I got up "early"... Well, early enough to make it to the trailhead before 9 AM. I started off the Couch-to-5k today. I hit the trail at approximately 8:56 AM. I've previously used this trail for a 10k step, walking program & worked my way up to doing around six miles three on a near-daily basis. That was last fall. (During today’s session, I found myself wishing that I'd kept it up...) I obviously survived though. I'm not sure how my quads are going to feel tomorrow and I can tell that the extra weight I'm currently carrying is going to make the jogging portion uncomfortable for a while. The pounding on the ankles is telling that I need to burn of the flab & smooth my running stride out. I should be rolling my gait, not tromping along.
Still, it was a very good session. I wasn't as out of breath as I thought I would be. No heart meter here, but I don't think I need one. My heart rate is either up or it's not. Today it was UP! I'm currently using the cadence tracks from Podrunner as after perusing several podcast & download sites I found these to be the best... easiest to follow. However, I'm thinking of shooting them an e-mail as the description of the tones is different from what's actually on the tracks. Not a big issue here, but the originals were much more obvious in their reference to the up-run & down-walk segments. I'm curious why they changed them... especially since the explanation is supposedly directly related to the tracks that I downloaded.
I'll also note that I ended up doing closer to a 6k distance, mainly because there's no mid-way marker in the tracks. I was looking at my watch the entire time & estimating where that point would be. Before I knew it, the track for day-two had begun... & I still had around 3/4 of a mile to hoof back to the trailhead & my car. There are also no obvious mileage markers along that portion of the trail. So... I picked a landmark. I'm surprised that I got as close as I did but I have a very good idea where the 1/2 way mark is for 12k steps... & that's approaching a 5-mile round trip. So I simply cut that short. Also, the first interval track starts late... so I'd probably gone 1/10th of a mile before the cadence began.
I'm feeling pretty good right now. Not bad for only 30-minutes or so of training. I highly recommend this for people wanting to get off of their arse. If I can manage this (smoking a pack of coffin nails per day) just about anyone else should be able to get going on it & finish up successfully. Yes, I AM going to quit smoking! This first session wasn't bad but I honestly cannot fathom trying to do this once the running intervals get up to 2-minutes or longer ... & still be puffing the cancer sticks.
So this program is great for anyone wanting an easy introduction into aerobic interval training. I’m actually already considering how well this will acclimatize me for higher intensity Fartlek sessions where I’ll be going from jogging to full-on sprinting. I’ll have to figure out how to time those or memorize the landmarks more effectively. Springing for a full minute segment would be akin to running several hundred yards. I think that the one-minute segments are too long for running sprints.
I’m not sure how sprinting is going to work on that concrete trail. I’d prefer to find a local school that had a track where I could do this. It’s not just the running surface either. It’s dodging the dogs & baby carriages. There’s too much activity out there for a more concentrated training regimen. I started out early today to beat the heat… but also to try & avoid the tourists. Perhaps the next time I see an LEO I’ll ask them where they run. If they have access to a public track, maybe I can go there for the Fartlek training. I really would prefer a track to the trail. It would have a more forgiving surface, fewer people and I wouldn’t have to stop and wait for traffic at intersections. I've looked at a few sites for specific "running trails" in the area... & there aren't any. The closest deginated trails fo rrunning are around 40-miles in any direction. There's plenty of rails-to-trails for biking... but none specifically for running. Now I hate bicyclers even more.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Couch-to-5k
I made a run to Fry's Electronics today. I picked up the cheapest MP3 player that I could find. I only spent around $20. It's only a 2 Gig & I don't need all the extra crap built into it. All I need is the ability to play the walking\running cadences.
The program I chose is a 9-week course designed to get you from walking to running 3 times per week, five kilometers each run. One thing I like abou ttis one is that unlike a lot of the podcasts that I checked into, thisone has audible tones that clearly define which pace you're supposed to be moving to. They also include warm up & cool down phases. On several of the others I listened to, it was very difficult to even tell when the music tempo changed. I think that these are very well done.
The Couch-to-5k is actually interval training... and is also Fartlek training. I thought it was funny that I "discovered" this today because I was thinking about it the other night. I noticed the similarity & thought that the two would mesh together well. It never occurred to me that the guy who came up with the program intended to have it be an introduction to Fartlek.
This should be a great starting point for the aerobic training & the sessions start out fairly easy. Nine weeks will have me running the full cycles before the end of the summer. It may be a few more weeks before I start adding in the additional training, but I plan on starting the Fartlek this weekend.
The program I chose is a 9-week course designed to get you from walking to running 3 times per week, five kilometers each run. One thing I like abou ttis one is that unlike a lot of the podcasts that I checked into, thisone has audible tones that clearly define which pace you're supposed to be moving to. They also include warm up & cool down phases. On several of the others I listened to, it was very difficult to even tell when the music tempo changed. I think that these are very well done.
The Couch-to-5k is actually interval training... and is also Fartlek training. I thought it was funny that I "discovered" this today because I was thinking about it the other night. I noticed the similarity & thought that the two would mesh together well. It never occurred to me that the guy who came up with the program intended to have it be an introduction to Fartlek.
This should be a great starting point for the aerobic training & the sessions start out fairly easy. Nine weeks will have me running the full cycles before the end of the summer. It may be a few more weeks before I start adding in the additional training, but I plan on starting the Fartlek this weekend.
Early Saturday Morning...
I'm taking tomorrow... ehr... today off. The move is happening & there won't be much if anything to do. Speaking of things not working; The AdSense content for the right margin banner is still behaving oddly. Upon opening the blog the latest page shows first... & the ad banner is missing. Once I begin opening the older blog posts, it's back. The one positive thing is that for about 90% of the time, the content is directly related to the post content.
Right now I'm sitting here thinking yet again about goals... & how work relates to desire & achievement. I’m once again thinking about how my attitude or understanding towards this relationship has changed recently. It’s a relatively new experience for me. I’ve had goals before but many of them have not received the proper focus. Some of that makes me wonder just how badly I actually wanted what I was looking to. Diligence & desire are the keys.
I think that the first time I actually focused on anything in this fashion was when I began working towards paying off my debt load. That was an intentional plan & it worked very well. I’m still at it, but I’ve made a significant impact on my credit rating over the past few years. Once you manage to get rolling on something like this you tend to stay consistent when you see the benefits.
It’s all about the consistency & knowing the steps. In fact, I would say that the steps aren’t nearly as important as keeping on track. I remember reading once about how it’s not so important what you do… the important thing is to DO SOMETHING. Don’t just stand there looking at the headlights or whatever. This idea was originally presented to me in the arena of self—defense… but it is equally applicable to just about anything else. If the course you are currently on is what got you into the current situation… then do SOMETIHNG to get out of it. What you do is not as important as making that initial movement to get onto a different path.
So this is where I'm at currently. The mating of the two subjects of contemplation; doing something to get me onto another path... & pondering my goal of attending executive protection training . I'm already aware of the goal. I know the steps required for me to at least be prepared to attend. So the question will be; do I want it bad enough to initiate the "program" and then continue it until I'm successful.
One mistake that I can see is assuming that there is a "perfect moment" for something, anything to be initiated. That's a load of bull! It's the excuse given by those who do not have the fortitude to make change happen. As I said... DO SOMETHING! Don't wait. Initiate the process. The litmus test in how badly any of us actually desire to reach a goal os whether or not we're willing to sacrifice & work to get it. If we're not, them apparently we didn't really want it.
I think this is an issue that points to some of the societal issues we're currently facing... but I digress. I've been willing to make do the financial steps, at least up to this point. I'm nearly at the point where I have the deposit saved. I noticd that I'm also now only a little less than $2k from having the full course tuition for the High Risk Operator Course. That's GREAT! However... I told myself that I wouldn't settle for taking that course.
CASS is one of... if not THE premier executive protection training facility in the US; possible in the world, save the one operated by the US Secret Service. They run the longest & most inclusive course in the US... & again possibly in the world. If I'm actually going to do this, I wouldn't want to study anywhere else. I'm also intimidated. It's a huge step for anyone & especially me. As I get closer to having the tuition, I'm beginning to get butterflies...
What to do? Stay focused... & start training as soon as possible. Forget the end game for awhile & simply begin putting in the time. Let things take care of themselves & simply continue to take one step after another. As I said the other days... one bite at a time. I suspect that as the fitness level climbs & the Spanish language practice really begins to kick in, the butterflies will disappear & my confidence will skyrocket.
Right now I'm sitting here thinking yet again about goals... & how work relates to desire & achievement. I’m once again thinking about how my attitude or understanding towards this relationship has changed recently. It’s a relatively new experience for me. I’ve had goals before but many of them have not received the proper focus. Some of that makes me wonder just how badly I actually wanted what I was looking to. Diligence & desire are the keys.
I think that the first time I actually focused on anything in this fashion was when I began working towards paying off my debt load. That was an intentional plan & it worked very well. I’m still at it, but I’ve made a significant impact on my credit rating over the past few years. Once you manage to get rolling on something like this you tend to stay consistent when you see the benefits.
It’s all about the consistency & knowing the steps. In fact, I would say that the steps aren’t nearly as important as keeping on track. I remember reading once about how it’s not so important what you do… the important thing is to DO SOMETHING. Don’t just stand there looking at the headlights or whatever. This idea was originally presented to me in the arena of self—defense… but it is equally applicable to just about anything else. If the course you are currently on is what got you into the current situation… then do SOMETIHNG to get out of it. What you do is not as important as making that initial movement to get onto a different path.
So this is where I'm at currently. The mating of the two subjects of contemplation; doing something to get me onto another path... & pondering my goal of attending executive protection training . I'm already aware of the goal. I know the steps required for me to at least be prepared to attend. So the question will be; do I want it bad enough to initiate the "program" and then continue it until I'm successful.
One mistake that I can see is assuming that there is a "perfect moment" for something, anything to be initiated. That's a load of bull! It's the excuse given by those who do not have the fortitude to make change happen. As I said... DO SOMETHING! Don't wait. Initiate the process. The litmus test in how badly any of us actually desire to reach a goal os whether or not we're willing to sacrifice & work to get it. If we're not, them apparently we didn't really want it.
I think this is an issue that points to some of the societal issues we're currently facing... but I digress. I've been willing to make do the financial steps, at least up to this point. I'm nearly at the point where I have the deposit saved. I noticd that I'm also now only a little less than $2k from having the full course tuition for the High Risk Operator Course. That's GREAT! However... I told myself that I wouldn't settle for taking that course.
CASS is one of... if not THE premier executive protection training facility in the US; possible in the world, save the one operated by the US Secret Service. They run the longest & most inclusive course in the US... & again possibly in the world. If I'm actually going to do this, I wouldn't want to study anywhere else. I'm also intimidated. It's a huge step for anyone & especially me. As I get closer to having the tuition, I'm beginning to get butterflies...
What to do? Stay focused... & start training as soon as possible. Forget the end game for awhile & simply begin putting in the time. Let things take care of themselves & simply continue to take one step after another. As I said the other days... one bite at a time. I suspect that as the fitness level climbs & the Spanish language practice really begins to kick in, the butterflies will disappear & my confidence will skyrocket.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Just a Quick Note...
[Of course I've said that plenty of times & ended up blathering on for an entire page...]
I'm becomming a much more interested in the CrossFit training method. The Krav Maga should actually gel very nicely as it basically qualifies as one of their "alternative sports" (or activities). It should give me the extra aerobic & strength conditioning that I need. I have to start shooting e-mails out to them NOW to make certian that I don't miss the start date AGAIN! The current session ends on June 11th which should have the new one beginning either the 25th or July 1st. I can see them taking an extra week due to the 4th (though it falls on a Saturday this year... so perhaps it will begin July 8th. The donwer there is that it may mean less than a year of training.
I'll start up the walking again this weekend. Within a week or two I should be able to get started on the Couch-to-5K. This time I'll remember to stretch properly afterwards... & daily. That really sidelined me last year. Still recovering from the accident & working my lower body that hard without continuing the stretching routine was downright stupid.
After that I'll start up on the CrossFit. Once I get to a certain fitness level, I may incorporate some of the P90X training in there as well. It depends on how well I respond to the CrossFit routines. I suspect that they will be more than enough to keep me building the foundation. It will be odd to be doing so many different activities, but also refreshing. I certainly won't be able to complain about being bored. Also, it's something different every day.
I'll need to be careful & balance the training sessions though. They have an odd work | rest schedule. Sometimes it's one day off, the next time it's two. It depends on the training & excercises for that particular day. Some of the days are also active rest days... training with less resistance or at an easier pace.
It also appears that most of the workouts center around fewer exercises that even I normally do. My normal standby, the 5x5 has only the four core movements & some extra neck & abdominal work. Some of their WOD's are one exercise worked nearly to failure... though the reps & sets are preset. Not much guess work there. A lot of the exercises will be new to me. Others I've done hundreds if not thousands of reps on. I also don't think that I'll need any additional equipment. Except...
Looking at their site got me interested again in sandbag training... as well as the kettle bells & Indain clubs. Both are excellent tools... & naturally I have a source for that gear. Okay. I'm out. I was planning on getting up earlier tomorrow but I don't think I will. If necessary, I'll put in an extra hour or so at work. I'm taking Friday off, but I need to drive by the new building sometime this weekend. I haven't been over there yet. I've seen a few photos of the lab... very sterile.
Lastly, it sounds as if my contract has been extended at least until sometime in October. That's the rumor from the girl that I work with. Her husband is an FTE & has access to the contingency status listings. I haven't heard from Populus... but neither has she. She started a month or more after I did however, so her extension may be coming later.
I'm becomming a much more interested in the CrossFit training method. The Krav Maga should actually gel very nicely as it basically qualifies as one of their "alternative sports" (or activities). It should give me the extra aerobic & strength conditioning that I need. I have to start shooting e-mails out to them NOW to make certian that I don't miss the start date AGAIN! The current session ends on June 11th which should have the new one beginning either the 25th or July 1st. I can see them taking an extra week due to the 4th (though it falls on a Saturday this year... so perhaps it will begin July 8th. The donwer there is that it may mean less than a year of training.
I'll start up the walking again this weekend. Within a week or two I should be able to get started on the Couch-to-5K. This time I'll remember to stretch properly afterwards... & daily. That really sidelined me last year. Still recovering from the accident & working my lower body that hard without continuing the stretching routine was downright stupid.
After that I'll start up on the CrossFit. Once I get to a certain fitness level, I may incorporate some of the P90X training in there as well. It depends on how well I respond to the CrossFit routines. I suspect that they will be more than enough to keep me building the foundation. It will be odd to be doing so many different activities, but also refreshing. I certainly won't be able to complain about being bored. Also, it's something different every day.
I'll need to be careful & balance the training sessions though. They have an odd work | rest schedule. Sometimes it's one day off, the next time it's two. It depends on the training & excercises for that particular day. Some of the days are also active rest days... training with less resistance or at an easier pace.
It also appears that most of the workouts center around fewer exercises that even I normally do. My normal standby, the 5x5 has only the four core movements & some extra neck & abdominal work. Some of their WOD's are one exercise worked nearly to failure... though the reps & sets are preset. Not much guess work there. A lot of the exercises will be new to me. Others I've done hundreds if not thousands of reps on. I also don't think that I'll need any additional equipment. Except...
Looking at their site got me interested again in sandbag training... as well as the kettle bells & Indain clubs. Both are excellent tools... & naturally I have a source for that gear. Okay. I'm out. I was planning on getting up earlier tomorrow but I don't think I will. If necessary, I'll put in an extra hour or so at work. I'm taking Friday off, but I need to drive by the new building sometime this weekend. I haven't been over there yet. I've seen a few photos of the lab... very sterile.
Lastly, it sounds as if my contract has been extended at least until sometime in October. That's the rumor from the girl that I work with. Her husband is an FTE & has access to the contingency status listings. I haven't heard from Populus... but neither has she. She started a month or more after I did however, so her extension may be coming later.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
One Bite At a Time...
It's the answer to an old question; "How do you eat an elephant?" It seems inane, but the approach is very effective. Attack each problem or scenario methodically & take small bits that you can manage. Small pieces can be more easily handled and one does not become overwhelmed by the size of the overall task at hand.
This is the one of the best prescriptions for success that anyone can follow. It's how I'm approaching the language lessons. Just getting started & turning it from a hassle into a habit. The physical training needs to be dealt with the same way. Slowly, one bite at a time. Virtually any endeavor that you take on can be tackled in the same fashion. In fact, it's the most logical apporach and the most successful. Ironically, this approach is really the only one that works. One cannot routinely accomplish but a single task at a time regardless of how motivated they are.
