Today I am writing on the brink of a full blown, class 5, code red Food Coma. Today was my cheat day for the week and well, I cheated hard. I mean if today was a test, it was like I walked in with all the answers written on my hand, that's how bad I cheated. I absolutely destroyed a pizza buffet. In my defense it was almost $8 so I had to get my moneys worth! But it's ok, I'm not worried about it. I gave myself one cheat meal this week and I used it...and loved it I'll have you know. And while yes it may have set me back a little ways in terms of my calorie balance, it made me happy and I enjoyed it and ultimately that is the goal in life. So I will take the extra calories in return for a pizza baby growing in my stomach and turn it in to motivation for the next few days. It adds one more reason to my long and ever growing list. So if you are going to cheat, which you are allowed to, go ahead and make it something you will enjoy. Then use that to fuel your next workouts.
Aside from the carnage at the pizza buffet, today was a heavy squat day and we did just that.
~Foam Roll & Warm-Up
~Back Squat - worked up to a 3 rep max and then did 4 sets of 3 at that weight
~Front Squat - 5x3 increasing in weight each set
~Jonesworthy
Air Squats 80-64-50-32-16-8 = 250
KB Swings 40-32-25-16-8-4 = 125
Pull Ups 20-16-12-8-4-2 = 62
A lot of squatting with and without weight but that was the goal today. The Jonesworthy workout is a longer CrossFit workout and gets its name from the Gym Jones workout method. They are usually longer workouts with lots of volume so that's where the name comes from. There's 6 rounds and you perform 80 Squats, 40 KB Swings, and 20 Pull Ups in the first round and each round the reps drop. We used a 24kg or 52.8lb or 1.5 pood (who even uses poods?) KB for the swings. A longer workout when compared with most CrossFit workouts but it's more focused on endurance rather than speed.
The plan was to come back for a second workout but between my legs hating me and the food coma I'm about to slip into, it will have to wait til tomorrow.
"Always keep your head up, you can't see where you need to go if you don't"
~
Friday, August 31, 2012
Morning PMS and Afternoon Beastmode
So this a.m. started with me rolling out of bed 5 minutes earlier than alarm, so I was ready to conquer the world. I had some cancellations, so I said, "I will workout for me clients, win win!". Not best idea. I was a male in top notch PMS form once I arrived at the gym. Apparently I rush my morning (similiar to when you wake up after a night out and think you aren't hung over, and it then hits you an hour later after you already got up starting to actually do things...). So fast-forward, and welp, I still managed to get 45 minutes in, crush a PR, all while being a huge diva B. Only one way to do things, set out to accomplish your goal (mine for this morning was PR on BB Deadlift) and to always get shit done.
Workout 1: 45 mins
1. BB Deadlift 3x5/3/1
2. Lazy Cardio: Elliptical x30min (yea, it was that kind of morning. If you know me, I am a strong believer high intensity bouts, not long, lazy, time inefficient, and lackluster result cardio...)
However, given 5 hours to clean the sand out, and 3 espressos later....mmmmmmmmm (my new vice), I was dying to have redemption. So....
Workout 2: 70mins
Part I = Power Yoga and Flow: 15 mins
1. Body weight Squat - Walk out plank x10
2. Down Dog - Chataranga Push-up x10
3. Plank Step out w/ Arm reach x10/side
4. Body weight Sumo Squat x10
5. "Levitated Quadruped Hold" x1min
6. " " w/ Alternating Single Leg Glute-Hip Extension x10/side
7. " " Thrust Plank x20
8. Forward Bear crawl (10yd) - "jog (10yd) - sprint (10yd) - jog (10yd)"
9. Lateral Bear crawl (10yd) - " "
10. Lateral Bear crawl (10yd) - " "
11. Crab walk (10yd) - " "
12. Reverse crab walk (10yd) - " "
13. Frog Hops to Hand Stand (10yd) - " " x2
Part II = DB Destroyer: 24 mins
1. DB Plank Row w/ openers x10/side
2. DB weighted V Up x20/leg
3. Plyo Push Up - Plank Step out - Single Leg Kick Through (*I love this move) x10/side
4. DB Turkish Get Up (Floor to High Hip Raise Only) x15/side
5. Plyo Body weight Split Squat Alternating Jumps x10/side
6. Weighted Burpee - Dual clean Press jumps x5
7. Rest 2mins
REPEAT 3X
Part III = Row Rampage: 21 mins
1. Rowing 30sec AFAP:30sec active recovery x3 (3min total)
2. KB (24kg) SL RDL - SA Clean - Drop Lunge x4/side
3. KB (24kg) Power Swing x8
4. KB (24kg) SA Row
5. Rest 2mins
REPEAT 3X
Part IV = Foam Rolling Cooldown: 10min
There you have it, a great ending to a work day and a perfect beginning to holiday weekend. Enjoy yours. Get out, get a workout in. Go move, use what is yours, and live. Fitness freedom is what you make it, so don't take anything for granted. Chow!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Bar Muscle Up? Check!
What's up freaks? Fitness freaks that is. Hope your day has been productive and you've taken a few more steps or even a hop or a skip closer to your goals. Today I have done just that by cementing the Muscle Up firmly into my repertoire of exercises. I'm pretty excited about it as that was one of my goals I set for myself a few weeks ago. So now the next step is to up the ante and work on chaining multiple Muscle Ups together.
Anyways, after about an hour and a half of soccer this morning we conducted this little gem in the afternoon.
-Isabel - 4:59
30 x Snatch @ 135#
-3x8 Single Arm DB Snatch
-3 rounds
50 yd Farmer Carry
Push Ups
-3 rounds
50 yd Farmer Carry
Handstands
-Incline DB Bench
10-8-6-4-2 reps
-3 rounds Incline DB Bench
5 Halfway Up > 5 Halfway Down > 5 Full Rep > 5 Negative Reps
-Strict Pull Ups
1-2-3-4-5 reps
-Row 2k
-Core
1 min Left Side Plank > 1 min Plank > 1 min Right Side Plank
We started off with foam rolling like always and warmed up with some Bear Complex and light Snatches. Then we did the CrossFit benchmark workout Isabelle which is 30 Snatches at 135 pounds. Just barely snuck in under 5 minutes. The first thing to go was my grip on this one, so we decided to attack that weakness and do some more grip work with the Farmer's Carry. Then we worked some Incline Bench to even out all the pulling with some pushing. We did 3 sets of an exercise similar to the classic bicep workout 21's. You do 5 reps from start to halfway up. Then 5 from the halfway point to fully extended, followed by 5 full reps and lastly 5 slow negative reps. It was surprisingly rough and a good way to end out the pressing. After a quick little Pull-Up ladder we rowed 2k for fun and then did a total of 9 minutes of core. 3 minutes of each left, center, and right side planks. Finally we stretched and went home.
A decent amount of work today. It felt good to come back to the gym after a full day off and I felt nice and strong even after all that work. Moral of the story, if you are feeling stale in the gym don't underestimate the power of a full day off. Not just a light day either, a day of complete recovery can rejuvenate you and refill your motivation meter. So if you ever get that feeling, think back to when you last took a full day off. It may be time for one. Just don't do that too often and do what my sister refers to as "over recover".
Enjoy your long Labor Day weekend if you're lucky enough to get a 3 or even a 4 day weekend like yours truly. We'll talk soon.
Anyways, after about an hour and a half of soccer this morning we conducted this little gem in the afternoon.
-Isabel - 4:59
30 x Snatch @ 135#
-3x8 Single Arm DB Snatch
-3 rounds
50 yd Farmer Carry
Push Ups
-3 rounds
50 yd Farmer Carry
Handstands
-Incline DB Bench
10-8-6-4-2 reps
-3 rounds Incline DB Bench
5 Halfway Up > 5 Halfway Down > 5 Full Rep > 5 Negative Reps
-Strict Pull Ups
1-2-3-4-5 reps
-Row 2k
-Core
1 min Left Side Plank > 1 min Plank > 1 min Right Side Plank
We started off with foam rolling like always and warmed up with some Bear Complex and light Snatches. Then we did the CrossFit benchmark workout Isabelle which is 30 Snatches at 135 pounds. Just barely snuck in under 5 minutes. The first thing to go was my grip on this one, so we decided to attack that weakness and do some more grip work with the Farmer's Carry. Then we worked some Incline Bench to even out all the pulling with some pushing. We did 3 sets of an exercise similar to the classic bicep workout 21's. You do 5 reps from start to halfway up. Then 5 from the halfway point to fully extended, followed by 5 full reps and lastly 5 slow negative reps. It was surprisingly rough and a good way to end out the pressing. After a quick little Pull-Up ladder we rowed 2k for fun and then did a total of 9 minutes of core. 3 minutes of each left, center, and right side planks. Finally we stretched and went home.
A decent amount of work today. It felt good to come back to the gym after a full day off and I felt nice and strong even after all that work. Moral of the story, if you are feeling stale in the gym don't underestimate the power of a full day off. Not just a light day either, a day of complete recovery can rejuvenate you and refill your motivation meter. So if you ever get that feeling, think back to when you last took a full day off. It may be time for one. Just don't do that too often and do what my sister refers to as "over recover".
Enjoy your long Labor Day weekend if you're lucky enough to get a 3 or even a 4 day weekend like yours truly. We'll talk soon.
Hurt, Humbled, and Healed. My Thursday JOURNEY.
Balanced, symmetrical, proportionate, variably consistent, methodical, and progressing. All attributes of a sound workout, exercise regimen, nutrition philosophy, persona, outlook, and lifestyle. To forever continue on "The Journey", which can only be defined by you, one must begin and end with that. And here, at J2FIT, I yearn to inspire you to aspire, motivate you, and help you begin and continue on your own path. Our road map, entrance ramp, and vehicle is your health, fitness, and being. Let's get "The Journey" started today.
Resources are all around J2FIT, so comment on a post, shoot me an email, or continue to be an unwavering follower, and when you are ready to leap, join in hands and reach out.
Yes, very sentimental, heartfelt, and real. But now, here's a glimpse of my journey today. Give it a go, and let's embark together.
Warm-Up: Jump Rope 5min
1a. 3x 5/3/1 BB Clean and Press ( another PR!)
1b. 20kg American Swing 3xAMAP
2a. BB Inclined Press 3x8 w/ *Drop set last set
2b. Body weight Plyo Pull Up 3x3
2c. Weighted Neutral Grip Pull down 3x6-8
3a. First Half Rep Muscle Up 3x2
3b. Wide Grip Pull down 3x6,10,10
3c. DB SA Concentration Curl 3x6,8,10
4a. "S.O.S. :P" (Yes, you will be screaming for help if you could, and face doodle is you gasping for air after this one).
DIRECTIONS: Perform one rep per exercise in consecutive order = 1 set. Do 10 reps per round. Following each round, jump rope for 100 hops. Repeat. (I did 5x)
S. = BB Snatch 65#
O. = BB Overhead Squat 65#
S. = BB Squat Jump 65#
:P = BB Behind the Neck Overhead Press 65#
In 25 minutes (1 complete round with jump rope hops every 5 minutes X 5) I managed to move over 5 TONS or to be exact, 13,000lbs...repeat....
25 minute S.O.S. :P = 5 Tons AKA 13,000LBS moved. Get shot done.
Try this yourself, and do the math...
(65# X 4 reps per set) x (10 sets per round) x (5 rounds)
Then, I was treated to a 20 minute lower body massage, mmmm. Massage heals muscles. Don't think of it as a fancy and delectable treat, rather a component to you health and well being. Just like cardiovascular exercise, foam rolling, stress relaxation methods, sound nutritional practices and diet (I use diet not as something we go on or off of, rather, ex. Bears have a DIET of berries, salmon, and picnic food, and hence, HUMANS have a DIET of ________), long walks on beach,...you catch my drift, they all have their place in your journey.
Resources are all around J2FIT, so comment on a post, shoot me an email, or continue to be an unwavering follower, and when you are ready to leap, join in hands and reach out.
Yes, very sentimental, heartfelt, and real. But now, here's a glimpse of my journey today. Give it a go, and let's embark together.
Warm-Up: Jump Rope 5min
1a. 3x 5/3/1 BB Clean and Press ( another PR!)
1b. 20kg American Swing 3xAMAP
2a. BB Inclined Press 3x8 w/ *Drop set last set
2b. Body weight Plyo Pull Up 3x3
2c. Weighted Neutral Grip Pull down 3x6-8
3a. First Half Rep Muscle Up 3x2
3b. Wide Grip Pull down 3x6,10,10
3c. DB SA Concentration Curl 3x6,8,10
4a. "S.O.S. :P" (Yes, you will be screaming for help if you could, and face doodle is you gasping for air after this one).
DIRECTIONS: Perform one rep per exercise in consecutive order = 1 set. Do 10 reps per round. Following each round, jump rope for 100 hops. Repeat. (I did 5x)
S. = BB Snatch 65#
O. = BB Overhead Squat 65#
S. = BB Squat Jump 65#
:P = BB Behind the Neck Overhead Press 65#
In 25 minutes (1 complete round with jump rope hops every 5 minutes X 5) I managed to move over 5 TONS or to be exact, 13,000lbs...repeat....
25 minute S.O.S. :P = 5 Tons AKA 13,000LBS moved. Get shot done.
Try this yourself, and do the math...
(65# X 4 reps per set) x (10 sets per round) x (5 rounds)
Then, I was treated to a 20 minute lower body massage, mmmm. Massage heals muscles. Don't think of it as a fancy and delectable treat, rather a component to you health and well being. Just like cardiovascular exercise, foam rolling, stress relaxation methods, sound nutritional practices and diet (I use diet not as something we go on or off of, rather, ex. Bears have a DIET of berries, salmon, and picnic food, and hence, HUMANS have a DIET of ________), long walks on beach,...you catch my drift, they all have their place in your journey.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
"Win it All" Wednesday: Go, See, Conquer, REPEAT
Wednesdays...the day of the Hump, of your week...(sounded cooler in my head I guess).
"Off-days" are seldom in the life of a personal trainer, advocate of movement, and the love for that special conquering feeling after spending time and maximal effort in the one's "Iron Heaven and Hell" (contrasting imagery, too true to hate).
After a great start to my week, I decided to snowball my small yet vital feats and keep my progress rolling. Momentum of successes are key to any pursuit in life, because failure is lurking around every opportunity. That being said, here is today's lesson:
*Disclaimer* These lessons I speak of are merely my opinion, so live and let live, all while providing constructive feedback!
