Relaxation and Weight Training, a historical observation

I was doing a bit of reading the other day and came across a weight lifting training manual published in India in the 1930's (http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Sengupta/sen-intro.htm). Interestingly, it turns out weight training has a long history in India, with formal training programs using various apparatus documented as far back as 1100 CE. Along with the weight lifting, they practiced what came to be called muscle controlling. In modern bodybuilding, this would be the skill of flexing the muscles to enhance their appearance and display during posing competition.

In ancient India, one would practice weight training for some period and after the muscles showed development, then muscle controlling would be added to the training. What I found most fascinating in this publication was that the first lesson in muscle controlling was to learn to relax all the muscles in the body thoroughly. Only after one learned relaxation, could one proceed to learn flexing. It was believed that proper relaxation helped muscle development and health, and made it possible to finely control which muscles were flexed and to what degree.

Perhaps Tai Chi ought to be in the toolbox of every weight lifting athlete today.

Use the Mind (yi) instead of Force (li).
If you use Mind, and not Force, then the Mind goes to a place in the body and the Internal Energy follows it. The Internal Energy and the blood circulate. If you do this every day and never stop, after a long time you will have nei jing [Real Internal Strength]. The T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics say, "when you are extremely soft, you become extremely hard and strong." Someone who has extremely good T'ai Chi Ch'uan kung fu has arms like iron wrapped with cotton and the weight is very heavy. As for the external schools, when they use Force, they reveal Force. When they don't use Force, they are too light and floating. Their Power is external and locked together. The Force of the external schools is easily led and moved, and not to be esteemed.

- Yang's Ten Principles of Tai Chi (http://sites.google.com/site/taichiplay/tai-chi-literature/yangs-ten-principles)

Erg Sprints 2010 Results

I neglected to mention that I achieved a couple fitness goals at the Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints, 30 January 2010. I achieved a personal best in the Veteran Men (55-59 yo) 2000m sprint at 7:52.0. I finished last in the field, but it was expected. This was my first foray into indoor rowing competition after taking up the erg 1 year ago. It was a big improvement in time over the course of the year. Who knows? With another year of steady training, I might even get to a respectable time. Course next year, I'll move up to the 60-65 age group and there is at least one competitor there who rows sub-7 (minute) times, so I've a lot of work ahead.

All in all a great experience. We had about 4 inches of snow that day, but in spite of the weather, there were hundreds of competitors and stands full of spectators cheering on their favorite son's and daughters.

Keep on Keeping on

At the age of 62, Chuck Yeager (Retired USAF General and the man who broke the sound barrier, among other accomplishments) said:

“You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up…I know too many people who have erected barriers, real brick walls, just because they have gray hair, and prematurely cut off themselves from lifelong enjoyments by thinking, ‘I’m too old to do this or that-that’s for younger people.’ Living to a ripe old age is not an end in itself; the trick is to enjoy the years remaining. And unlike flying, learning how to take pleasure from living can’t be taught. Unfortunately, many people do not consider fun an important item on their daily agenda. For me, that was always high priority in whatever I was doing…

I’m definitely not a rocking-chair type. I can’t sit around, watch television, get fat, and fade out. And there’s so much more I want to do; I’ve never lost my curiosity about things that interest me…I haven’t yet done everything, but by the time I’m finished, I won’t have missed much. If I auger in tomorrow, it won’t be with a frown on my face. I’ve had a ball.”  - Chuck Yeager

Chuck Yeager is still kicking around at 86.

Another former Air Force flight surgeon, founder of the Cooper Institute and the man who coined the word "Aerobics", said:

"We do not stop exercising because we grow old. We grow old because we stop exercising."

 Keep practicing Tai Chi daily and continue to enjoy life.

Mid Atlantic Erg Sprints

Not a Tai Chi, but fitness oriented post.

The Mid Atlantic Erg Sprints (http://www.ergsprints.com/) will be held Saturday, 30 Jan 2010. First events kick off at 0800 and run till about 1600. I've signed up for the Veterans (55-59) 2000 meter. I expect to come in last, since I've only been rowing seriously about 10 months so I haven't developed sufficient technique or fitness to start producing really competitive times yet. However, the experience will be worthwhile and next year maybe I can move up...

The Mid Atlantics are one of the satellite regattas for the CRASH-B.sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships (http://www.crash-b.org/) to be held in Boston,MA on 14 Feb 2010.

So if you are in the DC area during that time, come on out and see the events or perhaps sign up to compete.