Author: armstrong.wou@gmail.com

“Make each day count by setting specific goals to succeed, then putting forth every effort to exceed your own expectations.”—Les Brown

Nothing of value comes easy.  Success is earned, and it requires effort.  Even the “lucky” one had to put himself/herself in the path of opportunity.

I don’t know what bothers me more: to see someone not put forth the effort to success yet expects the same reward as one who does, or a system (e.g., the educational system) that allows one to progress with minimal effort.

A hard lesson in life is to work very hard and not win.  More often than not, however, this will be how life will turn out.  Someone else gets the promotion.  Someone else gets the trophy.  Someone gets paid more.  In such cases, there are three options: 1) give up; 2) acceptance; or 3) work harder.  Working harder seems counter-productive, because we are already getting screwed (in our minds) for our effort, but it is the only logical path.  It is the only way we will excel and succeed against those who are beating us out of what we want.  If we are honest with ourselves, though, we are not doing all that we can do, and that person who is ahead of us is doing more.  True, that person might be getting an unfair advantage, but so what?  How much greater is the reward when we do win.

Someone always has to work the hardest.  Why not me (you)?

Perhaps, it is not a matter of just working harder but of working smarter.  Stop doing things that impede your progress.  “Opportunity costs”!  Concentrate your efforts on what produces success.

Take pleasure in the pain.  I have often used the analogy in exercise of the man who is hitting himself in the head with a two-by-four.  When asked “Why?”, he responds, “Because it feels so good when I stop.”  Now, I don’t suggest that hitting one’s self in the head with a piece of wood is the appropriate path to success, but the reason we take the difficult path is that the feeling upon completion is elating.  Embrace the challenge.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

The CrossFit Games claim to crown the “Fittest of the World.”  While, certainly, the competition requires high levels of fitness, the notion of fittest is an interesting question.

In exercise science, physical fitness is defined in two broad categories: health-related fitness and motor skill-related fitness.  Health-related fitness includes cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and body composition.  Motor skill-related fitness includes speed, power, agility, coordination, balance, and reaction time.  The “fittest” would have to be the top overall in all of these fitness components.  Fittest should follow the principle of specificity.

Quite possibly the best representation of all-around athleticism and “fitness” is the modern decathlon (100-m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-m, 110-m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500-m) for men, and the heptathlon (100-m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 220-m, long jump, javelin throw, and 800-m) for women.  Neither of these, however, captures the full essence of “fittest”—nor do the CrossFit Games.  So, is there a competition to crown the “fittest”?  Probably, not.

It is interesting to consider what would be the necessary components of a true “Fittest in the World”.

Ironman Triathlon?  Certainly, the Ironman triathlon demonstrates extraordinary cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle endurance in three exercise modes—2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride, and 26.22 –mile (42.2 km) run.  But then there are ultra-triathlons (distances greater than the Ironman), and, of course, there is the Iron Cowboy (James Lawrence) who completed an amazing 50 Ironman-distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 days in 2015.  Fittest in the World??

Muscle Strength?  Of course, the fittest would also have to demonstrate muscle strength—as measured by one’s one-repetition maximum in a number of lifts.  But, would these need to be Olympic lifts (snatch and clean-and-jerk) or power lifts (deadlift, squat, and bench press) or a combination?  Or, maybe, it should be demonstrated by the Strongest man competition events (e.g., Atlas stones, Axle press, dumbbell press, etc.)?  Or (given my Scottish heritage) the Highland Games events (e.g., caber toss, stone put, Scottish hammer throw, etc.)?  Clearly, there is some specificity that is not captured by the CrossFit games.

Muscle Endurance?  Well, I would concede, the CrossFit Games does well at capturing the muscle endurance component of physical fitness.

Flexibility and Body Composition?  These are considered “optimal” levels of fitness.  So, personally, I would excuse these from the competition.  (After all, if one can complete an Ironman distance and squat a ton, who am I to questions the amount of body fat?—Though, one would have to expect that optimal body composition and flexibility will follow optimal fitness.)

Motor Skill-Related?  What would be the ideal combination of speed, power, agility, coordination, balance, and reaction time?  Speed, power, and coordination are captured in some of the aforementioned competitions—especially the decathlon/heptathlon.  Agility and reaction time might require some additional events.

