Finding Substance

Image courtesy of MB Wilmot "The Desert Warrior"

Let me tell you a story... and I'm going to warn you, this is a lengthy read. So... pop some popcorn, grab a snack, a comfy blanket and a pillow... whatever you do, don't miss out on reading everything, in the case that you needed to hear what I had to spew in this one.

When I was 5 years old, a lot of crazy things happened that my parents might call events from my broad imagination (there's no doubt my imagination is quite vast in size). However, these events I hold as actual events of reality that were a foreshadowing of the person I was to become.

DUN DUN DUN

Seriously. Call me crazy, but I dreamt of Jesus (no, hang on for just a second there, this is not going to be a religiously theological post, I'm just telling you a story so sit your caboose down and listen up, I'll get to my point eventually). He was following me - chasing, even - and I was kinda scared (what do you expect? I was 5 years of age and this olive-skinned dude w/ (not the best description, but best as I can make) these crazy eyes that weren't like any eyes I've ever seen, but kind of looked like this dude whose picture was on an altar that my parents had in the home (except dude on the altar looked a lot whiter, this dude was olive-skinned, really dark hair, and kinda Middle-Eastern looking) was chasing me.

I had in my pocket what seemed like a never-ending supply of wood, plus a hammer and nails. Just like you'd see in the cartoons, I started building an ark-like box of protection around myself trying to get away to some extent, and He just kept coming at me through the wood. Finally, I was in what was a 2mm x 2mm space (I know that's impossible, but that was the exact spacing that I had figured in my mind after building layer upon layer of wood for protection around me) and had nowhere else to go. His face came through and was face-to-face with mines when I understood, "Do not be afraid."

I woke up.

Later that year, I was playing in the backyard of our new home when I came across a baby bird that had somehow found its way to the cement (as if it had fallen from the sky somehow - no tree/nest nearby that made any sense for it to be laying where it was). It was still alive. The problem with this baby bird - a bird that was featherless (YES, THAT YOUNG) - was not only was it alive, but it was knocking on death's door already and ants were already starting to eat at it. I was moved by such pity that I ran into the house, grabbed the butcher knife, came out and (not looking) chopped off its head in what I thought to be a kindness.

Now before you think I'm really crazy (or maybe you think so already, but hear me out), as separate as these two events might seem, they were definitely the first two events in my life that I can think of linking me to my current self. 

A dream of Jesus and a mercy-killing equals a health & fitness professional? Doesn't seem to match up well, does it?

Well, fast-forward to present day. I've learned a lot, experienced a lot and continue living each and every day of my life.  I've lived through the deaths of many people who were influential in my life... the ones who particularly stick out are those who've really been catalysts in creating the person whom I am today.  And while I'm no more perfect than I was yesterday, I believe that I'm doing better in making more solid choices on how to proceed with living my life the way I want to live it, as opposed to yesterday. My thoughts and my actions have a more clear intention in their role for my moving forward with life. My passion for leaving this world a better place than I found it drives me.

Circling back to the two previous events I had discussed, let me bring out a few things that I think have been of significance in the past few years of my life:

1) Knowing when to let something go, rather than hanging on to a hopeless cause

2) Knowing that eternal life doesn't come so easy, but a life lived well and in the service of the world will leave a legacy untold far beyond physical death

3) There is nothing to be afraid of

Amongst those who have lived and gone into the next adventure, I want to talk about my paternal grandmother and Paul Mihalescu - my LF bossman, good friend and now angel on the next plane. They were both my Scorpion brethren (lol I know some of you will find the zodiac reference silly, but it's something we all used as a bonding between us, understanding each other's nature). Their birthdays were one day apart (Mama Dina's birthday was November 7, Paul's November 6), and they share the same death anniversary. Interesting coincidences, but I build this all up for a reason. They both were of essence in teaching me those three lessons that have been so monumental for me in the past few years of my life.

I can list a few others (Reggie, my older cousin; my maternal grandfather, Rafael; my younger cousin, Chris; my dearly beloved friend and mentor, Joe - to name a few). But I mention specifically Paul & Mama Dina because of how much their lives reflected these things to me.

1) Knowing When To Let Something Go, Rather Than Hanging On To a Hopeless Cause

My closest people will attest to my gripping claws at hanging on to EVERYTHING forever.

