Today I competed in my first indoor rowing competition—called the CRASH-B sprints—here in Boston. I achieved my two main goals—to beat my personal best and not to finish last. For context, everyone rows 2 kilometers on an indoor rower. The world record is below 5:40. For men under 165 pounds, the “lightweight” division, the record is slower and for ones pushing 50 slower still. I beat my 2k record by[…] Keep reading →

How did you learn the exercises you do? Did you watch videos or read about them in a book? I bet you learned them from someone. Do any of them still remind you of the person who taught you them? Most exercises remind me of the people who taught me them. It feels good to think about friends, so in the hopes of leading you to think more about it,[…] Keep reading →

Tell someone you’re vegetarian and the most common response will have something to do with protein—where you get it from, how much they eat, etc. The next most common I hear is a question I don’t understand nor know how to ask: Do you have more energy? The question comes in other forms: do you have less energy, how has it affected your energy levels, etc. Can someone help me[…] Keep reading →

The standard distance people compare rowing skills is 2,000 meters. Because of current and wind, you can’t compare times on the water, but you can with a rowing machine. World records are around 5:40, something like a sub-four-minute mile. Most rowers will describe the experience of rowing a 2k for time some of the most grueling six-to-eight minutes of their lives. Here’s why. Rowing works you to your soul Benching[…] Keep reading →

Yesterday’s post answered the best time to exercise in the morning. What if you exercise in the evening too or instead? The beginning of that post—why exercise, listing the benefits, and so on—apply here. No need to repeat everything up to “First things first.” Alternative 1: Just before bed The latest option is to exercise last before going to bed. Many ask if getting your heart rate up might keep[…] Keep reading →

Say you exercise in the morning. When is the best time for it? First, what’s the point of morning exercises? Fitness? Yes, you can’t leave fitness out, and if you don’t impose on yourself a healthy daily challenging activity, you might expect the point of the specific activity to be the main goal. It’s not—not in the long term. The goals of daily morning exercise include in the long term[…] Keep reading →

On December 22, 2011, a friend and I challenged ourselves to do ten burpees a day for thirty days. As I had aged out of playing ultimate at the level I wanted to, squeezed enough sense of accomplishment from running marathons that I wanted, and didn’t want to pay to use the gym down the block, which I might not go to in the rain and required changing, reshowering, and[…] Keep reading →