How to Avoid Justifiable Failure Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Don't let your New Year's Resolution become a victim of another Justifiable Failure. Justifiable Failure is when you set yourself up to implode by manufacturing a "reasonab...
http://bit.ly/1kZckLk
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
How to Fight Drunk - Street Fighting Tips
How to Fight Drunk Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Most fights involve alcohol it's the way of the world. You lose you inhibitions and judgment and before you know it, you're proposing to a house plant. If you have chosen a path of 100% s...
http://bit.ly/1aRylsxHow to Fight Drunk - Street Fighting Tips
How to Fight Drunk Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Most fights involve alcohol it's the way of the world. You lose you inhibitions and judgment and before you know it, you're proposing to a house plant. If you have chosen a path of 100% s...
http://bit.ly/1aRylsxMonday, November 4, 2013
Too Old or Injured for Self Defense?- Damian Ross, the self defense company
Too Old or Injured to Learn Self Defense? Fact: If you're older, injured and appear to be weaker you're more likely targeted as a victim. Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Just like you see on the Discovery Channel - Predators Attack the W...
http://bit.ly/1a1f4ibToo Old or Injured for Self Defense?- Damian Ross, the self defense company
Too Old or Injured to Learn Self Defense? Fact: If you're older, injured and appear to be weaker you're more likely targeted as a victim. Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Just like you see on the Discovery Channel - Predators Attack the W...
http://bit.ly/1a1f4ibWednesday, October 16, 2013
Tabata Training for Self Defense
"How I Cut My Cardio Training Down to Fraction of the Time and Burned MORE Fat with Self Defense Training." Tabata Training for Self Defense by Damian Ross High-intensity interval training (HIIT), also called High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise ...
http://bit.ly/19J5ZN5Tuesday, December 27, 2011
I Lift Weights
I'm going to ask you to be honest with yourself. Given your overall return on investment, is your time better spent learning katas (forms) or lifting weights? Would you get more benefit practicing esoteric methods of harmonizing your chi or dead-lifting?
Years ago in Tae Kwon Do, the instructor was drilling us while we were practicing blocks in the air. He said "if you don't get the technique right, you might as well go lift weights and try to bench press 500 pounds." The notion was that if you could do this technique, it's like being able to bench press 500 pounds.
No it wasn't.
As martial artists we're told lifting weights is counter productive. It restricts movement and slows you down. In truth there does come a point where you're too big and your muscles and girth require too much oxygen and fuel to sustain long periods of stress. Power lifters and body builders tend to have this problem. But I don't consider a 6'5, 285 pound defensive end who runs a 4.4 forty yard dash slow. For the most part lifting weights builds muscle. Muscle and resistance training has been proved to strengthen bones, ligaments and dramatically increase metabolism. Muscle = metabolism. Oh, it also helps you hit stuff REALLY HARD.
No matter what activity you do, as long as you continue to do the activity your muscles will transfer the power correctly. Whether it's baseball or wrestling, resistance training will only do one thing, get you stronger.
Body weight exercises are good, but in order to come close to the benefits of weight training you need to spend exponential time doing your body weight exercises. Herschel Walker, Heisman trophy winner, pro football player and recent MMA fighter claims does a lot of body weight exercises. But he does 2000 push ups and 3000 sit ups, 1000 dips and 1500 pull ups per day. Regardless of this insanity, he STILL has resistance training in his program. Personally I don't have all day to dedicate to endless sets of calisthenics. I've got other shit to do.
If all of the kettle bells, yoga, pilates, kung fu and chi was all it was cracked up to be, wouldn't every professional football and soccer team be doing these things EXCLUSIVELY. It's true they do use some of these methods to supplement training, but their core programs consist of basic weigh training movements and appropriate running and cardio programs.
Did you ever notice that the majority of people who prescribe to methods like Aikido, Kung Fu and other forms of martial arts that attribute success to higher powers are largely out of shape or anemic looking? The thought of being able to effortlessly dispatch much larger and stronger opponents appeals to one person only...the lazy one.
People are inherently lazy. The reason Judo, BJJ, Kyokushin Karate, MMA, Wrestling, Boxing, Muy Thai and other combat sports continue to produce tough people is because they have a sport aspect that requires them to prove themselves against other skilled opponents.
