By the end of this episode, you will have all the information you need to plan your muscle building diet plan.
In this episode, I'll explain exactly how I think you should eat to get as much muscle as possible.
Most people exercise their asses, but they build very little muscle. That result is because they are only fighting half the battle.
Continue reading
Muscle strength exercises are undoubtedly a way to increase your overall strength in the body. It helps your muscles develop strength by doing intense workouts. Bodyweight exercises, squats, and running are some of the best activities that fall under this category.
If you are someone who loves workouts like this why are you waiting? Let us support you immediately with muscle-strengthening exercises!
The best muscle strength exercises allow your muscles to gain strength through various strength training sessions. While many people think it's the same as muscle endurance, there is a massive difference. In contrast to muscle endurance, where you have to do the same workout for a long time, you have to lift heavier weights in strength training.
It helps build a strong body by increasing the strength in the muscles. Muscle strength training also helps with stability, balance and flexibility for the best experience.
The best muscle strength exercises for you
1. Are these exercises safe to perform?
Yes. All activities are to be carried out safely. If you follow the directions correctly, you can complete the exercise with minimal effort.
2. Do I need a professional trainer?
No. You don't need a professional trainer as these are workouts for beginners. You are also risk free. However, if you want to ensure the safety and convenience of these workouts, a professional trainer is not a bad idea.
3. Is swimming part of muscle strength training?
Yes. Swimming is an essential part of muscle strength training. You can also incorporate it into your fitness routine.
4. How do I do bicep curls?
Muscle strength training is an unquestionable way to strengthen your muscles, gain strength for the body and reactivate your muscles. If you do these exercises on a daily basis, a lot can change over time. So make sure you incorporate them into your daily fitness routine for the best workout experience ever. We promise; you will not be disappointed.
John Du Cane is the author of Qigong Recharge, editor, fitness guru, and accomplished businessman. I was lucky enough to speak to him recently. At first I thought we'd steer the conversation towards kettlebell and John's pioneering work in seeding the fitness industry with quality kettlebell trainers, but something else caught my attention. And so we talked about resilience and longevity.
John's journey began in South Africa, where he spent his youth. At a young age he felt a connection between life and energy. I understood this as his awareness of the life force of the human body and the energy connection between people.
John says, "I was always surrounded by nature and thinking about the world."
John started his qigong and tai chi practice in 1975 and has owned and operated Dragon Door Publications since 1990, where he spans everything from martial arts to isometrics, aside from popularizing tough kettlebell training under the RKC banner.
As a qigong student, John Du Cane understands how our breath is a tool with which we can develop physical and mental resilience.
Qigong is an art that originated in China and is taught to warriors to be fully aware of their bodies and movements. I asked him if a particular segment of qigong would help modern martial artists develop this kind of resilience.
He suggested the iron shirt qigong.
If the breath is energy and energy of life, it makes sense why we breathe in a way that tenses our core muscles when doing exercises like running, pull-ups, or lifting heavy weights in general.
Many books and courses on breathing techniques have been published.
If you're ever intrigued enough to buy a copy of John Du Canes Qigong series on Amazon, I'd also recommend buying a copy of Breathing for Warriors by Belisa Vranich and Brian Sabin.
These books contain a lot of information, tips, and tricks to begin your journey of breathing mastery.
According to John, it can take you many years to learn to control your energy through qigong. Development takes a long time because it goes beyond the physical aspects of our being. It helps us develop mental strength that sharpens our intuitive mind.
This ability can help us navigate life by making meaningful choices. I've made some decisions in life that were logically right but didn't feel exactly right. Ultimately, these decisions led me to point one because I chose to ignore this sense of inner knowing.
This sense of inner knowing is your intuition, and if you choose to cultivate it through qigong, everything that happens to you will happen for you.
It's a change of perspective – a deeper understanding of your purpose on this planet.
Teamwork makes the dream come true. John began his friendship and working relationship with Pavel Tsatsouline when he enrolled in Pavel & # 39; s classes. Pavel & # 39; s technique, charm and articulation skills prompted John to contact Pavel to publish his programs.
In an interview with John, I asked him, "Was it because of all the decades of cultivating and training your intuition that you knew inside that this partnership was going to be a success?"
John Du Cane replied that it might be difficult to understand what was going on in his universe, but it makes sense that he derives his strong self-knowledge from training his inner self.
At the time, kettlebells were not a trend or part of general exercise programs. Even Pavel stated that it was likely a very niche market in which to reach elite strength athletes and other interested professional athletes.
Little did they know that the kettlebell movement was going to become a worldwide phenomenon.
The kettlebell challenge offered people a platform to develop their strength, breathing and resilience all rolled into one. At this point, it's probably safe to say that as long as we're alive and excited about life, we always want to push the boundaries.
We're pushing boundaries to find the answer to the question we've all asked ourselves: Is there more to life than just our daily routines and duties??
A training program called the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) was born, which resulted in millions of people worldwide having the initials RKC tattooed on their bodies. It is safe to say that there is more in life for anyone who wants to challenge themselves by signing up for this rigorous program.
As Pavel says, "I'll show you how to be a better man. If you don't know, I'll show you. If you don't want to, I'll make you."
I am a reflective learner who uses knowledge from the outside world to make it my own internally. My experience with kettlebell workouts has been amazing.
But to do it well, it will take more years before the pursuit of perfection is the journey of a lifetime.
My first encounter with the kettlebell helped me uncover my bad habits in terms of posture, breathing, and timing. I was a strong young man in my late teens and I always found ways to add to my exercise regimen.
The first thing I noticed was that it was easy to get injured with poor form.
In particular, arching your back is not advisable when you are on the downward swing. It also means that I used my arm and hip strength without reaching the full potential of my core strength.
Having abs is cool, but the ability to flex and relax your core at exactly the time you want is the next level.
The repetitive movement of tension and relaxation with which we perform the kettlebell swings can be applied to other forms of fitness such as martial arts and rugby.
There's a lot to do, but the good news is if, like me, you have a kettlebell in your room or office, you can get more exercise time to perfect your form and breathing. It only takes around 10 to 20 minutes for a real workout, which means it's less invasive for your time.
Connor Mcgregor, UFC multiple weight champion, once said, "Accuracy beats strength and timing beats speed."
Hope you made your way to find your form of perfection. If this trip is in fitness, I would highly recommend you buy a copy of John Du Canes Qigong Recharge and Pavel's Fast and Loose-Secrets of Russian Champions.
John Du Cane is the author of Qigong Recharge, editor, fitness guru, and accomplished businessman. I was lucky enough to speak to him recently. At first I thought we'd steer the conversation towards kettlebell and John's pioneering work in seeding the fitness industry with quality kettlebell trainers, but something else caught my attention. And so we talked about resilience and longevity.
