Training Program or Philosophy?

"Swapping the Shaolin Temple of China for the streets of London means I have to create my own temple within my mind and surround myself with an environment that can help rather than hinder."

Programs, programs, programs. They're fairly widespread in the exercise world. I can say the same extends to a few popular "rules." Actually, scratch that - there are tons of rules spouted by everyone. You know it's true because everyone gives their own opinion, whether you asked or not, when it comes to diet and exercise.

Every.

Single.

PERSON!

That aside, sometimes there's merit to them. Dismissing a person immediately is silly and with many programs you can find success stories.* Weight Watchers, P90X, and others have transformed people into their desired physiques and made them happy. That's great and I'm not going to take anything away from it. Instead, I am going to explain that a program isn't the trainee's only option. It can be satisfactory but I believe it is limited in scope.

*But also be aware that there are a number of unsuccessful clients that are not disclosed as openly as the successful clients' endeavors.*

Alternatively, a person can develop a philosophy in regards to exercise and their training. That's not to say it's superior to a program but that it has its own set of benefits. It also has its own set of limitations.

I mentioned that programs are popular but that always hasn't been the case. Off the top of my head, I believe Reg Park's 5x5 archetype is one of the earlier systems that was popular, then further promoted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and later it spawned various derivatives - Starting Strength, Bill Starr, Mad Cow, and similar versions. From my down time reading, weightlifters predating Reg Park advocated methods more than complete plans. For example, one set of 20 breathing squats were popularly prescribed and often recommended to be super set with pullovers. There were programs but they were not as heavily marketed to the extent we see today (the internet is a big game changer).

Personally, I find pre-designed programs can only take a person so far. These types of programs tend to be made for certain populations and address their needs in a broad fashion as opposed to individualized plans. For the person who sits all day, it will focus in on the major glaring problems such as poor posture. P90X gets a person active, requires little equipment, and can be done through the guidance of the instructional videos in the comfort of your own home. When it comes to a person's own unique characteristics, those details aren't taken into consideration. The exception is when the program has been designed specifically for a person.

With that said, let me go over using a training program vs. developing a training philosophy. I'll discuss the benefits and negatives of each and show that they're not black-and-white but exist within a grey area. Neither is correct nor wrong. First, I'll begin with nonspecific programs, where nonspecific means it was not created with one particular person in mind nor did anyone need an evaluation.

PROGRAMS

THE GOOD

• A program has little mental work on the trainee's part. Everything in the program is prescribed and laid out for the trainee to follow. It's very straightforward and involves no guess work. It's very quick and easy.

• The plan is self-contained, and therefore there's no hopping around from exercise-to-exercise. With the variables restricted, it's easier to measure progress and the changes expected from the program. Often when there are no boundaries, it's easy to get carried away and attempt to do everything under the sun. A person can be overwhelmed if they take on too much. A program creates a targeted focus and eliminates that problem.

• The previous point also teaches a new lifter patience. They're forced to put in the time before they see noticeable results. They have to see the program through from start to finish. Typically, programs at the very least require a 4 weeks minimum of dedicated time and effort. Realistically, it takes 3 months of consistent effort and work for changes to become apparent. For example, P90X  spans 90 days, i.e., 3 months.

• Programs introduce new variables. The exercises, progressions, the arrangement, methods, and more are new. It's all foreign to the trainee. This is especially true when taking into account ideas not thought of before. Doing your own workouts can unknowingly limit your potential. You can learn a lot when taken out of your comfort zone.

• Well known programs have reviews available. This is valuable because you can read other people's experiences. You can gain insight from their reviews in addition to advice they offer before selecting or starting the program. That information can help you transition into the program smoothly and give you an idea of what to expect. 

THE BAD

• Unless a program incorporates leeway, there's little flexibility available for adjustments. Deviate too far from the prescribed outline and you're no longer doing the program. Even if modifying the program would be beneficial, the knowledge on what to change must be present.

• After completing a program, you can either (1) repeat it, or (2) find a new program. Rinse and repeat. Repeating the same program multiple times can become stagnant and dull your interest in exercise. Not only that, but some are not meant for long term use. Don't let a program be a crutch for exercise. Program or not, one should still be able to exercise.

• A program only triggers a certain amount of thought dealing with its design. From my own experience, this makes a person become a parrot. They regurgitate verbatim what they learned from the program. Training should be approached with an open mind with the ability to explain and adapt the variables that come with it. It's a very layered and fluid process and far from linear.

• You might not enjoy the program! I don't know how obvious this is, but you don't have to follow to a program if you don't look forward to it. Unfortunately, individuals often seek out misery and exercise that absolutely fatigues them. They use this to gauge a program's effectiveness. It creates the incorrect association of displeasure and misery with exercise. Torturous exercise doesn't equate to effective. 
  
