Part 5: Break out the Huddle of Ho-Hum

Down by a touchdown, the Montana Mighty Moose needed a win secure their playoff berth, a first for the snowy region. The sellout crowd of 450 was to their feet and the blurry field mangled with remnants from the previous three quarters. Their rivals, the Utah Fighting Salt Flats needed a win as well for their spot in the playoffs and they were not a team to fold so easy. Quarterback Jack Jackson anxiously repeated the call from the offensive coordinator. 4^th and goal with only a minute left. Jack had a shot knee, a minor concussion only after the first play from scrimmage, but was digging in because it’s life in front of the TV watching the other teams advance to the coveted prize if they do not win tonight.

“Team listen up. Tight-Right Delaware 42 on three…ready? Break!” With an inspiring harmony, the Mighty Moose, return to the line of scrimmage. The full back and the tailback lined up in I-formation. The two receivers were on split ends next to the out of bounds on each side. The tight end crouched down next to Ducky, the smelly guard who hasn’t washed his uniform all season. Jack placed his hands under the curve of the center’s behind. He looked out at the defense ands the snorts of smoke with each breath from the chilly nineteen-degree temperature. It is the perfect day for football, and the perfect day for a win for the Mighty Moose.

“Ready…Down….Set….Go!”

Mighty Moose? The Fighting Salt Flats? Okay Fred, where are you going with this one? I’m getting sick and tired of these weird stories that have nothing to do with anything. LOL! Well there were a couple of ironies in this short story of seeming victory for the Mighty Moose. By the way Ducky jumped off sides and the Salt Flats won by a field goal. Kidding!

This week we talk about Breaking out the Huddle of Ho-Hum. If you have started, or are in the process of an exercise regimen, you have probably noticed within the last couple of weeks that the routine has become just routine. You probably have a program similar to a warm-up on the treadmill or some other type of cardio to get the blood pumping, some type of weight or resistance training, and then you stretch and stop for the day. Well after while just like your mind, your body gets used to the same thing. Well I’ve never seen a football team beat an opponent by running the same play. Okay I make an exception with the Kansas City Chiefs. I think you can score a touchdown on them with the punter! Sorry I had to talk trash to my fellow Show-Me team. No! Good teams have designed plays to confuse the defense.

Well, your body works the same way. We all have goals that we can call the points. The plan is to score a touchdown (get in shape). After a while of doing the same play repeatedly, your body (defense) gets a clue of what’s going on and they figure out how to defend it. Your body will get use to the same play and it will know how to counter the play. Very counter productive for the offense only using one strategy to score a touchdown especially of it doesn’t work. I think that is what happens when someone doesn’t come in to a regimen without the right game plan. After several downs, and no progress, the offense (You!) gets frustrated and give up. Well it’s time to get an offensive coordinator and execute winning plays to shock the system and make some gains. We can have fun doing it too. On three…ready? Break!

1) Change up the Warm-up. This play is designed to bring some excitement to your heart to get it in rhythm with the rest of your fast-paced workout. Okay enough of the treadmill. Try an aerobics class before your workout. Who said you had to stay for the entire class? Get your sweat going and get out. Ignore the lady in front with the microphone screaming at you. You got exactly what you needed. I have a hard time working out cold and I won’t increase the speed of the treadmill myself to get warmed up. I find myself looking up watching T.V. that they have conveniently placed in front of the treadmills. Now I’m a moving couch potato. Thanks!

In the warmer months, try running laps outside with some fresh polluted air. You get a change of scenery and you get to battle your free natural rival…the earth. The hills and valleys will challenge your heart to pump extra hard and you’ll find with the cool air, a stress free way to begin a workout. If the ground is too hard on your knees, pull out that bike and ride to the gym. Yes, ride to the gym. No typo! If you have no desire to go outside there are a trillion other ways to warm-up besides the usual five minutes on a treadmill. Use your head.

2) Change up the routine. This play is designed to shock your muscles and to stimulate growth. Okay we all know that Derrick does the bench press on Tuesday. He has a ‘Reserved’ marker on the bench before he walks in. Well, after four or five weeks, Derick’s chest also knows that it is chest day. What if Derrick did legs on Tuesday? That’s a big shock to the system. What if Derrick signed up for a dancing class on Tuesday for a couple of weeks? The key to results and growth is to constantly mimic the first day your body ever worked out. If you have begun a regimen then you know what I’m talking about. Keep your muscles guessing what will come next. Your program should rotate four to five weeks for the best results. Change your reps, weight or even get off the weight for a while. Resistance bands will wear you out in ways never experienced before. Question: Where can I go to get different workouts? Answer: you may think that the obvious answer here is to buy a workout magazine and rip out the pages. Good answer but why not hop in with someone at the gym who workout by themselves or simply ask what do they do. If you are not a social animal like myself then we can always go to Coach Google. Do a search on the Internet. Side Note: Have you ever wondered if ‘Derrick’ did any other body parts other than chest? C’mon man you work chest and arms five days a week! What about working your legs? I use to be one of them. I would look good in a tank top, but I always had blue jeans on. Summertime too.lol!

3) Change the location. I bet you are thinking okay Fred if I change the location, and I do the same thing then what’s the difference? Well, I’ve been in over ten different gyms and all of them had that one piece of equipment not found in the other locations. You looked perplexed on how to use it. You’re afraid of death or getting stuck in a embarrassing position if you push the wrong button. Try it out. Have a trainer show you how to use it. Visit another gym. See what they have available. Your contract expired five years ago so venture out. New faces and new ‘visions’ may refresh that attitude and put some spark in that motivation.

Change that bike path and go somewhere different. Mark a new destination every week and challenge yourself to push it out further. There are so many designated bike paths and parks to try out. Be spontaneous! Make sure you have scenery so you can enjoy the ride. It won’t even feel like a workout after a while. Make sure you are by yourself when you fall off the bike. People will ask you if you are okay and then laugh at you if you answer yes!

Are the guys on the basketball court to intimidating? Push them out the way and play anyway. It’s rough starting out, but after a while they will know your face and let you in. If not then run laps and shoot a couple by yourself. The goal is not a shoe contract, but just changing up what is the norm.

One of my favorite sports is racquetball. My friends and I would play in college and five hours would pass like nothing! What started as a warm-up for my Friday workout would become a tournament of champions after enough trash talking. I could literally squeeze enough sweat out of my drenched shirt to fill a cup. In the heat of competition, the players, including myself, often forgot we were working out and failed to realize we did make great strides in maintaining our goals.

4) Change you. Break out the Huddle of Ho-Hum. How many times have we faced the day the same way and did the same things the same way. It’s as if your body’s on cruise control and you are along for the ride. Grab the steering wheel and go off-road! I was sitting at my friend’s wake observing the mourners and the way they carried themselves. Did they not see this as an opportunity to reflect? I’m so sad that her life was cut short, but all the marvels of today’s great advances in science and technology can not bring her back. I’ve sat through numerous funerals of co-worker’s parents, and I have always wondered what the mindset is for the attendees. I’m not referring to immediate friends and family who are without words, but for everyone else. I use this time to count my blessings because I do not know when I’m going to have my turn in the casket. My time is short. Death is certainly guaranteed to all of us. I’m sure she had some things on her ‘to-do’ list and dying wasn’t one of them. Despite your condition, you are responsible for several things until you die. One being happy that presently you are able to read what I’m saying. If you are not happy about yourself, then ask yourself why? Do something about. Score the touchdown! Maybe the grass is greener on the other side. Happiness is action. Some days you have to tell yourself on the inside that you will be happy no matter what and act on it. I’ve had terrible days and I’ve forced myself to speak to someone as if nothing is going on. Like today, I’m writing with sadness on my mind, but yet and still I’ll still give you a Coke and a smile. You might need it more than I do. It feels good to laugh and I’m good at laughing so why would I keep it? I don’t charge for a laugh so why would I be stingy? That problem will be there when you get through laughing so why not get your mind off it. A good laugh brings things in perspective. You feel all right. You get a momentary charge and confidence to get through a situation.

The second thing you are responsible for is that you can do something about your current condition. I’m not only speaking about the physical. Challenge yourself to do something that is hard. In football, it’s like going up the middle with the fullback. He expects resistance, but he keeps his feet moving. He may make two yards, but that’s progress. He doesn’t get mad and quit. No! He goes back out for the next play. Inches makes yards! Take on a challenge that you know you can’t immediately achieve or succeed. Enjoy it. The only failure is quitting! If it has been done before then you can do it to! Get help. Find a way through it. Fight that resistance that takes over your body and forces those two dreaded words out of your mouth. “I can’t.” Quit saying “I can’t.” That’s the defense sacking the quarterback. You are responsible for your time on earth. Make the most of it. Completing a hard task makes easy tasks easier. You’ll zip through them without any difficulty. Why wouldn’t you? You did the hard task already. Remember your time is short. I hope for a long happy and prosperous life for all of you, but tomorrow is not guaranteed. Each day you wake up, you should break out the huddle and go for it like it is fourth and long. Even if you get two yards, the referee repeats the fourth down so go at it again.

So…I said all that to say that you need to attack your exercise routine like it is a good defense on a football team preventing you from scoring. What is the plan because you have no more time outs!

Let me know how you are doing!