Cris Ramis - The Baron's Blog

Wise words from Albert.....

“Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds” - Einstein

I like to remember this whenever other people tell me I'm '...doing it wrong' or '...you know what you should/must/need to do....".

Bless them.

If it's all the same to them, I'll do things my way.

That's my preferred way of learning.

Stay well, happy and true to yourself, your instinct, your choices and your path.

Cris (El Baron)

Inspiring qoute....

I was flicking through the pages of Wikipedia, checking out info on several actors I'd spotted in various films and TV shows recently.

I looked up the life and career of an American actor called Hugh O'Brian who rose to fame in the 50s and 60s playing Wyatt Earp on TV, and whom came to my attention when he appeared in the 1978 film 'Game of Death' which featured Bruce Lee (of whom I'm a fan).

Mr O'Brian has a charity called the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), which is a non-profit youth leadership development program.

The concept for HOBY was inspired in 1958 by a nine-day visit O’Brian had with famed humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Africa, who believed "the most important thing in education is to teach young people to think for themselves."

I read a brief speech that Mr O’Brian’s gave to young people attending a HOBY conference and felt like sharing it:

"I do NOT believe we are all born equal. Created equal in the eyes of God, yes, but physical and emotional differences, parental guidelines, varying environments, being in the right place at the right time, all play a role in enhancing or limiting an individual's development. But I DO believe every man and woman, if given the opportunity and encouragement to recognize their potential, regardless of background, has the freedom to choose in our world. Will an individual be a taker or a giver in life? Will that person be satisfied merely to exist or seek a meaningful purpose? Will he or she dare to dream the impossible dream?"

"I believe every person is created as the steward of his or her own destiny with great power for a specific purpose, to share with others, through service, a reverence for life in a spirit of love."

 Stay well, happy and keep thinking for yourselves and choosing wisely.

Cris (El Baron)

Great film.....

I'm most grateful to a friend of mine for recommending a French film to me called 'La Belle Verte' or 'The Green Beautiful'.

That's how you'll find it if you search on YouTube for it.

I watched it here - http://www.youtube.com/user/PurtonPantone#p/c/D2222A7D264494E2/3/i7YhH1J5t7A

and am similarly grateful to the person who uploaded it.

Just a great, funny, feel good film with a message....and I loved it.

Stay well, happy and feeling good.

Cris (El Green Baron)

2012 and all that.....

A friend of mine has made me aware of the work of Kiesha Crowther, a shaman and healer also known as "Little Grandmother" (http://littlegrandmother.net/default.aspx and http://www.tribeofmanycolors.net/).

At her suggestion I've watched quite a few of her videos on YouTube and recommend them for those with a spiritual nature and interest. Those people will enjoy her work the most, whilst other more left brained people may think it a load of cobblers.

You pay your money, you makes ya choice....or something like that.

This one relates to 2012 and the prophecies abounding about it -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK5OOfEmut4

Stay well, happy and curious.

Cris (El Baron)

Some light relief....

....courtesy of Dr Mercola's latest newsletter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewdbilSWjaM&feature=player_embedded

Stay well and happy.

Cris (El Baron)

A great qoute....

....via Eldon Taylor's latest newsletter. One for all the pessimists and glass half-full types out there:

My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened. ~ Montaigne

Stay well, happy and optimistic.

Cris (El Baron)

More from Eldon Taylor's.....

.....latest newsletter.

Rising to the Occasion

We live in an interesting time and within a very polarized world where the yin and the yang of things is very black and white. Unfortunately, when this black and white trickles down to the folks, it's not so black and white anymore. Indeed, it's often more shades of gray and more and more people get the feeling that it's a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" world that we live in. Why is that? It would be easy to launch into a discussion about political or religious differences at this point, but then that would be looking outward when in my view, we should always first look inward.

Soul searching, as it has been termed, is all about an inner examination of motives, beliefs, and so forth. The very phrase presupposes at least two things. First, we have the ability to evaluate our selves. Second, we are somehow capable of being dishonest with ourselves at a level beneath the surface of what we think of as normal ordinary consciousness.

Dishonest with our selves at an unconscious level is something I think of as "falsophrenic," and falsophrenia really is pandemic today, especially in the United States and other highly developed countries.

Falsophrenic is derived from 1) false in the sense that we are not in touch with our authentic selves and 2) phrenic in the sense that this is purely an issue that arises from how we manage our minds.

Some of the symptoms of falsophrenia would include the holding of two mutually exclusive values or beliefs, and either being unaware of the discrepancy or inventing arguments to justify or rationalize it.

