Month: August 2016

“A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.”—James E. Faust

Sometimes we are consigned in places or situations that for whatever reasons make us uncomfortable or frustrated. We might then be haunted with the “what if…” questions. In these circumstances the options are to: 1) move, 2) quit, or 3) accept.

There may be times when moving or quitting is appropriate, but before doing so, we must carefully consider our Purpose. We must ask if there might not be a reason for our being in this place or situation. Is being where we find ourselves consistent with our values and mission? If so, then perhaps, this is where—for at least a time—we are supposed to be. We must accept the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

Accepting does not mean we surrender. We should not resign ourselves to begrudging each day. Carpe momento.

How sad is it that many people look at Mondays—the start of the workweek—with angst? How tragic is it that we use phrases like: “hump day” and “thank God it’s Friday”? We always should approach our circumstances with enthusiasm.

So, how does one turn feelings of unease into enthusiasm? The only way is to choose to be enthusiastic. One needs to be deliberate in shaping one’s approach to his or her circumstance—after all, attitude shapes attitude.

We can shape our attitude by expressing our gratitude. We can consider the place or situation we are in as an opportunity. When we take this approach, we are then able to look for the purpose(s) in being where we are.

If we find ourselves in such a place, we first need to visit our core values and our mission statement. We must ask ourselves “How does my current situation fit with my values and mission?” We look at the opportunities we have today to live out our core values where we are.

Eight years ago, this week, I moved from the Midwest to Oregon with my wife, 3 year-old son, 5 month-old daughter, a yellow lab and a cat. I had left a good job and salary (and turned down a possibly better paying position) for a much lower paying position with a lower academic rank and uncertain circumstances. We left Michigan without my wife having found a job, but convinced we were being called to opportunities in Oregon. Over time, however, it has grown easier to look back at what might have been and grow increasingly frustrated with what is. I have found myself focusing on the negatives and where opportunities were lacking, and neglecting the opportunities. My negative attitude was certainly shaping my negative attitude.

My choices are limited. Changing jobs as a full professor with the constraint of having to remain within a commutable distance is improbable and nearly impossible. Changing my attitude is the only option.

My core values are: faith, family, friends, growth, health, and impacting others.

My mission is to faithfully honor and love my God, my family, and my neighbors; to pursue growth in all dimensions of my life; and to have a positive impact on the lives of others.

My actions were not consistent with my core values and my mission. So, I have made the choice to be intentional and reshape my attitude. I made the choice to create my own satisfaction.

Gratitude is the first step in accepting our circumstances. Too often, we neglect to consider the things for which we are grateful and focus on the few frustrations in our lives.   Gratitude shines a light on our opportunities.

In my case, it grew increasingly easy to focus on where I was not having impact and neglecting where I was having an impact. I was focused on vexations rather than opportunities. This needed to change.

As a habit, we should regularly (if not daily) list our gratitudes. We should consider our opportunities. We must make the decision every morning to be excited for the day. Doing these things should coincide with the acceptance that we have a Purpose in the place we find ourselves. Our place may be permanent or it may be temporary, but, either way, we are where we are. We need to make the best of our situation.

Focus on the positives. Create an atmosphere of excellence. Malcolm Gladwell calls this the “Power of Context.” Blocking the negativity (and negative people) and affirming the positives may well be the tipping point that leads to (extra)ordinary success.

If you find yourself in less than ideal—less than exceptional—circumstances. Choose to shift your mindset. Cultivate the opportunity. Be grateful where you are. Chances are you are where you are for a Purpose. All it takes is to recognize that there is excellence where you are and to seize the moment.

Carpe momento!

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”—Benjamin Franklin

I have been thinking this morning about the difference between having a growth plan and merely living a healthy lifestyle. The idea of “well-centered fitness” is to be balanced among the Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions. But, is balance, alone, enough? Well, no. Of course, we need to be pursuing constant growth—be your best today; be better tomorrow.

