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How To: Become a Real-Life Superhero Pt 1

August 14, 2013/31 Comments/in Health & Fitness, How To /by TheJerd

Heroes Transformation Journey - Batman One of the tag-lines we use here at The Jerd is “Go from geek to real-life superhero.”

I spend what could be considered an inordinate amount of time referring to people undertaking their own personal Heroes Transformation journey (in fact our 8 Laws of the Jerd-Herd are specifically designed to govern this process), but I realize that I have never sat down and defined exactly what this journey actually is.

So sit back, grab a healthy snack and get ready for a long ride!

I am going to break this up into multiple parts, and try to make it as entertaining as possible, so as not to put you to sleep with my ramblings. I hope when we are done with this exercise that you have a much more defined sense of purpose to help guide you to success.

First things first, the most important thing for you to remember is… you are the hero!

What’s the Definition of a Hero?

Before we can assign the title of hero to ourselves, it’s important to grasp exactly what we mean by that. Now, there are a lot of different ways people define exactly what a hero is:

“The chief (male) character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize.” – Oxford Dictionary
“A hero kills people. People that wish him harm. A hero is part human, part supernatural. A hero is born out of a childhood trauma or out of a disaster and must be avenged.” – Dwight Schrute
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell

Now while Joseph Campbell’s definition might seem a little grand for our purposes, that is where my inspiration for the Heroes Transformation comes from (which, along with this series of articles, is deeply rooted in Mr. Campbell’s ‘Heroes Journey’.)

If you aren’t familiar, then definitely check out his book “Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation” because it is fantastic!

“A hero is someone who has made a decision to change his or her life and become even more awesome.” – The Mighty Jerd

How Does Being a Hero Change Things?

As you get ready to embark on your fitness journey (or any journey for that matter, be it a new business venture a bold move to an unfamiliar place… whatever!) it is vital that you change the way you see yourself.

You aren’t some innocent bystander, watching your story unfold from the sideline and you aren’t a side character with a small, and ultimately inconsequential to the main plot, storyline.

No… You are the hero of this tale dammit, and you are going to start acting that way!

When you think about all your favorite stories, the heroes (even the most reluctant ones) all end up having a code of some sort they live by… a way of addressing problems that stand in the way of their goals.

So if you think about your own personal fitness journey from that perspective, how do you plan to do things differently after you don the mantle of the hero?

How are you going to prioritize your day?
How are you going to approach your workouts?
How are you going to deal with the roadblocks and fitness supervillains that will get in your way?

These are all very important questions!

The hero does things differently than the average Joe, and if you’re going to embrace the fact that you are the hero of your own story you need to start acting differently than you have in the past.

That change in attitude can very well mean the difference between success and failure!

Now, of course you can embark on a journey towards better health and fitness without actually embracing this philosophy; that’s completely fine.

But if you want to play this like a sidekick, you can’t expect that this will turn out any differently than any attempts you might’ve made in the past (and a lot of times the side character in a heroic journey gets eaten by a dragon or something. Just sayin’.)

Don’t get lost inside your own life looking outward for heroes. Never forget, you are the hero of your own story!

What Does the Term “Hero” Mean to You?

Even unlikely heroes like Neil from “The Legend of Neil” have a code!

I don’t know about you but one of the main reasons I am attracted to comic books or movies is my admiration of the hero, his ideologies, and the fact I know he will overcome what lies before him.

I see qualities in these characters that I like to think I possess, or wish I possessed, within.

Whether it is Superman‘s noble altruism, Captain Jack Sparrow‘s keen ability to talk his way out of any situation that befalls him, Red Sonja‘s aptitude for kicking ass or Kwai Chang Caine‘s almost inhuman self-discipline.

Your favorite heroes are a spectacular place to start looking for traits or qualities that you want to embody yourself.

I mean, there is probably a reason they are your favorites… right?

There is something about them that calls to you… whether its the fact you see a spark of recognition because you too already hold that quality somewhere inside, or maybe it’s due to admiration because secretly (or even not so secretly… I mean I’m pretty vocal about wanting to be Batman. Don’t judge me!) you wish you were more like them.

So why don’t you just take a minute and list them out?

Just grab a piece of paper and start scribbling. List your favorite heroes (and the trait that defines them to you) from books, movies, comic books, mythology… and most importantly, from real life!

