Merry Christmas

Keeping it short today, but I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Remember that this day isn't about presents, it's about celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

It's about the fellowship we share with each other. 

Enjoy the time with your families. 

PR Appeal

As we approach the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, I wanted to discuss with you the lure of the Personal Record (PR).  This past year, I have only set a single PR, and that was in an unbelted deadlift.  Something that I used to do, however, was chase the PR and that would get me into trouble. 

I bring this up because once you hit a PR, and especially if you do it fairly
regularly (which is common for novice exercisers), you're apt to keep chasing it.  It's kind of like a heroin addict chasing the high.  Once you reach the first PR, it's onto the next one and to the next one.  While this can be a very positive thing, it also comes with a risk, and that risk may be overtraining, excessive overreaching, burnout, or injury. 

While we are exiting 2017, think about the PR's you've set, if you've set any.  Looking to the future, think about the PR's you'd like to set for 2018.  Dedicating your training to reaching the PR's is more effective at facilitating a positive change for your entire well-being rather than attempting to dedicate your exercise with the sole intent to change your image. 

The PR can identify how you train, how you think, and how you feel.  You'll train harder, smarter, and with greater purpose.  You'll think clearer, with focus, and purpose.  You'll feel stronger, leaner, and tighter.  PR's are made with hard work.  They're made with a sound strategy. And they're only made by those ready to make them. 

As we enter 2018, what PR's are important to you?  How will you go about achieving those PR's?  And what will you do to reach them? 

The chase is on!

Conquer.

In 2017, is there anything that stood out as a triumph in your life?  Can you look back upon the year and know that you've given it all?  What is it that you could've done differently (that is, if you wanted to do it differently.)?

What about 2018?  What goals have you set aside for yourself to accomplish?  What more do you feel that you need to do?  Set aside the framework now, before 2018, to realize that your goals are accomplishable.  Here are some of mine, which may give you a launch pad for your own goals:

1.  Positively impact at least 1 new person per month.
2.  Become proficient at speaking and understanding Russian.
3.  Become 4/5 complete with my MBA requirements. 
4.  Exercise at least 3x per week, vigorously.
5.  Watch a movie, go to the park, anything my kids want at least 1x per week. 
6.  Have a date with my wife at least 1x per month. 

As you can see, these are pretty general, but nevertheless they can open up to more specific goals.  They each reflect something about my personality and life that I can accomplish with just a slight change in my behavior.  As I announce this to the world (via this post), I hope that you as my readers hold me accountable for my actions.

I look now and realize that it's never a bad thing to always try to be a good person.  Thus, many of my goals are about become a better person, citizen, disciple, husband, and father.  Each day that I do good for someone, the better place I leave this world. 

Think about what you'll conquer in 2018.  Think about the goals that you've set aside and announce them to the world, or at least write them down and place them in front of you to see each and every day. 

Go and conquer your goals and let the world know!

What does health mean to you?

What does health mean to you?  This is a question I pose to my students as part of their final exam.  I ask this question rather than bring up several multiple choice questions because this one is personal to each and every one of us. 

So what does health mean to you?  Can you answer this question in multiple domains such as physical health, mental or emotional health, and spiritual health? 

My own viewpoint is multifaceted.  I've had varying degrees of influenc
e upon my life which has ultimately changed me, for the better I think.  I'd like to go into my own journey through health and what it means to me. 

Beginning with spiritual health, because in all honesty it's the most important element, I'd like to acknowledge my wife's influence here.  The Lord had influenced her to influence me.  Without her, I am unsure of how my path with Him would be, but what I know is that it wouldn't be where it is and where I believe it to be going.  Growing up Catholic, I don't believe I had a relationship with the Lord in the sense that I should've.  I imagine that I am not the only one, hence the various denominations that are in existence.  Now, I would consider myself Presbyterian, especially since we do belong to the local Presbyterian Church.  One thing that I would like to do to help fill a spiritual void is to undergo mission work at some point in my life.  Until then, the Lord has granted and privileged me with a different mission. 

