Month: September 2020

There is a difference between an obstacle and an excuse. The difference lies in one’s attitude (or, as I prefer, grattitude). There will always be obstacles—or challenges—to our success which can either defeat us or motivate us. They can cause us to get creative or quit. Excuses allow us only one option—to give up.

Healthy living is full of obstacles and would-be excuses. Time. Money (or lack thereof). Safety. Environment. Kids. Physical limitation. Genetics…. (I can go on.) For some, these are more real than for others. They can, however, be overcome with a little bit of creativity.

See obstacles as opportunities. Stop making excuses.

Knowing that challenges exist. We, as good neighbors, need to be supportive and helpful. As communities, we must unite to create healthier communities. We must work to bring healthy foods into “food deserts”. We must support and promote healthy restaurants. We must be vocal when it comes to urban planning and pressure leaders to create communities that foster rather than inhibit outdoor activities—e.g., safe parks and walking/running paths. We should support physical education (that is, physical education that improves the health and welfare of our young) and healthy lunches in our schools. When we support local food pantries, consider what we donate and respect the health and needs of the persons on the receiving end. Encourage others through their challenges. Don’t body shame anyone, however, don’t be an enable—be an abler.

We are a bit slow in acknowledging it, but we COVID-19 is revealing that we are in a crisis when it comes to individual and community health. It is imperative that we work in community to make physical activity, exercise, and healthy diet accessible and appealing to all. There are obstacles, but they can be overcome—and the reward and satisfaction will be great. Or, of course, we can fall back on our age-old excuses and continue to see declining health.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I was saddened to see the news that Gale Sayers had passed away. Brian’s Song (the original; the remake was horrible) is one of my favorite movies, and I have an autographed copy of I am Third which is worn from reading. One of my daily mantras is “I am third”. It comes from a quote that Gale Sayers first saw on the desk of his track coach at the University of Kansas. I have paraphrased it as “My God is first, my family and friends are second, and I am third.”

‘I am third’ is other-centeredness. It is the concept that “God is love”. It is the definition of Spiritual wellness. It is a philosophy for living. It “servant leadership”.

‘I am third’ is not easy. Self is always trying to secure dominance. It take humility and a sense that Self is not the center of the Universe.

I try to watch Brian’s Song often. I cry every time. Personally, I have little regard for anyone who can watch that movie without crying. “I love Brian Piccolo, and I’d like all of you to love him, too.” I think these words speak to us among the current tensions in the United States—and the world. It behooves us to take these words to heart—to consider them as “I love my neighbor, and I’d like all of you to love him, too.”

‘I am third’ elevates self from a point of focus to a point of action—of Purpose. I am reminded, today, to try a little harder.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Well, yes and mostly no. First, one has to define what is “the gym”. If we are talking commercial fitness center, of course, yes. If we are talking resistance exercise with little or no equipment (e.g., at home), then mostly yes. If we are suggesting that one can gain muscle mass without resistance exercise, then it is a definitive no.

“Greater muscle mass” infers muscle hypertrophy. (Myofibrillar v. sarcoplasmic is a more refined discussion for another time.) The only way to induce muscle hypertrophy is to stimulate the muscle via systematic progressive overload—i.e. resistance training. Now, theoretically, the amount of muscle hypertrophy might be manipulated by gene therapy to alter the effects of myostatin, but the need for a stimulus is still present.

If by “greater muscle mass” we are implying the maintenance of muscle mass as one ages—i.e., avoiding age-related sarcopenia, then, to a small degree, some form of hormonal or drug treatment may have some benefit. Certainly, protein intake plays a role. There remains, however, the principle of reversibility—i.e., “use it or lose it”. We maintain muscle mass by remaining physically active—at a level that requires the amount of muscle mass to be maintained. In other words, no amount of supplementation, hormonal therapy, or miracle treatments is going to grow muscle without overload.

