Cycling is fun and good for your health — here’s the research on pedal power

The gym and I have always been at odds. From long commutes to memberships that feel like a life sentence, the extra effort chips away at my goals. Outdoor workouts offer a little less friction until they don’t. Weather fluctuations, crowds, and pretending I don’t mind people watching me contort into strange positions takes its toll as well. My solution? The smart home gym. 

These days, at-home workouts don’t require massive cages, rows of dumbbells, and complicated trainers that collect dust. Sleeker design and newer technology have unlocked a new world of at-home fitness that looks as good as it works. Best of all, restorative spa devices joined the party too, so you can decompress after a long workout just steps away from your gym setup. 

Every man has a similar thought when they first get up to go to the gym. We see it in movies. We see it in TV shows. The bench press is the number one representation of strength. When the movies or TV shows want to showcase their character’s strength, they send them to the weight bench with piles of plates on each side of a bar. The result of that is that when we head to the gym, the bench is the first destination. So, we need to make sure every man is armed with the knowledge and confidence. Men have to learn how to do a bench press and how to do it well.

That is why I reached out to one of my favorite fitness experts for our next edition of Fitness 101, James McMillian. As the President and Head Coach of Tone House, New York City’s premier athletic conditioning studio, he’s spent over a decade in the fitness world. From personal training and coaching high-energy group workouts to bringing people together through fitness experiences across the country, he is likely the busiest father and entrepreneur in New York. He is also in better shape than all of the Avengers and dresses better to boot. So, I will let him take the lead on teaching us about the bench press.

I went to bed on Saturday night and it was still fall. When I woke up on Sunday, it felt like the winter was barrelling toward me because it was going to get dark before dinner and I was waking up an hour earlier than I am used to. Daylight Savings Time (whether you like it or not) is one of the parts of our yearly life we have to deal with. Once during the year we spring forward and we lose an hour of sleep. The other time of the year, like this past weekend, we fall back and gain an hour of sleep. As you can imagine, changing the hours of the day can destory your rythym, and that can throw off your routine and cause you to fall into a slump. If this sounds like you, I got some help from Dr. Bonnie Mitchell, Clinical Director at The Mental Health and Stabilization Center of Sacramento to get me back on track.

Here is what she sent me and what can help you too.