TrainingTheTemple

Back-to-Basics: Update #1

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:09:00 +0000

I started my back-to-basics workout a couple weeks ago, as I explained in my last post. I had originally planned on doing Squats in the morning and Pushups in the evenings on a Mon - Wed - Fri schedule; and then Crunches on a Tue - Thu - Sat schedule. However, within the first 3 days I made some significant changes to that routine.

The first thing that I realized was that breaking up the exercises like this kept me from really pushing my entire body hard. Sure, my chest, arms and shoulders were shaking after the pushups, but I wasn't breathing hard and could barely work up a sweat. On the other hand, I never quite felt like I was "rested" because of the way the exercises were spread out.

So beginning this week, I pulled all of the exercises together into supersets and have been doing a good total-body workout on a Mon - Wed - Fri schedule. The way the program is set up, you complete 5 sets of an exercise with each workout. Thus my combined program has me completing 5 supersets, which consists of Pushups / Squats / Crunches with no rest in between exercises. I rest for a minute or two between supersets and focus on good form and steady breathing.

Here's what Day 1 looked like:

Superset 1 - 10 Pushups / 13 Squats / 15 Crunches (rest)
Superset 2 - 12 Pushups / 16 Squats / 18 Crunches (rest)
Superset 3 - 7 Pushups / 9 Squats / 10 Crunches (rest)
Superset 4 - 7 Pushups / 9 Squats / 10 Crunches (rest)
Superset 5 - Max Pushups / Max Squats / Max Crunches

Believe me, by the time I was finished with this 20-minute workout I was breathing heavy, sweating like crazy, and my heart was pounding like I'd just run a race. Obviously you can go a little easier by resting between exercises and resting a bit more between supersets, but the point is that you can also get a great workout with these basic bodyweight exercises.

One final thing I noticed is that having a full day "off" really helped with my recovery, and I did feel stronger on each new workout day. I don't know that I'll hit 100 pushups, 200 squats and 200 crunches by the 6-week mark, but 50/100/100 isn't out of the question!

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

Back-to-Basics Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:17:00 +0000

Fancy gyms and hi-tech home exercise equipment might be the way to go for many people -- and I must admit that I certainly have my share of free weights, benches and machines -- but there's definitely something to be said for good old-fashioned bodyweight routines. Frankly, I'm more impressed by someone who can bust out 100 pushups or 25 chinups than some musclehead with giant pecs and a massive uni-ab.

So I've decided to try something different with my workouts.

For the next 6 weeks, I'm going to be combining three bodyweight programs that you can get for free online: 100 Pushups, 200 Squats, and 200 Situps

First of all, before you start freaking out on me, it's not actually 200 situps; it's 200 crunches. Situps are horrible for your back, so don't do them. Of course, there are plenty of fitness gurus who recommend that you avoid crunches and do planks (and side-planks) instead. Personally, I've found the plank exercises to be effective, but they just don't seem to strengthen my lower back as much as doing crunches.

The programs I'll be doing are designed to get you to the 100/200/200 goals by the end of 6 weeks, but you can easily extend the program if you need more time.

On Mon - Wed - Friday I'll be doing Squats in the morning and Pushups in the evening. On Tue - Thu - Sat I'll be doing Crunches.

There are several nice things about this workout plan:

1) no gym necessary
2) no equipment necessary
3) focuses on large muscle groups
4) focuses on relative strength
5) about 15 minutes per workout

Stay tuned over the next several weeks and I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon Jubar

My Disciplined Meal Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:00:00 +0000

When discussing "discipline" as a process, I mentioned the fact that I have limited my food selection during the week so that it is more convenient for me to eat healthfully. The main reason that I have failed at changing my eating habits in the past is because junk food is generally more convenient to grab when you're on the run. I mean, who has the time to come up with creative breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day?

But I don't like it when health and fitness gurus make general statements like that (i.e. limit the variety of your meals) and then force you to buy their $40 ebook in order to get the details... so below you'll find my current meal plan. It's loosely based on the Paleolithic Diet, though I do indulge in black coffee and green tea in addition to drinking water with every meal and snack.

Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 banana, and a 20 oz. cup of black coffee

Mid-morning Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple

Lunch: Tuna or chicken breast w/mustard wrapped in leaf lettuce and 12 baby carrots

Afternoon Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple (or banana)

Dinner: Stir Fry. I sauté about 2 cups of whatever fresh veggies I have handy (peppers, onions, squash, broccoli, carrots, etc.) in extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, and throw in some lean protein (chicken breast, pork, lean beef, fish), and add whatever spices strike my fancy that evening (except salt).

I don't get bored with breakfast, lunch and snacks because I'm too busy to care. These foods are both convenient and healthy, which fuels the temple and reduces my stress level because I don't have to worry about it. I've also found that by eating about every 3 hours, I've gotten to the point where I can't eat as much as I did just a couple weeks ago and I'm never, ever truly hungry. I eat for fuel, not because I'm feeling famished!

