A couple months ago, I made the decision on a complete whim to become a runner.  After years of self-identifying as an “athlete”, “martial artist” or a “lifter”, I dove into running with everything I had and studied it like I studied plant biology back in high school.  I’ve learned a ton and feel like I may have found a new escape for myself.

If you’ve never run a mile, or if it’s been years since you laced up running shoes, keep reading.  And if you’re an old pro, you might learn something new here, but I kind of doubt it

The obvious caveat is that all of this advice is coming from someone who’s probably a lot like you and not some ultra-marathoner or Tarahumaran.  I’m not a “real” runner… yet.  I haven’t finished a 5k (my first race is July 31st) or written a book about running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days.  But ultimately that shouldn’t matter much, because unlike learning how to hit a 90mph fastball or drive a car, running is about overcoming the resistance to move more than anything.  And that’s mostly a mental game… it shouldn’t take years of experience practicing impeccable form until you can run well enough to impart wisdom, it requires the will to get yourself up off your ass and onto the street.

That isn’t to dismiss the fact that running, like most physical activities, is something you can dissect down to the most minute detail.  Ankle inversion, foot pronation, stride length, heel vs. toe running, etc.  But I’m not at that level yet – probably never will be – and my guess is that you aren’t either.  We’re just two wanna-be runners right now… so let’s start with the basics together.  I’ll give you some links to follow when we’re done to learn more if you care.

First, a little background: I’ve always hated running.  Loathed it with a real passion reserved only for instant chocolate pudding.  There have been times in my life (college, mostly) where I ran pretty regularly but it’s been something I’ve dreaded the whole way through.

Yet running is the world’s oldest and simplest activity.  Most everyone is born a runner… it doesn’t require a gym membership or any special overpriced equipment (like, say, biking does).  Ear buds, running shoes, headbands, and special socks aren’t required in order to run.  You just need two healthy feet and a bit of willpower and determination.  I mean: you don’t even need to have a destination in mind, you could run in circles around your block and feel better.

And boy will it humble you.  Running will teach you more about yourself than most other sport or activity.  Mostly because it’s you against yourself and you’re in your own head most of the time… but also because it’s just plain hard.  Exercise is meant to give you progressive resistance in order for you to improve, and running does that in spades.  There’s always a new goal to be had no matter how accomplished a runner you are.

That’s why it’s a real focuser (or a refocuser as it were).  Teaching yourself to push through pain and fear is something that transcends sport or activity – it’s something you need in life.  I’ve found that the hardest part about running is “pushing through”.  Knowing that it hurts… but that it won’t hurt forever, and that there’s more to gain through “pushing through” than there could be by quitting.  And the better you get at it, the more fun it becomes (just like most anything!)

As the character of Bob Bowerman said in the great Prefontaine movie, Without Limits:

Running, one might say, is basically an absurd past-time upon which to be exhausting ourselves. But if you can find meaning, in the kind of running you have to do to stay on this team, chances are you will be able to find meaning in another absurd past-time… Life.

Running will make you a better you. There are twenty-six things I’ve identified that you can learn from intense physical activity such as living in the present, performing well under pressure, and fostering healthy competition.  Check out that list because becoming a runner means you’ll benefit from each and every one. 

Will Smith put it best when he talked about running as a key to life (along with reading).  Check it out:

You’ll also see your cognition and concentration improve with running, which is a big unexpected win for most people.  We moved a lot as early humans, chasing down our next meal everyday, and as such the brain has evolved to thrive when fed with aerobic exercise like running.  There have been many studies that have shown the importance of exercise for the brain, demonstrating that with an increase in oxygen flow due to exercise, the brain works better and faster as well.  You can see mental acuity rise in direct correlation with exercise, and fall when it’s taken away.  So if nothing else, running will help how you think better as well.

OK, enough of that, let’s get to it.  Want to be a runner?

Ditch the limiting beliefs

First things first, everyone can be a runner.  For years I believed that I wasn’t a runner because I was told somewhere along the line that my body type is better suited for building muscle mass.  And muscle mass and running don’t mix.  Of course, that’s ridiculous. 

In just 8 runs over two weeks, I was able to go from sucking wind on day one after just two minutes of running, to running for thirty minutes straight.  Naturally your experience won’t match mine exactly.  But if you believe you aren’t a runner, you won’t be.  If you want to be one, just run!  But…

Don’t start running!

