The Tyranny of Desire

"Don't let what you want now get in the way of what you want most."

You are an incredibly bad predictor of what will make you happy.  There, I said it.  It's true too.  In spite of that, you (and I) tend to live mindlessly under the tyranny of desire.  What is the tyranny of desire?  It is being ruled by your short term appetites.  It is living without being aware of what is around you, simply looking forward to the next thing that you think will make you happy, successful, strong, good-looking, etc.  The tyranny of desire is the plague of the fitness world.  I'll paraphrase how it usually tumbles out of the mouth of an unthinking trainee, "What program should I be doing since I want to get in shape now?"

This is the same trainee who has done 2 weeks out of about eleven different muscle magazine programs without ever finishing one.  He has probably tried at least as many diets, for about 6 days.  Why?  Because that next program looks new, shiny, and fun!  At it's root, the problem is an ill-defined set of goals.  If the goal is simply to be doing something, then anything you do is good enough.  Where does that lead?  Go in most globo-gyms and see.  Lots of guys and gals who have been spinning their wheels for a decade.  No change in weight on the bar, no change in body composition, no change in real measures of output like VO2 max or stroke volume.  It is a vicious cycle of continually being led astray by their own desire for the next best thing.

How do you know if you're living under the tyranny of desire?

Do you know what you're doing in the gym?  Do you know why you're doing it?  No... you're probably just doing whatever you want when you go to the gym.  If you go to the gym at all.

Do you know what you are eating?  Do you catch yourself chewing something you unconsciously put in your mouth?  Are you eating because you're bored?  Yep... tyranny of desire.

Have you changed fitness programs more times than there have been months this year?  Do you have a program at all?  Once again... shackled to the ever changing winds of your desire.

Do you randomly buy stuff you don't need or want to impress people you don't like?  Carry a huge debt load as a result?  You've been imprisoned under the tyranny of desire.

What do all of these problems have in common?  Typically we're all looking for the next best thing that we believe will make us happier than what we are doing now.

What is better than the next best thing?

Setting solid, measurable goals and knocking them down one by one.  When you have real goals, it is very easy to hold on to what you want most.  You have spent some time deciding what is important to you, and can now devote your time, energy, and resources towards achieving those goals.  It helps to have blinders on when you go to the gym, the grocery store, and other places full of goal diverting land mines.  Don't do what everyone else is doing.  Have a plan when you arrive at the gym, work your plan, and go home.  Head to the store with a grocery list (it doesn't include fitness magazines at the checkout line), buy real food, and go home.  Don't give yourself time to wander around the store buying chocobombs and frosted cardboard.

Setting measurable performance goals gives you a reason to train hard, eat well, and recover intelligently.  If you need some help with setting goals in the gym, stay tuned.  There will be several posts coming soon based around conversations I have all the time in the gym.  If you'd like a little help assessing life and gym goals to see if you're living under the tyranny of desire feel free to comment below or email at disruptivefitness@gmail.com.

Eat Like A Grown-Up

The moment I tell someone I'm a trainer, it's time for confession.  It works like clockwork, and I feel like I should put on a collar and go sit in a box somewhere to hear them out.  The conversations usually start something like this.

 "I used to go to the gym all the time... ten years ago."

"I ate like... 27 donuts last week."

You can imagine, you might have heard the same lines, or even said them at one point.  Following the purging of consciences are the questions.  They center around two things: flabby parts and diet.  If people really understood the link between flabby parts and diet, they wouldn't have so many flabby parts.  At the very least they wouldn't be overweight kind of by accident.

When the question of what to eat comes up, I have a very simple answer.  I borrowed it from a Dan John article published in 2011 entitled "Eat Like a Warrior King."

Eat Like A Grown-Up

That means quit eating your daily candy bar and drinking 11 cans of diet soda.  Don't eat your giant bowl of sugar bombs in front of the TV to start the day.  Quit binge drinking on the weekends, and take some responsibility for yourself.  These are the kinds of decisions children make.  You are an adult.

