Think Less

Against ruminating.

Not bad for 80.

Think less.

- Mark Bell

Reflecting

Moses descended Mount Horeb with ten rules; the US federal register has over 1.08 million rules. People who lie, cheat, or steal can’t be fixed with another million restrictions. People who don’t, don’t need them.

Your health and fitness rules should be closer to ten than a million. Once you have that level of fundamental knowledge, then it is time to stop thinking about it. Time to do the things.

Follow the fundamentals of health and fitness then get to work. Ten to carve in stone:

1. Awake rested. Start each day after the same eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

2. Eat clean. No ultra processed food. No refined sugar. Fuel doesn’t come from a factory in a box; it grew in or walked on the Earth.

3. Eat slow. Seated. A plate and utensils. No screens, never standing, never in a car. Notice when you’re no longer hungry then stop and put away the rest.

4. Prioritize protein. A gram per pound of ideal body weight every day without exception. Red meat, fish, eggs, and Greek or Icelandic yogurt every day.

5. Drink water. Black coffee is okay. Alcohol isn’t. No soda. No juice. Milk only for bulks.

6. Measure what matters. Monthly measure your waist and take a progress picture. Daily measure you percent body fat. Waist <50% of your height, ideally closer to 40%. Your picture should show a clearly defined jaw and core. PBF should stay <15% and get <10% before any bulk. Basic blood test every two months and full blood panel every six months.

7. Optimize hormones. The default is that most women need to supplement estrogen and virtually all men need to supplement testosterone to be at their best. Know your hormone level. By year and age, t levels have plummeted over the past century. Reset the standard, don’t decline with the average. A man’s total T number should have a comma.

8. Train hard. Once your form is safe, lift heavy. Then lift heavier. Progressively overload. A man’s combined squat, deadlift, and bench press should also have a comma.

9. Accept discomfort. Most times when someone says “I can’t” they mean “I’m not maximally comfortable”. Most pain doesn’t matter. It isn’t what’s important. It passes. It is harder to breath with a heavy barbell in a front rack. Getting punched in the face is uncomfortable. That’s okay.

10. Pick your risks. The goal isn’t to die on a ventilator in a nursing home. It is okay to die in the mountains doing something you love. Just make decisions so that it is less likely to happen today. Most epic adventures have a >1% chance of death and >10% chance of some sort of maiming.

Training

This morning’s whiteboard – 6 rounds:

• 5 bench press

• 10 dumbbell rows

• 15 cals ski sprint

Today’s “no sweat” desk exercise: the Sidewinder.

Fueling

Tomahawk on the Traeger.

Supplementing

Starting to feel like spring in New England; this was the first week of substantial free vitamin D from the sun with an all outdoor midday CrossFit workout.

Measuring

As of this writing you can get the best heart rate monitor for 35% off.

Recovering

I don’t love how they feel for cardio or more dynamic movements, but knee sleeves have been helping me recover more quickly from heavy back squats. I’m trying to consistently squat with a full range of motion and they make it more comfortable and add to my body awareness without looking down to make sure my knees are angled correctly. I don’t mind wearing them for a few hours, but definitely like getting them off as soon as possible afterwards or they don’t feel great on my skin.

Closing

Bend the world to your will.