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What I've Been Thinking About...
Upon his death, poet John Keats said to a friend, "If I had had time". In his case, he was concerned that he did not do enough for the world, that there was still work to be done, and because of it, was disappointed that he would not be able to fulfill his plans. This is the tragedy of all great men and women. At one point or another, they run out of time. I heard a story recently about a young lady losing her father unexpectedly. Just one day, out of the blue, he collapses and dies. This story was told to me from a high school student who knew the family. As we discussed what happened, I shared the ancient stoic philosophy of Memento Mori, which is a reminder that all life has an end. It is not something I typically talk to 17 year olds about but it came up that day. Did the lesson hit home? I don't know. She rolled her eyes and said in a sarcastic tone "of course you would know that". I guess this wasn't the first time I shared some sort of ancient wisdom with them but hey, it is not my fault the ancient Greeks understood life better thousands of years ago than we do today. In concluding the talk, I just said to her that death is inevitable. Because of that, it is important that we make every moment count. It is important that we pursue the things that bring us joy and do the things that we want to do with our lives. We can not waste a moment because in any moment, our time can be up. Fitness Tip of the Week In the Bible there is a passage that reads, "for everything there is a season". I don't think they were discussing physical fitness at this time but we can steal this concept and apply it to our training program. Living in Pennsylvania we have four distinct seasons. Each season provides an opportunity to do something different outside in nature. The winter offers cold weather sports like skiing, snowboarding, and snow shoeing, whereas the spring and fall offer a great opportunity for hiking and walking and the summer time gives you the sun and water where activities like swimming or stand up paddle boarding can be used. The brain and body crave new challenges and the season change provides us with an opportunity to do something new. Earlier in the week, Marisa signed us both up for a Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga class at Lake Nockamixon with Miss Melanie Yoga. It was a great challenge, one in which that needed full focus and attention. The structure of this class is nice. You meet up with the group and get your board, then you paddle out to where the yoga session occurs and do the class, then you paddle back to shore. All of this took place as the sun went down on the lake which provided a very nice backdrop. In case you are wondering, nobody fell in the lake and you stay relatively dry while doing it! Thoughts from a Parent In a previous edition of this newsletter I wrote about self-fulfilling prophecies. This is defined as someone making a false definition in the beginning, which then evokes a new behavior based off that misconception, which inevitably makes the original definition come true. That was a tricky thing to write so let me use an example to help. Lets say there is a child who is still learning the ways of the world. He or she goes to a social gathering and there, they are introduced to people he or she doesn't really know well. It may be a lot for a young mind so they don't say much and stay quiet. At this point, an adult appears and starts saying things like, "Oh, they are just shy". Now, in this case, the shyness is the false definition. They are not shy, they are just in a new environment that they are unsure of. They need some time to get comfortable and feel out the crowd so to speak. If they don't get the time to do that and parents/adults start advocating for them, then they won't get practice at advocating for themselves. The child may accept the "shy role" giving to them by an adult and carry out that behavior in future interactions. Let me make something clear: shyness is not an evil trait. It is common and quite normal. I, myself, have a tendency towards shyness so I consider myself an expert on the desire to avoid large social gatherings and/or public speaking. If you don't want your child to end up like me, there is something you can do. Research by professor Thalia Eley found that roughly 30% of shyness is genetic, the remaining 70% comes from our environment. Like most things, it is both nature and nurture. The more you involve your children in social situations, allowing them to speak for themselves, the more confident they are going to become. These are good things. It won't turn an introvert to an extrovert but it can turn a normally anxiety ridden trip to the store into something less harrowing! What I've Been Reading... The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time by Will Durant It seems that the author may be one of the greatest historians of our time. Durant alongside his his wife published 11 volumes titled The Story of Civilization. In addition to those works, he has dozens of other books published, one of which is the title mentioned above. I believe the publisher does a better job summing up this book so I will share their words... From the “Hundred Best Books” to the “Ten Greatest Thinkers” to the “Ten Greatest Poets,” here is a concise collection of the world’s most significant