Getting back in to action...It takes energy to create energy

That which is set in motion stays in motion...Now if it was only that easy.

Let's face it the first steps to to taking action are the hardest. Any change to our normal routine can throw us in to an uncomfortable situation. Even thinking about taking action causes an irritable reactions in most. Yet the human body thrives on changing it's comfortable routines through the experience of being challenged. I guess that's why they call them growing pains. So let's look at some creative ways to challenge ourselves in order to initiate change. Especially since it's time to prepare for the changing of the seasons and transition in to a new year.

A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned. (Defined by Wikipedia)

First off let's just go ahead and give up on the classic "New Years resolution". I have witnessed more than my fair share of motivated people boldly look deep in to my eyes and profess "This is my year...." A study recently conducted showed that 52% of the participants were confident in making changes with their resolution yet only 12% actually made changes and achieved their goal. Seems like small numbers on both sides of the coin. Why did these participants lack so much confidence in their ability? The question alone allows us to ask more questions in order to properly examine the very act of setting goals. Is the goal truly attainable? In other words is it truly possible to achieve that particular goal in the time frame expectation? For example weight loss seems to be a very popular goal that people routinely set for themselves. Popular responses like 10lbs to 20lbs roll off the tongue so casually. Great! But, wait how much is 10lbs, How much is 20lbs? That seems like a lot of weight considering there are 3500 calories in a pound.

Daily calorie consumption recommendations from the USDA are as follows:

• Seniors - 1,600 calories per day
• Children - 1,600 calories per day
• Inactive women - 1,600 calories per day
• Inactive men - 2,200 calories per day 

Lets not get carried away with numbers, trust me you'll spin your self in to a frenzy just trying to calculate each bite that passes your lips. My objective is to promote attainable goals. Yes you would look and feel a lot better if you lost that extra weight but concerning your self with the numbers day in and day out can break down even the strongest of wills. So what is the key to setting attainable goals? One of the first things we need to do is focus on making small changes. The phrase "Rome wasn't created in a day" comes to mind. Yes we want to achieve the goal as soon as possible but how we get there is the key.  It all starts by focusing on the way we talk to ourselves. Our thought process can make or break us before we even set the goal. Remember just over half the people who made New Years resolutions actually felt confident about making the resolution. That means that 48% of the people studied set a goal they knew they could not accomplish. If they had confidence in the goal they set it might have increased the potential for success. Then why did only 12% actually achieve their goal? I believe it was their thought process and plan of action. Simply put they believed in their ability to accomplish the goal and formed a plan of small goals in order to stay focused on the bigger goal.

Every goal is different and each plan of action is unique. Taking some time to find out what you really want to accomplish this year will help put goal setting in to perspective. Then incorporating a coach to help you come up with a plan of action will increase the likelihood of you being successful as you continue to climb your steep and rocky path towards greatness. 


   

Crimes of the Mind/The Gift Economy

"I am the king of nothing

The emperor of emptiness

I don't have a castle

And I don't wear a crown"

The King of Nothing 

Phish

The days are getting shorter the temperatures getting colder and the full moon laughs as I wake to the abrupt sounds of classical music. Another day at the office. "Time to make the doughnuts"...

I am sure we all feel this way from time to time especially now as the X-mas season gets closer and the impending wave prepares to splash it's magically  charged stress ridden tidings of good cheer. Ba-humbug! I know I am not the only one.We start the season off by using terms like "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" Wait I thought this was a special time of year where people were focused on the sharing of abundance. Yet the rat race is fueled by rock bottom prices on crappy electronic devices that are supposed to keep us connected to one another. Wait isn't that what the holiday is for? Well, no wonder we get stressed out, pissed off and act out in strange ways were being bombarded by X-mas everywhere we go and I don't know about you but it's driving me nuts! No wonder setting up a tent in the woods seems like such a desirable experience. The simplicity of life and giving thanks for the natural abundance that surrounds us. Fresh air, clean water, good food and simple thoughts. After all isn't that what life is really all about? For some maybe not. But here is a thought as you compile the gift list this season. How personal is a gift made by someone else? Take some time and find out what you can give especially of yourself. The term time is energy is money seems to be thrown around most of the year yet when it comes to the holiday season we suddenly become time poor and credit rich. Seems like one of the greatest and most precious gift we have the availability to give is that of time. So where is your time better spent milling around a big box store wondering if you will ever find the perfect gift? Or just taking that time and spending it with the people who make you feel good and sometimes even the ones who make you feel not so good. Either way the gift of self will be far more rewarding in the long run. After all you can give a gift and it may be forgotten but, an experience will last forever.

