I am a huge fan of March Madness. The excitement and emotional roller coaster ride that is the tournament is just a pure joy to watch. But there is another aspect of the event that makes it even more appealing to a guy like me.
It rewards success.
You play the game and if you win you get to move on and play another game. You lose, you go home. That is how competitions should be. Not this feel good "everybody is a winner" stuff that so many think needs to be pushed. Life is hard, and you may have noticed, is not always fair. There aren't enough examples in our world where we simply accept the outcome as the judge as to whom "won" and who "lost". No one has tried to tinker with the tournaments format to do anything other than have the team that wins advance.
It is why I like weight lifting so much. Like the tournament, lifting is an outcome based event. If you can bench 300 lbs and I can't you are stronger than me. Pure and simple. You may or may not have genetics, age, or whatever on your side, the bottom line is 300 lbs is 300 lbs. The people that can lift it are stronger than those that cant.
The beauty of weight lifting is that you don't have to wait a year for another shot at your success. If you don't lift your goal weight today, learn how to build muscle and there is a tomorrow to try again. But the agony of weight lifting is that if you lift it today and you can't the next time, what is your excuse?
That's why example's like March Madness are so important. There are no excuses. Win or go home.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
AIG Bonuses and Muscle Building?
So what does all the hoopla about the AIG bonuses have to do with muscle building or fitness?
Nothing on the surface, but think about it this way:
Whether you are management or blue collar oriented, the PEOPLE that got the bonuses had a legal contract stating they were due them. How did they get that contract? Well really it doesn't matter from a legal perspective, but in fact most got them when they hired in and had earned them because of past successes in their careers.
So because AIG received bail out money everybody seems to think that they shouldn't receive them, because it's being paid with "taxpayer" money (the people getting the money are taxpayers to you know, so it's already as much their money as yours, and by the way, do you know ANYBODY in their position that would have turned the bonuses down?).
Now the government has decided that they are not "entitled" to the money and has levied a 90% tax against the recipients of the bonus money. Everybody cheers!
Okay.
I am going to run for congress and if I win you know what I am going to do?
Once Obama gets his national health care system established, every person receiving health care will be getting it with "taxpayer" money, whether they pay taxes or not. And since we will have established that some people getting things with taxpayer money (though legally entitled) isn't "right" or "fair" I, as a congressman will push for a 90% tax on health benefits received by everybody who is out of shape, unhealthy because of a lack of fitness and can't bench press their body weight. I am going to do this because why should you receive more health benefits than me? I have decided that because I take fitness seriously so MUST you.
If you are going to let the government decide who is and is not "entitled" to things because it's being funded with "taxpayer" money, you better hope the people running the government don't decide that you as a overweight, lazy, TV watching coach potato aren't entitled to "extra" health care.
There is so much wrong with people's attitudes right now it's hard to know where to start to fix things.
How about, responsibility, accountability and consequence. Let people keep what they have earned.
Nothing on the surface, but think about it this way:
Whether you are management or blue collar oriented, the PEOPLE that got the bonuses had a legal contract stating they were due them. How did they get that contract? Well really it doesn't matter from a legal perspective, but in fact most got them when they hired in and had earned them because of past successes in their careers.
So because AIG received bail out money everybody seems to think that they shouldn't receive them, because it's being paid with "taxpayer" money (the people getting the money are taxpayers to you know, so it's already as much their money as yours, and by the way, do you know ANYBODY in their position that would have turned the bonuses down?).
Now the government has decided that they are not "entitled" to the money and has levied a 90% tax against the recipients of the bonus money. Everybody cheers!
Okay.
I am going to run for congress and if I win you know what I am going to do?
Once Obama gets his national health care system established, every person receiving health care will be getting it with "taxpayer" money, whether they pay taxes or not. And since we will have established that some people getting things with taxpayer money (though legally entitled) isn't "right" or "fair" I, as a congressman will push for a 90% tax on health benefits received by everybody who is out of shape, unhealthy because of a lack of fitness and can't bench press their body weight. I am going to do this because why should you receive more health benefits than me? I have decided that because I take fitness seriously so MUST you.