I can remember things back to the age of 2 that affected me in some way, and though I might have forgiven, I have not forgotten. Like the body that has been comfortable at a certain set-point, I have fought to stay and simmer in something until the life has been beaten out of it many times over.

My grandmother suffered from diabetes her whole life and 21 years before her death, she suffered the loss of her soul mate, my grandpa Frederick (aka "Lolo Dad").  She continued her life for many years with the love of her family keeping her motivated, keeping her going.  She provided nothing but love to her family for many years, and when her health started to get the better of her, she made the conscious choice to slow down the fighting.  On February 2, 2008, she finally had her fill and let everything go.

While there are many of us who can attest to the strength of her heart, I truly believe that had she truly wanted this life anymore, she would have hung on. But to her, life had become a hopeless cause already, so there was no need to fight anymore.

Paul, one of the brightest friends I've had, was similar in the respect of letting things go that no longer served him. He lived life to the fullest and took what he wanted from it, never worrying about the negatives that life served - it was always about learning and growing. He would feel to the fullest and let go to the fullest, when circumstances/life demanded.  In fact, he spewed his thoughts on such a topic right here in this article and in this article. Taking a quote from the latter:

"Start walking the road you believe in. Be confident with every step, even when you know you’ll fuck up. Help the most people you can along your path. Be honest. Learn from every experience you encounter. Invest in yourself as much as you’d invest in others. Do your best to make it work along the way. And always, always, I mean always, walk on your road—no matter what."

When I had first met Paul, I was going through the healing process of having been separated from someone with whom I had deep feelings for. Having been going over and hashing out the details with my girlfriends, it was nice having Paul's male perspective and validation on a lot of what I was already doing with myself.  Throughout the time we worked together, it was also great having his constant support in terms of validating that I was indeed walking the right path for myself. So many times I had actually gone against my own grain and wanted to give up, as many times he had pushed back and said, "Look... you know what you're doing, keep going. I believe in you."

As much as I'd learned to let go through these two people, I had also learned that fully understanding this lesson meant knowing the opposite as well - when to keep fighting for something, and keep on moving.

2) Knowing That Eternal Life Doesn't Come So Easy, But a Life Lived Well and In the Service of the World Will Leave a Legacy Untold Far Beyond Physical Death

Both my Mama Dina and Paul lived their lives in the service of others, as did my cousin, Reggie, my grandpa Rafael (aka "Lolo"), and my friend, Joe.  Though Paul has recently passed, his legacy is apparent and strong.  The community and family he built with those of us who became a part of Leader's Fitness is a stellar example of all that he worked for.  The many who have posted testament and their heartfelt expressions of gratitude for what he provided are a stellar example of his life of service to others.  Those of us who still mourn his passing, but continue the work he helped us get started on are an example of his life's legacy.

My Mama Dina's love was an example for all those whose lives she touched. The love she held for my grandfather was the example that shone out in my mind or what I wanted to find with my own lifetime partner one day. The love she held for her family is the love that has provided for me an example of how to be to my own family. Every person whom I know that knew her lives out the legacy of her love every day of their lives.

Same thing with Reggie, Lolo and Joe. They all lived a life of service. They all lived life well. And they continue to touch lives long after they have gone.

We are all seeking the fountain of youth and how to live longer. It's why we eat healthier, get in regular exercise and activity, take our supplements, go to the doctor, etc. etc. But the reality of what exists long beyond our physical passing is something more - it is the spirit that has touched this plane of existence and transforms the spirit of this plane of existence that continues to live eternally. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, but energy and spirit is eternal - it merely transfers from one form to another. 

3) There Is Nothing To Be Afraid Of

There was no fear in letting go for any of these people, and if there was such a thing, it never stopped them from doing what they did in life.  Whatever will be, will be - one of my grandmother's favorite songs, and a lil' tune I often hear from my other half.  It's true.

At the end of the day, we fashion the life we live. We can choose to live in fear of the unknown and forgo taking the risks that bring so much richness to our lives, or we can choose to take on that which life blesses us with and live the hell out of it.

