Autumntiger's Blog
A Priori, Ad InfinitumTiger’s World
There are very few guarantees or promises that can be made in this life. After having spent years of training people– shaping their bodies, minds and lives I can only promise three things. This is the code by which I train, this is the code by which I live:
- I will always be polite.
- I will always give you a good workout.
- I will never ask you to do anything that I haven’t done or wouldn’t do myself.
Step into my world. Get started with Results Fitness Training at Tipton Lakes Athletic Club. Experience the difference of professional training.
Fork in the Road#1 Overcoming Adversity
Hello everyone. This is the first, “Fork in the Road”. I have sat here for about 3 weeks writing various versions of this draft with different themes, but until now, they just didn’t feel right. These are small supplementary articles that, hopefully, will let you get to know me better, and my approach to life.
Adversity–it’s all around us–and we all deal with it in a different way. My nature is strongly in tune with bending things to my will, and forcing my them into submission if they don’t. This is a very strong karma to overcome. My common sense and experience tells me that this just won’t work, but sometimes we want to accomplish certain things so badly, that we forget to look at the situation or goal. Instead, we run head-first into the issue without looking at the things that surround it. Impatience becomes our downfall. Here’s an example:
You wake up one morning, and feel like you can take on the world, then you realize that you woke up late and missed a very important appointment. Realizing this, you get yourself together and head out the door. You throw your stuff in the truck, and get ready to take off. But wait! Now your truck doesn’t start. This is nice. So now what do you do? You get a ride into work and get your day started. This is how today started for me. In the past, it would have driven me crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy with the fact that today hasn’t flowed like I wanted….and therein lies the issue.
So what?! If you wait for outside conditions to change so you can be happy, you’re missing the point entirely. You have to be happy and experience joy just because you are happy and want to be joyful. So, by the same token, if you are sad, is it because you have allowed something to make you that way? More often than not, that is the case. The key word here, is “allowed”. If you allow things to get in your way, then that’s always going to happen. So, how do you overcome? How do you not let things get in the way? How do you remain unfettered? I can only tell you how I do it. I hope that this will be of some use to you, as you find your way along your own journey.
The first thing that I always try to remember, is that I couldn’t possibly be the first person that this has ever happened to in the course of human history. It doesn’t seem that way at times, but you have to think about the fact that we all share the same or similar experiences and that although the conditions of those experiences may not take exactly the same shape, they do sometimes share the same issue at heart.
The next thing for me to think about is that, no matter how seemingly impossible, it’s not insurmountable. We all have the ability to adapt and change and grow, and affect the world around us in a positive way. You just have to make the choice to do that. This is where being stubborn is of the most use to me. Countless times I have tried to accomplish things, and countless times I have failed, only to find that I have grown stronger and gained victories in other areas.
The third thing for me is to realize that I have gotten to where I am by being what I am. I have to trust that. If you don’t have some kind of faith in yourself, you’ll never be able to help others find faith in themselves.
Everything that happens to me, happens because I have to endure it–not just for my own growth–but so that I become stronger for those around me. It is my path, my karma, my calling. When I think of it in those terms, how can I possibly think that my problems are so big? They aren’t, and once that sinks in, I move past it again.
Trust yourself, and let the chips fall where they may. You’ll be surprised at just how much easier things are to deal with.
Journey of the Tiger #5
Hey Everyone! It has been a great week again, and I’m sitting here to break down the stuff I’ve been working on over the past week. This week was just a great learning week for me, as I have had to really stay strong on the inside as well as the outside. That’s really nothing new, but you know how life’s lessons work; there are always reminders to keep us on track.
This week has been very challenging, because I have been very tired. Again, nothing new, but when times like these present themselves, it’s really important to recharge your spirit. And here’s how I did it:
Monday was a great workout! I had probably the hardest workout that I have had in a long time. I ran at the 6 minute mile pace for 4.5 minutes. It hurt worse than the week before (of course), but it was so worth it. After that, I worked out for probably another hour. I did some really fun snatches with the kettlebells and combined them with plyo push-ups. That was tough, but it wasn’t quite enough. Tire flips and one-handed sledge hammer swings added to the torture, and I finished off on the heavy bag. It was a great workout, but when I was done, I was done.
