I’m behind on my blog….

Coming off of some great successes by our athletes, we have increased our population significantly (which is awesome).  Because of this I am a little busy training right now to post anything, new videos and pictures to come soon!

So your too tired to workout…

quadruple amputee swimming the English channel….

Speed, Agility, Reactive, Quickness

This was a joint concept dreamed up my myself and Mr. Frank Pirrello (engineer extraordinaire).  Along with all the other forms of agility and speed work we do as part of our athletic conditioning programming, this adds a reactive agility concept into the works.

Don’t Forget Athletic Movement

As trainers or coaches we spend a great deal of time breaking down movements, trying to find parts we can “train” or improve.  Watching this vintage film of Sugar Ray Robinson prepare for a fight, it struck me that the training isn’t complex or complicated, movements aren’t broken down or over analyzed.  Fluid motion, changes of direction, acceleration/deceleration, stability from the core radiating out (the medicine ball throws at his abdomen were and incredible display of balance and trunk stability).  Amazing.

Old Man Hurdle Jump

Working on the jumping aspect of my athlete’s programs, so therefore, I am jumping.  Took this video today playing around with Hurdles compared to Box Jumps.  We have had problems in the past with damaged shins with box jumps.

Measuring improvements in hip external rotation strength/power

I am looking into measureable ways to show improvements in strength and power in the hip external rotators, as increasing strength in this musculature has shown to prevent or repair knee valgus (knock knees).   Knee valgus characterizing medial collapse might be associated with knee injuries 1,4,5.  It has been shown that increasing strength in the hip and hamstrings combine to show significant injury prevention qualities for patellofemoral, IT and ACL type injuries 1,2,3.   In addition the Leetun Study, showed that athletes who did not sustain an injury were
significantly stronger in their hip abduction and hip external rotation muscles hip external rotation strength was the best predictor of injury 6.

With this in mind I am going to track the effect on landing/deceleration from a shallow depth jump effect on knee valgus compared with distance improvement on measurements of a maximal lateral broad jump or lateral bound.  Because the lateral bound is explosive, compound (using the entire leg but emphasizing the external rotators) I think it is a real world way to look at hip strength and power improvements and how they may effect lower body biomechanics

 

 

1. Clin J Sport Med. 2000;10:169-175.treatment programs incorporating exercises designed to address hip impairments have demonstrated positive short- and long-term outcomes on knee injuries.

2. Ferber R, Davis IM, Williams DS. Gender differences in lower extremity mechanics
during running. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2003;18:350–357.

3. Markolf KL, Burchfield DM, Shapiro MM, Shepard MF, Finerman GA, Slauterbeck
JL. Combined knee loading states that generate high anterior cruciate ligament forces.
J Orthop Res. 1995;13:930–935

4.Nakagawa TH, Muniz TB, Baldon Rde M, Dias Maciel C, de Menezes Reiff RB, Serrao FV. The effect of additional strengthening of hip abductor and lateral rotator muscles in patellofemoral pain syndrome: a randomized controlled pilot study. Clin Rehabil. 2008;22:1051-1060. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269215508095357

5. Powers CM. The influence of altered lower-extremity kinematics on patellofemoral
joint dysfunction: a theoretical perspective. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2003;33:
639–646.

6. Leetun D, Ireland M, Wilson J,  Ballantyne B, Davis I.

Core Stability Measures as Risk Factors for Lower Extremity Injury in Athletes

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
Volume 36(6), June 2004, pp 926-934

Never stop learning….

I had the honor and pain of getting into a biomechanics conversation on a facebook yesterday with three strength coaches that are way above my pay grade, Charlie Weingroff, Dewey Nielson and Daniel Martinez.  I ended up being totally wrong in my assessment of the situation, and the three of them graciously explained my mistake.  Just when you think you know what is going on, life figures out a way to show you otherwise.  Keep reading, keep learning, keep correcting and improving.

Strong correlation of maximal squat strength with sprint performance and vertical jump height

In this research article the researchers found strong correlation between sprint speed, vertical jump and squat strength.  If you are an athlete, and one, or more of these things are important to your performance, practice these skills.  Forget the agility ladders, and the other toys, get strong first, practice sprinting and jumping, and watch the improvements happen.  You have to build a stronger engine, before you make a faster car.  

Battle rope training for swimmers

The use of heavy ropes for cardiovascular/strength endurance work has become a staple modality for conditioning power athletes such as rugby and football players.  We have been experimenting, with great success, using the ropes for conditioning other sports, most notably swimming.  Using the ropes we can reproduce a similar motion to the swim strokes, with an explosive component, at the end of the rope stroke, with the strike on the ground.  Here are examples of two of our fantastic swim athletes working the ropes,

Alex Osterhage Does a free style movement

Eric Limkeman Coach, Pro Triathlete and Washed Up Swimmer, demonstrates the Butterfly method

You don’t have to be a teenager to work hard. Just work smart!

 

 

I am posting this video in an effort to show the possibilities of achieving your fitness goals if you do it in a smart way.   The person in this video is:

1. vital as anyone I work with
2. isn’t a teenager
3. has had knee reconstruction earlier in her life
4. is able to accomplish high intensity work sets
5. works smart, most of the time, using recovery techniques, foam rolling, static stretching, dynamic warm ups, etc

Don’t hold yourself back because of lack of knowledge on how to proceed.  Find a qualified trainer to help you achieve your goals!

