The Weekly Word

​What I Have Been Thinking About...
We had a freedom of speech debate in PE this week that kind of relates to this whole Jimmy Kimmel saga. A student compared the fitness activity (shuttle run, jump rope, and pushups) to slavery. A bit dramatic and this did not go over well with their classmates. They told the individual not to say that and it turned into a conversation about free speech. In this example (and Kimmel) I believe the person said something potentially offensive or insensitive. Other people heard it and said that it was not a good idea. The person who made the statement then evaluates their choice of words and learns from it... hopefully.

That to me is how free speech should work. There should not be some authoritative type of figure that dictates what can or cannot be said. Let people talk. They may expose themselves as something you didn't envision or you may actually learn from it!

Am I Getting Old?
I think I have tendinitis... or arthritis... or something else that ends in an 'itis. Over the years I would occasionally have some weird heel pain and/or mild ankle swelling that would come and go. I typically would just chalk it up to something I did in the previous day and leave it at that. Well, things changed a bit this week. While cleaning out one of our out buildings I threw something into our dumpster and I felt a little bubble pop at the bottom of the Achilles tendon. After the pop there was a mild burning sensation that lasted a day or two. No bueno!

Fast forward a few days and I am in the gym working out and my wrists were feeling beat up. I should have taken this as a warning sign but pushed on and did one more set. These were my famous last words. As I attempt one final rep, some crunching occurs in my wrist, I drop the bar and yell out "ahhh" and start calling myself a dumbass (a few dozen times) because I thought I seriously hurt my wrist. 

So what do we do now? Rest and 
Revive
! 

Fitness Tip of the Week
I have been collaborating with a bunch of guys on developing a training program for a new gym opening in downtown Easton. The place is called Boxology and it is set to open up in mid-October. There are a bunch of great people involved in this project and I am excited to be a part of it and get this thing started! 

After all the talks, with MMA coaches, Boxing coaches, fitness coaches, sales/marketing people, the talk always turns back to numbers and having measurable data. You need a Point A (starting point) if you want to get to Point B (your goal). As you embark on a program, having these measurables is vital. It is how you gauge whether you are on the right path or the wrong path. With nothing to measure, we don't know if what we are doing is right. So here is my advice: Pick one exercise or activity. Identify where you are right now (Point A), follow a program to improve yourself, and track your progress. Do this for 4 weeks. Retest and reassess.  

Incremental Gains...
What could 5% weight loss do for you? Well, as it turns out, a lot! I was chatting with a friend about weight loss and we came to the conclusion that a little goes a long way. Don't believe me? Type in "benefits of losing 5% of your weight" into google and you will see improved cholesterol, reduced blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity, improved mobility, better sleep, and the list goes on.

So what does this look like in the real world? Lets say you weigh 300 pounds and you want to drop some weight. Losing 5% will reduce your weight down to 285, which still has you in the overweight category, but you will start seeing all those improvements listed above. This feeling then cascades into other areas of life. You start to realize that you're sleeping better so maybe you stop drinking that glass of wine to unwind at the end of the day. Maybe you notice your pants are feeling a little looser, your body doesn't ache as much, and your mood has been better. When the second servings or dessert come out, you start asking yourself "do I really need this?" More often than not, that answer will be a NO!

All of these little wins build up to major wins if you stay patient, stay on the path, and keep the end in mind! 

Quote of the Week
"Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive" -- Andy Grove

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck