tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085607847699715402024-03-05T21:22:12.188-06:00NO-MIND FITNESSColin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-41927383595194318142023-05-29T14:52:00.000-05:002023-05-29T14:52:21.664-05:00Memorial Day: Operation Red Wings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5L0vQXdw-CBa03NBw_zrcoqeYrt_ptZXnO3HpRrZ9eBnsIr6xa1x9rSbU49rMMbCJEidom4JdsxHGwq1m1hnPS1gSHUVaZ1Vklgaqg5XKbV7CG7CgwocBZpnxVRrQp6Cji9dtUrF0IIl-kOI_ISN_lzduLJMvW_KVu55DH_7XehquVlEgvedsB21/s1024/collage.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5L0vQXdw-CBa03NBw_zrcoqeYrt_ptZXnO3HpRrZ9eBnsIr6xa1x9rSbU49rMMbCJEidom4JdsxHGwq1m1hnPS1gSHUVaZ1Vklgaqg5XKbV7CG7CgwocBZpnxVRrQp6Cji9dtUrF0IIl-kOI_ISN_lzduLJMvW_KVu55DH_7XehquVlEgvedsB21/s600/collage.jpg"/></a>
<p>
On this Memorial Day, I would like to pay honor and respect to the fallen warriors from Operation Red Wings.<p>
On June 27, 2005 in Afghanistan, a team of four Navy SEALs were conducting a surveillance and reconnaissance mission when Taliban forces (led by Ahmad Shah) ambushed them. The SEALs were highly outnumbered, and three of the four (Michael Murphy, Matthew Axelson, and Danny Dietz) were killed in battle, while one (Marcus Luttrell) survived. Two quick reaction force Chinook helicopters flew in to assist the SEALs but a Taliban fighter, using an RPG, shot down one helicopter, killing all eight SEALs and eight SOAR aviators on board.<p>
Overall, this battle resulted in 19 US deaths. At the time, this event was the greatest single loss of life to US Naval Special Warfare to date.<p>
The 19 fallen US military servicemen were:<p>
<ul><li>Eleven Navy SEALs</li>
<ul><li>Michael P. Murphy (29, Medal of Honor Recipient)</li>
<li>Matthew Axelson (29)</li>
<li>Danny Dietz (25)</li>
<li>Jacques J. Fontan (36)</li>
<li>Daniel R. Healy (36)</li>
<li>Erik S. Kristensen (33)</li>
<li>Jeffery A. Lucas (33)</li>
<li>Michael M. McGreevy Jr. (30)</li>
<li>James E. Suh (28)</li>
<li>Jeffrey S. Taylor (30)</li>
<li>Shane E. Patton (22)</li></ul><p>
<li>Eight members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)</li>
<ul><li>Shamus O. Goare (29)</li>
<li>Corey J. Goodnature (35)</li>
<li>Kip A. Jacoby (21)</li>
<li>Marcus V. Muralles (33)</li>
<li>James W. Ponder III (36)</li>
<li>Stephen C. Reich (34)</li>
<li>Michael L. Russell (31)</li>
<li>Chris J. Scherkenbach (40)</li></ul><p>
</ul>
<br>
Warriors, I honor and salute you.<p>
REST IN PEACE.<p>
------------<p>
For more information about Operation Red Wings:<p>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Red_Wings">Wikipedia article</a><p>
Marcus Luttrell’s ‘<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067601/">Lone Survivor</a>’ (firsthand account)<p>
The film ‘<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Blu-ray-Mark-Wahlberg/dp/B07VVV2GRL/">Lone Survivor</a>’<p>
If you would like to support members of the Naval Special Warfare community through charity, please donate to the <a href="https://www.navysealfoundation.org/">Navy SEAL Foundation</a>.
<br>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-87376606150618956642022-10-13T16:00:00.000-05:002022-10-13T16:00:06.242-05:00Battle of Mogadishu<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTtqQdIk-xDJwj5Mr9XLSmKzbqyPJUaGUgtAG2oETUcADxf-6x1kQgEOoShxbHxkLxXSrh6hOjO5jxvbW7HXkC0OcFoTMHoYk47ux6e3AHwl2ejCFfzkVKJa_PLS6jkf2fNKRgFgsyBFPkHFfJWh_d-hHxUqRRrgPI1MZZapjbLPbO_HtMnLZE8Gb/s1748/battle%20of%20mogadishu%20-%20remembrance%20service.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1748" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTtqQdIk-xDJwj5Mr9XLSmKzbqyPJUaGUgtAG2oETUcADxf-6x1kQgEOoShxbHxkLxXSrh6hOjO5jxvbW7HXkC0OcFoTMHoYk47ux6e3AHwl2ejCFfzkVKJa_PLS6jkf2fNKRgFgsyBFPkHFfJWh_d-hHxUqRRrgPI1MZZapjbLPbO_HtMnLZE8Gb/s600/battle%20of%20mogadishu%20-%20remembrance%20service.jpg"/></a>
<p>
I would like to pay honor and respect to the fallen warriors from the Battle of Mogadishu, which took place roughly 29 years ago.<p>
On October 3, 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia, US troops conducted a raid to capture two lieutenants of Mohammed Farah Aidid (head of the Somali National Alliance). This raid ended up becoming an overnight standoff and rescue operation lasting into the next day. In particular, using RPGs, Somali militia members shot down three US Black Hawk helicopters, two of which crashed deep in hostile territory. US troops then defended, overnight, the two downed helicopters and its survivors.<p>
Overall, this battle resulted in 19 US deaths and 73 wounded—at the time, the deadliest battle involving US troops since the Vietnam War.<p>
The 19 fallen US military servicemen were:<p>
<ul><li>Six operators of 1st SFOD-D (Delta)</li>
<ul><li>Gary I. Gordon (33, Medal of Honor recipient)</li>
<li>Randy Shughart (35, Medal of Honor recipient)</li>
<li>Daniel D. Busch (25)</li>
<li>Earl R. Fillmore, Jr. (28)</li>
<li>Timothy L. Martin (38)</li>
<li>Matthew L. Rierson (33)</li></ul><p>
<li>Six soldiers of the 75th Ranger Regiment (3rd Ranger Battalion)</li>
<ul><li>James E. Smith (21)</li>
<li>James M. Cavaco (26)</li>
<li>James C. Joyce (24)</li>
<li>Richard W. Kowalewski, Jr. (20)</li>
<li>Dominick M. Pilla (21)</li>
<li>Lorenzo M. Ruiz (27)</li></ul><p>
<li>Five members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)</li>
<ul><li>William D. Cleveland, Jr. (34)</li>
<li>Thomas J. Field (25)</li>
<li>Raymond A. Frank (45)</li>
<li>Clifton P. Wolcott (36)</li>
<li>Donovan L. Briley (33)</li></ul><p>
<li>Two soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division</li>
<ul><li>Cornell L. Houston, Sr. (31)</li>
<li>James H. Martin, Jr. (23)</li></ul>
</ul>
<br>
Warriors, I honor and salute you.<p>
REST IN PEACE.<p>
------------<p>
For more information about the Battle of Mogadishu:<p>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mogadishu_%281993%29">Wikipedia article</a><p>
Tom Satterly’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Secure-Operators-Battlefield-Homefront/dp/1546076573/">‘All Secure’</a> (firsthand account by a Delta operator)<p>
Mark Bowden's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hawk-Down-Story-Modern/dp/080214473X/">‘Black Hawk Down’</a><p>
Ridley Scott’s film <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hawk-Down-Blu-ray-Hartnett/dp/B000G0O5N2/">‘Black Hawk Down’</a><p>
If you would like to support members of the 1st SFOD-D (Delta) community through charity, please donate to the <a href="https://theunitfoundation.com/">Unit Foundation</a>.
<br>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-60306871867201470732022-05-30T19:37:00.002-05:002022-10-13T15:54:24.732-05:00Memorial Day: Extortion 17<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oE9DzwcQNhetm8pB01gPvPqBdNXN8jxUECWt-YIJZSAhN3EsPIQYEGlWMXEp6sF0MBevnAnirSzl-ts9ZOv_GlWjL7Oflr9303oJasAH21VFQ0S_9i6eeQi4ZnB8MH3EIVZlchM45OQCLCkpiWHraCUQ4T3A9FxKpP5zKC6Vmdy7Nmj1JsTpilDF/s600/extortion%2017.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oE9DzwcQNhetm8pB01gPvPqBdNXN8jxUECWt-YIJZSAhN3EsPIQYEGlWMXEp6sF0MBevnAnirSzl-ts9ZOv_GlWjL7Oflr9303oJasAH21VFQ0S_9i6eeQi4ZnB8MH3EIVZlchM45OQCLCkpiWHraCUQ4T3A9FxKpP5zKC6Vmdy7Nmj1JsTpilDF/s600/extortion%2017.jpg"/></a>
<p>
On this Memorial Day, I would like to pay honor and respect to the fallen warriors from Extortion 17.<p>
In Afghanistan on August 6, 2011, a Chinook helicopter (call sign Extortion 17) was shot down, killing 30 US military servicemen, one US military dog, seven Afghan National Army commandos, and one Afghan civilian interpreter.<p>
Overall, this event was the greatest single loss of life to US Naval Special Warfare in the Afghan War.<p>
The 30 fallen US military servicemen included (among others):<p>
• 17 Navy SEALs, including 15 DEVGRU (Naval Special Warfare Development Group) operators<p>
• Four Naval Special Warfare support personnel: two EOD technicians, one cryptologic technician, and one information systems technician<p>
• One military working dog handler<p>
<br>
These Naval Special Warfare members were:<p>
• Lieutenant Commander (SEAL) – Jonas B. Kelsall<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Louis J. Langlais<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Thomas A. Ratzlaff<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Brian R. Bill<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – John W. Faas<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Kevin A. Houston<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Matthew D. Mason<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Stephen M. Mills<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Robert J. Reeves<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) – Heath M. Robinson<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) – Darrik C. Benson<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) – Christopher G. Campbell<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) – Jon T. Tumilson<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) – Aaron C. Vaughn<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) – Jason R. Workman<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) – Jesse D. Pittman<p>
• Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) – Nicholas P. Spehar<p>
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer – Kraig M. Vickers<p>
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer – Nicholas H. Null<p>
• Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class – Michael J. Strange<p>
• Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class – Jared W. Day<p>
• Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class – John Douangdara<p>
<br>
Warriors, I honor and salute you.<p>
REST IN PEACE.<p>
<br>
<i>Note: If you would like to support members of the Naval Special Warfare community through charity, please donate to the <a href="https://www.navysealfoundation.org/">Navy SEAL Foundation</a></i>.
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-12940968981061216662020-05-19T17:01:00.000-05:002020-05-19T17:01:56.900-05:00Dunkirk<br>
In light of the global coronavirus pandemic, I recommend watching Christopher Nolan’s <i>Dunkirk</i> (2017), which portrays the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation">evacuation</a> of over 330,000 British and French Allied troops from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, in 1940 during World War II.<p>
Overall, before the evacuation, the Germans kicked the crap out of the British, French, and Belgian troops; it was “a colossal military disaster” for the British. But fortunately, over 330,000 Allied troops evacuated from Dunkirk, lived to fight another day, and ultimately prevailed against the Nazis in World War II.<p>
In life, sometimes you get your ass kicked. Sometimes you get absolutely hammered and crushed. Sometimes you suffer a colossal defeat or disaster.<p>
Currently, the US is getting hammered and crushed by the coronavirus. Currently, we are experiencing a colossal defeat or disaster: over 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases; over 90,000 deaths; a severe economic recession; and an extremely incompetent, deranged, nihilistic president who takes responsibility for nothing.<p>
But we shall overcome. We will get through this. We will live to fight another day.<p>
The sky is always darkest before dawn.<p>
--------------------------------------------<p>
<br>
SPOILER: Here is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1WYb6CFVe0">film’s ending</a>, and here is the relevant text from Winston Churchill’s “<a href="https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches/">We Shall Fight on the Beaches</a>” speech:<p>
<blockquote>Nevertheless, our thankfulness at the escape of our Army and so many men, whose loved ones have passed through an agonizing week, must not blind us to the fact that <b>what has happened in France and Belgium is a colossal military disaster</b>…<p>
I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, <b>we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone</b>. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s Government—every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. <b>We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old</b>.<p></blockquote>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-86606965238107836922020-05-02T12:30:00.000-05:002020-05-17T14:31:21.731-05:00Hypothetical Scenario - The Dark Knight Rises<br>
Given the global coronavirus pandemic, I am posting an additional hypothetical scenario from the <i><a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/03/self-mastery-guide.html">NO-MIND FITNESS Self-Mastery Guide</a></i>. (Here are <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/03/hypothetical-scenarios.html">other hypothetical scenarios</a>.) This scenario comes from the 2012 film <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i>. You can watch the relevant scenes here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ancPibgH6Bw&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqratVXzDZJwmbGgbnQ5v0C0&index=4&t=0s">Part 1</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvwTx1UWswQ">Part 2</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZmvQ5Qc9Rs">Part 3</a>.<p>
Overall, these scenes superbly portray mental toughness. Rise.<p>
--------------------------------------------<p>
<br>
You are Batman (Bruce Wayne) in the film <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i>. You confront and fight Bane. (‘Bane’ literally means something that causes death, destruction, or ruin.) He ends up kicking your ass, crushing you, and breaking your lower back.<p>
He leaves you in an underground prison (Hell on Earth) somewhere in Asia. He leaves you in a prison cell with a television playing the news, so that you can watch the fall of Gotham City. Having already broken your back, he now wants to break your spirit and then have you rot and die.<p>
You essentially have two options.<p>
<b>Option 1:</b> Quit. Feel sorry for yourself. Fold under pressure and emotional duress. Surrender to the circumstances. Lie helplessly in bed with a broken lower back and watch Gotham City fall.<p>
<b>Option 2:</b> Rise. Fight. Refuse to surrender.<p>
Let the prison doctor fix your lower back. In your prison cell, rehabilitate yourself by doing progressively harder bodyweight workouts: push-ups, pull-ups, air squats, burpees, sit-ups, back extensions, etc.<p>
Once you have rehabilitated yourself, climb out of the underground prison to the land above. Ascend the cylindrical wall. If you fall several times, so be it. Get right back up and plan your next attempt. Eventually, you will succeed.<p>
Once you have escaped from the prison, return to Gotham City and defend it. Stop and terminate Bane.<p>
If you choose the second option, if you choose to fight and never surrender, then you are acting from a place of inner strength: mental toughness and an elite positive attitude.<p>
Your attitude is your ultimate weapon.<p>
With an elite positive attitude, you will not fail but succeed. You will not die or merely survive, but thrive.<p>
“In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail.” -- Navy SEAL Creed<p>
“I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity… If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.” -- Navy SEAL Creed<p>
<br>
<i>Last revised 5/17/2020</i>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-8112213118261232322020-04-26T15:48:00.000-05:002020-05-17T16:15:01.936-05:00How to Deal with the Coronavirus Pandemic<br>
<b>PERSPECTIVE</b><p>
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is rocking the world. Many countries and almost all US states have lockdowns or “shelter in place” orders. In Illinois, we have a “stay at home” order through the end of May. In Chicago, the Lakefront Trail and all adjacent parks (e.g. Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park, Lake Shore Park), beaches, and paths are closed. Nationally, the US has over 900,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 53,000 deaths (a 5.7% death rate). Overall, this nation is facing serious adversity in many respects.<p>
However, it is important to maintain perspective: the situation could always be worse. In particular, we are not engaging in direct, violent combat against a hostile, human force. We are not storming Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, as Nazis are mowing us down with machine guns. We are not defending the pass of Thermopylae, Greece, and fighting until the death against millions of Persians invading our homeland. We are not conducting special operations combat missions. Unlike Marcus Luttrell in <i>Lone Survivor</i>, we do not have many Taliban fighters hunting us down on an Afghanistan mountain after they have killed the rest of our teammates.<p>
Instead, we are dealing with a global pandemic that involves a highly contagious virus that, in the US, has a roughly 6% death rate. However, again, the situation could be much worse. This is not the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubonic_plague">bubonic plague</a>, which has a death rate of 30-90% without treatment and a death rate of 10% with treatment. This is not the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death">Black Death</a> (a.k.a. the Great Bubonic Plague) from the mid-1300s CE, which killed 75-200 million in Eurasia and 30-60% of Europe’s population. This is not the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_disease">Ebola virus disease</a>, which has an average death rate of 50%. So, yes, we should take the coronavirus very seriously, practice social distancing, quarantine at home, etc. but we should not think that this pandemic will play out like the Black Death and wipe out one-half or one-quarter of the US population. In particular, we should not live in a constant, heightened state of fear, terror, and anxiety, although we should follow all the necessary precautions.<p>
<br>
<b>PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE CORONOVIRUS</b><p>
In order to protect yourself from the coronavirus, follow these guidelines, which conform to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html">CDC guidelines</a>:<p>
• Stay at home as much as possible. Avoid going outside unless you’re shopping for groceries, picking up prescriptions or supplies, going for a walk or run, walking your pet, etc.<p>
• When you go outside, practice social distancing. Stay at least six feet away from other people. It’s okay to maintain a distance of 10 feet or more. Avoid crowds.<p>
• When you go outside, wear a cloth, surgical, or N95 face mask. This will help you protect yourself from others in case they have COVID-19 (asymptomatically or symptomatically), and it will help protect others from yourself in case you have COVID-19 (asymptomatically or symptomatically). In addition, wearing a mask will help prevent you from touching your face.<p>
• When you go outside, NEVER, EVER touch your face. According to <a href="https://vimeo.com/399733860?fbclid=IwAR1_k3go6uGitrs4YWVyI17m4S_VV7r2D9yqpRU2sotq9phyxtqyUCK146s">this New York City ICU doctor who treats COVID-19 patients all day</a>, people get the virus predominantly when they touch a contaminated surface (e.g. elevator buttons or public door handles), get the virus on their hands, and then touch their face. The virus then enters through their eyes, nose, or mouth and infects them.<p>
• In general, whether inside or outside, constantly watch your hands. Be a hand Nazi. Avoid touching your face.<p>
• After you have touched any public surface (e.g. elevator buttons or door handles), wash your hands or apply hand sanitizer.<p>
• After you have touched any public surface, DO NOT touch your face whatsoever until you have washed or sanitized your hands.<p>
• Whenever you leave your home (e.g. to shop for groceries, walk your pet, take out the garbage, pick up a package delivered outside), immediately wash your hands upon returning.<p>
• Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray to clean high-touch surfaces (e.g. light switches, door handles, faucet handles, refrigerator handles, microwave handles, oven handles, dishwasher handles, counters, smartphones, tablets, etc.) daily or 2-3 times weekly. You should do it daily if you’re symptomatic or otherwise sick.<p>
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow crook or a tissue, which you should then throw away.<p>
• If you have any coronavirus symptoms (fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of smell), see the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html">CDC guidelines</a>.<p>
<br>
So diligently follow these guidelines, hunker down, and be EXTREMELY patient with respect to this pandemic. The coronavirus is very patient, much more patient than we humans tend to be. In response, we need to be EXTREMELY patient, diligent, and thorough in terms of social distancing, wearing masks in public, washing hands, using hand sanitizer, coughing or sneezing into our elbow crooks, not touching our faces, quarantining ourselves when appropriate, and so on. Overall, this pandemic is a marathon or ultra-marathon, not a sprint. And we need to take it one step, one quarter-mile, one mile, one evolution, one training session, one day at a time.<p>
In order to pace ourselves through this marathon, we need things to do during this pandemic.<p>
<br>
<b>THINGS YOU CAN DO DURING THE PANDEMIC</b><p>
1. Meditate once or twice daily for 10-20 minutes. If you have never meditated, start now: do 10 minutes once daily. Daily meditation will not only help relieve stress and anxiety (which are currently surging due to the pandemic) but also increase your focus, discipline, awareness, presence, and mindfulness. Here are <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/09/zazen-instructions.html">zazen instructions</a>.<p><br>
2. Exercise 4-6 days per week. Exercise is critical for your physical, mental, and emotional health. Exercise should consist of (1) resistance workouts and (2) cardio.<p>
<ul><li>Do resistance workouts at home 2-3 days per week on non-consecutive days</li>
<ul><li>If you have adjustable dumbbells (DBs), do DB resistance workouts: DB bench press, DB press, DB push press, DB bent-over row, DB front squat, DB lunge, DB deadlift, etc.</li><br>
<li>If you lack DBs or just prefer calisthenics, you can do bodyweight resistance workouts: push-ups, pull-ups/chin-ups, air squats, lunges, sit-ups, crunches, planks, burpees, etc. If you have an adjustable weighted vest and can handle it, do bodyweight resistance workouts with the weighted vest. But do not start too heavy with the weighted vest. Start with roughly 10% of your bodyweight (e.g. 10% of 200lb is 20lb). You can increase the weight on the vest gradually and progressively over time.</li><br>
<li>If you would like me to program DB or bodyweight workouts customized for you, sign up for <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/p/monthly-programming-and-initial.html">monthly programming</a>. Or you can purchase the NO-MIND FITNESS <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/08/bodyweight-training-plan.html">Bodyweight Training Plan</a> or the <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/11/novice-bodyweight-training-plan.html">Novice Bodyweight Training Plan</a>.</li><br>
