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How to Take Charge of Your Training & Your Life

Guest post from Jason Ferruggia at http://www.jasonferruggia.com

Stop worrying about shit.

It’s as simple as that.

And doing so can dramatically change your life.

Never worry about that which you cannot control.

To spend time thinking “what if,” or stressing about things that potentially may go wrong is a total waste of your time here on this planet.

If something is beyond your control there’s no use even thinking about it. Focus only on what you can control and don’t waste time worrying about anything else.

“What if my boss yells at me for trying this new approach?”

“What if this marketing campaign fails?”

“What if I decide to start my own business but I can’t cut it?”

“What if I get cut from the team?”

“What if we lose some of our current clients to the new business down the road?”

“What if I don’t have the genetics to get bigger and stronger?”

“What if a plane crashes into my house today?”

“What if I get a flat tire on the way to work?”

Fuck it! All of it. Don’t worry.

Just focus on moving onward and upward, without stressing yourself out about all the possible negatives that could come from any risk you take.

Every day has the potential for catastrophic disaster. But that doesn’t mean you should sit around focusing on it and waiting in fear.

Derek Jeter could take a wrong turn and end up at the Bronx Zoo instead of Yankee Stadium and get eaten by a tiger before the next game.

As ridiculous as that sounds it’s really no different than half the bullshit people waste their time worrying about.

Do you think that any truly successful people- those you watch on TV, read about in magazines or listen to on the radio sit around obsessing over those types of negative thoughts?

The Real “Hardgainer” Problem

Unsuccessful people and chronically skinny-fat “hardgainers” have one thing in common- they stress out and worry about EVERYTHING.

I’ve worked with thousands of these guys over the past 18 years and I can honestly say that the biggest thing holding them back is their never ending worrying and constant over-analyzing.

“Shit, I tried higher protein for two days and it didn’t work. Maybe I should do high carbs.”

“I increased my volume but now I’m sore. I’m overtrained. Back to Heavy Duty.”

“My biceps don’t cross my elbow joint like Larry Scott’s did; is it even worth me training?”

“I hit failure on my squats today, should I go back tonight and redo the whole workout?”

“The hill I ran sprints on was only about a 30 degree incline, but I could have sworn I read that 45 degrees was better. Was that a waste of my time?”

“I lost five pounds of fat but now I look tiny. What should I do?! HELP ME!!!!!”

Obviously, guys like this will never get anywhere. Their lives will be miserable and their gains in the gym will be piss poor.

That’s because they second-guess every single aspect of their diet and training.

When you do that you’re destined to fail. You have to have confidence and believe in what you are doing or you’re doomed from the get go.

When you start a new business or walk on to a team to tryout you have to have the confidence (and almost brash cockiness) to know that you will succeed. Seeds of doubt will squash your dreams instantly. You’ll never have a chance.

If you have constant doubts about your training and nutrition program the same thing will happen.

You will never make progress.

EVER.

What Would Arnold Do?

Do you think Arnold or Ed Coan or Walter Payton or Michael Jordan lived with constant worrying and doubt?

Of course not.

They went to the gym or field every day and worked their asses off with complete confidence that they were doing exactly what it took to be the best. They weren’t switching up their workouts or their shooting or running style each week.

“Well so and so said I should shoot like this and Phil Jackson said I should shoot like that. I wonder who’s right? I don’t even know how to shoot anymore. Maybe I should retire.”

Do you see how ridiculous that is?

Did you ever see Arnold worry in Pumping Iron? He had absolutely no doubt that he was going to win and he did. And he continued doing so throughout the rest of his life.

Anyone who hears about Arnold’s career and wants to claim steroids or bring up any recent scandals doesn’t truly get the success mindset and will never achieve anything in life or in the gym.

To be jealous of someone else’s hard work and success is the loser mindset and sets you up for a lifetime of failures, one after the other.

Don’t worry about it! Focus on you and what you can control. 

When you develop the ability to worry less you can actually start to enjoy your training and your life.

Unfortunately, a lot of people let their training become a source of stress rather than a source of stress relief.

When you constantly worry your stress and cortisol levels go up. That makes you fatter, smaller and weaker… Just what you were worrying about happening.

You have to choose a proven path, believe in what you’re doing and enjoy the process.

Think Like Magic

Learning to worry less is a skill. And like any skill you want to master it must be practiced regularly so that it becomes habitual.

