Muscle Confusion- Political Edition

If you are like most people you are constantly hitting plateaus when you workout.  You found a routine that works for you but after about 6 weeks or so you're not seeing as much progress as you have before.

Your body is becoming acclimated to the workout.  You body is adapting and getting used to the same old workout and, therefore, doesn't have to work as hard to keep up.

What should you do?

Muscle Confusion.

Muscle confusion is simply changing the workout.  When you change your workout every 6 weeks your muscles get confused and need to find a whole new way to adapt.

P90X works on the same principle.   It's no gimmick.  It really does work but you have to diligent and not slack.  It's a lifestyle change.  The reason why P90X works for so many people is because every workout is muscle confusion.  Every workout is different and constantly keeps your body guessing, "what are they doing to me now? I have to adapt."  Take it from the most famous P90X user.  VP candidate Paul Ryan.

U.S. Representative Paul Ryan WI (R)

Paul Ryan workouts out because his family has a poor health history.  His family has been plagued with illnesses and death.  He didn't want to become one of those statistics who died too young. You many not agree with his politics but you have to admit he's one of the most fit politicians ever.  He isn't the only P90X advocate in politics.

U.S. Representative Aaron Schock IL (R)

"It's got to happen early or it's not going to happen," says Schock, who on the cusp of his 30th birthday is the youngest member of the House of Representatives—and already in his second term. Schock, who represents Illinois's 18th congressional district (Abe Lincoln's old stomping grounds), is one of a dozen or so congressmen who make regular treks to the House gym for weight training and sessions of P90X, the video series created by Tony Horton.

"When I first saw it I kind of laughed," Schock says of Horton's training regimen. "I didn't think you could get a real workout from a DVD. But at 6:30 a.m., it helps to have somebody talking you through your workout."

Read more at Men's Health: aaron-schock-fitness

Muscle confusion is just one way to get over that fitness plateau.  You don't have to do a P90X workout.  It can be something as simple as changing from the treadmill to the elliptical.  It can be changing your weight workout from heavy weights/ less reps to a light weight/ more reps.  Whatever you do it's important to change it up. 

Change is good.  Change is important. Change is progressive.

Karma Kameleon

I've always been a fan of "what you put out to the universe, you get back."  Some people may call this karma, some may call it prayer.  No matter what you call it, the result is aways better for you and better for the world if it's positive energy. Put good thoughts out, good things will happen for you.  The reverse is also true.  Negativity breeds negativity.  

Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone just put out positive thoughts into the universe?  Rather than war and violence we could all have a peaceful coexistence. It takes so much energy to generate hate and negative thoughts.  If you could turn that around and put the same amount of energy into generating positive thoughts, your life would be incredibly rich and healthy. 

I wish I could bottle all the negative energy during any fire-fight in any war.  I bet it could power a major city.

I've learned much about myself over the last couple of years.  My depression was making me anxious and bitter.  Granted, I didn't know I was depressed but now that I do know, I can control it.  I was always getting mad at stupid things.  I was very passive aggressive.  I had no respect for me or anyone else.  I was making the same mistake over and over again but expecting a different result. 

Which leads me to my big pet peeve.  This could be one of the biggest generators of negativity today.

Passive Aggression

Passive–aggressive behavior is an umbrella term describing certain types of behavior in interpersonal interactions. It is characterized by an obstructionist or hostile manner that indicates aggression, or, in more general terms, expressing aggression in non-assertive, subtle (i.e. passive or indirect) ways. It can be seen in some cases as a personality trait or disorder marked by a pervasive pattern of negative attitudes and passive, usually disavowed, resistance in interpersonal or occupational situations.

Passive aggressive behavior can manifest itself as learned helplessness, procrastination, hostility masquerading as jokes, stubbornness, resentment, sullenness, or deliberate/repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is (often explicitly) responsible.

Passive Aggressive is a big issue for me.  I think that for the most part I have kicked that habit.  I notice though that where I live there seems to be much of it.  For some reason, different parts of the country are more passive aggressive than others.  I don't know why but ask anyone not from Seattle and they will tell you that Seattle is polite but not friendly.  The natives don't notice it at all because they are used to it.  If someone from the west coast could just live in the middle of Illinois for one week they would find out how NOT passive aggressive mid-westerners are.  It’s always refreshing to visit my family in Illinois.  It’s a different world.

