Handling the twists and turns in your fitness (and your life) - The Stockdale Paradox  If you know me very well, you know one of the ways I like to recharge and renew is in the saddle of my motorcycle.
My wife Susan and I were out for a ride the other day trying to blow the cobwebs off the news, trials and tribulations of the moment we are in. We were on a nice, challenging, twisty road when I got hit with an epiphany (it might have been a potato beetle, I'm not sure): Taking some of those tricky curves on a motorcycle is a lot like trying to negotiate our lives, businesses and relationships during this pandemic crisis. There are some lessons and examples to learn about this pandemic crisis that relate to successfully taking a twisty on a motorcycle. For example: Be Alert and Aware When you are approaching a curve, you first have to be very aware of your situation and conditions. Too fast and you crash. Not paying attention to the road, you crash. Too slow ... getting out of the curve is difficult at best, treacherous at worst. Prepare You always slow down as you approach the curve so you can get ready for what is to come. Check all the moving parts and get ready for what is to come. Take the Curve with Confidence - Lean In! Once you know you're ready, lean in and trust your awareness, preparation and machine will carry you into and through the curve. Accelerate at the Apex This is where it gets fun... and technical. Right when to curve is at its most, well, curvy, accelerate out of it. If done properly, you come out of the curve faster and more upright than you went in. Come Out on the Other Side That exhilaration and sense of accomplishment that you successfully negotiated the challenge! The situation we find ourselves right now is like a treacherous curve. And sometimes feels like we don't know when we are going to hit the apex and come out on the other side. But, you know what, we always do. During this time, some things may have slipped a little. Relationships, diet, working out. But if you apply those same principals, you can and will come out on the other side faster, stronger and more balanced. That is exactly what we are doing here at 614Fitness and what we are trying to help each of our member athletes do:
The Stockdale Paradox: The Stockdale Paradox is a concept that was popularized by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great. It was named after James Stockdale, former vice-presidential candidate. Who, during the Vietnam War, was held captive as a prisoner of war for over seven years. He was one of the highest-ranking naval officers at the time. The main gist of the idea is that you need to balance realism with optimism. In paradox we often find some of the greatest bits of wisdom. The difficulty in understanding a paradox comes from the fact that when it's heard as a maxim in some kind of verbal form, it is contradictory and not intuitively grasped. This said, paradoxes are best understood through experience. Collins describes this paradoxical concept through the experience of James Stockdale, and his survival as a prisoner of war. During this horrific period, Stockdale was repeatedly tortured and had no reason to believe he'd make it out alive. Held in the clutches of the grim reality of his hell world, he found a way to stay alive by embracing both the harshness of his situation with a balance of healthy optimism. Stockdale explained this idea as the following: "You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be." In the most simplest explanation of this paradox, it's the idea of hoping for the best, but acknowledging and preparing for the worst. We all want things to workout for ourselves. We want to be successful, happy, and have achieved something no matter how trivial or personal it may be. For instance, we want to lose weight and get in shape, and going to the gym is one way to accomplish that. Reaching this state of accomplishment isn't going to come just by positive visualization. That's all well and good and it makes us feel nice. It's why so many people fall into the trap of the next best quick fix, miracle diet or magic pill. The Stockdale paradox tells us that no matter how dire our circumstances may seem, faith and perseverance will bring us out on the other side a better version of ourselves. To get back to a fitness analogy,... ever feel like you just couldn't complete one more round of a particularly challenging exercise, but found, once completed, you were utterly exhausted and thoroughly energized at the same time? Be both an optimist and a realist. It's going to be hard. We're going to struggle. We can't always see the apex of the curve. But prepare and lean in so that when that apex comes, and it will, you'll hit the throttle and come out of the curve taller, stronger and better than before! Here's to your health!
