Creator of the Flex Diet Cert & Phys Flex Cert, CSCS, CISSN, Assoc Professor, kiteboarder, lifter of odd objects, metal music lover. >>>>Sign up to my daily FREE Fitness Insider newsletter below
Phone Off, Iron On
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Training time is sacred to my sanity as I am sure it it to you. Full stop. This previous week in Minnesota was very difficult for me personally. It was stupidly easy to get sucked into a vortex of rage, disgust, and “how are people okay with this?” I tried as hard as I could to keep my 1-2 hours per day just for me to go to war with gravity. Not politics. Not comment sections. Not strangers on the internet. No internet, just music via old skool CDs. Just me… versus the iron. I turn my phone OFF. Old-school CDs ON. Killswitch. Hatebreed. Terror. Earth Crisis. Obituary. No scrolling. No doom. No performative outrage. Just plates clanking and lungs screaming. For one precious hour, the world can fend for itself. >> Short video from a recent lifting session below << And yeah… part of my brain kept whispering: “Is it selfish to focus on yourself when everything feels on fire?” Maybe. But here’s the truth: If the worst thing that happens to me is a few angry DMs and some keyboard tough guys calling me names? My life is objectively easy. I have food. A house. A garage gym. Work I love. Clients, friends, and a badass Fitness Insider crew that shows up. So I schedule stress on purpose. Heavy axle deadlifts. Rows until my soul leaves my body. Concept2 intervals that feel like inhaling lava. Cold water up to my neck at 41°F. All of it. Because training isn’t narcissism. It’s maintenance. Training. Nutrition. Sleep. These aren’t “fitness hobbies.” They’re investments in your ability to stay sharp in a messy world. You’re allowed to take care of yourself. You’re allowed to lift. You’re allowed to breathe. You’re allowed to step away from the noise and become harder to break. Stay sharp. Keep going. Invest in yourself. Much love, Dr. Mike PS- on my fav all time quotes from Henry Rollins “I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds” _____________________ Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. .. |
Dr Mike T Nelson
Creator of the Flex Diet Cert & Phys Flex Cert, CSCS, CISSN, Assoc Professor, kiteboarder, lifter of odd objects, metal music lover. >>>>Sign up to my daily FREE Fitness Insider newsletter below
Just a short intro here, as my wife and I just came back from a beautiful vigil/memorial for Alex Pretti. Huge shout-out to our great friend Christa and her staff for doing an amazing job with it. It's ok to be sad at times and grieve. The world feels crazy now, especially here in Minneapolis. It's ok to take care of yourself. Stand up,Keep fighting, Keep going. Here's what went down this week. Newsletters: The 4 x 40 "Rule": The stupid-simple 4×40 protein rule that quietly fixes recovery,...
As I write this, a lot of people are walking around with their nervous systems pinned at redline. Not in some dramatic, movie-scene way. More like the slow burn kind. Jaw tight without noticing. Sleep getting lighter. Breathing shallow enough that you don't realize it until you sigh and feel your shoulders drop an inch. Doom-scrolling late, waking up wired, and wondering why patience feels thinner than it used to. Here's what most people don't connect: When your nervous system is...
I didn’t set out to create a “rule.” Rules are for hall monitors and people who say that everyone gets a trophy. I was just watching too many smart lifters quietly bleed out progress. Good training.Decent food.Enough discipline to scare the patrons of the hallowed purple halls of PF. …And yet their recovery felt like sand in the gears. Strength crawled. Hunger was like a feral cat at night if it was smoking with Snoop Dog. Everyone had that same haunted look, like they were doing everything...