Month: June 2018

We all have limited time to exercise.  Thus, we want to be as effective with what we do as possible.  Remember, for cardiorespiratory health, it is recommended by the American Heart Association that one do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise five days a week or 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise three days a week.  On top of this, one might want to lift weights, stretch, and some HIIRT.  How to fit this all in is a challenge—“opportunity costs”.

There is some evidence that the best time for fat-burning cardio is in a fasted state—i.e., first thing in the morning.  Depending on your schedule and goals, this may not be possible.

So, in answer to the question: “When should I do cardio?”, the answer is: “When you can.”  For performance training, it might be necessary to balance cardiorespiratory training around carbohydrate intake.  For balancing muscle hypertrophy and cardiorespiratory performance, the answer become a bit more complicated.  The answer is complicated but not impossible.  It is an issue of time management.

It is all a matter of time management.  If one can manage, more frequent training session are ideal.  In other words, spread cardio, weights, and HIIRT (and possible throw in some yoga) over multiple sessions—including two or more sessions per day, separated by at least 6 hours, if possible.  If not possible, carefully combine training to maximize the benefits and recovery.

If cardiorespiratory endurance is the priority (e.g., a distance runner), then timing of the weight training is less critical—as long as it doesn’t interfere with full recovery.  Since cardio performance is the goal, it would be important to do cardio before weights so as to not impede performance.

If strength performance and hypertrophy are the priority, then it should be trained as the priority.  Reserve cardio training for after weights.  Ideally, do separate sessions.  If this is not possible, end the exercise session with cardio.

Manage your time relative to your goals.  If your goals are more lofty than most, then you need to find more time.  Train to your goals.  Feed and recover according to your training.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I have often shared the statement first made by Kenneth Cooper, the “Father of Aerobics”: “If you are running for more than 30 minutes, you are doing it for more than your health.”  It is a great Segway to a discussion of why to do cardio and how much is necessary.

Before considering what cardio to do and how much is necessary, the first question is to ask “why?”  Everyone has their reason for doing (or not doing) cardiorespiratory exercise.  These include: performance, weight (hopefully, fat) loss, and heart health.

Performance.  There are a wide range of performance goals.  One might be training for anything from 5-K races to marathons to any of the ever widening range of ultra-distance races, triathlons, or simply “general physical preparation” or GPP for sport.  Whatever the goal, “opportunity costs”.  In other words, the greater the demand for cardiorespiratory performance, the more specific the training must be.  This also means the less opportunity to train for other “unrelated” training variables (e.g., strength training).  Specificity rules.  Remember: the body system makes specific adaptations to imposed demands.  The bigger the goals, the more precise the training required—the more the athlete will require qualified coaching.

Fat loss.  Most of us want to lose some body fat.  Given that over two-thirds of Americans are overfat or obese, most of us need to lose body fat.  For the most part, losing body fat is a matter of expending more calories than one consumes.  Cardio allows one to increase the energy expenditure.  Unfortunately, it isn’t just as simple as eating less and burning more—if the goal also includes building and sustaining muscle mass.  Thus, when trying to improve the body physique by losing fat and adding muscle, cardio becomes a supplement to weight training.

The greater the emphasis on endurance and leanness, the less gains that can be expected in the strength and hypertrophy area.  The extensive cardio will burn fat and improve performance, but the caloric expenditure will rob muscle of the calories and nutrients necessary for hypertrophy.  For most endurance athletes, hypertrophy is undesirable (extra body weight requires more effort to move), so weight training is counter-productive—to a degree.

For the one who desires increased muscle hypertrophy and leanness, cardio has to take a backseat to weight training and careful dieting.  Care must be taken to minimize the recovery demands that take away from muscle growth.  In such cases, caloric expenditure might require low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio, which burns calories at a slower rate, but with less detriment to muscle mass.  It also takes considerably more time (to burn the same calories) than other methods, such as moderate- or high-intensity steady-state exercise or HIIT.  The greatest concern here is what works for the individual.  Everyone responds differently.

