This is a subject I can say I have an opinion on, which sums up the reason I started this blog: to get across the things I've encountered so far in an area it's hard to deny is littered with bullshit and clever marketing by even cleverer marketing departments.
The reason I began changing my health was to better my life and shed the hideous amount of body fat I had. But, at the time, I saw the problem as being my 'weight'; my assumption was that if I drastically lost the weight, the body fat would drop also.
This is essentially a half-truth; whatever the means, losing weight will inevitably reduce body fat, but this is very much a contextual solution. I've never been slim, and I've certainly never been slight, but weighing in at 17 stone at 15 was a worry. At that size it's hard to define your build, so all you want to do is get rid of the fat slob in the mirror.
It pays to know that body fat essentially doesn’t way that much; doctors tend to advise men to have around 18% or less body fat, and women around 23% or less, though these parameters are not finite. There is a significant grey area, so to have say 5 or 7% more is not really a problem.
Throughout the ever changing history of fitness culture, it has generally been women and girls who have been aware of their weight, and as much of a cliché it may sound, the addition of weight to a slighter frame is enough to play on anyone's mind.
With guys it tends to be the other way round: men tend to have larger frames, are broader and thus carry more weight. We seem to see the reduction of body fat as more essential than weight loss.
My loss of weight was a dramatic one - I went from 17 stone to 12 in a very short amount of time - around three months - and this was from not eating much and walking a lot to school and around where I lived at the time. After that I ended up putting some of the weight back on, but soon got into using a gym and after three years, here I am.
The loss of body weight is a tentative issue - I would never pass on advice that directly prescribes immediate and dangerous weight loss, as I feel that anyone, guy or girl, can exercise enough to strip away body fat. If you base you're exercises solely on weight loss you run the risk of losing sight of a safe route, and no ones health is worth that risk. Someone may have a large build, have thicker set bones or simply be taller; all of these affect your weight.
So which one is more beneficial? In my opinion, focusing on stripping away body fat will help improve your health, your appearance, your self confidence and to some extent your body weight too.
The only advice I would ever use here is the same you would read anywhere else: to reduce body fat exercise to a greater extent that how much you eat, you’re body will burn the fat down to fuel the physical activity.
Keep the peace,
D R-Lincoln
Monday 10 December 2007
Poor Form: What's the Big Deal?
Over the years, since I began using a gym (which is about three years now - god, it feels alot longer) I've heard a lot about good and bad 'form'. Now, I'm the kind of gym-user who trains better alone - and I've trained in plenty of groups so far - so I tended to pick up new exercises and workouts from watching others, training with more experienced people, and through good old trial and error. And I still sometimes find myself half-way through a badly executed exercise, with the wrong muscle twinging, and a fairly embarrassed feeling flooding through me. However, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so it helps me to make sure most of the time I'm performing a rep 'correctly' - and with such a busy lifestyle, I don't feel you need to spend three hours at the gym to feel satisfied - if I can work a muscle just as well in a single good rep than I can in three bad ones, then it's the best of both worlds.
But 'bad form' can be incredibly dangerous - I've read about and discussed plenty of cases where people have been injured (sometimes fatally) from trying to perform a maneuver incorrectly. We tend to forget we're lifting incredibly heavy weights, with our own brute strength the only thing stopping them from crushing us; what happens when you go one weight too high or find your control slipping?
As dramatic as that sounds, it can all be avoided. Gyms are generally fairly safe places all round, and if you keep in mind the following advice, you shouldn't have many problems:
The Right Weight: Make sure you are using a weight you know you can deal with - if you're increasing the weight try to do so in increments of no higher than 1.25 - 2.5kgs.
Take it Slow: Just take you're time, the speed at which you perform a rep does NOT affect the end result.
Use a Mirror: You may well hate seeing your reflection, but using a mirror can ensure your arms are twisting, lifting and holding in the correct way.
Know When to Stop: If it hurts a little, then it's just your muscles straining - if it hurts a lot then stop; simple as that.
Ask! Don't be afraid to ask someone that works at the gym you use - it may be embarrassing, but you will be getting professional advice. Trust me, it will do you wonders.
