What is more entertaining, to see Eddie Hall dead lift 500 kg, once? Or to see some dude on YouTube swing a kettlebell 1000 times in a row?
I say the first. Maximal power I’ll put, once, much more interesting than endurance. For example, seeing quarter mile drag races is more fun than a 24 hour Le on‘s race.Maximal power I’ll put, once, much more interesting than endurance. For example, seeing quarter mile drag races is more fun than a 24 hour Le on‘s race.
Even if you buy the worlds best car, it is a static. It doesn’t keep on getting better, unless you keep upgrading it.
Also, the issue with most technology, once you buy it, it is static, it doesn’t just keep improving. Some exceptions include Apple devices, in which the software keeps getting upgraded and better, even though the hardware might stay the same.
This is the funny thing — why the INITIAL D or Midnight Tune Arcade video game racer might have more happiness and joy than the guy who owns a McLaren, Lamborghini or other exotic car in real life:
As he keeps playing, his car keeps getting upgraded with newer and better parts (whether cosmetic or engine based), and also, his/her skills improve in terms of racing ability.
Also, perhaps this is where I’m so passionate or interested in crypto, cryptocurrency, crypto technology, Bitcoin, etc:
As time goes on, it improves.
The network improves, the blockchain improves, more people use and adopt it, etc.
Powerlifting
Figure 1: August 18– 540 pound attempt, but not strong enough yet. Also relatively slow pull upwards.
Also, why I love powerlifting —
To increase your physical strength is uber-obvious.
Figure 2: September 1st: New personal record in deadlift, didn’t record video as it distracted me.
For example two weeks ago I attempted 540 pounds in my deadlift, and wasn’t strong enough (yet), then two weeks later, I became strong enough and successfully lifted it!
How does our body get stronger?
Figure 3: Interim deadlift, note 5 kg less on each side. Got it up easy!
To be specific, two weeks ago, I attempted 540 pounds, and got it a little off the floor, but my grip (specifically my left hand) gave out. My grip wasn’t strong enough, which meant my forearms and body wasn’t yet strong enough.
But after two weeks, and one trip to the gym (I lifted 5kg less on each side), and another week of all you can eat shabu shabu and meat, then my grip was insanely strong — and I lifted it without any grip slippages no problem!
An Elon Musk must would have never come out of an incubator, neither a Steve Jobs. Neither a Kanye West. Anti Y combinator.
Also, most great innovators and entrepreneurs have had very little schooling. Maybe in order to become more successful, you actually need less schooling.
The upside of living in Cambodia or Thailand? I love Phnom Penh. My friend Todd Hata loves Chiangmai (see his YouTube).
Also here in Phnom Penh, people are happier, friendlier, more open and warm. Not super money-driven like other countries like China, America, Vietnam, etc.
I really hate Siem Reap — too much foreign and tourist intervention makes for a bad living or travel experience. I totally loved the “Tomb Raider†temple however. I also really enjoyed the countrywide drive there — the road to Siem reap.
Money can buy you the sexiest Apple devices and cars, but not a beautiful body.
One might argue that money could buy you plastic surgery, but this does not make you beautiful, unless you’re in a major accident or whatever, plastic surgery actually makes you look more grotesque.
Also, you cannot use money to build muscle, or lose body fat adipose tissue.
One might argue that you could use money to buy a personal trainer, gym membership etc, but the irony:
Most people don’t have the time nor the energy to go to the gym.Â
Also— many rich people are always working, and also chronically sleep deprived, and also eating lots of bad food, takeout, drinking a lot and taking a lot of drugs, so their health in their body shapes are poor.
One of my personal curiosities is how to naturally enhance human performance to the maximum, without the aid of supplements, strange hormones, drugs, etc.
This is what I have done, and what has worked well for me:
1. Intermittent fasting, a.k.a. not eating breakfast or lunch
The first one is this: don’t eat breakfast or lunch, and partake in intermittent fasting. This just means one insanely massive meat forward meal a day, at dinner time.
