Author: armstrong.wou@gmail.com

Senescentis bene

I haven’t been posting with great frequency lately. I have been focused on a new project that, I hope, will complement this blog. I will be launching a podcast, “Aging Well,” in the coming weeks with my co-host, Corbin Bruton—a former exercise science student.

I has been an exciting move, but I still want to keep the writing going. It certainly won’t be at a daily, or even weekly pace, but it will be with some frequency.

The goal will be to inform others in ways I can’t with a blog. We plan to interview experts and have candid conversations about aging well.

What does it mean to “age well”? Well, that is what we will be exploring. So, tune in.

Aging Well is an extension of “well-centered fitness.” It is growing and maturing Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially, as well as preparing for the inevitable and the unexpected. It is being more proactive than reactive. As such, we will discuss exercise and physical activity and health, of course, but, also, financial planning, preparing for retirement. We will explore elder care and how to lessen the burden on our children. We will discuss any and all things relating to successful aging.

Successful aging—aging well—begins at birth (perhaps before birth—and expect the topic of epigenetics, as well as “choose your parents wisely” to be discussed from time to time) and considers the principle of opportunity costs. It includes diet and lifestyle choices. It includes health care and self-care. There are endless potential topics (which, I hope, give us some longevity in the podcast universe).

As Forrest Gump taught is: “It happens.” So, we will discuss how to deal with the stuff that is out of our control. Hopefully, we will help families prepare for the “unexpected.” Planning for “it” is part of aging well. Avoiding “it” is our desire.

Having lost a parent in the last year and watching my sister bear much of the burden of dealing with everything that comes with managing the conclusion of a loved-one’s life, it is all-the-more-clear that the issues that arise are not unique. The goal is to lessen the burden for others. And make it possible for our final years to be as pleasant as possible.

We are all aging. Hopefully, together we can age, well, better….

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Better to win today?

Wrestling season started yesterday for my son. He went 4-1 to place second in the tournament. The best part of the day was the lessons he learned. In particular, was the scolding he got from his coach after his third match—which happened to be a quick pin. He won with a poorly executed head-and-arm. After the match, Coach Keeney, asked him if he would “rather win the tournament today or win in February (at the State Tournament)?” My son took it to heart. He listened and started taking shots in the fourth match. He also came home with the resolve to improve technique and refine his lifting and conditioning.

It reminds us that life is a process. Shortcuts to success rarely (never?) lead to long term success. Momentary victory may feel good, but sweeter is the success that comes from doing this well and getting better.

What can we resolve today to be better tomorrow? What efforts must be made to be better? What short-cuts are we trying to take that are impeding our long-term goals.

Put in the work today to succeed when it counts most.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Holiday preparation.

It is the start of the holiday when unnecessary weight gain looms. (Perhaps for some, this started on October 31st.) It is Thanksgiving week and Christmas, Hanukkah, etc. are just around the corner. With the holidays comes celebration, and what is celebration without food?

Weight gain need not be an absolute during the season. One can actually maintain weight—and even lose weight–during the holidays. The keys lie in commitment and consistency. Remember, “opportunity costs.” Make wise choices, and you can enter into the New Year in better shape.

Make food choices count. There are certainly foods that we enjoy—really enjoy. By all means, enjoy them. Just don’t over-indulge. Sample rather than take large portions. Skip the foods that you find less satisfying. Choose to eat what is overall healthy and nutrient-dense so you can enjoy the otherwise-forbidden foods. If you like pumpkin pie, eat a slice; but avoid the crappy store-bought pie. Eat quality food. If doing the cooking/baking, try to make the recipes as healthy as possible—without removing the pleasurable qualities (e.g., taste). Don’t eat more than you need to in one sitting. After all, leftovers are one of the pleasures of the holidays. Let the joy be spread over small meals. Increase (small) meal frequency. Avoid snacking mindlessly on the treats and snacks that don’t satisfy.

Make food less available. Avoid snack bowls and candy dishes. Plan meals and snacks. Skip the appetizer trays. Use small plates and make it so you have to take effort to access the food.

Exercise more. Take frequent walks. Do cardio. Lift weights. Recreate. Move more! Short frequent activity breaks have cumulative benefit. Skip the halftime shows and take a walk. Get up early and exercise before family and guests get up. Take breaks and do some bursts of exercise (e.g., do a quick set of myo-rep pushups—AMRAP, catch your breath, repeat for four sets). A few calories more, expended here and there, with greater frequency, can quickly add up.

Eat less most of the time. You know when you are likely to have big meals. Allow for these by eating less during other meals. Eat enough to keep hunger at bay. Consider total daily (and weekly) caloric intake.