Tuesday, I had intended to work some technique, but I was so tired, and so busy, that I just couldn’t get motivated. I still did my Kung Fu workouts with my teacher in the afternoon, and my friend in the evening—and that was enough.
Wednesday felt pretty good. I did some more resistance and felt re-charged. It is always very taxing on Wednesday. It is hump day for lots of people, but it’s a little more like “mountain” day for me. It is a 14 hour day every week that has very little down time. When things do slow down, I exercise. The workouts that I have on Wednesday are probably the most important in terms of taking some time for myself, so I really have to make them count. This is something that I hope everyone can do for themselves. Even if you are at work, you could do push-ups or squats or just sit in silence in your office to unplug from the rest of the world. It’s a great way to keep your energy up.
Thursday was a good workout with John from Acceleration Indiana. I was pressed for time, so I ran flat sprints on the treadmill. I do believe that I am getting faster. It’s like anything else; sometimes you don’t see the results right away, but they are there. John had me run at increasing speed for 8 seconds at a time. To put this into perspective, when you do a speed test, you run for six seconds. I know this doesn’t seem like much, but it really is another world. The final run was for 6 seconds at my top speed. I am handling it better, but it is still hard. I’ve just got to keep chipping away at it.
My Kung Fu workout with my teacher was good. I made a few more minor improvements. They all add up, and the end result is pretty cool. Hard work over time equals great skill—it’s just not always so easy to remember that.
Friday’s workout was awesome! I have been working out in the afternoon, because I’ve been so busy in the morning. This has actually been good. It’s always kind of nice to change things up a bit, and make your body grow and adapt. Sometimes the changes that occur are unexpected, but our ability to adapt is one of the most valuable attributes that we can have.
My nutrition is still improving. The great thing is; the more stable your nutrition becomes, the more you are able to deal with a bad eating day. I try to keep my nutrtitional falterings limited to the weekend, but sometimes it’s hard. When we are on the go all the time, we sometimes get caught up in the moment, and forget or don’t care about nutrition as we should. I’m still working on making small improvements—-one day at a time.
Journey of the Tiger #4
Hello to all my fitness friends. Week number four. Here’s how it went down:
Monday was pretty amazing. I ran for four minutes @ 10mph, which is 2/3 of a mile at a six minute mile pace. I have decided that from now on, Monday is going to be my day to do this, as I am stronger coming off an ample amount of rest from the weekend. Every time I do this, my goal is just to run for 10 seconds longer, it’s been a really good feeling to have increased the distance by 30 seconds more over the last two times. I know that it doesn’t necessarily mean that I will be able to do that every time, but at least I am starting to close in on that six minute mark. When I get past this goal, I’ve decided to work on a five minute mile. We’ll see what happens. One step at a time.
My Kung Fu workouts this week were really good, I am starting to pass through the material somewhat quickly. It doesn’t hurt that I already had a decent foundation to build on and, of course, that I have a great teacher. He really has an amazing ability to disseminate information. No matter how long it takes, he seems to touch on auditory, visual and sensory methods of teaching in a way that makes sense. I am very thankful.
This week, John and I had to do our speed workout on Tuesday. My calf was already sore from Monday’s run, but I pushed through. It was all about more incline super-sets. They are so difficult, but working that stretch reflex is a vital part to speed development. It was fun; I always love a good challenge, and taking it to failure is something I enjoy.
Wednesday’s resistance workout was off the charts. It was the tire, the hammer, kettlebells, dumbbells, the heavy bag, and the wall bag. I so much energy that day that it overflowed into my personal training. It was an amazing feeling! I have found, however, that it’s sometimes hard for others to be quite as elated about my energy. Don’t get me wrong, they love a good, hard workout, but when my energy peaks like that, it sometimes makes people a little apprehensive. It’s completely understandable. I have always had energy like this. It is definitely a gift, but it comes with a price. I have to reel it in and control it a little or it gets out of hand. I don’t understand it one hundred percent, sometimes it’s just a huge wave that I ride, I just have to make sure that it doesn’t come crashing down in the wrong place.
