Recently a documentary began receiving a lot of attention,"I.O.U.S.A." It detailed the growing National Debt/Deficit and the threat it would pose to the US infrastructure if left unchecked. While I haven't gotten the chance to see the documentary in it's entirety, I have seen some positive reviews of it. An interview the creator had with Glenn Beck especially caught my attention, though no one has uploaded it to You Tube.
Now here is a condensed 30-minute version of what could very well be the most important documentary of the decade:
Glenn Beck also did a good series around the time of it's release detailing the fiscal crisis we're in. Here's part one:
Part Two:
Part Three:
Part Four:
Now after seeing all this I hope you make a more informed choice at the polls and voting booth as time goes by. In the back of everyone's mind when it comes to government spending and taxation people should know that the US is currently in an almost $11,000,000,000,000.00 National Debt (check this link to see the latest numbers), and owes nearly 55 trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities. Hope I've raised a few eyebrows with this post. In the meantime here's a useful resource for seeing where all our money goes (since the official government spending site really sucks):
Note that IOUSA isn't held universally to paint the whole picture, here's a good overview of why many feel it misses the point in some respects:
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
My Past and Current Physical Crisis
As shown before, Combat Conditioning is what I would consider to be the most simple and efficient yet most effective way of reaching optimal physical capabilities. But before I go into greater detail, I just want to expand on my last post. My history in running, lifting, stretching, heck pretty much any kind of attempts at becoming more combat ready (if that's how you want to put it) isn't that hard to sum up.
To start, my first way of excelling athletically was running. Nothing really hard or complex about it, all you had to do was just put one foot in front of the other (as fast as you could). In kindergarten a track made out of dusty gravel was spread out in an oval shape. Five laps was the equivalent to a mile. We weren't allowed to "run" on it, dust would fly everywhere and of course we all know why supervisors had a problem with that. Nonetheless the track began to improve. As the years went by in elementary school, the track soon was turn into a solid asphalt oval, which was then made to have smoother edges since students constantly tripped and fell every other day prior to that improvement. Finally in 5th grade the track featured 2 lines that helped form three lanes. It had become as close to a professional track as you could get. No doubt in my mind I was able to beat any other student in the entire school in a quick 1 lap race any day of the week. Track wasn't the only aspect of running I was a part of either. Unless you're homeschooled, or have been under a rock your entire life, or maybe finished high school before such a thing became implemented (like most of the populous), then you've had to have done it at some point in your life.
It's that legendary test they call the PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run). When I get the chance, I'll try and upload the MP3 for it.
I will cite this as a form of aerobics in many posts to come, but for the most part this was a staple of my reputation throughout my entire elementary school life. Such a long time ago, such good memories. But like the track available to students, which was constantly upgraded and improved, I felt that I needed to do the same. While track and field was something I took major pride in, I had a significant notoriety for being the tall skinny dude who may have had some athletic ability but probably didn't have the strength per se to go with that feature. I recall another classmate insisting that I would never achieve any kind of physical strength worth mentioning, and that was when I set out to prove him wrong.
This was in 5th grade (again, good memories) when I could barely do Five push-ups. But I set out to fix that problem. One day I finally felt the dedication to actually do push-ups every other day. Soon 5 became 7, then 13, then 15. Progress was an aspect I admired. At the start of Middle school (ok, not so happy memories there...) PE had become more elaborate. I signed onto a class on weight training, and there the most impressive feat I could pull off was two set of 15 push-ups without rest between reps. Weight training was without a doubt the most fun and practical class I had ever taken, and soon (though still being a "skinny dude") I gained a reputation for it. By 8th grade, trips to a local GNC retailer was commonplace. Through much of middle school I had constant dreams of getting a Bowflex (more on that later), and despite the high costs, I soon was lucky enough to have a mother purchase a specialized dumbbell set from the same company which I will review later on. Using the right program, the right tools, the right supplements, the right motivations, and for the right cause, I managed to reach the following body composition:
I cannot recall the physical output I was able to pull off, I no longer have a record of what I was capable of doing, but I do remember achieving a feat of using 35 pound dumbbells for 12 reps when doing a form of rotation curls; I will explain what those are later. But as you can imagine this was a physical state I was quite proud to have achieved. Nothing could get in the way of my goals, at least not until I quit the program I set up for myself due to time constraints. Combined with heavy doses of isotretinion, a medication which combated heavy breakouts that resulted from a particular training technique I was doing (no, it was NOT steroids, prohormones, or anything of that sort, but a program which does in fact cause certain hormones to fluctuate, more on that later), and I was off the weights for over six months. Guess how detrimental that turned out to be for me?
