I will be talking about Shah Training at the upcoming YJA (Young Jain Association) convention on the Fourth of July weekend in Chicago. Developing my speech for this event was one of the most difficult tasks that I had to undertake. It wasn’t because I didn’t know what to say, but much rather I had TOO much to say. How do I condense all this information in a 50-minute session?

The title of the session is, “Fitness and Jain Living.” The entire theme of the convention is to learn how to use Jain principles in everyday, practical life. Before I actually get into the principles I’ll be talking about, I want to give you guys a brief primer about this “religion.” Jainism is a religion founded in India dating back as far as the 9th century B.C. In essence, it is a religion with greater emphasis on the Self, and the consequences of mental and physical behavior. I personally believe that Jainism is a religion with no God. Call it atheist, if you wish, although the majority of Jains across the world are convinced of a God.

My discussion at the YJA convention revolves around three key principles of Jainism: Reincarnation, Karma, and God.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation is simply the belief that we are reborn throughout lifetimes until we achieve a pure state of good. When this state is achieved, we escape into something known as Moksha, or Nirvana, an afterlife filled with endless peace. This is all great, but the problem is that this theory can not be proven. Like all religions, theories are beliefs thought to be fact. Well, in all practical terms, reincarnation does not exist. A lifetime is too long for me to wait and see if I will actually be reborn. And worst of all, according to Jainism, a person does not even remember their past lives!

So how can we use this concept of reincarnation in our daily lives, much less as an application to our workouts? I was once listening to the only “Guru” that I trust and respect. Gurudev Chitrabhanu stated in one of his tapes, “Every day we are born, and every day we die. We are born when we awake to a new day, and we die when we fall asleep at the end of the day.” All of a sudden, reincarnation made sense to me!

Reincarnation isn’t about living a good life, it’s about living a good day, or living a good moment. Take this concept and apply it to your workouts and it becomes, “Reincarnation is about getting the best workout that you have ever had.” Just for a moment, forget about how many sets, reps, exercises, or body parts you’re supposed to train in your particular program. The idea is to do more than last time. Push yourself as far as you possibly can within that given time frame, whether it be one hour, 30 minutes, or 10 minutes. Your intensity level should progressively increase and you should be performing more work in a given amount of time as you improve.

The problem with typical “programs” is that you don’t achieve this “make every workout tough” mentality. You end up going through the motions. If this sounds like you, then simply shorten the time frame. Instead of “gain 10 pounds in 5 months,” say to yourself, “gain 5 lbs in 2 and a half months.” Or take it even further and say, “Today’s goal is to get X amount of calories, and X amount of protein.” Break it down as much as you possibly can and push yourself as far as you can within that given time frame.

Karma

Karma is the belief that there are consequences to your actions. This is something that you can practically see in daily life. I don’t think I need to really explain this any further. However, we forget that Karma is just as useful in a business or social setting as it is in a health setting. The simplest way to put it: if you eat bad food, you become unhealthy. If you do not exercise, you grow up to become a weak old man (or woman) and end up living on medications. There are certainly examples of people who have not gone into the gym or followed a particular nutrition plan their whole lives and are still healthy at age 90. However, often times these people are very disciplined. They follow simple rules such as, “Go out for a walk each morning,” and, “Do not eat everything on your plate.”

God

I will not go into whether or not God exists. However we all know as a fact that the existence of God can not be proven. If you can not believe this, then perhaps you will be unable to grasp the following concept. I suggest you stop reading right here.

For the rest of us, let me throw out a sentence: “I am God.” No, I’m not saying I rule the universe or that I’m some superior being. Let me rephrase that, “God is within me.” Ok, maybe even that is a bit confusing. How about, “God gives me the strength to achieve the impossible.” I think we’re onto something here. I personally believe that God is a concept that when used properly, gives great strength to achieve things and do things that we would not normally do. My beef is that the majority of us have settled on the fact that God is external and that we must submit to his or her power. Hence, we are controlled by some sort of “fate” or “God’s Will.” If we are poor, it is because of Him. If we are wealthy, it is because of Him. As such, if we are fat, it is because of Him. And if we have diabetes it is because of Him, and not because we have been feeding ourselves with sugary snacks and enormous amounts of bread all our lives, stuffing our faces until we can not move, breath, or laugh. If this is the case, if this is your destiny, then why do you even bother to go to the doctor, to take medication, to even try to reduce your blood sugar? Why not just accept your fate and sit there until your condition worsens?

I once had a Facebook conversation with a friend of mine who believes strongly in this concept of fate. I asked him, if that is the case, then why do you even wake up in the morning? Why are you even talking to me right now? If you’re going to end up a certain way in your life (rich, poor, sad, happy, depressed, incarcerated), then why not just sit there and let it happen?

I think you know where I’m going with this. If you believe in God, then use that strength and belief to change your present condition. Get up and train hard for the things you love to do. Don’t rely on fate or things that you truly can’t prove. You can’t predict the future, and you know it. For myself, I believe in only one person: Myself. When I am in trouble, depressed, or about to give up on something, I simply close my eyes and look deep within myself for the answer.

Start using these concepts in your workouts and I guarantee you will start seeing results. If not physical, then at least some mental clarity.

I came across a recent product know as the ”Ultimate Body Press.” Basically, it’s a portable dipping bar. I’m unsure what the price of the product is and don’t really care. When someone told me about the product, I asked them, “Why didn’t you just get two sturdy chairs and do dips?” Read more.

I recently began reading a blog called the IF life (Intermittent Fasting). The blog brought me back to the days when I was doing the warrior diet religiously. I’ve written about this before on my own blog. I went back and re-read the blog post. I’d like to re-quote some of my own stuff and give further comments now that I am eating 4-5 times a day, with an increased protein intake. Read More.

If you still eat out once a week and spend your lunch time at the local Subway, then forget about getting that well-defined six pack. Although Subway or Panera bread or many of the other healthy fast food restaurants out there are better than McDonalds or Taco Bell, it is not your path to a lean physique.Read more: http://basicpursuits.com/node/195

Hey guys, I’m proud to announce a recent a guest post on Straight To The Bar. The article is very straight forward: How do you design your workouts?

Check it out here: Design Your Workouts

“Science follows Science Fiction.”

How many times have we heard this phrase? Well, it’s true. The U.S. Army is testing out an “exoskeleton” robotic suit which amplifies a person’s strength and endurance by 20 times. This would transform the US military into an unstoppable force of “Super Soldiers.” Think Terminator? Remember how the Internet began as a military project, then went public? We might one day see these suits on sale at our local dealers for a few grand. It may just replace cars, giving us even less of a reason to workout, eat right, and follow a healthy lifestyle. Oh well, I guess certain things are inevitable. But this isn’t going to change my views. I’ll still be running sprints come Monday morning.

Watch this video on the suits:

For those that still want to train hard:

• The Beauty of High Frequency Training
  
• Beginner Training Mistakes
• How can I get a quick workout at the gym? – Time your Workouts
• The First Reason you’re Fat
• The Road less Traveled