How do I add weight the right way?

I am usually concerned with losing body fat for clients, but with football players the question is always, how do I gain mass?

The key to gaining mass is always increasing carbohydrates and calories.  What this usually looks like, is eat more crappy food, which results in the a gain of some very negative (fat) weight, and very little positive (muscle) weight.

A sample positive meal plan for bulking or mass building for a 200 pound person  would look like this:

• Meal 1: 4-6 cups potatoes or 3-4 pieces of whole grain toast, 10 ounces of grilled meat or fish or 4-5 eggs, 1 banana
• Meal 2: 2 cups of brown rice, 10 ounces of grilled meat, 1/4 cup of peanut or other nut butter
• Meal 3: 3 cups of pasta, 10 ounces of grilled meat or fish, 1 table spoon of olive oil
• Meal 4: Large sweet potato, 10 ounces of grilled meat or fish, any green veggie
• Meal 5: 2 cups of brown rice, 10 ounces of grilled meat or fish, 1/4 cup of peanut or other nut butter
• Meal 6: Cheat Meal (Ice Cream/Milkshakes with additional Whey protein)

Obviously adjust the food quantity for your individual starting weight, but as your weight increases, your calories need to increase to accommodate the increase metabolic needs.  A 180 pound body needs more calories than a 160 pound body.

Our PowerAthlete Centerville Girls Dominate Again

 

 

Claire and Amy were a huge part of the Centerville Lady Elks win over Beavercreek

A truly amazing individual

Obviously it is possible to do whatever you envision for yourself, if you believe you can.  Greg McElroy, quarterback of the No.1 ranked team in the nation, oh and a Rhodes Scholar candidate!  Obviously a slacker!

Unquestionable Leg Strength!

Its about the philosophy not the tools that you use!

As always different trainers and gyms swear by one piece of equipment or another as the end all be all of training.  Each week its a new tool, not technique or method, that is the only way to to complete conditioning.  The video below is a little extreme, but it proves my point that you need to worry about your ultimate goals and produce a training philosophy around those goals, not worry about the tools that you are going to use to implement that philosophy. In this video, they use no traditional gym equipment, but I think you will agree they are pretty well rounded on all aspects of their fitness.  Philosophy/Method not the tools!

Simple, Intense Circuit

This video shows the circuit I used yesterday, it shows that large amounts of equipment are not necessary to get things done intensely.  I design innovative circuits all the time, to keep client’s attention and to keep them motivated.

Fast Music Makes all the difference with Exercise Intensity

Great study shows that the tempo of the music that you exercise to is one of the factors that changes your intensity of your exercise bout.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19793214

“Where are the videos of you"?

I was told today by a client I trust, that if I was the face of PowerAthlete, then there should be some representation of me on the site, so we taped this morning workout.  The workout itself is 100 reps each set, three sets. 

Broke down it looked like this:

20 bar push ups

20 straight leg deadlifts

20 military press

20 back squat

20 bent rows

rest 2 minutes

repeat twice more.

Jack Lalanne - Sugarholics

Amazing How dialed in Jack Lalanne was all those years before.....

I tried to tell you, drink more water

http://www.economist.com/node/16881791?story_id=16881791

Alison scores a hat trick

Our own Alison Ludwig score 3 times in her first scrimmage at Youngstown state university. Congrats Alison!

Do Better!

"Raising your level of performance requires a proper mentality and meaning from within. This gives you the ability and drive to work on the things necessary to go to a higher level. When people ask me how to raise their level of performance, the first thing I ask is, How important is it to you?"

This quote by Wrestling coach Dan Gable can fit into any facet of your life your are trying to improve, from your body composition to your work performance. 

1. Know what it takes to get you to your goal
2. Put together  a plan to get you to that goal
3. Follow that plan feverishly as long as it guides you toward your ultimate goal
4. Don’t settle.  Half way, half assed is not acceptable
5. Follow what you know is right to the best of your ability, or stop bitching about not being able to achieve your goals.  Do the necessary work or shut the hell up!

Interesting article on picking a college

And what to avoid……

Claire Falknor named to a top 10 list

Dayton Daily News just released the “10 Miami Valley players to watch” list, the list is at the bottom of the article,

And our own Claire Falknor made the list.  Keep up the hard work Claire!

Just Freakin’ Get It Done!

If you want to succeed at anything, the key is mind set.  If you want to be a doctor, you aren’t going to go through undergraduate work, with mediocre grades, and then complain that you didn’t get into a medical school!  If you do, your an idiot.  Its no different with changing your body composition, fitness level, or achieving athletic goals, if you don’t commit and really get it done, and you hope for a positive result, you are an idiot!

50+ years old and still getting it done!

Dr Toni is an accomplished physicain, squash player and triathlete.  here is video of a grueling  db complex we did yesterday, I believe this is the 3 set with only a 30s break between each set!

Fall Sports In Season Program

We are now implementing our in season program for our fall sport athletes.  This program is designed to maintain their levels of strength, speed and general fitness, as well as giving continued focus to injury prevention and recovery from their sport practices.  The programs are short and can easily be accomplished after a practice, or before a practice as an excellent preparation for that activity.  Maintain your winning edge all season long with PowerAthlete!

