Hekewika what you described is exactly the way the brain and memory work. In order for us to 'forget' something the brain actively chooses to remember the thing we want to forget or ignore and then puts a mental filter in place in order to block it out. This is why if I tell you "not to do something" you are more likely to do it, if I order you to not think of the pink elephant all you can now think about are pink elephants. The mental filter that is supposed to act as a barrier so we don't want/crave/remember something is new to us. So it is energetically costly. This means that when we are low, tired or distracted we are unlikely to have enough energy to support it and then the thing we have put in this mental cabinet comes popping out at us.

The only reliable way to overcome a situation like this is to substitute something else for it. Occasionally I do 72 hour fasts. It is a little hellish as I eat nothing in those 72 hours. =Halfway through I could happily eat my partner and my dog. The way I get round it is I set myself up for success: I make sure I have no new or pressing work to do in that time period, so I am cruising everything. I also have my Netflix playlist handy and in order. I don't have to go looking for stuff to watch it is all there, already picked and in place. This distracts me and I get through the 72 hours without breaking my fast.

You can, in your case, pick an activity you like or, even, substitute another food for what you are trying to avoid. Say carrots instead of sugary treats. You need to experiment and see what works best for you.

I hope this is of help.

TopNotch the most recent studies we have on the subject show that the benefits of each are equal provided you do your low weights/high reps training at really low speed and pay particular attention to the eccentric movement. Also 'low' in this case should be between 50% - 70% of maximal. If you do that you will see gains in both strength and size. High weight/low rep delivers the same results but a little faster because it more reliably triggers the body's adaptation response, but not in every case which makes it a little less reliable and also there is a higher risk of injury due to muscle fatigue.

I hope this answers your question.

Damer thanks 😊 that was really informative, I'll admit I read the whole explanation but got halfway through the article and my eyes glazed over.

My mental health is really bad, has been all my life but it boiled over in my mid teens. I'm currently on my 3rd shrink. We discussed nutrition this week and she suggested a few things:
1) eat a breakfast every day.
2) work on reducing my reliance on Pepsi Max.
3) try and eat 1 to 2 servings of fruit or veg a day (I currently eat 0).

Is dried/tinned fruit OK? And pre made protein shakes?

I really want to improve my mental health (that's my pre NYR goal) because as I survivalist (I call it adventurer) I need to be in tip top mental and physical health.

Thanks, Damer Another couple of questions now, though.
1. How do I establish maximal weight? Is this how much I can lift once, or 10 times, or...? Or is it a percentage notch down from the maximum I can lift once?
2. In the case of most DAREBEE workouts and programmes, there is a fixed number of reps and sets. Right now, as an example, I'm thinking of day 3 of Pathfinder+ that I did yesterday. There were only 6 bicep curls at a go - which, as I haven't done any weights for a while, was enough! Would I get the best benefit from these by doing them with a high weight and low speed, or when using a high weight, does speed not really matter (which is NOT to suggest that with a high weight I am fast!)?
3. (last one ) Size isn't really something I'm craving, though a bit more would be nice, but strength certainly is. How can I best train for that, not only with free weights but also with bodyweight exercises? For example, I'm maxxing out at a certain (undisclosed because embarrassing) number of push-ups right now. I have read SO much about increasing number of reps that I'm confused. Some say, do your max reps a couple of times a day; others say, do 50% or less of your max reps lots of times a day. What is your view on this?

Lady Celerity progress on programs is saved via the cookies in your browser. If this doesn't happen you will need to Google how to enable cookies in the particular browser/OS combination you have. I hope this helps.

Anek your question is a deep one and deserves a thoroughly science-backed answer.

The link between strength training and strength exercises ans weight loss has only recently been scientifically documented. In the earlier scientific literature a standout 2012 study gave aerobic training the edge when it came to reducing weight and increasing lean muscle mass. But there were some findings that were inconclusive and the mechanisms through which aerobic training and weight training deliver results were not adequately explored. Around the same time a study focused on the effect of strength and strength training on body composition parameters (i.e. BMI, lean muscle mass, weight management etc) on Japanese adolescents found that stronger muscle muscles correlated with leaner, lighter or less overweight bodies.

Fast forward a few years and we begin to see a correlation between weight and strength, particularly in young adults but also the population at large. The 2018 study that drew attention to this also concluded that initially, heavier people derived more health benefits by engaging in strength training exercises than aerobic ones (psychological factors contribute strongly in this outcome). Just a year earlier, a 2017 study had shown that weight loss and aerobic training produce the greatest reduction in weight while weight loss plus strength training produced a reduction in weight but maintained lean mass.

In order to understand all this better I will need to explain, partially, the weight loss mechanism in the body. Basically that is a simple: Calories In - Calories Out measurement. If you eat less than you use up you lose weight. But there is added complexity there in the Base Metabolic Rate (also known as the Resting Metabolic Rate) - this is the amount of energy any of us burn up in a day to get around and maintain the processes of our body and mind. Lose weight too quickly and the base metabolic rate slows down as the body tries (in its own logic) to make sure we don't starve. So, weight loss, in that sense, is countermanded by the body's mechanical logic and is virtually always reversed very quickly. This is where exercise comes in as a means of energy management. Basically if we exercise we do the same thing as if we eat less, i.e. we remove a chunk of calories from our available energy which are expanded through exercise and that leaves less for the body to do everything else with. So it loses weight. The added benefit here is that with exercise our Base Metabolic Rate is unaffected and, in most cases, it goes up as the body rebuilds and recovers so we end up losing weight even faster.