knowledge. For the better part of a century, Will Durant dwelled upon—and wrote about—the most significant eras, individuals, and achievements of human history. His selections have finally been brought together in a single, compact volume. Durant eloquently defends his choices of the greatest minds and ideas, but he also stimulates readers into forming their own opinions, encouraging them to shed their surroundings and biases and enter “The Country of the Mind,” a timeless realm where the heroes of our species dwell. Quote of the Week "But which of us is original except in form? What idea can we conceive today that has not enjoyed, in one garb or another, a hoary antiquity of time? It is easier to be original in error than in truth, for every truth displaces a thousand falsehoods" -- Will Durant I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck
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Gym News & Notes
Well, judging by the pictures I see online of high school graduations, it appears the school year has just about come to an end. Time surely does move fast and the summer months prove to be busy ones here at the gym. Starting June 13th, we will be hosting six weeks of Youth Fitness Camps for kids aged 7-11. These camps run from 9-11 am Monday thru Thursday. Our mission with these camps is to teach kids the importance of physical training in a fun and challenging environment. It is our hope that the lessons learned are ones in which can last a lifetime! If you have a child or may know someone looking for things for their children this summer, all of the information can be found here: Youth Fitness Camps. In addition, this will be the first year I offer a Jump Start Program for kids ages 4-6. The goal of the gym is to create an environment for the entire family to explore and challenge themselves physically and mentally. Through play and movement, we want to encourage these youngsters to explore risk/challenges in a safe environment and get comfortable learning new activities and games. The end result will be a child who feels more competent in all walks of life. More information on this program can be found here: Jump Start. What I've Been Thinking About... Prior to Covid-19 shutting the world down I used to run speed & agility programs designed for female athletes. I did this for a few reasons. The first is that I felt girls just didn't have the same opportunities to train or, maybe more importantly, were not encouraged by parents or coaches to partake in fitness training. The second is that as I was coaching high school football, I would see multiple girls in the trainers room with devastating lower body injuries (ie ACL tears). These injuries have life long ramifications and they hit the female community much harder than their male counterparts. Some research even indicates that it is 7-9 times more likely! Last week we were at a Farmers Market and the former idea played out right in front of our eyes. There were girls interested in using some of the equipment we took down there (medicine balls, box jumps, agility ladder, etc.) but they were discouraged from even trying anything. These actions at a young age plant the seed for inactivity later in life. I shared with Marisa how unfortunate it was because sometimes, all it takes is that one time trying something to light a fire in someone to get moving. With all that being said, I decided to bring the girls camp back to life and will be offering it over two weeks this summer. The first session is June 20 - June 23 and the second session is July 18 - July 21. If you have a daughter or know someone who may be interested, please feel free to share these events with them! Fitness Tip of the Week A salad a day keeps the belly fat away...I think! The more I learn, the more I think diet is the determining factor in regards to body fat, not exercise. It doesn't seem to matter how hard I work or what I do in the gym, on the road, or in the pool. If my diet sucks, there is little to no change physically. So this month, my goal is this: eat one salad a day, for as many days as possible. This is not a magic pill for everyone. For me, eating a bunch of vegetables and some fruit or nuts just seems to work. It may not have the same effect for you. We are all individuals and need to try things out ourselves. The best way to be successful with this is to plan and prepare. As I pack Emi's lunch each morning during the week, I also make a salad for myself. I do this so that whenever I decide to eat, I have something ready. It is often when we are short on time that we neglect healthy eating and choose to grab whatever is handy. In this case when I prepare, whatever handy is a bowl full of vegetables! What I've Been Reading... Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Call me morbid but this title appealed to me when I was browsing books. It made me want to look inside the cover and see what this was all about. As I started to read it, I was surprised by its contents. It somehow blends Vonnegut's experience as a soldier and the atrocities he witnessed, with a little science-fiction and anti-war sentiment. The Sci-Fi genre is something I typically don't find myself reading but his writing is entertaining and the first few chapters had me hooked! Quote of the Week "As long as you live, keep learning how to live" -- Seneca I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck What I've Been Thinking About...