Next, I'd like to touch on a sensitive subject, which is mental and emotional health.  Much of my life, I would consider myself to be a normal person.  Most of the time I'm even keeled, without any inkling of a disorder underneath.  However, with the knowledge, or should I say wisdom, that I've gained over my life thus far, I realize that I've battled some degree of mental health disorders throughout my life.  When I was young, we moved from New York to Pennsylvania, and when this occurred I spiraled into a depression.  Looking back, it was very strictly depression.  I'd isolate myself into my room and basically avoid any kind of social construct that would've inevitably removed the depression. 

Later, while in the Marine Corps, I had what I would look at now as acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Part of it was the combat experience, and part of it wasn't.  The reason I say acute, rather than your more "traditional" chronic would be that I don't battle this norm
ally.  There are occasions to where I'm more triggered than normal, but in recent times, this is becoming increasingly rare.  Truth be told, without the physical component, I'm not sure if the battle would've been "won."

Physical health, the thing that we most often associate with health above all things.  Generally speaking, our physical health ties into our mental health, and our spiritual health is the glue that holds the whole thing together.  The Marine Corps began my love/hate relationship with exercise.  Without that experience, I doubt I'd be anywhere I am right now.  My physical fitness is tied into my mental/emotional health and my relationship with Jesus ties it all together.  I attest that physical fitness helped for me to be where I am, and that place is much better than I'm sure the alternative would be. 

I consciously acknowledge that my genetics play a role in my decision to exercise and eat generally healthy.  My dad has had heart disease and is a Type II Diabetic, as was my grandfather.  With this knowledge, I don't want to undergo any of those.  So I lift, and I fight.  This helps for me to avoid these potential futures, and it helps my mental health as well. 

So what does health mean to you?  Does this help to guide you to answer this question for yourself?  Try to figure out how these elements of health fit into your life and you'll be all the better for it.  Just remember, your health is yours and yours alone. 

Injuries happen, and when they do.

Right now, I'm dealing with a wrist sprain.  It's on my non-dominant arm, but nevertheless it made me realize how much I use this arm in my day-to-day activities.  I also realized how stubborn I was in that it took about 3-5 people to basically convince me to get it checked out.  In the end, after some x-rays, it's sprained and not broken.

Seeing how stubborn I am regarding being injured leads me to my next point, what happens when we're injured.  If you're like I am, and injure your arm/hand/wrist, and you use it in your daily life as part of it, you need to rehab and heal quickly.  Another trainer at the gym is dealing with a similar injury, except that his is a rib injury; and, like myself, he's stubborn in resting it. 

Rest, rehab, and recovery are all important.  To some extent we can train through
or around some of it, but we don't fully recover from our injuries this way.  Sometimes we need to recover in order to rise from it better than we were before.  I am fortunately not stubborn in this area. 

I am at the point now to where my lifting is non-existent, because it hurts the wrist, and my sparring is limited.  Fortunately there, I can develop my kicks and use my dominant arm in a much greater capacity than I do, so there is a positive.  However, it still is a buzzkill because I'm limited in my choices. 

So, when you're injured, don't be stubborn like I am and wait to get it checked out.  Go ahead and take care of it as soon as you can so that you're not in a position to wait longer to get back to doing what you do.  Rest the injury, rehab (if necessary), and recover from the injury so that you may rise from it better than you were before.  

Laying the foundation. An approach to life.

In the coming weeks, I promise you that you'll begin to see "experts" on how to improve your health, fitness, nutrition, and whatever else your New Years Resolution is concerned.  However, the issue with these "experts" is that they often don't live the lives we live.  They may not have 2+ kids, work one or two jobs, own a house, etc.,  They often don't live anywhere remotely to the life that you live. 

Often on Good Morning America, Live, etc., they highlight these trainers, instructors, nutritionists, and any other health or fitness related "guru" and their "methods" in getting people back in shape after indulging themselves for a month (or the year).  Often, these exercises are complex, ballistic, or something that shouldn't be done except by the very trained.  You wouldn't think that simply jumping could be detrimental, but it often is for many people, especially if you have a few extra pounds to lose. 

