Broscience is everywhere in the training world. Broscience, as defined in the urban dictionary, is “the predominant brand of reasoning in bodybuilding circles where the anecdotal reports of jacked dudes are considered more credible than scientific research.”
Scientists are more concerned with how things really are. They carefully design and painstakingly execute studies to find out what is really going on in our bodies when we train. They argue over the meaning of the results. They review each other’s work, and, when enough of them agree, the findings are published. That is how the Henneman size principle came to be. The Henneman size principle states that motor units are recruited in an orderly manner from smallest to largest, and that recruitment is dependent on the effort of the activity.
in my years of coaching, i’ve come up with a few sayings that seem to stick with people enough that i feel they’re useful. one of my favorites is “you don’t have to believe something for it to be true.”
this one, obviously, deals with the difference between desire and reality. you can wish that eating an entire chocolate cake twice daily won’t have any effect on your health, but that simply isn’t so. discrepancies between what you are convinced is true and what is true are paid for with your happiness. they lead to sadness, confusion, and inappropriate action.
how are you distorting the truth?
when we fail to, or more importantly refuse to, engage reality, we set ourselves up for failure. learning to recognize these instances is almost the entire battle, as no one likes being played for a fool. three different ways we fool ourselves are with:
unavailable information
bad information
willful ignorance
unavailable information is when the truth is unknown to anyone, possibly the only “good” reason there is for acting out of synch with reality. when we just don’t know, we have to make the best choices we can with what we do know. there’s another level, though: sometimes we let ourselves think we can’t know something when the truth is that we haven’t even tried to find out. Laziness destroys personal power.
bad information is when unreliable, disreputable, or dishonest sources seek to gain power over you. you allow this by failing to do your homework. unavailable information can become bad information, such as when new research emerges showing clearly that the old theory is wrong. While there benign sources of bad information, many are interested in deceiving you. disreputable sources include those who wish to hold power over you. a poorly educated or unskilled trainer, for example, might give bad advice about nutrition or exercise because he needs something to say to seem necessary. dishonesty often comes in the form of marketing or advertising. your complicity is required, though. without your tacit agreement to suspend disbelief (“buy in”) that sexy new sports car has to stand on its true merits instead of the image the advertising projects. know your source, and consider it with a critical eye.
willful ignorance is when you choose not to find out the truth becuse you don’t want to deal with it. guess what? failure is going to have its way with you as a result. willful ignorance is the cause of more preventable failures and sadness than any other breakdown i can think of. it’s like having a conversation with someone but not listening to what each other is saying. the results will be sub-optimal at best.
it’s a question of personal power, which stems from personal responsibility. would you willfully and continuously subjugate yourself to some fool’s whim? if the answer is no, then be careful that you’re not the fool. take responsibility for the knowledge you use to guide your life. stay present to the facts and behave accordingly. i know i haven’t said anything new or groundbreaking here, but, based on the way we act day-to-day, sometimes we can use a gentle reminder.
i’ve used the ithlete HRV monitor and phone app 3 days in a row now. the instructions, though sparse, mention that it takes a few days to establish your baseline. the first two days were days after i had worked out the day before. my reading came up 69 on both those days. yesterday, i decided to take a rest day both because i felt like i could use it and was curious to see if my HRV would respond.
it did. my HRV was up 3 points to 71 this morning. very nice. while i have no framework yet to lay these numbers over, no reference point, it’s good to know that the system works. greater HRV means more fit/more recovered and lower HRV means less fit/less recovered. super simple.
the promise i see in this is that, through experimentation, the maximum valuable deficit can be determined and the maximum rest determined so that the highest training response peaks are achieved from the least injurious training.
update: 01/07/13
now it has been almost 30 days with the ithlete HRV monitor. this thing is crushingly honest. if you miss a workout, you have to live with the results. no more downplaying them in your mind, no more pretending it’s OK. the proof is there in full color: you are now a little less fit.