Heart health.  Many weightlifters—particularly powerlifters—choose to avoid cardio all together.  For most, it is a matter of “opportunity costs”—i.e., time spent doing cardio takes away from time building strength and muscle mass.  I can, and should, be stated that it would behoove the weightlifter to at list do the minimal cardio necessary to keep the heart healthy.  Eventually, the desire to live will outweigh the desire to be big and lift heavy.  It is always better to keep the heat healthy than to rehabilitate an injured heart.

Fortunately, the minimum effective volume for cardiorespiratory health is a rather low threshold—relatively speaking.  The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least five days a week for a total of 150 minutes.  Less time is required if the activity is vigorous (25 minutes, 3 days a week).  With higher intensity training—e.g., very HIIT—less time is requires.  Even if one cannot exercise quite to the intensity of the Tabata IE1 protocol (and most can’t), short HIIT workouts 2-3 times a week, performed such as to not interfere with strength training recovery will greatly benefit the heart.

The key to a healthy heart is to be as active as possible and as often as possible.  So, do what you can.

Be your Best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe (cardio) momento!

If you are constantly asking yourself, “What exercises should I do today?”, you might want to reconsider your exercise plan.  (Better: consider your lack of exercise plan.)  After all, progress comes from planned, progressive overload of the body system.  Exercise needs to be systematic and specific to be most effective.  The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated.

I am not a fan of the “workout of the day”—best known as the “WOD”.  My reasoning is that is rarely individualized.  It is usually some random mix of exercises scrawled on a whiteboard by a trainer who may or may not have given careful consideration to what is included.  Now, of course, strength and conditioning coaches will design daily workouts around team/position goals—but there is always a bit of flexibility for individual needs.  Personally, as well, we will have our own planned WOD, but, again, this is individualized.

No doubt, the WOD approach has been beneficial for the countless exercisers who are clueless (no criticism intended) about what exercise they should be doing and/or those who simple don’t want to have to think about what to do when they go to the gym.  This is fine, if the goals are limited (and there are no physical limitations to exercise), but, for those who wish to see specific progress, non-specific or random exercise will have less than effective results.

Exercise goals will fall into several broad categories within which one’s emphasis will be dependent upon interest, need, and opportunity.  These are: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, body composition, and motor skill-related performance (e.g., speed, power, balance, coordination, agility, and reaction time).  With these in mind, the exercise program (there is a reason I use “program” as opposed to “session”, which I will come to shortly) will generally consist of some mix of aerobic (“cardio”) exercise, weight/resistance training, flexibility exercise, and performance or skill-based training.  Each is addressed as a separate component to the exercise.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT), high-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT), and high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) are labels that are applied to a variety of exercise approaches (correctly and, often, incorrectly).  I’d like to spend a few moments today differentiating between these and discuss some of the “whys” and “hows”.  While these may seem to be different labels for the same basic thing, they are really not the same and have very different places in your exercise program.

HIIT.  High-intensity interval training is an effective means of improving one’s maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max; i.e., cardiorespiratory endurance).  There are also advantages in improving anaerobic endurance (e.g., lactate tolerance) in certain applications.

HIIT is a type of aerobic exercise.  Thus, it is performed using the more traditional modalities of aerobic exercise, e.g., treadmill or outdoor running (for some, walking), cycling, stairstepper, elliptical, rowing, etc.  The modality is less important than the intensities.  Some protocols are best accomplished on specific equipment (the true Tabata IE1 protocol, for example, can best be performed on a stationary leg ergometer—stationary cycle—because the required intensities and sequencing of intervals is nearly impossible on a treadmill or stairstepper and has a high risk of injury on a rower), but overall the modality is mostly a matter of preference and/or availability.

