How does the barbell strategy apply to health?  A great example is combining occasional, high intensity weight lifting or interval training, alternating with long stretches of rest, recovery and  ”doing nothing”.  The intermittent stress of lifting an extreme weight pushes the body to overcompensate and prepare for an even greater future challenge, but the interlude of rest and recovery is restorative and avoids the downside of chronic overuse.   We can extend this idea of a bimodal “barbell” strategy to practices such as intermittent fasting or cold showers.  The barbell strategy is the exact opposite of the conventional wisdom to engage in moderate  aerobic exercise on the treadmill every day, or to eat regular small meals throughout the day.   Periodic intense stressors build antifragile resilience — but chronic stress without rest and recovery only wears us down.  By alternating between “extremes”  of intensity and rest, feast and fast, luxury and poverty —  we become more resilient because we increase our range of responsiveness to environmental variability.In my 2011 post on Stress Oscillation, I developed a similar concept how to use intermittent exposure to stressors to enhance allostasis.  What I like especially about Taleb’s barbell strategy is its guidance on how to implement this in a way that maximizes upside and minimizes downside risk.  He insists that one “leg” of the barbell is quite safe, while the “stressor” leg adds to the upside.

Antifragile /  Getting Stronger.