Resolutions

It seems as though we live in a world of broken resolutions. Don't believe me? Just go look at the attendance of your local health club during the first couple of months after the New Year. You will see hundreds of people with a sparkle in their eyes. They will be wearing the latest in fitness apparel and be sporting a pair of brand new shoes; you know the ones that make you run faster and jump higher. You will see sweaty bodies, red faces, bowed up chests, and sucked in guts. After a few months have past, the clothes are not matching as well, the shoes are scuffed up, and gravity has reclaimed the chest and the gut. As the brand new clothes fade, so does that burning desire to revive that high school physique. Within a few months there is no longer a waiting line for the treadmills.

Why is it such a common occurrence for us to break our resolutions and promises? It has become so common that it becomes humorous and expected. You've probably heard a statement like; "So Bob, what's your broken resolution going to be this year?" As funny as it may be at the time, we instill a sense of failure in ourselves when we break a resolution. Before you know it, these broken resolutions lead us to expect failure.

We also live in a world that expects people to follow the same path as previous generations. Let me give an example. You grow up fairly active, playing sports and enjoying your youth. High school comes and goes as well as our 18 year old physiques. You heard of the freshman fifteen haven't you? We become more inactive as the years pass.  We eventually become a part of the fast-paced business world. Once again the activity level decreases as the stress level increases. As our priorities become a little more out of place, we decide to start a family and live the American dream. Before you know it, 10 years have passed and we join the multitude of people living very similar lives. Interestingly enough, it's about 15 years later when we finally see ourselves in the mirror and see a different reflection than the one we saw in high school. We try desperately to regain our youth only to come short due to a lifestyle to which we have become accustomed.

When we break the mold and begin living a more organized life with priorities perfectly set in order, we become a part of the minority. The Bible clearly states that there are two ways of life. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it." "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Although this may not sound very encouraging or easy, remember that with God, "all things are possible." Jesus himself said that he came that "we might have life and that we may have it more abundantly."

Let your training become a catalyst to a higher quality of life.  Try it for 6 months and then ask yourself if it doesn't make you better at everything else.  Let your resolution this year not be a resolution at all but rather a true and honest attempt to make a permanent lifestyle change that will lead to life more abundantly.

Slow as Christmas

As a kid, Christmas couldn't get here fast enough.  Now as an adult it comes and goes too fast.  That is why I have decided to enjoy the Christmas season rather than just Christmas day.  I have decided to enjoy the journey that leads to Christmas.  Christmas lasts for just 24 hours but the journey up to Christmas can last for weeks, even months for some. 

When I was a child, getting to Christmas day to open those presents under the tree was the goal.  I also remember it being bitter sweet when it was all over.  I would tear through my gifts in minutes and then the excitement and anticipation was gone.  I had nothing else to look forward to.  I was glad to have new gifts and toys to play with but the excitement was actually getting to Christmas day. I have more fun memories about the holidays leading up to Christmas than the actual gifts I received.  Once again, that is why I now want to focus on the journey.

I want to have that same attitude towards my fitness training.  Having a set goal is important but even more important, and more realistic towards actually achieving that goal, is to enjoy the journey that leads to the goal.  If you are not enjoying the journey, you may never reach the goal.  I have seen it time and time again.  People will set a weight loss goal or a fitness goal, usually a marathon and soon after reaching their goal they returned to the lifestyle they had before.  I have heard many people say while striving for and after reaching a weight loss goal that they couldn't wait to enjoy those foods they ate before the diet.  I heard them complain about how hard it was to stay disciplined.  The focus and the attitude was all wrong and led them back to the lifestyle they had before the goal.

Embrace the change.  Embrace the journey.  Embrace the new found discipline and healthier lifestyle.  Christmas will come and go but your fitness can last the whole year long.  It will be the gift that keeps on giving.

Mick Jagger was wrong!

Mick Jagger was wrong when he sang "I can't get no satisfaction."  Then again I guess that depends on what you consider to be satisfaction.  Working in a school, I am constantly bombarded with questionable food choices ranging from donuts in the morning to sugary deserts and fatty casseroles for lunch.  My colleagues love to poke fun at me for not indulging in the dozen or so pizza's they order for lunch once a month.  They like to eat in front of me and over exaggerate how wonderful and delicious whatever they are eating really is.  They then try to temp me to "just have a bite or two... how bad can it be."  It is like being around a bunch of peer pressuring teenagers.

