The real secret to getting a great body... yes. I said it.

What would you say is the most important part of training?  Reps?  Weight?  Volume?  Time?  I propose that it is none of these.  No the most important parts of any physical training plan have little to do with the time you spend in the gym and are completely dependent on what you do between times at the gym.  Recovery, nutrition, and mindset.

Today’s society is focused on results.  We want what we want and we want it now.  A close friend of mine, who also happens to be my trainer and something of a mentor to me, passed on a bit of wisdom from one of his mentors:  “Doing doesn’t get paid.  You only get paid for done.”  However this has taken on a twisted meaning in our society.  We have taken this and combined it with the Protestant work ethic of our national forebears.  We work hard, and if a little work gets us some results then more work must get us more results, right?  Wrong.  We forgot the first part of that bit of wisdom: “Doing doesn’t get paid”.  We spend so much time busying ourselves, making ourselves feel better because we’re working so hard we don’t get anything done.  We need to focus on one activity, finish it, relax, then start the next thing.

Nowhere is this fallacy more prevalent than in today’s gym culture.  People brag about how many days a week and how long they spend in the gym, how much they’re lifting, as though doing more work gets them more results.  But we’ve all seen those people who go into the gym, do the same “stretches” (I refuse to call it a warm up and calling them actual stretches is, well, a stretch).  And yet there is no change.  Or worse yet they disappear either from loss of motivation or even worse an injury.  Why are these people who are working so hard not getting anything done?  Because they’re not recovering properly.  They give themselves no downtime to allow their bodies to recover.  They go home and think they’ve burned so many calories on the treadmill they can pop open a can of soda pop and a bag of chips and be okay.  They aren’t recovering properly.  Recovery is the downtime in which the body repairs itself.  If the body can’t repair itself properly, then all your work is for naught and you will be even less prepared to work out than the day before!  When you work out, invest in a good recovery drink, drink it right after your work out, then go home, eat a low fat, high protein, and medium-to-high carb meal and wash it down with plenty of water, and relax.  Just following those simple steps right after a workout will tremendously improve your results.

Speaking of eating, another thing.  Who here has worked their butt off in the gym, then gone home and killed any sort of results they may have gotten with pizza, beer, and chips?  I have.  My friend I mentioned before invited me over to his place to work out.  We did an amazing workout, absolutely killed it.  Then we ate pizza.  Oh yes.  We have all done it.  The thing is, what you put in is what you get out.  Sure you burned so many calories during that workout.  And you just put them all back into your system in 2 hours.  Plus your body is now lacking nutrients and molecules to repair and replenish itself so it can grow and develop.  I have learned this lesson the hard way… keep your nutrition spot on.  The better you are with this, the better your results will be.  If you need some guidance I recommend the Precision Nutrition plan by Dr. John Berardi ( http://www.precisionnutrition.com ) and the Slow Carb Diet proposed by Timothy Ferriss in “The 4-Hour Body” ( http://www.fourhourbody.com ).  If you wanna do something quick and dirty to get started, do a Google search for the Green Faces diet.  If you do though please read all the recommended advisories as this is not a permanent nutrition plan and has some things you’ll want to be aware of before starting.

Lastly, training the mind is just as important as training the body.  If your mind and heart aren’t in it, you won’t get anything done.  Take time between workouts to de-stress.  Bring balance into your life.  Make time for exercise, proper nutrition, work/school, sleep, and family and friends.  Find hobbies.  If you’re having problems, tell someone and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Keeping your mind healthy goes a long way into keeping your motivation up and surrounding yourself with positive supportive people keeps you accountable.

So make sure that what you do outside of the gym is just as beneficial as what you do inside the gym.

Gimme a doctor!

NEW DOCTOR:  No, but you are. (looking at her as if he’s just understanding) Oh. You really don’t believe that, do you? I can see, Donna… what you’re thinking. All that attitude. All that lip. Cos all this time… you think you’re not worth it.

DONNA:  Stop it!

NEW DOCTOR:  Shouting at the world, cos no one’s listening. Well… why should they?

DONNA:  Doctor. Stop it.

- From episode 4.13 of the new series of "Doctor Who"

Had an amazing workout today with some really awesome people as usual.  However there was a twist.

