Tag: mindset

On Rest and Recovery

My daughter and wife have had colds for the past week or so…

Stuffy (and snotty, crusty) nose is the main symptom, which has led to some early mornings where I’m up with Livia somewhere between 4:00-5:30am.

Because of this, I’ve been a bit more tired and when I’ve been able to sneak in a 20-30 minute power nap, I’ve felt much better and operate normally.

But when I haven’t my energy has definitely been sub-par.

On Friday, I had a resistance training session scheduled but cancelled it in favour of doing some mobility work because I had absolutely no gas in the tank.

Back in the day, I probably would’ve ignored my tiredness and “manned up”…

Nowadays though, a little older, a lot less hair and hopefully a tad bit wiser, I realize that I’m not going to win any trophies and there’s no rush, so I have no problem not doing workouts if I think it’ll serve me better in the long run.

Every workout you do depletes your energy and strains the tissues worked. Basically, you’re stressing your body out.

It’s after eating and sleeping for a day or two that your body adapts and comes back stronger from that workout.

But if we go into a workout already tired or in an energy-depleted state, we’re essentially going into it with elevated cortisol.

Cortisol is a stress hormone that when elevated, inhibits the immune system leaving us open to getting sick and down regulates the function of the digestive and reproductive systems (more bloating, more constipation, less sex).

So to get through a workout when we’re already drained, our bodies being ever-so-accomodating, get us fired up by activating the full “fight or flight” response.

Think about it – we’re already tired now we’re going to go and lift 250 pounds on our backsor do a bunch of Chinups like we’re climbing a tree to escape a vicious lion – our bodies definitely see this as a fight!

So, here’s what happens HORMONALLY in our bodies (and how we often react) when we get into the fight or flight response to workout when tired:

1) We get an initial energy rush, fueled by the stress hormones adrenaline and/or norepinephrine, which can make us think, “See, all I needed to do was come to the gym. I feel great now.”

2) Cortisol then gets further increased, which ensures that all energy is directed to the fight/flight muscles and not the other systems, giving us energy for the entire workout. “I feel perfectly fine and I’m just as strong as always.”

3) We ride this hormone “high” for the course of the workout and end it by thinking to ourselves, “I knew it – all I needed to do was workout, I feel so much better now. No excuses!”

And while it’s true that you probably feel better, it’s not a healthy better, but a stress-hormone induced improvement in alertness, energy and focus.

One problem that you might not realize with this is that adrenaline in particular is great at dulling pain – so you may be injuring yourself and not realize it until afterwards and you won’t know why.

But the big problem with this is that when you fail to see this and continue to use this strategy (workout as normal when you’re already exhausted), you’ll soon “break” this system and then you’ll be on the sidelines for a while.

Adrenal fatigue is a term used to describe the syndrome of your adrenal glands (they produce the stress hormones) getting burnt out from being asked to do too much.

It’s definitely not a state you want to be in, so I suggest you listen to your body when it’s telling you you’re dead tired and you’ve got a workout scheduled.

Sometimes, it’s good to ignore it, especially if you know you’ve got lots of R&R time soon after, but sometimes, it’s good to listen, so you don’t burn yourself or your adrenals out.

It just takes a little experimentation and observation of how your body reacts in either scenario to know what’s the right move at the time.

Hopefully, this has enlightened you a bit and helps you not feel bad for “skipping” a workout, only when you’ve got a valid reason, of course.

There’s obviously zero value in being a lazy bum, but I know you already know this otherwise you wouldn’t be here on this VIP Newsletter list. 🙂

Anyway, just thought I’d share as this has been what’s been up in my life for the past little bit, hope it helps.

Coach E

P.S. Instead of my workout, I did a combo of the Kneeling Routine from the Hip Flexibility Solution and the Overhead Routine from the Shoulder Flexibility Solution, as well as some improv, but any work that is more about mobility, technique and activation is perfect for this kinda situation.

May 16, 2016
How to Set the Tone

Last night I didn’t have the most restful sleep because I had to pee.

I woke up in the middle of the night and while it felt like 5 or 6am, I hit the light button on my little clock and the face lit up in a soothing blue and I discovered it was only 3am.

But instead of doing the wise thing and giving in to my urge to tinkle, I ignored it and went back to bed.

I then woke up because I wet myself!…

.

.

KIDDING

Anyway, I’d set my actual alarm for 6:28am and got up then.