John's journey began in South Africa, where he spent his youth. At a young age he felt a connection between life and energy. I understood this as his awareness of the life force of the human body and the energy connection between people.
John says, "I was always surrounded by nature and thinking about the world."
John started his qigong and tai chi practice in 1975 and has owned and operated Dragon Door Publications since 1990, where he spans everything from martial arts to isometrics, aside from popularizing tough kettlebell training under the RKC banner.
As a qigong student, John Du Cane understands how our breath is a tool with which we can develop physical and mental resilience.
Qigong is an art that originated in China and is taught to warriors to be fully aware of their bodies and movements. I asked him if a particular segment of qigong would help modern martial artists develop this kind of resilience.
He suggested the iron shirt qigong.
If the breath is energy and energy of life, it makes sense why we breathe in a way that tenses our core muscles when doing exercises like running, pull-ups, or lifting heavy weights in general.
Many books and courses on breathing techniques have been published.
If you're ever intrigued enough to buy a copy of John Du Canes Qigong series on Amazon, I'd also recommend buying a copy of Breathing for Warriors by Belisa Vranich and Brian Sabin.
These books contain a lot of information, tips, and tricks to begin your journey of breathing mastery.
According to John, it can take you many years to learn to control your energy through qigong. Development takes a long time because it goes beyond the physical aspects of our being. It helps us develop mental strength that sharpens our intuitive mind.
This ability can help us navigate life by making meaningful choices. I've made some decisions in life that were logically right but didn't feel exactly right. Ultimately, these decisions led me to point one because I chose to ignore this sense of inner knowing.
This sense of inner knowing is your intuition, and if you choose to cultivate it through qigong, everything that happens to you will happen for you.
It's a change of perspective – a deeper understanding of your purpose on this planet.
Teamwork makes the dream come true. John began his friendship and working relationship with Pavel Tsatsouline when he enrolled in Pavel & # 39; s classes. Pavel & # 39; s technique, charm and articulation skills prompted John to contact Pavel to publish his programs.
In an interview with John, I asked him, "Was it because of all the decades of cultivating and training your intuition that you knew inside that this partnership was going to be a success?"
John Du Cane replied that it might be difficult to understand what was going on in his universe, but it makes sense that he derives his strong self-knowledge from training his inner self.
At the time, kettlebells were not a trend or part of general exercise programs. Even Pavel stated that it was likely a very niche market in which to reach elite strength athletes and other interested professional athletes.
Little did they know that the kettlebell movement was going to become a worldwide phenomenon.
The kettlebell challenge offered people a platform to develop their strength, breathing and resilience all rolled into one. At this point, it's probably safe to say that as long as we're alive and excited about life, we always want to push the boundaries.
We're pushing boundaries to find the answer to the question we've all asked ourselves: Is there more to life than just our daily routines and duties??
A training program called the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) was born, which resulted in millions of people worldwide having the initials RKC tattooed on their bodies. It is safe to say that there is more in life for anyone who wants to challenge themselves by signing up for this rigorous program.
As Pavel says, "I'll show you how to be a better man. If you don't know, I'll show you. If you don't want to, I'll make you."
I am a reflective learner who uses knowledge from the outside world to make it my own internally. My experience with kettlebell workouts has been amazing.
But to do it well, it will take more years before the pursuit of perfection is the journey of a lifetime.
My first encounter with the kettlebell helped me uncover my bad habits in terms of posture, breathing, and timing. I was a strong young man in my late teens and I always found ways to add to my exercise regimen.
The first thing I noticed was that it was easy to get injured with poor form.
In particular, arching your back is not advisable when you are on the downward swing. It also means that I used my arm and hip strength without reaching the full potential of my core strength.
Having abs is cool, but the ability to flex and relax your core at exactly the time you want is the next level.
The repetitive movement of tension and relaxation with which we perform the kettlebell swings can be applied to other forms of fitness such as martial arts and rugby.
There's a lot to do, but the good news is if, like me, you have a kettlebell in your room or office, you can get more exercise time to perfect your form and breathing. It only takes around 10 to 20 minutes for a real workout, which means it's less invasive for your time.
Connor Mcgregor, UFC multiple weight champion, once said, "Accuracy beats strength and timing beats speed."
Hope you made your way to find your form of perfection. If this trip is in fitness, I would highly recommend you buy a copy of John Du Canes Qigong Recharge and Pavel's Fast and Loose-Secrets of Russian Champions.
When it comes to gaining new muscle mass, protein intake is one of the most important variables to consider. Frequent discussions range from the amount of protein, protein source and bioavailability to refractory periods and protein distribution.
This article gives a brief overview of the data currently available and provides clear and concise recommendations on how to optimize protein distribution throughout the day and maximize your results.
Protein fulfills various functions in the body including, but not limited to, tissue growth and maintenance, 1 catalysis of biochemical reactions, 2 recovery from injury, 3 and normal immune function. 4
Of particular interest, however, is its role in the synthesis of skeletal muscles. Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) 5 is the process by which our bodies synthesize new muscle tissue. This is a primary variable that speeds tissue remodeling.
Muscle protein breakdown (MPB) 6 is an oppositional effect in which muscle proteins are broken down. This effect occurs through autophagy, calpain, and the ubiquitin proteasome systems. 6
The balance between these two processes determines whether a person gains, maintains, or loses muscle mass.
A 20197 paper by Iraki et al. established recommendations for natural bodybuilders in the off-season.
The authors reiterate what the greater body of evidence suggests: Total protein intake is a more important determinant of new muscle mass development than protein distribution.
Currently, research suggests that a protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 g / kg per day is enough to optimize muscle gain
However, with protein, calories, and any resistance training protocol standardized, we still see a slight benefit in optimizing protein distribution throughout the day.
One of the more obvious reasons for this is the refractory period of MPS. The leucine threshold describes the amount of leucine that is required within a protein supply to maximally stimulate MPS8.
A: Changes in muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB) in response to feeding (i.e. amino acids). B: Changes in MPS and MPB in response to resistance training and feeding. The chronic use of these anabolic stimuli as in B leads to muscle hypertrophy8.
Protein quality and bioavailability are beyond the scope of this article, but in general it appears that animal protein appears to be superior to vegetable proteins in most cases.
However, some non-animal sources of protein are of high quality. If you want to dig into this topic, read this and this and this document first. But I digress.
Assuming a sufficient amount of protein is consumed, we will maximize the MPS response (approximately 20-40 g). This reaction comes with the so-called "muscle-full effect", as described by Schönfeld et al. in his work of 2018.9
Once MPS is maximally stimulated, there is essentially a refractory period during which MPS cannot be maximally stimulated again.