Got called out on something like this today by one of the few people who could get to me.  Got me thinking.  Why do I make everything a fight?  Why do I go against everything on principle alone?  Why am I so angry at everyone and everything all the damn time, fighting just to prove myself?

Because underneath the armor, the exterior that makes me look snarky, dispassionate, untouchable, and volatile, that mask I use to scare everyone away... I'm the one that's scared as hell.  Scared of being alone and forgotten.  Scared that nothing I say is worth hearing.  Scared that I'll lose myself and who I am and become just another face in the crowd, replaceable and disposable.  Nobody may be judging me but I'm constantly judging myself against unrealistic standards that I hold everyone else to as well.  They say everyone is their own worst critic.  Whoever "they" are is most likely right.  We are constantly judging and comparing ourselves against others.  Some of the criteria are self-imposed, some are put there by others: parents, lovers, media, etc.

At the core of being a Sui Generian is knowing who and what you are.  Once you figure that out and embrace it, flaws and all, then you can fix the perceived flaws.  Then there is no fear of being alone, forgotten, or unheard because people will be drawn to your confidence.  You'll be starting from a place of knowledge, ready to take on whatever comes at you.  Never fear.  Fear is what keeps us from what we want.  Fear of failure.  Fear of rejection.  Ask yourself right now:  what would I do if I couldn't fail?  Who would I talk to?  Where would I go?  And if I did fail, what is the worst scenario that could happen?  Ancient cultures believed you could control someone by knowing their name, and they were somewhat right.  You can conquer your fears and realize your desires simply by naming them, giving them form instead of taking aim at nebulous fears and goals.

I made this mistake big time today.  It's one I don't plan on making in the future.  Realize your worth, name your fears, set your goals as though failure were impossible.

A selfish post

Self-worth, self-esteem, self-respect... such huge hotwords that have come about in the last few decades.  But what do they mean and how do our modern cultural interpretations compare with them?  Let's explore.
Most dictionaries define these three terms as synonyms, all dealing with how we view our own value as people.  This is a very important part of one's psyche because it defines the vantage point from which we form our relationships with others... think of it as psychological relativity.  One would think it would be advantageous to keep these things strong and fortified to provide a more stable basis for relationships but that is easier said than done, especially in today's culture.

Today we are surrounded by mass media, social networking, and so many opinions from others as to what we should consume, how we should act, what we should feel and why.  Parents, co-workers, friends, celebrities, politicians, and religious leaders all put their two cents in through these venues that are distributed worldwide, influencing human behavior.  There is some inexplicable part of our psyches that has always feared being outcast so we all try to follow the same standard for fear of exile.  We end up pressured into excesses, extremes, and behaviors that go against our moral fiber until soon we accept excesses and extremes as normals and things that once went against our beliefs we suddenly change them to fit the "norms".  Suddenly self-worth isn't self-worth, it's mass-worth... how marketable we are to the people at large so we can fit in.

I propose something different.  Before you let anyone else define who you are, you define who you are.  Figure out what you like and don't like and why, what you believe is right and wrong.  Then stick to that.  Take every thought you have, every input you recieve and hold it against those measuring sticks and see how it measures up.  If it doesn't measure up, figure out why.  Don't let society define your norms, you define your norms.  Almost everyone who has made history has done so in the face of the opinions of the masses.  Marie Curie was a woman who had no place in science.  Copernicus faced religious persecution for his views on planetary motion.  Jesus of Nazareth, with his message of love, acceptance, and forgiveness, was deemed a heretic by the ruling religious powers, who were his own people.  These people threatened societal norms and the de facto power structure but their views advanced civilization by leaps and bounds.

Even in little things, define who you are first.  All too often we try to define ourselves by our relationships.  We seek parental approval, or acceptance from friends, or the romance of a lover.  Then our self-worth mutates into other-worth.  We base our value as a person on another person.  We find solace in the fact that our parents are successful, our friends are popular, and our lover is desireable.  This last one is particularly poisonous.  I've heard so many people get so down on themselves because they don't have a significant other at the current moment.  The moment you think that is the last moment you need one.  Your relationship will be much better when you are in it because you want to be, not because you feel like you have to be.