I think, however, the workouts for clients and TRXers were well received. I love pushing people to their limits….at times.
Thursday was a great day because I worked on fluidity. I got some great cardio while working on my kickboxing skills. I HIGHLY suggest to all pugilists, enthusiasts or people who just want something different, to do a cardio session for 10 or 15 minutes in front of the mirror every morning. It is a great way to stoke that fat-burning machine, and it develops speed, timing and coordination.
Friday was a good workout, but what was even more important than that, is we had the first TRX Bowl. I thought that in the spirit of the Pro Bowl, I could get all of my superstars together for a great workout. I think that everyone enjoyed it. We used the football, ran through tires and around obstacles. It was something different that I think everyone needed. It was fun for me to be a part of it, and feed off the laughs and energy of people that are very important to me.
My nutrition is getting better and better. I am starting to shed some unwanted poundage. My body is getting leaner, and I really have everyone to thank for that. If it wasn’t for all of the good people around me giving motivation, I wouldn’t be pushing so hard. Thank you!
Stay tuned: I am going to start dropping posts and videos very soon, and in the middle of the week!
Journey of the Tiger #3
What up, what up? I am sitting here right now, and it’s Saturday morning. I am warming up the fingers and putting down the past week’s events, as I am listening to a playlist that I call, “Funky Tiger”. It has, of course, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kottonmouth Kings and 311. Some of the lyrics are a little, “raw”, but the groove is undeniable. When you find that groove, you’ve gotta let it take you where it’s going to take you.Having said that, here’s the skinny on the journey for week 3.
After the last post, I decided to not do a Saturday traditional workout. I did do a little Kung Fu practice, but no super cardio session or ultimate resistance throwdown. I listened to my body and let it rest—that was the best thing I could’ve done. Monday was an outstanding workout. I got on the standard treadmill and ran at 10mph. Last Friday, I was able to do this for 3 minutes which is a half mile at a six minute mile pace. This time, I decided that I would try to just go for 10 extra seconds…I pushed it to 30 extra seconds. It felt great. I am just trying to close in on that 1 mile mark a little more each time. I am getting there…slowly but surely…I am getting there. I gather so much inspiration from all of the fantastic athletes that are around me, here at the club. It still amazes me how some people can run so fast for so long. I have really gained a greater respect for their abilities through attempting to incorporate some of their practices in my own regimen. Thank you!!!!!!!!
Tuesday was a good Kung Fu workout. As always, Sihing never lets me down. His technical prowess and ability to translate it effectively, are unmatched. I am really starting to break the rust off and tighten up that structure.
Wednesday’s workout was good, but I had to take down the intensity—just a little bit. The human body is an amazing machine, in fact, I believe it to be the greatest machine ever. But, like any machine, there must be a period in which it doesn’t run at it’s maximum performance level. If the machine is pushed too much, it begins to fall into a state of disrepair and ultimately; it shuts down. Knowing this is one thing, knowing this and making yourself take it down a notch or two is an entirely different matter. I try to approach this by realizing that no matter what I do, it’s all for the good of the goal I’m trying to reach. When you have to back down the intensity, you can use the time to enhance your performance by perfecting your technique. Even sitting here, right now with my hamstrings screaming, I am thinking about how to improve my form take certain skill sets to the next level.
Thursday was a breakthrough in my Wing Chun training. I finally sharpened the skills I needed to progress further into more intricate techniques.