ithlete HRV screen – android
there are some strange things that can happen with the reading, too – notice the first huge spike in HRV. that was a result of what the (elusive, found here, downloadable PDF) ithlete user’s manual calls “parasympathetic overreaching.” an unusually high HRV reading coupled with an unusually low resting HR (which is exactly what i got that day) can signal the beginning of a difficult-to-recover-from condition. it urges the user to respect this reading and take a break, so I did.
what was interesting was that i had consumed a Monster energy drink before my workout the evening before, at about 5pm (one hour pre-training.) that was the first time in a few weeks i’d had any pre-training caffeine. apparently, this can throw a wrench into the way your body recovers and HRV reads. there is a great discussion here in the ithlete forum about caffeine and HRV, including the differences between the effects of mixed methylxanthines (e.g. coffee) and pure caffeine anhydrous (e.g. monster energy drink.)
honestly, i’m just starting to figure this thing out. different training modalities can be evaluated for benefit to risk/recovery ratio, and that is where i see HRV holding the most promise. for mature athletes of any level, anyone competing as more than a recreational athlete, or those (like me) that just like to collect data and optimize all possible variables, HRV is a sensitive and accurate (most of the time!) indicator of your current, true condition.
once a substantial baseline has been established, you could begin manipulating single variables, such as the presence of gluten in the diet, while holding all other variables relatively steady (training intensity, time, timing, sleep, active recovery time, hydration, etc.) and easily evaluate the effects on your recovery and, therefore, fitness level. every variable you’ve ever wondered about could be systematically evaluated given enough time. awesome.
i plan to use an ithlete HRV monitor myself as well as with as many of my clients possible because my experience is that most people do not know when to say when and they cannot control themselves when you tell them to back off. most everyone thinks that they’re invincible, and they’re all wrong. when the “daily change” box turns red, you take a guilt-free, much needed rest day. when it’s green or blue, it’s time to train, and when it’s amber you’re free to train, but might want to take it a little easy that day. awesome. it would be truly interesting to give HRV monitors to a bunch of CrossFitters and see if they were ever really recovered. not that i have an opinion about that…
with a new year upon us, many will be resolving to get in shape, eat better, or whatever. here’s a post i started writing before the new year that seems more relevant now than ever.
goal setting and the internalization of extrinsic motivators
so, you work out, do you? where has it gotten you? you have no idea? are you fitter than you were? by how much? are you fitter than last week or last month? Strength coach Charles Staley even made a video series about “why your workout sucks” that elucidates the difference between training and working out.
these are questions that you need to be asking yourself. even if you’re “happy” with where your fitness level is right now, there will come a time when it wanes due to injury, laziness, poor nutrition, crappy recovery, boredom, or who-knows-what and you will eventually want to make the trek back to being in great condition. if you don’t know what “great condition” is, how will you know when you’re improving or when you’re declining?
my point is that “working out” and “workouts” can be nothing more than ways to spend your time and get a chemical fix while exposing yourself to the risk of injury. if you think you have a level of fitness, then you should respect it by having a goal or goals, not just expending energy for the sake of sweating in a group and maybe finishing first. so fucking what? there’s somebody that can stomp you, they just aren’t there right now.
competition with one’s self from the past, however…there’s a worthy game.
what is the difference between training and working out? what makes training so special? training is outcome-based. training has a beginning and an end (usually in cycles.) working out is a treadmill. if you think you’re too good for a treadmill, why are you still “working out?” my good friend Christopher Duffin, of Elite Performance Center, knows a little bit about training for goals. among numerous other powerlifting records and titles, he holds the record for 198lb drug-free American squat, bench, and deadlift as well as powerlifting total. his facility only allows athletes with training goals to be members because it creates an atmosphere that breeds motivation beyond the everyday.
