Doing my best.

I’m at the gym one day last week, feeling tired, and feeling slightly depressed, and feeling low after my first sets. I think about quitting.   Let’s call it a day and just move along.  I didn’t have it today.  Right?  What if I keep going and hurt myself?  I’ve worked out a little.  Something is always better than nothing, right?  I don’t want to hurt myself but I want to improve.  How can I improve if I quit?  Hmmm.

 I have to keep trying.  I can’t give up and just throw my arms in the air wondering why I’m not getting the results I want.  No.  Keep going.  Keep trying.  Keep working.  Don’t quit on myself today.

I see an old guy, maybe 65+ doing his ½ variation on a chin up.  Not bad.  He’s still trying to work out.  What is more profound is his t-shirt.  It says:

“The pain of accomplishment is not nearly as hard to bear as the pain of quitting.”

Wow. I’m committing to doing the absolute best I can do today. 

 I start to believe in myself. I start to self-talk:  I am a champion.  I can accomplish this workout. I could keep going.  And I did.  I reset a personal best for volume moved this workout mesocycle. 

Over reach.  What is over reach?  Typically in a program one wants to create stimulus for adaptation and then a differently active period to allow the adaptation to take place.  Usually it takes a minimum of 3 weeks to set a load / stress pattern on the body and then a 4^th week to allow a de-loading or tapering period for the body to catch up to the stress it’s undergone. 

In the 3^rd week or the week before de loading, typically one wants to increase the load / stress pattern.  Maybe you add volume / intensity / movements or maybe you lose some rest period or any other number of permutations.  The point is doing a bit more than what you’ve done. 

My workout last week, I thought I overloaded. This was the first time I actually overreached and had the overreach neurological experience of exhaustion. 

The last 4 weeks or so, I’ve added maybe 10% on my running each week and I’ve added maybe 5 -10% on my total volume moved.  This week, I’ve added an additional 5^th set to my workouts and the first workout was hard but not impossible. 

Today I hit impossible.  I wanted to quit.  Really badly.  But I didn’t give up on myself.  I realized that I was finally experiencing over reach in the way that I’ve not yet experienced it. 

Why haven’t I had the over reach experience in my workouts before?  I remember a mentor telling me that it should feel like hell.  It should feel like an impossible task.  To contrast, the taper or restitution week would feel great.  Now I’ve typically had wonderful taper weeks.  That’s no problem. 

That day last week was a rare victory.  Not only did I keep my head in there and complete my work but I set a new PR for the meso and I walked away with a great deal of satisfaction.  Was it pretty?  Hell no.  There were points at the workout I changed the rest period from 30 seconds to 45 or more between sets.  But I kept trying.  I kept pushing.  I succeeded.  I won.  I earned that workout.

Consider over reaching in your own workouts.  How can we do what we do better? 

Mo-tate.  Motivate your life to Motion.

Relay For Life 2012: Surprises!

Last Friday I had the opportunity to work at the 2012 Relay for Life walk a thon.  The money raised is in the fight for research against Cancer. This walk a thon was held overnight from Friday April 20, 2012 to Saturday April 21, 2012.  This event has been going strong for roughly 15 years!  This event was held at Gulfview Middle School Track.  Walking is not only one of the best ways to get activity in your life (particularly if you are older) but it can also serve grander purposes.

I have to admit that I was a captive participant.   It’s not that I don’t believe in the cause, but I’m incredibly cynical when the typical organizational disbursement to fund raising ratio tends to be 75% or less.  That means that ¾’s or less of the money raised for most causes typically go to the actual cause.  The other 25% or more go to various substantiated “expenses.”  Usually they are justified relative to a national / local charter.  The national charter can do things the local cannot relative to research and progressive treatment.  This typically comes at greater bureaucratic cost.  On the other hand,  the local chapter is significantly better at actually touching individuals who need help.  

I prefer to help in  a more direct way to individuals.  I don't generally prefer participating in national campaigns because of the bureaucratic costs.  However, being brand new in Naples, Fl and wanting to contribute to this community I had to push aside my jaded perspective.  And something very interesting happened to me.

My incredible wife was the captain of the booth.  Despite my minor annoyances (we were in direct sun light and it was warm which probably didn't help me) during set up, my wife put together with the help of the rest of the team, a really great booth. 

     Here's a picture of the Ciccarelli Advisory Services sponsored booth where 70'sPsychedelic           theme was a hit.

This photo was taken pretty close to the survivor walk which started the walk a thon at  5pm.  

 All the participants you see in purple shirts were survivors of cancer.  Some of them had incredible stories which I had the privilege to learn.  

Now the whole idea was that we all (the booth operator / sponsors) would walk around the track all night donating money to various booths which were in turn, donated to the cause.  Sadly,  by 11pm the weather wasn't cooperative, but that didn't stop us.  

