Wholistic Fitness

Namaste Noble Warriors!

“In meditation you are neither “for” nor “against” your experience. That is, you don’t praise some thoughts and condemn others, but you take an unbiased approach. You let things be as they are, without judgment, and in that way you yourself learn to be, to express your existence directly, nonconceptually. That is the ideal state of relaxation, which allows you to experience the nowness of the cosmic mirror.”

– Chogyam Trungpa

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“That’s the way, uh hu, uh hu…I like it…That’s the way, uh hu, uh hu…I like it…”

Lyrics from KC and the Sunshine Band bounce to my foremind as i bunny hop my bike over a curb coming back from a 3.25 hour mountain bike ride with my friend, Steve Marlowe. Incredible gift of a day. To have the fitness and to have arranged a life to enjoy such deeply rooted beauty is – to me – priceless. Since Steve has pretty much talked me into doing some training races on my road bike again, we took our time on this long route just to burn some fat and spin our legs in anticipation of harder days ahead. Watching the brave pro riders contesting the 3-week Tour of Italy on OLN must be seeping into my bones and affecting what little common sense i still retain. Once a warrior, always a warrior, i suppose.

As we ascended from the sizzle of the Valley into the marine mist, we lapped up refreshing ocean vapors like children at play in a sprinkler. By the time we descended Temescal Canyon we were pedaling through air thirty degrees cooler then mere moments before. At the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway we began what a local cycling guidebook calls, “a relentless” eight mile, 2,800′ climb. Today, the ardous ascent seemed to be but another enjoyable pranayama session. i turned my senses inward from the outer effort and relaxed into the intensity with easy ‘ujjayi’ breathing.

Several interesting images along the thirty-plus miles: Snake Medicine was abundant today. Steve identified a rare and large type of Garder snake, then came an even larger and very glossy gopher snake lounging in full display across our path, followed shortly later by a rattlesnake, startled by our bikes. These captivating creatures nourished our ride quite well.

I also spotted cowbirds, a phoebe, hummingbirds, hawks, and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Yes, I said, Sugar Ray Leonard, the Fighter of the Decade for the 1980s. An unprecedented five world titles in five weight classes and competed in some of the era’s most memorable contests. He was hiking downhill from Paseo Miramar in Pacific Palisades accompanied by two women one of whom was also a ‘somebody’ but hell if we knew who she was. “Sweetness” still appeared pretty sweet as we exchanged a mutual ‘warrior head nod.” The concern came through me, “With a detached retina, should the Champ really be hiking downhill?”

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Yes, the rumor is true: You can already purchase my new book, Total Body Transformation for a special prepublication price of $17.95 (Hardcover) through www.amazon.com. We just finished up the strength training photos in post production and you guys are gonna FLIP! i bow in wow of Wayne Williams, my photographer who has poured hours of sincere effort into making these photos the absolute highest standard in the fitness book genre. it would be wise to buy your copy ASAP, because the price is likely to go to the actual price of $25.

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On the subject of the written word,

check out Wholistic Fitness Student’s famous outdoor author and NY Times columnist, Joe Glickman’s latest hardcover book:

To the Top; Reaching for America’s 50 State Summits (North Word Press; April 2003). It’s a truly beautiful book that inspires people to get out and literally Rise Above as we say in WF! “A unique book that combines white knuckle adventure chronicle, a psychological character study and a humorous buddy story.” I bow to Joe who has consistently honored my work with him in his Times column, and in several books including the very well done, Idiot’s Guide to Weight Training which is peppered with Wholistic Fitness influence throughout thanks to Joe’s embrace of our Path. Thank you Joe, humble ilg bows to you! Keep up the inspiring work and workouts! I know how difficult a LifePath it is to lure people away from the many entertainment’s of the outer world and into their inner and natural environments. You’ve been doing a great and noble job helping others Higher.

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Dear Coach Ilg –

When I least expect it, you blow me away with your elegance and humility as well as your devotion to your students.”

– Student T

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Hey Coach…

how is the good Californian Life up there?…we got back from our wonderful trip yesterday and are back to reality…it was like a dream trip in California…LA, Big Sur, Carmel, Stanford, San Francisco, Napa Valley, the whole enchilada…but really what we most appreciate was meeting and getting to know you and Kathy…we felt really inspired in your company, your ways and your teachings…you are a great example for us!…we are really grateful for getting to know you…just regret we could not stay longer and get a fuller introduction to yoga and meditation and the mental/spiritual component of your teachings…we will start with the seeds you gave us!

– fidel y ale

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Please tell Coach Ilg that his Fear of Fitness tape is great, and for me very timely for some family “knots”.

Student K

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Speeding Up Life Limits Creative Intelligence

Dear Coach –

during my recent interview with you, i noticed that on your desk you use actual an dictionary and thesaurus. i’ve noticed this among other published authors…why don’t you just use the internet versions of these reference books, it’s way faster! or is this just a quirky ‘writer thing’?

– SW

Dear Student SW –

like most things intended to make our lives faster, using internet dictionaries are also limiting our creative intelligence. when i pick up my old brawny American Heritage and thumb through its pages in search of my word, my eyes canvass other words along the way…carom, etude, intransigent, matriculate…gems, each of them. I feel that my vocabulary becomes enriched through osmosis when i use the ‘old school’ dictionaries instead of internet ones.

then again, that might just be the fait accompli of my own intransigence!

question, young writer, anything intended to speed up your life or make it more convenient.

-coach ilg

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Actual coaching dialogue

with WF Student Lenore:

SL: IT WAS REALLY HILARIOUS IN THE GYM TODAY. SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE CHUCKLING AT MY JUMP SQUATS AND KNEE TUCK JUMPS SQUATS. I HELD MY HEAD HIGH AND KEPT GOING. DIDN’T WITHDRAW OR ALLOW MY POSTURE TO COLLAPSE. EVEN THOUGH I NEITHER

APPEARED LIKE NOR SHADOWED THE PART OF STEVE OR KATHY, I DEFINITELY HAD A PURPOSE.”

� i am proud of your warriorism in the gym. next time, just invite those hecklers to join you for even ONE superset of Jump Squats and Knee Tuck Jumps! watch their egos wither as a Vice Principal lady kicks their ass!

SL: I NOTICED THAT HEAD TURNS NOW WHEN I WALK IN THE GYM OR PEOPLE JUST TAKE A GLIMPSE OF ME. WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT ? I CERTAINLY DON’T HAVE THE YOUTHFUL BODY OR FACE OF ANYONE OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE.PERHAPS I LOOK CONFIDENT.

� it’s your chi…your pranic field expanding. because of your devoted WF Practice, you are literally becoming a more radiant human being, instead of just a human ‘doing’. important: practice humility no show of ‘bravado’ just because your body is getting fantastic looking and you are strong, supple, focused, and powerful. instead, just like always; stay focused on your workout.

SL: SPEAKING OF BODIES, MINE IS CHANGING.I DON’T KNOW WHETHER I FEEL THINNER, BUT THINGS ARE SHIFTING AROUND. I FEEL LIKE CLOTHES ARE TIGHTER ONE WEEK AND THEN NOT THE NEXT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN OR IS THIS A STUPID OBSERVATION REQUIRING

NO EXPLANATION?

� you explained it just fine; your body is shifting around. bones are moving into alignment. you are gaining height and lean tissue. bodyfat decreasing. you are experiencing the TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION upon which my next book is all about! congratulations to you, for it is YOUR willingness to be consistent in your workouts, ordering and eating your SUNRIDER herbs, and meditating…yeah baby! it only gets better!

i bow to you,

coach ilg