Squat myths still surface now and then. Everyone is different, but there is a joint in the middle of our leg, called a knee. It is designed to articulate more than just 90 degrees. Squat Myths
Safeguard your sleep. It is important for your immune system’s ability to ward off all kinds of nasty marauders. Sleep and Immunity
Protein intake for women: Note that these are minimum requirements and it won’t hurt you to get more. Protein Intake for Women
Carbs at night: I’ve found that getting most of your carbs at night or immediately after your training for the day is best for most people, and I’ve been recommending it for those I have worked with in my nutrition program for years now. This, of course, was an uphill battle against so much misinformation from mainstream nutrition recommendations. Carb Night
Good article on hand strength. Every time you pick up a kettlebell your hands get stronger: Strong Hands
Video of The Week: Get strong in your basic human movement patterns by increasing load in those movements and then specifically practice the sport movements you are playing. Your strength training does not have to be complicated or look cool. Save that for the mat, ring, or field.
The bird in the photos is a golden eagle. It was feeding on a dead coyote way out in the desert on beef rangeland. There are 1,000s of cows in the area. This is one of the nuanced parts of beef production that is rarely discussed. There are also 1,000s of wild animals, insects, reptiles and birds that live on rangeland. The cattle help by keeping the grasses (fire fuel load) in-check and fertilizing the soil.
Vitamin D
The latest on Vitamin D: Just what many of us have been hinting at with all the positive indications on vitamin D. For those that need a study, here is one: Corona Vitamin D Therapy
Training Smart
Note that we do lots of sets “on-the-minute” or with a specific rest period. This article says it is for big athletes, but I find this works just as well for most normal people that aren’t 21 years old and who are training for general health and fitness. The goal is to avoid training injuries. Training for Monsters
Foot Muscles
I totally agree with the sentiment in this article about training the foot muscles, but you don’t necessarily need to do the exercises presented.
One of the chief reasons IKSC’s training is very effective is that there is ample attention paid to the effect it will have on the feet and ankles (even if I don’t go on about it in class every day). Even a slight degree of immobility or instability in the feet and ankles causes a ripple effect that decreases force production throughout the body (think of it like your car’s traction control taking power away so you won’t spin the tires).
Simply training barefoot and spending as much time barefoot as possible is the most obvious, and why I encourage it and discourage training in shoes like running shoes. Here are some of the most valuable exercises we do for the feet and ankles, in no particular order:
1. Crawling, lunging, loaded carries, etc.
2. Swings, and goblet squats.
3. Even pushups and especially Hindu pushups force the feet to work and provide extra stability.
I believe it was Gichin Funakoshi (founder of modern Karate-Do) that said Karate training exercises the body from toes to fingertips. This is important to consider for overall health. Weak Feet = Weak Body
Meal Timing Mistakes
One of the things I’m always asked about when it comes to my nutrition program is whether people have to eat several times a day. No. I’ve never bought into that idea. It was validated for me back in the 2000s, when I read The Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler. Basically, the idea of eating frequently is a modern invention, and the eventual problems that go with it have to do with it just not being inline with what our genes expect us to do, which is eat one or two big meals per day and sometimes go long stretches without eating. 6 Meals A Day?
Video of the Week: Long term damage from excessive cardio.