Your number one priority
nickcrocker.com
nickcrocker.com
I don't know if everyone is as dependent on a good night's sleep as I am, but I feel the effects of waking up even 30 minutes too early. Its like night and day (intended).
The difference in productivity between a day preceded by a good night's sleep and one where I stayed up late then got up early are probably 50-75% for me.
Diet, exercise, weight loss, meditation, walking, music, etc. etc. etc... nothing has as much an effect on my mood and mental performance as sleep does.
I can literally eat butter until my knees buckle and as long as I get a good night sleep I'm good to go the next day.
I know none of this is cool like the people that are energized by a quick 13 mile run or 40 mile bike ride at lunch time... I'm not sure why I was dealt the hand of "sleep is the best thing ever", but I've learned to optimize for that and it has helped a lot.
However, that usually means trading one hour of sleep for one hour of additional exercise. And I'm lazy, so sleep it is! :-)
The thing I'm jealous at you US people for most of all (except those from Maine and Alaska) is the ability to wake up with the sun each morning. Here in Northern Europe, the seasonal differences are simply too large.
Incidentally, outdoor activities provide a great environment for generating creative solutions. We do some of our best problem-solving out past the break, or on the uphill side of a downhill ride.
Snowboarding is a tad out of reach with the drive to Tahoe, but not undoable. (Yeah, it looks quick on the map, but OH GOD THE TRAFFIC)
www.bayareaskibus.com helps with the traffic. You pay a little extra and then don't have to worry about driving. You can use the 8 hour round-trip to sleep, read your Kindle, watch movies, etc.
(I'm not affiliated w/them in any way, but I've used them ~15 times and am a happy customer.)
But if you're talking about hiking hills and lower peaks (to ~5,000'), surfing, windsurfing, etc., then from any of the major population areas (San Jose, Penninsula, San Francisco, East Bay), odds are good you're within 45 minutes of good waves, 20 minutes to water period, and in many places, can simply walk to a trailhead.
Sacramento is a good 80 miles from San Francisco, and isn't considered "Silicon Valley" by any means. Even there, you can find recreational cycling pretty much anywhere outside city limits, or the American River Trail. The Sierra's that much closer, with a 1 hour drive up I-80 or US 50 taking you to prime hiking spots.
Also odour is caused by bacteria. If you shower before leaving and wear clean lycra there's no need to shower again at the end.
As for not needing a shower, I'm wondering if you're the stinky guy at work. An hour of hard exercise will make anyone sweat. Wicking clothing will help but not eliminate this. As for the bacteria, those are on your skin. They reproduce constantly, and showering beforehand will not change that. You need a shower afterward to clean off the ones that have grown on you during your 20mph bike ride. You at least need to be taking a "sponge bath".
I always used the excuse that if I'm going to be up really late tonight working, how can I justify half an hour of exercise, but once you sit down and be honest with yourself you'll realize that you waste many half-hours being distracted/on HN/Facebook etc, and those half-hours don't have the benefits that exercise does.
If I'm feeling blocked, I can take the day off, go for a 200km bike ride, and reboot my brain in the mountains. And no-one call tell me not to (ok, except the wife).
It's a potent combination of meditative thinking time, vitamin D, & suffering-induced endorphin high.
Conversely, though, I am very very grumpy when I don't get to exercise in the morning for whatever unavoidable circumstance.
Walk to work instead of driving if you can, walk somewhere a little farther away for lunch, whatever it takes.
Would that more of us spent even a fraction of the time we spend developing our minds on taking care of our bodies.
Intense exercise has real negative side-effects. Cardio, prolonged weight-lifting, and lack of proper R & R all release cortisol, which is completely counter-productive to most people's exercise goals - http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/losing-muscle-cort.... I've seen intense exercise stimulate people's appetites to the point where they make shitty eating decisions completely counteracting any benefits. And just anecdotally, a lot of gym rats seem tired or unfocused to me. Heavy exercise can make blood-pressure unnaturally low, which can lead to poor concentration and depression.
I'm in the best shape of my life and exercise is an enjoyable part of my life more than a "Priority". I do two or three intense strength exercises (I have pullup bar and a compact rack of adjustable dumb-bells in a spare room) while I wait for the bathtub to fill - enough to get my heartrate going and work up a little perspiration. I take long walks (barefoot, but that's an issue for another day) and/or rollerblade while I listen to podcasts or music. I try to eat a lot of vegetables and limit my portions of everything else. "Work smart, not hard", as in many things.
