Free Boot Camp-Circuit Training

OK, so here's the deal.
I want to make a difference in some lives in 2011. So, I am going to run a boot camp style training for 4 weeks starting Monday January 5th. I am going to train the first 30 people that register for free...It will be challenging, it will be fun and you will loose weight and/ or shape your body. There will be no charge for the training however there is one catch and it is below.

 I guarantee that your body will change in 4 weeks.

Workout times will be:
M, T, TH, F 5:30 am-6:30 am
M, W, F 6:00 pm- 7:00 pm
Sa 8:00 am


Why should you let me train you?
For most of my life I've been active. I've raced triathlons, run off-road ultramarathons, surfed, snowboarded, rock climbed,  weight trained, trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing. I've trained with the best fighting forces in the world as a Marine in the United States Marine Corps. I've also been tortured by the British Royal Marines in their version of boot camp and spent weeks being harassed by Army Airborne Sergeants while training to jump out of planes. I've paid thousands for coaches for both me and my amazing wife and have experienced hundreds of ways torture and shape the human body. I've got a good understanding of how your body utilizes what you eat and what you can use to best fuel it.  And, I've got a crazy desire to help people become more healthy and change the way that they look.

The Catch: 
Since I understand that I can only make your body change through diet AND exercise (diet being the bigger part) and since I have teamed up with a company to promote the most nutritionally dense weight loss product on the market, you will have to be using the Mona Vie RVL weight management product in order to participate. However, since you will be substituting some meals for shakes and bars that cost less than $5 per meal, you should actually save money by over the money you'd normally spend on food. How many meals per day that you will be replacing will depend on your goals, but the nutrition portion of the program will run you between $137 and $250 for the month. But remember.....

I guarantee that your body will change in 4 weeks.

The program:
All workouts will take place at our house. I have a fairly well stocked gym and that which I lack in equipment, I can more than make up with in creativity. You will circuit train, weight train, mix in some kick boxing, running, cycling, and other aerobic and anaerobic torture. It will be fun and challenging and most importantly you will have a group of people to motivate you and keep you on track.
I will design workouts that change and challenge daily.
Before the program starts, we will sit down in a one-on-one setting and figure out where you are and set some goals for where you want to be at the end of 4 weeks. Then we will monitor your progress on a weekly basis in order to track all of your amazing results.
Any level of fitness can participate. And I promise not to yell like the guy below ( maybe just a little).
Email me at christopherpatterson@verizon.net if you are interested or contact me on twitter (@cjpatterson) or facebook.

I am who I am and that's all that I am

One thing is for sure,running these Vibram Five Finger shoes are going to grow my calves.

I have come to terms with the fact that I have skinny legs. I've cycled thousands of miles, run thousands of miles and weight lifted at some level my entire life, and yet, my legs are still thin. Although, the muscle definition does change with all of this training. However, running in these Vibrams is a crazy hard workout for my calves, so perhaps I will finally get some growth here.
Tonight I ran four miles after working a 12 hour day. I was driving home from La Quinta and thinking that I should run tonight, but I still needed to eat dinner. I made all sorts of excuses to blow off the run tonight as I drove. Finally, I fell back on the fact that I am an fitness fanatic and I exercise daily. That is who I am and if that is who I am, then I don't blow off workouts. I've studied successful people at all levels and the lesson contained in those last few sentences is one of the most important that I've learned. Define yourself then live up to that definition. You don't get what you want, you get what you expect and when you define yourself ( in this case as an athlete or fitness fanatic) you expect a certain behavior that matches that definition. So I'm not really deciding to workout or not, I'm deciding to be who I am or not be who I am.
Anyhow, who I am, is a guy that is going to have some calves......Just saying.