As we age, we do lose some muscle mass as part of the aging process. The degree to which this is certain to occur is debatable. It is likely to be much less than we have convinced ourselves is the case. It is true that growing muscle is more challenging as we age—but, it is not impossible. Do we need a gym? No. We do, however, need a means of progressively overloading the muscles. As such, body weight exercise will only grow muscle to a point (because our body weight should not be increasing at a rate necessary to keep up with the necessary overload). We can make bodyweight exercises more challenging, though merely increasing repetitions and sets will only benefit to a point. Resistance will have to be added at some point. This can be done by managing lever mechanics (Force = Resistance x Lever Arm) or adding external resistance (partner assisted, bands, weighted vests, etc.). Or one can progress to using barbells and/or dumbbells. Ultimately, the best approach to growing muscle is going to be some “gym” equipment. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t even have to be conventional barbells or machines. Greater muscle mass, however, will require some system for progressively overloading the muscle.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Loving confrontation can free both the oppressed from docility and the oppressor from sin.”—Walter Wink

A friend recently shared an interview with Shirley Chisolm in which she talked about how she was treated as the first black congresswoman. I was inspired by her strength and wit. Her stories reminded me of what I have heard as the “third way”. This is a deeper understanding and application of what Christ taught when he instructed his followers to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:38-42).

We often see two options when confronted with conflict: fight or capitulate. The “third way” suggests that one “find a creative alternative”¹. I better appreciate the admonishing to “go the second mile” (or as we often say “go the extra mile”). For some, this might simply imply do more than what you are asked—a reasonable recommendation. In the context of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, it implies a sense of passive resistance with a twist of humiliation of the oppressor. At the time of Jesus, a Roman soldier could compel a subject of the Empire to carry his pack for one mile. Any more was an infraction of military code. To carry the pack the second mile was to neither resist or succumb in weakness. Instead the subject was taking an upper hand—a position of power. This is neither a position of piousness nor is it vindictive. Instead, it is one of disarming the oppressor.

Shirley Chisholm tells a story of mistakenly sitting at the table of the Georgia delegation during a lunch break in her early years as a Congresswoman. When approached by the delegation she could have fervently resisted or she could have sheepishly moved to another table. Instead, she invited the Georgia Congressman to sit at a neighboring table that was empty. She suggested that if anyone bothers him that he was to tell them to “see Shirley Chisholm”. She thought would embarrass him but it didn’t. He went and sat at the table. Congresswoman Chisholm, of course, tells the story better herself.² It was a “third way” approach.

Walter Wink provided the following as examples of Jesus’ third way:

“seize the moral initiative; find a creative alternative to violence; assert your own humanity and dignity as a person; meet force with ridicule or humor; break the cycle of humiliation; refuse to submit or to accept the inferior position; expose the injustice of the system; take control of the power dynamic; shame the oppressor into repentance; stand your ground; make the Powers make decisions for which they are not prepared; recognize your own power; be willing to suffer rather than retaliate; force the oppressor to see you in a new light; deprive the oppressor of a situation where a show of force is effective; be willing to undergo the penalty of breaking unjust laws; die to fear of the old order and its rules.”¹

How much of this are we seeing in our society, today?

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

¹The Powers that Be: Theology for a New Millenium, Walter Wink, 1998.

²https://www.facebook.com/annointedhands1981/videos/1172479413130536

I tell my students that “opportunity costs”. We all have the same 24-hour day. Anything we do takes away from something else. When it comes to exercise, we want to direct all of our activities toward the accomplishing of our goals. For example, someone trying to lose body fat cannot exercise well, count calories and macros, and still succeed, if he or she is going to snack and go off-diet frequently.

When we have fitness goals everything we do either contributes or takes away from the stimulus and/or recovery. Thus, we want to be efficient and effective in stimulating an adaptation, and we want to effectively recover (adapt) between stimulating events. Managing the balance between stimulus and recovery is the greatest challenge to a successful exercise program. Few, however, are able to manage this well.