It is easy, as one starts down this path to simply form habits that over time become routine. Admittedly, I have gotten to that point of stagnation myself a time or two. While habits are challenging to establish initially, once an activity has become a regular practice—something we do every day—it begins to hold less and less significance. For example, few probably give any thought to brushing our teeth in the morning or before bed any more. We just do what we have “always” done. The practice of being well-centered can become repetitious—we get up, we journal, we exercise, we read, etc.—not giving any thought to why or asking the question, “am I improving.”

Maintaining our routines is certainly healthy, but we must have a plan for growth. In exercise science, we refer to this as “overload”—in order for a body system to adapt, it must be stressed to a level greater than that to which it is accustomed. The dimensions of wellness are no different. Growth is not haphazard. Our efforts to grow must be purposeful and intentional.

I see personal well-centeredness as a target in which the bulls-eye becomes increasingly precise—smaller. The dimensions of wellness are often considered from the perspective of “balance”—that one who is balanced spiritually, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially is “well”. It may well be true that this is healthy, but there is ordinary health, and there is (extra)ordinary health. There is being well, and there is being the best we can be. Well-centeredness is an asymptote. We are ever approaching perfection. We always have room to get just a little bit better.

I had fallen into a bit of a routine, myself. It is easy to do. I wasn’t challenging myself. I was just maintaining—coasting. Truth be told, I was probably slipping a bit. Just like our body adapts and requires progressive overload or the body system declines from disuse, so too is wellness.

It has helped be to join a Fundamentals of High Performance cohort group (www.coytecooper.com). Having a Mastermind group keeps one accountable. For me, it renewed my purpose and my intention. Now having a growth plan, I am back on track to (extra)ordinary self-improvement.

Without a growth plan, it is like having a map but choosing to jog on the track. You are moving but you aren’t getting anywhere. We need a destination—a destination that we never quite reach. I think of it like traveling to a particular state, then a city in that state, then a specific address in that city, then a specific address in that city, then a location at that address, etc. We keep getting closer to a destination that is ever more refined. This (extra)ordinary growth. Without a plan, we really have no idea where we are going.

Having a growth plan requires that we have goals. Having goals means we need to have a Purpose (a mission statement). Our Purpose is defined by our values.

Initially, we might need to just get going with healthy habits. Over time, though, our habits will need to be honed. First things first, start doing. Start moving in the right direction with intention.

Carpe momento!

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

The concept of “well-centered fitness” is not about setting the bar ever higher. Rather it is a pursuit of perfection that is simply not humanly possible. It is about being the best you can be today in all aspects of your life, and being better tomorrow.

We can never be perfect—if we expect to be perfect, we are setting ourselves up to fail. We can, however, pursue perfection. In the process, we move ever closer to excellence (and perfection).

Life is not a tee-ball game, where the ball is set on the tee and we have an infinite number of swings at the ball. Life (a life well-lived) is a constant pursuit of self-betterment. Be your best today; be better tomorrow. This is all life expects of us—the pursuit of growth.

A life well-lived is not defined by a peak. We don’t achieve success and go into a maintenance phase or rest on our laurels. We don’t reflect back on the “glory days”. In a well-centered life, the best is always yet to come. Granted, we may peak in physical performance or attain a “terminal degree” academically, but growth in these areas does not end here—at least it shouldn’t. We may not hit PRs forever in sports, but we must remember that sports performance is a rather focused pursuit in the Physical dimension. “Better” in a well-centered approach is refinement.

“Perfection” and “excellence” are individualized and subjective terms. We are not measured by the success of others. We measure our success in relation to our own potential and Purpose. Perfection is an asymptote. If perfection is considered a target, it is a bulls-eye that continually grows smaller.

Growth is constant. It must, however, be intentional. Otherwise, it is unfocused and haphazard—energy is wasted.

Growth should be balanced. Ultimately, we want to put our energy toward growth in all dimensions: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social. There may be times and seasons where growth in one dimension is sacrificed to growth in another, but this should not be long-term, nor should any one area ever be neglected completely.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Pursue perfection with zeal and enthusiasm. In so doing, you will be excellent.

