Fitness Philosopher

Make Excellence Your Minimum Expectation. . .

. . . Not Your Maximum (if You Want to Breed Success).

(Special thanks to Dax Moy, fellow fitness professional, for his cool perspective on "Excellence.")

If you're on life's path striving for success in the fitness game, you've gotta have heart, consistency, will-power, fortitude, drive, specific goals, a good work ethic . . . and a good pair of shoes -- hopefully a pair of shoes running with a campaign stronger than the (potentially) confusing one proposed by Reebok.

**You'd think I work in marketing or something, with all the ad campaigns I'm critiquing lately as I dole out my fitness perspective.  (Of course, we should be thankful for these ads - and every other "inspiration" that I come across - as a source for these wonderful blog posts.)**

Back on course. . . .

I'm frustrated.  Here I am, a fitness professional trying to motivate my clients.  Trying to teach them to tap into their inner strength and take their bodies to their highest potential, and I've got Reebok, a sport shoe company(!), advertising the following messages:

Why run 'till you can't walk?  Run Easy.

Why hit the wall?  It hurts.  Run Easy.      

What are you "just doing?" Run Easy.

Did you beat your best time, or just beat yourself?  Run Easy.

Run to the beat of your own drummer.  Run Easy.

Stop and smell the garbage.  Run Easy NY.

A ten minute mile is just as far as a six minute mile.  Run Easy.

This kind of campaigning from a SPORT shoe company?  Sport?  As in, let's compete whilst having fun?  Give 100% for individual or team victory?

What message are they trying to send here?

Enjoy life?  Relax, and improve your chance of winning?  Settle for average, don't worry about excellence?  When the going gets tough, sit down and avoid the obstacle(s)?

In all fairness, the Reebok "Run Easy" campaign illustrated on their corporate website does open it's message with,"There's no point in doing if you don't enjoy it.  Stay fit how you see fit."  So, chances are that all of the above slogans are, in fact, aimed at telling us to enjoy life -- to live (and exercise) in a way that makes us happy.

Wouldn't it be better, though, if Reebok sent their message with a clearer example, one that leaves less chance of confusion amongst the target audience?  (I've heard too many people come away with the wrong message -- i.e. "Maybe I shouldn't work so hard." or "I should lower my expectations and not get caught up in competition.")

By all means, wear Reebok's shoes if they're the right fit for your activity.  Find pleasure in what you do (or in knowing that the activity you're doing is good for you).  But don't allow yourself to step into a mindset that leaves you content with mediocrity, average results and a lack of determination to reach your fitness goals. (And use this blog as a reference to avoid misinterpretation of their ad campaign!)

Training for enhanced fitness is a competitive battle between your will and your fatigued body in the face of adversity and hard work.  Cultivate a strong will and sense of purpose so you'll achieve excellence and success while lunging, walking or running along the path of your fitness marathon.

Gina Kolata Is Back.

Is that good for our fight against obesity?

In a world that's increasingly fatter, every attempt to examine and understand obesity's root cause, with the intent to understand and stop the epidemic, is important.  In Rethinking Thin, NY Times science writer Gina Kolata tackles the issue, but I'm concerned that the message isn't necessarily a good one.

Essentially, her message is that a majority of individuals trying to lose weight are wasting their time because genetics has predisposed them to a specific weight range.  This (dangerously) has the potential to send out a "why bother?" message to scores of obese people striving to lose fat.

Picture average Joe vegetating on a couch, stuffing his mouth with crappy food, sitting on his ass 8 hours a day, getting fatter by the second.  Miraculously, though, he's come to the realization that he's killing himself with his bad choices.  He decides he's going to try changing his lifestyle and shed the excessive blubber from his frame.

And then a news report flashes on the screen, reporting a link between genetics and obesity. . .                                                                                                            

The anchors open their story with:

Ever wonder if all that exercise and dieting is worthwhile?  Well, new studies have shown that trying to burn body fat with all your hard work and healthy eating may very well be a ginormous waste of your time.  Why?  Because your weight is determined by your genes. . .

They continue on with an abridged version of the actual scientific facts, leaving an opening for Joe (and everybody else watching) to misinterpret the issue and fail to recognize his reality.  Joe suddenly thinks, "Wow.  My genes are what make me fat, not my couch potato, face-stuffing lifestyle.  So, why bother doing anything?  It won't help me anyway. . ."  And just like that, he goes from motivated to improve his health and fitness to motivated to find a beer and bag o' chips.

That's just great.

Too far fetched, you say?

People misinterpret "low carb" as "no carb." 

They misinterpret "dark chocolate is better for you than milk chocolate" as "dark chocolate is good for you so eat a lot of it." 

They misinterpret "wine is good for cardiovascular health" as "alcohol is good for you. . . Bottoms up!"

So, if a large percentage of the population has trouble discerning between reality and ridiculous for such topics as carbs, fat and alcohol, how are they going to define the fine line between "genetically determined body type" and "obesity due to overconsumption of sugar and processed food?"

