Month: June 2019

There is a saying in the sport of wrestling that “there are no losers, only winners and learners”. This does not mean that wrestling is an “everyone gets a trophy” sport. (Wrestling is perhaps the only sport with “blood time”.) It is a sport where there is far more failure (i.e., learning than success). There is value in failure.

We seem to be fast becoming a society that is bent on denying young people the opportunity to fail. We don’t keep score in certain youth sports (which is certainly fine in the early developmental years). We have succumbed to the practice of passing kids through the educational system despite not having developed the necessary skills and content knowledge (presumably, the habits that correspond to learning and employability will someday magically appear). Personally, I am quite bothered by this.

Failure is important for one’s personal growth and development. Maybe my understanding of emotional and educational development are clouded by my emphasis on physiology, but the brain is physiology and the emotional well-being would seem to be only as fragile as we allow it to be. I view life from a “well-centered fitness” perspective—the principle of progressive overload apply to one’s Spiritual, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social development, as well as Physical development. There is no growth without failure.

In life, failure teaches us that there are consequences to our actions. Denying one the opportunity to fail suggest that there are no consequence. As my son has learned as he transitions from eighth-grade to high school: “Why put in the effort when the reward is the same whether you do your best work or your worst?”

We recently celebrated the 75^th anniversary of D-Day. I can’t help but wonder if the Allied Forces could have pulled off the same mission with the youth of today. We certainly have a military with the same grit and determination, but the numbers are not near what was necessary to storm the beaches of Normandy. Could we possible find the necessary numbers a population of young who have rarely experienced failure—especially from among those who have been parented by lawnmower parents and who run to “safe spaces” at the slightest offense? (I am not putting down our young people, by the way. I put the blame wholly on the parents, educators, and society who have robbed these young people of their resilience. I take my own responsibility.)

I believe it is time to take a step back and examine the effect we are having on our young people and society by removing the obstacles to “success”. I believe should personally lean into challenged that reveal our own weaknesses so that we might be strengthened. Today’s “best” is only our current “best”—and it is only “best” if we push ourselves to the limits of our capabilities. I remind myself to “be your best today; be better tomorrow” because I know there is always space to grow and to improve myself (a lot of space). If I don’t fail, I don’t see how I can improve.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Economize in other things if you must, wear threadbare clothes if necessary, but never cheat your body or brain by the quality and quantity of your food. Poor, cheap food which produces low vitality and inferior brain force is the worst kind of economy.”
–Orison Swett Marden

It is easy to believe that one does not have the resources to eat healthy. Fast food is cheap, and convenience store food is, well, convenient, but it is usually far from healthy. I have been there before, and wise shopping can buy healthy food on even a most meager budget. You won’t be eating filet, and meals may be a bit bland, but you can eat well.

A few years ago, some colleagues¹ surveyed students and learned that a large percentage (59% of a survey of 354 students—a rather small sample, but the study identified that there is indeed a potential problem on college campuses, as there is in pockets of society) of these students were living with “food insecurities” (defined “as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways”). Now, of course, college is often a time of Ramen noodles and poor eating habits for a number of different reasons, and many students are struggling financially to get an education, but it is possible for many students to improve their food security with better budgeting and planning. It is also possible with better community—i.e., shared meal planning and prep (although anyone who has had college roommates knows what a challenge this can be.

Whatever our financial circumstances, we can probably treat or body and brain to better quality and quantity of food. It is perhaps easier in a family than as a single person living alone, but it is possible. The first step is to realize that fast, cheap food is not a good route to take. Planning, however, will save money and improve one’s health.

The obvious first step is to buy in bulk. Go in with neighbors and friends, if you can. Begin with health staples (e.g., whole grain rice). Buy nutrient dense vegetables and proteins. I grew quite fond of carrots when I has on my tightest food budget. Buy fresh, if possible, but frozen can be cheaper and nearly as nutritious with a longer shelf-life. There are a growing number of groups that are providing “ugly produce” at a more affordable cost.

Protein can be expensive, but some cuts and meats are  much less expensive than others. Eggs are cheap, relative to the quality of protein/amino acids. Supplement protein. Whey protein is actually cheap, if you shop for the best buys and realize that the whey generally always comes from the same sources. Companies tweak their “proprietary blends” and some may indeed demand a high price-point, but the differences are often too small to warrant the great difference in price. Buy for price (and look at cost per serving) and taste, and don’t fall for marketing hype. I have a favorite brand that is about $0.04 per gram of protein. Chicken breast at $3.49 per pound ($0.76 per 3.5 ounce serving—31 grams of protein), however, much cheaper (at less than $0.025 per gram of protein). A dozen eggs at $1.99 a dozen costs approximately $0.03 per gram of protein. A four-ounce filet mignon has about 30 grams of protein. At $20 per pound, costs roughly $0.17 per gram of protein. So, clearly there are budget-friendly options for healthy protein. So, choose wisely.