  
  *With all that said, there are exceptionally talented people who can write one hell of a program, such as Carter Schoffer*

PHILOSOPHY

THE GOOD

• Developing a training philosophy allows you to become autonomous. The entire process becomes specific to your individual traits and preferences - weaknesses, strengths, likes/dislikes, leverages, schedule, and so on and so forth. You are able to hone in on your personal and unique characteristics. This allows you to create for yourself a dynamic program. It can be altered any way you see fit at any given time.

• With a philosophy, there's more freedom in the program and less dependency on another person for exercise. Utilizing a trainer or a program can be helpful but it shouldn't be the only option. If for one reason or another you don't have access to either, you have to become self-reliant. Basic exercise and programming literacy can help in a pinch as well as for long-term goals. You won't become "lost" without a plan or trainer.  

• The learning involved is a revealing experience. It develops a sharp eye towards understanding exercise fundamentals and its accompanying details. Even at a basic level, you can pick apart other programs and question their system before testing. It's no longer random trial-and-error.

• In the process to develop a philosophy, you become analytical as well. Topics and ideas need to be thought about and understood before their application. As a result, this can lead to being able to teach those concepts, exercises, and various methods to another person. It's a valuable asset to be able to explain and defend your programming along with your structuring choices.

• As another skill set - briefly mentioned in the previous point - it puts you in a position to help other trainees. Whether it's explaining something, teaching, or assisting them with their program, you become a valuable resource. As you learn, you will be able to extend the knowledge you've acquired to other people.

• Learning is a mandatory requirement. When it comes to exercise, it's very common for individuals to have a narrow and rigid view about it. Learning will make your approach flexible and expose you to other new ideas to incorporate. 

THE BAD

• Learning is a mandatory requirement. This is indeed good and bad because there's a learning curve. The sheer amount of variables, data, and information available in this day-and-age is extraordinary. Information from the past, present, and newly discovered can become overwhelming. This information surplus presents itself as a dilemma. More information is great, but managing all the data and making it applicable can be a difficult process.

• Consequently, when you learn something new, you must experiment - and with exercise, there's a lot of experimentation to be done. It isn't a simple process either. Most times what you learn won't always be congruent with your personal findings. Then the real trick becomes figuring out where the discrepancy is, why action and information don't match up, and, if it's possible, to troubleshoot it so that the two do match.

• Developing a philosophy takes times. Lots and lots of time. Results and feedback aren't instantaneous. You'll read something, test it out, and then develop a couple of preliminary thoughts about it. Repeat this a few more times and before you know it, about a month, or longer, has passed for it to fully develop into a more concrete concept that you have a grasp on. Even from there, it will continue to grow and change as you continue to learn and gain experience.

• Eventually, you have to want to learn. This is especially true if you're not interested in teaching other people. How much you want to learn will depend on how interested you are in your own training and goals. After a certain point you may decide you don't care to research any further. Instead you choose to rely on what you have already learned as being sufficient. But remember, there will always be more to learn in the field. (That goes for any field.)

As I said earlier, neither a philosophy or program is right nor wrong. Clearly each one comes with their own benefits as well as downsides. Additionally, it's not a "pick one or the other" situation. It's perfectly fine to have a philosophy and take part in programs. Develop a philosophy along the way as you test out programs. Programs can teach you something new and can make you think about how you would modify them. If a program piques you, try it. If you'd rather do your own thing, go that route.

Personally, I shy away from programs. I don't dislike programs - in fact, this site features some - but rather any time its followers become dogmatic. Those who adhere to one program and defend it aggressively constrain their thought process and become inflexible. JC Santana describes it perfectly:

"Although our industry has advanced enormously in science and practice, much of the educational material presented as factual “gospel” (i.e., infallible truth) and the technique taught as being the “best” is theoretical and sometimes borders on mythical."

Instead of rigorously defending a viewpoint, engage in healthy open dialogue that leads to a productive discussion and the sharing of ideas. After a certain point, advance and employ methods that are appropriate. Never become too comfortable in one area and settle.

Exercise is a reactive experience and the human body is very strong and resilient. With strength training, the body can become a powerful organic machine - one that adapts to challenges as well as provide feedback. Be attuned to this feedback to make the choices that maximize the most benefit you can get out of your training. Don't get bogged down by the little things. Flow with the changes and feedback and understand there isn't a single solution to follow. That's where strength lies.

A philosophy won't only create a strong body, but a strong mind as well.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Related articles,

• Programming Cardio
• Programming Guidelines
• The Best Exercise

Visiting India, Part 2

Massive Radha-Krishna in a nearby 
office building lobby

Continuing from last time, this post will be a general overview of my observations from my trip to India.