Now take the top three that appeal to you the most and assign them to yourself.

Write them down and tape them to your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, your computer monitor… wherever you will see them each and every day. Let these be a constant reminder that these are the things that define the real-life superhero you want to become. If you are having a hard time envisioning yourself as the hero, you can even take it one step further.

Turn it into a daily affirmation, a mantra if you will, that you repeat to yourself everyday!

Let’s use me as an example here…

I highly admire Batman‘s unflinching resolve and sense of justice, Theseus‘ courage and determination to never take the easy way out and my grandfather for his tenacity and drive to always do things himself… and if I boiled those down into three words that apply to my fitness journey, they would be:

Determined
Brave
Self-reliant

So for me, that would turn into “I am a determined, brave and self-reliant hero.” I need to believe that.

It needs to resonate within my very soul!

I need to truly believe that no matter how hard I find a workout to be, or how tempted I am by a meal I know is going to sabotage me, that I can put my mission above my desires (be they to quit or satisfy my sweet-tooth) and stand resolute like Batman.

I must embrace the fact that even if I am afraid of failure, or that I might look silly or weak the first few weeks I am in the gym learning how to exercise properly, that the courage that allowed Theseus to face the Minotaur bare-handed will see me through.

Anytime I feel like I am not sure what to do next I will remember that my grandfather, the man who taught himself so many trade and life-skills on his own, would always first try to learn and understand something for himself before just taking someone’s word for it.

Let The Journey Begin!

Heroes Transformation Journey - The Shire - The Jerd

So now that you have defined what being a hero means to you, let’s go back to Joseph Campbell’s “Monomyth,” or hero’s journey, for a minute.

The first step always begins with our hero-to-be living some sort of mundane existence, usually in a place they don’t want to be (Ex – Luke Skywalker living on his uncle’s moisture farm on Tatooine). They then experience some sort of “Call to Adventure“; this is where destiny summons the hero.

This could be:

Deciding on their own to accomplish some adventure as Theseus did when he heard about that Minotaur
By getting sent abroad by an agent of fate like Odysseus was by Poseidon
A mere blunder or tragedy, a stroke of fate, be it a seemingly benign phenomenon that catches the wandering eye, or an event that transforms the person to their core and leads them down the road less traveled.

So for our purposes your “Call to Adventure” could be anything.

Maybe carrying in the groceries left you out of breath? Perhaps your doctor, or a loved one, pointed out that your life habits are putting you in danger of serious health issues? Perchance you aren’t happy with what you see when you look in the mirror?

Whatever it is that set you on the road to becoming a real-life superhero, you are ready to take the first step.

I want you to firmly believe, deep down in your heart, that the moment you set foot on this path that you became something new. Something better!

I will be right here to show you the way and help you when you need it. Now go forth and be even more awesome than you already are.

Be a hero!

Check out part two of the How To: Become a Real-Life Superhero series right here.

But before you do I want you to let me, and all the other aspiring Jerds out there, know what kind of hero you are going to transform yourself into, so speak up in the comments below!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the new YouTube channel, follow me on Twitter, and like us on Facebook and Google+!

(Photo #3 credit)

PS: Make sure to get your free e-book, “The 7 Fitness Obstacles Newbies Face” by subscribing to our newsletter… no spam, I promise!

Fitness Lessons from LEGO-land

August 7, 2013/10 Comments/in Health & Fitness /by TheJerd

I think pretty much everyone can agree that LEGOs are awesome!

Doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl, an adult or a child; they are one of the greatest toys ever made.

When I was a kid they were fun, but they were nowhere near as cool as they are now. Back in ye olden days they were all primary colored blocks, and you were lucky if you got an angular piece.

Building anything more complicated than a house with a flat roof was difficult at best.

Now though, with enough pieces and a healthy imagination, you can build almost anything.

It’s crazy!

You can get motors, servos, axles, gears, couplers, even freaking robotic computers to control your creations! On top of all that there are even LEGO engineering camps…

(Just look what people build now, I could barely build a castle!)

So what does this have to do with health and fitness you ask?

Well, let me tell you!

You Have to Hunt Down the Right Pieces!

Want a Japanese castle with ninja crawling all over it? There’s a kit.