The biggest mistake you could make is to think you can run a marathon on day one of training.  No matter what kind of a runner you’ve been in the past, accept that you aren’t one now – and give yourself some time to build up to one.  Over the course of 30 days you could go from primarily walking to primarily running provided you take a slow progression. 

Start with walking… then run for a bit… then walk again.  This way you’ll ease your muscles and your psyche into the process of running regularly.  Go at your own pace and if that means you only run for 30 seconds at a time, that’s fine!  Just make sure that the next time out you run for 35 seconds

Start with measuring time rather than distance

In fact, don’t even think about distance for the first 6 weeks.  Just keep yourself moving for a period of time (say, 20 minutes) regardless of your speed or distance.  Distance is something you can worry about later once you’ve established your running habit.  Getting hung up on distance too early is a sure path to injury or burnout, and we’re in this for the long haul.

For what it’s worth, I made this mistake myself.  After a 4 mile run a few weeks into starting, I had so much pain on the ball of my foot that I couldn’t run at all for a few weeks.  It was fun to explore cycling and rowing during the downtime, but I could have avoided this injury altogether if I just took it slower.

Track and share your progress

One of the best things you can do is to let success breed success.  Running is a fun activity and doesn’t need any sort of hard measurement, but if you’re like me, you might benefit from knowing how well you’re doing.  There’s nothing better than seeing consistent improvement and having friends cheer you on. 

There are a variety of tools available for tracking your runs:

• GPS watches like the Garmin Forerunner 110
• Nike+ (which I use and covered a bit here when talking about self-tracking)
• iPhone apps like RunKeeper and RunMeter.  There are great videos of both of these apps on Scobleizer.
• Dailymile.com which is the best way I’ve found to network with running friends and motivate each other.  This is me on Dailymile.

  

Get past the awkward stage (that first 3 mile run)

For many new runners, it takes a while for your muscles to adapt and the right mindset to take over.  Typically you’ll see a lot of people “get it” after they pass their first three mile run.  Three miles is just long enough to be hard, but not such a long run as to be completely debilitating.  And it just so happens to be almost exactly the length of a 5k, which is probably one reason 5k races are so popular these days.

Take it slow and know that once you pass that first three miler, you’re doing it.  You’re past the “hard part” and can now really focus on the intrinsic joy.

Learn as much as you can

Running as a lifelong pursuit requires a certain level of knowledge about it.  There are a bunch of resources out there for inspiration and straight-up learning.

• Read Runner’s World and other magazines about running.  Just remember that lots of the information presented in these magazines are about equipment you don’t need or goals you may not have.  I’ve found that a lot of them cover ultramarathons (anything longer than a marathon) and I doubt I’ll be running a 50 mile race… ever.  So remember to “just be you” and not get too caught up in being the person the magazine thinks you should be.
• Check out the Couch to 5k plan and the Runner’s World 8-week beginning training program.  Both are great resources for getting started and I recommend starting with one of them.  Couch to 5k also has a great Facebook page where updates will come to your news feed automatically.
• Read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  Hands down the best book I’ve read on sports in a long time; hugely inspirational and informative.  This ‘creative non-fiction’ piece will have you wishing you were running while flipping the pages   If you like this one, you may also like Ultramarathon Man or Chi Running too.
• Read The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Barefoot Running on Zen Habits.  This is the guide I wish I would have written, but I’m a couple months behind Leo in my barefoot running exploration.  It’s quite detailed and after everything I’ve learned, a great general resource.
• Check out the No Meat Athlete blog for good tips on running and gear.
• And if you’re having trouble keeping up with exercise as a habit, check out 7 Tips to Make Exercise a Habit And Keep It That Way.  4 Steps to Learn Any Physical Activity can also help you “drill” until you find your running zone.

Most importantly, have fun!

By the way, it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that you should talk to your doctor before you start any exercise program.

No related posts.

Over the last 15 years I’ve certainly had ups and downs.  I’ve slacked off and felt completely out of shape for months at a time.  I’ve also hit my stride many times throughout the years and realized that when I’m exercising regularly, just about everything else in my life comes into serious clarity.  I’ve learned that for me, the benefits of strength training (and martial arts) are far more mental than physical.  I’d tradeoff any gains in strength, size, or flexibility for the things I list below.

