Jeff Cassman

The Case for Not Listening to Music When You Work Out

For as long as I can remember, I’ve listened to music while working out.

When I lifted weights with my football team back in high school, Metallica and DMX usually blared over the crappy PA system in our dank weight room.

When the iPod came on the market while I was in college, I created a workout playlist consisting of an eclectic mix of indie rock and Rage Against the Machine.

When I got my garage gym, I put a Sonos speaker in it so I could crank up the tunes while I lifted weights. Over the years, my workout playlist changed. I had a Rage Against the Machine phase early on in my garage gym years. When I got tired of that, I went through an ‘80s hairband phase and a Taylor Swift phase. I passed through a period heavy on the Bleachers. There was even a time when all I listened to were the soundtracks of 1980s cop shows.

While the soundtrack of my regular training sessions changed, I always blasted The Killers when I was going for a PR. Specifically, “All These Things I’ve Done.” I don’t know how many PRs I’ve hit while Brandon Flowers was chanting “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier” in the background.

Music and exercise were inseparable for me.

That is, until this past year. I can’t remember the last time I had music playing in the background while I exercised.

And, strangely enough, I’m digging the silence. Here’s why you might hit the off button on your audio player too.

The Case for Working Out Without Music (or Podcasts)

When you see people working out, 95% of the time, they’ve got headphones on. And the near universality of listening to music during exercise isn’t too hard to understand.

As…

The Masculinist #52: Build Men Up, Don’t Tear Women Down

There is almost an implicit social rule today that you are only allowed to advocate for men if you justify it by talking about how it will benefit women and children. (Or, alternatively, if it’s a woman who is doing the advocating).

The classic example of this in the Christian context is a minister saying that he wants to reach men because if the father comes to church, the wife and kids usually follow, whereas there’s a much lower probability of the entire family coming to church if it’s the mother who is converted.

I’m not saying this is per se wrong (although the claim itself seems to ultimately trace back to only one study from Switzerland), but it does in a sense treat men as an instrumental good rather than an end in and of themselves. The man is valuable here because he enables the church to reach the people it really wants to get.

So I try to be careful not to fall into the trap of saying that it’s good to build up men because it’s good for women. (This is harder to do than you think). But I do think it’s important that while we build men up, we should not tear women down. Because men and women do have a key stake in each other’s thriving.

There’s a quip often attributed to Henry Kissinger that, “Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There’s too much fraternizing with the enemy.”

There’s a lot of truth in that. The vast majority of people are heterosexual and would like to be in a relationship or marriage with someone of the opposite sex. Because there are roughly equal numbers of men and women, this means that to the extent that one gender struggles, the other gender’s relational prospects are compromised.

The classic example…

the price of food, literally

Background: a few years back someone in the keto community posted a chart comparing the price of burger patties from various fast food joints. The intention was good, like, if you were in a jam, wanted something to eat, and didn’t have many options.

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Cool. That’s not how my brain works, though. Grams of protein per dollar, totes. And then compare calories to see which of them might be loaded with added fat (QaDRoT*: exclude those options at fast food joints).

*QaDRoT: quick and dirty rule of thumb

This holds true across the boards: from fancy fish/meat to fast food burger patties to protein bars.

Also, what you pay for is what you get (mostly). Hear me out!

So, what’s the magic number, grams of protein per $$?

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For personalized health consulting services: [email protected].

Affiliate links: OMAHA. STEAKS. Check here for daily discounts and the best steaks of your life.

Still looking for a pair of hot blue blockers? TrueDark is offering 10% off HERE and Spectra479 is offering 15% off HERE. Use discount code LAGAKOS for a deal on CarbonShades. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this then this.

Naked Nutrition makes some great products, including Naked Grass Fed Protein. Also, free shipping

20% off some delish stocks and broths from Kettle and Fire HERE.

Real Mushrooms makes great extracts. 10% off with coupon code LAGAKOS. I recommend Lion’s Mane for the brain and

Creamy Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing

This Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing is a nutrient-dense way to liven up any salad! It’s gluten free, low-carb, and vegan!

This Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing is sponsored by our friends at Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Cast Iron Keto and our mission possible.

We’ve got a few simple recipes like this Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing on CIK in our Back to Basics Series and this one may just be our favorite! This homemade dressing is packed with flavor, is endlessly creamy, and goes with so many things. Think of the flavor somewhere between a tahini dressing and caesar dressing. YUM!

We are so in love with nutritional yeast. Typically, we’re sprinkling it over avocado toast, salads, or even soups but this dressing is our new favorite way to use it. It’s perfect for making even the most simple salad ingredients feel a bit elevated.

We keep a jar on hand for easy salads during the week and it’s also a great dip for fresh-cut veggies.

A lot of the dressings out there that use nutritional yeast are oil free, and while that’s great, it’s not so great for the Keto diet where you really need those healthy fats. A good quality extra-virgin olive oil makes sure this dressing is not only silky smooth but also loaded with healthy fats.

Read the full post for all the details!

Ingredients in nutritional yeast salad dressing

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast – a bit cheesy, nutty, and all-around perfect – this is our go-to choice for nutritional yeast

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The Gas Station Ready Workout

Editor’s note: This is a guest article by Adam benShea of Jailhouse Strong. Their motto is being “gas station ready” — which is to say, if you’re filling up on gas at three in the morning, and some wild-eyed degenerate accosts you, demanding your money/ride/lady, are you prepared to handle the situation? This workout will help get you there.

At home or a hotel and looking for a workout?

This is an excellent interval session for when you’re short on time, but you want a good bang for your buck. It could be done as a workout on its own, or as a way to finish a pig iron session. Unlike MMA and boxing intervals, this interval circuit prepares you for the type of altercation you would find yourself in after a night of tomcatting at your local beer peeler bar. That is, violent and quick.

The movement of the sprawl (basically a burpee, without the pushup or jump, where you let your hips fall to the ground, while arching your back upward) is included because of the way in which it mimics the process of defending a takedown (a common feature of any no-rules fight). The sprawl also helps you get used to fluctuating between moving on your feet and on the ground (an often overlooked aspect of a real knock-down, drag-out fight). For those who have not trained this movement, in real unarmed combat they will be doubled over and out of gas. To make the workout more difficult, a standard burpee can be substituted for a sprawl.

The Circuit

Day 1

Complete the circuit as many times as possible inside of 20 seconds, then rest 20 seconds. Complete 5 times.

Day 2

Complete the circuit as many times as possible inside of 30 seconds, then…

Why Girl’s Sports Are Different W/ Nathan McClallen

Nathan joins Jon to discuss the differences in coaching women’s sports. As this is a controversial topic in our world today. Learn why girl’s sports are different. How we raise girls can lead to interesting outcomes when they try sports. Nathan is a Teacher, Athletic Director, and Texas State Championship coach. To learn more about Nathan, check out his blog.

Carbs: low (LCHF) vs. lower (keto)

Effects of calorie restricted low carbohydrate high fat ketogenic vs. non-ketogenic diet on strength, body composition, hormonal and lipid profile in trained middle-aged men (Vidic et al., 2021)

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Carbs: Low vs. Lower. In the original Sears study, they compared 33 grams of carbohydrate to 157. Six weeks, all food provided. The low carb group lost more fat mass than the keto group and everyone got mad. Blamed Barry Sears for basically testing his Zone diet vs. a ketogenic diet, so of course his diet was gonna win. Lol.

What about the water weight?

For personalized health consulting services: [email protected].

Affiliate links: OMAHA. STEAKS. Check here for daily discounts and the best steaks of your life.

Naked Nutrition makes some great products, including Naked Grass Fed Protein. Also, free shipping

20% off some delish stocks and broths from Kettle and Fire HERE.

Real Mushrooms makes great extracts. 10% off with coupon code LAGAKOS. I recommend Lion’s Mane for the brain and Reishi for everything else.

calories proper

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20-Minute Keto Shrimp Scampi Recipe

This easy Keto Shrimp Scampi recipe is ready in just 20 minutes! Serve it up with cauliflower rice or low-carb pasta for one delicious dinner.