Gina Kolata is always good for a thought provoking read and, personally, I appreciate how she motivates me to further explore the topic she's covered.  But in this case, I think the book's message may be more harmful than good to the obese people who read it.

There is an obesity epidemic ravaging the US and consuming the rest of the developing world -- and genetics is not the root cause.  It is incumbent upon us as part of the human species -- whether obese, or helping somebody win the battle against obesity -- to take responsibility for our lifestyle choices and beware the temptation to use genetics as an unjustifiable excuse for our growing waistlines.

Benefits of INConsistent Training

Physical benefits will be hard to establish, but the benefits to your psyche can last a lifetime.

I've got a client with an irregular schedule.  Actually, irregular is putting it mildly.  She'll be in town with a full itinerary, 3 planned training sessions per week. . .

And her phone rings.

One three minute phone call sends her away for two weeks --  with only 20 minutes to gather herself and her belongings before heading to the airport.

During a training session one day, she vented her frustration over her inability to consistently exercise and continue making progress:
"I'm having a hard time staying motivated.  What's the point of coming to the gym today if I'm not going to be able to exercise regularly for the next month?"

Assuming that my client was using her time wisely and truly couldn't find the time or place to exercise while away, her question has merit.  The best way to reach your fitness goals is to be consistent with your exercise and nutrition.  Providing your body with a training stimulus once every three weeks is not the way to make sustainable, or even acceptable, physical progress. 

But is there another way that we can look at this?  Can you receive benefits when you find yourself with limited or inconsistent training time?

Keep this in mind the next time you face an irregular schedule, your training takes a serious hit, and you begin to doubt that doing anything would be worthwhile:

1)  Each training experience presents an opportunity to learn something.  You might learn a new exercise, gain deeper understanding and appreciation for an exercise you've already done or learn more about yourself and your will to "press onward" in the face of adversity.  Whatever you learn, the fact of the matter is you won't get that opportunity unless you put yourself in a position to do so.  How many times have you heard stories about people doing something that they thought was a "waste of their time" -- but they learned one small lesson (or met an inspiring individual) -- and that  "wasted time" became a turning point in their lives.

2)  Doing something is always better than doing nothing. (Unless, of course, the something that you want to do is "doing nothing" -- but that's a whole other issue.)  Let's at least give the body a chance at losing its couch potato status, you know?

3)  Each training session promotes mental strength -- a lifetime of fortitude.  Sure, your training is minimal.  But what about developing intrinsic motivation?  Building a strongly-rooted trait of determination? 

There's no escaping the fact that life is an out-of-control roller coaster ride.  And you'll be forced to make decisions in the presence of unexpected obstacles, let alone those that you've prepare for.  You'll get sick. Somebody close to you will get sick. You'll have relentless job responsibilities.  You'll get burnt out. . . or you might find yourself on cloud nine and lose track of time.

Regardless of what life presents you with, regardless of the choices you make, your mental strength will be the determining factor in your overall success.  So, why not see your training as a tool to challenge and improve your willpower?  Make the most of your training by viewing it as a means to develop a stronger mind for your everyday decision-making needs -- not just as a tool to enhance your physique and performance.

In reading this, I hope you'll plainly to see that, when life throws a wrench into your training plans, the question you ask shouldn't be, "Why should I bother?"

But instead, "Why shouldn't I, because of all I could gain from the experience?"

Speaking of Progression

My wife, Sara, is 30 today.

Talk about progression.  I've known Sara since late 2003.  We began dating in September 2004.
That's three birthdays that I've had the privilege of celebrating with her -- here's how my life has unfolded over the course of these birthdays:

May 10, 2005 -- Sara is 28 and we've been engaged for almost two months.  We celebrate the day with stories, laughter, a great dinner at Monster Sushi and Sara catching Famke Janssen checking me out as we walk to the subway on 23rd Street in Chelsea.  (Admittedly, that may have been more thrilling for me than Sara.)

May 10, 2006 -- Still happily together and 10 days away from our wedding at the Siena Golf Club in Summerlin, NV.  The birthday celebration includes a Palm TX with music-playing capabilities for the long flight and a Mexican-themed dinner at Salsa Y Salsa.  Birthday 29 was fun, but I'm thinking my bride was focused on the events to follow 10 days later. . . .

May 10, 2007-- We're married almost a year, my wife finally hits 30 -- though she's got the energy of a 20 year old -- and she's carrying our first child, due in September.  More celebrating, reflecting and a romantic dinner at Regional, on the Upper West Side.

How's that for steadily advancing in life?  (All marriage jokes from the guys set aside. . . )  I go from barely knowing Sara, to engagement, to wedded bliss, to impending fatherhood in a nice, linear 3 year progression.  I don't know if I could've made things happen this well if I had written this plan out in advance.

All kidding and progression talk aside, this entry is dedicated to the love of my life -- who has the strength to put up with my intense and stubborn personality, who constantly encourages me to chase my dreams. . . who shows me every day how much she loves me (this girl is definitely not an example of "all talk, no action.")

Happy 30th Birthday Sara Elizabeth!  Thanks for your love and support.  I love you.

