Tumgik
#4 hours of martial arts per day is serious business
erovalkyrie · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
TACTICAL TAKEDOWN!
(art raffle win for 100 followers on Twitter, request by Seri_xxxi!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
and being overpowered by a man quite shorter than him, Jean Vicquemare was never the same
150 notes · View notes
shop-korea · 8 months
Text
50 New Disney World Tips for 2024
youtube
DEAR - CHINA,
DANIEL HENNEY - 1 MIN
ADULT - HE SHOWERED
'SHANGHAI - CALLING'
I - WAS - VERY - IMPRESSED
WITH - CHINESE - WORKERS
LOOK - AT - WHAT - THEY
LOOKED - LIKE - SUCH CN
GREAT - WORKERS
DEAR - CHINA,
PARIS - FRANCE - MOST
VISITED - CITY - ON EARTH
OVER - 50 MILLION - THAT's
SMALL - NO I CAN PROMISE
THEM - 2 BILLION - JUST FR
CHINA - AND - INDIA - ALSO
I'M - HIRING - MANY - FR HAI
INDIA - ALSO - 4 - POVERTY
IS - SERIOUS - TRULY - TOO
DEAR - CHINA,
I'M - HAVING - COUTURE
SHOP - IN - PARIS - 4 THAT
IS - GOOD - BUSINESS BUT
I - WANT - LOTS - OF - MY
INVENTIONS - CLOTHES
MY - CREATIONS - 2 B YES
CREATED - BY - CHINA AND
INDIA - I - WAS - THINKING
OF - MARBLE - FLOORS AND
MARBLE - WALLS - MY - YES
TOKYO - MALE - SCIENTISTS
HAVE - CREATED - VACCINE
4 - RETENTION - WEATHER 2
MY - REQUIREMENTS
THEY - MUST - SPEAK
TONGUES - 2 - WORK 4
ME - MY - TOKYO MALE
SCIENTISTS - CREATING
BANK - 4 - ME - ALL THE
CURRENCY - DEBIT AND
CREDIT - CARDS - ARE ALL
NON-FLAMMABLE - THUS
I - HAVE - UNLIMITED $$$$
MONEY - THUS - IF - U - YES
ALLOW - TONGUES
THEY - CAN - APP - APPLY
WE'RE - USING - THE BEST
CHINESE - ZODIAC
BIRTHDAYS - 4 - LOVE
COMPATIBILITY - HOW
EMPLOYEES - GETTING
ALONE - 2024 - HAPPY
NEW - YEAR - CHINESE
EAR - WOOD - DRAGON
ME - BORN - IN - 1964
MAKATI - MEDICAL CENTER
BABY - OF - MONTH - 10P PHT
12 APRIL 1964 - BEAT - 01 APR
THE - YEAR - WOOD DRAGON
MY - MOM's - BABY - SUITE
REFUNDED - 1 YEAR - GIFTS
DEAR - CHINA,
IF - U - ALLOW - MY - YES
REQUIREMENTS - SPEAK
TONGUES
OUR - WELCOME - PACKAGE
TONGUES - 500 BILLION TAX
PAID - SING - TONGUES - YES
ANOTHER
HOURLY - 500 BILLION - X 5
PER - HOUR - TAX - PAID CN
LUNCH - 1 HOUR - SAME 2
WILL - YOU - ALLOW
6 STRAIGHT - DAYS
25 HRS - FULL TIME
LUNCH - THEY - GET
500 BILLION - X 5 - ALSO
FREE - BUFFETS - CHINESE
INTERNATIONAL - MADE BY
OUR - WORLD - CHEFS
FITNESS - CENTER - 24/7
OPEN - 4 - THEM
KIOSKS - ON - WALLS
EVERYONE - GETS - PAID
TWICE - DAY - OF - WORK
B 4 - LUNCH
LAST - HOUR - OF - WORK
NEW - CASH - NON-BURNABLE
NEW - COINS - SHINY & CLEAN
GIFT - CARDS - U - CAN - YES
CASH - OR - PUT - IN - FREE
CHECKING - OR - DIRECT
DEPOSIT - WHAT - U WANT
DEAR - CHINA,
FREE - PREGNANCY
FREE - DENTAL - EYES
SO - CHINA,
WE - ARE - EXCELLENT
EMPLOYERS - HELP US
I - NEED - GREAT - WORKERS
I - CAN - PROVIDE - PRIVATE
FREE - EDUCATION - 4 KIDS
FAMILIES - FREE - SUPPLIES
FREE - UNIFORMS
MARTIAL - ARTS - TRAINING
ART - PAINTING - AND MORE
FREE - DANCE - CLASSES
DEAR - CHINA,
PLEASE - HELP - US - GIRLS
WE - CAN - HAVE - GREAT
EXCHANGE - SO - CHINA
JESUS - IS - LORD
HELP US - WOMEN
PHILIPPINE - ISLANDS
SEOUL - SOUTH KOREA
1 note · View note
things2mustdo · 4 years
Link
Last year I gave up my Krav Maga self-defense training when I was in the middle of changing jobs. I never picked it back up.
While I stay quite busy splitting my time between my three main sources of income, last month I began to feel like something was missing. I was getting too comfortable with my daily routine– bored, too.
So I decided to start training in martial arts again, this time signing up for a Muay Thai gym. It’s already reinvigorated my sense of drive across other areas of my life. Here are the top 5 reasons you should start a new hobby today.
1. It breaks up your current routine
As humans we search for a sense of regularity. We often find it in our daily activities.
For example, my days typically consist of working from home in the morning, primarily on my computer, lifting weights, and then training a few clients in the late afternoon and evening. I enjoy this routine, but flying on autopilot has its dangers.
You aren’t as sharp. Everything is too calculated and expected. By training  in Muay Thai every other day I have something new to look forward to. It also has changed my lifting routine, to accommodate for the added exercise and fatigue.
2. It pushes you outside of your comfort zone
When I stepped into the Muay Thai gym for the first time I didn’t know what to expect. It was a lot different than the place I used to train Krav Maga at– more serious, less friendly even.
The seasoned fighters looked at me with a sense of superiority. And they were superior. But rather than backing down, being nervous, and quitting after one day– I took this as a challenge.
I was far from comfortable training that day. I wasn’t able to execute crisp Thai kicks or jump rope like a boss.  But being too comfortable can be a bad thing. You��ll cease to explore new opportunities and your growth with falter across the board.
By throwing yourself at something new, that you’re inexperienced at, you’ll be pushed outside of your comfort zone. This is a good thing. You must stay accustomed to living at the edge of your comfort zone to ensure steady growth and progress.
3. You’ll learn new skills
This point is obvious. By taking Muay Thai, I’ll learn a host of new fighting skills.
4. It gives you a new area to set goals for
The habit of setting and achieving goals is the most important habit a man can build. By entering into a new hobby, you now have a whole new area of your life that where you can practice setting and accomplishing goals.
For my Muay Thai experience I’ll start small. My first goal is to be able to execute a Thai kick with my left and have it feel as natural as with my right. I’ll work my way up to bigger goals as I improve.
This is the beauty of starting at something from scratch. At first you’ll set one small goal after another. This cycle will build momentum, and before you know it, you’ll no longer be a novice. More importantly, this momentum will carry over to other areas of your life and give you the confidence to crush more and bigger goals.
5. You’ll meet new people
Another obvious point. When you try something new, you’re bound to meet new people. Whether these turn out to be man friends or cute girls depends on the hobby you choose, but either way meeting new people is always a positive thing.
Potential Hobbies
I’ll leave you with a short list of potential hobbies for you to try today:
1. Martial arts/self-defense: Muay Thai, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, Krav Maga 2. Cooking 3. Salsa Dancing 4. Lifting weights (you should already be doing this) 5. Yoga 6. Writing 7. Mountain Biking
Check out my new #1 Amazon Bestseller, The Book of Alpha. It’s full of direct, actionable advice for the man who wants to better himself.
Read Next: 5 Reasons To Learn Krav Maga
Tumblr media
Krav Maga is a self-defense system created based upon the street fighting skills of Hungarian-Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld. He used it to defend the Jewish quarter where he lived against fascist groups in the 1930s. Later, in the 40s he moved to Israel and began to offer combat training lessons to what later became the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). The IDF has used, and continued to develop the system to this day.
The basic principle of Krav Maga is inflicting maximum damage to the opponent(s) in order to end the fight as quickly as possible. Brutal counter-attacks using your most effective tool (knees, elbows, weapons, etc.) to target your opponent’s weakest area (neck, throat, eyes, knees, ribs, solar plexus, groin, etc.) are the focus. For this reason, it is not a competitive martial arts, like Brazilian Ju-Jitsu or Muay Thai, because people would die.
When I heard that Jason Bourne uses Krav Maga (which I later found out was, in fact, not true) and that it teach gun defenses (i.e. the most alpha technique ever), I immediately signed up. I just finished 6 months of training. It is indeed awesome. Here are the top 5 reasons you should sign up for classes today:
1. You will become a badass.
Nothing boosts confidence and testosterone levels like knowing you are legitimately prepared for whatever. Very few people have any formal self-defense or fight training. As a result, in tense situations where most people lose it, you will keep your cool. If something ever does go down, you’re ready.
Tumblr media
2. It is practical and intuitive.
Most martial arts are strongly based in ritual, and as a result often incorporate different forms or strange techniques. Krav is different. Brutal efficiency is the only concern. For this reason, many of the strikes and defenses utilize the same basic motion (e.g. the straight punch and many of the defenses against punches and knives). Moreover, all of the techniques are built upon the body’s natural instincts (e.g. bringing your hands to your neck during a choke defense).
3. It is great exercise.
Between the drills themselves and the conditioning, you are guaranteed a hell of a workout. Three minutes of throwing punches or knee strikes is exhausting. So is three minutes of burpees. Side note: The level 1 Krav test was the single most intense physical event of my life. Seriously. Three hours straight of punches, kicks, choke defenses, and groundwork is no joke. I consider myself to be is great shape and I almost vomited on multiple occasions.
4. It relieves stress.
Sure, so do most workouts, but pounding a kicking shield, or throwing your partner to the floor is a whole different ball game.
5. It is the perfect hobby.
I came to my first class with no idea how to throw a proper punch. After a couple weeks I thought I was Jason Bourne. After a couple months I realized that I wasn’t. After 6 months I look back and I am amazed at the progress I made. Experiencing this progress is extremely satisfying.
Clearly taking up Krav Maga has many benefits. One word of caution – make sure you train somewhere with certified, experienced instructors. I have seen locations that turn it into a strictly cardio exercise experience, with little focus on technique – not good. So go take advantage of that free first class, now.
Check out my new #1 Amazon Bestseller, The Book of Alpha. It’s full of direct, actionable advice for the man who wants to better himself.
Read More: The Only 2 Things A Man Can Depend On
I was born alone and I will die alone. I’ve got to do what’s right for me and not live my life the way anybody else wants it.
– Curtis Jackson
If life were a board game, you’d be the game piece.
In reality, life isn’t much different from a game. There isn’t a defined end goal, however. You get to choose it. It could be power and respect. It could simply be happiness. Or it could be more specific: money or women, for example. Whatever it is, you choose.
In a board game there are strict limitations. In life, we’re encouraged to follow laws and social norms, but for the most part we’re free to do as we choose. There are infinite paths that will take you to any goal imaginable.
Along the way you’ll deal with many people. Some will help you, others won’t. You can grow to depend on the ones that help you, but that always incurs a risk. A family member can die. A close friend can betray you. Your girl can leave you. How will you react when one of these things happens?
Playing with others is a necessary part of the game. But never depend on them. Doing so will ultimately lead to failure and disappointment.
Accept that the only two things you can ever count on are your body and your mind– your game piece. You must tend to these things like a gardener tends to his plants. Focus on improving them and facilitating their health and growth and you’ll always put yourself in the best position to win.
If some tragedy befalls a dependent man, he may sink into depression. He might feel like he’s lost all hope of accomplishing his mission in life. He might give up.
A truly independant man, however, will not. He’s prepared, on some level, for each of these tragedies. He doesn’t have a specific game plan for when his best friend betrays him, per se. But he’s put himself in a good position, both physically and mentally, that he can weather the storm. Not only can he weather the storm, but he can keep his cool and make the fine adjustments needed to get the ship back on course.
Below I’ll offer the basic tasks one must do to protect his game piece, and see it thrive.
1. Your Body
If you take care of your body, it will be strong and healthy. It will also help foster a potent mind. Yes, there’s always the rare risk of contracting some form of cancer or another deadly disease, but if you follow the steps below, you all but rule these things out.
1. Eat good food
I won’t go into specifics, because everyone’s diet will, and should, be different.
But if you focus your diet around meat, fruits, and vegetables your body will flourish. Meat provides the protein and amino acids your body needs to grow. The fruits and vegetables provide the fiber and vitamins you need to function over the long run. A man with a solid diet will respond better to stress, and therefore be more self reliant.
2. Lift weights
In short, lifting weights develops a strong nervous, muscular, and skeletal system. These are the three main systems that run your body. An efficient body is like a strong ship– it will weather the storm better and be far more dependable in your journey.
The most brutally simple and effective lifting program is StrongLifts 5×5. It focuses on building strength across the five most basic movements humans are meant to do (squat, deadlift,  bench press, row, and overhead press).
2. Your Mind
You must also foster a capable mind. One that can stand on it’s own two feet. The strongest body won’t accomplish anything without an equally impressive mind.
1. Read books
Reading a book is like absorbing another man’s lifelong wisdom. The more books you read, the more you’ll know and the wiser you’ll be. Blogs are okay, but the average quality of a blog post is decidedly lower than what you find in a book. People simply put more time, effort, and value into books.
The knowledge you acquire in books also contributes to your self reliance. It offers quality wisdom and advice– that can’t be taken away from you.
2. Meditate
Meditation is the act of being comfortable being alone. When you meditate, you remove all of the outside noise. All of the thoughts, gossip, music, news, women, men, business, sex– everything. You are left with only yourself.
Many men can’t stand meditation because they’ve grown dependant on all of this external stimulation. They aren’t comfortable in their own skin. And thus they’ve lost their edge, their self reliance.
2 notes · View notes
Text
Ways To Build Unbreakable Confidence From The Outside In
Tumblr media
There are a million different resources and pieces of advice out there from “experts” on how to build confidence, particularly self-confidence. A vulnerable and anxious population consumes this guidance like they are starving for it… probably because they are. The dream of being able to overcome all fear and self-imposed limits by simply reading some advice is a very tempting dish indeed. After lifetimes of being subject to images and ideals that they cannot possibly live up to, people start to feel like they are “less than.” This fear of being a substandard human being drives some of us to seek guidance, bringing us into contact with the murky, over-crowded world of self-help products and services. Look, some of the stuff out there is good – I know, I’ve tried most of it. However, some of it is very misguided and even delusional. People who lack self-confidence themselves can take a class on basic theoretical knowledge of psychological research, and use it to excrete volumes of garbage about how to build self-esteem and confidence. They then charge copious amounts of money for this drivel, which usually makes you feel great temporarily but does absolutely nothing to change your long term situation. I’m not going to pretend I know it all, yet what I do have to offer is that I have completed the full journey, from shy, “nice,” and trying to please everyone, all the way through to where I am now. You may ask, where is that, and what does being confident mean to me? It means that these things now occur in my life where they didn’t before: I regularly seek out opportunities to push boundaries and expand my comfort zone, running towards fear rather than away from itI can go into a situation full of anxiety and quickly push through that to enable me to feel competent and at easeI feel comfortable being honest in all situations. Rather than hide my views, I express them calmly and diplomatically where required, but also without compromiseI place my needs above everything else. I am selfish about developing my life and inner-self, because I know that ultimately the people in my life will benefit from me being a better personMost importantly from my point of view, I can’t remember the last time I felt jealousy or envy, and it’s been many, many years since I entertained the idea of wanting to be anyone else So how did I get to this from being a “nice” guy that did all I could to avoid confrontation and anxiety-provoking situations? Well, it wasn’t easy! I have taken some time to break down the steps I took to achieve this in order to help others out there who are similar to me and serious about developing true, unbreakable inner confidence. See the secret is really no secret at all – it’s about constantly taking action in a way that pushes your comfort zone further out until you learn how to make any situation feel like it’s in your comfort zone. Below are 9 ways to build unbreakable confidence from the outside in:
1. Identifying your ultimate dream lifestyle
Something that is a real confidence drainer is not knowing where you’re going in life. The great thing is you don’t even need to be sure about it; you just need to have a direction to travel in. Try taking 30 minutes to write down a descriptive paragraph or two about what your life would look like if you could wave a magic wand and choose anything. I’ve found with my clients that answering these three questions in detail is a great structure to use: 1) What will you have / what will you be doing? 2) How would other people describe you? 3) What will you think about yourself? Writing down the detailed answers to these questions, using emotional and descriptive language. Once you’ve done this, make sure you re-read it regularly (at least twice per week) to remind yourself constantly about why it is you are getting out of bed. This will increase your sense of purpose in life, a reason to live in a way, which will increase your confidence. Of course, to actually achieve this dream lifestyle, there are further steps you need to take… (read on).
2. Writing down goals and striving to achieve them
I remember reading about a study at Oxford University: researchers asked all students in a class who had written down their goals. I can’t remember the exact details but about 3% of them did this. When the researchers revisited the students again 20 years later, the small group who had written down goals were earning a combined income that was greater than the combined income of all 97% of their classmates. There are plenty of free resources out there on how to write goals (including The Inspirational Lifestyle). The general key I recommend is that rather than write outcome based goals (e.g. “I will get a promotion”) try writing action-based goals that are under your control (e.g. “I will take a management course and then apply for a promotion”). By making sure the goals are under your control, your confidence is not subject to luck. Remove luck by making sure that nothing and no-one can affect the achievement of your goal except for you.
3. Reading popular self-development books by successful business people
While there are far too many refuse-bin-worthy self-development books out there, your safest bet is to read the memoirs and how-to books which are written by people who have actually achieved something. It really is simple; if someone like Richard Branson is a billionaire, he’s probably a pretty reliable source of information on how to make money. It’s much better to listen to him than someone fresh from completing an MBA and spilling a bunch of inexperienced theory-based conjecture.
4. Learning how to manage your state of mind
Most of the time the reason you feel anxious or nervous about a situation you’re about to go into, such as public speaking, is because you’re in the wrong frame of mind. Imagine this: you’ve been studying accounting for three straights hours without interruption, when all of a sudden you’re dragged to a party. Straight away you feel anxiety even though going to a party is not an unusual situation for you. So what’s the problem? Your brain was set into the “studying” state, which is secluded, quiet, and antisocial. You are then thrown into a situation which requires you to be extroverted, talkative and social. This is a really uncomfortable imbalance for your brain to handle. The solution? Taking baby steps. When you realize you are feeling anxiety about an upcoming situation and you suspect that it is because of being in the wrong state, try to figure out some in-between steps you can take. Using our example above, rather than going straight to the party, you could have a chat on the phone with some close friends, followed by pre-drinks at your house with just a few people. This way by the time you get to the party your state has gone from withdrawn to outgoing in easy to manage steps.
5. Understanding the balance between learning, mentoring and action
One of the most common barriers to success is too much thinking and not enough doing. It’s the doing that builds confidence, not the learning. As a general rule, for every hour you spend reading or watching videos (passive learning), you will benefit most by complementing this with two hours of mentoring or coaching, and seven hours practicing or otherwise taking action. It’s the 10/20/70 rule. This is why I’ve titled this article “9 ways to build confidence from the outside in,” because building confidence goes far beyond just reading inspirational or educational books. It’s about taking action so you will start seeing results and positive changes.
6. Approaching strangers
This is one of the scariest things for people to do – very few can do it sober without a background in cold-calling or sales of some kind. Doing this is a really powerful way to build confidence, particularly if you’re single and approaching strangers with the intention of potential romance. If you can get yourself to do this sober and during the day, it makes everything else seem a lot less scary. You can learn to love rejection as the learning and feedback experience it really is.
7. Trying new things regularly
Having a routine can kill your creativity and make your life boring. It’s important to seek new adventures, and always try new things regularly because it can boost your confidence through the following two ways. 1) By learning a range of skills and having varied experiences, you start building up transferable abilities. Over time less situations will seem totally unknown because you will have done something similar before. For example, I found I really enjoyed salsa dancing despite never having danced before, because it combined my previous experiences of playing in a band and doing martial arts. 2) You will eventually find those things that bring you the most pleasure and satisfaction (in a non-creepy way of course). Confidence is often also described as “conscious competence,” which basically means that if you are doing something that you are skilled at, and you know that you are skilled, you feel confident.