This is no different than learning to play the piano, hit a baseball or perform a snatch.

Reading books like “F*ck It” and anything by Leo Babauta can help.

Surround yourself with people who have already mastered this skill. Those who never seem to worry about anything. Those who are always moving forward in a positive direction, never worrying about any possible negative outcome.

I’m talking about guys like Donald Trump and Magic Johnson who seem physically incapable of worrying or hearing negativity of any kind.

Remember when Magic said, “Because of the HIV virus I have attained I will have to retire from the Lakers today?”

That was a reflection of how his brain works.

Two synonyms for attained are “accomplished” and “achieved.”

Think about it.

That’s the way all of us should think.

Myself included.

Put a positive spin on everything and stop worrying about shit you can’t control.

Do this every day and eventually it will improve just like any other skill you constantly practice.

And when it does you will have more muscle, less fat and be far happier and more successful than you ever thought possible.

What we think

I love this article from Jason! It’s amazing how much worrying, self-doubt, second guessing, lack of confidence, however you want to think about it, is out there. It’s easy to succumb to sometimes, when things aren’t going your way, or you’re not progressing in a way which you had envisioned. Don’t let things get you down, especially those out of your control. Focus on the good stuff and stay positive, there’s no reason not to be having fun and being happy wherever you are and with whatever you’re doing. If you’re doing this then you will always be heading in the right direction.

Why Fast? Part Two – Cancer

Feature post from Mark’s Sisson at www.marksdailyapple.com

“Everyone has a physician inside him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick is to feed your sickness.” – Hippocrates

and:

“Instead of using medicine, rather fast a day.” – Plutarch

or even:

“No kibble today, thanks. I’m feeling a bit under the weather.” – Fido

For thousands upon thousands of years (during most of which overweight, let alone obese, people were fairly rare), therapeutic fasting was a common protocol for the healing of many a malady. From famous sages like Plato, Aristotle, and the aforementioned Hippocrates and Plutarch to cancer patients unable to eat during chemotherapy to pet dogs and cats who suddenly lose once-voracious appetites upon falling ill, it seems like the natural response to – and perhaps therapy for – major illness is to stop eating for a while.

Now, “natural” is not always good. “Is” does not necessarily imply “ought.” But I think the persistence of this phenomenon throughout nature demands that we look a little more closely into whether or not there’s something to it. From babies putting items they found on the ground into their mouths to introduce novel bacteria to their bodies, to weight lifters craving meat after a hard workout to introduce protein to their hungry muscles, to pregnant women experiencing strong food aversions to minimize the chance of introducing a toxin or poison to the growing fetus, I’m generally of the opinion that there’s usually a physiological explanation for most of our odd cravings and behaviours. I see no reason why a sudden lack of appetite wouldn’t have a similar explanation – especially one that transcends species. What if skipping meals for a day or two kickstarted internal healing in some way? Is that really so outlandish? You already know where I stand on the importance of lessons learned from watching our animal companions, and I think this time is no different.

Luckily for us, we aren’t just flailing around and making guesses. Modern science has deigned research into the phenomenon, particularly regarding cancer, worth pursuing. According to Valter Longo, a cancer researcher from USC, “normal cells” go into survival mode during starvation. They display “extreme resistance to stresses” until the “lean period” ends, much like an animal in hibernation mode. Cancer cells, on the other hand, are always “on.” Their “goal” is to grow and reproduce and consume resources. For cancer cells, there is no novel survival mode to switch on. If this is the case, fasting should both improve our resistance to cancer and our body’s ability to survive it (and the treatments used against it, like chemotherapy).

Though human trials are scant (you can’t exactly inject people with cancer cells and then try out different therapeutic protocols, the animal research is intriguing. Let’s take a look into the literature, shall we?

Animal Trial

In one of the earliest studies, forty-eight rats were split up into two groups of twenty-four. One group ate ad libitum for a week, while the other group underwent alternate day fasting. After one week of the various dietary protocols, both groups were injected with breast cancer. At nine days post-injection, 16 of 24 fasted rats remained alive, while just five of 24 ad-libitum fed rats lived. At ten days post-injection, only three of the 24 ad libitum-fed rats survived; 12 of the 24 fasted rats remained alive. Pretty large disparity, right?

