Today is the REST DAY...
Don't do any work whatsoever! Eat well (indulge in a cheat meal and prepare for the next week)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thursday - SWIM/REST
WARM-UP
100m easy pace
100m pull
50m kick
WORKLOAD
800 swim @ 80% (:30r)
600 swim @ 85% (:45r)
400 swim @ 90% (:60r)
Cool Down: 200 swim
Total distance: 2000m = 1.24miles
100m easy pace
100m pull
50m kick
WORKLOAD
800 swim @ 80% (:30r)
600 swim @ 85% (:45r)
400 swim @ 90% (:60r)
Cool Down: 200 swim
Total distance: 2000m = 1.24miles
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Wednesday -- Gym Jones Session
GYM JONES session with Michael
TRX Plank Hold/Mtn clibmers :30/:30 on/off
1 round every 2 minutes (for 10minutes)
x5 Deadlifts @ bodyweight
x10 Push Press @ 50# DB
20 cal AirDyne
1 round every 2 minutes (for 10minutes)
x5 Goblet Squats
x10 Ball Slams
140m SkiErg
SWIM SESSION
100m warm-up
50m KICK
50m PULL
---REST 1 min---
2x50m @ 80% (:30r)
800m -- REST 1min
600m -- REST 1min
400m -- REST 1min
200m -- REST 1min
TRX Plank Hold/Mtn clibmers :30/:30 on/off
1 round every 2 minutes (for 10minutes)
x5 Deadlifts @ bodyweight
x10 Push Press @ 50# DB
20 cal AirDyne
1 round every 2 minutes (for 10minutes)
x5 Goblet Squats
x10 Ball Slams
140m SkiErg
SWIM SESSION
100m warm-up
50m KICK
50m PULL
---REST 1 min---
2x50m @ 80% (:30r)
800m -- REST 1min
600m -- REST 1min
400m -- REST 1min
200m -- REST 1min
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday / Jackman Session
Squats
4x10 @ 225# / 245# / 255# / 255#
10x6 Pullups (strict)
Swim
Warm up: 200 swim, 200 kick
Set 1: 4 X 50 swim. 1-2 @ 85%, 3-4@ 90% (20 sec. rest between each.)
Set 2: 5 X 200 swim. Descend (time) 1-5 (30 sec. rest between each.)
Cool down: 100 swim
Total distance: 1700
4x10 @ 225# / 245# / 255# / 255#
10x6 Pullups (strict)
Swim
Warm up: 200 swim, 200 kick
Set 1: 4 X 50 swim. 1-2 @ 85%, 3-4@ 90% (20 sec. rest between each.)
Set 2: 5 X 200 swim. Descend (time) 1-5 (30 sec. rest between each.)
Cool down: 100 swim
Total distance: 1700
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
WHY CARBS AREN'T GOOD FOR YOU
SORRY THAT THIS IS SO LONG! For part of my degree I took some nutrition classes and then focused on the PALEO diet. This was one of my better reports on why the FDA "Food Pyramid" is fucking bullshit, and why carbohydrates aren't always good for you.
Macronutrients: Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates
by Kylie Boyle
Proteins are chains of smaller molecules called amino acids. Proteins are what compose our muscles and give our bones tensile strength and they include enzymes that make all the chemical reactions in our bodies possible. Generally, the body is constantly turning over proteins and re-cycling the amino acids to make new proteins for both structural and enzymatic purposes. Some of the amino acids (aas) will get used up in this turnover process, so we must have a certain amount of our calories come from protein to replenish these aas or we will literally waste away and die. There are 20 aas used by the body to synthesize new proteins, and we must have 8 of them to avoid deficiency. These are the essential amino acids we need to eat. Animal sources of protein like eggs and meat are complete sources, that is, one portion of such a food contains all eight essential amino acids. The other 12 we can synthesize from the essential 8.
Humans are omnivores and not vegetarians. Animals that exclusively eat plants are able to synthesize amino acids from a smaller essential list eating monotonous plant sources. Humans who choose to artificially emulate true herbivores by eating only plant sources must consciously mix and match different plant sources, and unless they want to eat their own feces (I am not making that up -it would take about 30% by weight), must artificially supplement to get vitamin B12 that we can otherwise only get from the animal sources we evolved to eat. Animal sources of protein like eggs and meat are complete sources of amino acids – no mix and match required to get the essentials.
Fats and oils are described by class here, but generally are in the form of triacylglycerols or triglycerides (TAGs), three fatty acids chains on a glycerol backbone. Lipid is the technical term, but lets use fats for short. The fat composition of our diets affects cell wall and other vital functions, and the ratios of fats like Omega 6 and Omega 3 has important effects on immune function and inflammation.
As a fuel, fats are nonpariel. The FDA and the AHA and the ADA and all the lipophobes say to avoid fats because they are 9 kcal/ g (versus roughly 4kcal/g for proteins and carbs) and this caloric density will somehow by itself make you gain weight. I never saw a wild animal titrate their food by weight and humans don't either. We stop eating when we are no longer hungry and nothing turns off hunger like fats. The caloric density of fat is not an accident. Animals evolved to store energy efficiently as fat, and humans evolved to eat the the fat that prey animals we co-evolved with have stored “on our behalf”. We store the majority of the extra energy in our own bodies, whether derived from fats or sugars or proteins, as fat, especially saturated fat. To suspect that the saturated fat we store in our own bodies in such large amounts causes disease is wholly implausible, and I have yet to see any convincing scientific evidence that it does. Animal fats are quite simply the anchor food source of the PaNu approach.
Carbohydrates are simple sugars (glucose, fructose, etc..) or polymers (long chains) of simple sugars called starches. Glucose and Fructose are simple sugars. One glucose joined to one fructose is one sucrose disaccharide molecule. Sucrose and high fructose corn syrup or HFCS (manufactured from corn) are metabolically equivalent for all practical purposes. They are equally bad for you. Sugars can be burned as fuel or converted into storage fat in our bodies. They have other biological functions within the body, but importantly, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. Any sugar or starch needed internally can be synthesized from scratch. Unlike the case with Proteins and Fats, starches and sugars are basically just fuel. PaNu theory (well, basic cell biology, actually) recognizes that sugars are the oldest cell fuel. Many bacteria and primitive organisms, and dedifferentiated cancer cells, can only use glucose (sugar) as fuel. During the long evolution of animals, the ability to store and use fatty acids evolved as well. This has had huge advantages in energy storage and efficiency for animals. It is my working hypothesis that during much of human evolution, fatty acids were a much more utilized fuel source within the human body, and even though it was adaptive during our evolution for humans to exploit carbohydrate rich food sources when in a food scarce environment, our current food abundant environment has us using glucose as an internal fuel far more than what we are biologically adapted to. This is the first central dogma, if you will, of PaNu theory. Lets state this central dogma for reinforcement:
I. The first core departure from the evolutionary metabolic milieu (EM2) is the degree to which we use glucose as an internal fuel relative to fatty acids.
In a food abundant environment, where there is no caloric deficit, carbohydrates as a large fraction of caloric intake create a situation where our metabolism is not spending enough time in or near the fat-burning state known as ketosis. The consequence of this is the metabolic syndrome, which is insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and a variety of other diseases that have highly suggestive lines of evidence connecting them to chronically increased levels of insulin and/or serum glucose – including coronary artery disease, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, atherosclerosis, alzheimer dementia, degenerative diseases and even the most common cancers like breast, colon, lung and prostate.
Now, as a physician who sees a wide variety of ailments in the context of people who are ill enough to need MRIs, CT scans and Ultrasounds, I can tell you that this short list is about 60% or more of the serious diseases that I encounter routinely. Imagine if these diseases of civilization were not an inevitable consequence of aging, each with a different cause, but were all a consequence of living long enough despite eating the wrong diet – a diet that deviates from the EM2. That is what I believe to be the case.
My first central dogma is just a subtle extension of Gary Taubes' carbohydrate hypothesis. For the comprehensive tour-de-force argument for the carbohydrate hypothesis, read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
So what can we do to get closer to the fat-burning metabolism of the EM2?
Let's look at our current diet (not yours or mine, the average north american's) and see what it's macronutrient composition is. (These figures are approximate but pretty close)
Average daily calories 2300
Sugar and HFCS 100 lbs/yr 496 kcal/day per capita = 22% Source – HFCS web site
Flour 138 lbs/yr 685 kcal/day per capita = 30% Source - The Wheat Foods Council
The percentage figures as a fraction of daily calories are 22% Sugar and HFCS and 30% from wheat flour.
These figures may be high and count wastage and protein (gluten), so lets round the flour carbs down to 20%. Most figures for current total carb consumption are 55%. So, being generous, we can ballpark all other sources of carbs like vegetables and corn and rice and fruit, etc. at 15% of calories.
So we have, roughly, 22% sugar and HFCS, 20% flour carbs, 15% veggie carbs, 16% protein and 27% fat.
Note that all the vitamins, and all of the essential aas and fatty acids (if we are getting them) are coming from 58% of our diet.
To get closer to the fat burning metabolism of the EM2, what can we do with this as a starting point?
Insulin levels can be low despite a high carbohydrate fraction and we are in ketosis if we are in constant caloric deficit, but this has nasty side effects like lethargy, muscle wastage and well, eventual death if we keep it up. Being hungry all the time is no fun either.
How about eating 55% carbs and only eating every other day, a rigorous form of intermittent fasting? Well, there is some evidence that would work, but I would not prefer alternate day eating to once or twice a day, and try fasting 24 hours after big plates of pasta sometime. Good luck with that.
Perhaps we could agree that Sucrose, HFCS and white flour are providing absolutely nothing essential to our diets, and the sugars (they are all nothing but sugars with some gluten protein in the flour) are just stimulating insulin secretion (glucose) and if not stimulating insulin, they are being converted directly to fat, damaging our liver, and making us eat more by not shutting off our appetites (fructose). To make our cells more reliant on fatty acids and avoid the damage from too much sugar in the diet and the bloodstream, we will completely eliminate 42% of our diet. That is step 1 of PaNu.
Now we have a 42% hole in our diet. We can fill it with more macronutrients from the following:
a) 15% other carbs category choosing from starchy foods like corn, rice, potatoes or fructose laden fruit.
b) 15% other carbs but choosing non-starchy vegetables like green salads, broccoli, asparagus etc.
c) Protein 16%
d) Fats 27% (This number has actually decreased at the same time obesity has increased over the past 20 years)
The a) choices just add back glucose and fructose we just removed even if we picked up a few vitamins from sugary fruit. The b) choices might be OK, but if you avoid starch and add green vegetables till they are over 60% of calories you have added most of the carbs right back and you are now chewing for hours a day like a chimpanzee just to get nourishment. *
Now, people don't eat pure macronutrients once they've eliminated sugars and flour. They eat foods that are composed of macronutrients. We need lower the carbohydrate fraction by adding back foods that don't just raise it back again. Since Fats have zero insulin response, are a great fuel source, and give great satiety, why not do this:
Increase Fats to 65-70%, and cut out all residual grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and rice so that only the green salads and non starchy veggies are left. This will get carbs down to 10% (roughly 50g per day) and absolutely minimize glucose, fructose and insulin effects. For the reasons elucidated here we will not allow mechanically extracted seed oils into the diet. This leaves animal sources like butter, cream and flesh of animals like beef, chicken, pork and fish. Now, when we seek out these natural unprocessed animal sources of fat, we will get a bit more animal protein and many more vitamins in the bargain.
Keep carbs around 10%, seek out animal fats, let protein come along for the ride and you will get close to these ratios, + or – 5% for each:
65-70% Fat, 20-25% Protein, and 10% carbohydrates.
This may well be more protein than you need.
No harm reducing it to 15% and adding more cream or butter
Try it. Record everything you eat for a few days while sticking to 1 through 4.
Use Fitday to calculate your ratios. It will be hard to radically deviate from the above ratios unless you purposefully try to subvert it.
Now is when you ( well not you, but those who buy the healthy grains propaganda) say:
Where are the healthy grains?
Answer in the next post.
