Pathways To Fitness

In less that 14 hours it’ll be Election Day 2020 in the United States of America. We’re in what is arguably the most divided and tumultuous time in our nation’s history since it’s birth in the mid-1700s. As a global community we’ve all weathered COVID-19, extreme political divide, racial tension and cries to defund our law enforcement. Even through all of what seems like an insane dream this year I’m still optimistic and hopeful that our greatest days are just ahead of us. I know that this is in-fact true because my Christian faith and it’s Holy book, the Bible tells me so. The Bible is loaded with prophesy that actually foretold a lot of what we’re experiencing in real-time and even what’s to come. It’s clearly spelled out in the pages of the Bible and we’re watching it unfold.  For believers it’s an exciting time. For non-believers or those still searching it could be a potentially frightening time with little hope. I encourage you to be hopeful. In this episode we actually don’t talk about prophesy or any of the things I just mentioned. This are just things that are on my mind and heart at the moment. In this Pre-Election episode we discuss: Mental toughness and the #75Hard program that I’m doing Impacts of Social Media on our psyche and our society in general. Is the return that we’re collectively getting for social media worth the investment?  Zero tolerance in society for disagreement Are we being willfully duped by not staying informed and digging deeper into the information that’s being presented to us?

If you've ever been involved in a race (whether competitive or leisure) you've probably experienced the phenomenon of how different the perceived difficulty of that race is based on if you know the route and what to expect, or you have no idea what to expect.  When we know what to expect and what our target is, it's amazing how much easier (even if by perception) the task is. If you've run a 5K before and you went out to walk or drive the course before the race, you'll notice that it doesn't seem quite so difficult. On the reserve side of that example, if you have no idea where you're going, if there are hills up ahead or other obstacles, you may find it harder.  In this episode we discuss the benefit of a coach or trainer giving you an idea of the target stimulus of a workout and also a target that you should be aiming for. This plays an important mental role in an athletes achievement of that intended stimulus.  We also discuss the incredible benefits of scaling a workout appropriately so you reach an intended stimulus and avoid missing it because you attempted something that you're not ready for.  Scaling isn't failing! Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up, or go lighter to eventually go heavier. 

In this episode we discuss why your ultimate vision for your health, fitness or physique goals may be eluding you even though you "eat healthier" and workout more!   What if the answer is in how you are looking at, and what you're expecting from those two different things (nutrition and exercise)? 

Mental Health can be delicate topic that some may not feel comfortable talking about, but it’s a topic that I feel is very necessary discuss.  I myself have dealt with my own bouts of depression and anxiety in different seasons of my life and I’m sure some of you listening may be able to relate as well. I fully believe that freedom in general is found by bringing things to light and just having honest, inquisitive conversations. In this episode I sit down and talk with two professional therapists, Marissa Wells and Kim Johnson, who are business partners and co-own SALT Counseling and Consultation.  We have a casual conversation where I ask them things about their profession that I was curious about and I hope this helps to educate you as the listener and hopefully demystify counseling in general. None of the topics discussed in this interview should be considered medical advice of any kind. If you need medical assistance or have an emergency of any kind please dial 9-1-1 and request assistance.   Find out more about SALT Counseling and Consultation at: https://www.saltcounselingclinic.com https://www.instagram.com/saltcounselingclinic/ https://www.facebook.com/saltcounselingclinic