Simply Fit

The simplicity of fitness

  Through out my career as a fitness professional I have chuckled (under my breath) at all the silly excuses as to why people shy away from living a healthy life. I have heard anything from the standard "I don't have time" to "My spouse won't let me" or my all time favorite "I don't want to hurt myself". I know a lot of people over time have justified sitting on the couch by muttering these very phrases at one point or another. But, lets get back to basics and talk about the human body. I am still amazed at it's incredible capability  After all we are a functional being that never stops moving even at rest. We even have the capability to regenerate cells and repair our bodies. Then when we do repair ourselves we actually make ourselves stronger and prepared for more stress or work. I will admit that there is a fine line of just enough work and too much work. For each person this is very different and the only true way to find out if you are working too hard is to experience it. Before we talk about over training let's discuss the whole purpose of this article and that is to just get you moving. That is where it all starts, by just simply moving the body. Here are a few quick tips to get started.

• Walk up a flight of stairs then turn around and walk back up again
• Lay down on the floor front or back then get back up into a standing position (in front of the television is optional)
• Park as a far away from your destination as possible, the walk will help you think about your breathing
• Stretch your beautiful muscles when you get out of bed in the morning
• Stand up from sitting in a chair 5 times while drinking your coffee and checking e-mail
• Most important keep searching for the things that your body is capable of doing. So often we live in fear of injury we hold ourselves back from doing what our bodies really want and that is to keep moving so we can continue to regenerate cells and defy the affects of aging.

Get out and play!

Hello my name is Jeff Bass, Achieving Total Fitness started one day while climbing a steep and rocky path both literally and figuratively. I suddenly realized that my life was seriously out of balance and if I didn't make some positive changes I would never be healthy, let alone happy. In all my travels I have been very fortunate to learn some incredible techniques that help make life a little easier. Living in balance is easy; the hard part is getting it back once it is gone. I look forward to sharing these fascinating techniques with you as you continue along your steep and rocky path towards greatness. "Life is an adventure... ... are you prepared?"   "Every moral has a story, every story has an end. Every battle has it's glory and consequence" Ben Harper~Glory and Consequence   Everyday as a Fitness Trainer/Coach/Adventure Guide, I deal with people who face challenges. Big challenges! Career, Family,Life and Health. What can I say, life happens and all we are really required to do is start life, end life, pay taxes and at some point fly through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport on our way to some place like Detroit. What we do with the time in between is all up to us. Ultimately, we make the choices that determine the course of our lives. We also have the power to make a conscious effort that determines the quality of those choices.                                    "We have a choice: either Love or Fear" So as you begin the amazing battle of understanding yourself, please know that everyday is a challenge. We all experience setbacks. It's what you do with those challenges that determines the course of your life. As we begin to look forward to the springtime of life, what are you going to do: Love or Fear that new fitness program? Are you going to set some new goals that will challenge you while inspiring others to pursue their own path towards greatness? If you don't, who will? "The world is like a ride in an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question: "Is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, "Hey, don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." Bill Hicks

