I’ve worn Merrell shoes for ages, even back in 2007 for Japanese horseback archery training.
It’s a long story, but I still have those bad boys.
In 2012, Merrell themselves noticed that I wore Merrell. DMs were sent, and the seeds of a partnership were born. Today, I’m thrilled to formally announce that I’m collaborating with Merrell in 2013 to get more people outdoors. Of course, they want to move product, but I’m happy to help. Why? Because I already love their stuff, and the new minimal shoes are precisely what I wanted and wrote about in The 4-Hour Body. The soles of the M Connect line are designed by Vibram but less socially awkward than their Gecko-feet variety, which I’d stopped wearing.
I’ll be doing a lot with Merrell using their Twitter and Facebook accounts (keep reading), so you might want to follow them here:
I’d also like to give away some shoes! Just answer both of these questions in the comments below:
– What does “connection” mean to you?
– What are your favorite bodyweight-only exercises?
The best 10 responses will get 10 pairs (one pair each) of Merrell shoes: 8 domestic US winners and 2 international winners. All answers are due no later than 5pm PST on Tuesday, March 12.
Live Events and Q&A — Saturday and Monday
I will be doing a few live events today, Saturday:
– Live SXSW keynote in Austin, TX — 11AM-12PM Tomorrow, Saturday, March 12. It’s called “Acquiring the Skill of Meta-Learning” and is about how to become world-class in nearly any skill in 6 months or less.
– Book Signing at SXSW following above presentation, from 12:30pm to however long it takes 🙂
Then, next Monday (March 11), a free 2-hour Q&A on Twitter:
Here’s how it works:
– Go to @merrelloutside and follow them.
– Starting 9pm EST, ask any questions you like in the following format “@tferriss @merrelloutside [Insert question]?” Anything is fair game, and I’ll do my best to answer as many as possible.
Have a great weekend… and get outside!
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Connection:
I’m a scientist, so when I think of ‘connection’ what comes to mind is perhaps more objective than what others might think. A connection occurs when two or more ‘things’ (objects, concepts, thoughts, people etc.) are able to influence each other. Having a ‘connection’ with the road on which you’re running though your shoes means that the terrain can influence your run (hopefully for the better)!
Fav bodyweight-only exercise: I’m training for my 1st marathon (using Merrell Paceglove) and have just started looking into doing more bodyweight-only core-strengthening exercises to aid my running. So far I really like the Trapwalk and CatCrawl.
Connection to me means open. To have a connection with something or someone you have to be open to what is being offered to you.
My favorite body weight exercises, for their results and not necessarily the act of performing them, would have to be burpees; because they are a full body workout and you don’t need a lot of space to do them.
Hi, from Australia!
Connection to me means refusing to see seperation between me and the rest of the world. Whether it’s a cashier at a coffee shop or walking in nature, I connect by seeing the boundaries of where one thing/person stops and I begin, as being blurred.
And, my favourite bodyweight-only exercises are the ballet inspired leg workouts of Yoga Booty Barre classes. You get the most incredible work out (harder than any weight training I’ve done on my legs, probably because for a full 45 mins I’ve got 55kg of my body weight on at least one or two of my leg muscles- constantly). After 4 classes I’m already getting insane definition in my legs – and let’s face it, who doesn’t want a ballet dancer’s butt, thighs and calves!? I may never go back to weights again!
Thanks Tim,
Camilla.
My interest in connection lies in my ability to interact with my environment. In terms of footwear, it hinges on my ability to sense the ground that I’m walking on and respond with the full range of motion my feet allow. Any shoe that inhibits my ability to sense or move more than is necessary to protect my feet is an impedance to my connection with the ground.
My favorite bodyweight exercises are the “muscle up” (using gymnastics rings) and the plyometric jump squat.
When I hear connection I think of baseball. Hitting a baseball squarely is the hardest thing to do in sports (arguably). 162 games x 4 at bats per game is 648 attempts. The record of 61 home runs stood for about 40 years. When someone does you here “He connected with that one,” from the broadcaster. So when I think of connection I think of two beings, or things, coming together for a purpose. Electical cord of a lamp connecting to power provides light, baseball connecting with a bat is home run, two people connecting for a number of purposes, to find a spouse for example. That is what “connection” means to me.
Favorite body weight exercise: burpees.
1. For me, connection can be described in two ways: The first would be the union of mind and body. Despite the hippy-esque sound of that statement, I find it quite accurately portrays the very few actual moments when productivity and creativity intersect. In these rare instances, you’re able to create something inspiring, thought provoking and beautiful; you’re able to create art, in whichever outlet suits you. Secondly, I would add that connection can be a union of two or more people which is deeper than mere social conventions or dialogues, a union that moves past the physical or intellectual, and deeply embraces the emotional – a relationship based on love.
2. Jumping jack squats. I’ve always had trouble developing my lower body in comparison to my upper body. Two years ago, I had a BEI body fat analysis; it came back saying that at my ridiculously low weight of 100 pounds, each leg was proportioned a mere 10 pounds each, coming in at only 20% of my body weight! Over the last two years I have gained about 40 pounds, and the one day I refuse to ever skip despite a hectic schedule is leg day. So in busy, hectic times, I have found my go to exercise has been jumping jack squats. I’m able to effectively workout out both quads and hamstrings, keeping my legs strong, and helping to move nutrients throughout my body, letting other areas maintain and grow. Additionally, I like the jumping jack squat for its massive cardio benefit, it greatly improves my endurance.
Canadian btw!
To me, connection is the knowing something without knowing how you know it. When that quarrelsome physics concept finally clicks, or you lock eyes with the gorgeous gal across the room, there’s a profound and immediate understanding that is difficult to describe because the knowledge just… Happened.