In 1999 I started a list of the things I’ve felt I’ve learned “in the gym” and I’ve been expanding on this list ever since.  These are things that I learned as a kid (and as an adult) training in martial arts, and how I’ve since expanded my understanding through intense strength training in a gym environment.  Just like other posts in the Exercise category, the things I list below are certainly not limited to the activities I perform.  If you’re a dancer, a yoga practitioner, a cyclist, or a volleyball player, chances are a lot of these same lessons can be learned with your activity.

Here are the 26 things I’ve learned and continue to learn:

1. Always drive for results.  A good effort is important, but what matters at the end of the day is the results.  Are you making progress, are you pushing yourself hard enough, or are you holding back for some reason?  Learn to push yourself harder than you thought you could.
2. Overcome fear.  What would you attempt if you knew you could never fail?  Would your outlook on what’s possible change at all?  Learn to work through the fear of failure and open your mind to the amazing possibilities of accomplishment.
3. Work as a team.  If you’ve never had a training partner, you’re missing out on one of the best parts of training.  Teamwork and “spotting each other” all the way through can help you both breakthrough walls and set personal bests.  Sports – all sports – can help people internalize how important teamwork is throughout life.  Learn to work well as a team and see how doors start to open.
4. Maintain a positive attitude.  Intense exercise of any kind is hard stuff.  If you’re going to get through it, you need to stay positive all the way through – or you’ll end up curled up in a fetal position on the floor.  Learn to use your training time as a time to train your mind to stay positive.
5. Perform well under pressure.  Pushing yourself hard creates a sense of pressure and urgency.  Some people buckle, and others rise to new heights.  You can quickly determine the kind of person you are through intense exercise and, if interested, set a course to improve.  Learn to get better at dealing with stressful or uncomfortable situations.
6. Embrace a sense of accomplishment.  When you achieve something you once thought to be impossible, your notion of what’s possible changes.  Even if it’s something others consider a minor accomplishment, the fact that you’ve pushed yourself beyond the limits you thought existed means you can do the same for just about anything in life.  Learn to embrace this sense of accomplishment when you feel it, and start doing that in other areas of your life.
7. Foster healthy competition.  Competition is healthy if approached with the right mindset.  The word ‘competition’ is actually a combination of two latin words – com (together) and tition (improvement/growth).  Ask anyone who has competed with others and you’ll always hear that you don’t know what you’re made of until you’ve to put it to the ultimate test.  Win, lose, or draw isn’t the point – it’s the preparation you go through that matters.
8. Be goal oriented.  This involves setting short-term as well as long-term goals for what you’d like to achieve.  Use this arena as the first one in which you experiment with writing your goals down and reaffirming them on a daily or weekly basis.  Then branch out into other aspects of your life (finances, professional, family, etc.)
9. Focus on incremental progress.  Be sure to focus on progress from session to session, one step at a time.  Don’t worry about perfection!  The philosophy of kaizen is all about focusing on incremental progress, and before you know it you will have accomplished the impossible.  Tip for how I use this: instead of adding 10lbs to a strength training set, or adding 3 miles to a run, try smaller increments.  A 1lb increase in weight or a .3mi increase in distance for 10 weeks adds up!  Learn to take baby steps towards the big goal.
10. Be honest with yourself.  It’s hard to trick yourself into thinking you’re better than you are when the results don’t lie.  Intense exercise will force you to be honest with yourself about where you and what you need to do to improve.  There’s no better test.  Learn the truth about where you are right now, and set a course to improve on it.
11. Overcome misfortune.  Throughout my 15 years of strength training and 24 years of martial arts, I’ve had injuries, sickness, travel, stress, deaths, births, and so on.  Nothing is ever perfect and the second you think it is, everything changes.  Learn to work through it to the other side – you’ll emerge stronger.
12. Be OK with awkwardness.  When you start learning any physical activity, you have to go through the awkward stage.  And if you want to be at a more advanced level, the awkward stages never stop coming.  Learn to be at peace with feeling clumsy because the awkward stage is a necessary first step.
13. Live in the present.  Always focus on what you’re doing today.  Make sure you meet your expectations and goals on a daily basis so you can meet your expectations and goals on a monthly and yearly basis.  Big accomplishments don’t happen in leaps and bounds, they happen a little bit each day.  Learn to live in the present moment.
14. Treat everyone equally.  No one is ‘better’ than anyone else.  While there are people who may be able to outperform others, everyone is in it together and each person has their own life experiences and world views.  Learn to keep from judging people based on how much weight they can lift or how fast they can run, and instead just get to know them.
15. Plan for success.  Wandering mindlessly through an exercise program won’t yield nearly the same kind of results as some dedicated planning would.  Certainly no one believes that elite athletes got to where they are by wandering into the gym everyday and doing whatever they feel like doing that day.  Learn to plan weeks or months ahead – not only is it motivating, but it can keep you from wasting your time.
16. Apply acquired knowledge.  As Bruce Lee said, “Knowing is not enough, we must do”.  Knowledge is only potential power until it falls into the hands of someone who knows how to act on it.  It isn’t necessary to know everything there is to know about something in order to apply some of it.  For instance, you don’t need to know the underlying structure of your computer’s operating system in order to write an email.  Learn to understand and then apply the essentials in whatever it is you’re doing.
17. Break through conformist thinking.  Look at things through the lens of a scientist and be skeptical about things that aren’t proven.  Don’t just accept things for what they are.  Learn to question things you hear or read and use a critical thinking process to arrive at what works best for you.  Be an individual.
18. Embrace humility.  The best gyms are the ones that have a sign that says “leave your ego at the door”.  Your accomplishments are all relative – there’s always someone better than you – so don’t mistake any success for superpowers.  Learn to be humble and earnest.
19. Deal with Pain.  Physical, mental, and emotional pain is a part of life – but you’d be surprised how many people can’t “breathe through it”.  Intense exercise can certainly teach you that pain doesn’t always have to be a limiter in life – sometimes it’s just a minor nuisance along the way.  Learn to push through pain.  (obvious exceptions here are when pain isn’t just soreness but is actually an injury – it’s NOT good to push through injuries)
20. Be aware of what makes you “you”.  Do things that you know are "you" while at the same time, don’t rationalize anything by saying, “that’s just the way I am”.  What’s important is that you understand what you like and what you don’t well enough to determine a strategy.  Learn to leverage your strengths and improve on your weaknesses through an understanding of self.
21. Achieve the feeling of "flow".  Physical activity is a great precursor to the flow state; a period in time in which one becomes so completely involved in an activity that all other thoughts and emotions – what some consider the "self" – are excluded from consciousness.  Learn to trigger this state with less effort.
22. Maintain a healthy balance.  Balance is an important aspect of any intense training – you can’t go 100% all the time, everything needs to stay in a delicate balance to get the most out of training.  Naturally this is just as important as it is in life.  Learn to keep things in perspective and keep them in order.
23. Use your creativity.  Don’t be a robot; sometimes creativity can break-up the monotony or ease some of the pressure of intense training.  Learn to think creativity about any situation to see if it can be improved in any way.
24. Have patience.  Nothing happens over night, success in any area can take time.  Patience isn’t just nice-to-have, it’s a requirement in life.  Believe that your path is long and that each day you’re one step closer.  Learn to be patient and not “rush to the top”.
25. Adapt to different environments.  Your environment won’t always be what you expect – you need to be able to adapt to changes around you and still perform at your best.  Learn to not be thrown for a loop when something around you changes; your strength should continue to come from within.
26. Use positive visualization.  See yourself achieving whatever it is you want to achieve, and you will inherently start moving in that direction.  Train your brain to get better at things through mental practice.  Learn to “think yourself better”.

That’s my list!  Surely there are more things that I’ve missed on this list.  I’d love to hear about them.  If you’re into intense exercise of any sort and feel I didn’t cover one of the things most important to you, please let me know about it in the comments below!

Related posts:

1. 7 Tips to Make Exercise a Habit (and Keep It That Way)
2. Become a Runner to Think and Feel Better
3. Strength Training 101

It’s clear that training the mind in various ways (NLP, visualization, meditation) can help develop physical skill as much or more than rehearsal of the activity itself.  But just as the mind drives the body, the body can drive the mind as well.  Confidence and real strength can be derived from physical activity whether it’s through enhanced coordination, a sense of empowerment and control over something, or as an avenue for achieving flow.

Looking at empowerment and control alone, it’s clear that overcoming challenges – small and large – can increase self-esteem and confidence.  And having confidence in your abilities in one area can translate to other areas of life, effectively parlaying success in one controlled arena to other potentially less controlled ones.  Tony Robbins has his conference attendees walk on fire on day one of a retreat to show them how their limiting beliefs have been holding them back, and once they’ve done something they previously thought was impossible, they’re more open to tackling more personal challenges.

In many ways building muscle has this same effect on people. 

If you can control your weight and build your physical strength, your ability to drive control over other areas of your life increases.  If you find yourself struggling to do so, this can equally be a negative influence on you.  Generally someone who’s able to overcome adversity with repeated success in a single environment will be ready to do so in an office, a relationship, or a classroom.  And someone who lives in equilibrium without a negative body image weighing on their conscience will have more inner strength and be ready to engage new challenges.

Getting there relies on some knowledge about strength training.

Why Strength Training?

It’s a common misconception that training with weights or cables with exercises that work against “resistance” will make you look “muscle-bound”, and that the only way to build a better body is to perform aerobic or cardiovascular exercise (defined as any exercise that requires oxygen).

The truth is that strength training is the best way to shape your body and lose unwanted bodyfat. Training with weights (and cables) is the only type of exercise you can perform that will permanently change your metabolism; that all-important rate at which your body burns calories for energy.  In just a few weeks or months, a regular resistance training program can help you add five or more pounds of muscle.  And with that extra five pounds of muscle, you’ll burn more than two hundred extra calories a day without changing your diet at all.

It may sound impossible, but it’s not.  Muscle is “metabolically active”, meaning that even during rest, muscle burns more calories than fat does.  Therefore the bigger the muscles, the more calories burned!  This is why resistance training to build muscle (and burn fat) is a great suggestion for everyone; male and female, young and old.

Does this mean that aerobic exercise should be abandoned completely in your quest for fitness domination?  Not necessarily – some level of aerobic exercise (like running, biking, and swimming) has a time and a place in most fitness programs.  However, it should be secondary to strength training for people interested in fat loss and overall strength gain.  Let me explain why.

The Aerobics Conundrum

The belief that aerobic exercise is the one and only way to burn fat has been promoted time and time again and is a classic example of “old habits die hard”.  Advocates in the aerobics-only camp believe that by entering the zone called “targeted heart rate”, basically when the heart is elevated to 60% of its maximum potential for over 20 minutes, the body will begin to burn fat like a furnace.  There are, however, a few problems with this theory.  Extensive forays into the aerobic zone can cause the body to lose muscle at an alarming rate.  If muscle is continually being sacrificed as fuel, it becomes close to impossible to keep your metabolism at the level required to burn unwanted calories.  In order to burn fat effectively, lean body mass (muscle!) must be added.  Since aerobic activity does not directly add muscle, but can actually strip the body of muscle if done in excess, it’s certainly not the only (nor the best) way to burn fat.  To make matters worse, gains in strength are severely hampered if you do too much aerobic work, and this can adversely affect performance in most sports.

Note however that aerobic activity can absolutely introduce the same types of challenges as strength training in terms of building character and overcoming obstacles.  Running a marathon isn’t easy by any means – and some of the best learning comes from the type of deep conflict within yourself you get through long-distance running.  But it’s still not the best way to get in the best physical shape on its own.

Strength Training as the Basis

Training for strength with resistance will give you that baseline of muscle to support your aerobic activity.  Without this lean body mass, your aerobic exercise will be counter-productive in the long-run, eventually stripping your body of the muscle it does have.  This will cause you to regain more weight than you originally lost once you reduce the intensity of your aerobic sessions – or stop exercising completely.

This concept of strength vs. aerobic training is best exemplified in the Olympics in an example that’s been used time and time again in recent years.  There’s a distinct difference between the marathon runner and the sprinter in terms of their physique (male or female).  The marathon runner looks emaciated, almost like skin and bones, with little to no apparent muscle tone. In contrast, the sprinter (think Michael Johnson or Usain Bolt) is muscular and lean, with skin that looks paper thin due to his or her low amount of bodyfat. The training methods of the marathoner and the sprinter are very different and contribute greatly to their physiques.  The marathoner spends an inordinate amount of time in the aerobic zone, so much so that his or her body starts breaking down muscle tissue in an effort to become more efficient and conserve energy for long bouts of running.  The sprinter on the other hand, is the product of repeated (yet short) bursts of explosive energy, such as weight training and 100m sprints, and therefore has additional lean muscle with a very small percentage of bodyfat.

