Advanced Sample Workout Plan

This Workout Plan is not for beginners. 

The objectives here are to lose the most fat while maintaining (or even building) muscle. If you feel your body needs it - take an extra rest day. Ensure your nutrition is correct (enough to account for the increased exercise see calorie calculator).

Weekly Workout Plan 

 ADVANCED WORKOUT PLAN 

MONDAY  AM: Low intensity cardio (40-60 minutes) Preferably done first thing in the morning (fasting). This could be slow jogging, brisk walking, treadmill or elliptical.
 PM: Leg Training Warm up Squats - 2 sets warm up (pyramiding to weight). 3-4 work sets 5-8 reps - try to increase weights. Leg Press - 3x10-12 reps Stiff-legged Deadlift - 2x10 reps Leg Extensions (1 or 2 sets - but by now your legs might be finished!!). Seated Calf Raises (4x10-12 reps).

TUESDAY AM: Walk (60 minutes, fasted)

WEDNESDAY PM: Shoulders, Triceps, Abs Use the ab workout as your warm-up - take as little rest between sets as possible. Hanging Leg Raises - 3 sets to failure. Rope Pulls - 2 sets. Barbell Military Press - 2 warm-up sets, 3x0 reps. Upright Rows - 3x12 reps. Lateral Raises - 2x12 reps. French Presses - 3x8-10 reps. Triceps Pushdowns - 2x8-10 reps. Reverse Triceps Pushdowns - 2x8-10 reps.

THURSDAY Off

FRIDAY AM: Low intensity cardio (40-60 minutes, fasted) Can also follow with 10 minutes of ab work. PM: Back Lat. Pulldowns - 2 warm up sets, 3-4 sets at 6-10 reps, increasing weight. Cable Rows - 3x10 reps. One armed Dumbbell Rows - 2x8 reps. Hyperextensions - 2x20 reps. Dumbbell Shrugs (2x10 reps or to failure).

SATURDAY Cardio - Interval training or at increased heart rate (60-90%) 30-45 minutes (see also Target Heart Rate calculator).

SUNDAY AM: Low intensity cardio (40-60 minutes, fasted) PM: Chest, Biceps Warm-up Flat Bench Press - 2 warm up sets. 3x8 reps. Hammer Incline Press - 2x8 reps, increasing weight. Incline Dumbbell Press - 3x6-10 reps. Dumbbell Pullovers - 3x12 reps. Barbell Biceps Curls - 2 warm up sets, 3x6-10 reps. Incline Dumbbell Curls - 2-3 sets 6-8 reps, increasing weight. Concentration Curls - 1 set to failure.

If your looking for a great intense Workout Plan that many people are raving about try 7 minute workout plan  http://www.7minfit.com/?id=nicolemcdaniel which is an intense 90 day body sculpting program using diet, cardio and weight training.

Funny Video Friday is here!

Laughing is good for the soul! Try it today!

Everyone enjoys a good laugh! Check out these funny videos

Need more funny videos!

More funny videos

And more funny videos!

They say that "Laughing is good for the soul!" or "Turn that frown into a smile!" I hope I accomplished that today. We all could use a good laugh at the end of a long week! With that being said I hope you enjoyed my Funny Video Friday Clip! And enjoy your weekend. Stay tuned to next Friday for more funny videos!

Exercise Workout Plan 3

Today's workout plan consist of : Weight Training

 A weight training workout plan is an integral part of any fat loss program. It is for both women and men - and it does not make you grow big muscles !! (you need lots and lots of calories for that - read more about this in Weight Training for Fat Loss).

The key component to burning calories, is increasing metabolism - the rate at which the body burns energy. A good weights or resistance training workout plan not only boosts metabolism, but the increase in lean muscle itself also requires more calories to maintain!

Designing a workout plan

The best you can do, is to get a fitness trainer to design a program just for you. If you cannot afford this, then the next best thing is to use an online customized fitness program - such as Global Health and Fitness. There is a lot of information out there, such as technique, types of exercise (there are hundreds), how often you should train, how long you should train, etc. It is an enormous subject, and to get the best out of your workout time, you will need to learn about weight training, or have a program constructed for you.

 Beginners Workout Plan Train 3 times per week, with one rest day in between (for example, Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Perform 10 minutes of warm up using cardio equipment (such as a rowing machine).

 Perform 1 to 2 sets of the following exercises:
CHEST Dumbbell Bench Press (1x12)
Dumbbell Flies (1x12)
BACK Wide Grip (Lat.)
 Pulldown (1x12)
Seated Rows (1x12)
TRICEPS Triceps PushDown (1x12)
BICEPS Standing Dumbbell Curls (1x12)
 LEGS Leg Press (1x15) Leg Extension (1x15)
Leg Curl (1x15)

See Also Circuit Training Program - A sample program using cardio and weights in a circuit. Advanced Fat Loss Workout - A sample workout (not for beginners) to achieve maximum fat loss whilst maintaining or even growing muscle.

Glossary Workout Plan - 

What you do every time you visit the gym. Includes cardio exercise, stretches, and weight training.

 Reps - Short for repetitions. The number of times you lift the weight. Obviously the heavier the weight, the less reps you will be able to do. When doing a rep it is important to concentrate on good slow technique. You will often see people swinging around wildly... this is not the way to lift weights. Example: (1x12) means 1 set of 12 repetitions Set - A group of repetitions. Rest Time - The amount of time you rest between sets. This is often around the 1 minute mark. It is important with any workout plan you choose that it fits your needs and that you dont over do it.

Exercise Workout Plan 2

Exercise Workout Plan - Cardio, Circuit, and HIIT

Once your body is used to activity and movement (see Exercise Workout Plan 1), it is time to move on. You may have started with an activity such as walking or swimming. There is no need to stop this activity, but it is time to introduce something else. If you are walking you should aim to keep your heart rate up. Try to walk briskly, so that you are making an effort to breathe. Aim for a heart rate of between 60-70% of maximum (see Target Heart Rate Calculator). Optimum cardio durations for fat loss are between 35-55 minutes. Many athletes believe that cardio for longer than 60 minutes can have a catabolic (muscle loss) effect.