If you had the misfortune of being trained that food and drink are a reward or medicine for regulating emotional states, it's time to start untying that knot.  It's great to have a cake on your birthday, but everything you do doesn't need to be celebrated with a round of beers and pizza.  Find healthy ways to celebrate success.  Reward yourself with time with friends, an hour of recreation, or some other mentally, emotionally, and/or physically active activity.

You are the only person who decides what you eat.  That's part of being an adult, and adults think before they make decisions.  Here's what I think it looks like to eat like a grown-up.

First, you choose to eat or not eat.  You don't simply eat because other people are eating.  I like the idea of eating when you are actually hungry.  Often dehydration masquerades as hunger, so drink some water before you decide to eat.  If you're no longer hungry after 10-20oz of water, you probably weren't hungry.  This also means you don't eat because you're bored.  If you're bored, do something that needed doing that you've been avoiding by snacking.

Second, buy and cook your own food.  If you can unwrap it and eat it and it isn't a banana, don't eat it on a regular basis.  People who cook on a regular basis spend less money and eat better food.  If that isn't a win/win, I'm not sure what is.  Add to that the benefit of learning your way around the kitchen and this is really as no-brainer as it gets.

Third, eat with your goals in mind.  If you want to bench over 1,000 pounds, then start eating 12,000 calories per day like Scott Mendelson.  Otherwise, keep it around what you need to survive and stay relatively lean. If you are trying to gain some lean mass, eat slightly more food than you need to maintain weight.  If you are trying to lose some fat, eat less than you need to maintain weight.   It is much easier to stay lean eating real food that you bought and cooked yourself than it is to try to eat from drive-through lines and stay alive.

That's about it!  Just like showing up, it's simple, but not always easy.  You're an adult though, you don't expect everything to be easy.  You do what needs to be done because you are responsible for you.  If you want to talk more about goal-oriented nutrition and eating like a grown-up, comment here, join us on facebook, or email me at disruptivefitness@gmail.com.

Simple Strength Training

Almost everyone I've ever met wants to be stronger.  It doesn't matter if they have never touched a weight or if they deadlift 700, it's almost like there's no such thing as strong enough.  The problem many run into is that there is way too much signal noise about how to get stronger.  You can find 7 articles in the same magazine on how to get stronger and they are all different and sometimes contradictory.  How do you sort out the fluff from the facts?  At the beginning level, it's fairly simple.

Simple Strength Training

There are a handful of requirements for building gorilla strength.  These basic principles apply across the board.   This is not an exhaustive list, but it is enough to get anyone started towards being stronger and healthier than ever.

First, your program must contain multi-joint movements like the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and power clean.  You'll notice that almost all of these are standing exercises.  In real life, you will most often need to express strength while standing, so why not train that way?  Want some more good news?  The moves that are best at building serious strength are also best at building serious muscle.  

Second, you have to show up on a regular basis.  You can make real progress only lifting weights two times per week for a long time with an intelligent program.  You won't make much progress lifting weights every other week.  It's like putting together a meal over the course of a month.  You're going to be pretty hungry if you make your salad on the 1st and finally get around to the steak on the 28th.  Consistent work over time is the simple ticket to getting bigger and stronger.

Third, you need a simple plan that you understand and believe in.  Since most of the training population is either brand new or returning from an extended lay off, I'm going to give some pointers to the newbies on how to choose a program.

So what do I look for?

As a beginner, I recommend training 2-4 times per week.  This ultimately depends on schedule.  If you're very busy and can't spare much time for the gym, an hour two times per week might be your best bet.  If you're a gym rat and you don't want to leave even to eat, go with a four day program and consider some counseling.  Don't just get hyooge for the gym bros, build some functional strength to go out and enjoy life!

After you settle schedules, look for suggested exercises.  Can't find a front or back squat anywhere?  Throw it out like last week's moldy pizza boxes.  No pressing overhead?  Drop it like a bad habit.  No pull-ups or chin-ups?  Do they want you to be weak forever?!  If you find a program entirely built around curls in the squat rack, run for the hills.

