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stumpblog! stump (n.) 1. The part of a tree trunk left protruding from the ground after the tree has
fallen or has been felled.
2. Informal: a leg.
3. A short, thickset person.
4. A place or
an occasion used for political or campaign oratory: candidates out on the stump.
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Train with the Mistress: KG BootCamp
Do you want to be a ninja?
Do you want me to kick your ass?
Do you want to meet other hardcore grrls?
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!
I'm running a two-week morning boot camp for women from December 1-12 in Toronto. We'll teach the basics of bodyweight exercises, striking and grappling, with a focus on fitness and conditioning. Classes will run Monday-Wednesday-Friday, 7-8 am, at Yonge and Bloor.
Sign up here... if you're not too much of a wimp, that is.*
*Actually beginners and wimps are welcome, as are sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, and dickheads. Even ninjas have to start somewhere.
Posted: November 17, 2008 10:50 am
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Vol 2 of Spezzatino now available!
So everyone is all like "Hey Krista, what the hell are you doing with yourself" and I'm all like "D00d, I'm making a magazine and it's for a fabulous charity" and they're all like "WOW! How can I get that magazine 'cause that looks freaking awesome!" and I'm all like go here now and sign up!
(And then if you love food and writing/taking pictures of it, you will email me and be all like "D00d I totally want to write and take pictures of food for your magazine!" and I'll be all like "YEAH!")
Posted: November 17, 2008 10:42 am
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NOM NOM NOM: Mindless Eating
Most of us don’t overeat because we’re hungry. We overeat because of family and friends, packages and plates, names and numbers, labels and lights, colors and candles, shapes and smells, distractions and distances, cupboards and containers.
Our studies show that the average person makes around 250 decisions about food every day – breakfast or no breakfast? Pop-tart or bagel? Part of it or all of it? Kitchen or car? Yet out of these 200+ food decisions, most we cannot really explain. Mindless Eating shows what these decisions are and how to make them work for you rather than against you.
Posted: October 21, 2008 12:00 pm
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Stumptuous reader does pullup. Awesomeness ensues.
Please join me in helping site reader Katie celebrate her first pullup!! I love the "Yeehaw" and goofy grin at the end.
Video
I think it's time to start the Stumptuous Hall O' Pullup Fame. If you have vids of your pullup prowess, please send them along!
Posted: October 19, 2008 8:30 am
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Research roundup: reporting
The October 2008 issue of Statistics Canada's
Health Reports examines the problem of under-reporting of food intake. It reinforces my contention that people are not good at all about accurately guesstimating what they're eating (and that goes for me too!). If in doubt, measure and write it down!
Also, just as many parents are convinced that their child is an adorable genius rather than just another sticky-faced mouth-breather, they're also not very good at correctly estimating their child's healthy body size, as
a new study reports.
Posted: October 17, 2008 3:49 pm
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Get stronger, live forever
A study that followed nearly 9000 men for over 18 years found that even after controlling for factors like high cholesterol, fatness, smoking and blood pressure, muscular strength was inversely related to risk of premature death from cancer or heart disease. In other words, the stronger you are, the less likely you are to die. Unfortunately the risk of dying is still eventually 100% but at least you can procrastinate a bit.
More...
Posted: October 11, 2008 6:54 am
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First Lady of Calisthenics Kingz
Calisthenics Kingz are known for their amazing pull-up routines. Till now it's always been pretty much a boy's club. But now, the First Lady of CK busts it out.
Video
Posted: October 11, 2008 6:41 am
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Fitness meets feminism
A very nice writeup of Stumptuous.com was recently published on MedHunters.
I have a strong suspicion it's the first time the word "feminism" has been laid on the fine folks at MedHunters.com. Happy to make their maiden voyage an exciting one!
Posted: September 28, 2008 5:05 pm
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Virtual Olympic weightlifting meet
Feel like testing your mettle but don't live anywhere near, say, Beijing? Why not throw a few cleans or snatches around at a virtual meet?
Virtualmeet.net is hosting an Olympic weightlifting event on October 4th. Polish up the webcam, dust off the bumpers, and let 'er rip!
Posted: September 28, 2008 5:01 pm
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Adventures in Iceland
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In case you wondered why things have been quiet on the blog... I've just flown back from a couple of weeks in Iceland and Norway, and boy are my arms tired. Coincidentally, strength coach Steve Maxwell also visited recently, and his stories of manly exploits on the Viking shores are much more relevant.
Fearless feats of manhood in Iceland
Natural wonders of Iceland wrap-up
However, why not enjoy a few of my Flickr photos of Iceland and Norway anyway? One thing you may notice is that Steve and I share an orientation towards "active vacations". There's no reason why a vacation should become a sloth marathon (slothathon? marathloth?). Sure, it's great to spend a day or two sitting on your tuchas sipping a coconut drink. But why not include some hiking, cycling, climbing etc. as well? This will help cut down on the dreaded vacation fat gain and keep you feeling energized (and it will sure help reduce the post-vacation return to workout trauma). You'll also see in the first few vacation photos that I rented an apartment in Iceland instead of staying at a hotel. This was great, because it meant that I could shop for groceries and cook my own food most of the time, rather than having to rely on pricey, possibly junky restaurant food. There's lots of super restaurant food in Iceland of course, such as the remarkable hidden gem Lindin in a tiny lakeside town of Laugarvatn near Thingvellir, but having the option makes life much easier.
