Introduction by Paul C. Tijerina in collaboration with Colby Phillips
For more information visit: http://www.paulctijerina.com/
Too often so many people are fixated on a certain “look.” We often hear it all the time, all day every day!
Understand, from an evolutionary perspective, good looks equated to good health. A good physique typically meant good movement mechanics, strength, conditioning, agility, and mobility COMBINED WITH proper eating, sleep, sun exposure, low stress, and social interaction.
Genetics do play a small role in body composition – everyone has a predisposition to a certain body type. You can take 2 men or 2 women, same height, same diet, same habits, and same movement capacity and strength, and they can look very different. I am SPOT ON with my nutrition, sleep, sun exposure, stress levels, social interaction, and I’m pretty damn good at my movements. Colby is awesome at all these things as well, maybe not as spot on with the nutrition and lifestyle factors as me (but really close), stronger in most movements (but not all :). So we both are very similar sizes, similar movement abilities, similar strengths, and similar habits, and yet with our shirts off he looks like Captain America and I look like a gorilla. FYI I’m very happy with that.
So one big takeaway is, our idea of what we want to look like, VS what our body will make us look like when we do everything properly. Be flexible, in my opinion, the best attitude would be this:
“I’m going to train hard with a focus on proper movements, and I’m going to eat healthy and focus on all the things that contribute to vibrant, optimal health, and let my body do what it’s going to do, which may or may not be exactly what I have pictured in my head.”
Overwhelmingly, however, what determines an optimal body is three-fold:
• proper movement abilities (which includes mechanics, consistency, and intensity).
• proper nutrition.
• proper lifestyle factors that are crucial for health
Benchmark Movements for The Optimal Person (Colby)
These are things that everyone that is complaining about losing weight or wanting a certain look should strive for. Try to imagine or visualize the person that can do all the things listed below. What does that person look like?
Stop for a moment and look at what you can do, how well you can do it, and how well you can maintain your form while adding intensity. Are you focusing on technique, form and consistency? Because if you can do these things properly, you will have a certain physique.
Now, in order to be able to do those movements, your body requires YOU to be a certain way. YOU must focus on TECHNIQUE and FORM first. Most of the top athletes in the gym, including, but not limited to, Myself (Colby), Johnny, Ryne, Paul, and many others, care more about technique and consistency then we do about the numbers. Therefore, one of your movement goals should be to be able to do all these movements as listed above.
Also, understand, you don’t need any special programming, you don’t need a special plan to get there! What you need to do is show up to each and every class with the mindset and attitude that you are going to work on TECHNIQUE and FORM first, and also spend some time on your own, working on your weaknesses.
Now in order to do these movements, YOU must also address other things crucial for optimalhealth in order to give your body the ability to move like you want it to, and therefore look a certain way. If your eating habits are crappy, you don’t allow yourself enough time for a healthy sleep schedule, your stress is extremely high, etc. You are not allowing your body to become what it needs to become in order to be able to do these movements.
Learn to be the SHT (Paul)
For optimal, vibrant health, for optimal body composition, and to look and feel your best, movement is an extremely important part. Movement is what shapes your muscles, joints, connective tissue, and to a degree bones underneath your subcutaneous fat stores. Heck, many of us are ADDICTS when it comes working out! But NOT because we think it’s “burning calories.” We are working on skills, and strength, and mobility, and consistency. Which just so happens to shape our musculature and give us a desired look. Because again remember, in my opinion, learning what foods to eat, how to eat those foods, and learning to address crucial lifestyle factors that are synergistic with everything else that we do, is as important or more important than your fitness routine. In fact I would say that nutrition and lifestyle factors account for 80% of this total picture!
So what are the benchmark nutrition and lifestyle factors for the optimal person?
You can learn about all of these crucial concepts when working with me in my private practice or when going through our SuperHuman Transformation.
We have such an amazing synergy of health at 2402 N. Tenaya Way. we have the single best gym I’ve ever experienced anywhere in my life, including the best coaching and the best fitness community ever. We also have access to restorative and flexibility based programs through people like Nichol McIntosh and others. And we have access to my food and lifestyle factors. Where else can you find this powerful combination?