One night as I finished my last exercise and unloaded from the resistance I glanced across the aisle at a man who was seated on a chest press machine looking quite relaxed. He was shaking his head and sort of smiling as he said “There’s just no psychological reward”. I asked for clarification while still breathing heavily. He explained that he observed and understood the protocol that I used, but that he couldn’t find any satisfaction in it; such effort only leading to ultimate failure.

I assured him that I understood his viewpoint and moved on. I wondered later if it would have helped him for me to explain my purpose, but I concluded that this was a classic case of “no explanation is possible”. I convey the story here because I find it an accurate illustration of the distinction between exercise and recreation.

Recreational activity is often confused for exercise. Sports, aerobics, step aerobics, danceaerobics, this aerobics, that aerobics, kick boxing, pilates, yoga, taebo, boot camp, crossfit, p90x, zumba, spinning, running, swimming, just move it, play60, wii, x-box … I could go on indefinitely. Recreation is a good thing. I encourage everyone to get as much as they care to. I don’t understand why people are often offended to hear their favorite activities referred to as recreation? Other activities get confused for exercise also that fit into the categories of work or skill enhancement. The important characteristic is “what’s the purpose?”

The purpose of skill is simply to become more efficient at any given task; from a backhand stroke in tennis to stacking hay bales on a flatbed truck, get the mission accomplished with the least possible expenditure; nothing wasted; nothing extra. The purpose of work is simply to get the object moved from its present state to the more preferred state. The single purpose of recreation is enjoyment. None of these activities have exhaustion for a target. It may be an ancillary effect, but it’s not desirable.

Conversely, exercise has one simple immediate goal and that is exhaustion of strength in order to provoke the reaction of overcompensation. When work, recreation or skill activities are confused with exercise and are taken to an extreme that nears exhaustion the result is always bad. The goal of each is undermined; skill is diminished, work is counterproductive, and recreation ceases to be enjoyable. The worst part is that each becomes dangerous at the same time that its purpose is eroded.

Exercise is not intended to provide a psychological reward. The reward is a physical improvement.

Now returning to the level evaluation list that was begun a long time back. I’ll elaborate on the next five items. Once again read through the list visualizing the process of an exercise session and add a comment with any thoughts.

1)      Avoid distractions
2)      Position carefully
3)      Maintain stationary origin
4)      Mastery over breathing
5)      Proper attire
6)      Avoid firing out
7)      Avoid shifting positions
8)      Avoid re-gripping
9)      Grasp the repetition cycle concept
10)   Avoid momentum

11)   Minimize acceleration

Imagine a slow buildup of your force to just meet the resistance setting and balance it at that level for a fraction of a second and then add the smallest possible increment until movement begins. This is a big waste of energy. It makes for quality exercise. Don’t be in a rush to get movement started, rather exaggerate the opposite extreme. Every change of pace and direction involves acceleration. Realize its existence and master your control over it.

12)   Mastery over turnarounds

Approach each extreme of a stroke with careful precision. Don’t bump into either end. Sneak in to that stroke peak gradually and take the time to definitively meet it before turning around and sneaking back away from it all the time consciously keeping as near as possible the exact same force applied. Reach the bottom out without allowing any sound, but feel that slight difference while maintaining the force in the same direction, and then leave the bottom out without a sound again and not even a hint of jolt.

13)   Constant load

This idea crosses over into minimal acceleration, turnarounds and momentum. Focus every bit of attention on measuring the force applied to the movement arm as if the weight stack is being carried by a strand of wire precisely gaged to be on the verge of snapping.

14)   Mastery over unloading

In the same way that the repetition cycle and the turnarounds are strictly under control, when failure is reached, continue to handle the apparatus as if it’s delicate. The concern here is not for the machine of course but for safety and quality of the exercise. Keep any movement under strict form and make the bottom out silent again. Take that extra second to gradually lower the tension after touching down.