Napolean once said, "All men are enamored with decorations...they positively hunger for them". The decorations he speaks of are awards, medals, badges, etc., that not only recognizes their work, but also gave the soldier something to be proud of. It was a nice little boost to the ego for the men putting their life on the line. Napolean understood the role this played in regards to morale with his troops and wanted to keep them in good spirits. As Frederick the Great observed, defeat is often a result of discouragement rather than casualties. Last weekend I was visiting a friend and there, he was sharing a story about his daughter placing third in a mini-triathlon hosted at a local school. She received a trophy for her accomplishment and was extremely proud of that. We talked about where her trophy was (on her dresser) and if she was going to keep it shiny (which she said yes!). As I saw the joy in her face I started to think about the Napolean quote. It seemed that what he realized 200+ years ago still rings true today. People love getting things, especially if it is a reward for their hard work! In my opinion, these rewards are best served when they are novel. If given too frequently, the sense of joy and pride will diminish with each recognition. The individual may start to expect it and realize they may not have to work as hard because they will most likely get rewarded anyway. The inverse is also true. All work with no recognition will eventually lead to disgruntled individuals who, through their frustration, don't give the effort needed. They throw up their hands in frustration and give up. There is a certain sweet spot in regards to this subject. If I had to guess the proper amount, I would say just enough but not too much. Fitness Tip of the Week Sleep better. That is all. At a time where my sleep has not been ideal, I came across this article, You're Not Getting Enough Sleep - and It's Killing You and it was a big wake up call! In the article, the journalist rattles off a laundry list of things that sleep loss is doing to your health. Some of which are the following: "it makes you dumber, more forgetful, unable to learn new things, more vulnerable to dementia, more likely to die of a heart attack, less able to fend off sickness with a strong immune system, more likely to get cancer, and it makes your body literally hurt more. Lack of sleep distorts your genes, and increases your risk of death generally, he said. It disrupts the creation of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, and leads to premature aging." All of those things sound absolutely terrible! I have a device that tracks sleep and gives a score for each night of rest. So far this month, I have slept 7+ hours only six times in the first 28 days of the month. That doesn't seem too good. As a result, I have made an effort to stay in bed a little later and attempt to sneak in a nap or two each week. Thoughts from a Parent The British Journal of Psychology identified something that led students to have a 4.5 times greater likelihood of being in the top 20% of their class, 11% more likely to occupy leadership roles in their school, a 20% reduction in counseling for academic or behavioral issues, a 50% reduction in being identified as having ADHD by their teachers, and the increased likelihood of making it to professional sports. Do you want to know what that is? It is being the old kid in class! This concept is known as the Relative Age Effect. This effect is defined as your age relevant to your peers in the same cohort (school, team, club, etc.). Think about school for example. Every grade has a student that is the youngest and one who is the oldest. In most cases, the oldest student is nearly one full year older than the youngest. The younger the kids, the bigger the gap is as development occurs at such an exponential rates in the early years. I think back to what my daughter was like at the beginning of her pre-school year and who she is now and it is night and day! How do the older kids get such an advantage? Because of their development, they may be identified as having a special gift or deemed "talented". The "talented" kids get into better classes, get more attention, feel more confident, and get more resources. The talent identification system is flawed as it only promotes early talent, not innate potential. Because of this process, a self-fullfilling prophecy occurs where "a false definition in the beginning, evokes a new behavior which makes the original conception come true". Telling a kid they have a gift early on leads to them being treated like they have one, which may increase the likelihood that they fulfill the "gifted" criteria. What I've Been Reading... Zealot by Reza Aslan A few weeks ago Marisa and I went to a book sale that was practically a free-for-all. There were tens of thousands of books scattered amongst a pole barn and over the course of two days, I came home with 60+ books, Marisa another 60+, and Emilia 20+. We may have spent $100 for all of it. It was the best! While there, I came across the book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth written by Reza Aslan. The author of this book sorts through thousands of years of stories and myth-making to create a somewhat biographical book of the man known as Jesus Christ. Even after reading this, there are still many unanswered questions in my mind. There are so many inconsistencies with what I may have learned growing up and what scholars cited in this book unanimously agree on. Why is there such a disconnect with some of this material? I don't have the answer to that but this book may have opened up an unexpected rabbit hole! Quote of the Week "If you tend to a flower, it will bloom, no matter how many weeds surround it" -- Matshona Dhliwayo I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck 200+ Newsletters!