Chris also holds a master’s degree in business administration and builds world-class 4X4 off-road trucks and buggys. Chris is a great example of one who can internalize an extrinsic motivator. The enjoyment he derives from feats of strength, academic achievement, or clever engineering creates a sense of pride in himself and becomes his new foundation to reach higher yet. It is this ability that allows him to come back stronger even when mere mortals would quit.
Chris Duffin pulling 900 lbs
intrinsic motivation/extrinsic motivation
From Wikipedia: Motivationis the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors. It can be considered a driving force; a psychological drive that compels or reinforces an action toward a desired goal. For example, hunger is a motivation that elicits a desire to eat. Motivation has been shown to have roots in physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and social areas.
note that the definition of motivation includes the word goal. big clue there.
extrinsic motivation, which is reward or outcome based, is the very common way we motivate ourselves to do things we do not care for. “if i go to work today, i will get paid, and can afford a nice lunch.” extrinsic motivators are set with specific goals in mind. “i want to lose weight” is my goal/desire. i can set an extrinsic motivator: “if i lose 20 lbs, i get to take my new body to Acapulco and show it off on the beach.” the extrinsic motivator might be enough to get me started, but if the process drags on or seems unlikely to come to fruition, i might start bargaining, as extrinsic motivators are notoriously weak. now, it becomes “if i lose 10 lbs, i’ll go to the mall and buy a new outfit.”
Acapulco Beach
intrinsic motivation comes from a desire to participate, an enjoyment of an activity, and is considered generally superior to extrinsic motivation. intrinsic motivation is much stronger – i love picking up heavy shit, therefore, it’s a pleasure to endure a grueling deadlifting session. intrinsic motivation is stronger, but not infallible. intrinsic motivation can wax and wane. basically, as your interests change, your intrinsic motivation tends to change.
i am reminded of a couple i saw an interview with that had been married for over 60 years. when asked what their secret was, they said, “we never fell out of love at the same time.” by combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, you can make sure that you never fall out of love with both at the same time. do what you love, but have a point.
love of the barbell will always be unrequited. a barbell cannot feel, and cannot express itself. it will never congratulate you or concede defeat. for this reason, i argue that a blend of the two types of motivation is likely to have the greatest effect, though one might have to come first. for example: if i lose 20 lbs, i’m going to Acapulco, and because i look good, i’ll get attention from the opposite sex while i’m there, which feels great, and compels me to work harder.
this year, if you haven’t already, set some goals. make them lofty enough to inspire you, but create landmarks along the way to reward yourself. root your goals in love of the activity, but don’t forget to congratulate yourself on your achievements. it’s going to be a great year.
here’s an email i just sent to Mayor Sam Adams regarding actually collecting the fares from Trimet riders instead of harassing them for not paying.
Please share it if you live in Portland. Thanks.
-W-
Dear Mayor Adams,
Thank you for being the Mayor of our lovely city. It seems like an incredibly tough job, and certainly not everyone will agree with everything you do.
So, I understand that the trimet system is in constant budget shortfall. I would like to offer that fares going unpaid is contributing to this problem. Rather than blaming people for “jumping the turnstile” as they might say in NYC, I relay my considerable experience with the Trimet system failing to collect fares due to inoperable equipment and failure of operators to enforce the rules.
I have been aware for some time that some drivers on the routes which serve the “lower income” parts of East Portland often choose not to collect fares from riders. (as one driver told me, “I usually don’t”) That one seems a simple fix, and I’ll not speak more on that.
What’s equally worrisome, to me, is the dilapidated condition of the machines designed to collect fares from MAX riders. I live in East Portland, and the MAX is the best way to get into and out of downtown. It’s fast, traffic-jam free, and cheaper than driving. However, the ticket validation machines haven’t worked since September when the fare changed, and the ticket sale machines work only intermittently, often refusing either cash or credit/debit cards. There is literally no way to pay.
I, for one, was taught not to steal. I take this to heart. When I am on the MAX and have been unable to pay the fare at the station where I started, I simply buy a ticket when I get to the other end. The whole ride, my stomach is sick with the idea of being questioned about not having a ticket. My feeling is that i’m the exception, though, and I imagine that you’ll agree.
Someone who is also the exception, and what finally prompted me to write this email, is my girlfriend. She rides the MAX twice a week, on the days she needs to be in-office downtown. I walk her to the station, and watch her struggle, and often fail, to purchase a ticket at the 162nd ave station. We have a pack of tickets we pre-purchased, but again, the validation machine doesn’t work, so she is forced to get on the MAX with just an unvalidated ticket. On Tuesday, 12/18/12, she boarded the westbound 7:20am train with just this problem. She was harassed and threatened by a transit officer. She is very well spoken, and explained her situation and that she would validate it at her destination. She was then told that the fine would be $178 if she didn’t get off at the next stop and validate her ticket. That would cause her to be over a half hour late for work, as the train would leave while she was trying to do so and she’ll miss her streetcar connection as a result.
She felt intimidated and scared during the interaction, then incensed and angry afterward. She stayed on and validated her ticket downtown, but was shaken by the threatening manner with which she had been treated. Unacceptable. Oh, if she had only had the presence of mind to get that officer’s badge number, I would love to put it in this email right now.
This problem is so widespread that people take pictures of the broken machine and the error messages with their phones instead of paying fares.
So, why are the fares increasing as the service decreases and the budget shortfall continues to widen when the simple act of maintaining equipment and collecting fares would result in an immediate increase in revenue?
I’ve CCd a few newspapers, posted this to facebook, and on Craigslist, in case it doesn’t reach you.
If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking at ways to improve your physical health. I’m always looking for an edge to improve my life, and great physical health is vitally important. There is something, though, that, ironically, I forget to think about sometimes. It’s what separates us from our food, if you will. It’s our beautiful, big, hungry, sexy brain.
We carefully tend to our bodies, which are the vehicles to gather nutrition and the tools to interact with our environment and each other. The interactions that our bodies make possible are the the job of our brain. So, what are we doing to care for this precious cargo?
Piracetam
Nootropics (from the Greek nous (mind or intellect) and trope (turning or changing)) are substances that can enhance cognitive ability while lacking toxicity or significant side effects. According to wikipedia, the term was coined in 1972 by Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea. Dr. Giurgea synthesized the first nootropic, Piracetam, in 1964. Piracetam is now manufactured and sold by a number of pharmaceutical companies around the world, including Glaxo-Smithkline.
Some of Dr. Giurgea’s criteria for a nootropic::
enhances learning and memory
enhances learned behaviors performed under stress
protects the brain from physical or chemical injury
exhibit few side effects and extremely low toxicity
lacks a psychotropic pharmacology (sedation, motor stimulation, etc.)
Toxicity, you say? Not in my brain! Okay. Well, then stop eating and drinking, too, because plenty of things on and in your food are far more dangerous to your brain than these substances. Having a beer with friends will have a much more profoundly negative effect on the brain than any true nootropic.
Note that there are other cognitive enhancers that are not nootropics, Most of these possess significant pharmacological potential and high toxicity. Examples are Adderall, Ritalin (methylphenidate), and Dexedrine. These feature nasty side effects like stunting growth and the occasional psychotic episode.
In summary: all nootropics are cognitive enhancers, not all cognitive enhancers are nootropics.
Some nootropics are substances you already use or take in with your food. B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids (DHA in fish oil is good for your brain), and vitamin D are great examples. In fact, just having a healthy diet is truly the foundation of brain health. Great nutrition is a nootropic!
I hope I’m reaching past your defenses now. This is no hippie drug-fest, it’s an outline of possibilities to enhance the way your brain functions on a daily basis, protect it from environmental damage, and extend its useful life, just like you do with the body you treasure so much. Some nootropics are being used to combat migraines, too. While no recommendation for action is being made, being informed about options is the first step toward empowerment.
