things i've enjoyed lately (3/7/24)

I usually just dump links for this article format but the links this time are oddly cohesive.

So here's the narrative. Lately I've been training two parts of the body you might not think about.

First, a part of the brain that's responsible for willpower, maybe even our will to live. I've been thinking a lot about this part of the brain after listening to this inspiring podcast between Andrew Huberman and David Goggins. The episode is about building immense inner strength and it mentions this part of the brain, also known as the anterior midcingulate cortex (AMCC). Slowly, I'm starting to understand how to train this "willpower muscle." I found this Montenegrin dude on Substack with some insightful articles on how to think about exercising your willpower on the day to day. Here and here.

Second, my neck. A friend put me on neck training recently. This sounds a little bro-y, and it is. I've started to compare the widths of people's necks lol. But on a more practical note, I've become passionate about the importance of a strong neck for posture while using screens. Your neck needs to be able to hold your head upright for long periods of time. Anyway, I'm going to try neck curls and extensions per this video tomorrow. Separately I've also been trying to learn to do neck isolations. Like, the dance move. It's part of my dance class choreo for EASY by Le Sserafim so I feel particularly called to learn it. It's a good mobility goal for me too, considering my neck is usually so, so stiff.