U-G-L-Y…Asymmetry?

Posted on by Jerry

I had a client not too long ago tell me she wanted to design a t-shirt that said:

“I’d rather be fat”

 

I cracked up, but I bet a lot of people, whether they have a consistent workout routine or not, are probably thinking the same thing. Today, I want to talk about an article I read on a particular fitspo blogger’s website. After reading it, my mind was blown.

He had taken a concept that I based most of my training on and turned it on its head. I actually even shared it on social media. I have to say I’m a little embarrassed, But it’s not like I got caught picking my nose (again) at a stop light.

I tell ya, you can only recover from one of those with a carefully worded response. The other requires you to drive away fast so you’re never seen again (till the next stop light)

 

So what exactly is the dilemma you ask?

Well its about the age old question of beauty

Or function.

I vote beauty and I’ll give you the short answer first

You see, beauty in the case of physical training is all about symmetry and the reason that it is is that it is perceived to be functional as well as aesthetically pleasing.

 

I mean if you think about, we all strive to have symmetry in our lives.

 

You wouldn’t want to have a huge right bicep and forearm and then a tiny left one. People might start to think things and some might even mention spending more time outside the house…

Made Up Stats

The disagreement comes when talking about training an asymmetrical body, which is what 98.4% of the world has (just made that stat up).

Some people believe that by breaking the rules of certain techniques, they are serving their clients but I would have you consider your car.

Why your car? Because when it goes out of alignment iIt runs a little differently. The same applies to the body sure your body is not designed by a computer nor iIs is meant to go 70 miles an hour, but I believe the comparison is still applicable.

If there is one thing I have learned from working as a trainer in a chiropractic office for the last year or so, it’s that alignment is crucial for optimal performance. It is irresponsible to train anyone to perform a movement knowing that they have limitations that would prevent it. TThat would be like telling your 2-year old that he needs to get a job.

Sure it would be helpful and it would make sense for him to pay for his own food and clothes like the rest of us but he simply can’t do it.

So being that there is a 98.4% chance (again, made up stat) that you or I are asymmetrical, what do we do? Well broham, it’s simple, but not easy.

Accept that you are different and train differently. Know the rules of training and make your weakness your strength.

Why We Exist

That is the foundation of the General Fitness Company. I envision a world that knows the rules of movement. In this world, people make intelligent moves during and after workouts; in life as well as in the gym.

I truly believe this company is coming from a different place in that, we are discovering real solutions for what people take for granted as being just another thing that simply  “Is what it is.”

One thing that I want you to take away from today is that although we are all diverse, we live by the same rules. The issue is that the rules we have made aren’t based on nature.

If you look to nature and find beauty, then it is there you will find the answer to the question of symmetry.

 

Jerry “seeking symmetry” Washington

 

P.S. I think this could be a debate that can go on and on but I want you to think about this, injuries such as sprains

strains, tears, and tendonitis don’t just happen to you.

 

Your body responds to your environment and if it can’t hHandle what it’s reacting to, then your tendons, ligaments

and sometimes muscles will react in an adverse way. Comment below with what you think. Form or function…

Or both??? Talk soon…


Got Change?

Posted on by Jerry



Sup, broski?

Was just sitting here watching an unGodly

And somewhat embarrassing gross amount of videos 

On YouTube today. 

It got me to thinking about addiction. 

You know, cuz I literally had not moved for like 2 hours…

Let’s take a moment for a word from our friends Merriam-Webster

Addiction:   compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly :  persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

Yup, they say sitting is the new smoking and boy can I tell you

If it’s not harmful to your health, it’s at the very least harmful to your back…need-slow-funny-pain-quotes-down-hurt-sadness-everyone-else-can-catch-up-being-sick-just-way-saying-put-some-whiskey-coffe-because

NE hoo, I was thinking about all that I’ve learned about addiction

And how it relates to change.

You know, people can criticize and shame you, but it doesn’t really equate to change.

Change, starts in your heart and mind and there’s

Actually scientific proof that shows how 

Criticism, and shaming are UNhelpful when it comes to making a change. 