Every once in awhile I ask myself, "Why on earth do you write a weekly newsletter?" Well, last week I was given a friendly reminder to that question... I have been in the fitness profession for 10+ years (I am losing track of how long) and through the years you get to know a lot of people. It is not uncommon to run into someone out in public that you have met in a gym or coached. Last week, I saw an old friend and he said, "I still read your newsletter every Sunday!". This made me smile and gave me a nice reminder to keep this thing rolling. This newsletter has provided me an opportunity to stay in touch with everyone over the years and getting comments like this make it all worth it. Last Sunday was my 200th newsletter and today is number 201. I am amazed we made it this far! I want to thank all of you for reading and sending a nice message or comment when we cross paths. It is appreciated! Fitness Tip of the Week I came across this question earlier in the week: How often do you do something outside of your ordinary routine? I remember back in the days of working in a commercial gym where you get to know the members pretty well. In addition to getting to know them as a person, you also get a good feel of their training routine. If you paid just a little bit of attention, you could watch someone walk in the door on any given day and know exactly what they were going to do with their workout. This has its pros and cons to it as there is some real power behind having an established routine like coming to the gym, but doing the same thing over and over again did not allow for one key component: PROGRESS! If improving is the goal, then we must change the stimulus one way or another. We have to go a little further, perform an extra rep, train a little longer, or change up our exercise selection for growth. In my mind, the most logical way to do so would be the same but different approach. If you perform a bench press try doing a single arm version with a dumbbell or kettlebell instead. A two legged squat can become a single leg squat or rather than doing exercises for reps, try performing an exercise for time. I am asking you all to make a small change in whatever your current routine is, give it some time, and see if you become a better person for it. Keep in mind, I am not asking for a total overhaul as that can effect adherence. All I am asking for is a little change, a little challenge, and in the end, a little progress! What I've Been Thinking About... This week we were searching for a show to watch as a family while our daughter was home and came across the last season of The Voice. If you have never watched the show, the participants try out by singing in front of four judges who also happen to be successful musicians. The catch for this particular show is that the judges do not see who is singing as they have their backs to the stage. If they like what they hear, they hit the button and their chair turns around allowing them to watch the performance. If more than one judge turns, then the performer gets to pick who they want as a coach. As these artists share their stories, you realize what a cruel, cruel business the music industry is. Time after time they were told "No" but one thing that separates those who make it and those who don't, talent aside, is their ability to stay the course. They chose not give up when the record label turned them down, the radio wouldn't play them, or the media criticized their latest album. In the face of adverse conditions, they decided to keep pushing forward. Often times in life, I think people give up before the going gets good. You never know when the big breakthrough will come so keep on chugging! On a different note, music has the ability to do two things that always amazes me:
I recorded a podcast this week titled: Bully's Suck. In it, I share a story about a kid who had a terrible interaction with a classmate on the day they were set to come to the gym to train. As they arrived, his body language said it all. He was not interested in training at all. With that being said, I set a goal for myself to get him feeling better when he left the gym than when he came in. In this instance, it worked and he left happy. Exercise can work wonders on the mind. This reminded me of the SMILE study out of Duke University that was conducted in the early 2000's. During this study they tested the effects of medication, exercise, and medication plus exercise on depression. They split them up into three groups and went about their business. (Eventually, they added a control group and got similar results). Here is the conclusion: in the first month, all of the treatments helped minimize depression for that month. The crazy part of this study occurred at the ten month mark where 38% of the medication only group relapsed into depression, 31% of the medication plus exercise group relapsed into depression, and only 8% of the exercise group relapsed into depression. At first glance, I did not understand how this could be but the researchers speculated that the individuals who were in the exercise only group took matters into their own hands. They realized that through their work, they could feel better. They did not have the crutch of medicine. They did it themselves and felt much better for it. Which brings me to the quote of the week... Quote of the Week "How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?" -- Epictetus I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck As I walked out of a cafe last month I came across a sandwich board that read, “You still haven’t met all the people who are going to love you”. Typically, I would not think much of this sign but this day was different. It was April 28th and on this day nine years ago, I received a phone call that I will never forget. I shook my head and thought, “I guess the world would not let me forget about my brother today“.