There is no specific HIIT protocol.  What makes it “interval training” is the systematic variation of intensities.  Following a warm-up, the interval period is a defined set of cycles of high-intensity (usually greater than 85% VO_2max or maximum heart rate) followed by a recovery at a low intensity (usually less than 60% maximum).  These cycles are usually uniform, e.g., 5 cycles of 1-minute high intensity followed by 1-minute recovery.  Ideally, they are 20- to 60-sec cycles of high-intensity, but there are no rules, per se.  The cycles can be less uniform, as I will discuss in a subsequent post.  When more random, it is referred to as “Tempo” or “Fartlek” training.  Uniform or random, the intervals must be of sufficient intensity to stimulate cardiorespiratory adaptations.

HIIRT.  I differentiate between HIIRT and HIRT.  Some do not, which somewhat muddies the waters.  In my opinion, there is a distinction.  That distinction lies in the intent and the nature of the activities included.  There is also a distinction in how the exercise can be progressed.

I define HIIRT to include predominately body-weight exercises or similar exercises performed with kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls, Bulgarian bags, and the like.  Because these are done for time and/or high-repetitions (i.e., greater than 12 repetitions per exercise) these workouts are ideal for burning excess calories for fat loss.  The benefits for cardiorespiratory fitness and strength are on the low end (despite the claims).  Because these are performed with minimal overload (and regular progression) and for such high reps, HIIRT will not produce large amounts of hypertrophy (muscle size).  HIIRT might give the appearance of hypertrophy, as the body becomes leaner and musculature is more defined, but, as I will discuss in a subsequent post, the resistance is not sufficient to stimulate significant strength and hypertrophy gains.  With regards to cardiorespiratory endurance, HIIRT is not performed to the intensities, similar to HIIT, that are sufficient for significant increases in VO_2max.  Most exercises included in HIIRT workouts cannot be performed with proper technique at the necessary intensities to improve cardiac function—the risk of injury is increased as fatigue sets in.  Indeed, HIIRT is best for fat loss because it promotes a much elevated post-exercise oxygen consumption (and subsequent calorie burn) for as much as 24-48 hours post-exercise.

HIRT.  HIRT is what I would have called “circuit training” in the past.  Arthur Jones, founder of Nautilus, promoted this type of HIRT in the 1970s.  Now, technically, strength training (i.e., training for strength; low reps and heavy weight) is “high-intensity resistance training”, since resistance training intensity is defined as a percentage of the maximal lift (i.e., 1-repetition maximum, 1-RM).  Specifically, though, HIRT involves either super-setting (i.e., mini-circuit sets) or sets to volitional fatigue (momentary muscular failure), including breakdown sets.  Despite the “intensity” moniker, the actual intensity (defined by %1-RM) is rather low.  HIRT is typically performed for 6-15 repetitions.  With the exception of a “one-set to failure” approach (e.g., the old school Nautilus workouts), the focus is more on volume (= weight x repetitions x sets) than intensity.  Thus, HIRT serves best for time-efficiency (one can accomplish a lot of volume in a short period) and overall muscle hypertrophy (specifically, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy or muscle volume).  It is also great for those who want or need to get out of the gym quickly.  Like HIIRT, it also has the added benefit of prolonged calorie burns.

One of the biggest distinctions between HIIRT and HIRT is the nature of the exercises performed.  HIRT is not unlike more traditional weight training.  That is, it involves the principles of overload and progress utilized in all weight training.  Form and tempo are maintained.  The weight is increased from workout to workout.  The key difference is that exercises are performed as super-sets.  Unless strength/power is the primary goal for lifting weights, HIRT can benefit muscle strength, muscle endurance, and body composition.

While HIIT, HIIRT, and HIRT may seem the same, they are different and have a different role to play in one’s overall exercise program.  In summary:

HIIT = cardiorespiratory endurance and anaerobic endurance

HIIRT = body composition (specifically, fat loss)

HIRT = muscle strength/endurance, muscle hypertrophy, body composition

So, Summer his finally here.  Many are in the final rush to get their “beach bod”—hopelessly crash dieting to lose “weight”.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is too late.  Sure a burst of ketogenic eating may shed a few quick pounds, and a few extra trips to the gym for some high-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT) might boost the metabolism some; but, unless you are going for a bit more cut, the opportunity to have that “beach bod” has passed.   There is hope for us, though:

Acceptance.  We can just accept “not this year” and start working toward next summer.  Many go through the endless cycles of scrambling to get into shape for one event only to fall short and give up—give up until the next “event” and the cycle begins again.

