Man Muss Immer Umkehren

(Invert, always invert)

Find the problem. Fix the problem.

- Mark Twight

Reflecting

Fitness isn’t a matter of the perfect fix.  There’s no way – and no need – to get each element precisely right.  You just need to be in the right vicinity when it comes to workouts, fuel, supplements, measurement, and rest.  One way to attack that problem is to look at it from a different angle – what’s wrong with hard training, clean eating, and so on?  When do you stop?

Training

This morning’s whiteboard:

15 Minute Ladder

1-2-3-4-5…

Ring Muscleups

15 Cals on the Echo Bike after each round

Next run is a scouting mission in the Gunks…

… or a closer route depending on schedule:

I love training.  But when is it better not to train?  When you’re going to exacerbate an injury enough that you will be out longer if you don’t rest and recover.  I was feeling beat up Monday – my knees felt several days of trail runs and my shoulders and elbows felt working on muscle ups.  I made it through a not for time workout of tire flips, back squats, and strict presses, but wasn’t really sure how ready I was for a workout with my coach after.  I used flossing bands on my joints which felt great but are also great diagnostic tools.  In short: if you can recover enough to lift with joint flossing (tourniquet-like blood flow restriction) in a few minutes, then you aren’t injured enough to quit.  If you can’t, then go to the doctor for next steps. 

Fueling

I love everything about steak.  Tomahawks look cooler, but filet mignon is my go to source for lean protein.  But when shouldn’t you eat a steak?  When you are no longer hungry.  Eat slowly enough to be aware when you cross that line.  Sit down with a fork and knife to enjoy a buttery salty rare steak, but chew eat bite to savor the flavor and to avoid overeating.  If you gulp it down, you might miss the cue that it is time to put down the fork.  I keep glass containers of all shapes and sizes at the ready to store leftovers so that I’m not tempted to just finish what I shouldn’t.  And being no longer hungry is different and far earlier than being full. 

Supplementing

Supplements are not a substitute.  Here are some ways to limit supplements in your life.  Try all behavior fixes before any pharmaceutical fixes.  If you can jack up your testosterone with enough sleep at no cost and with no side effects, then do that before taking any hormonal supplements.  Have someone such as a spouse know whatever you take and know the preset safety protocols (so that you decide if and when and why you would stop).  Take almost no risks before you’re done growing, take only moderate risks before you’re done having kids, then enjoy somewhat more flexibility afterward as long as it is a good risk to reward ratio.  Finally, it is one thing to restore hormones to the normal range common among young healthy people.  But have second thoughts about using pharma to boost levels above what anyone has unaided.

Measuring

What don’t you measure?  Measurement is crucial to health and fitness.  However, there are limits.  I don’t get whole body MRIs or other screening absent relevant symptoms.  There are too many false positive to make it worthwhile.  Secondly, since I meticulously measure myself, I don’t also measure my food.  I don’t want to be neurotic (but everyone should measure one or the other).  If my macros are about right and my food is healthy, I am happy to approximate portions.  I don’t digitally track sleep because if I were too carefully keeping score I might stay up in a self-defeating effort to question if I were winning that game.  I just set aside 9 hours and shoot for hitting 8 of good sleep. 

Recovering

When is enough enough?  8 hours is plenty of rest for me; 9 hours is plenty for anyone even with the hardest training.  However you feel, you can’t make up for lost nights so just get up after 8-9 hours.  And when you’re travelling, get up and stay up for the full day upon arrival to beat jetlag.  Sleep is good, but only to a point. 

Closing

On each of the major fitness components, it isn’t necessary to be really smart; it is just necessary to not be really stupid.  So flip the problem upside down.  What shouldn’t you do?  Chip that away and what’s left is probably alright.