Zen Fitness, Tao Health
By Scott Abel
()
About this ebook
What would "Zen dieting" look like? How can it help with mindfulness and mindful eating?
How can the Tao help with the stress of staying consistent through life's vicissitudes, or the challenges of sticking to a workout plan or meal strategy without feeling deprived?
The answer is that both Zen Buddhism and the Tao focus on approaching life as it is, and not necessarily as you want it to be. Both these approaches have strategies that are integral to what the author, Coach Scott Abel, calls getting "real" about getting real.
This short, easy-to-understand book offers a new approach to fitness and the fitness mindset; it advocates approaching all aspects of life with calm, assertive energy. This is how you can approach your diet, your workouts, and the regular real-life stressors and hiccups that inevitably pop up in our busy, day-to-day lives. The book argues that authenticity is the key to peace of mind, and that happiness comes not when we reach such and such a weight or some arbitrary bodyfat percentage, but when we learn to focus on and enjoy the process it takes to get us there.
Zen Fitness, Tao Health is not a book with exhaustive lists of "acceptable" foods, meal plans or workout regimes; it is a book that suggests adopting a different mindset towards these things. If you've struggled with these things in the past, and you are looking for a different approach, Zen Fitness, Tao Health suggests one.
This book focuses on:
• Fulfillment and achievement
• Zen mind and lessons from child prodigies
• Zen dieting and being mindful
• Blocks to mental clarity
• Authenticity and its relation to peace of mind
• Pure motivation—and its opposite
Get your copy of Zen Fitness, Tao Health. Learn a practical, unique way of approaching the challenges that come alongside fitness and health in the real world.
Read more from Scott Abel
Intro to Metabolic Enhancement Training (MET): Two Metabolic Weight Training Conditioning Programs for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Physique After 50 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hardgainer Solution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Be An Insanely Good Online Fitness Coach Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYour First Proper Six-Day Bodybuilding Training Program Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cycle Diet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Train for a Better Physique Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Anti-Diet Approach Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSlingshot Past Your Training Plateau Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Aging Proposition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Metabolism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPermanent Weight Loss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Zen Fitness, Tao Health
Related ebooks
Evolution: The Cutting Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You've Always Wanted Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5ConBody: The Revolutionary Bodyweight Prison Boot Camp, Born from an Extraordinary Story of Hope Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How I Did It: A Fitness Nerd's Guide to Losing Fat and Gaining Lean Muscle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Better Than Steroids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Aesthetic Resistance Programming 3 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle for Skinny Guys: 30 lbs of Meat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beginning Bodybuilding: Real Muscle/Real Fast Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lean Exec: A Strong, Athletic Physique in Just 3 Hours A Week Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Build Muscle in Your Advanced Years Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dolph Lundgren: Train Like an Action Hero: Be Fit Forever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Aging Proposition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sink or Swing: Working Out When Life Isn't Working Out: Home Gym Strong, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Time-Saver's Workout: A Revolutionary New Fitness Plan that Dispels Myths and Optimizes Results Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Truth About Building Muscle: It's All in Your Head Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Fully Recover From Your Workouts so You Can Grow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Train for a Better Physique Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/55 Commandments To Maximal Muscle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSupermen: Building Maximum Muscle for a Lifetime Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Cycle Diet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Spartan Warrior Workout: Get Action Movie Ripped in 30 Days Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mustache Workout: Man Up Your Training - Bigger, Stronger, Leaner Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 21-Day Big Muscle Plan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPowerbuilding For Beginners - Discover The Secrets To Achieve Your Strength And Aesthetic Goals Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Wellness For You
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brain Hacks: 200+ Ways to Boost Your Brain Power Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Illustrated Easy Way to Stop Drinking: Free At Last! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Woman's Guide to Oral Sex: Your guide to incredible, exhilarating, sensational sex Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sex Hacks: Over 100 Tricks, Shortcuts, and Secrets to Set Your Sex Life on Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When the Body Says No Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Language of Your Body: The Essential Guide to Health and Wellness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges: 60 Habit-Forming Programs to Live an Infinitely Better Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Anna Lembke's Dopamine Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alchemy of Herbs - A Beginner's Guide: Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Lindsay C. Gibson's Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Healthy as F*ck: The Habits You Need to Get Lean, Stay Healthy, and Kick Ass at Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Zen Fitness, Tao Health
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Zen Fitness, Tao Health - Scott Abel
About the Author
Scott Abel has been a personal development and physique transformation coach for over three decades. Although his background is in sociology, he specializes in weight loss, staying lean year-round, metabolism, and long-term, sustainable solutions for permanent transformation.
He has helped hundreds of clients balance high-level goals with busy careers and real life. This includes coaching high-level athletes, helping clients win elite bodybuilding and figure titles, and more.
To learn more about his coaching, visit scottabelfitness.com/coaching
Your Free Gift!
Thank you for getting this book. As a free gift, you can download the Abel Starter Set, including The Mindset of Achievement and Intro to Metabolic Enhancement Training (MET) (yes, the entire books) completely free.
