People (most of them women and wanting attention) often ask me why I don't
like to tell them about my day.
When I come home after a day of work, this is what I do: take my pants off,
cook dinner, eat while watching a funny show/monster movie/"Farscape"
rerun, play videogames, go to sleep. Nowhere
in that list is the word: talk.
In these times it’s not like I’m upset or angry or frustrated with anything—I
am just plain tired and I don’t care to talk about anything. There is nothing wrong with me—I’m just
spent. If I respond with one-word
answers without asking any questions about how your super-duper big
presentation went, it’s not that I don’t care about it—it’s just that I
literally have no words left in me to spend.
My theory is that everyone has a certain number of words (and this statistic
is unique to them) that they can say each day before they have to expend
willpower to actually talk. This isn’t
any crystal-healing-chi-yoga-nonsense either, I’m positive of the science. Have you ever realized how tired you are
after a day you spend catching-up with friends?
It’s absolutely exhausting to be so happy. In general, being energetic and talkative for
a significant amount of time expends a tremendous amount of energy!
So—if you had a great day and you just can’t wait to tell me all about it—please,
go ahead and tell me all about your awesome adventures. Just because I respond with a smile and a
grunt of approval doesn’t mean that you’re not interesting. And besides, sometimes that grunt of approval
means just as much to me—the one giving it out—as the biggest hug you could
get.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Three Undeniable Laws of Weightlifting
I have a few interesting weightlifting-science posts running around my head that I want to get to, but in order to go through with them I need to throw some hardcore science out there least they make little sense.
In weight-training, I like to use a mathematical term called the "inflection point" to describe when the force on one muscle group transfers to a different, typically antagonistic muscle group (this is because the classical definition of an inflection point is that it describes when the slope change in a graphed curve goes from positive to negative or vice-versa).
The way the human form works with respect to musculo-skeletal (DEFINITELY just made that word up) work is that the absolute maximum range of motion for a particular joint cannot exceed 180 degrees of arc. In practice, this arc varies from muscle group to muscle group and averages-out to be something closer to 150 degrees or less. Furthermore, in many cases, this arc-range should be limited for safety reasons--for example, it is both impractical and sometimes dangerous for your knees if you perform a squat from 0 degrees (legs at lockout) down past 100 degrees (10 degrees past parallel).
When choosing exercises, it is typically prudent to choose motions that maximize the amount of strain on a particular muscle group--and given that each repetition can only travel over a certain arc, it is important to optimize the both of these (in most cases) in parallel.
Now the way that force is generated is through gravity, whose direction is always down (even in the case of a stack-and-pin cable which uses pulleys to change the imminent direction of pull). Muscular strain works against gravity in order for force to be generated--and this force is affected by weight (mass) and acceleration, (which is a vector quantity--that is, it is a value that is directionally dependent) F=mA. Given both this AND the factoid that each repetition can ONLY be performed over an arc of 150 degrees, it is obvious that the bulk of your range of motion should be performed such that the force on the muscle is maximized with respect to gravity.
Furthermore, I would like to point out that muscular contraction and force is minimized around the aforementioned inflection points just because force is being transferred rather than focused. There is NEVER a reason to do an exercise that works both the bicep and the tricep at the same time--you're just poorly optimizing the 150 degrees you have available to you.
So, here are my THREE UNDENIABLE LAWS OF WEIGHTLIFTING:
1) Thou shalt never take a set off. (Strength Optimization)
2) Thou shalt perform all repetitions optimized with respect to both force and arc-range. (Range-Of-Motion Optimization)
3) Thou shalt avoid inflection points at all times. (Form Optimization)
In weight-training, I like to use a mathematical term called the "inflection point" to describe when the force on one muscle group transfers to a different, typically antagonistic muscle group (this is because the classical definition of an inflection point is that it describes when the slope change in a graphed curve goes from positive to negative or vice-versa).
The way the human form works with respect to musculo-skeletal (DEFINITELY just made that word up) work is that the absolute maximum range of motion for a particular joint cannot exceed 180 degrees of arc. In practice, this arc varies from muscle group to muscle group and averages-out to be something closer to 150 degrees or less. Furthermore, in many cases, this arc-range should be limited for safety reasons--for example, it is both impractical and sometimes dangerous for your knees if you perform a squat from 0 degrees (legs at lockout) down past 100 degrees (10 degrees past parallel).When choosing exercises, it is typically prudent to choose motions that maximize the amount of strain on a particular muscle group--and given that each repetition can only travel over a certain arc, it is important to optimize the both of these (in most cases) in parallel.
Now the way that force is generated is through gravity, whose direction is always down (even in the case of a stack-and-pin cable which uses pulleys to change the imminent direction of pull). Muscular strain works against gravity in order for force to be generated--and this force is affected by weight (mass) and acceleration, (which is a vector quantity--that is, it is a value that is directionally dependent) F=mA. Given both this AND the factoid that each repetition can ONLY be performed over an arc of 150 degrees, it is obvious that the bulk of your range of motion should be performed such that the force on the muscle is maximized with respect to gravity.
Furthermore, I would like to point out that muscular contraction and force is minimized around the aforementioned inflection points just because force is being transferred rather than focused. There is NEVER a reason to do an exercise that works both the bicep and the tricep at the same time--you're just poorly optimizing the 150 degrees you have available to you.
