One of the biggest problems I see when it comes to fitness is the overabundance of misinformation. The health “authorities” have told us for years that we need to go to gyms, run long distances and do funky aerobic classes. These are the same “authorities” that have told us to eat 7-12 servings of hybridized GMO whole grains a day. The thought of doing an hour long aerobics class or spinning class seems crazy to me. These are some of the most unnatural movements one can practice. In fact, almost every single piece of equipment found in the modern gym restricts natural movement. This is why I highly advocate “exercising” outdoors. Not only are you going to get the benefits of vitamin d (which is crucial for all of our hormone production), but you are also going to get the benefits of being grounded to the earth. Check out my article how grounding or earthing can improve your health dramatically if you’re unaware of this beneficial practice.
Correcting The Diet
The fact that society tells you that you need to go to gyms and clubs shows just how detached we are from nature. Our ancestors were strong, robust and lean and never stepped foot into a gym or aerobics class. We are at a strange time in history where individuals are able to become obese due to the overabundance of cheap calories. This has never been seen before in history and our ancestors were never exposed to such circumstances.
We need to return to natural movement as well as natural food. I’m a big fan of the extremely low sugar paleo/wild food diet. I only eat twice a day (more on this further down) and never go above 50-75 grams of carbohydrates a day. As a rule of thumb, I fill my plate with 7 parts vegetables to 1 part meat. Morning and after a workout is the only time I will have sugar. All my sugar comes in the form of fruit or raw honey and I avoid all grains and nuts unless I prepare them myself. We need to understand that diet should be cyclical. This means it should change with the seasons. Different foods should be incorporated at different times of the season. It’s very unnatural to have year round access to grains and other common staple foods found in the SAD (Standard American Diet). If this is confusing, just remember, eat with the seasons, prepare your own food and don’t eat anything that has a food label.
The Perfect Form Of Exercise
Notice how I mentioned Diet before getting into the exercise portion of the post. This is because diet is 90% of the equation. I’m in the best shape of my life both physically and mentally. Yet, I “exercise” for no more then 20 minutes a day. Diet is mandatory if you want to get off the hamster wheel that I see so many people on when it comes to fitness. exercise should be FUN! It shouldn’t be a struggle or something dreaded.
My recommendation to all is to fix the diet and then follow the natural movements we were designed to perform. These movements entail full body control (gymnastic style movement), sprinting, stalking, and lots of slow and calming movements (tai chi, walking, stretching). Typically, I sprint once a week, do gymnastic style movements once a week and everything else is slow and calming movements for the rest of week. Many people surprisingly over train when they attempt to get into shape. They neglect diet, and hammer themselves with exercise until they eventually backslide into their previous state. We must strike balance and follow natural laws if we wish to be healthy and happy.
Sprinting Vs Long Distance
I highly advise against long distance running. In fact, I believe it’s one of the most taxing movements on the human body. Have you ever seen a healthy looking marathon runner? Me either…
Sprinting however is a whole different animal. It’s the movement of our ancestors and how we were designed to move. Picture what your lifestyle and diet would be like thousands of years ago. You would have eaten exclusively wild food and would have fasted from food for long periods of time (more on this below). Long slow movements would have been the norm, while sprinting from time to time would be necessary when hunting or fleeing from danger. NONE of our ancestors ever competed in ultra marathons yet they were robust, strong, agile, and most importantly smart.
Sprinting is a magical thing if done right. It can increase your HGH (human growth hormone) levels in the body naturally. By the time we hit age 30 HGH begins to decline. HGH is often called the “youth hormone” because it’s the hormone that keeps us young. Ever notice how a 18 year old can recover much faster then a 40 year old? This is because the teenager has higher levels of HGH. As mentioned, sprinting increases the hormone naturally and protects us from premature aging. (1)
I suggest sprinting only once a week and doing no more then 4×15 second sprints in total. Also, it’s highly advisable that you perform sprints barefoot on the grass. This will ensure you are sprinting properly and will get you grounded to the Earth.
Body Weight Movements
Body weight movements should be performed once a week for about 30 minutes. Remember, this should be fun. I highly advise against work out templates and planners. Where is the fun in that? Just go out there and move! Do some push-ups, do some squats, go climb a tree, just do something for 30 minutes!
As you get more advanced, you can practice movements that will better your mobility and require your full concentration. I love handstands and parkour type movements when performing my body weight movements. I highly encourage you do all your exercise outside. The body can’t move properly indoors. It needs to be grounded to the Earth and receive feedback from the Earth constantly.
Intermittent Fasting While Working Out
For those unaware, intermittent fasting is when you fast part of the day and eat the other half. Typically you try and aim to go at least 8 hours without food. Eating in the morning, skipping lunch, and eating at night is what I do. However, there is no restriction on how you would like to structure it. That being said, intermittent fasting is a major plus for your health if you can do it. As mentioned before, HGH is the youth hormone. Doing high intensity movements (sprints, body weight movement, parkour) for short periods of time increases are HGH. However, fasting ALSO increases HGH levels in the body which is why it’s highly desirable to do your workouts in a fasted state. (2) You will practically double your HGH hormone production if you do this!
I plan to write more later on about how to increase HGH naturally because it really is something that can change your life. There are certain herbs, techniques, exercises (as I just mentioned), and foods that can raise HGH levels in the body. You should re-wire your brain and start looking at exercise as a way to increase HGH and not your body shape. That being said, long distance running and endurance type events all lower HGH. ALWAYS stick to high intensity and short duration exercise.
So keep it simple and have fun!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14985991
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/
Love the content
thanks val!
Very interesting.