On the other hand, there are arts like Aikido that profess being able to toss attackers aside with little or no effort. Aikido is an exercise in theory, not a tactical response to violence. Now you may not have known that I do have a fond appreciation for some of the founders of Aikido. Like Kenji Tomiki. Tomiki was one of Kano's (founder of Judo)top students. After Ueshiba (the founder of Aikido) met with Kano and showed him what he was doing, Tomiki went to go study with Ueshiba. Rumor has it that in his younger days Ueshiba was an animal in training. Only as he got older, he slowed down a bit. Even Tomiki during an interview and demonstration about Aikido was taken to task by a reporter. It was then Tomiki took the guy to the mat and tossed him around using Judo and Wrestling NOT Aikido.
Aikido was to demonstrate a theory of being able to harmonize with your opponent, the idea being that you could simply move with your target and use his force against him. This is a theory, just like communism. But even the founders knew when it came down to it, you still needed a little muscle to back it up. You should also note that Tomiki considered founders of Japan Wrestling association and other Judo greats as close friends and mentors. Tomiki was a bad ass.
Hey, if there was a quick and easy way around hard work, we would have found it. At the end of the day, you still have to be strong, have endurance and hit hard.
Oh, and owning a firearm is not enough. You still need to access your firearm and even if you unload your magazine in him, he may still keep coming. Like this lovely video. Here the cop shoots bad guy and the bad guy takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Whether you believe in CHI or COLT there's no way you're getting out of an assault. attempted rape or homicide without experiencing some pain and discomfort. It's highly unlikely that you're going to face a determined and capable attacker without getting hit, bumped, bruised or worse. Even if you knock him out with one shot, your hand may be a little sore afterward.
In the street you need to hit hard, hit fast and recover quickly. Give me someone who lifts weights and does cardio on a regular basis, and I will turn him or her into an animal in a handful of weeks. NO BULLSHIT.
You can't get out of putting some time in. A typical week for me is:
Day 1, lift Chest and Back, Abs/Core
Day 2 Cardio and SDTS
Day 3 Legs and shoulders, Abs/Core
Day 4 Cardio and SDTS (Sometimes Judo at night)
Day 5 Arms
Day 6 ACTIVE REST or HEAVY LIFT
Day 7 Cardio long and slow
Each week I slightly vary the exercises and there is a four week rotation on the reps for weights. Week one will be a heavy set of 10 reps followed by supersets of 20,15,12 and 10. Week two will be sets of 20, 15, 12 and 10. Week three is four sets of 20 and week four is four sets of 10. Then it rotates.
Cardio looks like Day 2 and Day 4 are interval running for 32 minutes. Day 7 is a long run for about an hour. I may substitute bike or elliptical depending on how banged up I am. All in I spend about an hour to an hour and a half training. I don't have all day like Herschel Walker.
I'm no longer a serious competitor or am putting myself in harms way for people who will pay me, but I still work out hard, if not harder than when I was younger. Spartans didn't retire until they were 60 years old, so I have some time left before I think about slowing down.
Anything is better than nothing. Can do 60 to 90 minutes? Do half that. Can't get 45 minutes a day for yourself, 3 to 5 days a week...something is wrong with your life my friend. Everyone has excuses, the person who finds a way to make it work
is the successful one. There are two types of people in the world, the one with excuses and successful ones. If you have the desire, make it work if you don't have the desire, why are you even reading this?
The better in shape you are, the better your chances of survival. The more punishment you can take, the more you can dish out. In addition, people are less likely to mess with you if you look fit than if you don't. A cop who gets out of the car belly first is a lot more likely to run into a problem than if he looks like he can handle his business. In New Jersey, the local cops don't have an annual fitness test, but the State Cops do. When you see a NJ State Trooper get out of his car, he or she at least look impressive.
People always seek the path of least resistance. We're inherently lazy and are inclined to believe things that we want to hear. "Take this pill", "eat whatever you want and lose weight", "Work out for 10 minutes and get ripped". All you need to do is stay up past midnight, turn on the TV and get submerged in infomercial hell.
The martial arts have been no different. They're just as bad as infomercials with the defeat all attackers without hurting yourself or your attacker pitch line, use his power against him and make him helpless, no strength needed, lifting weights will only constrict your movement. All you have to do is get your Black Belt and you too will be able to defeat any attacker. Call now while supplies last!
The problem is you want to believe these things. You don't want to hurt anybody, and the idea of being able to do something to someone who is trying to do you harm plays into your good nature. You also don't want to work too hard either and will do anything to avoid it. It's not your fault it's human nature.
The confusion comes from the fact that some of these statements are only partially true. Technique and knowledge will always make up for lack of strength, stamina and youth but you still need to possess some level of fitness in order to survive. The more fit you are the better off you'll be.
Make no mistake, there are better and more efficient ways of doing things but there is some sweat equity in your future. There's no such thing as "get rich quick" (Unless you inherit it), there,s no loose weight fast and there's definitely no way around getting hit, bumped and bruised or worse when you have to fight.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year's Resolutions are BULLSH#T
Do you have a New Year's Resolution?...don't waste your time. Save your money and your effort. If you're not doing it now, you will never do it.
Change doesn't happen on a time or a date, it happens when you're ready. Nothing magically happens when the clock strikes midnight on January 1 except that you lie to yourself and create unrealistic expectations and proceed to place incredible demands on yourself that you can't possibly sustain.
Change is like trying to move a huge boulder (Like the one from Raiders of the Lost Ark).
In the beginning it seems impossible to move. You push, you grunt, it moves a little only to roll back. You try your frigging best to get that SOB moving and it doesn't budge. Or maybe it moves so little, that all of your effort doesn't seem worth it. This is point when most people quit. You expect to get that thing moving with one or two shoves. But it doesn't work like that. It takes a while to get that potential energy stored up enough to get that thing moving an inch. Then somewhere along the line something happens, and it's starts moving!!! Slowly at first, but then it pick ups momentum. After a while a funny thing happens; you don't have to push that hard to keep that thing rolling.
Take fitness for example. First of all, the better in shape you're the "smaller your boulder is". The longer you are sedentary or the more you are out of shape the "larger your boulder". Once you're in shape or the better shape you're in the more time you can take off and the more you can "cheat." You can go on a week long bender and in a week be back where you left off. It's pretty incredible.
Remember Newton's Law of Inertia: "An object at rest will stay at rest, forever, as long as nothing pushes or pulls on it. An object in motion will stay in motion, traveling in a straight line, forever, until something pushes or pulls on it."
Objects (you) will have a tendency to stay at rest forever, while objects in motion tend to stay in motion or are easier to keep in motion with a lesser amount of force than is needed to set the object (you) in motion.
Listen, the hardest part it to set aside the time to do it. The other hardest part is to allow yourself to rest, miss and cheat. What happens over time is that you will want to cheat and miss less. Remember you can create good habits just like bad habits. There was a time you didn't smoke, drink or eat (yeah, I remember 3rd grade too). The only difference is that good habits are usually a lot more difficult to create. Hey if it were easy..you know the rest.
Be realistic, don't expect to quit smoking, loose weight or anything else in the time "As seen on TV". A lot of testimonials are flat out lies, some before and after shots are done in the same day; check out the documentary "Bigger, Faster. Stronger". Also, quite a number of them are fitness models or people who were normally in shape, let themselves go and get in shape. I'm not saying that results like this can't happen, you just need to manage your expectations.
If you have not done any physical activity in the past 7 to 10 years you need to give yourself about 3 months of 4 to 5 times a week of regular exercise to see results (We break this down in Module 7 of the SDTS titled "Combat Conditioning"). It will take a solid year to get to where you think you should be. But even if it doesn't happen, who cares? ANYTHING IR TRULY BETTER THAN NOTHING.
So what's the big deal anyway? Why do you need to "Be All You Can Be?"
Because self improvement and learning leads to happiness. It's all about doing it better than the generation before you. that's progress. A better quality of life, physically, mentally and spiritually. The day you stop trying to learn and trying to improve is the day you die. Life is learning and improving. It's also about helping others to learn and improve at a faster rate. Kids, students, friends it doesn't matter. If you got a great deal on tire would you let your friend waste time and shop around or would you just tell him? Well if you're his friend you would tell him, if you're a dick, well you know...
The same should apply to martial arts, self defense and all sports activities. For some reason instructors get hung up on how much time you need to put in in order to be proficient. This type of thinking is ridiculous. Some people have a higher aptitude or certain activities while others don't. Using a time standard, you punish the person who has a talent, works harder and more often than the others. Also, if you're not promoting or seeing improvements at a faster rate then your teaching model needs to be updated. If it took someone 4 to 5 years to earn a black belt from the same instructor 20 years ago, don't you think that time should shorten over two decades? With the Self Defense Training System we are always looking for ways to get results faster through new and updated methods. We also accomplished faster results by streamlining techniques and eliminate all the fluff and extras with regards to self defense.
At the end of the day, what we are all talking about when it comes to changing your life is about achieving a greater happiness. A better job, get in shape, stop smoking, learn to protect your self, have more sex, less sex, better sex or no sex at all. It all leads to being happy. Learning and understanding how to enjoy life. Happiness comes internally. It's almost as simple as deciding that you're not going to be miserable anymore. It is a fact, that if you're financially secure, it's one less thing to think about, but it does not guarantee happiness. I've been both poor and rich and have both poor and extremely wealthy friends and I can tell you, the rich ones can be just as miserable. Yea, I know, I want to punch rich people when they bitch, too. But the fact remains, external factors don't make you happy.
You can go through life miserable or you can go through life happy. I've met stage 4 cancer patients with more upbeat attitudes than people who have their health, a family and gainfully employed. Because it's not the goal that matters, it's the journey. When I was a kid I thought about what was it about scoring a touchdown I liked the most? Wast it before, during or after? The answer was clearly before and during. The preparation and the struggle to your end goal is what I enjoyed. After it was over, well, it was over.
The Book "The Legend of Bagger Vance" makes the point "Life is not a game to be one, it's a game to be played." Because when we're dead, we all go to the same place. Face your fears, get out of your comfort zone and above all, become a better friend, brother, sister, husband, wife, teacher, street sweeper. What ever you do and who ever you are, just do it better.
You don't need to be thinner, taller, richer or better looking. You just need to be the best you you can be. The rest will happen.
So what the hell does this have to do with kicking ass and self defense? It's all connected. Living a safer, healthier life without all of the BS that you are forced to endure to get simple questions like "Can you just show me what I need to protect myself?" answered.
Happy New Year,
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Change doesn't happen on a time or a date, it happens when you're ready. Nothing magically happens when the clock strikes midnight on January 1 except that you lie to yourself and create unrealistic expectations and proceed to place incredible demands on yourself that you can't possibly sustain.
Change is like trying to move a huge boulder (Like the one from Raiders of the Lost Ark).
In the beginning it seems impossible to move. You push, you grunt, it moves a little only to roll back. You try your frigging best to get that SOB moving and it doesn't budge. Or maybe it moves so little, that all of your effort doesn't seem worth it. This is point when most people quit. You expect to get that thing moving with one or two shoves. But it doesn't work like that. It takes a while to get that potential energy stored up enough to get that thing moving an inch. Then somewhere along the line something happens, and it's starts moving!!! Slowly at first, but then it pick ups momentum. After a while a funny thing happens; you don't have to push that hard to keep that thing rolling. Take fitness for example. First of all, the better in shape you're the "smaller your boulder is". The longer you are sedentary or the more you are out of shape the "larger your boulder". Once you're in shape or the better shape you're in the more time you can take off and the more you can "cheat." You can go on a week long bender and in a week be back where you left off. It's pretty incredible.
Remember Newton's Law of Inertia: "An object at rest will stay at rest, forever, as long as nothing pushes or pulls on it. An object in motion will stay in motion, traveling in a straight line, forever, until something pushes or pulls on it."
Objects (you) will have a tendency to stay at rest forever, while objects in motion tend to stay in motion or are easier to keep in motion with a lesser amount of force than is needed to set the object (you) in motion.
Listen, the hardest part it to set aside the time to do it. The other hardest part is to allow yourself to rest, miss and cheat. What happens over time is that you will want to cheat and miss less. Remember you can create good habits just like bad habits. There was a time you didn't smoke, drink or eat (yeah, I remember 3rd grade too). The only difference is that good habits are usually a lot more difficult to create. Hey if it were easy..you know the rest.
Be realistic, don't expect to quit smoking, loose weight or anything else in the time "As seen on TV". A lot of testimonials are flat out lies, some before and after shots are done in the same day; check out the documentary "Bigger, Faster. Stronger". Also, quite a number of them are fitness models or people who were normally in shape, let themselves go and get in shape. I'm not saying that results like this can't happen, you just need to manage your expectations.
If you have not done any physical activity in the past 7 to 10 years you need to give yourself about 3 months of 4 to 5 times a week of regular exercise to see results (We break this down in Module 7 of the SDTS titled "Combat Conditioning"). It will take a solid year to get to where you think you should be. But even if it doesn't happen, who cares? ANYTHING IR TRULY BETTER THAN NOTHING.
