17
Nov
Add 20kg (44lbs) to Your Lift in 8 Weeks (Smolov Squat Experience Update 3)
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Smolov squat experience update 3

My deadlift max has jumped 15kg without performing a deadlift rep

Half-way through the Smolov squat cycle and the results are looking positive! Last week I finished the Base Mesocycle, which meant it was time to test my 1 rep max.

When testing your 1 rep max, you need to warm up and at the same time not fatigue yourself. This often means 1-2 reps max of a lower weight working your way up to peek. Use your intuition of how you feel to gauge the increments of adding weight.

Be smart by testing with a training partner who can spot you. There’s nothing worse when pumping iron than crumbling under weight and getting stuck. You’ll probably break a bone, tear a ligament, and get a shot of humiliation. One guy I know tested his dumbbell bench press and got a few fractures on his face.

My overall goal for the 13 week cycle was to add 25kgs (55lbs). I wanted to go from 100kg to 125kg. I started the testing aiming for 110kg having warmed up from 70kg. Bam, 110kg felt easy. Perfect form. So 10 more kilos went straight on the bar. The barbell came off the rack. It felt good on the shoulders. Down I went into the lowest point of the squat position. Straight back up I came, yet half a foot up… I was stuck for 0.1 of a second. I momentarily freaked out yet managed to complete a rep with good form.

I may have been able to do more, but as with most testing and especially the squat, it’s better to be safe. I was satisfied anyway.

So there you have it. 20 kilos to my squat in 8 weeks when I haven’t increased my squat for almost 2 years. I thought it was impossible. Who said you have to believe to achieve…

Curious about my deadlift, I tested that as well and added 15 kilos to it when I haven’t deadlifted at all since starting the squat program.

Maybe it’s possible to add 100lbs to your squat in 13 weeks. My new goal is 135kg.

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15
Oct
7 Tips to Recover Fast From Training to Double Your Results (Plus Smolov Squat Experience Update 2)
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Smolov squat experience

There’s 6 techniques aside from stretching that improve your body’s ability to recover
(photo courtesy of Flavio@Flickr)

The Smolov squat cycle is the toughest training program I’ve done to date. Squats are simply brutal because they hit every big muscle in the body. Combine that with 2 days between heavy squats and you get lifts with sore muscles.

Training breaks down muscle tissue. Recovery is where 95% of your time is spent and where your results come from. The pumped feeling and look you get after the gym is only from heightened blood flow. Post workout your muscles are actually at their weakest. Ah, the gym: the only place where people go to spend money with the intention to get further away from their goals.

This post covers what I do to minimize soreness and improve my results after intense training. All athletes, gym-goers, and others whose body is of importance for physical performance should follow these protocols for faster recovery.

1. Hydrotherapy

That’s a fancy name for hot-cold oscillations. If you’re hardcore, do ice baths and hot showers, but most of us normal people with feelings can use a cold and hot shower instead.

This is where an adjustable shower head comes in handy. Turn on only the cold water and put up with it for 40 seconds. If you’re scared of cold water like me, apply it directly on the muscles you work out instead of your whole body.

Next, turn up the water temperature to a safe hot level. Do that for 3 minutes. Go back to cold again for 40 seconds and alternate however many times you think is necessary.

Get out of the shower and I guarantee you’ll feel tingly and invigorated all over! I recommend you do this each time you have a shower, not just post workout. You’ll just feel better.

2. Stretch

Stretching disentangles muscle fibers much like pulling on a wrinkled shirt. Aligned muscle tissue means better performance and nutrient flow. It also helps flush out lactic acid like hydrotherapy. And more commonly known, you’ll keep a healthy range of motion in the muscle.

The standing glute stretch is one of my favorite stretches. Hip stretches are generally a great idea for anyone who regularly sits a desk to get good posture and manage lower back pain. You can search Google for good stretches if there’s a muscle group you don’t know how to target or you want to try a different stretch.

3. Foam roll

Foam rolling is self-myofacial release. It’s basically a cheap and easy self-massage. You can learn more about it here.

I’m not going to lie, foam rolling is painful. The more painful it is for you, the more indicative you need it. The trick is to find a sore spot and hold it for several minutes until the pain goes away then move on until you find another muscle knot. During the Smolov squat program, I’m trying to roll my quads for 30 minutes a day because they’re the most painful part for me.

I was going to include a massage as a recovery tip but few people have the luxury to afford a regular one. The effects are the same. Maybe you can treat yourself to a massage as a reward for finishing a training program. Whatever helps you justify the pleasure. :-)

Watch the great video below for ways to best use a foam roller.

