The Ten Pillars of Ultimate Fitness
by Jeremy Likness

Living healthy is an approach that involves all aspects of the human experience. This includes the mind, body, and spirit. Too often, athletes and fitness enthusiasts focus on one part of the whole. Many bodybuilders shun cardiovascular exercise while it is not uncommon for endurance athletes to avoid the weight room. The word enthusiasm comes from Greek enthousiasmos or “inspiration by the presence of a god.”

If you are enthusiastic about your sport, I encourage you to honor that inspiration by finding balance in all of these pillars. I believe these are all key components of fitness. Asking if one is better is like asking which you would rather do without – your heart, or your brain.

Mindset

I succeed on my own personal motivation, dedication, and commitment…. My mindset is: If I'm not out there training, someone else is. — Lynn Jennings

Mindset begins with a choice, and the inner decision that you make. It may seem trivial, but having a deep, meaningful reason is critical to success. Excellence in a sport, in life, or even with your health doesn't happen overnight – it is a process and takes time. Life does not come without challenges, and it is in those brief moments of weakness that we all face when mindset becomes the critical factor. It is in these moments of weakness that the decision comes into play. See, if you just jumped into the endeavor, chances are you can jump out just as easily. You haven't truly committed to anything, so it gives you a nice, comfortable back door – push the eject button and go back to the same old way.

It is interesting to note that mindset is strongly connected to faith. Often you are training for an event that happens in the future. There is no guarantee for the outcome of that event, only the reality of the process you are in. Your mindset is largely what will allow you to continue moving forward, or, to put it in a different perspective, allow you to patiently exist as the future comes rushing to you (isn’t that the best part about the future – that if we wait long enough, it will always come to us?) Having faith in yourself is critical to honor the other pillars and complete the full circle of living a fit lifestyle.

Motivation and Inspiration

If you're a champion, you have to have it in your heart. — Chris Evert

Having a mindset has often been tied to willpower. Some people claim, “I just didn’t have the will.” This is very untrue. You see, willpower pervades every waking moment of your life. As long as you are breathing, you are connected to your will. As long as you consistently wake up each morning and follow your routine – whether it is driving into an office, training, talking on the phone, or visiting with friends and family, you have a will.

It’s isn’t your will that is in question, it’s the fuel you use to fill your mindset. Use the cheap fuel, and when the going gets tough, the weak-willed check out. So what is the right fuel?

Traditionally, most people have focused on motivation. Motivation is a powerful tool. It can create powerful situations in your life and help you overcome obstacles. However, there is one flaw with motivation. Motivation is usually a part of who we are – and that’s it. If you draw a large circle, and write “me” on the inside, motivation would be a small circle inside the larger circle. Motivation can run out. The tank can go empty. Have you ever been to an event, watched a movie, or read a passage that supercharged your motivational battery, only to find that weeks later you were back to the same place you started? Why is that?

It’s because the better fuel is not motivation. It is the stuff that makes motivation. It is called inspiration. Inspiration is something larger than you are. While motivation is literally defined as an inducement or incentive, something that stimulates or influences, inspiration is defined as a sudden creative act or idea, even divine guidance. It is an act of co-creative. You create energy where none existed before, and that is magic. Inspiration is the big circle, with you inside of it. When you connect to a cause or a purpose larger than your internal motivation, you are suddenly able to stop fighting through obstacles and barriers and instead tap into your inspiration to glide over them with ease. Motivation will get you out of bed and to the start line, but it is inspiration that will carry you through the finish line. What is your inspiration?

Goals and Vision

Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there. — Bo Jackson

Sometimes the struggle comes from not knowing what your true purpose is. How can you be inspired when you’re not even certain why you are here?

One powerful method for discovering that driving force – your own why – is to use goals in order to craft your vision. Goals are popular and there is plenty of material on setting goals. A lot of programs focus on your top three goals. But to really tap into your vision, I suggest taking it to another level. Follow this exercise instead:

1. Write down 100 goals. That’s right. Not one, not three, not ten, but 100 goals. It may take you a few days to do this, and that is fine.
2. Place a date next to each goal – whether it is one year from now, five years from now, or 20 years down the road. Get specific.
3. Pick a time – let’s say five years – and gather all of the goals that you intend to complete from then. Now is the fun part: crafting your vision.
4. Simply write a story about the ideal day in your life after accomplishing those goals. When do you wake up? Where do you live? What is your house like? What is your daily routine? Who do you know? What do you eat? Make it detailed. Some people write many pages of this, and that is fine.