I have come to adopt a growth-mindset which views all challenges, setbacks, and criticisms in one's life as opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow. In this mindset, failure is imminent. Yes, you heard that correctly. However, I also recognize that those failures (both minute and catastrophic) are inevitable opportunities to improve, get stronger, gain insight and experience, refine one's craft, and learn from the failure so that one is better prepared for the next. This outlooks does not accept failure, rather it has a special relationship with failure. I recognize, I respect, and I move forward, using failure as a valuable lesson to help me succeed in my greater pursuits.
The opposition is the fixed mindset. Fixed mindset individuals look at these failures with utmost fear, terrified that when failure strikes, it is because their abilities and skill sets are lacking AND that the lacking attributes are fixed, ultimately destined for failure again. Hence, repeated and reinforced negative outlooks, pessimism, and fear of failure.
That being said, we need to view every setback, failure, and loss, as an great opportunity to comeback, succeed, and gain. We need to all look at the glass that is either half full/empty and agree that at some point it may be run dry, but that doesn't mean that we cannot go fill that sucker back up with the insight and knowledge gained from our previous attempts.
Whether in life, the gym, relationships, or work, this is always the case, so might as well recognize failure, become more humble, and set out to become better.
Today's Workout
Warm-Up: 1 mile run
1. The Pit: 140 reps (BB 75# Thrusters - Rest - KB 53# American Swings- Rest - Burpees - Rest - 20in Box Jump)
2. Density Training: 15 mins
Pick 5 exercises, use loads that are 10RM (rep max) for each. Then, perform one repetition of each movement for each in consecutive circuit manner (should get all 5 reps...1 rep of each exercise...in about 1 minute = 1 set). Pick time frame and get as many sets in as possible. Push yourself, and get shit done.
a) DB Tricep Press (pair of 50# DB)
b) DB Push Press (pair of 50# DB)
c) DB Bent Row (pair of 50# DB)
d) DB Weighted V-Up (one 50#)
e) DB Curl (pair of 35# DB)
Then, for shits and giggles, I added up the total amount of lbs I moved in 15 mins...check this out...
Multiply # of DB X each arm used in movement per movement, then X by total sets = TONAGE!!!
SO, I moved just over 3 TONS (7250#) in 15 minutes. Not to shabby for my first run.
3. Hip and Shoulder Mobility Complex
Cardin-Enhancement: 1 mile run
There ya have it, success!
"Off-days" are seldom in the life of a personal trainer, advocate of movement, and the love for that special conquering feeling after spending time and maximal effort in the one's "Iron Heaven and Hell" (contrasting imagery, too true to hate).
After a great start to my week, I decided to snowball my small yet vital feats and keep my progress rolling. Momentum of successes are key to any pursuit in life, because failure is lurking around every opportunity. That being said, here is today's lesson:
*Disclaimer* These lessons I speak of are merely my opinion, so live and let live, all while providing constructive feedback!
I have come to adopt a growth-mindset which views all challenges, setbacks, and criticisms in one's life as opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow. In this mindset, failure is imminent. Yes, you heard that correctly. However, I also recognize that those failures (both minute and catastrophic) are inevitable opportunities to improve, get stronger, gain insight and experience, refine one's craft, and learn from the failure so that one is better prepared for the next. This outlooks does not accept failure, rather it has a special relationship with failure. I recognize, I respect, and I move forward, using failure as a valuable lesson to help me succeed in my greater pursuits.
The opposition is the fixed mindset. Fixed mindset individuals look at these failures with utmost fear, terrified that when failure strikes, it is because their abilities and skill sets are lacking AND that the lacking attributes are fixed, ultimately destined for failure again. Hence, repeated and reinforced negative outlooks, pessimism, and fear of failure.
That being said, we need to view every setback, failure, and loss, as an great opportunity to comeback, succeed, and gain. We need to all look at the glass that is either half full/empty and agree that at some point it may be run dry, but that doesn't mean that we cannot go fill that sucker back up with the insight and knowledge gained from our previous attempts.
Whether in life, the gym, relationships, or work, this is always the case, so might as well recognize failure, become more humble, and set out to become better.
Today's Workout
Warm-Up: 1 mile run
1. The Pit: 140 reps (BB 75# Thrusters - Rest - KB 53# American Swings- Rest - Burpees - Rest - 20in Box Jump)
2. Density Training: 15 mins
Pick 5 exercises, use loads that are 10RM (rep max) for each. Then, perform one repetition of each movement for each in consecutive circuit manner (should get all 5 reps...1 rep of each exercise...in about 1 minute = 1 set). Pick time frame and get as many sets in as possible. Push yourself, and get shit done.
a) DB Tricep Press (pair of 50# DB)
b) DB Push Press (pair of 50# DB)
c) DB Bent Row (pair of 50# DB)
d) DB Weighted V-Up (one 50#)
e) DB Curl (pair of 35# DB)
Then, for shits and giggles, I added up the total amount of lbs I moved in 15 mins...check this out...
Multiply # of DB X each arm used in movement per movement, then X by total sets = TONAGE!!!
SO, I moved just over 3 TONS (7250#) in 15 minutes. Not to shabby for my first run.
3. Hip and Shoulder Mobility Complex
Cardin-Enhancement: 1 mile run
There ya have it, success!
Run Run Run......Run...Rest
Well hey there, I missed you yesterday. Don't worry though, you didn't miss out on anything too exciting. Quick recap from yesterday - in the morning our section at work went on a 4 mile run to the old football stadium, ran about 20 sets of stairs, and then took a more direct route back which ended up being twice as fast. So a nice 6 mile run with some stairs in there to get the day started off right. Then after work our gym session got cut short but we were able to get in our main work for the day which was 5x5 of strict Overhead Press followed by 5x5 of Push Press and finished with 6x3 of Push Jerk. Heavy pressing which was supposed to be followed by some pulling to even things out but unforeseen events got in the way.
But that was yesterday! Today on the other hand was a rest day so no picking things up and putting them down today. I did get the chance to go out and play soccer this morning though which was a damn good time. Hopefully I will be a little better tomorrow when I actually have some spikes on. For those who haven't tried playing soccer on wet grass with running shoes on, it doesn't work out too well and you come home with lots of grass up your shorts and a sore ass from all the falling.
Short day today, but in other news we will be changing some things up a bit at J2Fit so don't be scared if things look a bit different the next time you stop by. It's still the same old crew here just changing a few things up to continually improve and get better for our sake and yours, the loyal readers. Let us know what you think next time you stop in and if there is something else you want to see, hear, or read about. Or hell, just say hi!
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.
- Zig Ziglar
But that was yesterday! Today on the other hand was a rest day so no picking things up and putting them down today. I did get the chance to go out and play soccer this morning though which was a damn good time. Hopefully I will be a little better tomorrow when I actually have some spikes on. For those who haven't tried playing soccer on wet grass with running shoes on, it doesn't work out too well and you come home with lots of grass up your shorts and a sore ass from all the falling.
Short day today, but in other news we will be changing some things up a bit at J2Fit so don't be scared if things look a bit different the next time you stop by. It's still the same old crew here just changing a few things up to continually improve and get better for our sake and yours, the loyal readers. Let us know what you think next time you stop in and if there is something else you want to see, hear, or read about. Or hell, just say hi!
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.
- Zig Ziglar
Monday, August 27, 2012
No Work = 2 a Days & Playing Outside
Today was a day off of work for us, its about damn time. So of course this meant I would end up being bored and working out twice, which did indeed happen. Not that I'm mad about it though. I had the time so I used it because who knows if I'll have extra time later in the week. Today was Light Squat Day so we didn't go above 70% but we added in a fast, explosive movement with the Squat Jumps.
Morning
Back Squat w/ Squat Jump @ 95#
10-8-6-4-2 Increasing Weight
Overhead Squat x 30
2 rounds
60 yd run > Climb Fence > 3 Tire-high jumps x5 > 10 Tire Flips > 100 yd Tire Carry > 30 yd Log Lunge, Run back > Fence Climb > 60 yd run > 10 Backboard touches > 10 Pullups/Dips/Pushups > 1 suicide sprint
1,2,3,4,5,6 Pull Up Ladder x 2
30 sec flexed hang
For the second part of our first session we went outside to get a different view and our daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun. So we ran to the outfield of the baseball field, jumped over the fence, did some tire jumps, tire flips, tire carries (they had a lot of tires) and log lunges. Then we hopped the fence and headed back to home base and over to the basketball court to do the backboard touches, pullups, dips, pushups, and the suicide sprint. It was a fun workout and felt awesome to get outside and soak up some rays. We ended the day with the Pull Up ladder and a simple Flexed Arm Hang.
On to the next one....
Evening
Rower - 30 seconds on/30 seconds off for 30 minutes for distance - 5290m
EMOM for 5 minutes - 1 Muscle Up
Shoulder Prehab - 3x5 of Scarecrows and External Rotations
GHD Sit Ups x 50
Stretch
Not a whole lot going on in this second session, mainly just the cardio from the rower and a lot of stretching. One big progress area was the Muscle Ups though. Out of no where we attempted and successfully performed a Muscle Up on the pull up bar. Completely random and not planned but after that we decided to just go with it and try to do some more. Sadly by the 5th minute we were flopping like fish.
BUT that was visible, measurable progress! And there isn't anything more motivating than to see progress in yourself. That's what everyone is in the gym for, to get better. To actually see results from your hard work makes you want to get in there and work even harder. That's why it's important to record your workouts and track yourself. It serves a dual purpose, to show what you have done so as to not overwork yourself....excuse me "under recover" yourself....but also to show your progress. The guys at the gym with the big notebook writing down every set with every weight and rest times and day of the week and lunar cycle may be going a bit overboard but guess who is going to see the results and stay motivated. The athlete who writes everything down or the athlete who doesn't track anything and never remembers what they did last time. In conclusion, have a way to accurately track yourself and you can literally watch yourself get better. You will stay motivated and be excited about going back to the gym to break new ground and cruise on to your goals....you do have goals right???
"There is no achievement without goals."
-Robert J. McKaine
Morning
Back Squat w/ Squat Jump @ 95#
10-8-6-4-2 Increasing Weight
Overhead Squat x 30
2 rounds
60 yd run > Climb Fence > 3 Tire-high jumps x5 > 10 Tire Flips > 100 yd Tire Carry > 30 yd Log Lunge, Run back > Fence Climb > 60 yd run > 10 Backboard touches > 10 Pullups/Dips/Pushups > 1 suicide sprint
1,2,3,4,5,6 Pull Up Ladder x 2
30 sec flexed hang
For the second part of our first session we went outside to get a different view and our daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun. So we ran to the outfield of the baseball field, jumped over the fence, did some tire jumps, tire flips, tire carries (they had a lot of tires) and log lunges. Then we hopped the fence and headed back to home base and over to the basketball court to do the backboard touches, pullups, dips, pushups, and the suicide sprint. It was a fun workout and felt awesome to get outside and soak up some rays. We ended the day with the Pull Up ladder and a simple Flexed Arm Hang.
On to the next one....
Evening
Rower - 30 seconds on/30 seconds off for 30 minutes for distance - 5290m
EMOM for 5 minutes - 1 Muscle Up
Shoulder Prehab - 3x5 of Scarecrows and External Rotations
GHD Sit Ups x 50
Stretch
Not a whole lot going on in this second session, mainly just the cardio from the rower and a lot of stretching. One big progress area was the Muscle Ups though. Out of no where we attempted and successfully performed a Muscle Up on the pull up bar. Completely random and not planned but after that we decided to just go with it and try to do some more. Sadly by the 5th minute we were flopping like fish.
BUT that was visible, measurable progress! And there isn't anything more motivating than to see progress in yourself. That's what everyone is in the gym for, to get better. To actually see results from your hard work makes you want to get in there and work even harder. That's why it's important to record your workouts and track yourself. It serves a dual purpose, to show what you have done so as to not overwork yourself....excuse me "under recover" yourself....but also to show your progress. The guys at the gym with the big notebook writing down every set with every weight and rest times and day of the week and lunar cycle may be going a bit overboard but guess who is going to see the results and stay motivated. The athlete who writes everything down or the athlete who doesn't track anything and never remembers what they did last time. In conclusion, have a way to accurately track yourself and you can literally watch yourself get better. You will stay motivated and be excited about going back to the gym to break new ground and cruise on to your goals....you do have goals right???
"There is no achievement without goals."
-Robert J. McKaine
What am I Working?
Every few weeks my favorite superstar in training likes to approach me with questions. Questions such as "what am I supposed to feel working during this exercise" or "what am I working here"?. I appreciate this and consider him/her to be my favorite for the simple fact that they show a true interest in what we are doing and give me 150% effort every session. What do questions as these two mean to you?
This is an opportunity to show to your client how much work you dedicated to become certified. More than a chance to just whip someone into outstanding physique. It is your time to shine as an educator. Today's question came during our dual Kettlebell windmill routine. For those who are unfamiliar, this exercise is a progression and not for beginners.
The dual KB windmill involves a KB snatch and a hip hinge while stabilizing the weight vertically overhead throughout all movements and holding another KB in the other hand to basically simplify it. Who wants to just settle for a simple answer when you are paying so much for training? Let's get more in depth about this movement.
We are going to breakdown this windmill from bottom to top. We start with the left side doing the concentric action. The feet should be separated around shoulder's width and slightly angled at a 45° angle towards the right to allow the hip a deeper range of motion(ROM) and also add a stronger base in the direction of movement. The left quadricep should stay constantly flexed to keep the knee locked while the right is loose and slightly bent. The hips will be shifted back and towards the left to allow greater ROM. The left scapula will need to be retracted and pulled slightly down, Also know as the pack, to create shoulder stability while holding KB in left hand overhead. The other KB will be placed on the floor in front of the right foot. This is the start and finishing point. On to the core of the exercise, no pun intended.
From the start position, you want to keep your eyes on the KB overhead at all times to ensure safety and also giving you a focal point. Initial movement will be the hip hinge while leaning or shifting weight to the left side. The right arm will guide its way down the right leg to meet and grip the floor KB. The left shoulder and scapula will continue to pack while keeping the KB overhead. Using the gluteus maximus and hamstring you want to pick up the floor KB by extending the hips and allowing the upper body to come up. The steps are then followed in reverse to place the KB back down and return to starting point. What is the purpose of the exercise?
This is an advanced core exercise to challenge core stability while adding in different components. In order to do this exercise one must be able to hip hinge, stabilize the shoulder and focus for some time because this is not a speed exercise but rather slow concentration.
