Physical fitness testing…what does it prove?

Its been a while since I have posted anything, so based on a recent conversation, I thought I would re-hash this article...its an oldie but a goodie and still holds water.  Enjoy :)

A wise person once asked me, “what are you training for? You gotta have a purpose.” At the time, I was doing two-a-days 5 or 6 times a week, clearly overtraining, and didn’t give the comment much thought. Well, after years of experience (a lot of it trial and error) and instructing others, primarily recruits and officers, I have come to the conclusion that physical fitness training must have a purpose.

In law enforcement, even combat, PT (physical training) has to be planned and structured to support and prepare a person for a specific job. For LEO’s, the job is defensive or control tactics. I have been in many debates and discussions regarding just how PT should be implemented for recruits. Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of some major changes and improvements in how PT is done regarding recruits and officers on my department. I have to say that these changes are a vast improvement over what it was. That does not mean that there isn’t room for improvement…because there is.

Lets take a look at traditional PT for recruits, both law enforcement and military alike. Traditional PT usually consists of run, run, run, push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups. I will admit that this type of training can lead to certain improvements in one’s level of fitness and allow units or groups to form as a team. The reality is that this type of linear training separates fitness in way that nature or the real world has no regard for. In other words, if a person was in a fight or pursuit, they would not have the luxury of performing the “cardio” and “strength” component separately. They would have to perform them simultaneously. It is easy to see where traditional PT has its limitations. It is this logic that helped make fitness programs, like CrossFit, so popular among military and law enforcement. PT programs that integrate shorter bouts of varied movements under high intensity result in a more direct translation to increases in job related performance.

Lets take that a step further. Since some of these popular programs have hit the scene, many agencies and military groups have implemented this type of methodology with great success. Quite often, in many recruit training programs, recruits are initially exposed to group runs and general calisthenics. I admit that group runs are a useful tool in developing marching skills and building discipline as a team. After some time doing the “basics” for several weeks, recruits are exposed to high intensity, varied, interval type training and even some basic lifts. After several months of this, recruits are allowed to some strength training, perhaps on their own, with some occasional running and high intensity training sessions. Sound familiar? For those who have gone through recruit training on my department in the last four years, this should sound very familiar.

This type of program has proven to be very successful and far superior in means of improved performance over the traditional programs. I think it can be improved even more. We have to understand the scale of persistence of adaptation. This means the rate at which, once a physiological adaptation is achieved, how quickly it will diminish. For example, muscle tissue, once attained or developed stays with us a long time. It takes a while to get it but we keep it for a long time. Conversely, cardio-respiratory endurance, once attained, will diminish very quickly if not trained. But it doesn’t take very long to make improvements.

What does this mean? Stay with me on this…below is a scale showing, in order, those things that stay with us the longest to the least. This also means that the things that stay with us the longest take a while to develop.

1. Muscle growth
2. Strength
3. Power
4. Speed
5. Skill
6. Cardio-respiratory endurance

There may be some other categories but I think you get the idea. Now that we understand this, lets apply it.

Since muscle growth and strength stay with us the longest and take the most time to develop, then its clear that this should be the first couple months of any training plan. Now that we got some muscle and strength, not to mention stronger and more stable joints which prevent injuries, we can move into developing speed and skill with higher intensity, interval type training. During this phase, which we will call the conditioning phase, in order to maintain the muscle and strength we gained from the first block of training, we will still do some strength work but only occasionally.

Finally, we move to the last phase…the finishing phase. Having a basic understanding of physiology, we know that we can attain “cardio” pretty quickly but lose it equally as fast so we begin adding more of this to our training along with more frequent and technical bouts of defensive or control tactics training. By the time we have started this finishing phase, we have gained a lot of muscle, developed more stable joints (better preparing us for the more dynamic/explosive blocks of training) and have had substantial improvements in our cardio-respiratory endurance from doing high intensity/interval type training.

