Recent Questions

I posted on the website asking for feedback and questions you guys have.  Here is Jason's questions and my attempt to answer them.  Enjoy, and if you have any questions let em fly.  Thanks for reading. 

Couple questions:

What’s the difference between strength and hypertrophy?

Muscular endurance: what does it take?

Conditioning metabolic pathways: How to get the most bang for the buck?

Strength: neural efficiency vs. myofibril hypertrophy.

Let’s define the terms; strength is the ability to exert force against antagonistic forces.  For example, to lift a barbell off the ground is to produce greater force then gravity.  There are the forces that keep the barbell on the ground and to lift it, we must exert greater force or it will not move, basically.    

Hypertrophy is generally an enlargement of the muscle.  

The two relate because there is a positive relationship between Cross-Sectional Area and strength, so usually, bigger muscles mean stronger muscles (potentially).   

Basically, there are two different types of muscular hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar.  In sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, the volume of sarcoplasmic fluid in the muscle cell increases with no accompanying increase in muscular strength.  So the muscle is bigger because of the increase in fluid.  During myofibrillar hypertrophy, actin and myosin contractile proteins increase in number and add to muscular strength as well as a small increase in the size of the muscle.  A generalization is that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is seen in bodybuilders while myofibrillar hypertrophy is seen in Olympic weightlifters (lightweights) and a combo is seen in powerlifters and heavy weight Olympic weightlifters.  

Neural Efficiency is basically recruiting more fibers to the task of lifting the barbell off the floor.  More alpha neurons.  In a deconditioned state we don't recruit very many fibers to the task, but after training we get some more fibers involved.  Fibers are all-or-nothing, kind of like Alec Hanson :).  They are either on, or they are off, no in between.  When we talk about neural efficiency we are talking about getting more fibers to turn on, help do some work.  

Generally speaking, the training is different between strength training and hypertrophy. Although there is some cross-over.  According to Mel Siff, to get stronger you need to be operating in the 85%-100%+ of your 1RM range at 1-5 reps/set and 4-7 sets.  To get mass you need to be training at 60-80% of 1RM, 8-15 reps/set and 4-8 sets per exercise.  Michael Yessis wrote that:

1-4 reps increase pure strength no increase in mass

4-9 reps increase strength and mass

10-15 reps increase strength, muscle endurance, and mass

16-30 reps increase endurance with little or no effect on mass

31-50 reps increase endurance with no effect on mass

50-100 reps increase muscle endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, and possible loss of mass (or fat) and absolutely no increase in strength.

So you could train both if you wanted to.  Like a workout of 5x5 at 80-85% 1RM is a great example.  5x5 squats @ 80-85%, 3x a week would do the trick quite nicely and has for countless athletes for probably longer than any other training scheme. 

There are of course alternatives.  HIIT says 1 set to absolute muscle failure is the best method.  After a couple warm up sets,1 set of 6-8 or so with a weight that at 6 with perfect form and tempo you find muscle failure.  Then add maybe a few cheaters, forced reps, partials. 

According to Ben Tabachnik the USSR would use the rep method for hypertrophy:

1. slow 10-12 reps @ 70-80%, 2-3 sets, 2 min rests, 2-3 muscle groups
2. 5-10 reps, 3-5 sets, @ 80%, 2-3 min rest between
3. Etc. etc.

Basically the same stuff as I said above. 

Muscular endurance: what does it take?
Based on some of the above info, to train muscular endurance you are looking at 40-60% 1RM for 25-60 reps, 2-4 sets.         

     

Conditioning metabolic pathways: How to get the most bang for the buck?

Not totally sure what this means. 

Basically there are 4 energy pathways (and a couple in-betweeners)

1. Phosphagen
2. Gycolysis
1. Fast glycolysis
2. Slow glycolysis
3. Oxidative
4. Lactic Acid

In simple terms you want to build a base of aerobic endurance (oxidative) and go short(er) and hard(er) to build the others (anaerobic).  So 3x/week you are looking at 60-180 min. at 70-80% (shoot for 75%) max heart rate.  Think of trying to accumulate 5-6 hours per week in the 75% HR range.  (I like HR work because it’s something you can use when you don’t have a machine giving you immediate feedback, like a treadmill or rowing machine)

To train the other systems you need use intervals, the rest period is important:

Work duration – intensity level – energy system used

0-6 seconds work – extremely high intensity – Phosphagen system

6-30 seconds – very High intensity – phosphagen and fast glycolysis

30 seconds to 2 min. – high intensity – fast glycolysis

2-3 min. – moderate intensity – fast glycolysis and oxidative system

  

Or if you wanted to do all of this with other people, you could just come train at CrossFit Costa Mesa, because it's all in the programming.     

Resolve

Once again, there have been a few comments, posts, questions or what not revolving around a similar subject.  When this happens, I believe it a good indicator that it's important, at least to the circle of people I'm around.

The topic of resolve.  I had to think of the topic quite a bit before deciding on resolve as the word of choice.  There are lots of words or short phrases that could fit the concept, i.e.  will, decide, focus, wanting "it," choose, determined, bent (on or upon), bound, decisive, do-or-die, firm, hell-bent (on or upon), intent, out, purposeful, determined, resolved, set, single-minded.  You get the idea.  

This first came up when I posted on our main blog page a video of Chuck V. from Westside Barbell doing a deadlift of 835# on his way to a total of 2,565 lbs.  The total is the combined total of a squat, bench press, and deadlift.  The comments that started to come in were things like, I don't want to look like him, to, what's his Karen time?  I get it and while I agree with the commentators here, I'm not saying they are wrong, just that they missed the point.  The point of my posting Chuck lift an amazing amount of weight is to understand that, he among other things, is supremely resolute about his goals.  There is no wavering for Chuck, there couldn't be, or he'd never have been able to do what he has done.  That's the nature of success.  It demands ALL.  He is a man, who made the choice(s) to sacrifice ANYTHING that compromised his goal of lifting more weight in a powerlifting meet.  That's what being elite is all about.  The black belt is elite, the white belt is not.  

The second was a post by our friend Chaz.  She posted a video of a guy talking to a group of people about what it takes to be successful, his example was monetary, but it transcends the object.  He told a story about a man who went to the guru and said,"I want to be successful and wealthy like you."  To which the wealthy man said, "ok, meet me at the beach at 4am."  The young man shows up eager and ready to learn how to be rich, and the old man says "follow me into the water."  They get about shoulder deep and the old man suddenly grabs the young man by the throat and violently shoves the young man's head underwater.  The old man holds him there while the young man struggle.  After a moment he says to the young man, "what were you thinking about when I was holding your head under the water?"  The young man says without hesitation, "I wanted to breath more than anything."  The old man smiles and says, "when you want to be wealthy (and here you can fill in the blank) as much as you wanted to breath, you will have it, and you don't need me.  

Here is the video if you want to watch it.  



I love this story.  I heard it in a different form years ago, but the idea is all still there and the presenter, Sean is a good story teller.  


This reminded me of another, one about a samurai.  The story goes, a young man asked a samurai, "what does it take to be a samurai?"  The Samurai responds, "you must be willing to cut down anything that stand opposed to you, even the gods."  Or something like that.  Most people focus on the wrong part.  Cut down the gods?  What does that mean?  It means, NOTHING, even the most powerful of oppositions, will NOT stop me from exerting my will.   

Burn the bridge. Nuke the foundation. Back yourself up against a wall. Have an opinion one way or the other, get off the fence and rip it up. Cut yourself off so there is no going back. Once you're committed the truth will come out. You ask about security? What you need is uncertainty. What you need is confusion; something that forces you to reinvent yourself, a whip to drive you harder.

"I never try anything - I just do it. Want to try me?
White Zombie, "Thunder Kiss" 

Quote from Gymjones.com

Declare war, on yourself, on your thoughts, on your inner-demons.  Cut away all distractions.  Place yourself on "deathground," where your back is against the wall and you have to fight like hell to get out or die.