Circuit Training Circuit Training is carried out at a gym or fitness center. It will help you preserve muscle mass while you are trying to lose fat. Circuit Training involves high repetition resistance exercises with little or no rest breaks in between each exercise. Most gyms have a circuit training room. The weights used are typically low. When joining a gym, most instructors will create a program for you. See a full circuit training workout plan (excerpted from the abs diet). One popular circuit training program is Curves Fitness. Mix It Up! If you have been doing a single exercise (such as walking), try to introduce some more exercises into your plan, such as a rowing machine, or jogging, or cycling.

Dont be afraid of your workout plan

Your body needs the variety to prevent it from adapting too quickly to your current program. This is essential during any weight loss plateau. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) As mentioned before, the body is very clever when it comes to adaptation and conserving fuel. If your goal is fat loss, applying some different techniques can be helpful. Studies have shown that when cardio sessions are maintained at exactly the same pace for a long duration, the body will adjust itself to the exercise, and will attempt to conserve energy. This can be overcome by interval training. Exercise at a moderate pace for, say, 4-5 minutes, then go all out for 1 minute. Then bring the pace back down for a couple of minutes (until you feel you've recovered).

Continue this process throughout your cardio session and you will 'trick' your body into consuming more calories. The exact benefits (i.e. fat loss or muscle loss) of HIIT are hotly debated - if it works for you - use it! Other wise stick to lower intensity cardio (long duration). This is useful when using cardio equipment, or running, swimming, cycling, etc.

Whatever workout plan you choose make sure it is the right one for you and that you dont overwhelm yourself. This could lead to failure and over stress of the body! If you dont have time in you day to workout take a look at this 7 minute workout plan!

http://www.7minfit.com/?id=nicolemcdaniel&campaign=blogger
Stay tuned tomorrow for Exercise workout plan 3

Start your workout plan today!

You want your business to be successful

One of the most popular topics these days is how to start a home based business. Many people have realized the advantages of running a business from home. Home based businesses are great for stay at home pops and moms. Generally, a home based business is any income generating activity operated from within your own home. This means that you do not have to get out of the house in order to serve your customers. You sell goods and services that people can get at your doorstep or through a delivery service, so you do not have to get out of the house. In order to start this type of business, you have to get the right training, search for information about your products and learn more about your target market. There are many factors that must be considered before you take the plunge.

Knowing your product is very important if you want to succeed in business. You must know everything that is related to your products. You must make your products stand out from the hundreds of similar products that are on the market. People need to know why your products are special. Using attractive packaging on your products is also a good idea, and your products should be reasonably priced. Before you start your home based business, it is important that you know your market. If you know how to connect with potential customers, your sales will be high. Before you start a home based business, you may want to consider attending a few seminars by successful businessmen. This will give you a good idea of the challenges that you are likely to encounter when running your business.

Tips for Starting Business

Today, it seems no matter where you look someone is pushing the next greatest work from home opportunity. They can make it sound so convincing that you are ready to pull out your credit card to say you are in. The truth is many of these work at home opportunities are not what they may seem. We have some things you will want to look at before you decide on your next work at home opportunity.

Follow this tips to start business

The first thing you want to look at is how long has the program been around. Most people never investigate an opportunity and that is a mistake. Find out how long the program has been around and if it has a good reputation in its industry. Contact the Better Business Bureau and check out what they say about the business as well. Secondly, you want to see if you can talk to people already who are in the opportunity. This will give you a chance to see if the program is all hype or for real. If a company does not want you talking to people already in the program, that is a red flag to stay away from it. Most legitimate opportunity companies will gladly let you talk to people in it. The third thing you must make sure is you can afford the opportunity long term. In other words, you must plan of having enough cash to last at least one year in the opportunity. The majority of people do not realize that it takes more than just the entry fee to make an opportunity profitable. Having long-term goals will help you become successful in any opportunity. Lastly, you want to make sure you take your time when looking at any work at home program. The majority of people are sucked in by the great copy or slick advertising. Do not make this mistake. Study any program carefully before deciding if this opportunity is for you.

How to Create a Blog to Make Money Online

Blogs can be used to make money

  While browsing online there are hundreds of offers that promise to earn the viewer thousands of dollars each month, with little to no work. Wading through the offers, there are often strings attached and fees required for the customer to even gain access to the information that can help to increase the income. Blogging is free and there are serveral blogging platforms to use such as WordPress, Blogger, and Simplesite. Creating a blog can help to make money online. Creating a web space that has unique content and offers visitors to the website useful information can help to gain readers, increasing the potential income from the blog. Once the content has been developed for the blog, the owner can begin the process of monetizing the blog  finding ways that money can be earned from the blog. Promoting your business and selling advertising space that is pertinent to the readers of the website, using pay per click advertising programs and placing links throughout the website for affiliate sales can help the owner of the website to create an income.

Using keywords can help you make money

Using the combination of these money making methods, it can be simple to earn income from the blog – granted, this income is not likely to be high at first. Once you begin getting comfortable with blogging and the search engines see new content it will send traffic to your site. The search engines love new content so the more you blog the more traffic your blog will receive. One thing that is essential to SEO is the keywords you pick. To increase the income from blogging and earning money online it’s important to have a steady flow of readers visiting the website, increasing the potential that the readers are going to buy products through the affiliate advertisements, click on the paid advertisements and provide higher levels of traffic to increase the rates that can be charged for advertisements placed on the blog.

The amount of money you make is up to you

Blogging for money can be a feasible way to earn a few extra hundred dollars each month but it’s important to realize that the pay off can take hours of development, and time creating new content to lure in readers. When doing this you must decide what audience you want to target and what you would like to talk about in your blog! You must have something interesting that brings others back to your site for more! Money is essential to living in today's society.