Height: 6'4" Weight: 155lbs Bodyfat Percentage: 11% Lean Bodyweight: 138lbs
This is the basis for the title of this post, my current physical crisis. I made such a stride in progress, and now have dropped back down to a little higher from where I started. But I know I won't just sit back and let this be a problem. Since it may help to inspire you to do the same, I'm going to go from my current starting point to my previous composition and beyond.
I can't say in words how ashamed I am by my current situation, but hopefully it will demonstrate that everyone has their ups in downs when it comes to whatever goals they are trying to achieve. You are not alone if you think you're at a low starting point. So in a couple posts to come I will lay out how I intend to break through the crisis I'm currently in. Not only that but it will be a daily ritual that I promise can give you the same benefits. Though you'll have to do the work too, I can at least help readers out by using myself as a test subject to determine what works and what doesn't. But before that, here are my goals (which assume I will remain 6'4" for some time to come):
Composition
Weight: 175lbs Bodyfat Percentage: 9% Lean Bodyweight: 160lbs
Physical Output
To start, my first way of excelling athletically was running. Nothing really hard or complex about it, all you had to do was just put one foot in front of the other (as fast as you could). In kindergarten a track made out of dusty gravel was spread out in an oval shape. Five laps was the equivalent to a mile. We weren't allowed to "run" on it, dust would fly everywhere and of course we all know why supervisors had a problem with that. Nonetheless the track began to improve. As the years went by in elementary school, the track soon was turn into a solid asphalt oval, which was then made to have smoother edges since students constantly tripped and fell every other day prior to that improvement. Finally in 5th grade the track featured 2 lines that helped form three lanes. It had become as close to a professional track as you could get. No doubt in my mind I was able to beat any other student in the entire school in a quick 1 lap race any day of the week. Track wasn't the only aspect of running I was a part of either. Unless you're homeschooled, or have been under a rock your entire life, or maybe finished high school before such a thing became implemented (like most of the populous), then you've had to have done it at some point in your life.
It's that legendary test they call the PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run). When I get the chance, I'll try and upload the MP3 for it.
I will cite this as a form of aerobics in many posts to come, but for the most part this was a staple of my reputation throughout my entire elementary school life. Such a long time ago, such good memories. But like the track available to students, which was constantly upgraded and improved, I felt that I needed to do the same. While track and field was something I took major pride in, I had a significant notoriety for being the tall skinny dude who may have had some athletic ability but probably didn't have the strength per se to go with that feature. I recall another classmate insisting that I would never achieve any kind of physical strength worth mentioning, and that was when I set out to prove him wrong.
