Month: May 2019

Goals are always personal. So, one’s goals should be what they want them to be. When it comes to fitness, our goals fall under the broad categories of health and performance. These mean different things to every person. Goals will fall somewhere along a continuum of these. We are also limited in these by our genetics and our life-constraints. Nevertheless, we should all have some optimal levels of health and performance to which we can attain.

Health. There are, of course, the “health-related components of physical fitness”—cardiorespiratory endurance, skeletal muscle endurance, skeletal muscle strength, flexibility, and body composition—but these might, for appropriately , be labeled under “performance”. With regard to health, we might prefer to consider longevity and freedom from disease/illness and injury. Individually, health is more qualitative than quantitative. Determining to “be healthy/healthier” is quite subjective. We should want to be “well”, but what that means is individual.

Performance. Performance goals are measurable. We can determine to squat x pounds or weigh y. We can develop a plan to achieve our performance goals.

Our desired level of performance is objective. It requires the question, “Why?”, as well as the question, “How?”. The former is probably more important than the latter.

Goals don’t require much effort. Achieving one’s goals, however, requires effort. Once you have determined why you want to accomplish a performance goal, you have to determine your willingness to do what it takes. This requires that we are realistic.

“Optimal” should be the operational term in determining our performance goals. Taking into account our age, genetics, occupation, lifestyle, etc., what is the “best” we can be (or want to be). I would suggest we shoot a little higher than we think we should be. When we do, we will likely achieve more than we expected.

Whatever performances we target, they must be personal. We cannot compare ourselves with others—nor should we. It is fine to be competitive. (I am certainly a fan of competition.) Ultimately, though, we are our biggest competition. Dare to beat your best.

I don’t like to compare against the “average” category—especially when it comes to performance as I age. “Average” tends to slip as we age. Instead we should shoot to be “(extra)ordinary”—better than “above average”. We should do so not out of ego, but rather out of opportunity.

Performance should be consistent with the desire to be “well-centered”. If Physical fitness/performance adversely affects one’s Spiritual, Intellectual, Emotional, and/or Social well-being, it loses its value. Instead, each dimension of wellness should support the others. We should not desire to be something at the expense of our wholeness—or the welfare of others.

We should have fitness goals. What those goals should be are up to the individual. Whatever the goal, be willing to put in the effort—and to learn what that effort should be. Remember that opportunity has a cost. That which does not move us toward our goal(s), works against us. Remove to barriers to your accomplishment, and eliminate any negative thoughts. Moreover, pursue goals with an attitude of gratitude.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Be pleasant until ten o’clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself.”
–Elbert Hubbard

How true this is. We must overcome the inertia of the morning and our grattitude will carry us through the rest of the day.

Our strategy for the morning is crucial. We need a growth plan. We need to actively enter the day rather than passively taking the day as it comes.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Open eyes will discover opportunities everywhere; open ears will never fail to detect the cries of those who are perishing for assistance; open hearts will never want for worthy objects upon which to bestow their gifts; open hands will never lack for noble work to do.”
–Orison Swett Marden

Sometimes all I need is a reminder from an old Orison Swett Marden quote.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Ever since I made tomorrow my favorite day, I’ve been uncomfortable looking back.”
–Paul Harvey

I came across the above Paul Harvey quote. On the surface, it sounds nice, but, as I think about it, there is little to agree with.

First, why make “tomorrow” your favorite day? Remember the saying: “tomorrow never comes”? Tomorrow becomes “today”. To make tomorrow one’s “favorite day” is to reject the opportunity to live in the moment (to carpe momento) and to focus on what will never come.

Second, why be “uncomfortable looking back”? Self-reflection is an essential part of personal growth. We may be “uncomfortable” with what we see when we look back, but it is the path that brought us to the opportunity that is now.  We should not dwell in the past, but we should be comfortable learning from it.

I understand what Paul Harvey is trying to say: we should look to the future and not dwell on the past. What is most important, however, is what we do in the present. Dwelling in the future and be more limiting than living in the past. After all, the past existed, but the future is yet to exist. The only meaningful time is the present.

I think I would prefer to say: “Ever since I made today my favorite day, I’ve been content.” (And, truth be told, there is always some tension between yesterday and tomorrow that challenges that contentment today.)

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“The man who practises unselfishness, who is genuinely interested in the welfare of others, who feels it a privilege to have the power to do a fellow-creature a kindness – even though polished manners and a gracious presence may be absent – will be an elevating influence wherever he goes.”
–Orison Swett Marden

Elevating others is a responsibility.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“It is time to wind back the harms caused by the junk food industry’s public relations machinery. Let us bust the myth of physical inactivity and obesity. You cannot outrun a bad diet.”—A. Malhotra, T. Noakes, and S. Phinney¹

A friend asked my opinion on an article, “Exercise Can’t Save Us: Our Sugar Intake Is The Real Culprit, Say Experts”, by Alice G. Walton in Forbes²—so here it is….