In conclusion, do not believe jaw dropping abdominals only comes from killing yourself with crunches all day, not to say they do not have their place, but to challenge your cores true purpose which is stabilization. Also please be encouraged to ask questions when you do not know because it is a crucial aspect in mental and physical growth.
Animal Flow for Dummies
Check out Mike Fitch's "Animal Flow". Exceptional training method to increase cardiovascular endurance, muscle awareness, flexibility, coordination, athleticism, and "Beastmoding fitness".
Suspension Training for Dummies
Check this out. For all those interested in TRX exercised, and more, go to Blackbook Magazine online, or check it out here...
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Back in Action
What is up my fellow fitness freaks! Finally back to the real world after a long absence and damn it feels good. Had a long weekend of training and a 24 hour staff duty shift and I'm rolling along on a few hours of precious sleep so apologies in advance for any portion of this post that may seem jumbled or confusing.
Today was the first day back in the gym since Wednesday night and it was good to be back. I mean I did run around the woods playing G.I. Joe Thursday and Friday so I wasn't completely lazy but anyways. I just revamped my workout schedule here since my schedule will return to somewhat normal and today was the first day of it - Heavy Cleans with a fast and intense WOD. Here she is...
Foam Roll, Shoulder Dislocates
Row 500m
Power Cleans:
3x5 @ 65%
5x5 @ 75%
5x3 @ 85%
1x10 @ 55%
WOD:
Fran - 558
21 - 15 - 9
Thrusters @ 95#
Pull Ups
5 mins Abs
1 min Sit Ups > 1 min Russian Twists > 30 sec L Side Plank > 30 sec R Side Plank > 1 min Flutter Kicks > 1 min Plank
A decent amount of Power Cleans today. We normally end up only doing Hang Cleans so today was a good change to our normal routine. It also throws a little deadlifting into the mix. Recently we have acquired an app that allows you to record videos and then break them down frame by frame and even draw lines on it just like John Madden used to on TV. So expect to see some pictures or potentially even videos coming from that once we get the hang of it.
The second part of today was Fran, which is known to many in the CrossFit arena as one of the worst and most tiring WODs there is. It is also one of the biggest benchmark workouts they have. Asking someone what their Fran time is equates to asking someone what their bench press is in more traditional gyms. It is a killer workout that left us gasping for breath and someone, I won't mention any names, almost puked. Although the aforementioned someone also beat me by 1 second so I can't say much.
Due to some other issues (fantasy football draft) it doesn't look like we will get back to the gym today but we have tomorrow off so be ready for two workouts, I'm sure we will be bored and come up with something crazy.
"You have to believe in yourself when no one else will"
~ Sugar Ray Robinson
Today was the first day back in the gym since Wednesday night and it was good to be back. I mean I did run around the woods playing G.I. Joe Thursday and Friday so I wasn't completely lazy but anyways. I just revamped my workout schedule here since my schedule will return to somewhat normal and today was the first day of it - Heavy Cleans with a fast and intense WOD. Here she is...
Foam Roll, Shoulder Dislocates
Row 500m
Power Cleans:
3x5 @ 65%
5x5 @ 75%
5x3 @ 85%
1x10 @ 55%
WOD:
Fran - 558
21 - 15 - 9
Thrusters @ 95#
Pull Ups
5 mins Abs
1 min Sit Ups > 1 min Russian Twists > 30 sec L Side Plank > 30 sec R Side Plank > 1 min Flutter Kicks > 1 min Plank
A decent amount of Power Cleans today. We normally end up only doing Hang Cleans so today was a good change to our normal routine. It also throws a little deadlifting into the mix. Recently we have acquired an app that allows you to record videos and then break them down frame by frame and even draw lines on it just like John Madden used to on TV. So expect to see some pictures or potentially even videos coming from that once we get the hang of it.
The second part of today was Fran, which is known to many in the CrossFit arena as one of the worst and most tiring WODs there is. It is also one of the biggest benchmark workouts they have. Asking someone what their Fran time is equates to asking someone what their bench press is in more traditional gyms. It is a killer workout that left us gasping for breath and someone, I won't mention any names, almost puked. Although the aforementioned someone also beat me by 1 second so I can't say much.
Due to some other issues (fantasy football draft) it doesn't look like we will get back to the gym today but we have tomorrow off so be ready for two workouts, I'm sure we will be bored and come up with something crazy.
"You have to believe in yourself when no one else will"
~ Sugar Ray Robinson
Consistency Only Comes With Practice
Today's workout was quick, specific, and efficient. Trips to the gym, the field, the lawn, and wherever you can make space to get shit done, do not need to be long and drawn out. Two variables....intensity and duration, both were main vital for today. Feeling more enthusiastic about going to the movies, designing my custom business cards, and doing other random things that approach all of us at some point during a Sunday, skipping a workout was still not an option.
In my pursuit as a Health and Fitness Specialist, colleague, lover, brother, son, friend, and whatever else I am seen as (call it as you will...gulp), physical activity drives, energizes, refocuses, de-stresses, and shifts me into a higher, more effective and enlightened mental gear, all enhancing my abilities to get shit done.
And therefore, no excuses, only a kick ass workout, a kick ass mindset, one more step closer to my CMC event goals, and yet another stride staying ahead of the unfortunate outlook we are all faced with today; illness, pain, chronic medical conditions, obesity, "aesthetic inexcellence", and "self-deimprovement".
Warm-Up: 1.5 mile jog/run
1a. 5/3/1 (3x5,3,1+) BB Bench Press *Yea Buddy, New PR!*
1b. Burpee Jumps 3xAMAP 1min
2a. BB Bent Row 2x40,30
2b. DB SA High Pull 2x10,10/side
3a. BB Bent Row (185#) - DB SA High Pull (#50) 5x2 Timed Circuit
4a. Pull Circuit: 3xAFAP (As Fast As Possible) with 60 sec rests in between
BB Clean x10 - BB Front Squat x10 - BB Push Press x10
5a. Cycling Intervals 5x15sec (all out sprint):45 sec (active recovery)= 5 min
Cool-Down: 15 min Cycle
There ya have it, nothing to crazy here, just consistency and focused efficiency in the game of life.
Consistency and perseverance, learn them, adopt them, and live them.
Consistency only comes with practice.
In my pursuit as a Health and Fitness Specialist, colleague, lover, brother, son, friend, and whatever else I am seen as (call it as you will...gulp), physical activity drives, energizes, refocuses, de-stresses, and shifts me into a higher, more effective and enlightened mental gear, all enhancing my abilities to get shit done.
And therefore, no excuses, only a kick ass workout, a kick ass mindset, one more step closer to my CMC event goals, and yet another stride staying ahead of the unfortunate outlook we are all faced with today; illness, pain, chronic medical conditions, obesity, "aesthetic inexcellence", and "self-deimprovement".
Warm-Up: 1.5 mile jog/run
1a. 5/3/1 (3x5,3,1+) BB Bench Press *Yea Buddy, New PR!*
1b. Burpee Jumps 3xAMAP 1min
2a. BB Bent Row 2x40,30
2b. DB SA High Pull 2x10,10/side
3a. BB Bent Row (185#) - DB SA High Pull (#50) 5x2 Timed Circuit
4a. Pull Circuit: 3xAFAP (As Fast As Possible) with 60 sec rests in between
BB Clean x10 - BB Front Squat x10 - BB Push Press x10
5a. Cycling Intervals 5x15sec (all out sprint):45 sec (active recovery)= 5 min
Cool-Down: 15 min Cycle
There ya have it, nothing to crazy here, just consistency and focused efficiency in the game of life.
Consistency and perseverance, learn them, adopt them, and live them.
Consistency only comes with practice.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
"That's like, deep, like deep deep man...."
Love of the pursuits, love of the work towards the common goal, and love of the persistence, the challenges, and the teamwork necessary for THE SUCCESS. This is today's topic.
Today marked the official beginning of leading the herd. As you may know, in addition to living the J2Fit lifestyle, I also have made my profession in inspiring, leading, and being an integral part of the lives of (hopefully anyone willing to lend an ear), my clients, friends, and family, addressing; health and wellness behaviors, goals, outlooks, and ultimately lifestyles. My mission as an Exercise & Nutrition Health Professional, Certified Personal Trainer, and role model, is to "direct, motivate, and shape the path" (Switch, By Chip and Dan Heath), of how we ALL can balance the wants, impulses, and needs throughout our hectic lives.
It brings me great joy to be able to share my passion with you, my fellow colleagues here at J2Fit, and anyone who is willing to give the effort and their all (that is all I can and will ask from anyone who is ready to take the steps towards their boundless future) towards their whole-hearted pursuits. So now, my clients and I, along with our very own Mike Barbot and Brianna Weiclaw (yes, my trusted J2Fit advocates and health professionals), will be embarking on our physical and mental feats together, through the practices of; "Teamwork, perseverance, motivation, leadership, and trust...all characteristics that comprise the pillars of any successful individual."
Hence, our journey here is not solely of fitness. Fitness serves as the gateway and portal to greater development, character building, humility (see Life's Lessons #1), failure, perseverance, dedication, cooperation, and success.
Deep shit huh...
That's what I have for you.
Behind "Manhattan Mike's" reddish tan skin, freckled physique, and Prince Harry look-a-like face, are insightful messages, ones waiting to be heard, analyzed. and reformulated into your very own.
Whew...it's just one of those days.
Today's workout:
1a. 5/3/1 (3x3) BB Clean and Press
1b. KB American Swing 3xAMAP 1min
2a. BB Inclined Press 3x8,8,20
2a. Weighted Pulldown 3x10,10,20
3a. Assisted Muscle Up (done on assisted pull/chin up machine) 3x8-12
3b. DB Hammer Alternating Curl 3x5-10/side
4a. 65# BB Snatch 3x20 AFAP (As Fast As Possible)
4b. 65# BB Overhead Squat 3x10 AFAP
4c. 65# BB Plyometric Jump Squat 3x10 AFAP
5a. 90# BB Landmine with Single Arm Alternating Chest-Shoulder Press 3x10/side
Cardio: Stair Climber 25mins
It was a doozey, and one that left me excited for tomorrow (thank God though I have 19 hours left of recovery).
So in closing, chew on this one...
"It's easier to persevere on a long journey when you're traveling with a herd."
- Yet, another gem from the Heath Brothers
Today marked the official beginning of leading the herd. As you may know, in addition to living the J2Fit lifestyle, I also have made my profession in inspiring, leading, and being an integral part of the lives of (hopefully anyone willing to lend an ear), my clients, friends, and family, addressing; health and wellness behaviors, goals, outlooks, and ultimately lifestyles. My mission as an Exercise & Nutrition Health Professional, Certified Personal Trainer, and role model, is to "direct, motivate, and shape the path" (Switch, By Chip and Dan Heath), of how we ALL can balance the wants, impulses, and needs throughout our hectic lives.
It brings me great joy to be able to share my passion with you, my fellow colleagues here at J2Fit, and anyone who is willing to give the effort and their all (that is all I can and will ask from anyone who is ready to take the steps towards their boundless future) towards their whole-hearted pursuits. So now, my clients and I, along with our very own Mike Barbot and Brianna Weiclaw (yes, my trusted J2Fit advocates and health professionals), will be embarking on our physical and mental feats together, through the practices of; "Teamwork, perseverance, motivation, leadership, and trust...all characteristics that comprise the pillars of any successful individual."
Hence, our journey here is not solely of fitness. Fitness serves as the gateway and portal to greater development, character building, humility (see Life's Lessons #1), failure, perseverance, dedication, cooperation, and success.
Deep shit huh...
That's what I have for you.
Behind "Manhattan Mike's" reddish tan skin, freckled physique, and Prince Harry look-a-like face, are insightful messages, ones waiting to be heard, analyzed. and reformulated into your very own.
Whew...it's just one of those days.
Today's workout:
1a. 5/3/1 (3x3) BB Clean and Press
1b. KB American Swing 3xAMAP 1min
2a. BB Inclined Press 3x8,8,20
2a. Weighted Pulldown 3x10,10,20
3a. Assisted Muscle Up (done on assisted pull/chin up machine) 3x8-12
3b. DB Hammer Alternating Curl 3x5-10/side
4a. 65# BB Snatch 3x20 AFAP (As Fast As Possible)
4b. 65# BB Overhead Squat 3x10 AFAP
4c. 65# BB Plyometric Jump Squat 3x10 AFAP
5a. 90# BB Landmine with Single Arm Alternating Chest-Shoulder Press 3x10/side
Cardio: Stair Climber 25mins
It was a doozey, and one that left me excited for tomorrow (thank God though I have 19 hours left of recovery).
So in closing, chew on this one...
"It's easier to persevere on a long journey when you're traveling with a herd."
- Yet, another gem from the Heath Brothers
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Funday at the Gym
How goes it on this fine day my fellow J2Fitters. Hope your day has been full of motivation and success. If not well, I just hope it didn't suck too bad for you. Today was my last free day before work takes over for the next 48 hours so I tried to enjoy it. We did a very small Snatch workout this morning and then spent the rest of the day playing football and basketball as well as messing around with handstand walks, one-armed handstands and Muscle Ups. Today was a real easy day which is what we wanted before our training event. Just got out, got moving and loosened up for the day. The Snatch workout was just simply - 5x5 Power Snatch increasing in weight every time and then dropped weight and practiced receiving the bar and dropping into a good squat position.
No thoughts or discussions from me today or the next couple days. I will just leave you with this quote to sustain you through the work week.
"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
-Michael Jordan
No thoughts or discussions from me today or the next couple days. I will just leave you with this quote to sustain you through the work week.
"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
-Michael Jordan
Run Forrest, Run
Hello J2F readers! First off, let me explain some on my chosen title of this post. Who has not seen the American classic, Forrest Gump? Anyone? Exactly. For my most recent workouts, I have been dealing with the concept of self motivation. I have all that I need to get myself started, but in preparation for the CMC Challenge I am facing that ever-annoying little voice inside my head telling me "I'm done". Why can't my little voice sound motivating, like Jenny, and only wish me to run faster? For those who have not read in some of Mike's posts, the Mikes, aka Meatballs, and I will be competing in a race of epic proportions come late September. The race is know as the Civilian Military Combine Challenge and it is going to be legend...wait for it....dary! *Link to race website listed below.