Learn something new. Do something different. Test yourself. Confront your true capacities. Instill dedication by threatening yourself with a penalty for failure. Take away the safety net to compel better performance. One of Brad Lewis' mentors suggested it is, "better to work without a net, or a saw guard. The intensity [is] greater, more concentration, total commitment, better results." This is the ideal of the solo climber, and the man with his back is against the wall, with nothing to lose.
You have to be willing to bite off more than you can chew, to overdose, and to fail. If you won't risk the answer you won't ask the question. If you lack the will to ask then consciousness will not unite with muscle and bone. I criticize such a lack of will (especially in myself) and ask, "What's the worst that can happen?" The fearful part of me replies, "I may fall short of my expectations. I may not be who I pretend to others. My perception of self may be proven wrong, very wrong." The confident part of me says, "So what ... only after breaking myself apart may rebuilding begin." So go ahead, break stuff. Break yourself on the once-hard edges of yourself. And recycle the debris into the foundation of your future.  From Gymjones.com

 Here's the deal.  In the end, there is a finite amount of "greatness" available in you.  How are you going to spend it?  You can spend it any way you want, but you have to sleep in the bed you make.  You get to look at yourself in the mirror each day and live with your own consequences.  Are you going to spend it on your job?  Being the best parent?  Being the best student?  Being the best powerlifter in the world?  Or, you can always chose to be pretty good at a lot of stuff, and spread all the potential around to a lot of things.  But know that you are in-fact doing that.  What I'm saying is that if you spend your potential on things you don't want to be really good at, stop.  Resolve.  Decide,  and cut yourself off from the alternatives and focus your efforts.  You want to compete in the CF Games?  EVERYTHING you do should be directed towards that effort.  Vegas trips don't matter, the amount of time you have to ice your body to make sure it's ready for tomorrow doesn't matter, there is no question about what to eat, what to drink, there is no question.  Do you want it bad enough, like the young man wanted to breath, like the samurai willing to cut down the gods if they stand the way of his goals?  You can't be scattered to reach elite.

CrossFit Acronyms and Abbreviations

• AMRAP: As Many Reps (sometimes Rounds)as Possible
• ATG: Ass to Grass
• BP: Bench press
• BS: Back squat
• BW (or BWT): Body weight
• CFT:CrossFit Total - consisting of max squat, press, and deadlift.
• CFSB: CrossFit Strength Bias. A program developed by Jeff Martin and Darrell White, explained here. You'll need a CFJ subscription.
• CFWU:CrossFit Warm-up
• CLN: Clean
• C&J: Clean and jerk
• C2: Concept II rowing machine
• DL: Deadlift
• FS: Front squat
• GHR(D): Glute ham raise (developer). Posterior chain exercise, like a back extension. Also, the device that allows for the proper performance of a GHR.
• GHR(D) Situp: Situp done on the GHR(D) bench.
• GPP: General physical preparedness, aka "fitness."
• GTG: Grease the Groove, a protocol of doing many sub-maximal sets of an exercise throughtout the day
• H2H: Hand to hand; refers to Jeff Martone's kettlebell "juggling" techniques (or to combat).
• HSPU: Hand stand push up. Kick up into a handstand (use wall for balance, if needed) bend arms until nose touches floor and push back up.
• HSQ: Hang squat (clean or snatch). Start with bar "at the hang," about knee height. Initiate pull. As the bar rises drop into a full squat and catch the bar in the racked position. From there, rise to a standing position
• IF: Intermittent Fasting
• KB: Kettlebell
• MEBBMaximum Effort Black box, term coined by Mike Rutherford. Search the forum for it. Originally laid out in one of the early Performance Menu issues.
• KTE: Knees to elbows. Similar to TTBs described below.
• MetCon: Metabolic Conditioning workout
• MP: Military press
• MU: Muscle ups. Hanging from rings you do a combination pull-up and dip so you end in an upright support.
• OHS: Overhead squat. Full-depth squat performed while arms are locked out in a wide grip press position above (and usually behind) the head.
• PC: Power clean
• Pd: Pood, weight measure for kettlebells
• PR: Personal record
• PP: Push press
• PSN: Power snatch
• PU: Pull-ups, possibly push ups depending on the context
• Rep: Repetition. One performance of an exercise.
• Rx'd; as Rx'd: As prescribed; as written. WOD done without any adjustments.
• RM: Repetition maximum. Your 1RM is your max lift for one rep. Your 10 RM is the most you can lift 10 times.
• SDHP: Sumo deadlift high pull (see exercise section)
• Set: A number of repetitions. e.g., 3 sets of 10 reps, often seen as 3x10, means do 10 reps, rest, repeat, rest, repeat.
• SPP: Specific physical preparednesss, aka skill training.
• SN: Snatch
• SQ: Squat
• SS: Starting Strength; Mark Rippetoe's great book on strength training basics. Available right here.
• Subbed: Substituted. The CORRECT use of "subbed," as in "substituted," is, "I subbed an exercise I can do for one I can't," For example,if you can't do HSPU, you subbed regular pushups.
  Sadly, many illiterate posters get this bass-ackward, and claim that since they can't do HSPU, they subbed HSPU for pushups. D'oh!
• TGU: Turkish get-up (See exercise section)
• TTB: Toes to bar. Hang from bar. Bending only at waist raise your toes to touch the bar, slowly lower them and repeat.
• WO, sometimes W/O: Workout
• WOD: Workout of the day
• YBF: You'll Be Fine (liberally applied in spray form)

Taken from the CrossFit.com FAQ's.  

Calories

When the conversation turns to diet and nutrition one of the first things to untangle is the oversimplified question: "how many calories should I eat?"     

Let's clear the air and establish some definitions of the two basic elements here. (Definitions from Wikipedia.)

Calorie - "Food energy is the amount of energy obtained from food that is available through cellular respiration."

The technical term for this idea that calories in minus calories out equals body mass is the"1st Law of Thermodynamics" - "an expression of the principle of conservation of energy, states that energy can be transformed (changed from one form to another), but cannot be created or destroyed. It is usually formulated by saying that the change in the internal energy of a system is equal to the amount of heat supplied to the system, minus the amount of work done by the system on its surroundings."

According to mainstream nutritionists these two ideas are all you need to know about nutrition to come to the conclusion that if you eat more calories than you burn, you get fat.  If you reduce the calories in and increase the calories out, you get lean and sexy.  Oh if it were so simple. 

Let's break this down a bit.  Here are two links to similar posts about similar things.  The first is from Dr. Eades, whom I look to for lots of great information regarding diet and nutrition.  The second is one of his sources for his post.  It's written by Robert McLeod, a physicist (one who would know very well the complexities of our second concept definition, Thermodynamics.)

Dr. Eades post here. http://tinyurl.com/363ld8s
Dr. McLeod's post here: http://tinyurl.com/afled9

I would like to just re-post them on here, because quite honestly there is not much to add.  What I'm going to try and do is add my comments to the discussion.

So let's look at the basics again.  Calorie is the amount of energy obtained from food that's available through cellular respiration.  A good question to ask, What's "cellular respiration" then?  "Cellular respiration, also known as 'oxidative metabolism', is one of the key ways a cell gains useful energy. It is the set of the metabolic reactions and processes that take place in organisms' cells to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products. The reactions involved in respiration are catabolic reactions that involve the oxidation of one molecule and the reduction of another."

Meaning, it's a set of chemical reactions that food goes through in order to be converted into useful forms, mostly in the form of ATP since that is the most efficient fuel source of our bodies.  

The 1st Law of Thermodynamics says; energy (calories are energy from food) can not be destroyed only moved.  This is where most nutritional experts get the idea that it's basically the same as calories in-calories out = body mass.  But even on this surface this oversimplified equation misses.  In this equation we have energy minus energy = mass.  hahahaha.  They don't even have the same units.  It would have to be energy minus energy = energy.  You can't just switch the units from energy to mass!  

Ok moving past that, if you have to, this equation does nothing to describe the process breaking down the food into useful energy for us to use.  We are summing up incredibly complex processes into simple arithmetic.  That's not even funny.   

Applying the 1st Law to living organisms is Proof by Tautology. Yes, 1 + 1 = 2, but this tells us absolutely nothing about the underlying mechanics. The 1st Law does not (I repeat N-O-T) tell us whether you store excess energy in the form of fat, or bleed it off into the atmosphere by dilating blood vessels next to the skin, sweating, etc. To do so would require an accounting of entropy. - Robert McLeod

Again, the mechanics of energy use.  He goes on to demonstrate that the mathematics to account for all of this would be very, very difficult and the simple arithmetic of calories in minus calories out, just doesn't cut it. 

Ok, I just can't resist anymore.  Here is a copy of a large chunk from Robert's post regarding the thermodynamic argument or the calories in calories out argument.  I'm going to add some italics here where I see fit.  

One of Taubes' chapters deals with the idea that energy balance in humans can be reduced to the First Law of Thermodynamics:

ΔE = E_in - E_out

I was somewhat confused to see this Surely the nutritional scientists did not not really believe this, right? I mean, any idiot undergraduate students knows that the 1st Law is only useful in a closed system, and humans live on the planet Earth, not in an insulated box. Right?

Enter a rebuttal by G. Bray in the journal Obesity Reviews. Bray is a to be a major obesity researcher and one of the 2nd tier villains in the book. Taubes relates a story of Bray excising a section of a British report on obesity, where Bray removed the material pertaining to the relationship between insulin and obesity. He clearly has editorial support to make his case. Bray is one of the second-tier villains in Taubes' book. Taubes has a footnote (p. 421), which suggests that Bray actively suppressed the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis.

* According to Novin, when he wrote up his presentation for the conference proceedings Bray removed the last four pages, all of which were on the link between carbohydrates, insulin, hunger, and weight gain. "I couldn't believe he would make that kind of arbitrary decision," Novin said.