My favorite body weight exercise is bouldering. It works everything, and may someday get me out of a tight situation it I’m ever wrongfully accused and on the run from corrupt undercover agents looking to frame me. Proprioception is critical when you’re scaling a wall with tazers screaming toward your calves, and Merrells are the perfect balance of barefoot sensitivity and running shoe security.
Connection is integrity within and without. It is speaking in the same language–in the same way of communicating. Connection is achieving wholeness.
It is the same with my favorite body-weight only exercise. Walking is something we share with everyone, everyday. It is understandable by everyone, from every race and culture, of all ages and gender. Done everyday, it balances ourselves, sets human rhythms, and makes us whole with the world.
Hi everyone,
My answers follow.
1) What does “connection” mean to you?
It is a pronounced commonality between two or more things whose chief aim is to sustain, whether for good or bad.
2) What are your favorite bodyweight-only exercises?
An Iranian pushup.
Thanks,
A
—
PS: Tim, this guys sounds like it could be:
http://www.theibanker.com/the-investment-banker-and-the-blogger/
Hi there,
connection for me means to be connected with everything that surrounds me, whether it is positive or negative. The clue is to learn not only to logically decide what should be avoided and what should be focused on, but to be aware of it both physically and mentally… for me that means to close the circle between mind, body and logic. Getting outside into nature is the perfect way to get aware again and there are no effective laws than the laws of nature. All others are made by men and have been changed during history – but the laws of nature are steady…Reconnecting to nature once in a while helps to refocus on what´s improtant!
Favorite bodyweight exercises:
– classic chin ups (with variations)
– classic push ups (with variations)
– free running (favorite underground: rocky wood land)
once in a while I let someone drive me into the wild (not literally) and I make my way back home on my own – connecting with nature and exercise
Connection means breathing it in…immediately knowing that what is at play is something much greater than we are and submitting yourself to it. It is not that push away from the city, but the pull by our primal nature…yearning to get back into OUR world, OUR REAL habitat.
My favourite bodyweight only exercise…squats…hundreds of them.
Yhteys tarkoittaa avoimuutta tuntea ja kuunnella.
Paras kehonpainoliike on dippi avantoon!
[Moderator: Translation —
Connection means openness to feel and listen.
The best weight of the body is a business dip in the frozen lake!]
The interpretation of connection to me with regards to engaging with someone in a martial arts aspect…the ability to observe intent with connecting yourself and your opponent in the moment by using all aspects of your senses. Once you connect with their intent then you’ve won half the battle or in other words you will be one step ahead of everthing they do.
My favorite body weight excercises are anything that forces you to change levels constantly. Examples: burpess, sprawls, forward-backward-sideways lunges..
Connection to me is never holding a newborn until 2 and half weeks ago and experiencing skin to skin with your newborn. I’ve never real held a baby but somehow I just knew what to do with my own newborn 10 seconds into its life.
Body weight exercise: walking lunge, planks, and time tested push-ups. Got to love the burn in your upper body and come on they just make you feel like your ready for the beach!
Connection mean to be “in relation with.” To be actively seeking the harmonious rhythm between yourself another (person, animal or place).
My favorite body weight only exercises are lunges and push-ups.
Two answers from a travelling salesman (UK):
Connection = need + response + emotion. I’ve had my share of meetings that nobody needed – or that were based on research and pre-planned statements – or that just focused on facts and figures. They may have been good meetings, but there was no connection. (This works for connecting with nature, your inner self, gods etc.)
Exercises – they need to be simple and demanding enough for a hotel room workout. Usually: 80sec jumping jacks, 80 sec squats, 80 sec pushups, 80sec crunches (no bosu ball, using a towel instead). 80sec rest, repeat.
Curious to read others – these questions are really something I need to think about every day!
Connecting is being in the moment. Connecting at dawn in New England in early March is feeling snow under my boots, hearing the birds, inhaling crisp air through my nose and watching my dog bound through snow drifts for the pure joy of it. I’ve learned more about connecting from my dog than anything. We both feel complete joy in all seasons and any weather.
Best body weight exercise: Crow pose with bare hands on an interesting, and stable, piece of granite.
Connection: Between two people, its having an understanding and mutually beneficial relationship with another – a rapport that is instantly comfortable and open whenever the two people meet.
Best Body Weight Exercise:
– Burpee Pull-up, hands down. It is truly a full body, functional movement. Legs, but, core, arms (chest push, overhead pull), chest, back, shoulders and hand grip. The only piece missing is an overhead push movement. You’re hard pressed to find a movement that works as much.
Connection is being drawn and relating to things, people, environment easily.
Pushups and Squats – effective and efficient
Connection to me is integration of one or all parts, those parts then moving in tandem, or pushing against each other, or resting. It can be of the mind, the spiritual, emotional or physical.
My favorite body-weight only exercise is the myotatic crunch you describe in The Four Hour Body. I practice it with cushions on my living room floor and it does an incredible job toning all parts of my core, as well as allowing for a good stretch!
The paradox of my generation is that we are the most technologically “connected,” yet distant in a traditional sense of the word. We spend hours contacting each other through facebook, phones, texts, and tweets, but when it comes to talking over a game of catch, we are too busy uploading and updating our lives online.
99 facebook friends liked a picture of a sunset I took in Huanchaco Perú that had a caption describing some outdoor activities; yet I struggle to find one friend who is willing to go for a walk or toss a frisbee (this is a true story). Thus for me, being connected is when we disconnect our phones and computers, and have a conversation over dinner without multitasking and sending inconsequential texts. Or when we go hiking in the mountains for the intrinsic rewards of the hike, and not for the chance to post about this event on facebook. I maintain many international friendships through the use of the web, but for me the real connections are when we meet up face to face.
