Physical Strength
Physical strength embodies one of Halei's greatest ideals: To be strong to be useful.
By becoming physically stronger we are able to increase our capacity to have an instant and tangible effect on our surroundings. However, the complex nature of the human body can often be daunting when considering how to build strength and maintain lasting and noticeable effects.
The Haleiric way is not one of vanity or showmanship. Developing rippling, chisled muscles or being able to dead lift and enormous amount of weight for a split second has very little practical application in the real world. Our training methods promote an increase in strength within all the muscle systems and motor functions of the body. In doing this you will never develop the engorged biceps of a body builder or be able to impress friends in the gym by bench pressing 300lbs. However, with patience and dedication, it is possible to accomplish something far greater.
Halei is about achieving a goal more important than a boosted ego - it is about utility. The physical training involved in Halei is designed to enable the Haleir to respond efficiently and fervently when situations arise. For example: a child, whilst out walking, loses his footing and falls down a steep banking into a lake. The Haleir is trained to act without hesitation; negotiating fencing, difficult undergrowth, obstacles and cold water with calculated precision and using their strength to pull the child from the water whilst swimming to the shore in safety. By utilising practical physical techniques in real life environments, the Haleir has piece of mind knowing that he or she is always prepared to react when necessary.
Without a general strength throughout the body, the utility of our abilities is diminished. By maintaining strength in our arms and hands we can lift, throw, pull, push and punch. By developing strong legs and feet we can balance, walk, run, jump, land and kick. By buidling a strong torso we can move in a multitude of ways whilst having the power to generate energy throughout the body. The chest, abdominals, shoulders, biceps, triceps, quads, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, knees, gluteus, abbductors and obliques are just a handful of the important working parts of our bodies. Each one needs to be identified when training completely to ensure that no part of the body is weak or untrained.
Physiology
Before embarking on a physical journey with Halei, it is important to understand and appreciate the physiological aspect of your training. By developing an increased awareness of the physical construction of your body you will be able to ensure that the benefit of every activity is maximised. Our muscles, limbs and organs are designed to work in a certain way by utlising certain motions to generate strength or energy in other parts of the body.
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Physical culturalist, Edwin Checkley, in his 'Natural Method of Physical Training' published in 1921, describes the incorrect slouch and pomp of incorrect posture and the essential nature of a balanced one.
A slouching body is one where the back is arched forward and the abdomen is distended with the chin lowered. This common posture causes pain and discomfort across the upper muscles of the back and enables the stomach to swell and remain relaxed. If this posture is employed over a prolonged period of time, the performance of the body will be dramatically weakened and the abdominal muscles will all but disappear.
In the classic over-exaggerated pomp of the 'strongman' posture, with the shoulders arched back and the chest pushed out, the lower muscles of the back are put under strain and breathing becomes restricted. Again, if employed over a prolonge period of time, the anterior muscles of the erector spinae become strained and painful lung problems can result.
In conclusion, a balanced posture in which the body is completely aligned is the most efficient. This is achieved, very simply, by aligning the body as though you were standing with your nose pressed against a pane of glass, your toes touching the glass at the bottom and your chest touching the glass in the middle. Allow the weight of your body to be carried by your muscles and distributed evenly across both feet. Don't 'sit back' on your haunches and let your skeleton carry you along, that's what your muscles were designed for.
By strengthening the muscles in your back, your body will find it easier to support itself. Try this simple excercise, without weight, to get started:
1) Stand comfortably with your feet slightly apart and your arms by your side.
2) Raise your arms out to the side and up above your head.
3) When your hands reach the top, cross them over and touch your shoulder blades with your finger tips. Your elbows should be pointing into the air.
4) Hold this position for 10 seconds and then release slowly back to your sides.
5) Repeat 10 times.
Kinetic Training
In the minds of many, in order to become physically stronger, we must set aside dedicated time to train the body with the specific intention of increasing strength through traditional muscle building and cardiovascular excercises. Whilst this will always remain an irrefutable truth in theory, finding the time in actuality can be more difficult. As a result, a new system has been introduced; a kinetic system.
