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Re: The Core Essentials

Damon [no longer around] said Feb 28, 2007, 11:43 PM:

Rob

Your answers always seem to raise more questions - sign of a good answer. There are three dimensions associated with this discussion so far that I want to explore further:
• Path towards FIT authentic mastery/maturity
• Self critical self talk within the practice of strength training
• Surrender to the process of training

Rather have a conversation that deals with all of them at once I thought I might deal with them in separate posts starting with “The Path” question first.

Ill start by revisiting the FIT document as it relates for me to the “Path”:

Focus Intensity Training enables you to begin uncovering your larger potential through strength training. By using the FIT techniques outlined here you can shift your conventional training into the deeper, neglected and hidden dimensions of strength training. In the process you will discover a more efficient, effective and enjoyable practice that yields greater energy for your demanding life and higher degrees of mental and emotional control all while developing your very best body and mind. Page 9 FIT PDF

Ok, most of the FIT document relates to the technique of FIT and the peak states and less about the development other than what is written above. There is a lot of great information and technique encompassed in the description within FIT, but for me there is not a lot of information about what a FIT seeker can expect at different stages of a development towards authentic mastery. I don’t have the span or consistency of strength training practice to know what to expect if I commit to this practice.

Building on the AQAL framework, there is probably a line of development in each of the quadrants that reflects different aspects of the FIT philosophy. What I have thought about so far at within this framework for a UL line associated with FIT specifically is the following:

Stage 1: physical: strength (obviously), health, energy, familiarisation with recovery and focus cycles, receptive to basic skills and technique of strength training, self image actualisation.
Stage 2: emotional: improved awareness of self talk, increased sexual desire, improved body image, greater confidence, increased need for connection to others (I am introverted by nature), sensitivity to the body need for rest
Stage 3: mental: improved concentration, receptive to, greater awareness of movement and impact on nervous system, greater reception of new ideas, access to the “zone”, neuromuscular connection to movement, development of a broad receptive view of self
Stage 4: intellectual: greater control of body systems, greater capacity to deal with painful experience, deeper understanding of pathological tendency, movement with the sensitivity of breath and the energetic response
Stage 5: spiritual: detachment from pleasure/painful experience, deeper connection with self, non-dual awareness of the Self, Big Mind, development of extra-ordinary strength capacity and detachment there of…….

This is not an exhaustive list by any means but I am thinking as an experiment of social interaction that this forum could build upon a framework such as AQAL related to FIT/strength training specifically and individual’s experience that relates to these different stages. I have less of an idea of the relevance and framework of the exterior dimensions within this practice and what they may look like.

Back to the maturity question…. At this stage I’m focused on the maturity of the techniques within FIT. As Jeepdog pointed out in a previous post, too much thinking about these techniques leads one vulnerable to dropping the weight on one self (leading to a massive reversal of ones development :-)) . As a development of Stage 1 IM thinking that FIT may not be relevant as a focused technique, important to be aware of - but it may be too much for someone with a limited understanding of basic bodybuilding lifts and programs. I am in two minds here what would be the best progression of a new seeker of both strength training and FIT – develop a FIT understanding first then refine techniques or develop a basic understanding of strength training and incorporate FIT as a process of refinement.

I’m also looking to what strength training practices encompasses FIT. To me strength training is a broad definition of physical practices that could involve the following:
• Body Building techniques
• Olympic Lifts
• Strongman training
• Body Weight exercises including Pilates, Yoga, Gymnastics
• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
• Martial Arts training

Correct me if im wrong Rob, but the different perspective that FIT brings to this discussion is the rhythm of the FIT cycle and specific intention to expanding awareness through a strength training practice. I agree with your previous post - I can’t focus and master all the potential different physical techniques and practices above and in attempting to do so may limit my capacity to greater and deeper development. I guess related to a statement in your previous post – I don’t know what to put down yet as they are all important to me an integral part of my strength training experience. The reason may be at the moment I see a number of important aspects of strength training within three of the above list at this stage of my development. To put down one of these is an attachment I am dealing with.

Strength and Spirit
Damon

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Re: The Core Essentials

T [no longer around] said Mar 19, 2007, 3:22 AM:

I think the greatest benefit of dedicated body work is that is gives your body the avenue to work as its designed….to move! If anyone has sat at a desk all day, you know you need to move to feel better - both physically and mentally.

The hardest part is motivating yourself to move when you are mentally exhausted.

peace…
T

Re: The Core Essentials

Rob said May 10, 2007, 10:38 AM:

Hey Damon,
As usual - sorry for the delay - here's some of my thoughts with regards to your post:
There is not a lot of information about what a FIT seeker can expect at different stages of a development towards authentic mastery. There's some generalizations that can certainly be pulled out; however, the path to mastery is fundamentally an individual journey. We've all got our own sticking points, our own gifts, our unique approaches and views, etc.

An important side point is I don't believe FIT is itself a path to Mastery. It's a stepping stone beyond the conventional approaches to strength training; however, it does not retain the instruction as to how to enact Mastery, at least not in my opinion. FIT is a start, an important critical start.

Back to a thread you touched on:

Ultimately no one knows what they're committing to nor what they're to expect. Yes there is preparation, education and experimentation; however, there's forever an unknown quality that is fundamental to the path. That's my bias of course but I think it's an important element to full forward into the light. There's uncertainty right now in this moment, there's an unknown quality to every now and this is where you will find life emerging moment to moment and to which you must be willing to die to moment to moment.

This process of becoming more alive through dying to the now in all its known and unknown aspects, its evolving and timeless elements - is none other than the path to mastery - at least as to how I hold and understand mastery.

What's along the way? Everything in some sense.

As for the generalizations, I've developed a developmental strata I baked from the defining features of about a dozen or so developmental theories. I then pulled these and distilled them down into a handful of stages as they pertain to development.
Here's the progression:

- avoiding
- building
- achieving
- growing
- thriving
- mastery

I'll post an excerpt from the book I working on for you to read that provides a quick overview of these stages in a new post as it's pretty long and I'd like to stay on track here. I'll provide a link at the end of this post.

As for beginning strength trainers, your right FIT is a little over their heads so to speak. First you need to develop the basics, then you can begin to focus on the refinements of the more subtle dimensions of training. Focus on consciously contracting the muscle as prescribed in FIT's Focus phase before you've grown your nervous system to even be able to create a full contraction and we'll you're ahead of yourself and well you probably will drop the weight on yourself.

I'm not sure there's a “best” way for someone to learn with FIT; however, I find that after an adequate level of mastery up through the achieving stage it's helpful to back off from the conventional world view and to deepen the engagement with themselves while strength training. This isn't to say that people working on the 'building phase' can't benefit from FIT. It's just that their capacity to integrate and enact the deeper dimensions of strength training has yet to fruition. Providing them with the view and the understanding that it's there to be grown into is indeed an advantage for the mind that's receptive.

Ok, I'm rambling here, but let's pick up these threads as there's rich material here.

The Path To Mastery