Month: November 2020

Mask mandates are back in effect as COVID-19 cases spike, yet again. Despite a lack of evidence that mask work any more effectively than simple physical distancing and hand hygiene,¹ this seems to be the go-to approach of our political leadership. While, certainly, such precautions are crucial for the protection of those most vulnerable to infection (e.g., the elderly and those with suppressed immune systems), we seem to be going about this all wrong.

Rather than focusing on strengthening our immune defenses, we are further weakening them. We are closing ourselves off indoors (where ventilation is often quite poor—especially as we move into the cooler months). We are not focused on getting healthier, and what politician has mandated that gyms be open and that people exercise? Why has there been no war declared on obesity and physical inactivity? We are anxiously awaiting supplies of vaccines believing this to be our salvation. We choose to ignore that the very risk factors for severe complications from COVID-19 decrease the effectiveness of vaccines.

It is only recently that I have begun to see articles recognizing that exercise and weight loss may actually protect against COVID-19. This is not new information. It has been well-known for years that physical inactivity and obesity are major contributors to disease and the weakening of our immune systems. We are told to wear masks, stay at home, and wait patiently for a vaccine when we should have been told from the onset to focus on personal health. Indeed, we should be avoiding large gatherings, but the limits being set are all too often subjective and not based on any real science.

With pathogens that are airborne—as the COVID-19 virus is—ventilation becomes far more important than mask. Open windows. Avoid spending prolonged periods in confined spaces. Get outdoors. Breathe fresh air (not through a mask). Respect others. Above all, have a positive attitude.

The level of fear we have been experiencing and this “2020 is such a horrible year” cloud we have be living under (self-imposed, I might add) is a greater risk to our health than not wearing a mask. If gyms are forced to close, raise your voice to your representatives in government and find alternatives for exercise until there is a cure for the cranial-rectal inversion that is pandemic among politicians.

We will be under senseless mandates until we choose to make our personal health a priority. Rather than waiting until New Year Resolutions, resolve today to improve your personal health and to make the environment around you healthier.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹ see: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-6817?fbclid=IwAR0gRPh3HOB70LByobR-tLQusC9HBFHrQ4EeivW_SY2ARNrRrY4wW4EFuwQ

More and more, we are learning that volume builds size. I am learning for myself—as I age—that it is more critical now than it was when I was younger. Contrary to what I often read, frequency and volume are critical as we age. Leg size has always been a challenge for me, personally.

I recently came across “Squat Therapy from Poland” by Christian Thibaudeau.¹ The programming takes German Volume Training (GVT) to the next level—specifically, by adding high frequency. Those familiar with GVT might find this insane, but it intrigued me. I am in the process of giving it a try.

“Squat Therapy from Poland” is a 5-day training cycle with three lower body days and two upper body days. (I have modified it to fit my schedule, and train three lower body days and three upper body days.) Central to the training is squatting three days a week with a linear progression of 10 sets of 10 repetitions. The program is to last 6 weeks.

Thibaudeau suggests starting at 75% of the 10-repetition maximum (10-RM) and progressing in small increments to 105% of the 10-RM. The weight might seem light, at first, but the volume is tremendous. I went from a cycle of 5 x 12 at 225 to stating this cycle at 185 for 10 x 10. That is a volume difference of 13,500 lb and 18,500 lb. The latter, though significantly more volume, has been easier to recover from.

I don’t think it matters much how one programs the sessions beyond the squatting. Squatting is a tremendous stimulus for muscle growth. Three, four, five, or sixth training a sessions can work, depending on one’s schedule and goals.

I immediately thought of Starting Strength and StrongLifts when I laid out my programming. Both are a linear progression (5×3 and 5×5, respectively). StrongLifts starts the true beginner squatting with the empty bar (less, if necessary). The lifter adds 5 lb to the bar each session as they complete the 5×5. One might consider trying the same with the 10×10. Over eighteen sessions, progressing from the empty (45 lb) bar, one would complete the cycle squatting 130 lb for ten sets of 10.

I would recommend rounding the training out with the other “basic five” exercises (i.e., deadlift, bench, row, and press variations, in addition to the squat) for sets of 8-12 repetitions. Personally, I am doing Romanian deadlifts (3 x 8-12) twice a week and deadlifts (3 x 3) once a week, along with calves, on the lower body days, and alternating incline press-incline pull, dip-row, and press-chin-up combinations on the lower body days. One might simply follow the Strong-Lifts cycle of squat-bench-row, and squat-press-deadlift, or something similar.

