The New Year is getting into gear now. Here are some more links for you to enjoy…
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- If you read nothing else this week, read this account of how Dr Michael Eades discovered that the low-carb diet can be the key to reducing cholesterol and losing fat. It always jars with me now when friends and family talk about their “healthy diet” full of pasta and wholegrain bread and how eggs are bad for your cholesterol. I’d wager my cholesterol against theirs anyday…
- If you found yourself really getting into the whys and the wherefores of the low-carb diet, then you may find this post on Food Renegade interesting, which talks about a recent meta-analysis done on the connection between dietary consumption of saturated fat and heart disease. Clue: there isn’t one. So stop eating biscuits and go and cook up some bacon, guilt-free.
- Even more links to recent studies about the “connection” between dietary consumption of saturated fat and heart disease from Dr Briffa.
- The FitCast interview Coach Robert Dos Remedios and discuss his new book “Cardio Strength Training“. I have talked about using weights for cardio a couple of times. Recently, after reading an article by Mike Westerdal of Critical Bench on Elite FTS, I wrote a cardio strength programme. A while back, I did a post on eight of the most interesting ways to do cardio. So it would be fair to say that this is an issue I am interested in.
- I thought that this analysis of the decline of male space on the Art of Manliness was excellent. The way that the man’s influence on the home environment has been erroded over the years is carefully set out, step by step. It wasn’t a war of attrition that created this situation. Rather it was several discrete trends that on their own would not have been effective in removing male space. Together, however, they acted to reduce male influence to a single piece of furniture. Read it and weep (or not, because that wouldn’t be manly).
- Two rather odd Star Wars links this week. The first comes from Unique Scoop, who have covered an event attended entirely by female stormtroopers. Trust me, it’s enough to give even Tony Gentilcore nightmares (or daydreams). And if that was too much for you, and you’re easily offended, then please don’t look at this (not work or family safe) link to this Star Wars burlesque show, featuring more female stormtroopers, a female Bobba Fett and much, much more…
- Adam T Glass wades in on the subject of specific training for specific goals. If you’re the sort who sets goals and then carries on doing the same old, tired strength training routine, this might be the much needed kick in the britches that you need…
- This brief article about tendonitis is worth a read if you feel in need of some quick revision. I would note, though, that several sensible people have noted that when many lifters say they have tendonitis, they actually mean tendonosis, which refers to a more enduring degradation of the tissue caused by repetitive poor movement patterns.
- This abstract at Manual Therapy describes how strengthening a muscle in a lengthened position seems to be much more effective at lengthening a muscle than merely stretching the muscle. That probably explains why my toe-touching ability has improved more significantly from two weeks of Romanian Deadlifts compared with several months of mobility work.
- There’s been a lot in the news recently about steroids. Here is an interesting perspective from The Science of Sport talking about steroids in general and cycling in particular.
- Keith Scott was recently asked how much longer he was going to carry on lifting weights. “Until I die,” he replied. Amen to that. Surely this is a motto to live by.
- Will Gadd recently climbed ice for 24 hours (194 laps of a 40m wall) and this is his write-up of the overuse (and other injuries) he sustain. Hint: he probably couldn’t grip a coffee cup with either hand for quite a while afterwards.
- Ron Harris has written a great piece about his experience as a trainer taking a novice heavyweight bodybuilder to his first show. You barely notice that you’re reading as your eye glides down the page and you absorb the atmosphere of the day, the sights, the lights and the action.
- This exposition of several meaningful quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a clarion call to our modern predicament. We sit in gilded cages of our own devising, watching adverts for products that we don’t need, which we then buy, to make ourselves feel better about not being able to do what we really want to do.
- And if you’re an adrenaline junkie, like me, and you need something to pick you up and get you going, check out this teaser video on YouTube from the Banff Mountain Film Festival, featuring some of the most amazing wildlife and adventure scenes you’ll ever see.
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Well, that’s another week done. Stay tuned for more links next week! Same time, same place.
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