Exercising the Brain

  The value of all “physical” exercise is that it increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the part of the body actually exercised — by first ridding the body of accumulated toxins (inflammation) by those muscular contractions at the extremities. In a primitive healthy individual, that is an absolute requirement for survival (fitness) — because that survival is not guaranteed by others (society). Each individual has to provide wholly for themselves — because there is no 911 to call. Or by the time that help arrives, one has already perished. Those are the conditions that humans evolved in — and so those who survived, were best at doing so.

The distinctive features of the human body that place them above all the other creatures are the large brain, tool-making/using hand, and feet that allow for an upright position — so if anything, it would make the most sense to service those organs as the highest priority — because that takes care of the rest. Those are the organs one has the most control over —and can make the greatest impact — whether that is throwing a stone/spear, running, jumping, climbing, and of course, the brain directs it all. But even before that, the first task of the head, is to turn and direct one senses in the right direction. If nothing else, that tells the other — whether animal or human — that they are aware, and not just lost in their own thought — oblivious to everything happening around them.

Even predators notice this difference — and are likely to go after the prey most unaware of their presence than take on the fully attentive individual anticipating their every move. But it is not just enough to possess those capabilities — because one has to actually exercise them to do any good. That means turning one’s head to see whether a car is coming towards them — and it is not enough just to know that they shouldn’t be. That is true whether one is in a car or on a bike — and more important than how fast one’s heart is beating. That is automatic — but whether one turns his head to know that the car is coming and letting the car know that also in that movement — is a critically important accomplishment.

That frequently is the difference between life and death — and so it is a very important movement to practice and cultivate — and not just head fixed straight ahead thinking one can beat any other to that spot faster — if one simply ignores all else. So those head movements, are still critically important skills to ensure the optimal functioning of the brain and body — but contemporary lifestyles often take for granted as unnecessary or makes convenient not to.

Most people’s idea of “exercising the brain” therefore, consists of doing meaningless crossword puzzles or other such extraneous brain games — while ignoring the obvious and very visible fact that their neck muscles are atrophying — in what is called the “turkey neck,” or the “pencil neck” — despite having impressive biceps and “six-pack” abdominal development. That won’t prevent them from suffering the consequences of suboptimal blood flow to the brain — which is the whole point of CPR and basic first aid. Once the brain is gone, it doesn’t matter how many more years the heart can continue to function normally. And that is a major concern and problem in societies today.

In advanced ages surely, but less recognized, is that lack of optimal functioning and blood flow to the brain at any age and condition. I’ve even heard people who should know better, say that the head should not move — nor should one increase the blood flow to the brain — and then, that it makes no difference. Yet they will claim that we have to exercise the brain just like any other muscle — but without movement. If we did exercises for the muscles without movement, the results would predictably be nonproductive and obviously absurd. That lack of obvious movement is the very reason for their lack of muscular development and overall poor condition — because it is the contraction along with the alternating relaxation of the muscles in use, that actuates the flow — and not merely the wishing it would (mental exercise).

Why are the problematical parts of the body (the extremities) not regarded as the proof of the effectiveness of exercise (optimizing blood flow) — but rather, considered the exceptions to the rule for robust health? It should be obvious that that is how one would go about it — if selling machines and supplements were not the primary considerations. Does one really need to make the heart work harder and faster — or would it be better if the hands, feet and head movements were articulated to ensure optimal functioning of those organs as the highest priority and that would empower the rest — but not vice-versa.

That is to say that empowering the bicep first, would not lead to deciding that a better functioning brain would be desirable, but in empowering the brain first, it might decide that a stronger bicep might be advantageous — but not vice-versa. That is the hierarchy of human development — and critical path for determining the ultimate success of that individual. Everything else, is diverting energy and resources from this important work of the body — whether one is 70 or 7. That’s why any body fails — this failure to distinguish the significant from the diversions and distractions of contemporary life.

Beyond Resistance Training

  The calves, forearms and neck muscles are similar in that they are the muscles at the extremities of the body — that respond most to range of motion — rather than resistance. Added resistance merely decreases the range of motion. Regardless of the condition anybody is in, as soon as they turn their heads all the way to the left or right, the sternomastoid muscle of the neck contracts into prominence — whether one is obese or a body builder, but the people most likely to have a pleasing neck development, are the dancers — who cultivate that development — along with the movements of the hands and feet. It is typical for them to point their feet to be in line with their lower leg — while the typical range of movement for most people, is to barely move their feet from a right angle to the lower leg. It is that range of motion that accounts for the fuller development of the lower leg muscles — and adding more weight, further restricts foot movement.