That was in 1988. It wasn’t until the late 90s that more promising research was undertaken. That’s when Longo began studying in earnest the phenomenon of increased cellular resistance to oxidative stress during fasting. Figuring that since chemotherapy exerts its effects on cancer by inducing oxidative stress (to all cells, not just cancerous ones), and fasting triggers survival mode in normal cells but not cancer cells, he conducted a study on mice to determine whether fasting protected the healthy, normal cells from chemotherapy’s side effects while leaving the cancer cells sensitive to the treatment. Tumor-ridden mice were either fasted or fed normally 48 hours prior to a large dose of chemotherapy. Half of the normally-fed mice died from chemotherapy toxicity, while all of the fasted mice survived (PDF). Furthermore, fasting did not improve the survival rate of cancerous cells, meaning it only protected normal, healthy cells.

Research has continued. Longo found that “starvation-dependent stress” protects normal cells, but not cancer cells, against the effects of chemotherapy. Even a “modified” alternate day fasting regimen, in which mice were given 15% of their normal calories on “fasting” days, reduced proliferation rates of tumor cells. This “85%” fasting regimen was even more effective than the full 100%. And most recently, Longo et al found that fasting both retarded the growth of tumors while sensitizing cancer cells to the effects of chemotherapy – across a wide range of tumor types. Most importantly, they concluded that fasting could “potentially replace or augment” certain existing chemotherapy regimens! That’s not some crazy fad diet guru spouting off about ancient traditional wisdom, folks. That’s a cancer researcher.

Human Trial(s)

There has been just one of which I’m aware: a 2009 case study that delivered promising results. Ten cancer patients – four with breast cancer, two with prostate cancer, one each with ovarian, lung, uterine, and esophageal cancers – underwent fasting prior to and after chemotherapy treatment. Fasting times ranged from 48-140 hours prior to and 5-56 hours after; all were affective at reducing side effects of chemotherapy.

In the first case, a 51-year old woman with breast cancer did her first round of chemotherapy in a fasted state of 140 hours. Other than dry mouth, fatigue, and hiccups, she felt well enough to go to work and resume her normal daily activities. For the subsequent two rounds, she did not fast and instead ate her normal diet, and the side effects were extremely pronounced – severe fatigue, diarrhea, weakness, abdominal pain, nausea – and prevented her from returning to work. For her fourth round of chemotherapy, she fasted, and the side effects were again minimized. And it wasn’t just the subjective effects that improved with fasting, but also her physiological markers. Total white blood cell, absolute neutrophil counts, and platelet counts were all highest after the fasting regimens.

More human trials are underway, however. Hopefully we’ll eventually know whether the loss of appetite commonly reported during chemotherapy treatment is a bug or actually a built-in feature (I’m leaning toward the latter, personally).

Other Possible Protective Mechanisms of Prevention

Improved insulin sensitivity. As I showed in last week’s post on fasting and weight loss, intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity and reduces insulin resistance. Insulin resistance has been linked to several cancers, including prostate, breast, and pancreatic. Metabolic syndrome, which fasting seems to help prevent and reduce, is linked to cancer in general.

Autophagy. While autophagy – the process by which cells “clean up” cellular “garbage” – has a complex relationship with cancer, it’s generally a positive process that protects cells from excessive oxidative stress. Fasting has been shown to induce “profound” neuronal autophagy, as well as general autophagy.

Fasting versus caloric restriction.

It’s true that caloric restriction appears to offer anti-cancer benefits, but there are a couple ways in which fasting might be superior:

1. Fasting (acute bouts of caloric restriction) is easier than CR (chronic caloric restriction) for most people. As I mentioned in last week’s post, fasting – for some – is just an easier, more natural, more effortless way to reduce your calorie intake. That can pay huge dividends when it comes to weight loss, and it appears likely that it will help with cancer, too. If fasting is easier than constantly counting your calories, fasting is going to work better.

2. Fasting is more effective in a shorter amount of time. Whereas studies on caloric restriction and cancer employ weeks- and months-long CR regimens, studies on fasting and cancer employ hours- and days-long fasting regimens. In most cases, fasting just seems to require far less time to be effective.

It’s an exciting time for fasting and cancer research. While it’s still viewed in most circles as an “alternative” modality, fasting is now being seriously considered as a possible treatment (both adjunct and even primary) for various cancers, including breast and prostate. I can’t wait to see what comes out in the coming years.