Exercise Workout Plan 1 - If You're Overweight

This is a workout plan for beginners

1. Overcome Barriers Before setting yourself an exercise program, you need to address all the reasons that will stop you from doing it! I'm too busy - don't have enough time It's all a matter of priorities really... If something is important enough to you, you will make time for it. I am embarrassed about the way I look when exercising Find a friend to do it with you or exercise at home. I'm afraid of injury Many people start out and do too much in too little time. Find exercise that suits you - and begin with something gentle (i.e. walking). I don't have access to any fitness equipment Walking is something that can be done anywhere, as is home exercise videos. I'm too overweight to exercise Over time physical activity will become easier. Some exercises are more suited to larger bodies than others (such as swimming, walking, treadmills, and elliptical trainers).

2. Make A Workout Plan
If possible, make a plan of exercise goals, a basic timetable of when, where, and how, you will stick to it.

 3. Phasing In Start with whatever you can achieve. Aim for 20 minutes of walking. If you can't achieve this, then stop when you can. Your goal is to walk 20 minutes a day for 5 days a week. Make sure you have good shoes! This can make all the difference. If you are not used to exercising, your joints and muscles will take a short while to get used to it.

 4. Mixing It Up The human body is remarkably adaptable. The best way to keep your exercise efforts functional is to add variety.

Here are some other cardio alternatives you can put in your workout plan:

 Walking Many people find that a pedometer is a useful tool to have while walking. A pedometer will track your steps and help you to set goals each walk. The pedometer can be strapped to your waistband, and will count your steps. Aim for a weekly increase of 500-1000 steps. Expect to pay between $20-40 for a reasonable pedometer.

 Swimming This can be a low-impact exercise that has minimal impact upon your joints. Swimming strengthens the upper body as well as involving the lower body.

 Jogging Very popular form of exercise, but not particularly well suited to you if you are a larger person. Jogging and running place significant stresses on bones and joints. However, it is one way to fit more exercise in a shorter space of time! Stretching is essential.

 Cardio Equipment One of the most popular methods of exercise today is by using fitness equipment. Treadmills, rowing machines, elliptical trainers, and stationary bicycles are just some of the options available. Most of this equipment is available in you local gym or fitness center. However, for many of us, going to these places can be disconcerting. Purchasing your own equipment is an option.

The workout plan you choose should be comfortable to you! Don"t overdo it and take your time! Do it at you leisure because if you don't you wont work efficiently and it will be more of a must do then want to and cause you not to succeed. So the first thing you should do in put it in your mind and be happy with the decision to become fit and start your workout plan.

What to workout plan and be fit but dont have the time try the 7 minute workout plan click on the link to the right!

Stay tuned for more exercise workout plans

Workout Plan Review

7 Minute Workout Plan

Review By Adam - How Does The 7 Minute Workout Plan Work? Posted 03-25-2013 at 07:57 AM by adamj2 Tags minute, review, workout Hey there, this is my honest 7 Minute Workout review to let you know all the insider information on the 7 Minute Workout fitness program and business opportunity. I am an online entrepreneur from London, UK and make my full-time income online. Combining this marketing experience with the health & fitness world is right-up my street because I am also a keen fitness enthusiast! Working from home can mean that I could fall into the trap of not doing enough exercise, so it is excellent that I can now put 7 minutes aside each day to go through this workout program...and make money at the same time! => Click Here For My FULL 7 Minute Workout VIDEO Review & Team Info!

7 Minute Workout Plan Review

What I love about 7 Minute Workout is that it is so much more than just a business opportunity. The product comes first, which is the way it should be. Regardless of the opportunity to make 100% commissions and full-time residual income from home, the 7 Minute Workout program, diet plan and community is worth the price of admission alone. 7 Minute Workout Products The primary product at 7MinuteWorkout.com is the workout program. After filling-in a short questionaire to determine your goals and current level of fitness, a workout program is automatically created for you. Each day you simply log-in to look at the day's exercise plan and go through the videos to see exactly how to do them, step by step. You then tick of each exercise using your calender based workout tracking system. But it is so much more than just a workout program, you are also given meal plans and a diet tracking system as well. There is also a very active and supportive community to be part of an interact with other like minded individuals.

7 Minute Workout Compensation Plan The compensation plan at 7 Minute Workout Plan is very powerful in that it encourages duplication.

Normally in network marketing business opportunities most of your sales will come from your own production, but 7 MinuteWorkout.com was designed for duplication in mind. A 50% matching check bonus is paid out from infite levels into your downline so you really do leverage the power of a team and community with this. You are also provided with 7 free trial accounts to give out when you upgrade as an elite member. You can give out as many of these accounts as you like. So you can have 28 one week trials in a month, or more if doing 3 day or 1 day trials etc. It really does make it easy to make sales and duplicate when all it takes is to reach out to friends, colleagues and other entrepreneurs online and Facebook etc just to say hi and see if they would like to claim one of your free trials for 7 Minute Workout Plan. When they have had a look at the back office and seen the quality of products available then there is an excellent chance they will decide to stay on as a paid member. My 7 Minute Workout Plan Team In summary of this 7 Minute Workout Plan review, it will be very cool to team-up with you onboard my 7 Minute Workout Plan team. I think I will be a big help on the internet marketing and lead generation side of things. After starting from zero 10 months a day, I now generate 30+ leads a day and make daily sales. It will be excellent to team-up with you to help with your marketing and to be a part of your online journey with the 7 Minute Workout Plan Program. Anyhow, thanks for checking out my 7 Minute Workout Plan review and look forward to making contact with you on the next page..

http://www.7minfit.com/?id=nicolemcdaniel&campaign=blogger

Lakers Fans Upset About Star Basketball Player

Basketball player Kobe Bryant

(CNN) -- Los Angeles Lakers star basketball player Kobe Bryant

will be out for six to nine months after rupturing his Achilles tendon, a Lakers Twitter message said Saturday, citing team trainer Gary Vitti. The injury occurred Friday against the Golden State Warriors. The news came after Bryan had an MRI. Asked if the timetable means Basketball player Kobe Bryant will be back next season, Vitti said on Twitter "that's the plan." A ruptured Achilles could take up to a year to heal, according to Will Carroll, sports injuries lead writer for Bleacher Report. Bryant has previously said that next season could be his last in the NBA. This is the 16th season in the league for the 34-year-old.

