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Staying Fit With No Gym in Sight

My Brother Wax Mannequin and I poached multiple playground, hotel, and basement gyms during an extended road trip together – August 2016

If you look around on the street these days, you might get the impression that it is really, really difficult to stay in shape beyond the age of about 30.

Sure, there are a few competitive athletes, movie stars and Navy SEALs around that still manage to keep in strong form, but if you are not willing to devote your entire life to training, you might as well just head straight for the stretch pants, right? Older age strikes and there is nothing you can do about it.

Oddly enough, if you could peer at the financial statements of your fellow citizens, the story might be similar: consumer debt is normal, the bills keep piling up, and only the movie stars and athletes (and corrupt CEOs of big banks, of course) make enough money to actually get ahead.

These opinions are widespread, and often fiercely defended as Truth. This is why I have been happily surprised over the years as I discovered that the prevailing wisdom is completely wrong: it’s not only possible to become wealthy on an average salary, it is just a natural byproduct of living a healthy life. Similarly, you don’t need a crushing workout schedule, a $250 per month gym or a team of professional trainers to be in very good shape. You just need to focus on the basics and avoid the worst pitfalls.

But as the years go on and I talk to more and more people, I realize that very few people even know these basics, and they think some of the pitfalls (for example drinking a big glass of orange juice with breakfast) are actually healthy life choices. So with New Year’s Resolution time approaching, I thought we could dish out some of this old school knowledge right now.

Fig.1: MMM enjoys a brief zero dollar workout on the patio.

Fig.1: MMM enjoys a brief zero dollar workout on the patio.

Let’s use plain old Mr. Money Mustache as an example. I’m an average 42-year-old white nerd who has never played a competitive sport in his life. I made my career in office work and enjoy beer a bit more than I should. And yet I feel great – despite the fact that I keep getting older and live a deprived life without the personal trainer or private chef that every wealthy person really deserves.

Even worse, I don’t even have a gym membership, and the months I spend away from home every year have been compromising my access to even the basic backyard barbell set that comprises my only fitness equipment. I have spent about 2 of the past 5 months away from home, which means a lot of time with no gym in sight.

All of these factors, yet all systems seem to be better than ever. Returning from the latest travel binge, I found roughly the same level of strength and bodyfat while keeping the same overall weight on the scale. How can this be?

Fitness as a Part of Life
 (rather than something you do at the gym)

Far too often in modern life, we cut an artificial line between the ideas of getting in shape and everything else we do. People train for Ironman events, but then drive a car for local errands. They use the stair machine in the gym, but then take the elevator up to the 12th floor in the office building. They claim that getting in shape is important, but then drive their kids to school in the morning in one of the world’s most ridiculous spectacles of Car Clown behavior.

We sit still at work, sit in automobiles, and stand still with rolling luggage on the airport escalator to avoid the strain of the staircase, and hire contractors to take care of our lawns and shovel our driveways. And then we wonder why we get fat, or injure our knees and backs, or get any other less-than-satisfactory performance from our bodies. Only the most dedicated workout junkies (rebranded as CrossFitters these days) seem to get anywhere, and even they often fall off the wagon and become mortals eventually.

I feel that there’s a better way to get good health results, but with much more efficiency than what most people achieve right now. You could boil it down to the philosophy of “use it or lose it”.

Principles of Efficient Physical Fitness

Not everybody likes the act of exercising itself, but everybody likes being in shape. The key to getting the latter without having to commit your life to flawless execution of the former is to understand the concept of exercise efficiency – getting the best results with minimum time and minimum risk of failing due to bad habits.

Principle Zero: Moving is Normal, Sitting Still is Hazardous
Before we even begin, we need to make a change to the most basic paradigm of modern life. Most of us sit or lie down almost constantly: to sleep, eat, work, drive, and even (shudder) to watch TV. Instead, I like to think of sitting as something you do as a short break from your real life. And you should feel just a bit uncomfortable when sitting down, because it really is a hazardous activity.

Whenever you get a chance to move, take it: get up and pace around while you read books. Attend your conference calls with a mobile phone headset while out walking along the river. Cut your own lawn. Walk the 5 miles across town that you would normally drive. Always, always take the stairs. Never, ever use a drive-through. You can even try taping your laptop to the drink platform of a treadmill and working as you pace slowly along at 1 MPH (I have tried this and it is amazing).

If you’re thinking of taking on a job that requires more than a few minutes of car driving per day, consider this equivalent to accepting a job in an Asbestos mine or an old Russian nuclear power plant. You might still do it, but only if the benefits greatly outweigh the obvious costs. Similarly, if you’re considering spending an afternoon on the couch watching football, pretend that you have to wear an inhaler that dispenses just a tiny dose of Cyanide into each breath. With this comparison in mind, you can decide if you still weight the passive entertainment more highly than, say, taking your kids out to play in the park.

On really good days, I might spend 4-10 hours walking or biking  around for various reasons like errands, carpentry, and just plain old strolls, and these really good days result in incredible happiness. On days when I fail to obey this Principle of Constant Movement, I instantly devolve into a more average and grumpy person.

wintersquats-bw

I don’t have room for an indoor home gym at the moment. So instead I keep this squat rack just outside my back door, to eliminate psychological barriers to the most important exercise. Mud, snow, hot, cold – it’s all good for you – just do some damned squats, at least a couple times per week.

Principle #1: Building Muscle is Far More Effective than Cardiovascular Training
I think the most common beginner fitness mistake in the world might be when people decide to start jogging or other aerobic exercises as a method of weight loss. Double Fail Points if you go for a treadmill or a stationary bike while watching TV inside a smelly commercial gym.

So many people slave away at these cardio-related things like aerobics classes and treadmills and still look almost the same several months later. Most of them end up quitting as they lose motivation in the face of the poor results. And then the weight loss industry is right there waiting, saying they must have just bought the wrong diet shakes. Or the “accept yourself as you are” movement tells them that body composition change is impossible, so you should give up.

The real reason for the failure is that cardio training activities (while great for your heart) are very poor at triggering the growth of muscle tissue. You pump the heart and breathe vigorously and burn a few calories during that brief session, but then the session ends and you’re back to your regular self.

On the other hand, people who lift or move heavy things get triple benefits:

  • The same heart and lung bonus up front as they lift weights and break down existing muscle tissue
  • The massive calorie implosion required to rebuild those muscles to a new, stronger size
  • Then a permanent ongoing burn required to maintain that fine new stronger form

As Tim Ferriss demonstrates in the Four Hour Body, it is possible for a relative beginner to trigger over a pound of muscle growth (3500 calories of body composition change) with just one brief session of barbell squats.

Let me repeat that in different terms: you exceed the calorie burn you’d get from 4-8 hours of riding a stationary bike in the gym, in about 4-8 minutes, by warming up your legs and then performing a few sets of 5 squats, working up to a weight that is fairly difficult for you.

To clarify this after many angry and skeptical comments below: YES, the squats themselves burn only a few dozen calories. But by breaking down the tissues of your largest compound muscle group including quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus, and a plenty of assisting muscles, you force your body to rebuild the entire set bigger and stronger. This is an incredibly calorically-intense process which can take almost a full week to complete. Thus, the total net energy cost ends up being several thousand calories.

Calorie testing on myself over the years confirms these figures are roughly correct – hell hath no appetite like that of a person who has done his or her squats properly. As long as you refuel from this hunger in a strategic manner, you’ll find your fat reserves getting vacuumed away at high speed.