As for dinners, by changing up the mix of veggies, the length of time I cook them (crispy or softer), the spices I use, and the type of meat, I can make dinner taste differently each night. The biggest change has been keeping stocked up on enough veggies because I'm not using potatoes, pasta or white rice (though I've mixed in some wild rice a couple times).

That's my Monday through Friday meal plan. On the weekends I'm a little more lax, but not much. I still focus on large amounts of fruits and veggies, with ample lean protein.

Perhaps you have a different food selection that you prefer, and Lord knows there are plenty of diet programs out there from which to choose. So choose one, select a few meals and snacks that you can easily prepare and eat every weekday, and try this for a few weeks. Building the discipline is the key.

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

Discipline: Process & Outcome

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:33:00 +0000

In a recent post, I stated that I believe that discipline is the key to success. Of course, how you interpret "discipline" may be different than how I interpret it. When I say the word, I envision the internalization of rules of conduct that help to achieve and improve a higher level of self-control. In other words, discipline is both process and outcome.

For example, as I try to become more disciplined regarding the way I fuel my "temple," I have both process and outcome in mind. The outcome is that I achieve a state where I have balanced my body through proper nutrition to the point where I have virtually eliminated cravings, and everything I consume is through conscious choice rather than in response to some uncontrollable desire.

The process portion of the discipline is a bit different. I've found that I tend to be undisciplined when I am inconvenienced. When I'm in a rush, it always seems easier to grab something unhealthy than to try to come up with something healthy to eat. And let's face it: most convenience foods are highly processed nutritional nightmares! So the discipline I use to overcome that is to eat a lot of the same things. By limiting the variety of foods I eat during the week, it becomes much easier (i.e. convenient) to eat healthfully.

Do I get "bored" with my limited selection? Eventually, yes. But I've made it convenient to eat those healthy foods, so "convenience" is not an issue and "boredom" is far too lame an excuse. What the occasional food boredom has led me to do is get creative with various seasonings, and to venture out and try new fruits and vegetables that add to the variety.

Over time, the strict discipline of my limited food selection will grow into a much more varied selection of healthful foods that are enjoyable to eat. At that point, I will hopefully have developed the (unconscious) habit of eating right; and the meaning of "discipline" will focus more on the (conscious) choice of whether or not I indulge in an occasional rich and fattening meal, a dessert, or a cocktail.

Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the word "discipline". Don't see discipline as a punishment or some severe and austere plan to make you unhappy (unless that's what you desire, I suppose). When training the temple, an effective way to view discipline is as both process and outcome. Further definition is up to you!

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

Breadless Sandwich Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I'm not carbophobic, but I do try to stay away from foods that contain refined white flour, which includes things like donuts, bagels, pasta, and (you guessed it) breads. Of course, this means I have to be a bit creative when it comes to lunchtime because a sandwich is certainly out of the question!

What I've been doing for a couple of weeks now is to make myself a sandwich wrap. But instead of using some sort of tortilla, I use a couple pieces of leaf lettuce. I lay them side-by-side, overlapping each other about halfway, spread on a bunch of tuna or chicken salad (both made with jalapeno mustard and NO mayo), and then roll it up.

It's an excellent, healthy "sandwich wrap", but without all of bread.

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

Discipline is the Key

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:30:00 +0000

If simply reading about something would make it happen in your life, I'd be the CEO of my own media company, sporting 6-pack abs while running the company from my yacht. But unfortunately, all the knowledge in the world won't help you if you don't take action. And all the action in the world won't help you if you don't have discipline.

I don't even know how many fitness books I've read over the years. I've learned so much about diet and exercise that you'd think I was studying to be a personal trainer and certified dietician! Yet with all that knowledge, I still find myself struggling to lose weight and stay in shape.

The typical pattern is that I'll read a book (or ebook) and then immediately take action. I start making changes to my diet. I create my exercise charts and start on the new workout routine. And generally speaking, I start seeing results within the first week. Awesome!

But than life happens. Something comes up and I miss a workout. Then I go out to dinner and splurge on something not on the program. Then I miss another workout, eat another bad meal... then I'm back to my old habits and on to reading the next book.

What I've been lacking is discipline. The discipline to stick with the new lifestyle I design for myself. The discipline to keep focusing on the new behaviors, even after I've messed up a bit. The discipline to understand the information, create a realistic plan that will work for me, and then focus on the goals I've set and the path I've chosen regardless of what life throws at me.

I do believe that you need a plan; but I also believe that your plan needs to include occasional indulgences (some call them "cheat meals", though it's not really cheating if it's in your plan). Likewise, your plan should include contingencies for unplanned transgressions, which would then make those deviations just another step on the journey towards a fit and fulfilling life.

I encourage you to come up with a plan that is as flexible as you need it to be, but strict enough to actually get you to your goals. But in the end, it matters little what your specific plan looks like -- provided it's based on solid information -- as long as you're disciplined about following it.

Discipline is the key!

