This is mostly to my women friends who I lovingly yell at all the time because they don’t eat enough, focus too much on that number on the scale, or say something like “Oh, I have about 15-30-12408264 lbs to lose” when they just might not.
Sometimes women will say their pants are fitting looser, they feel good, and then they FLIP THEIR CRAP because despite those looser pants, they’ve gone up a few pounds on the scale. Usually I will then blast them with this age old image, of which I am sure a lot of you have seen before:
Which, you know, kinda helps, and I know there’s another one with a ruler in it somewhere. But, I still dont think a lot of people actually understand just how big these models are, so I took a better picture for those of you who have been in my immediate physical presence:
scuse the crappy pic and hair. it was windy that day.
It is pretty stinkin huge. Look at yourself again and see if you really have that much to let go.
Originally published at batty.us. You can comment here or there.
In my travels around the intertubes, I’m seeing a lot of women treating themselves not very nice. They’re eating the caloric equivalent of what boog eats [remember, he's 5], if anything at all, and spending more time on the treadmill than they need to, and then absolutely flipping their shit when the scale so much as go over a pound of what it said last time.
Women are told, time and time again, how they are allowed to be healthy, and 200% of the time it’s the complete opposite of what men are allowed to do. Just spend about 2 minutes watching TV and you’ll see it. Men are encouraged to eat their bodyweight in steak and lift a VW bus and GET HUGE. Women are told to do yoga and eat Special K 100 Calorie Vitamin Water Packs. And be small. The smaller you are, the better. Don’t you dare be over 120 pounds or you’re a fat sack of shit. The lower the number on that scale, the more valued you are in society.
Don’t you dare try to build any muscle. If you so much as breathe on a dumbbell that weighs over 20 lbs you will instantly turn into She Hulk and be TOO BULKY.
9 times out of 10, when I accomplish a particularly challenging lift in the basement gym of doom and share my success with others, I don’t get “wow, awesome, good job!” or any other encouraging words. I get told that I’m scary.
Strong women are scary. Strong women are not feminine. That cheeses me off.
There is more to being healthy than losing weight. You can squeeze your ass into a size 00 pants, but you can still be 34% bodyfat and that isn’t healthy for you. at all.
I regularly go on at length to any female within earshot about the importance of muscle building. And I could take an hour or two to write out why, but one of my role models has already done it for me. Ladies, please read.
Heh, with that being said, here’s the state of my ****GUNSHOW***:
The pic on the left was taken in September. The pic on the right was taken last night. That is an inch and a half of muscle gain in only 4 freaking months. Now, I realize this is kind of not helping my case with the women, because I know that 80% of the women reading this see a GIANT ASS MEATHOOK and if weight training does this to Batty, it will happen to them, too, and OMG BULK.
But it won’t, and here’s why:
- Your diet probably sucks and you are starving yourself. If you are eating food with labels that have the words ‘light’, ‘fit’, or ‘healthy’, they are actually not making you any of those.
- I probably lift weights heavier than your entire bodyweight. And, maybe to the chagrin of the guys, I don’t spend days and days in the gym. Over the past 4 months I’ve been lucky to get into the basement gym of doom 3 times in a week, IF that, but when I go, I make it count. Most of my sessions MAYBE last 30 minutes. Lifting this heavy is something I choose to to because I DO want a lot of muscle. You will not get like this if you’re using 5, 10, or even 15 lb dumbbells. I promise.
It’s not about that number on the scale. It’s about having the right body composition to be healthy. For the record, last time I weighed myself, I came in at 165. I’ve put on a good 10 lbs. since the summer. This is the weight I was pre-boog. The difference? Back then, I was a size 14. I’m still a size 6.
Food for thought. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go “be scary” somewhere.
Originally published at batty.us. You can comment here or there.
Making a post about your Vibrams is about as cliche as posting a recipe for banana pancakes nowadays. But, I’m making one anyway because I know I had a few friends wanting to know how they were working for me.
It’s now been about 6 months since I purchased my first pair of sprints. Well, wait, no. I purchased the KSO‘s first, then the sprints, but I’ve been waering the sprints all summer. To be honest, I have not touched any of my other shoes since then. I wear them to work, to the grocery store, working out, tons of miles of hiking, and sometimes even on my bike. And yes, I run in them.
I didn’t really have any issues transitioning from conventional footwear because I don’t think I really have any foot problems. Your experience might be different. However, they DO make you change the way you use your feet – hell, your whole body. They actually allow you to WALK NATURALLY. Who in the hell would want to do that, especially in the age of Sketchers Shape Ups? Crazy talk, I know. Just venturing out on a sidewalk is an entirely different experience. You feel everything, and I mean every single blade of grass, rock, and probably an ant or two. Because of that, I am no longer clomping around completely unaware of my environment. Its rather refreshing, actually.
With all that being said, here’s a list of stuff that’s changed for me, thanks to the VFFs:
- I’m more social. Wait, what? No, really. Every stinkin’ time I set out in a public place, I get at *least* two people coming up to me and asking about my shoes. I think my record at this point is 12 in a day. Note to self: send Vibram a bill demanding a referral bonus.
- My posture has improved. I’ve been Slouchy McSlouchersons most of my life. Now that I’m no longer trying to contort my body to compensate for high heels, I’m standing taller. And sitting taller.
- I’m no longer pigeon toed. Another lifelong affliction, and something I noticed just recently. I no longer have anything forcing my feet into some random position, so they’re now doing what they’re supposed to.
And lastly – I think this is the biggest change here – that running thing. I’m not a marathon runner in the slightest, nor do I wish to be [see: A Case Against Cardio] - but I do partake in a few miles of interval running a few times a week. In Lakewood. Which is about 105% pavement.
I am sure you actual runners are wincing at the thought of that. I can’t really blame you, because we got a veritable buttload of scientists and shoe companies pounding it into our heads that our poor little feet can’t take all that pressure and you MUST hit your foot on the ground a certain way with 5 feet of cushioning. We are delicate little flowers.
Actually, not so much. Your body is an amazing machine capable of doing may things you probably don’t realize.
Do we rember where I was, oh, 7 months ago? Here’s a pic to refresh your memory:
Remember that? I sure as hell do.
Where was I last month?
175 miles of that. While I am sure my diet has attributed to part of that, actually using my body and my feet in the way they were actually intended instead of listening to some sneaker company tell me what’s appropriate has actually allowed my body to not get F*cked up any further. My knee issues are pretty much gone. Imagine that.
So, if you were considering purchasing a pair, I highly recommend doing so. For further research, I’d suggest also taking a gander at birthdayshoes.com. They have a good reference explaining all the models, plus a lot of good stories of people doing cool shit in their [kinda] bare feet.
So, yeah, I’m sold. [or is that soled?] Now I gotta figure out what to do with the 20 pairs of high heeled boots in my closet.
Originally published at batty.us. You can comment here or there.