Hope this helps guys,
Keep the peace,
D R-Lincoln
But 'bad form' can be incredibly dangerous - I've read about and discussed plenty of cases where people have been injured (sometimes fatally) from trying to perform a maneuver incorrectly. We tend to forget we're lifting incredibly heavy weights, with our own brute strength the only thing stopping them from crushing us; what happens when you go one weight too high or find your control slipping?
As dramatic as that sounds, it can all be avoided. Gyms are generally fairly safe places all round, and if you keep in mind the following advice, you shouldn't have many problems:
The Right Weight: Make sure you are using a weight you know you can deal with - if you're increasing the weight try to do so in increments of no higher than 1.25 - 2.5kgs.
Take it Slow: Just take you're time, the speed at which you perform a rep does NOT affect the end result.
Use a Mirror: You may well hate seeing your reflection, but using a mirror can ensure your arms are twisting, lifting and holding in the correct way.
Know When to Stop: If it hurts a little, then it's just your muscles straining - if it hurts a lot then stop; simple as that.
Ask! Don't be afraid to ask someone that works at the gym you use - it may be embarrassing, but you will be getting professional advice. Trust me, it will do you wonders.
Hope this helps guys,
Keep the peace,
D R-Lincoln
Protein Supplements: Are They Really So Important?
Protein supplements or dietary supplements have become synonymous with weight training, and vice versa, and are widely viewed as a means of supporting muscle growth.
As a simple statement this is very much a fact; protein supplements DO help your muscles recover from resistance training, but alot of vague and misleading views and ideas still surround their use. Of course, this is a blog, it's a means of expressing MY views on this matter, and I would hope that the ideas tackled and discussed are simply a way of raising the issue, not viewed as the 'definitive answer'. BUT, as hard as it is to truly discuss protein supplements, I feel it's time to take the matter head on in a way I feel it just hasn't been covered yet...
Do athletes and young gym users really need protein supplements?
I beleive that protein supplements are used too much, especially by my peers. At 21, I am heading into the prime of my life and my health has never been as stable as it is right now. I regularly train at my local gym, here in the UK, around four times a week, and I run regularly to gain all my cardio - and as a result I use supplements very much contextually to my performance. If I've had a long workout session and don't have enough substantial protein available from other means (such as eggs or chicken for instance) I will take a protein shake to cover the minimum needed to let my muscles recover and develop.
The problem surrounding these products is that simply taking a protein shake or a pill-based supplement will grant you the body of an adonis and everyone will fight to the death to be your friend. No sales-respecting protein supplement company would promote their product with someone who doesnt have over-sized arms and bulging pecs - because the idea of a muscular body is an incredibly attractive one in a social climate that dictates that everyone is going to choke to death on a Big Mac as a 25-stone 30 year-old.
Most personal trainers and sports nutritionists would say that eating six to seven smaller meals a day is much better for you, simply because your constantly providing your body with enough energy and substance to keep you going, whilst at the same time sating the mental contagion of hunger. But keeping to this dietary routine can be hell for a young person, as you are either working regualrly or are studying/working together. In a world ruled by the almighty dolllar, one of these two lifestyle choices is held by most young people, which makes keeping to six or seven small meals a problem; it's simply finding the time to keep the process going.
And so a young person, frustrated by body fat, exhaustion and general discomfort with their self-image sees another ripped gym user swigging a protein shake and thinks "Hey, that could be the answer!". I've been there myself, many times; these products are fueled by a self-sustaining ideology that feeds off image and health hang-ups.
I've never pretended to be a guru on this kind of issue, like most people, my views are based on what I hear and on what I've experienced, and thankfully, I can say I had the foresight to look into supplements before I started using them. But if you havn't then don't feel too bad, most people don't.
The best advice that anyone can offer you at this stage - and this is advice, not sacrosanct law - is that you can get all the protein you need from natural sources like poultry, some fish, milk, and eggs, as well as many others. You can put together a healthy intake of food (I tend to avoid the word 'diet', as it has too many negative connotations) on a fairly reasonable budget, contrary to popular beleif. You don't need protein supplements - no one needs them - but they can help if used as part of an intake an suited to your metabolism as well as a workout program that is tough enough to require a little extra fuel to rebuild your muscles.
Check this blog out for an insightful take on this and other sports nutrition topics: http://msvusportsnutrition.blogspot.com
Any questions, comment or criticisms are always welcome in this environment.