The video begins with some ways to use what’s called a trigger ball shared in my next tip.

4. Use a trigger ball

A trigger ball is a little prickly bugga you’ll come to hate. It’s basically a small rubber ball with spikes that costs a few dollars. If you don’t have one, it’s worth the investment, but a tennis ball could supplement it if you’re a beginner.

Use it much like a foam roller. I primarily use it on my glutes because it hits the area so well. Here’s a video of beasty NFL trainer Joe DeFranco using a ball for myofasical release in the glutes:

If the first exercise is too painful, you can put your foot on the ground to lessen pressure.

5. Eat a cow

Or down cycles of quality protein to rebuild damaged tissue from exercise. I supplement with Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard straight after workouts and before bed. ON Gold is touted as the number one supplement on bodybuilding.com for years. Not bad for a product in a volatile industry.

6. Move around

Sport nerds call it “active recovery”. I call it “don’t sit on your ass”. Increased blood flow carries vital nutrients to hasten body repair. 30 years ago doctors prescribed rest for everything. Sprained your ankle? Rest. Had your arm operated on? Rest.

Research today has found rest (read, unused muscles) to be detrimental in full recovery because of muscular deterioration and immobility. Break your wrist, get your arm in a sling, and you may get a frozen shoulder from not using your shoulder! My Dad had lumbar vertebrae surgery last week and had to exercise 3 hours following the operation.

7. Sleep

Train hard then on the following nights sleep for 4 hours and you’ll notice extended soreness and muscular fatigue compared to 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep. For tips to get a good sleep, I actually have a post on that!

Smolov Updates

It’s fitting to include a post on recovery as the second update to my Smolov squat experience because as mentioned in the first update, recovery seems to be key in this cycle (like it should be in most training programs).

The first week was difficult squatting with sore muscles. I’ve never done that before as I’ve always allowed muscle soreness to go away before lifting. I’ll admit I’m guilty of not following everything in this post to improve recovery. Bad boy!

I lifted 85 kilos quiet comfortably at the end of the first cycle. I feel I could break my 1 rep max of 100kg already. Sweet!

Just quietly, I’m one day behind because I (innocently) thought the second cycle started a day later than it did. Shouldn’t matter. The extra day of rest won’t hurt.

If you missed it, you can checkout the first post of my Smolov squat experience.

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28
Sep
Smolov Squat Experience: Adding 100 Pounds to My Squat in 3 Months
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Smolov squat experience

Day 1 of my Smolov squat experience

My legs are shaking already. I almost quit the Smolov squat cycle as soon as I started. More about my interesting day 1 completed today later in this introduction post.

What is the Smolov Squat Cycle

It’s a hardcore squat routine (Russian of course) designed by Sergey Smolov. When I say hardcore, it’s hardcore. You can read more about the cycle from Mehdi Hadim over at StrongLifts.

The cycle goes for 13 weeks. See my entire 13 week plan. It’s basically split into 4 cycles of squatting, squatting, and more squatting.

I started on the 28th of September 2011. I don’t know if I’ll stick to the full 3 month program – who knows what will come up on my calender – yet I’m committed to at least the first cycle, which is 4 weeks. Posting about it here almost live is sure to motivate me. I certainly don’t want to quit in-front of my blog readers ;-)

The Goal

I’m no bodybuilder or powerlifter. Look at me:

Skinny kid starting the Smolov squat cycle

Okay, it’s not really me. A day 1 pic is at the start of this post.

I’m 6’9″ and have struggled to increase strength and size (er-erm, muscle size) for years. As you see in my plan linked above, my current 1 rep max for the squat is 100kg. That’s ass to parallel with pretty good form. It ain’t easy moving all that weight the distance I have to lift it!

Though some people have supposedly added 100 pounds to their squat, I have a goal of half that. So the low down is: my current 1rm is 100kg (220lb) with the goal of 125kg (about 275lb).

Why 55 pounds in 3 months? I may be limiting myself by setting a smaller goal, but it’s believable to me. This is based on SMART goal-setting. It’s pushing my attainable factor as I’ve never made those gains before, but I believe it’s possible.

If I squat 125kg by the end of the year, I’ll do something to celebrate with you! Ideas?

Day 1 Reflections

I haven’t squatted for 8 months because of the basketball season here in Australia has just ended. I could of squatted light in-season, but chose not to because I figured I’d retain most of my strength and size over the period, which did happen.

So day 1 began today in my small home gym. It’s a good period for me to start because you should do the cycle when you have no other physical requirements like sport otherwise you’ll over-train.

As I lifted the barbell for my second set of the day, I felt soreness on the inside of my left and right hamstrings. “What! Already? You’ve hardly started and you’re already questioning whether you should do the second set which is suppose to be easy.” Not a good sign.