Of course, my own feeling is that fasting is both easier and more effective if you have made the transition to a Primal Blueprint way of eating. In other words, when you have up-regulated those fat-burning systems and down-regulated the reliance on glucose, many of the other issues that can make fasting less appealing to “sugar-burners” tend to go away: cortisol levels out, muscle protein is spared, hunger subsides naturally and energy is steady.

What does this mean for you – the person who either has cancer and wants to get rid of it or who doesn’t have cancer and wants to stay that way? Researchers like Valter Longo can’t officially recommend it to cancer patients, but it seems well-tolerated and basically safe. If you or anyone you know has cancer, suggest fasting as a possible strategy. As long as a person keeps their oncologist apprised of the situation and any relevant research on the subject, it might prove helpful. And if you’re currently cancer-free, consider implementing occasional (intermittent) fasts, just to be safe. I know research like the stuff I’ve just outlined has convinced me that it’s definitely worth a shot, and there’s little if any downside.

For those of you readers who currently practice fasting, do the potential cancer benefits motivate and drive you? If you aren’t currently fasting, does this evidence make you want to? Thanks for reading!

What we think

This is the second installment of a seven-part series on fasting we are delving into courtesy of Mark’s Daily Apple. An interesting focus in this part, the potential of fasting to alleviate the effects of chronic disease, by not supplying the cells with resources to consume and grow.

I know I’d try anything if I was struck by chronic disease, so it’s always interesting to read examples like this.

I particularly found interesting Mark’s highlighted point of potential acute cell autophagy through fasting and the comparison of caloric restriction to fasting. I know for me caloric restriction is much harder to handle, I’d rather go without totally than be teased by smaller portioned meals for longer time. The shock to the body is much quicker and more effective than the slow wind down of gradually reduced intake.

Part three is coming up, so stay tuned…

Thanks Mark!

Go to part 1 of the series here

Boxing: The Mind and Body Booster

 By Live & Love Health

Boxing is by far my most favorite workout.  Boxing can increase your endurance, slim your waist line and make you overall stronger and toned.

Benefits of Boxing

Feel Good – Boxing makes you feel good, it releases all those endorphins in your brain that give you that feel good feeling.  You stop stressing and you literally feel amazing.

Look good –  Boxing 4-5 times per week and you will start slimming down pretty quickly.  It can be easy to drop several pant sizes when you follow a boxing regimen.  Boxing is a great way to drop body fat while building strength, stamina and endurance.

Energy Enhancing – Boxing affects your productivity throughout the day.  You will find that if you spend just 15 minutes in the morning boxing you will be more energetic throughout the entire day.

Better Brain Reaction – Boxing keeps you on your toes.  Because you are energetic and strong your chances of thinking and reacting “on-your’toes” increases dramatically.  You are able to think and react faster to problems at work.  You are able to find solutions with ease and minimal stress.  Problems don’t seem to bother you as much.  You handle them and keep it moving.

*Other major plus- Learn how to fight.

Boxing affects your overall momentum for the day, you feel stronger, more alert and mind ready.

Get Some Gear

Make sure you buy yourselves a good quality pair of gloves. I own and recommend Century Leather Wrap Bag Gloves

But really any decent pair will do.

Note for Ladies: I always recommend 2 sports top/bras for support.  The more comfortable you feel the stronger you will feel.

Boxing Workout Tips

There are many boxing type workouts you can do without a punching bag.  I will share with you workouts with one and without.

With a punching bag

• Stand in front of bag and punch for a straight 60 seconds without stopping.  You don’t need to concentrate on a particular area just yet, what you are testing is your endurance to last.

• Rest for 60 seconds and do it again for another 60 seconds.
• Do this for 5 – 7 times

If at 60 seconds, you’re really tired, that’s a good pace to start at.   If not, time yourself, hit the bag for as long as you can go. If 3 to 4 minutes a set.  Do that set 4-7 times.

Hint: What I’ve told some of my clients and what I do when I’m at it is –  I think of fighting for my life.  If someone was attacking you, would you give up, or will you go down giving it your Absolute Best?  Give your absolute best!  How bad do you want to live? Succeed?  A Dream?  So punch for it!

Read Also:  Top 10 Energy Boosting Foods

Without a Punching Bag

Air Box – Yea, that may sound silly, but it works.  It helps to rid your arms of that jelly jiggle.  Air box for 3 minutes, Break for 5 minutes then another 3 minutes. Preferable with some hand weights.  2-5 lbs.   Do this at least 3-4 times.

