Check out the new location of yusufahmedwriting.com as it moves to a more appealing WordPress platform.
You'll find most of the old posts there save for a few edits I've made as well as new content.
Yusuf Ahmed
Taking the incredible resource of written history to expand and reflect on human motivation, physical fitness, and governance. Let us learn from the great philosophers, leaders,and warriors of the past. To explore not just military and political exploits but the way people lived, what they ate, what inspired them, what drove them, and what we can take from their written record.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Fitness Through the Ages I: 'Dem Caveman Gains
With the first part in this 'Fitness Through the Ages' series, it would be obvious that we begin from the beginning of human kind. Good ol' Caveman, with his primitive means of obtaining food, required indomitable levels of fitness. To get food, to gain sustenance, to provide for his family and community, Caveman would go hunt for days. His survival depended on it. How fit you were, determined how well you could obtain food to live another day. Caveman gains,in essence.
Life was far from sedentary
To stalk, to track, and then to have the stamina to kill, required a practiced level of accuracy, endurance, speed, and control in a state of fatigue. It was not just for the obtaining of food that early man needed to be fit. Caveman was largely nomadic, moving where food was plentiful. High endurance would have been essential to pick up and relocate, however far it was needed, to gain access to plentiful sources of fruits, vegetables, and wild game.
When being FAT was considered being FIT
Its from this high need for energy to go look for food that having a fat storing capability was developed. When food was hard to find, you could still get energy from fat that would be carried with you. It'd keep you warm in the winter when food would be harder to find, allowing you to be 'fit', to survive in the conditions you were exposed to.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Stalingrad the Movie: A Review
Explosions, fire, airplanes on fire with explosions, World War II army uniforms, and a calm, collective pianist. Its like a Call of Duty commercial. IN 3D!
Just like the first post on this blog was on Stalingrad, so to is its first movie review. Stalingrad (2013) is a Russian production that just oozes with over-the-top action with a great story, and the nostalgia of Russian history. A fictional tale of the battle of Stalingrad (hint: check back on the first post, ) this movie loosely bases itself on the story of Pavlov's House.
A small group of Russian defenders are ordered to hold off a lone city apartment building to make way for the successful Russian retaliation against the Nazi-German army who has managed to engulf the city with heavy air-support and vicious tank armour. This is the backdrop for a, you guessed it, all-demographic-encompassing, love story. War, love, its like peanut butter and jelly folks!
Still shooting while on fire: The Phoenix Force is strong in this one |
It is definitely worth seeing. Sit back and enjoy!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Build Huge Guns, Fight Cancer
"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it" - Plato (427-347 BC)
We all know that eating right and exercising are very important parts of life. So important, that we should never stop doing them. Your health can become at risk because of it. But, it’s still hard to come across the idea that exercise can be and in fact is medicine in itself, especially against deadly illnesses like cancer.
Yes, cancer.
Exercise plays a crucial role in combating cancer.
You’re probably thinking, “That’s really far-fetched.” How can exercise compare to frightening
radiation and chemotherapy?
Actually not just exercise but specifically strength
raining plays a huge role in fighting cancer.
Helps
in recovery from medical cancer treatments
Strength training can preserve the structural integrity
of the body, leading to a better quality of life during heavy treatment. A 2013 study by Hanson, Sheaff, Sood, Ma, Francis, Goldberg, and Hurley exemplifies this
point. A group of prostate cancer patients
went through a very hard form of therapy called androgen deprivation
(ADT). Basically this therapy killed off
all of their testosterone producing receptors to try and prevent the further
growth of the cancer. Usually this
treatment leaves people feeling completely exhausted and depleted. At the same time they went through a rigorous
strength trianing program for twelve weeks.
What were the findings?
Astoundingly, even with the
almost-complete absence of testosterone, patients were still able to gain:
- a 38% decrease in fatigue perception,
- 110% increase in muscular endurance, and a
- 20% increase in functional performance at the end of the study period with strength training.
Yup, you read that right.
Even without most of their testosterone,
these men were able to see increases in performance and fatigue management,
with the use of regular strength training.
