Month: February 2019

Daily exercise.

It is easy to excuse oneself from exercising: too much to do, too little time, aches and pains, etc. These are all just excuses. We make time for the things we prioritize—opportunity costs.

If time is perceived to be a factor, start small. A seemingly short bout of exercise is always better than no exercise. Schedule 30 minutes to an hour four to six days (times) per week. Exercise can (and probably should) be split into shorter, more frequent, sessions. Quite a bit can be accomplished in 30 minutes—especially if the goal is not grand (and, let’s face reality: if you can’t muster more than 30 minutes a day, you probably aren’t going to make dramatic changes to your body). Do what you can. Build a habit, then scaffold on the established habit.

Prioritize. Apply your greatest efforts toward the most important goal. If improved body composition is the goal (i.e., lose fat and gain some muscle), then high-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT) will likely be your best option. If improve cardiorespiratory health is most important, high-intensity interval (aerobic) training (HIIT) might be the best option—but don’t neglect some strength training exercise. If strength gains are desired, a simple 3-4 day per week program (e.g., Wendler’s 5-3-1) focusing on the ‘basic 5’ (squat, deadlift, bench, press, and row) is quick and effective. Plan to hit your priority training 3-4 sessions per week (to begin) and add 2-3 session of secondary training. As the habit grows, add additional sessions and/or lengthen the scheduled sessions to include more accessory work.

There are few excuses (medical reasons) not to exercise. If you “don’t have the time” consider how your time is being spent. Undoubtedly, there are time-wasters that can be eliminated to make time for exercise. It doesn’t take hours to get fit. It just requires that a sound plan be executed.

“If you are sleeping more than six hours, sleep faster.”

—Arnold Schwarzenegger

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe mome

New day. New thoughts.

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt

Each day presents a new set of challenges—opportunities. Each new day is an occasion to do things “right”—to be better than we were the day before.

How one begins the day sets the tone for the next 24 hours. If one fumbles out of bed and hurries into the day unprepared, one is likely to continue bungling through the rest of the day.

Begin the day by resetting your gratitude (gratitude + attitude). Take time for a personal growth plan. Read, journal, reflect, set goals, and exercise. Set the right course for the day, and, if you fall, you will be falling forward rather than backward.

Today is a new day. The mistakes and disappointments of yesterday are history. Learn from your failures—and your successes. Be renewed in strength and thought. Move forward—ever forward in the direction of your calling.

(Extra)ordinary is a daily achievement. It takes effort and habitual pursuit. (Extra)ordinary comes in small progressions. Go. Be (extra)ordinary!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Stuff happens.

“The greatest thing a man can do in this world is to make the most possible out of the stuff that has been given him. This is success, and there is no other.”

–Orison Swett Marden

This is to be (extra)ordinary.

We all, perhaps, need to be reminded that our past has been a preparation for this moment. Success is, indeed making the “most possible out of the stuff that has be given” to us.

Be grateful for the “stuff” and make the most of it.

Be your best today; and be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

To grow into a mountain.

“I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”

—Og Mandino

Purpose. We all have a Purpose—a unique reason for being where we are in this moment for this moment. We are to be (extra)ordinary for others. Be (extra)ordinary. Leave it all in this room, today.

Okay, I am sounding a bit cliché, but…. I don’t know about you, but I need to be motivated from time to time. Cliché statements can help. Today, I need to tell myself—perhaps, to tell you—to go “grow a mountain”.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Progressions.

There are several important, yet all to often ignored, principles of exercise. These are specificity, overload, and progression. I might throw individuality in the mix, as well.

Randomness seems to be overtaking the fitness industry. Phrases like “muscle confusion” are often used and “variety” is over-stressed. While this can have benefit in keeping the training less mundane, it is of greater value to the seasoned exerciser who is trying to stay motivated and has greater need to avoid over-training. For the beginner, though, too much variety too soon may limit the technical practice necessary to become proficient with the exercise—particularly complex movements in weight training,

It is important to first master technique before introducing new variations and significantly progressing the load. Of course, technique has to be maintained as variations are introduced and loads are increased.