I just bought the 4 hour body and I can see this same thinking of his this " 80 / 20 " Paretos Law. I think if you can read both these books , snythesis Body and Lifestyle using his principle based on the 80 / 20 you will see great changes.
Richard Branson is role model to many of us but he is very wealthy and as he mentions in the video that he has an Island that helps, Ferriss guide offers a perfect low cost alternative.
Recommend !
The 4 Hour Body is roundly and deservedly mocked on bodybuilding forums. Its claims are completely delusional. Among them:
# How Tim gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time
# How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested
# How to triple testosterone and double sperm count
# How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks
# How to reverse "permanent" injuries
This kind of stuff only fools people who don't have prior information to compare it to. For example, the "incredibly high" level of testosterone he is talking about is in the 600 ng/dL range, which is a normal level. It is an expected number, and the variation he observes is completely within the range of natural fluctuations. Testosterone peaks and falls.
It is also impossible to gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days with that level of testosterone. In fact, it would be impossible for anyone other than a professional bodybuilder coming back from a layoff (it's quicker to regain if you've already achieved it before) WITH high doses of anabolic agents including testosterone, pushing massive weights.
(Injectable testosterone esters have long carbon tails which means the molecules take much longer to be broken down. This jacks up testosterone levels 24 hours a day, without the peak/fall of the normal cycle. This vastly increases the window for protein synthesis.)
Just look at the claim: 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, which is over a pound a day, in less than 4 hours in the gym. This is almost 9 POUNDS OF MUSCLE per one hour of exercise. Completely ludicrous.
Sleeping 2 hours a day? Sure. Forget 8-minute abs, we've got... 7 minute abs!
Being able to run 30 miles after 3 months of training? Are we onto this BS yet?
Those injuries you've got, they aren't "permanent"! Note the scare quotes. It's just in your head, and if you don't get these fantabulous results, it's your own fault. Lazy bum.
There are similar problems with the 4-hour Workweek. Just look at all the publicity for it -- it was a CONSTANT media blitz where Ferriss was working around-the-clock to promote himself. And he's been doing that for a long time; his self-promotion is a full-time job in itself.
It's the same old story with all the so-called financial gurus. They ALL get rich by selling you a book about how you can get rich quickly and with barely any work.
Anyone who's ever done any programming or writing knows how little 4 hours is. As a weekly investment, that is NOT the path to mastery or startup success.
You can't even be a successful snake-oil salesman with 4 hours per week, as evidenced by Ferriss himself. It takes lots of work and dedication.
Moreover, I think it's a misinterpretation to say that Tim is promising people, say, 2 hours of sleep per day by reading his book. His book is a documentation of experimentation by himself and others, and especially for sleep is partly theoretical. But his analysis on how to cut sleep time is still helpful, especially given the scheduling constraints Ferris recognizes for a 2 hour sleep schedule.
That point isn't in dispute. What is in dispute is the degree of alleged growth.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
> and especially for sleep is partly theoretical
Especially since he himself is nowhere close to the 2 hours claim. I heard someone else did this...
> Moreover, I think it's a misinterpretation to say that Tim is promising people, say, 2 hours of sleep per day by reading his book.
"YOU WILL LEARN (in less than 30 minutes each)
# How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested"
"From the gym to the bedroom, it's all here, and it all works."
"You don't need better genetics or more discipline. You need immediate results that compel you to continue.
That's exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers."
Praise quotes for the book, FROM the book:
“Timothy has packed more lives into his 29 years than Steve Jobs has in his 51.” —Tom Foremski, journalist and publisher of SiliconValleyWatcher.com ...More lives? Remove the "v" and I'd agree.
“Reading this book is like putting a few zeros on your income. Tim brings lifestyle to a new level—listen to him!” —Michael D. Kerlin, McKinsey & Company consultant to Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and a J. William Fulbright Scholar
“Tim has done what most people only dream of doing. I can’t believe he is going to let his secrets out of the bag. This book is a must read!” —Stephen Key, top inventor and team designer of Teddy Ruxpin and Lazer Tag and a consultant to the television show American Inventor
And the subtitle:
"AN UNCOMMON GUIDE TO RAPID FAT-LOSS, INCREDIBLE SEX, AND BECOMING SUPERHUMAN"
How much Kool-Aid does someone have to drink before they aren't embarrassed to buy into these breathless sensationalist claims?