The easiest way to describe it is that it's a different culture. Plain and simple. I grew up with a basic understanding of the culture and it made me quick to pick up mannerisms and behavior while I was there. On the other hand take a random person raised in the West and plop them in India and they will think it's a mad zoo.

Urbanization

There are a few metropolises (extremely congested), some cities, and a whole lot of villages. Very few areas had the semblance of a town. Good housing structures run 1-to-3 rooms large with a kitchen and a flat toilet. People on the lower end of the SES spectrum have a lot less space.

Depending on where you look you can see the introduction of basic modern housing utilities. The neighboring town-city has introduced gas lines directly to homes in our village - presuming your house meets the provider's requirements. Some people still use gas tanks connected to their dual stove top burners but that will become obsolete because of the new gas lines. Predating the tanks, cooking was done on an open fire.

Place the fueling agents in the crater, ignite, then
rest your cookware on top of the open flame to begin cooking

Another village we visited didn't have gas lines but direct water lines to the homes. In contrast, our village relies on an underground well that has water pumped to the homes during mid-morning. There's progress in the country but it's slow and very dependent on the region. As a result, many of the infrastructures present here and in other developed countries are not as widespread in India. The mix of urban and rural areas don't have connecting utility systems. Take rest stops for example. Because many are situated out in the middle of nowhere on the highway, the facilities are latrine-based due to the fact there is no sewer system. Unfortunately, this is the case with a number of basic services.

10 years ago I noticed people openly littered on the ground. It was a very minor problem then and little trash was noticeable outdoors. 10 years made a huge difference because there is a ton of garbage strewn about everywhere. The increase in non-biodegradeable materials - namely plastic - combined with the lack of garbage processing centers and nonexistent waste disposal practices are major contributors to the pollution. The problem is further magnified due to the large population. The only method of waste disposal I saw was garbage burning. Whatever natural scenery remains in India is in jeopardy of disappearing if these conditions continue or worsen over time.

Roads, Highways, and Everything on Them

I initially thought to exclude this section of the trip. I thought to myself, "Why bother? It's not that important." Then I thought about it again and realized it - yes it is important. Highways look almost identical to the ones we have here and appear very new and modern. Not all portions of it are like that but I'd say close to 90% of them are similar. When you get to the local roads then everything becomes a big mess.

Road systems seem to be reliant on whatever pathways were previously in place. These avenues are shared by everyone and everything. Motorcycles, bikes, cars, rickshaws, pedestrians, water buffalo, goats, you name it. I'd presume these paths were originally made for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles but that's no longer the case. Dense areas have motorcycles and cars attempting to squeeze through crowds of people.

While there are cars available, not everyone can afford one nor do they need it unless traveling long distances. On the other hand, tourists need someone to chauffeur them around because they're unfamiliar with the locale. Consequently, this has given rise and value to the driver profession. It's a lucrative business and career choice if an individual can drive well. It's similar to being a truck driver - drive frequently for extended periods of time except that they're transporting people from point A to point B. However, instead of trucks, 5-9 seat passenger vehicles are popular. Some resemble a minivan, others are more of a mini-hummer in appearance. Often you could spot the Toyota Qualis on the roads:

Typical packed car

Why buy a massive car? The more passengers you can fit the more money you make. Even with less passengers, such as our small party of three, we had quite a bit of luggage leaving and going to the airport. It wouldn't have fit in a regular-sized sedan. Large vehicles make sense but their use in villages and small towns is an issue. The aggressive driving style is dangerous because rules and penalties are not in place and are not enforced by authorities.

People's Living

India has over a billion people. With a population of that size, the SES stratum is diverse. This actually made it difficult to distinguish who was indigent at times. For instance, an individual who earns 100 rupees* a day - roughly equivalent to 2 US dollars - is considered to have a low income. Yet, the same person can live in a one room home without any transportation means, but own a standard definition TV and a cellphone. It's a bit tricky to define "destitute" when odd variables like those are thrown into the mix. In fact, one night a neighbor and I were talking about how everyone in the village is glued to their TV at night which is contrary to a few years earlier. Everyone use to sit outside and talk to one another. A TV in each home has become the norm whereas ten years ago our home was the only one with a TV. As you can tell, that's quite the opposite!

*One dollar is roughly equivalent to 50-55 rupees depending on its current value. 50 is used as a base for easy calculations.

To better put things into perspective, I'll go over a few values and costs of goods I noticed there and discussed with my mother. First she explained that 100 rupees is a lot and is considered the same as $20 here (but remember the true currency conversion is $2). Our family's okay with giving money as a gift to a relative whether it's a birthday, Christmas, or a small occasion. This is usually when a niece or nephew is given about $20 as a nice little gift. Typically, 100 rupees isn't given to someone as a gift. It's more common to give around 10 rupees. Several prices I recall were,

• 1lb. of chicken = 200-300 rupees

• 1lb. of goat = 500 rupees 

• 20oz. of cow's milk everyday for 3 weeks = 700-800 rupees 

• full tank of diesel or petroleum fuel for a car = over 1,000 rupees

If you think about it on a $20-base scale, that is incredibly expensive! Going by those numbers, a pound of chicken would cost a minimum of $40 here in NJ. That's more than four times higher than its current cost. A gallon of milk? For one week, it's about $40 (231 rupees for 7 days [700/21 days times 7 days in a week]). The cost of living for the citizens of India is much higher than our standards.

Yet despite limited resources and technology, by our living criteria, Indians manage to do pretty damn well. They create efficiency out of inefficiency. The phrase "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" perfectly illustrates this concept.

The dabbawala highlight how efficient and resourceful Indians truly can be. Recall last time I wrote about how women are able to carry heavy bulky items on their head as they walk. No one owns a wheelbarrow to transport stuff around the village. Another example is the use of cow dung. It's shaped into discs and set to dry. Then in conjunction with wood it's used as a burning agent (wood alone in India is not enough to keep a fire lit). That actually doesn't seem efficient at all but my dad told me before detergent was available the ashes from the fire were used to wash clothes. To my surprise he said the laundry came out very clean.

While the dried cakes are not good for the atmosphere,
this must eliminate a great deal of animal waste

Anyone who knows how driving is in India would exclaim it's erratic and absolutely crazy. To a certain extent it's true. A whole lot of honking and one car over taking another doesn't make sense. On the contrary there is a rudimentary style of how one should drive: use your horns and high beams liberally to inform the nearby vehicle of your presence or to move aside so that traffic can flow smoothly. And slow down or stop if something is in front of you. I didn't claim it was a great way of driving but it works for them.

Patriarchy

While there are very efficient processes present in the country, the huge glaring obstacle I saw was the lack of women's presence. India is a patriarchal nation. The women are tough as nails and religious scriptures highlight their value but their role in society is minimal. From what I know, women in the state of Gujarat are treated better than women in the other states (Rajasthan being the other exception). However, I'm not talking about oppression or abuse. Outside of being a stay-at-home mom, only a fraction of women are visible in the workplace. Hell, we didn't even see one driving a car in the entire 3 weeks. But the status of women became glaringly obvious when we were out shopping for women's saree. These huge fashion stores had men as their sales associates. That's not to say men can't sell women's clothing or be in the fashion industry....but not a single woman was a sales associate? That's funky. Only one store had women employed and they were in charge of administrative tasks (tracking customer orders, noting tailor requests, payments, phones, miscellaneous duties).

Outside of that, most jobs appear to be dominated by men. I won't say all jobs because I did hear neighbors mention a few women go to work in newly built factories because of the good pay. We even came across one 22 year old who runs a coconut business with her mom. And while we didn't see women driving cars, 10 years ago only men were riding around on motorcycles and scooters but now it's more common to see women dipping and diving through traffic. Like I said earlier, there's progress in the country but it's slow and dependent on the region.

People as People

Being visitors, we met quite a few people during our stay. We also visited others who weren't able to come to our neck of the woods. Let me just say that when you visit another person's home that their hospitality is unbelievable. They are EXTREMELY kind and welcoming to their guests. They want to treat them well and give them the most pleasant experience possible. At times it can be overwhelming. One memorable instance was when I stopped off at an extended relative's home after spending the afternoon out in the city. They were being so over-the-top kind to me that at one point I was beginning to feel awkward. They told me,

"Come! Come! You've been out all day. You must be tired."

Yes! Here lie down. Put your feet up.

Let me get you fresh coconut water."

You know, things of that nature.

Strangely though, there are no set formal manners, if any. No please, excuse me, your welcome, bless you, or any phrase of that sort. If you burp, you burp. No one cares that you did it because it happens and no one minds it. "Thank you" does exist in Hindi as "dhanyavaad" but no one uses the expression. They definitely need "excuse me" because people have no words to say if they want someone to step aside. I saw one guy simply waiting for another person to move. Aside from that, it did make me think if we're sometimes overly polite here.

But unfortunately, just because those individuals are kind to their guests doesn't mean they're kind to everyone. Sadly, attitudes towards a person are based on their background. If you don't come from a certain status/background or position of "power" (for a lack of a better term) then you will be treated poorly. What makes it worse is that it's tolerated and expected to an extent. I wouldn't call it discrimination but maybe it is and I'm blind to the truth. Either way it's not good for the people.

I've written a lot detailing my trip. However, words on a screen cannot convey the true experience of visiting India. I left out an incredible amount of information and what I did share only scratched the surface of the adventure. Trust me when I say a lot happened.

But it was amazing. When I got back, the trip felt like a fleeting memory that didn't even happen.

