When it’s too tough for everybody else, it’s just right for me. – Anonymous

In an earlier post, I argued that hardship shapes character. This time, I want to develop that idea further.

Would you believe me if I said you need a battle to fight? An adversary? A foil? Think about it: every great story — in order to be a story at all — has to have conflict. The protagonist finds himself pitted against another man, against nature, against God, or even against himself. The story doesn’t begin until the conflict comes into view.

Ok, you say, that’s great for stories, but why do I need a battle in my life? Lots of reasons — not least of which is you need stimulation in order to thrive. Without a conflict, you’d be mentally stunted and die of boredom! But there are other evidences that prove our need for adversity.

You need to find yours when the world turns upside down

Babies and birth

The passage through the birth canal helps newborns to thrive. The birth process is an ordeal for mother and baby, and it is vitally necessary.

I recently learned that babies born via c-section receive fewer beneficial microorganisms than children born vaginally, and it takes them longer to develop equivalent immune function. Sure removing babies surgically is less strenuous, but it’s not as good for the mother or the baby.

Butterflies

We’re all aware of the metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. But did you know that the emerging butterfly needs to struggle free of the chrysalis to be able to form flight-worthy wings? It’s true. The effort of extricating itself from the cocoon forces hemolymph into the channels of the wings, giving them the needed shape. Take away the  struggle and the circulation doesn’t happen, resulting in malformed and useless wings.

Bodybuilders

We’ve talked about this before. If you want to build a sculpted physique, there are no shortcuts. Sure you can apply intelligence to increase your exercise efficiency and effectiveness, but you’re still going to have to put in the time doing the right work consistently and in the right way.

Soldiers, sailors, and marines

Each branch of the service has its own boot camp — that period of time when raw recruits are forged into warriors. The adversarial model of instruction subjects the candidate to physical and emotional stress to cultivate strength, endurance, and resilience, since there are no time outs in combat. The harshness of this type of initiation also weeds out the merely interested from the deeply committed.

When you are facing opposition, try asking yourself how badly you want what’s on the other side of that obstacle.

Astronauts

If you crave the frictionless, zero-gravity life, please note that astronauts have to simulate earth’s gravity in space to avoid becoming worthless in this world when they return. The reason is that earthlings’ bones and muscles are suited to the load placed on them by gravity. Remove that base layer of resistance, and atrophy and bone loss set in.

One counter-example

Just in case you doubt the case I’m making here, consider what becomes of children whose parents coddle them. By seeking to remove any possibility of frustration or — horrors! — tears, coddling parents destroy their children’s resilience and resourcefulness. One needs the experience and wisdom he gains by solving small problems when he is small, so that his capacity grows with him.

Scars are stories — ask Shakespeare

Difficult times leave their marks — some physical, some psychic — but they all tell stories. In Shakespeare’s Henry V, the young king is rallying his outnumbered men before the climactic confrontation against the French at Agincourt. In his famous monologue, Henry says:

This day is called the feast of Crispian:

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,

And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall live this day, and see old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,

And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.

And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’

Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,

But he’ll remember with advantages

What feats he did that day: then shall our names.

Familiar in his mouth as household words

Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,

Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.

This story shall the good man teach his son;

And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remember’d;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”

The wounds sustained in a valiant struggle are the seed bed of stories. And those stories are how we transfer noble character traits and/or warn against ignoble ones.

Adversity creates resilience and prepares one for the next challenge. How do I know? Because people who get wiped out don’t tackle the next challenge.

So what about you? What lessons are you extracting from your current challenges? Add your comments below.

“…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – Jesus (John 4:14)

Several years ago I served as a volunteer worship leader for our church. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the band from time to time, giving me the opportunity to play with some very talented cats. Playing with them always teaches me some valuable lessons, and I value the friendships that come from working together.

