MISC.
****Rants/Ramblings/Explanations****
Thoughts on commitment and improvement
Most
people begin a workout program or diet to reach a certain goal that
they have set for themselves. These goals are usually individualized
and sometimes may be very personal. They may vary from fitting into an
old pair of pants, improving health, squatting a certain weight,
getting big, losing body fat.......the list can be endless.
Short
term goals are mandatory in reaching the bigger goals that may have
been set. One thing is for sure though, if we set out to reach that
goal and commit to the work and discipline required, improvements will
happen. Some will reach a short term goal and then simply fall back
into their old ways, which starts an endless cycle of short term goals
and half assed efforts.
Others will feel the exhilaration of
achievement and keep pushing towards the bigger goal and most of the
time set newer, higher goals. Those goals will be reached and then more
goals will be set. This begins a journey of self exploration and the
constant demand of excellence from one's self.
Once this demand
of excellence is in place the self improvements are endless and
positive changes are inevitable. These changes will not only take place
in the gym but in every aspect of one's life. We begin to demand more
of ourselves, not only under a bar loaded with weights but in the way
we present ourselves out in the world.
We have more respect for
ourselves , which in turn translates into respect for others. We learn
things about ourselves that humble us and at the same time, give us a
sense of pride. Strength is gained not only in the physical sense but ,
more importantly, in psychological sense. Mental toughness is what
separates champions from spectators.
We begin to see
reasons behind what we do and the consequences associated with our
actions or inactions. The words "to hard" no longer exist in our
vocabularies. This mindset may be bred into us our it may be forged
through hard work and the desire to transcend "average".
Whatever
reason one has for choosing a road of self improvement one thing is for
sure; with hard work, commitment to the task at hand and the desire to
reach beyond each and every goal, success is never out of reach.
-Joe
Maybe I'm just to serious sometimes
Maybe
it's just me, maybe I'm just to serious sometimes, but I don't train
because it's "fun". I don't have happy pictures on this site with
smiling faces and everyone laughing and having a good time. Yes, I have
been criticized about my site being to dark and "intense". That was the
best, "intense". By the way this was coming from those who pride
themselves on the "intensity" of their training. While I do enjoy
training and pushing myself to and past the limits of my physical and
mental thresholds, there is nothing "fun" about it. Let me say that
again, I love training, I love the feeling it gives me and the physical
, emotional, and mental changes that it brings about, but fun is not
the word I would use to describe it. It usually hurts, it sometimes
makes me sick and it always makes me wonder why I put myself through it.
Things
that we do because they are "fun" usually end up stuffed into a box in
the garage or shoved into a back corner of a closet. Think about that
pair of rollerblades or that great mountain bike you bought last
spring. How's that Hip Hop Abs DVD working out for ya? Unless we find a
deeper meaning behind what and why we are doing something it lacks
importance and our commitment to the task will be half assed.
The
training that I promote and represent on this site is hard, it is
intense and the pictures show committed individuals who have crossed
that line from doing things that are fun to doing things that
challenge us and help us reach our goals. We are not here just to get
ripped abs, or to socialize in between sets. We first come here seeking
out something different and we stay because we all have discovered
things about ourselves through our training that we never knew. We
never knew that we had it in us to do some of the things we have done,
we never knew that we were that tough mentally, we have never
challenged ourselves in these ways before....and we like it.
We
all go through these things together here. Everyone that trains here
knows that the person next to them is fighting the same fight, at that
very moment, as they are. We look forward to the challenges of the next
day and the feeling of accomplishment it will bring when it is done.
While these sessions may not be "fun" in the traditional sense of the
word, they are rewarding.
Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy
ourselves. We enjoy the exhilaration of our accomplishments. We enjoy
reaching new levels of strength, both inner and outer. We enjoy growing
as a group by supporting each other and working hard together.
I
do not want the focus of the training and the individuals that train
here to get lost amidst an array of bright ,colorful, images of
parties, gatherings, and inane stunts. That is not what we do here.
Those that train here do share a special bond and we are a "family", in
a way, of like minded individuals each working towards our own unique
goals in the same way.
With that being said, I also have to
emphasize that the training here is doable for everyone , in the
physical sense. Everyone, however, may not find what they are looking
for here. It is not what most are used to, when it comes to working
out. While the workouts and exercises may look intimidating to some,
they are highly adaptable to anyone's athletic ability and fitness
level. You just have to be willing to work hard and commit to the
challenges that will be faced.
-Joe
Excuses or results? You can't have both.
