The Strength Bank

12/19/2020

https://www.profgalloway.com/engaged

Big tech’s inspiring COOs, faux apologies, and philanthropy all smear Vaseline over the lens, obfusc...

06/05/2020

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/27/862963172/how-the-lost-art-of-breathing-can-impact-sleep-and-resilience?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits

05/27/2020

https://www.consciousbreathing.com/articles/five-top-breathing-tips-protect-against-coronavirus/

05/27/2020

AM I STRONG?

What is strong?

One definition says it’s “having the power to move heavy weights or perform other tasks deemed physically demanding”

But who decides what is heavy or demanding?

Is it an absolute or relative thing?

Is it a number or a distance?

A destination?

Or a journey?

A measure of time, or frequency?

Is strong a look?

A number?

A fact?

Or a feeling?

What about resilience or confidence?

Can I be strong without being happy or healthy?

Is strong a size or a shape?

A thing we should feel?

Or something we can see?

What of competence, technique and sustainability?

What if I can lift a car tonight,

but can’t get out of bed in the morning?

Am I strong?

If I can lay down on a bench and push iron for weeks,

but can’t get up off the ground easily,

Or crawl like a baby,

Am I strong?

If I can defeat any man that challenges me

while addictions, anger or anxiety beat me repeatedly,

Am I strong?

The dictionary likes words like “power” and “force”.

Magazine covers emphasize “lean”, “sexy” and “bikini”.

They suggest strength is about abs and booties.

Instagram celebrates images. Not emotions or improved neuroplasticity.

Because it’s impossible to portray well-being in selfies!

So what if I look good naked,

But struggle to put shoes on my feet?

Am I strong?

If I am immovable, physically,

but inflexible, in mind and body,

Am I strong?

If I love the gym and hate to go home?

If I strive to improve on a court or field,

But not in my mind, my relationships or community?

What if I repeat the same patterns, mistakes and routines,

Display my talents,

Hide my flaws,

And fail to try or learn new things?

Am I strong?

Can strong be static?

Or must it be evolving?

Do I define strong, or does strong define me?

If I won’t compete in a powerlifting meet,

But am determined to learn and teach,

Explore and improve,

Strive and reach,

For joy, for fun,

For truth and authenticity,

Am I strong?

05/12/2020

What do your toes know? Build a better brain and body, from the ground up?

Exercise your brain + toes like this:
a. Lift 1st toe while keeping 2-5 on the floor
b. Press 1st toe into floor while LIFTING 2-5
c. Press 5th toe into floor while LIFTING 1-4
d. Press 1st + 5th toes into floor while LIFTING 2-4

Toe Exercises for your brain and athletic performance. Mind, body connection.

05/09/2020

Students and athletes can and should be strength training!

Fortunately, even when we cannot meet in a gym, technology allows skilled coaches to help trainees improve, and track their progress, remotely.

Athletes should not train like bodybuilders. A good program, with emphasis on foundational movements, and proper form/technique, is critical for safe, sustainable, performance enhancing training.

I work with students and athletes age 11-72, with a variety of goals and abilities, including Olympic hopefuls, youth teams, and an assortment of HS and college competitors.( I was Strength & Conditioning coach for USA Luge Development teams, and a former college athlete.)

This discounted offer is for anyone who wants to learn and improve. Increased strength is guaranteed. Other proven side effects of smart training include confidence, mental toughness & clarity, emotional stability, more energy, and better sleep. If we do this right, trainees will learn techniques they can employ for a lifetime.

The Train Heroic App (free) delivers my detailed plans + instruction, including video tutorials for every exercise. It also allows us to track adherence and progress.

If you want more information about me, or programs for individuals and teams, please contact me. I believe movement builds better brains, bodies, and communities and am eager to help.

03/21/2020

"Touch is a fundamental human need.
Touch is essential for babies' development for their physical, emotional and eventually social health. In fact, touch is the first of the five senses to develop. We are wired for touch."