Taking care of yourself can be a lifesaver.
(Photo by Ian Prince)

This past weekend, I ran into one of the guitarists I’ve played with in this context. As we were catching up, I asked him where he was playing these days. He said he wasn’t playing anywhere regularly, just filling in here and there. But what he said next is why I’m telling you this: He said he was actually enjoying the opportunity just to come to church and worship as a member of the congregation, as playing for worship was in danger of becoming a chore.

This was a great insight — here’s why: Even when you love something, and you’re good at it, you will develop greater skill, greater longevity and greater impact if you build in time for rest.

Recreation is a funny word

We tend to overlook the word recreation — it calls to mind vegging in front of the TV or shooting pool — but look at the word more closely and you’ll see that a proper allowance of downtime for recreation is quite literally re-creation. As in, to be made new.

The goal is not to gaze ever deeper into your own navel, but to find restoration so you can return to your work with renewed effectiveness.

Another lesson from the gym

Most beginners to strength training have to learn not to over-train. Exercise tears down muscle fibers and the body compensates by repairing and increasing them. Athletes who over train never give their bodies enough time to rebuild.

In an earlier post I mentioned that rest — specifically sleep — is an essential part of health and fitness. If you love calisthenics or lifting weights, you should know that you don’t build muscle while you’re training. You build muscle while you sleep. (So if you’re stalled in your fitness regimen, try turning in an hour earlier.) In the larger context of your life, you’ll learn more, accomplish more, and increase your capacity in all kinds of ways if you add some white space to your calendar.

Even when death is on the line?

I’ll be doing some business travel this week, so I know I’ll hear the flight attendants’ recite the safety spiel. If you’ve flown in the last 30 years, you know that when they get to the part about “a sudden loss of cabin pressure” and the oxygen masks dropping from the overhead panels, you may recall the instruction to people traveling with small children.  They are to apply their own masks first, then help the kiddos. The idea is the same in life: Optimize your health and you can help others — said another way, you can’t give away what you don’t have.

What all lifeguards know

As a scout, I earned the lifesaving merit badge. I was surprised to learn that jumping in to save someone is actually the last resort. Throw anything that will float, throw a rope, use a pole or a hook, but only go in when its clear there’s no other way to save the drowning swimmer. And even then, there are specific techniques to avoid being dragged to the bottom by the one you’re trying to help. The goal is to save the one in trouble and live to save others.

So it isn’t… selfish?

No, it’s not selfish to take care of yourself. You’re supposed to do that as part of your stewardship. But you’re not supposed to take care of yourself just so you can look fabulous (not that there’s anything wrong with looking good). You need to take appropriate care of yourself so you’re in the best shape to fulfill your mission.

You may have noticed that life is not always easy or fair, but optimizing your health helps you to be more resilient.

About that mission

A pastor friend of mine said that ministry should always be from the overflow of what God is doing in your life. If you aren’t allowing God to fill you to overflowing, you aren’t bubbling with what Jesus calls “living water,” instead you’re like a stagnant puddle or a drainage ditch.  You collect water, but it flows away or evaporates.

The theological term for this is “working in the flesh,” which means you’re trying to accomplish heavenly tasks with human strength alone. This is a bad practice, and the way to overcome it is to balance service (output) with rest (input). Refreshment is the fuel for effective work.

Along with nutrition, hydration and exercise, I want to encourage you to make stillness and rest — in proper amounts — a part of how you take care of yourself. If you build those habits, you’ll be ready to handle whatever is in front of you.

So how about you? How do you make sure you’re taking proper care of yourself and serving others? Add your comments below.

Note: While I’m taking some time to reboot and work on some new longer-form material, I’m re-posting some of my favorites, like this one.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

Recently, I wrote about how I broke through from fat to fit. In that post, I promised to share what I’ve learned over time about eating for optimum fitness. Some of this might be new to you — even contrary to what you may have been taught. I hope you’ll do your own research and try what seems best to you. Eat the meat and spit out the bones

Protein and fat — it’s what’s for dinner!

