What We Can Learn From Butler Basketball

Saturday evening, the Butler Bulldogs continued one of the most improbable runs in the history of the NCAA men's basketball.  They beat Virginia Commonwealth University to return to the title game that they lost by one shot, just last year.  This year, at least 28 teams were more favored to win the tournament than last year's runner-up, receiving an 8th seed in their region.  But, they are back!  It is a fascinating story, though after watching just about all of the tournament games so far, the reason why is becoming evident.  Butler basketball knows how to win (not in the Charlie Sheen way, but the impressive way).  That sounds cliche.  But, at this point in the tournament, so many talented teams have failed because they lacked the mental, emotional, and team characteristics that Butler possesses. 

We could all learn a few things from how Butler gets things done and apply them to our fitness training.  Here are a few:

1.  Be Smart:  Most of Butler's success is because of Brad Steven's coaching.  He is a smart guy who knows how to put his team in the best position to win.  Most people don't have a smart coach helping them.  Sure there are a number of fitness enthusiasts willing to give you their two cents.  But, high-quality experienced coaching is harder to find, but invaluable.

2.  Do the Little Things Well:  Butler does a great job of consistently executing  fundamentals of basketball.  They run their offense well, box out, rotate on defense, rebound, etc.  These things are often overlooked as we get caught up in talent and athleticism, but usually the team that executes the fundamentals, wins.  How about your training?  Are you executing the fundamentals?  Do you have some basic goals?  Are you consistent with your training?  Is your technique solid?  Do you work on your weaknesses or go straight to your favorites?  If not, then don' ask about fancier training programs or nutritional supplements.  Master the fundamentals, they will take you further than anything else.

3.  Determined and Committed:  Butler demonstrates determination even when they are losing.  They were losing during several games in the tournament and at critical points, but never gave up.  Their body language said it all.  They fought for each possession and never hung their head.  Many other teams gave in before they did.  Are you determined and committed in your training?  Or is training the first thing to go when something else in life comes up?  Are you starting over every six months?  Do you give up because you aren't getting the results as fast as someone else? 

4.  Talent is Overrated:  Don't get me wrong, I do think Butler has many talented basketball players.  Though, they have played against many teams in the tournament with bigger, stronger, faster guys, and still won.  Many teams have lost with NBA lottery draft picks on their roster.  Just proving the point that talent, alone, is not enough to succeed.  You need all the other intangibles.  In fitness, talent is like genetics.  Some people were just dealt a great genetic hand.  They have great bodies and fitness in spite of their less-than-desirable training and nutrition.  Often, we can get frustrated when we compare ourselves to these people.  Though, most people can go very far with their genetic hand and smart, consistent, focused training.  Combined with a supportive environment and caring people, you will be surprised what you can accomplish.

5.  Passion:  Butler basketball is very passion-filled.  Watch a game at Hinkle Fieldhouse and you will agree.  The environment is electric.  The players don't talk a lot of talk, they simply play their hearts out for the love of the game.  How about you?  Is fitness a necessary chore to keep you somewhat healthy?  I am so surprised how many people talk like going to the gym is a chore.  They joke all the time that they would rather be somewhere else, and they are only there out of guilt.  If that is your case, you will never achieve much.  I speak for myself, many clients, and friends.  I love going to the gym to workout and relish the chance to work hard and improve myself.  I am passionate about what I do.  That is why I have been training for the last 18 years and plan to forever.  If you are not passionate, you won't get far.  You need to find a training program you are excited about, find a supportive environment, and surround yourself with great people- like we have at Hubbard Training Systems.   Good times, great results.  That's our new motto.

Is Your Training a Grueling Chore or an Invigorating Passion?

The other day I had a great conversation with a female client of mine about training.  She is an avid runner and is regularly in the gym five to six days per week.  She admits that her frequent training is for managing the stress of her busy life, but also fear.  She fears that if she doesn't keep her training frequency up, she will surely lose strength and gain body fat.  However, I had to explain to her, that she also was hurting her body.  Physically she was suffering chronic injuries, and psychologically she was suffering fear, anxiety, and a lack of self confidence.  I tried to explain to her that there was an optimal training stimulus to improve her strength and fitness, and she was beyond that.  After all, exercise training is a stress and your body has to be able to recover from that stress.  If not, you are not improving your fitness or health (but your weight on the scale may stay down). 

 

A Shift In Perspective

"Often, a shift in perspective makes all the difference in the world.  Don't focus on what you can't do.  Instead, focus on what you can do.  Use that familiarity and confidence as a springboard to pursue the things you didn't think you could do."


Last night I caught "Paralysis" on PBS.  As the title states, the program was about the condition of not being able to consciously use a limb or limbs due to injury or illness.  The program detailed Cody Unser's (daughter of Al Unser, Jr.) paralysis due to Transverse Myelitis, an autoimmune disease that struck her at age 12.  Cody, now 21 years old and a student at the University of Redlands in California, continues to recover from her illness and awaits a cure (with stem cell transplantation).  But, the cool thing about her story is the shift in perspective that she gained from her illness.

Motivation to workout is usually the limiting factor for many people's pursuit of health and performance.  For some it is cyclical, as they go through periods of high motivation, followed by periods of low motivation.  For others it is non-existent.  Your attitude toward training would improve if you had a different perspective.  What if you had to workout everyday for two hours, never getting a day off?  That seems excessive to most of us.  Fourteen hours per week?  Few people do that.  But, that is Cody's life.  She lives alone and is fairly independent.  She does just about everything that you and I do on a daily basis, but with no legs.  She has to bath, get dressed,  go to class, eat, travel, and go to the bathroom without the ability to stand or walk.  She is constantly rowing, dipping, or pressing her body in and out of her wheelchair.  How many sets of dips have you done this week?