Energy In Energy Out~It's that simple!   Or so it should be... Let's face it: food is something we all need in order to sustain life. Without it we simply would waste away to nothing! Yet, we have this amazing relationship with food. It is creative, sensuous, even sexy to some! We dream about it, crave it, and find so much comfort in it. So what is a human body to do? If you don't eat you become an irritable mess, and if you eat too much you increase adipose tissue(Body fat). Where is the Balance?  As a fitness trainer it is the biggest challenge I experience with my clients. First, food is a very personal experience. Everyone has preferences, things they love, like, and won't even think about touching. So trying to tell someone what and how they should eat can turn quite volatile quickly. Also, food allergies are becoming more predominate in our society and most people are not even aware of them. Fatigue is often blamed on stress.The food you are eating should be giving you enough energy to push through the fatigue.This won't happen, especially if your body does not like or can not assimilate the nutrients you are ingesting. It uses more energy to get rid of the bad stuff. I speak from experience. I  have been dealing with food allergies for over 12 years. Five of which I was clueless and in extreme pain. Three more were spent trying to figure it out. During that time I adopted more of a philosophy and relationship with food. Simply put...FOOD IS FUEL! Once I was able to figure out what my body liked and didn't like, I was able to maximize human performance and live life to the fullest with unlimited energy. So, Why do you eat?  What is your relationship with food? What kind of fuel are you putting in to your body? These questions get overlooked everyday because they interfere with our basic survival instinct. We are designed to constantly fuel our systems, especially whenever food is present. So our impulses become understandable, especially since we are inundated  with food wherever we go. So I challenge you to really take a look at how much fuel you are putting in to your body. Is it proportional to the amount of energy your are expending? Also, what are you fueling your system with? Are you eating whole foods? In my current research and personal experience the difference between success and failure is not how much you are eating, but WHAT you are eating. Nutrition is an ongoing challenge for all of us. Hang in there! As we continue this adventure we will explore some interesting things about creating balance with your nutrition. The first step is understanding. Once we understand, then we can take proper action Push, Pull, Run, Jump The Essence of Functional Fitness Think back to grammar school. Wasn't the most liberating experience of the school day recess? That moment when you could go outside play with your friends, yell, scream, run and jump. Whatever happened to that? Now our butts are stuck in seats under florescent lights buried deep in some office leashed to a computer. Basically put, we stopped playing. Well, I am bringing recess back with a vengeance! I bet you were in the best shape of your life when you 12 years old. You played, danced, ran, jumped and screamed at the top of your lungs like no one was watching without a care in the world. Now that the New Years resolutions have gone to the way side and everyone is re-evaluating their swimsuit goals for summer, I challenge you to really think about your fitness program. Are you finding success in what you are currently doing? Here are few things to think about while you consider getting out and playing more this year. Are you enjoying yourself? If you are having fun you will look forward to the activity..."I can do anything as long as it is fun!" Have you set attainable goals? Climbing a mountain is a great goal to have. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Anyone can do it but, you have to be realistic. Have you mastered breathing yet? Great place to start... go without it for a few minutes and see how important it is... Have you set yourself up for success? Find a way to support yourself either through a coach, mentor, trainer or even just a journal. All are proven methods to help keep you focused, but most of all accountable.  As fitness trainer, human performance is my passion. Once you understand the machine you can fine tune it and maximize performance. Sure you may not want to climb a mountain with me. But, wouldn't it be amazing if you had more energy?In the upcoming newsletter I will be touching on some incredible ways to maximize your human performance...for now!  Get out and play! You'll thank me later

Mission: To create unique experiences that help change peoples lives Thank you so much for taking the time to read my newsletter and supporting my mission. I hope in some way it helps set you up for success as you continue to walk along your path towards greatness! Train like your life depends on it...you never know it just might... Be adventurous, Jeff Bass

You are your thoughts....

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world" The Grateful Dead   There is no better time than right NOW to start making simple changes in your life. Sure we can do things like recycle refuse, use less gasoline, even just turning off the lights help save the planet. What I am asking  you to start doing is actually a real challenge. Change your thoughts! The way we think creates our world, it motivates us to do the things we do. Well, let's take a moment and really analyze our thoughts. Then we can begin the change. Something tells me you are already thinking about the things you DON"T want in your life as apposed to all the wonderful things you do want.