*Greens are fibrous and not starchy or calorie dense, so if we add enough back to replace the lost calories, we are eating a huge amount of vegetables now. This is in fact advocated by authors like Colin Campbell and Joel Furhman - it can have some effect as the mechanical satiety and sheer work of eating may reduce your caloric intake. However, you will be having a minimal effect on insulin levels at the expense of eating fewer higher quality animal foods and absurd amounts of fiber - this approach only makes sense if you think animal products and fats per se are unhealthy - they are not. Also you just don't need that many vegetables in general and you don't need "fiber" at all.
Macronutrients: Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates
by Kylie Boyle
Proteins are chains of smaller molecules called amino acids. Proteins are what compose our muscles and give our bones tensile strength and they include enzymes that make all the chemical reactions in our bodies possible. Generally, the body is constantly turning over proteins and re-cycling the amino acids to make new proteins for both structural and enzymatic purposes. Some of the amino acids (aas) will get used up in this turnover process, so we must have a certain amount of our calories come from protein to replenish these aas or we will literally waste away and die. There are 20 aas used by the body to synthesize new proteins, and we must have 8 of them to avoid deficiency. These are the essential amino acids we need to eat. Animal sources of protein like eggs and meat are complete sources, that is, one portion of such a food contains all eight essential amino acids. The other 12 we can synthesize from the essential 8.
Humans are omnivores and not vegetarians. Animals that exclusively eat plants are able to synthesize amino acids from a smaller essential list eating monotonous plant sources. Humans who choose to artificially emulate true herbivores by eating only plant sources must consciously mix and match different plant sources, and unless they want to eat their own feces (I am not making that up -it would take about 30% by weight), must artificially supplement to get vitamin B12 that we can otherwise only get from the animal sources we evolved to eat. Animal sources of protein like eggs and meat are complete sources of amino acids – no mix and match required to get the essentials.
Fats and oils are described by class here, but generally are in the form of triacylglycerols or triglycerides (TAGs), three fatty acids chains on a glycerol backbone. Lipid is the technical term, but lets use fats for short. The fat composition of our diets affects cell wall and other vital functions, and the ratios of fats like Omega 6 and Omega 3 has important effects on immune function and inflammation.
As a fuel, fats are nonpariel. The FDA and the AHA and the ADA and all the lipophobes say to avoid fats because they are 9 kcal/ g (versus roughly 4kcal/g for proteins and carbs) and this caloric density will somehow by itself make you gain weight. I never saw a wild animal titrate their food by weight and humans don't either. We stop eating when we are no longer hungry and nothing turns off hunger like fats. The caloric density of fat is not an accident. Animals evolved to store energy efficiently as fat, and humans evolved to eat the the fat that prey animals we co-evolved with have stored “on our behalf”. We store the majority of the extra energy in our own bodies, whether derived from fats or sugars or proteins, as fat, especially saturated fat. To suspect that the saturated fat we store in our own bodies in such large amounts causes disease is wholly implausible, and I have yet to see any convincing scientific evidence that it does. Animal fats are quite simply the anchor food source of the PaNu approach.
Carbohydrates are simple sugars (glucose, fructose, etc..) or polymers (long chains) of simple sugars called starches. Glucose and Fructose are simple sugars. One glucose joined to one fructose is one sucrose disaccharide molecule. Sucrose and high fructose corn syrup or HFCS (manufactured from corn) are metabolically equivalent for all practical purposes. They are equally bad for you. Sugars can be burned as fuel or converted into storage fat in our bodies. They have other biological functions within the body, but importantly, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. Any sugar or starch needed internally can be synthesized from scratch. Unlike the case with Proteins and Fats, starches and sugars are basically just fuel. PaNu theory (well, basic cell biology, actually) recognizes that sugars are the oldest cell fuel. Many bacteria and primitive organisms, and dedifferentiated cancer cells, can only use glucose (sugar) as fuel. During the long evolution of animals, the ability to store and use fatty acids evolved as well. This has had huge advantages in energy storage and efficiency for animals. It is my working hypothesis that during much of human evolution, fatty acids were a much more utilized fuel source within the human body, and even though it was adaptive during our evolution for humans to exploit carbohydrate rich food sources when in a food scarce environment, our current food abundant environment has us using glucose as an internal fuel far more than what we are biologically adapted to. This is the first central dogma, if you will, of PaNu theory. Lets state this central dogma for reinforcement:
I. The first core departure from the evolutionary metabolic milieu (EM2) is the degree to which we use glucose as an internal fuel relative to fatty acids.
In a food abundant environment, where there is no caloric deficit, carbohydrates as a large fraction of caloric intake create a situation where our metabolism is not spending enough time in or near the fat-burning state known as ketosis. The consequence of this is the metabolic syndrome, which is insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and a variety of other diseases that have highly suggestive lines of evidence connecting them to chronically increased levels of insulin and/or serum glucose – including coronary artery disease, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, atherosclerosis, alzheimer dementia, degenerative diseases and even the most common cancers like breast, colon, lung and prostate.
Now, as a physician who sees a wide variety of ailments in the context of people who are ill enough to need MRIs, CT scans and Ultrasounds, I can tell you that this short list is about 60% or more of the serious diseases that I encounter routinely. Imagine if these diseases of civilization were not an inevitable consequence of aging, each with a different cause, but were all a consequence of living long enough despite eating the wrong diet – a diet that deviates from the EM2. That is what I believe to be the case.
My first central dogma is just a subtle extension of Gary Taubes' carbohydrate hypothesis. For the comprehensive tour-de-force argument for the carbohydrate hypothesis, read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
So what can we do to get closer to the fat-burning metabolism of the EM2?
Let's look at our current diet (not yours or mine, the average north american's) and see what it's macronutrient composition is. (These figures are approximate but pretty close)
Average daily calories 2300
Sugar and HFCS 100 lbs/yr 496 kcal/day per capita = 22% Source – HFCS web site
Flour 138 lbs/yr 685 kcal/day per capita = 30% Source - The Wheat Foods Council
The percentage figures as a fraction of daily calories are 22% Sugar and HFCS and 30% from wheat flour.
These figures may be high and count wastage and protein (gluten), so lets round the flour carbs down to 20%. Most figures for current total carb consumption are 55%. So, being generous, we can ballpark all other sources of carbs like vegetables and corn and rice and fruit, etc. at 15% of calories.
So we have, roughly, 22% sugar and HFCS, 20% flour carbs, 15% veggie carbs, 16% protein and 27% fat.
Note that all the vitamins, and all of the essential aas and fatty acids (if we are getting them) are coming from 58% of our diet.
To get closer to the fat burning metabolism of the EM2, what can we do with this as a starting point?
Insulin levels can be low despite a high carbohydrate fraction and we are in ketosis if we are in constant caloric deficit, but this has nasty side effects like lethargy, muscle wastage and well, eventual death if we keep it up. Being hungry all the time is no fun either.
How about eating 55% carbs and only eating every other day, a rigorous form of intermittent fasting? Well, there is some evidence that would work, but I would not prefer alternate day eating to once or twice a day, and try fasting 24 hours after big plates of pasta sometime. Good luck with that.
Perhaps we could agree that Sucrose, HFCS and white flour are providing absolutely nothing essential to our diets, and the sugars (they are all nothing but sugars with some gluten protein in the flour) are just stimulating insulin secretion (glucose) and if not stimulating insulin, they are being converted directly to fat, damaging our liver, and making us eat more by not shutting off our appetites (fructose). To make our cells more reliant on fatty acids and avoid the damage from too much sugar in the diet and the bloodstream, we will completely eliminate 42% of our diet. That is step 1 of PaNu.
Now we have a 42% hole in our diet. We can fill it with more macronutrients from the following:
a) 15% other carbs category choosing from starchy foods like corn, rice, potatoes or fructose laden fruit.
b) 15% other carbs but choosing non-starchy vegetables like green salads, broccoli, asparagus etc.
c) Protein 16%
d) Fats 27% (This number has actually decreased at the same time obesity has increased over the past 20 years)
The a) choices just add back glucose and fructose we just removed even if we picked up a few vitamins from sugary fruit. The b) choices might be OK, but if you avoid starch and add green vegetables till they are over 60% of calories you have added most of the carbs right back and you are now chewing for hours a day like a chimpanzee just to get nourishment. *
Now, people don't eat pure macronutrients once they've eliminated sugars and flour. They eat foods that are composed of macronutrients. We need lower the carbohydrate fraction by adding back foods that don't just raise it back again. Since Fats have zero insulin response, are a great fuel source, and give great satiety, why not do this:
Increase Fats to 65-70%, and cut out all residual grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and rice so that only the green salads and non starchy veggies are left. This will get carbs down to 10% (roughly 50g per day) and absolutely minimize glucose, fructose and insulin effects. For the reasons elucidated here we will not allow mechanically extracted seed oils into the diet. This leaves animal sources like butter, cream and flesh of animals like beef, chicken, pork and fish. Now, when we seek out these natural unprocessed animal sources of fat, we will get a bit more animal protein and many more vitamins in the bargain.
Keep carbs around 10%, seek out animal fats, let protein come along for the ride and you will get close to these ratios, + or – 5% for each:
65-70% Fat, 20-25% Protein, and 10% carbohydrates.
This may well be more protein than you need.
No harm reducing it to 15% and adding more cream or butter
Try it. Record everything you eat for a few days while sticking to 1 through 4.
Use Fitday to calculate your ratios. It will be hard to radically deviate from the above ratios unless you purposefully try to subvert it.
Now is when you ( well not you, but those who buy the healthy grains propaganda) say:
Where are the healthy grains?
Answer in the next post.
*Greens are fibrous and not starchy or calorie dense, so if we add enough back to replace the lost calories, we are eating a huge amount of vegetables now. This is in fact advocated by authors like Colin Campbell and Joel Furhman - it can have some effect as the mechanical satiety and sheer work of eating may reduce your caloric intake. However, you will be having a minimal effect on insulin levels at the expense of eating fewer higher quality animal foods and absurd amounts of fiber - this approach only makes sense if you think animal products and fats per se are unhealthy - they are not. Also you just don't need that many vegetables in general and you don't need "fiber" at all.
Friday, August 13, 2010
rant
Regardless of which training weight apparatus an individual may be using, I feel that the biggest problem problem I’ve seen, is people doing way too much. People (myself included) always seem to do way too many sets and/or too many exercises.
Training Equipment is in many ways like finding a pistol or rifle (sorry for the military analogy...but it is who we are) that works for you. Some people swear by Kettlebells and others prefer the traditional dumbbells and barbells routines. I like to use Kettlebells to warm-up with (KB swings, Round the Worlds, Goblet Squats and Windmills) and that is about it.
(1) I hate machines...stop being lazy and stand up while you are working out...and it is okay to utilize more than one joint while exercising. CAVEAT: If you are a bodybuilder...continue with your pec deck and preacher curl machines. However, these ultimately don't fall into "functional" exercises and are merely implemented when looking for an aesthetic look only.
(2) Nothing beats a steel barbell with brand-new knurling that is grinding away at your palms due to a heavy load on the bar. If one was to examine the classic linear periodization programs of most Division 1 athletes, Olympic competitors, etc. you would notice the heavy focus on exercises that use barbells as the primary means of training. Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Bent-Over Rows, Power Cleans, Back Squats, Front Squats, Snatch, Clean Hi-Pulls -- all of these exercises are the foundations of strength and power. If one were to construct a program based off of these exercises, with the addition of a day or two of running (each week), and a couple sets of pullups, they would find themselves in the upper echelons of society, in regards to their physical fitness.
(3) CrossFit is a great training regimen for losing weight and GPP (General Physical Preparedness) and that's it. With the endless hours, and millions of dollars (annually) that is spent on Human Performance research, they have come to a couple conclusions. First, in order to get stronger you have to lift heavy weight (1-4 reps) and follow it up with ample recovery to let the (Phospho-creatine systme) PCr replenish in the muscles so that you can perform the same (or heavier) work load again. 3 sets of 5 equals 15 total reps, and if you allow for recovery you will, over time find great strength increases. Now take CrossFit's infamous "FRAN". While it is a ball-buster and you will want to vomit at the end of your 3:02 (my Personal Best), it would be delusional to think that "FRAN" is in any physiological and scientific way beneficial for your body and your training, if you are trying to develop strength and get bigger. So, KB and Barbells and all other types of weights are fine and dandy for CrossFit...but at the end of the day the paramount question should be, "WHAT DO I WANT TO GET FROM MY TRAINING?" If people took the time to answer that question, I (and many other very knowledgeable TacFit instructors) can help design programs accordingly.