I paused with the weight on my shoulders considering if I should do the second set. I didn’t go ahead. At least not yet.

In the past I would’ve called it a day. But I knew I had to do something different if I was to get different results. I don’t know my limits, I don’t know what would happen if I kept squatting. Would I tear my hamstrings? Possibly, but it didn’t feel that severe… so I pushed on and completed the day. Phew.

Straight upstairs I went to swallow whey protein and recover feeling satisfied and relieved day one is complete. My hamstrings are already sore 2 hours post workout. It seems half the battle of this cycle is going to be recovery. Plenty of stretching, foam rolling, and hydrotherapy in the shower is in plan.

I would of surely completed day 1 easier had I done a week or two of squatting earlier. That’d be my first mistake.

Tomorrow will be interesting. I’ve never squatted with really sore muscles. Apparently you need to as part of muscular adaption in the first cycle.

What to Expect

I don’t know what to expect other than guaranteed soreness and de-motivation. But here’s the plan: I intend to post an update at the end of each week. Seeing that I’m doing for at least 4 weeks, that’s 4 updates. The next update will cover my first week.

What will be in my Smolov journal? Brute iron being pumped, most likely whinging of my soreness, training advice, recovery techniques, random videos, and probably even recipes. Is there anything you’d like to see or read about?

Category: Health  3 Comments

17
Jan
Brisbane and Ipswich Floods: Rescue Attempts, Floating Statues, and Hope
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Friends rescuing neighbors from the floods

“Hope never abandons you; you abandon it” – George Weinberg, psychologist. Photo courtesy of Brent Clayton.

My only two home towns of the last 16 years, Ipswich and Brisbane, were hit by 20 meter flood levels beginning on the 11th of January 2011.

Thank goodness, I’m fine. I’m lucky to be living on a hill like other family.

Thousands of Queenslanders and friends weren’t so fortunate. The death count is at 20 and as many people are reported missing. The financial damage is also sad with $12.7 billion needed to repair the damaged Queensland, the North-East state of Australia. It’s the most destruction I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Friends rescuing neighbors from the floods

Friends rescuing a crippled neighbor from the floods. The bald fella always wanted a mention on this blog so his rescue efforts get him just that.

The blame-game has started with estimations that the “natural disaster” could’ve been prevented if more water was released from a major dam two days before the flooding.

Friends rescuing neighbors from the floods

Wivenhoe dam being released at 194% capacity. Thanks to @Michael_Usher

It’s not all gloom and doom. We’re Australians.

I’m surprised by the compassion of Queenslanders. It took me 3 hours to get through the city on Saturday (to help the clean up in Ipswich) because 10,000+ volunteers were on their way to help others recover. Riding on the recently-recovered trains I hear strangers talking with one another like friends.

King Wally

King Wally at Suncorp Stadium ready to go under! Thanks to @mackiemarsellos.

Not all sporting locations were ready to go under:

Auchenflower basketball stadium

My beloved basketball stadium I play at weekly. Up for a game of pool basketball?

To Help

If you want to help, please donate through the Queensland Government. Even one dollar helps.

For More Info

Crikey.com.au have covered the floods very well with pictures and videos from social media sites Twitter and YouTube. Read this post for a comprehensive update.

Checkout these amazing before and after shots from ABC News. Slide your mouse over the images to see the impact of the floods.

Videos

Watch on a boat as a news reporter surveys the damage and interviews victims who maintain a positive attitude.

Our Go Between Bridge refuses to let boats go between it and the water. Epic ownage.

Toowoomba, a town of population 128,600 1.5 hours drive from Brisbane, was hit much harder than Brisbane.

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” – Oscar Wilde

Category: Fill the void  Tags: , , ,  14 Comments

24
May
The Greatest Life Lesson I’ve Ever Learned
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A lot of breakthrough moments will dawn on you with acceptance

This great lesson has been quietly simmering in my head for years. Now it’s time to divulge possibly the greatest lesson about relationships, happiness, wealth, success – life in general – that I’ve ever discovered.

In my Big Talk Training Course, I uncovered the secret to confident socializing, overcoming shyness, beating loneliness, and deeply connecting to people: harnessing the shadow. The shadow is a concept introduced by psychologist Carl Jung, which describes anything you avoid and prefer to not see in yourself.

Shy individuals, like my former self, are masters at suppressing their needs and avoiding their emotions. We don’t voice our opinions, say what we want, talk to people we’d like to meet, get angry, or put ourselves in situations where rejection is possible. Loners are kings of avoidance. The issue here is avoidance darkens the shadow, intensifying fear.

