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LIES in the gym
You don’t have to go far in the average gym to find someone willing to give you bad information. People are full of ideas and advice about women and weights. And most of them are wrong. I’ve compiled a list of some of the most common myths floating around like the alligator in the sewer stories. The difference is, of course, that there really ARE alligators in the sewer. And snakes that pop out of your toilet, heh heh.
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What you need and what you don’t
It’s tempting to think when starting out that you need a whole array of belts, straps, gloves, and suits to begin strength training, especially if you see a lot of folks in the gym all decked out like medieval cyborgs. Well, the truth is that you don’t. Here’s what you need and what you can do without.
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Old broads: the golden years of pumping iron
The other day I got an email from a woman who asked, “I’m 31. Is it too late to begin a fitness program?” Only in our youth-worshiping North American culture could such a question even be asked. In most other cultures in the world, the concept of aging equaling inactivity does not exist.
Above: Champion powerlifter and site reader Gayle busts out the biceps curl reps.
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No fat chicks
I was sitting on a cold, paper-covered exam table when the doctor told me I was too fat. The sterile, crinkly surface rustled as I shifted awkwardly, trying to conceal my embarrassment and anger. I had gone in to find out why my hip hurt so much. The doctor explained that my extra weight was putting pressure on the joint and was the likely source of the pain. Then he said simply, “Lose weight,” and left the room.
How do you start out if you’re an overfat beginner? Not by taking the usual advice, that’s for damn sure.
Eating
Hormones, Homeostasis, and Why You (Probably) Need Carbs
It’s fashionable to watch our carb intake these days. But could you be doing yourself a hormonal disservice by being a carb fascist? In this article, I explore the concept of homeostasis; the role of the stress-survival response in hormonal health, particularly growth hormone (GH); and why most women probably need a carbohydrate intake that’s higher than commonly recommended in low-carb advice.
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We Are Stumptuous — talk lifting and nutrition with other Stumpamaniacs
Training
Pulling Without Pullups? How To Train Your No-Tech Pull
Pulling is a primal movement pattern, and great for bodyweight-only exercises. But what if you don’t have a pullup bar, or aren’t strong enough (yet) to make pullups the cornerstone of your bodyweight routine? Enter the crawl. Drop and get under that barbed wire field, soldier!
Yoga for Fighters: Releasing the Psoas
Most fighters end up with certain muscles totally overdeveloped. Because of the way grappling works, the psoas muscles get very, very tight. However, many non-grapplers also have a lot of psoas problems, simply from sitting all day. The psoas shortens and becomes tight. An overdeveloped, shortened psoas means less mobility, reduced speed, and greater risk of injury.
The Less Thinking, More Doing Program, The Sequel: Slightly More Thinking, Slightly More Doing
The original LTMD Program provided an antidote for those of you paralyzed by too much information. Phase II helps keep you moving forward while you continue to learn.
Learning
Sweet Potato Power: An Interview with Ashley Tudor
Ashley Tudor’s ode to the sweet potato encompasses self-experimentation, lessons in hormones, and delicious recipes. I interview Ashley about her book and her sweet potato project.
More in Learning
Rants
Rant 67 January 2013: Apocalypse Now
If you lost everything in the apocalypse, how might you end up freer? What would be in the boxes that would be jettisoned? What imaginary authority figure or judge would catch fire and be destroyed? What bullshit could YOU throw out in 2013 to free up some mental health, and why?
More in Rants
Doh! and ouch
Keep Your Head In the Game: Dealing With the Mind-fuck of Injury & Illness
Unless it’s a truly horrific, traumatizing event (for instance, being run over by a steam roller driven by all those girls that made fun of you in high school), the worst part of an injury/illness isn’t the physical pain. Sure, physical pain can be epic. It can nag and nag and nag. You can get to a point where you’d truly consider eating a rat poison smoothie if you thought it’d bring pain relief. But usually, once you get past the immediate event and the first few days of acute pain, the worst part of any injury/illness is psychological.
More in Doh! and ouch
Women stuff
PCOS Unlocked: Interview with Stefani Ruper
Stefani Ruper is the author of PCOS Unlocked: The Manual, a guide to polycystic ovary syndrome, a health issue that many women struggle with — without even realizing. In a Stumptuous Files podcast, I talk to Stefani about the value of ancestral-style diets, women and body image, her experience with disordered eating, her work on PCOS, and the F-work — feminism — in the “Paleosphere”.
More in Women stuff
Inspiration
STRONG! An interview with weightlifter Cheryl Haworth
Cheryl Haworth is a legend in women’s Olympic weightlifting. A new documentary — appropriately called Strong! — profiles her career. Here, Cheryl sits down and raps with Stumptuous about her experiences.