15)   Exit properly

Once you’re unloaded from the resistance mechanism, focus on removing yourself from the machine safely yet quickly. Don’t merge movements together, rather keep them separated. Turn, if needed, then get your feet firmly planted, then stand. Make each one distinct like a robot from a bad sci-fi movie. When you have gained control of your motor functions, step to the next exercise. Your coordination is not expected to be normal at this point. Emphasize the same care as you load into the next. Maybe #2 Position carefully should be first on this list and #15 Exit properly should be second.

16)   Mastery over discrepancies
17)   Avoid changing speed
18)   Mastery over pace
19)   Recognize and avoid energy savings
20)   Exaggerate range and form
21)   Reach legitimate failure
22)   Eliminate facial expression
23)   Move quickly between exercises
24)   Engage squeeze technique
25)   Inroad beyond failure

The purpose of a competition is to rate a performance against a scale for comparison. The measure of the external result is all that matters in this case. Strength, health, functional ability or whatever your chosen term is will contribute toward the competitive performance, but there are many other factors involved at the same time. Getting that one more repetition or lifting that increased weight is more likely to come from an improvement in efficiency and skill than from pure physical gain. Therefore it is important to decide whether our immediate goal is to improve physically (exercise) or to achieve a measure of performance (compete) because the best approach toward one is very different from the best approach to the other.

Legitimate strength gains, muscle growth and all of the residual effects that come along to keep proper balance will only be triggered by a high demand of strength use. This is not the same as a high registered performance. Our strength is continually changing moment by moment as it is being drained or recovered according to demand. Any technique that is used to get a higher level of performance output involves finding momentary recovery and this is contrary to the goal of exercise.

Consider lifting a bag of sand. Pick a weight for the bag that would be a serious challenge yet manageable. Using strict form and proper positioning, with your legs, lift to a standing position and then lower it and put it down softly. It takes about 2 seconds. Wait a full minute and do it again. Do that 60 times in an hour. How much of your strength is used up? (Hint: Can you do it once more immediately?)

Now consider the same bag of sand is resting on a scale that reads its weight accurately. From the same starting position put enough lift into that bag so that it moves only very little if at all but the scale reads a steady 1 pound and hold that amount of force perfectly still (if that’s possible) for 2 minutes. How much of your strength is used up in comparison to the first scenario? (Hint: Can you lift that bag one time immediately like in the first scenario?) Which of these scenarios would have a more profound effect on your body’s adaptive mechanism over the next week? Compare the amount of work accomplished (the measure of performance) in each scenario.

What happens to the exercise apparatus is not important. What is important is what happens to your momentary strength level and the response that is activated. Don’t try to defeat the machine. It doesn’t have any will against you. Don’t be concerned about achieving a personal best in performance measure. That only encourages the confusion of focusing on skill and efficiency. The important thing in an exercise session is provoking the reaction, flipping the switch, providing the impetus for the skeletal muscular system to be enhanced. This growth is a long term process and it doesn’t matter if there is anything immediate to show for the effort or not.

Become aware of the ways that we subconsciously learn to save energy. Make a conscious effort to override them. Acceleration, momentum, shifting positions, alternating active muscle groups, varying pace, gripping unnecessarily, grunting and grimacing as a distraction are some of the many ways that we avoid the onset of failure. Learn to do what is unnatural; approach the failure as the ultimate goal. That doesn’t mean deciding to stop the effort. It means continuing the effort without breaking form even beyond the point of inability to continue movement. Maintaining strict form means everything, continuing movement means nothing for exercise.

An objective view and proper instruction are invaluable to this end. Forget about challenging the machine for performance measure. Concentrate on challenging yourself to strict adherence to the instruction. Exaggerate careful control regardless of the fact that you will be used up sooner. That’s the real target.

Years ago I had a job that required me to drive 50 miles per day round trip. I drove a pickup truck that could travel 20 miles on a gallon of gas. All of the numbers here will be rounded to make the math less complicated.  It’s not about the numbers, it’s about reasoning. With other trips included, I routinely drove 400 miles per week. Since the truck had a tank that held 20 gallons, I filled up once a week with 20 gallons and my world was in perfect harmony.

