Excess Denied 🚫

    Another year has passed bringing in the holiday season. Truthfully these festive months are the best of times, but professionally the bane of my existence. Our culture's celebration of excess and indulgence is never more evident than now. Here is a pre-emptive strike to help mitigate the caloric damage ahead.

    First and foremost, you have to continue with you training regimen. The natural inclination is to take some downtime and resume after the first of the year. This is a costly mistake that too many people make. The next landmine is caloric intake through alcohol consumption. This ever-present foe is at every social gathering and family meal. Lastly the plethora of sweets that are available just about everywhere you go during the holidays. These temptations are formidable opponents that are 

best mitigated through moderation and portion control.

    By all means go to the party and have that glass of wine with a cookie. This is a time to celebrate and enjoy the company of family and friends. It doesn't have to be at the expense of your health and hard work. What you do between the months of (Jan - Nov) is much more important than what you do between (Nov - Jan). Be sure to keep your gluttony in check so that excess will be denied...

       

 

Break to Build

    "We are going to break you down boys to make you into navy men" shouts my drill instructors at basic training. I quickly found out the true meaning of forged through adversity. The term "uniformity must prevail" was seared into my conscience. I walk into Navy RTC an eager boy and came out a formidable man.

    The shared hardship and teamwork that fostered comradery amongst men of all different parts of the country was one of the greatest experiences of my life. At the beginning we were complete strangers and in the end we all bled blue and gold. That type of unity is what our nation is in desperate need of today. The adage "iron sharpens iron" is a quality most eminent in the military. To level up in life you have to be willing to pay the price of admission.

     It's common knowledge that suffering is an unavoidable part of existence and the harder you are on yourself the easier life will be on you. I believe that a person should seek out voluntary hardship to fortify them against the challenges ahead. Change is a constant variable within all our lives, so in order to be congruent with it you must break to build...

 

Nature's Crucible

How do you test yourself?

          What metrics do you use for improvement?

          How often do you operate at the margins of your ability?

    These are primary questions to use to evaluate your overall health and fitness. I believe that your training regimen must be intentional, and purpose driven. It needs to be dynamic with skillset acquisition to create the ability to endure hardship. There is no better arena to challenge oneself then being at the mercy of nature.

    The great outdoors offers a test that will introduce a person to oneself and reveal their potential. From grueling terrain to brutal exposure of the elements will exploit weaknesses in the best athletes. This is the exact proving ground for someone who wants to answer the question: "Do I have what it takes." Nature doesn't care if you are tired, hungry, or hurt its relentless and will claim your life.

    Then why would someone subject themself to such danger and risk? It's the person who has an unsatiable desire to seek the limits of their physical and mental capabilities. There is nothing tragic about dying doing something you love. When you want to apply your training while forging your character take a chance and accept nature's crucible...

 

                                   

 

Real World Over Virtual World

     I want to address an issue that has been plaguing our society for the past decade. It's our misuse and addiction to technology. The tools that were supposed to enhance our lives have now enslaved us with constant distractions. Let be clear technology is a great thing when utilized in the manner it was intended. We need to use technology and not let it use us. 

    Today so many people are living their lives vicariously through others albeit social media or YouTube. This is very problematic in our youth who would rather watch a video than actually participate in the actual activity. So much precious time being wasted as a spectator to other people's "highlight" reel.  Participating on these platforms isn't wrong but needs to be put into perspective. We should be spending the majority of our time living life and fostering our relationships. That is what brings us the deepest fulfillment in life.

    We need to focus our efforts at playing this game of life at our highest level because we aren't going to make it out alive. Quite torturing yourself with comparison and create a life that's a masterpiece that will be an inspiration to others. The virtual world can provide an escape while the real world can provide ecstasy; the choice is yours...

 

The Sins of Success

     Allow me to pose this question: Why do you work? Is it for monetary gain, social status, providing value or serving others? Whatever your motivations there is a recurring theme of sacrificing health for wealth. Let me be perfectly clear that success is a noble pursuit that should be celebrated, but not at the cost of your overall well-being.

    In this instant-gratification society we have created too often I've seen people choose work > wellness and lifestyle > longevity only to their peril. You have to cultivate a mind-set of playing the long game with your fitness. The reality is that poor health becomes an obstacle to achieving or sustaining success. What good is wealth if you're unable to enjoy it due to injury or illness. It's pointless to be the richest person in the graveyard and you'll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. This is not an either/or it's a both/and proposition. 

