Love this idea. Definitely trying it next time Chris and I explore a new trail.
The one we took on Friday was a loop. So what I had planned to do using the online map didn’t quite match up with what I was seeing in real life. But with our local trails, it’s really not a big deal when you “get lost” it’s more just a nuisance.
Thanks! It was a lot of fun! I’m crossing my fingers that the same people come back and mix it up because their introductions were so brief, but I just know that they’d make great friends.
Ever meet two different people and think, “oh they’d be best friends if only they knew each other!”
You crack me up!
Oh that’s so good! I think we probably use the word “lost” too liberally. Maybe we just mean, “on the wrong track” instead.
Yesterday’s Workout
Hammer Strength Chest Press
Arnold Press Drop set
Lateral Raise
Rear Delt Flye
I’m still at 180 with the seated chest press but I hit a set of 8 and felt like there were one or two more reps in the tank.
Somehow all the necessary appointments fell on the same week. So it’s been a little crazy. But here are my dogs.
Not exactly, but someone else did.
That is how I met my wife. 
Awwwww that’s so cool! I would love to make that happen. 
She was a co-worker of a friend of mine. He said “Every time I talk to her, I think you two should meet.”.
That was about 20 years ago this past April.
Incredible! Someone knew you both well enough to see that you’d be great together.
@Dani_Shugart i just watched your shooting video on the instagrams: that looked incredibly smooth and your position was solid ever round! Way to go! Really cool to see all the obvious practice in action.
WHAT?! You’re on there and I’m not following you?!?! Is your handle on the gram the same as on here, or are you using a real name?
Also, thank you so so much! That means a lot!
I should’ve added in the caption that the video was sped up by 2x because the gram wouldn’t allow me to post a long enough vid showing all three stages. So that should tell you something about my speed… or lack thereof. 
Ha! It’s fun. I’m enjoying learning from people who are a thousand times better than me.
Speed doesn’t matter - it comes as a result of repetition and efficiency. You’re not wasting any movement; looked awesome!
I don’t post on there. I jump on once a week or so to look at cat videos while I’m sitting in conference calls.
Ah gotcha. Well let me know if you ever do.
Actually, that shooting vid was my first post in probably a month-ish. So never mind. We can follow each other on here and have way better interaction. 
Social media is awesome for cat and dog videos.
Actually, this is random, but I saw this video on the Twatter of a guy in his car singing along with a Wilson Phillips song (that he was trying to resist singing along with). And it made me crack up so hard that I accidentally exited out and lost it. So if you happen to come across that during cat video time, send it my way!
Ah thank you!!! Last night everyone told me to stop prancing. So I got a little insecure about that. But apparently speeding up the video hides it. (YAY!)
Pretty sure that’s why Al Gore invented the Internet!
That’s pretty funny. Minor stuff, though. That will smooth out and you’ll be able to shoot more frequently (because you’ll have more ground contact), and then you’re “faster.”
I’ll assume that’s what they’re telling you anyway.
Today’s Workout
This probably shouldn’t count as a workout, but it was my gym time. I learned that lifting the morning after a competition is a bad choice. It almost always leads to some type of tweak or injury.
Here’s how the competition went.
This video is sped up because instagram doesn’t allow you to post longer reels, and I’m not fast enough yet to post all the stages together in under that time allotment. Maybe that should be my new goal: get faster for reels. 
The Minimum Effective Dose
Ever think about this? I remember Tim Ferris being a big proponent. I don’t know if he invented it or if he just popularized it years ago, but it’s a beautiful concept when it comes to fitness.
When I focus on the minimum effective dose, I end up better as a whole (socially, mentally, physically, etc). But to the general social-media-addicted population, doing the minimum isn’t as impressive as doing the maximum: hitting all the PRs, lifting all the weights, getting all the cardio, counting and continuously increasing all the steps, tracking all the macros, eating all the vegetables, and filling time with fitness and food tasks. And sure, those are all things that can lead to good outcomes.
