By Tommy Leung on 03/20/2011 in Fitness
The first ever edition of General Musings! I’m suffering from a condition called writers block or something. There are several posts sitting in my drafts box that may one day become something but, they are currently too malformed to be seen.
I have been using Tumblr and updating that much more often. Maybe I should change course and allow myself to update with slightly smaller posts than the trend for the last couple of months. Until I sort that out or shake this writer’s block, here’s what I’ve been thinking about and experimenting with recently.
Six Pack Abs Lean
Yes, I did choose a picture of Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame. I’m not a fan of Twilight but, I can’t say Taylor Lautner’s physique wasn’t impressive after being a skinny kid in the first movie–the only part of the series I’ve seen. So as a show of respect for his enormous physical change, I’ve used a shot from the movie. In the right light early in the morning, I can pass for a slightly chubbier version of that. Anyway, carrying on. . .
In my ongoing attempt to become six-pack abs lean, I have played around with carb intake, workout frequency, workout types, various supplements, and pretty much anything that looks promising.
I’m still not six-pack abs lean but, I’ve seen my body fat fluctuate up and down depending on what I was doing. This isn’t entirely scientific since it is based entirely on observation but, science is only as good as it can be applied. These observations are all reliant on the fact that I’m on a fairly strict paleo diet and I’m already in the 12-11% body fat range. Observations may be different if the context was changed.
Continue reading…
By Tommy Leung on 02/21/2011 in Fitness
If you had talked to me about any kind of fasting a year ago I would have brushed you off as a crackpot spewing hippie ideas. I’m not sure why I thought it was a hippie idea but, I still have that connection in my mind–although to a lesser degree.
The lesson is that you live and learn. Well, the real lesson is that repackaging a foreign concept in a context that is comfortable and familiar makes the idea easier to swallow. Which, as a side note, is an important principle of marketing. After all, how you package and brand a product–with consideration of the current environment–can result in stellar sales or no sales at all.
So, business theories aside, I was introduced to the idea of fasting within the paleo diet context and it made sense to me. The paleo diet prompted me to learn as much as I could about human ancestry to see how the ideas fit or fell short and how I could improve upon it–it also never hurts to do research yourself instead of just believing the gurus or experts.
Continue reading…
By Tommy Leung on 02/08/2011 in Fitness
The gym is one of my favorite places–I find it very zen–so I take issue with people who act a fool there. Gyms are a shared space where everyone pays a membership fee so no one has more right to be there or use the equipment than anyone else. Being a shared space, there are rules of etiquette that should be followed.
The following are 5 things that you should not do at the gym. These aren’t the only 5 or a definitive list. They are just 5 that I’ve seen the most and are the most annoying to me. Follow these rules and you are sure to be a gym-citizen in good standing!
Don’t Curl on the Squat Rack
This might be the thing I find most annoying. Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: the squat rack is for squats. There is no other way to do heavy non-machine-assisted barbell squats. There is rarely a surplus of squat racks in commercial gyms so it is enormously inconsiderate to use the squat rack for something you could do without a squat rack.
There is always an EZ-Curl bar available or pre-configured free weights specifically for curls. If you are curling 135lbs or more I can perhaps understand why you are using the squat rack but, most people hog the rack with 65lb curls.
You will see guys who look like they know their way around the gym doing curls on the squat rack. Don’t follow in their footsteps. It is infuriating for those who are looking to lift heavy to wait for you to finish curls you could be doing elsewhere.
Continue reading…
By Tommy Leung on 01/31/2011 in Fitness
One of the biggest complaints I hear against a grain-free paleo-style diet is that it costs too much. One would think that it should cost more considering it’s a diet of mostly meats and vegetables however, I have not noticed a drain on my wallet in over six months of eating this way. Thanks to modern technology and services, I have been able to accurately track how much food has cost me on this diet. I’m sorry to have to tell those who use price as an excuse that it is not more expensive to eat a grain-free diet than it is the Standard American Diet.
I am not saying that it can’t cost a lot to eat a diet void of grains. It certainly can. It can also be expensive to eat a diet full of grains. One is not suggestive of the other. I’m sure we’ve all went to the supermarket and racked up a giant bill and wondered, what the hell did I buy?
I have been fairly vocal about how much I love the New York based online grocer: FreshDirect. They were one of my Brands in 2010. I have been shopping with them ever since I started my grain-free diet. Online grocery shopping eliminates my store wandering as I always review my cart and remove items I really don’t need before checkout–being able to see a running tally of the total cost is also helpful to control expenses.
People often claim that services like FreshDirect is more expensive than going to the supermarket. So, I am going to demonstrate the cost of a grain-free diet using FreshDirect prices. It will be impossible to use the expense excuse after this.
Continue reading…
By Tommy Leung on 01/24/2011 in Fitness
Bread has been the victim of my personal tirade as of late with gluten squarely in the cross hairs. And it has good reason to be! The more one learns about what bread does to the body, the more evil it appears! It also helps that since I’ve gone on a paleo diet/lifestyle, I’ve never been healthier or looked/felt better.
I don’t normally hammer it home when I’m giving people reasons to kick bread to the curb. I try to avoid zealotry so I don’t push the subject. People really love their bread but, the reasons to stop eating it is so compelling!
So here–in written form for all to read at their leisure–are my three best reasons to break up with bread. I’m going to play to your vanity, desire for good health, and logic.
Continue reading…
