SS 158 – 3 Years of Strength and Scotch

Grant and Heavey are celebrating three years of the Strength & Scotch Podcast. In regards to longevity, they discuss how you can create your own maintenance workout routine for overall health. Heavey drove all the way across the country to see Grant and actually stay with him for a couple of months. You’re also in for a special treat as they discuss penis shape and the best whiskey Heavey has ever tasted.

 

[01:30] Favorite White Guys

 

Heavey reads a review from a female listener and she’s making Grant and Heavey her fourth and fifth favorite white guys. She likes how these two are so funny that they actually brighten her day. The guests are knowledgeable and she feels very informed after each episode. It’s like attending a class and a stand up comedy show at the same time.

 

[03:40] Strength & Scotch: Then and Now

 

Neither of them would have ever imagined they’d come this far. They would get hammered back in their early episodes as they were trying to muster up the courage to speak in front of the mic.

 

Grant admits they’re no good by any means but they’ve definitely gotten better. Grant, for instance, has helped certain people start their own podcast after being inspired by this show. Additionally, their listener engagement has grown. They’ve gotten numerous emails and people on social media are corresponding with them and asking questions. They are encouraging listeners to send their feedback to help guide them with what they need to talk about.

 

[07:00] What’s Next?

 

Heavey wishes to continue to get more feedback from people.  He says that’s the biggest element of growth in the show is hearing from people so they can address subjects that they’re genuinely interested in.

 

They’ve also had a huge outpouring of people reaching out to them and wanting to talk on the show.

 

Initially, they were scared of having guests on the show. When they decided to have guests, they had to approach people and ask them to be on their show. Some would reluctantly agree. Whereas now, they’re constantly updating their schedules and calendars to fit everybody’s request.

 

[07:45] On Sponsorships

 

Grant and Heavey didn’t want to push gimmicky products that only looked to use their platform. They only want to promote the things they truly like. They admitted wading through some of the crappy things people send them could be hard. Grant recalls feeling weird about promoting products even if they liked them.

 

Grant talks about his sales experience. The manager hated him because he didn’t follow all the usual sales pitches. Instead, he was only pushing the things he liked. Obviously, he didn’t last on the job, and his attitude hasn’t changed. He feels awkward trying to push things on people.

 

[10:35] A Demographic of Their Listeners

 

Heavey feels people get inundated with a slew of information on the internet today and that the purpose of their show is for people to hang out, chill, and have scotch with them. He doesn’t think there’s any need to talk about heavy stuff like politics.

 

People listen to this podcast at different times throughout the day. They have heard of some people who sit down and have a scotch with them, which was actually the original intention of the show.

 

They’ve also heard of people listening to this show while they’re commuting. There’s also that crazy little percentage of people who binge-listen from the first episode to the latest in less than a week.

 

[12:55] Time for Another Article: How Straight Is Your Penis? Seriously…

 

Just like any other normal episode, Grant is bringing in yet another article, specifically about death.

 

A recent study at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine found that people with penile fibrosis, a condition easily seen when you check the straightness of an erect penis, had 40% higher risk of developing both testicular cancer and stomach cancer as well as 29% increase in developing skin cancer.

 

The study actually looked at patient data from 1.5 million men.

 

This is a pretty common affliction in men, thought to be affecting up to 15% of men in the United States. The article shows an illustration of two penises – one is perfectly straight and the other is significantly curved.

 

Apparently, this condition is due to the buildup of scar tissue that causes it to bend and then scar further and bend and so on. Thus, this is something that develops over time.

 

This condition is called Peyronie Disease and many men are unaware they have this. Although the illustration shows a highly curved structure, Grant thinks smaller amounts of curvature might still qualify as increased risk.

 

This study began when the researchers had a patient who, along with his father, had genes that put him at risk to melanoma, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer. They both had penile fibrosis and it led on to this study.

 

The researchers stressed the importance of doing regular checks since a lot of men are reluctant to report this condition to their physicians. However, this might change the way they monitor overall health. As with any cancer, the sooner you address it, the better the likelihood of survival.

 

[17:45] The Maintenance Workout Program Has Begun

 

Grant has not worked out for about a year so he calls this his workout program. Heavey, on the other hand, calls this his maintenance program. He lays his intention by saying that he has been overloaded from a time commitment perspective. He has a series of priorities that leaves him very little time to workout.

 

If he is overburdened, sleep is the last thing to go. Therefore, sleep is his number one commitment. He could eat shitty and not workout, but he makes sure he gets some sleep. Nutrition would be next on his list.

 

Based on research, the impact of poor sleep is enormous on health. Although there is no data for ranking, he assumes that sleep is number one, along with stress management.

 

With that said, he’s able to maintain his sleep and nutrition, but had to reduce the time he exercises. He’s only able to do 20-30 minutes of exercise per day, but he doesn’t want to give up all the muscle that he has worked so hard for over 5-10 years of training and eating right.

