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My notes from the 4-Hour Body book by Tim Ferriss

info@delrade.com (Kamil Choleva) — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 17:43:06 GMT

DON’T CONFUSE PHYSICAL RECREATION WITH TRAINING

Physical recreation can be many things: baseball, swimming, yoga, rock- climbing, tipping cows ... the list is endless.

Training, on the other hand, means performing an MED (minimal effective dose) of precise movements that will produce a target change. That’s it. It’s next to impossible to draw cause-and-effect relationships with recreation. There are too many variables.

Effective training is simple and trackable.

Physical recreation is great. People love chasing dogs at the dog parkour or play-fight with their kids. Training in our context, however, is the application of measurable stimuli to decrease fat, increase muscle, or increase performance.

Recreation is for fun. Training is for producing changes. Don’t confuse the two.

Eating more, then less, then more, and so on in a continuous sine wave is (normal and) an impulse we can leverage to reach goals faster. Trying to prevent it—attempting to sustain a reduced-calorie diet, for example—is when yo-yoing becomes pathological and uncontrollable. Scheduling over-eating at specific times, on the other hand, fixes problems instead of creating them.

“Maintaining peak condition year-round is a ticket to the mental ward.”

You can have your cheesecake and eat it too, as long as you get the timing right. The best part is that these planned ups and downs accelerate, rather than reverse, progress.

Forget balance and embrace cycling. It’s a key ingredient in rapid body redesign (transformation).

If you are overweight and your parents are overweight, the inclination is to blame genetics, but this is only one possible explanation.

Did fatness genes get passed on, or was it overeating behaviour? After all, fat people tend to have fat pets.

Even if you are predisposed to being overweight, you’re not predestined to be fat.

People will think that because genes play a role in something, they determine everything. We see, again and again, people saying, “It’s all genetic. I can’t do anything about it.” That’s nonsense. To say that something has a genetic component does not make it unchangeable.

“I just want to be healthy” is not actionable. “I want to increase my HDL cholesterol and improve my time for a one-mile jog (or walk)” is actionable. “Healthy” is subject to the fads and regime du jour. Useless.

Rule #1: It’s not what you put in your mouth that matters, it’s what makes it to your bloodstream. If it passes through, it doesn’t count.

Rule #2: The hormonal responses to carbohydrates (CHO), protein, and fat are different.

One study conducted by Kekwick and Pawan, compared three groups put on calorically equal (isocaloric) semi-starvation diets of 90% fat, 90% protein, or 90% carbohydrate. Though ensuring compliance was a challenge, the outcomes were clearly not at all the same:

1,000 cals. at 90% fat = weight loss of 0.9 lbs. per day
1,000 cals. at 90% protein = weight loss of 0.6 lbs. per day
1,000 cals. at 90% carbohydrate = weight gain of 0.24 lbs. per day

Different sources of calories = different results.

Things that affect calorie allocation—and that can be modified for fat-loss and muscle gain— include digestion, the ratio of protein-to-carbohydrates-to-fat, and timing.

On average, women have less than one-tenth (often less than one-fortieth) the testosterone of men. This biochemical recipe just doesn’t support rapid muscular growth unless you’re an outlier, so that means women don’t need to worry about “getting bulky.”

People suck at following advice. Even the most effective people in the world are terrible at it. There are two reasons:

1. Most people have an insufficient reason for action. The pain isn’t painful enough. It’s a nice- to-have, not a must-have. There has been no epiphany moment that turns a nice-to-have into a must-have.

2. There are no reminders. No consistent tracking = no awareness = no behavioural change. Consistent tracking, even if you have no knowledge of fat-loss or exercise, will often beat advice from world-class trainers.

Tracking even a mediocre variable will help you develop awareness that leads to the right behavioural changes.

We break commitments to ourselves with embarrassing regularity. How can someone trying to lose weight binge on an entire pint of ice cream before bed?

Simple: logic fails.

Think of them as insurance against the weaknesses of human nature—your weaknesses, my weaknesses, our weaknesses:

1. Make it conscious.
2. Make it a game.
3. Make it competitive.
4. Make it small and temporary.

MAKE IT CONSCIOUS: FLASHING AND “BEFORE” PHOTOS

The fastest way to correct a behaviour is to be aware of it in real time, not after-the-fact.

Take photos of your meals or snacks prior to eating. Unlike food diaries, which require time-consuming entries often written long after eating, the photographs act as an instantaneous intervention and force people to consider their choices before the damage is done.

The researchers concluded that photographs are more effective than written food diaries. This is saying something, as prior studies had confirmed that subjects who use food diaries lose three times as much weight as those who don’t.

…those who experienced the most dramatic changes credited the “before” photographs with adherence to the program.