This was in 5th grade (again, good memories) when I could barely do Five push-ups. But I set out to fix that problem. One day I finally felt the dedication to actually do push-ups every other day. Soon 5 became 7, then 13, then 15. Progress was an aspect I admired. At the start of Middle school (ok, not so happy memories there...) PE had become more elaborate. I signed onto a class on weight training, and there the most impressive feat I could pull off was two set of 15 push-ups without rest between reps. Weight training was without a doubt the most fun and practical class I had ever taken, and soon (though still being a "skinny dude") I gained a reputation for it. By 8th grade, trips to a local GNC retailer was commonplace. Through much of middle school I had constant dreams of getting a Bowflex (more on that later), and despite the high costs, I soon was lucky enough to have a mother purchase a specialized dumbbell set from the same company which I will review later on. Using the right program, the right tools, the right supplements, the right motivations, and for the right cause, I managed to reach the following body composition:
Height: 6'3" Weight: 170lbs Bodyfat Percentage: 9% Lean Bodyweight: 155lbs
I cannot recall the physical output I was able to pull off, I no longer have a record of what I was capable of doing, but I do remember achieving a feat of using 35 pound dumbbells for 12 reps when doing a form of rotation curls; I will explain what those are later. But as you can imagine this was a physical state I was quite proud to have achieved. Nothing could get in the way of my goals, at least not until I quit the program I set up for myself due to time constraints. Combined with heavy doses of isotretinion, a medication which combated heavy breakouts that resulted from a particular training technique I was doing (no, it was NOT steroids, prohormones, or anything of that sort, but a program which does in fact cause certain hormones to fluctuate, more on that later), and I was off the weights for over six months. Guess how detrimental that turned out to be for me?
Height: 6'4" Weight: 155lbs Bodyfat Percentage: 11% Lean Bodyweight: 138lbs
This is the basis for the title of this post, my current physical crisis. I made such a stride in progress, and now have dropped back down to a little higher from where I started. But I know I won't just sit back and let this be a problem. Since it may help to inspire you to do the same, I'm going to go from my current starting point to my previous composition and beyond.
I can't say in words how ashamed I am by my current situation, but hopefully it will demonstrate that everyone has their ups in downs when it comes to whatever goals they are trying to achieve. You are not alone if you think you're at a low starting point. So in a couple posts to come I will lay out how I intend to break through the crisis I'm currently in. Not only that but it will be a daily ritual that I promise can give you the same benefits. Though you'll have to do the work too, I can at least help readers out by using myself as a test subject to determine what works and what doesn't. But before that, here are my goals (which assume I will remain 6'4" for some time to come):
Composition
Weight: 175lbs Bodyfat Percentage: 9% Lean Bodyweight: 160lbs
Physical Output
Front Deltoid Raise - 25lbs Side lateral Raise - 17.5 Arnold Press - 35lbs
Rotation Curls - 45lbs Overhead Extension - 25lbs Sub-Situp - 15 reps
Front Dumbbell Lunge - 100lbs* Squat -TBD
Rowing - 40lbs
Chest Fly- 52.5lbs*
Front Dumbbell Lunge - 100lbs* Squat -TBD
Rowing - 40lbs
Chest Fly- 52.5lbs*
So there you go. The goals have been set and in a couple posts I will go into what programs and methods I will implement to achieve them.
*With the dumbbell lunge, I intend to utilize a weight vest (more on that later), and with the chest fly that is the weight of each individual dumbbell.
*With the dumbbell lunge, I intend to utilize a weight vest (more on that later), and with the chest fly that is the weight of each individual dumbbell.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Take These Quizzes: You Just Might Learn Something
In the days of roaming the internet for hours on end, it didn't take long for me to find piles of quizzes which claimed to be the key to understanding something about yourself you didn't know before. Most of them are crap. Total shiite. Absolute waste of your time crap. But there's always a handful that do matter, ones which are worth the search. While treading a forum a couple years back, someone posted a link to the following:
Used frequently on the net, it's a pretty accurate assessment of what one believes (in a political context of course). A few years back, here was my result:
"The World's Smallest Political Quiz" isn't the only attempt to nail down one's views. After it's inception, a new quiz showed up on the net that tries to be a little more precise, and uses a different format for questions. This was my result:
This quiz obviously seems to deliver a result more consistent with what I expected, even if it did take longer to finish.