My grandmother, Paul, Lolo and Joe all crossed oceans and boundaries to follow their hearts' contents, live out dreams and make life what they had hoped to make it. Where they may not have succeeded at ALL things, they came close enough and were transformed by that which they did succeed at encountering on such journeys.  Reggie did whatever he felt like doing - if he had any fear of doing such things, he never showed it.  It is for this reason that anyone who knew him were inspired by him.  I, for certain, wanted to do everything he did.  And if it weren't for him, I'd never have joined the Army, become as athletic as I had been in my life, and be where I am today.

Just as much as I'd repeatedly learned the same lesson from each and every person who lived with such boldness, I'd not be who and where I am today if it weren't for them.

This seems to be a constant theme in my blogposts. But I suppose I can't stress it enough because that's what growing is all about - living, learning and moving forward.

In the past year from today, I have grown from a budding fitness pro, struggling to raise my two children alone, getting prepped to compete in my first powerlifting competition, to being the Assistant Personal Training Director at the gym that I currently work at, training for my third powerlifting competition and content in the present moment of being considered the other half to someone whom I never thought would become that person for me, prepping to write the next chapter and see where it takes us.

There are no guarantees, except that I will continue to move forward, live as much as I can possibly live through these moments, doing what I choose to do with every ounce of accountability for my own actions, not letting fear hold me back, but allowing faith to light my way.

I've found substance within myself that helps me to find the substance that fills my life.

Have you found yours? If not, then what are you waiting for?

Evolutionizing My Style

Well, hello there my peoples! It has been some time. *sniff* I've missed you all so much!!!

I know I promised to post on a regular basis and to talk about my first ever powerlifting meet, but as I'd previously discussed before (in the Cha-Cha-Cha post), sometimes we digress from the paths we initially set out on and make adjustments before moving forward... and so, I've digressed from posting on a set basis (will post as much as I can given the constraints of my list of priorities each week) and will talk a little more about my meet later on (however, for those of you interested, here's a lil' peek at my 245# deadlift at 113# bodyweight).

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I did want to bring to your attention to the evolution of my philosophies on training.

Like all things in life (something I said to one of my clients today), there is a developmental process behind our training style. The beginning (even when you're starting over again after an extended hiatus from having trained before) is your foundational stage – it's the stage where you develop the movement patterns and the habits that determine your future gains. As your training age progresses, things change; your focus will change, your goals will change, the exercises you utilize will change.

Continuing to view our fitness lifestyles from the developmental standpoint, much like the way we develop as human beings, one might say that in the year and some change since I've been back at it, I've gone through an early adolescence (and am still continuing to grow through that as I continue studying and learning). I've tried a little bit of here and there and everywhere, finally coming to understand that the following elements are pretty universal across the board, regardless of what training style you adopt.

In my oh-so-humble opinion, I'm sharing with you a few small metaphors/similes/whathaveyous to think about when it comes to attacking your heath and fitness goals:

• TRAINING IS YOUR LIFE PARTNER. Whether your goal is to burn fat, gain muscle, rehabilitate or maintain, training stands by your side through thick and thin. Training as is appropriate for your goals is necessary and the only way to meet your maximal health and fitness goals. Specific types of training are only necessary as they fit into your schema of ideal health and fitness, in the capacities that they are required (I.E. You want to be a fighter? You need to have enough stamina and endurance to go balls-to-the-wall every round, maximize your rest and recovery periods in between, have the strength and the technique to beat your opponent, etc. Your training regimen should reflect building each of those things in accordance with the priorities you've set to train for, and cycle to maintain balance. You want to maintain good health and keep mobile? Your training regimen can be a little more varied, as long as you balance out the different aspects of health and fitness to the best of your ability by keeping track of your gains in whatever direction you bring them through such activity). 
  
  For some more information on training style and finding the right fit for you, check out Anthony Mychal's write up on How To Find Your Culture (And Why It Matters). Additionally, check out this really cool flowchart that Bret Contreras put together.

• FORM IS KING. Good to perfect form that is appropriate for your body will reduce your risk for injury and help you maximize the effects of your movements while strengthening all the targeted muscles/muscle groups. Focus on maintaining form and stop your set if your form breaks down more than 10% (giving you a little leeway for fatigue and ability to push yourself as far as possible). Remember this: Practice makes consistency, so for the beginner who has had no instruction on movement, it is ideal to get coach who can help you learn how to move with proper form, so that you don't have to worry about overriding bad movement habits that you develop by continuously practicing movements improperly.


