Tag: Workout

#23 the movement class lesson five – back pain

Hey, look behind you, no not behind you, behind-you. When you think of your back do you think of an impressive set of shoulders or maybe your latissimus muscles, your butt? Well, you’re all right but this surprisingly complicated area of the human body is interesting. He’s made it easy with this one and broken down the muscles in the back into three;

The superficial group, which holds the trapezius, latissimus dorsi, rhomboid minor and levator scapulae. The intermediate group known as the respiratory group is a combination of serratus muscles and the deep group which are all of the wildly useful muscles that control and balance the movement of your spine.

The multitude of systems that are present in the back provide support to the head and thorax, and the ribs which are attached to the back. So before you reach for your ibuprofen and decide that your back hurts too much to do x and y, keep reading.

  1. Pull it, In my experience there is no better cure for back pain than prevention. A strong and healthy back will get you through the hard times and will ensure that you remain healthy for a long time. The back responds to pulling thing, so pull yourself up, pull something up, or pull yourself through the water and develop the muscles that keep your spine safe.
  2. Twist, the spine is not necessarily meant to twist and I don’t advise you to watch one youtube video and become a yogi but putting your body through the paces with regular movement supporting your back in less than regular movements, will be best. A burpee is tremendous, next time try two.
  3. Get up, there isn’t a practice more regulating than walking, I understand you are probably reading this and you are either on the subway looking down, or on your computer looking down, you’ll never see that goose coming… Walking chest out and take up space, look up and balance your spine on your pelvis like you are holding an egg with a spoon, notice the torque in places it should not be and stretch.

You’ve got this, the pain of failure defeats never trying at all.

Your Canadian Brother

#13 the movement class lesson one – walking

The movement class will be a series because movement is the most important thing you can do for yourself.

There are just as many ways to move as there are people there are on earth, one of these methods will suit you best, I have no doubt.

One, walking.

Walking is the act of locomotion generated by picking up one leg, putting it to one side of your body and allowing the momentum of your body to lead yourself in the direction of the displaced leg. Before toppling over like a table that has lost a leg, the other leg is put into action and a step is completed. There are countless ways in which the act of walking can improve your life. But classically, you will not remember more than three.

  1. Primordially, it is what makes you human.
  2. Circulation. Whether it be an improvement in blood circulation due to an elevated heart rate, or the physical effect of the tearing and subsequent healing of muscle tissues, walking is the catalyst of all of your biological processes, and can quickly indicate to you where you may have a deficiency.
  3. You can not do it wrong. Walking is non strenuous and low impact the act alone can not take you farther from your goals, being built into your code you are supposed to walk.

Do it, for half hour or more each day, you can do it, I have no doubt.

Your Canadian brother.

#07 three step goal setting (not SMART) but PPP

I set goals and achieving them is fundamental to us, however we’re often out of our scope when it comes to preparing goals other than get up from the couch to the fridge and stuff your face, that is a goal I struggle to say no to maybe you’ve got other goals.

Goal setting equation. G = a(x)

Me, yesterday.

So to enable your ‘a’ (activities or.. ass) to be a function of ‘x’lets go through three steps on how you can reach your goals.

SMART goals are great, I have nothing against them and they have helped people at least a couple decades to make achievements. But just because it is called a SMART goal does not give it the right to say its the best, its just a SMART acronym, shit. Anyway, PPP is the way you need to look at your goals, not as something you have to achieve but something that you’ve already accomplished.

  1. Passion. It does not matter what you are doing, whatever the goal is, if you do not chase it with unconstrained enthusiasm then why is it on your list of goals, drop it and make better use of your time, chase it with enthusiasm.
  2. Persistence. Second, enthusiasm or motivation or whatever you want to call your passion will curve, you’ll get so sick of it you wont want to proceed and will find excuses to get yourself out your goals. What is important is that you continue to build and develop towards your goal, keep building the channels that are parallel to where you want the water so that the lake can flow freely towards that new low area (where you want to be).
  3. Patience. Reflective of both of the above you must have patience with yourself and with the process. Artists never get to reap the rewards of their art because it only becomes extremely valuable when they pass, your patience must be generational, like a stone. If you lose your patience when things don’t go your way for a year, or three, but continue to use passion and persistence you don’t have a reason to be impatient you body will leave the earth but it is up to you to make your work last for eternity.
The Ottawa airport CYOW pretending its the holidays.

Day 3 of Week 1 – STR 2, Pullups was not managed six sets of eight good reps and then to failure on three more sets. 10 minutes total. Single KB Press w 25lbs weight, steady through the 10 minutes with a burn out break at 1min 20sec left.

#03 make the most out of your new year

I am grateful for my education.

Part of leadership is knowledge, knowing what you are, what you are good at, need improvement in and where you absolutely need a partner. In my career I have had situations where that teammate or fire team partner has saved my ass even without me asking. These people, your followers, will catch you when you fall, but also hold you to the highest esteem. They will turn their head to you to see what your reaction to a situation is, or follow your lead with the actions you routinely take. The saying lead follow or get out of the way is also applicable to leaders, at those moments when you are in freefall and your subordinates take up the slack, you are relying on them to lead, and you must be stubborn with yourself to allow them to lead in this moment. Your greatest effect as a leader is to generate leadership within your subordinates, it will be challenging to see them step into roles you previously filled, however this grants you the space to operate at the next level, or “level up” that is so commonly said.

Your Cdn bro.

30.39km bike 146bpm, 4.85km run 144bpm.

Some crow feet.