Updates from the Vibram Five Fingers Zone

I got in about 30 minutes ago from a 6 mile run in m y Vibram Five Finger shoes. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt. My calves are "adjusting" to this new form of torture on them right now and it's likely that tomorrow I will crawl from my bed to the sink to brush my teeth in the morning. After having run about 20 miles in these slippers here are some of my insights:

First, these are a humbling shoe and it will definitely take some time for your body to adapt to running with little to no support.
Second, running through sprinklers feels really weird in these shoes.
Third, I've had seering arch pain a few times that goes away in a few minutes almost completely.
Fourth, my Achilles tendon problem is being helped by these shoes. It hurts really early in the run, but with a quick stretch, it disappears for the rest of the run. Something to note, the arch pain shows itself, typically, on the same leg as my Achilles problem, leading me to believe that as my arch strengthens and shortens, the Achilles will have less strain and less pain,
Fifth, you will turn your feet over more quickly in these shoes in an effort to land softer ( a good thing for longevity of my tendons I hope)
Sixth, when you get tired and your calves don't want to cooperate, you'll revert to heel striking, but you will know it because it will try to shake the fillings out of your teeth.
Seventh, driving your hips up and forward a bit puts you into more of a forefoot strike and can be used in the early stages of calf exhaustion to keep from heel striking.
Eight, these things are light and if I can ever get strong enough to put some speed-work in, I can only imagine how fast they'll feel.
Ninth, they look funky and running in them with shorts makes your legs look funky. Those of you that know me well, know that I have a disdain for girls that wear capri pants and flat shoes. Almost no girl can make that look good. If you must wear capris wear a heel of some sort. These shoes with running shorts kinda have that same effect.
Tenth, running on a horse trail at night in the dark in these can be an adventure for your feet. Small rocks, sticks and twigs are all felt and the other night I just missed stepping in a pile of horse crap. While that did provide a welcome distraction as it entertaine my thoughts for a while as to how that might have felt squishing between my toes and the difference between it being warm and cold were questioned, I am glad that I missed it and try to maintain a little more tail awareness.

That's all I have for now. The verdict is still out. I promise to keep you updated as my strength grows and I can put some distance on them. A huge shoutout to my friend Marivel who just finshed a /2 marathon in her Five Fingers a couple of weekends ago.

Lastly, I'll be making an announcement soon about a new nutrition line that I am teaming up with to shed a few unwanted pounds and help some friends do the same. It promises to be the most nutritionally dense meal replacement drink on the market to date. Stay tuned and put on some weight for a good "before picture".

Live Fit,

Chris

Gloves for your toes

I just finished reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall and in the book he notes that 8 out of 10 runners will experience an injury every year. As I "resemble that remark" and am currently nursing a sore left Achilles tendon for the umpteenth time, I read the his text with a special interest. His hypothesis is that the current crop of padded running shoes has changed our gait in such a manner so as to cause more and more injuries. This goes along with many other articles that I've read recently.
One of the runners he studied runs either barefoot or uses the Vibram Fivefingers shoes. So with nothing to loose, except the love of my physical therapist ( who really enjoys collecting from my insurance company) I placed my order last week for a pair from REI.com
Today a pair of size 42 Vibram FiveFinger Sprints arrived at my house.

I walked around in them this evening and went to the bank in them ( yep, a few strange looks there) . They are crazy light and you feel like you are barefoot, except that the bottom of your foot isn't getting scratched by anything. So with that small test behind me, I decided to take a run tonight.

I went for a two mile run. They certainly change your gait and your run a LOT quieter. That much I did like. 2 miles felt more like 6 and I did get some soreness in my left arch and the pads of my feet. I think, though, that as my feet strengthen and adjust that these are going to be an awesome addition to my life. I do also se how they will help alleviate injuries. I'll keep you posted on that. 

One note, reflexology uses points on the bottom of your feet to create changes all over your body. So it should have come as no surprise that when your run virtually barefoot you get some wild sensations throughout your body. I am wondering if this subsides or is something that just comes with the territory. Again, I'll keep you apprised.

Why do we love sport?

Videos like this reinforce why I love sport and competition. I could watch Nike commercials all day long. Enjoy




Or this....

How far would you run without shoes?

Injuries, injuries, injuries have lead me to search for a way to run and not get hurt. The article below got my attention late last week, so I thought I'd give it a try.
I ran .8 miles on my treadmill tonight without shoes and it was a success. I am excited about hitting the road one night this week, sans shoes, ( I'll actually carry them and put them back on after a while) and see how far this barefoot thing takes me. I can tell you that the quick experience I had tonight leads me to believe that it is far less punishing on the body to run this way. You cannot heel strike and you will straighten up and run light without shoes on. 
I am also reading the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall ( mentioned in the article below) and that will sell you on staying away from the current crop of running shoes, if anything will. I can tell you that I've run thousands of miles with tons of different shoes and I have the injuries to prove it, so I am going to give this a try.