Nine years prior to walking by that sign I was working at a gym on the outskirts of Easton, Pennsylvania. I had a small break in between appointments so I did what most do to pass the time: I pulled out my phone to see what was going on in the world. As I opened the phone I noticed that I had a missed call and voicemail from my mother. I listened to the message which didn’t say much other than asking me to call her back. The tone of her voice was different and my mind immediately suspected something was amiss. Our instincts in situations like these are often right and a flurry of thoughts ran through my head. At this moment my next appointment arrived. I mumbled a few words under my breath and went out to the gym floor. I only had two appointments left in the day so I decided I would wait to make the call. Maybe it was my way of unconsciously delaying the inevitable but after the first appointment I couldn’t resist. I pulled my phone out and made the call. My mom answered and said “He is gone Chris. Ryan is gone”. The news sent a shockwave through my body that I have never felt prior and have never felt since. My body went numb. It was like the feeling one gets when they hit their funny bone on something, except in this case, the numbness ran through my entire body. I got in my car and immediately drove to my parents house. We were all devastated. As a brother, I lost my first friend. I lost the guy that I spent more time with than anyone else. I lost the guy I played with, cried with, fought with, won with, lost with, and so much more. For my parents, they lost the son that gave them the gift of being a parent and so much more. We all lost a piece of our heart that day but in the case of my parents, they lost a whole lot more. A friend of mine once asked for advice on dealing with losing a loved one. My mind went blank and I began to think. I said, “you know, the world doesn’t stop for you when you are grieving.“ For a few days or weeks, the condolences and well wishes come in which is nice but eventually that all slows down and life goes on. The world slowly forgets what happened but you never do. Some days are good and some days are bad. Some weeks you don’t think about the person at all, and other weeks that is all that you think about. Sometimes you laugh at the memories that you have had with them and other times you cry because you miss them. As I was writing this I thought about the great speech given by basketball coach Jim Valvano on the brink of death at the 1993 ESPY’s. During this incredible moment he said, “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special”. As the speech continues, Jimmy goes on to say that, “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.” I think about that last sentence often as I try to navigate life without my brother. Death can take someone from you but it is important to not let it take more. It is a devastating event that has the potential to destroy your world. DON’T LET IT. Losing someone close puts you in a state of hurt that you never imagined but it cannot take your memories, it cannot take the moments you’ve shared or the feelings you’ve had and it cannot take your spirit. The world needs you to be your best. Take the time to grieve but remember, you can get through this. I promise you. Chris Fluck Thoughts on Parenting...
Tuesday night turned out to be an eventful evening. Marisa had an exam Wednesday morning and was going to spend the evening out so she could get a good nights rest. As she was preparing to leave, we heard a bunch of noises coming from our cat. We thought she was playing with something but as she walked toward us, she was out of balance and her head was crooked. We thought, "did Smudge just have a seizure?" This is not the first time something like this happened as she had a neurological issue in February. Smudge seemed better and Marisa left. Then, I get up to bed and I hear Emi's breathing and thought, this is not normal. It sounded wheezy and then I heard the dreaded barking cough and thought here we go again. This was not the first time Em has experienced croup-like symptoms so I began to get things prepared for when she woke. I got the bathroom prepared with medicine, a thermometer and a pulse oximeter. Then, whenever she woke, we would turn the hot water on and steam the bathroom for as long as necessary to improve her breathing. I gave Marisa a call to inform her and she came home. We spent a solid two and a half hours in our tiny bathroom with me sleeping on the tile floor and Marisa and Emilia laying on a collapsible mattress. I am sure it was quite the sight if someone saw us crammed in there! When this happens, it really sucks. Em couldn't even say a word without coughing and we resort to communicate by points and head nods. You just hold her and think over and over about ways to get her relief. The next day I was thinking about what happened and thought of the saying "there are no atheists in foxholes". Well, in this instance, "there are no atheists when your child is sick". I called on any higher power I could think of to help her feel better that night. Fitness Tip of the Week A few weeks I wrote about the importance of using a device like Fitbit to give you measurable data. If getting more active is on your "to-do" list than knowing your "Point A" is required. The device gives you that. After identifying where you are, the next step is to take a look at the the general recommendations and see where you are relative to them... The general recommendation for physical activity in this country is 150 minutes per week. Broken down over 7 days this equals roughly 22 minutes per day. How you get to 22 minutes per day is where the creativity can begin. Let me share a quick story with you. Last week I was scrambling to get some yard work done. The forecast had nothing but rain in it for 3 days and the area around the gym needed some attention. I got on the riding mower and did as much as I could and then pulled out the weed whacker to finish up. I may have been outside for about 75 minutes before the rain started. At this time, I looked down at my Fitbit and couldn't believe what I saw: I almost hit my daily step total and it was only 11 am! Now that the weather is finally breaking, there is a tremendous opportunity to add movement into your daily routine simply by getting outside. Remember, 22 minutes a day over 7 days is your starting point. Go for a walk around the block, garden, clean up sticks, use a push mower, wash your car, or do whatever else you wish. Get outside. Get work done AND hit your daily movement numbers at the same time. You cannot beat that! What I've Been Thinking About... There was a time when young Chris did not understand the importance of separating white clothing from colored clothing in the washing machine. I remember one holiday, most likely Christmas, loading the washer and threw all my new