The article in Forbes is merely a summary/editorial on an editorial published in the British Journal of Medicine¹. So, essentially it is an opinion about a more informed opinion. I don’t disagree with the authors’ position on sugar. I do, however, agree with my friend, who also happens to be a former student, that the articles somewhat misrepresent the role of exercise in health. It is almost presented as an either-or proposition rather than an argument that considers inactivity and sugar in the obesity problem. Moreover, there is less emphasis on the role of calorie restriction in health.

I do not disagree with the authors that the food industry and health scientists have contributed to the obesity with the promotion of sugar and a limited understanding of the role of carbohydrates in exercise, respectively. More importantly, I believe we have done a poor job of educating on the role of “macro balance” (i.e., the roles of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the diet) and its implications for health and body composition.

I also feel that the emphasis in the fitness industry has shifted to body composition rather than health. When I first started studying exercise physiology as an academic in the mid-1980s, the emphasis was on cardiorespiratory health—low-fat/high-carbs, aerobic exercise, smoking cessation, etc.—and cardiac rehabilitation and corporate fitness were the major career tracks. (I chose corporate fitness.) In the ‘90s, personal training began to take off, but cardio and the ACSM guidelines for weight training remained the focus (i.e., health-focused). Today, it is all about getting “abs”. (This is a bit of hyperbole, of course, but I see the emphasis to be on getting lean.)

The health side of the industry, in my opinion, over-emphasizes BMI (“body mass index”, the ratio of one’s weight in kilograms to the height in meters squared). I hear “BMI”, I think: “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha” (something to be understood only by ‘Brady Bunch’ fans). While the measure has some limited application with sedentary individuals, it is rather useless when considering the exercising population—it fails to account for the differences in muscle versus fat weight. Thus, it emphasizes body weight over body composition.

Considering the exercise v. sugar argument, it is short-sighted to under-emphasize the role either plays in obesity. I have shared before the proposed contributions to weight management (Dr. Mike Israetel and Renaissance Periodization): caloric balance—50%; macro balance—30%; nutrient timing—10%; food composition—5%; and supplementation—5%. Caloric balance should—must—consider exercise and caloric intake. As well, we must consider the quality and timing of our carbohydrate (and fat and protein) intake.

I whole-heartedly agree with Malhotra et al., “You cannot outrun a bad diet.” Running, however, is not the only form of exercise, and one must consider the type of exercise when considering macro balance and nutrient timing. One must eat to exercise rather than exercise to eat. Carbs are essential to training for muscle mass, and the timing of their intake likely takes priority over quality (within reason, of course). One cannot argue that one can offset a bad diet with exercise, not can one argue that a low-sugar diet can offset one’s inactivity. My view is diet and exercise.

I make the argument move more (both exercise and general physical activity) and eat less (with an emphasis on fueling one’s exercise and physical activity). Cut the sugar. Although the extreme ends of exercise continuum (i.e., endurance v. body-building/weightlifting) may have a bit more liberty in eating sugary food—in timing with their intensive training sessions—it should be clear that sugar is the devil. We can argue the benefits of high-fat/low-carb versus high-carb/low-fat until we are cyanotic (blue in the face), but carbohydrate content should most ideally come from whole foods whatever the amount.

There is considerable evidence that a restricted calorie diet contributes to longevity. It is clear that exercise contributes to longevity and quality of life. Sugar is clearly unhealthy. We cannot, yet, paint a picture that carbohydrates are bad. There are good carbs and bad carbs. There are good fats and bad fats. There is a total energy intake requirement suitable for each of us that is based on the individual’s basal metabolic rate, the thermogenic effect of food, and physical activity.

Bottom line? Exercise, avoid sugar and other simple carbohydrates, and focus on body composition (increasing lean muscle tissue and losing body fat). Lift (heavy) weights, do some cardio, include some HIIT/HIIRT workouts in your weekly exercise schedule, cut the sugar and junk food, limit yourself to healthy indulgences (e.g., dark chocolate and more “keto-friendly” desserts), reduce your alcohol consumption, sleep 7-8 hours a night, and keep a regular schedule (of sleep, meals, and exercise), and you will improve your health. Think of diet as eucaloric v. hypercaloric v. hypocaloric. For the most of us—those looking to be healthy and who exercise more moderately—remaining closer to eucaloric or slightly hypocaloric and striving to grow into our fat will have better benefit than focusing on losing weight via extreme caloric restriction.

I would suggest that better titles for the aforementioned articles would be: “Exercise alone can’t save us: our sugar intake is the real culprit” and “It is time to bust the myth of exercise inactivity and obesity: you can’t run and lift weights on a bad diet”.

We have to defeat the obesity problem—and it is a growing problem. We are failing on the fitness side. We are failing on the nutrition side. And, certainly, the commercial food industry is not on our side. The answer is effort. Obesity is not just a problem of inactivity. Likewise, it is not just a problem of too much sugar. Obesity (and I would include “skinny fat”—i.e., people with “healthy” BMIs but little muscle mass) is a problem of too little activity and too many calories. Exercise and monitoring food intake take effort.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/15/967.full

² https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/04/24/exercise-wont-save-us-sugar-and-carbs-are-our-bodily-downfall/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie%2F&fbclid=IwAR0Esbo7w4JG5k0OIKZcCGXjjhgqBWg2tDGUrYnVnQqyutu-K-wuseigTkQ#10acd2712466

“I was ahead in the slalom. But in the second run, everyone fell on a dangerous spot. I was beaten by a woman that got up faster than I did. I learned that people fall down, winners get up, and gold medal winners just get up faster.”