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

Let's Try This Again

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:30:00 +0000

On January 8, 2009, I began this blog. In my very first post, one of the things I wrote was this:

"...I realized that I am being called to try something different. I feel called to use my knowledge, experience, gifts and talents to develop a new type of ministry -- a ministry that develops the individual so that he or she can then make an even greater difference in the world. For if there is one thing I have witnessed over the years, time and time again, it is that people who are healthier in body, mind, and spirit, are usually the ones who are better able to minister to others. By taking better care of themselves, they end up being better equipped to take care of the people around them."

Unfortunately, a few months later I found myself in a position where I needed to spend more time taking care of myself and my family. I was employed by a failing auto parts company, and forced to work in Juarez -- the current murder capitol of Mexico (and the world, if I'm not mistaken). I decided that much of the time that I had been devoting to online publishing should be used to prepare for and find a new job in a safer part of the country.

Well... I succeeded! After 7 months and over 75 customized resumes (not to mention the countless pages of online applications, phone interviews, etc.), I landed a better job, earning a better wage, with excellent benefits, and tremendous career potential. Oh... and did I mention that I don't have to venture into Juarez every day? (When was the last time you landed a job that drastically increased your life expectency?)

Here we are -- a year after starting this blog and 8 months since my last post -- and I'm ready to start writing once more. Over the coming weeks and months, I'll share with you the lessons I learned while searching for a new job, as well as the support and sacrifice that I needed from my family. I'll also spend some time documenting my continuing quest for fitness which, unfortunately, continues to elude me at times. And as always, there will be plenty of thoughts about faith and spirituality, which tends to be the glue that holds everything else together.

So, my friends... shall we try this again?

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

5 Excellent Reasons to Drink Green Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:41:00 +0000

Okay… I'll admit it. I'm a coffee-holic (or java junkie, if you prefer). I love my daily cup o' joe! Actually, it's usually several cups, but you get the point. Now in my own defense, I don't add sugar or creamer, so it ends up being an extremely low calorie indulgence. However, I keep coming face-to-face with the fact that green tea provides a huge dose of disease-fighting antioxidants -- something with which my daily coffee just can't compete.

In an effort to determine if I should go back to drinking green tea regularly (yes, I was on the bandwagon a few years ago), I did a little more research, and I think it's important enough to share it with you. So, without further ado, here are five good reasons you should consider becoming a regular green tea drinker:

1. Green Tea Prevents Memory Loss

Studies have shown that older adults who consume two cups (or more) of green tea per day are 50% less likely to experience cognitive difficulties. Apparently the antioxidants that I mentioned above are excellent at preventing damage to brain nerves (commonly seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients).

2. Green Tea Protects Your Skin

Soaking a cotton ball in green tea and applying it to cuts, abrasions and bug bites will alleviate itching and help stop any swelling. As it turns out, green tea is a natural antiseptic and works great on skin from the outside and from the inside. Assuming that you're not in a position to be dabbing tea on your body regularly, let me assure you that drinking it can also help your skin by blocking skin cancer caused by over-exposure to the sun. In fact, if you're observant, you've noticed that "green tea extract" is showing up on the labels of all sorts of skin care products recently!

3. Green Tea Promotes Arterial Health

Consuming only 10 ounces of green tea a day will help keep your arteries healthy by helping prevent plaque from building up in blood vessels, thus reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. And while it's keeping your arteries young and flexible, the green tea is also slowing the absorption of fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream.

4. Green Tea Provides Blood Pressure Stability

Your doctor will tell you that a healthy blood pressure is 120/80 (or lower). Achieving that level is half the battle, but maintaining it is the other half! Keep with the "half" theme, people who drink just half a cup of green tea each day are about half as likely to end up with hypertension, thanks to the internal benefits of certain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These little helpers keep your blood vessels from contracting, which keeps your blood pressure down.

5. Green Tea Pummels Cancer Cells

Studies continue to show that drinking green tea reduces the risk of multiple types of cancer, including breast, stomach, colon, and prostate cancers. Apparently a number of those wonderful little polyphenols also keep cancer cells at bay, first by discouraging growth of the cancerous cells, and then by stifling the creation of fresh blood vessels that tumors require.

And there you have it: five excellent reasons for all of us to start drinking green tea on a daily basis. I won't give up my coffee completely, but I'm sure I can find a way to fit a cup or two of green tea into my daily routine!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Printable Workout Page

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Sometimes it's easy to read something online, but difficult to translate it into something you can use offline. For example, in my last post I gave you a solid, full-body workout with links to YouTube videos and exercise explanations on BodyBuilding.com... but you may be wondering how to "write it out" in a format that's easy to use. Obviously you can't take your computer to the gym or weight room with you, so you need something that you can print, fold up, and carry in your pocket.

With that in mind, I took the workout I created for you and put it into the format that I use for my own workouts. Workout 1 should be used for 4 weeks, at which time I'll design another workout for you to use for the next 4 weeks. Yes... you read that right. I'm going to go ahead and create another workout for you for free! (But as before, if you really want to send me $39, then I certainly won't complain!)

