Child's Play

When your kindergartner complains that he's bored, what he really means to say is that he wants to do a long chipper in the garage.



Can you tell I'm a proud dad?

[Link]

(Crossposted from The Five Tribe)

Link Dump

Peruse at your leisure:

Kids should go barefoot. Big, stiff, cushioned shoes can damage the development of their feet.

What sort of damage? Research published in podiatry journal The Foot in 2007 suggests that structural and functional changes can result from the foot having to conform to the shape and constriction of a shoe, rather than being allowed to develop naturally. And the younger the foot, the greater the potential for damage.

I may not have convinced you to give paleo eating a try, but would you be more open to it if an awesome world-class athlete did it?

Although fitness DVD sales are still going strong, free exercise programs are disappearing from the boob tube:

"Too many of the exercise shows became too similar," says Frank Nunez of Chicago's UNICUS Fitness, which is headquartered at the Fitness Lair at Michigan and Wacker. "It was always the same kind of thing, where the exercising was done to music or some kind of eight-count beat. All studies show that the only people that this appealed to were people who were already going to work out."

It's what we all suspected: Mark Sisson's WOWs look a hell of a lot like CrossFit WODs. (The differences, if any, are superficial; for example, instead of saying "as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes," he says "maximum cycles in 12 minutes.")

Eating meat made humans smarter:

Meat is packed with lots of calories and fat. [When our prehistoric ancestors started eating meat, o]ur brain -- which uses about 20 times as much energy as the equivalent amount of muscle -- piped up and said, "Please, sir, I want some more."

Cancer cells heart fructose.

How did Tony Horton escape getting profiled on Click On Detroit's list of the "5 Most Annoying TV Workout People"?

Are you gymorexic? (I might be.)

Check It Out: Primal Blueprint Fitness

Mark Sisson just launched his Primal Blueprint Fitness program -- and he's giving it away for free. Here's how Sisson describes it:

I’m confident that Primal Blueprint Fitness is the right formula for people of all ages and skill levels to get lean and functionally fit for life with minimal time commitment, pain, suffering and sacrifice and, more importantly, with as much fun, enjoyment and ease as possible. No, it’s not the only way to get fit, but it might just be the most efficient, effective and pleasurable way.

In short, Sisson doesn't claim that his Primal Blueprint Fitness regimen will get you in the best shape of your life; rather, he makes clear that the point of his program is to get you "functionally fit" with as little effort and time commitment as possible.

I've only had a chance to quickly flip through the program materials, but it looks altogether consistent with Sisson's Primal Blueprint prescription for physical activity: (1) move around a lot, but slowly; (2) lift heavy things once in a while; (3) sprint occasionally; and (4) play outside. The Primal Blueprint Fitness contains a weekly schedule that consists of 1 day of sprinting, 2 days of lifting heavy things, and 4 days of slow movement and/or free play. Plus, once a week, Sisson's going to post a bodyweight-focused "Workout of the Week" (or "WOW")  on his site that readers can substitute for one of their two weekly heavy-lifting workouts.

My first impression: This looks like a watered-down version of CrossFit, with WOWs instead of WODs, sprinting instead of metcons, and bodyweight resistance exercises instead of technical O-lifts and gymnastics.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. The best fitness regimen is one that's sustainable -- and a sustainable program is one that you find doable and pleasurable. A lot of people don't have the time, money, energy or commitment to devote to a P90X or CrossFit routine. Equipment is expensive, and the sessions arguably take too long -- especially for those with school, jobs and/or family obligations to juggle. And frankly, the prospect of starting P90X or CrossFit can be intimidating. I'm sure plenty of folks can't fathom spending 60 to 90 minutes with Tony Horton every day, and would sooner chew glass than do a Fran or Angie WOD every other day. If Sisson can get these people eating according to the Primal Blueprint, they're already well on their way to improved health; add a few sessions of intense exercise per week, and they'll no doubt see even greater results -- all without having to throw themselves into a crazy-rigorous fitness program.

But if you're the type of person who thinks exercise is actually fun rather than "pain, suffering and sacrifice," the Primal Blueprint Fitness program may not be your cup of tea.

Round 3 / Day 105: CrossFit WOD

Hotel gyms are such crap.

Take the one downstairs from our room. Like just about every other hotel fitness center I've seen, it's filled with treadmills and Stairclimbers and stationary bikes -- all with TV screens affixed to them. Pristine weight machines form a labyrinth in the room, but relatively few hotel guests use them. Mostly, people come in to tread hypnotically for 30 to 60 minutes at a time on a cardio machine while watching CNN. I used to be one of them, but not anymore.

My workout today consisted of a bunch of groove-greasing repetitions of dumbbell hang cleans, pistols, and tricep dips. Then, using my Blackberry, I pulled up the Workout of the Day -- the routine "prescribed" by CrossFit's central command and posted online each morning on crossfit.com -- and steeled myself for a good asskicking:

 15 rounds of the following (for time):

• 5 pull-ups
• 10 push-ups
• 15 squats

It took me exactly 14 minutes to complete all 15 rounds, and I was seriously lagging towards the end. There's a CrossFit workout named "Cindy" that's similar, but instead of timing how long it takes you to crank out 15 rounds, it requires that you do as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. I don't think I could last 20 minutes without passing out (or at least taking a nap break).

Afterwards, I was spent. I wandered over to the pool to watch M and our 5-year-old play in the water. Our big boy's been taking swim lessons for months now, and he's fearless in the water (though, like me, he's not exactly earning style points in the pool). I can't wait until I get to the point when CrossFit WODs fail to strike terror into my heart.

But let's be honest: that's unlikely to ever happen.

Today's workout marked not only my very first attempt at an official CrossFit WOD, but also my last workout of Round 3. It's been a hell of a ride these last 105 days as I've continued to refine my approach to nutrition and fitness.

I'm working on a lengthy post summarizing my latest thoughts on eating and exercise, and I'll do my best to post it soon. [UPDATED: It's right over here.] But right now, I'm going to focus on vacationing with my family. I'm not going to post as regularly (and possibly not at all) over the next week due to travel and limited Internet access, but will be back to daily blogging no later than Monday, June 21st.

When I do, though, I won't be ticking off the days on a 90- (or 105-) day calendar anymore, so you won't be able to just click onto "Day 26" and check out what I'm doing. My plan's to make exercise a part of my everyday life from now until I keel over, so I no longer see the point in treating it like I'm in a jail cell, scratching little hash marks on the wall in a countdown to freedom. If you want to keep tabs on my workouts, just keep reading my daily posts, or check out the archives.

But until I get back from vacation, you can find me at a shitty fitness center, rolling my eyes and making a gagging sound while sticking a finger down my throat. And then working out like a crazy person.