Earlier this week, Michael Bierut, Sonia Williams, and I spent an hour on the phone together. Michael is an influential graphic designer based in New York, Sonia is a high school student in Paintsville, Kentucky, and I’m a designer at Automattic, living outside of Boston. Sonia came prepared with a great set of questions. She prompted Michael to tell us about his career, and to take us through some of his favorite projects. We talked about designing this website. Michael described how he came to use a photo of the earth to represent home: he’d aimed to show the most universal representation of ..read more

The beginning of the new year is fast approaching. Ever so predictably, the majority of us are probably not even remotely aware of our success or failure let alone what resolutions were made. The statistics that are focused around resolutions are very revealing towards our natural desire to correct the lifestyle that we have fallen into, mostly adapting our schedule around a career that inevitably in this day and age places us in a sedentary life.  Of the top 10 resolutions made for 2019; 5 of them are health related. The failure to follow through with a fitness resolution could be due to p ..read more

A question I get asked quite often is: ‘The workout program I’m following says I need 15-30 minutes of cardio. What should I do?’ It’s honestly a very good question, and it depends on you’re fitness goals, age, and believe it or not your personal preference. Treadmill The patent for a “training treadmill” was issued in 1913 and by 1952 the machine was being used to diagnose heart and lung disease. When the 1960s rolled along, home exercise was gaining momentum. Today it’s safe to say the machine’s association with exercise is set in stone.  Advantages:  Program flexibility: I can ..read more

A phenomenon observed on a global scale in fitness communities all across the world.  In Germany, it’s known as Protein-Shake. In Sweden, it’s called Protein Drink. In France, they say Shake Protéiné. Not only are conversations limited to the flavor of the contents, or the introduction of additional ingredients to the mixture; but the very time when to consume the concoction is a debate on its own.  What is it? The most common form of shake involves whey protein. Typically it’s reduced to a powder form for the consumer market. Milk or water are go-to choices for bringing mois ..read more

Wouldn’t it be unequivocally quaint if we could just pick up heavy objects and equally gain muscle mass and strength throughout our entire body?  Chances are if you consider yourself ‘right or left-handed’, you are already well aware of both size and strength discrepancies between either side. Ten years of coffee cup curls have done your bicep well. Not to mention a killer grip strength, forged from a decade of doorknob twisting.  The faithfull ‘good leg’ taking the frontline whenever a door needed holding open. Unfortunately, this has led much to be desired from the gimp counterpa ..read more

The infamous Body Mass Index formula, and all the kerfuffle it brings. If only we knew just how old it is and what was behind its creation. Believe it or not, it first made an appearance in 1830 under the name ‘Quetelet Index’ by Adolphe Quetelet; He was a Belgian astronomer and mathematician. At the time there was a new science emerging called ‘social physics’, it is essentially statistics and probability; its primary use was in astronomy. It was not until 1972 that the term ‘body mass index’ was used in a published edition of the Journal of Chronical Diseases. In it, Ancel Keys says ..read more

A few weeks ago, I sustained an injury to my hand. The result was a massive loss in grip strength and the inability to push & pull weight. I am going to walk you through the steps that I took to build an exercise program around the injury. In the case of an isolated injury, those decorative machines that gather dust at your gym will start to look very appealing. First and foremost, you must listen to your body; if it’s painful to pick up a 10-pound dumbbell. Then don’t. To Start Make a list of all the exercises that were in your previous routine. Take note of the ones you ..read more

Undoubtedly, had you ever gone to the gym with a fresh workout partner, or taken a redeye from ATL to LAX and hit the nearest gym right off the plane. You will have seen either, variations of an exercise you know, or heard the same exercise; called a variation of names. Below, I will talk about a few exercise variations that I choose over their counterparts. Close Grip Dumbbell Press The first variation of the traditional dumbbell chest press that I ever tried, and fell in love with. Why did I try it in the first place? I was a victim of the infamous glenohumeral discomfort ..read more

Somewhere, sadly, lingers a theory so convoluted, even it’s very creators merely hiccup and retreat to their dark corners. Littered with ramen noodle carcasses and the piercing aroma of Axe body spray, with a hint of fermenting Muscle Milk. A conversation can be heard in the distance. Guy 1: “Bro, do you think I’m getting fat?” Guy 2: “Dude, just do lots of crunches.” It is, regrettably, A common practice for individuals to get caught up in. The idea of exercising a specific area that you believe to contain large amounts of fat is a useless endeavor. In reality, exercising the ta ..read more

The heart of a solid workout plan is always going to focus on the fuel. Ask any registered dietitian and you will get identical responses on the lines of ‘80% diet and 20% exercise’ being the simple algorithm to the coveted question – “how do I look like a Greek god?”. #1 Breakfast – Slow Cooked, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. The most exotic piece of equipment required is the slow cooker. Apple 2-6 (I go for anything but the cooking apple) Cinnamon ( To taste, no more than 1 tbsp) Oats (I add enough to cover the apples) Milk (enough to submerge the apples and oatmeal) Fold ingredients i ..read more