Friday, I got back on the treadmill, and felt like I could push the mile pace again. I had a great workout, but again, felt that my legs needed to rest, so I only ran the pace for 1/3 of a mile. I then proceeded to do my resistance and plyo—this was all before Fun Friday Fitness Frenzy (a class I teach Friday mornings at 9:15, all people are welcome–hint, hint). Because of my legs feeling heavy, I was forced to workout in a non-typical way. This was great, but I still felt like I needed to do a little more. Now, here’s the lynch pin to the whole story; class began and I started putting people through some exercises. It was well received, and when we got to the point of focusing on the core a little bit more, I did the exercises with everyone else. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it pushed me to do something that I would have made excuses for, and found a way not to do it. But because I feel that my purpose in life is to help others, and that I have to practice what I preach, I knew that I needed to do that. This is why I am in a constant state of thankfulness to all of the people around me. As much as you all think that I help you; you help me that much more. If my purpose in life wasn’t to give all that I can, then I would just be a boat on dry land. You are all the great ocean that carries me to my destination and, in return, I hope to be that vessel that charts these vast waters. I owe you all so much. Thank you!
My eating is getting better and better. There were, however, a few minor mishaps. The great thing about staying the course is; when you wander a bit, it’s easier to get back on track. Again, I have to thank everyone for inspiring me to stay that course! Until we meet again my friends, keep moving forward!
Journey of the Tiger #2
Well Friends, another week under the belt of a man who is trying recover his abs, and I have to say it has gone fairly well. The cheese balls longer hold residence, and I have been really trying to add more fiber into my daily nutrition. I have also been getting back to my regular water consumption, which had fallen prey to laziness. Now, nutritionally, I am more on track.
Monday’s workout was good; I did some very explosive TRX-ing–new word– and ran some longer intervals on the treadmill, which is something new that I am trying to do. In the past, I wouldn’t do more than about a one minute segment at a fairly high speed. This time, however, I ran an interval for 3 minutes and 2 minutes with different speeds. This a great way to burn calories, especially if you are accustomed to running for 10-30 seconds at a time. On the other hand, if you run for endurance and add some faster shorter segments, you will find that it also has a very intense, fat-burning effect. Try it out and let me know what you think.
Tuesday was even tougher than Monday. As you know, I have been working with John from Acceleration Indiana on my speed and running mechanics. This guy is tough! He gets every ounce of performance out of me, everytime. When I asked him, “What are we working on today?”, he replied, “Speed.” Now this does seem like the whole point of going over there and training, but sometimes we work different inclines to enhance the stretch reflex, or he has me run with the power cords on my legs. This time he meant that we were just going to run flat and very, very fast. It sounded good, but my calves were still screaming from the day before. No matter, I knew that they would get warm and loosen up, and they did. Long story short, I was able to run at my top speed with better form and what seemed to be more power—so excited.
Tuesday afternoon meant working out with my Sihing at the school. Again, deep breath, and let’s go. We took one technique, and drilled it, and drilled it, and drilled it some more. By the time we had finished, I felt good, but I knew that it still needed some work. This particular drill was important because it was directly related to the structure that I need for the entire system, and I totally fine with doing something over and over until I get it right.
Wednesday was a kind of light day, as my calves had tightened back up, and I was waddling around. It really stinks when you want to push those limits, but sometimes you have to take it easy and let your body recover so that you can come back even stronger the next time.
Thursday meant more Wing Chun, as I trained with my Sihing again. Same drill, more progress this time. I can really feel my structure improving, and I know that it won’t take too much longer, and I’ll be caught up on all the material.
Friday’s workout was fantastic! I worked out for a longer period, and got a half mile in at a good pace, and felt strong doing it. I plan on stretching out my endurance levels as well. I got to hit the bag, and do a little shadow-boxing as well.
Today, as of now, I am relatively undecided on whether I am going to work out. My lats are calves are sore. We’ll just see how it goes. Because of my busy schedule today, I had to run to the bank and get something to eat. Here’s my advice: PLAN AHEAD! If you have food with you, it’s harder to make excuses, and then your not relegated to eating fast food. Coincidentally, if you happen to go to a fast-food restaurant that specializes in chicken, do not get their version of the wrap. I unfortunately faltered, and ended up eating, what would have normally been two meals worth of food.
Here’s my workout advice for today: Step out of your normal way of doing things. Just try one new exercise that you wouldn’t normally.
Until next week; keep pushing yourself toward your goals. Thanks everyone!