One of the ways it manifests itself in my daily life is in the car.  Day in and day out there is a constant need for drivers to show their self-importance over everyone else.   Some drivers like to play “traffic cop” on the freeway.  You know the ones. It’s their job to keep you under the speed limit so they will camp out in the left lane.

Parking lots become Hunger Games arenas where people feel the need to drive around you as you are pulling out of a space or they will walk slowly up the middle of the lane in front of your car to make sure to show you that they are important.

Crosswalks are the new passive aggressive playing turfs.  It seems that people in crosswalks like to show their dominance by walking as slow as they can so you know, that they know, you have to wait.

What does all of this mean?  It’s plain and simple arrogance.

 What causes it?  Negativity and the need to show people that YOU are in control and you are NOT wrong.

There are passive aggressive people who will use this trait to manipulate other people such as co-workers, family, friends, anyone who that person thinks can help them get what they want.  It manifests in snide comments under your breath that you know that the other person can just barely hear.  It also manifests in making sure you get the last word in and it’s always hurtful.  My favorite is when you are stubborn and petulant to someone just so to make their life harder because you have no real reason to dislike them.  I call this the “girl who hates girls” syndrome. 

It usually, eventually comes back to bite you in the ass.  The problem is that all this passive aggressive behavior gets you nowhere.  Passive Aggression can alienate you from your family.  It can drive a wedge in relationships.  It makes you look like a dick. 

Remember, that person you cut off or tailgated is going to be the one person who pulls into the same place you were going.  Then confrontation ensues and guess what?  You’re always wrong.

Basically, if you are being passive aggressive, you are wrong.  Channel that aggression into something positive.  When you feel the need to be aggressive, that situation will never turn out the way you want.  You have to figure out a way to make the situation better, not make it worse.  If you have to be wrong, that own it!  If the other person is smug about it then they are the dick.

Don't hang out with passive aggressive people.  It's like having overweight friends.  Chances are if all your friends are overweight than you will be too. Why? Because you take on the bad habits of people you see on a daily basis if you're not careful.  Hang with negative people, you will become negative as well.

What’s the meaning of failure again?  It’s making the same mistake over and over again expecting a different result.  

My 10 Commandments of weight loss

If I here of one more person talking about the latest weird-ass diet they are on I'm going to have fit and die.

People diets do not work.  A diet is a temporary solution to a what could be a permanent problem if you keep dieting.

Wanna lose weight?

1. Start thinking of food as FUEL.
Yes it's nice to have delicious food that's bad for you, IN MODERATION.  Think of food as a fuel source and not what will make you happy if you eat it.

2. Stop weighing yourself.
The numbers of a scale mean nothing.  You can be 50% body fat and weigh 250 lbs but so can a bodybuilder who has 3% body fat.  Your body fat % is what is important.  If you are 50% body fat the last thing you need to worry about is the scale.  The way your clothes fit is the way you tell of you are losing body fat.

3. MOVE
It doesn't matter if you walk, run, crawl or jump.  You have to move your body consistently everyday for at least 30-60 minutes.  You don't have to run a marathon.  Once you start a daily routine you will see that your time exercising will increase as well as your distance.

4. Have a goal
Start small.  Pick an event such as a wedding, class reunion or a holiday.  I picked a half-marathon date and worked towards that day.  What ever the event or date you picked, work towards that goal and once you reach it, pick another date or event.
I ran my first half marathon this past September.  I trained since May and thought, "Well hell.  I trained for all that time and I'm just gonna stop after this first race?"  Once I ran that race on September 25th I set my next goal for a half marathon in Seattle on November 25th.  After that my goal is Arizona in January.

5. Stop drinking sugary drinks.
Start small.  Switch to diet.  Diet is still not as good as water but it's better than sugar.  What's bad about diet soda is that it's still sweet and it trains your brain and taste buds to crave sugar.  If you cut out soda completely you will lose those sugar cravings.  It takes about two weeks.
If it's not diet, don't drink it.  Newsflash:  Gatordade is AWFUL for you.  It's just sugar water.  Sports drinks are not good for you unless you have exercised rigorously for at least an hour straight.  You need to replenish your fluids, sugars and electrolytes if you have exercised that long. Otherwise you are just drinking a soda that doesn't have carbonation.