Again, here's the link to a PDF file of Workout 1. All you'll need to do is fill in the dumbbell weight you're using and you should be good to go (I've inserted "body" wherever the exercises are simply bodyweight exercise).

Oh, and I've also included an Ab Circuit that you can do on your "off" days. I combine this Circuit with 20 minutes of high intensity interval training on the stationary bike, which is an excellent way to burn excess fat. You may have to look-up some of the exercises on your own, but that'll be good practice for you!

Hopefully this printable workout will remove any last excuses you may have been entertaining. It's time to get up, get moving, and make sure our temples are healthy and fit!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

Your Beach Body for FREE!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Okay... before we dive in and design our own workout, let me clarify three things. First of all, I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. So before you start any new exercise program, including the one in this post, you should consult with your doctor. Second, I'm not a certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, or certified anything for that matter. However, I've managed to learn a lot about health and fitness over the years -- through reading, from conversations with trainers, and through trial-and-error -- so what I'm sharing today is based on experience. And third, this isn't for everyone. There is no such thing as "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to exercise. If this workout isn't for you, don't give up. Tweak it, twist it, add and subtract exercises... just focus on coming up with something that meets your needs.

Enough disclaimers! On to the workout...

In creating this workout, I wanted to accomplish 4 things:

Create a basic full-body workout;
Make it easy to do at home with minimal equipment;
Keep the time required to less than 45 minutes (if you hustle); and
Use free online resources to illustrate exercises.

The basic workout structure is to do a warm-up circuit to get your heart pumping, followed by a warm-up set that leads into the first "superset". A "superset" consists of 2 or 3 exercises where the sets are performed one after the other with little or no rest in between. The specific exercises in a superset will work opposing muscle groups (e.g. biceps and triceps) or non-related muscle groups (e.g. thighs and chest).

This is a full-body workout and should be performed 3 times per week (M-W-F).
A "rep" is one full repetition of the specific exercise.
Links are provided for exercises you may not know (and some that you probably do).

Warm-Up Circuit
Complete circuit 2 times
No rest between exercises
60 seconds rest between circuits
Increase or decrease reps based upon your individual fitness level

Freehand Jump Squat -- 8 reps
Push Ups -- 8 reps
Jumping Jacks -- 20 reps
Mountain Climbers -- 10 reps per leg

Warm-Up Superset
Complete superset 2 times
Use 75% of normal weight (e.g. 30# instead of 40# dumbbells)
No rest between exercises
30 seconds rest between supersets

Dumbbell Squats -- 8 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press -- 8 reps

Superset #1
Complete superset 3 times
No rest between exercises
60 seconds rest between supersets

Dumbbell Squats -- 8 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press -- 8 reps

Superset #2
Complete superset 3 times
No rest between exercises
60 seconds rest between supersets

One-Arm Dumbbell Row -- 8 reps each arm
Offset Push Up -- 6 reps each way (12 reps total)

Superset #3
Complete superset 3 times
No rest between exercises
No rest between supersets

Plank -- 30 seconds
Wall Sit -- 20 seconds

To complete your workout, you can do some basic stretches, and I suggest walking around until your heart rate returns to normal. Also make sure you drink plenty of water throughout your workout, and STOP if you feel dizzy, light-headed or weak. You'll have to determine what amount of weight to use for each dumbbell exercise, based upon your own strength and fitness level. And finally, if you need to increase or decrease the intensity of the workout, use one or more of these methods: change the weight used, change the number of reps performed, and/or change the amount of rest between supersets. (I don't suggest changing the number of supersets performed.)

If you cannot do an exercise with correct form, then use less weight. If you are unable to do the push ups with correct form, then start by doing them from your knees and then work your way up to regular push ups (the plank exercise will also help with this).

So there you have it. A full body workout that you can do at home, with minimal equipment, and all of the exercise explanations, descriptions, and videos can be found online for free.

Of course, if you want to send me $39 for this info, I won't complain. But I'd rather you put that money towards some additional exercise equipment that you can use at home as you continue to train the temple!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Your Beach Body for $39!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Much to my chagrin, I end up spending an inordinate amount of time checking out different exercise programs online. Have you noticed how many "experts" are out there? Everyone has the greatest new thing, with hundreds of dollars worth of "bonuses", all for just $39!

Wow! Achieve the ultimate beach body for less than 40 bucks?! Count me in!

Unfortunately, a $40 ebook isn't going to transform your physique. Only proper nutrition and exercise will do that. Of course, there is a lot of information that you need to know to achieve "proper nutrition". There are also a bajillion exercise programs to choose from, and they are not all created equal. But do you really need to plunk down 40 simoleons to get an effective exercise program?

The answer, my friends, is "no". With a little work, you can put together excellent workouts all on your own. And with the help of exercise videos on YouTube and a searchable encyclopedia of exercises on BodyBuilding.com, the task becomes much easier. (In fact, you can find full workouts on YouTube but, again, they are not all created equal.)