clothes in there. Colors, whites, it didn't matter! Lets be efficient here and wash everything at once. I learned an irreversible lesson that day: if you do not separate things appropriately, one will bleed into another. Things need their own domains. When they do not have them, they contaminate one another. On a personal level this concept has shown up many times in my life. Take, for example, the idea of work time and family time. The pandemic brought on an incredible opportunity for individuals and businesses to set up work from home. This seems like a great idea until you get emails at 7 pm saying URGENT! and taking calls when you should be spending time with your loved ones. One area bleeds into the other and you end up lost not knowing how to juggle your time. When I coached athletics, I saw this play out as well. This is where people attempt to have multiple roles but in the end, they contaminate one another and leave the kids confused. This is when say an athletic trainer gives weight lifting or football advise or when a football coach gives injury recovery advice. The intermixing of roles creates confusion as the athlete has no clue who they should be listening to. One thing contaminates the other and it all gets murky. This concept also exists on the national level. Should we allow politics into the workplace? Should Church and State be separated? Should schools be teaching this or that? The list can go on forever. I don't know the answer to any of these questions but thanks to the laundry dilemma, I now know that when boundaries collapse, contamination occurs. Tread lightly my friends! What I've Been Reading... Burmese Days by George Orwell My love fest for Orwell continues as I work my way through his books this year. This was his first novel and it was written in 1934. The story takes place in a fictional district of Burma and it is loosely based on Orwell's time spent there as an Imperial Police officer for five years. This book shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of human nature. One thing I learned from this is that Orwell does not believe in happy endings. If you've read this, you'll know what I mean! One quick side note, I find it almost unbelievable the amount of countries and territories that the British Crown ruled. It is such a small country and yet it dominated the landscape of the world. Take a look at this map and check for yourself: British Empire. Quote of the Week "I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend." -- Thomas Jefferson I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck Happy Mothers Day
"Why have I nominated you, lady, to bear up beneath this most terrible of trials, you and your sisters of the Three Hundred? Because you can...No longer may you be the wife to Olympieus or mother to Alexandro, but must serve as wife and mother of our nation. You and your sisters of the Three Hundred are the mothers now of all Greece, and of freedom itself." Roughly 2500 years ago 300 men were chosen to defend a narrow strip known as the Hot Gates. This fight became known as the Battle of Thermopylae where sadly, all 300 Spartan soldiers perished. In the lead up to this battle, the wives and mothers were asking their king why send their loved ones on a suicide mission? His response to why should they bear the burden was "because you can". He knew these strong women would be able to handle the loss of their loved ones and continue to live and lead their communities. He knew it was the mothers who raised strong boys and strong girls. He knew it was the mothers who shaped society and their communities. I agree with the King! I want to thank and wish all the Mothers of the world a Happy Mothers Day! Fitness Tip of the Week I do not know if there is a better example of a "win-win" situation than performing cardiovascular training first thing in the morning. Actually, this could be one of those rare "win-win-win" situations that are about as likely as getting a perfect March Madness bracket. Win #1: For decades, the bodybuilding community has used fasted morning cardio as a way to burn off excess body fat. These men and women are the best resource here as nobody understands fat loss quite like bodybuilders. If you want to improve body composition, this could be the answer! Win #2: A few months ago I read a book titled Breathe, and in it the author cited the Framingham Study and wrote "the greatest indicator of life span wasn't genetics, diet, or the amount of daily exercise as many had expected. It was lung capacity". If you want to live longer, take care of your lungs and you should be rewarded. Win #3: A 1999 study titled SMILE by James Blumenthal states that every 50 minutes of exercise that you partake in results in a 50% reduction in depression. This mood boosting ability, especially first thing in the morning, results in an energized and excited mindset that continues on throughout the day. Who wouldn't want that? What I've Been Watching... Inventing Anna on Netflix (trailer here) This series takes a look at the life of Anna Delvey, a German twenty something who rose to prominence with the New York elite. Over the course of 9 episodes, a journalist attempts to get to the bottom of this story and determine whether or not Anna is an audacious entrepreneur or a con artist. As I watched this, I kept thinking about how one can create a persona that can fool or manipulate the masses. Anna had a strong following on social media, hung out with the right people, told the right stories, and in the end, almost became the person she claimed to be. Unfortunately for her, this persona collided with her reality and she was eventually exposed as a phony... even if she swore otherwise! What I've Been Listening to... Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell This book and the Anna Delvey story share a similar theme in the sense that we, as human beings, do a really poor job of understanding strangers that we encounter in our day to day lives. Gladwell does his usual story telling as he ties in a wide range of topics including Amanda Knox, Jerry Sandusky, Brock Turner, Sylvia Plath, and the death of Sandra Bland. This is a great book that, like all his other books, makes you think as he takes a view that may go against the common narrative. Quote of the Week "It is a corrupting thing to live one's real life in secret. One should live with the stream of life, not against it" -- George Orwell I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck As I walked out of a cafe last month I came across a sandwich board that read, “You still haven’t met all the people who are going to love you”. Typically, I would not think much of this sign but this day was different. It was April 28th and on this day nine years ago, I received a phone call that I will never forget. I shook my head and thought, “I guess the world would not let me forget about my brother today“.