That is the major argument against the thinking that simply adding more resistance to a movement, will produce a prodigious development — when in fact, for most people, just bodyweight alone is already too much weight for them to be able to raise fully on their toes. They may perform their calf raise on an elevation — and then only go up to slightly above a right angle to their lower leg — and then back down to the stretched position. And so their calf muscle doesn’t develop no matter how much weight they use, or how many reps they do — because they don’t do the most productive part of any exercise — which is the full contraction.

The magic of the full contraction is that it physically forces the blood and other fluids to be compressed out of those tissues — and upon relaxation, the heart can easily pump blow into those areas because the compression has created a vacuum that draws fresh nutrients in. A semi-contracted or semi-relaxed muscular state, which is how most people perform their weight-training exercises, does not produce that impactful flow caused by the difference in the greatest contraction alternated by the greatest relaxation — just as the heart works as a pump.

The ideal design for improving circulation, would be to have pumps at the furthest extremities of the body to pump the fluids back towards the heart — but the muscles of the body can voluntarily do that in many productive activities. Unfortunately, the modern paradigm eliminates that essential involvement and places it on the heart rate and core development — while ignoring the development of the essential movements and development of the neck, forearms and lower legs — which is totally backwards and why modern bodybuilders have grossly disproportional developments — that even Arnold finds disturbing.

That disproportionate development does not happen if one exercises from the extremities on in — because that is the natural evolutionary design. That is, the larger muscles develop to support the fine motor movements at the head, hands and feet — and not the larger muscles with no expression at the head, hands and feet — as many conditioning activities do. What is particularly noticeable in older physique competitors, is the glaring absence of lower leg, lower arm, and neck development — despite the overdevelopment of biceps and abdominals.

That is contrasted with the still formidable leg, arm and neck development seen in older ballet performers and teachers. If one does nothing else but develop the lower leg, lower arms, and neck, then the eye extrapolates that the rest of the musculature must be awesome — because it is so traditionally underdeveloped as a yardstick for that assessment. But more accurately, the impressive development of the extremities, implies the greater health of the supporting structures — but not vice-versa. That is, one can have a well developed core muscles — while still having a pencil neck, and pipestem forearms and calves — which is a common sight in many gyms. Aside from the aestethics, the common failure of most aging people, is the deterioration visible at the neck (face), hands and feet as the telltale signs of aging.

So the question one asks, is what allows for the greatest range of movement at the joint one wishes to develop? That would be to assume the Achilles tendon stretch against a wall or chair, and then raising the heel to achieve the greatest contraction (articulation) of that forward push off — rather than rising straight up with a weight on their shoulders because the spine is bearing most of the impact. That is true for most of the exercises one thinks they are doing for the development of the larger muscles of the body. The primary victim is the spine and its compression — often leading to back pain for the rest of their lives.

While the ballet dancers are impressive that they can stand on their toes, for the rest of us, if we can get into that position bearing no weight, or as little weight that allows that full range contraction, we can achieve the same effect. Arthur Jones noted that the strength curve between the fully relaxed position of a muscle to the fully contracted position varied greatly, but dismissed the observation that at the most extreme positions, further attempts to increase that range, produced its own unlimited resistance. If one thinks to increase that range of movement (flexibility), it is usually only in the relaxed position — and not the contracted position, where most simply rest in a bone-on-bone lockout — whether that is a squat, deadlift, bench press or standing press. To go into a hypercontracted position would cause the bar to come crashing down because it is so intense as to be unsustainable. But that is what we want to do with a lighter weight, and in many cases, no additional weight at all — which is what a supercontracted calf raise beginning from an Achilles tendon stretch would be.

That is very different than doing the calf raise off of blocks — starting with a maximum resistance. Then at best, one would only raise one’s feet to level before dropping back down into the lowered position. One has to find a way that they can get into the fully contracted, and even hypercontracted position — even without weights — because it is the range of movement that is paramount, and not the weight lifted for no meaningful change of muscular state that will induce the nutrients for growth. It is not the weight lifted, but the changes in the muscular state from full contraction to full relaxation that produces that flow that maintains and grows the body.

It’s not the lack of effort or resistance, but the lack of the proper understanding of what one is doing — and hoping to accomplish. Then when it makes perfectly good sense, one can’t help but do the right things — because it wouldn’t make sense to do otherwise.

Get Rid of the Inflammation

 Another word for "inflammation" is "swelling" -- which is the accumulation of toxins/waste products in the tissues -- which in the normally healthy body is directed back towards the filtering and purifying organs at the center of the body -- the liver, kidneys, lungs, etc., where it is eliminated and exchanged for fresh nutrients that keep the body alive and even growing.  That process can be impeded in many different ways -- including not eating the necessary nutrients, shallow or ineffective breathing, not producing the necessary muscular contractions that push those fluids (blood and lymphatic fluid) out of the tissues and back towards the center of the body for that recycling, etc.