You are your thoughts   Who do you talk to the most? This is one of my favorite questions of all time. It never stops getting people to actually think for a minute. The wheels turn then it dawns on them. the answer is YOU! You talk to yourself all day long. You have amazing conversations with yourself and because you do it all day long over time we tend to take this powerful way of communicating for granted. After all it's that crazy voice that keeps me going doing all the stuff I have to do all day long. Well, now that you are aware of these wonderful conversations. I hope you tune in to those conversations a little bit closer you just might learn a little about why you are where you are. Plus, if you say you CAN'T guess what you probably WON"T Secrets of the Millionaire Mind  The Law of Attraction "The Law of Attraction takes the principal "Like Attracts Like" and applies it to conscious desire. That is, a person's thoughts, emotions, and beliefs cause a change in the physical world that attracts positive or negative experiences that correspond to the aforementioned thoughts, with or without the person taking action to attain such experiences. This process has been described as "harmonious vibrations of the law of attraction" From Wikipedia It is all about Frequencies A few years a go I decided to take course that would certify me as an indoor cycling instructor. Which many people have come to know and love as "spinning" or aka "spin class"  At first I wasn't sure if I would ever want to teach such a class. Riding a bike indoors? It sounded like an oxymoron much like"Military Intelligence" or "Jumbo Shrimp" I thought bikes were meant for outdoor activity. A fun way to explore terrain while getting a great workout. Since not every area allows for such a great form of activity I now see the need for such an experince. I also would soon learn so much about how something as simple as music could and would have such a huge impact on setting a frequency and either making or breaking an experince. Based on the laws of Quantum Physics we mirrior  and match the frequency of the prodominate sounds we are listing to. In my own personal experince I find that the type of music I am listening to has a huge impact on so many factors in my life. I am sure we all have similar experinces. Sound therapists are even doing studies on music and health and well being. So what are you listening to and why? So often we listen to the music that helps capture an emotion or even tap in to some key memories. A time, a place, a person or just an experince. It's a great tool to helps us tap in to something that is deep withion our subconcious and often times larger than even ourselves. Basically put it is energy and very potent energy at that. When I was teaching my spin classes my approach to teaching was that of "training the brain" My goal was to create an experience rather than just play music people could relate to. My music is very different and not recognizable by most. I prefer to use live recorded music that is fun playful and very long, sometimes extending a song as long as 20 minutes. At first most people are resistant to this type of approach. It's easy to zone out and remember what was by relating to the music. The goal is to tap in to what is and stay present in the moment and build a stronger relationship with who you are what you are capable of. So I ask you what are you listening to? The answer may help change your life! So take some time and really listen. What does your music say about you? You never know changing your play list could change the quality of your workouts, set a new tone for the day or just inspire you to keep striving for greatness! The Secret

Never Better was the answer when you ask me how I have been.

"You live you love you die...each time you slide away"

While cruising through the pines on our way to Lake Tahoe these were the philosophical lyrics ringing in my ears. So simply put yet eloquently translated. It's like digging in to a deeper pool of self awareness and coming out cleansed and ready to climb to the top of a mountain. As we approached the very mountain that has turned me back far to many times than I care to recall, I couldn't help but feel the shiver of frozen feet as the ice cracked plunging my cotton wrapped feet knee deep in the icy waters of a spring at the base of Mt Rose. It was one of the longest walks back to the car I have ever taken. Determined to climb this damn mountain I put the failures of each attempt in a different perspective. I found myself chuckling as I approached each stumbling block along the way. Snow, Ice, Lost, Cold, Hungry and of course a shot of fear were always present during each climb. Who would have thought a mountain so basic could be so hard? Well, each mountain allows itself to be climbed some days you can and some days you just can not. Standing at 10,770 feet over looking the Lake Tahoe Basin this climb would present it's own challenges in the form of wind. Armed with the forecast of gusts up to 70 knots, we never doubted the climb or the potential for success. Walking along the beautifully maintained hiking trail 5.2 miles to the summit is picturesque. A place that lies between the vast desert and the deep blue water of Lake Tahoe. A landscape of lush green pines and springs trickling down the mountainside with wildflowers still bursting with blooms. The climb was a challenge as always. My body tight from a lack of stretching and over training. My breathing labored and a slight pounding in my head from a few too many of Moylan's Kilt Lifters the night before. I was determined to focus on my mechanics and create and efficient machine capable of overcoming obstacles and achieving my goal. First, I needed to manage my water level since I had been drinking the night before massive amounts of water was necessary to provide energy to my already stressed muscles. Next was the breathing. When I hike or climb I prefer a method of nose breathing (after all the nose is for breathing the mouth is for eating). It can be very challenging at first but, as you continue to work with it you'll be able to filter the air, warm it and then draw it deep in to the lungs to be used for those hard working muscles. Plus, you smell the most amazing fragrances only found hidden deep near a waterfall in the mountains. Finally, it was my core that needed to be fluid in order to allow my stride to open up and be efficient. I could feel the tightness in my legs from a lack of stretching. The more I focused on using my legs and hips in a symphony of movement the more they opened up. I used a mantra of "release, relax, open up and enjoy" My smiles along the way told my story when I didn't and melted away the icy cold stumbling blocks I had encountered in the past. As we stepped past the tree line we were greeted with our first real gust of wind blowing the dust of a rocky crag in our faces. Hats off hair up and fresh coat of sunscreen we pushed on only to stop to listen to the latest report of gust exceeding 70mph! It was too beautiful to stop this soon. As we came out of the trees the wind swirled around and challenged us to maintain a strong sense of balance. Pushing up the rocky path each step was a challenge to work with the gust and the swirls as we approached our biggest challenge, the summit ridge. Only about one hundred yards from the summit but exposed on both sides, if caught off guard the potential to be gently guided down the side of mountain with true force of mother nature's own hand, inevitable. The initial gusts were strong but, with summit fever the ridge was like running across a tight rope with a victory beer on the other side. Safe in the rock shelter of previous climbers we located our summit marker gave thanks for safe journey and enjoyed the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe glimmering in the afternoon sunshine.

After a quick bite to eat and a few photos we knew where there were victory beers so we saddled up and prepared for a safe return to the trail head. As we approached the summit ridge the gust were remarkably stronger. As I stepped out from behind the rock shelter, It took every once of balance and strength to not be blown over. We went to our knees to lower the center of gravity to wait out the gust in order to get off the ridge and back to the safety of the trees. What felt like an eternity only last a moment and we found our window and made the break. Safely back in the trees we enjoyed a few laughs put on the head phones and enjoyed blissful jams as we danced across the crushed granite playing with the puppies along the trail wishing other good luck with their summit attempt. As I stepped on to the final leg of the trail and smelled the fresh mountain sage basking in the afternoon sunlight I felt cleansed, refreshed, tired and  silently euphoric. Our perseverance pays off  and we bask in the glow of yet another challenge met.

Because life is an adventure...Are you prepared?

Breath...Breath in the air...

In my ongoing quest to learn more about human performance I knew that I would be an amzing specimin to study. It would be an ongoing pursuit to understand all of the factors that go in to making me a more efficent human being. Instant feedback on all my actions reactions and desions I make about living in the moment. Even down to the very thought one is thinking, makes or breaks performance. So to truly understand myself I took a very simple test to determine my Ennegram. Turns out I am a type 3 "The adventurer" Not surprising at all acrtually my life is all about adventure even if it means stopping off for a cup of coffee. Somitimes you just never know what could or would happen. So one day when I was off on one of my solo adventures it dawned on me when we take time and simplify our thoughts our needs become minimal. What we really need becomes clear. I have broken it down in to Three basic needs in order to sustain life all of which somehow mangage to have the common thread of the number 3.
                                                 

