I hear goals.
Then I hear "I want to..." or "I don't want..." in regards to lifts and loads.
In my head I think "the goals steered us over here... But the words that followed erased that and now took us there."
The problem lies in disinformation. Magazines say one thing, and odds are, they're full of shit. I think it's Women's Health that I follow on Facebook. I clicked a few links to read their articles and completely disagreed w the entire article. The next 3-4 I read were equally inaccurate.
Fact: our bodies respond differently to different loads and time under stresses (ie, the weight and/or actual time of reps per set).
Should you be lifting heavy?
Should you be lifting light?
Should it be fast or slow?
Yes, yes, and yes.
Programming and periodization has been destroyed by fad styles and catchy little boot camp studios. Even the boots I ran, I always designed them to follow a specific program. People think they need to be covered in sweat or too sore to walk, when both are irrelevant.
"Cardio," is heart rate. Doesn't matter what you're doing. You burn calories at rest, doing nothing, so adding movement elevates the heart rate... Cardio. Yes, might not be as intense as some would prefer, but that's not the point.
Program. Think in terms of gears.
I write programs on the fb page where I say "failing at 10," or another number. That failure number designates the "gear."
Power/strength = 1-5
Hypertrophy/size = 8-12
Endurance = 15+
My programs, nothing makes sense if we're not touching all 3 gears.
"I don't want to get big."
It's not about "getting big," and lifting in that phase for 3 weeks won't do it. What it's doing is, stunting the growth, shocking the muscles and breaking routine.
How can you have endurance but no strength?
And vice versa?
That's not a very functional human to me.
Then, are you healthy? Are you in pain? Does your program address potential injuries?
Point = in my opinion, your program must have a rotation of phases, even if it's only primary lifts. People love to argue this but it's science, not an opinion. Feel free to borrow any of my NSCA texts and read it for yourself.
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I said "well I'm kind of on a church tour."
They laughed, but it really is. I'm pretty much checking out different churches, different religions, just to see and feel. I'm not really looking to become a member or not, my goal is really to feel energy.
This past Sunday, I really tried to talk myself into staying home. But I thought "what will benefit me here over the next 90 minutes?" So I got dressed and headed to a service.
On my way, every was my thought. Just to be in a room with a group of people, sharing and channeling energy, sounded really nice.
And it reminded me of yoga... Actually every Sunday reminds me of yoga. Yes, I would often say "studios are my church," and meditation is my prayer... And the more I read and learn and open up about things... I think I'm right! (Go figure, right?)
Prayer to me, is quiet time, channelling thoughts and energy... Maybe in search for answers? Guidance? All depends I guess, but that's what I look for. Meditation? Same thing. As we quiet and really work to quiet our own goofy voice and all the phones and televisions, and work, and world... Answers come to us. They do.
Yoga and church... A group of people, sharing energy, maybe similar energy, over time. I can see where a pastor can be motivational or thought provoking unlike many yoga instructors, but if you're lucky, maybe you'll find an instructor that does the same.
Point is, I'm seeing similarities. The flow of energy.
We meet people, we feel their energy.
A song, energy can passed or created.
An atmosphere, can change energy, create energy, expand it... It can be contagious.
If we're lucky, we'll be a part of energy that outlasts us. Isn't that what memories do? Conversations? We say things, and we're gone. Our words, our energy, floats around. One day when we're @ home behind the sun... The vapors of our energy can still make a difference.
Maybe WE ARE just energy, trapped in this flesh and skeleton, blood and oxygen w this wildly untapped, under-used, computer between our ears. Just bodies as tools to maneuver, experiment, enjoy...
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To be honest (as if that hasn't happened yet), I strongly urge you to dive into new realms of self exploration. New ideas, or maybe old that you dismissed, of therapies and ways to tap into a new line of thinking. (Are you paying attn to my posts?) And when/if you do, don't be afraid of the truth you find there. There's happiness there.