Finally, look at how they program the lifts.  Is there a consistent understandable pattern?  It can be as simple as add 5 pounds to the bar per workout.  If you do this over the course of 3 months, you will be objectively stronger.  It can be a little more complicated and take advantage of some percentage based systems, choosing your working weights based on a percentage of your maximum lifts.  I prefer a simple add 5 pounds to the bar style program for most newbies.  It works, and it works incredibly well as you are first starting out.  I can suggest Starting Strength, 3rd edition* as a great launching point for newer lifters.  I used Mark Rippetoe's program to take my squat from 345 to 495 over the course of 3 months.  It is a simple 3 day a week program the meets all of the above criteria and it works.

Get to work!

Now that you have some basics for simple strength training, get out there and move some barbells.  One of the most fulfilling parts of my work as a coach is seeing people improve and reach their goals, sometimes I think it's why I exist.  So, close your computer, lace up the gym shoes, and head out to start setting new personal records!  Stick with the program you choose for 3 months and see what kind of awesome results you get.  As always, if you want some help, email me at disruptivefitness@gmail.com or drop a line in the comments.

*This is an affiliate link.  If you choose to buy the book through this link, thanks very much for supporting me!

You Can Talk the Talk...

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams

[Author's note: This is a little bit of a break from standard fitness writing, which I will be making from time to time. This is a very important topic to me because let's face it, your life is not ultimately just about you. A recent article on how coaches are failing children and what we can do about it from the Performance Menu inspired me to post these thoughts.]

Leadership is currently a hot topic in our culture.  As a coach and trainer, it is my job to lead people down a path towards healthier, stronger lives. Strong leadership is absolutely necessary because people prefer to stay where they are rather than do the hard work of moving forward.  I appreciate strong leaders

Not only is leadership a hot topic, I think it's a poorly defined one. So here is my stab at what makes a leader: A leader is someone who moves his followers toward a better shared future by communicating vision and leading by example.

Let’s break that definition down and see what it really holds.  

First, a leader is someone who has followers.  If you are trying to assess yourself as a leader, you should be able to look back and see people who are doing what you are doing.  I have had the privilege of working with hundreds of trainees over the years. As a result, I have been able to gather a small group of followers who work hard and do what I am doing. I try to use that influence to encourage them not only to make strong habits for life, but to invest what they are doing and learning in at least one other person to bring them up as well. Remember, if you are leading, it means someone is behind you.

Second, a leader is driving towards a better shared future for his followers.  When a father leads his home well, his goal is a healthy family.  He is not trying to ruin his children’s lives or abuse his wife.  He leads towards a better shared future.  Shared is an important word for us here.  I can't coach if no one is training. No one will show up for coaching if they are not seeing positive results from my coaching. My life is better, both in terms of fulfillment in seeing people get better and in being able to earn a living, when I am leading people to conquer their goals. The shared future that I am working for is a healthier, stronger generation of kids who I hope will make some strides towards living full and happy lives as a result of their strong habits in and around the gym. Note that I will benefit from this change in culture, but it is not centrally about me.

Third, a leader leads by communicating vision and by example.  A leader has to have a vision for the better shared future he is driving towards.  Once that is established, the vision must be repeated over and over to the followers.  We are forgetful people. How many times have you started a diet or a fitness routine only to find old habits sneaking in almost unnoticed until it's too late? It is my job not only to repeatedly remind trainees of the vision, but my life should exemplify it.  If the leader is not in front, he is not leading.  That is why as a coach, I have to eat well. I have to set and achieve goals. I have to compete. I have to demonstrate strong habits. I have to have a strong work ethic. There are no days off for a leader.

As Mr. Adams said above, if you are doing these things, you are a leader.  I'll be writing more on investing in the next generation over the coming weeks.  The good news here is that everyone can be a leader. You don't have to lead a thousand people, or even ten. Simply ask yourself, who will be replacing you in a few years?  Get involved in an up-and-comer’s life and have a say in what kind of leader they will be.

Getting in Shape

Welcome back!  I spent the last week welcoming my daughter into the world, talk about disruptive!

