Chunking up vs chunking down (My KISS LIST included)

For those not familiar with this term chunking up refers to more general ideas and information and chunking down means honing in on specific recommendations. 

The problem with the fitness industry and many others for that fact is that they spend all their time chunking down onto specific recommendations. 

  • What’s the best creatine monohydrate or HCL?
  • Is Wendler 5,3,1 a solid program for strength? 
  • Should I be taking sulforaphane as a supplement? 
  • Is 17 minutes at 42 degrees a hot enough sauna for a hormetic response? 

The fact is that the answers to those questions more than likely don’t even matter. Let me qualify that for you. 

Most people think they are advanced when the truth is they are still just beginners. 

  • Please don’t ask me about what the best type of creatine is until you are consistently eating vegetables with every meal 
  • Please don’t ask me what the best strength program is until you have been lifting at least 3 x per week for a year. 
  • Please don’t ask me about supplements until you show me that you’re not consuming half your diet from processed crap 
  • Please don’t ask me about sauna temperature until actually you are having a sauna on a regular basis. 

Hopefully you get my point here. Do the basics, keep shit simple and rinse and repeat for the rest of your life. 

Here is a list of some of the basics I think would serve everyone well. This list is going to contain fitness, nutrition, financial and general lifestyle ideas. This is the kind of list that I tell my kids (not sure if they are listening but hopefully it will sink in one day 🙂 

  • Wear a seatbelt 
  • Learn to fall and get up again 
  • Walk everyday 
  • Fast once in a while 
  • Don’t get into debt 
  • Save money for a rainy day 
  • Pay yourself first and always save at least 10% of your earnings 
  • Buy organic 
  • Know that you vote with your dollar 
  • Choose wisely when it comes to matters of the heart 
  • Lift heavy things 
  • Eat plants and animals 
  • Get sunshine everyday that it’s there 
  • Sleep like you’re in a Bear’s cave 
  • Climb trees (even if you’re an adult) 
  • Play 
  • Hang 
  • Move frequently 
  • If it comes out of a box you probably shouldn’t eat it 
  • Listen to music you love 
  • Dance like nobody’s watching 
  • Sing like nobody’s listening 
  • Hug your wife and kids every day 
  • Make time for laughter everyday 
  • Read books 
  • Read classical books 
  • Live in a city for at least some of your life 
  • Live in the countryside at least some of your life 
  • Don’t live on social media, the real world is better 
  • Spend time barefoot daily 
  • Get your jiggy jiggy on often (I don’t tell my kids this just yet 🙂 
  • Spend time in nature at least once a week. Once a day is better
  • Floss 
  • Get a dental check up at least every 6 months 
  • Look after your friends. The older you get the more you need them 

I’m sure there are many more but here are a few I can think of right now. Interestingly writing this reminds me of one of my favourite Youtube videos. 

The funny thing is that I couldn’t agree with Baz Lahrmann with the exception of the sunscreen 😉