How do we take advantage of this? Start thinking about feats of peak strength rather than the conventional 30-minute periods of sweaty endurance training on a stationary bike.

Principle #2: Every Bodypart, Whenever Possible

These are your muscles. Understand the big groups, then work them regularly.

These are your muscles. Understand the big groups, then work them regularly.

Most people think of exercise as all one big interchangeable thing: “I get plenty of exercise walking my dogs and gardening”, or, “I was able to drop my gym membership because I bike to work now.”

This is the wrong way to think about it.

Sure, mild exercise is still far better than sitting still. But you get much better results if you think about each muscle group and make sure you have overloaded it recently, thus sending it the message to become stronger.

As a start, you could think of your body as having five groups:

  • Legs
  • Back
  • Chest and triceps (your “pushing muscles”)
  • Upper Back and biceps (any time you find yourself “pulling”)
  • Core (all the complex muscles that hold you together at the middle)

Now, how will you overload each group at least a little bit, every day or two?

If you like to go to a gym, and you use the free weight room instead of the inefficient cardio stuff, great. Through my teens and 20s, I was on this plan and it went well. But after getting married, then becoming a father, I found that long stretches of time would pass as I became complacent and made excuses. This is not great – to improve from wherever you are now, you need every muscle group to be blasted down with reasonable exertion (enough to cause at least a tiny bit of soreness) – every week.

To translate the vague concept of muscle groups into practical exercises you can do in many places, here’s a guide of my favorite exercises. You can look these up anywhere to get the basics of how to do each movement safely. For example, Google “How to Do Squats”.

Legs:

  • Squats (with just your own weight when getting started. Then with barbells, or one-legged if no barbells available)
  • Deadlifts
  • Jumping on or off of anything (including boxes like this one)
  • Running up and down stairs
  • Sprinting around anywhere
  • Urban Parkour-style hooliganism with friends when visiting any city
  • Note that my daily cycling doesn’t count as a real leg exercise, since it’s a heart-building rather than muscle-building exercise.

Back:

  • Pullups from any bar or overhanging surface. You can assist yourself with your legs if you’re not yet strong enough to do real pull-ups.
  • Barbell or dumbell rows
  • Pulling any heavy item from the ground to your chest while you’re bent over.
  • Snow shoveling, digging trenches, chopping wood, moving bags of concrete
  • And anything else that feels like hard work is probably good for your back.
  • The Deadlift, mentioned under “Legs”, is also great for your lower back.
    But build this strength up slowly if you’re untrained – we’ve all heard stories about unfit people who “throw out their backs” when lifting something after years of deadly inactivity. The goal here is to make your back unbreakable – for life.

Chest and Triceps:

  • the Clean and Press (lift a barbell from the ground to over your head – my second favorite exercise in the world after squats).
  • bench press
  • dumbbell press
    (these first three are generally only if I’m lucky enough to be at home)
  • dips
  • pushups
  • On the road, the barbells are unavailable so I try to increase to 100 pushups per day, and using any available parallel surface, inside corner of a kitchen countertop, or pair of posts for dips.
  • To increase resistance, you can get a friend or loved one to sit on your back during pushups: 8 insanely hard pushups are better for you than 50 easy ones.

Core: 

The benefit of doing real-world exercise (especially sprinting) instead of lame treadmills at the gym, is that it forces you to flex and stabilize all your abdomen and oblique muscles and make them stronger. But you can still target the core directly with a few of my favorites:

  • Planks (hover your body flat and still with only forearms and toes touching the ground for 60-300 seconds)
  • Leg-raises while hanging from a bar, tree branch, or anything else
  • Twisting or jumping motions of any sort
  • Situps and abdominal crunches

Important note: core and abdominal muscles do not help you lose abdominal fat any faster than any other exercise. The fastest way to lose fat (after fixing your diet) is to accelerate calorie burn, which means triggering muscle growth. So if you want better abs, do squats.

Principle #3: Resisting Heavy Motion Delivers The Results


Consider the following counter-intuitive trick: walking down a flight of stairs delivers much better strength and muscle-building results than walking up that same flight of stairs, even though going down is much easier. I learned this amazing shortcut just a few years ago, but it has allowed me to get better results in less time ever since.

To put it into practice, you can bend your legs more deeply when going down stairs or hills, lower your body more slowly during pushups and pullups and weight exercises, and in general think about fighting loads as the chief source of strength.

For example: riding a bike won’t build much leg strength because it’s all concentric (pushing) with no eccentric (resisting). Adding in a few lunges as part of every day (or deep jumps, or squats of any form) will massively increase the benefits.

Principle #4: Turn The World Into Your Gym

Pull-ups in a public park in Portland this spring.

Pull-ups in a public park in Portland this spring.

With these basics covered, we can move to the real world to find ways to apply them. You will never miss a workout again, because from now on the entirety of every day you live will be a workout. With your eye on potential ways to overload your muscles, opportunities will come out of the woodwork. So let’s make all this work in Real Life:

Walk and Run for Transportation-  and Borrow Bikes when you Travel
Sidewalks and roads. Curbs and airport and hotel staircases. These are all amazing fitness machines, disguised as boring urban infrastructure. By seeking them out during travel, opportunities to stay fit magically materialize.

For example, when visiting people I make a point of borrowing one of their spare bikes if available. You can also install the Spinlister app on your phone, and rent bikes from locals – instead of cars from bland international rental car chains – whenever you’re on a trip.

As a result, I have enjoyed bike tours of dozens of US cities and even a good number of international spots that were often the highlight of the entire trip. If you seek to maximize your effort, the benefits come quickly.

Lunge Whenever Nobody’s Looking
You can transform the mild benefits of walking into a shockingly fast muscle builder you can do anywhere, just by learning how to lunge. The effectiveness comes from the fact that you’re causing peak muscle overload in a mostly-eccentric (downward) motion. I recently did one lap of deep lunges around a soccer field (which took all of about 90 seconds), and it was enough to give me pleasantly sore legs for two days.

Even better, you can explain that paragraph above to your friends, and challenge them to lunge a block together on as part of an evening outing – for example on your way out to happy hour. You’ll love the fun of doing this ridiculous thing together in public, and the reactions you’ll get from the strangers, almost as much as you love your new <arnold voice> sculpted and bulging quadriceps and buttocks muscles </arnold>. Pain equals gain!

Sprint Whenever you Can
Performing just a single 10-second sprint across a park or a parking lot can change your body for the better.  But you can also apply this principle on the bike, or during a set of pushups, or even when shoveling a driveway of snow. Any time you want to become better, challenge yourself to max out for the next ten seconds!

Whenever you go to peak exertion, you are telling your body it is time to grow. If you stay within your comfort zone, the body decides it is fine as it is. Sprinting will send your body this change signal, in almost every situation.

100 Pushups per Day
Or even 10 pushups if you’re new to the pastime. I love this exercise because it is so efficient: If I move as quickly as possible, I find it takes only 15 seconds to do 25 pushups. Since it is such a small commitment, it’s easy to keep to it four times throughout the day, resulting in a reasonable strengthening of the chest and associated muscles with a total time investment of one minute.

Pro Tip: I make myself drop for 25 or 50 pushups every time I am going to indulge in something questionable like a beer or a high-carb snack, to help compensate for the negative effects before they happen.