Now that it's starting to warm up outside, everyone I talk to wants to "get in shape."  I usually tell them round *is* a shape.  What they really mean is they want to lose some weight, look like they did in high school, or be able to do some particular task like they did when they were "in shape."  You can probably relate.  I know I've been in that position before.  I used to jump from fad to fad in exercise magazines.  I buckled down and quit changing horses and now that I'm stronger than ever, getting in shape looks a little different for me.

Check out my 6-pack!

I have nothing against seeing your abs, but I want to make a distinction between being in shape and looking in shape.  Depending on your build and genetic expression, you can see your abs without doing much work.  If you're that guy or gal, we'll do our best not to hate you.  For the rest of us, a pretty disciplined diet will get you pretty close to looking in shape.  What it won't do is improve your basic conditioning levels so that you aren't winded walking up and down steps carrying groceries, children, or kettle bells.  It won't get you the old 5k personal record or the new best bench press.  It might get you some attention at the beach.  If that's what you're after, then go for it!  On the other hand, being in shape means being physically and mentally prepared to complete specific tasks.  Being in shape for an adventure race is different than being in shape for a powerlifting meet.

What is the secret?

When I want to get in shape, I set pretty specific performance based goals.  For conditioning goals, that usually means being able to complete x task in y time. For example, I want to run a 5k in under 20:00 or be able to hold my pace over the course of 10x100m sprints.  Or I might set a goal of a resting heart rate in the 50 bmp range.  This way I can tell when I have met the goal by repeatably testable data, rather than some nebulous feeling of being "in shape."

If you have some specific goals for being in shape, start by writing them down.  Share them with some like-minded people so you have some accountability.  If you're having a hard time finding like-minded people on your journey towards fitness, you can email me at disruptivefitness@gmail.com for a consult.  Being accountable to someone for moving towards your goals is incredibly important because it helps you to simply show up and put in the work.

Soon we'll start looking at how to set SMART goals for fitness and self-improvement in general.  Until then, keep shaking things up disruptive nation!

The Biggest Secret in Fitness

Are you looking to shed 15 pounds?  Do you want to run a marathon?  Do you want to hit a new personal best powerlifting or weightlifting total?  I have the biggest secret that supplement companies don't want you to know!  This is so top secret that even big box globo gyms don't want you to know!  What is even better than the biggest secret in fitness?  The fact that the biggest secret in fitness is only two words!  Two words!  Are you ready for this!?  (Are all the questions annoying you yet?  I'm doing my best infomercial here.)

Show Up.

That's it.  If you set smart goals, then all you have to do is show up.  About 80% of your training is going to be run of the mill, average, everyday work.  You'll put in the mileage, hang up your shoes, and go home.  You'll finish your squats, rack the bar, and go home.  You'll tap out for the last time, pack up your gi, and go home.  It will be a normal day, but when you show up for normal day after normal day something starts to happen.  All the accumulated work from simply showing up starts to create change.  Before you know it, you'll see the body you wanted starting to appear in the mirror, your times will come down, and your weights will go up.  Sport skills will improve.  It's uncanny what I see when people simply show up over long periods of time.

It can't be that easy...

Notice I never said it was easy.  It is simple.  So simple that people think it must be something else.  We love to blame the success of others on luck or cheating.  That guy has great genes, he must be on steroids, it's because she's young, she sure had a lucky break.  No one wants to say, "Congratulations, your years of hard work have really paid off in attributes, aesthetics, and skills that I hope to have one day."  That would be an acknowledgment that you could do what they did if you just show up and work hard.  It's much easier to blame it on genetics and stay home eating honey buns.

What's your game plan?

Showing up is the most important part of your training program.  So how do you get motivated to get into the gym?  Motivation tends to be a trailing indicator.  That means that it shows up after something changes.  The best thing you can do to get motivated to train is to simply start training.  Nothing gets my clients excited to be in the gym like seeing squat numbers go up and waist measurements go down.  They love to see progress, and so do I.  If you need some accountability for showing up, get in touch with me at disruptivefitness@gmail.com.  In the mean time, show up!