• PROGRESSION IS QUEEN. The King and the Queen go hand in hand, rule the land together. They each play their role in the continuous prosperity and growth of the kingdom. As much as you want to focus on maintaining solid form, you should focus on GAINS. Whether it means that you're at the very basic level of solidifying your form, starting to make some real gains in the strength/capacity department and need to either add reps or weight, or are making body composition changes, progressing is important. Providing a challenge stimulus to promote growth in some direction is the basis of progression. Do not neglect her, lest she commands offing of heads and you are forced to remain in stalemate stasis forever.


• WATER IS YOUR SOUL MATE. We need water. End of story. Okay, well if you must have a concise reason as to why you need to drink enough water for your performance is that in order to appropriately utilize all the nutrients your body consumes as fuel for your performance and function, especially in light of the fact that humans are comprised of approximately 50-75% water and increased exertion and activity levels result in the loss of lots of water, you need to constantly replenish your dwindling life force. Okay, maybe that wasn't so concise, but you get the point, right?


• SLEEP IS YOUR LOVER. We need sleep. Your body needs to recover, rejuvenate and replenish its energy. You are energy. You need to be recovered, rejuvenated and replenished. You're like a rechargeable battery. Sleep is your recharger. Plug in to your maximum potential and thus reach it with all the effort that you are able to utilize because of all that energy that you have each and every day. Take yourself to bed each and every night with no exceptions. 6 hours is a minimum for function, 8 hours is a must for performance.


• FOOD IS YOUR FRIEND & FAMILY. We like to spend time with our friends and family. Some more than others. The least unprocessed, whole foods are the ones we should be spending the most time with, especially those lean proteins and veggies. It's alright to spend a little time here and there with all the other folks, but in their right time and place. Think of highly processed foodstuffs as those folks who are kind of toxic and unhealthy to be around... it's okay once in awhile to hang out with them as long as you feel you need to (who knows, maybe one day they'll change?), but at some point, you'll probably draw the line to the highest minimum or completely exclude them from your life because of the way they constantly bring you down and suck the life out of you (or maybe you'll limit your interaction with them to just those times you wanna party in excess/live it up large, which is pretty taxing if you do on a daily basis).

And that's it for now. A few simple thoughts to help give you a glimpse of how I approach health and fitness programming.

Can you think of anything else that should be on this list? Sound off your thoughts, I'm open...

Interrupted Flow

SOoooooooooooooooooo... hello there. *CHEEZ*

It's been awhile... again. I have a totally legitmate excuse though. It's called "My First Meet."

It's the next blogpost that I'll be throwing up come next Wednesday, so keep your eyes peeled. I'll be going into detail about the weeks of prep and the lessons learned on my hiatus from writing as I focused my energy on getting through work, moving, the boys and training for the meet.

In the meanwhile, I hope you wonderful people have been continuing your life evolutions each day.

Much love and see you in a few days...

XOXO 

Living On Purpose

Howdy, folks. Happy Hump Day!

In the past couple weeks since we've last met, I've come face to face with a lifelong struggle of mine that I will share with you today. I have long struggled with a degree of ADD/scattered focus. As an adult, I've found that it becomes exacerbated during times of extreme stress for me, whether or not I admit how stressed I feel at the time (apparently, I've adapted to the feeling of chronic stress so well that when I am undergoing it, the only telltale signs are mild to moderately severe facial acne breakouts plus a touch of fatigue). 

It is during these times I may bite off more than I can chew, and I end up overwhelmed by the sheer volume of crap that I had basically inundated myself with (subconscious desire to perpetuate crashing and burning, perhaps?). It wasn't until the past few years that I've been able to peel through the layers and make myself conscious about the problems so that I could provide for myself and others a quick and speedy solution.

That solution started out as a path to self-discovery about what things were serving as obstacles and why; it then evolved to discovering what I truly wanted and effecting a plan of action to acquire such a thing/things.

On that same token, let's talk a little about how this all relates to a common scene in many gyms: The goal-less workout.

Such a workout typically consists of whatever the individual decides to do that day based solely on feeling.  There is no regard to structure. Of course, we'd like to think that such a laissez-faire approach is perfectly fine. In the case of staying at a generally consistent level of fitness, sure. If you're not looking for change and you're happy with where you are, you probably don't need to change what you're doing -- what you're currently doing is likely the groove you enjoy and find works in harmony with your life.