Carpe diem!

“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

Today is one of those days where there is serendipity to my growth activities. I happened upon the above quote and later came across a discussion of “emotional contagion” in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point. The idea of emotional contagion comes from the thus titled book by Elaine Hatfield, John Cacioppo, and Richard Rapson. The consideration was already in my head about being intentional in projecting the emotions that I want to have, and I have written a couple times on the idea that “one’s attitude shapes one’s attitude.” I have lately been trying to do what is, admittedly, quite difficult for me. That is, I have been trying to put on “positivity.”

The concept of emotional contagion follows that our emotions are directed more outside-in rather than inside-out. In other words, our emotions are externally affected. If someone smiles at us, we will respond subconsciously with a smile. The authors contend that some people are more infectious than other. In a sense, these people are the carriers. These are charismatic people who have the ability to bring the room up or down, depending on their emotional state.

We may or may not be as effective as another in spreading emotions, but we can all make the effort. When we are intentional, we can, at the very least, affect our own emotional state. We have few excuses, then, for being negative. (I say few, because, admittedly, there are circumstances—I have seen friends who where going through some overwhelming stuff—where it might just take every ounce of emotional energy to get out of bed.)

At the start of every day, we make a decision. Think of the expression: “He got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” If you start the day with a miserable attitude, it is likely to effect everyone with whom you come in contact—except that person who has made the intentional decision to be positive and encouraging.

This reminds me of my friend, Charlie, who is by far the most positive person I know. We worked together a number of years ago and would often go out for runs. I would be my negative, complaining self, and voice my frustration with this person and another. Charlie would, invariably, come back with something positive and shine the mirror on my negativity. I hated it! Let me be a grouch! I learned some great lessons from Charlie.

Charlie was a carrier. He was infectiously positive. The good news is that we can be, as well. For people like me, though, it just takes more conscious effort.

So, what do you need emotionally? Project that emotion. You will be amazed of the effect that it will have on others.

If you are temporarily incapable of projecting emotions other than what you are experiencing, expose yourself to the people who are carrying the emotions you desire. Avoid the people who spread negativity. Reach out and invite in the people who will infect you with positive emotions and encouragement.

There is enough negativity, pessimism, and cynicism out there. It is like a cancer on social media and in the press. Avoid it like the plague that it is. Be your own epidemic of encouragement. Spread the joy that you want to have. It may seem a bit inauthentic at first, but, even if you are not the charismatic type, your subtle affect will be epidemic.

Carpe momento!

I have been reading Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. A point he makes in the book is that small changes ultimately add up to big change. Too often, we put off change because we see too many obstacles. The reality is that, if we just start moving in the right direction, we will eventually find that we have passed the “tipping point” and have successfully changed—in dramatic ways.

I teach a course in exercise motivation and adherence. There are a lot of theories of behavioral change, but I find that these all come down to a few certainties. First, the desire to change has to come from within. Second, individual characteristics, the environment, and the task at hand, collectively, affect behavioral change. We refer to this as the “dynamics systems model”.

When it comes to changing behavior, we first have to realize that we are distinct individuals. There is no one like you or me. Even as twins or siblings, our experiences are unique causing us to have different personalities. Therefore, in any given circumstance, we are likely to respond differently than another.

I consider the idea of cloning. If science were able to make of genetic replica of you, would it be an exact duplicate? I say, “no”.

Consider what makes you “you”. If you are an identical twin, are you exactly like your genetic equivalent? Of course, as a twin, you share the same DNA, but is it the DNA alone that defines you? Of course, not. Unique events and experiences in your life are what define you. This is why, I believe that, even if an exact duplicate, your clone could not be exactly “you”.

Look closely at identical twins—without creeping them out. Can you tell them apart? Look closer. What is it that differentiates them? Maybe there is a scar or one ear that is slightly different. If one examines the twins very closely, one will begin to notice slight distinctions in personality and behavior. The differences may be barely perceptible, but they are there.

