The picture below was taken over four years ago. It shows me running a steep hill here in Rockville, CT. Unfortuantely, the image doesn’t do justice to the steepness and length of this hill. It’s one of those hills that if run at top speed, you may win an occasional battle, but after a few sprints you will certainly lose the war.

I’m fortunate to live in an area where I have access to several similar hills. They range from moderately difficult to downright brutal. Some are short and steep, while others continue upward for well over a mile. I’ve taken some of the best fighters in the world running on these local hills and everyone shares in the ass kickery. It doesn’t matter what kind of shape you are in, the hill always wins. And if a hill workout isn’t challenging enough, you can always run faster. Running faster is the only modification you’ll ever need. It is only a matter of time before the hill takes over.

What is the point?

Yes, hill sprints are tough. We don’t need Captain Obvious to figure this out. So, why am I bothering to tell you about hill sprints?

The point to this entry is that simple workouts are often superior. A hill workout does not require any equipment, yet can be as brutal as any. There is a mountain in my area that we’ve run for many years. I ran it when I was fighting, and I’ve taken other fighters there as a trainer. It’s free to run. Anyone can drive over and park at the bottom. It’s possibly the best workout you could perform, yet I can’t remember ever seeing anyone else running the hill. Sure, we’ll see people hiking in the woods or walking a dog, but I’ve never seen anyone else actually running the mountain.

The hill serves as a tremendous free resource that is readily available. You don’t need to worry about changing the settings on a machine or dropping a piece of iron on your head. You don’t need instruction from an Olympic track coach to figure out how to get from point A to point B. Running isn’t complicated. We’ve all been doing it since we were toddlers. My son is just shy of 3 years old and already loves to run with my dogs. I didn’t teach him how to run. It is a natural form of locomotion. Put your head down and run as fast as you can until you reach the top of the hill. Repeat the process as many times as you’d like (or are able to).

People either don’t know about hill sprints, or perhaps know too much about them and don’t want any part.

Another theory is that people seem to discredit simplicity. They falsely assume that complexity trumps simplicity, when often the opposite is true. Perhaps it is a good time for me to share a favorite quote that I’ve referenced here before (and will likely reference again).  In the words of E.F. Schumacher:

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.”

Keep It Simple

It is almost as if we’ve been programmed against simplicity. Not long ago, I suggested hill sprints to a trainer who had emailed me in search of outdoor conditioning drills. He responded by saying that hills are fairly basic on their own, so would rather spice things up. My first thought was that he’s probably never run hill sprints. I have my own athletes to worry about however, and wasn’t looking for an argument. I wished him the best of luck and thought that was the end of it…

A few days passed and he emailed me again. This time he wanted feedback on his ideas for spicing things up. He proposed throwing a medicine ball uphill. He would then have the group lunge walk uphill until they had reached the ball. They would then take the ball and do 5 pushups with hands on top of the ball, and then lunge walk with it in hand for 4 more steps. They would then continue with another throw.

All I could imagine was a group of people throwing medicine balls, and then tripping over each other trying to catch the balls that were rolling back towards the bottom of the hill. There is no way a group could perform this workout without mass chaos and confusion. Even if the workout was done solo, I still don’t see the real benefit to it. What does it accomplish? Why not simply sprint to the top of the hill? And if you want variety, perform an exercise at the top. For example, sprint uphill and then drop for a quick set of pushups before heading back down for another sprint. Hill sprints with pushups at the top are brutal. I used to perform this exact routine at a hill in Manchester (CT). I’d run 10 sprints with 20 pushups at the top of each sprint. I didn’t need to lug any equipment with me and I always left with a thorough ass kicking.

More Than Hills

Hill sprints are clearly effective, but I realize that hills are not always available. Hill sprints are also not the panacea to training. I didn’t write this entry hoping that you’d abandon everything that you do in place of a few hill sprints, but rather as a simple reminder that complex workouts are rarely necessary. The basics work very well if you put forth a true effort. The simple lesson behind this entry can be applied to almost any style of training, not just conditioning.

I have a friend who fought many years ago who continues to stay active with what many would consider a basic routine. Ironically, he remains in much better shape than most. He lifts weights one day, runs hill sprints with some calisthencis the next, and then hits the heavy bag on the third day. It’s a very simple 3 day plan that he repeats twice a week, always resting on Sunday. He has been doing this for as long as I can remember. He mixes things up by running different spots and changing the specific contents of certain workouts, but the general layout remains in tact. Two days of lifting, two days of running and calisthenics, and two days of heavy bag work. That’s it. He’s strong, runs in local 5k’s, and can still hold is own with the gloves. Not a bad mix for a man in his 40’s.

Many could learn and benefit from his so-called basic example.

Below is a video that was recently posted to my Facebook page (thanks Wiggy).   This story certainly belongs in the blog’s inspirational archive.  It is literally impossible to not be inspired after watching this three minute clip.  There is nothing else to say. Words cannot describe what this man has endured and become.

My advice is simple.  Watch it now.

Below are three video demonstrations of the ancient Indian sport Mallakham.   You can find background information at the following link:

Mallakham – A Great Traditional Ancient Art

I’m not only impressed by the physical displays seen below, but also with the fact that the sport’s history traces back to the 12th century.  At that time, there was mention of Indian wrestlers exercising on wooden poles.  Now, over 800 years later, there are plenty of knowledgeable athletes and coaches who have never heard of Mallakham.  I’m guessing many who view this site have never seen such a thing.  I myself have never exercised on such an apparatus, but am tempted to build something similar to try.

What I really like about studying this ancient sport is the reminder that exercise isn’t new.  Strength isn’t new.  Power isn’t new.  Athleticism isn’t new.  People have found ways to challenge and strengthen the body for hundreds of years.

Often times the discoveries from centuries ago are far more revolutionary than anything you’ll find today.

Thanks to Soss for passing along these links

Below is a powerful video which chronicles the tremendous accomplishments of Wilma Rudolph.  The link was posted as a comment to my last entry (thanks Josh), but deserves its own place in the inspirational category of this blog.

There was a time in Rudolph’s life when doctors told her she would never walk again.  Not only did she prove them wrong, she eventually went on to win three gold medals in the 1960 Olympic games.

A quote from Rudolph later in her life explains how and why she refused to believe the dismal outlook suggested by doctors.

“I believe in me more than anything in this world.”

This single line is as powerful as any.  Believing in yourself, even if that means spitting in the face of conventional wisdom, is perhaps the greatest secret to success. Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to get others to follow this simple advice. You cannot fake belief. It must be real.

Perhaps seeing what those such as Wilma Rudolph have been able to achieve can help others learn to believe in themselves.

From a personal standpoint, if I had listened to what others told me years ago, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, and I wouldn’t have achieved a fraction of what I’ve been able to accomplish at this point in my life.  Every day offers an opportunity to improve.   The opportunities don’t fall out of the sky however.  You need to get up and make it happen.

Believing in yourself is an absolute necessity if you hope to uncover opportunities that are currently hiding.  Without true belief in yourself, you’ll never go where you need to go to unlock your true potential.

Jean Jacques Machado is a name that belongs in the long list of inspirational stories that have been archived within this blog.  His achievements alone make him an inspiration, but physical accomplishments are just the beginning.  Machado was born with a disfigured left hand that has only a thumb and little finger.

Despite this so-called disability, Machado has become a dominant force in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Below is a partial list of his amazing accomplishments (per the wikipedia link above):

• Rio De Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu State Championships Cruiser Weight Champion 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987,1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Championships Cruiser Weight Champion 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987,1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
• Sambo Wrestling Championships National and Pan American Cruiser Weight Champion 1993 Oklahoma – 1st Place 1994 San Diego, CA – 1st Place
• Grappling Style Challenge Japan 1995 – Champion
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu American Championships 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
• Black Belt Super Challenge Championships 1998 – Champion
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 1999 – Champion – 66k-76k Division 1st Place Most Technical Fighter Award
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 2000 – 66k-76k Division Silver Medalist
• Black Belt Super Challenge 2000 – Champion
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 2001 – Open Division Silver Medalist Best Match Award Fastest Submission Award
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 2005 – Superfight Runner Up

Force of the Spirit

For those interested in learning more about his story, an excellent documentary was created in 2005.  I finally got around to watching the full documentary earlier this year.  I really enjoyed it.  You can see a few minutes of footage within the clip below.

You can also view Machado’s official site: http://www.jeanjacquesmachado.com

A recent study suggests that 1 out of 5 children (age 4) are obese.

Study finds 1 in 5 obese among 4-year olds

As stated within:

The study is an analysis of nationally representative height and weight data on 8,550 preschoolers born in 2001. Children were measured in their homes and were part of a study conducted by the government’s National Center for Education Statistics. The results appear in Monday’s Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Researchers then went on to estimate the following:

Overall, more than half a million 4-year-olds are obese…

Life As A Parent

If I read this story 5 years ago, I would have likely skimmed over it and moved on without much thought.   It’s not that I would have wished obesity on any child, but it simply wasn’t a topic that I followed closely before having children of my own.

I am now a proud father of two wonderful children.  There is no denying that life changes after becoming a parent.  My life now revolves around caring and providing for my children.  If they hurt, I hurt.  They mean everything to me.  I can’t imagine ignoring their health and well being.  Even the best legal counsel in the world couldn’t sway me to believe it is acceptable to allow children to eat themselves to obesity.

No Excuses!

Since reading this article in the news yesterday, I’ve already seen arguments defending those parents whose children are overweight.   At the top of the list, many have highlighted the troubled economy.  Their argument is that it is too expensive to consume healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Nonsense!

Yes, the economy has gone down the gutter as of late, but even tough times don’t give us a reason to overfeed our children.  Does anyone actually believe that a poor economy somehow justifies obesity?  Are we really that pathetic as a nation?  What happened to stepping up and taking some responsibility?  Times have certainly changed…

My mother raised two kids on her own.  We certainly weren’t wealthy.  That didn’t stop her from picking out what foods we ate.  My brother and I didn’t do the shopping.   Our voting rights were not recognized.  We weren’t in charge.  My mother ran the show.  She bought the food.  She cooked the food.  We ate the food.

Yes, we had snacks, but there were rules in place in terms of what and when snacks were allowed. For example, we were allowed to pack one snack with lunch.  That was it. I can remember telling my mother that the other kids had more than one snack with their sandwich.  She would respond by reminding me that I’m not one of the other kids.  She was not about to give in.

Looking back, I’m glad my mother took care of us the way that she did.   She is all the proof that I need to completely discredit the economy as a viable excuse for obesity.  My mother was (and still is) a very strong woman, and we certainly learned from her example.  She did everything in her power to take care of us and I’ll never be able to thank her enough.

Priorities

We can’t blame a poor economy for nationwide obesity.  Personally, I already run a very small business and the slow economy hasn’t helped.  Tough times don’t mean that I’ll start stuffing my kids with crap however.   We still do our best to purchase and consume healthy foods.  It’s all about priorities.  I’d rather cut back in other areas.  Nutrition and health are at the top of my priority list when it comes to spending.

Furthermore, what happened to kids getting outside to play?   I practically lived outside as a kid.  That’s all we ever wanted to do.  No one wanted to sit inside and watch television.  It’s natural for kids to get outside and play.  It isn’t natural to sit inside and watch Elmo re-runs all day.

Is it really too much for parents to get off their ass and play outside with the kids?  You can go to the park for free.  Throw a ball in the yard.  Take your kids for a walk.  Go for a bike ride.  Find something that you can do together. I cherish the time with my kids.  I’d play outside all day if I could.  My son would too.  He was in the gym with me last night and asked me to build him a sandbag.  He’s not even 3 and he’s already trying to lift our sandbags.  He follows my lead.  He sees that his parents are active and he wants to join in on the fun.  When you lead, your kids will follow.

Ignorance

Another common excuse is lack of knowledge regarding various health related topics.  I don’t buy into this excuse one bit however.  I have no sympathy for parents who complain that they don’t know what foods are healthy for their children.   Does the word “Google” ring a bell?  How about you turn off American Idol and instead do some research regarding your child’s health?  Bookstores are also great.  You can even go to the library and check out books for free!

No one really knows anything about being a parent until it happens.  There isn’t an instructional book that you can follow step by step.  My wife and I read everything that we can find regarding the development of our children (ex. cognitive, social, physical, etc.).  Infants aren’t able to make decisions on their own.  We as parents must assume the role.

If you have time to make a child, you better have time to take care of the child.  No one is born with answers.  Parents need to actively search for answers.  If my kid has a problem and I don’t know how to fix it, you can be damn sure that I will not stop looking until I can.

Lastly, I’ve never seen a child become obese overnight.  It’s a gradual process.  It’s not as if obesity breaks out like a rash.  It takes time. Parents have the ability (and time) to make changes before obesity robs their children of their health and vitality.

We need to stop coddling ignorant parents as if they were the toddlers.  Parents need to step up to the plate and stop making excuses.  I’m beyond disgusted with this entire topic.  I can’t imagine where we’ll be in another 20 years.  I can only hope that my prediction is wrong.

Below is a video that includes still images of several strength athletes from past eras.

For those interested, the video creator has listed photo references within the Youtube  description.   Among the list includes one of my favorite sites (Sandowplus).

