By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Oct 11, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Leadership and leaning….
If you feel at a crossroads with some worthwhile endeavor a version of the “fight or flight” instinct is about to kick in.
I call it the “lean away from” or “lean into” syndrome. It’s not so much an instinct or syndrome as much as a habit we develop over time. How people approach the “check out” or “ramp it up” decision is what distinguishes, in large measure, the winners and losers in life.
Those who anticipate tough times ahead when undertaking any job worth doing and are prepared to kick it up a notch when that inevitable tough moment comes, are the people I admire most. Some say what these role models emulate for us is courage; some say it’s persistence; others say it’s a commitment to a clear vision.
I think it’s more of a habit we have developed. A habit of how we chose to lean when it counts.
So we all know by now that sugar is detrimental to our bodies and can destroy all the hard work you are doing in the gym. As I have documented in previous articles, sugar is the main nutritional culprit in the obesity society that we have become, in my opinion of course.
So what happens when you are cognizant of nutritional labels but the food industry somehow hides a little secret?
That little secret is known as High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Now research continues to go back and forth on whether artificial sweeteners have the same effect on the body as sugar.
What is clear is High Fructose Corn Syrup represent 40% of all added sweeteners to food and beverages. It’s everywhere:
Common Foods High in High Fructose Corn Syrup
Regular soft drinks
Pancake syrups
Fruit Flavored Yogurts
Ketchup
Breakfast cereals
So what is it and high should I care?
HFCS is a corn based sweetener that is a mixture of fructose (fruit sugar) and glucose (simple sugar). As all carbohydrates is HFCS is 4 calories per gram. The fructose is the troubling issue.
Q: I recently lost a primary race, largely because a bunch of elected officials I had helped for years ended up screwing me. What’s the best way to get back at them? —Name and location withheld
By not spending another minute thinking about getting back at them.
One day in prison, a veteran convict pulled me aside and told me that his brother-in-law had told the feds where his (cocaine) bricks were. “Wow,” I said. “What did you do to him?”
“Thought about the motherf—– for my first three years straight,” he said. “Laid awake every night. Worst three years of my life. But then one day I let it go. Just like that. ’Cause you can’t do time like that. Your boy with the wire…you can’t even think about [the] dude. It’ll make you crazy.” It was the best advice I got in prison; after that, I rarely thought about my ex–best friend.
Your resentment is weighing you down and will reduce the odds of you succeeding in your next endeavor, which would be the best revenge.
By the way, in the future, don’t help others in the hope that they’ll reciprocate. Help people you truly want to see succeed, and then be pleasantly surprised if they reciprocate.
Q: In your last column, some would-be candidate told you he hated asking for money. Instead of providing constructive advice on how to do it, you gave him glib advice about marrying a rich person and other long-shot strategies. How about a better answer? —J.J., New York City
Asking for money can be soul-crushing. But unless we enshrine the public financing of campaigns, it will be a necessary evil. That said, here’s some practical advice about how to make it feel less seamy—and how to succeed at it:
When you first meet a prospective donor, ask for general advice. A few weeks later when an issue arises on which she has expertise, call her and ask for specific advice, but do not ask for money. Then two weeks after that, ask her if she’d be willing to serve in an advisory role on your campaign, a member of “Businesswomen for J.J.” or something. If she agrees, ask for money two weeks later.
Why will this work? First, because now she’s much more invested in you than she would have been had you asked initially. Second, it’s like dating: An attractive woman at a bar gets hit on 10 times a night. A guy can distinguish himself by approaching her without asking her out. When he leaves, she often thinks about the guy who didn’t hit on her more than about the dozen who did.
In other words, after the first few conversations, your prospective donor may be intrigued by the fact that you haven’t asked for money. It’s a fine line to walk, but you can be persistent without being desperate.
Read the rest of… Jeff Smith: Do As I Say — A Political Advice Column
By Nancy Slotnick, on Tue Oct 9, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET
I just recently heard this phrase “what’s your scary age?” It refers to women’s biological clock. It implies that women are scared of the limitations of their own bodies when it comes to fertility. Which we are.
