Members - Articles
April 2008
The Endless Search
By Ross Enamait - Published in 2007
Have you ever pecked away at the keyboard, hoping a late night Google search would uncover a hidden gem among countless articles? You search high and low, hoping and hoping that you will find the missing piece to the puzzle. How can you improve your conditioning? What is the secret? Where is it hiding?
The endless search continues, until now of course… And before you close this article out of disgust, let me assure you that I don’t have the hidden gem, as it doesn’t exist.
Conditioning is a simple subject. I will not mislead you and pretend that I have a top secret discovery waiting to be revealed. There is no such thing, and never will be. The wheel has already been invented, so let’s not reinvent it.
Conditioning programs can be complex or crude in terms of equipment. It does not matter. The most important aspect to any conditioning program is you. You get what you put into it. Regardless of the workout or equipment that you choose, it is you who must put forth the effort. The tools that you choose are nothing more than a means to an end. Equipment will not change the equation for success, as the most important variable will always be you. Many athletes tirelessly search for new breakthroughs, yet never take the time to look at themselves. Will a new piece of equipment or new routine really change your work ethic? How hard do you train? How bad do you want it?
Think of the amazing athletes that have come before us. These athletes thrived on the basics, so perhaps the only real secret is that the basics do work. The best idea is not always a new idea, but rather a reminder to stick with what works and what has always worked. Often times, it is more useful to weed out bad ideas, rather than looking for new ideas, therefore leaving us with only good ideas.
Don’t waste time hoping for the latest and greatest system to be created. You will be waiting for something that never happens. Remember that old saying, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Never abandon everything that has worked, in place of something that is new and unproven. Many new ideas are dreamt up as a way to differentiate the idea creator from others, but who is to say that a new idea can replace all of those successful methods that have come before? Perhaps the best program is not new, but rather a system based on proven techniques, some old and some new.
Man has exercised his body since the beginning of time. Every now and then, there will be new twists to old ideas, and even a few novel ideas that change the way we think, but the fact remains that exercise must not be complex or radical to be effective.
With all of the science and research available to us, it would make sense that all athletes are highly conditioned in today’s era. Unfortunately, this is not true. Athletes continue to fail because of poor conditioning. Fatigue still influences the outcome of many sporting events, even at the highest level of competition.
It has been said that knowledge is power, but knowledge without action means little. You may know how to train, but if you never apply your knowledge to action, your knowledge has been wasted. As Napoleon Hill once said, “Knowledge is only potential power” and as we know, most athletes fall far short of their potential.
Extraordinary athletes do not become extraordinary with an ordinary effort. The extraordinary push the envelope, surging past commonly accepted boundaries. They disregard those limits hypothesized by critics, and even fellow athletes. The extraordinary refuse to accept failure. They set high goals, often considered unrealistic, and never give up until achieving these goals.
We would all achieve much more if we stopped believing in the word impossible. The body is much more capable than most realize. Unfortunately, there will always be critics who spread doubt, perhaps to comfort their own lack of achievement. My advice to you is simple. Put the work back in workout. You are ultimately responsible for your own success. Time is limited, so don’t waste your time searching for something that you will never find.
Knowledge is important, and always will be, but don’t let your pursuit of knowledge stand in the way of action. While many waste time searching for secrets, there are others who stay busy training. That extra set, that extra exercise, that extra practice session, and the extra effort that you put forth each day when everyone else has packed up, is what will ultimately separate you from the rest.
Lewis Cass once said that “People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.” I keep these words in the back of my mind each day. Yes, I remain open to new ideas, actively pursue new research, and continue to experiment with new protocols, but regardless of what science reveals to us, the most important lesson remains fixed. Your success depends on your efforts, and only you can decide what kind of effort you put forth.
I understand the importance of knowledge, as knowledge guides action, but it is action that takes knowledge and makes it special. I don’t fault anyone involved in the endless search, but there must be balance between the time spent searching for new methods and the time spent applying proven concepts. I too strive to always improve my methods. Yet, no matter what I am testing or researching, I never stray too far from the fundamentals. Yes, we can always spice up the basics with a new twist here and there, and hopefully, every now and then we will in fact discover a new concept. If and when this happens however, don’t abandon everything in place of this idea. It’s useful to tune up the engine, but rarely will you need to replace it.
www.rosstrianing.com
Listen, Everyone!
Ah...the art of listening. Even though you claim to be listening and you respond at the right moment with the typical “ahs, uh-huhs, and yups,” you may still find yourself in a daze. Just because your ears are working and the sound is entering, it doesn’t mean you have clear understanding.