We are the accumulation of all that happens to us from the moment of conception—events that affected our mother during gestation (e.g., nutrition, stress, etc.), events that leave scars (both physical and emotional), social interactions, etc. So, if twins, who were born together and have the same DNA, are different, it is reasonable to think that your clone would, likewise, differ on so many levels.

We are unique. If we attempt to affect our behavior by acting like someone else, we are going to fail. Likewise, if we are trying to affect the behavior of another by asking them to behave like us, we are dooming them to fail. Change is individual.

In a well-centered approach to growth and change, we focus on the small changes that affect our behaviors incrementally, until these become habits. Taking a dynamic systems approach, we emphasize what we can change about 1) the self, 2) the environment, and 3) current behavior.

Often the first thing that needs to occur is that we need to recognize that we need to change. (In the Transtheoretical Model of Change, this is moving from the precontempation to the contemplation stage.) As we move ever closer to being “well-centered” spiritually, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially, we will be driven to make changes—it is inevitable, if one is of a growth mindset. We won’t change over-night, though—no matter how well-intended we are. Growth is a process.

I wrote recently about the “environment of excellence”. We have to be intentional about creating the environment that is most conducive to the behaviors we desire. Thus, we establish the patterns that align with our values and aspirations. Our “environment of excellence” includes those with whom we choose to associate and the activities we choose to prioritize.

Lastly, we tend to respond in accordance with the task at hand. Some behaviors are just easier to adopt than others.

Lasting change requires small efforts in a lot of areas. Daily habits like journaling, reading, prayer/meditation, etc. affect our preparedness. Putting ourselves in the environment most conducive to change, surrounding ourselves with supportive people, and cutting ourselves off from the things and persons that impede our progress keep us focused and directed forward. Taking “baby steps” moves us ever closer to the “tipping point”. Change is not one giant leap, but an immeasurable number of steps toward one’s goal.

Carpe momento!

Before I started this blog, I considered writing as a “fitness critic”—evaluating fitness facilities, trends, and products. I opted against it because I feared that the negativity would overwhelm me. I can easily become quite negative, if I don’t counter with positivity. Even starting this post, today, I fear my set me back a bit. But, here I go….

This morning, a friend on social shared an article about yet another “scientifically proven” weight loss product. (He was by the way, sharing this in an effort to educate people that such things don’t work. I like to know I have smart, ethical friends!). My response to his post was: “Do you have friends who are that gullible? (I want to say “dumb”, but that would be offensive.)…. Honestly, I don’t know who is worse, the so-called fitness professionals hawking snake oil or the consumers who buy the stuff ’cause they are unwilling to do the boring hard stuff that actually works.” [Like I said, I have to guard against negativity.]

I don’t want to go down a path of calling people stupid (that would, indeed, be offensive) or gullible, but I do want to address why we can so easily be sucked into fitness trends and products and, hopefully, turn this into a message of encouragement for the would-be exerciser.

Truth be told, exercise is not easy. Exercise is not fun. Exercise—effective exercise—is not accomplished in 12 minutes a day. Weight loss is not necessarily fat loss. Healthy and actually fat loss does not result from wrapping your belly like last night’s leftovers. There are no three or five foods you should or should not eat. There is no trick that the celebrities use to lose 20 pounds of fat in a week. There is no secret to building muscle after the age of 50. Exercise is work! It takes effort.

I like to tell my students that exercise is to me like the guy who is hitting himself in the head with a 2×4. When asked why he does it, he responds, “Because it feels so good when I stop.” Yes, I am an exercise physiologist, and I hate exercising. I hate getting up at 4 AM. I hate the hurt. I hate being sore. (Well, not really. I do actually like the feeling of having worked out hard.) Let’s just say it is a love-hate relationship and that I don’t trust people who say they enjoy exercise—they aren’t working out hard enough, they’re lying, or their brain is not wired correctly (please not the humor and don’t take offense, if you are one of these people!).

