The peripheral heart action circuit
Today on Dad Strength
The peripheral heart action circuit
Hard-ass vs. soft-ass parenting
Dad as DJ
A book, a quote, and a dad joke
A band pull-apart tip
My son has been running with his school’s cross-country team. His mission is to perform well at an upcoming meet but I’ve been feeling a little unsure about his preparation. So, I’ve been thinking about how hard to push. Like any parent, I don’t want to be too heavy handed but also want to counterbalance that impulse with not letting go of any and all standards. It’s classic Dad Strength stuff. I’ll share that in today’s newsletter – along with some running-free cardio and some music.
The peripheral heart action circuit
Not everyone wants to (or should) run for their cardio. A great alternative is the peripheral heart action (PHA) circuit. Here, you maintain moderate intensity through a series of 5-6 exercises – performed in a circuit.
PHA training was developed by physiologist, Dr. Arthur Steinhaus, in the 1940's. Steinhaus was an American academic and master generalist. He understood that alternating between a lower and upper-body emphasis would require your heart to contract powerfully in order to shuttle blood back and forth between extremities. This process also develops peripheral vasculature – the plumbing that supports overall aerobic function.
Example Set
A1: Goblet squat x 60 seconds
A2: Dumbbell press x 60 seconds
A3: Lateral squat x 30 seconds per side
A4: Alternating bent-over dumbbell row x 30 seconds per side
A5: Split-squat x 30 seconds per side
A6: Ab wheel roll-out x 40-60 seconds
Perform for 20-30 minutes
Guidelines
You’ll need light weights. Light enough that the first set or two feel ridiculously easy. Avoid overshooting and needing to take breaks. Here, discipline lives as staying in consistent motion.
Maintain an even cadence on resistance sets.
Breathing is coordinated with movement. Avoid breath-holds, which increase blood pressure and buildup of Co2
HR stays between 120 and 150 BPM.
If you don’t have an HR monitor, 2.5 beats per second is an easy way to ballpark things
Hard-ass vs. soft-ass parenting
On our most recent call, I asked our dads about how they push. Or don’t. And how they talk about working hard with their kids. Distance running, which is top of mind for me, is a great example of this tough balance because there’s a certain part of it that requires strategy and cruising below your capacity AND there’s a certain part of it that is really just a suffering contest. The last part of any race has a lot to do with who can tolerate more pain.
Something to consider: whose motivation is this? If it’s your kid’s, it’s probably wise to manage expectations. “This part will be hard. So, how will you handle it?” If the motivation belongs to you, on the other hand, maybe this isn’t the battle.
I’m sure that there are a few times where you can really pull out your executive authority as a parent. Especially as kids get older Maybe you’ll save that for a critical moment, like university applications or not joining a cult. Who knows?
One of our dads shared a story about his daughter wanting to quit judo. He asked whether she had a good reason to quit. “Is this because you had a few hard practices? Or because it’s not fun anymore.” For him, the former wouldn’t be a good reason to quit but the latter would.
Dad as DJ
One of my favourite things is to introduce my son to music I think he’ll like. Will this completely warp his taste? Honestly that’s his problem.
Some of his favourites include:
Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America
Here Comes the Hotstepper by iNi Kamoze
Deceptacon by Le Tigre
Golden Brown by The Stranglers
Straight Up and Down by Eric Dolphy
What songs have you introduced your kid to? Ones they’ve liked!? Hit reply and let me know. If I get enough suggestions, I’ll make a playlist.
What I’m reading
New book review coming next week. For now… some links:
Academic but worthwhile: contemporary perspectives on father-child relationships
The manufactured outrage about the American Eagle jeans campaign
This kid a) knows more about auto mechanics than I ever will; b) is terrific
A quote
“What would have become of Hercules, do you think, if there had been no lion, hydra, stag or boar – and no savage criminals to rid the world of? What would he have done in the absence of such challenges? Obviously he would have just rolled over in bed and gone back to sleep. So by snoring his life away in luxury and comfort he never would have developed into the mighty Hercules.”
— Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings
A dad joke
I saw a guy standing on one leg at an ATM. I asked him what he was doing and he said, “Just checking my balance.