The Basics

There are only three macronutrieints: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Each contains calories, but one flaw in most nutrition strategies is the assumption that all calories are equal. Using this logic, well-meaning people cut back on their eating across the board — or worse, shift to a higher percentage of carbohydrates in their diet.While they may lose weight, they end up with a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle, thus becoming a skinny fat person — a lose-lose scenario.

At one level, you could say that an excess of calories from any source would necessarily cause you to pile on the pounds. However, it’s not as simple as that.

Of the three, you only need protein and fats to survive. Carbohydrates can have a place in your diet, but you do not require them. Protein supplies you with the amino acids you need to support lean body mass – the most metabolically active and desirable stuff for health. So whenever you sit down to eat, make sure you’re taking in adequate protein and eat your protein first.

How to calculate protein requirements

Let’s start by saying that, unless you have a history of kidney disease, we’re going to calculate the minimum daily protein. To do this, you need to know your lean body mass. There are multiple ways to calculate this. (I like the method devised by husband and wife M.D.s Michael and Mary Eades — authors of the book, Protein Power.) If you don’t have access to the tables and constants, you can use an online calculator like this one.

Once you know your lean body mass, you can determine how much protein you need per day. If you’re athletic, you should aim for 0.9 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass a day. If you weigh 175 pounds and have 15% body fat, your lean body mass is 148.75 pounds. An active man with this lean body mass should take in at least 134 grams of complete protein per day. Spread over three meals a day, that would be approximately 45 grams of protein per sitting. And for your information, one ounce of lean meat contains approximately 7 grams of protein.

Wait? Fats are good for you?

In a word, yes. Eating fat will help you to feel full, but it won’t make you fat unless you combine that fat with carbohydrates. They provide the kind of fuel you need, and interestingly, when you’re consuming fat, your body takes this as a signal that all is well and you do not attempt to store it.

At our house, we use grass fed butter, avocados, nuts, extra virgin olive oil and unrefined coconut oil as our sources of dietary fats. This, of course, is in addition to the fats present in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.

If you want to gain a better understanding of the ways dietary science has been skewed to disfavor fats, check out the book, The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. She reports how the entire country’s eating habits — and nutritional education — rest on some shaky foundations.

But let me tell you that your brain needs fat to function. And your body needs cholesterol in order to produce testosterone. That’s right. In our area there are radio and TV spots talking about America’s plummeting testosterone levels and selling remedies. And this while we are telling men to avoid cholesterol in their diets. If you want to avoid being low-T, crack some eggs.

For the record, two-thirds of your serum cholesterol is produced by your liver. It does this, not in response to cholesterol you eat, but in response to insulin you produce — that production happens when you eat carbohydrates.

If you’re concerned that eating protein and fat will skew your health metrics, I have been eating this way for over 15 years and my cholesterol numbers are consistently within normal limits.

Kick carbs to the curb

So let’s say you’ve figured out how much protein you need per day, and you’ve decided to let fat back into your diet. Good man! You lack one thing: you must now break your addiction to carbohydrates and cut your consumption of them way back.

Let’s start with what sports trainer Mark Verstegen calls “the Devil’s carb” — high fructose corn syrup. This inexpensive sugar appears as a leading ingredient in nearly all sodas and many, many prepared foods. Become a reader of food labels and wherever possible choose whole foods, or at least options that are free of high fructose corn syrup.

You can get rid of a lot of carbohydrates easily through your choice of beverages. I drink black coffee, unsweet iced tea and water — all of which have zero calories. The only exception to this practice is the protein shakes I use to make sure I get enough protein every day. Quit drinking your calories. And if you’re serious about getting fit, that includes alcohol.

But don’t stop there. Eliminate all white carbs from your diet — sugar, bread, rice, noodles, potatoes. These spike your insulin, which is the master fat storage hormone.

