Climax Change
Cam’s Comeback: Mindful Training Methods for the former MVP
The second-century Greek physician, Galen, once scribed, “After sex, every animal is sad, expect for the woman and the rooster.” It certainly does take a supreme confidence – dare I say, a certain cockiness – to excel as an NFL quarterback. Cameron Jerrell Newton is not lacking in that mental department. But the former Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL Rookie Of The Year, three-time Pro-Bowler, and one-time league MVP is looking to gain an edge in another way: in his energetic department.
Recently, Newton was a guest on the “Late Late Show with James Corden” where he disclosed his new off-season training methodologies. After surgery to repair his throwing shoulder in late January, Newton said every month he has given himself a new challenge to train his brain with. He says the discipline required of these mental challenges will make him more able to overcome adversity in the future.
In January, the challenge was to give up gambling. In February, he started eating vegan. I hesitate to say he is a vegan, as a fully vegan lifestyle embodies using no animal products at all. I love Cam’s personal style because it is expressive, intrepid, and uniquely him; but even Cruella De vil would have a hard time identifying some of the animals this fashionista’s clothes are made from. But that’s besides the point. For March, as he puts it, he gave up climaxing.
“No wi-fi. No thigh-thigh,”
Cam expressed to James Corden as he slapped his inner thighs. Corden and the other show guest were in disbelief, as if they might perish if they tried it. Ancient teaching about this practice tell a very different story, as we shall soon learn. But mostly, Cam feels like he can focus on training his brain while his body is building back up during physical therapy recovery.
“I’m going through a transition right now,”
he interjected in between the jesting and joking that late-night shows are made of.
He might not say it directly, but I sense that deep down, Newton is really searching to push his edge to be best human being he can be. He can say these monthly challenges are to train his mental discipline, but whether he’s aware of it or not, he’s actually strengthening his spiritual muscle.
Back to the tales of the happy rooster and the sad man. Physiologically, males experience a mild state of depression and low-energy after ejaculating. This is mainly due to the release of the hormone prolactin into the blood stream. It seems once prolactin gets released into the blood stream after ejaculating (bet you thought you wouldn’t read this word so many times in a sports story!), it decreases testosterone production and inhibits dopamine receptivity. These factors can produce the feeling and effects of decreased libido, sleepiness, varying degrees of depression, increased stress, and decreased sexual arousal.
So, scientifically speaking, not ejaculating doesn’t allow those conditions to occur. A recent Chinese study concluded that men can experience a testosterone boost of up to 45% after 7 days of semen retention. This calls to mind the old boxer’s anecdote of refraining from sex directly before a fight to ‘keep your legs strong.’
There are much older occurrences of this advice, however.
Before Foreman made kitchen gadgets and way before Rocky met Mickey, ancient Taoists have preached the benefits of semen retention for male health and vitality for centuries. They considered it an integral part of their quest to bring wholeness, health, fulfillment, and to cultivate the life force to the highest degree possible. It was a part of their Kung-Fu; meaning time spent doing skillful or meaningful work. The subtle yet powerful method they taught is to transmute the built-up sexual energy into greater vitality for the rest of their being by moving the energy within. It doesn’t do a lot of good to just let it sit there and stagnate. Energy needs to move.
In Tibetan medicine, it is said that seven drops of the vital essence of food are required to produce one drop of the vital essence of blood. And it takes one cup of the vital essence of blood to produce one drop of the vital essence of semen. I’m not sure on the conversion of cups to drops, but the traditional Tibetan teachings sure seemed to rank semen very, very highly in terms of vitality.
Modern westernized science also praises semen’s properties. In the article ‘Science Discovers the Physiological Value of Continence’, Dr. Raymond W. Bernard states, “Semen contains substances of high physiological value, especially in relation to the nutrition of the brain and nervous system…..There is a remarkable similarity of chemical composition between the semen and the central nervous system, both being especially rich in lecithin, cholesterin, and phosphorus compounds, which would indicate that seminal emissions withdraw from the body substances necessary for the nutrition of nervous tissues.”
Western findings and Eastern teachings coming together, about not coming. (Ok, I had to break up the science talk with a joke.)
From Cam Newton’s latest YouTube video,
“I’m a constant work in progress, you know, I’m trying to tap into something that’ll better me, whether as an athlete, as a parent, as a person.”
“I’m a big vegan now…some of the strongest animals, some of the strongest species on this Earth are vegetarian. Look at gorillas, when you look at, you know, elephants. They find their source of proteins from plants, and I do the same thing. I’m loving how I’m feeling. Ya dig.”
No update from Cam on the benefits of his no-climax-march, but I would hope he is doing the inner energy work alongside the disciplined mental work to gain the most from his latest self-challenge. Being the evolving person he is, and especially as an athlete with great body-awareness, I have a feeling he figured it out.
Not one to stop at working on himself with high-vibing training and recovery methods, he’s been busy this offseason working on his charitable foundation too: ‘Un1ted As 1’. His foundation is an educational experience for middle schoolers from Charlotte Mecklenburg County to learn the value of diversity, working together, making social change, and being true to yourself. As one of his mantras goes, “Uniquely you, uniquely me.”
Cameron Jerrell Newton is a superhero fan as well. His go-to celebration on the field is a two-handed motion of ripping open his jersey; mimicking Superman ripping open Clark Kent’s suit to reveal his true identity. In the Superman comics, Jor-El was Superman’s biological father from the planet Kryptonite. The universe has a poignant sense of humor, and in this case, it is Cam’s middle names striking similarity to Superman’s dads. With Cam’s new high-vibing training methods, he seems poised to birth a new super version himself, one more in alignment with his true identity, and complete a comeback worthy of an MVP season sequel.