About

Who am i

Hello, my name is Herman and i am a mover. In my physical practice i like to explore all kinds of human movement, structured (ie. following a program) or unstructured. Though i like to explore all kinds of human movement, i have not tried all yet. I try to learn different disciplines over time that are outside my current scope of practice. My favourite tools are bodyweight and Clubbells.

I am just a normal guy who wants to:

1) Be stronger than the average gym goer yet spending less effort.

2) Have better conditioning than the average gym goer yet spending less effort.

3) Have better movement than the average martial artist/dancer yet spending less effort.

Not looking to be exceptionally good in any of these attributes but good enough to turn heads, ie jack of all trades, master of none.

I train for life. To be able to negotiate life's physical challenges with enough to spare. That means i can do the physical efforts needed for life without undue stress and risk of injury.

What i do

As mentioned above, i am just a normal guy. I am not hardcore. Neither am i an exercise fanatic.

I don't train six days a week. However i do train 3 to 3.5 times a week. Sometimes less if i have travels on my schedule. I don't have the thinking of "can't miss any workout". If you need more recovery, you need more recovery.

I don't train six hours a day. In fact i only train about 30 minutes or less at a time. I like to keep my training short and keep myself free the rest of the day.

I don't "exercise everyday", if you mean by "exercise" is strenuous exercise that creates a training effect. I only "exercise" 50% of the time. The remaining 50% is recovery, light work for better movement and health.

I don't "work out". The training session can be called a workout. But you don't "work out" as if the training session is the goal. You are training for something which you don't have now.

I don't train on Sundays, even if my training schedule says it is a training day. I postpone it to Monday.

I don't train heavy or hard all the time. In fact High Intensity is only 25% of the time. The remaining 50% is recovery/prehab/rehab, 25% is Moderate Intensity.

I don't lift very heavy weights. I have no desire to lift to my max. I am not interested to put my body to the test where the risk of injury is high. I just want to be able to lift heavy enough to get through life and activities easily and have more in reserve.

I don't run marathons or other long distance runs. In fact i am not good at running. I am not interested in subjecting myself into such hard training and high risk of injury activities.

I don't believe in "no pain no gain". I believe in "no pain all gain". I hate pain, i hate DOMS, i hate burning muscles.

I don't train to get bigger most of the time. In fact i don't bother with physique. I am happy at my current bodyweight. I don't mind getting a bit bigger but i don't like the idea of higher maintenance from the cost of food.

I simply enjoy movement.

If you are interested in my goals in detail, please go here.

Why i do what i do

Negatively, the 6th commandment says:

"Thou shalt not kill" - Exodus 20:13

This would mean, out of several other things, requiring

"a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations" and forbidding "immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreations". - Westminster Larger Catechism, Q135 and 136

The modern sedentary lifestyle already takes away a lot of physical labour which was common in our forefather's days. Therefore physical culture is a tool i use to replace it back into our lives.

Positively, in the Cultural Mandate, we are commanded to have dominion over the creation:

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." - Genesis 1:28

My subject of choice is the human body. Simply because it is the most portable subject i can have. I have it 24/7.

A Message

While much have been said about physical health, much less have been said about spiritual health.

If we could prioritize things, our priorities should look like this:

1) Spiritual
2) Emotional
3) Mental
4) Physical

But the world have often reverse this around into:

1) Physical
2) Mental
3) Emotional
4) Spiritual

Spiritual health and exercises which is of ultimate importance gets relegated to 4th place.

This is a very sad thing, because the Bible says in Matthew 16:26:

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

The body is temporal but the soul is eternal. Shouldn't you pay more attention to your spiritual health more than your physical health?

Are you spiritually healthy?

The Bible says all natural man is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). You are not even spiritually sick. You are spiritually dead. Dead and can do nothing.

Because of Adam's sin, we inherit his sin nature and are dead in sins and trespasses.

No searching of God through religion or religious activities or sacrifices can let you find God or make you right with God.

Only through the Lord Jesus Christ can you find God. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

The Lord Jesus Christ is both God and Man and paid for Man's sin on the cross of Calvary, so that "whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Do you have the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? If not, come unto Him and find rest in Him. Pray and ask Him to revive your dead soul.