Latest Coverage of The Mikey Network In the News.

View Archive

  1. Limit your intake of salt and caffeine. (No more than the equivalent of four regular cups of coffee per day.)
  2. Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night.
  3. Have regular check-ups with your physician. Early detection is the key to a successful solution.
  4. Keep a positive attitude and wear a smile… it takes only 22 muscles to smile, but 37 to frown.
  5. Make time for leisure activities such as reading, hobbies, sports, TV etc.
  6. Invest in CPR and AED education and training, and encourage your family and friends to do the same

1) What is a MIKEY?

A MIKEY is a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD), also called an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). Defibrillators can hard to spell and even harder to say, so we call them MIKEYs.

An AED is a portable user-friendly electronic device that automatically diagnoses potentially life-threatening heart rhythms. If the AED detects a problem that may respond positively to an electric shock, it permits a shock to be delivered to restore a normal heart rhythm

2) How many people have been saved by MIKEYs so far?

Because of the quick thinking and decisive action of people on the scene, and the fact a MIKEY was available, 44 people have been saved by a MIKEY defibrillator! You can read all about their stories on our Saved By A Mikey page.

3) Do I have to be a professional to use one?

You don’t have to be a medical professional to use a MIKEY and save a life!

AEDs provide simple audio and visual instructions and are designed for use by laypersons. Some AEDs advise the operator to press a button to deliver the shock. Other AEDs automatically provide a shock if the heart is in a fatal rhythm.

4) Where can I find a MIKEY?

Since its formation, The Mikey Network has placed over 2700 life-saving MIKEY defibrillators. You can find a map of every MIKEY location on our MIKEY Locations page.

  1. Limit your intake of salt and caffeine. (No more than the equivalent of four regular cups of coffee per day.)
  2. Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night.
  3. Have regular check-ups with your physician. Early detection is the key to a successful solution.
  4. Keep a positive attitude and wear a smile… it takes only 22 muscles to smile, but 37 to frown.
  5. Make time for leisure activities such as reading, hobbies, sports, TV etc.

This week’s Fitness Post is brought to you by personal trainer Igor Klibanov from Fitness Solutions Plus.

If you perform resistance training (AKA strength training, weight training, etc.) on a regular basis, chances are that you organize your workouts in one of two ways:

1.     You do straight sets. In other words, you do an exercise, rest, and repeat the same exercise.

2.     You do circuit training. In other words, you do one exercise, then move on to the next, and so on. Once you’re done all the exercises you had, you repeat the entire sequence.

But there is one other way of training. It’s called “supersets.” Supersets are when you perform 2 exercises for opposing muscle groups back to back. A classic example might be to do an exercise for the chest, followed by an exercise for the back.

One major advantage of supersets is that you can get a lot more done , compared to straight sets. Think about it this way: you do your exercise for the chest (like pushups), and the more repetitions you do, the more tired you get. So you have to rest long enough for your chest muscles to recover before you can do that exercise again. So while your chest is resting, why not do an exercise for a muscle group that is fresh? Because when you’re working the fresh muscle group, the chest gets a chance to rest.

When you pair up exercises to work opposing muscle groups, you take it a step beyond. You see, muscles naturally work in opposites. When one shortens, the muscle on the opposite side lengthens. Flex your biceps, and your triceps lengthens. Flex your triceps and your biceps lengthens (by the way, a technical, geeky note: the words “bicep” and “tricep” do not exist. There is always an ‘s’ at the end. Always. Even if you’re referring to just one arm.)

The major advantage of this is by working opposing muscle groups, they recover faster than if you were simply resting. For instance, working biceps, and then triceps will help the biceps recover faster than if you were just working biceps and then resting.

The same applies everywhere else in the body.

So if you want to get a lot more done in the time that you have (thereby really speeding up your metabolism), give supersets a try. If you want specific exercises to use, you can get my seminar, Strength Training for Beginners.

Quick Summary 

3 of the most common ways of organizing your workouts are:

  • Straight sets. In other words, you do an exercise, rest, and repeat the same exercise.
  • Circuit training. In other words, you do one exercise, then move on to the next, and so on. Once you’re done all the exercises you had, you repeat the entire sequence.
  • Supersets. Supersets are when you perform 2 exercises for opposing muscle groups back to back.

The major advantages of supersets are:

  • You can get more done in the same amount of time
  • You speed up recovery

According to Northwestern Medicine, keeping your heart healthy during the fall/winter is important. They have put together tips on how you can manage your heart-healthy during the colder months. Here’s how:

  • Dress for the weather. Wear layers and especially wear hats, gloves and heavy socks.
  • Come inside often. Give yourself breaks to warm up if you’re spending time outside in the cold.
  • Avoid excess alcohol. Alcohol can make you feel warmer than you really are and therefore can be particularly dangerous when you’re outside in the cold.