Playgrounds and Gym Poaching

Saving the best for last: although your own fancy gym may be far off in another country when you’re traveling, there is almost always a public park with a play structure that can provide many of the basics for free. You can sprint and do pullups, dips, jump off of high things and land dramatically in the sand, do situps, chase kids around, and generally get a surprisingly good workout.

Bonus Principle: Sugar is the Devil, Fat is your Friend

The tips above will make a huge difference in any life that is currently too sedentary. But your body will fight to keep its fat reserves, and it will win this fight, if you obey its requests for constant sugar and carbohydrates.

For details I will refer you to Mark Sissson’s primal blueprint, or Tim’s Slow Carb Diet. But for me the basics are really simple: I avoid bread, pasta, and any desserts or sugary drinks including fruit juice. And the idea of buying soda for home consumption or even ordering one at a restaurant is as horrifying to me as drinking drain cleaner. If your goal is fat loss, Do Not Drink Calories!

Instead I eat mostly vegetables, nuts, eggs,  oils (mostly olive but with no rules against butter and coconut oil!) and an average amount of minimally processed meats and dairy. It’s your basic low-carb diet, and I’ve found a 100% correlation between bending the rules of this diet (occasional pizza and beer), and the rapid softening of my waistline. If you haven’t tried this way of eating yet, you might be pleasantly surprised with how easy it is.

Related Article: The Amazing Waist-Slimming, Wallet-Fattening Nutrient

That’s it. Sure, there is much more to fitness than these five principles, but they are big ones, and enough go get started. This is infinitely better than not getting started, so let’s go.

Further Reading:

The New York Times, on why exercise should be a rewarding part of your daily life, not just a chore you treat like a health prescription. 

Gary Taubes writes and rants about how our high-sugar, high-carbohydrate diet is the source of most of our problems. I saw some of his articles in the NYTimes, then moved on to read his book “Why We Get Fat.” I’m torn on this, because there is still scientific debate on the ideal diet. But my own results and a recent rigorous blood test are good enough to keep me very enthusiastically on the high fat, high-vegetable, low-carb diet.

Klaus Obermeyer, now 96, inspires you by refusing to age, citing benefits of keeping active as the decades pass.

  • Matt December 14, 2016, 1:46 pm

    Enjoyed the article and tying the ideas together. Only comment I will make is, if one is going to get into the ‘cross-fit’ type activities, get guidance from a pro – not just some crossfit meathead…somebody who understands biomechanics. I can’t tell you how many injuries come from people performing olympic-style lifts with no experience or training.

    Orthopedist friend told me recently, “CrossFit keeps me in business. Worst thing you can possibly do for your joints. Cross-training is fine – but this hard core stuff ruins the body.”

    Reply
  • jon December 14, 2016, 1:53 pm

    The people who read this blog are generally smart people but a couple of words of caution are in order.

    1. Most ‘normal’ people have major mobility issues that prevent them getting into good positions for exercises. This dramatically increases chance of injury. By all means do plenty of exercise but make sure you take it slow and look up correct form with videos on youtube etc. There is lots of bad advice around but it is usually pretty easy to tell if the person presenting knows what they are talking about. If you can’t get into the correct position, don’t try adding weight or increasing intensity until you sort this out.

    2. Injury means you are not working out. Avoid injury at all costs. Injury is like speculation in investing, you can wipe out your capital really fast and be miserable.

    3. Getting fit is just like becoming financially independent. It is lots of little bits of work over a long(ish) period. You will see progress but just like FI takes people 5-10 years, getting truly ‘fit’ is a slow process over a few years as your body slowly remodels itself. Thinking where do I want to be next year rather than where do I want to be next week is the key. Exercise must be sustainable.

    MMM is exactly right in that the secret is to automate your physical activity with habits just like you would with saving. If you have to think too much about exercise it becomes hard to do. Getting into the habit of taking the stairs is not the same level of mental effort as going to the gym but adding ‘incidental exercise’ can increase your physical activity levels many fold.

    Reply
  • Chris December 14, 2016, 2:42 pm

    I made my own gym at home in my garage. I love it. It’s my sanctuary. I lift four days a week. Do a sprint session on my Assault Bike (awesome and efficient means to bring you to your cardio knees) one day a week after legs and try to do a longer session of cardio one day a week consisting of various exercises – bike, burpees, jumping rope, box jumps, etc. I also try and get out and walk during lunch breaks and make myself at least twice a day go down and walk around the building at work. I’ve had to modify some of my lifts now that I’m in my 40’s. I’m certainly not lifting as much as I used to, but it’s what I enjoy doing and I think that is really key. Find a healthy outlet that you enjoy doing and look forward to so you won’t want to stop doing it!

    Reply
    • Chris December 14, 2016, 2:47 pm

      I forgot too, I’ve also started to work on stretching more and flexibility. The combination of muscles getting older and a sedentary lifestyle is a double whammy so you really need to work on that as well as you age. It’s amazing how much that can help you.

      Reply
  • Cadey December 14, 2016, 2:57 pm

    I was glad that you mentioned Gary Taubes book, I have been wondering for a while if you have read it. It changed how I looked at diet like how you and other bloggers changed how I looked at consumerism. I would also suggest the Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz.

    Reply
  • ken kienow December 14, 2016, 3:07 pm

    I cannot do exercise for exercise’s sake. I’ve tried. The problem is it’s not fun (for me). What IS fun is mountain biking for 2-4 hours a day 5-6 days a week, especially if I can do it with buddies. I’d do that even if it wasn’t a workout, but it just so happens to be a phenomenal workout. It allows me to eat lots of carbs and maintain six pack abs and a resting heart rate in the low 40’s.

    I suspect a lot of people fall out of exercise routines because they aren’t fun. So, I think that finding a routine that is enjoyable is pretty key. It’s mountain biking for me, but for my wife, it’s the gym. For her the gym isn’t only about working out, but it’s also about community. She sees so many friends there and loves to do group classes for that very reason.

    Reply
    • Carlos December 14, 2016, 9:42 pm

      That’s exactly why my SO loved crossfit so much. It was social and fun, and she got fit as a bonus. Shame as to how expensive it was.

      Reply
  • SmartFamilyMoney December 14, 2016, 3:39 pm

    Thank you for all the fitness tips! I really want to do more weight training, but it is a bit intimidating to get started, especially for a woman. I’m going to get over my insecurities and do it!

    I love your point about people saying that fitness is important to them, but driving their kids to school. Our elementary is an “all walking” school because we all live within 2 miles of the school. I’d estimate that only about 10% of kids actually walk. The rest are driven. My kids and I walk every day, unless there is a windchill warning or lightening (which is only a few times per year). It’s really very enjoyable! It would be even nicer if we had more people join us! Oh, and maybe we could all add a block of lunges. :)

    Reply
  • Sven December 14, 2016, 3:42 pm

    I was unemployed for a stint, and I used this great workout video where you used a sledgehammer for the exercises.

    Or if you really want to get in shape, and make money doing it, get yourself a cord of firewood rounds and split them for 30-60 min a day. Supposedly splitting firewood is the exercise that boosts men’s T the most.

    Reply
  • Jason Barmer December 14, 2016, 3:50 pm

    Great advice for the regularly sedentary among us. I have a “sit-down” job, but have found that training in Jiu-Jitsu 3 times a week is a great way to develop a healthy cardiovascular system along with solid core strength.