Don’t get me wrong, I love technology as much as the next guy, but as Tim Ferriss preaches, good things in excess become their opposite. I’ve adopted his rule of only checking email twice a day at scheduled times, so I can get outside and do the life-enriching activities that we later look at photos about on the internet. One of my favorite parts about technology is its intersection with the outdoors. My down jacket allows me to be comfortable when I’m kayaking a lake in the middle of winter. And my vibram five finger shoes are the source of my new favorite body weight only exercise, which is exploring the different textures of land underneath my toes while running. The squish of moss and sand are far more intimate in these shoes than traditional brands like Nike, and based on the current literature I’ve been reading, shoes with minimal amounts of cushion (like vibrams or Merrells) are the healthiest for your joints.
My favorite “connection” is the one I get in my noggin when my own thoughts and ideas collide with someone else’s creativity, research, and brilliance. They don’t even have to be there – the written word is the best example of this. Now, I think I’m ripping off someone else when I say that it’s like that light bulb flicking on, or that idea whose time has come. But it is.
It’s a good moment: it lets you know you’re on the right path.
—
My top bodyweight exercises are the crucifix push-up, the muscle-up, and extreme downward dogs.
Okay, I’m joking about the extreme downward dogs. And I’ve only ever done one muscle-up with terrible form. But they look cool! I like Jack LaLanne push-ups too. I think your readers might like a blog post about working up to those ridiculous bodyweight-only exercises, Tim (at least this one would)!
Cheers!
Connection to me means feeling like part of a universal plan.
Favorite body weight exercise?- Jump Squats
Connection – a strange attractor that leads to unpredictable interractions and consequences.
Favorite body weight exercise: Face the wall squats (RKC)
Connection means to me-those moments of stillness, oneness yet wholenes.. and for me they happen at different times-mid cuddle from my 2 year old, on a gallop through the woods, with my band in the middle of a jam, on a run in the woods. The sense of belonging and being part of the the whole and the one at the same time.
Best body weight exercise-mule kick.
This is connection to me.
Favourite bodyweight-only exercises: plank, push-ups, and squats.
To me, connection means to truly know something or someone.
Favorite body weight only exercises:
– pull ups
– dips
– hindu push ups
– freestanding squats
Connection is a transaction. When you become a part of something or someone and they become a part of you. For me it happens instantly. When I connect with a person I absorb them into my life and its a shared experience. When I connect with a product I absorb that product into my identity and its a sharing as well.
Upside down shoulder press is awesome because you have to be zoned in to the exercise. People need to spend more time upside down in general.
Connection:
Defined/Used to describe many situations, (personal, physical, technological, etc) but what it really boils down to is a communicative exchange.
Let’s start with the easy example: interpersonal connection. How often do you hear “we just have this connection!” used to describe people who always seem to be on the same page? They always seem to know what the other means, how each other feel, often times what the other is about to say. What is that, really? It’s an imperceptible ability to convey and detect information – a conversation of sorts – existing outside of the plane of socially defined “means of communication”. But it is, none the less, a way to send and receive signals with select “connected” individuals.
That brings me to the next example: technology. Cell phones connect to the cell tower, Bluetooth devices to each other, computers to the Internet, and vice versa. What are they really doing though? Establishing back and forth communications, largely undetectable by people. The term connection is far more aptly named than we give technologists credit for.
Even physical connections, in the most basic description, provide mutual (tactile) feedback. Newton’s law: every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. You cannot feel the connection of your hand to anything you pick up without being able to perceive the pressure it exerts on your skin, muscle, bones, and joints.
Finally, all of these apply to our interaction with the natural world. We must express ourselves and perceive responses on all these levels and more to connect with nature. Every sense comes into play, from sense, sight, and hearing, to proprioception as you make your way through the great outdoors. In order to connect with nature, one needs to be open and willing to both give and receive signals of all types to start that amazing conversation.
Favorite Bodyweight Exercises:
1) Inchworm – great interaction of flexibility, core strength, and stabilization.
2) Lunge to Jump – Lunges are great, so are plyometrics, but putting the two together really get exciting.
3) L-Seat – Great for core, legs, arms, and stability. It takes real work to get it right, but is incredibly impactful on dynamic core activities.
Connection isn’t something to do or create. It’s simply the recognition of what is already real and present. Ultimately none of us exist independently. Occasionally I get lost in thoughts and tasks and forget. All that’s required to be connected is to remember that I already and always am.
Favorite exercise? Putting my hands on my desk and pushing off. Bending down to put on my Merrell. Noticing the comfort and support they give me. Heading out the door for a walk with a slight smile on my face. Aware that birds are singing, breeze is blowing, mountains are standing, sun is warming, snow is melting. I think I’ll go do that now. Thanks for the reminder!
I think connection is when you find someone or something that catches your eye or interests you in some way, whether that might be through beauty or laughter or curiosity or anything. And you become intrigued about that particular someone or something and decide you want to learn more.
So you say, “Hey, I really like you. Here’s a little piece of me to give to you. May I have a little piece of you in return?”
And you both exchange a small part of yourselves to each other, and through that exchange, you gain an understanding and respect for each other that you didn’t have initially. You really begin to know each other now. And most of all, you gain an awareness of that other person or thing, because that little bit of them will always be along for the ride with you, and vice versa.
It doesn’t matter what or who or where, that’s what I think connection is.
My favorite bodyweight exercises would be handstand push-ups and pistols. Even though I can’t do more than a few full-range HSPUs, working towards them provided a great goal and my shoulder stability and strength have both benefitted. I think pistols are great because it’s as much balance as it is strength, and they are extremely transferrable to sports.
To me, a connection is an invisible bond with someone or something. It can be a place, a person, an animal or a particularly vivid memory… in all cases, they inspire passion or a feeling of being alive.
Best body weight exercise that I have found is the push up in all of its many varieties.
