31 Things
In the past year I’ve read approximately 20 something books, watched at least a half dozen educational DVDs, and attended several seminars, workshops, mentorships, plus a whole bunch of other stuff. All in all I’ve put in over 400 hours of continuing education since this exact time last year. Hopefully I’ve learned a little something along the way. Instead of focusing on one topic for this month’s newsletter, I’ve decided to look back upon the last year of my life and share with all of you some of the highlights….31 to be exact.
31 Things – (in no specific order)
1) The more I learn, the more I realize how little I really know.
2) For the most part, there are no bad exercises just poorly selected exercises.
3) The typical American sits on their butt more than 7.5 hours per day. This also happens to be one of the most important muscles in the human body. Nearly all (99.9%) of the Imagine If clients walk in the door with gluteal amnesia and coincidentally most have one or more of the following symptoms: low back pain, knee pain, poor posture and a flat rear end.
4) Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
5) You can think whatever you like. So why not think positive and why not think big?
6) Ultimately people just want to feel good about themselves. Sadly many people try to accomplish this only with extrinsic methods. The only way I’ve found that people actually feel better about themselves is to go through personal growth and change. Beyond basic needs I have yet to see this happen from material items.
7) Your mind is probably your most important asset. Therefore I suggest being very careful with what you allow to enter into it.
“Don’t believe everything you read and don’t just read everything you believe.” Alwyn Cosgrove
9) Most growth and personal change come first from an acknowledgement that you want something different, something better. Then an acceptance to being open to learning something new so you can go beyond where you are and have already been, must occur.
10) Everybody has an opinion and is completely entitled to their opinion. Some just carry much more weight.
11) ” I am I, you are you, and you and I are totally different.” Dr. McDonald
12) Forgiveness is one of the fastest pathways to inner peace; albeit it’s not necessarily the easiest thing to do.
13) Life is filled with ups and downs. You can choose to find the good in each and every situation or you can choose to always see the bad. The choice and your happiness are up to you.
14) The best investment you can make is in yourself! Continuing to invest in your health, strength, knowledge, mobility, ROM, and spirituality will pay dividends 10X what you ever invest.
15) A true excellent program must include all of the following:
a) SMR (Self Myofascia Release) – Foam roller, stick work, various balls etc
b) Some form of a dynamic warm up
c) Stretching
d) Rehab/Prehab
e) Core work
f) Strength (weight lifting/weight bearing activity)
g) Conditioning
16) In order to get where you want to go you must do what you’ve never done. What you’ve done thus far has gotten you to exactly where you are today. There is nothing wrong with this. However if you want to go further than you already are, doing more of what you’ve already done will more than likely not get you to where you want to be. An example regarding fat loss is as follows; what got you from 30% body fat down to 25% body fat will not get you from 25% body fat down to 20% body fat.
17) “There is no such thing as failure only feedback” Dr. McDonald. If you tried something and it didn’t work, try something different. Avoid throwing in the towel and quitting early. Where there is a will there is a way.
18) If you want to go quickly go alone, if you want to go far go together. African Proverb
19) Regardless of how strong your legs, glutes, and back is, your “core” must be equally strong or it will become the limiting factor.
20) Most people have major issues regarding ROM, flexibility and mobility. This equates to driving your car around with the parking brake on. Unless the issue is cleaned up, (i.e. the brake is taken off) your body will not move, feel & perform at an optimal level.
21) Some form of energy system training is highly beneficial for everyone and needs to be included in a well balanced program.
22) The “core” needs to be trained in – stability, anti-rotation, rotation, flexion, extension, and both statically and dynamically.
23) Exercise physiologists, coaches & trainers, can theorize and guess as to why this person or that person has a particular issue. One could spend, hours, days, weeks and months trying to figure out exactly what the problem is. An easier, simpler and more effective approach is to fix the movement pattern and the problem will usually fix itself.
24) Generally, improving your form will increase the total amount of weight you can lift.
25) Understanding and looking at things from a joint by joint approach is essential. The ankles are meant to be mobile, the knees are meant to be stable, the hips mobile, the lumbar spine stable, the thoracic spine mobile and the gleno-humeral stable.
26) If the body is lacking mobility in one joint, it will attempt to get it from another joint/area. When this happens major issues tend to spring up.
27) Combining a little SMR (self myofascial release) on the pec minor & posterior capsule of the shoulder, plus a little scapular depression exercise, such as a reach roll and lift can do wonders for scapular winging, rounded shoulders and overall shoulder health.
28) Love is never gained or lost; it just opens your heart to love more.
29) I’ve got two ears, two legs, two hands and one mouth. Using them in that order has served me well.
30) Change is a good thing. In fact, it’s necessary. If I was still doing everything exactly the same way I was a year ago then I just wasted a year of my life and didn’t learn a darn thing. Much of what we do here at Imagine if is very different than what we did a year ago. Does that mean that I was wrong back then? No, it just means that I’ve since learned a better way.
31) Be grateful.