Tim Ferriss says

In his book, The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss decribes an eating plan we’ve followed for the past four years. The Slow-Carb diet employs a lot of the principles above, but replaces refined carbohydrates with legumes — beans. Six days a week, you eat meat (protein), non-starchy vegetables and beans, while avoiding white carbs, fruit and dairy. One day a week, you’re allowed to have a cheat day where everything is back on the menu. We have found this to be rather easy to sustain over time, but you should know there is no exit plan when one hits his ideal weight/body composition.

Ferriss says, “The decent method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.” I think this is great guidance as you make progress toward the best possible version of yourself. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to modify any plan to enable you to improve your appearance and your health.

So how about you? What method have you used or do you plan to use to improve your fitness, your health, your life? Add your comments below.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

Recently, I wrote about how I broke through from fat to fit. In that post, I promised to share what I’ve learned over time about eating for optimum fitness. Some of this might be new to you — even contrary to what you may have been taught. I hope you’ll do your own research and try what seems best to you. Eat the meat and spit out the bones

Protein and fat — it’s what’s for dinner!

The Basics

There are only three macronutrieints: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Each contains calories, but one flaw in most nutrition strategies is the assumption that all calories are equal. Using this logic, well-meaning people cut back on their eating across the board — or worse, shift to a higher percentage of carbohydrates in their diet.While they may lose weight, they end up with a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle, thus becoming a skinny fat person — a lose-lose scenario.

At one level, you could say that an excess of calories from any source would necessarily cause you to pile on the pounds. However, it’s not as simple as that.

Of the three, you only need protein and fats to survive. Carbohydrates can have a place in your diet, but you do not require them. Protein supplies you with the amino acids you need to support lean body mass – the most metabolically active and desirable stuff for health. So whenever you sit down to eat, make sure you’re taking in adequate protein and eat your protein first.

How to calculate protein requirements

Let’s start by saying that, unless you have a history of kidney disease, we’re going to calculate the minimum daily protein. To do this, you need to know your lean body mass. There are multiple ways to calculate this. (I like the method devised by husband and wife M.D.s Michael and Mary Eades — authors of the book, Protein Power.) If you don’t have access to the tables and constants, you can use an online calculator like this one.

Once you know your lean body mass, you can determine how much protein you need per day. If you’re athletic, you should aim for 0.9 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass a day. If you weigh 175 pounds and have 15% body fat, your lean body mass is 148.75 pounds. An active man with this lean body mass should take in at least 134 grams of complete protein per day. Spread over three meals a day, that would be approximately 45 grams of protein per sitting. And for your information, one ounce of lean meat contains approximately 7 grams of protein.

Wait? Fats are good for you?

In a word, yes. Eating fat will help you to feel full, but it won’t make you fat unless you combine that fat with carbohydrates. They provide the kind of fuel you need, and interestingly, when you’re consuming fat, your body takes this as a signal that all is well and you do not attempt to store it.

At our house, we use grass fed butter, avocados, nuts, extra virgin olive oil and unrefined coconut oil as our sources of dietary fats. This, of course, is in addition to the fats present in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.

If you want to gain a better understanding of the ways dietary science has been skewed to disfavor fats, check out the book, The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. She reports how the entire country’s eating habits — and nutritional education — rest on some shaky foundations.

But let me tell you that your brain needs fat to function. And your body needs cholesterol in order to produce testosterone. That’s right. In our area there are radio and TV spots talking about America’s plummeting testosterone levels and selling remedies. And this while we are telling men to avoid cholesterol in their diets. If you want to avoid being low-T, crack some eggs.

For the record, two-thirds of your serum cholesterol is produced by your liver. It does this, not in response to cholesterol you eat, but in response to insulin you produce — that production happens when you eat carbohydrates.

If you’re concerned that eating protein and fat will skew your health metrics, I have been eating this way for over 15 years and my cholesterol numbers are consistently within normal limits.

Kick carbs to the curb

So let’s say you’ve figured out how much protein you need per day, and you’ve decided to let fat back into your diet. Good man! You lack one thing: you must now break your addiction to carbohydrates and cut your consumption of them way back.

