Walk on the Wild Side
Tuesdays are our day off at LFBX and on that day, I don’t go into the gym and I don’t train intensely outside. It’s my thing. The other six days of the week, I train intensely for 20-30 minutes – usually very intensely. It makes me feel good and each training session is usually focused on one movement, such as the Deadlift on a lower-body day or heavy Supine Straight-Arm Cable Pullovers on an upper-body day. Recently I like doing 5 x 5 Training which is basically 5 rounds of 5 reps with a 2-minute rest between rounds. The reason I like it is that it’s simple and it’s hard. It’s just one exercise, which keeps it simple. The training intensity is at about 87% of my 1 rep max, which makes it hard. When I complete 25 total reps, the next time I train that specific exercise, I move the weight up by 2.5kg (5.5lbs) on barbells and 5kg (11kg) on cable movements. Deadlifts, being complex and on the heavy side, take longer to warm up on, so this 5 x 5 Deadlift Training below took me 26 minutes to complete. The 34-seconds video below is of one round and the weight I’m lifting is 97.5kg (214lbs).
The Supine Straight-Arm Cable Pullover is by far my favorite exercise this month. It rocks the upper body – the abs, lats, traps and shoulders. I highly recommend it. Doing it in the supine position (lying on your back) prevents any kind of cheating, so it’s highly effective. It’s excellent for swimmers, water polo players, and surfers as it mimics the butterfly and freestyle arm stroke. I’m using 50kg (110lbs).
That’s it on “Hard Stuff”. Let’s move on to the “Fun Stuff.”
Walking on Sunshine
Since Tuesday is my day off from work and training, I have all the time in the world to hang out with my cheerful wife Hitomi. This week we decided to go for a semi-long walk. The Tokyo autumn weather was more like summer weather minus the heavy humidity, so it was absolutely gorgeous.
We decided to eat the best hamburgers we know in Tokyo, which is Bareburger in Ginza. LFBX’s Designer Extraordinaire, Chris Lee, introduced us to it earlier this year. He also introduced us to The Gucci Store on the day he took us to Barebuger. He made me wear this $10,000 outfit and made Hitomi as happy as a clam by having her try on an outfit she really liked. Perhaps I’ll share more about this story on another day:-)
Across the Metropolis
We left our house in Sugamo around 10:20 am, headed down Hakusan-dori Avenue for about forty-five minutes and passed Tokyo Dome. We continued on through to Jimbocho passing many universities, book stores and eating establishments. Then we approached the Imperial Palace and walked around the moat until we reached Ginza. It was a beautiful walk on a perfect day.
How Many Steps Does It Take to Get from Sugamo to Ginza?
We arrived at Bareburger just before 12:00, so it took us about an hour and forty minutes to get there. We had a guessing contest as to how many steps we took. Hitomi said she thought it was less than 9,000 steps. I guessed that we took about 10,000 steps. My Health app on my iPhone said 9,444 steps. I didn’t look at the kilometers at the time, but according to Google Maps below, it was 7.9 km (4.9 miles).
Walking Fast or Fasting Walk?
I generally fast between 14-18 hours every day, and my last meal on Monday ended at about 5:30 pm, so I by the time we arrived at Bareburger, I hadn’t eaten for 18.5 hours, so I was feeling quite hungry. Also, Hitomi and I haven’t had beef in about six months, so this was a real treat! Since I am focusing on an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) eating style, I forwent the hamburger bun. Hitomi got her burger on a salad, which is actually an option on the menu – similar to the Chipotle Salad Bowl concept.
We ordered them rare, and man, we were raring to eat! They were so good!!! They get our highest recommendation.
Get Your Walk On, People!
We also recommend that you get out there every day, especially in the early hours to GET YOUR WALK ON for 20-30 minutes, especially before you eat or drink any calories. A few reasons why we highly recommend daily walking:
- It’s just good for you and you know it:-)
- It’s easy on the joints and doesn’t have to be “hard” to be effective.
- It gets you outside in the early hours which has been proven to set your circadian rhythm so that you sleep more deeply at night.
- It gets you some Vitamin D from the sun, which increases your immune function, strengthens your bones, increases your energy and lifts your mood if you suffer from anxiety or depression.
Walking as a Daily Way to Connect & Disconnect
We walk virtually every morning for 20-30 minutes as a break from work. It’s good to do on your own as a break or an active form of meditation. If you are in a relationship, it’s an excellent way to connect with your partner, by holding hands, talking or just being together without a computer screen, TV screen or cell phone screen in front of you.
Walking Geek-Tips
Here’s an inside tip on walking that I do when I walk alone. I only breathe through my nose and try to increase the pace to where nasal breathing is challenging. This is not only invigorating, but I can also get my heart rate up between 60-70% of my max heart rate, so it serves as a solid cardio, fat-burning, sweat-inducing workout without the strain on the joints that running can cause. I use nasal breathing when I run as well, as it acts as a governor (speed limiter) that keeps me from running too fast and too hard. It keeps me right in the sweet spot. Give these a shot if they tickle your fancy.
Do the Walk of Life
To wrap it up, please get out and walk daily. Just do it. It can potentially add enjoyable years to your life. If you are in Tokyo or are coming to visit in the future and like burgers, Bareburger, is great. If you are living in New York, that is where the original Bareburger is. They also have vegan options on their menu.
If you have any questions or comments, leave ’em below.
Have fun Walking, Fasting, Eating and Enjoying Life.
Be Extraordinary!
Bodhi
