The Moynihan Institute Less is not more.
09/01/10Of all the pandering and preaching to the choir that goes on in the fitness world nothing get me more cheesed off than the less is more-ites. This is all the rage these days and everyone seems to peddling this nonsense. All this phobia about overtraining. I would venture to say most trainees haven’t even a nodding acquaintance with their threshold for over training. The human body was meant to move… a lot.
I look at my sons all ripped to the bone. They eat whatever they want but unlike their pudgy contemporaries they are on the move all day every day. Look at most guys that work jobs where they are moving all day long and you will rarely see a fat ass. Hard core hikers and mountain climber are often ripped to the bone. That’s because they expend a lot of energy over long periods of time.
Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished in 15 fucking minutes and this goes for exercise also. Sure if you’re in a pinch and that’s all you have then it’s better than nothing I guess. I suppose in theory if you went balls out 15 minutes every time you trained than this worked be effective but the reality is that someone trying to crank out 500 reps of snatches in 15 minutes is bound to get hurt sooner of later.
I would rather slow down a notch and put in both quality and quantity. Larry Bird didn’t get better at his jump shot by playing 15 minutes of basketball. He got better by playing 10 hours of basketball a day. He lived in the gym.
No I am not advocating quitting your job and ignoring your family for 8 hour exercise session but I am saying that most people need more not less exercise. I was looking at Bill Pearl’s routine and noticed Bill still trains 6 days a week 90 minutes a pop. The effort has paid off and he looks and moves better than most men 50 years younger than him.
Now Lord knows I have tried to embrace the less is more template but have found it to be one big disappointing flop. When I do less I get more stomach fat but that’s about it. I need to expend some calories. The Don Blue 10x10 workouts are really tough but manageable if I get humble with the weight. It’s the kind of quantity that I need. I lost 5 pounds in the past 2 weeks with little adjustment to my diet except for eliminating a lot of meat.
It seems to me that right now the magic number is around 60 minutes. This gets things going. Fuck all this crap about how exercise won’t help you lose weight. What bullshit! Talk about a license to doughnuts for fatties. I also get that endorphin high from 60 or more minutes of working out. The key of course it to train smart and well within myself.
When I train in this high volume fashion I find that I can pretty much eat what I want. Sure 10 minutes of intense training once every 9 day might work for the naturally lean types, those with eating disorders that do Crossfit an other such anomalies but let’s get serious here. Are you really willing to eat like Art “The caveman” DeVany or some equally narcissistic douchebag? I’m not. I like pizza and cookies. I am not kidding myself here. I don’t train for the sake of training or simply to look a certain way.. It’s not my life. I train to enhance my life, so I can enjoy myself and feel good. For that I need a lot more than 15 minutes of training. But hey don’t let me stand in you way. Keep at it and let me know how that less is more shit works out for you .
Bicycle helmets. Don’t believe the hype!
08/31/10Cosmic shifts. I have talked about this sort of thing before. Here’s an example. When I was a kid in the 60’s and 70’s my old man would drive home about 12 kids in his after CYO basketball practice. Seat belts? What were those? I am sure he cut them out as soon as he bought the car. Back then you could ride in your car with 4 kids in the front seat and 8 in the back with no seat belts and as long as you were fairly sober you were father of the year. Then at some point and time in the 90’s maybe you were on par with Stalin and Hitler if you failed to strap your kid in.
The same thing happened with bike helmets. I have been riding since the 60’s and can’t ever remember anyone wearing a helmet. We logged thousands of miles and not one of use ever fell and crushed our skulls while riding our bikes. Now it’s a law that you must wear a helmet in many states. Let you kid ride without a helmet these days, like I do, and someone will surely reports you to child welfare for the criminal you are.
I guess helmets first got big in the 80’s among professional cyclists and with them it made sense. The wrecks in bike races were epic with hundreds of guys riding in very close proximity at great speeds. Pretty soon recreational douchebags decided they too wanted helmets so people would mistake them for potential Tour de France participants or something. It never made any sense to me. Its kind of like grown men that wear NFL jerseys with their favorite players name and number. What the fuck kind of statement is that? Do these guys think that people might possibly mistake them for Tom Brady or maybe they think Tom Brady looks out in the stands during the big game and gets inspired by some 50 year old slob eating hotdogs while wearing number 12?
Anyhow bike helmets really got started by yuppies making fashion statements while cycling. Not only were they wearing helmets, they also had the tight jerseys, bike short and clip in peddles along with 21 gears so they could ride a whole 10 miles every other Sunday weather permitting of course. Fucking asswipes.