Regardless of how you come up with your workout, there three things you should keep in mind:

Use proper form when doing exercises, even if it means using lighter weights.
Set a weekly workout schedule and stick to it for 4 weeks, then change up your workout and stick to that for 4 weeks, etc...
Focus on body measurements and body fat percentages, not weight!

Obviously there are many more things that you should know in order to physically train your temple properly. If there weren't, then I'd be done blogging very soon! For now, spend some time checking out the sites I mentioned above. And in my next post, to prove to you that I'm not just full of hot air, I'll actually create a 4-week workout using only free online resources.

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Evolution or Revolution?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:30:00 +0000

It's easy to look at my life and come up with all sorts of things that I should change. Because I'm not perfect (really... just ask my wife), there are always new skills I want to learn, and old skills I want to improve; new knowledge I want to gain, and old knowledge I should brush up on; new habits I should develop, and old habits I need to change.

Is it just me, or do you see a pattern there too?

It seems that my life is a constant battle between the old and the new, and I'm not always sure which one should win. For instance, old habits aren't necessarily bad, but are they helping me as much as they should? Would I better off tweaking the old habit or trying to drop it altogether and replace it with a new habit? The same is true for skills and knowledge. Do I work towards an evolution of my abilities, or should I be striving for a revolution? Steady change or upheaval?

When I read about people who have become very successful, I find myself longing for revolutionary change. I want to be like that person! The skills, knowledge, and habits that they've developed could propel me to success too! I should scrap the things I've been working on and make massive change! Re-engineer my life! Woo-hoo!

Luckily, the initial euphoria wears off and my common sense and better judgment prevail.

The skills, knowledge, and habits we need are the ones that support what's important to us. They are the tools we need to move us towards our goals and answer our calling, whatever it may be. If we come across a new skill, some excellent new knowledge, or a great new habit, and it would be useful on our journey, then we should embrace it.

That doesn't mean we need to scrap everything else... or anything else, for that matter. If it makes sense to exchange the new thing for an old thing, that's fine. If it ends up being a revolutionary change for us, then that's fine too -- as long as it improves our ability to answer our calling.

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Feelings Should Trump Emotions

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:31:00 +0000

I spent many years working with teens and had countless informal counseling sessions during that time. One of the things I often tried to help teens do was draw a distinction between feelings and emotions. Emotions are fleeting, flashes in the pan that come and go, changing with the wind. Feelings, on the other hand, run much deeper and are intricately tied to our experiences, our knowledge, and our basic beliefs and understandings of creation and the creator.

Remember the first time you held the hand of that special someone? Your heart raced and the butterflies in your stomach went crazy! You would have given anything to spend the rest of your life together!

That's an emotion... and it's fleeting. A month later, holding hands doesn't do anything except get your hand all sweaty. What you felt before wasn't love; it was some form of excitement, but nothing deeper than that.

After you've been married for 13 years, you argue once in a while (but quickly forgive), you hold hands without thinking when you're walking into the grocery store, you really enjoy just being in the same room watching TV or reading a magazine, and you can't even imagine what life would be like with anyone else... that's a feeling. It's love that runs deep, is based upon experience, knowledge of the other person, and an understanding of one's own beliefs. At some level, it is also based upon a conscious decision -- a choice -- and we continue to make the choice every day.

As I look at successful people around me, it seems that passion is an emotion, but it stems from a choice that people have made. And the more deep-seated the feelings behind that choice, the more likely it is that passion will erupt.

It is very rare to find someone who is passionate all the time, regardless of their "cause". But when they've chosen their cause in line with their fundamental beliefs, they will continue to succeed even during those times when the passion isn't there. They will keep moving forward, even when most people would lose energy and fizzle out. They will push, and push, and eventually something will change and the passion will return, for at least a while.

Passion is an emotion and is usually fleeting. But if you make your choices based upon what truly matters to you, then you'll have the drive to make it through during times when passion fails. And that is a critical key to success, because feelings should trump emotions every time.

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Passion!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Passion. It's something you read about all the time. The small business owner who continues to thrive in this down economy. The athlete who does amazing things without the use of performance enhancing drugs. The missionary who braves jungles and armed militia to bring medicine to small villages. All of these people are passionate about what they're doing. They feel so strongly about their chosen endeavor that it gives them strength and energizes them every day when they arise, ready to take on the world all over again!

Passion! That's what we need in order to succeed at following our dreams!

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Don't you wish you felt that way about something? If you do, that's wonderful, and I'm extremely happy for you. Unfortunately, most people don't have that sort of fire in their souls. And when they do find something to be passionate about, those feelings are often far too fleeting.

Want some concrete examples? Start randomly checking out the blogs available on Blogger.com or other blogging platforms. Go back to their earliest archives, and you'll almost always see a flurry of activity, with tons of posts, links and trackbacks. But as you continue through the archives, witnessing the evolution of the blog, you'll almost certainly see the posts become fewer and farther between... until the posts end altogether. Obviously the blogger started out with passion, but fizzled out in the end.

Is passion sustainable? Are there things we can do to stay passionate about something? Or is there something else that drives people, and passion is merely an outward expression of it?