Considering that roughly two-thirds of Americans are overweight (and/or obese), we will not be the only “out of shape” person at the beach.  If you have been consistent in your diet and exercise—progressing toward your goals—chances are good that you won’t be the worst built person at the beach.  Why worry that you don’t look as good as the very few who are in great shape?

If you have been working hard—losing fat and building muscle—be proud of what you have accomplished thus far.  (Chances are you already look better than most.)  If you have been less ambitious with your exercise, let this be your goal.  It is never too late to get on the right track.

Overcome your flaws.  Not everyone was meant to (or should) wear Speedos or scant bikinis.  Dress for your body.  If you don’t want to draw attention to your body, don’t.  Hide yourself among the average and enjoy your recreation.

No body is “perfect”.  Even bodybuilders and physique competitors are “judged”.  The greatest judgement comes one the extremes, so don’t stand out—if you don’t want to.

Find the styles of clothing—beach or other—that suit you.  Allow yourself to look your current best and keep working to look better.

Be realistic.  Contemplate what we Americans tend to consider to be the “perfect” beach body.  How many actually do (or can) consistently look like that?  Fashion and fitness magazines present models who are Photoshopped and airbrushed to look good in the photo.  The photos are taken in the best possible lighting with the models in their best shape.  Fitness models are not in peak shape 365 days a year.  What separates them from us (besides genetics) is consistency.  Bodybuilders and physique athletes train hard and are meticulous with their diets year-around.  If they “let themselves go a bit”, it is for only a short period and usually for recovery purposes.  There are also the “massing phases” they may go through to gain muscle.  There phases are often accompanied with some (controlled) fat gain.

There is always next year.  If you are not where you want to be today, then start working on the changes you want to see.  Sustainable fat loss and muscle gains take time and effort.  If you are inclined to train in bursts, you will never see results.  Results are not magical.  There is no secret diet or pill that will change your body.  Only consistent effort will.

I saw an article the other day that listed exercises that promised “instant” results.  I had to question how anyone could possibly take the article seriously.  They were, after all, pretty basic movements—none of which could provide more than a temporary “pump” that would only be visible for the person who was already lean.  The beach body you want today will probably take you a good solid year (or more) to achieve.  (Longer if you keep trying to do it overnight.)

It is possible to achieve some short-term “refinement”, if you are on a sensible, progressive exercise plan.  Remember, changes in body composition take time.  The goal is (should be) to gain or maintain muscle and see an overall loss of fat.  Short-term fat loss may be desired—in conjunction with a long-term plan—and is attainable if done right.  Mike Israetel and Jared Feather (Renaissance Periodization) just released a book, The Minicut Manual, that I would highly recommend.  This is not for those looking for a “quick fix”, though.  It is for those who are serious about getting into shape and putting the time and effort at the gym.  It is available at https://renaissanceperiodization.com/shop/minicut-manual/.

For most of us, we just need a sensible and consistent plan and to accept that our best may not be the best, and that’s okay.  Keep progressing.  Focus on consistent eating patterns and exercise.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I am taking a few days to consider each of the dimensions of well-centered fitness (Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social) and the “baby steps” one (me, in particular) can take to become more “well-centered”.  Today, I consider the Social dimension.

Social well-centeredness.  Social well-centeredness reflects one’s commitment to healthy relationships.  A small investment in others pays great dividends.  We should take advantage of the opportunities we have to interact with others.  Even as we baby step our way to well-centered fitness, there should always time to include others.  Social well-centeredness includes the degree to which we seek to live in harmony with other people and embraces the concepts of community, citizenship, partnership/marriage, communication, unity, etc.