</ul>
<li>Do cardio 2-3 days per week on non-consecutive days. Here are some cardio options:</li>
<ul><li>Run outside</li>
<li>Walk or hike outside (without weight)</li>
<li>Ruck outside (i.e. hike with a rucksack or weighted vest)</li>
<li>Jump-rope indoors</li>
<li>Do jumping jacks indoors</li>
<li>Do martial arts shadow-boxing indoors. This does not require gloves, a punching bag, sparring partner, etc. But ease into it the first few times you do it.</li><br>
</ul>
</ul>
3. DO NOT watch any television news: CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, local news, etc.<p>
<ul><li>The television mainstream media are trying to spread massive fear, terror, and anxiety by means of emotional contagion. They are doing this partly because they want to maximize their ratings and advertising revenue. After all, “if it bleeds, it leads.” Or in this case: “If it is killing tens of thousands of Americans, it leads and dominates all coverage.”</li><p>
<li>Instead of watching television news, choose your favorite mainstream news website and spend 10-20 minutes daily reading the most important articles. You need to stay generally informed about the pandemic but do not constantly read about it. Moderation is critical.</li><p>
<li>However, if you insist on watching television news, watch only one mainstream news program daily for 30-60 minutes. Once the program ends, do not watch anymore. Practice moderation.</li><br>
</ul>
4. Read books, especially long ones (400+ pages). If you cannot handle long books, read short books (200 or fewer pages). In particular, if you want to improve your mental toughness during this pandemic, I recommend reading the following books or articles:<p>
<ul><li>“<a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2016/09/create-yourself-do-not-destroy-yourself.html">Create Yourself. Do Not Destroy Yourself</a>.” [highly recommended]</li><br>
<li><a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/03/self-mastery-guide.html"><i>The NO-MIND FITNESS Self-Mastery Guide</i></a> [highly recommended]</li><br>
<li>Marcus Luttrell’s <i>Lone Survivor</i></li><br>
<li>Mark Divine’s <i>The Way of the SEAL</i></li><br>
<li>David Goggins’s <i>Can’t Hurt Me</i></li><br>
</ul>
5. Maintain good hygiene. Do not let yourself go to crap. Shower daily. Shave as often as you usually do (e.g. daily, twice weekly, weekly). Trim your fingernails and toenails regularly. If you’re a female who really wants a manicure or pedicure, then give yourself one at home, even if it’s not as relaxing, luxurious, or pampering. Given the circumstances, just pamper yourself at home. You can even give yourself daily or weekly foot massages for free.<p><br>
6. If you’re a male, you have several options regarding your hair.<p>
<ul><li>You can grow out your hair during the pandemic lockdown and then get a haircut once barbershops and hair salons re-open. This applies to females as well.</li><br>
<li>Or you can give yourself a haircut. If you want the simplest haircut, give yourself a buzz-cut: use clippers (e.g. at setting 2 or 3) to uniformly shave your head. Or you can use clippers and scissors to give yourself a more difficult haircut (e.g. a side-part or faux-hawk) but <u>watch several relevant YouTube videos beforehand</u> so that you have some idea of what to do. Or you can just use clippers and/or scissors to trim your sideburns, the area around your ears, and your neckline.</li><br>
<li>If you cut your own hair, be patient and take your time. Do not worry about it looking perfect or great. The first time you cut your own hair (unless it’s a buzz-cut), it will likely look mediocre. Do not stress. Your hair will grow out. You will likely improve the next time you cut your hair, or you can just have your barber or hair stylist do it.</li><br>
</ul>
7. Go outside for a walk daily or once or twice weekly. This will help relieve cabin fever. Wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet away from others.<p><br>
8. Talk to your family and friends via phone, text, email, or video. You could also use social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) but I think the first four methods are far superior.<p><br>
9. Listen to your favorite music albums or podcasts.<p><br>
10. Watch movies or TV shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. But practice moderation. Do not just binge all day, every day.<p><br>
11. Play board games, card games, or videogames. Practice moderation.<p><br>
12. If you are ambitious, learn a new foreign language or review one with which you’re already familiar. For example, you can do Pimsleur audio courses or Rosetta Stone courses.<p><br>
13. Start a new hobby (e.g. cooking or sewing).<p><br>
14. Work on home projects (e.g. clearing out your attic, basement, garage, or closet).<p><br>
15. If you’re married or cohabitating with your significant other, spend quality time together but also give each other sufficient personal space. Do not drive each other nuts. In particular, you should establish a “no fighting” rule. This pandemic is already very stressful for many households; fighting with your significant other will make matters even worse.<p><br>
16. If you’re single and you do not want to date anyone during this pandemic, then that’s perfectly okay. The pandemic will not last forever. It will probably last one year at most, and you can use this time to really work on yourself and improve yourself.<p><br>
17. If you’re single and you still want to date during this pandemic, then do it all online: Tinder, Bumble, Match.com, Plenty of Fish, OK Cupid, Facetime, Zoom, Skype, etc. However, DO NOT meet in person until the lockdown has been phased out significantly (e.g. most businesses are open). At that point, maybe you can meet in person but ensure that your date has no coronavirus symptoms (fever, dry cough, shortness of breath). Single boys and girls, DO NOT lie about your symptoms.<p><br>
18. If you can afford it, donate to charities (e.g. <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/">Feeding America</a>, your local food charity, or <a href="https://getusppe.org/">GetUsPPE</a>).<p><br>
19. If you can afford it, order take-out or delivery food once every weekend or every other weekend, in order to support local restaurants that are still open.<p><br>
20. If you have any elderly neighbors, ask them if they need any assistance (e.g. shopping for groceries). If you have any neighbors who get sick with COVID-19 and need assistance (e.g. with groceries), then help them but follow the necessary precautions (e.g. leave groceries outside their door while wearing a face mask; do not make any physical contact with them).<p><br>
21. DO NOT hoard massively. You DO NOT need a one-year supply of toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, etc. Instead, buy one large or bulk pack of toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, etc. that will last 2-4 months. Once that pack starts running low, buy another one. Those who are massively hoarding these essential products are extremely selfish and immoral, and they are indirectly risking harm to others who cannot purchase them.<p><br>
<b>CONCLUSION</b><p>
In summary, we should take the coronavirus very seriously, follow the necessary precautions, but maintain perspective: we are not engaging in direct, violent combat with a hostile, human force, and we are not dealing with the Black Death. In particular, we should not live in a constant, heightened state of fear, terror, and anxiety. This pandemic is a marathon or ultra-marathon, not a sprint, and we need to take it one day at a time. In order to pace ourselves through this marathon, we can do many things: meditate, exercise, read books, maintain good hygiene, go outside for walks, talk to family and friends, listen to music, watch movies or TV shows, play games, start a new hobby, work on home projects, and so on. And remember: nothing lasts forever, and this too shall pass.<p>
<br>
<i>Last revised 5/17/2020</i>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-8853741900128358512020-01-31T16:14:00.000-06:002020-01-31T16:14:56.013-06:00Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_Bw1_q32-29UMPXaep6pR7asrbzRtjT3RLWQx-dVAN4KHkc0p6KVxyMMmdoOzage8eIOg-NQ8id9H-F8QpdnrLC_uERbQhMsP-3j4mff5hMnIZbp73cJNr4EgqbXV92KOHfCzBFUsDU/s1600/kobe+bryant+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_Bw1_q32-29UMPXaep6pR7asrbzRtjT3RLWQx-dVAN4KHkc0p6KVxyMMmdoOzage8eIOg-NQ8id9H-F8QpdnrLC_uERbQhMsP-3j4mff5hMnIZbp73cJNr4EgqbXV92KOHfCzBFUsDU/s400/kobe+bryant+3.jpg" width="400" height="224" data-original-width="768" data-original-height="431" /></a>
<br>
<br>
Rest in Peace, Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant.<p>
I offer my deepest condolences to his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and their surviving daughters, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.<p>
Kobe, I remember when you were an NBA rookie and won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. You showed a lot of potential but you were still “green” then.<p>
You ended up improving, progressing, and growing to a ridiculous degree: you won (5) NBA championships, (2) NBA Finals MVP awards, (1) NBA MVP award, (18) NBA All-Star appearances, and (2) Olympic Gold medals.<p>
You were not only one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but also a true warrior who embraced Zen and the Growth Mindset. (For example, see his remarks about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeJroG3YsZw&list=PLAL0K3d-vmwnK1y3QhzVNB4AcQeqaK0nj&index=3&t=0s">learning</a>.)<p>
Kobe, you will be missed greatly. REST IN PEACE.<p>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-74710390307185351882019-01-26T20:16:00.000-06:002019-01-29T17:44:12.663-06:00David Goggins<br>
David Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL who has also completed Army Ranger School and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. In addition, he is a world-class ultra-marathon runner. I recommend watching this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHx2DpROS3g&list=FLldIdlPRzFHh4DpsX5o8Kjg&index=5">short speech</a> by him and listening to the <a href="https://unbeatablemind.com/david-goggins/">Unbeatable Mind Podcast</a> featuring him.<p>
I also recommend his book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Hurt-Me-Master-Your/dp/1544512287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548804418&sr=8-1&keywords=can%27t+hurt+me"><i>Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds</i></a>.<p>
Overall, Goggins is quite extreme and he has made some very imprudent training decisions. But nevertheless he has overcome extreme adversity:<p>
1. He has the sickle cell trait.<p>
2. For most of his life, he had a poker-chip-sized hole in his heart.<p>
3. His father physically abused him and his mother.<p>
4. He attended virtually an all-white high school in Indiana, where he was bullied mercilessly, repeatedly called the n-word, etc.<p>
5. He graduated from high school with a 0.90 GPA, since he missed so many days of school due to the bullying.<p>
6. His mother worked three jobs while going to college.<p>
7. At BUD/S, he repeated Hell Week twice (so three times total).<p>
8. He completed part of Air Force Pararescue training and then found out he had the sickle cell trait, which led to him ultimately dropping out.<p>
9. He lost almost 100lb in two months when he wanted to become a SEAL and had only two months left to enlist in the Navy.<p>
In virtue of overcoming all this adversity, he demonstrates extreme mental toughness, mental fortitude, mental resilience, and mental tenacity.<p>
<br>
<i>Last revised 1/29/2019</i>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-58816118860488586652019-01-15T09:23:00.000-06:002019-01-15T09:25:01.697-06:00Mentally Prepare Yourself for Winter 2018-19<br>
In Chicago, January tends to be the coldest winter month. So I would like to remind you of the principles in my post, <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/11/how-to-thrive-during-long-harsh-winters.html">“How to Thrive during Long, Harsh Winters.”</a><p>
In summary:<p>
1. Embrace winter.<br>
2. Always think positively.<br>
3. Never complain about the weather.<br>
4. Surround yourself with positive people.<br>
5. Meditate daily.<br>
6. Work out consistently.<br>
7. Stay busy and productive.<br><p>
You should be thriving, not just surviving, in winter.<p>
Break through any mental barriers that you impose on yourself.<p>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-41155523171226186692017-07-21T17:34:00.000-05:002017-07-25T18:05:36.029-05:00Act Rationally, Not Irrationally<br>
We live in an age of deep irrationality: irrational Tweets, irrational YouTube comments, rampant claims of “fake news,” increased incivility, increased rancor, increased bullying, increased physical threats, mass shootings, and so on. If we seriously want to save and improve this country; if we do not want to descend into a civil war or a Hobbesian war of all against all; if we do not want America or modern Western civilization to perish like Ancient Greece or Rome; then we must strive to act rationally, reasonably, and prudently. Regardless of your political party (Democrat, Republican, or Independent) or political ideology (socialist, liberal, centrist, conservative, or libertarian), you should strive to act rationally, reasonably, and prudently. In this article, I will define acting rationally versus irrationally, present strong reasons for acting rationally, and list many particular irrational actions that we should avoid doing in various areas of our lives.<p>
<br>
<b>ACTING RATIONALLY</b><p>
What does it mean to act rationally or reasonably? Acting rationally or reasonably means deciding how to act (largely) <i>based on strong reasons, justification, or evidence</i>. If you decide how to act based on weak reasons/justification/evidence or based on no reasons/justification/evidence at all, then you are acting irrationally or unreasonably. Oftentimes when we act irrationally, we do so because we are acting emotionally. Acting emotionally means deciding how to act primarily or solely based on emotions. Acting emotionally does not necessarily mean acting irrationally but acting irrationally often involves acting emotionally. So acting emotionally and acting rationally are logically compatible. In particular, you can decide how to act based <i>primarily</i> on emotions and <i>secondarily</i> on strong reasons, justification, or evidence.<p>
For example, if someone murders your child, you will very likely feel intense emotions (e.g. anger, rage, fury, heartbreak, depression) and based primarily on these emotions you might decide to fully cooperate with the police and strongly pressure them so that they arrest the murderer, so that he ultimately gets sentenced to life in prison. In this case, your emotions primarily drive your decision but you still have very strong reasons and justification for the decision: the perpetrator murdered your child and you want him to be held accountable for his actions, for the sake of justice or morality, or for the sake of other, potential victims in the future. And you can easily articulate these reasons and justification if someone asks you, “Why did you decide to fully cooperate with the police and strongly pressure them?” So this is a case of acting emotionally and acting rationally.<p>
Now, some may argue that humans, by nature, live in accordance with their emotions, not rationality. That is, we are primarily driven by our emotions, not reason. In response, I concede that emotions are important to some degree, depending on the context. For example, emotions are important in friendships, dating, engagement, marriage, family life, celebrations, and tragedies. But, in general, you should not decide how to act based solely or primarily on emotions, which can vacillate and be very volatile and which others can manipulate. Instead, in general, you should decide how to act <i>based primarily on strong reasons, justification, or evidence</i>, while still possibly assigning some weight to your emotions based on the context and type of decision you’re making.<p>
For example, when you’re deciding whom you should vote for president, senator, or congressional representative, you should base that decision primarily on strong reasons, justification, or evidence, not emotions. You should focus on the political candidate’s experience, judgment, temperament, character, intelligence, proposed policies, and political ideology. You should not focus on how he or she makes you feel emotionally; how much you can relate to him or her; his or her gender, race, sexual orientation, or religion; the negative attack ads coming from either side; or the horserace aspect of the campaign. I consider those factors completely irrelevant.<p>
Similarly, when you’re deciding how to structure your 401K or IRA portfolio, you should base that decision entirely on strong reasons, justification, or evidence, not emotions. If you invest based primarily on your emotions (e.g. following the hype and ups and downs of the stock market), you will likely do poorly. For example, you will buy assets when they’re high and sell when they’re low, when you want to buy low and sell high when it comes to long-term investments.<p>
However, when you’re deciding whether to get engaged, get married, get divorced, have children, or form friendships, emotions will play a huge role but you should still assess your reasons. You do not want to get married or have children, for example, when it’s a totally irrational decision.<p>
<br>
<b>WHY ACT RATIONALLY?</b><p>
But why should we act rationally? Why should we, in general, decide how to act based primarily on strong reasons, justification, or evidence, not emotions? What is the justification for acting rationally? I can think of four major justifications for acting rationally.<p>
First, to the extent that everyone lives strictly in accordance with their emotions and fully disregards rationality (i.e. reasons, justification, and evidence), we will have a <i>more</i> dysfunctional, stormy, impulsive, volatile, violent society and world. If (virtually) everyone is constantly going through the emotional ups and downs and shuns rationality, this will largely shape society and the world for the worse. In contrast, to the extent that everyone lives in accordance with rationality (i.e. strong reasons, justification, and evidence) and regulates their emotions, we will have a <i>less</i> dysfunctional, stormy, impulsive, volatile, violent society and world. If (virtually) everyone is acting rationally and regulating their emotions, this will largely shape society and the world for the better.<p>
Second, if you live strictly in accordance with your emotions and fully disregard rationality, others can manipulate you based on your emotions. Advertising and propaganda function in exactly this manner: the media, corporations, politicians, the government, and the military definitely use advertising and propaganda to appeal to your emotions, manipulate them, and get you to act a certain way. In general, advertisers and propagandists (e.g. Joseph Goebbels) want you to act based strictly on your emotions (especially your “reptilian brain”), not reason or rationality. To be fair, not all advertising/propaganda is malevolent, much of it is just trying to get you to buy stuff, but you should still be aware of how advertising/propaganda works. In contrast, if you live in accordance with rationality (i.e. strong reasons, justification, and evidence) and regulate your emotions, you will be less vulnerable to advertisers, propagandists, con artists, and others trying to emotionally manipulate you. Thinking rationally and critically helps you see through the manipulation and nonsense.<p>
Third, I believe that the universe holds you accountable for your actions, in one way or another. This is the law of karma. Insofar as you act virtuously, the universe will reward you in one way or another: good things will happen to you. Insofar as you act immorally or wickedly, the universe will punish you in one way or another: bad things will happen to you. Insofar as you act irrationally or stupidly, the universe will hold you accountable for such irrationality or stupidity. If you make a foolish mistake due to immaturity or poor judgment but this mistake doesn’t harm others, the universe will somehow make you feel the repercussions but it will not severely punish you. But if you make an extremely stupid, immoral decision (e.g. going on a shooting spree and murdering many innocent people), the universe will severely punish you.<p>
Fourth, irrationality, stupidity, and immorality have a price. When you do irrational, stupid, or immoral things, you must suffer the consequences. When you do extremely irrational, stupid, or immoral things, you will likely suffer extreme consequences. For example, if they are arrested and convicted, serial killers often get life imprisonment or the death penalty, and serial rapists often get long prison sentences. In addition, the Nazis acted extremely immorally and look at how they turned out: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and Heinrich Himmler, among others, committed suicide at the end of World War II; many leading Nazis were sentenced to death at the 1945-46 Nuremburg Trials; and since 1945, Nazis (e.g. Adolf Eichmann) have been hunted worldwide and brought to justice.<p>
<br>
<b>EXAMPLES</b><p>
Having discussed what acting rationally means and why we should act rationally, I will now list various irrational, unreasonable, or imprudent things that you <i>should not</i> do. These irrational deeds fall under different categories: general behavior, politics, violence, personal finance, fitness, dating, and plastic surgery. This list is by no means exhaustive. I encourage you to make your own list of other irrational things that you should avoid doing.<p>
<br>
<b>GENERAL BEHAVIOR AND POLITICS</b><p>
• Do not constantly lie, distort, mislead, or utter falsehoods, or support those who do. If you’re making true or mostly true claims only 17% of the time and making half-true, mostly false, or false claims or outright lies 83% of the time, then you are systematically using falsehoods and deception. [<a href="http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/">Source</a>] You are showing utter disregard for the truth, facts, and evidence, which demonstrates deep irrationality. In contrast, if you want to act or communicate rationally, you must do your best to rely on facts and evidence. You must do your best to track the truth. If you’re wrong or partly wrong about something, admit it and revise your claims. Demonstrate intellectual honesty.<p>
Furthermore, when you frequently lie, you must keep track of all your different stories that deviate from the truth. Some of these stories may contradict others, and you can easily mix them up. For example, if you are a pathological liar and a scandal breaks, you may tell your public relations/propaganda team to lie and say X but then you may publicly say a different lie, Y, which contradicts X. So what is the official story? X or Y? Or neither? When pressed, are you just going to say, “I stand by nothing”? Or are you just going to keep shouting or tweeting, “FAKE NEWS!”? Again, this demonstrates deep irrationality.<p>