Do this exercise, and then instead of focusing on your goals, focus on the vision instead. Read it aloud to yourself each day. Eventually, your inspiration will find you.

Nutrition

He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician. — Chinese Proverb

We’ve addressed some of the mental pillars of fitness – so what about the physical? Nutrition is definitely a key component. You are what you eat. It is incredible, really, to understand that you can be very fit without being healthy. However, the opposite is generally not true – it’s tough to be healthy without being fit.

Nutrition is life and energy. Nutrition is medicine. While the FDA won’t allow us to suggest that nutrition can heal sickness and cure disease, there are certainly plenty of stories about people who experienced dramatic changes in their lives when they embraced healthy nutrition. Learn how to become in tune with your body and its needs. Don’t just force down protein because you read about it, and don’t eliminate fats because you feel it may help you lose weight. Instead, become a student of nutrition and use your own body as a laboratory. Experiment with different styles of nutrition to learn which menu best suits your own needs. If necessary, work with a dietician or nutritionist who can create a custom program based on your uniqueness.

Supplementation

As you learn more, you may ask yourself whether you can afford to use [health supplements] every day. Just let me say that you can't afford not to! A single case of cancer or heart disease can cause financial ruin for a family. — Dr. Myron Wentz

» Dr. Wentz is the founder of the Sanoviv Medical Institute and USANA Health Sciences

Dr. Wentz is speaking about the war that our bodies wage each day. The old advice that you can get everything you need by eating healthy is rapidly becoming obsolete. The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2000 published their report stating that all adults should be on some form of multivitamin. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in the year 2000, the second leading cause of death was poor diet and lack of exercise. Our cells are under attack!

The common argument is, “Well, we didn’t have pills 2,000 years ago, why now?” Good question! We also didn’t have smog, we didn’t have toxins dumped into the ocean and other parts of the environment, we didn’t have increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation and we certainly didn’t work sedentary jobs in stressful environments. All of these elements conspire to wreak havoc on our bodies, and supplementation is a way to bridge the gap between what our bodies were designed to deal with and the reality today.

Your deserve to find a quality, pharmaceutical grade multivitamin and invest in it each month as a health insurance policy for your fit body.

Resistance Training

The last three to four repetitions are what make the muscles grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. — Arnold Schwarzenegger

» Books by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Resistance training isn’t a new concept, only the general acceptance of it is. There were lean, muscular physiques since the beginning of recorded history and evidence of this can be found in the graceful definition of traditional Greek sculptures. The weight training tools of the past were the scythe and plow. They have since been replaced by the dumbbell, the barbell, the machine, and even the kettlebell.

Research shows us that individuals who train with weights in addition to performing cardiovascular exercise lose more fat than those who only engage in endurance conditioning. In other words, the runner who takes a few days to pump iron will benefit from a leaner physique than the one who spends more time on the trail. Weight training may increase metabolism, it reinforces the strength of your joints so that high impact exercises like running can be managed by the muscle tissue and not just the joint itself, and may even protect against sudden impacts like a fall.

There is a myth that you must go into the gym for hours at a time and lift the heaviest weights possible in order to successfully train with weights. The truth is that resistance training means contract your muscle against any resistance. A push-up that defies the pull of gravity, a resistance band, and a barbell all generate the needed resistance – it is up to you to find a method that works and consistently follow it.

Cardiovascular Training

The trouble with jogging is that, by the time you realize you're not in shape for it, it's too far to walk back. — Franklin P. Jones

Of course, your heart and conditioning are equally as important as your strength and muscle mass. Cardiovascular exercise helps build structures at the cellular level that enhance the extraction of oxygen from air for use as energy. In essence, it helps your entire body “breathe” at a higher, more effective level. Not to mention, it is useful for completing events like triathlons, for hiking long distances, and even for carrying heavy bags of groceries up long flights of stairs.