Non-specific physical activities (NSPAs) are any activities above and beyond resting that do not contribute specifical to an individual’s specific performance goals. We really can’t get past having some NSPAs because we have lives outside of our performance goals. (Even a powerlifter has to move some outside of the gym—and actually should.) NSPAs, thus, can facilitate recover or interfere with recovery….Opportunity costs.

First, let me stress that most of us—aging exercisers—are probably not training enough. In other words, it is not like that we are not “overtraining”. Personally, I prefer a more high-frequency approach to exercise (I like to recommend 3-6 weight training sessions, 2-3 cardio session, and 2-3 HIIT/HIIRT sessions per week, i.e., 9-12 exercise sessions per week) which splits the training volume in to smaller chunks to optimize the stimulus-to-recovery ratio. For this to be effective, though, sessions cannot impede upon subsequent sessions. You can’t run daily or do bike intervals and recover for or from intensive weight training for legs. That is, you can’t lift hard for muscle gains and do intensive cardio to lose body fat. There has to be a balance.

Account for NSPA in your training plan and use it to your benefit rather than detriment. If you are trying to cut body fat—walk more. Low-intensity steady-state (LISS) activities can burn calories, albeit at a much lower rate, without impeding upon muscle recovery. In fact, it may even facilitate recovery by increasing circulation to the muscles without depleting stored muscle glycogen. Walking is a great LISS activity that can be performed with great frequency—so, walk as much as possible. A long easy ride on the stationary bike (e.g., while binge-watching your show on Netflix) is another beneficial NSPA.

Other NSPAs that impose greater demands on the muscles (e.g., hiking or heavy physical labor) must be factored into the training. Maximal recoverable volume will be reduced by more strenuous NSPAs. Again, the key is to maximize the training stimulus and optimize recovery. Adjust the training stimulus accordingly and keep a sharp focus on recovery—diet and sleep. Cut the non-essential NSPAs—e.g., exercises that look “cool” but really don’t directly stimulate muscle growth and hypertrophy. These are often the “functional” exercises that are intended to be corrective or prehabilitative, but have made their way into the daily routines of healthy as NSPAs at a great cost to opportunity. Save these for deload weeks, if you really want to do them.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson.”—Orison Swett Marden

It has taken me awhile in life to get to this point, but I wholeheartedly believe that every experience—every mistake and every stroke of good fortune—and every relationship—good or bad–has been to bring me to this very point in life. Everything exist with a particular Purpose. It may not be my “peculiar lesson”, but it is for someone(s). The lesson is there—if we are willing to look and to listen. Realize how each life shapes others.

Many choose to see the worst in 2020. It is better, however, that we look to the future that the events of this year can bring. Welcome the opportunity with grattitude.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“The one that works the hardest comes out on top.”—Debbie Meyer

I saw this quote this morning, and if gave me pause. Of course, I don’t know the full context of the quote, but it strikes me as misleading. It is a motivating statement, as it is intended, but it is likely to leave most of us disillusioned. I am all for hard work, but I don’t want anyone to believe that hard work is going to guarantee success. The one who works the hardest doesn’t always come out on top.

There is always only one #1—one winner, one champion, one “best”. There is never any shame in being #2 (or #3, etc.). What is most important is the effort and the personal success and progress.

The hardest working don’t always come out on top. It is also worth noting that the person on top is not always the hardest working. Some come by success by chance, by privilege, or by cheating. Some work as hard but are just naturally better than the hardest worker. Some are limited by genetics, environment, injuries, opportunity, etc. They may give everything that have, and it may not be “good enough” (to come out on top). There is no shame to be had in not winning. The question we have to ask ourselves at the end of the day is: “Did I do my best?”

Life isn’t about being “on top”. Life is about giving all that we have been given.

Statistically, we are rarely ever going to be at the “top”. Nevertheless, we can strive to do that things we pursue with all our heart (Ecclesiastes 9:10) and top today, tomorrow.