There are other supplemental lifts that are valuable but should only be used in a accessory-style program. These lifts should compliment the training, not detract from it (Dips, Lunges, Pushups, Shrugs, Pullups)
Assistance exercises accomplish four main tasks. In no particular order, they:
1. Strengthen weak areas of the body.
2. Compliment and help increase the four basic lifts.
3. Provide balance and symmetry to your body and your training.
4. Build muscle mass.
You must keep training economy in mind. Training economy means getting the best bang for
your buck from each exercise. That’s why squats are always better than leg extensions. There
are no right and wrong exercises, per se.
*** One quick side note, is that when teaching people how to squat...using a KB is essential. By performing Goblet Squats with a KB you can teach people how to keep their back straight and head up while performing squats. Work on their range of motion in the hip joint and making sure that the knees are properly tracking right over the balls of the feet, and then you can start progressing to Back Squats and Front Squats. ***
WHY SYMMETRY IS IMPORTANT (This is why I think Bodybuilders didn't get it entirely wrong...but they still can't ruck for shit)
Many ask why is symmetry important? Because professional athletes, special operations personnel should (and most do) want their bodies to
be symmetrical, from front to back and from side to side. This is how you have to think, and this
is why there’s a growing fascination with weak points and the posterior chain. It’s also why so
many injuries occur. When I tell people to "train like a bodybuilder", I just want balance in your
training. If you train your chest, train your back. If you train explosively with weights, train your
conditioning level. If you train your conditioning, train your flexibility.
Don’t get overzealous with one area for too long. If you do, expect to spend the same amount of
time getting neglected areas up to par. Remember this when choosing assistance exercises,
and try to achieve balance in your training with both exercises and muscles.
Training Equipment is in many ways like finding a pistol or rifle (sorry for the military analogy...but it is who we are) that works for you. Some people swear by Kettlebells and others prefer the traditional dumbbells and barbells routines. I like to use Kettlebells to warm-up with (KB swings, Round the Worlds, Goblet Squats and Windmills) and that is about it.
(1) I hate machines...stop being lazy and stand up while you are working out...and it is okay to utilize more than one joint while exercising. CAVEAT: If you are a bodybuilder...continue with your pec deck and preacher curl machines. However, these ultimately don't fall into "functional" exercises and are merely implemented when looking for an aesthetic look only.
(2) Nothing beats a steel barbell with brand-new knurling that is grinding away at your palms due to a heavy load on the bar. If one was to examine the classic linear periodization programs of most Division 1 athletes, Olympic competitors, etc. you would notice the heavy focus on exercises that use barbells as the primary means of training. Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Bent-Over Rows, Power Cleans, Back Squats, Front Squats, Snatch, Clean Hi-Pulls -- all of these exercises are the foundations of strength and power. If one were to construct a program based off of these exercises, with the addition of a day or two of running (each week), and a couple sets of pullups, they would find themselves in the upper echelons of society, in regards to their physical fitness.
(3) CrossFit is a great training regimen for losing weight and GPP (General Physical Preparedness) and that's it. With the endless hours, and millions of dollars (annually) that is spent on Human Performance research, they have come to a couple conclusions. First, in order to get stronger you have to lift heavy weight (1-4 reps) and follow it up with ample recovery to let the (Phospho-creatine systme) PCr replenish in the muscles so that you can perform the same (or heavier) work load again. 3 sets of 5 equals 15 total reps, and if you allow for recovery you will, over time find great strength increases. Now take CrossFit's infamous "FRAN". While it is a ball-buster and you will want to vomit at the end of your 3:02 (my Personal Best), it would be delusional to think that "FRAN" is in any physiological and scientific way beneficial for your body and your training, if you are trying to develop strength and get bigger. So, KB and Barbells and all other types of weights are fine and dandy for CrossFit...but at the end of the day the paramount question should be, "WHAT DO I WANT TO GET FROM MY TRAINING?" If people took the time to answer that question, I (and many other very knowledgeable TacFit instructors) can help design programs accordingly.
There are other supplemental lifts that are valuable but should only be used in a accessory-style program. These lifts should compliment the training, not detract from it (Dips, Lunges, Pushups, Shrugs, Pullups)
Assistance exercises accomplish four main tasks. In no particular order, they:
1. Strengthen weak areas of the body.
2. Compliment and help increase the four basic lifts.
3. Provide balance and symmetry to your body and your training.
4. Build muscle mass.
You must keep training economy in mind. Training economy means getting the best bang for
your buck from each exercise. That’s why squats are always better than leg extensions. There
are no right and wrong exercises, per se.
*** One quick side note, is that when teaching people how to squat...using a KB is essential. By performing Goblet Squats with a KB you can teach people how to keep their back straight and head up while performing squats. Work on their range of motion in the hip joint and making sure that the knees are properly tracking right over the balls of the feet, and then you can start progressing to Back Squats and Front Squats. ***
WHY SYMMETRY IS IMPORTANT (This is why I think Bodybuilders didn't get it entirely wrong...but they still can't ruck for shit)
Many ask why is symmetry important? Because professional athletes, special operations personnel should (and most do) want their bodies to
be symmetrical, from front to back and from side to side. This is how you have to think, and this
is why there’s a growing fascination with weak points and the posterior chain. It’s also why so
many injuries occur. When I tell people to "train like a bodybuilder", I just want balance in your
training. If you train your chest, train your back. If you train explosively with weights, train your
conditioning level. If you train your conditioning, train your flexibility.
Don’t get overzealous with one area for too long. If you do, expect to spend the same amount of
time getting neglected areas up to par. Remember this when choosing assistance exercises,
and try to achieve balance in your training with both exercises and muscles.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Flat Iron Training Session
x10 Hill Sprints (with weight vest) -- 2min RECOVERY
Bench Press
1x5 @ 225#
1x5 @ 230#
1x5 @ 235#
1x5 @ 240#
10x10 Weighted (20# DB) DIPS
P-90X Ab Ripper X
Bench Press
1x5 @ 225#
1x5 @ 230#
1x5 @ 235#
1x5 @ 240#
10x10 Weighted (20# DB) DIPS
P-90X Ab Ripper X
Thursday, July 29, 2010
RUN / LIFT
RUN 5K for time
@ Hillcrest H.S.
time:
Evening LIFTING session
KB Complex (3 rounds)
x10 Goblet Squats
x10 KB Swings
x10 RTW's
x10 Windmills
4x5 DEADLIFT
@ 265# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
@ 315# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
@ 345# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
@ 375# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
1min AirDyne @ +400w
1min C2 Rower
x15 Wall Balls
@ Hillcrest H.S.
time:
Evening LIFTING session
KB Complex (3 rounds)
x10 Goblet Squats
x10 KB Swings
x10 RTW's
x10 Windmills
4x5 DEADLIFT
@ 265# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
@ 315# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
@ 345# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
@ 375# + x6 pullups (REST 2min)
1min AirDyne @ +400w
1min C2 Rower
x15 Wall Balls
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tabata Training
Warm-up
5min C2 Row machine
Pullup Ladder 10-1 (55 total pullups)
Tabata Training
20sec of WORK : 10sec of REST
8 Rounds of each exercise
(1) Squats
(2) KB Push Press
(3) Split Jumps
(4) Ball Slams @ 20#
(5) AirDyne
(6) Cage Ball or Wall Ball
5-10min Recovery -- Drink Water
300sec of "SLOSH PIPE FUN"
RECOVER!!!
5min C2 Row machine
Pullup Ladder 10-1 (55 total pullups)
Tabata Training
20sec of WORK : 10sec of REST
8 Rounds of each exercise
(1) Squats
(2) KB Push Press
(3) Split Jumps
(4) Ball Slams @ 20#
(5) AirDyne
(6) Cage Ball or Wall Ball
5-10min Recovery -- Drink Water
300sec of "SLOSH PIPE FUN"
RECOVER!!!
Monday / Jackman Session
Warm-up
x10 KB Swings
x10 KB Deadlifts
x15 Walking Lunges (45#plate OH)
x15 Ring Dips
2min ROW
--- REST 2 min ---
x10 Deadlifts @ 135# - 225#
x15 Box Jumps
x15 Ball Slams
~REST 30sec~
5 Rounds
x10 KB swings
x10 KTE's
x10 Wall Balls
~REST 30sec~
5 Rounds
x100 Pushups (knuckles if you have bad wrists)
*** every time you have to stop -- you have to do x15 situps ***
x10 KB Swings
x10 KB Deadlifts
x15 Walking Lunges (45#plate OH)
x15 Ring Dips
2min ROW
--- REST 2 min ---
x10 Deadlifts @ 135# - 225#
x15 Box Jumps
x15 Ball Slams
~REST 30sec~
5 Rounds
x10 KB swings
x10 KTE's
x10 Wall Balls
~REST 30sec~
5 Rounds
x100 Pushups (knuckles if you have bad wrists)
*** every time you have to stop -- you have to do x15 situps ***
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Stength -- DEADLIFT
The Deadlift (DL). The DL is a fundamental exercise for the development of total body strength, and manipulation of the many DL variations provides a means for sport-specific application. The DL and its variations are widely accepted as one of the pillars of “total body strength” development. DL’s focus on a variety of muscularture consisting primarily of: hamstrings (biceps femoris/semi-tendinosus, semi-membranosis), hip and knee extensors, spinal erectors, quadratus lumborum, abdominal (core), and other primary “mover” muscles of the back. The use of the DL should be based on the goals, needs, and abilities of the athlete (Waller). Specifically, the application of the RDL allows athletes to establish and develop the correct body positioning that is essential in the progression for teaching weightlifting, which can be accomplished though the use of the teaching progression (Waller).
HOW DOES THIS TRANSCEND INTO SPORTS AND FUNCTIONAL FITNESS
The DL is what we refer to as a posterior chain movement - this references to the back of the body. The Big 4 sports in the United States all involve running or some sort of forward propulsion (skating). What we need for all of these is the ability to extend through the hip. Increasing the maximal strength of this movement as in the DL has a correlation to one's ability to produce force with that same movement. This doesn't mean that you are going to carry your 1RM weight onto the football field and DL during plays. It means that the work you put in to your training is going to enable you to recruit or use your hip extensors more effectively at game speed. The glutes and hamstrings are larger muscles than the quadriceps are, right? Would you rather rely on your quadriceps to carry you or the larger, stronger muscles of the posterior chain?
If there is only one lift that I could do for the rest of my life...it would probably be this!
Deadlifts
1x5 @ 225#
1x5 @ 265#
1x5 @ 315#
1x5 @ 350#
HOW DOES THIS TRANSCEND INTO SPORTS AND FUNCTIONAL FITNESS
The DL is what we refer to as a posterior chain movement - this references to the back of the body. The Big 4 sports in the United States all involve running or some sort of forward propulsion (skating). What we need for all of these is the ability to extend through the hip. Increasing the maximal strength of this movement as in the DL has a correlation to one's ability to produce force with that same movement. This doesn't mean that you are going to carry your 1RM weight onto the football field and DL during plays. It means that the work you put in to your training is going to enable you to recruit or use your hip extensors more effectively at game speed. The glutes and hamstrings are larger muscles than the quadriceps are, right? Would you rather rely on your quadriceps to carry you or the larger, stronger muscles of the posterior chain?
If there is only one lift that I could do for the rest of my life...it would probably be this!
Deadlifts
1x5 @ 225#
1x5 @ 265#
1x5 @ 315#
1x5 @ 350#
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Strength Cycle Week 1
Today will be the first day of a 4-week STRENGTH cycle. Over the past couple months I have been in a bit of a rut (or plateau). Hopefully with a concrete training plan to follow I will keep myself away from diverting away from the goals I have in search of "the easy road".
I will use a simple periodization plan that involves a relatively light workload that focuses on 4 primary lifts and are followed up by accessory movements as well as muscular endurance development. The four (4) big lifts are: (1) Deadlift (2) Bench Press (3) Back/Front Squat (4) Military Press
For these you need to know a 1RM (or an estimated 1RM...always underestimate what you can handle when you first start this preiodization)
my personal numbers as of July 2010
DEADLIFT = 435#
MILITARY = 185#
BENCH = 315#
Back Squat = 355#
Front Squat = 285#
The 5/3/1 Program
This is a very easy program to work with. The following is a general outline of the training I
suggest. I’ll go into detail on each point if someone has more question(s).