D R-Lincoln
As a simple statement this is very much a fact; protein supplements DO help your muscles recover from resistance training, but alot of vague and misleading views and ideas still surround their use. Of course, this is a blog, it's a means of expressing MY views on this matter, and I would hope that the ideas tackled and discussed are simply a way of raising the issue, not viewed as the 'definitive answer'. BUT, as hard as it is to truly discuss protein supplements, I feel it's time to take the matter head on in a way I feel it just hasn't been covered yet...
Do athletes and young gym users really need protein supplements?
I beleive that protein supplements are used too much, especially by my peers. At 21, I am heading into the prime of my life and my health has never been as stable as it is right now. I regularly train at my local gym, here in the UK, around four times a week, and I run regularly to gain all my cardio - and as a result I use supplements very much contextually to my performance. If I've had a long workout session and don't have enough substantial protein available from other means (such as eggs or chicken for instance) I will take a protein shake to cover the minimum needed to let my muscles recover and develop.
The problem surrounding these products is that simply taking a protein shake or a pill-based supplement will grant you the body of an adonis and everyone will fight to the death to be your friend. No sales-respecting protein supplement company would promote their product with someone who doesnt have over-sized arms and bulging pecs - because the idea of a muscular body is an incredibly attractive one in a social climate that dictates that everyone is going to choke to death on a Big Mac as a 25-stone 30 year-old.
Most personal trainers and sports nutritionists would say that eating six to seven smaller meals a day is much better for you, simply because your constantly providing your body with enough energy and substance to keep you going, whilst at the same time sating the mental contagion of hunger. But keeping to this dietary routine can be hell for a young person, as you are either working regualrly or are studying/working together. In a world ruled by the almighty dolllar, one of these two lifestyle choices is held by most young people, which makes keeping to six or seven small meals a problem; it's simply finding the time to keep the process going.
And so a young person, frustrated by body fat, exhaustion and general discomfort with their self-image sees another ripped gym user swigging a protein shake and thinks "Hey, that could be the answer!". I've been there myself, many times; these products are fueled by a self-sustaining ideology that feeds off image and health hang-ups.
I've never pretended to be a guru on this kind of issue, like most people, my views are based on what I hear and on what I've experienced, and thankfully, I can say I had the foresight to look into supplements before I started using them. But if you havn't then don't feel too bad, most people don't.
The best advice that anyone can offer you at this stage - and this is advice, not sacrosanct law - is that you can get all the protein you need from natural sources like poultry, some fish, milk, and eggs, as well as many others. You can put together a healthy intake of food (I tend to avoid the word 'diet', as it has too many negative connotations) on a fairly reasonable budget, contrary to popular beleif. You don't need protein supplements - no one needs them - but they can help if used as part of an intake an suited to your metabolism as well as a workout program that is tough enough to require a little extra fuel to rebuild your muscles.
Check this blog out for an insightful take on this and other sports nutrition topics: http://msvusportsnutrition.blogspot.com
Any questions, comment or criticisms are always welcome in this environment.
D R-Lincoln
Drinking Culture: A Vicious Circle
A recent study by the University of Bath has warned the government that it's anti-drinking campaigns across tv, radio and other advertising mediums could backfire on a huge scale.
"Extreme inebriation is often seen as a source of personal esteem and social affirmation amongst young people", said lead researcher Professor Christine Griffin.
As someone who has been in both rugby and american football teams in the last two years at univeristy level, the drinking culture that surrounds sports teams is nothing new to me. As far as I know, this culture extends from small local teams of most sports, to semi-professional and professional teams; yet, regardless of the sport, and usually regardless of the level, drinking culture sometimes becomes more important that the action on the field.
Bath Univeristy's research is truly nothing new, but it does show that someone is willing to make a point I feel hasn't been covered anywhere near enough, especially by universities and colleges.
This in itself is a dangerous problem; universities are understandibly protective of their reputations and the elements which set them apart from their peers, such as their sports facilities and the athletes they 'produce', however this protective nature seems to tether these institutions to their own pride, as their teams feed their drinking reputations further.
Now, don't misunderstand my point here, not every team beleives in excessive drinking, but a good 85% of the teams who I have ever spoken to, competed against/with, or worked with have worn their drinking fraternities like a badge of honour.
