Rock Body Challenge

Lately, I’ve been visiting with a friend on some tips for lowering his cholesterol. He wants to take a swing at seeing how much he can bring down his number (which is astronomically high) without getting on any drugs. I told him that the first thing he needed to do was listen to his doctor and make sure he was taking his/her advice, and if he didn’t like it to get another opinion but to only take what I say with a grain of salt (or, let’s make pepper instead).

My first TRAINING advice was heavy lifting. He’s got some extra bodyfat he needs to get rid of and lifting weights is the fastest way to transform one’s body (apart from proper dieting). When people’s bodyfat goes down often their cholesterol does too…so he’s lifting heavy 3 days per week. Check.

Next, I told him to avoid long, drawn out bouts of “cardio” and instead, take the dog for some brisk walks every day (20-40 minutes, 5+ days/week) and on his non lifting days to hit some Super High Intensity Training (aka: SHI Training 😉 ) in the form of bodyweight exercises (martial arts moves, burpiees, bear crawls, sprints, jumping jacks, agility drills, plyometrics and other movements that are just plain hard!). He’s doing that 2-3 days per week (more is not better here). Check.

I told him that these workouts could take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes (40 tops) and that “how long” was not as important as “how hard”…that he should be pushing himself to the limit but keeping them short and sweet so he can get on with the rest of his life and give time to recover as well. I think he’s figuring this out slowly but surely. Check.

Finally, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, were big changes in his diet. He had some major areas to improve in here and sense his numbers were so high he is VERY motivated. I really kicked his butt when it came to the stuff he’s stuffing his face with and I think he’s slowly getting his mind wrapped around his new (and mandatory) way of eating.

I’ll share with you the tips on how I’m getting him to eat in tomorrows post. Until then, let me know how you TRAIN to keep your cholesterol numbers in check! (Don’t worry, you can share with me your nutrition tips TOMORROW!)

Train Hard,
Darin

Watching the rodeo this past weekend I was moved at the humbleness of most the cowboys.

No matter if they just had the best ropin’ and ridin’ of the whole night or just got bucked off the bull in the first second, you couldn’t tell from their body language whether they had won or lost. It wasn’t a showboat attitude or an attitude of defeat. (Can you imagine if pro football was like that). They simply walked off the dirt, occasionally stopping very briefly to tip their hat at the crowd, or point up to the Heavens as if thanking God for blessing them with another safe ride.

Also, I felt that each and every one of them ‘er cowboys gave a level 10 effort…even when it was apparent that there was no way they were going to beat a certain time (like in calf tie up event, whatever it’s called). It was as if they just didn’t care what the final score was. What mattered to them (at least in my eyes) was that they were doing what they loved and they did it with everything they had.

The event inspired me somehow…even today, I’m inspired today to give it a level 10. That does NOT mean perfection. I just want to focus on the things that matter most today: God, wife, kids, teaching martial arts, connecting with some friends, working out, and eating in a way that empowers me…I want to be my best for God and my family today because I love them. I want God to be glorified somehow in my life today. I want my wife to know I love her. I want my kids to feel pursued and desired by me because of my actions and attitude toward them.

Anyone wanna join in? …you know, in giving a level 10 today. I’ll figure out tomorrow when I get there as today has enough to worry about in itself. I want to get to the end of the day and be able to point upward and say “thanks” to God who watches after me. I want to tip my hat (so to speak) at my wife and kids and give them a little grin knowing I did my best for them…cause I love ’em, like a cowboy loves his rodeo.

Thanks for reading,
Darin

“Yo’ Adrian, I did it”

Rocky Balboa hollered these words as he stood victoriously in the ring awaiting the embrace of his girlfriend (soon to be wife) in Rocky I.

…actually, he didn’t even win the decision (on the judges scorecard) in the 15 round grueling match up against the current champ, Apollo Creed, but he did make it the entire 15 rounds and that was his goal!

(Did you even know he didn’t “win” that fight? Probably not, because we were all so excited to see him make it the distance with the champ, it was an emotional charge! In our eyes, and his own, he did “WIN”).

He won because he finished. He did something he’d never done before and had the HEART OF A CHAMPION. He was committed to going the distance.

(If you can carve out a few minutes, watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywuse55qU2A…the story of Sylvestor Stallone is even more inspiring than the ROCKY movie itself…I LOVE this! …and hearing Tony Robbins tell it is even better.)

Right now, I want you to commit to going the distance. That does NOT mean perfection by any means. Rocky got hit…a bunch!…but he never quit, and when he got knocked down, he got back up. (As did Sylvestor in the youtube video story above…you gotta check it out).

And when you’ve fallen so hard it seems too hard to get back up, remember “your” Adrian…that someone special that just thinking of them gives you an extra ‘umph to your day and your focus.

You are worth it. Your loved ones are worth it too. Make today an awesome day. Make decisions that help you and them.

To Becoming ROCK SOLID,
Darin