A 2017 paper10 by Kirksick et al. found “Taking a 20-40 g protein dose (0.25-0.40 g / kg body mass / dose) from a high-quality source every three to four hours seems to have the most favorable influence on MPS rates compared to other eating habits associated improved body composition and performance results. “10
Does protein distribution affect muscle mass accumulation? Yes, but the effect is small. However, I would caution against assuming that small is not meaningful. Its worth is relative to the individual and their goals.
Hypothetically, a 1% increase in hypertrophy for an elite bodybuilder can mean the difference between 1st and 5th place.
For the average person, the extra effort may not be worth the relatively small impact on results. It is up to each individual to decide whether the investment is worthwhile. Good luck!
References
1. Bosses JD, Dixon BM. "Dietary Protein for Maximizing Strength Training: A Review and Examination of Protein Spread and Theories of Change." J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012, September 8; 9 (1): 42.
2. Cooper GM. "The Central Role of Enzymes as Biological Catalysts." The cell: a molecular approach. 2nd Edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2000.
3. Yeung SE, Hilkewich L., Gillis C., Heine JA, Fenton TR. "Protein intake is associated with reduced length of stay: a comparison between improved recovery after surgery (ERAS) and conventional care after elective colorectal surgery." At J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jul; 106 (1): 44- 51.
4. Li P, Yin YL, Li D, Kim SW, Wu G. "Amino acids and immune function." Br J Nutr. 2007 Aug; 98 (2): 237-23. 52.
5. P.J. Atherton and K. Smith, "Muscle Protein Synthesis in Response to Diet and Exercise." The Journal of Physiology, Vol. 59-5, 1049-57.
6. Kevin D. Tipton, D. Lee Hamilton, Iain J. Gallagher, "Assessing the Role of Muscle Protein Breakdown in Response to Diet and Exercise in Humans." Sports medicine (Aukland, N.Z.). Vol 48, 2018. Suppl 1, 53-64.
7. Juma Iraki, Peter Fitschen, Sergio Espinar, and Eric Helms, "Diet Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Overview." Sport (Basel, Switzerland.), Vol. 7,7 154, June 26, 2019.
8. Burd NA, Tang JE, Moore DR, Phillips SM. "Exercise Training and Protein Metabolism: Influences of Contraction, Protein Intake, and Gender Differences." J Appl Physiol (1985). 2009 May; 106 (5): 1692-1. 701
9. Schönfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A. "How Much Protein Can the Body Use to Build Muscle in a Single Meal? Effects on Daily Protein Distribution." J Int Soc Sports Nutr 15, 10 (2018).
10. Kerksick CM, Arent S., Schönfeld BJ, Stout JR, Campbell B., Wilborn CD, Taylor L., Kalman D., Smith-Ryan AE, Kreider RB, Willoughby D., Arciero PJ, VanDusseldorp TA, Ormsbee MJ , Wildman R., Greenwood M, Ziegenfuss TN, Aragon AA, Antonio J. "State of the International Society for Sports Nutrition: Nutrient Timing." J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017, August 29; 14:33.
When it comes to gaining new muscle mass, protein intake is one of the most important variables to consider. Frequent discussions range from the amount of protein, protein source and bioavailability to refractory periods and protein distribution.
This article gives a brief overview of the data currently available and provides clear and concise recommendations on how to optimize protein distribution throughout the day and maximize your results.
Protein performs various functions in the body including, but not limited to, tissue growth and maintenance,1 catalyze biochemical reactions, 2 recovery from injury,3 and normal immune function.4
Of particular interest, however, is its role in the synthesis of skeletal muscles. Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) 5 is the process by which our bodies synthesize new muscle tissue. This is a primary variable that speeds tissue remodeling.
Muscle protein breakdown (MPB) 6 is an oppositional effect in which muscle proteins are broken down. This effect occurs through autophagy, calpain, and the ubiquitin proteasome systems. 6
The balance between these two processes determines whether a person gains, maintains, or loses muscle mass.
A 20197 paper by Iraki et al. established recommendations for natural bodybuilders in the off-season. The authors reiterate what the greater body of evidence suggests: Total protein intake is a more important determinant of new muscle mass development than protein distribution. Currently, research suggests that a protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 g / kg per day is enough to optimize muscle gain
However, with protein, calories, and any resistance training protocol standardized, we still see a slight benefit in optimizing protein distribution throughout the day.
One of the more obvious reasons for this is the refractory period of MPS. The leucine threshold describes the amount of leucine that is required within a protein supply to maximally stimulate MPS8.
A: Changes in muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB) in response to feeding (i.e. amino acids). B: Changes in MPS and MPB in response to resistance training and feeding. The chronic use of these anabolic stimuli as in B leads to muscle hypertrophy8.
Protein quality and bioavailability are beyond the scope of this article, but in general it appears that animal protein appears to be superior to vegetable proteins in most cases. However, some non-animal sources of protein are of high quality. If you want to dig into this topic, read this and this and this document first. But I digress.
Assuming a sufficient amount of protein is consumed, we will maximize the MPS response (approximately 20-40 g). This reaction comes with the so-called "muscle-full effect", as described by Schönfeld et al. In his work of 2019.9, once MPS is maximally stimulated, there is essentially a refractory period during which MPS cannot be maximally stimulated again.
A 2017 paper10 by Kirksick et al. found “Taking a 20-40 g protein dose (0.25-0.40 g / kg body mass / dose) from a high-quality source every three to four hours seems to have the most favorable influence on MPS rates compared to other eating habits associated improved body composition and performance results. “10
Does protein distribution affect muscle mass accumulation? Yes, but the effect is small. However, I would caution against assuming that small is not meaningful. Its worth is relative to the individual and their goals.
Hypothetically, a 1% increase in hypertrophy for an elite bodybuilder can mean the difference between 1st and 5th place.
For the average person, the extra effort may not be worth the relatively small impact on results. It is up to each individual to decide whether the investment is worthwhile. Good luck!
References
1. Bosses JD, Dixon BM. "Dietary Protein for Maximizing Strength Training: A Review and Examination of Protein Spread and Theories of Change." J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012, September 8; 9 (1): 42.
2. Cooper GM. "The Central Role of Enzymes as Biological Catalysts." The cell: a molecular approach. 2nd Edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2000.
3. Yeung SE, Hilkewich L., Gillis C., Heine JA, Fenton TR. "Protein intake is associated with reduced length of stay: a comparison between improved recovery after surgery (ERAS) and conventional care after elective colorectal surgery." At J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jul; 106 (1): 44- 51.
4. Li P, Yin YL, Li D, Kim SW, Wu G. "Amino acids and immune function." Br J Nutr. 2007 Aug; 98 (2): 237-23. 52.
5. P.J. Atherton and K. Smith, "Muscle Protein Synthesis in Response to Diet and Exercise." The Journal of Physiology, Vol. 59-5, 1049-57.