Posted: September 16, 2008 5:27 am
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Plastic surgeons discover yet another thing wrong with you
Even as many of us yearn to wear the sheer, body-hugging fashions available today, we are stopped by our rear reflection and the sight of dreaded back fat rolls and lumps. A study published in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), reveals a new back lift procedure that removes these unsightly bumps and bulges while hiding the scar under the bra line.
"For many patients - even the very fit ones, such as an aerobics instructor - the upper to mid-line back where the rolls and bulges form was very frustrating," said senior author Joseph Hunstad, MD and ASPS Member Surgeon. "This redundancy of skin occurs generally from aging and cannot be exercised away. For those who desire to wear form-fitting outfits, this procedure eliminates the problem."
More...
Ha ha ha! And you were worried about the body parts you could actually see! Just imagine the horror that is lurking, say, inside your ear! Or perhaps you have an inner buttcrack that could be corrected? (Don't worry if you can't see them. Just trust us. We're doctors.)
Posted: September 16, 2008 4:59 am
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Plea for backflip on cartwheel ban
A Queensland primary school has been asked to consider doing a backflip after banning cartwheels and handstand.
Cali Buschgens, 10, was reportedly reprimanded after she was cartwheeling at her school, Belgian Gardens State School in Townsville, ABC reported.
The school has banned unsupervised "handstands, cartwheels and other gymnastic movements" during breaks.
More...
Posted: August 26, 2008 6:39 am
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Announcing Spezzatino!
You may have wondered why things have been a little quiet lately on Stumptuous. That's 'cause I'm thrilled to announce the launch of my new food magazine,
Spezzatino. What's Spezzatino, you ask? Why, it's a fun, fascinating food magazine and a way to help alleviate hunger by contributing to the Healthy Food Bank. (You'll have to check out the first issue to find out what Spezzatino is... :))
If you're into food and want to help out, check out how to get involved!
I'm looking for contributors (writing and food photography) to volunteer for upcoming issues as well. Email me at krista@healthyfoodbank.com and let's talk!
Posted: August 25, 2008 5:29 pm
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This is what 50 looks like
Big hugs and fist bumps to my client L who turned 50 this week. L took on the challenge of being fitter and healthier in the last year, and is thrilled to be entering her 50s as a newly minted runner and powerlifter. She's made amazing progress and I'm sure by the time 51 rolls around she'll be nearly a ninja. Here's the cake her family made for her, which I just had to share. It's a barbell!!
Posted: August 22, 2008 2:52 pm
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Woodstock strong(wo)man event result
The organizer of the Aug 16th Woodstock strong(wo)man contest I advertised a while back has kindly sent me the contest results. Congratulations to first place finisher Samantha Turcotte, who put in the following stellar performance:
Farmers' walk, 150' course, 121 lbs per hand: 33.03 seconds
Log press, 75 lb log: 15 reps
Carry and drag: 40.97 seconds
400 lb tire flip: 55' 10"
Big high fives to the other eight women who competed as well -- great to see such a super turnout and display of hardcoreitude.
Posted: August 22, 2008 11:06 am
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Speaking of sport specialization...
One great example of the importance of finding a sport to fit your body type is the majestic gold medal discus thrower Stephanie Brown Trafton, who is 6'4" and 225 lbs. Although somewhat taller than the average discus thrower, clearly those long limbs go a long way! Ironically, Trafton was originally inspired by the tiny Mary Lou Retton, but just kept on growing -- ending up just a wee big too big (ok, a lot too big, and by the standards of Chinese sport administration, about 15 years too old) for gymnastics. Rock on, Amazon!
NYT coverage
Trafton's blog
Posted: August 22, 2008 10:57 am
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More on Melanie Roach
For fans of Melanie Roach, a couple of articles.
Lifter profile
Melanie's story
Posted: August 22, 2008 5:48 am
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Bodies of Work
One thing people often fail to appreciate is that different bodies are specialized for different activities. Sure, you can do a sport for which your body isn't ideally suited (I like running, which is supposedly verboten for wide-hipped girls, although come to think of it I did loathe ballet), but you may also find that you thrive in sports that match your body type. This graphic from the NYT also shows that a variety of body types can be "fit". (Looks like I'm destined for track cycling.)
More...
Posted: August 22, 2008 5:44 am
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When exercise doesn't work
Get ready for your world to be rocked: Exercise, alone, without dietary modifications, doesn't make much difference to body composition. That's right, people. If you want to add muscle and/or lose fat, you need to get off the Doritos even if you're getting on the Stairmaster regularly. With exercise alone, you'll get fitter, you'll get stronger, you'll get faster... but if you don't improve your nutrition, you will not get leaner or more muscular.
Straight data dope from Precision Nutrition. Love exercise is not enough!
Posted: August 18, 2008 1:04 pm
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So close, yet so far
From the always-hilarious
Failblog.
Posted: August 13, 2008 6:22 am
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