Have you ever been scared crap-less to give a presentation? You think about the presentation weeks before you have to give it. When the time comes to deliver it, you’re a nervous wreck at the start, but then suddenly your fear vaporizes.

Why? Because you faced your shadow and fear that would otherwise grow with avoidance. You accepted your nervousness and just worked with it.

The Solution to Most Communication Problems?

After writing Big Talk, I discovered its lessons not only apply to conversations with strangers and friends, but it solves many greater problems we all experience:

  • Family relationships perish when they have issues that everyone dreads talking about. Whether it be about an alcoholic, finances, or household chores.
  • Marriages break down because one person cannot safely address a topic bugging him or her and instead resents his or her partner for not being able to mind-read one’s needs. The person ends up exploding in a verbal out-lash after finally having had enough.
  • Companies lose billions of dollars because managers and employees are afraid to bring up that topic “we don’t talk about around here”. Also, leaders hide mistakes and cover up lessons to protect themselves in the short-term that cost the company in the long-run.

What drives this issue is a denial and rejection of what is. What solves these issues and many more – and what the greatest lesson about life I’ve ever learned – is acceptance.

We’re so use to fighting everything:

  • We criticize ourselves for not socializing, feeling tired, not making the sports team.
  • We criticize other people for not doing what we say or hurting us.
  • We feel repulsed at the government for wrong decisions, wasting money, not doing what’s best for the nation.
  • We hate it when a car breaks down, an item of ours gets stolen, the weather ruins a day out.
  • We get frustrated when we injure ourselves, catch a cold, gain fat.

The list of your tendencies to reject reality could fill a book. We are so good at non-acceptance that we create constant stress and anxiety in our lives.

The more I learn about life, the more I see the power of this most important lesson of acceptance.

Accept Your Body

For example, recently I’d beat myself up over feeling tired throughout the day. I want to be productive and know the importance of rest, but whenever a slump came over me, I felt I had to push through it because successful people get work done. People commonly think successful individuals are the hardest workers (and that maybe true), yet at the same time the happiest and successful know how to rejuvenate. I know many athletes screw up their mind and body by not allowing periods of rest during their off-season.

After reading The Twenty Minute Break, it turns out the body has hundreds of natural rhythms occurring every minute, day, year. We blink, swallow, and breathe. These are some simple rhythms most people are aware of.

One rhythm as it pertains to energy is the ultradian rhythm where the body requires 20 minutes of rest after 90 to 120 minutes of activity for peak performance. When poor rest breaks the ultradian rhythm, stress accumulates, attention deteriorates, and mistakes occur-u-rates (I had to make it rhyme).

On the visibly physical level you cause yourself grief when you don’t accept your body. An inferiority complex develops not when you think you’re less than others, but when you reject yourself.

The little girl in this video has learned to love everything that exists about herself and her world. Perhaps you can learn from her?

Accept Your Mind

Here’s another example. I use to get frustrated at people’s defensive behaviors. I devised an exercise training program for a loved one which went untouched. Each time this person became defensive about not doing the program.

Most people fight defensiveness, which compounds the tension because what you resist tends to persist. I could have fought the behavior, but instead accepted it, got curious about it, and worked with it.

Defensiveness is a protective mechanism for the mind. When the ego feels threatened, it defends itself. It’d be silly to deny humans unconscious techniques for survival.

There’s a lot going on in the mind and body and world that if you understood it, you’d slap yourself silly for not accepting it. You save so much energy by working with people’s (and your own) conscious and unconscious behaviors.

Life becomes easy when you accept what occurs. You stop beating yourself up, you stop judging and criticizing others, and you stop the massive levels of anxiety and stress that fill life.

You can’t stop the darkness of life so be mindful of it

The predictable response my clients and subscribers use to argue against acceptance is “but I don’t want to approve or put up with this problem”. You may think acceptance is agreement or approval of a problem yet that’s completely wrong. Acceptance is an acknowledgment and willingness to work with what is. It’s a belief something is true (not right, healthy, or wise).

Go about your week and I want you to cultivate a mindfulness of what you fight. Become aware of your resistance to reality, but don’t beat yourself up over it because that’s the problem of non-acceptance! Observe what occurs, accept what occurs, be curious about what occurs, then you can change what occurs.

Category: Life  Tags: , , ,  20 Comments

20
Jan
How to See Clearly Again Without Glasses or Surgery
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Are glasses or surgery really the answer to poor vision?
(photo courtesy of Evil Erin)

Can your eyes really regain their clarity from childhood. If the heart, liver, skin, nails, and bones can heal themselves, why can’t eyes?