Playing with the Flip Camera….

A friend let me try out his flip video camera, so we shot Rick doing a bench lunge and a plank row, my present favorite

Rick is an engineer, marathon runner, new dad, and all around good guy. 

Our own in the paper again

My good friend Max Plunkett got his big ass in the newspaper again.  Hogging the limelight Max!

http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/high-school-sports/wayne-alter-lead-area-in-top-division-recruits-843383.html

Fall Hours

Here is the link to the Fall/Winter Schedule. 

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BwJk0q8E8BmNMWYwOTE1ZDItYmUwMi00NTUyLTkyZTMtZThkNjIwMDA4MTM2&hl=en&authkey=CMO_-O0J

Just found the best website..

In a time of economic uncertainty, and general unrest around the world, some genius has written the blog 1000 awesome things, things that will make you smile, things that you haven’t thought about lately, awesome things. 

Amazingly Motivating Picture

I am not one to post sexy  pictures, but I think both men and women will agree this is a motivating picture.

Michele Levesque is the model.

I understand why, I really do…..

I am not immune to the needs for motivation to exercise.  I too have days that I am tired, scheduling problems, lack of good sleep, missing meals, etc.

Getting it done on the days that you can, hitting as many days as you can in a week with a freed up schedule allows for future hiccups without making them into disaster areas. 

Push yourself when you can, so you don’t have to feel guilty when life deals you a crap hand!

Seriously…..

I just read another article about hand wound care after intensive workouts.  Seriously, if you have to worry on a regular basis that you hands are going to need a trauma surgeon after your done, maybe your workout isn’t just intensive, maybe its also poorly conceived!   Intensity to the point were you are wearing out parts of your body during a single workout, smart?  Think about it…..

Interesting eating perspective

Calorie intake according to energy expenditure, translation:  Eat now according to how much work you are going to do in the next 3 hours.  Think about it and try and apply it to your calorie distribution throughout the day

I’ll make the diet think even more simple….

a simple shopping list. Eat off of this list you can’t go wrong

Protein:

• Eggs
• Chicken Breast
• Top Round Steak
• Cottage Cheese

Carbs:

• Oatmeal
• Fruit: Apples
• Blueberries
• Bananas

 

• Vegetables:
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Onions
• Sweet Potatoes
• Brown Rice

Fats:

• Olive Oil
• Fish Oil Capsules.
• Almonds
• Natural Peanut Butter

Diet and High Intensity Exercise

An interesting research article, concerning lowering carbohydrate levels in the diet coupled with high intensity interval training.  The interesting part of the article is the diet did all the major work as far as bodyfat loss, the role of the exercise was lean muscle mass protection (protecting the amounts of lean muscle means the participant thus loss bodyfat instead of the metabolically useful lean muscle).  This study just re-enforces what I said in the last post, both diet and exercise are necessary to provide a sustainable lower bodyfat levels, and leaner overall body composition.

Diet

I have had multiple conversations this week about food, eating, nutrition, weight loss, etc.  All of these conversations come back to the same place, nutrition is 80% of maintaining or discovering your healthy weight balance.  YOU CAN NOT OUT WORK A CRAPPY DIET, unless you are under the age of 30 for males and 20 for females, that is just how it is!

I don’t make the rules, I just observe and follow what I see.  All the talk about different exercise protocols takes for granted that the diet is dialed in.  News Flash:  Overeating of carbohydrates and fat will accumulate as bodyfat, its a fact. 

High protein, low carbohydrate and moderate fat diets coupled with high intensity exercise decreases bodyfat!

Calories matter, but only if the macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrates) balance is correct.  a good target for women would be 1500 calories, and for men around 2000 calories.  If your energy expenditure is high eat a 500-1000 more calories according to how hard you work, otherwise stick with these guidelines.  That's it.

Eat more protein, vegetables and good plant based fats.  Avoid processed foods, and starchy carbohydrates. 

End of sermon.

Abandoning Crossfit Games 2011…because its really silly!

I talked a while ago about competing in the 2011 Crossfit Games, and over the last couple of months of training, I and other strength coaches have put out a multitude of articles about the completely unusable nature of the crossfit system.  With a “take no prisoners” intensity everyday, the inevitable central nervous system burn out is my main reasoning.  Its really not  fun or interesting to have to talk yourself into the same intensity of workout everyday, unless you have nothing other to do  or any other responsibilities  your life.

My training will continue as an on going experiment on bettering the programs I write for my athletes and soccer moms.   That means looking for new approaches that allow them to live and compete in a state that  is ready to take on the challenges that they aspire to accomplish, not be hurting and burned out indefinitely.

As I have said many, many times, it doesn’t take a genius to beat someone into the ground everyday.  A moron can shout random exercises at a student until they puke.  It’s how you program your conditioning around their life, not their life around the effects from your conditioning that makes a professional.  If a mom can’t pick up her kid because of her constant beaten down state, it doesn’t improve her life, and thus isn’t productive. 

End of sermon.

More Photos

Yes, I recently figured out how to use the sport function on my camera, this is a really great sequence of the hang clean by Blaine K. an Ohio State Swimmer.

