Friday Book Report: The Nichomachean Ethics

So maybe Aristotle doesn’t make everyone’s list of top fitness writers.  I put The Nichomachean Ethics on my to-read list because it was cited in one of the books about resilience that I read; knowing what is right helps us survive. 

It turns out that Aristotle wrote a pretty good justification for personal training:  “Moreover, individual tuition, like individual treatment in medicine, is actually superior to the public sort.  For example, as a general rule rest and fasting are beneficial in a case of fever, but not, perhaps, for a particular patient; and presumably a boxing instructor does not make all his pupils adopt the same manner of fighting…” (Book X, ix).

I’m not sure that we need yet another Dead White Male telling us what is right, but the exercise of thinking is always useful.  We need to use our brains as well as our bodies to be healthy.

Girls just wanna...

Like everyone, I have a huge list of things to do.  And some of the things never seem to get done.  This is not a post about how to get All The Things Done.  It’s about perspective.

I added something to my list:  self-indulgence.  It is so easy to hyper-focus on all the shoulds and the have-tos.  It was time to trick myself into having some fun.  After all, if I can tick off a box after doing it, it must be important.

We are not here purely to do tasks.  We are here to live and to experience and to enjoy.

What are we going to do for fun today?

Syd once wanted a cake flavored like this...

So oxalis is, technically, a weed.  Here, at least, it is an invasive species.  But I love its yellow flowers, so it doesn’t seem like a weed to me.

There’s a metaphor there.  Weediness is in the eye of the beholder.  Our “weaknesses” can be our strengths.  Maybe we grow in spite of efforts to root us out.  Maybe we persist in flowering in unlikely venues.  Maybe we network to get strong.

I love daffodils...

Spring is coming.  I know because I’ve seen the daffodils.  Which means it is time for spring cleaning.  Here are some thoughts on what to clean out:

Old workouts:  If you’ve been slogging through the same routine all winter, it is time to shake it up!  Your muscles are bored!  They want a new challenge!

Old foods:  This can mean anything from expired canned goods in the back of the cabinet to foods that no longer feed who you are.  Let’s eat clean and fresh!

Old attitudes:  Who says you can’t do something?  It might take some practice or some training, but I bet you can.  Let’s be powerful!

Let’s go!

Monday Workout: Fun with Speed Ladder!

Speed/Agility/Quickness (SAQ) drills are a natural complement to our balance work.  When we work on SAQ, we work our core and build our ability to react to changes in our environment.  Also:  fun!  Three rounds!

ladder in in out out	1 min
squats	20
dips	10
ladder lateral	1 min
lunges	20
bench press	10
carioca	1 min
deadlifts	20
curls	10

Another photo from the BAMPFA

Let’s talk about violence.  We don’t need it in our workouts.  We don’t need it, period.

For too long, we have been steeped in a culture of violence in which strength has been misinterpreted as a way to seize control by force.

We want to get strong so that we can resist use of force.  We want to get strong so we can be peaceful and good.  We want the power of non-violence and we will get it as we lift and run and work.

What are we going to build with our strength?

When to stop

It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes I have to stop a workout, mine or someone else’s.  This is because my very first responsibility as a trainer is to keep everyone safe.  (Surprise!  It’s not to make bad jokes or force people to do burpees!)

Here is how to tell when it is time to stop if I don’t happen to be there.

You are injured.  You hear something snap, something swells up, or you can’t bear weight.  This is not the same as the regular suffering that goes with working out.  This is Bad Pain, not the character-building kind.

You can’t breathe or you have chest pain.  Stop.  Now.  And you probably need to call 911.

You feel dizzy and faint, even after sitting down for a minute or so.

You throw up.

Working out is not a punishment.  We put up with some discomfort to get more awesome, but we are not going to keep going when it harms us.  Let’s be safe.