Sweaty Saunas, So Much Bacon, and Six Additions to My LA Story

From the East Coast to the West, to say life has changed a little before me in the last month would be an understatement. Well for one there’s that 3 hour time difference. Breaks in my day have gone from strolls around the cobble streets of SoHo with honking taxis to the sandy beaches of Santa Monica with crashing waves. My weekends consist of hikes with amazing panoramic views and trips to the farmer markets.

 

 

However, here are 6 additions to my life that I believe you all can benefit from:

 

1. Sweat Some: Infrared Sauna

 

Call me crazy, but I spend a lot of quality time in a wooden box. You can find me in this confined space, sweating as much as humanly possible about two to three times a week. Usually right after my workout. And yes, it’s all by choice.

It’s like a grown up time out. Without the punishment.

I have made trips to the infrared sauna part of my weekly schedule after learning of all the associated benefits with the hot box. Specifically for recovery purposes.

That is, a modest 30 percent increase in recovery.

Compared to a regular sauna where the air is heated to warm your body, the infrared type uses light to produce heat. In return, your body’s temperature is directly increased without warming the air around you. So the infrared sauna is normal 120-130 degrees compared to the upper hundreds (150-175).

This causes less stress to the system as whole. From personal experience, I definitely don’t feel as drained leaving a twenty or thirty minute session.

• DETOXIFICATION Sweat does the body good. It is our natural and safe way to remove toxins from the body and heal. The infrared sauna aids that process by elevating the body’s core temperature at the cellular level. This is exactly where toxins reside and in doing so, the process will allow detoxification. And it works. After a night of enjoying a glass or two of wine, I sweat a hell of a lot more compared to a sober weekday.

• RELEASE OF GROWTH HORMONE 
• IMPROVED CIRCULATION
• ANTI-AGING and CELL HEALTH
• RELAXATION (perfect opportunity to cool down, meditate, and focus on breathing)

One other tip when using the infrared sauna:

• Bring in a roll of paper towel instead of a regular cloth towel. Use the paper towel to wipe the sweat off your body then throw the towel outside of the sauna. This will make sure that the toxic chemicals and metals are not reabsorbed by the body.

 

2. Get Some: Headspace

In the past, I have had a really difficult time trying to create the habit of meditating every day. Yes, I’m admitting my faults. I would always find an excuse. Not enough time always seemed to come to the forefront. I knew all the benefits from mental clarity to entering a parasympathetic state.

But now that I look back at it, we always have enough time. It’s what we prioritize in each day’s 24 hours. And seriously, what’s ten minutes of your day.

Headspace and the damn irresistibly calming voice of Andy Puddicombe (also a California resident) has been a game changer in finally getting me to sit down, put my headphones on, and make meditation part of my daily routine.

I had downloaded this free app three times in the past. Only to delete it for space to take more pictures and add more music to my workout playlist. (By the way, is there ever enough room on your iPhone?)

So after many attempts and failures, I finally began the guided meditation and haven’t looked back since.

I actually do a lot of my meditation in the infrared sauna mentioned above. Although I am just a newbie, the practice is teaching me to be in the present moment and focus on one thing at a time.

Something that can be very challenge when your mind goes 110 miles per hour and lacks the breaks at times.

The meditation with Headspace also sets up a perfect opportunity to work on my breathing patterns so it has a large integration within the 10 minute practice.

Do yourself a favor, download the app, and give it a go!

 

3. Hear Some: Podcasts

Even though I’m not the biggest fan of sitting in traffic (who is?!), I do happen to like the confinement of my own car a lot better than that of the Big Apple’s public transportation of subways and the MetroNorth Railroad.

So since I spend a lot more of my day seated behind a steering wheel, I have found ways to utilize the time.

The first of them is phone calls to my family and friends back home on the East Coast.

The second, and another reason why you can never have enough space on your iPhone, is podcasts.

As with meditation, listening to these podcasts was always put on the back burner. Now I prioritize downloading them.

Here are my three favorite right now:

 

The Joe Rogan Experience

Renegade Radio with Jay Ferruggia

The Strength Coach Podcast

 

But I’m on the search for more so share yours in the comment section!

 

4. Take Some: Melatonin

 

4 a.m.

Ryan and I are convinced nothing good ever happens at this time of the day.

You are either out way too late or you’re up way too earlier.

Basically, this time of the day just shouldn’t exist. OK, maybe only to go on vacation. One exception to the rule.
5 years later of consistently waking up at this time, 5 days a week can make you truly appreciate being able to sleep in.

So being on the West Coast, I have taken full advantage of the lifestyle – let’s just say that is a little bit more relaxed – and some good quality shut eye.

As we age, our natural production of melatonin inversely declines. Add in constant exposure to artificial (blue) light from technology like our phones, computers, and even though clock on your cable box, the secretion of melatonin is constantly being depressed.

To combat the inevitable of age and exposure to blue light, I have been experimenting with a low dosage (3 to 6 mg) of melatonin to increase my quality of sleep.

(Warning: Consult your doctor or a health care practitioner before supplementing with melatonin.)

And so far, I have had some profound effects from doing so. On top of feeling more energized through out my day, I seem to have more mental clarity and my body is recovering faster between workouts.

The infrared sauna, meditation with Headspace, and melatonin seem to be an pretty damn effective trio for recovery and getting into a parasympathetic state.

 

5. Eat Some: Bacon

Nothing truly new here except consuming more of this guilty pleasure. However, it isn’t so guilty and my love for it’s umami flavor has grown to unquestionably new heights.

Ah the fifth flavor!

The reason: grass fed bacon.

From the farmer markets and numerous local sources surrounding Los Angeles, a few slices of bacon have become a staple on my breakfast plate. So I urge you to go out and find a local farm or a butcher that does the work for you and stock up on some bacon along with other quality meats.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Do Some: HEAVY Ass Farmer Walks

Yesterday marks that I am 12 weeks post-op from a repaired shoulder labrum.

Knock on wood, my recovery has been nothing less than phenomenal. A special thanks to my crew, Connor Ryan and Joe Pergine, at Drive495 back in NYC. I’ll touch base more on this in another post.

Like Charlie Weingroff always says, Training equals Rehab (and vice versa).

So as I ramp up my training and get back to doing almost everything – some things with caution – I have developed a love-hate relationship with heavy ass farmer walks. Specifically with these special handles in the picture below.

These, along with a 30 meter track (ONE WAY!), have been kicking my ass. They allow me to use a lot more weight than a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells plus require a ton more stability since the weight is further away from your own center of gravity.

And to make it even harder, the core has to really kick and stabilize when turning these bad boys around. If you ever get a chance to get your hands on these, please give them a go!

 

 

So there you have it.

Those are the 6 things that are rocking my socks off over on the West Coast. What about you?

Post something that is making you better in the comment section below. If we get more than 25 comments, we will personally send you one person a pound of this amazing bacon.

Deal?!