Drop the Myth; Raise Your Possibilities by Bill Crimi

Men willingly believe what they wish. __Julius Caesar

     As a child, we are filled with magical powers. We dream big dreams and act them out in play with ourselves or other children. Most children believe that they can achieve anything their heart desires, because they see the evidence of possibilities in the movies watched, on television, in books that we read and, in other forms of communication. Children envision themselves as great explorers of the universe, captains sailing tall ships across the mighty sea…they ride in spaceships to Mars and Jupiter…ride the great plains of the West rounding up cattle. A child plays at being a doctor healing the sick, they run marathons, jump hurdles, raise to the cheers of a crowd in a stadium after hitting a home run…When you were a child, you knew that you could be anything you wanted to be…what happened? Who stole the dream from you? How did your possibilities become impossible?

     Mostly, we hinder our own accomplishments over time by giving in to other people’s idea of what is real and obtainable, and what is not. It seems that the longer it takes us to reach a particular goal, the more we become open to the negative voices of others. When this happens, we adopt their hindering myths as facts, and set the stage for failure. We become like the average disbeliever, stop making progress, and begin to loose what we have gained to that point, accepting our fate.

     With health and fitness, it is a common problem. Many people just adopt the myths they hear about as fact, throw up their hands in dismay, and drop their desire to get into shape. Things like “you’re too old to begin now…or, you can’t undo the harm you’ve done to your body at this point…” All the horse crap that your unhealthy peers may throw your way, you catch instead of ducking. From now on…close your ears to the mouth of complaining failures in your life, and begin to think again as a child. That small child in you is a hundred times wiser than believed…it’s the voice of intuition…the whisper of divine, truth.

     Below, is a small sampling of common myths spurting from the mouth of negative people in regards to health and fitness. Read them, and stop believing in them. Believe in yourself.

Common Myths:

1. It requires a lot of time to devote to an exercise program in order to benefit from it.

This is not true. Enough evidence exists that merely 30 minutes of exercise a day 3 times per week will have a dramatic affect upon the way you look and feel. Much of what you may have been exposed to in the way of recommendations in the past, are offered with the thought of optimum fitness, or…perceived optimum levels. Basic fitness requires much less time and effort.

2. I have to quit my bad habits like, smoking or drinking before I can exercise.

It may be true that these things will continue to have some negative impact on your health, but they will not prevent your body from responding well to an exercise program. Exercise may even help in your quest to drop similar bad habits by reinforcing your desire to eliminate those habits. Why not ‘add’ some positive habits in your life, to counter, the negative ones?

3. People will snicker or laugh at me at the Health Club because I’m fat and out of shape.

Most people will not give you a second glance. The majority of others you find at a fitness facility are struggling with the same problems that you are. Many others have been there…so they fully understand, and are happy to see you beginning your new, healthier journey.

4. Hard labor on the job is enough to keep someone in shape.

Simply put…daily hard, strenuous work will kill you…controlled, exercise will extend your life. Performing the same repetitive tasks, day after day in a ‘hard’ laborious fashion tends to wear the body down by over-training certain muscle groups. I’ve known and worked with many construction workers who seemed to posses better than average strength because of the manual labor they performed, but it was also limited to certain muscle groups of the body. Further, as they aged, they suffered the same physically debilitating conditions that the office worker acquired, without attention to their health.

5. I’m too old to start weight training.

More and more people over the age of forty are flocking back to fitness clubs and becoming amazed at what they are accomplishing. What we all find, is that at the beginning, it is sheer will which, keeps us going upon feeling our muscles strain against the gym apparatus during the first weeks. Soon, the body adapts, just as it did when you were younger and the training sessions actually become easier and easier.

Many older devotees of fitness training remark that they feel more fit than they ever can remember feeling, within a few short months of regular exercise. Those who have been suffering the aches and pains of advancing age report that they have reduced or eliminated the discomforts. Older practitioners also report a newly acquired glow to their complexion, increased energy throughout the day, increased mental clarity, better peace of mind and more restful sleep. Scientific research has indicated that weight resistant training increases hormonal production and adds bone mass. Generally, these people have wound back the hands of time…you can too.

6. Weight training will make my muscles too big; I don’t want to look like a freak.

Most people couldn’t achieve the size of the bodybuilders you see in the magazines even if they wanted to. It takes a lot more effort than most of us are willing to dedicate ourselves to, and it takes years of learning ‘how’ to train for those super-sized gains. The average person can expect to have their muscles grow and       become stronger but, they will take on an athletic appearance more like a gymnast or swimmer.

7. Big muscles make you stiff and muscle bound.

This is a long ‘hard dying’ myth…I think that it originates from the days of old-time strongman at carnivals and the circus. They would stroll onto stage flexed, with their chest expanded and lats spread wide to maximize the appearance of their size. During their performances they would maintain their slow, stiff and puffed out look for effect. Even today, we see some young bodybuilders at the gym or on the beach ‘profiling’ in much the same way. Usually they are novices who, in their disillusioned minds, think that we are impressed by their medium sized gains. Advanced bodybuilders appear very relaxed under the same circumstances; they only put on the puffed out act, on-stage during competitions.

8. I don’t need dietary supplements, I eat well enough.

It may be true that you don’t ‘need’ supplements for average health…but, for superior health, you do. Most commercially available foods in America today are too devitalized from corporate misuse of the environment, early (un-ripened) harvesting, processing and chemical treatment. Because of this, even if you were to take great pangs in food selection and consumption, chances are, you would not receive what Mother Nature intended for you. Further…our polluted environment is feeding your system with toxins the body has to process out, which utilizes food energy to accomplish. The modern day hectic pace, and stress we encounter, are factors one should consider when striving for optimum health too.

     So, here you have it…the most common myths for you to dispel as you set the stage for new accomplishments in your life. Get yourself back into the gym, stick with an exercise program, eat healthier foods, and before long, you will start to see and feel a remarkable difference. You will break through the mold of ‘average’ and become exceptional.

Beyond your physical self, beyond your thoughts and emotions, there lies a realm within you that is pure potential, from this place anything and everything is possible.

Deepak Chopra —The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire

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     The author, Bill Crimi is a health and fitness enthusiast, who after many years of off-again, on-again training has re-devoted himself to a fitness regimen as he nears the age of sixty. At a height of under 5’7” he has a thirty-one inch waist, 46” chest, 17” bicep and still progressing after a year of regular training. Bill can squat with over three hundred pounds, dead-lift the same weight; perform a one arm hammer curl with an eighty-five pound dumbbell for reps, and is pushing back up to a three hundred pound bench press, after nursing an injured elbow. (all at a body weight of about 160 lbs)

     His book, Basic Health and Fitness is in the publishing stages and should be available soon. Excerpts of his inspirational book are being made available for download shortly at various online booksellers. Bill can be reached through this website for comments or questions.

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