Tag: healthy habits

Push, Pull, and the Lessons of Middle Age

Oscar AgramonteSifu Oscar's Blog

In your late teens and 20s, the choices you make with food and training will stay with you. Strength coach Mike Boyle shared the best advice I know when it comes to body composition, and it is especially true in your 20s. 

Learn the Push. 

Push the table away. Push the extra beer and pizza away. 

Build the discipline now to keep fat cells from multiplying.

Why? Because once you create fat cells, they don’t just disappear. Fat cells act like balloons. When you overeat, it is like blowing air into the balloon and it expands. 

When you train, eat better, and lose fat, you don’t pop the balloon. You simply let the air out. It shrinks, but it never disappears. 

That is why learning the skill of Push early is so valuable. But even if you did not learn it in your 20s, it is not too late. 

The ability to push away what does not serve you is a practice you can strengthen at any age.

By the time you reach middle age, the Pulls of life become more obvious. 

Careers get busier, parents get older, kids need more of your time, and financial pressures pile up. At the same time, your body starts sending reminders — tighter hips, rounded shoulders, slower recovery. 

Strength coach Dan John sums up the solution perfectly: Stretch what’s stiff. Strengthen what’s weak. For most of us, that means:

  • Stretch: hip flexors, hamstrings, pecs, biceps
  • Strengthen: glutes, ab wall, deltoids, triceps

Over six years ago, Sifu Mimi and I started a video blog series called 40 Fit-Fu. We recorded more than 100 episodes on training, nutrition, and health. 

If you scroll to the bottom of the playlist, you will find our final episodes where we looked back at the first ones and shared how our approach has evolved. 

Training is a lifelong process. What works at 20 might not be what you need at 40, and what you build at 40 sets you up for your 60s.

Kung Fu gives us a clear example of this principle. 

The iron bridge stretches what needs lengthening while strengthening what needs support. 

It is also a classic Push-Pull exercise: pushing the hips up, pulling the shoulders back. That combination is exactly what keeps us strong, mobile, and balanced through every stage of life.

See you in training,

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. The principle of stretching what is stiff and strengthening what is weak starts on day one. That is what our Foundations program is all about. This is also remote coaching through our app, with daily actions and accountability built in. Reply with Foundations and I will get you started.

 

P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals.
Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Goal Setting vs Goal Achieving

Oscar AgramonteSifu Oscar's Blog

Dan John makes an important distinction between goal setting and goal achieving. Setting a goal can feel like daydreaming. 

Achieving a goal is more like solving a puzzle. 

You start with what you already have—your genetics, where you live, your circumstances—and then you do the work to find the solution.

One of the tools he uses is called the 5/2 plan. Ask yourself these five questions about your future:

  • What do you want in two decades?
  • In two years?
  • In two months?
  • Tomorrow?
  • Today?

If those questions feel overwhelming, you can also start with the opposite. Instead of asking what you want, ask what you don’t want. 

Dan John has a term for this that I’ve renamed for this newsletter: Reverse Goals. The idea is simple. When you catch yourself doing something that does not serve you, the lesson is, I am not going to do that again.

This is how we avoid being pulled into the latest fitness fad or quick-fix promise. 

Instead, we keep coming back to the fundamentals, the same way we return to basics in Kung Fu and Tai Chi:

  • Eat the right amount for your body each day.
  • Get enough protein to support recovery and strength.
  • Train with weights 2–3 times a week, just as we train our forms.
  • Walk more (I aim for 10,000 steps a day).
  • Sleep enough so the body and mind can recharge.

Add flossing and a yearly check-up, and you have a strong foundation. Not fancy, but it works.

This week, take a moment to answer those five questions for yourself. Then, choose one simple habit from the list above and give it your focus. 

Daydreams turn into progress when we put them into practice.

See you in training,

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals.
Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Steps, and the Other 165 Hours of Your Week

Oscar AgramonteSifu Oscar's Blog

If you’re training at Wah Lum two or three times a week, good for you! That already puts you ahead of the average person. But here’s a question: is it enough for our otherwise sedentary lifestyle?

There are 168 hours in a week. Even with three intense classes, that still leaves 165 hours to fill. What are you doing with the rest of your time?

A few months ago, I read strength coach Dan John’s experience with walking 10,000 steps a day. He credited that simple habit (not an extreme workout plan) with helping him get lean and stay lean. Inspired, I bought a $15 pedometer for a 30-day experiment. I chose an inexpensive one for two reasons:

  • Studies suggest basic pedometers can be more accurate than fancy phones. 
  • I didn’t want to rely on my phone or invest in a high-tech watch for a short trial. 

It turns out that walking 10,000 steps is not a new concept. The idea gained popularity in Japan during the lead-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when a pedometer brand called manpo-kei (literally “10,000 steps meter”) used the number as a catchy marketing tool. While the number wasn’t based on science at the time, modern research shows it’s a pretty good daily target for overall health.

Here’s what I learned from my own trial:

  • Hitting 10,000 steps was harder than I thought unless I planned for it. 
  • Kung Fu and strength training alone didn’t get me there, even if I did both on the same day. 
  • Yard work easily pushed me past the goal, as did a 45–60 minute walk with my mom on Sundays. 
  • On most other days, I had to intentionally add movement to hit the target. 

One interesting side effect: when I hit 10,000 steps or more, I felt pleasantly tired and wanted to go to bed earlier. That alone felt like a win.

I also realized I didn’t need to wear the pedometer all day. Instead, I put it on only when I was going to move outside of Kung Fu or strength training, such as during walks or yard work. This way, my steps were “true” additional movement, not just my daily total. Even hitting 5,000–8,000 intentional steps this way felt beneficial.

Walking might not sound as exciting as throwing kicks or moving weights around, but it’s a simple, proven way to add more movement to your life. So, the next time you think about your training, remember: it’s not just about the three hours a week you spend at the Temple, it’s about the other 165 hours too.

-Sifu Oscar

Master Your Eating Habits Like Your Martial Arts Moves

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

I want to share some practical tips to help you stay on track with your health goals while fully enjoying your meals. 

Just as in Kung Fu and Tai Chi, where precision, awareness, and discipline are key, mindful eating can greatly enhance your overall well-being and training.

It’s all about paying attention to your food- savoring each bite, listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues, and enjoying the overall eating experience without distractions. 

Tips for Practicing Mindful Eating:

  1. Slow Down: In Kung Fu and Tai Chi training, every move is deliberate and controlled. Apply the same principles to your eating. Take your time to eat. Chew each bite thoroughly and savor the flavors and textures.
  2. Eliminate Distractions: Try to eat without distractions such as TV, phones, or computers. Focus solely on your meal and the company around you. Just as you would eliminate distractions to concentrate during training, do the same during meals.
  3. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your hunger and fullness signals. Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re comfortably full. When training at Wah Lum, listening to your body is crucial to avoid injury and optimize performance. Apply this awareness to your eating habits.
  4. Enjoy Your Food: We tell our students to enjoy the process of mastering a new technique. Apply the same principle to appreciating each meal – its taste, aroma, and presentation. This can enhance your satisfaction and reduce the desire for unhealthy snacks later.

By incorporating these mindful eating strategies into your routine, you can enjoy delicious food while staying on track with your health goals, just as you balance enjoyment and discipline in your martial arts training.

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals. Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.