The need for proper technique for weight training is probably obvious to most. Technique in the remaining components of physical fitness, however, may be less well-considered. Running, swimming, cycling, as well as flexibility and calisthenics (e.g., “HIIRT” exercise) all require proper technique to maintain effectiveness and reduce injury. In addition, baseline exercise should also consider the foundational strength (e.g., hip, rotator cuff, and core strength) and mobility necessary to properly execute the movements.

Once the base is established and proper technique can be demonstrated, the principles of overload and progression (i.e., “progressive overload”) can’t be ignored. Adaptation requires progressively greater loads—the body must be compelled to perform at stimulus levels greater than that to which it is accustomed. In other words, the work has to get harder to get easier.

Progression need not be overly complicated, though a solid “periodization” plan should be given some consideration. (The regular “5%” increase In load is not necessarily reasonable over the long haul.) Regular shifts in specificity may be desirable (e.g., cycling strength and hypertrophy or muscle gain and fat loss). Periods of “deload” (reduced load for the purpose of full recovery) may also be planned. Most importantly, there must be an overall progress with the exercise—increase in muscle strength/endurance, muscle hypertrophy, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, etc.—over the training period. Otherwise, the time might be considered wasted (other than the psychological and moderate health benefits—fat loss, improved blood pressure, increase HDL cholesterol, reduced total cholesterol, etc.).

Now, I can’t fail to discuss the reality of “responders” and “non-responders” to exercise. It may be that you won’t progress as much as your exercise partner (or you may progress faster) when doing the same exercise, but that is okay, as long as you are progressing—putting in effort. If you are not responding to a particular exercise, consider first: “Am I putting in the right amount of effort?”. Then consider: “Is this the right program for me?”

The overall goal of exercise is to perform better. This may not be Arnold-like muscles (if that is your desire). It might just be better muscular performance for participating in the activities you enjoy. It might not be record-breaking marathon performances. It may just be not getting winded on a family hike.

Exercise takes time and energy. If it is not time and energy well-spent, it is a missed opportunity. When exercising…

be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Prepare to be better.

“The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work superbly well.”
–William Osler

There can be no doubt that better things lie ahead—if we do the difficult things today. Do all that you can today to prepare for tomorrow without neglecting the opportunity to enjoy the today. Every moment is an opportunity to do “today’s work superbly well”.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Accept who you are.

I am a big fan of the CW show, Supernatural. Every episode is great, and I can watch the show over and over. I am all caught up on the 14 seasons and now have to wait for the latest episode to be shared on the CW app (I cut the cable years ago and stream my television.) I watched the latest episode on Saturday. (**Spoiler Alert!**) Sam and Dean accidentally change the time continuum and bring back their father, thus affecting the reality of their present. (I will say no more.) In the end, they accept that allowing the past to remain changed would change who they have become.

The question often arises about things we might change in our past. Our current situations are the result of the complex interactions of our past. Good and bad has befallen us over our lifetimes. It can be tempting to want to change the bad. (No one ever wants to change the good—go figure!) The reality is, good or bad, experiences and relationships shape us. I would argue that they always shape us for the better—if we choose to accept then and look for the benefits that can arise from them.

I saw a meme the other day that complemented the ideas stirred by the latest episode of Supernatural. It was of a text exchange between a parent and a child. It read something like this:

Child:   “Mom, gotta talk to u about somethin”

Mom:  “Oh lord, what’s up”

Child:   “I think you should pay my bills because I didn’t ask to be here”

Mom:  “Don’t take this the wrong way, your father and I love you but we didn’t choose you. You know how many sperm cells were released? You fought to win. You chose us. So maybe you should pay ours instead…”

An argument can be made that we chose our lives. I know it can get me into a lot of philosophical and theological arguments, but, if we can accept that our present is the result of our past decisions and interactions with our environment, it is no leap to see some Purpose in our lives. Any one change to our past can significantly change the trajectory we are on.