Get an accurate picture of your baseline. It will look worse than you expect. This need not be bad news. Ignoring it won’t fix it, so capture it and use it.

MAKE IT A GAME

Put numerical goals alongside individual performance numbers around your working environment. Combine daily goals and public accountability with daily rewards and public recognition.

..productivity went up with each change… It turned out that, with each change, the workers suspected they were being observed and therefore worked harder. This phenomenon—also called the “observer effect”

…results can be condensed into a simple equation: measurement = motivation.

Seeing progress in changing numbers makes the repetitive fascinating and creates a positive feedback loop. …the act of measuring is often more important than what you measure!

It’s critical that you measure something. But that begets the question: to replace self- discipline, how often do you need to record things?

The magic number is five

“We are what we do repeatedly.” A mere five times (five workouts, five meals, five of whatever we want) will be our goal.

When in doubt, “take five” is the rule.

3. MAKE IT COMPETITIVE

…fear of loss is the winner.

Examining random 500-person samples from the 500,000+ users of DailyBurn, a diet and exercise tracking website, those who compete against their peers in “challenges” lose an average of 5.9 pounds more than those who do not compete.

There is another phenomenon that makes groups an ideal environment for change: social comparison theory. In plain English, it means that, in a group, some people will do worse than you (“Sarah lost only one pound—good for me!”) and others will do better (“Mike’s nothing special. If he can do it, so can I.”). Seeing inferior performers makes you proud of even minor progress, and superior performers in your peer group make greater results seem achievable.

Embrace peer pressure. It’s not just for kids.

4. MAKE IT SMALL AND TEMPORARY

1. Do I really look like that in underwear?

Take digital photos of yourself from the front, back, and side. Wear either underwear or a bathing suit. Not eager to ask a neighbour for a favour? Use a camera with a timer or a computer webcam like the Mac iSight. Put the least flattering “before” photo somewhere you will see it often: the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, dog’s forehead, etc.

2. Do I really eat that?

Use a digital camera or camera phone to take photographs of everything you eat for 3–5 days, preferably including at least one weekend day. For sizing, put your hand next to each item or plate in the photographs. For maximum effect, put these photos online for others to see.

3. Who can I get to do this with me?

Find at least one person to engage in a friendly competition using either total inches (TI) or body-fat percentage. Weight is a poor substitute but another option. Use competitive drive, guilt, and fear of humiliation to your advantage. Embrace the stick. The carrot is overrated.

4. How do I measure up?

Get a simple tape measure and measure five locations: both upper arms (mid-bicep), waist (horizontal at navel), hips (widest point between navel and legs), and both legs (mid-thigh). Total these numbers to arrive at your total inches (TI). I’m telling you again because I know you didn’t do it after the last chapter. Get off your ass and get ’er done. It

again because I know you didn’t do it after the last chapter. Get off your ass and get ’er done. It takes five minutes.

5. What is the smallest meaningful change I can make?

Make it small. Small is achievable. For now, this means getting started on at least two of the above four steps before moving on. The rest and best is yet to come.

Establish a Few New Nutritional Habits.

info@delrade.com (Kamil Choleva) — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 07:57:32 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

This week I'd like you to think about and apply some of these health-enhancing simple nutritional tips below.

Start with just one week plan and see how it goes. Don't beat yourself up if you don't follow everything, even if you follow just a few things, it helps.

The focus is on upgrading your sources of protein and the goal is to support your mental resilience and gut health.

Here is what I’d like you to do.

1. Aim for no more than a third of your plate to be a source of protein. Limit eating animal based protein to a maximum of twice a day.

2. Aim to eat oily fish 4 times a week. Opt for ‘wild’ whenever possible. If it’s farmed, try to find organic sources. It might cost a little bit more, but it’s better to eat small amounts of good quality than larger amounts of cheap low quality food.

3. Eat red meat once a week. The best source is grass fed and organic. Again, you want to aim to eat organic to avoid consuming meat that is contaminated with hormones and antibiotics.

4. Aim to eat an egg a day. Choose free range and organic brands.

5. Eat free-range organic poultry approximately 4 times a week.

6. Support your local butcher, fish monger and farmers. The quality of meat they sell tends to be better than supermarkets. They’ll also be able to answer any questions you may have about the livestock.

7. Vegetarians should aim to supplement their protein sources by combining plants to reach a complete essential amino acid profile. Really good protein sources to include are peas, hemp, tofu, eggs, quinoa and lentils.

Here are some simple protein upgrades for beginners:

If you:

Eat processed, ready-made burgers & sausages

Swap to:

Homemade burgers and organic sausages

If you:

Eat standard chicken, beef, turkey, pork etc.