In this era of highly specialized athletic bodies, it is likely that the “Fittest in the World” would be more like DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man.  As I have been considering this topic, Alex Viada comes to mind.  The author of The Hybrid Athlete has squatted 700 pounds within a week of running a 50-mile ultra-marathon.  He regularly defies what we exercise physiologists once saw as impossible.

Mikhail Baryshnikov also comes to mind.  I have heard it said that he could have excelled in any sport.  Had he not defected to the US in the 1970’s and there had been a true “Fittest in the World” competition, the Soviets may have had the perfect specimen to train and dope to fittest success.  He may indeed be the ideal Vitruvian model for “Fittest of the World”.  Teamed with a trainer such as Viada, my money would be on Baryshnikov.

There will be two keys to being the “Fittest in the World”.  First, the Fittest will have needed to choose his/her parents wisely (the fittest female will likely test positive for androgen insensitivity) and have the perfect genetics to succeed in both endurance and strength/power—ideally born and raised on Mount Olympus for the combined benefit of altitude and the genetics of a god.  Second, the Fittest would have to be extremely smart about training and recovery–and might also need to know his or her way around the laboratory.  (Movie recommendation for a good understanding of the world of doping from increased performance: “Icarus”.)

Perhaps, the most reasonable competition to crown “Fittest in the World” would be to expand the Olympic decathlon to include swimming, cycling, weightlifting, wrestling, archery, gymnastics,… and, well, every event.  And how, of course, would one train for all these events in a 168-hour week? 

Perhaps “Fittest in the World” is beyond our reach.  Better we choose to be our best today and be better tomorrow—our personal “fittest”.

Carpe momento!

“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.”–Reba McEntire

Success in life is, first, a rather relative concept.  If our perception of success is someone else, we are missing the point of life.  Real success can only be measured against our individual potential.  We are not called to be “the best” (maybe we can be the best at something or maybe not).  We are called to be our best.  We are called to be (extra)ordinary in our own way.

Reba suggests we need three things to be successful in life:

A wishbone.  We need to have a dream.  We need to have a passionate desire to be something.  Having a wishbone is not, however, a reliance on chance or good fortune.  There is no magic in the clavicle of some edible fowl.  Nor are there leprechauns, fairy godmothers, wishing well, etc.  Success requires effort.  The wishbone to which Reba refers is really just a goal-oriented mindset.

A backbone.  To have a backbone is to be able to stand.  Likewise, it is the ability to withstand.  Life is not easy.  We will be challenged.  We will be opposed.  We will be told we “can’t”.  To have a backbone is to say, “I can!” and “I will!”  To have a backbone is to know that one is entitled only to what he or she earns.

A funny bone.  Nothing is more important than the funny bone.  As we pursue success, we will have to confront failure—missing the mark.  To be successful, we have to first be able to laugh at ourselves.  We must not be so serious all the time.  We have to work hard, but we have to have fun in the process.  Life it to short not to be so stern all the time.

Success is not as hard as we tend to think.  If it seems so, then, perhaps we are seeking the wrong person’s success.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!  (This is success.)

Carpe momento!

Believe me.  I question the path I am on almost daily.  We can be easily frustrated.  But….

We have to realize that where we are, today, is not where we will be tomorrow.  This does not mean that we are on the wrong path.  It simply means that it is necessary for us to pass this way to get to tomorrow—and beyond.  The “right” path is not necessarily the easy or comfortable path.

Trust the path you are on.  Being on a path and moving forward is progress.

“If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all” (Dan Rather).  Understand that these difficulties have a purpose along the path—for us and/or for others.  The “why” may not be known until we look back on the path somewhere far along the way.  There may be things we might wish to have done differently, but the moment has passed, and there is no certainty that doing anything differently would change where we are today or where we might end up tomorrow.

The best we can hope for is that our best is sufficient for today and that tomorrow will be better.  Trust your path.  At the end of the day be grateful for the knowledge and the strength you have gained.  When you rise tomorrow (if you do), be grateful for yet another opportunity.

Carpe momento!