Let’s start with what sports trainer Mark Verstegen calls “the Devil’s carb” — high fructose corn syrup. This inexpensive sugar appears as a leading ingredient in nearly all sodas and many, many prepared foods. Become a reader of food labels and wherever possible choose whole foods, or at least options that are free of high fructose corn syrup.

You can get rid of a lot of carbohydrates easily through your choice of beverages. I drink black coffee, unsweet iced tea and water — all of which have zero calories. The only exception to this practice is the protein shakes I use to make sure I get enough protein every day. Quit drinking your calories. And if you’re serious about getting fit, that includes alcohol.

But don’t stop there. Eliminate all white carbs from your diet — sugar, bread, rice, noodles, potatoes. These spike your insulin, which is the master fat storage hormone.

Tim Ferriss says

In his book, The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss decribes an eating plan we’ve followed for the past four years. The Slow-Carb diet employs a lot of the principles above, but replaces refined carbohydrates with legumes — beans. Six days a week, you eat meat (protein), non-starchy vegetables and beans, while avoiding white carbs, fruit and dairy. One day a week, you’re allowed to have a cheat day where everything is back on the menu. We have found this to be rather easy to sustain over time, but you should know there is no exit plan when one hits his ideal weight/body composition.

Ferriss says, “The decent method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.” I think this is great guidance as you make progress toward the best possible version of yourself. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to modify any plan to enable you to improve your appearance and your health.

So how about you? What method have you used or do you plan to use to improve your fitness, your health, your life? Add your comments below.

If you want to improve your appearance and boost your confidence, there is no substitute for building muscle.  The good news is a man can build muscle at any age, and you don’t need a gym membership or even a set of weights to do it.  If you’re healthy enough to exercise — and if you say you’re healthy enough, I believe you, but check it with your doctor — the express lane to building your upper body is the overhand grip, dead hang pull-up.

Power to the people.
This is the grip I recommend for pull-ups. Note the position of the thumb

Prospective Marine Corps officer candidates have to pass regular physical fitness tests.  To obtain a perfect score, a candidate has to run three miles in 18 minutes or less, complete 100 sit-ups within two minutes, and complete 20 pull-ups with strict form.  When my son went through the candidate selection process, he had no trouble with the run or the sit-ups, but to get him up to speed in pull-ups, the officer selection officer told him to look up the Armstrong Pull-up Program  and do it.

Although I had done wide-grip pull-ups during my college years, I had let them go by the wayside.  To help encourage my son, I decided to follow the Armstrong plan myself.  I had no idea how it would go, but I promised my son that as long as he kept at it, I would stay on the program.

Progress?

I began on a Monday, doing three, maximum-effort sets of push-ups in the morning and attempting the prescribed five maximum-rep sets that evening.  Unfortunately for me, the pull-up bar fell out of the doorway during my first set.  I fell — thought I had broken my elbow. Annoyed, I walked it off and started again.  My first official five sets on the program yielded the following repetitions: 3-2-2-1-1 for an impressive (I’m being facetious) total of 9 pull-ups.

I kept my word to my son, and over time reached the point where I could complete 20+ pull-ups in a single set.  Not bad for a man in his late 40’s.  And in the ensuing years, I have maintained a consistent commitment to pull-ups, making sure I complete 50 or more per workout two or three times a week.

Are You Bragging, Viejo?

Not at all.  I’m telling you this so that you, in your youth, will abandon your excuses and get moving.  If I was able to start with a one-set maximum of three and work to the point where I could do 20 (and sometimes more) pull-ups in a single set, you can, too.