Those are the conditions humans have evolved in for millions of years -- along with many other life forms.  Until very recently, such movements were required for the very survival of each individual, and favored the most productive in that manner.  Those who were incapable of rising to those occasions with the proper responses perished in those early days of survival.  The "fit" were those who survived.

But as human societies predominated, many more less abled could survive -- and other talents and abilities could flourish -- with even greater survival advantage.  That would be the emergence of strategic thinkers -- who could manage primitive societies into greater civilizations beyond just conquering the other tribe.  Larger synergies gave rise to cities that planned for larger populations to live in relative peace, harmony and cooperation -- we commonly call "teamwork" -- a vast improvement over the winner take all that could be easily overcome by many working in concert.

But individually, the individual human is also designed that way -- to work in concert with all the other parts of the organism -- and not one in primacy over all the others.  Even the brain is smart enough to know it cannot do it alone -- but wants all the parts working in synchrony --  doing the best it can to do what it has to do.  That is what Nature also intended -- and has honed to what it is today.

But sometimes things go out of whack -- and we witness or experience injury, disease and even death -- and that becomes the major preoccupation and challenge of our lives.  Thus many have risen to those challenges because their very existence depended on it -- in the many remarkable transformations that become legendary.  The proverbial "98 lb. weakling" who becomes the World's Strongest Man -- because if he didn't, he wouldn't be here today, or the child with rheumatoid arthritis who doctors pronounced would be crippled as an adult.

They refused to take those verdicts lying down but asked themselves what had they got to lose by continuing on their present path?  Only that certain fate that awaited them, so rejecting that, tried everything until something worked -- and not simply settle for a better explanation of why it wasn't working.  That is the common fallacy of most self-improvement regimens -- that they just have a fancier explanation for why things don't work, rather than a simple and obvious manifestation of what does work -- as self-evident truth.  That is the obvious truth of the present moment -- and must be proven in each subsequent moment rather than what so-called experts say -- and have no way of proving in this, or any other time in life and circumstances.

What most fail to observe is that muscle contractions compress the fluids in the tissues back towards the center -- which steady state muscular states do not.  That is the significance of alternating full contractions with full relaxations -- that mimic the heart movement in pumping blood out to the rest of the body.  The weakness of circulation is that there is no similar pump at the extremities pumping the fluids back towards the center -- which greatly optimizes the circulation in the body -- particularly in those areas that inflammation (swelling) is the problem.

The first resort is not medications to do so, but activating the muscle very deliberately to do so -- as the best thing one can do -- if that is their problem.  And if that is not a problem anymore, the body will have those conditions in which it can optimize its own health -- including for producing greater muscle growth and functioning.  That is the reason exercise works -- and even produces transformative miracles for those not doing it expressly for that reason.  They are simply doing the right things -- and Nature takes care of the rest.  That's how simple and direct life is.

The simplest explanation is the best -- and not the most complicated and complex.  That may win prizes at academic institutions but is not how the world works.  However, in this age of inflated egos and credentials, that's how some people think makes the world go around -- all that hot air creating a vacuum causing the world to spin.

Modern contemporary life doesn't require a lot of personal physical effort to sustain life anymore -- and as a result, many will manifest those shapes and conditions of unexercised specimens -- rather than be fully functional human beings capable of doing what they have to do.  If one hasn't done so before, there's no reason to believe one can do it -- until they actually try.  Many presume they just have those capabilities whether they've actually ever tried to put themselves in those positions -- and the body was not made not to work, but to actually work.

But one does not realize that until one actually finds that out -- by attempting to do so.  And if that first attempt is nowhere close (predictably), then one tries again -- and again -- until they have mastered the movement to achieve precisely the outcome they want with reasonable reliability.  A few will decide they wish to become the best at it -- and that is the basis for sport and competitive activities.  But that is not the driving force behind most practice to improve.  Their fundamental health may be much more urgent and important -- as a lifelong practice.  They want to be masters of their own life and health, and not just win prizes for their 15 minutes of fame and glory -- and not care what happens beyond that.

The challenge of these times is not just how long one can live, but the quality of that lifespan.  If that is good throughout, then one is prepared to go at one's best -- and the rest is beyond their control.  But what they can control, they are their own masters at -- and that is the organizational and driving force of their lives.  That is what they are -- and do -- all their lives, no matter how long.  That's also how they go out.

They don't sweat the small stuff.