In the final phase, we are basically “fine tuning” our skills and endurance, peaking us for our “contest date” which is graduation. Additionally, during this final finishing phase, again to keep the gains we have made, we will still occasionally do some strength and conditioning work.

I know what you are thinking, “wow, that is genius! Why didn’t we do that?” I can’t take all the credit. The type of phased training that I described is nothing new. This is exactly how professional fighters or athletes train, but instead of graduation they are peaking for an actual contest or sporting event. Athletes in the off season do a lot of strength training for several months which allow the adaptations to take place. Then after that, they start conditioning…a mix of higher intensity type training with occasional strength work and the introduction of skill work. Then, as the contest or opening season date approaches, they enter a final phase of sport specific skill work with occasional strength and conditioning. They stay in this phase until the season is over or the fight is finished.

So what is the difference between recruit training and how a professional athlete trains? Ahhhh, enter the “argument”. I can only speculate as to why it is different. It shouldn’t be. Professional athletes have done this for decades and know it works. My guess is that at some point in the past someone made a decision, based on whatever available knowledge they had, and figured a whole lot of running, push-ups and sit-ups…maybe some strength near the end (which is backwards)…would best prepare someone for the “real-world.” Once that type of linear, physiologically backwards training was in place, it remained unchallenged because “that’s just the way we have always done it.”

Putting strength training in the last few weeks of any long term program doesn’t make any sense. First, it doesn’t allow any time to make substantial gains and by then, a person or recruit already has some type of joint related injury that they are nursing that could have been diminished or avoided if they had done some strength training earlier to make their joints more stable.

So how does all this relate to the title of this article, “Physical fitness testing…what does it prove?"  Well, now that we have a better understanding of types of recruit training it is easy to see that PT tests may seem a little silly. First let me start by saying that I understand and agree that there needs to be a measurable fitness standard that provides a means to track progress in a large group in a relatively easy manner. When we test someone on a run, push-ups and sit-ups we are only measuring their ability to perform those events, which is quite often an unreliable way to determine a persons performance in combat or a fight. Well nothing is perfect, and I think many departments are beginning to recognize this and incorporate more scenario based training and timed obstacle courses with job related tasks in to their testing process.

I think PT tests are a necessary tool in recruit or military training and need to stay in as part of any program. Nothing is perfect but if we can more closely emulate the demands that are faced on the job into the test, then the better we can evaluate performance. So, I guess, we can say that a PT test only proves how well a person can do those events in a test. Testing should be a part of the progress, but I feel that the PT program is truly where a person will receive their preparation. Law enforcement agencies and military alike have made huge improvements in physical training programs for recruit training. I think we can make it better.

On our department, recruit training lasts approximately 7 months. I think the first few weeks of physical training should be dedicated to traditional team building calisthenics with a few sessions dedicated to teaching mechanics on basic lifts….deadlift, back/front squat, power cleans, push press and bench. This allows the group to form as unit, develop protocol/discipline and acclimate to “academy” life. Then enter the strength phase, about 9-10 weeks. This would consist of 3-4 weekly sessions of strength with one or two sessions of group calisthenics. This allows recruits time to build muscle, strength and strong joints to withstand the increasingly demanding defensive/control tactics training while maintaining team discipline. Next, the conditioning phase with 2-3 sessions of high intensity, metcon type training with an occasional bout of group calisthenics and strength training. This phase will last for another 10 weeks or so. Then the finishing phase, which would be a lot of high intensity job related skill work, occasional metcon, occasional strength and occasional group calisthenics.

I think this model better prepares a recruit for not only the job but also to better withstand the rigors of recruit training. Is this going to happen? Who knows. Maybe one day. As we all know, new ideas, no matter how sound, are often met with resistance because they go “against the grain” and require a new understanding and way of doing things. Regardless of the outcome, I can confidently say that physical training in the military and law enforcement world is on the right track and has changed for the better in the last few years. We have to remember, the physical training must have a direct translation to job related performance and should be structured and planned with that in mind.

