“I like to batch cook and then freeze until needed. Proteins grow histamines as they age and freezing greatly slows this growth. It’s easy to defrost in the microwave.”
–Good tip especially for people sensitive to histamines.
Hey folks! In this week’s Ask a Health Coach, Erin is answering your questions about eating primally on the road, what to do when you feel like you’re forcing yourself to exercise, and the role coherent breathing plays in reducing anxiety. Got a question for Erin? Post it below or over in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Angela asked:
“I have a predicament. I’m a small business owner and drive a lot during my day. I don’t get a lot of time for lunch, I just eat when I’m driving, so for the last 3 months I’ve been eating sandwiches (NOT primal, at all). All of my symptoms have come back in full force (migraines, acid reflux, etc.), and today I stepped on the scale and have gained 20 lbs!! What can I pack for lunch that can be eaten while also driving?”
Ok, so I’m dying to know. If you own the business, can’t you schedule time to eat? My guess is that you’re the one who makes the schedule. So, in theory, you could arrange to give yourself a 30-minute break in the middle of the day for a satisfying, satiating meal, where you’re not driving, multi-tasking, or taxing your central nervous system with added stress.
You’ve Got to Rest to Digest
Each of us has a built-in on-off switch for our digestive and metabolic systems. Driving around, urgently eating sandwiches (or any food, really; let’s not blame the sandwiches for this) turns on your sympathetic nervous system, also known as the fight or flight response. This response kicks in anytime you experience stress — both real and perceived. Thinking about an urgent meeting? Worried about traffic? Judging yourself for the extra 20 pounds? These are all stressors. And they all signal your body to sub-optimally digest food, which can lead to acid reflux, bloating, and yes, weight gain.
Eating on the go is a recipe for digestive dysfunction, regardless of if lunch is a sandwich or meat on a stick. Wherever possible, it’s best to have your body in a parasympathetic state to properly digest food. Even just the sight and smell of food triggers your brain to start releasing digestive enzymes. Plus, when you’re relaxed, you’re more apt to chew your food versus snarfing it down because you’re short on time.
I Don’t Love the “On-the-Go” Meal
Hear me out, because sometimes I know it’s simply a reality that we will be super busy and eating on the run. I just ask that it’s the exception, not the norm, wherever possible. I don’t have a handy list of hand-held Primal lunches you can eat while driving, and here’s why: Call it self-care, self-love, or respecting yourself enough to make time for a supportive meal, when you say you need to the world’s fastest and easiest meal idea, what I hear is: “I’m not an important enough line item on my own To Do list.” I hear that staying in a steady stream of stress is more important to you than allowing your body to embark on the miraculous process of digestion.
Your awareness around your migraines and acid reflux is awesome. But swapping bread for a lettuce wrap isn’t the (only) answer you need. Getting grains and processed food back out of your diet will be a big part of feeling better, but it’s only part of the equation. Figure out how to make time for a proper lunch — one where you’re not stressing out behind the wheel. Since you’re the boss of your own small business, my question back to you is: can you set aside even 30 minutes to forage for something more nourishing?
Lauren asked:
“I know I should be exercising more (I still have about 15 lbs to lose), but I constantly feel frazzled with zero energy to put toward workouts and even less interest in going to the gym. Any tips for helping me get reinspired?”
The “should” rears its ugly head. “I should have lost this weight,” “I should be exercising more,” “I should make time.” Often what we’re really saying to ourselves is that “I should be more like someone else.” The word should is an illusion designed to shame us into a false sense of self.
Every time you force yourself to do something (which is what you’re doing whenever you do something because you think you “should”), you’re consciously draining your energy. Each time you act in a way that’s out of alignment with what intuitively feels right to you, you’re neglecting who you are on an authentic level. And most importantly, using the word should implies that you’re not being accepting of who you are — you’re rejecting yourself on the most basic level.