Basketball player Kobe Bryant, who averages 27.3 points per game, reacted with disappointment on social media after the injury. On his Facebook page he posted a lengthy update: "This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I've done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I'm supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that?? "I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me." Later, Basketball player Kobe Bryant called the injury the first step in a new challenge. "One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day," he wrote. The post received more than 136,000 likes. According to an earlier tweet from the Lakers, Basketball player Kobe Bryant could tell what the injury was before seeing a doctor. "I was just hoping it wasn't what I thought it was," Basketball player Kobe Bryant said, according to the tweet. The Lakers have two games left in the regular season, both at home. They face the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. After beating the Warriors 118-116, the team is one game ahead of the Utah Jazz for the final spot in the NBA's Western Basketball Conference playoffs.

Looking for a motor club!

Motor clubs are organizations, either for-profit or non-profit, which motorists (drivers, vehicle owners) can join to enjoy certain benefits provided by the club relating to driving a vehicle. There is typically an annual membership fee to join. A  motor club membership identification card, valid for the time period of membership paid, is typically issued to the member.

Typical motor club benefits may include the following:

Use of membership card as bail bond card for minor traffic violations. In the USA this is especially useful for members driving outside their own state, since other state law enforcement agencies commonly do not recognize posting out-of-state driver's licenses as bail bond, but often accept motor club member cards.
Emergency road service upon presentation of membership card. Often there is a nationwide network with agreements with various local towing and other emergency road service providers.
Providing members with maps or other tourist or motoring information in some cases.
In some cases, reward stickers or decals may be provided to the member to place in the window of his/her vehicle, offering a reward to someone locating or reporting a stolen vehicle.
Sometimes certain services related to vehicles such as transferring ownership may be provided to members at a reduced cost.
Some businesses such as motels may provide members of certain motor clubs with discounts upon presentation of their motor club membership cards.

Motor clubs Of America

Motor club of America doesn't just have roadside assistance we also have $150,000 in coverage!

Motor Club of America Associate advantages and benefits:

• Free Company Website and Back Office Website
• Toll free 800 #, which can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year offering benefit assistance to both members and associates
• Support group offering weekly webinars and conference calls—with 24 hour per day availability
• Work from home at your own pace—work flexible hours—work when you want. The effort you put into your business dictates the amount of money you earn.
• Receive your weekly paycheck every Friday by either direct deposit or UPS
• Commission advance
• Earn retirement income
• Leadership/management opportunity
• Motor Club of America /TVC support number (866) 467-2221, marketing tools and support training to help you earn the income you want to earn.

As an associate with Motor Club of America, you are also protected under the Motor Club of America member plan.

Members receive 24 hour a day protection when on the road, WHETHER YOU ARE AT HOME, OUT OF TOWN OR EVEN IN ANOTHER STATE.
Review the complete details and benefits list at: https://www.tvcmatrix.com/MCA_Presentation_Book.pdf

Motor Club of America Program benefits:

• ERS, “Emergency Road Service” 24-Hour Dispatch – You are provided help when you run out of gas, when you have a flat tire or when your battery dies. You will also receive towing services up to 100 hundred miles (100 miles) from where your car has broken down.
Protection is not limited to your normal vehicle—coverage is also available for your boat, motorcycle, RV, dually truck or even your livestock trailer—all at no additional cost.
• Access to a locksmith when you are locked out of your vehicle.
• Emergency Room Expenditure Protection
(This benefit covers the cost of splints, casts, lab work, x-rays, IVs, transfusions, anesthetics, nursing care, doctor care and facility care.)

• Receive a $150.00 daily hospital benefit—up to $54,750
(This benefit is not paid to the facilitating hospital, but is paid directly to you. If your normal auto insurance policy covers your hospital and doctor expenses, you keep this money.)
• Accidental Death Coverage plan
• Accidental Death Benefit plan
• Traffic Court defense disbursement
• Stolen automobile reward
• Stolen farm equipment reward
• Paid legal defense fees—for both moving violations and personal injuries—up to $3,000
• Receive a $500 arrest bond certificate
• Receive up to $25,000 jail bail bond
• Stolen credit card protection
• Receive travel planning and assistance service whether you are traveling for business or for pleasure
• Discounts ranging from 5% to 40% at car rental companies and major hotels
• Discounts from 15% to 60% at major providers of vision, dental and prescription

*Motor Club of America may offer additional benefits as the program features and benefits are enhanced.
*Benefit coverage options may differ by State*

Associate Compensation:

Motor Club of America Associates receive $80.00 (EIGHTY DOLLARS) and up for each membership submitted; MCA associates also receive residual monthly income from the members and associates they personally sign up. Sign up just two individuals per day—as either members or associates—and generate a $1,120.00 per week income.

Receive a weekly paper check (delivered by UPS) or have your check direct deposited into your own bank account. You can receive your first paycheck the following Friday after you begin your work at home career with Motor Club of America—if you receive signups before the weekly company deadline, which falls on Saturday at 12 a.m., Central time.

To begin with MCA, all you need to do it pay for your own benefit membership for the first and last month. You are NOT paying to work; you are paying for your benefits. You would not want to receive a haircut from someone who has never cut hair before, would you? You need to have the benefits in order to properly sell the benefits package and understand how good the benefits are. Keep in mind, that when you signup just one other person, you have doubled what you paid to begin! You have nothing to lose!

(Note: Your initial plan payment may be paid by either debit card or credit card (IE- Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover). Plan payments may also be made with an active checking account; however, there is a delay in the clearing of funds, which will also delay your coverage and the ability to start signing up members. This opportunity is a serious business; I can assure you that this is a wonderful and profitable decision, which will positively affect your financial future.

So Remember:

$80.00 – $90.00 per new member or associate paid registration
Monthly, unlimited residual income from those members you sign up
(Just one {1} member per day equals a weekly income of $560.00—two {2} members per day equals a weekly income of $1,120.00
Weekly paychecks—your payday is either direct deposited on Friday or sent to your home, via UPS on either Monday or Tuesday. What motor club gives you 200% commissions on referrals and has such great benefits!