It didn’t take long for companies like Bell to see the potential to fear monger. They set about on a campaign to put the fear of God into otherwise rational people. All of a sudden riding a bicycle became an inherently dangerous activity where one must have a plastic shell and some Styrofoam to save them from certain brain injury so closely associated with riding a bike up and down the sidewalk. Fucking nonsense.
Look around the world wear people ride bikes most frequently. They don’t wear helmets and brain injury from riding is a non issue. Granted these nations are more hospitable to bikes and people there actually know how to ride. In these countries people rarely ride geared bikes and no one dresses up like some sort of side show clown.
Bike helmets are not the answer to bike safety. The problems we have here in the USA are that drivers don’t respect bikes, we have a limited amount of bike lanes, cyclists don’t know how to ride in traffics and we have too many dammed gears on bikes.
Go out for a ride on a major street wear you live and you will quickly see what I mean about driver and lack of bike lanes but that can be changed easy enough. Go to Portland Oregon sometime and you’d think you were in the damm Netherlands. They understand how to plan and encourage bike usage as a mode of transportation. Of course the mild climate helps a lot but still.
It takes a little riding time to realize that most people haven’t a clue how to ride their bikes in traffic. There is no shortage of douchebags wobbling around on their bikes in 2nd gear with their helmets, gloves and clip on peddles looking as if they are going to topple over at any moment. They gush fear and uncertainty and really should not be on the road. On the other extreme you have bike messengers and other daredevil types that go to war with cars. I’ll get into them at length another time but they to add to the problems here.
Gears for 90% of the cycling population are nothing short of asinine. You don’t need 21 gears to ride recreationally, for commuting or as a form of fitness. You’re better of with a single speed or 3 gears at the most. This will force you to work harder and it will slow you down. After riding like a dumbass gears are the root cause of most cycling accidents. Riding fast in traffic particularly down hill is where you get hurt and no bike helmet can do anything to curb this. Try to get the bike companies to promote this along with the helmet propaganda. Stupid and unnecessary components are what makes bikes so expensive. If you just strap on a helmet everything will me all right. It’s this false sense of safety in part that has led to more bike injuries. As helmet use increase so do injuries. Imagine that ?
So I choose not to wear a helmet. I refuse to be a part of the collective consciousness that makes the statement that cycling is dangerous and somehow all will be well if we just all put on a cheap helmet, shift into 21st gear and go barreling down that steep hill straight into an intersection. Don’t believe the hype.
Don Blue devotion.
As a Catholic I am encouraged to develop devotions to particular saints. Protestants always confuse this with worshiping saints. Is it any wonder why God hates Protestants? I am not here to talk about Catholicism or why all Protestants are going to hell but I am here to talk about my new found devotion to Don Blue.
I don’t know all that much about Don Blue. No one does. He is a bit an enigma almost an urban legend. Don was a powerlifter that did a most of his lifting in the Kansas State penal system. His best lifts at 148 pounds were 470 in the squat, 330 in the bench and 625 in the deadlift!
Like I said we don’t know a whole lot about the cat. His workouts were pretty straight forward. On Monday he would do 10 sets of 10 in both the bench press and the deadlift. On Wednesday and Friday he would do 10 sets of 10 in the squat. It worked for him. Not only was he strong but he was also ripped to the bone.
Here are some things we can be sure of about Don Blue:
He did not do Crossfit.
He never heard of a kettlebells.
He was never certified or went a certification or a seminar on lifting weights.
He didn’t give a fuck about Commandos, Spetsnaz, SEALs or any of that other tactical homo bullshit.
He ate plenty of carbs, plenty of them.
He may or may not have done pull-ups. Either way who gives a fuck when you can pull 625?
He was fueled by prison food and froot punch. No supplements. No steroids. No GH and no “I’m only doing test by doctor’s orders” bullshit.
He lifted raw.
What’s not to like about the guy’s training program. Well I have adopted them. For the last few weeks I have been doing the 10x 10 system. It is hard and you have to start light but it’s perfect. It takes me over and hour to complete after which I might do some heavy bag work. On off days I ride my bike for an hour or two. It is getting me back in proper condition. LOL at your brief workouts and meat diets! Don Blue didn’t do them and neither do I.
Bicycling observations
08/26/10I love riding my bike and have ever since I was 4 years old. About 20 years ago I got pretty intense about riding long distances and every week would get in at least one century. I would love to get to the point where I could do a century on my single speed but I am a long way off from that.
Most of my cycling experience comes from my disdain of being stuck in traffic. There are few things in life more distasteful to me than being stuck in traffic. It makes me homicidal. So I have always opted for the bike as a means of going to and from work.
