I’m A Butt Guy
It used to be, and probably still is, that a man’s biceps and women’s arms or perhaps her legs define their fitness. At least those are what stand out and look cool to most people. If it’s shirts off then abs are the go to. And, that makes sense for the most part. However, I’m a butt guy. Recently I came to the realization that I’m always checking out butts. And by that I mean girl’s butts, guy’s butts, it doesn’t even matter. Yea, I said it. When I went to Vegas a few weekends ago I couldn’t stop judging people in their various tight and/or little outfits and this wasn’t only because I spent 6 extra hours prior in the airport reading “Strong Curves: A Women’s Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body”.
I shouldn’t say judging as much as assessing really. And I don’t think it makes me a better person just because I have “two basketballs” sticking off my backside as some nice young ladies once so eloquently put it. It just means that the odds are in my favor that I’m stronger, faster and more athletic. I’ve come to the realization that if anything, it’s your butt that defines your overall strength and fitness level. Without it, it’s likely that your strength, speed or fitness is lacking. And that may not mean much to some, and that’s ok too, however it’s pretty much a tell-all if it’s missing. Big biceps or flat stomach, eh? Not sure how much they really matter. A moderately fit looking individual with a big ‘ol booty? You have yourself a winner. Of course that’s just my opinion but your glutes are the strongest muscle in the body. Don’t sell them short by not training them. If you are on any kind of reasonable training program your glutes should be working regularly and getting stronger. If that’s not the case then your program is useless.
Eating For Speed?
I’ve never been one to put a lot of time into food prep at least on more than one day a week. Sundays I try to cook up a lot of chicken and/or turkey for the week ahead. It helps save time during the week and well, I eat pretty plain. Sometimes I eat for speed, not for savory goodness. Recently I had a great Sunday afternoon brunch at my buddy Dan’s house. It was delicious but it took about an hour to make it all and I was done eating and napping within about 12 minutes. I’m not trying to discourage anyone that enjoys the process of creating a wonderful meal but for me personally I feel like I’m wasting time that I would rather spend doing something else (or napping in this particular case). And, that is partly due to the fact that my taste buds (or just me) are completely and totally satisfied with some pretty plain foods that I’ve been eating for years. No need to get fancy. I know what it’s going to taste like and if I didn’t like it I’d find another way to do it.
Does It Matter?
Recently I’ve had considered penning something about training versus exercise and the question of does it really matter? To me it does. I can’t around it. Too often I see the “older” person in the aerobics class kinda sorta going through the motions to the best of their ability or the guy at the park doing some half squats and push up lookin’ things. Now, both of these are admirable. I’m not discounting either person’s work ethic or the motivation to lead a healthier lifestyle. In fact, I applaud them. The question I’ve been asking myself is, does it matter what they are doing? The answer to me is yes. I can’t get over both the lack of coaching or range of motion in either of the above scenarios. Both individuals, and I’m sure I could think of several more, could do themselves so much better for time invested. Just the other day I saw THIS article by Alwyn Cosgrove (read it, it’s very short) and it forced me to finally put these thoughts on paper. In reference to what Alwyn says, I think that physical activity, exercise and working out are all healthy, “good” things to do. However, training, as Cosgrove states, is a system of workouts designed to achieve specific biological adaptations. I feel that more often than not people confuse the former three things with a desired result of a specific adaptation. In other words possibly wasting some time. Maybe not entirely, but some for sure. Certainly one could make an argument for the SAID principle here.
If you are in fact training, make sure it doesn’t look too much like a workout or exercise, i.e. just doing stuff to do stuff, sweat, etc. If you are at a place where you aren’t seeking specific adaptation, that’s a great place to be. Just make sure that your workouts are still held to some level of quality as especially in relation to quantity. No need to waste your time or reinforce poor movement/habits.
– Mike Baltren
Movement. Strength. Education. 