Mulit-Directional Triple Extension

Took some pictures of one of my athletes laterally jumping and hang cleaning today.  Triple extension is important, and triple extension in a 3 dimensional manner makes it athletic!  This way you are training to react explosively in any direction your sport may take you.

Lateral Triple Extension

Resisted Triple Extension with a hang clean.

Pictures Courtesy of Taylor D., University of Kentucky Soccer Player

Photo Sequence 2

Amy S performs a broad jump in this sequence.  Centerville Soccer

Jump Sequence 1

 

  

 

Photo Sequence of a Lateral Broad Jump by Sean K.  Alter Football Player

 

box jump record broken again

Max L jumped a 46” box today! 

Structure and Progression

For the last 6 months to a year, my workout partner and I, along with a select few clients have experimented with various high intensity methods of training.  From timed workouts, to ladders, to combinations of weights, bodyweight and various other tools (suspension systems, sandbags, tractor tires, etc).  Where we have shown progress to a certain degree, that progress can not be tracked or predicted.  The biggest complaints are the various stages of overuse injuries, and a lack of ability to accurately increase and decrease intensity to elicit a desired response. 

Most of my clients are in one way or another, athletes, that have continuing competitions through out the year, not just a single competition or a single cluster of competitions during the year.  So I don’t have the luxury of killing them solidly, and hoping they recover for a single event, they must be have periods of intensity and periods of recovery  in order to achieve super compensation and avoid overtraining and mental burnout.

 

I don’t want there to be any mistake, lessons learned from high intensity programming has a place in producing the fatigue response, but it is extremely difficult to gauge or program recovery in order to get to an improved super compensated response on a strict diet of balls to the wall intensity!

The other concern here is not just performance improvements, but also the recovery time is used to grew and strengthen the mechanical aspects of athletic movement, improvements in bone, ligament and tendon density, that allows for an increase in time spent training injury free.  It is impossible to guarantee 100% injury free training, but you can increase this time with strategically placed recovery, without minimal loss of performance. 

The unfortunate influx of training programs that use only what I call “primitive equipment” sandbags, tires, etc are limited in their adjustability, so they can only be used in a high intensity manner.  This lack of adjustability, means they are easy to administer (it doesn’t take a great deal of ability to beat someone into the ground) with very little training, background,or education, and it makes athletes sweaty, tired and sore, so it must be working right?  In the short term yes, in the long term, boredom and overtraining injuries are on the horizon.  It is the same cycle of training/injury/rehabilitation shown with traditionally trained endurance athletes such as swimmers, rowers and runners.

I can attest that this process of discovery has been much like breaking and addiction for most athletes.  When you have been trained at this intensity every day, all the time, backing down and re-starting intensity cycles is a daunting wall to climb.  This being said I think it is necessary to examine the evidence of past training, regardless of your situation and learn from the positive and negative aspects, and make appropriate changes. 

The key is constant experimentation, learning from mistakes, keeping what works, and moving on with a goal of consistent improvement..

Interesting pyramid

I'm not sure you could explain nutrition any better.

Pictures from today

Louise Flipping The Tire

Blaine K

The box Jump Challenge is up to 43” for sets of 12 jumps!

Take the multivitamin like I keep telling you!

A new study in the journal Obesity, by Y. Li and colleagues, showed that compared to a placebo, a low-dose multivitamin caused obese volunteers to lose 7 lb (3.2 kg) of fat mass in 6 months, mostly from the abdominal region (4). The supplement also reduced LDL by 27%, increased HDL by a whopping 40% and increased resting energy expenditure

Tomorrow's fun

warm ups: 

anchored sit ups x 20 with 25% of bodyweight dumbbell on chest

Russian twists 40 seconds sprint

front plank 60s

x3

Main Set:

continuous tire flips x 10

tire jumps x 10

push press x 50% bodyweight x 10

rest 2 min

x5

should be a good time.

Keys to successful weight loss

1. Nutrition – This is so important, it is almost 90% of the importance of the rest of the list combined.  Whole natural foods, diet low in processed items (white flour and sugar), and high in lean proteins,  fruits and vegetables will always be the best course to long term weight loss.  Carbohydrate choices that favor whole fruits and vegetables over grain based carbohydrates should dominate your diet, but a small amount of whole grain carbohydrates will round out a sensible effective diet.

2. Intensive exercise – Intensive is a relative word.  Intensive to the average person isn’t going to be intensive to an elite athlete.  The key is to keep your average intensity scale in the “difficult be manageable”  category.   Interval training can be based on cardiovascular equipment like a treadmill or a airdyne exercise bike, or with circuited weight routines or bodyweight circuits.  All of these forms of exercise can be combined to elicit the same effect of a portion of hard work followed by a portion of rest.  15-45 seconds of work to 60-90 seconds of rest for 6-15 intervals is a good scale for setting up the exercise circuit.

3.  Hydration -  Water makes up a large majority of your body, so getting into a dehydrate state is very detrimental to your over all metabolic levels.  Water emulsifies fats in your system, flushes toxins from your digestive system, and allows for proper endocrine function.

4.  Sleep – study after study has shown that people that get inadequate sleep eat more and gain more weight than those that sleep more.  Enough said.

This is a short but important list of facts that will get you on the road to better body composition.

