#001 - Humans human-ing better, fave places to buy gluten in Barcelona, plus a cat gym concept?
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Strength Training 101
It’s pretty cool that your body can adapt. If you overload it with a stimulus, it will make physiological changes to better handle that stimulus. I think that’s neat. What’s also neat is that if this stimulus is mechanical tension, it increases muscle mass, bone density, joint stability, improves heart health, cognition, mood, quality of life, longevity, and makes you less fragile. Mechanical tension, aka resistance training, aka strength training, can include weight lifting, calisthenics, resistance bands, weight machines, or a bunch of other types of equipment that resist your body’s movement. These movements are usually of short duration (1 to 30 repetitions per bout) and force very specific adaptations in muscle fibers, joint tissues, bones, and even in the connection between the brain and body. I’ll let you sit with that for a sec.
Who could benefit from this adaptation? Well, everyone. In fact, I’ll say it - everyone should do some sort of resistance training. It makes athletes perform better, it makes teachers teach better, it makes business people business better, it makes artists art better, and it makes anyone more capable in a bunch of areas in their life. Reference above ⬆️. All you need is 2 or 3 resistance training sessions a week and you’re good. Mix it in with some walking, running, yoga or whatever other activities you already do and level that shit up. The adaptation will be noticeable in a few weeks (especially if you haven’t done much resistance training) and you won’t look back.
A Visual Supplement
too long; didn't read? - watch this video.
Barcelona
We recently returned to Lisbon from a month-long stay in Barcelona. We were there to film some strength training workouts for workoutwherever.tv, but of course managed to explore the city and have some fun, too. We definitely found some favorite spots:
Coffee
Nomad Coffee Lab - An exceptional coffee experience. The type of place where you sit down and the barista brings you the coffee and explains it to you and then you take little sips out of what looks like a tea cup so that you can fully experience the flavors. They also do a great shakerato - perfect on a hot day. I’ve started ordering their beans for delivery here in Lisbon since they have great coffee, are reasonably priced, and offer free shipping on the Iberian peninsula. They’re also located in an extremely picturesque little passageway - a very photogenic location.
Onis Coffee - A cute little shop that was right around the corner from our apartment and has great espresso. The owner is super friendly and the decor of the shop is simple and elegant. They also do a great cold brew for those hot days.
Three Marks Coffee - Another Barcelona major figure with lots of options. Their beans are great and run the gamut flavor-wise from simple to complex and price wise from lesser to more expensive. Lots of outdoor seating for those lovely days when a cold brew and a place to relax is a must. They were also one of the few shops with an espresso tonic as an option - another hot day favorite of mine.
Natasha’s addition : European Coffee Trip, an essential coffee lover’s youtube channel, dropped a video profiling Three Marks while we were still in town!
Bread/Pastries
Coush Armo - Organic sourdough bread and some unique spins on familiar pastries. The one that stood out the most being an Argentinean version of a croissant that uses lard and is then glazed in a sesame syrup - a little sweet and a slight hint of sesame. We bought bread from them regularly and tried most of the varieties they offered. All really great.
Baluard - With many shops around town, you’re never far from good bread, and with an almost overwhelming selection, you’re never pressed to try and find something new. Lots of good sourdough options, including baguettes, if you’re into that sort of thing. Their pan loaf is great for making turkey sandwiches and they have plenty of sweet treats, for when the moment calls. They also have some really good already prepared sandwiches in case you need a quick bite.
Grocery Stores
Ametller Origen - There are a lot of these around town (some even open on Sunday!) and they are a great place to grab fresh fruits and veggies, along with kitchen staples. I would get sliced turkey and cheese from them and then make sandwiches for lunch using bread from one of the above bakeries. A great go to and very reasonably priced. They also have a nice selection of meat and lots of veggie protein options, too.
Veritas - Another great option for healthy staples. A good selection of fruits and veggies, plus all the other stuff you need like quinoa, dark chocolate, olive oil mayonnaise, and dishwasher detergent that doesn’t smell like a chemical cocktail. Their prices seemed to be a little higher than Ametller Origen, but they also had some things that we couldn’t find elsewhere, so we split our shopping between the two.