With Motor Club of America making the decision of which Motor Club to choose from is hands down the best choice.  Join today! Click here!

Motor club

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty is very popular today! Check out Hello Kitty store here!  

In today's society You can find Hello Kitty everywhere and it liked by all age groups! I got interested in Hello Kitty because of my 5 year old daughter who came home one day from school in tears because of a rumor that Hello Kitty worshiping the devil. Because of that my daughter had a change of heart which meant a new bedroom set and new attire (my daughter loves Hello Kitty). So I did some research and this is what I came up with.

Hello Kitty and Friends

Hello Kitty (full name Kitty White (キティ・ホワイト Kiti howaito^?)) is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States in 1976. The character is a staple of the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. At age 36 as of 2010, Sanrio has groomed Hello Kitty into a global marketing phenomenon worth $5 billion a year.

Originally aimed at pre-adolescent females, Hello Kitty's market has broadened to include adult consumers. She can be found on a variety of products ranging from school supplies to fashion accessories and high-end consumer products. Several Hello Kitty TV series, targeted towards young children, have been produced. Hello Kitty is also the main character at the two Japanese Sanrio theme parks, Harmonyland and the indoor Sanrio Puroland.

Formally in Japanese, "Hello Kitty" refers to the group of related characters, while the main character herself is known as Kitty White (キティ・ホワイトKiti Howaito^?), or affectionately as Kitty-chan (キティちゃん Kiti-chan^?). According to the official character profile, she was born in the suburbs ofLondon, England on November 1. Her height is described as five apples and her weight as three apples. She is portrayed as a bright and kind-hearted girl, very close to her twin sister Mimmy. She is good at baking cookies and loves Mama's homemade apple pie. She likes to collect cute things and her favorite subjects in school are English, music and art.^[2][8]

Hello Kitty is portrayed surrounded by a large family who all possess the surname 'White.' Her twin sister Mimmy is described as "shy and very girly," interested in sewing and dreaming of marriage. While Hello Kitty wears a bow on her left ear, Mimmy wears hers on the right. Their Papa, George, is described as dependable, humorous but also absent-minded. Mama, Mary, is portrayed as a good cook who loves doing housework. Grandpa Anthony likes to tell stories and Grandma Margaret likes sewing.^[8] Dear Daniel is Hello Kitty's childhood friend. His character profile describes him as born in London on May 3 with the real name Daniel Starr. He travelled with his parents and was away from Hello Kitty for a long time. He is portrayed as fashionable and sensitive, good at dancing and playing the piano, with an interest in photography and dreams of being a celebrity.^[9] Charmmy Kitty is Hello Kitty's pet, a white Persian. She is described as docile, obedient and fond of shiny things. Her necklace holds the key to Hello Kitty's jewellery box.^[10] Hello Kitty also has a pet hamster named Sugar, who was a gift from Dear Daniel.^[11]

Yuko Shimizu, creator of Hello Kitty, in 2010

In 1962, Shintaro Tsuji, founder of Sanrio, began selling rubber sandals with flowers painted on them. Tsuji noted the profits gained by adding a cute design to the sandals and hired cartoonists to design cute characters for his merchandise. The company produced a line of character merchandise around gift-giving occasions. Hello Kitty was designed by Yuko Shimizu and was added to the lineup of early Sanrio characters in 1974. The character's first appearance on an item was a vinyl coin purse in Japan where she was pictured sitting between a bottle of milk and a goldfish bowl. She first appeared in the United States in 1976.

Sanrio decided to make Hello Kitty British because at the time when she was created, foreign countries, in particular Britain, were trendy in Japan. In addition, Sanrio already had a number of characters set in the US and they wanted Hello Kitty to be different. Shimizu got the name Kitty fromLewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, where in a scene early in the book Alice plays with a cat she calls Kitty. Sanrio's motto is "social communication" and Tsuji wanted the brand name of the cat to reflect that. He first considered "Hi Kitty" before settling on "Hello" for the greeting. Spokespeople for Sanrio have said that Hello Kitty does not have a mouth because they want people to "project their feelings onto the character" and "be happy or sad together with Hello Kitty." Another explanation Sanrio has given for her lack of a mouth is that she "speaks from the heart. She's Sanrio's ambassador to the world and isn't bound to any particular language". Representatives for Sanrio have said they see Hello Kitty as a symbol of friendship, and they hope she will encourage friendship between people across the world. There has been some suggestion that Hello Kitty has its origins in Maneki Neko, and that the name Hello Kitty itself is a back-translation of Maneki Neko, which means beckoning cat in English.

History

Hello Kitty sold well immediately after the 1974 launch, and Sanrio's sales increased seven times up until 1978 when they slumped temporarily. New series with Hello Kitty in different themed designs are released regularly, following current trends. Yuko Yamaguchi, the main designer for most of Hello Kitty's history, has said that she is inspired by fashion, movies and TV in creating new designs.

Hello Kitty was originally marketed only to young girls. In the 1990s the target market for Hello Kitty was broadened to include teens and grown ups as a retro brand. Marketed to those who could not get Hello Kitty merchandise as children, or who fondly remembers items they had, Sanrio began selling Hello Kitty branded products like purses and laptops.The 1994-1996Face series was the first to be designed for a more mature appeal.

According to Sanrio, in 1999 Hello Kitty appeared on 12 000 different products yearly. By 2008, Hello Kitty was responsible for half of Sanrio's $1 billion revenue and there were over 50 000 different Hello Kitty branded products in more than 60 countries. Beginning in 2007, following trends in Japan, Sanrio began using darker designs for Hello Kitty with more black and less pink, and pulling away from kawaii styles.

Products

According to Sanrio, in 1999 Hello Kitty appeared on 12 000 different products yearly. By 2008, Hello Kitty was responsible for half of Sanrio's $1 billion revenue and there were over 50 000 different Hello Kitty branded products in more than 60 countries. Beginning in 2007, following trends in Japan, Sanrio began using darker designs for Hello Kitty with more black and less pink, and pulling away from kawaii styles.

