Steve Maxwell is a huge influence on what we do at IKSC. I was fortunate to have been able to take a few of his courses a few years back. Here is a great perspective on what quality training should look like if you’re over 45 years old.
I go on and on about vitamin D, one of our big three supplements. Here are some recent articles on our other two, zinc and magnesium.
I’ve recommended blue light blocking glasses in the past and how they can help with making your sleep time more productive. I remember one guy that said after wearing them in the evening, he would fall asleep before his favorite nightly TV show
This is an interesting study about how your maximal exercise capacity might affect your outcome if you contract our favorite virus these days. This shouldn’t be a surprise, the stronger your heart and lungs are the better lots of things go.
Latest on the downside of chronic cardio There is a reason that we don’t spend much time in what is called the “junk zone” of aerobic training, which is hard but not hard enough to be true max effort, and yet too hard to provide good aerobic base building.
This is an interesting thing to think about with regards to nitric oxide boosters, which are part of many bodybuilding supplements. Never thought about them having any kind of immune system benefits, though. NO Boosters and Coronavirus
I go on an off a carnivore diet. I think one of the reasons it works so well for so many is because they weren’t getting adequate protein before deciding to go that route. For some it has really made a huge difference with some autoimmune conditions, when nothing else did. Carnivore Diet
As well all know, crawling can be easy mobility training or the most brutal full body strength and cardio workout you’ve ever had. Looks like some folks decided to test this in a university setting to see how much improvement in movement it actually does scientifically.
Original Strength is the top system for this type of training. It can be done at every level, from rehabilitation to athletic gains. I have used this for years and am a certified Original Strength restorative movement coach (I think the only one in Idaho, unless that has recently changed).
“Quadrupedal movement training is a viable alternative form of training to improve whole-body stabilization and flexibility.” Crawling Study
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.
I have a decent amount of muscle in my chest and shoulders. My main chest exercises are pushups, dips, getups and presses. I haven’t ever felt a need for bench pressing. Pushups -vs – Bench Press
Kettlebell swings: Ignore the videos shown, or if you do watch them, at least ignore the weights and form shown. We can do better. The rest of the data is good, and I’ve read much of the background on some of the experiments he cites. It is a good article. Also, I’d ignore the part about going super heavy. We have since learned that the most optimal bell for max force is generally not more than 1/3 of a person’s bodyweight. Heavy Kettlebell Swings
I can think of a good number of people I know personally who have experienced these odd illnesses over the past year and gotten over it. Looks like coronavirus is so scary and debilitating that you may have had it and not even known it. Now, figure this basically un-knowable amount of people with the padded death counts, and I gather that the numbers put out daily or weekly are just about meaningless and paying attention to them is likely just to cause anxiety and worry over something you can’t control. Maybe You Had CV Already?
Rack kettlebell carries and front squats. Another good article in T-Nation this week! Kettlebell Squat and Carry
I’ve been beating the drum about vitamin D at the first mention of coronavirus. Here’s what is being born out: Better Survival Rates with Vitamin D
Video of The Week: Some of you might recall this as being similar to the drill we do in class with the goblet squat. Remember how the squat got easier?
This is a pretty cool article about one of the guys on that poster in the gym. Arthur Saxon
Interesting list of supposedly worthless exercises. You won’t see these at the gym, but I never say never when it comes to an exercise or training tool. If you train enough people for long enough you find uses for things you never thought you’d use, or that you quit using and then find a use for it later. 5 Worthless Exercises
This is one of the best podcast episodes explaining the connection between back health and kettlebell training. Prof. Stuart McGill is one of the world’s foremost experts in back health. If you only listen to one podcast this month, this is the one: Stuart McGill Kettlebell Podcast
Keep training. Now is not the time to take your fitness for granted. There are some holes in this article. The timeframes they are giving for working out seem pretty long to me (45-80 minutes). I’ll have to look more into what they consider “vigorous” exercise. Chances are some of the things we do at IKSC probably get that done in 20-30 minutes. Personally, I see no problem in training for 20 minutes and then keeping general movement levels high throughout the day. Exercise Improves Mood
Most of these fitness myths are debunked on a daily basis at IKSC, but this is a good breakdown of some of BS you might hear or have heard in the past. Myths that Stop Fat Loss
Video of the Week: This is not just for kids: Sensory stimulation and direct interpersonal contact and interaction is just as important for adults. It is very much a “use it or lose it” deal.
Exercises that involve as many senses as possible, like rolling, crawling, and getting up and down from the ground (getups anyone?) repeatedly are a key part of overall fitness. Pay attention to the quote about skin receptor sites and tactile stimulation. Note: You get a big dose of this when you roll and crawl.
Book recommendation! Finally got my hands on this after having it on pre-order for a few months. I’ve learned a ton from both authors over the years and have followed this book’s progression for the past few years. Here’s more about it and where to get one: https://www.sacredcow.info
After working with countless people with tennis elbow and hand issues from lots of desk time over the years, it is pretty common for these issues to just go away when you get things moving and working. Never needed to look up a study on it, but here’s one anyway. It’s not like we really set out to “cure” anything, it just seems to work. Tennis Elbow and Mouse Arm
Diet and metabolic health are keys to immunity. This is one of the reasons I emphasized being even more strict with my diet and my dietary recommendations (don’t give into stress eating) when things started getting rough a few months back.
Looks like I was not a complete idiot about that advice. Some big brains seem to share that theory. “…As of 30 May 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that among COVID-19 cases, the two most common underlying health conditions were cardiovascular disease (32%) and diabetes (30%)”
Listen to this podcast interview! Seriously.
