No Clutter for Old Meatheads

I’m a stuff guy. As much as I endorse philosophies like “do more with less” and “focus on experiences, not things,” this old guy still likes his toys. It’s who I am, and I won’t apologize for it. #AlwaysDoYou What I don’t like though, is clutter -- not in my workspace and especially not in my already tight living area. I just can’t focus or relax in an environment besieged by an army of “things”...

Price of the Platform

What would you pay for greatness? Reaching the top 1% of any activity always comes at a price. Typically the biggest cost is time and quality of life, at least temporarily. At school straight A’s and maintaining a 4.0 GPA will cost you free time and attending a few keg parties. In business, entrepreneurs talk about getting up at 3 am (or staying up til 3 am) to work on their passion projects and...

Wanna Be a Stronger Writer?

Start writing more. That’s the standard advice you’ll get when you email a writer asking for help. It’s not great advice, nor is it original. What do you expect for free? Moral of the story -- when asking a writer for anything, it never hurts to inquire if they accept PayPal. I kid of course. But I get this question fairly often and never know how to answer it. On Writing Well         Fitness...

You’re Not That Strong — Triple H Strength

Every birthday, my friend, Darren, deadlifts 315 pounds for his age in reps. I think he’s 37 or 38 now, so not exactly a walk in the park. He’s a gifted lifter though, and can usually bang it out in one extended set, with maybe a break or two to reset the bar. I just had another birthday, but there was no deadlift-fest for me -- 315 for 41 reps would lead this bodybuilder to a very unhappy place...

You’re a Scam Artist

It had been two weeks since I’d slept more than 3 hours a night. It felt like two years. I was at a career crossroads. My full time job had ended and I was left with a handful of side-gigs and about a dozen “irons in the fire.” I was in a good spot. I had options. Lots of them. I just needed to choose one, roll up my sleeves and get to work. But I couldn’t decide. So instead I did nothing. Which...

Protein, Crossfit, and P90X is Killing You Dead

I have a “touch of OCD.” No, I don’t check whether the stove is off every 10 minutes or organize my sock drawer like Iron Chef Morimoto arranging an ornate plate of sushi. It’s just when I take an interest in something, I really take an interest -- often at the expense of things like work, sleep, and laundry. Which I'll have you know has piled up to Mt. Kilimanjaro proportions. While I had grand...

Death By Cardio & the Fortress of Solitude

You’re being misled. It’s not juiced-up bros and supplement hoes trying to pull the UnderArmor over your eyes. It’s “evidence-based” fitness trainers and writers, the ones who’ve taken it upon themselves to interpret the research for us. An interest in science is a good thing. The problem is trainers thinking that they have “reading research” all figured out when they clearly don't. Interpreting...