Several months later, this was my result:
Looks like a few things have changed. Economically I prefer less intervention now, and I'm a little bit looser on personal issues. I'll post more recent results later on, but first I would like to emphasize something. Yeah, so the quiz did say I was a moderate conservative but this doesn't mean I'll be signing on with the GOP anytime soon. If you want to take a fair approach to all things political, then you don't label yourself, and then try to force every issue you come across into that realm of thought.
So as you can see it's not uncommon for views to change over time, and I'm no exception. One more quiz that caught my attention is the Candidate Calculator. This gives you a set of twenty-something issues, and you rank whether you support the proposal, have no opinion, or disagree. Then you rank from low, medium, or high and see which presidential candidate you agree with most. While I don't think it's perfect, I think it's at least 80% accurate in finding which contender has your trends. Though the election is over, it's is still something to look into.
So here's a recap of the quizzes mentioned:
Inform yourself, have fun.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Typing Speed - Don't let the carpal get you down
I don't think I really need to go very deep into why spitting out word after word on this site requires that I move every last finger as fast and precise as possible. Blogging is just one of those things where every keystroke becomes like an art and a science. If I just pushed each key with index fingers alone, I sure as hell would not get very far on this side project at all.
But this is something that should matter as much to you. Even if you aren't one of the 100 million or so "users" on MySpace (for the record the actual number of active users is actually less then the 100 million or so they touted in 2006, by now the number of active users could be three times lower then the amount of registered accounts), it sure helps to type fast and accurate. Part of why I'm posting this is in fact because of it's relevance to what an ideal super soldier/human would be able to pull off. No joke, if you can utilize technology as a means of communication to the point where emails and IM's can just pour through your net connection then you'll thank yourself later. This is without a doubt an information age, and while being able to process it effectively (see my previous post, "Speed Reading-how it's done") is a must have, it also helps to put it in writing as well.
But this is something that should matter as much to you. Even if you aren't one of the 100 million or so "users" on MySpace (for the record the actual number of active users is actually less then the 100 million or so they touted in 2006, by now the number of active users could be three times lower then the amount of registered accounts), it sure helps to type fast and accurate. Part of why I'm posting this is in fact because of it's relevance to what an ideal super soldier/human would be able to pull off. No joke, if you can utilize technology as a means of communication to the point where emails and IM's can just pour through your net connection then you'll thank yourself later. This is without a doubt an information age, and while being able to process it effectively (see my previous post, "Speed Reading-how it's done") is a must have, it also helps to put it in writing as well.
http://www.typefastertypingtutor.com/
http://mashable.com/2008/01/02/learn-how-to-type-faster-with-these-8-sites/
http://mashable.com/2008/01/02/learn-how-to-type-faster-with-these-8-sites/
Both of these sites (particularly the program you can download from the first link) have some pretty reliable resources to get you started. But one thing pretty much everyone seems to overlook is that the only real way to actually master typing to a Bill Gates sort of level is to actually use the skill. Nothing prepares you for war better than war itself, period. Send some emails, talk on some forums, and leave some comments below.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Trying to Systematically Seek the Truth? Use Your Weapon of Choice: C-4
I'm sure this might seem a little unconventional based on the title but to situate ourselves, let's imagine we are exploring a topic we are either unfamiliar with or are trying to learn about even deeper. Or let's say you are in a debate, and need a method to determine who's right, so you can either forward your cause, or embrace the opposing viewpoint. Keep in mind that if you're trying to scientifically approach a controversy, you automatically have broken the rules if you've started with a conclusion.
But let's take a look at the following statements:
McCain wants 100 years of war.
Barack Obama is an unpatriotic Muslim
If your life literally depended on figuring whether or not any of those claims were true, this is want you want to look for: Claim, Case, Criticism, Conclusion. This in turn can be abbreviated as C-4 (yes pun intended). So here's how it all breaks down:
The Claim- This is whatever a subject is trying to insist is truth, these can be statements about virtually anything, and they usually refer to two things: events that have happened in the past, an aspect or feature of a given topic, or it can also be a prediction about, well... anything.