Unfortunately, to a physicist this energy balance hypothesis looks like a silly hand-waving exercise, not a serious argument. Frankly I was flabbergasted when I first read this article. This conservation of energy argument is on the same scientific level as the ridiculous "drink cold water to lose weight" idiocy. A human organism is:

1. Not in thermal equilibrium with their environment. Last time I checked I have a body temperature around 38 °C and spend most of my time in 21 °C rooms.
2. Capable of significant mass flows (e.g. respiration).
3. Capable of sequestering entropy (e.g. protein synthesis).

Is wearing a sweater fattening (by insulating you from your environment)? Here's a quote from the rebuttal,

Let me make my position very clear. Obesity is the result of a prolonged small positive energy surplus with fat storage as the result. An energy deficit produces weight loss and tips the balance in the opposite direction from overeating.

According Bray's thermodynamics argument, wearing sweaters makes you fat. This illustrates the greatest fallacy of trying to apply the 1st Law to a human: it makes the implication that living organisms consume kilocalories for the purpose of generating heat rather than perform useful work (italics original to author) (i.e. breathing, contracting cardio and skeletal muscle, generating nervous action pulses, etc.). In reality heat is the waste product of basal metabolism. The first law does not distinguish between different types of energy. Heat, work are all equal under the First Law of Thermodynamics.

 Let me try and make all of this more simple.  At the end of the day, calories in minus calories out can't be true, because of these two glaring facts:
1. It only applies to closed systems, of which the body and humans are not.  A closed system would mean our body temps would be the same as the environment around us.  Like the example of the room above, our body temperature would be the same as the room temp, which it is clearly not.  This is why Robert makes the mocking statement that according to the thermodynamics argument, wearing a sweater would make you increase your fat storage, because if you increase the heat of your body, in order to balance out the equation your body would store fat.  This is not the case which means that we are not a closed system and the calorie argument is garbage.   
2. The math is oversimplifying complex movements of heat and energy and does nothing to explain how the metabolic process actually works in real life. 

So why does it work for some people?

Any ideas?  See my next post for an attempt at a simplified explanation of the metabolic process and my own theory of why a reduction in calories will reduce body fat levels.

Unloaded

When was the last time you took a week off from your workouts?  I mean a planned week of recuperation, not the unexpected binge eating, drinking, vacation kind.  I bet if you did, you'd come back and the gym would still be there, you'd lift a little more, you'd feel better, and maybe even set a new PR.

In the last month, I've talked to a few people about this, and if you are paying attention, usually that's a good indicator to go with it.  So here goes.  The unloaded week.

The first person I talked to approached me and said, "I haven't hit a new PR in months."  To which I responded quickly and confidently, "take a week completely off of training, then try again."  This came a such a shock, there was an awkward moment of us staring at each other.  I'm more comfortable in these situations than most people so i just kept staring until they started to tell me about how much they LOVE CrossFit and could never take a week off.

"That's fine.  But until you rest, you probably wont progress or hit new PR's.  You're tired and you need to rest."  They didn't like that.  

I got this from Mike Mentzer; most people make the mistake of thinking in economic terms.  $1,000 is better then $1, so more workouts are better then less.  But fitness is NOT economics.  They have different rules, or as Mike and Ayn Rand would say, they have a different Identity.  Muscles have to act like muscles, and muscles need cycles of stimulation then recuperation to progress.

If you find yourself sleeping terrible, irritable, stagnating on your fitness progress, take an active rest week, go for a walk each night for 30 min. (that is your workout programming for the week, that's $39.99 please.  I'll invoice you.)  I promise the gym will still be there when you get back.  You will feel better, you will progress better, look better naked, 6 pack abs shooting through all because you took a week to recuperate.  Single best test to know if what you are doing is working or not...is it actually working?  I mean are you progressing?  If you're not, then your current method is not good, ditch it for what does work.  I'm telling you; workouts + rest/recovery = progress 

You're annual programming should look something like this: 4-6 weeks of hard workouts (I like to focus on a single attribute), then 1 week active rest (easy walks each night or unloaded bars).  Repeat.  Progress.  Remember; workouts + rest/recovery = progress.  They are both equally important to your progress.  Here is an interesting caveat to leave you with.  What takes more disciple, to walk into the gym and do your unloaded work and not get sucked up into the competition, or to keep going hard and seeing no progress?  Think you're tough?  Prove it.  Do the unloaded work with the rest of the gym racing each other, that's tough.

"you're looking big, what have you been doing?"

Recently, I seem to be hearing this from a lot of people and I thought I'd lay out what I do, and If anyone wants to know more detail about why I structure things this way, then you can contact me and I'd be happy to talk about it.

First and foremost I don't feel "big."  I have a bit of a self image thing that I'm smaller than I really am.  Right now I'm 6"1" 215# and about 15-18% body fat.  To give you an idea of my current strength; my max deadlift was 500# and back squat 380# according to the charts (meaning it's not an actual lift, just based on 14 reps at 115kg yesterday).  So to me, that's not really that big.  Then again, I'm comparing myself to guys like Dave Tate, Jim Wendler, Doug Young, etc.  Those guys are big, and strong. 

Secondly, it's hard for me to describe what I do in simple terms but I'll try.

My focus is on Endurance, Strength and Power.  In that order actually.  I thought my strength was most lacking, so that has been my focus for a while now.  Then I will switch gears to fix what ever is most lacking and so on.  I started doing 5x5 basic strength progressions, found the volume too high, then I started playing with incorporating a more "west-side barbell" style into the routine.  What's interesting about Westside, Dave Tate, et al, is it's all based on Soviet Dynamo Club training methods which I feel like I have a pretty good general understanding, so there were already elements in the training, but recently I read through Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program and instantly saw how I could incorporate it.  So I started doing Wendler's 5/3/1 program, or at least my variation of it.  So for 2 months at a time, I do 3x/week strength training and 3x/week Steady state endurance training.  Both are based on simple principles like progressively overloading and max efforts, then an unloaded week at the end of 7 weeks to recover before changing to 4 weeks of 3x/week Met-Con style, or CrossFit, or Mixed-Mode, or Power-endurance, or what ever you want to call it and 3x/week of MV02 endurance training.

That's pretty much it in the most simple terms.  2 months of 3x/week strength, 3x/week steady state; then 1 month 3x/week P/E, 3/week MVO2 training.

The details are quite complex though and even more complex is the why I do it this way.  To keep it short though; strength training goes like this (percentages are percentage of 1 rep max - the max weight I can lift for 1 rep, max reps means as many reps as possible to absolute failure, and maybe even try for a few more):
week 1 - 5x@65%, 3x@75%, max reps@85% (goal of 6+ reps)
week 2 - 5x@70%, 3x@80%, max reps@90% (goal of >4 reps)
week 3 - 5x@75%, 3x@85%, max reps@95% (goal of >2 reps)
week 4 - 5x@40%, 3x@50%, max reps@60% (goal of >16 reps)

Each week, I lift 3x/week.  So it looks like this:
Mon - Back squat, Press, Deadlift, Power Clean with 5 min. rest between each lift
Wed - Front Squat, Push Press, Weighted Chin, Snatch (5 min rests)
Fri - Overhead Squat, Weighted Dip, Jerk (5 min rest between)

The endurance training is simple enough too:
Steady state for 60-180 min at 70-80% Max HR.  Well, I'm building up to that.  Yeah, that's 3 hours!  WTF.  I don't need to go that far into the endurance training, so my goal is to build up to 90 min at 80% MHR.  There is all kinds of garbage out there about HR training, but it's possible to figure it out.  I like to look at Phil Mafatone's ideas for this piece and Mark Twight, although, I'm pretty sure it's based on Mafatone's work and Stephen Seiler's.  Although his progression suggestions are way beyond my capabilities so I have to adjust those.  I just don't adapt that fast to endurance training.

So there it is.  9 months out of the year, Strength/Endurance, 3 months; Power-Endurance/MV02.  I might change it up though, because the weight is starting to get heavy and it makes it hard to do all those lifts in the same session.  The volume is starting to get really high.  And I'm concerned that I'm trying to do too many lifts during the week.  I might kick it down to just Squat, Press, Deadlift, Power Clean for 1 month at 3x/week, then move to Front Squat, Push Press, Chin, Snatches for month 2 at 3x/week.