That level of self discipline is admirable, no doubt about it.
But the ability to do less and still get most of the benefits is an advantage. I place it on a higher pedestal. You can achieve what you care about the most while spending the least amount of time and mental energy on it. This allows you to dabble in more things, spend more time with people in real life, or even just relax and enjoy the body you’ve already earned.
Plus for some, there’s a point of diminishing returns where doing more backfires in significant ways. I learned this as a puffy inflamed runner, a chronically injured CrossFitter, and a constipated figure competitor.
So now, figuring out how little I can do in order to get the main things I want is my goal. What are the main things I want? A great physique, enough strength to be helpful in weird situations, a healthy sex drive, and a body that allows me to enjoy hobbies.
David Goggins is an extreme example of maximum doses and he’s a maniac. What he does is undeniably impressive. He just doesn’t seem very happy.
Those who’ve become role models to me over the past year or so don’t seem to care too much about the amount of weight they can lift or the hyper-diligence of their eating patterns. Their fitness is like hygiene and they focus most of their energy elsewhere. They have robust passions, meaningful relationships, positive attitudes, and great bodies without having to obsess over exercise and food.
It’s not going to earn them any trophies, but it’s inspiring to me.
On the other hand though, you could argue that effort is subjective. What seems hard for one person is like nothing to another. And there’s this whole other thing where starting a routine, whether it’s with diet or exercise, can feel incredibly burdensome for certain people even when it’s a life or death situation.
So maybe the minimum effective dose works best after you’ve experienced maximum doses and even medium doses applied consistently. It’s an interesting thing to think about.
EDIT: I just figured out the point my brain was trying to make. Effortlessness is a flex. It’s not what’s popular right now, but I think it’s cooler to get the body you want with relative ease rather than living in fitness prison… even if fitness prison makes you a Goggins-level superstar.
Facts:
HA! That’s probably it.
Oh that gives me hope! Thank you for saying this. It’s annoying to know that you’re doing something wrong but not having the solutions to change it.
Exercise is healthy. Strength training is fun, promotes longevity and improves physical attributes and esteem.
Of course things worth doing take time. And so they can take all your time. Weightlifters in general seem to think in terms of maximums, minimums, optimal inflection points. How big? How heavy? What is the minimum amount of macronutrient? Even “minimum effective dose” kind of underscores this desire for precision and love of quantities.
Efficiency is better, and balance even more important. Not everything in life is a Pareto principle, but 80% of results often do seem to come from the 20% of time and energy that is invested most wisely.
So fight your battles. I enjoyed CrossFit, but my shoulders ached continuously for two years. I cut way back on sugar and include five daily servings of vegetables, adequate fibre, more whole fruit. But I refuse to count calories and still enjoy what I enjoy, though sometimes less often and in small portions.
Sometimes you just have to listen to your body. You probably already know what you want. You probably already know what you need to change or do… if anything. But are you willing?
Very good point there. That adds another layer to the idea of minimum effective dose.
I guess what I tend to admire the most in others is the ability to achieve health, fun, and esteem, like you mentioned up top, but done with simplicity and relative ease.
Effortlessness is a flex.
We’re pretty darn similar here.
Absolutely. That’s tough sometimes.
What I’d love to change would be to do even less lifting and instead diversify: take up indoor rock climbing, get back into ballroom dancing, dabble in mountain biking. But the idea of new hobbies seems a little out of reach time-wise.
I think that comes, like many things, with repetition.
I like to develop processes for everything, cuz I’m a little ocd. Actually I’m like a chart doesn’t go that high ocd. But the process thing helps.
So, once I have a process down for doing something I can kinda shut my brain off and just go, doing what ever- and its pretty much effortless.
I consider it a very high compliment when someone says I make stuff look easy or effortless.
All of what you said is spot on, and this idea of repetition is pretty applicable to a lot of things. Every skill just gets more fluid and impactful with more reps.
YES! That’s a great way to put it.