Here is an article written by Major Damon Wells, who occasionally writes for Mark Rippetoe’s website, startingstength.com. It disusses ideas on how PT can be better programmed for specific roles or duties.  Here is another article by Major Ryan Whittemore, who is also an author for Rippetoe's website.  This one goes into "worst case scenarios" and explains that its important to tailor the training for those types of situations.  Both article discuss similar issues and bring to light some obvious flaws and make very convincing arguments.

Until next time, make sure to get some sprints or strength training in this week, and again please let me know if there are any topics you would like to see discussed or questions you may have. I will be having more lectures and seminars in the near future so keep your eyes open for times and dates.
　



References:
Berg, Jeremy and L. Stryer and J. Tymoczko. Biochemistry 6^th Edition. W.H. Freeman and Company.      2007

Federal Bureau of Investigation. Physical Fitness for Law Enforcement Officers. United States Department of Justice. March 1972

Jesse, John. Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia. The Althetic Press. 1986

Rippetoe, Mark and Lon Kilgore. Practical Programming for Strength Training 2^nd Edition. The Aasgard Company. 2009

How to Make Those Resolutions Stick!

Wanna actually stick to your New Year's Resolutions this year?

 First, I want to emphasize that I am not a doctor and recommend before you make any changes in diet or exercise, always consult with your doctor.  Now that I got out of the way, let's get to it.  We have all been there…we get inspired, make a plan to start working out or eating better and we dive in head first and everything is great for about, ohhh two weeks, then it fizzles out.  Sound familiar?  How do those other folks stick to their plan or those diets…how do they look like that!!! What do they know that I don't!!!  Well the answer lies in how we make things a habit.

Habits are routines that we develop and, once created, perform with little or no thought.  We get up, brush our teeth, go to the kitchen start coffee and sit down to read or turn on the TV…without even thinking about it.  Think about every habit…good or bad…that you currently have.  If we take a close look, we would find that each habit has a cue or trigger, followed by a routine and then a reward.  Habits often fail because we set a long term goal as the reward.  Here is the problem, if it is a longterm goal, then its gonna be a loooong time until we get the reward.  So how do we fix it?  Before we get there, let's take a closer look. 

First we have to recognize that once a habit is formed in our brain, it never goes away.  It can be modified if we practice, but two things remain: the cue and the reward.  The routine is the part we can change.  Take drinking alcohol for example.  Often folks begin drinking because they are around other people in a social setting.  So the cue is being in a social setting or wanting to feel connected to others.  Then they develop the routine of drinking when they get that cue and then experience the reward of feeling connected or relaxed.  So over time, every time they are in a social setting or want to feel connected they are cued to drink.  That is one part.  The next part comes later.  Over time, the reward of feeling connected or relaxed is achieved by the routine of drinking alcohol.  So when a person desires the reward of feeling connected or relaxed, they automatically go to the routine of drinking.  

The cues and rewards will always be there, but the routines can change.  With practice and some self awareness, when a person is cued to drink in a social setting, they can drink a cup of coffee or tea or chew gum…or whatever ya can think of.  Over time, the reward of feeling connected to others or relaxed is associated with a new routine.  What eventually happens when a person seeks that same reward is  they will find themselves craving to drink a cup of coffee or tea…or chew gum..and less likely drinking alcohol.  We can actually create and control our habits!

That is a very simple explanation of how habits work.  How do we apply that to exercise or nutrition?  Easy:

• Pick a goal (lose ten pounds, build muscle, feel better, look better, bench more, run a 5k race…etc.)
• Make a plan
• Create a cue…here are a few
• the alarm goes off 
• ya listen to music on your way to the gym 
• you open the fridge
• ya meet up with friends
• ya drink a cup of coffee 
• Create a routine with the cue
• the alarm goes off and ya go for a jog, or do push ups 
• when the fridge is opened ya grab a veggie
• begin training with others
• begin a sport
• ya do a workout after drinking coffee
• go play at a park
• Create a short term reward with the routine (some will happen automatically)
• by going for a jog ya feel more energy, confidence and alert
• improved mood, behavior and memory
• having fun
• the veggie take the edge of hunger 
• by training with others ya feel connected or happier
• get a smoothie or healthy snack after your workout

