Mark's Daily Apple

The Sledgehammer Workout

Next time you’re in the vicinity of a hardware store, stop in and ask for the sledgehammers. They are a relatively cheap, easy way to get an effective Primal workout. Building your own exercise equipment is fun and satisfying (and inexpensive) in its own way, but sometimes you just want a simple, over the counter alternative. We aren’t all DIY types, after all. It fits the general criteria for Primal workouts: natural movements that engage the entire body in a full range of motion; heavy thing on stick that can withstand vigorous pounding. Men and women have been working with large hammers for millennia, as tools of work and of war. Smashing things with heavy objects is in our blood.

The best part about the sledgehammer workout is that it doesn’t really seem like work. It takes me back to childhood when, for whatever reason, I’d often wander around the countryside interacting with the environment in various (and sometimes destructive) ways. Throw rocks and logs into ponds (nothing better than a big splash on an empty, tranquil lake), smash rocks together or against tree trunks, test out my boxing skills on whichever tree had relatively soft bark. Just the pure, uninhibited release of bottled up boyish energy.

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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The Savagely Effective Mace

I once said that the most Primal piece of exercise equipment was the clubbell, but I think I may have been wrong – I was forgetting all about the mace.

Rather than fend off purse-snatchers and kidnappers (like the one to the right might do), the mace we’re interested in fends off muscle atrophy (although I suppose you could use it as a weapon). Its appearance is jarring and rather clumsy, our dexterous manipulation of it even more so. That’s the point, though. It’s supposed to be difficult to handle. Just like the kettlebell, the sandbag, and the slosh tube, the effectiveness of the mace workout relies upon the grossly uneven weight distribution of the equipment. This is especially pronounced in the mace, which boasts both a long shaft and a lack of counterbalance. As a result, your workout options with the mace are a bit limited – but this isn’t a strike against it. It’s actually one of the benefits, since the relatively simple, basic movements of the mace offer a well-rounded, comprehensive workout for your body without a whole lot of fuss.

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle

So you wanna put on some lean muscle mass. And you want to do it within the context of the Primal Blueprint, but aren’t sure where to start. It’s a common question and it’s about time I addressed it head on.

As I’ve made pretty clear, our ultimate goal is to achieve positive gene expression, functional strength, optimum health, and extended longevity. In other words: To make the most out of the particular gene set you inherited. These are my end goals, and I’ve modeled the PB Laws with them in mind. But that doesn’t mean packing on extra muscle can’t happen with additional input. After I retired from a life of chronic cardio and started living Primally, I added 15 pounds of muscle, while keeping low body fat levels without really trying, so it’s absolutely possible for a hardgainer to gain some. The question is how much and at what expense?

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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Dear Mark: Freezer Essentials

Dear Mark,

Your website inspired me to join a CSA this year, and I’ve been frequenting a local farmers’ market since May. I absolutely love all the produce selections, but this has me thinking that come late fall/winter I’m going to feel pretty limited by what’s usually available (and affordable) in the grocery store. (I live in the Northern Plains.) I’d like to begin thinking about freezing some items to enjoy them post-season. What tips do you have for doing this? Thank you!

Thanks for the timely question. I’ve actually gotten similar inquiries from a few readers this week. Yes, we’re rounding the corner on June if you can believe it. It’s a great time of year for taking advantage of the variety – try some new items, find new recipes for old favorites. (Anybody wanna share new discoveries?) However, as incredible as it is to enjoy fresh veggies and fruits now, it’s smart to look ahead to the “scarcer” months. One of the best ways to carry over the season’s best, of course, is freezing. (Grok would’ve traded a lot of hides for a deep freeze chest….) As you load up on summer produce, here are a few suggestions (and resources) for best freezer prep and storage.

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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The Primal Blueprint Guide to Dining Out

Primal living in a decidedly modern world is mostly awesome, but there are difficult moments we’ve all faced. Things like having to explain the jar of coconut oil and greasy spoon we keep at our office desks, or facing the strange looks we get when doing lunges down the street, pull-ups on tree branches, box jumps on park benches, and overhead presses with our pre-adolescent children – those little moments where you and everyone around you suddenly realize that maybe you’re just slightly different from the “norm.” A bit off, as it were. Of course, we often pride ourselves on our individualism, on our constant skepticism of Conventional Wisdom (especially diet- and fitness-related). If I wasn’t different (or at least willing to consider alternative viewpoints), I might never have questioned the bread-and-ice-cream-fueled chronic cardio way of life that was killing me. If you guys weren’t inherent skeptics, you probably never would have found your way to my blog. If a guy like Sterling scoffed at the supposed preposterousness of eating fat to lose fat, he’d probably still be unhealthy.

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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