Image: http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/61/86/3618686_ff234448.jpg

There are two big trends in fitness: 1) six-pack abs and 2) lists of things you need to get them.  So, here I succumb to both.  He is my list of the best moves to get shredded:

1) Close the refrigerator door.

2) Push away from the table.

3) Put down the donut.

4) Lift some weights.

5) Get your butt off the couch.

Losing body fat is no secret.  Half the battle is eating less and moving more.  Another third of the battle is have the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats to meet your energy needs.  If you are quite active, you will be served with a greater balance of calories consumed in the form of carbs.  If you are sedentary or exercising light, you will likely do better with less of your calorie intake being in the form of carbohydrates and consuming more healthy fats.  Any exercise is better than no exercise.  Beyond this, there are no great special exercises—no matter what the shredded fitness trainers tell you.

If I trainer is telling you they look like they do as a result only a few minutes of exercise, they are either feeding you a line of bull or they are so genetically gifted that they respond extraordinarily well to any exercise.  My money is on the fact that they are spending a lot more time in the gym than they are letting on—and dieting to uncomfortable levels.  (Also note that very few physique athletes are able to maintain their show physique year-around.  Trust only the ones who are honest about this.)

The good news is that half of maintaining a healthy body composition is caloric balance.  This means that eating less and moving more will have tremendous benefit.  If you must have six-pack abs, then know that you are going to have to put in some more effort and make some greater sacrifices.  Most of us (myself, especially) are not willing to put the work into having a physique worthy of show.  Personally, I am happy with working as hard as I can within the constraints of my life and having a reasonable relationship with food.  I make the small sacrifices and keep the level of effort at or above my enjoyment of food.  Sorry, but the only secret I have to share is that there are no secrets.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

I write often of my daily mantra: “I am third”—from the Gale Sayers autobiography with this title.  It come from the philosophy that “my Lord is first, my family (and friends) are second, and I am third”.  I try to live this, but there is a downside.  (And, yes, I am writing to myself, today.)

“I am third”, I believe, extends beyond the popular Christian movement, “I am second”.  It emphasizes putting all others ahead of one’s self.  This is exhausting.  It is frustrating.  It is downright impossible in our human condition to do successfully on a daily basis.

I fail miserably at “I am third”.  (Just ask my wife and kids!)  This is why it has to be my daily mantra.  I have to remind myself to strive for this every day.  I have to remind myself because I get to live this every day.  It is the expression of gratitude about which my friend, Andy Lausier, teaches/coaches.  The challenge for me, though, is the fatigue that this daily struggle between “have to” and “get to” brings.

When we put others first, we often forget that putting others before ourselves is supposed to release them of the expectation that they would put us first.  When we are looking for a return on our investment in others, we are not truly living the life philosophy of “I am third”.  Rather than expect others to pay us back, we must expect others to pay it forward.  When we do, it will ultimately come back around to us.  Call it “karma”, if you must.

Our goal(s) Spiritually (as well as Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially) should be to live with the knowledge that the Universe is bigger than self.  Our purpose is not in sustaining self but in living for others.  Imagine a world in which everyone lived for his/her neighbor with no expectation of a return.  How many problems would that solve?

I say that living “I am third” is exhausting.  This is not an excuse for taking a break.  It may require a regular “deload” (to use a term from exercise training) from time to time.  We may need a bit of a personal retreat to recharge and recover, but this is not a withdrawal to our old selfish ways.  We can deload (or perhaps better stated as “preload”) through our daily habit of journaling, reading, prayer, and meditation.  We can recharge with a daily consumption of positive messages—reading, podcasts, etc.  We are allowed some “personal time”.  Moreover, though, we can communicate with others—something I fail miserably at doing (even when it comes to my “15-minute check-in” with my wife).  Expressing our expectations is “I am third”.  We communicate our expectations of others for the purposes of supporting our ability to put their needs ahead of our own.

It comes down to need versus want.  We have needs.  Needs are not selfish.  They are essential to our functioning effectively.  Wants are a different beast.  What we want is often not at all what we need.  Recognizing the difference is crucial to living “I am third”.

If we are struggling in our relationships, we are quite likely holding on to a want too tightly.  We are exhausting our Spiritual muscle.  We need to examine (I need to examine) what it is onto which we are holding on too tight.  Let go. 

