Don’t Weaken.

Holding the line when standards soften.

Reflecting

If it can make our lives stronger and longer, why aren’t more men taking steps to boost testosterone?  With it, we can do more while feeling better.  One problem is that men get lulled into a false sense of adequacy due to reference ranges.  Typical general practitioners measure but don’t focus on T unless it is below the reference range.  But this is a deeply flawed concept.  As T declines with age and declines generationally due to feminizing environmental contaminants known as xenoestrogens, the range that doctors use for what they consider normal keeps declining. 

Over recent decades, the decline has been so severe that what is a normal 25 year old today is similar to a normal 50 year old a generation ago.  But obesity has skyrocketed and diabetes is far more common.  So all they are saying when they say that one is within this ever declining reference range is that you are normal compared to a population of obese pre-diabetics and diabetics.  You are normal, but it is normal to be getting sicker with metabolic disease and accelerated sarcopenia.  Comparing yourself to normal instead of optimal as standards slip is a circular reference.

That isn’t good enough.  The softening standard is that it is okay to be 25 decayed to the standard of your grandfather at 50.  Flip the script.  I want to be good by the old standard for a 25 year old when I am 50.  But if you make the decision to not weaken, if you adopt the habits that will make this happen, you will largely be on your own.  Unless you are a professional athlete, there isn’t much of an industry dedicated to optimizing your potential, just getting you over a low and lowering bar.  Don’t weaken.  Hold the line.

Training

This morning’s white board:

• Every 1:30 x8
  3 Back squats as heavy as possible

• Every 1:30 x6
  Farmer's carry 100ft as heavy as possible

• Every 1:30 x4
  8 Russian kettlebell swings as heavy as possible as heavy as possible

• Every 1:30x4
  30 Hamstring curls

Then off to weight training with my trainer.  If anyone in Fairfield County is interested in splitting time with my trainer, please connect.  I am going three times per week for an hour and am interested in splitting this with someone.  My thought is that I am taking breaks for half the time anyway and it could be more fun and encouraging to workout with someone.

Caveat: due to proximity, I’m lifting at quite a white collar gym.  Compared to Westside Barbell, it is quiet, clean, and polite.  On Friday I was rowing the whole rack of plates and making the accompanying noises that one does and literally people walked over to see what was happening.  I can’t quite tell if dropping plates and making noise is unwelcome or okay but it is a bit out of place in New Canaan.  Either I’m raising the bar for intensity or I’m making an unwanted scene (narrator: or… both?).  Not quite sure, but also not quite sure if I care. 

I had the realization that bringing a friend to private lessons would work for BJJ, too and invited a CrossFit friend to join me for my next class. I like being able to dictate the schedule and overall goals, but think that getting the right peer to come along might add while diluting the cost.

Fueling

Rare reef tenderloin roast smoked on the Traeger wood pellet grill.  The combo of Pat LaFrieda beef and the Traeger is unstoppable. They also have good recipes; my long-suffering wife used their roasted beef tenderloin with mustard cream sauce and it was perfect. They know which pellets to use and the internal thermometer takes the guesswork out of the timing (and I’m easy as it is virtually impossible to undercook it for me). If you don’t have a Traeger, you seriously should get one. It isn’t cheap but it is a great value. You can easily claw it out of the restaurant and alcohol budget in short order. If you live near NYC, the same holds true with LaFrieda meat — not cheap but with a lower markup delivered to your door than the identical cuts at any NYC steakhouse. And for a slight savings, his burgers are among his best products. This week’s lunches arriving tomorrow:

Measuring

Trying to get my weight, skeletal muscle mass, and BMR up without gaining body fat mass.  No huge progress to report.  This stuff takes time.  It is hard because so many fitness ads are in the form of body transformations that make it look fast and easy.

Supplementing

Be aware of the tendency for certain supplements to exceed optimal amounts of iron and to thicken blood.  Happily there is an easy, low tech solution: donate the blood.  The American Red Cross has slowly improved the process with online scheduling; I’m giving again tomorrow. 

Closing

What are you working on today?  Who’s training?  New recipes?  Suggestions/ideas?  Please comment with any inspiration.