I just finished Relearning to See over the Christmas period in an attempt to regain my vision. It’s a monster book. I found Vision Without Glasses shorter and easier to understand.

I have about 20/200 vision in each eye with minor astigmatism. Put it this way, I’m pretty damn blind. I can just see clearly at a computer screen. Text beyond there gets unreadable.

About six years ago the clarity of text on blackboards from the back of a classroom became blurry. My vision worsened for another year. At that time, I decided to do something about it.

I got glasses. Suddenly I could see again!

It was a false miracle.

My perception of depth went out of whack. I parked the car coming home from the optometrist with my glasses on, thinking I did a perfect three-point park. I was one-and-a-half meters from the side! Woah! This bad boy is going to have to get some adjusting to.

Headaches developed. Overtime things went blurred again. It was as if my body yelled at me to remove the foreign object from my eyes.

Like almost everyone with glasses, eventually I needed a stronger prescription. Out goes some money, in comes new glasses, and my confidence lowers. People say “hi” from a distance and I have no idea who they are. “Hey… mate.” Some communication coach I am.

It made me consider surgery. $6000 for better vision? Surely there’s a better option. After all, it’s another quick fix society loves. Why don’t I go get implants or liposuction while I’m at it.

After reading Relearning to See, which covers the Bates Method of vision correction, I’ve learned a lot. Students of the method have miraculously healed their problematic eyes. My acuity has yet to improve (because it’s been only a week since practicing better vision habits), but I’m more relaxed. And relaxation is the key to see clearly again.

I might save you from flicking through the 500-page textbook-like vision bible. If you want to improve your vision and throw away your glasses, boil it down to this question, “How can I relax more?”

  • Blink naturally. It’s relaxing to your eyes.
  • Do not stare. Diffusion is strain.
  • Scan with your eyes, shifting your focus between central points. This is called centralization. The central part of human vision contains cones responsible for clarity.
  • Breathe naturally deep into your stomach.
  • Alleviate yourself from neck tension. Learn to self-massage.
  • Relax your mind. A tense mind tenses your eyes. Students have found when they stress over study, their vision blurs.
  • Discard glasses where it’s safe to do so. Don’t drive if you can’t see.

Steven Aitchison has five good “eye exercises” on his blog mentioned in the book. No point me repeating them here.

If you want to improve your eye sight naturally without glasses or surgery, the Bates Method is what you’re after. Stop yourself wasting more money on glasses and get protected from the dangers of lasik eye surgery. I suggest you get your hands on this guide to completely learn how to see clearly again.

Category: Health  Tags: , , , ,  6 Comments

22
Oct
Why You Must Visit Japan – and Top Things to Do and See
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When the time came for me to visit Japan, I jumped on the plane. I always wanted to watch – and more so caddy – for my brother Nathan as he played on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) with the likes of Japan’s golfing prodigy Ryo Ishikawa. After hearing Nathan brag about Japan, listening to others talk-up the country, and the appropriate timing for a trip all coming together, I just had to do it. Here’s my bizarre reasons why you too must visit the land of the rising sun along with the top things to do and see to make your stay worthwhile.

What You Absolutely Must Do in Japan – All on a Shoestring Budget

I’m not a fan of “touristy stuff” where landmarks are filled with foreigners. I’m not a fan of sticking to my comfort zone. And I’m certainly not a fan of vacuuming my wallet clean for the sake of a holiday.

With all this in mind, here are my five recommended things to do in Japan – all for less than US$100. It’s not the only guide to live by because it’s a strange type of guide and I left out a lot of great places. Some may even call this guide retarded, but it’ll give you a unique perspective to amuse yourself in Japan.

1) Tsukiji Fish Market
Click to view the Tsukiji fish market image gallery

Click the above image to view the Tsukiji fish market gallery

The Tsukiji fish market is one of the largest fish markets in the world. You won’t believe your eyes at its size! “Market” hardly does it justice – it cannot be compared to your local town’s markets filled with Nanna jams and craft work.

The fish market is free to visit. You get to walk amongst the bustle and speed of all the workers during their daily work.

Make sure you get there at 5am, which makes it great to visit after a night of partying at Roppongi. The best action at the fish markets is between 5am and about 6:30am when the auctions take place.

I don’t speak from experience, however. I was set to visit the fish markets on my last day in Japan, but I must have turned off my alarm! I went to bed at 3am and woke up horrified to see the time at 8am. That got my adrenaline pumping and shot me out the door and on the train towards Tsukiji.

Don’t go to the market on Sunday like I did my first time. It’s closed then and you’ll be left to walk around like a stupid foreigner. Grab a map at a hotel with details about the market or prepare well beforehand.

