Category Archives: A new beginning

The First Time Is The Toughest: How to Simply Just Get Started

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Do you know why most people never achieve their lifelong dreams?  I believe there is4411013654 07c281683b m The First Time Is The Toughest: How to Simply Just Get Started one distinct reason why people settle for mediocre and that is simply the fear of the first step. Why they are afraid doesn’t matter, all that matters is getting past that initial step. Realize this one key concept: the first time is always the toughest, after the first attempt is under one’s belt the consecutive ones get progressively easier!  Very simple, very to the point, just the way I like it!

People tend to look at the whole ordeal as one super-tough, ultra massive juggernaut of a mammoth abstract mess!

In my last article I talked about simplifying and making things concrete.  This article continues that approach by taking a major undertaking in your life, a mammoth project that scares the living hell out of you, and approaching it from another angle. Like I said before, I am not in the business to create new ground breaking concepts; I am here to take what already exists and simplify it. I am here to get you to think differently because the old way doesn’t work; if it did you wouldn’t be here…

Here is my concrete portion of the article.  This is a concept that everyone understands and many people have used this example before. 

I bet many have seen a baby begin to walk for the first time.  I have watched all three of my children with this undertaking, and all three times it was shear amazement to me. The determination they show is astounding and the lack of fear is amazing. If you stop to think about it, here is a being that experiences new things every single day of their waking lives. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment and think about the first time you push yourself up onto your own two feet. I can imagine comparing it to an adult standing on the very top of a 6 foot step ladder with nothing to hold on to.  Picture yourself doing that and tell me it doesn’t create some sort of anxiety!  Now imagine falling off that ladder and having the drive to do it all over again until you succeed!

Why would a baby show no fear in doing something as huge as standing up for the first time, not knowing the consequences of falling or possibly getting hurt? Are they super brave, and laugh in the face of danger?

No, I don’t think babies are brave, I think they just don’t know any better and lucky for them, ignorance is bliss!  Their ignorance to life is their key to bravery in that they simply lack the reference to the dreaded “fear of failure” that cripples so many adults in the world.

Our gift of awareness, our ability to analyze our thoughts, is also our Achilles Heel!

Our unconscious mind records every single event in our lives and it records how we reacted to those events as well. The problem is if we fail to consciously define whether our reaction was indeed the one we intended we could end up setting ourselves up for disaster in the future. A baby hasn’t developed that habit, at least not yet…

So, you’re an adult who has dreams (we all do) but you’re too damn scared to do anything about it.  Now what? 

  1. First off, if anyone is telling you that you can’t do it, ditch them! They are a cancer and they need to go, period! They are not in your best interest and all they are doing is projecting their own fears on to you. Misery breeds company…
  2. Second, stop thinking how scary the whole idea is.Really, what the hell is so scary about pursuing your dreams? Are you afraid you might actually succeed? Wow, what a shame that would be, to actually live your dreams… [Insert sarcasm here!]
  3. Next, determine the very first thing you need to do to get started and do it!Don’t be a wimp and hide like usual. You’ve been there and you know inside it doesn’t work…
  4. Once you get started on a new venture, or learning a new skill, pat yourself on the back! You have just bypassed probably 95% of the rest of the world who are content sitting on their butts and complaining how the “doers” are doing it wrong anyway!

Remember this and recite it to yourself every single day while you’re working away diligently at you’re goals, “The first time is always the toughest!”

Thanks,

Gerry

The First Time Is The Toughest: How to Simply Just Get Started

The 14 Week Challenge: Week 3 Progress Report and My Own Observations

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Here I am 3 weeks into my weight training challenge and I have begun to notice major

14 week challenge week 3 final 225x300 The 14 Week Challenge: Week 3 Progress Report and My Own Observations

Week 3 Progress

progress.  Now, I haven’t noticed much in the appearance department but I definitely feel a lot stronger in my everyday life.  For the last decade I have been bothered with a “bad back” and thought it was something I had to live with.

Boy was I wrong.

A major portion of my training has been in developing my core strength (abs, lower back, and hips) which I always believed I was pretty solid there!

Nope, not even close.

Over the years I developed the habit that whenever I bent over to pick something up I would need to support my upper body by leaning one elbow on my knee to eleviate the pressure on my lower back.  That has begun to cease as I have been developing confidence in my back.  Proof of a solid core being important, in Week 1, one exercise was to do decline sit ups.  This exercise has you lie on a bench where your feet are higher than you head and perform a sit-up.  I tried it for the first time and the pressure on my lower back was immense.  If I would have pushed through it, injury would have resulted.  I let my trainer Dickie know about it and we substituted an exercise that gave the same results with less back pressure.  2 weeks later and I did 2 sets of 12 repetitions of decline sit-ups with zero pain or pressure on my lower back.

I now believe a good indicator of a weak core is the old “support your weight by resting your elbow on your knee when you bend over” maneuver.  If you catch yourself doing this, then maybe it’s time to investigate strengthening your core.

I want to share some numbers with you on my progress in gaining strength.  I wanted to give percentages of increase (or decrease) in strength progress but there was one problem I had to overcome.  Sometimes the weight would increase, but the number of repetitions I completed would be different.  How would you compare the two numbers if they had two variables that are different?  The answer was to find a common denominator, a formula that would make the numbers apples to apples.

I found a site that when you input the weight and repetitions would give you a general “maximum” weight for 1 repetition.  You can find the site HERE.

Since I am competing in the “Dead Lift” and “Bench Press” exercises, it only makes sense to make those the core routines and base the rest of the exercises around supporting them.

The Dead Lift requires strong legs, hips, and lower back (now you can see the importance on a solid core).  Here are the progressive numbers so far:

Dead Lift

Week 1:  190lbs. for 8 reps = 236lbs. for 1 rep.