The time I lived overseas made me realize how hopelessly lost we are in the USA when it comes to viable bike commuting. I did live in Portland Oregon for 6 years and will say that that is one big city that gets cycling as a means of transportation. They are way ahead of the curve. Boston is abysmal when it comes to cycling. Motorist would just assume kill you than give right of way.
I have a lot of experience cycling in hostile urban environments. I cut my teeth on bike commuting in Cleveland, Ohio. The roads there are barely habitable for cars let alone bikes and the motorist are among the nation’s most clueless when it comes to bike commuting.
Through most of the world bicycling is just a way of life. Young women in the Netherlands will hop on a bike wearing high heals, a skirt and make up and off they go to work. No big deal. No helmets, no camel packs, no racing shirts or other needless and superfluous crap that you see Americans donning. Americans on their bikes look like fat Lance Armstrongs preparing for a leg in the Tour De France. What’s with the elaborate costumes juts to ride a few miles?
I think the fact is that we are not quite sure where bikes fit into modern commuting. For most Americans bicycling is something done as a child and if people ride as adults it’s at the intensity levels of a say a shuffle board game. They just sort of glide around up and down the street - with their helmets on of course.
Using a bike as a means of transportation is anathema to most American’s. Part of it is not entirely irrational although I get a kick out of people that drive to the gym on a summer day and participate in a spinning class. Most cities have done little to foster bike commuting. For most people it is a dangerous proposition especially if they have little to no experience riding in traffic. I often see cunts wobbling around on the road going 1 mph on their 21 speed bikes clearly in setting out of their league. They are just accidents waiting to happen. To ride around Boston you must have balls. This doesn’t mean you need to be an asshole like the bike messenger wannabe types just some balls. If you don’t have balls then stay off the road.
I rode home for lunch today and just didn’t feel like peddling hard. I just wanted to coast. But coasting on main roads is problematic. It’s as if the motorist sense that you are not being aggressive and they start fucking with you. So I rode on the sidewalk which I rarely do unless I am getting around some traffic bullshit. It didn’t matter much because no on walks anymore unless they are power walking so no on is on the side walks. But I did notice that the sidewalks are all fucked, people park on the sidewalks, construction crews put their shit all over the side walk. There is really no where hospitable for a cyclist to ride. Even the bike lanes are problematic. It’s as if the city painted some lines as an after thought. Bike lanes will just end abruptly and start again a mile way somewhere. People drive in the bike lanes and lazy asses park in them. Law enforcement doesn’t do shit about any of it.
It all makes me wonder why I ride. Well I hate sitting in traffic so as long as that is a factor I will cycle. And you know what? I still enjoy riding. It feels good and zipping through and around traffic still brings me a certain level of smug satisfaction. There is also a freedom that comes with it. No one taxes you on your bike. There’s no fucking insurance or inspection stickers. No gas or oil changes or parking fees. You don’t even have to follow the traffic laws. I love bike commuting and think I want to write about it more regularly.
Don Blue and steel cut oats
08/26/10I am a week off those silly meat diets and brief workouts. I am upping the volume on exercise and limiting my meat/fat consumption. I thought I would jot down what I am doing and how things are progressing for me.
Let’s get the diet talk over with first. I hate diets or even discussing nutrition but it is important. A typical day looks like this. For breakfast I will eat a bowl of steel cut oats and a banana. For lunch I might eat brown rice, vegetables and some lean ground beef. For dinner it’s brown rice or potatoes, a vegetable, a salad and some sort of chicken or beef. I snack on fruit, nuts and Grapenuts cereal. I am finding things with whole wheat or even legumes fuck with my stomach and I have a cast iron stomach. So I am limiting wheat.
Here are some things I have noticed. I sleep better and am generally more relaxed than when I was on a predominate protein diet. I also lost two pounds without worrying about portion control. I am more regular due to the increased fiber. I think better and am not nearly as edgy. My energy is abundant and it shows during my long workouts. When I was eating a meat based diet I got gassed quickly. I have a physical coming up in November so we will see what the blood work says. All and all this way of eating seems more natural and healthful from a physical and emotional standpoint. Meat eaters tend to be aggressive and constantly agitated. LOL at your meat diets!
My exercise routine is simple but brutal. Three days a week I lift Don Blue style. On Monday I do 10 sets of 10 of bench and 10 sets of 10 of deads. On Wednesday and Friday I do 10 sets of 10 in the squat and 10 sets of 10 of hanging leg raises. These workouts take about 80-90 minutes. This is just right. On days I don’t lift I ride my bike and/or hit the heavy bag. The bike rides last at least an hour. My Saturday rides are more like 2 or 3 hours. If the weather sucks or my legs are cooked I work the heavy bag. I am also trying to walk 30-60 minutes in the evening after the kids go to bed.
