Athletic Body in Balance

I’m stealing a page out of Tony’s review blog for my own formatting here. It took me all of three days for me to get through a quick reading of Gray Cook’s 215-page Athletic Body in Balance. You can see the customer reviews for yourself on the Amazon link I provided.

Tagline: Optimal movement skills and conditioning for performance.

Website: Functional Movement

Retail: $19.95

My thoughts: Cook gets to the foundation of HUMAN movement, not just athletic or sport-specific movement, in clear and concise writing that builds smoothly upon itself. He gives you the nuts-and-bolts of basic movement patterns, how to self-test your proficiency, why these movements are important, how they’re ignored, and what you should do to re-learn them. After all, you can’t have long-term, solid, safe, productive performance—on and off the field—without a firm base from which to derive that performance. Just like his building-block approach to movement, Balance progresses from the simple to the complex, but not in a sport-specific manner; instead, he offers movement modifications that are applicable across the board, all while explaining exactly why he’s suggesting them. Even though the book’s sections and examples speak to sports performance, the fact that Cook is dealing with basic human movement, mobility, and stability makes this a highly relevant reading for anyone interested in simply improving his or her day-to-day journey through life, whether it’s lifting a child into the air, loading groceries into the car, or cleaning the house. The material in this writing, if incorporated as suggested, will make any physical task easier and will spare you from nagging (and sometimes seemingly inexplicable) tweaks and injuries. I’ll be adding a significant, rotating portion of this material into my own training ASAP.

Three good things: Easy reading; clear descriptions and examples of movements; ease of incorporation (some movement progressions are similar to some yoga and pilates).

Three not-so-good things: Emphasis on pre-work static stretching; potential knee danger based on a few suggestions on movement form; suggested use of Smith machine.

My opinion: Buy, read, and incorporate this book into your life, whether you’re just starting on the path to physical well-being or have been training for decades. Your body will thank you.

Getting comfortable with discomfort

Yes, this is also the title of a kettlebell-focused blog, but these four words speak to a myriad of issues both in training and in life. We all develop routines and habits, patterns that automate physical and mental tasks so that we can focus on the not-so-common elements of life. Obviously, the more ingrained a habit, the more seemingly comfortable we are, creating the buzzword “comfort zone.” Process and procedure are decidedly left-brain characteristics, a trait reinforced in our society, especially in public education (math and science) following the 1950s space race with the Soviet Union, and it is this method of thinking that dominates content on standardized tests (even standardized testing itself is a self-fulfilling prophecy). School programs deemed extraneous—including gym and arts classes—continue to lose funding in favor of more measurable disciplines in all grades, which is a huge disservice to our youth and to our country in general. Imagination and creativity are quashed before they get any chance to fully develop just so schools can receive funding based on a long-outdated ideology.

The United States graduates fewer and fewer scientists each year, especially in relation to other supposedly “developing” nations like India and China, even though we pour more and more resources into math and science education at earlier and earlier grade levels. Why is this? I’m just guessing here, but maybe students are using their post-secondary education to explore more creative avenues of thought after thirteen (or more) years of linear education, finding out they like it, and swinging their intellectual pendula away from numbers and toward relationships (academically speaking). However, the more successful scientists and mathematicians are, first and foremost, thinkers, using their nurtured imaginations and creativity as the foundation for the critical thinking required for “outside the box” ideas that give way to scientific breakthrough. (I just happened to start my creative exploration in ninth grade rather than in college, but that was because I had some remarkable English teachers, not because of state-mandated curricula, hence my two liberal arts degrees.)

So, what does this have anything to do with, well, anything? There’s a difference between efficiency and complacency. Efficiency is a break-even point where things run smoothly, almost automatically, but maintenance and upkeep are still required. It’s a comfortable homeostasis where all parts of the system are balanced. Problems arise when we start to doze at the wheel—cruise control is great if there’s no traffic around, but you still have to drive the car, no matter what. Our bodies are impeccable at adaptation and adjustment for various conditions, and far too often, we take that for granted. Even if we decide to do some maintenance, it often falls under the “just because” category, and in that mindset, we become passive in our own upkeep. We settle into process and procedure of going through the motions (changing the oil at, say, 10,000 miles or more) rather than performing preventive maintenance (checking the engine belts for wear) or even enhancing performance (NOS system, anyone?). Without even passive care, our bodies will adjust as much as they can and then eventually start to break down, so instead of that $30 oil change, now you may need more expensive repairs, maybe even a complete overhaul, since you can’t just go pick up a new body down at the local dealer… for now…