Nine years prior to walking by that sign I was working at a gym on the outskirts of Easton, Pennsylvania. I had a small break in between appointments so I did what most do to pass the time: I pulled out my phone to see what was going on in the world. As I opened the phone I noticed that I had a missed call and voicemail from my mother. I listened to the message which didn’t say much other than asking me to call her back. The tone of her voice was different and my mind immediately suspected something was amiss. Our instincts in situations like these are often right and a flurry of thoughts ran through my head. At this moment my next appointment arrived. I mumbled a few words under my breath and went out to the gym floor. I only had two appointments left in the day so I decided I would wait to make the call. Maybe it was my way of unconsciously delaying the inevitable but after the first appointment I couldn’t resist. I pulled my phone out and made the call. My mom answered and said “He is gone Chris. Ryan is gone”. The news sent a shockwave through my body that I have never felt prior and have never felt since. My body went numb. It was like the feeling one gets when they hit their funny bone on something, except in this case, the numbness ran through my entire body. I got in my car and immediately drove to my parents house. We were all devastated. As a brother, I lost my first friend. I lost the guy that I spent more time with than anyone else. I lost the guy I played with, cried with, fought with, won with, lost with, and so much more. For my parents, they lost the son that gave them the gift of being a parent and so much more. We all lost a piece of our heart that day but in the case of my parents, they lost a whole lot more. A friend of mine once asked for advice on dealing with losing a loved one. My mind went blank and I began to think. I said, “you know, the world doesn’t stop for you when you are grieving.“ For a few days or weeks, the condolences and well wishes come in which is nice but eventually that all slows down and life goes on. The world slowly forgets what happened but you never do. Some days are good and some days are bad. Some weeks you don’t think about the person at all, and other weeks that is all that you think about. Sometimes you laugh at the memories that you have had with them and other times you cry because you miss them. As I was writing this I thought about the great speech given by basketball coach Jim Valvano on the brink of death at the 1993 ESPY’s. During this incredible moment he said, “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special”. As the speech continues, Jimmy goes on to say that, “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.” I think about that last sentence often as I try to navigate life without my brother. Death can take someone from you but it is important to not let it take more. It is a devastating event that has the potential to destroy your world. DON’T LET IT. Losing someone close puts you in a state of hurt that you never imagined but it cannot take your memories, it cannot take the moments you’ve shared or the feelings you’ve had and it cannot take your spirit. The world needs you to be your best. Take the time to grieve but remember, you can get through this. I promise you. Chris Fluck What I've Been Reading...
How Coffee Fueled Revolutions - and Revolutionary Ideas On June 12, 1672, Charles II issued a proclamation to “Restrain the Spreading of False News, and Licentious Talking of Matters of State and Government." I guess the idea of "spreading of false news" has been around since the 1600's. Eventually, he did the unthinkable and banned coffee houses as he viewed these places as places where "false news" could be spread. What led me to this article, to put it simply, is that I love drinking coffee. I also enjoy the conversations associated with getting a little hopped up on caffeine and was not surprised to see that those conversations led to Revolutions all throughout history. For example, in the Americas, tea fell out of favor in the colonies. Those British tyrants were imposing their habits on us on and the Sons of Liberty were not having it. They met at coffee shops, taverns and other places to discuss what should be done next. Shortly after, across the ocean in France, Benjamin Franklin was doing some work of his own to stir up American support from a coffee shop, including a letter to Lord North criticizing the crown. Who would have thought that gathering in a place to drink something tasty could change the world forever? Charles II may have been on to something... What I've Been Thinking About... A few years ago I heard a college football coach share a story about extrinsic motivation. He discussed the kid who gets $1 for taking the trash out every week. In the beginning, everything is fine. The kid does it and smiles every time that dollar bill gets placed in his hand. As time moves on, eventually that dollar is not going to bring the same satisfaction as it did initially. The kid grows to expect that reward. With that becoming an expectation, the motivation to work slowly erodes. The kid will go on strike or he will ask for more money. Then, as a parent, you have to decide on what to do next. Do you capitulate to the shrewd negotiator or do you put your foot down and say no? At this point, the reward system has already been established and either decision will lead to a not so friendly discussion or outcome. How do you avoid something like this? It is a tough question to answer but the more I