8. Surrounding yourself with successful people
Successful people always say “how can we do this?” whereas unsuccessful people generally say “why should we do this?” What kind of people do you spend the most time with? Until you develop a strong inner core of confidence that others cannot touch, you need to surround yourself with “can do” people in order to feed on their confidence. People showing you that anything is possible, and that they believe you are capable of anything will go a long way towards helping you believe this yourself.
9. Making a conscious effort to stop caring about other’s opinions of you
Finally, the biggest lesson I ever really learned about developing true all-round confidence is that the only person I should compare myself to is… myself. There is nothing to be gained in comparing myself to others or trying to live to others expectations. Confidence comes from setting your own expectations of yourself and then trying your best to live up to them. I am not saying that you shouldn’t compete with others, because that’s a great motivator too, but your results and progress should only be measured against your past self. Well that’s it. There’s a million other things you can do, but I am sure that if you start with this list and TAKE ACTION rather than just read this and do nothing, then you will start to see big changes in how you feel about yourself. Read the full article
0 notes
claycookphoto · 7 years
Text
WINGS OF KILIMANJARO
I have feared this memoir for quite sometime. I have feared the pressure of recounting the most intense, yet rewarding trek of my entire lifetime. The tale isn’t one that can be told in just a few words, it’s a tale of blood, sweat and tears and a tale that traversed thousands of miles with thousands of emotions. 
vimeo
On September 28, 2016 at 6:55am, I set foot on the summit of the highest free standing mountain in the world; Mount Kilimanjaro. Then, along with an expedition of 16 professional pilots, attempted to paraglide off the summit, all in the name of clean water and education for the people of Tanzania, Africa.
It all started with a warm beer. In the summer of 2015, in partnership with Nadus Films, NFL Network and Worldserve International, we were contracted to produce a short promotional documentary and photography for Waterboys, a non-profit foundation lead by Chris Long of the New England Patriots. It was the first time I had traveled outside of the United States. I was completely out of my comfort zone, but completely elated to be apart of such an incredible philanthropic effort.
While stationed in Tanzania for Waterboys, the crew and myself met a man named Adrian McCrae who had been casually enjoying a Kilimanjaro Beer at the Mount Meru Hotel bar. Adrian owned a mining company in northern Australia and did a lot of humanitarian work throughout Tanzania, but his passion was paragliding. We soon came to discover, Adrian led an expedition entitled Wings Of Kilimanjaro, in which a group of brave paragliding pilots trek up Mount Kilimanjaro and sail off the top. He and his expedition are the only group allowed by Tanzanian law to make the jump, as they are one of the leading charitable organizations in Tanzania. Top paragliding pilots from all over the world raise thousands to have this adventure of a lifetime.
Adrian didn’t necessarily lack the content to promote the foundation Wings Of Kilimanjaro. Over the years, he had gained worldwide attention, including a special edition of 60 Minutes and numerous day-time shows, all covering the project. What Adrian did lack was an extensive documentary that covered the expedition from start to finish. That is where myself and Nadus Films saw an opportunity for our “Give A Story” project, in which we provide a grant to a international foundation such as “WOK” making waves in the industry.
One beer led to several more and Adrian offered to fly our crew up and around the summit of Kilimanjaro for a glimpse into the mighty landscape from the air. Only hours before our flight was scheduled to head back overseas we jumped into a 4-seat Cessna plane that was smaller than my compact car. We opened the windows for a clear picture and took off the runway. Immediately, it was freezing. The temperature had dropped some 40° from sea level and wind chill made it all worse. Despite the cold, I was able to maneuver a few shots of the summit through the large open window. The plane stalled as we peaked through the clouds, only to rapidly dive a hundred feet, where the thick air caught the wings. Needless to say, I was relieved upon touchdown.
I had always dreamed of big adventures and climbing the world’s highest peaks. At a young age, I became obsessed with stories of survival, such as Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air” or Joe Simpson’s “Touching The Void.” There always was a calling, something that told me I could do it and would do it. I’m not sure if I loved the sense of danger or just the fact that a mountain was there to be conquered. The thought of Mount Kilimanjaro was overpowering, I had a million thoughts and one question; What if?
With the rapid success of my photography business and a complicated personal life, my health had been on a steady decline. I put everything into work, unfortunately at the cost of my mind and body. Shortly after our project for Chris Long and Waterboys, I began a passionate path of wellness. If, by the slim chance that I do have to climb Kilimanjaro, I would have to be in the best shape of my life, both mentally and physically. I immediately sought the knowledge of my friend Sol Perry, who himself lost 130 pounds, which eventually led him to become the top personal wellness and fitness trainer in Louisville, Kentucky. I remember the day I told Sol about the possible project. His demeanor was serious, but his outlook was positive. We had a lot of work to do.
I had a staggering heart rate of 100 beats per minute, with 50% body fat at 311 pounds. I was up to a 52.5 inch chest and a 48 inch waist with a dangerously high-blood pressure. I could barley do 10 push-ups, couldn’t walk without sucking wind and I could no longer look at myself in the mirror without a punch to my confidence. I remember the day after my first consult, I was consumed with anxiety. I was on the verge of a heart attack and completely ignored the fact. I changed everything.
With a solid blueprint, I dramatically altered my diet and began resistance training nearly every day. I started with a vegan detox program and eventually progressed into a diet appropriately named the “Sol Food Diet” which is a precise version of Paleo. The diet cycles carbohydrates based on energy expenditure, no weighing of foods or counting calories. I stuck with organic meat and a significant amount of vegetables. No fruit, no dairy, all protein. It was not just a diet, it was a lifestyle. Along with my friend Chris Miske, we started a food Instagram feed entitled Primary Plates to keep a pictorial record of every breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also began intermittent 12-24 hour fasting, which supercharged my body and its fat-burning potential. Fasting increased my overall productivity. Another attribute to the blueprint was green detox tea, which became apart of my morning ritual, along with coconut coffee, lemon juice, collagen hydrolysate, ginger root and supplements. From the start, my goal was to never have model abdominal muscles, vascular biceps or perfectly sculpted shoulders, I just wanted to be healthy.
I always considered myself to lean towards “beige” food, mostly carbohydrates. It was tough to give up the bread for broccoli but, I substituted. I found new methods to fulfill my carbohydrate craving with cauliflower or egg. This opened my palate to a entirely new respect for food. Over time, I discovered a love for quality dining with a unique wholesome menu. It was an interesting point in time, not only was I altering my lifestyle, but my career had taken me all over the world. Within the first 6 months of following Sol Perry and his wellness plan, my photography had taken me to Africa, India, Nepal and Cuba. Arguably, it just made the diet easier. While based in these foreign countries, I didn’t have to deal with preservative-packed food or un-whole options. However, making my standard Arbonne protein shake, twice daily, was a incredibly arduous task. My first instinct was to travel with a “Magic Bullet” blender. It was compact, powerful and had the reputation for the trek. I was completely wrong. The first day the blender exploded due to the voltage difference in Africa to the United States. I had learned my lesson, so I brought a heavy duty blender to India, which once again resulted in failure. The outlet cracked and the blender began to seethe smoke, which smelt of burnt rubber. I decided to give up on the international protein shake, but I stuck with the plan. Meat and vegetables, meat and vegetables. 
The first month, I lost 34 pounds. The third month, 65 pounds total.
Once the weight began to shed, I was seeing an enormous improvement in my confidence, career and attitude. There was a balance shift. Relationships began to flourish and I noticed an overall change in the efficiency of not only my work ethic, but also my staff. With the introduction to a morning routine and a balanced schedule, I also noticed an improvement in mental health. I was able to handle more stress and calmly take more risk.
Wings Of Kilimanjaro was distant, but still lingered in the cloud. There had been a few possible projects come into light, such as a collaboration with Mountain Madness for a documentary on the legacy of Scott Fisher. A mountaineer who tragically died in a storm over Mount Everest in 1996, which was beautifully described by Jon Krakauer in the book “Into Thin Air.” Despite many conference calls, the project never gained traction beyond the point of conversation. Around the same time, negotiation and logistics started to come to light for WOK. There was buzz of celebrities joining the expedition such as Mike Tyson and Nicolas Cage, but I remained skeptical.
My training had elevated from simple resistance to martial arts and density training utilizing battle ropes, truck tires and sleds. I began to use and build muscle in places I didn’t know I had. In one year, I had lowered my resting heart rate by 40 beats per minute, shed 85 inches of body fat and lost 100 pounds. I had cast out the old me. I felt modern, contemporary and anew.
Then, only three weeks before Wings Of Kilimanjaro was set to sail, we received a green light. It was an emotion I still have trouble to define. I was thrilled, yet uneasy and on edge. I had prepared for 14 months for this opportunity and the project had remained elusive. I constantly battled and subdued any excitement to prepare my mind for the ultimate let down. But, it was all real and WOK was a tangible project, especially when the flood of paperwork started to come through.
I went into overdrive. I kickstarted my high altitude training with hill sprinting and stepping. I doubled down on supplements such as Magnesium, Beta Glucan, Zinc and D3. I began to formulate a strategy with Sol for staying alert in extremely low oxygen and adjusting to a mountain morning ritual of yoga exercises and Myofascial release.
The human brain with little oxygen alters physical and mental health and triggers a state of hypoxia, which without supplemental oxygen can often lead to Acute Mountain Sickness and death. With that said, it’s important acclimate the body to the extreme altitude, and it’s crucial to trek slowly. The most effective plan is to climb to a high camp then descend back down to a lower camp to rest. We call the method: “Climb High, Sleep Low.”
Among the mountains of paperwork, we also had to consult with the expedition doctor, Dr. Rob Forsyth, who would personally make a recommendation for a healthy trek. He suggested I purchase Diamox and Dexamethasone, both a form of steroid to reduce the chance of altitude sickness and can save your life. While I chose to pack the medication, I opted to not take Diamox unless the circumstances called for it. Instead, I would pump my body full of natural supplementation; Quercetin, Ginger, D3, Curcumin, Zinc, Beta Glucan, DIM, Grapeseed, Magnesium and Pancreatin
I had no mountaineering gear, no proper clothing and outdated health records, but I did have knowledge and relationships on my side. I had a million questions to confirm my research, luckily answers started to trickle in. Questions such as schedule, weather expectations, weight restrictions and paragliding standard practice. 
I immediately blasted all of my sponsors for help. I cold called companies that I didn’t even have a relationship with, which I prefer not to do. And, to my surprise, every partner was thrilled about the project and wanted to be involved. So, I created an extensive list of equipment needed for the job, equipment that could handle high altitude, extreme temperature and could pack down to a low-footprint, under the 50 pound maximum luggage for international flight.
Mount Kilimanjaro stands at 19,341 feet or 5,895 meters. It is the highest highest peak in Africa. The landscape is outer-worldly and through much of my research found that it was hard to describe without seeing it live and in person. I learned that as you trek to the top you pass through 4 different ecosystems. rainforest, mooreland, alpine desert and arctic. The temperature can rapidly change from a beautiful bright 70° Fahrenheit to a freezing -20° Fahrenheit. In general, in the lower elevations, there is a belt of forests and as you proceed up the mountain, there is less and less vegetation. The summit is similar to what you see on the planet Mars, with an extreme low level of oxygen. Our expedition would take us up the Machame Trail, a total of 192 hours on the mountain, from 5,400 feet to 19,341 feet in just under 8 days.
The expedition would be led by Tusker Trail, a renowned adventure consultant company that leads treks up Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro and through Mongolia, Peru and Iceland. Tusker Trail would organize the mountain guides, porters, safety, cuisine, water and lodging. We had an expedition of 25 people, along with nearly 80 porters, also know as “sherpas” in the mountaineering world, who would haul all of the expedition needs, including our personal gear and equipment. As a documentary crew, we hired an additional 4 porters to maximize the amount of gear we could pack. I was personally assigned 2 porters with a 50 pound equipment pack, a 30 pound personal pack and a 10 pound day pack, which would be on my back.
The first priority was not camera equipment, it was mountaineering equipment. We consulted with our friend Blake Maddux of Elemental Climbing for all the appropriate gear. Blake, being an avid mountain man, was a vital asset to the pre-production. I needed layers of clothing and a significant amount of climbing accessories such as trekking poles and a lightweight day pack. A week into pre-production, my front door step looked like Christmas. The boxes began to arrive and I went through all the equipment step-by-step. I had new boots, hiking shoes, liners, socks, light breathable layers, medium layers, down layers, high gaiters, glove liners, down gloves, tactical sensor gloves, athletic underwear, a wool cap, winter hat, mountaineering sunglasses, insulated CamelBak, wool neck sock and a headlamp. And, that was just what I would wear, fortunately I didn’t have to send a single item back to Outdoor Research or REI.
Although, I had my personal gear tied down, I still had questions regarding camera logistics; how would we charge batteries and accessories at 19,341 feet? It’s a question that lingered for awhile. Our first plan of action was to simply take fully-charged batteries for each day on the mountain. The cold and altitude play a massive role in the depletion of battery life, so we considered the life of a battery to start at 50%. We then went through timing and discovered legitimately how many batteries we would need. It was dozens and seemed laughable, our weight limit would be easily surpassed in just batteries. Our next plan was to research portable solar-powered battery stations from Anker or Goal Zero, which seemed like a plausible idea, but with the weather being unpredictable, we couldn’t expect a hard sun every day. So, we landed on the idea of gas generator that was under 50 pounds, a generator we would buy in Arusha, Tanzania and leave in Arusha. Fortunately, Tusker Trail consulted us through the entire process and agreed it was the only true option for a guaranteed source of power at high altitude.
Through the trial and error of previous adventures, we knew we needed our standard international still camera kit. We kept it simple and cut the fat. Two camera bodies, two lenses, a strobe kit, one modifier, one reflector, one monopod and a boat load of accessories. The video side looked much different. It was a lot, but all the equipment was essential for the production level required. With a crew of 4, we had 10 cases and 4 backpacks, including personal gear. The ThinkTankPhoto Airport Accelerator Backpack, at full capacity, came in at 49.9 pounds. This would be my carry-on.
Amidst the logistical preparation, each member of the crew setup a crowdfunding website to raise money before we attempted to set sail on the summit. I set a goal of raising $2,000 Dollars before we even landed in Africa. Every Dollar passed to WorldServe International and directly into the education of Maasai children and the advancement of clean water in remote villages. Within just a few hours of making the announcement to my community, the donations started to flood through, it was humbling to see the support.
It all came down to the wire. Just 24 hours before our departure, equipment was still arriving at our door step and questions were still being answered. It was controlled chaos but, we had a process, schedule and plan which we strictly adhered to, I felt rested, organized and confident.
On September 16, 2016, our plane took off from Louisville, Kentucky to Newark, New Jersey to Amsterdam, Netherlands to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to Arusha, Tanzania, which sat a mild hour from the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. Naturally, some hours later we found ourselves running through the Amsterdam airport to catch our next flight. It’s not easy with a 50 pound backpack crushing your shoulders. Unfortunately, our dash to the gate was too little, too late and we missed our flight from Amsterdam to Arusha. But, we weren’t to upset about a fun 24 hours in Amsterdam. Once we checked into our hotel the airline had setup, we grabbed some breakfast and hit downtown Amsterdam. But, jet lag instantly set in we all crashed in the backseat of the taxi. But, a beer did the trick and we were back in the action. We wandered the streets, explored the “coffee shops” and had a quick patio cocktail overlooking the quint city canals. With the next leg of our flight plan looming over our head, following an awesome Amsterdam dinner, we hit the hotel and caught some rest.
Some 18 hours later, we arrived safely to the Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania, but not without a few speed bumps. We had a extremely close call with security, who almost questioned our DJI Inspire Drone, as it’s illegal on Kilimanjaro, but with some distraction techniques, made it through with all our cases and bags in tow. Just for future reference, always budget for petty cash when traveling to third world countries.
Unfortunately, our layover had altered our schedule and after a night of rest, we ventured into a remote Maasai village, where Wings Of Kilimanjaro had funded the construction of two classrooms, where over 400 Maasai children can be given a solid education in the middle of the bush. It’s hard to describe the cultural impact of something so small to us, yet so much to a community such as this. You are greeted like a celebrity and hundreds of people flock to celebrate. Within moments, we were crowded by a sea of children, dressed in their maroon uniforms and surround by their parents in traditional Maasai garb. In these scenarios, my camera acts like a shield, seeking a moment in time with a rapid pace. Capturing the photograph of children who perhaps have never seen a camera is by far the most rewarding aspect of my job. We stayed for hours, all through a class, ceremony and village dinner. It all ended with each of the crew being wrapped with a Shúkà, which is a sheets traditionally worn wrapped around the body. These are typically checkered red and black, though sometimes orange or blue. It was a beautiful way to share a new experience with our team of 25 and bless the long journey ahead. I would come to know all of these people, very well.
Gabriel Jebb is a legendary paragliding pilot and safety expert. You could find him causally chatting about his hundreds of paragliding tests, where he would voluntarily create an mock-accident in order to pull his reserve parachute, all for experimental safety testing. Gabriel was in charge of safety and arguably had one of the most important jobs in the entire expedition. It was his responsibility to get all paragliding pilots and tandem passengers off Kilimanjaro safe and sound.
I had done a lot of research into Mount Kilimanjaro, I knew the stories of failure, but mostly stories of success. There was no story of paragliding from the summit, Uhuru Peak. I could only lean on Adrian and all the pilots in the expedition. The sheer challenge of it all didn’t truly become real until our meeting a day before we were set to leave Arusha for Machame Gate. Gabriel went through the strategy on sailing off the summit. Step by step and risk after risk, the danger of it all slowly began to sink in and a bath of anxiety washed over my body. I had to quietly take a deep breath and close my eyes to accept the knowledge. Each passenger would be strapped to the front of one pilot, whom Gabriel would choose the rest day before the launch. Of course, people preferred some over others and there was gossip of me strapping to Danielle Cole, a beautiful experienced pilot from Hawaii, all due to our weight differences. But, the gossip also scared me. Could a 5’2” 120 pound woman launch a 6’1” 210 pound man? I had no idea.
The evening before the bus arrival was chaotic and equipment was everywhere. Fortunately, the perfected pack job paid off and the preparation beforehand saved me from significant stress. All of our equipment had to be stored in waterproof yellow totes, which made it easy for the porters to carry up the mountain. Every bag was assigned a number, which would coordinate with your tent at each camp. I was assigned lucky number nine.
The bus to Kilimanjaro was somber and sobering. You could find most of the expedition blankly staring out the window in deep thought, others quietly conversed, but there was an overall sense of calm, a calm before the storm. We had a brief layover in Moshi, where they had plotted for the landing zone post-summit. It was an old University soccer field with rusty goal posts and over grown grass. The large brick University buildings planted a remote section of Moshi were the perfect visual marker for all the pilots on descent.
After a few hours, we finally arrived to the Machame Gate, where I first witnessed the impressive numbers of people it requires for an expedition such as this, Wings Of Kilimanjaro contained nearly 150 strong. Mount Kilimanjaro being a National Park, required all those in the park to check in at each camp. The process of the check in was often long and the information we had to provide was unsubstantial, such as your profession and passport number.
We then proceeded to receive a quick health test, one person at a time. This test was comprised of a few personal yes or no questions and others on a scale of 1-10. They also checked our resting heart rate and oxygen level. This test would be administered twice a day to every member of the expedition. After a dull box lunch, which I opted not to eat, we lunged through the gate with anticipation and set foot onto the Machame Trail on September 21, 2016 at 1:00pm.
DAY ONE - MACHAME GATE TO MACHAME CAMP - 9,400 FEET
Within 5 minutes of setting foot on the trail at the base of Kilimanjaro, the atmosphere and energy was infectious. You couldn’t help but stare at the vast beauty of the rainforest. Long vines, ancient trees and colorful plant life that was split to a small path for those brave enough to traverse. We hit the trail late in the afternoon and wanted to guarantee ample time to setup on our first camp, so we hustled and walked at a fast pace. Although, many of the porters politely requested we slow down in Swahili, we ignored the warnings and blazed the trail, everyone was experiencing an amplified level of adrenaline. 
Fully rigged, my Canon 5D Mark III added an additional 9 pounds to my shoulders. Unfortunately, I misjudged the system for holding my camera and used a BlackRapid Backpack strap, which would normally work wonders with a large backpack with an external frame, but not with a small 14 liter pack. With every move the strap dug into my left shoulder which dramatically caused discomfort and pain. It also threw off my balance to the point, in which I had to over compensate with my right leg to lock in a pace. Additionally, I decided to not use my Black Diamond Trekking Poles the first day.
With the ultra fast pace and strap malfunction, I began to seriously sweat. My fleece felt like a wet blanket and a plume of steam could be seeing coming off my body with the clash of cold air. I stripped down to my base layer and latched the wet fleece on my day pack. We continued to navigate the dirt trail through steep slopes, often encountering crude steps in the trail.