Since your question is not about exercise advice, but is about getting reinspired to move more, let’s try this. Instead of forcing more time on the treadmill or in the weight room, take a step back to see where these feelings are coming from. In my experience, it’s often lurking in one of two places:
Internal pressure = I need to look a certain way, and exercise is the way to attain it
External pressure = Someone else thinks or has suggested to me that I should be exercising more (note: these could be the fit-fluencers in your Instagram feed!)
Enter Self-Compassion
Right now, you feel the pressure to exercise more. But it’s not about getting to the gym or losing the weight, is it? The word should indicates regret and rejection, and it’s often rooted in negativity and critical thinking. I don’t know about you, but I’m much more productive when I operate about of a place of self-compassion and positivity. I’m much more apt to do something that brings me joy rather than wallow in self-criticism.
Research proves that self-compassion can lead to making healthier food choices, mitigate the effects of regret, and even promote self-improvement efforts.31
What if you put the weight loss aside and treated yourself with kindness instead of negativity? What if you loved and appreciated your body for the miracle it is? What if you practiced a little self-compassion?
When you remove the energy-draining pressure of all the shoulds from your life, you’ll start to notice that you naturally have more motivation to do whatever it is you want to do. Heck, once the pressure’s off, you might even like going to the gym.
Brian asked:
“My office is starting to implement a hybrid work model, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’m feeling anxious about going back. What can I do to help get over it?”
Post-pandemic anxiety is a real thing, so as much as you might be looking for ways to “get over it,” it’s important to cover a few basic things first.
For more than a year, you (and everyone else) have been told to stay home to stay safe
You’ve got an established routine working from home
Anytime you venture into a new routine or habit, there’s a certain level of uncertainty
Depending on how you’re wired, your brain may also like to assume the worst, jumping to fear-based conclusions, overestimating threats, and underestimating your ability to handle them. You can thank your innate survival instincts for that.
Studies also prove that breathing can positively affect chronic issues like insomnia, PTSD, depression, ADD, and anxiety.32
While there are plenty of breathing techniques out there (and just as many apps to guide you through it), the one I recommend is called coherent breathing where you breathe through your nose at a rate of 5 breaths per minute . Do this quick exercise with me and bookmark this page so you can come back to it when you need it:
Sit quietly away from distractions
Breathe in through your nose for a count of six
Breathe out through your nose for a count of six
Repeat 4 more times
If you’ve never practiced coherent breathing before, you may have to work up to the 6-second count, but it’s worth it if you want to wrangle your thoughts, calm your anxiety, and get to a place where the thought of going back to work doesn’t make you want to hide under the covers.
Do you make time for self-care? Let me know in the comments.
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July 21st is National Junk Food Day in the United States. There’s a message in there somewhere for everyone.
Today is a glorious day for fitfluencers because it’s National Junk Food Day. That’s right, a whole day devoted to celebrating burgers and fries, fried Snickers bars, Cheetos, Mountain Dew, the oeuvre of Steven Seagal, and the numerous memes on social media that pass for “health” advice these days.
Even if you don’t have plans on competing, performing the Olympic lifts can be a great way to build strength and power. It’s why we teach them in our Online Coaching Program for those that are interested.
And you DON’T even need a barbell or dumbbell to get started.
In the video above, I show you exactly how to start performing Olympic lifts (even if you don’t have any equipment).
This may bring up a question:
What the heck are the Olympic lifts?
Olympic lifting aka Weightlifting (all one word) is a sport where athletes train and compete in the snatch and the clean & jerk.
We’ll cover variations that can be done with dumbbells (or even soup cans!) then explain how to progress up to barbells. Either way, the basic techniques will remain the same.
OLYMPIC LIFT #1: THE SNATCH
The Snatch is where the athlete grabs the bar with a wide grip, then lifts it from the ground to overhead in one strong motion.
This is a HUGE simplification of a very technical lift, but it gives us a quick definition and lets us identify the exercise when we see it.