The word kinetic comes from the Greek word κίνησις (kinesis) meaning motion. Kinetic energy is the energy an object posesses due to it's motion. We too can harness this energy by using motion as a core basis for strength training in every day life. Throughout our day we are in motion many times but how often do we use this to our advantage? When walking up the stairs, for example, how many people use the hand rail who have no need for it? Why not try running up the stairs instead - and run everytime you want to go upstairs. Why not take two steps at a time and leap from the top or bottom step when you reach it. This is Kinetic Training.
Making optimal use of our surroundings can be the best way to maintain fitness and build strength simultaneously. If someone needs help carrying a heavy object, grab the opportunity with zeal - it may be the only chance you will get that day to perform an excercise that involves lifting weight. Many people pay and take time to train in environments where we lift weight for no other purpose than to satify our own egotistical gains when there are many situations throughout the day (that many will avoid) when we have the chance to help someone else and exert ourselves physically.
Make use of yourself in a physical way and you will benefit physically. Utility is the core of this principle as it takes the tasks that we must perform anyway, perhaps even loathingly, and gives them esprition. Used correctly, this acts like a shot of adrenaline to the system, giving you a short burst of activity in which you are experiencing the same physical strains involved during excercise. Multiply this a hundred times throughout the day and you will have completed a significant amount of physical activity without even realising it. Take every opportunity to run (when it safe and appropriate to do so), lift, carry and assist others with tasks that require physical effort. These are all things that can be performed (and I must stress the need for safety and propriety) on the way to work, within the workplace, at break times and on the way home.
Never forget your physicality and utilise every opportunity to use it.
Physical Health
Physical strength is embodied by physical health. It is so important, when considering nutrition, that you take into account each and every of the basic food groups. Again, this comes back to the overall ideal of Halei which is to promote 'complete' strength throughout the body.
The Nine Fitness Food Groups
People
who play hard need to eat smarter than the average couch potato. Keep the food
groups below in mind when making your food choices each day. It should serve as
a general guide, regardless of your age, gender, weight, or the type of
exercise you’re planning.
Here’s a
closer look at the nine food groups that make up the Play Hard Pyramid. The
government’s pyramid includes only six food groups. The Play Hard Pyramid bumps
that number up to the following nine that are fine-tuned to meet your fitness
needs.
Carbohydrate-Packed
Foods
When you
exercise, your muscles burn a type of carbohydrate called glycogen for fuel. To
keep these important fuel levels optimal, you must eat a diet rich in grains,
beans, potatoes, and other types of high-carbohydrate foods. Grains also
contain important B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin that your
muscles need to convert the carbohydrate you eat into energy. Enriched refined
grain products made from white flour, such as crackers, white rice, and pasta,
do supply these B vitamins, but you should focus on whole grains such as whole
wheat bread, quinoa, and brown rice, which also provide the fibre you need for
a healthy heart and digestive tract. Despite popular belief, beans count as a
high-carbohydrate food.
Amount
needed: Eight to fifteen servings a day. At least half of your daily servings should come from whole
grains and at least five weekly servings should come from beans.
Fluids
The more
you exercise, the more you sweat, and if you don’t replace those lost fluids,
you’ll soon become dehydrated. Besides hurting your performance, chronic
dehydration also increases your risk for kidney stones and bladder cancer. If
you’re watching your weight, go for water most of the time. During long
workouts, however, you need a sports drink that contains carbohydrate and
electrolytes.
Amount
needed: Ten to twelve
servings a day of water or other fluids such as fruit juice or sports drink.
Vegetables
Exercise
makes you breathe hard; the harder you breathe, the more oxygen your lungs suck
in. And while you need oxygen to sustain life, this gas tends to be unstable
inside the body. Unstable oxygen molecules can oxidize, which may damage your
muscle cells and set the stage for heart disease and cancer. Damaged muscle
cells also bring on inflammation and soreness, which make your next workout feel
harder than it should. You can counter-act oxidation by eating healthy amounts of antioxidants,
substances found in dark, leafy greens, red peppers, tomatoes, winter squash,
pumpkins, carrots and other colorful produce. Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables
all supply a wealth of nutrients.