Flexibility

Prepare yourself for the world, as the athletes used to do for their exercise; oil your mind and your manners, to give them the necessary suppleness and flexibility; strength alone will not do. — Earl of Chesterfield

Perhaps the most interesting debate in the sports world today is whether or not flexibility makes sense. There are many studies that are quoted out of context and a lot of research on select groups used to support both sides of the argument.

My mentor, Ian King, has been a physical preparation coach in Australia for several decades. His specialty is training elite, professional, and even Olympic athletes. Now, it stands to reason that an athlete who is injured is not an asset to the team, so success in that area would be tied to his ability to keep the athletes injury free and assist them with recovery. He is a very strong advocate of stretching.

I began integrating stretching in my own programs and with the programs I develop for clients years ago. The feedback was universal – clients reported a reduction in pain and popping and increased recovery. It makes sense to me. If you drop a container made out of glass (lack of flexibility) or a container made out of plastic (a flexible material) which is more likely to break? If you receive unexpected impact or trauma – whether a collision or a fall – do you think the limb with the greater range of motion (flexible) or the restricted range of motion (inflexible) will handle this better?

Integrate stretching. You won’t regret it. Take a four-week trial and use the stretches we have illustrated online at:

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=159

Breathing

Keep breathing. — Sophie Tucker

What would happen if we stopped breathing?

Perhaps our most valuable asset to health – our breath – is the least appreciated. Breathing has been a discipline in many cultures for thousands of years. It is a gateway to meditate; it is a method for reducing stress; it is a technique for handling fear. For exercise, it is highly connected to results. The rhythm of breathing for cardiovascular exercise can be critical to maintaining pace while proper breathing technique in the weight room may help prevent injury.

Learn how to breathe and become aware of it. If you find you are in a stressful situation, take a moment to breathe in deeply. Exhale without forcing your breath – remember, the exhalation comes naturally as a result of the pressure of the air in your lungs. Draw in the breath, and imagine strength and balance entering your body. Then, exhale allowing your body to naturally release weakness and chaos.

Be aware of your breathing in exercise, during long runs, and when you are faced with intense or stressful situations. Try to take a few deep breaths every hour, and note the impact it has on your body and how you feel. You may agree that your breath is just as important as all of the other components of your fitness program.

Meditation

Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom. — Buddha

Meditation has many forms and disciplines. What I am referring to is simply being still. It is stopping for a moment and not having to do a thing. Many people refer to meditation as a method for stopping your thoughts. People become frustrated when they attempt to meditate and cannot keep the thoughts from popping out of nowhere. I would suggest that, at first, meditation is less about stopping your thoughts, and more about becoming aware of them.

What you think about expands. If someone told you something that hurt, you told it to yourself a thousand more times, and made it more of your reality. To really become aware of your power to live healthy and free, you must be aware of your thoughts. Take a moment each day – whether it is 5, 10, or 30 minutes – and sit quietly. Relax. Focus on each muscle in each area of your body, and let it just rest on the bone. Your bones are rigid and can support your body against the pull of gravity, so let the muscles stop tensing. Then, breathe naturally and become aware of your thoughts. Don’t get involved with them or overly attached – let them come to the surface. If you have a negative thought that won’t serve you, nudge that thought away and replacing it with an empowering thought. Instead of, “I hope I will be prepared for the race,” or “I don’t know if I’m ready,” try, “I’m as ready as I can possibly be. I look forward to enjoying the fruits of my preparation.”

Conclusion

As you can see, total health and fitness are about more than eating healthy or hitting the gym. We believe in a holistic approach that includes the mind, body, and spirit. There is a definite connection between your mind and your body because your emotions create a response at the cellular level. When you are unhappy, every cell in your body literally becomes unhappy as well through the chemical exchanges that take place. Learn to live a balanced, abundant live, and when you are faced with challenges, this is where spirit – what you have flowing from your heart – can carry you through to success.

Would you like to learn more about the pillars of fitness? Jeremy Likness shares these and much more in his empowering 5-CD audio program, Lose Fat, Not Faith. Learn how to release fat, gain muscle, and live healthy as you listen to hours of inspiration that will change your life.

This article was originally published at BeginnerTriathlete.com and is reprinted here with their permission.