    Add basic push-ups and a halfway-decent diet to that and you’ll be set! (Plus, you’ll develop a valuable skill, of course) However, being on the road a lot would make it tough to train consistency, so that’s a consideration.

    Google “starting jiu jitsu” and learn how awesome it is!

    Reply
  • Laura December 14, 2016, 5:04 pm

    A good way to weave more movement into your life and to save money is to sell your furniture. No, I’m not kidding. We sit on the floor, and therefore I am used to getting up and down from the floor as I get older. While I’m on the floor I’m constantly changing my position, and it’s easy to throw in some body weight exercises or stretches while I’m there. I do unweighted squats every time I stand up. I’ve also saved money because I don’t have a mattress; I just sleep on a mattress topper on the floor. I didn’t come up with this on my own – read Katy Bowman Move Your DNA or her latest book Movement Matters. Or just read her website.

    Reply
  • Johan December 14, 2016, 5:22 pm

    This reminded of something I read about a week ago: http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/what-if-we-got-exercise-all-wrong

    “Movement should be something that you’re doing all of the time for yourself. That is the natural relationship of a human to movement. It’s like saying that breakfast is medicine for starvation. It’s not medicine; it’s just food. You’re supposed to be eating; it’s a biological requirement. The same holds true for movement.”

    It pretty much hits the same points you did on this article. I will be picking up Katy Bowman’s book Movement from the library sometime soon. I am now going to go drop and do 25 pushups. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Carlos December 14, 2016, 9:40 pm

      This is why riding a bicycle for practical, daily transport and errands is so great. You get exercise without even thinking about it, and it’s also fun.

      Reply
  • Florida Mike December 14, 2016, 6:55 pm

    I ate a bag of chips while reading the article and now after reading all the replies, I need another beer. You all made me tired!

    Reply
  • Active Anton December 14, 2016, 7:43 pm

    The photo of outdoor winter dead-lifts is pretty inspiring. I’m 34 this month and am realizing I’ve been in and out of gyms for over a decade. Lately I’ve been into distance triathlons (a’ la Ironman) and have been thinking about ditching the gym life.
    Much like MMM, I am frugal, skeptical about social norms, and very much a badass. To illustrate this last point, I’ll describe a goal I set for myself in Jan 2016: To complete the Timberman Half Ironman triathlon in August 2016. To do it entirely BAREFOOT- including the bike and run (for a host of fun reasons but mainly because shoes are for wimps). And to fuel myself on a vegan diet. I had never done a triathlon before. I didn’t know how to freestyle swim properly. I hadn’t ridden a bike since college. I had never run more than a 10k. I completed the whole race (barely)!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpzgv9C8Npo
    This Spring I would like to get more competitive in triathlons. I want to do all my swim training in the lakes and ponds of my Mother Earth. No synthetic pools. I want to do all my run training on the nature trails, the track, and the roads in my neighborhood. No treadmills. I want to do all my cycling training …well… in my basement on my trainer. Sorry to wimp out on the cycling, but until humanity evolves a little bit more, the roads where I live are dominated by pickup trucks and mammoth SUVs (but at least I don’t need a gym to cycle!)
    My current gym is decked out with 3 pools, free weights, all the cardio machines, etc. I’m inspired to poke around craigslist.org for a squat rack, bar and some plates and set em up in the snow like badass MMM. After that, no gym required!

    Reply
  • ASAPRetire December 14, 2016, 8:05 pm

    Nice post. I never miss a chance to use the stairs, ditch the elevator. It’s curious, earlier today, I was sharing a Mustard Seed Money’s post on exercise and connecting health and wealth, fitness and finance. My thing is pilates (0 cost in my living room), brisk walking(100% free and the best therapy ever for relaxing), and racquetball (for free in my workplace). But beyond specifics, the point is integrating exercise in your everyday activities, make it organic, let it become your lifestyle and you’ll stay in shape almost naturally (as long as you keep a good diet), I totally agree. Take care and keep exercising on a string, way to go!

    Reply
  • Carlos December 14, 2016, 8:18 pm

    I don’t use a gym, but my partner did and had a really good reason to do so: motivation, the social aspect, and the routine of it.

    She paid $50 a week for a crossfit membership which got her three 30 minute sessions a week with a group of ~8 other people. She viewed this as more of a sport/hobby than a gym membership as she enjoyed meeting and training with other people. She now jogs and works out from home, but she is missing the motivation of training with other people in a structured, routine environment.

    I’ve suggested to her to post some ads on the local facebook group to see if anyone is interested in forming a social workout group so she can get the best of both worlds without the expense.

    Reply
  • Michael December 14, 2016, 8:26 pm

    Very nice article! I love the common sense approach to finding your workout in everyday life activities.

    I’m currently 48 and a vegetarian diet (but moving more toward whole food, plant based owing to the awesome health improvements) and my weight is basically the same as my college years… thin, tone, athletic build. It’s probably safe to say I’m in the best health of my life, which is mostly due to diet. Here is my simple workout plan, which totals 2 hours per week of will-driven effort (run & home workout). The volleyball (2-4 hours) is for fun and the stairs routine is done during a 15 minute break at work, a requirement to blow off excess energy owing to a clean diet.

    2x per week, a short 1.5 – 2 mile run
    2x per week, simple 20 minute home workout weights / pushups, abs
    1x per week, competitive volleyball (sand or indoor)
    5x per week, 10 flight of steps (up), 17 (down) at work
    Everyday, 2 minutes of stretching, yoga

    A couple excellent short videos below, I was inspired this year into running after reading “Born to Run”, and then relearning to run with proper form… it used to bother my back.

    http://nutritionfacts.org/video/diet-or-exercise-whats-more-important-for-weight-loss/
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsw0EL-XUhI

    Reply
  • Stefan December 14, 2016, 8:42 pm

    One health piece that MMM seems to be missing out on, which I’ve been doing for about 1.5 years and which gets your body and mind going in the morning: cold showers. I loved them! I live in Wisconsin, so really cold these days.

    Reply
    • Carlos December 14, 2016, 9:38 pm

      YES! Cold showers are the fucking bomb! I shower cold for over 6 months of the year, and lukewarm-mild max even on cold days. It’s something I have come to appreciate after years of surfing and living out of a van. Another issue is people who shower way to often. People have hot showers twice a day and it’s bloody terrible for your skin and hygiene. I have a cold shower every 2-3 days, sometimes less depending on what I’m doing. Western culture has such an unhealthy obsession with showering frequently and with hot water.

      Reply
  • Walter December 14, 2016, 8:56 pm

    Great post. Another great exercise is playing catch with yourself by bouncing a reaction ball off a wall. It’ll make you move your body and develop your coordination, balance, flexibility and reaction skills. Another great exercise for me is indoor climbing and I know it costs a bit of money but I love the fact that climbing works pretty every muscle in your body along with the fun of solving the climbing problems. And interestingly I find that gym climbing is a very social activity.

    Reply
  • Syed December 14, 2016, 9:20 pm

    Excellent. I recently started a bodyweight training guide that emphasizes squats pull ups and push ups. Specifically diamond push ups, as they help those stubborn inner chest muscles. And it’s been great! I get that little bit of soreness you mentioned and it pushes you to track your progress which has been key for me. Good stuff.