There’s nothing like the last minute. In college I used to wait until the day before a paper was due before starting it. The theory was that if I started earlier the work would just expand to fit all that extra time that I had. If I waited until the night before and had some good coffee (or Jolt- the predecessor to Red Bull- you can see I’m at a scary age!) then the pressure of the procrastination would Jolt me into getting it done. That drink was aptly named.
Except there was that one time. It was supposed to be the biggest “gut” class. An easy A. They called it “gas stations” because we literally studied the landscape of gas stations and every day places that you never notice. The stakes were higher because this paper was a 15 pager and the professor had a hang-up about lateness of papers and never gave extensions. So of course I choked. I waited until the last minute as usual, drank too much Jolt and had a caffeine overdose reaction. Then I fell asleep. Go figure.
What is the moral to this story? Don’t trust a beverage whose slogan is “All the sugar and twice the caffeine!” That I figured out even before I graduated Harvard. But what has taken me all of these years later (I’m getting dangerously close to my 25th reunion) to learn? You don’t have to wait until you’re scared before you kick your butt in gear. And when the pressure’s on, it’s even more likely that you’ll choke. And you don’t want to choke on something as important as marriage and kids.
Read the rest of… Nancy Slotnick: What’s Your Scary Age?
By John Y. Brown III, on Fri Oct 5, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
The little recognized “divider”
In the early stages of life we find qualities serve us that seem at the time “most important” to success. The more obvious ones are intelligence, hard work, education, looks, personality, persistence, loyalty, faith, honor, savvy and the like.
All those seem to come and go after being indispensable at some point during our early life stages. But what about the key trait that distinguishes those who thrive in the middle years and those who find this period befuddling and daunting?
I think the key distinguishing trait is self-awareness—or more bluntly, self-honesty. How well are we able to candidly and painfully assess who we are and how we see the world and our place in it. Maybe this is what Socrates meant with his maxim, “Know thyself.”
I was having lunch with very bright friend 4 years ago who as a few years younger than I. He has a law degree from Harvard and was wondering how to figure out succeeding in the murky middle years. I remember saying something like, “I think it is less taxing on our minds than our souls. And open to all who are ready for the journey within where we get to meet and make peace with ourselves.” Adding, “it’s the easiest on the surface but the hardest in practice.”
And I don’t think I’ve wavered from that belief in the 4 years since then.
I want to warn everyone that reads this, if you are not open minded and are stubborn about changing the way you view exercise and nutrition please stop reading now. What I mean by this is these are 17 facts that I have learned through 8 years as a personal trainer and coach and 15 years of personal workouts. Some of these I have learned the hard way and others are as clear as day but all are a list of facts that will help you achieve your goals (as long as you choose to accept it.)
1. Steady State Cardio will not get YOU Results- I see it everyday, gym goers check in the gym and immediately head for the treadmill or elliptical. If you asked them what their goals were they would say body fat loss, increased muscle tone and weight loss. OK? Why are you heading for the treadmill then? Take a U-Turn and head for the weight section. And yes I am talking to you, all of you! Big, tall, skinny, small I don’t care we all need to spend some quality time with the weights. Period. Next!
Resistance Training will boost your Results- A continuation of number 1. All shapes and sizes should be picking up resistance training. Increased; metabolism, decreased osteoporosis, feel better and look better. What else do you need? Nothing that’s what.
The Word “Tone” Does not Exist- So stop saying it. In muscle anatomy and kinesiology there is not term muscle “tone.” When you use this term you mean less fat and more muscle or “lean.” Let’s lose this term please.
Static Stretching is a Waste of Time- Don’t stretch, warm-up. Doing the old school 1980’s Jane Fonda stretching routine is not going to make you more flexible and its not going to decrease chance of injury. Instead of bending over and touching your toes, get on a foam roller and roll your hamstrings out. Instead of stretching your hip flexors, do some explosive reverse lunges to a knee tuck. Stop stretching, thank you.