I did notice something the other day while watching another teacher eat a piece of cheesecake.  I noticed that he spent between 5-10 seconds per bite.  He was done within a minute or two.  I immediately thought about the phrase of "a second on the lips a lifetime on the hips."  This same teacher loves to point out that although I may be healthier and live longer, he has had way more fun.  That is where I get the title to this post.  What brings you satisfaction.  Sure a piece of cheesecake would definitely be satisfying but for how long?  Is it as satisfying as the image a fit person sees in the mirror each morning?  It certainly wouldn't last as long.  Is it as satisfying as clothes that fit great?  Is that pizza and soda as satisfying as being able to climb stairs, go for a run, or play outside with the kids without feeling totally exhausted?

To each his own I guess.  I believe many people excuse themselves from any long term satisfaction with the temporary satisfaction that comes from a lack of discipline and overindulgence.  Again let me emphasise there is a difference between a small treat and overindulgence.  But make no mistake, satisfaction for some may come in the form of a six pack you drink while to others may come in the form of a six pack you see in the mirror each morning.

The Fine Print

Many years ago, back when I was working as a bodybuilding style personal trainer, I remember seeing other trainers spending countless amounts of money on supplements and protein drinks.  This used to bug me to death.  Not only have I not ever been a big advocate of these types of things but it also bothered me that most of these trainers were overweight and not fit.  They may have had big muscles and could bench press 400lbs but they were not physically fit.  I decided to do a little comparison of my own with the most commonly bought protein shake.  After breaking down the numbers, my conclusion showed that these guys were basically buying high dollar chocolate milk.  The calories, protein, carbs, and fat content were extremely close in numbers.

The health and fitness craze that became really popular in the 1980's has created a multi-billion dollar nutritional supplement industry.  Every health and fitness magazine is flooded with their advertisements.  There is a pill or a drink for everything.  Whether you need to lose weight, gain weight, need energy or have more consistent bowel movements, you bet there is a product marketed for it.  And with these supplements, there is the fine print.  That is my favorite part.  Most people miss it but it is the first thing I look for.  The fine print is basically the advice that should be taken instead of taking the actual supplement itself.  Look at any weight loss pill, advertisement or commercial.  They say their product can help you lose weight but that is really only if you read and follow the fine print.  The fine print says that in addition to taking the supplement to also exercise and follow a balanced diet.  As we all know, if we will exercise and follow a balanced diet, there would be no need for a diet pill. 

I remember a similar product that was marketed as jump shoes.  These were shoes that had a large, bulky piece of rubber on the front of the shoe which in turn made you walk on your toes.  They were meant to work your calf muscles and therefore help you gain more vertical on your jumps.  The fine print gave a specific workout that should be followed that incorporated the actual muscles that could improve jumping.  Jumping power is increased by working the large muscles of the lower body, not the calf muscles, and working them with explosive movements.  If you train the big muscles correctly, the smaller muscles like the calves are trained as well.

The point is that there are many supplements that promise all kinds of results.  Energy drinks are all the rage right now but are usually loaded with nothing more than sugar or caffeine.  My suggestion if you want more energy is to read the fine print where it says to eat a well-balanced diet and get 8 hours of sleep.  You are more than welcome to buy one of the hundreds of diet pills available but following the advice in the fine print will be more effective than the pill itself.

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.  CrossFit says it best with their World Class Fitness in 100 Words.
•Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
•Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean & jerk, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstands, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.
•Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY. Keep workouts short and intense.
•Regularly learn and play new sports!

There is NO Off-Season

I know that I have a tendency to pick on bodybuilders but they just give me such ammunition with their approach to fitness.  I remember many years ago going to the movies with Amber and running into a couple of local gym rats.  These were the guys that everyone knew spent countless hours building their biceps and reputations as the big guys at the local gym.  These were also the same guys who 360 days out of the year looked fat and bloated and the other 5 days during the year looked lean, vascular and almost sickly.  While standing in line at the concessions counter, I noticed them both buying the biggest tub of popcorn and drenching it with butter.  They also bought a large soft drink to wash it all down with.  Knowing these guys, I posed the question of whether or not that was a part of their diet.  The bigger of the two guys sharply and arrogantly responded with "It's the off-season pal!"

