What’s Missing from this Picture?

Frankie Faires — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:45:47 +0000

Let’s take a look at these three common cardio solutions What is missing?

Full Hip Extension! There is probably no movement less trained in the gym than hip extension… and it may be one of the most important in life. One way to look at age is the in the eventual submission to flexion… and I think maintaining and developing not just flexibility but extensibility is key to quality and quantity of life. Look for exercises that train these motions:

Shoulder Extension
Elbow Extension
Spinal Extension
Knee Extension
Hip Extension
Ankle Dorsiflexion (because hip extension is often limited by limited dorsiflexion)

What movements may train at least some of these

Lunging?

Frankie Faires — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:06:35 +0000

Being a citizen and educator of THE MOVEMENT, movement is my focus. And so when I look at exercise, I’m not seeing exercises, I’m seeing movements. Unfortunately, many of the movements in the gym don’t resemble any movements I’ve seen anywhere else. The one I want to pick on today is: The Lunge What a biomechanical contrivance.

What are Food Logs Good For?

Frankie Faires — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:09:32 +0000

Some people are big fans of food logs. For good reason. I’ve seen studies where the odds of success are increased by as much as 30% having made use of a food log. The common use of food logs is to become aware of what you are putting in your mouth… so you can stop it. Stopping it works. For a little bit. But not often. Certainly not forever. What works better is substituting one behavior for another. For a little bit. More often. But no, not forever. Is there a more sustainable strategy? I think so. We’ll get to that in a moment. Have you noticed the rising popularity of fasting? That’s a good thing. I think it’s useful. I think it’s necessary. Why do you think it has been so effective? Might it have something to do with the former behavior of its present advocates? How did they eat before? Like cows. Grazing. 6 small meals or 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Sound like the opposite of fasting? Might that be why fasting is so effective for them now? Think after a year of fasting they’re still going to be losing fat at the same rate they are now? I don’t. Fasting is just another piece in the biochemical puzzle… but there is far more to a sustainable biochemical practice than exercise, fasting and manipulating carbs and fats as fuels. Let me give you a starting point. Let’s start with the biochemical practices of diet. Look in your food log. Pay less attention to what is in there and more attention to what isn’t. What are you not doing? Considering there are carbs, fats and proteins you have 7 general types of meals carbs only protein only fats only as well as carbs + fats carbs + proteins proteins + fats and don’t forget carbs + proteins + fats Now consider how many types of protein, carbs and fats there are and how many ways there are to proportion them, I’m sure there is a lot you aren’t doing. Sure, you’re fasting… but are you feasting? Sure, you’re eating 6 meals, but can you eat 2 meals? Sure, you’re eating one big meal, but can you graze all day instead of sitting down to eat a meal? If you feel your results start to slow, change your dietary practice. Look in your food log for what’s not there. Then do that. If it tests well, keep doing it… until it doesn’t. Then repeat. The goal of “dieting” isn’t to follow a system. The goal is to become sensitive to the sensations of your system. Forget diet systems… Your own biological system is the only system worth sustaining. After all, the whole goal of eating is to sustain your biological system.

Negativity

Frankie Faires — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:34:34 +0000

If you’re reading this, odds are, you’re smart. I have a knack for running in to smart people. If you are smart, odds say again, that you are more likely to be depressed than your less intelligent counterparts. Why? Perhaps for a few reasons. One being – I think you’re more sensitive. Emotionally? Yes, but I’m referring more to your instruments of perception being more sensitive. You perceive more things that are wrong… and it hurts you. “Sensitives” all react differently to this experience but a common reaction is the adoption of: Negativity. Glass half full kinda mentality. It’s accurate… but there is a cost. For each thing event one perceives externally there is a concurrent negative experience internally. In a very real way, negativity kills us. And it also keeps us safe. It

The Movement on Money and More

Frankie Faires — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:24:57 +0000

One of the things I liked about the Church I grew up in was the transparency of the flow of money. In that spirit, I want tell you about we do business in The Movement. Warning… It’s a little all over the place. I think you’ll like it, though. On Employment If you are employed by someone else, you are not getting paid what you’re worth. Employers, as a rule of thumb, hire an employee that makes them more money than they cost them. For that reason, in THE MOVEMENT, we don’t look corporate and we don’t do corporate. Instead, we cooperate – as partners. If money is exchanged, it

#PReveryday

Frankie Faires — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:27:49 +0000

Up, Down...Up, Down

My copywriter extracted a line from my copy from the first Gym Movement salesletter. “Every day, a new PR.” We used this as a byline for the Gym Movement Header. Dave Dellanave, one of our coaches and owners of the Movement Minneapolis, introduced the use of: #PReveryday on Twitter. That caused a little bit of a backlash. A common response to that

That was Best, There will be Better

Frankie Faires — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:15:37 +0000

Many will say, “I could’ve done better.” Really? Are you sure? Can you prove it? As someone who aspires to be more and more scientific, I like to base my definitive beliefs on evidence, on proof, some times anecdotal, sometimes empirical… and try not to be certain of things that cannot be proven. Believing one could’ve done better is an unprovable proposition.

Me. We.

Frankie Faires — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:21:47 +0000

“Me. We.” –Muhammad Ali I am a fan of individuals. Studies have shown the American myth of the successful rugged individualist is just that… a myth. Behind, perhaps alongside, every great individual is a group, a team, a collective of other individuals. We are constantly trying to balance the needs of the individual with the

What is Better?

Frankie Faires — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:31:36 +0000

What is better? How you can you tell if you’re getting better.. not just in the gym…but in life… hell, AT life??? When I look for better in you, I don’t need to see you testing or hear you tell me how much you’ve been testing in order to know how effectively you’ve been testing. I can tell by how much

The End of Testing???

Frankie Faires — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:18:13 +0000

Testing…The Logical Conclusion I’ve noticed a trend in our little community. I don’t know if it is a competition, an arms race… but it might be. “I’m testing this.” “Yeah, I’m testing that…and I’m testing that.” “Oh, yeah. Well, I’m testing that, that, and this and this…..” ad absurdum. What is the purpose of testing? Lot of answers to that question. So I can get a PR. So I can get stronger. So I can get faster. So I can get leaner. So I can feel better. So I can think better. So I can do better. So I can be better.