This ferocious hound with her gnashing mandibles and ever-grumbling stomach will eat anything that I intentionally or unintentionally provide her. Anything from a mango custard at Rita's to organic grass-fed bison burgers to the unfortunate instances when she butts open the bathroom door and raids the trash.
 Lola's first trip to Rita's was a success! | Lola is a dog. And Lola the dog (a ginormous St. Bernard to be precise) eats like a dog (no offense, my furry sweet pea). She will consume anything. And it's very simple why she would do this: Because she can. She likes -- scratch that -- loves to eat, and so whenever she gets the chance to, she'll pop that whole kiwi or a box of doughnuts (that I totally did not buy...and you shouldn't buy either!) or the ladle full of mashed sweet potatoes that her clumsy owner accidentally dropped on the floor right into her mouth. Should she be doing this? Well, it does help with floor clean-up should I drop anything. And for the most part, whatever she is consuming isn't bad. But is it always good for her? I'd say probably not. And sometimes it's just downright horrific (again, the bathroom trash. What.is.with the bathroom trash?!?). I'm just hoping that she has lots of healthy intestinal flora, and she won't get sick from anything she throws down her puppy gullet. |
| Her penchant for eating anything and everything is very similar to how I see lots of people approach their training (and not too literally, their nutrition, too). They can do it so they do it. Case in point, I was recently on a strength training forum, and someone posted her new strength training workout that she's been doing lately. A friend of hers, who loves bodybuilding-like exercises, wrote it up for her. The list of exercises she is completing is no less than 18. Not 18 reps. 18 exercises. In a single session. And she's completing 3-5 sets of 10 reps each. First off, gah! Secondly, why?? Why would she do this to herself? |  Seriously, though, what's with you and the bathroom trash? |
Oh right. Because she can. And she isn't alone. You see it everywhere. In fitness magazines, on women's websites, and in your local gym. People doing too much, both in volume and kind. And they also do some pretty wild stuff, movements and exercises that I would like them to explain in a very logical and educated manner why in the hell they are prescribing these things in the first place. But truth is, when you've got someone doing bicep curls in a quarter-squat on top of a bosu ball, it looks like work and it looks sexy, and people like it. Lord help us all.
Here's the deal:
Now, that may be a bit oversimplified, but what it shows is that, at the foundations of our human physiology, you only really need six awesome exercises that hit each of these movement patterns, and you're set!
Of course, after a while that might get a bit boring, only doing the same six exercises over and over again. But remember my last post? That's where the whole "play" and "oodles" concepts come in so training stays fresh.
As I mentioned in an earlier post about the deceptively simple way to get strong, I lift heavy in deadlift, squat, and press on a weekly basis. In the in-between, I do metabolic conditioning, which involves, in general, very basic movements -- the kettlebell swing, push-ups, pistol squats, more deadlifts, more military presses, plank, etc. I may do slight variations of those movements and drills for them, but overall, the exercises I do on a regular basis are foundational exercises that you--or anybody, for that matter--ever grow out of. And even in doing these basic exercises, I've made progress that I'm very pleased with, both in strength and aesthetic gains.
There's no need to over-complicate things. I've been following the Birth of a Hero program for months now. Some of the movements in there get a little tricksie to up the intensity and--dare I say it?--entertainment factor. But overall, they're basic (that does NOT mean "easy") movements combined in an intelligent format, wrapped up with a great big sweaty bow. Bellissimo! No dog's breakfast here, my friends!
Speaking of basic movements done differently, I've been working on my one-arm push-up, and slowly but surely, I'm getting more and more horizontal with each passing week. Here's the latest vid, shot just this afternoon by my lovely client and friend, Victoria (should she decide to embark on a career change, I have no doubt she'd make it as a successful camerawoman!)
Anyone else trying the OAPU themselves? Any push-up improvements or strength gains? Tell us about the progress you've been making lately. I'd love to hear about it!
And if you haven’t signed up for our newsletter Cast Iron Wisdom…well, then, what are you waiting for?
With your subscription you get:
* You get a FREE eBook onThe Top 3 1/2 Lessons All Women MUST Learn in Order to Reach Their Fitness Goals and The 7 1/3 Fat-Scorching Exercises You Need to Do RIGHT NOW (But Probably Aren’t). This eBook continues invaluable information that you need to know and must implement today to fully actualize all of your fitness goals.
* You get immediate access to our weekly Cast Iron Wisdom newsletter, filled with fat loss advice, strength tips, and mobility drills—content that can’t be found anywhere else!
* You’ll have exclusive and privileged access to special offers and on all of our eBooks and eSubscription services. Again, this is content that can’t be found anywhere else!
* Stay up-to-date! No more waiting around for “the next post.” You’ll receive email updates letting you know whenever we release new content!
* Your information will neverbe shared with anyone else!
* It’s absolutely free! (And you can unsubscribe at anytime).
Sign up in the form on the right there and start getting strong(er), lean(er, and sexy(ier? yer?...well, you get the idea).
RSS Feed