CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 5/27/16

My wife and I are approaching the “final countdown” of our European Extravaganza…currently en route (via train) to Copenhagen, Denmark.

When it’s all said and done we will have put foot to ground in five different countries over the course of five flights, two trains, and zero Batmobiles.

Hopefully you’ve been keeping up with Lisa travel blog – HERE – and if not, I hate you. You’re ruining my life!

[slams door]

Just kidding.1

I’d like to offer some of my own candid thoughts on the trip:

1. Europeans know how to squat.

Culturally speaking I think many European countries – particularly Eastern European – spend more time in the squat position compared to North Americans. The also smoke a helluva lot more, but that’s besides the point.

Too, I believe, if we consider anthropometrics, there are segments of the Eastern European population who have shallower acetabulums (hip sockets) and shorter femoral heads compared to North Americans, allowing for greater squat ROMs.

Pretty interesting.

2. Despite speaking in two different countries – Czech Republic and Norway – where English is not the first language spoken, I found there wasn’t as much of a language barrier as I had originally thought there’d be.

While I’d love to chalk this up to some secret superhero power which allowed me the ability to communicate with anyone at any time, I don’t feel it’s such a secret “thing.”

Besides…that would make me Aquaman, and that’s lame.

It was just a matter of slowing down, not talking over people’s heads, and making sure to stay open to other ideas and mindsets.

One of the best compliments Dean and I received while in Prague was that we were both very approachable, we didn’t make anyone feel stupid2, and that we were open to other ideas and methodologies. NOTHING we discussed was meant to be concrete or interpreted as the ONLY way to do something.

It’s an approach I wish more fitness pros who educate would adopt.

3. Along the same lines I’ve heard from several attendees from the workshops over here that many fitness professionals in Europe are “behind the curve” compared to American trainers. That they’re “behind in the research and trends.”

I think this is BS.

I find that because European trainers seem to be less transfixed or wooed by the latest “trends,” that their approach is more basic and less laborious.

There’s very little fluff.

I see nothing wrong with this.

In working out in several commercial gyms since I’ve been here, I can say that I’ve seen more trainers utilizing the free-weight area and having their clients deadlift, squat, perform KB swings in addition to various movement/dynamic drills than I have ever seen in most commercial gyms in the States.

Just calling it like I see it.

4. Europeans are chill. In Prague I rarely, if ever, heard someone beep their horn. There was a liiiiitle bit more of it in Stockholm, but Stockholm is a bit more of a modern metropolis.

Still, compared to places like NYC or Boston, where you’re suffocated with a cacophony of horns and angry pitchforks if you don’t move your car within 0.02ths of a second of a light turning green, Europe is a welcome reprieve.

Dr. Robert Sapolsky, author of the book “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers,” likens this phenomenon to a phrase he coined called toxic hostility.

We all know someone in our lives who is a proverbial hothead. No matter what they’re always “on” or in a rush. The slightest thing – taking too much time at a stop light, a long line at a grocery store, putting too much creme in their coffee – is an opportunity for them to flip-the-eff-out.

In my travels abroad I don’t find this happening nearly as much. People seem to be calm, cool, and collected.

And kind.

This is not to insinuate that everyone in the States is a major league a-hole. However, this is to insinuate that there are A LOT less of those types here in Europe. It’s amazing.

5. The food in Europe, seemingly, is, well, food. As opposed to what Michael Pollen,  author of favs of mine, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food,” refers to as Frankenfoods (that we’re used to here in the USA).

I’m not one of those people who operates in a dream world where total calories don’t count. I saw Alan Aragon put up a Tweet the other day from another nutritionist who said something to the effect of “you need a carbohydrate/sugar deficit to lose weight not a caloric deficit.”

That made me – and the internet – LOL a little bit.

However, people CRUSH bread over here. And dairy. And beer.

Sure, people are more generally active here which counts for the lack of obesity…but what both my wife and I have noticed is that there’s no added “anything” in any of the food here.

Bread isn’t “enriched” with anything. It’s just, you know, bread.

