To be a digital minimalist, in other words, means you accept the idea that new communication technologies have the potential to massively improve your life, but also recognize that realizing this potential is hard work.
~ Cal Newport
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Digital minimalism →
Bonding through movement →
Today, a growing percentage of people find themselves alienated from any particular community, without strong bonds to any discernible group. Loneliness is on the rise. More people live alone, remain single or childless, move to new geographical locations on a regular basis, and otherwise fail to develop close ties. This is a shift that is unprecedented in human history.
~ Shane Parrish from, Muscular Bonding: How Dance Made Us Human
My pull-quote feels pretty obvious. What’s interesting is where Parrish goes in this article. There’s a lot of research and discussion around what happens to us—mentally and physically—when we move together. It’s not simply, “hey that was fun.” There’s a durable bonding that happens when humans move together.
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Keeping you small →
The trick is: You bite off more than you can chew… and then you still chew it. Your mind always believes it can do less than it actually can. It will tell you it’s too much, to stop, to take a break, to cancel this or that. But your mind will lie to you to keep you small.
~ Will Smith
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Discourse →
You don’t know if your idea is any good the moment it’s created. Neither does anyone else. The most you can hope for is a strong gut feeling that it is. And trusting your feelings is not as easy as the optimists say it is. There’s a reason why feelings scare us—because what they tell us and what the rest of the world tells us are often two different things.
~ Hugh MacLeod
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This quote, I think, also alludes to the problem of people “not getting” new ideas. It turns out that the same problem exists for old ideas to which people have grown unaccoustomed through lack of use.
Online discussion in forums is not a new idea. It’s a time-tested idea; They can be a space to focus interaction. There are ground rules. There’s a border defining what’s inside and what’s outside. Those inside have skin in the game. There is accountability.
The challenge is for each of us to resume engaging in reasoned discourse with others. That can be done in many places, not just in online forums. But in general, we’ve lost it in, (something like,) the last ten years when the current incarnation of the social networks rose and ate our attention.
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The wisdom of the body →
You can’t dance and be sad. You can listen to music and cry, you can read and cry, you can draw and cry but you can’t dance and cry. The body won’t let you.
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Deliberate practice →
Deliberate practice is the key to expert performance in writing, teaching, sports, programming, music, medicine, therapy, chess, business, and more. But there’s more to it than 10,000 hours. Read to learn how to accelerate learning, overcome…
~ Shane Parrish from, The Ultimate Deliberate Practice Guide: How to Be the Best
I was dubious at their title, but this article—a tiny book actually—is exquisite. With an estimated reading time of 43 minutes, there’s a lot in there. For example, it mentions…
There is a place, right on the edge of your ability, where you learn best and fastest. It’s called the sweet spot.…The underlying pattern is the same: Seek out ways to stretch yourself. Play on the edges of your competence. As Albert Einstein said, “One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.”
The key word is ‘barely.’
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Has anyone read the book, The Little Book of Talent, by Daniel Coyle?
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Statuary →
Sculpture is more divine, and more like nature,
that fashions all her works in high relief,
and that is sculpture. This vast ball, the Earth,
was moulded out of clay, and baked in fire;
Men, women, and all animals that breath
are statues, and not paintings.
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There may be something to this →
Research now demonstrates that neuronal sensory integration actually happens much earlier in the sensory processing pathway and is actually optimized or heightened with multi-sensory stimulation, or what we call sensory stacking.
Sensory stacking is to bring in as many sensory input systems during an exercise or movement for the purpose of enhancing cortical stimulation and neuronal pathways.
~ Emily Splichal from, Sensory Stacking | The integration of tactile, visual and auditory input
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Our entire schtick—whether you self-identify with Art du Déplacement, Parkour or Freerunning, or whatever—is moving in a visually complex environment. That turns out to have a physiological, brain altering affect.
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Dedication with Joseph Rizzo →
How can Olympic weightlifting enhance performance and longevity in Parkour practice?
Technical movements in weightlifting unlock unexpected benefits for Parkour athletes.
A lot of people think like, Oh, I’m just gonna push as hard as I can and, you know, get this bar overhead and basically muscle it. And there’s a lot of danger in that, right? Because there’s not a lot of thought behind it. If you try to muscle something, you’ll only get to a certain point without technique, and kind of the same thing goes for Parkour as well.
~ Joseph Rizzo (2:43)
The conversation explores the intricate relationship between Olympic weightlifting and Parkour, emphasizing the technical nature of both practices. The discussion begins with an explanation of the complexity and precision involved in Olympic lifts such as the snatch and clean and jerk. These dynamic movements are contrasted with static lifts like the squat and bench press, underscoring how technical proficiency can prevent injury and enhance performance in both weightlifting and Parkour.
Another major topic is the carryover between the two disciplines. Weightlifting’s emphasis on explosiveness, shock absorption, and stability has direct applications to Parkour, particularly in reducing impact-related injuries and improving landings. The conversation also touches on how weightlifting reveals imbalances in the body, enabling athletes to address weaknesses and enhance longevity. Joseph explains how technical focus during training—starting with light weights and emphasizing form—can help Parkour practitioners gain strength and resilience.
Takeaways
The complexity of Olympic weightlifting — It requires precise techniques to safely and effectively execute movements like the snatch and clean and jerk.
Impact absorption in Parkour — Weightlifting develops the ability to handle forces several times one’s body weight, improving landing techniques.
Revealing and correcting imbalances — Weightlifting highlights physical imbalances that Parkour alone might not expose.
Complementary training — Weightlifting reduces the frequency of Parkour practice needed to maintain a high level of performance.
Barriers to adoption — Many Parkour practitioners view weightlifting as overly technical and time-intensive.
Longevity through strength — Developing connective tissue strength and joint stability through weightlifting extends training careers.
Programming for beginners — Focusing on technical proficiency during the initial phases of weightlifting ensures safety and skill transferability.
Holistic benefits — Olympic weightlifting offers both physical and mental gains, such as confidence and discipline, that translate into Parkour training.
Resources
The Movement Creative — A Parkour organization that supports training and events.
Move NYC Event — A community event combining movement disciplines, referenced as an upcoming event in Manhattan.
Jefferson Curl — A weightlifting exercise for mobility and spinal flexibility.
The Unknown Project on YouTube — Joseph’s Parkour and movement-based content.
Joseph Rizzo’s Instagram @mr_rizzzo — Joseph’s personal Instagram profile.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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