Connection is something we feel when we are at one with ourselves, and honest with others.
Best body weight exercises: archer pull-ups, suitcases, planks, incline push-ups
Connection: whether between two people, a person and nature, or a person and their inner self, connection is a moment where both are completely present with the other. You can have a connection with another person and find that no one else exists in that moment. A person can be completely present with nature and find that nature was there all along waiting for the chance to connect. Once a true connection occurs it isn’t easily forgotten and certainly influences the lives of those involved.
Favorite Bodyweight exercise: walking pushups
This is connection to me.
Favourite bodyweight-only exercises: plank, push ups, squats.
con•nec•tion [kuh-nek-shuhn] noun
1. A link between machines for downloading and uploading of data.
2. A bond between sentients for sharing and building of ideas.
—–
When I was in my teens, I used to do pushups all the time. At home, school, in the park, because I wanted to stay in shape and look good.
Fast forward ten long years in the real world, and I found myself struggling to stay in shape. Telling myself I’d definitely work out today, every day, but just not getting to it.
Frustrated, I sat down one day and started thinking about what had changed. Why I was so full of energy when I was younger, but not now.
I finally realized that slowly, somewhere in those long years, I had started working out just for the sake of working out. Trying to schedule time of day, planning my routines, Mondays upper body, Wednesdays lower body..…. It dawned on me, those things don’t matter.
What matters is just “dropping down and giving me 15” when I felt like it. Just sweating and breathing. I realized I didn’t even do pushups because I wanted a bigger chest, bigger arms. I did them ‘cause I liked doing them. The rush and confidence that came with.
Which is why, my favorite bodyweight exercises are pushups. Not just because they’ve got me feeling good again. But because they remind me of a younger and stronger me. And how I can be that man again.
If I just drop down and do it.
– What does “connection” mean to you?
Connection to me means realizing that I’m a part of the larger world outside of my day to day ‘tasks’. When I’m outside and slow down enough to notice wildlife and sights around me, it gives me a sense of wonder and makes me feel connected to this awesome, complex, world that I’m a part of.
– What are your favorite bodyweight-only exercises?
My favorite bodyweight only exercise is the push up. It was a humbling experience to me when I first started exercising to try to push my own bodyweight, but now I’m proud that I can do ‘real’ pushups!
“connection” is that moment when you feel it. The feeling may be of association, empathy, compassion, excitement, passion etc.)
“plankish rocking” while having sexy time!
Connection is something felt or unspoken. Like hitting the backdoor cutter in basketball or knowing when to hit a change when you are jamming with other musicians.
For bodyweight exercise, nothing beats knuckle push ups. If they were good enough for Mas Oyama they are good enough for me
Connection, is simply looking at someone else and knowing what they are thinking, about to do or not do with out having to say a word. Simple as that. You have it with some and you don’t with others.
My favorite body weight exercises are in order.
1. hand stand push ups
2. pull ups while holding an L
3. knee to elbow crunching push ups
Connection – to me this means the sensation of the sun or moon shining into my eyes, listening to the rustle of the grass and leaves in the trees, feeling the breeze or wind brush across my skin, noticing the air fill my lungs as I breathe, and feeling the soles of my feet against the ground. This is why I love the well worn pair of Merrells I have, because I can’t always be truly barefoot and they are the next best thing.
Fav Body Weight Exercises
– Explosive Jumping Lunges – there’s something playful and fun about jumping into the air
– Muscle ups – because of the challenge, it feels good when you make it up all the way
– A hard all out sprint at the end of a run or workout – red lining to empty the tank
Connection to me is when you feel like everything is right around you and can feel it.
Fav bw exercises are planks, work the whole body when done right also is a base for several other movements(ie top portion of kb swings) and sprints again works the whole body
It’s me again.
CONNECTION is bridging spirit-mind-body.
My favorite bodyweight-only exercise is the Y-YSQUAT. Y? Because I reach for the stars, focus on a target, and strengthen my core.
Thanks in advance!
Connection means to be able to release our gifts as easily and as effortlessly as they were given to us in the first place. Reconnecting with that natural flow is the one thing that is truly worth our time. And the only thing that can bring our passion and gifts to us so we can share them with others.
My favourite exercise is spiderman push ups, I feel like a hero when I do it (:
I was really inspired by your books and you are an example of someone who knows realy how to connect with inner potential. Than you for sharing this with the public. It makes me believe that I can do anything.
Connection is to the physical as moment of clarity is to the mental. It’s when all of your efforts simultaneous react at their peak. It’s the “aha!” moment for whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish.
Best body weight exercises:
-pistol squat (legs)
-old-fashioned wide grip pull-up (upper body/back)
-side plank (core)
If you can master just these three exercises alone, you’ve got a fantastic base level of fitness.
Linking vibrant real energy is connection… and what better way to be connected than playing with AcroYoga inversions!
Being upside down or rightside down or sideways in happy AcroYoga play is my favorite bodyweight-only “exercise”
Connection to me is the understanding the the fate of someone/something else is linked to my own.
Favorite bodyweight exercise: super burpees. Stand under a really high pull-up bar. Do a pushup, then move to a squat position, jump up into the air, grab the bar and do a pull-up, then drop, squat down, and do another pushup. Repeat until I lack the strength to complete some portion of it )usually the pull-up portion).
Connection to me is the moment you realize you are truly alive.
Favorite bodyweight-only exercises: Under the Fence Pushups, Windshield Wipers, Dynamic Pushups
Connection is simultaneously being in sync with one’s spiritual, true self and with nature. One might say a meditative walk on the wild side, eh?!?
