"Flex Your Mind," the origins
About Michael
Train Smarter And Harder: The "Flex Your Mind" philosophy
There are many aspects to a proper, effective workout strategy. The "Flex Your Mind" philosophy strives to incorporate all the factors that may make even the slightest difference in the effectiveness of a program, constant progress, and the achievement of health and fitness goals. Through the inclusion and scientific manipulation of said factors a strategy can then be formulated to tackle the goals at hand. I call it a strategy because, almost like a military battle strategy, it sets the blueprint to follow to achieve all goals. It is a holistic approach that tackles the body as a whole rather than breaks it up into various sections.The premise behind this philosophy is smarter training, and better living. Many well meaning and motivated trainees are hitting the gym training hard year in and year out without seeing results. They are training hard but without utilizing all of the factors, methods and training systems that are available to keep progress going. This is where training smarter comes in. However, while some people are fond of saying "train smarter, not harder" it is a more correct approach to "train harder AND smarter." Training hard and training smart are not mutually exclusive but are, in fact, equal parts of a proper training strategy.
Training hard does not refer to lifting heavy weights and killing oneself in the gym. Training hard refers to the state of mind applied to the actual process. It means that the proper level of dedication, determination, drive and motivation are present. It means that we are not just going through the motion of our training but are doing it purposefully, with our goals in mind. So you can train hard whether you are doing a relaxation exercise to bring down your stress, or are doing a set of heavy squats or a kettlebell circuit.
Nutrition and other lifestyle choices play a key role in the "Flex Your Mind" philosophy. Training as hard and smart as humanly possible is not going to even come close to achieving optimum results without a nutritional program that is equally as well designed and effective. And both of these two aspects together are not going to yield optimum results without proper rest, minimum exposure to toxic chemicals, reduced stress levels, and many other factors.
This brings us to the real gist of the "Flex Your Mind" philosophy. It incorporates training that utilizes both a proper mindset and a properly, intelligently designed program. It incorporates proper nutritional habits based on Metabolic Typing. And it incorporates intelligent lifestyle choices. The culmination of all these things is then the "Flex Your Mind" philosophy.
The "Flex Your Mind" philosophy is, then, an integrative approach that brings together training, nutrition, and lifestyle choices to achieve the desired fitness and health goals.
"Flex Your Mind," the origins:
When I first started training, I did it to gain muscle mass and strength. To that end I read extensively about bodybuilding training methods, followed the advice of past and modern professionals, read books by both bodybuilding and strength training experts. I started being aware of different philosophies and methods of training. It seemed that people couldn't agree on how to train: with high or low volume, high or low frequency, heavy or moderate weights, not to mentions all the various other modifying parameters, many of which are known in the bodybuilding community as the Weider Principles. Then there are other training methods like HIT (high intensity), Doggcrapp, and more. And this is just within bodybuilding.In other sports there are arguments about the best ways to train as well. Experts from various parts of the world are applying their own methods to training their athletes, whether based on research, anatomical profiles, and more. There are many training methods for powerlifting, Olympic lifting, arm wrestling, martial arts, and even strongman competitions. In almost every single gym or training facility you can find people arguing about the best method to train, the one to deliver the best results.
What I observed, however, is that almost all the training methods, so long as applied properly, give results. Obviously many of them target different goals, but even the various methods designed to achieve the same end effect work as well. The problem is that some of the methods work more effectively then others. Or they may work for only a period of time and then start to become ineffective while another method will start giving results. This means that one individual will experience better results with one methods and another with a different method.
What becomes obvious, then, is that all methods are effective so long as applied properly. Some are only effective for a matter of a few weeks before the body becomes adapted, while others, due to greater parameter variability can be utilized over a much longer period of time.
Another pivotal moment came when I realized that many types of training isolate a particular aspect of physical development and focus on it. Bodybuilding focuses or building up muscles. Powerlifting, on the other hand, is focused on developing as much strength and explosive power as possible. While this is great for athletes aiming to compete is these sports, or just to improve their performance in these specific disciplines, it does not factor in the goals of most other individuals, be it an athlete, dancer or just a person looking to get into better shape to better enjoy his or her life.
Here, then, is where my "Flex Your Mind" philosophy really started taking form, albeit without the catchy name. I realized that while all of the training methods are effective, they are less so when used independently of each other. Just like one should apply the various methods to training within their particular sport, so should people looking to improve their fitness utilize the various training methods available to achieve their goals.
Throughout my training and research nutrition had always played a prominent role. I realized early on that proper nutrition went hand in hand with proper training. Although people like to break them apart into percentages, usually along the lines of "training is 10% and nutrition is 90%" they are both in fact equal parts of the equation, as one is almost meaningless without the other.
The last, though certainly not least, factor to join the "Flex Your Mind" philosophy is just as important as the other two. In fact, it is not one, but a vast multitude of factors joined together under a singular banner called "lifestyle." And yes, exercise and nutrition are parts of a lifestyle as well, but here I am talking about all the other factors like stress, sleep, relationships and more. Though the word "lifestyle" is currently in vogue among marketing types who must sell everything from cell phones to cars to clothing to carbonated cola, it is used in a much more direct and sincere manner here. The lifestyle choices that a person makes directly influence the quality of life, quality of health, and effectiveness of any exercise and nutritional program.
While I had first formulated the premise of the "Flex Your Mind" philosophy as it applies to achieving better fitness, it is not limited to physical development only. This holistic, integrative approach is applicable to almost every aspect of our lives, from the aforementioned fitness and health goals, to our jobs, relationships with friends and family, spiritual and mental wellbeing.
For me, it is a constantly evolving process of bettering myself, my approach, and my system of training.
About Michael
I embarked on my personal journey of physical self improvement in the summer of 1996. I studied about training and nutrition and as I applied what I learned progress came swiftly. Within a year I was far ahead from where I had started, and after two years I had radically transformed my body, and with it many aspects of my personality. As has been the case with thousands of people my training had benefits far surpassing mere aesthetic and athletic improvement. I grew as a person as well.I first started training others in 1999. I also spent some time working for a major pharmaceutical company. This experience gave me valuable insight into the state of the drug industry, as well as a better understanding of medical treatments and the allopathic approach. It should be needless to say that my experience in the pharmaceutical field further solidified my belief in the holistic approach, which is explained in detail in the various sections of this website.
I now own and operate "Flex Your Mind Personal Training" through which I strive to offer superior physical training as well as holistic lifestyle coaching and nutritional services. I achieve the greatest level of satisfaction when I see my clients make progress and make a commitment, just like I have, to improving their lifestyle. Often people find that improving their lifestyle benefits not only them, but many of those around them as well. To facilitate that I now offer holistic lifestyle coaching, in-house personal training as well as kettlebell training, and small-group kettlebell training at Lanna Muay Thai Canada Inc., though a more detailed list of available services can be found under the "Products" Section.
Major Certifications:
C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Agatsu Inc. Certified Kettlebell Coach Level 2
Can-Fit-Pro Personal Training Specialist
Muscle Activation Techniques Jumpstart, Lower Body, Upper Body, Trunk and Spine
St. John's Ambulance First Aid and CPR.