So, here are my THREE UNDENIABLE LAWS OF WEIGHTLIFTING:
1) Thou shalt never take a set off. (Strength Optimization)
2) Thou shalt perform all repetitions optimized with respect to both force and arc-range. (Range-Of-Motion Optimization)
3) Thou shalt avoid inflection points at all times. (Form Optimization)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A Few of My Favorite Things
Because I am currently running the risk of having this page turn into a health and fitness blog (which is just one step above a Wellness blog), its time for me to write about something else.
So its time for me to list off a few of my favorite things in what will be the first iteration of:
So its time for me to list off a few of my favorite things in what will be the first iteration of:
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Meathead Post #1
I recently finished week 4 of AST's MAX-OT weightlifting program, so its time for me to be a meathead and to evaluate my progress and change the regimen. I have done this program before--in late 2010, and since I am a packrat who never throws out his workout logs, I can compare my progress across the years. For once my destructive habits are useful! YAY!
As it were, it looks like I am stronger in every muscle group across all exercises EXCEPT THE BICEPS. For these it looks like I'm more-or-less the same. EDIT: Just ran the calculation, I've had a 1.6% increase.
So overall this is a pretty exciting time--I didn't break my Deadlift Personal Record on this cycle (405 lbs. for 8 reps), but I was able to experiment a little between styles. I typically perform them Sumo-style, but tried classic deadlifts this time. These both target the same muscle groups--hamstrings, quads, erector spinae--the difference is that with the regular deadlift, the sticking point (the most difficult part of the exercise--where the repetition is most often failed) is about 3-4 inches above the ground, and with sumo-style 'lifts, it is on the ground. For shorter people--like myself--this sticking point is incredibly small, so naturally the sumo deadlift is my method of choice--but it was good to go outside of my comfort zone this cycle.
It looks like in the upcoming cycle I'll be doing a lot of pullups...also I should use this opportunity to reassess strict form on my Bent-Over Rows--which have been sloppy recently. I'll have to find an alternative to the Seated Military Press since THERE IS NO WAY TO PERFORM A SEATED BARBELL PRESS AT MIT'S GYM. Which is totally ridiculous to me to be blunt.
---------------------
Also remember that since it is the first Saturday in May, today is Free Comic Book Day for participating stores.
As it were, it looks like I am stronger in every muscle group across all exercises EXCEPT THE BICEPS. For these it looks like I'm more-or-less the same. EDIT: Just ran the calculation, I've had a 1.6% increase.
So overall this is a pretty exciting time--I didn't break my Deadlift Personal Record on this cycle (405 lbs. for 8 reps), but I was able to experiment a little between styles. I typically perform them Sumo-style, but tried classic deadlifts this time. These both target the same muscle groups--hamstrings, quads, erector spinae--the difference is that with the regular deadlift, the sticking point (the most difficult part of the exercise--where the repetition is most often failed) is about 3-4 inches above the ground, and with sumo-style 'lifts, it is on the ground. For shorter people--like myself--this sticking point is incredibly small, so naturally the sumo deadlift is my method of choice--but it was good to go outside of my comfort zone this cycle.
It looks like in the upcoming cycle I'll be doing a lot of pullups...also I should use this opportunity to reassess strict form on my Bent-Over Rows--which have been sloppy recently. I'll have to find an alternative to the Seated Military Press since THERE IS NO WAY TO PERFORM A SEATED BARBELL PRESS AT MIT'S GYM. Which is totally ridiculous to me to be blunt.
---------------------
Also remember that since it is the first Saturday in May, today is Free Comic Book Day for participating stores.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Going Primal
Yes, as the title states I just recently started trying that popular primal diet/way-of-living/thing and am currently on day 7. Yeah I cheated a little at the start--I'm terrible at starting something "hot turkey" (because there is no reason that "stopping cold turkey" can be a thing while "starting hot turkey" cannot--tell your friends) but it looks like I'm doing great now.
For those of you who either live under a bridge or just plain don't care enough to learn about these things, the "Primal Diet" (that link is the best outline there is) is a variation of another lifestyle called "Paleo"--the ideas of which promote eating habits that mimic those of the cavemen. You are allowed as much meat and veg and fish (but seriously, who likes fish anyways?) as you want, but no grains, sugar, and limited dairy intake. The idea is to avoid processed foods--steering towards natural sources of fats and proteins. Oh--and you can eat nuts too...but not fruit because it's too sugary.
Recently I woke-up with a splitting headache--feeling loathsome in general. I have been incredibly tired as a whole as well--which my father (the certified personal trainer and dietician) attributes to a "sugar withdrawal"...sounds like black magic to me too. My dad is very gifted as a trainer and diet counselor but whenever he tells me about something crazy like "sugar withdrawal" I remember that this is coming from a man who doesn't believe in the lunar landing and go on my way.
Recently I woke-up with a splitting headache--feeling loathsome in general. I have been incredibly tired as a whole as well--which my father (the certified personal trainer and dietician) attributes to a "sugar withdrawal"...sounds like black magic to me too. My dad is very gifted as a trainer and diet counselor but whenever he tells me about something crazy like "sugar withdrawal" I remember that this is coming from a man who doesn't believe in the lunar landing and go on my way.
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