Strength is a Mindset

I hope by now you have figured out that Strength is not a place. Strength is not a number. Strength is a mindset. Your mind is a powerful tool. It is Strong as frick. We all have one and we can all use it to our advantage.

 I think it is important to remember we all are on our own journey through life. Worrying about what Janice Squats or Tommy benches are will not help you accomplish your goals. Asking, “How do I get my chest to look like his?” or “Why can’t I do 20 pull-ups like Tasha?” will do nothing but frustrate and disappoint you. Take your focus off others because they are on their own journey. You have no idea what their life history entails.

I can’t tell you how frustrated I used to get watching someone do a really cool skateboard trick and say, “I should be able to do that.” Meanwhile, I had never even figured out how to Ollie, let alone do anything else. An Ollie to skateboarding is like squatting to exercise. Point is, comparing your journey to anyone else’s just isn’t smart. Complaining why they have something you don’t, or can do something you currently can’t do, will simply frustrate you. No matter who you are, there will always be someone who does something “better” than you. Unless you are motivated by that type of thinking, jealousy, envy, which is very rare, you will ultimately never find happiness with what you have.

You have to be able to find happiness in what you have or what you can do. This does not mean be complacent with where you are. We are always looking to grow. Instead of dwelling on shit that’s irrelevant to YOU, think of all of the things you currently can do. Also, look to make little personal records, or PRs, as frequently as you can. Lift a few pounds more than you ever have while performing a Goblet Squat, push yourself to do one more pushup in a set than you ever have in your life, or complete your first pull-up ever whether it was assisted or not.

Whether you have thick legs or skinny calves, like myself, you have to learn to love you for you.  I am certain someone else out there is into whatever you have. Love is always the answer. Just love yourself.

Look for the small victories, whether it’s the PRs in the gym and at home. Even outside of the gym, make some PRs by telling your girlfriend she is beautiful more times than you ever have, telling your boyf he’s the man, opening the door for a stranger multiple times in a day. The little victories that make you happier will make someone else happier and ultimately make you a better person. That’s what makes you Strong! So stop being so harsh on yourself. Love yourself and worry about your own journey. Remember, Strength is a mindset. If you think you are Strong, then you are Strong. Ya dig?

Sugar vs Sugar

You may hear people say that your body doesn't know the difference between an apple and a donut. Sugar is sugar. Yes, and no.

You’ll see certain diet plans tell people to stay away from fruit because of its sugar content as well as some other natural sweeteners such as honey and agave nectar. Umm ok. First off, bullshit. Please show me someone who became overweight from eating too much fruit. So the reason why I say yes/no to sugar is sugar is due to what else you are getting with the source. Let's dissect donuts real quick. More specifically, let’s focus on Dunkin Donuts glazed donut since “America Runs on Dunkin.” The glazed donut consists of 260 calories, 14g of fat, 31g of carbs, 12g which they say is sugar, 3g of protein and 1g of fiber. Vitamin A 2% of daily recommended dose, Vitamin C 0%, calcium 0%, iron 6%. That's what I would call calorically dense and nutritionally low. You essentially get nothing but sugar with a donut and a lot of calories. Having one of these a day puts you a lot closer to your daily caloric need but far from your daily nutritional need, which puts you at a greater chance of overeating on the day.

An apple at first glance looks like it isn't much better. An apple has 95 calories, 0.3g of fat, 25g of carbs, 19g of sugar, 0.5g of protein, 4.4g of fiber. Vitamin A 1%, vitamin C 14%, calcium1%, iron 1%. With an apple you get far less calories. The sugar content however appears to be about the same, if not slightly more, as a donut. However, why I say they're not the same is due to the much higher fiber content in an apple. The fiber helps to slow the absorption of sugar and can subtract from the total amount of calories consumed in an apple. Also, with an apple, you are getting far more vitamins and antioxidants than you would from a donut.

Neither of these are “bad,” but they definitely are not the same. I would 100% avoid having a donut every day, but that has a lot more to do with it being a processed food product with a high caloric count and low nutrients than it does its sugar content. Sugar does not make you fat, though I understand there may be a lot of articles that say otherwise. It is more easily stored as fat than protein, but that does not mean having sugar will make you fat. It's overconsumption of calories that leads to becoming fat. Eating sugar-only or a majority of your calories from sugar (or carbs) will usually leave you still feeling hungry. This can then lead to overeating, malnutrition, and a host of other issues. The problem that happens is not due to sugar, it’s due to the lack of balance in a diet. So, if someone says you shouldn't have any fruit, I give you permission to slap them across the face.

A simple way I like to think of food is to see if they have a low caloric density and high nutritional density. This basically means choose foods that don't have a lot of calories but give you a lot of what you need. It is much harder to overeat these options especially when you are choosing options that natural and unprocessed.