Born to run: Barefoot? Minimalist training trend gaining popularity

Brandon Kruse/Palm Beach Post

From left, Zoe Rodriquez, Carol Wygand and Richard Wygand (foreground), cool down following a workout at Polo Park Middle School with the RW Training running club on Aug. 4, 2010. The runners subscribe to barefoot running, a popular trend many runners are adopting into their workout to strengthen their feet and legs and reduce the chance of injury.

By CARLOS FRIAS

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 6:40 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010

Posted: 4:37 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, 2010

• Post a Comment 
• E-mail 
• Print 
• Share 
• Larger Type

In the running culture, it's always about the shoe.

Runners focus (read: obsess) on the next shoe coming out, the revolutionary padding technology, the construction to keep an ankle from rolling, how this-or-that innovation will keep you from turning your feet in or out when you run.

Grown men and women still ask of our running shoes what we asked of them when we were 6 years old: Will they make me faster?

No, the shoes won't do that.

A growing tide among the running community now acknowledges that it is indeed not about the shoe or costly technology. Matter of fact, it's about no shoes at all.

More runners are now training part time or running completely barefoot. Yes, as in, nothing but skin, muscles and fat between the sidewalk and that infinite number of bones in your feet.

But the concept has moved from the fringe to the forefront, especially after the explosion of Chris McDougall's New York Times bestselling book, Born to Run (Knopf, $24.95).

In it, he asks the basic question: Why do my feet hurt when I run? And he finds the answer in the Mexican Tarahumara Indians, who run hundreds of miles a day in bare feet or in homemade sandals just millimeters thick.

"People still think that it's about the shoes," said McDougall, a broken runner himself who found how to run again in nothing but bare feet or so-called minimalist shoes. "The important thing is to change your running form."

Born to Run tells the story of how humans evolved to run on bare feet over 2 million years, how running long distances may be the very reason we evolved from our apelike ancestors to outrun big game. He follows the story to this lost tribe in Mexico and offers an illuminating history of how the running shoe companies created a niche market for comfy padded shoes in the last 40 years alone - and built a nation of ailing runners.

Plus, he tells this story as a journalist and a runner. And I guess that's why it appealed to me. Ten years ago, I ran a 10K, the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, got a crippling case of plantar fasciitis (pulled ligaments in sole of my foot) during the race, crossed the finish line hobbling and never ran again.

Until three months ago.

I received the book as a gift just as I'd decided to start running again. I have to admit, the concept of running barefoot not only scared me- "What about glass on the sidewalk? Not to mention dog poop!"- but somewhere I heard my Cuban mother wailing that she has failed as a parent. No, we're used to covering our feet at all times, especially when we run.

But I've spent the past few months speaking with some of the foremost authorities on barefoot running and incorporating it into my runs. And I realized from the very first time I took off my shoes that McDougall was on to something seismic.

The best way to experience it is just to do it. So, just take off your shoes, find a nice smooth (yes, hard) surface and just take off on a slow, short trot.

"You'll get instant feedback from your feet," McDougall said. "Pay attention to what feels comfortable. When it feels uncomfortable, tweak it."

That is, if it seems to hurt when you land on your heel (it should), run so you don't land on your heels. Instead of taking long, galloping strides, take shorter, power-packed steps where you land on your midfoot and the balls of your feet. If you pay attention, you'll notice your heels do graze the ground, but only after you've landed on the widest part of your foot, the forefoot.

"That's what barefoot running is all about, using your natural resources," McDougall said.

Some will argue that the human body wasn't meant to run on concrete sidewalks. And McDougall counters that there is no harder surface than the packed, hard earth of Africa, from where some of the best runners emerge, or in the Copper Canyons where the reclusive Tarahumara live.

Actually, the 1960 Olympic marathon winner, Ethiopia's, Abebe Bikila, ran the race barefoot, in two hours, 15 minutes, 16 seconds - a record at the time. He won it again four years later wearing racing flats from Puma, which sponsored him.

As it is, consensus research says that seven out of 10 runners are hurt every year, in the fancy running shoes, seriously enough that they need to quit running until they are healed.

