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Showing posts from January 18, 2018

Do “Dominant” Neurotransmitters Impact Training? (and a Giveaway)

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Last year I was talking with Brad Kearns and Dave Dolle when Dave said something really interesting: he was using neurotransmitter analysis to build personalized training programs for his athletes. By giving a short written T/F test called the Braverman test, he could determine whether a client was dominant in dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, or serotonin—and then use the results to determine their ideal training regimen. It was one of those instances where you hear something you know you’ll be chewing on for the next few months. These neurotransmitters exist. They each have different effects on our personality and our physiology, which can alter our response to different types of training.  Though we’re most familiar with the effects of neurotransmitters on brain function, they also have peripheral effects throughout the rest of the body. Dopamine is the motivating chemical, promoting drive and ambition and a winning attitude. It’s also the moving chemical, interacting with the area

Primal Reflection Point: Be “Selfish”

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Habit #2 of Highly Successful Hunter-Gatherers: Be Selfish In our ancestors’ day, there was certainly a sense of obligation to the group, an expectation of contribution to the joint welfare. That said, in an economy of ample free time, a social network of extended kin, a culture nearly devoid of material ambition, no one was likely required or motivated to drive themselves to exhaustion. I believe the “pack mule” mentality is a thoroughly modern neurosis. Why would any single person in a band ever accept grossly inordinate proportions of responsibility in our Primal ancestors’ time? With all members free to leave at any time in the natural ebb and flow of band to band interchange, why would any of them lived a wretched life of literal or approximated servitude? If you ran yourself into the ground healthwise in evolutionary times, you put yourself at risk. You were a liability to the group. What was the possible benefit?  Yet, here we are in modern times making excuses for neglecti

Simplifying Work Life Balance

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^^Dream workspace! Back in the fall I attended Rebelle Con , a conference for women entrepreneurs. As I sat there sipping coffee and munching on the most delicious locally made granola, business strategist  Rachael Cook took the stage. She gave a talk on self-care strategy, burn out, and work-life balance that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Rachael walked us through her own workday and the ways she had maximized focus to minimize burn out. From my memory it went something like this: 6:00 – 6:30 am – Get up, journal, and get ready before the kids wake up. 7:00 – 9:00 am – Mom Time. Get the kids to school on time! 9:00 – 10:00 am – Power walk with Oprah’s SuperSoul podcast. 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Work, with focus varying by day. (For example: Monday create, Tuesday meetings, Wednesday write, Thursday admin.) 3:00 pm – Work is over until the next day. “Office hours” are clearly defined. 3:00 – 5:00 pm – Mom time. Connecting 100% with the kids. Listening to Rachael speak