–Bonnie St. John

I am a bit behind on listening to the “Success Through Failure” podcast with Jim Harshaw, Jr. Episode 169’s guest was Paralympian, Bonnie St. John. The above quote (that was featured on Starbuck cups) basically sums up her message.

We are all going to fall from time to time. In life, that is a given. It is important to remember that success comes not from never falling. It doesn’t come from just getting up, either. Sometimes, we have to just “get up faster”.

To succeed, we have to view our failures as part of the process. One thing I enjoyed in the interview with Bonnie St. John was that she seemed to always see failure and hardship essential to her success. We all need to view our paths as such. When things don’t seem to go our way, we need to examine the way they are going. When we fall, we have to get up quickly—quicker than the competition.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Then I read the red letters.”—David Crowder

I believe Spiritual “well-centeredness” exceeds organized religion. That is, I trust that God is bigger than man’s images of him. I have been struggling with religion lately. I feel a shallowness at church, I don’t see my vision of Christianity being lived out in the world. Rather than losing faith, though, I find my faith growing. I find a different faith growing in me. My desire for true religion growing. I see I am falling short of the Purpose of my faith.

My wife and I recently saw the band, Crowder. We had seen the David Crowder*Band perform years ago at church in Michigan, but David Crowder’s solo music seems much more inspired and powerful. I particularly like the song, “Red Letters”. Some Christians may still have red letter bibles. They seem to be rare, lately. (Maybe because they highlight the intended message??) I love that this song points me to the words of Jesus—not someone’s interpretation of the words. The song reminds me of the message that gets lost in religion.

One need not be religious—or even Christian—to benefit from the “red letters”. The words speak clearly to Spiritual well-centeredness—that there is something greater than self and that we are to be other-centered. It is a simple but power message that points us to something greater than personal salvation.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I was prompted by some recent comments made on social media to consider my thoughts on equal opportunity versus equal outcome. It is a heated discussion in our politically-charged society. My intent is not to be political. Rather, I prefer to be realistic and consider the broader implications.

Personally, I think a good place to start would be to simply look at post-war Germany—East v. West. East Germany represents “equal outcome”. West Germany represents “equal opportunity”. In which direction were people trying to get passed the wall?

I consider the movement in parenting from what is now called “free-range parenting” (just parenting in the ‘60s and ‘70s when I was growing up) to “helicopter parenting” to “lawnmower” parenting. In the latter styles of parenting, were see challenges—and, hence, growth opportunities—removed for the sake of a “successful” outcome. This, however, is not success. Equal opportunity is giving everyone a mower and the ability to manage obstacles in their way.

In education, I hear more talk about graduation rates than I hear about competencies. Transcripts record letters received from a variety of classes, not what was learned. I know of no situations in education where every student does not have the opportunity to earn an “A” in a class (except maybe a few schools like Evergreen University where there are no grades—and I believe they have even changed that policy) or “pass” in a pass/fail situation. Some classes may be harder than others and some students may have greater difficulty with certain classes, but all have the same “opportunity”. Equal outcome assigns everyone the same grade.

I care less about grades in my classes than I care about learning. So, I expect students to attend class, take notes, and study. I expect my students to struggle—as it that which we struggle the most to understand that we learn the best. I benefit my students very little if I teach at them and award them all A’s without testing what they know—more importantly identifying what they don’t know. A student who gets a “C” on an exam may actually learn more than the student who gets an “A”.

We are still nowhere near where we must be in this country—and globally—in providing equal opportunity. We are getting better, however. The answer is not in removing the rewards of success—for in doing so, ultimately, removes the desire to achieve (and you end up with an East German car). The answer is in allowing open access to life’s challenges and to the tools necessary to succeed. Access to an education isn’t a free path to a degree. Access to an education is opening the doors and allowing all who desire an education (beyond a diploma) the opportunity to learn.

Opportunity has strings attached. It requires effort.

It is true that opportunity results in diverse outcomes. Some see far greater success than others. Equal opportunity merely guarantees that everyone has access to success. It is their option to pursue or not pursue. Equal outcome has but one result. That result might be called “average”, “mediocre”, “common”, “ordinary”, etc. These are not terms associated with growth or success.

When we deny opportunity to all, we stifle growth and renounce true success. We are left with ordinary. Equal opportunity is not equal outcome and it is not opportunity for some. We must choose the path we want to take and live with the outcome.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”–J. W. Goethe

The greatest gift we can give another is the capacity to be better. Have high expectations for the lives we touch. What I enjoy most as an educator is expecting students to succeed and seeing them do so.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!