning
Today marks the start of a new fat burning campaign – only 5 minutes a day with me leading you through different exercises that’ll kick-start your fat burning initiatives. Workout #1 focuses on your...
View ArticleSculpt your thighs
Who doesn’t want to burn fat and sculpt and beautify their thighs? It’s a human thing, right, but workout #2 of my 5 minute fat burning series uses that powerful Warrior stance named after the Hindu...
View ArticleAnother day, another fat burning workout
In keeping with our theme to burn fat while sculpting your thighs, workout #3 of my 5 minute fat burning series employs the age old exercise most commonly referred to as the lunge. For anyone looking...
View ArticleMichelle Obama’s got it right
There’s no question that our nation’s First Lady has got it right when she says “small changes can lead to big results”. I strongly believe in Michelle Obama’s child obesity initiatives, and I totally...
View ArticleBurn those Abs
One of the most simple exercises you can do for your core and abdominal muscles is the standing side body crunch, or as I like to call them, side-to-sides. Workout #5 of my 5 minute fat burning video...
View ArticleBlast your Abs
What does it mean to Blast your Abs? Simply put, it means to exercise and fatigue your abdominal muscles until you’re too tired to do another set. And why Blast your Abs? Because when properly...
View ArticleStay Zen #9 – Top 5 Household Item Exercises
I confess. I didn’t make it to the gym or yoga class yesterday. That’s right, too busy getting this next episode of Stay Zen ready to publish. But no worries, because I was able to get a quick workout...
View ArticleGYST #3: The Lost Art of Tipping
If you’ve ever worked as a bartender or server, you’ll love this. Because most people don’t have a clue when it comes to tipping. Are you one of them?
View ArticleTola Talks 7 Ways to Resolve to Evolve
Tola Talks about his 7 Ways to Resolve to Evolve: 1) Pluck from Your Past 2) Create Clear Intentions 3) Let Go of the Past 4) Ask Why Not? 5) Forgive Your Failures 6) Begin Again 7) Believe You Can...
View ArticleTola Talks WTF Politicians Getting ObamaCare
Tola Talks WTF Wednesday so check-out these 5 stories about people who really need to Get Their S**t Together. Plus, celebrity shout-outs to Sarah Jessica Parker (for turning 50) and Bradley Cooper...
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