The Old School

I often reference material from the Sandow Plus site.  As I’ve said before, many of the greatest strength discoveries came long before our time. Contrary to what today’s market would like you to believe, strength isn’t new.  In fact, many of the feats performed by past strength athletes are seldom replicated today.

This assertion will surprise certain readers.   We live in a fast paced world where technological breakthroughs occur each day.  It isn’t uncommon for us to assume that everything we are doing now is better than how it used to be done.   The industry then plays into this belief.  Everyone wants fast results, so the market attempts to satisfy this demand.  It is more profitable to fulfill a need, rather than telling the truth.  A quick Google search is all that is necessary to confirm my beliefs.  It took a matter of seconds for me to find programs promising rapid strength gains, rapid weight loss, and 30 day miracles.

It isn’t marketable to suggest that you’ll need years to develop impressive results.  Who wants to wait years when a supplement or book says that we can do it in weeks?

The Truth

Unfortunately, so-called breakthroughs are often everything but new.  More often than not, we discover that what’s new is old, and what’s old is new, again and again.   Take a look through Sandowplus.co.uk and you’ll find almost every exercise from today’s era has been performed for longer than you’ve been alive.

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t strive to improve on the past, but rather a reminder that the wheel has already been invented.  I’m also not suggesting that you can’t make gains in a short period of time.  I am however suggesting that impressive gains take time.   It is important to approach your training with this understanding.   I encourage ambition, but I also encourage realism.

Real strength requires strong ligaments and tendons.  The process doesn’t take place in a week or a month.  Real time must be invested for real strength.  The old time strength athletes were patient.  Legends weren’t built in weeks or months.  They were developed over years of consistent and focused work.

Furthermore, let’s not forget that the amazing strength feats from the past occurred long before the multimillion dollar supplement industry existed.   I’m not suggesting that supplementation cannot be useful, but don’t be fooled to believe that you need certain products to improve.  Need is an overused word in today’s industry.  All that you need is an intelligent, consistent, dedicated, and patient effort.

The Modern Industry

Today’s industry would like you to think otherwise.  Quick results are often promised.  If a particular program doesn’t offer quick results, the user abandons it as fast as he found it.  This cycle often continues over and over again.  Program jumpers hop from program to program, ignorant to the fact that their inability to see something through is the real problem.  It isn’t actually their fault however.  The industry has brainwashed many to believe that serious results can come overnight.

I receive hundreds of emails each week, so I have a general idea of what many are thinking.  Last night, I had 17 year old athlete email me in frustration.  He’s been lifting with his team and is upset with his lack of progress.  After inquiring about his program, I soon realized that he’s only been lifting for one month.   That’s right… just one month!!!

He wanted to know what supplements he could take to speed his gains.  I wish I could say that his email was unusual, but I’ve actually grown accustomed to it.  He’s one of many victims to the marketing powers that exist among us.  He isn’t the first to fall into the trap.  In his mind, if he isn’t ripping through new shirts in 30 days, something must be wrong.

The World Has Changed

I’m only in my 30′s and the world has already changed significantly since my time as a child.   I didn’t know what the Internet was until I was in college.  When we had papers to write, we went to the library.  We flipped through old encyclopedias looking for answers.  Book reports meant that you actually had to read the book, rather than typing a few search queries on Google.

I still remember when we had rotary phones.

Now I see young kids with cell phones.

Many of the younger readers will be shocked to know that television stations used to go off the air at night.   And when the television was on, there weren’t remotes.  You’d get a few stations, and you’d manually change the channel by walking to the TV and adjusting the dial.  Now, you can sit back and impatiently flip from station to station.

I remember when the Atari 2600 first came out.  It’s no wonder why we went outside instead of playing video games.

Yes, the world has changed.  We’ve grown used to finding answers while sitting behind the keyboard.  We communicate online.  We  shop online.  We perform research online.  Almost everything is available through a click of the mouse. We are all used to it.  I’m no different.  I get irritated when my Internet connection is slow.  To think that it’s only been a few years since I was connecting through a slow dial up modem.

Separate The Body From Technology

I welcome the advances in technology, but I realize that the human body must be kept separate from our fast way of thinking.  The body isn’t new.  We’ve been around for a long time.  Real change requires real time.  Shortcuts usually turn into dead ends.  We can’t gain strength behind the keyboard.  You still need to get up and put in the work.  The old timers didn’t need any of the fancy gadgets that you’ll find today.  Looking back in time is all the proof that you need to determine what you actually do need.

Stay consistent, stay determined, and the results will come.  Ironically, slow and steady is often the fastest and most productive route.