- You will train 3-4 days per week (this will be up to you).
- One day will be devoted to the standing military press, one day to the parallel squat, one
day to the deadlift and one day to the bench press.
- Each training cycle lasts 4 weeks.
- The first week you will do 3 sets of 5 reps (3x5).
- The second week you will do 3 sets of 3 reps (3x3).
- The third week you will do 1 set of 5 reps, 1 set of 3 reps and 1 set of 1 rep (5/3/1).
- The fourth week you will do 3 sets of 5 reps (3x5). This is an easy deload week.
- After the fourth week, you begin again with 3 sets of 5 reps.
- Each week and each set has a percentage to follow, so you won’t be guessing what to
do anymore.
- On the third set of each lift you will do a max effort. Whether you get 5reps or 10 reps...go to almost complete failure
DAY 1
Front Squat = 285#
1x5 @ 65% -- 185#
1x5 @ 75% -- 215#
1x5 (or more) @ 85% -- 235#
Back Squat = 355#
1x5 @ 65% -- 230#
1x5 @ 75% -- 265#
1x5 (or more) @ 85% -- 295#
I will use a simple periodization plan that involves a relatively light workload that focuses on 4 primary lifts and are followed up by accessory movements as well as muscular endurance development. The four (4) big lifts are: (1) Deadlift (2) Bench Press (3) Back/Front Squat (4) Military Press
For these you need to know a 1RM (or an estimated 1RM...always underestimate what you can handle when you first start this preiodization)
my personal numbers as of July 2010
DEADLIFT = 435#
MILITARY = 185#
BENCH = 315#
Back Squat = 355#
Front Squat = 285#
The 5/3/1 Program
This is a very easy program to work with. The following is a general outline of the training I
suggest. I’ll go into detail on each point if someone has more question(s).
- You will train 3-4 days per week (this will be up to you).
- One day will be devoted to the standing military press, one day to the parallel squat, one
day to the deadlift and one day to the bench press.
- Each training cycle lasts 4 weeks.
- The first week you will do 3 sets of 5 reps (3x5).
- The second week you will do 3 sets of 3 reps (3x3).
- The third week you will do 1 set of 5 reps, 1 set of 3 reps and 1 set of 1 rep (5/3/1).
- The fourth week you will do 3 sets of 5 reps (3x5). This is an easy deload week.
- After the fourth week, you begin again with 3 sets of 5 reps.
- Each week and each set has a percentage to follow, so you won’t be guessing what to
do anymore.
- On the third set of each lift you will do a max effort. Whether you get 5reps or 10 reps...go to almost complete failure
DAY 1
Front Squat = 285#
1x5 @ 65% -- 185#
1x5 @ 75% -- 215#
1x5 (or more) @ 85% -- 235#
Back Squat = 355#
1x5 @ 65% -- 230#
1x5 @ 75% -- 265#
1x5 (or more) @ 85% -- 295#
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
IWT (Interval Weight Training)
IWT
created by Pat O'Shea --- (a)n IWT session involves a set of 8-12 reps of an "athletic lift" immediately chased with two minutes of free aerobic exercise @ 90-95% of capacity, followed by two minutes of rest. This is repeated for a total of three sets after which the athlete is rewarded with a 5-minute break. The first phase is repeated though the lift and the free exercise are changed. Recovery periods are the same. Phase three involves a circuit of complementary movements, often using bodyweight, with 4-12 reps and 3-10 rounds. IWT workouts may be scaled toward a particular fitness characteristic. For an endurance emphasis we increase the duration of the free exercise period to three minutes and reduce the rest period, all lifts are done with lighter loads and higher reps. To focus on power development we increase loads for the athletic lifts and reduce the reps, scale back the chasing aerobic exercise period (sometimes) and increase the rest periods to ensure "full" recovery.
Augmented Eccentric Loading
This is a type of over-training much like sprinting downhills (overspeed training). There are two parts to a jump (plyometric movement). The concentric movement is what happens when you squat down. The pause between the descent (concentric) and the ascent (eccentric) is known as the period of amortization. Then you begin the explosive, upward, eccentric movement.
The purpose of this type of plyometric training is to help break through their plateau. This is a type of plyometric training that is designed for a better conditioned athlete and not for beginners.
Hold 10-20lb weights in both hands. Rapidly squat down and while at the bottom drop the weights to the ground and explode up and onto the plyometric box
Warm-up
2x10 Leg Swings (both legs)
2x10 Shoulder Dislocates + PVC Figure 8's
5min AirDyne
WORK
Interval Weight Trainin (IWT)
10x Bench Press @ 50% +
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
2 min Rest
10x Bench Press @ 60%
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
2 min Rest
8x Bench Press @ 70% +
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
2 min Rest
8x Bench Press @ 75% +
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
Augmented Eccentric Loading
8x3 Box Jump --- 36" box
created by Pat O'Shea --- (a)n IWT session involves a set of 8-12 reps of an "athletic lift" immediately chased with two minutes of free aerobic exercise @ 90-95% of capacity, followed by two minutes of rest. This is repeated for a total of three sets after which the athlete is rewarded with a 5-minute break. The first phase is repeated though the lift and the free exercise are changed. Recovery periods are the same. Phase three involves a circuit of complementary movements, often using bodyweight, with 4-12 reps and 3-10 rounds. IWT workouts may be scaled toward a particular fitness characteristic. For an endurance emphasis we increase the duration of the free exercise period to three minutes and reduce the rest period, all lifts are done with lighter loads and higher reps. To focus on power development we increase loads for the athletic lifts and reduce the reps, scale back the chasing aerobic exercise period (sometimes) and increase the rest periods to ensure "full" recovery.
Augmented Eccentric Loading
This is a type of over-training much like sprinting downhills (overspeed training). There are two parts to a jump (plyometric movement). The concentric movement is what happens when you squat down. The pause between the descent (concentric) and the ascent (eccentric) is known as the period of amortization. Then you begin the explosive, upward, eccentric movement.
The purpose of this type of plyometric training is to help break through their plateau. This is a type of plyometric training that is designed for a better conditioned athlete and not for beginners.
Hold 10-20lb weights in both hands. Rapidly squat down and while at the bottom drop the weights to the ground and explode up and onto the plyometric box
Warm-up
2x10 Leg Swings (both legs)
2x10 Shoulder Dislocates + PVC Figure 8's
5min AirDyne
WORK
Interval Weight Trainin (IWT)
10x Bench Press @ 50% +
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
2 min Rest
10x Bench Press @ 60%
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
2 min Rest
8x Bench Press @ 70% +
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
2 min Rest
8x Bench Press @ 75% +
90 sec Burpee or Rope Pull @ 40# +
Augmented Eccentric Loading
8x3 Box Jump --- 36" box
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
what recovery should look like
A very wise individual sent me his recovery plan after his last full Ironman.
This was spaced out over the evening of his night after he raced @ Kona.
Immediately after:
- 500mL water (drink about 4-5 gulps and then pause for 10min -- this allows for proper uptake)
- Recovery drink (make sure that the recovery drink has some WHEY protein in it
- Banana and some apple sauce
1hr after
- 500mL water plus electrolytes (light dose)
- 500mL of water sipped slowly over the course of the next 30minutes
Big dinner
- Ice bath: 10-minute session
- Walk: 15 minutes. I was shivering badly so I know core temp was way down, which is good
- Ice bath: 6-minute session (all I could stand due to the shivering)
- Re-warm for five minutes under hot shower
After dinner
- Relax 30 minutes, sipping 500ml water plus electrolytes (light dose)
- Massage legs with Traumeel
- Foam Roller session on legs
- ZMA plus 3mg melatonin plus 500ml water
Sleep 8 hours
This was spaced out over the evening of his night after he raced @ Kona.
Immediately after:
- 500mL water (drink about 4-5 gulps and then pause for 10min -- this allows for proper uptake)
- Recovery drink (make sure that the recovery drink has some WHEY protein in it
- Banana and some apple sauce
1hr after
- 500mL water plus electrolytes (light dose)
- 500mL of water sipped slowly over the course of the next 30minutes
Big dinner
- Ice bath: 10-minute session
- Walk: 15 minutes. I was shivering badly so I know core temp was way down, which is good
- Ice bath: 6-minute session (all I could stand due to the shivering)
- Re-warm for five minutes under hot shower
After dinner
- Relax 30 minutes, sipping 500ml water plus electrolytes (light dose)
- Massage legs with Traumeel
- Foam Roller session on legs
- ZMA plus 3mg melatonin plus 500ml water
Sleep 8 hours
If you do nothing else...DO THIS
Why bench press and front squat? - One of the most interesting things about strength is when an athlete is balanced, his front squat and bench press 1 rep max will be very close together.
Dead Lifts - The dead lift is a great test of overall, full body strength.
Sprints - Sprint(s) for reps tests anaerobic endurance and the athlete's ability to recover metabolically. I feel sprinting is a key fitness attribute for military athletes. Plus, no special equipment is needed for this test.
Best overall test for anaerobic endurance is the 300yd shuttle run
Pull ups - This is one carryover from typical military fitness tests. Pulling power is another needed attribute for military athletes.
Dead Lifts - The dead lift is a great test of overall, full body strength.
Sprints - Sprint(s) for reps tests anaerobic endurance and the athlete's ability to recover metabolically. I feel sprinting is a key fitness attribute for military athletes. Plus, no special equipment is needed for this test.
Best overall test for anaerobic endurance is the 300yd shuttle run
Pull ups - This is one carryover from typical military fitness tests. Pulling power is another needed attribute for military athletes.
AirDyne Rower Fun
STRENGTH
Back Squat 3x5
1x5 @ 70%
1x5 @ 75%
1x5 @ 80%
WORK
20-18-16-14-12-10
AirDyne (calories)
C2 Rower (calories)
Wall Ball Shots
---then---
3 Rounds
x15 KB swings
x15 Box Jumps
x15 Pushups
Back Squat 3x5
1x5 @ 70%
1x5 @ 75%
1x5 @ 80%
WORK
20-18-16-14-12-10
AirDyne (calories)
C2 Rower (calories)
Wall Ball Shots
---then---
3 Rounds
x15 KB swings
x15 Box Jumps
x15 Pushups
CFD
5 Deadlifts @ 50-60% 1 RM
5 Rounds of Cindy (5 Pullups/10 Pushups/15 Air Squats)
6 Deadlifts
4 Rounds of Cindy
7 Deadlifts
3 Rounds of Cindy
8 Deadlifts
2 Rounds of Cindy
5 Rounds of Cindy (5 Pullups/10 Pushups/15 Air Squats)
6 Deadlifts
4 Rounds of Cindy
7 Deadlifts
3 Rounds of Cindy
8 Deadlifts
2 Rounds of Cindy
Monday, July 19, 2010
6AM WOD
Three rounds for time of:
20 Box Jumps (24″/18″)
20 Pushups
20 Wall Ball Shots (20/12 lbs.)
Time:
7 rounds for time of:
3 cleans (205/135 lb.)
4 ring handstand push-ups (men)/4 handstand push-ups (women)
12-minute cap
KTB Time:
Holmberg, Graham 04:26
Spealler, Chris 04:27
Salo, Mikko 06:04
Hackenbruck, Tommy 09:42
20 Box Jumps (24″/18″)
20 Pushups
20 Wall Ball Shots (20/12 lbs.)
Time:
7 rounds for time of:
3 cleans (205/135 lb.)
4 ring handstand push-ups (men)/4 handstand push-ups (women)
12-minute cap
KTB Time:
Holmberg, Graham 04:26
Spealler, Chris 04:27
Salo, Mikko 06:04
Hackenbruck, Tommy 09:42
Sunday, July 18, 2010
"The Grow Zone"
Someone recently wrote in asking how to get bigger. I should have deleted the note. Instead, I replied by saying, "train to failure, eat more.” Then he asked for a recipe of specific reps/sets/rest and that note went to the trash. First, there’s plenty of information on the subject available. Second, it’s not what we do here. Do your fucking homework before writing an email.