Fortunately, our bodies do respond to corrective behavior unlike non-living objects, and it doesn’t take the latest and greatest gadget to do it nor does it require a compartmentalized approach, more just an integration of one or two things here and there into your daily lives to make all the long-term difference in the world, even if that simply means starting out by just talking to someone about it. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew, please. Little bites. Savor the flavor. Be determined, be enthusiastic, be determined to finish strong (thanks to nine-year-old Jack for that inspired thought!), but be smart about it. There will be some discomfort at first, and it may seem counterintuitive to adopt behaviors that just don’t feel right, but short-term discomfort is a miniscule price to pay for long-term health and livelihood.

(Apologies for the mixed metaphors. Coffee was taking hold over the course of this writing.)

Stuff:
—Insulin is a good thing. It’s the condition behind glycemic correlation that’s the problem.
—Underage drinking isn’t the problem. Lack of parental involvement, conversation, and supervised sampling is the problem. Simply telling people not to do something is a sure-fire recipe for getting them to do it, and in a much less structure, less safe environment.
—What? People lie to get money? The hell you say.
—Does flying—or maybe just the hoops and red tape to get you in the air—make you anxious? Here’s a proposed solution (this should also be implemented immediately at the public grade school level; am I the only one who noticed a jump in discipline problems once certain drugs were outlawed?).
—Webmonkey (hey, look, a monkey!) put out a five-point how-to on better blogging. I’ve addressed the fifth one; the other four, not so much. Oh well :)
—TED. is. awesome. (Congrats!)

Mind(ing) the farm

After almost four months, I finally finished reading Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (2nd ed), cover-to-cover, as the start to my preparation for an eventual CSCS exam. Considering that I haven’t done any focused, academic study in the hard sciences since, oh, high school (I don’t count the general education requirements I had in college), it goes without saying that the biology has been, is, and will continue to be the most challenging area as I go through this process. In that light, I’ll more than likely order a couple study aids from the NSCA within the next week or so. As I wait on that to happen, I decided to read Athletic Body in Balance because (a) I was surprisingly bored only a day after finishing Essentials as I thought I’d be welcoming a break, and (b) it’s been on my reading list for awhile, especially as I’ve shifted my mindset from the “what” and “how” to the “why” of human/athletic movement. (So far, it’s a great read, and I’ll give it a quick review here when I’m finished.)

Coinciding with my own intellectual pursuits has been a slight uptick in recent articles and posts dealing with thought process, mental health, and “why,” so I figured that’d be a good direction for a post of my own. First and foremost, as you think about what you do what you do to make yourself a healthier person, ask yourself why you do it in the first place. Do you believe in what you’re doing, or are you doing it “just because”? Are you putting at least SOME effort into it (in the kitchen as well as the gym), or are you just going through the motions? Maybe the kids or other priorities in life seem to (continue to) trump your own well-being? Speaking of kids, how are they? No, really, how are they doing? Are you taking their core, basic health needs—physically as well as mentally—seriously (yes, “ethics” be damned), or is convenience (complacency?) the name of the game, especially now that school is out for summer? *cue Alice Cooper* Just throwing that out there. (For the record, I’m not a parent nor do I ever intend to become one, but having been in extensive contact with children and parents as part of several previous jobs I’ve held, I’ve seen enough to have formed some informed opinions on the subject).

Hey, stuff happens; that’s just the world in which we live, for the most part. The trick is to find means of achieving and maintaining some semblance of sanity and focus on the basics without relying too heavily on, well, magic pills (which nature ultimately overcomes anyway). Not only are magic pills’ effects temporary, but they’re designed to be consumed ad infinitum, and at increasing costs—both short- and long-term, especially when compared to the (relatively falling) cost of just taking care of business at the fundamental level of healthy living—with no possible guarantee of safety in the first place (side effects are everywhere). Take a little time to plan (no need for anything complicated—it’ll pay off in the long run), realize that your health is ultimately YOUR responsibility, do your best to not sabotage your efforts (more on this in a minute), be smart in your risk-taking (but don’t avoid risk entirely), and strive to be more prepared than the challenges you face, in fitness and in life.

Before wrapping up, a couple congratulations to pass along: to Lou Schuler, who is to become editorial director at T-Nation starting July 7; to Alan Aragon, whose name is popping up more and more (and not just for his impromptu karaoke skills); to Bill Hartman et al, whose training facility in Indianapolis is nearing its opening; to Ross Enamait, whose family added a new member a couple days ago.

