Category: Lifestyle & Sports

What makes a home?

On By Estifito MurcielagoIn Lifestyle & SportsLeave a comment

Every so often (we try for once a week – but it’s probably closer to twice a month) my wife and I take a stroll from our small two bedroom apartment in Pacific Palisades and hike to the beach with the dogs. It’s a nice walk, the weather is so temperate, and seeing the ocean never gets old; we’re incredibly fortunate to be where we are in our lives.

The walks are great, but there is an eyesore; there are increasingly bigger and gaudier boxy homes replacing small single-family dwellings in the community. This is an internal conflict for me: on one hand, I’m a firm believer in the free market and individualism – I’m a libertarian at heart; however, I’m also disappointed in the direction some of these developers and eventual home buyers have taken.

These giant homes just don’t jive with my vision for the world, which, doesn’t necessarily mean my vision is the right one, but it is mine.

All this is to say one thing, I recently found these modular homes made by MADI – an Italian home manufacturer – and they brought a smile to my face. I don’t think every home on the planet needs to look like this, but I generally enjoy the idea that a home can be nice, energy efficient, spacious, and compact.

When I walk through neighborhoods in the LA area, I often wonder, what about a backyard? I see kids kicking a soccer ball on sidewalks because there is nowhere else for them to play – that’s not for me. I know my vision is shaped in part by the lifestyle of my childhood, which included a large backyard during the school year and a 150 plus acre farm when I wasn’t confined in “town.” However, the thought of my future children needing to kick a ball that skids across a paved sidewalk or back alley because there is no yard or field to let their wings spread is disheartening.

I think we can do better than “keep up with the Jones’.” However, it feels like my opinion is not only mine – especially as those in my generation seek out jobs not for the material paycheck but also for the social connection they feel with the organization – whether that’s the direct mission of the company or it involves their company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives.

That’s my two cents for today.

How I keep it consistent

On By Estifito MurcielagoIn Lifestyle & SportsLeave a comment

Let me first say, I’m not a certified trainer or a fitness expert; however, I love going to the gym. If I could ever offer advice about fitness, it would be to find a small handful of experts you trust – don’t look for the person that posts the best youtube videos, look for the person that is the most helpful and trustworthy. Second, I, like many, struggle with consistency in the gym, but over the past five months, I’ve hit a nice stride. I’m going to share the things that have helped me with getting my behind to the gym, and things that have helped me stay intense without feeling burnt out.

Make it a routine

It’s very cumbersome and annoying to hit the gym if you have to go out of your way to do so. That’s why it is so important to ensure your gym location is super convenient: close to home, close to work, or somewhere along the way. I like my gym close to home. I get out of the office a bit earlier than most, and it makes it easier to beat traffic if I get home and then head to the gym. For my wife, it’s the opposite, she beats traffic if she goes to the gym before she heads home, so it’s important to her that the gym is close to work.

Vary it up

You have to switch up your routine, which makes it NOT a routine. In my experience, if I am doing the same workout for more than 5 or 6 weeks, I am exhausted. I try to change my workout plan every four weeks or so, but I don’t necessarily put a timeline on it. If I find a fun routine, I stick to it a bit longer. I do stick to a core set of exercises that I feel comfortable with performing, but I enjoy varying up the structure, and reps. For example, right now I’m focusing on more high rep work, however, I think the next plan will focus more on low rep circuit training with supersets and a greater volume of sets. Keeping my workouts fresh and new help me stay motivated.

Gradually increase intensity

My tendency is to dive headfirst into the gym, but that can be a mistake if you’ve taken some time away. It’s important to ease yourself back into fitness. Your muscles, joints, and body overall are no longer accustomed to taking the beating that is running, cycling, or lifting weights. Start small, but over time, push yourself to new limits by increasing the intensity. That doesn’t mean you can’t take a day or week of light training here and there, that can be a nice regroup for your body. However, I find that pushing myself to new limits only generates more drive and passion for improvement.

Water Wise

On By Estifito MurcielagoIn Lifestyle & SportsLeave a comment

Wonderful: that’s how I feel at the end of the day when I’m able to reach my water intake goal – four liters. It can be tough to maintain that consistently, but I notice my skin clears up, I’m more alert, and I feel more energized when I am drinking a lot of water throughout the day. The downside is pretty obvious – frequent restroom visits – which can be cumbersome at the office, especially when you’re busy. However, I think there are a few things we can all do to help drink significantly more water – unless of course you already drink enough.

First of all, I find it incredibly helpful to have a one liter bottle to help track how much I’ve ingested throughout the day. I have a Camelbak Chute – as does my wife. I try to top it off in the morning, from the moment I wake up and finish that first one liter before I get to the office in the morning. That gives me two hours to knock it down. The first half of that bottle should be easy, especially if you do it right away out of bed, and then, I sip the remaining half on my commute to the office.

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This is my Camelbak Chute – 1 liter, and yes, that purple box is holding my Sirius Black wand

Now, here is the trick while I’m at the office: I try to drink 250ml (about 8oz) everything I use the restroom – either before or after. It’s like a little alarm I use to remind myself to take a few gulps of water. My goal is to drink two full bottles while I’m at the office before I head to the gym.

The last bottle is the easiest of all – after the gym. I drink plenty of water throughout my workout (which I do not count toward my daily goal), but when I’m in the car driving home, I am very thirsty. That’s a great time to work on that final liter of water. Before you know it, you’ve ingested a gallon of water in the day.

If you’re not going to the gym, just try to drink that last bottle of water on your way home and while you’re at home.

You’ll notice more frequency in the restroom, but I promise, you’ll also feel more alert, and think of the benefit, you’ll be putting in that many more steps each day. I’m “lucky” that I get to take two flights of stairs each time, really keeps me active throughout the day at work.