Box Jumps Pics

40” box jumps, caught a couple of jumps on camera.  Max L a breast stroke swimmer and Collin W a football player

Awesome example of power

Workout from today

- dynamic warm up and stretching

set 1

mountain climbers x 60

push ups x 30

dumbbell swings x 25  dumbbell weight  equal to 25% of bodyweight

rest 90 seconds

x3

set 2

overhead walking lunges 25#/45# weight plate 100 ft

dumbbell curl + shoulder press x 15 dumbbell weight equal to 15% of bodyweight

dumbbell squat + high pull x 15 dumbbell weight equal to 15% of bodyweight

x3

set 3

30 seconds of plank (side/front/other side) with 12 jump squats between each section of plank

x3

Took a few new pictures….

Intensity and concentration, he finally gets what it takes and it shows. added 30 lean pounds of muscle and took 2 full seconds off of his 40 yd sprint time. Congrats Adam.

Collin, 20 pounds of muscle gain, 2 seconds off of 40 yard sprint time – also gets it! 110 pound dumbbell single snatches, dropped into the catch!

Andrew, 140 pounds bodyweight, 225 pound deadlift for multiple reps, 8th grade. Work Hard, and Smart, results will come

I ask a great deal from all of my athletes. Those with poor work ethic tend not to last long surrounded by those battling everyday to better themselves inch by inch.

Children in sports under massive stress

Article from the NY Times about the level of commitment heaped on young kids playing sports today.  Scary stuff.  Let them play.  Learning to move through play is dead unfortunately, and it falls upon often under qualified sport coaches to teach those those skills as well as the sport’s skills.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/health/25brod.html?ref=sports

Current Programming thoughts

As I said in an earlier post, I have moved away from a "one size fits all" method, as started looking inward on what aspects bothered me about that approach.  First you can only "scale" a workout to any particular level.  A ring handstand push up can only be brought down so much before you change the specific demands of the program entirely.  I have recently read and watched several interviews a number of athletes that have championed  a "one size fits all" method to train athletes at their facilities.   When asked about their own training, they now talk about "working on your weaknesses" and such.  This points toward individualization for yourself, while still selling the "single system" to their clients, very peculiar?

Working on weaknesses would point toward individualized programming, or at the very least a multi pronged approach, where for example, smaller, weaker athletes work a larger portion of their time on strength based movements, and larger athletes work a majority of the time on bodyweight/metabolic movements and patterns to improve their efficiency.  The goal as always to produce a whole, productive athlete.

If you are a parent of a young child, please read!

This article speaks to everything I tell parents of youth athletes.  Develop Gross motor movements, and worry less about their "sport specific training"  Build athletes first, specialize as they develop!

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/training_for_youth.htm

Over speed and High Speed Treadmills...For Clowns!

 

http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/the-biggest-gimmick-in-strength-and-conditioning/

One of our own makes the Dayton Daily News

http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/high-school-sports/chaminade-julienne/cj-football-player-finds-net-success-692151.html

Our very own John Buerschen made the sports page of the newspaper, due to his awesome singles tennis record

Amazing Physical Talent

Moving forward with training

The initial experiment with competition prep after evaluation, has shown a distinct lack of variety of planes of movement, almost exclusively linear motion, and an excess amount of hip extension exercises (deadlifts, Olympic lifts).  The use of these movements are unquestioned, but just to excess.  The on going plan is to have 4 heavy lifting days a  month and fill the rest of the work days with as much variety as possible, including all implements at my disposal (sleds, sandbags, slides, airdyne bikes, rowers, etc)  as well as multi directional plyometric drills.  The variety also includes a variety of loading and repetition ranges, in order to work all energy pathways though out the week.

an example of a non-weight day:

sprint through the list:

 

airdyne bike 5 minutes hard

lateral barrier hops (barrier set at 14") x 20

ring rows x 20

slide leg curls x 20

db swings x 20 x 60#

row 250m sprint

bar push press x 12 x 135#

row 250m sprint

dolly rollouts x 20

high pulls from the floor x 10 x 135#

rest 2-3 minutes

repeat 3 sets

4-14-09

warm up

5 dips

10 jump squats

15 ring rows

deadlift - dead tired after yesterday's bear complexes worked up to 405 x 5, Mike 405 x 1 x 2

metabolic:

1000m row

80 squats

60 sit ups

40 push ups

20 pullups

Paul: 8:57

Mike 9:25

Heavy weights, less reps, moderate calories = hard body!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/health/06real.html?src=sch

4-13-10

Warmed up to a semi maximal bear complex (power clean + front squat + push press + back squat + push press) stopped at 225

5 x 1 of the bear complex at 225

5 rounds

10 pullups

20 box jumps

Forgotten entry

Saturday 4-10-10

150 burpees for time

Paul 14:26

Mike 12:14 - awesome effort!

4-12-10

warm ups

50 sit ups

20 back extensions

x3

Squat Clean 3rm + 1 set (Paul 265# Mike 225#)

4 minutes of 95# thrusters - sucked

3 minutes of dumbbell swings 50# - get out of your head and push forward

2 minutes of  pullups - numb by this point

1 minutes of knee tuck jumps - don't think just do!

total reps:

Paul: 200

Mike: 190

Words to remember EVERY TIME you train.......