It dawned upon me that I was in India one early morning. My dad asked me if I wanted to visit our family's farm lots. We hiked through the tall grass and thickets then began to walk on a narrow dirt path. About a quarter mile in, I looked behind and in front of me. Not a soul could be seen. There was only my dad treading ahead of me pointing out and explaining the various fruit trees and how it was when he grew up, feeling the red sun warming the cool air, and listening to the peacocks' high pitch calls.

That was India.

Related content,

• Web Album: Pictures from the Trip
• Web Album: Pictures of Food from the Trip
• Visiting India, Part 1: Food & Fitness

Visiting India, Part 1

The medium-sized city of Navsari has the best food

(Click to enlarge even more)

Thieves looting before the sun rises, a monkey hanging out on an electrical wire, driving in the opposite direction of traffic on the highway, and spices so strong you would have thought Columbus could have smelled his way here instead of trying to follow a map.

Yup. This is India.

I last went to India with my family in the summer of 2002 for six weeks. We spent the first week sight seeing the cities of Mumbai and New Delhi with the remaining five weeks living at my paternal grandparents' rural home in the state of Gujarat. Despite it being the hot and humid monsoon season, a language barrier, and being far from the comforts of home, I found the vacation fun.

This time around I was there for three weeks with my parents at the start of the cold season. Again we stayed at my grandparents' home - we don't go anywhere else - but it was different. Since the doors remain locked, only to be opened when a relative may visit, the house has not aged well. However we didn't have any problems with it as you'll see in these two posts.

I could recount the entire trip except that would exceed well over what I'd like to write. Rather I want to share my experiences and what I learned over the course of my stay. Visiting after ten years gave me a much different perspective than I can remember.

To better group my thoughts from this trip I'm dividing this excursion into two posts. In this first part I'll be discussing a wide range of items regarding food and exercise/fitness. In the second post I'll do a general look at the environment, people, and any changes I took notice of since my last trip.

Food

The food was great. For us it largely meant produce cooked at home as opposed to eating at restaurants or street shops. Restaurants have become very generic highway stops commonly referring to themselves as "hotels." You'll find terrible restrooms, so-so/bad service, and a menu full of Punjabi dishes & Chinese-inspired ones. If you plan on going to India I suggest avoiding any place situated off a highway that has shirt-and-tie service.

What I do suggest is finding small street shops. The food has a more authentic taste, the people are friendlier, and the prices are better.

Fast food: real samosa
Not the knockoff kind you find here in restaurants

During this time at home the only vegetable in season was a type of spinach. Hence our diet consisted of different beans, beets, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes eaten with sorghum* flat bread. Because the vegetarian meals were surprisingly satiating we ate meat less often. The meats we did eat were chicken, crayfish, shrimp, and goat all of which had a denser texture, but less volume compared to the meat found here in the US. The same held true for the vegetables and fruits - they were comparatively smaller.

*In the Indian grocery stores here it's listed as "juwar" flour but isn't that great.

Looking at foods between the two countries, here it's all about quantity and size. Our produce looks completely cracked out on steroids. I found everything in India had a better taste. Here the quality costs us extra: organic foods are the norm there. Additionally it helps that each dish is cooked in the deliciousness that is peanut oil.

Half the size garlic

The best food there was the raw milk provided to us from our neighbors. The cow was fed grass, vegetables, and bean peels leading to a fresh rich milk. Daily right after dawn our neighbor would provide us a quart of milk that we used to make our morning chai. Just enough of it remained for me to drink a cup later with my afternoon lunch. Drinking chai again with the usual American grocery store milk I've noticed it's thinner as well as giving the chai a bitter taste. It's only palatable after adding a heavy dose of sugar. Not only that but the milk leaves my mouth tasting and smelling rancid.

The biggest surprise was after we returned home I noticed a meal never satiated my hunger and it caused me to use the bathroom more frequently. When I spoke with my dad he said he had the same problems plus a strange itching feeling on his skin. Physically I see my skin produces more oil and that my hair smells within 24 hours. I really believe these weird symptoms are due to the food here. Add to the fact that my mom's acid reflux and dad's gout didn't act up a single day there but immediately began irritating them again upon returning to the states, it makes you think.

While in the US we are fortunate to have an abundance of food, high standards of practice, and an excellent process that delivers it from the farm to the plate, it's somewhat questionable on the quality front. What I really do enjoy is the availability of fruits. Because none were in season this time of the year, the few that were available to us were expensive (based on the locals' income). Season or not, the amount of fruits here are a real treat. The pomegranate I ate here tasted as good as the one in India showing that not everything comes in second place in terms of quality. 