Tips Welcome

Here’s a quick list of things I learned on the way to achieving my goal:

• A permanently installed bar is less likely to fall with you on it.  Ask me how I know.
• Let your thumbs rest on top of the bar, rather than wrapping around.  Grip with your fingers. See the photo.
• Keep your shoulders in their sockets — i.e., Shoulders Back and Down (SBD)  — especially at the bottom of every rep.
• Exhale on the exertion – that is, on the way up.
• Let your back, rather than your arms, do the work.  This is important — physically and mentally.
• Look where you want to go (up and over the bar)
• Clench your glutes.
• Don’t allow your body to swing or bounce
• Unless you’re into CrossFit, don’t lurch or kip up.  These are dead hang pull-ups.
• Use varied grip widths and types (narrow, wide, overhand, underhand) from workout to workout.
• Keep written records to gauge your progress.

Bonus tip: Enlist a buddy to keep you on track.

So how about you? What are you doing to improve your fitness and your confidence?  What help do you need to get started?  Add your comments below.

“…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – Jesus (John 4:14)

Several years ago I served as a volunteer worship leader for our church. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the band from time to time, giving me the opportunity to play with some very talented cats. Playing with them always teaches me some valuable lessons, and I value the friendships that come from working together.

Taking care of yourself can be a lifesaver.
(Photo by Ian Prince)

This past weekend, I ran into one of the guitarists I’ve played with in this context. As we were catching up, I asked him where he was playing these days. He said he wasn’t playing anywhere regularly, just filling in here and there. But what he said next is why I’m telling you this: He said he was actually enjoying the opportunity just to come to church and worship as a member of the congregation, as playing for worship was in danger of becoming a chore.

This was great insight — here’s why: Even when you love something, and you’re good at it, you will develop greater skill, greater longevity and greater impact if you build in time for rest.

Recreation is a funny word

We tend to overlook the word recreation — it calls to mind TV sitcoms or shooting pool — but look at the word more closely and you’ll see that a proper allowance of downtime for recreation is quite literally re-creation. As in, to be made new.

The goal is not to gaze ever deeper into your own navel, but to find restoration so you can return to your work with renewed effectiveness.

Another lesson from the gym

Most beginners to strength training have to learn not to over-train. Exercise tears down muscle fibers and the body compensates by repairing and increasing them. Athletes who over train never give their bodies enough time to rebuild.

In an earlier post I mentioned that rest — specifically sleep — is an essential part of health and fitness. If you love calisthenics or lifting weights, you should know that you don’t build muscle while you’re training. You build muscle while you sleep. So if you’re stalled in your fitness regimen, try turning in an hour earlier.

Even when death is on the line?

I’ll be doing some business travel this week, so I know I’ll hear the flight attendants’ recite the safety spiel. If you’ve flown in the last 30 years, you know that when they get to the part about “a sudden loss of cabin pressure” and the oxygen masks dropping from the overhead panels, you may recall the instruction to people traveling with small children.  They are to apply their own masks first, then help the kiddos.

What all lifeguards know

As a scout, I earned the lifesaving merit badge. I was surprised to learn that jumping in to save someone is actually the last resort. Throw anything that will float, throw a rope, use a pole or a hook, but only go in when its clear there’s no other way to save the drowning swimmer. And even then, there are specific techniques to avoid being dragged to the bottom by the one you’re trying to help. The goal is to save the one in trouble and live to save others.

So it isn’t… selfish?

No, it’s not selfish to take care of yourself. You’re supposed to do that as part of your stewardship. But you’re not supposed to take care of yourself just so you can look fabulous (not that there’s anything wrong with looking good). You need to take appropriate care of yourself so you’re in the best shape to fulfill your mission.

You may have noticed that life is not always easy or fair, but optimizing your health helps you to be more resilient.

About that mission

A pastor friend of mine said that ministry should always be from the overflow of what God is doing in your life. If you aren’t allowing God to fill you to overflowing, you aren’t bubbling with what Jesus calls “living water,” instead you’re like a stagnant puddle or a drainage ditch.  You collect water, but it flows away or evaporates.

The theological term for this is “working in the flesh,” which means you’re trying to accomplish heavenly tasks with human strength alone. This is a bad practice, and the way to overcome it is to balance service (output) with rest (input). Refreshment is the fuel for effective work.

