Ten Suggestions for Safe Resistance Training

"That Just Ain't Natural!" Those of us who live here in America are just obsessed with the word “natural.” If it’s natural, it’s good; unnatural; BAD. If you’re trying to sell a nutritional supplement or other type of remedy, it’s crucial to use the word “natural.” If you don’t no one will buy it. Forget about the fact that substances such as arsenic and tobacco are completely natural. Even testosterone, the most evil hormone of all, is completely natural! Just repeat after me: “natural is good, unnatural is BAD.” Well you know what? I have a different take on it. You say you’re a “natural” bodybuilder? Great! But I have to wonder, how “natural” is it to wake up and do 20 minutes of cardio on an empty stomach? How “natural” is it to take 25 grams of pure creatine a day to saturate your tissues beyond what would otherwise be possible? How “natural” is it to drive to a commercial gym and perform all manner of exercises to tear down your muscle tissue? Then, how “natural” is it to rush home to get exactly 30 grams of micron-filtered whey protein and maldodextrin to replenish your glycogen stores? Those other guys? They use drugs— it just ain’t natural! Forget about training for a minute— it’s not even natural to treat others with kindness! As I sit here writing this, one of my cats walked over and took a swipe at her litter-mate for no apparent reason. In the natural World, you got plenty of exercise hunting for food (and also trying to avoid becoming food). You didn’t count grams of fat— you just ate whatever you could get. Enter technology. Today, food is easy to get and we barely need move a finger to get through the day. So it becomes necessary to exercise (a very unnatural concept) and watch your nutritional intake. So, the title of this newsletter reflects the irony of the current fitness scene. Each month, we’ll provide you with new information and strategies on how you can become the best unnatural athlete possible. Some of the themes we’ll be presenting... [continues]

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