Case for the Claim- When someone makes a statement that they hold to be definitive truth, chances are, they should be able to provide evidence for this claim. If they say that there has been a 5 degree increase in average global surface temperature, they should be able to provide a source for this, or back it up with something. If not, then what they are committing is a common fallacy known as proof by assertion.
But let's take a look at the following statements:
McCain wants 100 years of war.
Barack Obama is an unpatriotic Muslim
If your life literally depended on figuring whether or not any of those claims were true, this is want you want to look for: Claim, Case, Criticism, Conclusion. This in turn can be abbreviated as C-4 (yes pun intended). So here's how it all breaks down:
The Claim- This is whatever a subject is trying to insist is truth, these can be statements about virtually anything, and they usually refer to two things: events that have happened in the past, an aspect or feature of a given topic, or it can also be a prediction about, well... anything.
Case for the Claim- When someone makes a statement that they hold to be definitive truth, chances are, they should be able to provide evidence for this claim. If they say that there has been a 5 degree increase in average global surface temperature, they should be able to provide a source for this, or back it up with something. If not, then what they are committing is a common fallacy known as proof by assertion.
http://www.conservapedia.com/_fallacy#Proof_by_assertion
For whatever reason, this was the only site I could find which gets right to the point on what this fallacy is, and I think it's got something to do with conservatives synonymous loath for Al Gore insisting "The debate is over" on that issue I recently discussed. It's a simple fallacy: You simply start with a premise, assume it's true because.... well, you said so. And from there you draw conclusions. Does this sound familiar or what?
Criticism of the (case for the) Claim- This is pretty self explanatory. One must formulate and present the problems with the evidence used to support the assertion being made. This can include any relevant information omitted from the case for the claim that could undermine it, or just critique of what the opposing viewpoint already mentioned. You can (at your discretion, sometimes this isn't too important) point out any logical fallacies that persist in their case for the claim.
Conclusion- Hopefully I won't have to explain this to you; even though I intend to anyway. Base on the case for a claim and the critical analysis of that (case for the) claim, what conclusions can you draw? In the vast majority of all debated topics you should see AT LEAST two side to an issue, and there should be some truth to both sides with one outweighing the other. There are some exceptions, but if you're objective and don't start with a conclusion, you should see some truth to both/all sides.
So let's see this truth filter in action, starting with the claim that Presidential Hopeful John McCain wants 100 years of war in Iraq.
The Claim- McCain wants 100 years of conflict in Iraq.
Case for the Claim- During a question answer session while on an early campaign trail an individual inquired that President Bush would have troops stay in Iraq for 50 years, and McCain responded by saying, "Make it a hundred."
Because of this statement we have no choice to assume that McCain wants 100 more years of bloodshed in the Middle East.
Criticism of the Claim- This is a case of quote mining, where a statement is taken and the context is completely distorted to give a different impression of what the view is of the speaker. A good article that details what McCain really meant can be found here:
Claim- Obama is both unpatriotic, and is a Muslim.
Case for the Claim- A pattern has persisted in which Obama has not put his hand over his heart during a singing of the national anthem, and he also chose not to wear a lapel pin of the American flag in the past. His dad was also a Muslim, so he must be too.
Critique of the Claim(s)- The notion that he is unpatriotic due to his discretion over a lapel pin of the American flag is taking that action out of context much in the way McCain was misrepresented with his statement that he would not mind being in Iraq for 100 years. Patriotism is about more then just a lapel pin. Insistence that he is un-American just for forgetting to put his hand over his heart during a national anthem does not indicate he hates this country. If he really was so un-patriotic, why would he bother to run for the presidency in the first place?
As for the claim that he is a Muslim, all public statements made by Obama and based on what we know about his personal life indicates that he is a UCC Christian. Not too long ago, he was criticized for being part of a church congregation which everyone knew was not a Muslim group.