I did my morning gratitude routine, which is to think of ONE thing I’m grateful for while still lying in bed after waking up.

Today, I expressed my gratitude for the back surgery I had and how it taught me so many lessons about the body and helped open up a career that I love.

Through this painful experience, I’ve discovered the power that injuries have to teach us about how the body works.

The lessons are way more powerful than anything you could learn in a textbook or a university degree.

If you hurt your knee for example, you can test different positions of weight bearing with the injured knee forward while keeping most of your weight on your back leg and/or supporting yourself with your arms and see what hurts and how activation of the glutes might eliminate the pain.

This is just one simple example and the key is the underlying concept:

Use injuries as a tool for greater awareness of and how better to control your body…

… and not something you feel depressed and get all upset about and use as an excuse to switch your diet to sugar, cheap vegetable oils, salt and as many artificial flavourings as possible.

Instead, make lemonade out of lemons and on top of the lesson of how to prevent the injury in the first place, it puts experiencing an injury pretty high up on the list of the top coaches of movement and exercise in the world.

Note the word “experiencing” instead of “suffering” in that paragraph above…

Let’s change that language we use around injuries so we’re not dooming ourselves from the start.

Which brings me back to waking up…

What’s the first thing you do to set the tone of the day?

If you’re hitting snooze repeatedly, you’re starting off the day procrastinating.

If you wake up and think to yourself as you get up, “I’m sooooo tired,” you’re starting off the day in a state of low energy and resistance.

Or if you get up and everything is on auto-pilot, you’re starting the day off unconsciously and habitually.

These things are fine and if they’re working for you keep going, but I suggest you try starting your day with a little gratitude and you might find it’ll upgrade your days.

It’s a conscious, mindful practice that gets you in a state of being thankful for what you have instead of living mindlessly and not being present as you’re thinking about the future or things you want.

I used to use a journal where it asked me to write 3 things I was grateful for, but I found this process cumbersome and it became mechanical where it didn’t mean anything more than another task to complete, so I ditched it in favour of the process I’ve described here.

It’s easier and I found dropping from 3 things to 1 increases my enjoyment of whatever it is I think about.

It doesn’t take long but might require you to wake up a few minutes earlier if your current routine is very habitual, but it’s well worth those couple of minutes.

The POWER of Simplicity

If you want to give it a shot, mark your start day in the calendar then give it 28 days and stick to it, then re-assess to see if it’s been worth it.

Don’t marry this idea yet – just give it a fair chance for 28 days then make up your mind.

This is what I and my Inner Circle members refer to as the Lifestyle Experiment (LE) – something simple where you track your performance for 28 days then decide if you want to keep it going.

The beauty of this is that it’s easy to stick to since it’s just 28 days and if you do decide to continue, you’re 80% of the way to making it a habit and you’ll just need another 2-4 weeks of attention to make it one.

Do you have any simple things you do in your life that you think makes it better?

If so, please share them below.

I’m always running Lifestyle Experiments and need lots of good ideas and who better to ask than someone smart, fit and in alignment with my own values than you. 🙂

February 15, 2016
Word is bond

I spent the past weekend in a training course with a focus on finances and personal development.

Lots of sitting so I was sure to do a lot of this anti-sitting sequence to ensure my hips didn’t lock up.

I’ve been a part of this program for almost 2 years and my participation has had a major positive impact on my life and my finances.

The concept we’ve spent the most time working on is INTEGRITY, but defined in a very specific way, which we’ll discuss in a sec.

It’s the concept I’ve personally benefitted from the most, as I’ve discovered that integrity is directly proportional to the results, happiness, or whatever other outcome it is that I desire.

And it’s extra important to me now that I’m a father because I know just how important it is to foster a strong relationship with my daughter Livia.

When you re-define integrity in the way that I’ll explain and then choose to live with integrity, I guarantee your results will skyrocket as well, whether that’s with your own personal fitness, your financial situation, the quality of your relationships and your overall effectiveness in this world.

Earlier today, I was rocking some classic Wu-Tang Clan and kept noticing the phrase…

WORD IS BOND

This is a common phrase, especially from 90’s hip-hop and it basically means that if I give you my word, you can count on me to follow-through.

I was curious about this phrase so I did a little research on the origins and I found many references to the Bible.

Now I’m not a religious man but I am open to learning from everywhere and what I found were many great lessons on the importance of keeping your word.