Think about this study the next
time you shame a gym meat-head. Shame on
you!
Can
reduce your chances of seeing cancer grow into something dangerous
A key benefit with strength is how well it can stimulate
our immune system, along with improving lean body mass (the kind without
fat).
Why are these things important to fighting cancer?
Well, we know that a better immune system will obviously mean a better means of fighting things such as free radicals and many foreign substances that can negatively alter cell replication, leading to the onset of cancer.
But how is lean body mass important?
It’s a cancer predictor.
A 2009 Swedish study on muscular strength and fat tissue
was done in order to find if these factors were predictors of adulthood cancer
mortality in men. It was found that,
‘Higher levels of muscular strength are associated with lower cancer mortality
risk in men....’ Through this ability to enable the body to better combat
cancerous cells, strength training aids the body in the fight against this
deadly disease.
Psychological
benefits
You mental strength takes a huge toll when you face huge
adversity.
They say that the body can only go as far as the mind
wills it. Even if your body can push
further, if your mind quits, than so too will your body.
It’s the same thing with fighting a hard-hitting disease
like cancer.
That’s why the way that strength training can improve the
outlook of cancer patients is crucial to understand.
In a study by Ohira, Schmitz, Ahmed, and Yee the effects
of weight training on quality of life in recent breast cancer survivors showed
that over a period of six months twice-a-week, regular, and vigorous,
resistance training, the 86 cancer survivors in the study experienced an
increased quality of life through improvements in body composition and
strength. Patients felt that the
resistance training improved their self-confidence strength, speed, endurance,
body-aches, appearance, and sleep quality.
Comments on progress from some patients included:
“I can open jars by myself now,”
“I feel confident to move heavier things around the
house,”
“I have more energy than I have ever had,”
“I am trying new
activities.”
They felt emancipated from their illness.
These cancer survivors felt mentally empowered because
they had become physically more powerful.
Their improvement in quality of life was as a result of progress made in
strength training.
So next time you think about skipping out on your
strength training, realize that it plays a greater role in your overall health
than you thought. It’s not just about
building ‘huge guns’ and an awesome physique (insert ‘suns out, guns out’
quote). Rather its benefits play a more
holistic role in improved physical performance and combating major
illnesses.
___________________________
Resources:
Hanson, E. D.,
A. K. Sheaff, S. Sood, L. Ma, J. D. Francis, A. P. Goldberg, and B. F. Hurley.
"Strength Training Induces Muscle Hypertrophy and Functional Gains in
Black Prostate Cancer Patients Despite Androgen Deprivation Therapy." The
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
68.4 (2013): 490-98. Web.
Ohira, T,, K.
H. Schmitz, R. L. Ahmed, and D. Yee. "Effects of Weight Training on
Quality of Life in Recent Breast Cancer Survivors: The Weight Training for
Breast Cancer Survivors (WTBS) Study." Cancer 9th ser. 1013.106
(2006): 2076-083. PubMed. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Ruiz, J. R.,
X. Sui, F. Lobelo, D.-C. Lee, J. R. Morrow, A. W. Jackson, J. R. Hebert, C. E.
Matthews, M. Sjostrom, and S. N. Blair. "Muscular Strength and Adiposity
as Predictors of Adulthood Cancer Mortality in Men." Cancer
Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 18.5 (2009): 1468-476. Web.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Genghis Khan Misunderstood Part III
The face of women's suffrage |
Their maltreatment of women.
After all, when we think of conquering, we hear the phrase 'raping and pillaging' quite often. It has been often associated with the violent disruption of peace in towns and cities when rule changes occur, especially during sieges, where the very city is at battle with the invader.
Genghis Khan and his Mongols were no different in this matter. It would be too far-fetched of a statement to say that his conquests did not involve rape. It was prominent to say the least. However it might come at a surprise that this defiler of women was also a prominent figure in improving women's rights amongst his own expanding nation.
Intentional?
Unintentional?
That's debatable.
