Kids have become more inclined to sit in front of the television than ever before.  If you are a parent, I highly recommend perusing the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There campaign.

http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There.aspx

You can even find a link that will help you locate outdoor activities in your local area.

Nature Event Finder

A Change In Times

As a child, sitting in front of the television was the last thing I wanted to do.  We’d get home from school and immediately head outside.  We stayed outside until the sun went down.  There was always something to play.  It didn’t matter the season.  Whether it was hot in the summer or cold in the winter, we headed outside to play.

My wife and I are raising our children the same way.  They love the outdoors.  My kids would stay outside all day if we let them.  It’s natural for children to enjoy playing outside.  The kids of today aren’t different than us.  It’s just that their surroundings have changed.  We didn’t have the technology that exists today.  I still remember when the Atari 2600 came out.  If the kids of today had to trade in their Playstation for the old Atari system, they’d probably want to head outside too.

Since that isn’t going to happen, parents need to step up to the plate and invest time in their children.  That means getting up and taking your kids outside to play.  Yes, there will be times when Mother Nature interferes, but even the winter offers opportunities for the kids to play.  I still have vivid memories of my childhood winters.  We played football in the snow, went sledding down any hill we could find, skated on the ice, and had monumental neighborhood snow ball fights!  As a child, life revolved around what to play and where to play.

The kids of today begin with a similar interest in outdoor play.  It fades as they gain more and more access to electronic devices.  Parents still have the power to pull the plug however.  I don’t want  my kids glued to the television set.  I’d rather have them involved in a useful activity.  Clearly, we can’t spend all day outside, but we can certainly make an effort.  Earlier today, I took my son for a hike into the woods.  We were gone for no more than a half hour, but he had the time of his life.  He didn’t need any toys.  He ran in the snow, followed animal tracks, and watched as I collected wood.  He had an outdoor adventure and we didn’t make it more than 100 yards from my back door.  Outdoor activities don’t need to be complicated.  Get outside and your kids will find ways to entertain themselves.

Unfortunately, many kids never have the opportunity. Here is a quote from the National Wildlife Federation site:

American childhood has moved indoors during the last two decades, taking a mental and physical toll on today’s kids. The negative impact of decreased time outdoors includes a doubling of the childhood obesity rate — accompanied by an incremental hundred billion dollar cost to our health care system — as well as declining creativity, concentration and social skills.

Parents have the power to curb these alarming statistics.  Your children will follow your lead.  Get up, get outside, and promote a healthy and active lifestyle.  It doesn’t take anything other than the willingness to get up and get involved. And if you can’t get outside because of the weather, find something fun to do indoors.   My kids can turn a few balloons into an hour of fun.  They hit the balloons into the air, chase them down to catch, kick, throw, etc.

Once again, children don’t need elaborate toys for entertainment.  More often than not, they just want to get up and move.  Foster this interest rather than ignoring it with unlimited access to electronic media.

Let a kid be a kid, the way nature intended…

He recently broke the 5000 meter world record for his age group (95 to 99).  Imagine that there are men and women a third of his age who could not even run 5000 meters.   Meanwhile, Frank gets outside to run every other day.  He also performs pushups and even works out on a punching bag.

Frank did not begin competing as a runner until age 65.  He’s run 18 marathons in the time since.  Not too shabby for a senior citizen.   Meanwhile, I’ve had people in their 30’s email me about feeling over the hill.  Here is a man who started a new sport at 65.

In Frank’s own words,

“The easiest person to fool in the world, to mislead, is yourself because you can talk yourself into anything.”

Frank’s advice can be taken two ways.  You can talk yourself into sitting down and letting life pass you by or you can talk yourself into getting up and making things happen.  It’s never too late.

I’ll do my best to follow Frank’s lead.   He’s a true inspiration.

First, he shares eight keys to success.

He then comments on success as a continuous journey.

At first glance, much of his material appears obvious. There are times though when we overlook what is obvious advice.  Although you may not learn anything new, you will certainly be reminded of several important concepts.

It is well known that not everyone in the world has the interest or ambition to become successful (ex. at school, work, sport, etc.).  If you do wish to excel however, you’ll find much of St. John’s advice to be highly relevant as you move closer towards your goals.