For example…

“But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him.” – John 2:15

And…

“When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.” – Ecclesiastes 5:4-7

Wise words that have stood the test of time.

I’ve also experienced the impact of not following through on my word, which is always a less-than ideal result.

For example, my wife being pissed off with me.

Or friends not being able to rely on me.

Or my fitness goals not being met.

And it’s no wonder why these things happen.

When you break your word, you lose TRUST.

You become trust-UNworthy.

Not just with others, but more importantly, with yourself.

But we all know that life happens and keeping your word is not going to happen 100% of the time.

That’s why the most effective definition of integrity to live by is this:

To HONOUR YOUR WORD, which involves you keep your word, or as soon as you know it’s not going to happen you let everyone who was counting on your word know and clean up any mess caused by you not keeping your word.

Keeping your word is doing what you said you
would do by when you said you would do it.

Integrity is not about morality or good and bad or right and wrong.

It’s simply about honouring your word.

When you consistently honour your word, you have integrity and you will have the expected positive results in your endeavors and relationships.

Imagine that whenever you say you’re going to do something good for yourself like exercise, or do mobility work or breathe or eat well, you actually follow through.

Imagine that everyone important to you knows with certainty that when you say something you will follow through.

This is a pathway to a POWERFUL LIFE.

One tip that I can give you now that will help you live with integrity is this – make a list of all the promises you’ve made to yourself and others that you haven’t fulfilled and either:

a) Do what you said by when you said
b) Make a new promise to do what you said… or NOT do it
c) Clean up any messes created by (b)

Whether it’s finishing the big project on time for the boss or meeting your friend for coffee on time or grabbing apples on the way home.

Don’t prioritize one thing over another as the priority is HONOURING YOUR WORD and nothing else.

That’s it.

Commit to it and I promise, your life will benefit greatly.

PEACE~

Eric

P.S. Like EVERY worthwhile skill, don’t expect to be perfect at this at first. Just kaizen it and you’re golden.

November 23, 2015
Analyzing UFC Fighter Diego Sanchez’s Mindset

Diego Sanchez has been a pro MMA fighter since 2002 and competing in the UFC since 2005.

That’s a long, long time to be a pro MMA fighter, especially with the type of fighter he is and the kinds of battles he’s been a part of.

He’s definitely put on more than a few entertaining fights that I’ve had the privilege of watching.

He’s also always been lauded for being one of the most mentally tough fighters in the sport.

However, I read a recent interview with him that doesn’t leave me confident in the path he’s choosing nor his confidence.

First of all, he’s decided to drop weight classes, for a record fourth time, to compete in the 145 pound featherweight division.

I have nothing against moving down to a lower weight class if it’s a better fit for your height/weight/body type.

But what I really look out for is the reasoning behind the move and this is what he had to say was his:

“That’s where the sport has gone right now.Everybody is cutting weight. I see 155-pounders who are big. These guys are big. Even just seeing Nate Diaz in real life, he’s a guy, he’s big. He looks 180-190, maybe even 200 pounds. So for me, I’m like, well, I’m tired of being the small guy. I want to be the big guy. I want to be the guy with more power. I want to be the guy with better wrestling.”

I think it’s fine to want to be the big guy, but he doesn’t stop there.

He also talks about how he wants to be the guy with more power and better wrestling and based on this, he’s assuming that dropping to 145 pounds is how to go about getting these qualities.

Do you see the error in this line of thinking?

That he is not in control of his relative skill in these areas?

Unfortunately, this is a common mindset that a lot of fighters have – drop down in weight and instantly you’re going to be a beast and so far ahead of everyone else in every area.

But this is NOT reality, nor is it where the sport is going right now.

Just look at guys like Anthony Johnson who see the error in trying to cut too much and instead fight at a natural weight and then go and rack up dominating wins with devastating knockouts.

These examples refute Sanchez’s generalization.

And it doesn’t end there, folks.

“And I was like, wow, look at this guy, he’s holding a huge size advantage going into all of his fights. He has the reach. He has the leverage. It just made sense.”

This just goes to show that Sanchez mentions size advantage, reach and leverage as the reasons why Conor McGregor is successful and fails to acknowledge strategy, skill, fitness and confidence, as important factors in his performance.

Here’s why this is most telling about Sanchez’s mindset…

The things that he’s choosing to see as the most important factors are largely those things that have the least leeway in terms of adaptability, while the things he fails to acknowledge are those most trainable.