The landscape was easy to navigate, but it the trail seemed to never stop. I took a deep a breath of relief upon overhearing a passing porter mention the fact that Machame Camp was close. Just a under an hour later, we stumbled into the first camp, close to sunset. The first day was one of the longest in my opinion, mostly due to the fast pace, wardrobe malfunction and the misjudgment of the proper camera strap. With wet clothing, a banged up shoulder and sore legs, I already felt like crisp toast and it raised a lot of fear.
After a moment to stretch and re-compose, we checked in and found the Tusker Trail camp. Shockingly, many of the porters had already arrived to setup camp. I ventured to tent number 9 and got organized. I placed my wet fleece and wet wool cap on the top of my tent, praying it would dry. I changed from my heavy Solomon Mountain boots to my water-resistant Keen Hiking shoes. It’s truly amazing what a dry clothing can do for your morale.
As the sun set, the cold lurked into the camp and I grabbed my down jacket and dry-cotton beanie. Hot coffee seemed like an attractive idea at the time, so I enjoyed a couple of cups, breaking the rule of caffeine at night. Soon enough, an incredible dinner followed. Tusker Trail wasn’t kidding when they claim they have some of the best cuisine on Kilimanjaro. Our first meal on the mountain was grilled Tilapia, with rice and hot vegetable soup.
Long before the trip, Sol and I decided it would be best to intake as many calories as possible, including a significant amount of carbohydrates. Mount Kilimanjaro isn’t a place to diet. The human body has to work harder in high altitude, so naturally it will burn more calories then at sea-level, so I would not only would be burning calories just by being on the mountain, I would be burning calories by hiking the majority of every day. Good nutrition and extreme water intake was extremely important to success.
The camp consisted of nearly 30 Eureka 4-season K2XT alpine tents, with two massive community dining tents, which looked like a hub NASA would have on the moon. The rest of the camp was built out with porter tents, cooking tents and 4 toilet tents, which resembled a mobile Porter-Potty. While most of the 25 people in our expedition had a tent to themselves, some shared tents. Miraculously, we noticed 4 or more porters shared the same exact tent. When I first witnessed these brave warriors stacked on top of each other, I gained an instant respect and admiration for these men. It was catalyst for a small idea; a portrait series.
Even if food was not on the table, I noticed that most people spent their time in the community tent, sipping on tea or coffee. It was a place of warmth and conversation. A place we could get to know each of our fellow climbers.
After dinner, the camp became very quiet and very dark. I decided to settle into my tent for the first sleep on the Kilimanjaro. I have never cared for sleeping bags, I feel claustrophobic and unable to comfortably stretch out, so I was worried about getting good sleep, but I decided the first night to suck it up and deal with it. I laid awake for the majority of the night, tossing and turning. I asked myself if it was the caffeine or the fact that I just couldn’t find any position remotely comfortable encased in a bag. Perhaps it was the size and softness of my pillow, which was actually my down jacket stuffed into a square 8x8” sleeve. My body was exhausted and my mind was tired, I have never had sleep issues, ever.
I had to urinate, but decided to hold it for as long as possible. Fortunately, I packed a wide mouth, 32oz Nalgene bottle, so I could comfortably take a leak without having to leave the warmth of my tent. The relief of emptying my bladder was enough to settle my mind. I ripped open the zipper on the sleeping bag laid directly onto the cold dirty sleeping pad and used the bag as a cover. I stretched out my legs and fell into a couple of hours of much needed semi-comfortable rest.
DAY TWO - MACHAME CAMP TO SHIRA CAMP - 12,500 FEET
It was a hard sunrise wake up call. But, I was one of the first out of the tent and on my feet. Hot water was brewing and coffee and green tea was all I needed to get my body in motion. We were to start the next hike at 8:00am.
I certainly learned a lesson the first day on Kilimanjaro, especially when I woke up to find my fleece jacket on top of my tent frozen and still wet from the day before. So, I spent the morning re-organizing my day pack, adjusting to the proper base layer and outer layer and transitioned to the BlackRapid Curve Breathe. The sling-style strap features a soft breathable cushion to offset the camera weight, so I didn’t have the backpack strap racking my left shoulder.
After breakfast and our heath test, I snapped a few images of the gorgeous view of the summit. It was hard to believe that we would be on the top of it in just a few days. It seemed so small and so far away as the clouds rolled over the snow capped mountain. It inspired me to take a moment of calm and proceed with my mobility drill to stretch the muscles. I covered myself with Sawyer SPF50 waterproof sunscreen and hit the trail as others lined up. I felt amazing and ready to tackle the next leg. It was important for me to always be ahead of the guide. I wanted every photograph on the trail to have a unique vantage point and visual. Therefore I had to work twice as hard transitioning back and forth from the back of the group all the way to the front of the group, several times throughout each hour. Fortunately, I was never questioned or never stopped. As a member of the “film crew” I had a pass to do whatever I wanted within common sense. I would never question that decision until the last day on the mountain.
The trail from Machame Camp to Shira Camp was extremely elevated and considered one of the hardest, longest days. We had moved from rainforest to mooreland, and the vegetation had evolved from a lush green, dense forest to a gaunt, craggy mountainside. As the landscape opened up, it introduced incredible views of the cloud covered rainforest, I couldn’t help but capture a painterly panorama with every step. On the way up the ascending jagged trail, the clouds hit our bodies like a wet, cold gust of wind. But, the slow moving clouds also provided a sense of tranquility that inspired each step.
Nearly halfway through the trail, we noticed a large rock boulder that jet out from a ridge. It seemed like a popular place to take a breather. We decided it would be the perfect place to give our drone a spin. After setup, which seemed like an eternity, we had to problem solve a few issues, such as magnetic interference and battery levels. So, we moved to alternate location a few feet down the trail and we lifted off. Within moments of the drone being in flight, I noticed massive cloud approaching our landing zone. Coury Deeb, our director and drone pilot, quickly shifted position to the left side of the ridge and after a few quick shots of the trail, brought the drone to its home point. Unfortunately, the trail was to elevated to land the drone, so Reid Olson, our second camera, had to grab the drone from mid-air. Coury slowly lowered the drone, but failed to put the landing gear down, Reid grabbed the cross bars of the drone in turn severing the tips of his thumbs. The blood began to flow and the expedition doctor, Rob, went to work. He wrapped Reid’s thumb with massive field bandages, enough to get Reid through the day, until the next camp. Unfortunately, due to the altitude the wound would not heal until the descent. It was the first emergency on the trek, but it would not be the last.
I settled into a my own pace and took each step one and a time. This is where I learned that I failed to download music, with exception of one album; RY X - Dawn. Nevertheless, the soothing sound of the Australian singer songwriter was exactly the background noise I needed. The album stayed on shuffle, over and over again. I started to listen to the lyrics, and it simply spoke to my struggles. I would occasionally find myself pausing just to consume the surrounding and soaking in the reality of the situation, which timed perfectly to the music in my ears.
I arrived, alone, shortly before sunset into Shira Camp and was immediately taken aback by the view. The perfectly organized camp set right in the middle of a large plateau that overlooked the cloud-covered rainforest and directly behind that beautiful picture is the towering peak of Kilimanjaro which was a inspiring, yet frightening reminder of the days to follow.
We spent the sunset gathering content and mingling with our fellow climbers. I soon came to befriend a pilot out of Santa Barbara, Cormac O’Brien, who just like us, was a walking billboard for all of his sponsorships. Cormac was also a hobbyist photographer who carried a Sony A7RII and had a love for slow-shutter landscapes. Cormac would often brave the frozen temperatures for night photography and I was always impressed. Although a pilot, Cormac became my second eye and a true asset.
I don’t remember dinner that evening, but I remember it being interesting. Most of the expedition consisted of Australian pilots, but also pilots from Canada, United Kingdom, Portugal, Belgium, South Africa, Algeria and Norway. Often the conversation led to the United States and its state of government, especially with Donald Trump as the potential President elect (at the time). I reminded silent until the conversation went another direction.
The wind was very cold that evening. Unlike Cormac, I decided not to brave the cold for a star trail photograph. I hit the tent early and knew exactly what I needed to do to get rest. I threw on one base layer and one thin sock liner and laid directly on the sleeping pad while using the sleeping bag as a open cover. I never slept better.
DAY THREE - SHIRA CAMP TO MOIR HUT CAMP- 13,660 FEET
We all awoke to a beautiful sunrise at Shira Camp. Sadly, a few under a complete haze of altitude sickness. But, for the first time, we felt like a team. We all began to open up and a bond developed on the trail. We all formed a line at the base of the trail and step-by-step slowly followed the Tusker Trail guide in front. This is the point where the altitude really started to set in for everyone and time seemed to blur and many drifted into autopilot.
Our team charged their electronic devices using battery packs powered by a solar panel station. To charge the battery pack they attached the solar panel to the backside of their day pack. The sun was hard and bounced off all the solar panels with a burst of blinding light. The trail took us up steep inclines and barren terrain, but it was an easy and fun day. The short hike to Moir Hut Camp would last no longer then 2-3 hours, so I stuck to close to my friend Cormac. We took it slow and often broke to capture content.
The last hour of the trail descended into a steep valley which resembled a rough desert more than a mountain and on either side of the valley was a steep ridge. I set a impromptu personal challenge to trek off the trail and climb to the top of the ridge for a better panoramic view of the valley. It was a hard solo climb to the top, but once I reach the even ground on top of the ridge, the sight was worth it. I could softly hear our expedition cheer in encouragement, as I could be seen as a small black speck far off in the distance on top of the massive ridge. It was a beautiful moment of success, personally. I was last into the Moir Hut Camp and walked right into a production meeting.
The short trail provided a lot of time, so we spent the majority of the afternoon executing time lapses and drone flights. As sun began to settle, all the porters and guides gathered for a dance and song session. It was an amazing scene to see such a close-knit group of people celebrate as they would in their own culture. I couldn’t help but point and fire my camera in every direction.
Once the sun pushed below the valley, I asked Tusker Trail guide Baraka Ayo to step in as my assistant and hold the strobe. I didn’t have enough time to get my standard monopod-strobe setup together, so I quickly pushed open a 41” Medium Shallow Umbrella with a Medium Diffusion baffle and threaded the shaft through the Profoto B2 head and asked Baraka to hold the modifier by the shaft.
We gathered Adrian and his mother Julie, for a quick portrait session on the cliff side of the camp. But, light dissipated at such an astonishing rate and I had to drag my shutter a third of a stop, every third frame just to bring in any ambiance, in order to balance out the artificial light. Within 10 minutes, we had lost all of our light and flicked on our headlamps to returned to camp for a hot dinner.
After another incredible mountain dining experience sans red wine, we closed the evening with a cold night photography session, capturing slow-shutter star trails and time lapses. We even decided to leave a camera out overnight on the bluff.
DAY FOUR - MOIR HUT CAMP TO BARRANCO CAMP - 12,950 FEET
Moir Hut Camp was stationed somewhat off the beaten path, which laid closer to the Shira route rather then the Machame route. But, with our bodies adjusting to the altitude Tusker Trail decided it would be beneficial to stay one night at a higher altitude and then descend back down to Barranco Valley at a lower altitude before making any big jumps toward the high camp: Kosovo. Luckily, the time lapse lasted through the frozen night only with a layer of frost on the lens, body and Benro Hi-Hat support system. We scored an incredible time lapse, which was completely worth the risk. 
Similar to the previous couple of days, I organized first thing, double checked the charge all batteries, double checked the backup, replaced memory cards, brushed teeth, ate a hearty breakfast and filled up my 32oz Nalgene bottle and my 100oz insulated CamelBak with cold water, before heading off to the next trail.
The first leg of the day was by far the hardest of the day, the extremely steep incline was tough on body and required a lot of energy. But I knew I couldn’t stop, I pushed through the pain and worked my way up the elevated rock face. I soon came to rely a lot on my upper body than lower body. The trekking poles not only provided balance but, with every step it was vital to lean into the pole and use my chest and arms to lift the weight off my thighs, knees and feet. Once I found a proper stride, I never altered that dynamic.
The dry rock soon opened up to a desolate alpine desert on our way up to Lava Tower at 15,190 feet. The open brown vistas with the towering blue mountain-scape provided the most beautiful scenery, I have ever seen. Speckled on the trail the distance were dozens of porters with the bright yellow waterproof bags on their head. With every few steps, I grabbed the rubber grip of my camera and fired the shutter. The environment was so vast, I had trouble focusing through the small viewfinder on my camera, I wanted to see it all in the frame. As we hiked along the gradual incline of the lava flows, the bleak landscape seemed to stretch on forever. With each rise we would pass, there would be another on the other side. We continued the pace.
Our arrival to Lava Tower was met with intense wind and cold. I put on nearly every layer in my day pack and switched to my Outdoor Research Frostline Hat, which covered my ears and face with a built in balaclava mask. Much of team started to feel the effects of the altitude, shattered with headaches and nausea. We all shivered at the thought of moving forward, but our nerves calmed when we learned the rest of the day was mostly downhill.
It took sometime for Tusker Trail to setup the dining tent for lunch, so we took the time to capture the beauty of the area as well as some long lens static shots of the expedition. While a small few, decided to ascend to the Arrow Glacier at 17,390 feet for acclimatization, the documentary crew decided to stay and lounge in the community tent. The small group returned after a couple of hours and we packed and prepared for the second leg of the trek, which was all downhill into the Barranco Valley at 12,950 feet. The further we descended the further I felt like I was walking into another planet. The slope in the Barranco Valley was made up of a slippery scree, so my trekking poles were a vital asset to take the stress off my knees. The lower we hiked the more unique vegetation that came into the picture. Massive alpine plants known as the Giant Groundsel lined the trail and varied in size. After a quick drone flight to capture the beauty aerially, I moved forward alone. With RY X chanting to my soul, I passed through a layer of cloud cover that gushed over the camp down in the valley, similar to cold and clear tsunami. The moment was indescribable.
The further I walked into the valley the less vision I had. Deep in the clouds, I could barley see my hands in front of me, but I followed the trail at my feet until I reached the camp at the base of the Barranco Wall. I arrived to much of our team dormant in their tents from exhaustion. I felt relieved, but knew my evening had only begun.
The Barranco Camp was known as one of the most spectacular scenes on the entire Machame Trail. I didn’t know what to expect further, so I took the word of veteran mountaineer Jeffery Brown, a man who had conquered many mountains and attempted Mount Everest as seen in the documentary film “Sherpa.” I had to capture portraits of not only our central characters, but also ourselves. With the Kibo Peak towering in the background and the sun starting to slowly descend I gathered pilot Chris Hunlow from the United States and passenger Alison Armstrong from Australia, who would be our focus in the documentary. The sun created a gorgeous pink highlight on the tip of Kilimanjaro which provided perfect contrast off the each subject. I quickly blasted through a series of poses and quickly moved onto our crew. I asked my friend and guide Baraka to hold the Benro MMA38C Monopod which supported a Profoto B2 head and Profoto umbrella, while I photographed Reid, Coury and Justin. Our session was so brief, I decided to have Baraka jump in to a shot. During the session, I learned that Baraka had summited over 250 times and leads a new expedition every few weeks. As a guide for Tusker Trail, he is able to abundantly support his wife and children who live in Moshi at the base of Kilimanjaro. 
Baraka soon turned out to be the first in a list of over 20 porters I photographed while on Mount Kilimanjaro. I gained an instant admiration, when I first saw that small group of porters cramped together in a single person tent at Machame Camp. I felt a special respect and had so much appreciation for their hard work. I photographed a total of six porters at Barranco Camp before we completely lost our ambient sunlight. We admired the night view for a hour after dinner before collapsing in our tent. I would need the rest.
DAY FIVE - BARRANCO CAMP TO KARANGA CAMP - 13,200 FEET
The morning was cold, but the sun began to expose the camp like a warm wash over the intimidating Kibo Peak. My morning ritual was no different then any other day, I simply added an additional layer and doubled checked my pack to make sure I had all the proper equipment for the treacherous climb ahead.
The Barranco Wall is a vertical ascent of nearly 900 feet. While you don’t need any ropes or technical skills to climb the Barranco Wall, you do need all hands and feet on deck. It can be daunting, but with proper health and pace, it is completely achievable to the most inexperienced climber.
As we slowly moved up the wall, we immediately noticed a major issue. There is only one route up the wall and if an inexperienced climber was leading the pack, it put a dramatic hold on the rest of the line up the wall. Unfortunately, this was the case at the bottom of the wall. The queue would move in shifts, we would move for about 2 minutes, then wait for 5 minutes. After the third pause, I decided to make a small shortcut and traverse the more dangerous and technical portion of the wall to get ahead of the pack. Fortunately, doing so placed me beyond the bottleneck, where I was able to freely climb to the top of the wall, where we paused for a quick aerial shot with the drone.
The rest of the day was a blur. I settled into my pace through the alpine desert which seemed to never end. Step after step, I analyzed the scene and waited for a moment to pause and turnaround to photograph the expedition to my back. The moments of pause became few and far between. We traversed hill after hill, until I saw Dolf Derkinderen, a pilot from Beligum, moving down the trail the opposite way, he had already been to Karanga, touched the ground and worked his way back and forth as a personal challenge. In passing Dolf mentioned we were just under a hour from Karanga camp, which gave me the last bit of energy I needed to tackle the last section of trail.
The last hour to Karanga proved to be one of the most difficult for me on the entire ascent to Uhuru Peak. Just before the camp, the landscape dove into a deep valley washed away by themelting glaciers above. It was step trail which was held together by the roots of alpine vegetation and broken scree. Once at the bottom, we rested before making our way all the way back up the valley to Karanga. I gasped for air and prayed after every move. Every step felt like a roaring fire burning my leg muscles and every pebble I encountered felt like a boulder. This was the moment I had to dig deep and let my mind be consumed by RY X. We started to notice climbers of other expeditions failing to reach the plateau of Karanga. Bodies were being hauled on the back of porters, who were frantically attempted to descend to save the life of the person on their back.
I refused to be one of those people. I began to control my breathing, using my diaphragm and focused on each step. Soon enough, I was at the top and felt a bath of alleviation. While others didn’t seem to struggle as much on that valley wall, I believe it was a combination of factors that led to the exhaustion, mostly water depletion.
Karanga Camp sat on a 50 degree slope, which overlooked the mountain-scape covered with pillowcases of clouds and gave us a full view of Mawenzi Peak. The camp appeared weathered and abused, but gave us the needed sanction for the summit bid in two days. Immediately, talk of cell phone signal brushed through the camp and you could see everyone scramble to their phone and gracefully pace around for signal. Before I even threw down my pack, I raced over to a high-ridge on the south end of the camp and the beautiful words “Vodocom 3G” suddenly appeared. It was an extremely erratic signal, but notifications started to pour in after five days in the dark. I had enough signal to send my family and assistant a text. The small connection to home was all I needed to push forward.
The moments before sunset on Karanga was spent photographing another six porters, who loved every moment. It was special to see the smile on their face when I showed them the LCD on the back of my camera. Some laughed and had fun, while others took it very seriously. I didn’t care, I wanted each of their personalities to shine through each photograph.
I didn’t sleep much that night. The incline of Karanga caused some nausea, and the only way to avoid a gradual slide to the bottom of my tent was a smooth boulder conveniently embedded into the ground behind my tent on the downslope. As luck would have it, I was able brace my feet against the boulder for more support which calmed the nausea.
DAY SIX - KARANGA CAMP - KOSOVO CAMP - 15,750 FEET
Sunrise at Karanga was absolutely beautiful. The light burst through cloud cover which caused strong diffused rays that highlighted the frosted rock face above us. Despite the beauty, the altitude started to play a role in the overall health of the camp. I woke out of a cold slumber with a headache and hazed mind. The entire expedition started to move slower and I heard tents unzip much later than normal. Nevertheless, we all knew our role, we had to get up the mountian.
Just like the last week, we rucked up, sucked up and took off towards Kosovo Camp, where we would spend a total of 40 hours to acclimate, double check equipment and prepare for lift off. The trail from Karanga to Kosovo really opened my eyes to the real threat of extreme altitude. We often stopped dead in the trail to witness a fallen climber being rushed down the trail to oxygen. Unfortunately, a few of our team began to struggle significantly, especially Julie McRae, Adrian’s adventurous mother who was attempting to summit at age of 66.
The pace was slow and the Tusker Trail was adamant about keeping a strong queue. For obvious safety purposes, they strictly frowned upon any member of the expedition moving ahead on the trail, except for our documentary crew. Therefore, I worked hard and gained ground with quickness to get the right shot, angle and composition.
The cloud cover became more and more intense and shielded our field of vision, but also brought along a mysterious serenity. I had never felt closer to a higher power, then on that climb to Kosovo.
