The Hillfit Minimum

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Exercise

The Hillfit Minimum is something I came across about a month ago simply while visiting Hillfit.com. I was already familiar with Chris Highcock’s book HillFit because I received a copy when it first came out.

(As I mentioned in a podcast, the book was a sort of inspiration for designing workouts while traveling for the Australia 21 Convention, both with ideas directly from the book, and ideas of my own that sprang from it).

So what is the Hillfit Minimum? It’s a simple starting point for people new to the book, and new to exercise. It consists of

  • a wall sit
  • a pushup plank

Each is (eventually) intended to be performed for ~60 seconds.

What is interesting is that when I first stumbled across this, it struck me as a way to start the day, or even relax, after long hours spent working on a computer. And it appeared to be something that while intense enough to actively focus on, it would not induce enough fatigue to interfere with my workouts, and…

New Blood Work Provided by WellnessFX

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Nutrition

Right click & save as to download the PDF.

After sucking down butter and whole eggs for a great deal of my adult life, I posted some basic blood work in early 2012, with some additional commentary/insight here from a Reddit user.

Last week I discovered that WellnessFX would test my blood for free. No credit card required, no bs. It appeared that Tim Ferriss and Dave Asprey had something to do with the organization, and coupled with a LabCorp facility ~60 seconds from my house — literally within walking distance — I figured why not retest?

It was a no brainer, and damn, was there a quick turn around time. From watching blood get sucked out of my arm to seeing the results up, live, on WellnessFx, took less than 36 hours — on the weekend.

I was stunned at how fast the turn around was. (Disclaimer : I have no idea if that is normal for…

An Introduction to Intermittent Fasting

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Nutrition

(click to play)

Jolly’s been the T21C photographer at all US conventions since 2010 , so you have him to thank for all of the awesome photography work he does at each event. More than that, you can thank him for this awesome presentation on intermittent fasting.

As I mentioned in the intro, it was not planned. In fact, I’m not even sure who suggested it at this point. Jolly speaking was simply something organic that came about during dinner conversation in Austin at some point. While I had no idea how great of a speaker Jolly was going to be, the decision was easy to make.

Easy to make because Jolly is a walking encyclopedia on just about anything he has a passion/intense interest for. IF is just one subject of many.

So, kudos and thanks to Jolly for all the work he does at T21C. Speaking and photography alike are top of the charts.

Oh and as you may have noticed, Jolly…

Do you even row, bro?

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Exercise

(click to play)

This is a video of a (semi-low) row I performed yesterday during a big five. I thought this would be useful to post because I’ve filmed and posted plenty of static contraction videos as of late on the OMNI, and no dynamic movements in quite some time.

The machine is perfect at performing both static and dynamic protocols.

Notes :

  • If you watch the gauge closely you can observe the force read out during the entire exercise, including before movement even beings. (I build up effort before movement).
  • If you hit the 720pHD option the gauge should be easier to observe.
  • You can go further in the range of motion if so desired. I don’t believe there is any benefit to doing so in this semi-low position (and perhaps any position, for that matter).
  • What does matter is using and contracting the intended musculature. Not going through a nifty sounding “full range of motion”.
  • I went shirtless during a workout on 4/20/13 for the…

A Salute to Socrates

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Independent Thinking

The Relationship Talk Your Father Never Gave You was published today. Its publication brings to mind a number of things. One of which is the realization that Socrates has so much to say, even in the context of all the other incredible speakers at The 21 Convention, that I am literally at a loss of what to do with him as a speaker.

This is an amusing problem to have; one that brings a grin to my face. I suppose because I’ve simply never run into it before, and I never suspected I would. I’m thinking in the future I’ll have to figure out a way to double Sock’s speaking time, or have him present at multiple events, or SOMETHING. Maybe encourage him to write a book? Perhaps that’s the only medium that will have the capacity to capture the depth, scope, and complexity of his ideas in one epic sprint to glory.

In any case, the real point of this post is to explicitly…