The following guidelines were pulled from Michael Yessis’ 1992 book titled “The Kinesiology of Exercise”. Figures will affect you differently depending on your age, existing fitness level, sex, the phase of the annual cycle you are in, as well as the volume and intensity of the training you are doing.
In general:
1-4 reps increase pure strength but do not increase muscle mass
4-9 reps increase strength together with muscle mass
10-15 reps increase muscular strength, muscular endurance and muscle mass
16-30 reps increase muscular endurance with little to no increase in muscle mass
31-50 reps increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass
50-100 reps increase muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, there will be a possible loss of muscle mass (or fat), and absolutely no increase in strength
This being the case, then what does an exclusive diet of circuit training produce? 21-15-9 adds up to 45, which equals an “increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass.” If that’s your objective, knock yourself out. A Circuit or Progression totaling over 100 reps won’t help you get “swole”, except in the short term (measured in hours), and it won’t make you stronger. But because it’ll put the flame to the fat you may look stronger. Again, if that’s your objective, knock yourself out.
The following guidelines were pulled from Michael Yessis’ 1992 book titled “The Kinesiology of Exercise”. Figures will affect you differently depending on your age, existing fitness level, sex, the phase of the annual cycle you are in, as well as the volume and intensity of the training you are doing.
In general:
1-4 reps increase pure strength but do not increase muscle mass
4-9 reps increase strength together with muscle mass
10-15 reps increase muscular strength, muscular endurance and muscle mass
16-30 reps increase muscular endurance with little to no increase in muscle mass
31-50 reps increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass
50-100 reps increase muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, there will be a possible loss of muscle mass (or fat), and absolutely no increase in strength
This being the case, then what does an exclusive diet of circuit training produce? 21-15-9 adds up to 45, which equals an “increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass.” If that’s your objective, knock yourself out. A Circuit or Progression totaling over 100 reps won’t help you get “swole”, except in the short term (measured in hours), and it won’t make you stronger. But because it’ll put the flame to the fat you may look stronger. Again, if that’s your objective, knock yourself out.
Crossfit Games WODS
Event 5
7 rounds for time of:
3 cleans (205/135 lb.)
4 ring handstand push-ups (men)/4 handstand push-ups (women)
12-minute cap
Event 4
For time:
Move (600/370 lb.) of sandbags down the stairs, across the stadium floor, up the wall, up the stairs.
Event 3
As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes of:
7 deadlifts (315/205 lb.)
Sprint across court
14 pistols
21 double-unders
Sprint back
Event 2a
For time (22 min cap):
Run 1,200 meters
63 kettlebell swings (1.5/1 pood)
36 pull-ups
Run 800 meters
42 kettlebell swings (1.5/1 pood)
24 pull-ups
Run 400 meters
21 kettlebell swings (1.5/1 pood)
12 pull-ups
Event 2b
Within 90 seconds of completing Event 2a: 1 rep max Shoulder-to-Overhead
Event 1
9-7-5 reps for time of (12 min cap):
Muscle-ups
Squat snatches (135/95 lb.)
7 rounds for time of:
3 cleans (205/135 lb.)
4 ring handstand push-ups (men)/4 handstand push-ups (women)
12-minute cap
Event 4
For time:
Move (600/370 lb.) of sandbags down the stairs, across the stadium floor, up the wall, up the stairs.
Event 3
As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes of:
7 deadlifts (315/205 lb.)
Sprint across court
14 pistols
21 double-unders
Sprint back
Event 2a
For time (22 min cap):
Run 1,200 meters
63 kettlebell swings (1.5/1 pood)
36 pull-ups
Run 800 meters
42 kettlebell swings (1.5/1 pood)
24 pull-ups
Run 400 meters
21 kettlebell swings (1.5/1 pood)
12 pull-ups
Event 2b
Within 90 seconds of completing Event 2a: 1 rep max Shoulder-to-Overhead
Event 1
9-7-5 reps for time of (12 min cap):
Muscle-ups
Squat snatches (135/95 lb.)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Barbell Complex
Designed to be a warm-up (much like the KB complex)
Barbell Complex (x6 reps of each)
Deadlift
Bent-over Row (back parallel to floor)
Hang Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Pull-up
1 set @ 75#, 95#, 105#, 115#
Barbell Complex (x6 reps of each)
Deadlift
Bent-over Row (back parallel to floor)
Hang Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Pull-up
1 set @ 75#, 95#, 105#, 115#
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Kettlebell Complex (warm-up/workout)
Courtesy of Mark over @ GJ
It is meant to be a warm-up...yet I never really feel like working out after I am done with this
All work is done with 53# Kb (You can scale the workout as needed)
10x One-arm KB Swing (each side)
10x RTW (both directions)
10x Figure 8 (front-to-back)
10x Figure 8 (back-to-front)
10x Goblet Squat
10x Push Squat
10x Standing Halo
10x Half-TGU (each side)
10x Windmill (each side), alternate arms and do One-arm Snatch to switch sides
10x Get-up (each side)
I am just posting this so that I can reference to this in later workouts. But, if you are feeling like a new adventure...enjoy this
It is meant to be a warm-up...yet I never really feel like working out after I am done with this
All work is done with 53# Kb (You can scale the workout as needed)
10x One-arm KB Swing (each side)
10x RTW (both directions)
10x Figure 8 (front-to-back)
10x Figure 8 (back-to-front)
10x Goblet Squat
10x Push Squat
10x Standing Halo
10x Half-TGU (each side)
10x Windmill (each side), alternate arms and do One-arm Snatch to switch sides
10x Get-up (each side)
I am just posting this so that I can reference to this in later workouts. But, if you are feeling like a new adventure...enjoy this
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
DIET...
It seems everyone wants (or needs) to lose weight, but with all the information out there it just gets more and more confusing for the average person to know what to do? Let’s back it up a little and start from the basic understand of how fat loss happens in a simple and easy manner. Once you can master the basics, that is probably 90% of where all your results will come from!
Fat loss first and foremost is a hormonal event, the right hormones telling the body to release the stored “energy” in the fat cells to burn off. It is also important to know that there are also fat “storing” hormones that act in the opposite way, triggering the body to store “future energy” into the fat cells. The body triggers these hormones through many different stimulus like food, drink, exercise, stress and sleep. Fat cells are just the body’s emergency storage tanks afterall. If we didn’t have fat cells, we wouldn’t have survived the famines of the past. It’s a built-in survival mechanism that is getting all the wrong signals today. The body wasn’t designed around constant intake of food, especially the processed and high in sugar kind. (as that is not something that naturally grows on trees!)
So we know that fat loss is hormonal. Also fat loss occurs when oxygen is present, what is known as aerobic. (which means “with oxygen”…don’t get all happy yet all you daily joggers) The other stage is called anaerobic (which means “without oxygen”). Anaerobic training is also known more commonly as “strength training” (which you can tell by the lactic acid burn). Here’s where people get confused when it comes to exercise. Most people think that by doing aerobics you burn all the fat you want. Well if that was the case, obesity would of been taken care of in 1986 and your gym aerobic instructors wouldn’t have an average BF% over 25%. Who ever said you are guaranteed to burn fat? What about stored glycogen? Plus if you can burn fat in an aerobic state, well aren’t you in an aerobic state all day long (minus brief times of anaerobic activity) including sleeping?? So here’s the breakthrough, you have the ability to burn fat all day long! The only thing left is the hormones and whether they are saying “empty the storage tanks” or “here comes some more” to the fat cells.
The Fat loss hormones were are going to focus on briefly are insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone (GH). Insulin is a fat storing hormone, while glucagon and GH are fat burning hormones. If insulin is present and elevated, the other hormones go down (this is an important relationship to realize). Another hormone called cortisol (stress hormone) is a muscle breakdown hormone….and that is not something we want in our fat loss quest. Below are just quick and easy bullet point on how to maximize the fat burning hormones and minimize the muscle breakdown/fat storing hormones (don’t think all muscle breakdown is bad, you need to break down and rebuild the cells it’s when you have excessive breakdown and minimal rebuilding that is the issue as that will lead to a loss of muscle).
Your #1 enemy, sugar and all it’s hiding places (drinks, sauces, dressings, etc). If it has a label, read it and see what sugars you are really getting, as everything you put into your mouth counts! Why is sugar bad? Because sugar will be quickly absorbed into the blood which cause a spike in your blood sugar and with that spike the body releases insulin to take care of it (shuttle excessive blood sugar into the fat cells for storage!). So like I tell my clients, every time you put sugar into your mouth just tell youself “I don’t feel like burning fat for the next 3-4 hours” as that is exactly the hormonal signal you are giving it. Remember also when insulin is high, glucagon and GH go down (this is important to remember especially at night)
So let’s recap, for fat loss we want:
1. Minimal insulin levels thoughout the day (no high levels/spikes except during the post workout window when the insulin sensitivity is maximum, it goes into muscle not fat)
2. Maximum Glucagon (which is directly inversely proportional to insulin levels)
3. Maximum GH (which is controlled by insulin, exercise response and sleep)
4. Keep Cortisol in check (you will have some, but excessive will lead to muscle loss)
For Insulin control (and max Glucagon response):
* Keep levels low by not eating sugar or foods that quickly break down into the bloodstream (processed foods, breads, cereals, pasta) Just say to yourself everytime you are about to put sugar in your mouth, “I don’t want to burn any fat for the next 3-4 hours”...as that is exactly what you are telling your body with your hormonal response from the ingestion of sugar! (Already said that above but I want to drive the #1 important point home!)
* Have protein with every meal (as that will slow down the digestion of any sugars). Also protein intake stimulates the release of glucagon.
* Improve insulin sensitivity with glycogen draining exercise (resistance training) which will in turn reduce your insulin resistance (which is one of the biggest reasons for obesity and a serious increase of risks for many other diseases including heart disease, cancers, diabetes, accelerated aging and more!)
For max GH response:
* Most of your daily GH is released in the first couple hours of sleep at night (75%) . Keep your insulin levels low (which means no big meals or sugar 2-3 hours before bed) and get to bed by 10pm to get the maximum response. So get your sleep, your body will thank you. People shorting themselves on sleep will also be hindering their fat loss efforts and may lead to more weight gain from improper hormonal responses (which can also trigger cravings!)
* Exercise with Intensity (for fast twitch muscle recruitement, not slow twitch), whether it is resistance training with short rest periods or doing interval training like sprints. Short burst of anaerobic intense exercise (lactic acid burn) will in turn signal the body to release GH. Long aerobic activities (jogging, etc) will NOT. (The old argument of look at the body composition of a sprinter vs the marathon runner…the sprinter has more muscle and very low bf%, the marathon runner has little muscle and a higher bf% even if they look smaller) See the role of lactate in exercise induced GH response.
* Exercise in a fasted state has also shown to increase GH levels (again make sure you have enough energy to get through the workout, a small meal may be needed 1-2 hours prior if the activity it too intense)
Minimize excessive Cortisol:
* Keep all intense strength or cardio exercise under 45min (remember we want to increase the intensity in a short period, not the duration). Anything longer will just start wasting muscle as fuel.
* Practice relaxing throughout the day, don’t stress out over things that mean very little in the long run (ask yourself will this really be important in 1 week, 1 month, 1 year). Get perspective on things in your life, and detach from things that really don’t matter. Smile more, take deep breaths throughout the day, get out in nature, find your passions in life, etc. We are too stressed out and our body was only meant to use stress in short bursts (fight or flight response) not all day long events.
So if you can master these small steps, you will see tremendous changes. Remember that fat loss is an all day event! So eat and live your life that way! Don’t worry about how many calories you burn doing something, because that is not the point. Worry about what you eat all day and how your hormones are going to react to it. Eat the foods your body was meant to eat and live the active lifestyle your body was designed for….and you will have increased health, look great, feel great and hopefully live long and stay active.
IN SUMMARY
1. Remember that 85% of fat loss is nutritional based (not how many calories you can burn doing something) and you have the ability to burn fat all day long if your hormones tell your body to do so.
