Fitness Philosopher

Am I There Yet?

You just said it again. . .

"I'm gonna figure out how to get there."

Where getting there represents:

• improving time management
• having more drive and determination
• eating better
• becoming more consist
• (any attribute that you want to improve upon)

Is there really anything to figure out?  Or is getting there more a function of BEING and DOING?

Telling yourself that you have to "figure out how to get there" implies that a list of things must happen in order for the getting there to occur.  It's a sign that's telling you that you're living in your mind and not conscious of right now.  It places your aspirations for change into the future - where you have no control - instead of the present moment where you have all the control (of your actions) that you could ask for.

Work on being here.  Give every ounce of your awareness, effort, intelligence and determination to this very moment. . . and the path to getting there will reveal itself, leaving nothing for you to figure out.

Change of Focus.

Not getting the results you expect?

You might have to go deeper than merely evaluating your program design, work ethic and nutrition habits. 

It might take more than simply getting more sleep or altering your training emphasis from cardio to strength training.

It might just require a complete overhaul of your perspective.

It's very easy when you begin training and focusing on a healthier lifestyle to focus on the negatives that you want to change. . . as opposed to the goals you want to achieve.

Instead of channeling all of your attention on the fat you can't stand to see, focus on your on the strength you're working to gain.

Instead of loathing your scrawny physique, focus on giving an all-out effort during your deadlifts.

Instead of thinking of all the foods you can't eat, take note of the endless tasty, satiating food options you do have.

Isn't this just positive thinking spin, which is eventually doomed to fail?

No.  It's practicing the skill of aligning your focus with your goals so that you're working with the current of your journey instead of swimming upstream against it.

 

Take a Step Back. . .

. . . perhaps to a time when we walked Mother Earth barefoot.

Christopher's Commentary:

Having foot, ankle, knee, hip, back and/or shoulder problems?  It may well be a direct result of the shoes you choose to wear.  This topic is one you'll hear about more frequently, and it's one you'll want to take to heart in your quest to keep your kinetic chain healthy.

You Walk Wrong
It took 4 million years of evolution to perfect the human foot. But we’re wrecking it with every step we take.
by Adam Sternbergh
Published Apr 21, 2008

Walking is easy. It’s so easy that no one ever has to teach you how to do it. It’s so easy, in fact, that we often pair it with other easy activities—talking, chewing gum—and suggest that if you can’t do both simultaneously, you’re some sort of insensate clod. So you probably think you’ve got this walking thing pretty much nailed. As you stroll around the city, worrying about the economy, or the environment, or your next month’s rent, you might assume that the one thing you don’t need to worry about is the way in which you’re strolling around the city.

Well, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you: You walk wrong.

Look, it’s not your fault. It’s your shoes. Shoes are bad. I don’t just mean stiletto heels, or cowboy boots, or tottering espadrilles, or any of the other fairly obvious foot-torture devices into which we wincingly jam our feet. I mean all shoes. Shoes hurt your feet. They change how you walk. In fact, your feet—your poor, tender, abused, ignored, maligned, misunderstood feet—are getting trounced in a war that’s been raging for roughly a thousand years: the battle of shoes versus feet.  (More. . . )

What Works for You? Find the Answer Without Thinking About It.

"Great people are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The spiritual is stronger than any material force. 

Thoughts. . . are material forces; i.e. they exist as form - they are not formless - so they are material.

So, is it really true that thoughts rule the world?

Or is it the spiritual -- i.e. consciousness -- that rules the world?
_____________________

One of the greatest gifts given to human beings is the ability to think.  But it can also be your greatest curse.

Why?

Because you end up being in our head too frequently -- over-thinking, over-analyzing, over-reacting, over planning, worrying, lamenting -- losing touch with reality, with the present moment, with yourself. . . with your body.

Get ahead by finding ways to get out of your head. . . and into your being.

Do this, and you won't have to think about what works best for you.  You'll feel it.

The Fallacy of Good vs Bad.

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."  -- Shakespeare

Christopher's Commentary:

The synopsis of the article below?  Most foods (manufactured foods notwithstanding), are not inherently good or bad -- it's our individual physiological environment that determines a food's "value" to our system.

What does this mean to you?  It's imperative that you understand your body's environment, that you respect it and that you cultivate it in a way that will promote optimal health and performance.   Making informed decisions (beyond "the mentality of third grader") about the type and quality of food you consume is important.  Understanding and being "tuned-in" to your body is equally important.

