Ask Not… (Part 1)

After a decade in the training racket, you get pretty accustomed to answering the same handful of newbie questions over and over. “Are high reps better than low reps?” “Should I eat organic?” “Can you recommend a good brand of protein powder?”

That’s not to say these are stupid questions; they’re certainly not. It’s just that in most cases, they’re the wrong questions. Like if you asked your accountant, “Is it better to put $10,000 towards my kid’s educational fund, or invest in a blue-chip stock?” That’s not a stupid question. But if you happen to be carrying $60,000 in credit card debt, it’s probably the wrong question to be asking.

Here are a couple of “wrong” questions I often get, and some suggestions for looking at things a bit differently. I’ll post a few more next month.

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Ask not: How much should I be able to bench press?
But ask: How much should I be able to overhead press?

First of all, there’s no right answer to either of those questions. But more importantly, unless you actually compete as a powerlifter, the barbell bench press is a grossly overrated movement. Despite it being the single most popular strength training exercise for half the world’s population (males), its risk-to-benefit ratio is pretty crap- especially if you commit any of the common sins of form (including, but not limited to: flared elbows, feet too far forward, scapulae not tightly retracted and depressed, using more damn weight than you can safely handle). And usually, the same lifters who are obsessed with bench pressing are almost always guilty of neglecting the opposing muscle groups- the ‘pulling’ muscles of the upper back. So they get no yin for their yang. This leads to muscular imbalances, which leads to shoulder injuries, which- ironically- soon leads to not being able to bench press at all.

A far less popular exercise- though one that’s considerably more beneficial- is the standing overhead press. In the finishing position, the standing press loads the entire skeleton vertically- from the wrists to the ankles- recruiting your shoulders and triceps (obviously), but also your abdominals, low back, legs, and butt. Like the bench, it’s important to execute it safely and effectively, and there are a few key things you’ll need to know. But once you get the hang of it (which doesn’t take long), it’s one of the most fun and badass-looking movements you can perform.

You can find many good articles and video tutorials on overhead pressing (both the barbell and dumbbell versions) on the Web, including this series featuring Mark Rippetoe.

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Ask not: Can you recommend a good nutritionist?
But ask: Can you recommend a good brand of slow cooker?

A couple of years ago, during an interview with a popular fitness magazine, I was asked, “If you were to write a book on nutrition, what would it be like?”

My answer was simple: “It wouldn’t be a book at all. It could be a pamphlet.”

People often claim to be “confused” about what an intelligent eating plan should look like, and assume they need to turn to a nutritionist or a 400-page diet book to clear things up. I hear it all the time when I sit down and have my initial nutrition pep talk with a new client: “I have no idea what I should be eating. I’m sooo confused.”

That’s when I like to jerk their chain a bit.

On a piece of paper, I scrawl out an ersatz cheque for $5,000. The client’s challenge- in three minutes or less- is to make a point-form list of ten concepts they think would qualify as good nutrition principles. It can be anything that comes to mind. If they score an 80% or higher grade, they’re allowed to “cash” the imaginary cheque. After three minutes, typical answers I get will include “Eat more vegetables”, “Cut back on bread”, “Eat smaller portions”, and “Cut out juice and pop.”

Out of all the folks who’ve played this game, I’ve yet to meet a single person who has failed to win the $5,000.

The job of a nutritionist or dietitian is primarily to answer the “what” question: What to eat, and what not to eat. But are you absolutely sure you don’t already know this stuff? Is it possible that hiring a nutritionist might just be a form of procrastination, or a way of transferring responsibility to somebody else? Be honest with yourself.

Unless you have very specific dietary concerns (such as serious food intolerances or allergies, or specific medical issues), or you’re preparing to step onstage at a bodybuilding contest within a few weeks, it’s pretty unlikely that the question of “What to eat” needs the intervention of a nutritionist (who, by the way, will more than likely just hand you a printout of the Food Guide/Pyramid, and then try and sell you some outlandishly expensive supplements).

So, if it isn’t the “what” question that’s tripping you up, maybe it’s the “how”: How to make good nutrition fit into your time-strapped life.

If you’ve just come home from an exhausting ten-hour workday, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll be particularly enthused about making that ‘Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Mango Compote’ recipe you found on the Web. If time is your enemy, a slow cooker is your salvation.

Along with scented candle gift baskets and Chilean screw-top, slow cookers seem to be the quintessential re-gift item. So there’s a pretty good chance you’ve already got one tucked away somewhere, in its original unopened box.

I won’t bore you with the 101 science of how the appliance works (look here if you’re interested). For our purposes, all you really need to know is that slow cookers are extremely easy to use, can be left to operate unattended for long periods of time (like when you’re sleeping or at work), and can make some outstanding-tasting food with a minimal amount of ingredients (if you’ve ever eaten pulled pork, brisket, or braised lamb shank, then you know the virtues of long cooking times and low heat).

A slow cooker is not the same thing as a pressure cooker- that’s an entirely different appliance. And a Crock-Pot is simply a brand of slow cooker (”Crock-Pot” is a term that’s used generically- like “Velcro” or Band-Aid”- though it’s actually a trade name owned by Sunbeam Products, Inc.).

I use my slow cooker (a 5.7 litre/6 quart oval Smart Pot by Sunbeam) at least twice a week; I’ll usually do a mock version of barbecued brisket, made with flank steak (I’ll post the recipe soon), and some kind of chicken thigh dish. Slow cookers excel at making less-expensive cuts of meat like these taste absolutely phenomenal. Do a Google search for some slow cooker recipes- there are thousands of good ones out there. Be especially on the lookout for boneless/skinless chicken thigh recipes (chicken thighs taste much better than the breast meat, and nutritionally, they’re actually pretty similar).

A few suggestions when looking for a slow cooker:

• Look for one that’s wide and oval-shaped, as opposed to deep and round. It should also have a removable stoneware liner with edges that remain cool enough to handle, even when the appliance has just finished the cooking cycle.
  
• Get the largest slow cooker that will fit on your countertop. If you use yours often (which you hopefully will), there’s no point storing it in a cupboard. The biggest one I’ve seen is 6.6 litres/7 quarts, but a slightly smaller one (5.7 litres/6 quarts) will do just fine. That’ll easily cook about 5 lbs of meat at once (e.g. 2 big flank steaks or 30 chicken thighs). A 5-lb meat recipe will provide enough protein to make about fifteen small meals. That’s perfect for two people for about a week, assuming you’re eating that particular dish once a day.
  
• It’s important that it has a programmable countdown timer (preferably digital). It should also allow you to set the cooking time in 15- or 30-minute increments.
• Most will have at least two cooking temperature settings (low and high). Avoid getting a slow cooker that has only one setting.
  
• Be sure to find one with an automatic shutoff, with a warming function to keep food hot for a few hours after the cooking is finished

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Got any other “Ask not…” questions? Let’s talk it out on the FBD Facebook page.

Filed Under: Nutrition + Recipes • Training