OLYMPIC LIFT #2: THE CLEAN & JERK
The Clean & Jerk is two movements done back to back in competition:
The Clean – ground to shoulders
The Jerk – shoulders to overhead
Let’s break both of these down a little.
The Clean:
The clean is where the athlete grabs the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, then lifts it from the ground to the front of their shoulders.
The clean may be performed by itself in training, but in competition the athlete must follow up the clean with a jerk.
And not like that…
The jerk gets the bar from the shoulders to overhead and completes the lift.
You’ll often see the athlete take a staggered stance when they get the bar overhead, in order to increase stability, like so:
The difference between the two Olympic lifts comes down to the number of movements:
The snatch is one movement: ground to overhead.
The clean & jerk is two movements: ground to shoulders, then shoulders to overhead.
For both Olympic lifts (the snatch and the clean & jerk), the athlete must hold the weight steady with their feet underneath themselves until a judge gives them the command to drop the weight.
Basic Technique for Olympic Lifts
The basic technique for all the lifts is to explode upwards with your entire body, then quickly change direction to get underneath the weight.
I promise we’ll get under the weight safer than that.
This is the same concept whether you’re lifting 5 lbs or 500 lbs.
(Oh also – weightlifting is normally discussed in kilos – so whether you’re lifting 2.5 kg to 227 kg!)
If the thought of exploding upwards and quickly changing directions seems odd, we also do this every time we box jump!
There’s an explosion upwards, then a quick change in direction for the legs in order to get underneath the body and up on the box.
We cover the ins and outs of performing box jumps in this video:
This is also why some will describe the Olympic lifts as “jumping with weights”.
Again, as always, a huge simplification but it gets your mind around them a bit more!
What’s the Difference Between Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting?
Olympic lifting is NOT powerlifting – a term you may have heard before.
Powerlifting is training and competing in the three lifts:
What Are the Benefits of Performing Olympic Lifts?
Olympic lifting is often described as “gymnastics with weights.”
Athletes perform fast, powerful lifts that seem to display superhero levels of strength.
According to this review from the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Olympic lifting improves one’s vertical jump.[1]
But you don’t need a study to tell you that. Just watch some Olympians jump!
Like this:
Or check out the jumps from this team:
Even if you’re not interested in improving your dunking skills, the Olympic lifts will still build plenty of strength and coordination while providing a lot of fun variety in your training.
Is Olympic Lifting Safe?
When you see these fast, powerful movements you might immediately think these exercises are dangerous.
However, the movements are quite controlled and predictable. As opposed to pick-up sports which are inherently unpredictable.
In addition, just like any exercise, one would start light and build up slowly to maximal weights.
A study out of the U.K. from Brian P. Hamill actually shows that within 100 hours of participation, weightlifting incurs the lowest injury rates at only 0.0017 injuries during that time.[2]
Weighting lifting is safer than badminton!?!
This is as opposed to schoolyard soccer which incurs a rate of 6.20 injuries during that same time, yet we think nothing of letting a kid kick around a soccer ball with friends.
5 Exercises to learn Olympic Lifting Technique
Let’s cover 5 exercises that will help you conquer the Olympic lifts.
#1) The Pop and Drop
So if you recall, the basic technique for all the Olympic lifts is exploding upwards, then quickly changing direction.
We’ll work on that with a drill we’ll call “pop and drop.”
Olympic lifting Coach Don McCauley has taught this as the “dirty dancing” drill too, but because we didn’t want to omit or misrepresent any cues from his original drill, we’ll simply call it the “pop and drop.”
This drill starts with something called the power position.
No, not that power position!
This power position:
After a few warm-up squats, here’s how to get into the power position:
Get your feet closer together so that they’re hip-width underneath you. Just think of the same width as if you were about to jump as high as you could.
Once your feet are set, bend the knees slightly and sink your weight down a few inches.
You still want your feet flat on the ground, and your weight balanced throughout the foot.
You can lift your hands up in front of you for balance.
Think of this position like a loaded spring ready to be released.
You’ll see this same position in the snatch, the clean, and the jerk exercises we’ll do later.