Some of the most commonly used nootropics:
Racetams (piracetam, aniracetam, oxiracetam, etc.) – increase the activity of neurons in the brain, leading to improved memory and concentration
Vinpocetine (from the Periwinkle plant) – increases blood flow to the brain and, therefore, available oxygen and ATP
Bacopa Monnieri – a well-studied plant extract that assists the body in dealing with cortisol and speeds recovery of the CNS after stress (workouts included.)
Centrophenoxine – replenishes acetylcholine, encourages new synapses to form, and removes lipofuscin (the “aging pigment”) from neurons, helping to renew them.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) – an amino acid, and another line of defense against cortisol. PS is only active against cortisol in the body, but since cortisol can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB,) reducing systemic cortisol is very important.
Sounds interesting, but I need more information. Where can I find it?
While the longevity, sports performance, and, of course, nootropic forums all around the Internet are rife with bro-science based suggestions and exclamations of the perfect combination, or “stack,” of nootropics that gives the best results, many people find that starting with a pre-mixed product is both inexpensive, simple, and educational.
A couple of my favorite online sources of nootropics and related information are:
Mind Nutrition – Hundreds of highly informative articles and videos plus a busy forum. More information than you can shake a cognitively-enhanced stick at. Weeks worth of reading at minimum, but well organized and searchable so you can find what you seek. They also sell both bulk ingredients and pre-made stacks for various purposes such as concentration or relaxation.
Elevated Labs – Offers both premixed stacks and single bulk ingredients, with good descriptions of the relative benefits of each. This site is for the minimalist who is ready to give it a shot and just wants help picking a starting point. They also link to the Cambridge Brain Sciences site (free), where you can test your acumen with a range of mental tests. You can track your progress over time and track changes in your abilities due to nutrition, practice, sleep (or lack thereof) and nootropics supplementation.
You can also read about one man’s experiences (over several months) using the Biotest product Brain Candy here at Adrian Crowe’s blog.
Personally, after a short time using a choline supplement, vinpocetine, and aniracetam, I have noticed that I more easily recall items on my “to do” list, have better focus while writing, and reread far fewer passages, even in complex research papers I review, with greater comprehension and retention.
Well, there is your introduction to the world of safe, effective cognitive enhancement. I’ve only skimmed the surface. There is nearly limitless research and experience out there if you want to look. You might just have to enhance your cognitive abilities to take it all in.
some of you have already seen up through 12/6/12, but i wanted it all in one post for my future reference. i’ve also added some videos including one from BreakingMuscle.com of Erwan LeCorre.
sorry if it cluttered up your inbox for only a little extra info. i’ll try to keep the duplicate information to a minimum.
Convict Conditioning is still going really well and feeling great. i’m almost ready to recommend it to certain populations, especially those without gym memberships or time/inclination to go to a gym. as you probably figured out, i think that physical health is of great importance, but i also realize that your exercise has to fit into your life if it is going to be sustained. i think CC might help some people achieve that balance.
the ab training i’ve been doing has really been paying off. no, not because my abs are more visible (though i am leaning out a lot lately) but because i have noticed a great increase in abdominal/core endurance and strength. this might be what helped me keep so much of my deadlift as my weight and powerlifting training volume dropped. i remember feeling like i might break in half right at the waist on heavy deadlifts before, even with a belt. now, without a belt, it was my leg/glute strength and form that limited me.