I am fairly new to the racing scene. My first race was at the beginning of this summer in May, known as the Spartan Race 5k Sprinter. I can't lie, it was tough. Tough, but seemingly manageable and amazingly enjoyable. My biggest obstacle I found (no pun intended considering it was an obstacle course) was the uphill running. I did prepare considerably for this event, but my cardiovascular endurance was never challenged on too steep of an angle for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, I am taking extra care to add in inclines to most of my cardio training in preparation for the CMC. Nothing lower than 5% ranging up to 12% incline on tredmill. So far I have discovered my quads are the biggest burnouts since Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused.
A little overview of the CMC Challenge; it consists of a Pit portion followed by the Race portion. The Pit contains four elements, all timed for 90 seconds for reps with 30 seconds rest in between. The four total body, total mind blowing exercises are 1) Thruster or Squat Presses 2) Burpees 3) Box Jumps 4) Overhead Kettlebell Swings. On Monday I gave my first attempt for timed reps and averaged a total of 132. The Women's average is 129. So I guess I'm slightly above average, but not nearly a good enough amount on my terms. This realization led me to then complete the Pit Challenge twice more with 100 12KB traditional swings in between rounds. Mainly I wanted to get the movements clear in my body, but also, I wanted to see if I could push myself without my conscience laughing at me. The second part of the CMC Challenge is the Race portion; 4.5 miles of terrain with intermittent obstacles throughout. Can you say beastmode? Hashtagged.
Now if this does not seem like a challenge in any way, please contact me so you can start training me immediately! To the non-Cross Fit junkies, "Hey I workout...1x a week", Wii Tennis playing part of the population you can now possible understand my trepidation. At the end of the day I know I will finish, maybe not top 5, more likely nowhere near the top whatever, but I will cross that finish line...hopefully standing. All jokes aside, this will be a challenge of my cardiovascular endurance, strength, power and most importantly determination. A challenge I fully intend to overcome. First step; change my mind set. No numbers, no limits, no stopping: just go. Or in the words of Jenny Curan, "Run, Forrest, Run."
Daily CMC Training Workout:
Completed Pit Challenge: 127 averaged using 16KB (Race will use 12KB)
Followed up immediately to simulate the Race portion with Quarter mile runs averaging 5% incline, 6.4mph
After 1st lap: 20 32KB swings
2nd lap: 20 12KB clean and presses
3rd lap: 20 12KB single arm snatches
4th: lap: "army" crawls under benches
5th lap: 20 burpees
Today, I was able to shut off my negative "No" my inner voice loves to tell me, and rather changed it to "Go!" Gotta love those endorphins!
*http://www.civilianmilitarycombine.com/events/nyc-urban-assault/
I am fairly new to the racing scene. My first race was at the beginning of this summer in May, known as the Spartan Race 5k Sprinter. I can't lie, it was tough. Tough, but seemingly manageable and amazingly enjoyable. My biggest obstacle I found (no pun intended considering it was an obstacle course) was the uphill running. I did prepare considerably for this event, but my cardiovascular endurance was never challenged on too steep of an angle for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, I am taking extra care to add in inclines to most of my cardio training in preparation for the CMC. Nothing lower than 5% ranging up to 12% incline on tredmill. So far I have discovered my quads are the biggest burnouts since Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused.
A little overview of the CMC Challenge; it consists of a Pit portion followed by the Race portion. The Pit contains four elements, all timed for 90 seconds for reps with 30 seconds rest in between. The four total body, total mind blowing exercises are 1) Thruster or Squat Presses 2) Burpees 3) Box Jumps 4) Overhead Kettlebell Swings. On Monday I gave my first attempt for timed reps and averaged a total of 132. The Women's average is 129. So I guess I'm slightly above average, but not nearly a good enough amount on my terms. This realization led me to then complete the Pit Challenge twice more with 100 12KB traditional swings in between rounds. Mainly I wanted to get the movements clear in my body, but also, I wanted to see if I could push myself without my conscience laughing at me. The second part of the CMC Challenge is the Race portion; 4.5 miles of terrain with intermittent obstacles throughout. Can you say beastmode? Hashtagged.
Now if this does not seem like a challenge in any way, please contact me so you can start training me immediately! To the non-Cross Fit junkies, "Hey I workout...1x a week", Wii Tennis playing part of the population you can now possible understand my trepidation. At the end of the day I know I will finish, maybe not top 5, more likely nowhere near the top whatever, but I will cross that finish line...hopefully standing. All jokes aside, this will be a challenge of my cardiovascular endurance, strength, power and most importantly determination. A challenge I fully intend to overcome. First step; change my mind set. No numbers, no limits, no stopping: just go. Or in the words of Jenny Curan, "Run, Forrest, Run."
Daily CMC Training Workout:
Completed Pit Challenge: 127 averaged using 16KB (Race will use 12KB)
Followed up immediately to simulate the Race portion with Quarter mile runs averaging 5% incline, 6.4mph
After 1st lap: 20 32KB swings
2nd lap: 20 12KB clean and presses
3rd lap: 20 12KB single arm snatches
4th: lap: "army" crawls under benches
5th lap: 20 burpees
Today, I was able to shut off my negative "No" my inner voice loves to tell me, and rather changed it to "Go!" Gotta love those endorphins!
*http://www.civilianmilitarycombine.com/events/nyc-urban-assault/
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Workouts, Fear, and....Dancing????
What's up folks. Back again for another workout post. Let's get right into it....we'll talk later.
AM workout
Back Squat to 5 rep max
Front Squat to 3 rep max
400 meter Lunge - 8 minutes
Incline DB Bench / Back Ext ISO
4x8 / 4x30 seconds
Incline DB Bench / GHD Sit Ups
4x5 / 4x10
PM Workout
3 x 500 meter rows in under 1:50
Annie - 12:30
50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10 of Double Unders and Sit Ups
So the first thing that probably popped out up there was the 400 meter lunges. You may or may not think that's far, but after a 1/4 mile of lunges the walk to the water fountain is a long ways. I like doing those lunges because its low impact on the body but you still have to push yourself to finish strong and with a good time.
The PM workout of Annie is a CrossFit Benchmark workout where you do 50 Double Unders followed by 50 Sit Ups followed by 40....30...20...10. Pretty simple workout, the average time is around 9-10 minutes so I have some work to do. The biggest improve is on the Double Unders. I haven't gotten the technique down just yet so I'm unable to chain large numbers of them together yet. But I have an initial time to beat next time. Always good to have motivation and goals.
This evening got me thinking, when I got to the gym there were some other athletes doing Double Unders and they were pretty damn good at it. Seeing that almost made me not want to do my workout for fear of them seeing me struggle with the exercise. I quickly dismissed that thought and continued as planned. I thought on this moment of fear/embarrassment while I was walking home and how many people I've heard use that same excuse, in gyms and in other daily situations as well.
"Everyone else lifts more than me." "They will think I'm weak if I can't lift as much as them." "I don't want to dance, people will laugh at me."
The last one is usually me until I have a few drinks in me. Regardless, these are negative statements and have no place in the world of an athlete. In reality, all those people you think are watching you are actually looking at themselves in the mirror, checking out their own muscles, or too drunk to care how you are dancing. So get out there, show everyone what you can do, and have some courage and dance like a damn fool.
"You don't have to be great to start, but you do have to start in order to be great."
- Aja Barto
AM workout
Back Squat to 5 rep max
Front Squat to 3 rep max
400 meter Lunge - 8 minutes
Incline DB Bench / Back Ext ISO
4x8 / 4x30 seconds
Incline DB Bench / GHD Sit Ups
4x5 / 4x10
PM Workout
3 x 500 meter rows in under 1:50
Annie - 12:30
50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10 of Double Unders and Sit Ups
So the first thing that probably popped out up there was the 400 meter lunges. You may or may not think that's far, but after a 1/4 mile of lunges the walk to the water fountain is a long ways. I like doing those lunges because its low impact on the body but you still have to push yourself to finish strong and with a good time.
The PM workout of Annie is a CrossFit Benchmark workout where you do 50 Double Unders followed by 50 Sit Ups followed by 40....30...20...10. Pretty simple workout, the average time is around 9-10 minutes so I have some work to do. The biggest improve is on the Double Unders. I haven't gotten the technique down just yet so I'm unable to chain large numbers of them together yet. But I have an initial time to beat next time. Always good to have motivation and goals.
This evening got me thinking, when I got to the gym there were some other athletes doing Double Unders and they were pretty damn good at it. Seeing that almost made me not want to do my workout for fear of them seeing me struggle with the exercise. I quickly dismissed that thought and continued as planned. I thought on this moment of fear/embarrassment while I was walking home and how many people I've heard use that same excuse, in gyms and in other daily situations as well.
"Everyone else lifts more than me." "They will think I'm weak if I can't lift as much as them." "I don't want to dance, people will laugh at me."
The last one is usually me until I have a few drinks in me. Regardless, these are negative statements and have no place in the world of an athlete. In reality, all those people you think are watching you are actually looking at themselves in the mirror, checking out their own muscles, or too drunk to care how you are dancing. So get out there, show everyone what you can do, and have some courage and dance like a damn fool.
"You don't have to be great to start, but you do have to start in order to be great."
- Aja Barto
Muscle Physiology for Dummies: Part I
Sorry about Manhattan Mike's hiatus. Between life's curve balls, and technology glitches (phone crashes), I still managed to get it done in my J2Fit. As we know, I have been doing it dirty for the CMC event, as well as continuing in my 5/3/1 program to increase my Dead-lift, Bench Press, Clean and Press, and Back Squat lifts.
Today was a hectic day, with short little breaks that I CARPE DIEMED...(I am a Exercise and Nutrition Specialist / Trainer, so I tend to have slots randomly throughout the day, hence why I pull multiple workouts sometimes in short durations..FYI)
Workout 1 = 30 mins (Between clients and lunch break)
1a. 5/3/1 (3x3,3,3+) Back Squat
1b. 3xAMAP 1min 20in Box Jump
2b. Timed Mile
Workout 2 = 60 mins
This workout was forged through telling myself my ass if going to get it done, and a little help from Mr. Mike Barbot, your fellow J2Fit guru. I had about 20 mins while he was doing his thing, so I took advantage and cranked out the rest of my lower body blast...
1a. Dual Kettle bell (KB) Single Leg (SL) Roman Dead lift (RDL) - Clean - Reverse Lunge for 50 reps
2a. Walking KB Lunge 3x20 steps
2a. Barbell (BB) Back Loaded High Box Step Up 3x20 steps
Part two of this was "THE PIT" (See Sunday 19th's post for this workout ): I managed to rep out 7 more reps (142 to 149) than two days ago, and I credit that to my workout partner and private ass kicking specialist (like myself, also a Certified Personal Trainer, CPT).
Part Three: What I will call my "275 Core and Push Circuit"...lame ass name huh...FREE workout plan for any J2Fitter to come up with a better one for this...Seriously!)
5 Rounds: about 20 mins
1. Ab Roll Out (kiss the floor!!!) x20 (Abdominals)
2. Weighted Hip Extension x15 (Lower Back, Hamstrings, Ass)
3. Inverted Plyometric Close Grip Push-Up x10 (Triceps, Chest)
4. Inverted Bodywork Handstand Shoulder Press x5 (Shoulders, Core)
We ended our workout with 10 mins of uphill sprint intervals, all to increase our lower body muscular endurance, and to try to become more comfortable and able to withhold the painful lactate buildup in our exercising muscles.
Muscle Physiology Lesson #1: The above threshold is the point in which exercising muscles cannot properly filter out acidity in muscle during higher intensity exercise, which in turn leads to "the burn", hence increased pain and lowered tolerance for exercise, decreased performance at higher intensities, etc... ALL things my ass doesn't want to happen to me when I am competing, hence I bust it now, get my body more adapt to it, and ultimately train my anaerobic (without oxygen, which leads to lactate buildup...) threshold and shift it so it happens at even higher intensities, now meaning I will be able to train harder and longer, without as much of the painful build-up.
If you have questions on how to do this, or anything about fitness, health, etc., shoot me a message. It is what I do, who I am, and by golly, what I spent the last 7 years of formal education; (a) B.S. Exercise Science and Nutrition, (2) M.A. Exercise Physiology ... and professional life in (and endless student loans, what what!).
Now to feed for future workouts, life, and performance,....i.e; SPORTS NUTRITION and supplementation (when needed). If you have any specific or general acquisitions on these topics, also let me know. I will be posting discussions in due time, however your feedback and issues/questions/concerns are things I thrive upon ,and I am always here to lend an insightful and educated ear, as well as my colleagues, to address any and all!
Today was a hectic day, with short little breaks that I CARPE DIEMED...(I am a Exercise and Nutrition Specialist / Trainer, so I tend to have slots randomly throughout the day, hence why I pull multiple workouts sometimes in short durations..FYI)
Workout 1 = 30 mins (Between clients and lunch break)
1a. 5/3/1 (3x3,3,3+) Back Squat
1b. 3xAMAP 1min 20in Box Jump
2b. Timed Mile
Workout 2 = 60 mins
This workout was forged through telling myself my ass if going to get it done, and a little help from Mr. Mike Barbot, your fellow J2Fit guru. I had about 20 mins while he was doing his thing, so I took advantage and cranked out the rest of my lower body blast...
1a. Dual Kettle bell (KB) Single Leg (SL) Roman Dead lift (RDL) - Clean - Reverse Lunge for 50 reps
2a. Walking KB Lunge 3x20 steps
2a. Barbell (BB) Back Loaded High Box Step Up 3x20 steps
Part two of this was "THE PIT" (See Sunday 19th's post for this workout ): I managed to rep out 7 more reps (142 to 149) than two days ago, and I credit that to my workout partner and private ass kicking specialist (like myself, also a Certified Personal Trainer, CPT).
Part Three: What I will call my "275 Core and Push Circuit"...lame ass name huh...FREE workout plan for any J2Fitter to come up with a better one for this...Seriously!)
5 Rounds: about 20 mins
1. Ab Roll Out (kiss the floor!!!) x20 (Abdominals)
2. Weighted Hip Extension x15 (Lower Back, Hamstrings, Ass)
3. Inverted Plyometric Close Grip Push-Up x10 (Triceps, Chest)
4. Inverted Bodywork Handstand Shoulder Press x5 (Shoulders, Core)
We ended our workout with 10 mins of uphill sprint intervals, all to increase our lower body muscular endurance, and to try to become more comfortable and able to withhold the painful lactate buildup in our exercising muscles.