Need the Delorean time-machine from “Back to the Future”? There’s a kit.

Just have to have a “Star Wars” Super Star Destroyer? There’s a 3152 piece kit.

No matter what you are trying to do with your life, there is a “kit” for you!

Want to lose weight?
Want to get ripped and look great into a bathing suit?
Want to bulk up?
Want to have the energy to run a half marathon?

You just have to look for the correct pieces.

Just like no two people are the same, no two results are going to be achieved using the same methods!

A person looking to shed some fat is not going to follow the same diet plan as someone looking to add muscle mass to their skinny frame. A power-lifter looking to increase the max weight he can lift is not going to follow the same strength and conditioning program that a gymnast is going to use.

So depending on what you want to build it could be relatively easy to find what you need, or it might be a monumental pain-in-the-ass.

Want to build a LEGO Firetruck? Then a simple set that can be found at any Toy’R’Us will hook you right up.

Have a burning desire to snap the hard-to-find 1230 pieces of the LEGO Shuttle Expedition Set together? Then you are probably surfing Amazon or looking for one to pop up on eBay.

Regardless, with a little vigilance you will be able to secure all the pieces you need to make your LEGO dream a reality!

LEGO fun fact: There are 62 LEGOs for every person on earth!

The same goes for your fitness goals. You might have to spend a little time hunting for the appropriate program or method to help you achieve your goals, but thanks to the Internet and science there is sooooo much knowledge available to us. You just have to do the legwork to find it!

Remember what I said about the LEGO of my youth? The same can be said about fitness and health.

Back then all we had was Charles Atlas and the disingenuous food pyramid. Now, we have so much scientific data and individualized programs at our fingertips that there’s always going to be something available to meet your needs.

For example – Let’s say you woke up one day and decided that, even though the only time you have ever run was to catch the neighborhood ice cream truck, you want to run a 5k race. Then you order the detailed training program, “5K Training For Beginners: From Couch To 5K Runner In 8 Weeks Or Less”, and get on your way to meeting your goal (while I have never read this book, I know a lot of people who have great success following this plan).

Or what if you know you need to go to the gym but you have an insane work schedule that makes it nigh impossible? Then you track down a home-workout program (like our very own Nerd-Core Fitness workouts) and fit that into your schedule instead of making excuses.

How about if your diet is a wreck and you literally don’t know where to start to turn it all around? Then you grab a copy of our Heroes’ Transformation Guide and get with the program!

Once you have collected all the pieces you need…

You Can Build Anything!

The Mighty Jerd chilling in a LEGO Shire at SDCC 2013

Once you have the right pieces, and with enough time and determination, you can build whatever your imagination desires!

No matter how daunting a task it might seem seeing a giant pile of LEGO on the ground, the great thing about them is that building a massively cool structure or scene is very systematic in execution.

You simply start snapping pieces together one by one.

Much like putting a puzzle together, the simplicity can be very soothing; and the fact that you can see your creation take form piece by piece is very satisfying!

When people first decide they want to get fit, they often have a vision in their head of what the “end state” should look like – ripped abs, bulging biceps, shapely thighs, etc… and ofttimes it feels like that finish line is so far away that people will get discouraged.

This is when the LEGO approach really helps!

Remember that every piece you snap into place is one step closer to finishing your LEGO masterpiece, just like every ounce you lose or extra pushup you can do is bringing you closer to achieving your fitness goals.

Don’t worry about the 2817 pieces laying in a jumble on the floor, you will get to them, instead focus on the 235 pieces you have assembled and appreciate the progress made instead!

Also, don’t ever feel like you are beholden to building a “kit.” If you have something in your mind and you can’t find an all-in-one solution then get creative; half the fun of building things with LEGOs is letting your imagination go wild anyway!

If you want to build a LEGO Batcave… no, you can get one of those… Temple of Doom… nope, that too… Death Star? Yep, you can drop major coin and buy that too. Castle Grayskull… no way there is a He-Man Castle Grayskull kit. There is? Arrrgghhh!

Okay, how about a tree crashing through a 3 story Victorian house? Fine, then just grab as many free pieces and kits with the right color parts and get to creating!

The point is, don’t limit yourself. If you decide you want to become a parkour runner, while losing weight and developing flexibility you’ve never had then do it!

