THE THEORY OF COMPETITION

FORCE FATE

Don't talk to me about destiny...

THANDRON

THANDRON is an acronym. It stands for "TRAIN HARD AND ROCK ON", a phrase I 'borrowed' from Dallin Evans.

I met Dallin via web on a fitness web site. What can I say about him? He's a warrior and a winner. He ran Subaru Ironman Canada last year in 12:33:31 (over the average!). He's strong and self-determined. He ROCKS!

Dallin trains hard 367 DAYS A YEAR. Even when his day might not start satisfactorily, this guy always finds the time to complete his schedule. You know why, and how? Because he's got a goal -to run a half Ironman this year, and Ironman again next year- and he does not compromise it. Because he challenges himself every day, he sticks to his schedules as much as he can. He knows what he wants and goes get it. He believes in himself. He's not perfect, and he might struggle once in a while. But his willpower is strong... as strong as iron. And that's how he overcomes any obstacles, and NIKE - he 'just does it'.

Dallin's personal signature 'Train Hard And Rock On' is taken from Ironman jargon. Ironman's athletes use a similar phrase. It's just five words, but the meaning in them is awesome.

Only by TRAINING HARD will you get the results you want - call it being ready to run your Ironman, becoming an athlete or a bodybuilder, losing 5-10% body fat, be fit - name it, and you'll be there (again) ONLY IF YOU TRAIN HARD. So, what are you going to do? Be lazy? Procrastinate? Make up pretty excuses? It's up to you!

As regards "and ROCK ON", that's another wonderful concept. If you have a goal, if you're already putting your heart into it, then YOU ROCK. So keep rocking!, why wouldn't you do it?, why sabotage yourself? Be strong, be focused, be self-determined - just go for it and take what's yours, as it should be.

I just would add another wonderful phrase, and it's the following: "To get what you’ve never had, you must do what you’ve never done." So NO EXCUSES! Get a GOOD personal trainer and start working on your fitness goals!

And now... TRAIN HARD AND ROCK ON! 

Or, as Tom Venuto is always saying, "Train hard and expect success!"

See you at the finish line!

Belinda Granger, Triathlete, Ironman Champion

My Top-10 Reasons 4 Running

Because I've never ever been able to run 300 metres altogether, and I want to prove myself;

Because running is one of the hardest activities I could engage in;

Because running is in my Top-5 list of things that the people who have known me for ages would never expect me to do;

Because I used to hate running;

Because PE teachers and classmates at High School labelled me as unfit as I'd never be able to pass the 12-minute running test;

Because when I run, I put myself on the road 100%, I push myself beyond the limit, I give it my all;

Because running challenges my body, takes away all my strength and leaves me exhausted but ready to try to go for it again once I've recovered from it;

Because when I run, I leave the past, with all its defeats and failures, behind me;

Because running defines who I am and what I'm doing with my life;

BECAUSE WHEN I RUN, I FEEL ALIVE.

Why wouldn't I be able to run, anyway? I won't buy my own limitations for running. And I will never ever let anybody make me believe that I can't do it, that I wasn't born for this or that it will take me more than one life to be good at running.
  

I RUN AS MUCH AS I CAN, BECAUSE I CAN.


I RUN BECAUSE I WANT TO AND I HAVE TO. 


... AND I JUST HAVE TO TRY (AGAIN AND AGAIN)... AND KEEP TRYING. 


I KNOW I'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A RUNNER. 

 

Let's run...

«Not to touch the earth
Not to see the sun
Nothing left to do but
Run, run, run
Let's run
Let's run

House upon the hill
Moon is lying still

Shadows of the trees
Witnessing the wild breeze

C'mon baby run with me

Let's run

Run with me

Run with me

Run with me

Let's run...»

(The Doors, "Not To Touch The Earth", 1968)

Steve Prefontaine. US Olympic runner. LEGEND.