    Reply
  • Marushka December 15, 2016, 3:01 am

    Hi MMM
    I wrote a long response to Evan’s comment way up.. under 13 December, and I asked you a question. As you may not read my pages-long-response, I’m writing the question here again in a separate reply:

    Hey MMM – did you know about the American Gut Project that has their headquarters in Boulder Colorado… If you haven’t, you could get a kit from them and contribute. You can see how healthy you – proof of how good your diet is from the results, while contributing to the project. (Sorry.. it does involve poo!).

    Refer to:
    http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/gut_reaction_part_1/
    http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4511643.htm (gut reaction part 2)

    Reply
  • Phil December 15, 2016, 5:06 am

    Totally agree !
    As a rebranded CrossFitter of 55 years old, as you say, (your remark made me laugh, just thinking of me as a “workout junkie” at 55 with my 135 lbs bodyweight.) my feeling is that I am very close to your vision and practice.
    If you had not made this preliminary statement, I would have thought that you were practicing CrossFit, at least as we are practicing it in France, far from the US champions.
    I feel more secure with a coach to learn how to lift barbells and how to scale and adapt movements to my age than doing it alone in my backyard. By the way, the fees are not so huge in France, 55 $ / months in my remote city, far from Paris.
    Thank you for your inspiring and entertaining blog.

    Reply
  • Joe December 15, 2016, 7:07 am

    Great article and (mostly) great advice. You say “Principle #1: Building Muscle is Far More Effective than Cardiovascular Training”. Cardiovascular training is the #1 way to keep the most important muscle in shape, the heart. And heart-related diseases are the #1 killer in America. I like alpine climbing and I’ve had numerous cases of climbing with someone who only lifts weights and does no cardio. The folks are always fit, ripped, and appear in shape (crossfit types). Then about one hour into what will be a 6-8 hour climb they can’t go any further because they have no cardio fitness. They’re really not in shape at all. Man was meantt to chase down animals over long periods of time, which is why we have a unique capacity for long endurance at high heart rate. It’s fundamental to being in shape.

    Secondly you claim “Riding a bike won’t build much leg strength because it’s all concentric (pushing) with no eccentric (resisting). ” Really? Ever go to a professional bike race and check out the cyclists legs?

    https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/11/manc_wc13_German_Legs.jpg

    I’m a racer myself (weekend hack) and I guarantee you I can lift and squat more than you (although you do seem pretty ripped yourself :) And my legs stay that way by cycling. Sure I ride a lot (100+ miles a week) and with very fast folks. But you’re wrong if you think that cycling can’t increase leg strength. Casual cycling – sure.

    Lastly, there’s endless research that proves cardio and endurance training is the most effective for the brain. Read the book “Spark” or countless others.

    In reality strength training AND cardio are key to being fit. It’s no use being strong if you can’t enjoy physical activities that last longer than an hour or two, and big adventurous activities such as mountaineering and kayaking etc demand high cardio fitness.

    Reply
    • Doug December 15, 2016, 11:36 am

      “I’m a racer myself (weekend hack) and I guarantee you I can lift and squat more than you ”

      What are your 1 RM back squat and deadlift currently? How old are you and how much do you weigh?

      Reply
    • Paul December 15, 2016, 11:58 am

      Come on, Joe. Obviously, those legs belong to track cyclists whose expertise is sprinting, which is an anaerobic activity. I strongly suspect all three supplemented their training with very heavy weight training, including heavy squats. The legs of competitive road racers who ride 100 plus miles a week do not look like this. Plus, the article does not claim that cardiovascular exercise should be abandoned.

      Reply
      • Joe December 16, 2016, 5:33 am

        Those folks were definitely sprinters and former pro-track and yes those folsk probably lift as well. But here’s Peter Sagan’s legs, he current world champ who wins 150 mile road races and beats many climbers up the mountains.

        http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/cycling-101th-tour-de-france-stage-9-podium-sagan-peter-green-sprint-picture-id532464152

        I race. I sit on a starting line w/other guys who have shaved legs that are absolutley ripped, and they’re not all sprinters. All I’m saying is that to claim that cycling won’t make your legs stronger is a really head-scratching claim. Again, sure, casual putzing around on a bike isn’t going to do much at all, but if you ride hard and tax yourself, it will assuredly make your legs stronger. Even the skinnier climbers in pro-cycling can push far more watts than most average folks.

        Pete also claims that “jogging” won’t do much to help you. Well, he’s right. But one shouldn’t “jog”, one should “run” . Running (vice jogging) means going HARD and making it very uncomfortable. If you want to claim that running doesn’t work or help one lose weight, then go to your next local 10k and look at the guys in front who win and run 5-ish minute miles. Are they fat? They’re thin and fit because they run, they don’t “jog”. Like anything else, you have to push yourself. Cardio/endurance exercises keep folks in awesome shape, but only the folks who are going hard.

        Reply
    • JP December 16, 2016, 1:04 pm

      Totally agree with you here. Aerobic training is absolutely necessary for heart and brain health. Low intensity weight training 2-3 days a week combined with 6-7 days of cardio is ideal. HIIT is very dangerous. The rate of serious injury in programs like crossfit is insanely high. The best thing for the average person is to run or bike 45-60 minutes per day with a long workout of 2-3 hours once per week and 2-3 moderate strength and flexibility workouts per week.

      The idea that 5 sets of squats being equivalent to 4 hours of running is completely ridiculous and hope nobody actually believes that.

      Reply
  • John December 15, 2016, 7:08 am

    Adding to the tone of healthy skepticism, I would encourage the admittedly boring work of looking critically at research studies rather than accepting as fact any assertion that comes with a reference. The article MMM links to in this article on walking down the stairs as a better way to build muscle was conducted on 12 elderly males with heart disease. That is considered a very small sample size in the field of statistics, and the results from that population are unlikely to be generalizable to the whole population (most people are unlike elderly males with heart disease).

    I know that Mark Sisson links to a lot of small-sample-size articles in his website’s critique of veganism as well.

    It is tempting to make assertions based on one study, one book, or one pundit; but ultimately there is a lot yet to be discovered about nutrition and physical fitness. That said, I really enjoyed this article and find most of it to be highly relevant and effective.

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache December 15, 2016, 9:07 am

      Agreed John, in general, I suck at proper citation and scientific protocol when I write these articles, because to be honest creating really rigorous stuff takes more work than I’m willing to put into it. So, calling out weak references is welcome.

      However, if you’re willing to stray into the vague and fluffy level of trust, I HAVE read (and tried) an awful lot of stuff on training and nutrition over the last 25+ years, because I started at age 15. I feel I understand the scientific method well enough to gradually draw useful conclusions. And the stuff summarized in this article is genuinely my best attempt at an informed opinion of what works best.

      My philosophy: If in doubt, start with your own best attempt like this, then use it as a basis to try experiments on yourself.

      Reply
      • a1pharm January 3, 2017, 8:04 am

        John, you are correct that the cited study is underpowered from a statistical point of view. However, if you have a deep understanding of the physiology of skeletal muscle function, you don’t even need to read a study to understand that “negatives” will build more muscle than “positives.”

        Walking down the stairs is an example of a negative muscle movement: you lower weight in a controlled fashion.

        In a positive muscle movement, your brain sends signals via the neurons in your spine out to the muscle groups you are activating. Once activated, all muscle fibers in the targeted group contract. On a molecular level, the actin and myosin fibers “ratchet” into action. This is a very stable event, and very little damage occurs to those fibers.

        In a negative muscle movement, the signal sent by the brain begins to taper off. Some fibers are still activated, while other fibers are turned off. This happens rapidly. When the fibers “ratchet down” they become damaged.

