Summary:
Liam and Mahdi have been let loose in the studio to discuss whatever is on their minds during this episode of the Project Kuwait podcast, and they cover a lot of ground! From traffic to testosterone to turmeric to trainers, you do not want to miss a minute of this riveting action.
Time Stamps:
1:30 – Liam and Mahdi talk about traffic in Kuwait and the tendency of bikers to not pay attention or ride recklessly.
4:45 – Mahdi says that he has always been told “run at night, wear something bright”, so he tries to stick to that rule.
5:20 – Liam talks about a trend he is seeing for older generations to go to the Avenues to walk around, eat, and shop. Mahdi says that anyone can enhance their normal walking with extra movement like air squats.
6:56 – Mahdi brings up a study that says that deadlifts increase testosterone and hormone levels. He talks about his own experience feeling great and energized after deadlifts, and Liam discusses the reasoning behind those feelings: peak muscle contraction which is achieved by lifting heavy weights using big muscle groups.
11:53 – They transition to talking about strongman competitions, which Liam and Mahdi both watched growing up, and Liam introduces the benefits of this kind of training for anyone. One example is carrying as many shopping bags from the car to the house as possible.
16:35 – Mahdi talks about some specific strongman exercises that are beneficial and strengthen your forearms, such as farmer’s carry, sled pull, and the sandbag walk. These techniques push your muscles to their limits.
21:00 – Liam says that when he doesn’t know what to do during a workout, he reverts back to strongman exercises that he used to do in rugby training. Mahdi mentions the log press machine, and they discuss why it works so well.
25:24 – Mahdi talks about the fear that people have that they will get hurt doing strongman, and Liam says that it is uncomfortable for people who aren’t used to it. But they both agree that it is beneficial for people to do and encourage people to watch the documentary about Eddie Hall.
28:21 – Most people will lose weight and put on muscle doing strongman exercises, but actually being a strongman athlete is not biologically sustainable.
29:52 – Mahdi and Liam commit to posting themselves doing a strongman workout on the Project Kuwait Instagram.
30:53 – Mahdi and Liam talk about the celery juice detox fad that is going around. Ultimately, they think that it is not worth the hype and that you would be healthier by maintaining a healthy lifestyle than by relying on a glass of celery juice in the morning.
36:19 – They admit that there are natural ingredients that are helpful remedies from time to time, such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon, but they are not all you need to be healthy.
39:06 – Next, Mahdi and Liam discuss calorie restriction, which is an easy way to quickly lose weight, but it could be detrimental to your body in the long run. Liam reminds listeners to stay away from extremes and just enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
42:25 – Liam brings up the topic of the importance and impact of having a personal coach or trainer. By meeting with someone regularly, they will get to know your rhythms, strengths, and weaknesses, and know how to motivate you to do more. Personal trainers are really unofficial therapists, and it is important that they are in a good place to help others and commit their time and energy to their clients.
47:42 – Mahdi and Liam emphasize that the personal trainer system is very helpful to the individuals and the community involved, perhaps even forming unofficial accountability partnerships.
50:18 – They discuss the differences in work ethic, ego, and expectations between trainers at boutique