Bananas are not the only Food in the Universe that Have Potassium- quite the contrary there are better foods, with less sugar that has plenty of potassium. Broccoli, kiwis, and sweet potatoes just to name a few are packed with high amounts of potassium. Bananas have too much sugar, eat apples or kiwis instead.
Squat, Everyone- Everyone should squat regardless of what your doctor tells you, if you can’t squat you can’t use the toilet. Think about that. Enough said.
Deadlift, Everyone- “Dead lifts are for men.” Oh yeah? Have you ever picked a box off the ground? You just did a deadlift. Dead lifts are great for developing posterior strength (you need that mister I sit at a desk all day) and are a great overall body developer. Do them but do them right!
Stop Swinging the Dumbbell Around in an Attempt to Warm Your Shoulder- This doesn’t need much explanation but I see people do this all the time and it’s dumb. Your rotator cuff muscles are as thin as paper and applying this type of circular motion with added resistance is bad news. Just stop it!
Perform Multi-Joint Movements- if your goal is decreased bodyfat, increased strength and better overall bodies start squatting, deadlifting, pressing, and swinging. If you goal is to be a body builder and you want bigger arms, continue doing bicep curls.
Walking Does not Count As Exercise- Humans were made to walk, we are blessed with great mobility and the ability to run, sprint and walk. You cannot count walking around the block as vigorous exercise. You can do that with your eyes closed, try doing something more difficult. Maybe add a vest!
Less Crunches and More Planks- You want to work your core? Try doing more planks and concentrate on extending the amount of time you can hold it. Try doing less crunches, they are a waste of your time and bad for your lumbar spine.
Doing Abs will NOT give you a 6 Pack- Still flabbergasted that people believe this. Proper diet and nutrition coupled with great genetics and discipline is what gives people the 6 pack. Not crunches. Next.
Do More Pushups- One of the best exercises, period. Shoulders over hands, core and quads tight, head, shoulders, hips and ankles in a straight line. If you can’t do them, start doing them against a wall and progress from there.
Supplements are not the End All Be All- Supplements are just that, supplements for foods you can’t or do not get through food. They will not cure the world and will not give you the body of your dreams. Supplement when necessary. A few of my favorites; whey isolate protein, Branch Chain Amino Acids, Glutamine and Omega 3 fatty acids.
If you Sorta Eat Right, You Will Sorta Look Right- Want to look your best, eat your best. Next
Proper Form Rules All- Do not sacrifice weight for proper form. Learn how to squat/deadlift/press correctly. Stop bouncing and making trainers cringe. It will catch up to you one day.
Lift then Run- Lifting weights prior to cardio will burn twice as much fat as doing it in the reverse. A study showed men that did resistance training prior to doing 30 minutes of cardio burned a 100% more bodyfat than those that did the exact opposite.
By John Y. Brown III, on Tue Oct 2, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Always question assumptions.
For a successful life.
And to avoid motion sickness.
“Ok. I am serious about finally getting some balance in my life,” he said—as he had been saying fairly regularly and unsuccessfully for the past 30 years.
You had to admit he was a persistent fella–especially about things he didn’t seem very committed to. Like getting balance in his life.
And then he had an epiphany:
“People who have really honed their ability to balance themselves end up being professional tight rope walkers and travel with a circus troupe and have to carry a long thin balancing bar with them everywhere.”
“Yuck!” He thought to himself. “What was I thinking? I have severe motion sickness and would struggle trying to make a living with a traveling circus show.”
And at that precise moment, John decided to quite trying to be a professional tight rope walker. Embraced his imperfections and native gifts for creating imbalance in his life almost as effortlessly as the young Mozart wrote beautiful music.
And he lived happily, for the most part, ever after.
And never experienced guilt -or motion sickness again.
By John Y. Brown III, on Fri Sep 28, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
I rarely ever lose my cool. And even when I do, it usually goes unnoticed.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate someone who can “lose it” easily—and really put it to impressive uses.