(Thank you to Dr. John Berardi, founder of Precision Nutrition, for his weekly newsletter and this article.) 

Good vs Bad Food -- It's Time To Grow Up
by John Berardi, PhD, CSCS

I'm always amazed at what people set up in their minds as "good" food and "bad" food. "Healthy" food and "guilty" food. "Lean" food and "fat" food.

  For some, bread is bad.  And anyone who could possibly eat bread isn't very healthy.
  For some, eggs are bad.  And anyone who could possibly eat eggs isn't very healthy.
  For some, meat is bad.  And anyone who could possibly eat meat isn't healthy.
  For some, alcohol is bad.  And anyone who could possibly drink alcohol isn't healthy.
  For some, pasta is bad.  And anyone who could possibly eat pasta isn't healthy.
  For some, soy foods are bad.  And anyone who could possibly eat soy isn't healthy.

And the list goes on...and on...and on.  (More. . . )

"Repetition is the Mother of Learning."

"Repetition is the mother of learning."  -- Latin Proverb

Chris Melton shared this video, courtesy of yrgworkout.com -- it beautifully illustrates a few of the essentials for enhancing fitness:

Motivation to change -- driven from within. Motivation of all types is extremely important for success.  Motivation from the core of your being, however, can be the most powerful -- and best derive long-term change.

Training with intensity.  This video oozes with Arthur's will to work.  Work Hard.  There was nothing lackadaisical about his training.  (Smart) hard work, with intensity, will enhance your performance.  Without it, getting results becomes difficult, if not impossible.

Strength Training.  In this case, in the form of yoga with an added emphasis on body-weight training.  The key here is that there was a strength component to Arthur's work, and that component was challenging enough to stimulate change including enhanced physiological function and maintenance/increase in muscle mass.

Goals.  Arthur began with fat loss and improved health.  He included the desire to walk without crutches and leg braces.  Then he moved on to the ability to run.  By clearly defining his final destination, Arthur gave himself the opportunity to know how to get there.

A good plan. . . and determination.  Nothing stopped Arthur.  Not his 70+ hour work week.  Not his disability.  He set his mind to the task, worked his plan, and, well, the rest is history.

Consistency.  Consistent training.  Consistent commitment.  Consistent repetition of a well-thought-out plan. . . and getting progressive results almost becomes a formality.

Dedication to a new lifestyle.  Arthur Boorman committed to a healthy lifestyle - to a change in his mindset - and this decision gave him a foundation for radical change. . . and life-long results.

Educate Yourself!

Educate yourself.

Education brings awareness.

Awareness brings the ability to make informed choice.

Awareness brings the ability to be alive in this moment.

Living in this moment, fully aware. . . well informed. . . brings you limitless potential.

Debating The UnNatural.

Christopher's Commentary:

Which is more troublesome:  that this debate is focus on which sweetener - High Fructose Corn Syrup or refined sugar - is more "natural?"  The fact that this conversation is taking place amongst the FDA, HFCS and Sugar Lobbies and a corporation that specializes in baked goods?  Or the lack of concern/debate for reducing both of these products in our food supply?

(Thanks to my pal Eugene for passing this article on.)

HFCS is not 'natural', says FDA
By Lorraine Heller

02-Apr-2008 - Products containing high fructose corn syrup cannot be considered 'natural' and should not be labeled as such, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.
The decision is likely to cause a massive stir in the food and beverage industry, where a discreet battle has been raging over the status of the controversial sweetener.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is derived from corn, and used primarily to sweeten beverages.  The trade group Corn Refiners Association and numerous industry members have long maintained that HFCS is a natural sweetener. (More. . . )

Going Out of Your Mind?

Then get out of your mind!!

Think about it. 

Better yet, don't.

Trade In The Ego for Enlightenment.

Donald Trump says, "Show me a man without an ego, I'll show you a loser."

I say, find me a man who can transcend his ego, and I'll show you a man who's enlightened -- and primed to achieve success that an egomaniac can't fathom.

Spend your time attached to your ego, you'll become bogged down with various forms of mental anguish, like unhappiness, fear, anger, greed and jealousy.  You'll detract from your potential.

Transcend your ego, you gain the freedom of consciousness. . . the ability to be in the moment - to make the most of each moment - and focus on the truly important things in life.
______________________

Be confident.  Be driven.  Be disciplined.  More importantly, be ego-less.  You'll not only end up a winner. . . you'll end up a winner of the highest magnitude.