I need to remind myself of that with every day. It all gets to be a bit too much sometimes. The only way to get started is to tackle individual components, pieces, "bites"... and become religious in accomplishing them. I know exactly what I need to do. The necessity of doing it is obvious. The trick is the movivation to get the task done THAT DAY!
I know more than enough to build my own physical training routines. I've been at it for long enough to know what works for me and what does not. To date, setting on my arse is the one technique that is GUARANTEED not to work! Yeah, it is the easiest. I have ample examples of just how effective sloth is at putting one into a pitiful condition.
In the past I've emphasized strength training alone. I made some significant gains... and of not for a combination of bad luck health wise & being eager for excuses... I'd probably be squatting around 500-pounds right now. I'd have that 250-pound overhead press! This time around I intend to make a point of incorporating aerobic training along with the strength aspect in order to get the fat index down where it ought to be. As I've said before, I tend to drop weight incredibly fast when I crank up my metabolism on a regular basis. Quicker than most people in fact.
I had some "pasta" over the weekend. I thought that I was over eating. Well, I was a choir boy compared ot others. The pan we ended up getting (phone ordered was around 12x8 inches of spagheti with cheese. I had a single helping with salad Saturday night. I also had a piece of carrot cake. I'm thinking that was about 2-cups worth of pasta. I had about the three cups the following afternnon. The salad was gone a was the rest of the carrot cake. I was a bit unnerved that two people could down the nearly 3/4 remaining of that pan the next evening.
Hey, I've eaten a lot in a single setting... and I'm now wondering if that's why this was bothering me. I was able to eat less & feel pretty good about it. I wish I'd had more salad. So it's going to be back to the nuts, tuna, salads... and whatever else I can think of to eat that's lean & loaded.
I still haven't been able to find the George Foreman grill. That hacketh me off. I'm hoping that I've simply overlooked the box that it's hiding in. I'm suspecting however, that it was one of the items that was left behind when I moved my property out of the storage locker back in 2003. I really don't want to have to buy another grill... but I know from experience that this is a sure fire way to find the original!
So I need to formulate a program that's varied enough that I won't get bored, but also something that will provide enbough focused resiatence to build where I need it. I'm also going to need to factor in what kind of window I'm looking at time wise. I know that I can get through a full 5x5 lifting session in around 90-minutes. The aerobic sessions should only last an hour or so.
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.
CrossFit How-To
One thing that's going to cut inot the training time is having to drive to somewhere that I can run. Why? Because there's no place around here without dodging traffic. During daylight hours I can probably make the shoulder on Military safely enough. Once the days begin getting short again, I'll be limited though. The public trails usually close at dusk. In the colder months that's about when I get home. I'll have to turn to using the treadmill at that point. Oh well. We have two of them here.
Hey, I should have three months of great weather right now! The basement has thawed out and the standing water is nearly dried up. The sun doesn't go down until around 8:30 PM right now. If I travel directly to the trail after work, I can probably be home by 6 or 7 PM. The Krav classes will keep me out later but I can deal with that.
At this point, I'm not all that interested in "size". There will be a time later where I can start packing on the more significant amounts of lean mass. For now I want something more akin to... a lean, mean, killing machine.
I'm reminding myself that I'll be competing physically with guys who may be a decade younger than me... or possibly young enough to be my kids. I'd like to have them looking at me in awe... but I'll settle for utter disbelief. It won't just be the overall fitness. I do want some decent lean mass. I'd like for them to have to work to keep up with me. I should have no problem putting together such a program. The CrossFit approach is going to be interesting. The Krav Maga, running \ Fartlek and weightlifting crammed into one week? Yeah... ONE BITE AT A TIME!
This is the one of the best prescriptions for success that anyone can follow. It's how I'm approaching the language lessons. Just getting started & turning it from a hassle into a habit. The physical training needs to be dealt with the same way. Slowly, one bite at a time. Virtually any endeavor that you take on can be tackled in the same fashion. In fact, it's the most logical apporach and the most successful. Ironically, this approach is really the only one that works. One cannot routinely accomplish but a single task at a time regardless of how motivated they are.
I need to remind myself of that with every day. It all gets to be a bit too much sometimes. The only way to get started is to tackle individual components, pieces, "bites"... and become religious in accomplishing them. I know exactly what I need to do. The necessity of doing it is obvious. The trick is the movivation to get the task done THAT DAY!
I know more than enough to build my own physical training routines. I've been at it for long enough to know what works for me and what does not. To date, setting on my arse is the one technique that is GUARANTEED not to work! Yeah, it is the easiest. I have ample examples of just how effective sloth is at putting one into a pitiful condition.
In the past I've emphasized strength training alone. I made some significant gains... and of not for a combination of bad luck health wise & being eager for excuses... I'd probably be squatting around 500-pounds right now. I'd have that 250-pound overhead press! This time around I intend to make a point of incorporating aerobic training along with the strength aspect in order to get the fat index down where it ought to be. As I've said before, I tend to drop weight incredibly fast when I crank up my metabolism on a regular basis. Quicker than most people in fact.
I had some "pasta" over the weekend. I thought that I was over eating. Well, I was a choir boy compared ot others. The pan we ended up getting (phone ordered was around 12x8 inches of spagheti with cheese. I had a single helping with salad Saturday night. I also had a piece of carrot cake. I'm thinking that was about 2-cups worth of pasta. I had about the three cups the following afternnon. The salad was gone a was the rest of the carrot cake. I was a bit unnerved that two people could down the nearly 3/4 remaining of that pan the next evening.
Hey, I've eaten a lot in a single setting... and I'm now wondering if that's why this was bothering me. I was able to eat less & feel pretty good about it. I wish I'd had more salad. So it's going to be back to the nuts, tuna, salads... and whatever else I can think of to eat that's lean & loaded.
I still haven't been able to find the George Foreman grill. That hacketh me off. I'm hoping that I've simply overlooked the box that it's hiding in. I'm suspecting however, that it was one of the items that was left behind when I moved my property out of the storage locker back in 2003. I really don't want to have to buy another grill... but I know from experience that this is a sure fire way to find the original!
So I need to formulate a program that's varied enough that I won't get bored, but also something that will provide enbough focused resiatence to build where I need it. I'm also going to need to factor in what kind of window I'm looking at time wise. I know that I can get through a full 5x5 lifting session in around 90-minutes. The aerobic sessions should only last an hour or so.
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.
CrossFit How-To
One thing that's going to cut inot the training time is having to drive to somewhere that I can run. Why? Because there's no place around here without dodging traffic. During daylight hours I can probably make the shoulder on Military safely enough. Once the days begin getting short again, I'll be limited though. The public trails usually close at dusk. In the colder months that's about when I get home. I'll have to turn to using the treadmill at that point. Oh well. We have two of them here.
Hey, I should have three months of great weather right now! The basement has thawed out and the standing water is nearly dried up. The sun doesn't go down until around 8:30 PM right now. If I travel directly to the trail after work, I can probably be home by 6 or 7 PM. The Krav classes will keep me out later but I can deal with that.
At this point, I'm not all that interested in "size". There will be a time later where I can start packing on the more significant amounts of lean mass. For now I want something more akin to... a lean, mean, killing machine.
I'm reminding myself that I'll be competing physically with guys who may be a decade younger than me... or possibly young enough to be my kids. I'd like to have them looking at me in awe... but I'll settle for utter disbelief. It won't just be the overall fitness. I do want some decent lean mass. I'd like for them to have to work to keep up with me. I should have no problem putting together such a program. The CrossFit approach is going to be interesting. The Krav Maga, running \ Fartlek and weightlifting crammed into one week? Yeah... ONE BITE AT A TIME!
Monday, May 25, 2009
One Final Note...
I am going to try to get started back into the weight lifting... or something... this week. Dare I say Wednesday? I was making good progress and I'm not certain where to start. I may try to just begin where the weight were back in February when the flu knocked me on my keister. I really need to get started up again on physical training. I also need to stock up on nicotine pathes on the next pay period.
I should start working on the cardio as well. I have a few weeks until the next Krav Maga session begins... & YES... I am going to try one more time to get into that class. That extra cardio twice per week will be a great help, along with the self-defense training. I think that the Kenpo X would be a great starting point... thought he full one-hour session may kill me! If I don't make it this time then I'll make other plans.
I need to start focusing on my preperations for the EP training BEFORE I apply for the course. I want to be able to tell those guys during teh phone interview (provided I actually get it) precisely what type of physical training I'm involved in so that they know I'm consistent... and serious.
I dropped weight very quickly during that last phase of weight training thanks to the three-day-per-week regimin. I think that will work well, even with the Krav training provided I work the schedule to allow for adequate rest. I'm assuming that the basement has warmed up. As far as work goes, once I get involved in the self-defense classes (Krav or Combato) work is going to take asecond place on my list of priorities. Do I need to repeat again that I do not care about that job or that indstry except as the means to get me out of it? Essentially, they are now paying me to leave.
The Combato schedule would be much easier to manage. I neccessity required, I could skip out of work before noon, get in a class & go back to the hole to finish that days jobs. For the Krav schedule, I'll have to leave in the evening, get in the class & come back, looking at late night twice-per-week. Not good... but I really do want to test that system. I think that is has what I'm looking for in a system... & it's available around the globe. Combato is not.
I want to experience the stress training aspects of Krav Maga ad see if they are effective or not. I also want to learn the weapons disarm techniques. Provided the applications are useful, the system should be a great addition to my training package. With only two session per week though, I'm going to have to augment the practice on my own time. Two additional aerobic & bag sessions per week should do it. I think I can likely approximate their training session sans partner with the equipment that I have. I can certainly get the strikes & conditioning training covered. The trick is that with that few training sessions, I cannot afford to miss any of them. I cannot schedule around work without a hassle either.
I contemplated today, that a time may come when I simply bail on the MS job completely after I get the course tuition paid for. This would be unfortunate however since it would mean taking a significant pay cut to go back to working security of some other contract. I don't want to do that but I also do not want to end up spending every night shackled to my desk, unable to train due to the workload. I anticipate that happening at soome point. I really don't see them keep the hold on overtime all the way through product release. Then again, the core tests are a known quanitity and we've been building on them being run based on a 40-hour week.
Ultimately, I just want to get back in shape, get through September & get enrolled at CASS for a training acourse in 2010. After re-reading the course prospectus & other material I feel more confident about beign accepted. I honestly believe that I can hosw them that I have the dedication to attend, graduate & prosper in the field of close protection. Again, we'll see just how serious I actually am when I start geting on withthe preparation. Saving the money is the easy part.
I should start working on the cardio as well. I have a few weeks until the next Krav Maga session begins... & YES... I am going to try one more time to get into that class. That extra cardio twice per week will be a great help, along with the self-defense training. I think that the Kenpo X would be a great starting point... thought he full one-hour session may kill me! If I don't make it this time then I'll make other plans.
I need to start focusing on my preperations for the EP training BEFORE I apply for the course. I want to be able to tell those guys during teh phone interview (provided I actually get it) precisely what type of physical training I'm involved in so that they know I'm consistent... and serious.
I dropped weight very quickly during that last phase of weight training thanks to the three-day-per-week regimin. I think that will work well, even with the Krav training provided I work the schedule to allow for adequate rest. I'm assuming that the basement has warmed up. As far as work goes, once I get involved in the self-defense classes (Krav or Combato) work is going to take asecond place on my list of priorities. Do I need to repeat again that I do not care about that job or that indstry except as the means to get me out of it? Essentially, they are now paying me to leave.
The Combato schedule would be much easier to manage. I neccessity required, I could skip out of work before noon, get in a class & go back to the hole to finish that days jobs. For the Krav schedule, I'll have to leave in the evening, get in the class & come back, looking at late night twice-per-week. Not good... but I really do want to test that system. I think that is has what I'm looking for in a system... & it's available around the globe. Combato is not.
I want to experience the stress training aspects of Krav Maga ad see if they are effective or not. I also want to learn the weapons disarm techniques. Provided the applications are useful, the system should be a great addition to my training package. With only two session per week though, I'm going to have to augment the practice on my own time. Two additional aerobic & bag sessions per week should do it. I think I can likely approximate their training session sans partner with the equipment that I have. I can certainly get the strikes & conditioning training covered. The trick is that with that few training sessions, I cannot afford to miss any of them. I cannot schedule around work without a hassle either.
I contemplated today, that a time may come when I simply bail on the MS job completely after I get the course tuition paid for. This would be unfortunate however since it would mean taking a significant pay cut to go back to working security of some other contract. I don't want to do that but I also do not want to end up spending every night shackled to my desk, unable to train due to the workload. I anticipate that happening at soome point. I really don't see them keep the hold on overtime all the way through product release. Then again, the core tests are a known quanitity and we've been building on them being run based on a 40-hour week.
Ultimately, I just want to get back in shape, get through September & get enrolled at CASS for a training acourse in 2010. After re-reading the course prospectus & other material I feel more confident about beign accepted. I honestly believe that I can hosw them that I have the dedication to attend, graduate & prosper in the field of close protection. Again, we'll see just how serious I actually am when I start geting on withthe preparation. Saving the money is the easy part.
Weekend musings...
Yes. It's a very nice weekend. I wish that they were ALL three days long. I think I could stand working four tens... provided that it didn't end up being four twelve’s or four sixteen’s. The extra day has given me more time to relax, clear my head of work-related nonsense & focus on issues that are important to me. Yes. I am very selfish. I prefer to focus on the tasks that will take me to my goal, rather than the minutia that I'm subjected to during the week, conjured by drones manipulated by a master machine. Sometimes the complete lack of communication & planning can be maddening. Then I remind myself that I simply no longer give a damn. I get paid no matter how disorganized these people are. As long as it doesn’t ruin my personal schedule, I could not care less.
The roommate & I spent a few hours on the deck last night talking about various subjects. The inevitable topic of careers always comes up though. He certainly isn’t happy in his current position. The hours are too long. There are enough managers over him that he has less control over projects than he should, yet naturally, he is the one who is ultimately responsible for their completion. That’s an equation for frustration and failure if there ever was one. I’ve all but given up on attempting convincing him to look elsewhere. I suppose that given the current economic environment, looking at changing jobs may not be a wise decision in his case. He has tenure there & looks upon it as an investment. I can appreciate this attitude… to a degree. When it begins to slowly kill you, the priorities need to change. No job is worth that.
When setting on the back deck of our house, you can see the aircraft on the flight patterns from SeaTac, Boeing Field, Auburn, Renton & McChord AFB. There are always planes flying over. This got us onto the topic of piloting; more specifically of obtaining ones private pilot license. He was unaware that this is one of the things I have considered doing eventually. It’s all part of my reinvention. Provided I manage to reach the other goals of entering the Executive Protection field and working and living abroad, I thought that having the ability to pilot fixed wing aircraft (at least) would be of great benefit.
View Larger Map
From a practical perspective, Brazil is a massive country, roughly twice the acreage as Australia. As a result of the sheer size, there are serviceable airports in every medium to major town & city. Flight is the most practical method of transportation from one portion of the country to another. There is a highway system… but unlike the Unites States, there aren’t gas stations conveniently located. There are stretches of BR 174 & BR 230 where one could travel several hundreds of miles between cidades. Some of the highways are more "developed" than others.
Having the option of travelling by air versus motor-vehicle could be a significant benefit, not only for personal travel… but specifically for close protection work. Along with having the scuba and sky diving training this is yet another skill that I can see myself utilizing on the job. I don’t feel that I would want to be relegated to being a full-time pilot, but I do see the functionality of having the skills when they became necessary. The logistics & security issues involved in driving a motorcade could be negated somewhat y providing the flying option. Of course, given the size of an operation & the varying distance of travel required, private airlines with larger aircraft would then to be the norm. Still, the opportunities will likely present themselves with smaller teams & operations, not only in Brazil & Latin American but elsewhere.
Something else we discussed, though not at any great length, was how these recent decisions of mine are not at all "like me". This is more his verbal observation than mine, thought he has mentioned this before and I have attempted to discuss it in more detail. There is a stimulus behind it and I am now beginning to understand it more fully. I will admit that this is an enormous undertaking for me. I’m not yet overwhelmed by it. I must say that I feel more resolved than anything else. I am simply trying to be candid and take stock of myself.
I’ve posted regarding this before. When I look at my life, and more specifically the last several years, what I find is a glaring omission. Ask yourself; is there a point where one has an expectation of true reward and satisfaction from ones career? Does a person have an obligation to themselves and to others to be truthful in their pursuit of their passion? I’m not referring to something that someone accepts as a hobby… “This is what I do apart from my real job.” I am referring to a skill set or an ability that one would normally pursue as a career. I am talking about something that can satiate ones sense of accomplishment AND serve as their income.