I can go on. The point to be made is you have choices. Take time shopping. Compare prices. Use coupons. As they say, “time is money”.

Good food is not cheap, but it need not be expensive. If the budget is tight, there is an opportunity to prioritize. Spend less on the things we don’t need or need but can be more practical in our purchasing (e.g., clothes). When buying food buy first that you need for good health—skip the dessert, pop/soda, and alcohol unless you can really afford it (and still limit these). Eat less—it is better for longevity. Above all, don’t neglect what your body needs for both health and performance.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹ Patton-López, M. M., López-Cevallos, D. F., Cancel-Tirado, D. I., & Vazquez, L. (2014). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among students attending a midsize rural university in Oregon. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 46(3), 209-214. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.007

Training is the stimulus for physical adaptation, but the body needs recovery and nutrition to recover. Terms like “maximal recoverable volume”, “minimum effective volume”, “maintenance volume”, “overload”, “progression”, etc. are important (see How Much Should I Train?¹), but so is the concept of deloading—in some training, this might be called “tapering”.

Deloading is quite common in weightlifting and powerlifting. I only recently (i.e., the last couple years) started working deloads into my training cycles. It took some adjusting, but it has proved to be quite beneficial. I now appreciate the benefits that it can have for the aging non-athlete, as well as the high-performing athlete.

A deload is a purposeful reduction in the volume and intensity of training to facilitate recovery and improve training performance. Typically, deloads last about a week and should be scheduled even when one does not feel it necessary. In other words, don’t wait until you are overtrained or injured. Many programs factor in a deload every 4-6 weeks. The volume and/or intensity of exercise is ramped up for 3-5 weeks to a point of “over-reaching” (challenging the system’s ability to fully recover), and the training stimulus is significantly reduced (often by 50% or so) to allow for what is referred to as “supercompensation” or “hyperadaptation”.

Planning deloads around vacation and travel may help make the time away from exercise guilt-free. Ramp up training to a level at or exceeding the maximal recoverable volume for the week before vacation and go enjoy a week of active fun.

Deloads also help one look forward to intense exercise. There is nothing like the feeling of seeing progress, feeling how ridiculously easy a deload sessions is, and actually looking forward to getting back to the heavy lifting.

Deloads also benefit in helping one “remember” what is good form. It is easy to keep adding weight to the squat, for example, and progressively lose range of motion and form. Without a mental reset, progress will undoubtedly be slowed and injury will occur.

Deloads (other than for infrequent vacation pauses) are not weeks of little to no training stimulus. Instead, they are opportunities to fill in gaps in one’s training. If the weight lifting is significantly cut, it could be a good week for some extra cardio. It is also a good time for other general physical preparedness—e.g., extra time spent in “prehabilitation” exercise, core training, and neuromotor work (e.g., agility, balance, coordination, etc.). It is also a good time to work on mobility and flexibility.

Don’t be forced into a deload. Try planning some cycling (periodization) into your training to maximize performance and adaptation. Give yourself necessary planned breaks, and allow yourself guilt-free active vacations.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹ Israetel, M & Hoffman, J. (n.d) How Much Should I Train?–An Introduction to Training Volume Landmarks. Renaissance Periodization. https://renaissanceperiodization.com

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
–Samuel Beckett

I think the quote speaks for itself. Sometimes, I just need reminding.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Everyone has the ability to increase resilience to stress. It requires hard work and dedication, but over time, you can equip yourself to handle whatever life throws your way without adverse effects to your health. Training your brain to manage stress won’t just affect the quality of your life, but perhaps even the length of it.”
–Amy Morin

Let’s face it, adversity is hard. (Of course, I am being a bit tongue-in-cheek, here. By definition, adversity is hard.) It is difficult, so we avoid it—sadly.

I am not saying we should run into the crucible, but we should welcome that which make us stronger and more resilient. Unfortunately, our society is growing increasingly fragile. We are developing the emotional equivalent of “brittle bone disease” (aka: osteogenesis imperfecta). We crumble at the slightest insult or test. Instead, we should be growing stronger in response to life’s challenges. (In physiology, bone follows Wolff’s Law: bone remodels and grows stronger in response to the forces placed on it.) Friedrich Nietzsche would remind us that which does not kill us makes us stronger. Instead, we have “lawnmower parents”, “safe spaces”, etc. We find the response, “Get over it”, unsympathetic.