  In this episode of Pathways to Fitness, we talk about some practical approaches to seeing our inner-most desires and dreams become reality.  Jon discusses his morning routine and how he believes that nurtures and essentially works toward manifesting the dreams he has. Resources mentioned:  Rachel Hollis: https://www.instagram.com/msrachelhollis/ Dave Hollis: https://www.instagram.com/mrdavehollis/ Start Today Journal Jon uses: https://shop.thehollisco.com/   [Jon here:] Dreams and goals (which are not exactly synonymous) are some of my very favorite things to talk about. Like, I can get annoyingly JAZZED about discussing this topic with people.  I love to talk about my dreams, but also encourage others in their dreams. I’m a natural encourager in this area.   As an entrepreneur, dreaming is simply built into my DNA. The term “dreamer” I think has often been synonymous with “unfocused” or “unrealistic”, but I think dreamers are a more accurate reflection of our creator and Heavenly Father, God.   Step outside and look around. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G you see is the result of a dream or an inspired idea… literally everything. It was either God, our creator’s idea, or it was an idea of a human (which as I believe, we humans were an inspired idea of God’s).   It would only make sense that as manifestations ourselves of a creative God, that we would exhibit some of his characteristics. I think all of us have dreams and ideas within us. Some of us more easily or naturally embrace those dreams than others. To some people, the dreams and ideas that they have may be scary or seem risky which cause apprehension. For others, dreams hold excitement and mystery that calls to our inner adventurer.   I’ve come up with a snazzy little acronym that puts into words the unconscious (until now) R.E.C.I.P.E I take to move closer to physically seeing my dreams become reality.  I’ll try to be brief in describing each:   R - Reflection E - Embrace C - Conscious Gratitude I  - Intentional Action P  - Prayer E  - Excited Expectation   R-eflection - It all begins with reflecting, in thought or prayer about what it is that you TRULY desire in your inner-most being. Those ideas that come to you that in the past or maybe currently you think are unrealistic or too “out there”, those are dreams that have been placed in you by your creator. The ideas for that ministry, that business, that non-profit, that community service project that you just can’t get off your mind. Those are your dreams and they’re NOT unrealistic. I believe it’s powerful to journal these and write them out in vivid detail.   E-mbrace - Embrace, which by its simplest definition means to “hold close”, is what you have to do with these dreams. Accept them. Hold them close and believe that they are possible for you to experience.   C-onscious Gratitude -  Have you ever noticed what you focus on the most is what you tend to see more of in your life? Like, that new (or new to you) car you got. Inevitably when you get that car, then you see that same make, model and year of car driving around everywhere. You never noticed quite so many of them out on the road before did you?  It’s because you’re now consciously aware of that type of car…. because it’s your daily reality. In the same way, when we focus on the things we’re thankful for, even if those things haven’t physically manifested in our lives yet, but have in our spirit, we will begin to see more of those things in our everyday life.  I know, I know….I’m starting to get into talking about faith here a little bit (you know, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11: 1) and faith isn’t exactly the topic of this podcast episode, but in a round-about way it is.   I-ntentional Action - Just having a dream or an idea isn’t quite enough to see it come to fruition. Just like getting educated or inspired everyday with books or podcasts isn’t quite enough if there’s no follow-up action taken. Just having a dream or idea will only get you so far without some kind of movement forward or action taken on your part to move toward that dream. I’m not saying that realizing your dreams requires you driving yourself into the ground everyday with action or that it ALL depends on you. I believe that dreams become a reality through a combined effort between us and God. I could probably do a whole other podcast episode on this topic and the dangers of thinking that it’s ALL up to us to MAKE things happen. That’s not the case.   P-rayer -  It’s simple… prayer that is. It doesn’t have to be complicated or a show. Just simply being in thoughtful contemplation and communicating with God your desires, and thankfulness for the inspiration he’s placed in your heart. I know this one seems kind of repetitive to previous steps but it’s important. Verbalizing or journaling your gratitude for those things BEFORE THEY EVEN MATERIALIZE in the flesh is an important piece of this recipe. Notice I’ve mentioned thankfulness and gratitude a lot? Prayer isn’t just going to God like he’s a genie here to fulfill all our wishes. Let’s balance our requests with gratitude shall we?   E-xcited Expectation - This one is probably my favorite and maybe one of the more powerful steps in the RECIPE for seeing your dreams come to life. This involves all of the previous steps as I believe all of the previous steps help you get to that feeling of excitement inside. You know that feeling of anticipation that you get whenever you’re leaving on a trip the next day or there’s that special event that you’ve been waiting for and it’s tomorrow? You get that feeling in your belly. The butterflies. The racing heart. That feeling that you almost want to jump out of your skin you’re so excited?  That’s the kind of expectation you should have about your dreams coming toward you.  Some things that help you achieve this excitement is daily writing down your dreams and goals.  Journaling your dreams one at a time and taking the time write them down in vivid detail. What color will that car be? How will your business or home be furnished exactly? How many people will your non-profit or community organization be able to help each week, month, year?  How will you FEEL emotionally whenever you get to walk into that dream in REAL LIFE?  I encourage you to write these things down on a piece of paper and get to a place where you can see every detail in your mind and almost feel it.  When you do this you’ll begin to get that “butterflies” feeling inside as you anticipate and EXPECT your dream to become reality.  

Our guest for episode 008 has a laundry list of accomplishments in both the Crossfit world, but especially from a business perspective. Jason Ackerman is a Crossfit Level-4 coach as well as a member of the Crossfit HQ Seminar Staff. He's part of the team that trains Crossfit Level-1 and Level-2 coaches.  Jason has been in the fitness industry since 1995. He earned his Crossfit Level-1 certification in 2007 and joined the Crossfit HQ seminar staff in 2013 after multiple attempts and internships (this guy is determined)!  He was the founder of Crossfit Albany in New York's capital city, and one of his claims-to-fame in the "Crossfit world" is the record figure that he sold this business for (some reports were that it was near or right at a seven-figure deal!) He is the founder of "Own Your Eating" with his wife Roz. Own Your Eating's mission states, "Our mission is two-fold: end the misery of dieting for good and help as many people as possible achieve an extraordinary quality of life with some simple changes to their nutrition."  Where to find out more about Jason Ackerman and what he has to offer the world! Own Your Eating - Flexible Eating & Nutrition Coaching Best Hour Of Their Day Podcast Instagram (Personal) Instagram (Best Hour of Their Day) Instagram (Own Your Eating)

Crossfit can be intimidating to some folks if all they know about it is what they see on the Crossfit Games (The Crossfit Games are the Crossfit World Championships I guess you could say). Look at the Crossfit Games like you would compare Major League Baseball to a Co-ed Softball league. One is NOT like the other and shouldn't be approached in the same way.  For 99.9% of us who don't compete on the elite level, Crossfit is meant to be a fitness methodology that incorporates various functional movements (movement that mimics things you do in everyday living i.e. sitting down, standing up, picking something up off the ground, lifting something up overhead onto a shelf, etc...) in varying rep schemes and intensities, with the goal of attaining an individuals peak fitness by keeping the body constantly guessing at what's coming next.  In this episode David and Jon talk about what new-comers to Crossfit could expect of their first experience, what they should look for in a gym (also referred to in the Crossfit world as a "box"), and what they should look for and expect from a good coach.  Our hope is that after listening to this episode, Crossfit is much less intimidating to you and something that you may consider exploring a little. 