Muscle Physiology Lesson #1: The above threshold is the point in which exercising muscles cannot properly filter out acidity in muscle during higher intensity exercise, which in turn leads to "the burn", hence increased pain and lowered tolerance for exercise, decreased performance at higher intensities, etc... ALL things my ass doesn't want to happen to me when I am competing, hence I bust it now, get my body more adapt to it, and ultimately train my anaerobic (without oxygen, which leads to lactate buildup...) threshold and shift it so it happens at even higher intensities, now meaning I will be able to train harder and longer, without as much of the painful build-up.
If you have questions on how to do this, or anything about fitness, health, etc., shoot me a message. It is what I do, who I am, and by golly, what I spent the last 7 years of formal education; (a) B.S. Exercise Science and Nutrition, (2) M.A. Exercise Physiology ... and professional life in (and endless student loans, what what!).
Now to feed for future workouts, life, and performance,....i.e; SPORTS NUTRITION and supplementation (when needed). If you have any specific or general acquisitions on these topics, also let me know. I will be posting discussions in due time, however your feedback and issues/questions/concerns are things I thrive upon ,and I am always here to lend an insightful and educated ear, as well as my colleagues, to address any and all!
Tandem Tuesday
Here we go my fellow fitness monsters! It's Tuesday and no better day to get after "it" with Manhattan Mike!
5/3/1
Month 2, Week 2, Day 2
Big lift for the day is BB Bench Press
3x3,3,3+
CMC Pitt (1st trial run ) also sport specific
Thrusters #75lbs
90 secs Max out
30secs rest
Burpee #body weight
90 secs Max out
30 secs rest
Box Jumps #body weight (20' box)
90 secs Max out
30 secs rest
American Kettlebell Swings #24kgs
90 secs Max out
30 secs rest
***Peddle to the Metal ***
Afterwards I immediately find myself a source of protein and carbohydrates to replenish as I prepare for the final leg of my training day.
As I continue training for my future endeavours, I finish my day off with a 3 mile vigorous run ( keeping my heart rate in 60-75% zone).
My goal, becoming able to complete, last, and then ultimately dominate a 3 mile run in 20 minutes or less on a consistent basis. This is not a simple task but dedication to proper exercise, nutrition, and rest will propel me towards my goal.
I have a competitive mindset so I always train to be the best. At the same time I receive great joy from teaching others how to achieve their goals. Any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
***Knowledge is power***
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Anti-Rest Sunday
Part 2 of No Rest Sunday. Don't ask me why I felt like punishing myself today but damn it felt good. In a way today was a restful day, a lot of stress release from the week and I'll be damned if it don't sleep like a baby tonight!
10 minutes Aerodyne - 30 slow/30 fast
5 rounds
5 x Deadlift 275#
10 x Burpees
100 Push Ups
90 Sit Ups
80 Air Squats
70 4 count Flutter Kicks
60 Bench Press 135#
50 Thruster 45#
40 Pull Ups
30 Jumping Lunges
20 Burpees
10 4 count Jumping Jacks
1 x 3 puking in the bathroom
The idea for the second workout today was to get in a quick intense workout and then do a longer, lighter workout. The first workout we timed and once again Lucas came out on top. I went first and came in at 5:59. Lucas pushed through and beat me with 5:25. The longer workout was just that, long! Quite the way to end the day that's for sure. I won't lie, there was a moment during the workout that I thought about just stopping early and calling it a day. I knew that if I were to do that I would be angry at myself the rest of the day and regret not finishing a workout. When you make that decision to push on through the burning, you're not only increasing your physical fitness but your mental fitness and toughness as well. Then the next time that feeling of wanting to quit starts creeping in it will be easier for you to push through and finish strong since you have already been through workouts or life events just as bad as this before. The journey to fitness isn't all about being the biggest, strongest, or fastest but also being able to control and push yourself beyond your limits. Whether it is in a workout or any other event in your life having the mental toughness to push on and do what you have to do to get the job done will be immensely beneficial.
Enough talk for tonight, enjoy the remainder of your weekend and start the work week off on the right foot.
"You don't stop when you're tired. You stop when you're done."
10 minutes Aerodyne - 30 slow/30 fast
5 rounds
5 x Deadlift 275#
10 x Burpees
100 Push Ups
90 Sit Ups
80 Air Squats
70 4 count Flutter Kicks
60 Bench Press 135#
50 Thruster 45#
40 Pull Ups
30 Jumping Lunges
20 Burpees
10 4 count Jumping Jacks
1 x 3 puking in the bathroom
The idea for the second workout today was to get in a quick intense workout and then do a longer, lighter workout. The first workout we timed and once again Lucas came out on top. I went first and came in at 5:59. Lucas pushed through and beat me with 5:25. The longer workout was just that, long! Quite the way to end the day that's for sure. I won't lie, there was a moment during the workout that I thought about just stopping early and calling it a day. I knew that if I were to do that I would be angry at myself the rest of the day and regret not finishing a workout. When you make that decision to push on through the burning, you're not only increasing your physical fitness but your mental fitness and toughness as well. Then the next time that feeling of wanting to quit starts creeping in it will be easier for you to push through and finish strong since you have already been through workouts or life events just as bad as this before. The journey to fitness isn't all about being the biggest, strongest, or fastest but also being able to control and push yourself beyond your limits. Whether it is in a workout or any other event in your life having the mental toughness to push on and do what you have to do to get the job done will be immensely beneficial.
Enough talk for tonight, enjoy the remainder of your weekend and start the work week off on the right foot.
"You don't stop when you're tired. You stop when you're done."
"Manhattan Mike's" Sunday Quickie
Coming off my day of rest, in which I spent my Saturday at Six Flags with some of my greats, had a cheat meal (or two) of ice cream and pulled pork and fries, and sleeping off the tail end of Dramamine coma (thank you genetic disposition of motion sickness), I too was faced with the harsh reality of rest/recovery Sunday, or train.
As I had lunch with my girlfriend, internal struggles made war within; "Am I just being a lazy ass? Should I rest and promise to do it tomorrow? Will one day make a difference that much if I just take it off?". Then my best friend and greatest motivator (my girlfriend), said, "It's an 8 minute circuit, and then a run,...you can do that, can't you?"
It was done.
Her words we not those insinuating that I was being a lazy loaf of sourpuss bread, but rather ones that struck a different cord. She was motivating and insightful, without even knowing it. Those 8 minutes of my CMC circuit built me for the future, which trust me, could have been spent sitting on my ass on the coach or at a booze brunch. Furthermore, taking that 8 minutes one rep at a time, energized me (just enough to get through my workout) to pump out my foothill run as well. One hour later, I looked as if I jumped into a swimming pool, got beat by a red paint roller (if you know me, you know I have beautifully lush cheeks...thank you Scottish/Irish genetic disposition). Nonetheless, I managed to put in quality time and get a foundation for my next month of CMC event training.
Below is my CMC specific event workout (straight from what I will be asked to do come Sept 22).
The Pit = 8 mins
- 75# BB Thrusters (Clean, Front Squat, Push Press) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 30 sec
- 20kg Kettle Bell American Swings (elbows to ears) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 30 sec
- Burpees (hips and chest to floor, jump up with arms overhead and hips and knees fully extended) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 30 sec
- 20 inch Box Jump (hip and knee full extension at top) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 3 mins
4.5 mile "Foothill" tempo run
I find it difficult to simulate this component of the CMC event, so I focused on endurance and pacing.
F.Y.I...
My Pit Max Reps = 142 (27,45,28,42)
My 4.5 mile "Foothill" Run = 42 mins
Not too shabby for a month out, given the CMC averages:
Pit = 126 men
Run = 18 min PER mile (higher due to unknown obstacles...think "Tough Mudder")
Take a look below and visit the site. Sign up and see how you stack up against yourself. And it is for an outstanding cause, one that hits home here at J2Fit as well...
Civilian Military Combine (CMC)
As one can see, doing anything is better than doing nothing when it comes to your health, fitness, and your life.
Pushing things off for tomorrow is always assuming you will have tomorrow...don't get caught taking your time here and your ability to move and live for granted.
So hell, sign up for an event with some friends, go to that fitness class, or just get your ass outside and moving. What better time to start than now.
"Catch the bug, foster the infliction, and become who you want to be."
- Mike Dewar
As I had lunch with my girlfriend, internal struggles made war within; "Am I just being a lazy ass? Should I rest and promise to do it tomorrow? Will one day make a difference that much if I just take it off?". Then my best friend and greatest motivator (my girlfriend), said, "It's an 8 minute circuit, and then a run,...you can do that, can't you?"
It was done.
Her words we not those insinuating that I was being a lazy loaf of sourpuss bread, but rather ones that struck a different cord. She was motivating and insightful, without even knowing it. Those 8 minutes of my CMC circuit built me for the future, which trust me, could have been spent sitting on my ass on the coach or at a booze brunch. Furthermore, taking that 8 minutes one rep at a time, energized me (just enough to get through my workout) to pump out my foothill run as well. One hour later, I looked as if I jumped into a swimming pool, got beat by a red paint roller (if you know me, you know I have beautifully lush cheeks...thank you Scottish/Irish genetic disposition). Nonetheless, I managed to put in quality time and get a foundation for my next month of CMC event training.
Below is my CMC specific event workout (straight from what I will be asked to do come Sept 22).
The Pit = 8 mins
- 75# BB Thrusters (Clean, Front Squat, Push Press) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 30 sec
- 20kg Kettle Bell American Swings (elbows to ears) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 30 sec
- Burpees (hips and chest to floor, jump up with arms overhead and hips and knees fully extended) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 30 sec
- 20 inch Box Jump (hip and knee full extension at top) AMAP in 90 sec
- Rest 3 mins
4.5 mile "Foothill" tempo run
I find it difficult to simulate this component of the CMC event, so I focused on endurance and pacing.
F.Y.I...
My Pit Max Reps = 142 (27,45,28,42)
My 4.5 mile "Foothill" Run = 42 mins
Not too shabby for a month out, given the CMC averages:
Pit = 126 men
Run = 18 min PER mile (higher due to unknown obstacles...think "Tough Mudder")
Take a look below and visit the site. Sign up and see how you stack up against yourself. And it is for an outstanding cause, one that hits home here at J2Fit as well...
Civilian Military Combine (CMC)
As one can see, doing anything is better than doing nothing when it comes to your health, fitness, and your life.
Pushing things off for tomorrow is always assuming you will have tomorrow...don't get caught taking your time here and your ability to move and live for granted.
So hell, sign up for an event with some friends, go to that fitness class, or just get your ass outside and moving. What better time to start than now.
"Catch the bug, foster the infliction, and become who you want to be."
- Mike Dewar
Sunday is a day of rest......or not
Hello again much appreciated readers. I apologize for my absence the last two days. Work has had me tied up and unable to talk to you. But never fear I'm back today. Hope your weekend is going well and you are either getting your much needed rest, recreation, and recovery in, or you are utilizing this extra time to get after it hard. I'm choosing the second option today due to my predicted work schedule this week, trying to get it all in while I have the time. Anyways, let's just get right into it.
Foam roll session and Handstand work
Push Jerk w/ Weighted Pull Ups - worked up to a 3 rep max
Push Jerk w/ Weighted Pull Ups - worked up to a 1 rep max
EMOM 20 min
Odd - 4 x Push Jerk 70%
Even - 3 x Weighted PullUp 70%
4 rounds
11 x Wallball (was able to find a 20 lb ball today)
30 sec Handstand
3 mins Abs - 2 rounds
30 sec Plank > L Side Plank > R Side Plank > Mountain Climber > Russian Twist > Scissor Kicks
We made some new personal records (PRs) in the gym today. I hit 215# on the Push Jerk while Lucas got up to 235# and also hit a PR by doing 110# Weighted Pull Up.
So we went pretty heavy today, for us at least, I'm sure big Mike would call these weights light sauce.
We have had some nagging injuries come up a lot at work this last week or so and I keep seeing a lot of people revert back to the classic treatments of Ice and Ibuprofen. I used to do this as well and never took another thought about it. Recently though I've seen and read some interesting thoughts about these treatment methods and I'm of the belief now that they may not be the best way to go. Check out this video and see what you think.
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/08/people-weve-got-to-stop-icing-we-were-wrong-sooo-wrong.html
To be continued.....
Foam roll session and Handstand work
Push Jerk w/ Weighted Pull Ups - worked up to a 3 rep max
Push Jerk w/ Weighted Pull Ups - worked up to a 1 rep max
EMOM 20 min
Odd - 4 x Push Jerk 70%
Even - 3 x Weighted PullUp 70%
4 rounds
11 x Wallball (was able to find a 20 lb ball today)
30 sec Handstand
3 mins Abs - 2 rounds
30 sec Plank > L Side Plank > R Side Plank > Mountain Climber > Russian Twist > Scissor Kicks
We made some new personal records (PRs) in the gym today. I hit 215# on the Push Jerk while Lucas got up to 235# and also hit a PR by doing 110# Weighted Pull Up.
So we went pretty heavy today, for us at least, I'm sure big Mike would call these weights light sauce.
We have had some nagging injuries come up a lot at work this last week or so and I keep seeing a lot of people revert back to the classic treatments of Ice and Ibuprofen. I used to do this as well and never took another thought about it. Recently though I've seen and read some interesting thoughts about these treatment methods and I'm of the belief now that they may not be the best way to go. Check out this video and see what you think.
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/08/people-weve-got-to-stop-icing-we-were-wrong-sooo-wrong.html
To be continued.....
Friday, August 17, 2012
Mindset for Success
Try this one out...Random, but this is the Journey to Fitness here, and well, fitness is life to me, and therefore any outlooks I have on life can be applied to fitness endeavours as well.
*Note, you may need to sign into Facebook account to access*
Mindsets for Success
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Mindsets for Success
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Competition and Weaknesses are Great Training Tools
Good day fellow J2Fitters. I've finally got a few minutes to recap today's workouts for you. It's been quite a long day for me as it sounds like it has for a few other people here today "cough Mike cough" but you'll have that. Let's just get straight into the work.
In the morning me and my guys went on a short little run but we kicked up the speed and ran some intervals on the way back. It was about 1.5 miles out. When we reached our turn around point we did a quick set of 50 Push Ups and then turned around and made the 1.5 miles into 4 separate sprint intervals. Well they all started out as sprints but by the time we stopped they had turned into gasping runs. Regardless it was a good way to start the day and got us kick started for the day.
Once we got done with the hellstorm at work for the day, me and my faithful workout partner Lucas headed to the gym to sweat the stress of the day away. It worked.