For the “pop and drop”, once you’re in the power position you’ll then explode upwards, quickly shuffle your feet out to squat width, and drop down into a squat. Like so:
Once you’ve popped and dropped – then stand up, get your feet back underneath you, get set into the power position, and try it again!
You’ll notice that while we are exploding, we are *not* trying to jump as high as we can. This would not allow us to have a quick change in direction.
There is a RHYTHM to this exercise: the quick upwards movement followed immediately by the quick squat.
Feel it, practice it, get comfortable with it!
#2) Dumbbell Snatch
We’re going to take that basic concept of popping and dropping to an exercise called the dumbbell snatch.
Now, the end of a regular barbell snatch has the athlete catching the barbell in a squat with arms wide overhead:
For the dumbbell snatch, we’ll be catching the dumbbell in a squat with one arm overhead:
Give this squat a go right now – with or without weight – lift your arm overhead and squat five times on each side. Go as low as you feel comfortable – you do not have to go as low as you might normally go in a regular squat.
Next, let’s practice the explosive dumbbell snatch exercise without weight in slow motion:
To perform this beginner snatch variation:
You’ll start in the power position (there it is!), hand in front of the body. Then stand tall and extend upwards as you continue moving that hand up in front of you.
Once your hand gets overhead, move your feet out a little wider and squat down as you straighten your arm out.
Do the squat and the arm straightening at the same time. This will be our “quick change of direction” when we do the movement at full speed.
Once you’ve extended the arm, then stand up to complete the lift.
When that feels good, practice the movement without weight at regular speed. Pop and drop!
And when that feels good – add some weight! It doesn’t have to be much (could even be a soup can).
#3) Dumbbell Clean
At the end of a regular barbell clean, we have the barbell up on the front of the athlete’s shoulders.
For the dumbbell clean, we’ll be catching the dumbbells in front of the shoulders in the dumbbell front squat position.
Lift up your dumbbells to this position and give this squat a go right now for five reps. Go as low as you feel comfortable.
We’ll follow the same progression as the dumbbell snatch, so let’s practice the movement without weight, in slow motion first (Zack Synder style).
To perform this beginner clean variation:
You’ll start in the power position (again!), hands by your side. Then stand tall and extend upwards, continuing to move the hands right up by your side.
Once your hands get around chest/shoulder height, move your feet out a little wider and squat down as you drive your elbows down and under your hands (so your forearms are vertical).
Squat down and drive the elbows into position at the same time. This will be our “quick change of direction” when we do the movement at full speed.
Once you’ve gotten the elbows into position, then stand up to complete the lift.
When that feels good, practice the movement without weight at regular speed. Pop and drop!
And when you have that dialed in – as before – add some weight!
Again, it doesn’t have to be much. Look for a strong, smooth movement!
#4) Dumbbell Jerk
We have learned SO much so far. You’re doing awesome.
It’s time for us to learn the dumbbell jerk.
Now, the end of a regular barbell jerk doesn’t usually end in a squat…although there are athletes that do that:
The athlete is usually landing in a staggered stance, like so:
For the dumbbell jerk, we’ll drop into the same staggered stance, with dumbbells overhead.
But first, let’s try just getting the leg position right:
When you start to feel good with your leg position, get your arms involved like so:
To perform this beginner jerk variation:
Step forward a bit with one foot, then back a bit with the other until you are in a high lunge position. Raise your arms overhead.
Make sure your feet are wide enough – we don’t want to be standing with feet in line like we’re walking on a tightrope!
Start off in the power position (again!) with hands right in front of your chest (they won’t move here).
Then pop upwards and split your feet out to that stable end position. That leg movement is our “quick change of direction” that we’ll use for the rest of the jerk variations.
Once you’ve landed in a strong split position, then step your legs back underneath you to complete the movement.
And when that feels good – just like before, add some weight:
#4) Dumbbell Clean & Jerk
Time to go for the gold and combine these two movements – the dumbbell clean and the dumbbell jerk. If you’ve made it this far, I know you can finish.