We must also be prudent in what we sacrifice to be “on top”. He who has “worked the hardest” has had to forego something to put his energies into being the best. Opportunity costs. What are we willing to sacrifice? Family? Career? Health? When we are working hard at one thing, our effort and attention is taken from everything else.

Pursue what is most important and give your best effort.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

The fitness industry has been failing to make a dent in the crisis of obesity. We can point fingers at the food industry, but we haven’t been motivating enough, and, frankly, we have been prescribing the wrong exercise.

When I first (officially) studied exercise physiology—completing my M.S. degree in 1986—we were taught the high-carbohydrate diets and aerobic exercise were the way to health and longevity. In the process, I think we have seen an increase in skinny fat people with inflammation issues. Not that aerobic exercise is bad—it is important. Rather, we promoted more long-slow distance (low-intensity steady-state, LISS) cardiorespiratory and, at best, moderate resistance training. With a lack of intensive muscle use, the carbohydrates we were eating had little place to go, since the muscle glycogen is not significantly depleted at such low intensities. So, we converted the excess glucose to fat to be stored for the next workout. (I was measured at 5% body fat in my Master’s program, but never had appreciable abdominal muscle—no six-pack.) Those who were heart conscious bought into the “low-fat” marketing and continued to gain weight (and to lose muscle mass).

There seems to be a change in the tide (albeit, perhaps, to the opposite extreme—e.g., “keto”). We are recognizing that a high-carbohydrate diet—particularly a diet in highly processed carbohydrates and sugars—contributes to inflammation (and, subsequently, vascular disease) and obesity (i.e., insulin resistance). There seems to be a much greater focus on eating few carbs (and healthier carbs) and more healthy fats. Moreover, there is a shift in the nature of exercise (give some credit here to programs like CrossFit, Orange Theory, and the like). People are finally being taught to lift weights and do more interval training (e.g., high-intensity interval training, HIIT). I am having to use air-quotes more as I speak of “keto” or “Tabata” (because what people is told is a ketogenic diet or Tabata exercise—i.e., the IE1 protocol—is not), but that is okay. A move toward this is a good move for combating obesity, insulin resistance, and the hypokinetic diseases that follow.

Last year, I wrote about my epiphany at the American College of Sports Medicine when I noticed how frail the senior members appeared. It occurred to me that these were the academics who push the physical activity and dietary guidelines on us so many decades ago. It was not how I envision myself in another 20-30 years. I felt reassured that I was on the right path—the path leading away from the old exercise prescriptions toward more aggressive resistance training, HIIT, and a more nuanced approach to macro balance.

Many, still, think the first steps in losing weight are walking steps. These are also the same who will likely cycle up and down in weight—gradually losing muscle mass and gaining fat mass (perhaps all the while staying relatively close to their “goal weight”). Unfortunately, the first lifestyle changes need to be dietary, and exercise needs to emphasis muscle mass. The first steps are always “baby steps” (i.e., small, lasting changes), but they aren’t necessarily steps recorded using activity monitors.

Diet should be relatively simple for the vast majority of us. It really only gets complicated if one is a physique athlete or an athlete needing to fuel performance. For most, simply reducing our average daily caloric intake will be sufficient to lose weight. On top of this, monitoring macro (protein, fat, and carbohydrate) balance will be enough to refine the effectiveness of the diet in improving body composition. Simply: estimate the daily caloric needs (tweaking regularly to assure that one is on track with the weight loss goal), determine the number of daily meals, and distribute the macros fairly well-balanced across the meals (this can be more nuanced with nutrient timing, but, for most, timing will be less important—though, one might determine to have one larger meal during the day). Macros can be determined rather simply by setting protein goals at 1 g per pound of body weight (generally, lean body weight, if known); carbs according to activity level (e.g., 0.5 g, 1.0 g, 1.5 g, and 2.0 g per pound of body weight for non-exercising day, light exercise days, moderate exercise days, and heavy exercise days, respectively); and fat (healthy fats) can fill the remaining calories. With regards to exercise intensity, I think most of us are going to fall into the light category—so, don’t over estimate. It is better to err the carbohydrates on the low side as one is trying to lose body fat. The body will be getting some carbs from the fat that is being burned (via gluconeogenesis). High carbs are only necessary for lean individuals who are trying to gain muscle mass and/or are training intensely.