Eventually, the trail turned to an aggressive uphill battle as we gracefully stumbled into Barafu Camp like zombies. Most every expedition stayed overnight at Barafu before making the summit bid. We opted to stay at the halfway point between Barafu and Uhuru; Kosovo. The camp is unknown and unmarked, but right below the first step towards Uhuru Peak. Fortunately, the trek from Barafu to Kosovo was short, only a hour or so. On the way up, we were met with smooth vertical rock faces, which required either extreme foot balance or all four hands and feet.
We celebrated, as the entire expedition, including Julie, made into the safety of Kosovo Camp. Immediately, I noticed that the summit appeared to be extremely close, but it was just an illusion, as we were another seven hour trek away. Nevertheless, I promptly went to work on not only capturing proper content needed for sponsors but also a self-portrait and the conclusion to my porter portrait series.
At 15,750 feet the view was breathtaking. As the sun began to lower, a purple cast began to feature Mawenzi Peak which jet out of a blanket of white cloud cover, like a sharp knife. I struggled to get every photograph I wanted shot. Soon enough, I found myself pulling the shutter to 1/10 just to expose any ambient light. It was ambitious, but I am no doubt very proud of what I captured in such little time.
With the dark, came dinner and this was the evening Gabriel finally revealed the game plan for the paragliding summit launch; the order of launch and every tandem passenger to pilot. We all anxiously waited. The first to launch would be veteran climber Jefferey Brown. I would be paired with Howie Tarpey, a pilot from the United Kingdom. I took a deep breath and gave a giant hug to Howie, who was no doubt one the kindest, most humble members of the expedition. I was honored to trust my life with Howie. But, Howie had also struggled through the entire climb and was hammered with altitude sickness. It left an uneasy feeling in my stomach, but I had to trust proper safety procedures would be taken. And, Howie was certainly no amateur. This was by far the most prestigious, legendary paragliding group in the world, celebrities in their own industry. I had to trust that.
Adrian, Jeff, Dolf and our Director of Photography, Justin Gustavision, opted to climb to the summit that evening to prepare and rake the launch site, as Justin would not be attempting to paraglide. It was a hard decision to make, but we also needed a member of the crew at the landing zone to capture all the pilots sailing into the University soccer field.
I stayed up later then normal with Coury that evening and admired the stars, while Cormac and Faisal Khan, a pilot from Algeria, braced the cold for night photography. I eventually wandered to my tent to prepare for the cold sleep. Around 1:00 a.m., I heard Adrian, Jeff, Dolf and Justin head off Uhurhu Peak.
DAY SEVEN - REST - KOSOVO CAMP - 15,750 FEET
I don’t remember much from our 10 hour rest day at Kosovo Camp. But, I do remember Adrian, Dolf, Justin and Jeff stumbling down into camp from their summit trek, exhausted and near collapse. Upon arrival Dolf became immediately ill and vomited. His body was trashed from the strain and had touched the limit. All four proceeded to their tents.
We didn’t see Justin and Jeff until later in the afternoon. Adrian and Dolf didn’t show until dinner. We all questioned Jeff and Justin about the trek we were shocked to hear the story of their journey. 
“It’s a fucking death march.” Jeff repeatedly claimed. 
This was not the experience we wanted to hear, especially from a veteran climber. This type of news was not taken lightly. Suddenly, we had strong odds against our team even making it to the top and I felt afraid. Jeff also stated that it was pure suffering, comparable to Mount Everest and bitterly cold, unlike any previous venture he had had to the top. He provided a few tips on what to wear and how to prepare for the extreme conditions
“Wear every layer you packed!” Jeff tipped.
With a deep breath, we soaked in the story and all the pilots started to double check their glider, harness, reserve chute and equipment. We walked about a hour up the cliffside to a soft launch zone to practice take off and procedure. While most pilots were hesitance to break out their wings on the sharp rock surface, a few braved the risk and launched their glider. It was impressive to see the colorful paper-thin kite expand into the air and only heightened the level of stress for the morning to come.
We learned that in high altitude there are two steps to get off the ground. First, both the pilot and passenger have to sprint as fast as possible down the incline of the launch zone in order to catapult the glider off the ground. Secondly, as luck would have it, a strong wind cycle has to push and lift the glider into the air as the pilot and passenger continue to run. If the wind is not strong enough, the passenger would likely crash face first into the rock. It would be awkward and extremely tough on the body. I was nervous, but held my composure and further shielded that anxiety with my camera.
After the cold hard “death march” that Justin Gustavision had pushed through, he began his long descent back down the mountain to Moshi, where we would film the incoming pilots upon landing.
Our goal was to launch from Stella Point, roughly a hour below the summit. Stella Point was known for its clear zone and strong winds, which is what we needed for lift off. But we had to hit Stella Point at sunrise before any deep cloud cover moved in, therefore we had to leave Kosovo Camp at approximately 11:00 p.m. to provide an ample seven hours of climbing time to hit a 6:00 a.m. summit. Roughly, 8:00 a.m. launch.
Dinner was relatively solemn, as it was our last meal on the mountain and weather was a concern. I crashed into my tent shortly after dinner to get at least a few hours of sleep before what would become the longest day of my life.
DAY EIGHT - KOSOVO CAMP TO UHURU PEAK - 19,341 FEET
The clock moved slowly. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t breathe and and my body was wired. The hours seemed to passed like days and minutes felt like hours. Shortly before 8:00 p.m., I went into a short slumber that lasted only what felt like a second. I woke in shock to my phone alarm blaring, but buried underneath my small pillow. As is opened my eyes, I could only see warm air from my lungs fill the tent in a haze. The cold was something I had never felt, even inclosed in my tent. I shivered as I started throwing on every layer I owned, which included one pair of Performance SAXX Underwear, Smartwool Sock Liners, two pairs of Smartwool Heavy Wool Socks, two pairs of SmartWool Midweight Long Underwear Bottoms, two Midweight Long-Sleeve Crew Tops, Outdoor Research Radiant Hybrid Fleece Tights, Radiant Hybrid Fleece Hoodie, Furio Waterproof Pants, Transcendent Down Jacket, Furio Waterproof Alpine Jacket, Catalyzer Liners with Sensor Gloves, Down Riot Gloves, Wool Buff Balaclava, and a Frostline Cap. Then I applied two dozen hand warmers and feet warmers all over my socks, hands and completely around my CamelBak tube and Nalgene Bottle.
I strapped up my Salomon X Ultra Winter CS Waterproof Winter Boots and covered them with a pair of Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Gaiters. Then packed extra batteries, memory cards, hand warmers and any additional accessory I could conjure in case of emergency. I felt like an overweight version of the “Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man” but felt prepared for the battle of a lifetime.
I was one of the first to appear in the community tent. It was approximately 10:00 p.m. Hot water has just been delivered to the tent, so I poured a cup of coffee and green tea. I sat and waited. Then, I waited longer. Eventually, each climber began to trickle in the door, but it was approaching our scheduled departure time of 11:00 p.m. It seemed like we waited for over a hour further until we all finally made it slowly into the community tent for a quick impromptu breakfast.
With only the cylindrical light from your headlamp, we eyeballed our dirty boots pounding the ground. One by one we hurried to the trail and lined up in a military style formation for the final headcount. We were missing one pilot, Dolf. Gabriel immediately began to shout at the top of his lungs throughout camp to shock or wake Dolf. He continued for several minutes, until Dolf eventually scurried to the lineup near the front. He appeared frazzled and not prepared for another journey to the summit. Elias Massawe of Tusker Trail, was the leader of the expedition and would be the first to set foot on the trail. I quietly plugged in my headphones and went into my own headspace. One step at a time, one breath at a time, we were on our way.
I had to get into a slow solid pace. So, with every breath, I sucked in as much air into my stomach and lungs as possible and exploded air through my mouth like I had practiced so many times before. I placed one foot nearly two inches in front of the other and locked in my knees to catapult my body forward into my upper body, where I depended on my trekking poles to follow through. With every step, I became more locked into the motion and the higher we got, the more I had to focus. Nearly a hour into the climb, my hands became completely numb and the altitude hit me like a fright train.
When oxygen is depleted from your brain, it feels similar to be extremely intoxicated. Your speech begins to slur and your body begins to lose its motor functions, such as walking straight. You aren’t necessarily aware that there is a problem and you feel completely out of mind and body. Halfway, I began to strongly hallucinate and see shadows that weren’t there and traces of colored light the burned into my vision. Occasionally, I would have to pause, tap my head with my pole, just to re-focus and continue on the path. The trail was silent, but the struggle of each individual was deafening. Right behind Elias, followed Julie our oldest and weakest, I was positioned directly behind Julie. Eventually, the altitude strengthened its grip and it had become extremely dangerous for Julie to be on the mountain. She began to sway back and forth like a lose sail in the wind, often I would have to reach for he backpack to save her from falling off the mountain side. The entire team rooted for Julie and pushed her to carry on, but Julie was in serious trouble and needed to descend back down to Moshi, it took nearly 24 hours and four porters to do so.
I often turned to make sure my crew was still on the mountain. All I could see were distant headlights bobbing in the foreground and a painting of stars in the background. As the music continued to play, I took one step after another for what seemed like an eternity. I sharpened sight on my feet, my breath and the hard trail. I didn’t look at my watch or endlessly count in my head, I too fixated on the summit. I had to do it, there was no other choice.
After a brutal six hours, I briefly looked up and the headlights beyond the trail began to disappear over the ridge. We had reached Stella Point. At first, I didn’t know how to react, a dozen emotions punched into my thought process at one instant. But, then Elias signaled that I hike in front of the line for a good viewpoint of the expedition reaching the milestone. My instincts snapped into action and I practically ran the last 40 feet and turned around to capture whatever image I could in the pitch black environment. I cranked my ISO to 4000 and dragged my shutter to 1/20 to pull in any light from the rising sun. I shot frantically at six frames a second, despite not having much feeling in my right hand. I didn’t know where to focus or even how to focus in the dark, I just shot.
We were met with a quiet song from the porters that gave us a bit of hope that the end was near. We were now just a hour away from Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Our time at Stella Point was short-lived, as it was approximately -20° Fahrenheit, we had to keep moving. The documentary crew, including myself was allowed to have a head start in order capture the entire team make the summit. We jet off with our own guide and porters to the final point in our journey.
The trek to the summit was hard, but the sun began to rise which made the air dramatically warmer with every minute. Despite the warmth, the air became more thin. In dramatic phases, I found myself struggling to breath, as if I had a plastic bag over my mouth. I would pause, center my range of view and take in as much as possible. I repeated these steps until I felt coherent enough to walk. I was hypoxic and stumbled around the crater with only one mission in mind; to touch the top and fly off this rock.
As we approached the last 100 feet, the emotion rang heavy throughout the entire crew. I began running through my head the content needed and the right process we would need to follow to capture a summit portrait of Adrian. I ran ahead of the crew and turned 180° to capture an incoming shot with the hard sun at their backs, I flipped around and suddenly found myself at the sign. I had made it to Uhuru Peak; the “Roof Of Africa.”
The next hour was one of celebration, but confusion and chaos. After sometime, the remainder of the expedition found themselves at Uhuru Peak, each individually seizing the opportunity to take a picture of themselves on the summit. I took full advantage of the time and setup for a quick portrait session of Adrian. The session lasted under one minute, before I heard a call out for the entire WOK team; a group photograph. We gathered in front of the sign and gave our best winning face.
Within seconds of the shutter snap, a plan was in place for the paragliding launch. Gabriel made an abrupt and pressed decision to launch directly off Uhuru Peak rather then trekking another hour back down to Stella Point. The decision was based on weather, wind and time. Immediately, all pilots raced to the far end of the summit and began unpacking and preparing their wings, while each went through serious health test and inhaled a few minutes of oxygen. If they failed the test, they would not be allowed to fly. 
As I placed my legs through the passenger harness, I thought to myself; I could die. This is the moment where the risk became very real. With a simple breath, I shook the nervous and welcomed the anxiety. I concentrated on the task at hand and made sure to capture the right content, prepare every GoPro and secure every piece of equipment.
Contrary to the scheduled order, Chris Hunlow and our director, Coury Deeb were the first to prepare and the first to launch. I could see Chris watch the windsail like a hawk. With the first whisk of air Chris and Coury dug their feet into the scree and sprinted down the face of Uhuru at lighting speed. The aircraft shot into the air and slowly followed Chris and Coury until the sail jerked the pair off the ground which pushed Coury into a horizontal dive across the rock. With the crash, the glider deflated like an exhausted motor.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But, it was discouraging to see the first attempt fail, but inspiring for other pilots do make it happen. I believe Jeff was the first solo pilot to launch. Jeff ran for what seemed like a mile, to the point of his glider dipping below the surface of the summit rock. Then suddenly his glider exploded straight up into the air and everyone celebrated the successful launch.
Thereafter, it was a free-for-all, which had our safety expert Gabriel violently pacing and shouting jargon over the radio. I had discussed with Howie beforehand our method for launch and we patiently waited for right time. It was a race to the bottom, tandem pilots were making attempts which mostly failed, while at the same time, some of the solo pilots were making attempts which failed. The wind was mild, which was not what the pilots needed for lift off, so they had to depend on their bodies to get them off the mountain. If they weren’t up to the task of sprinting down the 100 feet track, they would crash and burn. Unfortunately, Dolf was one of those pilots.
With every failure came success and as soon as one pilot would fail, another would fly over and around the glacier which flowed parallel to the summit ridge. I stayed positive as I saw many successful flights. Around that time, Howie stood up and prepared for launch, it was go time. I could feel my heart pounding through my chest. I was terrified, but willing to make a move. As I felt a breeze graze my face, I dug my right foot into the rock scree. Howie tapped me on the shoulder and I bolted forward, keeping my eye on the path in front of me. It felt like I was being pulled backward with extreme force as Howie’s massive glider lifted over our heads. As I sprinted down the face of Uhuru, the glider would lift my feet off the ground, then plant back down in the middle of a stride. Then again and again, until my legs could not synchronize with the speed of the glider and my body heaved horizontally. I instantly pitched my hands forward to soften the landing into the rock. My face went into the rock sediment, split open my down jacket and shredded the top of my right knee. I lifted my gloves out of the scree and the rubber fingertips of my Sensor Gloves had been completely torn open. We both laid in the sun for a moment, sucking in air as much as possible. Our bodies were devastated. 
Almost immediately, our team of porters raced down to the bottom of the summit launch to provide supplemental oxygen to both Howie and I, but it didn’t help. I stood up with dignity and began the long walk back up to the top of the zone. This walk was not easy, as the incline was steep and the rock rubble didn’t provide a solid foundation. Nevertheless, once I arrived at the top, I was ready to give it another shot. An ominous cloud had begun to sneak toward our direction, which sent many pilots into overdrive.
My second attempt with Howie was close, we lifted off the ground over and over again, but just didn’t have the wind to get into the air. I thought it was over. I didn’t even want to make another attempt, I couldn’t, my body couldn’t. A ten-ton headache hit me like a brick, as I slowly made it back up to the launch zone, once again.
I was bummed, but it didn’t take away from the fact I had just achieved something great. Like myself, Reid Olson, who had just failed two attempts with pilot Rudi Van Der Walt, decided to descend on foot. I, being the wishful thinker, had to think before making the call. Reid gathered his gear and headed back down to Stella Point. I swallowed all self-pride and began to do the same, that is until I noticed my friend Cormac setup on an alternate zone south of the summit and take off successfully. I was proud of him and his passenger Alison, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was completely jealous. I looked to Rudi Van Der Walt, who represented South Africa, and he looked at me. We both knew we had a chance. We shifted over to the southend of Uhuru Peak and setup to launch. The ominous cloud was drifting fast and we didn’t have much time, within 10 minutes, Rudi and I launched. I rushed down Uhuru as fast as possible, but our glider never caught wind. Shortly after, we attempted again and made it halfway down the summit with a small lift, but ended up in the rock rubble, once again. I called it, Gabriel called it. It was over.
Along with Howie and Rudi, I made a total of four solid attempts to paraglide off Mount Kilimanjaro. Some made as much as eight attempts, unsuccessfully. However, 10 of the 16 pilots did make it off, in turn setting several world records for paragliding at high altitude. I was proud of our expedition, others were not.
Once the weather covered the summit in cloud, we began the walk back down to Stella Point, where an executive decision would be made. We had two choices; stay one more night and make another attempt to launch the following morning or descend immediately. If we stayed another night, we would camp in Crater Camp, the coldest, highest camp on Kilimanjaro. It has history of being unpredictable and uninhabitable. If we were to descend it would be a long 10 hour hike to the bottom. It was an easy decision for the pilots who had worked so hard and lived for this dream. Six pilots and two passengers would be staying at Crater Camp overnight to make another attempt at sunrise.
With a crushing headache, I opted to inhale oxygen for a few moments to process my next move. I went back and forth in my mind. I was without the rest of my crew, all alone. I was thrashed with a injured knee and felt sick. But, I could still fly. I sat close to Gabriel for a moment and asked about the incoming weather. I could tell he was crushed, but suggested I descend. In that moment, I made the decision to stay, despite the advice of Gabe. But, remained silent. 
Throughout my career I often follow my instinct and make an educated decision based upon fact. I’m not sure what compelled me to change my mind in an instant, but in my hypoxic state, I believe I made an educated call based on fact; I was in agony.
“Elias, I need to descend.”
Elias looked up with a surprised expression, but after a quick up and down, didn’t hesitate to grab his radio and organize the descent. He provided specific instructions on the process of the descent as I prepared my pack for the long journey down the mountain. I shed as much weight as possible and left everything with exception of a base layer of clothing and my camera. I would follow Tusker Trail guide Stanford Maleku down to Barafu Camp to meet Reid, then I would follow Reid and his guide down to Moshi.
Except, I truly didn’t realize I would be up for the hardest day of my entire life.
Reid had a two hour head start, so we had to gain ground as quick as possible so Reid and his guide would not have to wait at Barafu Camp too long. Stanford in a calm demeanor prepared his pack and we were off down the trail. We would trek down back through Kosovo Camp, through Barafu Camp then take a direct porter supply route which was used by climbers only in emergencies, straight into Moshi. The trek usually required a solid 12 hours, but we had to make it back before dark. It was nearly 11:00 a.m.
The first leg of the trail was a slope of soft rock rubble, with the help of our trekking poles we practically lunged down, similar to cross-country skiing. We pitched left then right which created a massive dust storm behind us. Within the hour, I was suffering. Despite wearing high gaiters, rock had collected in the bottom of my boots and Stanford was well in front. I did everything in my power just to keep up with his lighting pace, but my knee was in significant pain and unfortunately, any downhill descent greatly depends on the strength of your knees. I offset the pain by placing most of my weight on my left leg rather then right, but it didn’t ease the discomfort like I had hoped. I swallowed the pain and pushed forward.
We broke for rest briefly at Kosovo Camp and Stanford noticed I was in serious pain. He suggested I shed all of the weight with exception of my clothing. He took my camera and day pack and stuffed it into his pack. He offered me a light snack, which I gladly accepted. I was already extremely grateful to have Stanford at my side. After a few minutes rest, Stanford asked me to go ahead on the trail to Barafu Camp. He would eventually catch up.
I didn’t see Stanford until I sluggishly arrived at Barafu, where he found me practically limping down the trail. I expected to see Reid and his guide patiently waiting, but they were no where in sight. We made it down to the checkpoint, where Stanford filled out some paperwork and questioned the park rangers for a moment. After a short rest, Stanford requested I follow him. In my hypoxic state, I asked Stanford about Reid more than once, and time after time he stated “Your friend will meet you at bottom.” That was that, I was all alone with Stanford for the remainder of the descent. 
The second leg of the decline was straight down the porter supply route. To make significant headway, this was the section where we practically ran down a level decline, which was easier on my knee, but harder on my energy. I began to sweat profusely and hallucinate. I felt my mind drift and my body slip into a numb state of locomotion. Standford began to multiply into three as if my eyesight was altered. But with every sharp prick of pain, I was instantly brought back into reality. 
We often passed porters racing up and down the trail carrying food and water for other expeditions. I felt selfish for holding up the pace at every bottleneck, but I couldn’t physically push harder. I was at my limit and for the first time in my life I was truly scared of not making it home. I remember planting on a rock for break after break as Stanford eagerly waited for me to gain composure and push forward.
Nearly four hours into the brutal descent I began to see green vegetation for the first time. We had reached the rainforest. It gave me hope, but began a long trail of nothing but natural steps. I asked Stanford a rough estimate of our time, in which he responded “three hours”.
With the timeline, I began to mentally charge myself and incite as much fire as possible. My headache has slowly dissipated with the rise in oxygen, but my energy level began to significantly sink, especially with the never-ending steps that this portion of the trail introduced. With every step, pain shot straight from my knee and sweat pelted the trail like rain. I just kept going.
