Think of the last time you went to your favorite bar (and please tell me you do remember).  Unless you go ultra-swank, you probably saw a wide range of characters – couples, friends, loners, businessmen, college kids, or even college professors (you know who you are).

In any case, let’s say one guy is standing at the end of the bar chatting with a friend.  His shoulders are back, chin up, big smile, one hand on his hip, the other holding a Sierra Nevada.  At the other end sits gentleman #2, also talking to a friend.  His shoulders are hunched up and forward, hands in his coat pockets, and eyeing down his fourth Miller Lite.

Beer bias aside, which do you think is talking about his promotion and which is complaining about his boss?  Guy 1 and 2 respectively, right?  That’s easy.

Let’s tweak the timeline a bit.  Same scenario, but the night before.  Now, who is about to be promoted or demoted.  Same guys!  They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Why? Because the way we carry ourselves says more than our mouths ever could.  In this case, one body was clearly communicating “I’m a boss” while the other said “I’m a bum.”

Watch the following video and understand our minds and bodies are not so separate after all.  Our body language may be the key to not only our own health, but overall success in life.

Continue reading “How to Upgrade Your Mind & Body in 2 Minutes”

You do it every morning – you wake up and move from lying on your back or side to upright and walking.  It involves every major muscle group and takes almost zero conscious thought.

There is an “exercise” that takes this simple movement and breaks it down into steps, adds resistance, and demands elegance.  The result is the Turkish Get Up – a perfect blend of stability, balance, and strength.  No inflatable balls needed.

Continue reading “Balance, Grace, Strength – The Turkish Way”

Bottoms up… Continue reading “Bottoms-Up”

What to do when you don’t want to workout

The road to strength/weight loss/athleticism is often a bumpy one.

Obstacles come and go – most are mental.  The worst things you can do are lose momentum and quit.  This doesn’t mean you need to turn into a gym rat (or whatever rodent you identify with), but it does mean if it’s important to you, find solutions.  As Mark Reifkind put it, “Consistency trumps intensity; all the time.”

The hardest lift is your butt off the couch.  Let’s make it easier…

Continue reading “A Case of The Mondays”

 

Sunday afternoon – time to stock up on some eats.  Grocery list in hand, you set off for some grub.

Snap goes the seatbelt – reverse, drive, right turn, and you’re on the road.  As disco plays on the mix station, your eye catches the exit sign for the highway.  Turn signal engaged, you merge over and hit the gas.

A mile goes by as you pass the familiar landmarks of car dealerships and drive-thrus.  The Burger King jogs your memory of food and the grocery store.

Turning the radio off, you suddenly realize what you’re doing. The grocery store is 3 miles in the opposite direction – you’re driving to work.

This is what can happen when we let lower level brain functioning take over…

Continue reading ““Sharpen The Saw””