        This damage is a good thing: your body repairs the damaged fibers and builds new ones.

        That’s why it’s entirely possible to grow massive amounts of muscle using only negative reps (these damage fibers more effectively than positive reps) and stretching (stretching is essentially a negative rep).

        That’s one of the reasons yoga builds muscle: the stretching.

        Don’t believe me? Try using very light weights and doing a lot of reps. The reason this won’t build much muscle is because it is difficult to damage muscle fibers (and thus stimulate repair and growth) with low intensity movement.

        Pick up a copy of Vander’s Human Physiology textbook if you want to do a deep dive into the physiology of muscle movements.

        Reply
    • Doug December 15, 2016, 11:32 am

      How to “prove” that walking down the stairs is harder than walking up the stairs:

      1. Tear up knee.
      2. Get arthroscopic surgery on knee.
      3. Try walking up stairs shortly after surgery.
      4.Try walking down stairs shortly after surgery.

      The answer to “which is more difficult” will be glaringly obvious to anyone who attempts this (though I don’t recommend it).

      On a more serious note, don’t short change the power of informed observation and reasonable inferences made therefrom. I doubt there are many physical therapists or personal trainers who would disagree with the statement “walking down the stairs is more stressful to leg muscles than walking up the stairs.” This is fairly obvious to anyone who understands the different effects concentric and eccentric movements have on human muscles.

      I’m sure I could find PubMed studies “proving” that eccentric exercise causes more hypertrophy, but when pretty much everyone who has ever trained seriously for a while agrees with that statement, these studies border on masturbatory. .

      Reply
      • Matt December 15, 2016, 8:40 pm

        OR try sprinting up 10 flights of stairs as fast as you can. Then go back down as fast as you can. The descent should be a lot easier, as anyone who’s ever done hill sprints knows. Using significant dorsiflexion on the way down will tire out your quads because you’re purposefully being inefficient and putting the loads on as little muscle mass as possible so it exerts more effort. If I jumped up the stairs in an equivalently inefficient manner, it would be a hell of a lot harder than going down.

        Reply
  • Julia December 15, 2016, 7:29 am

    I love functional exercise! We live 1.25 miles away from my 10yo son’s school, so most days I walk him there and home again, which means a total of five (functional!) miles walking for me (2.5 for him).

    With the holidays coming up, I’ve made some rules for myself starting last week (good to get in practice before the real feasting begins):
    – dairy-free and sugar-free before 5, vegetarian always – unless food is free and/or options are limited AND I’m hungry
    – walk or run every day, core workout 4 days per week

    It’s been interesting cutting out sugar for most of the day – I find I don’t even care that much about having it after five either. But I like to leave myself an option. Maybe just as significant as cutting out the sugar and cheese I was overdoing before, I find that I’m just naturally eating more whole fruit, nuts & nut butters, and all-around good food that fills me up more completely. And I drink lots of different kinds of herbal tea throughout the day – good flavor, beneficial herbs, keeps me warm and hydrated, no calories!

    I happen to love running (I miss it when I don’t do it regularly), but I was amazed when I added a regular core workout a few years ago, how much better and stronger I felt. Now you’ve got me eyeing that hang-board my husband put up in the hallway – I suck at pull-ups but I could start where I’m at, a little each day . . .

    Thanks for this post – good time of year for it!

    Reply
  • Michelle December 15, 2016, 8:38 am

    We live in an RV and definitely have no room for a gym, haha. Instead, we focus on doing things outdoors like rock climbing, cycling, hiking, running, etc. :)

    Reply
  • Laurie December 15, 2016, 9:59 am

    Sorry (truly) that I am not going read all the comments to see if you have hashed it out previously, but I find it very interesting that as a devoted environmentalist that you continue to eat animal products. It doesn’t compute for me. I get that your body is responding well now due to many awesome things you do. I appreciate your brand of encouragement to do “hard” stuff that ultimately turns out to be great and better for you and the environment. That’s why I sincerely don’t get it. Reasearching a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet feels like it could come straight from your camp. “Forks over Knives” is a great place to start (which a friend with Netflix had to help me out since of course I don’t have an account). Dr. McDougall, Dr. Campbell …great resources. But now a screaming baby calls. …

    Reply
  • Frugal Paragon December 15, 2016, 10:33 am

    I’m a 35-year-old librarian with kids. And I look like a 35-year-old librarian with kids. But I have taught myself to do chin-ups. Sometimes I substitute teach and show off on the playground. I like to show the little girls that even the most matronly-looking ladies can be surprising.

    Reply
  • Jay December 15, 2016, 10:36 am

    I’ve been working out with weights for years. It started in high school when a friend got me hooked. I am a small guy (5’6″ and about 140 lbs) and I would be much smaller if I didn’t weight train. I am now 40 and still hit the weights. I also run and bike and I am always hungry! I eat more than most people my age but keep the weight off by eating healthy and working out. The weights work!

    Reply
  • Doug December 15, 2016, 11:16 am

    Don’t squat with a pad on the bar pls. That is all.

    Reply
  • Diane December 15, 2016, 11:29 am

    Great article, practical and common sense -my favorite attributes! Question for others, I teach at a large university and walk everywhere and take the stairs. However, there are days when I have to be dressed very professionally and I have been searching (for years) for women’s dress shoes that look good and still allow me to walk 10.000 + steps per day without foot pain at the end of the day.
    Any suggestions? Do I continue to just ignore the looks at my feet when I show up in my pants suit sans the typical high heel ? I am 46 years old and just started to recognize sometimes I am so mean at the end of the day because my feet hurt–anyone else with this problem??

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache December 15, 2016, 1:51 pm

      Hi Diane, hopefully my status as a man doesn’t disqualify this opinion, but I think non-walking-friendly shoes have to VANISH FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH – NOW.

      No woman, or man, should ever compromise physical clothing performance in pursuit of an antiquated dress standard.

      By making this statement yourself with your shoes, you’ll empower other women to drop the dress shoes as well.

      Mrs. MM has felt this way since long before I met her, which is one of the reasons we got together in the first place. I’ve always had a policy against dating any woman who liked high heels, long fingernails, expensive purses, etc. because they are statements of anti-practicality – and practicality is SEXY! :-)

      Reply
      • Dave C December 15, 2016, 3:37 pm

        This is a perfect opportunity to subject you all to a rant I’ve been meaning to go on for a while. The bane of my existence which is the men’s suit.

        As much as I am prone to vanity and like the look of a suit, I can hardly think of a more expensive, less practical, and less durable form of clothing.

        At my job I have to (and I do mean have to – dress code) wear a suit and tie every workday. I iron these wretched fabrics weekly. On occasion I even have to shell out for dry cleaning. A mid-range suit that is useless in any condition besides “standing or sitting indoors” will cost me about as much as a high-end performance ski shell and pants that can keep me cozy and comfortable whilst assuming the form of a human projectile in -25 C weather.

        The worst part is that the insistence on this ridiculous clown costume actually deters people from biking. Although I change at work and don’t fall under this category, the suit discourages some people from biking as they don’t want to change twice more daily. I know I know, complaints, but they’re also entirely right. Unless you’re only travelling a few blocks a suit is horrible to bike in, especially considering the wear and tear you’ll be subjecting upon this pricey yet amazingly fragile garment.

        So, to conclude, I have to applaud MMM on the above and second the motion. Let’s work for the day that phrases like “dress code” and “business attire” become a thing of the past, and phrases like “stupid fucking clown costume” become common parlance.