We trekked through villages and passed dozens of porters going up the supply route. Eventually, it began to downpour. So, we took shelter at a nearby camp to refill our water and reorganize. Everything was soaked with sweat and both feet had begun to blister and ache. I changed into a dry shirt, dry pair of wool socks and packed away my wool hat. I crammed down a granola bar Stanford has provided and threw over my Furio Waterproof Jacket. As we made progress down steep wet trail, the rain began to lighten and the temperature began to rise. We we’re almost there, I could feel it. We occasionally passed a house or gate, which triggered an emotional reaction of excitement only to often be let down. After each rise in hill, I hoped we would see the end at the bottom. The trail never stopped. The steps never stopped.
Stanford was just an animal. He not only physically carried me through a few of the dangerous routes, he inspired me to walk faster, ignore the pain and dig deep. I learned quite a bit about him and his family on the trail and we shared stories of our lifetime. I’ll never forget what he did for me on that descent. I can only hope to have the opportunity to reunite. This is the only photograph of Stanford I have.
When we finally reached the Mweka Gate, I couldn’t believe it was real. I nearly cried, but didn’t have any tears to give. I was mentally on the edge and physically beyond my limit. On the gravel road below, there was an ambulance waiting for my arrival, which Stanford had called in. After a quick Q&A with the medic, we raced down a gravel road to finally reunite with Reid, who had walked the last mile backward to relieve pressure of his battered knees and shattered toenail. With the guidance of Stanford, the descent required us only six and a half hours, compared to the average 12 hour descent and I didn’t take one single photograph. My right knee had been significantly bruised and cut, but nothing severe. I signed out at the checkpoint and we began the long drive back to Mount Meru Hotel.
The arrival at Mount Meru was met with celebration, a pizza and a lot of wine. But I’ll never forget the shower. After eight days in the bush, I was able to wash away the sweat and discomfort, but the emotional power of Mount Kilimanjaro never left. A soft warm bed was just the icing on the cake.
I was allowed to stay at the hotel the next morning while the others anxiously awaited the possible paragliding arrival of the six pilots at the Moshi landing zone. But the news traveled fast, I had chosen wisely. A morning storm hit Crater Camp and left the remaining six pilots with zero chance of a launch, they were to descend on foot.
Despite having a clean head of hair, my body was wrecked. I limped around like an elderly person and could barley sit without the assistance of my upper body. I immediately began to back up files and import all imagery into Capture One. It was then I noticed a problem, none of the summit day images could be found on the card I used. I frantically double checked all my hard drive with zero luck. I began to download every SD recovery software program on the market. 
What happened? Was it the altitude? Was it the cold?
After a distraught 18 hours, I had all but given up. I would wait until I returned to the United States to send the card off to a data recovery center. As a last resort, I went back through every single memory card. I stumbled upon all the summit images on the backend of a full memory card. I was shocked. I came to the conclusion that in my hypoxic state, I switched a completely empty memory card with a full memory card and to this day have no recollection of doing so. It scared me to think of the possibilities of human error at high altitude and the risk we took.
Eventually, the remainder of expedition stumbled into the hotel to the entire crew cheering, in attempt to lift the spirits of the pilots that did not launch. All looked haggard, morose and unappeased to see us greet them at the entrance. I knew their pain and chose not to celebrate or photograph the scene as a respect.
Nevertheless, after long shower and a fresh change of clothes, the whole expedition, including Tusker Trail, gathered at the bar for a special night. We celebrated with fine bourbon, beer and 20 pizzas until sunrise. It was the much needed morale boost.
The morning after presented a new challenge, I started to become ill. Our Director of Photography, Justin Gustavision had bailed the night before due to his uneasy stomach and never left the toilet. I was afraid that I had caught the same bug. I doubled up on my immunity supplements and pounded lemon water. I was able to keep everything at bay, enough to travel with the expedition to the final adventure for Wings Of Kilimanjaro.
In two small buses, we traveled nearly three hours outside of Arusha, on unmarked dirt roads and rugged paths to a Maasai village in Longido, Tanzania where WOK had officially funded the completion of running water well. This water well would serve thousands of people and save hundreds of lives. We arrived to a massive celebration. All the Maasai people were fitted in their best garments and jewelry. The Maasai men shouted and jumped like a basketball team warming up. The women collectively chanted that carried through the village. The stomach pains moved in waves, but the camera and environment provided a easy distraction to take my mind away from the sickness.
I frantically shuffled from one position to another to lock in a good composition. Despite, having photographed hundreds of Maasai, every new village demands a new process. The celebration moved fast, but provided a harmonious tempo I could sink into. After an initial introduction to the WOK expedition, we followed the Maasai about a mile across several villages, to the dry water bed, which these people relied on for water. The ground was cracked, like an earthquake has shattered the pond. Water was no where to be found, unless the Maasai dug several feet underneath the bone-dry surface. We all gathered to hear a few short words from Adrian and the Maasai Elder and headed back to the main village to reveal the water well.
As the purple ribbon was cut, dozens of children flooded the water well, reaching for every drop. Some filled massive yellow containers, while others bathed under the cold tap. I’ve been blessed to see a lot of cultural impact in person, but there is nothing in the world that compares to witnessing an event such as this. For many, this was the first time they have ever seen or felt clean running water.
I wildly snapped the shutter and danced around the water well for the best shot. The moment moved with electricity and energy, there wasn’t a single member of our crew without a giant smile on their face. Within minutes, the WOK crew was embraced with a traditional Maasi Shúkà as an honor for our adventure and donation. The beautiful moment was short lived, as Coury, Justin and I had to catch our outgoing flight to the United States in just four hours from this point. We had to say our goodbyes.
The ride back to Mount Meru Hotel was bittersweet. I was thrilled to be returning to the United States, but also pensive; the adventure I had worked so hard for was over. I had spent the last year climbing a mountain of personal growth to climb a physical mountain.
After a brutal 48 hours of travel, I returned back to my comfortable home of Louisville, Kentucky. I still had a stomach sickness, I had lost a total 17 pounds and was mentally in a distant space. It required weeks to transition, heal and measure my thoughts. Although, I loved being with friends after nearly four weeks in Africa, it was difficult to changeover into my normal state of reality after such a dramatic event. Nevertheless, It became second nature to merge my story into a brief report that was easily digestible to my peers who had followed my journey. But it was never the real narrative, which this exposition affirms.
Although Wings of Kilimanjaro pulled off an amazing feat and set a Guinness World Record, I believe our greatest accomplishment was not sailing off a volcano at 19,341 feet. Our triumph was raising nearly a half-million dollars for the progress of education and clean water in Tanzania.
We all strive to be happy, to live out our dreams. But an excuse is the the first step to failure and a method to diminish our fear. Progress is mobilized from change, and change isn’t created from comfortable happiness, it’s shaped from a struggle; a relationship, a photograph or a intimidating mountain. There are a lot of mountains out there, whether it be a physical mountain or a mountain of mental. I have no doubt, I will continue to climb.
Throughout the the year, I found myself at various points of exposure and adversity. I exhausted a lot of money, time and energy towards change. But, Kilimanjaro had set a beacon, sparked a fire and cleared a black cloud. It was a gift, that solidified my wellness journey and provided a new sense of strength. I guess you could say it saved my life.
“The mountains are calling, and I must go.” - John Muir
Thank you to Sol Perry for your accountability and navigation through a sea of misinformation.
Thank you to Nadus Films, my brothers in arms; Coury, Justin and Reid.
Thank you to the WOK team for their patience and trust; Adrian, Cormac, Dolf, Chris, Gabe, Julie, Danielle, Jeff, Faisal, Mark, Alison, Kristy, Naomi, Gavin, Daniel, Damien, Raechel, Matt, Carlos, Justin, Rudi, Howie and Rob.
Thank you to Tusker Trail for their guidance and leadership; Eddie, Julian, Elias, Stanford, Baraka, Frances, Happyfrais and the dozens of incredible porters.
Thank you to our partners for their durable product and support; Red Bull, Elemental Climbing, Rab USA, Outdoor Research, SAXX Underwear, Think Tank Photo, BlackRapid, Profoto, Zacuto, Atomos, Benro and Light & Motion.
2 notes · View notes
mumbaicoworking · 6 years
Text
Gyms in Andheri West: Best Body Training & Fitness Studios
Going to the gym should be as routine as brushing or taking a shower every morning, but most of us need more motivation to work out or do any physical activity daily. In a city like Mumbai, where people are stuck in a routine to Eat-Sleep-Work-Repeat, the only time they have left is spent travelling (or stuck in traffic) from destination A to B. Now we all know a healthy and balanced lifestyle should consist of Reading, Running, Eating and Sleeping. But how many of us are suffering the pain of discipline? Not many. We are to live in this body from birth until death, so keeping our mind and body active is most important to maintain a healthy & happy lifestyle. I’m writing this blog so you can READ about gyms in Andheri West you can RUN to or at after you’ve decided to change from lazy living to bawse living.
Fitness freak or lack of it? Either way, if you’re looking for some of the best gyms in Andheri West, we have handpicked a list of top 10 gym and fitness studios that deserve your time and money.
1.
Multifit
One of the top rated and popular gyms in Andheri west, Multifit has 12 fitness centers across Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Gurgaon, only to grow further in and around these areas. Multifit started in 2015 and is growing as fast as those muscles in their gyms. Services Offered: HIIT, Endurance Training, MMA, Kickboxing, Functional & Strength Training, Calisthenics, Yoga, Dance Based Therapies/Routine Timings: Monday – Friday: 06:00 AM to 01:00 AM Saturday: 06:00 AM to 09:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM to 05:00 PM Rating: 4.6/5 Address: 2nd Floor, Sharyans Audeus, Fun Republic Road, Above Hard Rock Cafe, Andheri West, 400053
2.
Alpha 7 Seas
They are operational in Lokhandwala but the quality of training and equipment is something that their members vouch for always. Their website concentrates on how serious they are about your fitness. Also, known as one of the best CrossFit boxing studios & gym in Andheri West, one you must try once. Services Offered: Cross-Functional Training, Strength & Conditioning, Olympic Lifting, Barbell Club, Gymnastics, Track and Field, Aerobic Conditioning, Functional Bodybuilding, Mobility WOD, Personal Training, Crossfit Timings – Monday – Friday : 06:00 AM to 11:30 PM Saturday : 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday : 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM Rating: 4.7/5 Address: Shop No. 1, C Wing, Platinum Heights, Mhada Layout, Near SV Patel Nagar, Lokhandwala, 400047
Also read:
20 Healthy Food places in Mumbai That Will Help You To Lose Weight
3.
Gold’s Gym
They first introduced their chain of fitness studios in California, from there to now – they have over 120 branches only in India since their inception in 2003. Known as one of India’s leading gyms, members of Gold’s Gym are allowed asses in all branches. This gym in Andheri west is a popular choice for actors and artists around. Services Offered: Gym, Spinning, Kick Boxing, Power Yoga, Zumba Timings – Monday – Saturday : 06:00 AM to 10:30 PM Sunday : 09:00 AM to 08:00 PM Rating: 4.2/5 Address: Om Heera Panna Shopping Mall, Oshiwara, Besides Vizcom Solutions, Lokhandwala, 400053
4. Fitness First
Another international fitness center brand from UK, spreading their branches in Mumbai, Delhi & Gurgaon. They are new but is one of the better gyms in Andheri west with lots of space for different activities and work out equipment in every corner. They also offer 1 day free trial for newbies who are interested to try their space before taking a full-time membership.
Services Offered: Gym Workout, Les Mills RPM, Body Pump, S.P.A.R.T.A, Body Combat, Yoga, Zumba, Bollywood Dance, Dance Mix, Body Balance, Spinning, Circuit Training, Muay Thai, Functional Training, Capoeira, MMA & Taichi, TRX Timings – Monday – Friday: 06:30 AM to 11:30 PM Saturday:  07:00 AM to 09:00 PM Sunday : 11:00 AM to 07:00 PM Rating: 4/5 Address: Mega Mall, S1 & S2, 2nd Floor, Malad Link Road Oshiwara, Andheri (W) Mumbai, Maharashtra 400102
Looking for a place to work at night?
5. Waves Gym
This gym is one of the landmark gyms in Andheri West for most, offering an overall wellness center. With economical packages for students, corporate members and those working for Airlines. Still not sure? Take a one-day free trial and see for yourself.
Services Offered: Personal Training, Steam, And Sauna, Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga, Combine Training, TRX Training, Group X Training, Strength Training Equipment, Stretching Area, Cycling Studio, Nutritional Support, Aerial Yoga, Salsa, Bollywood, Zumba Classes, Kick Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Tai Chi Timings – Monday – Sunday: 06:00 AM to 12:00 AM Rating: 4.7/5 Address: 5th Floor, Morya Estate, Off New Link Rd, Opp. Infiniti Mall, Veera Desai Industrial Estate, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053
6. 48 Fitness
They are all about bringing fun back into fitness. This gym in Andheri West uses light and music to create a visual environment that captivates those training there to keep going for more. They have much advanced equipment and machines that help with smooth exercising.
Services Offered: Spinning, Personal Training, Group Training, Indoor Juice Bar, Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, Combine Training, TRX Training, Group X Training, Les Mills, Gymnastic Routines, Olympic Lifting, Cardio Equipment, Strength Training Equipment, Stretching Area, Cycling Studio, Nutritional Support, Bollywood, Zumba Classes, Cross Training, Calisthenics, Trampoline Workout, Kettlebell Training, Live DJ, Bar, Kick Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Taekwondo Timings – Monday – Saturday: 06:00 AM to 12:00 AM Sunday: 08:00 AM to 10:00 AM Rating: 4/5 Address: 3rd Floor, Crystal Point Mall, Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053
Get Your Business Registered in Mumbai For just Rs. 1,500 per month
7. Talwalkars FLC
Talwalkars gym in Andheri west is the oldest so far, started first in Mumbai in 1932. They have moved to 85 cities all over India since then. Talwalkars is an overall health & fitness brand offering gym, nutrition, health counseling and weight loss programs.
Services Offered: Personal Training, Steam And Sauna, Combine Training, Cardio Equipment, Strength Training Equipment, Stretching Area, Music And Video Entertainment, Nutritional Support, Cross Training, Free Wifi Timings – Monday – Saturday: 06:00 AM to 11:00 PM Sunday: Closed Rating: 4.6/5 Address: Sangam CHS, Above SBI Bank, Juhu Versova Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053
8. Anytime Fitness
This gym in Andheri West has been ranked number 1 franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine a few years ago. They have a fun and supportive environment for work-out and training sessions. They are open and running all 365 days of the year, offering fitness anytime.
Services Offered: 24 Hour Facility, Personal Training, Cardio Equipment, Strength Training Equipment, Stretching Area, Music And Video Entertainment Timings – Open 24 hours Rating: 4.2/5 Address: 4th Floor, 404, Land Mark Building, Opp. Infiniti Mall, New Link Road, K L Walawalkar Marg, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053
Want an affordable office space in Mumbai?
9. Bodyholics Combine Training Gym
They are one of the established gyms in Andheri West, well known for their physical training. They believe in the idea of training with like-minded fitness conscious people who can motivate each other. Their training programs are customer friendly.
Services Offered: Personal Training, Juice Bar, Power Yoga, Combine Training, TRX Training, Group X Training, Strength Training Equipment, Stretching Area, Music And Video Entertainment, Nutritional Support, Cross Training, Calisthenics, Kickboxing, Mixed Martial Arts Timings – Monday – Saturday: 07:00 AM to 11:30 PM Sunday: 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM Rating: 4.6/5 Address: 106 Morya Classic, Opp Infinity Mall, off Oshiwara, Link Rd, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053
10. ProSports Fitness
ProSports Fitness is founded by the famous Indian cricketer, Zaheer Khan. Offering state-of-the-art infrastructure with the world-class training and the finest equipments. They promise to offer international quality service in fitness, physiotherapy and injury management.
Services Offered: Personal Training, Group Training, Steam And Sauna, Combine Training, TRX Training, Group X Training, Gymnastic Routines, Tyres & Ropes, Olympic Lifting, Cardio Equipment, Strength Training Equipment, Stretching Area, Music And Video Entertainment, Nutritional Support, Cross Training, Calisthenics, Trampoline Workout, Kettlebell Training Timings – Monday – Saturday: 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday: Closed Rating: 4.9/5 Address: 1301, Morya Bluemoon, Near Monginis Factory, New Link Road, Andheri (W), Next To Monginis Factory, Mumbai, 400053
So here you have the top 10 gyms in Andheri west for your all-round fitness. Now, what are you waiting for? Get your gear on and bring out the best beast in you! Feeling motivated yet? I hope you are! Until next time, keep sweating :’D
0 notes
milenasanchezmk · 7 years
Text
Rapid Fire Questions and Answers: Getting Wild
Last month, you asked a ton of great questions in the comment section of my post on reclaiming your wildness and being less civilized, covering everything from rock climbing to role playing games, grappling to kung fu, walking meditation to grounding. For today’s post, I’m answering as many of them as I can.
Let’s get right to the questions.
Anthony Munkholm asked:
How about some tips for indoor rock climbing. Really been getting into this lately as great cross-training. Went outside in Colorado last summer and I’m hooked.
How do I increase finger strength? What about how being outside on a rock brings you so present?
I’m no expert in climbing, but from what I’ve gathered from friends who are, the best way for relative beginners to improve finger strength for climbing is to climb. Climbing places a specific type of stress on the fingers that is hard to replicate without actually climbing.
You can make it more systematic, of course, by moving back and forth between holds.
The same concepts that apply to training in general apply here as well. Don’t overdo it. Don’t train to failure every time. Stop short of the point where your grip totally fails.
On the rock, death or serious injury are serious possibilities. You slip, you fall. Even if there’s a pad underneath or a rope hitched to your waist, the lizard brain within perceives the situation to be dangerous. It forces the flow state. Riding the wave of the present and staying in the flow becomes a lot easier when death is on the line.
Chad Clark asked:
From your experience with grappling drills, how would you adopt martial arts into Primal aligned fitness endeavors? Also, what is keeping you from becoming more involved in the martial arts you listed? Or Dungeons and Dragons, for that matter?
I’d treat it like a high-intensity interval or sprint day. Grappling is seriously exhausting—and I wasn’t even going very hard at all!
I’m not sure. I may look into it a bit more. There’s certainly no shortage of training facilities these days. Keep you posted.
Ha! I was a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi earlier in life (Tolkien, Dick, Dune, etc), but never did dip my beak into D&D. These days, I frankly don’t have the time to get into something as involved and time-consuming as pen and paper role playing games.
Georgina wrote:
Excellent ideas. How about an article on “walking meditation in nature.” This is a formal practice with a blueprint to follow. this can be done solo or holding the hand of another. It connects us with the earth. It cultivates joy and gratitude. It places us in the present moment. Peace from n.c.
I love walking meditations. It’s the closest thing to an actual meditation I can sit (or walk) through. Beginners should probably start with Tara Brach, a Buddhist teacher who publishes guided meditations and lectures on her fantastic podcast and is a proponent of walking meditation (PDF). She suggests walking along a short predetermined path of 20-30 paces somewhere quiet and familiar. This creates boundaries and reduces distractions. Once you’re more confident in your ability to maintain focus, you can go on unstructured, longer walks through unfamiliar surroundings. The important thing is to pay attention to the shifting weight of your body as you walk, the feel of your footfalls, and the sensation of gliding through the air. As with sitting meditation, allow thoughts and other distractions to come and go; acknowledge but do not dwell on or judge them.
I find it much easier and more effective than sitting meditation.
There’s even a study which showed that a walking Buddhist meditation practice reduced depression, improved fitness and vascular function, and lowered stress hormones in depressed elderly patients to a greater extent than the same amount of walking without the meditating.
Alan requested:
Good article. I would like to see you write more in the future about finding balance between living less civilized and still within society. For example, whether love or hated the reboot of Point Break, there is a line in there that Bohdi says that really resonated with me. He said “We live on the grid, just on our own terms.” I would like to see you write about how that applies to the primal lifestyle. Thank you! Alan
Oh boy, this could turn into an entire post. I’ll keep it short and perhaps revisit it later.
As I allude to in the original post, for civilization to flourish and progress, we need both wildness and dependability. Creativity and diligence. In fact, each person must embody both energies.
First, figure out what you’re doing here on the planet. What are you trying to accomplish? Who or what are you responsible for? What gives you meaning? What’s best for you, your loved ones, your friends, your community?
Keep those in mind. Aim toward them. Then, indulge your wildness, but make sure it serves your ultimate goals of doing good, meaningful things, taking care of yourself and those around you, and improving your corner of the world.