The skin is your largest organ. It requires nourishment.

Anyone who trains with me rolls around on mats or grass or the beach regularly. It's a good way to get strong, but it's more than that. Stimulating our skin also feeds our brain, relaxes our nervous system, and nourishes us emotionally.

I find that it calms and centers me, reduces anxiety and obsessive/addictive thinking.

For those of us with proprioceptive deficits, including hearing loss, visual impairments, and neuropathy, moving while stimulating the skin becomes even more powerful and important.

As we practice social distancing, the benefits of touch become more valuable and less achievable, especially if/when we are alone.

So I've put together a quick YouTube playlist for you that includes ways to move, and nourish your skin simultaneously.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN_OaWJ1X-Bp0UwXyYLkopg_TRhuDwHv-

For now, it includes:

Foam Rolling
Russian Qi Gong
Egg Rolls
Commando Rocking
Rocking Chairs
Segmental Rolling
Crawling

03/19/2020

Box breathing works. It can help you relax, relieve anxiety and may help reduce physical pain.

1) Inhale deeply for a count of 4
2) Hold breath in for a count of 4
3) Exhale completely for count of 4
4) Hold w/lungs empty for a count of 4
5) Repeat!

Try it for a few minutes.

Breathe in and out through your nose. It's OK to do it seated or laying flat on your stomach with chin resting on hands, or laying on back with feet elevated (preferred).

Pro tips:
Try directing your breath into different areas of the body (right flank for example) as each breath should also expand the rib cage 360 degrees. Practice!

To further aid relaxation or recovery, do it before foam rolling.

Part of XPT's PerformanceBreathing (R) routines. Found on XPTLife.com

03/17/2020

Hello Athletes,

I hope you all are practicing breathing and moving and reaching out to friends and family.

This is not homework, but check this podcast out if you have time/desire. You can also find it on itunes.

Keep moving!
It's important, for our physical and mental health!
So I've resumed my own movement practices and reminded myself what moving my body does for me.

Quite simply, it makes me feel good. Honestly, I do it more for my brain than body.

Over time, I've come to view my "workouts" as acts of kindness. Despite what is happening in the world, moving makes me feel like I am progressing in at least some part of my life. It brings me joy, offers a sense of relief and clarity, and certainty that i am doing something to help myself be more resilient in battles against aging, gravity, injury and disease (which I think also helps my family and community).

As a coach, I witness the sense of relief and pride that washes over people as they take action. It's stunning.
Moving our bodies does wonders to alleviate stress and worry, and face any variety of challenges with more confidence.

Please keep striving.

BG

You know how good moving your body is for your physical health. You probably have a vague sense that it’s good for your mental health too. But you likely don’t realize just how powerful movement truly is for your mind, and that it even affects your sense of hope, courage, connection, and id...

03/15/2020

We can ALL improve our posture and mobility and breathing.

Good breathing helps with both posture and mobility (because it improves stability), so let's start there.

Lay on back (feet up in 90/90 position) or belly (rest chin in hands).

Place tongue on roof of mouth behind front teeth.

Inhale and exhale through your nose.

Try to expand ribs 360 degrees as you inhale.

• Start in a prone (lying on your stomach) position on the floor. • Bring your fists together and rest your forehead passively on your hands. • Keep your leg...

03/15/2020

Try this movement. It's simple and revelatory.

Some additional cues to consider:
a) Spread your fingers apart
b) Place hands under shoulders w/hands oriented so index or middle finger point fwd comfortably
c) Kness under hips to start
d) Press away from the floor as much as possible without rounding back (your shoulder blade should not be stabbing out at the sky)
e) Knees hip width apart. Wider to make it easier. Squeeze something (yoga block?) between knees to make it tougher.
f) Prevent low back from arching!
g) BREATHE! You do not own a position until/unless you can breathe well.

OriginalStrength.net In this video, Tim demonstrates a way to build a fantastically strong center as well as resilient shoulders. This is one drill that may ...