I bought a sedan for commuting to work because I rarely needed to haul a load with the pickup. The car uses gas more efficiently; it can travel 30 miles on a gallon, but it has a smaller tank; only 15 gallons. After one week with the new car, driving my usual 400 miles, when I pumped the normal 20 gallons, some gas, more than 6 gallons, spilled onto the ground. Yes, that is ridiculous; this is where the satire begins.

The next week I was prepared with a couple of 5 gallon portable tanks to hold the spillage. It wasn’t long before space in the car was becoming limited due to the number of gas containers I was carrying around. A few months later, my job location changed and I was routinely driving only 300 miles per week. Now at fill up time there was only space for 10 gallons in the tank, and my 20 gallon weekly fill up was requiring more and more containers. Why not simply put less in since more is being stored than is being used? That’s a good question, but old habits die hard.

Finally, I decided to mount a trailer hitch to the car and buy a trailer to haul all of the containers. This helped to ease my storage problem since I hadn’t considered that overconsumption might be my real problem. After all, I wasn’t pumping that much gas, at least not any more than the amount to which I had become accustomed. The best part was that now with all the added weight, my gas mileage was down to 25 miles per gallon. The more I accumulate the more it takes to haul it all around. I know it sounds wasteful, but it does seem to work out doesn’t it?

I solved the issue completely by driving a good little bit out of my way on every trip. Just an extra 200 miles per week and I’ve got my world back in harmony. About half way through each week I top of the tank from the storage containers and by the end of the week my 20 gallon fill up is just enough for the tank and containers.

This ludicrous tale is intentionally frustrating to read in order to illustrate how silly some very common thinking is in regards to fueling the human body for our intended activity. To suggest that the body is fueled as simply and directly as an automobile is way off the mark. How many times have you heard someone refer to planning some activity to burn off excess calories being consumed? Usually this idea involves a gross exaggeration of the number of additional calories used during any activity, and the body’s storage and energy systems are far more complex than a tank, pump and injectors.

The majority of energy used by the body is not evident in physical activity. The cellular activities that go on beyond our consciousness are very expensive metabolically and their levels vary throughout the stages of life. The notion that we can control our fat storage significantly by adding activity is misguided. No amount of exercise can make up for the overeating that can be done in just a few minutes.

One simple strategy remains effective. Exercise to stimulate muscle growth. Improve the strength of the mechanism. Eat to fuel the mechanism according to need. This requires balance of quality and quantity. If the storage tank is becoming more full than desired, then consider whether more fuel is being put in than required or is the balance of fuel improper so that energy production is hindered. Continually reassess and adjust as needed.

To attempt to calculate energy expenditure in activity and balance it to overconsumption is a blatant fallacy. It makes no more sense than to waste time driving extra mileage in order to use up a predetermined amount of fuel.

When it comes to exercise instruction, I consider it an important task to convince the subject to always be dissatisfied with their form, not to the point of discouragement, rather to be encourage to improve form no matter how good it becomes. The practice of exaggerating every subtlety keeps the focus on effort and not on external performance measure.

There is a strong association between movement intended for exercise and athletic or other physically demanding performance. We need to break that erroneous association. For a performance we must move with efficiency and reserve our ultimate strength as much as possible. For exercise we do the opposite. Exercise is to stimulate growth, giving us greater ability after the adaptation, allowing a better performance. When a performance activity is encumbered for the purpose of stimulating growth, then we practice a hampered performance and skills are diminished. Don’t be fooled by the sensationalism. Keep exercise and practice separate and as distinct as their respective purposes.

Now picking up the list of items for evaluating a subject’s level of proficiency that was started in a post in June, I’ve added some explanation to a few more of the items. Read through the list visualizing the process of an exercise session. How well do you adhere to the protocol? How many of these items have you gained mastery over? Are you progressing through the list or does anything seem out of order? Are you satisfied with your form? (I hope not.) Please add a comment with any thoughts or questions.