As someone who has been on the end of many a messy circle, I know that in many cases, 'circles' (when teams sit in 'ring' and play drinking games under 'drinking rules') are harmless, and are a good laugh; but I know of alot of teams who view drinking with 'the team' as compulsory, not voluntary, and a means of determining the status of players within 'the team'.
I know of plenty of people who, like myself, chose not to join my university's rugby union team, mainly because the reputation for the teams drinking escapades was and is so intimidating, that I wanted no part of it. Who would want to be part of a team that beleives that drinking so much that you are out of your mind is a 'great' night out. Bullshit ideology like this is the kind of cancer that is rotting sports teams across the country, and is promoting and glamourising excessive drinking as a means of social ascension.
If you've even a drop of courage and have found yourself caught in the drinking culture of your team, ask yourself this: is fucking your body up for a team really worth it.
I know where I stand.
D R-Lincoln
"Extreme inebriation is often seen as a source of personal esteem and social affirmation amongst young people", said lead researcher Professor Christine Griffin.
As someone who has been in both rugby and american football teams in the last two years at univeristy level, the drinking culture that surrounds sports teams is nothing new to me. As far as I know, this culture extends from small local teams of most sports, to semi-professional and professional teams; yet, regardless of the sport, and usually regardless of the level, drinking culture sometimes becomes more important that the action on the field.
Bath Univeristy's research is truly nothing new, but it does show that someone is willing to make a point I feel hasn't been covered anywhere near enough, especially by universities and colleges.
This in itself is a dangerous problem; universities are understandibly protective of their reputations and the elements which set them apart from their peers, such as their sports facilities and the athletes they 'produce', however this protective nature seems to tether these institutions to their own pride, as their teams feed their drinking reputations further.
Now, don't misunderstand my point here, not every team beleives in excessive drinking, but a good 85% of the teams who I have ever spoken to, competed against/with, or worked with have worn their drinking fraternities like a badge of honour.
As someone who has been on the end of many a messy circle, I know that in many cases, 'circles' (when teams sit in 'ring' and play drinking games under 'drinking rules') are harmless, and are a good laugh; but I know of alot of teams who view drinking with 'the team' as compulsory, not voluntary, and a means of determining the status of players within 'the team'.
I know of plenty of people who, like myself, chose not to join my university's rugby union team, mainly because the reputation for the teams drinking escapades was and is so intimidating, that I wanted no part of it. Who would want to be part of a team that beleives that drinking so much that you are out of your mind is a 'great' night out. Bullshit ideology like this is the kind of cancer that is rotting sports teams across the country, and is promoting and glamourising excessive drinking as a means of social ascension.
If you've even a drop of courage and have found yourself caught in the drinking culture of your team, ask yourself this: is fucking your body up for a team really worth it.
I know where I stand.
D R-Lincoln
Tuesday 20 November 2007
(MUSCLE) MASS HYSTERIA?
Steroids…
When you hear that word or see it written down on a page I’m pretty sure you will end up with the mental image of some bald, red in the face genetic freak, with every single muscle in the body bulging like something from ‘Hellraiser’.
But that cliché, as accurate as it sometimes is (if you don’t believe me, take a trip to your local gym of an evening), the trend is changing in a truly worrying direction.
Teenagers as young as 16 (and in some cases I’ve heard of as young as 14) are obtaining and using anabolic steroids in order to gain the bodies of their sporting idols. An annual survey published in Druglink, a monthly magazine dedicated to the many areas of drug use – both legal and illegal – looked at 20 areas in the UK and found that the use of anabolic steroids has grown so much over the past year it has become “mainstream”.
You can read the full findings here @: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/ourwork/pressoffice/pressreleases/drugscope-survey-reveals-scale-of-steroid-misuse.htm
Before I let myself get into this minefield of an issue, I think it makes a lot of sense to set the record straight on what ‘steroids’ really are, and what they do to your body.
Steroids: A Definition
‘Anabolic steroids’ are a naturally occurring hormone in the body, which are integral to physical growth throughout life, most importantly in childhood and adolescence. In guys we have testosterone, which is linked from everything to how deep your voice is to how much adrenaline your body will produce under certain pressures. Testosterone is an aggressive hormone, and is used by female bodybuilders to increase their muscle mass - which is why female bodybuilders look so masculine. The female body only produces enough testosterone to regulate the body during puberty.