Week 2:  230lbs. for 8 reps = 286lbs. for 1 rep.

Week 3:  300lbs. for 3 reps = 318lbs. for 1 rep.

Week 1 – Week 2 = 286lbs. – 236lbs. = 50lbs./286lbs. = 17.5% increase

Week 2 – Week 3 = 318lbs. – 286lbs. = 32lbs./318lbs. = 10% increase.

Overall to date – 318lbs. – 236lbs. = 82lbs./318lbs. = 25.8% increase

 

Bench Press

Week 1:  160lbs. for 8 reps = 199lbs. for 1 rep.

Week 2:  170lbs. for 4 reps = 186lbs. for 1 rep.

Week 3:  195lbs: for 2 reps* = 201lbs. for 1 rep.

*This weight is actually a Personal Record, as I have never lifted more than 185lbs. in my entire life!  Did I mention the bench press was my weakness?

Week 1 – Week 2 = 186 -199 = -13lbs./186lbs. = -7% decrease (What happened here?)

Week 2 – Week 3 = 201lbs. – 186lbs. = 15lbs./201lbs = 7.4% increase (That’s better!)

Overall to date – 201lbs. – 199lbs. = 2lbs./201lbs. = .009% increase (It may be a small one, but it’s still an increase!)

I believe the progress issues I have with the bench are the combination of 2 problems.  One is out of my control, but really insignificant compared to the one I can indeed control.

#1 Issue:  I have long arms!  This physical attribute will create a bump in the road of progress for anyone.  I have to move the weight further to go through the complete motion, thus using more energy (short arms are an advantage).  I believe this to be highly insignificant compared to the next anomoly.

#2 Issue:  My own mind!  I have shied away from bench pressing since high school.  I am not sure why, other than results never seemed to come no matter how hard I trained at it.  I know one problem I had before that was brought to my attention was my hands were not spread wide enough. (narrow grip puts more emphasis on triceps rather than pectoral (chest) muscles.  Now that I have finally moved more weight than ever before I believe I will begin to make quicker progress over the next couple of weeks.

So by overcoming issue #2 I believe will ultimately make #1 totally irrelevant in my opinion.  (The mind will always trump the body!)

As you can see this challenge is indeed a mental conditioning experiment for me just as much as a physical one.

Thanks,

Gerry

Lifting Challenge Week 1 150x150 The 14 Week Challenge: Week 3 Progress Report and My Own Observations

The Beginning!

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Making Progress!

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Week 3 Progress

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 14 Week Challenge: Week 3 Progress Report and My Own Observations

14 Week Challenge: Week 2 Developments

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Back again, Week 2 of the 14 Week Challenge toward completing my power lifting

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Making Progress!

competition goal on November 12, 2012.  The first week’s lift went very well and was basically a “warm-up” to get a feel where the weights should be.  In typical Gerry fashion I pushed myself harder than I probably should have, but it’s a habit I obtained from wrestling many years ago.  I experienced a little soreness on the next day, but still went for a 3 mile run.  The second workout of Week 1 saw lower energy and tiredness, but the workout is designed for that.  It was a lower intensity lighter workout who’s sole intention was to get some reps in, not for setting records.  After the second workout of Week 1 I had 4 days off to recover.  I ran at least 3 miles each day except for Saturday.  Saturday I was extremely tired and sluggish and had to even take a nap in the early afternoon. The rest of the weekend went by and I recovered fairly quickly.

Heading into Week 2, Day 1 I felt very strong and very motivated.  I lifted some pretty heavy weights and I felt I made a ton of progress in one week.  My weight hasn’t changed as I am hovering around 202-203 lbs., but I feel I am getting leaner as well.  I was seriously amazed at what one week can do.

I have dedicated to 2 days a week for this program, which is about all one needs to do in lifting.  Common wisdom used to push for 4-5 days hitting the weights, but not with “strong man” style weight training.

As I figured up front, the routine only takes me an hour to get through it (including a 5 minute warm up).  So I am only training in the gym for 2 hours a week, but they are a VERY productive 2 hours.

So far my routines have consisted of actually doing the lifts I am competing in (Dead Lift and Bench Press) as the core, with the remaining exercises being mainly support exercises.  Plus, tack on a few exercises to work on the opposite muscle groups so I do not get disproportional.  All in all each session only consists of 7 different exercises that take care of a full body work out.

Week 1 and Week 2 have consisted of mainly getting a feel for the weights and to get reps in and focus on solid techniques.  Week 3 will see a decline in reps and an increase in weight.  Remember I talked about heavy weights with lower reps build more muscle mass faster than lighter weights and higher reps.  This tactic works even better with me, because I will probably shed more time off my weight training.

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Mark Sisson

I also want to discuss my diet that I have currently been on for roughly 5 weeks now.  On July 10th I made the choice to adopt a total primal diet and primal lifestyle.  I spent a lot of time researching what the lifestyle consists of and how to incorporate it.  I visited many websites that were very informative, but I just couldn’t find that exact place to trust.  Most of the other one’s felt sort of gimmicky and felt like they had something to hide.  Then I stumbled on a site that helped me make my mind up and switch right then and there.  The site was www.marksdailyapple.com and the man behind the site is Mark Sisson who not only preaches the diet, he preaches a lifestyle as well. The other beauty thing is he practices exactly what he preaches and everything about his site is transparent.

So, check out his site, and I will keep you posted again next week with a follow up picture and I’ll put some numbers up to show you my progress.  As always thank you to Dickie White at Iron Works Gym for all your help.

Thanks,

Gerry

Lifting Challenge Week 1 175x300 14 Week Challenge: Week 2 Developments

Week 1: The Beginning!

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Week 2: Making Progress!

 

14 Week Challenge: Week 2 Developments