Lastly, despite many homes owning a half-sized refrigerator few use them to store items for an extended period of time. Instead the norm is to consume an item of food the day it is received [meat & dairy] or within 3-4 days [vegetables]. This is one of the more valuable lessons I learned and think is imperative to put into practice. For something such as milk it's not possible to purchase everyday and I don't expect anyone to do so, but aim to refrigerate/freeze foods less. Make the effort to go to the grocery store each week putting a maximum shelf life of 5-6 days on fresh produce. Combine that with eating local and in season produce will make your health better than most people.

Exercise & Fitness

While I was away I did about five or six workouts using a combination of isometrics, bodyweight exercises, and a stalk of sugarcane. I let my mood dictate if I wanted to exercise but it also helps that I planned accordingly before I left - two months straight of hard sessions. In reality there was no need to train on vacation because three weeks of little-to-no exercise wasn't the end of the world.

Also just as important to exercise, or even more so, is recovery. Down time from exercise does the body good both physically and mentally. Naturally being on vacation it's a relaxing experience but the absence of electronics really let us unwind. The only piece of technology we used was a phone. Add the warm weather into the mix, it made for a pleasant atmosphere. Even with hard beds we had to use the sleep was particularly restful.

As for the people, muscle mass appears to be in short supply and winged scapulas in excess - I saw more people with them than without. What makes it worse is all the gluteless guys wear tight jeans. The jeans I wore there split completely down the middle from squatting down and they weren't even tight on me. But despite individuals being thin this shouldn't be confused with weakness because the people who do hard labor are strong at what they do. For instance, I saw a woman carry a 70 lb. gas tank on her head and walk roughly the distance of two city blocks. I think if any of us tried that our necks would snap.

If I had to guess why people in that region carry low muscle mass I would attribute it to the less amount of food they eat. Quantity of food is not as readily available for families as it is here. A household rations their portions sparingly due to their low income. Other individuals who aren't skinny just lack adequate resistance training to build bigger muscles. While there aren't barbells or similar equipment readily available I saw a ton of other stuff in the area that could be used as resistance - namely stones of various sizes. I know in other states of India that stones are used in training (pehlwan).

What's crazy is that if the Indian population took up barbell squatting (and had better upper body strength), they just might wreck everyone else in squats. I saw people in deep squats for just about anything you can imagine - squat to eat, squat to go to the bathroom, squat to relax/hang out, squat to clean, squat to wash clothes, hell I even think I saw guys squat to urinate on the sides of the road. Indians do not mind an ass-to-grass squat. They actually find it comfortable. I'll add that while they do squat deep without knee problems, they squat into an extremely lax position with a pelvis tuck and a slight forward lean.

Squatting becomes a daily affair when this is your toilet
(But don't worry, we had an American style toilet in the adjacent bathroom)

Being back, I feel more sluggish. I have no idea why. Chalk it up to the weather, food, beds, or a combination of factors. I have to make more of an effort here to maintain strength and body composition as opposed to there. The first few days back home I felt stronger than when I left. Of course that quickly waned and I started to feel stiff, lethargic, and weaker in subsequent days. Luckily by starting to lift again that's no longer the case. Just as I did in India I'll make sure to pay attention to how I feel to structure my workouts.

There's still a lot more to cover in the second half. With that said it will be posted sometime in January. Enjoy the holidays and have a happy New Year's Eve everyone!

I'll see you in 2013.

Related content,

• Web Album: Pictures from the Trip
• Web Album: Pictures of Food from the Trip
• Visiting India, Part 2: General Overview

Dead Bugs for Abs

The Core Training for Smart Folks article found in the Good Reads section lists one of my few staple abdominal exercises: the dead bug. It's great for getting the pelvis tilted backwards [posterior pelvic tilt] for those with poor posture [anterior pelvic tilt] and creates stronger abs.

The article lists a set of progressions from beginner to advanced strength levels but I've found it to be a rather large difficulty jump in certain variations or outright awkward. I've played around with reps, sets, tempo, and ankle weights which has proven to help. However after extended use it can become a stale exercise.

Fortunately Sarah Rippel has created a video demonstrating other variations and progressions of the dead bug exercise. (More details and images can be found here.)

Single-leg lowering is much easier than double-leg

whether it's bent legs, marching, or straight legs.

One last piece of advice I'd like to offer is use a preceding exercise earlier in your session to groove the body for hard posterior tilting of the pelvis. The lockout in deadlifts is a perfect example. There's a big shift in the entire pelvic girdle when the hip flexors are extended and the glutes are contracted at the end of a repetition (think about "humping" the bar).

Related articles,

• Ab Exercises

First Pull

Clockwise from top-left: Ilin Ilya, Lu Xiaojun,

Kim Un Guk, Zulfiya Chinshanlo

(Click to enlarge)

The first pull in the snatch or clean is from the floor to the knee. Adequate strength and proper execution help ensure a better overall pull. The most common, and obvious, problem to observe is a lack of strength but there are also finer points to this portion of the lift.