It worries me that steroids are becoming as sought after by young people as much as other drugs on the 'black market' (its a general term, but we all get what it means), such as 'weed' and ketamin. We have got to a point where children and young adults are being pressured from two very different sides. On the one hand you have obesity, which is rife in younger generations in the UK that has ever been; and with that you have alluring advertising going head to head with politicians constantly pressing about the issue but failing to do act on these 'concerns'. Then you have the growing pressure of 'self-image', and how only a rippling six-pack and tanned skin will get you anywhere in life, fed to impressionable children who suddenly feel incredibly insecure and take these images to be nigh on perfection.
If a grown adult chooses to take steroids, then should have the intelligence and the state of mind to understand what they are putting into their bodies. But came we really expect a child to understand the sheer effect a course of pills or even - as this scares alot of people, not just me - an injection can have on a growing body. The solution here is simple to write, and alot harder to put into practice, but this issue will get alot worse unless more people speak up about it. The simple answer is education: tackle the issue head on, and give the young people who are swallowing this bullshit a chance to see the broader picture.
Before it's too late.
D R-Lincoln
When you hear that word or see it written down on a page I’m pretty sure you will end up with the mental image of some bald, red in the face genetic freak, with every single muscle in the body bulging like something from ‘Hellraiser’.
But that cliché, as accurate as it sometimes is (if you don’t believe me, take a trip to your local gym of an evening), the trend is changing in a truly worrying direction.
Teenagers as young as 16 (and in some cases I’ve heard of as young as 14) are obtaining and using anabolic steroids in order to gain the bodies of their sporting idols. An annual survey published in Druglink, a monthly magazine dedicated to the many areas of drug use – both legal and illegal – looked at 20 areas in the UK and found that the use of anabolic steroids has grown so much over the past year it has become “mainstream”.
You can read the full findings here @: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/ourwork/pressoffice/pressreleases/drugscope-survey-reveals-scale-of-steroid-misuse.htm
Before I let myself get into this minefield of an issue, I think it makes a lot of sense to set the record straight on what ‘steroids’ really are, and what they do to your body.
Steroids: A Definition
‘Anabolic steroids’ are a naturally occurring hormone in the body, which are integral to physical growth throughout life, most importantly in childhood and adolescence. In guys we have testosterone, which is linked from everything to how deep your voice is to how much adrenaline your body will produce under certain pressures. Testosterone is an aggressive hormone, and is used by female bodybuilders to increase their muscle mass - which is why female bodybuilders look so masculine. The female body only produces enough testosterone to regulate the body during puberty.
It worries me that steroids are becoming as sought after by young people as much as other drugs on the 'black market' (its a general term, but we all get what it means), such as 'weed' and ketamin. We have got to a point where children and young adults are being pressured from two very different sides. On the one hand you have obesity, which is rife in younger generations in the UK that has ever been; and with that you have alluring advertising going head to head with politicians constantly pressing about the issue but failing to do act on these 'concerns'. Then you have the growing pressure of 'self-image', and how only a rippling six-pack and tanned skin will get you anywhere in life, fed to impressionable children who suddenly feel incredibly insecure and take these images to be nigh on perfection.
If a grown adult chooses to take steroids, then should have the intelligence and the state of mind to understand what they are putting into their bodies. But came we really expect a child to understand the sheer effect a course of pills or even - as this scares alot of people, not just me - an injection can have on a growing body. The solution here is simple to write, and alot harder to put into practice, but this issue will get alot worse unless more people speak up about it. The simple answer is education: tackle the issue head on, and give the young people who are swallowing this bullshit a chance to see the broader picture.
Before it's too late.
D R-Lincoln
Tuesday 6 November 2007
The Self-Hate Issue
These days most people have a problem with their appearance, whether it’s girls or guys. You can flick on the TV and every other advert is for a new ‘scientific breakthrough’ in skin regeneration, or a new deodorant that will apparently force women to offer you a quick shag if you ask them when the next bus is due. And all of this, every single advert, is feeding off the lack of personal contentment young people carry with them. Appearance is everything: girls will buy Heat or Cosmo because they hope that somewhere in that over-priced waste of tree is some shining secret that will rid them of that sick feeling they get when they walk past a mirror. We guys are exactly the same, from Men’s Health, to Four Four Two to even something like Kerrang; we end up feeling crap because what we see is something that makes us feel inadequate in the shape of a footballer or a ‘cool’ looking rock star.