Supporting your weight management, health, fitness, nutrition, etc., comes from understanding the foundatinot complicated stuff wins out in the end.  Take exercise for example, the squat is one of the simplest to perform but can move to nearly unlimited potential.  Sets of 5 feel radically different than sets of 25, and racking the bar across the front is radically different than in the back.  Nevertheless most good, if not great, training programs include this exercise. 
on and basics of each.  Simply put, the simple,

Nutritionally we talk a big game like superfoods, non-GMO, etc., but do we know what that truly means?  More often than not, the superfoods that you're not eating are plain ol' vegetables.  And the non-GMO, depending on how original it is, it's hard to define whether it legitimately is or isn't.  Take watermelon for example, we've modified it genetically by cross-breeding it over and over again with variations of it so that we get the moder
n incarnation of watermelon.  Thus, it's been genetically modified.  Did you know that?  I doubt it, because it's not common knowledge.  Take a look at the picture and see what I mean. 

Simply put, you want to change your life?  You need to change your thinking.  It doesn't have to be complex, it only has to work.  Set aside some time to do some exercise, not enough to practically kill you, but enough to start working.  Go ahead and add a vegetable to each meal, and eat it first rather than last; this will save you from eating the more calorie dense foods later.  Lastly, eat slower than you already do.  So what you can do in this case is time how long it takes for you from start to finish.  When you try to eat slower, begin with 25% slower, and work from there. 

It's the little, foundational changes, that matter.  Not any of those complex, flashy changes that last a week and you're back in your old habits.  Take the time to plan the best way for you to modify your existing habits, nothing crazy, but enough to start to make the change.  Focus on the foundation and you're in for a life of change!

Challenge Accepted: A public declaration of fitness

A week or so ago I posted about the challenge that is December.  With all of the Christmas parties, unhealthy meals, alcohol, and only God knows what, we tend to fall off the wagon and gain a pound or two.  I won't lie to you and say that I'm off the hook.  I love the deserts and foods that are associated with the holidays.

I battle my weight just like many other people.  I go through those periods to where I don't want to work out or eat well, and I basically let myself go.  Now, the one thing that I do which is unlike many, is to plan my eating and my workouts several weeks in advance.

Now with this being said, I want to publicly acknowledge of a few things I'll be doing in the forthcoming months.  With this admission, I expect you to hold me accountable as well and if I fall off the wagon, hold me to it.

First, I plan on doing some sort of bodyweight or barbell exercise every single day.

Second, I plan on improving mine and my family's eating by focusing more on vegetables and less on starchy carbohydrates (I'm pretty sure my wife's on board with this).

Finally, I plan on sharing with you at least every other week either what I've done dietary-wise or fitness-wise.

All of this helps to hold onto accountability.  By publicly declaring my intention, I now have you to help me stick to it.

I won't lie to you, this won't be easy.  There are days that we come home from work late and Chick Fil A is the easiest choice.

This was my declaration to you and the challenge to myself.  What is it that you'll be declaring to the world as a challenge to you.

The power of being nice.

The other day I was in a store getting a Christmas gift for someone special in my life and I had the opportunity to witness some really piss poor customer service.  There seemed to be only two working in the store and one of them proceeded to step in front of me without so much of an "excuse me," and then proceeded to vent to her colleague about whatever the insurmountable stress she was undergoing at that particular point.

After her vent, which I'm sure was heard by many in the store, she proceeded into the back of the store (like the back, where they store everything they need to stock; you retail people would understand that better than I can explain it).  Then the line grew.  The one woman who was particularly apologetic to those of us in line, and in the meantime she made an attempt to get the other wo
man (girl) to come out and help.  Fortunately, there were a few of us who in line with a very small amount of items.  In any case, this girl didn't know how much she showed her ass.

I bring up this story because I had witnessed some piss-poor customer service and some good customer-service.  The girl who essentially abandoned her colleague during a time when her support was vitally needed.  The woman who was helping the customers was extremely apologetic and making a wholehearted attempt to satisfy the needs of the customers. 

This story serves to give you my perspective on how the customer service industry runs.  Working in the customer service industry, this is something that we have to do all of the time.  A good rule of thumb is that we don't air our dirty laundry in the middle of the workplace.  Yes, we all have our bad times, but to allow for those whom we need to interact with for our livelihood is definitely unprofessional.