In the case that the routine loses effectiveness or you should decide to work towards a specific goal such as losing fat, gaining muscle mass or gaining strength, it makes sense that one would want to find the most efficient way to get the body tuned into the melody most optimal for that specific goal. Working out laissez-faire will no longer cut it, and one must incorporate as many signals as possible to orchestrate the body's components into synchronized manifestation of your goals through directed action (for a great read  on how you may be creating too much noise for the body, click here and venture over to Anthony Mychal's blog).

For example, say I want to gain muscle mass. Running 60+ minutes per day and cutting calories is likely going to hinder my results, no matter how heavy I choose to hit the weights each day that week. If I want to lose fat, it will likely work best for me if I can get my nutrition and training on target as consistently as possible (as discussed by Dr. John Berardi under "Insight #4: Exercise Alone Doesn't Work" right here, or check here and here for two other studies looking at the same topic), focusing solely on nutrition or solely on training will only provide you with modest fat loss results (in the study Dr. John Berardi was a part of, only 1% reduction in body fat over the course of 12 weeks). However, the combination of the two will actually increase success by up to 6 times more than one method alone.

It's much like life and the goals we make for ourselves. We can't say that we want to be wealthy if we can't understand the concepts of investment and conservation. We can't continue further down that road of success at an accelerated rate if we're spending our time dabbling here and there without specific regard as to how our choices will benefit us maximally in the long-term. 

Specific, directed intention and execution is needed, in order to live purposefully and not reactively.

To live purposefully is the consistent effort to create. You decide what you're going to do and how it's going to bring you forward to whatever place you want to be. It is learning from any mistakes made along the way and adjusting your methodologies to continue forward with more success the next time around.

To live reactively is giving up your personal power to create. Sure, on one hand a person might argue that it promotes quick-thinking and creative on-the-spot problem-solving; there is, however, a large element of control that is missing from the equation. Instead of taking responsibility for one's own misdeeds or miscalculations, a person becomes prone to excuses, pointing the blame to outside sources rather than one's self.

In order to keep progressing in the most efficient manner -- whether it is in life or in the gym -- the summary of directed action towards specific goals (living on purpose) trumps "fuckarounditis," (as Martin Berkhan affectionately calls the lack of focus on directed programming).

How have you incorporated purposeful and directed action towards your goals and accomplishments?

I'd love to hear from you guys.

Spring Clean Update

Whew! What a month it's been!

Let's get caught up, shall we?

I'm glad to see you all again.  Since we last came together, some changes have occurred:

- I'm now working as a trainer ONLY at Bally's in Hayward and a private studio in Redwood City
- I went to L.A. on a mini-vacay to celebrate the wedding of a good friend and support one of the milestones for a client, while also being able to celebrate my eldest child's 4th birthday at the "Happiest Place on Earth" (Disneyland, for those of you who have been hiding under a rock for your whole entire life)
- I'm moving very soon
- I'm starting up a couple small group classes in both Redwood City and Hayward that are specifically geared towards fitness noobs who are interested in getting results in a fast, fun and dynamic 8 weeks
- One of the projects I've been able to be a part of is now available for your pleasure (click here to visit Paul's page and sign up for the newsletter to download the free, 45-page ebook entitled, "The 7 Not-So-Secret Secrets of Aesthetics."

Following some of the things I've spoken about in my earlier blogs from this year, I got myself a head start on some spring cleaning and found myself with a renewed sense of direction along my current path.

The mini-vacay to Southern California was filled with fun, nostalgia, dreams, love, planning and fresh air (maybe not that fresh from a physical persepective... we are speaking about the Greater Los Angeles Area and all...).  The beauty of the wedding, the time with the loved ones, viewing magic come to life through the eyes of my little ones and the overall "in the moment" experience of the trip was exactly what my creativity needed for the extra boost forward.

And boy did it all jump forward.

I had become even more determined, upon my return to work and every day life to really simplify.

Something about being at Disneyland with the kiddos sparked its way right through all the layers of consciousness in my mind and heart, finding its way right to some storehouse of my childhood joy, wonder and vision. 

