We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Assumptions, postulates, and premises are what we all stand on when we open a discussion, a debate, or a legal argument. Before getting into the weeds and details of a discussion, it's always wise to identify these foundations of anothers' position.
We all like to think that we are capable of questioning or critiquing our own basic assumptions - but are we? I think most of us are as reluctant to impose cognitive dissonance on ourselves as we are to hit our heads with a hammer.
And when others attempt to challenge (ie threaten) some of our precious basic assumptions, the natural reaction is to be defensive because these thoughts become part of who we are.
Best approach? "I'll question my assumptions if you'll question yours."
If you can handle 6-7 days of 1 hr (or so) workouts weekly, you can try putting in 3 days of heavy weights/ big movements. Never two weights days in a row in our view.
This is a way to get past whatever strength plateau you might have reached, or to jump start a program. Try it as an experiment. It is working for me.
There are all sorts of ways to schedule your routines, but they must be planned. Typical programs are listed here at Old Schoool Trainer.
A regular weights program for me is not for body-building, just for the strength component of general fitness, and to slow down entropy:
Monday: Barbell squats (5X5-8), Bench press (5X5 or 6X10), dumbell row (3X10), pull-down or pullups (3x10)
Thurs: Heavy deadlift (5X5-8), Dumbbell bench (4X10), Seated Row (4X10), pull-downs or pullups (4X10)
Sat - A higher-rep (12-20) but not too-light day for me: Leg press (higher reps), Chest press (higher reps), curls + tricep press downs
Note: the first number does not include warm-up set. Always do a brief warm-up set for any weight exercise to avoid muscle sprain.
I am still giving it time to see whether this is too much for me, considering that on my two calisthenics days I am doing pushups, burpees, body weight squats, kettlebell lunges, box step ups, hand weights, kettlebell swings, kettlebell deads, inclined pulls, etc. - and stair machine on one of my cardio days.
My point concerns what amounts of recovery and nutrition are needed for constructive recovery/rebuilding in my program, given my age (ummm, over 50...but I don't look it). Generally speaking, a cardio day is considered active recovery so it's good to sched. that on a day before big weights.
One of my daughters Ubered to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center yesterday afternoon with sharp abdominal pain and a mild fever. Appendicitis, unless ruled out.
Of course, it was appendicitis. Three or four hours later they took the disgusting thing out laparoscopically and sent her home in an Uber a couple of hours later. No stitches, just a couple of steri-strips.
We can predict that colleges will over-spend on the appearance of facilities, because that factors heavily into the decision of the high school student. We can predict that colleges will under-spend on classroom instruction. Market failure.
The public policy response should be to tax college facilities and/or subsidize quality classroom instruction.
Activist Massachusetts Judge Who Helped Twice-Deported Illegal Alien Evade ICE Arrest is INDICTED
James Clapper Knew There Was No Evidence of Trump-Russia Collusion In 2016. President Obama’s top intelligence official stated categorically that no evidence existed of Trump-Russia collusion. So why did Rosenstein appoint Mueller two months later?
Strong arms seem to be a biological signal to females that a male might make a good sexual/reproductive partner. It's primitive, a sign of power, vitality, and virility.
Well, all guys want strong arms for either signaling or functional purposes, but curls are not the most sensible way to approach strength: they are more about hypertrophy. We prefer compound exercises over single-muscle exercises. More time-efficient. After all, the hands are connected with the arms, the arms to the shoulder, and the shoulder to chest and back.
I'll assume that few of our readers are Body Builders who focus mainly on the size and definition of muscles, but are, rather, regular, function-oriented fitness people.
What about the ladies? All of our exercises are valuable to ladies' fitness, but ladies can not develop bulging muscles under ordinary circumstances. Big muscles do not equate with strength.
However, we do single-muscle-group exercises as accessory exertions when there is time for them. Thus hand and forearm exercises, calf exercises, upper arm exercises, leg raises and leg contractions, etc.
Let's list both focused and compound exercises which can build stronger arms while mostly stressing other muscle groups at the same time:
- Pullups and cable pull-downs (biceps, forearms, back) - Bench press (triceps, biceps, chest, shoulder) - Cable push-downs and skull-crushers (triceps) - Dumbell and barbell curls (biceps and brachioradialis) - Pushups (triceps, chest, shoulder) - Overhand curls (forearms and biceps) - Grip exercises like rope climbing, grippers, farmer walks, deadlifts
NB: Sometimes you will see a guy in the gym with muscles bulging all over the place. That guy is juicing. A bad fitness plan.
Lindsey Graham tells Trump to 'expect impeachment proceedings' - But the end result of the proceedings, he predicted, would be Mr Trump’s re-election in 2020
As I see it, grits are the Southern mashed potatoes. I love both. However, grits were not always just southern. The northern Indians made it and taught the colonists. After all, Indian Pudding is just molasses-flavored grits.
It’s been particularly heartening to see so many children joining our group. It’s never too early to start being politically active and, as we saw with the Youth Strike 4 Climate back in February, some young people are so committed to direct action they’re even prepared to miss school for it. After all, it’s their future that’s at stake.
- A Russian person sourced the Steele dossier, Kremlin connected? Narrative: Kremlin was trying to help Trump - Confusing Fact: Steele dossier was rabidly anti-Trump - Why are Clapper and Brennan not in jail? a coup was attempted on our President, are they innocent? They were in key positions of knowledge and power - Did Joe Biden collude with Russia? Joe was on the “team” that attempted the coup
Part 1 of Kenneth Clark's BBC Civilization series. My favorite line: "These buildings are not wigwams." This series was a big hit when I was young.
Included in this section are Vikings, Celts, Christian history, how the cross became a Christian symbol around the year 1000, the Moslem invasions of Europe, Charlemagne, and art. Years ago, we traveled to Skellig Michael partly inspired by Clark.
A commenter says "I shudder to imagine what a 2017 remake of a series about Western Civilisation would be like."
Relevant lyrics here. Lousy sound quality, but this was a practice tape with The Band.
One verse:
Nothing was delivered But I can't say I sympathize With what your fate is going to be Yes, for telling all those lies Now you must provide some answers For what you sold has not been received And the sooner you come up with them The sooner you can leave...
If you can handle 6-7 days of 1 hr (or so) workouts weekly, you can try putting in 3 days of heavy weights/ big movements. Never two weights days in a row in our view.
WaPo Writer:
We Have to Do 
Shrew skulls 
Strong arms seem to be a biological signal to females that a male might make a good sexual/reproductive partner. It's primitive, a sign of power, vitality, and virility.
Dog-Walking 
The Threat to Notre Dame - 