As you can see volume is emphasized. I just don’t believe I can offset my sedentary job with 20 minutes of training. Another thing that is really pronounced is that when I train for an hour or more I get that endorphin high that many endurance athletes chase. I never get this with short work outs.
All and all I think this is a better way to train and eat. If this doesn’t appeal to you then you can fuck off for all I care. I am onto something here that I like. The fact that I am not eating tons of meat and doing 5 minute workouts puts me ahead of the pack. It makes me sort of retro like the hipster that drinks PBR, has a beard and raises chickens. In short this all makes me better that you and when you get right down to it isn’t that what it’s all about?
I am turning back the clock.
08/23/10I was reminiscing the other day with my wife about a friend of mine that died last week at the young age of 51. She had ovarian cancer and her illness was short but brutal. She was a good person and it wasn’t like she did anything to bring this upon herself. She took good care or herself. It’s just the shit that happens in life sometimes. May God have mercy on her soul.
As we were reminiscing and looking at pictures my wife was struck on how thin I was back in the 90’s. Granted I was younger back then and had a physical job but still the difference was striking. I looked good, real lean and muscular, not bulky or puffy at all. I didn’t lift at all or very little back then yet I still was muscular. Much of it was natural but a lot of it came simply from my boxing conditioning. Prior to 1998 I was never much of a consistent lifter. I would go in spurts and bouts, get bored and then move onto something else. This cyclical style of lifting worked for me.
I never liked looking bulky or puffy. As a matter of fact I always quietly scorned those meat heads waddling around all puffed up. It neither seemed healthy nor did it look aesthetically pleasing. As fate would have it I became that puffed guy that I scorned. How did this happen? Lifting heavy weights and eating a meat based diet. Following the conventional wisdom among the training elite has given me disappointing results. Last year at this time I weighed 195 pounds doing primarily 90 minutes of yoga a day and eating reasonable although I believe I was eating too much meat. I dropped the yoga and went back to short but intense weight workouts in conjunction with a meat based diet and have put on 35 pounds.
Sure a lot of my weight gain is muscle but enough of it is fat that it has me concerned. It just doesn’t feel right. So I am going back to the drawing board. I am dropping the meat based diet in favor of one with plentiful slow burn and fat burning carbs like Irish oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat. I will eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and some meat. I ate like this for years and it served me well. I never fretted about weight and always felt pretty good.
I will also go back to high volume exercise. This business about working out for 15 minutes and then setting up the metabolism to burn calories after the workout seems preposterous. I know a gimmick when I see one and 15 minutes is a trick music teachers use with their less than motivated students. Just set aside 15 minutes a day they say. In reality 15 is better than nothing but as a musician I can tell you that 15 minutes of practice is a great way to not progress very much. One hour or more produces better results. Exercise is no different. In order to see results and stay ahead of my sedentary job I need to train 60-90 minutes 6 days a week. Yes it is a time investment but it’s worth it.
All bodies are different. Scrawny fucks with eating disorders might do well on Crossfit. That will never work for me. Neither will 12 minute kettlebell workouts or the 5321 blast off work out designed by Johnny Juicer. I don’t want anymore “information”. I am overloaded with useless information from fat guys who post all day long on the internet.
So what am I doing? Well I am still tinkering around but I have been riding my single speed mountain bike about 45-90 minutes 6 days a week and then at the end I have been throwing in some kettlebells work. The kettlebell work has been light and is more of a range of motion workout. I’d rather get my flexibility through full range of motion exercises as opposed to yoga or stretching. I won’t rule out yoga but would like to avoid it if possible. It may not be possible. Yoga is that powerful for me.
What’s not negotiable is volume. I need to move and since I have been doing these long workouts I feel great. I get an endorphin high from doing more volume. I also burn more calories. I can feel it in the waist line already. It’s really simple math. Where do you burn more calories in a 90 minute session or a 15 session? And I also think this business about cardio depleting or burning muscle is fairly preposterous on the magnitude of weightlifting making one “muscle bound”. Advocates of the no cardio school, always seem to trot out photographs of some HIV positive ultra marathoner as evidence. I mean, really. Who runs this much? There is a big difference between a mile or two and a marathon people.
I am not going to get into the diet stuff much except to say I was always lean when I was a high carb guy. Sure you can’t outrun a doughnut but you can our run a bowl of steel cut oats and bananas. When I was triathloning in early 90 and late 80’s I could keep enough food in me. For some reason the 100 miles bike rides one a week really got my body running like a furnace. It was a great feeling. I want that back and aim to do so by going back to my roots.