Here’s how to perform the clean & jerk with dumbbells:
Grab the dumbbells by your side and get into the power position.
Pop and drop into your dumbbell front squat (you’ve just cleaned the weight!)
Now stand up from the clean and get your feet underneath you.
Dip down through the power position, explode upwards, and jerk that weight overhead.
Keep the weight locked out strong overhead as you get your feet underneath you!
That’s the dumbbell clean and jerk!
When to Train With Olympic Lifts
Because Olympics lifts (and the variations covered here) are technical and require you to explode powerfully, they are best done near the start of your workout when you’re first learning them.
When you train with Olympic lifts:
Warm-up with about 10 bodyweight squats.
Work on sets with 1-5 reps.
Allow several minutes of rest between sets to help recover and solidify good technique.
After you’ve prioritized your Olympic lifts, you may move onto other strong but relatively less technical lifts like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and chin-ups.
Once you’ve developed some proficiency, you could also do some Olympic lifts with lower weight, higher reps (10 reps+) at the end of your workout as a conditioning exercise.
Getting a coach in person would be ideal, to be able to watch your technique time and time again. But we understand that’s not necessarily possible for everyone (here’s how to hire a personal trainer if you do go that route).
If you are unable to find a coach in person, check out Nerd Fitness Online Coaching – where you’ll exchange videos with a qualified coach who can help you, no matter where you are and what equipment you have.
Ready to progress up to a barbell?
Then check out these great tutorials on Olympic lifts:
#1) How to Do a Barbell Clean:
#2) How to Do a Barbell Snatch:
#3) How to Do a Barbell Jerk:
California Strength crushed these three videos.
Alright, I think that about does it for our guide.
Now, your turn:
How did these exercises feel?
Are you excited to integrate Olympic lifting into your training?
Any tips for a beginner we missed?
Let me know in the comments!
For the Rebellion!
-Coach Jim
PS: Have fun with the Olympic lifts! Start off with lighter weights so you don’t get too intimidated.
The good news: After a rough year and a half, many people are finding their way back to something like “normal” (even if it’s a new normal).
The bad news: We picked up some not-so-helpful habits during our time underground. You’re not alone if you’re emerging from your cocoon feeling a little worse for wear!
There’s no time like the present to start shedding those bad habits so you can get back to being the glorious butterfly you’re meant to be. For a lot of people, priority number one is getting their eating back on track.
“Help, I Can’t Stop Snacking!”
I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this in the past few months. Are we surprised? What with all of us stuck at home bored, overwhelmed, and in close proximity to the kitchen, snack attacks were bound to happen.
Let me go on record as saying that I don’t think snacking is always a problem. Yes, we’re big fans of intermittent fasting around these parts, and snacking is widely maligned in the ancestral health world at large. I haven’t forgotten that Mark’s most recent book is called Two Meals a Day!
There’s no denying that some folks make significant health gains when they start eating less frequently. At the same time, the empirical evidence for or against snacking is decidedly mixed. Some studies show that frequent small meals or snacks impair weight loss, glycemic control, appetite regulation, and various health markers. Others find that snacking is neutral or even beneficial for these same parameters.
As for the “humans aren’t meant to snack” argument, depending on their food environments, our paleolithic ancestors probably “snacked” as they foraged for plants that didn’t require cooking.1 You’re telling me that every one of those delicious berries made it back to camp? I think not. However, that’s not at all what snacking looks like today. Where modern humans run into trouble is with overconsumption of hyper-palatable, low-quality, pro-inflammatory foods. That concept would have been totally foreign to our ancestors, but it’s what most people mean when they say they “can’t stop snacking.”
If you’re stuck in a snacking rut, here are six things to consider:
Stop Snacking Strategies
Set Up Your Environment for Success
The lowest of the low-hanging fruit is to get rid of the snack foods in your environment. By “snack foods,” I mean the ones you have a hard time avoiding even when you’re not hungry. The ones you eat out of boredom or that you consume mindlessly. Foods that make you ask, “Why am I still eating this?” even as you keep putting more in your mouth.