In the Power-Endurance phase my focus is on speed.  All weight on the bar is reduced to 60% max at most and emphasis is on speed.  High intensity Max V02 sessions or Tabata Protocol sessions running or rowing.  Mvo2 is trained in 30 second intervals with 30 seconds of rest building up to 60 min in duration.  Pure torture.  Tabata protocol is 20 seconds at 170% vo2 max followed by 10 sec of rest for 6-8 rounds.  Tabata might be worse in my opinion.  4 min. is all it takes to completely kick my ass, especially at 170% V02max pace.  Most people will just go "all out" for the 20/10 deal but they obviously didn't read Dr. Tabata's work.  It's very specific.  170% is not all out on the first few rounds.  Rounds 6-8 however, are horrible.  4 weeks of this 3x/week and by the end, my 2k row, 5k run what ever, will be significantly improved due to my O2 efficiency improvement.  Then the shitty part is, I test a new v02 max (and I like the concept 2 website calc based on my 2k row time for this), it's gone up, and now I have to do the tabata sets at a faster pace!  WTF?! Oh well.  Right now I'm working on tabata sets at 1:27/500m splits.  Not avg, just get there and hold on!   

At this writing, I'm too heavy to be a real competitor in CrossFit, but it's certainly a lot quicker to lose 10-15 lbs of fat, than to gain strength.  I figure if I can keep this up for another 2 years, I'll be ready to compete.  We will see.  Follow along as I make my way.

That's pretty much it.  I guess I just have the genes to get big pretty quick even though my intention is strength.  And like I said above, if you want to know why this vs other options out there, just ask.  Be prepared for a very, very long answer though.  :)    

Motivation

Everyday I come into the gym knowing what I need to do.  It’s as simple as looking at my logbook and seeing what needs to be done.  However, I do not always feel like doing the work outlined in my plan.  The question I have to ask myself is first, am I being lazy or do I really need to take the day off?  This is not an easy question to answer.  Most if not all of what goes on in this gym is like this question, simple, but not easy.  Once I have decided that I do in fact need to do the work, it’s a matter of getting motivated to put in the hard effort the workout requires.  If I walk in feeling unmotivated to do the work there are a few techniques I use to get motivated which is the point of this post.

My workouts are planned out in advance, usually about 1 month or so.  I get a little carried away sometimes and want to program out 2 or 3 or even 6 months in advance sometimes, but I have found this to be a waste of time.  Things change.  I change.  Sometimes I realize that I have spent too much time doing what I like to do and not enough time doing what I don’t like, or what is more important to meet my goals.  So 1 month in advance at most.  This monthly plan starts off with “rest” days.  Days I know that I’m going to be traveling, out of town, or just need the day off.  I usually like to pick Sunday as on off day for sure, and by the time the end of the week rolls around, Saturday is usually gonna need to be a rest day too.  So Monday thru Friday is where the work is going to be done.  I know that for me, 3 days “on” is about all I can handle before the quality takes a serious dive.  Day 3 is usually pretty rough to get done and requires some serious attention.  That day is usually the day that I’m trying to dig inside myself and find my motivation for being here. 

One of the first things I do, is to look at my goal board.  On this board I have a list of simple things that I can check off on my journey to elite fitness.  I guess it’s a given that I have an end goal and all the things on the board are a sign post along the road there.  I have in mind 4 levels of fitness.  Level 1, beginner.  Things like learning the lifts; high volume, lots of reps and practice.  I figure that this level lasts about 1-2 years and I kind of assume that based on my past I put in enough work to be considered a beginner.  Level 2; here we start talking about some standards.   I think of things in terms of Strength, Endurance (about 45 min. or so), Power-Endurance (less than 45 min.), and power (less than 30 sec. all out efforts).  Strength – basic barbell lifts, things like deadlift, squats, push press, etc.  Power-Endurance – a couple CrossFit workouts that I can measure like Helen, Eva, etc.  Endurance – simple stuff like 5k run, 10k run, 5k row, 60 min row, etc.  Power – Olympic lifts and broad jump; I might even consider a 400m run, or 100m freestyle swim a power event too.  I have set out time standards for each thing at level 1, 2, 3 and 4.  What’s interesting is level 4 ends up being about the beginning of true fitness and in the big scheme of things might even be considered “beginner” in “elite” fitness.  Things like 2x body weight deadlift, etc.  This is the beginning of training for serious athletes. 

So I look at my board.  I start imagining my future when I have met my goals.  More specifically I imagine what it will feel like.  The pride of being able to do 5k run in 19:00 and turn around and deadlift 2.5x body weight is powerful.  Or maybe it’s seeing your reflection in the mirror and 6% body fat.  How many stares will you get when you walk out on the beach?  I put myself in that future when I have already achieved these goals, but I like to do this for a specific time period or I might find myself just daydreaming for an hour.  Next, I change my clothes.  Sometimes I like to workout in jeans and barefoot, but on days like these, I need to put on the uniform.  There is sacredness to putting on the “workout clothes.”   There is a psychological association to working out and hard work when I put my special clothes on.  They are for this task and this task only.   On days like these, if I were to wear the same old stuff, my state might not change and I can’t afford that. 

After I’m changed, I’m still not totally motivated, but more than when I came in the door.  So the next thing I do, is to just start walking.  I walk about 400 meters or so, just to get moving, something.  Then I slowly start doing a little more, maybe skipping, maybe I start doing some of my mobility drills to loosen up a bit.  Depending on the day I might want fast music, other days I prefer sad music to find strong emotions, doesn’t really matter which it is, I just need to find a strong emotion.  Sometimes it’s pain, sometimes it’s happy. 

So here I am skipping in my gym, listening to sad music in my workout clothes feeling quite a bit more motivated and I look over my logbook to see just what’s in store.  Sometimes, if I’m by myself, I yell, if there are others, I stomp.  Yelling and stomping my feet can change my state real quick. 

Start to jog now.  Maybe do a couple sprints, feeling powerful.  Thinking strength and power…domination.  Intensity.  Let it grow inside.   

I start doing the warm-up, nice and easy, building the intensity in my mind until it’s time for war.  All out war.  No one, nothing will prevent me from stopping now.  I will burn this building to the ground and keep going!  Nothing will interrupt me.  Not my cell phone, no one. 

Motivation is a state.  States are connected to both the physical and the mental.  To change states you have to change one, the other, or, the best would be to change both.  Sometimes it’s too big a jump though and you have to go through apathy first to get to motivation.  So the first thing I do is change the mental, start thinking motivated thoughts, like what it’s going to feel like when I’m at my goals.  Then I change my physiology; my clothes and start moving around.  These all build on each other.  More and more motivated thoughts, more movement, and more intensity.  At the end, I’ve gone from apathetic to highly motivated in about 15 min or so. 

Another option is to have a ritual that you do.  Do a series of specific actions in a specific order so that at the end, you are ready for war.  When I was playing water polo, I set the national anthem as my trigger.  Before every game the anthem was played and when it went on…my mind made the switch; it was time to go to war.  Some times it still does.  You can set a trigger like that too.  Every time you are highly motivated give yourself a unique stimulus, something like pressing your index finger to your thumbs, or rubbing your hands in a certain way, or turning your hat backwards (who didn’t see Over the Top with Sly Stalone?).  Do this repeatedly and a very short time you will feel like Pavlov’s dog salivating every time I ring a bell, but hey, it worked for him and it can work for you too.     

Try it and see what happens.  You can always quit later.  ;)

Dietary Approach

I was re-reading through my notes a few days ago from a Zone Diet seminar given by Barry Sears and I was inspired to share with you (whoever you are) the summary.

Sometimes there is debate in the CrossFit community about what diet approach to follow and what to name it.  There's Atkins, Zone, Paleo, Primal, South Beach, Low GI, etc, etc.  What all of these diets aim to do however is very, very similar.  Control insulin and cortisol levels.  It doesn't really matter what you call it, they are all trying to control insulin, glucose and cortisol because they are arguably the most important pieces to the metabolic process.

One of my strengths is my deliberateness and I usually do things very purposely.  When I coach the members of the gym about diet, I recogonize that it is infact a huge lifestyle change and if I require to much change at once (or more than they are willing to do) there is a negative reaction.  It's no different than if you were to lay out in the sun for too long.  Sun burn or even blisters result when there is overexposure.  I believe that a person can only handle so much stimulus no matter the source, whether it's emotional, psychological, or physical and anything past that will result in negative reactions.  The challenge as a coach is to find that level and continually push on the edge of it causing further growth that allows yet more and more stimulus.

When it comes to diet it's not different.  There is a change in behavior that must take place and it comes down to the level of exposure one is willing and able to accept.  Some can accept huge amounts while others very little.  The first step is to recognize that dietary fat does NOT cause body fat.  That's the first step.  Read Good Calories Bad Calories if you don't believe me.  The science is overwhelming.  Carbohydrates cause a rise in blood sugar, a rise in blood sugar causes an increase in insulin.  Insulin is the CHIEF regulator of metabolism.  When there is little insulin in the blood and the work load is low, the body will use fatty acid for fuel, when there's insulin present and/or work load is high, glucose is fast/easier for the body to use.  So rule number 1.  Fat DOES NOT cause body fat.  Insulin does.