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 Balance and Stability
What it means in the gym and what it means to you today At 614Fitness we have themes each month in our Small Group Training curriculum:
Those workout themes are more than a framework for our exercises, they represent everything we work out for… the core values or essence of 614Fitness. The last article focused on Endurance. This week: Balance and Stability... Balance and Stability To be honest I was having a hard time writing this week’s article. Finding balance and stability has been a real challenge for me these past 2 weeks. I won’t travail you with all the details, but the 14 hour days and sleepless nights have contributed to my own imbalance and instability. I am not practicing what I preach. So I had to get back to basics. I had an epiphany: When we are training our members in Balance and Stability week, we often make adaptations and modifications to ensure the efficacy of a movement and create success. Well, I discovered that the same thing applies in life. Especially right now when our balance and stability is thrown off. << Test First Name >>, Here are some of the adaptations and modifications that are helping me and might help you right now: 1. Hold on to Something Oftentimes, you have seen me pullout my famous stick for a member to use to support the exercise to get the maximum benefit. The same thing applies today. Find something to hold on to in these turbulent times. One of our members whose job is either at home or traveling all over the Midwest gave us some solid advice: “Keep things as normal as possible, find a routine and control what you can.” Find something in your world to hang on to for support… especially right now. For me, My wife Susan and all our trainers are my sticks of support 2. Don't be Afraid to Modify a Little Bit Sometimes , a tiny tweak can make the difference in completing a task or pushing the challenge harder. For example, dropping to your knees in a push up makes the task a little easier. You still accomplish a lot, but you gave yourself permission to succeed another way. Maybe it’s changing your eating or sleeping habits. Maybe it’s meditating or taking more walks. Modifying your world just a little can restore your balance and stability. 3. Fail, and Try Again During Balance and Stability week in SGT we often put our members in uncomfortable positions to do a common exercise. Like standing on a balance disc to do rope slams. We fall off and look silly a few times before it finally kicks in and the task gets easier. Same thing during this crisis. Everything is new, throwing us off balance. We have to allow ourselves those initial failures, but have the perseverance to get right back on it again. As an editorial sidebar here, I want to thank all of our members who have been so patient and gracious as we’ve rolled out our virtual training. We fell off the disc a few times, but we are getting back on and getting better at it as we go! 4. Recognize the Energy it Takes One of our members famously noted: “Ever notice how quiet it is during balance week. We are focused so hard we can’t talk!” It’s true, I burn more calories in Balance and Stability than any other week, even cardio. Being off balance and trying to perform basic tasks takes an extraordinary amount of energy. You mind and body have to focus in new and different ways. And that takes energy. So when you are off balance - as we are right now with the changes and adaptations that have been thrust upon us - recognize that you are expending more energy. Get your sleep, plan your recovery time, implement strategies that recharge your battery. Now even more than ever. 5. Know that it will end One of our trainers, Josh, used to yell. “ONLY 45 SECONDS, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR 45 SECONDS!” When you’re training, we know you look over to that timer to see how much more you have to endure. But that timer always dings. The exercise always stops. And the challenge is always met. This time of crisis and uncertainty will end. We can’t see the timer, I get that. But it’s out there. We can get through this! Hang on to something and modify your world a little bit. Know that you may fail a few times before you get it right and understand the amount of fortitude and energy this whole mess is requiring. I hope this helps. Hang in there and stay strong, stay safe and stay healthy!  How VO2Max and RMR testing can help guide the way I remember in graduate school at The Ohio State University, one of my professors shared an amusing anecdote about goal setting and measuring success.It goes something like this: An army is marching into battle when a lowly sergeant comes up to the captain and says, "Captain, we're going in the wrong direction to reach our destination!" "I know", the captain says. "Well then, why don't we turn around and go the right way?" Asks the sergeant. "Because," explains the captain, "We're making really good time!" Many of us train hard to reach our goals, whatever they may be:
How will you know if your training program was a success?