It is all utter bullshit.
But to deem something ‘bullshit’ is a hell of a lot easier than finding a solution to an ever-evolving problem. What I find has always been the root of my insecurities is how I believe other people are viewing me. It seems like a crazy idea to actually read it, but it really is a product of one part our culture, to two parts our own twisted view of what is acceptable.
My own way of dealing with this is ‘accomplishment’; what I mean is I fill my day with so many things to do – things I know I can do – that by the time I get round to going out I am a) either too tired to truly care if a girl walking past me thinks I’m fit or not or b) I’m so high on self-accomplishment it doesn’t phase me as much. And that’s one of the biggest truths we deny in this age. We will never truly rid ourselves of the way we pull our t-shirts out to less empathise our stomach or the way we walk past a mirrored surface and hate what we see in that passing millisecond. It seems what we should be looking at is how we can simply make it less of problem, rather than attempt to eradicate something beyond the realm of your control.
The best advice I can give you is enjoy life: fill your day with things you know you will pull off and do well. Some love a challenge, others find encouragement in repetition. The means doesn’t matter, it’s the decent feeling at the end of it when you look in that mirror and want to run away from what you see that little bit less than you did a few days earlier.
It is all utter bullshit.
But to deem something ‘bullshit’ is a hell of a lot easier than finding a solution to an ever-evolving problem. What I find has always been the root of my insecurities is how I believe other people are viewing me. It seems like a crazy idea to actually read it, but it really is a product of one part our culture, to two parts our own twisted view of what is acceptable.
My own way of dealing with this is ‘accomplishment’; what I mean is I fill my day with so many things to do – things I know I can do – that by the time I get round to going out I am a) either too tired to truly care if a girl walking past me thinks I’m fit or not or b) I’m so high on self-accomplishment it doesn’t phase me as much. And that’s one of the biggest truths we deny in this age. We will never truly rid ourselves of the way we pull our t-shirts out to less empathise our stomach or the way we walk past a mirrored surface and hate what we see in that passing millisecond. It seems what we should be looking at is how we can simply make it less of problem, rather than attempt to eradicate something beyond the realm of your control.
The best advice I can give you is enjoy life: fill your day with things you know you will pull off and do well. Some love a challenge, others find encouragement in repetition. The means doesn’t matter, it’s the decent feeling at the end of it when you look in that mirror and want to run away from what you see that little bit less than you did a few days earlier.
Friday 2 November 2007
The Student Lifestyle Vs The Healthy Lifestyle: Can They Co-Exist?
The further we get into the student lifestyle, from school into sixth form or college, right through into University, balancing all the elements of socializing and having a good time with the pressures of meeting a healthy balance can be a heavy weight to carry.
I have a mixed stance on this: I’m not the kind of person who takes smoothly to working out or exercising; I’m naturally a lazy bastard and would kill to have a few more lie-ins a week and avoid having to train. And throw that into a student scenario (being in Halls, going out often, being shattered from the workload) and somehow the desire and the likelihood of maintaining decent health becomes surplus to requirement.
And I am in no way a natural sportsman, anything I may do right I achieve because I’ve fucked it up a million times before. I play tough and difficult sports, so even more effort is required.
Keeping up the determination required to go for a half hour jog in the morning, or the desire to go to a gym and train around people who make you feel fat or ugly because they may look better is hard, really fucking hard. But I thrive off that, one second its self-loathing, the next I’ve turned than into uncompromising determination to take it up a gear.
This goes back to my first entry, about keeping faith in you, but it also goes to another level.
It takes a tough mindset to look at a days ‘to-do-list’ and still think ‘Man, I’ve got to train today’. What I find works well is to get as many things done that you know you can do quickly and well, that way your self-esteem is so high that when you’re still occupied, you’re think ‘Man, I DO want to go to the gym’. You don’t even need to join a gym if that isn’t your thing; simply going for a daily walk does you wonders. Some of the most beneficial exercise can be done at home: press-ups, crunches, etc.
Work out what you want from a workout, and work towards it. If you want to lose body fat, run more, walk more, eat a little less crap and a little more decent food, it doesn’t cost much more to eat even a bit more healthy. If you want to be more defined and toned, train those areas you want to strengthen and work on your cardio. That way you will see results quicker and you will have even more desire to kick some ass.