Here is one of my all time favorite “losing it” scenes from one of my all-time favorite movies about the mindset of criminals.
And the consequences of provoking their sometimes hair trigger temper. Unforgettably played by Dustin Hoffman.
Oh, and let me forewarn you, I once had a college counselor 30 years ago suggest to me that I had a “low frustration tolerance threshold.” He may have been trying to tell me that one day I could be capable of doing this too.
As I predicted when Rep. Todd Akin’s ignorant comments first broke, the anti-gambling zealot was going to call the party’s bluff. And despite the fact that the Republican Party’s reversal is an embarrassing sign of the party’s captivity to its lunatic fringe, yes, East Coast establishment, he could actually win.
Before explaining why, it’s worth noting that the NRSC’s about-face is also a story of personal ambition: Sen. John Cornyn understands that he’ll never become Whip (or ultimately, Majority Leader) if he blows his second chance to retake the chamber. With Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Connecticut especially difficult in a presidential year; North Dakota, Montana, and Indiana unexpectedly difficult in a presidential year; and Virginia, Wisconsin and Nevada all trending poorly, Cornyn realizes that any Senate majority goes through Missouri And given the specter of Ken Buck, Sharron Angle, and Christine O’Donnell, Cornyn also knows that there won’t be much forgiveness in his caucus if he blows it again courtesy of a nominee who could’ve been avoided had the primary field been limited to two.
So, how could Akin win? Since 2008, Missouri has swung as hard to the right as has any state in the country. First there are long term demographic shifts at play – not exactly a new trend, but an accelerating one. In a nutshell, ascendant conservative Republican legislators have repelled gays, immigrants, and young, mobile progressives, just as the continuing growth of Branson, Mo. (the live music capital of the world) and the conservative Springfield metro area have attracted hordes of conservative evangelicals and retirees. It was a vicious cycle: the more retrograde the political debate, the more progressives left Missouri or avoided it in the first place. And the more progressives disappeared, the more conservative the electorate became, and the more reactionary the debate. The burgeoning strength of grassroots conservatives in Missouri became apparent in 2010 when Republicans rode the wave to legislative majorities of 106-57 and 26-8 in the state House and Senate, respectively.
Read the rest of… Jeff Smith: Why Todd Akin Could Win
One of my favorite hip hop artists and loyal Urban Active member, Young Jeezy said, “I can sleep when I die.” This use to be my motto. I believed that there were more important things in life besides rest, recovery and sleep. To me it was a waste of time. Now that I am much wiser individual, I see the value of allowing our bodies to recover from life and from exercise. The human body is an amazing machine and with every machine, you have to charge the batteries to make it work.
One of my favorite quotes is by acclaimed fitness pro Mark Vertegen, “Work plus rest equals success.” The value of prepping our bodies for movement and helping them recover from a workout is vast. Our minds, body and soul are already stressed due to work and life but what happens when we add even more stress to through working out? Make no mistake about, exercise is stress and your body cannot tell the difference between physical stress, mental stress or emotional stress. Once it feels a stressor a hormone called cortisol is released from the adrenal glands and sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) will become overloaded.
Imagine an intense workout from a stressful day at work. Your body would be in influx, unable to recover. Without rest there is no adaptation and there is no attainment of fitness goals. “So what do we do Dr. Bowen?” I never thought you would ask. What I teach my trainers is to warm the body properly and specifically. If you are going to work lower body, we must prepare for the movements through dynamic stretching and increase structural integrity and hydration of the tissues through foam rolling techniques. These applications allow for greater range of motion and a decrease in injury possibility. After workout we must allow the body to recover so post workout we use foam rolling and dynamic stretching to flush the toxins out of the body. High intensity exercise followed by low intensity movement recovery allows for toxins to flush out and be used as a potential energy source. We also encourage that “off days” that our clients are doing movement recovery through yoga, stretching and SMR techniques. This allows us to recover faster from intense exercise and increase the likelihood of results.
Read the rest of… Josh Bowen: Rest is for the Weary? Not So Fast…
Leadership and leaning….