There is a fine line between sympathy and enabling. We must understand the reality of one’s pain. We should offer comfort and aid to one who is suffering, but we should never deny them the opportunity to grow in response to hardship.

In the physical realm, the stressor (the overload) is the stimulus to the adaptation. Growth occurs in the response. Thus, the recovery plan is essential. Emotionally, we grow in response to the stressor and may need support in the recovery. Like nutrition, rest, and recovery modalities aid in the recovery from physical stress, so to do relationships, rest, and coping mechanisms air in the recovery from emotional stress. It is likewise important to note that the emotions may be overwhelmed like the physical responses. Post-traumatic stress is as real as over-training. There is no denying that we can be emotionally damaged. The answer, however, is not avoidance. The answer is learning to cope effectively with what we can handle so that we can be better prepared to deal with that which pushes the limits of our adaptability. Some call it “grit”. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt:

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’”

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

There are a variety of reasons to exercise, and goals are individual—they should be! So, finding our “why” is important. As we age, there is an increasing emphasis on the “health benefits” of exercise—as if these are of less important at younger ages. “Fitness”—more specifically, “performance”—is left, it would appear, for the young. Personally, other than for sports performance, I don’t believe there needs to be much distinction across the lifespan. We should want to be healthy and “functional” for as long as possible.

I discussed recently my take on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Guidelines for Physical Activity and Exercise. I mentioned an appreciation for the evolution of the guidelines to include resistance training and neuromotor training, as well, as cardiorespiratory training and flexibility training. This includes the breadth of what we consider health-related physical fitness (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, and body composition) and motor skill-related  fitness (speed, power, agility, balance, coordination, and reaction time). None of these should be neglected at any age. Motor skill-related fitness—what ACSM labels as “neuromotor” or “functional” training (I will continue to argue that all exercise is “functional”)—is not just for athletic development. It is essential for preventing falls, delaying the onset of certain age-associated neuromotor impairments, and maintaining physical capacity as one ages. Cardiorespiratory health should not have priority over muscular and skeletal health. Indeed, these are all interdependent—e.g., cardiorespiratory performance (measured as one’s maximal oxygen consumption, VO₂max) is limited by poor musculoskeletal performance. Weak muscles limit physical activity which aids the “age-related” decline in cardiorespiratory performance and neuromotor performance. Hence, a greater priority needs to be placed on prevention sarcopenia (muscle wasting) and osteopenia (bone loss) as one ages.

The changes we see in the aging population may well be more of matter of inactivity than the passing of time (i.e., “use it or lose it”). We often say “(s)he looks great for his/her age”. Although by no means appropriate, it might be more accurate to say “(s)he looks awful for his/her age”. In other words, maybe we are not aging as well as we think we are. Maybe the norm should be a much slower rate of physical decline?

I teach that there is a 10% loss in muscle mass from 25 to 50 years and an additional 40% decline from 50 to 80 years. This should be considered normal? I should hope not. Likewise, there should not be a corresponding increase in body fat. Of course, there will inevitably be some shift in body composition. It should, however, not be excessive. There should not be much movement out of the range of “healthy” body fat.

I prescribe a balance between strength training (not merely “resistance training”), neuromotor training (I prefer high-intensity interval resistance training or HIIRT that is intended to develop motor skill-related physical fitness, as well as target body composition), and cardiorespiratory exercise. I put a greater emphasis on strength training because, without muscle strength, physical activity is significantly limited thus negatively affecting cardiorespiratory fitness and neuromotor performance—i.e., “functional fitness”.

In my professional and personal opinion, sarcopenia is a significant health issue that warrants greater concern. It is never too late to start resistance training. Moreover, one is never too old to start strength training. I would not limit aging adults to “light” weights and machines for high repetitions, e.g., 8-20 repetitions. I’d prefer to see more moderate-to-high intensity (>65% maximum) in the range of 3-10 repetitions (5 rep being most optimal for general strength).

Few of us will pursue bodybuilding or power-/weightlifting as “aging” adults. We are not likely to be training for athletic performance, either. So, simplicity is warranted. We don’t have to make exercise complicated or time consuming. We just have to expend the right amount of effort in the right areas.