If you aren't breathing hard, and suffering at least a little, your probably wasting your time

Homemade power bars

http://www.dailycamera.com/food/ci_14647083#axzz0khKyWfvy

4-9-10

warm ups

10 push ups

20 mountain climbers

10 jump squats

x3

weighted pullups 1 rm + 2 sets unweighted pullups (90#)

4 rounds:

100ft walking lunges

12 squat clean + jerk

12ea renegade rows

40# dumbbells

Paul 13:25

Mike 13:27

4-8-10

warm ups

run 1 min

row 1 min

sit ups 1 min

x3

Total Weight Lifted

1 rm Thruster (front squat+push press)

1 rm Overhead Squat

1 rm Deadlift

Mike (Thruster 235/OHS 205/Deadlift 455) 895# 110 pound improvement - awesome

Paul (Thruster 265/OHS 205/Deadlift 495) 965# 50 pound improvement

Death By 10 yds

1 10 yd sprint the first minute

2 10 yd sprints the second minute

etc until you can't make the prescribed # of lengths within the minute. 

we made 15 minutes/lengths - sucked balls!

4-6-10

warm ups

12 squat snatch @ 65#

15 ring rows

20 dolly roll outs

x3

bodyweight bench press max reps x 3

row 20 x 20:40

much better showing on the rower.  all sprints less than 1:35/500m

4-5-10

warm ups

5 burpees

5 handstand push ups (bullshit move)

5 sit ups

x4

squat snatch 3rm +3

21 squat+push press 135# (paul 1:42 mike 2:40)

rest 2 min

15 squat+push press 135# (paul 1:06 mike 1:44)

rest 2 min

9 squat+push press 135# (paul :37 mike :58)

Catch Up From Last Week

Wednesday:

After Posted workout, planned to run a quick 3 miles of trails, took a wrong turn, turned into 6 miles of trails/roads/trails again. bad idea

Thursday: Off

Friday:

warm ups:

10 squats

10 lunges

10 jump lunges

10 jump squats

stretch for 1 min

x3

Push Press 1 rm + 2 (255#)

5 db burpees x 15# dumbbells

7 x deadlifts x 225#

100 ft broad jumps

x5 for time

Paul: 6:52

Mile: 6:10

Saturday:

warm ups:

10 burpee broad jumps

10 roman sit ups

x4

back squat 3rm +1 (365#) legs dead by this point in the week

3 rounds:

500m row

10 squat clean to overhead 135#

10 pullups

Paul: 13:42

Mike 13:55

Word to recovery:  Not enough to support proper growth/strength gains.  We will maintain this format for a couple of more weeks, but with no additional increases in strength over that period, there will be a change in programming in order to enhance both metabolic and strength gains.

Nuf Said

"When a warrior learns to stop the internal dialogue, everything becomes possible; the most far-fetched schemes become attainable." -Carlos Castaneda

3-31-10

warm ups:

-10 elbow to knees

1 length walking lunges

8ea side 60# sandbag get ups

x4 (yes, x4)

Strength:

-Front Squats 2rm +1

Metabolic:

-50 yd shuttle (2x25yds)

10 pullups

7 ground to shoulder 155#

x3

paul: 3:55

mike 4:06

30-3-10

warm ups:

10 dolly pike ups

10 pullups

10 roman hyper extensions

x3

3 max set of bar dips

for time:

500m row

12 bodyweight deadlifts

21 box jumps

11:24 mike

11:29 paul

9:51 sion

3-29-10

warm ups

decline knee ups x 15

pullups x 10

handstand push ups x 5

x3

As fast as possible:

15 thrusters (front squat+push press) 115#

run 100 ft

50 single snatches 50# dumbbell

run 100 ft

200 jump rope

run 100 ft

50 dumbbell swings 50# dumbbells

farmers walk the dumbbells 100 ft

15 power snatches 115#

3-24-10

warm ups

10 push ups

20 mountain climbers

10 jump squats

x3

weighted pullups 1 rm + 2 sets unweighted pullups

4 rounds:

100ft walking lunges

12 squat clean + jerk

12ea renegade rows

40# dumbbells

Interesting supplement usefulness chart....

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-oil-supplements/

You want pulling strength, this is pulling strength!

3-22-10

warm ups

50 sit ups

20 back extensions

x3

Squat Clean 3rm + 1 set (Paul 255# Mike 205#)

4 minutes of 95# thrusters - sucked

3 minutes of dumbbell swings 50# - get out of your head and push forward

2 minutes of strict pullups

1 minutes of knee tuck jumps - the finishing blow!

Intensity

Thinking about this weeks programs for the individual clients of our facility, it always comes back to tempering intensity with recovery.  Anyone that has achieved any decent level of fitness will tell you, they had to understand intensity and stimulus before they made any headway.  No one got seriously, multi dimensionally fit by doing yoga breathing or pilates on its own.

Without adequate stimulus, the body has no reason to change.  I have said that more times that I chose to remember.  What this means is, you have to give your body a reason to use up its stored resources, in order to make you better, because it won't give those resources up without a reason.

Walking through the gym in your brand new gym clothes and shoes, stretching for 45 minutes and then walking on a treadmill for 10 minutes is not going to get it done.