So what's the big deal anyway? Why do you need to "Be All You Can Be?"
Because self improvement and learning leads to happiness. It's all about doing it better than the generation before you. that's progress. A better quality of life, physically, mentally and spiritually. The day you stop trying to learn and trying to improve is the day you die. Life is learning and improving. It's also about helping others to learn and improve at a faster rate. Kids, students, friends it doesn't matter. If you got a great deal on tire would you let your friend waste time and shop around or would you just tell him? Well if you're his friend you would tell him, if you're a dick, well you know...
The same should apply to martial arts, self defense and all sports activities. For some reason instructors get hung up on how much time you need to put in in order to be proficient. This type of thinking is ridiculous. Some people have a higher aptitude or certain activities while others don't. Using a time standard, you punish the person who has a talent, works harder and more often than the others. Also, if you're not promoting or seeing improvements at a faster rate then your teaching model needs to be updated. If it took someone 4 to 5 years to earn a black belt from the same instructor 20 years ago, don't you think that time should shorten over two decades? With the Self Defense Training System we are always looking for ways to get results faster through new and updated methods. We also accomplished faster results by streamlining techniques and eliminate all the fluff and extras with regards to self defense.
At the end of the day, what we are all talking about when it comes to changing your life is about achieving a greater happiness. A better job, get in shape, stop smoking, learn to protect your self, have more sex, less sex, better sex or no sex at all. It all leads to being happy. Learning and understanding how to enjoy life. Happiness comes internally. It's almost as simple as deciding that you're not going to be miserable anymore. It is a fact, that if you're financially secure, it's one less thing to think about, but it does not guarantee happiness. I've been both poor and rich and have both poor and extremely wealthy friends and I can tell you, the rich ones can be just as miserable. Yea, I know, I want to punch rich people when they bitch, too. But the fact remains, external factors don't make you happy.
You can go through life miserable or you can go through life happy. I've met stage 4 cancer patients with more upbeat attitudes than people who have their health, a family and gainfully employed. Because it's not the goal that matters, it's the journey. When I was a kid I thought about what was it about scoring a touchdown I liked the most? Wast it before, during or after? The answer was clearly before and during. The preparation and the struggle to your end goal is what I enjoyed. After it was over, well, it was over.
The Book "The Legend of Bagger Vance" makes the point "Life is not a game to be one, it's a game to be played." Because when we're dead, we all go to the same place. Face your fears, get out of your comfort zone and above all, become a better friend, brother, sister, husband, wife, teacher, street sweeper. What ever you do and who ever you are, just do it better.
You don't need to be thinner, taller, richer or better looking. You just need to be the best you you can be. The rest will happen.
So what the hell does this have to do with kicking ass and self defense? It's all connected. Living a safer, healthier life without all of the BS that you are forced to endure to get simple questions like "Can you just show me what I need to protect myself?" answered.
Happy New Year,
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Beware of "The Big Three!!!"
There are three main events that keep you from training and staying in shape and if you are aware of them, you can plan around them to avoid getting out of shape and off track because the climb back up is a lot harder than the initial climb.
They are:
Injury
Change of occupation
Change of Life (marriage, family, kids, relocation).
Any disruption of your daily routine can put you into a physical decline. The added stress saps your energy as you move through your change. No matter who you are, these changes will happen to you, but if you plan for it and prepare for it, you can eliminate the ill effects of THE BIG THREE!!!
There's nothing worse than getting out of shape. Your mind remembers what you used to be able to do while your body is like "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING??!?!" It's awful and extremely depressing. It's even you worse if you were a competitive athlete on any level. The last thing you remember is charging down the field, dashing across the court and tearing up the mat. Now you can't even go 5 minutes on a treadmill without getting exhausted. Oh the humanity.
There have been four times in my life that I have been out of shape (read 30 pounds over weight and not being able to run a mile without stopping.)All of which we a result of the BIG 3.
When I blew out my knee as a kid, I continued eating like I was active and training. I went from 183 to 215. I reported to training camp at 205 and the coaches were left scratching their heads.
The next time I got out of shape was after college. Starting a job and a new life took it's toll. Again, I was eating the same amount when I was competing and I ballooned up from 179 to 215. The next two times were after marriage and a change of jobs. During this time however I was still competing in athletics so I was able to pound myself into shape regularly, it wasn't until I was in my mid to late 30's that I figured out how to do keep myself in great shape.