• Do not act like a bully. In particular, do not act like a bully and then complain that others are being “very unfair” to you.<p>
• On social media (namely, Twitter), do not insult people who criticize you or strongly disagree with you for plausible reasons that may reflect a different political ideology.<p>
• Do not post your inane, irrational thoughts on social media. If you have nothing substantive to say, then do not post anything. Also, it is difficult to make a substantive statement on Twitter, given the 140-character limit.<p>
• Do not (publicly) mock physically handicapped people. How would you feel if you or your family member were physically handicapped, and then a high-profile figure publicly mocked you, him, or her?<p>
• Do not (publicly) criticize Gold Star families. How would you feel if you had a son or daughter who served in the military and died in combat, and then a high-profile figure publicly criticized your family?<p>
• Do not (publicly) criticize POWs for being captured. How would you feel if you were captured in combat and tortured for years as a POW, and then a high-profile figure publicly criticized you for being captured?<p>
• Do not (publicly) insult people, especially females, for being overweight. How would you feel if you were an overweight female who constantly worries about her weight and external appearance, and then a high-profile figure publicly insulted you for being overweight?<p>
• While being recorded on camera, do not brag about groping women’s genitals, especially when you are married. Such “locker room talk” is very cheap and hollow. How would you feel if you were a female and a male just approached you and immediately groped your genitals, when you were not interested in him at all?<p>
• Do not reject human-caused climate change. Do not dismiss it as a mere theory that has not yet been established by the scientific community. Of all peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles on climate change, 97% conclude that climate change is real and is largely caused by humans through fossil fuel emissions. [<a href="http://theconsensusproject.com/">Source</a>] Regardless of your political party or political ideology, you should rationally accept the findings of 97% of climate scientists. It is irrational to reject them.<p>
• Do not drive recklessly, which includes drinking and driving. To the extent that you drive recklessly, you increase your chances of getting into an accident and thereby injuring or killing yourself or others.<p>
• Do not do hard, illicit drugs (cocaine, crack, heroin, meth, ecstasy, etc.) or abuse alcohol. Do not get addicted to either.<p>
<br>
<b>VIOLENCE</b><p>
• Do not publicly praise dictators (e.g. Kim Jung-un) for their Machiavellian strategies, when they have killed thousands of people. How would you feel if your family was killed by a totalitarian regime and then a high-profile figure publicly praised that dictator for his Machiavellian strategies?<p>
• Do not foment violence at your political rallies or meetings. If your political rallies consistently become violent and you encourage violence toward protestors or dissenters (“like back in the good old days”), then you are a fascist, period. You belong to the same camp as Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco. Recall that the Axis powers lost “very, very badly” in World War II.<p>
• Never say or think that you can shoot someone in broad daylight and get away with it. This reflects a fascist, criminal, mafia mindset. How would you feel if someone shot you or a family member in broad daylight and got away with it?<p>
• Never say or think that your political opponent should be executed by firing squad for treason. Again, this reflects fascism. How would you feel if your political opponent had you or your family executed by firing squad for alleged treason?<p>
• Never threaten to jail your political opponent if he or she beats you in an election. Again, this reflects a totalitarian mindset. How would you feel if you won an event fairly and then your opponent(s) had you unjustly imprisoned?<p>
• Do not follow the dictum: “If someone hits you, you should hit him back 10 or 20 times harder.”<p>
This dictum is utterly irrational and moronic. So if someone punches you in the face once, you should hit him in the face with a sledgehammer? If someone spits in your face, you should run him over with a car? If someone deliberately steps on your shoe, you should kick him in the balls? If someone sleeps with your wife, you should stab or shoot him? This sounds like a great way to get arrested and sentenced 20 years to life in prison.<p>
If you’re going to respond to an attack in self-defense, you should respond proportionally: a minor attack requires a minor counter-attack, a moderate attack requires a moderate counter-attack, a major attack requires a major counter-attack, and a severe attack requires a severe counter-attack.<p>
Ideally, however, you should learn to let go of minor or moderate things, and perhaps even major things. You should not live a life in which you constantly feel the need to counter-attack or seek revenge. This lends itself to the egocentric, Darwinian mindset, which I’ve written about <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2015/12/the-alpha-male-or-female-and-egocentric.html">elsewhere</a>.<p>
• Do not follow the dictum: “For every one of ours who is harmed or killed, we will harm or kill 10 or 20 of theirs.”<p>
Again, this dictum is utterly irrational and moronic. So if someone harms or kills one of your family members, friends, or associates, you should harm or kill 10 or 20 of his family members, friends, or associates? Again, this sounds like a great way to get arrested and imprisoned and become widely despised. This is a recipe for disaster, which reflects the tribal, “us versus them” mentality which characterizes the egocentric, Darwinian mindset.<p>
The Nazis followed this “10-to-1” or “20-to-1” policy and look at how they turned out. Their top leaders committed suicide or were hanged, and they <i>absolutely failed</i> to achieve their ultimate objectives: defeat communism, conquer the entire continent of Europe (including Britain), and create a thousand-year Reich (German empire).<p>
Again, if you’re going to respond to an attack in self-defense, you should respond proportionally.<p>
• Avoid getting into physical fights. The best thing you can do is to de-escalate. You should get into a physical fight only when it’s absolutely necessary in self-defense, when there is no other option. Defend yourself using proportional force but do not offensively harm others.<p>
<br>
<b>PERSONAL FINANCE</b><p>
<b>Disclaimer:</b> I am not a fiduciary or financial advisor. I am just giving intelligent, prudent financial advice that you can find in any good personal finance book. For more information, I recommend reading “<a href="https://personal.vanguard.com/us/insights/investingprinciples">Vanguard’s Principles for Investing Success</a>” and Ramit Sethi’s <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Will-Teach-You-Be-Rich/dp/0761147489/ref=la_B001JPA2HG_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500671688&sr=1-2">I Will You Teach to be Rich</a></i>.<p>
• Regardless of your income, do not spend all your money. Save at least 10% of your income in a high-yield online savings account or money market account. You can use your savings as a rainy day fund and/or for future expenses such as vacations, a wedding, a down-payment on a house or condo, a car purchase, etc. In addition, invest at least 10-15% of your income for retirement.<p>
• Do not accumulate heavy, long-term credit card debt. If you have such debt, you are likely living beyond your means. Instead, live within your means. Ideally, you should pay off your credit card balance monthly. If you do carry some credit card debt, it should be a moderate amount that you pay off in the short-term or medium-term.<p>
• Do not buy a house or condo that you cannot really afford. You should have no problem paying your mortgage every month.<p>
• Do not wait until the age of 40 or 50 to start investing for retirement. You should start investing as early as possible, ideally at the age of 18, or more realistically when you get your first job. A compounding rate of return or compound interest is extremely powerful in the long-term.<p>
For example, if you invest $10 thousand upfront once and you get an average annual rate of return of 10%, then you will have $67 thousand after 20 years; $174 thousand after 30 years; $453 thousand after 40 years; $1.2 million after 50 years; and $3 million after 60 years. Again, this involves only one initial $10 thousand investment.<p>
Given these assumptions, over 50 years (e.g. age 20 to age 70), you can grow $10 thousand to $1.2 million. But, over 30 years (e.g. age 40 to age 70), you can grow $10 thousand to only $174 thousand. So the sooner you start investing, the better. If you start investing at age 40, you will miss out on an additional 20 years of compounding that you would get if you were to start investing at age 20.<p>
• Do not invest all your money in one stock (e.g. Apple, Amazon, or Google), especially if you have a large amount of money. If you invest all your money in one stock, you are essentially putting all your eggs in one basket. Diversify. It would be much better to invest in an S&P 500 index fund or a total stock market index fund.<p>
• If the stock market crashes due to a recession, do not panic and sell all your assets. You will be realizing huge losses (i.e. assets that have decreased in value and, by selling these assets, you have realized or actualized the loss in value) as opposed to having unrealized losses (i.e. assets that have decreased in value but you have not sold and thereby realized or actualized the loss in value). In addition, by selling all your assets, you will be contributing to the market crash, which occurs when many, many market participants sell simultaneously or in a short time period. Finally, the stock market will gradually recover over time (yes, even after the Great Recession or the Great Depression) and your assets will regain their value and likely surpass their value before the recession. It may take several years or a decade but it will recover.<p>
• Do not fall victim to “get rich quick” schemes. Do not be gullible. If it sounds too good to be true, then it likely is. If someone is promising you massive amounts of success that involves little to no work, in a short time period, then it is likely a fraud. You can achieve a high degree of success in many areas of your life but it will require hard work, focus, discipline, motivation, decisiveness, consistent action, positive self-talk, time, and patience. Just as Rome was not built overnight, so you cannot achieve massive success in all areas of your life overnight, or in one month or one year. It will take years or perhaps decades. Indeed, it is a lifelong project.<p>
• If you play the Lottery and win millions of dollars or if you’re a professional athlete making millions of dollars, do not blow all your money. Save and invest a large percentage of it. Create a detailed, realistic, long-term financial plan so that you’re financially independent for the rest of your life. If necessary, hire a top-notch, highly rated, highly ethical fiduciary or financial advisor. Live comfortably but not extravagantly. It’s very easy to blow millions of dollars on mansions, exotic sports cars, yachts, etc. You do not want to be yet another Lottery winner or former professional athlete who once won or made millions but is now broke or bankrupt.<p>
<br>
<b>FITNESS</b><p>
• If you want a lean, ripped, muscular body, do not do cardio alone (e.g. 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, thrice a week). You need to do resistance training and cardio, as well as follow proper nutrition.<p>
• If you’re a total novice in terms of resistance training and you have no idea what to do, do not just show up at the gym and do exercises willy-nilly or the exercises you see other people doing. Instead, hire a top-notch, highly rated personal trainer or strength coach (e.g. myself) who can show you the right exercises, check your form, program your workouts, motivate you, and hold you accountable. I would be happy to help you.<p>
Alternatively, if you have the time and energy, you can do your own research and read and learn about the most effective compound exercises. Use high-quality resources (including articles, books, and videos) to learn about these compound exercises. Take detailed notes. At the gym, consult your notes and practice these exercises. Start with low reps for bodyweight exercises and light weight for barbell or dumbbell exercises. If you’re going to learn and practice these exercises on your own, you might as well do it correctly.<p>
• If you’re a novice or intermediate in terms of resistance training, do not train the same muscle groups on two consecutive days. Take at least one day off in between. For example, if you do a leg workout (e.g. back squats and lunges) on Monday, do not do another leg workout on Tuesday. Do it on Wednesday at the earliest.<p>
• If you’re a male, do not neglect your leg workouts. You do not want to have a relatively large upper-body and chicken legs. Your lower-body has much greater strength capacity than your upper-body does. For example, if you’re proficient at the barbell bench press, press, back squat, and deadlift and if you’ve been effectively training these movements for a while, then your estimated one-rep max (1RM) deadlift and back squat (which are lower-body movements) will be much greater than your estimated 1RM bench press and press (which are upper-body movements). Since your lower-body has much greater strength capacity than your upper-body does, you should be training your legs hard.<p>
• Do not lift heavy weights without previously doing warm-up sets. For example, if you’re going to do 3 x 5 x 225lb back squats, you could do the following warm-up sets: 5 x 45lb; 5 x 135lb; 5 x 160lb; 5 x 185lb; 5 x 205lb.<p>
• If you see someone lifting heavy weights, do not try to lift the same weight or heavier when you know that the weight is beyond your capability. For example, if you see someone doing 315lb back squats and you can barely do 225lb back squats, then obviously do not attempt 315lb back squats. In general, do not compare yourself to others from a petty, egocentric perspective. Focus on your own progress and development.<p>
• If you start playing a sport that you haven’t played in a very long time (e.g. running, rowing, rucking, swimming, cycling, skiing, softball, basketball, lacrosse, weightlifting, CrossFit), do not go 100% the first time, lest you injure yourself. Instead, ease into it. The first time you play the sport, check your ego and go about 60-70%. Once you start playing it consistently, then you can go harder. Often people injure themselves the first time they play a sport that they haven’t played in a very long time. They are deconditioned, and so they shouldn’t go 100% that first time.<p>
• Do not exercise (resistance or cardio) while you are drunk. In particular, do not lift heavy weights while you are drunk. This may sound obvious but it does happen.<p>
<br>
<b>DATING</b><p>
• Do not base your self-esteem or confidence on how many people you have slept with. For example: “I have slept with 12 different girls this year. I am the man!” GET OVER YOURSELF. No one cares if you have slept with 10, 50, 100, or 1000 people. Instead of focusing on numbers, you should focus on dating people with whom you are highly compatible. Focus on quality, not quantity.<p>
• Never send naked pictures or videos of yourself to another person, including your boyfriend or girlfriend. He or she can show or send it to others as well. If you send it to your boyfriend or girlfriend and later break up with him or her, he or she might use the pictures or videos against you, which is known as “revenge porn.”<p>
• Never make a detailed, comprehensive PowerPoint presentation of all the people you’ve slept with and then email it to your friends. They can easily forward it to others and then it can go viral on the internet.<p>
• If your significant other cheats on you or is deliberately trying to make you jealous, do not attack the person whom your significant other is pursuing. Do not fall for that trap. Directly address the issue with your significant other. If necessary, break up, separate, or divorce.<p>
<br>
<b>PLASTIC SURGERY</b><p>
• Avoid plastic surgery: breast implants, nose jobs, face lifts, etc. Do not get it unless it’s absolutely necessary (e.g. you were born with a deformity, you’ve been in an accident, you’ve had your breasts removed due to breast cancer, etc.). If something is not seriously wrong, then do not try to “fix it” through plastic surgery. If you want to change your body, you should do it naturally, through exercise and nutrition. For example, if you’re a female who wants firmer breasts, do push-ups. If you want a firm, muscular butt and legs, do squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, etc. You can achieve so much through exercise and nutrition alone.<p>
• Do not get pectoral implants, butt implants, bicep implants, calf implants, etc. You can naturally increase the size of your pecs, glutes, biceps, calves, etc. through resistance training and nutrition. Also, if you get, say, pectoral implants, then they will always stay that size unless you get them surgically removed. What if you want to increase or decrease the size of your muscles at will? Implants will complicate that.<p>
• In particular, if you’re a normal, healthy, naturally attractive female, do not get large amounts of plastic surgery in order to look like a perfect Barbie doll or Playboy Playmate. You will blow a lot of money on such surgery ($100,000 or more) and you may end up looking worse overall (much less natural, much more artificial). Just watch several episodes of the television show <i>Botched</i>, and recall Heidi Montag’s story. Furthermore, changing your external appearance will not necessarily resolve your deep, inner, psychological issues. You can look like a perfect Barbie doll or Playboy Playmate and still have deep insecurities and serious psychological issues. True self-esteem and confidence come from within. They do not come from your external appearance.<p>
<br>
<b>CONCLUSION</b><p>
In general, we should strive to act rationally and reasonably. That is, we should decide how to act based primarily on strong reasons, justification, or evidence, although we may assign some weight to our emotions based on the context and type of decision we’re making. We should strive to act rationally for at least four reasons. First, insofar as we act rationally, the world will be less dysfunctional, stormy, impulsive, volatile, and violent. Second, insofar as we live in accordance with rationality and regulate our emotions, we will be less vulnerable to advertisers, propagandists, con artists, and others trying to emotionally manipulate us. Third, the universe holds us accountable for our actions, especially our foolish, irrational decisions. Fourth, when we act irrationally or stupidly, we must suffer the negative consequences. I have listed many particular irrational things that we should avoid doing, which relate to general behavior, politics, violence, personal finance, fitness, dating, and plastic surgery. Overall, I believe we can make the world a significantly better place by acting more rationally and less irrationally.<p>
<br>
<i>Last revised 7/25/2017</i>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-10553894537693457302016-09-25T11:32:00.001-05:002016-09-25T11:36:45.989-05:00Create Yourself. Do Not Destroy Yourself.<br>
“I will take Fate by the throat; it shall not wholly overcome me. Oh, it is beautiful to live—to live a thousand times! I feel that I am not made for a quiet life.” – Ludwig van Beethoven on his impending deafness<p>
<br>
<b>INTRODUCTION</b><p>
In this article, I address the issue of suicide and, more generally, self-destructive behavior. I argue that, no matter your circumstances, no matter how bad things get, you should affirm your will to live and create yourself, not destroy yourself. Now, some readers may think that I’m offering unwanted advice here or that I’m not qualified to give advice. Nevertheless, if this article prevents <i>at least one person</i> from committing suicide, then it was worth writing and posting.<p>
<b>Disclaimer:</b> I am not a mental health professional. I am not giving “professional” counseling or therapy to those who are contemplating suicide.<p>
<br>
<b>TRENDS/STATISTICS</b><p>
Consider the following statistics and facts about the US population:<p>
• From 1999 to 2014, the suicide rate increased <i>every year</i> for both sexes and every age group except those 75 and older. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/22/health/suicide-rates-rise/">Source</a>)<p>
• In 2014, 13 people per 100,000 committed suicide, compared with 10.5 per 100,000 in 1999. In 2014, 20.7 men per 100,000 committed suicide, compared with 5.8 women per 100,000. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/22/health/suicide-rates-rise/">Source</a>)<p>
• In 2014, white males accounted for 70% of the suicides. The suicide rate is highest among middle-aged people, especially white men. (<a href="https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/">Source</a>)<p>
• From 1999 to 2013, the all-cause mortality rates for middle-aged, white, non-Hispanic men and women increased significantly. This increase is largely explained by increasing death rates from drug and alcohol poisonings, suicide, and chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis. (<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/112/49/15078">Source</a>)<p>
• Females attempt suicide three times as often as males, but males are four times more likely than females to die by suicide. (<a href="https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/">Source</a>)<p>
• Twenty veterans commit suicide daily. In 2014, more than 7,400 veterans committed suicide. This accounts for 18% of all suicides in the US, and yet veterans make up less than 9% of the US population. (Sources <a href="http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2016/07/07/va-suicide-20-daily-research/86788332/">1</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_veteran_suicide">2</a>)<p>
• In 2013 and 2014, a record-high number of Special Operations Forces (SOF) members—including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, and Army Rangers—committed suicide. (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-military-suicides-idUSBREA3G2EK20140417">Source</a>)<p>
• Even a few SEALs (who pride themselves on never giving up) have committed suicide: Job Price and Robert Guzzo. (Sources <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/world/asia/navy-seal-team-4-suicide.html">1</a> and <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/parents-tie-mental-health-stigma-seal-suicide-article-1.1237877">2</a>)<p>