6. Kevin D. Tipton, D. Lee Hamilton, Iain J. Gallagher, "Assessing the Role of Muscle Protein Breakdown in Response to Diet and Exercise in Humans." Sports medicine (Aukland, N.Z.). Vol 48, 2018. Suppl 1, 53-64.
7. Juma Iraki, Peter Fitschen, Sergio Espinar, and Eric Helms, "Diet Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Overview." Sport (Basel, Switzerland.), Vol. 7,7 154, June 26, 2019.
8. Burd NA, Tang JE, Moore DR, Phillips SM. "Exercise Training and Protein Metabolism: Influences of Contraction, Protein Intake, and Gender Differences." J Appl Physiol (1985). 2009 May; 106 (5): 1692-1. 701
9. Schönfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A. "How Much Protein Can the Body Use to Build Muscle in a Single Meal? Effects on Daily Protein Distribution." J Int Soc Sports Nutr 15, 10 (2018).
10. Kerksick CM, Arent S., Schönfeld BJ, Stout JR, Campbell B., Wilborn CD, Taylor L., Kalman D., Smith-Ryan AE, Kreider RB, Willoughby D., Arciero PJ, VanDusseldorp TA, Ormsbee MJ , Wildman R., Greenwood M, Ziegenfuss TN, Aragon AA, Antonio J. "State of the International Society for Sports Nutrition: Nutrient Timing." J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017, August 29; 14:33.
Because of my email inbox and Instagram DMs, post workout recovery is a hot topic. I get all sorts of questions about recovery techniques.
I'm glad people are paying some attention to their recovery. Unfortunately, I think they are paying their attention to the wrong pieces of the recovery puzzle. In this series of articles, I'm going to help you maximize your recovery and results by focusing on what really matters.
I will explain::
This trend towards paying more attention to recreation is admirable.
In part, this is not surprising I like to remind people that instead of lifting bigger and stronger weights, they are recovering from lifting weights.
I have tried many times to illustrate the importance of recovery by presenting progress as a simple equation:
Stress can be both good and bad. Good stress, or what psychologists call eustress, is the type of stress we feel when we are excited. Exercise is a burden on the body. With sufficient dosage, it is undoubtedly useful.
Bad stress comes in two forms:
Your tolerance and ability to cope with stress are different from mine.
Our tolerance also fluctuates over time. There is only so much stress to deal with. When you are under too much pressure you become overwhelmed. Your recovery from exercise will suffer during times of high stress.
Managing your stress level improves the quality of life.
It improves your digestion, rest, mood, and productivity. It will also improve your muscle building and fat loss.
Note that I am calling it stress management – not avoiding or reducing stress.
The fact is, you can't completely avoid stress.
However, you can improve management. The better you deal with stress, you will be happier, fitter, leaner, and more muscular. In short, life is getting better.
The body's control center is the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS regulates the involuntary functions of the human body. The stuff that happens without you consciously thinking about it, like breathing or digestion.
The ANS has two branches::
These two work like a seesaw. Whenever one of the modes is activated, the other is not activated. When one is up, the other is down.
Unfortunately, your body cannot differentiate between different types of stress.
When the sympathetic nervous system is upregulated, it can't tell the difference between the stress of a life-threatening event, challenging workout, or the asshole that just cut you off in traffic.
To deal with stress, we want to spend most of our time in a parasympathetic state. However, the reality is that we spend too much time in a personable state. The uninterrupted flood of stress adds up when we face daily challenges.
This sympathetic state has many negative health effects and inhibits our ability to build lean muscles and reduce body fat.
In my experience, so many hard-gainers have difficulty seeing progress because they are chronically stressed and are working to manage stress, which increases their anxiety and creates a downward spiral.
Instead of winning hard, I refer to these people as easy losers.
Their stress levels cause them to lose profit at an alarming rate at the slightest change in a routine or a life circumstance because they handle stress badly.
With this in mind, it is time to identify strategies that can be used to control stress as much as possible.
A good indicator of your stress level and your parasympathetic versus sympathetic dominance is your waking heart rate.
By monitoring your heart rate, you can get useful data that can help you assess your general stress status and determine when it is increasing.
Significant increases or decreases in your waking heart rate indicate when you are experiencing higher periods of stress. I suggest you get a decent heart rate monitor to assess this. You can also examine heart rate variability apps to add another tier of rating.
Cal Newport talks about how the autopilot can help you be more productive and less stressed. He says that there are two types of work in his world:
Regularly occurring tasks
Tasks that do not occur regularly
Being autopilot applies to almost everyone.
The problem with tasks that occur regularly is that they are so numerous that if we try to manage them on the fly, we get left behind and overwhelmed.
I believe that feeling of being overwhelmed is one of the main drivers of stress in people's lives. It is certainly a major cause of mine.
To cope with this, Newport assigns a specific time slot to each regularly occurring task. He calls this his autopilot schedule. He found that he doesn't waste time or energy prioritizing and planning tasks on a daily basis. You're on autopilot.
Once you've assigned this stuff to specific times and made it a routine, you can assign any other available times to other things that interest you. This method requires some advance planning, but it pays off.
The last point is to understand that it will take time to refine and adjust this process.
Fortunately, you're so much more efficient that you have the time to make adjustments as needed.
When you have a morning routine to start your day, you are on the right foot and set the scene for the rest of the day.
You can run the day instead of the day you run.
I am a supporter of the Miracle Morning Routine. I'm doing the express version, which takes less than 15 minutes and has six steps.
The six steps are::
remain silent
Affirmations
Visualizations
exercise
read
Write
Various apps are available to walk you through the process.
If I stick to the Miracle Morning routine, I will be more productive and feel in control.
Meditation is a great way to combat stress. I haven't gone full muesli yogi yet. When I get a little older, I may fully embrace Zen.
I am aware that the word meditation has negative connotations in some people (my cereal yogi reference is a case in point). So if you're not ready to think about meditation, call it silence, chillaxing, mindfulness, or whatever makes you comfortable.
Instead of fully meditating, I sit quietly and concentrate on my breath for a few minutes.
Abdominal breathing, breathing deeply through your nose and slowly exhaling through your mouth do the trick.
If you want a guide, the Headspace app is excellent. I did some of the 5-10 minute guided meditations and it definitely calms you down. Those few minutes a day have a remarkable effect on managing your stress levels.
Being mindful or present is all the rage these days.
There's a good reason for that. We live in an always connected, yet very distracted world. The sheer amount of input competing for our attention is mind-boggling.
Living in this always distracted state is stressful and is similar to attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Try to fix this:
It doesn't matter whether you keep a diary in your leather-bound notepad while you have a coffee, hang out with friends over a barbecue or write the sales pitch in front of your laptop in the office.