Warmed Up with foam rolling and 10 Burpees and 20 Sit Ups
Another CrossFit benchmark workout, Karen - 150 Wall Ball shots. Normally it is done with a 20 pound ball but the gym we were at only had 14 pound balls so that's what we had to use. We made ourselves the goal of completing it in 7 minutes. That's just under 3 seconds for each rep. I came out victorious today with a time of 6:36 while Lucas cruised in at 7:50. But that's not all...
6 minutes As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) of Back Squats x 5 with 10 Box Jumps. We ended the 9th round just as the timer hit 6 minutes.
Next was a small circuit consisting of 4 rounds of:
30 seconds of jump rope > 10 Burpees > 5 Air Squats
We finished up legs with 3 minutes of Air Squats, max reps. I just broke into the 100's with 101 reps.
Lastly we ended with 5 minutes of Ab work:
1 min of Flutter Kicks > 1 min of Sit Ups > 1 min of Bicycles > 1 min of Crunches w/feet up > 1 min Plank
Stretching and Complaining
2 things came to light today. 1) Competition is a great motivator. Whether its against someone else or against your own personal records, having a person to beat (even if its yourself) is an excellent way to push yourself. 2) We discovered a weakness on Lucas. He is lacking in the leg department. More so in the endurance than strength but they are all interconnected. So boys and girls, what do we do when we find a weakness? That's right! We attack it! We are going to turn this weakness into one of his strengths. Treat a weakness or imbalance as a disease. Diagnose it. Then make a plan to treat and cure this disease.
Now if you don't mind, I need to go recover and this bed looks like a good place to start.
In the morning me and my guys went on a short little run but we kicked up the speed and ran some intervals on the way back. It was about 1.5 miles out. When we reached our turn around point we did a quick set of 50 Push Ups and then turned around and made the 1.5 miles into 4 separate sprint intervals. Well they all started out as sprints but by the time we stopped they had turned into gasping runs. Regardless it was a good way to start the day and got us kick started for the day.
Once we got done with the hellstorm at work for the day, me and my faithful workout partner Lucas headed to the gym to sweat the stress of the day away. It worked.
Warmed Up with foam rolling and 10 Burpees and 20 Sit Ups
Another CrossFit benchmark workout, Karen - 150 Wall Ball shots. Normally it is done with a 20 pound ball but the gym we were at only had 14 pound balls so that's what we had to use. We made ourselves the goal of completing it in 7 minutes. That's just under 3 seconds for each rep. I came out victorious today with a time of 6:36 while Lucas cruised in at 7:50. But that's not all...
6 minutes As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) of Back Squats x 5 with 10 Box Jumps. We ended the 9th round just as the timer hit 6 minutes.
Next was a small circuit consisting of 4 rounds of:
30 seconds of jump rope > 10 Burpees > 5 Air Squats
We finished up legs with 3 minutes of Air Squats, max reps. I just broke into the 100's with 101 reps.
Lastly we ended with 5 minutes of Ab work:
1 min of Flutter Kicks > 1 min of Sit Ups > 1 min of Bicycles > 1 min of Crunches w/feet up > 1 min Plank
Stretching and Complaining
2 things came to light today. 1) Competition is a great motivator. Whether its against someone else or against your own personal records, having a person to beat (even if its yourself) is an excellent way to push yourself. 2) We discovered a weakness on Lucas. He is lacking in the leg department. More so in the endurance than strength but they are all interconnected. So boys and girls, what do we do when we find a weakness? That's right! We attack it! We are going to turn this weakness into one of his strengths. Treat a weakness or imbalance as a disease. Diagnose it. Then make a plan to treat and cure this disease.
Now if you don't mind, I need to go recover and this bed looks like a good place to start.
The Philosophical Teachings of Iron
Today was eventful. We all have those days where training should be the easiest (however hardest physically and maybe even mentally if you push yourself to humility) and most clarifying aspect of our day, but for whatever reason, things just seamed a little more cumbersome, a tad more demanding, and a bit more draining. Well today was mine.
Waking up today, I was struck with a sleep induced coma hangover, so you all know where I am going. This brings me to my first point.
(1) Stress can wreak havoc on our body, both physiologically, mentally,and emotionally. Whether it be from deadlines, sleep hangovers (alcohol and food comas count too), moods, relationships, finances, etc., stresses somehow, someway, will always be a constant in our lives. Period. WHICH, brings my to my second point.
(2) Of all the aspects throughout our lives, your body and mind can be you savor, or your prison. Let that sink in for one moment (sure, I'll wait...). We all have choices. Those choices will always have outcomes, which can be classified as a benefit or a consequence. Before I proceed however, I want to point out that some things in our lives we do not have a choice and/or control over. We cannot dictate the earth's atmosphere when it is 95 degrees out and public transit smells like a sweaty sac, just like we cannot control certain events and/or actions of others (read the works of Epictetuss, The Enchiridion and The Discourses, or pick up the shorter version called, The Manual For Living...great philosophical teachings). BUT, we can control our actions and reactions to things which are not directly within our control. So today, my reaction to how I felt (sometimes we just feel like shit, and that's that), was to look at my workout as my first step towards turning this day around. So here it goes... (Just wait, it "went" too).
Warm-Up:
- Lazy ass foam rolling
- Dynamic stretching (shoulder circumduction, hip flexion and extension)
- Speed rope for 500 hops
Workout Part 1(Porcelain Face Time):
- 5/3/1 Barbell Clean and Press (3x5,5,As Many As Possible AMAP)
- American KB Swings 24kg 3xAMAP in 1 minute
*Disclaimer* This wiped me clean on my ass. Note to self...Do not eat egg omelet with sweet potato before workout (even if its 90 mins before)...because hot sauce burns when it comes back up.
Workout Part 2 (Puke and Rally, buff said...)
1a. BB Inclined Bench 3x12-15
1b. Body weight Pull / Chin Up 3xAMAP
2a. "Animal Flow" Beast Front Kick Through 3xAMAP 10 sec/side
2b. DB Hammer Alternating Curl 3x5/side (Hello Popeye)
3a. BB Snatch 3xAMAP in 30 sec
3b. TRX Body weight Squat Jump 3xAMAP in 60 sec (ask my co-author Bri, I was a feeble man)
4a. Mr. McVeinerson's Bitch'n Grip'n Ladder:
- BB Reverse Curl (20 sec) - Rest (10 sec)
- TRX Triceps Extension (20 sec)
- Repeated for 3 round
5. Crosstown 2 Mile Tempo Run (dictated by Manhattan's lovely tourists and stop lights...really was sprint intervals due to certain individuals of a certain ethnicity taking pictures..., and traffic lights).
At the end, I felt beat, like a wet _____ .....
However, I chose to take a down day, and punch it in it's face, and say, "Not up in here!". So when you aren't feeling it on your day of so called defeat, just know that if you can make one stride forward, no matter what aspect in life it may progress, its still a step forward.
*Disclaimer* If you give "Manhattan Mike" a beer he will talk to you for an hour, if you give him two, he will write a blog that rivals a thesis. Fact.
Waking up today, I was struck with a sleep induced coma hangover, so you all know where I am going. This brings me to my first point.
(1) Stress can wreak havoc on our body, both physiologically, mentally,and emotionally. Whether it be from deadlines, sleep hangovers (alcohol and food comas count too), moods, relationships, finances, etc., stresses somehow, someway, will always be a constant in our lives. Period. WHICH, brings my to my second point.
(2) Of all the aspects throughout our lives, your body and mind can be you savor, or your prison. Let that sink in for one moment (sure, I'll wait...). We all have choices. Those choices will always have outcomes, which can be classified as a benefit or a consequence. Before I proceed however, I want to point out that some things in our lives we do not have a choice and/or control over. We cannot dictate the earth's atmosphere when it is 95 degrees out and public transit smells like a sweaty sac, just like we cannot control certain events and/or actions of others (read the works of Epictetuss, The Enchiridion and The Discourses, or pick up the shorter version called, The Manual For Living...great philosophical teachings). BUT, we can control our actions and reactions to things which are not directly within our control. So today, my reaction to how I felt (sometimes we just feel like shit, and that's that), was to look at my workout as my first step towards turning this day around. So here it goes... (Just wait, it "went" too).
Warm-Up:
- Lazy ass foam rolling
- Dynamic stretching (shoulder circumduction, hip flexion and extension)
- Speed rope for 500 hops
Workout Part 1(Porcelain Face Time):
- 5/3/1 Barbell Clean and Press (3x5,5,As Many As Possible AMAP)
- American KB Swings 24kg 3xAMAP in 1 minute
*Disclaimer* This wiped me clean on my ass. Note to self...Do not eat egg omelet with sweet potato before workout (even if its 90 mins before)...because hot sauce burns when it comes back up.
Workout Part 2 (Puke and Rally, buff said...)
1a. BB Inclined Bench 3x12-15
1b. Body weight Pull / Chin Up 3xAMAP
2a. "Animal Flow" Beast Front Kick Through 3xAMAP 10 sec/side
2b. DB Hammer Alternating Curl 3x5/side (Hello Popeye)
3a. BB Snatch 3xAMAP in 30 sec
3b. TRX Body weight Squat Jump 3xAMAP in 60 sec (ask my co-author Bri, I was a feeble man)
4a. Mr. McVeinerson's Bitch'n Grip'n Ladder:
- BB Reverse Curl (20 sec) - Rest (10 sec)
- TRX Triceps Extension (20 sec)
- Repeated for 3 round
5. Crosstown 2 Mile Tempo Run (dictated by Manhattan's lovely tourists and stop lights...really was sprint intervals due to certain individuals of a certain ethnicity taking pictures..., and traffic lights).
At the end, I felt beat, like a wet _____ .....
However, I chose to take a down day, and punch it in it's face, and say, "Not up in here!". So when you aren't feeling it on your day of so called defeat, just know that if you can make one stride forward, no matter what aspect in life it may progress, its still a step forward.
*Disclaimer* If you give "Manhattan Mike" a beer he will talk to you for an hour, if you give him two, he will write a blog that rivals a thesis. Fact.
Life Lesson: Perseverance
Yet
another day. Same as the last, just one step closer to the future. A future
full of questions and "what ifs'", but at end of the day, I am who I
am, and I love the one's that I have, so into the murky waters of life I shall go.
For better, or for the best. Perseverance is the key to life. Y'all remember
that.
- Michael Dewar
Morning Motivation - No Excuses
I found this picture the other day. It's pretty motivating and puts things in perspective. There should be no excuse for you to not pursue your goals. If you want something there is always a way to get there. It may not be easy, but the harder it is to get there, the more rewarding achieving that goal will be.
Next time you have doubts or are thinking about reasons why you "can't" do something, take a look at this guy and all the others out there like him that push through their limitations and achieve their goals. The only limitations you have are the ones you put on yourself.
Now get out there and Start Your Journey!
Next time you have doubts or are thinking about reasons why you "can't" do something, take a look at this guy and all the others out there like him that push through their limitations and achieve their goals. The only limitations you have are the ones you put on yourself.
Now get out there and Start Your Journey!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The Other Half of #meatballstrength is Excited to Share
Hey fitness world, my name is Mike Barbot and yes I am new to blogging so let's work on this together. Suggestions, comments, and concerns are always welcome here. A little bit about myself, I attended Seminole Community College in central Florida to pursue my dream of becoming a professional baseball player. I later became a graduate of Suny Stony Brook in Long Island, NY while competing in Division I baseball (Yes, I am a Seawolf). I graduated in 2009 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Business.
Honestly, I did pretty well in academia but I knew I had a passion for challenging myself on a physical level. I decided to use my brain, passion for sport, and devotion to keeping my rear out of a chair all day as motivation to go back to school at the National Personal Training Institute to earn a national certification.
I'm about continuous education while getting after it ("It" being the pursuit of physical excellence). With that being said, in closing I would like to leave you with the idea that the body may be strong but it's potential is limitless when the mind is utilized. Thank you Mike and Sonny for including me in this opportunity to share with everyone and learn from their feedback.
Grace and Under Recovering
Today was a quick day in the gym due to time constraints with work. Regardless, still got a fast and furious workout in and got my sweat on.
Warm-up - Foam Roll and Shoulder Dislocates
Aerodyne Bike for 10 minutes - 30 seconds slow, 30 seconds sprint
CrossFit benchmark workout "Grace" - 30 Clean and Jerks with 135 pounds
3 rounds of 10 Back Extension with 10 Lunges each leg while holding a plate overhead
Got in and out pretty quick but left without a whole lot of breath in my lungs after Grace. My time was pretty slow, especially when compared to that of the elites of CrossFit its pretty embarrassing, but I came in at 3:38. Much slower than I wanted but that only means I have more room to improve next time. My workout partner Lucas blasted through it and came in at 2:08. Pretty impressive for our level.
After today's workout my elbows and shoulders were pretty wore out which brings me to today's point of focus, Recovery. This is one of the most important parts of exercising no matter what modality you use. If you continue to break down and destroy your body it has no time to rebuild itself and improve. A lot of people (myself included) have a hard time taking a day off. I know personally if I don't get in the gym or get out and get a sweat then I feel lazy as hell. The key is to listen to your body and know when to take a break. You know deep down whether or not your body is at its best and can perform that day. If you are like me and can't stand to take a day completely off then Active Recovery is the answer for you. Get up and get moving, do some low impact workouts like swimming or biking. Or as Mike mentioned earlier, Yoga and body weight movements. Don't think you need to go into the gym and kill yourself and pick up and put down big heavy weights everyday. Sometimes all your body needs is a good (and sometimes painful) foam rolling session.
Most people know the term Overtraining but I like to replace that work with a different, more accurate term, Under Recovering. That's really what it is all about. You aren't letting your body recover enough between workouts and the keys to recovery are simple. Sleep and Nutrition. Eating right and getting enough sleep (6-8 hours) lets your body rebuild itself bigger and better so its ready for the next day.
As you may see in the future this is one of my biggest weaknesses. I tend to Under Recover and that leads to days like today where I feel like I have the shoulders and elbows of an 80 year old. But hopefully through this blog my fellow authors and loyal followers will help keep me honest about recovery.
Warm-up - Foam Roll and Shoulder Dislocates
Aerodyne Bike for 10 minutes - 30 seconds slow, 30 seconds sprint
CrossFit benchmark workout "Grace" - 30 Clean and Jerks with 135 pounds
3 rounds of 10 Back Extension with 10 Lunges each leg while holding a plate overhead
Got in and out pretty quick but left without a whole lot of breath in my lungs after Grace. My time was pretty slow, especially when compared to that of the elites of CrossFit its pretty embarrassing, but I came in at 3:38. Much slower than I wanted but that only means I have more room to improve next time. My workout partner Lucas blasted through it and came in at 2:08. Pretty impressive for our level.