1) Apply foot pressure against the floor from the midfoot area and balls of the feet.

• Driving through the heels will force the bar to go around your shins and knees.

2a) Let the bar come off the floor by simply straightening your knees with a slight backward movement.

• The result will cause the knees to move out of the way and allow the bar to stay close to the body as it passes the knees and begins to travel up the thighs.

2b) As your knees extend push them away from each other and really shove them outwards to the sides.

This cue can be hard to observe depending on an individual's lifting style - it's exaggerated by some, not so much by others (as illustrated in the above image). Feet externally rotated and wider feet placement allows for the knees to move apart further whereas toes pointed straight ahead and/or a narrow stance make it a subtle and less observable action.

• This helps the knees move out of the way more and keeps the hips low until the second pull.
• Placing a short resistance band around the knees, hip opening drills/stretches, and clams, can help promote and reinforce this cue during pulls.

4) The angle of the back stays same throughout by having a tight arch.

• The back doesn't come into play until after the bar clears the knees. Early use of it will cause the bar to bang into the shins.
• If back strength is the limiting factor supplement with snatch/clean pulls from the floor to knee and strict barbell rows from the floor to the navel. Any rep range of your own choosing can do the trick.
• If technique is the problem supplement with light to moderately heavy snatch/clean pulls from the floor in a low rep range (1-3).

The first pull involves strength, coordination, and technical skill. Pull right from the start off the floor and you conserve energy and effort in the later moments of the lift.

Related articles,

• Panda Pull
• Power Position
• Second Pull
• Start Position
• Third Pull

Creating Exercise

Knowing what to do for yourself 
does the body good

In part one I went over the common question of "What's the best exercise?"and in part two I discussed the hurdles that can lead to "bad" exercise.

First and foremost recall in the previous installments I said something being the "best" is very subjective and what might be good at one point in time won't necessarily be good at another time. And as much as I'm a proponent of low-rep weightlifting, even I won't say it's the best. (But it's pretty damn effective.)

A plan is only as good as you stay committed to it on a regular basis. It could be the world's greatest plan but has little value if it's not being done. This may sound familiar because this was on the list in the introductory post. Here's a refresher of that list:

• It complements your schedule.

• You stay consistent with it.

• It produces results without causing pain or discomfort and addresses weaknesses and/or postural problems.

• You enjoy it.

These items are the foundation to create YOUR best exercise. I won't discuss parameters or methodology in this post. You can find information for that all over the internet and the Exercise Index. Instead I will be going over each of the above points, starting with...

It Complements Your Schedule

Exercise has to be part of your daily routine. This largely depends on (1) how much time is available, (2) when you can exercise, and (3) how you feel.

Available Time: Check for blocks of free or unproductive time in your day. Time used to watch TV or the internet are perfect to replace with exercise. Also don't forget the weekends/days off for free time.

In a real busy schedule waking up earlier or using a lunch break can offer enough exercise time.

Time of the Day: Workouts tend to be early morning or in the evening/late night. Take into account the gym traffic as you choose when to go.

Mood: Generally how you feel is not a problem unless you're ill. And in the case of early morning or late night workouts, each may warrant extra attention to transition into your workout

• If the morning is your only option to exercise it might not be an easy transition. Eat a quick breakfast, wash your face with hot water, and spend more time on your warm-up to better ease into the day and workout.

• After a long day, exercise can be plagued by lack of energy and motivation. Set aside 10-15 minutes to unwind - listen to music, kick your feet up, and mentally go through your workout. Avoid laying down completely as you might run the risk of falling asleep. Hit your warm-up ASAP to change gears and not have the chance to get into a lazy state of mind.

You Stay Consistent with It

For most people consistency's not a significant problem. Rather it's they don't know what to do, are too strict in their planning, overthink it, or a combination of all three. To make this simple I say be fluid and lax in how you plan your exercise. Sometimes with other given priorities, there's very little time that can be allotted to exercise.

Once a week for 15-20 minutes might be all that you can afford. The important part is to do that one day every week for 15-20 minutes. It's the total effect of these small workouts which combine and create a large and powerful change.

Seeing Results Without Pain

I believe exercise is a positive experience and as such your choices and actions should reflect positive changes, not detrimental ones. Bad exercise can leave you miserable, injured, and worse than you when you began. Therefore in the quest to achieve your goals be mindful of how you treat your body and mind. By creating a negative experience it will cause you to associate exercise as being bad and a punishment for yourself and in the future you will feel less inclined to exercise. Don't starve your body, push it beyond its exhausted capacity, or implement any other ridiculous idea in the hopes to accelerate your progress. By all means avoid that.

If an area warrants extra attention then go ahead and spend a little more time on it. Stretching, mobility drills, and an extra 5 minutes every morning, night, or workout's end are all excellent ways to fix a problematic area. There's no need to overdo it.

