Define Yourself
“What kind of man is one who does not try to make this world a better place?”
Do you wake up in the morning thirsting for the blood of battle? Probably not, but then again, what do you fight for? Your job, a parking space? Who are you right now, as you're reading this? Think about what you do when no one is looking. Are you happy with your answer? Who do you want to be? What kind of human being is one who does not try to make this world a better place? Your character is defined by your habits, your habits are built upon your repeated actions, and the good news is, you have the power to change what you do and how you think. We all have something in our lives we want to change, but nothing is going to happen unless we do something about it. I know you have something you want to, nay, you need to fight for, and the first step starts by voicing what that is.
Define the achievement you want to bring into reality. The fear generated from the thought of not accomplishing those desires is the force that kills most dreams. So instead of waiting for someone to save you, become your own hero, and honestly, sometimes using your imagination to help you do so isn't such a bad idea.
When I was in high school, I would imagine that I was a super hero during my workouts. On the swim team, I felt like superman, pretending the water was air, as I would fly, lap after lap, telling myself that my team-mates needed my help. And it worked. I was better for it. But now that everyone has scattered and I'm two thousand miles from what I used to call home, it falls on me to keep in touch by phone and muster my own strength. So it's here, online, that I am redefining myself as a Modern Viking. My norse heritage carries viking blood through my heart, but in this modern age, one needs to concur oneself instead of outwardly trying to concur others. To become a Modern Viking is to adopt a new way of life, to fiercely commit to becoming your best self, and to never give up, no matter how many times you may fall.
My commitment as a former Certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Ironman Triathlete, is to tell you that you don't need a personal trainer, you don't need the fancy gadgets, and a promise that I will give you all of what I have learned for free right here in my blog. I used to charge $100 an hour for my sessions, but I'm giving thousands of dollars worth of training away for free because I believe proactive solutions are the best ones, and that a capitalist system that profits from it's struggling citizens as they swing back and forth from binge eating to dieting is wrong, so I'm not going to play by the rules. I trust in good karma, and accept donations if you choose to support me. I am a Modern Viking, here to fight for a sustainable lifestyle, and that starts by building a strong foundation.
First Things First
The first disclaimer to cover my ass is to note to always see your doctor before starting a new workout routine. They can help you determine an intensity level fit for you, and measure you to get an accurate BMI (Body Mass Index) rating (seen below).
Technically, I am currently obese, a BMI score of 30 at 215 lbs, 5'11", and my primary goal is to get back to a BMI of 24, healthy, at 175 pounds. That's a difference of 40 pounds. It's a lot, but any goal is achievable with time. A healthy weekly weight loss goal, as defined by the ACSM, is 2 pounds a week, which is a deficit of 7,000 Cal a week from both exercise and nutrition. At 2 pounds a week, working out 5 days a week to hit this goal, it will take me 5 months, 20 weeks, or 100 days to hit that goal.
What does it take to become a Modern Viking?
Becoming a Modern Viking is about taking accountability, fighting each day to develop oneself to become the best one can be. Taking first things first, one can follow Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, fulfilling one's physiological requirements first. Easy right? So then, prove it! For the majority of Americans, this means getting their BMI back down to a healthy range. After years of being a Certified Personal Trainer, I learned that although someone can have all the tools, all the toys, and all the knowledge they could ever need to fulfill their goals, that the hardest obstacle for most people was developing the habits necessary to make them successful. It was the simple things that derailed people like getting to bed on time, setting the alarm and getting up in the morning, and undefined workout times. Although I am an expert by the definition, having well more than 10,000 hours under my belt of successful training, I am just as guilting of letting my routine slip. It happens slow, and sneaks up on you. The majority of my clients were in their early thirties, after years of letting life build up on their love handles, and it was hard for me to relate. Although I had been the fat kid growing up, I had turned my life around in the 7th grade when I joined the swim team, and had been in my peak shape in 2008. I've had 7 years of a steady decline, and am now my own client. My joints crack...everywhere, because the muscle that held it in place isn't as strong as it used to be. I get out of breath more easily. They say that every 7 years, your body is wholly new as your cells die off and new ones take their place. In a way, this is the perfect time to test myself, to prove that I've still got it, and to better understand and communicate how to overcome the challenges of weight loss.
It all starts with a good workout plan. That means defining one's SMART goals. I loved the graphic from Orange Shoe Fitness, so I'm borrowing it here:
Define your goal by being:
Specific
Instead of saying “I’m going to lose weight”, I've defined exactly how I'm going to achieve my goal: “I’m going to lose 40 pounds in 20 weeks by cutting my daily caloric intake by 450 calories, and exercising 90 minutes per day, 5 days per week.” (Go ahead, I give you permission to steal mine and write in your own numbers. Sharing is caring, right?)
Measurable
By setting trackable figures and time frames for assessing progress, adjustments can be made to stay on the forward path. By defining your goal around a Caloric deficit, you can count what you put in and what you expend. My wife likes to use the myfitnesspal.com app, while I have used the Up band by Jawbone in the past. I'm very excited about the Apple Watch and the Health App, but it's not in the budget right now. You don't need tech to lose weight. Use the size of your palm to measure how much meat to have. Use smaller plates for your meals and fill half of them with veggies. It's not rocket science, but you just have to develop the habit of measuring what you put in and how much you work out.
Attainable
Goals that are too far out, or too large, sometimes can't be made real in one's mind. It's ok to set one primary goal, and then set up Weekly or Daily objectives. Daily objectives are going to be more attainable because of their immediate relevance, and if aligned with your overall training goal, will help keep you on the right track.
Realistic
If goals aren’t realistic, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Timely
A time frame to achieve goal(s) must be set to do one, or several, of the following: celebrate, reassess, adjust, or set a new goal. While short term objectives serve as great stepping stones to achieve a long term goal, the body adjusts over time, so daily measurements aren’t recommended.
Ready, Set, Go
Once you have your goal, it's time to pillage and concur. I'll do the leg work on designing training plans and you can steal what I've learned from my mistakes and pitfalls. You just have to focus on concurring that little voice in your head that is telling you you're too weak, you're too hungry, you're too tired. You're a modern viking, so buck up. Become something more. Let's do this. Watch for my next post with a training plan for the week.