        Reply
        • a1pharm January 3, 2017, 8:11 am

          Until the world recognizes that dress clothes are stupid, take a look at using golf pants instead of dress pants. They are generally roomier in all the right places, have stretchy synthetic fabric, are durable, and look like regular dress pants.

          I absolutely have to dress in business attire for work too (which sucks). Once I switched from summer wool pants to golf pants, I saved money (golf pants are cheap and you can wash them in your regular washer – no dry cleaning) and became slightly more fit (I can easily run up and down the stairs at work in them – and because I seem to be the only person not taking the elevator, I can be pretty intense in the stairwell with these micro-workouts).

          However, if you have to wear a blazer, it will be hard to exactly match the pants’ fabric. In this case, use separate colors (light brown pants with blue blazer works good here).

          Turn that “stupid fucking clown costume” into stealth workout clothes.

          Bonus: golf pants are usually moisture wicking, so they get stinky slower than regular dress pants.

          Reply
        • Mr. Money Mustache January 3, 2017, 7:42 pm

          Here Here! Nice rant Dave C.

          It’s definitely worth speaking out against dress codes – very gently if it’s at a job that you happen to need at the moment, but more forcefully if you have more leverage.

          In the tech industry, most people would laugh if you even suggested they wear a suit. Thus, a company who insisted on this would be at a huge competitive disadvantage in attracting skilled people.

          We need the rest of the employment market to adopt these same norms – forced work uniforms are a relic from a less enlightened office culture.

          Reply
        • ken kienow January 3, 2017, 11:05 pm

          Dave! There are options. Check out http://www.ministry.co (super flexible comfy suits), and I believe J.Crew makes the Ludlow suit with spandex now. Suiting is coming around – there are options you can totally ride a bike, squat, bend over, hug, etc. in totally comfortably. Still expensive, but if you MUST wear one, better to wear a comfortable one you can actually move in.

          Reply
    • Trifele January 4, 2017, 9:19 am

      Diane — Vivo Barefoot makes some dressier-looking yet comfortable shoes for walking

      Reply
      • Dave C January 4, 2017, 12:20 pm

        Thanks Ken! I checked the website out and the attire looks pretty nice. Although not dirt cheap I’d expect they’d be a lot more durable and hence be pretty competitive on a cost-per-wear basis. May have to try them out for my – *sigh* – next suit purchase.

        Aiphram – totally agree. Golf clothes seem to embody a good compromise between formal style and practicality (as you are expected go on a 4 hour walk and take golf swings whilst wearing them). Unfortunately golf pants would be pushing the envelope where I work.

        And duly noted MMM. I do work in the perhaps the most conservative of professions – law – but that’s no reason not to push for change. Cheers!

        Reply
  • Eldred December 15, 2016, 12:09 pm

    I admit, I still have to get past the inertia of “exercising for fitness” as a special action. I’d have to find stuff to DO that would incorporate more exercise. I hope to start riding my bike to work(about 10 miles) occasionally next year. But other than that and maybe walking to the grocery store, there isn’t much ‘exercise as lifestyle’ at the moment. I gotta work on that…

    Reply
  • Zach December 15, 2016, 12:29 pm

    Next time you’re traveling consider checking for a local November Project group. It’s a volunteer-led organization that leads free, year-round, early-morning outdoor bodyweight/cardio workouts suitable for people of all fitness levels from beginners to iron(wo)men with an emphasis on community-building as well as personal achievement. They’re in 31+ cities worldwide. http://november-project.com/how-to-join/

    Reply
  • Jim Wang December 15, 2016, 12:52 pm

    Two things that have helped me put on more muscle in my mid-30s was:
    1. Compound lifts – as you mention, things like a deadlift will work multiple systems, that’s been key.
    2. Increasing protein intake – I wasn’t eating enough of it. When I increased my consumption, my strength has increased with no downsides.

    Strong is good.

    Reply
  • Louise December 15, 2016, 1:08 pm

    Hi MMM,

    I noticed that you frequently forget disabled people exist in your articles about fitness! You also sometimes forget women (I noticed ERE does this too, he once claimed that anyone with a reasonable level of fitness should be able to do pull ups…now, most women who are not specifically practicing pull-ups can’t do pull-ups, even fit ones who work out regularly).

    Anyway, I wanted to comment that I have rheumatoid arthritis and would HIGHLY recommend Ballet Beautiful for a strength-building work out that is low impact. Swan Arms or either butt series will make you very sore the next day, but aren’t painful on the joints. Before I had RA, I used to go to a gym and do weightlifting, but that is no longer an option for me due to joint pain.

    Reply
  • Derek December 15, 2016, 1:37 pm

    You are looking mighty ripped in that picture on the deck. Just don’t forget leg day!

    Reply
  • Joni December 15, 2016, 2:48 pm

    I’m a baby Mustachian and a personal trainer, so this article definitely had my attention. I agree with the general advice here, and in particular that we all need to stop sitting so much. I always tell my clients that the most important things they need to do are free: walk more, go to bed by 10 and sleep a full night, floss, get enough sunshine, and drink water. My training sessions will only succeed if you commit to foundational lifestyle improvements.

    I’d like to discourage sit-ups and crunches for core work. The risk for the health of your back makes them a poor choice. See Stuart McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics, for specifics.

    Reply
  • Fort Wayne Fred December 15, 2016, 3:19 pm

    In July 2014 I just plain old stopped going to the gym because I got bored with the routine. I’ve since dipped back into it this fall, realizing I missed the workout highs. This post was a nice prompt for coming off the sidelines.

    Thanks!

    Fred

    Reply
  • Mr. Bare Face December 15, 2016, 3:29 pm

    The gym I had been a member of for many years actually influenced me to make some sustainability changes to my home that saved me money — Solatubes, for instance.

    And then they got bought out by a large beheamoth chain, my rates soared to over $100 per month, the Solatubes were ripped out — and I dropped my membership. At this point, I switched to biking as my main exercise. I then realized that with some creative routing, I could get to work safely on my bike. I lost 30 pounds of weight and given the dramatic amount of fuel I saved, I basically found an extra $200 of income per month and I didn’t even need a raise to obtain it — I just had to rethink my choices!

    Later, I discovered MMM and realized I hit jack pot.

    Reply
  • Juan Rossi December 15, 2016, 4:12 pm

    Great stuff as always MMM!
    I also think these kind of things (saving money, eating healthy and staying in shape) go together, they all require discipline to achieve.
    I’m a fan of calisthenics (because its efficient and for free) and I try to make all my friends do chinups. Last week a good friend of mine who is 55 yo was finally able to do some chinups, after a few months of cautious progression. Before that the most he ever lifted was a pair of 4 pound dumbells.
    Thanks for the great content. I’m from Brazil, that kind of information is rare around here (well, it’s rare everywhere). I’ve learnt many principles with you and try to apply them to myself and people around me.
    Best Regards,
    Juan.

    Reply
  • Imas Toner December 15, 2016, 5:22 pm

    You have to have a healthy diet and exercise to be healthy. That exercise portion must include strength training and cardio. MMM points out strength training is more effective at burning calories if you look at the big picture and I tend to agree. But let’s not forget MMM is constantly biking around town, shuffling snow, and carrying concrete for all his waking hours. Muscle is important. Cardio is important, both mentally and psychically, even if it doesn’t burn the same amount of calories long term as having more muscle mass.