Conclusion- People are over-emphasizing a few small gestures that by themselves really don't mean much in the first place. There is more to patriotism then a lapel pin and remembering to put your hand over your heart every time. Besides, if he really wasn't proud of America, why would he ever want to represent it?
The notion that he is a Muslim due to his father is an nothing more but guilt by association, and also employs the genetic fallacy by basing a conclusion on Obama's origins and not his current beliefs.
So there you have it folks. Memorize the techniques I just elaborated on, and use them to your own advantage. When you come across a wide variety of claims and assumptions, remember not to start with a conclusion, but use this system to get to one. Keep reapplying this to claims as new information comes along, never settle on a conclusion as cold solid truth, and I'm sure you'll do just fine.
Criticism of the (case for the) Claim- This is pretty self explanatory. One must formulate and present the problems with the evidence used to support the assertion being made. This can include any relevant information omitted from the case for the claim that could undermine it, or just critique of what the opposing viewpoint already mentioned. You can (at your discretion, sometimes this isn't too important) point out any logical fallacies that persist in their case for the claim.
Conclusion- Hopefully I won't have to explain this to you; even though I intend to anyway. Base on the case for a claim and the critical analysis of that (case for the) claim, what conclusions can you draw? In the vast majority of all debated topics you should see AT LEAST two side to an issue, and there should be some truth to both sides with one outweighing the other. There are some exceptions, but if you're objective and don't start with a conclusion, you should see some truth to both/all sides.
So let's see this truth filter in action, starting with the claim that Presidential Hopeful John McCain wants 100 years of war in Iraq.
The Claim- McCain wants 100 years of conflict in Iraq.
Case for the Claim- During a question answer session while on an early campaign trail an individual inquired that President Bush would have troops stay in Iraq for 50 years, and McCain responded by saying, "Make it a hundred."
Because of this statement we have no choice to assume that McCain wants 100 more years of bloodshed in the Middle East.
Criticism of the Claim- This is a case of quote mining, where a statement is taken and the context is completely distorted to give a different impression of what the view is of the speaker. A good article that details what McCain really meant can be found here:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9207.html
Conclusion- The proper context is that McCain wouldn't mind a presence in Iraq for 100 years, not that he wanted to be at war for a century. This critical distinction is never made by McCain critics, because if they don't their job becomes just a tad bit easier. So the simplest thing we can say towards the claim is that it's just plain wrong; it doesn't preserve the original context the statement was made in.
Now let's move on to a claim made on the other side of the spectrum, the notion that Obama is an unpatriotic Muslim.
Conclusion- The proper context is that McCain wouldn't mind a presence in Iraq for 100 years, not that he wanted to be at war for a century. This critical distinction is never made by McCain critics, because if they don't their job becomes just a tad bit easier. So the simplest thing we can say towards the claim is that it's just plain wrong; it doesn't preserve the original context the statement was made in.
Now let's move on to a claim made on the other side of the spectrum, the notion that Obama is an unpatriotic Muslim.
Claim- Obama is both unpatriotic, and is a Muslim.
Case for the Claim- A pattern has persisted in which Obama has not put his hand over his heart during a singing of the national anthem, and he also chose not to wear a lapel pin of the American flag in the past. His dad was also a Muslim, so he must be too.
Critique of the Claim(s)- The notion that he is unpatriotic due to his discretion over a lapel pin of the American flag is taking that action out of context much in the way McCain was misrepresented with his statement that he would not mind being in Iraq for 100 years. Patriotism is about more then just a lapel pin. Insistence that he is un-American just for forgetting to put his hand over his heart during a national anthem does not indicate he hates this country. If he really was so un-patriotic, why would he bother to run for the presidency in the first place?