Before ya know it, in order to get the rewards, you will naturally seek the routines that provide the rewards.  When that happens, the cues and rewards will be a permanent part of the brain.  It will be a habit.  The trick is to create some cues, give them some routines and give yourself a short term reward for completing the routine.  That is the secret.  Long term goals are great, but it takes a long time to get the reward.  If we do not create some rewards with our cues and routines, the habit never forms and we are back to where we started.

Remember exercise doesn't have to be "work."  Make it fun, get involved in sports, join a class with others, go play.  Then when we crave having fun, we resort to the routine of exercising by doing something we enjoy…and are more likely to make it a habit. 

Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose fat, improve energy or just be happier, know that it can be done and you can do it.  It is just a matter of picking the goal, creating a plan, making a cue to each routine and a reward (many of which happen without us knowing) for each routine.  Then you will have formed a habit and people will be asking how YOU do it!

These are some simple guidelines to help you make some new habits and get your New Year off to a healthy start!   Remember, you have control of your habits!

Take care, and until next time, go get some sprints in and pick up something heavy.

Wanna learn more about this topic?  Then I highly recommend two books: The Power of Habit and Brain Rules….listed below.

References:

Duhigg, Charles.  The Power of Habit. The Random House Trade Paperbacks. 2012.

Journal of Clinical Investigation, NF-kB: a key role in inflammatory diseases, Published in Volume 107, Issue 1 (January 1, 2001), American Society for Clinical Investigation

Medina, John.  Brain Rules.  First Pear Press Publishing. 2009

Pubmed.com, 2006;8 Suppl 2:S3. Epub 2006 Jul 28.

Dedicated to My Mom, Teri

Teri Arline Donaho

September 15, 1952-June 2, 2017

My Mom's High School Picture

Sometimes, we have to take a chance, rely on faith and allow yourself to be 

vulnerable to better ourselves, others and maybe, just maybe the world.  Well 

this is one of those times for me.  I learned the value of taking those chances 

and relying on faith from one of my heroes, my mom.  The following story is 

dedicated to her, Teri Arlene Donaho, and to let her know and remind her that 

she has made that difference in me, others and now in you. 

I can still remember at the age of 6 being awakened in the middle of the night 

to watch The Beatles movie, Yellow Submarine, with my mom.  It was a bizarre 

movie, which I speculate required some LSD to truly understand. Afterwards, 

she explained some of the meanings and innuendos contained in it.  Not the 

typical conversation most kids had with their parents at that age.  We had  

quite a unique relationship.  I grew up in Austin, what I considered at the time 

a “hippie” town and my mom very much fit into that category.  

Mom and Dad about the time they met, they got married a couple of weeks later 

After I lost my dad to suicide at a very young age, my mom took on the role of 

both parents.  I didn’t understand it at the time but years later, I grew to understand 

the fears and demons she battled trying to make sure my brother and I were ok.  

I know she feared that we would feel shame or resentment over the loss of my 

father, so for many years she would come to my bedroom and tell me a story 

about my dad.  Usually about one of his many athletic accomplishments, academic 

achievements, his determination and the pride and love he had for my brother and I.  

In a way she helped to allow me to create the perfect father in my head, one that I 

would not want to disappoint.  

