Monthly Archives: April 2010

The development of a business long-term asset is no small undertaking. Long past the original intent and investment grade decisions, leaders of a business much hold dear a vision to nurture an assets growth and eventually harvest its value. This can vary in a myriad of different manners throughout the life of a business and for those with a broad horizon, risk management is key.

Said management is quite obviously not merely the home of business visionaries as throughout our daily lives, all societies consider planning for unexpected and further tactical decisions to improve their situation. Whether it is stretching the definition or not, improving education standards throughout your lifetime is in many ways a personal risk management tool of safeguarding your career as well.

The examples of planning for the future and risk management tools are endless. In virtually every stream of life, people plan to improve their stature, yet when it comes to matter of wellbeing, why does society guarantee poor health with the foul menace of fast food?

The conclusion is meandering storyline of well laid out marketing strategies, a vast changing family dynamic and in the darkest of lights, political factions spending time looking like leaders as opposed to being one.

Those are pointed words, I know but it is about time that someone stands up and casts a finger straight towards the fast food industry and political factions who do nothing but watch generations detonate their lives. While “blame” is not in their hands of those supplying a product that the public is free to decide, the inability for leaders to see beyond the chequebooks of lobbyists and short-term economic growth is staggering.

What is left is a society, bloated from its last take-away / take-out serving of something they refer to as “food”, trying to balance exploding health-care costs but never once realizing at the root of the problem is diet. Diet and its gruesome cousin, the modern lifestyle, are waging war with advancement and through the next half century, the inability of leaders to manage this runaway train will cost all of us dearly.

On a macro level, I hate to be the one to burst the optimistic bubble but “true change” is not in the cards. The general public is not turning back the clock to my vision of a time that was perfect but there are opportunities for the individual. Opportunities to improve to your health, your families and better your entire lifestyle are beaming straight ahead but you simply need to reach out for it.

In-fact, “lifestyle” is the real clue to have a life of style does not mean shovelling food down your gullet. The notion of “how we eat”, much less the dreaded “diet” ideas, needs to be revamped as “cuisine”.

Cuisine embodies both the traditions of cooking, possibly influenced by region and most common, lineage. By returning to this, you not only improve your health with more traditional meals, with naturally healthier ingredients, you gain the benefit few recognize in diet circles, that being fellowship. That might seem more than a morsel flowery but fellowship and an ability to relax during a meal directly impacts upon your health.

With this mind, in step two of "the first steps to healthier living", is the exact opposite you have been indoctrinated with "fast food" and slowing down. Meals, yes “cuisine” is meant to be enjoyed but over time. Appreciate the slowest element of cooking together with family, friends and then do something that will set up apart from the rest, sit back and enjoy in a peaceful setting.

Moreover, remember, take you time because thing that happens to those who race to end, is the end.

The First Steps is a regular column prepared by John Davies for USP Labs. Each week it will contain useful advice on cuisine, recipes and exercise for you and your family.

Diet is the most challenging hurdle to navigate for those intending on living a healthy lifestyle. The modern diet, in most major industrialized nations is bound for failure and with rapidly dropping food quality standards, the general publics health problems is sadly a near guarantee. Couple in the loss of farmland to industry, the degradation of nutrient level in soils, environmental damage and burgeoning populations, this trend will not reverse unless serious efforts are undertaken across the world. The darkest of dark secrets that many political theorists are aware-of is that if major action is not undertaken, it will not only cause health levels to plummet but equally create numerous conflicts worldwide for the simple reason of “scarcity of resources”.

Commentary on diet varies from self-serving phrases that help create this years “best seller” to noteworthy points for niche markets. The greatest problem of purporting dietary information is the vantage the writer may have little to do with the public and merely be used to sell a product. It is easy to make suggestions of a "perfect world" horizon but few live within a generic scientific setting and the first points in all dietary suggestions must be ease of compliance and scalability.

Though comments as such will not make many friends in the health and fitness industry but truthfully, every piece of information that I see reported or repackaged today is inferior to the common advice you would receive growing up thirty-plus years ago. In-fact, as I noted to a very well known best selling author many years ago, it seems to me that every “new” piece of research validates what every grandmother spoke of “in a time long ago”.

For those of us old enough to remember, grocery stores were not always massive aisle after aisle warehouses of boxed foods. However since that time, somehow a generation was convinced that “efficiency” of pre-made items, low grade options and “fast food” was better and now decades later, a new generation is not only dealing with the pain of falling health but simply does not know how to live. “We”, or at least those of us old-enough to remember what life was like prior to this occurring, “had it all, but threw it away”.

The list of problems is daunting because not only does the public need to learn what to eat and as well as forcing change in farming business practices to ensure higher grade products come to market but significant changes to lifestyle must be made to ensure optimal health. There are no choices in this equation because failure to deal with the problem, guarantees a lifetime of poor health and suffering.