Potpourri
—Last time, I touched on the explosion of (mis)information courtesy of the Internet Age. While daunting, plenty of efforts are in the works to make it all managable and even useful, so much so that the scientific method might—MIGHT—go the way of the dodo.
—Happy birthday to barbed wire.
—If the universe just happens to blink out of existence later this summer/fall, here’s why :)
—A fond farewell to George Carlin, one of the true comedic and social geniuses of our time.
—Finally, I’ve already mentioned before how I’m not a geyser of motivation, but I did want to iterate a point made in a post I linked above from Mark in talking about sabotage. It’s point #7, titled “Excuses, Excuses, Excuses” in that post. I’ll let the video speak for itself:

Getting started

I wanted to post this earlier today to give it more eyes for the weekend, but life gets in the way sometimes; you’ll just have something to distract you from work on Monday (as if you needed an excuse). I also know this makes two posts this week. No, I’m not bored. No, I’m not actually trying to be more productive here. No, I’m not trying to get into the habit of this. Instead, there’s just been a LOT of good articles and blog posts over the past couple days, so many that I felt like I needed to go ahead and get some linked up before the list got too long and my resulting write-up got too tedious (after-the-fact edit: too late).

With that being said, let’s assume that you’ve decided to be healthy. Regardless of the reason(s), good for you. Lifestyle change is difficult at best, darned near impossible most of the time, but you’re going to do it. You’ve made up your mind (I highly recommend that linked method, by the way), but now what? In this age of the Internet, finding reliable, useful information is about as easy as it was before computers—it ain’t. Before, information was scarce and closely guarded. Now, “information” (read: BS) is everywhere and masquerading as viable content (the scam, not Craig’s blog, of course). As if that wasn’t enough, ideas once thought to be a panacea of healthful living (also here) are routinely being shot down as further (and valid) scientific study refutes earlier theories (some are still fighting the fight, though). And don’t think that real life is immune to the glitz and glamor of fly-by-night promises and “they say” advice—remember, real life is where it all started; the Internet just made it more widespread.

Step back, take a breath, and as I will keep harping, keep it simple. Don’t succumb to exercise and nutrition AD(H)D. Start with a few very simple things, or maybe just one thing (my personal favorite: ditch the sodas). Setup your priorities—realistically—and stick to them, again just one or a few at a time. (Check out this excellent video—as are all videos at TED.com—about just how much we go overboard every day, so it’s easy to imagine how we could do it with individual lifestyle changes.) Just please do some homework (look at training from a trainer’s point of view), talk and listen to someone who really is knowledgeable (rather than all the “bros” walking around the gym), and don’t be THAT guy/girl.

If a trainer isn’t your thing (for whatever reason—please don’t think it’s a must because I sure have never used one), there’s nothing wrong with cookie-cutter programs to get you started on your own. In time, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, but please don’t poo-poo a program if you don’t stick to it, don’t give each workout 100% (which is relative depending on the day or week you’ve had), and don’t see it through to the end. (Note: if you notice your trainer putting you on the exact same program as everyone else, get a new trainer or go without one—you’re putting too many resources into this person for him/her to be so lazy and/or unknowledgeable as to treat your training just like everyone else’s.) Coach Steer provides a good visual to help you set your goals and expectations.

Speaking of cookies, I just wanted to give another BOO-YAH! to up-and-coming nutrition guru Alan Aragon, who was reviewed on Lyle MacDonald’s blog recently. Other than here, if you haven’t heard of Alan, that’s because… well… Lyle puts it so much better than I could:

Alan Aragon may be one of the least well known yet smartest guys in the industry, mainly because he sucks royally at marketing himself.

‘Nuf said. Now for the hodgepodge:

—The latest threats to our health and livelihoods include: poor water management, rampant vitamin D deficiency in people of all ages, spicy foods, cost-prohibitive electronic medical records, health insurance companies (big surprise there), golf carts, adolescent pregnancy pacts, and just plain being fit (here and here and the original story here—I just love sensationalist media).
—Humans seem to cause cancer in bunnies.
—Scholastic physical education continues to face financial pressures, but there’s a glimmer of hope.
—Cold showers aren’t just for the dugout after only getting to third base.
—Mental health gets some new toys (this is my latest fun time-killer). Of course, music has always been right up there.
—The American Red Cross and Johnson & Johnson are no longer at war (who knew they were in the first place?).
—It’s official: Charlotte has the best. fried. chicken. ever.
—Thanks to Coach Steer for posting this jaw-dropping example of human potential.