Amount
needed: Four to six servings a day. Include two or more antioxidant-rich selections such as bok
choy and spinach.
Fruits
Brightly
colored fruits such as berries, kiwifruits, and oranges contain loads of antioxidants
and other phytochemicals. Fruit juice counts, but you’ll get more
cholesterol-lowering fiber and other nutrients from whole fruits.
Amount
needed: Three to five servings a day. At least half of them should be antioxidant powerhouses
such as mango, pineapple, and cantaloupe.
Protein
Powerhouses
Fit
people need more protein (80 or more grams a day) than unfit people do. This
macronutrient is especially important after your workouts, when your body
repairs muscle damage and shuttles energy back to your muscles. With this in mind you should include soy,
fish, eggs, and lean meat in your postworkout meals. Lean meat, especially
beef, is loaded with zinc, a mineral that most people need to get more of in
their diets. And soy, fish, and other types of meat provide iron and other
trace minerals such as copper and manganese that your body needs, especially
during heavy training.
Amount
needed: Two to
four small servings a day. Eat fish one or two times a week for its
healthy omega-3 fats.
Calcium-Rich
Foods
Consuming
dairy products is the easiest way to ensure that you’re getting plenty of
bone-strengthening calcium. As a bonus, dairy products also offer a good dose
of protein. If you don’t eat dairy, select calcium-fortified soy products or
other calcium-rich foods such as calcium-fortified orange juice or cereal. Aim
for at least one soy product daily that supplies about 10 grams of protein.
Amount
needed: Two to
three servings a day.
Healthy
Fats
The fat
found in nuts, avocados, olives and olive oil, canola oil, and flaxseed and
flaxseed oil is actually quite good for your heart. Additional research shows
that these healthy fats may fight inflammation and muscle soreness and may
even boost immunity. Use healthy fats in place of heart-clogging saturated and trans fats such as
margarine and butter. Snack on a handful of nuts instead of potato chips. Use
avocado as a spread on bread instead of margarine or butter. Cook with olive or
canola oil instead of margarine. And try flaxseed oil along with seasonings for
an eat-smart salad dressing. Flaxseed oil also supplies a healthy dose of
omega-3 fats, which are the same fats found in fish.
But be warned: All types of fat contain more calories per gram than either
carbohydrate or protein do, so if you’re watching your weight, you should watch
your intake.
Amount
needed: Three or
more servings a week.
Healthy
Snacks
If you
exercise for more than an hour at a time, you’ll need to consume energy bars,
gels, sports drinks, or other performance foods to fuel your fitness. Found in
some health food stores, and sports stores, products such as PowerBar, High5,
and SIS contain easily digestible carbohydrate. They also make great pre and
post run snacks. Most bars have 30 or more grams of carbohydrate whereas most gels
contain about 25 grams. Foods such as fig bars, dried fruit and
honey also supply fast, digestible carbohydrate.
Amount
needed: 30 to 60
grams per hour of exercise.
Junk Food
Chips,
cake, fizzy drinks, and doughnuts are not recommended foods. They offer too few nutrients
and too many calories and are likely to contain either saturated or trans fats,
two of your biggest artery cloggers. But let’s face it, one of the reasons you
exercise is to eat the foods you love. So munching on cookies or fatty snack
foods now and then is not a huge deal as long as these foods don’t become
dietary staples.
Amount
needed: One
unhealthy snack or fewer per day.
This section has been adapted from the book 'Eat Smart, Play Hard' by Liz Applegate.
All information contained in the Physical Health section is only intended for informational and educational purposes. The information is not intended nor suited to be a replacement or substitute for professional medical treatment or for professional medical advice relative to a specific medical question or condition.We urge you to always seek the advice of your physician or medical professional with respect to your medical condition or questions. As a recipient of information from this website, you are not establishing a doctor/patient relationship with any physician. There is no replacement for personal medical treatment and advice from your personal physician.