Whatever you want to label/name (or not label) your method of multi dimensional intensive conditioning, it must include methods to make you breath hard, and lift relatively heavy stuff, preferably at the same time.  Just running, or just lifting is not gonna do it!

The other part is continuously escalating intensity.  Don't sit on your butt once you have reached a decent level and expect your body to maintain your levels of fitness.  You must progress in some manner, every time you train. 

This is where the art and science of program design comes in.  You can hunt and peck your way for a while, but a solid educational background in exercise physiology and its associated theory is a necessary key to continued improvement.

3-20-10

warm ups

5 burpee broad jumps

5 chest to bar chin ups

5 85# OHS

x3

Dumbbell Complex:

6 rounds:

6 x squat

6 x thruster (squat + push press)

6 x high pull

6 power snatch

6 jump squats

40# dumbbells

All 6 sets AFAP

By round 3 it becomes all mental, pushing the body when it is telling you to let it die!

3-19-10

warm ups

run 1 min

row 1 min

sit ups 1 min

x3

Total Weight Lifted

1 rm Thruster (front squat+push press)

1 rm Overhead Squat

1 rm Deadlift

Mike (Thruster 225/OHS 155/Deadlift 405) 785#

Paul (Thruster 255/OHS 205/Deadlift 455) 915#

Death By 10 yds

1 10 yd sprint the first minute

2 10 yd sprints the second minute

etc until you can't make the prescribed # of lengths within the minute. 

3-18-10

warm ups

12 ring rows

20 dolly roll outs

12 x 65# squat snatches

x3

bodyweight bench press (240#) x max reps x 3

row

20 x 20 seconds sprint 40 seconds slow - sucked the big one!

3-17-10

 

Off day

ran 7 x 2 min run - 2 min walk

2 kick ass quotes by Mia Hamm

"The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking."

"I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match."

3-16-10

warm up

10 burpee broad jumps

10 roman sit ups

x3

 

back squats 3rm +1 (365# - heavy after yesterday)

 

3 rounds AFAP:

500 m row

10 squat clean to overhead 135#

10 pullups

sucked!

Favorite New Shake

1 banana

1 cup orange juice

1 cup frozen berries

2 omega -3 eggs, raw (you won't even know they are in there!)

Blend 45-60 seconds

Enjoy!

3-15-10

warm up:

5 burpees

5 handstand push ups

5 sit ups

x4

Power Snatch 2 rm +2 sets (195#)

thruster x 21 135# + 21 pullups, rest 2 min

thruster x 15 135# + 15 pullups, rest 2 min

thruster x 9 135# + 9 pullups, rest 2 min

rest 10 min:

6 x 2 min run + 2 min walk

3-13-10

warm ups

10 kipping pullups

10 jump squats

10 roman sit ups

box back squat 2 rm + 2 (315#)

sand bag relay sprints

bags of various weights, 6 bags (up to 60#)

sprint with bag 25 yds

sprint back to get second back

rest 2 min at the completion of each set

3 rounds

3-12-10

warm up

mini leg circuit:

10 squat

10 lunges

10 jump lunges

10 jump squats

stretch 1 min

x3

Push Press 1rm +2 sets (worked up to 245#)

5 rounds:

5 dumbbell burpees 15#

7 225# deadlifts

100ft broad jumps

6 x 1 min sprint, 2 min walk

Really sucked!

3-11-10

Fried from the last three days.  Sore from head to toe.  Taking the day off, back at it tomorrow.

Workout

Warm Ups

10 elbows to knees

8ea side sandbag get ups (60# bag)

walking lunges 100ft

x4

Front Squat 2 rm + 1 set (worked up to 275#, not spectacular but they were very low with good form)

3 rounds AFAP:

10 floor to overhead 155#

10 pullups

50 yd shuttle (2x25yd lengths)

rest 15 min

6 x 1 min sprint 2 min walk recovery

A quote about perseverance

"Think about how long you spend starring at the pullup bar or barbell during any given workout.  If you can limit your need to open mouth stare at the bar/floor/kb...your performance will improve.  I feel like 90% of the time we stop during a workout to breathe we are just feeling sorry for ourselves.  It is time to realize it and move on.  Quit feeling sorry for yourself and pick up that bar and get moving!!"
-Dutch Lowry

Why?

On a undisclosed website today, I say a workout posted from yesterday that included a one legged overhead squat?  Are you kidding?  I have rarely seen an individual that can do a passable single leg squat, or pistol as they are known, let alone with a Olympic weight bar suspended overhead while doing it.  Super-fit or begging for injury?  You be the judge.

Today's sample

This started out phenomenally well, and ended in the fetal position and the dry heaves

warm up:

20 dolly pike ups

10 kipping pullups

10 back extensions

x3

3 x max bar dips

3 rounds AFAP:

500 m row

12 bodyweight deadlifts (240#)

21 20" box jumps

2011 Crossfit Games

I am at a cross roads in my own training.  I am training just to train, and it gets harder to stay motivated every year.  I am today starting to train for next year's Crossfit games, with some reservations.  As I have posted on this blog before, I have my issues with Crossfit doctrine, and methodology, but I do think the games themselves are the single most comprehensive fitness competition conceived thus far.  So because of lack of another close option, I have decided this is my only option.