The Mindset of Achievementis about reaching goals, sustaining them and building on them. If you’ve ever achieved something (e.g. weight loss) only to find you couldn’t sustain the success, this book is for you. It has chapters on habits & routines, motivation, getting out of ruts,
fear of failure, mastery and much more.
Intro to Metabolic Enhancement Training (MET) explains the methodology behind this unique metabolic training program, and includes two full four-day programs for fat loss, hypertrophy, and metabolic enhancement.
Just go to scottabelfitness.com to get your copies from the homepage.
Table of Contents
About the Author
Your Free Gift
Section I
Introduction
Chapter 1. The Tao Athlete
Chapter 2. Pure Motivation
Chapter 3. Zen Dieting
Chapter 4. Tao of Optimism
Chapter 5. Blocks to Mental Clarity
Chapter 6. Zen Mind
Chapter 7. Lessons from Child Prodigies
Chapter 8. Peace of Mind and Authenticity
Chapter 9. Running from Shadows
Chapter 10. Calm, Assertive Energy… or Chicken Little?
Section II
Collected, Unorganized Thoughts on Tao and Fitness
Other Works by Scott Abel
Section I
Introduction
∙•∙
How can I stay consistent year-round?
I can’t seem to stay on track.
I find I rebel against my diet and want more freedom. I just always want more variety.
I always get so close, but then I sabotage myself.
It’s not fun anymore.
What you see above are the kinds of statements I hear very often from my clients or potential clients. People come to me for coaching, not just for diets and workout programs, but also for advice on staying consistent, and eating and living sustainably.
Assuming there are no physiological or metabolic barriers to one’s goals, consistency and a healthy mindset is what separates those who succeed from those who don’t. With that in mind, I often get questions about how to be more consistent,
or how to stick to my diet,
and other similar questions.
This book addresses that.
"No, Scott! But we don’t want to hear about this ‘Tao’ nonsense!
Just get back to the fitness stuff!
Just tell me how to stick to my diet or whatever!"
I am telling you!
I’m just using a different vocabulary than you are used to. This book doesn’t talk about the perfect diet for maintaining a six-pack, or how to step on a bodybuilding stage, but if you’re looking for a blueprint for how
to be consistent, this is the way.
When many people in the actual fitness industry address this kind of thing , it’s in the most superficial, hackneyed and trite kind of way. I’m sick and tired of the macho stuff being posted on the net: Go hard or go home,
"Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing,
Just be more self-disciplined if you really want it,
You need more willpower!" and so on. It’s wrong-headed. It leads to unhealthy mindsets that emphasize struggle and deprivation, or it leads to focusing on things that don’t matter, all while losing motivation for what does.
Sometimes the answer is to step back, and learn to enjoy the experience of the actual process, and bring out your best self, and challenge yourself to grow and become even better. This book addresses that.
This book will reflect the writings of the Tao Te Ching in some form or another. It’s not an in-depth examination or explanation of Tao concepts, or the concepts of Zen Buddhism. Rather, it borrows from these approaches here and there to help you deal with issues related to calmness, authenticity, motivation, mental clarity, and personal growth. I sometimes use the terms almost interchangeably. There are, of course, distinctions between the two, but I feel that for a project like this, focusing on them misses the forest for the trees. Both use the same general principles: to focus on life as it is — not as you wish it were — and to deal with it as such.
Chapter 1.
The Tao Athlete
∙•∙
In my opinion, sport is form of human expression, and can be defined as art.
It produces beauty and meaning.
Athletes can be thought of as artists, and athletics teaches all kinds of basic life lessons and lessons about life itself.
Blending the mindset of the artistic athlete with the peace of mind that exists within the Tao — that is the essential discussion I want to have in this book.
Athletes who are able to follow their inner vision
for themselves are always going to feel differently, train differently, and approach their goals differently, relative to their fellow competitors.
These athletes will be less likely to get caught up in externals of measurement, and they are less likely to be overly affected by individual wins or by individual losses, or by other attachments that come from the outside-in approach.
These things will still register, of course; it’s just that they won’t be the driving forces of the Tao athlete’s motivation and their love for their sport.
The Tao athlete has a deeper motivation. He is not using the activity to measure himself. He is losing and finding himself, discovering himself, and creating himself within being
an athlete at his chosen sport. Motivation tends to be a very personal thing to the Tao athlete. It is something he will never lack.
The Tao athlete embraces the fact that his body is the house where his true self will reside for the rest of his life. Like any house, the Tao athlete makes this house — his body — a place where he can be at home.
He creates a physical living environment within himself, and it is one where the more he likes his surroundings, the more he experiences a lack of clutter, by letting go of mental and emotional attachments. The more clean and organized it is, the more likely he is to be at home
within himself. He will think more clearly and he will be a better version of himself.
Motivation becomes a non-issue when you live from the inside out. The Tao athlete has a natural connection to all of what he does. The athletic expression of self within a sport is merely one element of that connection.
The Tao athlete would be unlikely to define himself as a football player,