This is where some good, sound, scientific data could help. Cardiorespiratory fitness testing (or VO2Max + RMR) is one of the best ways to objectively measure fitness and look for markers of progress.. What Is Cardiorespiratory Fitness and VO2Max? According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), cardiorespiratory fitness is the ability to perform dynamic, moderate- to high-intensity exercise involving large-muscle groups for prolonged periods of time (aka running, rowing, cycling, swimming, etc). One of the most important measures of it is VO2Max or maximal oxygen consumption. It is a measure of how well the heart and lungs work to deliver oxygen and ATP (aka energy) to working muscles. Your gender, genetics, volume of training, and quality of training contribute to this number. The more undertrained you are, the more opportunity you have for it to rise. What happens in a VO2Max test? First of all, you can't train for a VO2Max test. The whole point of it is to give you a picture of your current fitness level and make a plan to improve your fitness. It will give you a snapshot of how effectively you burn calories from fat and carbohydrates. From there, you can build a workout plan based on your specific goals. After getting your weight, you’ll put on a mask (or nose plug and mouthpiece) and heart rate monitor strap. Sure, it’s a little awkward at first, but there’s nothing constricting your air. Then you’ll complete a graded exercise test, starting very slowly and gradually increasing your speed and/or grade. Everyone’s protocol is slightly different based on their current fitness level. If you’re doing lactate, we’ll take a small sample of blood from your ear (most people don’t even feel it) after each stage. Once you’ve gotten to your maximum capacity (VO2Max in most cases), you’ll grab the bars, straddle the belt and cool down very slowly. This gives us raw data, which we interpret into your heart rate and pace training zones as well as your fat burning capacity and recommendations for fueling during exercise. If you use the results correctly, YOU’LL IMPROVE (aka GET FASTER and FITTER). Here’s how: Get Objective Measurements (Information is Power!) If you are trying to make consistent improvements in your fitness,the more data you have, the better. That fancy Apple watch, Garmin or pulse monitor on the treadmill are just estimations... kind of one size fits all. VO2Max testing is the most scientific way to measure your fitness right now. You can also compare yourself to a population of people in your age range and gender to see where you stack up and how much you might be able to improve. And when (and if) you get tested down the road, you (and your coaches) can monitor the degree of change. Now, Create an Efficient Workout Plan Information is power, so use it effectively. Use your custom training zones from the testing data (i.e.lactate, heart rate, volume of oxygen) to train efficiently. This is important to avoid getting injured or overtraining. Using your specific heart rate zones where you most efficiently use the maximal energy, you’ll know exactly how hard to work and to separate your training days effectively. It’s all about training in the right zones at the right time in order to appropriately recover. Using those custom zones for optimal recovery means that you can build fitness…faster. Create a Nutrition Plan Again, the treadmill doesn’t know how many calories your burned. It’s just a built-in formula. By getting tested, you’ll know how many calories, carbohydrates and fat you burn at each stage. With this, you’ll get personal recommendations for how much you can consume at every intensity to optimize performance, avoid GI distress, and prevent cramping. You’ll also see how efficiently you burn fat, which is important (and free!) fuel source for endurance athletes AND for someone who might want to lose body fat. Again, information is power. And that information translates into creating an optimal fueling plan based on your goals. A well oiled machine operates smoothly just like a well nourished body runs well. A good nutritionist or coach can help you translate that into what should be on your plate for the best quality energy. So why not test yourself? The only thing you have to lose is a little sweat (and just a few dollars). We think it’s important to incorporate it into your exercise to take your fitness to that next level. Remember the famous Yogi Berra-ism: "If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably get there!" Habit #3 Put First Things First We are examining effective fitness through the prism of Stephen Covey' infamous "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". In Covey's writings, he argues that to be effective in any and all endeavors requires certain habits and ways of thinking. If you want your fitness regimen to reap results - whether it is a PR, a heavier lift, a longer, healthier life - employing effective habits will help get you there. Just to review: Covey's 7 Habits:
Habit #2 -- "Begin With the End in Mind" --builds off of the first. It instructs you to marshal the power of personal power and control. It is based on the principle that things are created twice. First creation is in your mind and the second is in physical reality. Habit #3 - Put First Things First When it comes to your fitness, putting this habit into effect will most likely be the difference between a successful fitness transformation and another set back. It means making those things MOST important to you the # 1 priority. And, my friends, it is not as easy as you think. Here's an example. Let's say you set your priority: "I want to be the best Mother/Father/Husband/Wife I can be." A noble priority and well worth all your best efforts. But where should you begin? Spending more time with your spouse and kids? Cleaning the house more? Date night once in a while? Again all noble things to do. But go back and look at that priority: "I want to be a better..." First word - I Okay, you should start to see where this is going. You can't be a better anything if you are not the best you. Making YOU a priority will allow you to fill the glass of all those people and priorities around you. It is no coincidence that on an airplane, the flight attendants instruct you to put on your oxygen mask before helping others, even if those others are the most precious in your life. (We'll discuss this in more depth in Habit #7). Covey used a quadrant system to help visualize these priorities.