Shake off the silly parts of civilization, like “taking the safe path” or “doing what you’re told,” and start thinking bigger, crazier.
bamboosmith asked a clear-cut one:
I live out in the country and do a lot of hanging from trees type pull ups. i’m older and wondered about going back and learning karate. i studied the martial arts in my 30’s for a few years and miss it. i feel like i may be too old 30 years later. any thoughts?
Just one: You’re not too old. Go, now.
I totally love this. I have 6 year old (wild) twins and it seems that this is what they do all the time. All I need to do is join them:) I also like to break out in dance or song spontaneously, and then the kids join me:)
Yes, follow them and do what they do. Funny story: A buddy of mine, Angelo Delacruz (master bodyworker, personal trainer, miracle worker, ninja, and PrimalCon star), was hosting a friend and his two young children at the gym one day. After noticing how much varied movement the kids did just inadvertently by being kids, he and a couple other trainers decided to follow them for ten minutes and do whatever they did.
After ten minutes, they were warm and loose and ready to train. Every joint had been articulated through every possible angle. It was the perfect warmup. For many, it’d be the perfect workout.
Sue Moore said:
Great article! New goal for 2018 is to take the road less travelled and be more spontaneous.
How’s that going for you? Don’t wait!
Megan said:
I work with elementary aged children with behavioral issues. Your post, especially the parts about embracing your inner weirdo, really spoke to me today. I’m going to take my students outside this week (or around the building if it’s still 15 degrees out here in Chicagoland) and look for ways that we can empower creativity and diversity of action inside the educational setting.
Beautiful. I know that standing desks have been shown to reduce behavioral issues and improve focus in elementary school students, so you may get good results! But there’s so much more to be found outside the desk space.
Ethan asked:
I’d like to see posts on how we normal, full-time workers, with kids, and all of that chaos, can find time to create, or play, or get involved.
What are the practical ways to do this?
The things you’re going to create, the ways you’ll play, the things you’ll want to involve yourself in are personal. You have to decide what appeals to you. However, there are a few ways you can increase the opportunities you have to create/play/involve yourself.
Figure out how much time you’re wasting on things that aren’t increasing your happiness, furthering your goals, or allowing you to express your wildness. Get a rough number—hours per day—and work on eliminating those wasteful practices. This will free up hours for you to do cool stuff.
If you haven’t started planning the week’s meals ahead of time, do that. Knowing what you’re going to make and having the ingredients ready to go (or even prepared ahead of time) saves a lot of time, reduces meal-time stress, and makes dinner a more harmonious, enjoyable. When you’re not stressed out from rushing to get dinner ready and on the table, you’ll have more mental energy to have a real conversation with your family, to discuss the day, to make plans for the weekend. That’s creation—positive energy where none existed before.
Don’t waste time on devices or social media. Don’t abstain entirely. Just don’t be one of the statistics who uses their phone for 4 hours a day just to avoid being alone in your own head.
Get to bed early and wake up early. Waking up before everyone else is magical in a quiet, simple way. It also gives you a nice chunk of free time to pursue any creative endeavors—working on a new side business, writing, reading (which I consider to be a kind of creation), exercising.
Gus Frey asked:
I have always wanted to learn a martial art, and was happy to read your lifelong desire and recent dive into it. Why do you recommend a grappling style as opposed to something like Kung Fu or something less about grappling? Thank you
As a kid, I loved roughhousing. This consisted mainly of wrestling, throwing, rolling around, pretty low skill-level stuff. It was intense and personal and hyperreal. It was also safer than throwing punches at each other. Fewer bruised egos, damaged friendships that way.
As an adult, grappling still seems safer to me than striking, though I know it’s all in how you train.
Brad wondered:
I’m interested in your take on grounding.
I wrote about it several years back. Check out the post.
Ive said it before on these pages, but I hunt.
It takes you off tracks, because that is where the game is. There is a pattern dictated by terrain, weather and vegetation – wild stuff – and there is a randomness, because you are pursuing something that you cannot know perfectly. Instead of following that trail that others have walked, you go where the situation dictates… even if no other human has set foot there for centuries, if ever!
There is sitting around a fire with your “tribe”. People who are there for the same purpose that you are, with whom you have a memory of shared experiences….. and who have shown time after time that they will put themselves through hardship to help you.
There is rolling out of the swag before dawn in lousy winter weather, knowing that the domesticated people couldn’t face that…..
Beautifully said, Peter. It hit me hard. That’s all.
Dugan said:
Honestly, based on the thoughts Mark laid out here, LARPing is firing on all cylinders. It takes creative thought to make a character, roleplay, and come up with armor and weapons. Then, depending on how serious you get, you can study and train in real martial arts in order to better your in-game play. You interact with a group of people equally zealous as you are. It takes time and organization to be efficient in crafting your needed items. And, depending on what LARP you do (anything from high fantasy to zombie apocalypse is out there) you can definitely interact with the environment in atypical ways. Heck, I’ve played a straight barbarian before, about as primitive as you can get. It’s great exercise and you can do it barefoot (in most cases.)
For all the jokes, LARPing really does sound like a good time and a perfect summation of the spirit of the post. If you ever watch those videos that people like to laugh at, you can’t help but notice the participants are ALL IN. Great comment.
Jason said:
Create vs Consume. While I may not have the right plan in place for create, I have had a large frustration with the amount of consume. I have been working towards consuming less (TV, phone data…useless stuff). A good way to get my butt in gear more often.
Yes, the ratio doesn’t have to be 1:1 or anything like that. The world wouldn’t work if everyone created more than they consumed. The trend is what to watch, and what to focus on changing. Do a little more creation and a little less consumption. Get it in where you can. Small steps.
That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading and asking. Be sure to follow up down below with any further questions you might have.
Take care!
Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.
0 notes
watsonrodriquezie · 7 years
Text
Rapid Fire Questions and Answers: Getting Wild
Last month, you asked a ton of great questions in the comment section of my post on reclaiming your wildness and being less civilized, covering everything from rock climbing to role playing games, grappling to kung fu, walking meditation to grounding. For today’s post, I’m answering as many of them as I can.
Let’s get right to the questions.
Anthony Munkholm asked:
How about some tips for indoor rock climbing. Really been getting into this lately as great cross-training. Went outside in Colorado last summer and I’m hooked.
How do I increase finger strength? What about how being outside on a rock brings you so present?
I’m no expert in climbing, but from what I’ve gathered from friends who are, the best way for relative beginners to improve finger strength for climbing is to climb. Climbing places a specific type of stress on the fingers that is hard to replicate without actually climbing.
You can make it more systematic, of course, by moving back and forth between holds.
The same concepts that apply to training in general apply here as well. Don’t overdo it. Don’t train to failure every time. Stop short of the point where your grip totally fails.
On the rock, death or serious injury are serious possibilities. You slip, you fall. Even if there’s a pad underneath or a rope hitched to your waist, the lizard brain within perceives the situation to be dangerous. It forces the flow state. Riding the wave of the present and staying in the flow becomes a lot easier when death is on the line.
Chad Clark asked:
From your experience with grappling drills, how would you adopt martial arts into Primal aligned fitness endeavors? Also, what is keeping you from becoming more involved in the martial arts you listed? Or Dungeons and Dragons, for that matter?
I’d treat it like a high-intensity interval or sprint day. Grappling is seriously exhausting—and I wasn’t even going very hard at all!
I’m not sure. I may look into it a bit more. There’s certainly no shortage of training facilities these days. Keep you posted.
Ha! I was a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi earlier in life (Tolkien, Dick, Dune, etc), but never did dip my beak into D&D. These days, I frankly don’t have the time to get into something as involved and time-consuming as pen and paper role playing games.
Georgina wrote:
Excellent ideas. How about an article on “walking meditation in nature.” This is a formal practice with a blueprint to follow. this can be done solo or holding the hand of another. It connects us with the earth. It cultivates joy and gratitude. It places us in the present moment. Peace from n.c.
I love walking meditations. It’s the closest thing to an actual meditation I can sit (or walk) through. Beginners should probably start with Tara Brach, a Buddhist teacher who publishes guided meditations and lectures on her fantastic podcast and is a proponent of walking meditation (PDF). She suggests walking along a short predetermined path of 20-30 paces somewhere quiet and familiar. This creates boundaries and reduces distractions. Once you’re more confident in your ability to maintain focus, you can go on unstructured, longer walks through unfamiliar surroundings. The important thing is to pay attention to the shifting weight of your body as you walk, the feel of your footfalls, and the sensation of gliding through the air. As with sitting meditation, allow thoughts and other distractions to come and go; acknowledge but do not dwell on or judge them.
I find it much easier and more effective than sitting meditation.
There’s even a study which showed that a walking Buddhist meditation practice reduced depression, improved fitness and vascular function, and lowered stress hormones in depressed elderly patients to a greater extent than the same amount of walking without the meditating.
Alan requested:
Good article. I would like to see you write more in the future about finding balance between living less civilized and still within society. For example, whether love or hated the reboot of Point Break, there is a line in there that Bohdi says that really resonated with me. He said “We live on the grid, just on our own terms.” I would like to see you write about how that applies to the primal lifestyle. Thank you! Alan
Oh boy, this could turn into an entire post. I’ll keep it short and perhaps revisit it later.
As I allude to in the original post, for civilization to flourish and progress, we need both wildness and dependability. Creativity and diligence. In fact, each person must embody both energies.
First, figure out what you’re doing here on the planet. What are you trying to accomplish? Who or what are you responsible for? What gives you meaning? What’s best for you, your loved ones, your friends, your community?
Keep those in mind. Aim toward them. Then, indulge your wildness, but make sure it serves your ultimate goals of doing good, meaningful things, taking care of yourself and those around you, and improving your corner of the world.
Shake off the silly parts of civilization, like “taking the safe path” or “doing what you’re told,” and start thinking bigger, crazier.
bamboosmith asked a clear-cut one:
I live out in the country and do a lot of hanging from trees type pull ups. i’m older and wondered about going back and learning karate. i studied the martial arts in my 30’s for a few years and miss it. i feel like i may be too old 30 years later. any thoughts?
Just one: You’re not too old. Go, now.
I totally love this. I have 6 year old (wild) twins and it seems that this is what they do all the time. All I need to do is join them:) I also like to break out in dance or song spontaneously, and then the kids join me:)
Yes, follow them and do what they do. Funny story: A buddy of mine, Angelo Delacruz (master bodyworker, personal trainer, miracle worker, ninja, and PrimalCon star), was hosting a friend and his two young children at the gym one day. After noticing how much varied movement the kids did just inadvertently by being kids, he and a couple other trainers decided to follow them for ten minutes and do whatever they did.
After ten minutes, they were warm and loose and ready to train. Every joint had been articulated through every possible angle. It was the perfect warmup. For many, it’d be the perfect workout.
Sue Moore said:
Great article! New goal for 2018 is to take the road less travelled and be more spontaneous.
How’s that going for you? Don’t wait!
Megan said:
I work with elementary aged children with behavioral issues. Your post, especially the parts about embracing your inner weirdo, really spoke to me today. I’m going to take my students outside this week (or around the building if it’s still 15 degrees out here in Chicagoland) and look for ways that we can empower creativity and diversity of action inside the educational setting.
Beautiful. I know that standing desks have been shown to reduce behavioral issues and improve focus in elementary school students, so you may get good results! But there’s so much more to be found outside the desk space.
Ethan asked:
I’d like to see posts on how we normal, full-time workers, with kids, and all of that chaos, can find time to create, or play, or get involved.
What are the practical ways to do this?
The things you’re going to create, the ways you’ll play, the things you’ll want to involve yourself in are personal. You have to decide what appeals to you. However, there are a few ways you can increase the opportunities you have to create/play/involve yourself.
Figure out how much time you’re wasting on things that aren’t increasing your happiness, furthering your goals, or allowing you to express your wildness. Get a rough number—hours per day—and work on eliminating those wasteful practices. This will free up hours for you to do cool stuff.
If you haven’t started planning the week’s meals ahead of time, do that. Knowing what you’re going to make and having the ingredients ready to go (or even prepared ahead of time) saves a lot of time, reduces meal-time stress, and makes dinner a more harmonious, enjoyable. When you’re not stressed out from rushing to get dinner ready and on the table, you’ll have more mental energy to have a real conversation with your family, to discuss the day, to make plans for the weekend. That’s creation—positive energy where none existed before.
Don’t waste time on devices or social media. Don’t abstain entirely. Just don’t be one of the statistics who uses their phone for 4 hours a day just to avoid being alone in your own head.
Get to bed early and wake up early. Waking up before everyone else is magical in a quiet, simple way. It also gives you a nice chunk of free time to pursue any creative endeavors—working on a new side business, writing, reading (which I consider to be a kind of creation), exercising.
Gus Frey asked:
I have always wanted to learn a martial art, and was happy to read your lifelong desire and recent dive into it. Why do you recommend a grappling style as opposed to something like Kung Fu or something less about grappling? Thank you
As a kid, I loved roughhousing. This consisted mainly of wrestling, throwing, rolling around, pretty low skill-level stuff. It was intense and personal and hyperreal. It was also safer than throwing punches at each other. Fewer bruised egos, damaged friendships that way.
As an adult, grappling still seems safer to me than striking, though I know it’s all in how you train.
Brad wondered:
I’m interested in your take on grounding.
I wrote about it several years back. Check out the post.
Ive said it before on these pages, but I hunt.
It takes you off tracks, because that is where the game is. There is a pattern dictated by terrain, weather and vegetation – wild stuff – and there is a randomness, because you are pursuing something that you cannot know perfectly. Instead of following that trail that others have walked, you go where the situation dictates… even if no other human has set foot there for centuries, if ever!
There is sitting around a fire with your “tribe”. People who are there for the same purpose that you are, with whom you have a memory of shared experiences….. and who have shown time after time that they will put themselves through hardship to help you.
There is rolling out of the swag before dawn in lousy winter weather, knowing that the domesticated people couldn’t face that…..
Beautifully said, Peter. It hit me hard. That’s all.
Dugan said:
Honestly, based on the thoughts Mark laid out here, LARPing is firing on all cylinders. It takes creative thought to make a character, roleplay, and come up with armor and weapons. Then, depending on how serious you get, you can study and train in real martial arts in order to better your in-game play. You interact with a group of people equally zealous as you are. It takes time and organization to be efficient in crafting your needed items. And, depending on what LARP you do (anything from high fantasy to zombie apocalypse is out there) you can definitely interact with the environment in atypical ways. Heck, I’ve played a straight barbarian before, about as primitive as you can get. It’s great exercise and you can do it barefoot (in most cases.)
For all the jokes, LARPing really does sound like a good time and a perfect summation of the spirit of the post. If you ever watch those videos that people like to laugh at, you can’t help but notice the participants are ALL IN. Great comment.
Jason said:
Create vs Consume. While I may not have the right plan in place for create, I have had a large frustration with the amount of consume. I have been working towards consuming less (TV, phone data…useless stuff). A good way to get my butt in gear more often.
Yes, the ratio doesn’t have to be 1:1 or anything like that. The world wouldn’t work if everyone created more than they consumed. The trend is what to watch, and what to focus on changing. Do a little more creation and a little less consumption. Get it in where you can. Small steps.
That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading and asking. Be sure to follow up down below with any further questions you might have.
Take care!
Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.
0 notes
cristinajourdanqp · 7 years
Text
Rapid Fire Questions and Answers: Getting Wild
Last month, you asked a ton of great questions in the comment section of my post on reclaiming your wildness and being less civilized, covering everything from rock climbing to role playing games, grappling to kung fu, walking meditation to grounding. For today’s post, I’m answering as many of them as I can.
Let’s get right to the questions.
Anthony Munkholm asked:
How about some tips for indoor rock climbing. Really been getting into this lately as great cross-training. Went outside in Colorado last summer and I’m hooked.
How do I increase finger strength? What about how being outside on a rock brings you so present?
I’m no expert in climbing, but from what I’ve gathered from friends who are, the best way for relative beginners to improve finger strength for climbing is to climb. Climbing places a specific type of stress on the fingers that is hard to replicate without actually climbing.
You can make it more systematic, of course, by moving back and forth between holds.
The same concepts that apply to training in general apply here as well. Don’t overdo it. Don’t train to failure every time. Stop short of the point where your grip totally fails.
On the rock, death or serious injury are serious possibilities. You slip, you fall. Even if there’s a pad underneath or a rope hitched to your waist, the lizard brain within perceives the situation to be dangerous. It forces the flow state. Riding the wave of the present and staying in the flow becomes a lot easier when death is on the line.
Chad Clark asked:
From your experience with grappling drills, how would you adopt martial arts into Primal aligned fitness endeavors? Also, what is keeping you from becoming more involved in the martial arts you listed? Or Dungeons and Dragons, for that matter?
I’d treat it like a high-intensity interval or sprint day. Grappling is seriously exhausting—and I wasn’t even going very hard at all!
I’m not sure. I may look into it a bit more. There’s certainly no shortage of training facilities these days. Keep you posted.
Ha! I was a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi earlier in life (Tolkien, Dick, Dune, etc), but never did dip my beak into D&D. These days, I frankly don’t have the time to get into something as involved and time-consuming as pen and paper role playing games.
Georgina wrote:
Excellent ideas. How about an article on “walking meditation in nature.” This is a formal practice with a blueprint to follow. this can be done solo or holding the hand of another. It connects us with the earth. It cultivates joy and gratitude. It places us in the present moment. Peace from n.c.
I love walking meditations. It’s the closest thing to an actual meditation I can sit (or walk) through. Beginners should probably start with Tara Brach, a Buddhist teacher who publishes guided meditations and lectures on her fantastic podcast and is a proponent of walking meditation (PDF). She suggests walking along a short predetermined path of 20-30 paces somewhere quiet and familiar. This creates boundaries and reduces distractions. Once you’re more confident in your ability to maintain focus, you can go on unstructured, longer walks through unfamiliar surroundings. The important thing is to pay attention to the shifting weight of your body as you walk, the feel of your footfalls, and the sensation of gliding through the air. As with sitting meditation, allow thoughts and other distractions to come and go; acknowledge but do not dwell on or judge them.
I find it much easier and more effective than sitting meditation.
There’s even a study which showed that a walking Buddhist meditation practice reduced depression, improved fitness and vascular function, and lowered stress hormones in depressed elderly patients to a greater extent than the same amount of walking without the meditating.
Alan requested:
Good article. I would like to see you write more in the future about finding balance between living less civilized and still within society. For example, whether love or hated the reboot of Point Break, there is a line in there that Bohdi says that really resonated with me. He said “We live on the grid, just on our own terms.” I would like to see you write about how that applies to the primal lifestyle. Thank you! Alan
Oh boy, this could turn into an entire post. I’ll keep it short and perhaps revisit it later.
As I allude to in the original post, for civilization to flourish and progress, we need both wildness and dependability. Creativity and diligence. In fact, each person must embody both energies.
First, figure out what you’re doing here on the planet. What are you trying to accomplish? Who or what are you responsible for? What gives you meaning? What’s best for you, your loved ones, your friends, your community?
Keep those in mind. Aim toward them. Then, indulge your wildness, but make sure it serves your ultimate goals of doing good, meaningful things, taking care of yourself and those around you, and improving your corner of the world.
Shake off the silly parts of civilization, like “taking the safe path” or “doing what you’re told,” and start thinking bigger, crazier.
bamboosmith asked a clear-cut one:
I live out in the country and do a lot of hanging from trees type pull ups. i’m older and wondered about going back and learning karate. i studied the martial arts in my 30’s for a few years and miss it. i feel like i may be too old 30 years later. any thoughts?
Just one: You’re not too old. Go, now.
I totally love this. I have 6 year old (wild) twins and it seems that this is what they do all the time. All I need to do is join them:) I also like to break out in dance or song spontaneously, and then the kids join me:)
Yes, follow them and do what they do. Funny story: A buddy of mine, Angelo Delacruz (master bodyworker, personal trainer, miracle worker, ninja, and PrimalCon star), was hosting a friend and his two young children at the gym one day. After noticing how much varied movement the kids did just inadvertently by being kids, he and a couple other trainers decided to follow them for ten minutes and do whatever they did.
After ten minutes, they were warm and loose and ready to train. Every joint had been articulated through every possible angle. It was the perfect warmup. For many, it’d be the perfect workout.
Sue Moore said:
Great article! New goal for 2018 is to take the road less travelled and be more spontaneous.
How’s that going for you? Don’t wait!
Megan said:
I work with elementary aged children with behavioral issues. Your post, especially the parts about embracing your inner weirdo, really spoke to me today. I’m going to take my students outside this week (or around the building if it’s still 15 degrees out here in Chicagoland) and look for ways that we can empower creativity and diversity of action inside the educational setting.
Beautiful. I know that standing desks have been shown to reduce behavioral issues and improve focus in elementary school students, so you may get good results! But there’s so much more to be found outside the desk space.