A few things to think about until next time.

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Through to Completion

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:50:00 +0000

One problem I have is that I can't seem to stay focused on a single thing for too long. It's not because I have Adult ADD. It's because I have RCIS -- Rampant Creative Idea Syndrome. Coming up with a single creative idea is never enough. I'll no sooner get working on implementing an idea when a couple more pop into my head. And then those ideas force my thinking onto different tangents, which generates even more ideas!

Of course, having a lot of creative ideas isn't bad in and of itself. The problem is that researching those ideas is just so darned easy when the Internet is at my fingertips. An idea will pop into my head and I'll think, "Let me just take one minute, while I'm thinking about it, and 'google' it." An hour later I realize I've gone 59 minutes past my original allotted time, and haven't actually worked on the project I was supposed to be focusing on!

After having experienced the same thing many, many times, I've learned to avoid the temptation of "just checking" on something immediately (unless I really don't have anything else to do). What I do now is always have a couple 6"x9" notepads on hand: one for my "day job" and one for my "entrepreneurial" stuff. When I'm working on something and find myself experiencing a bout of RCIS, I quickly pull out the appropriate notepad, jot down the idea in three sentences or less, and then get back to the task at hand.

Mary Kay Ash said, "Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who implement them are priceless." Knowing how easy it is for me to fall victim to RCIS, I couldn't agree more! I can crank out creative ideas all day long... but what good are any of them if I don't drive them through to completion?

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Dog Daze...

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:12:00 +0000

I had planned on dragging my butt out of bed around 4:45 this morning so that I could get in a good workout before heading to the office. I had my workout clothes ready to go, my new weekly workout sheet printed and on the clipboard, and the alarm set when I went to bed. It was going to be an excellent, healthy start to what promised to be a long week!

Unfortunately, our dog had different plans for me.

Murphy is getting very old, and his stomach isn't quite what it used to be. After dinner last night, my wife gave him some table scraps... and we paid for it all night. Our poor dog was up at least once an hour needing to go outside and relieve himself. Needless to say, by the time 5am rolled around, I was in no shape to workout.

Life is like that sometimes. We can have everything planned -- have everything all laid out -- and life throws us a curve ball and our plans seem to fall apart. When it comes to health and fitness, we need to be a bit flexible. I prefer to workout in the morning, but I'll compromise today and squeeze in my workout after the kids go to bed tonight. Not an optimal time for me to be sure, but it's far better than skipping the workout altogether (or bumping it a day, which throws off my entire week).

Planning is generally good, but don't rely so much on a plan that you become paralyzed or demoralized when it doesn't go the way you expected. Just shake it off, refocus on your goal, and make do with the situation at hand... even when an old pooch with a stomach ache keeps you up all night and leaves you in a 'dog daze'!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

New Life and Transformation

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:50:00 +0000

Spring is a time of growth and new life. The long, cold, lifeless days of winter are becoming a distant memory, while mother nature is busy bringing forth buds, blossoms, and blooms. With the world around me bursting with vitality, it seems like the perfect time to begin the next phase in my own personal transformation.

In August of 2008, I was tipping the scales at 258 pounds. About 3 months after that, I had only managed to lose 10 pounds and was basically stuck. That was when I stumbled upon Craig Ballantyne's "Turbulence Training" program... and what a difference it made! Here we are, 5 months later, and I've managed to drop another 30 pounds without a whole lot of focus and effort. (I'll spend more time in later posts explaining exactly what I did so that you can do it too.)

Now, you may look at that and say, "Wow! You've lost 40 pounds! You should be proud of how far you've come!"

Well, I don't know if "proud" is the word I'd use; "pleased" is probably a better choice... but that doesn't mean I'm satisfied or finished. In fact, the progress I've made has given me even more motivation to do better!

The Easter Season is Perfect for Transformation

I look back over the last 8 months and I know that I wasn't very focused. I know that I wasn't very disciplined. I know that I didn't train anywhere near as hard as I should have. Sure, I've had some good results. I look a lot better and I feel great, but I KNOW that I could've done much, much better than I did. But rather than beating myself up for sub-optimal performance in the past, I've decided to look ahead to the future.

For Christians, this is the Easter Season; a time when we focus on the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of new life. It is the perfect time to begin a physical transformation through improved nutrition and increased activity.

Some people have argued with me about this, claiming that the season of Lent is better because it's a time when we remember the suffering of Jesus, and then our "transformation" coincides with Easter and the resurrection. I absolutely disagree with this because I completely disagree with making temporary changes in order to get fit. I strongly believe that we need to make gradual changes to our nutrition and activity that will be permanent. And if those changes are going to be permanent, I certainly don't want to associate them with suffering! I want those changes to be associated with resurrection and new life! I want those changes to be associated with good, positive things so that my subconscious mind helps me and isn't working against my conscious mind.