Aside from those in the military & law enforcement, I myself have met very few people who actually had a “career”. I suspect that most of them have… a “job”. Perhaps none of these people have a true passion for such activities. From a personal perspective, a career isn’t represented by the amount of time ones spends in a line or work, or a field of vocation. A person could work as a fry cook for a decade and I would not consider that a career. I would consider it a job and the fact that the person has remained in such a position without venturing into another line of employment could say many things about them. Maybe they have no other skills. Maybe they have no motivation to gain other skills. Perhaps they just enjoy being a fry cook.
A career is essentially a life-style. One is motivated to continually adapt their skills. So the fry cook would envision work beyond the line kitchen and of perhaps someday being a chef in a five-star restaurant. For the individual who remains in their static state, they have a “job”. A job is not something that they were drawn to. It is something that they… do. They do it because they can secure employment with the skills that they currently possess. Most importantly, they are satisfied not only with the skills they currently possess, but with their station. I doubt that any person filling such a station is truly passionate about what they do. Realistically, these people may not be passionate about ANYTHING in their lives.
For several years I was convinced that the path I wished to take would lead me to type of job in the technology field. I envisioned myself as a computer technician, a software developer or a network administrator or engineer. Each of these positions interested me for a while. However, it was not until recently that I understood precisely why. These jobs appealed to me because of my exposure to that environment. I was influenced by my surroundings to a significant level. Naturally, the vocations that I was accustomed to working around would be attractive. It wasn’t that I actually wanted to any of these jobs. I was simply responding to a natural result of exposure and to a more significant level, convenience. It was also incredibly unimaginative. I’m certain that I was influenced as much by my friends as for any other reason. The majority of them had worked for the same companies and in similar vocations as I. They also made the progression into various technology-related jobs.
I became ever more frustrated as I experimented with various paths into the industry. I now feel that I understand why I was in such a state. I plainly did not want to work within that sctructure. What I had interpreted as a genuine interest was nothing more than my following a dullard’s instinct toward ignorance. I was following the crowd and with the rise in availability and pay of technology employees I thought that this was what I wanted to do. Sadly, I’ve wasted a decade thanks to this mindset.
Several posts ago I mentioned the auto accident. I’ve probably mentioned it more than once here. That may have played a significant role in my re-evaluating my circumstances and my path. It may have only been a catalyst for me. The exhaustion brought on by the treatment schedule was a factor as was the physical (and likely psychological) shock of the event. I had less interest in my job than ever before. In fairness, I do think that I was operating at about 40% based on my previous performance on that contract. I was essentially useless after the accident. I think that the only way I could have been less efficient at my job was to simply quit coming in. I’m surprised that they didn’t fire me.
Once that contract was over and I continued to heal, I had time to appraise my state of affairs. I did not verbalize my perspective on life… but I am certain that the trauma was an overriding influence on how I viewed everything. The more I looked at current events and my state, the more disinterested I became in continuing down the path that I was on. After all, I had not even chosen it. For the first time in my life I began to ask myself why I was taking that particular direction. I began to understand how one becomes mesmerized by futile distraction and addicted to excusing failure.
The danger of such behavior comes to its own when one comprehends the amount of time that has been wasted in blame and unfulfilled desires. The exercising of such deeds leads to a dead end. With many, there is a bitterness that builds and ends relationships. It is this dishonesty that we all must confront. It is dishonesty to all, but most importantly to us. This is what separates those who do from those who do not.
I want to be one who does! I want to take life and manage its course, no longer allowing myself to be washed downstream on the path of flotsam. At this late point in my life I feel I have one last occasion to direct my own providence. We are all ultimately the controllers of our own destiny. Few things are written. Few things are chance.
Is “passion” a prerequisite for a career? If it is then I am in the wrong field of employment. I can certainly see that some people within this industry feel that certain about their interests and their path. I don’t know if they’re being honest… but such a conclusion is beyond my responsibility. I don’t even care. That is the issue. I am the one who needs to find their ardor. I cannot remain as I am or I will cease to be alive. There’s nothing for me here other than a replication of previous episodes. There are DECADES of previous episodes in my life. If I endeavor to do better than survive things have got to change!
It's to this end that I have made the decision to completely change the direction of my life. For once I am going to follow through on something that could remake who and what I am. It may be that I merely discover someone that I was not aware of. There are portions of this obsession that I still do not understand. I myself cannot fully explain the seemingly instantaneous change that I have undergone. There are still things that I need to accomlish and motivation is a constant struggle but to have my own path to follow is something new.
The roommate & I spent a few hours on the deck last night talking about various subjects. The inevitable topic of careers always comes up though. He certainly isn’t happy in his current position. The hours are too long. There are enough managers over him that he has less control over projects than he should, yet naturally, he is the one who is ultimately responsible for their completion. That’s an equation for frustration and failure if there ever was one. I’ve all but given up on attempting convincing him to look elsewhere. I suppose that given the current economic environment, looking at changing jobs may not be a wise decision in his case. He has tenure there & looks upon it as an investment. I can appreciate this attitude… to a degree. When it begins to slowly kill you, the priorities need to change. No job is worth that.
When setting on the back deck of our house, you can see the aircraft on the flight patterns from SeaTac, Boeing Field, Auburn, Renton & McChord AFB. There are always planes flying over. This got us onto the topic of piloting; more specifically of obtaining ones private pilot license. He was unaware that this is one of the things I have considered doing eventually. It’s all part of my reinvention. Provided I manage to reach the other goals of entering the Executive Protection field and working and living abroad, I thought that having the ability to pilot fixed wing aircraft (at least) would be of great benefit.
View Larger Map
From a practical perspective, Brazil is a massive country, roughly twice the acreage as Australia. As a result of the sheer size, there are serviceable airports in every medium to major town & city. Flight is the most practical method of transportation from one portion of the country to another. There is a highway system… but unlike the Unites States, there aren’t gas stations conveniently located. There are stretches of BR 174 & BR 230 where one could travel several hundreds of miles between cidades. Some of the highways are more "developed" than others.
Having the option of travelling by air versus motor-vehicle could be a significant benefit, not only for personal travel… but specifically for close protection work. Along with having the scuba and sky diving training this is yet another skill that I can see myself utilizing on the job. I don’t feel that I would want to be relegated to being a full-time pilot, but I do see the functionality of having the skills when they became necessary. The logistics & security issues involved in driving a motorcade could be negated somewhat y providing the flying option. Of course, given the size of an operation & the varying distance of travel required, private airlines with larger aircraft would then to be the norm. Still, the opportunities will likely present themselves with smaller teams & operations, not only in Brazil & Latin American but elsewhere.
Something else we discussed, though not at any great length, was how these recent decisions of mine are not at all "like me". This is more his verbal observation than mine, thought he has mentioned this before and I have attempted to discuss it in more detail. There is a stimulus behind it and I am now beginning to understand it more fully. I will admit that this is an enormous undertaking for me. I’m not yet overwhelmed by it. I must say that I feel more resolved than anything else. I am simply trying to be candid and take stock of myself.
I’ve posted regarding this before. When I look at my life, and more specifically the last several years, what I find is a glaring omission. Ask yourself; is there a point where one has an expectation of true reward and satisfaction from ones career? Does a person have an obligation to themselves and to others to be truthful in their pursuit of their passion? I’m not referring to something that someone accepts as a hobby… “This is what I do apart from my real job.” I am referring to a skill set or an ability that one would normally pursue as a career. I am talking about something that can satiate ones sense of accomplishment AND serve as their income.
Aside from those in the military & law enforcement, I myself have met very few people who actually had a “career”. I suspect that most of them have… a “job”. Perhaps none of these people have a true passion for such activities. From a personal perspective, a career isn’t represented by the amount of time ones spends in a line or work, or a field of vocation. A person could work as a fry cook for a decade and I would not consider that a career. I would consider it a job and the fact that the person has remained in such a position without venturing into another line of employment could say many things about them. Maybe they have no other skills. Maybe they have no motivation to gain other skills. Perhaps they just enjoy being a fry cook.
A career is essentially a life-style. One is motivated to continually adapt their skills. So the fry cook would envision work beyond the line kitchen and of perhaps someday being a chef in a five-star restaurant. For the individual who remains in their static state, they have a “job”. A job is not something that they were drawn to. It is something that they… do. They do it because they can secure employment with the skills that they currently possess. Most importantly, they are satisfied not only with the skills they currently possess, but with their station. I doubt that any person filling such a station is truly passionate about what they do. Realistically, these people may not be passionate about ANYTHING in their lives.
For several years I was convinced that the path I wished to take would lead me to type of job in the technology field. I envisioned myself as a computer technician, a software developer or a network administrator or engineer. Each of these positions interested me for a while. However, it was not until recently that I understood precisely why. These jobs appealed to me because of my exposure to that environment. I was influenced by my surroundings to a significant level. Naturally, the vocations that I was accustomed to working around would be attractive. It wasn’t that I actually wanted to any of these jobs. I was simply responding to a natural result of exposure and to a more significant level, convenience. It was also incredibly unimaginative. I’m certain that I was influenced as much by my friends as for any other reason. The majority of them had worked for the same companies and in similar vocations as I. They also made the progression into various technology-related jobs.
I became ever more frustrated as I experimented with various paths into the industry. I now feel that I understand why I was in such a state. I plainly did not want to work within that sctructure. What I had interpreted as a genuine interest was nothing more than my following a dullard’s instinct toward ignorance. I was following the crowd and with the rise in availability and pay of technology employees I thought that this was what I wanted to do. Sadly, I’ve wasted a decade thanks to this mindset.
Several posts ago I mentioned the auto accident. I’ve probably mentioned it more than once here. That may have played a significant role in my re-evaluating my circumstances and my path. It may have only been a catalyst for me. The exhaustion brought on by the treatment schedule was a factor as was the physical (and likely psychological) shock of the event. I had less interest in my job than ever before. In fairness, I do think that I was operating at about 40% based on my previous performance on that contract. I was essentially useless after the accident. I think that the only way I could have been less efficient at my job was to simply quit coming in. I’m surprised that they didn’t fire me.
Once that contract was over and I continued to heal, I had time to appraise my state of affairs. I did not verbalize my perspective on life… but I am certain that the trauma was an overriding influence on how I viewed everything. The more I looked at current events and my state, the more disinterested I became in continuing down the path that I was on. After all, I had not even chosen it. For the first time in my life I began to ask myself why I was taking that particular direction. I began to understand how one becomes mesmerized by futile distraction and addicted to excusing failure.
The danger of such behavior comes to its own when one comprehends the amount of time that has been wasted in blame and unfulfilled desires. The exercising of such deeds leads to a dead end. With many, there is a bitterness that builds and ends relationships. It is this dishonesty that we all must confront. It is dishonesty to all, but most importantly to us. This is what separates those who do from those who do not.
I want to be one who does! I want to take life and manage its course, no longer allowing myself to be washed downstream on the path of flotsam. At this late point in my life I feel I have one last occasion to direct my own providence. We are all ultimately the controllers of our own destiny. Few things are written. Few things are chance.
Is “passion” a prerequisite for a career? If it is then I am in the wrong field of employment. I can certainly see that some people within this industry feel that certain about their interests and their path. I don’t know if they’re being honest… but such a conclusion is beyond my responsibility. I don’t even care. That is the issue. I am the one who needs to find their ardor. I cannot remain as I am or I will cease to be alive. There’s nothing for me here other than a replication of previous episodes. There are DECADES of previous episodes in my life. If I endeavor to do better than survive things have got to change!
It's to this end that I have made the decision to completely change the direction of my life. For once I am going to follow through on something that could remake who and what I am. It may be that I merely discover someone that I was not aware of. There are portions of this obsession that I still do not understand. I myself cannot fully explain the seemingly instantaneous change that I have undergone. There are still things that I need to accomlish and motivation is a constant struggle but to have my own path to follow is something new.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Closing In On Short-term Goal
I checked the savings account last night after depositing another $250. I'm within $1,000 of meeting my course deposit goal. I should be able to have that saved within four weeks. After that I have a little over $3,000 additional to put away to have the full course tuition & the estimated airfare. That has me feeling pretty good. It's making it easier to focus on the other, related issues. I'm rather surprised that I've remained this focused on the goal.
I'm still waiting for the 2010 schedule to be posted. I suspect that it will not be made available until September or possibly later. They didn't "create" (post) the 2009 schedule until October of 2008. This is actually very good news for me... provided the classes do not start filling up before they post them online. I know already that the newly added 2009 course began being filled by word-of-mouth before they were posted.
I still have the occasional doubts as to my abilities... and even the likelihood... of being accepted & graduating from this course. On the one hand, many of the featured graduates have a military background. I cannot think of too many individuals with a more unlikely history making this sort of decision. On the other hand, I do have some experience in security & more specifically, working in an estate environment. I made it to the supervisor level during that job.
Not only did my tenure in that position expose me to the some of the operation side of executive protection, I was able to take advantage of additional training such as the first aid, AED & CPR course to gain certifications. So I have taken that training before.
Something else I'm focusing on; in their documentation, the Center makes it a point to encourage individuals who from different walks of life, those who do NOT have what would seem the "necessary" background to apply. It would appear that they truly are looking for individuals with the passion & drive for the vocation... & to someone who assumes that they can do the work. I fully believe that this describes me very accurately. This is something that I intend on mentioning in the letter that will accompany my application. Not to appear desperate, but to relay my overpowering desire to enter & succeed in this field.
My interest in this career move began as a dream. At that point, nearly a decade ago, it was more of an escape & a curiosity that anything else. I had seen a program on bodyguard training & became intrigued by the possibility. This was my first exposure to the vocation. It was during this time that I first stumbled upon the Centers web site. (I was working at Network Commerce at the time. As unfulfilling and frustrating job as there ever was…)
However, it was the beginning of my interest in the field & the opportunity. I lost that job & at that point, made a critical error. I’d received a substantial severance payment. Had I truly been focused on attending the course (which at that time was ONLY offered in Ecuador) I would have IMMEDIATELY placed that money into savings, taken a stupid security job to cover expenses & made attendance of the course my goal. As I said, I made my first mistake.
Over the next year I struggled to find employment… & ended up taking a job with a security company regardless. The dot-com crash had ruined my chances for higher paying employment. In addition to lacking the earnings to afford the course, I had managed to ruin my credit by living off of the cards. This was mistake number two. Now we begin to see the development of a pattern. Not only that “people” often make idiotic financial decisions… but that people also do not comprehend the cavernous distinction between a ‘dream’ and a GOAL. I have written about this before. A goal being separate from a dream because of the steps the individual takes to make what is in ones mind a reality. The person who sets and achieves goals is one who comprehends that they must make the effort to obtain what they desire. Simple desire is not enough.
You would not plan a trip in this fashion; endlessly contemplating what it might be like to go to a city, state or country. If you have a strong desire to go and you honestly desire to do so… then you do your research & indentify the steps necessary to bring this to fruition. Once you’ve done your homework… YOU STOP THINKING ABOUT IT & YOU GO! You take the steps to get there in a methodical fashion & then you accomplish it. Now that I think about it… some persons may “plan” a trip in such a haphazard fashion. We’ve heard about them on the news. They’re the ones who end up needing to be rescued or are never heard from again. But I digress…
During tenure in estate security, I learned many things. One important issue is that I honestly need to work on my persona. I’m often perceived as rough & unapproachable. This is not necessarily a weakness in executive protection. In fact I can see it as a significant advantage. However, in certain corporate & family circumstances it has been viewed as a flaw. Part of this is due to my having high expectations of myself… & of others. Perceptions of this type often come to me from people who are themselves threatened by my demeanor & bearing.
I also have issues with being set up to fail. Again, this goes to my expectations. I’m all too familiar with institutions, managers & employers who ask the near-impossible and expect miracles to be performed by surfs that have not been given the training, tools or support to accomplish the work. This seems to be de rigueur with companies in certain fields… including that of technology.
Something else I learned during those years was that not all executive protection professionals are equal. Also, not all those who would appear to be at the utmost levels have any business working on an EP team. The first individuals whom I encountered were excellent in the field of family relations. Though there were only two of them, I believe that they did their best to provide adequate care for the principle & his extended family. They were simply spread far too thin and were unable to provide the level of protection that was realistically required. There may have also been a lack of training standards here. I cannot speak in detail as to the level of training of these gentlemen. I CAN speak as to their relationship with the post security team. WE WERE A TEAM! On no occasion was there any issue with ego on the part of either EP officer. In that respect I considered them to be consummate professionals. There was a mutual evel of communication between the two components.