• Recently, two BUD/S dropouts effectively committed suicide: one jumped off a building; another got very drunk, drove, and died in a car accident. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/05/12/three-deaths-linked-to-recent-navy-seal-training-classes/">Source</a>)<p>
• Even Michael Phelps—the most decorated Olympian of all time, who has won 28 Olympic medals (23 gold, three silver, and two bronze)—was contemplating suicide after getting arrested for a DUI in 2014. (<a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/michael-phelps-is-driven">Source</a>)<p>
• Finally, when I was taking finance courses at Northwestern University in 2012, several Northwestern students (whom I did not know or share classes with) committed suicide.<p>
Overall, these facts show that suicide is becoming a bigger and bigger problem in contemporary American society.<p>
<br>
<b>PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES</b><p>
Obviously, no one should be committing suicide or even seriously considering suicide as a real option. On the issue of suicide, I have two perspectives: the spiritual or religious perspective and the more practical, hardcore perspective.<p>
From a spiritual perspective, I believe that, at the transcendental level, your life is not yours to take. The universe or God has bestowed life upon you, and it is not your decision to take it away. You will die someday but the universe or God, not you, shall choose the day. Therefore, virtually every major religion and form of spirituality forbids and disapproves of suicide. After all, you have been blessed with the gift of life, and it is up to you to make the absolute best of it, even if it does involve a lot of suffering.<p>
From a more practical, hardcore perspective, I believe that you NEVER, EVER give up on yourself. You NEVER quit on yourself. This holds true even if any of the following conditions are true:<p>
• You’re extremely depressed<br>
• You’re suffering from extreme physical, mental, or emotional pain<br>
• You’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness. (Possible exception: you’re at least 60 years old, you’re dying from a terminal illness, and you want your doctor to help you end your suffering. In this case, I can understand.)<br>
• You’ve failed miserably at an important life goal<br>
• You’ve dropped out of BUD/S or any other military training<br>
• You’ve been through hardcore combat for 10+ years and you’ve seen countless horrific things<br>
• You’ve lost some or all of your teammates in combat<br>
• You’ve been molested or raped<br>
• You’ve been abducted, imprisoned, and turned into a sex slave<br>
• You’ve been working in the sex trade and you feel it has destroyed your soul<br>
• You’ve survived a horrific mass shooting or terrorist attack<br>
• Your significant other, family member, relative, or close friend has died<br>
• Your significant other, family member, relative, or close friend has committed suicide<br>
• You’re a 20, 30, 40, or 50-year-old virgin, and you believe no one wants to date you or have sex with you. You believe you will die a virgin.<br>
• You learn that your significant other has been ruthlessly cheating on you<br>
• Your significant other has left you for someone else<br>
• Your significant other has filed for divorce or broken up with you<br>
• You’ve just been laid off from your job<br>
• You’ve been unemployed for a long time and you’re greatly struggling to get another job<br>
• The stock market has crashed and you’ve lost 50% of your retirement savings<br>
• Everything in your life (your job, finances, physical health, marriage, social life) is going horribly wrong<br>
• You’re homeless and living on the streets<br>
• You’re serving a lifetime prison sentence<br>
• You’ve received the death penalty<br>
• You’re being held and tortured in a POW camp<br>
• You were in a Nazi concentration camp (e.g. Auschwitz)<br>
• You were in a Soviet or North Korean labor camp (gulag)<p>
Regardless of the circumstances, NEVER, EVER give up on yourself. Admittedly, I haven’t experienced most of the aforementioned things but the principle still holds true. And I’m certain that the most mentally tough people in the world would agree.<p>
Recall the Navy SEAL Motto: “I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. [...] If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.”<p>
So if you’re reading this article, please make the following promise to yourself now: “I promise that I will never give up on myself. I promise that I will never take my own life. No matter how bad things get, I will fight until the very end.”<p>
Yes, we all face adversity in one way or another. Sometimes we face extreme adversity. Sometimes we go through very dark times and in this sense “look into the abyss.”<p>
When you look into the abyss, you face an existential challenge that tests your will to live.<p>
Now, if you look into the abyss but realize and affirm your will to live—if you declare, “I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I am never out of the fight.”—then you will be realizing <i>the greatest possible source of inner strength</i>, which will sustain you for the rest of your life. It will be your own personal crucible experience.<p>
And this crucible experience will allow you to look back someday in the future and say to yourself, “I looked straight into the abyss, affirmed my will to live, and persevered. I faced <i>the</i> existential challenge and triumphed. As a result, I ended up accomplishing all these things. I ended up improving, progressing, and growing massively. I ended up making a massive comeback, and I seized so many incredible opportunities.”<p>
However, if you give up on yourself and take your own life, you will not get to experience all your future victories or triumphs. You will not get to see yourself improve, progress, or grow. You will not get to see your massive comeback. You will miss out on all the incredible opportunities ahead of you.<p>
So make the right decision: Affirm your will to live. Dominate the existential challenge.<p>
<br>
<b>PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS</b><p>
Having expressed my philosophical perspectives on suicide, I will now list practical action steps that you can take in order to improve your mental, physical, and emotional health.<p>
<b>1. Meditate twice or thrice daily for 10-20 minutes.</b><p>
I will say this over and over again: meditating daily will increase your focus, discipline, awareness, presence, and mindfulness. When you meditate, you are observing your thoughts in the present moment and learning how to disassociate yourself from them and focus on your breathing. When you’re depressed or having very dark thoughts, this is exactly what you need to do: disassociate yourself from your thoughts and develop mindfulness and awareness. You must realize the extent to which your thoughts are controlling or terrorizing you, and you must learn to detach yourself from them.<p>
Furthermore, meditation will help relieve stress and anxiety. I find that meditating twice or thrice daily is just as relaxing as taking a nice vacation. How would you like to take a relaxing mental vacation once, twice, or thrice daily? Then meditate.<p>
Here are <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/09/zazen-instructions.html">zazen instructions</a>.<p>
<b>2. Develop positive self-talk, a positive mental attitude, and a positive, empowering belief system.</b><p>
If you’re depressed or suicidal, you likely have very negative self-talk and a negative belief system. For example, you may have the following thoughts:<p>
• “I cannot do X.”<br>
• “I will fail at X.”<br>
• “I will quit (or I might quit) at some point when trying to do X.”<br>
• “I will never accomplish my goals.”<br>
• “My life is a disaster.”<br>
• “I’m a loser.”<br>
• “I’m worthless.”<br>
• “I have zero self-esteem, zero self-worth.”<br>
• “The world is collapsing. There is no point in living.”<br>
• “I will likely have a lower standard of living than my parents. There is no point in living.”<br>
• “The world will be better off without me.”<p>
For the sake of your mental, physical, and emotional health, you absolutely must re-frame these negative beliefs into positive ones:<p>
• “I can do X.”<br>
• “I will succeed at X.”<br>
• “I will persevere and accomplish X, even if I struggle greatly or fail repeatedly.”<br>
• “I will accomplish my goals, even if I struggle greatly or fail repeatedly. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time.”<br>
• “My life is a process of learning and growing. I’ve experienced my share of adversity, and it has made me mentally tougher, stronger, and more tenacious.”<br>
• “I’m a winner, even if I don’t come in first place at everything.”<br>
• “I have an unlimited amount of value to contribute to this world.”<br>
• “I have high self-esteem and high self-worth in the healthy, positive sense.”<br>
• “The world is fluid and dynamic. There are always opportunities. There is every reason to live.”<br>
• “The world will be very different from the one in which my parents lived. In certain respects (e.g. technology and medical advancements), it will be vastly superior. There will always be opportunities. So there is every reason to live.”<br>
• “I will help make the world a better place.”<p>
Now, constantly tell yourself these positive statements (among other ones) on an hourly and daily basis. This will help you develop and reinforce a positive, empowering belief system.<p>
In short, ALWAYS think positively, especially when you’re facing adversity.<p>
<b>3. In order to develop and reinforce your positive belief system, list all the positive things in your life.</b><p>
Do not list anything negative. State all these positive things in positive terms (e.g. “I’m healthy” versus “I’m not sick”). For example, you might list the following basic things:<p>
• “I’m alive.”<br>
• “I’m healthy.”<br>
• “I have a roof over my head.”<br>
• “I have sufficient food.”<br>
• “I have family and friends who love me.”<br>
• “I have a job.”<br>
• “I have Internet access, which allows me to learn about virtually anything.”<br>
• “I live in the United States of America, a country whose founding principle is the right to life, liberty, property (effectively), and the pursuit of happiness. Yes, the American Founding Fathers want me to be alive and free, to have my own private property that is secured and protected, and to be able to pursue my own conception of happiness.”<p>
Express gratitude for each thing you list.<p>
Now, for the rest of your life (e.g. every three months), update this list with every positive thing that develops or comes to mind. For example:<p>
• “I have lost 10lb.”<br>
• “I have been working out consistently for the past three months. I have gotten stronger, faster, and fitter.”<br>
• “I have gotten a new job or internship.”<br>
• “I have gotten a promotion at work.”<br>
• “I have opened an IRA and started investing for the long-term.”<br>
• “My spouse and I have celebrated our third wedding anniversary.”<p>
By constantly updating this list with positive events, you will be creating tons of positive, forward momentum in your life.<p>
<b>4. Read books on mental toughness.</b><p>
In particular, I recommend Marcus Luttrell’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/031632406X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474814728&sr=8-2&keywords=lone+survivor"><i>Lone Survivor</i></a>, Mark Divine’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Way-SEAL-Think-Warrior-Succeed/dp/1621452115/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474814876&sr=8-1&keywords=way+of+the+seal"><i>The Way of the SEAL</i></a>, and the <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/03/self-mastery-guide.html"><i>NO-MIND FITNESS Self-Mastery Guide</i></a>.<p>
<b>IMPORTANT: If you’re seriously having very dark, suicidal thoughts, just email me saying so and briefly explain your situation, and I will send you the <i>NMF Self-Mastery Guide</i> for free.</b> We will use the honor system. So if you’re not seriously having dark, suicidal thoughts, please do not ask me for a free copy of the guide. Just buy it. The money will be an excellent investment in yourself.<p>
<b>5. If necessary, seek and participate in a support group.</b><p>
Oftentimes discussing your issues with other, sympathetic people can help you tremendously. You must realize that you are not alone and that others care about you.<p>
<b>6. If necessary, see a skilled, experienced psychologist.</b><p>
A skilled, experienced psychologist may be able to help you significantly or at least point you in the right direction.<p>
However, beware of antidepressant drugs, which can have suicidal thoughts as a side effect.<p>
<b>7. If you’re so inclined, develop spirituality or faith, which can be a very powerful source of hope and strength for many people.</b><p>
If (Zen) Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other form of religion or spirituality helps you overcome your depression or suicidal thoughts, then excellent. Use whatever works, as long as it’s healthy, positive, and constructive.<p>
However, if you’re a hardcore atheist who rejects any form of religion or spirituality, you have many other tools and resources for overcoming depression or suicidal thoughts. And do not view religion or spirituality as a threat.<p>
<b>8. Exercise consistently.</b><p>
Do resistance training twice or thrice per week and cardio twice or thrice per week. Even doing cardio twice per week by itself is much better for your physical and mental health than doing nothing at all.<p>
You can even sign up for <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/p/monthly-programming-and-initial.html">NO-MIND FITNESS Monthly Programming</a>. I would be happy to help.<p>
<b>9. Eat healthily.</b><p>
I recommend Paleo. Eat meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, sweet potatoes, and possibly rice.<p>
Do not consume junk: soda, chips, pretzels, crackers, French fries, popcorn, candy, cookies, twinkies, brownies, cake, ice cream, fast food, etc. The less junk you consume, the better.<p>
<b>10. Do not do hard, illicit drugs.</b><p>
Hard, illicit drugs (cocaine, crack, heroin, meth, ecstasy, etc.) will not help you in terms of your depression or suicidal thoughts. They will only make things worse.<p>
<b>11. Do not consume tobacco.</b><p>
In the long-term, smoking or ingesting tobacco kills. You want to live a long time, not kill yourself slowly.<p>
<b>12. Eliminate or minimize your consumption of alcohol.</b><p>
The less alcohol you drink, the better. If you do drink, drink moderately: 1-2 drinks once or twice per week or less often.<p>
In contemporary American culture, many people (especially college students) drink alcohol to relieve stress, anxiety, or depression. It has almost become an American rite of passage to drink heavily (i.e. binge-drink) every weekend when you’re in college and in your twenties, as if you’re training to become a lifetime alcoholic.<p>
Drinking alcohol may allow you to loosen up and have fun (which you can do without alcohol). <b>But it will not fundamentally address your issues or fundamentally improve your life.</b> It will not fundamentally help you overcome your depression or suicidal thoughts. In fact, it may make things worse.<p>
<b>13. Do not compare yourself to others.</b><p>
If you constantly compare yourself to others from a petty, egocentric perspective, you will likely feel stressed, anxious, dissatisfied, and possibly miserable. This will not help you if you are having very dark thoughts.<p>
So focus on yourself and your individual progress and growth. You are competing only against yourself.<p>
In addition, do not try to win the “popularity contest” on social media. Rather, use social media selectively, intelligently, and prudently.<p>
<b>14. Set SMART goals, visualize success daily, and aggressively pursue them by taking decisive, consistent action.</b><p>
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. For example:<p>
• “For the next month, I will meditate twice daily: 10 minutes in the morning, and 10 minutes at night before bed.”<p>
• “For the next three months, I will do full-body, bodyweight, resistance workouts thrice a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday).”<p>
• “For the next month, I will run one mile twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday).”<p>
• “For the next month, I will eat fairly strict Paleo six days per week (Sunday – Friday) and not have any junk food on those days. On Saturday, I will eat Paleo but allow myself to have a moderate quantity of junk food.”<p>
• “For the next year, I will save at least $100 every month and keep it in a savings or money market account, so that I will have at least $1200 by the end of the year.”<p>
Once you set SMART goals and aggressively pursue them, you will feel much better and less depressed. Why sit around feeling sorry for yourself and depressed when you can be taking decisive, consistent action toward your goals and improving, progressing, and growing?<p>
In addition, every day, for at least five minutes, close your eyes and visualize yourself achieving all your life goals. In particular, visualize the <i>ideal or elite</i> version of yourself achieving all your life goals. Visualize yourself being successful, positive, healthy, productive, strong, fit, mentally tough, and mentally tenacious.<p>
Over time, intensive daily visualization will help you significantly in achieving your goals and in becoming the ideal or elite version of yourself.<p>
<b>15. Specify those aspects of your life with which you’re dissatisfied and then tackle those issues directly and aggressively.</b><p>
For example, if you’re highly dissatisfied with your professional life, then tackle the issue directly and aggressively: choose a career field, read the best books on that field, update your resume, network with people in that field, interview for a job or internship, continue to educate yourself on that field, and so on.<p>
If you’re highly dissatisfied with your financial life, then tackle the issue directly and aggressively: read the best books on personal finance and investing, start overhauling your finances, start saving more and investing more, and so on.<p>
If you’re highly dissatisfied with your athletic/fitness life, then tackle the issue directly and aggressively: learn the basics about fitness, start working out consistently, start improving your diet, and so on. Again, you can sign up for <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/p/monthly-programming-and-initial.html">Monthly Programming</a>.<p>
<br>
<b>CONCLUSION</b><p>
In conclusion, use these 15 strategies listed above to create yourself—to forge your own identity—instead of destroying yourself. I believe these 15 strategies will allow you to fundamentally address your issues and fundamentally improve your life. If you meditate daily; develop positive self-talk and a positive, empowering belief system; list all the positive things in your life; read books on mental toughness; participate in a support group; see a skilled, experienced psychologist; develop spirituality or faith; exercise consistently; eat healthily; avoid hard, illicit drugs, tobacco, and alcohol; avoid comparing yourself to others; set SMART goals, visualize success daily, and take decisive, consistent action; and tackle your issues directly and aggressively—then you will be absolutely affirming your will to live and dominating the existential challenge that we all face.<p>
Create yourself. Do not destroy yourself.<p>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-19893556817037532462016-08-04T18:27:00.000-05:002016-08-04T18:27:24.790-05:00The Barbell Front Squat<br>
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<i>Note: the bottom three photos are from <a href="http://www.hookgrip.com/">Hook Grip</a>.</i><p>
<br>
Overall, I think the back squat is superior to the front squat. If you must choose only one squat variation to do for a strength program, choose the back squat. But if you cannot perform the back squat at all for whatever reason, or if you want a great assistance movement to complement the back squat, then the front squat is perfect. Furthermore, if you want to seriously train the Olympic lifts (the snatch and the clean & jerk), you should definitely do the front squat, since the clean involves a front squat.<p>
Here are instructions on how to correctly perform the barbell front squat.<p>
<br>
<b>THE SETUP</b><p>
• In the power rack or squat rack, set the barbell (BB) at the level of your upper chest. Record the notch you use on the power or squat rack. Use the same notch each time.<p>
• In the power or squat rack, set the safety pins or arms at the appropriate level. The safety pins or arms should be about 6 inches below the BB when you’re in the bottom position of the squat. When you squat down, the BB should not touch the safety pins or arms.<p>
• If you’re using a power or squat rack in front of a mirror, make sure you’re facing the mirror straight and the rack is aligned straight, parallel with the mirror.<p>
• Use collars on the BB.<p>
• Center the BB on your torso.<p>
• The front rack position (for the front squat, power clean, and clean)<p>
<ul>
<li><b>Your elbows should be horizontal (or near horizontal)</b></li><p>
<li><b>Throughout the entire range of motion (ROM), DO NOT let your elbows drop down (excessively)</b></li><p>
<li>The BB should rest on top of your front shoulders (anterior deltoids). It should be in a solid position on your shoulders.</li><p>
<li>If necessary, you can use only two or three fingers on each hand to hold the BB</li><p>
<li><b>If necessary, you can use a wider grip and point your elbows slightly to the side. They should still be horizontal or near horizontal.</b></li><p>
<li>To achieve the front rack position, your wrists must be sufficiently flexible. If necessary, stretch your wrists.</li><p>
</ul>
• Remove the BB from the rack by doing a partial squat.<p>
• Take two steps back. Establish your stance.<p>
• Once you unrack the BB, do not shift its position. Stay tight in the front rack position. Keep the BB secure. Do not let the BB roll or move at all.<p>
<br>
<b>STARTING POSITION</b><p>
• Stand tall.<p>
• <b>Through the entire ROM, look straight ahead.</b><p>
• Place your feet shoulder-width apart or just outside shoulder-width apart.<p>
• Point your toes out slightly (30 degrees).<p>
• Make sure your stance is perfectly symmetrical. Look down and check. You can use a horizontal line (e.g. a straight line on the floor or a straight piece of tape) as a frame of reference. DO NOT change your stance in the middle of the set.<p>
<br>
<b>THE ECCENTRIC (DOWN) MOVEMENT</b><p>
• Squat down.<p>
• <b>Initiate the movement by bending or breaking at the knees.</b> DO NOT initiate the movement by sitting back (i.e. breaking at the hips). For the front squat, you must break largely at the knees.<p>
• <b>As you squat down, your knees should travel outward and track over your feet. DO NOT let your knees collapse inward. Push your knees out.</b><p>