View as single page

1|2NEXT PAGE »

---

HOW TO START RUNNING BAREFOOT

• Go slow to go fast. Running expert Mike Sandler stresses you must ease into barefoot running.
• Start by running only 200 meters on your first time out (about halfway around a high school track), running with shoes in hand like 'hand weights,' Sandler suggests. Then, put on your shoes and finish your regular run. Do this 2-3 times a week.
• Next time out, increase your distance in bare feet by 10 percent. That is, if you started with 200 meters, make it 220 meters the next time out.
• If you feel hot spots, or stinging on you feet, stop and put your shoes on.
• Stretch. Sandler suggests grabbing a golf ball with your toes and holding that for 30 seconds. Do that 2-3 times for each foot before going for your run.
• Warm up with a 5-10 minute walk.

ROOKIE MISTAKES

So you're tough, huh?

When you sail through those first 200 meters and your feet feel great, body feels light, and you're running faster than you ever have before (and you will). So you'll keep running.

Yeah, that's what I did. The next day I couldn't walk. But, being tough myself, I pushed through it and kept running. I ended up having to take two weeks off to recover from ankle pain.

Here are some rookie mistakes to avoid:

• Running too far. Running barefoot or in minimalist shoes means running on the front of your foot. So it's like doing 100 calf raises a minute.
• Running too fast: Your feet will feel fleet and you'll go out way too fast. You'll run out of steam and find yourself winded early on.
• Not wearing socks: If you decide on minimalist shoes like the Vibram FiveFingers, you may want to wear special 'toe socks.' Some people get blisters in these shoes if they are worn without socks. Try them without socks first, but if you feel hot spots cropping up, you may want to try Injinji socks ($12,www.injinji.com or search the site for a local retailer)
• Throwing away your old running shoes: You need to transition into barefoot running. Work into the Vibram FiveFingers or completely barefoot over the course of several weeks or months. Remember, you've been in cushy shoes your whole life. It takes time to strengthen your feet.

- Carlos Frias

You've got to be kidding

This article below infuriates me and exemplifies what is wrong with our current crop of pussy bureaucrats. Instead of encouraging our warriors to be at the peak of physical fitness for one of the most grueling jobs on the planet, their telling them that they are not fit enough. That should be a wake up call. If Suzy Homemaker can do P90X or Crossfit, our military personnel should be able to pull it off. In fact, if it's that hard, then let's adopt it as the standard. One of the reasons I left the Marine Corps was the lack of commitment to being the best. After training with the British Royal Marines for a few weeks, I was painfully aware of what political correctness and the softening of our leadership was doing to my beloved Corp. What especially sucks about this article, is that most of the men I served with would step up to the challenge if presented with it, however, it's those officers in high places afraid of losing their career because someone gets injured that permit the weakness illustrated in this article. Our enemies will not be so sweet and accommodating. Arghhhhh!

Military Fitness Gurus Tell Troops: You’re Too Flabby For CrossFit

• By Katie Drummond  
• September 17, 2010  |  
• 9:30 am  |  
• Categories: Military Life

More troops than ever are flipping tractor tires, lobbing 50-pound kettle bells and conquering the Three Bars of Death in an effort to become “tougher, faster, hard-bodied freedom fighter[s].” But some of them are also working out until they puke, faint or suffer permanent organ damage. Now, a team of medical researchers have a message for recruits: you’re probably not fit enough for CrossFit.

Ditto for P90X and Insanity. Together, the brutally intense fitness regimes are “the big three” being studied and evaluated in a review of high-intensity fitness programs by the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

All three are characterized by rigorous, explosive movements and an emphasis on rippling muscles and quick results (see here, here or here). And all three have garnered dedicated followings in military circles: CrossFit is already taught by several Army Captains and has become a mainstay in the Marine Corps. The program even names workout moves to honor deceased troops, like a grueling forward-and-backward sprint combo dubbed “Griff” for Air Force Staff Sgt. Travis L. Griffin.

“Our number one concern is growing anecdotal evidence of injuries,” CHAMP medical director Col. Francis O’Connor tells Danger Room. “Military leaders are interested in knowing how to handle these programs, and want more information, and we just don’t have adequate solid data.”

Indeed, CrossFit in particular has become linked to serious injury, including a 2008 lawsuit by former Navy sailor Makimba Mimms, who alleged that the program led to permanent disability from rhabdomyolysis, the breakdown of muscle fibers that can cause kidney failure.