For the beginner/intermediate lifter or the older lifter, a six-week cycle of high-frequency 10×10 squatting can fix the squat by emphasizing technique and volume over intensity. Every repetition needs to be full range-of-motion (nearly ass-to-grass) performed at a moderate eccentric tempo and exploding out of the bottom. Thibaudeau suggests a 3010 tempo. Think “compensatory acceleration training” on the concentric and accelerate the lift rather than riding out the concentric contraction at the top. Remember: technique is of the upmost importance.

If your squat is going nowhere and your legs aren’t growing—or you are looking for something different than a 5×5—give this a try. (I trust you will also see a significant change in body composition over the six weeks, as well.)

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹ https://thibarmy.com/squat-therapy-poland/

Thanksgiving has passed and the scale is reading high. Hopefully, the holiday was enjoyed and the spirit of grattitude continues. Don’t tell yourself that you “over-indulged”. Instead, appreciate the meal and the social gathering. Proceed with your diet plans as usual.

The holidays can be a time to slide wildly out of control, or they can be a time of careful celebration. Proceed with wisdom and restraint, but enjoy the opportunities to gather (especially in light of our prolonged isolation in light of COVID-19). There are simple things that will keep you on track through the holidays.

Strive to be hypocaloric. I choose not to use the term “diet” because diet should be your overall eating plan and habits. A hypocaloric diet is one in which you seek to be in an overall caloric deficit (i.e., calories in are less than calories out). Try to lose body fat over the holidays, but settle for stability. That is, eat less as though you are trying to lose body fat and accept that the occasional “indulgence” will not have a devastating effect on your plan. Limit the meals that exceed your planned calories and offset these my cutting back on the other meals of the day. In other words, don’t make over-indulgence you diet for the holidays. Enjoy the foods and the occasions, but do so wisely.

Exercise. Don’t allow the holidays to be an excuse for not exercising. Have a plan and stick to it. There is always time to exercise, if you use your time wisely. Travel will likely be restricted and the availability of gyms is unstable presently in some areas, but this is not an excuse to neglect exercise. There are countless alternatives to commercial gyms. Many invested in COVID home gyms. Are they using them?? Body weight exercises are always possible. HIIRT and HIIT make training time-effective. Know your goals and have a plan.

Physical Activity. Be active. Get outside as much as possible. If weather doesn’t permit, dress for the weather. Take the dog(s) for more frequent walks. (We have two dogs. Neighbors assume they don’t get along because I walk them on at a time. They get along fine but two walks—somedays four—doubles the activity I get walking them. The calories add up.) If you don’t have pets, walk alone or with a significant other. Fresh air, as well as, the energy cost of walking is beneficial. Even if you “do cardio”, add in more physical activity during the holidays. This is not intended to improve cardiorespiratory endurance and heart health—that should be included in your exercise plan. This is movement for the sake of general health and caloric expenditure. It doesn’t have to be walking. Just move!

Make wise decisions. There will be ample opportunity over the holidays to eat crappy foods. Don’t. Eat the desserts that you love and will leave you satisfied and without guilt. Avoid cheap processed snacks and desserts. Eat what tastes really good. Eat with limitations. Have control and don’t deny yourself enjoyment. Be mindful of portion control and the long-term strategy.

Limit alcohol. Alcohol can be consumed mindlessly during the holidays—especially at social gatherings. Consider the calories in your drinks and choose those with fewer calories (e.g., session-style beers and avoiding mixed drinks). Drink slowly. Drink what you enjoy because you enjoy it. Don’t drink in excess or when you are not enjoying the taste. Savor the flavor.

Make the holidays memorable rather than regretful. Progress is long-term. Plan accordingly.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”–Melody Beattie

May your hearts and bellies be full.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

For many of us, it will be a challenging Thanksgiving. With restricted travel and limited gatherings family traditions and get-together are going to be affected. For many, it only adds to what is perceived as a horrible year. Indeed, 2020 has had its “apocalyptic” moments, but even our darkest moments can be welcomed with an attitude of gratitude—grattitude.