This is the ultimate error – focusing on the things you cannot change, while neglecting those you can.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

I am not religious.

But there’s a lot of wisdom in this simple prayer.

Bless,

Eric

P.S. Thoughts or comments? Leave them below.

August 19, 2015
Simple 3 Step System to Achieve YOUR Goals

With all of the info coming at you, it’s easy to get bogged down with info overload…

An example is a reply to a follow-up email I got from John, a new Shoulder Flexibility Solution customer, who told me,

“I haven’t started yet because I’ve gotten a bunch of new programs over the last couple of weeks and I don’t know what to do!”

This is why I’ve recommended many times to stick to just 1 or 2 fitness newsletter lists, because any more than that and you’ll get overwhelmed (and might find your bank account a little lighter).

Now, the system I’ve outlined below works best in the order presented.

The thing is, many people skip steps or do them in a different order, which negatively impacts long-term results.

But as you’ll see, there’s logic to this order, so check it out to see what’s up…

That’s why Step 1 of my 3 Step System is as follows:

JUST DO SOMETHING. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT, JUST TAKE SOME TYPE OF ACTION.

This is the most important thing to do when you’re getting started.

When I first started working out when I was 16, I did 3 exercises:

1) Bench Press

2) Bicep Curls

3) Skull Crushers

A horribly imbalanced program but guess what, I got some results and those results fueled my motivation to keep going and learn more.

Now, I like to think my programs are a little more sophisticated. 😉

Even if your actions produce no or negative results, at least now you know what DOESN’T work and can adjust accordingly.

This brings us to Step 2:

Once you’ve got some momentum from whatever actions you’ve taken, then do some self-directed research and learning and apply what you learn (and notice the results).

When it comes to self-directed learning, the internet has given us opportunities to learn from the best like never before.

Obviously this opens up issues like John experienced, but when you properly harness the opportunities available, you’ve got such powerful resources available.

I recommend doing self-directed learning to begin with because a) it’s cheaper and b) doing so allows you to further build your action muscle.

At this stage, many people jump from Step 1 to Step 3, which I believe sets them up to be life-long dependents, always depending on extrinsic sources of knowledge and motivation.

So, what is Step 3?

Here it is:

Do the self-directed thing until you hit a plateau, then find a coach/mentor/trainer/teacher to work with.

This is the time to step it up, because you’ve exhausted your ability to progress based on yourself.

It’s also better because when you approach a coach having taken action already, if the coach is worth his salt, they’ll respect you more for it since they know you don’t need to be babysat and you’re going to do what they say.

This can be in a small group setting or 1-on-1, but the insights you can get from an experienced and skilled coach once they learn about your history and how you tick can truly be invaluable.

I’ve had many of both types of clients and now, I only take on the 2nd type of client because I’m not going to hold anybody’s hand.

You can hire a rep counter at your local gym for that.

In fact, I rarely do regular training sessions now, I simply do assessments and program design and enough sessions to ensure you’re doing things right, then it’s on your merry way.

This is cheaper for the client, empowers the client and helps them be autonomous and is much more enjoyable for me.

So there you have my Simple 3 Step System for Achieving YOUR Goals.

Now I want to know if you haven’t achieved certain goals because you’ve missed any of these steps or you did them in the wrong order?

Leave me your feedback below and let’s chat.

Coach E

April 15, 2015
DO NOT turn weaknesses into STRENGTHS

I was at the boxing gym the other day watching a coach work with his pupil.

They were working the pads and the boxer was firing off various combos…

1-2-3-2…

1-1-2-3…

1-2-5-2…

… and so on.

When the buzzer went off signaling the end of the round, I overheard the coach mention to his athlete, “Your right hand is great but your jab isn’t very good, so we’ve gotta keep working it and turn it into your strength.”

And it’s not the first time I’ve heard this before, nor will it be the last, as I feel it’s one of those sayings that gets passed down from generation to generation without a second thought.

Well here’s the second thought:

Trying to turn a weakness into a strength is an uphill battle and ultimately is an inefficient use of your time and energy.

Here’s why:

Let’s say you’re a gifted painter.

The first time you picked up a paintbrush, you created something that surprised people when they heard that you were the one who created it.

But you suck at math (you must not be Asian).

So your parents, with the best of intentions, decide to enroll you in math lessons everyday so you don’t flunk out.

Unfortunately, this means you have to give up your painting lessons.