I'll often get reflective about my childhood when around the people who filled it, but this time was something different. Almost as if in perfect, chaotic symphony, this was the perfect point of my life to really hit some deep issues that might have served as subconscious blocks to my forward movement in life, while simultaneously unveiling some core, foundational beliefs that help me to be so much more specific about what I want from my life and what I'm willing to do/accept to manifest that which I desire.

Similar to the road to a healthy transformation, I have been working to strip all the unnecessary things from my life the way one works to melt away the unnecessary fat stores all over the body, while conserving the important things the way one would like to conserve muscle mass.  It has not - by any means - been a speedy process; however, just the way one's form becomes more apparent with the reduction of body fat, what I have to do and the areas that I need to address have become more apparent as I've stripped down further and further.

As the above image depicts, the problem(s) may not have gone away completely, but it has been pared down and filtered into something manageable with a definite end in sight.

Well, how about that? Spring cleaning and we're only a week into Spring.

**CHEEEEEEEEEZ**

Soooooo... that said, no better time to clean things up than when you move your home... and no better time to tighten things up than when you're in transition (i.e. work transitions, the nascent phases of new projects, etc.).  No?  You don't think so?  Well, think about it...

When you're moving, you have the opportunity to sort out EVERYTHING in your space and really get rid of things you don't use/need/want anymore, but have either been too lazy or have just not been conscious enough about to bother with.  You have the opportunity to plot out your new space to suit your needs.

When you're in the middle of work transitions or the beginning phases of a new job or project, you have a small period of time where you're learning the culture/temperature of your new environment, establishing/learning the standard operating procedures and making the necessary adjustments prior to getting that momentum going and settling into your work groove.

It is during these opportunities that we have the ability to incorporate anything new into our routines; it is these opportunities that afford us the ability to consciously start new pathways in the brain to weaken and override any of the old pathways that no longer serve us or are serving us poorly.

I'd love to hear from you all about how this resonates with your life, if it does.  What are the things you're focusing on?  What about your life can be simplified and streamlined?  Also, if you have any thoughts to share about the way you go about these processes, don't hesitate to do so!

And for now.. until the next time we meet... Happy Spring and Easter to you all.  I hope for continued evolution for each one of you as life continues to present opportunities for you to cultivate your inner strength and growth of spirit.

Doing the Cha-Cha-Cha

I'M ALIVE!

Yes... I did step away from the bloggingness in the past few weeks simply because I had not the inclination to write something meaningful enough or worthy enough to put into the ether.  Not so much that I'm filtering anything, just that I didn't want to write just to write; I'd rather write with sincere inspiration to share whatever is really at the heart of my being, instead of contriving some sort of jumble of words for the mere sake of verbally marking my presence somewhere (especially since there is already a lot of noise everywhere we go anyway).

That said, in my last blogpost I hinted about a discussion on progression.  Funnily enough, I got this awesome mailing from one of the little daily bits that I subscribe to that started off with this:

"It is a natural part of being that our lives sometimes contract before expanding." - DailyOm

If you'd like to read the whole thing, feel free to click here.  To summarize the article, it basically talks about step one of those little principles I talked about in my first blogpost of the year and its importance to progression: The need to step back.  As far as I've experienced, stepping back usually leads a person to one of two different directions:

1) Moving forward in the same direction one was originally headed, except with a new sense or strategy of how to advance appropriately and more efficiently

or

2) Moving forward in a completely different direction.

Might I also add that #2 has some subcategories as well:

2a) Momentary Regression: That completely different direction is only a sideroute to help a person acquire the necessary tools required to progress in the original direction (because the person basically skipped a few steps or came forward inappropriately prepared to tackle the original path... kinda like trying to skip steps when leveling up in an RPG or something... you know, when you get to the big boss of some level and you fail because your character just wasn't well-developed enough to tackle that obstacle).

2b) Complete Digression: That completely different direction is the more appropriate direction that is a better fit for the weary traveler.

Arguably, one might say that #1 and #2a are the same.  They're close, but not quite.  I'd say #1 is more like my experience working with my coach for the past few months.  In fact, I've got a great pic for y'all to start my story off with:

After months of doing my own programming, I was seeking a way to take my lifting and body composition to that next level (outside of fight training) and was blessed with an awesome coach.  I started walking down that path on his programming and was great about following the workouts and the initial nutritional plan laid out for me.  A few bumps in the road (including a 3-week stint of bronchitis plus a week of the kids being sick; a total of 4 weeks no gym) and some time into the next phase of nutrition later, my leaning out progress started to slow, only, it wasn't because of his programming.

