The Digest Issue #16


Getting Ripped vs. Getting StrongGetting Ripped vs. Getting Strong

The Art of Manliness | Brett McKay

I’m going to lay some hard truth on you here: Despite what the internet or that dude-bro at the gym might say, you cannot get both super lean and super strong at the same time. They are goals that are diametrically opposed to each other.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying you can’t be shredded and strong. There are lots of men out there who have 10% body fat and can deadlift and squat a ton.

You just can’t work on getting ripped and strong at the same time.

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Seneca on The Shortness of Time

Seneca on The Shortness of Time

Farnam Street

If we see someone throwing money away, we call that person crazy. This bothers us, in part, because money has value. Wasting it seems nuts. And yet we see others—and ourselves—throw away something far more valuable everyday: Time.

Unlike the predictable reaction we have to someone throwing away money (they're crazy), we fail to think of the person who wastes time as crazy. And yet time is a truly finite, expendable resource: The amount we get is uncertain, but surely limited. It's even more insane to waste than money — we can't make any more when it runs out!

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Does Yoga Qualify as an Aerobic Workout?Does Yoga Qualify as an Aerobic Workout?

The New York Times | Gretchen Reynolds

Yoga offers some obvious benefits: stress reduction, muscular flexibility, an enhanced sense of well-being, even cute clothes. But does it qualify as an aerobic workout?

Aerobic activity, characterized by an elevated heart rate and increase in the body’s use of oxygen, is closely linked to improved health and prolonged life spans; current guidelines suggest that people get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week.

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What Makes Something Popular?

What Makes Something Popular?

WBUR | Jeremy Hobson with Derek Thompson

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with Derek Thompson (@DKThomp), senior editor of The Atlantic and author of "Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction," about what makes something — from a book to a product or a political slogan — catch on and become popular.

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