It might be a little tough to grasp for smoothbrains that get their health advice or knowledge from news sources or are addicted to being “Google experts” on a given topic. It will be hard to swallow for those that seem to revel in fear.
This will take more than a 30 second scan to process and think about. It might also be the best advice you’ll get about dealing with a contagious global virus. You can find the Wise Traditions Podcast on iTunes, as well. Proactive During Pandemic
The average grip strength of young men has been dropping for the past few generations. When I shake hands with young men and young women these days I find that most young women are a lot more likely to give a firm handshake and have strong hands than guys. In this study, they found an interesting correlation between that and a country’s top athletes.
” For every 1kg increase in population GS, the medal tally increased by 36%” Medals and Grip Strength
Video of The Week: Pretty cool information on rowing.
The term “muscle head” is a compliment. It should be noted that many of our great thinkers like Plato and Socrates embraced extreme physical fitness.
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At the top of the food-chain with regards to neural activity and neuroplasticity (whereby you actually make new neural connections) are movements that involve lots of muscles and include cross-patterning and gaiting patterns. This is why we squat deep, crawl, get up and down off the floor a bunch, and carry heavy loads. Weightlifting Makes Your Brain Work
One of my biggest concerns about the separation and fearmongering we’ve been subject to in recent months due to lockdowns and such. Loneliness Makes Stress Worse
More than likely, you are not a victim of poor genetics, but are a victim of poor life choices. Everything we do, the exercises I choose and the foods I advise others to eat have to do with how they trigger genetic expression. This, people, IS the big picture Epigenetics
Pay special attention to #3 in this article: “Just about any body composition problem you have is a diet problem, not a training problem.”
This is the hardest pill to swallow I offer frequent nutrition classes to members of IKSC. The frustrating part on the coaching end is that that only a few bother to show up, and yet almost everyone comes in the door looking for a strength and body composition goals. Training is only 10% of the whole equation. Painful Fitness Truths!
Always good information from Tim Anderson at Original Strength
With the reopening of the indoor gym, it is IMPERTIVE that everyone adheres to good personal hygiene habits. The gym floor is mopped daily and the equipment is wiped with alcohol or bleach wipes after every use. We often do exercises that require us to get up and down off the floor. I try to keep it clean enough you could literally eat off it, but please don’t track dirt, mud, or lawn clippings across the gym floor. Please either remove your shoes for indoor workouts or make sure they are clean before tracking across the gym floor.
Please wear clean clothes to train. This is important. Take your training seriously. Dress for success. Train in clean clothes.
Even though most of my wardrobe is what you’d consider “workout clothes.” I always wear fresh, clean workout clothing for my designated, structured training sessions. It is good for mindset. I firmly believe you train better clean than dirty, if for no reason than you can focus better. In martial art training, it is a grave insult to your training partners to show up in a dirty uniform.
Make sure you are clean. Personally, I take a shower before training. I can’t when I’m train dirty. It doesn’t matter if it is a weekend. Your designated training time is a time to build positive habits and shift mindset. Training sessions are important appointments for yourself. Please arrive clean, looking sharp, and ready to train. Avoid heavy perfumes or cologne. Body odor is totally unacceptable. Be as clean as you would be at a church service or martial art training session. Strength training is just as important.
Here are this weeks articles.
This article is a pretty deep dive into why you hear so much anti-meat rhetoric in the media. It is easy to throw out a few select quotes, but it takes intelligence and nuance in order to explain the bigger picture when it comes to the issue. Why is WHO anti-meat?
Oysters. Part of the goodness of oysters is that they are rich in zinc. Oysters
Always good information from Poliquin. Here are a few good things about better sleep. When it comes to body composition, quality sleep is almost as important as training. Sleep Deprived
This is a fairly old study, but it shows the correlation between vitamin D, magnesium, and healthy hormone levels. Strong Bones = High Testosterone
Video of The Week: Worth your time to listen to this guy. I eat this way about 80% of the time, and have for the past few years. It seems to tighten everything up pretty fast. I would have discounted it as a crash diet a until I learned more about Shawn Baker’s physical feats. He must be doing something right:
Governor’s orders specified against indoor gyms reopening, so we are now an outdoor gym. There is plenty of room outside the back door. Kettlebell and bodyweight workouts are our specialty. No one will lack one ounce of training. The only downside is that I can’t take it on any additional people until May 1st to ensure good quality control.
Please take note that you are all under a great deal of stress. We are still under an “emergency” declaration, which means compromising your immune system by overdoing it, or risking injury is not acceptable. Training sessions will be brief and designed to minimize risk. Do not try to make up for poor eating by training harder. The extra 100-200 calories you might burn off is insignificant. Tighten up the diet and focus on sleep.
The thing I always say? Train like a predator, not prey? This is what I mean. You should feel stronger when you leave the gym than when you came in.
Here’s a very tried and true program I’ve used over and over again. When in doubt, push, pull, squat. Repeat. This post even has some ancient videos from the old gym…LOL! IKSC Push, Pull, Squat Program
Video of the Week: For those of you that have been doing improvised workouts.
The more metabolically healthy you are, the better you’ll fight off nasty respiratory illness. CV and Elephant in the Room
Speculation as to whether exercise will make you better able to fight off a viral infection: I have no idea if this is true or not, but I can say that whenever I feel like I’m coming down with something a good sweat seems to help. Who knows? Exercise as Protection