As for the claim that he is a Muslim, all public statements made by Obama and based on what we know about his personal life indicates that he is a UCC Christian. Not too long ago, he was criticized for being part of a church congregation which everyone knew was not a Muslim group.
Conclusion- People are over-emphasizing a few small gestures that by themselves really don't mean much in the first place. There is more to patriotism then a lapel pin and remembering to put your hand over your heart every time. Besides, if he really wasn't proud of America, why would he ever want to represent it?
The notion that he is a Muslim due to his father is an nothing more but guilt by association, and also employs the genetic fallacy by basing a conclusion on Obama's origins and not his current beliefs.
So there you have it folks. Memorize the techniques I just elaborated on, and use them to your own advantage. When you come across a wide variety of claims and assumptions, remember not to start with a conclusion, but use this system to get to one. Keep reapplying this to claims as new information comes along, never settle on a conclusion as cold solid truth, and I'm sure you'll do just fine.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Physical Training/Conditioning 101
I can't say enough how glad I am to have gotten past those Global Warming posts. I will revisit that issue in a few months or so, after seeing some new arguments from both sides, and not to mention being referred time and time again to the same web page regarding global warming (my bad, Climate Change). As stated before, this is intended to be more then just a political blog. Should anyone choose to enlist, or take it upon themselves to start a career similar in nature, I intend to do what I can to inform them on what they can do to insure they come back in one piece.
But suppose you're not going to put yourself amidst showers of lead, tungsten, depleted uranium, phosphorous (or god knows what else could be fired and used against you), this is still bound to make each day a little easier. Just how much easier depends on what each day is like for you, if you spend every moment of every heartbeat in front of the computer, much of this probably won't benefit you at all. All the more reason you should put it to use. Unless your Rosa Parks, a sedentary lifestyle probably won't get you anywhere. Let's take a quick look at what kind of fitness I will be catering too.
- I can promise you I will not be putting a high level of emphasis upon the "body building" approach that has plagued so many people who confused themselves with appearance as opposed to performance. Yes everyone I'm focusing almost exclusively on what increases performance, though some things that fall into the body building camp overlap what one would do for the athletic and functional fitness crowd.
- While performance and function will be the emphasis, I can also assure you I will not be recommending what your local pilates instructor tells you. Yes, endurance is important but that doesn't mean doing hundreds upon hundreds of reps of the same exercise. For the most part, I will be trying to elaborate on what results in the highest levels of combat performance, a term which I will define shortly.
- Like many of the things I will cover for years to come on this blog, the kind of fitness I'm referring to is somewhere in between the power lifter/marathon runner spectrum, and will be geared towards a military perspective.
- Equipment is also an issue, but for the next few posts I will not be getting into too many details about that topic. For now equipment will not be needed, and when I do get into equipment you can rest assured I will be pretty specific about what works and what doesn't. Not only that but the equipment I specify will be complimentary, and are things that you build upon by starting with the simplest most fundamental things first.
- Supplements are not necessary, but they sure help. However one must keep in mind that this is one of the more complex parts of physical training. It's one of those things where you cannot expect to be an expert overnight. But then again part of why I intend to write all this is to shorten that road to knowledge.
So there you go. That pretty much gives a general idea of what material will be covered in the posts which relate to fitness. It really comes down to prospect, program, equipment, supplementation, and motivation. Now to start all this off I figured it would be wise to covered the simplest yet most effective, most efficient yet most inexpensive program that you will ever find. The one thing that makes it stand out the most from other fitness programs (aside from the fact that it's chief focus is on performance, that's always good), lies in the fact that you require no equipment at all to pull it off.
On the surface this may sound either impossible, or flat out insane. It must be stressed that you can use certain types of equipment to build up the effects of some of the exercises you will learn, but also that they aren't readily necessary. Here's the program I'm referring to:
http://www.mattfurey.com/conditioning_book.html
You can bet your life that everything in the book has been tested and proven.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Open Apology - How my schedule will affect this blog
Yes, I understand that it's been a really, really long time since I've made any posts on any topic, most notably global warming. I've really become so distracted in my free time that I've neglected to devote the necessary effort to this site, and I now plan on making a change to that problem.