This Keto Shrimp Scampi is the .com. It’s packed with garlic, lemon, olive oil, and Parmesan. This one-pan recipe will quickly become a go-to in your weeknight dinner rotation. You thought 30-minute dinner recipes were great, wait until you try 20

Some shrimp scampi recipes tend to use chicken broth when that luscious sauce should only be made from 4 things:

butter
olive oil
lemon juice
white wine

Adding broth to the scampi is a no-go unless you’re wanting to make this recipe alcohol-free. Then it’s a great swap.

Ingredients in Keto Shrimp Scampi

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (see notes below on how to make it dairy-free)
1/2 medium onion, diced (we like yellow onions here)
4 cloves minced garlic (always fresh, never pre-minced)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (we’re in love with this Diaspora Co. Aranya Pepper)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup dry white wine (such as a pinot grigio)
1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled (we like to leave the tails intact)
Fresh parsley, for garnish
Shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish (see notes below for dairy-free options)

How to make Keto Shrimp Scampi

Place the olive oil and butter in a 10″ or larger cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

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The Steve McQueen Workout

When I was a kid, an old guy told me only the strong survive. That’s somethin’ you gotta believe, man. —Steve McQueen

Part of what made Steve McQueen so compelling, both as a private individual and as a movie star, was his kinetic, almost feral quality. He both developed and discharged this animalistic, coiled-up, ready-for-action energy by regularly working out.

As biographer Marshall Terrill notes in Steve McQueen: In His Own Words, the King of Cool religiously exercised for two hours every day for almost his entire adult life.

Just as it’s interesting to take a peek at the books famous men kept in their personal libraries, it’s interesting to take a look at the personal workout routines of famous men as well. Not so much to garner specific suggestions for one’s own exercise regimen, but for the sake of general inspiration and the desire to learn more about a particular individual’s life.

So I recently called Marshall up to see if in writing his numerous biographies of Steve McQueen, he had come across details about what the actor did for his workouts. Here’s what Marshall shared with me.

Why Steve McQueen Exercised So Religiously

Based on his decades-long exploration of McQueen’s life, Marshall thinks McQueen likely started exercising regularly in the 1950s, when he was a young actor in New York City. McQueen understood his body was a tool for his profession — that he wasn’t just selling his ability to act, but also an image. He recognized that an audience wanted to see a fit, good-looking guy when they took in a flick. As he mused, “If they see John Milquetoast up there on the screen, John Public says, ‘goodbye.’”

As Marshall noted: “That interpretation basically means if you have a flabby body or if you…

The End of the Gentleman

The New Criterion has an article up by John Kekes on the ideal of the gentlemen that is a window into misguided conservative thinking on the topic of how men should act. He writes:

Being a gentleman is not a matter of inheritance, wealth, or refinement. It needs to be earned by having a character with a sense of honor at its core. Character sets limits a gentleman will not cross and acknowledges responsibilities he will not shirk. It involves a commitment to a way of life that in some small or large way, by example or by action, contributes to making some lives better or protecting them from getting worse. Since this is not the best of all possible worlds, it is often difficult to be a gentleman and live honorably within self- imposed limits, meeting responsibilities both to oneself and to others.

He explores this through stories of three people, a French aristocrat who sacrifices himself for the king during the Revolution, a woman (???) who declines an offer of marriage from a British aristocrat, and a Japanese officer during World War II.

What’s notable in this take is that the concept of the gentlemen it promotes is almost entirely one of self sacrifice.

If honor is the central principle of gentlemanliness, then it would have to follow that the traditional defense of one’s honor would be included. A gentleman would fight a duel or otherwise avenge insults to his honor, but that seems missing here.

Rather than a traditional take, this is a modern, highly edited version.

The rules of gentlemanly behavior have been historically defined by the upper class. Indeed, to be a gentleman was to have a certain social status in society. Even once the gentleman appellation was more generally extended, the standards…