When you are fully in the moment, you will become more productive, efficient, and effective in everything you do. It will help improve your mood and filter out potential external stressors.
Cheesy quote alert:
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift – that's why it's called the present.
– Eleanor Roosevelt
In his book The Chimp Paradox, Dr. Steve Peters on our chimpanzee brain and how it can control us. When the chimpanzee takes over, the logic evaporates and the emotions take over.
Too often when we are under stress we act emotionally. The chimpanzee in us becomes irritable and can wreak havoc before we know what happened.
When we get an emotional reaction to something, it usually wears off after about 90 seconds if we don't respond to it.
Pema Chodron talks about it in the book "Living beautifully: With uncertainty and change".
Emotions will drain and drain. In stressful situations, they can rise up inside you like a tsunami. It's only natural. The best way to deal with stress and keep it under control seems to be to accept the emotions. To feel it. But don't act on them. If you act on them, you add fuel to their fire. They will rage higher and longer. Instead, let them burn themselves. Then, when you are calm and the logic has returned, think about how you can avoid repeating the situation that put you in a position of stress and brought up negative emotions such as fear, worry, hate or fear.
– Pema Chodron
While feeling the emotions, it may be a good idea to inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale through your mouth.
This deep breathing has an incredibly calming effect on your body. In my experience, it can help speed the reduction of negative emotions when they occur.
A side effect of stress is shallow breathing.
Shallow breathing interferes with proper oxygenation to cells and reduces your body's ability to recover.
Given that I love to say, "You don't get heavy weights, you make a big recovery from lifting weights."
I've said it twice in this article, so it should be obvious why I believe that if you get stuck in a stressed, shallow state of breathing, it will limit your gains.
Tip for recovery after exercise: With a few simple breathing exercises you can switch from combat or flight mode to rest and digestion mode after training.
This breathing immediately reduces stress, increases the oxygen supply to the cells and accelerates the recovery processes. Exercising in the evening will also help you relax and fall asleep.
Sleep is the most powerful recovery tool available to you. It is therefore of vital importance!
Breathing exercises can also be useful as a proactive stress management tool when done daily. As I mentioned before, I try for a few minutes every morning. It creates a wonderfully calm feeling. I would never claim to be calm, but this is probably the next thing I feel.
Is it that bad what challenges you? Most of the things we worry about are not that important. It is rarely life or death, or it leads us to financial ruin.
Sit back, take stock, and ask yourself, "What's the worst that can happen?"? "
Often you can gain perspective, look at the stressor objectively and place its meaning appropriately in the hierarchy of events, needs, desires or stresses in your life.
Then nine times out of ten you will relax and find that you unnecessarily twisted your knickers.
Bonus tip::
Step away from your phone – no, not this second – continue reading this fascinating article 🙂 Then step away from your phone.
What do you instinctively do while waiting for a train or a queue? Most of us reach for our cell phones. This dependency for our phone wasn't the case 10 to 12 years ago.
We'd have to wait – just preoccupied with our thoughts or maybe the conversation has started with a stranger waiting next to us (conversations with real people, in person – that's strange).
We have lost the art of patience, waiting and thinking.
Boredom is a thing of the past. There's always a notification, something on social media, YouTube, or Netflix to keep us entertained. We are still joining the matrix and we seem unable to extract ourselves.
Smartphones have many advantages (don't get me wrong, smartphones are amazing). The downside is that we have become slaves to them.
Our phones increase our stress and anxiety and help us achieve a personable state.
Try to take some time – some kind of digital detox. Turning off / on airplane mode can reduce stress and anxiety. It can also enable you to achieve the mindfulness and presence that I discussed earlier.
It is not easy to take time for our phones. Smartphones are addicting! I have problems with this, but I know that when the phone is out of sight, when I'm at work or out with family, I'm less stressed, more productive, and happier. This struggle also applies to those I am with. Start small and build time.
Some ideas to control the usage of your phone are:::
Don't check for the first 30 minutes of your day.
If you are doing important work, please switch it to airplane mode and set a timer for how long the work task should last. Don't look at your phone until the time is up.
No smartphones with meals
Put your phone in a different room at home so you don't get distracted by it.
Are you watching TV with your wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, friends, family, cat or dog? Keep the phone out of sight. Enjoy doing what you do and the fact that the phone doesn't distract you.
Set up restricted areas. Whether it's physical (e.g. not in the bedroom) or time zones (e.g. not using the phone for the first hour after getting home from work), this rule improves the quality of your relationships to important other people.
Set a good example. If you want to be less distracted when spending time with your partner, the first thing you should do is consciously be less distracted. Then, when you suggest that they do the same, they are more likely to respect and value your opinion. Trying to impose it on them before you have achieved it will meet with resistance.
Hope the stress management tips above are helpful to you.
If you can use some of these to help manage your stress levels, you'll be a happier, more productive, and focused person. You will also benefit from rigorous exercise programs and translate your training into noticeable gains in strength, size, and body composition.
In the second installment in this series, The Importance of Structured Training Programs in Recovery, I explain why significant recovery begins with excellent program design.
In it, I outline the four key concepts you will need to understand how to optimize your training and maximize your recoverability.
Because of my email inbox and Instagram DMs, post workout recovery is a hot topic. I get all sorts of questions about recovery techniques.
I'm glad people are paying some attention to their recovery. Unfortunately, I think they are paying their attention to the wrong pieces of the recovery puzzle. In this series of articles, I'm going to help you maximize your recovery and results by focusing on what really matters.
I will explain::
This trend towards paying more attention to recreation is admirable.
In part, this is not surprising I like to remind people that instead of lifting bigger and stronger weights, they are recovering from lifting weights.
I have tried many times to illustrate the importance of recovery by presenting progress as a simple equation:
Stimulus + recovery = adjustment
Stress can be both good and bad. Good stress, or what psychologists call eustress, is the type of stress we feel when we are excited. Exercise is a burden on the body. With sufficient dosage, it is undoubtedly useful.
Bad stress comes in two forms:
Your tolerance and ability to cope with stress are different from mine.
Our tolerance also fluctuates over time. There is only so much stress to deal with. When you are under too much pressure you become overwhelmed. Your recovery from exercise will suffer during times of high stress.
Managing your stress level improves the quality of life.
It improves your digestion, rest, mood, and productivity. It will also improve your muscle building and fat loss.
Note that I am calling it stress management – not avoiding or reducing stress.
The fact is, you can't completely avoid stress.
However, you can improve management. The better you deal with stress, you will be happier, fitter, leaner, and more muscular. In short, life is getting better.
The body's control center is the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS regulates the involuntary functions of the human body. The stuff that happens without you consciously thinking about it, like breathing or digestion.
The ANS has two branches::
These two work like a seesaw. Whenever one of the modes is activated, the other is not activated. When one is up, the other is down.
