Avoid: “Paralysis by Analysis”

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Information, education and experience are all essential for growth. We have access to more information now than ever before. But with this abundance of knowledge (truths) and noise (non-truths), comes a phenomenon referred to as “paralysis by analysis”. This happens when we over-analyze information and end up frozen in our tracks because we don’t know what to do anymore. Meanwhile, someone else in a distant land managed to somehow make impressive progress despite some “new secret magic pill” because they simply made better use of their time and energy. Think about what typically happens every time we read something about nutrition, health or fitness. It seems there’s always new information out that is better than before. Most likely, it’s not. Rarely does new information come out that completely replaces previous wisdom. Sometimes, yes. Occasionally, it may even change everything. But most often, “new” information will not reinvent the wheel and will most likely only add to what we already know. One thing is for sure though, “new” developments will never stop coming. This is why I always (annoyingly) recommend focusing all efforts on the BIG fundamentals, those things that have always been good and will most likely always be good: QUALITY SLEEP, AMPLE DAILY MOVEMENT, EATING WHOLE-FOOD FRUITS & VEGETABLES, DRINKING CLEAN WATER, LAUGHING, SMILING, LOVING, ALTRUISM, etc. Keep in mind, new diet and exercise fads have been around as far back as the 18oo’s, if not earlier. I know because I’ve seen the material. We have way more diet and exercise options now than we’ve ever had YET despite all this great “new” stuff, we are more fat, sick, diseased, stressed, unhealthy and unhappy now than ever before. What glitters is rarely gold. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 17, 2018 at 10:02am PDT

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Strength Training should NEVER be complicated…

 

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The thought of trying to summarize a few Strength Training concepts in less than 1 minute seems impossible. It did prove impossible. However, today’s video was an attempt to get the wheels of your mind moving in a direction that allows you to digest the idea that it need NOT be complicated. Adults need to Strength Train a minimum of 1-2 times a week to maintain a healthy body for life. It doesn’t need to be crazy hard or difficult to benefit from it. Each workout can be as short as 5-10 minutes but it must include exercises that work the entire body. Instead of body parts think of big “movements of the body” such as Squatting, Pushing and Pulling. The generation of Californian bodybuilders that produced Arnold Schwarzenegger also had a bit of a lasting negative effect on the way normal people exercise that still exists to this day. People think workouts must include a dozen exercises that primarily work a bunch of little muscles groups like calves and biceps and that progress is not made without soreness and all sets done to failure. None of that is required or recommended for most people, especially beginners and novices. Most adults would be better served keeping workouts shorter with fewer exercises and a focus on moving well instead of sloppy. Of course, the choices are endless. Today, I wanted to demonstrate a simple short routine that most anyone could do at home with either 1 dumbbell or 1 kettlebell. The point is to do something. Anything is better than nothing as long as it is safe and can be repeated over time. No excuses. You can always do more. Just make sure that you are consistently doing something first. I’m always here if you have questions… #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 10, 2018 at 9:35am PDT

Quick Thoughts on Fat-Loss+ Calories

 

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TURN UP THE VOLUME. Fast & furious thoughts on fat-loss nutrition. Yes, when it comes down to it, to lose body-fat, total calories will need to be reduced. How much? I would not recommend going beyond 500 calories per day. That would the maximum. I would start with 250. That being said, I’m not a huge fan of counting calories for many reasons. Things become complicated and un-fun very fast. Instead, I recommend improving WHAT foods we eat before worrying about the calories. When better quality food (unprocessed whole food) is consumed (in reasonable amounts) the total calories are often less by default… because most LOWER-QUALITY foods (fast food, processed food, fried food, sugary food, salty food, sugary drinks with calories) have more total calories, not to mention fewer beneficial nutrients. This is also why most diets work. Most diets recommend making “better” choices that are also typically lower in calories. Look, I love unhealthy food just as much as anybody but eating that way all the time is never a good option for anyone. Every meal doesn’t have to be perfect but for anyone wanting/needing to lose body-fat, I would limit any and all cheat meals to 1-2 times a week MAXIMUM, preferably AFTER exercise. Keep in mind, some restaurant food may be HIGH in quality but also VERY HIGH in total calories (because of the richer ingredients, most often due to a higher fat content). Same goes for most “beverages” that aren’t water. So, be careful with all this stuff. Aim for a nice variety and balance of LEAN PROTEINS, HEALTHY FATS and FIBROUS CARBS (vegetables, fruit). Google is your friend. Hollar at me if you have any questions. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 6, 2018 at 10:25am PDT