Relationships are multi-faceted.  Some are casual.  Some are professional.  Some are intimate.  Some are familial. Some are not even perceived are relationships—e.g., the persons we pass on the street with no conscious notice.   Social wellness is deeply personal, whether we are aware of the relationship of not.

Make a commitment to  spend time with others.  It may not have to be quantity, as much as quality.  Date nights, father-son/daughter time, phone calls to family, etc. can strengthen relationships.

If we are the average of the people with whom we spend our time we must be careful to avoid destructive relationships and seek to add value to all of our relationships.  We must be purposeful in your relationships.  Eliminate the unhealthy relationships and strengthen those that are most important.

Eliminate unnecessary distractions—smart phones, social media, etc.  Have conversations—real face-to-face conversations.  I find it disheartening to see a group of people sitting at a table with each staring at their phones.  When given the opportunity for human interaction, put the phone away and be fully present in the moment.

A while back, I made a committed to my wife to connect for a “15-Minute Check-In” on a daily basis (as much as possible).  It is a small commitment to sit in our living room, enjoy a glass of wine or beer, and talk about what is going on in our lives.  We shoo the kids, if they come in, and we focus on each other.  It is an easy habit, and such small efforts can have a cumulative effect.  It isn’t much, but just fifteen minutes can make the world of difference in a relationship—especially the busier our lives get. 

A text message, a phone call, a short note (better than an email), and just letting people know we are thinking about them can go a long way.  It is, after all, the small things that often matter most.  Baby steps.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento

I am taking a few days to consider each of the dimensions of well-centered fitness (Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social) and the “baby steps” one (me, in particular) can take to become more “well-centered”.  Today, I consider the Emotional dimension.

Emotional well-centeredness.  Emotionally, we need frequent regular relaxation, reflection, and renewal.  It need not involve a lot of time.  A few minutes a day—to start.

We need to schedule regular resets throughout the day.  I like the idea of the “productive pause” (Jim Harshaw).  We just need to tune out the negativity and reset our minds to positive thoughts.

I like to consider what are referred to as the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).  As fruit, I think of it as something to be cultivated.  Emotionally, we must tend to (cultivate) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Emotional well-centeredness takes constant effort and practice.  Baby steps.  It is also a choice.  We have a choice to be content and happy.  Or not.  Practice being happy.

Look at the challenges before us as opportunities.  The daily practice of considering the opportunities presented to cultivates gratitude and a greater sense of one’s purpose.

Plan a small amount of time for reflection and meditation, for regular exercise, and purposeful reading and learning.  Also plan time with family and friends.  Prioritize the things that feed you emotionally.  What is the “garbage” that fills your day?  Are we spending too much time in activities that drain us physically and emotionally?  Are you spending too much time with the wrong people?  (More about the Social dimension, tomorrow.)  Avoid spending too much time doing things that are “unproductive”.  Count the cost of the choices you make for using your time.  Progressively eliminate the things that choke out your positivity.  Add things that feed your positivity.  Baby steps to Emotional well-centeredness.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I am taking a few days to consider each of the dimensions of well-centered fitness (Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social) and the “baby steps” one (me, in particular) can take to become more “well-centered”.  Today, I consider the Intellectual dimension.

Intellectual well-centeredness.  Learning and knowledge are progressive.  It doesn’t end with school.  Indeed, school should be just the beginning.  It should lay the foundation for “continuing education”.

Read.  Read regularly.  Be broadly read.  It doesn’t have to be much a few pages—a few minutes a day.  It all adds up.  After all, books are read a word at a time.

Be a consumer of information.  Use the Internet wisely.  Never before, in the history of man, has information been so easily accessed.

Share information and ideas.  Conversation and social interaction are critical to the development our overall well-centeredness.  As we share ideas, we must also be open to the ideas of others.  Rather than limiting ourselves to resources and people that only support our ideas, we must seek the healthy challenging of our views.  Be open to discourse.  Grow your intellect and ideas.