2. Eat whole natural foods (not processed..if it wasn’t around 100 years ago, you don’t need it!), avoid all sugars (foods and drinks), have protein with every meal
3. Train your fast twitch muscles with resistance training 2-3x a week and do 30-60min of “active lifestyle” based movement daily (not going to call it cardio). Go have fun doing whatever! (play tennis, go walking/hiking, ride a bike, enjoy what you do!)
4 Stop stressing out, take some deep breaths, get outside to relax and get your 8hrs of sleep.
Now what if there was something else you could do to decrease insulin resistance and improve GH response to exercise and sleep? Hey how about something that also helps the health of the gut, gives increased brain function, improves the digestive process and liver function (which is an important organ for fat burning)? What if there were loads of studies linking benefits for disease prevention and anti-aging? Hmmmmmm…..could that be Intermittent Fasting?? Wow….look how everything starts to nicely come full circle!
Fat loss first and foremost is a hormonal event, the right hormones telling the body to release the stored “energy” in the fat cells to burn off. It is also important to know that there are also fat “storing” hormones that act in the opposite way, triggering the body to store “future energy” into the fat cells. The body triggers these hormones through many different stimulus like food, drink, exercise, stress and sleep. Fat cells are just the body’s emergency storage tanks afterall. If we didn’t have fat cells, we wouldn’t have survived the famines of the past. It’s a built-in survival mechanism that is getting all the wrong signals today. The body wasn’t designed around constant intake of food, especially the processed and high in sugar kind. (as that is not something that naturally grows on trees!)
So we know that fat loss is hormonal. Also fat loss occurs when oxygen is present, what is known as aerobic. (which means “with oxygen”…don’t get all happy yet all you daily joggers) The other stage is called anaerobic (which means “without oxygen”). Anaerobic training is also known more commonly as “strength training” (which you can tell by the lactic acid burn). Here’s where people get confused when it comes to exercise. Most people think that by doing aerobics you burn all the fat you want. Well if that was the case, obesity would of been taken care of in 1986 and your gym aerobic instructors wouldn’t have an average BF% over 25%. Who ever said you are guaranteed to burn fat? What about stored glycogen? Plus if you can burn fat in an aerobic state, well aren’t you in an aerobic state all day long (minus brief times of anaerobic activity) including sleeping?? So here’s the breakthrough, you have the ability to burn fat all day long! The only thing left is the hormones and whether they are saying “empty the storage tanks” or “here comes some more” to the fat cells.
The Fat loss hormones were are going to focus on briefly are insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone (GH). Insulin is a fat storing hormone, while glucagon and GH are fat burning hormones. If insulin is present and elevated, the other hormones go down (this is an important relationship to realize). Another hormone called cortisol (stress hormone) is a muscle breakdown hormone….and that is not something we want in our fat loss quest. Below are just quick and easy bullet point on how to maximize the fat burning hormones and minimize the muscle breakdown/fat storing hormones (don’t think all muscle breakdown is bad, you need to break down and rebuild the cells it’s when you have excessive breakdown and minimal rebuilding that is the issue as that will lead to a loss of muscle).
Your #1 enemy, sugar and all it’s hiding places (drinks, sauces, dressings, etc). If it has a label, read it and see what sugars you are really getting, as everything you put into your mouth counts! Why is sugar bad? Because sugar will be quickly absorbed into the blood which cause a spike in your blood sugar and with that spike the body releases insulin to take care of it (shuttle excessive blood sugar into the fat cells for storage!). So like I tell my clients, every time you put sugar into your mouth just tell youself “I don’t feel like burning fat for the next 3-4 hours” as that is exactly the hormonal signal you are giving it. Remember also when insulin is high, glucagon and GH go down (this is important to remember especially at night)
So let’s recap, for fat loss we want:
1. Minimal insulin levels thoughout the day (no high levels/spikes except during the post workout window when the insulin sensitivity is maximum, it goes into muscle not fat)
2. Maximum Glucagon (which is directly inversely proportional to insulin levels)
3. Maximum GH (which is controlled by insulin, exercise response and sleep)
4. Keep Cortisol in check (you will have some, but excessive will lead to muscle loss)
For Insulin control (and max Glucagon response):
* Keep levels low by not eating sugar or foods that quickly break down into the bloodstream (processed foods, breads, cereals, pasta) Just say to yourself everytime you are about to put sugar in your mouth, “I don’t want to burn any fat for the next 3-4 hours”...as that is exactly what you are telling your body with your hormonal response from the ingestion of sugar! (Already said that above but I want to drive the #1 important point home!)
* Have protein with every meal (as that will slow down the digestion of any sugars). Also protein intake stimulates the release of glucagon.
* Improve insulin sensitivity with glycogen draining exercise (resistance training) which will in turn reduce your insulin resistance (which is one of the biggest reasons for obesity and a serious increase of risks for many other diseases including heart disease, cancers, diabetes, accelerated aging and more!)
For max GH response:
* Most of your daily GH is released in the first couple hours of sleep at night (75%) . Keep your insulin levels low (which means no big meals or sugar 2-3 hours before bed) and get to bed by 10pm to get the maximum response. So get your sleep, your body will thank you. People shorting themselves on sleep will also be hindering their fat loss efforts and may lead to more weight gain from improper hormonal responses (which can also trigger cravings!)
* Exercise with Intensity (for fast twitch muscle recruitement, not slow twitch), whether it is resistance training with short rest periods or doing interval training like sprints. Short burst of anaerobic intense exercise (lactic acid burn) will in turn signal the body to release GH. Long aerobic activities (jogging, etc) will NOT. (The old argument of look at the body composition of a sprinter vs the marathon runner…the sprinter has more muscle and very low bf%, the marathon runner has little muscle and a higher bf% even if they look smaller) See the role of lactate in exercise induced GH response.
* Exercise in a fasted state has also shown to increase GH levels (again make sure you have enough energy to get through the workout, a small meal may be needed 1-2 hours prior if the activity it too intense)
Minimize excessive Cortisol:
* Keep all intense strength or cardio exercise under 45min (remember we want to increase the intensity in a short period, not the duration). Anything longer will just start wasting muscle as fuel.
* Practice relaxing throughout the day, don’t stress out over things that mean very little in the long run (ask yourself will this really be important in 1 week, 1 month, 1 year). Get perspective on things in your life, and detach from things that really don’t matter. Smile more, take deep breaths throughout the day, get out in nature, find your passions in life, etc. We are too stressed out and our body was only meant to use stress in short bursts (fight or flight response) not all day long events.
So if you can master these small steps, you will see tremendous changes. Remember that fat loss is an all day event! So eat and live your life that way! Don’t worry about how many calories you burn doing something, because that is not the point. Worry about what you eat all day and how your hormones are going to react to it. Eat the foods your body was meant to eat and live the active lifestyle your body was designed for….and you will have increased health, look great, feel great and hopefully live long and stay active.
IN SUMMARY
1. Remember that 85% of fat loss is nutritional based (not how many calories you can burn doing something) and you have the ability to burn fat all day long if your hormones tell your body to do so.
2. Eat whole natural foods (not processed..if it wasn’t around 100 years ago, you don’t need it!), avoid all sugars (foods and drinks), have protein with every meal
3. Train your fast twitch muscles with resistance training 2-3x a week and do 30-60min of “active lifestyle” based movement daily (not going to call it cardio). Go have fun doing whatever! (play tennis, go walking/hiking, ride a bike, enjoy what you do!)
4 Stop stressing out, take some deep breaths, get outside to relax and get your 8hrs of sleep.
Now what if there was something else you could do to decrease insulin resistance and improve GH response to exercise and sleep? Hey how about something that also helps the health of the gut, gives increased brain function, improves the digestive process and liver function (which is an important organ for fat burning)? What if there were loads of studies linking benefits for disease prevention and anti-aging? Hmmmmmm…..could that be Intermittent Fasting?? Wow….look how everything starts to nicely come full circle!
Monday, June 21, 2010
TABATA
The Tabata Method
Fat Loss in Four Minutes
by Dan John
A couple of years ago, a company came out with an exercise machine that guaranteed results in only four minutes a day. The main problem? The $12,000 price tag. My car doesn’t cost that much. I’m not sure I’ve ever spent that much on anything, including my education.
Well, I’m going to save you a lot of money today because I’m going to show you how to do the same thing without an overpriced machine. This “top secret” training method may do more for you than all your other training combined and leave you with 23 hours and 56 minutes to live the rest of your day.
But there’s a price to pay. Think exhaustion, vomit and pools of sweat.
Enter the Tabata Method
Tabata is the name of a Japanese researcher who discovered an interesting way to increase both anaerobic and aerobic pathways at the same time. It’s one of those strange training programs that seems to fit across disciplines: it’s excellent for bicyclists, speed skaters, Olympic lifters, or the person looking to lose fat quickly.
This training method is so simple, yet so incredibly difficult, that athletes tend to try it once, acknowledge its greatness, and then vow to never speak its name again. What is it? It’s simple: take one exercise and perform it in the following manner:
1) For twenty seconds, do as many repetitions as possible.
2) Rest for ten seconds
3) Repeat seven more times!
That’s it! You’re done in four minutes! Oh, and that thing you’re trying to brush off your face? That would be the floor.
240 Seconds of Pain
Why should you do this workout? The Tabata program might be the single best “fat burning workout” that I know. It might only be four minutes, but you seem to keep sweating and breathing hard for a long, long time afterwards. Moreover, it seems to teach the body the proper method of squatting far easier than all the instruction in the world.
One other thing: Tabata truly teaches a person the mental focus needed to push past pain and reach his body comp or athletic goals. It’ll save you 12,000 bucks, too!
Fat Loss in Four Minutes
by Dan John
A couple of years ago, a company came out with an exercise machine that guaranteed results in only four minutes a day. The main problem? The $12,000 price tag. My car doesn’t cost that much. I’m not sure I’ve ever spent that much on anything, including my education.
Well, I’m going to save you a lot of money today because I’m going to show you how to do the same thing without an overpriced machine. This “top secret” training method may do more for you than all your other training combined and leave you with 23 hours and 56 minutes to live the rest of your day.
But there’s a price to pay. Think exhaustion, vomit and pools of sweat.
Enter the Tabata Method
Tabata is the name of a Japanese researcher who discovered an interesting way to increase both anaerobic and aerobic pathways at the same time. It’s one of those strange training programs that seems to fit across disciplines: it’s excellent for bicyclists, speed skaters, Olympic lifters, or the person looking to lose fat quickly.
This training method is so simple, yet so incredibly difficult, that athletes tend to try it once, acknowledge its greatness, and then vow to never speak its name again. What is it? It’s simple: take one exercise and perform it in the following manner:
1) For twenty seconds, do as many repetitions as possible.
2) Rest for ten seconds
3) Repeat seven more times!
That’s it! You’re done in four minutes! Oh, and that thing you’re trying to brush off your face? That would be the floor.
240 Seconds of Pain
Why should you do this workout? The Tabata program might be the single best “fat burning workout” that I know. It might only be four minutes, but you seem to keep sweating and breathing hard for a long, long time afterwards. Moreover, it seems to teach the body the proper method of squatting far easier than all the instruction in the world.
One other thing: Tabata truly teaches a person the mental focus needed to push past pain and reach his body comp or athletic goals. It’ll save you 12,000 bucks, too!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Relative Strength / Power-2-Weight Ratio
The power-to-weight ratio is important to the sports requiring locomotion; the cyclist that generates 400 watts of power with a 145-pound frame is more efficient than the cyclist that creates the same force with a 180-pound body. The 200-meter runner who can deadlift 3x bodyweight runs faster than the sprinter who can only deadlift 2x bodyweight. The runner's size/weight does not determine the one-rep max instead it is the neurological pathways and ability to recruit a greater percentage of existing muscle that are decisive factors. Because of this an athlete may develop the ability to generate incredible power without significant size or weight increase - by simply making the appropriate neurological pathways more efficient.
Relative strength can also determine how individuals integrate into a team. In the military context, every soldier wants to be strong and in an effort to become strong many get big as well. So how does the 230-pound guy integrate into the team? He's strong enough to hump heavy loads all day or carry a casualty. But what if he gets shot or sprains an ankle and his teammates have to carry him, and his gear? This same issue affects mountain climbers and backcountry skiers who often operate in remote areas and must be 100% self-sufficient, fire fighters, SWAT cops, etc. To be sure, fitness is an individual concept but each individual's fitness, size and speed can make the team more capable and flexible or less so.