Fast & Furious Fat-loss Fundamentals…

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TURN UP THE VOLUME. Fat Loss Fundamentals… forget tricks and secrets. Why? Because they don’t exist. Master the basics of the “boring stuff”. Keep in mind, this is the stuff that matters most because these are the things we repeat most often every day. We are either repeating habits that help us or ones that don’t. 1)Strive to get 7+ hours of quality sleep each day 2) Do whatever you need to manage stress levels 3) Drink mostly water and less of everything else, until your urine is clear 4) Walk as much as you can each day-a minimum of 30minutes if you have a sedentary job 5) Strength train 2 x a week-Google: Squat/Push/Pull/Core exercises 6) Each meal should include a lean source of Protein, a healthy Fat, a colorful Vegetable. Fruit & nuts as a snack-meal is acceptable. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 27, 2018 at 9:55am PDT

“Your Whole Life has the same Shape as a Single Day” – Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

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Time Management is a high-art form. No one wants to be rushed or always in a hurry but refusing to plan anything is often a symptom of failure. That’s fine for someone ok with that. So far, I have met few. Most of us DO want various things to happen during our lifetime, during each day, etc. With regards to any said wants-needs-goals, until a general commitment of time has been set aside in the pre-planning stage of our minds, any details are basically irrelevant. We can’t just leave everything up to chance and expect things to go our way consistently. Waking up each day like it’s an accident removes the hidden power found in planning. Life is a blessing. Of course, not everything can be planned for but most of us know this. Regardless, being purposeful and deliberate has incredible value. Not everyone needs to be unforgivingly relentless. Intensity should be individualized and balance is always desirable. Personally, I value greatly both my Type A and my Type B personality traits. Without a personalized balance, things might all fall apart. Without proper planning, many things, also, might fall apart, if they ever begin at all. Embrace your “everything” and re-invest that magical power into each and every day by establishing and implementing some resemblance of a working system or plan. Writing things down can help a ton too. Happiness and healthiness are born from these fruitful actions. #jurassicpark #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 20, 2018 at 6:55am PDT

Exercise is about more than Cosmetics.

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🧠🤸🏿‍♀️Minute Tips! Exercise is important for more than just cosmetics. It’s been scientifically proven to be some of the most potent medicine available to us… at a cost most anyone can afford (just a little TIME & ENERGY). It’s good to dedicate a fair amount of time to pushing our bodies and working up a sweat sometimes. A huge problem begins when we start to believe that this is the ONLY way to do any good. This is WRONG. Fact is, most Americans don’t exercise at all. And those that do, typically don’t do something every day. Why? Because too often we don’t have the time each day for all the effort (the changing of clothes, the drive, the gym, the hour workout, the drive back, change clothes again, shower, food, etc). If we’re not careful, we can easily create barriers that will eventually hold us back. At the moment, the Fitness culture in America is a huge mess. Too often it’s about how much, not how little. Instead of teaching consistency with a MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSAGE, many are adopting MAXIMUM DOSAGES that aren’t sustainable. But what if less effort were required? What if you didn’t have to change clothes or get sweaty every single time? Would that change your mind? My point is this: we need to move EVERY DAY to keep our bodies healthy for a lifetime. If not, things will wear out too soon. We can do simple stuff ANYWHERE for as little as 5 minutes that could keep our bodies healthier than if we did nothing. I’m not saying that exercising with intensity is not important. I’m saying that doing nothing should never be an option. Our bodies need us to move them in healthy ways each and every day. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 13, 2018 at 8:24am PDT

You must SQUAT every time you exercise.

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No matter what, every time you exercise you MUST do squats, especially if you’re a beginner. If more advanced, squatting should at least be a part of your warmup, if not a main lift. In fact, no matter who you are, squat as low as you can at least once every-single-day. Using weights is not necessarily required for health purposes. In some parts of the world, low-squatting is required daily due to primitive toilets. But you know what? Because of this, many of them can still squat all-the-way down like they did as a toddler…all because they’ve maintained it regularly with their “vintage” bathroom duties, not because they do squatting exercises. It’s part of their world. Make it part of yours! Yes, there are lots of different ways to squat, lots of different kinds of squats. Just pick one. The Goblet Squat is my personal favorite and what I recommend for most people interested in building healthy strength, flexibility and losing body-fat (please be very careful if you plan to use a barbell or heavy weights.) MAIN POINTS: Feet and Back must remain flat the entire time. Feet can point straight ahead or a little out to the sides. Just make sure that the knees point in the same direction as the feet while moving up and down. Think about actively pulling yourself down rather than just dropping down with gravity and the weight of your body. Push your knees out while going down and while coming back up (this helps use your hips and legs more effectively while also burning some extra calories and helping prevent common injuries). If you’re new to squatting, make sure to do some warming up beforehand. Start off with 1-2 sets of 10 repetitions. Work up to 3 sets of 15. Then try using some weight if you feel you’re ready. Go as low as you can without any pain or your back rounding. Use mirrors or video yourself. Feet MUST remain flat at all times. Remember, do some squats every time you exercise. No exceptions! (Also, breathing is important. Try to actively breathe (inhale going down, exhale at the top). Start slow, build strong. Ask for help needed. I’m always here if you ever have a question or concern. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 6, 2018 at 3:18pm PDT