Keep learning.  Keep growing Intellectually—one word at a time.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I am taking a few days to consider each of the dimensions of well-centered fitness (Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social) and the “baby steps” one (me, in particular) can take to become more “well-centered”.  Today, I consider the Physical dimension.

Physical well-centeredness.  The Physical dimension is a bit easier to comprehend than the Spiritual dimension.  Nevertheless, the Physical and Spiritual, as discussed yesterday, are interconnected, and form a foundation for the other dimensions.  Specifically, Physical well-centeredness involves that which is material.  It is easily considered ones physical health and physiological performance.  Thus, it considers one’s health and physical fitness goals.

Diet, exercise, body composition, rest, recovery (from physiological stress), recreation, etc. are all potential areas for change.   Decide where you want to begin to change and start.

Diet.  Most all of us can eat healthier.  Diet, after all, is what one eats (not simply how much).  As much as the media and so-called “professionals” want us to believe that the diet they are promoting is best, it is most important that we simply make better choices within our cultural practices and preferences.  Baby steps.  Make the small changes—a few calories here and there, less junk food, heathier fats and carbs, less processed food, less alcohol, less sugar, etc.  Consider that a 10 kilocalorie daily deficit add up to roughly a pound of fat lost or not gained in the year (1 pound of fat is approximately 3500 kcal).  Drinking one less sugared pop (soda) a day (65 g in a 20-oz bottle; 240 kcal) adds up to 23,725 g (52.3 lb; 188,000 kcal).  One tablespoon of fat is about 120 kcal.  The calories in alcohol can be judged by the %ABV (40 kcal per %ABV per pint—e.g., 5%ABV = 200 kcal per pint or 160 kcal per 12 oz).  I can go on, but it should be easy to see that baby steps add up.

Exercise.  Opportunity costs.  Select your activities wisely—based upon your goals.  Do what you can and add a bit more as you can.  As a rule, there are 100 kcal per mile whether you walk, jog, or run (for the average, 70 kg, person—more for larger individuals).  With this in mind, parking an quarter of a mile from your destination (e.g., office or school) will result in 12,500 kcal of added energy expenditure per year (assuming a 5-day work week for 50 weeks) or about 3-1/2 pounds over the year.  A few minutes of any exercise or physical activity is better than none.  Do more as you are able.

Set your goals and plan your path to get there.  Allow yourself time and progress slowly (not too slowly, of course).  Baby steps and you will certainly get there.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I have shared my love of the movie, What About Bob?, as a teaching tool in my Exercise Motivation and Adherence course.  It is all about “baby steps”.  The biggest change in our lives comes the smallest of incremental changes.  If we want to be better tomorrow, we start with small changes today.

Our bad habits did not emerge overnight.  The progressed over time—subtly and incrementally.  Likewise, we are not going to get back in a track of good habits overnight.  We have to begin with small sustainable changes.

I like to gather my habits under the well-centered fitness model—the Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotion, and Social dimensions of wellness.  It takes a concerted effort to progress to well-centeredness.  There are no immediate fixes to self.

Over the next few days, I want to consider each of these dimensions and the “baby steps” one (me, in particular) can take to become more “well-centered”.

Spiritual well-centeredness.  The Spiritual dimension involves the consideration that there is something greater than self—that one is not at the center of the universe.  It is the sense that we are all connected and that our actions have a rather powerful (albeit often unseen) effect on others—on the Universe.   For some, the Spiritual dimension is God.  I caution that it is not our vision of God.  It is also not necessary to believe in God or gods or to follow any religion.  Religion, in fact, can actually limit one’s Spiritual well-centeredness.  Remember, Spiritual well-centeredness is greater than self.  Thus, it is greater than our personal understanding of faith, spirit, salvation, eternity, etc.