Off-Season?  There is no off-season.  Life will inevitably punish those who have an off-season.  We train to be fit and healthy all year long.  I guess that is why diet is a four letter word.  Diets are not meant to last forever and have a built-in off-season.  The definition of off-season is a time of suspended or reduced activity.  For many people it really is a time to be lazy and to excuse inactivity and poor dietary choices.  Some people live their entire lives with off-seasons.  Others eat right and exercise and then slip into their off-season and negate everything they had worked for.

I want my family, clients, and myself to be prepared for any given contingency on any given day of the year.  If life requires me to escape a natural disaster, I want to be prepared.  If life requires me to carry my groceries up several flights of stairs, I want to be prepared.  If life requires me to handle the stress of a busy schedule, I want to be prepared.  There are no off-seasons.  I have to be prepared at all times and the fitness we promote will do just that.  Save the off-seasons for sports.  Health and fitness is year round.

The Tale of Two Wolves

I do my best thinking in the shower or right after really tough workouts.  I think the after workout thoughts are probably more hallucinations rather than clear thinking due to the lack of oxygen to my brain.  Nevertheless, these are the times when I am still with my thoughts.  Just recently, I wrote down one of my thoughts and after writing it, I was reminded of a similar story. 

My original thought was "Every person has two people living inside fighting to come out.  One is strong, discliplined, and successful.  The other is lazy, selfish, undisciplined, and very average." You may or may not have heard the Cherokee legend of the two wolves but it is very similar to my statement above. 

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.  "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Similarly, the Bible also talks about a war going on inside every person between the flesh and the spirit.  Galatians 5 says that the works of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control.  The works of the flesh are basically the opposite of those of the spirit.

So the question that remains is which wolf are you feeding?  Are you living according to the flesh or the spirit?  I have found in my own life that my physical training helps feed my spirit.  It creates and strengthens good habits that lead to more successful living.  It is not easy doing the right thing.  Usually that can be a guide as to whether something is of the flesh or of the spirit.  But the more battles we face and win with our physical training, the more battles we can face with confidence and ultimately win in life.  That is what I like to call Trinity Fitness.

The Blame Game

Last week, a friend of mine pointed out that my car registration had expired.  I immediately got on the phone to find out why I didn't get a renewal notice in the mail.  I was told that this may happen from time to time and to come by the DMV with my insurance card and get one.  On my way to get this taken care of, I was pulled over by a police officer.  I couldn't help but laugh at the circumstances.  I wasn't too concerned and knew that I would just get a warning.  I am an honest man.  I was just leaving my respectable workplace where I am a teacher and friend to many of the local police officers.  I haven't had a ticket in almost 20 years.  I even remember praying for God's favor.  Well, that warning I was expecting came in the form of a ticket and I found myself very frustrated.  However, I couldn't deny the fact that I was ultimately responsible for getting that ticket.

I heard a preacher say something very profound the other day relating to this.  He said, "Don't expect God to do something for you that you can do for yourself."  Many people today are quick to blame others for circumstances that are under their control.  We blame our work for the time constraints that keep us from working out.  We blame the fast food industry for making us fat.  We blame Hostess for making cupcakes  that are just too hard to turn down.

One thing I have learned as an adult is that excuses never lead to success.  We have more control over many of life's circumstances than we probably want to admit.  Many of us are looking for a miracle whether it be from God or sitting on the shelf at the GNC.  I can pray for Divine intervention to help me lose weight but I can't expect God to knock the pizza out of my hand as it heads for my mouth.  I have to do that one myself.  That is the way it works with fitness.  It doesn't care about your busy schedule, your finances, or how delicious hot chocolate chip cookies really are.  You are responsible.  Not your thyroid condition, slow metabolism, or family history of diabetes.  You are still responsible to do the best with what you have.

Take ownership.  If you take a spill showing off your skateboarding skills to the teenagers down the street, don't blame the skateboard manufacturer for the bone sticking out of your leg.  Similarly, if you are not leading the confident life you had hoped or if you are having a tough time seeing whether your shoes match, take ownership and make the necessary changes to remedy the problem.  Doing your part shows that you have released your faith.  The Bible says in James 2 that faith without actions is dead.  So I ask you, what are your actions?  Your answer could possibly move the hands of God.