think about it, the more I realize that the task itself should be reward enough, not the dollar bill waiting for you on the other side. I often think that kids are always looking for some sort of validation on the work they put in. Often times we reward them with external items rather than telling them how proud you are of them, thanking them, or letting them know they play important role in the household. Completing the task should provide a feeling of accomplishment and they will hopefully want to replicate that in the future. Your child will learn a great lesson and you will end up with a few more dollar bills in your pocket! Fitness Tip of the Week In my time working in gyms, I have noticed that some individuals can push through discomfort and others willingly stop when things get mildly difficult. Let me explain... On a scale of 1-10, if your level of discomfort is a 7-8, you are working in the right zone. This is the zone where you want to spend most of your time in training. Occasionally, you'll get a day where you feel like a superhero and you decide to crank it up to a 9 or 9.5. That is totally ok. The problem arises when you feel a little discomfort, say a 4 or a 5, and then you decide to stop a set. I see this sometimes where an individual looks like they can get 10-12 reps but stop at 7 because it "started to get challenging". My response is usually, "It is supposed to be challenging!" These sets in the gym are a metaphor for life. We cannot give in to mild discomfort. We must push through and fight on! If you are having a hard time with this. I believe that this is something that can be trained and improved upon. In order to do so, you have to do difficult things and challenge yourself to push longer or harder than previously, even if it is only by a little bit. There is a great quote from Jerzy Gregorek that goes, "Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life." The more we take the easy way out, the harder life will become. The more tough decisions we make, the easier things will be come. Remembering Ryan EP100: You Still Haven't Met all the People who are Going to Love You In this episode, I share a personal story involving the loss of my older brother Ryan. Over the course of everyone’s life, they will encounter a hardship. They may lose of a loved one, have a sick child, get diagnosed with a terminal illness or worse. I believe it is our job as humans to share personal problems that we may have encountered in an effort to help others who may experience something similar in the future. This episode is available on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Quote of the Week "No man has ever acquired prosperity and comfort by spending more than he earns" -- Smedley Butler I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck I once read a story where Art De Vany was giving a workshop and a hand went up and asked: “How do you get rid of fat?” His response: “Don’t get fat in the first place”. A snarky comment but one that does not seem to be too far off the mark. As research from Yale has shown, once fat cells develop in your body, they do not go away. They may shrink, but they never disappear. They are like the unwanted guests at a dinner party. No matter how hard you try, they are here to stay!
This idea becomes extra-troublesome when you look at childhood obesity. If you are obese at the age of 2, you have a 75% chance of being an obese adult. Fast forward to middle school and that number rises to 87%. If you leave High School obese, you are over 90% likely to stay obese for the entirety of your life. This is scary. To put it simply, obese children become obese adults. This would not be a problem if we had childhood obesity under control… but we don’t. The rates of adolescent overweight and obesity are soaring at alarming rates (16.3% in 1971 compared to 41.5% in 2018). This leads to a bevy of negative health factors and according to the Harvard School of Public Health, obesity is closely linked or causes heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, asthma, diabetes, sleep apnea, infertility, and as many as 11 types of cancers. In addition to the physical health problems, there are also a variety of social and emotional effects of obesity including discrimination, lower wages, lower quality of life and a likely susceptibility to depression. I don’t think this list can get any worse! So how do we fix all this? Well, I think it starts with us grown ups. Mahatma Ghandi once said that, “If you want to change the world, start with yourself”. If you are a parent, coach, teacher, aunt, uncle, or play a role in any child's life, you have the ability to show them the way. Just as a child learns how to communicate without fully understanding proper grammar, so too can they learn how to live their lives in regards to health and wellness without understanding it. There is the old saying, “more is caught than taught”. What we do everyday plants the seed for what our children deem to be acceptable behavior. It is not our words, it is our actions! A few steps to bring forth what is within you…
As I close this out, I often think about what was written in the Gospel of Thomas: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” I believe that we all have the ability to make improvements to our daily routines and lives. If we do this, it may very well save us from disease and other ailments. If we do not tap into this ability to improve, it may destroy us. We cannot let that happen! Chris Fluck |
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