About Exercise Programs - Part II

So you've considered to start training at home? Great! That's a WONDERFUL idea - at least for the time being. Please let me remind you of this:

• EVERY exercise program works during the first month, after you've been eating crap and not working out for ages;

• MOST exercise programs work for at least three weeks, unless they're rudimentary and you're advanced.

So, if you work out at home, regularly and consistently (at least every other day), you're going to get desirable results since Week 1 and for about 1-2 months.

And why only for about 1-2 months? Let's suppose you've got an elliptical trainer at home. Every morning you step onto the machine and start pedaling. You do, say, 10-15 or 20 minutes at level 2 for a whole week. You take a day off on Sunday. Monday - weigh in day. Phew!, you're down 1.5 lbs. You think your successful moves were (1) your balanced nutrition plan, and (2) your 10-15 or 20 minutes on the elliptical machine six days a week. Well, you're right, those were probably the main reasons for your success. So you're happy about it and you come to think, "This week I'm going to do the same routine, and I'll get the same results". Cool line of reasoning! But it couldn't be more wrong. Oh, perhaps you could lose another pound this week doing the same you did it last week, but - it won't take too long until your past successful actions start failing. And why's that? "The human body adapts to exercise over time. Once the body adapts, it becomes more efficient. That means it burns less calories for the same activity. In order to burn more calories, one has to add more time or more intensity." (Kim Ball in Is Your Cardio a Waste of Time?) So if you did 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer, at level 2, on week 1, what should you do on week 2? If those 15 minutes are no longer challenging, then do 20 minutes, and you can also try 10-15 or 20 minutes at level 3. And so on. Your body keeps adapting to the exercise, keep it guessing by increasing either time or intensity periodically.

And now that I mentioned the cross trainer, what type of exercise should you be doing for fat loss? The answer is, both cardio and strength training. Mind you, you can do cardio 3, 4, 5 or even 6 times a week, but you should lift weights no more than 4 x week, with at least one rest day in between sessions. You will find an interesting article about the importance of doing both types of exercises, cardio and strength training, at Suite 101 (just click on the link). To sum it up, you must do cardio in order to burn as many calories as you can, but if you only do cardio, you're not only going to lose fat but also lean body mass - and you need this to boost you metabolism so that it keeps burning fat, you see? So you must also do strength training to build muscle, which increases your metabolism and helps your body burn even more calories and thus, more fat. Yep, it's that simple. And if strength training has so many benefits, why should you take a day off in between sessions? Because muscle grows while is resting, not while it's working, and you want to make sure that you're giving your muscles enough time to recover and grow, otherwise you'll only be hurting them and hurting yourself.

There are many programs involving both cardio and strength training during the same session. However, it's also a good idea to do a cardio session separatedly. What's the best type cardio? You can find the answer on Shapefit.com: "The best cardio exercise is simply the one you will do day in and day out consistently. Choose one which you enjoy doing and don't be afraid to mix the exercises up. Interval cardio work consists of moving from one exercise to another in set time intervals." (For the rest of the article, go to http://www.shapefit.com/cardio-exercises.html)

As regards strength training (with or without the cardio), you can either lift weights in the own privacy of your home, visit a Gym or follow a routine on video.

These are the top-5 strength training programs & workouts I've ever tried, so I can recommend them to you now. They are E-L-I-T-E for fat loss!

Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred

Chad Waterbury's Body of F.I.R.E.

Dr K's DEFL (Double-Edged Fat Loss)

Zuzana's BodyRock

The Biggest Loser: The Workout

And of course there are more DVDs featuring Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels, Kim Lyons and TBL stars. They're everywhere so you if you search them, you'll find them.

You can create your own strength training routine adding exercises for each body part, with explanations and pictures provided, by opening an account on Shapefit's FitTracker.

I suggest you pay a visit to the Health & Fitness section on eHowTo. Personally, I prefer watching their videos directly on YouTube: eHowToChannel.

