Happy 2018, weirdos!

I’m just now realizing I haven’t done a FFF since before Thanksgiving.

Pitiful.

All that’s really important, though, is that we’re back in action and about to hit the new year harder than me hitting a Marco’s pizza when I don’t think anyone is looking. When I do the year’s first Weekly Thing next week, I’ll do a more full-on update for where I am physically, emotionally, etc. but for now, let’s check out some of the rad shit I’ve found since being back in Knoxville with nothing pulling me away:

• I’m Done with Back Squats. Here’s Why. from John Romaniello via Roman Fitness Systems
  Roman is a big inspiration for my fitness writing. The dude is definitely qualified and has plenty of experience to back up his certifications. That said, he’s also not afraid to call out a bullshit program or diet; he’s also not afraid to admit that a good portion of why we’re gym rats is because we want to look pretty. Nothing wrong with that! This week, Roman posted a pretty rad piece that could have easily had him tied to the stake and burned alive by bros across the globe — he’s no longer doing back squats. GASP! If you hate squats, I wouldn’t suggest reading this article with hopes of justifying your desire to skip the exercise; rather, everyone working through a program (or looking for a program) could benefit from his reasoning here: Don’t like it or don’t feel like it’s benefitting you? Don’t do it. I use the same philosophy with diet. I believe one should never eat anything they don’t want to eat — therefore it follows that one should also not do an exercise they don’t want to do. Even if it’s one of the “Big Three.”

  But again — don’t take this as your excuse to skip legs all together. Roman definitely isn’t skipping legs and neither should you be.

• 16 Gym Etiquette Rules That People Often Break by Linda Melone via LiveStrong
  I think I posted something similar to this last year but it’s worth repeating every year (or more often, actually). With so many newbies cramping the gyms this time of year, it goes without saying that learning proper gym etiquette is just as important as learning proper squat form and not being a “lunk.” Topics 1, 3, 6 and 13 are hot topics for me, personally, though I’ll have to admit that I push the limits of number 4 on the regular.
   
• Skinny Enchilada Casserole Recipe from Kim’s Cravings via MyFitnessPal
  I have a love/hate with MyFitnessPal but they sent me a couple of great recipes this week that I can’t wait to try for a weekly meal prep. This enchilada casserole is packed with everything you’d want in a Mexican-esque treat, seems incredibly easy to prepare and is incredibly macro friendly. Says servings = 6 but I’m thinking more like 3 for a guy like me.
   
• Slow-Cooker Irish Beef Stew Recipe from Cook Smarts via MyFitnessPal
  MyFitnessPal back at it with a slow cooker meal that looks heavenly and oh-so Viking. Beef stew meat + root vegetables were made for the slow cooker and you get the added benefit of cooking with beer and red wine (what you do with the reserved liquid is none of mine or anyone else’s business). A little effort and 7 hours later you’ve got 4 servings (I’d say two but 2 cups is a lot of stew, even for a viking) that’s high in protein and reasonable in fat and carbs.
   
• Brutal Landmine Complex from Ben Bruno
  We’ve been talking a lot about Landmine variants in the gym lately, implementing them in row form for the last few Weekend Winter Weightlifting sessions. I’m going to be including some Landmine Thrusters into my new program (that I’ll detail next week) but I found this killer complex of Landmine moves that would be a perfect full-body burn out to add to the end of any workout.
   
• Mittwork with the Best Trainers in LA from Train with PJ
  If any of my boxing friends are reading this — I want to do this with y’all when it’s not a frozen tundra outside:
  
• Fed And Fit
  I recently started following Fed and Fit but admittedly haven’t found a lot of content I wanted to share … until today! Cassy has released a free e-book called Cook Once, Eat All Week that she’s breaking down into daily posts. I think this is brilliant and it’s a super easy-to-follow how-to for people who are just getting into the meal-prep world or simply don’t have a lot of time to eat healthy. This week she started with this base recipe that includes potatoes, kale and ground beef. She’s then used these pre-made ingredients to make BBQ Bacon Burger Loaded Potatoes (4 servings), Taco Breakfast Hash (6 servings) and Veggie-Loaded Shepherd’s Pie (4-6 Servings). It’s delicious, nutritious and so incredibly simple.

Music to Lift Heavy To

I went on a road trip back in December to get my head straight while I work through this divorce. I saw a lot of cool shit, got four new tattoos, ate some pretty good food, saw some old (and made some new) friends and listened to a lot of great music. One of the jams I came across was this little dude that came out in 2007. I’ve never listened to Every Time I Die but Spotify tricked me into listening to them by feeding me this jam and I’ve been in love ever since. He’s singing about being a party animal, but with lyrics like In the wild kingdom – you don’t live ’til you’re ready to die and I never thought it would take — I had thick blood and cynical skin — so where are you supposed to escape when the creature is lurking inside you? how are you NOT supposed to lift heavier than ever before?