I don't believe in tough love. Yet, for some reason, society treasures it. We love the anti-hero archetype that speaks their mind and doesn’t bullshit (hey, people used this as a reason to vote for Trump), and there is something in that: The truth is important. We should value the truth. However, the truth is…
So, this clean eating challenge popped up in my feed a few days ago because several people I know are taking it. We’re about to go down a rabbit hole, so I guess before we begin I should clarify: I don’t blame people for doing this stuff. I don’t blame people for hoping it will help them…
Read More... from Why "Clean" Eating Challenges Are Hot, Stinking Garbage
So, I generally don’t do reviews, so it means if I am doing one I either love the product or I really hate it to the point I need to put it in print so that I can stop being angry about it. Luckily (for you) this is the former. Over the weekend, I was…
Read More... from Review: We're Working Out! The Al Kavadlo App
Three times in the last week I have advised other coaches seeking help working on weight loss with clients to get them to do less, eat more, and be patient. The common belief for weight loss is to eat less, train more, but more often than not when talking to other nutrition coaches their clients flounder…
Read More... from Are You Doing Too Much and Eating Too Little?
So, let’s get this down on paper first. I hate the word functional. It’s not a problem with the word itself, it’s that like the words “natural”, “healthy” and “fitness” it has become virtually meaningless. Every time someone uses the word functional, ask them the question “functional for what?”. Most of the time they won’t…
I recently had a discussion on social media about this particular item: They are a kind of cutesy self defense device being marketed to women. Now, these are stupid, illegal, and unlikely to even offer an advantage in a self defense scenario. Not only that, but they are explicitly sold as a weapon, and therefore…
I have made this statement many times, but never in print. But let’s face it, it’s a hard thing to quantify and I can only speak from my observations as a weightlifter, a martial artist, a coach, an ex-nightclub bouncer, and a man who has never really found a place in traditional masculine roles. The…
Say that your car has broken down. You go ask your friends for recommendations of a good mechanic. You don’t ask for recommendations on how to fix it yourself with zero automotive knowledge, and then do your best to follow the instructions on what “worked for them”. Health and fitness are weird. You can do…
No* Sorry to disappoint, but as much as we want to hate on a particular foodstuff, it’s really not, because the fact is food is not good or bad. Nor is it evil, “clean”, healthy or pure. Food is food. A better question than whether something is “good” or “healthy” is does this suit my…
Read More... from Is Sugar The Root of All Evil, Hellbent on Destroying Us All?
How long is a workout? A better question is how long do you have? In a conversation with a student this week, the subject of giving 100% came up and how they were training. Due to illness and stress, they were not training at the capacity that they had previously been at. They were happy…
Read More... from Give What You Can Spare; Keep What You Need.
If you attend the gym a lot, you will see that some people spend their entire time frustrated. They pace back and forth, hassle people about when they will be done with a piece of equipment they need, and just generally don’t seem to be having a good time. They have needs, they have a…
I am not someone who defers to authority easily, but often the difference between success and failure can be our willingness to trust a professional. We waste a lot of time and a lot of headspace on self-teaching. This is an important and valid part of any process, but most people delay, hinder, or even…
Read More... from Bow to Authority! Seek Professionals to Maximise Success
Functional training is all the rage but how often do we actually question whether our training is, in fact, functional? Not “Functional™” but functional. Could you lift a log, climb a rope, throw a punch, carry a wounded person or wrestle an assailant to the ground if you needed to do those things in a life…
Read More... from Focus on Disaster: How to Use Impending Doom to Set Training Goals.
Plants grow because the environment is right. Often a seed will sit waiting inert in the ground until the conditions are perfect to give it the best chance of success before it starts to grow. The only difference between you and that seed is that you can change your environment to create the best possible…
Read More... from Changing behaviors: Shape Your Environment to Guarantee Success
The following is the first in a four-part series from a student contributor. If you enjoy this and wish to read more from Angella, you can start with her four-part series on her experience taking another one of our introductory courses, Taste of the Renaissance. Day One It feels great to be back at Academie Duello…
As I write this, my baby daughter is currently asleep in her crib, beside my bed. Behind her, leaning against the wall, is my longsword. I started swordfighting in February 2014. I wanted to learn, but I also wanted to improve my health. My husband and I had been trying for a baby for almost…
March is underway which means that the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium is almost upon us. We have a star-studded list of HEMA instructors and lecturers coming in from around the world. One of the guests is particularly near and dear to my heart and that would be Bob Charrette. Not only will Bob be offering…
The final week of Warrior Fundamentals. It was all coming to an end. While I was sad that the course was drawing to a close, we finished on a high note -- first, because we had the opportunity to play with polearms, and second, because we finally had the chance to spar, an experience that confirmed all of…