So, when it comes to your fitness, how do you Put First Things First?
Put fitness in your First Things First box. Make it routine, an important part of you. All of those other priorities in your life will fit in neatly around you... I promise! See you in the gym!  We are examining effective fitness through the prism of Stephen Covey' infamous "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". In Covey's writings, he argues that to be effective in any and all endeavors requires certain habits and ways of thinking. If you want your fitness regimen to reap results - whether it is a PR, a heavier lift, a longer, healthier life - employing effective habits will help get you there. Just to review, here are Covey's 7 Habits:
Habit # 2: Begin with the End In MindThis Habit should, in my opinion, be #1. It is based on the principle that things are created twice. First creation is in your mind and the second is in physical reality. Studies suggest that when we visualize our goals and are conscious about them, our full energy and personal talents are activated in order to develop them effectively.
When embarking on a fitness program, you should have a clearly identified goal - and outcome. But these goals need to be concrete, measurable, SMART. (Remember those? Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time-limited). For example:
Yogi Berra is credited with a classic: "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else". Begin your fitness regimen with the end in mind. Find a place, a fitness community that will support and drive you. And, by all means find a guru to help. Personal Trainers and Small Group Training will provide the guidance, direction and support when you get lost or stall along your journey. And you will. We all do. Dust yourself off, be proactive and begin again with the end in mind.  Any of us over 40 may remember the famous management guru of the 1990's Stephen Covey and his infamous "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". Everyone in business had to read it and it became a cultural phenomenon. Without going into the nitty-gritty of the book, he studied and analyzed hundreds of successful leaders, politicians and business people to come up with the habits they had in common that made them successful. Core to Covey's paradigm is the belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions. This is more true when it comes to fitness than anywhere else. As trainers, we often hear: "I can't do that!" right before the person does it. Perception. So, as I reflected on fitness and what I have witnessed through our members and trainers at 614Fitness, the 7 Habits stuck to me like an extended set of burpees. Just to review, here are Covey's 7 Habits:
 In this 7 part series, we will examine each of the habits and how they relate to becoming fitter, stronger and in the best shape of your life.
Habit # 1: Be Proactive Question: How do you eat an elephant? Answer: 1 bite at a time. Often the hardest part of getting in shape is getting started. Not knowing where to begin. Stressing over past attempts and failures. Or simply being afraid of failure (or success). Being proactive involves taking control of your thoughts and messages. Replacing phrases like
You will need to do these 5 things to become a fitter, stronger version of yourself:
 In every physical activity, proper form is crucial, but it’s especially important when you add weights or resistance to your workouts. That extra load forces your muscles to work hard to get stronger, but it also makes them more susceptible to injuries.
When strength training any area of your body, having proper form and technique is crucial to make sure you’re working the intended muscle groups that you want to develop and grow. So what does proper form get us?
But wait … there is no one CORRECT form. Every person’s body is different and, for that reason, proper form is hard to define. For example, one person’s “proper” squat can look much different than another person’s squat because their range of motion (ROM) and flexibility levels vary. Some individuals can squat well below the height of their knees due to flexibility in their hips, knees, and ankles, while others have resistance in one or more of those areas preventing them from getting lower — which plays a big role down the line when it comes to proper weightlifting form. That’s why we believe so strongly in our small group training format at 614Fitness. Professional trainers keep vigilant watch over form and function to ensure the most out of every move. Not getting the results you want from going to the gym? Proper form and professional guidance could be the answer to your fitness gains. |
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