Similarly, my favorite bodyweight-only exercises are a circuit done along a nature trail, as you incorporate your environment and your imagination into your routine, with push-ups (use nature’s props to vary the angles – that’s right – use that fallen tree for elevated and decline variations), pull-ups (or simply climb that tree!), squat jacks, lunges, tree sits (same as the wall variety)…you get the idea.
Cheers – must look up these Merrell M Connects after wearing out my Vibram 5’s.
– What does “connection” mean to me?
It’s about FINDING A PATH, sometimes unexpected?
– What is my favorite bodyweight-only exercises?
Push-ups. Can be practiced anywhere on earth!
Just need (1) your body (2) a flat land below
MINIMALIST & efficient
Thanks Tim. Warm regards from Southern France!
Connection for me means direct engagement which expands my viewpoint so I feel less like a random consciousness floating in space.
My favorite body weight only exercise is Jiu Jitsu because it’s fun while also being a useful skill.
Connection means relationship. And relationships take time, need fostering, thoughtfulness, and cultivation. As a relationship is cultivated, it becomes more rewarding, more fruitful, and more enjoyable. Connection with the outdoors, with people, and with purpose creates a deep sense of fulfillment in life.
Favorite bodyweight-only exercises are jump-knee tucks and wide leg diamond pushups (or heart-to-hearts).
“connection” means that you have established a beneficial relationship with another person or organization where both parties are working together to achieve a mutual goal.
Favorite bodyweight exercises:
Bear crawls, pull ups, jump squats
Connection is when you fully realize that being you is pretty wonderful and that you can be, do, and have anything you want because you are you. Which incidentally allows you to make more meaningful connections with others.
Connection is that calm feeling you get when you walk through a forest or run through a field, or swim in a natural body of water. It is the instant harmony your body naturally has with nature. From the feel of the breeze on your face, to the hair standing up on your neck during a thunderstorm. We are all wired to the planet.
My favorite body weight exercise is climbing. I am definitely a novice in the sport but I definitely enjoy the thrill of hugging the rock or wall and only looking up. To me it is the perfect metaphor for self improvement.
Connection is being in the moment. What the circumstances or situation of the moment may be doesn’t matter, but being present is connection.
My favorite body weight only exercise is a manic total gym workout.
Merrell is hands down my favorite brand of shoe for comfort, durability and support.
Connection for me occurs when purpose meets emotion. You can do things with purpose but without emotion and you can do things emotionally but without purpose, “connection” is when the two sentiments converge. Many individuals work with the purpose of making a living, and many play for the pure emotion of joy but, when one finds a calling or activity that speaks to them they become connected, and that work/activity is executed with both purpose and joy.
My favorite body weight exercises are pull-ups, push-ups, mountain climbers, deep squats and planks. 5 exercises, whole body, simple and effective.
Connection = memory + new experience. Last month, I traveled to Chicago for my 42nd birthday. I met a trainer out at a nearby nature preserve to run me through some mobility and functional movement routines. Despite the 30 degree weather and snow on the ground, I crawled, rolled, lunged, squatted, and pulled my way back to those moments as a kid when I could do all of this with ease.
My favorite bodyweight exercises are squats of all types and pullups – which I did that day in Chicago hanging from a tree!
Connections are the resilient fibers in the fabric of life.
We are connected to the earth, our friends, families, lovers, and a higher power. The connections we make add meaning and texture to our lives.
Favorite bodyweight exercises:
1. The pull up – nothing is better for adding mass and thickness to the back.
2. The push up
3. Vomiting cats – not only do they have an awesome name, they also build outstanding abdominals.
A connection is the relationship between two things
Favortie bodyweight exercises:
Push up
Pistols
Pull ups
Hanging leg raises
Back bridge
You can tell I am a Pavel fan! I learned about him from you!
Connection to me is simply the air we breathe…all living beings are linked by the breath.
Best body weight exercise is headstand during yoga where I can see the world from a different perspective.
When body and mind work together in harmony, then I know that I am connected. I fell it every time I go for a run. I live in Winnipeg and we have snow 5 months a year. So I can’t wait to leave my office and my winter boots behind and run like Forrest Gump.
Beside running I do mountain climbers but it’s been a while.
Connection is the singular moment when effort falls away, you stop trying, and you just are.
My favorite bodyweight only exercises:
1) Push-ups (all varieties)
2) Torture twists
3) Kneeling Lunges
G’day mate!
“Connection” means when I feel as one with my body and the world around me. To get that connection, I prefer to work-out in the early morning, before the sun has risen. As I am running along the beach, I can see a faint glimmer of light on the the horizon, I can hear the soft slapping of waves along the shore and I can feel my body as I stretch out each stride, my breath settling into an even pattern of breathing. That feeling of connection with that which is greater than me is an amazing way to begin each day.
Best body-weight exercise? Dips– definitely dips!
Connection to me is an acknowledgement of something shared. Whether that’s an experience, an outlook, or the same peaceful space out in nature (often happens in more than one way).
My favorite body weight exercises are
1) The Inch-Worm
Start in the plank, do a push-up, as you rise, draw your legs in towards your hands keeping your legs as straight as possible until you are in a forward fold. Walk or jump your hands forward back into the plank position and repeat. This works just about every muscle you have.
2) The Cat Crawl
I always called this the bear crawl, but loved doing this during my circuit routines
3) V-Ups
This is awesome for working the abs, surrounding core muscles and lots of little stabilizers as you come up to form the V. Also works on stretching out the hammies.
4) Pull-ups & Dips
These can be done almost anywhere in almost any outfit without getting them dirty and make you feel alive after.
1) Connect to me means being a hub for anything. Helping others, being a resource. I try to connect with each person I meet on some level. Having that connection means not feeling alone and today a lot of youth need that connection. Someone to talk to, someone just to listen to them. Everyone needs someone at some point. I try to be that person.