So, why do “fitness professionals” who promise the world so easily dupe us? I, honestly, don’t believe people are lazy or stupid. We are simply desperate. We want to be successful, but we don’t know how. We know that exercise can be like as Hoover vacuum, and, when we see fit people claiming to have a “magic” formula, we are intrigued. We want to believe that there is an easier way. Sorry, friends. There is not.

If you want to be lean, fit, and muscular, you are going to have to sacrifice and work. There is no way around it. There is training that is more effective and efficient, but, again, it isn’t easy. It takes proper, focused effort.

The secret to having the body you want? There is no secret. All you need to do is:

• set your goal(s)
• have a plan
• execute your plan.

It is that easy!

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”—Muhammad Ali

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.”–Orison Swett Marden

When we set goals for ourselves, how big do we go? Do we play it safe? Do we make goals that are “reasonable” and “attainable”, or do we set ourselves up for a reasonable expectation for failure.

You may have learned that goal-setting should follow the “S.M.A.R.T.” principle—i.e., goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. The “A” and the “R” are sometimes referred to as “attainable” and “relevant” or “reasonable”. This approach, however, can be a bit too safe.

I am in a Fundamentals of High Performance cohort with Coyte Cooper and some awesome people. This morning, the topics of fear and setting big goals came up. Coyte teaches an I-SMART approach to goal setting. The “I” personalizes the goal—i.e., stating the goal as “I will…”. He also steps it up by making the “M” what matters—“Make sure it matters so you will fight for it”; the “A” is applicable—“Make it applicable to your highest aspirations”; and he puts a significant twist on the “R”—“Make sure they are not reasonable by normal expectations”. Today, I want to focus on the idea of goals that are “not reasonable by normal expectations”.

When you are kid and just learning a skill practice is always made a little be easier to allow for greater success. Think of hitting a ball off of a tee or with a larger bat. Targets are always a little bit bigger. Now, there are some advantages to this approach—e.g., no child would be able to hit a standard 11-foot basketball hoop or a fastball thrown from nearly 60 feet away. So, we move the target closer, throw the ball softer, etc. Unfortunately, we sometimes take this too far and make failure nearly impossible. The reality is, however, that it is failure that makes us better. We need for the target to be getting progressively more difficult.

When it comes to life, we need to be progressively pushing our comfort zone. From a physiological standpoint, adaptation only occurs when we push the system (e.g., cardiorespiratory system) to a level greater than that to which we are accustomed—the “overload principle”. In all other aspects of our wellbeing, we need to push ourselves to adapt—to grow.

If we are too safe in our goal setting, we risk not achieving anything noteworthy—not being (extra)ordinary. So, when we set goals, our target has to be such that, despite our absolute best effort, we could fail. Now, let’s be clear, I don’t mean goals that are “unreasonable”. I mean, we must set goals that are “not reasonable by normal expectations”. So, what does that mean for those of us who seek to be well-centered?

For one thing, it means that the true center can never to found. Rather, we find ourselves moving ever closer, but never perfect. If the number zero is the true center (which, mathematically, it is), then 0.01 is pretty close—0.001 or 0.0001 are closer still.

For another thing, we have to realize that shooting for goals that are “not reasonable by normal expectations”, we are more likely to exceed normal expectations even if we fall short of our goal. If, on the other hand, we set a “reasonable” target for ourselves and come up short, we are more likely to have made little or no progress.

If our target is too large, we don’t have to put as much effort or focus into hitting it. If, however, we are aiming for a difficult target and put the focus and energy toward hitting the mark, we are going to have some level of success even in missing our goal.

The Olympics are wrapping up. Consider the athletes who competed. I don’t expect that any of the athletes went to Rio without the goal of bringing home a medal. If one did, they surely did not come close. They would not be there had they not dreamed of competing and winning a medal. Somewhere along the path, they would have been content with a lower level of success. For the athlete who made it his or her quest to win the gold, the silver or bronze (or simply participating)—albeit disappointing to have fallen short—are still better to never have competed in such an arena.