There is a part of this that will be difficult though.  In defining your boundaries, you will have to know your weaknesses and shortcomings.  You will have to face your demons.  Anyone who says they don't have any is a fool and an idiot and I say that without apology.  You have to not only know but understand.  Accept who you are, good and bad.  Play to your strengths and use those to improve your weaknesses.  Your confidence levels, productivity, and success will increase exponentially and more importantly your relationships will become much healthier if you define them instead of letting them define you.

I'd like to conclude using a favorite topic of mine, movies.  Recently a favorite graphic novel series was made into a movie called "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World".  For those of you who haven't seen it go watch it now.  It's a great movie.  Plus, there are spoilers after this and I woldn't want to ruin it for you.  In the movie, the final scene runs twice... it runs once then rewinds and replays as Scott uses a 1UP token he got earlier in the movie.  During the first battle he tries to fight Gideon Gordon Graves, the leader of the League of Evil Exes, using the Power of Love, a powerful sword that greatly enhances his abilities.  Ultimaely however it isn't enough and he is impaled and dies.  The second time around he has his head on a little straighter.  Instead of the Power of Love, he manifests the Power of Self-Respect, a much more powerful weapon.  With it, he defeats Gideon, the last and most sinister of the Seven Evil Exes.  I prefer the comic book ending a little better though.  The second time he manifests the Power of Understanding (representative of understanding himself and accepting his strengths and shortcomings) and gives the Power of Love to Ramona.  The Power of Love was only enough to defeat Gideon in tandem with the Power of Understanding.  Love yourself, love others, treat all with respect, INCLUDING YOURSELF!  Never ever sell yourself short, never let anyone tell you who and what you are, and your life and relationships will become much better.

Joy vs. Happiness

So I went to church with my friend Rachel tonight and it was an amazing message on joy in comparison to happiness.  Whether or not you profess faith in any deity, I think the message still rings true.  True joy is eternal and transcends our situation.  You know that annoyingly optimistic person who is smiling even when it seems his life is going to hell?  That is joy.  King Solomon of Israel points this out.  He states in his writings that he had tried almost every experience available to him at the time and it was all meaningless.  The brief spark of happiness was never enough to fulfill and like a junkie he was always back looking for his next fix.  It is absolutely astounding the lengths we will go to to get that quick hit of happiness... drugs, illicit and promiscuous sex, lying, cheating, stealing... all in the search for that elusive eternal happiness.  Makes me think of fitness and health these days.  We overindulge, partake in fad diets, get surgeries like liposuction and gastric bypass, pay for expensive equipment and training programs that are ineffective, dangerous, or both.  We go to these great lengths to get a quick fix that only lasts us so long before we revert back to our prior habits or worse yet, injure ourselves.  Why not go for real joy and the benefits that go with regular, safe exercise and proper long-term eating habits?  Put in that little bit of extra wisdom, knowledge, and willpower to get a larger amount of longer lasting happiness.  Makes sense doesn't it?  Then why do so few people do it?  We want the easy thing.  Are you going to settle for what's fast and easy or take the time and have something worth being proud of that brings you true, long lasting joy and health?

What's all this then?

Here it is.  My blog.  Here I will post articles on fitness, nutrition, lifestyle, and things that I am loving/hating/drooling over at the moment.  It's still a work in progress so hang in there with me while I iron out the kinks.  As it is, let me delineate what it is to be a "Sui Generian":

1.  You don't just excel at the game, you make your own game and play by your own rules.
2.  You possess an open mind, ready to learn, take on new viewpoints, and constructively present your own
3.  You have a desire to have a fit body, wanting to look, move, and generally be your best
4.  You strive for a good heart, treating others with kindness and respect, having loyalty and honor always
5.  You have a sense of humor.  This is key.  If you cannot laugh at yourself and take things in stride, please navigate away from this page immediately otherwise you WILL be offended.
6.  You appreciate the finer things in life:  food, drink, travel, the opposite sex (or the same sex if that's what floats your boat... see #2 above), among other things

If any of this sounds like you, you are already on your way to becoming a Sui Generian.  If all of these sound like you, great!  Come join a group of like minded people!  If none of these sound like you, then you need to get out from behind the computer and try a few things... like reading and going outside... I hear they're highly underrated these days.