Self-discipline and failure with William Ferraiolo

William Ferraiolo is a professor and author of the book, Meditations on Self-Discipline and Failure: Stoic Exercise for Mental Fitness. William describes stoicism as a school of Greco-Roman philosophy that advocates the pursuit of living well and virtuously, and notes that one should only concern himself with the attainment of wisdom and virtue. By focusing on one’s own will, he allows himself to be at peace, leading to living a more valuable life.

When many things go wrong, people tend to attribute blame to the external world, saying that it has power to throw to derail one’s progress. However, the view of stoicism is that people can control themselves through their will and determination. Insufficient will power and self-discipline is usually what prevents people from accomplishing their goals.

In discussing failures, William states that failure from the viewpoint of stoicism is not the same as how society typically views failure. Specifically, the only real failure is a failure of self-discipline or will power. These failures are indicative of one’s character. If one does the very best he can and still falls short, he has not failed. However, when one has not done his best and fails, it is due to a lack of self-discipline. In this case, the key to making progress is when one admits his flaws and is honest about his failures. This awareness provides the tools to prevent the reoccurrence of bad habits in the future.

William explains that people should not be afraid of the big goal or challenge and should at least make an effort to move in that direction. Though many challenges appear to be insurmountable, it is not an excuse to not try and improve one’s self. With this, it can be helpful and healthy to acknowledge not only what is yet to achieve, but what progress has already been accomplished. William recommends turning everything into an opportunity for mental exercise and improvement.

To connect with William Ferraiolo or to learn more about Meditations on Self-Discipline and Failure: Stoic Exercise for Mental Fitness, visit http://www.academia.edu to read some of his works or find him on LinkedIn and Facebook.

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Being healthy and fearless with Ian Ryan

Ian Ryan is the mastermind behind the successful podcast, Fearless and Healthy. In this episode, he explains that we will all face tough times throughout our lives, but it’s how we respond that matters.

Ian describes his personal story which led to his ultimate change in mindset. During a 90-day period, his college roommate, grandmother, and brother all passed away. As he took time to heal, he began asking big questions. He felt the need to share his story and help people embrace where they were, overcome their struggles, and make something out of their lives.

As he was able to do, Ian believes that we have to make tough decisions during low points of adversity. We can use these moments as a catalyst to step into a bigger vision.

In Ian’s experience, he began helping people and stepping out into the community to do good. He used this experience as a springboard to move to San Diego and launch his podcast. He ultimately realized that he had been living much of his life in his comfort zone, playing it safe.

Ian explains that a lot of people wait for the perfect time in their lives to make a change. Our environment influences our state of mind and can help or hinder us to take action. By putting our energy on what could go right and not what could go wrong, we rewrite the negative self-talk that most people experience. Self-awareness and accountability are key factors to success.

To connect with Ian Ryan, learn more about his podcast, Fearless and Healthy, or his Unplugged Retreat, visit http://www.fearlessandhealthy.com. You can also take the Fearless and Healthy Challenge at http://www.fearlessandhealthy.com/challenge and go through various guided meditations.

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The four tendencies with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin’s new book entitled The Four Tendencies is a primer to explain the various ways in which different personalities respond to expectations. Gretchen explains that these expectations are largely classified as outer, such as work demands or others’ requests, and inner, those that we expect or desire of ourselves.

The four tendencies are described as:

1. Upholders – those who meet both outer and inner expectations
2. Questioners – those who question all expectations, but will meet expectations if they meet their own standards
3. Obligers – those who readily meet outer expectations but struggle to meet inner expectations
4. Rebels – those who resist all expectations, both inner and outer

Gretchen explains that the most common tendency is the obliger, with questioners being the second most popular tendency. The extremes are rebels and upholders.

In sticking with a fitness program, Gretchen shares strategies to suit the four different tendencies:

1. Upholders – Once it’s an internal want, anything they try will likely work because they are motivated by both inner and outer expectations.
2. Questioners – It’s all about justification and getting to the fundamental question of “Why?” All questions need to be answered. Questioners love customization and want things to be efficient.
3. Obligers – Building in accountability with accountability groups is a great idea. Outer accountability is the key to success.
4. Rebels – They may be turned off by reminders to do something. They always have to feel it and want it. Make sure they know it’s always an option.

Gretchen explains that it’s very difficult to change one’s fundamental nature. It would be much easier to change conditions or situation to suit your natural tendency.

To connect with Gretchen Rubin or to learn more about The Four Tendencies, visit http://www.gretchenrubin.com or listen to her podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. You can take the Four Tendencies Quiz at http://www.happiercast.com/quiz.

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Go from average to epic with Dr. Don Rose

Dr. Don Rose is an endurance athlete and author of the new book, Average to Epic: A Mid-lifer’s Guide to Endurance Sports and Lifelong Fitness. This book serves as an introductory guide to a wide range of endurance sports and helps readers discover how to be successful as endurance athletes.

Dr. Rose discusses several guiding principles within the book, including:

1. Almost nothing is impossible
2. Understand your motivations
3. One person’s epic is another person’s easy workout
4. Enjoy and appreciate the journey
5. Think sustainable and long-term
6. Be prepared to examine your self-image
7. Have an attitude of gratitude
8. Don’t forget to give back

Dr. Rose encourages readers to do something bigger, or to adopt a big hairy audacious goal (BHAG). Think of something that you may think is impossible to do. BHAGs should be transformational, outrageous, outside your comfort zone, somewhat risky, time-based, and meaningful. They should also have a clear finish line, but with a long-term aspect.

Setting goals without a lot of experience can be frustrating. Dr. Rose encourages people to get some events under their belt to determine their starting point.

Dr. Rose also discusses his 10 truths of training, which define the essence of training that can be applied across many sports. These include:

1. Everybody and every body is different.
2. Know thy body.
3. Training is more art than science.
4. Know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.
5. Recovery, recovery, recovery.
6. Planning is important. Flexibility is part of reality.
7. Consistency is the key.
8. Find a training rhythm.
9. Avoid the middle ground.
10. Don’t use a workout as a measure of fitness gains or losses.

To learn more about Average to Epic: A Mid-lifer’s Guide to Endurance Sports and Lifelong Fitness or to connect with Don Rose, visit https://average2epic.com/.

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Whole Motion with Derek Beres

Derek Beres is an accomplished fitness professional and the author of the new book entitled Whole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body for Optimal Health. In this book, Derek shares the interconnectedness and importance of exercise for not only one’s body but also the mind.

A healthy body is one that moves well and stays in homeostasis as much as possible. One way to achieve this to explore a range of ways to move. Continuing to move in new ways keeps both the mind and body sharp. In addition, when we focus on learning good form and use the power of muscle memory to maintain that proper form, we set ourselves up for success.

Derek also highlights several beneficial programs or concepts mentioned in the book, including:

1. A regeneration program that assembles three basic principles of exercise that many don’t incorporate into their day to day routine, including getting up and down without pain.
2. Using tabata as a way to get one’s metabolism and heart rate up in a short burst.
3. The importance of interaction and relationships among those in group classes and the fitness community as a whole.

Derek also emphasizes the importance of living the present and enjoying what we do. When we engage in workouts, it is important to stay focused on what we are currently doing to maintain proper form, but also to maintain the interconnectedness of the mind and body, which yields great results for our overall health. Avoid distractions such as texting between sets or even during workouts.

To connect with Derek Beres or to learn more about Whole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body for Optimal Health, visit http://www.derekberes.com.

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Using maximum overload for superior performance with Jacques DeVore and Roy M. Wallack

Sirens and Titans Fitness founder Jacques DeVore and accomplished endurance athlete and fitness writer Roy Wallack are the authors of a fascinating new book entitled Maximum Overload for Cyclists. While this book may be geared toward cyclists, the lessons and tips shared can be applied by anyone looking to improve their athletic performance.

DeVore and Wallack explain that weight lifting is so valuable for endurance athletes because they seek to add muscle size or recruit muscle that they already have. For cyclists especially, it is important to maintain a small size, so lower reps at a heavy weight will help to increase power.

The importance of the mini set is also discussed. This involves doing fewer reps in each set, yet the body is exerting close to its maximum with each rep. By doing this, the body recruits more and more muscle power to accommodate the max jumps, which leads to bigger overloads and more time training at maximum power. DeVore and Wallack also warn against skipping the self-assessment. It’s important to establish a starting point to avoid injury.

Many cyclists are concerned about managing their body weight. One way to do this is by adding more lean body muscle, because you will burn more calories throughout the day. The efficiency of the muscle is also important to consider, as the increase of power could be more than the increase in body weight. Athletes don’t realize how much of their muscle is really being used, as there is quite a bit of inactive muscle that can help take the load off of other muscles.

To learn more about Maximum Overload for Cyclists, visit http://www.sirensandtitansfitness.com or visit the Maximum Overload Facebook Page.

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Stretching for better fitness with Dr. Karl Knopf

Dr. Karl Knopf is a teacher of corrective exercise and the founder and President of Fitness Educators of Older Adults. He is also the author of a new book entitled Stretching for 50+. 

Dr. Knopf explains that many view stretching as boring and not worthwhile, as it is difficult to see immediate results. However, many have learned outdated rules and techniques. Flexibility or stretching is having the ideal amount of mobility in your joints to be able to do what you want to do. The stretching program has to be comprehensive. People need to stretch every aspect of their body, because all parts are interconnected. The beauty of stretching is that it does not require special equipment and can be done anywhere.

Dr. Knopf discusses a few tips for stretching. First, warm up the muscles by jogging or taking a warm shower, for example. Don’t stretch to the point of pain. Remember to breathe regularly as you stretch. Don’t bounce during the stretching process, as those movements can cause micro damage to the muscles. Try not to rush. Check with your health provider to make sure your stretching is appropriate if you’ve recently had an injury.

Dr. Knopf mentions several factors that influence one’s level of flexibility. These include:

• joint design
• age
• gender influence
• physical activity
• temperature
• pregnancy
• injuries

It’s important to be responsible and take care of yourself to prevent injury. Be proactive, do what feels good, and make stretching a regular part of your life.

The book is designed for all fitness levels and includes illustrations and diagrams. For more information about Stretching for 50+, visit http://www.ulyssespress.com. To connect with Karl, email knopfkarl@foothill.edu.

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