These two officers were replaced at one point and the protection responsibilities were turned over to a manager who had originally been working as a backup for events and travel. He & the cadre` that he was building we made up of re-tired law-enforcement officers. Once again, there were few if any issues with these officers. Most of them had already worked closely with the post security team & the operators were well known to each other. One single event ended their contract. Sadly, the security manager had not even been given a realistic opportunity to develop the team. Such was the nature of that environment.
Now we see the arrival of those whom I euphemistically referred to as The Pros from Dover. While rumors abounded as to the background of these individuals… how many ex-Navy Seals are there in the world?... it was assumed that all were at least ex-military & they the majority of them had recently been working as private security contractors in locations such as Iraq.
The firm for which these officers worked had allegedly conducted a threat assessment and for reasons which appeared to be purely mercenary, had convinced them that the true threat to the principle was not the local schizophrenics, embittered ex-employees or family members (which is ALWAYS the primary threat) but was rather… Al-Qaida. Sold a bill-of-goods, our intrepid clients engaged these con men in full-time employment; at an estimated cost of $50 per hour, per operative. They employed close to a dozen of these officers.
This alone wasn’t enough to dissuade yours truly from working closely with the new arrivals. On the contrary, I was actually looking forward to it as an opportunity. Then I started getting to know them. Granted, I am NOT a qualified, trained & experienced executive protection professional. However, I will venture to say that I know enough regarding professional conduct EP the responsibilities of such details to know what NOT to do.
Had I been the Team Lead, I would have used the days before the initial duty to have all operatives work on performing advance work, including, but not limited to purchasing maps & driving the various routes the principles were likely to utilize, as well as familiarizing the team with the vehicles, previous threats and most importantly, the post security detail.
None of this occurred. Instead, the Pros from Dover went to a local brew fest hosted in the Fremont district of Seattle. By that Monday, few if any of the post security officers knew who these clowns were. Things deteriorated from there. Aside from the fact that few if any of our post security officers knew the identities of the new EP team, they seemed content to remain in their secluded bungalow, just off of the estate. They only contacted us when they wanted something. We were no longer a team.
This issue became acutely obvious on one occasion when the elderly mother of the principle had an event she was to attend. This was a very common occurrence & it was actually part of the reason that the estate had security to begin with. The EP team would be responsible for inspecting, preparing & driving the vehicle. The event had been on the Outlook schedule for nearly two weeks. The morning of the event, the driver was nowhere to be found. This was less than thirty minutes before the trip was to begin.
As was my responsibility, I notified the head of corporate security. I did not notify the “Pros” because I was unaware of their whereabouts, nor did I know who the acting Team Lead was. They did not feel any necessity to notify post security of their comings & goings. We were after all, only “rent-a-cops”. An ass-chewing ensued. Not mine. I was congratulated on handling the issue correctly. (Understand that not notifying the security manager would have gotten me fired. That was the nature of that place. So, yes I was covering my own arse… but also that of my team members… and the client! It wasn't my responsibility to make sure that their Team Lead... who was likely making $100k per year was doing his job. I had my own tasks to perform.)
These idiots dropped the ball & I was later requested by the acting Team Lead (now on site!) to notify one of them rather than the security manager. Who are you again? So, we are now a “team”… because you need us? I don’t think so. Where the hell have you been for the last five years while we’ve been working here? NO we don't have any maps. No I cannot print them out off of the Internet for you. We don't have Internet access... but... YOU DO!?
So they send the brand new guy, the cherry, to drive the Mrs. To her appointment. This guy doesn’t know the vehicles, has never driven any of the routes… remember my comment about running an advance?... and has not even verified the gas, tire pressure & breaks on the vehicle that he plans to transport the mother of a multi-billionaire in. Amateurs!
Sorry, but if THAT is an indication of someone who has “made it” in the field… yours truly has got NOTHING to worry about. Blindfolded… I could do better than that blindfolded. The arrogance of those guys would have been amusing if it hadn't been so tragic. I'm certain that they were loooking at that contract as pure gravy... & yet they apparently could barely manage it. It would have been just as easy for them to do things right as wrong.
I'm still waiting for the 2010 schedule to be posted. I suspect that it will not be made available until September or possibly later. They didn't "create" (post) the 2009 schedule until October of 2008. This is actually very good news for me... provided the classes do not start filling up before they post them online. I know already that the newly added 2009 course began being filled by word-of-mouth before they were posted.
I still have the occasional doubts as to my abilities... and even the likelihood... of being accepted & graduating from this course. On the one hand, many of the featured graduates have a military background. I cannot think of too many individuals with a more unlikely history making this sort of decision. On the other hand, I do have some experience in security & more specifically, working in an estate environment. I made it to the supervisor level during that job.
Not only did my tenure in that position expose me to the some of the operation side of executive protection, I was able to take advantage of additional training such as the first aid, AED & CPR course to gain certifications. So I have taken that training before.
Something else I'm focusing on; in their documentation, the Center makes it a point to encourage individuals who from different walks of life, those who do NOT have what would seem the "necessary" background to apply. It would appear that they truly are looking for individuals with the passion & drive for the vocation... & to someone who assumes that they can do the work. I fully believe that this describes me very accurately. This is something that I intend on mentioning in the letter that will accompany my application. Not to appear desperate, but to relay my overpowering desire to enter & succeed in this field.
My interest in this career move began as a dream. At that point, nearly a decade ago, it was more of an escape & a curiosity that anything else. I had seen a program on bodyguard training & became intrigued by the possibility. This was my first exposure to the vocation. It was during this time that I first stumbled upon the Centers web site. (I was working at Network Commerce at the time. As unfulfilling and frustrating job as there ever was…)
However, it was the beginning of my interest in the field & the opportunity. I lost that job & at that point, made a critical error. I’d received a substantial severance payment. Had I truly been focused on attending the course (which at that time was ONLY offered in Ecuador) I would have IMMEDIATELY placed that money into savings, taken a stupid security job to cover expenses & made attendance of the course my goal. As I said, I made my first mistake.
Over the next year I struggled to find employment… & ended up taking a job with a security company regardless. The dot-com crash had ruined my chances for higher paying employment. In addition to lacking the earnings to afford the course, I had managed to ruin my credit by living off of the cards. This was mistake number two. Now we begin to see the development of a pattern. Not only that “people” often make idiotic financial decisions… but that people also do not comprehend the cavernous distinction between a ‘dream’ and a GOAL. I have written about this before. A goal being separate from a dream because of the steps the individual takes to make what is in ones mind a reality. The person who sets and achieves goals is one who comprehends that they must make the effort to obtain what they desire. Simple desire is not enough.
You would not plan a trip in this fashion; endlessly contemplating what it might be like to go to a city, state or country. If you have a strong desire to go and you honestly desire to do so… then you do your research & indentify the steps necessary to bring this to fruition. Once you’ve done your homework… YOU STOP THINKING ABOUT IT & YOU GO! You take the steps to get there in a methodical fashion & then you accomplish it. Now that I think about it… some persons may “plan” a trip in such a haphazard fashion. We’ve heard about them on the news. They’re the ones who end up needing to be rescued or are never heard from again. But I digress…
During tenure in estate security, I learned many things. One important issue is that I honestly need to work on my persona. I’m often perceived as rough & unapproachable. This is not necessarily a weakness in executive protection. In fact I can see it as a significant advantage. However, in certain corporate & family circumstances it has been viewed as a flaw. Part of this is due to my having high expectations of myself… & of others. Perceptions of this type often come to me from people who are themselves threatened by my demeanor & bearing.
I also have issues with being set up to fail. Again, this goes to my expectations. I’m all too familiar with institutions, managers & employers who ask the near-impossible and expect miracles to be performed by surfs that have not been given the training, tools or support to accomplish the work. This seems to be de rigueur with companies in certain fields… including that of technology.
Something else I learned during those years was that not all executive protection professionals are equal. Also, not all those who would appear to be at the utmost levels have any business working on an EP team. The first individuals whom I encountered were excellent in the field of family relations. Though there were only two of them, I believe that they did their best to provide adequate care for the principle & his extended family. They were simply spread far too thin and were unable to provide the level of protection that was realistically required. There may have also been a lack of training standards here. I cannot speak in detail as to the level of training of these gentlemen. I CAN speak as to their relationship with the post security team. WE WERE A TEAM! On no occasion was there any issue with ego on the part of either EP officer. In that respect I considered them to be consummate professionals. There was a mutual evel of communication between the two components.
These two officers were replaced at one point and the protection responsibilities were turned over to a manager who had originally been working as a backup for events and travel. He & the cadre` that he was building we made up of re-tired law-enforcement officers. Once again, there were few if any issues with these officers. Most of them had already worked closely with the post security team & the operators were well known to each other. One single event ended their contract. Sadly, the security manager had not even been given a realistic opportunity to develop the team. Such was the nature of that environment.
Now we see the arrival of those whom I euphemistically referred to as The Pros from Dover. While rumors abounded as to the background of these individuals… how many ex-Navy Seals are there in the world?... it was assumed that all were at least ex-military & they the majority of them had recently been working as private security contractors in locations such as Iraq.
The firm for which these officers worked had allegedly conducted a threat assessment and for reasons which appeared to be purely mercenary, had convinced them that the true threat to the principle was not the local schizophrenics, embittered ex-employees or family members (which is ALWAYS the primary threat) but was rather… Al-Qaida. Sold a bill-of-goods, our intrepid clients engaged these con men in full-time employment; at an estimated cost of $50 per hour, per operative. They employed close to a dozen of these officers.
This alone wasn’t enough to dissuade yours truly from working closely with the new arrivals. On the contrary, I was actually looking forward to it as an opportunity. Then I started getting to know them. Granted, I am NOT a qualified, trained & experienced executive protection professional. However, I will venture to say that I know enough regarding professional conduct EP the responsibilities of such details to know what NOT to do.
Had I been the Team Lead, I would have used the days before the initial duty to have all operatives work on performing advance work, including, but not limited to purchasing maps & driving the various routes the principles were likely to utilize, as well as familiarizing the team with the vehicles, previous threats and most importantly, the post security detail.
None of this occurred. Instead, the Pros from Dover went to a local brew fest hosted in the Fremont district of Seattle. By that Monday, few if any of the post security officers knew who these clowns were. Things deteriorated from there. Aside from the fact that few if any of our post security officers knew the identities of the new EP team, they seemed content to remain in their secluded bungalow, just off of the estate. They only contacted us when they wanted something. We were no longer a team.
This issue became acutely obvious on one occasion when the elderly mother of the principle had an event she was to attend. This was a very common occurrence & it was actually part of the reason that the estate had security to begin with. The EP team would be responsible for inspecting, preparing & driving the vehicle. The event had been on the Outlook schedule for nearly two weeks. The morning of the event, the driver was nowhere to be found. This was less than thirty minutes before the trip was to begin.
As was my responsibility, I notified the head of corporate security. I did not notify the “Pros” because I was unaware of their whereabouts, nor did I know who the acting Team Lead was. They did not feel any necessity to notify post security of their comings & goings. We were after all, only “rent-a-cops”. An ass-chewing ensued. Not mine. I was congratulated on handling the issue correctly. (Understand that not notifying the security manager would have gotten me fired. That was the nature of that place. So, yes I was covering my own arse… but also that of my team members… and the client! It wasn't my responsibility to make sure that their Team Lead... who was likely making $100k per year was doing his job. I had my own tasks to perform.)
These idiots dropped the ball & I was later requested by the acting Team Lead (now on site!) to notify one of them rather than the security manager. Who are you again? So, we are now a “team”… because you need us? I don’t think so. Where the hell have you been for the last five years while we’ve been working here? NO we don't have any maps. No I cannot print them out off of the Internet for you. We don't have Internet access... but... YOU DO!?
So they send the brand new guy, the cherry, to drive the Mrs. To her appointment. This guy doesn’t know the vehicles, has never driven any of the routes… remember my comment about running an advance?... and has not even verified the gas, tire pressure & breaks on the vehicle that he plans to transport the mother of a multi-billionaire in. Amateurs!
Sorry, but if THAT is an indication of someone who has “made it” in the field… yours truly has got NOTHING to worry about. Blindfolded… I could do better than that blindfolded. The arrogance of those guys would have been amusing if it hadn't been so tragic. I'm certain that they were loooking at that contract as pure gravy... & yet they apparently could barely manage it. It would have been just as easy for them to do things right as wrong.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
More Krav Maga Junk...
I felt like posting again today. Work is going to be getting busy... or so goes the rumor. If by "busy" they mean that we're actually going to have a full weeks worth of work, then that's fine. It makes the days go faster. If they mean that we're going to start being slammed every night, mid-week... it's going to hack me off. I know it's easier for people who have nothing else going on in their lives.
I appreciate that it is about priorities. On the one hand, some people's priority is work, or their career. I can empathize with this. In uderstand & appreciate the interest, drive and passion. I simply no longer have such for that particular industry. As I mentioned before, with the pay cuts & other issues I've dealt with it's simply become obvious that the technology field is becomming like so many other fields; the days of big pay are over.
It's not just about the money however. I've also mentioned the mentality & the juvenile atmosphere that seems to pervade the environment. I wonder how much of this is linked to the interest in the field. The older employees I see don't seem to have the same ideology. The majority of tehm are in it to make their money & retire. The sooner the better Most of them don't seem to think much of it anymore either.
I'm tired of it all. I've been doing too long, things that I tried to convince myself I cared about. Well... I don't care about them. Worst of all, it's beginning to show a bit more every week. I'm sorry for that. I'd really like to finish out this contract and on a positive note.
My priorities are quite different. I've already mentioned them ad nauseum and to me, it is THOSE things that are going to take primacy in my life and on my calendar. I have my own health & career interests. I'm focusing on those.
Speaking of focus... if I EVER manage to get enrolled at Krav Maga Seattle I want to develop a solo-training regimine. These folks only train twice-per-week & I'm going to want some additional training. I may incorporate the 360-degree drills along with the punch-kick combinations into some type of aerobic session. Twice-per-week will still be a decent workout as they tend to incorporate a lot of conditioning in the classes. I would think that the classes, combined with Fartlek & some anerobic training should put me into fantastic condition within a few months. I tend to drop the flab pretty fast when I start hitting the cross training hard.
I appreciate that it is about priorities. On the one hand, some people's priority is work, or their career. I can empathize with this. In uderstand & appreciate the interest, drive and passion. I simply no longer have such for that particular industry. As I mentioned before, with the pay cuts & other issues I've dealt with it's simply become obvious that the technology field is becomming like so many other fields; the days of big pay are over.
It's not just about the money however. I've also mentioned the mentality & the juvenile atmosphere that seems to pervade the environment. I wonder how much of this is linked to the interest in the field. The older employees I see don't seem to have the same ideology. The majority of tehm are in it to make their money & retire. The sooner the better Most of them don't seem to think much of it anymore either.
I'm tired of it all. I've been doing too long, things that I tried to convince myself I cared about. Well... I don't care about them. Worst of all, it's beginning to show a bit more every week. I'm sorry for that. I'd really like to finish out this contract and on a positive note.
My priorities are quite different. I've already mentioned them ad nauseum and to me, it is THOSE things that are going to take primacy in my life and on my calendar. I have my own health & career interests. I'm focusing on those.
Speaking of focus... if I EVER manage to get enrolled at Krav Maga Seattle I want to develop a solo-training regimine. These folks only train twice-per-week & I'm going to want some additional training. I may incorporate the 360-degree drills along with the punch-kick combinations into some type of aerobic session. Twice-per-week will still be a decent workout as they tend to incorporate a lot of conditioning in the classes. I would think that the classes, combined with Fartlek & some anerobic training should put me into fantastic condition within a few months. I tend to drop the flab pretty fast when I start hitting the cross training hard.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
As The Work Picks Up...
Things are beginning to pick up a bit at work. Though it's been dead, I anticipate that we'll be getting very busy soon. We'll be moving to a new building in the next weeks or so & after that the project will pass another milestone. We're picking up more tests... but a few features are being dropped. (Yup... when you can't fix something, you just get rid of it.)
I'm anxious to see what happens because I'd like to know what kind of schedule I'll be looking at. I'm almost betting on the hours being just crazy enough to interfere with any evening activities... like Krav Maga. I don't know how taking off for two or three hours two nights per week is going to set with management. I'd come back... & I'd work late. I just hate the idea of being shackled there at the perfectly inopportune times, mid-week.
That's one thing about the Combato schedule; I can adjust when I take the classes, days or evenings. So I would be able to fit a few in every week. In a worst-case scenario... I could attend the Saturday classes.
I really would like to get into the Krav class because I want to get a feel for the system. I suppose I'll have to figure out how to work the schedule. I may be able to slip away on thise nights provided we are not completely hammered. I'm in the lab nearly two hours before anyone else as it is now.