Wow, that was a lot more than I thought it was going to be. Good thing Monday mornings are usually slow, right? Unless…

Moderation

*pulls out the dead horse beating stick*

In last time’s one-liner summary of dietary issues, I linked a post by Mark Sisson that basically said there’s no need to force-feed water to ourselves. Sure, water is a healthy alternative to sodas and most fruit juices, but like today’s post from Ross Enamait says, moderation is the key. Additionally, as Mike Robertson points out, moderation is an individual parameter. As an example, a co-worker of mine runs 15-20 miles per week. With few exceptions, he’s done this routinely for almost 18 years. I did that for about a year or so not too long ago, but while his body is built for endurance work, mine isn’t (as a laundry list of chronic injuries can attest). However, I spend a lot more time in the gym compared to him; compared to others, my time is relatively minimal (though I do time my workouts instead of spending ten minutes between sets getting water, watching TV, reading the paper, talking on the phone, etc, etc, etc, but that’s another issue for another day).

Moderation, however, is just not an American concept. We’re always trying to be the biggest, fastest, strongest, most this and most that, which is translated into being the best. Oddly, there’s practically no push to be the smallest, cheapest, or most efficient, at least not inherently. Take the oil situation, for example: is there more public policy emphasis being placed on reducing our oil dependency or on pushing oil-producing entities to pump more oil (hint: which would be easier on us right now?). Sometimes, it takes bribery or coercion to achieve moderation, but that still goes back to Robertson’s point: in these situations, who decides what is “normal”?

Let’s say someone decides to embark on a wholesale lifestyle change centered on moderation. My initial reaction is a sincere hope that this person puts in a LOT of homework time rather than jumping straight into the first flashy advertisement’s promises. Less than thirty years ago, the dietary rage was high-carb, low-fat diets. Despite a recent backlash toward low-carb, high-fat diets (which can similarly be taken to the extreme), you can still find an obscene number of products proclaiming their minimal fat content. While each product by itself is relatively benign, a huge shift in groupthink concluded that unlimited carbs were okay as long as dietary fat was minimized. Do you know what happens when you carb binge? Probably. Our bodies have a way of handling and mitigating extreme conditions, including what we ingest, but only for so long. Given the proliferation of high-carb, low-fat foods, it’s just become so darned easy to eat them, and if it’s so easy for us, just think of how much easier it is for parents to chuck some dry Cheerios at their kids rather than prepare some raw veggies and dip. At least it seems that some parents are coming around to realizing that they’ve essentially been poisoning their children—why do you think all those sugary snacks are fruit-flavored? Um, maybe because kids like the taste of fruit? Hmmm…

You’ve probably heard of detoxing or colon cleansing, an extreme measure to supposedly counteract an extreme lifestyle, albeit temporarily. Another extreme dietary practice making the rounds is intermittent fasting, but as Alan Aragon notes in a recent forum post in response to this practice:

“I see no physiological benefit in fasting periodically versus eating normally. In fact it carries a certain set of risks, given the person & the situation. The only real benefit of fasting in its various forms is convenience. Those who mention this benefit or that crack me up, seeing that they cite research minus a control group. Not yet getting where you want is NOT the result of not being on a liquid fad diet. I don’t believe in crash dieting unless you’re all set to enjoy some temporary results. I mainly believe in training & eating with consistency and purpose, toughing out the long haul, and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Forge your physique one workout at a time, and grind your way through the weeks and months with progress being the priority — forget about perfection for now. All the extreme stuff tends to yield extremely fleeting results, something that dieters have come to accept as a part of the deal, sadly enough.”

(In the interest of full disclosure, Alan has on several occasions shown his propensity for scrutinizing scientific studies for their validity, so I tend to take his nutritional comments at face value. Alan, you’re now on notice to not screw up. Ever.)

Regarding the ease of consumption, is there anything more American than fast food? Yet even if you do your research and check various restaurants’ websites for nutritional information (if any is to be found in the first place), apparently you can’t exactly trust those numbers, either, in which case some industry oversight is warranted. And what about wholesale clubs? I mean, how much easier can it get to acquire mass quantities of, well, anything? More than you’d think given the current economic situation—in efforts to trim costs, bulk buying is on the rise, and so likely is the bulk to go along with it. You could always just DIY and save the gas altogether (here, here, and here).