Start lifting weights. It doesn’t have to be anything to complicated or too aggressive, but a minimal goal should be to maintain muscle mass (if not increase muscle mass) as we age. Resistance training benefits insulin sensitivity. Muscle consumes energy. A more muscled body is less likely to be a fat body.

Ignore the scale (for the most part). Don’t think of losing weight as much as losing fat. BMI (body mass index) is another concept we have erroneously pushed on people. While, possibly, a reasonable index of body composition for people who are quite sedentary, BMI (in my humble opinion) is a useless instrument. A measure of body weight in kilograms divided by the square or the height in meters (kg/m²), BMI does not account for changes that might occur in body composition—e.g., increases in muscle mass relative to losses in fat. Most athletes, for example, are likely to be “overfat” (or, in many cases, “obese”) based on BMI. The scale, as well, will not be as good an indicator of body composition changes as will be the mirror and the fit of clothing. Having a goal weight is important, but focus on the body changes over changes on the scale. We don’t necessarily have an “ideal weight”. More likely, we have an “ideal body composition” (and that need not be excessively lean to be healthy).

Changing the diet and exercise habits are not as much about appearance as they are about health. There are plenty of healthy people sporting a bit of body fat, and there are as many “skinny fat” people who are unhealthy. Diet and exercise should be considered as medical treatments. Live to be healthy, and be healthy to live.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Stop using medicine to treat food.”—Dr. Sarah Hallberg.

First, let me start by reminding the reader that no diet is going to be effective for losing body fat unless it is hypocaloric (calories in < calories out). It is possible to gain body fat on an otherwise healthy diet. To gain muscle, of course, one needs to consume adequate calories. (I don’t say “excess”, because most of us who are fatter than “lean” are already eating more than our body needs—or we would be losing fat. “Excess” calories are any calories above what are needed to maintain a healthy body composition.)

Beyond caloric balance, macro balance—that is, the balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate—in the diet is of great importance. Unfortunately, we have been misinformed by nutritional recommendation as to what these should be, and there remains confusion and controversy over what is best for a healthy body composition. Moreover, there are questions over what is best for “optimal” health. Truth be told, there is no “one-size-fits-all” prescription for macro balance—e.g., “40-30-30” (carbohydrate-protein-fat). Macro balance will largely depend upon physical activity levels, exercise timing, and a variety of intangible genetic factors.

Once one has established his or her caloric needs, it remains to determine how those calories will be distributed. It is becoming increasingly clear that “low-fat” recommendations have been unfounded. This has led to an increasing emphasis of what is referred to as a ”keto” diet. “Keto” is intended to refer to a “ketogenic diet”—one that causes the body to maintain a state of ketosis. In short, ketosis occurs when fats cannot be fully metabolized in the absence of glucose and, thus, acetyl CoA (by-product of fat metabolism) gets converted into ketone bodies (e.g., acetone, acetoacetic acid, and b-hydroxybutyric acid) which build up in the blood (known as “ketosis”). This is effective for weight loss (when hypocaloric, of course) because fat is inefficiently burned (I tell my students that it is like putting premium gasoline in a ’73 Dodge Dart). The challenge with ketosis is that it is hard to maintain. To know that one is truly in ketosis, one must regularly measure ketone levels (usually in the urine). Maintaining ketosis require diligent monitoring of carbohydrate and fat intake. Carbohydrates are kept extremely low (e.g., <25 g per day), and one spike in carbohydrates can easily disrupt ketosis and the body’s adjustment to these. Therefore, I tend to refer to attempts at a ketogenic diet with quotation marks—i.e., “keto”. What most consider a “ketogenic” diet is likely better referred to as a “low carbohydrate” diet.

