The Importance of Being Positive

Hey team. Hope you've been enjoying the weather, wherever you are. It's juuuussst starting to turn around here in NH.

Today I just want to send a friendly reminder about how being positive can change your whole approach to whatever you're doing. Not only can it affect you, but it can help shine a light for those around you.

Let me frame it for you. 

Imagine you are grabbing coffee and you order something but have to wait a bit. It's busy. The baristas are running around like a mad-people trying to get everyone their drinks. They're doing the best they can. You usually have two options when you get your delicious concoction.

You can: Say thanks, and walk away (Or be even more brash) ... OR

Make eye contact, Say, "Thank You, Have a great rest of your day."

That person may take your comment and brush it off like nothing happened. But maybe just once that person says in their head, "Wow, that was really nice." They get in a good mood, their stress level lowers, and as a result they're healthier for a while. After all, stress is the trigger for illness a lot of the time. Good health can be contagious, in a way.

Details might not be important to you. But sometimes it's what can make a difference for some people. The world is a tough, cold, place sometimes, and many people are getting the short end of the stick. 

And I'm not talking about being fake. Be genuine. Deliberately try to make a positive impact. You never know what kind of help it can give someone.

Best,

RY

Slow Twitch People vs. Fast Twitch People

Howdy folks!  

As most of you can probably relate, it can be tough to find something when you REALLY need it. The remote, your chap-stick, your checkbook, etc. This is similar to finding a new blog topic. You rack your brain and come up with nothing for a while. Then, boom! It hits you. The Mike Tyson of ideas.

So last week I was carrying on with my day and I noticed some differences, particularly in people who train and how you should coach them. This can be applied elsewhere in life, as I know you'll be able to line up specific people in your life and where they fall. I'm talking, of course, about Fast Twitch People and Slow Twitch People. Let me explain what I mean.

Fast Twitch People

These people are the ones that just go. The are intrinsically motivated, and don't really need you to "Ra Ra Ra" them. They know what they want and will take action to get it. This can be great but sometimes they'll need to be slowed down. For example; take someone who is learning a new lift, and they are crushing reps like a champ. However, they might be missing certain technical cues. Then, might not want to take an appropriate rest period, and 35 minutes later they are looking at you like,  "OMG, I'm so gassed, LOLZ." As a coach, slow them down. Make sure they get it right, stick to the plan, and when it's time to add the crazy sauce, tell them they can.

Lifting aside, maybe you have a friend who is an activity fiend. Cue the Jay-Z music- On to the next, On to the next... They are really good at getting the small things done, but struggle with the big ones because they are quick to make decisions. They bounce around from person to person, and are usually the life of the party and down for whatever life brings them.

Slow Twitch People

Now, this type of person is usually a little bit more reserved and unsure of themselves in new situations. They are very calculated in everything they do, so it can be tough to get them to maybe... try a new exercise or speed up outside their comfort zone. With every rep they are saying, "Please don't get hurt, Please!" For example, this could be the soccer mom who night in and night out is on the elliptical, even though you have invited her to class or offered her some coaching to get her started. But after many attempts, she thinks that, "the elliptical is safe for me and makes me feel good, so I'm just going to stay here instead." (I'm not saying this is a bad thing, either) For these individuals, it's just about being patient and giving them some encouragement along the way. The harder you push the more they will be resilient. 

This might be your friend who is happy being at home. They are just going to do what they want, period. You can't do anything "fun" with them because they don't think that being ANY of the following is "fun": Scared, Out of control, Uncomfortable,  Unsafe, etc. 

Let's Get Married

9 times out of 10, the people who are successful in achieving what their goals are the ones who can find a balance between who they are and how they approach fitness. They know how to turn it on and turn it off. It doesn't work if you have one without the other. Your body can't always run on carbohydrates, it needs some fat to help be more efficient and fill in the gaps when you are relaxing. And that's where those Fast Twitch and Slow Twitch fibers come in. (There are other types, yes, but this is a generalization) You should be able to move quickly when you have to (Run from bears), and move at a more moderate pace (Hike up Mt. Washington).

Think about what type of person you are. Are you the Rabbit or the Turtle? Try to blend the two, unless of course you are on the extremes of each side of the spectrum (Examples: O-Lifters or Elite Marathoners).

For the fast twitchers, try and plan out what you're doing and don't stray away from that. This might be pretty tough at first, but being a bit more methodical in your approach will go a long way. For the slow twitchers, get out of your comfort zone; within reason. I'm not saying you need to go cliff diving. Just think about taking some steps outside the box.

For both of these, don't think I'm telling you to get away from what you're good at. That's not my objective. But, if you can learn to grab the "bull of who you are" by the horns and control it, you'll be stronger and better for it. 

Best, 

RY