Hello again everyone. This entry ... blah blah, concerns the details of week #6 (26 April 2009 to 02 May 2009).
I would like to thank those of you who offered advice.
Success. I exercised in five days out of week - several experts say five days is optimal, so there you have it. According to this article, running has several benefits, and it leads to a healthier life. (http://www.jconline.com/article/20090421/LIFE03/904210301/-1/LIVING)
It strikes me that most running benefits come much later in life, so I have decided to put this issue (rewards) of reinforcement aside. The basic priniciple underlying my program is this: punish now, reward later. I will continue to punish stagnant, inactive behavior because I know in the future I will say "omg, Jose, thank YOU for having made such a good decision, I am so grateful that you have no idea...". Well, at least I would like this to happen, but no one knows, what if I die before reaching old age. This would be sad, rather tragic in some ways.
To ensure that I get a good grade here is a quick summary of my program, revised and up to date. Running = No immediate rewards, if they do exist...well they're not tangible, and subjective, and well, you get the point. NO Running = Cold shower, (thank you Winston, may Colbert bless you and...), no more AIM for you Jose, do you hear me? I said it, so stop your tantrums and ... AND the third punishment deals with a process now know as "The Transfer of Workouts", a process whereby unfinished business shifts to the weekends. The schedule of reinforcement is simple, and it is based on a 1-day time frame. Suppose I fail to do Monday's workout by 7PM; then, immediately after 7PM, I have to shower with cold water and refrain from using AIM. So, I would say this type of reinforcement is immediate and relies on a fixed- interval approach.
I have made progress; exactly five workouts found their way into the week. Weight lifting = checkmark, I've been lifting light ones though, mostly out of fear, fear of injury. I remember Ray's comment "it's not about how much, but about the results". Anyway, some setbacks happened here and there but overall all fell into place.
What else might I say about operant conditioning...Hmm.? It seems as though by merely thinking about changing my behavior the expected change comes, all by itself.
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5 comments:
Hey Jose, your welcome and Stewart unto you. I'm glad to hear my cold shower punishment is working for you, it doesn't seem you've had to punish yourself yet with it, but let me just tell you that it is extremely effective. Just wanted to know though, where you found the research saying 5 times a week was best? I would think it depends on if you are exercising different muscle groups each day because if you did the full workout everyday for 5 days your body won't have time to recover and thus strengthen muscle. Anywho, good luck with the rest of the program!
Hey Jose!
I like what you said about operant conditioning and I agree! Also, I'm glad your punishments are working for you. I think punishing yourself before rewarding yourself is great too. I also think that running benefits you now not just later because I think once you start being active you feel more energy inside therefore feeling like you actually want do things, but that's just me. Overall, good job and I do think this will work for you. Best of luck!
Jose, It's good to hear about your immense progress! You're a shining star and an inspiration to us all! It's more than difficult to get it right on the first try, but it seems you pulled it off. You're certainly a gentleman and yes, a scholar. Five days IS optimal. Feel free to lessen the workload
Hi Jose, Lol your blogg is hilarious! You should be a writer of a column. Anyway, yes most benifits come later in life. Unfortunatly, most of us don't think about doing the things we need to until it's too late (getting enough calcium for good bones, excersize for a good heart etc.) So, good for you for thinking about your future. Keep it up. Lisa
Hi Jose,
Running definitely has many benefits. Careful not to overdo it, running is great since it works out your cardiovascular system as well as your muscles and bones, but at the same time, doing too much can possibly damage your joints.
As far as operant conditioning goes, I have doubts on its effectiveness. On the other hand, trying it is a good place to start when trying to change a behavior since it can open your eyes to other ways to change behavior.
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