Pain and suffering, though, have become something of a calling card among dedicated CrossFitters. “It can kill you,” program founder Greg Glassman told the New York Times in 2005. “I’ve always been completely honest about that.” The program’s own mascots include “Pukey” the clown and “Dr. Rhabdo,” whose kidneys are spilling out of his abdomen (t-shirts $32.00, S-XXXL).

Online, though, mobs of troops and veterans are quick to endorse the practical war-zone benefits of CrossFit and these other intense workout regimes. P90X’s “focus on push-ups, pull-ups and dumbbell training translated into the strength I needed to pull myself over walls and other obstacles downrange,” Army Lt. Col. Paul Cravey tells Air Force Times.

Already, CHAMP researchers have spent two days meeting with military leaders, fitness experts and members of the American College of Sports Medicine, to establish a research agenda. O’Connor anticipates published results and recommendations within 2-3 years, and expects subsequent studies on key issues.

And while the high-intensity fitness craze is relatively new, it coincides with another trend that makes the CHAMP review even more relevant: the lagging fitness levels of new recruits as a whole. Thirty-five percent of American youth are unfit to serve because of health problems. Compared to the Army’s new new training regime, which wants troops to embrace yoga and calisthenics, start slow to avoid injury and sweat their way to basic fitness levels, CrossFit’s standards seem all the more extreme.

“Certainly, we are addressing a perceived lack of fitness among recruits,” O’Connor says. “People are doing too much, too soon, too fast. Participants [in high-intensity programs] need baseline strength and flexibility, and they simply aren’t prepared.”

And while O’Connor’s team is interested in evaluating the physiological pros and cons of the programs, they’re also trying to figure out why troops are so gung-ho about the grueling, exhausting, physical fitness puke-fests. O’Connor, for one, has his own theory.

“What attracts people to these programs?” he asks. “Frankly, I suspect that in some cases it’s because the commercials really do make them look sexy.”

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/09/military-fitness-experts-to-troops-youre-too-flabby-for-crossfit/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher#ixzz0zoBPIcYG

Win the Day

I look for inspiration everywhere that I can. I've had people tell me that they don't need motivation or inspiration, that they are self motivated. I used to argue with them to try to convince them that there is no such thing, but I gave up trying to convince a "man against his will" a while back ( at least on this subject).
So last night I was watching TV late at night. I turned on Bow Hunting TV on my DVR to look for tips on an item that I have on my bucket list. There is a segment on bow hunting fitness. Last night's tip wasn't something particularly spectacular, in fact it was rather simplistic. But tied up in its simplicity was its power. Last night's fitness tip was on just being consistent and fighting to get in your workouts. They commented that even if it is a quick workout that is at less than 100% of your effort, it is better that you get one in on a regular basis ( whatever that means and is scheduled to mean for you). I whole-heartedly agree with them on this and have realized it to be an utter truth in my life. In fact I read a sentence, as part of a mission statement to myself daily, that says, "I am a master of discipline. Small things done regularly make a huge difference." By reading that mantra daily, I hope to convince myself that it is who I am- and it is certainly who I strive to become every day.
The commentator made a statement in the piece that I loved and have heard in my head  all day long. He said, "You need to do whatever you need to in order to WIN THE DAY". I think that too many times we try to win the life, instead of winning life by winning one day at a time, and in fact, actually just winning more days than we lose.
So, ask yourself, did you Win the Day today? as a father, as a spouse, as a business owner or employee? as an someone dedicated to a healthy lifestyle. I know that I can answer yes to some of these with certainty and some with less, but I know that tomorrow, I can wake up, look at the roles that I hold in my life and try to win the day in each one of them. Hopefully you can do the same. If you can, I tip my hat to you.

Do You Make These Five Mistakes When Pursuing Good Health?

Shout out to my friend Candi for posting this on Facebook today. Thought it was good enough to repost here so that I could save it.

X

Welcome to HLD! Subscribe to the AWESOME RSS 

feedand follow Matt on Twitter to join the quest for a remarkable, euphoric, and epic healthy life!

It’s time to gear-up and crash into the five most dreadful mistakes of a healthy lifestyle.

This is a full-contact topic. Do you want into the game, or are you comfortable on the sidelines?

Keep in mind that many of us fall victim to these mistakes. Odds are you’re making some of these mistakes now.

So let’s not take our healthy lifestyle for granted nor fool ourselves with false logic.

And imagine how much stronger and more confident you’ll be once you learn about these missteps!