A Change in Presentation (Posts That Are Personal)

I started this blog with the idea of sharing my knowledge and ideas regarding improving ourselves so that we can better build God's Kingdom on earth. Until know my posts have been relatively impersonal (though I hope you've considered them well-written). From here on out though, these posts are going to be a lot more personal (but still well-written, I hope). I've decided that the best way to share my knowledge and ideas is to document my own attempts at training the temple and give you a glimpse of the thoughts and information that motivates and drives me along the way.

It's not a change in direction; just a change in presentation. I think you'll enjoy it!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Understand the Value of Your Work

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:03:00 +0000

If you ask someone how they think people define spirituality, they will most likely tell you that people's definitions will vary widely, because that is the conventional wisdom on the subject. Most of us assume that spirituality is something extremely personal and thus our definitions are situational and individual.

Interestingly, the few studies that have been done on the subject indicate that respondents tend to have a very similar definition and understanding of spirituality. In the book A Spiritual Audit of Corporate America, author Ian Mitroff uses the results of one such study to offer this definition of spirituality: "[Spirituality] is the basic desire to find ultimate meaning and purpose in one's life and to live an integrated life."

Given this definition, I think it becomes pretty clear that there is a significant difference between spirituality and religion. Obviously, spirituality will be strongly connected to religion because the focus is on living an integrated life, but it's important to acknowledge the distinction between the two. Because of this distinction, I would argue that spirituality is a very appropriate topic within the workplace even though religion is not necessarily safe ground.

But how do you find ultimate meaning and purpose in your life? If you work 40+ hours a week at a job, doesn't that job need to enter the equation? In fact, don't you think that the work you do during the bulk of your waking hours should play an extremely prominent role in helping you discover that ultimate meaning and purpose?

The fact of the matter is that understanding the greater value of the work you do gets you one step closer to living an integrated life.

Action Exercise (10 minutes): Think about the work that you do on a daily basis. What value does it create? How does it help others? How does it make the world a better place? If it's a small part of a much larger system, then also think about that larger system. How does it create value, help others, and/or make the world a better place?

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

Get Off the Negative Bandwagon

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Unemployment is on the rise. Layoffs are commonplace at many companies. Benefits for both employees and retirees are being cut more and more. Cash is king... but there's less and less to go around. And many people are finding that there is more month at the end of the money.

How can you not be pessimistic? How can you not join in with co-workers who seem to find ever more creative ways of predicting doom and gloom? Like so many things in life, moaning and complaining is a bandwagon that's easy to hop on, but hard to get off.

What I find rather interesting is that the "doom and gloom" people at most workplaces are treated as if they are all-seeing prophets who have a crystal ball that they use to scry the future. Yet someone who is upbeat and positive, on the other hand, is treated as if he or she has some sort of psychological malaise.

I could go on and on describing this phenomenon, but I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. So instead, let me just explain what I think we need to do:

Don't be a sheep and blindly follow the naysayers and negative ninnies.
Remember that the choice is always yours.
Choose optimism.

Will you be wrong sometimes? Absolutely. But that's not the point. The point is that negative words and ideas create negative energy, and negative energy saps your spirit. And considering all of the truly serious problems that we're facing today, none of us needs any additional negativity if we can help it... so get off of the negative bandwagon! The choice is yours.

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

Health and Fitness Myth Busters: No Pain, No Gain

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:23:00 +0000

The Myth: The best indicator of an excellent workout is that I should be really sore, especially on the day after.

The Reality: Muscle soreness is expected to some degree, especially if you're either a beginner, you have not trained in a long time, or you've made significant changes to your routine. But muscle soreness is certainly not the only way to tell that your workout was effective. In fact, if your nutrition is good and you are allowing adequate recovery time between workouts, muscle soreness should be minimized.

Given proper training, nutrition, and recovery time, strong muscles should be exhausted immediately following a workout, but you should not be in pain the following day. The "pain" you feel when you properly push your muscles is better described as "strain". If you are pushing to the point of true pain, then you need to either adjust the weight, the number of reps, or the intensity of your workout because over-training will definitely slow your progress. The truth is that training to pain will minimize your gains.

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon

Health and Fitness Myth Busters: Cardio Burns More Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:04:00 +0000

The Myth: The only way I'm going to burn off that layer of fat is to put in some hours on the treadmill or elliptical machine (or some other form of cardio exercise).

The Reality: Sure, cardio can burn calories, but it isn't the only type of exercise you should be doing. In fact, many experts agree that it's not even the best exercise for significant fat loss. Slow, steady cardio burns calories while you're exercising, but a short while after you stop, your body settles back into its basal metabolic rate (BMR). Strength training, on the other hand, using a varied program that is changed up every 4 or 5 weeks, causes muscle confusion and keeps your body burning more calories for around 38 hours after the workout. Also keep in mind that muscle tissue is extremely active and burns 5 or 6 times more calories than fat when your body is at rest (a pound of muscle burns 10-20 calories a day).