Nonetheless, I figured that now would be a good time to not only explain the delay, but also dive a little bit into just who the hell I am (I guess I've been a little insincere). If this blogger system works the way I think it does, then chances are the conclusion to the global warming posts will show up before this even though I will likely publish this post first. Anyways, I've really become carried away with all kinds of things that I may analyze and blog about, these things mostly include the 2008 elections, but more importantly something that is similar in nature to the global warming controversy. I'll let you all know just what that particular topic is later on, it will likely be a year before I get to that topic due to the enormous research that I must undergo before I will feel confident enough to give the biggest most accurate perspective possible on it.
But for now I may as well explain the other things that have been getting in the way of maintaining this blog since it will give some insight to what life is like off the computer (yeah I kind of lead two lives, and the one OFF the computer kind of vanishes every now and then). Lately the one thing that has really gotten in the way the most would most definitely be schoolwork. It's been coming along though, and I would expect that in a few weeks the problem of schoolwork will be managed in no time. For the most part, I've just been so entrenched in something that has completely changed the way I view everything around me that it's hard to pay close attention to this blog. I plan on changing that, and pretty much moving away from the issue of whether or not global warming is man-made; I didn't intend for this blog to be about just one topic.
I've been at rifle team meets/competitions for my High School JROTC team, I've been running around the neighborhood looking for any glimpses of inspiration, I've been logging in on youtube a whole lot more then I need to, you get the idea. My daily life right now is sort of like that row of medications you see your relatives carrying around with them, where they just randomly swallow whatever pill they feel like taking first. That's an odd metaphor (actually a simile since metaphors don't use the words "like" or "as"), but I can't think of anything better.
So yeah, if it appears that I've abandoned this blog, it's only due to time constraints. I don't just build something up and leave it there to decay. What would be the purpose of starting such an endeavor if I had no intent of maintaining it?
Nonetheless, I figured that now would be a good time to not only explain the delay, but also dive a little bit into just who the hell I am (I guess I've been a little insincere). If this blogger system works the way I think it does, then chances are the conclusion to the global warming posts will show up before this even though I will likely publish this post first. Anyways, I've really become carried away with all kinds of things that I may analyze and blog about, these things mostly include the 2008 elections, but more importantly something that is similar in nature to the global warming controversy. I'll let you all know just what that particular topic is later on, it will likely be a year before I get to that topic due to the enormous research that I must undergo before I will feel confident enough to give the biggest most accurate perspective possible on it.
But for now I may as well explain the other things that have been getting in the way of maintaining this blog since it will give some insight to what life is like off the computer (yeah I kind of lead two lives, and the one OFF the computer kind of vanishes every now and then). Lately the one thing that has really gotten in the way the most would most definitely be schoolwork. It's been coming along though, and I would expect that in a few weeks the problem of schoolwork will be managed in no time. For the most part, I've just been so entrenched in something that has completely changed the way I view everything around me that it's hard to pay close attention to this blog. I plan on changing that, and pretty much moving away from the issue of whether or not global warming is man-made; I didn't intend for this blog to be about just one topic.
I've been at rifle team meets/competitions for my High School JROTC team, I've been running around the neighborhood looking for any glimpses of inspiration, I've been logging in on youtube a whole lot more then I need to, you get the idea. My daily life right now is sort of like that row of medications you see your relatives carrying around with them, where they just randomly swallow whatever pill they feel like taking first. That's an odd metaphor (actually a simile since metaphors don't use the words "like" or "as"), but I can't think of anything better.
So yeah, if it appears that I've abandoned this blog, it's only due to time constraints. I don't just build something up and leave it there to decay. What would be the purpose of starting such an endeavor if I had no intent of maintaining it?
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