Food :30 days

Yes we need food to live I will not disagree and when we go with out it for a while we can get a little cranky. But, how long can the human body sustain life with out it? On average the human body can live for 30 days. That's a long time to go without nurioushment. The first 3 days I am sure would be the toughest your body. You burn off glucose stored in the muscles. Then your Liver starts processing the body fat. Tough price to pay for a weight loss program because after 3 weeks of this your body goes in to a starvation mode and begins to use the muscles, organs and bone marrow for energy. So after 30 days I think it's safe to say you might want to find some food. But what good is no food for 30 days if you don't have water...

Water:3 days

I love water and for some reason you probably do too. Were all drawn to it in one way or another. It cleans us mentally and physically. Water stops us in our tracks, be it a pounding surf against the sandy shores, a cascading water fall or placid alpine lake shimmering in the early morning sunlight. No matter where we go water astounds us. Yet most importantly it quenches our thirst and provides a wonderful source of energy our muscles need in order to keep them work at maximum efficiency. Without it our muscles would simply turn against themselves as a source of energy. So keep drinking water it's very important to stay hydrated, after all the human body is made up of about 80% water. But what good is all that food and water if I can't supply oxygen to those working muscles? 

Breathing:3 Minutes

I know, I know, I know, you've been breathing since birth and it seems to be working so far, or is it? Just because you haven't turned blue doesn't mean you really understand it and if you did could you maximize it? Since it is an involuntary function of survival we tend to forget about it. Imagine if you had to actually think about breathing in order to accomplish it, or worse you actually had to think about making your heart beat. You would be overwhelmed. So our brain takes over so we can actually do other things besides being consumed with monitoring our bodily functions. But, what if we took some time to focus on the quality of those breaths? A little science about breathing in general. First off the mouth is for eating and the nose is for breathing. Increased activity force us to mount breath. We gulp air trying to fill the lungs up and supply maximal amounts of oxygen to working muscles. This is a signal for the adrenal glands to fire triggering our flight or fight sense also known as the sympathetic nervous system. That is the stuff that helps petite soccer mom's lift cars off their child in a thunder storm! Powerful stuff! Do we need that much power and energy when we are driving down the highway or say answering e-mails? Most likely not. Sure we need to be on top of our game and ready for anything but, all that fight or flight is draining our natural energy not to mention creating a tight sensation through out our body. The flight or fight signals trouble and forces our bodies to go in to a protective mode. We tighten core muscles to protect our vital organs and central nervous system. Once we shift our breathing pattern to the nose we turn off the flight or fight system and turn on our parasympathetic nervous system known as the rest and digest system which helps stimulate or inhibit certain glandular secretions, regulate cardiac rhythms, and helps the body regulate digestion. So taking some time to focus on breathing through the nose will  help the body find a certain level of hormonal balance. Plus we have the ability to draw more air deeper in the lower lobes of the lungs there for giving our working muscles more oxygen and allowing them produce more energy over a longer period of time. Simply put we have more energy to do all things we enjoy doing. So I challenge you to take some time and see how you are breathing. Then check out this quick tip to focus on our breathing.

1)Place your tongue in the roof of your mouth 

2)Place your right hand over your naval

3)slightly contract your throat and make a light snoring sound as you inhale and exhale. See how long you can keep it going.

Once you become aware of your breathing you will notice how much more calm and energized you become. Some people even report feeling a little light headed with sudden rush of oxygen to the brain. I am sure you'll find a way to adjust to the new found energetic bursts.

So taking a few momnets through out our day to make sure we breathing long slow and deep will have a profound affect on our day. If you don't believe me flirt with the power of three and see how powerful they really are. Start with the most important breathing, see how something we normally do, yet don't think about, can change the quality of lives just by using a little and taking charge of it.