Unfortunately, your body cannot differentiate between different types of stress.
When the sympathetic nervous system is upregulated, it can't tell the difference between the stress of a life-threatening event, challenging workout, or the asshole that just cut you off in traffic.
To deal with stress, we want to spend most of our time in a parasympathetic state. However, the reality is that we spend too much time in a personable state. The uninterrupted flood of stress adds up when we face daily challenges.
This sympathetic state has many negative health effects and inhibits our ability to build lean muscles and reduce body fat.
In my experience, so many hard-gainers have difficulty seeing progress because they are chronically stressed and are working to manage stress, which increases their anxiety and creates a downward spiral.
Instead of winning hard, I refer to these people as easy losers.
Their stress levels cause them to lose profit at an alarming rate at the slightest change in a routine or a life circumstance because they handle stress badly.
With this in mind, it is time to identify strategies that can be used to control stress as much as possible.
A good indicator of your stress level and your parasympathetic versus sympathetic dominance is your waking heart rate.
By monitoring your heart rate, you can get useful data that can help you assess your general stress status and determine when it is increasing.
Significant increases or decreases in your waking heart rate indicate when you are experiencing higher periods of stress. I suggest you get a decent heart rate monitor to assess this. You can also examine heart rate variability apps to add another tier of rating.
Cal Newport talks about how the autopilot can help you be more productive and less stressed. He says that there are two types of work in his world:
Regularly occurring tasks
Tasks that do not occur regularly
Being autopilot applies to almost everyone.
The problem with tasks that occur regularly is that they are so numerous that if we try to manage them on the fly, we get left behind and overwhelmed.
I believe that feeling of being overwhelmed is one of the main drivers of stress in people's lives. It is certainly a major cause of mine.
To cope with this, Newport assigns a specific time slot to each regularly occurring task. He calls this his autopilot schedule. He found that he doesn't waste time or energy prioritizing and planning tasks on a daily basis. You're on autopilot.
Once you've assigned this stuff to specific times and made it a routine, you can assign any other available times to other things that interest you. This method requires some advance planning, but it pays off.
The last point is to understand that it will take time to refine and adjust this process.
Fortunately, you're so much more efficient that you have the time to make adjustments as needed.
When you have a morning routine to start your day, you are on the right foot and set the scene for the rest of the day.
You can run the day instead of the day you run.
I am a supporter of the Miracle Morning Routine. I'm doing the express version, which takes less than 15 minutes and has six steps.
The six steps are::
remain silent
Affirmations
Visualizations
exercise
read
Write
Various apps are available to walk you through the process.
If I stick to the Miracle Morning routine, I will be more productive and feel in control.
Meditation is a great way to combat stress. I haven't gone full muesli yogi yet. When I get a little older, I may fully embrace Zen.
I am aware that the word meditation has negative connotations in some people (my cereal yogi reference is a case in point). So if you're not ready to think about meditation, call it silence, chillaxing, mindfulness, or whatever makes you comfortable.
Instead of fully meditating, I sit quietly and concentrate on my breath for a few minutes.
Abdominal breathing, breathing deeply through your nose and slowly exhaling through your mouth do the trick.
If you want a guide, the Headspace app is excellent. I did some of the 5-10 minute guided meditations and it definitely calms you down. Those few minutes a day have a remarkable effect on managing your stress levels.
Being mindful or present is all the rage these days.
There's a good reason for that. We live in an always connected, yet very distracted world. The sheer amount of input competing for our attention is mind-boggling.
Living in this always distracted state is stressful and is similar to attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Try to fix this:
It doesn't matter whether you keep a diary in your leather-bound notepad while you have a coffee, hang out with friends over a barbecue or write the sales pitch in front of your laptop in the office.
When you are fully in the moment, you will become more productive, efficient, and effective in everything you do. It will help improve your mood and filter out potential external stressors.
Cheesy quote alert:
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift – that's why it's called the present.
Eleanor Roosevelt
In his book The Chimp Paradox, Dr. Steve Peters on our chimpanzee brain and how it can control us. When the chimpanzee takes over, the logic evaporates and the emotions take over. Too often when we are under stress we act emotionally. The chimpanzee in us becomes irritable and can wreak havoc before we know what happened.
When we get an emotional reaction to something, it usually wears off after about 90 seconds if we don't respond to it.
Pema Chodron talks about it in the book "Living beautifully: With uncertainty and change".
Emotions will drain and drain. In stressful situations, they can rise up inside you like a tsunami. It's only natural. The best way to deal with stress and keep it under control seems to be to accept the emotions. To feel it. But don't act on them. If you act on them, you add fuel to their fire. They will rage higher and longer. Instead, let them burn themselves. Then, when you are calm and the logic has returned, think about how you can avoid repeating the situation that put you in a position of stress and brought up negative emotions such as fear, worry, hate or fear.
Pema Chodron
While feeling the emotions, it may be a good idea to inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale through your mouth.
This deep breathing has an incredibly calming effect on your body. In my experience, it can help speed the reduction of negative emotions when they occur.
A side effect of stress is shallow breathing.
Shallow breathing interferes with proper oxygenation to cells and reduces your body's ability to recover.
Given that I love to say, "You don't get heavy weights, you make a big recovery from lifting weights."
I've said it twice in this article, so it should be obvious why I believe that if you get stuck in a stressed, shallow state of breathing, it will limit your gains.
Tip for recovery after exercise: With a few simple breathing exercises you can switch from combat or flight mode to rest and digestion mode after training.
This breathing immediately reduces stress, increases the oxygen supply to the cells and accelerates the recovery processes. Exercising in the evening will also help you relax and fall asleep.
Sleep is the most powerful recovery tool available to you. It is therefore of vital importance!
Breathing exercises can also be useful as a proactive stress management tool when done daily. As I mentioned before, I try for a few minutes every morning. It creates a wonderfully calm feeling. I would never claim to be calm, but this is probably the next thing I feel.
Is it that bad what challenges you? Most of the things we worry about are not that important. It is rarely life or death, or it leads us to financial ruin.
Sit back, take stock, and ask yourself, "What's the worst that can happen?"? "
Often you can gain perspective, look at the stressor objectively and place its meaning appropriately in the hierarchy of events, needs, desires or stresses in your life.
Then nine times out of ten you will relax and find that you unnecessarily twisted your knickers.
Bonus tip::
Step away from your phone – no, not this second – continue reading this fascinating article 🙂 Then step away from your phone.
What do you instinctively do while waiting for a train or a queue? Most of us reach for our cell phones. This dependency for our phone wasn't the case 10 to 12 years ago. We'd have to wait – just preoccupied with our thoughts or maybe the conversation has started with a stranger waiting next to us (conversations with real people, in person – that's strange).
