Roadbud » Workout hacks

Eight steps to become superhuman

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:09:32 +0000

Turning superhuman: no cape required

Our species is wired for quick feedback loops. We’re compelled towards tiny victories. Some fancy-pants professors link this compulsion to pleasure centers in the brain. I prefer the simple explanation: quick achievement is fun.

Quick response and useful targets create stunning results. Take classic biofeedback – watching your pulse rate change as you try to relax. I mastered stress reduction in a half hour with a heartbeat monitor. I’m now able to will my pulse to 40 bpm.

Unfortunately, most worthy goals take gigantic effort before progress is visible. Want to become a heart surgeon? Count on an easy ten years of schooling after college.

Even weight loss takes weeks of effort before your pants feel looser. Meanwhile, tasty french fries beckon.

Slow response and progress is frustrating. So we prefer to spend time playing trivial games with quick feedback. We’ll do anything for the pleasure of the near target, no matter how meaningless.

Witness the millions of hours spent playing Minesweeper. No Minesweeper champion will ever achieve fame, earn more money, or get the girl. But bored office workers play on.

Whether it’s pornography, sugary snacks, or watching TV, you can bet on some quick reward overruling our long-term plans. And it plays out this way across the human race.

How can we use our primal psychological “flaws” in our favor?

Transform small steps into goals. Math geniuses worked out their homework because each lesson was a fun puzzle. Kids achieve athletic greatness by starting with physical play.
My ultimate athletic goal is to achieve flow. I break this into smaller goals until I find one that works for me: five short runs per week -> getting out and finishing a single run -> speed for my first five minutes.
Keep score. It’s so gratifying to see progress in my running log over the past months. Even the declines motivate me to run harder.
Measure everything you can. If it’s important, score it. Especially if it’s easy to measure. Bob Walsh at StartupToDo is even helping businesses by scoring startups as they move from idea to product.
Play games. Can you sprint past the dogwalker by the end of the song you’re listening to? Get creative.
Lots of little games. A long run has only one game – how fast did I run? Good, but add some sprints, think about even splits, etc.
Get pleasure while you make progress. Running partners are effective for many people because they enjoy the comradery for its own sake.
Tune your head to gauge progress. I’ve noticed many subtle signals since paying attention. Food tastes better, my running gait feels more natural, I’m less grumpy – the list goes on. You will have your own list if you look.
Increase the reward. Never buy anything simply because you want it. Instead, give yourself treats (new dri-fit shirt, iTunes song, etc.) when you do something important, but hard to otherwise exult in. The goal shouldn’t be big – maybe just a single workout.

There’s huge power in reducing the gap between quick feedback and useful goals – in any part of your life. Channel this effect and turn superhuman.

What do you think? Am I missing the point or taking it too far? Leave a comment and join the conversation.

Workout hack 6 – great music

Mike — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:59:34 +0000

Dave Brubeck Quartet

The Greeks connected athletics and music in ancient times. Hermes not only played a mean lyre – he watched out for runners. The Olympics were packed with music. And armies were marching to drums well before then.

Music has the power to carry you away from your exertion. The rhythm almost moves your legs for you. Good songs let you forget you’re working out. And great music inspires you to push harder.

Worthy exercise songs are fast-paced, but not frantic. I’ve tried free PodRunner workout music, but it’s like life inside the Bruno soundtrack. Running music can be anything – jazz, rock, hiphop, Mozart. It just has to be music first.

I can sympathize with purists who enjoy silent running. Yesterday, a flock of Canada Geese lifted off beside the running trail – wings beating louder than you can imagine. But music really is that good. Try an iPod or iPhone for a week before you write off the idea.

Free advice: don’t bike with music – it interferes with road safety.

Workout hack 5 – catch some rest

Mike — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:57:06 +0000

iPhone nap timer

Sometimes it’s what you do when you’re not working out. Everyone needs sleep to stay healthy – especially if exercise pushes your body into repairing itself. Thomas Edison claimed to sleep only four hours per night and some people experiment with even less.

Most people need 7-9 hours – including me.

Unfortunately, I’ve been working heaps. Between work and the rest of life, I’m getting up earlier and earlier. This morning, it was 4AM.

I keep a close watch on myself for sleep deprivation. Not just drowsiness. Also that throat tickle when a cold is coming on.

There’s an answer: treat yourself to an occasional siesta. The first time I catnapped, I could not believe how refreshed I felt afterwards. Of course, naps seem wildly impractical and a little too luxurious.