1. Plan
Knowing these changes are going to happen will allow you to prepare. You may not be able to get to the gym or train like you can but if you can set aside 30 minutes (an hour is ideal) 3 to 6 times a week with running, push ups, sit ups, squats, chair dips or even dumbbell exercises if you can't walk or leg lifts if you can't use your arms. Anything that will keep you in the HABIT of exercise will do the trick. This is only temporary. What your training is a habit. Good habits are hard to change, bad habits are even harder.
2. Eat less
We all know metabolism slows down, but not as much as you think. After you are done growing (in your late teens to early twenties) your caloric intake is mainly dictated by activity. Less out put requires less input. Cut what your eating in half and go from there.
3. Be consistent
Training for life is all about consistency over time. You will miss a day or two here or there, but make sure you do something, even if it's just walking if you missed more than 3 days in a row. Some days you will go hard, other days, not so much. Set aside the time and do it religiously.
4. Schedule days off
Plan on taking one or two days a week off and also one week every 6 to 8 weeks. This will give you short term training goals to shoot for.
5. Weigh in once a week
Your weight will fluctuate a few % over the week. Plan your weigh in at the same time every week. Don't get discouraged by the numbers. If you have been sedentary for a long time it will take longer to get the ball moving in the right direction.
6. Change your routine.
New activities require the use of different muscle and brain skills. New challenges burn more calories and keep you interested. No matter what you do, keep resistance training (weights) and running as a regular part of your routine if you can do it physically. Elliptical trainers and cycling are OK replacement but look to double and triple your time and effort to get the same results. There is one common activity all professional athletes have in common...ROAD WORK. It hurts, but start of easy. The Couch to 5k plan is great http://www.c25k.com/.
7. Keep a food and exercise journal
This is optional but it does help. Tracking your training and exercise will force you to be honest with yourself. A cool app I picked up for free is Calorie Counter by Fat Secret is very good and easy to use http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-fatsecret-android-jqpD.aspx
Listen, the proof is in the pudding. Below is a photo of me taken last week on vacation. I'm 42 years old and by implementing these steps I have been able to rise from the fatness and maintain the best shape of my life even though my genetics are predisposed to gaining weight (my father dis when he was 66 of a massive heart attack and he weighed 289 pounds at 5'7" tall.
Damian Ross at 42 "Consistency over time is the key to staying in shape."
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System
Staying in Shape
The Most Lethal Self Defense in the World
They are:
Injury
Change of occupation
Change of Life (marriage, family, kids, relocation).
Any disruption of your daily routine can put you into a physical decline. The added stress saps your energy as you move through your change. No matter who you are, these changes will happen to you, but if you plan for it and prepare for it, you can eliminate the ill effects of THE BIG THREE!!!
There's nothing worse than getting out of shape. Your mind remembers what you used to be able to do while your body is like "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING??!?!" It's awful and extremely depressing. It's even you worse if you were a competitive athlete on any level. The last thing you remember is charging down the field, dashing across the court and tearing up the mat. Now you can't even go 5 minutes on a treadmill without getting exhausted. Oh the humanity.
There have been four times in my life that I have been out of shape (read 30 pounds over weight and not being able to run a mile without stopping.)All of which we a result of the BIG 3.
When I blew out my knee as a kid, I continued eating like I was active and training. I went from 183 to 215. I reported to training camp at 205 and the coaches were left scratching their heads.
The next time I got out of shape was after college. Starting a job and a new life took it's toll. Again, I was eating the same amount when I was competing and I ballooned up from 179 to 215. The next two times were after marriage and a change of jobs. During this time however I was still competing in athletics so I was able to pound myself into shape regularly, it wasn't until I was in my mid to late 30's that I figured out how to do keep myself in great shape.
1. Plan
Knowing these changes are going to happen will allow you to prepare. You may not be able to get to the gym or train like you can but if you can set aside 30 minutes (an hour is ideal) 3 to 6 times a week with running, push ups, sit ups, squats, chair dips or even dumbbell exercises if you can't walk or leg lifts if you can't use your arms. Anything that will keep you in the HABIT of exercise will do the trick. This is only temporary. What your training is a habit. Good habits are hard to change, bad habits are even harder.
2. Eat less
We all know metabolism slows down, but not as much as you think. After you are done growing (in your late teens to early twenties) your caloric intake is mainly dictated by activity. Less out put requires less input. Cut what your eating in half and go from there.