Along with nutrition, hydration and exercise, I want to encourage you to make stillness and rest — in proper amounts — a part of how you take care of yourself. If you build those habits, you’ll be ready to handle whatever is in front of you.

So how about you? How do you make sure you’re taking proper care of yourself and serving others? Add your comments below.

“The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character.”
-Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you’re committed to becoming the best possible version of yourself, you can’t ignore your body. Maybe you have a gym membership, or maybe you own some weights, but do you have a good understanding of the principles that will get you in shape and keep you fit into your old age? That’s what this post is for.

Before you hit the gym, the street or the dojo, give some thought to what you want to accomplish — what fitness looks like for you — and think through the following principles. 

The kettlebell awaits!

Note: We’re going to differentiate between exercise and training. All training will involve exercise, but not all exercise is training. 

Frequency

How often should you train? It depends on you and on your training goals. In his book, The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss discusses the principle of the Minimum Effective Dose (MED). The goal here is to expend exactly the right amount of effort to obtain the desired result and no more. Your age, current level of fitness and ability to recover will determine the frequency of your training. If you choose to use calisthenics and bodyweight exercises, you can train every day. If you’re lifting weights, you should allow at least one day’s rest for any muscle group you train on a given day.

Intensity

This is simply how hard you’re training. This can encompass the number of specific exercises, the number of sets, the number of repetitions, the amount of rest time between sets and the amount of weight per set. There is a specific technique called HIT — short for High-Intensity Training. This method shortens the duration of your workout by deliberately increasing the weight per set. The articles I’ve read suggest this is a solid approach.

Note: If you’re new to the idea of getting fit, plan at first to perform one set of ten repetitions per exercise. You’ll want to use enough weight so that the last rep or two is a challenge. You’ll likely feel sore the next day, but it won’t be unbearable.

Duration

How much time will you spend training? Hint: Time walking around between sets jawing doesn’t count. If you’re busy, you may find that allowing yourself 45 minute to an hour a day for training will force you to make better use of your time.

What time of day should you train? That’s up to you, but I find when I get my workout done in the morning, no one can take it away from me.

Progressivity

This principle is the one most people seem to overlook. If you’re trying to lose weight by walking a mile every day, you’ll notice that in a fairly short time, that mile walk becomes easy and you are not losing weight as desired. This is because our bodies are remarkably adaptable. To get in shape and to continue to improve, you must build progressivity — an increase in your capacity to do work — into your training plan.

Let’s take kettlebell training as an example. If I swing a 55-lb. kettlebell 100 times (say, five sets of twenty swings), I have expended 5,500 pounds worth of effort. If I remain on schedule, the next time I swing that same kettlebell, I need to increase the total amount of work. I can do this by increasing the number of reps per set, or by adding a burnout set (an additional set with as many reps as I can complete using proper form) to my workout. I can also increase the intensity by accomplishing those reps in fewer sets or by shortening the rest time between sets.

Muscle Confusion

In an earlier post, I wrote about pull-ups as a way to increase fitness and confidence. The Armstrong Pull-up Program prescribes a five-day-a week, twice-a-day set of exercises that attacks the muscle groups differently each day. This is a great example of the muscle confusion principle. If you’ve tried P90X or CrossFit, for example, you’ve also seen this principle in action. This concept doesn’t allow your body to fall into a rut where your training is concerned. As a result, your body continues to respond because you’re not presenting a routine that your body can adapt to.

Functionality

Pavel Tsatsouline, the man who brought kettlebell training to the US, says that one shouldn’t train to become proficient at training. Instead, he should train to become good at his sport. I’d add that one should train to get good at life — that is, to be physically able to respond to the challenges he’ll encounter in his life. This is why, unless you are or plan to be a bodybuilder, you shouldn’t train like one. Focus on compound movements, such as olympic weightlifting and picking up and carrying bulky or heavy objects. This is another thing CrossFit gets right.