Another symptom can be seen as an escape mechanism: I am feeling so out of balance and lost that I need to immerse myself in distractions such as shopping, TV, drinking and eating. And there are of course, many other symptoms but I think you get the picture.

We live in a mediaocracy today. Governments around the world use the media to manage their message. This is as true in the US as in China, albeit not as pervading or as outright in the censorship.

Nevertheless, the media, whether video news releases (VNRs) aimed at "winning the minds and hearts" of the audience and produced by governmental agencies with the aid of psychological operations, or the local retail commercial designed to teach consumption--consumption after all drives
our economy; it feels good to shop, shopping relieves stress and anxiety, things like fancy cars and clothes define us, etc., and all of this seeks to own your thoughts, desires and ambitions.

With all of these overt attempts to manipulate our psyche, what are aware people to do? Should we throw our hands in the air out of frustration? That would be the easy thing. A Pontius Pilot action--it's
on you--not on me attitude. Should we scream and yell and complain about all of the things that simply aren't right? Should we just lament the confusion and angst, complaining to those who will listen? What should we do?

In my mind there are two things we must all do. The first is of course to pay attention and spend some time everyday thinking about the things we do and why we do them. Are our views and opinions simply following the popular views of the day. After all, it feels better to agree and belong than to disagree and be all alone. Whatever your views and values are, spend some time exploring the opposite view points. Are there any points that you do agree with? Why do 'they' think and feel
the way they do? Is there any value in 'their' ideas? It is only by doing this that you can be certain your ideas truly are your own. Just remember though, everyone has an agenda that they wish to foist upon
you and it is up to you to sort it all out.

The other way to discover who you are is by learning about your worth.

In my mind, the best way to learn about your worth is by helping others. When you go to the aid of another in need, you quickly realize two things. First it feels good. Second, you're important--you make a difference. If just to one other human being--you are important! Think about it--what else makes you feel better or more fully realize the power of one? What is the power of one? I was recently interviewed by radio host Steve Mariboli. Steve and I share an idea that surprised me
when I heard him vocalize it. He simply refers to this as the power of one--one good deed, one kind act, one smile, one caring action, one person changing the world one person at a time.

If we want the world to change, we need to change. We must become what it is that we seek. By example we lead. People are creatures of imitation. Behavior is contagious and that's why the past has seen hysterical illness spread, vigilante actions carry out atrocities, honest hard working people look the other way while someone is brutally raped and/or killed.

I believe in the vast unlimited potential for good that resides within every human being. It may lay dormant for a lifetime but it is never to late to raise it up. The person who at eighty risks everything to save one drowning child, the first good thing they have done in their entire life, nevertheless may have just saved the child that saves the world.

There are lots of true stories about the person that saves someone only for that someone to later save a loved one of the original rescuer.

It's never too late.

I believe that it's never too late because there was a time in my life when I had given up. I know that you too can become valuable to yourself by becoming important to others. There is no form of
self-esteem so powerful as the knowledge that you have made a difference.

I encourage you to make the commitment that from now on you will go out of your way every day to do some charitable thing for someone in need. I also challenge you to be certain to do some special thing, carry out a little extra love if you will, at least once a week for every member of your family. I know that if you will do this, you will find all the wonderful things in life that are there waiting for you and they include a world that improves one person at a time.

Thanks for the read,
Eldon

Stay well, happy and lead by example.

Cris (El Baron)

Update on bodyfat and training....

Some interesting results from my latest measurements, which I was fully expecting would reflect an increase in muscle size and tissue and a levelling off of bodyfat or even a slight increase.

 

I didn't even bother taking pictures first thing in the morning as I didn't think it was worth it.

 

For the last 5 weeks my training goals were:

1. Gain size in my calves and get them both back over 16 inches.

2. Increase my deadlift poundage to as much over 180kg as possible, without using a programme exclusively devoted to strength gains i.e. like Max Strength that I did over last winter.

3. Let the injuries I’d gained to both forearms clear up, so no direct arm training at all and go as hard with the upper body lifting as the injuries would allow.

 

Summary:

1.  Calves got stronger whilst staying the same size. They made need some shock treatment to cause the grow I’m after.

2. From week 1 to 5 my deadlift went from 170kg for 2 reps to 185kg for a single. I played around with the reps protocol (i.e. switching from a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rep scheme using increasing loads in week 1, to a 5 x 1 rep scheme with increasing loads for weeks 2 to 5) and got the result I was after.