Now I find that it takes about 3 months for this to really sink in.  I mean there is a lot of chatter out there to distract people from this truth.  Just take a look at the dietary recommendations of a stereotypical nutritionist out there and you will see.  In fact, don't even do that, just realize that your reluctance to accept this scientific truth as evidence of how much misinformation is out there!

The next steps are determined based on the level of time someone wants to devote to this thing.  5 seconds is all you want to spend on your health.  Fine.  Start supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acid.  That's the minimum.  By my count, we should be taking about 5g/day of Omega-3.  Take a look at the lable, do the math, and yes that is how many caps I'm saying you should take.  Count only Omega-3 from DHA and EPA, all other "omega-3" is not as good as those two sources.

If you are willing to spend some more time than just 5 sec. good for you.  Now you can start getting some real work done.  Start by focusing on the basics.  Stop eating the processed foods.  You know exactly what I'm talking about, stop asking about detailed food you are unwilling to give up.  What about...?  What about...?  Here is the deal, eat veggies, a piece of meat (the less hormones, the more organic the more free range, natural food the animal would eat on it's own, the better), and some nuts or seeds.  Anything you ask me at this point that is not a vegetable, meat, or nut; do NOT eat it.  Do this for 6 months.  Drink only water or iced tea.  NO sugar, no milk, no bread, no cereal, no grains, none of that garbage.  Veggies, meat, nuts.  Eat as much as you want.  Eat when you want.

The next step is totally unnecessary unless you are looking for the smallest of percentage gains.  This is the part where you weigh and measure your food.  How much, what ratios and all that jazz totally depends on what you do in your life, so I rarely talk about this level with any of the members.  It's just not worth getting into it.  This rabbit hole deep and in the end, I believe is less helpful for what we do, then it is helpful.  99% of the population works out for the simple goal of looking better.  How Grecko-Roman are we still?     

In the end, keep things simple (simple is not easy, I know).  If you just eat veggies (that means many of you need to learn to like them), meat (all types - remember fat does NOT cause body fat or heart disease - yes even the red fatty meats), nuts and seeds you will be miles ahead of the person still eating cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and prepackaged frozen dinners and a beer/glass of wine.  Remember; Veggies, meat, nuts and water.  ONLY, veggies, meat, nuts and water for 6 months, then we can start talk about adding back in some of the "cheat" foods.  Give it a try and I guarantee results.  Don't take my word for it, just ask any of the member that just finished the "Paleo Challenge" who lost 20+ lbs in 60 days.  It's so common for us now, I don't get surprised when guys like Joe Dykus drops 10 inches off his pant size and 30lbs.  Or Beck, who drops 6 dress sizes.  Eat right, work hard and chase performance and the look will follow.  Chase the look and realize that it's not satisfying in the end.

“People expect a lot from weight loss, things that weight loss alone can’t deliver,”
http://tinyurl.com/294dm42

Creatine Phosphate Repletion

“…enzymes associated with adenosine triphosphate resynthisis capacity and pyruvate-lactate interconversion are key determinants of sprinting speed.  Sprint type training has its greatest effects on the phosphagen pathways, with lesser but significant effects on glycolytic or oxidative metabolism.

            Intense, brief activities engage the phophagen pathway, especially in fast-twitch muscle fibers.  Likewise, these pathways account for much of the energy yield during the transition from rest to exercise, or from one workload to another, in all fiber types.  Although intramuscular ATP levels rarely drop more than 40-60%, several seconds of intense activity can virtually deplete creatine phosphate (CP); this is highly correlated with sprinting fatigue.

            Creatine phosphate repletion is achieved oxidatively, with a biphasic time course characterized by initial rapid (half-time 20-22 seconds) and subsequent slow (half-time ~170 seconds) components.”

-Page 478 in the 3^rd edition (emphasis added) Essential of Strength and Conditioning

What does this mean?

It means that for your sprinting speed and lifting power to replenish your aerobic capacity must be at a high level as well.  Everything is related. 

Power-Endurance

Elizabeth

21-15-9 reps of:
Power Clean @135
Ring Dips

Then:
2x10 mvo2 runs (10 yrd shuttles)

Sleep

Here is an interesting article about biphasic sleep (two sleep session per day vs. monophasic - one large sleep block).

Sleep is uber important for a few reasons, the how part is not totally understood so don't get hung up on that part.  Just know that it's important for:

Generally, lack of sleep may result in^[3][4]

• aching muscles^[5]
• dizziness and nausea
• dry mouth^{[citation needed]}
• hallucinations^[6]
• hand tremors^[7]
• headaches
• increased blood pressure^[8]
• increased risk for diabetes^[9]
• increased risk of fibromyalgia^[10]
• irritability^[3]
• memory lapses or loss^[11]
• nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)^[12]
• obesity^[9]
• slowed word recall^{[citation needed]}
• temper tantrums in children^[3]
• yawning^[3]
• symptoms similar to:
  
  
  • Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder^[3] (ADHD)
  • psychosis^[13]

From Wikipedia

For more about sleep deprivation click here
Or check out this site Sleep Depreivation
Our National Govt. Recommendations
Why we sleep
An alternative approach

Plandomization

One of the better articles

This one is about having a plan in your workouts. 

As Greg says in the article:

 Let me go ahead and distill this entire article to its essence: If you have no plan with regard to your training, you’re an idiot. Abrasive, I know, but this point needs to sink in.

Or said a little more tactfully:

"If you have no plan with regard to your training, you have no regard for your fitness"

Either way, the point is to take personal responsibility and put a little thought into your health, fitness and life.  You are more powerful than you think, you have more power over your life than what others want you to believe.  Here is a little opportunity to exert some of that power and chose how you are going to live.

The transformation always starts in your mind, your identity, everything else follows that.  

Leadership - Beliefs

This came up on CrossFit.com the other day.  It's simply one of the best video's I've ever seen on leadership.

A few keys

There are things to pull from every source.  Even a Jackass (donkey) can have something of value to offer if you have the humility to hear it.

From an unlikely source, in context of CrossFit, bodybuilding, I learned some very important pieces to fitness.  From Mike Mintzer and his unique approach to High Intensity training I learned 7 key principles and after watching today's workout, I think it's time everyone in this gym learn them too.

The First Principle: Identity
Often you hear the idea of "muscle confusion."  Especially in ads.  What is ridiculous about this statement is the blatant violation of identity.  A muscle does not have a brain, and cannot become confused.  It might seem like I'm being overly picky about words, maybe, but the issue is that a muscle is only a muscle and as such it will respond accordingly.  Everything has it's own identity, it's own being.  This might be too philosophical for a lot of people, but it's important to remember this overarching concept.  It literally guides everything else.    

The Second Principle: Intensity
Intensity can mean only one thing.  Maximum.  The math of intensity is simple, (force X distance)/Time.  So what this means in simple terms is to increase intensity you can either increase the force, increase the distance, or decrease the time, or a combination of them.  Intensity is important to understand and a proper understanding a few key things about muscles and their identity.  The short version is that only when intensity is increased does a response follow.  Without the proper intensity, you will not get results.  How do I know when you've met this proper level of intensity?  When nothing more can be done.  A real quick and easy observation to know whether max intensity has been met is, after the workout do you sit down on the erg to pull a 2k at a new PR?  Pretty clear that the workout was not done at proper intensity. 

The Third Principle: Duration
Intensity and duration are inverse.  Meaning, the higher the intensity the shorter the duration, you just can't go very long at max intensity.  Keep workouts short and intense.    

The Fouth Principle: Frequency
There are two things that happen after a workout, a general stress and a specific stress.  Both must be recovered from in order to see progress.  If you work at max intensity frequently, you will burn out.  You must rest and recover.  

The Fifth Principle: Specificity
Cause and Effect are very real and ever-present.  When you workout, depending on what you do, you will get a specific result.  When you lift heavy, you will get stronger.  You will never see a result that does not follow directly from a cause.  However, the true cause can sometimes be difficult to find and can cause some confusion, as evident in the current nutritional advice often proposed by nutritionists.  The observation that people were eating saturated fat and experiencing heart disease was confused to be cause and effect.  Other observations fit better, but I digress.  The point is, there is a specific response to a specific stimulus and you can never escape this fact.     

The Sixth Principle: Adaptation
Given all of the above, your body will adapt to the stress you put it under, however, there is a limit to how much stress it can effectively handle at any given time.  It will adapt to that too though, meaning, if you continue to push the edge of how much stress you can adapt to, it will get better at adapting to more and more stress.  There are two types of stress Eustress (good stress) and distress (bad stress).  If you give the proper eustress your body will respond.  As an example, when you are exposed to the sun, you will develop a sun tan, your skin will darken.  If you are exposed to too much sun, your body will be overwhelmed and blister, if it continues you can become burned.  This is too much and more then your system is capable of adapting to.  The same things happens in workouts.  Too much of it combined with inadequate recovery and you have a recipe for problems, just like a blister or burning from the sun.    