Originally aimed at the pre-adolescent female market, the Hello Kitty product range has expanded and goes all the way from dolls, stickers, greeting cards, clothes, accessories, school supplies and stationary to purses, toasters, televisions, other home appliances, massagers, and computer equipment. These products range from mass market items to high-end consumer products and rare collectibles.

 

Sanrio Shop in Madrid, Spain with the Hello Kitty character outline as the entryway

Sanrio and various corporate partners have released Hello Kitty-branded products, including the Hello Kitty Stratocaster electric guitar (since 2006, withFender in the US) and even an Airbus A330-200 commercial passenger jet airliner, dubbed the Hello Kitty Jet (2005–2009, with EVA Airways in Taiwan).

2009 marked the collaboration between apparel and accessory brand Stussy and Hello Kitty. Stussy worked with Hello Kitty on collection focusing on the Hello Kitty character with Stussy signature graphics. This collection included T-shirts, keychains, and hoodies.

In 2010, Hello Kitty entered the wine market with collection made up of four wines available for purchase online, continuing an expansion of products targeted at older audiences.

Jewelery

In Spring 2005, Simmons Jewelry Co. and Sanrio announced a co-branded jewelery licensed partnership. “Kimora Lee Simmons for Hello Kitty” was launched exclusively at Neiman Marcus prices ranging from $300 to $5000 Designed by Kimora Lee Simmons and launched as the initial collection. The jewelery is all hand-made, consisting of diamonds, gemstones, semi-precious stones, 18K gold, Sterling silver, enamel and ceramic.

In Fall 2008, Simmons Jewelry Co. and Sanrio debuted a collection of fine jewellery and watches named “Hello Kitty® by Simmons Jewelry Co." The collection launched with Zales Corporation to further expand the reach of the brand, and it developed accessories to satisfy every Hello Kitty fan. The designs incorporate colorful gemstones and sterling silver to attract a youthful audience with retail prices starting at $50.

Establishments

 

Hello Kitty cafe in Hongdae, Seoul

There is a themed restaurant named Hello Kitty Sweets in Taipei, Taiwan. The restaurant's decor and many of its dishes are patterned after the Hello Kitty character.

In 2008, a Hello Kitty-themed maternity hospital opened in Yuanlin, Taiwan. Hello Kitty is featured on the receiving blankets, room decor, bed linens, birth certificate covers, and nurses' uniforms. The hospital's owner explained that he hoped that the theme would help ease the stress of childbirth.

Hello Kitty is included as part of the Sanrio livery at the Japanese theme parks Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland.

There is also a Hello Kitty Cafe, located on an uphill alley off Eoulmadang-ro, the main shopping thoroughfare in Hongdae, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea.^[31]

Media

Anime

There have been several different Hello Kitty TV series. The first animated television series was Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater which was 13 episodes long and aired in 1987. The next, Hello Kitty and Friends, came out in 1993 and was also 13 episodes. Hello Kitty's Paradise came out in 2000 and was 16 episodes. Hello Kitty's Stump Village came out in 2005 and The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends came out in 2006 has aired 52 episodes.

TV series

"KISS Hello Kitty" is a forthcoming American animated TV series that will premiere on cable channel The Hub. Gene Simmons, bassist of the band KISS, is slated to be an executive producer for the series. No cast or release date has been announced yet.

Music

Hello Kitty has her own branded album, Hello World, featuring Hello Kitty-inspired songs performed by a collection of artists, including Keke Palmer and Cori Yarckin.^[33]

Hello Kitty was also chosen by AH-Software to be the basis of the new Vocaloid Nekomura Iroha (猫村いろは Nekomura iroha^?) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sanrio.

Video games

Numerous Hello Kitty games have been produced since the release of the first title for NES in 1992; however, the majority of these games were never released outside of Japan. Hello Kitty also has made cameo appearances in games featuring other Sanrio characters, such as the Keroppi game, Kero Kero Keroppi no Bōken Nikki: Nemureru Mori no Keroleen. Special edition consoles such as the Hello Kitty Dreamcast, Hello Kitty Game Boy Pocket, and Hello Kitty Crystal Xbox have also been released exclusively in Japan.

Partial list of Hello Kitty video games

• • • Hello Kitty no Hanabatake (1992, NES): a platformer
    • Hello Kitty World (1992, Famicom): a Famicom port of Balloon Kid co-developed by Nintendo and Character Soft.
    • Hello Kitty's Big Fun Piano (1994, PC): a piano simulation^[36]
    • Hello Kitty's Cube Frenzy (1998, Game Boy Color): a life simulation/minigame collection
    • DDR Hello Kitty (1999, Bemani Pocket): a handheld Hello Kitty game in the Dance Dance Revolution series
    • The Hello Kitty Simple 1500 series (PlayStation): a series of specifically low-priced games
    • Gotouchi Hello Kitty Sugoroku Monogatari (2003, PlayStation): a sugoroku-based game
    • Hello Kitty: Happy Party Pals (2005, Game Boy Advance): an action/adventure game
    • Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue (2005, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2): an action/adventure game
    • Mainichi Suteki! Hello Kitty no Life Kit (2007, Nintendo DS): a puzzle game
    • The Hello Kitty Simple 2000 series (2007, PlayStation 2): a series of specifically low-priced games
    • Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams (2008, Nintendo DS): an adventure game published by Empire Interactive developed by Sanrio Digital. In the game, Hello Kitty moves to the Big City where she meets other Sanrio characters and makes new friends.^[37]
    • Hello Kitty Daily (2008, Nintendo DS): a PDA application featuring a diary, calendar, alarm clock, money managing system and school planner
    • Hello Kitty Online (2009, PC): an online MMORPG developed by Sanrio Digital and Typhoon Games. The game allows players to create and customize characters, then use them to battle monsters, socialize with one another, mine for ore, do domestic chores like farming or cooking, and participate in quests.
    • Hello Kitty Seasons: A game in which the playable character is appointed as Deputy Mayor to help Sanrio Town.
    • Hello Kitty Parachute Paradise (2009, iPhone/iPod Touch): an iPhone game with tilt-based controls^[38]
    • Apron of Magic (2010, Arcade): An Arcade Card Game developed by Examu to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Sanrio. The game features Hello Kitty and other notable Sanrio Characters.