You can’t just nap in the middle of the workday.

What if someone finds you sleeping?
What if you oversleep?
What if you can’t fall asleep?

Your iPhone can help.

If you can’t close an office door, head out to your car at lunch and lean the seat back
Open the clock app and set the timer to thirty minutes
Play some music (I love using Portishead) through your earbuds
The timer finishes – the music goes soft and your alarm plays through the headphones

You’ll wake up immediately – feeling great. The second time you try this, you’ll fall asleep smoothly knowing you’ll wake up on the dot.

Workout hack 4 – dilute your efforts

Mike — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:02:16 +0000

BoSox catcher Hick Cady wins foot race, 1912

The classic advice was to focus, focus, focus. If you’re a cyclist, bike more miles. If you swim, swim more laps.

Many experts now think it’s better to switch activities. A terrific running book from Bill Pierce, Scott Murr, and Ray Moss suggests three runs and two cross-training (maybe biking) days per week.

There are a few good reasons for this.

Mixing it up pushes your body, but doesn’t repeat the same exact motions. You’re a lot less likely to suffer repetitive stress injuries.
Everyone hits peaks and slumps. If you push yourself in multiple sports, you’re bound to rock one of them.
Life is too short for monotony. It’s more fun to get a little variety by breaking up the routine. And fun equals fast.

This concept works on a larger scale too. Nobody gets a personal best every day. If you try to excel in a few different areas, you’ll hit your stride in one of them. Success somewhere keeps your head higher everywhere. Make sure you’re giving a good shot in everything important to you – work, school, friends, family, hobbies, whatever. That extra mental confidence will help when you’re digging deep in a sprint.

Workout hack 3 – got a light?

Mike — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:36:56 +0000

Alarm + flashlight

The best hacks use gear you already own to handle other jobs. One way to keep your life simple is pushing your phone to do more than place calls. Unfortunately, most phones induce an aneurysm by the time you simply take a photo. And each extra annoyance makes that workout one notch less likely. The iPhone is the only cellphone I’ve used that doesn’t tax my brain.

Do you wake up super-early to exercise? You don’t want to wake anyone by turning on lights. But how do you find your clothes? Use your phone display.

You just turned off your alarm. Now point the phone toward your closet. The screen has a small fluorescent inside. Low-intensity, but bright enough to root around for a sweatshirt.

Bonus points: lay your clothes out in a neat pile the night before. You’ll be outside before you’re alert enough to protest the early hour.

Workout hack 2 – pick a friend

Mike — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:31:02 +0000

I play by myself

One of the most powerful workout hacks is to rely on your friends. I built running into a regular habit when I finally tried this one.

Find someone at your level and promise to meet up with them at specific times on scheduled days. The commitment is important – nobody wants to break a promise to someone else.

Friends push each other for more. It’s also just fun to gab while hammering up a hill.

Even if you exercise alone, tell your friends. Knowing they will ask (or rib) you about it keeps you on track.

Don’t have any friends?

Buy a dog.

On a serious note, dogs are even better than people because they’re always grateful for a walk or run. If you don’t want the hassle of owning a pet, stop by the animal shelter and volunteer to give one of their dogs some exercise.

Artistic credit: my younger daughter, currently auditioning for the role of Jack Torrance in The Shining.

Workout hack 1 – get a good alarm clock

Mike — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:25:54 +0000

iPhone alarm

The worst part of exercise is getting out the door. Wake up, check the weather, dig around for clothes, lace up. There’s a lot of friction before you’re just doing it.

Workout hacks make it easier to get out there. Here’s a neat one, but it’s subtle.

Most people have complicated lives. This translates into varying workout times on different days. Maybe you walk with a friend some days or you sleep in on the weekend. Personally, I would rather make waffles for the kids on Sunday mornings and fit in a bike ride later.

Most alarm clocks are built for simple lives. They clang the same time every day. The few that handle different days need an operating manual and a black seal boiler license to set.

Some people leave the alarm on every day and wake up when they’d rather sleep in. Worse, some struggle to set their clock the night before. They have that uneasy nagging feeling at night and sometimes forget the alarm.

I rely on my iPhone clock. Simple to set – and it only alarms when I need it. Sure, I pay extortionate rates to the phone company, but the clock comes gratis. And it just works.

If you have any non-iPhone tricks for this problem, please talk it up in the comments.