This can be challenging when you live with people who aren’t on board with your way of eating. Family members and roommates might say they’re supportive. When the rubber meets the road, and you try to throw away all the chips, suddenly they’re less enthusiastic. If you can’t get rid of unsupportive foods, the next best thing is getting them out of sight. Designate a “not for me” cabinet and don’t open it. Ask roommates to keep certain foods in their room. Put a snack shelf in the garage instead of the pantry.
If snack foods mysteriously end up in your cart when you grocery shop, take advantage of online grocery shopping and curbside pick-up. You’re less likely to impulse buy this way. Try not to shop when you’re hungry or feeling emotionally vulnerable.
Practice Mindful Snacking
At its core, mindful eating is about tuning in to what you eat. As with any mindfulness practice, the goal is non-judgmental awareness. When you eat mindfully, you pay attention to the tastes and aromas of your food, the pleasure (or lack thereof) you’re deriving in the moment, and sensations of fullness. These observations help you choose foods that make you feel good and eat the appropriate amount of food for your body.
When it comes to curbing mindless snacking, the first step can be as simple as asking yourself, “Do I really want this?” If the answer is anything other than, “Definitely!” take a pause.
Mindless snacking has a lot in common with cravings in that they’re usually both driven by motivations other than hunger. Understanding why you wandered into the kitchen again allows you to make an informed decision. Are you actually hungry, or do you need movement, mental stimulation, rest, or comfort? A handful of salty trail mix is delicious, but it’s not the solution if your problem is that you got four hours of sleep last night, your boss just berated you on a Zoom call, or you’re totally and completely over the ennui of living through a global pandemic.
Maybe you are just a little hungry. In that case, enjoy the trail mix without judgment and without distraction. Step away from your laptop and give yourself a few minutes to focus on eating. Savor your snack, then stop when you’ve had enough. But if you’re not, what do you need to fill the void that you were going to try to fill with snacks?
Restructure Your Meals
If you’re frequently hungry between meals, chances are that you’re simply not eating enough at mealtime.
Folks who practice intermittent fasting may be especially susceptible to undereating. Based on the questions we get in our Facebook communities, many people struggle to eat enough calories, and especially enough protein, in a compressed eating window. Eating in a slight caloric deficit might not be a problem depending on your goals. However, failing to get enough protein will trip you up, if for no other reason than you’re unlikely to feel satiated (but for other reasons, too).
Meal frequency (how many meals?) and meal timing (when do you eat them?) both matter for health, but neither matter as much as eating enough nutrient-dense foods. That means that if you’re struggling to nourish yourself in one or two meals a day, adding a third meal or a substantial snack in between meals is probably the right call. Yes, even if you have to extend your eating window.
Likewise, if you’re delaying your first meal until you’re completely famished, you might be digging yourself into a hunger hole you can’t get out of no matter how much you eat later in the day. Consider eating earlier in the day, and make sure your first meal is a hearty one. I like the taste of fatty coffee as much as the next person, but it’s not a meal.
Choose Supportive Snacks
If you’re going to snack, opt for your typical Primal fare as opposed to “snack foods.” Based on the studies that found snacking to be beneficial, it’s best to snack on whole foods instead of hyper-processed foods—no surprise there—and include some protein or fiber for satiety.234
When possible, treat snacks more like small meals. Choose the same foods you would eat for a meal, just less of them. Primal-friendly grab-and-go options include:
Before you grab a snack, try moving your body for a few minutes. A short exercise break can dampen cravings5 and distract you if you’re feeling snacky out of boredom or malaise. If you still want a snack after you finish, hey, at least you got a short workout in.
When you think about it, microworkouts are like movement snacks—quick, bite-sized, and satisfying.