In
today's society there are those who understand the concept of hard work
and the results that come with it. Whether it is in their jobs, family
life, hobbies, sports, or personal goals. These people know that
without hard work it is impossible to ever achieve anything other
than "the average". While "the average" plagues our everyday lives and
fills us with that feeling that we are doing "OK", it just cannot be
tolerated by some. These are the people who succeed, the ones that
despise "the average" and know that they can be better. They demand
better from themselves.
Then there are those who simply
aspire to "the average". They just want to keep everything at a nice
comfortable level. These people could care less about ever pushing
themselves towards personal satisfaction. Somewhere along the way they
were told that success comes in the form of just "getting by", and they
bought into it.
In my opinion, there is no greater evil
then robbing another of their spirit. Those that belittle others and
tell them that they can never amount to anything are criminals and
nothing more. These people have ruined their own lives and see no hope
of regaining a foothold on the upward climb; so in turn they attempt to
drag everyone down with them.
Every one of us faces that
battle everyday. We are always surrounded by those who don't want to
see us succeed. How many times have you heard how running is bad for
your knees, or lifting weights is bad for your back? These
statements always seem to come from the overweight guy that is washing
down his high blood pressure medication with a big gulp Coke and french
fries. He is one of those people that was misled along the way. He was
taught that as long as you have a good excuse and can justify it in
your own mind than it will be ok. Unfortunately, excuses do not produce
results. They do not improve our health or quality of life. Excuses do
not win championships or set records.
No matter how we
present ourselves to the world in our everyday lives we still
have those moments alone. We still have to face ourselves everyday and
answer for what we have done or didn't do. An outward appearance
of happiness and satisfaction doesn't mean anything. So many go through
life everyday with a mask on. At work they are known as the fun guy or
the sweet girl. Some even appear to be real go-getters and successful.
It is not until that quiet moment alone with ourselves that the truth
comes out. We all know if we are working towards our full potential, if
we are pushing ourselves past new limits everyday. Only we know if
we are making excuses or getting results.
- Joe
"We improve ourselves by victories over ourself. There must be contests, and you must win".—Edward Gibbon
You're not a bodybuilder, so why are you training like one?
There
is a certain group in the world of fitness who have the desire to build
their bodies for competetion, personal satisfaction or simply because
they have been taught that the appearence of the body outweighs the
functionality. Of course we all want to look good and have the
appearence of a fit body, (no one works out to get fat). While it is
possible to have the appearence of health and fitness without actually
being healthy or fit, it is impossible to be truly healthy and fit
without also having that appearence. Basically, looking great is a side
effect of being healthy and fit.
How
many times have you been in the gym and seen someone suffering from
obesity being led through a set of biceps curls by their "trainer"? Or
someone who is just starting a fitness program being introduced to an
array of machines because they are "simple" and "safe"? My favorite was
the elderly lady that was being pushed through her grueling super-set
of wrist curls followed by calf raises. What is wrong with this
picture? These people, just like so many others, have been mislead and,
in my opinion, lied to by these "personal trainers" and the fitness
industry as a whole.
The
popular culture has been led to believe that there is one way to get
into shape, and it usually revolves around the bodybuilding model of
training. You know what I mean, 3 sets of 10 reps for each bodypart,
split into three or four days a week, or even the one body part per day
routine. For cardio, hop on the treadmill or elliptical for 30 minutes
a few times a week and there you go, a solid training program. If you
are a bodybuilder and have the need for 20" arms and bringing out every
detail of every muscle for a show or competition, or if that is just
your passion, than more power to you.
Most
of us are not bodybuilders though. Most of us want to be in shape, be
healthy, feel good, live longer, strengthen weaknesses, improve in a
sport or hobby, lose weight, look better,or just simply enjoy the
feeling of exercise and improve our quality of life. While the body
building style of training has worked for many and is very well suited
for bodybuilders, there is another way to train for the rest of us.
By
focusing on working the body as one functioning unit , rather than a
collection of bodyparts, we can strengthen it and build it in the way
nature intended. There are very few actions in life that completely
isolate a single muscle. So why would we train that way? Life does not
provide us with very many isolated stressors, it is usually a
collection. By training the body as one functioning unit , we can
prepare ourselves for a collection of sressors rather then specific
ones.
Training
for , what I
like to call. "real world fitness", should sometimes be brief, should
sometimes be long, should always be intense in nature, and work
the muscles of the body through a full range of motion while also
strengthening the cardio vascular system. It should focus on improving
strength, power, speed, quickness, agility, coordination, balance,
stability and flexibility. It should also
involve the mental and motivational aspect of setting and achieving
goals. These are all key factors in being healthy and fit, improving in
a sport, and functioning at maximum physical and mental capacity at our
jobs and daily lives. I know many of us begin a fitness program with
the intention of looking good, but by focusing on true fitness we can
look good, feel good, play hard and constantly improve.
-Joe
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