I was diverging from the meal plan.

Actually, it wasn't even really "accidental" divergence (quotes used because, let's face it, no one really "accidentally" diverges from their prescribed meal plan), it was a combination of getting lazy and/or intentionally cheating or substituting items on a regular basis because of the "just this once" cheat or substitution mentality that eventually turns a "just this once" time into a flurry of noncompliance.  I had to take a step back a couple times and really take accountability for my noncompliance and then recommit myself to moving forward along the path the initial/appropriate way he had intended me to move forward.

I did put together some simple fixes to help myself adhere more strictly to the original plan and path - strategies like making sure I had all the necessary items that were listed on the list and not buying anything else that wasn't on the list (unless it's something for the kids, but in most cases, the kids can eat the exact same thing I'm eating).  I made sure I was carrying a good sized water bottle around with me to ensure proper hydration (because I'm really bad at that), and I cut back on eating out because of convenience.

When it comes down to it, all I really had to do was buckle down and be like Nike says: "Just do it."  I never truly strayed from the original path or direction, in this situation.  I merely lost momentum through either my own laziness and/or distractions, thereby having to re-focus and push through to continue the course at full speed.

On a different note, an example that is more like #2a would better be explained by visiting the progression of my squatting technique in the past year.

You see, I have squatted to "a box" (a bench) and learned how to squat with a barbell on my back in my lifetime.  However, when I got back to weight training in May 2012 after a four-year hiatus and in a deconditioned state, my form had definitely gone out the door.  My biggest problem involved the excessive forward lean (as my coach effectively stated, "good morning the sh*t out of it.").  Oh sure, I was getting stronger, but not the stronger that I was aiming for.

I totally needed to regress a little bit, re-learn a few things before being able to move forward.  I admittedly did not have some of the "tools" needed to progress appropriately, so regression was absolutely necessary before I could get back to squatting heavier and heavier.

(If squats are an issue for you, check out these articles about some fixes that could improve your form and ability to move forward appropriately: "But Squats Are Still Scary and Why You Are Not Seeing the Squat Booty You Were Promised" (by Joy Victoria), Simple Solutions to Correct Your Squatting Technique (by Charles Poliquin), Get Your Butt Out of the Hole - How To Improve Your Squat (by JC Deen))

Honestly, from my perspective, there is no option #2b when it comes to moving forward in life.  However, #2b is definitely an appropriate option for specificity with regards to paths in life.  What I mean is that it may be the appropriate option for certain types of training, in the case that you experience some sort of extreme injury that prevents you from ever moving forward along that type of training ever again (i.e. amputation of some sort that prevents you from ever training that body part again).  In most cases, there exists some alternative movement or exercise that can be done in place of others for almost every type of injury or disability; it just comes down to the matter of figuring it out (with the amount of knowledgeable individuals out there and information floating about, I'd be hard-pressed to believe that there isn't a solution for just about everything, if you have the heart to go find it).  

It may also be the solution when it comes to career paths or the pursuit of a relationship with a specific individual.  In fact, when it comes down to it, option #2b should only be utilized when you've already exhausted the possibilities of option #1 and #2a.

As the old adage says: "Where there is a will, there is a way."

In life, we are always moving forward, even if that way means some sort of regression before progressing or finding it within you to push through harder than ever to regain momentum, and even if you must digress and find another path.

Progress is evolution and evolution is the essence of life.

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For some great reads on progression with regards to training (starting at square one - the beginner phase), check out the following articles that I've enjoyed:

The 3 Essential Pillars of Weightlifting (by FitJerk) Note: This article is a great, simple, straightforward approach to exercise selection and progression

Mastering the Basics (by Sohee Lee) Note: Great article to read in addition to the above when getting into strength training.

What To Do When You Can't Squat Deep, Benching Hurts and Deadlifts Terrify Your Back (by Joy Victoria) Note: Another great article to read in addition to the above when getting into strength training, you've gotten the hang of doing the movements and are ready to add some load, but can't quite get the loaded movement right.