After browsing the markets for a couple of hours – yes, it’s that fascinating – I recommend you head back towards the entrance where you’ll find shops, markets, and restaurants designed for the visitor. Buy a few souvenirs. Definitely eat some raw sushi for breakfast! You’re not going to taste fresher seafood. What a healthy way to start or finish a day.

2) Eat a Variety of Foods
Click to view the variety of Japanese food

Click the above image to view the gallery containing a sample of the many great, cheap foods in Japan

Enjoy their unique cuisine. Eat sushi, tempura, miso ramen, gyoza, and knock yourself out with some deadly wasabi.

Not only does the food taste great, but I found eating great dishes throughout Japan and even central Tokyo cheaper than Australian food. A nice bowl of ramen with kimchi and an Asahi beer can be grabbed for less than US$10 at most places. Don’t be scared by the myths of Tokyo food prices. You can easily walk the streets to find restaurants within your budget.

You can easily grab a box set from 7-Eleven or another convenience store. Convenience stores are everywhere and well-priced compared to Aussie 7-Elevens. Similarly, don’t feel guilty about eating at McDonalds. Their menu is diverse and unique to Japan.

Use chopsticks while you’re eating or you’ll really stick out like a clueless foreigner. If you don’t already know how, learn to use chopsticks on your vegetables at home to practice before your trip otherwise you could end up starving yourself.

Also try their beverage sake (also known as “Nihonshu”). I hated the drink, which tasted like low-quality port, but maybe that’s because I was a cheapstake and brought it in a popper.

3) Visit a Izakaya
Click to view the izakaya image gallery

Click the above image to view the izakaya gallery

An izakaya is a Japanese drinking place that also serves food. I think of it as a Japanese eating place that also serves drinks.

Sit on the ground with your cushion. Nibble on salty edamame over a Japanese beer. Amuse yourself at Japanese businessman laughing and wobbling around. Soak in the real Japanese atmosphere.

I went to my first izakaya in Taki within Kato City. After spending five minutes getting down to the ground and shocking my body with the altitude drop, my brother and I had fun trying to order. Eventually we managed to communicate with gestural language that we wanted the waiter to order for us. He did and by the end we were pleasantly stuffed. Two big eaters were satisfied for 44000 yen! That’s unbelievable food and drinks for less than US$50!

I recommend you go to a izakaya in a non-major city and you’ll really feel a wonderful atmosphere. If you want, go to the same restaurant as I did, print out some of the photos above taken at the restaurant and try to communicate that I referred you! The guys working there will probably remember us two Gaijans (Japanese for “foreigners”) because we literally stood out and managed to joke with them despite the language barrier.

Most Gaijans stick to major cities like Osaka and Tokyo so it’s exciting for workers in small towns to serve non-Japanese. I think the real Japan is in smaller towns that rarely get visitors.

I just noticed my first three recommendations revolve around food. Strange that. Time to normalize this guide a little.

4) Top Tourist Destinations

You still need to visit the common tourist destinations. The top ones in no particular order include:

Tokyo Tower

Click to view the Tokyo Tower image gallery

Click the above image to view the Tokyo Tower gallery

Imperial Palace

Click the above image to view several images I took of the gardens surrounding the Imperial Palace

Click the above image to view several images I took of the gardens surrounding the Imperial Palace

Mount Fuji

I never did go to Mount Fuji – totally forgot about it!

Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji. No, I didn’t evolve wings to take this photo.
(photo courtesy of kla4067)

Asakusa Kannon Temple

Asakusa Kannon Temple

Asakusa Kannon Temple is a popular tourist destination

Harajuku

Parents, if you’re freaked about your teen’s fashion habits, you won’t be any more once you checkout the clothing in Harajuku.

Not so unusual styles in Harajuku

Sexy… Just a sample of the fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo
(photo courtesy of ehnmark)

5) Akihabara
Akihabara

Akihabara aka ‘Electric Town’ in Tokyo
(photo courtesy of cocoip)

I’m putting Akihabara in here because it’s geek village and I’m a nerd. If you’re into electronics, bring several spare pants because you could wet yourself in excitement. From animation and manga, to electronics and gadgets, you’ll feel the charge pulsating through your body.

Checkout the retro gaming or take part in the Nintendo DS competitions littered outside shops. Bring your hiking boots to browse the six-floor Yodobashi-Akiba packed with nearly every piece of electronic equipment you could want.

You’ll be turned off by Akihabara if electronics isn’t your thing. To be stereotypical, maybe the guys can get weird at Akihabara while the girls get freaky at Harajuku.