Mom and Dad

As the years went on, she went through several relationships, some with some really 

good guys and some that were not so great.  I was pretty easy going and didn’t mind 

as long as they were good to my mom.  If they weren’t, they would have to deal with 

her protectors, my brother and I…we were hell on wheels, just ask my mom.  I watched

her work so hard, battle addiction and take on other people’s problems and she still had

the ability to show love to others without judgment and always put herself last.  I knew 

she was in pain and desperately wanted to save her.  When I was little, around 4 

years old, she would tell me stories and often begin to cry so I would tell her, “momma,

I am gonna build you a spaceship and take you away.” It was around that same age that

my mom got arrested for possession/manufacture of pot.  Not just a few plants mind you,

oh no, when she did something big, she went all in!  It was a professionally built, irrigated,

temperature controlled greenhouse that housed over 1,000 pot plants!!!! Not bad for 1977, huh?

Mom, big bro, and I...I am the little guy on the left 

The day she got busted in Lampasas, Tx they surrounded our house and kicked in 

our doors and raided the house.  Quite an experience for a 4 year old.  I watched as she

was taken away in handcuffs.  The court case dragged on for many years and as my

brother and I got older we realized our mom may get sent away for a long time and that

we might end up in an orphanage. We promised if that  happened, we would

escape and live on our own.  Fortunately it never came to that, the court decided

in her favor and the worst was behind us! Or so we thought.

The next few years were pretty stable and then through a series of events we 

found ourselves on our own again struggling and eventually homeless.  One thing I

learned from my mom was if ya want something in life, ya gotta work for it.  So I began

to hustle and started working at the age of 11.  Mowing lawns, cleaning lots for gas

stations, working at construction sites throwing out trash, helping build fences and any

other odd job I could find.  In the summer of 1984 I saved up $150 to buy a bad-ass bike,

a Laser 1000. That was a lot of money back then!  I’m still pissed it was stolen.  From

that age on, if I needed something, I bought it, that included my own clothes and food. 

Taking care of myself was easy, trying to take care of my mom was the tricky party.  

Soon we found ourselves living in campsites at Bull Creek in Austin.  Everyday was 

an adventure.  Finding food was pretty easy.  One day it might be snake, crawdaddys 

or duck and another it would be free food from a food bank.  There would be stretches 

where I wouldn’t see my mom for days at a time.  She would do what she had to get 

some money and place for us to stay for a while.  I can still remember the shock of 

sleeping in a house with air conditioner!  Ahhhhh, the little things!  

It was quite a roller coaster at times.  We went from living a very comfortable lifestyle

 to getting our food of dumpsters and waiting in lines to get handouts.  My mom 

would always tell me that everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan for each 

of us, we just gotta listen.  She also taught me that every person is special, worthy to 

be loved and that we mustn’t let our hardships define us but allow how we overcome 

those hardships to be our defining moments.  These were important lessons and ones 

that I would remind myself of on a regular basis.  I still remember how often folks 

would judge me, either at school or in public, and how that would make me feel.  

It was pretty obvious that we didn’t have the nicest clothes or material things. All that 

did was motivate me to work harder to prove everyone wrong, and occasionally get 

in a fight here or there.  One thing my mom cultivated in me is a sense of pride and 

dignity and to respect others, which helped me get through some trying times.   

When I think back to those times, I remember that I was always happy and believed

that if I worked hard enough, things would get better and they eventually did.

At 16, I was on my own working full time and going to high school.  I didn’t have 

a lot of friends in high school because it was difficult to relate.  While most kids were 

complaining about not getting the latest shoes, I was trying to pay bills and get 

groceries.  Growing up the way I did taught me a lot but it also left a few scars.  

I found myself always searching for the next challenge to overcome, adventure, never 

backing down and always trying to be the best at everything.  A little bit of an 

over-achiever, mixed with a dash of “everything is a competition” and a sprinkle of OCD.  

This might explain some of my decisions in life and why I was drawn to the military 

and a career in law enforcement.  

As a result, I drifted from some of the very important things my mom taught me.  

First of all, learn to appreciate the little things and have faith that God will always 

provide.  We don’t have to have best of everything and things don’t have to be perfect for

us to be happy.  We just have to learn how to appreciate.  Second, everyone is 

special and has a purpose.  We all have a story to tell and we can all learn something 

from one another.  Competition can be a good thing but it can also work to separate us.  

