Core Performance Essentials

CHAPTER 1

WHAT'S AT YOUR CORE?

So, now you're thinking we're going to launch into a nutrition and workout discussion, right? Not so fast. Before we do that, we need to tweak your lifestyle and thought process. If you start a diet and exercise program without a big-picture lifestyle master plan, you're doomed to fail.

The idea behind this program is that everything starts from the core. We want to build our lives from the inside out, not just at the superficial level, like so many other programs.

Core is a popular buzzword. Most people think it refers only to your abdominals, and countless books and articles have been written on how to produce six-pack abs.

But your core, from a strictly physical standpoint, is much more than just your abs. As we'll discuss later in the book, the core refers to the midsection of the body--from hips to shoulders--and is the basis for all movement.

If you look at this as just another diet and exercise program, you will have a difficult time producing long-term change. That's why I want you to think broader. Think of this as an integrated lifestyle system with four components, the four parts of what I call the Core Essentials: Mindset, Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery.

When embarking on a new program of nutrition and exercise, you will be far more motivated if you take a step back and define what drives you. So, don't look at our Core Essentials sphere above as an abstract concept. Instead, think of it as a Super Ball. When I was little, I'd take one of those tiny red Super Balls and slam it as hard as I could on the driveway. It seemed like it would go 50 feet in the air, bounce, and then go another 20 feet. I marveled at the power of this simple 10-cent object smaller than a golf ball. Indeed, the reason a golf ball or baseball can travel such a great distance is because there's the equivalent of a Super Ball at its core.

This diagram was developed in collaboration with our partners at Tignum, the world's leading institute for executive excellence.

We want to create a Super Ball in your own core, not just through nutrition and exercise but by rewiring your mindset and incorporating recovery into your lifestyle. Let's take a brief look at each of these four components.

MINDSET

The simple fact that you picked up this book suggests that you have, to some degree, the proper mindset to make the necessary changes in your life.

I once had the wonderful opportunity to chat with John Wooden, perhaps the greatest college basketball coach of all time. He told me that he always looked for players who were not just willing, but eager, to do what it takes. Until a player was eager to become the best he could be, Wooden said, there was no use in him showing up for practice.

On the surface, that might seem like a minor distinction. But think of the relationship that most people have with their jobs. They're willing to show up for work--after all, they presumably need the money--but not really eager to do so. As a result, their performance isn't exemplary--it's just good enough for them to keep their jobs.

(Of course, there are other contributing factors. People who suffer from depression, anxiety, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other ailments lose much of the productivity they once had.)

This epidemic of "presenteeism" is sweeping our nation, and not just in the workforce. Technically, people might be present on the job--or with their families or when taking part in activities they once actively enjoyed--but they're not engaged, not thriving, not striving. They're bogged down with the demands of life, suffering from ailments, sleepwalking through their days with no light at the end of the tunnel. The thought of doing the same thing for the next 15 or 20 years, with no increase in quality of life, can be immobilizing: No wonder so many people suffer from depression. If you don't have a game plan to handle the demands of life, to create energy, you'll never lead the life you want to lead.

In the next chapter, we'll help you rewire your mindset so you can create change and develop routines, formulating great habits that will last a lifetime. Most diet and exercise programs assume that if you eat right and get into better shape, everything else will take care of itself. Well, aside from a lucky (and dedicated) few, that only works for the short term, and most of us need a game plan to keep us going. After all, even the most physically gifted athletes cannot succeed unless they have mentally addressed everything they will face in competition. Developing the proper mindset will help prepare you for everything that comes your way.

NUTRITION

If you want to create that core Super Ball, you have to fuel your body properly. Even if you do nothing else (i.e., exercise), eating right will go a long way toward protecting your health.

I've never understood why diet books outsell fitness books by such a large margin. Apparently, more people would rather deprive themselves of food through dieting than take a proactive approach to their health through a combination of nutrition and exercise.

You won't find that here. What you will find is that together, we're going to change your approach to eating. Instead of living to eat, we're going to eat to live. It's that simple. Instead of using food to change your emotional state or deal with stress, you're going to use it to fuel your body for maximum performance. It's not just about losing weight or looking good in a bathing suit--both of which you'll accomplish, by the way.

Instead, you're going to use food to fuel your success and sustain your energy level. Not only that, but by planning to eat properly and putting a game plan in place, you'll also save time and money.

MOVEMENT

I hesitate to use the term exercise because it's come to mean something with a definitive beginning and end: I'm going to the gym now, so therefore it's time to exercise.

I prefer the term movement since it's more indicative of an active lifestyle, even outside the gym. I'll show you ways to work your body in any situation, whether it's sitting at your desk or sitting in an airplane. It can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Try to take every opportunity to move your body, not just during formal exercise. Think of your entire life as a potential workout.

Proper movement is what will give your "Super Ball" its power; otherwise, you're more like a softball. There might be a solid core in there somewhere, but it's covered with so many layers of string that it has minimal impact. With this program of proper exercise, you'll develop those "super" powers.

RECOVERY

"I give 110 percent every day."

If I really meant that, I'd be lying. The reason I'd be lying is that nobody can give 110 percent--or 100 percent, for that matter--every day. The body, mind, and soul won't allow it.

There are people who work 18-hour days, 6 days a week, and never take a vacation. What's the point? I know there are people who love their work-- I'm fortunate to be one of them--but if I didn't have the time to enjoy the fruits of my labor then I'd be wasting my life.

Not just that, but it's impossible to maintain such a furious pace without your body breaking down. Throughout this program, you'll learn the importance of recovery, or what I like to call regeneration.

A starting pitcher in baseball, for instance, cannot throw full-throttle every day. He needs to rest 3 or 4 days between outings. Yes, he can throw lightly between outings, and some relief pitchers can pitch short stints most every day. But it's impossible for any pitcher to go all-out for lengthy periods of time every day without risking injury. Regeneration is necessary.

Regeneration applies to everything: Exercise, nutrition, and mindset. You can't work out hard 6 days a week; your body will break down. So, we've constructed this program with hard days and easier "regeneration days" that allow you time to recover.

The same is true with nutrition. If I instructed you to eat nothing but healthy foods, 7 days a week, you'd never be able to follow the program. So I'm giving you one day a week to eat however you please. It allows you to take a mental break and reward yourself. (By the way, there's also a 3-week indoctrination period to help you build up to eating healthy for most of the week.)

Regeneration also applies to your mindset. The primary purpose of a vacation is for your mind to recover from the grind of everyday life. We need to build these breaks into our lives in order to come back even stronger.

Think of how that Super Ball continues to bounce high six, seven, or eight times. We want to bounce back from the demands and pitfalls of life, returning stronger each time. Recovery is the ability to come back up to that level as rapidly as possible, no matter how poorly the ball bounces. Recovery allows us to create constant momentum.

These four components--Mindset, Nutrition, Movement, and Recover y--do not operate independently. This is an integrated program that will permeate every aspect of your life. So let's begin with establishing that proper mindset.

Chapter 1 Summary: Core Performance Essentials is not just a diet and exercise program but an integrated lifestyle system that incorporates four elements of the Core Essentials sphere. Those components are Mindset, Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery. By working all four aspects of the system, you can produce the energy and structure to thrive in the Game of Life.