The Seventh Principle: Progression
The culmination of all 6 principles is progression.  If you are progressing, then you have the right level of intensity, duration, frequency, etc.  If there is not progress, there is usually too little intensity.  That's the hard stuff, the painful stuff.

So, lift heavier, run faster, push harder and results will happen faster!

See you in the gym!

For further reading see:
Hans Selye
Reishi
Adaptogen
Mike Mentzer

PS. don't confuse the analogy, I do not consider bodybuilders or Mike Mentzer to be a "jackass."

Goals

When I hear people express to me their goals the first thing I want to ask is why.  Why do you want that?  My problem is I have a "low-level" case of aspergers and my tone comes off all wrong.  It takes years to bounce back from that!  My intent is to get them to think about what the core motivation is.  The first answer is usually not the deeper more personal motivation and I believe that it's this deeper, 2nd and and even third level motivations that are the true motivational part of the goal.

So ask yourself why you want it.  Be real, be honest, there is no one there to judge your answer; why do you want it? 

The next thing I think of, if we even get this far, is to ask why they don't have it now.  If a person comes to me and says, I want to lose 10 lbs this year.  I think, why do you want to lose 10 lbs; then I think, why haven't you done it in the past?  Most goals are not new goals, they are unattained old goals.

Once we can talk about the 2nd level of why you want this, we need to get to the bottom of what's stopping you and this is the part that everyone is usually really good at; all the excuses.  Let's use the 10 lbs example and take a look at some common responses.

Why do you want to lose 10 lbs?  "Because I want to look better."
Why do you want to look better?  (seems like an obvious question, but its not) "Because I want to feel good about myself."


No think about what's being said here.  If I lose 10lbs I'll feel better about myself.  Seems like we found the motivation, but let's dig one level deeper to really get the good stuff.


Why do you believe that losing 10lbs will make you feel better about yourself?  "Because I will have control."


Ah-ha!  So it's not really about losing the weight is it, of which we have no idea what the test for that is?  No, it's about power over self and control.


So what's really happening in this person's mind, is if they lose 10lbs they will feel powerful.  Now that is the real motivation.  Next step, "how long has this been a goal?  What's stopping you from having it?" 

"Every new year's resolution for the past 10 years."

"OK."  "So for 10 years, you've been trying to lose 10 lbs?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing to reach your goal, what's been your strategy to get there?"

To paraphrase here, "set the goal and hope."

"OK.  How's that working for you? (I know that it's not working; for 10 years it hasn't worked!)  So what are you going to do different this time?"   

"Try harder."

"Let's take a step back and look at this again.  What are you trying to get here?"

"Lose 10 lbs."

"Really?  Because a min. ago you said that you want to lose the 10 lbs to feel more attractive so you can feel powerful.  So you don't want to lose 10lbs you want to feel more powerful, right?"  (We could dig deeper here, but then this really turns into a counseling session.  Why does this person feel powerless?  What else is going on in their life to make them feel powerless?  Why do they tie weight loss to power?)  In my experience, I would be guessing though, this person has been emotionally or physically abused at some point in their life.  They were told that value and self worth come from how they look and they were repeatedly told they are fat, ugly and worthless.   

"Right."

"So based on what you said, losing 10lbs would show you that you have power over your life, right?"

"Yes."

"So what's stopping you?"

"Well, I like to drink, and I smoke when I drink, to fit in with my friends."

"Oh.  So let me see if I have this right.  You want to lose 10lbs to feel more powerful, but you want to fit in with your friends so you eat garbage, drink and smoke, is that right?"  Just let them marinate in that for a bit.  This is where most people find me offensive.  Internal conflict is painful to resolve.  It requires humility and strength.  Not an easy combo.

After a minute or two of though.

"Well, they are my friends though."

I don't even know what that means at this point.  I wasn't part of the internal dialogue that came to this statement, but I do know this; the ego (for lack of a better term) fights tooth and nail to protect what is old and familiar.  Including these friends that represent what might be feelings of inclusion, familiarity and acceptance and yet the are exactly what is holding this person in their prison.  What is being presented is change, excluding the old and familiar.  To stand alone, to exert power, of which they don't believe they deserve (my guess).  One of my favorite quotes: "the greatest con that [the ego] ever pulled was making you believe that he is you."  That voice has been there so long, telling you what you should do, in your own voice, you mistakenly think it's actually you!  Those things that were said to you in passing by a parent or friend become so ingrained in you that after awhile, you think it's you.  

"So based on what you're saying then, being accepted by your friends is more important than feeling powerful?"  See the circle we going on here?

This person's quest remains unresolved because of a reluctance to deal with the heart of the issue.  My solution would be to find new friends that support your goals and lifestyle you want to live, seek some counseling from a profession about the unresolved feelings of a lack of self-worth.  Until then, you will live in a prison of your own building.

At the end of the day, if you want change, if you're tired of the results you have in your life, here's 10 steps to get there.  They are not easy and they hurt.  Do you deserve the life you want?  Simple question, not easy.   

1. What do you want?  What exactly do you want?  Why do you want it?  Why do you want that?  Why do you want that?  Dig in at least 3 deep.  
2. What's stopping you from having it?  What you do think of people who already have it?  Want a lifted Chevy truck but think people who drive lifted chevy's are d-bags?  Gonna be tough to do what needs to be done then.  What to be shredded and abs pop though but think they are self-centered egotistical gym rats?  Not very motivating to when you equate the two.  
3. What are you willing to give up to get it?  Friends?  Do you really want this?  It's OK to change your mind at this point, just be honest.   
4. What are you not willing to give up to get it?  Alcohol?  
5. What are you willing to now do, that you didn't do before to get it?
6. Why do you want it again?
7. Scale of 0-10, 10 being 100% possible, do you believe the goal is even possible?
8. Scale of 0-10, 10 being 100% capable, do you believe you are capable of reaching the goal?  Do you have the resources you need? 
9. The whooper, scale of 0-10, 10 being 100% worthy, do you truly believe you deserve to have it?  If you have been told all your life that you don't deserve it, how are you going to prevent your usual self-sabotage? 
10.  How do you know when you have it?  What will you see, smell, taste, hear, feel?  Who will be there with you, where will it be, what's the weather like, the sounds, the smells.  Make this REAL.  

Until these things are identified, you will NOT reach your goal, ever.  No matter what movie you saw that makes you think different, it's not going to happen unless you do some serious work to get there.  Movies have a tendency to show us that in life, luck will prevail, but in reality only hard work prevails, only the wise strategy.

50 Ways to Untwist Your Thinking

50 Ways to Untwist Your Thinking

By David Burns

Basic Techniques

   1. Empathy

            When you're upset, you need someone to listen and see the world through your eyes without trying to cheer you up, change you, help you, or give you advice. Although this usually won’t cure you, it’s often a necessary first step. It can be a tremendous relief to feel that someone's listening.

Similarly, you can empathize when you’re trying to help a friend or family member who feels upset. Usually, all they really want is for you to be a good listener.

   2. Agenda Setting

            Agenda Setting is the most basic and important technique of all. First, try to define a specific problem you want help with. It must be specific as to person, place, and time. Ask yourself, "What is the specific problem I want help with? What time of day did it happen? Where was I? Who was I interacting with? What was going on?"

Second, ask yourself if you’re motivated and willing to roll up your sleeves and work on it now, rather than just talking about it endlessly. Ask yourself, "What would it be worth to me to solve this problem? How hard would I be willing to work on the solution?"

   3. Identify the Distortions

            Use the Checklist of Cognitive Distortions to identify the distortions in each of your Negative Thoughts.

   4. Straightforward Technique

            You try to substitute a more positive and realistic thought for each of your Negative Thoughts. Ask yourself, "Is this Negative Thought really true? Do I really believe it? Is there another way to look at the situation?"

Compassion-Based Techniques

   5. Double Standard Technique

            Instead of putting yourself down, you talk to yourself in the same compassionate way you might talk to a dear friend who was upset. Ask yourself, "Would I say such harsh things to a friend with a similar problem? If not, why not? What would I say to him or her?"

Truth-Based Techniques

   6. Examine the Evidence

            Instead of assuming that your Negative Thought is true, you examine the evidence for it. Ask yourself, "What are the facts? What do they show?"

   7. Experimental Technique

            You do an experiment to test the validity of your Negative Thought, in much the same way that a scientist would test a theory. Ask yourself, "How could I test this Negative Thought to find out if it's really valid?"

   8. Survey Method

            You do a survey to find out if your thoughts are realistic. Ask yourself, "How do other people think and feel about this? Could I ask some friends about this to get some feedback?" For example, if you believe that social anxiety is rare or shameful, simply ask several friends if they’ve ever felt that way.

   9. Reattribution

            Instead of blaming yourself entirely for a problem, you can think about the many factors that contributed to it. You can also focus on solving the problem instead of blaming yourself for it. Ask yourself, "What caused this problem? What did I contribute and what did others contribute? What can I learn from the situation?"