I nearly mixed a metaphor, here, and related the topic to “setting the bar high”, but it occurred to me that (besides the fact that a mixed metaphor would dishonor my high school English teacher) such an image fails to convey the right message. When we consider our goal to be a bar we have set, should we miss the height, we have failed. Considering our aspirations that are “not reasonable by normal expectations” as a target requires an appropriate level of focus, concentration, and effort, but also requires that we accept that we can come up a bit short. In archery, success is coming nearest to the bulls-eye with the greatest consistency.

I am reminded of legendary quarterback, Fran Tarkenton, and the Minnesota Vikings of the 1970s. Tarkenton led the Vikings to three Super Bowls in the ‘70s, and lost all three. Some consider it a failure to have lost the Championship.   I am sure that the Vikings, or any team, starts the season with the goal of coming in second (indeed, it has been noted that Olympians who bring home a silver medal have less satisfaction than those who bring home a bronze medal), but surely they were more likely to make it to the Super Bowl if they aspired to win the Championship than had they only set the goal of being conference champions.

One can “set the bar too high”, but one cannot set the target too small.

“Be your best today; be better tomorrow” follows this principle. If one is seeking growth, “best” is an every shrinking target. Don’t let fear of “failure” cause you to never refine the bulls-eye.

Carpe momento!

Reading Alexander Shaia’s Heart and Mind, this morning, I was encouraged to “encounter beauty.” This is something we rarely seek proactively to do. Especially, we often neglect to see the beauty that is right before us—in the least obvious of places. It is easy to go the wilderness, to the mountains, or to the coast and expect to encounter beauty, but can we truly encounter it in our own backyard—in a city, in the suburbs, and in the midst of the “ordinary”? Only if we look, and if we are open to the encounter.

I couple of years ago was driving somewhere—where is not important. It was fall and the rainy season in the northwest. As I drove, I was overcome by the smell of evergreen needles. The wet needles covered the road and as my tires passed over them, they released a most pleasant aroma. I can honestly say I never smelled this before. (I am sure the odor was present many times before, but smell is a sensation—a perception.) It brought a new twist to old saying “stop and smell the roses”—or in this case, the cedar/pine.

As I took the moment to enjoy the experience, it occurred to me that this was a time when I was exceptionally “well-centered”. This is often a rare and small window, but I was much more open to experiencing my environment. I wasn’t distracted by worry, frustration, and thinking. I was just present in the moment. It was great—while is lasted.

We need to be in that place more often. I am not sure I would say “all the time”, because that just puts us in a constant dreamful state and is not likely productive. Rather, we need to make time for this encounters and allow the perception of beauty a place of freedom in our daily lives. Beauty needs to flow freely through our Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions.

Alexander Shaia identifies three categories of beauty: appreciation, collaborative, and creative. On one hand, we need to take the effort to appreciate beauty purposefully in our lives. This might involve a visit to the museum or taking pause in a garden or park. It is the pursuit of the beauty that avails itself to us. On the other hand, we need to practice our creativity. I don’t know a person who is not creative in some way or another. Some can draw or paint. Some build. Some make music or sing. Some write. One does not have to be a master of his or her art. One need only to create. I believe that, in many ways, we are made to create—and we are made to enjoy creation. We are also social beings, and we are made to enjoy creation/creating together. This is the collaborative beauty—the practice of experiencing beauty in community.

So, seek beauty. Be beautiful. Share beauty. Appreciate it. Encourage it. It will truly color your life.

Carpe momento!