When this happens, the seeds of shame and isolation are planted breeding fear and

insecurity.  Learn to forgive and practice empathy, learn to see things

through the eyes of others and they will learn to see through yours.

It took me along time to really understand the value and impact of what my mom 

was always trying to teach me and that it was okay to let down my guard.  I now 

know what my purpose is and, through what can only be a miracle from God, have 

been given the opportunities and ability to do pursue it.  My purpose is simple; I am 

here to fight the good fight, share my story with others and to leave this world a 

better place then when I found it.  By taking the time to appreciate what is around us,

allowing ourselves to be a  little more vulnerable and ignore the fear of what others might

say or do, we are able to follow our hearts, be happy and connect with and inspire 

others so that they may do the same.  There will always be nay-sayers and 

critics…believe me, I have met might quite a few…but remember, they do what they 

do out of their own fears.

Now married with a family, a great career and the opportunity to connect with 

and inspire others I am living the dream.  When I think back on my past, it seems 

surreal but I wouldn’t change a thing.  My hope is that I set an example for my kids 

and that this story connects with just one of you who are reading this. I believe that

by opening up and sharing my story and some of the lessons I have learned, it will 

help others in some way and even inspire someone else to do the same.  And to 

my mom, know that you have made a difference in me and now in others. If you

were to talk to her she would likely say "bless your heart" or something crazy like

"hot diggity," "dadgummit" or "I'll be a monkey's uncle!" And, finally, to you, the

reader, like my mom used to say, you are special and have a purpose.  Just take a

chance, know its ok to be vulnerable and have the faith to follow your heart and

maybe, just maybe together we can make a better world.  :)

Mom, with some of the grandkids and I a few years ago

Thanks mom, I love you.  I didn't get to build ya that spaceship, but maybe 

someone reading this will!

How to Make or Break a Habit

Happy new year everyone!!! Its been a while since i have made a post...actually I originally posted this article in Feb 2016.  Since it is about making habits, I figured it would be an ideal article for the new year.  2016 was a busy year for me.  I plan on making 2017 the year that i get back to writing and putting some new material on here.  I have a few ideas but if any of you have some suggestions on topics, please let me know.  

So lets talk about habits and why some work and some don't and how to get rid of harmful ones.

 First, I want to emphasize that I am not a doctor and recommend before you make any changes in diet or exercise, always consult with your doctor.  Now that I got out of the way, let's get to it.  We have all been there…we get inspired, make a plan to start working out or eating better and we dive in head first and everything is great for about, ohhh two weeks, then it fizzles out.  Sound familiar?  How do those other folks stick to their plan or those diets…how do they look like that!!! What do they know that I don't!!!  Well the answer lies in how we make things a habit.

Habits are routines that we develop and, once created, perform with little or no thought.  We get up, brush our teeth, go to the kitchen start coffee and sit down to read or turn on the TV…without even thinking about it.  Think about every habit…good or bad…that you currently have.  If we take a close look, we would find that each habit has a cue or trigger, followed by a routine and then a reward.  Habits often fail because we set a long term goal as the reward.  Here is the problem, if it is a longterm goal, then its gonna be a loooong time until we get the reward.  So how do we fix it?  Before we get there, let's take a closer look. 

First we have to recognize that once a habit is formed in our brain, it never goes away.  It can be modified if we practice, but two things remain: the cue and the reward.  The routine is the part we can change.  Take drinking alcohol for example.  Often folks begin drinking because they are around other people in a social setting.  So the cue is being in a social setting or wanting to feel connected to others.  Then they develop the routine of drinking when they get that cue and then experience the reward of feeling connected or relaxed.  So over time, every time they are in a social setting or want to feel connected they are cued to drink.  That is one part.  The next part comes later.  Over time, the reward of feeling connected or relaxed is achieved by the routine of drinking alcohol.  So when a person desires the reward of feeling connected or relaxed, they automatically go to the routine of drinking.  

