I can't believe I've added a men's fitness guru to my reading list, but James Fell defies the muscle-bound, testosterone-addled stereotype: a skeptic in the fitness and dietary industry AND an outspoken critic of the Men's Rights Movement. You can tell by the photo on his blog that this is a guy who doesn't take himself as seriously as he does his commitment to science and education. Read his take-down of the Paleolithic Diet which he humorously dubs "the Scientology of Diets."
In my fitful way, I'm back to swimming laps three times a week and plan to gradually increase my walking. Huffing five blocks up a downtown hill the other night to see PZ Myer's talk at Town Hall convinced me I had to start doing something to regain my stamina. Perhaps some sensible weight loss / exercise advice will bolster my resolve.
I had a look at Mr Fell's blog - some good stuff there. Interesting how much health and fitness "woo" there is in the Manuresphere. Not just the infamous Paleo diet, which nearly everyone in the movement seems to be on, but also things like supplements (which I've heard are really only necessary if one's diet is deficient), nootropics (ie so-called smart drugs), and something called juicing (which is also - surprise surprise - a load of crap). Another thing I've noticed is how obsessed a lot of Manurespherians are with their testosterone levels, and how they advocate taking artificial testosterone supplements for pretty much everything that might ail one. I was recently lurking on some "red pill" forum, and was disturbed by how many of its members were convinced their testosterone levels were unhealthily low, and how not even their doctors could persuade them otherwise (indeed, there seemed to be a widespread attitude of "Doctors, pfft! What would they know?" among them).
ReplyDeleteTalking of the unfortunate overlap between a lot of health and fitness-related stuff, and toxic masculinity, have you heard of a guy called Tim Lambesis? The front-man of a San Diego-based metal group called As I Lay Dying, as well as a born again Christian and gym junkie, he was recently put away for six years after trying to organize, through one of his gym buddies, a hit on his ex-wife. She's been understandably traumatized by the whole affair, not least because she fears what some of her ex's more deranged fans might try and do to her.
Zosimus, after reading your post, I began to wonder- could the fact that so many Manosphereans are taking Testosterone be, at the very least, intensifying the rage they feel towards the groups of people that they don't like? I've had friends/acquaintances who've seen and experienced 'roid rages and they can be very scary.
DeleteI've always been intrigued about the big overlap between the paleo diet and the general dork enlightenment. Gah. Also, the obsession with futurism, singularity, and transhumanism. What the fuck is up with that?
DeleteIt seems to me that testosterone started being aggressively marketed to middle aged men, around the time Suzanne Sommers was touting the rejuvenating effects of estrogen on post-menopausal women. I asked my doc for estrogen and she said "no way," and of course she was right. We don't seem to be designed to be surging with sex hormones past our reproductive years. Still, we want to cling to our "youthful" appearances and libidos... She was willing to let me try a small dose of testosterone for a month, but it didn't address my complaint so I decided to just learn to live with a "flat line" hormonal panel -- which is part of coming to terms with aging.
DeleteNow young men with normal levels think they could benefit from extra T as well (a kind of "more is better" mentality many of us have). Their anxiety about their T levels goes hand in hand with their anxiety about their "manhood" in general. The manosphere bloggers are making money by allowing unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies to target their young, insecure readers. But there's a reason doctors monitor the testosterone levels in people transitioning from F to M carefully. It's potent stuff that carries a lot of increased risk of cancers. It's not something to take without strict medical supervision.
Now you're concerning me that these guys may be hurting themselves cinzia. Lol
DeleteCinzia, thanks so much for this informative post. Fell's blog is refreshing and interesting. I'm also attempting to lose some weight and have a more active lifestyle. It's good to read someone who espouses fitness based on scientific evidence and not fads.
ReplyDeleteUnneeded T supplements=increased rage, pimples and cancer risk + tiny, atrophied balls
ReplyDeleteA very good catch. He got himself a new reader :)
ReplyDeleteI'm probably not as knowledgable as James Fell, but imo, intense, shorter workouts tend to get results much faster than "slow-steady" types. You want your heartrate to around 70-90% of your maximum heart rate, basically. As a runner, for example, running shorter races like 5k's and doing interval and speed workouts on the track is much more effective than long, slow, easy-paced runs.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried weight-lifting? I recommend it as well. Free-weights are more effective than weight machines, compound exercises(that engage multiple muscles at once) are more effective than isolation exercises :)
Manuresphere! How appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI'm stealing it.