You can find more fitness videos, nutritional guidelines, tips, recipes, and a database with exercises by bodypart on Fast Track to Fat Loss. If you want your own virtual personal trainer, as well as your own workout and meal plans, you'll have upgrade and apply for a Gold (non-free) membership.

So there's no reason for you to avoid it - start your fitness journey N-O-W! Don't wait until Monday! You're worth it!

THANDRON - Train Hard AND Rock On!


N. D. B.

About Exercise Programs - Part I

I won't be exaggerating if I say I've read and downloaded TONS of articles, documents, e-books, programs in every format and also videos in all the known extensions, all of them related to the famous and controversial topic "How-To-Exercise-If-You-Want-To-Get-In-Shape".

All their intellectual authors, starring figures and performers, claim - while looking straight at you (I mean, at the lens of the camera) - "Do what I do, and I personally guarantee you'll get the results you're craving for. You won't be able to believe it!" Shameless creatures, undoubtedly.

Dumbbells, barbells, powerblocks, kettlebells, resistance bands, medicine balls, Swiss balls, yoga mat, step - name it, either I know at least a few things about it or I've even tried it; I might even be able to do a whole workout with it! Oh, I've even danced hip hop to tighten my abs! 

And so far, has it worked?

Well, this is the painful truth:

• EVERY exercise program works during the first month, after you've been eating crap and not working out for ages;

• MOST exercise programs work for at least three weeks, unless they're rudimentary and you're advanced.

How about working out in a Gym?

Gyms are great places... to find smart guys showing off their muscles. Definitely. You want to enjoy the sight? You'll find a beautiful menagerie at any Gym, full of testosterone, always walking around, standing or bending their bodies in the most suggestive poses. Wow, isn't it a great show to watch! I love huge muscular guys, I can't help staring at them... Oh, but we were talking about exercise here... Well, in my point of view, Gyms have only one little problem: Gym instructors. Most of them are overloaded with newbies who want to try every single machine their eyes can see. Many of them are frustrated bodybuilders and seem to be fond of staying close to the menagerie, they take part in the circus shows of these muscular beasts as their assistants, spotting for them and sharing the excitement. So they can really look unfriendly when a beginner gets in the middle and interrupts the fun. Furthermore, Gym instructors, even if they're well qualified, never ask what your goals are, and if they do, they interpret them their way. All the Gym instructors I've met have given me indications on what machine to use or what exercise to do, and how to do it, on my first session at the Gym; then, if I didn't ask again, they've never bothered to add anything else, so I would keep doing the same routine for ages without their intervention. So if you're training at the Gym, most probably you're working your a$$ off for too little, you don't know what you're doing and you're likely to be doing more or less the right thing with the wrong form, weight, intensity or number of reps-sets. UNLESS you're a good PE teacher / Gym instructor / PT yourself.

So, my conclusion is - it may be unwise to work out at the GYM without a personal trainer.

And as regards fitness videos, working out with them it's a great idea at beginning of your own journey to fitness.

I'll be analysing some training methods briefly in my next post.

Now... it's high time we had some fun with our home fitness equipment!!!

THANDRON - Train Hard AND Rock On!


N. D. B.

A Good Nutrition Plan

First of all, I'm not a nutritionist. Secondly, I can only talk from my point of view about the food choices that have worked for me during this journey. However, after examining carefully a variety of nutrition plans supposedly designed for fat loss, I've found certain things in common among those claimed to be the most effective ones.

By the way, what's a good nutrition plan? In the first place, it's one that doesn't leave you unhealthy or unhealthier. In the second place, it's one that meets most of your needs, both physiological and psychological. In the physiological aspect, well, it feeds you appropriately. In the psychological aspect, it's not too difficult to stick to and it takes into account your tastes and your possibilities as regards foods available and cooking - otherwise, you'll get sort of detached and even come to feel frustrated, thus increasing the chances to give it up. 