The cues and rewards will always be there, but the routines can change.  With practice and some self awareness, when a person is cued to drink in a social setting, they can drink a cup of coffee or tea or chew gum…or whatever ya can think of.  Over time, the reward of feeling connected to others or relaxed is associated with a new routine.  What eventually happens when a person seeks that same reward is  they will find themselves craving to drink a cup of coffee or tea…or chew gum..and less likely drinking alcohol.  We can actually create and control our habits!

That is a very simple explanation of how habits work.  How do we apply that to exercise or nutrition?  Easy:

• Pick a goal (lose ten pounds, drink less, eat better, build muscle, feel better, look better, bench more, run a 5k race…etc.)
• Make a plan
• Create a cue…here are a few
• the alarm goes off 
• ya listen to music on your way to the gym 
• you open the fridge
• ya meet up with friends
• ya drink a cup of coffee 
• Create a routine with the cue
• the alarm goes off and ya go for a jog, or do push ups 
• when the fridge is opened ya grab a veggie
• begin training with others
• begin a sport
• ya do a workout after drinking coffee
• go play at a park
• Create a short term reward with the routine (some will happen automatically)
• by going for a jog ya feel more energy, confidence and alert
• improved mood, behavior and memory
• having fun
• the veggie take the edge of hunger 
• by training with others ya feel connected or happier
• get a smoothie or healthy snack after your workout

Before ya know it, in order to get the rewards, you will naturally seek the routines that provide the rewards.  When that happens, the cues and rewards will be a permanent part of the brain.  It will be a habit.  The trick is to create some cues, give them some routines and give yourself a short term reward for completing the routine.  That is the secret.  Long term goals are great, but it takes a long time to get the reward.  If we do not create some rewards with our cues and routines, the habit never forms and we are back to where we started.

Remember exercise doesn't have to be "work."  Make it fun, get involved in sports, join a class with others, go play.  Then when we crave having fun, we resort to the routine of exercising by doing something we enjoy…and are more likely to make it a habit. 

Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose fat, improve energy or just be happier, know that it can be done and you can do it.  It is just a matter of picking the goal, creating a plan, making a cue to each routine and a reward (many of which happen without us knowing) for each routine.  Then you will have formed a habit and people will be asking how YOU do it!

These are some simple guidelines to help you make some new habits and get your New Year off to a healthy start!   Remember, you have control of your habits!

Take care, and until next time, go get some sprints in and pick up something heavy.

Wanna learn more about this topic?  Then I highly recommend two books: The Power of Habit and Brain Rules….listed below.

References:

Duhigg, Charles.  The Power of Habit. The Random House Trade Paperbacks. 2012.

Journal of Clinical Investigation, NF-kB: a key role in inflammatory diseases, Published in Volume 107, Issue 1 (January 1, 2001), American Society for Clinical Investigation

Medina, John.  Brain Rules.  First Pear Press Publishing. 2009

Pubmed.com, 2006;8 Suppl 2:S3. Epub 2006 Jul 28.

How to Make or Break a Habit

New Year's Resolution woes got ya down?  It worked for a couple of weeks and then fell in the crapper.  What happened? How do I make it a habit or break old ones?

 First, I want to emphasize that I am not a doctor and recommend before you make any changes in diet or exercise, always consult with your doctor.  Now that I got out of the way, let's get to it.  We have all been there…we get inspired, make a plan to start working out or eating better and we dive in head first and everything is great for about, ohhh two weeks, then it fizzles out.  Sound familiar?  How do those other folks stick to their plan or those diets…how do they look like that!!! What do they know that I don't!!!  Well the answer lies in how we make things a habit.

Habits are routines that we develop and, once created, perform with little or no thought.  We get up, brush our teeth, go to the kitchen start coffee and sit down to read or turn on the TV…without even thinking about it.  Think about every habit…good or bad…that you currently have.  If we take a close look, we would find that each habit has a cue or trigger, followed by a routine and then a reward.  Habits often fail because we set a long term goal as the reward.  Here is the problem, if it is a longterm goal, then its gonna be a loooong time until we get the reward.  So how do we fix it?  Before we get there, let's take a closer look. 