Running is as foundational practice that we as humans are naturally designed to do. In early history we ran to chase down food or to stay alive by running from something or someone higher on the food chain. Now we run for transportation, for enjoyment (yes, people actually run because they like it) or to improve our fitness and aerobic capacity.  In this episode David and I discuss the fact that many "fitness enthusiasts" try to avoid running, why David has been incorporating more running into his programming personally and for clients and the many benefits that running can have on our overall fitness level.  A great resource for run programming and just increasing aerobic capacity in general is Chris Hinshaw's http://aerobiccapacity.com/ . 

Guest: Chris Hinshaw Crossfit HQ - Subject Matter Expert (Aerobic Capacity) http://aerobiccapacity.com/ www.instagram.com/hinshaw363/ www.instagram.com/aerobiccapacity/ In this episode we are honored and a little giddy if we're being honest, to have Crossfit HQ, Subject Matter Expert in the discipline of Aerobic Capacity, Chris Hinshaw as the very first guest on the Pathways to Fitness podcast.   We just wrapped up a weekend course with Chris that helped us understand aerobic capacity in a more tangible way. We honestly felt like we'd sat through a doctoral level class at the end of this course, but the way in which Chris Hinshaw is able to explain it all just makes so much sense. He gave all of us in attendance actionable knowledge that we could immediately take home and implement.  For example, before heading to the Aerobic Capacity course at Crossfit Mayhem (yes Mr. Rich Froning's gym), David (our co-host) had tested his 1 mile run time at around 7:21. After we returned home from the course, David retested his 1 mile run and did it in 6:54. We'd say David learned something at this course.  Mr. Hinshaw was so gracious with his time and agreed to sit down with us after the course had wrapped and he'd spent about an hour or so talking with attendees, taking pictures and answering questions. This guy is for real the most giving and selfless with his time.  We discussed his career before being a professional athlete, a full time subject matter expert and coach, his philosophy on programming and convincing athletes to "own" their workouts and we touched on the impact that his father (early on in life) and then his wife Heidi have had on his career through their encouraging him to take risks and do BIG things.  

"Body image" is the way that someone perceives their body and assumes that others perceive them. This image is often affected by family, friends, social pressure and the media. Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. Realistically, only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed in American media. The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness reports that between 2.4 and 3.6 million men suffer from eating disorders today.  A 2016 survey on male body image found that 20 percent to 40 percent of men were unhappy with some aspect of their looks, including physical appearance, weight, and muscle size and tone. Source Article     

When you read something like "You Are Programmed To Be Poor", or "You're Not Living the Life You're Capable Of", what kind of reaction does that evoke in you? What emotions are stirred when you contemplate that possibility?  In our culture we are passively (not overtly) conditioned to be results/success oriented. We aren't encouraged to experiment or test things to see what works and what doesn't through failure. F-A-I-L-U-R-E is considered a bad word and something that we are to avoid at all costs.  What if though, it is through those failures, those failed experiments, that we discover our true calling.... our purpose...the very things that make us come alive? In this episode we talk about pushing past fear and the trained aversion to failure, in order to live a truly inspired and fulfilling life.    If you want to watch the full video that we pulled this Robert Kiyosaki audio from you can find it here: https://youtu.be/m6pWEzkbnDE    To connect with us follow us on http://instagram/pathwaystofitness Please consider going to Apple Podcast (iTunes) and leaving us a Rating and Review (or just a Rating is fine... although we love to know your thoughts). This helps us gain more visibility on the podcast platforms. 

Getting lean, losing weight, adding muscle, bulking up, getting tone…. These are all phrases we’ve heard people say or maybe even said ourselves. These are very general statements that pertain to our fitness, or maybe more accurately, aesthetic goals. They can be complicated and frustrating at times to judge success towards, AND the way we judge our success can heavily impact how motivated and focused we remain on the goal. In this episode we talk about the difference between looking at the scale for our reassurance of success, versus the idea of focusing on our bodies performance and functional ability for signs of progress. We also talk about how the body reacts to what is essentially yo-yo weight loss. David tells us about his experience with losing over 100 pounds on multiple occasions, and how his body reacted differently to massive amounts of weight loss based on his different approaches.   Please be sure to follow us on instagram and share your questions, comments or show ideas.   https://www.instagram.com/pathwaystofitness/

On this 001 episode David and I introduce the podcast and ourselves. We talk a bit about what to expect out of this podcast and a little bit about who we are individually and a little about our background.  We hope you'll join us for future episodes and chime in with your comments and questions.    Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast platform and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.   http://instagram.com/pathwaystofitness http://fb.com/groups/pathwaystofitness