Ben stopped having to think about water
A client of mine, Ben, told me this week that he’d “internalised” his new water habit. It’s just what he does now. No willpower required.
That phrase stuck with me.
Everyone knows they should drink more water. But most people don’t know why, not really. It’s treated as a rule instead of something understood. That’s a big difference.
Your blood is 90% water.
Your muscles, 75%.
Your brain, 73%.
And water is involved in almost every physiological process you have: temperature regulation, nutrient transport, joint lubrication, digestion, kidney function, muscle contraction, hormone and neurotransmitter transport.
Here’s the part that should actually change your behaviour. A one to two percent drop in hydration measurably reduces concentration, short-term memory and reaction time. And a one to two percent drop is easy to hit by lunchtime. Two coffees, no breakfast, no water until you remembered.
Your target: 30 to 35ml per kilogram of bodyweight per day. For most people that’s two to three litres, more if you train.
A glass on waking. A glass with each meal. One between meals. Done.
Everything in your body works better with water in it. Not because someone told you so. Because now you know why.
A quote worth sitting with
“Hydration is power.”
— Dr Stacy Sims, exercise physiologist
The ten seconds it takes to drink a glass of water might be the highest-leverage thing you do all day.
The Saturday Standard
Each week I’m going to share one hard workout. It’s hard on purpose; growth comes from increasing what you think you’re capable of.
The Ladder
10 rounds.
Round 1: 1 burpee, 2 kettlebell swings, 3 air squats.
Round 2: 2 burpees, 4 swings, 6 squats.
Keep climbing by the same amount each round until…
Round 10: 10 burpees, 20 swings, 30 squats.
Scale the swing weight to something you can move fast, not something you can barely lift. This is a pacing test as much as a fitness one.
Most people go out too hard through the first three rounds and pay for it from round six onwards.
Rest as little as possible between rounds. If you’re stopping for more than ten seconds, you started too fast.
What’s happening with me
Tonight’s my first bootcamp class, over in the local park. What I hadn’t anticipated was that I’d be competing for attendance with the England match.
We’ll see who wins that one.