Ever tried to stick with a workout you couldn't stand? For years my
workouts consisted of half-hearted efforts to run or lift
weights, originally to put mass on my pitifully thin body, then later
to remove years of Miller Lite detritus from my expanding mid-section.
The problem was that I hated every second of every workout. Each step
of a 2 mile run was painful, every rep with embarassingly light weight
was pure misery.
Go figure - these workouts produced almost no results. I remained
rail-thin until I turned 30, then immediatley packed on 40 pounds,
until I weighed in at nearly 200 pounds on my wedding day 02/02/02.
Then, at 33, I discovered... Fight Club.
3 years later, I'm in the best shape of my life.
I submit to you the following video, which will appear graphic and
rather shocking, but I assure you that it represents one of the safest
and most effective ways to get in shape - and learn to realistically
defend yourself in an actual fight.
EDITED: a bunch of people told me the link below no longer works. Here's a new one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6PvPCrStI
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8137340106961077524&q=gracie&pl=true
(the video is Royce Gracie, a Brazilian, who, at 17 years old, is shown
defeating a Kung Fu blackbelt nearly twice his age and 30 pounds
heavier, in a controlled, no-holds-barred fighting match)
The martial art is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and to this day I am
baffled why anyone in the world would not study it. On a scale of 1 to
10, the physical exertion in a single training session is
a 10; on any given day, you will lose quarts of sweat, your every
muscle will hurt, and you will barely be able to drag yourself to your
car.
I could go on for days about how great this grappling sport really is,
but I will simply state the following, and get back to my point:
Man, woman, big, small, old, young; take BJJ lessons for 3 months, and you will never lose a fight again.
It will appear from the video that only knuckle-dragging brutes would
be interested in such a thing, but let me say that schools in your area
cater to all kinds of people - professional fighters, women who want
effective self-defense, guys who want to get in shape, and people
looking for a unique and competitive sport. Most schools will
accomodate any skill level, and any specific training goal, and we do
not spend our time swinging wild punches at each other (despite what we
want people to think).
I train 3 times a week, religiously, and I love every second of it. I
am convinced that it is the love, not the training, that make Jiu Jitsu
so effective for my health.
But, as hard for it is for me to imagine, perhaps grappling is not for
everyone. Rolling around on the mats with a bunch of sweaty dudes might
not sound like all that much fun. The point of this diatribe is to
suggest that if you are having difficulty finding time, energy, or
motivation to work out, the problem may be your choice of excercise,
and not a lack of any of the three. It took me a quarter century to
figure that out.
So forget the treadmill, drop the weights, put away the leg warmers -
go back out and find something you really love, and it won't seem like
work at all. And stop by my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school anytime - we
love to beat up on the new guys!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Jiu_Jitsu
http://www.grappling.com/
http://www.grapplearts.com/search.php