• <b>As you squat down, you should feel the weight in your heels.</b><p>
• Keep your head, chest, and elbows up. Continue looking straight ahead.<p>
• DO NOT round your back. Keep your core super tight.<p>
• <b>Squat down to just below parallel: your hip crease should be just below the top of your kneecap.</b><p>
• Or you can squat all the way down. These are deep squats (a.k.a. ass-to-grass).<p>
• Descend in a controlled manner (1-2 seconds), but not too slow. This reinforces the movement pattern and allows you to squat better.<p>
<br>
<b>THE CONCENTRIC (UP) MOVEMENT</b><p>
• Squat up. Use your butt, hips, and legs to do so.<p>
• <b>As you squat up, drive through your heels. Feel the weight in your heels.</b><p>
• <b>As you squat up, lead with your elbows and chest.</b><p>
• Drive up as powerfully as you can. EXPLODE. Try not to pause or slow down.<p>
• As you squat up, apply force equally through both legs. Stay balanced.<p>
• As you squat up, fully extend your hips and knees. Use full ROM. At the top, contract your butt hard.<p>
<br>
<b>ADDITIONAL NOTES</b><p>
• <b>Before and during the set, visualize every rep with perfect form. Then execute the perfect form that you have visualized. This makes a big difference.</b><p>
• Hold your breath as you perform each rep. This helps you stay tight in your core. Breathe between reps.<p>
<ul>
<li>Inhale deeply</li>
<li>Squat down (while holding breath)</li>
<li>Squat up (while holding breath)</li>
<li>Exhale deeply</li>
<li>Repeat</li><p>
</ul>
• Through the entire ROM, keep your head, chest, and elbows up, keep your core super tight, and look straight ahead. Stay upright. Keep your torso as vertical as possible.<p>
• Keep your elbows up horizontally, in the front rack position. This is critical when you’re doing heavy front squats. To the extent that you drop your elbows and lose the front rack position, you will fail reps.<p>
• Do not pause at the bottom of the squat. Rebound up. This is the bounce.<p>
• <b>When you’re doing heavy front squats, get aggressive but still visualize and execute perfect form. In particular, be aggressive when unracking the BB. This will make your set easier.</b><p>
• Once you unrack, do not waste extra time standing with the BB in the front rack position (on your shoulders). Unrack. Set your stance. Squat for X reps. Rack. Get in. Get out. It’s easier.<p>
• When you’re doing front squats, if your elbows drop excessively and your back rounds severely, then that is technical failure and the rep(s) doesn’t count. Do not count very ugly, technically unsound reps. Decrease the weight as needed. Ultimately, technically sound form is more important than weight.<p>
• <b>Never go until absolute failure: when you get stuck in the bottom position and you must dump the BB, or when you squat up and you dump the BB. If you seriously think you will absolutely fail the next rep, then stop. In fact, you should stop once you reach technical failure, which precedes absolute failure.</b><p>
• If you’re doing many front squats in your training and your wrists hurt, then (1) stretch your wrists and (2) wear wrist wraps, which should be tight around your wrists.<p>
<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDbagKS7Rg">Here</a> is a video of Johnny Candito demonstrating the front squat. I agree with him on virtually everything. But there are two ways to adjust your grip in the front rack position: (1) use only two or three fingers on each hand to hold the BB, and (2) use a wider grip and point your elbows slightly to the side. I favor using a wider grip and holding the BB with all four fingers.<p>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-3347143766504733602016-07-06T17:01:00.000-05:002016-07-06T17:01:13.755-05:00The Barbell Deadlift<br>
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<br>
I consider the deadlift the “monster lift.” It is a full-body movement that hits many major muscle groups: the erector spinae (lower back), gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis (abs), and obliques.<p>
In general, if you’re proficient in the four main powerlifts (the barbell back squat, deadlift, bench press, and press) and if you’re well-balanced in terms of strength development, then your 1RM (one-rep-max) deadlift should be significantly higher than your 1RM back squat, 1RM bench press, and 1RM press. So, among the four main powerlifts, the deadlift allows you to use the heaviest weights, which makes it ideal for full-body strength development.<p>
Here are instructions on how to correctly perform the barbell (BB) deadlift.<p>
<b>GRIP</b><p>
• As a beginner, use a double overhand grip. This will improve your grip strength.<p>
• Once you start deadlifting really heavy weights and your double overhand grip becomes insufficient, you should use a mixed grip (one overhand, one underhand).<p>
• But, with a mixed grip, make sure you balance the number of reps for each hand that is gripping overhand. For example, if you do eight reps with an alternate grip, then do four reps with your left hand gripping overhand and four reps with your right hand gripping overhand.<p>
• When you’re doing heavy deadlifts, apply gym chalk to your hands. The chalk will improve your grip on the BB.<p>
<br>
<b>STARTING POSITION</b><p>
• <b>Use a stance narrower than your squat stance. Place your feet hip-width apart or just outside. Your shins should touch the smooth part of the BB.</b> That is exactly why the BB has a smooth part: to protect your shins when deadlifting.<p>
• <b>The middle of your entire foot (not just the part of the foot you can see from above) should be underneath the BB. This position allows the BB to travel in a perfectly vertical plane, which is most efficient. The BB should be roughly one inch away from your shins.</b><p>
• Point your toes out slightly (30-degrees).<p>
• When you bend over to grip the barbell, DO NOT move the BB.<p>
• <b>Your grip should be as narrow as possible. Your arms should be just outside your legs/knees.</b><p>
• Once you’ve gripped the BB, drop your shins to the BB, which shouldn’t move at all.<p>
• <b>Squeeze your chest up and drop your hips SLIGHTLY.</b> Keep your chest up. Do not drop your hips excessively. It should feel challenging to get into this position, to squeeze your chest up.<p>
• In the starting position, your shins should not be perfectly vertical but somewhat diagonal. This forces you to use your quads when you lift.<p>
• Keep your arms straight and locked. Do not bend them at all.<p>
• Internally rotate your elbows, so they’re pointing straight to the side.<p>
• <b>Tighten your core (abs, butt, back) and lats</b>.<p>
• Look straight ahead through the entire range of motion (ROM).<p>
<br>
<b>THE CONCENTRIC (UP) MOVEMENT</b><p>
• <b>Squeeze the BB off the ground. Push against the ground with your legs and hips. Do not pull with your arms.</b><p>
• DO NOT do a mini-pull or mini-jerk off the ground, out of aggression. You risk tearing a bicep.<p>
• Drive through your heels. You should feel the weight in your heels or mid-foot.<p>
• The BB should travel vertically. Lift it up to waist-level.<p>
• The heavier the weight, the more vertical the plane will be in which the barbell travels (if you’re using proper form).<p>
• At the top, DO NOT kick your hips forward. Just stand up.<p>
• At the top, DO NOT shrug your shoulders or lift the barbell higher than your waist.<p>
• At the top, DO keep your shoulders back, keep your chest up, and stand tall.<p>
• <b>Keep the BB as close as possible to your body. The BB should touch your shins and quads on the way up and at least the quads on the way down. This ensures a vertical BB path.</b><p>
• If the BB moves away from your legs (i.e. the vertical line from the middle of your entire foot), then the motion will be off-balance.<p>
• In order to protect your shins, I recommend wearing thick soccer socks or sweatpants. Also, make sure your shins are touching the smooth part of the BB. If they’re touching the part with knurling when you deadlift, your shins will scrape against it and bleed.<p>
<br>
<b>THE ECCENTRIC (DOWN) MOVEMENT</b><p>
• Use your hips first, not your legs or knees.<p>
• Slide your butt back and slide the BB down.<p>
• Keep your chest up.<p>
• DO NOT lower the BB around your knees. The BB should descend vertically. If you’re lowering it around your knees and not vertically, then you’re not sliding your butt back or lowering with your hips first.<p>
• You use your hips last when you raise the BB, whereas you use your hips first when you lower the BB.<p>
• <b>DO NOT drop the BB between reps or after the last rep.</b> A full ROM deadlift includes the eccentric portion. You can lower the BB quickly.<p>
<br>
<b>ADDITIONAL NOTES</b><p>
• <b>Inhale before the concentric movement. Hold your breath throughout the entire concentric and eccentric movements. DO NOT exhale at the top. Exhale after you lower the BB to the ground. In short, breathe only between reps.</b><p>
• At the beginning of every rep (especially with heavy weight), the BB must touch your shins.<p>
• If you must reset the position of the BB, use your lats to pull the BB inwards, so that it’s touching your shins.<p>
• Through the entire ROM, keep your core (abs, butt, back) SUPER TIGHT. Your core should be rock-solid.<p>
• Through the entire ROM, you should feel the weight in your heels or mid-foot.<p>
• <b>Start each rep from the floor. These are deadstop deadlifts. DO NOT do touch-and-go reps, i.e. when you briefly tap the weights on the floor.</b><p>
• If necessary, you can reset your grip (double overhand grip or mixed grip) in the middle of the set. When doing heavy deadlifts, you must have a solid grip.<p>
• If you’re using standard bumper plates, the BB will always be at the proper starting height (mid-shin). So you can do, for example, 65lb, 95lb, or 115lb deadlifts without elevating the BB at all.<p>
• But if you’re using iron plates and doing deadlifts lighter than 135lb, the BB will NOT be at the proper starting height (mid-shin). If you’re using iron plates, the proper starting height will be when the BB is loaded with two 45lb plates (135lb total). <b>So if you’re doing, for example, 65lb, 95lb, or 115lb deadlifts with iron plates, you should elevate the BB by stacking 1-2 45lb plates on each side, so that the BB is at mid-shin height.</b><p>
• Before and during the set, visualize every rep with perfect form. Then execute the perfect form that you have visualized. This makes a big difference.<p>
<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AObAU-EcYE">Here</a> is an excellent video of Mark Rippetoe teaching the deadlift. I agree with him on virtually everything. But I personally drop my hips SLIGHTLY when setting up. If you do not drop your hips at all, you’re basically performing a stiff-legged deadlift. Also, when doing heavy deadlifts, I use a mixed grip, not a double overhand hook grip.<p>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-41161055998497386412015-12-28T18:49:00.000-06:002015-12-28T18:49:53.356-06:00The Alpha Male or Female and the Egocentric, Darwinian Mindset<br>
<b>Introduction</b><p>
In popular culture, one commonly hears the term “alpha male or female,” in contrast to “beta male or female.” For the past several years, I have almost never used these terms but these popular, influential terms deserve critical examination. In this article, I examine the different definitions of alpha and beta, and explain how the terms presuppose the egocentric, Darwinian mindset, in contrast to the universal mindset. Ultimately, I argue that we should embrace the universal mindset and disassociate ourselves from the egocentric, Darwinian mindset (although doing so may prove very difficult) and thus we should minimize and eliminate our use of the terms “alpha” and “beta” with respect to humans.<p>
<b>The definitions of alpha and beta</b><p>
Strictly speaking, an alpha male or female is the most dominant, powerful, assertive, or highest-ranking male or female in a particular group. A beta male or female is the second-most dominant, powerful, assertive, or highest-ranking male or female in the group. If the alpha dies or is overthrown, the beta becomes the alpha. [1]<p>
However, these strict definitions differ from the colloquial definitions. Colloquially, a beta male or female is anyone who is not an alpha, which includes everyone from the second highest person to the bottom person of the hierarchy. And popular culture has its own representations. In popular culture, the stereotypical alpha male or female is dominant, strong, aggressive, highly confident, high in self-esteem, decisive, and fearless. He or she does not fear stepping on others, hurting their feelings, or throwing them under the bus. He or she does not follow but leads. In contrast, the stereotypical beta male or female is submissive, weak, passive, insecure, low in self-esteem, indecisive, fearful, and excessively nice. He or she does not lead but follows.<p>
<b>The egocentric/Darwinian mindset</b><p>
According to the egocentric or Darwinian mindset, you are your own separate person with your own ego-self. You are separate from everyone else and everything else. You view life as a (ruthless) competition between you and others: survival of the fittest. At its most extreme, this ruthless competition can lead to a war of all against all: a war of every man for himself, in which “the life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” [2] Furthermore, you believe that you and the universe are fundamentally separate, and so you think the universe does not care whatsoever about you.<p>
<b>Alpha and beta in terms of the egocentric/Darwinian mindset</b><p>
The terms “alpha male or female” and “beta male or female” presuppose the egocentric or Darwinian mindset: they presuppose that your ego-self exists and that you are separate from everyone else and everything else. Since we (i.e. our ego-selves) are separate from one another, our ego-selves clash and fight against one another. Thus, according to the Darwinian mindset, we all compete (perhaps ruthlessly or violently) for the alpha male or female title so that we can acquire more resources (money, material possessions, etc.) and mating opportunities. We want more resources and mating opportunities, so that we can fulfill our ultimate life goals: to survive and reproduce. Whoever lives the longest, has the most children (or sexual partners), and/or has the most resources, wins. According to the Darwinian mindset, this is the miserable game that we are playing, and there is no other game in town.<p>
This Darwinian account is the basis for evolutionary psychology, which itself is the basis for the pick-up artist community. Evolutionary psychology and the pick-up artist community strongly emphasize this contrast between the alpha male and beta male. According to pick-up, in order to attract and date women, every straight male should strive relentlessly to become an alpha male. But this approach has a fundamental problem: in a given group, there can be only one alpha male (by the strict definition) and all other males are beta or worse. Thus, by the strict definition, not every male can be an alpha. In fact, the larger the group of males, the higher the percentage of non-alphas. In a group of 1000 men, only one (0.1%) will be alpha and 999 (99.9%) will be non-alphas. Since there can be only one alpha male, this will likely lead to fierce competition and possibly conflict and violent combat. If you put 20 extremely competitive, aggressive, straight men (who do not know one another) in a room and ask them, “Which one of you is the true alpha male? There can be only one. Now prove it,” you will likely see highly egotistical, dysfunctional behavior. Conflict will inevitably result.<p>
To the extent that people strongly believe in and act according to the Darwinian mindset, they will act dysfunctionally and clash with one another. I believe that virtually all the world’s dysfunction results from the Darwinian mindset: terrorist attacks, mass shootings, (unjust) wars, genocide, assassination, murder, assault, rape, theft, infidelity, suicide, lying, etc. After all, the Darwinian mindset entails that we are all (ruthlessly) competing for status, resources, and mating opportunities. So it should come as no surprise when people act immorally, violently, or criminally in order to get ahead or dominate the competition. Similarly, it should come as no surprise when people who think they are losing the “game” in terms of status, resources, and mating opportunities, retaliate and commit violence. For example, consider the 2014 Isla Vista killings by Elliot Rodger. [3] In short, he couldn’t get any girls, he strongly resented guys who were getting girls, and so he decided to go on a killing spree and then commit suicide. He ended up killing seven people (including himself) and injuring 14 others. This is a perfect example of the extremely dysfunctional, violent behavior that can result from the Darwinian mindset.<p>
<b>The universal mindset</b><p>
Unlike the egocentric, Darwinian mindset, the universal mindset holds that the ego-self truly does not exist. You are not separate from everyone else or everything else. At the transcendental level of consciousness, everything is one. You and the universe are one and the same. According to the universal mindset, we all come from the same source: the universe or totality. We manifest the universe, and the universe manifests us. We are the universe acting upon itself, and the universe is us acting upon ourselves. In particular, <i>you</i> are the universe acting upon itself, and the universe is you acting upon yourself. Since you and the universe are one and the same, the universe cares deeply about you, just as you care deeply about yourself, and you should care deeply about the universe.<p>
The universal mindset finds strong support in every major religion: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Daoism. The fundamental principle of all major religions is the Golden Rule. The positive Golden Rule is, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The negative Golden Rule is, “Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.” The Golden Rule holds precisely because everything is one, at the transcendental level of consciousness. Precisely because you and others are one and the same, you should (not) do unto others as you would (not) have them do unto you. Thus, at the transcendental level, if you harm someone else offensively (i.e. not in self-defense), you are also harming yourself, since you and all others are one and the same. For example, if you lie egregiously to others, you are lying egregiously to yourself. If you cheat ruthlessly on your spouse, you are cheating ruthlessly on yourself. If you violently assault another person who has done nothing to you, you are violently assaulting yourself.<p>
Since everything is one and thus deeply interconnected, the universe will hold you accountable for your actions. To the extent that you harm others offensively, the universe will uphold justice in one way or another. This is the law of karma. Just consider the following historical examples.<p>
1. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche glorified the “will to power” (i.e. the egocentric or Darwinian mindset) and championed the “master ethics” of the strong, dominant, powerful, noble, wealthy Ancient Greek and Roman aristocrats and leaders. In contrast, Nietzsche condemned the “slave ethics” of Judeo-Christian morality, which he thought represents the interests of the weak, submissive, disempowered, and poor. However, later in his life, Nietzsche once saw a horse being flogged, threw his arms around it, and ended up having a catastrophic mental breakdown. [4]<p>
2. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime were responsible for killing 11 million people (including 6 million Jews) in the Holocaust. [5] Overall, in World War II, they were responsible for killing roughly 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war. Hitler ended up committing suicide in his bunker as the Allied forces were approaching Berlin.<p>
3. Joseph Stalin and his communist regime were responsible for killing 10-20 million people (including famines). [6] Stalin ended up dying from a stroke and stomach hemorrhage. His political opponents likely poisoned and thus assassinated him.<p>
4. Bernie Madoff created the biggest Ponzi scheme in US history and ended up stealing $18 billion from investors. [7] Most of his victims were charitable organizations, elderly people, and Jews. Ultimately, he was arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to 150 years in prison. One of his sons hanged himself exactly two years after his father’s arrest.<p>
<b>Alpha and beta in terms of the universal mindset</b><p>
With the universal mindset, the terms “alpha male or female” and “beta male or female” lose significance and fade away. Yes, some people are more talented, accomplished, stronger, aggressive, confident, decisive, or wealthy than others. Yes, some people lead and others follow. But this is all contingent and non-essential. It is mere happenstance. As Eckhart Tolle says:<p>
<blockquote>“The most common ego identifications [i.e. based on the egocentric mindset] have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, personal and family history, belief systems, and often also political, nationalistic, racial, religious, and other collective identifications. None of these is you.” [8]</blockquote>
None of these things is really you because, at the transcendental level of consciousness, the ego-self does not exist. At the transcendental level, everything is one. Thus, you, everyone else, everything else, and the entire universe are all one.<p>
Indeed, the universal mindset has many advantages over the egocentric, Darwinian mindset. To the extent that you think in terms of the universal mindset, your relationships will improve and you will get along better with others, especially high-performers. You will not get upset or feel threatened if someone else performs better than you do. After all, your ego-self does not exist, and so your ego-self is not fighting against the ego-selves of other people.<p>
To the extent that we all think in terms of the universal mindset and take it seriously, we avoid the ruthless, miserable, Darwinian competition and the Hobbesian war of all against all. We achieve (relative) peace, and we are much more likely to cooperate with one another. Indeed, the universal mindset lends itself to social cooperation to a much greater degree than the Darwinian mindset does. If everything is one, then cooperation seems natural. In comparison, if we are all individual ego-selves competing against one another for scarce status, resources, and mating opportunities, then cooperation seems unnatural and difficult, unless we form alliances for selfish reasons (i.e. to help us acquire status, resources, and mating opportunities). Overall, social cooperation seems much easier and more natural with the universal mindset. And social cooperation is critical because humankind has evolved and progressed intellectually, scientifically, and technologically largely through social cooperation.<p>
