You know, exercise isn’t just physical

by Justin Qualler on August 30, 2010

I think there is a mistaken notion that exercise is just this thing we subject our physical body to. That’s the way we treat it, anyway. There’s a reason why health clubs position TVs in front of treadmills—to relieve the mental burden of exercise.

This isn’t just about focusing your mind on your physical exercise though. This is about doing things specifically for the mind. It’s about mental training. [click to continue…]

Bruce Lee’s Advice Still Applies Today

by Justin Qualler on August 27, 2010

In Bruce Lee’s Tao of Jeet Kune Do he lists four things you can do everyday to get some exercise.

  • Take a walk whenever you can—like parking the car a few blocks away from your destination.
  • Avoid taking the elevator; climb the stairs instead.
  • Cultivate your quiet awareness by imagining an opponent attacking you—while you are sitting, standing, or lying down, etc.—and counter that attack with various moves. Simple moves are the best.
  • Practice your balance by standing on one foot to put your clothes or shoes on—or simply stand on one foot whenever you choose.

So, there you have it. No excuses.

Is momentum killing your training productivity?

August 22, 2010

A good kind of training momentum is when you train consistently, day after day, month after month, year after year. A bad kind of training momentum is when you do your exercises too fast.

Read the full article →

How to feel Bruce Lee strong via Steve Justa’s Isometrics

August 8, 2010

In Rock, Iron, Steel: The Book of Strength, Steve Justa dedicates a whole chapter to isometrics. You never really hear anyone talk about isometrics. Have you ever seen anyone do isometrics? Have you ever done them? I remember seeing pictures of Bruce Lee training isometrically. He was a real fan of isometric exercise. After doing [...]

Read the full article →

Small changes make a big difference

July 22, 2010

I remember one morning back in 2002. Sitting in my cube, enjoying one of the perks of my new office job–free soda–I found myself disgusted that over the course of the morning I had consumed six Mountain Dews.

Read the full article →

Steve Maxwell’s Daily Dozen

June 27, 2010

I was just cruising around on Steve Maxwell’s website and came across a program that makes a great daily regimen. Parts of it remind me of Hackenschmidt’s routine which I still do everyday, although I don’t do the entire routine. Anyway, over at Steve’s site, you’ll find some nice descriptions and decent pictures for a [...]

Read the full article →

How you know when it’s time to change your workout program

June 24, 2010

Everything I learned about life, I learned through martial arts. I’m paraphrasing what Bruce Lee said about the martial arts. I feel the same way about exercise. I first start exercising in 1994 when I lived in Tennessee. I’ve been doing it ever since. When you do something consistently for that long, it becomes the [...]

Read the full article →

It feels so good to be sore!

June 8, 2010

Yesterday, while advancing to second on sacrifice fly in a softball game, I took a glove to the face. Today, I have a laceration on my nose and a cut on my lip. I feel great! Our culture has forgotten about the body. You could argue that we’ve even forgotten about the world! We live [...]

Read the full article →

What’s the difference between working out and training?

June 4, 2010

I’ve read somewhere—who knows where—that something to strive for is to do something you’re not sure you can each day. It’s a worthy ideal. Life, after all, originally started as a struggle for survival. It’s in our genetic makeup. That’s why we don’t do so well when things are handed out for free. It’s depressing; [...]

Read the full article →

Moving day…

May 24, 2010
Thumbnail image for Moving day…

I’ve written a lot of different things about what I want workingmanfitness.com to be and who was the target. For awhile, I thought about a man in his 40′s or 50′s, in relatively good shape, but wanting to retain those elements of youth–strength, endurance, energy, quality movement, etc. I also thought of the bare minimum [...]

Read the full article →