Now, not only will you be going against your natural talents, being a naturally more right-brained and creative individual, you’re forced to focus on something you suck at and don’t even enjoy.

The result is frustration at your lack of performance, a blow to your self-confidence and possibly hating life.

But what if you were encouraged
to focus on your innate gifts?

You’d be able to spend most of your time doing something you’re already great at and love, which can only result in joy and fulfillment, increased self-confidence and a greater love of life.

And because you live in this left-brain dominant world, you’d get a little bit of extra math help, but only on those areas that are absolutely necessary so you don’t fail at life (I still have not used Calculus in the real world).

So my advice to you is to instead, focus and nurture your STRENGTHS while making sure your weaknesses don’t hold you back.

If you’ve got sick striking but you’re terrible on the ground, keep working your striking game but make sure nobody can get you down or at the very least, you’re the slickest mofo at getting back to your feet.

If you’re strong as an ox, then get as strong as you can while making sure you don’t become so tight and inflexible you can’t scratch your own back.

If you’re logical and solution-oriented, make sure you develop enough sensitivity to hear and accept emotion without trying to be someone you’re not (personal experience here).

If you feel better when things move at a fast pace, don’t try to become a buddhist monk but do remember that slowing down and recharging allows you to keep your fast pace going.

Develop your strengths and don’t allow
your weaknesses to hinder you.

We’ve all got things we’re naturally better at and gravitate towards so be the best you that you can be and part of that is making sure you’re not held back by those areas you’re not so good at or don’t enjoy.

That’s my message to you today.

Do with it what you will.

PEACE~

Eric

March 11, 2015
EVERYthing. Started from NOthing.

When I first conceived of this article, I was sitting at a café, working on the overall structure of my upcoming Shoulder Flexibility Solution, tweaking it to make it flow logically and seamlessly.

I sat at a table near a south-facing window that looked out across downtown Toronto.

In the distance I could see the CN Tower and its pointy head jutting up into the clear blue sky.

If you’ve never visited Toronto, this is the #1 tourist destination as evidenced by the hoardes of Asian tourists scrambling out of buses to quickly snap a picture while throwing up a peace sign before quickly scrambling back onto said bus to be scuttled off to the next background.

My mind was getting scrambly so I sat back in my chair and sipped carefully on my Americano while staring at the tower.

As I sat there, sipping and staring, I began to imagine everything that went into its erection (lol).

Yes, I am immature.

Seriously though, it’s a 500+ metre high (1800+ ft) building that took over 3 years to build and that hasn’t yet crumbled or toppled over.

I began to picture the blueprints drawn up and consulted on by numerous architects and engineers, the digging of the site to lay the foundation, all of the heavy machinery involved, the transport of the materials to and fro, the electricians running wire and the tower being built block by block, up and up until its completion in 1976 as the then highest free-standing man-made structure in the world.

CRAZY~

Without a doubt it deserves its labeling as 1 of the 7 modern wonders of the world.

Now, think about how it first began.

Not when the project broke ground, but its genesis.

Not sure what I’m talking about?

Well, it’s the same way EVERYthing in this world begins.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the CN Tower, the building (or vehicle) you’re in right now, the device you’re reading this on or even the underwear you’re wearing (if you’re not commando).

Are you ready for it?

From NOthing comes EVERYthing.

But that’s not all.

There’s something in between.

And here’s what it is:

An IDEA.

That’s it.

EVERYthing in this world first started with an idea.

It could’ve been generated by one or many, but ideas are the starting point for EVERYthing.

So what ideas are you holding for yourself right now?

What are you building?

If you don’t have any, you’d better get some, otherwise, your life will be determined by the ideas of others.

We’re always under pressure from outside forces imposing their ideas onto us, whether it’s the government directing what side of the road we should drive on (not necessarily a bad thing), advertisers trying to get us to buy their wares, bosses pressuring us to stay late to finish “one little thing” or even little babies screaming and protesting to get their idea of comfort satisfied that includes you rocking and bouncing until you want to pass out.

Ideas are the most powerful forces in the world and we are the only thing that gets in the way of our ideas coming to fruition.

We do this through DOUBT and a lack of trust in the ability to overcome obstacles.

Think back to the CN Tower and everything that went into its creation and how many obstacles and unknowns there were.

If at any moment DOUBT was allowed to grow into inaction, I would not have been staring at the tower that sunny morning nor would I have written this article.

BUT IT WAS NOT.