 

[20:45] Routines to Get Started

 

He developed a program where five days a week, he goes out to his gym in the garage right before lunch and he’d exercise for 20-30 minutes. In that time he would do a couple of things in order of priority.

 

In most days, he would do crossover symmetry to improve his shoulders and back. Being on the computer most of the day, sitting and hunching over, this negatively impacts his posture. Upper back pulling motion from these series of exercises can help correct that.

 

Next, he’d do a bit of lifting. For instance, he’d do heavy-ish set of 5 reps of the back squat. Then, he would add movements slowly each day.

 

Heavey would usually do a main lift like a back squat, then do something complementary to that so he’d pair it with something like an overhead squat. The overhead squat challenges mobility and corrects shoulder mobility issues. It’s a great movement for the whole body. He’d do a superset with his back squats. He’d work up to that heavy set of 5. After he completes each set, he’d do 5 sets on each arm of overhead squat with a kettlebell. No magic- just lots of good movement for him.

 

[23:36] How Do You Know It’s Enough to Maintain

 

Heavey explains that the weights are not going down and the numbers have been steady. When he works up a heavy set of 5 squats and over the course of nine months that he has been doing this for maintenance, his numbers have crept up slightly. Heavey feels good not really losing any mass and strength, and pretty much staying consistent.

 

He might be giving up other areas like his aerobic capacity but he just has to pick what he wants to personally prioritize. And for him, strength training is number one.

 

Grant explains the reason for this is that Heavey has worked so many years to get to his physique that he has now. He used to be so skinny and since then, he has put on a lot of mass and strength.

 

Heavey adds that what you choose to do could vary. When he had more time, he’d do a 15-minute row in his garage to start his day. If he had more time, he’d cycle that back in. His overall intention is just to be healthy and exercise for longevity.

 

[26:05] Being Healthy Long Term versus Fad Programs

 

Another reason Grant wanted to tackle this topic today is that the show has followers that run the gamut from hardcore gym goers to ultramarathoners to people who just want to be healthy.

 

You can be ultra competitive or you maybe someone with an injury or maybe you decide to take a step back, or you’re just a healthy person and you’ve done a lot and don’t want to lose it.

 

Grant had gone so hard in crossfit for a couple of years that he got in really good shape, but got burned out. He didn’t have a maintenance program. He still eats relatively clean, but drinks here and there. He has definitely seen a significant difference in his body after two years of not doing crossfit. He needed someone to tell him that he didn’t have to go so hard.

 

Heavey adds this is an element of being healthy over the long term. This is why most exercise and nutrition programs fail because people think that they need to be all in on any specific program. People need to take a step back and see things for what they are when it comes to their long term goals and what they’re doing in their everyday life.

 

[28:20] Observing Your Body Is Critical

 

In Grant’s case, he used to be in good shape doing Crossfit. He got burned out and stopped training. He ended up putting on some weight. Heavey says that if Grant had pulled back on his exercise then he would have had pulled back in other places.

 

Their mutual friend is telling them that he works out to eat. That’s the point. You have to know you’re doing that. Otherwise, you will put on weight if you stopped exercising.

 

Eating clean or whole foods still doesn’t stop people from overeating. Eating a ton of clean food still means you’re eating a ton of food, which means that you are putting on weight.

 

Ttrack the markers that are important to you on a regular basis. If maintaining his weight was important to Grant, then he would have noticed in a month or so that things were changing in an unfavorable way. Then, he would have chosen to adapt his lifestyle based on this.

 

Grant is beginning to realize the idea of measurement. That even in the maintenance mode, you can’t just switch gears and expect it to work. You still have to put some energy into monitoring progress.

 

You have to track your progress and observe what’s happening to your body, otherwise you will end up overweight down the road, just because you didn’t take the simple step of observing what was happening between now and then.

 

Since Grant has begun working out, he does credit exercise for having enhanced his mood. In general, exercise improves energy levels and increases cognitive function. There are tons of research that can back this up.

 

[33:25] Time for a Toast!

 

Since it’s the podcast’s third anniversary, they’re celebrating it with a Japanese 17-year-old malt whiskey. This means that when they blend it, the youngest component must at least be 17 years old.

 

Grant thinks of Japanese whiskeys as refined and pure. Not too much complexity in them but the notes they hit are perfect. Heavey says the Japanese sensibility just comes through in their whiskeys even if he hasn’t been to Japan. He thinks this whiskey they’re having is one of the best he has ever tasted.

 

Grant describes it as “honing it to perfection.” One perfect example is the Yamazaki, which was rated the top whiskey in the world, and tend to be quite expensive.

 

Manufacturers are learning some of the tricks from big scotch producers to be able to release products they’re able to market quicker and be able to fill the demand without getting too expensive.

Links:

Article: Study of 1.5 Million Men Finds Link Between Penis Shape and Cancer