#FACTS…

But listen to this Bro Nameth…

Addiction is not just related to drugs or alcohol. 

Naw bruh, addiction is your body, mind, state

And what have you, craving for a specific mix

Of hormones or body sauce as my friends like to call it. 

 

So if someone is addicted to say eating

It’s not really about the food

It’s about the feeling

When you think about it, it’s not about what’s going into the body

It’s what’s going on IN the body or more specifically the mind…


Our mind is ultra powerful broham and the important thing

To remember about it, is that it’s responsible for keeping us “sane”

Now to do that, it must always work to keep things normal or at

A homeostasis.

 

For instance, if you’ve adapted to something like doing 10 pushups

You could imagine that if you instead did 20 one day

You would feel the burn.

 

But say you wanted to maybe stop smoking.

You would feel the burn

But differently, as your body struggled to adapt to the change.

 

Change is so hard, because your body reacts by resisting

AND

Your mind fights hard as well because it sees this change as loss

And grieves which leads to sadness and mild depression.

 

So yeah bro, I feel ya change can be tough, but there is a secret

Not every body knows this, but they should.

Because when our mind tries to tell us that we NEED to be

Sad

Happy

Intoxicated

Buzzed

Fearful

High

You can ask this one question.

Write this down if you’re taking notes at home.

Is it true?

Do you NEED to feel anything or is it just your mind trying to

Return you to a homeostasis you now recognize as sucktastic?

Stay present and stay focused on what you really want.

 

Change…

 

Jerry “change machine” Washington

P.S.You may be looking for change right now in your own life.

I would encourage you to pursue that change now.

Don’t wait until you need change, want it now.

You have the world at your finger tips and a ton of options.

One is here: Project SELFFY my private Facebook group

Where we go a little more in depth about topics just like this.

See you there. Talk soon…


The Teacher Becomes The Student

Posted on by Jerry

So for obvious reasons, I don’t really talk about my personal training too much. I am transitioning my personal training to group settings so that all my clients can experience the effect of group training.

But this weekend, one of my clients almost made me rethink my decision.

You see care bear, I work in a gym that has some pretty high powered clientele. I mean really high powered. Like running the city high powered. Oops I’ve already said too much.

Well any who, you can probably imagine the intelligence and business sense of the people that walk through those doors. It is for this very reason that I have stayed there almost 10 years and struggle to imagine what it would be like anywhere else.

So I have a few people left that do my personal training. Can’t seem to get them to budge, but after talking to one of them this weekend for a few moments I found it difficult to give up the personal training completely.

So I asked this man who was voted one of the top most powerful men in Philadelphia what made him so successful and “powerful,” as the paper put it.

His reply was so simple I almost farted when I laughed.

He said with a straight face, “don’t take anything personal”

I said I never do!

Then he proceeded to tell me that what I just said indicated that I just took what he said personal

And I’ll be damned if he was right.

You see sweet cakes, the key to happiness is to realize that no matter what, you can’t take things personal.

Which is hard for a fitness professional because everything I do is personal.

What I eat shows up in my body.
What I think shows up in my actions.
And what I believe shows up in my workouts (sounds like a t- shirt :-P)

You see too often (myself included) we get so caught up in ourselves that we don’t realize other people may be going through something which may lead them to have a completely different perspective.

That’s why it’s so important to trust yourself enough to trust others.

I get it, we’re not all there. Hell I’m not even fully there in all honesty, but the thing is, when successful people give you sound advice, you’re more likely to make it your mission to inherit those characteristics.

So maybe you’re one that isn’t there yet. And that’s fine.

Don’t take this personally, but I don’t want to waste your time if you aren’t ready to trust the process that has kept thousands of people in shape and helped a few hundred more reach their fitness goals within 8 weeks.

So if you’re not ready, stop reading NOW

If you are ready to

Put trust in the hands of a trained fitness professional

Get in the best shape (of your life)

Be independent from your fears and worries about what other people think

Click here: http://generalfitnesscompany.com

Jerry “young grasshopper” Washington

P.S: wanna see what others are saying about this program? Check out our Success Stories here. Talk soon…