More Boxing Tips to Come Soon. Please Share this with someone else.

What we think

I did a boxing session last night at a gym near me. Today I am the sorest I have ever been after a workout.I definitely recommend this as a fitness routine generally.

Add to this that I released stress and am feeling very calm minded today and you have a killer workout that boosts energy, frees the mind and tones you up.

Get some gloves and get boxing now!

Why Fast? Part One – Weight Loss

Guest feature from www.marksdailyapple.com

“When a person has nothing to eat, fasting is the smartest thing he could do.” – Herman Hesse, Siddhartha.

I like that quote. It’s making (non-caloric) lemonade out of lemons, and for all the transcendental insights contained in Hesse’s book, this line strikes me as a really cool, no-nonsense way to make the best out of a bad situation. No doubt about that. But how useful is it, really, to today’s readers? Very few of us ever have “nothing to eat.” On the contrary, food is ever at our beck and call, with very little effort required to obtain it. Actually, that’s not completely true. Processed junk and fast food is readily available, while the good stuff – fresh meat and veggies, actual, you know, food – requires prep work, cooking, time, and the doing of dishes. But the main point stands: we rarely go without.

That doesn’t mean the quote is useless. In fact, with a few slight modifications, it becomes extremely effective weight loss advice. Check out my version:

“When a person has had too much to eat, fasting is the smartest thing he could do.” – Mark Sisson, Mark’s Daily Apple.

If that sounds harsh or even unrealistic, consider the story of the Scotsman. Back in 1965, an obese Scotsman of 27 years and 456 pounds came to the Department of Medicine in Dundee, Scotland, with a problem. He needed to lose weight. A (1/8 of a) ton of it. The doctors suggested maybe not eating for a few days could help. It was just an offhand recommendation, but our Scotsman (known only as “AB”) really took to it. He stayed at the hospital for several days, taking only water and vitamin pills while undergoing observation to ensure nothing went wrong. When his time was up, he continued the fast back at home, returning to the hospital only for regular monitoring. After a week, he was down five pounds and feeling good. His vitals checked out, blood pressure was normal, and though he had lower blood sugar than most men, he didn’t seem particularly impaired by it. The experiment continued… for 382 days.

Yes, AB fasted for 382 days, drinking only water and taking vitamin, potassium, and sodium supplements. All told, he lost 276 pounds, reaching his target weight of 180 pounds and maintaining the bulk of his weight loss. Over the five following years of observation, AB regained just sixteen pounds, putting him in excellent, but underpopulated territory (at least 80% of dieters eventually regain all the lost weight). Other doctors paid attention. Maybe it was the fact that it was the 60s, and all sorts of crazy stuff was going on – rebellion in the air, good music being made, a war in Vietnam, Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters blazing across the U.S. in a beat-up school bus, spreading the good weird word, Kevin Arnold and a young Marilyn Manson coming of age in Anytown, USA – but for whatever reason, placing obese patients on extended and short-term fasts became relatively common practice.

But could this work for the average person looking to lose weight without submitting to constant medical observation?

Absolutely. Study after study shows that whatever you want to call the protocol – intermittent fasting, fasting, alternate day fasting, or alternate day caloric restriction – it works very well for weight loss. A few recent ones:

• In non-obese patients, alternate day fasting increased fat oxidation and weight loss.
• In obese patients, alternate day fasting was an effective way to lose weight; dietary adherence remained high throughout.
• In young overweight women, alternate day fasting was just as effective as caloric restriction at causing weight loss, and adherence to the former was easier than to the latter.

So, yes: it works. But does fasting work solely through caloric restriction, or is it doing something special?

That’s the real question. There’s no question that fasting causes weight loss through caloric restriction. Obviously, when you don’t eat anything, your body turns to its own stored energy reserves, reserves that take up physical space and have mass. Depletion of those energy stores reduces mass and thus weight. Total and absolute caloric restriction. That’s elementary stuff and the studies from the 1960s show that.

To dig a bit deeper, let’s look at how weight loss occurs during a fast. I’ll stick to research involving humans only (sorry, rodent personal trainers).

Secretion of growth hormone, one of the premier fat burning hormones, increases during a fast. In a five-day fasting protocol, men experienced increased GH secretion on day one and day five (the only two days where GH was measured). A later study showed that during two-day fasting sessions, growth hormone secretions increased in both frequency and intensity in men. They experienced more frequent GH bursts and each burst secreted a higher mass of GH. A more recent study found that 24-hour fasts increased GH by 1300% in women and almost 2000% in men.

