Read this. Then Read it Again, and Again...and Again

"No one does anything they don't want to do, EVER." -My Dad

It sounds crazy but it makes sense eventually. Even the most selfless person on earth behaves that way because they WANT good for others more than for themselves.

This article was brought to my attention today. It was written by Charles Poliquin, one of the most original and successful strength and conditioning coaches in the world.

Read it

then re-read it daily, until you can recite it word for word.
I've never found a better or simpler paradigm for living a healthy, vibrant and active life.


The Myth of Self Discipline

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Ido Portal

Ido Portal is badass. We have been big fans since first discovering him through Robb Wolf and Ido's  website. He is a Martial Artist, Dancer, Capoerista, and master of some pretty impressive skills. The results of his focus on movement quality and creativity are a big part of the reason we organize our training the way we do.
For your inspiration and amazement we have collected a couple of our favorite videos...

Paleo, Running, and LSD

There has of late been a major shift in the pendulum of popular opinion about endurance athletics. Activities like distance running have fallen out of favor as evidence accumulates that it is not as healthy as once assumed. Training methodologies like Crossfit, P90X, Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint, Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution all recommend high intensity, strength training, and sprinting as safer and more effective than endurance training.
I want to take a closer look at this trend as i believe that while strength and speed are invaluable, there are some significant paradoxes between historical evidence and the anti-aerobic point of view.
This topic has been beat to death in many circles but there is, in my opinion, still room for review, some useful discussion, and most of all some recommendations on avoiding the downsides of Endurance training if your going to do it.

Too Much or Too Little, Never in the Middle.

"The only constant in Nature is change."
We, as part of nature, are well adapted to cycles and variation. Yet we rigorously apply linear constants to ourselves and our lives. We work 8 hours everyday, 40 hours every week. We eat and exercise in carefully organized routines, repeated over and over. We chase calories in calories out. We become obsessed. We become neurotic.  

Could that neurosis be a result of forcing regularity onto a natural system designed around cycles and variation? 

Going Barefoot Pt. 2: Run (in the) Forest, Run!

Now is time for the fun part. After working your way through Barefoot pt 1, we get to start the sexy stuff!

You've been walking, working out, and doing some sprints either barefoot or in minimalist footwear. But the goal (for me anyway) was running through the wilderness barefoot, taking advantage of the improved balance, economy, and sensation of being shoeless. Not to mention the crazy looks on peoples faces when you run by "unprotected" from natures dangers.

Know Thyself, or gene expression, behavior, and convincing my wife I'm not crazy.

"FINALLY they have a name for whats wrong with you!"

my wife laughed. I had just finished reading her this post on Evolify regarding the so-called adventure gene, it's origin and its impact on personalities.

I fit the common characteristics really well.
 

Baby Steps: Going barefoot Pt. 1

I have been a fan of going barefoot for a long time.

The argument presented by shoe manufacturers, that evolution somehow overlooked adapting our feet to a lifestyle of walking and running upright across rough terrain, leaving us in dire need of "corrective" shoes and orthotics. All while equipping us with large brains, efficient hearts, and incredibly complex nervous systems, is totally absurd.

Making the transition from a life trapped in shoes to stomping around unshod can be daunting though. Your feet are NOT worthy. Not right away at least.
 

Art DeVany Speaks

For those of you unfamiliar with him, a quick bio from his website arthurdevany.com

"Called "Superman's slightly fitter grandad" by the London Times and a "patriarch of the Paleo Movement" in the New York Times, 73 year old Arthur De Vany is a scientist/athlete and the creator of Evolutionary Fitness, the first integrated model of Paleo diet, intermittent fasting, and exercise. A former professional athlete and life-long student of exercise and metabolism, he is a living example of what he teaches: at the age of 72 he is 6'1", 205 pounds and has less than 8% body fat. He has lived as a Paleo/Athlete for more than 25 years." (emphasis mine)

I Found and very much enjoyed this clip of his  lecture on ZURICH.MINDS. Its science-y but really cool.

Check it out.

http://zurichminds.com/videos/adv_unic_2010.html

 

Bug Out!

It is a socially awkward, but biologically interesting fact that we as humans tend to lose our ability to produce the enzymes that digest dairy, but retain to this day the ability to consume and breakdown insects, shell and all.

Self Discipline is an Illusion.

What if the reason that fixing bad habits or changing our bodies is so hard is simply because we are fighting a lost cause? What if our nature is to be habitual and compulsive?

What if changing your body was as easy as pretending you have no willpower?

5 Rules for Living in the StoneAge

What follows are the basics. A cave painting of how to re-discover your inner neanderthal. Set forth as simply as possible, and in no strict order, this is how to achieve, health, fitness and extreme animal magnetism (That's right, you know you want it!)

Shout Outs

We added some new links for those of you who want to dig deeper into all this Stoneage lifestyle stuff.

Marks Daily Apple, Robb Wolf, Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet, and The Eades Protein Power are great resources for nutrition.

Crossfit Football, Gymnastics Bodies, and Ido Portal are more exercise oriented.

We have learned tons from all these people so check'em out!

Oh and post your thoughs to comments!

The Art of Doing

We define fitness as the art of DOING...Whatever you want to do. In this case hiking Mount San Jacinto!

Mount San Jacinto is 10,800 feet high and its north face features the largest most abrupt elevation change in the United States. Sadly we were not going that way...yet

We to arrived to find 4 feet of snow at the top of the tram. Ckecked in at the ranger station and started up the hill at 11:00 am.

It was a GREAT day to be in the mountains...

Chris started to suffer at about 9,800 feet. The first time moving around above 10,000 is never a pleasant experience.

I spy...a lovely corniced summit!

It was a hell of a view.

I think its fair to say that Chris was glad to be done with the uphill travel!

Gotta have a summit self portrait!

These trees have it rough up here.

The trip down is always much more fun.

All in all it took 5 hours for 6 miles round trip and 5,500 feet gain/loss. With 1 of those hours fooling around on the summit it worked out to be 2:50 up and 1:10 back down.

Paleo Round Up!

Lets hear it people! we are 6 to 8 weeks into the Paleo Diet. How are we doing? Body comp, performance, cheats, questions or paleo poops! anythings fair game...