For those who have built a considerable level of performance (e.g., athletes), it may not be sensible—or wise—to try and maintain peak performance beyond retirement from the sport. In this case, a reasonable maintenance level of performance may be sought. As well, it might be pertinent to improve the focus on areas that were regarded less during the competitive years—e.g., a runner might increase the emphasis on weight training and maintain a level of cardiorespiratory fitness, and a weightlifter might increase the emphasis on cardiorespiratory fitness and maintain a lower, yet reasonable, level of strength. I often look at the likes of Jack LaLanne when I think of fitness and aging.

Don’t limit yourself because you are getting older. Don’t think that exercise has to become easier because you are “old”. “Hard” and “easy” are based on that which you are capable of doing—not someone else’s maximum. If standing from a sitting position is difficult, start by standing from a sitting position. (This is a “squat”.) As that gets easier, make it more challenging–add weight (progress).

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.”
–Roberto Clemente

We are not (extra)ordinary for what we do. Rather, we are (extra)ordinary for what we do for others. It is less a matter of “if” we have as chance and more a matter of “when”.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

We are dealing with an eighth grader who is transitioning to high school. He is an extremely bright kid (he always does well on the state-mandated tests) who under-performs in the classroom. We are dealing with getting all his work turned in before the end of the term so he will get passing grades—Yes, students today can turn work in late or repeat exams or assignments and still get passing grades! To us, as parents—as citizens—this is not acceptable.

Our son knows that he only has to do the minimum to get by. He has little concern about his current (lack of) performance because it “doesn’t matter”. He is convinced that high school will “be different”. Personally, I am not convinced.

It is not just my son. We hear it from other parents. It appears systemic. I see it in my college students. It is concerning.

I feel at times like I am overly hard on my kids, but I quickly get over it. I have had conversations with my son about it. It has told me that he understands “there is a difference between a hard parent and a bad parent”. He tests the bounds at home, like any teenager, and accepts the consequences. At home, there are strict boundaries and consequences. He doesn’t always like it, but he accepts it.

At school, the boundaries are far less strict. I suspect this is, in a large part, due to parents, but I know it is also an emerging practice among teachers who are being taught that self-esteem is fragile. (I was practically scolded in a workshop in my early years of teaching for using a red pen to grade and for writing tests that were intended to identify what the students didn’t know as opposed to what they did know. These were college of education faculty, so it was clear that this was what was being taught to future educators.) My perception of reality, however, is that self-esteem is not so fragile and that young people grow by being challenged—appropriately challenged.

When did this shift happen? How do we claim it back? We go to the conferences, and the teachers tell us what a wonderful kid we have. When I bring up my perspective on his performance and my expectations, I am looked at like I am some kind of three-headed alien. Is it so uncommon for a parent to expect consequences for their child.

We are fortunate to have a great school counselor who is willing to have the hard discussions with our son. She is working hard to fix what she can before he in passed on (passing or failing) to high school. It should not be on her to be doing this. All along, there needs to be consequences—at school, as well as at home.

As parents, we should not be giving our children a false sense of success. We should, instead, be developing perseverance and resilience—grit—and a sense of real accomplishment. We can be compassionate parents and educators without being helicopters and lawnmowers. We need to be more like coaches—and, sometimes, drill instructors. We need to expect educators to educate our children and not merely pass them through the system. Moreover, we need to support them in their efforts to do so. Otherwise, we fail our young people and society as a whole. (At least that is my opinion.)

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I attended the annual conference for the American College of Sports Medicine and was interested to listen to a lecture on the “Guidelines for Physical Activity and Health: Evolution Over 50 Years”. I enjoyed the presentation, but I was left with the same thing that has troubled me for years and has grown more frustrating as I realize that I am getting older. The guidelines focus on cardiorespiratory health and weight loss with only recent—and minimal guidance for muscle strength. I realize that the emphasis is on health and that the guidelines are driven by the literature, but there is increasing evidence that strength training has tremendous health benefit.

I often quote the renowned physiologist, Per Olof Åstrand (“If you want to be an elite athlete, choose your parents wisely.”). I appreciated when the presenter quoted his reference to the committee who creates the guideline (often a small group of many of the same people over the years) as the “Exercise Mafia”. No disrespect to the committees who have serve well over the decades, but it is my personal impression that the personal interests and biases of the committees have limited the guidelines—and exercise physiology–over the years. This is not the fault of those who have created the guidelines, per se. There have been challenges because of government bureaucracy, and misinterpretation of the intent of the guidelines by the profession. These are guidelines, after all—and minimal guidelines. As well, they are physical activity guidelines for the purpose of improving health—particularly, cardiorespiratory health. They are not performance guidelines.