Maybe, even right now, you’ve scanned this article to this point and really haven’t given it your undivided attention. Let’s stop and start again, this time with 100% intent. Okay, are you with me? I hope you started from the top and you are now intent on receiving as much benefit from this article as possible.
I have some rules for listening and they can apply to you. My lessons can help you during your martial arts training, with your relationships, and at school and at work. If you become a better listener, then you will become a better person.
Four Tips for Better Listening!
1. Make sure you are not distracted. Eliminate any outside factors that may disrupt your concentration.
2. When you listen, really listen. Do not let anything interfere, such as background noise, music, etc. Stay focused on the topic at hand.
3. Look directly at the person, as you listen; do not shuffle through papers and do not engage in any other activity. Eye contact or, at least, face contact is important
4. Ask questions about what you’ve heard. “This is what I understand you’re saying. I am correct?” Make sure you are on the same page.
Becoming an effective listener takes practice. I notice during my classes that many students only retain a portion of what they hear. When I’m teaching young students, they only learn a part of the information.
Even parents don’t always give their children their undivided attention when they are talking. It doesn’t need to be that way, however. Although this may be the case now, you are the best person to fix the problem. Follow rules 1 through 4 above and you will be well on your way to becoming a better listener. I assure you that you will improve your relationships and communication with others, making you a better martial artist, student and friend. Just listen!
Healthkick
The Halo Effect
By Jennifer G. Galea MS RD
The “Halo Effect” is a psychology term that means to recog-nize the qualities of a person, object or concept as “angelic” because of a single, positive characteristic. This can apply to nutrition, as well. You may recognize the word “healthful” on a food label or that may just be your perception of the quality of that food item. “Healthful,” however, doesn’t mean “calorie free,” “full of health benefits,” or “eat as much as you want.” Especially for health-conscious athletes, it is incredibly important not to fall into this psychological trap.
Now that fast food chains are promoting “healthier” choices, people are likely to apply the Halo Effect, when purchasing and eating those meals. A recent study of people who eat fast food meals revealed astounding results: They choose to eat at restau-rants with reputations (or advertising) of being more healthful (specifically Subway™, in this study) and may actually consume more calories than others at fast food restaurants with no such claims! How can this be?
The study found that people who eat a “healthy” meal from Sub-way were more likely to add a side item and dessert that were calorie-rich, not to mention having a larger drink. Psychologi-cally, the Halo Effect added these other items under the “halo” of the “healthy” sandwich. People significantly underestimate the calories they consume. This was true at McDonalds™ (in the study). Understandably, it is hard to imagine how such a small quantity of food could contain so many calories and fat. The
underestimation was even greater at Subway, where the Halo Effect minimized the estimate of not only the sandwich, but also all of the “add-ons”, as well.
The answer is to be aware of every item that you consume. It is fine to have a slice of cake, occasionally, as a special treat, but don’t waste your effort to eat healthy by rewarding yourself with a “special treat” every time you make a calorie concession elsewhere in the meal. Also, focus on portion size; don’t eat twice as much of a lower calorie or lower fat choice. Finally, don’t
believe advertising. Stick to what you know; and if you don’t know, then learn before you add an item to your diet. As a health-conscious individual, you want to be just that: conscious. Fuel your body appropriately for optimal performance and health.
Opportunity
“A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.”
Translation for Kids
Don’t wait for opportunities to find you! You may miss the best opportunities because you didn’t make the effort to find them first. Spending extra time to prepare for your Black Belt test is a good idea. Don’t wait until your instructor offers to help you review for your test, instead, take the initiative and ask him or her for extra help. That is just one example of how you can create opportunities for yourself, without waiting for opportunities to fall into your lap. Create your opportunities and you’ll have the time and positive attitude to achieve excellence.
“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger—but recognize the opportunity.”
Translation for Adults
There are times when you simply do not know what comes next in your life. Whether this confusion is the result of a crisis or a big change in your life, it’s these big decisions that can steer your life in one direction or another. When evaluating your options, don’t concen-trate so much on what might happen if you make the wrong choice; instead, think about the opportunities each option offers. Be aware of the possible risks, but also consider the possible rewards.
Translation for Kids
Some decisions are hard to make. Should you decide to be in the school play, even though it will take some of your free time? Should you quit karate just because it’s becoming more difficult? To help you make these deci-sions, compare the positives and negatives. You may spend less time with your friends while you rehearse for the school play, but think of the excitement and fun you’ll have with your friends who attend the play. You’ll have to work hard to stay committed to karate, but you’ll be happy you had that special opportunity when you receive your Black Belt.