Logic-Based Techniques

  10. Socratic Method

            Ask yourself several questions that will lead to the inconsistencies in your Negative Thoughts. For example, you might ask yourself, "When I say that I'm a 'failure at life,' do I mean that I fail at some things some of the time, or all things all of the time?"

If you say, "some things some of the time," you can point out that this is true of all human beings. If you say, "all things all of the time," you can point out that this isn't true of anyone, since no one fails at everything.

  11. Thinking in Shades of Gray

            Instead of thinking about your problems in black-and-white categories, you evaluate them in shades of gray. When things don't work out as well as you'd hoped, you can think of the experience as a partial success or a learning opportunity. Pinpoint your specific errors instead of writing yourself off as a total failure.

  12. Process Vs. Outcome

            You evaluate your performance based on the process--the effort you put in--rather than the outcome. Your efforts are within your control, but the outcome is not.

Semantic Techniques

  13. Semantic Method

            Substitute language that is less colorful and emotionally loaded. Instead of thinking, "I shouldn’t have made that mistake," you can tell yourself, "It would be preferable if I hadn't made that mistake." This method is especially helpful for should statements and labeling.

  14. Let's Define Terms

            When you label yourself as "inferior" or "a fool" or "a loser," ask yourself what those labels mean. You'll see that there's no such thing as a "fool" or a "loser." Foolish behavior exists, but fools and losers do not.

Ask yourself, "What's the definition of 'an inferior human being' or 'a loser'? What is my definition of someone who is hopeless? When I say I'm hopeless, what claim am I making?"

  15. Be Specific

            Stick with reality and avoid judgments about reality. For example, instead of thinking of yourself as totally defective, you can focus on your specific strengths and weaknesses.

Quantitative Techniques

  16. Self-Monitoring

            Keep track of repetitious Negative Thoughts or anxiety-producing fantasies by counting them. You can count your thoughts in a couple of different ways. You can keep a 3x5 card in your wallet or pocket. Each time you have a Negative Thought, put a tick mark on the card. Alternatively, you can use a wrist-counter like the ones golfers wear to keep track of their scores. At the end of the day, record the total on your calendar. Usually, the upsetting thoughts will diminish and disappear after about three weeks of Self-Monitoring.

  17. Negative Practice

            Schedule several minutes each day to worry or beat up on yourself mentally. For example, if you constantly beat up on yourself because of your shortcomings, you can schedule several five-minute periods each day to berate yourself and feel miserable. At those times, you can be as self-critical as you want and rip yourself to shreds with gusto. You can use the rest of the time for joyous, productive living.

Philosophical / Spiritual Techniques

  18. Acceptance Paradox

            Instead of defending yourself against your own criticisms, you can find truth in them and accept your shortcomings with tranquility. Tell yourself, "It's true that I have many inadequacies. In fact, there is very little, if anything, about me that couldn't be improved considerably."

Role-Playing Techniques

  19. Externalization of Voices

            This Role-Playing technique requires two people and transforms intellectual understanding into emotional change at the gut level. It is by far the most powerful of all cognitive therapy techniques, but it can be quite challenging and even a bit upsetting at first.

You and the other person take turns playing the role of your Negative Thoughts and the role of your Positive Thoughts. The person playing the Negative Thoughts attacks, and the person playing the Positive Thoughts defends. Use role-reversals when you get stuck.

  20. Feared Fantasy Technique

            Like the Externalization of Voices, this is a two-person technique. You and the other person act out your worst fears, such as being rejected because you aren’t smart enough or good enough. When you face your worst fear, you often gain liberation from it.

Your worst fears usually don't turn out to be real monsters, but figments of your imagination that can be defeated with a little logic, compassion, and common sense.

      Other Role-Playing Methods

            Many techniques are more effective when used in a role-playing format. These include: the Double Standard Technique, the Devil's Advocate, the Acceptance Paradox, the Five Secrets of Effective Communication, the David Letterman Technique, and Flirting Training. Of course, you will need the help of another person, such as your therapist or a friend.

Humorous Techniques

  21. Paradoxical Magnification

            Instead of refuting your Negative Thoughts, you can buy into them and exaggerate them. Don't try to argue with your NTs. Instead, make them as extreme as possible. For example, if you feel inferior, you could tell yourself, “Yes, it’s true. In fact, I’m probably the most inferior person in California at this time.” Paradoxically, this humorous method can sometimes provide objectivity and relief. Of course, if you’re really feeling upset, this may have the unintended effect of making you feel even worse. If so, go on to another method.

  22. Shame-Attacking Exercises

            If you suffer from shyness, you probably have intense fears of looking foolish in front of other people. Shame-Attacking Exercises are a specific and potent antidote to these kinds of fears. You intentionally do something foolish in public. For example, you could stand up and loudly announce each stop on a bus or shout out the time in a crowded department store.

When you make a fool of yourself on purpose, you realize that the world doesn't really come to an end, and that people don’t really look down on you. This discovery can be tremendously liberating.

Visual Imaging Techniques

  23. Cognitive Flooding

            Visualize one of your worst fears, such as feeling trapped and going crazy while riding on a train. Try to endure the anxiety for as long as you can. If you become panicky, tell yourself, "Don't fight it!" Instead, try to make it even worse. Eventually, your anxiety will burn itself out, because your body simply cannot create anxiety indefinitely.

You can use Cognitive Flooding when you can’t expose yourself to the thing you fear. For example, if you have a fear of flying, you can't expose yourself to an actual airplane crash in order to overcome your anxiety! However, you can confront this fear in your mind’s eye using Cognitive Flooding.

  24. Image Substitution

            Substitute a more positive or peaceful image for a frightening one. For example, during an airplane flight, you can fantasize landing safely or relaxing on a beach instead of picturing the plane crashing in flames.

  25. Memory

      Rescripting

            If you've been a victim of sexual or physical abuse, you may experience flashbacks and vivid memories of the traumatic episode. These mental pictures can be likened to an internal movie that accompanies the negative, self-blaming thoughts. You can edit these images in much the same way that you can change your Negative Thoughts.

Editing the painful images creates a sense of mastery and helps you overcome the feelings of helplessness that result from being a victim. Exposure to the painful memories desensitizes you so that the traumatic event loses its power to upset and intimidate you.

Uncovering Techniques

  26. Hidden Emotion Technique

            This technique is based on the idea that when you're anxious, you may be avoiding a personal problem that you don't want to face. Bringing this problem to conscious awareness and expressing your feelings will often eliminate your anxiety.

Ask yourself, "Am I focusing on my anxiety to avoid dealing with something upsetting? What's the real problem that's bothering me? Do I secretly resent my spouse or my job? Am I unhappy about being in school? How do I really feel?"

  27. Individual Downward Arrow

            This technique will help you pinpoint the Self-Defeating Beliefs that make you vulnerable to depression and anxiety. For example, you may be a perfectionist and base your self-esteem entirely on your accomplishments.

To use this technique, draw a downward arrow under a Negative Thought and ask yourself, "Why would it be upsetting to me if this thought were true? What would it mean to me?” A new Negative Thought will come to mind. Write it down under the arrow and repeat the process several times. The NTs you generate will lead to the underlying beliefs at the core of your suffering.

  28. Interpersonal Downward Arrow

            This technique will help you pinpoint Self-Defeating Beliefs about intimate relationships. For example, you may believe that you always have to please other people, even at the expense of your own needs and feelings.

To use this technique, draw a downward arrow under a Negative Thought and ask yourself, "If that were true, what would it tell me about the type of person s/he is, the type of person I am, or the type of relationship we have?" A new Negative Thought will come to mind. Write it down under the arrow and repeat the process several times. The additional thoughts you generate will help you uncover the beliefs that lead to problems in your relationships with other people.

  29. What-If Technique

            This technique is similar to the Downward Arrow Technique, but it's geared specifically to anxiety. Draw a downward arrow under a Negative Thought and ask yourself, "What if that were true? What's the worst that could happen? What do I fear the most?"

A new Negative Thought or fantasy will come to mind. Write it down under the arrow and repeat the process several times. You will generate additional thoughts until you uncover the fantasy that frightens you the most. Then you can ask yourself, "How likely is it that this would happen? And could I live with it if it did?"

Anti-Procrastination Techniques

  30. Daily Activity Schedule

            When you're depressed, everything seems overwhelming, and nothing seems worth doing, so you may give up on life. The Daily Activity Schedule can help you overcome do-nothingism. Record what you do each hour from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed at night. Rate how satisfying each activity was on a scale from 0 (not at all satisfying) to 5 (the most satisfying). A review of the schedule will show you which activities boost your mood the most.

  31. Pleasure Predicting Sheet

            Schedule a series of activities with the potential for pleasure, learning, or personal growth. Indicate whom you plan to do each activity with. Include activities you can do by yourself (such as jogging) as well as activities with other people.

