Reinventing the Dumbbell
“I think the swimming set me up for life, I really do. I think it gave me the tools, it gave me the lung capacity, it gave me the heart function, but most of all it taught me discipline because in strongman there are no coaches, there’s no one telling what to do, what to eat.” – Eddie Hall
PAGLALAYAG
Preamble
Last month, our country crossed a new athletic milestone with the Olympic gold performance of Ms. Hidilyn Diaz in the clean and jerk. I was less than 1 month into learning how to lift weights. Some days I was cursing my new routine when I think about my own goals to achieve. Ms Diaz is yet another example of what happens when Filipinos set their minds to their goals and pursue them relentlessly.
But for me, just taking on the dumbbells for the first time is a whole new challenge, technique and discipline come first and there will always be more weight to add.
This week has just presented to us so many unique challenges – our very own dumbbells, that we face individually, as a family, as a nation. There are these day to day concerns such as working for the bread we eat, paying those never-ending bills, asking whether our decisions were all worth it, waiting for the ones we love, standing by your commitment, and all of those in your marketing list. Yet have we ever pondered if these little weights – these dumbbells so to speak, can be changed, reprocessed, re-invented?
I hope some of these resources will also help you in re-inventing the dumbbells of your life.
Tuloy-tuloy lang ang Paglalayag!
Health
How “Neurocognitive Efficiency” Increases Peak Performance
Steph Curry was recently offered probably the largest payday at staggering $215 Million in 4 years of playing, a historic feat for an athlete considered by many as the greatest shooter in basketball court. But then how did it come to this. He has a less than ideal body built for the game, standing at 6’3” in a sport which is dominated by really huge and high flying men. Here is a behind the scenes look at the training technologies that Steph uses to keep his game (and brain) sharper than the pack. With results like this, we will probably see more of these training trends in the future.
Exercise can reduce depression
Feelings of depression can come from many sources. Science continues to confirm the old advice that you CAN lift the dark cloud of depression through movement and exercise. It’s easy to get caught in the popular belief that activities like body building, strength conditioning & endurance training require Spartan-like punishment to your body and soul. But given the health benefits, the promise of a positive mindset and getting on the right track is sure to be provide equal if not greater rewards than a six-pack will deliver, to our increasingly digital world and relationships.
But business is business and the modern fitness industry often harnesses these desires for a photographic body. This often excludes people (especially females) who don’t fall within the ‘ideal’ category. It helps to be with the right company who inspire each other to do better in our goals.
Ice Cream Man
I love ice cream – whole year round. With have a wide array of brands to choose from given the availability of the ingredients and our love for something cold and sweet. Here is the thing, studies show that the the more a food is processed and modified from its natural form, the more it sticks around as added pounds (even as we continue our routine of exercise). Imagine having a sedentary lifestyle yet you gain more and crave more when you trade an apple for apple juice.
How Processed foods contribute to weight gain
Cardio Genius
If you were to choose, weightlifting or running or aerobics? If you were to choose how to grow your brain, weightlifting or running or aerobics? Here is a good study on showing what is the impact to the growth of your brain - those exercise that you love to do.
Exercise Makes You Grow New Brain Cells—But Only The Right Kind Of Exercise
WEALTH
Take This Job And …
We are a sucker so it seems when it comes to work. Overwork for us seems to trap us into this illusion that the more we take on, the faster our promotion or pay increase will happen. Now with these work from home arrangements, will high intensity workplaces still persist? If so, what are some ways to balance them with the other demands in life?
Managing the High-Intensity Workplace
Put This On the List
Do you practice having a to-do list? Does it help you more get that sense of accomplishment? Or does it help you actually accomplish your tasks, duties, responsibilities? Here is a psychologist’s take on such lists and its impact on actual productivity vs that feeling of success.
The Science of To-Do Lists: Psychology Can Make You More Productive
The Focus Group
Have you ever watched a movie, or even a cartoon, present a room full of serious and engaged workers, all typing at the same time, apparently programmed to have that deadly focus on their work? It seems that this holds true as the article presented as this kind of work place behavior is contagious – and could help us to be truly productive.
How To Concentrate Automatically Without Even Trying
WELLNESS
Seven Year Ditch
“I am also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” – Anna Scott played by Julia Roberts in Notting Hill While we get swooned by these love lines, get inspired by more poems and books about love, is it really that easy – to act, to choose and to understand that love is a verb and not a noun. Read on this research and find out more about these secrets on making relationships last.
How To Make A Relationship Last: 5 Secrets Backed By Research
Play to Your Strengths
Pareto Principle or the 80-20 rule gives us an insight to focus on those 20% that gives us the best results in order for us to achieve more. While each and everyone have their set of weaknesses, it is most likely that paying less attention to these and rather focusing on those strengths – maybe only at 20% - would yield better results in our path to self-development. Enjoy reading.
A Self-Improvement Secret: Work on Strengths
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