Eateries
Apluma - I could eat rotisserie chicken everyday and be perfectly happy. It’s something I never get sick of and I always seek it out when traveling. Apluma has some of the best I’ve had and I got a whole chicken with roasted potatoes probably about twice a week for the entire month we were in Barcelona. Make a salad at home and you have a simple and reasonably priced dinner. We were lucky to be a 5 min walk from one of their locations - a happy coincidence.
Cresta Colorada - Mexican food is something we miss living in Lisbon. There are a few decent spots, but nothing like where Natasha (Texas) and I (California) grew up. This place really satisfied our craving for authentic Mexican food. They specialize in rotisserie chicken, served with tortillas, black beans, and a variety of salsas, but they also had really good cochinita pibil tacos and a really tasty kale salad. They also had a great list of mezcal and tequila - always a plus. Fortaleza Blanco was the highlight of the tequilas.
Xurreria Trebol - Don’t leave Barcelona without getting some churros (xurro in Catalan). Fried dough, sprinkled with sugar and served with hot chocolate to dip it in. This is basically a melted chocolate bar and this spot gives you like an 8 ounce serving of it - plenty of chocolate to dip and maybe a little extra to sip on. Definitely a must. Enjoy them in a little plaça while you watch kids kick soccer balls nerve-rackingly close to outdoor diners.
Our Stay
We stayed in a Ukio apartment for our entire month in Barcelona. We had been really interested in trying their offerings and although it wasn’t as nice as we had hoped it would be, it was a solid stay. It’s basically one step up from AirBnb, but with a support staff that was easily accessible and very friendly. Their customer service was good, which was fortunate because we had to use it often. We had a few different leaks happen in a few different locations in the apartment and had to have a repairman visit on two separate occasions. Also, beyond regular cleanings, it looked like maintenance hadn’t been kept up as much as it should have been and a lot of the beautiful plants in the pictures online were dead when we arrived.
However, the location of the place in the Dreta de l'Eixample was stellar, it had an amazing kitchen with great appliances, it had decent Ikea furniture, and the terrace was tops - we spent as much time there as possible. All in all, it was a good stay and I think we’ll try another of their spots (maybe Madrid?) in the future.
The Firmflex by Body By Jake was the first piece of workout equipment I ever actively sought out. I think I asked for it for Christmas - the infomercials must’ve got me. In hindsight, it’s a pretty silly piece of equipment and really most of the exercises you can do on it can be achieved with a pair of dumbbells. But hey, I used it for a few years and then it became a clothing rack. I think it’s all-in-one nature appealed to me and even early on I understood the need for a “full body” workout. In any event, it was a stepping stone and looking back, these infomercials are pretty entertaining - I regret nothing. Get fit, don’t quit!!
I’ve distilled some old infomercials into clips for your viewing pleasure.
free business idea
cat cafes are so done - I don’t like gyms (duh) - but, maybe I would if the right scenario existed. I just want to get-it-in next to my kitty friends. Also, a reminder to self when I feel like skipping my workout - WATCH THIS GIF ⬇️!
💫Stay inspired by your community!💫 haha but seriously…
#i could (workout) here…
Wow. This project in Palma de Mallorca, Spain just set the bar extremely high when it comes to building with the environment in mind. Not only is it sans paint in any capacity, but it heats and cools itself – all while being a pleasing balance of urban and natural materials. I don’t normally enjoy the sight of anything gray in interior design, much less actual concrete, but paired with all of the green and warm and cozy wood elements my aesthetic apprehension is soothed.
Natasha 💚 Matcha 🍵
I like matcha! Do you like matcha? Allegedly it is super good for you and I really enjoy the way the mixture of l-theanine & caffeine washes over me like a weighted blanket for my productivity-induced work day anxieties – like a calming yet encouraging pat on the back. I say all this to say, if you are in Europe and interested in ordering a quality daily drinker, you might make an order to Barcelona-based The Matcha House. I ordered the Select Matcha and I make some for Dustin and I every afternoon post-breakfast. Not a fun fact, but a regular fact : I studied Japanese tea ceremony briefly and my whisk game is strong.
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Thanks for joining us - see you next time!
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Thanks for the Barcelona recs. I’ll be using them on my trip there next month!