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There is no strength like dad strength. It is quiet, patient, and persistent. Some would say stubborn, dammit. Dad strength rarely makes the highlight reel. It exists in the in-between spaces....The times when nobody—except maybe your kid—is watching.
The Dad Strength Podcast was created to support and encourage the best in dads like you. Authors, entrepreneurs, artists, and experts from all over share their wisdom with us. We discuss 360º health, doing work that matters, and—of course—fatherhood. These conversations are fun, informative, and always emphasize action and understanding.
The Dad Strength Podcast is hosted by Geoff Girvitz. Geoff is a father, fitness expert, and curious fellow. Based in Toronto, he has been featured in Vice, GQ, and multiple exercise publications. He is known for innovation and real-world success in the fitness industry. Now, Geoff is pointing a wide-angle lens at health and parenthood. Workouts and nutrition are just part of the program. He will be looking at relationships, critical thinking, motivation, and discipline. In short, anything you need to earn the mug that says “*World’s Greatest Dad.”*
“I want to be Mr. Rogers for men over 30,” says Geoff. “There is so much noise and confusion out there.” We *all* need a community devoted to the best we have inside of us. The Dad Strength Podcast is here to make the world a better place through our roles as fathers and as men.
Welcome to the weekly newsletter edition of Dad Strength, helping you earn the mug It says world's greatest dad. My name is Jeff Gervitz. I am your host. I am a dad and I am homesick today. Well, I'm not.
Speaker 1:I feel just fine, but my son is under the weather and that brings us to today's newsletter. We are going to talk about how to work from home on hard mode about swapping out reps for seconds in your workouts and what it means to 365 x your day. And of course, we've got a book, a quote, and a dad, Joe. Let's get into it. My son just walked over and coughed onto my hands and keyboard.
Speaker 1:He's just sick enough to stay home today and I'm doing my best to be productive. Is it harder to get things done with a sick kid at home? Is water wet or sand gritty? Is someone on the Internet upset right now? Some tips.
Speaker 1:Set realistic expectations for your kids. They're going to need some time and attention from you. However, larger meals tend to be preferable to constant snacks. Creating a schedule can help. In my case, I suggested that my son write out a full plan for the day, and this was not received with enthusiasm.
Speaker 1:However, we created an MVP version that covered the next 2 hours. He went back to his room to rest, and I got back to work. You've gotta set realistic expectations for yourself because here's some things that you probably won't experience. Award winning levels of focus, record breaking levels of productivity, or things to go off without a hitch. And as an example, just moments after our scheduling talk, my son returned to strike me directly in the kneecap with a small wooden hammer.
Speaker 1:He was, and I quote, testing my reflexes. One of the tools that I wield is to be more boring. Look. I know you're a delight. However, in moments when your kid is looking for a break from their own boredom, you cannot be so delightful.
Speaker 1:You must become more boring than whatever it is they're trying to distract themselves from. As a father, being boring is one of your superpowers. In my case, I started teaching my son about the location of the patellar tendon. Pro tip. It's not the kneecap.
Speaker 1:And I would have gotten into the majesty of the monosynaptic reflex arc that makes your leg go all kicky when you hit it. But by that time, his eyes had rolled back in his head so aggressively that he was carried backwards into his room. Please only use your powers for good. Make space for light movement. If your kid is well enough to take a walk or otherwise engage in some general movement, you boost the odds of them waking up zesty tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Some outside time syncs up the old circadian rhythm, and while intense exercise can suppress immune function, easy movement enhances it. Plus, it gets the ants out of their pants. I've got some more advice as well as tasks matched to attention spans and abilities by age, and you can check that out in the written version of the newsletter. You can find that at dadstrength.com as well as dad strength 360, a complete health and fitness program, custom tailored for dads. Fitness count seconds, not reps.
Speaker 1:As a coach, I am really not interested in how many reps you can do badly, whether it's 3 sets of 10, 4 sets of 6, 10 sets of 11:7. I don't care. It's quality that I'm looking for. Reps are just a code. You put the stimulus in.
Speaker 1:You get the adaptation you want out. Muscle growth, aerobic fitness, you just have to know what to plug in in the first place. The problem is when rushing through your reps makes you less effective. Sometimes, to really move forward, you have to slow things down, and this can make people nervous. When your glutes feel like they're about to pop off 4 reps into a 10 rep set of Bulgarian split squats.
Speaker 1:And if you've done this, you know what I'm talking about. In those moments, it can be pretty hard not to rush. But if you find yourself speeding through certain exercises and especially if you are in a hurry to meet your rep count, try using time instead. So, for example, between 40 and 70 seconds per set is a pretty good general window for hypertrophy. And whether that's done over 20 reps or 2 reps, the time is the time.
Speaker 1:And this gives you flexibility in how you do things and the ability to really feel your way through the set. Final tip. To maximize the benefits of this approach, stay in motion by eliminating pauses at the top or bottom of your reps. By the way, I am hosting a free health and fitness discussion. It's coming up on Monday, October 7th at 7 PM EST.
Speaker 1:There is a button to register in the written newsletter. Mindfulness 365 x. Author, editor, and very interesting person Kevin Kelly asks, if you repeated what you did today 365 more times, where would you be in a year? What I am reading, 10 to 25, the science of motivating young people by David Yeager. Stay tuned for thoughts on that in an upcoming edition.
Speaker 1:Our quote is from David Yeager. He says, when we mentor for future growth, it's far better to give young people experiences that show them they are capable of meeting the high standard with the appropriate support rather than offering them unfounded assurances of their abilities or, worse, hiding the standards from them altogether. Alright. I brought in a guest for today's dad joke. We'll do a quick vocal warm up and get into it.
Speaker 2:Testing. Testing. Testing. 1, 2, 3. Irish wristwatch.
Speaker 2:How much does a grandpa weigh? A bit more than a gram.
Speaker 1:He really put some heat on that punch line. Alright. Thanks for hanging out with us today. More dad strength next week. Title music by Daniel Ross, additional music by Mike Ford.
Speaker 1:Take care of yourself, man. We'll see you soon.