All Articles
Dr. Kevin Kraushaar's work with traumatised veterans, and time spent as a hobbyist beekeeper means that he sees unique similarities in the way that bees structure their hives and human hierarchy. While humans may be the dominant life form, these similarities suggest that there are animals who have evolved to exist and survive in a system that reflects modern militaries or production lines. Dr. Kraushaar intends to in future explore the therapeutic effects of beekeeping, similar to modern equine therapy, for the use of treating PTSD.
On the surface, power and strength may seem very similar, as they both have a lot to do with maximal weights. This is one of the reasons why I mentioned similarities and carryovers in the introduction. Although these areas of training may seem similar at first, and they have great application in strength sports - the way I define power is not purely to do with maximal load. In this article, I will be defining power as your body’s ability to produce force.
Confidence exists within every person, ranging on a spectrum from meek to arrogant. Confidence is commonly attributed to an individual’s personality, especially when first meeting someone - but has a role in the many different facets that make up an individual’s identity. There are many aspects of confidence - confidence in the self, confidence in others and confidence in your own abilities.
Feeling like you should “look a certain way” in order to be happier or feel more like yourself is common. It could be argued that the existence of gyms, and the existence of the entire sport of bodybuilding, is based upon people wanting to look more like the heroic figures displayed in art and media for thousands of years.
If you were to ask a serving or ex-service person what joining the military is like, one of the likely responses you’ll receive is the “culture shock”. The culture within the military, like most others, sounds quite strange to those who haven’t experienced it. It is heavily soaked in tradition and order - walking next to someone means matching their stride, and wearing the wrong coloured socks can get you fined (if the guy with higher rank is a dick).
Strength is a broad topic, and is becoming more and more popular these days, as many more people discover the benefits of strength training. However, there are just as many myths, misdirections, and downright lies that are out there - and hopefully by the end of this article, you come away with a basic understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and why, as well as an appreciation for why you should want to be stronger, and whether or not size actually equals strength.
This simple change in perception allowed me to stay sharp. To stay focused. To fight on our terms. At the time, I didn't realise that what I was doing helped me get through that period, and allow me to finally get some much-needed rest and recovery. Now, I recognise this practice as mindfulness and meditation. It wasn’t until years later, when I was sharing these experiences with my good mate, Tristan Rose (also a veteran and the founder of Blind Tiger Yoga), that he paused me mid-sentence and said, “You’ve been meditating for years…you just didn’t know it.”
The world is currently experiencing a once in a life-time event - with COVID-19 affecting people either directly with illness, or indirectly through new government mandated precautions to combat the spread of the virus. I want to address some of the challenges that many face during their current isolation from others, so throughout this article, I'll be discussing potential methods for coping with these challenges - relating to both physical and mental experience.
General health & wellbeing can be one of the hardest things to train for - because it’s extremely hard to account for everyone’s individual differences. It’s the little things that matter, and being consistent with building positive habits will trump all else in the long run. So, stick to the principles outlined in this article.
