📕 DAD WISDOM 

Being the Blueprint

My six-year-old walked into the garage mid-burpee last week. Instead of leaving, he made his best attempt at emulating my workout. No instruction. No invitation.

That's when it hit me: The days of them wanting to mimic our every move are fleeting, but they never stop looking to us as the blueprint. Not just in fitness, but in how we handle stress, how we love their mom, and how we approach challenges.

It's easy to forget what an incredible privilege this is - to be someone's north star. Their first and most influential example of what it means to be human. What an honor and responsibility to be the standard against which they'll measure so much of life.

The irony is that we don't earn this role with perfection. We earn it with presence. With showing up consistently, even when we're figuring it out as we go. Even when we fail and have to start again.

They're watching. Not because they're keeping score, but because they're taking notes on how to live.

RAD DAD 

‘Bear’ Rinehart

Before Bear Rinehart was winning Grammys with Needtobreathe or launching his soul-infused solo project, he was just a preacher's kid from South Carolina trying to find his voice. Now he's helping his three sons find theirs.

When it came time to name his solo venture in 2019, the choice was simple - "Wilder Woods," a tribute to his two oldest sons and the wild journey of fatherhood itself. The project wasn't just a musical evolution; it was a father documenting his growth in real time.

His song "Make Your Own Mistakes" cuts to the heart of his parenting philosophy - preparing his kids for life's inevitable stumbles while giving them room to find their own path.

Drawing from his own experiences with childhood bullying and growing up in the spotlight as a pastor's son, Bear emphasizes vulnerability and individualized parenting for each child.

"I wanted to write music that my kids would be proud of one day," he's said of the project. Between stadium tours and recording sessions, Bear's building something more lasting than platinum records - a legacy of authenticity for his sons to inherit.

→ Follow Bear here

DAD TOYS 

Portable Pizza Night

Forget burnt hot dogs on a stick. Gozney's portable pizza oven is bringing restaurant-grade pies to campsites everywhere. At under 30 pounds, this propane-powered beast fits in your trunk but delivers the same flames as their pro models.

The lateral burner design gives you that wood-fired flavor without having to chop a single log. Beyond pizza, you can flame-kiss everything from steaks to vegetables - all on a 12-inch cooking stone that heats up in minutes.

→ Grab one here

DAD BOD 

How’s Your V02 Bro?

While everyone's obsessing over steps and weight, there's a number that matters more: VO2 max - your body's ability to use oxygen during exercise. It's not just another fitness stat - some say it's the gold standard for predicting all-cause mortality.

Translation: how long you'll be around to embarrass your kids.

Here's the good news: If you're just getting back into fitness, you'll see quick improvements. The bad news? According to experts, if you've been training seriously for 3-4 years, you've likely hit your genetic ceiling already.

The sweet spot for improving it? Threshold workouts that have you gasping but not dying - where conversations become impossible but you can still maintain the pace for several minutes. Even moderate cardio helps increase your mitochondrial density (those cellular powerhouses that give you energy).

Your watch probably estimates your VO2 max already. The real win? When that 9-minute mile that used to spike your heart rate to 165 now only takes it to 150. That's not just better fitness - it's literally adding time to your life.

→ Get the full breakdown here

JUNK DRAWER 

DAD HUMOR