In large part, many of his reforms led to greater overall unity in the empire and, it is safe to say, that that was his overall goal in the raising of women's rights. But it does not deter from the fact that his reign did indeed bring on an elevation in the right's of women from a much depreciable position.
Ended Women-Stealing
He instituted an end to the capturing of women between tribes as was the case before Genghis bound them together in one nation. Such conflicts had led to major tribal warfare that kept the Mongol tribes in strife amongst one another. Moreover he made it unlawful to force a woman into marriage. These policies although made to quell calamity and maintain order in his empire, also led the Mongol woman to ascend in status.
No more fear of getting kidnapped |
Many Mongol women were entrusted with administrating conquered territories and even fighting alongside men. Ultimately it was the ability of khatuns, or Queens, to take roles of leadership as the head of the Mongols during a time of great instability in the Mongol empire that was a true measure of the reforms Genghis Khan made. Many of Genghis' daughter-in-laws and granddaughter-in-laws took the place of head of the empire after Ogedai Khan (Genghis Khan's successor) had died with no fit male heir ready to take his place, however for a short time.
One of the few queens of the Mongols |
For Further Reading:
Weatherford, J. McIver. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire. New York: Crown, 2010. Print.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Fitness Through the Ages
Gentlemanly strength |
Through the millennia that man has existed on Earth, fitness has always been an important aspect of life. It is how well you can survive, and we all want to survive right? Let us marvel, through the time machine that is history, and see the advancements in fitness, or rather, the decline in fitness that we see from the first men and women to the gradually more sedentary lifestyles that we have grown into today.
Group Fitness of Olde |
From the first signs of survival of Primitive Man, to the agricultural revolution, early Indian and Chinese society, to the pantheon of fitness that was the Greeks, we'll see the evolution of fitness of human kind. The importance of fitness of warring nations like Rome, we'll see the systematic implementation and standardization of fitness for men and women. We'll see that even with the apparent death of civilized society during the Dark Ages that fitness reigned as essential and that it brought forth a continued evolution of itself through the heights of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
We'll see the impact on fitness that industrialization had, as societies began to decline in the standard of fitness necessary for survival, slowly but surely. Throughout the American Civil War, the World Wars, all the way to the 21st Century, we'll see the change in fitness, and grasp an understanding on how far we have come as the human race in the level of fitness required for survival.
Join me on this journey as we embark on a quest of discovery of health and fitness throughout the history of the human race.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Genghis Khan Misunderstood Part II
Another aspect of Genghis Khan that shows more than what it is, is his stance on religion. He was heralded by the West with the benevolent title of, "Scourge of God" for his apparent threat of extermination of Christianity with his empire's growth. However there is again more to this than meets the eye.
Genghis Khan had Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and many other religious groups representative under his banner. All were welcome to practise their conviction without refute so long as they pledged faithfully, allegiance to the Great Khan. Genghis when a step further by exempting religious leaders from many civic duties such as paying taxes in order to focus on their roles as religious leaders within the empire.
He placed no likeness on one religion nor did he show contempt to any religious doctrine. He preached openness as it would expand his empire, bringing people who were persecuted in far off lands towards his own, strengthening his own numbers. Such a policy was a complete success as it spread unity within his empire. It was with this openness to religion that Genghis was granted the title of "Protector of Religions" by his peoples.
In the next segment, we'll take a more holistic look at Genghis Khan's infamous womanising reputation. Is it true that 1 in 10 people today are related to him? Till next time!
References
Weatherford, J. McIver. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.
New York: Crown, 2004. Print.
Allegiance to Genghis was all that mattered to the great Mongol leader |
He placed no likeness on one religion nor did he show contempt to any religious doctrine. He preached openness as it would expand his empire, bringing people who were persecuted in far off lands towards his own, strengthening his own numbers. Such a policy was a complete success as it spread unity within his empire. It was with this openness to religion that Genghis was granted the title of "Protector of Religions" by his peoples.
In the next segment, we'll take a more holistic look at Genghis Khan's infamous womanising reputation. Is it true that 1 in 10 people today are related to him? Till next time!
References
Weatherford, J. McIver. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.
New York: Crown, 2004. Print.
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