My rep sent me an e-mail today regarding my contract end date. That should be coming up in June... unless I get extended for another six months. At this point, I've already been here 3 months, June will make it six & it will be difficult to get another contract here if I cannot finish a full year of eligibility.
Even though I wish I could afford to quit tomorrow... I can't. I need the money. I need to keep working to get the remainder of my tuition saved up (hopefully), as well as pay my debt down. Since the course openenings for 2010 aren't until September & November I actually have more time... but I want to get the tuition set aside before anything else. That's my main concern. Once that's done I can relax since I'll have an additional $1k per month... depending on how much I'm earning.
I'm still on track for the deposit to be ready in June, albeit a week later than I had planned. I may be able to dump some extra money into savings between now & then. I noticed that the center has added additional courses for 2009: In September & November. So I currently still have no idea what the 2010 schedule will be like. I'm thinking that there will be courses available in the Spring & Summer as this year. The other courses for 2009 were just added.
It's a trade off. It would be nice to have some additional time to save money... as well as to train. However... I'd really like to get started. When and if my application is accepted, I'll probably want to get in as soon as I possibly can. I would imagine that if they still have openings for November by the time I have the reamainder of the tuition which should be on or about September 18th. I can't imagine them still having any openings by that point however.
I'm sure that the scheduling tends to fall as the cadre` are available to teach. Since they are all working professionals, it likely depends on when they are available. So I'll keep saving & watching the calendar. The extra months provided with my having to wait until 2010 means additional time for language, combat & fitness training. I owe it to myself to be as ready as I can be.
If my contract at MS ends in June, I'll try to get another. If that fails, I'll take whatever I can get to keep the money coming in. The critical thing is getting that deposit put together. I'd like to have the time & income to get the full tuition by that Semptember deadline, but I know that there aren't any guarantees of employment. Our manager is bringing back the guy that I replaced. So we will have four testers. I know that this is what he wanted but new people coming in can also mean someone going out. I've been doing very well, but I'm not sure what his expectations are for the remainder of the product cycle. Ultimately, I just want to get my money & get out! I don't much care about "product" any more. Especially not after the pay cuts & this other nonsense. Those have been some of the motivators that I needed.
I'm anxious to see what happens because I'd like to know what kind of schedule I'll be looking at. I'm almost betting on the hours being just crazy enough to interfere with any evening activities... like Krav Maga. I don't know how taking off for two or three hours two nights per week is going to set with management. I'd come back... & I'd work late. I just hate the idea of being shackled there at the perfectly inopportune times, mid-week.
That's one thing about the Combato schedule; I can adjust when I take the classes, days or evenings. So I would be able to fit a few in every week. In a worst-case scenario... I could attend the Saturday classes.
I really would like to get into the Krav class because I want to get a feel for the system. I suppose I'll have to figure out how to work the schedule. I may be able to slip away on thise nights provided we are not completely hammered. I'm in the lab nearly two hours before anyone else as it is now.
My rep sent me an e-mail today regarding my contract end date. That should be coming up in June... unless I get extended for another six months. At this point, I've already been here 3 months, June will make it six & it will be difficult to get another contract here if I cannot finish a full year of eligibility.
Even though I wish I could afford to quit tomorrow... I can't. I need the money. I need to keep working to get the remainder of my tuition saved up (hopefully), as well as pay my debt down. Since the course openenings for 2010 aren't until September & November I actually have more time... but I want to get the tuition set aside before anything else. That's my main concern. Once that's done I can relax since I'll have an additional $1k per month... depending on how much I'm earning.
I'm still on track for the deposit to be ready in June, albeit a week later than I had planned. I may be able to dump some extra money into savings between now & then. I noticed that the center has added additional courses for 2009: In September & November. So I currently still have no idea what the 2010 schedule will be like. I'm thinking that there will be courses available in the Spring & Summer as this year. The other courses for 2009 were just added.
It's a trade off. It would be nice to have some additional time to save money... as well as to train. However... I'd really like to get started. When and if my application is accepted, I'll probably want to get in as soon as I possibly can. I would imagine that if they still have openings for November by the time I have the reamainder of the tuition which should be on or about September 18th. I can't imagine them still having any openings by that point however.
I'm sure that the scheduling tends to fall as the cadre` are available to teach. Since they are all working professionals, it likely depends on when they are available. So I'll keep saving & watching the calendar. The extra months provided with my having to wait until 2010 means additional time for language, combat & fitness training. I owe it to myself to be as ready as I can be.
If my contract at MS ends in June, I'll try to get another. If that fails, I'll take whatever I can get to keep the money coming in. The critical thing is getting that deposit put together. I'd like to have the time & income to get the full tuition by that Semptember deadline, but I know that there aren't any guarantees of employment. Our manager is bringing back the guy that I replaced. So we will have four testers. I know that this is what he wanted but new people coming in can also mean someone going out. I've been doing very well, but I'm not sure what his expectations are for the remainder of the product cycle. Ultimately, I just want to get my money & get out! I don't much care about "product" any more. Especially not after the pay cuts & this other nonsense. Those have been some of the motivators that I needed.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Personal Security Precautions
© COPYRIGHT 2009 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – February 2009 Issue
28
[Reproduced with Permission]
IF you are ever attacked it will, to a certain degree, be astonishing. After all, any sane person who believes that ―if he went to such-and-such a place at three o‘clock on Tuesday, he would be attacked would not go to that place!
Appointments cannot be made for emergencies.
Proper preparation for self-defense demands that mental conditioning no less than physical; technical and tactical training be such that astonishment is minimized in any actual situation. (It cannot be completely eliminated, by the way).
Many people train in the martial arts as though that which they expect to prepare them for in a combat emergency will parallel that which they do in their studio — and they do this with classical/traditional or with sporting/competitive methods.
The former are most often antiquated and ritualized, and provide but marginal preparation (if any) for that which will ―really happen in an attack or that which will even be possible for them to do when an attack actually occurs. The latter are sporting actions, which assume factors that will not be present in combat, and which advocate winning skills for competition that are exceedingly impractical for hand-to-hand combat.
Two core things must be stressed in training for the real world:
1. Situational awareness. The maintenance of an alert mind, and a personal commitment to mastering and incessantly applying excellent precautions that reflect serious concern, at all times.
This comes about primarily once a person genuinely accepts and ―feels that, indeed it can happen to him.
2. Combatively functional techniques.
These are skills that make use of the ―fear response (or the ―fight or flight response). They are decisive, no-nonsense and destructive skills that one can rely upon reflexively in those instances when one is in fact taken off-guard or in the throes of the psycho-physical phenomena that manifest when awareness of impending danger is present.
Leaving #2, above, for the time being . . . let‘s talk about #1.
Since real attacks take place in the real world, it is in and for the real world that security and protective habits must be cultivated. We suggest the following as a starter:
• Cultivate the habit of stepping wide around corners.
• Always lock your vehicle door first thing, upon entering.
• If you suspect that you are being followed in your vehicle, do not stop. Instead, drive to a local police or fire station and keep your hand pressing the horn while you drive. This might attract the police — which is exactly what you‘d want — but it will certainly cause some alarm, and it might make your pursuer flee.
• Always check for the exit(s) whenever you enter a new place or area. In case you have to get the hell out of there, you‘ll want to know which way to go.
• Sit facing the door whenever you go to a restaurant. Or, at the very least, have your companion (if you can trust him) sit facing the door.
• If you are waiting in a public place for someone, stand with your back to a brick wall or other solid barrier; never with your back unguarded, or with your back to a store window. Do not read or permit yourself to be distracted. Remain aware of who or what is in your vicinity.
• If you see odd or unusual people approaching from a distance while you‘re out and about, cross the street. Avoid coming into closer contact if possible.
• Always trust your gut! Humans have a primitive, built-in intuitive defense mechanism. The human mind operates at all times on two levels: conscious and subconscious. It is entirely possible that, while your conscious perception of someone reveals no overt suspiciousness or cause for alarm, your subconscious has detected something wrong — or something that might be wrong. When in doubt, there is no doubt! Better to be cautious and ―wrong‖, than to be careless and ―right.
• Should you notice the same face in your vicinity TWICE, for no apparent and logical reason, assume that the individual may be surveilling you. (Note: The British and the American secret intelligence services teach trainees to assume that they are being followed if they see the same person three times. We like to err on the side of greater caution!).
• Never let a stranger approach within arm‘s reach if at all possible. Distancing is critical! If a would-be assailant must take a step in order to make physical contact, then his chance of launching a genuine surprise attack is almost non-existent.
• Pay attention to anything ―out of place. This applies whether you are at home, at work, at school, traveling, etc. If something just doesn‘t seem to be right, it probably isn‘t!
• Do not get a non-published telephone number. These are (sorry to let you know) easily discovered when you know how (and some bad guys do know how). Anyone trying to reach you by calling information will be advised by the operator that ―The party you are trying to reach has a non-published number. This confirms that you indeed live in the area! Instead, have your telephone listed under a fictitious name. Tell the phone company that you‘d like your phone listed under your ―uncle Charlie‘s name, since he lives with you, and that would be convenient for you. Be creative. List under ―USA, Ret., ―Sgt. . . . ―, or use an American name (if you‘re Asian), an Hispanic name (if you‘re Caucasian) and ALWAYS a man‘s name, if you‘re a female. (Not a bad idea to use a female‘s name, if you‘re male!)
• Never forget that a stranger is a stranger is a stranger is a stranger! In other words, you must be in a state of alert (―condition yellow) at the very least whenever anyone whom you do not know personally, approaches you. But you also must not relinquish that alerted and ready state simply because, after making contact, the stranger appears friendly, ―normal, and non-threatening. The most dangerous human predators are experts at this game! After appearing to be innocent, they pounce. That stranger may be exactly what he appears to be : ie a friendly, normal human being with not the slightest intention of doing you or anyone else any harm. BUT DON‘T BET YOUR LIFE ON IT.
• Should you arrive home and see that your door is ajar and that it appears that someone has unlawfully entered your dwelling, do NOT go inside. Go to a pay phone if you do not have a cell phone, and call the police. Let them approach and enter. Note: If you went to some ―shooting school that taught you to draw your weapon and ―clear the house, you were ripped off. That sort of thing is known by professionals as S U I C I D E. It takes a trained and heavily armed team of body-armored SWAT professionals to ―clear a house.
• Never let a threat go without reporting it to the police. Insist on obtaining the officer‘s badge number and name, and note the time of your 911 call and the Case Number (very important) whenever you handle this over the phone.
• Vary your routes to and from work, school, etc. Be unpredictable. Compartmentalize your activities, intersts, and even dissemination of information regarding your knowledge and your abilities. Utilize the proven intelligence policy of never allowing others to know anything about yourself or your activities unless they have a specific NEED TO KNOW this information. (Note: Obviously, we are not speaking now of family members, or of close and trusted friends. We mean co-workers, employers, neighbors, and others whom you know merely as acquaintances, and who may be counted upon to blab and not respect your safety or privacy).
No one‘s forcing you to go to the ―bother of adopting such security measures and precautions — but they will certainly assist you in protecting yourself, if you do so.
Once again, we appreciate your visiting this Site! PLEASE tell your friends about us, so that this Newsletter and other information on our Site may benefit them, too.
www.americancombato.com
Sword and Pen – February 2009 Issue
28
[Reproduced with Permission]
IF you are ever attacked it will, to a certain degree, be astonishing. After all, any sane person who believes that ―if he went to such-and-such a place at three o‘clock on Tuesday, he would be attacked would not go to that place!
Appointments cannot be made for emergencies.
Proper preparation for self-defense demands that mental conditioning no less than physical; technical and tactical training be such that astonishment is minimized in any actual situation. (It cannot be completely eliminated, by the way).
Many people train in the martial arts as though that which they expect to prepare them for in a combat emergency will parallel that which they do in their studio — and they do this with classical/traditional or with sporting/competitive methods.
The former are most often antiquated and ritualized, and provide but marginal preparation (if any) for that which will ―really happen in an attack or that which will even be possible for them to do when an attack actually occurs. The latter are sporting actions, which assume factors that will not be present in combat, and which advocate winning skills for competition that are exceedingly impractical for hand-to-hand combat.
Two core things must be stressed in training for the real world:
1. Situational awareness. The maintenance of an alert mind, and a personal commitment to mastering and incessantly applying excellent precautions that reflect serious concern, at all times.
This comes about primarily once a person genuinely accepts and ―feels that, indeed it can happen to him.
2. Combatively functional techniques.
These are skills that make use of the ―fear response (or the ―fight or flight response). They are decisive, no-nonsense and destructive skills that one can rely upon reflexively in those instances when one is in fact taken off-guard or in the throes of the psycho-physical phenomena that manifest when awareness of impending danger is present.
Leaving #2, above, for the time being . . . let‘s talk about #1.
Since real attacks take place in the real world, it is in and for the real world that security and protective habits must be cultivated. We suggest the following as a starter:
• Cultivate the habit of stepping wide around corners.
• Always lock your vehicle door first thing, upon entering.
• If you suspect that you are being followed in your vehicle, do not stop. Instead, drive to a local police or fire station and keep your hand pressing the horn while you drive. This might attract the police — which is exactly what you‘d want — but it will certainly cause some alarm, and it might make your pursuer flee.
• Always check for the exit(s) whenever you enter a new place or area. In case you have to get the hell out of there, you‘ll want to know which way to go.
• Sit facing the door whenever you go to a restaurant. Or, at the very least, have your companion (if you can trust him) sit facing the door.
• If you are waiting in a public place for someone, stand with your back to a brick wall or other solid barrier; never with your back unguarded, or with your back to a store window. Do not read or permit yourself to be distracted. Remain aware of who or what is in your vicinity.
• If you see odd or unusual people approaching from a distance while you‘re out and about, cross the street. Avoid coming into closer contact if possible.
• Always trust your gut! Humans have a primitive, built-in intuitive defense mechanism. The human mind operates at all times on two levels: conscious and subconscious. It is entirely possible that, while your conscious perception of someone reveals no overt suspiciousness or cause for alarm, your subconscious has detected something wrong — or something that might be wrong. When in doubt, there is no doubt! Better to be cautious and ―wrong‖, than to be careless and ―right.
• Should you notice the same face in your vicinity TWICE, for no apparent and logical reason, assume that the individual may be surveilling you. (Note: The British and the American secret intelligence services teach trainees to assume that they are being followed if they see the same person three times. We like to err on the side of greater caution!).
• Never let a stranger approach within arm‘s reach if at all possible. Distancing is critical! If a would-be assailant must take a step in order to make physical contact, then his chance of launching a genuine surprise attack is almost non-existent.
• Pay attention to anything ―out of place. This applies whether you are at home, at work, at school, traveling, etc. If something just doesn‘t seem to be right, it probably isn‘t!
• Do not get a non-published telephone number. These are (sorry to let you know) easily discovered when you know how (and some bad guys do know how). Anyone trying to reach you by calling information will be advised by the operator that ―The party you are trying to reach has a non-published number. This confirms that you indeed live in the area! Instead, have your telephone listed under a fictitious name. Tell the phone company that you‘d like your phone listed under your ―uncle Charlie‘s name, since he lives with you, and that would be convenient for you. Be creative. List under ―USA, Ret., ―Sgt. . . . ―, or use an American name (if you‘re Asian), an Hispanic name (if you‘re Caucasian) and ALWAYS a man‘s name, if you‘re a female. (Not a bad idea to use a female‘s name, if you‘re male!)
• Never forget that a stranger is a stranger is a stranger is a stranger! In other words, you must be in a state of alert (―condition yellow) at the very least whenever anyone whom you do not know personally, approaches you. But you also must not relinquish that alerted and ready state simply because, after making contact, the stranger appears friendly, ―normal, and non-threatening. The most dangerous human predators are experts at this game! After appearing to be innocent, they pounce. That stranger may be exactly what he appears to be : ie a friendly, normal human being with not the slightest intention of doing you or anyone else any harm. BUT DON‘T BET YOUR LIFE ON IT.
• Should you arrive home and see that your door is ajar and that it appears that someone has unlawfully entered your dwelling, do NOT go inside. Go to a pay phone if you do not have a cell phone, and call the police. Let them approach and enter. Note: If you went to some ―shooting school that taught you to draw your weapon and ―clear the house, you were ripped off. That sort of thing is known by professionals as S U I C I D E. It takes a trained and heavily armed team of body-armored SWAT professionals to ―clear a house.
• Never let a threat go without reporting it to the police. Insist on obtaining the officer‘s badge number and name, and note the time of your 911 call and the Case Number (very important) whenever you handle this over the phone.