Perhaps, I quote Friedrich Nietzsche too frequently (“That which does not kill me makes me stronger.”), but the sentiment feeds my grattitude. No matter what horrible thing might have happened yesterday, I am alive today to use it for good. Let this be our grattitude this Thanksgiving.

The year is not yet finished. Who know what tomorrow will bring? If we spend our time complaining about 2020, we lose sight of the opportunities (albeit, perhaps, in the form of challenges) it has brought. We pass on the opportunity to let our experiences grow us—to be better today than we were yesterday.

As we share Thanksgiving, perhaps, via Facetime, let us focus on that for which we can be grateful. You may have to dig deep to find our grattitude, but it is there, if we are willing to find it. Choose to receive with thanksgiving all that 2020 has handed us. In doing so, we will truly celebrate the holiday.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“The power that makes our desire, our vision, a reality is not in our environment or in any condition outside of us; it is within us.”—Orison Swett Marden

We are limited only by the false excuses that our mind creates and cultivates. “I don’t have time.” “I don’t have the right genes.” “I was born of the wrong circumstances.” The list goes on. My favorite bad excuses are: “It’s 2020” and “COVID-19”.

What excuses are holding you back from being better today than you were yesterday? Are you (falsely) convincing yourself that yesterday’s you is “good enough” or “the best you can be”? If so, it will be.

Do not let anyone convince you that to say “you can be better” is to say “you aren’t good enough”. You are “good enough”, but you can and must aspire to the greater you. Deny your greatness and convince yourself that you are fine as you are or empower yourself to realize your vision. Grow Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially—because you can.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

Okay, maybe a little harsh on the title—but am I really? In response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, many governors—including Oregon’s—have mandated that gyms be closed for a range of weeks. Professionally, I think (no, I know) that this is short-sighted and ill-informed.

Central to the spread of this and any virus is the general health of the population. Nearly two-thirds of Americans are over-fat (I/3^rd are obese). This is the result of inactivity and poor dietary choices. This is an underlying cause for most disease. Exercise is well-known to reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infection (Google “Neiman’s ‘J’”), improve insulin sensitivity, and improve the regulation of blood pressure. (I could easily go on about the benefits of exercise—particularly its effects in combating “immune-aging”.) Bottom line: We need to be exercising now more than ever.

Gyms are safe place–especially in light of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak. Gyms have never been cleaner as exercisers are more diligent about wiping down machines and staff are ever more diligent about cleaning. One is hard pressed to demonstrate another industry that has done more to improve their environment against viral infection.

Social distancing? Gyms naturally provide for distancing greater than the recommended 3-m minimum suggested by the WHO (and what is supported in the scientific literature). ADA guidelines mandate distances between machines, and exercisers are always wise to give one another space. Certainly, gyms need to be sensible in their layouts—and this is what governments should be regulating.

It is true that gyms can be over-crowded at peak hours. (Let’s face it, though, that should be a bigger problem than it is.) Rather than closing gyms or placing one-size-fits-all occupancy restrictions on gyms, it is better that in crisis times, such as the nCoV pandemic, that governments restrict occupancy based on percentages of maximum occupancy. It makes no sense to limit gyms to a specific number of occupants without considering square footage and occupancy use. Frankly, gyms are underutilized and not over-crowded. Limiting gyms to a fixed number (e.g., 50) regardless of size is ill-informed. Closing gyms completely is, well, stupid.

Let’s be smart about how we affect the spread of nCoV. Priority should be to build host defense—i.e., natural immunity—and to protect those with suppressed immune systems—i.e., wash your hands and social distance. The effectiveness of masks is debatable, but at worst it is a mere inconvenience. Eat a healthy diet, increase the physical activity, exercise, and lose some body fat. Build your immune systems!! Don’t close gyms!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

There is no doubt that there is a serious virus circulating. Recently, we have seen a spike in cases. Politicians, true to fashion, are legislating behavior to curb the spread. Surely, behavior needs to be modified, but it has to be approached sensibly. Instead, seemingly random numbers get thrown at us and businesses are treated equally instead of equitably (e.g., gyms are closed while massage parlors can remain open—worse was when gym were limited to a specific number of exercisers without regard to size, layout, etc.; churches is Oregon are limited to 25—no matter the size of the building). Thanksgiving dinner is limited to six, this year in Oregon, under penalty of law. I pity the family of seven who has to figure out who has to sit this one out. It is beyond ridiculous.