Take a Nap
Every single time I write about hunger or cravings, I urge people to sleep more. Today’s no different. Sleep deprivation increases the desire to snack.6 And, when you’re tired, you’re less likely to gravitate towards those supportive snack options listed above. You’re going to be drawn toward more energy-dense, carbohydrate-rich foods.7
The bottom line is, it’s going to be hard to break your snacking habit if you’re chronically tired or otherwise not nourishing yourself—literally or figuratively.
One thing the pandemic made clear is that it’s a good idea to have a home gym. For most of the year in some places, gyms were closed. They still are if you’re unlucky. And even after they opened, a significant portion of the population doesn’t even want to set foot in one out of fear of getting sick or because they have to wear a mask. I for one hate training in a mask and frankly won’t do it. Takes all the fun out of it. Plus, in some locations, going outside wasn’t an option. You couldn’t even go out to workout or take a walk without a “real reason.”
Home gyms are here to stay. But how can people with different budgets set up their home gym without sacrificing the quality of the resultant workout?
Today’s post is going to give different home gym setups for different budgets. I firmly believe that anyone of any means can have a “home gym” they can be proud of.
$25-$50
Slim pickings? Not really.
Now, you’re not going to be picking up any barbells and free weights and benches and squat racks, unless you get really lucky on Craigslist or at a garage sale. But you can get creative. Luckily you can still get a fantastic training session at your gym you only spent $50 to build.
Large rocks and logs—free, just go out to the forest and find them
Car (repurpose the one you already have)
For sledgehammer ideas, read this old post of mine. Great way to mobilize your upper body, work your lats and shoulders and abs. Use it to break rocks or slam the ground or an old tire, and you get a great cardio session out of it.
Sandbags run heavy, about 50-60 pounds each. Sandbag workouts are great. You can stack those up and just carry them and go for a walk. You can put them on your shoulder. You can toss them, curl them, press them, squat them, deadlift them. And if you put those sandbags inside a durable army surplus duffel, you can get even more creative and increase the intensity of those movements even more.
Laying down some 2×3 boards are a great way to incorporate balance work into your daily life or workout. Walk forward and backward on them multiple times per day.
Doorframe pull-ups bars are self explanatory. Do pull-ups and, if you lower them to waist level, bodyweight rows.
The stretch bands/cords are very versatile—great for warming up, mobility work, and moderate strength training.
If you can find a used walker for cheap, they’re a great way to do dips. Most walkers can hold at least 300 pounds.
Large rocks and logs are self-explanatory, too. Lift and carry rocks. Lift and carry logs. You can even lift one end of the log, leaving the other end on the ground, and do presses, squats, and other lifts.
If you have a car and a friend willing to steer, you can throw it into neutral and push it. Better than sled training.
$100
With $100, you can start picking up some serious equipment.
Plus everything from the last section still applies.
With one kettlebell of sufficient weight you can do just about everything: swings and cleans for posterior chain, goblet squats and lunges for knee flexion, presses for shoulders, rows for back and biceps, Turkish getups for overall strength and stability, single arm farmers walks for core and grip. You can go high rep and intense for high intensity cardio or high rep and easy for low level cardio. It’s all inclusive. These are the best-priced kettlebells I’ve been able to find online and with free shipping.
An airbike might be the quickest path to metabolic conditioning. The harder you go, the harder it is. Just brutal. And while new ones run quite expensive, used ones are great. These are mechanical beasts that generally do not break down. If they do, they are easily fixed.
If you have something you can loop the rings over (tree branch, rafters, etc), you can do an incredible amount of upper body work. Dips, rows, pull-ups, pushups, static holds. Sky’s the limit.
An ab-roller is worth throwing in if you have the extra $15 laying around.
$250
At $250, you can start getting into “complete” gyms with real equipment. Still pretty bare bones, but complete.
2 kettlebells—$100-250, depending on weight
Used weights—$150-250, depending on weight
Used squat stand—$50-100
Trap bar—$100-150, maybe used
Now you can buy more kettlebells. I’d recommend two of the same weight so you can do farmer’s carries and double swings/cleans/presses, or one bell at a weight you can comfortably handle for higher reps and one bell at a heavier weight you struggle with and use for lower reps.