• Vary your routes to and from work, school, etc. Be unpredictable. Compartmentalize your activities, intersts, and even dissemination of information regarding your knowledge and your abilities. Utilize the proven intelligence policy of never allowing others to know anything about yourself or your activities unless they have a specific NEED TO KNOW this information. (Note: Obviously, we are not speaking now of family members, or of close and trusted friends. We mean co-workers, employers, neighbors, and others whom you know merely as acquaintances, and who may be counted upon to blab and not respect your safety or privacy).
No one‘s forcing you to go to the ―bother of adopting such security measures and precautions — but they will certainly assist you in protecting yourself, if you do so.
Once again, we appreciate your visiting this Site! PLEASE tell your friends about us, so that this Newsletter and other information on our Site may benefit them, too.
www.americancombato.com
Behavior Based Training
The Hidden Power of Behavior-Based Training
By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems
http://www.staleytraining.com
Before a new building can be erected on a site where an older building exists, the older building must be demolished first.
In much the same way, I’m going to start this article by demolishing a dearly-held myth that many trainees have regarding their avocation of choice:
"I’ll finally reach my goals when I find the perfect training (or nutritional) program."
WRONG
Look, it’s not your fault - I’ve been there too. I’ve had the experience of discovering some unique program in the latest muscle magazine that some super stud athlete supposedly used to transform himself from nothing to something.
Even today, when I run across a unique training concept or program, I still salivate at the discovery…anticipating the workouts, the novelty of a new program. Problem is, you have to clarify your objective: is your passion in life intellectual masturbation, or breaking through long-standing plateaus to new PR’s? If you answered the latter, read on.
Performance (or progress) Improves Only When Weak Links Are Identified And Fortified
It’s pretty much this simple: if you want your chain to lift heavier weights, you’ve got to inspect that chain link by link, and identify the weakest segment in that chain. Then you’ve got to find a way to make that segment as strong, if not stronger than the others. Then you’ve got to find the second weakest link and repeat the process, which, incidentally, never ends.
NOTE: Aside from avoiding habituation (the body’s ever-decreasing reaction to repetitive, unchanging stimuli), the most important reason for altering training programs is to account for the continuous introduction of “new” primary weak links).
Hunting For Kingpins
In the logging industry, professional loggers have a very effective way to figure out how to clear huge log-jams as they attempt to send large numbers of trees down the river. What they do is to go downstream and find the “kingpin:” this is the single log which, if re-positioned ever so slightly, will restore the flow of logs down the river.
In much the same way, you’ll need to find your own personal kingpins if you ever expect to accelerate your own rate of progress.
Some theorists suggest that one should ignore weaknesses and instead, focus on strengths. However, from my experience, a strength overused becomes a weakness. In assessing your own situation, determine whether or not the weak link is CORRECTABLE.
If not, don’t worry about it. If so, make it the number one priority until it is no longer your weakest correctable link.
The Staley Equation:
This is a strategy that I developed from my work with Olympic and professional athletes, as well as members of my private coaching group. In essence, the rule states that one should prioritize training elements (which could refer to habits, behaviors, muscle groups, motor qualities, etc) which are:
Needed
Under-developed
Highly trainable
Foundational to other elements
Given available resources
As a brief explanation, let’s look at the motor quality of maximal strength. For many athletes, it is needed AND underdeveloped. It is also quite easily improvable compared to some other motor qualities (such as speed, which has significant genetic constraints).
Maximal strength creates a base for the development of speed strength, hypertrophy, strength-endurance, and can also help athletes avoid injuries. Finally, maximal strength can be developed using very rudimentary equipment such as barbells and dumbbells.
So, it’s clear that for many trainees, maximal strength should be prioritized according to the Q2 Prioritization Rule.
Most People’s Weak Links Relate To BEHAVIORS, Not Activities
Most people, when examining their own training experiences, will notice that they have made acceptable levels of progress using all manner of training systems and approaches. Most will attribute this phenomenon to the fact that ANY new program will provoke an adaptive response (at least temporarily), simply due to it’s novelty.
However, I do not believe the novelty of a new training stimulus is sufficient to explain this observation.
Instead, I propose that whether or not someone is successful during any given training program has less to do with the program per se, and more to do with the PERSON (and specifically, his or her behavior) as the program is carried out.
Now, of course, I’m not saying that intelligently-designed training programs aren’t important - after all, I’ve created a career out of designing programs and teaching program design. I’m simply saying that for many people, developing better behaviors will have a greater payoff than looking for better programs (activities).
The Seven Behaviors of Highly Successful Athletes
There are many behaviors which lend themselves to successful training outcomes. For the purposes of this column however, I’ll focus on seven behaviors which I believe are tantamount for unprecedented levels of success:
1) Delayed Gratification
It has been said that the pain of self-discipline weighs ounces; while the pain of neglect weighs tons. Maturity is defined by the willingness to sacrifice now in order to experience a greater outcome in the future. This applies especially to nutrition and supplementation, since the positive outcomes of a sound nutritional program take weeks, if not months, to experience.
2) Consistency
Training is a form of motor learning, and learning requires repetition. Training consistency can be dramatically enhanced through a variety of techniques, but one of the most powerful methods is also the simplest: scheduling.
There is a VAST difference between thinking "Tomorrow I’m going to work out." and "My workout is between 7-8am tomorrow morning."
In the first case, you might have a vague time-frame in mind, say 8:00am. However, by 7:30, you’re behind schedule, so you reason to yourself that you’ll train after work. Then, by the time you leave work, you realize that you didn’t bring your gym clothes with you, so you think "I’ll just train after dinner."
And of course, after dinner, you’re tired and distracted by the television, and guess what? You missed your workout! Now, you might rationalize that you’ll just do the workout tomorrow instead. This leads you to the incorrect assumption that you simply rescheduled your workout rather than skipping it, which is exactly what you did.
On the other hand, knowing that you have a workout (or a meal) scheduled at an exact time, you’ll be much more likely to prepare for and keep your appointment. If you DO fail to keep to the schedule, you’ll be much more likely to feel a sense of consequence for your decision.
3) Goal-Directedness
The failure to develop goal-directed behavior accounts for more failure than all other causes combined. Most people understand that goals much be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-referenced (S.M.A.R.T.), however, many people fail to carefully weigh the benefits of achieving the goal versus what must be sacrificed.
If, upon careful inspection, you are deeply convinced that the benefits justify the sacrifices, you’ll create the psychic and emotional fuel necessary to sustain your motivation when the going gets rough (as it inevitably does!).
4) The Autotellic Mindset
Autotellic people do things primarily for their own intrinsic value, whereas exotellic people do things primarily for the secondary, external reward. In my experience, autotellic athletes are far better able to sustain their motivation. The take home lesson is this: people who just LOVE to train go much further than those who just want to look better.
5) Open-Mindedness
Closed-mindedness is, in my opinion, a genetically-ingrained survival trait. Thousands of years ago, a Neanderthal man looked under a rock and found some grubs to eat. The technique obviously had value, and it made more sense to look under more rocks than it did to look up in the trees.
But for this Neanderthal to go beyond mere survival, he should in fact look up in the trees, for if he did, he might find better food choices. In many ways, athletes are the same way.
At some point in their athletic careers, they are convinced to train in a certain way, and because this way lead to a certain degree of success, they now pronounce this "way" as the "only way." So remain receptive to new ideas, because usually, the thing you’re looking for is where you aren’t looking!
6) Fatigue Management
We LOVE to feel fragged after a workout, so much so that subconsciously, we tend to actually modify the workout to produce more post-workout fatigue, rather than to permit a better training performance.
When you’re trying to do gradually more and more work from session to session, fatigue-management skills are essential. I’ll address several unique Q2 fatigue management strategies for an upcoming column.
7) Lifestyle
Many athletes spend untold hours examining and re-examining their training, nutrition, and supplement schedule, while at the same time completely ignoring the fact that their life is antagonistic to their training efforts, rather than supportive of them.
Late night partying, exhausting job schedules (I know what you’re thinking here, but jobs CAN be changed if you have a good-enough reason), and general inefficiency can wreak havoc on the best laid plans.
Putting The Concepts Into Action
Where to go now you’re wondering?
Here’s my suggestion to anyone who’s serious about optimizing their training-related behaviors - do a simple self-evaluation inventory.
After giving it some careful thought, make a list of your 3 most destructive behaviors. Rank them from best to worst. Next, consider the root causes and possible remedies for these behaviors. Can you develop substitutes or alternatives?
This article was excerpted from Charles Staley’s eBook
"The Ultimate Guide To Massive Arms".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About The Author
Charles Staley...world-class strength/performance coach...his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.
Click here to visit Charles' site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with "Escalating Density Training," Charles' revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.
http://www.staleytrainingprograms.com
By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems
http://www.staleytraining.com
Before a new building can be erected on a site where an older building exists, the older building must be demolished first.
In much the same way, I’m going to start this article by demolishing a dearly-held myth that many trainees have regarding their avocation of choice:
"I’ll finally reach my goals when I find the perfect training (or nutritional) program."
WRONG
Look, it’s not your fault - I’ve been there too. I’ve had the experience of discovering some unique program in the latest muscle magazine that some super stud athlete supposedly used to transform himself from nothing to something.
Even today, when I run across a unique training concept or program, I still salivate at the discovery…anticipating the workouts, the novelty of a new program. Problem is, you have to clarify your objective: is your passion in life intellectual masturbation, or breaking through long-standing plateaus to new PR’s? If you answered the latter, read on.
Performance (or progress) Improves Only When Weak Links Are Identified And Fortified
It’s pretty much this simple: if you want your chain to lift heavier weights, you’ve got to inspect that chain link by link, and identify the weakest segment in that chain. Then you’ve got to find a way to make that segment as strong, if not stronger than the others. Then you’ve got to find the second weakest link and repeat the process, which, incidentally, never ends.
NOTE: Aside from avoiding habituation (the body’s ever-decreasing reaction to repetitive, unchanging stimuli), the most important reason for altering training programs is to account for the continuous introduction of “new” primary weak links).
Hunting For Kingpins
In the logging industry, professional loggers have a very effective way to figure out how to clear huge log-jams as they attempt to send large numbers of trees down the river. What they do is to go downstream and find the “kingpin:” this is the single log which, if re-positioned ever so slightly, will restore the flow of logs down the river.
In much the same way, you’ll need to find your own personal kingpins if you ever expect to accelerate your own rate of progress.
Some theorists suggest that one should ignore weaknesses and instead, focus on strengths. However, from my experience, a strength overused becomes a weakness. In assessing your own situation, determine whether or not the weak link is CORRECTABLE.
If not, don’t worry about it. If so, make it the number one priority until it is no longer your weakest correctable link.
The Staley Equation:
This is a strategy that I developed from my work with Olympic and professional athletes, as well as members of my private coaching group. In essence, the rule states that one should prioritize training elements (which could refer to habits, behaviors, muscle groups, motor qualities, etc) which are:
Needed
Under-developed
Highly trainable
Foundational to other elements
Given available resources
As a brief explanation, let’s look at the motor quality of maximal strength. For many athletes, it is needed AND underdeveloped. It is also quite easily improvable compared to some other motor qualities (such as speed, which has significant genetic constraints).
Maximal strength creates a base for the development of speed strength, hypertrophy, strength-endurance, and can also help athletes avoid injuries. Finally, maximal strength can be developed using very rudimentary equipment such as barbells and dumbbells.
So, it’s clear that for many trainees, maximal strength should be prioritized according to the Q2 Prioritization Rule.
Most People’s Weak Links Relate To BEHAVIORS, Not Activities
Most people, when examining their own training experiences, will notice that they have made acceptable levels of progress using all manner of training systems and approaches. Most will attribute this phenomenon to the fact that ANY new program will provoke an adaptive response (at least temporarily), simply due to it’s novelty.
However, I do not believe the novelty of a new training stimulus is sufficient to explain this observation.
Instead, I propose that whether or not someone is successful during any given training program has less to do with the program per se, and more to do with the PERSON (and specifically, his or her behavior) as the program is carried out.
Now, of course, I’m not saying that intelligently-designed training programs aren’t important - after all, I’ve created a career out of designing programs and teaching program design. I’m simply saying that for many people, developing better behaviors will have a greater payoff than looking for better programs (activities).
The Seven Behaviors of Highly Successful Athletes
There are many behaviors which lend themselves to successful training outcomes. For the purposes of this column however, I’ll focus on seven behaviors which I believe are tantamount for unprecedented levels of success:
1) Delayed Gratification
It has been said that the pain of self-discipline weighs ounces; while the pain of neglect weighs tons. Maturity is defined by the willingness to sacrifice now in order to experience a greater outcome in the future. This applies especially to nutrition and supplementation, since the positive outcomes of a sound nutritional program take weeks, if not months, to experience.
2) Consistency
Training is a form of motor learning, and learning requires repetition. Training consistency can be dramatically enhanced through a variety of techniques, but one of the most powerful methods is also the simplest: scheduling.
There is a VAST difference between thinking "Tomorrow I’m going to work out." and "My workout is between 7-8am tomorrow morning."
In the first case, you might have a vague time-frame in mind, say 8:00am. However, by 7:30, you’re behind schedule, so you reason to yourself that you’ll train after work. Then, by the time you leave work, you realize that you didn’t bring your gym clothes with you, so you think "I’ll just train after dinner."
And of course, after dinner, you’re tired and distracted by the television, and guess what? You missed your workout! Now, you might rationalize that you’ll just do the workout tomorrow instead. This leads you to the incorrect assumption that you simply rescheduled your workout rather than skipping it, which is exactly what you did.
On the other hand, knowing that you have a workout (or a meal) scheduled at an exact time, you’ll be much more likely to prepare for and keep your appointment. If you DO fail to keep to the schedule, you’ll be much more likely to feel a sense of consequence for your decision.
3) Goal-Directedness
The failure to develop goal-directed behavior accounts for more failure than all other causes combined. Most people understand that goals much be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-referenced (S.M.A.R.T.), however, many people fail to carefully weigh the benefits of achieving the goal versus what must be sacrificed.
If, upon careful inspection, you are deeply convinced that the benefits justify the sacrifices, you’ll create the psychic and emotional fuel necessary to sustain your motivation when the going gets rough (as it inevitably does!).
4) The Autotellic Mindset
Autotellic people do things primarily for their own intrinsic value, whereas exotellic people do things primarily for the secondary, external reward. In my experience, autotellic athletes are far better able to sustain their motivation. The take home lesson is this: people who just LOVE to train go much further than those who just want to look better.
5) Open-Mindedness
Closed-mindedness is, in my opinion, a genetically-ingrained survival trait. Thousands of years ago, a Neanderthal man looked under a rock and found some grubs to eat. The technique obviously had value, and it made more sense to look under more rocks than it did to look up in the trees.
But for this Neanderthal to go beyond mere survival, he should in fact look up in the trees, for if he did, he might find better food choices. In many ways, athletes are the same way.
At some point in their athletic careers, they are convinced to train in a certain way, and because this way lead to a certain degree of success, they now pronounce this "way" as the "only way." So remain receptive to new ideas, because usually, the thing you’re looking for is where you aren’t looking!
6) Fatigue Management
We LOVE to feel fragged after a workout, so much so that subconsciously, we tend to actually modify the workout to produce more post-workout fatigue, rather than to permit a better training performance.
When you’re trying to do gradually more and more work from session to session, fatigue-management skills are essential. I’ll address several unique Q2 fatigue management strategies for an upcoming column.
7) Lifestyle
Many athletes spend untold hours examining and re-examining their training, nutrition, and supplement schedule, while at the same time completely ignoring the fact that their life is antagonistic to their training efforts, rather than supportive of them.
Late night partying, exhausting job schedules (I know what you’re thinking here, but jobs CAN be changed if you have a good-enough reason), and general inefficiency can wreak havoc on the best laid plans.
Putting The Concepts Into Action
Where to go now you’re wondering?
Here’s my suggestion to anyone who’s serious about optimizing their training-related behaviors - do a simple self-evaluation inventory.
After giving it some careful thought, make a list of your 3 most destructive behaviors. Rank them from best to worst. Next, consider the root causes and possible remedies for these behaviors. Can you develop substitutes or alternatives?
This article was excerpted from Charles Staley’s eBook
"The Ultimate Guide To Massive Arms".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About The Author
Charles Staley...world-class strength/performance coach...his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.
Click here to visit Charles' site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with "Escalating Density Training," Charles' revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.
http://www.staleytrainingprograms.com
Yet More Fitness... "Junk"
After reading the Staley article a few posts ago... I went in search yet again for additional options in the realm of aerobic \ cardio training. For a while I was being quite religious with the walking routine. I thought that I'd posted some blogs during that training time but I'm not finding them now. I seem to recall now that I was actually doing this routine while I was on my break-in-service. It would have been last September or October... & I intentionally deleted that entire collection of posts. Stupid. I read one or two... decided it was mostly bullcrap... & deleted all of them. Hooray!