First we have to recognize that once a habit is formed in our brain, it never goes away.  It can be modified if we practice, but two things remain: the cue and the reward.  The routine is the part we can change.  Take drinking alcohol for example.  Often folks begin drinking because they are around other people in a social setting.  So the cue is being in a social setting or wanting to feel connected to others.  Then they develop the routine of drinking when they get that cue and then experience the reward of feeling connected or relaxed.  So over time, every time they are in a social setting or want to feel connected they are cued to drink.  That is one part.  The next part comes later.  Over time, the reward of feeling connected or relaxed is achieved by the routine of drinking alcohol.  So when a person desires the reward of feeling connected or relaxed, they automatically go to the routine of drinking.  

The cues and rewards will always be there, but the routines can change.  With practice and some self awareness, when a person is cued to drink in a social setting, they can drink a cup of coffee or tea or chew gum…or whatever ya can think of.  Over time, the reward of feeling connected to others or relaxed is associated with a new routine.  What eventually happens when a person seeks that same reward is  they will find themselves craving to drink a cup of coffee or tea…or chew gum..and less likely drinking alcohol.  We can actually create and control our habits!

That is a very simple explanation of how habits work.  How do we apply that to exercise or nutrition?  Easy:

• Pick a goal (lose ten pounds, drink less, eat better, build muscle, feel better, look better, bench more, run a 5k race…etc.)
• Make a plan
• Create a cue…here are a few
• the alarm goes off 
• ya listen to music on your way to the gym 
• you open the fridge
• ya meet up with friends
• ya drink a cup of coffee 
• Create a routine with the cue
• the alarm goes off and ya go for a jog, or do push ups 
• when the fridge is opened ya grab a veggie
• begin training with others
• begin a sport
• ya do a workout after drinking coffee
• go play at a park
• Create a short term reward with the routine (some will happen automatically)
• by going for a jog ya feel more energy, confidence and alert
• improved mood, behavior and memory
• having fun
• the veggie take the edge of hunger 
• by training with others ya feel connected or happier
• get a smoothie or healthy snack after your workout

Before ya know it, in order to get the rewards, you will naturally seek the routines that provide the rewards.  When that happens, the cues and rewards will be a permanent part of the brain.  It will be a habit.  The trick is to create some cues, give them some routines and give yourself a short term reward for completing the routine.  That is the secret.  Long term goals are great, but it takes a long time to get the reward.  If we do not create some rewards with our cues and routines, the habit never forms and we are back to where we started.

Remember exercise doesn't have to be "work."  Make it fun, get involved in sports, join a class with others, go play.  Then when we crave having fun, we resort to the routine of exercising by doing something we enjoy…and are more likely to make it a habit. 

Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose fat, improve energy or just be happier, know that it can be done and you can do it.  It is just a matter of picking the goal, creating a plan, making a cue to each routine and a reward (many of which happen without us knowing) for each routine.  Then you will have formed a habit and people will be asking how YOU do it!

These are some simple guidelines to help you make some new habits and get your New Year off to a healthy start!   Remember, you have control of your habits!

Take care, and until next time, go get some sprints in and pick up something heavy.

Wanna learn more about this topic?  Then I highly recommend two books: The Power of Habit and Brain Rules….listed below.

References:

Duhigg, Charles.  The Power of Habit. The Random House Trade Paperbacks. 2012.

Journal of Clinical Investigation, NF-kB: a key role in inflammatory diseases, Published in Volume 107, Issue 1 (January 1, 2001), American Society for Clinical Investigation

Medina, John.  Brain Rules.  First Pear Press Publishing. 2009

Pubmed.com, 2006;8 Suppl 2:S3. Epub 2006 Jul 28.