Making strength training the basis of your exercise routine also makes practical sense.  Life is a series of sudden, explosive activities just like strength training.  Strength training is preparing you to lift your groceries, chase your kids, and throw a softball. As you age, and your body starts to lose muscle mass at a shocking rate (fact of life, unfortunately), the addition of muscle will keep you from becoming frail and weak.

Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, resembles close to nothing you would ask your body to do on a regular basis (I don’t know many people who jog around the copy machine at the office for 45 minutes!)  Aerobic training trains your body for efficiency in long, steady, repetitive activity, not for sudden bursts of energy.

Last but not least: the Chief Rule!

When training with weights or cables, there is one rule I would like you to follow all the time. I call it the “chief rule of strength training” and it will help you determine how much weight you need to lift every time you exercise. Far too regularly, I see people (most often women, in fear of bulking up!) using weights they could probably throw fifty yards if asked to.  I also see people (most often men, in a desire to bulk up) lifting weight they can barely move without the help of three people. Both of these strategies are self-defeating!  Lifting weight that you can lift 100 times will not give your muscles enough resistance to stimulate growth, and lifting a weight just once with the help of three people doesn’t give your muscles adequate time under tension!

Forget the adage that "more reps, less weight" will tone you up.  It’ll train your muscles for endurance, but it won’t necessarily stimulate adequate muscle growth.  Moreover, the myth that “more weight, fewer reps” will add muscle mass is equally unsound.  This is the way to build maximal strength, not muscle mass.  Muscle growth is best achieved when all rep ranges are used in a systematic manner to build strength and size as well as endurance.

So what does this mean when you’re in the gym?  It means you should follow the chief rule of strength training: Always, in every situation, use a weight that you can lift at least twice yet no more than 25 times. When training for muscle growth and fat loss, spend 60-70% of your time in the 6-12 rep range and 30-40% of your time training for strength and endurance. Train for strength by lifting heavier weights fewer than 6 times, and for endurance by lifting lighter weights 12 or more times, but always stay within the 2-25 rep range!

Note: Just as important as those guidelines: change your routine regularly. Exactly how often will depend on such factors as your age and workout history – but every 4 to 6 weeks is a good guideline.

Thoughts or comments?  Let me know!

Related posts:

1. Make Your Training Harder Than The Real Thing
2. Become a Runner to Think and Feel Better
3. 26 Things I’ve Learned Through Intense Exercise

Learning a new physical activity can be hard. You feel clumsy and awkward, you feel like you’re being watched like a hawk, and you consider quitting when you’re not getting it right.  But remember: everyone starts where they are, and the best dancer/fighter/runner/juggler (or insert your interest here) was where you are now once in their life.  No one is born with near-perfect coordination over their body, it always takes some time to build it.

A number of years ago I did some training at the Straight Blast Gym, one of the best mixed martial arts gyms in the world.  Other than being thrown around the mat like a ragdoll by UFC champ Randy Couture (yes, I’m a name dropper), I had the privilege of training with someone who has had a profound impact on the way people train in modern martial arts.  His name is Matt Thornton and the steps I’m going to outline are based on his steps for learning a new martial arts movement as covered in his original Functional Jeet Kune Do series.  But this is certainly not limited to punching, kicking, or choking – as you’ll likely see, the same steps work just as well for learning just about any physical activity provided you want to do it well and do it “for real” (i.e. you don’t just want to pretend you can pull it off, you actually want to be able to pull it off in a real setting).

For this example, I’ll walk you through learning how to throw a left jab (aka straight punch).  It’s something I can relate directly to as I sit here covered in sweat from a Muay Thai session.  Again, you can replace throwing a jab with learning a salsa move and the same steps apply.