Limit alcohol and high-calorie beverages. Choose your liquids wisely. Beer and wine calories add up quickly. Drink slowly and infrequently. Choose beers with lower alcohol (but don’t sacrifice on taste). Reduce the alcohol and sugar content of mixed drinks. Avoid high calorie drinks (e.g., sugared pops/sodas). Skip the mimosas at breakfast/brunch (in fact, avoid the orange juice). Drink more water throughout the day. If you drink alcohol or holiday beverages, make them count. Savor the occasion rarely and make it so that there is no remorse.

Enjoy. Be purposeful in your consumption. Eat to fuel your body and your senses. Avoid unconscious eating. Let the food satisfy and create holiday memories. Celebrate. Moderate.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Rep schemes.

More traditional guidelines for weight lifting (e.g., ACSM Guidelines) have been in the neighborhood of 1-2 sets of 8-12 repetitions. This is what I was taught and what most beginners often do. For a general musculoskeletal fitness (i.e., a general improvement in muscle strength and endurance with a modest muscle hypertrophy), this is fine. There are, however, other (perhaps, more effective) schemes. Indeed, it should be recommended that the repetitions ranges and exercise volumes be cycled over time (i.e., “periodized”) to promote adaptation.

5 x 5. The basic 5 x 5 scheme is popular and effective. It is especially effective for building beginner strength and hypertrophy. Simply, after performing warmup sets, the exerciser performs five sets of five repetitions at a weight that should leave 0-2 repetitions “in the tank” on the final set. The weight is increased 5-10 pound the subsequent workout (as long as the five sets can be completed). For a beginner, the weights will increase rather quickly and technique can be properly mastered. Eventually, though, intermediate-to-advanced lifters will see progression stall or plateau (one cannot add 5 lb a workout indefinitely). An alternative would be to progress the five sets within the maintenance to maximum recoverable volume (MRV) range over the course of the workout and cycle (i.e., the start of the cycle would be in the maintenance to moderate range—with the final set being 3-4 repetitions in the tank—and finishing a cycle closer to the MRV with 0-2 reps in the tank).

Pyramid. Building off of the advanced 5 x 5 above, I will often perform (after warmup sets) sets ramping up to a near maximum (0-2 reps in the tank) on the third set, lighten the load for a fourth set, and performing the final set at an again-lightened load for as many repetitions as possible (usually 8-12). I find this beneficial for both strength and hypertrophy while not overwhelming recovery.

Waves. Wave sets are becoming popular. Essentially, the lifter does “wave” of sets of increasing weight and decreasing repetitions. For example: 8 reps at 225, 6 reps at 250, and 4 reps at 275. One might add volume and intensity to the workout by doing multiple waves (e.g., 8 reps at 225, 6 reps at 250, 4 reps at 275, 8 reps at 230, 6 reps at 255, and 4 reps at 280). The waves can be set from high (8 to >12 reps) to low (1 to 5 reps) according to goals.

For hypertrophy, volumes need to be high and the intensities are generally moderate. Rather than straight sets of 15 to 20 (or more) repetitions, I like to play with some of the following schemes:

100s. One-hundred repetitions is seemingly a “magic” number for (sarcoplasmic) hypertrophy. One-hundred reps can be accomplished by doing sets of 3-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-3 at a constant load—keeping the rest between set short (e.g., less than 10-15 seconds; I prefer rests equivalent to the duration of the set—100s are great to do with partners).

40-30-20-10. Another 100s scheme is the 40-30-20-10. This can simply be as many reps as possible until the 100 reps are performed, but I prefer having the targeted reps and setting the weight accordingly. I will often increase the weight from set-to-set to increase the overall load. I love these for calf raises, face pulls, cable crunches, and, well, most all accessory exercises.

10-15-10. These involve a 10-second isometric hold on the first and last repetition. The middle number is the repetition target and can be any number (I would suggest a 10-20 range). This are particularly effective for calves, trap, and ab exercises.

Myo-reps. These are relatively new for me, but I like them for certain bodyweight exercise (e.g., dips and chin-ups) to which weight can be added as I progress. The idea is to do as many reps as possible in the first set (ideally, 15-20), rest 15 seconds do AMRAP and repeat for 4-5 sets. I usually find I can do (and often plan to do) sets of 15-20+5+5+5+5. These sets are quick and effective. A Myo-rep workout (e.g., dips, chin-ups, and overhead presses) might take me 20 minutes. These are great for nearly any exercise and effectively stimulate muscle growth without long workouts.

There are many more options, and the ones detailed above have considerable flexibility in how they are performed. The key is to have more tools in your belt than just the basic guidelines and to be cycling your programming to optimize the benefits.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Toward atonement.

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”—Galatians 3:28 (NIV)

I sometimes (often) have some pretty weird dreams. Last night was no exception. I’ll spare the details, but it had me (in the dream) ultimately discussing the convergence of the Spiritual (my faith and views on religion) and Physical (my understanding of biology, physiology, etc.) with my students. It was one of those dreams that had me slipping back and forth between dream and conscious thought. It had me processing a number of concepts that have been on my mind recently. I found myself stressing to the students that it is important for us to discuss these things openly and to allow people to say things that might offend us as they process and learn to articulate their thoughts and beliefs.

A central discussion in the dream (and that has been on my mind of late) was the labeling of persons and groups and the growing complexity of humankind (the sense of the evolution of humankind toward an ever-`increasing complexity and unity put forth by the likes of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Christopher S. Davis—in The Phenomenon of Man and Designed to Evolve, respectively). Labeling, I believe, is contradictory to nature and Purpose of man.

The verse, quoted above, has frequently come to mind in recent weeks. I believe the writings of de Chardin and Davis to be consistent with this. Indeed, I believe it to be consistent with a unified understanding of the Physical and the Spiritual. It is not the description of a future Kingdom of God or a view of heaven. Rather, it is a statement of what our heart should be.

The more I study human physiology, the more I find myself drawn to God (I use all caps here like Lord in the bible to suggest a God that is bigger than that of man’s religions—that is beyond my scope of understanding and ability to articulate, but is nonetheless real). The more I examine the Spiritual and the Physical, the more I see their intersections.

The details of my dream are perhaps for another time. It would require pages of writing to scratch the surface. For the moment, I just want to seize on the opportunity to focus on the goal of oneness (perhaps, better: Oneness—or what the Jewish and Christian traditions would call “atonement”). It is my hope that the divisiveness in our society may simply be the growing pains preceding a massive leap toward atonement and a “return” of Christ. It is my desire—my faith—that we are moving toward (evolving toward) every increasing complexity and unity. I hope that we become One.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Life’s journey.

I met up with an old friend, Mike, yesterday. He was passing through town, and we had a wonderful opportunity to catch up. We usually only get to see each other every 5 years at reunions. This a reunion year, but our 40-year reunion has not been scheduled because of COVID-19; so, this was a treat.

Mike and I both started on a similar but dissimilar Spiritual path at the end of college. There are some in either group that we each followed who would say that one of us was wrong and the other was right. The trajectory of those paths were, indeed, quite different, yet we both main a quite similar view of GOD and the Universe. Considering our paths, we reflected on the countless crossings and interconnections of people and events. There could be no doubt that each unique path was Intentional and Purposeful. Neither could claim superiority. Each could claim its divine uniqueness.

I am fascinated by the unity that I see in increasingly complex world. Of late, we are quite aware of the divisiveness in society but less aware of our connections and Purpose. This is anything but Spiritual. It is a failure of humankind. I am hopeful for an awakening. I am hopeful that we might begin to allow the space for the “soul to speak” and to see that we are more One the more diverse and complex that we become.

I have come to favor the question: “If you could go back in time and change one thing in your life, what would you change?” I favor this because it is a most Spiritual question, and it speaks to one’s worldview and understanding of one’s Purpose. The answer, of course, should be “nothing” because we are who and what we are because of our past experiences (good or bad) and the slightest change in those experiences will have a profound effect on countless others besides ourselves.

I appreciate the diversity that makes for our greater Oneness. We don’t share the same faiths, political views, or (sometimes) very many views, but we share experience—whether directly or indirectly. This unifies us. This makes us One. We just have a way to go before we fully realize this. (Hopefully, not as far as we might think.)

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

Progress??

Growth is not linear. At best, it is a curve that plateaus. More realistic is a rollercoaster that rises to a plateau.

Growth requires time and patience—especially in the later stages of change.

In the transtheoretical model of change, one progresses from precontemplation to contemplation to preparation to action to maintenance. There may well be some relapse in there, as well. The question remains: for how long can one progress? Maintenance implies a lack of growth, but consider this a maintenance of habit rather than a maintenance of progression. Consider this the asymptote of the “plateau”—the nearing of “potential.”

Growth need not be limited. There is always room for refinement. Sure, our Physical growth—measured in 1-RMs and VO2max, etc.—may have limits, and age might get the better of us before we reach our “genetic ceiling,” but there are too many dimensions of physical performance to see maximal performance across the board. Likewise, the Spiritual, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions are never at the limits for growth.

“Perfection is not attainable, but, if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”—Vince Lombardi

Growth chases the asymptote. Progression may become slowed, but it need not end. Whatever you pursue, pursue with earnest. Pursue with patience—with dedication and consistence. Constantly refine your goals. Pursue a “well-centered fitness.”

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!