    On the diet side carbs are NOT universally bad.They need to be consumed in moderation and should come from nutrient rich sources like whole foods rather than from junk food. We just need to stay away from excess carbs and sugars commonly found in processed food and soda. Breads and pasta are fine in moderation as long as they are based on whole foods and real ingredients. Fat isn’t the enemy. Yes it is very calorie dense but it is also an important part of a healthy diet. It just needs to come from the right sources.

    When it comes to meat it can be healthy if it also comes from the right sources but meat needs to be consumed in moderation. A typical western diet includes way too much meat. People justify meat by pointing out societies that eat meat and live longer than most (Blue zones I think they are called). However if you really look at those societies they don’t eat meat with every meal. In most cases meat is a special occasion thing or consumed only a few times a week. Looking even deeper you will see when meat is consumed it is rarely ate in the portions we see in the modern western diet. It is usually the side dish or just an ingredient rather than the main dish of the meal.

    I am not against meat but for those that are vegetarian or vegan I agree that meat is not needed to be healthy. There are plenty of plant based sources of fats, oils, and protein. In fact I say good for you. If we all eliminated or reduced our meat consumption I can only imagine how much healthier we and our environment would be so to all those vegetarians and vegans, thanks for doing your part.

    Bottom line is you need activity (cardio and strength training) plus the right diet (nutrient rich whole foods) to be healthy. You can’t just do one or the other and expect to be a very healthy person.

    Reply
  • Magoo December 15, 2016, 6:30 pm

    Great article. I am a kettlebell advocate. They are a great minimalist way to get in shape via time and also equipment needed. About half an hour a day of medium intensity is all that is needed. A male needs only 3 sizes to be in reasonable condition: 16 kg, 24kg, and 32kg. Pavel’s simple and sinister is a great book to start with. He keeps the intensity low so workouts are repeatable daily without extreme burn or soreness. Pavel’s and Dan John’s approaches very much fit with mustachian ideals!

    Reply
  • echochaser21 December 15, 2016, 7:56 pm

    As someone who just could not care to lift weights, whether at home or at a gym, I’m putting in a good word for rock climbing here. Yes, I pay $65/month for my climbing gym membership, but many of the movements and muscle groups mentioned in MMM’s post are covered by climbing, not to mention flexibility and endurance. It also comes in a package with a great community of people – indoors or out, climbers are generally fun, encouraging, and help each other get better!

    Reply
  • Nick December 15, 2016, 8:16 pm

    MMM, I’m really happy to read this article from someone such as yourself.
    I have long been an advocate of “eat well and lift heavy stuff to improve your health”. It’s through your blog that I’ve learned a lot about FIRE concepts, and improving my financial life and general happiness, so this article has brought two of my passions together so perfectly. :)

    One thing I’d like to add to the discussion is the importance of consuming carbs in the hour or two following an intense workout. It worries me to see people breaking down muscle and not rebuilding it with the energy spike carbs provide. And I know that a “low carb diet” doesn’t necessarily mean the person doesn’t eat carbs period, but it should be stressed that eating good foot (including carbs) after a workout is one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle. You get dangerously close to wasting your time if you lift weights and don’t eat big afterwards.

    Reply
  • AJ Gretz December 15, 2016, 8:28 pm

    One thing to add to this conversation is the way different exercise impacts the brain. Running/Cardio is not the most efficient exercise for fat loss, but it’s great for your brain – especially for those who struggle with depression/anxiety/other mental health concerns.

    This is a good read on the subject: https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113514

    Reply
  • CZ_Technically_Frugal December 15, 2016, 8:47 pm

    Hi MMM,
    there is one additional efficiency. How hi-tech and expensive bicycle do you need when you’re planning to to use it as transportation and workout at the same time? The cheapest possible of course. Does it need it has 11 gears on the back 4 on the front and weight 5 kilos, when your plan is to bike 4 kilometers and buy groceries? Of course not. One gear is enough (a few of them if your grocery shop is far away or there are really big hills on the way) and steel frame is good.

    But your low-carb diet looks similarly like very unhealthy no-carb lots-of-fat Atkinson diet. I don’t know much about diets (I have found some articles about the Atkinson diet when I have tried to find something different), but if you’re unsure you’d better check it.

    OTOH when you feel good, it’s good for you probably. People are different and one’s good diet can be another’s very bad diet. I have even heard, that there are people among us, who don’t enjoy to eat lots of vegetables :-).

    Reply
  • JoeTheHeretic December 15, 2016, 9:41 pm

    Great article as usual!

    As some of the other comments here have mentioned, mobility/flexibility training are key components of fitness as well. The following link will send you to an interesting podcast on the Tim Ferris Show that discussed strength and mobility body weight training: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/05/09/the-secrets-of-gymnastic-strength-training/

    Reply
  • Nizar December 16, 2016, 12:11 am

    MMM, have you heard of scooby1961? He’s a 50-something retired, happy and jacked fitness youtuber with multiple videos on his second channel unclescooby about what it means to be rich, how to save money for freedom, building his own airplane, etc.

    Very mustachian quality information.

    Reply
  • Collin Evans December 16, 2016, 4:08 am

    I ditched my gym about a year ago. Street fitness and parks are really awesome ways to stay in shape, especially with body-weight exercises. I think for those looking for people to workout with (and are in mid-large cities) should check out November Project. It’s really fun, and it is and will always be 100% free. After quitting the gym I worked out on my own but not having someone there led me down a path to stagnancy. If you have one in your city, check it out!http://november-project.com/

    Reply
  • Adam December 16, 2016, 4:28 am

    For the past year I’ve been training with fitnessblender.com and I really like it.

    About the fat and oils vs. carbs argument, there is a really interesting research in the Weizmann institute in Israel (and probably in other places I don’t know about). As far as I know they started by trying to understand why their is so many contradicting research in the nutrition world. With computer analysis of massive amount of raw data from past experiments they came to the conclusion that you can draw a large conclusion that will apply for most people about the right nutrition because the standard deviation is so massive and there are so many individuals that don’t fall in the bell curve. Now their trying to use these type of data analysis to find out what makes people so different. Concentrating on DNA and gut microbiota, they already starting to have success

    Reply
  • Phil December 16, 2016, 5:39 am

    I exercise 10 – 15,hora a week and was happy to hear about the free gym ideas but having been studying nutrition for some time cannot agree with your ideas. There are lots of problems that come from a diet like yours with time. They do provide immediate body changes but long term problems. Also surprised you are willing to consider the body astecticly.

    Reply
  • Justin December 16, 2016, 5:47 am

    Thanks for this post. I appreciate the posts that give you a window into the life of Mr. MM and his day to day habits. Even if you agree with the MMM philosophy, sometimes it can be difficult to figure out the details, so posts like these can be very helpful. Keep them coming!

    On that note, if you’re looking for reader suggestions, I would like to see more posts on

    1. a day in the life of the Mr. MM: daily habits, meals, exercise, and some typical activities that he fills his day with.

    2. More details on MMM family meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc. and more recipes or ideas for eating healthy. Maybe touch on the type of groceries that you consistently buy as staples to keep in the pantry, how to maximize savings and minimize wasting food bought in bulk. (a problem that some of us run into when shopping at places like Costco)

    I believe I’ve read most MMM posts, but if you’ve written on these topics in detail, perhaps I missed them.

    Reply

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