There is reason to consider reducing carbohydrates—particularly if one is overfat/obese and quite sedentary. Insulin and insulin sensitivity play a significant role in obesity and the subsequent health issues that result. The degree to which one reduces carbohydrates will depend largely on goals and activity levels. Most athletes and moderate/heavy exercisers will need some carbohydrates to fuel muscle contraction and to promote muscle hypertrophy. Very low carbs will impact performance. In general, though, most of us are probably consuming too many carbohydrate. More specifically, we are likely consuming too many of the wrong carbohydrates. We should consider limiting starchy carbs and grains and favoring more vegetables. When we eat carbs is also going to be important to ensure that the carbohydrates we eat go where we want them to go—in the muscle.

A simple rule of thumb is to manage carbs according to the overall activity for the day and to consume the bulk of those carbohydrates in proximity to physical activity (i.e., exercise). I like to use <0.5 g, 1.0 g, 1.5 g, and ³2.0 g (per pound of body weight) for sedentary/non-training days, light training days, moderate training days, and heavy training days, respectively. Most, who are recreationally training, are training in the “light” range.

Protein can be pretty straight-forward with a target of 1.0 g/lb BW. There is wiggle room here, but it is pretty safe set this as a target and distribute the protein across the number of meals for the day.

This leaves us with fat. Fat is not the demon it was once made out to be. There are, however, healthy and unhealthy fats. Ideally, we want to consume fats such as olive, avocado, and coconut oil, from nut sources such as almonds and cashews, and from fish oils. We want to avoid excessive saturated fats and, especially, trans-fats. Fats increase our sense of fullness and satisfaction. As such, they make us feel fuller and, moreover, promote less of an insulin response. Fats can make up the remainder of our daily caloric needs, will be higher on low-activity days, and should not be eaten in excess (as they do come with more calories be weight than proteins and carbohydrates).

Consider eating more “keto”, as a rule. Shift from wheat grain flours to almond flours, or the like. Cut sugar—replacing sugar with non-caloric sweeteners (I prefer erythritol). Above all, begin to fill your plate with plenty of colorful vegetables. One does not have to deny one’s sweet tooth to eat healthier. Small changes to recipes can make them more “keto-friendly”, and when one does indulge in desserts that do not fit with keto (or enjoy a slice of pizza—or two—or other “forbidden” carbs) they should be well worth it. That is, don’t eat what will leave you with regrets.

Avoid the traditional high-carb American breakfast. Opt instead for protein and fat to break-fast. This will leave you more satisfied through the morning and help to avoid an insulin spike. Only eat higher carbohydrates in the morning if they are to be consumed in proximity to your exercise.

Most of us don’t have to go to the extreme of ketosis, but we can likely manage our insulin better. Eat right and exercise,

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”—Albert Einstein

We cannot say we are passionate about something unless we devote our whole attention to it for at least a part of the day.

We cannot call ourselves Spiritual if we remain self-centered and don’t devote at least some part of our day to reflection and contemplation.

We cannot say that we are committed to our Physical well-being if we do not consciously consider what we eat and drink. We are not committed to our Physical well-being if we go about diet and exercise haphazardly without goals or plans.

We cannot call ourselves Intellectual when our diet of information relies on social media and secondary sources (or worse, what I call “turdshitty” sources). We must be committed to reading daily and studying new information. We don’t have a passion for learning if our worldview is not growing to fill the ever-expanding universe.

We cannot be overly or ineffectively Emotional and call it “passion”.

We cannot say we are Socially well-centered when we deny the souls of others the space to speak. We are not socially well-centered when we deny a relationship focused time and space to blossom.

Passion, however, that denies the world of one’s whole self is unfortunate. There is a time to “drive safely” and there is a time to passionately “kiss a pretty girl”. To not give one or the other its rightful focus is to leave a void in the Universe.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV).

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!