On Becoming Strong
Once I started to trim down, I wanted to become strong. Again, inspired by a post from Matt Might, I started to build systems to hack strength.
The core principle is to find the least resistance way to become strong. The first thing I did was cancel my LA Fitness membership. Carrying a gym membership is like carrying a worthless pat-on-the-back. Actually going to the gym is on a regular basis is a huge time commitment, and the overhead involved works against my least resistance desire.
Weight-Lifting
So I installed weights in our office. A simple bench and dumbbell set.
My system is merely to sprinkle lifting sets throughout each day. If I need to talk with a team member, we meet at the bench instead of in the conference room. If I am on a boring phone call, I lift while the phone is muted. If I’m just coming back from a break or meeting, I lift before returning to my seat.
Monday and Thursday are chest and back. Tuesday and Friday are biceps and triceps. Wednesday and weekends (if any) are open for miscellany.
Since I’m spreading the lifts throughout the day, I do not work up enough sweat to need to change clothes.
My objective is to become strong; not to become a weight-lifting competitor. Over the past several months, this system has worked well for me.
Cardio
For cardio, my least resistance path has been to place an exercise bike in my living room. Rather than sit in a chair all night, I ride for at least 30 min.
I also run. I run without pushing myself too hard. I have used the couch-to-5k app and am now using the Nike app to work my way to a 5k. I am now running longer and more consistently than I have since I ran cross country in high school.
Using fitness trackers also helps keep my mind aware of how much activity my body is getting each day. If I’m not doing enough, I look for ways to get around more. For instance, I love walking for meetings too rather than sitting in a conference room (hat tip to Steve Jobs biography for making that seem like a great idea).
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What systems do you have in place for becoming strong?