After today's workout my elbows and shoulders were pretty wore out which brings me to today's point of focus, Recovery. This is one of the most important parts of exercising no matter what modality you use. If you continue to break down and destroy your body it has no time to rebuild itself and improve. A lot of people (myself included) have a hard time taking a day off. I know personally if I don't get in the gym or get out and get a sweat then I feel lazy as hell. The key is to listen to your body and know when to take a break. You know deep down whether or not your body is at its best and can perform that day. If you are like me and can't stand to take a day completely off then Active Recovery is the answer for you. Get up and get moving, do some low impact workouts like swimming or biking. Or as Mike mentioned earlier, Yoga and body weight movements. Don't think you need to go into the gym and kill yourself and pick up and put down big heavy weights everyday. Sometimes all your body needs is a good (and sometimes painful) foam rolling session.
Most people know the term Overtraining but I like to replace that work with a different, more accurate term, Under Recovering. That's really what it is all about. You aren't letting your body recover enough between workouts and the keys to recovery are simple. Sleep and Nutrition. Eating right and getting enough sleep (6-8 hours) lets your body rebuild itself bigger and better so its ready for the next day.
As you may see in the future this is one of my biggest weaknesses. I tend to Under Recover and that leads to days like today where I feel like I have the shoulders and elbows of an 80 year old. But hopefully through this blog my fellow authors and loyal followers will help keep me honest about recovery.
The Beginning Part III: Gettin Girly
Hi! Howdy! Hey girl hey...As Mike and Sonny may have mentioned/warned you, I am a new addition to this blog and couldn't be happier! These guys know there stuff and have only quality information to give, I suggest you listen up! But enough about them, let's get a girl's perspective!
My background consists of a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) with minors in Exercise Science and Fitness Specialist. Also, I am Pilates instructor, a professional dancer, certified personal trainer and love long walks on the beach. Besides that, I find it very reasonable to say; I like to be active. More importantly, I feel that movement should not be taken for granted.
Humans have not evolved to merely sit in a cushy chair for an entire workday, stand up, sit in a vehicle to simply sit back down and mindlessly "watch" TV. The Olympics, the ParaOlympics...C'mon! Work is work and there are always jobs to be done, but life is a fact; how do you plan to live it?
I might be getting a little deep for my first blog post, so I will simply leave this thought to those who have read: What makes you feel human? To some it may be calculating equations for hours, but to others it may be riding a bike or walking outside for 10 minutes each day. And who is to say you cannot do both? My rationale (which hey, I'm writing this post, I might as well include a full-formed opinion) is that your mind and body are two of the greatest, most unique tools possible. Connect them. Reach your full potential.
Alrighty, I'm stepping down from my soap box for the night. Feel free to leave comments, arguments, hashtags...It is my personal goal to include formulated posts with insightful articles and attachments to this blog. I truly would love to hear thoughts and feelings from the readers at any time along the way! Another shoutout to Mike and Sonny for including me on this journey. Here's to working out, feeling great and living life well!
My background consists of a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) with minors in Exercise Science and Fitness Specialist. Also, I am Pilates instructor, a professional dancer, certified personal trainer and love long walks on the beach. Besides that, I find it very reasonable to say; I like to be active. More importantly, I feel that movement should not be taken for granted.
Humans have not evolved to merely sit in a cushy chair for an entire workday, stand up, sit in a vehicle to simply sit back down and mindlessly "watch" TV. The Olympics, the ParaOlympics...C'mon! Work is work and there are always jobs to be done, but life is a fact; how do you plan to live it?
I might be getting a little deep for my first blog post, so I will simply leave this thought to those who have read: What makes you feel human? To some it may be calculating equations for hours, but to others it may be riding a bike or walking outside for 10 minutes each day. And who is to say you cannot do both? My rationale (which hey, I'm writing this post, I might as well include a full-formed opinion) is that your mind and body are two of the greatest, most unique tools possible. Connect them. Reach your full potential.
Alrighty, I'm stepping down from my soap box for the night. Feel free to leave comments, arguments, hashtags...It is my personal goal to include formulated posts with insightful articles and attachments to this blog. I truly would love to hear thoughts and feelings from the readers at any time along the way! Another shoutout to Mike and Sonny for including me on this journey. Here's to working out, feeling great and living life well!
Who are you, the "Tortoise" or the "Hare"?
Yes, today was my "rest" day from my 5/3/1 and CMC training, however when has that ever stopped us!
My training goal for today was total body movements, focusing on mobility, core stability, and endurance, all to help relieve stress and improve recovery time. So here ya go...
1. StairMaster with 50lb weighted vest 20 mins
2. Animal Flow (Animal Flow ABC's and Animal Flow Preview FAQ ... check it out!) : I did squat planks, down dog to cobra progressions, plank step outs, deep squat jumps, "Beast" twists, (dynamic warm-up aspect). Animal Flow was developed by Mike Fitch and Global Body-weight Training.
3. Body movement complex (alternate weighted vest exercise and core work with my workout partner)
- weighted vest duck walk
- weighted vest inch worm
- weighted vest plyometric single leg lunge
- weighted vest line jumps
- weighted vest single leg RDL
Each component consisted of 1 min on, with transition periods of body weight core work in between.
4. Finished with 2 mile distance run (not crushing records, just trying to stay moving).
As one can see, lifelong fitness is doing things with the same intentions as the tortoise did when he raced the hare. It's about consistency, degree of effort, always improving and giving you all one day at a time.
As my mother told me, "When you go to sleep every night, make sure you can close your eyes knowing you set forth and gave only your finest efforts in your daily pursuits."
And from my father, well, "There is no sense in doing things half ass, because all you are going to ever get is half ass results."
Love you both!
My training goal for today was total body movements, focusing on mobility, core stability, and endurance, all to help relieve stress and improve recovery time. So here ya go...
1. StairMaster with 50lb weighted vest 20 mins
2. Animal Flow (Animal Flow ABC's and Animal Flow Preview FAQ ... check it out!) : I did squat planks, down dog to cobra progressions, plank step outs, deep squat jumps, "Beast" twists, (dynamic warm-up aspect). Animal Flow was developed by Mike Fitch and Global Body-weight Training.
3. Body movement complex (alternate weighted vest exercise and core work with my workout partner)
- weighted vest duck walk
- weighted vest inch worm
- weighted vest plyometric single leg lunge
- weighted vest line jumps
- weighted vest single leg RDL
Each component consisted of 1 min on, with transition periods of body weight core work in between.
4. Finished with 2 mile distance run (not crushing records, just trying to stay moving).
As one can see, lifelong fitness is doing things with the same intentions as the tortoise did when he raced the hare. It's about consistency, degree of effort, always improving and giving you all one day at a time.
As my mother told me, "When you go to sleep every night, make sure you can close your eyes knowing you set forth and gave only your finest efforts in your daily pursuits."
And from my father, well, "There is no sense in doing things half ass, because all you are going to ever get is half ass results."
Love you both!
Win it all Wednesday
Goodmorning J2fit nation. By now, I am hoping that you have and/or are ready to sieze the day, and getting your lifestyle off to another great start.
1. Complete meal containing one (women) - two (men) servings of lean protein, veggies, fruit, and some healthy fats or complex carbohydrates (mote on what that entails to come).
2. Glass of H2O (muscles are about 75-80% H2O) so let's feed for optimal success.
3. Take you mutlivitamins and omega 3-6.
4. Walk out the door, head high, rain or shine, ready to conquer your presentation, expense reports, business calls, and even for those of you lucky enough to exercise now instead of later, CARPE DIEM THE SHIT OUT OF TODAY!
Challenge Yourself!
To touch on Mike's uphill walking workout, it is a lot harder than it sounds. And if you try it and you breeze through it go grab a weight vest or a ruck/backpack and go back at it. Always find a way to challenge yourself in a workout. If something is easy, find a way to make it hard. Think you have the Push Up mastered? Add a weight vest or try doing them with your feet on a 30" box. That easy too? Move on to Handstand Push Ups. Always be looking for ways to improve and challenge yourself and never be satisfied with where you are currently at. Have a goal, reach it, and set it even higher. Keep setting your bar higher and higher, even if its just one more rep or another 5 pounds.
You can't lift 100 pounds before you can lift 95 pounds.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Terrible Tuesday: Part Duece
So I went back to the gym today for session number 2. This time I had a partner, my Ranger Buddy and workout partner down here in Georgia, Lucas. We are pretty comparable in terms of ability although he has his strengths and I have mine. The right workout partner is definitely an asset in the gym. Having someone there to push you and compete with makes you work for that last rep or go one more round. You just have to be careful that you don't push each other into getting hurt. Lucas is definitely good at getting me to push and compete against him and make myself better so its always a good time when we are able to workout together.
Here is the second workout of the day:
Started with some more Muscle Up and Kipping Handstand Push Up work
3 x 30 sec Max Rep Snatch
2 x 30 sec Max Rep Snatch (increased weight)
Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) - 5 minutes
3 x Snatch with 3 Ring Pull Ups
3 x 10 Romanian Deadlift with 3 x 5 Piston Squat each leg
Incline Bench - 5 rounds
Each round consists of 5 reps at a light weight, 5 reps at a medium weight, 5 reps at a heavy weight
This second workout had a lot more volume than this morning so we took about twice as much time stretching out at the end, especially with the shoulders. I followed up the workout with a protein shake, my favorite post workout drink. Right now I'm finishing up a bag of Progenex Recovery Protein, It's delicious yet pretty expensive.
And as Mike stated earlier, we have added two new fitness junkies to the team, Mike and Brianna. Be sure to check back often for their posts and the development of this great J2Fit team!
Here is the second workout of the day:
Started with some more Muscle Up and Kipping Handstand Push Up work
3 x 30 sec Max Rep Snatch
2 x 30 sec Max Rep Snatch (increased weight)
Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) - 5 minutes
3 x Snatch with 3 Ring Pull Ups
3 x 10 Romanian Deadlift with 3 x 5 Piston Squat each leg
Incline Bench - 5 rounds
Each round consists of 5 reps at a light weight, 5 reps at a medium weight, 5 reps at a heavy weight
This second workout had a lot more volume than this morning so we took about twice as much time stretching out at the end, especially with the shoulders. I followed up the workout with a protein shake, my favorite post workout drink. Right now I'm finishing up a bag of Progenex Recovery Protein, It's delicious yet pretty expensive.
And as Mike stated earlier, we have added two new fitness junkies to the team, Mike and Brianna. Be sure to check back often for their posts and the development of this great J2Fit team!
Who would have thought?! Finally popping pills is seen as not the solution to our common concerns...
It is about time that more health professional (doctors, who more often than not push drugs on people rather than lifestyle changes; physical activity, healthy eating, etc) finally get on board with us here at J2Fit!
Elevated blood pressure is a very real concern for many readers, so take a look at this.
Stimulating your Desires....
OK, If your first thought after reading the post title wasn't one you would like to have in front of your grandma, you are despicable...
ANYWAYS, my intention of this post is to stimulate feedback and responses from our J2Fit nation, so let's hear it ya'll (and yes, I'm from Ohio, but to New Yorkers I may as well be living in the backwoods without electricity and running water....so much for diversity. Jk. NYC!)
What aspects of fitness, health, training, life, nutrition, and overall wellness are you hungry for? List any and all, because we are gonna come at you fully loaded, ready to rock.
ANYWAYS, my intention of this post is to stimulate feedback and responses from our J2Fit nation, so let's hear it ya'll (and yes, I'm from Ohio, but to New Yorkers I may as well be living in the backwoods without electricity and running water....so much for diversity. Jk. NYC!)
What aspects of fitness, health, training, life, nutrition, and overall wellness are you hungry for? List any and all, because we are gonna come at you fully loaded, ready to rock.
Newbies!!
So a special treat for all our followers...
Added to the J2Fit information and conversation collaboration team (yea I brainstormed for 5 minutes to get that to rhyme...) are Ms. Brianna Wieclaw and Mr. Mike Barbot, both holding vast background and experiences paralleling the vision of our blog, so let's make sure to give them a warm, sweaty, and invigorating J2Fit welcome! Stay tuned, inaugural posts are headed your way!
Added to the J2Fit information and conversation collaboration team (yea I brainstormed for 5 minutes to get that to rhyme...) are Ms. Brianna Wieclaw and Mr. Mike Barbot, both holding vast background and experiences paralleling the vision of our blog, so let's make sure to give them a warm, sweaty, and invigorating J2Fit welcome! Stay tuned, inaugural posts are headed your way!
Terrific Tuesday's Tree-Trunk Thighs
As one may have assumed, yes, today was leg day. Yet again,5/3/1 methodologies, as well as sport specific training found its way into my workout with some new twists, and some good old friends. However, don't be discouraged, I had my client jump in along side, and bust out just as many ass to the ground squats, hip thrusting swings, and ball / ovary busting box jumps as me....if not more, ha.
Warm-up = Foam Rolling (Myofascial Release) and Dynamic Running Warm-up
1a. Barbell Squat 3 x 5 (5/3/1 methods)
1b. Kettle bell American Overhead Swings 3 x Max reps in 90seconds
2a. Kettle bell Overhead Walking Lunge 3 x 20 steps
2b. 24 in Box Jumps 3 x 20
2c. Kneeling Ab Wheel Roll Out 3 x 20
3a. 24 in Back Loaded Barbell Step Up 3 x 15
Cardio = 1 mile timed run followed by incline walking (***Note, inclined walking is great way to increase cardiovascular fitness, lower body endurance, and core control, with less impact forces on joints, hence I build this in 1 x / week in place of road running...and trust me, jack that incline up to 15% and walk 3.0-3.5mph, and give me a call...ask my colleague Sonny, I was like a suckling pig when I spoke with him during my "walk").
Anywhooo, there ya have my Tuesday. Now off to train the people who make me click, you guys! (Well my clients, who are no different than you or me, just realize that we all fall somewhere on the continuum of health.)
Manhattan Mike's Words to Chew On:
"We all are born small and weak,
And we will all one day will die small and weak.
However it is what we do in between that defines what and who we are now, will become, and will have been."