Furthermore, the universal mindset lends itself to the abundance mentality, whereby you believe that status, resources, and mating opportunities are abundant. In contrast, the Darwinian mindset lends itself to the scarcity mentality, whereby you believe that status, resources, and mating opportunities are scarce. In general, the self-improvement industry (including even the pick-up artist community, which otherwise promotes the Darwinian mindset) champions the abundance mentality as a necessary condition for success. Well, it is much easier to think abundantly when you believe that, at the transcendental level, everything is one: that you, everyone else, everything else, and the entire universe are all one and the same. This is abundance to the maximal and infinite degree.<p>
Now, even though the universal mindset has so many advantages over the Darwinian mindset, many of us are caught somewhere between the two mindsets, and understandably so. On the one hand, we must lead our practical lives, compete, earn a living, support and protect our families, and deal with other people’s egos, as well as crime, terrorism, etc. On the other hand, many of us recognize the transcendental values underlying the universal mindset. Just consider the popularity of the major religions, all of which point toward the universal mindset. So we are conflicted between the two mindsets. Indeed, the tension and conflict between the Darwinian mindset and universal mindset is arguably <i>the deepest, hardest problem in human nature and human history</i>. We have been dealing with this problem ever since we first evolved as a species. Every civilization (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, European, American, etc.) has faced this problem. Jesus and the Buddha faced this problem. So it is a very tough nut to crack. [9] For laypeople (i.e. people who are not monks, nuns, priests, rabbis, etc.), it may even be impossible to think only in terms of the universal mindset and eliminate the Darwinian mindset. Perhaps this is one major reason that certain people join monasteries: to escape the Darwinian mindset that figures prominently in general society, and to embrace the universal mindset.<p>
Nevertheless, even if it is impossible to think only in terms of the universal mindset and eliminate the Darwinian mindset, we should still minimize and eliminate our use of the terms “alpha male or female” and “beta male or female,” for these terms presuppose a worldview that is ultimately divisive, dysfunctional, and destructive. So, instead of calling someone an “alpha male or female” and thereby promoting the Darwinian mindset, we should use more precise, neutral language. For example:<p>
“He is a strong, decisive leader. He leads from the front.”<br>
“She is highly motivated and performs at the elite level.”<br>
“He is the champion in sport X.”<p>
These statements are direct, straightforward, and accurate, without appealing to a “survival of the fittest” mindset, which, at its most extreme, leads to terrorist attacks, mass shootings, (unjust) wars, genocide, etc.<p>
<b>Conclusion</b><p>
The terms “alpha male or female” and “beta male or female,” which presuppose the egocentric, Darwinian mindset, have some explanatory value when describing animal or human behavior. However, insofar as we strongly believe in and act according to these terms and the egocentric, Darwinian mindset, we will (likely) act dysfunctionally and clash with others, for we will see life as a (ruthless) competition for status, resources, and mating opportunities. However, it is very difficult to overcome the egocentric, Darwinian mindset and fully embrace the universal mindset. Nevertheless, we can minimize and eliminate our use of the terms “alpha” and “beta” with respect to humans, and think less in terms of the egocentric, Darwinian mindset and more in terms of the universal mindset. In doing so, we would make the world a much better place—with fewer terrorist attacks, mass shootings, wars, genocide, violent crime, etc.<p>
--------------------------------------<p>
<b>FOOTNOTES</b><p>
[1] Often, the alpha/beta distinction seems to promote and reinforce the fixed mindset, which holds that your identity, skills, talents, habits, etc. are fixed and you cannot change them. You are who you are, and you cannot improve, progress, or grow. You’re either an alpha or beta, and you cannot change it. However, if a beta can become an alpha and vice-versa, this means that alpha status is not fixed but dynamic. In this sense, the fixed mindset is false. I will address this further in a different article.<p>
[2] Hobbes, Thomas. <i>Leviathan</i>. Ed. Edwin Curley. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994. Print. p. 76.<p>
[3] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Isla_Vista_killings">“2014 Isla Vista killings.”</a> <i>Wikipedia</i>. 22 Dec. 2015. Web. Accessed 23 Dec. 2015.<p>
[4] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche">“Friedrich Nietzsche.”</a> <i>Wikipedia</i>. 23 Dec. 2015. Web. Accessed 23 Dec. 2015.<p>
[5] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust">“The Holocaust.”</a> <i>Wikipedia</i>. 16 April 2015. Web. Accessed 17 April 2015.<p>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler">“Adolf Hitler.”</a> <i>Wikipedia</i>. 17 April 2015. Web. Accessed 17 April 2015.<p>
[6] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin">“Joseph Stalin.”</a> <i>Wikipedia</i>. 23 Dec. 2015. Web. Accessed 23 Dec. 2015.<p>
[7] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Madoff">“Bernard Madoff.”</a> <i>Wikipedia</i>. 22 Dec 2015. Web. Accessed 26 Dec 2015.<p>
[8] Tolle, Eckhart. <i>The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment</i>. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2004. Print. p. 46.<p>
[9] Perhaps we can best crack this “nut” through intensive, daily, lifelong meditation (e.g. zazen). Such meditation can help make the universal mindset more lucid and apparent, which will help us realize and internalize it.<p>
<br>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-91613673116291885502015-11-09T17:28:00.000-06:002015-11-09T17:36:06.426-06:00How to Maximize Your Focus and Minimize Distractions<br>
We live in a world that is trying to distract us to the maximum degree and minimize our focus and attention spans. In particular, we are largely distracted by modern technology: smartphones, tablets, television, computers, the Internet, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, videogames, etc.<p>
Before modern technology was invented (e.g. 19th century America), life was simpler and more linear. You woke up and ate breakfast. You went to work (e.g. the farm, factory, or office), where you basically focused only on work. At work, you were not interrupted or distracted by a barrage of emails, text messages, Facebook updates, tweets, etc. Once you finished working, you went home, engaged in your hobbies, ate dinner, relaxed, and then went to bed. Once you left work, it was easier to forget about work since smartphones, emails, and text messages did not exist.<p>
For better or for worse, modern technology has largely eliminated this simpler way of life. In many respects, life is easier and more convenient. For example, you can easily order virtually anything off the Internet, and you can easily learn about anything on the Internet, although not all sources of information are equally good. However, in terms of noise and distractions, life is more difficult and complicated. Historically, humans have never been as distracted as they are now.<p>
For example, when riding public transportation, I often see virtually everyone around me using his or her smartphone. Several years ago, this happened occasionally but now it happens regularly. It is the new norm: I am surrounded by smartphone addicts. Few people want to just sit and stay present. Most people seek constant stimulation or gratification through their phone. (Yes, sometimes I use my phone while riding public transportation. Usually, I record notes or set reminders. There is a big difference between using your phone for practical purposes and using it for mere stimulation or gratification.)<p>
Furthermore, I often see people driving on the streets or expressway <i>while looking down</i> at their smartphones, which is a great way to get into an accident and possibly injure or kill yourself and/or others. For that matter, I sometimes see people walking down the street while looking down at their smartphones. This is a great way to run into something, trip over something, or get hit by a vehicle. It would be highly absurd but tragic if a driver who was looking down at his phone hit a pedestrian who was also looking down at his phone. And this could actually happen in today’s society.<p>
Overall, we are collectively suffering from many forms of technological addiction: Internet addiction, social media addiction, smartphone addiction, television addiction, etc. In terms of our brain chemistry, these forms of addiction are fundamentally the same as tobacco addiction, alcohol addiction, illicit drug addiction, and porn addiction.<p>
Since we are addicted and distracted in so many ways, we are losing sight of what is most important in life: <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/10/work-love-and-zen.html">work, love, and Zen</a>. We are losing sight of the present moment.<p>
At NO-MIND FITNESS, I care about your mental health, your mental states, your mindfulness, and your degree of presence. I have designed this website in a simple, clean, minimal manner. I am trying to maximize your focus and presence, not distract or bombard you with all sorts of junk.<p>
Having ranted sufficiently, I will now list 12 constructive actions that you can take in order to maximize your focus and minimize distractions.<p>
<b>1. Meditate once, twice, or thrice daily for 10-20 minutes.</b><p>
Meditating is the most important action you can take to maximize your focus, presence, and awareness. You must become aware of your level of addiction and distraction before you can directly address these issues. Please see these posts: <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/09/zazen-instructions.html">"Zazen Instructions"</a> and <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/09/why-you-should-take-zen-very-seriously.html">"Why You Should Take Zen Very Seriously"</a>.<p>
<b>2. When doing X, just do X. Do not multi-task.</b><p>
This principle is very simple but very practical and powerful. When writing an essay or article, just write. When reading a book or article, just read. When researching a given topic, just research it. When ordering something online, just order it. When texting, just text. When talking on the phone, just talk on the phone. When working, just work. When sleeping, just sleep.<p>
<b>3. Eliminate noise and distractions.</b><p>
Your work area should be quiet and have zero distractions. So turn off any nearby TVs. If you’re doing work that requires focused concentration, do not listen to any music, even classical music. If necessary, wear earplugs. Silence your smartphone or at least avoid using it.<p>
If you’re working in an area with other people and they repeatedly interrupt you for trivial reasons, then directly tell them, “I’m trying to focus on this project. Please do not interrupt or distract me. Thank you.”<p>
If you do not enforce your boundaries, people will keep interrupting and distracting you.<p>
<b>4. Cultivate the habit of reading.</b><p>
Reading is largely an exercise in focus and linear thought. If the author writes well, he or she will write in a linear fashion, which will make it easy for the reader to trace and understand that line of thought or reasoning.<p>
To cultivate the habit of reading, I recommend reading at least one book (any genre) per month. In particular, read books that are 200+ pages long, on subjects that genuinely interest you. For bonus points, read a book that is 500+ pages long or that is on a very difficult subject matter (e.g. Kant’s theory of knowledge or ethics). You can find rigorous books in any subject: philosophy, history, literature, religion, economics, finance, business, etc. For any subject X, just Google “the most difficult [or rigorous] books in X.”<p>
If you do not read regularly, do not feel bad or guilty. It is never too late to cultivate the habit of reading. Start with a book that really interests you and is fairly short (200 or fewer pages). Once you finish that book, find another fairly short book. You can develop the habit of reading one book at a time, one chapter at a time, one page at a time.<p>
When reading, just read. Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV and PC. See (3).<p>
<b>5. Whenever you use technology, use it for a specific, relevant, practical purpose.</b><p>
Do not use technology aimlessly or just for the sake of using it. Use technology only to the extent that it is necessary and practical: writing an essay or article, researching a given topic, checking your e-mail, updating your website or blog, ordering something online, or checking your financial accounts.<p>
In particular, do not surf the Internet aimlessly. We are all guilty of doing this sometimes, but you should look at websites only for specific, relevant, practical purposes. If you’re surfing the Internet just to pass the time, then you’re wasting your time.<p>
<b>6. Clean up and organize your desktop.</b><p>
You should not have too many folders or files on your desktop. If 25% or more of your desktop has clutter, then you should immediately clean and organize it. Less is more. This is the secret to Zen aesthetics: minimalism, absolute simplicity, cleanliness, and empty space. You can further apply these aesthetic concepts to your office and residence.<p>
<b>7. Leave open only the computer programs that you’re actively using.</b><p>
If you’re not actively using a computer program, close it. You should not have 10 programs open simultaneously. Less is more. The more programs you have open, the less focused and the more distracted and scatterbrained you will be. The fewer programs you have open, the more focused and the less distracted and scatterbrained you will be.<p>
<b>8. Unless it’s truly necessary, do not check your e-mail first thing in the morning.</b><p>
In general, when you start your morning, you should work on the most important task of the day. In the early morning (especially if you meditate), your mind is fresh, focused, and ready to tackle the day.<p>
If you check your e-mail first thing in the morning, you may spend the first 15-60 minutes of your morning answering e-mails, dealing with minutiae, checking the websites to which your emails link, and getting distracted overall. In this case, you are wasting your fresh, focused mental energy.<p>
Thus, I recommend waiting until 10am or later to check your email. Before then, work on the most important task of the day.<p>
<b>9. Do not watch random videos on YouTube.</b><p>
One can easily waste a lot of time by watching random videos on YouTube. Nevertheless, YouTube does have some fascinating videos or documentaries. Thus, I recommend watching videos only for a specific, relevant, practical purpose.<p>
If you find yourself wasting too much time on YouTube, you can easily block it using the extensions or add-ons listed below in (10). If you ever need to watch certain videos on YouTube, you can temporarily un-block it and then block it again later.<p>
<b>10. Block websites that distract you.</b><p>
If you’re wasting too much time on certain websites (e.g. Facebook or YouTube) and it’s undermining your productivity, you should block them using a website blocking extension or add-on. I recommend <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/simple-blocker/akfbkbiialncppkngofjpglbbobjoeoe">Simple Blocker</a> for Google Chrome and <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/blocksite/">Block Site</a> for Mozilla Firefox.<p>
Do not unblock these websites unless you have very good reason to do so.<p>
<b>11. If necessary, disconnect from the Internet.</b><p>
If you want to eliminate all Internet distractions for a certain time period, you can physically remove the Ethernet cable from your PC or laptop. If you’re using WiFi on a laptop and it has a WiFi switch, you can use it to disable your wireless connection.<p>
Alternatively, you can disable your Ethernet connection in Windows 7 by doing the following:<p>
1. Right-click on ‘My Computer’<br>
2. Select ‘Properties’<br>
3. Click ‘Device Manager’<br>
4. Click the triangle next to ‘Network Adapters’<br>
5. Right-click on the relevant network adapter (e.g. ‘Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller’)<br>
6. Select ‘Disable’<p>
Once you do this, you will not be able to access anything on the Internet or your local network (e.g. a network printer or other PCs).<p>
If you want to re-enable your Ethernet connection, follow the steps above but select ‘Enable’ instead of ‘Disable’ in step 6.<p>
If you have Windows 8 or 10 or OS X, just Google “how to disable your internet [or Ethernet] connection in Windows 8 or 10 [or OS X].” <p>
<b>12. Walk through nature at least once a week.</b><p>
If you really want to get away from the distractions of technology, go outside and experience nature. Walk through your local park, forest, or beach, which will help clear and rejuvenate your mind. If you bring your smartphone along, avoid using it. When experiencing nature, just experience nature.<p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-27599028346023015282015-11-07T09:50:00.000-06:002015-11-07T09:50:28.400-06:00Mentally Prepare Yourself for Winter 2015-16<br>
Winter is approaching, and I want to remind you of the principles in my post, <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/11/how-to-thrive-during-long-harsh-winters.html">“How to Thrive during Long, Harsh Winters.”</a><p>
In summary:<p>
1. Embrace winter.<br>
2. Always think positively.<br>
3. Never complain about the weather.<br>
4. Surround yourself with positive people.<br>
5. Meditate daily.<br>
6. Work out consistently.<br>
7. Stay busy and productive.<br><p>
You should be thriving, not just surviving, in winter.<p>
Break through any mental barriers that you impose on yourself.<p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-7272642552839692222015-08-12T14:28:00.000-05:002015-08-12T14:28:28.377-05:00Interview with Elite Powerlifter Trevor Pfaendtner<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzalotcPPRD1YA06qSWPcn5v-_4x5rPgLVo7WqpE8489FMTByTxv3E4Eb96keMVYiIinckWwXfFrKoanz3g2ghyoJ4E_bv2XJxVjP-IDsEklpeXaFc1Fkj5sAya6jjjWI7Tjom2dzNAE/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzalotcPPRD1YA06qSWPcn5v-_4x5rPgLVo7WqpE8489FMTByTxv3E4Eb96keMVYiIinckWwXfFrKoanz3g2ghyoJ4E_bv2XJxVjP-IDsEklpeXaFc1Fkj5sAya6jjjWI7Tjom2dzNAE/s400/photo.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>INTRODUCTION</b><p>
Trevor Pfaendtner is extremely strong. In fact, he is the strongest guy I have seen in person, although I haven’t attended any powerlifting meets. I have seen him high-bar back squat 505lb for 3 sets (6, 5, 4 reps) and bench press 345lb for 8 reps.<p>
Trevor is 27 years old, 6 feet tall, and 281lb. He has lifted weights for 14 years and competed in powerlifting for 8 years. As a raw powerlifter (with belt and knee wraps) in the open 275lb weight class, he has achieved the following elite numbers:<p>
• 1RM (1 rep-max) back squat 666lb<br>
• 1RM bench press 479lb<br>
• 1RM deadlift 606lb<br>
• Total: 1751lb (elite)<p>
As a geared powerlifter in the junior 275lb weight class, he has achieved the following elite numbers:<p>
• 1RM back squat 745lb<br>
• 1RM bench press 710lb<br>
• 1RM deadlift 625lb<br>
• Total: 2080lb (elite)<p>
As a geared powerlifter in the open 308lb weight class, he has achieved the following elite numbers:<p>
• 1RM back squat 749lb<br>
• 1RM bench press 722lb<br>
• 1RM deadlift 604lb<br>
• Total: 2075lb (elite)<p>
Furthermore, Trevor is a doctor of osteopathic medicine, family medicine resident, and a consultant for <a href="http://renaissanceperiodization.com/">Renaissance Periodization</a>.<p>
Given Trevor’s impressive accomplishments, I was eager to interview him and learn from him.<p>
<i>Note: unless stated otherwise, all exercises listed here are barbell exercises.</i><p>
-------------------------------------<p>
<b>INTERVIEW</b><p>
<b>Many readers may be unfamiliar with powerlifting. Can you tell us briefly what powerlifting is? And what exactly is the difference between geared/multiply powerlifting and raw powerlifting?</b><p>
Powerlifting is the sport of lifting weights—specifically, competing in the squat, bench, and deadlift. In competition, you perform three attempts at each lift. The heaviest attempt at each lift is added together for your total which is what determines the winner of the competition. Athletes are organized by age, weight, sex, and in some cases lifting equipment. Raw powerlifting is generally considered to be only using a belt, but some federations will allow knee sleeves or knee wraps. Geared powerlifting allows for supportive clothing such as bench shirts and squat suits to be worn. These devices were originally designed to help protect the hips and shoulders, but evolved to be far more than just safety measures as they allow the lifter to handle heavier weight than they could otherwise. In competition, geared lifters compete against geared lifters only.<p>
<b>How did you first get into powerlifting?</b><p>
My brother introduced me to weightlifting when I was about 12 years old when he would go train for football (he is 4.5 years older than me) and I continued to lift for sports when I got to high school. Once I went away to college and wasn't playing any organized sports anymore, I would end up linking up with the powerlifting club on campus my freshman year.<p>
<b>Many guys lift weights through high school and college but stop once they enter the “real world” and start working “normal,” full-time jobs. What about powerlifting (or weight training in general) has made you pursue it for 8-14 years?</b><p>
I really enjoy the process of building toward concrete goals. I want to bench press 500lb and when my bench increases little by little at each competition, I can tell that I have made quantifiable progress. Powerlifting is an avenue for stress relief as well. It offers an opportunity to be in control of a facet of my life when so much of the rest of my life is in other people's hands. I continue to lift because I love doing it and because I have goals that I have not yet met.<p>
<b>What are the three most important lessons you have learned from powerlifting?</b><p>
Work hard, train intelligently, and don't let lifting be the only focus of your life.<p>
<b>What was your first strength training or powerlifting program? For how long (roughly) did you run it? How effective was it?</b><p>
For the four years of high school, I did whatever the football coaches told us to do, which was basic linear kind of programming if anything at all. Then I started trying some bodybuilding.com routines.<p>
<b>How long were you training before you achieved a 315lb bench press, 405lb back squat, and 495lb deadlift (all 1RMs)?</b><p>