This now brings us to two key questions: A. What is it we lose when we lose weight and B. Which type of exercise is preferable? Well, by weight loss we mean reducing the body's fat storage and increasing (if possible) the lean muscle so that we feel capable and in control. For fast weight loss a combination of dietary control and aerobic exercise will give the fastest results. But it is hard to maintain when we then kick back after reaching our goal weight. Resistance exercise and dietary control give slower weight loss but make it easier to maintain long term as the body acquires more muscle which increases the Base Metabolic Rate as we move forward. A 2021 study that is making everyone sit up and take notice shows that the absolute best results are a combination of smart eating (so we don't overeat or overindulge in high-calorie value foods), aerobic exercise (so we burn high every now and then) and resistance training. That study is huge as it took into account a longitudinal study with 12,000 participants. The study can be found here.

What that study showed was that instead of using weight as the one, sole defining measure of reducing body fat the most accurate follow-up is to take waist measurements and use that as indicative of weight loss rather than the numbers on the scale.

To get to your very direct question about shedding 5kg - 8kg fast the answer is that you may need to revise that number downwards (i.e. seek to shed 5kg) up your aerobic work to get there but continue with strength training in order make sure you can maintain the weight loss after you hit your desired goal.

I hope this helps.

Is there an updated release date for total warrior? So excited for the program to drop 😁

Thank you Damer ! This is super informative and very helpful. I'm glad to have a plan!

Damer

Are there things we can do now to prevent having achy bodies, bad backs, stiff joints, poor mobility, etc as we age? Are some activities better than others?

I have found that even with regular exercise and good nutrition, long car rides (3+ hours) now result in a back ache. It makes me wonder what else is on the horizon and if there are things I can do now to mitigate aches and pains that many others seem to experience with age.

Aether your shrink's suggestions are stellar. I would add a couple of small steps there: First, keep a diary and record your efforts and progress. Second, keep every change you make a small one by breaking everything down into small, manageable steps. Any big change is a challenge in itself.

Now, to your specific question: dried fruit is OK. Tinned fruit however has preservatives and it is always smart to try to avoid them if you have a choice. There is no credible evidence that suggests premade protein shakes cause any harmful side effects and they're always preferable to Pepsi so you're OK there. I hope this helps.

TopNotch good follow-up questions. Let's take them in the order you asked them:

1. Maximal weight is the weight (or exercise) you can do 3 - 5 times max. Bodybuilders and power lifters use a formula which takes into account the weight they can lift multiplies it by 1.1307 and adds 0.6998. So if let's say you can lift a 10kg dumbbell 3 times max then your maximal weight is: 10kg x 1.1307 + 0.6998 = 12. A 12kg dumbbell is the weight you use when you go for maximal lifting.
2. You really answer your own question here. The reason we use high weights to develop strength is because they slow us down in the execution of the motion of lifting them. This means that we usually cannot be trusted to sufficiently slow down the movement ourselves with a lower weight. If you're disciplined enough to slow it down then low or lower weights done slowly give you better and much safer results.
3. Strength is a complex issue that is still under investigation by sports scientists precisely because we don't always understand it. My thread on this may help a little if you carefully go through all the questions and answers. Now, to your very specific question regarding push ups, instead of trying to do the maximum number you can two-three times a week it is way better and much safer to try the number you can do comfortably (no matter how small that may be) but do that every day. By the end of the month you will have increased your strength and be able to go beyond it. The reason this happens is complex and it involves muscle to bone angle during the execution of push ups, the central nervous system (CNS) and how that activates muscles and in what sequence and, obviously, the muscle groups directly affected by push ups: triceps, pecs, abs, core, quads and glutes.

I hope this helps

DragonFit Total Warrior is stuck with me. During trials and field tests we saw that some of the exercises were too complex for many of the participants and a couple led to strains and sprains. I am reworking it and really I am behind with it because of day job pressures. I can only guarantee it will be out before Christmas.

sunpetal how we fight ageing is complex and it depends on many factors such as genetics, environmental factors (and the presence of environmental stressors), our past history, underlying medical conditions that are caused by genetic predisposition as opposed to lifestyle choices and, of course, how much we exercise. Generally, as we age we need to exercise more and pay attention to specific things such as stretching (for agility and range of motion), tendon strength and muscle strength. Focusing, each time, on improving specific body parts. Everything has to be task-specific or sports-specific. If long car rides are giving you lower back ache you need to strengthen your core, hips and glutes and stretch your hamstrings and calves.

This will help you directly. For overall health and maintaining your physical edge as much as possible however there is nothing like exercise which replaces the aches and pains of inactivity with the different aches and pains of targeted activity. The difference is that the former is caused because the body is weak and is suffering, With the latter it is undergoing a transformation that will make it stronger which is why it is aching.

I hope this helps.

With exercises such as push-ups where there's various variations to make them easier or harder, at what point should you go to the next harder or easier ones? If my max normal pushups are only like 5-10 reps, should I be doing pushups at an incline or knee pushups instead? Or should you always do the hardest ones you can do even one rep of?

Thank you Damer Really curious about that maths, adding 0.6998. I suppose some maths geeks were having a fun time there! I've checked out that other thread again (I'd read it before but without that specific question in mind). But I love these Q&As. Someone's always bound to ask a question I never thought of (or had the guts to ask!) but was curious about.