We have lost the art of patience, waiting and thinking.
Boredom is a thing of the past. There's always a notification, something on social media, YouTube, or Netflix to keep us entertained. We are still joining the matrix and we seem unable to extract ourselves.
Smartphones have many advantages (don't get me wrong, smartphones are amazing). The downside is that we have become slaves to them.
Our phones increase our stress and anxiety and help us achieve a personable state.
Try to take some time – some kind of digital detox. Turning off / on airplane mode can reduce stress and anxiety. It can also enable you to achieve the mindfulness and presence that I discussed earlier.
It is not easy to take time for our phones. Smartphones are addicting! I have problems with this, but I know that when the phone is out of sight, when I'm at work or out with family, I'm less stressed, more productive, and happier. This struggle also applies to those I am with. Start small and build time.
Some ideas to control the usage of your phone are:::
Don't check for the first 30 minutes of your day.
If you are doing important work, please switch it to airplane mode and set a timer for how long the work task should last. Don't look at your phone until the time is up.
No smartphones with meals
Put your phone in a different room at home so you don't get distracted by it.
Are you watching TV with your wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, friends, family, cat or dog? Keep the phone out of sight. Enjoy doing what you do and the fact that the phone doesn't distract you.
Set up restricted areas. Whether it's physical (e.g. not in the bedroom) or time zones (e.g. not using the phone for the first hour after getting home from work), this rule improves the quality of your relationships to important other people.
Set a good example. If you want to be less distracted when spending time with your partner, the first thing you should do is consciously be less distracted. Then, when you suggest that they do the same, they are more likely to respect and value your opinion. Trying to impose it on them before you have achieved it will meet with resistance.
Hope the stress management tips above are helpful to you.
If you can use some of these to help manage your stress levels, you'll be a happier, more productive, and focused person. You will also benefit from rigorous exercise programs and translate your training into noticeable gains in strength, size, and body composition.
Stay tuned…
In the second installment in this series, I'll explain why significant recovery begins with excellent program design.
In it, I'll outline four key concepts you will need to understand how to optimize your workout and maximize your recoverability.
Building strong pecs can seem almost impossible if you don't know how to press the right buttons. However, the right type of exercise can change the game for you and transform your body like never before. If you've tried almost every exercise online and still haven't got any results, then there's nothing to worry about.
Today we're going to help you unleash the top five chest muscle exercises to try. They will help you look like your favorite celebrity. we promise!
1. Cable crossing bent forward
If you are a beginner and hope to find something that is easy for you to play, we are here with your good news. The forward curved cable crossover is for people like you who can't do hard workouts. You must stand while doing this exercise. Let us show you how to do the exercise.
For starters, you'll need to attach the single-grip cable to either side of a pulley. Make sure they are in a low position. Now stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and lean forward slightly. Move your arms up and down. Make sure you breathe out during this movement. Now lower your arms in a controlled manner until they are at your sides. Repeat the steps for best results.
2. Dips
Dips are the perfect upper body exercise to exercise regularly. All you have to do is follow the instructions carefully for the best experience. We promise; It will not fail to work wonders for you in need.
First, hold the parallel dip bars and lift your body. Now keep your elbows straight at this point. Your head should be in one line. Your wrists should also match your forearms. Bring one leg over the other to stabilize the lower part of your body. Now exhale and bend your elbows to lower your body. Keep your elbows near your sides. Your legs should be directly under your body to avoid swinging. Now lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle and your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your wrist straight. So, stop and straighten your elbows by pressing the bars with your hands. Once this is done, you can return to the starting position.
3. Bench press with the barbell
The barbell bench press is one of the most effective workouts of all time. You need to do the exercise and get results right away.
Position yourself on the bench with your feet on the floor. Your back should be flat at this point. Hold the barbell with your palms facing up. Your thumbs should be wrapped around the bar. Move the bar to the starting position. Now position the bar over your chin and keep your elbows and wrists straight. Inhale and gradually lower the bar until it touches your chest under your armpits. As you lower yourself, extend your elbows slightly. Finally, exhale and push the bar up. Repeat the exercise for the best benefit.
4. Squeeze the chest
As the name suggests, chest squeezing is the best exercise for you to work out in need. Training is also easy and convenient. So you don't have to worry about anything.
For starters, you need to adjust the chest press bench. Your feet should be on the floor. Hold the handles and exhale as you squeeze them. Make sure your arms are straight too. Keep your elbows slightly bent. As you inhale, gradually pull the bars toward you and let the weights come down. Repeat the workout a few times for the best experience possible.
5. Pec deck
The pec deck is a great way to improve your chest muscles. If you are looking for the perfect way to strengthen your body, this could be your ultimate way to do it.
Keep your feet flat on the floor. Make sure it is shoulder width apart.
Now raise your arms until they reach shoulder height. Place your elbows in the center of the pad on the wings of the machine. So, slide the wings together and stop before they touch. Return to the starting position.
The final result
These are some of the best chest exercises. If you want to improve your chest muscles, make sure you get the most out of this article. We promise; it will help you like never before.
When we are strung together, we should say these three words with our tails between our legs and a strong flicker to our confidence. I'm not going to get on my high horse and go through a Pinterest list of virtuous bullet points of how personal growth starts here and how courage is found in those moments, blah blah blah.
My reason for writing this is that I was wrong a lot.
I know what it feels like to be a young coach who has one of those epic moments when the thought of "Ohhh shit, I think I screwed it up" rushes down your back like a fire station alarm.
And in that moment, you see your career, approach, and entire belief structure flash before your eyes.
It's a slap in the face for sure, but one that has a ton of benefits.
I hope you can put your ego aside and admit that some of your trusted may hold you and your clientele back.
My career began in the spring of 1999. According to the dictionary definition of the word, I was a map-wearing meathead.
I loved the weight room, started my college career in strength and conditioning, and couldn't have been happier. I thought it was great to start work at 4am. Less sleep meant I could be in the gym longer. When I stopped training at 7 or 8 p.m. it was perfect.
I didn't want a relationship or family anyway. I was that guy.
One of the coaching cues we've used for years was toe up! Toes in our squats or deadlifts, basically any closed chain exercise.
The intent was good in that we were trying to get the lifters to shift their weight back. We knew much of the back chain would appear online when the heels are buried.
It was the day and age that all problems were attributed to rear chain problems.
"Do you have chronic migraines?"
"It's because your back chain is weak."
"Break up with your wife?"
"There are problems with the rear chain."
"Do you have erectile dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic nosebleeds, sleepwalking, or severe acne?"
"A regular diet of RDL should fix everything." – Yes, so we preached.
And we preached it. And then something funny happened. We had a lot of lower back problems, especially when squatting. These complaints were also in recent years when political correctness was not an issue.