I took some good photos and videos of Akihabara with my digital camera, but the camera got a memory card error and decided to erase itself of all evidence that’d make any double-zero agent proud.

Interact with the People

Japanese are the real secret of Japan. Every person, but one, was excited to help me when I was lost, which was quite a few times. They’d be going about their day in a zombie-like mode when this big Gaijan approached them saying, “Sumi Massen” (Japanese for “excuse me”). Our eyes met, their body angled towards me, and a smile grew on their face.

One of many times I couldn’t find my hotel. After “sumi massening” myself to six different persons, pointing to a small map of my hotel’s location, and wondering around for an hour trying to hunt down the elusive building, one woman lit up at the opportunity to help me find my hotel. She asked another man in Japanese (no chuckles emerged so that’s a good sign no dialog put me down) who couldn’t pinpoint the building. She then stopped two women on the streets – one of whom ran into a post office, grabbed a map, photocopied it, highlighted my route, and sent me on my way!

It’s not all glamorous. On the trains it’s funny how an empty perimeter formed around me. Commuters stood before sitting next to me. Maybe it’s just what they do around Gaijans or maybe they’re scared of someone who’s head scraps the roof of their trains. Whatever the reason, Japanese are still friendly. Their culture is extremely polite.

Simply be in their presence as much as possible. Though you may feel comfortable around other foreigners, get around Japanese. Ask them questions in broken English, point to objects, and resort to the lowest levels of human communication we all understand.

Please entertain your visitors in the lobby

Center Hotel Tokyo laying out the rules for guests. English isn’t everyone’s forte, but the language differences make for an interesting experience

How to Make the Most of Your Visit

In addition to interacting with Japanese to make the most of your visit, you must use the train system to do anything in Tokyo. I averaged six trains a day as commuters switch and swap to get where they want.

Get a cab one time to giggle at the automatic doors and a taxi driver’s white gloves then use the train line. It’s confusing at first, but snatch the necessary maps at a station and study the system before departing for your flight.

My last piece of advice is something I’ve mentioned, but needs repeating, because I saw too many afraid foreigners: talk with Japanese! Build your confidence. You’ll find yourself doing something primitive with your nonverbal communication. Communicate in a primal language akin to flapping your wings and making buck-buck sounds to describe a chicken like I did at a restaurant – and I think you’ll agree with me that Japan is a great country you were glad to visit.

If you’ve visited Japan and found something you love, share it with me and other readers below in the comments section.

Category: Travel  Tags: , , , , ,  29 Comments

10
Oct
How to Sleep Better at Night – Knockout Upon Hitting the Pillow
by
Get a great night's sleep

You too can sleep like an angel
(photo courtesy of malias)

I use to be awful sleeper. Some nights mornings I’d drink caffeine before going to bed. I’d work or play the latest computer game through the night and hit the sack when normal people were getting up for work.

I’d sleep good for a week, but then it came to Friday or Saturday nights. I’d arrive home from a club such as The Family at 7am then sleep to 4pm and make my body’s natural rhythms out of whack again.

Not only was I sleeping at times suitable for the other side of the world, but when my huge body hit the bed it’d take an hour to get to sleep.

How to Change Your Sleep Patterns for Good

I tried really hard to normalize my sleep patterns throughout the week, but I’d have one “bad night” where I’d sleep in after a crazy night out to destroy that week’s hard efforts. It’s like an alcoholic having a drink after abstinence – I felt one wrong move put me back to square one. A late night or a bad night’s sleep after two weeks of following the perfect sleep routine removed whatever habits were trying to be installed.

One study kind of contradicts this. Habitual behavior expert Phillippa Lally from University College London published a study in the European Journal of Social Psychology that looked at how long it takes to form a habit – the stage at which behavior doesn’t require self-control.

Lally found the more consistent you practice a soon-to-be habit at its early stage of development, the quicker you develop the habit. Though the amount of time it takes to develop a habit varies, the study found it took an average of 66 days to form a habit, which contradicts the common myth of 21 days. Lally says missing a single day didn’t diminish the chances of the new habit.

These findings cannot directly be applied to sleeping, however. If you miss a single day of practicing your good sleeping habits with a sleep-in, for example, the effect doesn’t stop at that day. It becomes difficult to sleep how you want the following day because one night’s sleep affects the next night; it isn’t like trying to build a habit of eating fruit each morning where one missed single day doesn’t influence the next.

Be brutal with your sleep patterns until the initial tough-it-out period is behind you. Don’t make any exceptions otherwise you’ll find yourself stuck in your old, energy-sucking sleep routine. It took me four years of waking up at a time in Australia when most Americans rose to figure this out.