I found the lack of emphasis on resistance training to be apparent as I looked around at many of the very senior members of the American College of Sports Medicine. Many would not have stood out from the general senior population—i.e., they were rather slow moving and frail-looking. Many had kyphotic postures associated with osteopenia/osteoporosis and weak musculature that are common among the elderly. I couldn’t help but think: “What if they had focused just a bit more on resistance exercise?”

The guidelines (now) suggest at least two days of resistance exercise—with an emphasis on what is really only moderate intensity and does not suggest heavy (remember, “heavy” is relative) lifting. It is heavy lifting that will protect the bone density and maintain the muscle mass that allow one to continue being active in their senior years.

One-hundred and fifty minutes of moderate-to-vigorous cardiorespiratory exercise a week is less than 30 minutes a day. This can be performed in as little as 10-minute bouts. Ideally, one is moving more and accumulating this activity without having to do it all at the gym.

The most recent guidelines do include better recommendations on resistance exercise, flexibility, and even neuromotor exercise (referring to this as “functional fitness training”—e.g., balance, coordination, etc.). The resistance exercise guidelines are that “adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment. Very light or light intensity is best for older individuals or previously sedentary adults just starting to exercise. Two to four sets of each exercise, with anywhere between eight and 20 repetitions, will help adults improve strength and power”¹. I don’t, personally, agree with the “very light or light intensity” for older adults or the 8-20 repetitions. First, strength and power are related to intensity and speed. Eight to 20 repetitions is in the realm of muscle endurance—leaning toward merely endurance. I would agree that the initial intensities should to rather light to learn the appropriate technique, but it is important to progress the musculoskeletal system. I have begun to fight my academic training and shift toward a higher intensity recommendation. Again, intensity is relative to maximum (i.e., the one-repetition maximum; 1-RM). This is not going to be a big weight for the untrained. Beginning with somewhat less than the heaviest weight the individual can lift with proper technique and range of motion and adding a little more each workout will build strength. Keep the repetitions between 5 and 8 to build muscle strength. This is doable for even the oldest and most novice exerciser.

I appreciate the role of the ACSM guidelines, but I think we need to move beyond the health emphasis and recognize the role of performance in healthy living—what I would call “functional fitness”. I prefer a guideline of 2-3 sessions for strength, 2-3 sessions for neuromotor and body composition (e.g., HIIRT), 2-3 sessions for cardiorespiratory fitness, and as much daily physical activity as possible per week. With minimal session durations of 30 minutes (which is quite doable) this is only 180-270 minutes per week. The de-emphasis on cardiorespiratory goes somewhat counter to the guideline recommendations, but my emphasis has shifted to more physical activity which is not scheduled exercise and still benefits cardiorespiratory health. The greater emphasis on strength training is intended to maintain muscle mass and strength and, thereby, function as one ages. The goal should be overload and progression as one is able.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹https://www.athleticbusiness.com/health-fitness/acsm-issues-new-guidelines-on-exercise-quality-quantity.html

 

I met up with my friend, Dave, when I was in Florida for a conference. It had been 37 years, though it didn’t feel that way. We caught up quickly.

I’ll leave the whole story to the book I expect him to write, but he shared why he is not a lawyer, like he had planned our freshman year–a chicken sandwich. His life veered off in another direction all because he choked–and nearly died–on a fast food chicken sandwich and studying for his torte exam and went to class the next day. (He was certain that, had he not gone to class that day, he would be a lawyer today.) His life took a fascinating path to where he is today.

Purpose. I believe in it. I don’t believe our lives are a collection of random, unrelated events. Some, perhaps, are avoidable, but, in the end, they serve to get I where we are today. With all the baggage, personal losses/gains, and even choked on fast food, we have a choice in how use our past. We can dwell on the negativity or we can take it forward and make something of it.

My title is a bit tongue-in-cheek. My 11-year-old daughter wants to be a lawyer. She has it all planned out: WVU for undergrad and Michigan Law School. Dave’s advice: “Don’t eat a chicken sandwich.” Of course, we know that she will fulfill whatever purpose to which she will be called. If she is to be a lawyer, she will be a lawyer. If there is a different Purpose intended for her, it will be revealed in due time.

Life is unexpected and sometimes (often) disappointing. People move in an out of our lives in ways that only make sense when they make sense–and they will eventually make sense, if we are willing to let them. 

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!