12/2/12
easy ring rows and pushups X30
close pushups X12, X16, X20
assisted squats with heels together, 5-10 second dwell at bottom to increase ankle ROM X20 X20 X20 see video courtesy of Breaking Muscle.
hands-free, ATG front squats w/3-5 second dwell 135 X7 X8 X8
horizontal row X30 X23 X22 (creeping up on the 3 X30 progression standard!)
hanging knee raises X15 X15 met progression standard
hanging straight leg raises X10
bent-leg straight bridges X10 X10 X10
12/4/12
few minutes jumproping with the CrossRope (blue cable)
warmup circuit, 3X:
20 elevated pushups
20 easy ring rows
20 full squats, arms crossed
wall handstand for max time
the work:
tri-set:
1/2 one-leg squats, per side X10 X12 X14
dips: BW+20 X10 X12 X14
wide grip pullups X10 X12 X14
wide knee short bridges X50
12/5/12
warmup circuit:
20 elevated pushups
20 single arm ring rows per arm, #13 with toes at the black mat (approc 40 degree body angle)
20 full squats
the work:
close pushups 20 20 met progression standard - uneven pushups next time
one-leg squats, per side X10, perfect w/ no faulters, falls, or dabs. total control.
not bad, only 20lbs off my PR of 435 on this lift, and i was 15lbs heavier then. and this after not deadlifting much more than bodyweight in the last month.
below are my workouts from the past week and a half. I pulled the movements and progressions from the Dragon Door book “Convict Conditioning.” i created my own workout plan, however, as i did not find any of those outlined in the book to be right for me. the training is centered around mastery of the “big 6″ movements: pushup, squat, pullups, leg raises, bridges, handstand pushups (with one arm!)
body weight movements have been a favorite of mine for as long as i can remember. the challenge of moving your own body through space and the thrill of mastering, or even accomplishing at all, some of the more difficult movements such as the front or rear lever, muscle-up, or 1-legged squat.
my initial plan was to move through the progressions of the “big 6″ moves and attempt to always move forward. for example, the squat progression is:
1. shoulderstand squats – inverted, so only the weight of the legs is your resistance
2. jacknife squats – you use a low support like a bench for your hands so you can help push off from the bottom
3. supported squats – the support is higher (like a 36″ box) so you don’t get as much form your upper body
4. full squat – ass-to-ankles
5. close squats – heels together, toes pointed out at 30 degrees, ass-to-ankles
6. uneven squats – one-legged squat with a basketball (the only piece of equipment that Paul “Coach” Wade claims you need to train) under the extended leg for support
7. one-legged squat – 2 sets of 50 per leg is the ultimate goal. then add weight.
each movement in the progression has set and rep goals for beginning, intermediate, and progression standards. when you can accomplish the progression standard, move on to the next more difficult movement.
i wanted to train 5X/week and i wanted to hit the whole “big 6″ each workout. my body requires a constant reminder that it needs to adapt, or it begins to adapt to being a skinny person. moving through the easier moves in the progressions wasn’t too hard, but i soon discovered that doing the hardest moves i could do 5 days a week was not going to work out, so to speak. now, i simply modulate volume and intensity by the movement. i’ll do the hardest squats i can, but relatively easy bridges, for example.
the last couple workouts especially, i’m beginning to find my pace and appreciate the strictness of form that Coach Wade requires. to make up for my abundance of type I muscle (see becoming a fast twitch machine), i tend to be explosive in the concentric, but still retain absolute control and a pause at the finish of each movement before a slow return to the start
so, that’s what i’ve learned, but what have i gained in almost two weeks? it’s easy to track progress with CC, and i’ve definitely seen some. horizontal pulls, for example, the first progression step on the way to a 1-armed pullup, requires that you can do 3 sets of 30 reps, slow and controlled with a pause at the fully contracted point (when your chest touches the thing you’re pulling up on.) i went from barely being able to maintain my form on 15 reps for a couple sets to having 1 set of 30 and a set each of 22 and 23 reps with great form and control.