If you are going to let the government decide who is and is not "entitled" to things because it's being funded with "taxpayer" money, you better hope the people running the government don't decide that you as a overweight, lazy, TV watching coach potato aren't entitled to "extra" health care.
There is so much wrong with people's attitudes right now it's hard to know where to start to fix things.
How about, responsibility, accountability and consequence. Let people keep what they have earned.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
A Fifth reason for Muscle Building at 50
I have my reasons for having age at the fore of my thoughts lately. Being in Florida at this time of year really opens your eyes to how life might be when your 70. Virtually everyone here is retired and living out the rest of their life. So you can't help but be more aware of life after work.
I have written an article that explains why I build muscle at 50. I list 4 reasons of which 2, better health and to look good, are obvious. The other 2 are less obvious but make perfect sense when you stop and think about it a little. Being 50 already helps you to understand the other 2 reasons. But having reflected a bit more, and taking into consideration the times we live in, I have added a fifth reason.
I mention that I am a strong advocate of responsibility, accountability and consequence as a way to live your life. Given the troubling, difficult times we currently live in, my personal feelings on this have been re-enforced. Unfortunately as more and more people turn to government for a hand (re: bail-out) I am apparently in the minority.
With this in mind my fifth reason for building muscle and being as fit as I can at 50 plus is it is my civic duty to do what I can to be as little a burden to the "country" as a whole, and my own friends and family in particular. There will come a time when nature has run it's course and I will have no other option but to burden my family and to a lessor extent, the State, for my up keep.
But I think it was in the founding fathers intention, and part of what has made this country great and unique, that that burden be minimized and postponed for as long as possible. I think it is incumbant on every individual to be as self sufficient as possible and aging in a well planned manner is a huge part of that.
Given the current mood of the country, most people don't seem to feel that way.
Most people are fat, lazy about fitness, think it's someone else's responsibility to care for them, and don't seem to want to do anything to change it.
Knowing that, why does the "bail out" mania suprise you?
I have written an article that explains why I build muscle at 50. I list 4 reasons of which 2, better health and to look good, are obvious. The other 2 are less obvious but make perfect sense when you stop and think about it a little. Being 50 already helps you to understand the other 2 reasons. But having reflected a bit more, and taking into consideration the times we live in, I have added a fifth reason.
I mention that I am a strong advocate of responsibility, accountability and consequence as a way to live your life. Given the troubling, difficult times we currently live in, my personal feelings on this have been re-enforced. Unfortunately as more and more people turn to government for a hand (re: bail-out) I am apparently in the minority.
With this in mind my fifth reason for building muscle and being as fit as I can at 50 plus is it is my civic duty to do what I can to be as little a burden to the "country" as a whole, and my own friends and family in particular. There will come a time when nature has run it's course and I will have no other option but to burden my family and to a lessor extent, the State, for my up keep.
But I think it was in the founding fathers intention, and part of what has made this country great and unique, that that burden be minimized and postponed for as long as possible. I think it is incumbant on every individual to be as self sufficient as possible and aging in a well planned manner is a huge part of that.
Given the current mood of the country, most people don't seem to feel that way.
Most people are fat, lazy about fitness, think it's someone else's responsibility to care for them, and don't seem to want to do anything to change it.
Knowing that, why does the "bail out" mania suprise you?
Friday, March 20, 2009
Weight Lifting Routines: Effective after 50?
For those of you who are, or approaching, middle age and are wondering can I still build muscle after 50, might I suggest a trip to a gym in south Florida in the winter.