Well in high school I benched 315lb as a junior weighing around 200lb. I squatted (high) 405lb for 6 reps at one point and deadlifted around 500lb with the trap bar, but all of this was with terrible form. At that point, I had been training as the football coaches told me for 3 or 4 years I guess. By graduation I was benching around 350lb with poor form and had more or less stopped squatting and deadlifting. Once I got to college, at my first competition I squatted 468lb, benched 325lb, and deadlifted 550lb at 204lb. That was after maybe 4 months of dedicated powerlifting training doing a basic 5 x 5 pyramid.<p>
<b>Many strength trainees follow a novice linear progression (e.g. Starting Strength), exhaust it, become early intermediate strength trainees, and then get stuck in the intermediate stage for a long time. They may hop from one program to another, since there are so many intermediate strength programs available.</b><p>
<b>What are some guiding principles you would recommend for an early intermediate strength trainee?</b><p>
Learn the technique as well as possible and put in as much heavy, high volume work as you can until it stops working. Find people stronger than you and ask for help. Do what they tell you to do. They know more by default.<p>
<b>What are some guiding principles you would recommend for an advanced intermediate strength trainee?</b><p>
Keep working on technique and more volume work. Chances are they are focusing more on strength than they should and neglect hypertrophy work.<p>
<b>What are some guiding principles you would recommend for an advanced strength trainee?</b><p>
I couldn't say as I consider myself to be in the category above.<p>
<b>In the past, you’ve said that, for intermediate and advanced lifters, it’s good to cycle through different variations of a given movement. For example, instead of training the bench press 52 weeks per year, you could spend 4-8 weeks training the bench press, 4-8 weeks training the incline bench press, 4-8 weeks training the close-grip bench press, 4-8 weeks training the DB bench press, and so on.</b><p>
<b>Do you recommend cycling for the primary movement (e.g. the bench press) or only for assistance exercises?</b><p>
I would say cycle everything, but keep it specific to the sport you are training for. Doing cleans could be fun, but it will do nothing for my bench. I cycle my main movements essentially every month to some degree and my accessory movements more or less monthly, but there are only minor variations on what I change them to.<p>
<b>What are the benefits of cycling through different variations?</b><p>
Based on research, people tend to stop responding to repeated stimulation of the same kind. Variation in the stimulation allows for new adaptations to be made.<p>
After a period of time, which is specific for each lifter, the body will adapt to a stimulus and no longer make improvements, or at least will not do so as effectively. This is more pronounced in more advanced lifters as they require greater and greater stimulus to achieve disruption in homeostasis that will promote meaningful adaptations. Variation can come in the form of volume, intensity, and exercise selection. Changing the movements too often does not allow the body a chance to adapt to the new stimulus effectively. I like monthly or every two month switches as they seem to be the sweet spot for allowing improvement without getting stale.<p>
<b>What if I vary the stimulus but it leads to a new adaptation that decreases my overall strength? For example, if I do stiff-legged deadlifts instead of deadlifts or incline bench press instead of bench press, then it seems that I may lose overall strength because I will be using lighter weights for the stiff-legged deadlifts and incline bench press than for the deadlifts and bench press. Or are the deadlift and bench press variations making you stronger overall because they’re strengthening weak points: the posterior-chain (lower back, glutes, hamstrings) for the stiff-legged deadlift and the upper chest, shoulders, and triceps for the incline bench press?</b><p>
You want to pick exercises that are still relatively specific to the goal at hand. You pick exercises that will build weak points and promote improvement of the competition lifts. Getting better at SLDL will very likely improve your conventional deadlift, but high volume hamstring curls will do little to improve your deadlift as it is not similar enough to the main movement to carry over. The intensity that can be achieved with SLDL is vastly greater than that of the hamstring curl. If done correctly, these variations can help to build strength, not detract from it.<p>
<b>In particular, what exercises do you recommend cycling through for the back squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press?</b><p>
I stick to low bar and high bar squatting, with rare months of buffalo (slight camber) bar squatting. For deadlift I switch between stiff legged, deficit, and full range pulling. For bench press I use close grip, medium grip, wide grip (rarely), floor press (rarely), and incline work of varying grips. I also incorporate a lot of heavy triceps movements such as JM press, French press, and rolling barbell triceps extensions on the floor. I rarely train overhead press as I have never found it to help my bench press.<p>
<b>When you compete, do you use the low bar or high bar position for the back squat? How do you incorporate each into your training?</b><p>
I train both high and low bar depending on where I am in the cycle, but I compete low bar with knee wraps exclusively. My offseason (any time not in strength or peaking phases) I will mostly do high bar work to build my quads bigger. Closer to competition I do competition style lifting in preparation.<p>
<b>Do you think the front squat is ever a good substitute for the back squat? Or is the front squat only good as an assistance exercise for the back squat?</b><p>
Front squat can be a good adjunct to the back squat. It can be great for building quad strength and size, but I can't perform the movement due to shoulder pain so I do not do it. Really it depends on what your goals are. I want my back squat to get better for competition, so I focus more on that anyway.<p>
<b>What do you think about the leg press as an assistance exercise for the back squat or deadlift?</b><p>
It can be good for hypertrophy work as an assistance exercise.<p>
<b>What are you thinking when you’re setting up to perform a 600lb+ back squat or deadlift? Are you trying to focus only on executing the movement and thinking about nothing else? Are you practicing no-mind? Or are you telling yourself certain cues or affirmations?</b><p>
Before a big lift I get excited because this is what I love to do. I used to be more into the idea of getting angry before a lift, but it gets to be exhausting to focus on negativity when lifting is supposed to be my time away from life stress. Most often I am just thinking that I will lift the weight and watch the video afterwards to see where I can make improvements. Sometimes I will make a conscious effort to focus on keeping my knees out or something like that.<p>
<b>Suppose someone lifts weights, weighs 200lb, eats Paleo, and wants to increase his weight to 210lb or 220lb. What is the simplest way for him to do this, while still eating Paleo (largely)? Just eat a lot more protein and a lot more starchy carbs (e.g. sweet potatoes, white rice, and brown rice)? Eat six meals per day instead of five?</b><p>
Eat more than you burn. You have to be in a hypercaloric state to grow. Whether that is Paleo or Wendy's you need more calories in. People always say "I eat a ton." Well, it's not enough if you're not growing.<p>
<b>Have you ever had a serious injury that required surgery? If so, how long did it take you to recover from the surgery? How long did it take you to re-gain your previous strength levels? What was your mindset when you were going through the process of re-building your strength?</b><p>
I have been fortunate that I have avoided surgery. I dislocated my elbow in high school during a wrestling match. I was away from lifting for three months to allow for healing and PT. While in a splint I was still doing the leg press and a lateral delt raise machine. In retrospect I should have done more. By the time the PT was done, I think was back to benching 325lb within two months maybe. I just kept training and was happy to be back at it.<p>
<b>In general, how do you motivate yourself? What are your most effective methods? For example, do you tell yourself certain affirmations? Do you listen to certain kinds of music when working out? Do you have certain role models?</b><p>
I stay motivated just by how much I enjoy the process like I said before. I get antsy if I have to take time off. I would suggest finding something that keeps it interesting and fun for you. That way, there is no motivation struggle; it is just go do the thing you love. I like to listen to a fair amount of heavy metal, but I will also throw on Black Keys or something a little mellower. More often than not though, I don't listen to my own music while I train because it is one more thing to keep track of and can be a distraction. I look up to the top guys for their ability and technique, and I look up to the older guys who keep grinding away and putting up consistent results. Brian Schwab and Ed Coan come to mind.<p>
<b>What advice would you give to someone entering their first powerlifting competition?</b><p>
Don't cut weight. Just go in as strong as you can and have fun. Try to learn something while you're there. Talk to someone stronger than you are and see if you can get advice. However, wait until they are done lifting. Not everyone is looking to mentor someone between squat attempts. Go for PRs. Don't worry about official records until you are more advanced.<p>
<b>What do you think about CrossFit?</b><p>
CrossFit, like anything, has the potential to be really awful if not done correctly. I think that the longer it is around, the more intelligent programming coaches emerge. It can be a great way for people to get in shape and to get good at doing CrossFit, but I wouldn't say it is a good way to accomplish much else. It won't make you a better football player, soccer player, etc.<p>
<b>When it comes to learning about strength training, do you try to read and learn as much as possible? Or do you read very selectively in order to avoid information overload and not waste time? Do you just stick with your current knowledge base, which you have learned through experience and past research?</b><p>
I have read different training methodology books over the years and tried to learn something from each one. I would say it is important to learn a lot early on, but don't overdo it. I have met lifters who read everything and over-analyze everything, but never got any real work done because they were too focused on the minutia. Try to find reputable, scientifically backed stuff that has been proven to work. My training really took off once I started following the style of training that <a href="http://renaissanceperiodization.com/">Renaissance Periodization</a> puts out. It is all research based and has helped to put hundreds of pounds on my total. I think that after lifters get some experience (years), then they can start looking at ways to reinvent the wheel.<p>
<b>What are your hobbies, outside of your professional life and athletic/fitness life?</b><p>
Time doesn't allow for much else, but spending time with my wife and dogs, playing X-box and just hanging around with friends when I can.<p>
<b>How do you balance your professional life (being a family medicine resident), your athletic/fitness life (powerlifting), your hobbies, your social life, and your marriage life? How do you manage your time?</b><p>
I try to compartmentalize and prioritize as much as I can. I focus on work when at work and focus on everything else when I am not at work. When I train, it is only about training, but I have gotten a lot better at being more efficient with my time in the gym. I used to spend 3 hours at each session, but now I get to be around hour and a half at most. I try to coordinate as best as I can with my wife's work schedule so we can spend time together and not neglect the dogs. This goes back to question #5: powerlifting is a huge part of my life, but it is only a part. Everything else is more important and once I solidified that in my mind while in medical school, my lifting improved. It took the stress aspect out of chasing numbers. It's great when it works out, but it's better when I get to spend time with family.<p>
<b>Did you play sports in high school or college?</b><p>
High school: football 4 years, wrestling 2 years, track 2 years<br>
College: powerlifting starting freshman year—bodyweight increased from 200lb to 260lb in 4 years<p>
<b>How did you meet your wife?</b><p>
Match.com<p>
<b>What is your favorite quotation?</b><p>
"More weight."<p>
<br>
Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-36715909996001308302015-08-11T09:33:00.000-05:002015-08-11T09:33:23.053-05:00How Strong are the Top Athletes in the 2015 CrossFit Games?<br>
<b>INTRODUCTION</b><p>
In a previous post, <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/08/how-strong-are-top-athletes-in-2013-and.html">“How Strong are the Top Athletes in the 2013 and 2014 CrossFit Games”</a>, I compared the strength numbers of the top 10 male and female athletes in the 2013 and 2014 CrossFit Games. Here, I will compare the strength numbers of the top athletes in the 2014 and 2015 games. In particular, I will focus on their one-rep max (1RM) deadlift, back squat, clean and jerk, and snatch.<p>
Please see <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_rYRD-3AtspZVVzYlhYaHNiMFk">this spreadsheet</a>. The spreadsheet is based on the data posted on the official <a href="http://games.crossfit.com/">CrossFit Games website</a> in August 2013, 2014, and 2015.<p>
Please note that many athletes who placed in the top 10 both in the 2014 and 2015 games (e.g. Ben Smith) listed the same 1RMs in August 2014 and August 2015. So, either they did not increase their 1RMs over the course of a year, or they simply did not update their 1RMs on their profile on the CrossFit Games website. The latter is probably true. In addition, three of the top 10 male athletes and two of the top 10 female athletes in the 2015 games have not posted their strength numbers. Nevertheless, I will use the available data, as they are still informative.<p>
In this article, I use the terms absolute strength and relative strength. Absolute strength means the absolute most weight you can lift for a given movement. It is simply your one-rep max (1RM) for a given movement. Relative strength means your absolute strength relative to your bodyweight (i.e. divided by your bodyweight). One can express relative strength as a proportion or percentage of your bodyweight. For example, if you weigh 200lb and your 1RM deadlift is 500lb, then you can deadlift 250% of your bodyweight (BW).<p>
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<b>THE 2014 CROSSFIT GAMES (INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION)</b><p>
<b>Individual Winners</b><p>
• The top male athlete (Rich Froning Jr.) can deadlift 545lb (280% BW), back squat 445lb (230% BW), clean and jerk 370lb (190% BW), and snatch 300lb (150% BW).<p>
• The top female athlete (Camille Leblanc-Bazinet) can deadlift 300lb (230% BW), back squat 310lb (240% BW), clean and jerk 230lb (180% BW), and snatch 190lb (150% BW).<p>
<b>Top 10 Athletes (1RM Relative Strength)</b><p>
• On average, the top male athletes in the 2014 CrossFit Games can deadlift 273% BW, back squat 240% BW, clean and jerk 178% BW, and snatch 147% BW.<p>
• On average, the top female athletes in the 2014 CrossFit Games can deadlift 231% BW, back squat 198% BW, clean and jerk 153% BW, and snatch 122% BW.<p>
<b>Top 10 Athletes (1RM Absolute Strength)</b><p>
• On average, the top male athletes can deadlift 522lb, back squat 459lb, clean and jerk 339lb, and snatch 280lb.<p>
• On average, the top female athletes can deadlift 304lb, back squat 263lb, clean and jerk 203lb, and snatch 162lb.<p>
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<b>THE 2015 CROSSFIT GAMES (INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION)</b><p>
<b>Individual Winners</b><p>
• The top male athlete (Ben Smith) can deadlift 540lb (280% BW), back squat 480lb (250% BW), clean and jerk 335lb (170% BW), and snatch 300lb (150% BW).<p>
• The top female athlete (Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir) can deadlift 308lb (200% BW), back squat 253lb (170% BW), clean and jerk 216lb (140% BW), and snatch 187lb (120% BW).<p>
<b>Top 10 Athletes (1RM Relative Strength)</b><p>
• On average, the top male athletes in the 2015 CrossFit games can deadlift 267% BW, back squat 241% BW, clean and jerk 178% BW, and snatch 150% BW.<p>
• On average, the top female athletes in the 2015 CrossFit games can deadlift 233% BW, back squat 187% BW, clean and jerk 149% BW, and snatch 121% BW.<p>
<b>Top 10 Athletes (1RM Absolute Strength)</b><p>
• On average, the top male athletes can deadlift 514lb, back squat 466lb, clean and jerk 343lb, and snatch 289lb.<p>
• On average, the top female athletes can deadlift 344lb, back squat 276lb, clean and jerk 222lb, and snatch 180lb.<p>
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<b>2014 VERSUS 2015</b><p>
Now, let us examine the change in relative strength numbers from 2014 to 2015.<p>
In terms of average relative strength, the top male athletes slightly increased their snatch from 147% BW to 150% BW. They slightly decreased their deadlift from 273% BW to 267% BW. Their back squat and clean and jerk remained the same (240% BW and 178% BW, respectively). Thus, overall, the top male athletes in the 2014 and 2015 games are roughly equal in strength.<p>
In terms of average relative strength, the top female athletes slightly increased their deadlift from 231% BW to 233% BW. But they moderately decreased their back squat from 198% BW to 187% BW. They slightly decreased their clean and jerk from 153% BW to 149% BW, and slightly decreased their snatch from 122% BW to 121% BW. Thus, overall, the top female athletes in the 2015 games are slightly weaker than the ones in the 2014 games.<p>
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<b>THE UPSHOT</b><p>
In any case, the top male and female athletes in the 2014 and 2015 games are pretty strong overall. This comes as no surprise because functional strength largely drives performance on metabolic conditioning (metcon) workouts. All else being equal, the stronger you are, the better you will perform on metcons.<p>
Given the above numbers, I would conclude the following.<p>
1. If you’re a male looking to compete and perform well in the CrossFit Games, you will need to develop <i>at least</i> a 250% BW deadlift, a 225% BW back squat, a 175% BW clean and jerk, and a 150% BW snatch.<p>
2. If you’re a female looking to compete and perform well in the CrossFit Games, you will need to develop <i>at least</i> a 220% BW deadlift, a 190% BW back squat, a 150% BW clean and jerk, and a 120% BW snatch.<p>
Now, what is the best way to achieve these strength numbers or make substantial progress in achieving them? As I wrote in <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/08/how-strong-are-top-athletes-in-2013-and.html">last year’s article</a>, the best way is to do dedicated strength training and Olympic weightlifting. In particular, learn the proper movement patterns, train them constantly and systematically, and get progressively stronger and more explosive. Use a novice linear progression until it no longer works, and then do an intermediate program. In fact, this is the most effective way to achieve your strength goals in the shortest amount of time possible.<p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-35644864230639166822015-07-21T12:12:00.000-05:002017-06-10T11:37:10.922-05:00Eight Means to a Simpler, Better Life<br>
In the film <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/nmf0c-20/detail/B005ZOFJNE"><i>Zen</i></a> and in the last chapter of his <i>Shobogenzo</i>, Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen, articulates eight ways to apply Buddhist teachings to your concrete, everyday life, so that you may live as a virtuous, enlightened being. In this article, I explain and interpret these eight means to living better and more simply. All eight means relate to and reinforce one another. Here is a short list of the eight means:<p>
1. Regulate your desires<br>
2. Be satisfied<br>
3. Be tranquil<br>
4. Be diligent<br>
5. Practice mindfulness<br>
6. Meditate<br>
7. Practice wisdom<br>
8. Avoid pointless talk<p>
Now, let us examine each point in detail.<p>
<b>1. Regulate your desires</b><p>
If you have unlimited desires, if you want <i>everything</i> in life, then you will inevitably be dissatisfied.<p>
For example, suppose you want to become a billionaire with a net worth of $50 billion. You want to marry a swimsuit model. You want to own several huge mansions, several private jets, and 10 exotic sports cars: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, etc. Further, you want to travel the world regularly in luxury, first-class style: five-star hotels, five-star restaurants, etc. Altogether, these desires comprise your ultimate dream lifestyle, and you are very motivated to achieve this lifestyle.<p>
Now, if you do not achieve this ultimate lifestyle, then you will be dissatisfied. For example, if you accumulate a net worth only of $5 million; if you marry an intelligent, attractive woman with good character but who is not a swimsuit model; if you own only one large house, no private jets, and only one exotic sports car; if you travel the world regularly but in an economical manner; then you will be dissatisfied. After all, you had much higher standards for your ultimate lifestyle, you wanted it really badly, and you fell short.<p>
However, if you do achieve this ultimate lifestyle and if you have the psychology of a typical modern consumer, then you will likely still be dissatisfied (in some respects), because you will likely compare yourself to others who have more than you do and you will want more and more. You will never have enough. Yes, you may have a net worth of $50 billion, but so-and-so has a net worth of $75 billion. Yes, you may be married to a swimsuit model, but so-and-so is married to a younger, hotter swimsuit model. Yes, you may have several huge mansions, several private jets, and 10 exotic sports cars, but so-and-so has more/nicer/better mansions, private jets, or exotic sports cars than you do. <b>No matter who you are, there is always someone richer, smarter, bigger, stronger, faster, hotter, more accomplished, or more propertied than you are. No one can be number one in all respects all the time.</b> Bill Gates may currently be the wealthiest person in the world, but he is not number one in all respects, and he will eventually pass away and no longer be the wealthiest man in the world.<p>