“I didn’t come here to win a gold medal for the media attention. I didn’t come here to win a gold medal in order to find something within myself or some peace within myself. I found that self-worth before I stepped on the mat. I think that’s why I won the gold medal.”– Helen Maroulis (the first woman in U.S.A. Wrestling to win an Olympic gold medal)

The U.S.A. has had some ups and downs in the 2016 Summer Olympics. (I was personally disappointed to not see Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray not bring home the gold—two incredible athletes.) One thing that the Olympics often teach us is how to be graceful in defeat, as well as victory. I make it no secret that I love the sport of wrestling. I describe myself as a “wrestler in a basketball player’s body”. I have to live a bit vicariously through the truly great wrestlers, because my career was by no means illustrious. Nevertheless, I have learned some of my greater lessons in life through the sport of wrestling. The 2016 Olympics did not disappoint.

I also harbor a not-so-secret desire that my daughter will follow her father and brother into the sport of wrestling. Women’s wrestling has arrived. This year Helen Maroulis brought home the first American women’s gold in wrestling in the 53 kg freestyle category. Her success was not highlighted in the media. Nevertheless, the wrestling world took notice, and any others who were paying attention saw how she handled the media snub with class and great sportsmanship. In her response, she also taught us a great life lesson: “I found my self-worth before I stepped on the mat.”

Our self-worth is not in what we accomplish or the awards and accolades we receive. Our worth is with us at birth. It is only through personal growth and introspection that we realize that our worth is infinite and that we devalue ourselves. Each of us is uniquely suited to our own divine Purpose. With this in mind there is no one who holds a greater (or lesser) place in the world than do you or I. Sadly, we all fail to recognize this.

Helen Maroulis’ words serve as a reminder that we possess worth far greater than we credit ourselves. Our value is not in what we do—the medals we win (or don’t win), the money we make, the honors we receive, etc. Our value is in being who we are.

We all have the opportunity to achieve (extra)ordinary success in whatever it is we are purposed to do. It is ours to claim. It is not ours to achieve. We are called to do what we are made to do. Should our efforts lead to success according to the world’s standards—i.e., fame and fortune—then, great. Most of us, however, will never see such “success”. Still, we are of far greater value than the world or we give us credit. So, what? Claim your self-worth and be awesome!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

Today, a former student shared a video with me that exemplifies the distorted presentation of exercise science that often occurs in the effort to market exercise programs. To my student’s credit, she understands the science.

The video presents the question of which is better “cardio” or weight lifting—I presume to improve body composition (?). What the video clearly ignored was the principle of specificity. So, it prompted me to speak up.

One phrase that the creator of the video used was “Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption”. Now, this is a new one to me, as an exercise physiologist. So, this raises the red flag of credibility. The correct term in exercise physiology is “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption” (or EPOC). What the maker of the video is probably intending to refer to is post-exercise energy expenditure (PEE—that probably won’t get far as an acronym!)

EPOC refers to the oxygen consumed after the cessation of exercise—also referred to as “oxygen debt”. Initially, oxygen is consumed—i.e., the exerciser continues to breath heavy post-exercise—to replace blood and muscle oxygen stores and to replenish stores of phosphocreatine in the muscle. Then, for a period—depending on the intensity of exercise and the condition level of the exerciser—the heart rate and breathing are elevated, levels of catecholamines (the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine) are elevated, body temperature remains high, and lactate is being removed from the blood (oxidized). These keep metabolism elevated and oxygen continues to be consumed at a higher rate.   This occurs in both aerobic activities (like running) and anaerobic activities (like lifting weights—think about how heavy you are breathing after a heavy set of squats). This occurs for a matter of minutes.

Post-exercise energy expenditure is related to the prolonged metabolism (hours) following a bout of exercise. Now, here, the video is correct that weight training will metabolize more energy in the hours post-exercise than will cardiorespiratory exercise (AKA, “cardio”). Rightly, the video points out that, during a bout of exercise, cardio will burn more calories per minute than weight training and that weight training will burn calories at a higher rate (and more prolonged period) post-exercise. So, the conclusion is made: weight training is better than cardio, right? Well, the answer isn’t as clear-cut as the video implies. First, what are the goals? Are we looking to only burn fat? Or are we looking to build muscle and/or improve cardiorespiratory function? We must remember the principle of specificity!!