As for used weights, you can often find a good set of barbells and weights for under $250 on Craigslist. If you’re just starting, the weights you get should tide you over for a year at least. If you’re experienced, you can always add more weights here and there as you go.
Squat stands are pricey new, but if you can find it used—perhaps alongside the barbell set—you’re set. If you’re handy and want to build it, do it. Or you can also just use saw horses.
For the barbell and weights, you can try used and have money left over for more gear. You can go new and get something right away, but you won’t have much money left over. A new barbell can run about $170+, weights are variable. For a ballpark idea, multiply the poundage by 1.7 to get the dollar amount. Smaller weights cost more per pound; heavier weights less.
If you go all kettlebells, you can get two manageable ones you can get overhead plus two heavier ones for squats, lunges, farmer’s walks.
I don’t have an X3 Bar elite myself, but my longtime friend and collaborator Brad Kearns has one and swears by it. It’s a stretch band system on steroids, allowing you to “lift” up to 600 pounds and hit all muscle groups. You can also travel with it. The closer you get to end range, the more resistance you face.
You may be able to find a good squat rack used with all the fixings: dip bar, pullup bar, bench. If so, grab it. Otherwise, you might need to go with a cheaper one. This looks like a decent squat rack that also lets you do pullups on it.
$1000+
Once you’re willing to drop $1000 or more, you can start approaching the level of elite gyms.
A new barbell/trap bar/both, weights, and rack are all within your reach.
Rubber mats for the flooring.
Ceiling height mirrors for the walls.
New sound system.
Inspirational posters.
Elaborate workout devices like glute ham raises, reverse hypers. Versaclimber (still the best cardio equipment ever made).
Things get easier. You don’t have to use your creativity or go find real world implements that double as weights. But you miss something when everything is “perfect” and “optimized.” For that reason, I recommend that even expensive home gym setups include things like large rocks or wooden logs or car pushes or sledgehammers.
Obviously, there is no upper limit. If you have the money, you can figure out a way to spend it on your home gym. But I’d argue that most people can get an adequate, even ideal workout at any budget level.
If you have any questions or input today, let me know down below. I’d love to hear about your own home gym setups, including the price if you don’t mind.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Will Elon Musk be the first billionaire in space to pull 1,300 lbs? We really hope so.
Billionaires in space is a thing. But, let’s be frank, they didn’t do anything when they go up there other than just look out the window and take selfies. Which seems like a wasted opportunity.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Some people tried to stop her but the Tokyo Olympics will welcome New Zealand’s transgender weightlifting competitor.
43-year-old Laurel Hubbard will be the first transgender competitor at an Olympics this summer in Tokyo. The New Zealander will get to compete in the superheavyweight category in weightlifting despite the storm of controversy that preceded her getting this opportunity.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
How to reframe your identity to fit who you are and who you want to be.
My dad began waking up my older brother and me a few days a week to practice karate and lift weights in the basement in elementary school. While I wouldn’t recommend starting eight-year-olds on weights, these experiences had a lasting impact on me.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
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The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
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Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
Research of the Week
Hey folks! In this week’s Ask a Health Coach, Erin is answering your questions about eating primally on the road, what to do when you feel like you’re forcing yourself to exercise, and the role coherent breathing plays in reducing anxiety. Got a question for Erin? Post it below or over in our 
One thing the pandemic made clear is that it’s a good idea to have a home gym. For most of the year in some places, gyms were closed. They still are if you’re unlucky. And even after they opened, a significant portion of the population doesn’t even want to set foot in one out of fear of getting sick or because they have to wear a mask. I for one hate training in a mask and frankly won’t do it. Takes all the fun out of it. Plus, in some locations, going outside wasn’t an option. You couldn’t even go out to workout or take a walk without a “real reason.”
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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