A well-centered approach to the Spiritual dimension understands the we are in pursuit of an asymptote of understanding—that we are progressing to a greater more fuller understanding of what connects us.  Personally, I believe in God.  My understanding of God have evolved over many years.  I would hope that I could say that my understanding of God has “improved over the many years”, but I could not make such a claim with any level of certainty.  The reality is that the more I pursue an understanding of the Spiritual dimension the less confident I am in what I think I know.  This is, however, evidence of Spiritual growth.  This is the paradox of the Spiritual dimension.  The more we learn and understand, the more apparent it becomes of how little we do know and understand.  In such a paradox once can see that self grows as it sees itself progressively smaller.

There are many paths to greater Spiritual well-centeredness.  I perceive the Spiritual and Physical dimensions as intertwined and interdependent and as the foundation for the other dimensions (Intellectual. Emotional, and Social).  As one pursues the Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions, one grows Spiritually, and vice versa.  Meditation, music, art, nature, reading, relationships, etc. can all grow the Spirit, if rightly focused.  Key to growing Spiritually is in direction one’s orientation away from self and to look for the subtle connections that unite us all.

Spiritual well-centeredness, while focused Universally, begins with self-focus (yet another paradox).  It necessitates a growing level of self-reflection and exploration.  Though overly simplistic, it is the effort to understand one’s “why”.  As it is very personal, we will have to find our own explorative path.  For me, daily journaling helps.  As well, brief periods of reflection and prayer facilitate.  One must be present in the moment.

If journaling works for you, then start immediate.  Just let your mind go and record your thoughts.  Begin with the simple habit of spending a few minutes writing goals, reflections, affirmation, etc. and let the habit grow from there.

Begin to take moments of pause during the day.  Take moments to consider what is happening in your life and how that is affecting others.  Continue to focus in on the “bigger picture”.  Challenge yourself to ask the question: “Why?”  Challenge yourself to be your best today and to be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Today’s subject is inspired by the #1 Mindset Rule for youth wrestlers from Wrestling Mindset.  As I often find life-lessons in wrestling, I share this as a consideration for all ages.

We are obsessed with weight loss in the US.  “Diet” is nearly always tied to weight loss—not fat loss, mind you.  We have an unhealthy focus on the scale, as if reaching some magical number on the scale will make our life better.  The reality is that the number on the scale is just a number without consideration of what makes the number.  Our body weight is essentially the sum total of our fat weight, lean tissue weight, and water weight.  I include water weight, because this is the source of most of our day-to-day fluctuations.  Lean tissue weight includes bone, muscle, and other important tissues.  More lean tissue is almost certainly always better.  In other words, weight gain can often be more healthy than weight loss.

Now, obesity or over-fatness is a problem for roughly 2/3rds of Americans, so for many the number on the scale needs to drop significantly, but, once one is in the healthy range of body fat, the scale should be used sparingly.  For many, the problem is less about fat and more about muscle.

At 55 years, I am okay with gaining weight.  Honestly, the battle to lose weight (i.e., fat weight) becomes increasingly challenging with age.  More specifically, I am focused on shifting the weight distribution.  I enjoy food too much to focus excessively on caloric restriction.  Instead, I opt to “grow into my fat”.  That is, I am focused more on gaining/maintaining muscle mass via well-programmed resistance training and a balanced approach to nutrition.

Excessive caloric restriction will invariably lead to a loss of fat and muscle.  We want to reduce the fat, but we don’t want to lose the muscle.

Focusing on muscle gain (minus the extreme caloric increases we were able to manage in our youth) will undoubtedly result to some fat loss with or without a change in body weight.  If one is gaining muscle and not fat, body composition will improve even if there is no change in fat mass.

Find your healthy caloric intake and focus on your lifestyle.  If you are over-fat or obese, you need to restrict calories.  Most don’t have to take it to the extreme, though.  Be active.  Lift weights.  Eat healthy.  Ditch the scale.  Use the mirror and you exercise performance as the measure of your success.

“Diet” should refer to one’s lifestyle habits not to some short-term change in eating habits.  Focus on health and not of the scale!  Stop cutting weight!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!