3. Be consistent
Training for life is all about consistency over time. You will miss a day or two here or there, but make sure you do something, even if it's just walking if you missed more than 3 days in a row. Some days you will go hard, other days, not so much. Set aside the time and do it religiously.
4. Schedule days off
Plan on taking one or two days a week off and also one week every 6 to 8 weeks. This will give you short term training goals to shoot for.
5. Weigh in once a week
Your weight will fluctuate a few % over the week. Plan your weigh in at the same time every week. Don't get discouraged by the numbers. If you have been sedentary for a long time it will take longer to get the ball moving in the right direction.
6. Change your routine.
New activities require the use of different muscle and brain skills. New challenges burn more calories and keep you interested. No matter what you do, keep resistance training (weights) and running as a regular part of your routine if you can do it physically. Elliptical trainers and cycling are OK replacement but look to double and triple your time and effort to get the same results. There is one common activity all professional athletes have in common...ROAD WORK. It hurts, but start of easy. The Couch to 5k plan is great http://www.c25k.com/.
7. Keep a food and exercise journal
This is optional but it does help. Tracking your training and exercise will force you to be honest with yourself. A cool app I picked up for free is Calorie Counter by Fat Secret is very good and easy to use http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-fatsecret-android-jqpD.aspx
Listen, the proof is in the pudding. Below is a photo of me taken last week on vacation. I'm 42 years old and by implementing these steps I have been able to rise from the fatness and maintain the best shape of my life even though my genetics are predisposed to gaining weight (my father dis when he was 66 of a massive heart attack and he weighed 289 pounds at 5'7" tall.
Damian Ross at 42 "Consistency over time is the key to staying in shape."
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System
Staying in Shape
The Most Lethal Self Defense in the World
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Fitness: A Simple Sloution For All Ages
My pediatrician is from the "old school" direct from Moscow. The reason we chose here is because of her holistic approach. Our kids have been on antibiotics twice in their 10 years of life (one is 4 and the other is 6). In our few conversations we always get to talking about lifestyle and fitness. One time she mentioned that families in Russia are starting to keep exercise apparatus in their homes. While this isn't unusual, what is unusual is where they keep it.
The latest trend is to keep the equipment where you live. In your living room or den. This way you just jump on the equipment (trampoline, gymnastic rings, low balance beam, pull up bar, etc.) whenever you get the urge. I though it interesting because it places a "matter of fact importance" on training rather than the ritualistic life style change we put on it normally.
We go to the gym, we go to the dojo. We have set side time and ritual for our bodies instead of letting exercise and health naturally into our lives, where we live.
This brought me to the following idea for my kids:basic fitness starts at home.
It doesn' t have to be difficult or hard, just exists. The following routine is to be done whenever you feel the urge. Post it around the house and just drop into it whenever you feel the urge.
Don't worry about sets, time or anything. Just do it.
This is a simple physical training circuit that we put together for kids ages 7 and up but it works for everyone. I do it.
The purpose was two fold. First, hit the core body strength and second to start instilling some good exercise habits. I should take them no more that 5 to 10 minutes. Form is better than quantity and they should be able to finish with little difficulty before moving to phase 2. Where we just change up the exercises.
PT for Kids ages 7 and up PHASE 1
20 Side Twists
5 Four-Count Forward and Back (Good Mornings)
100 Jumping Jacks
20 Judo (Hindu) Push Ups
30 Squats
40 Sit Ups
20 Push Ups
Whenever you feel the urge (post it next to the TV or computer).
Outside play for 20 minutes 2 to 3 times per week no matter what the weather.
Don't dread doing something you should naturally want to do. We are all physical beings. Our bodies WANT this.
damian ross
fitness
the self defense company
kids fitness
basic fitness
exercise
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Growing Again
It was good to see a lot of new faces in Judo (and some familiar ones as well).
More bodies allows us the flexibility to do more. Even though it was a little more technical we still managed to get a solid work out in.
Welcome back Eric and Dave, keep bringing those grapplers!
It seems that there is some action happening in the economy...
Damian Ross
Martial Arts
Self Defense
Judo
Wrestling
Fitness
More bodies allows us the flexibility to do more. Even though it was a little more technical we still managed to get a solid work out in.
Welcome back Eric and Dave, keep bringing those grapplers!
It seems that there is some action happening in the economy...
Damian Ross
Martial Arts
Self Defense
Judo
Wrestling
Fitness
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