No nutrition plan will leave you 100% satisfied after every single meal 7 days a week. Hunger can be mainly physiological, but cravings can be both, physiological and psychological. You have to learn how to make the best choices for yourself as regards cravings, e.g.: taking some fruit to cure your sweet tooth. But you'll also have to train your mind not to give in to cravings, no matter if they are physiological or psychological, because if you give way to them, you'll be committing self-sabotage.

So, the most effective nutrition plans for fat loss show the following characteristics:

(Note: I'll write a summary of these, including as well a list of useful web links for you to check in order to learn more about the importance or relevance of each premise.)

(1) They include 5-6 smaller, frequent meals more or less evenly distributed (every 2.5 - 3 hours) throughout the day.

     * See: The Top 10 Reasons to Eat Small Frequent Meals

(2) They begin with a moderately large but healthy breakfast.

     * See: Boost Your Metabolism: Quick & Easy Breakfasts To Jump-Start Your Day

(3) The last meal of the day is the smallest meal.

     * See: The last meal of the day

(4) They take into account all the elements of the food pyramid but in the right proportions.

     * See: Food pyramids: Explore these healthy diet options

               New dietary guidelines: How to make smart choices

(5) Starchy and simple carbs are included during the first half of the day, whilst fibrous carbs are present in any meal, but especially during the second half.

     * See: Carbohydrates you should eat and at what times

(6) A lean source of protein is consumed in every meal.

     * See: 3 Reasons Why Proper Protein Intake Aids Fat Loss

               Lean protein is essential for the creation of fat burning muscle

(7) They also emphasise the importance of water intake.

      * See: 9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit

(8) To a certain extent, they're custom-tailored, which means:

• Calories are rationally calculated on the basis of your current weight, age, height and activity level.

        * See: How Calories Work (and all the 'sub-articles' in the list).

• Any special needs you may have, according to your own and particular health conditions, are thoroughfully covered  (e.g. diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, water retention, etc).

• They include foods you should have access to in your area (I've never been able to get cottage cheese or Greek yoghourt in my country).

• Choices for meals don't go against your lifestyle and timetables (e.g.: they won't prescribe a meal you won't be able to cook if you're not at home or if you can't cook it for any other reason).

• To a certain point, they're flexible and adjustments can be made without compromising their effectiveness.

• You'll be given some room for improvisation, on the ground that you'll be wise enough to make the right choices about foods.

• There'll be one or two cheat meals a week so that you won't feel deprived - but again, you'll be wise at this, too.

... We're never too aware of the catastrophic effects of fad diets, of fake self-proclaimed fitness gurus, of crash diets and of our own need to have false hopes. Even if you lose less than half a pound a week, it doesn't mean your meal plan has the wrong ingredients - it might only mean you just have to control your portions. And remember - you will NEVER lose 40 lbs in 12 weeks, unless you want to ruin your health. A pound a week (or 1.5 lbs if you work hard) is the best ratio you should be aiming at. A year has 52 weeks, so don't lose perspective, a year from now you'll have 52-77 lbs of fat gone from your body. 

Mind you, weight is not lost evenly (in the same proportions) every single week. I lost 11 lbs during my first two weeks on the Fast Track To Fat Loss Program, and got stuck in a terrible plateau on the same program between December 2010 and January 2011. So you'll have to review what you're doing once in a while, you'll have to make regular -and maybe frequent- adjustments to your meal and exercise plans if you want to continue being successful in your fat loss journey. Don't fall into the traps of your own unconscious mind: if you haven't lost any pounds this week, and even if you've regained one, you haven't 'busted your butt for nothing'. Sometimes it takes your body a week, or a couple of weeks, to get adjusted to its 'new' composition and be ready for a new weight loss.

Again: if it feeds you properly boosting your energy levels AND you can still enjoy the food, then your nutrition plan is good. It's up to you to touch it up in such a way that it'll help you burn all the fat you need AND still recharge your energy. Sometimes you have to relegate or even ignore your palate in the process, but at last, your small -or even huge- sacrifices will pay off.

Positive Visualisation

I've already written down my "state of the art". Now it's time to visualise myself...