If you know you want to train tomorrow, but you’re going out tonight, maybe drink less that night, or move your workout into later in the day, so you step through those doors with an upbeat view. If you’ve got a ton of assignments to write and make your own, do one, then go for a jog with your earphones in, come back, take a shower and suddenly your comfortable, a little tired and fulfilled in knowing you’ve done so much.
Being healthy and being a student is what you make it, not the other way round.
D R-Lincoln
I have a mixed stance on this: I’m not the kind of person who takes smoothly to working out or exercising; I’m naturally a lazy bastard and would kill to have a few more lie-ins a week and avoid having to train. And throw that into a student scenario (being in Halls, going out often, being shattered from the workload) and somehow the desire and the likelihood of maintaining decent health becomes surplus to requirement.
And I am in no way a natural sportsman, anything I may do right I achieve because I’ve fucked it up a million times before. I play tough and difficult sports, so even more effort is required.
Keeping up the determination required to go for a half hour jog in the morning, or the desire to go to a gym and train around people who make you feel fat or ugly because they may look better is hard, really fucking hard. But I thrive off that, one second its self-loathing, the next I’ve turned than into uncompromising determination to take it up a gear.
This goes back to my first entry, about keeping faith in you, but it also goes to another level.
It takes a tough mindset to look at a days ‘to-do-list’ and still think ‘Man, I’ve got to train today’. What I find works well is to get as many things done that you know you can do quickly and well, that way your self-esteem is so high that when you’re still occupied, you’re think ‘Man, I DO want to go to the gym’. You don’t even need to join a gym if that isn’t your thing; simply going for a daily walk does you wonders. Some of the most beneficial exercise can be done at home: press-ups, crunches, etc.
Work out what you want from a workout, and work towards it. If you want to lose body fat, run more, walk more, eat a little less crap and a little more decent food, it doesn’t cost much more to eat even a bit more healthy. If you want to be more defined and toned, train those areas you want to strengthen and work on your cardio. That way you will see results quicker and you will have even more desire to kick some ass.
If you know you want to train tomorrow, but you’re going out tonight, maybe drink less that night, or move your workout into later in the day, so you step through those doors with an upbeat view. If you’ve got a ton of assignments to write and make your own, do one, then go for a jog with your earphones in, come back, take a shower and suddenly your comfortable, a little tired and fulfilled in knowing you’ve done so much.
Being healthy and being a student is what you make it, not the other way round.
D R-Lincoln
Monday 29 October 2007
Hard Knocks: Do We Really Understand the Extent of a Concussion?
It’s a question that any sportsman, regardless of their sport - from football to volleyball – should seriously ask themselves. Do you really understand what a concussion is, and what it can cause if left untreated or repeated time after time? It isn’t a sin to admit ignorance, but its damn near idiotic not to admit the injury.
What is a ‘Concussion’?
“A concussion is a disturbance of the nerve cells in the brain as a result of a blow to the skull”
Put simply, it’s the result of your brain smashing against your skull so hard it temporarily shuts parts of the brain down. So every concussion is serious, no matter how meager the hit may have seemed.
What are the symptoms?
Nausea (feeling that you might throw up)
Balance problems or dizziness
Headache
Double or fuzzy vision
Feeling groggy
Confusion
Concentration problems
These symptoms usually rear their heads in one go, with a sufferer usually seeming out of it and unable to recover fully. However, sometimes the effects can be less obvious to others, and in many cases, a concussion can go untreated due to embarrassment or simply not reading the signs clearly enough.
Worst Case Scenario - The End of the Spectrum
If you’ve been stuck underneath a rock for the past six months then you will have heard the coverage of the Benoit family tragedy. If you don’t know the story, go search for it, it isn’t nice, but the latest developments have brought authorities and the world a step closer to understanding why Chris Benoit did what he did. Other than his gross intake of anabolic steroids, a recent report showed Benoit was suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE): basically, Benoit had concussed himself so many times over his career that his brain resembled “that of an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient. And with NFL players dropping like flies from repetitive brain injuries and concussed-based suicides, the evidence has never been clearer.
So what does this mean to young sportsman?