The past matters, but only as it impacts the current moment. What we do now is more important than what we did or was done to us in the past.

I find it encouraging to understand that my past experiences and relationships have shaped who I am and where I am, today. I made mistakes. I was hurt. I hurt others. Through it all we are made better.

“We’ve been through some tough times. There’s no denying that, and for the longest time I blamed dad. Hell, I blamed mom, too. I was angry but, say we could send dad back knowing everything. Why stop there? Why not send him even further back and let some other poor sons of bitches save the world? But there’s a problem. Who does that make us? Would we be better off? Maybe. But I gotta be honest. I don’t know who that Dean Winchester is. And I am good with who I am. I’m good with who you are. ‘Cause our lives? They’re ours, and maybe I’m just too damn old to want to change that.”

—Dean Winchester, Supernatural

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Raising a son.

I had an interesting Friday afternoon. First, I was accused by a colleague of being a privileged educated white male who is sexist and racist. Later, I had the opportunity to work out my 13-year-old son as wrestling practice was cancelled because of the possibility of inclement weather. He was uncharacteristically chatty and asked a lot of adult questions about social issues.

Recently, he was lectured about the offensiveness of using the phase “me too” as a joke. He had been responding to friends’ comments (random comments) by saying “me too”. He was giving no thought to the recent #metoo movement. It was just a silly phrase.

He is also learning at school (whether intentionally or unintentionally is not clear) that it is not to appropriate to label someone, e.g., “He is ‘Jewish’”. Needless to say, he is confused.

It was an opportunity to talk to him about privilege and social justice. I am raising a privileged child. He should not feel shame for that. He must, however, understand the implications of privilege. He must understand that he must always do right by others whether he is judged accurately or not. Like any boy, he is going to make mistakes, but mistakes are learning opportunities. Lord knows, I have made more than my share of social mistakes over the years. Ignorance is overcome by education and experience. I am better today than I was yesterday. Hopefully, I will be a better person tomorrow.

Labels are a double-edged sword. We are all very different. We bear characteristics that make us unique. Labels are identifiers. Some people are “Jewish”. Some are “Christian”. Some are “Muslim”…. “Atheist”…. Et cetera. There is nothing wrong with these descriptors. It is when we use labels to divide people and to make assumptions that we go astray. Sadly, we are becoming increasingly “us v. them”—attackers v. defenders.

I used this opportunity to introduce my son to the concept of “intersectionality”. He is undoubtedly going to be put on the defensive quite often for being privileged. We are all, at some time or another, in a position of privilege—some certainly more often than others. I want my son to understand the implications of privilege, as well as the implications of being under-privileged, marginalized, under-represented, ignored, exploited, etc.

I have no idea what is feels like to be on the opposing side of privilege. My son will, likewise, never know. It is important for me to teach him not to feel defensive. Instead, I want him to feel responsible and enabled. The intersectionality of human existence can be a force for division or it can be a catalyst for a Spiritual awakening (remember, here, that “Spiritual” refers to one’s position in the Universe—call it “divine Purpose” or merely “Purpose”). We are unique for reasons greater than self. Everyone has something to offer his or her fellow human. A wise teacher once said: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48, NIV). I do believe this has implications for privilege.

I may be perceived as someone I am not. I cannot be responsible for someone’s perceptions. I am, however, responsible for my response. As long as someone can feel that I am oppressive, I have need to grow.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Encouragement Is Spiritual.

“When you encourage others, you in the process are encouraged because you’re making a commitment and difference in that person’s life. Encouragement really does make a difference.”

–Zig Ziglar

Encouragement is Spiritual. When we encourage others, we yield a bit of our self—our self-centeredness. We demonstrate that others matter.

Encouragement is an expression of gratitude—an expression that we value others.

Take the time today to encourage other, and you, too, will be encouraged.

Carpe momento!