The Greatest Secret of a Good Night’s Sleep and the Cure for Insomnia

The most important lesson you can take from this article is to wake up at the same time Monday to Sunday. Get out of bed the same time each day even if you have a great social life.

I’ll admit I don’t always rise from the depths of my bed the same time each day, but I have a solid understanding of how much sleep I need to get through the day with good energy. If you have good body awareness and go to bed at five in the morning, usually you can set an alarm at nine, for example, even if your usual wake up time is seven o’clock.

If your sleep patterns aren’t ideal, however, it’s vital you wake up at the same time regardless of how much sleep you got the previous day. When you’re changing your sleeping habits, don’t mess with your wake up time. This is the key secret to cure insomnia.

13 Tips for a Great Night’s Sleep

Do you have to count jumping sheep to sleep?

There’s more you can do than count sheep to sleep better at night

With the principles I’ve shared up to this point as foundations for a great night’s sleep, here are thirteen additional tips to cure many sleep problems and help you quickly fall asleep – no need to count sheep:

  1. Exercise for 30 minutes a day. You must spend energy to receive energy. I don’t care how tired you feel – you must exercise. People who exercise have better body temperature cycles suitable for quality sleep and are more energetic. If you don’t exercise at all, you’ll feel sluggish throughout the day because your body temperature remains stagnant. Don’t exercise too late in the day, however, otherwise you’re body temperature will be too high for good sleep.
  2. Get 15 minutes of sunlight a day. If you struggle to rack up a few minutes in the sun each day, you’re not sleeping as well as you could be. Your internal body clock uses sunlight to control its energy levels. Light makes you awake while darkness releases melatonin to make you sleepy. Get outside and at least open your curtains to absorb some light for better sleep.
  3. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol six hours before bedtime. I use to think a cup of coffee two hours before bedtime didn’t keep me awake – actually, I thought it helped me get to sleep from the energy crash and it did. However, these drinks disrupt later sleep cycles so you’ll get poor sleep.
  4. Quit smoking. Nicotine is a stimulant. Also, smokers can experience nicotine withdrawal during the night that disrupts sleep. Your body will thank you in more ways than better sleep once you quit sucking down that crap. I’ve never been a smoker, but Allen Carr’s The Easy Way to Stop Smoking seems to be a miracle book for many smokers.
  5. Stay away from television and computer games before bedtime. I’ve found I won’t sleep no matter how tired I am until one hour has passed since playing a computer game or watching television.
  6. Don’t take sleeping pills. I’m not a doctor so you should consult with a doctor before following the advice in this article. If you want to be scared from taking sleeping pills ever again, read about the dark side of sleeping pills.
  7. Get a nice bed. You spend one-third of your time in bed so make yourself comfortable. Make sure you have plenty of room to stretch out even if you’re huge like me!
  8. Eliminate sensory input. Make your bedroom as dark as possible and get outside noises to a minimum. A towel under a door helps with both. I’ve found a sleeping mask to be a miracle for light rooms and improving the quality of my sleep – just be aware you could sleep more than usual because natural sunlight won’t get into your eyes.
  9. Make your room a good temperature with ventilation. If you’re in a hot room with bad ventilation, expect bad sleep. You won’t fall asleep when you’re hot unless you’re really tired. The body best falls asleep often in cooler temperatures. Open your windows if you can to let in cool air. If you get cold, put on more blankets. Fresh oxygen is vital for good sleep. Experiment with the room temperature best for you. A thermostat to measure your ideal room temperate and a fan to cool you down and ventilate the room will improve your sleep and give you more energy.
  10. Checkout the End Tiredness Program. In it you discover how to manage jet lag, shift work, and eliminate tiredness. You can learn about it here.
  11. Find your sleeping personality. I’m a fetus on my right side! I’ve noticed that 95% of the time I won’t fall asleep until I’m in that position, which feels the most comfortable.
  12. Build a relaxing sleep routine. Try yoga, reading, or visualizations, for example, to see what relaxation techniques you like. Do these consistently before going to bed and you’ll notice you fall asleep without worry-filled thoughts clogging your mind.
  13. Change what isn’t working. If you lay in bed for 20 minutes and do not feel sleepy maybe because your mind is rushing, do something else. Things that have worked for me include eating a light meal because a hungry stomach can keep me awake, drinking water, visualizations like tensing then releasing all the muscles in my body from head to toe, reading, or doing some non-stimulating activity until I feel tired.

Follow this advice and you’ll wake up refreshed with heaps of energy ready to create the reality you desire!

If you have any tips that help you sleep better, share them in the comments below.

Category: Health  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,  9 Comments