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

 

Wrestling Mindset (www.wrestlingmindset.com), developed by Gene and Jeff Zannetti, recently shared their “7 Cardinal Sins of Mindset in Wrestling”.  Since I believe wrestling has countless life-lessons to offer, I want to share these here as a brief series.  The final of these is:

Over-seriousness.  According to Wrestling Mindset, “wrestling and life is supposed to be enjoyable.  Don’t take life too serious you’ll never get out alive (thanks Dr. Suess).  Wrestling is important to all of us but at the end of the day it is just a sport.  Enjoy it.  Seize the day and have fun!”

This is another mindset that is pretty self-evident, yet, as with wrestlers, too many of us take our work and our lives too seriously.  There is much room for society to lighten up a bit.  (The scene from Stripes comes to mind—“Lighten up, Francis!”)  We fear offending others.  Moreover, we fear looking bad.  Instead, we should be quick to make light of our shortcomings—and work to improve them, of course.

Wrestling Mindset shared Dr. Suess’ suggestion that we should not take life too seriously as we will “never get out alive.”  Spoiler alert: we don’t get out alive!  So, don’t waste a day on over-seriousness.  Live. Laugh. Love.  Get over yourself.  Don’t be afraid to make a mistake.  Don’t be embarrassed if you do.

Work hard, but have fun in the processes.  I saw a quote recently: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  Perhaps this is better stated: “Love the job you choose, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  Life can be drudgery or it can be fun.  The choice is ours.  Choose to have fun!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

Wrestling Mindset (www.wrestlingmindset.com), developed by Gene and Jeff Zannetti, recently shared their “7 Cardinal Sins of Mindset in Wrestling”.  Since I believe wrestling has countless life-lessons to offer, I want to share these here as a brief series.  The sixth of these is:

Perfectionism.  According to Wrestling Mindset, perfectionism is “the ultimate double edge sword.”

Strive to be perfect in all things, but cut yourself some slack.  I have shared the quote many times, but, as Coach Vince Lombardi taught his players, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”

We must have a growth mindset.  We must accept that we are not perfect, but always aspire for nothing less.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

 

Wrestling Mindset (www.wrestlingmindset.com), developed by Gene and Jeff Zannetti, recently shared their “7 Cardinal Sins of Mindset in Wrestling”.  Since I believe wrestling has countless life-lessons to offer, I want to share these here as a brief series.  The fifth of these is:

Cautiousness.  According to Wrestling Mindset, “if you hesitate you lose.  You gotta err on the side of gutsy and Pull the Trigger!”

Now, of course, there is a place for some level of caution in life.  One should never be foolhardy and reckless.  Instead, one should consider their path and act decisively.  Better to take calculated risks than no risks at all.

Seize opportunity.  Carpe momento!  There are many ways to say it, but as hockey great Wayne Gretzky put it: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  In wrestling, it is called stalling.  Legendary wrestler and coach, Dan Gable, insisted that his wrestler never stall.  Take the shot!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

“Thoughtless risks are destructive, of course, but perhaps even more wasteful is thoughtless caution which prompts inaction and promotes failure to seize opportunity.”—Gary Ryan Blair

 

Wrestling Mindset (www.wrestlingmindset.com), developed by Gene and Jeff Zannetti, recently shared their “7 Cardinal Sins of Mindset in Wrestling”.  Since I believe wrestling has countless life-lessons to offer, I want to share these here as a brief series.  The fourth of these is:

Self-doubt.  According to Wrestling Mindset, “enough said.”  How can I add to that?  (But, I guess I will.)

One of my few personal wrestling stories is about a match with Leroy.  I took Leroy to his back quickly with a head-and-arm.  I spent the first period trying to pin the second shoulder to the mat.  My teammates cheered me on as his yelled “Get off your back, Leroy.”  As we struggled, I heard him faintly reply to his teammates, “I can’t.”  And, of course, he didn’t.

“Can’t” is a word I don’t allow in my children’s vocabulary.  It reeks of self-doubt.  A pastor once taught us a phrase his father taught him: “Can’t never did nuthin’.”  Likewise, self-doubt leaves us planted right where we are.  So, to quote Wrestling Mindset: “enough said.”

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!