So size matters, but bigger is not necessarily better, nor is bigger always stronger.
Relative strength can also determine how individuals integrate into a team. In the military context, every soldier wants to be strong and in an effort to become strong many get big as well. So how does the 230-pound guy integrate into the team? He's strong enough to hump heavy loads all day or carry a casualty. But what if he gets shot or sprains an ankle and his teammates have to carry him, and his gear? This same issue affects mountain climbers and backcountry skiers who often operate in remote areas and must be 100% self-sufficient, fire fighters, SWAT cops, etc. To be sure, fitness is an individual concept but each individual's fitness, size and speed can make the team more capable and flexible or less so.
So size matters, but bigger is not necessarily better, nor is bigger always stronger.
Monday, May 24, 2010
ANNIE ON THE RUN
50 DOUBLE UNDERS
50 SIT UPS
RUN 400
40 DOUBLE UNDERS
40 SIT UPS
AirDyne 1min +
x10 Pullups +
x50 Jump Rope +
x10 Ball Slams +
x8 KTE's +
AirDyne 1min +
x10 Box Jumps +
x10 Pullups (strict) +
x15 Pushups
x2 Rope Pulls
AirDyne 1min
x50 Jump Rope+
RUN 400
30 DOUBLE UNDERS
30 SIT UPS
RUN 400
20 DOUBLE UNDERS
20 SIT UPS
RUN 400
10 DOUBLE UNDERS
10 SIT UPS
RUN 400
50 DOUBLE UNDERS
50 SIT UPS
RUN 400
40 DOUBLE UNDERS
40 SIT UPS
AirDyne 1min +
x10 Pullups +
x50 Jump Rope +
x10 Ball Slams +
x8 KTE's +
AirDyne 1min +
x10 Box Jumps +
x10 Pullups (strict) +
x15 Pushups
x2 Rope Pulls
AirDyne 1min
x50 Jump Rope+
RUN 400
30 DOUBLE UNDERS
30 SIT UPS
RUN 400
20 DOUBLE UNDERS
20 SIT UPS
RUN 400
10 DOUBLE UNDERS
10 SIT UPS
RUN 400
new work
Front Squats
1x5 @ 155#
1x5 @ 165#
1x5 @ 175#
1x5 @ 195#
1x5 @ 205#
Back Squats
1x10 @ 225#
1x10 @ 245#
1x10 @ 265#
**5 Rounds**
(all work done @ 160#)
x15 Deadlifts +
x12 Hang Cleans +
x9 Front Squats +
x6 Push Press
1x5 @ 155#
1x5 @ 165#
1x5 @ 175#
1x5 @ 195#
1x5 @ 205#
Back Squats
1x10 @ 225#
1x10 @ 245#
1x10 @ 265#
**5 Rounds**
(all work done @ 160#)
x15 Deadlifts +
x12 Hang Cleans +
x9 Front Squats +
x6 Push Press
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Intervals and "The Bear"
10x 1-minute Row, maintain >300m/minute, rest one minute between intervals
The Bear Complex
4 Rounds (75#/85#/95#/115#)
Power Clean - Front Squat - Thruster - Back Squat - Overhead Press (repeat)
Squat Clean:
2x5 @ 50% (of Power Clean 1RM)
2x3 @ 60%
2x2 @ 70%
2x1 @ 80%
The Bear Complex
4 Rounds (75#/85#/95#/115#)
Power Clean - Front Squat - Thruster - Back Squat - Overhead Press (repeat)
Squat Clean:
2x5 @ 50% (of Power Clean 1RM)
2x3 @ 60%
2x2 @ 70%
2x1 @ 80%
Those Burpees Suck
Workout: "Those Burpees Suck"
10x Pull-up +
20x KB Swings @ 53# +
30x Box Jump @ 24" +
40x Push-up +
50x Sit-up +
60x Burpee +
10x Pull-up
10x Pull-up +
20x KB Swings @ 53# +
30x Box Jump @ 24" +
40x Push-up +
50x Sit-up +
60x Burpee +
10x Pull-up
Work
12x Power Clean @ 95# +
2 min sprint on AirDyne +
2 min Rest
Four rounds
5 min Rest
10x Push Press @ 95# +
2 min of Jump Rope+
2 min Rest
Four rounds
Then:
3x Team Pull-up Ladder 1-6
2 min sprint on AirDyne +
2 min Rest
Four rounds
5 min Rest
10x Push Press @ 95# +
2 min of Jump Rope+
2 min Rest
Four rounds
Then:
3x Team Pull-up Ladder 1-6
KB Complex
KB Complex
10x One-arm KB Swing (each side)
10x RTW (both directions)
10x Figure 8 (front-to-back)
10x Figure 8 (back-to-front)
10x Goblet Squat
10x Push Squat
10x Standing Halo
10x Deck Squat
10x Half-TGU (each side)
10x Windmill (each side), alternate arms and do One-arm Snatch to switch sides
10x One-arm OHS (each side)
10x Get-up (each side)
10x One-arm KB Swing (each side)
10x RTW (both directions)
10x Figure 8 (front-to-back)
10x Figure 8 (back-to-front)
10x Goblet Squat
10x Push Squat
10x Standing Halo
10x Deck Squat
10x Half-TGU (each side)
10x Windmill (each side), alternate arms and do One-arm Snatch to switch sides
10x One-arm OHS (each side)
10x Get-up (each side)
Lateral Jumps
Workout:
10x Lateral Jump over heavy bag & Ball Slam @ 15# ball (jump must finish with deep squat before extending to slam ball) +
20x Knees-to-Elbows +
10x Lateral Jump & Ball Slam +
30x Sit-up (feet anchored) +
10x Lateral Jump & Ball Slam +
40x Atomic Sit-up
Workout: "Louder than 10"
5x Ball Slam +
10x Push-up +
15x Kettlebell Swing
11 rounds
10x Lateral Jump over heavy bag & Ball Slam @ 15# ball (jump must finish with deep squat before extending to slam ball) +
20x Knees-to-Elbows +
10x Lateral Jump & Ball Slam +
30x Sit-up (feet anchored) +
10x Lateral Jump & Ball Slam +
40x Atomic Sit-up
Workout: "Louder than 10"
5x Ball Slam +
10x Push-up +
15x Kettlebell Swing
11 rounds
Monday, May 17, 2010
Getting Big
Someone recently wrote in asking how to get bigger. I should have deleted the note. Instead, I replied by saying, "train to failure, eat more.” Then he asked for a recipe of specific reps/sets/rest and that note went to the trash. First, there’s plenty of information on the subject available. Second, it’s not what we do here. Do your fucking homework before writing an email.
The following guidelines were pulled from Michael Yessis’ 1992 book titled “The Kinesiology of Exercise”. Figures will affect you differently depending on your age, existing fitness level, sex, the phase of the annual cycle you are in, as well as the volume and intensity of the training you are doing.
In general:
1-4 reps increase pure strength but do not increase muscle mass
4-9 reps increase strength together with muscle mass
10-15 reps increase muscular strength, muscular endurance and muscle mass
16-30 reps increase muscular endurance with little to no increase in muscle mass
31-50 reps increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass
50-100 reps increase muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, there will be a possible loss of muscle mass (or fat), and absolutely no increase in strength
This being the case, then what does an exclusive diet of circuit training produce? 21-15-9 adds up to 45, which equals an “increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass.” If that’s your objective, knock yourself out. A Circuit or Progression totaling over 100 reps won’t help you get “swole”, except in the short term (measured in hours), and it won’t make you stronger. But because it’ll put the flame to the fat you may look stronger. Again, if that’s your objective, knock yourself out.
If you want to get huge, it’s easy: train to failure, eat more. Click the link below (the results of a Google search for the two words “squats” and “milk”). It’s all right there. How hard can it be?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=squats+milk&btnG=Google+Search
The following guidelines were pulled from Michael Yessis’ 1992 book titled “The Kinesiology of Exercise”. Figures will affect you differently depending on your age, existing fitness level, sex, the phase of the annual cycle you are in, as well as the volume and intensity of the training you are doing.
In general:
1-4 reps increase pure strength but do not increase muscle mass
4-9 reps increase strength together with muscle mass
10-15 reps increase muscular strength, muscular endurance and muscle mass
16-30 reps increase muscular endurance with little to no increase in muscle mass
31-50 reps increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass
50-100 reps increase muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, there will be a possible loss of muscle mass (or fat), and absolutely no increase in strength
This being the case, then what does an exclusive diet of circuit training produce? 21-15-9 adds up to 45, which equals an “increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass.” If that’s your objective, knock yourself out. A Circuit or Progression totaling over 100 reps won’t help you get “swole”, except in the short term (measured in hours), and it won’t make you stronger. But because it’ll put the flame to the fat you may look stronger. Again, if that’s your objective, knock yourself out.
If you want to get huge, it’s easy: train to failure, eat more. Click the link below (the results of a Google search for the two words “squats” and “milk”). It’s all right there. How hard can it be?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=squats+milk&btnG=Google+Search
attitude and consistency
excerpt from Brad Alan Lewis,
"It’s about innovation, breaking the rules, and fueling performance with attitude – whether others might consider that attitude good or bad. It took years for Brad to learn himself well enough to write the book. Every thinking athlete should read it, let it settle, and read it again."
“We were all refugees from a bad night’s sleep, chased by challenges never satisfied, either in the past or in the future. My challenge awaited me. I was hungry for the show to begin. I never understood how Paul could sleep so late. Perhaps my internal clock was wound a bit tighter. For whatever reason, I was easy to find in the early dawn hours – sitting with the old men, drinking coffee, and hurrying the clock on its way.
I used the mornings to think, to conspire, to create new tricks. I loved to invent wild schemes and resurrect old devices for the sole purpose of furthering our mission. How could we flatten those guys at the trials? Maybe I’d cancel their hotel reservations. No, too obvious. W needed more speed. We needed to row better. What if we encountered rough water at the trials? We’d better be prepared for anything. I had a dozen different on-the-water drills for perfecting or boatmanship. I wanted to be able to row our boat while standing on our heads.
Not often can a man apply himself wholeheartedly to a goal without the burden of family or money or some other real life distraction. It’s good therapy – I recommend it.
My vision for those few weeks was flawless. I had the instincts of a hungry shark. I was living evolution, from boy to man to shark. The whole progression had taken about a dozen years, each step somehow tied to the rowing arena. For as long as I could remember, even before I started rowing, I possessed unlimited energy. For the last few years, this energy had been trapped in the form of an ill-defined, powerful anger. Fortunately, my passion for rowing had given this anger a constructive outlet.
Other motivational forces were at play – fear and love and ego. Below those forces were others, no doubt, forces I couldn’t even identify much less admit to myself. But these only complemented my main source of fuel, hot anger. In the backyard of my parents house, I installed a boxing speed bag and a heavy bag. On those days I couldn’t flush the anger from my being by rowing or lifting weights, I pounded those bags until my knuckles bled. I had worn out two speed bags since Christmas of 1982.
Occasionally, I looked for the reasons behind my anger. Perhaps it simply came from the sport of rowing, which had kept me hostage for so many years. Often, I was angry at myself for getting old. Some nights I sat on the edge of my bed and listened to my sore back begging for a rest. No, I had to ignore that reality. Not older, but stronger, better, tougher, meaner. I felt anger toward my opponents who mocked me as I passed them on the course. But rather than dwell on the reasons, I preferred to ride the anger like a surfer on a wave. With God’s blessing, I’d ride it to the very end.
Harry’s camp had opened a whole new vein of anger – a five-week nightmare. Harry wanted consistency? I’d show him the most consistent, crushing strokes he had ever seen.”
"It’s about innovation, breaking the rules, and fueling performance with attitude – whether others might consider that attitude good or bad. It took years for Brad to learn himself well enough to write the book. Every thinking athlete should read it, let it settle, and read it again."
“We were all refugees from a bad night’s sleep, chased by challenges never satisfied, either in the past or in the future. My challenge awaited me. I was hungry for the show to begin. I never understood how Paul could sleep so late. Perhaps my internal clock was wound a bit tighter. For whatever reason, I was easy to find in the early dawn hours – sitting with the old men, drinking coffee, and hurrying the clock on its way.