And it’s SO good.

While I can’t speak for all of Europe, I know in Germany (and I have to assume Prague?) there are strict rules on how beer is processed. It can’t have more than 3-4 ingredients.

This is in stark contrast to other beers – particularly in the States – where it’s not uncommon to see an ingredients list that would rival a Breaking Bad episode.

I could keep going, but I’ve rambled enough. Lets get into this week’s list of stuff to read…

1) Regular Cardio Will Make You Fat – John Meadows

Taking away the sensationalistic title, this was an awesome article by John. I’ve always operated under the guise that the bulk of one’s “cardio” should be either brutally short and intense or very, very low intensity (or what I like to call Zone 2 work).

The middle ground – or cardio purgatory – is where many (not all) people tend to lose their way.

2) How Intense Workouts (and overtraining) Can Ruin Your Results – Dr. John Berardi

Speaking of intense exercise…It is necessary for continued gains and adaptation.

That said, not every workout or training sessions needs to be a balls to the wall battle.3.

This was an excellent article by John and the Precision Nutrition team shedding light on the importance of mixing things up, having fun, what’s the right “activity level” given your goals.

3) 3 Reasons Coaches Aren’t Respected Like the Old Days – Chris Fore

This was such a good read.

All the points made by Chris in this piece were on point. #2 in particular, sadly, happens quite a bit.

CategoriesFat Loss

Exercises You Should Be Doing: 1-Arm (Perpendicular) Landmine Row

I don’t know about you, but if I looked down at my program and saw that one of the exercises listed was called a 1-arm perpendicular landmine row I’d probably take said program, ball it up, dip it in cement, let it dry, and then find whoever wrote the program, wind-up and unleash a fastball square into the middle of their grill

While it’s the name of the exercise in the literal sense – it’s just not a cool name for an exercise. It’s lame in fact.  So it’s only appropriate that I give today’s exercise its due diligence and call it by its real name. In meathead circles it’s also known as the Meadows Row – named appropriately after professional bodybuilder, fellow T-Nation contributor, and absolute BEAST, John Meadows.

^^^^^^^That Guy.

By the way:  you know you’re kind of a big deal when an exercise is named after you. I remember reading about this row variation a while ago HERE. but for some reason never really gave it a go because, well, I forgot about it. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I was training with my buddy, strength coach Dave Rak, at Boston University that I gave it my first test-drive. Needless to day:  me likey.

1-Arm Perpendicular Landmine Row Meadows Row

Who Did I Steal It From:  Technically John Meadows, but I’ll also give credit to Dave Rak and Ben Bruno (who, coincidentally, wrote about it here, along with some other cool landmine variations).

What Does It Do:  This is an awesome alternative for those who train at lame gyms that don’t carry heavy dumbbells, or for those who have “out-grown” their gyms and need to up the ante a bit. You can load these fairly heavy, and you’d be hard pressed to find another rowing exercise that will add significant meat to your backside like this one. What’s more, because the end of the barbell is much thicker than a standard dumbbell, you’ll also get a grip-training effect.

Key Coaching Cues:  Even if you don’t have a standard “landmine,” you can just as easily set-up a barbell in the corner and do just fine.  I’d advise that you load up the barbell with 25 lb plates (or lower) – as anything larger tends to get in the way and make the exercise a bit cumbersome. I like to use a staggered stance on these, but you could use a squared stance as well.

A word of caution however:  these will also fry your lower back, so if you have a history of lower back shenanigans going on, I’d probably lean more towards using a bench to prop yourself on (which Ben demonstrates in the link above).

While I’m fine with using a bit more “body english” on these, try your best to maintain as much of an arch in your back as you can and to prevent too much forward head posture.

In addition, since these are designed to go heavy on, I like to use a 6-10 rep scheme, but if you’re feeling a bit more like He-Man or She-Ra (don’t want to dis any ladies who may be reading), feel free to go higher. While I can’t promise your back will end up looking like John’s, I can say that these will give your upper back an unparalleled pump.  Try them today and let me know what you think!