Now assuming you've been diligent in your workouts and eating choices, 12-16 weeks after your start date you should see changes. Even after the initial 2 weeks in from when you start you can gauge your own mood, how your strength feels, and the fit of your clothes.

One of the great aspects of P90X is that it's a 90-day commitment which roughly equates to 13 weeks (13 weeks is 91 days). Pick a goal, stay dedicated to it for 3 months, and you're bound to succeed. If the effort and consistency are there results will follow.

Do You Like It?

Of all the things I discuss in this post understand this one to be the most important. If in the short-term you have to do something you don't like then so be it - it's only a brief passing period. However in the long run if you don't like doing "so and so" then drop it. Contrary to popular fitness there is no point in making yourself go through workouts you hate and make you feel miserable. That's stupid. Exercise comes in many forms. Find the one that you like and suits you. 

I do my hobbies, such as writing and weightlifting, because I like to do them. Life is full of choices and it's wise to spend your time doing activities you enjoy and that improve your quality of life. Exercise can do just that.

Exercise choices, reps, sets, time, intensity, and the many variables there are to pick from are endless. Fine tuning and adapting a plan to your own needs outweighs those factors.

Be smart, and more importantly, be happy with your exercise.

Other posts in this series,

• Part 1: What is the Best Exercise
• Part 2: Bad Exercise

Getting started,

• Exercise Index
• Programming Cardio 
• Programming Guidelines
• Progressions
• Training Program or Philosophy?

Bad Exercise

Gymnastics is far from being bad

Unlike part one's Best Exercise, I believe "bad" exercise is more concrete to grasp. To an extent it does exist but it's better to understand it as inefficient rather than bad. And since there's inefficient exercise you would be right to guess there is efficient exercise.

Inefficient exercise has very little return on the time and effort you invest in it. An example would be casual walking. The benefits you get would be at the cost of having to walk frequently per week for long durations each day. Even then whatever positive results there are would be small compared to the work done. Also expect there to be little impact on flexibility, strength/power, and lean body mass.

Efficient exercise is the opposite: There's big return on the time and effort you put into your exercise. Gymnastics perfectly describes efficiency. Practice the sport and watch speed, power, and flexibility improve while fat decreases. Additionally the skills gained from gymnastics would translate well over to other sports.

I distinguish between these two but that doesn't mean an activity has to be 100% one or the other. Instead think of each as an endpoint on a range. In between each point are varying degrees of the two ends.

Depending on the form of exercise, there may be a learning curve or need of equipment (such as in gymnastics). And inefficiency/efficiency can vary person-to-person based on their capability but this is something that needs to be addressed within the exercise. It has to be adjusted to the person's athletic levels.

The biggest - and most important - indicator of an activity's inefficiency is that it fails to provide the desired results.

Earth-shattering, I know. Why would anyone continue to do something that doesn't work? A number of reasons can explain this inefficiency in their program. It's easy to look at areas such as lifestyle factors, diet, and recovery but exercise itself tends to be an oversight.

What are signs that your exercise could be inefficient?

Comfort Zone/Stagnancy

• The plan isn't the problem. The real problem is the unwillingness to change and travel outside one's comfort zone. I've found this true for many people. They stick to what they are comfortable with because it feels safe for them. Getting through this mental block will improve their exercise.

Lack of Effort/Intensity

• This is a big one but it's a quick fix. The exercise is characterized by low effort over a long duration. This is usually seen in cardio but isn't limited to it. The issue is in weightlifting as well where volume is prioritized over intensity (lots of reps, sets, exercises, and workouts).

• Trimming down on the amount done and increasing the intensity is a fast way to make workouts more effective.

Old Plan, No More Results

• Whatever you were doing before won't be as difficult once you adapt to it. A good program changes to meet the person's new improvements. If the same thing day in and day out hasn't accomplished anything then adjustments are in order.

• A few small tweaks can start progress going again. If there's still no progress then a complete overhaul is a good idea. [See the updated progressions post for help.]

Don't Know Better

• It's hard to put into practice what you don't know. As a result it hampers a lot of people's progress.

• The internet gives access to a lot of information regarding exercise. Use it as a start to find your specific activity and learn more about it. The next step is to experiment and see what you find works best.

• What makes this different from someone in the Comfort Zone is a person who doesn't know better begins to see results after they learn what's been holding them back. Contrast that with the other person, they don't take the necessary action despite knowing about it.

These pitfalls are simple to overcome but can severely halt a person's progress and motivation. They can be the difference to making your exercise efficient.

In the conclusion I'll go over how to create the "best" exercise for yourself.

Other posts in this series,

• Part 1: What is the Best Exercise?
• Part 3: Creating Exercise

Related articles,

• Programming Cardio
• Programming Guidelines
• Progressions
• Training Program or Philosophy?