1)      Avoid distractions
2)      Position carefully
3)      Maintain stationary origin
4)      Mastery over breathing
5)      Proper attire

6)      Avoid firing out

Any exercise movement begins properly at the commencement of the positive stroke regardless of the point at which the load is accepted. It would be ideal to accept the load near the mid-range and move to the starting point to begin, but this is not often possible. Whether in the first or the last repetition of an exercise, never fire out of that bottom position. Move it like a rattlesnake is inches away and you want to make that movement without startling the snake into striking. The goal is to keep your force output as constant as possible throughout the entire repetition. This is a waste of energy (good!) and against our instincts (good!) but it intensifies the exercise (better) and avoids injury (best!).

7)      Avoid shifting positions

Since you’re already in the correct position (#2 above), there is no need to shift and fidget. If your exercise is going to have any value, it is going to be uncomfortable. When it becomes uncomfortable, your subconscious will challenge your resolve with a multitude of distractions. Learn to control the desire to escape toward comfort. Maximum results will never be possible without progressing in this area. It’s a never ending battle, learn to expect it, identify a single discrepancy and master it, and then find another to work on.

8)      Avoid re-gripping

Re-gripping is a specific form of shifting position. Establish your hand position from the start so that your forearm is directly in line with the application of the resistance. If you are pulling against the resistance then wrap your fingers securely around the handle and grip with only the amount of force necessary to maintain that position. Avoid curling your wrists. Concentrate on the larger muscles that move your upper arms. If you are pushing against resistance then don’t grip at all. Let your fingers settle in as much of a relaxed position as possible. Let the heel of your hand absorb the distributed force. The perceived need to re-grip is a distraction technique. Practice the conscious control of overcoming the distraction.

9)      Grasp the repetition cycle concept

It’s natural to think of a repetition as an out and back stroke. It’s also natural to think that our goal is to perform as many repetitions as possible. Unfortunately, what is natural in this case is also the most counterproductive. The idea of as many repetitions as possible leads to compromising form to save energy. It also leads to lingering in any portion of the repetition that requires less effort, again to save energy. By making the repetition into a continuous cycle of steady effort we waste energy and make the exercise effective toward stimulating growth.

10)   Avoid momentum

We learn about momentum without even realizing it. We use it all the time to our advantage as another energy saver. To make exercise as effective as possible we need to be aware of all of the energy saving techniques that we acquire naturally through practice. Once we become aware of the things that are used to give us mechanical advantage, we must give full concentration to eliminating their use.

11)   Minimize acceleration
12)   Mastery over turnarounds
13)   Constant load
14)   Mastery over unloading
15)   Exit properly
16)   Mastery over discrepancies
17)   Avoid changing speed
18)   Mastery over pace
19)   Recognize and avoid energy savings
20)   Exaggerate range and form
21)   Reach legitimate failure
22)   Eliminate facial expression
23)   Move quickly between exercises
24)   Engage squeeze technique
25)   Inroad beyond failure

The truth is that no amount of exercise benefit can be simply granted to you or imposed on you. It isn’t a treatment that is applied like a manicure or a haircut. Exercise is done consciously; pushing the limits of our strength in order to stimulate growth; to expand the limit. This growth is a reaction to the threat to our equilibrium that exercise presents and that is inherently uncomfortable. This does not mean that everything that is uncomfortable will stimulate benefit. It’s a common trap to think that doing penance by punishing ourselves or subjecting ourselves to torture will gain us a reward.

The results that we gain are largely determined by three factors; 1) Genetics, 2) Our willingness to give effort and 3) Our method. Regardless of any other factor, our genetic potential is fixed. Don’t play the comparison game. It’s unfair. The best we can do is to maximize the attributes that we’ve been given and not be disgruntled that someone else may display greater ability while giving relatively little effort.

Our individual genetic potential is like a window. It represents a range of possible physical attributes. Within that window our effort and our method determine the extent of these attributes that are realized. Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda won the gold medal in the men’s marathon in London. Looking at him, it is easy to see that genetically he is well suited to that event. He is very slight of frame. His legs are strong enough to carry his weight for that number of strides at that high pace. His method is to train specifically for that distance and pace. His effort was enough to put him at the extreme limit of his genetic window. (This is not necessarily his optimal health.)

Behdad Salimikordasiabi of Iran won the gold medal in the men’s heaviest class of weight lifting. Again, it’s very easy to see that he is genetically suited to that event. His method was to train for the specific movements against a heavy load. His effort was enough to put him at the head of the class. (This is not necessarily his optimal health.)

Both of these men are examples of a genetic window that is fairly extreme, a method that pushes to one extreme within that window and an extreme effort. If Kiprotich had trained with his maximum effort using Salimikordasiabi’s methods, then Kiprotich would not have been in London to compete in any event. Likewise if Salimikordasiabi had trained his absolute best using Kiprotich’s methods, then he too could only hope to be a spectator. In fact it’s likely that if these two had cross trained this way then Kiprotich would still outperform Salimikordasiabi in the marathon and Salimikordasiabi would still outperform Kiprotich in weight lifting, but neither would be anywhere near exceptional by Olympic standards. That’s how big the genetic factor is, yet most of us do not have a window that is close to any extreme. And these two men are not opposite extremes, they are different extremes. Also understand that these men’s training methods are not exercise though the training methods did include some measure of exercise method. Training and exercise are two very different things.

With our genetic window already determined we can concentrate on our level of effort given to our selected method. Proper exercise means one thing: stimulate muscle growth by introducing a high demand in order to adapt with greater strength capability. The renaissance method offers the ideal exercise by being the most efficient way to deliver that demand. Our best effort then yields the best results allowed by our genetics.

An important thing to remember is that there is a big difference between long term results and immediate achievement. A grand display of strength today is not at all the goal of exercise. Rather the growth for a long time to come which will afford improved strength when needed is the point.

Consider math exercises in elementary school. What is the point? Is it to obtain the correct answer right now? We already know that answer. It’s in the appendix of the book. Is that particular answer what we’re after? Or is it an increasing ability to use various functions to become able to do greater things for a long time to come? Growth is the goal. The immediate performance is just one of the tools we use to guide our progress.

Understand the goal, carefully determine the method, apply full effort, and evaluate the results according to genetic potential.

 Translocation

A change of location is the fastest way to lose the most weight possible. If you could travel to the moon, you could decrease your weight by 83% in just a few days. This is, of course absurd, but it illustrates the fundamental need to use terms accurately. Weight is the force of attraction between two bodies of matter. When we measure our weight, we are measuring the force of gravity between the mass of the earth and the mass of our body. Gravity varies with altitude and even with latitude so that we can lose weight (or gain weight) simply by moving to a different location. On the earth’s surface the changes are extremely small, but by traveling into space we can lose a tremendous amount of weight in very little time.

The problem is that this kind of weight loss has no effect on our physical condition. The issue then is not weight loss, but body composition. The focus must be achieving and maintaining an appropriate quantity of stored fat. I’m sorry if the “F” word offends you, but its use is necessary in order to make sense of the issue unless one prefers adipose which is a less recognizable term for the same thing. The word fat is not intended to be insulting; it is tissue; matter; a noun. It is not meant as an adjective. It has absolutely nothing to do with the value or the character of a person. To fuel routine activity, the body must store some fat for later use.

Weight is only one indicator used in evaluating our physical condition, but it does not deserve the amount of significance that is given to it. The trend of weight should be considered over a span of several weeks. There are far too many variables and fluctuations for one reading to be considered meaningful. Even a body mass index can be deceptive. It is possible to be over-fatted and under-muscled thus within a normal range on a chart, yet unhealthy.

 Amputation

A lame joke from years ago stated that if you want to lose 15lbs. of ugly fat fast, you should cut off your head. This is another good illustration that weight loss is not necessarily an improvement in condition and in fact can be very unhealthy. The sad truth is that some surgical procedures that are routinely performed fit in this category. A normal human body functions logically, and if it continually receives more energy resource than it expends, then it will store the excess as fat.

The body does a marvelous balancing act regulating demands and resources, but its ability to function may be limited by an imbalance of important nutrients. Losing weight indiscriminately should not be the focus. Maintaining a healthy balance of fuel intake is the important issue. We can invent excuses but the simple fact is that if a body stores more fat than is necessary, then the diet needs to be adjusted regardless of what the scale says. The scale can be one useful tool in making sure that adjustments are in a healthy amount and direction.

 Dehydration

Athletes competing in a sport with weight classifications have, for decades, used this method of reducing their weight to be just under a specified limit only long enough to weigh in. They ultimately compromise their performance by attempting to gain an advantage this way. It is important to understand that the body is mostly water, and that water is critical to the proper balance.

We consume and expel a considerable amount of water in various ways each day. As a result, our weight fluctuates continuously as the body balances its use of water with its availability. A perceived weight gain may be a healthy change, if it’s caused by a return to proper hydration, while a weight loss can be unhealthy. The body will quickly counteract any temporary gain or loss that is a result of water intake.

 Malnutrition

Each new fad diet plan makes shallow promises as they reveal the secret of easy weight loss by fanatically avoiding a few evil foods or adding a few magic foods. The claim of fast results is a sure sign of a gimmick that will be at best a disappointment or worse, very harmful. Since the body continuously regulates itself, the lack of proper fuel results in biological functions being curtailed. It seems that the first function to be cut is coherent thought which exacerbates the tendency to follow inane “weight” loss methods. A diet should never be thought of as a short term endeavor, but rather a constantly adjusted process of finding balance. All foods contain healthful nutrients. The proportion of each is the deciding factor of an unhealthy diet. Overconsumption of anything, even essential nutrients becomes malnutrition the same way that under consumption of important nutrients does.

 Calibration

Our diet is the means by which we replenish the fuel used in activities of life. The word diet has been misused to suggest denial and restriction. Our society enjoys more leisure than any other in history and that leads to an unhealthy view that food is a form of entertainment. We have become so accustomed to pampering that we believe we deserve immediate remedy; a diet plan that will quickly put me back to the starting point, and will allow me to continue with the unhealthy lifestyle that resulted in a poor condition. This seems to fit a popular satirical definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome.

Biochemistry is a very complex science, but at a very elementary level balanced nutrition includes enough protein to support cell regeneration, enough unsaturated fats to support endocrine function and the balance of carbohydrates to fuel muscular contraction for activity. It’s easy to be satisfied with the amount of effort put toward health care and at the same time be unsatisfied with the resulting condition. The truth is; health care is a cause and effect relationship. If we are to enjoy the desired effect, then we must exert control over the cause.

Proper form is vital to making exercise effective, which goes without saying. The issue is that practicing proper form is very unnatural and our form begins degrading immediately, unless we give it the strictest attention. We have a very strong propensity to avoid danger and discomfort even when we take them on intentionally.

To continually progress in exercise we must be critical of our form and be diligent to improve it. By form improvement, I mean to maintain a constant load on the target musculature. It’s natural that with experience we learn the subtle mechanics of our own movements and of any apparatus that we use. Without realizing it, we learn to be more efficient and save our energy resources.

Think about how you can perform more work by resting periodically. This doesn’t mean inactivity necessarily, but can simply be changing to a different activity. Without thinking about it, we’re practicing efficiency to gain a greater quantity of work output. It’s all unloading from our effort if only momentarily. We shift position; we often adjust our stance or grip to avoid the discomfort of fatigue. We use acceleration to our advantage; our own stretch reflex saves energy, winding up and reversing suddenly. We use an off-on motion; short impulse movements accelerating and resting. We use momentum all the time; get a running start before impact. This is how a hammer works. Just try driving a nail without swinging the hammer and only pushing with a constant force. We use a change of pace; back off the effort when resistance is met and cruise through when we get a downhill run. Post a comment when you think of other examples.

All of this is natural and it makes good sense. This skill refinement is great for accomplishing work or for enjoying our recreation to the fullest. But for exercise effect, it’s the opposite of energy efficiency that’s needed.

Maximize the mechanism  =  maintain a continuous load  =  strict form  =
waste energy  =  override our strength preservation techniques

The following is a list that I’ve been composing to try to evaluate the level of exercise that a subject might be getting and what instruction would be appropriate to advance his/her progress. It still needs refinement, but it can be useful. Some items may be a bit redundant or out of order; it’s intended to be a progression. Read through it and picture yourself in your exercise session. How well do you adhere to the protocol? I’ve added some explanation to a few of the items. In the future, I intend to further elaborate on some more of the items. Again, please post any comments; it can only help.

1) Avoid distractions

Clear your mind of every event of the day. Tune out everything except your effort to apply strength from the targeted muscles. Determine to ignore every sensory input from your nose itching to a glimpse of movement outside the window to a car horn sounding. Don’t turn, don’t comment, don’t acknowledge. I recall a subject once had a fly land on her leg while engaged in an exercise. Her eyes never moved. I asked afterwards, and the fly had definitely been noticed but ignored.

2) Position carefully

Alignment in an exercise needs to be established before any load is accepted. The overall exercise session is more effective if time is not wasted moving between exercises, but safety and effect are enhanced if we take care to move under control. It’s well worth a couple of extra seconds to be properly positioned so that we don’t feel a need to adjust after we’re under load. Don’t be in a hurry to start the exercise. Don’t blend movements during transition to the next exercise. Imagine moving in a brisk demonstration of control.

3) Maintain stationary origin

The padding of the machines is designed to offer support and stability more than comfort. Once positioned, it’s normally intended that you stay in contact with the stabilizing support throughout the exercise movement. Avoid extraneous movements. Don’t let moving the apparatus become your goal. Concentrate on keeping a steady load on the muscles that are directly engaged the entire time.

4) Mastery over breathing

Review the information covered in the preliminary considerations to exercise. Study the Valsalva maneuver and become acquainted with its occurrence to break the association. Make a practice of freely ventilating before you begin exerting and refuse to let it stop. Be aware of any sound that indicates air flow is the least bit inhibited. Don’t allow your breathing to develop any rhythm because this reinforces the natural tendency to Valsalva.

5) Proper attire

The high level of effort involved in exercise quickly produces heat. It’s best to be dressed in a way that allows heat dissipation. Don’t allow the outdoor weather to influence your attire for exercise. Loose fitting, but not baggy shorts and a short sleeve tee shirt are best. These also help in viewing major joints for proper alignment and any form discrepancies. Flat comfortable gym shoes are best. Leave every unnecessary encumbrance behind; keys, wallets, change, belts, even glasses.

6) Avoid firing out
7) Avoid shifting positions
8) Avoid re-gripping
9) Grasp the repetition cycle concept
10) Avoid momentum
11) Minimize acceleration
12) Mastery over turnarounds
13) Constant load
14) Mastery over unloading
15) Exit properly
16) Mastery over discrepancies
17) Avoid changing speed
18) Mastery over pace
19) Recognize and avoid energy savings
20) Exaggerate range and form
21) Reach legitimate failure
22) Eliminate facial expression
23) Move quickly between exercises
24) Engage squeeze technique
25) Inroad beyond failure

I want to begin with 3 principles that are fundamental. These are all interrelated along with many more concepts. The objective is to begin highlighting the key ideas that must be understood and never be disregarded. 1) The single focus of exercise is to maximize the mechanism of the human body. It is important to avoid overcomplicating this as well as oversimplifying it. This must be considered in practical terms and viewed as a long term goal. 2) It is important to consider the balance of all factors that are involved. No single issue can be isolated. Everything must be considered in its proper context.
3) Critical thinking must be diligently employed. Sensationalism will be soundly rejected here and sometimes will be brought to light only to be ridiculed. We are only going to deal with things which are supported by solid principles. Every assertion remains open to challenge and refinement.

Let’s expand on the critical thinking first. Proper exercise is not to be taken casually. Exercise and activity are not synonymous though there can be some overlap. The goal of maximizing the mechanism brings to light an important distinction from recreation which has pleasure as its focus. Comparable to anything that we do as a decisive regimen, personal hygiene for example, exercise is essentially the opposite of what we would do naturally. On the other hand, recreation is something that we will gravitate toward without thinking. Exercise properly fits within the medical industry and not in the entertainment industry, and our first priority must be to do no harm. The science of biology must never be violated in our practice of exercise. When it is violated then we must heed the warning and avoid the offender.

The practice of exercise is by no means a complete and settled issue. We are continually searching to refine our method. As with the science of chemistry which is heavily dependent on theory and observation, we are dealing with elements that we can’t directly see. We can be certain, however that the human body is designed to respond in a logical manner. There are built in mechanisms for adaptation and for self-protection. As we hypothesize and observe how our formulated challenges to the body are balanced with responses to the demand, we are able to reason whether a theory is supported or not.

The fitness gimmick industry preys on the wishes of the impulse buyer with the help of our news media and infomercials. As long as critical thinking is avoided, the sales pitch will remain a lucrative venture and misinformation will continue to far outweigh the truth and good sense. It’s much easier to promote some useless apparatus or special movement that will do wonders and pay an attractive person to pose alongside than it is to clearly present the facts.

There is a strong sensational appeal to recreational activities packaged as exercise. While recreation is very good and in a lot of cases may have beneficial physical conditioning effects, it remains a poor replacement for proper exercise. At best, if the activity is for pleasure, then any serious adaptation toward physical improvement is very limited. At worst, if the activity proceeds beyond enjoyment, then it likely becomes a hazard due to fatigue leading to limited coordination. Even if the hazard is avoided, it ceases to be enjoyable. It is natural that our best efforts to adhere to the purpose of maximizing the mechanism will degrade toward a more recreational activity. There is a strong appeal to find satisfaction immediately. We fall into incorrect associations such as a greater quantity of movement or time resulting in greater effect. The opposite is true. Greater quality of effort will result in greater effect and at the same time it will reduce the quantity that is possible.

Now let’s concentrate more on maximizing the mechanism of the human body as the single focus of exercise. The body cannot possibly be at its maximum capability at all times. At the end of an exercise session we reach a dramatically weakened condition yet our goal is to be as strong and capable as possible. Do you recognize the apparent opposite here, and the need for critical thinking? This is also an opportunity for the concept of balance to gain consideration. The power by which we move around is produced in the skeletal muscles. Since moving around is obviously important to us, then maintaining the energy reserve and the force producing mechanism is also obviously important. The skeletal muscle system is complex beyond the scope of this post. For now simply understand that the system responds to demand. Increased demand will tend to stimulate growth and conversely decreased demand will tend toward atrophy. Remember the body responds logically. There are limits in each direction and these relationships are not a linear proportion so be careful not to let the idea become an oversimplification. How this growth is stimulated is much debated.

This is why balance is presented here as a fundamental concept. It offers part of the explanation of growth stimulation and how we can best affect that stimulus. The human body is homeostatic, that is it tends to maintain equilibrium. There are a lot of resources and processes available to that end. Consider perspiration and shivering which are used to regulate temperature within a small range.

For the purpose of muscular strength and exercise this means that the weakened condition that we put ourselves in through the exercise process is the one extreme of the proverbial pendulum swing. To maintain equilibrium the body will respond by growing stronger. Understanding this concept is vital to our maximum results because we can undermine our own efforts. It’s important to recognize that the weakened condition must be unusual. It must be the extreme of the pendulum and we must allow the reaction in the opposite direction to be completed. If our stimulus is small then the reaction may be small or even nonexistent. If our stimulus is too great we risk irreversible damage. If our stimulus is repeated too often then the rebound may not occur and the equilibrium may shift toward a weaker condition established as the norm.

Our quest then becomes striking the proper balance, considering all pertinent factors through logical, critical thinking to make the most of our effort to maximize the mechanism. The implication then is that an intense, controlled and infrequent exercise session will offer superior growth stimulus along with the benefits that naturally accompany the growth.