Ethan asked:
I’d like to see posts on how we normal, full-time workers, with kids, and all of that chaos, can find time to create, or play, or get involved.
What are the practical ways to do this?
The things you’re going to create, the ways you’ll play, the things you’ll want to involve yourself in are personal. You have to decide what appeals to you. However, there are a few ways you can increase the opportunities you have to create/play/involve yourself.
Figure out how much time you’re wasting on things that aren’t increasing your happiness, furthering your goals, or allowing you to express your wildness. Get a rough number—hours per day—and work on eliminating those wasteful practices. This will free up hours for you to do cool stuff.
If you haven’t started planning the week’s meals ahead of time, do that. Knowing what you’re going to make and having the ingredients ready to go (or even prepared ahead of time) saves a lot of time, reduces meal-time stress, and makes dinner a more harmonious, enjoyable. When you’re not stressed out from rushing to get dinner ready and on the table, you’ll have more mental energy to have a real conversation with your family, to discuss the day, to make plans for the weekend. That’s creation—positive energy where none existed before.
Don’t waste time on devices or social media. Don’t abstain entirely. Just don’t be one of the statistics who uses their phone for 4 hours a day just to avoid being alone in your own head.
Get to bed early and wake up early. Waking up before everyone else is magical in a quiet, simple way. It also gives you a nice chunk of free time to pursue any creative endeavors—working on a new side business, writing, reading (which I consider to be a kind of creation), exercising.
Gus Frey asked:
I have always wanted to learn a martial art, and was happy to read your lifelong desire and recent dive into it. Why do you recommend a grappling style as opposed to something like Kung Fu or something less about grappling? Thank you
As a kid, I loved roughhousing. This consisted mainly of wrestling, throwing, rolling around, pretty low skill-level stuff. It was intense and personal and hyperreal. It was also safer than throwing punches at each other. Fewer bruised egos, damaged friendships that way.
As an adult, grappling still seems safer to me than striking, though I know it’s all in how you train.
Brad wondered:
I’m interested in your take on grounding.
I wrote about it several years back. Check out the post.
Ive said it before on these pages, but I hunt.
It takes you off tracks, because that is where the game is. There is a pattern dictated by terrain, weather and vegetation – wild stuff – and there is a randomness, because you are pursuing something that you cannot know perfectly. Instead of following that trail that others have walked, you go where the situation dictates… even if no other human has set foot there for centuries, if ever!
There is sitting around a fire with your “tribe”. People who are there for the same purpose that you are, with whom you have a memory of shared experiences….. and who have shown time after time that they will put themselves through hardship to help you.
There is rolling out of the swag before dawn in lousy winter weather, knowing that the domesticated people couldn’t face that…..
Beautifully said, Peter. It hit me hard. That’s all.
Dugan said:
Honestly, based on the thoughts Mark laid out here, LARPing is firing on all cylinders. It takes creative thought to make a character, roleplay, and come up with armor and weapons. Then, depending on how serious you get, you can study and train in real martial arts in order to better your in-game play. You interact with a group of people equally zealous as you are. It takes time and organization to be efficient in crafting your needed items. And, depending on what LARP you do (anything from high fantasy to zombie apocalypse is out there) you can definitely interact with the environment in atypical ways. Heck, I’ve played a straight barbarian before, about as primitive as you can get. It’s great exercise and you can do it barefoot (in most cases.)
For all the jokes, LARPing really does sound like a good time and a perfect summation of the spirit of the post. If you ever watch those videos that people like to laugh at, you can’t help but notice the participants are ALL IN. Great comment.
Jason said:
Create vs Consume. While I may not have the right plan in place for create, I have had a large frustration with the amount of consume. I have been working towards consuming less (TV, phone data…useless stuff). A good way to get my butt in gear more often.
Yes, the ratio doesn’t have to be 1:1 or anything like that. The world wouldn’t work if everyone created more than they consumed. The trend is what to watch, and what to focus on changing. Do a little more creation and a little less consumption. Get it in where you can. Small steps.
That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading and asking. Be sure to follow up down below with any further questions you might have.
Take care!
Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.
0 notes
fishermariawo · 7 years
Text
Rapid Fire Questions and Answers: Getting Wild
Last month, you asked a ton of great questions in the comment section of my post on reclaiming your wildness and being less civilized, covering everything from rock climbing to role playing games, grappling to kung fu, walking meditation to grounding. For today’s post, I’m answering as many of them as I can.
Let’s get right to the questions.
Anthony Munkholm asked:
How about some tips for indoor rock climbing. Really been getting into this lately as great cross-training. Went outside in Colorado last summer and I’m hooked.
How do I increase finger strength? What about how being outside on a rock brings you so present?
I’m no expert in climbing, but from what I’ve gathered from friends who are, the best way for relative beginners to improve finger strength for climbing is to climb. Climbing places a specific type of stress on the fingers that is hard to replicate without actually climbing.
You can make it more systematic, of course, by moving back and forth between holds.
The same concepts that apply to training in general apply here as well. Don’t overdo it. Don’t train to failure every time. Stop short of the point where your grip totally fails.
On the rock, death or serious injury are serious possibilities. You slip, you fall. Even if there’s a pad underneath or a rope hitched to your waist, the lizard brain within perceives the situation to be dangerous. It forces the flow state. Riding the wave of the present and staying in the flow becomes a lot easier when death is on the line.
Chad Clark asked:
From your experience with grappling drills, how would you adopt martial arts into Primal aligned fitness endeavors? Also, what is keeping you from becoming more involved in the martial arts you listed? Or Dungeons and Dragons, for that matter?
I’d treat it like a high-intensity interval or sprint day. Grappling is seriously exhausting—and I wasn’t even going very hard at all!
I’m not sure. I may look into it a bit more. There’s certainly no shortage of training facilities these days. Keep you posted.
Ha! I was a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi earlier in life (Tolkien, Dick, Dune, etc), but never did dip my beak into D&D. These days, I frankly don’t have the time to get into something as involved and time-consuming as pen and paper role playing games.
Georgina wrote:
Excellent ideas. How about an article on “walking meditation in nature.” This is a formal practice with a blueprint to follow. this can be done solo or holding the hand of another. It connects us with the earth. It cultivates joy and gratitude. It places us in the present moment. Peace from n.c.
I love walking meditations. It’s the closest thing to an actual meditation I can sit (or walk) through. Beginners should probably start with Tara Brach, a Buddhist teacher who publishes guided meditations and lectures on her fantastic podcast and is a proponent of walking meditation (PDF). She suggests walking along a short predetermined path of 20-30 paces somewhere quiet and familiar. This creates boundaries and reduces distractions. Once you’re more confident in your ability to maintain focus, you can go on unstructured, longer walks through unfamiliar surroundings. The important thing is to pay attention to the shifting weight of your body as you walk, the feel of your footfalls, and the sensation of gliding through the air. As with sitting meditation, allow thoughts and other distractions to come and go; acknowledge but do not dwell on or judge them.
I find it much easier and more effective than sitting meditation.
There’s even a study which showed that a walking Buddhist meditation practice reduced depression, improved fitness and vascular function, and lowered stress hormones in depressed elderly patients to a greater extent than the same amount of walking without the meditating.
Alan requested:
Good article. I would like to see you write more in the future about finding balance between living less civilized and still within society. For example, whether love or hated the reboot of Point Break, there is a line in there that Bohdi says that really resonated with me. He said “We live on the grid, just on our own terms.” I would like to see you write about how that applies to the primal lifestyle. Thank you! Alan
Oh boy, this could turn into an entire post. I’ll keep it short and perhaps revisit it later.
As I allude to in the original post, for civilization to flourish and progress, we need both wildness and dependability. Creativity and diligence. In fact, each person must embody both energies.
First, figure out what you’re doing here on the planet. What are you trying to accomplish? Who or what are you responsible for? What gives you meaning? What’s best for you, your loved ones, your friends, your community?
Keep those in mind. Aim toward them. Then, indulge your wildness, but make sure it serves your ultimate goals of doing good, meaningful things, taking care of yourself and those around you, and improving your corner of the world.
Shake off the silly parts of civilization, like “taking the safe path” or “doing what you’re told,” and start thinking bigger, crazier.
bamboosmith asked a clear-cut one:
I live out in the country and do a lot of hanging from trees type pull ups. i’m older and wondered about going back and learning karate. i studied the martial arts in my 30’s for a few years and miss it. i feel like i may be too old 30 years later. any thoughts?
Just one: You’re not too old. Go, now.
I totally love this. I have 6 year old (wild) twins and it seems that this is what they do all the time. All I need to do is join them:) I also like to break out in dance or song spontaneously, and then the kids join me:)
Yes, follow them and do what they do. Funny story: A buddy of mine, Angelo Delacruz (master bodyworker, personal trainer, miracle worker, ninja, and PrimalCon star), was hosting a friend and his two young children at the gym one day. After noticing how much varied movement the kids did just inadvertently by being kids, he and a couple other trainers decided to follow them for ten minutes and do whatever they did.
After ten minutes, they were warm and loose and ready to train. Every joint had been articulated through every possible angle. It was the perfect warmup. For many, it’d be the perfect workout.
Sue Moore said:
Great article! New goal for 2018 is to take the road less travelled and be more spontaneous.
How’s that going for you? Don’t wait!
Megan said:
I work with elementary aged children with behavioral issues. Your post, especially the parts about embracing your inner weirdo, really spoke to me today. I’m going to take my students outside this week (or around the building if it’s still 15 degrees out here in Chicagoland) and look for ways that we can empower creativity and diversity of action inside the educational setting.
Beautiful. I know that standing desks have been shown to reduce behavioral issues and improve focus in elementary school students, so you may get good results! But there’s so much more to be found outside the desk space.
Ethan asked:
I’d like to see posts on how we normal, full-time workers, with kids, and all of that chaos, can find time to create, or play, or get involved.
What are the practical ways to do this?
The things you’re going to create, the ways you’ll play, the things you’ll want to involve yourself in are personal. You have to decide what appeals to you. However, there are a few ways you can increase the opportunities you have to create/play/involve yourself.
Figure out how much time you’re wasting on things that aren’t increasing your happiness, furthering your goals, or allowing you to express your wildness. Get a rough number—hours per day—and work on eliminating those wasteful practices. This will free up hours for you to do cool stuff.
If you haven’t started planning the week’s meals ahead of time, do that. Knowing what you’re going to make and having the ingredients ready to go (or even prepared ahead of time) saves a lot of time, reduces meal-time stress, and makes dinner a more harmonious, enjoyable. When you’re not stressed out from rushing to get dinner ready and on the table, you’ll have more mental energy to have a real conversation with your family, to discuss the day, to make plans for the weekend. That’s creation—positive energy where none existed before.
Don’t waste time on devices or social media. Don’t abstain entirely. Just don’t be one of the statistics who uses their phone for 4 hours a day just to avoid being alone in your own head.
Get to bed early and wake up early. Waking up before everyone else is magical in a quiet, simple way. It also gives you a nice chunk of free time to pursue any creative endeavors—working on a new side business, writing, reading (which I consider to be a kind of creation), exercising.
Gus Frey asked:
I have always wanted to learn a martial art, and was happy to read your lifelong desire and recent dive into it. Why do you recommend a grappling style as opposed to something like Kung Fu or something less about grappling? Thank you
As a kid, I loved roughhousing. This consisted mainly of wrestling, throwing, rolling around, pretty low skill-level stuff. It was intense and personal and hyperreal. It was also safer than throwing punches at each other. Fewer bruised egos, damaged friendships that way.
As an adult, grappling still seems safer to me than striking, though I know it’s all in how you train.
Brad wondered:
I’m interested in your take on grounding.
I wrote about it several years back. Check out the post.
Ive said it before on these pages, but I hunt.
It takes you off tracks, because that is where the game is. There is a pattern dictated by terrain, weather and vegetation – wild stuff – and there is a randomness, because you are pursuing something that you cannot know perfectly. Instead of following that trail that others have walked, you go where the situation dictates… even if no other human has set foot there for centuries, if ever!
There is sitting around a fire with your “tribe”. People who are there for the same purpose that you are, with whom you have a memory of shared experiences….. and who have shown time after time that they will put themselves through hardship to help you.
There is rolling out of the swag before dawn in lousy winter weather, knowing that the domesticated people couldn’t face that…..
Beautifully said, Peter. It hit me hard. That’s all.
Dugan said:
Honestly, based on the thoughts Mark laid out here, LARPing is firing on all cylinders. It takes creative thought to make a character, roleplay, and come up with armor and weapons. Then, depending on how serious you get, you can study and train in real martial arts in order to better your in-game play. You interact with a group of people equally zealous as you are. It takes time and organization to be efficient in crafting your needed items. And, depending on what LARP you do (anything from high fantasy to zombie apocalypse is out there) you can definitely interact with the environment in atypical ways. Heck, I’ve played a straight barbarian before, about as primitive as you can get. It’s great exercise and you can do it barefoot (in most cases.)
For all the jokes, LARPing really does sound like a good time and a perfect summation of the spirit of the post. If you ever watch those videos that people like to laugh at, you can’t help but notice the participants are ALL IN. Great comment.
Jason said:
Create vs Consume. While I may not have the right plan in place for create, I have had a large frustration with the amount of consume. I have been working towards consuming less (TV, phone data…useless stuff). A good way to get my butt in gear more often.
Yes, the ratio doesn’t have to be 1:1 or anything like that. The world wouldn’t work if everyone created more than they consumed. The trend is what to watch, and what to focus on changing. Do a little more creation and a little less consumption. Get it in where you can. Small steps.
That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading and asking. Be sure to follow up down below with any further questions you might have.
Take care!
Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.
0 notes
cynthiamwashington · 7 years
Text
Rapid Fire Questions and Answers: Getting Wild
Last month, you asked a ton of great questions in the comment section of my post on reclaiming your wildness and being less civilized, covering everything from rock climbing to role playing games, grappling to kung fu, walking meditation to grounding. For today’s post, I’m answering as many of them as I can.
Let’s get right to the questions.
Anthony Munkholm asked:
How about some tips for indoor rock climbing. Really been getting into this lately as great cross-training. Went outside in Colorado last summer and I’m hooked.
How do I increase finger strength? What about how being outside on a rock brings you so present?
I’m no expert in climbing, but from what I’ve gathered from friends who are, the best way for relative beginners to improve finger strength for climbing is to climb. Climbing places a specific type of stress on the fingers that is hard to replicate without actually climbing.
You can make it more systematic, of course, by moving back and forth between holds.
The same concepts that apply to training in general apply here as well. Don’t overdo it. Don’t train to failure every time. Stop short of the point where your grip totally fails.
On the rock, death or serious injury are serious possibilities. You slip, you fall. Even if there’s a pad underneath or a rope hitched to your waist, the lizard brain within perceives the situation to be dangerous. It forces the flow state. Riding the wave of the present and staying in the flow becomes a lot easier when death is on the line.
Chad Clark asked:
From your experience with grappling drills, how would you adopt martial arts into Primal aligned fitness endeavors? Also, what is keeping you from becoming more involved in the martial arts you listed? Or Dungeons and Dragons, for that matter?
I’d treat it like a high-intensity interval or sprint day. Grappling is seriously exhausting—and I wasn’t even going very hard at all!
I’m not sure. I may look into it a bit more. There’s certainly no shortage of training facilities these days. Keep you posted.
Ha! I was a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi earlier in life (Tolkien, Dick, Dune, etc), but never did dip my beak into D&D. These days, I frankly don’t have the time to get into something as involved and time-consuming as pen and paper role playing games.
Georgina wrote:
Excellent ideas. How about an article on “walking meditation in nature.” This is a formal practice with a blueprint to follow. this can be done solo or holding the hand of another. It connects us with the earth. It cultivates joy and gratitude. It places us in the present moment. Peace from n.c.
I love walking meditations. It’s the closest thing to an actual meditation I can sit (or walk) through. Beginners should probably start with Tara Brach, a Buddhist teacher who publishes guided meditations and lectures on her fantastic podcast and is a proponent of walking meditation (PDF). She suggests walking along a short predetermined path of 20-30 paces somewhere quiet and familiar. This creates boundaries and reduces distractions. Once you’re more confident in your ability to maintain focus, you can go on unstructured, longer walks through unfamiliar surroundings. The important thing is to pay attention to the shifting weight of your body as you walk, the feel of your footfalls, and the sensation of gliding through the air. As with sitting meditation, allow thoughts and other distractions to come and go; acknowledge but do not dwell on or judge them.
I find it much easier and more effective than sitting meditation.
There’s even a study which showed that a walking Buddhist meditation practice reduced depression, improved fitness and vascular function, and lowered stress hormones in depressed elderly patients to a greater extent than the same amount of walking without the meditating.
Alan requested:
Good article. I would like to see you write more in the future about finding balance between living less civilized and still within society. For example, whether love or hated the reboot of Point Break, there is a line in there that Bohdi says that really resonated with me. He said “We live on the grid, just on our own terms.” I would like to see you write about how that applies to the primal lifestyle. Thank you! Alan
Oh boy, this could turn into an entire post. I’ll keep it short and perhaps revisit it later.
As I allude to in the original post, for civilization to flourish and progress, we need both wildness and dependability. Creativity and diligence. In fact, each person must embody both energies.
First, figure out what you’re doing here on the planet. What are you trying to accomplish? Who or what are you responsible for? What gives you meaning? What’s best for you, your loved ones, your friends, your community?
Keep those in mind. Aim toward them. Then, indulge your wildness, but make sure it serves your ultimate goals of doing good, meaningful things, taking care of yourself and those around you, and improving your corner of the world.
Shake off the silly parts of civilization, like “taking the safe path” or “doing what you’re told,” and start thinking bigger, crazier.
bamboosmith asked a clear-cut one:
I live out in the country and do a lot of hanging from trees type pull ups. i’m older and wondered about going back and learning karate. i studied the martial arts in my 30’s for a few years and miss it. i feel like i may be too old 30 years later. any thoughts?
Just one: You’re not too old. Go, now.
I totally love this. I have 6 year old (wild) twins and it seems that this is what they do all the time. All I need to do is join them:) I also like to break out in dance or song spontaneously, and then the kids join me:)
Yes, follow them and do what they do. Funny story: A buddy of mine, Angelo Delacruz (master bodyworker, personal trainer, miracle worker, ninja, and PrimalCon star), was hosting a friend and his two young children at the gym one day. After noticing how much varied movement the kids did just inadvertently by being kids, he and a couple other trainers decided to follow them for ten minutes and do whatever they did.
After ten minutes, they were warm and loose and ready to train. Every joint had been articulated through every possible angle. It was the perfect warmup. For many, it’d be the perfect workout.
Sue Moore said:
Great article! New goal for 2018 is to take the road less travelled and be more spontaneous.
How’s that going for you? Don’t wait!
Megan said:
I work with elementary aged children with behavioral issues. Your post, especially the parts about embracing your inner weirdo, really spoke to me today. I’m going to take my students outside this week (or around the building if it’s still 15 degrees out here in Chicagoland) and look for ways that we can empower creativity and diversity of action inside the educational setting.
Beautiful. I know that standing desks have been shown to reduce behavioral issues and improve focus in elementary school students, so you may get good results! But there’s so much more to be found outside the desk space.
Ethan asked:
I’d like to see posts on how we normal, full-time workers, with kids, and all of that chaos, can find time to create, or play, or get involved.
What are the practical ways to do this?
The things you’re going to create, the ways you’ll play, the things you’ll want to involve yourself in are personal. You have to decide what appeals to you. However, there are a few ways you can increase the opportunities you have to create/play/involve yourself.
Figure out how much time you’re wasting on things that aren’t increasing your happiness, furthering your goals, or allowing you to express your wildness. Get a rough number—hours per day—and work on eliminating those wasteful practices. This will free up hours for you to do cool stuff.
If you haven’t started planning the week’s meals ahead of time, do that. Knowing what you’re going to make and having the ingredients ready to go (or even prepared ahead of time) saves a lot of time, reduces meal-time stress, and makes dinner a more harmonious, enjoyable. When you’re not stressed out from rushing to get dinner ready and on the table, you’ll have more mental energy to have a real conversation with your family, to discuss the day, to make plans for the weekend. That’s creation—positive energy where none existed before.
Don’t waste time on devices or social media. Don’t abstain entirely. Just don’t be one of the statistics who uses their phone for 4 hours a day just to avoid being alone in your own head.
Get to bed early and wake up early. Waking up before everyone else is magical in a quiet, simple way. It also gives you a nice chunk of free time to pursue any creative endeavors—working on a new side business, writing, reading (which I consider to be a kind of creation), exercising.