As for agave nectar and honey, the reason people suggest to have that over table sugar is really quite simple. It's not that it's “better” for you since sugar is sugar. However, since they are both perceived as being sweeter than table sugar you don't need to add as much of it to something you are trying to make sweet. Therefore, you are taking in less sugar so it is a “better” option.

Don't you dare take this article as me saying you can eat whatever the heck you want. I am simply saying an apple is much better than a donut, but it is still fine to have a donut every once in awhile. The main focus is to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, and fats that consist of a majority whole food products such as unprocessed fruits , unprocessed vegetables, unprocessed meats, poultry etc. Oh, and agua, can't forget agua. If you focus on this plan and make sure to not overeat, you will overtime feel better. 

Make Time

I assure you, today, you got time, Cuz. It’s interesting when people claim they “don’t have time” to workout. Yet, they have time to eat, go to work, watch TV, brush your teeth, do your nails, shop online, and peruse Facebook for hours. Well, one might say, “But, we have to brush our teeth and go to work.” You should all know that exercising is just as vital as all of those other things that you seem to make time for. My old stomping grounds, Advantage Personal Training, posted a great quote the other day. It said, “Your workouts are important meetings you scheduled with yourself. Bosses don’t cancel.” I think this quote hits the nail right on the gosh darn head. If you don’t want there to be time to do things you don’t want to do, then that will be the case. However, saying you do not have enough time is an outright lie. Kevin Hart is easily one of the world’s most successful and busy people and he works out every single day. How does he do it? He makes time for it. You see, there will never just be time. You have to make time. The same way you make watching your favorite show every Tuesday at 7 a priority, you need to do the same for the gym, especially if you want the results you are looking for.

            But, Denzel, how do I do that? Great question. I have a few tips to help you start to prioritize exercising.

Tip#1

Like I pointed out earlier, setting a meeting with the gym is a great place to start. Look at your calendar a week in advance. Find time where you have at least 20 minutes for being at the gym and schedule that shit. Remember this is a meeting, you are a boss you have to be at the meeting.

Tip#2

Ok so if you are super busy something may have to go. Remember you do not need a full hour to workout. 20 minutes is plenty. If you like to binge watch certain shows every day when you get home from work, try to limit that to just a few days per week. Again, the calendar or phone calendar will be your best friend. Mark on your calendar when you are going to watch whatever it is you watch and only tune in during your scheduled time.

Tip#3

You have to cook when you get home from work so you do not have time after work to go. No problem, wake up 40 minutes earlier so you can exercise in the morning.

Tip#4

Stop making excuses! You owe it to yourself, and to the people you love, to take care of yourself first. It feels so good to take care of yourself, but for some reason the people in our society seldom do so. It’s time to start taking care of ourselves again. We are all adults here. I’m sure you can find time for your health. It’s never too late to start.

Tip#5

Find a good coach to help keep you accountable. This will also force you to set a date and time for your workouts. Also, your money will be involved and I know a lot of us don’t like wasting money, so it will make you reconsider when you think about skipping.

Tip#6

Related to the last tip, find a workout partner. This too will make you be accountable because if you don't go you will be letting down your friend which never feels good. Also, it will make you pick a time and place ahead of time forcing you to plan around your workout. 

            I know a lot of people think they can workout on their own and they don’t need a trainer. Yet, they also complain that they aren’t getting the results they want, or plateaued, or they simply don’t workout on their own! Whatever you need to do to start, make the move. You have the control, you have the power, and you will soon have the strength! No excuses.

Glitz Glamour Gimmick

            Glitz, glamour, and gimmicks. Oftentimes these three words can be interchanged. It’s marketing at its finest, that gets you to buy in to the shock value. People are attracted to shiny objects and things that look cool. This may be a product, a person, an exercise, etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with cool shit, but if results are what you want, then make sure that cool thing is actually useful and works. Don't just get caught in the trap of appearance. In my college and high school years I was a victim of supplement companies who had amazing looking products and claimed to do x, y, and z.  This happens frequently with supplement companies. They have great marketing, but their product does nothing at all or can even have harmful effects. Since being duped out of countless dollars some time back, I have been super skeptical of things promising to do something. I want to help you not be like me and avoid being a victim to great marketing.

            On Instagram there is a whole lot of shenanigans going on, whether it's a post of an attractive person with a nice body showcasing their ASSets or a post of a drink promising weight loss. More times than not these things are quite frankly bullshit. The people just showing off their bodies usually are not certified trainers or coaches and may have no idea what it takes to help you out. In this scenario I would do some research on this person’s background to find out if they can actually help you. You can ask them if they have any certifications, if they attend seminars, or continuing education events. Find out if they are legit. If they are promising that they can make your body look just like their incredibly chiseled figure, don’t believe them. Sorry to kill your dreams but this can't be done. You can't look like someone else. You should want to look like the best version of yourself anyway.