Don’t get discouraged, or be put off, just because there isn’t one book or website that will give you all the pieces you need.

Just go about diligently gathering all the pieces you need (which is this example would be pinning down a proper diet, finding a stretching program you can stick with and finding and joining a parkour studio or group) to make your personal dream come true.

Also, make sure you don’t forget…

It’s More Fun as a Group Activity

I remember sitting in my room as a child, snapping LEGOs together and building all sorts of crazy contraptions.

Have no doubt, it was definitely a fun way to spend an afternoon but it was so much more satisfying doing it with a friend or two!

Whether it was collaborating on some massive sculpture or competing against each other to see who could come up with the craziest vehicle, it was always more enjoyable and the time always flew by much faster.

The same is definitely true when it comes to working on your fitness goals! Think about it, even the mightiest of heroes accomplish more when they team up, why should you be any different? Having a buddy or two dedicated to a healthier lifestyle alongside you will keep you motivated, accountable (an “accountabili-buddy”?) and provides an often necessary sense of camaraderie.

Motivation – I don’t know about you but the thought of waking up at the crack of dawn to get a run in or to lift some weights is less than appealing, and often so is the thought of doing it after an especially long day at work. Luckily with a couple of buddies, or in a group class setting, even if you show up to a class or gym session exhausted from the rigors of everyday life you will tend to re-energize once you join in.

Not only are you more motivated to actually stick to your diet and exercise, there’s also the motivation to improve! If you work out with people who are healthier and more fit than you, you are probably going to get in better shape faster than you would have just trying to slog through it all on your own!

Accountability – I remember when I was in high-school I would sleep right through my alarm every day (I honestly don’t know why I even had one) and my mother would wake me up every morning. She was keeping me accountable and on track (I don’t think I would have graduated without her yelling through my door!) A friend or a workout group serves the same purpose.

I speak from experience here, trust me.

There have been many a day when I might have skipped a workout or a training session if it weren’t for the fact that I knew I would catch grief from my workout partners. Never underestimate the fear of ridicule from friends!

Camaraderie – Human beings are social creatures; even most introverts crave being around other people in small doses. We all love to joke around, laugh and have fun… and as mildly twisted as it may sound, nothing brings people together quite like shared hardship and physical suffering. This is why people get so excited for boot-camps or similar style classes (try one, you’ll understand what I’m talking about); people sign up to get more fit and end up making friends through this mutual ritual. It really is one of the best ways to meet people, develop a common bond all the while getting into real-life superhero shape!

So while yes, stepping on a LEGO can cause a few spontaneous jump squats (and a steady stream of obscenities) I hope you see there’s a lot more you can learn about fitness from this awesome toy!

Let me know what your favorite LEGO kit is in the comments below!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the new YouTube channel, follow me on Twitter, like us on Facebook and Google+!

PS: Make sure to get your free e-book, “The 7 Fitness Obstacles Newbies Face” by subscribing to our newsletter… no spam, I promise!

Fitness Supervillains: Dr Unachievable

July 29, 2013/6 Comments/in Health & Fitness /by TheJerd

I spend a lot of time here at the Jerd talking about the Heroes Transformation (going from geek to real-life superhero) and trying to find the right people to join our Superhero Team of Awesome. People willing to put in the time, energy, and effort to actually follow through with the steps necessary to get fit and healthy!

If you want to be a superhero though, you have to be ready to square off against the supervillains that are going to stand in your way to victory! So now that we have started to gather some momentum, and more and more people are getting on track, I thought it would be a good idea to showcase a few of the most common fitness supervillains that will stand in your way… and how to defeat them!

Since I want to ensure you don’t fall prey to these villainous pitfalls and that you stay on track, over the next few months I will be assembling profiles for all the members of this rogue’s gallery.

First up…

Dr Unachievable!

Luckily this particular fitness supervillain is easily defeated (here are my tips for proper goal setting) and rarely tries to get in your way once you beat him into submission the first time.

So what should this nefarious team of evil-doers be called? Hit me up with your suggestions in the comments below! As always, make sure to spread the Jerd word to anyone you know that might need a little help or encouragement with living a healthier life! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and Google+, follow me on Twitter and be sure to Sign up for our free newsletter! (Word on the street is that next month, all subscribers get a free e-book!)

Signed by the Jerd