My biggest concerns with the competition so far are bodyweight based.  I am 6'3 and between 240-250 pounds.  My strength levels are good, so that needs to be maintained, but I feel that a 20-30 pound weight loss is necessary for good performance, as well as some work in the distance running/rowing department.  So to keep track and keep things honest, 1 am starting to keep track today all workouts from here to the first competitions.

3-8-10

Snatch 5-5-5-3-3-3-1-1-1

worked up to  195# in a full squat catch.  Nothing to write home about, but a good starting position

21-15-9

squat+push press 95#

dumbbell swings 55#

broken sets

21 set: 1:31 + 3 min rest

15 set: 1:04 + 2 min rest

9 set :41

Ran 8 x 1 min track sprint + 2 minutes walking recovery

Seriously, why didn't I think of this?

http://lifehacker.com/5486920/foot+controlled-power-strip

Lack of sleep makes you chunky....

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/570653

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Role-Of-Deep-Sleep-In-Getting-Rid-Of-Body-Fat&id=736901

Interesting study on Diet and Resistance Training

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/7/1/17

Got a hankerin' for a metcon?

This one sucked

60# sandbag

50-40-30-20-10

Sand bag step ups

95# push press (number divided by 2, so first set was 25 presses)

+ 15 inverted ring rows each set

AFAP

Fun!

Great Picture

I wanted to post this picture, because of the prospective you get of the bar position over head.  If you trace the path to the floor, you notice that it is a plumb line directly over his ankles.  As I continually say, all pulling, squatting and pressing is strongest from this position.  Keep the bar plump over the ankles for maximal strength position.  The picture is from the Chinese Olympic Training Center

 

Maybe the smartest posting about exercise ever.

Vern Gambetta has been at the athletic performance enhancement game for a very long time.  His approach is non-fluffy, big picture type training.  He recently posted this article on his blog, I couldn't agree any more.

http://www.functionalpathtrainingblog.com/2010/02/functional-training---where-to-start.html

Unbelievably scary statistic

According to the National Wildlife Federation, the average American child spends between four and seven minutes playing outside each day.

Here is how they are trying to fix the problem:

http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There.aspx

Warm Up 2-24-10

We did this little warm up today, it went rather well, so I thought I would share,

 

8 rounds

250 m row sprint AFAP coupled with:

30 seconds AMAP Bicycle Crunches and 30s of front pillar/plank/bridge (which ever you call it)

Squat for Mobility, Deadlift for Strength

While cruising through the strength and conditioning blogs and forums I frequent, I happened upon a discussion sparked by an article/video published by physical therapist Gary Cook.  The premise of the piece was that babies and toddlers get into a squat position as a means to move themselves closer to the ground, but when they pick something up they shift into a deadlift position.  The discussion continued into whether or not athletes should forgo the bilateral squat as a strength exercise and use it as a mobility assistance movement for the deadlift, as a prime exercise.  I am going to have to ponder on that one for a while.....In the mean time, here is a video by Gary Cook, PT explaining the deadlift

Vacation Workout 3

Last but not least:

db's equaling 12% body weight

10 upright rows

10   burpees (yes with the dumbbells)

10 alternate bent rows

10 jump squats

10 push ups (on the dumbbells)

10 curls

then 9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 of each exercise as fast as possible with perfect form.

Vacation workout 2

Db squat x10
Db squat + shoulder press x10
Renegade rows x10
Db jump squatsx10
Db lunges x 10 ea leg
Db RDL x 20
Db curlsx 10
Db Jump squats x 10

Start with dumbbells equaling 10 rep max db curls.

When you pick the dumbbells to start each set, you can't put the dumbbells down until the circuit of exercises is complete.

3-5 sets

Vacation workouts

Back squat x10
Hang clean x10
Military press x10
Bent row x10
Front lunges x 10 ea leg
RDL x 20
Front squat x 10
Jump squats x 10

Start at 40% bodyweight on a bar, add 10 pounds to the bar each set if you can perform all exercises in the circuit with perfect form.

When you pick the bar to start each set, you can't put the bar down until the circuit of exercises is complete.

Somewhere in China an 8 year old is warming up with your max.....

No really, this is video of an 8 year old Chinese boy clean and jerking 165 pounds!

Why?

This goes under the heading, "just because you can doesn't mean you should!"  At some point you have to question why you are doing what you are doing.  Just coming up with craziness just too push the envelope and make a youtube video won't be as cool to you if you end up paralyzed from the neck down from falling on your head doing some stupid crap like this.  Consider what you are trying to accomplish, and accomplish these goals in the most productive manner possible.

 

If you needed a reason to get to Power Enterprises....

Crossfit Finally Imploding

Well gentle readers, it goes to show you that you should listen to your gut.  We ended our affiliation with Crossfit earlier this year due to serious philosophical differences concerning program design, and the cult like aggressiveness when it came to open dialogue about training within the community.  It seems the shit has finally hit the fan, and the in-fighting at Crossfit has spilled into the public light.

http://www.cathletics.com/...mp;dailyID=1016

http://robbwolf.com/?p=976

http://robbwolf.com/?p=981

Extremes of any sort are non productive, and you can't be right about everything all the time, you must listen to other's observations, or you will eventually fall to your own pride.