6. Drink water.
If you drink water you will not only hydrate yourself but you will also have better skin and hair.  Water also helps with energy.  Hydration = Energy.   If you dehydrated you will become sluggish and tired. Your body needs water.

7. Stop eating out.
Restaurant food is horrible for you.  Eating out in MODERATION is great!  If you eat out for every meal you will gain weight quickly, especially if you're not working out.  Restaurant food isn't made to keep you healthy.  It's there to make you want to come back again and again.  That's not a bad thing except look at people who eat out alot.  Usually they are overweight.

8. Don't plan your day around food.
If you wake up and your first thought is, "what am I having for lunch and where?" than you probably have an eating disorder.  If you plan your destinations around where your favorite restaurant it or you won't go our of your way because you won't be able to eat lunch where you want, food is ruling your life and affecting your weight.

9. Eat every 2-3 hours.
Small meals every 2-3 hours will jump start your metabolism because your body is constantly digesting food.  If you only eat once or twice a day, your body just sits there between meals and your metabolism slows to a snail's pace.  Eating 2-3 hours plus exercise will elevate your metabolism and you will lose weight.

10. Stop buying magazines.
Stop buying fitness magazines, fashion magazines and tabloids mags. Those people in those fitness and fashion mags are not the regular normal person.  Those people are usually genetically blessed.  They are models because they look different.  A model has to be incredibly thin because the designer wants the clothes on a model to hang as they would on a hanger.  Most people are not built like hangers.  The images in those mags are deceiving and not anything to aspire to.
What about tabloids?  Tabloids usually talk about just the beautiful people or who had the latest plastic surgery or what crazy workout some celebrity is doing.  They are PAID to workout.  They have to look that way. That is not a normal goal to aspire to unless you plan on becoming a fitness model or an action star.

Ok those are the top 10 ways to lose weight.  They aren't hard. They do take time.  Once you start you will have a "lightbulb" moment and see that it all makes sense and you'll wonder what you were thinking for all those years when you were overweight and unhappy.

- Fat parents = Fat kids.  Think about it.

Super depressed to super healthy

I'm feeling a little super lately.  I've got my body to the point where I can pull off this Underarmour Superman shirt without looking too flabby.  For a 42 year old who a year ago didn't think he could get back into shape after a back surgery, I'm doing ok.

My meds have been failing lately and it started to really scare me.  I could feel the "old me" coming back and I didn't want him around.  I call it my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde mood.

My doctor changed my Adderal script last week.  My Adderal was starting to wear off too soon and I was crashing between doses.  I was up to 2 1/2 tabs a day.  I found that around 3 PM I was crashing pretty hard.  It was making spin class tough.  I would be too tired by the time class started at 5 PM and my classes were suffering.

He switched me to Vyvanse.  It's just like Adderal but it's "long acting."  That means I take one pill in the morning and it slowly keeps me level all day.  It's so nice only having to take one pill a day.

The thing about ADHD and Bi-Polar is that when your brain is working overtime and always telling you to lay down and sleep, it's very difficult not to comply.  Even though I know that it's "not real," I still can't help but do what my brain tells me.

I can always tell when my meds are failing.  For no reason at all I will become lethargic and very irritable.  I basically become an asshole.  People without depression don't understand that people with depression go through when they are depressed.  They think they know because everyone gets depressed at one time or another.  The difference is that "normal" depression is usually caused by an bad incident that happens in life or maybe a bad day at work.  When someone with clinical depression is depressed, they can't help the way they feel.  They have no particular trigger that causes the sadness.  It's just always there.  It will not go away unless they receive medical attention.  Picture your worst day and now picture that worst day happening every day.

I guess what I want people to know is that if you know someone with depression and they are cranky, sad, irritable or just not themselves, know that they can't help it.  They can't just snap out of it.

Too all those people who are depressed and don't think anything will help or feel they don't want to be on pharmaceuticals to feel normal, it's not optimal but it gets your mind to a point where you can think clearly and make it easier to come up with a game plan to find another way.  I don't want to be on meds for the rest of my life but for the time being I need to be so I can focus and get back on track.