The object of those sessions was to build up to the "magical" 10k steps per session. I'll check the software but I think I surpassed that & was up around 12k within about a month. The only issue I had was that my arse & hips were killing me because of teh muscle tightness. I was not stretching enough. Anyway, now that the decent weather is back, I can start doing that again. At some point it will go from a walking routine ot the Couch-to-5k program. From there it will become a Fartlek 5k program. Below are some links to additional information on the Fartlek system:
Wikipedia's Fartlek Page
Sports Fitness Advisor
Time To Run
I'd like to incorporate hill-running... but as with many portions of my training, the ideal environment is not convenient. Seattle has plenty of hills... & several of those are located in the urban parks. Here in the south end however, the hills are where the connector roads are to the major traffic thoroughfares. So we have no shoulders... & traffic moving in excess of 40 MPH. The local schools are gangsta-wannabee hang outs (and I cannot legally CCW on school grounds) so those are out as far as decent running territory. That's unfortunate because there are several excellent tracks at the local junior & senior high schools.
So I'll need to rely on the local pedestrian bicycle trails for a while. I suppose I can check out some locations like Flaming Geyser or East Green River & see what the trails there are like. I just don't want to be tripping over families & displaced jocks... especially displaced jocks. I can deal with kids & dogs more easily that bucket heads.
View Larger Map
This isn't going to be some phenomenal life change from strength training to spindly running guy... I'm just recognizing two important things; I need to lose weight... & factoring in that, the weight training will be ehanced by the aerobic development & recovery. Lastly, the effects of the strength training sessions will show sooner!
I'm not blowing off the P90X training either! That CrossFit type of regimine will likely be the primary focus. The P90X program is looking to be more of a one time scenario though. I need to prepare for it... & once I hit that plateau I plan on building something that's more advanced & allows for a more significant strength training component. The P90X doesn't have the level of lower-body mass building that I want.
With a schedule that's going to include Krav Maga two days per week, weight lifting two days per week... & something else two days per week... spending five to six days on that singel program isn't looking practical for more than the 90-day focus. Besides, who wants to train in front of a television when it's 80-degrees outside?!
The object of those sessions was to build up to the "magical" 10k steps per session. I'll check the software but I think I surpassed that & was up around 12k within about a month. The only issue I had was that my arse & hips were killing me because of teh muscle tightness. I was not stretching enough. Anyway, now that the decent weather is back, I can start doing that again. At some point it will go from a walking routine ot the Couch-to-5k program. From there it will become a Fartlek 5k program. Below are some links to additional information on the Fartlek system:
Wikipedia's Fartlek Page
Sports Fitness Advisor
Time To Run
I'd like to incorporate hill-running... but as with many portions of my training, the ideal environment is not convenient. Seattle has plenty of hills... & several of those are located in the urban parks. Here in the south end however, the hills are where the connector roads are to the major traffic thoroughfares. So we have no shoulders... & traffic moving in excess of 40 MPH. The local schools are gangsta-wannabee hang outs (and I cannot legally CCW on school grounds) so those are out as far as decent running territory. That's unfortunate because there are several excellent tracks at the local junior & senior high schools.
So I'll need to rely on the local pedestrian bicycle trails for a while. I suppose I can check out some locations like Flaming Geyser or East Green River & see what the trails there are like. I just don't want to be tripping over families & displaced jocks... especially displaced jocks. I can deal with kids & dogs more easily that bucket heads.
View Larger Map
This isn't going to be some phenomenal life change from strength training to spindly running guy... I'm just recognizing two important things; I need to lose weight... & factoring in that, the weight training will be ehanced by the aerobic development & recovery. Lastly, the effects of the strength training sessions will show sooner!
I'm not blowing off the P90X training either! That CrossFit type of regimine will likely be the primary focus. The P90X program is looking to be more of a one time scenario though. I need to prepare for it... & once I hit that plateau I plan on building something that's more advanced & allows for a more significant strength training component. The P90X doesn't have the level of lower-body mass building that I want.
With a schedule that's going to include Krav Maga two days per week, weight lifting two days per week... & something else two days per week... spending five to six days on that singel program isn't looking practical for more than the 90-day focus. Besides, who wants to train in front of a television when it's 80-degrees outside?!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Into 2010...
I just received a response to my e-mail (one that I forgot I had sent... ?) regadring the 2010 schedule for CASS. They already have the 2010 schedule opened. There are currently four slots remaining for the September Orlando offering & 6 for November. The courses routinely are "full" with 6 candidates. It's likely that the four in Semptember will be filled by the time I have the full deposit saved.
So it's time to start cranking. I cannot afford to pull ANY money from savings now. (Luckily for me, I put some extra aside for this anyhow.) To get extra cash, I was planning on copying all of my music CD's to hard disk & selling the CD's. I may also begin dumping firearms. Sad yes... but even selling one will put me around $600 ahead.
I know that the economy isn't great for the seller... but with a good price, I should be able to unload the P220 for $600 fairly quickly. I'd sell them all if it would get me into the course... but again it depends on how they respond to my application. I will be including a letter... and I'm going to be honest about my interest & motivation for this training.
This is actually better in away; e.g., Fall & not Spring... because it means that I will have over a year to apply myself to the Spanish language, Krav Maga & some additional studies of close protection methodologies. I can also take another testing contract & simply commit to six months or so.
So it's time to start cranking. I cannot afford to pull ANY money from savings now. (Luckily for me, I put some extra aside for this anyhow.) To get extra cash, I was planning on copying all of my music CD's to hard disk & selling the CD's. I may also begin dumping firearms. Sad yes... but even selling one will put me around $600 ahead.
I know that the economy isn't great for the seller... but with a good price, I should be able to unload the P220 for $600 fairly quickly. I'd sell them all if it would get me into the course... but again it depends on how they respond to my application. I will be including a letter... and I'm going to be honest about my interest & motivation for this training.
This is actually better in away; e.g., Fall & not Spring... because it means that I will have over a year to apply myself to the Spanish language, Krav Maga & some additional studies of close protection methodologies. I can also take another testing contract & simply commit to six months or so.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Smart Cardio
Smart Cardio For Strength, Mass, And Fat Loss…
By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems
http://www.staleytraining.com
If you’re a typical guy who loves to lift big weights, but considers anything over 3 reps to be "endurance" training, you might not be interested in this article. However, if you can bench press a Buick but get winded when you bend down to tie your shoes, maybe I have an audience.
Look, we all do what we LIKE to do, but only the most successful among us find a way to also do what we NEED to do. If you think you’re in the latter category, listen up. I’ve got a quiver full of fun, challenging, cardio workouts that help you lose fat without losing strength or muscle.
Why You Need Cardio
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that cardio will turn you into a wispy, estrogen-soaked shadow of your former self - too many guys use this mindset as an excuse to avoid what they know they should be doing. In fact, the benefits of smart cardio training are too numerous to ignore. They include:
Cardiovascular Health: This might not sound so exciting, but believe me, a heart attack or stroke won’t help you lift bigger weights, will it? Good health is the foundation of everything else, including your weight workouts.
Think back to the parable of the farmer who discovered a goose who laid golden eggs - after a while, the farmer lost patience, and killed the goose to get all of the eggs all at once. Of course, when he opened the goose, there were no eggs inside. Don’t kill the goose (your health) that lays golden eggs (a lifetime of productive workouts).
Fat Loss: If I still haven’t convinced you by using the health argument, then this benefit should catch your attention. While it’s POSSIBLE to get super lean by lifting alone, it’s a lot easier if you add a cardiovascular component to your program.
Cardio workouts create a greater energy deficit, elevate metabolism, and initiate the secretion of important fat-mobilizing hormones. Don’t worry, you won’t lose muscle or strength, if you follow my suggestions in this article.
Active Recovery: We’ve known for a long time that ANY form of "contrasting" stress promotes a faster recovery from your primary training activity. For guys who primarily lift weights, that means cardio. Now if you’ve tried this approach before and it didn’t work, it’s almost certainly because you failed to carefully integrate the cardio into your existing program. More on that later.
Injury Prevention: Cardiovascular exercise mobilizes joints, increases blood flow to various tissues, and generally improves overall functioning. Really. Just trust me.
Everyday Function: I hate to be the one to clue you into this, but there are some very important everyday functions that require more than the ability to exert maximum force for 1-2 seconds. Things like walking across the street, playing with your kids, taking a shower, stuff like that.
Now, you might not have terrible endurance capacity now, but after a few decades of cardio avoidance, you will. So don’t even go there - you really CAN have it all - impressive muscularity, scary levels of maximum strength, and a healthy heart to boot. Follow along...
Four Principles Of Effective Cardio Training
Before I introduce you to my favorite cardio tricks, I’d like to share a few general principles that will make your cardiovascular sessions a lot more fun and rewarding:
1) Variation Prevents Injury, Boredom, and Dropout:
Here’s a little analogy that I use with my athletes: unfurl a paper clip into a straight piece of wire, and then start bending it back and forth, eventually you’ll break it. Think of your body that way.
There’s no need to use a single activity (such as running or biking) for your cardio workouts. After all, your heart, lungs, and circulatory system don’t know what exercise activity is taking place - but your joints sure do. If you use running for all your cardio workouts for example, your knees and feet take a heavy beating. But if you distribute the workout among 2-3 activities, such as running, swimming, and cycling, you’ll be less prone to overuse injury, and you’ll have more fun to boot.
2) Quality Before Quantity:
We all pay lip service to this principle, but how few of us actually employ it! Make sure your exercise technique is consistent at all times, no matter what. Know your best times for the various distances you cover and then, in your workouts, always stay close to those times. Finally, a quality performance is a pain-free performance. If you’re experiencing elbow pain during a swim for example, change gears until you determine what’s wrong.
3) Challenge Yourself And Have Fun:
I have a neighbor who’s simultaneously fascinated and disturbed by my devotion to physical training. He’ll often walk past my garage while I’m lifting and exclaim “Better you than me” or words to that effect. I always respond that I only train because I love it.
Look - if you can’t find some fun in your training, you’ll never last. So if you hate cardio, you’ll need to play some games with yourself to get in the mood. I think the best way to accomplish this is to challenge yourself. Keep a detailed training journal and record your PR’s for everything you do. This adds purpose and excitement to your training.
4) No Fuss Gets The Job Done:
I think the reason that a lot of people find exercise so tedious is because of all the pre-workout preparations - getting dressed in your “workout gear,” waiting for the perfect weather conditions, and taking your pre-workout supplements, just to name a few.
Try to adopt a “no preparation” attitude toward training. Don’t worry what your hair looks like, if it’s raining out, if you’ve got your running shorts on, or if you’ll be sweaty while you’re at the grocery store afterwards.
People often tell me that they dread the thought of doing cardio, but once they’re doing it, it’s not so bad. If you can relate, try to minimize the pre-workout gyrations. Just get out and do it.
Lose The Fat, Keep The Muscle: My Favorite Cardio Training Methods.
The following 8 training methods have a few things in common: They’re efficient, fun, challenging, time-efficient, practical, and most of all, they deliver.
1) Out & Back:
This is both a training method and an assessment tool, especially for beginners or lifters who haven’t done any cardio in a while. The idea is to cover a measured distance (you can run, bike, swim, skate, or whatever form of locomotion you happen to like) such that the “return” trip is performed in the same time (or less) than the “out” trip.
Let’s say you decide you’re going to go out for a jog for example. Your goal is to jog to a nearby park and then turn around and come back. With the out and back method, your goal is to establish a pace that enables you to complete your return trip in the same time as your out trip. If the return trip takes longer than the out trip, it indicates that you’re fatiguing faster than you should be - in other words, you’re running beyond your current abilities.
You can even use the out and back method with cardio machines in your gym - if, for example, you plan to use the elliptical trainer for 20 minutes, notice how much work you do in the first 10 minutes (usually this will be displayed as distance, or, alternatively, in watts). Then strive to equal or surpass this workload in the remaining 10 minutes.
2) Timed Miles:
If you haven’t done any running in a while, you might be surprised at how much you suck at it. In fact, if you go out and try to run one mile, chance are you won’t be able to finish at all. So don’t even try. Instead, measure a one mile course (maybe 1/2 mile out, and 1/2 mile back), and go out and cover that course, through a combination of walking, running, jogging, whatever.
The main thing is to record your time, no matter how bad it might be. Then, the next time you go out, simply beat that time. And you will. Gradually, workout by workout, you’ll be running more and walking less. And you’ll experience a steady stream of PR’s to keep your motivation flying.
3) 400’s:
400’s are one of the best fat-loss workouts you can ever do - just look at the physiques of top 400-meter sprinters if you still need convincing! Get on out to your local high school track (if it’s close to home, walk instead of drive - that’ll be your warm-up). Once around is 400 meters.
The current men’s World record is less than 44 seconds, which will soon strike you as un-Godly as you try your hand at this simple but punitive track & field event! So first time out, go VERY easy for the first 200 meters, and then pick up the pace for the final kick if you still have anything left in the tank.
Record your time. After about 4-5 minutes rest, run one more and try to beat your PR. That’s it for the first workout. You can run 400’s about twice a week, but start small and increase your reps very gradually. After several months, you’ll find you can do maybe 5 repeats per workout.
4) Hills:
Running hills is a fun but intense cardiovascular workout with important strength-enhancing benefits to boot. Best of all, the inclined surface minimizes impact and spares your joints.
Find a moderate slope that tapes you about 10-20 seconds to climb at maximum effort. First time out, limit yourself to 3-5 reps. Gradually increase to 10-12 reps after several weeks. And of course, time every sprint and always seek to beat your PR’s!
5) Tabata Protocol:
Recently, Dr. Tabata in Japan conducted a study in which he investigated the benefits of high intensity anaerobic exercise. Tabata discovered that a protocol consisting of 20 seconds of all-out cycling followed by 10 seconds of moderate cycling for a total of four minutes (8 repeats) was just as effective as forty-five minutes of aerobic exercise.
Interestingly, and perhaps surprisingly to some, the Tabata Protocol increases aerobic fitness in addition to its anaerobic benefits. This finding is consistent with my "ladder" paradigm that states that higher intensity training develops a wider spectrum of fitness benefits than lower-intensity exercise.
Clearly, the hallmark of this method is it’s time-efficiency, but there is a price to pay in pain and sweat - choose your poison!
6) Dot Drill:
I realize that most weight-trainers think they own the market on pain-tolerance, but the dot drill makes 20-rep squats look like a trip to Baskin Robbins by comparison. Particularly insidious is the fact that, unlike resistance training, repeated exposures to the dots will not make subsequent exposures any easier.
First conceived by basketball coach Adolph Rupp in the 1940’s, and then later popularized by Bigger Faster Stronger Inc. a few decades later, the dot drill is both a remarkable agility, foot strength, and anaerobic conditioning exercise, as well as a superb and easy-to-administer testing tool.
It is unique in that it creates not only a high level of fatigue, but also a high quality of fatigue- fighters in particular will be able to relate to the feeling of panic that ensues when your heart rate soars to about 120% of age-predicted maximum.
The dot drill is a battery of 5 separate drills, performed in rapid succession, with each drill performed six times in a row before proceeding to the next drill (please refer to the diagram as you read the description).
Dot Drill Schematic
D E
C
A B
The dot drill features (5), five-inch diameter dots orientated in a pattern similar to the five dots on a pair of dice, expect that the “square” is three feet by two feet. Use a solid surface such as weight room matting, and tie your shoelaces. Tight.
Begin the drill as follows:
1) First drill: Starting position: your left foot is on “A” and your right foot on “B.” Hop forward and touch “C” with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on “D” at the same instant your right foot lands on “E.” (a total of 2 hops). Now go back to the starting position by reversing what you just did (hopping backward). That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
2) Second drill: From the starting position, lift your left foot in the air and with right foot only, hop to “C,” “E,” “D,” “C,” “A,” and back to “B.” That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
3) Third drill: Repeat the last drill but using the left foot only (hop to “C,” “E,” “D,” “C,” “A,” and back to “B.”) That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
4) Fourth drill: Repeat the last drill but using both feet, keeping the feet together- this looks somewhat like a skiing drill. Repeat for a total of six reps.
5) Fifth drill: This is very similar to drill number one, with a slight variation: When you reach the top of the pattern (left foot on “D” and your right foot on “E.”), instead of hopping backward to get back to the starting position, you instead jump-spin and land on the same two dots (only now your left foot will be on “E” and your right foot on “D.”), facing the opposite direction. Then hop forward and touch “C” with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on “B” and your right foot on “A.” Lastly, jump-spin again to assume the starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
Errors: Subtract .10 seconds for every missed dot from the total time.
