Friday Thoughts 115
Greetings! Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share what’s been on my mind this week. Let’s get into it.
Big Sports Weekend
I know the Super Bowl is this weekend—but so are the Winter Olympics.
I used to be a hardcore sports fan, but I’ve been mostly out on sports spectating for over a decade. The Olympics a couple summers ago reignited my interest, especially because of the unique events we don’t get to see very often. I’m excited to tune in over the next couple of weeks, and I’m especially fired up to watch some hockey.
As for the Super Bowl—our kindergartner is all-in on the Patriots because they’ve been talking about them at school. So we’ll be tuning in, at least for a bit. It’s been a nice reminder of how sports can bring us together.
Sound the Lunk Alarm
I heard a rumor about a year ago, and a recent video confirmed it: Planet Fitness appears to be walking back their old “lunkhead” messaging—you know, the whole idea that they’re “not a gym,” and that gyms are full of mindless meatheads.
They no longer seem interested in bad-mouthing free weights—heavy ones included. And that makes sense. The benefits of lifting weights are hard to argue with. Strength training is no longer niche; it’s mainstream.
Planet Fitness appears to be adapting, outfitting their spaces with more barbells, bumper plates, squat racks, and platforms. In other words, they’re starting to look a little more like GAIN.
February Challenge
This month’s challenge is an endurance test on the Concept2 BikeErg.
Every 2 minutes:
Complete 16 calories
Add +2 calories each round
It starts off very manageable, with plenty of time to finish the work and rest in the remaining window. But as the calories climb, the rest shrinks. You’re doing more work with less recovery each round—and that’s what makes it beautiful.
We ran this exact structure on the rower back in November 2022. The longer you last, the more your heart rate creeps up as recovery disappears. See my HR graph below.
I made it through the 34-calorie round back then. I’m expecting to push a little further on the bike.
Give this one a try anytime this month—especially as a swap for an interval day.
AirBike 2 Mile Test Data
Check out the data Mike Boyle and Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning have collected on the 2-mile AirBike test—one that many of us took on back in November.
The results are age-adjusted, based on times from their client population, and the takeaway is simple:
Some of you are pretty freaking fast.
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
—Justin Miner