Many people only do one variation of the Single Arm DB Row. In fact I see a lot of people arguing which one is best. To me that’s a false choice, the best option is to use them all. I like to use variations of exercises with more or less stability. You probably see people arguing about this, more stability is better for building muscle, but less stability is better for strength blah blah blah If you use them all that argument is a complete waste of time. I use 3-6 variations I’ll list them below My default is the 3 point stance. That’s what you see in this video. 3 point stance means you have 3 points of contact. Two feet on the ground and 1 hand on the bench. This is the second most stable variation. You can do this with and without a deadstop. The video shows the deadstop version. Then you have the 2 point row. This eliminates the hand on the bench. You lose a point of stability, but what this adds is more full body engagement. You have to create the stability and often time you’re allowed some rotation with this variation. It can be much more aggressive, a little less strict. You can do these with and without a deadstop. Finally you have the 1 Arm DB Row. This variation has a knee on the bench with the same side hand on the bench and the DB offset of the side of the bench. This is often the most strict version and offers the most stability. You can do these with and without a deadstop. If you only do one, you’ll miss the benefits of the others. Best practice is to use them all. Either use one for 3 weeks and switch or alternate week to week.

Truth>>>

It’s been 36 weeks since I started my journey to become as healthy, fit, and strong as possible. This morning, I’m down another pound from last Sunday. Now that I’m working out in a gym with a program that’s far better and more challenging than what I was doing in my small home gym, I’m trying to find the right nutritional macros to sustain a weight loss of one to two pounds per week while also building muscle. It’s a good thing I weigh myself every day—the day-to-day fluctuations are pretty wild, and that helps me adjust my food intake on a daily basis. Part of the fluctuation comes from the gastric slowing caused by my weekly Zepbound injections, and part of it stems from the differing caloric demands on workout days versus recovery days. Hopefully, over the next several weeks I’ll get it dialed in a little better. One key lesson from this is that using an app or online calculator to determine your macros is only a starting point. We’re all different when it comes to metabolism and our nutritional needs, depending on our goals. With any GLP-1 medication, you need to maintain (and preferably add) muscle and lean body mass while losing fat, so it’s a bit trickier than if you’re just trying to cut 10 pounds of fat or add 5 pounds of muscle. Onward!

“Every event has two handles—one by which it can be carried, and one by which it can’t. If your brother does you wrong, don’t grab it by his wronging, because this is the handle incapable of lifting it. Instead, use the other—that he is your brother, that you were raised together, and then you will have hold of the handle that carries.” —Epictetus, Enchiridion, 43

I don’t know if these are the “best” exercises, but certainly a good variety.

Sound advice from an experienced hand.

Saturdays are my one full day off, and I also make it my full recovery day. Yesterday was a good workout for both strength training and cardio.

I see two types of people at my gym: those who are relatively fit but not very muscular, doing the same routine with the same weights every workout without breaking a sweat; and those who are jacked and clearly working hard. I know which type I want to be.

Be the master of your universe. Ignore the malcontents who try to drag you down to their level of failure.

“Don’t you know life is like a military campaign? One must serve on watch, another in reconnaissance, another on the front line. . . . So it is for us—each person’s life is a kind of battle, and a long and varied one too. You must keep watch like a soldier and do everything commanded. . . . You have been stationed in a key post, not some lowly place, and not for a short time but for life.” —Epictetus, Discourses, 3.24.31–36 Today, you’ll be fighting for your goal, fighting against impulses, fighting to be the person you want to be. So what are the attributes necessary to win these many wars? Discipline Fortitude Courage Clearheadedness Selflessness Sacrifice And which attributes lose wars? Cowardice Rashness Disorganization Overconfidence Weakness Selfishness As in war, so these attributes matter in daily life. -Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic book for June 13

I hadn’t eaten out or ordered takeout since I started my health and fitness journey last October. Tonight, I picked up a Camarón Burrito dinner from Vallarta’s. The burrito was so big I only ate half. Gotta say, it was chock-full of good-sized shrimp. Quite delicious. Back to my normal meals tomorrow, but the ol’ belly is happy tonight.

Palisade Peach season is officially underway. I may live in what coastal snobs call Fly Over Country, but I know which farm and ranch most of my food comes from. And Davis Family Farms peaches are a true slice of heaven. Get ‘em at their roadside stand just hours after they’re picked. Talk about good carbs.

It's been an interesting week. Going to settle in and watch my Orioles take on the Padres. Baz is on the bump, and he's been pretty good of late. I love living where I am, but I do miss Camden Yards.

I’ve been waiting for this as there’s no Quest Lab near me. But this is great for everybody!! No need to schedule a lab appointment. Thank you, Vanguard!

To embarrass (motivate) myself, I’ve started transferring my stats from the TrainHeroic app into the Strong app. It’ll make it easier to track changes over time. One thing I really like about Coach Hicks’ workouts @StrengthDebates is that he constantly mixes things up—reps, equipment, exercise selection, and even which muscle groups get the most attention in a given workout. That variety may not be fully reflected in the Strong app. As I understand it (and I could be wrong), TrainHeroic does a better job of tracking that kind of progression and calculating things like estimated one-rep maxes, which will become more meaningful as I advance someday to low rep supersets. But yes, I’m well aware that after 15 years away from the gym, I’m starting with some very humble weights. Check back in a month. Three months. Six months. One year. Five years… 😬💪💥

Today is Upper 2. Reverse Flys; Straight Arm Pulldown; Machine Bicep Curl; Lat Pulldown; DB Bench Press; 3pt Dumbbell Row; DB Front Raise; Skull Crushers; and 15 min Elliptical. Then a meal with my coach’s suggested protein and carb intake. #LiftTheWeights #GymItUp

Because I’m a stat/trend tracking junkie, I’m going to record my workouts on both the TrainHeroic app and the Strong app as they have different user/coach upsides.