1. First, you’re going to introduce the concept to your body without any distraction or resistance.  You’re going to create a “safe zone” for yourself without judgment from others, and you aren’t (yet) going to throw yourself into the deep end of the pool to try and make this work as part of an integrated whole.  For learning to throw a left jab, this step is going to consist of setting up your boxing stance, learning the basic hip and hand movements, and performing a jab without movement, timing, or distance.  This means hitting a stationary focus mitt or even the air, and making sure you understand and can perform the basic body mechanics before moving on.  In the case of surfing (which I can’t do) this is likely where you practice jumping up on the board from a prone position while on the beach before even getting in the water.  Take your time – but once you think you’ve got the basic mechanics down, move on to the next step.
2. Second, you’re going to isolate the movement in an alive manner.  This means training the movement, and just that movement alone, in a more realistic setting.  You aren’t going to worry about incorporating your other movements yet, you’re just going to make sure you’re able to throw the jab against a moving target – someone who’s moving in and out, mixing up his or her timing, punching back (in a safe way) and generally not just standing there letting you punch them.  You want the steps you take here to be realistic, even though you’re limiting your response to just a single isolated movement.  In surfing (again, I know nothing about surfing!) this could be practicing your movement in light surf, closely replicating what it will be like when you do it “for real”.
3. Third, you’re going to functionalize this movement (and in the case of the jab, against a resisting opponent).  This means incorporating the movement into your complete arsenal, and continuing to try to land it against someone actually fighting back.  You’re no longer isolating the movement, so you’re free to throw a cross or hook as well.  It’s now integrated and being used “for real” against energy in a way that very closely resembles reality.  At this stage, it may be necessary for you or your partner to remind you to use the movement you’ve recently integrated if you start to subconsciously avoid it in favor of something that feels more comfortable.
4. Fourth and finally, you’re going to maintain, improve, and drill the movement.  Just because you’ve been able to functionalize it, you aren’t finished yet.  Now you need to continually get better at it (remember: the basics are important!) in order to improve your overall approach.  For the jab, this may mean drilling it in isolation again – or just focusing on the jab in the context of an otherwise normal sparring session.  You can always get better at something, right?  Don’t just “move on” if you’re serious about being good at it.

Things to watch-out for:

• The beginning is always awkward.  Just know that consistency over time will make all the difference and keep pushing yourself through the awkward phase.  For many people, the first few weeks of doing anything can make them feel like they have two left feet, even if they feel like they actually “get it”.  Sometimes the body doesn’t care that you think you’ve got it.
• Give yourself permission to start slowly.  Don’t rush yourself, go at your own pace.  If you’re the last person to “advance” don’t let that bother you – what’s important is that you’re picking up the movement.  If you join a ballet class and think you should be in the Level 3 class immediately, you probably need to relax.  In other words: don’t rush to the top just to collapse to the bottom.  Remember: the journey is the reward!  Even if you’ve got 5 years of experience but have taken a few years off, it’s always best to start slowly and work your way up.  In other words, set yourself up to nail the basics before getting in over your head.
• Don’t expect perfection or become a victim of shame.  Don’t beat yourself up if it takes you a little longer than you expected!  Remember: you are where you are, and with time and energy you will continually improve.  It’s an inevitability!
• Don’t give up too soon.  It’s easy to quit when things aren’t coming as quickly as you had hoped, but sticking with it (if it’s truly something you want to do) will be far more rewarding than packing it in and living with regret.  Do your best to stick with something for at least 4-6 weeks of consistent practice before deciding whether or not it’s for you, because it’s highly likely that no matter what it is, you couldn’t have mastered it any sooner anyway.

That’s it!  Give these steps a try and let me know how they work for you.  What is it you’d like to learn?  (Note: if you actually want to learn to throw a left jab, I would visit the Straight Blast Gym!)

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First, let’s start with: why exercise at all?  There are obvious numerous physical benefits to exercise ranging from reduced risk of heart disease & Type II diabetes to more physical strength for everyday activities.  These benefits are simply too numerous to list in a single post and should really be common knowledge at this point for anyone over the age of 10.  But the hidden benefits to exercise lie not in the body but in the impact to the mind.

• Regular exercise is critical to good focus.  Studies over the years have shown that even light to moderate exercise can make a material difference in someone’s ability to achieve mental clarity.  A 2004 study at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that “aging adults who give up a sedentary lifestyle and replace it with a cardiovascular fitness regimen as simple as brisk walks reap greater focus and reduced decision-making conflict as they perform a variety of tasks”.  This is just one of many, many studies like this. 