At College and University level – and beyond – its unlikely we as sportsman are going to take the kind of punishment that a pro-linebacker or a pro wrestler would, but both cases above were and continue to be the result of one simple factor: not reading the signs, and not having the guts to act on them and avoid further injury. Any doctor will tell you a concussion is serious, two in a row is even worse, but three is damn near dangerous.
It’s drummed into our heads (no pun intended) at school that our brains and skulls are not fully strengthened until adulthood, hence many schools choosing to play more non-contact sports such as tag-rugby or touch-lacrosse. However, grown men can still suffer extensive problems from one or more concussions, depending on the severity of the hit. Of course, concussions are more likely in contact sports such as rugby, lacrosse and American football, and as hard as we try to be safe, concussions are always the painful by-product of accidental points of contact (such as making a rugby tackle across the body, only to have the ball-carrier’s knee strike you in the head).
Ultimately, some sportsman may never suffer a concussion in their life. Maybe they’re just a hard bastard, maybe they play their game so well then know how to avoid them, or maybe, and more than likely, they are just lucky. As with any sport, especially contact sports, taking and making a hit is part of the game, and we all put our bodies on the line every time we commit to one. The best advice I can give you is don’t be a tool, if you have suffered the symptoms you read earlier, especially on more than one occasion, then tell your coach, and better yet, tell your doctor.
Read the signs, and take the right steps.
D.R - Lincoln
Tuesday 2 October 2007
Losing Faith - The Biggest Problem
It's a Tuesday afternoon - over two days since my last full contact training for American Football - and my body's still aching like hell. It's something I'm used to now, and after a debut season pouring my heart, soul and body into every move, both off and on the field, I'm ready for what this new season will bring. But it doesn't mean there are moments where I could just walk away and have done with it; and there are a lot.
To even walk into a gym takes a lot for most people (granted there are those of us who simply exude confidence and are less affected by such a thing), but it takes a hell of a lot more to stay there, to see some point in lifting another stupidly heavy weight whilst some mid-nineties crap skips over the speakers, and some fake-tanned meat-head leans over again to ask "You done wiv those weights mate?".
And even now, years after I first forced myself to do something about my bad health, I still find myself sat on work bench, music in my ears and absolutely no drive to do another muscle-straining set. And the truth is, these moments are healthy. Without a moment of sheer despair and self-loathing it’s difficult to really see the extent of the problem. The desire to change something like a bad diet or crappy attitude to exercise can only spring into life once you've found yourself in that dark little hole looking up for some glimmer of a way out.
If you met me you'd never think I play a sport, or a full contact one at that. And I fight every time I train to improve and raise the bar of my performance. I stopped playing rugby when I was 16, and never found the sheer drive to join a gym till I was 18. Over the last three years there have been times, maybe weeks at a time where I've found myself avoiding the gym - because its too much effort, because I felt like shit, or simply because it was the last thing on my mind at the time. And once again, as hard as it was, I somehow needed to fall off the bandwagon to find the drive again that made me want to change my life in the first place.
"Confidence and commitment, are the single, most important factors in making that first step" - the words of my Offensive Coach - nuff' said.
To even walk into a gym takes a lot for most people (granted there are those of us who simply exude confidence and are less affected by such a thing), but it takes a hell of a lot more to stay there, to see some point in lifting another stupidly heavy weight whilst some mid-nineties crap skips over the speakers, and some fake-tanned meat-head leans over again to ask "You done wiv those weights mate?".
And even now, years after I first forced myself to do something about my bad health, I still find myself sat on work bench, music in my ears and absolutely no drive to do another muscle-straining set. And the truth is, these moments are healthy. Without a moment of sheer despair and self-loathing it’s difficult to really see the extent of the problem. The desire to change something like a bad diet or crappy attitude to exercise can only spring into life once you've found yourself in that dark little hole looking up for some glimmer of a way out.
If you met me you'd never think I play a sport, or a full contact one at that. And I fight every time I train to improve and raise the bar of my performance. I stopped playing rugby when I was 16, and never found the sheer drive to join a gym till I was 18. Over the last three years there have been times, maybe weeks at a time where I've found myself avoiding the gym - because its too much effort, because I felt like shit, or simply because it was the last thing on my mind at the time. And once again, as hard as it was, I somehow needed to fall off the bandwagon to find the drive again that made me want to change my life in the first place.
"Confidence and commitment, are the single, most important factors in making that first step" - the words of my Offensive Coach - nuff' said.
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