Fasting decreases fasting insulin levels. The presence of insulin inhibits lipolysis, the release of stored triglycerides (body fat). Without lipolysis actually releasing stored body fat, it’s rather difficult to, well, burn that body fat for energy. During a fast, fasting insulin decreases and lipolysis increases. This insulin-blunting aspect of fasting quite literally allows the fast to be successful, because without the ability to access stored body fat for energy, making it through a period of zero caloric intake will be nigh impossible.

Fasting improves insulin sensitivity. 20-hour fasts were enough to improve insulin sensitivity in men.

Fasting increases the catecholamines, both adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Both catecholamines increase resting energy expenditure during a fast, and guess where your fasting body finds the energy to expend? From body fat. Catecholamines activate hormone sensitive lipase present in adipose tissue, spurring the release of said fat. This makes intuitive sense, doesn’t it? If you’re hungry in the wild, you need to hunt (or gather, or fish, or somehow procure food) and you need energy to do it. The catecholamines help provide some of that energy while burning fat in the process.

Hmm, notice anything? All those mechanisms dealt with fat burning specifically. While there may be some weirdo out there who’s interested in reducing bone mineral density and muscle mass while maintaining fat tissue, I would wager that what most people mean by “weight loss” is “fat mass loss.” From the stuff I just linked, it looks like fasting burns fat, rather than just weight. But what about Conventional Wisdom which claims that fasting increases muscle wasting – maybe because your body will totally recognize the lethal nature of all that arterycloggingsaturated animal fat and choose to break down muscle instead? Is it true?

Let’s go to the research:

In one study, normal weight subjects ate just once a day without reducing overall caloric intake. Weight didn’t change, which isn’t really surprising, but body composition did change – and for the better. Body fat decreased and lean weight increased (in addition to a bunch of other beneficial changes) without an overall reduction in calories.

A recent review of the relevant literature found that while fasting and caloric restriction are “equally as effective in decreasing body weight and fat mass,” fasting is “more effective for the retention of lean mass.”

Conventional Wisdom strikes out again.

In closing…

It appears that fasting “works” in several different ways:

1. It decreases caloric intake. In order to lose weight, you need a caloric deficit. That really isn’t in contention here, folks.

2. It increases fat oxidation while sparing lean mass. Since what we’re trying to do is lose fat (rather than just “weight”), the fact that fasting increases hormones that preferentially burn fat and decreases hormones that inhibit fat burning is extremely desirable.

3. It improves adherence. In most of the studies surveyed, participants found fasting to be an extremely tolerable way to diet, especially when compared to outright caloric restriction. Even AB, the fasting Scotsman, reported very little difficulty throughout his 382 day fast. If fasting is easier for you than trying to laboriously count calories, fasting is going to be the more effective weight – er, fat – loss method.

All in all, fasting is an effective way to lose body fat. It’s not the only way, and it isn’t “required” for Primal weight loss, but many in the community have found it to be very helpful and the literature backs them up. If you’re looking to jumpstart your fat loss, fasting may be just the ticket. To get some ideas, be sure to check out my post on various fasting methods.

In subsequent instalments, I’ll highlight some of the other benefits of fasting. There are a ton, and new research is being released all the time, so I expect I’ll have a lot to discuss. Until then, I’d like to hear about your experiences with fasting for fat loss. Has it worked? Has it failed you? Let us know in the comment section!

What we think

I’ve come across fasting in its variations in fitness and nutritional research more and more in recent time, but have not actively implemented it in my routine to date.

Mark has some pretty interesting examples of studies done on people fasting, and some thorough research to back it up.

I’m not in a situation where I really want to lose much weight at the moment, but I am very interested to see the effects for myself, so will definitely have to give it a go throughout this mini-series we’re posting on the topic.

I would highly recommend implementing an alternate day fasting routine into your life for say, 1 week if you can, and asses how it went for you. If you don’t feel up to that length of time yet, cut it down, try for a 3 day cycle of fast, normal eating, fast. Go back to your normal healthy eating for a few days, and then hit the cycle again. If you like how it is working for you, adapt it to your needs.

Keep in mind, on the days that you’re fasting, your energy levels are going to be lower purely due to the caloric deficit you are running on, so if you’re going to the gym or playing sport or just being active, don’t be trying to PB on big lifts or hectic sprints, because you probably don’t have the max energy required.

This is Part 1 of a 7 part series on Fasting from Mark’s Daily Apple, so stay tuned for the next installments.

Enjoy!

Mind Over Matter by Mackenzie Lobby

We’ve all heard the old adage about running being 90% mental. Turns out it might be true, and scientifically proven to boot. Tim Noakes, M.D., author of Lore of Running, has long argued that it is the brain that allows or limits endurance performance rather than the body. His “central governor” theory postulates that “the brain is there to look after you and to make sure whatever you do, you do it safely,” as he puts it.

Noakes says that the brain holds us back from pushing past a certain point. “There’s a control mechanism to make sure that you reach the finish line not in a completely, utterly wilted state,” he claims. “You always have a little reserve.” Or as some would interpret this, you can always push a little harder.

While past running research was preoccupied with the physiological side of endurance performance, a small group of researchers recently set their sights on examining the role of the brain. Not only does this research emphasize the idea of mind over matter, it also demonstrates that the brain can be trained to allow the body to physically handle more. After considering the research, we went in search of examples of competitive runners who have figured out ways to overcome the limits our brains put on our bodies. They offer sound advice on methods to coach your mind, not just your muscles.

Confusing Mental Fatigue and Physical Fatigue

Consider the following scenario. You’ve had a long, hard day. Your kids are nagging you, your boss is riding you, and there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and a mile-high pile of bills waiting for you at home. Managing to get in a run, much less a track workout or tempo session, seems like a monumental task.

Researchers at Bangor University in the UK set out to examine why it is that mental fatigue can lead to the perception of physical fatigue during exercise. Dr. Samuele M. Marcora and colleagues compared two groups. While both groups were to complete a high-intensity cycling exercise, one group was given a challenging, but sedentary, 90-minute computer test beforehand. The other watched “emotionally neutral documentaries” for 90 minutes.

While physiological responses to the exercise did not differ between the two groups, the perception of physical effort was much higher in the mentally fatigued group (the ones who did the computer test). The perception of physical fatigue translated into those participants reaching their maximal level of perceived exertion, and thus giving up, much sooner.

Researchers confirmed that VO2 max, cycling economy, and anaerobic threshold were not influenced by the mental task. Most interesting, they note that “overall, it seems that exercise performance is ultimately limited by perception of effort rather than cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic factors.” Therefore, the brain gave up and subsequently sent signals to the body to also cease, even though the body showed no physical signs of complete exhaustion.

Tricking the Mind to Allow More from the Body

This sort of research tells us that the brain is the boss. It orders the body what to do and what not to do. Another way to interpret this is, that if we can find a way to coax the brain out of cowering in the face of stress, our bodies will subsequently follow. A study out of the University of Birmingham, England, demonstrated that it is possible to, in a sense, fool the mind into allowing the body to work harder.

These researchers showed that cyclists who swished a carbohydrate drink containing either glucose or maltodextrin disguised with an artificial sweetener during a workout were able to ride harder and longer than those who swished water disguised with an artificial sweetener. This was despite the fact that none of the participants actually swallowed either of the liquids, nor did they know if they were swishing the carbohydrate solution or plain water. In addition, the two groups rated the level of difficulty to be the same, even though the carbohydrate drink group worked harder.

A functional MRI demonstrated that certain areas of the brain lit up when the carbohydrate drink was swished, those areas being connected to emotion, motivation, and reward. It was as if the carbohydrate-sensitive receptors in the mouth communicated with the brain, which then sent a signal to the body to tell it that it would be getting more calories and thus could work harder, regardless of the fact that no calories were actually consumed. This demonstrated that it is possible to trick the brain to allow the body to go further and faster.

Brain Training

We often assume that a decrease in performance is the result of physical fatigue—that less oxygen reaches the muscles, lactic acid builds up, and our legs tire. This doesn’t, however, explain instances when you feel you have nothing left, but then manage a surge on the backstretch or rally in the last mile of a marathon. If your muscles were truly shot, that last push would be impossible.

What it comes down to is training, or tricking, the brain to allow the body to go harder. The brain can be taught to give the body more leeway by incrementally pushing past that perceived maximal level of exertion in training. The same way you train your body, you must also train your mind. Noakes suggests, “If you want to be competitive, you have to learn how to deal with the discomfort. A lot of the heavy, good physical training is about training the brain to cope with discomfort.”