Thus, even if you do achieve your ultimate dream lifestyle, you will still be dissatisfied to the extent that you want more and more, that you compare yourself to others, and that you seek validation or happiness externally.<p>
Therefore, you should regulate and limit your desires. In short, be smart, prudent, and selective about your desires. For example, it is smart and prudent to desire sufficient food, clothing, housing, education, safety, peace, tranquility, and health. It is not so smart or prudent to desire 20 huge mansions, 20 private jets, 20 exotic sports cars, a harem of 20 models, or copious amounts of 20 illicit drugs.<p>
Finally, you should realize that happiness or satisfaction comes from within and thus seek happiness or validation internally, not externally.<p>
<b>2. Be satisfied</b><p>
This directly relates to regulating and limiting your desires. In support of my previous argument about the ultimate dream lifestyle, the Buddha asserts, “Those who do not know satisfaction, even when living in a heavenly place [e.g. several huge mansions], are still not satisfied. Those who do not know satisfaction, even if rich, are poor. People who know satisfaction, even if poor, are rich” (Warner, p. 238). Warner elaborates, “[Knowing] satisfaction is the simplest way to get rich quick because everything you have becomes everything you want” (p. 238).<p>
Thus, you should be satisfied with and demonstrate gratitude for everything that you do have: food, clothing, shelter, health, safety, family, friends, etc. Whenever someone does something for you, you should demonstrate gratitude by sincerely saying, “Thank you,” and perhaps even, “I appreciate it.” This alone will improve your relationships and quality of life.<p>
Furthermore, you should be satisfied with the present moment in the sense of fully accepting it. Of course, you can strive to improve yourself and set and pursue goals, but you must accept where you currently are—right here, right now. You can never escape the present moment.<p>
<b>3. Be tranquil</b><p>
Your mind should be like a lucid, tranquil body of water. Always stay cool, calm, and composed. In particular, always stay extremely calm, which is especially important when you’re stressed, when you’re facing adversity, or when your ego-self starts to rear its ugly head or terrorize you.<p>
In addition, avoid any emotional ups and downs. Stay stoic and (somewhat) emotionally detached. A lucid, tranquil body of water does not get jubilant, hysterical, furious, or depressed.<p>
Lastly, if you are introverted or somewhat hermetic or if you enjoy solitude, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. In many respects, it is easier to be tranquil when you are alone. Just consider the monks in the film <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/nmf0c-20/detail/B000OYNVOY"><i>Into Great Silence</i></a> or the hermits in <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/nmf0c-20/detail/B000S76VHQ"><i>Amongst White Clouds</i></a>.<p>
<b>4. Be diligent</b><p>
Set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound) goals and work deliberately and consistently toward them. Persist and overcome adversity. Improve, progress, and grow.<p>
You should also be diligent in applying these eight principles (regulating your desires, being satisfied, being tranquil, meditating, etc.) to your daily life.<p>
<b>5. Practice mindfulness</b><p>
Always pay attention to what you’re doing and thinking. Focus 100% on the present moment: right here, right now. Cultivate absolute presence in your daily life.<p>
For example, when meditating, just meditate. When cooking, just cook. When cleaning, just clean. When lifting weights, just lift weights. When running, just run. When sleeping, just sleep.<p>
<b>6. Meditate</b><p>
Meditating daily will increase your focus, discipline, awareness, presence, and mindfulness. When you meditate, you are observing your thoughts in the present moment and learning how to disassociate yourself from them and focus on your breathing. Thus, meditation in itself is an exercise in focus, discipline, awareness, presence, and mindfulness. So, if you exercise your skills in focus, discipline, etc. for 20 minutes per day, then these skills will improve significantly over time.<p>
Here are <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/09/zazen-instructions.html">zazen instructions</a>.<p>
<b>7. Practice wisdom</b><p>
You can cultivate wisdom by applying these eight principles and the Buddha’s teachings to your daily life. This includes practicing compassion and showing gratitude.<p>
<b>8. Avoid pointless talk</b><p>
Avoid idle talk and gossip. Although this principle is subjective and a matter of degrees, you should ideally communicate in a direct, concise manner about practical, relevant matters, so that you use your time optimally. But if you and your audience want to discuss points in greater detail and if you both have the time, then elaborate as needed. For example, if you want to spend three hours discussing subject X with someone who is really interested in it and if you both have the time, then go ahead.<p>
<b>Conclusion</b><p>
Overall, I think these eight principles capture the essence of Zen Buddhism and serve as an excellent guide to living better and more simply. If you regulate your desires; if you are satisfied, tranquil, and diligent; if you meditate and practice mindfulness and wisdom; if you avoid pointless talk; then you will live a more peaceful, fulfilling life with much less stress and anxiety. In this sense, Zen is extremely practical.<p>
------------------------------------<p>
<b>Works Cited:</b><p>
Dogen. <i>Shobogenzo: The Treasure House of the Eye of the True Teaching</i>. Trans. Rev. Hubert Nearman. Mount Shasta, CA: Shasta Abbey Press, 2007. PDF file.<p>
Warner, Brad. <i>Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, and Dogen's</i> Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2007. Print.<p>
<i>Zen</i>. Dir. Banmei Takahashi. Perf. Kantarou Nakamura, Yuki Uchida, Ryushin Tei, and Jun Murakami. Festival Media, 2011. DVD.<p>
<br>
<i>Last revised 6/10/2017</i><p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-33476695359787387372015-03-26T11:35:00.000-05:002015-03-26T11:35:28.807-05:00To What Extent Are You Making Progress with Your Personal Trainer?<br>
I’ve seen many people work with personal trainers and not get serious results or make much progress. These people may not be doing exactly what their trainer prescribes. They may not be doing the workouts consistently or following his or her nutrition recommendations. Or the trainer may be giving them workouts that are not very effective.<p>
However, if you hire a trainer for the medium- or long-term, consistently do the workouts that he or she prescribes, and exactly follow his or her nutrition recommendations, then you should be getting results and making progress in the medium- and long-term.<p>
Results and progress are the most important things. They’re more important than good conversation, good laughs, good feelings, etc. People skills or soft skills may be important to some degree, but results and progress are ultimately the most important.<p>
If you’re working with a trainer who seems really “cool” and personable, you’re doing exactly what he or she prescribes, but you’re not making much progress in the medium- or long-term, then you’re wasting your time and money and you should look for a different trainer.<p>
In order to assess your trainer and your progress in the medium- and long-term, ask yourself the following questions:<p>
1. Does your trainer emphasize getting results and making progress? Does he explicitly talk about it? Or does he talk about everything else except getting results and making progress? Is your trainer basically all talk, hype, and image?<p>
2. Can you do more push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, and air squats now than when you first started?<p>
3. Have you learned how to properly deadlift, squat, bench press, and overhead press (or push-press), whether it’s with a barbell (BB) or dumbbells (DBs)?<p>
4. Have you made significant progress in terms of the deadlift, squat, bench press, and overhead press (or push-press)?<p>
5. Have you significantly decreased your one-mile run time, 500-meter rowing time, 2000-meter rowing time, or any other cardio benchmark?<p>
6. Is your trainer making you do constantly varied workouts?<p>
If you’re doing constantly varied workouts, then you cannot really make systematic progress since you’re too busy doing constant variety.<p>
In order to make progress, you must be able to measure progress with a benchmark (i.e. something that you do repeatedly). For example, if you deadlift once a week or run one mile once a week, then you can use that as a benchmark to measure progress. If you’re increasing your deadlift by 5lb or 10lb every week (or month) or if you’re decreasing your 1-mile run time every week (or every few weeks or month), then you are in fact making progress.<p>
7. Is your trainer making you do many different variations of the same fundamental movement pattern?<p>
For example, here are different variations of the lunge:<p>
<ul>
<li>Front lunge</li>
<li>Side lunge</li>
<li>Reverse lunge</li>
<li>Front lunge with torso twist</li>
<li>Walking lunge</li>
<li>Walking lunge with DBs, BB, or medicine ball overhead</li>
<li>DB walking lunge to curl to shoulder press</li>
<li>Front DB lunge to balance</li>
<li>Side DB lunge to balance</li>
<li>Front DB lunge to balance to overhead press</li>
<li>Side DB lunge to balance to overhead press</li>
</ul>
<br>
Here are different variations of the push-up:<p>
<ul>
<li>Regular push-up</li>
<li>Decline push-up (feet elevated)</li>
<li>Wide-grip push-up</li>
<li>Narrow-grip push-up</li>
<li>Diamond push-up</li>
<li>Divebomber push-up</li>
<li>Clapping push-up</li>
<li>Hand-release push-up</li>
<li>Push-up with feet on stability ball (SB)</li>
<li>Push-up with hands on SB</li>
<li>Ring push-up</li>
<li>Push-up with hands on DBs</li>
<li>Handstand push-up</li>
</ul>
<br>
Now, if you’re constantly doing variations of the same fundamental movement pattern, then you cannot make significant progress in any one variation. You’re too busy doing constant variety to make systematic progress. You’re essentially spreading yourself too thin.<p>
Instead of doing 10 or more variations of push-ups at a time, you should focus on one to three variations at a time, which will allow you to make significant progress in those variations.<p>
--------------------------------<p>
Now, if your answers to questions (1)-(5) are mostly “no” and if your answers to questions to (6) and (7) are “yes,” then you should consider getting a different trainer.<p>
In particular, you can sign up for NO-MIND FITNESS monthly programming, which is personalized, systematic, and progressive. It is all about results and progress in the medium- and long-term.<p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-22404251592873588272015-03-24T13:11:00.000-05:002016-05-03T18:31:03.121-05:00Why You Should Sign Up for Monthly Programming<br>
Some readers may ask why they should sign up for monthly programming and pay $100 per month. Here are 12 good reasons that fully justify signing up.<p>
1. Achieve serious results in the medium- and long-term through effective, balanced, time-efficient workouts that are tailored to you and your goals. See these <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/p/no-mind-fitness-testimonials.html">testimonials</a>.<p>
2. Learn the proper form for all exercises and movements.<p>
3. Lose body fat.<p>
4. Gain muscle mass.<p>
5. Increase strength and overall fitness.<p>
6. Improve athletic performance.<p>
7. Improve flexibility through stretching.<p>
8. Have someone motivate you and hold you accountable. I want to light a serious fire under your ass, which will increase your own internal motivation, discipline, and self-mastery.<p>
9. Have someone push you beyond your comfort zone and help you break through mental barriers.<p>
10. Benefit from my 4.5 years of intensive knowledge and experience. How many trainers do you know who can deadlift 495lb for two reps? I did on 6/30/2014.<p>
11. Improve your overall health, which will add years to your life. Do you want to live to the age of 50 or 80? Do you want to make it to retirement age (70)?<p>
12. If you follow NO-MIND FITNESS programming, it is more valuable and better for your long-term health than the following:<p>
<ul>
<li>Wasting time on Facebook or YouTube</li>
<li>Buying and sitting on a La-Z-Boy recliner</li>
<li>Watching cable television on a 50”+ TV</li>
<li>Drinking alcohol</li>
<li>Smoking cigarettes</li>
<li>Getting tattoos</li>
<li>Eating at expensive restaurants</li>
<li>Driving a high-end, luxury car</li>
</ul>
<br>
Just consider the monetary costs of these products, services, or activities.<p>
<table border="1" style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td><small><b>Product or service</b></small></td>
<td><small><b>Monthly price</b></small></td>
<td><small><b>One-time price</b></small></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>Wasting time on Facebook or YouTube</small></td>
<td><small>Free</small></td>
<td><small>Free</small></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>La-Z-Boy recliner</small></td>
<td></td>
<td><small>At least $400</small></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>Cable TV service with 200+ channels</small></td>
<td><small>$60-100 per month</small></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>50” or larger LED TV</small></td>
<td></td>
<td><small>At least $400</small></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>Alcohol</small></td>
<td><small>$10-20 per week, $40-80 per month</small></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>Cigarettes in Chicago (1-2 packs per week)</small></td>
<td><small>$11 per pack, $11-22 per week, $44-88 per month</small></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>Tattoo</small></td>
<td></td>
<td><small>At least $50</small></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>Expensive restaurant meals (1-2 meals per month)</small></td>
<td><small>$100 per meal, $100-200 per month</small></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small>High-end, luxury car (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc.)</small></td>
<td></td>
<td><small>At least $30,000</small></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><small><b>TOTAL</b></small></td>
<td><small><b>At least $244-468 per month</b></small></td>
<td><small><b>At least $30,850</b></small></td>
</tr>
</table><p>
</small>
<br>
If you purchased or used all these products or services, it would cost <i>at least</i> $244-468 per month and <i>at least</i> $30,850 in terms of one-time purchases. Thus, NO-MIND FITNESS monthly programming is much less expensive than the monthly purchases and one-time purchases.<p>
Furthermore, you will not improve your health by wasting time on Facebook or YouTube, sitting on a La-Z-Boy recliner, watching cable television on a 50” TV, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, getting tattoos, eating at expensive restaurants, or driving a fancy car. None of these will help you lose body fat. None will make you more muscular, lean, or ripped. None will make you bigger, stronger, or faster.<p>
--------------------------------<p>
That said, now I want you to imagine what your life would be like when you’re healthy, fit, and strong in terms of your mind and body.<p>
When you’re lean and ripped.<p>
When you’re highly focused, disciplined, motivated, decisive, consistent in action, and positive in terms of self-talk.<p>
When you’re not wasting your time or money on frivolous things that neither improve your health nor give you lasting satisfaction.<p>
If you want to improve your physical and mental health and overall life, then sign up <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/p/monthly-programming-and-initial.html">here</a>. I would be happy to help.<p>
<br>
<i>Last revised 5/3/2016</i><p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-89190603647825841782014-12-06T12:42:00.000-06:002014-12-06T12:42:56.901-06:00Free Monthly Programming for Four Months<br>
Do you want to improve your strength and conditioning to a very large degree?<p>
Are you highly focused, disciplined, and motivated?<p>
Do you want to work towards becoming the ELITE version of yourself?<p>
If so, then I want to train you FREE for four months. You need not pay anything.<p>
However, I’m doing this for one and only one person. If you’re interested, you must apply and I will select the best overall candidate.<p>
If I select you, you will get four free months of the basic monthly programming package (normally $75 per month), which includes the following:<p>
<ul>
<li>Individualized, systematic, progressive workouts for each month<p>
<li>Detailed notes and pictures on the exercises in the workouts<p>
<li>Email support, motivation, and accountability<p>
<li>The NO-MIND FITNESS Self-Mastery Guide ($20 value)<p>
<li>The NO-MIND FITNESS Static Stretching Routine ($20 value). You should do this stretching routine after your workouts or at least once a week.<p>
<li>If you live in or near Chicago, IL, I will train you in person once per month, at no additional cost. Each additional training session is $40 (normally $75).<p>
</ul>
<br>
Overall, you are saving $300 in terms of the monthly programming and $35 in terms of each additional training session. This is a great deal.<p>
In exchange for my services, you must agree to the following conditions:<p>
<ul>
<li>You must be willing to fundamentally change some of your habits and work towards self-mastery.<p>
<li>You must complete all four months of training. You are not allowed to quit. Quitting is not even an option.<p>
<li>You must complete virtually all the workouts that I program. If you miss a few workouts for good reasons over the course of four months, then it’s okay. But if you miss too many workouts (e.g. 1-2 workouts per week), then the deal is off. If you honestly think you will miss many workouts, please do not apply.<p>
<li>Every month, you must send me full-body photos, which I will likely post on the website. If you’re a male, you must be shirtless in the photos. If you’re a female, you must wear fitted clothes.<p>
<li>You must write a testimonial after the second month and then update it after the fourth month.<p>
<li>If you decide to continue training with me after four months, then you must pay the current rate for monthly programming ($75 per month) and the current rate for additional training sessions ($75 per session).<p>
</ul>
<br>
I will be accepting applications through December 31, 2014. By January 3, 2015, I will select the best overall candidate, and training will begin immediately thereafter.<p>
If you’re seriously interested, please email me at colin.brown[at]nomindfitness[dot]com. I will send you the application.<p>
<b>Additional Notes:</b><p>
1. Anyone can apply, regardless of fitness level. I will select the most motivated applicant, not necessarily the fittest one.<p>
2. This deal is only for new, prospective trainees. If you’re a current or former trainee, you cannot apply for this deal.<p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-85170818402007082472014-11-25T09:14:00.000-06:002014-11-25T09:14:07.531-06:00Mentally Prepare Yourself for Winter 2014-15<br>
Last winter, Chicago had basically an arctic winter. We had several days when the temperature was around -15 degrees Fahrenheit and -30 degrees with wind chill.<p>
Overall, Chicago had a colder winter than did Anchorage, Alaska; Stockholm, Sweden; and Reykjavik, Iceland.<p>
However, I dealt with it pretty well by following the principles in my post, <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2013/11/how-to-thrive-during-long-harsh-winters.html">“How to Thrive during Long, Harsh Winters.”</a><p>
If I can thrive during an arctic winter, then you can too.<p>
Break through any mental barriers that you impose on yourself.<p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-3505272131946103882014-11-06T11:31:00.000-06:002014-11-06T11:31:07.188-06:00Zen Quotations: Part III<br>
More Zen quotations:<p>
“To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” -- Chuang-tzu<p>
“[It is wonderful] how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.” -- John Muir<p>
“The infinite is in the finite of every instant.” -- Zen proverb<p>
“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” -- Zen proverb<p>
--------------------------------------------<p>
“If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?” -- Dogen<p>
“Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water. Enlightenment does not divide you, just as the moon does not break the water. You cannot hinder enlightenment, just as a drop of water does not hinder the moon in the sky. The depth of the drop is the height of the moon. Each reflection, however long or short its duration, manifests the vastness of the dewdrop, and realizes the limitlessness of the moonlight in the sky.” -- Dogen<p>
“Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed. Do not squander your life.” -- Dogen<p>
--------------------------------------------<p>
"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us, "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.<p>
“This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.<p>
“Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."<p>
-- Albert Einstein<p>
<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560784769971540.post-52661039465316052542014-11-04T17:59:00.000-06:002015-10-26T15:26:13.138-05:00Novice Bodyweight Training Plan<br>
I am now selling the <i>NO-MIND FITNESS Novice Bodyweight Training Plan</i>.<p>
I have designed this training plan for total fitness novices: those who cannot do any (or many) regular push-ups, pull-ups, or air squats.<p>
If you can already do many regular push-ups, pull-ups, and air squats with good form and if you want a challenge, then please see the <a href="http://www.nomindfitness.com/2014/08/bodyweight-training-plan.html">NO-MIND FITNESS Bodyweight Training Plan</a>.<p>
This novice training plan lasts 10 weeks and consists of bodyweight exercises and running.<p>
The training plan is systematic and progressive and consists of two phases, each of which lasts five weeks.<p>
For this training program, you will need the following equipment:<p>
1. A pull-up bar<br>
2. A full set of resistance tubes (RTs). I recommend ProSource or Spri RTs.<br>
3. A stability ball (SB)<br>
4. A wall with free space<br>
5. A chair or bench<br>
6. A sportswatch or timer<p>
The training program includes notes and pictures on (almost) all resistance exercises.<p>
<br>
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</div>
<br>
<br>
<b>Price: $50</b><p>
The e-book comes with a 30-day refund policy. If you’re not satisfied with the e-book, please email me and I will issue you a refund.<p>
Once you purchase the e-book, I will email you the .pdf file and password within 24-36 hours.<p>
<br>
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<br>Colin Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16041874663558824172noreply@blogger.com3