Once you’ve done the drill a few times, you’ll notice that you can’t help but be competitive once you start. Even if you don’t feel terribly motivated, you’ll bust a gut trying to get a good time. Or maybe it’s just that you want to get it over with. Either way, the dot drill brings out your best (and I’m not referring to your last meal).
Implementing the Dot Drill
The five dots of death (as my athletes refer to it) can be used as a warm-up for a strength training session (one drill will bring your heart rate to 100% and will get you sweating big-time), as anaerobic conditioning, and/or as a fantastic foot and calf strengthening tool. One precaution however: I suggest never doing more than 4 repetitions of the dot drill on any given day, and not more than 12 dot drills on any given week.
Dot Drill Standards
OK, you’ve done the dot drill a handful of times and you think you’re a stud (or studette) because you finally broke the two minute barrier? According to Bigger Faster Stronger, you’ll need to break the 60 second barrier to be considered fast.
7) Tethered Pool Sprints:
I live in Phoenix and hot weather is fast approaching. It often becomes tedious to get out there for sprints when the temperature is well over 100 degrees. If you’ve got a pool, and it’s never occurred to you that you can use it for exercise because it’s too small, try this: call around to some pool supply and/or diving shops and find an elastic cord with a nylon waist-belt. You attach the band to one side of the pool, and attach the band to your waist.
Attach the band in such a way that you can just barely reach the other side of the pool through an all-out sprint. Once you touch the other end, relax as the band pulls you back. Then repeat for the desired numbers of reps. This is a brutally tough and effective form of anaerobic exercise that delivers the fat loss goods in spades.
8) Fast High Repetition Overhead Lifting:
I’ve added this last option for those of you who still have a hard time stomaching any "non-lifting" form of cardio. In this case we’re talking about various forms of snatches - a fast lift where the weight is "snatched" to an overhead position.
Of course, the snatch is one of the two Olympic lifting events, but there are several one-arm variants as well, including the one-arm dumbbell snatch, the kettlebell snatch, and the one-arm barbell snatch. All of these lifts create high levels of cardio-respiratory fatigue, in addition to the obvious speed strength and shoulder-function benefits. On top of that, snatches are actually fun!
Integrating Cardio With Weights
One final note - as you begin to initiate some of these cardio workouts, realize that you’re significantly increasing the demands on your body. I strongly suggest cutting back on the volume of your weight training exercises to make way for these new workouts.
The simplest way to do this is to cut your sets in halfó in other words, if you normally do 4 sets of 8, cut it back to 2 sets of 8 - at least for the first few months. You’ll find that this approach will allow you to maintain both your strength and orthopedic health as you begin to address your cardiovascular fitness needs.
Following the suggestions I’ve presented here, you’ll enjoy the health and fat loss benefits of a cardiovascular exercise program, and, who knows, you might even become a “former” cardio hater.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About The Author
Charles Staley...world-class strength/performance coach...his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.
Click here to visit Charles' site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with "Escalating Density Training," Charles' revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.
http://www.staleytrainingprograms.com
By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems
http://www.staleytraining.com
If you’re a typical guy who loves to lift big weights, but considers anything over 3 reps to be "endurance" training, you might not be interested in this article. However, if you can bench press a Buick but get winded when you bend down to tie your shoes, maybe I have an audience.
Look, we all do what we LIKE to do, but only the most successful among us find a way to also do what we NEED to do. If you think you’re in the latter category, listen up. I’ve got a quiver full of fun, challenging, cardio workouts that help you lose fat without losing strength or muscle.
Why You Need Cardio
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that cardio will turn you into a wispy, estrogen-soaked shadow of your former self - too many guys use this mindset as an excuse to avoid what they know they should be doing. In fact, the benefits of smart cardio training are too numerous to ignore. They include:
Cardiovascular Health: This might not sound so exciting, but believe me, a heart attack or stroke won’t help you lift bigger weights, will it? Good health is the foundation of everything else, including your weight workouts.
Think back to the parable of the farmer who discovered a goose who laid golden eggs - after a while, the farmer lost patience, and killed the goose to get all of the eggs all at once. Of course, when he opened the goose, there were no eggs inside. Don’t kill the goose (your health) that lays golden eggs (a lifetime of productive workouts).
Fat Loss: If I still haven’t convinced you by using the health argument, then this benefit should catch your attention. While it’s POSSIBLE to get super lean by lifting alone, it’s a lot easier if you add a cardiovascular component to your program.
Cardio workouts create a greater energy deficit, elevate metabolism, and initiate the secretion of important fat-mobilizing hormones. Don’t worry, you won’t lose muscle or strength, if you follow my suggestions in this article.
Active Recovery: We’ve known for a long time that ANY form of "contrasting" stress promotes a faster recovery from your primary training activity. For guys who primarily lift weights, that means cardio. Now if you’ve tried this approach before and it didn’t work, it’s almost certainly because you failed to carefully integrate the cardio into your existing program. More on that later.
Injury Prevention: Cardiovascular exercise mobilizes joints, increases blood flow to various tissues, and generally improves overall functioning. Really. Just trust me.
Everyday Function: I hate to be the one to clue you into this, but there are some very important everyday functions that require more than the ability to exert maximum force for 1-2 seconds. Things like walking across the street, playing with your kids, taking a shower, stuff like that.
Now, you might not have terrible endurance capacity now, but after a few decades of cardio avoidance, you will. So don’t even go there - you really CAN have it all - impressive muscularity, scary levels of maximum strength, and a healthy heart to boot. Follow along...
Four Principles Of Effective Cardio Training
Before I introduce you to my favorite cardio tricks, I’d like to share a few general principles that will make your cardiovascular sessions a lot more fun and rewarding:
1) Variation Prevents Injury, Boredom, and Dropout:
Here’s a little analogy that I use with my athletes: unfurl a paper clip into a straight piece of wire, and then start bending it back and forth, eventually you’ll break it. Think of your body that way.
There’s no need to use a single activity (such as running or biking) for your cardio workouts. After all, your heart, lungs, and circulatory system don’t know what exercise activity is taking place - but your joints sure do. If you use running for all your cardio workouts for example, your knees and feet take a heavy beating. But if you distribute the workout among 2-3 activities, such as running, swimming, and cycling, you’ll be less prone to overuse injury, and you’ll have more fun to boot.
2) Quality Before Quantity:
We all pay lip service to this principle, but how few of us actually employ it! Make sure your exercise technique is consistent at all times, no matter what. Know your best times for the various distances you cover and then, in your workouts, always stay close to those times. Finally, a quality performance is a pain-free performance. If you’re experiencing elbow pain during a swim for example, change gears until you determine what’s wrong.
3) Challenge Yourself And Have Fun:
I have a neighbor who’s simultaneously fascinated and disturbed by my devotion to physical training. He’ll often walk past my garage while I’m lifting and exclaim “Better you than me” or words to that effect. I always respond that I only train because I love it.
Look - if you can’t find some fun in your training, you’ll never last. So if you hate cardio, you’ll need to play some games with yourself to get in the mood. I think the best way to accomplish this is to challenge yourself. Keep a detailed training journal and record your PR’s for everything you do. This adds purpose and excitement to your training.
4) No Fuss Gets The Job Done:
I think the reason that a lot of people find exercise so tedious is because of all the pre-workout preparations - getting dressed in your “workout gear,” waiting for the perfect weather conditions, and taking your pre-workout supplements, just to name a few.
Try to adopt a “no preparation” attitude toward training. Don’t worry what your hair looks like, if it’s raining out, if you’ve got your running shorts on, or if you’ll be sweaty while you’re at the grocery store afterwards.
People often tell me that they dread the thought of doing cardio, but once they’re doing it, it’s not so bad. If you can relate, try to minimize the pre-workout gyrations. Just get out and do it.
Lose The Fat, Keep The Muscle: My Favorite Cardio Training Methods.
The following 8 training methods have a few things in common: They’re efficient, fun, challenging, time-efficient, practical, and most of all, they deliver.
1) Out & Back:
This is both a training method and an assessment tool, especially for beginners or lifters who haven’t done any cardio in a while. The idea is to cover a measured distance (you can run, bike, swim, skate, or whatever form of locomotion you happen to like) such that the “return” trip is performed in the same time (or less) than the “out” trip.
Let’s say you decide you’re going to go out for a jog for example. Your goal is to jog to a nearby park and then turn around and come back. With the out and back method, your goal is to establish a pace that enables you to complete your return trip in the same time as your out trip. If the return trip takes longer than the out trip, it indicates that you’re fatiguing faster than you should be - in other words, you’re running beyond your current abilities.
You can even use the out and back method with cardio machines in your gym - if, for example, you plan to use the elliptical trainer for 20 minutes, notice how much work you do in the first 10 minutes (usually this will be displayed as distance, or, alternatively, in watts). Then strive to equal or surpass this workload in the remaining 10 minutes.
2) Timed Miles:
If you haven’t done any running in a while, you might be surprised at how much you suck at it. In fact, if you go out and try to run one mile, chance are you won’t be able to finish at all. So don’t even try. Instead, measure a one mile course (maybe 1/2 mile out, and 1/2 mile back), and go out and cover that course, through a combination of walking, running, jogging, whatever.
The main thing is to record your time, no matter how bad it might be. Then, the next time you go out, simply beat that time. And you will. Gradually, workout by workout, you’ll be running more and walking less. And you’ll experience a steady stream of PR’s to keep your motivation flying.
3) 400’s:
400’s are one of the best fat-loss workouts you can ever do - just look at the physiques of top 400-meter sprinters if you still need convincing! Get on out to your local high school track (if it’s close to home, walk instead of drive - that’ll be your warm-up). Once around is 400 meters.
The current men’s World record is less than 44 seconds, which will soon strike you as un-Godly as you try your hand at this simple but punitive track & field event! So first time out, go VERY easy for the first 200 meters, and then pick up the pace for the final kick if you still have anything left in the tank.
Record your time. After about 4-5 minutes rest, run one more and try to beat your PR. That’s it for the first workout. You can run 400’s about twice a week, but start small and increase your reps very gradually. After several months, you’ll find you can do maybe 5 repeats per workout.
4) Hills:
Running hills is a fun but intense cardiovascular workout with important strength-enhancing benefits to boot. Best of all, the inclined surface minimizes impact and spares your joints.
Find a moderate slope that tapes you about 10-20 seconds to climb at maximum effort. First time out, limit yourself to 3-5 reps. Gradually increase to 10-12 reps after several weeks. And of course, time every sprint and always seek to beat your PR’s!
5) Tabata Protocol:
Recently, Dr. Tabata in Japan conducted a study in which he investigated the benefits of high intensity anaerobic exercise. Tabata discovered that a protocol consisting of 20 seconds of all-out cycling followed by 10 seconds of moderate cycling for a total of four minutes (8 repeats) was just as effective as forty-five minutes of aerobic exercise.
Interestingly, and perhaps surprisingly to some, the Tabata Protocol increases aerobic fitness in addition to its anaerobic benefits. This finding is consistent with my "ladder" paradigm that states that higher intensity training develops a wider spectrum of fitness benefits than lower-intensity exercise.
Clearly, the hallmark of this method is it’s time-efficiency, but there is a price to pay in pain and sweat - choose your poison!
6) Dot Drill:
I realize that most weight-trainers think they own the market on pain-tolerance, but the dot drill makes 20-rep squats look like a trip to Baskin Robbins by comparison. Particularly insidious is the fact that, unlike resistance training, repeated exposures to the dots will not make subsequent exposures any easier.
First conceived by basketball coach Adolph Rupp in the 1940’s, and then later popularized by Bigger Faster Stronger Inc. a few decades later, the dot drill is both a remarkable agility, foot strength, and anaerobic conditioning exercise, as well as a superb and easy-to-administer testing tool.
It is unique in that it creates not only a high level of fatigue, but also a high quality of fatigue- fighters in particular will be able to relate to the feeling of panic that ensues when your heart rate soars to about 120% of age-predicted maximum.
The dot drill is a battery of 5 separate drills, performed in rapid succession, with each drill performed six times in a row before proceeding to the next drill (please refer to the diagram as you read the description).
Dot Drill Schematic
D E
C
A B
The dot drill features (5), five-inch diameter dots orientated in a pattern similar to the five dots on a pair of dice, expect that the “square” is three feet by two feet. Use a solid surface such as weight room matting, and tie your shoelaces. Tight.
Begin the drill as follows:
1) First drill: Starting position: your left foot is on “A” and your right foot on “B.” Hop forward and touch “C” with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on “D” at the same instant your right foot lands on “E.” (a total of 2 hops). Now go back to the starting position by reversing what you just did (hopping backward). That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
2) Second drill: From the starting position, lift your left foot in the air and with right foot only, hop to “C,” “E,” “D,” “C,” “A,” and back to “B.” That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
3) Third drill: Repeat the last drill but using the left foot only (hop to “C,” “E,” “D,” “C,” “A,” and back to “B.”) That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
4) Fourth drill: Repeat the last drill but using both feet, keeping the feet together- this looks somewhat like a skiing drill. Repeat for a total of six reps.
5) Fifth drill: This is very similar to drill number one, with a slight variation: When you reach the top of the pattern (left foot on “D” and your right foot on “E.”), instead of hopping backward to get back to the starting position, you instead jump-spin and land on the same two dots (only now your left foot will be on “E” and your right foot on “D.”), facing the opposite direction. Then hop forward and touch “C” with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on “B” and your right foot on “A.” Lastly, jump-spin again to assume the starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.
Errors: Subtract .10 seconds for every missed dot from the total time.
Once you’ve done the drill a few times, you’ll notice that you can’t help but be competitive once you start. Even if you don’t feel terribly motivated, you’ll bust a gut trying to get a good time. Or maybe it’s just that you want to get it over with. Either way, the dot drill brings out your best (and I’m not referring to your last meal).
Implementing the Dot Drill
The five dots of death (as my athletes refer to it) can be used as a warm-up for a strength training session (one drill will bring your heart rate to 100% and will get you sweating big-time), as anaerobic conditioning, and/or as a fantastic foot and calf strengthening tool. One precaution however: I suggest never doing more than 4 repetitions of the dot drill on any given day, and not more than 12 dot drills on any given week.
Dot Drill Standards
OK, you’ve done the dot drill a handful of times and you think you’re a stud (or studette) because you finally broke the two minute barrier? According to Bigger Faster Stronger, you’ll need to break the 60 second barrier to be considered fast.
7) Tethered Pool Sprints:
I live in Phoenix and hot weather is fast approaching. It often becomes tedious to get out there for sprints when the temperature is well over 100 degrees. If you’ve got a pool, and it’s never occurred to you that you can use it for exercise because it’s too small, try this: call around to some pool supply and/or diving shops and find an elastic cord with a nylon waist-belt. You attach the band to one side of the pool, and attach the band to your waist.
Attach the band in such a way that you can just barely reach the other side of the pool through an all-out sprint. Once you touch the other end, relax as the band pulls you back. Then repeat for the desired numbers of reps. This is a brutally tough and effective form of anaerobic exercise that delivers the fat loss goods in spades.
8) Fast High Repetition Overhead Lifting:
I’ve added this last option for those of you who still have a hard time stomaching any "non-lifting" form of cardio. In this case we’re talking about various forms of snatches - a fast lift where the weight is "snatched" to an overhead position.
Of course, the snatch is one of the two Olympic lifting events, but there are several one-arm variants as well, including the one-arm dumbbell snatch, the kettlebell snatch, and the one-arm barbell snatch. All of these lifts create high levels of cardio-respiratory fatigue, in addition to the obvious speed strength and shoulder-function benefits. On top of that, snatches are actually fun!
Integrating Cardio With Weights
One final note - as you begin to initiate some of these cardio workouts, realize that you’re significantly increasing the demands on your body. I strongly suggest cutting back on the volume of your weight training exercises to make way for these new workouts.
The simplest way to do this is to cut your sets in halfó in other words, if you normally do 4 sets of 8, cut it back to 2 sets of 8 - at least for the first few months. You’ll find that this approach will allow you to maintain both your strength and orthopedic health as you begin to address your cardiovascular fitness needs.
Following the suggestions I’ve presented here, you’ll enjoy the health and fat loss benefits of a cardiovascular exercise program, and, who knows, you might even become a “former” cardio hater.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About The Author
Charles Staley...world-class strength/performance coach...his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.
Click here to visit Charles' site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with "Escalating Density Training," Charles' revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.
http://www.staleytrainingprograms.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)