Swap to:

Organic, grass fed and free range alternatives. Try eating less to balance costs.

If you:

Eat fish fingers, cod, haddock and other meaty fish

Swap to:

Oily wild or organic fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring and anchovies

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A GOOD PERSONAL TRAINER?

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:04:09 GMT

What would be the most important factors for you when choosing a personal trainer? What criteria do you have for them or what qualities must they have in your view?

In my view, it should be someone who will help you achieve your goals faster, more effectively, with a lasting impact on your health and fitness and while you are enjoying the process.

You may want to work with a personal trainer to

1) Loose weight or body fat;

2) Get stronger;

3) Learn and practice some specific skills, like lifting weights/ Olympic weightlifting or to do a handstand;

4) Get fit and build aerobic capacity for your favourite sport;

5) Improve your diet and health in general, look and feel better;

6) Or to get help with anything else - there are endless reasons…

The reason ‘why’ will be different for everyone but after being in this game for over 15 years there are some common qualities which I believe a great trainer should have.

1. Leading By Example And Being An Inspiration To Their Clients.

Firstly, I think every trainer should look and act like a trainer. Trainers should be a walking example of a healthy, fit and strong person. Not all clients have to want to look like their trainer but they should be able to respect the trainer for walking the talk and putting in the necessary effort and discipline to be a proven example. It should all come from the trainer’s deep passion and enjoyment for their craft.

The trainer is then a great inspiration to their clients who should feel empowered in the trainer’s presence.

2. Having A Proven Track Record - Proven Methods & Consistent Clients Results.

If I were to hire a trainer or a coach, I’d also like to see at least a few examples that this trainer has been able to help someone in my position, with the same problem, before I start to work with them. I’d like to see that the trainer has proven methods to deliver results consistently with the majority of their clients. Not only does this coach have an effective program but is also able to implement the necessary life changes and new habits with their clients. This proves that they are adaptable and able to work with a variety of different people.

3. Psychology, Awareness, Coaching And Communication.

Point two brings me to the point three because it’s very related. It’s not enough to be knowledgeable and know your stuff but the trainer has to be a great communicator, educator and coach. He/she has to understand their individual clients and the psychology - every client has different push buttons which activate them and different mindsets on life.

It is an art of a fully present, aware and “switched-on” trainer to identify what ‘makes them tick’ and truly understand what ‘moves the needle’ towards the client’s improvement or transformation.

Being able to clearly communicate and simplify things for the client is an essential quality of a coach. And lastly in this point, a trainer should ask good questions which make the client wonder, realise and/or even shift a perspective if that’s what’s needed. Not just instructing and directing their clients which puts them in a passive role. Sometimes, with the coach’s guidance, let them come up with their own solutions.

4. Being Hungry To Learn And Acquire Knowledge.

If the trainer has all three qualities above then another important one is having the knowledge, being educated in their area and ‘know their stuff’. At least in the specific field he/she is specialising in.

Learning and education is essential in growing and developing as a coach and not just being stuck in their old ways forever. Things are evolving and developing in the world of fitness, training, nutrition, psychology and habit creation, so it’s necessary that the coach is interested to improve and learn.

5. Being Humble.

Point four brings me to the importance of the trainer being humble and his/her ability to admit if they were doing something wrong or having the wrong beliefs about something. Are they humble enough to admit if they were wrong (and learn from it)? Are they humble enough to say that they are always a student? Even after being in the fitness business for 2 decades?

6. Support and Having A Positive And Uplifting Attitude In General.

Of course, in my view, the trainer should be able to uplift and support their clients on a consistent basis. On good days as well as on bad days. On those client’s bad days is particularly essential that the coach has a positive and uplifting attitude. In these tough times the importance and the value of a trainer or coach really shows. A great trainer always offers a big support and is there when it’s needed.

7. Good Sense For Challenging The Client And Tailored Individualised Program.

This point relates to point three. When a great coach or trainer understands their clients well, he/she can develop a very tailored and individualised program to each client. Every client has a different level of ‘being pushed’. Some want to be pushed really hard and some not. It’s a fine art to get their clients to such an ideal spot where everything meets - being pushed just enough to grow and get better but still enjoy it and feel energised.

8. Keeping Clients Accountable, Measure And Track The Progress.

It us obvious that it’s crucial to assess, test, measure, track progress and keep accountability with your client, but you would be surprised how many trainers are just training their clients during that hour in the gym or video call but not following up, not regularly test things, not measure and track enough areas and therefore not consciously aim to hit the client’s goal effectively enough.

9. Always Being Professional.

Starting a session on time, look the part when conducting a session with a client, keeping booked and agreed dates and times as much as possible, not being sick often and cancelling, not being too judgemental when the client shares things, keep calm and collected …and many other things which makes a trainer professional.