Alrighty then, game on!

1. You justify eating gluttonous crap with “going to the gym” excuses

Time and again I observe folks justifying some insanely gluttonous indulgence with the “oh, it’s okay. I’m going to the gym later” excuse.

This is faulty logic. It doesn’t work – plain and simple. It’s far more “excuse” than it is a reasonable “argument”. Why?

Because gluttonous crap is gluttonous crap. There is no escaping that fact. Nor can you escape the serious health ramifications of highly processed foods. At best, this is a one-step-forward, one-step-back dance. But the average ratio is probably closer to 1:2. That’s a recipe for the wrong direction.

Further, take note that nutrition is far more important than exercise. You cannot out-run or (generally)out-exercise a poor diet. It’s science. Believing otherwise is science-fiction.

Your health is a intricate and integrated asset. Compartmentalizing “nutrition” away from “fitness” just doesn’t add up. They must all live in harmony in order for a prosperous health empire to survive and thrive.

Worst of all, this rationalization promotes an unhealthy mindset. A lifestyle (and lifetime) of vibrant health requires consistency. Precisely the opposite – inconsistency – is gained with this insidious logic. Good and proper health is not turned on and off. It’s not episodic. It’s a consistent journey.

Your Battle Plan for Positive Change:

I take this matter seriously because faulty health logic and fake science are serious indeed.

With that said, there are no overnight solutions. Instead, start building a proper health philosophy. It’s not complex, but it isn’t necessarily easy either.

The point is progress. Get yourself oriented in the right direction with solid health beliefs that you can stand behind. And then begin making more actionable traction forward.

And make these efforts fun. Yes, fun! Good health is happy health! And when a pursuit is so joyous you’re far more likely to stay with it – and that’s the goal entirely!

2. You believe your workout is more important than your recovery

Many go to the gym to “loose weight” or “build muscle”. Many subscribe to the notion that you need to “feel the burn” as evidence of meaningful fitness. Hogwash!

Not only are these shallow ideologies but they’re also entirely inaccurate.

First, you do not loose weight or build muscle in the gym. Working out (I prefer the term “training”) puts your body and biological systems under a lot of stress. You actually tear down muscle – not build muscle – while exercising. And while you may stoke your metabolism while training, you certainly aren’t nuking any fat in the throws of your routine.

Second, “feeling the burn” is an illusion used to market wacky fitness regimens and sell nonsensical personal training advice. Granted, you need to push yourself during your workouts. But achieving the “burn” state is nothing magical. It doesn’t translate into loosing weight or building muscle. Sorry.

The real magic of training occurs AFTER your routine is done. Welcome to the glorious realm of recovery!

(Proper) recovery allows your body to rebuild the damaged muscle and make it stronger. Recovery allows your body to utlize your fat stores for fuel, thereby saving your muscles from futher degration. In the end, recovery makes you stronger, faster, and leaner for your next training session.

What is “proper” recovery?

Proper recovery promotes the healing process of both mind and body. It begins with an understanding that recovery is far more important than exercise, and that recovery is where you get stronger and leaner. From there, you concentrate on stretches for your muscles and quality nutrition for your metabolism. You also engage wellness tactics – such as reading, yoga, sleep, etc – to recover your mental and emotional energies.

Mind you, I’m not a “certified personal trainer” nor medical professional. So, if you seek a structured recovery program, please consult one of these persons.

Your Battle Plan for Positive Change:

You’ve probably figured out by now how to better recovery after your training regimens. But I’ll toss out a few more tips.

First up is not training to “failure” – or “the burn”. If you reach these points they can somtimes mean that you’ve over-trained. Over-training puts your body into a negative condition, compromising recovery. So, instead, end your training early when you still have some gas in the tank.

Second, experiment with various wellness recovery tactics until you discover those most enjoyable and beneficial to you. As always, your healthy lifestyle crusade is unique to you. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Take responsibility for your health, and make it meaningful for you.

3. You focus on “what” health results you want rather than “why” you want to be healthy

This fallacy is the worst of them all.

Genuine and sustainable healthy lifestyles don’t lust after vanity results or other “rewards”. Those that flourish are instead rooted in reinvigorating beliefs. Such is the fundamental difference between “why” you want to get healthy versus “what” you desire to achieve.