Being nice isn't all that hard.  As much as I tend to come across as an asshole (initially), I believe that I'm genuinely nice (most of the time).  I believe in going out of my way to make the members and clientele feel welcome and genuinely cared for.  Niceness can go a long way in changing a person's life. 

Even if you're having a bad day, fake it until you make it.  At some point you'll be from having a bad day to a good one, once nice thing at a time. 

Advice from a Navy SEAL? Why Not?

First of all, I'm not a Navy SEAL, which I'm pretty sure you knew that if you go back in time to one of my first blog posts.  I am a Marine, which is a different swagger altogether. 

I'm writing about this because something I've noticed a lot lately are titles like "Secrets to
success, according to a former Navy SEAL," etc.  Why is it that we are so infatuated with Navy SEALs? 

Now, I get it.  They are what we consider "elite" and an exemplary example of what we can strive to be.  But, what many do not realize is that the strength of the SEAL is in it's unit cohesion.  I admire Navy SEALs, but their "secrets" aren't really "secrets" they are just what we veterans do.  The major difference between us non-Navy SEALS (and I'm including you, the rest of the special operations community), and Navy SEALs is the specialized training that we go through. 

Now, as Marines, we have the warri
or ethos ingrained into us from before we go in.  We learn the history of the Marine Corps, the lessons of those who fought before us, and the battles that we are known for.  We are modern Spartans, which you can see by our living conditions and our tenacity to fight.  We are warriors from the beginning, we are only trained later to do other things. 

Navy SEALs are warriors too, but not before their job/rating.  Regular Navy has ratings and their mission isn't a warrior's mission.  Again, not to disrespect, but we put these sailors (yes, that's what they are) on a pedestal and we forget that there are others who live the life as well.

So now, will you read articles that says "Drivers to success, from a Marine" or will it be a turn-off?  Will you still gravitate towards the appeal of a small unit, such as a Navy SEAL or Special Forces soldier?  In the end, the difference is the mission and how it's conducted, not about the guys in the fight.  

Is 2018 the year for change?

What will your goals be in 2018? 

Will you begin 2018 with a "New Years Resolution" to lose weight, live healthier, eat better, etc.?

If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, what is your way of accomplishing these goals? 

Who will hold you accountable?

How will you be held accountable? 

How will you be guided to your goals?

What is your motivation?

What steps will you take in accomplishing your goals?

Why are you thinking of doing this?   

Who is designing your plan?  

These are all questions that you should be thinking about if you honestly plan on a change for 2018.  Do you think that the habits that you generated in 2017 (and likely prior) would just vanish for 2018?  I can honestly doubt it. 

Self reflection is something that we often do not consider, but is important nonetheless.  Look within yourself and decide whether you are truly committed to change, or if you need extra assistance.  No journey is to be taken alone.  

Why do you need a fire extinguisher?

Recently, I posted about the when we fight.  This post has more to do with the ability and use of fighting and weapons than previously. 

I bring up the example of a fire extinguisher because its something we have in our homes that we want on standby but don't actually want to ever use, because you know things aren't going well.  The ability to fight and use weapons is kind of like that, you want to have the ability but never actually want to use them. 

A fire extinguisher is there in case of emergencies, so is the ability to battle.  Many of us are complacent, content, and mindless.  The ability to fight allows for us to remain vigilant, sharp, and mindful.  The ability waits to be used, even only in practice, much like the fire extinguisher. 

So, how do we generate the motivation to learn to fight?  My reasons, and these are personal, is the thrill of the challenge.  Freestyle sparring is like working a dynamic puzzle, or high-speed chess match.  Not only are you physically challenging yourself, but mentally as well.  This type of practice can improve your fitness, body composition, cognition and problem solving. 

Each time you freestyle spar, it's like charging the fire extinguisher.  You become more prepared for what is hopefully not going to happen.  So why do you need this?  It can provide you with a fitness outlet that empowers you rather than makes you feel as if you are suffering each time. 

What is it about fitness that we succumb to the monotony of what is out there.  Try something new and charge your fire extinguisher
.