I just noticed this thread and totally forgot about it.  It is really quite amazing to hear about how old this civilization was.  It makes me think that if the migration push into South America resulted in a settlement by around 2600 B.C., wouldn’t it be likely that there were other settlements in North America by then as well?  But evidently, nothing major was ever built (or at least never survived).

That’s a good point about the plague’s effect on Justinian’s actions.  However, we might say instead that the Byzantines under Justinian were able to accomplish a lot despite such a high hurdle.  Was it irrelevant that Justinian re-took a large section of Italy, only to have it slip from Byzantine control a relatively short time later?

I’m trying to think of long-lasting Byzantine influences on the lands that Justinian re-conquered (Italy, Africa), but cannot think of many.  The only lasting impact was the creation of the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, which would go on to be influential in Charlemagne’s Palatine Chapel in Aachen a few hundred years later.  Charlemagne’s church would have an impact on the entire history of church construction in the West, so perhaps we can say that this was indirectly aided by Justinian.

It is interesting that it was a guy who presumably is a motocross rider who writes an article how motocross riding is “the most physically demanding sport”. 😉  But really, I’m sure it does take a huge toll on your body when it’s non-stop like that.  Do you really go 60 miles at a time?  I imagine it’s a fun sport but probably costs a bit to get started.

As for protein, yes it should be taken regularly throughout the day, but your muscles are most receptive to it post-workout:

Think about it like this: Your body has burned through all those nutrients and hormones to power your workout, so you’re asking it to recover on nothing until you refill those stores. So, as soon as you can post-sweat (or likely while you’re still sweating), down a shake with around 20-30 grams of protein.

Since whey absorbs quickly, it’s the protein of choice post-workout.  Other kinds of food with casein protein absorb more slowly, so they are better suited for other times of day, such as overnight when you stop eating while you’re asleep.

Ski, are you still working out?

I have been able to workout 5-6 days per week over the past few weeks, which has been nice.  I typically do three body parts in a continuous cycle – lats/biceps/shoulders one day, legs/abs another day, and chest/triceps another day.  Lately I have been able to do a set of body parts twice per week, so I have felt pretty good.

I started using kettle bells in my workout for the first time about a month ago.  I kind of like them.  I like how they feel, and they are easy to handle.  They have been nice to use for shrugs and for deltoid exercises.As far as diet, I have made a conscious effort to increase my protein even more, but I simply do not understand how people are expected to take in 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.  If I were to eat a few eggs in the morning (40 grams), a steak for lunch (30 grams), chicken for dinner (30 grams), and a protein shake after a workout (30 grams), I would still be getting far short of the 200 grams I would hypothetically need.  I have been eating a lot of yogurt recently, so that is a good way to get 10-15 grams of protein in between meals.  I also eat nuts regularly, as well as foods such as flax and oatmeal (which have nominal amounts of protein, IIRC).  But overall, it’s still less protein than I need.  I fear that if I don’t get enough, my gains will not be where they should be.  What to do?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone!  While I see people out wearing green today, I live in an area where it’s not some sort of major celebration.  I have the feeling that in some cities, people are having a really good time today.

I want to keep this post updated as a kind of workout journal.  Since I posted last July, I have been hitting the weight room fairly regularly (usually about 3-4 times per week).  My longest break was over the holidays when I didn’t lift much for about two or three weeks because of travel and then because I got sick.  That set me back somewhat.

I took creatine for a few months leading up to Christmas, and that is when I made some really nice gains.  I eventually had to stop using it to make sure it wasn’t causing other health problems, and after I stopped I have not felt as strong.  I was able to bench press 305 lbs. right around December 22, but since then I have not been able to get near that again.  It could be because of the creatine stoppage, or because my hand has been giving me pain now when bench pressing.  With that said, I am able to do 100 lb. dumbbell presses about 5-6 times, so maybe I am imagining that I am weaker than in the Fall.  I dunno.

I try to focus on multi-muscle exercises the most; bench press, lat pull downs, and cable rows are staples for me.  I often workout legs between upper body days, but lately I haven’t been doing squats because I think that hurt my back too much in the past.  I have weak legs, but I think exercising them is still very important.

I try to remind myself that my main goal in weight lifting is not to get really strong or big, but instead to decrease fat.  I need to lower my cholesterol, and if I can increase my muscle mass enough I will be able to burn more fat off my body naturally.

I have also been trying to eat healthier, particularly since last Fall.  I have cut out some sugar and fat intake while keeping up with good fats and lower-sugar foods.  For example, I try to eat a few avocados each week, and a handful of walnuts daily.  I replaced sugar in my tea with zero-calorie stevia.  I often eat flax seed with yogurt.  I also upped my intake of oatmeal, as well as my intake of berries.  I had previously not paid attention to the sugar content of fruit as I assumed it was not a big deal.  However, it turns out that some fruit is quite a bit higher in sugar content than others, and it all adds up.  Berries have some of the least sugar content of any fruit, so I eat more raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries now than ever before.