Reception

The Hello Kitty brand rose to greater prominence during the late 1990s. At that time, several celebrities, such as Mariah Carey, had adopted Hello Kitty as a fashion statement. Newer products featuring the character can be found in a large variety of American department stores.

The Dutch artist Dick Bruna, creator of Miffy, has suggested that Hello Kitty is a copy of Miffy (in Dutch: Nijntje), being rendered in a similar style, stating disapprovingly in an interview for the British paper The Daily Telegraph:

'That,' he says darkly, 'is a copy [of Miffy], I think. I don't like that at all. I always think, "No, don't do that. Try to make something that you think of yourself".

Musti, a cat character created by Belgian cartoonist Ray Goossens, was also cited as an inspiration for both Miffy and Hello Kitty.

In May 2008, Japan named Hello Kitty the ambassador of Japanese tourism in both China and Hong Kong, which are two places where the character is exceptionally popular among children and young women. This marked the first time Japan's tourism ministry had appointed a fictional character to the role. Dr Sharon Kinsella, a lecturer at Oxford University on Japanese sociology, called the selection of Hello Kitty "a bit farcical;" "as if a dumbed-down cultural icon ... can somehow do something significant to alter the gnarly and difficult state of China-Japan relations."

UNICEF has also awarded Hello Kitty the exclusive title of UNICEF Special Friend of Children.

Hello Kitty's popularity began waning in Japan before the year 2000. In 2002, Hello Kitty lost her place as the top-grossing character in Japan in the Character Databank popularity chart and has never recovered. In a 2010 survey, she was in third place behind Anpanman and Pikachu from Pokémon. In 2010, the New York Times described Hello Kitty's characterization as "not compelling enough to draw many fans" and wrote that analysts called the characterization "weak." They also said that Hello Kitty not having a mouth has dampened her success as an animated TV character.

Legacy

In 1999, a brutal murder known as the Hello Kitty murder took place in Hong Kong. The popular name of the case derives from the fact that the murderer inserted his victim's head into a Hello Kitty doll after decapitating her.

As of August 2007, Thai police officers who have committed minor transgressions such as showing up late or parking in the wrong place are forced to wear pink Hello Kitty armbands for several days as penance.

During the financial crisis of 2007–2010, a poster of a Hello Kitty pre-paid debit card expanded to roughly 1 meter in length was displayed on the floor of the US Senate by Senator Byron Dorganas a demonstration of extreme methods used by credit companies to attract "children 10 to 14 years of age". It was criticized for its promotional website encouraging users to "shop 'til you drop."

For more Hello Kitty information and products check out Sarnio at www.sanrio.com/

4 Powerful Google Tools For Online Marketing

Almost all businesses, regardless of size or industry, use Google in some form. Be it Google Calendars, Google Drive or trusty old Gmail, it seems as though everyone relies on at least one of Google’s products to support their work routine. That said, there are a few hidden treasures in Google’s toolbox that, at times, don’t seem to get enough credit.

Sure, Google has hundreds of apps, but there are some that can have a serious impact on your online marketing initiatives that seem to be flying under the radar. Additionally, Google’s products typically have “freemium” models, which offer the invaluable opportunity to experiment with a variety of different techniques and hone in on what serves your brand most.

We’re all for testing out the latest and greatest from the world’s most powerful Internet giant. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to give a few of these seemingly under-appreciated products a spin.

4 Powerful Google Tools For Online Marketing

Google Trends

If you’re looking to amp up your SEO strategy, Google Trends is a tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. It allows you to see how frequently a term is searched so you can get a gauge for its popularity.

Google Trends instantly creates a graph of the search volume by language, country, city or region, revealing how the term has evolved over specific increments of time. It also forecasts how those terms will trend over time, helping you to make more educated decisions.

Essentially, Google Trends makes it easy for you to stay current with your product’s marketing language so you can jump into conversations about topics relevant to your space.

Think With Google

We like to consider Think With Google as a creative brain-trust we can turn to when searching for inspiration for our online marketing strategies. The resource is loaded with valuable information on industry trends, research and statistics, tips on marketing techniques and unique insights to get your creative juices flowing.

When devising your online marketing strategy or quarterly and yearly plans, don’t skip Think With Google. We love visiting this tool when we’ve come down with a marketing writer’s block, too.

GoMo

Consider this: 67 percent of people say a mobile-friendly site makes them more likely to buy a product or use a service. In other words, you should tap into the mobile revolution or your business may soon be left behind with the fax machines and the pagers of the world—otherwise known as those that failed to innovate.

Luckily, GoMo makes the transition to the digital world a simple one. Free for the first year, GoMo instantly generates a mobile-friendly version of your website so you’re no longer deterring your on-the-go customers with a site that’s nearly impossible to navigate.

Google Analytics

This might seem like a no brainer to some, but studies show that Google Analytics is actually a terribly underutilized tool among small and medium sized businesses. Without Google Analytics, carrying out website online marketing strategies is like driving blindly in the dark. Website analytics reveal critical data about how existing and potential customers interact with you online. When evaluated properly, the analytics insights offer up ample opportunities for customer engagement and retention.

If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this: Install Google Analytics and learn to love it.

Quick tip: If you already have Google Analytics running on your site, check outVisua.ly’s personalized analytics infographics.  You can create visual infographics that include your site’s data so that you can track your site’s performance by viewing it in an infographic. (An example is pictured above.)

I make a concerted effort to explore each of Google’s online marketing apps and gather data on the impact they have. I’m always impressed with what I learn about our customers and marketing strategies. So while one of these four Google tools might leap out at you more than the others, my suggestion is to give them all a try and see what they churn up.

I think you’ll be pleased with what Google has going besides search.

Masters: Teenager Guan from China

The Masters: Teenager Guan provides taste of China's golfing ambition

Guan Tianlang, now 14, qualified for this week's Masters when -- as the youngest player in the field, then rated 490th in the world amateur rankings -- he beat a host of senior golfers to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Guan Tianlang will become the youngest player in Masters history on Thursday
• Previous record held by then 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero
• China is investing heavily in golf ahead of 2016 Olympics, says women's team coach
• During China's Cultural Revolution, golf had been considered too bourgeois a pastime

(CNN) -- The legendary Jack Nicklaus may have won the most titles, a 21-year-old Tiger Woods may have been the youngest champion and Gary Player may have made the most appearances, but a little-known Chinese golfer will be added to the illustrious list of Masters record-holders on Thursday.

For when Guan Tianlang steps onto the first tee, the Chinese teenager will become the youngest competitor -- at the age of 14 years and five months -- in the 80 years of the prestigious Augusta event, beating the previous record held by then 16-year-old Matteo Manassero.

The boy who has been taking time out of school in his home city Guangzhou earned his place at golf's top table when, as the youngest player in the field, he beat a host of senior players to win last year's Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand.

He is just the latest of a small but expanding list of teenage -- and, remarkably, even pre-teen -- golfers to be impacting upon the highest echelons of golf, despite being drawn from a playing pool estimated to be no more than 600 teenage boys and girls.

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Guan was just 13 when he became the youngest player to ever contest a European Tour event in 2012, the same year that Andy Zhang, then 14, became the youngest player in the history of the U.S. Open -- while that year's Women's British Open found the youngest Chinese female golfer to ever contest a major, Jing Yan, then 16.

Cultural Revolution

Just last month, all were slightly upstaged by Ye Wocheng, who became the youngest golfer to qualify for a European Tour event -- at the age of just 12. Yes, that's right. Twelve.

"I don't think there's another country in the world that is putting as much into golf as China -- in terms of the resources, energy and money," says Michael Dickie, the Scotland-born head coach of China's women's Olympic team.

"Look at most other countries, they support players as amateurs but the support stops once they get to pro -- then, they're on their own and have to do it themselves.

"But our girls -- all they need to do is train. We do the logistics, which tournaments will suit them and where they should train. We also have a physio, fitness instructor, technical coaches and people arranging logistics, visa, flights and hotels.

"And the state is paying for it all. It is like a monster sponsorship program."

Of course, it wasn't always thus.

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During China's Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, golf was considered to be too bourgeois a pastime and any existing courses were dug up, with the land returned to farmers.

Eight years after Chairman Mao's death, though, the first modern-day golf course was built -- in 1984 -- even if there was still a reluctance to invest fully in the sport in the nominally communist nation.

Eye-wateringly expensive

For with its 1.35 billion inhabitants representing nearly 20% of the world population -- yet the country's landmass amounting to just 6% of the planet's total land area -- land in China is decidedly scarce.

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So it makes no sense for politicians to allocate great swathes to golf courses, especially given ecological concerns -- primarily over water use -- that accompany their operational capacity and the association with the wealthy elite.

While the number of courses has quietly tripled in the last decade to over 600, golf is still very much a minority sport and even though significant growth is expected with the expansion of a middle class predicted to have doubled its 2010 level of 52 million by 2015, the sport is still eye-wateringly expensive.

So much so that a 2008 survey by professional services company KPMG established the average initiation cost of joining a Chinese golf club to be $53,000, with a regular round costing around $150 -- way beyond the reach of all but a fraction of the population.

But help is at hand for some following a decision taken in 2009 in, of all places, the Danish capital Copenhagen.

That was where the executive board of the International Olympic Committee voted to return golf to the Games in 2016 after a 112-year absence.

Overnight, the Chinese government -- which boasts a long history of investing in Olympic sports -- finally had a reason to back golf. Although figures are hard to come by, the intensity of their training programs indicates just how seriously the Chinese are taking a potential fairway to medals.

At his academy in Shanghai, Dickie has a team of 15 Olympic hopefuls, eight of whom attend full-time training, which is funded by a state who get value for money -- with the girls training six days a week if they are not contesting a tournament.

"On a normal day, we get up at 0630 and do a fitness session for an hour," he says. "After breakfast, we train until midday, when we rest until 1400.

"Then another two hours of training and then an hour of fitness training -- we are heavy on fitness training -- so it's three hours of fitness and five hours of golf. Quite intense."

Chinese ambition

Improving the players' ranking is the major aim of the program, for the top 15 in the world gain automatic berths to Rio de Janeiro in 2016, following which another 45 competitors will be chosen -- with a maximum of two available players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.

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A further indication of the Chinese ambition is that Australian legend Greg Norman has been formally brought on board to advise and identify the country's best golf talent, which is largely drawn from privileged backgrounds -- for obvious reasons -- but he won't struggle with one name for the ladies category.

Last year, Feng Shanshan -- now 23 -- became the first Chinese golfer to win a major when she claimed the LPGA Championship by two strokes, five years after she had earned her place on the LPGA Tour as a teenage amateur.

Ranked No. 8 in the world, she does not train with the team in Shanghai but looks a certainty for Brazil -- especially since the next best Chinese female golfers are ranked 160th and 285th respectively, whose improvements represent the major challenge for Dickie, Norman and co.

Those working on the country's male golfers have an even harder task, for there are only three Chinese in the top 500, with Liang Wenchong -- the 34-year-old whose best finish, by some distance, was eighth place in the 2010 U.S. PGA -- leading the way in 169th place.

But it won't be long before the fruits of China's investment -- now reaching the grassroots for the first time -- will be clear for world golf fans to see, says a man who knows just a thing or two about the sport.

"In China, they are incredibly passionate and you see how the game is growing," says Hank Haney, who coached Tiger Woods for six years and who now runs several golf schools.

"I know from my academy that Asian golfers are incredibly great students -- they're very, very focused and without a doubt, we're going to see more and more great golfers coming from Asian.

"It won't be long before China is a big part of that."

Perhaps just as long as it takes for Guan Tianlang, Andy Zhang, Ye Wocheng and the rest to exit their teenage years.