Well folks, once again, I started out with something that I thought was going to be a quick “bullet points” style post and it’s already grown into a monster, so I’m going to chunk this out. 26 years into training and I’m still learning/discovering new stuff along the way, often times RE-discovering (Dan John jokes that it’s called “REsearch because you’ll find something, lose it, and have to go looking for it again) things that I figured out before and ignored at the time. I’ve compiled a list of things that I wish I had figured out earlier in my journey, as it would have save me a lot of time OR put me much further ahead than I am now, or, if nothing else, saved me from some frustration. I’m going to open up with some of the most immediate fixes here: hacks and tricks. These are small things that have big impacts and could be implemented nearly immediately by many, so hopefully you find it helpful.
---
STRONGMAN GRIP SHIRT
I didn't buy it JUST for the cool emblem...but it helps
* The
solution for elbow pain with low bar squatting is a strongman grip shirt. We’ve been using primitive approaches to this
for so long, to include chalking the bar/t-shirts, wearing hoodies, shirts with
screen images printed on them, etc, but we have the technology now to really
address this. For those unaware, a grip
shirt is a shirt worn in strongman competitions with a bunch of sticky material
sewed onto it intended to grip onto implements like stones, kegs, etc on the
FRONT of the shirt, but often the TOP/shoulders of the shirt have the same
material on it for yoke events. And for
those ALSO unaware, low bar squatting is notorious for causing elbow pain,
because often the trainee is actually holding the bar in place on their
shoulders with their hands as it will have a tendency to want to roll down the
back. Trying to hold, 4, 5, 6 etc
hundred pounds with JUST your hands will put a LOT of pressure on your
elbows/forearms, and eventually causes a lot of trainees to have to swap the
movement out OR seek aids for elbow tendonitis.
I know, in my case own case, often a 6 week run of Super Squats had to
end simply because my elbows couldn’t take any more, and one of the primary
reasons I rotate movements in Tactical Barbell is because my elbows are toast
after 6 weeks of Mass Protocol. But
having implemented the grip shirt from day 1 of this cycle, I’ve actually
managed to roll into week 8 with only slight tweaks here and there, and much
greater longevity. I still have to not
completely squat like an a-hole, but now I can focus MUCH more on the quality
of the squat movement itself vs trying to balance the bar on my back.
You can see it being used here
THE SOUS VIDE
For when you want to make cooking look like a drug lab
* The sous
vide is something I wish I discovered much earlier: in college. I lived in the dorms, which, of course, had
an explicit “no cooking rule”. Those who
remember my post about my hotel adventures while eating the Maximum Definition
Diet know that I’m not opposed to setting up a griddle in an enclosed space,
but you ALSO know that I managed to set off the fire alarm once during a 3 day
stay in doing so. I’ve come up with all
sorts of cooking in confined space solutions, but had I known about the sous
vide, that would have solved all my issues.
For those completely unaware, sous vide literally translates to “cooked
in a vacuum”, and refers to a technique of cooking where you vacuum seal food,
submerge it in water, and use a circulator to set the temperature TO THE DEGREE
and the time of the cook. The outcome is
food cooked to the exact temperature you desire, but it ALSO means there is
absolutely no cooking odor, smoke, fumes, vapor, etc. It is also stupidly simple and effective
foolproof: any college kid could use it and manage to cook food WITHOUT risk of
accidentally contracting food poisoning.
I know, when my kid goes to college, I’ll be gifting them one of these,
and these days I do the vast majority of my cooking via sous vide. Yes, IDEALLY you’d finish off your food with
a sear, which WILL generate some smoke and fumes, BUT it’s absolutely not
required to accomplish that step and still have perfectly enjoyable cuisine,
especially compared to the usual grub you can grab on campus. Also, if you’re super worried about the
impact of charred meat and carcinogens, this makes it a non-issue.
CHOPSTICKS
You don't have to be a Surf Ninja to appreciate a good set of Chopsticks
* Chopsticks
for portion control. Those who remember
my Stellanator cheeseburger challenge video most likely recall seeing me eat 6
1/3lb burger patties in the span of 4 minutes such that you’re aware that I am
a VERY fast eater. And you’re most
likely also aware of all the information we have these days that establishes
that eating SLOWER leads to greater satiety.
It’s also helpful for just being “aware” as you eat, and exercising
mindfulness. I have a boxer (dog) that
we use a food control bowl for, because boxers are notorious for eating too
quickly and developing bloat (which apparently can kill them) and I myself have
to employ similar tactics in the form of using chopsticks when I eat. Because I grew up in Southern California in
the 90s, I am, in fact, total yuppie scum and fully versed in the way of using
chopsticks, so it’s not that it slows me down simply because I’m incompetent,
but you just plain can’t put down food with chopsticks as quickly as you can
with a fork or spoon unless you use the “snow plow” tactic. Otherwise, you take small, reasonable bites
that fit within the sticks, enjoy it, and move on to the next. I eat all my breakfasts during the week with
my family this way, which helps me stay engaged with them at the table. Funny enough, another strategy I’ve found
helpful is eating meat on the bone. This
has a similar impact: you have to be a little strategic with HOW you approach
the meat, and you’re only going to take as big a bite as you can fit in your
mouth and what you can tear off with your teeth. You’re a bit more connected with the food
this way, if nothing else than in the most literal sense of it, and there far
less robotic “fork to mouth” action. You
also can’t play with your phone while your hands are full of food. And even further, it’s why I like hot drinks
over cold ones: I’m forced to slow down, sip, consider, and contemplate.
That’s it
for the surface level stuff. Stay tuned
as I get weirder!
No comments:
Post a Comment