The healthy lifestyle mindset promotes a foundation of proper health beliefs and behaviors that serve to catapult you in the direction of greater and more enjoyable health. This mindset is an integrated approach to health vitality. It’s also a choice – as are any lifestyle mindsets. So choose wisely!

The issue, of course, lies in pitfalls of instant gratification. Many in the status quo lust for overnight weight loss success. That’s not going to happen! My story of health darkness is evidence that. Don’t fall victim to these seductive dangers as I once did.

Your Battle Plan for Positive Change:

Simply put – focus on all the positive reasons “why” you desire vibrant health. Etch those reasons into your memory so that they become your guiding principles.

And always remember that you’re at the helm of your ship. You can steer it in any direction. Sailing after shiny results is a fools errand. Seek the meaningful path instead. That’s the one that will (eventually) lead you to the holy grail of health you desire.

4. You forfeit today as a lost cause and vow to re-start tomorrow

Nobody is perfect, least of all me. All healthy lifestyle crusaders will have their good days and their bad. But those committed to the cause of lifelong health and happiness get up when knocked down. And most importantly, they don’t knock themselves down.

Sadly, many would-be healthy lifestyle knights do sabotage their own crusades. For example, they’ll have a stressful morning and because of it condemn the day as a “bad day”. Such condemnation is then often used as “justification” to indulge in unhealthy behaviors (see healthy mistake #1 above). Of course, they commonly vow to re-start tomorrow. But how many really do?

Momentum is the lesson here. Momentum is a powerful force that can either help or hurt you. Positive momentum will set you on a course for healthy lifestyle euphoria. Negative momentum will plow you down and crush your healthy lifestyle dreams.

So, “taking the day off” is a positive momentum killer. And that’s at best! At worst, it begins to turn momentum against you. Each day you forfeit is more negative energy. Eventually, if you forfeit enough days, the negative momentum will be too much to bear. And that’s when healthy lifestyle dreams die.

Your Battle Plan for Positive Change:

Choices matter – each and every one of them. Just become you had a “bad” morning doesn’t give you healthy just cause to begin making consciously poor decisions.

Further, each choice is powerful in its own right. If you made an unhealhy choice or two earlier then stop that tide immediately with your very next decision point. Don’t wait to “re-start” your healthy decisions tomorrow – that’s insane. Start now!

When in doubt, ask yourself if the decision you’re about to make will aid or harm your momentum for a healthier, happier life. Use that thought-process as your compass. The choice itself I leave to you!

5. You judge your health exclusively by quantitative measures

This idea may sound counter-intuative. After all, quantitive metrics are important, right? And aren’t things you can measure more important than those you can’t?

There is some truth here. For example, your weight does matter – as does your body mass indexand body fat percentage. But my question to you is – do these metrics define your health and happiness? Are they ALL that’s important?

I perceive the quantitative metics of health as the planets in the solar system. They are the obvious objects that most see and study. So, yes, they are important.

But space itself is far more expansive and important. Space envelopes everything. It’s the fabric of the universe. Without it we’d have no planets, and we’d have no life.

To me, space represents the qualitative measures of our healthy lifestyle. Such concepts as happiness, excitement, vitality, etc. live here. Sure, we can strap ourselves to brain-scanning equipment and begin to measure our brain activity when happy. From there we can certainly dervice some “hapiness metrics”. But are you really going to tell me that such statistics tell you how happy you are? Or, instead, is true happiness a feeling beyond measure?

The moral – don’t belittle the qualitative elements of your healthy life. They are deeply meaningful, perhaps the most meaningful elements of all. I assure you that no machine can justly measure how important my health means to me. I trust you feel the same way.

Your Battle Plan for Positive Change:

Don’t completely neglect the quantifiable metrics of good health. But don’t over do it. Just focus on the core few. We’re taking an 80/20 approach here.

Then, begin to qualitatively measure the more meaningful elements of your health – your happiness, exuberance, positivity, vitality, etc. Though subjective, I believe these are far better beacons to follow when navigating your healthy lifestyle crusade. Give them a try yourself. I doubt you’ll be disappointed!

What did I miss?

This was my list of the five most frequenly made healthy lifestyle mistakes. There are certainly many more.

So, what others would you add to the list? Are there some that you feel are more impactful than the ones listed here?

Let’s get the commentary going everybody! I look forward to reading your ideas!

Photo: Ace Armstrong