Our 70's theme was a hit for kids / families.  We had some "ring toss" games that were a hit, a hoola hoop contest, and as you can see from the picture we offered 10 minute massages for $5.  I lent a helping hand with the massages along with Gaynell Anderson -Ciccarelli from Absolute Physical Therapy of Southwest Florida.  From 6:30pm to 9pm Gaynell and I gave massages to a steady crowd of participants. 

The sun set probably around 8ish.  Somewhere in there, candles in bags were placed along the track in front of the booths and a moment of silence was observed.  We were silent for all the victims to whom cancer had taken both in this year and years past.  I was moved by the silence.  

One of my goals that I read to myself on a daily basis is to work hard at seeking truth.  The truth of this gathering wasn't in the money raised, although I think a sizable amount has been donated in the fight against cancer due to this event.  

The money (although Important) is really an after thought at this event.  The truth for me was listening to the survivors tell their stories and being a participant.  By participating, I had a chance to show support and unity with complete strangers over a cause that I hope never affects me or my family directly.  The shared experience of some of these people's challenges in overcoming cancer as well as the participants enthusiasm to work together with complete strangers inspires me.  

We don't have to be familiar with one another to really know each other.  And organizational objections don't have to stop us from participating in a local event.  To see members of our communities, people we could know, walk in strength of their convictions to participate in a shared fight against an unfair adversary and to become aware of how our lives can be changed together I am led to the best part of this event:

That's what I learned.  I urge us all to find this.

Mo-tate.  Motivate your life to Motion.

The 300 pound elephant in the room....

What is the 300 lbs elephant in the room you may ask?  Well, it's a problem that I want to highlight.  But I have to give a build up first.
 
I work part time at a Physical Therapists office as a  PT technician.  As a technician, I function in very basic capacities:  I take blood pressure, I prep a patient for their therapist (usually means getting instruction from the therapist on warm ups), I clean.... A LOT, and I get a chance to meet people when they are feeling incredibly low about themselves.

The other day, I took a patients blood pressure and it was not only high, but sky high.

When I asked them what was happening they retorted, "...well, I weigh 300 lbs and that's my problem.  But I'm going to do what I want to do, and I'm living for today."

The phrase, "Carpe Diem," is actually a piece of the total phrase, " Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – "Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future.
WOAH!  Putting as little trust as possible in the future?  Why?  Why not trust that if we work today, we can create a better future?  Well, the average age of a roman citizen (not a slave or woman, mind you) was 20 to 30 years old.  It’s no wonder this phrase permeated their society. 
The average age of an American (today) is 73 years old.  WOW!  What a marked difference between cultures.  Our misapplication of the thought process, “Forget the future for the now,” has led us to many problems..  We are short sighted. 
In the example of our patient, This patient would rather enjoy short term gains for long term pain.  This attitude exists top to bottom in our culture.  I see it all the time as a Trainer and S&C coach.
How many times have we all said that? 
“Oh, I’ll do that tomorrow.”
“I can start later.”
“I’ll put off working out until later.”


Many of us practice the “Put off tomorrow what could be accomplished today.”
Here’s the solution:
Rather than mistrusting our future, let’s plan on the future.  Let’s plan on getting older.  Let’s plan on participating in our lives.  Let’s plan on getting active.  When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  If there is anything in this world worthy of accomplishment to you, my reader, I urge you to consider your strategy.  Go from the final result backwards, tracing in small steps all the way to where you are today.  That is a basic foundation for a plan. 
We’ve gone to the moon.  We’ve escaped the bonds of gravity.  Surely we can escape the bonds of our lives with a little planning.  Get moving.  TODAY.
MOTATE:  MOTIVATE YOUR LIFE TO MOTION!!!

Relativity

The main problem I have with the fitness industry as a whole is that there is a HUGE disconnect between the macrocosm and the microcosm.  The macrocosm is all those products, general statements by fitness experts, and overall clichés’ of the fitness industry used to educate and instruct the public.  The microcosm is the application of those products, general statements by fitness experts, and overall clichés’ of the fitness industry to the individual.  It’s not that the macrocosm of the industry is incorrect (usually, although there are some charlatans out there making egregious claims) it’s that the application of those ideas, products, and services are misapplied to the individual.  So, absolute statements typically don’t work well in the fitness industry.  

Why?  It’s difficult.  It’s the same problem science has with a unifying theory of everything:  there is distortion in the data when those ideas are applied and unpredictable results occur.   The same is true for fitness.  A fitness guru could say “Always do X.”  But the problem is that the guru has no way to determine who is actually going to do X and whether or not they can do X.  

So what do we do?