All doubt was eradicated and destroyed and creativity was used to overcome obstacles, actions were taken and momentum was built until this monstrous building was complete.

I don’t know what you want to achieve and I don’t know what your obstacles are or where you’re doubting your ability to achieve as much…

All I do know is that if you have an idea, you have the ability to make it happen.

If you don’t believe me, that’s OK, it doesn’t mean it’s not truth.

It’s waiting here for you to grasp, whether that’s now or later.

Got it?

GOOD.

My work is done for the day.

Back to making my ideas come to life.

PEACE~

E

March 4, 2015
ABSORB WHAT IS USEFUL…

… discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own.

The first time I read this quote was back in 2004 when my buddy Matt gave me the book “Tao of Jeet Kune Do” for my birthday.

I’ve read the book cover to cover 5 or 6 times since and continually refer to it when looking for inspiration and wisdom.

This is such an important concept to live by however, I feel it’s often misinterpreted and/or mis-applied.

Here’s why:

Someone can read this and think, “Cool! From now on I’m gonna take things (info, instructions, lessons, coaching) and take what I want from it and integrate it into my way of doing things. YEA!”

But this is not the way to apply this wisdom properly, nor is it the way Lee applied it in his own life and training.

JKD is based on years and years of Lee’s training in Wing Chun.

It’s this MASTERY of one thing that allows for effective integration of other systems and philosophies (or ways of being, thinking and acting).

Only then, you’ll be able to take the new teachings and compare them up against what you’ve already mastered, which will reveal how and when to change things up.

So the wise course of action is to follow the advice or instruction or lessons of whomever it is you’re learning from, follow it to a TEE and follow it for a SUFFICIENT duration, whether it’s an amount of time, # of reps or whatever.

Only then will you truly know, that is, the combo of your mind knowing the concepts plus the testing of applying it, seeing how it works and getting feedback, that you can take what’s useful and then discard what is not.

All too often people take a little bit here and a little bit there and what ends up is a mish-mash, kinda like taking 1/3rd of a roast chicken recipe and 1/3rd of a chocolate brownie recipe and 1/3rd of a salad recipe and mixing them together.

The final result isn’t nearly the same as the full recipes stacked on top of each other.

So in martial arts, develop mastery in a discipline before trying to integrate other ideas into it.

In training, follow a single coach for at least a full program of theirs to see the results of his entire system since it should be designed synergistically (mine or anyone else’s – just stick to ONE).

This is simple but not necessarily easy, especially because of the vast amounts of info coming at us everyday.

So simplify your life and minimize the “noise” coming at you and you’ll find your results will not only improve, but you’ll be more at peace.

Trust me as I speak from experience as I used to subscribe to dozens of newsletters and found my mind so jumpy that it was causing me anxiety.

But since I’ve streamlined and now follow only a few key mentors, I’m more relaxed, efficient, effective and I even have more free time.

And when it comes to fitness, if that one person you choose to follow is me, then I’m humbly grateful and I promise to do my best to help you reach your goals.

Eric

February 25, 2015
FAIL to plan…

… plan to FAIL.

That’s the old saying and it is so true.

I’ve found that in the areas where I create a plan (and stick to it), success is the consistent outcome.

While I have no problems creating plans, all too often I find myself more not following them through to completion.

This goes along with a personality test that I took called the Kolbe Index where I discovered I’m a fast starter and fast action-taker, but my follow through leaves much to be desired.

It’s also an area where I’ve been out of integrity, since I always preach that you should be following a program vs. just going to the gym and “winging it”.

Lately, I’ve been going to the gym and while I have been following the same 2 day routine, I came up with the routine on the fly.

So that’s all changing – now, here’s the program I’ll be following for the next 4 weeks:

Another tip that I used to do that I haven’t been doing is in the evening, I plan the next day.

It is such a powerful thing to plan your day the night before because when you get up, you know exactly what’s supposed to happen and, when you sleep, your subconscious can start working on any mental tasks while you sleep.

I’ve definitely noticed less organization and effectiveness since I’ve stopped doing this but no more!

While I could easily blame the baby for letting go of all of these important things, that would be a cop out and how could I blame this little angel for anything?

So back to making plans and following through.

Are you currently following a program,
or just “winging it” in the gym?

If you’re winging it, get a program now.

Any program is better than none, so just pick one and follow it.

And this applies to S&C, MMA, Karate, handball, ping-pong or anything else – be intentional with your time and effort and your results will be drastically accelerated.