Predict how satisfying each activity will be on a scale from 0% (the least) to 100% (the most). After you complete each activity, record how satisfying it actually turned out to be on the same scale. Now compare your actual satisfaction ratings with your predictions. Many depressed people find that lots of activities turn out to be more rewarding than they predicted. This discovery can boost your motivation.

You can also compare the satisfaction you get from being alone with the satisfaction you feel from being with other people. This can help you test Self-Defeating Beliefs such as, "If I'm alone, I'm bound to feel miserable."

  32. Little Steps for Big Feats

            If you have trouble with procrastination, you can break large, overwhelming tasks down into small steps that you can tackle one at a time. If you tell yourself you have to clean the entire garage today, you'll never get started. Instead, break it down into small steps. Tell yourself you only have to carry two cardboard boxes out to the trash. That will feel far less overwhelming and you may end up doing a great deal more than you planned.

  33. Anti-Procrastination Sheet

            This is similar to Little Steps for Big Feats but it’s more sophisticated. Break a large task down into small steps and predict how difficult and how satisfying each step will be on a scale from 0% to 100%. Record these predictions on the Anti-Procrastination Sheet.

After completing each small step, record how difficult and satisfying it turned out to be on a scale from 0% to 100%. Now compare your predictions with the outcome. Many people discover that each small step is far easier and much more rewarding than they expected.

Anti-Resistance Techniques

  34. Straightforward Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)

            List the advantages and disadvantages of a Negative Thought (“I’m such a loser”) or Self-Defeating Belief (“I should be perfect”). You can also do a CBA for a negative feeling (like anger, guilt, inferiority or anxiety), a habit (such as drinking, using drugs, overeating or procrastinating) or a relationship problem (such as blaming your spouse for your marital problems).

In each case, ask yourself, "What are the advantages and disadvantages of this belief, feeling or habit? How will it help me, and how will it hurt me?" After you list all the advantages and disadvantages, balance them against each other on a 100-point scale so you can see whether the costs or the benefits or your mind-set are greater.

  35. Paradoxical Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)

            List only the advantages of a negative thought, belief, feeling, addiction, or relationship problem. The list will make you aware of all the powerful forces that keep you stuck.

Ask yourself, "Given all the advantages of this thought (or attitude or behavior), why should I change?"

  36. Devil's Advocate Technique

            This is a Role-Playing Technique. Another person plays the role of the Devil who tempts you to drink, overeat, procrastinate, or date the wrong person. You talk back to those thoughts in real time. Role-reversals can be helpful when you get stuck.

For example, if you are overweight, imagine being in a mall where fast food is sold. The Devil might say, "Gee, why don't you get one of those hot, buttery cinnamon buns? They just came out of the oven. They'd taste so good. You deserve it!"

You would fight back and say, “I don’t need a cinnamon bun, and I’ll feel terrible if I give in. I’m determined to stick with my diet, and I’m looking forward to fitting into more attractive clothes.” The Devil can try to break you down again, and you will fight back.

This method is surprisingly challenging, especially if the Devil is familiar with your own rationalizations and expresses them in a seductive and persuasive manner.

  37. Stimulus Control

            If you're trying to break a bad habit, such as alcoholism or overeating, you can reduce temptation rather than struggling with it. For example, if you drink too much, don’t go to places where alcohol is served, and get rid of all the alcoholic beverages in your house. Stimulus Control is not a complete treatment, but an important part of a more comprehensive program.

Other Motivational Techniques

  38. The Decision-Making Form

            If you're having trouble making up your mind about something, you can use the Decision-Making Form. This form will show why you're getting hung up and will help you finalize your decision.

The purpose of the Decision-Making Form is not to tell you what to do, but to show you what the real issues are and how you feel about them.

Exposure Techniques for Anxiety

  39. Gradual Exposure and Flooding

            Gradual Exposure and Flooding are both forms of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. When you use Gradual Exposure, you expose yourself to the thing you fear in small steps so that it won't be quite so terrifying. In contrast, when you use Flooding, you expose yourself to the thing you fear all at once. For example, if you have an elevator phobia, force yourself to get on an elevator and stay there, no matter how anxious you feel, until your fear disappears.

Gradual Exposure is less traumatic, but it takes longer. Flooding is much more frightening, but it works more rapidly. Both approaches have been used successfully in the treatment of nearly all forms of anxiety.

  40. Response Prevention

            Response Prevention is an important key to the treatment of all forms of anxiety. It’s often combined with Exposure. For example, let's say you have a powerful urge to check the mailbox over and over after you drop a letter in. Using Response Prevention, you would drop a letter in the mailbox and walk away without checking it as you usually do. Your anxiety will temporarily get worse, and you’ll feel compelled to check it. But if you refuse to give in to the urge to check the mailbox, your anxiety will eventually disappear.

  41. Distraction

            If you feel anxious, you can distract yourself from your upsetting thoughts. For example, if you’re feeling anxious during an airplane flight, you can distract yourself from the frightening thoughts by concentrating on something else. For example, you could do a crossword puzzle or engage the passenger next to you in conversation. You can combine Distraction with Self-Monitoring and exposure therapy.

Interpersonal Techniques for Relationship Problems

  42. Relationship Cost-Benefit Analysis

            List the advantages and disadvantages of blaming the other person for a relationship problem. For example, if you blame the other person, you can feel self-righteous and morally superior. You won’t have to change or examine your own role in the problem. You’ll feel like truth is on your side, and you can get back at the other person without having to feel guilty.

There are also a number of disadvantages. For example, you won’t be able to resolve the problem or get close to the person you’re mad at. The conflict will go on and on and you’ll feel frustrated all the time.

Once you’ve listed all the advantages and disadvantages, balance them against each other on a 100-point scale. This will help you decide whether you want to maintain this mind-set.

  43. Revise Your Communication Style

            You can use the Revise Your Communication Style form to improve your relationships with family members, friends and colleagues. There are five steps. First, write down one thing the other person said to you. Second, write down what you said next. Third, use the "Good Vs. Bad Communication Checklist" or the "Bad Communication Checklist" to identify your communication errors. Fourth, ask yourself what the consequences of your response will be. Finally, use the "Five Secrets of Effective Communication" to generate a more effective response.

  44. Five Secrets of Effective Communication

            The Five Secrets can help you resolve virtually any relationship problem quickly. The acronym, EAR, will help you remember them. The E stands for Empathy and includes three listening skills: the Disarming Technique, Thought and Feeling Empathy, and Inquiry. The A stands for Assertiveness, using "I Feel" Statements. The R stands for Respect (Stroking). These techniques require considerable practice and will backfire if not done skillfully.

  45. One-Minute Drill

            This technique practically ensures nearly perfect communication. It breaks the pattern of accusation and self-defense, and shifts the dialogue to the level of emotion and intimacy.

You and your partner take turns playing the roles of Talker and Listener. The Talker spends 30 seconds expressing his or her feelings about a relationship problem. The Listener paraphrases what the Talker said as accurately as possible. The Talker rates the Listener's accuracy from 0% to 100%. Once the Listener receives a 95% or better rating, you can do a role-reversal.

Interpersonal Techniques for Shyness and Loneliness

  46. Smile and Hello Practice

            If you are shy, you can smile and say hello to 10 strangers per day. Use a 3x5 card to record how many people respond positively, neutrally, or negatively. You’ll often discover that people are much friendlier than you expected—unless you happen to live in Manhattan. I’ve tried this in Manhattan and everyone ignored me! Of course, even that can be helpful, because you quickly get over your fears of rejection.

  47. David Letterman Technique

            You learn how to make casual conversation using the Five Secrets of Effective Communication. The idea is to focus on the other person in a friendly way. Get them to open up, rather than feeling like you have to impress them by talking about yourself. These are the same skills used by successful talk-show hosts like David Letterman. They appear charming and relaxed because they always keep the spotlight on the other person.

  48. Self-Disclosure

            Instead of shamefully hiding your feelings of shyness or nervousness in a social situation, you disclose them openly. This technique requires a good sense of self-esteem to be effective.

  49. Flirting Training

            You learn to flirt in a light-hearted way, rather than interacting with others in an overly serious, heavy manner.

  50. Rejection Practice and Rejection Feared Fantasy

            If you're shy and afraid of rejection, you can accumulate as many rejections as possible in order to learn that the world doesn’t come to an end. For example, when he was young, Dr. Albert Ellis, a noted New York psychologist, asked 200 women for a date during a two-week period. All but one turned him down, and she failed to show up! Although he didn't get a date, he did conquer his fears of rejection and ultimately developed a robust social life, to say the least!

You can combine this technique with the Rejection Feared Fantasy. You need a partner if you want to try this technique. Your partner will play the most rejecting, hostile person you can imagine. She or he will be far worse than any real human being would ever be, and is really just the projection of your own fears. When you confront this fantasy figure, you will discover that you had nothing to be afraid of in the first place.