Physical therapist Gray Cook is the leading expert in functional movement. His videos provide great instruction in proper form and the philosophy of functional movement.

Intentionality

Set training goals and keep records. Again, what are you trying to accomplish through your training regimen? Runners have an advantage in that they can choose races and train toward the race date. Martial artists, wrestlers and boxers can train toward meets or matches. If you don’t have those sorts of day and date deadlines to train toward, be creative. It can be your family beach trip, a wedding or a class reunion. Define the objective specifically and chart your progress.

Benefits

The time you spend training according to these concepts will improve your health, your posture and your confidence. Train smart and you’ll be well on your way to the best version of yourself.

One last thought: As you train, make sure to build in time for rest and recovery. You don’t build muscle while you’re lifting — you build it while you sleep. Making recovery part of your training regimen will accelerate your progress and help you avoid overtraining.

So how about you? What is your principal training goal? Add your comment below.

Power to the people.
This is the overhand grip I recommend for pull-ups.  Note the position of the thumb.

If you want to improve your appearance and boost your confidence, there is no substitute for building muscle.  The good news is a man can build muscle at any age, and you don’t need a gym membership or even a set of weights to do it.  If you’re healthy enough to exercise — and if you say you’re healthy enough, I believe you, but check it with your doctor — the express lane to building your upper body is the overhand grip, dead hang pull-up.

Prospective Marine Corps officer candidates have to pass regular physical fitness tests.  To obtain a perfect score, a candidate has to run three miles in 18 minutes, complete 100 sit-ups within two minutes, and complete 20 pull-ups with strict form.  When my son went through the candidate selection process, he had no trouble with the run or the sit-ups, but to get him up to speed in pull-ups, the officer selection officer told him to look up the Armstrong Pull-up Program  and do it.

Although I had done wide-grip pull-ups during my college years, I had let them go by the wayside.  To help encourage my son, I decided to follow the Armstrong plan myself.  I had no idea how it would go, but I promised my son that as long as he kept at it, I would stay on the program.

Progress?
I began on a Monday, doing three sets of push-ups in the morning and that evening attempting the prescribed five maximum-rep sets.  Unfortunately for me, the pull-up bar fell out of the doorway during my first set.  I fell — thought I had broken my elbow. Annoyed, I walked it off and started again.  My first official five sets on the program yielded the following repetitions: 3-2-2-1-1 for an impressive total of 9 pull-ups.

I kept my word to my son, and over time reached the point where I could complete 20+ pull-ups in a single set.  Not bad for a man in his late 40’s.  And in the ensuing years, I have maintained a consistent commitment to pull-ups, making sure I complete 50 or more per workout two or three times a week.

Are You Bragging, Viejo?
Not at all.  I’m telling you this so that you, in your youth, will abandon your excuses and get moving.  If I was able to start with a one-set maximum of three and work to the point where I could do 20 (and sometimes more) pull-ups in a single set, you can, too.

Tips Welcome
Here’s a quick list of things I learned on the way to achieving my goal:

• A permanently installed bar is less likely to fall with you on it.  Ask me how I know.
• Let your thumbs rest on top of the bar, rather than wrapping around.  Grip with your fingers.
• Keep your shoulders in their sockets — i.e., Shoulders Back and Down (SBD)  — especially at the bottom of every rep.
• Exhale on the exertion – that is, on the way up.
• Let your back, rather than your arms, do the work.  This is important — physically and mentally.
• Look where you want to go (up and over the bar)
• Clench your glutes.
• Don’t allow your body to swing or bounce
• Unless you’re into CrossFit, don’t lurch or kip up.  These are dead hang pull-ups.
• Use varied grip widths and types (narrow, wide, overhand, underhand) from workout to workout.
• Keep written records to gauge your progress.

Bonus tip: Enlist a buddy to keep you on track.

So how about you? What are you doing to improve your fitness and your confidence?  What help do you need to get started?  Add your comments below.