Monday 25 May 2009

End of the 1st month




The human body is fascinating. It has the capacity to improve itself and grow into an efficient machine that puts any man-made creation to shame. Lifting weights for example, causes muscle to hypertrophy and become thicker, which in turn pulls on ligaments and sinew, increasing their resistance to damage, with these increases our bones become tougher as the muscle and ligaments pull on them. Problems in later life such as osteoperosis can be avoided simply by working the muscles. Then there is the heart. Many sedentary people have a pulse of 80 beats per minute. After doing a round of Power 90, mine dropped to 60. A huge improvement on the strain on my heart.

Now think of this in mechanical terms. Suppose someone said to you that the chasis of your car would get thicker and stronger, thus saving your life if an accident were to occur, if you kept driving it every day for at least 1 hour. Suppose they said that it would use less petrol, oil and require less maintenance and was less likely to break down by following the same approach each day. In this ideal world, no doubt you would jump in your car and drive every day. Perhaps, do 2 hours per day just to make sure.

Then why is it that people don't take their body for a drive each day?

Because the body wants you to be mediocre. I am convinced there is a mechanism in the brain that is only preoccupied with the here and now. It wants your to do the least possible work, no stress, no thumping heart rate, no ignoring cravings for ice cream or chocolate, you want an easy life? put your feet up, take a load off, have a donut - "Do what you want," says the body. "Be mediocre, don't lift your head because it's so much easier to lay it down." The body cannot see that by exercising, you will prolong your life. It cannot see into the future. But the mind can!

That's where you have to be to push out those last 2 reps of a set. Be in the mind, "I can do some more," says the mind. "No more, " says the body as it whimpers in pretend pain.

I have core synergistics tonight. Had a good sleep last night - over 8 hours. And I plan to obey the mind and not the body on each exercise. Bring it on. I may be 37 now but I feel much younger thanks to Beachbody and Power 90 & 90X. I don't want to look or feel like a junk broken down car - no, not ever.

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