Do you plan your day the night before?

If not, spend just 10 minutes doing so, and you’ll find your days go much smoother.

Be as detailed as possible without being neurotic, for example:

8am: wake

830am: breakfast of 2 eggs and a green smoothie

9am: go to work

10am: meet with boss

Noon: lunch of tuna salad with 1 piece of whole grain bread and a 10 minute walk

3pm: snack of nuts and berries

5pm: go to the gym for Day 2 of my program

7pm: dinner of steak, broccoli and sweet potatoes

10pm: read “The War of Art”

11pm: lights out

These 2 tips are worth their weight in gold… IF you put them to work for you.

Remember – it takes at least 4 weeks of consistent conscious effort to create a new lifestyle habit so know that it’s going to take effort but then, once they become habits, it’s smooth sailing.

To effortless and effective living,

Eric

P.S. Do you have any great tips for efficient and effective living? Then share them with me and everyone else here on the blog.

February 11, 2015
TUBTHUMPING aka on COMING BACK

“I get knocked down. But I get up again. You’re never gonna keep me down.”

This is a line from the (annoying) hit song from many years ago called Tubthumping by Chumbawamba.

It popped into my head after I read an email that landed in my Inbox all the way from Australia from Steve Taliss, who outlined his busy schedule and asked me if I’ve, “… noticed a shift in time away from a routine and commitment to exercise?”

He also asked me what techniques I use to drive myself to exercise and if there’s anything I can provide to help motivate those who have fallen off to get back on track.

Do you find yourself wishing for an extra hour or two in the day to get your exercise (or anything else) in?

I sat and pondered these questions over a hot and steamy Americano for a while because I feel this is an obstacle that a lot of people can relate to.

The initial thoughts that came to mind were along the lines of the lyrics I wrote at the start of this email, which in my opinion at the time, were superficial and none-too-helpful.

It’s the same sh#t you see on Facebook all the time – simple one-liners and motivational quotes that make you feel good and go, “Yeah! That’s right!”

So that’s what I wanted to avoid when addressing the topic of “I don’t have enough time to exercise. Help!”

After 15 or 20 minutes of sipping and pondering, some thoughts and concepts started to bubble up that seemed more powerful and that they could actually help someone restart a dormant exercise routine and more importantly, be consistent with it.

One such thought that stuck out that has made a huge difference in my life is tying exercise to my identity and core values.

WALKING THE TALK is one of my core values and as such, I strive to always be in great shape, continually strive for higher performance and only recommend and talk about things I truly believe in and use myself.

Obviously, as an S&C Coach, it’s easy to associate exercise with my core value of walking the talk.

But think for a moment about your own identity and core values.

For example, are you a Dad?

If so, what kind of message do you want to communicate to your kids about time, exercise and priorities?

A lot of men (myself included) tend to place such a high priority on career and money by default that the other important aspects (family, relationships, health) of life can fall off the radar.

And if this is your conscious choice, then it’s all good, as long as you communicate as much to those who deserve to know.

But if this is you (Steve?), ask yourself if it is just your default and if your time and energy are going exactly where you want?

If they are, stay the course.

If not, if you want different results, you have to change things up.

Because you can’t just keep adding things into your schedule. This is the real work.

And it’s another mistake I’ve made in my life – thinking that I can keep adding and adding without taking anything away.

Unfortunately, time and energy are both limited resources, so this strategy is bound to fail and something will crack, with your health/sanity at the front of that list.

So think about your core values, what’s important to you and who you must be in life to live a life you’re proud of.

This isn’t something you can get from a motivational quote, but will require some quiet time of reflection, preferably when you’ve got energy and are in a positive state of mind.

And as I continued to ponder, I actually came back to the thoughts I’d started with, including the line from Tubthumping…

In doing so, I feel in that short time I experienced what Bruce Lee described when he said:

“Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I’ve understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. The height of cultivation is really nothing special. It is merely simplicity; the ability to express the utmost with the minimum.”

Because one of the greatest mistakes we make is when we fall down, we stay down.

But results don’t happen that way.

You can’t expect perfection.

Instead, results follow the same path as driving straight from A to B – you’ve got to continually make minor adjustments on the wheel to stay the course and you can’t just lock the wheel in one place because if you do, you’ll end up in a ditch.

You feeling me?

I hope so.

Either way, that was a damn good Americano.

Eric

January 21, 2015