I will be slim, slender. I can see my well-shaped shoulders, my strong arms, core and legs. I can see myself walking in a straight posture, nice to see my back (delts and lats) well developped.

I will be fit. I will lift heavy weights and feel powerful. I will run in the wind and feel light like a feather. It will be like flying. I will be fast. Like a ray. And I will walk with grace, smoothly, like a diva.

And I will also love myself for the way I look (as I already love myself for many other things). I will be pleased to look at myself in the mirror. I will be wearing a size 44. Tight jeans will suit me. I will wear beautiful blouses with tulle. I won't mind trying hundreds of them. Of pairs of jeans, too.

People who have known me for ages won't recognise me when they see me in the street. My knees won't ache anymore. My friends will want to know my secret - what did you do to be in the best shape of your life? And I will feel sexy.

I will see my 8 pack some day.

I will hike, climb a mountain, run a marathon and do white water rafting. I will go to Machu Picchu and also visit the Mayan ruins in Mexico. I will be strong enough to endure the long journeys to and through these ancient cities.

I will feel confortable on the beach, and also in shorts.

And now, I will go for it!

First Things First

... So you finally stand in front of the mirror and take a look at yourself. Perhaps you don't like what you're seeing. I've been there and I know what it feels like. It was long ago but I can still recall it. What are you going to do now? You can cry, shout, break something, whatever. You can also blame somebody else, say life has been tough or find another good excuse for your past behaviour. Because it's you and your behaviour who caused such a mess in your body. Sooner or later you'll come to realise it, to acknowledge it as the only truth, to accept the fact that you were at least human and we all tend to fall into the trap of self-sabotage from time to time... and now you're ready to do something about it.

... So after two years (such is my case), I see what I've accomplished and I'm proud of myself for my achievements, and I realise there's still a lot of work to do. I'm thinner & fitter & stronger, in comparison with my health condition in 2009, but it's 2011 now and this is another stage in my journey. The finish line will turn into a new starting line, which means - I was there two years ago, I'm here now, and since now on, I'm going to start working to get even further. It's good to look back so that you know where you came from, but you have to keep looking ahead so that you're aware of where you want to get and don't lose perspective, thus, getting sidetracked or derailed, which would deviate you from the path you've set for yourself. 

You can be at the beginning of your fitness journey, as I was 2 years ago, or right in the middle, like I am now. The process we all have to go through in order to do something about our present conditions is different yet the same. The 'sameness' is, we have to follow a few universal principles that may apply to everybody. The difference lies in, we take these general principles and adapt them to meet our personal needs. We use them to tackle specific areas and that's how we do it our way and make it personal. Anyway, everybody will take their own journey, and no journey is exactly similar to another but there are things in common, though.

I've been reading many success stories on different sites related to fat loss and getting in shape. It's easy to distinguish which ones are fake. Nobody can lose 40 lbs in 12 weeks, and if they can, well, they're ruining their health. There are so many ads on the Internet offering the magical cure for overweight. Well, there's no magical cure, no extraordinary pills, no wonderful machines, no 'results-guaranteed' fitness programs. There are combinations of foods, exercise, lifestyle and mindset that may work for many of us, though. But it's our diligence ("earnest, conscious, determined, steady, persistent, perseverant, careful, proper and careful application") in the task of finding out what works for us, through thorough research followed by trial and error, what's finally going to make it work.

I know, too many words. So let's get straight to the poing. What do we need to start the whole journey, or a given stage of the journey? Nothing else but A PLAN.

What does a good fitness plan, one that's likely to take us where we want to get, consist of?

(1) A conscious 'state of the art'. I'm this person, here and now... How did I get here? What's there in my 'life baggage' - both the good and the not-so-good things. If I have a problem with my weight, why's that? (Genetic factors? Unhealthy eating habits? Sedentarism?) What are are my trouble areas? What are my resources? What can I do well?  What do I need to improve? What do I lack? Only realising who you are and where you come from will help you put yourself on the path to a better you.