Prepared by John Davies

The Round Table is a regular no-nonsense column prepared by John Davies for USP Labs that will contain useful advice on diet and lifestyle to ensure optimal health for you and your family.

John Davies is available on his personal page on Facebook , Renegade Training™’s and Twitter.

Disclaimer
The information provided in “Instant Training Improvement Tips”, as well as this web-site blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should it be interpreted as medical advice for any condition. Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any nutritional program or exercise program. By reading this disclaimer, you hereby agree and understand that the information provided in this column is not medical advice and relying upon it shall be done at your sole risk.

I look back now and it seems both humorous and a vestige of the past. Just as it does today, my early into the iron game would start with a daily pilgrimage to the weight room early in the morning. Not that being up well before dawn was anything to speak of but in hindsight, our focus was far apart from the typical weight room set today.

Many of these points have lost their perspective because of the vast changes to society, long before the “digital revolution”. Young athletes at the time, were weaned on a steady diet of raw-boned training measures often delivered by coaches with the grittiest of finishes. Though I cannot say they had a draconian attitude or near laughable bravado that is unfortunately all-too visible today, they certainly hammered out a paternal attitude that there was never a question of debating training. You simply did it because you had faith in your mentor and followed their path.

This brings me to the topic of third in this series as while so much has changed in the world, quality athletic preparation is on rock solid footing and has not budged a fraction. Despite what all the ‘lil darlings in this industry will tell you, with their clever graphs and “scientific research” by those who never had it, athletic training needs to start day one, with an introduction to an area of the world you will call home soon, the Squat.

The era, now immortalized in an endless stream of movies and television shows was remarkably different. Though we were a troublesome lot, there was a sense of sanctity in the weight room. It was a brotherhood that it did not matter you came far from the right side of the tracks. Yet, morning after morning we toiled there, with a bowl of well-cooked oatmeal stuck to your stomach. Every so often the gym manager would be few minutes late of the 5 a.m. opening and naturally we were not very lenient. We had “work” to do and yes, long before an era when Squat racks were fouled by someone doing curls in them, it started there.

I had a special affinity for Squats, not sure precisely why but I suspect that I quickly understood how they helped in my athletic development. I begrudged days that my coach had not written Squats into my schedule but quickly I learned how to sneak extra work in, though little did I know I was seeding the foundation for enhanced work threshold and range of motion.

However, those special days would come along frequent enough and it certainly would bring out the best in the weight room and all its little nuances. Though many preferred the old tiered Squat rack, my choice was to wheel out the free standing racks (forks) and set them up on the lifting platform. The bar or at least my favoured one was an older competitive weightlifting model, in mint condition emblazoned with a logo long since disappeared with changing politics in Eastern Europe. The old bar had a perfect “bounce” to it when loaded but best of yet the plates “sung” like fine crystal when they touched. It was magical to hear them sing out and I can’t tell you how many times, I would be at the base of the lift, knowing how to get a bit of “bounce” from the bar you could snap a load up while the bar “sang”.

All that is of-course a wonderful tale that I could go on and on about, however the point is the foundation of training was burned inside me from earliest day. Though I have never attributed those youthful lessons to my eventual theories on training, the “Renegade Concepts of Training™”, it is foolish not to consider it very much in my thoughts.

The entire notion of using a free standing Squat rack, seems pure insanity it today’s woefully safe world of training. Yes, there was a time when the weight room was not full of shiny equipment and the “fluid replacement system” was a hose attached to spigot that ran out the door. I might be a bit jaded since dangerous “little” skills like how to jump pseudo side-saddle to lay down a motorbike at top speed was taught to me in my early teens but Squatting sans a safety rack or cage, taught me a great deal.

With the racks you quickly learned the importance of using the correct amount of weight or let us be quite honest, you are in a tough spot when you have a load on your back and unable to push back up. Though I never thought of it at that time, the need to execute the lift properly with correct posture is second nature because of the above. Was the setting slightly chaotic, if not forcing you to face your fears? I would answer yes and as you tick down the list, you quickly find that maybe, free-rack Squats is not only the safest way to perform the lift but one of the best educational tools. It seems impossible to consider it, given the sanctity that the iron game has created machines and racks that all but eliminate risk but a dash of danger, when mixed with the right coaching, can be a tremendous recipe.

In the next stage of “Are You Ready”, we will keep looking at overall development and lessons from the past.

prepared by John Davies

Though the media is rife with tales of a starry-eyed dreamers stumbling onto a successful venture, for those who stand atop the victors’ podium, it comes through a well-orchestrated plan of attack.

Rarely taught in modern society are the structure and cadence of countless skills that were once commonplace in society. Amongst the litany of skill sets lost to many in the present day, is the most basic notion that success does not come by chance.

Success is a domino effect, where small little parcels form a chain link towards goal fulfilment. Each of these traits, maybe quite small in isolation but they form a pathway to greatness. Sadly, positive habits and other issues of character development have been lost in a society that has confused “painting outside the lines” as freedom of thought. Creativity is not a misunderstanding the two but rather exploring the broad horizons that education, both from organized and family upbringing, provides.

Systems of success build through endless strains of interoperability, where capabilities in a seemingly unrelated area, later positively influence another. The smallest trait or basic habit may be an angle of response that sets a whirlwind off and a successful venture.

There are many key links in the pathway to success, some minor habits that few consider but quite possibly, from the broadest of broad scopes the most important is visioning the victors’ podium. What stands atop is a matter of personal wishes, setting and environment but to be successful you must first believe in your abilities and set a course. Ultimately, this comes down to a not-so little recommendation of mine; the direction you are going, is the direction you are looking.

Breeding Success is a regular column prepared by John Davies for USP Labs that will contain useful advice on how to plan your course for success.

Recientemente, el tema de asistencia sanitaria ha llegado a ser muy popular en los medios de comunicación. Mientras una gran parte de las discusiones sobre la atención médica se centra en si los planes propuestos son asequibles o en el acceso de los servicios, las verdaderas soluciones que incluyan las medidas preventivas son raramente consideradas.

Esto presenta un reto difícil para el público porque, ya que naturalmente quieren un sistema mejorado, deberían aprender cómo vivir una vida más saludable para que cualquier plan de cuidado de salud tenga éxito. La asistencia médica mejorada comienza con la eliminación del problema de no viviendo con hábitos sanos, y no con la legislación del gobierno.

A pesar de que va contra una sociedad moderna que está plagado de los malos hábitos, este enfoque es necesario por una variedad de razones. Combinado con el envejecimiento de la populación, los bajos niveles de salud para la mano de obra y los avances en la tecnología médica, los costos de la salud seguirá aumentando y la única respuesta es un enfoque proactivo.

La respuesta es simplemente vivir una vida más sana, pero la pregunta que cobra mucha importancia es cómo cambiar la sociedad de su estilo de vida mortal.

Sin embargo, la ruta hacia una vida más sana no es fácil en cuanto a generaciones, nosotros como una sociedad hemos abandonado nuestro pasado ancestral. La sociedad moderna ha construido un estilo de vida que es destinado para el fracaso, y para resolver el problema de asistencia sanitaria, debemos recordar nuestro pasado.

De los muchos asuntos para preocuparse de, uno del más grande es la obesidad. La obesidad es una enfermedad mortal que no sólo daña la salud de muchos y promueve enfermedades relacionadas, pero de un costo financiero estricto, es inmanejable. Para retrasar este problema, debemos revigorizar cambios a través de la sociedad con ejercicios generales y elecciones de alimentos.

Debemos aprender a aprender a comer mejor mediante la comprensión de cómo comprar alimentos de buena calidad, prepararlo e insistir en las prácticas agrícolas que garantizan que productos sanos lleguen al mercado. Aunque esto será un paso difícil para los que nunca aprendieron las habilidades que una vez eran comunes, mejorará la calidad de la vida y eliminará muchos problemas de asistencia sanitaria.

La primera regla de recordar es que la comida es el medicamento más poderoso del mundo. Da forma a nuestro futuro, tanto bueno como malo, por lo tanto tenemos que respetar cómo los alimentos son consumados, preparados, y criados en granja. Los elementos sintéticos como las comidas rápidas se deben abolir. No es una cuestión de cuánto o de cuán poca, sino la eliminación absoluta en su forma actual. Es hora de que pase por el servi-carro, de liberarse de las cadenas de las cuestiones relacionadas con la obesidad, y resucitar a una mejor calidad de vida. Esto será mucho más difícil de lo que parece, pero si lo haces, usted estará en buen camino a vivir una mejor calidad de vida. Las elecciones de alimentos que vienen directamente de la naturaleza sin alteración de su forma original siempre será una buena decisión. Naturalmente, el subproducto del tal enfoque no sólo es un redujo de las tasas de obesidad y la mejorada de la salud en general, pero también tendría menos tensión el sistema de atención de salud y lograríamos una economía más productiva y vibrante.

Los primeros pasos es una columna habitual preparada por John Davies para USP Labs. Cada semana contendrá un consejo útil sobre la cocina, las recetas y ejercicios para usted y su familia.

translation services by Genine Geissler

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Prepared by John Davies
Photo: Tammy Bravomalo

John Davies is available on his personal page on Facebook , Renegade Training™’s as well as or Twitter.

John’s present supplement stack starts daily with the “athlete’s advantage”, Modern, Super Cissus, PowerFull and Prime, along with additional use of Recreate, Yok3d, Anabolic Pump and Pink Magic depending upon his training cycle (workout log 1, 2, 3, 4).

Disclaimer
The information provided in “Instant Training Improvement Tips”, as well as this web-site blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should it be interpreted as medical advice for any condition. Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any nutritional program or exercise program. By reading this disclaimer, you hereby agree and understand that the information provided in this column is not medical advice and relying upon it shall be done at your sole risk.