One more thing.  Everyone out there who says someone who commits suicide is "selfish" has to remember that if that person is truly suicidal, their brain is telling that person that everything is awful, life is horrible and the pain will go away if they just go to sleep and never wake up.  I say that people who have lost someone to suicide and get mad about it are selfish because they want that person to still be alive because they can't stand the pain, the mourning process is too inconvenient to endure.  That person who died of suicide could not help what their brain was telling them.  It's like being possessed.  It's not selfish if you can't help it.  That person needed help and for whatever reason they didn't get it.  Be kind and save the "selfish" argument.  You don't know what you are talking about.

Run for your life.

The next half-marathon I will be participating in will be November, 25 in Seattle.  The one after that is the Rock N Roll Marathon in Phoenix in January.  I have decided to work my way up to a full marathon which I intend to run in Paris, France.

I never thought of myself as a goal orientated person.  Since last spring I have come to realize that having a goal is what has been keeping me motivated to workout, run and stay fit.  I need to have a structured program that tells me how many times I should workout, when I should workout and how hard.  So far the apps I have been using are helping out in ways I could never imagine.

My original goal of running the Race of a Soldier Half Marathon was achieved so I figured why stop there?  Most bodybuilders I know usually do a bunch of contests all in a row because they worked so hard to get to competition ready that it would be a waste not to do as  many as you can at once.

My goal is to do a half-marathon every other month.    This is a very big deal for me.  I never would have guessed in a million years that I would ever be a runner.  I think it just took a clear mind to make me realize my potential.

To be perfectly honest it has been hard to stay motivated lately.  The weather here in Washington has changed to rain and that comes with doom and gloom for nine months.  It's very hard to stay motivated to run outside when it is constantly raining and windy.  I was supposed to run yesterday but it was raining so hard I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The fix?  Rain gear.  I have to go find some good rain gear for my runs.  This is an obstacle I have to overcome because this is where I live and it's like this every winter.  The blessing is that is rarely gets too cold to run outside.  We rarely get snow and when we do it doesn't last too long.

The fix for the doom and gloom is to schedule half-marathons in warm states throughout the winter.  Pheonix, San Diego, LA, Las Vegas, etc.  Not only are they great places to run races but it's a valid excuse to get the hell out of the rain and into the sun.

My motivation and inspiration has it's ups and downs like everyone else.  I think if I have a goal to focus on than it will be easier for me.  It's a no brainer I know but if you have had depression for as long as I have, it's a "lightbulb" moment.

Wickedly inspired

I saw the best theater production I have ever seen.   I received WICKED tickets for my birthday and the show was today in Seattle.  For those of you, both of you, who haven't heard of this musical, it's the back story behind the life of the wicked witch from WIZARD OF OZ and how she became "wicked."

I have never been to a production that left me in tears TWICE! Now I know why the two main songs in the musical are the most popular.  I believe GLEE has even performed them both, "Defying Gravity" and "For Good."

If you have never seen WICKED and have the chance, even if you hate musicals, you will love this.   The weaving together of the story that explains the movie WIZARD OF OZ is genius and the plot twists leaving you saying, "what, what?"

Here is "Defying Gravity" from the 2006 Tony Awards.

I was inspired today to start taking voice lessons again.  I took them last year and stopped because I got too busy with work.  I have been cast in CABARET this winter and I believe my character, Cliff, has a song.  I figure if I can get the sheet music now than I can get started and have this thing nailed down by rehearsals.

Doing musical theater for me is like running a half-marathon.  I never really thought I could do it. I've done both and I'm ready to move on to the next step.  More half-marathons and then on to full-marathons.  I did one musical last year.  I'm doing another next year.

Here's to teaching an old dog new tricks!

All job interviews should be this fun.

Ok as some of you may or may not know I am a huge Sci-fi GEEK.  I love all things science fiction. I didn't read too many comics as a kid because I had no access to them but I did watch alot of saturday morning cartoons.  Give it up for the Superfriends!

As I got older I still continued to watch cartoons old and new.  I know, I know I'm adult.  Screw you.  I don't have kids and I can be one as long as I want.  If I did have kids you can rest assured that they would have the most awesome toys on the planet.  So would I.  I started collecting Superman comics and toys in my 20's and am still doing it today.  I also have Star Trek, Star Wars and other geeky memorabilia.

Today I had an "audition" to be the spokesperson for the Emerald City Comicon here in Seattle. 

emerald city comicon

 I answered the casting that came to me through my email from Performers Callboard on Yahoo.com.

Emerald City Comicon is looking for an actor and actress for the roles of

the superhero characters Crusader and Crusaderette. Candidates should

reside in the Seattle metro area (i.e. actors planning an LA move should not

apply), be in good physical shape and have a basic literacy in comic book

media and pop culture/geek culture. Must be willing to don the costumes for

at least four public appearances each year (including Emerald City Comicon,

March 1-3 2013). Also must have dark hair or be willing to color hair.

These roles are part host, part branding, part photo-op, part public

outreach. The two performers who are cast will be representing not only the

largest comic book media event in the Pacific Northwest, but be ambassadors

of Seattle geek culture to the world. Compensation includes an hourly or

daily stipend (depending on the event/appearance) as well as interaction

with celebrity guests, photo and video material for portfolio and/or demo

reel, and free event admission.

I was interviewed by 4 Comicon employees.  I went in there (wearing my tightest t-shirt mind you...I'm not stupid) and just started talking and talking and talking.  Just being myself.  It worked! I received an email a couple of hours later saying it was a unanimous decision and offered my the gig.  BTW why can't pharmaceutical job interviews go the same way?  

This is going to be me in March. The Crusader.

This is one of those cool opportunities that I just could picture myself doing.  It is a mix of acting, public speaking and comic books.  This screams ME.

The other welcome bonus is that I'll need to stay in excellent shape and this is going to be my motivating force.  If I have to wear skintight spandex you better believe my abs will be showing!  Bring on the spin classes, half marathons, yoga and plyometrics!

I have heard many many times, "Do what you love and the money will follow."  This doesn't make a whole lot of money.  It's only about 4 or 5 appearances a year.  I don't care.  It's a great side gig and it gets me exposure and is a resume builder.  

One of the guys who hired me told me his buddies are getting parts on GRIM alot lately.  GRIM is shot entirely in Portland, about 2 hours away from me.  I asked him how and he said they all had agents in Portland.  He asked me why I didn't have an agent in Portland.  I told him I don't have a "reel."  Meaning I have no footage of my acting.  Now I will.  Much of these public appearances will be on the net. 

Will I feel foolish?  YES.  Will I feel like a dork? YES.  Will I have the freaking time of my life?  YES!

Would you like a little cheese with that whine?

I am 42 years old and have just finished my first half-marathon.  I'm doing another next month and slowly I plan on working my way up to a full-marathon.  

I was inspired to run my first Half because of a local woman who lost her veteran son to PTSD. I empathized with her son because of my own depression issues.  Little did I know I would become hooked on running.  

The problem is motivation.  There are days when I just sit and whine about not wanting to run because either I have other things to get done or I'm just plain being lazy.  My first name should have been Procrastination. Procrastination Davison.  Nice ring to it.

Well yesterday I heard about this guy who has a hereditary disease that slowly makes him go blind.   In order to bring attention to the disease and to raise money, he decided to run marathons to do it.  He is running 12 marathons in 12 months in 12 cities....BLINDFOLDED. 

"I'm running 12 marathons in 12 states in 12 months and I have to do it blindfolded because the sunlight is really bad for my eyes and will make me go blind faster. On top of that, I'm really sunlight sensitive so it would be painful to even try and run one of these in the daylight."

Here is a link to the article: 12-Marathons-12-Months-12-Cities: Blindfolded

Sidebar: He is dating a movie star..he can't even see!  Not too shabby.

EJ Scott & his girlfriend, True Blood's Deborah Ann Woll 

So once again I see someone who is overcoming real obstacles and I'm sitting here complaining about running for 40 minutes because, "it's just so nice outside and I'd rather be watching tv outside on the deck."  Would you like a little cheese with that whine??

I am inspired once again to go out and train and get my second Half under my belt.  I do, however, have a hidden agenda.  Running Half Marathons in winter means going to Phoenix, San Diego and Palm Springs in the middle of our crappy, grey, wet, depressing winter.  It's my excuse to see the sun.

So stop your whining, get off your ass, take the fork out of your mouth and MOVE!  Life could be much worse.