Goals

This year I’ve set myself 365 goals – to push myself harder everyday than I did the day before, to better myself everyday, to be stronger everyday.

Tough Days

What do you do when you’re having a tough day? I mean a tough day in general, life, not just training. Do you train harder or easier? Heavier or lighter? More, less, or not at all?

Life Collisions: Blessing in Disguise?

Life often finds a way to collide with our plans and achievements or so it certainly seems. Just the other week, someone thought it would be a good idea to to plow their car into ours when we were stopped at a red light, literally a collision. I still have all my bones and limbs as far as I know, but due to the pain and adjustments mainly in my back, neck, and legs, my doctor advised me to stay away from heavy training and maybe just stick with cardio if I really felt the need to train. He explained that my body is now working out by itself to fix the damage from the accident. Doctor’s orders…. Doctor knows best…. Who am I to argue?

The trouble is I always find it difficult to stay away from training, especially this time as I was just getting back to my full fitness and strength peaks after returning from a three week holiday (during which I did train, but not as often or intense). But truly, this is what I train for. I train for times when I can’t always do what I would like to do i.e. train. The challenge set forth then was to see if I could actually stay away from it.

The first week, I stuck to interval days of cardio (specifically biking which is what the doctor recommended) and days off. The second week became a little more difficult, so, rebelliously, I started a little light training on some of the days. By light training, I mean using light weight but more repetitions and calisthenics, so it was more like cardio. With this method, I still wouldn’t push for the last few reps which usually count the most, so as not to aggravate the injuries, another challenge. The best part of all this though was that I managed to work on my form. I got back to the light weight basics and just really working on form. This week, I feel ready to heighten the load again and try get closer to my usual training method and previous fitness levels, but now with better form.

Every so often, I try do a form check by spending a few days training lighter, but its been a while. Due to this car accident, I was forced into one. Maybe a blessing in disguise? Who knows….

Giving Thanks Happy

My sister’s in-laws have a tradition that at thanksgiving dinner everyone says what they are thankful for over the past year. The first person starts with their thankfulness and then passes the buck to whomever they want, and so it goes until everyone has had a turn. It’s sort of like a mass confession of thankfulness. Naturally, my sister has adopted this tradition for the thanksgiving dinner she hosts (especially when any if her in-laws are present) which I have been blessed to be a part of over the last few years. 

What always amazes me is the fact that absolutely everyone has several or many things to be thankful for (and not just the being alive point which in itself is thanks worthy), no matter how difficult of a year experienced. Personally, I’ve had a difficult year, but at the same time have lots to be thankful for. Thanksgiving, for me, isn’t only a time to reflect on all the things I’m thankful for over the year, rather a reminder to remain grateful and thankful on a daily basis for the many good things and experiences as well. Being thankful, I find, is a way to appreciate what I do have, achievements and more. It’s almost like a grounding and base to work from. It’s not a finish line. It’s the stat line. Happy Thanksgiving all, may we continue to give thanks for what we have, and have even more to continue to be thankful for!!!

Balance Training

Wednesday’s training routine is my most challenging and, therefore, favorite routine. I generally do back and legs which includes big lifts such as deadlifts, leg press etc… I chose to skip training and spend time with some of my family instead.

As a fitness enthusiast (almost fanatic), it’s hard to skip any day of training especially my favorite. But I’m sharing this with you not because I feel bad or feel the need to talk about it, but really to express the opposite.

Fitness is one piece of the many pieces in life. A big piece for me, but still one of many pieces. It’s important to find a balance. Life is time to be fulfilled and enjoyed. For myself, training is enjoyment and time that I get to work on myself, but there are other parts of life that are also to be enjoyed and to which the training should be translated. Balance is different for everyone as we are all different and lead different lives, but it is quite a substantive key.

Guarantee to Work

We can’t guarantee life, but we can guarantee to work to live stronger, better, and happier. Without the work, there is no guarantee whatsoever!!

P.s. This picture was taken on my phone at the spur of the moment (very professional…).

Fitness or Physique

For many, physique is the end all and be all of fitness. The belief that fitness means a bigger chest, better frame, and good looking butt with the many other attributes being only side benefits seems to be the dominant theme among the masses. What if I was to argue that fitness and physique are really just dependents, but focusing on the “side benefits” (and I don’t mean the many health benefit) may actually be more benefiacial?

For me, physique is more of a fitness guide, but not my main focus or motivation. I use my physique to plan my fitness routine, exercises, and workout, which muscles require more or less work, but it’s not what drives me to be active or workout. My drive is inner stregnth, personality, capabilities, and determination, fitness of mind as well as body. Focusing on such brings me more enjoyment, accomplishment, and better than ever physical results.

With this I ask you, which one is more important – your fitness or your physique?

Mind for Sets or Mindset

Over the last couple of years or so, I have shifted my focus away from just the results and believe me when I say that the results that I have been seeing and achieving are better than ever. It’s amazing!!

This is What Happens When You Stop Working Out?

Simple solution… just don’t stop!!

https://www.yahoo.com/health/this-is-what-happens-when-you-stop-exercising-113355357618.html

It’s interesting that this study also reveals that exercising has a positive effect on the physical brain and not only the mental state or mind.

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Food, predominantly eating food has long been understood to be correlated with mood and emotion, hence the evolution and issue of the eating disorder. In other words, eating disorders do not necessarily stem from one’s body image in comparison to others, being underweight, overweight, or even health and fitness. Essentially, eating disorders are often rooted far deeper mentally and emotionally. As the fitness craze has grown, considerable focus has been put on the overweight, signifying that obesity is almost the end all and be all of eating disorders when in reality there are other forms of eating disorders which often go unnoticed such as anorexia and its different forms because it doesn’t always show physically. And when it does show physically, the cause can be misconstrued as one’s desire to look physically cover model slim or fit (see – http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/anorexia-actually-since-certainly-not-just-wanting-thin/909771/ ). The depth of the disorder then often goes unnoticed and, therefore, unchecked.

Personally, my fitness journey took me from extreme overweight, overeating, comfort and binge eating to extreme weight loss, under eating, and borderline eating disorder. I had lost over one hundred pounds and I had to make sure that I wouldn’t put even a single pound of it back on. If I would eat an apple, everyone around me would know. I wouldn’t shut up about it for hours. It felt like the only way I could control my weight and therefore life was by eating less and less, and talking about anything that I did eat so as to make myself okay with it. Thankfully, it didn’t go too far and I understood, with the help of those close to me, what was beginning to happen to me. It took time to understand that at either end there is an extreme, and extremes can be dangerous. It was the extreme that made me realize that I had to change my mindset and my focus as I wrote in my Throw Back Thursday; The Journey Continues post. Eating disorders are no joke. They are immensely painful for one who is sadly living with it. Even on its borderline it was mentally painful, and it’s hard to imagine how much worse it could get.

As it is NEDA or #NEDAwareness week , take a moment to read and learn something even small about eating disorders and share this knowledge to raise awareness. See link http://nedawareness.org/