We have HUGE POWER thanks to modern technology.

We can outsource a lot of necessary tasks to your advantage. Score!

However, no one talks about the unintended COSTS of outsourcing, and it steals our life. Let’s look at an example

Delivery vs. Cooking at home

In both examples, you can easily identify the costs and benefits.

Delivery

Benefits: Time saved, pro chef prepared

Cost: Disconnected from food process and culture, more expensive

Cooking at home

Benefit: More connected to process, chance to share process with others (“put love” into food). Building a skill, Less expensive

Cost: More time

Granted, I ordered a pizza last week (and it was delicious). This isn’t about labeling things as “good” or “bad” it’s about objectively being aware of the costs and benefits. It is pretty easy to make an argument for delivery food considering it is absolutely more time efficient. I’ve certainly said (and heard) many times that time is our most precious (and non-replenishing) resource. If that’s true, delivery food is the clear winner.

Conversely, you could argue for the home-cooked meal’s superiority. What is life? We are food. Sharing and preparing food is something that has been bred into us for eons. Imagine what the concept of sharing meal was like for your ancestors in the 1950s, 1500s, or even 100,000 years ago. Many of them probably had to cooperate in a group to physically kill something right beforehand.

Losing our connection to food would be like losing our connection to life itself. If food becomes simply about calories and nutrients, we lose part of the culture that makes us human beings.

It’s ok, I’m not sure either. Find your balance of how much efficiency you want to squeeze out of “mealtime” in your life, and how much you want to bake cookies from scratch with/for your friends.

You can make the same connection with exercise.

Exercise is an investment in your future that (hopefully) also feels good while you do it.

3 Feels Test

My now-famous “3 feels test” is a dead-simple way to mindfully navigate toward your most constructive behaviors.

Simply ask yourself: Did you look forward to it? Did it feel good? How do you feel after/later?

Choosing the right plan and adopting an attitude of savory can completely change the way you look forward to your movement practice.

Efficiency and Effectiveness

And what about maximizing efficiency and effectiveness? I’ve spent a LOT of time chasing that dragon, AND it led to some of my most powerful discoveries about training.

One thing I discovered while developing the Ultimate Athleticism program was the effectiveness and efficiency of time-blocks and non-competing supersets.

Two common time blocks with advanced movement progressions, for example:

15-30 minutes:
L-Sit to Handstand
Deadlift
Supine Leg Raise with Rotation

15-30 minutes:
Front Lever
Airborne Lunge
Side Plank leg Raise

By also choosing high-payoff exercises (can carryover to greater overall skillset), you increase the effectiveness (overall strength/skill improvement). For example, military presses are easy if you are good at handstands, but the carryover the other way is minimal.

Lastly, you add the “primers” (mobility or activation exercises) as an additional “active rest” layer which simultaneously primes your body to better perform the primary strength exercises.

Basically, you get to have it all, and the time investment is surprisingly small.

Ultimately, it’s always up to you to prioritize where you direct your energy.

And how you use these calories (energy) over time is your life. Consider the mental frame of using time with the sole purpose of burning off (wasting) energy.

Interestingly, the alleged “best” workouts of modern times are the ones that burn off the MOST ENERGY in the LEAST TIME. If you could find a way to burn off 2000 calories in 30 minutes with no effort you’d be a billionaire overnight.

Efficiency and effectiveness were the “North Star” that, over the course of 3 years, forged what is now the Ultimate Athleticism 2-Day Video Course. It was all about maximum benefit for minimum effort.

Improving results, and decreasing time invested are the most important factors in training. We all want more for less. Me too!

While the UA Workshop Video Course does contain the most valuable strength and mobility enhancing, time-saving strategies and tactics for training—I realized that’s actually not the only end-goal.

Yes, you want to use those tools and strategies, because it will boost your results and decrease the amount of time you need to invest—without question. In fact, I use them all the time to make my practice more effective, easier, and safer.

HOWEVER, the highest form of training is a savory practice.

Do you approach your movement the same way a retired person might practice painting?

He’s not looking to hustle in and out of the painting-room or burn up the most paint and cover the most canvas in the least amount of time.

Keeping a fresh, open mind with a playful attitude is key. Progressively focusing on greater details and increasing your challenges are powerful ways to keep loving the game and improving.

As someone who clearly prioritizes their health and happiness, I want YOU to be able to experience this “training nirvana” on a regular basis. All it takes is the right mental framework, which is, of course, the most challenging thing to change.

That’s why these emails always include helpful strategies and tactics to more easily weave healthy movement into your modern life.

“Life is moving food.” -Me

Making movement and food a deep and meaningful part of your life is a valuable way to improve your sense of self and find your natural center. Share these two processes with others and you have yourself a tribe based on shared values and mutual advantage.

Approaching your daily (yes every day) movement practice with an open mind and savory attitude will literally change how you spend your life (time+calories).

There’s a time to “get it done” and crank out a #5minuteflow followed by burpees and sprints before dinner when you’ve been busy all day, but if you never take the time to savor your movement (or your food) then I think you’re missing a big part of what makes life grand.

Consider not just the benefit, but also the cost of outsourcing parts of your life. Does it make sense to outsource the fun stuff?

One way I’m planning to promote this philosophy and practice with food and movement is with the 1st Annual Legs and Eggs Extravaganza. It’s simple:

• 1 Hour Teaching+Practice all about how to make your legs into lifelong athletic springs
• 1 Hour Teaching, Preparing + Eating of food based around the ever-versatile egg, taught and prepared by professional chef Anders.
• 50% of all proceeds to go Feeding San Diego

If you’re in Southern CA join us at Ambition Athletics on Dec 22nd at 10am, spots are limited.

Enjoy the game,
-Max