“Suit the action to the word, the word to the action as t’were one.” –Hamlet

We do two things:

1.        We determine the individual’s current fitness level.

2.       We determine the individual’s goal.

Then we choose the appropriate ideas, products, and services will help us attain our goal given the fitness level.  Make sure its’ a choice that you make and not an advertisement SOLD to you.  It’s tempting to watch some of these commercials with incredibly shapely models and not associate what you see with the product that is being sold to you.  CHOOSE a product based on your fitness level and your goals.  Do some homework.  Choose science, not science fiction.  I’m asking for the long term perspective.  It’s not easy, and certainly it takes time.  But it’s the most rewarding.  I promise. 

Mo-Tate.  Motivate your life to Motion.

Target Cardiovascular Fitness in Heart Health Month

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately every 25 seconds, an American suffers a coronary event. Heart disease continues to be the leading killer of both men and women in the United States, making it a critical point of fitness education. February is American Heart Month — an ideal time to address this issue and strengthen your individual fitness plans.

Know the risks. Prevention is key and is an essential component of any professional exercise and health plan. Brush up on your knowledge of cardiac disease risk factors, including diabetes, excessive alcohol and tobacco use, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and other dietary and lifestyle concerns.
Read the signs. Important symptoms to watch for — in everyday life and during exercise sessions — are unusual shortness of breath, nausea, or discomfort in the upper body, including chest discomfort. For more details, visit the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov.
Mo-tate.  Motivate your life to Motion!               

The "Zone"

“How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

“Practice, practice, practice.  But only perfect practice makes perfect.”

Have you ever seen an athlete accomplish something amazing?  When asked about it, they tend not to be able to quantify what they did other than saying that they were locked in, that they were relaxed and in the “zone.” 

What exactly is the “Zone”?

The “Zone” is that peak state of mind when an athlete performs optimally.  The athlete transcends the game for the moment and in a state of excited relaxation, they perform at a high level.   Naturally, the next question is how do we attain this level, consistently?  The answer is preparation, of course.

Opportunity is when chance meets preparation.   Part of preparation is understanding how to prepare.  Matching an athlete’s skills to their sports needs is very important.  Yet, understanding what phase of learning is paramount.

Everyone goes through three phases of learning when they learn a physical skill. 

1.        Cognitive Phase:   The individual is very unstable.   They are just sorting through what the skill / movement is and typically self-talk to help themselves through.   They need a great deal of focus to move and not with mastery.

2.       Associative Phase:  here the individual understands the skill / movement more, but they lack confidence and show slight instability.  Some self-talk can happen here.  A good deal of focus is necessary without mastery.

3.       Autonomous:  No thoughts about it.  Total mastery of the movement or skill.  They can have a conversation while achieving their goals.  If they stay in this phase “boredom” ensues. 

I submit that athletes who are in the “zone” have entered into the autonomous phase of learning when they are in the zone.  When the athlete isn’t focused on their basic game skills because they’ve mastered those skills, they can focus on game strategy.   Remember, they’ve got some sort of competition and their ability to not only out perform their competition but to more importantly out play their competition is paramount.  I’ve seen much better physical specimen athletes get bested by an opponent time and time again primarily because those high caliber athletes didn’t understand they needed to think above their basic skills.  

 The ease with which athletes in the zone function allow them to think ahead and survey their field on a higher level thus acting on a higher level and giving them a competitive advantage.  They can strategize and execute their strategies without stumbling over basic game play skills.  Athletes such as Michael Jordan and Joe Montana give us example upon example of an athlete who wasn’t necessarily the strongest or greatest physical specimen in their sport (although Jordan was amazing) yet they function at higher levels than most of their peers dominating their sport because they could lift themselves above the game while in the “Zone.”

The trick, as a trainer, is to train for the zone.  How?  Well, understanding each athlete and the needs of their sports is primary.  Training for the mental adaptation of the skills of their sport to allow the athlete to enter the zone is the next step.  It’s also where a lot of coaches, in my humble opinion, go wrong. 

Practice does not make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.  Whether in the gym or on the field, it’s incumbent upon a coach to maximize the time and abilities of their athletes.  Every year there is always an article about some football, baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, golf, or name your sport coach in which the athletes are practiced into injury, dehydration collapse, or some other deadly malady.  Why?  Because most coaches coach to their ego / sporting record and do not coach to their athlete’s abilities or needs.   The needs of a program take over the needs of an athlete (usually young athletes).  

There’s also a misunderstanding about the autonomous phase of learning a physical skill.  The misunderstanding is the idea of too much of the same kind of practice.  I submit that as an athlete progresses forward in their skills, adding to their skills becomes more important than repeating the same skills.  Once an athlete is in the autonomous phase adding components that would allow an athlete to learn about their game on a deeper strategy level becomes incredibly important.

So, train an athlete’s ability to learn higher skills once they attain the autonomous level.    Stay away from over practicing the same skills without adaptation.  Coach to an athlete and not to the program which sometimes means losing a battle to win a war.  

Mo-tate.  Motivate your life to Motion!