In some non-food instances of a need for moderation, legal drugs appear to be more lethal than illegal drugs (read: overmedicated society), virginity is regainable (read: over-restrictive social arrangement, and don’t think that Islam is alone in this regard), smoking in movies is still a mortal danger to children (read: oversensitive, underinvolved parents), and in the most shocking news of today, the North Carolina lottery—and lotteries in general—are just plain unfair (read: WAAAAH!).

Be smart, be diligent, be resolved, change one thing at a time if a full-on lifestyle change seems a bit daunting, and take it slow and easy, just not so easy that, say, holiday feasting starts before the equinox (autumnal or vernal, take your pick).

Simplicity

I’ve spent the better part of today crafting and honing an informative, meaty, relevant post extolling the benefits of simplicity in diet and exercise. I should’ve similarly examined the same attribute in my writing, so instead of the tome I’d put together (primarily because my main daily Internet addiction is out of commission today), here is very simply a handful of relevant links to stoke some discussion on when, where, and how to pare down the complexity of health and living:

—You can get a great workout anytime, anywhere, regardless of how chaotic your life may seem, period. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

—If you just happen to do any walking or running, check your stride (yes, this applies to walking, too). Chances are that you’ve succumbed to a harmful technology (there is hope to be found here and here, for starters).

—Speaking of your body’s natural strengths, especially if you happen to be a self-proclaimed gym rat, don’t let your ego fight nature; instead, let nature inflate your ego.

—Drinking “plenty” of water may not be that big of a deal after all. In fact, timed “feedings” and the glycemic index are likely overrated as well. Fish oil isn’t going to help you burn fat, but its host of other benefits make it a worthwhile supplement. Fizzy fruit is not.

—When it comes to aesthetics, some things just aren’t worth it (to me, at least).

—Here’s my personal attempt at simplifying my training, namely so I can continue it ad infinitum instead of having to take regular breaks.

JP Fitness Summit 2008

I thought it only fitting that my first semi-substantive post be a review of the event that spawned this entire blog. For the sixth year in a row, Jean-Paul Francoeur hosted a commingling of fitness enthusiasts, amateurs, and professionals from all over the Western world at his homegrown JP Fitness facility twenty-nine floors above downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, with live bloggers among the attendees. The majority of summit-goers hail from the JP Fitness forums, a substantial online community of largely fitness-minded people who share an uncommon bond in the realm of cyberspace in that a large number of them have met and solidified friendships in person over the years. The forums also give the average Joe almost unfettered access to some of the biggest names in the fitness industry, not to mention some pretty robust discussions on current events as well as the random conversations that tend to pop up among friends. I’m fortunate to have been a member of this group since, officially, December 2002, though many of us go back to one or two other forums preceding JP’s.

After a two-day whirlwind packed full of seminars and presentations last year, JP opted to lighten the academic load this year, going only one full day and allowing for more unstructured socializing and networking outside the gym and classroom. This year’s presenters were Lou Schuler, Alan Aragon and Steve Cotter. Lou has a laundry list of credentials and publications to his name, the most recent being the books New Rules of Lifting and New Rules of Lifting for Women. Ever the Renaissance man, Lou’s presentation illuminated the cycles of fitness throughout American history and how our country’s populace tended to elect leaders based on the popular perception of fitness of the day (George Washington: tall, lanky, strong; Teddy Roosevelt: big, hyper-active, charismatic; Jimmy Carter: short, thin, avid runner; etc). As Lou said in his own blog recapping the summit, it “was a triple geek-out on my favorite subjects: fitness, history, and politics.”

Alan is a swiftly rising star in nutritional research and application (not to mention a pretty good tune carrier), having already published his first second book, Girth Control, as well as having produced numerous articles and presentations. His free-flowing two-hour seminar, “Frequently Asked Questions in Sports Nutrition,” stemmed primarily from user-generated questions on JP’s forum and covered topics ranging from gauging progress and setting realistic goals to assessing real-world macronutrient (protein, carbs, fat) needs and clarifying the effective parameters of meal/nutrient timing (they’re less important than you think). Lou Schuler, also in attendance, openly lamented how Alan debunked most of his past and possible future literary endeavors. Probably the crowning point in the presentation was altering the body’s “set point,” which is when the body reaches homeostasis at a new weight after substantial loss. According to Alan and the studies he cited, it takes 6-12 months of maintaining a lower weight before the body’s systems adjust to its new condition.