Cardio is excellent if you're training for an activity that requires physical endurance, but it is not the best solution for fat loss. Stick to strength training and high intensity interval training (HIIT) to burn the most fat in the shortest amount of time. Then when you need to shed those last couple of pounds and get totally shredded, feel free to hop on the stationary bike and pedal to your heart's content!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

More Energy for Hectic Days

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Okay... so who hasn’t been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well, regardless of whether you agree with the statement or not, there is one thing that everyone seems to agree with: A healthy breakfast is certainly a good thing. Of course, there’s also another statement that many people will agree with: Eating a healthy breakfast can be difficult with the fast pace of life today!

With that in mind, here are two suggestions for ensuring that you get a decent breakfast, even when you’re on-the-run!

1. Prepare something the night before. Most of us underestimate the time we’ll have available in the morning, so take breakfast out of the equation by preparing something the night before. Throw some nuts, raisins and sunflower seeds into a plastic bag for an inexpensive, homemade trail mix. Likewise, you could throw some granola or other healthy dry cereal into a plastic bag to munch on during your commute. Or what about some low-fat cheese slices and some whole wheat crackers? Or pre-peel an orange, slice an apple or pear, or clean some grapes and have them bagged and ready to grab on your way out the door.

2. Focus on the right foods, not on breakfast foods. Cereal and oatmeal are fine, but you don’t have to limit yourself to traditional breakfast fare. The key is to shoot for the right types of foods. Go light on the sugar to avoid a ‘crash’ later in the morning. Focus on fiber by going for complex carbs, not highly processed white flour foods. Try to add in some protein for more sustainable energy. And if you can, include some healthy fats for added brain performance (throw some almonds or walnuts in with your trail mix, or have some omega-3-enriched hard-boiled eggs on hand).

Regardless of whether or not you think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the fact is that it is important... so don’t skip it. Prepare something the night before and make sure you’re eating the right types of foods, and you should have more energy to get you through your hectic day!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

Health and Fitness Myth Busters: Toning Up

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The Myth: If you want nice muscle tone, you need to use lighter weights and higher repetitions (more sets might help as well).

The Reality: The theory sounds good: lighter weights and higher reps will give you a lean, supple, musculature; while heaving around heavy weights with fewer reps will bulk you up and make you muscle-bound. Apparently the belief is that this style of workout will burn more fat, leaving you with a sleek, athletic physique.

The fact of the matter is that this style of workout is not a magic bullet to solve your fat loss dilemmas. And light weights with higher reps certainly won't "tone" your body unless you also manage to create a calorie deficit and lose the right amount of body fat. Workout all you want, but don't expect to see those muscles until that layer of fat is gone!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

Health and Fitness Myth Busters: Spot Reduction

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:52:00 +0000

The Myth: You can burn fat from around your belly, hips, thighs, (fill-in a specific body region) by doing certain targeted exercises.

The Reality: Factors such as genetics, hormones, and age are what determines where we store body fat. Because of this, we tend to lose fat in the reverse order from which we put it on. For example, I put on fat around the middle first, then around my arms and chest, and then my face and backside. When I started losing weight, my face and rear were the first places that thinned, followed by my arms and chest, and... well... you get the picture.

Doing intense, focused abdominal workouts might give you six-pack abs, but if your body stores fat around your belly, your six-pack may be hidden from view. And although there is (allegedly) a recent study that shows a slight thermogenic effect in the immediate vicinity of a working muscle, it’s doubtful that it makes a difference (and frankly I couldn’t find the study “cited” by another author).

As disappointing as this might be for some people, keep in mind that now you’re free to avoid endless crunches or leg lifts and start focusing on full-body strength training that will help you in a number of ways (see 3 Good Reasons for Strength Training and 3 More Good Reasons...).

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon T Jubar

7 Snacks for 7 Hours of Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Jubar) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Getting a good 7 or 8 hours of sleep each night is one of the best (and cheapest) ways to lose weight. But with all the stresses that many of us face today, getting a “good” night’s sleep is becoming more and more difficult.

In looking through my personal notes, I came across the following list of foods that make a good night-time snack. For various reasons, snacking on these foods (don’t eat more than 200 calories) won’t tax your digestive system and will help you relax, calm your racing thoughts, and in some cases even provide serotonin and melatonin, two hormones that help us sleep.

Warm milk – contains some tryptophan, which also acts as a gentle sedative (and it appears that the calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan).
Chamomile tea – acts as a gentle sedative, great for calming the mind.
Honey – causes the brain to stop releasing orexin, which is a neurotransmitter linked to alertness (don’t over-do it though, because too much honey has a stimulating effect).
Banana – releases serotonin and melatonin; also acts as a natural muscle relaxant.
Oatmeal – provides melatonin, and it’s filling without loading you up with too many calories.
Almonds – contain tryptophan and also act as a natural muscle relaxant.

Turkey on Whole-wheat bread – the carbs in the bread cause your body to release insulin, which then helps the tryptophan in the turkey get to your brain, where it’s converted to serotonin and thus encourages sleep.

Generally speaking, you can mix and match items from this list, just try to keep it below 200 calories total and you won’t experience the typical negative effects of eating late in the evening.

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon