Subtlety and Bullshit

Some things are almost never true

“The Art of Jiu-Jitsu is worth more in every way than all of our athletics combined.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Reflecting

Lift pounds.  Run miles.  Submit opponents.  Make money.  I love unsubtle metrics.  You never have to ask what the point is.  Who has the best deadlift?  The heavier lift.  Who won the race?  The faster runner.  When someone taps, the other one won at jiu jitsu.  The self-made billionaire is good at business or investing.  There is a raw purity to games with winners and losers.  Competition brings out our best.

Modernity frequently emphasizes subtle virtues – empathy, inclusivity, and so forth.  Different people mean different things by such words.  I never quite know what they mean.  They aren’t easily measurable.  While I know people who are, in fact, empathetic and inclusive they are never the people who use those words. 

Some topics require communication – cockpits famously require clear concise communication between pilot, copilot, and tower.  SCUBA diving cultivates decisiveness and unambiguous hand signals.  Belaying demands that climber and belayer know exactly what the other is doing without confusion.  But lots of things can just be done.  If they’re true, no need to discuss.  So they’re almost always lies.

Honest people rarely say “trust me”.  Faithful spouses hardly mention fidelity.  Solvent companies’ CEOs don’t talk about how solvent they are.  People who are empathetic and inclusive just do empathetic and inclusive stuff without mentioning it.  The solution to racism is don’t be racist.  Each subsequent syllable people feel the need to share on their virtue on this one is a contraindicator. 

My goal is to do hard, objective things.  I tolerate the fact that they reveal my weakness relative to everyone better than me.  While I don’t want to be rude about it, my goal is also to waste no time trying to emulate the modern language and pageantry surrounding the newfound subtle virtues.  I’m not going to fake it.  I would fail anyway. Most unmeasurable things are bullshit.  Do what counts and count it.

Training

This morning’s white board –

5 Rounds:

• 20 Cal Row

• 10-8-6-4-2 Clean and Jerk 155 lbs.

• 2-4-6-8-10 Bar muscle up

• Rest 1:00

Fueling

People kinda know that they shouldn’t drink alcohol and shouldn’t drink sugary sodas.  There are white papers about their effect, but most people’s guesses are accurate enough.  Juice, on the other hand, has a better rep than it deserves.  It is mostly bad for you with lots of empty calories and too much sugar.  I mostly stay away with this one exception – cherry juice is a great recovery drink.  It also is bracingly tart, so a good way to wake up a bit when you’re past your caffeine cutoff.

Supplementing

I am taking too many supplements and looking for a radical simplification.  This company has good quality and focuses on only the important stuff.  If you’re new to supplementing, this is a good place to start.  If your bedside table looks like a pharmacy, then this might be a healthy simplification.

Measuring

“Muscle mass above the healthy range”?  That isn’t a thing.  My muscle mass is far beneath what I want by at least 15-20 lbs. 

Recovering

Running a half marathon Sunday, which I’m treating as a semi-rest day.  I’m going to miss CrossFit and trail running but looking forward to an event with friends.

Closing

1,000 thanks to everyone who has given to my push-up comp!