All Over the Board

Here goes. I was working out with a friend the other day and at the end of the workout she asked if that was a beginner or advanced program. The thing was that she did it and so did I. It was the first time that she had performed a workout like that and I couldn't even tell you what number it was for me, the point being she would be considered a beginner and I would be advanced. The simple answer I gave her relates to my last newsletter that went out. As you have more experience and time with a program, the harder it's going to be because advances in variables like range of motion, speed, weight and rest time. The will all change due to the nervous systems involvement in the training program. So on the surface it would seem that the beginner would have a tougher workout than the advanced trainee, but that is rarely the case. This kind of goes against what one would think, but true none the less. Remember, as work capacity goes up, the workouts get tougher, not easier.

On another note it is very common for trainees and athletes to forget things when they are fatigued. Here is a quote from a book I am reading: "If we perceive the event as a disaster, the neurotransmitter adrenalin is released and the body/mind responds with a series of survival-oriented reactions. With increased adrenalin we also produce the neurotransmitter cortisol that decreased our ability to learn and remember." That last part is the key. Even though we don't reason that our workouts are disaster, the body is still using the fight or flight component of the nervous system which releases adrenalin and therefore cortisol follows, thus affecting our memory. (This is the conclusion that I draw from this, there may be other reasons for forgetfulness during a workout).

Did you ever wonder what causes motion sickness? Traveling by car, air or water can create a sense of disequilibrium that sometimes results in queasiness or nausea. When you read in a car, you are holding your eyes static as you read but the rest of your body is moving, especially the head. The system has to work very hard to keep the eyes level and static in a moving head. At the same time it is attempting to balance the rest of the body with the constant change of gravity, acceleration and deceleration. When no resolution to the confusion occurs, the body vomits, which may be its way of getting our attention to release the eyes (Hannaford, 2005). Cool stuff, now you know.

On to the last part, as usual, I will finish with some self-awareness. What you say and expect will directly experience your life. We all want happiness. Within the past few weeks, I've heard a few people say the following: "I'm going to be in a bad mood for the next few weeks," and "I won't be in the mood for that tomorrow night." The second was in response to something that should have been a joyous event. What could be more ludicrous that planning to not be happy? The worst enemy we can ever have is a self-defeating