It was cool and rainy and felt more like November than early June. But I suppose that’s fitting, as it was the anniversary of Anthony Bourdain’s death.
I miss Bourdain. I feel like I knew him, or at least identified with him.
A gifted writer with sharp wit and curious mind, who didn’t hit his stride until his forties, when he finally accepted his past demons and went all-in on his talent.
That spoke to me. How he never stopped growing while remaining grounded inspired me.
He was cynical of the vapid bullshit brought on by his own celebrity, yet never took the freedom it afforded him for granted.
Instead he leaned into it, using his platform to give a voice to the unheard: ordinary people in far-reaching places, living ordinary lives.
The common denominator was still food, yet the former chef now viewed food like a normal person.
If it tasted good and made you feel good then it was good. Who cares what some stuck-up foodie thinks?
He championed an honest approach to cooking, saying perfect food didn’t need fussing.
Start with the best ingredients, prepare them expertly and simply, then let the food speak.
It’s like exceptional sushi. The best I’ve had was at 7 am in a tiny restaurant beside a fish market in Tokyo.
No menus. You’re served the most exquisite, freshest fish in the world, prepared by a chef who’s dedicated his life to his craft and understands that trying to improve what’s already perfect is pointless vanity.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve adopted a similar philosophy with training.
Take the best exercises FOR YOU and execute them as best you can.
Try to add weight or reps but mainly just do the work better, consistently, for years.
This will account for 80% of your success.
What about program design, RPE, RIR, etc?
It all has its place but only if the basic foundation remains number one.
Boring? Ordinary? Perhaps.
Because the alternative is to chase trends or follow flashy fitness influencers who seem to have contrarian opinions about damn near everything.
They may seem popular but have their methods stood the test of time or even have a verifiable track record?
Or are they different just for the sake of being different, all in hopes of rising above their own collective noise?
What’s boring in training, works.
What’s ordinary in life, is beautiful.
Anthony Bourdain
June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018
– Bryan