How do I color like a 4-year-old? The question perplexed me. I was fourteen, working my first “real” job at a daycare center, and I’d been given the instruction that when I join them for creative tasks, I was to protect the children’s self-esteem by not working too far ahead of their abilities. So, asContinue reading “The Importance of Inclusive Examples”
Category Archives: I Get Annoyed
My Take on the Sumo Debate
Is the Sumo deadlift cheating? There’s a lot of discussion in the evidence-based space and once again, it’s a discussion being had between elite strength and physique athletes who are men. So, what’s missing from this conversation? Rather than debating the relative efficacy of sumo versus conventional, limb lengths, angles, which is quad dominant orContinue reading “My Take on the Sumo Debate”
Doin’ My Part to Keep the Gym a Safe Space for Men
I wrote this post several years ago, when I lifted in a small community center gym. With COVID restrictions reducing and lots of folks entering gyms for the first time in a while, I thought it might be a good time to revisit these themes–and to think about how we might counter the problems IContinue reading “Doin’ My Part to Keep the Gym a Safe Space for Men”
Privilege and the “hard work and consistency” narrative
“24 years and I’ve only missed 4 workouts,” stated someone on one of the lifting forums I frequent, alongside some transformation photos showing him going from a small kid to a beefy, veiny specimen of humanity. Honestly, he looked great. And I kept thinking, “wow, imagine a life that allowed me to only skip 4Continue reading “Privilege and the “hard work and consistency” narrative”
Book Review–Diet Cults: The surprising fallacy at the core of nutrition fads and a guide to healthy eating for the rest of us, Matt Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald isn’t a science writer, and I don’t know how evidence-based this book qualifies as. He discusses science, but it’s in the popular, journalistic narrative sort of way rather than in the accumulation of data over time with critique and drawbacks sort of way that a more science-minded author would likely do. In any case,Continue reading “Book Review–Diet Cults: The surprising fallacy at the core of nutrition fads and a guide to healthy eating for the rest of us, Matt Fitzgerald”
Sexism and the Myth of Universality of Men’s Stories in Lifting
“Why do I need to learn this?” It’s day two of the sex ed unit in my 7th grade health class, and we’re labeling assigned female anatomy. The boy asking the above question is sincere. He doesn’t see why he needs to learn about the anatomy of literally half of the world’s human population. ItContinue reading “Sexism and the Myth of Universality of Men’s Stories in Lifting”
Sexism in Lifting: What is the right balance between sticking my neck out and doing my own thing?
How do we know if we’re making progress when it can go so slowly, it feels like standing still? How do we keep doing the work, plugging away at the pieces, running the experiments, when we don’t even know what the endpoint will look like? Is there a revelation, a revolution, a moment when everythingContinue reading “Sexism in Lifting: What is the right balance between sticking my neck out and doing my own thing?”
“Modern warriors, let’s get started,” introducing Ancient Workouts with Omar
Omar’s got a show on the History Channel; Omar’s got a show on the History Channel! Hey, did you hear? Omar, he’s got a new show, like a legit show, on the History Channel! (Ok, the online version, but still. . .) Ok. Maybe I’m a bit over the top, but I think any timeContinue reading ““Modern warriors, let’s get started,” introducing Ancient Workouts with Omar”
There is Nothing Magic about Kale
For the love of whatever you find holy, please do not force yourself to eat 2 pounds of kale a day. Don’t convince yourself that there’s something magical about confining your eating to a 6-hour window. Don’t talk yourself into thinking it’s rational to cut out all fat, all fruits, all dairy, all starchy carbohydratesContinue reading “There is Nothing Magic about Kale”
“I don’t want to be bothered with that,” 3DMJ Podcast #192: Surprise Bonus Q&A with Brad & Jeff
How do you lose bodyfat without tracking? This episode of 3D Muscle Journey is a “surprise” Q&A episode with Jeff and Brad, and about halfway through the episode, they tackle the above question. They give some advice that I agree with–that folks need some kind of structure, that they need to have some general awarenessContinue reading ““I don’t want to be bothered with that,” 3DMJ Podcast #192: Surprise Bonus Q&A with Brad & Jeff”
Progressive Strength 