I’m sure there are more qualities and skills to a great personal trainer but these 9 areas came to my mind as very important and cover a decent amount for you as a client. These are points to look at and be aware of when picking your next personal trainer.

I can be contacted for more information on info@delrade.com

I would be happy to hear from you.

Kamil Choleva

W.I.S.E.R. – 5 WAYS TO EXPERIENCE TIME

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 10:04:10 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating well or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

It’s important that we are aware of where and how we spend our time. If we are not intentional about allocating time, we can easily fall in to trap of just getting constantly distracted by something or reacting to anything what is happening around us.

People around us like co-workers, friends or family will always place some time related demands on us and will want something from us. Similarly, we are bombarded daily by information, advertisement, social media and news from left, right and centre so unless we are crystal clear about where we want to spend our time on, in any particular moment of the day, we will randomly fly like a leaf in the wind – hopping from one thing to another. And hardly accomplish anything.

Rob Moore in his book ‘Routine = Results’ uses an acronym WISER to breakdown our time-spending into 5 types:

W – wasting your time,

I – investing your time,

S – spending your time,

E – enjoying your time, and

R – time spend resting.

It’s a good way to start breaking time down.

WASTE:

We all know when we waste our time. It’s usually when we binge on social media, watching too much Netflix, news or consuming irrelevant information. We waste our time also when we hang around negative people who just complain all the time, when we argue, when we are being defensive, jealous, envious, engaged in unnecessarily worry, procrastinate or doing things we strongly dislike. We usually try to distract ourselves. It could be to avoid pain we experience or just delay important work we set ourselves to do. Nevertheless, we feel a frustration and guilt that comes after such waste of time.

INVEST:

We invest our time when we engage in activity which gives us recurring and residual benefit. ‘Use’ the time once, and ‘earn’ on it on an ongoing basis. It’s time that gives security, freedom, leverage and fulfilment. This could be raising our kids, social or family time you enjoy which deepens our relationships, planning, investing money, building a business, creating systems, hiring, leading and inspiring people, creating quality content which will last, education or philanthropy. It gives us a physical or emotional ongoing return.

SPEND:

Spent time is time that gives us some return, but no ongoing, residual benefit. This is often time spent on doing necessary things, like working for a living, house and DIY jobs/chores, taxi-ing the kids to their activities, commuting and more. If we can turn some of our spent time into invested time, then we will preserve the precious commodity that continually counts down throughout our life.

ENJOY:

This is time for doing what we love: time to play, travel and create; time to exercise, learn, read and socialise. Whatever it means to us. A well balanced life will enable us to merge our invested and enjoyed time together – to do what we love, and love what we do. To merge our passion and profession, vocation and vacation. It is possible, if we plan our life in the right way.

REST:

We all need time to rest and recover, as long as it doesn’t drift off into wasted time. Sometimes rest time can be invested time, like strategy, planning, setting goals or going on ‘off-grid’ holidays. Or it can be pure rest like time with loved ones – time to recharge, plan, think, make space, observe, calibrate and be present to breathe in everything that gives life colour and meaning.

STAY AWARE of where you spend your time – you are a master of your time destiny, as long as you know the difference between busy, efficient and effective.

WHY A BODY TRANSFORMATION IS NOT JUST A BODY TRANSFORMATION.

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 09:04:09 GMT

Simple. It’s not JUST a body transformation because if you want to transform your body you have to cultivate other traits and areas. You work on your mental aspect, on your character, on your behaviour and also on your daily habits.

All these elements form you in some way and I would even say that these changes you have to make are IMPROVING you in many positive ways. Far more than in just the physical area.

This transformation is holistic and eclectic, not just physical. It’s a great test of your discipline, commitment to a goal, consistency, resilience and in-advance preparation. You are also learning and practicing new skills – what are the healthy foods and why they are healthy; understanding macronutrients and the ratios in between them; learning what effect foods have on you – in terms of energy, mood, recovery & rest, drives and mental focus.

You understand training sessions, programming and movement better. You start to FEEL what effect the training has on you mentally and physically. Besides the obvious health benefits, walking leaner and lighter, you build self-respect, respect of others, pride in your accomplishment, competence through the process and very importantly, confidence/ self-esteem. You feel much better and you also look much better. You look better in clothes or without!

You know it ‘cost’ you effort and sacrifice but you now know it was worth it. You know it’s deserved, you earned it. So you can reap the benefits now.

I recommend it to everyone. It’s more than just a body transformation, it’s a life changer if you do it right.

If you feel and (deep inside) know it’s time to improve your current situation, get in touch. As a coach I will work with you using a holistic approach.

kamilcholeva.com

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