Part I

Part II

I still can’t believe that it has been 25 years since Tyson turned pro back in March of 1985.   It seems like yesterday when we’d gather around the television to watch a prime Tyson in the 1980’s.

And for those interested in some amateur footage of Tyson, here is a brief display of hand speed (with Teddy Atlas looking on).

Enjoy,

Ross

Those who are new to the site can see pictures of his old training grounds at the links below.  I’m still amazed and thankful that we had the opportunity to train in the same gym.

The Ali Camp I

The Ali Camp II

The video has been added to the rapidly growing homemade equipment archive:

Homemade Equipment Archives

As always, if you have any additional equipment ideas, please pass them along.

Here is the link:

http://rosstraining.com/blog/2010/01/13/homemade-suspension-trainer/

These suspension training tools have become very popular in the last few years.  The downside has been the expensive price tag that is required to purchase one.  If you are interested in a homemade alternative, this tutorial should come in handy.

Building My Own

After watching this video, I decided to build one of my own suspension trainers.  I already had a pair of 12 foot lashing straps so I only needed to purchase one more.  My cost was $3.99.  I had all of the other parts.  If I had to purchase everything new, I’m guessing that the cost would have been around $15.

I followed the instructions provided within the video above. I did make one small adjustment to the foot handles however.  My lashing straps were too long (12 feet) so I cut them down to 8 feet and created foot straps with the extra length.

An image of the mid-point connection can be seen next:

I used the recommended bowline knot to secure the straps.  I also added a layer of Gorilla tape around each knot.  If you are unfamiliar with a bowline knot, a quick search of Google will bring up several tutorials:

Bowline knot

In terms of adjusting the device to various heights, I’ve found that I only need to adjust the top lashing strap.  I have the bottom two straps set at a fixed length.  It takes a matter of seconds to adjust the length of the top strap.  I have my device secured overhead, but it could be easily packed for the road.

This is one of the easiest pieces of equipment that I’ve put together.  It took less than 10 minutes to complete.

As for testing it out, below is a quick video demonstration.  This was my first test drive with the device.  There are obviously countless exercises that you could perform with it.  I just videotaped a few that came to mind this morning.  I will likely add more in the future.  For example, dips are one more that I thought of after taping.  The device is certainly strong enough to hold me for dips.

For those who are new to the site, you can view the full homemade equipment archive at the link below.

Homemade Equipment Archives

I highly recommend taking the time to watch the video.  Will Smith is one of the most successful actors in the world.  I actually featured one of his past performances in a previous entry.  He is clearly talented, but his success didn’t come by accident.  He has worked extremely hard to become who he is today.

I still remember listening to his music in the late 1980’s.  He came out with the Parents Just Don’t Understand song in 1988.   I also remember watching the first ever episode of the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  No one in their right mind could have guessed how popular the show would become in the early 1990’s.  Will Smith was not even considered an actor.  Twenty years later he has become one of the most notable actors in the world.

As you watch the video above, you’ll notice that his interviews are filled with quote worthy one liners.  A few that stuck out to me are listed below.

First, I agree with his assessment of talent vs. skill.  Talent will only take you so far.  It’s amazing what a relentless work ethic will allow you to achieve.  Unfortunately, hard work is a phrase that has different meanings for different people.

“I’ve never really viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic.”

He then speaks on the importance of constantly striving to improve.  On paper, the concept appears obvious, but in reality, it is often a rarity.  So many people get lost in habit.  They go through the motions without ever attempting to move forward.

“Dedicate yourself to being better every single day.”

I also appreciate and can personally relate to his ideas about somehow improving the world.  When I look at my kids, I want them to be proud of their father.  When I leave this world, I’d like to think that there are people out there who have benefited from my presence.  I never wanted to blend in with the crowd.  I want to be different and make a difference.

“I want the world to be better because I was here.”

Finally, I believe I’ve saved the best for last.  No one becomes great by doing what everyone else does or expects you to do.  I’ve always thought that no one knows what I’m capable of achieving.   Everyone is welcome to an opinion, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not listening.   If I set my mind to something, it isn’t a matter of if I’ll accomplish the goal, but rather a matter of when.  I’m everything but realistic, and that mindset has taken me to places that I never would have found if I listened to everyone around me.

“Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity.”