I think this is one of the best natural ways to enhance human performance. Why? You don’t get a breakfast food coma, nor a midday food coma slump. This means more physiological energy and vigor to do the things you care for.
2. But don’t you need to eat something before working out?
No. I have proven that you can successfully get insanely strong, without eating anything before hand, without taking protein powder, creatine, supplements, etc.
3. Why you can trust me
Because I make my living with photography, not health and fitness, and I don’t make any advertisements for fitness, food, supplements, training, etc. Therefore, zero conflict of interest for me.
Once again, let us consider, if you are a YouTube influencer, or a social media influencer; if you make your living, or a partial living from your physique, strength, etc., there is always going to be a low-key motivation to “cheat“.
4. No carbs, no sugar, no vegetables, no starch, no fruit
The only non-meat item I eat is leafy greens, like chrysanthemums, kale, spinach. Also, kimchi, lemon grass, lime leaves, ginger, garlic. My ideal meal is all you can eat shabu shabu; the most efficient way to consume meat and leafy greens as fast as humanly possible. Even superior to all you can eat Korean barbecue, which is my second favorite.
I think life is better with coffee, than without. Let us not be fooled, coffee and caffeine is a very potent drug. It is probably my only vice. And truth be told, if I never got addicted to coffee in the first place, I might’ve preferred not to. But since I’m already addicted, best to “lean into it“.
I think it is more of a timing thing; very good to have coffee first thing in the morning, during your morning, instead of drinking it right before you sleep. Kind of like how it is not a good idea to blow your load first thing in the morning, best at night before you sleep.
Therefore, my simple thought is this: maximize the strength of your coffee consumption in the morning hours, and be very strict about cutting it after noon or midday. Ideally, cut off caffeine after 11 AM.
Also, just drink it black. No cream, no sugar, no strange milk substitutes. No oat milk, no almond milk, etc. Also, no fake sugar substitutes, Stevia, Monk fruit, even the “natural“ 0 cal ones. Anything sweet will spike your insulin. And note, coffee is already naturally sweet and has sugar in it.
6. Arabica or robusta coffee?
I think there is a new racism in coffee; that is, a preference for 100% arabica, and zero preference for robusta. For example, according to the specialty coffee roasting federation, robusta is not even considered.
I actually think the ideal is the blend of both arabica androbusta, in order to maximize caffeine and robust taste. And yes, robusta has waaaay more caffeine than arabica. And robusta has a lower sugar content than arabica — so in theory it should also be “healthier†than arabica.
Robusta contains more caffeine (2.7% compared to arabica’s 1.5%),[5] and contains less sugar (3–7% compared to arabica’s 6–9%).[6] As it is less susceptible to pests and disease,[7] robusta needs much less herbicide and pesticide than arabica.
I am still blown away, that I’ve been able to deadlift 540 pounds, no straps, no belt, etc. Nearly 3.3x my body weight.
My next personal goal is to deadlift four times my body weight.
Greater things
I am not a professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, etc. My personal fascination with weightlifting is a personal one; my livelihood is not affected by it at all.
I just lift weights as a side hobby, not a primary concern.
Weightlifting as a philosophical pursuit?
What is the apex pursuit? I think a mix of entrepreneurship as well as philosophical. Many of our entrepreneurial drives are philosophical ones, for example, Elon Musk striving to make the human race interplanetary. This is more of a philosophical one, than a practical one.
Tenacious. Pop off the laces. Go topless, go bare. Don’t care for the unsubstantial, care for the deep. Go further, venture deeper. Follow your own desire, and never stop climbing higher!
It is a very bad sign, when you have college educated folks in America just working as servers.
For example, in Asia in Southeast Asia, to work as a server requires the least amount of intelligence. In terms of labor, it is one of the lowest of the low.
For example in Phnom Penh, a restaurant server may earn $100 USD a month.