Why I'm not a CrossFitter, the Greek word you need to know, John Cena being human, the secret behind the world's #1 restaurant, a digital sunset challenge, push/pull workout, & black bean bowl.
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In The Better Way Weekly
Article Review
Book Summary
Podcast Recommendation
Just Good Content
Weekly Challenge
Workout of the Week
Recipe of the Week
✅ ARTICLE
I finally put into words something I’ve been chewing on for a while: the difference between training and competing, and why conflating the two is quietly costing a lot of people their fitness.
This one’s not a knock on CrossFit or the community around it. It’s a distinction that I think matters for anyone who’s trying to build lasting, sustainable health rather than chase a benchmark.
“Competition, by nature, definition, and purpose, demands that you push into places that training deliberately avoids.”
📖 BOOK SUMMARY
Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential by Brian Johnson
The ancient Greeks had a word — areté — that doesn’t translate cleanly into English. It means something like excellence, or virtue, but more specifically the full expression of what you’re capable of. Not a one-time achievement. A way of being. Brian Johnson, founder of Heroic, has spent years synthesizing ancient wisdom and modern science, and this book is the distilled result: 451 bite-sized insights organized around the core idea that your best life is lived at your highest potential, moment by moment.
It’s not a sit-down-and-read-it-in-one-shot book. It’s a daily companion. And it hits differently for that reason.
I keep coming back to the idea that most of us have a gap — we know who we want to be, and we know who we actually are most of the time. This book doesn't shame that gap. It gives you a framework for closing it, one choice at a time. The word areté has started living rent-free in my head. I think it might for you too.
🎬 JUST GOOD CONTENT
Honestly this is just so human and beautiful. I hope I both ask for support and offer support like what is shown here as often as possible in my life.
Will Guidara helped take Eleven Madison Park from #50 in the world to #1 — not by chasing trends or changing the food, but by going all-in on hospitality. And I mean real hospitality. The kind that makes people feel so seen and cared for that they tell the story for years.
The concept he introduces — “unreasonable hospitality” — is the idea that the best experiences come from doing things that aren’t technically your job, that aren’t scalable, and that no one would blame you for not doing. The example that gives the episode its title is ridiculously simple and somehow unforgettable.
Worth every minute of the 65 it runs.
🚀 5 FACTOR CHALLENGE
(Factors of Health | Eat, Sleep, Train, Think, Connect)
Factor: Sleep
This Week’s Challenge: The Digital Sunset
For the next 7 days, set a hard stop on all screens — phone, TV, laptop — 60 minutes before your target bedtime. Use that hour however you want: read, pray, stretch, journal, talk with your spouse, sit on the porch. But no screens.
Why you benefit: Light from screens suppresses melatonin production and keeps your brain in a stimulated, alert state right when it should be winding down. Most people don’t realize how much their sleep quality is being quietly sabotaged by late-night scrolling. Even one week of intentional digital sunsets can noticeably improve the time it takes you to fall asleep, your quality of deep sleep, and how rested you actually feel when your alarm goes off.
The goal is to give your nervous system a real chance to downshift before bed. You’ll feel the difference.
💪🏻 WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
The Push-Pull Finisher
Complete 5 rounds of the following:
Push-Ups — 15 repsModification: Drop to your knees or elevate your hands on a counter or chair.
Inverted Rows — 12 reps(using a sturdy table edge or a low bar)Modification: Reduce the angle to make it easier — the more upright you are, the less bodyweight you’re lifting. No table? Do bent-over dumbbell rows or substitute band pull-aparts.
Pike Push-Ups — 10 repsGet into a downward dog position and lower your head toward the floor. Modification: Reduce the angle of your hips to decrease intensity.
Superman Hold — 10 reps, 2-second hold at the topLie face down, lift arms and legs off the floor simultaneously. Modification: Alternate sides (one arm + opposite leg) if holding both is too challenging.
Rest 60–90 seconds, then repeat.
Note: Keep your core tight throughout every movement. Quality over speed — this isn’t a race, it’s a stimulus.
🥑 RECIPE OF THE WEEK
A healthy, nutrient dense, minimally processed meal or snack.
Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Bowl with Lime-Tahini Drizzle
From: Lesley Price | Hearth & Horizon
A weeknight staple in our house. It comes together in about 35 minutes, it reheats beautifully, and it’s one of those meals that genuinely leaves you feeling good — not just full. The lime-tahini drizzle is the move. Don’t skip it.
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup brown rice or quinoa (cooked)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, sliced
2 cups arugula or mixed greens
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Lime-Tahini Drizzle:
3 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
2–3 tbsp warm water (to thin)
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until tender and slightly caramelized at the edges.
While the sweet potatoes roast, cook your grain of choice according to package directions. Warm the black beans in a small saucepan over low heat with a pinch of cumin and a pinch of salt.
Make the drizzle: whisk together tahini, lime juice, maple syrup, and minced garlic. Add warm water one tablespoon at a time until you reach a pourable, creamy consistency. Season with salt to taste.
Build your bowls: start with a base of grain, then add greens, black beans, roasted sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, and sliced avocado.
Drizzle generously with the lime-tahini sauce. Serve immediately.