No way? No Excuses!

"You can start with nothing. And out of nothing, and out of no way, a way will be made." — Michael Beckwith

One a rainy Saturday not too long ago, I was driving uphill with my two little monsters in the backseat, on the way to my parents' house (neither parent was actually home, but we figured that we'd hang out and wait for them to come home after a short trip away from our own home).  The road is a main thoroughfare in the area, but not quite the super busy road, especially at 8:00 pm in the pouring rain.  Most traffic in the area was to and from the residences in the immediate vicinity, however, it being dark and rainy and all, there were a few times that cars traveling at a high rate of speed for the area came speeding around us (the lack of police in the area makes it a great area for speeding far above the posted speed limit).

For those of you whom are familiar with the San Francisco Bay Area, you are probably aware that outside of the Cities of San Francisco and Oakland, a car is pretty much a necessity in order to get around.  Having two little guys, two jobs that require lots of travel and picky preferences with regards to our nutritional needs further cements the necessity of a vehicle.

This was no good.

30-minutes later, my youngest child was crying his head off, my older child was asking me (for the hundredth time) why mommy's car pooped out and when we were going to get going, my patience was wearing down.  I had posted a PSA on Facebook to see if anyone in the immediate area could be of assistance when all of a sudden, my mom happened to pass us by.  She had forgotten something at the house or whatever reason she had for going our direction and things started turning up.  She was able to take the kids back to the house (forsaking the party she was supposed to go to), call AAA to help us with a tow and wait for me and my car to arrive at the house afterwards.  I patiently waited for help to arrive, and while waiting, found help from a couple guys passing by to push my car out of the way of danger and to the side of the road.  Fortunately, one of the guys happened to used to work at a local transmission repair shop and referred me to them, citing that the owner would most likely be able to help me with a payment plan (considering my lack of suitable income for big emergencies such as this - most ESPECIALLY a transmission job and who knows what else could have gone wrong - this was a Godsend).  Within a few days, I had the car towed to that shop and discovered that the owner was a neighbor of my parent many moons ago.  Score!

The car stayed at the shop while the shop owner had to research whether or not the manufacturer would be able to help us out since the vehicle is relatively new and well-maintained.  It took a couple weeks to determine that I'd need a full replacement of sorts, and that the manufacturer could not help us out because my warranty had run out 30,000 miles earlier.  The part would have to be ordered and installed.

During that time and the weeks following, I lost a key figurehead from my childhood to death, had my grandpa lost and found, got pulled over for blocking an intersection and was given a citation that resulted in the borrowed vehicle I was driving being impounded and subsequently released after a large fine was paid to the City of Hayward and the towing company that towed the vehicle, grandpa was rushed to the hospital that same week for a TIA due to a blocked carotid artery, grandma rushed to the hospital for respiratory failure due to a case of pneumonia hitting her right lung, an uncle died and the very next day, my Member Services/Sales Manager at the gym lectured me about the need to pick up on my sales skills/prospecting potential training clients.

UGH.

I suppose I could use each and every difficulty and obstacle listed here as an excuse for lagging, not doing my work, failing in my day-to-day tasks and sit down and eat bonbons while moping around in my own self-pity...

...HECK NO.

I'm committed to growing and becoming a better version of myself every day, no matter what.

I'm accountable for whatever mistakes, no matter how small, unintentional or just plain stupid they might have been, that brought me to some of these circumstances.

I understand that life is gonna pull you out of your comfort zone (as discussed in my last blog) and that will not feel good, but I will grow so long as I handle the discomfort with strength, understanding and faith.

I think to myself about how I need to address each and one of these events in order to keep moving forward.

Progression is not an option, it is a need.

I may not be moving forward as quickly as I'd like, but the only thing that matters is that I am moving forward.  I am learning, I'm handling each event in life and taking what it has to teach me about what I'm doing and how I need to adjust, adapt and move forward, and I'm applying the knowledge.


The first few blogs I have put out this year definitely speak to some of these principles and practices that I must use regularly just to keep moving forward (feel free to browse through blogpost 1, blogpost 2 and blogpost 3, if you haven't already).  In my next post, I'll be talking a little bit more about progression and will likely link you guys up to some great reads as a supplement to the art of evolutionizing your life.

Until then, ciao, much love and blessings.