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/29/from-geek-to...
Did you look at the pictures on that page?
Note how many tricks there are:
* Tanning
* Shaving
* Different lighting
* Flexing vs. not flexing
...and the #1 trick: STANDING CLOSER TO THE CAMERA
It's just flat obvious in the back double-biceps pose. He's not flexing on the left; he IS flexing on the right, and he's about 8 feet tall in comparison. He's also closer to the camera in the first pic, making his biceps appear larger.
Then in the next two, his "after" photo is further away, making a direct comparison more difficult. Possibly as a misdirection, after firmly establishing the larger "after" pictures in the first two examples. But in the arms down pic, he's clearly standing with his arms and shoulders flexed in the after pic. Also note the pulled-up shorts which is worthless for comparing quads because it's only done in the after pic.
You'd think "careful documentation" would at least get the only photographic evidence done right. I checked the book and the sizing discrepancy wasn't nearly as bad but was still present, and always in favor of the after shots, including the side chest pose.
As for the claims of having someone at SJU do the weighings, you only have his word for it, AND you have no way to coordinate these pictures with those numbers. Or any verification of his workouts or diet. Or any testing for steroids (you can always trust an athlete's word on that one!).
In addition, hydrostatic weighing can be gamed by not exhaling for the "before" weight, which increases buoyancy and will make the bodyfat estimate too high. In addition, the hydrostatic method is known to underestimate bodyfat in muscular individuals.
See http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~ens304l/uww.htm
This whole thing is the equivalent of Cosmopolitan or teen magazines for girls. They use airbrushing and photoshopping to sell makeup to females at the equivalent of $5,000/gallon.
Muscle magazines do the same for teen boys. They use bodybuilders on huge stacks of anabolics pretending that protein powder did it! to sell to males.
(And 4 Hour Workweek is the same principle except for entrepreneurs.)
The general tenor of the discussion I recall was that his "after" pictures look a few pounds heavier, bodyfat is not noticeably different (note waist INCREASED 3.5 inches), and the rest is flexing, tanning, lighting, etc.
I found some nice tips from that passage in a PDF version of the book and I think I can finish an ultra-marathon by the end of October with less than one month of training. I did -0- workouts and ate cake and pizza during the prior 30 days.
50K is too easy. I'll do 50 miles in a real race.
Want to make a bet—or a challenge—out of this?
Unlike yourself, I'm not particularly athletic. The longest timed race I have entered was a 12K (finish time of 1:07:11 for the May 2011 Bay to Breakers). I have done some nature hikes longer than that, though. Haven't gone to the gym, lifted weights, sprinted, or cross-trained in over a year.
Message me if you're interested. Contact info on my HN profile.
Edit: let me elaborate. In my experience and many others' it takes much longer than 3 months to train for a 50k, let alone a 50mi race if you hope to finish, even if you are able to handle a 12k and nature hikes. I ran 125mi through the Sahara a few years ago as part of a stage race and even after 9 months of training I still felt like I needed more training. Don't buy into the snake oil.
I know people who seem to be able to run full marathons without any training. It varies from person to person. If I was stupid enough to do the same, I'd have a coronary.
I've also written about exercise and its benefits (or really, the benefits of exploring other areas of life that one might enjoy outside of work): http://mschade.me/be-a-better-entrepreneur-be-a-little-selfi...
I can't exercise as much now because of health reasons, so I find that doing little things also helps like parking further away which forces me to walk more or taking low intensity exercises or group exercises which are more social as well.
For boring married folks like me, I would add family time every day is important.
It's not sustainable, and I've now learned when to quit, but the gains I get during those periods get are something exercising and being healthy just can't measure up to. Maybe I'm delusional
I do dance several times a week, however, and like to walk around/be jittery so I hope that helps me stay in shape. I don't stay in the house much -- it makes me depressed.
Essentially I'm getting a kick out of using my body to move me around, make it do things. And I keep a daily chart of weight that helps me intuitively feel when to stop eating. Right now I'm at around 78 kg at 189cm which feels good.
My new favorite exercise would be punching people who tell me to eat more in the face.
I love doing things. I like climbing hills, swimming seas, walking cities. But I HATE HATE HATE just being in the room and doing funny things with my limbs until you die of boredom.
Running is not okay also unless you're running from someone scary.
You're relying on a chart to dictate your eating... surely this is the opposite of intuitive?