Love Coke? Good. Now Drink Your Water.

The following information has circulated through my email in the past, and may well have been in your email inbox before.  I like this email because it adds a little flavor to the "go drink your water" lecture that we fitness professionals deliver on a regular basis.

Fun Facts about People and Water:

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated (and this is probably the case for half the world population.
2.  In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it's mistaken for hunger.
3.  Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%
4.  One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
5.  Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6.  Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7.  A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with math and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8.  Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.  Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink everyday?

Fun Facts about Coke:

1.  In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2.  You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.
3.  To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour -- then flush clean.  The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
4.  To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:  Rub the bumper with a rumpled up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
5.  To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:  Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
6.  To loosen a rusted bolt:  Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
7.  To bake a moist ham:  Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.  Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
8.  To remove grease from clothes:  Empty a can of Coke into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent and run through a regular cycle.  The coca-cola will help loosen grease stains.  It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

Wait, there's more. . .

9.  The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid.  It will dissolve a nail in about four days.  It also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.
10.  To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial trucks mus use a hazardous material place card reserved for highly corrosive materials.
11.  The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years.

What'll you have?  Coke, or Water?

______________________________________________________

Here are some other tidbits you might also like to consider, that weren't directly mentioned above:

Water's Relationship with the Human Body:

• Water comprises roughly 60% of your body: it makes up 83% of your blood volume, 75% of your brain, 22% of bone, 75% and 90% of muscle and lung tissue respectively. 

Water also:

• Regulates body temperature
• Removes waste
• Helps carry nutrients and oxygen to cells; assists in nutrient absorption
• Moistens oxygen for breathing
• Protects and cushions organs and joints
• Helps convert food to energy and enhances fat metabolism

While the circulating email focuses on the negative impact of phosphoric acid in Coke, this is not the predominant factor you'll need to consider if choosing between Coke and water.

Why?  Because Coca-Cola Bottling Company is not using high concentrations of laboratory grade phosphoric acid in Coke -- if they were, we'd never be able to drink it because it'd corrode our insides. . . (This is not an endorsement for drinking Coke, just a gentle reminder that drinking it won't put you in danger of dissolving away.  At least, not immediately. :))

What you should be considering instead is the amount of sugar in each can of Coke.  Not only will the sugar corrode your teeth (along with the phosphoric acid), but it will throw your metabolism for a loop as you go on and come off a sugar high.  (A great way to promote fat storage, by the way.)

And don't forget Coke's other important ingredient, caffeine, which will not only blast your metabolism, but will also contribute to water loss -- not exactly what you're looking for if you're searching for optimal physical and mental performance.

You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again:  Drink water.

How much?  Try to consume about 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day.

Done reading?  Good.  Go get some water.

Take Risks. Seek Reward.

When I meet prospective clients, our discussion often progresses from its initial purpose -- uncovering health, injury and exercise history -- to a heart-to-heart about the client's battles with achieving optimal health and fitness.  i.e.  What triggered the client to get out of shape in the first place?  What daily events prevented them from starting a program before?  If they have tried to start a training program before, what has kept them from being successful? Oftentimes, the answers go something like this:

• "I hadn't been in the gym for so long, that I didn't know where to begin my training."

• I was embarrassed to go to the gym and be around people who were in better shape than me."

• "I didn't know how to use the equipment and didn't want to look like an idiot fumbling around with the machines and free weights."

• "I'd tried before and failed, so why should I try again?"

• "My career, personal life, financial burdens. . . etc. got in the way."

• "I wasn't happy with my situation, but was uncomfortable with changing it.  I was afraid to take the first steps to make things better."

These feelings are all valid, and they represent the fears that so many of us have experienced -- whether we were scrawny or fat, rich or poor, old or young, an elite athlete or the "average everyday" person.   The question is, are you strong enough to look your fears in the eye, beat them down and work hard to come out on top?  Are you willing to take the risk?

Making the decision to improve your fitness and ultimately, your life, can be frightening because it does involve great risk.  You risk experiencing failure.  You risk feeling discomfort and pain.  You risk confronting your true self and having to deal with inner demons that you really don't want to face.

But if you DON'T take those risks, you risk NEVER finding success.  You risk NEVER experiencing the joy of overcoming physical and mental hardships.  You risk NEVER discovering the real you -- you risk NEVER truly living.

And your improved health is worth the "risk" of eating quality nutrition.  Your improved fitness is worth the "risk" of stepping into the gym and grinding through a grueling workout.  Your improved life is worth the "risk" of stepping out of your unhealthy comfort zone and trying to develop some new good habits.

Now the question remains:
                        If you know that "you're worth it," are you ready to take the risk?

                            Risk

To laugh, is to risk playing the fool.
To weep, is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another, is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings, is to risk exposing our true selves.
To put your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk loss.
To love, is to risk not being loved in return.
To live, is to risk dying.
To hope, is to risk despair.
To try at all, is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they simply cannot learn, change, feel, grow, love, live. . .
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves.

ONLY THE PERSON WHO RISKS IS FREE.

Author Unknown