-Anonymous
Terrible Tuesday
Have the day off of work today after 2 long days so why not try and make myself puke? Came pretty close with this one today but managed to walk it off. I started the day off working on Muscle Up progression, still can't seem to get the transition from under the bar/rings to over them, pretty frustrating. Then went into this:
Hang Cleans (heavy) - 5x3 increasing weight each time then 3x1 adding weight again
5 Rounds - Squat Cleans x 5 > 40 yd Sled Push > Max reps Handstand Push Ups > 40 yd Sled Push
After the 5th round I was gasping for air like a fish.
How about a J2Fit question for the day. What is your post workout meal? Maybe a shake? Or go all natural and drink some chocolate milk or eat some chicken? Let's hear it!
Hang Cleans (heavy) - 5x3 increasing weight each time then 3x1 adding weight again
5 Rounds - Squat Cleans x 5 > 40 yd Sled Push > Max reps Handstand Push Ups > 40 yd Sled Push
After the 5th round I was gasping for air like a fish.
How about a J2Fit question for the day. What is your post workout meal? Maybe a shake? Or go all natural and drink some chocolate milk or eat some chicken? Let's hear it!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Booty Blast - For Women AND Men!!!
To all my females out there, no worries, here is some quick tips for a Booty Busting Brew-Ha-Ha!
Booty Blast Brew-Ha-Ha!!!
Booty Blast Brew-Ha-Ha!!!
Getting this Show Up and Running: Reaching the masses, yet appealing to the unique YOU!
It's all coming together...take a look all, and any comments on what you want to be added or changed, let me know. This is a blog for not only our enjoyment, but to stimulate health and fitness in you, and to motivate you to be better day in day out, and to learn life's valuable lessons one workout, one circuit, one lap, one exercise, one rep, and one second, at a time. Enjoy!
Saturday? Nope, Monday!
I woke up this morning thinking today was Saturday, but I was quite wrong. Regardless I woke up and headed to the gym. My goal this morning wasn't to kill myself as my body was pretty tired from the last 24 hours. I wanted to get in the gym and get moving. So this is what I settled on doing when I got nice and warm.
Row 1000m - 3:40
Push Press x 3 followed by 5 Wall Ball Shots every minute on the minute (EMOTM) for 10 minutes
Circuit of Pull Ups/GHD Sit Ups/Double Unders 10 reps of each, 4 times through
Nothing crazy or heavy.
You can probably tell that CrossFit is a big influence in the workouts I do. I like the way they structure most of their workouts and also the general CrossFit community is a good time. My ultimate goal would be to compete within the games but at this point I don't have all the skills down not to mention I am no where near the athlete that those guys are.....yet, but you have to have goals.
Row 1000m - 3:40
Push Press x 3 followed by 5 Wall Ball Shots every minute on the minute (EMOTM) for 10 minutes
Circuit of Pull Ups/GHD Sit Ups/Double Unders 10 reps of each, 4 times through
Nothing crazy or heavy.
You can probably tell that CrossFit is a big influence in the workouts I do. I like the way they structure most of their workouts and also the general CrossFit community is a good time. My ultimate goal would be to compete within the games but at this point I don't have all the skills down not to mention I am no where near the athlete that those guys are.....yet, but you have to have goals.
Monday Mayhem
5/3/1 Phase II - Day 1 of Civilian Military Combine (CMC) Event Training
Whats shaking my fellow crazies...(we are all crazy, so be proud of it).
I want to preface this post with what I am currently training for (other than to always become leaner, faster, stronger, more athletic and functional, healthier, and more of an example of exemplar fitness and physique), which is the "Civilian Military Combine" here in Brooklyn, NY on September 22nd, 2012.
http://www.civilianmilitarycombine.com/events/nyc-urban-assault/
Using my experiences in my educational upbringing, sports performance, and first hand experience with endurance and athletic events, I have developed a training style that incorporates some gold standards of fitness, as well as some new twist...so I hope you enjoy. Feel free to shoot questions and/or thoughts on what I have here.
Warm-Up = 1 Mile Run (8-10 minutes)
1a. Barbell Bench Press (5-3-1 Lifting Scheme by Jim Wendler....Week 1, so 3x5)
1b. Max Body weight Burpee Jumps 3 x 1min
2a. Barbell Bent Over Row 3 x 40, 20, 20
2b. Cable Face / High Pull 3 x 20,15,10
3a. Barbell Thrusters (75lbs since that is specific to CMC event) 3 x Max reps in 1 min
3b. Dumbbell Delt Raises (Lateral, Front, Reverse) 3 x 15-20
4a. Dumbbell Decline Bench Press 3 x 12-15
4b. Ab Wheel Roll-Out 3 x 25
5a. Body weight Dips Ladder w/ Kettle bell 2 Hand Snatch = Perform 15 dips followed by five 32 KG Kettle bell 2 hand Snatches, 10 dips with 5 "Kettle bell...", 5 dips with 5 "Kettle bell...", 10 dips with 5 "Kettle bell...", 15 dips with 5 "Kettle bell..."
Cario = 5 x 5 min ascending run intervals (6.0mph, 6.5mph, 7.0mph, 7.5mph, 8.0mph) = 3 miles in 25 mins
I train 4x/week, balls to wall, and 1-2 times with private clients doing Yoga, "Animal Flow", or anything else my concrete jungle may inspire me to develop. Hope you enjoy! Feedback is key to success!
Whats shaking my fellow crazies...(we are all crazy, so be proud of it).
I want to preface this post with what I am currently training for (other than to always become leaner, faster, stronger, more athletic and functional, healthier, and more of an example of exemplar fitness and physique), which is the "Civilian Military Combine" here in Brooklyn, NY on September 22nd, 2012.
http://www.civilianmilitarycombine.com/events/nyc-urban-assault/
Using my experiences in my educational upbringing, sports performance, and first hand experience with endurance and athletic events, I have developed a training style that incorporates some gold standards of fitness, as well as some new twist...so I hope you enjoy. Feel free to shoot questions and/or thoughts on what I have here.
Warm-Up = 1 Mile Run (8-10 minutes)
1a. Barbell Bench Press (5-3-1 Lifting Scheme by Jim Wendler....Week 1, so 3x5)
1b. Max Body weight Burpee Jumps 3 x 1min
2a. Barbell Bent Over Row 3 x 40, 20, 20
2b. Cable Face / High Pull 3 x 20,15,10
3a. Barbell Thrusters (75lbs since that is specific to CMC event) 3 x Max reps in 1 min
3b. Dumbbell Delt Raises (Lateral, Front, Reverse) 3 x 15-20
4a. Dumbbell Decline Bench Press 3 x 12-15
4b. Ab Wheel Roll-Out 3 x 25
5a. Body weight Dips Ladder w/ Kettle bell 2 Hand Snatch = Perform 15 dips followed by five 32 KG Kettle bell 2 hand Snatches, 10 dips with 5 "Kettle bell...", 5 dips with 5 "Kettle bell...", 10 dips with 5 "Kettle bell...", 15 dips with 5 "Kettle bell..."
Cario = 5 x 5 min ascending run intervals (6.0mph, 6.5mph, 7.0mph, 7.5mph, 8.0mph) = 3 miles in 25 mins
I train 4x/week, balls to wall, and 1-2 times with private clients doing Yoga, "Animal Flow", or anything else my concrete jungle may inspire me to develop. Hope you enjoy! Feedback is key to success!
The Beginning: Part II - "Manhattan Mike"
Hello Fellow Journey to Fitness Followers,
So here is my first rendition of blogging...
My Story:
I received my B.S. Exercise Science and minor in Nutrition and Food from Bowling Green State University (as did my fellow authors). After graduation, all of us great friends went separate yet parallel paths. As you can see, my bestie Sonny Litwiler enlisted in the Army and is currently protecting our asses as a Ranger, and lives and breathes fitness, self-improvement, and life.
I went on to gain experience in the Collegiate Sports realm, in which I served as a part of the Strength and Conditioning Team for Bowling Green State University Athletics.
I then went on to graduate school where I received my M.A. in Applied Physiology from Columbia University in New York City. At Columbia, I worked alongside Cardiovascular and Pulmonary wizards, conducted various assessments and tests with lung transplant and recipients, ultimately conducting research for my thesis on exercise capacities pre and post lung transplantation.
Following graduation (2nd time) I stayed and am currently in New York City, where I am a private personal trainer/exercise specialist, in addition to working with Equinox here in NYC.
As one can see, we all went on to do some things, but at the end of the day, we are still the 3 guys in back of class who would talk of things that did not pertain to books, test, etc...it was sports, workouts, girls, beer, and occasionally, getting something started together in future. So here we go, finally acting on our words...Hope you enjoy!
So here is my first rendition of blogging...
My Story:
I received my B.S. Exercise Science and minor in Nutrition and Food from Bowling Green State University (as did my fellow authors). After graduation, all of us great friends went separate yet parallel paths. As you can see, my bestie Sonny Litwiler enlisted in the Army and is currently protecting our asses as a Ranger, and lives and breathes fitness, self-improvement, and life.
I went on to gain experience in the Collegiate Sports realm, in which I served as a part of the Strength and Conditioning Team for Bowling Green State University Athletics.
I then went on to graduate school where I received my M.A. in Applied Physiology from Columbia University in New York City. At Columbia, I worked alongside Cardiovascular and Pulmonary wizards, conducted various assessments and tests with lung transplant and recipients, ultimately conducting research for my thesis on exercise capacities pre and post lung transplantation.
Following graduation (2nd time) I stayed and am currently in New York City, where I am a private personal trainer/exercise specialist, in addition to working with Equinox here in NYC.
As one can see, we all went on to do some things, but at the end of the day, we are still the 3 guys in back of class who would talk of things that did not pertain to books, test, etc...it was sports, workouts, girls, beer, and occasionally, getting something started together in future. So here we go, finally acting on our words...Hope you enjoy!
Wow!
Much to my surprise, I came home from work at 4 in the morning to see that a Mike Dewar shared this little blog on Facebook and it had almost 70 views yesterday. Very surprising! Now I don't know what anyone thought about it, whether they liked it or thought it was shit, but that's not too shabby. With that being said, I felt compelled to write something before I pass out.
As I mentioned yesterday, we had a training event for my platoon today that kept me out all day and night Sunday so I don't have much of a workout to post. If I had to write it out as a workout it would go something like this:
Put on a 60 pound weighted vest and conduct sprints with varying distance and rest periods for about an hour. Then remove the vest and rest for an hour. Repeat 4 times. Throw in a lot of gunfire and some rockets and mortars and you got yourself a pretty interesting workout.
Anyways, I'll have a real workout for you tomorrow as well as another potential author to this little venture as the one and only, Mike Dewar, will potentially be joining me on here...as long as we can sort out everything.
As I mentioned yesterday, we had a training event for my platoon today that kept me out all day and night Sunday so I don't have much of a workout to post. If I had to write it out as a workout it would go something like this:
Put on a 60 pound weighted vest and conduct sprints with varying distance and rest periods for about an hour. Then remove the vest and rest for an hour. Repeat 4 times. Throw in a lot of gunfire and some rockets and mortars and you got yourself a pretty interesting workout.
Anyways, I'll have a real workout for you tomorrow as well as another potential author to this little venture as the one and only, Mike Dewar, will potentially be joining me on here...as long as we can sort out everything.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Saturday Workouts
I had to go into work today but before I did I was able to get through 2 short workouts.
The first workout:
30 reps of Bear Complex @ 115 lbs in 12 minutes 20 seconds
The second:
Ascending Ladder 1,2,3,4,5 reps of Pull ups followed by Burpees repeated 3 times
The Bear Complex I first learned about from my sister's CrossFit gym. It consists of a clean, front squat, push press, back squat, and finally another push press from behind the head. That is 1 repetition. I decided to do this workout after I saw that Rich Froning (CrossFit Games winner 2011 and 2012) did it the other night. The only difference is that he used 225 pounds. He didn't post his time but I can only imagine it was a quite a bit faster than mine.
The second workout was just a quick workout to get me moving as well as to work on my pull-ups especially when fatigued and out of breathe from the previous workout and the burpees. I didn't time myself but I moved through the reps quickly and rested about 1-2 minutes between rounds.
Nothing too crazy today considering the amount of volume I put in the last 2 weeks and with a 24 hour training event coming up tomorrow I didn't want to be tore up tomorrow. Don't expect anything tomorrow, talk to you on Monday.
The first workout:
30 reps of Bear Complex @ 115 lbs in 12 minutes 20 seconds
The second:
Ascending Ladder 1,2,3,4,5 reps of Pull ups followed by Burpees repeated 3 times
The Bear Complex I first learned about from my sister's CrossFit gym. It consists of a clean, front squat, push press, back squat, and finally another push press from behind the head. That is 1 repetition. I decided to do this workout after I saw that Rich Froning (CrossFit Games winner 2011 and 2012) did it the other night. The only difference is that he used 225 pounds. He didn't post his time but I can only imagine it was a quite a bit faster than mine.
The second workout was just a quick workout to get me moving as well as to work on my pull-ups especially when fatigued and out of breathe from the previous workout and the burpees. I didn't time myself but I moved through the reps quickly and rested about 1-2 minutes between rounds.
Nothing too crazy today considering the amount of volume I put in the last 2 weeks and with a 24 hour training event coming up tomorrow I didn't want to be tore up tomorrow. Don't expect anything tomorrow, talk to you on Monday.
The Beginning
What's up? This is the introductory post of my try at a blog. I decided to make give this whole blog thing a try. A lot of the things I post will be focused around fitness and working out. A lot of workouts, articles, and discussion topics. There may be the occasional personal life post but don't worry, nothing too bad.
So about me, I went to college and majored in Exercise Science with a minor in Nutrition. Currently I'm in the Army to help pay back my student loans and find a new and exciting adventure. As I said earlier a lot of the things I post will be related to working out and fitness in general. That is one of my huge interests and drives in life. Furthering my knowledge as well as becoming as fit and in shape as I can are huge goals in my life so that's what I will be talking a lot about. I hope to bring up some topics that people have questions about or have a different opinion about so I invite any comments, questions, or debates.
So here it goes.
So about me, I went to college and majored in Exercise Science with a minor in Nutrition. Currently I'm in the Army to help pay back my student loans and find a new and exciting adventure. As I said earlier a lot of the things I post will be related to working out and fitness in general. That is one of my huge interests and drives in life. Furthering my knowledge as well as becoming as fit and in shape as I can are huge goals in my life so that's what I will be talking a lot about. I hope to bring up some topics that people have questions about or have a different opinion about so I invite any comments, questions, or debates.
So here it goes.
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