Because of work I have been in south Florida for the last 3 months, and while here joined a local gym. It is a very interesting crowd, in the morning especially. While the very early morning and evening crowds (I have been working out at all different times of the day) are very similar to what I would see at my mid western home gym, the late morning crowd is VERY different. At home this would be a majority of stay at home moms and Mr. Mom's who go workout after the kids have left for school. Here it is the "snow birds". Snow bird's are retired northerners who have come south for the winter.
At any given time there are 75 people in the gym of which 70 are age 62 and up. A few of them are in there doing rehabilitation for a variety of ailments but most are just people interested in getting, or staying fit. The percentage of this age who can bench their body weight plus, FAR EXCEEDS the percentage of the younger crowd and is EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER than the population at large.
I can tell by looking, for obvious reasons, those that have been training for a long time (reason enough to weight lift if you ask me), but even the relative beginners can have a huge increase in strength in a relatively short time. I have seen it first hand (remember I have been here 3 months).
Having just pasted my 52nd birthday it is VERY reassuring to see people 20 years my senior blasting 200 plus on the bench, and looking darn good doing it. Which means if you happen to be a beginner at 50, you still have potentially 20 years of productive muscle building life left.
Weight lifting over 50? Please. What does age have to do with it?
Because of work I have been in south Florida for the last 3 months, and while here joined a local gym. It is a very interesting crowd, in the morning especially. While the very early morning and evening crowds (I have been working out at all different times of the day) are very similar to what I would see at my mid western home gym, the late morning crowd is VERY different. At home this would be a majority of stay at home moms and Mr. Mom's who go workout after the kids have left for school. Here it is the "snow birds". Snow bird's are retired northerners who have come south for the winter.
At any given time there are 75 people in the gym of which 70 are age 62 and up. A few of them are in there doing rehabilitation for a variety of ailments but most are just people interested in getting, or staying fit. The percentage of this age who can bench their body weight plus, FAR EXCEEDS the percentage of the younger crowd and is EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER than the population at large.
I can tell by looking, for obvious reasons, those that have been training for a long time (reason enough to weight lift if you ask me), but even the relative beginners can have a huge increase in strength in a relatively short time. I have seen it first hand (remember I have been here 3 months).
Having just pasted my 52nd birthday it is VERY reassuring to see people 20 years my senior blasting 200 plus on the bench, and looking darn good doing it. Which means if you happen to be a beginner at 50, you still have potentially 20 years of productive muscle building life left.
Weight lifting over 50? Please. What does age have to do with it?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
I am Back!
You see, THIS is the problem with blogs. The everyday post thing.
Not to make any excuses, because there really isn't any acceptable one, but I have been out of town for over 2 months. So I'm not at my home computer, and I had lost my login info to my blog site. I am still out of town, but today for some reason, bam, my login info just pops into my head. I have written it down, so let the updates begin.
First, I am in south Florida, so it has been necessary to join a gym, since I have been here for so long. I have suggested before that changing up your routine is necessary to keep the mind and body working, and I am living the change.
More details are to come, but it is very exciting to see how a completely different group of people, in a completely different part of the country train. Turns out that weight lifting routines are as varied and as numerous as I had thought. But having said that, the basic principals STILL apply. The biggest guys here lift the most weight, for only 6-8 reps, and spend a lot of time on compound exercises.
Who would've thought?
Not to make any excuses, because there really isn't any acceptable one, but I have been out of town for over 2 months. So I'm not at my home computer, and I had lost my login info to my blog site. I am still out of town, but today for some reason, bam, my login info just pops into my head. I have written it down, so let the updates begin.
First, I am in south Florida, so it has been necessary to join a gym, since I have been here for so long. I have suggested before that changing up your routine is necessary to keep the mind and body working, and I am living the change.
More details are to come, but it is very exciting to see how a completely different group of people, in a completely different part of the country train. Turns out that weight lifting routines are as varied and as numerous as I had thought. But having said that, the basic principals STILL apply. The biggest guys here lift the most weight, for only 6-8 reps, and spend a lot of time on compound exercises.
Who would've thought?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
