Dispatch #40
From crawling to hydrating to having your very mind BLOWN, we’re covering a lot here today.
It’s been what, three months since my last dispatch? Ugh. Procrastination is the worst form of compounding interest.
Brain & Body
Which form of exercise works your upper body, your lower body, your core, your mobility, your coordination, and your endurance? Why it’s crawling of course.
I find it funny how the physical skills we demonstrate so easily during our early stages of life (crawling, jumping, tumbling, rolling to name but a few) become monumental ordeals once we become adults. Seriously, when’s the last time you got down on all fours and crawled around like one of the creepy babies in the above AI-generated picture? Give it a shot. Try the drills described in this story and you may just become a crawling convert.
There are a lot of stupid trends in the fitness world. The one that’s currently bothering me the most is this idea that water is somehow a suboptimal source of hydration. According to the con artists peddling this disinformation, water must be enhanced with specialized formulation of electrolytes and sodium or else you’re your short-changing your performance. But don’t worry, there are supplements for this! Keto- and paleo-friendly supplements! Thank God capitalism has solved this dilemma!
Look, staying hydrated isn’t very complicated. Sure there are some guidelines that high-level athletes and performers will want to heed. And if you’re training outside in the middle of summer, you’ll need to take extra precautions. But for everyone else just drink water often and leave it at that.
I’ve been consistently following a plant-based/mostly vegan diet for nearly 15 years. And while I am steadfast in my devotion, unlike some evangelical vegans (what I like to call “Big V” Vegans), I don’t believe this style of eating is the answer to every health problem that could befall a human being. I know lots of healthy carnivores, just as I know lots of unhealthy veg-heads.
One of the biggest issue for anyone on a plant-based diet is ensuring you’re getting enough of the right nutrients. And I don’t mean macronutrients like protein; I’m talking about micronutrients like vitamin B12, vitamin D and iron. But of course our good friends in the supplement industry have us covered. Where would we be without them?!
Heart & Soul
The Wilfred Brimley Line is one of my favourite things the internet has ever given us. Remember Cocoon? That movie where a group of senior citizens, lead by the great grumbling moustachioed thespian Wilfred Brimley, discover the fountain of youth and start living out loud all over again? Well, when that movies debuted in June 1985, Mr. Brimley was all of 50 years old. 50! That’s six years older than me, and while I know a lot can happen in just over half a decade, I’m confident when I hit the half-century mark it will be with a much fresher face than those Cocoon cast members.
Maybe it’s all those sodium-infused electrolyte elixirs everyone’s crazy about nowadays, who knows. But something sure seems to be in the water, something that’s making us hotter for a much longer portion of our lives. I suppose it’s only fair. Boomers got all the jobs, the houses, the pensions, the gold watches. Why not let the rest of us die with a few less wrinkles?
For all of my flaws (my many glaring flaws) I will say this: I’m really good at asking for help. I think this stems from my complete lack of interest in being right. Perfectionists and know-it-alls seem to be the least able to reach out whenever they’re stuck, and I’m neither a perfectionist nor do I claim to have all the answers (but I do have some…).
If you often find yourself going it alone, this article offers some tactful approaches for seeking out assistance. I know some of the tips may evoke a quiet ‘No duh’, but therein lies part of the problem. Learning to quiet that voice—that overly critical, insecure voice that chirps in your ear every time you find yourself feeling vulnerable—is the first step.
If I could afford to study any subject at a university level for the rest of my life, my subject of choice would be philosophy. The brain is the most fascinating thing ever to exist; diving deep into how it works, how it catalogues and interprets information, how it perceives existence and consciousness—there is enough here to keep a person busy for infinite lifetimes.
Here are four ways of looking at the world that could very well blow your puny mind, just as they did mine.
Around the Internet
Over the last 3 months I’ve been immersing myself in weightlifting. I still make time for mobility work, and I still incorporate bodyweight training in all of my sessions (and still devote entire days to calisthenics), but program I’ve been following is based on old-school fundamentals. Lots of volume, lots of barbells and dumbbells.
Soundtracking my workouts of late has been this delightful podcast. Mark Bell is a living legend in the world of physical culture. Not only is Mr. Bell one of the strongest people to have ever walked this planet, he’s also rich as shit thanks to his invention, The Sling Shot. If you’re going to take training advice from anyone, it might as well be an ultra-jacked multi-millionaire, right?
That’s all for this edition. Thank you, as always, for offering me a little bit of your attention. I truly appreciate it.
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