Reflecting
A lot of the nastiness on social media probably comes from a combination of anonymity and a lack of consequences. One can project a phony machismo when you’ll never come face to face with the person you’re talking to.
The opposite is true at the gun range and jiu jitsu mat. They are consequential. They are also the most consistently friendly places I go. Lots of “sirs” and “brothers”. Eye contact. Firm handshakes and bro hugs. Genuine warmth and kindness among people who make the conscious choice each day to not kill each other despite the obvious convenience of making the alternative decision. We were each born to live a consequential life and we know we’re missing out when we deprive ourselves of one.
Training
The whiteboard:
Ski 50 Cals
...then...
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Hang Power Cleans with 135 pounds
Toes to bar
Now off to a workout with my trainer. I’m putting in the time each week and money to pay for help, so I’m trying to make sure that I’m improving. This takes constantly adding plates, even if they’re the small ones, to push myself to lift more than the last time.
Then my next run:
Fueling
Switched out my regular beef for chicken (peasant food but okay for variety) in my monster mash. Normal onions/garlic/mushrooms/bacon remain:
Recovering
Hitting eight hours of sleep each night is the biggest way I’m prepping for weight lifting. In the past, I’ve struggled with the idea of rest and recovery. It makes me feel almost guilty. I like completing jobs and comfort seems an effete virtue. So when I’ve woken up at night, I feel better if I fill it with something – even something dumb like making sure no one online is wrong. But my current nighttime mantra is that “it is my job to sleep now”. It isn’t comfort; it is my duty to prepare for the next day, to quiet my mind, and go back to sleep to be at my best when I get to the gym.
Closing
Please check out our new mobile chat function here:
How did you go about finding a good BJJ academy and your first class? I found a place near me and am interested but I've absolutely 0 experience with martial arts. I've got no problem walking into. brand new gym and making myself at home, but as a complete newb I'm a bit anxious about the unknown.
On sleep - I think you'd mentioned EightSleep in a previous post of yours. Did you ever pull the trigger? If so, curious what you think so far. I've always lived sleeping in a colder room and since your first mention it's been something I've been considering but it's certainly an investment.
"Society would be improved if more people got punched in the mouth"
Well said. Some of the absolutely most dangerous people we know can be found at ranges & gyms, but see better manners than anywhere else in society.