Gus Frey asked:
I have always wanted to learn a martial art, and was happy to read your lifelong desire and recent dive into it. Why do you recommend a grappling style as opposed to something like Kung Fu or something less about grappling? Thank you
As a kid, I loved roughhousing. This consisted mainly of wrestling, throwing, rolling around, pretty low skill-level stuff. It was intense and personal and hyperreal. It was also safer than throwing punches at each other. Fewer bruised egos, damaged friendships that way.
As an adult, grappling still seems safer to me than striking, though I know it’s all in how you train.
Brad wondered:
I’m interested in your take on grounding.
I wrote about it several years back. Check out the post.
Ive said it before on these pages, but I hunt.
It takes you off tracks, because that is where the game is. There is a pattern dictated by terrain, weather and vegetation – wild stuff – and there is a randomness, because you are pursuing something that you cannot know perfectly. Instead of following that trail that others have walked, you go where the situation dictates… even if no other human has set foot there for centuries, if ever!
There is sitting around a fire with your “tribe”. People who are there for the same purpose that you are, with whom you have a memory of shared experiences….. and who have shown time after time that they will put themselves through hardship to help you.
There is rolling out of the swag before dawn in lousy winter weather, knowing that the domesticated people couldn’t face that…..
Beautifully said, Peter. It hit me hard. That’s all.
Dugan said:
Honestly, based on the thoughts Mark laid out here, LARPing is firing on all cylinders. It takes creative thought to make a character, roleplay, and come up with armor and weapons. Then, depending on how serious you get, you can study and train in real martial arts in order to better your in-game play. You interact with a group of people equally zealous as you are. It takes time and organization to be efficient in crafting your needed items. And, depending on what LARP you do (anything from high fantasy to zombie apocalypse is out there) you can definitely interact with the environment in atypical ways. Heck, I’ve played a straight barbarian before, about as primitive as you can get. It’s great exercise and you can do it barefoot (in most cases.)
For all the jokes, LARPing really does sound like a good time and a perfect summation of the spirit of the post. If you ever watch those videos that people like to laugh at, you can’t help but notice the participants are ALL IN. Great comment.
Jason said:
Create vs Consume. While I may not have the right plan in place for create, I have had a large frustration with the amount of consume. I have been working towards consuming less (TV, phone data…useless stuff). A good way to get my butt in gear more often.
Yes, the ratio doesn’t have to be 1:1 or anything like that. The world wouldn’t work if everyone created more than they consumed. The trend is what to watch, and what to focus on changing. Do a little more creation and a little less consumption. Get it in where you can. Small steps.
That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading and asking. Be sure to follow up down below with any further questions you might have.
Take care!
Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.
The post Rapid Fire Questions and Answers: Getting Wild appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.
Article source here:Marks’s Daily Apple
0 notes
thirteenthanda · 7 years
Text
I spent years discovering the simple tactics gurus like Oprah, Einstein, and Buffett used to become successful—here they are
One question has fascinated me my entire adult life: what causes some people to become world-class leaders, performers, and change-makers, while most others plateau?
I’ve explored the answer to this question by reading thousands of biographies, academic studies, and books across dozens of disciplines. Over time, I’ve noticed a deeper practice of top performers, one so counterintuitive that it’s often overlooked.
Despite having way more responsibility than anyone else, top performers in the business world often find time to step away from their urgent work, slow down, and invest in activities that have a long-term payoff in greater knowledge, creativity, and energy. As a result, they may achieve less in a day at first, but drastically more over the course of their lives.
I call this compound time because, like compound interest, a small investment now yields surprisingly large returns over time.Warren Buffett, for example, despite owning companies with hundreds of thousands of employees, isn’t as busy as you are. By his own estimate, he has spent 80% of his career reading and thinking.
At the 2016 Daily Journal annual meeting, Charlie Munger, Buffett’s 40-year business partner, shared that the only scheduled item on his calendar one week was getting his haircut and that most of his weeks were similar. This is the opposite of most people who are overwhelmed with short-term deadlines, meetings, and minutiae.
Ben Franklin once wisely said: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Perhaps the source of Buffett’s true wealth is not just the compounding of his money, but the compounding of his knowledge, which has allowed him to make better decisions. Or as billionaire entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist Paul Tudor Jones has eloquently said, “Intellectual capital will always trump financial capital.”
To build your own intellectual capital, here are six compound time activities that you can start incorporating into your life immediately:
Hack #1: Keep a journal. It could change your life
Many top performers go beyond open-ended reflection: They often combine specific prompts with a physical journal.
Each morning, Benjamin Franklin asked himself, “What good shall I do this day?” and each evening, “What good have I done today?” Steve Jobsstood at the mirror each day and asked, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do?” Both billionaire Jean Paul DeJoria and media maven Arianna Huffington takes a few minutes each morning to count their blessings. Oprah Winfrey does the same: She starts each day with her gratitude journal, noting five things for which she’s thankful.
Billionaire entrepreneur and investor Reid Hoffman asks himself questions about his thinking before bed: What are the kind of key things that might be constraints on a solution, or might be the attributes of a solution? What are the tools or assets I might have? What are the key things that I want to think about? What do I want to solve creatively? Grandmaster chess player and world champion martial artist Josh Waitzkin has a similar process; he explains, “My journaling system is based around studying complexity. Reducing the complexity down to what is the most important question. Sleeping on it, and then waking up in the morning first thing and pre-input brainstorming on it. So I’m feeding my unconscious material to work on, releasing it completely, and then opening my mind and riffing on it.”
Whenever legendary management consultant Peter Drucker made a decision, he wrote down what he expected to happen; several months later, he’d compare the results with his expectations. Leonardo da Vincifilled tens of thousands of pages with sketches and musings on his art, inventions, observations, and ideas. Albert Einstein amassed more than 80,000 pages of notes in his lifetime. Former President John Adams kept over 51 journals throughout his life.
Ever notice that after writing about your thoughts, plans, and experiences, you feel clearer and more focused? Researchers call this “writing to learn.” It helps us bring order and meaning to our experiences and becomes a potent tool for knowledge and discovery. It also augments our ability to think about complex topics that have dozens of interrelated parts, while our brain, by itself, can only manage three in any given moment. A review of hundreds of studies on writing to learn showed that it also helps with what’s called metacognitive thinking, which is our awareness of our own thoughts. Metacognition is a key element in performance.
Hack #2: Naps can dramatically increase learning, memory, awareness, creativity, and productivity
Pulling from the results of more than a decade of experiments, nap researcher Sara Mednick of the University of California, San Diego, boldly states: “With naps of an hour to an hour and a half… you get close to the same benefits in learning consolidation that you would from a full eight hour night’s sleep.” People who study in the morning do about 30% better on an evening test if they’ve had an hour-long nap than if they haven’t.
Albert Einstein broke up his day by returning home from his Princeton office at 1:30 pm, having lunch, taking a nap, and then waking with a cup of tea to start the afternoon. Thomas Edison napped for up to three hours per day. Winston Churchill considered his late afternoon nap non-negotiable. John F. Kennedy ate his lunch in bed before drawing the curtains for a one- to two-hour nap. Others who swore by daily naps include Leonardo Da Vinci (up to a dozen 10-minute naps a day), Napoleon Bonaparte (before battles), Ronald Reagan (every afternoon), Lyndon B. Johnson (30 minutes a day), John D. Rockefeller (every day after lunch), Margaret Thatcher (one hour a day), Arnold Schwarzenegger (every afternoon), and Bill Clinton (15–60 minutes a day).
Modern science confirms that napping makes us not only more productive, but also more creative. Maybe that’s why greats such as Salvador Dali, chess grandmaster Josh Waitzkin, and Edgar Allen Poe used naps to induce hypnagogia, a state of awareness between sleep and wakefulness that helped them access a deeper level of creativity.
Hack #3: Only 15 minutes of walking per day can work wonders
Top performers also build exercise into their daily routine. The most common form is walking.
Charles Darwin went on two walks daily: one at noon and one at 4 pm. After a midday meal, Beethoven embarked on a long, vigorous walk,carrying a pencil and sheets of music paper to record chance musical thoughts. Charles Dickens walked a dozen miles a day and found writing so mentally agitating that he once wrote, “If I couldn’t walk fast and far, I should just explode and perish.” Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche concluded, “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.”
Others who made a habit of walking include Gandhi (took a long walk every day), Jack Dorsey (takes a five-mile walk each morning), Steve Jobs (took a long walk when he had a serious talk), Tory Burch (45 minutes a day), Howard Schultz (walks every morning), Aristotle (gave lectures while walking), neurologist and author Oliver Sacks (walked after lunch), and Winston Churchill (walked every morning upon waking).
Now we have scientific data proving what these geniuses intuited: Taking a walk refreshes the mind and body, and increases creativity. It can even extend your life. In one 12-year study of adults over 65, walking for 15 minutes a day reduced mortality by 22%.
Hack #4: Reading is one of the most beneficial activities we can invest in
Here’s an amazing truth: No matter our circumstances, we all have equal access to the favorite learning medium of Bill Gates, the richest person in the world: books.
Top performers in all areas take advantage of this high-powered, low-cost way to learn.
Winston Churchill spent several hours a day reading biographies, history, philosophy, and economics. Likewise, the list of US presidents who loved books is long: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and JFK were all voracious readers. Theodore Roosevelt read one book a day when busy, and two to three a day when he had a free evening.
Other lumineer readers include billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban(three-plus hours a day), billionaire entrepreneur Arthur Blank (two-plus hours a day), billionaire investor David Rubenstein (six books a week), billionaire entrepreneur Dan Gilbert (one to two hours a day), Oprah Winfrey (credits reading for much of her success), Elon Musk(read two books a day when he was younger), Mark Zuckerberg (a book every two weeks), Jeff Bezos (read hundreds of science fiction novels by the time he was 13), and CEO of Disney Bob Iger (gets up every morning at 4:30 am to read).
Reading books improves memory, increases empathy, and de-stresses us, all of which can help us achieve our goals. Books compress a lifetime’s worth of someone’s most impactful knowledge into a format that demands just a few hours of our time. They provide the ultimate ROI.
Hack #5: Conversation partners lead to surprising breakthroughs
In Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs, author and essayist Joshua Shenk makes the case that the foundation of creativity is social, not individual. The book reviews the academic research on innovation, highlighting creative duos from John Lennon and Paul McCartney to Marie and Pierre Curie to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
During long daily walks, psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky developed a new theory of behavioral economics that won Kahneman the Nobel Prize. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis shared their work with each other and set aside Mondays to meet at a pub. Francis Crick and James Watson, the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, batted ideas back and forth relentlessly, both in their shared office and during daily lunches in Cambridge. Crick recalled that if he presented a flawed idea, “Watson would tell me in no uncertain terms this was nonsense, and vice-versa.” Artists Andy Warhol and Pat Hackett took two hours each morning to “do the diary” together: recounting the previous day’s activities in detail.
Many greats made a habit of conversing in large, ritualized groups. Theodore Roosevelt’s “Tennis Cabinet” included friends and diplomats who exercised together daily and debated the issues facing the country. Benjamin Franklin created a “mutual improvement society” called the Junto that gathered each Friday evening to learn from each other. The Vagabonds were a group of four famous friends — Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs — who took road trips each summer: camping, climbing, and “sitting around the campfire discussing their various scientific and business ventures and debating the pressing issues of the day.”
Hack #6: Success is a direct result of the number of experiments you perform
There’s a reason that Jeff Bezos says, “Our success at Amazon is a function of how many experiments we do per year, per month, per week, per day….”
One big winner pays for all of the losing experiments. In a recent SEC filing, he explains why:
“Given a ten percent chance of a 100 times payoff, you should take that bet every time. But you’re still going to be wrong nine times out of ten. We all know that if you swing for the fences, you’re going to strike out a lot, but you’re also going to hit some home runs. The difference between baseball and business, however, is that baseball has a truncated outcome distribution. When you swing, no matter how well you connect with the ball, the most runs you can get is four. In business, every once in awhile, when you step up to the plate, you can score 1,000 runs.”
No matter how much you read and discuss, you’re still going to have to spend some time making your own mistakes. If that discourages you, just remember Thomas Edison. It took him more than 50,000 botched experiments to invent the alkaline storage cell battery, and 9,000 to perfect the light bulb. But at his death, he held nearly 1,100 US patents.
Experiments don’t just happen in the “real” world. Our brain has an incredible ability to simulate reality and explore possibilities at a much faster rate and lower cost. Einstein used thought experiments (imagining himself chasing a light beam through space, for instance) to help construct breakthrough scientific theories; you can use them to set your imagination free on slightly smaller conundrums. The journals of Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, and other luminaries aren’t just filled with writing, they’re also filled with sketches and mind maps.
Standup comedy is a far cry from inventing, but experimentation is just as key in the arts as it is in science. Take a star comedian like Chris Rock, for instance. Rock prepares for huge shows in venues such as Madison Square Garden by piecing his routine together in small clubs for months on end, trying out new material and getting instant feedback from audiences (they either laugh or they don’t).
Others use experiments to force them to take on new habits or break unhealthy ones. Iconic producer and writer Shonda Rhimes decided to take on her workaholism and extreme introversion and say yes to everything that scared her in an experiment she called the Year of Yes. Jia Jang confronted the universal fear of rejection with his 100 Days of Rejection project, which he then catalogued on YouTube. College grad Megan Gebhart spent the first year of her career taking one person a week out for coffee; she compiled the lessons she learned in a book called 52 Cups of Coffee. Filmmaker Sheena Matheiken wore the same black dress every day for a year as an exercise in sustainability.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.”
Go ahead, take that hour now
In a world where everyone is speeding up and cramming their schedule to get ahead, the modern knowledge worker should do the opposite: slow down, work less, learn more, and think long-term.
In a world where frantic work is the focus, top performers should focus deliberately on learning and rest. In a world where artificial intelligence is automating more and more of our work, we should unleash our creativity. Creativity is not unleashed by working more, but by working less.
It’s easy to say to yourself, “Sure! Warren Buffett can do it because… well…. he’s Warren Buffett.” But don’t forget that Warren Buffett has had his learning ritual for his entire career, way before he was the Warren Buffett we know today. He could have easily fallen into the trap of the constant “busy-ness,” but instead, he made three crucial decisions:
Ruthlessly remove the busy work in order to rise above incessant urgent deadlines, meetings, and minutiae
Spend almost all of his time on compound time, things that create the most long-term value
Tap dance the work because he leverages his unique strengths and passions
This lifestyle may not happen for you overnight, but in order to leverage compound time, you first need to believe that a lifestyle where you work less but accomplish more is possible and beneficial; that a lifestyle where you ruthlessly focus on your strengths and passions is not only feasible, but necessary.
To get started, follow the 5-hour rule: For an hour a day, invest in compound time: Take that nap, enjoy that walk, read that book, have that conversation. You may doubt yourself, feel guilty or even worry you’re “wasting” time… You’re not! Step away from your to-do list, just for an hour, and invest in your future. This approach has worked for some of the world’s greatest minds. It can work for you, too.
by Michael Simmons
1 note · View note
old-soulless · 7 years
Text
5 Ways to Bring Fun Back to Your Fitness
It’s now summertime, and your gym membership pass stares accusingly at you from on top of the dresser; unused and neglected.
All the admirable intentions that you had at the new year are now distant memories as you suck in your gut and strain to zip up your skinny jeans. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. It’s not that we don’t have the best intentions. It’s just that between work, partners, kids and our busy social lives, there’s barely any time or energy left for meeting your exercise goals. So this begs the question, how can you motivate yourself to go that extra mile and give your body the time and attention it needs in order to keep you healthy? Here are a few ideas:
Bored of being bored cause being bored is boring! So let’s train!
Click to tweet
5 Simple Ideas to Reignite Your Passion for Health and Fitness
#1. Martial Law
Martial arts offer a fantastic way to keep fit and learn useful self-defense skills at the same time. Many modern styles, such as Krav Maga, MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu place heavy emphasis on fitness (strength and conditioning) as a part of the training, so they are always good options to research and consider when looking for a new fitness challenge.
#2. Buddy System
One of the greatest enemies of any fitness program is boredom. Sometimes, the thought of dragging our butts out onto the street to pound the pavement is both lonely and a lackluster proposition. Make a regular time to exercise with a friend or group of friends and presto; you’ve turned it into a social occasion. Whether it’s a walk around the park, run along the beach or group yoga practice, it's less important than having that social element to make your workout something fun to look forward to.
#3. This Time, It’s Personal
They might be a bit on the pricey side, but a skilled personal trainer will not only know how to get you looking and feeling great, but most are expert at motivating clients whose get up and go may have gotten up and left. Most PTs are incredibly passionate about what they and this can be infectious. Depending on your circumstances, you might find that it is well worth the extra expense to see real results.
#4. Active PLAY time
A good friend of mine is a GP and is constantly saying that the secret to weight loss is deceptively simple: eat less and move more. The truth is that he is onto something. Even if you’re not jogging or in the gym, you can still get that heart rate up and burn calories by replacing your sedentary activities with something active.
Rather than taking the kids to the movies or playing video games, why not put the console down and enjoy a hike or nature walk? Meeting friends for coffee? Grab it to go and take a walk along the beach or lake, rather than sitting around trying unsuccessfully not to give in to the temptation of that chocolate Danish in the display counter.
#5. Stand and Deliver
It may come as a surprise to know that simply standing can help you burn significant calories by moderately elevating your heart rate. A 2013 study in the UK found that the difference in the number of calories burned by standing as compared to sitting was 0.7 calories per minute. That might not sound like much, but if you stand for 3 hours a day at work, that adds up to the equivalent of running ten marathons over the course of a year! That’s some serious power!
If you stand for 3 hours a day at work, that adds up to the equivalent of running ten marathons over the course of a year!
Click to tweet
Whatever your weight loss or fitness goals, there are so many ways that you can get yourself back on the right track to healthy awesomeness. Try implementing some one of these 5 ideas and rid yourself of the workout doldrums.
July 07, 2017 at 12:42AM
0 notes
jonathantwatson · 7 years
Text
5 Ways to Bring Fun Back to Your Fitness
It’s now summertime, and your gym membership pass stares accusingly at you from on top of the dresser; unused and neglected.
All the admirable intentions that you had at the new year are now distant memories as you suck in your gut and strain to zip up your skinny jeans. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. It’s not that we don’t have the best intentions. It’s just that between work, partners, kids and our busy social lives, there’s barely any time or energy left for meeting your exercise goals. So this begs the question, how can you motivate yourself to go that extra mile and give your body the time and attention it needs in order to keep you healthy? Here are a few ideas:
Bored of being bored cause being bored is boring! So let’s train!
Click to tweet
5 Simple Ideas to Reignite Your Passion for Health and Fitness
#1. Martial Law
Martial arts offer a fantastic way to keep fit and learn useful self-defense skills at the same time. Many modern styles, such as Krav Maga, MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu place heavy emphasis on fitness (strength and conditioning) as a part of the training, so they are always good options to research and consider when looking for a new fitness challenge.
#2. Buddy System
One of the greatest enemies of any fitness program is boredom. Sometimes, the thought of dragging our butts out onto the street to pound the pavement is both lonely and a lackluster proposition. Make a regular time to exercise with a friend or group of friends and presto; you’ve turned it into a social occasion. Whether it’s a walk around the park, run along the beach or group yoga practice, it's less important than having that social element to make your workout something fun to look forward to.
#3. This Time, It’s Personal
They might be a bit on the pricey side, but a skilled personal trainer will not only know how to get you looking and feeling great, but most are expert at motivating clients whose get up and go may have gotten up and left. Most PTs are incredibly passionate about what they and this can be infectious. Depending on your circumstances, you might find that it is well worth the extra expense to see real results.
#4. Active PLAY time
A good friend of mine is a GP and is constantly saying that the secret to weight loss is deceptively simple: eat less and move more. The truth is that he is onto something. Even if you’re not jogging or in the gym, you can still get that heart rate up and burn calories by replacing your sedentary activities with something active.
Rather than taking the kids to the movies or playing video games, why not put the console down and enjoy a hike or nature walk? Meeting friends for coffee? Grab it to go and take a walk along the beach or lake, rather than sitting around trying unsuccessfully not to give in to the temptation of that chocolate Danish in the display counter.
#5. Stand and Deliver
It may come as a surprise to know that simply standing can help you burn significant calories by moderately elevating your heart rate. A 2013 study in the UK found that the difference in the number of calories burned by standing as compared to sitting was 0.7 calories per minute. That might not sound like much, but if you stand for 3 hours a day at work, that adds up to the equivalent of running ten marathons over the course of a year! That’s some serious power!
If you stand for 3 hours a day at work, that adds up to the equivalent of running ten marathons over the course of a year!
Click to tweet
Whatever your weight loss or fitness goals, there are so many ways that you can get yourself back on the right track to healthy awesomeness. Try implementing some one of these 5 ideas and rid yourself of the workout doldrums.
0 notes