3. The right forearm is 100% and the left is getting there.

Well, I've dropped 2lbs of bodyweight since my last measurement 4 weeks ago (12st 6lbs as of this morning) consisting of lost 1.4lbs/0.6kg of fat and approx 0.6lbs/0.3kg of muscle.

 

My bodyfat is down to 8.8% from 9.5%,

My circumferences have gone down slightly in 2 places; the waist and left bicep, and stayed the same everywhere else except for the chest and hips which have increased.

The drop in my waist measurement is pleasing and I’d like to see this continue whilst I look to gain strength and muscle over the winter.

I’m also happy that the measurements in my extremities have stayed the same too.

I would have liked to have seen the arms grow slightly, and the calves too especially as I was targeting them over the last 5 weeks and training them 3 times per week.

I’m not concerned about the increase in hip size, and have put this down to either human error or an increase in glute size from the Bulgarian Split Squat and Front Squats I’ve been utilising for the last 5 weeks.

I stopped sprinting 5 weeks ago and have just been weight-training 3 times per week. I’ve not upped my calorie or protein intake significantly over those 5 weeks, and still use Sunday as my ‘big calorie’ day to boost my metabolism.

So, by dropping the high intensity cardio out and making no dietary changes i.e. training less and eating the same, I’ve managed to lose more bodyfat than muscle and got down to 8.8%.

I’m leaner than I was this time last year, although I have no records to prove it as I stopped taking my measurements after I finished my body-fat stripping routine. This year I’ll continue them throughout the winter.

 

Conclusion:

I’ve managed to lose more bodyfat than muscle whilst doing less work, and I’m pleasantly baffled as to why. Possible explanations (following on from my conclusions after my last measurements) are:

1. I was overtraining.

2. I was undereating.

3. I was consuming too little protein to cope with the training volume.

4. Dropping the sprint work has reduced the calorie and protein deficits to levels that allow me to burn more bodyfat than muscle.

5. My hormonal balance has also benefitted from dropping the sprint work, further allowing me to strip bodyfat whilst holding more muscle.

6. I could still benefit from increasing my protein intake and this is something I’ll consider, though I think that only a slight increase would be required i.e. an extra 30-40 grams per day.

 

Next week is a rest week during which I’ll read through Eric Cressey’s ‘Show & Go’ routine. It’s my intention to use it throughout winter, then try Tom Venuto’s ‘Holy Grail routine’ and lastly try out Jason Ferrugia’s ‘Triple Threat Muscle’ routine.

 

I’m also looking at Chad Waterbury’s work on Hypertrophy Specific Training, and am planning to put together a routine for myself based around that.

 

Whilst I enjoy looking at top coaches’ work, I’m also aware that you still have to come up with and try out your own ideas, otherwise you just end up relying on others for your programmes.

 

Stay well, happy, open and curious to what life brings you.

 

Cris (El Baron)

Guiding Thoughts from Eldon Taylor.....

....creator of Inner Talk technology (www.innertalk.com). This appeared in Eldon's latest newsletter. Liked it a lot.

PUT THE GLASS DOWN!
The professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, "How much do you think this glass weighs?"

"50gms!".....100gms!".....125gms"... the students answered.

"I really don't know unless I weigh it," said the professor," but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?"

"Nothing," the students said.

"Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?" the professor asked.

"Your arm would begin to ache," said one of the students.

"You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?"

"Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and have to go to hospital for sure!" ventured another student and all the students laughed.

"Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?" asked the professor.

"No," was the answer.

"Then what caused the arm ache and the muscle stress?"

The students were puzzled.

"What should I do now to come out of pain?" asked the professor again.

"Put the glass down!" said one of the students.

"Exactly!" said the professor.

Life's problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head and they seem OK. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you.

You will not be able to do anything. It's important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to 'PUT THEM DOWN' at the end of every day before you go to sleep.

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong and you can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way! So, when you leave the office today, remember to PUT THE GLASS DOWN!

(Shared with me by my friend, Ewe Tuan Cheng).

Stay well, happy and make sure you regularly put the glass down.

Cris (El Baron)

And one last bit of wisdom....for today at least.....

....this time from The Universe a.k.a. Mike Dooley at www.tut.com:

When the issues of someone else's life have you tied in knots, Cristian, it usually means it's time to start focusing on your own life.

Personally, this one resonated with me a lot.

Doesn't that feel better? - The Universe
Of course it's easier to solve other people's issues, Cristian, that's why you chose more challenging ones.

Stay well, happy and healthily focused on your own life.

Cris (El Baron)