my one-leg squats, which i’ve had for a long time, have solidified and stabilized, especially on the weaker left side. my handstands are getting stronger, longer, and more stable, i accomplished 2X20 reps of “close pushups with perfect form and cadence. all pushups in CC are done with the feet together. all the way. no wide base to cheat off of. working on bridges has made the biggest (and only!) improvement in shoulder flexibility/mobility that i’ve seen in years. oh, and one more HUGE deal – deep, slow squatting has increased spinal extensor strength and endurance while increasing ankle flexibility. i came up with the following to test myself:
speaking of the weaker side, i’ve been using a method of bringing up the strength of my weak side. i want to pass it along, as it makes sense and seems to be working. use your weaker side first, and complete as many reps as you can (minus one!) this is how many you get to do with your strong side. this saves some of your recovery ability to help bring the weak side up fast. i’ve felt the difference.
more than anything, i’m really enjoying my training. i don’t dread it, i revel in it. each day i train, i follow my body’s lead and work it hard where it’s ready and ease back where it’s still recovering.
oh, and the 8% BF thing. yeah. i had to get it out there so people can ask me if i’m there yet, and how it’s going. i want to be pestered. i have about 3% to go. it’s a hard 3%, though. i’ve had 3% to go for years, i think. limiting carb intake except peri-workout and on a single carb-up day/week should do it. the GH boosting techniques i’ve been using seem to be helping, too.
when i moved into Becca’s apartment last year, we downsized. a lot. i had been living, more or less alone, in a 1200 sq ft house and had really put a lot of things into it. she lived in a 700 sq ft apartment, and it was already pretty full. i had a yard, she did not. the upshot is, i got rid of LOTS of things and put a lot of other things into storage. coffee roasting was put on hold…
while we lived there, i continued to pare down and sold off many things including my larger roaster. then, when we moved into the house we’re in now and i finally had plenty of space to roast again, i discovered that i had broken the glass roasting chamber on my remaining roaster. that put another delay. that, and my “busy schedule” bullshit excuse. we find the time for the things we want to find time for. well, now that i’m not working and “have the time,” i got a new roasting chamber and pulled out the roaster and got it going again.
here are some shots from today’s efforts. i use a FreshRoast SR500 roaster right now, which is really just a fancy hot air popcorn maker. in addition to a fan and a heating element, it has a clear glass roasting chamber so you can see the progress of the roast, a timer, a cooling cycle, selectable temperature, and variable fan speed. it’s a HUGE step up in functionality from a hot air popcorn maker, though they definitely work.
the roasting process, from weighing out the beans (about 100g of green beans) to the end of the cooling process takes under ten minutes for most coffees, assuming your intake air isn’t too cold. roasting really needs to be done either outside or underneath a truly vented range hood with a good fan, as it makes some smoke. in fact, if you’re a fan of dark roasts, it can make a lot of smoke. it smells good at first, as the sugars begin to carmelize, but toward the end the smoke smells kind of acrid.
straight from Nicaragua to Portland…green coffee beans. they typically cost 1/4 to 1/3 of what roasted beans cost.
FreshRoast SR500. the top and the glass part come off. the glass part is the “roasting chamber” and the top catches the “chaff” or papery skin of the coffee beans when it dries up and falls off during roasting
the roasting chamber on the scale with 105g of green beans in it. they will double in volume while dropping in weight during the 5-7 minute roasting process.
Ready to roast. fan speed control is on the left, number of 6-second units of roasting time listed on the readout, and temperature selection is on the right.
two minutes in. the beans have started to change color already. note that the fan is blowing hot air up through them, causing them to circulate on a cushion of moving air, which is hot enough to roast them.
a little darker
4 minutes…getting closer
into the “first crack” now. each bean will make a popping sound, similar to popcorn. depending on the bean, it may be pronounced or it may be barely audible over the fan noise.
done now! lost 20g, mostly water, during the roasting process. i roasted this batch for 90 seconds past the “first crack.” then ran it through the cooling cycle, which is no heat with the fan on high to stop the roasting process.
pretty beans! a fairly even roast. during the roasting, i modulated the fan speed and temperature of the roast as the weight and roast level of the beans changed to achieve the most even roast i could. these will be best in 48-72 hours. right now, they are off-gassing a large amount of CO2.