    Why be at the apex of the game and not be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor? I would argue that with more affluence comes more opportunities to invest in self-care. Your vocation is a means to an end not the end all be all. Going forward be sure to prioritize yourself from time to time and be vigilant not to commit the sins of success...

GET 2 LIVING

    Take a moment and remember back to childhood. The sky was the limit, and the world was our oyster. We had our whole life ahead of us with seemingly limitless possibilities. Now as we grew older that's when life's constraints took hold. We became entangled in the minutia of life and options narrowed and our enthusiasm became diminished. Why do we allow such a personal tragedy to occur?

    Now I've met numerous people that live with passion and purpose. They have a zest for life that is attractive and contagious. We all have witnessed people that were accomplishing amazing things and making a conscious decision to be a light in the world. Regardless of their age or what stage of life; they were committed to being learners and unafraid to seek out new challenges. 

    That's the life I strive to lead every day and the legacy that I want to leave to my family. I want to be an example of what's possible and become an uncommon man. To leave this world with no more music inside of me. To rightfully fulfill my duty and God given purpose. If you're not living on the edge you are taking up too much space. Get off of the sideline and #GET2LVN...

    

 

ME vs. MYSELF vs. I

 

Why do we constantly compare ourselves to others? 

What is it about human nature that makes us our worst critics? 

How can this internal dilemma be solved?

    There is a lot of truth in the statement: "We are our worst enemy." The fact that we seem to hinder our progress by getting in our own way. Self-sabotage is a plague that we all contend with at some point in our lives. The "scorched earth" or "burn it to the ground" mentality are vengeful thoughts that seem too familiar. At times we feel our minds are permeated with negativity or feel attracted to chaos. This internal battle within can be a formidable opponent, but an adversary that can be conquered. 

    We are the gatekeepers of our minds, so the information we acquire and the people we associate with will have a profound impact our lives. Taking control of our immediate environments and routines is a proactive approach for setting ourselves up to flourish. Creating an empowering mental narrative is crucial for overriding the barrage of negativity we are exposed to on a daily basis. Experiencing voluntary hardship alone forges resiliency and enduring difficulty with others builds comradery. These moments greatly enrich us and give our lives meaning. We all have to be aware and vigilant against kicking our own asses. Quite being your own enemy and become your strongest ally.  

Recover or not to recover?

    Recently I've been getting asked about proper recovery by clients and friends and how it compliments a training regimen. This is a great question and an area of fitness that has many opinions. Most of recovery techniques are predicated on personal preference and individual need. I'll discuss what I believe to be the fundamentals of an effective recovery routine. 

    First and most importantly your recovery has to be congruent with your training in order to be effective. For example, if you're not exerting yourself or exercising for prolong periods of time utilizing deep tissue massage, acupuncture, and cryotherapy would be excessive to say the least. Conversely if your workouts are comprised of high frequency, intensity, and volume the above recovery techniques would be beneficial. If I'm being honest a lot of individuals use recovery to avoid getting started or from pushing themselves outside their comfort zones. 

    My personal training regimen is comprised of 4-5 days of exercise using various training modalities with 1 day of active recovery:(biking, swimming, hiking, climbing, etc.) and complete rest on the Sabbath. I've used an array of recovery techniques to address specific issues or to achieve certain results. Understand that recovery isn't an either-or proposition it's done simultaneously with exercise not to avoid doing the work, but to enhance it...

What Will it Take?

    Here we are on the other side of another chaotic year. The pandemic we thought was going to be over in two weeks has lasted two years. The "RONA" virus has proven to be a great equalizer amongst our society. Everyone has been affected by this event in one way or another. Now we as a nation are confronted with a choice on how we prioritize health and wellness going forward. 

    The virus has revealed just how unhealthy and vulnerable we are. We have more fitness resources than any other country on the planet yet we are plagued by chronic disease and obesity. For too long we have chosen what is easy over what is right. Comfort and convenience are opiates of an affluent society. We have been lulled into neglecting our physical and mental health. We choose to sacrifice our bodies in the pursuit of lifestyle. 

    Now that I've stated the obvious let's discuss solutions. Healthy living has to be prioritized and incentivized in this country. It takes each of us to make all of us so, change is going to start with YOU. We all can make incremental and consistent improvements in our lives. We have witnessed the havok this pandemic has caused, so if this doesn't wake us up WHAT WILL IT TAKE!