If the goal is improved body composition, then, yes, lifting weights will burn more calories–if done right. I stress: “if done right.” We are talking heavy and hard lifting, not what is often done for general fitness. One must also remember that if you are small (i.e., a beginner lifter), and lifting lighter weights, the post-exercise energy expenditure will be smaller than that of a seasoned beef-cake.

But… cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and muscle endurance are distinct physiological adaptations. Specificity!! Certainly, the weightlifting post-exercise energy expenditure is increased by the caloric demand to actually repair and build muscle. It also (no matter how much the HIIT crowd will argue) does rather little to improve VO2max (calling it “Tabata” does not make it Tabata).

So the question when considering EPOC or PEE is not one of which exercise is better. The question, first and foremost, is what are the goals?

My student/friend is a powerlifter and isn’t planning to run any marathons or even 5Ks any time soon. So, for her, the whole discussion is moot—other than that she has to eat more food—especially carbohydrates—to fuel muscle growth and repair and that when it comes time to make weight for competition, she can benefit some from cardio, but will mostly just have to cut her food consumption.

So, my general recommendations—based on science are: if you want to lose fat, lift weights. If you want to get stronger, lift weights. But if you want to lose fat and improve VO₂max, lift weights AND run (do some form of cardio). If you want to be badass strong, lift big weights (and eat!—i.e., getting lean isn’t a primary goal). If you want to be a badass marathoner, run and lift some weights. [You are probably not too concerned about burning fat, but the added muscle will improve performance. Don’t worry about putting on too much muscle, because the high amount of cardio exercise will minimize muscle hypertrophy.] If you want to post “six-pack abs” selfies, do HIIT. If you want to be an all-around badass (like Alex Viada who squats in excess of 700 lb and can run a sub-5-min mile) plan your training very carefully. [Check out Alex Viada’s book, Hybrid Athlete.]

Now, before I am accused of being anti-HIIT, let me explain. First, “HIIT” is a pretty broad category of exercise. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has countless implementations. It can be a fantastic means of significantly improving cardiorespiratory fitness and performance, which is its original application. Or, as it has more recently become a trend in the fitness industry, it can become a method of training for general fitness. I say “general fitness” because this trendy application basically ignores the principle of specificity. HIIT exercise programs (often WODs or “workouts of the day” at trendy gyms) involve “high-intensity” body weight or weighted exercises performed in circuits (in the good ol’ days, we referred to this simply as “circuit training”). Circuit training has been shown to have minimal improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e., VO₂max), so calling it “HIIT” or “Tabata” allows exercise program leaders to market these as “cardio”.

So, HIIT weight training sessions miss the bulls-eye for building strength and significantly improving cardiorespiratory fitness. They can, however, be outstanding for muscle endurance and improving body composition (at least for burning fat). They will not provide significant hypertrophy, if one is looking to improve the “athletic physique”. This requires heavy lifting. It will not build strength. This requires lifting even heavier weights (near the one-repetition maximum). There may be modest improvements in VO₂max doing this kind of “HIIT”, but not near the level of improvement seen from the Tabata (IE1) protocol—requiring eight cycles of 20 second bursts of ultra-intense (~170% VO₂max) followed by 10 seconds of rest (Tabata? You can’t handle Tabata!).

If you want a more well-rounded (e.g., hybrid athlete) level of fitness, you are best to segment your training into adaptation-specific sessions. Realize, however, that the idea of “opportunity cost” applies. If you are a strength athlete, every minute of training for cardio takes away from potential strength adaptations. If you are an endurance athlete, every minute in the weight room takes away from training to improve VO₂max (though, given that performance requires more than just improved oxygen consumption, there is a strong argument in favor of some strength training—just realize that you build significant muscle mass while putting in high miles). If you just want to be lean and “fit”, by all means do “HIIT” workouts.

Specificity is king/queen! The question of what training program is better is not so straight forward without considering the goals. So, choose your exercise wisely. Know your goals!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!