May 2013
7 posts
Just like a video game
There are mazes, game overs, and things to learn along the way, but the most important part is turning on the console.
Average training
An average program with average effort yields average results; average is for losers.
The purposeful placebo
Everyone knows that placebos work. If you think something is awesome, it will be more awesome. If you think it sucks, it will be suckier. Tell someone with cancer they won’t die (even if they will), and they’ll likely fight off the disease better.
Most of our placeo experiences are secret. Someone lies to us. Or we take a fake pill. But the thing about the placebo: it usually...
Change one thing
Radical change makes it harder to gauge what’s responsible for new results. Say you want big arms and you start doing six curl variations and taking an “arm exploder 2000” supplement, all while changing your routine. And say you end up seeing results. What caused them? The new routine overall? One of the six exercises? Two? Three? A combination? Or maybe the supplement?
In the tricking world,...
The tao of food processing
The more hands any one food sees (call it processing, if you will), the greater chance it has to become utterly FUBAR.
It’s like the old game of telephone. Tell one person who tells the next who tells the next, and by the time the message comes full circle, it doesn’t resemble the original message in the slightest.
Do you have a belt?
A few years ago, I went to a New Years party. I wore a new pair of jeans that seemed snug when I put them on, but when I got to the party they magically loosened. It wasn’t long before I was consistently tugging at my waist to keep my pants from falling off.
It may seem stupid, but I was miserable. If you’ve ever forgotten a belt, I’m sure you can emphasize. It’s like you can’t do anything but...
April 2013
4 posts
All things aside, the stronger athlete...
It’s one of the most common phrases thrown around in this world: all things aside, the stronger athlete is a better athlete.
But it’s never this easy. What made the athlete stronger? More time lifting weights? More focus on strength? And then what did that do for his focus on sport practice?
A better phrase to throw around: all things aside, the stronger athlete put more emphasis on...
Coordination vs. strength in injuries and movement
An interesting experiment: grab (and drink) your morning coffee with your non-dominant hand. Notice how much more “out of whack” your entire arm behaves.
Chances are, your elbow will flare a bit more. You’ll be a little more cautious, maybe even to the point of having to keep eye contact on your cup during the journey from table to mouth.
You don’t have the same...
Learn what NOT to do
Sometimes learning what not to do is just as valuable as learning what to do.
Want to get faster? More explosive? Stop doing HIIT and other lactic-anaerobic (muscle burning) things.
Start with your problem or goal, then identify things that don’t help you get there. What’s left might be exactly what you need, and you might not have gotten to that conclusion otherwise.
The start of something new
Come one, come all. Welcome to my brain. You’ll find something new every day, so follow along via RSS. I’ll try not to make too many Dragon Ball Z references.