The irony is that she is working so hard just to be able to walk like us.  She is not preparing for any athletic event or trying to look better in her jeans.  She just wants to do what we all take for granted; the ability to use our muscles.  So, the next time you feel unmotivated to work out, think of Cory.  Appreciate what your body can do, not what it can't.  Shift your perspective. 

Supplements, Snake Oil, and Pipe Dreams

Americans spent close to $24 billion on dietary supplements in the in 2007, about $1.7 billion went for weight-loss pills, according to Nutrition Business Journal. The FDA regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than those covering "conventional" foods and drug products (prescription and over-the-counter. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed. FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product AFTER it reaches the market. Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements. FDA's post-marketing responsibilities include monitoring safety, e.g. voluntary dietary supplement adverse event reporting, and product information, such as labeling, claims, package inserts, and accompanying literature. The Federal Trade Commission regulates dietary supplement advertising. Dietary supplement manufacturers 'release' themselves of any liability by putting this statement on their products: "This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."

Snake Oil or Potent Drugs?

The FDA's stance is appropriate for vitamins and minerals, but other 'natural' substances (i.e. concentrated plant and herb extracts) can have powerful drug-like effects in our bodies. For example ephedra sinica, a species of ephedral (ma huang), contains the alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which have been found to induce central nervous system stimulation, bronchodilation, and vasoconstriction.

On February 6, 2004 the FDA issued a final rule prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids (ephedra) because such supplements present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury AFTER it had been on the market for years as a weight-loss supplement.

Companies that sold ephedra-containing substances could have just claimed ignorance of ephedra's potent effect on the cardiovascular system. Though, other supplement companies are just blatantly fraudulent. For example, the Los Angeles Times reported that the FDA has issued a serious warning urging consumers to steer clear of bodybuilding supplements advertised as containing steroid-like substances. That is right, the supplements were laced with illegal, anabolic steroids, known to cause kidney failure, major liver damage, and a positive drug screen for unknowing athletes. Although, they were marketed as legal, natural steroid-like compounds (Mark McGwire had these in his locker in 1997).

“A large percentage of these products either contain dangerous undeclared ingredients or they might be outright fraudulent on the ingredients and have no effect at all,” said Michael Levy, the director of the F.D.A.’s division of New Drugs and Labeling Compliance. “We don’t think consumers should be using these products.”

Recently, there was an uproar in the fitness blogs after a report in Consumer Reports showed high levels of toxic, heavy metals in some popular protein shakes and meal replacement supplements.
Here are two examples:

EAS Myoplex: 16.9 micrograms of Arsenic per three servings (max <15 micrograms per day).

Muscle Milk: 13.5 micrograms of Lead per three servings (max <10 micrograms per day).

Pipe Dreams and The Supplement Mentality

So many people are looking for a boost or a short-cut to help improve their body fat, strength, and health. Their deep, intense desire to improve their bodies leaves them vulnerable to the outragious claims made by supplement manufacturers and marketers. Why do so many people, even before they get started on a training program and improve their diet, start taking supplements? They want to believe that the supplement will help them, inspite so much of the research showing a slight or no effect. Why do people continue to buy and take these substances? Is it a placebo or Hawthorne effect (change in a behavior because they believe the supplement is helping them)?

I don't recommend taking any supplements unless your physician has found you are deficient in a nutrient (ie iron for anemia). That way you can verify what you need and have follow-up blood tests to measure levels. Taking extra doses or supra-performance supplements (fat burners & muscle builders) are a waste of money and a risk to your health. I don't recommend them to any clients, even if they did actually work or are from a well-known supplement company and endorsed by professional athletes. You can accomplish all of your health and fitness goals with a sound training program, an appropriate diet, motivation, focus, and time management.

Am I just a cynical trainer just blowing these concerns out of proportion? Not at all. I have first -hand seen people have adverse effects to some of these supplements. In fact, just yesterday I had to help a client keep consciousness after an adverse reaction to a fat burner/appetite suppressant she took prior to her workout (that she took without asking me or her doctor). In what brought back memories of working with critically-Ill cardiac patients, I had to help my client to the floor, keep her from hyper-ventilating, and make sure she stayed conscious, as she became diaphoretic, pallor, clammy, and light-headed after doing only two, easy sets of strength training. After, 15 minutes of providing fluids, checking her pulse and blood pressure, she started to feel better. Thirty minutes later she had a blood pressure of 150/100, very high blood pressure. She agreed to throw that supplement away and never take it again. I think I will remain cynical of any unregulated dietary supplement.

Don't Be Afraid To Struggle

Although we spend our entire lives trying to avoid it, sooner or later we will have to face adversity and struggle. When faced with a tough situation, fear drives us to pick the easy, familiar way. But, every so often we choose the unfamiliar, awkward way. And we struggle. And we learn.
Adversity is a great teacher. To struggle is good. It forces you to try new things, to learn, to focus, to persevere. Struggling helps you to improve, to better yourself. The most important lessons you learn in life are not in the books you read, but in the experiences that you encounter that are hard, awkward, and unfamiliar. The ones where we have to dig down, clench our teach and struggle. And we grow.