Shovel Smart, Exercise in the Afternoon, and Pure Leg Strength

Well ladies and gentlemen, it is that time.  No, it’s not Christmas morning yet.  Instead,  it’s time to share a few good articles I’ve come across during the past
week.  My mistake if you were expecting
another, expertly penned blog post by myself, but I find that sharing a few
other articles breaks up the monotony of my own voice.

First up, and obviously most important, is the fact
that Gangnam Style made YouTube history this weekend, becoming the first video
to ever eclipse 1 billion views!  While I
won’t drop the video into this blog post, you can always click here to relive
the glory.

Next is an article from the New York Times that’s good news to all of you that can’t seem to get out of bed for those early morning
workouts.  There is some evidence to
suggest that, for some people, the later afternoon may be the best time to
exercise.  

The bad news? 
I’ll still call you lazy if you hit the snooze button 17 times and
decide to skip a workout.  The good
news?  In light of this new evidence, maybe
I’ll feel bad about it. Maybe.

Why Afternoon May be the Best Time to Exercise

Next up is a real “meathead” article written by
Ben Bruno on T-Nation.  I’ve had the
privilege of working with Ben for the past few months, and not only is he one
great coach, he’s an insanely strong dude. 
This article is all about leg training, and I really enjoyed reading it because it’s often how I train myself.

Is Your Leg Strength Up to Snuff?

As the Midwest has
already received a pretty big blow from the first big winter storm, here’s a
great tip from Dr. Stuart McGill on shoveling. 
He teaches the proper way to hip hinge, which is a way to save your lower back
when you need to dig yourself out.

Shovel Smart

Lastly, I wanted to share another squatting anthem
for the rest of the week.  This song is a bit more timely to this period of the year, because after all, ‘tis the season…of
squatting: