The Trickle Effect
by Robert G Brown
Original Draft – Thursday 7/2/15
*Dedicated to Albert Einstein’s 15 minute a day Master Anything Program
When I first arrived at Pasco County Jail, I was flabby, weak, unconfident, and most people thought I was a wussie or worse. But once I was inside locked doors, I decided I was going to work out. I started with strict goals which I never met and this caused conflict. I still went out to the rec yard at least three times a day, just doing a little bit at a time.
One day I realized that it felt better to do excercises that made me happy. And when my attention began to wain, I would move on to another excercise, take a short break to grab some water, read a book, or write a bit. It made more sense to do what made me feel good little by little, than pressure myself into more than my interest would allow.
I used lots of variations of familiar excercises rather than a strict routine. This made my workout fun rather than painful, and brought better results in shorter time intervals. This lead to the understanding that a “routine without a routine” brought more happiness, and that helps when you are stuck in a place you don’t want to be. Sometimes working out feels like a prison, and a lot of people give up for this reason, but this style of workout helped increase my focus and attention.
I did all kinds of silly excercises that made the inmates smile, and well as traditional excercises that helps build a comfortable atmosphere and keep me smiling as well. When my heart, body, and mind smiled…my health and well being increased dramatically each day.
Now I workout as long or as short as I want, and it is easier to maintain the body I desire. Happy intervals better than strict routines make working out more fun. I incorporate stretching, yoga, tensegrity, isometrics, kung fu, and many traditional school house gym excercises, and it’s 100% free of charge as far as my wallet is concerned.
After 150 days in jail, appyling this simple plan, I looked and felt amazing. My muscles were back to shredded. My flabby belly is now a defined 6 to 8 pack, depending on who you ask. My energy levels including my sexual energy is through the roof, but so if my self-control, which is important in jail.
So, if you are looking for a way to get back in shape without forcing the issue, this method does work. In the beginning you should put about 45 minutes a day into it, but you can spread it out over the whole day. Once you are back in shape you can concentrate of shorter workouts for daily maintenance.