2) Burpees. Tons of action in one easy movement. And if I feel I need punishment: Burpicides. Soccer Suicides but instead of pushups at each line do burpees. So sprint to each line and back and at each line do 10 burpees. Try it.
What Connection means to me:
I remember growing up my friend Amanda and I sat on a couch and watched fight club for the first time. We eyed each other up as we contemplated what it would feel like to be beaten down just like the main character in the movie, how the pain translated to a feeling of being alive. Suddenly as she went for a swift kick to my leg, while sitting right next to me, my athletically challenged friend miscalculated that her long toenail would get stuck in the knitted blanket and rip off. She was in immense pain, and I jealous that she was experiencing life and feeling alive. It was from that moment that we started talking about what it would feel like to wrestle a bear in Alaska, and catch a fish with our bare hands, build an igloo, see stars on mountains, and out run bees. Some things we know were just out there, like catching that fish, but the mindset changed my outlook on life. Active action vs passive action, happening to surroundings instead of just being a backdrop. Connecting to me is making that mind and physical awareness to the point where you get those goose bumps and feel that deep breath of life.
My favorite body only exercise would really be climbing rocks or trees. I’m in Wisconsin, so the type of climbing is limited to hills and trees. But if there were rocks, they’d be climbed. Hiking is awesome way of working out multiple parts of the body, and pretty much sweet views make it worth it at the end! Sometimes just knowing that you’re viewing something unique is the prize in itself.
Hi Tim. I have only discovered your book, The 4 Hour Body a few weeks ago. i started the diet yesterday! My question is, why is it ok to have juice on cheat day to help the effects of coffee, but not on the diet days? Thanks, Michele from Oz!
In the spirit of efficiency I thought I would keep it brief.
Connection means being in touch with everyone and everything.
It is a state of being. You feel connection when you
do for the sake of doing.
My favorite body weight only exercise is the plank. You take care of your back, abs, and arms. Basically your entire core.
Hi Tim 🙂
My view on Connection is probably a bit outside the typical mindset. I am a chiropractic student, and the daughter of a chiro, so my first thoughts jump straight to the human body and our ability to communicate and function at 100%. Chiropractic is all about being and staying connected, and this comes from the maintenence and integrity of the nervous system (ie. brain, spinal cord, nerves) When there is interference to the connection or messages being delivered you have a decrese in function. Our job is to remove the interference, allow your body to heal via it’s own innate potential to restore the connection, thus allowing optimal health to vibrantly flow <3
As far as bodyweight exercises are concerned, I find it more important for myself personally to just MOVE/break a sweat when I start my day, so I do push ups, jumping jacks, and planks before I hit the shower 🙂
Rock on brotha!
I am a very social person and extremely busy. I realized several years ago that I didn’t want to waste much of my free time with individuals I didn’t connect with on a deeper level. Connection in my personal dictionary is being fully engaged in the moment with those you are with. Its not a one-sided experience but something everyone is experiencing together. Connection gives a deeper meaning to your relationships.
My favorite exercises are push-ups, pull-ups and squats.
Connection — A link or attachment to something. Could be an idea, a person, or something more physical.
Favorite body weight excercise– push up
I used to live in a city. I would spend a majority of my waking, non-working hours trying to connect with nature through various outdoor activities. I always had to return to my home, and although I would feel somewhat relieved, my need to connect wouldn’t be satiated. Being in the city started to wear on me, the noise, traffic…
Needless to say, I had to move away from that city. Now, I live in a community of 600 in Northern California, surrounded by trees, rivers and mountains. Understanding my connection to the landscape and it’s connection to me, has been an ongoing process over the past five years. It can be little things, like noticing that a downed tree provides food for mushrooms to be harvested. It can be big things like, the dams that are in place on our rivers negatively affect the lives of the salmon, and the hundred or so species that rely upon them. It’s recognizing that too little (or too much) rain in any given winter could drastically affect my friends and family the following summer during fire season. I would have never received this education living in a city, because, that connection that I was looking for with nature was too fleeting, I was a tourist, not a resident. Connection is the recognition that we are operating within a system and that we are affected, as is the system, by anything that is added or subtracted to it. We can see this with nature, we can see this with our bodies. We can see connection on a micro or macro level, being blown away by how insignificant, or significant we can be based upon what we are looking at. Connection on an intellectual level is understanding relationships between different things, on an emotional level, its that thing that we cannot describe, that poems and songs are written about, great painting painted, they get close, but never quite get there. I feel connected to where I live, as many of my friends do, in a way that I would have laughed about years ago, but, I don’t need to explain it to anyone out here, as one man around here said when I asked him how he was so happy all the time, he spun around, laughed and said “Look where we are, it’s Disneyland.” I have to agree.
as for body weight only exercise, I live in the woods, and don’t have access to gym. I’m in better shape now than when I lived in a city and had access to a gym. weights are expensive, so I use almost entirely body weight only exercises. My favorite is the simple push-up, because of the multitude of variations to isolate different parts of the body.
To me the word connection means understanding at least some part of someone or something. For example, if I get someone else’s love for a certain band or if I understand a part of the ocean because I have surfed its waves my entire life then I have a connection.
My favorite body weight only exercises are pull-ups ( so I can climb mountains) push ups ( so I can push myself up or something else away) and box jumps (because one day I will dunk! And you use your legs for everything).
Thanks for the inspirAtion and knowledge Tim
Connection is when there’s an unspoken understanding and communication between two things. It’s just like when a musician is bearing their soul in sound – not with their instrument, but through it. One leads, the other follows but they’re both on the same page at some level.
My favorite bodyweight exercises would have to be Handstand Pushups, Pullups and Pistols. These three are like the powerlifts of calisthenics and lead to the powerful physique of a Greek God. They also make you feel like one when you can knock off a number of them.
my 9 month old just woke up…upstairs
it’s simple.