            The world full of false advertising does not stop there. It continues with “cleansing.” Cleanses and some of these juices make incredibly false claims. They are not pleasant so I won't go into too much detail. Just know that my thoughts and the facts that back them up are pretty lengthy. Mainly, they try to feed off people’s insecurities and then offer a solution through starvation, which of course makes you lose weight, but you aren't cleansing anything. The best cleanse would be to stop drinking, smoking, and eating shitty food so much. Basically starving yourself is never a healthy option and it bothers me that people try promoting these harmful ways of thinking and “problem solving.”

            Another charade to be wary of are the really fun looking stuff out there like the non-gymnastics gymnastic stuff. You know, where the guys are flipping and spinning on bars and it looks very fun, and acrobatic, and weeeee. Gymnastic moves are great. Honestly, they are probably some of the best things you can do for your body when done correctly. Issue is there are not a lot of people out there that know how to teach these moves correctly or how to progress you to be able to do a ring muscle up or any of those other skills. These are not moves you just want to attempt over and over again. If you injure a joint, where two bones meet such as the elbow joint, it takes a long time to heal. So seriously, do your research so you won't fall victim to cool looking shit.  

            The worst culprit are those fricking waist trainers, excuse my French. But seriously? Constrict yourself to try to make your waist smaller? Do they work? Possibly, but unlikely. Is it good for you? Definitely not. Here's an article in USAtoday talking about the dangers of waist trainers, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/11/05/waist-whittlers-dangers/75225022/. Many celebrities and online personalities endorse these waist trainers but they are not health professionals of any sort so you probably shouldn't take health advice from them. If anything, hear what they say and ask a health professional their thoughts on the matter.

            If you have not worked out since being a kid, it would not be wise to just go to the gym and try some of the crazy shit you see online. When building a house, you start with the foundation. If the foundation is weak, the house will not be stable. The same thing applies to exercise. If you do not have a solid base, then injury is almost certain to follow. So setting your sites on doing a human getup or a muscle up are not dumb goals, just know that they aren't all that applicable when you're just getting started on your journey of strength. They are not necessary to becoming “fit” or toned or losing weight. On the flip side, if some of this crazy shit you see is what stops you from starting, know that those exercises are not necessary nor are they what a good trainer would have you start with.  Question everything. Be that annoying little kid that asks “why?” because that will uncover the truth. 

Why Me!?

            How many of us have ever asked, “Why me!?“ But, let’s really answer this question, why you? Most people who over eat consistently put on weight. Most people who eat a diet high in fried foods have high blood pressure, and so on. If you are doing things and getting the outcomes that should happen, then you should not be mad at anyone but yourself. This “why me” mindset puts the accountability out of your playing field. I’m here to tell you that you have to be accountable for your outcomes. When things don’t go well for you, do not immediately start blaming others. For one, its annoying; two, we are grown people who can control what is going on with us. We aren’t babies. Being accountable is a major key to being Strong. Look, I understand there are some things in life that are out of our control, but we can always control how we react to those things. Be accountable. Do not make excuses or point the blame.

            Being accountable was one of the hardest things for me to take ownership over. If a coach yelled at me for fuckin up, I would make an excuse as to why it happened. They would always bark back, “No excuses,” which would annoy me, but it was so true. The bottom line is it happened. What are you gonna do to prevent it from happening again? These days I try not to place blame and just work on solutions.

            When you learn to be accountable it makes every situation better.

             It’s not to blame yourself for bad shit that happens to you. If it’s a repeated pattern, you need to look at yourself and see what can be done differently. If it’s a person you want to blame for something, take responsibility for being around them. If it was something that really is out of your control, just try to move forward. Always move forward. Often times we want to blame others because that’s the easy thing to do. Blaming ourselves goes against our self actualization or the belief that we are good. Whenever that is challenged, the mind will make shit up until we feel good about ourselves again. Knowing this will help you identify when your mind is playing tricks on you and trying to get you to start playing the blame game.

            Being accountable goes a long way to keeping good mental health. When you get into the habit of blaming others or the world for things that happen to you in your life, you create a very negative and acidic mental environment, which can easily leave you feeling helpless. This helpless feeling then follows you around. If you get sick, instead of thinking of course you got sick the world wanted you to get sick, take action against the sickness. Don’t feed into it since you feel you don’t have any control.  When you learn to take control of a situation, you become much healthier mentally. Having a great mindset makes everything seem possible. It makes us Strong! It also helps lead to change.