Dan John: Wandering Weights, Our Epic Journey Through All Things Heavy, Issue # 26
I just finished a fairly long and wonderful trip to Vienna and London. Coaches and trainers around the world share the passion of fitness, health and performance. Travel opens the eyes and sitting in pubs with the finest minds in the field really helps clear away the clutter.
I really enjoyed this column from David Brooks. There is a lot to be said about the resume building we all need to do, but it would be nice to have someone speak kind words and true stories at our funerals.
“The stumbler doesn’t build her life by being better than others, but by being better than she used to be. Unexpectedly, there are transcendent moments of deep tranquillity. For most of their lives their inner and outer ambitions are strong and in balance. But eventually, at moments of rare joy, career ambitions pause, the ego rests, the stumbler looks out at a picnic or dinner or a valley and is overwhelmed by a feeling of limitless gratitude, and an acceptance of the fact that life has treated her much better than she deserves. Those are the people we want to be.”
Mike Krivka gave me the whole James Bond collection during my last workshop with him in Washington DC. Bond might be the best plane reading material ever. Here's an article is on taking a shower Bond style.
“Here’s something you might consider adding to your bedtime routine: the James Bond shower. Research suggests that exposing yourself to fluctuating temperatures can speed up your body’s thermogenic effect, which can help you experience a deeper sleep. So one hour before bed, take a shower that starts out hot, and then ends with a few minutes of cold water.”
In the book Doctor No, Bond fixes himself with a mile run and some swimming to get into great shape. Maybe we overdo things in this era.
Learn to drink like Bond, James Bond, while you're at it.
“Fact #6 – After four drinks, alcohol gives you nothing. Roughly four drinks in and you have all the positive effects of alcohol with little impairment. You feel mild euphoria, a sense of well being, relaxation, joyousness and talkativeness.”
I thought another Mike, Mike Robertson, really grasped the basics of the typical trainee in this article.
“While an elite athlete or high-level fat-loss client may need very high-intensity methods to get to the next level, most of our average everyday clients do not. On the contrary, developing the aerobic energy system, dialing in proper nutrition, and putting an emphasis on rest and recovery can set the stage for a life of health, well-being and improved body composition.”
I found this short article to be very interesting. I knew none of this and it's amazing.
“As maize became domesticated in Mesoamerica, it was radically altered through selective breeding. Early farmers would examine their plants and save the seeds of those that were larger or tastier, or whose kernels were easier to grind. By 4000 BC, cobs were already an inch long. Within just a few thousand years, cobs had grown to many times that size.”
If you want to really go deep with supplements and genes, I have a good option for you.This video is long with an amazing avalanche of information.
“Gene polymorphisms” is my new street name. Stop using corn oil!
I liked this article on coaching. It's worth your time—
“A bad coach gets you to do what you want
"A good coach gets you to do what you need.
"A great coach gets you to want what you need.”
This article gets right to the point about cardio versus lifting. Most people who train with me know I hate the concept of “cardio.” It’s a system!
“Hey, let's train lymphatic today!”
This point, “For all the bashing traditional bodybuilding training takes, it's still the superior form of exercise in course-correcting metabolic and hormonal function,” is absolutely true. Doing 10,000 burpees for fat loss is not the right path. The body simply loves to hold onto fat until it sees no need for it.
Can you go?, my next book, comes out later this week. This week!
I've built a workshop companion to this, and am looking forward to even more travel and adventure. You'll also get the humor in “Hi, I’m Dan and I’m a Three.”
Until next time, hang in there and make a difference.
Dan
DanJohn.net
Help me out—Share on Facebook!
We'll have the print book in stock early next week,
and the ebook and audio book files are ready for download now.
Scroll to the bottom of the link above for all the format options.