Connection is the resonance you create with someone. I think that usually it’s the more the better. Connection is a force that multiplies and proliferates between people. it’s what moves large numbers of people towards a single goal.
body weight exercises – jumping up on anything high. or a burpee. throw yourself on the ground do a push up get back up then jump and clap hands overhead.
Connection can happen in an instant, even if it takes months or years for people to find the link that they can both relate to and have an emotional bond that ties them together, even if only for a short time. It is the invisible rope that travels between 2 sets of eyes and elicits understanding without words.
My favorite exercise is a sumo squat- I hated them at first, but the burn was so addictive and quick to work, I love them now. After that, if jumping rope counts as bodyweight only, I love the feeling of being a kid again when doing that.
1. Connection is what is created when an aspect of my life becomes more clear in a fulfilling way.
2. Pull-ups, Burpees, and Hand-stand push-ups.
My partner
Chin ups and dips
Connection: When the differences and similarities in to (Insert noun here: people, place, or thing! You can even mix & match in this case) are just so perfect that they fit together.
If I could only do one body weight exercise it’d probably be squats, so I guess that’s my favorite.
Could really use some new shoes! ::fingers crossed::
This sums up the connection to me…. http://mp3lemon.org/song/115037/Phish_-_03_-_The_Connection
Best body weight exercise..I enjoy the push up with both hands on different small weighted exercise balls. One foot on bench press, one foot extended off of bench press.
Or if your feeling really confident, one foot on a large inflatable exercise ball, one foot extended off said exercise ball. Great ending to a long chest and back workout…enjoy
For me, to connect or have a connection is to have an open mindness through the things we see and hear, and to be receptive on what’s seen and heard.
Antigravity yoga is my favorite bodyweight exercise.
To me, connection is a primal or instinctual understanding or interest between two things. It is something that hits to your core and leads to a deeper level of enjoyment. I first truly felt connection when I met my best friend in high school. After a few days, he felt like my oldest friend. My connection with my girlfriend is similar. You understand each other with a touch or look. With a good book, you feel like the author is there with you in the room. A good song, unlocks intense emotions for sure! I once could literally FEEL the ending of the song halfway through the first time I felt connected to a song (Immortal Technique, “You Never Know”).
My favorite body-weight exercises are push-ups and the dreaded jumpies (jump squats). The former because slight modifications can work so many different aspects of your body with a single exercise. The second because it provides a great cardio and leg work-out at the same time, two things I don’t like doing, hence the dreaded part. Together gives me a full body-cardio work out in just a few minutes.
Hi Tim!
For me connection is the bridge where two or more people share in common.
My favorite bodyweight-only exercises are:
– pushups
– pullups/chinups
– lunges
– plus a whole lotta yoga 🙂
Connection: Living in India, in a place where many international and Indian people visit for a holiday and then leave, connections are much different then when I lived in the states. I have discovered that connection is something that can happen in a split second and since most people know they are leaving the connection can be fast and deep, with very little worry about the future. However, after they leave that person still has a space in my heart.
Developing a deep, meaningful connection with a person here takes more time and work before it turns into an easy relationship. Life without connection is a life not worth living.
My favorite body weight only exercises is squats and lunges.
Connected is moving with the world rather than through it. Connected is running with the road, taking what it offers and nothing more, rather than simply running on it.
Exercise: standing into a squat thrust into a push up and then hold plank position. Stand and repeat.
1) Connection is the moment a dream becomes real
2) My favourite is the burpee pull up; push, pull, legs, core. Can be done slow for strength or fast for cardio.
Push up side plank. Combination of building muscle and injury prevention by using one arm and leg to balance the body after each push up. Its the bodyweight yoga move.
For me connection is a basic of understanding. With the example of the merrell shoes, you have a basic understanding of the ground you run on, because of the connection you have. If you make a connection with another person, again you have an understanding with that person, might be basic, might be more then that.
Body weight move..probably the lurpie.
Connection is the constant pursuit of trying to understand the life we are immersed in, while at the same time seeking to be understood. One of humanity’s primary drives has always involved devising increasingly clever ways to get around the unfortunate fact that we are not yet capable of mental telepathy. From spoken language, to pictographs, the written word, televised transmissions, and the instantaneous access of the Internet, humanity exists to connect, and we’re getting better at it all the time. Connection, boiled down to its essence, is the ability to transmit information, in all of its subtlest forms, for one person to another in order that we may truly become part of life, as opposed to simply being fearful observers of it.
My favorite bodyweight-only exercises are push-ups using push-up bars, the congruent chin up, and the reverse lunge, all done according to the guidelines of Bill DeSimone’s book Congruent Exercise.
Connection: A connection between me and something or someone is a rapport that occurs the instant I meet or get in contact with someone/something.
Bodyweight exercise: Crunches.
For me, “connection” means surrender, at least to some extent, allowing unity with whatever one is connecting with – be it nature, God, oneself, a dance partner, a spouse, a friend, or whatever. In order to connect, we have to let go of our own need for control, let go of preconceived ideas and agendas, and allow the external to enter and exert power over us. This surrender and connection changes us, the whole more than the sum of its parts.
As for favorite body-weight-only exercises, my top choice has always been dance. From the strict forms of ballet and modern dance, to ballroom and swing, to the nearly-formless bouncing and shimmying to be witnessed in nightclubs, to break dancing, dance involves all parts of the body – particularly the core – and it is also a great cardio workout. Dance is also an excellent way of connecting, be it with music – giving your body over to the music to drive your movement – or with a partner – surrendering the self to move together as one body.
Other favorite body-weight-only exercises include Spiderman crawls, jump squats, and various modifications of the ever-popular burpee (wide stance, adding a pushup and a jump, etc.).
1. For me, connection is something that is about a passion shared between two people. Connections aren’t just nice to have, they’re almost fundamental to existence.
2. Unfortunately, I’m just beginning my journey so don’t have a favorite body weight exercise yet. But a great pair of shoes would certainly help me along! 😉
Connection, that is a hard one. For me it is the quantifiable factor between two separate entities that cause them to unified on that factor.
That being said, I feel really “disconnected” on this post. Being a large guy, 6’4″ and 400lbs, I really don’t “exercise”. I want to, as much as anyone wants to accomplish a dream, but I don’t actually do it. There are countless reasons, let’s call them excuses, that I have. Everything from “I’m too busy” to “My “whatever” hurts today.” These don’t constitue or facilitate change though, just the lack of personal progress on that side of my life.
Reading that my lead you to believe I’m lazy, this wouldn’t be the case either. I’m a Course Director at a University, Filmmaker, Artist, and active Father. My kids are homeschooled and in youth groups, clubs, and working towards mission trips. My 15 year old daughter is working to go to El Salvador to work alongside missionaries in the capital of San Salvador with orphans and children this summer. So it’s not that.
Maybe its the connection. Maybe I just need a better support group. maybe I needed a better reason. I really don’t want to be the “big guy” tugging heart strings. That happens often, I want to be the guy that big guy reads and thinks “That’s me!”. They say if you publish something, if you tell the world you’re working on something, it will hold you more accountable. On to my exercise…
The Exercise is the Amazing Wall Push-up! It is today anyway. I’m going to use this little post as spark to start a flame, and I encourage anyone else who needs it to be one too. I want to be able to write cool postings. The people posting here are really into exercising, and you… and that is cool. Next year I want to say 100 Push-ups! Most importantly though, I want to like doing it!
Like I said earlier I don’t want to be the “sad big guy”. So if I win I want my wife to have the shoes, she has always wanted me to exercise more and she really could use them.
If you, and I mean anyone who wants to join me, would like to find out whether or not I actually do 100 Push-ups and Like it read it on my blog 1 Million Excuses on Blogger. I just created it, as in I stopped typing this and made it. So I just started the process of dumping my 1 Million Excuses. Thanks Tim, this is going to be a great story next year.
Lastly, if anyone was interest in that missions trip you can check it out at http://www.thriveyouth.org/get-involved/missions/. Tell them Lynda sent you.
Lovemaking represents one of the purest form of connection for me.
Incidentally, lovemaking is also my favorite body-weight only exercise!
Connection: realizing that we are constituent to a web, which means being part of a symbiotic whole, not an ego-driven tip of a pyramid feeding off a base.
Body weight exercises: The Negative Chin Up: the next day, no fewer than four body groups are sore—back, shoulders, abs, and arms.
T-Push Up: push up and twist to a T.
Connection to me is when you FEEL as one, whether it is a pair of comfortable shoes, or a song that touches your soul!
My favorite body weight only exercise is to walk with nature and smell the fresh air to clear my head!
Connection is living in the present and appreciating the smallest details of life, even the trials.
My favorite bodyweight exercises are pull ups and push ups. Not very unique but they’re classic and they get results!
I love Merrell, wore a pair of hikers for a solid month trekking through Europe in early ’90s. Glad to hear your partnering with them, Ferriss! To me, connection means having things in common that are of interest to both connectors. You can have an instant connection with a complete stranger if you share interests in something relevant. Fave bodyweight-only exercises: Dips and Chin ups. Also myostatic crunches – and I’m not just kissing a#$ when I say that. :0)
So why do you not wear the toe shoes anymore? I have back problems and when I tried the toe shoes I found that my back did not hurt after walking around for a while or doing yardwork etc… I even walked around downtown Charleston SC cobblestone and tore up streets for about 2 hours with no pain. I would have been laid up in regular sneakers / running shoes. Will have to try the Merrells.
Connection for me equals those “A-Ha” moments when things make sense – considering I am confused most of the time by what I see, my beliefs, and observation of people’s behaviors and attitudes. Bewildering sometimes…
Favorite Bodyweight Excersice: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – Four Corner Base Turns, and shrimping.
Connection, to me, means absence or emptiness. Most of the day I experience multiple different voices in my head arguing and pulling me in different directions. I think it’s always interesting to hear the real words that people use. To use a personal example, the most common thought I’ve noticed that I verbalize in my head is a disappointed or anxious, “I’m not [accomplished/able] like [he/she/that image of a person] is.” Implied: I should be.
I think that connection means a moment where this kind of reactive script–a thought that fires off consistently amidst specific situational recipes, such as watching peers surpass us in something–is absent. These thoughts contrast “how things are” (reality) with “how things should be” (expectations). When we are free from situational thoughts that point out the difference, then we can enjoy the moment when we are free from all the inner differentiating of states real and imagined, and we are connected.
My favorite body weight exercises are high-rep body weight squats and triangle push ups.
First thing in the morning, I like to do 50-75 squats with no added weight to follow up cold exposure in the shower (Google the “James Bond shower” for a more bearable but still effective alternative to ice baths). I have no idea if body weight squats are sufficient to elicit a hormonal response a la the full-body regimen in the 4 Hour Body, BUT, personally I get an energy boost that lasts for hours, even sans the James Bond shower.
Triangle pushups: Make a triangle in between your hands on the floor with your thumbs touching. Or, if you prefer, put on some Jay-Z and put up your Diamond, and place it on the floor. These push ups put more resistance on your triceps than your chest, and I get more of a concentrated burn than the wide-armed alternative.
connection is when you are in all minds on Earth and happy. you don`t mind what comes next. you are just happy, you see everything and everyone as one.
my favorite exercise is just running. I can run everywhere I want.
walking is also good. 🙂