(2) A positive visualisation. Visualise the new you you want to be. Picture yourself healthier, fitter, stronger. Write it down. Describe how you will feel about yourself. In a few words, positive visualisation is a kind of trigger, its aim is to empower you by affecting your brain chemistry in such a way that your neurotransmitters redirect your whole body towards the achievement of the scene you visualise.

(3) Attainable goals. Now, there are long-term and short-term goals. If you want to run a marathon, first you have to be able to complete a half marathon. Before being able to run a half marathon, you should be able to run 10K. Before you run 10K, you ought to be able to run 5K. Before being strong enough to run 5K, you must be able to run 3K. And before that, well, you need to run at least 1K. That's the logical sequence. Forget about losing 40 lbs of fat in 12 weeks, right? Don't get discouraged - you will get there in due time IF you're "earnest, conscious, determined, steady, persistent, perseverant", remember? So set your goals for the next three months, then break them into month-to-month goals, then choose your goals for this week, then for next week, and so on.

(4) A program designed for you to reach your goals. This should include both a nutrition and an exercise plan meeting your needs, based on your own health condition, body type, age, gender, lifestyle, weight, etc. There are many web sites offering free meal and workout plans. Be diligent and find one (or more than just one) that suits you, or get yourself a good nutritionist and a good personal trainer.

(5) A positive mindset. Believe in yourself, in your possibilities, in your plan. You CAN change things, you can ACHIEVE - have faith! Try to stay focused and positive. Give yourself permission to fail. It's all trial and error, there's no magical recipes, remember? Deal with frustration and emotional struggle. You can do this! Don't let anybody, not even yourself, sabotage your dreams.

So now we're ready to start this segment of the journey. Good luck, and may the goddess fortune blow her winds in our favour.

The State of Art

I've been overweight since I was a teenager. I've struggled with my weight for decades. I've tried too many diets and too many programs. I've been yo-yoing for ages... Until now.

I know there are genetic factors which, combined with certain health issues related to the use of corticoids during my childhood to alleviate a chronic bronchitis affection, have exerted their influence to determine that I do have a predisposition to being overweight. Well, any predisposition is just that: a predisposition, a tendency, but it's me, my awareness -or the lack of it-, my self-determination, my decisions, my course of action, my willpower, what finally determines whether I AM overweight or not. Again: I have a tendency to be overweight, it's genetic and corticoid-induced. Yes - I have this tendency, but I won't let this tendency have me.

I started this part of my fitness journey 2 years ago. It was mid-March, 2009, and I was weighing 250 lbs then.

Between March, 2009 and December, 2009, I stayed engaged in an online health program, DietasCormillot (it's in Spanish), and lost about 60 lbs. By December, 2009, I was weighing 190 lbs. But I still didn't know anything about the fundamentals of fat loss. In fact, although run by a prestigious physican, there were many things totally wrong in this program.

In December, 2009, a personal loss which would become too hard to cope with triggered a new weight regain. By late June, 2010, I was weighing 227 lbs. I joined another web program, Fast Track to Fat Loss. On this site I learnt the basics about fat loss. I also started doing strength training. By mid-December, 2010, I had lost 43 lbs of fat, gained 7 lbs of muscle and reduced my bodyfat by 10%.

However, my weight has been going up and down since January, due to (1) fluctuations in motivation, because of external factors; (2) lack of consistency on my part to stick to my plan.

I was still following my previous web fitness program and stuck on a plateau when I discovered Tom's Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle masterpiece. It enlightened me in such a way that after reading it, I gained awareness on what I could do to improve without any other external source of help. Which doesn't mean, 'without any other external source of accountability'. And we all know that, in fact, accountability does help a lot.

I'm currently getting ready to continue working out under the guidance of my new personal trainer.

... And if this blog happens to inspire somebody, well, it'll be an honour and a pleasure.

THANDRON - Train Hard AND Rock On!


N. D. B.