There are plenty of examples of people who have figured out ways to shelve distractions, life responsibilities, and the run-off mental fatigue in order to run and race well. In chatting with several accomplished runners who are or were billed with overcoming much greater roadblocks than the average elite, a number of tricks of the trade surface.

Running Priorities

Since we don’t all have the luxury to be able to devote our entire lives to our training the way many of the pros do, we must find ways around the stresses of everyday life. This means making running a priority. Noakes asks, “What are you going to give up? You can’t just keep adding. The brain doesn’t have infinite reserves.”

Bob Kempainen, who ran the 1992 and 1996 Olympic marathons, has a reputation for being one of the most mentally tough runners of our time. By decompressing his rigorous medical school program to six years instead of four, Kempainen was able to simultaneously train for both Olympics and complete medical school.

He explains, however, that other aspects of his life were put on the back burner: “You have to put up with going out to train when you’re tired or when you’ve got things pulling you in different directions, whether it’s social opportunities or passing on a promotion because it would be more work hours. There’s always something that you have to give up.  You have to be pretty committed to the sport.”

Getting into the Routine

Once you’ve moved your training up to the top of the priority list, making it a part of your daily routine can help combat unmotivating messages the brain throws at you. Chris Raabe, winner of the 2009 Grandma’s Marathon and a religious 150-mile-a-week runner, knows this well. On top of that heavy mileage, he is also a full-time patent examiner for the Patent Office in Washington D.C.

He explains, “If training is a focus that you have, it’s important to eliminate the distractions as much as possible and make sure that your training is a part of your routine. If you ask me what I’m going to be doing at 5 a.m. on a Wednesday two months from now, I can tell you I’m going to be going out for a run. It’s something that I’ve decided I am doing at this time.”

It is this unquestioning devotion that runners such as Raabe display that seems to be the key to living the double life as a competitive runner and a mere mortal. He says, “if I’ve had a rough day, for me, it’s just what I do. I don’t really think about it. Mental fatigue doesn’t come in quite as much because I’m not thinking about it. It’s just, this is what I do at this time.”

Sheri Piers echoes these sentiments. Piers, 38. is a full-time superwoman, juggling a career as a nurse practitioner, coaching a high school boys cross country team, and tending to her five children, not to mention running upwards of 120 miles a week. The 11th place finisher (2:37.04) in April’s Boston Marathon shows that it is possible to talk the brain into letting the body go further and faster even when the brain waves the white flag.

Like Raabe, she says, “It becomes something you have to get done. The alarm goes off and you get up. I just do it. It’s part of a routine. It doesn’t matter if it’s 20 degrees below. I’m going out running. It’s just the way it is. It’s not even a question.”

Raabe agrees that if you are running once a day, putting it on the front end of your routine is usually best. “You avoid problems. Automatically that’s the first thing you do when you get up.”

Piers has a similar routine: “We get up at 4:00am and get the workout in before the kids wake up because we have to. If we want to do it, that’s what we have to do.”

Practice Makes Perfect

Indeed, no one effortlessly falls into this type of schedule without a little practice, but it does seem to get easier with time. Raabe suggests, “The more you are exposed to a stress, the lower your response is to that stress.”

Noakes adds that when you willfully subject yourself to stress, such as training and working every day, “you become better able to cope with all the stresses in your life.” He adds, “Training increases your self-belief and your confidence in what you can do.”

With practice, you become more convinced of your ability to handle mental stress. Piers explains matter-of-factly, “if you believe you can do it, you just do it.”

These runners have truly put the research into practice. We know that the mind has great influence over the body. Lucky for us, academicians have also discovered that the mind can be manipulated and trained to send specific signals to the body. The ticket to success appears to come with structure and focus. No one said it would be easy. But that’s certainly not why we’re distance runners.

Mackenzie Lobby has a master’s in kinesiology, sports and exercise psychology. She writes and runs in Minneapolis, Minn.

OUR GURU OPINION

Our opinion on this is simply that it is a perfectly written article. It encompasses everything. The mind certainly does control you body. Therefore the best advice we can give you is to stay positive and ensure that your mood is always up. The funny thing about this is that exercise is generally the key to a good mood as it increases endorphines, dopamine and testosterone into the body. Mind over matter but make sure you make the matter work so the mind has a fighting chance. Well done Mackenzie!

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