I am reminded, as I often am, of the Commons (i.e., the “Tragedy of the Common” by Garrett Hardin). While Hardin’s essay was of a different focus, the theme is suitable for this discussion. On one hand, we have a potentially deadly virus (nearly all viruses are potentially deadly by the way). On the other, we have a cry for liberty—the freedom to come and go and gather as we please (to exercise our bodies and our rights). Some, it is quite obvious, want to legislate behavior to control this (and any given situation). Others want complete freedom to do as they so desire. Both come with a cost. This is the tragedy of the Commons: on one hand, we has a few who believe they know what is best for the whole; on the other hand, we have a few who believe their actions have no consequences for the commons. The latter, as in Hardin’s treatise of the Commons do little damage to the Commons—individually. Collectively, however, their actions pose a threat to the Commons.

The idea of liberty in the Commons is beyond COVID-19. It is a call for Wisdom to drive all that we do. We must understand that our actions have consequences, and we must act with concern for others—we must be other-centered. We cannot control others through legislation (If we could, would not this whole pandemic be over after more than eight months of mandates and regulation?). We need to act with Commons-sense.

Whatever the situation, we must understand that we are living in a Commons (not a Collective, but the way). We are free to choose and our choices have consequences. The consequences are natural. The do not need the help of a politician. Thoughtful care and concern for others should drive our behavior. Those who would do otherwise will reap what they sow. Yes, we need some rules in society, but such rules should be equitable and not equal. Rules for favor personal freedom and the welfare of all. They should be well-thought and based on Wisdom—and Science.

I can’t fix the leaders in our capitals, but I can begin with myself. The reader can do the same.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Love, like the sun, never sees the dark side of anything.”–Orison Swett Marden, The Victorious Attitude

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

The 2020 holiday season is going to be exceptionally challenging in light of COVID-19. Travel will (should) be limited, and many communities are already seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases. In addition to wearing masks, physical distancing (>1 m), and regular/frequent hand-washing and disinfection, we can get ourselves healthier before the holiday season to minimize the spread of the virus.

There is no better time than today to start an exercise program. I am finally starting to hear the medical community (some, at least) emphasize the role of obesity in the risk of COVID-19 infection and complications. While many use COVID-19 as an excuse for inactivity and weight gain, the holidays present a real challenge to our exercise and dietary habits.

Exercise (moderate and regular exercise and physical activity) is known to boost the immune system to reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infection (Google “Neiman’s J”), as well as many—I would contend all—diseases. It really doesn’t take a lot. In fact, excessive exercise can actually increase the risk of upper respiratory tract infection.

As the year begins to wind down, albeit like a whirlwind, it is easy to let things go until the new year. Perhaps, you are already preparing the “New Year Resolutions”. Instead, begin a program of regular physical activity today. It doesn’t take much. Take the dog for an extra walk. Dust off the home-gym equipment and start a planned program of progressive overload. If you have a gym membership, use it (and hopefully your state has not instituted excessive and unfounded restrictions on gym operations). The key is to start moving more today—and to move more tomorrow.

Focus on your diet, now, before the holidays. I am not talking trendy fad dieting. I am referring to the diet you consume on a regular basis. The caloric intake is likely to be all over the place during the holidays and the risk of stress-eating and unplanned eating will be high. You must have a plan for the holidays. Enjoy the seasonal meals. Just do so wisely. Plan your meals and limit the poor food choices. Cycle hypercaloric days with hypocaloric days (I refer to this a preemptive weight loss).

The choices you make over the coming weeks will affect the health of us all. Set a goal of getting healthier before the New Year. Protect yourself and others by wearing a facemask (whether you think it necessary or not), wash and disinfect your hands, be respectful of people at high risk (the elderly and persons with suppressed immune systems), and take care of your own health. Get healthier by being more physically active, eating a healthy (hypocaloric or eucaloric) diet, and by losing (rather than gaining) excess body fat over the holidays. It is about long-term health as much as the current virus.

We can celebrate, if we are smart. Smart is being healthy—controlling the health risks we can control.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!