  John Medina, a brain development expert and author of Brain Rules, lists exercise as “rule #1 to boost brain power” and shows how brain function rises with regular exercise and falls once that exercise stops!  He says that exercise is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet. 

• Discipline and coordination in the body translates to discipline and coordination in the mind. It’s a simple formula: get active with your body and watch your mind follow.  I’ve certainly seen this in my own life; the times when I’m physically active are the times when I’m making sure to floss, keep my closet clean, starting and finishing more projects, and generally being more focused. 

  This really speaks to a couple things happening: 1) Because I feel “in control” in one key part of my life, my physical activity, I’m free to start exploring other areas, and 2) Because I’m learning to control my body physically, this confidence starts to spill over into other areas.

Both of those bullets are prime for some follow-up posts.  But for now, with some of the “why” behind us, let’s focus on the “how”.  How do we make exercise a regular activity such that we can be consistent day-in and day-out?  These tips all center around one single theme: Putting exercise into automatic mode.  In other words: make it a real habit, just like brushing your teeth or walking the dog.  Take all thinking and processing out of it.  Let’s get started:

1. Realize that staying in shape is easier than getting in shape.  If you’ve been on the “get in shape, fall out of shape” cycle for a while like many of us, you’ll notice pretty quickly that getting in shape is not always easy.  It takes a lot more effort to get in shape than it does to maintain it.  Just internalizing this can be somewhat curative because you can train yourself to value the time you spent getting in shape – value it enough that you don’t want to go through it again!
2. Pack your bag when you get back from exercising for the next trip.  This is something I’ve been doing for years yet it’s always surprised me how many people don’t do this.  It’s probably the simplest thing you can do to make exercise automatic: as you’re unpacking your bag after a workout, start to fill it with clothes/snacks/whatever for your next workout.  This removes a big part of the most common excuse in the book: feeling too lazy.  When your bag is already packed, what’s holding you back?
3. Always plan to eat 1-2 hours before a workout.  Far too often I’ve just been too hungry to workout – and once I’ve eaten, I need time to digest before exercise.  Before you know it, too much time has passed and I’ve missed my window.  I’ve started making sure to eat 1-2 hours before a workout so I can’t use food as an excuse; I do this by planning both my meals and my meal times in advance.  This is now just a habit that I don’t really have to think about anymore.
4. Hold yourself accountable.  Track your progress visually somehow.  If you’re someone who feeds off of other people’s energy, make sure to hold yourself accountable through them.  Tell them what you’re doing and ask them to follow-up with you regularly.  I find that what works best for me is to keep a simple “chain” or goal checklist.  Two great sites for this are Joe’s Goals and Don’t Break the Chain.  When you can see your missteps visually (either on a screen or on paper) you’re more likely to try and avoid them.
5. Write-up 4-6 weeks of workouts in advance.  Take all the guesswork out of exercise by spending 10-20 minutes every month or two to write-up your routine.  Just like some of these other tips, if the process of exercising has minimal cognitive overhead for you, you’re more likely to go on auto-pilot.  Add these workouts to your calendar with reminders and guard the time ruthlessly.  Always include at least one thing you love in each workout, and one thing you don’t particularly like (because these are usually the hardest and therefore the best for you!)
6. Arrange for an appointment near the gym/park/track.  Sometimes just getting there is the hard part, whether it’s the tedium of the drive or the annoyance of trying to find a parking spot.  See if you can’t schedule appointments, social lunches, or meetings with friends somewhere nearby.  If you’re already going to be close by, it’s just going to be that much harder to get back into your car or hop on the bus to avoid the workout.
7. Mix up your audio entertainment.  One thing I’ve found over my fifteen years of training is that the times I most look forward to working out are the times I have new music, an audiobook, or a great podcast to listen to.  The best invention for people who actually look forward to rocking out to new music during a workout is the Zune Pass, which gives you unlimited access to music for $14.99/month.  You can drag almost any album under the sun right onto your Zune to take with you to the gym.  For those who would rather learn, Audible.com or some fun podcasts can make all the difference.  If you’re dreading the sweat, you can at least look forward to hearing what happens next in your favorite novel!

Hope this helps!  There are so many ways to make exercise a regular habit; this is just a start.  Does anyone have any other tips or tricks?

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