After lunch, Steve settled in for an interactive five-hour session explaining and demonstrating his philosophies behind bodyweight conditioning and mobility, the primary (and some secondary) lifts involving kettlebells, and the regenerative art and practice of qigong (“CHI-gung,” of which tai-chi is a martial implementation). It’s hard to believe, but there isn’t much I could say that would do his presentation justice. Just poke around his website or look him up on YouTube (you’ll have better luck searching “fullkontact”). It’s tough to describe the awe of watching someone ten feet away from you do single-leg SQUAT JUMPS up to a three-foot tabletop and back to the floor—again, all on one leg—repeatedly.

Academics aside, it was a great weekend full of meeting up with old friends for the first time (hey, that happens with the Internet), making new friends, and laughing more than I can remember over such a short span of time. Some gave informal training sessions, others met for early-morning workouts; one local forumite offered up his boat for a small, Friday lunchtime outing on Greers Ferry Lake; and everyone still around on Sunday was treated to a yacht cruise up and down the Arkansas River as well as supper, Wii, and trampolining at JP’s house, where his wife Erika and a couple other summit-goers handled the catering duties. All in all, travel aside, it was a pristine weekend that I highly recommend to anyone interested in (1) making some great, lifelong friends, and (2) learning a few tips and tricks about fitness that will keep you and those lifelong friends around, well, for a lifetime.

Travel note: do not ride a Harley for fourteen hours in each direction for a trip. I’m just saying…

Greetings

Welcome to No Magic Pill, my attempt at a weekly (or so) blog focusing on living a fit lifestyle. Topics will include various training programs and methods, the latest nutrition news and studies (which tend to change every other week), and general lifestyle issues that affect individual, social, and global health with some odds and ends thrown in for fun. Rarely will you find motivational posts here—I’ll leave that to the experts. Much less rarely, I’ll likely go on a rant about something or other. Overall, though, my goal is to share my thoughts and the latest information and opinion from the realms science, media, politicos, and society in general on topics related to your fitness, all in a format more focused than the occasional fitness-related posts I’ve made elsewhere.

This blog spawned from some brainstorming and discussion that occurred at the JP Fitness Summit (official site, blog site) in Little Rock, Arkansas, in spring 2008. After two previous unsuccessful attempts, it was finally my first time attending, even though this was the sixth incarnation of the event, and through the grapevine and various anecdotal information from some who attended the previous year, I learned that Lou Schuler, whose blog I can’t recommend highly enough, had given a presentation on two tracks of fitness writing: having a lot of scientific knowledge but little writing experience, or having a little scientific knowledge and substantial writing abilities. I obviously fall into the latter category (c’mon, I have a B.A. and an M.A. in liberal arts), meaning I can churn out hundreds and thousands of words at the drop of a hat (not all of it BS), and though I have several years of informal experimentation and research under my belt, I simply don’t have the hard science background (yet—as of this post, I’m studying for my CSCS certification, though when that actually comes about is up in the air right now). I’m not the type of person to sidle up to Lou and simply ask for his presentation notes or become an Internet groupie and email him asking how to get started in the business, so instead, I decided to start this blog to see if I can actually produce some meaningful content. I’m not entirely sure where this whole thing will go—if it goes anywhere at all—but my goal is to post something at least once a week.

Why “No Magic Pill”? Because one of my biggest peeves is the continuing, mindless search for pristine health in the form of a simple medication in spite of deplorable diet and pointless exercise, if any. Everyone wants to find the easy way—well, no, not just the easy way, but the born-again way, where all your health- and lifestyle-related sins can be washed away (repeatedly, of course) with the ingestion of a single, magic pill. One issue I will likely hit on over and over is the return to primal living. Now, I’m not suggesting that we all go back to living in caves sans electricity and plumbing. Instead, I’m suggesting we eat how our bodies are evolved to eat, exercise intelligently to compensate for our increasingly sedentary and physiologically dysfuntional lifestyles, and use our technology to complement nature, not fight it. Other areas of focus will be rehabilitation, prehabilitation, imbalance correction, and everyday lifestyle modification, all of which became leading interests following a hamstring injury in spring 2007.

Again, welcome, and thanks always for reading, sharing, and recommending. I welcome all questions, comments, snide remarks (I expect these mostly), and especially your ideas for future blog posts.

Note: If you read this post, you pretty much read the About page (my personal information notwithstanding).