Great strategy, Chris, and I like the philosophy as well. We are gonna work out until we are physically unable to. I am a big fan of rest days, at my age (60). One cannot lift and workout everyday and expect to build muscle. For me, two lift days and two hikes per week, with plenty of sleep, and great nutrition, seem like a preety good recipe.
Hey Chris. I do rest days here and there as my body tells me to. Figuring out when I need a rest day has basically come down to going to the gym/run/etc feeling meh having a bad day to now having a sense of what my body and mind feel like when a day off if appropriate.
I also do what I call "easy" days where maybe I don't feel great but want to go to Crossfit or a run. My goal those days is to keep moving consistently throughout. Sometimes just keeping moving works great and sometimes I surprise myself and once I'm warmed up I have a great workout.
Last thing I do is I don't set an alarm unless I've committed to something with someone else. If I wake up that's a signal it's a go, if I don't I see how my body feels to go later. I just am one of those people who doesn't sleep as well if I know there is an alarm coming.
I love looking at never ending processes as "infinity games". That's gonna stick with me. Also, do you supplement magnesium L-THREONATE for sleep? It crosses the blood brain barrier which may give it a boost over other salt forms. It was a huberman lab suggestion and seems to be helping along with theonine and apigenin.
Jan 30, 2023·edited Jan 30, 2023Liked by Chris DeMuth Jr
Really enjoy following your newsletter. Question - have you always kept a journal? I’ve always logged workouts, but want to start journaling thoughts/etc.
Somebody once told me that "no one workout makes or breaks the plan", and I've taken that and expanded it outward in my own thinking to "no one workout makes or breaks the habit".
Sounds like you and I see the long game similarly. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
As someone who would lift 7 days a week, and spent years going 6 days a week. You grow better with less. 3-4 days lifting and active recovery the other days has been when we grow best.
But there is a difference between having the goal of size first and everything else a far 2nd (us) vs Lots of goals (you). A nice dovetail to the moral of your post though, if you are in no rush to be world class in all 5 venues, being suboptimal by doing all 5 together fits your goals than 'optimizing 1 or 2 at the expense of others'
Twist our arm and have us lift + Hill run + BJJ + Crossfit, we would probably go the route of even more protein + "TRT" to some above range level to help with the load.
That's a really good message in this one, Chris. I try to take a similar view now that I am maturing...(50 is mature, right?) So very true regarding the relationship aspect as well -- no winning, just up and down progress.
Great strategy, Chris, and I like the philosophy as well. We are gonna work out until we are physically unable to. I am a big fan of rest days, at my age (60). One cannot lift and workout everyday and expect to build muscle. For me, two lift days and two hikes per week, with plenty of sleep, and great nutrition, seem like a preety good recipe.
Hey Chris. I do rest days here and there as my body tells me to. Figuring out when I need a rest day has basically come down to going to the gym/run/etc feeling meh having a bad day to now having a sense of what my body and mind feel like when a day off if appropriate.
I also do what I call "easy" days where maybe I don't feel great but want to go to Crossfit or a run. My goal those days is to keep moving consistently throughout. Sometimes just keeping moving works great and sometimes I surprise myself and once I'm warmed up I have a great workout.
Last thing I do is I don't set an alarm unless I've committed to something with someone else. If I wake up that's a signal it's a go, if I don't I see how my body feels to go later. I just am one of those people who doesn't sleep as well if I know there is an alarm coming.
I love looking at never ending processes as "infinity games". That's gonna stick with me. Also, do you supplement magnesium L-THREONATE for sleep? It crosses the blood brain barrier which may give it a boost over other salt forms. It was a huberman lab suggestion and seems to be helping along with theonine and apigenin.
Really enjoy following your newsletter. Question - have you always kept a journal? I’ve always logged workouts, but want to start journaling thoughts/etc.
Somebody once told me that "no one workout makes or breaks the plan", and I've taken that and expanded it outward in my own thinking to "no one workout makes or breaks the habit".
Sounds like you and I see the long game similarly. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
A Czech reader here, not on the map. 🙁
Sadly, rest days are where you grow.
As someone who would lift 7 days a week, and spent years going 6 days a week. You grow better with less. 3-4 days lifting and active recovery the other days has been when we grow best.
But there is a difference between having the goal of size first and everything else a far 2nd (us) vs Lots of goals (you). A nice dovetail to the moral of your post though, if you are in no rush to be world class in all 5 venues, being suboptimal by doing all 5 together fits your goals than 'optimizing 1 or 2 at the expense of others'
Twist our arm and have us lift + Hill run + BJJ + Crossfit, we would probably go the route of even more protein + "TRT" to some above range level to help with the load.
That's a really good message in this one, Chris. I try to take a similar view now that I am maturing...(50 is mature, right?) So very true regarding the relationship aspect as well -- no winning, just up and down progress.
Excellent reflection, Chris. I brushed against similar notions concerning infinity games and survival in the piece I published yesterday.
Craving a bison steak now. Maybe meatloaf.