We have attributed every injury or chronic problem to the child's lack of toughness or softness.
Then, seven years after my career, I heard a friend of mine give a lecture at a kettlebell class I took on the big toe and how he has a direct neurological relationship with the glutes:
Wait what?
The glutes are part of the rear chain, but it's like the rearmost of the rear chain.
Oh shit, I think I screwed this up.
After experiencing this myself, my mind raced through the kids I had trained up to this point, including the soft-ass kids with lower back problems. Have I been holding back my athletes (by the thousands at this point)?
Could I have been the reason all of these kids had lower back problems? The cold hard truth is very likely yes.
I've told this story before on this website, but it needs to be repeated. With this popping up over and over again, I really wanted to become the second coming of my mentor, Mike Kent.
Coach Kent is a national coaching treasure. There is no one like him and every athlete he has ever met has loved him. I was one of them and I really wanted to be like him.
Problem is, I couldn't see how adaptable he was to different groups.
I became the soccer version because I played soccer for Coach Kent, and I thought that version was the silver bullet to get any athlete to work.
Was i right? I was golden in football:
In retrospect, I was kind of a tyrant and they ate it up.
Insert our women soccer team. You can imagine what's coming – the same recipe. I trained hard, made no excuses, refused to let her complain, and pushed her harder than ever.
And I've lost every single one of them. When I say lost, I mean I earned the nickname The Weight Room Nazi.
You hated me.
They hated getting into the weight room, and I got to the point where my skin would crawl knowing they were up to date for the day.
Instead of inspiring them or showing them how to dig deep, they continued to descend into disinterest and carelessness. It was the worst.
That was the reason::
Oh shit, I think I screwed this up. I will let you decide.
There is right, and then the insecure, desperate, and manic need has to be right. Most of us live somewhere in the middle.
And the whole reason for writing this article is to challenge you to a soul search.
I didn't promise Pinterest moments, but I've been in the game for nearly 22 years and I salute the whoops-a-daisy moments. I've learned enough and seen so much that sometimes I feel like I've seen it all.
And then I realize that I don't know everything.
Our ego works for a number of reasons. Some are productive, but most are toxic. And as coach or trainer, we have chosen an important decision-making profession. We are the last word, the long arm of the law.
Most of us have a lot of education (degrees and certificates) and are confident in our thinking. Because of the physical nature of our actions and the incredible adaptability of the nervous system, the body adapts and gives us recognition when we don't deserve it.
Dr. Susan Puhl (may she rest in peace) was my lecturer in advanced movement physiology and my chair during my thesis. She was as smart as she came and was a blast in the classroom.
I love telling this story about my first group presentation in her class.
We took up the subject of height and its effects on the human body. The instructor divided us into small groups and we spent an entire evening presenting our sections.
Each group had 3-5 people and we were responsible for each section individually for a few minutes. We were all a little nervous, and then the first student gets up and starts her serving.
Within the first few minutes, Dr. Puhl her a question. At that moment the lady gave an answer that she believed could pass.
Dr. Puhl commented: "Wrong – try again. "
The young lady made one more attempt to work her way through the answer.
All we heard from the back of the room was, "No, the wrong answer, please try again. "
The student's share should be a few minutes. But the exchange lasted 20 minutes as she sobbed in front of 18 strangers.
Round and round they went. The more this girl tried to shit, the more Dr. Don't pull them off the hook.
In the middle of this debacle, I began to sink into my seat because I was up next, feeling the fate that might come my way.
Another guy in my group named Victor was already scared of the presentation, so I'm pretty sure he was sitting there in a puddle of his urine.
Just before this poor girl's soul was about to leave her body for good, Dr. Peel the dogs off.
Dr. Puhl said: "Do you know why I don't stop?" And the wet mess of someone in front of us said, "No, why?"
Your answer was straightforward.
"It's because you clearly don't know but refuse to admit that you don't know. So you'd rather think of answers than admit that you don't know. I would have liked to have accepted that and let you move on, but instead I wanted to see how long you would shake off guesswork than swallow your pride and let us all know that you have no answer. In the future, the answer is simple; the answer is, I don't know. "
– Dr. Susan Puhl
From that moment on, things changed for all of us. As you may have thought, while standing up and answering questions, I stumbled upon myself to give the reliable and bulletproof answer, I don't know.
I appreciate the need to be right. I understand the image we are trying to maintain and we don't want to look unprepared. But do you know when to stop talking in circles and try to pull an answer out of nowhere.
And never bullshit. Let them know you don't know, but you will find out and get back to them with a response as soon as possible.
What the hell does all of this have to do with this article??
By the time I showed up, I was nerd spending my evenings and weekends at the library in Eastern Kentucky reading all the research I could get my hands on. I've read every word in the first five volumes (34 currently) of this publication.
Because of this journal and related scientific journals, the profession has accelerated discoveries and improved old ones.
When I started, the profession was in diapers. Well, I mean, the evolution of strength science is like a rocket ship. We are developing at breathtaking speed.
The reason I'm bringing this to you is because I was guilty of myself, maybe more than anyone.
The phrase "What we've always done." rolls right off your tongue.
It's also the greatest answer of all. It tells us that you are lazy. It gives me all the information I will ever need about you.
I experience this as we speak, a professional night of the soul. I'm on the last nine of my careers and what we've always done doesn't make a lot of sense.
Yes, there are mainstays in my system, these exercises or groupings that would be the hill on which I would die. But many of the things I have been preaching for two decades are losing their luster. Why? Because I tinker with other things.
I hear fresh voices and watch some brilliant people do unconventional things that are downright better at getting the results they want. This openness is contrary to what I've always done.
To give you some insight, a lot of the traditional exercises like squats and dead and how we performed them don't work.
I'm a big procrastinator. When we do this in the weight room, we do it in the field. And to be honest, I am struggling to lie to myself that the transmission is how I need it or how I envisioned it. Was it all a lie? In real time I'm telling you, oh shit, I think I screwed this up.
I stand on a mountaintop of epic proportions in the world of admitting that I was wrong. I question the structure of my system.
Not because I was wrong all along, but because there are better options now.
You can't be wrong if it's the best choice available, but when a better alternative has shown its face it's a real crossroads.
I'm not exactly sure where I'll be in a year. Stay tuned and find out.
Look, we all have to face the music at some point. The day will come when you discover that something you prescribe to your clientele is not working. And that's okay. It's pretty liberating to be honest.
I'm too old to waste any more time.
My reputation has never really been my concern and I'm certainly not afraid to tarnish it now. It's easy for me to admit when I'm wrong and say "I don't know" (great love for you, Dr. Puhl). It gives me room for something better.
I want to be excellent and I don't have time to throw away.
Embrace being wrong. It happens. Do what is asked of you, and then move on. You will do better.
