Sufficiency, screen-time, and squats
- Dad wisdom: Enough is enough
- Focus (for kids): How to approach screen-time
- Fitness: The truth about squat depth
- A book, a quote, a dad joke
Dad Wisdom: Enough is enough
How much is enough? Tough question. Whether we’re talking about money, learning, attention, or even downtime, there is inevitably a sweet spot. This is where we get the highest ROI from our investment of time and other resources. And from there? Things flatten — or even arc downward as we siphon attention away from other areas. Especially since an under-indexed area is so much easier to improve than an over-indexed one.
How do you think about money and key aspects of your health and life,?How can you tell when you’ve reached sufficiency in a given domain? I'd be very curious to hear.
These thoughts are inspired by a recent Dad Strength call.
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Focus (for kids): How to approach screen-time
On the most recent episode of The Dad Strength Podcast, I interview The Gamer Educator, Ash Brandin, on attitudes around screen usage, some of the positives and negatives surrounding video games, and how parents can model good screen usage behaviours. I also finally get a solid description of Roblox.
Listen here
Fitness: The truth about squat depth
You may have heard that if you’re not going ass to grass, then you’re just not squatting. How true is that?
Well, if you’re a competitive powerlifter, it’s pretty true. Squat depth is non-negotiable and three different judges will verify your depth. However, if you’re lifting for general strength and function… that’s another story
When we program squats for folks at Bang, we typically ask the question of how deep into a squat they can can sit before there is an obvious and significant change in pelvic position relative to the low-back. Where this happens is individual.
Front loaded squats, like goblet squats, double rack position kettlebell front squats, and barbell front squats allow folks to hold a more vertical back position. What’s particularly interesting to me, though, is how these variations are more successful in reflexively (without conscious attention) firing up core stability in a way that back squats do not.
Regardless of total depth, here’s what you should see in your squats:
- Consistent depth
- Consistent intensity
- Good control throughout entire range/depth
If you are finding that your low back is not McLovin squats, my advice is to reduce range (as described above). Go only as far as you can with good control. What’s interesting, though, is that as soon as you start doing this, two things happen:
1. Your back feels better
2. You are able to start building back your depth without compromising quality or stability
Quote
I don’t have a book recommendation for you this week but I will say that I have been impressed with the quality of storytelling in the Minecraft series of books for kids.
Dad joke