I used the mornings to think, to conspire, to create new tricks. I loved to invent wild schemes and resurrect old devices for the sole purpose of furthering our mission. How could we flatten those guys at the trials? Maybe I’d cancel their hotel reservations. No, too obvious. W needed more speed. We needed to row better. What if we encountered rough water at the trials? We’d better be prepared for anything. I had a dozen different on-the-water drills for perfecting or boatmanship. I wanted to be able to row our boat while standing on our heads.
Not often can a man apply himself wholeheartedly to a goal without the burden of family or money or some other real life distraction. It’s good therapy – I recommend it.
My vision for those few weeks was flawless. I had the instincts of a hungry shark. I was living evolution, from boy to man to shark. The whole progression had taken about a dozen years, each step somehow tied to the rowing arena. For as long as I could remember, even before I started rowing, I possessed unlimited energy. For the last few years, this energy had been trapped in the form of an ill-defined, powerful anger. Fortunately, my passion for rowing had given this anger a constructive outlet.
Other motivational forces were at play – fear and love and ego. Below those forces were others, no doubt, forces I couldn’t even identify much less admit to myself. But these only complemented my main source of fuel, hot anger. In the backyard of my parents house, I installed a boxing speed bag and a heavy bag. On those days I couldn’t flush the anger from my being by rowing or lifting weights, I pounded those bags until my knuckles bled. I had worn out two speed bags since Christmas of 1982.
Occasionally, I looked for the reasons behind my anger. Perhaps it simply came from the sport of rowing, which had kept me hostage for so many years. Often, I was angry at myself for getting old. Some nights I sat on the edge of my bed and listened to my sore back begging for a rest. No, I had to ignore that reality. Not older, but stronger, better, tougher, meaner. I felt anger toward my opponents who mocked me as I passed them on the course. But rather than dwell on the reasons, I preferred to ride the anger like a surfer on a wave. With God’s blessing, I’d ride it to the very end.
Harry’s camp had opened a whole new vein of anger – a five-week nightmare. Harry wanted consistency? I’d show him the most consistent, crushing strokes he had ever seen.”
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday --- STARTING OVER
It is May 10th and I am a couple months out from what I expect to be the most physically demanding challenge of my life! Hence...I have set my mind to re-vamping my workouts and my goals! I am currently 6'2" and at a heavy, blocky 230lbs.
Come the beginning of September I am setting a target weight at 210lbs. I would be okay with coming in lower than that....but I do not want to sacrifice to much strength!
I will try and maintain my 5/3/1 schedule and keep as much top-end strength as possible! There will only be 2 strength sessions a week so I will split up the "Big 4" between these two days!
The rest of the week will consist of one METCON style work with a focus on some Military Athlete workouts which focus on muscle endurance of the legs. There will also be 3-6 mile RUNS and or RUN/SWIM at least twice a week! As the mountains become less snowy and muddy I will turn my runs into TRAIL RUNS to deal with (1) the elevation changes and focus on climbing and (2) get some extra hi-altitude training!
It should be fun!
MONDAY A.M. SESSION
Back Squats 225# x 5 / 245# x 5 / 295# x 5 / 335# x 2 x 3
Bench Press 225# x 2 x 5 /245# x 2 5 / 255# x 5
Come the beginning of September I am setting a target weight at 210lbs. I would be okay with coming in lower than that....but I do not want to sacrifice to much strength!
I will try and maintain my 5/3/1 schedule and keep as much top-end strength as possible! There will only be 2 strength sessions a week so I will split up the "Big 4" between these two days!
The rest of the week will consist of one METCON style work with a focus on some Military Athlete workouts which focus on muscle endurance of the legs. There will also be 3-6 mile RUNS and or RUN/SWIM at least twice a week! As the mountains become less snowy and muddy I will turn my runs into TRAIL RUNS to deal with (1) the elevation changes and focus on climbing and (2) get some extra hi-altitude training!
It should be fun!
MONDAY A.M. SESSION
Back Squats 225# x 5 / 245# x 5 / 295# x 5 / 335# x 2 x 3
Bench Press 225# x 2 x 5 /245# x 2 5 / 255# x 5
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday Workout
warm-up 5min BIKE
Front Squats
5x3 @ 245/255/265#
30sec:30sec
Thrusters @ 75#
10 Rounds
Bi's/Tri's
Leg Ext
Hamstring Curls
Front Squats
5x3 @ 245/255/265#
30sec:30sec
Thrusters @ 75#
10 Rounds
Bi's/Tri's
Leg Ext
Hamstring Curls
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
"300 FY"
The worst 10min of my life
"300 FY" (courtesy of Gym Jones)
this is also known as a 10-min caloric expenditure test. The test is an all out Max Effort on an AirDyne machine
KTB = 302cal
"300 FY" (courtesy of Gym Jones)
this is also known as a 10-min caloric expenditure test. The test is an all out Max Effort on an AirDyne machine
KTB = 302cal
Friday, January 29, 2010
VO2 Testing A.M. / O-LIFT in the P.M.
warm-up
5min Stationary Bike
3x35 pushups (with 1min rest intervals
Power Clean & Jerk
1x3 @ 135#
1x3 @ 185#
3x2 @ 215#
Weighted Leg Lifts 10x10
Bench Press
4x5 @ 225#-235#
Rack Pulls
5x4 @ 225#/ 245# / 245# / 245#
5min Stationary Bike
3x35 pushups (with 1min rest intervals
Power Clean & Jerk
1x3 @ 135#
1x3 @ 185#
3x2 @ 215#
Weighted Leg Lifts 10x10
Bench Press
4x5 @ 225#-235#
Rack Pulls
5x4 @ 225#/ 245# / 245# / 245#
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
STRENGTH / Power Output
10min ROW (warm-up)
BB Complex
x6 Deadlifts +
x6 Bent-Over Rows +
x6 Push Press +
x6 Front Squat
135# / 135# / 155# / 155#
5x3 Power C&J @ 185#
5x3 Back Squats @ 275# / 315# / 335#
5x3 Deadlifts (clean pulls) 225# / 255# / 275# / 315# / 345#
5x8 Strict Pullups
6 Rounds
x10 Ball Slams
x10 KB Swings @ 53#
x10 Box Jumps
Training @ Vitality is going well and it is nice to have a quiet spot in the world to do quality work.
I did my first Lactate Threshold test this morning for the Univ of Utah's and it went really well...for me at least. The scientists were a little stumped because my Lactate levels actually went down and my HR never went up (significantly). So...good for Kylie but I kind of screwed up their test numbers...
BB Complex
x6 Deadlifts +
x6 Bent-Over Rows +
x6 Push Press +
x6 Front Squat
135# / 135# / 155# / 155#
5x3 Power C&J @ 185#
5x3 Back Squats @ 275# / 315# / 335#
5x3 Deadlifts (clean pulls) 225# / 255# / 275# / 315# / 345#
5x8 Strict Pullups
6 Rounds
x10 Ball Slams
x10 KB Swings @ 53#
x10 Box Jumps
Training @ Vitality is going well and it is nice to have a quiet spot in the world to do quality work.
I did my first Lactate Threshold test this morning for the Univ of Utah's and it went really well...for me at least. The scientists were a little stumped because my Lactate levels actually went down and my HR never went up (significantly). So...good for Kylie but I kind of screwed up their test numbers...
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday sesh w/ the wifey
warm-up
5min AirDyne
5 Rounds
x10 Wall Balls
x10 Slam Balls
x10 Push Press @ 135#
30sec rest --- then repeat
Louder than 10
x5 Ball Slams
x10 Pushups
x15 KB Swings
5min AirDyne
5 Rounds
x10 Wall Balls
x10 Slam Balls
x10 Push Press @ 135#
30sec rest --- then repeat
Louder than 10
x5 Ball Slams
x10 Pushups
x15 KB Swings
Vitality - Saturday
worked up to 1RM on Deadlift
1RM DL = 435#
---then---
x1 30sec sprints on the AirDyne (hold above 850watts)
followed by x10 Ball Slams
5 Rounds
1RM DL = 435#
---then---
x1 30sec sprints on the AirDyne (hold above 850watts)
followed by x10 Ball Slams
5 Rounds
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday -- O-LIFTS
Power Snatch
warm-up with barbell and then @ 95#
2x3 @ 125#
3x2 @ 135#
5x1 @ 150#
Clean & Jerk
warm-up @ 135/185#
2x3 @ 200#
5x1 @ 240#
Depth Jumps + Pullups 5x5
FS
2x2 @ 240#
2x1 @ 255#
warm-up with barbell and then @ 95#
2x3 @ 125#
3x2 @ 135#
5x1 @ 150#
Clean & Jerk
warm-up @ 135/185#
2x3 @ 200#
5x1 @ 240#
Depth Jumps + Pullups 5x5
FS
2x2 @ 240#
2x1 @ 255#
O-Lifts / Rack Pulls
Warm-up
2x6 Snatch Press @ 45#-65#
Power Snatch
2x3 @ 125#
3x2 @ 145#
4x1 @ 165#
C&J
1x3 @ 135#
2x3 @ 200#
4x1 @ 235#
Rack Pulls (w/ Straps)
Depth Jumps 5x5
2x6 Snatch Press @ 45#-65#
Power Snatch
2x3 @ 125#
3x2 @ 145#
4x1 @ 165#
C&J
1x3 @ 135#
2x3 @ 200#
4x1 @ 235#
Rack Pulls (w/ Straps)
Depth Jumps 5x5
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thursday -- SWIM
Swim 1000m
10x100m sprints (stay under 1:40)
---@ the U---
BS
5x3 @ 315%
Depth Jumps
5x10
10x6 Pullups
10x100m sprints (stay under 1:40)
---@ the U---
BS
5x3 @ 315%
Depth Jumps
5x10
10x6 Pullups
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
VITALITY
A dear friend of mine, Chase "McBaggins" Evans has opened up a new facility called Vitality. Vitality will end up being a hybridization of all things great in fitness. It takes principles from all of Chase's (and his trainers) various experiences. Whether it is the "trendy" CrossFit programming that is great for just General Fitness (without really striving to excel at any one thing) or focusing in on an athlete/clients individuals goals/needs/wants, Vitality will have an answer and programming for you. Whether you are a Triathlete, Arm-chair QB, MMA fighter, or Soccer Mom we look forward to helping you achieve your fitness goals
I am excited by the opportunity to be a trainer for Chase at Vitality and hopefully we can (1) turn this place into a TRUE fitness facility and (2) more importantly, bring fitness to our clientele that will actually benefit them in their careers/hobbies!
Vitality: Functional Fitness Programming
2212 S. West Temple
Suite #7
SLC, UT
call Kylie @ 801.671.6462
call Chase @ 801.699.9615
I am excited by the opportunity to be a trainer for Chase at Vitality and hopefully we can (1) turn this place into a TRUE fitness facility and (2) more importantly, bring fitness to our clientele that will actually benefit them in their careers/hobbies!
Vitality: Functional Fitness Programming
2212 S. West Temple
Suite #7
SLC, UT
call Kylie @ 801.671.6462
call Chase @ 801.699.9615
2010: Oly Lifts
Had a great session up at the University of Utah with their Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Waller. Mike is a USA-W certified O-lifting coach as well as having a litany of other accolades.
In the matter of an hour he corrected some of my technique flaws. I struggled primarily with having too much of an acute angle prior to my second pull in the Power Clean. He also helped me work on my "double knee bend" or scoop, so that I could synchronize all of the separate pulls into one cohesive, explosive, violent movement
it ended up being a session of singles and doubles @ 225# (or 100kg) of C&j (Clean and Jerks). THe more I learn from Mike about proper body position, the easier I am finding it to throw weight up overhead!
In the matter of an hour he corrected some of my technique flaws. I struggled primarily with having too much of an acute angle prior to my second pull in the Power Clean. He also helped me work on my "double knee bend" or scoop, so that I could synchronize all of the separate pulls into one cohesive, explosive, violent movement
it ended up being a session of singles and doubles @ 225# (or 100kg) of C&j (Clean and Jerks). THe more I learn from Mike about proper body position, the easier I am finding it to throw weight up overhead!
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